About half of Nebraskas third-eighth graders tested proficient in English Language Arts - a dip in performance from previous reading tests state officials said they anticipated because the new tests set the bar higher.

High school juniors, who took the ACT college preparatory exam instead of statewide tests for the first time fared similarly: 52 percent are proficient in English Language Arts, 51 percent in math and 55 percent in science.

For younger students, the new English Language Arts assessments test both reading and writing skills and follow more rigorous standards than previous tests.

On the new assessments, proficiency levels ranged from 47 percent proficient for sixth and seventh graders to 56 percent for fourth-graders.

State Education Commissioner Matt Blomstedt said its impossible to compare last years reading test scores with this years English Language Arts scores because theyre new tests that assess mastery of more rigorous standards designed to ensure students are better prepared for college or a career when they graduate.

This is a new baseline in Nebraska, Blomstedt said. Because we set an expectation that is higher, we have students not at that bar.

He said he expects scores to rise as schools align their classes to the new standards, and students become better prepared for the assessments, including the ACT. Similar trends have happened when standards have changed in other states as well as Nebraska, he said.

Were setting a higher trajectory, he said.

State education officials have been preparing schools and the public to expect lower scores because of the new tests.

Its a tough transition and even though weve talk about it a long time, it doesnt become real till you see the results, he said.

Educate Nebraska, a school choice advocacy group, issued a statement saying the preliminary results show Nebraska must work harder to adopt meaningful and proven policies that put students first.

Schools will soon be sending results to parents with information about how their students fared on English Language Arts, math and science tests, as well as how those results compare to preliminary statewide results.

Students in third through eighth grades took the tests last spring, and juniors took the ACT.

Test scores for individual districts and schools arent yet available.

Math and science tests, which have yet to be updated, are comparable to past years tests.

In math, proficiency levels ranged from 65 percent for eighth-graders to 76 percent for fourth and fifth-graders. In science, 72 percent of fifth-graders tested proficient and 68 percent of eighth-graders were proficient. Those are the only two grades tested in science.

Last year, math proficiency rates ranged from 68 percent to 78 percent. In science, 74 percent of fifth-graders were proficient last year as were 68 percent of eighth-graders.

More rigorous math standards will go into effect next year, and new science standards will go into effect in the years following.

While Nebraska students compared well to other states that take the ACT, less than a third of those students met all four benchmarks that indicate theyll be successful in college courses.

State officials used those benchmarks to help determine proficiency at the state level, and added another cutoff that considered students to be "on track" to succeed in college  both those categories are considered proficient.

Students whose scores put them in a category called developing -- between 45 and 49 percent of students -- likely would need remedial courses before taking college courses for credit.
Chennai: In an unfortunate incident, five persons, including three women, were killed when the roof of a bus stand collapsed in Somanur on the outskirts of Coimbatore on Thursday.

The accident occurred at the Somanur bus stand. Coimbatore is around 500 km from here.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs four lakh each to their families from the state disaster relief fund.

He sanctioned aid of Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each to those with severe and simple injuries respectively from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund.
Darjeeling: Gorkha Janmukti Morcha President Bimal Gurung on Thursday said he has sent a delegation to Delhi for a meeting with Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on the Darjeeling issue, and threatened to boycott the September 12 meeting called by the West Bengal government if Gorkhaland was not on the agenda.

Gurung said the delegation comprises Sarita Rai, Rohit Sharma, Swaraj Thapa, Kalyan Dewan and Dawa Pakhrin, besides some other members of the Gorkhaland Movement Coordination Committee which has been floated to carry on a joint agitation for a separate state.

In an audio message, Gurung said the central government should immediately begin tripartite talks on Gorkhaland.

"Only then we will think about lifting the ongoing indefinite shutdown," he was heard saying on the audio tape.

Normal life has been crippled in the Darjeeling hills due to the the indefinite shutdown called by the GJM to press for the separate state of Gorkhaland. Schools, colleges, offices and shops barring pharmacies are closed, with the shutdown now 84 day olds.

"If the talks on September 12 are not on Gorkhaland, then GJM will not attend the meeting," he said.

Gurung also accused expelled GJM leaders Binay Tamang and Anit Thapa of "betraying" the Gorkhaland demand "by conspiring with the state government".
Washington: The US will deploy additional 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, taking the total number of soldiers stationed in the war-torn country to 14,500.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis authorised the new deployment which is in line with President Donald Trump's Afghan policy, which did not set a timeline for the withdrawal US troops from the country, defence department official said yesterday.

The official said that Mattis has authorised about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Last week, the Pentagon had revised its earlier figure of 8,400 troops to about 11,000 troops. On Friday, Mattis had told reporters that he had signed paper work for deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan but did not reveal the exact figures.

The additional troops deployment come after Mattis, along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, briefed members of the Congress on the new Afghan strategy and also about North Korea.

They were joined by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

"The US military presence in Afghanistan should be based on our national security interests, the advice of our commanders, and the facts on the ground. We must ensure that terrorists can never again use Afghanistan as a training ground and launching pad for terrorist attacks against our homeland," Senator Todd Young said.

"Afghanistan is not a short-term circumstance we face. Despite encouraging signs I saw, it doesn't mean we are departing from Afghanistan soon," Senator Jerry Moran told Military Times in a interview after his return from Afghanistan.

The House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday announced to hold a Congressional hearing on budget request for Afghanistan and Pakistan on September 13.

Alice G. Wells, acting assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will testify before the Congressional Committee.
Jerusalem: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has banned Al-Jazeera`s Jerusalem bureau chief from attending a seminar about freedom of speech, officials said, the latest move against the broadcaster by the Israeli leader.

The Israeli government press office said late Wednesday that Netanyahu had demanded Walid Al-Omary be excluded from the conference taking place on Thursday.

The event was focused on the limits of freedom of expression.

The press office said Netanyahu reiterated his intention to close Al-Jazeera in Israel and called for "legal measures to be taken to prevent the accreditation of all Al-Jazeera journalists."

In July Netanyahu announced plans to expel Al-Jazeera after accusing it of incitement.

Israel had also announced it would withdraw accreditation of one of the broadcaster`s journalists, Elias Karam, but he has since been given a six-month reprieve.

Amnesty International called the Israeli moves a "brazen attack on media freedom."

Al-Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar, has also been banned by the gas-rich Gulf state`s rivals in recent months.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt broke ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of fostering extremism and demanding Al-Jazeera`s closure.

Al-Jazeera has nearly 80 offices around the world and broadcasts in several languages.

It played a key role during the Arab Spring uprisings, but its detractors accuse it of supporting Islamist movements across the region.
Taipei: A Taiwanese rights activist being held in China will soon face trial after being held incommunicado for more than 170 days, according to his wife, in a case that has deepened cross-strait tensions.

NGO worker Lee Ming-cheh went missing during a visit to the mainland in March and Chinese authorities later confirmed he was being investigated for suspected activities "endangering national security".

Lee`s wife Lee Ching-yu said she had received a call from a man claiming to be her husband`s lawyer Wednesday telling her his trial was imminent.

China`s Taiwan Affairs Office confirmed there would be a trial in Yueyang city in China`s southern Hunan province, without specifying a date, according to local media.

Beijing has repeatedly ignored Taipei`s requests for an explanation of Lee`s whereabouts and specifics of the allegations against him.

Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May last year and Beijing has cut off all official communication with Taipei.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified and wants Tsai to acknowledge the island is part of "One China", which she has refused to do.

Lee Ching-yu said in a statement that the man who called her asked her to go to China immediately because her husband`s trial was about to start.

She added that until she spoke to her husband she would not accept he had made any confession to Chinese authorities.

Despite the likelihood he would soon be jailed, Lee said she considered the possibility of seeing her husband "a ray of hope" and would apply for travel documents Thursday.

She attempted to fly to Beijing in April in a bid to "rescue" her husband, but Chinese authorities revoked her travel permit, preventing her from making the trip.

Taiwan`s Mainland Affairs Council on Wednesday urged China to give Lee the necessary travel documents and to guarantee her personal safety.

"The actions so far by the mainland have only continued to deepen the suspicion Taiwanese people have towards China," it said in a statement.

Lee`s campaign for support for her husband has gained international attention.

She was planning to meet with the United Nations Human Rights Commission this month in Geneva.

In May she also testified at a congressional hearing in the United States on detained activists in China.

Lee Ming-cheh, who works for an NGO at a community college in Taipei, has long supported civil society organisations and activists in China, according to Amnesty International.

He had shared "Taiwan`s democratic experiences" with his Chinese friends online for many years and often mailed books to them, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights said.

Beijing deeply distrusts Tsai`s traditionally pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is ratcheting up the pressure on her government.

Although it is a fully fledged democracy, Taiwan has never declared formal independence from the mainland and Beijing has threatened a military response if it ever did.
District of Columbia: US President Donald Trump offered on Thursday to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors and said he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily."

"I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah. "I think it`s something that`s going to get solved fairly easily."

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups.
Damascus: Syria said Israeli air strikes hit a military facility in the country`s west on Thursday, killing two people at a site where the regime has been accused of developing chemical weapons.

The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, includes a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

The United States has accused the SSRC of helping to develop the sarin gas used in an attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April that killed dozens.

President Bashar al-Assad`s government has blasted such accusations as "fabrications," and Syria`s army on Thursday did not mention the SSRC in its statement on the Israeli strikes.

"Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," the statement said.

"Syria`s army warns of the serious repercussions of such acts of aggression on the security and stability of the region," it added.

Since Syria`s conflict erupted in 2011, Israel has conducted several air strikes on the war-ravaged country against government forces and allied fighters from Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military personnel were known to use the site at Masyaf.

"There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hezbollah also uses the facility," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

"The research centre was definitely damaged in the strikes. There is huge fire emanating from a weapons warehouse where missiles were being stored," he added.Israel officials declined to comment on the raids on Thursday.

Former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin said the site targeted on Thursday "produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians."

He stopped short of saying Israel had carried out the raids, but said that if it did, they would show "Israel intends to enforce its redlines despite the fact that the great powers are ignoring them."

On Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators announced they had an "extensive body of information" indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the deadly April 4 attack on Khan Sheikhun.

A fact-finding mission by the UN`s chemical watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), concluded earlier this year that sarin gas was used in the attack but did not assign blame.

The attack left at least 87 people dead and prompted the United States to launch a cruise missile strike on a Syrian military airport where it said the attack had originated.

Weeks later, the US sanctioned 271 Syrian chemists and other officials affiliated with the SSRC, which it said was behind the Syrian government`s efforts to develop chemical weapons.

Syria`s government claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal.

But in 2016, a UN-led investigative body said the Syrian government was behind at leat three chemical attacks in northern Syria in the previous two years.
After simmering on social media and conservative news sites for a weekend, images of University of Nebraska-Lincoln employees protesting a student recruiting for Turning Point USA drew to a full boil by the following Monday.

The email inboxes of NU's top administrators began filling with indignation and disgust Aug. 28, messages aimed at a handful of university employees who protested the conservative student organization.

Thursday, UNL said it had reassigned Courtney Lawton, a graduate teaching assistant in the English department, to nonteaching duties following the school's internal investigation and external reaction to the event.

Video and photographs taken by student Kaitlyn Mullen on Aug. 25, showcasing what the sophomore said depicted harassment and intimidation by Lawton and others, were shared thousands of times on social media accounts.

In one of the videos, Lawton can be seen referring to Mullen as a neo-fascist advocating for the destruction of public schools and universities. An accompanying photo shows Lawton extending her middle finger while holding a sign that reads Just say NO! to Neo-Fascism.

Turning Point USA, which has more than 400 college chapters in the U.S., also maintains a Professor Watchlist that lists faculty it says discriminate against conservative students and advance leftist propaganda in the classroom, according to its website.

UNL spokesman Steve Smith said the university would not discuss specific actions taken against personnel, but that Lawton was reassigned "because of safety concerns raised by this incident."

"Our expectations for civility were not met by the lecturer in her behavior toward a student, and not representative of a university where the robust free exchange of ideas takes place 24 hours a day, seven days a week," he added.

The statement did not mention any other employees, although approximately six participated in the protest of Mullens recruiting event.

Tuesday, Lawton said she met with a university administrator who told her she was being reassigned within the English department.

Executive Vice Chancellor Donde Plowman told me I was being removed from the classroom due to a security threat to me and to my students after Turning Point USA publicized the protest and released a troll storm upon the university, Lawton said in a brief phone interview.

Lawton added the university received many hostile emails and threats to her safety after the Aug. 25 incident at the Nebraska Union went viral through social media.

(Plowman) stressed to me my reassignment of duties was due to the security concerns, the social media posts, and not disciplinary in any way, Lawton said.

Thursday afternoon, Mullen responded to Lawton, saying neither she nor Turning Point USA was responsible for the emails threatening the safety of Lawton or others.

She also questioned the university's approach in reassigning Lawton for safety purposes rather than to discipline her conduct.

"I would like to make it clear that I believe that professor should not be allowed to harass students," Mullen said. "I hope UNL will set an example by removing her from campus so she can't do this to any other students."

Emails express disappointment, disgust

Emails received by NU President Hank Bounds and UNL Chancellor Ronnie Green, turned over to the Journal Star as part of a public records request, provide some context for the pressure NU found itself under following the confrontation.

One email sent to Bounds from someone who described himself as a retired U.S. naval officer chided the university in vulgar terms.

"I'll be looking for those who wrought this evil on America; every single Liberal-Communist professor and administrators of our public school system through the (National Education Association), public colleges and universities to hold you (expletive) accountable for what you've all done.

"Sic Semper Tyrannis!" it concludes, a Latin phrase meaning thus always to tyrants!

Others expressed disappointment and disapproval with the actions by university employees.

I am troubled, disgusted and saddened by the treatment received yesterday by the young student at the Turning Point booth outside the student center, wrote one person, who demanded a public apology for the behavior on UNLs campus.

Another said that IF they let their children consider attending NU in the future, they will NEVERNEVER take a class from this instructor. Please consider this immature response her breach of contract to uphold University standards.

The emails also targeted a second UNL faculty member, Amanda Gailey, an associate professor of English who was photographed by Mullen holding a sign that read Turning Point: Please put me on your watchlist.

The watchlist maintained by the conservative group serves to intimidate university and college faculty across the country, critics say. Some faculty ask to be put on the list as a show of solidarity.

According to an independent witness of the Aug. 25 incident, Gailey did not engage with Mullen until the student became upset.

Gailey defended herself in an email to a local TV station that was later forwarded to university administrators. I did not harass a student. I talked with the student only to express compassion for her as a person. Any statement that I harassed a student is defamatory.

Reaction from elected leaders

State lawmakers and political advocates also voiced disapproval of the actions taken by university employees, according to the records search.

State Sen. Laura Ebke of Crete shared the news from the Turning Point USA website, as well as a tweet from its founder, conservative activist Charlie Kirk, with each of her 48 colleagues in the Nebraska Legislature on Aug. 29.

Im not a fan of the concept of free speech zones on college campuses  I think that Universities should be a safe place for a broad exchange of ideas, Ebke wrote. That said, I understand that in todays environment, colleges need to try and maintain some level of control over their environs.

Ebke added: I AM concerned about the University employees/instructors being actively engaged in counter-protests against University students on campus. It seems to me that at the very best, this violates some ethical codes of conduct.

The Libertarian state senators email was shared with Bounds office shortly after by Sen. Tom Brewer of Gordon.

Sir, This event is being watched very closely by the Unicameral. Please keep us updated on (what) your [sic] planning to do, Brewer wrote.

Sen. Steve Erdman of Bayard, writing in an open letter on Sept. 1, cited statements made by NU Regent Hal Daub of Omaha indicating Gailey was part of a premeditated and organized effort to intimidate and shut down Mullen before calling for Gailey's firing.

Unless Amanda Gailey is fired, a double standard will exist at the University of Nebraska between students and staff and between liberals and conservatives, Erdman wrote.

Doug Kagan, president of Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom, wrote to multiple regents on Aug. 28 that the organization has become increasingly concerned and irate over the utilization of our tax dollars by Nebraska universities.

We are especially irate at the conduct of some university personnel, whose salaries and benefits our tax dollars pay, Kagan wrote. There appears a large deficit of protection for and encouragement of free speech, especially on the UN-L campus.

Kagan asked the Board of Regents to establish a strict code of conduct with mandatory penalties for university employees, prohibiting harassment and bullying of other employees and university students, as well as to eliminate the tenure system, thereby making it easier to terminate employees who refuse to follow the new code of conduct.

Regents Tim Clare of Lincoln and Rob Schafer of Beatrice forwarded Kagan's email to Bounds, other regents and administrative staff.
Beirut: Israel is believed to have carried out several raids inside Syria since 2013, mostly targeting its Lebanese arch-foe Hezbollah, a key ally of the Syrian government.

Syria`s army said Israeli warplanes were again responsible Thursday for an early morning strike on a military site in an area where the regime has been accused of producing chemical weapons.

Here is a recap of other notable strikes inside Syria that are said to have been carried out by Israel:

 A huge explosion that sent a fireball into the sky near the Damascus international airport in April was blamed by Syrian state media on an Israeli missile strike.

 The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said an arms depot that apparently belonged to Hezbollah was hit and exploded.

 Damascus also accused Israel of bombing in January it's Mazzeh military airport near the capital where air force intelligence services were based.

 Israeli aircraft repeatedly struck Syrian army positions in September after a projectile fired from Syria hit the Israeli-held zone of the Golan. Missiles struck near Mazzeh in December.

 An Israeli strike on the Syrian side of the Golan killed six Hezbollah fighters and an Iranian general on January 18. Hezbollah retaliated by killing two Israeli soldiers.

 In August Israel said it carried out strikes on the Syrian side of the Golan area after rockets were fired on its positions. Four or five of the men responsible were killed, it said.

 Hezbollah figure Samir Kantar, who had spent almost 30 years in Israeli prisons, was killed in an Israeli raid near Damascus in December.

 Israel staged retaliatory air raids on Syrian army positions in June, following an attack from Syria, and in September downed a Syrian fighter jet as it tried to cross the Golan ceasefire line.

 In January Israeli planes hit a surface-to-air missile site and military complex near Damascus suspected of holding chemical agents. Israel said later it would not allow the transfer of weapons from Syria to Hezbollah.

 Raids in May struck a scientific research centre in the capital, a weapons depot and an aircraft unit, according to a diplomat in Beirut. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights saids 42 soldiers were killed.
Washington: US President Donald Trump said on Thursday that military action against North Korea was "not inevitable."

Speaking in a White House news conference along with the premier of Kuwait, the US President said, "Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing`s inevitable."

Interestingly, Trump on Wednesday said that military action against Pyongyang was not a first choice and said he had had a strong and frank discussion with China`s President Xi Jinping about the issue.

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on Sunday, which it said was an advanced hydrogen bomb for a long-range missile, marking a dramatic escalation of the regime`s stand-off with the United States and its allies.

China, North Korea`s main ally and trading partner, and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not resolve the North Korea crisis and are calling for talks with Pyongyang.

Japan on Wednesday upgraded its estimated size of North Korea's latest nuclear test to a yield of around 160 kilotons -- more than ten times the size of the Hiroshima bomb.

This marked Tokyo's second revision higher after previously giving estimates of 70 and 120 kilotons.
Moscow: Russia`s top military boss was set to meet with a senior NATO commander in Baku on Thursday, as concerns swirled over major war games Moscow will hold next week with Belarus.

The Russian defence ministry said Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov and Petr Pavel, chairman of NATO`s Military Committee, would discuss "current issues of international security" in Azerbaijan, Russian news agencies reported.

The US-led alliance confirmed the encounter.

The talks come ahead of the joint "Zapad 2017" Russian exercises with Belarus next week which have stirred unease in Poland and the Baltic States.

Moscow says the "purely defensive" event will involve about 12,700 troops, but Lithuania and Estonia have said as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part.

French defence minister Florence Parly on Thursday condemned the coming drills on the border of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that he saw no "imminent threat", but that the alliance would "monitor the activity closely".

Western officials have said the preparations for Zapad suggest it could be much bigger than Moscow has suggested, and Stoltenberg said the degree of openness about the drills did not meet international standards.

Three NATO experts have been invited to attend as observers, but Stoltenberg said this "fell short of the transparency required by the OSCE".

Suspicions are high between NATO and Russia, with the alliance`s eastern members worried about Moscow`s increasing assertiveness after it seized Ukraine`s Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Moscow has long railed against NATO expansion in its former sphere of influence.

NATO has deployed four battle groups -- around 4,000 troops -- to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years.
The melancholy ballad sung by anti-jihadist fighter Nimer echoes through the makeshift outpost in Syria`s Raqa. But his sorrow has nothing to do with the surrounding battles: he misses his girlfriend.

His lilting rendition competes with the sound of artillery fire and US-led coalition air strikes targeting the Islamic State group in its one-time bastion.

But Nimer, 18, seems a world away from the battlefield when he speaks about his love.

"I like to play these songs on my mobile phone, and then sing them quietly to my love," the young Syrian Democratic Forces fighter confides timidly.

He has not seen his girlfriend for a month and a half as he battles alongside his Kurdish and Arab comrades against IS.

Each time he has leave, he heads to his sister`s house outside the city and tries to see his beloved.

"I want to marry her, have children and build a life from scratch," he says wistfully.

Around him, fellow fighters sit on purple cushions and smoke in silence, enjoying a respite from the offensive.

Their weapons are lined up along the wall next to them in the house, commandeered as an outpost.

Nimer hails from Raqa and lost his parents and brothers to the battles that have raged inside the city since June, when the SDF entered the IS stronghold after battling for months to encircle it.

"When we advance on the front, I revisit my memories in the midst of all the destruction. On each street we have memories together," he says.Sporting a light beard and digital camouflage, Nimer still recalls the extreme interpretation of Islam imposed by IS`s "religious police", including a rigid separation between men and women.

"I couldn`t have photos or songs on my phone. I was afraid they would arrest me and accuse me of adultery. That was the way they thought," Nimer says.

"I would risk my life just to see her. I did the impossible."

Many of Raqa`s streets are now virtually unrecognisable, with building after building disfigured by the grinding battle to oust IS.

In the distance, a US-led coalition air strike sends up a vast bloom of grey and white dust and rubble, and fighters nearby let off volleys of gunfire.

Yasser Ahmed discreetly moves away from his fellow fighters so he can speak freely about his two-year girlfriend, whom he hasn`t seen for ten days.

"Under IS, it was like a prison," says Ahmed, 20, also from Raqa city.

"I couldn`t see my beloved. We only talked by landline because we were afraid that IS`s people would see us. We were scared all the time," adds Ahmed.

The top buttons of Ahmed`s shirt are open to reveal a small gold chain hanging around his neck, a present from his love.

"She always tries to persuade me not to return to the front, but I tell her I must liberate my city from IS so we can live in security," adds Ahmed, his skin tanned a deep brown.

"Love is the most beautiful thing we have. During the war, we lost a lot. We don`t want to lose love as well."Abu Shalash, another fighter from Raqa, is battling the jihadists to heal a broken heart.

His lover`s parents forced her to break up with him and marry her cousin.

"I went crazy, and I joined the fighting to forget my pain," says the 19-year-old.

He and his ex-girlfriend dated covertly under IS in their native Raqa, but she now lives in Ain Issa, a town further north.

"I left my city, I hated my life. When I passed in front of the house, I would remember the memories we created together," he says.

From time to time, Abu Shalash looks at the ground in exasperation, pausing to take a deep breath before resuming.

"During our last Valentine`s Day, we celebrated in secret," he says.

"I brought her a red teddy bear and a cake with our initials on it. We always met at night, so IS wouldn`t see us."

Despite everything, Abu Shalash hasn`t lost hope that he might find love again.

"Life under IS was torture. I want the battles to end, and for us to live our love freely," he says.

"I want Raqa to become a city for all the lovers who were deprived of their love by IS."
Washington: US President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders announced a mutual agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government until December, including almost $8 billion in aid for those people affected by Hurricane Harvey.



"We essentially came to a deal and I think the deal will be very good," Trump told reporters on Wednesday en route to North Dakota, where later he will promote his tax reform plan.



Trump met at the White House with top Democratic and Republican leaders from the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the short-term agreement on the debt and government funding for next fiscal year emerged from there, Efe news reported.



Trump said he thought he and Democratic lawmakers had reached a "very good" deal, adding that they had had a very cordial and professional meeting.



Meanwhile, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the agreement a very good moment for bipartisanship in Congress.



The period within which to approve a new debt ceiling and funding for the government for Fiscal 2018, which begins on October 1, expires at the end of this month, but after Wednesday`s announcement lawmakers will have until December to craft a longer-term and more far-reaching accord.



The lack of agreement about raising the debt ceiling in 2011, when the government was on the verge of declaring a suspension of its payments, led the Standard & Poor`s credit rating agency for the first time in history to lower the country`s creditworthiness rating.



The US debt currently stands at around $20 trillion.



The agreement reached between Trump and Democrats includes an assistance package for people affected by Harvey, which has killed more than 60 people and displaced thousands in the states of Texas and Louisiana.



The House on Wednesday in a 419-3 vote approved a federal aid package worth $7.9 billion for the victims of Harvey which now passes to the Senate for ratification.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The recent revelations about Azerbaijans state sanctioned money-laundering and bribery scheme has uncovered some notorious details involving Bakus relations with Hungary.

In 2012, at the same time when Hungary extradited the Azeri axe-murdered Ramil Safarov, who had killed an Armenian officer, more than 7 million dollars were transferred to a bank account under the name of an Azerbaijani officials son in the Hungarian MKB bank.

In a report of the anti-corruption Atlatszo website, the new details prove that by extraditing Safarov, Hungary actually had a hidden agenda other than strengthening its political ties with the country.

The MKB account was linked with an offshore company, which was closely tied with the Azerbaijani government. The money was transferred to Hungary through Metastar Invest LLP to the account which was in turn linked with an offshore company called Velasco International.

It is noteworthy that the 7 million USD transaction coincided with the expansion of diplomatic relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan. In 2014, Hungarys PM Viktor Orban met with Azerbaijans President Ilham Aliyev in Budapest, and the sides signed an agreement on strategic cooperation. The sides went on to meet again in the future in a warm environment.

Metastar Invest LLP is the company which was used by Azerbaijan to pay off PACE lawmaker Luca Volonte, who is currently under investigation in Italy. Volonte himself was not only a friend of Azerbaijan, but also of Viktor Orban. Volonte branded the criticism against the Hungarian PMs regime as  a witch hunt.

Velasco International, who owned the account in the Hungarian bank, has close ties with Hungary and Azerbaijan. The company, which is registered in the British Virgin Islands, is owned by Orkhan Eyyubov, the son of Azerbaijans deputy PM Yakub Eyyubov.

Atlatszo revelations show that those involved included also an intelligence officer of Orbans government, a representative of the PMs chief advisor and other high-ranking officials.

Apparently Orban sold the axe-murderer to Azerbaijan for 7 million dollars.

Ramil Safarov, the notorious killer of the Armenian officer, was welcomed as a hero in Azerbaijan upon extradition.

Araks Kasyan
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. South Korean President Moon Jae-in said it is time to enhance sanctions against North Korea.

Perhaps the time has come for stronger sanctions. I believe that both Russia and China have the same stance. And if not, specific measures are required, I think we must all come together and discuss this issue, he said September 7.

According to him, North Korean provocations continue after the UN Security Council adopted the resolution, therefore sanctions must be enhanced.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. An Armenian passenger bus was involved in a car crash in Georgia in the morning of September 7, the foreign ministry told ARMENPRESS.

According to the ministry, 11 of the passengers sought medical treatment.

I cant say anything more at this moment. We will inform you as soon as we have details, foreign ministry spokesman Tigran Balayan said.

The Armenian Embassy in Georgia told ARMENPRESS the crash happened in the countrys Natakhtari region. The embassy is trying to clarify details.

According to media reports, the crash was caused by a Mercedes vehicle, whose driver and passenger died.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. North Koreas actions are a global threat, therefore they require a global response  NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said September 7 in Estonia.

We have called on North Korea to fully implement all UN resolutions, abandon its nuclear and missile programs, refrain from further tests and get involved in a constructive dialogue, he said.

He stressed that all members of the international community must fully implement UNs sanctions against North Korea.
Gov. Pete Ricketts went outside Nebraska to find a new superintendent for the state's 700-member public safety organization that has been stressed by leadership missteps in the past year or more.

On Thursday he named John Bolduc of San Diego as his nominee for Nebraska State Patrol superintendent.

The new superintendent will replace Col. Brad Rice, who was fired by Ricketts after initial findings of an internal review showed interference in internal investigations at the highest level.

Bolduc, 52, who is originally from Minnesota, is chief of police and vice president of public safety of the Unified Port of San Diego, which serves five cities in San Diego County with a population of 1.5 million.

In his position, where he's been more than seven years, he oversees 170 employees and a $38 million annual budget.

Bolduc served 23 years in Minnesota as police chief in the cities of Brainerd and Mora, and as a police officer and supervisor in Maple Grove, a suburb of Minneapolis.

He must be approved by the Legislature after it convenes in January. In the meantime, he will begin his new job with the patrol Oct. 16 and earn $150,000 annually.

Bolduc's appointment represents a new chapter in the State Patrol and his own career, he told reporters at a news conference.

"The Nebraska State Patrol is an outstanding agency," he said. "Every ingredient is already in place to move the State Patrol to the next level."

He acknowledged the agency has had challenges, and said he looked forward to quickly overcoming those challenges by working with the administration, the leadership team, the community and troopers and staff.

He's been an outside candidate who landed a job three other times, and there's a steep learning curve, he said.

"But I've always taken the approach of (public safety) is a team effort," he said.

He intends to listen closely, and understands there will naturally be skepticism, he said. Change is difficult, especially if it is not communicated well. He has experience in proper change management, he said.

Ricketts and a four-member search committee worked to find a candidate with extensive law enforcement experience and experience improving organizations, the governor said.

Bolduc will look at opportunities to improve the patrol and come up with ways to hold people accountable for the results, Ricketts said.

Bolduc said he is happy to be coming back to the Midwest. He and his wife have a son in Overland Park, Kansas, and a daughter in Minneapolis.

Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer led the search committee that included Weysan Dun, a retired FBI executive; Deborah Gilg, former U.S. Attorney for the District of Nebraska; and Hall County Public Defender Gerry Piccolo.

Schmaderer said the group had a lot of qualified candidates from which to choose, but Bolduc stood out because of his high integrity, ethics and likability. He can be a change agent because he knows how to listen, minimize problems and solve them.

"He had the law enforcement acumen and the executive skill subset. He understands this game of law enforcement," Schmaderer said.

Gilg said the group came to a unanimous consensus that Bolduc was the right choice to lead the patrol positively and make the adjustments needed.

"I think we're very, very fortunate," she said.

Rice was fired after a review, led by Nebraska Chief Human Resources Officer Jason Jackson, found that he interfered with internal affairs investigations at least four times and violated the agency's workplace harassment and equal opportunity policies, and that Rice was thought to be too friendly with the State Patrol union.

Omaha Sen. Burke Harr has been calling for the state to further investigate any wrongdoing by the former State Patrol superintendent and other administrators and leaders in the organization. Ricketts has said he has turned over information to the FBI.

Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson said he doesn't have the legal authority to appoint a special assistant attorney general to investigate the State Patrol, as 17 state senators requested.

Harr said he was glad to see Ricketts brought someone from the outside who can focus on transparency and accountability, which need improving in the agency.

"Hopefully, what he does is bring back a sense of integrity and honor to the Nebraska State Patrol," Harr said. "I think that's the most important thing, and accountability starts at the top. And hopefully he will create the proper culture ... so that people can again have faith that what is happening should happen."

The people of Nebraska still don't know a lot about what happened under Rice because details were not made public, he said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Martin Schulz, the candidate for Germanys Chancellor from the Social Democratic Party, says Donald Trump has been the President of the United States for too long.

Asked by Zeit Magazin for how long Trump will remain in office, Schulz said: In my opinion, its already too long that hes been in office.

Schulz has criticized the US president on many occasions, urging European not to give in to Trumps political reasoning.

According to recent polls, 38,5% of voters are ready to cast ballots for Angela Merkel, while 24% expressed support for Schulz.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The law on social assistance for bordering communities, which was initially effective until 2018, is being extended until 2021.

During todays Cabinet meeting, the government amended the law, which was adopted in 2014. The law will be submitted to Parliament.

Davit Lokyan, minister of territorial administration and development, mentioned that the assistance program is being implemented in 37 settlements of 25 bordering communities.

The assistance includes a wide range of sectors, such as partial compensation of consumed gas, power etc.

The purpose of the assistance is to improve the living conditions of our citizens in bordering communities, he said.

The total worth of the project is estimated at 1 billion drams.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. A Moscow court has sentenced Aram Petrosyan to 12 years imprisonment for taking hostages last year in the Russian capitals Citibank, TASS reports.

Petrosyan was found guilty for armed hostage taking and terrorism.

He will serve his sentence in a maximum security prison, the judge said upon delivering the verdict.

In addition to the 12 year sentence, Petrosyan will not be able to travel outside of Moscow or change his residence address for one year after serving the total sentence.

History will justify me, Petrosyan screamed while exiting the courtroom.

Earlier Petrosyan said he is partly guilty. He said he feels remorse for what he has done.

On August 24, 2016, Petrosyan took 4 people hostage in a bank in Moscow, threatening to blow up the explosive device which was strapped on his body. He released all hostages and surrendered later in the evening. The device was later revealed to be a dummy.

Petrosyan had difficulties in his business activities and was in debt.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The government granted additional priveledges to Lydian Armenia, the operator of Amulsar Gold Mine. During todays Cabinet meeting, the government delayed the companys VAT payment deadlines for three years for imported products.

Economic development and investments minister Suren Karayan said the company will carry out 179,4 billion drams worth of investments in construction and equipment.

Imports of equipment is carried out stepwise, the amount for the first phase is nearly 23,4 billion drams, now the company is planning to import nearly 4,2 billion drams worth of equipment under the second stage, Karayan said.

465 jobs will be created as result.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The anti-corruption committee of the Lithuanian parliament has requested the countrys investigative service for financial crimes to probe the recent revelations regarding the 3 billion dollar money-laundering scheme of the Azerbaijani ruling elite.

The committee demanded to investigate the possible connection of Lithuanian politicians who are involved in the revelation, the Parliament of Lithuania said on its website.

The Lithuanian parliaments statement notes that the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project has revealed the money laundering scheme of Azerbaijan. The scheme was used to bribe European politicians and officials, ranging from PACE to UNESCO.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Armenias minister of transportation, communication and information technologies Vahan Martirosyan commented on the deadly car crash in Georgia which involved an Armenian passenger bus overnight.

According to initial information, the crash wasnt caused by the driver of the Armenian bus, the minister told reporters after the Cabinet meeting. He added that the bus was carrying out charter transportation.

Back in August this company was fined, but after this it continued to carry out charter passenger transportations. Experience shows that all recent accidents happen as result of charter transportations, Martirosyan said.

The minister urged all citizens to use regular transportations only, legally.

They must embark from bus stops, buy tickets from ticket offices, because the vehicles are checked there, regular transportation companies have 2-3 drivers, who substitute each other from time to time, he said.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Speaker of Parliament Ara Babloyan held a meeting on September 7 with Germanys Ambassador to Armenia H.E. Mr. Bernhard Matthias Kiesler.

During the meeting Babloyan was pleased to note that the Armenian-German relations are strengthening and deepening every year.

The Speaker thanked the German government for assisting Armenia and implementing numerous effective programs in the country.

Ara Babloyan expressed gratitude for the adoption of the Armenian Genocide resolution by the German Parliament.

The Speaker mentioned that as a country which transitioned to a parliamentary system, Armenia is closely following the German parliamentary elections.

Speaking about regional issues, Babloyan attached importance to the ongoing reforms in Armenia, saying: Countries with European values and countries lacking them cannot be on the same level. And Armenia, unlike certain neighboring countries, has serious progress in democratic issues  this is proved by the absence of political persecution in our country, the fair and transparent elections, freedom of speech and approaches regarding human rights protections.

The German Ambassador reassured that he will continue to contribute to the development and enhancement of the relations.

The Ambassador highlighted the joint work of the GIZ and the Armenian parliaments financial-credit and budgetary affairs committee.

Speaking about the adoption of the resolution recognizing and condemning the Armenian Genocide, the Ambassador said: With the adoption of this resolution the Bundestag made an important step, and I can feel the attitude of the Armenian people for this step.

Speaking on the Nagorno Karabakh conflict, the Ambassador noted that Germany rules out a military solution.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The live fire exercises during the Combat Commonwealth 2017 military exercises in the Ashuluk training facility in Astrakhan, Russia became the first important phase of Armenias and Russias joint work on the sidelines of the regional air defense system of the two countries, Colonel Armen Vardanyan, commander of the air defense forces of the Armenian Armed Forces told reporters.

This was the first operation of the Armenian-Russian regional air defense system, since weve ratified all documents last year, and began realizing it this year. This was the first practical application, he said.

According to Vardanyan, the first phase of the partnership proceeded successfully.

Earlier Lt. General Pavel Kurachenko, the first deputy commander of the aerospace forces of Russia and Chief of the General Staff, said that Armenia and Russia have decided the contingent which will operate in the Caucasian region of collective security on the sidelines of the joint air defense forces.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. In accordance with Article 169 of the Consitution of Artsakh, the government of the country resigned on September 7 following the inauguration of the president.

On the same day, President Bako Sahakyan signed a decree on accepting the governments resignation.

According to the decree, the Cabinet will continue their duties until a new government is formed
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. New details are emerging around the notorious state sanctioned money laundering scheme of Azerbaijan: one of the concealed sides of the corruption scandal is the Southern Gas Corridor, which will deliver Azeri gas to Europe.

Azerbaijani media report that the Azerbaijani Laundromat case has a very important side, which however was ignored and both The Guardian and other news agencies failed to cover it.

Total spending for the Southern Gas Corridor construction amount 45 billion dollars.

One of the main reasons for the Azerbaijani authorities to engage in such large-scale corruption deals is the attempt to create a positive image of the country in Europe, since this important project, which requires billions of dollars, cannot be implemented by Azerbaijan without Europes support.

An investigation shows that Azerbaijan's ruling elite operated a secret $2.8bn slush fund for two years to bribe European politicians and make luxury purchases.

The money was allegedly channelled through four UK-based opaque companies.

The secret fund, nicknamed the Azerbaijan Laundromat, operated for two years until 2014, according to the investigation, carried out by a consortium of European newspapers and published by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP).

The origin of the money was unclear, the report said, but there was "ample evidence of its connection to the family of President Ilham Aliyev".

Much of the money was said to have been paid to lobbyists, journalists, politicians and businessmen.
OMAHA  Dawnetta Heinz is lending her wedding dress to brides on tight budgets instead of letting it gather dust in her closet.

Heinz started sharing her dress a month ago with brides who can't afford to buy one.

The strapless dress with a beaded bodice has already been borrowed by two other brides, and at least eight others have expressed interest.

Heinz said she bought the dress on sale for $550 at an Omaha bridal shop. She offered it on a Facebook classified ad page for free, and within 48 hours a dozen women inquired about borrowing it.

She said she's faced financial hardships and even homelessness in her life, so she's glad to help any woman who can't fit a dress into her wedding budget. Heinz and her husband are now personal trainers in Omaha.

Valarie Fitzgerald, 28, wore the dress for her wedding last month. She and her husband were planning a courthouse wedding because of their tight budget, but after finding out she was able to wear Heinz's dress, a friend helped Fitzgerald plan a decorated outdoor wedding.

"I felt amazing," Fitzgerald said.

She said she loves the sisterhood of the shared dress, and by wearing it she felt a bond with Heinz and with women who will wear it in the future.

"I can't wait to see how far this dress goes," she said.
YEREVAN, 7 SEPTEMBER, ARMENPRESS. The Central Bank of Armenia informs Armenpress that today, 7 September, USD exchange rate is down by 0.01 drams to 478.25 drams. EUR exchange rate is up by 2.19 drams to 572.99 drams. Russian Ruble exchange rate is up by 0.05 drams to 8.38 drams. GBP exchange rate is up by 2.14 drams to 625.17 drams.

The Central Bank has set the following prices for precious metals.

Gold price stood at 20535.97 drams. Silver price stood at 274.93 drams. Platinum price stood at 15468.67 drams.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. President of the National Assembly of Artsakh Ashot Ghulyan has issued a welcome address to the participants of Armenia: A Look to the Future First Armenian Political Scientific Forum of Moscow. As ARMENPRESS was informed from the press service of the parliament of Artsakh, the address reads as follows,

Dear colleagues,

I warmly welcome the participants and guests of the Armenia: A Look to the Future first Armenian political scientific forum.

The Russian Federation, along with the other OSCE Minsk Group co-chair countries  France and U.S. - continues to play an important role in the settlement of the Azerbaijani-Karabakh conflict and in establishment of peace in the region. Therefore, the initiative on discussing the issues related to the security, doing multiple observation over them and giving scientific recommendations is actual.

Several days ago, on September 2nd, we celebrated the 26th anniversary of proclamation of the Republic. September 21st will mark the 26th anniversary of the proclamation of the Republic of Armenia. The steps of the two Armenian republics towards strengthening the independent statehood and sovereignty being parallel, at the same time were and continue to be on the one surface  on the Armenian surface.

I hope that the representable staff of the forum will allow to make a deep and professional observation over the issues included in the agenda and will become a demanded scientific platform.

I wish all the participants of the forum fruitful work, peace and prosperity.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. The prosecutors office of Bulgaria has launched an investigation on Kalin Mitrev, the husband of UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova, whose name is linked with the corruption scandal nicknamed the Azerbaijani Laundromat, ARMENPRESS reports the official website of the prosecutors office of Bulgaria informs.

General Prosecutor's Office has launched an investigation based on the media reports on the illegal payments by Azerbaijani companies. Kalin Mitrevs name is also mentioned in the media reports, reads the statement.

According to the information spread by media, there are serious suspects that Kalin Mitrevs involvement in the Azerbaijani-linked corruption scandal has had great influence on the professional job of his wife, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova.

The revelation that her husband consulted for an Azeri company might prove awkward for Mitrevs wife, Irina Bokova, who is the director general of Unesco. Bokova has bestowed one of Unescos highest honours, the Mozart Medal on Azerbaijans first lady and vice-president, Mehriban Aliyeva. She also hosted a photo exhibition at Unescos headquarters in Paris, entitled Azerbaijan  A Land of Tolerance. The Heydar Aliyev foundation organised the event.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Reporter of Hungarian Free Press news site Christopher Adam has published an extended article urging that Hungary sold the axe-murderer Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

ARMENPRESS presents the full article below.

Documents uncovered this week suggest that the Orban governments motivation for handing back to Azerbaijan Ramil Safarov, the Azeri axe murder convicted of killing an Armenian army lieutenant in Hungary, may have been financial gain. In 2012, Hungary earned global scorn for transferring the murderer to a country where he was welcomed as a hero. Here in Ottawa, Canada, the Armenian-Canadian community protested in front of the Embassy of Hungary. At the time, Hungary tried to explain away its actions by claiming that it fully expected the murderer to continue serving his prison sentence, considering that he had been sentenced to life by a Hungarian court. Of course, this did not happenRamil Safarov was not only pardoned, but was also promoted to the rank of major in Azerbaijans military immediately after his release from Hungary. The government of Viktor Orban claimed in 2012 that it had been misled and expressed disappointment.

In light of a report in the anti-corruption Atlatszo website, we may have confirmation that the Hungarian government knew exactly what it was doing, and its actions were not solely related to a desire to strengthen political and economic ties with Azeri President Ilham Aliyevs dictatorship.

The scandal, which extends far beyond Hungary, involves a complex money laundering scheme tied to Azerbaijan and first uncovered by journalists at Denmarks Berlingske publication. Using a network of British businesses, Azerbaijans ruling political elite maintained a secret slush fund worth 2.9 billion dollars. The slush fund was used to buy luxury goods, buy off politicians and journalists in Europe and engage in money laundering. An estimated 16,000 transactions were made from the secret fund. Ilham Aliyevs dictatorship aimed to reward journalists and politicians abroad who spoke favourably of his regime and who denied the severe human rights and rule of law violations.

In 2012, at precisely the same time that Hungary released Safarov, more than $7 million was deposited into a bank account opened at Hungarys MKB Bank, under the name of the son of an Azeri politician. The account was linked to an offshore company that folded in 2015 and which had been closely tied to Azerbaijans government. The money that arrived in Hungary was transferred by a firm called Metastar Invest LLP to a Hungarian bank account linked to Velasco International Inc.

The transfer of $7 million into the mysterious MKB Bank account coincided with an improvement in diplomatic relations between Hungary and Azerbaijan. In 2014, Viktor Orban met with President Aliyev in Budapest, where the two leaders signed a strategic partnership. A mere four months later, Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs Peter Szijjarto met with Azeri Minister of Youth and Sports, Azad Ragimov, in Budapest. Most recently in July 2017, Mr. Szijjarto met with Elmar Mammadyarov, Azerbaijans foreign minister in Budapest.

It was Metastar Invest LLP that prosecutors in Italy charge sent payments to Luca Volonte, the Vice President of the European Peoples Party. Mr. Volonte was not only a friend of Azerbaijan, but also of Prime Minister Viktor Orban, referring to criticism of the Orban regime as nothing more than a witch hunt.

Velasco International Inc, which maintained the Hungarian bank account, had deep connections to Hungary and to Azerbaijan. Velasco is registered in the British Virgin Islands, and one of its shareholders is Nothingham Holding Ltd., an offshore firm tied to the Bahamas. Reportedly, it was the son of the Azeri deputy prime minister, Orkhan Ejjubov, that played a key role in getting Nothingham Holding Ltd to buy shares in Velasco. A member of the infuential Ejjubov family served as the director of a company based in Baku called ILREM MMCA, which reportedly conducted business with Velasco. This Azeri company, however, was co-owned by a firm registered in Budapest called CEU-REM Zrt., since renamed to Remint Zrt. In this endless web, Remints subsidiary is a Hungarian pharmaceutical firm called Papaver Gyogyszeralapanyag-gyarto Zrt. According to Atlatszo, a member of the firms board is former Hungarian intelligence agent and national safety expert tied to the Orban government, Laszlo Foldi.

According to Atlatszo, a firm called Laveco associated with Laszlo Varadi, a prominent consultant in the world of offshore company creation, served as a mediator in the establishment of Nothingham Holding Ltd. Atlatszo notes that Laveco conducts its official banking at MKB Banka financial institution first re-nationalized by the Orban government, then sold to business interests attached to the Governor of the Hungarian National Bank and former Fidesz minister Gyorgy Matolcsy, and then more recently sold yet again to the Fidesz mayor and billionaire plumber Lorinc Meszaros. It is, however, important to note that at the time when the Azeri monies were being deposited in MKB Bank following Safarovs release, MKB Bank had yet to be bought up by the Hungarian state and was owned by German business interests.

In this complex and murky world, the name of a Hungarian-Romanian, Laszlo Gyorgy Kiss, also surfaces. Mr. Kiss led Lavecos Bucharest office and in connection to what appears to be an unrelated incident, he was convicted of money laundering. To add a layer of complexity: Hungarian banker Sandor Csanyis marketing company in Budapest reportedly used offshore companies to buy a Romanian marketing firm. Mr. Csanyi was represented by Viktor Orbans chief adviser, Andras Tombor. At the time, one of the offshore firms used in the transaction was none other than Nothingham Holding.

Atlatszo points to another connection to the Orban government. Nothingham Holding is the primary shareholder in Trewfield Corporation, tied to Hungarian entrepreneur Gabor Kovacs. Mr. Kovacs has a long history of business transactions with the Hungarian state, under multiple governments, and is also a friend of Janos Lazar, the Minister of the Prime Ministers Office.

The web of deceit surrounding millions of dollars landing in a mysterious Hungarian bank account is murky and deep. It will be up to sites like Atlatszo to continue uncovering pieces of the puzzle and up to the Hungarian media to explain this to the public in a comprehensible manner. That is no easy task.
YEREVAN, SEPTEMBER 7, ARMENPRESS. Head of the General Department of the Civil Aviation adjunct to the Government of Armenia Sergey Avetisyan will hold negotiations with Lufthansa leadership in Hamburg, ARMENPRESS reports the official website of the Government of Armenia informs.

Sergey Avetisyan will pay a visit to Germany on September 14-16 to participate in a working meeting with the directors of Lufthansa airlines.
LOS ANGELESSex-positive media outlet Kinkly this week featured female-fronted sex toys companies.

Kinkly contributing writer Lilly Dancyger interviewed five women who own pleasure product companies for a piece that spotlights those who are changing the face of how sex toys are created and marketed.

Until recently, the [sex toy] industry (like so many others) was largely dominated by men  marketed with pornographic imagery more likely to appeal to straight men, and designs  based largely on what male executives assumed women wanted, writes Dancyger in her piece, These 5 Female-Fronted Sex Toy Companies Are Shaking Things Up. But that is changing. Recently, more and more women are stepping up to bring the female perspective to the helm of new sex-toy companies that are innovating and finding new ways to make sure everyone has a good time.

The piece features Stephanie Berman, CEO and founder of Berman Innovations and investor of the POPDildo; Alexandria Fine, CEO of Dame Products; LeAnne Black, vice president of operations at Clean Light Labs; Alicia Sinclair, founder and CEO of b-Vibe; and Rianne S., founder of Rianne S.

I want to thank Lilly for creating dialogue about women in the sex toy industry, and for including me in it, said Berman. Im definitely a personal fan of all the products in this article, as well as the women behind this positive shift in pleasure product design and marketing, so its truly a pleasure to see them in the spotlight  and an absolute honor to be featured alongside such an incredible group. Its also inspiring to see how many women are innovating and disrupting what used to be the norm in the adult toy industry. The future for women innovators in this business, and those seeking high-quality pleasure products, is as bright as ever!

To read Dancygers article in full, visit Kinkly.com.
Democrats believe that their progressive policies would be best for North Carolina's economy. Republicans believe their conservative ideas are the best recipe.For business executives, entrepreneurs, and others who make private investment decisions, this is certainly an important debate. In modern times, most private-sector leaders have sided with the conservatives, who seek to reduce the cost of doing business by lowering taxes and regulation. After all, this policy mix is more strongly supported by empirical evidence But regardless of the final outcome of elections and policy debates, just the uncertainty they create appears to depress business investment. In recent years, economists have documented the effects of political uncertainty on national economic trends. Now, a new academic study in the Journal of Financial Economics suggests that business decisionmakers pay attention to state politics, as well.Candace Jens, a professor at Tulane University, looked at half a century of state gubernatorial elections and economic data. She found that, on average, business investment in the months before election days is about five percent lower in states with gubernatorial elections than in states without them. The investment decline is even larger, about 15 percent, for companies more likely to be affected by subsequent policy changes, such as small firms doing most of their total business within the state.What happens after the election? In states that elect new governors, business confidence and investment recovers from the dip, but typically doesn't recover fully for at least a year. On the other hand, when incumbent governors are reelected, business investment tends to rise quickly. CEOs and investors already know pretty much what they're going to get from the state's executive branch, and can plan accordingly.Jens conducted several other statistical tests to rule out other explanations. Her findings seem solid to me. But how are we to interpret them?I've argued in the past that most of what governors - and state legislatures, for that matter - can do to influence their states' economies have to do with long-term effects, not short-term manipulations. I still believe that.If you think more government expenditures on education, for example, would be a good investment for North Carolina, you probably don't think that because you expect it to act as a short-run stimulus. Rather, you argue that more education spending means better teachers and upgraded classrooms helping students achieve higher proficiency. That, in turn, will make them more skilled and innovative in our labor force. But the effect comes many years after the initial expenditure, if it occurs at all.Similarly, if you think cutting taxes or reducing regulation would be good for North Carolina's economy, your assumption is that lowering the cost of doing business will induce more companies to invest or expand in the state, as well as induce new companies to set up shop here. But this won't all happen overnight.An approaching election for governor, then, creates a question mark for business leaders. They can plan around an administration they think will create new opportunities for profitable long-term investment. They can even plan around an administration they think may cause them some problems.But until it's clear who the governor is going to be, the smartest call may be just to defer your investment decisions until after the election. And if a new governor takes office, it may still seem wise to hold back for the first year or so, to see what policies the new administration will pursue - and how much luck it will have getting support for those policies in the state legislature.That's a key point. In her paper, Jens observed that while the effects of uncertainty on private investment are significant for American politics, they are quite a bit lower than the effects of political uncertainty in Europe. That's because in parliamentary systems, legislative and executive power is often vested in the same person or team.Our system doesn't work that way - which, as it turns out, means that our separation of powers acts to reduce economic instability. Cool.
The Democrat leadership has made constant, profound and incredible pronouncements that one's supportive vote for Republicans is tantamount to surrendering Democracy forever. Understanding their sincere thinking in their extreme position: How will you still vote on this election day?

Democrat; because the continuance of this Democracy from the existential threat of extreme Republicans is paramount.

Republican; the process of having a choice is the democratic method within what so called "Democracy" does exists.
For the last 24 years, the community has known the Lincoln/Lancaster County Child Advocacy Center as Child Advocacy Center, or more notably, a
Tom Campbell

No doubt you've seen the devastation Hurricane Harvey wreaked in Texas. Sure as September, we are in the midst of storm season and all eyes are now glued to the latest projections on Hurricanes Irma and Jose and their potential impact on us in North Carolina.Names like Hazel, Donna, Hugo, Fran, Floyd, Isobel, Irene and Matthew flood us with memories of past storms that have impacted our state, causing loss of life and property damage of untold amounts.Like many, we have served on disaster response teams within our state and elsewhere, mucking out houses, hauling away keepsakes and making repairs to homes badly damaged by these natural disasters. The losses are immeasurable and those affected will never be "made whole," either financially or emotionally. We have learned that sometimes the most help is given in just listening and consoling. For a few moments we forget our political, racial, geographic and cultural differences to unite in bringing comfort to those in need. These tragedies bring out the "better angels" among us.Even as we understand and desire to help there are questions we need to raise. Are these weather events more frequent and more damaging in recent years than in the past or do we just see more of their impact because of expanded TV and Internet coverage? What factor, if any, is climate change? How much of the damage is a result of our increasing appetite to build larger, more aesthetically desirable homes in coastal areas or in flood plains? Have we become "riverboat gamblers" who either don't understand, are willing to accept the risks involved in building in areas that could be potentially affected, or do we just have a blind faith that we won't be impacted?Another question is whose responsibility it is to come to the aid of these victims? How much of a role should government accept and how much should be the responsibility of neighbors, philanthropists or the owners themselves? Further, is all human suffering equal? Are those in larger, more prosperous regions more deserving of help than those in smaller, less affluent areas or should the response be equal? Finally, what can be done to ameliorate future damage?Do not interpret these questions as mean-spirited or even as an unwillingness to help others in their time of need. Several things are clear: because of population growth and increased development there is more potential for future damage and the costs for repair, replacement or rebuilding are escalating rapidly, outpacing government's ability to pay for damages.While the outpouring of support for current hurricane victims is gratifying we need not look too far to be reminded that there are still thousands in our state who still haven't recovered from the effects of Hurricane Matthew last year or Hurricane Irene, which struck us in 2011. Most of those impacted by those storms live in more rural, less wealthy areas. We applaud the president and FEMA for huge pledges of support for Harvey victims, even as we acknowledge that North Carolina didn't get that same opening of federal pocketbooks.We will know soon what damage Irma and Jose might bring and we pray all in their path will be safe.
Our Animal Rescue Team has engineered a remarkable turnaround in the lives of the 84 Great Danes rescued from Wolfeboro, N.H. These big, beautiful dogs have been getting better every day. Photo by Lindsay Hamrick/The HSUS

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In June, The HSUS partnered with the Wolfeboro Police Department in New Hampshire to rescue 84 Great Danes from deplorable conditions inside a lavish million-dollar mansion. Responders found the dogs neglected and living in filth, and the owner taking all kinds of moral shortcuts while on her way to selling the animals for thousands of dollars. They had eye infections, open sores, and an array of other serious health problems arising from her deficient care.

Our Animal Rescue Team engineered a remarkable turnaround in the lives of these animals. Since their seizure two months ago, weve been committed to their recovery. Im glad to say that these big, beautiful dogs have been getting better every day.

In spite of the evidence of severe neglect and inattention to their well-being, the owner in this case is fighting the charges against her, arguing that all was well with the dogs. A trial awaits to determine who is right. The case wont hit the courts until October and it may stretch into the new year.

Meanwhile, every day The HSUS bears the burden of caring for 84 dogs as big as small ponies. The cost has already run into hundreds of thousands of dollars, and that figure will swell in the weeks and months ahead, because we found them so ill and in such distress.

The breed type and the operations location were unusual, but the New Hampshire case is not unique in its imposition of extraordinary expenses in the care of animals. In 2013, after the second largest dogfighting case in U.S. history, for example, The HSUS, with other agencies, cared for many of the 367 dogs seized during a massive federal dogfighting bust spanning the states of Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi. It was more than two years before the dogs were cleared for placement into permanent homes. The cost of caring for so many dogs for such a long time, with animals who needed special attention to recover from their abuse, was staggering  well over $2 million.

Thanks to a burst of lawmaking, a majority of states do have some laws to address the cost of caring for animals seized by law enforcement officials in cruelty and fighting cases. In Georgia, quite recently, The HSUS worked with lawmakers to pass legislation to establish a legal process so that anyone who has had his or her animals lawfully seized due to cruelty may be required to pay for the animals care. The new law puts the financial burden of caring for a rescued animal where it belongs  with the owner  and spares local agencies in Georgia from having to incur huge costs in animal cruelty cases, saving tax dollars and animal lives.

When The HSUS began working on cost of care laws in 2015, there were 16 states with laws to help alleviate the cost of caring for animals seized by law enforcement agencies. Today, after the passage of laws in Alaska, Georgia, Kansas, and Washington, there are 20 states with effective laws on cost of care, and we continue to work on such laws in other states such as New Jersey and South Carolina.

The HSUS has worked for decades to help change the legal landscape for animals  making malicious cruelty and animal fighting not only illegal but also felony offenses. Now we focus on enforcement of those laws, including rewards programs, training of law enforcement agents, and undercover investigations. But if we dont handle the cost of care issues, these kinds of cases could bankrupt animal welfare groups and local governments. (See where your state stands).

Next year The HSUS will advocate for new legislation in New Hampshire to provide for the care of abused and neglected animals. Gov. Chris Sununu and key lawmakers, led by Sen. Jeb Bradley, support this effort. Such legislation establishes a hearing process so that the prosecutor, agency who seized the animals, or agency caring for them, may file a petition to request a bond payment from the animals owners to pay for the animals food, shelter, and medical care.

Congress may also address the cost of care issue, related to federal animal fighting cases. Reps. John Katko, R-N.Y., Judy Chu, D-Calif., Jim Sensenbrenner, R-Wisc., and Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, have introduced the Help Extract Animals from Red Tape (HEART) Act, which will expedite the disposition process for animals seized in federal animal fighting cases and determine the financial responsibility for the cost of the animals care. This legislation will require claimants to reimburse the costs of caring for animals seized in federal animal fighting cases when the government prevails in civil forfeiture proceedings. After many years of working to strengthen federal law against animal fighting, and engaging federal authorities to pursue such crimes, The HSUS supports the HEART Act because it is critical in helping to address the financial cost of pursuing large dogfighting and cockfighting cases.

At all levels of government, we believe it is wrong for animal protection groups, counties, or federal agencies to have to pay the significant cost of caring for abused and neglected animals, when it is the owner who is legally responsible for their care. These private and public agencies shouldnt be placed at risk of being bankrupted in the course of doing their jobs and seeing that the animals seized in animal cruelty cases finally get proper care and medical treatment.
We still have teams doing search and rescue in Texas, and we are working on continuing transports of homeless animals out of the state to our Emergency Placement Partners throughout the nation. Well be caring for animals for a while, and doing our best to ensure they are safe so that they may be reunited with their original caregivers. Photo by Anthony Rathbun/AP Images for The HSUS

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Harvey came with hurricane-force winds and an extraordinary load of precipitation, drinking up trillions of gallons of water from the Gulf and pouring them on Texas day after day, then going back for more. Now Irma has gained unprecedented strength from the unusually warm waters of the Atlantic and is churning and flattening small islands in the Caribbean as it moves west. It tracked just north of Puerto Rico, sparing the island its worst ferocity, but its now heading for a direct hit to the U.S. mainland.

Its hurricane season, and we are in full battle mode at The HSUS, facing serial hurricanes of historic strength and lifespan. After Katrina in 2005, The HSUS amped up its disaster response capability, and while its been tested by Superstorm Sandy and other storms in the years since, its never been tested like this. Never. And we hope never again.

We are still down in Texas, and that response is earnest and continuing. We still have teams doing search and rescue, and we are working on continuing transports of homeless animals out of the state to our Emergency Placement Partners throughout the nation. Well be caring for animals for a while, and doing our best to ensure they are safe so that they may be reunited with their original caregivers. Well be part of the rebuilding of communities as everyone tries to put the pieces back together.

We also conducted an aerial survey some days ago over vast stretches of the impact area, and identified thousands of stranded cattle in east Texas. Weve plotted their locations and worked with partners, including GreaterGood/Rescue Bank and Equine Rescue of Aiken, on hay drops to the animals, so they can survive until the waters recede and their caregivers can reach them by land.

In short, we are far from done, and well be active from Houston to Rockport, looking out for all animals during the process.

But we are also now focused with urgency on Hurricane Irma.

The storm moved past Puerto Rico last night, and while the rains and wind were hard and tough, it could have been worse, given the mindboggling intensity of this hurricane. Since 2015, the HSUS Humane State program has been working in partnership with the government of Puerto Rico to provide services and support designed to elevate standards of care for animals across the Commonwealth, joining Humane Society Internationals spay-and-neuter programs. Our Humane Puerto Rico efforts touch all species and aspects of animal welfare, training law enforcement to better investigate and prosecute animal cruelty, improving animal sheltering practices, increasing sterilization capacity, organizing large-scale transports of adoptable animals to relieve shelter overcrowding, and supporting fertility control of the free-roaming horse population on the nearby island of Vieques.

Those ties have knitted us emotionally and programmatically to the island and its people and animals. We have been in close contact with Puerto Rican government officials and animal welfare personnel on the island since the threat of Hurricane Irma first appeared, and have been monitoring the situation closely. We will continue to assess needs as damage reports come in, and will provide support and assistance as warranted.

South Florida is home to the nations largest wildlife rehabilitation center  the South Florida Wildlife Center, an affiliate of The HSUS. Our staff are removing all of the animals from the Fort Lauderdale facility, which could easily be swallowed up in the path of the hurricane. We are also setting up agreements with counties throughout the state and issuing preparedness warnings. After the storm hits, wherever it hits, well be ready with assets on the ground. We are working now on transports of animals from Florida, just as we did in Texas in advance of the storm.

The American publics generosity to us and other animal protection groups, to allow us to conduct these actions, has been extraordinary. Though its tempting to think so much of this is behind us, its not true. Its still early in the process, and well need your continued focus and attentiveness. Two of the three most populous states in the nation are being hit, along with Puerto Rico. Depending on the trajectory of the storm and its ability to retain significant strength, we may see the map expand even further.

Well do our best to be ready, but well need you. Our thoughts are with all the people and animals in harms way.

P.S. Please donate to our Disaster Relief Fund to support our lifesaving work for these and other disasters.

*Message and data rates may apply. A one-time donation of $10 will be added to your mobile phone bill or deducted from your prepaid balance. Terms and conditions can be found at www.hmgf.org/t
Ta-Nehisi Coates (previously) is in characteristically amazing form with his new essay in the Atlantic, "The First White President," in which he posits that Donald Trump is "the first president whose entire political existence hinges on the fact of a black president"  the first president elected by appealing to white supremacy to the exclusion of everything else.

Trump wasn't elected by the "white working class"  he was elected by white people who voted for him across gender and class lines ("Trump won white women (+9) and white men (+31). He won white people with college degrees (+3) and white people without them (+37). He won whites ages 1829 (+4), 3044 (+17), 4564 (+28), and 65 and older (+19). Trump won whites in midwestern Illinois (+11), whites in mid-Atlantic New Jersey (+12), and whites in the Sun Belt's New Mexico (+5).")

Confronting the fact that the GOP is now explicitly the white supremacy party is important, and it confronts America's unbroken history of racial oppression.



The focus on one subsector of Trump votersthe white working classis puzzling, given the breadth of his white coalition. Indeed, there is a kind of theater at work in which Trump's presidency is pawned off as a product of the white working class as opposed to a product of an entire whiteness that includes the very authors doing the pawning. The motive is clear: escapism. To accept that the bloody heirloom remains potent even now, some five decades after Martin Luther King Jr. was gunned down on a Memphis balconyeven after a black president; indeed, strengthened by the fact of that black presidentis to accept that racism remains, as it has since 1776, at the heart of this country's political life. The idea of acceptance frustrates the left. The left would much rather have a discussion about class struggles, which might entice the white working masses, instead of about the racist struggles that those same masses have historically been the agents and beneficiaries of. Moreover, to accept that whiteness brought us Donald Trump is to accept whiteness as an existential danger to the country and the world. But if the broad and remarkable white support for Donald Trump can be reduced to the righteous anger of a noble class of smallville firefighters and evangelicals, mocked by Brooklyn hipsters and womanist professors into voting against their interests, then the threat of racism and whiteness, the threat of the heirloom, can be dismissed. Consciences can be eased; no deeper existential reckoning is required.



The First White President

[Ta-Nehisi Coates/The Atlantic]





(Image: Trump's Hair)





(via Mitch Wagner)
In 2013, DOJ lawyers showed JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon a draft of a 92-page complaint against his bank. Dimon coughed up $13B to settle the case, and the complaint was sealed, leaving us all to wonder exactly what kind of red-handed fraud convinced Dimon to part with what was then the largest financial misconduct settlement in US history.

In retellings of the subprime crisis, Dimon and his bank have been held out as saviors of a sort, having stepped up to acquire and thus rescue Bear Sterns and Washington Mutual, sparing them the collapse that Lehman Brothers had suffered. Dimon has been oblique on the matter of the settlement since, calling it "unfair" and refusing to discuss it in detail.

New York First Amendment attorney Daniel Novack has successfully prised a copy of the complaint loose from the DoJ through a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit, and while the memo is widely redacted, it offers some insight into exactly how much criminality was taking place in the halls of JP Morgan Chase in the runup to the collapse.

A lot.

The memo asserts that JP Morgan Chase systematically defrauded the government and its customers, mislabelling junk mortgages as good risks, a fraud that eventually cost Dimon's customers "billions of dollars." The complaint highlights the role of Securitized Products Group chiefs Christine Cole and Bill King, who are said to have made millions in bonuses thanks to their role in deliberate fraud.

The DOJ says that Morgan knowingly bought defective loans from other financial institutions, with the intention of quickly securitizing them and passing them off on their sucker/customers. They say that this conduct continued after Dimon had been made aware of it and warned his subordinates that it was putting the bank at risk.



According to Wagner's draft complaint, after JPMorgan received the third-party report showing the defects in the mortgages, the company's bankers "manipulated" the results by re-categorizing the defective mortgages because of "missing documents," which lowered their risk assessment and made them appear to comply with the bank's underwriting standards. But, according to Wagner's unfiled complaint, "these missing documents were not delivered" and despite "knowledge of the material defects in the Countrywide pool," JPMorgan Chase nevertheless bought 99 percent of the mortgages, and securitized all but seven of them into what became known as JPMAC 2006-CW2. Furthermore, the bank "did not inform investors of material amount of materially defective loans" that created the security. Wagner's complaint, drafted seven years after the security was issued, noted that JPMAC 2006-CW2 "has suffered hundreds of millions of dollars in cumulative lost principal balance, and more losses are projected." The complaint noted that although the top tranches of the security were once rated AAA, they had since been downgraded to "junk bond" status or below. And some had defaulted. In another un-redacted example from Wagner's complaint, a mortgage-backed security that JPMorgan Chase underwrote in February 2007relatively late in the cyclefor some $980 million contained around 35 percent of mortgages originated by GreenPoint Mortgage Funding, Inc. The mortgages, which were drawn from two pools with unpaid principal balances of $459 million and $300 million, respectively, had many of the same underwriting flaws as found in the Countrywide mortgages. Once again, JPMorgan hired a third-party consultant to look at a sample of them and to report back to it about their quality. Approximately 25 percent of the sample evaluated came back as containing unacceptable risks because of the low quality of the initial underwriting. According to Wagner's draft complaint, "JPMorgan had knowledge that a substantial portion of the loans did not comply with the originator's underwriting guidelines and had a substantial risk of default." The bank packaged up the GreenPoint mortgages and sold them anyway. In the end, investors suffered "hundreds of millions of dollars" of losses on that one security. In all, the unfiled document concludes, JPMorgan Chase and its investment bank "reaped substantial profits from their fraudulent scheme, having sold over $25 billion in nonprime RMBS"residential mortgage-backed securities"certificates backed by toxic loans."



JAMIE DIMON'S $13 BILLION SECRETREVEALED

[William D Cohan/Vanity Fair]

(Image: World Economic Forum, CC-BY-SA)
The Best Mouthwash You Can Buy

Keep Your Breath Fresh All Day With These Elite Mouthwashes

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.

Bruh, your mouth is gross! What? No diss intended. Just that research and science says otherwise. It's well known that our chat boxes remain the dirtiest part of the body. In fact, the scientists at Hard School of Dental discovered over 615 different species of bacteria living in the mouth, tongue, and throat. See?

Much of the markets elite oral hygiene products help mask most oral health care problems from halitosis to plaque buildup. However, none have proven to be potent or powerful enough to rid your make-out instrument of such toxicities. Simply put, a mouthwash is whats missing from your daily grooming routine.

This mouth-cleansing solution is the perfect complimentary piece for brushing and flossing. The benefits of swigging some only favor your wellbeing. Besides owning kissable breath, a man that lives religiously by mouthwash can reduce cavities, canker sores, gum disease, and even aid his spouses pregnancy by decreasing her risks of periodontal disease  a condition that can affect a womans bloodstream and result in preterm, low-weight babies. Thats one way of playing her hero.

Guys tend to share this presumption of all mouthwashes performing the same duties. Theres half truth to that statement. Each one does carry sterilization traits that freshen up the mouth. But each one is made for specific use. Read the labels, gentlemen. Let us show you how to pick the right mouthwash for your antibacterial needs.

Types of Mouthwashes

Pretty easy to assume all mouthwashes are the same. True, theyre all designed to rid the mouth of germs. They also get rid of the dragon in the dungeon by leaving behind a minty aftertaste. Still, depending on the severity of your oral condition(s), a special type might need to be stocked in your bathroom. These are the most common options available.

Antiseptic: Normally features chlorhexidine gluconate and most effective for stopping bacteria growth and bad breath

Normally features chlorhexidine gluconate and most effective for stopping bacteria growth and bad breath Cosmetic: The least protective of the batch that's primarily used to disguise halitosis

The least protective of the batch that's primarily used to disguise halitosis Fluoride: Contains sodium fluoride to strengthen teeth and protect against decay

Contains sodium fluoride to strengthen teeth and protect against decay Magic/Therapeutic: Prescribed by dentists to treat oral infections or inflamed mouth tissues

Prescribed by dentists to treat oral infections or inflamed mouth tissues Natural: Alcohol-free alternatives that perform like conventional mouthwashes

Alcohol-free alternatives that perform like conventional mouthwashes Total care: Hosts antibacterial ingredients for plaque and gum disease prevention

This helps narrow things down. Ingredients always play a vital role in the effects of oral conditioning. Rather than bore you to death with a massive list of the dos and don'ts, just keep your eyes peeled for the following additives: Alcohol (when ridiculously high in content), chlorine dioxide, chlorhexidinen, cocamidopropyl betaine, parabens, poloxamer 407, formaldehyde, and saccharin. Deal? Deal!

By now youve more than likely settled on a type. So lets bring you back to the fundamentals on how to use a mouthwash.

Aesop Mouthwash

Best for: Bad breath

Pleasant flavors combined with its use of impeccable antioxidants and botanical ingredients makes the Australian skincare brands rinse a signature staple for any oral hygiene enthusiast. The Aesop Mouthwash stands out most for its oral malodour relief, giving your mouth irresistible freshness, while leaving the zest of aniseed, clove bud, and spearmint lingering on your taste buds. Its alcohol-free formula is also great for hypersensitivity and helps to keep the mouth hydrated, never disturbing saliva production or natural pH levels. And of course there's the sexy apothecary-style vessel that complements the mouthwashs stellar performance.

$25.00 at Nordstrom.com

Oral Essentials Sugar Alcohol-Free Mouthwash

Best for: Teeth remineralization

This non-toxic offering is the brainchild of two dentists who aimed to deliver maximum results without disturbing the mouth's delicate ecosystem. Job well done. Oral Essentials opts for pure and enamel-friendly ingredients that advance the mineral-rebuilding process in teeth. The use of Dead Sea Salt helps feed your ivories with dozens of minerals including calcium, magnesium, and potassium. Not to mention it removes surface stains and wards off plaque-causing bacteria. That in combination with Aloe Vera, French essential oils, and non-GMO Xylitol help to freshen breath and reduce tooth decay.

$11.99 at Amazon.com

Listerine Cool Mint Antiseptic

Best for: Bacteria removal

Establishing brand recognition in the oral health sector nearly requires universal praise from consumers to dental professionals. Listerines earned it through its lineup of industry leading mouthwashes. Gingivitis and plaque become mere afterthoughts, as the antimicrobial antiseptic delivers a cooling rush to the mouth that instantly freshens breath and kills germs on contact through a powerful formula of four essential oils. No more than 30 seconds of swishing (twice a day) can earn you 24-hour protection from bacteria, or so clinical trials endorse. Nonetheless, youre warranted a bacteria-free mouth for most of the day at an unbeatable value.

$5.99 at Amazon.com

Georganics Coconut Pulling Mouthwash

Best for: Sensitivity

Oil pulling remains one of the more underrated oral detoxification procedures. Georganics deemed it vital for curing gum and tooth sensitivity, therefore applying the ancient Ayurvedic remedy to its resultant mouthwash. Swirling it around lets you bask in the healing and soothing properties fostered by Aloe Vera and holy basil oil, an adaptogen promoting gentle oral health. The addition of activated charcoal into the mixture boosts whitening, utilizing the mild abrasives from coconut shells to eliminate stains.

$8.49 at Amazon.com

Auromere Ayurvedic Mouthwash

Best for: Organic cleansing

What rinse you know integrates neem, the Indian superpower plant, into its formula? Just this one. Auromere chose to include this dynamic ingredient for its phenomenal antimicrobial and antifungal properties, which studies have shown to be just as powerful for oral health as chlorhexidine, only far less dangerous. Even crazier is how the rinse comes richly loaded with 23 botanical extracts and 9 essential oils, allowing its astringent, cleansing qualities to ensure your trap of all-natural purification. The minty taste it leaves behind isnt so bad either.

$11.50 at Amazon.com

Jason Healthy Mouth Naturally Bacteria-Fighting Mouthwash

Best for: Gum health

One of the more natural mouthwashes on the market thats free of alcohol, parabens, and saccharin, this selection comes professionally recommended for individuals with sensitive teeth and gums. Mild ingredients such as organic Aloe Vera gel and Ecchinacea calm lingering pains, whereas flavorful extracts from grapefruit seed and perilla blend well with the zesty taste of cinnamon and clove. The rinses bacteria-fighting capabilities are just as impressive, without the use of harsh abrasive or irritating chemicals mind you.

$7.84 at Amazon.com

Crest 3D White Luxe Glamorous White Multi-Care Whitening Mouthwash

Best for: Teeth whitening

If its teeth-whitening strips are any indication, then Crests luxury mouthwash is a sure-shot for pearly whites. Speaking from personal experience, thats an understatement. The oral hygiene titan created a triple-action formula made to freshen breath, prevent surface stains, and whiten your fangs simultaneously. It operates differently than all other mouthwashes, proving to be more effective after whitening procedures: professional or at-home. This is all impart to Crests patented Whitelock Technology that acts as a whitening protector to produce longer lasting results. Exercising the proper tooth-brushing routine will enhance its effects.

$8.97 at Walmart.com

Biotene Oral Rinse

Best for: Dry mouth

Aging. Autoimmune diseases. Smoking. Stress. Many causes bring about xerostomia aka dry mouth. Biotene is considered the No.1 mouthwash for this condition, employing whats known as an LP3 salivary enzyme-protein system to create a moisturizing effect and restore pH balance inside the mouth. Its also strong enough to sustain funky stenches, gum soreness, and tooth decay. The solution comes packaged in a large bottle to last for months and comes at an inexpensive price tag, which is surprising for a rinse viewed as an oral-cleansing breakthrough by dentists across the nation.

$9.90 at Amazon.com

ACT Restoring Mouthwash

Best for: Cavity protection

Kids might be more prone to cavities, but theyre just as common amongst adults, primarily around the edges of their fillings. This fluoride-infused oral rinse is formulated to reduce dental caries up to 70% more than a fluoride toothpaste, strengthening enamel and removing stains. The Cool Mint or Spearmint sensation of the solution wont only tame any bad odors seeping through those chompers, but soothe sore gums as well. Granted it contains alcohol, its nowhere near as harmful on the mouth as others with higher concentrates.

$4.54 at Amazon.com

Philips Sonicare BreathRx Antibacterial Mouth Rinse

Best for: Post-brushing

The Sonicare ecosystem of products work best when utilized together. So while its coveted mouthwash plays nice with your bridgework as a solo act, know youll earn better results after brushing your teeth with the DiamondClean electric toothbrush. Philips introduces a unique antibacterial complex highlighted by CPC, a dynamic germ-killing agent capable of neutralizing odors by killing up to 99% of bad breath bacteria. Those same odors are then neutralized through its use of Zytex, the companys unique blend of zinc combined with essential oils to maintain fresh oral aromas.

$9.99 at Amazon.com

The Right Way To Use Mouthwash

Wait. Its not just a gargle and spit procedure? Not really, fellas. So like the whitening toothpaste laying on your sink countertop, we can honestly assume youre using mouthwash the wrong way too. Theres a system to adopt to get the best out of the oral disinfectant. First, one must know when its necessary for use. The American Dental Association states that it doesnt matter whether applied before or after brushing. Nice!

Next is pouring the proper dosage. Dentists recommend 20 ml for most mouthwashes, 10 ml for stronger options with fluoride as the primary ingredient. Feel free to use the cap, which tends to double as a serving cup. Pour into the mouth and swish for about 30 seconds to a minute. If it burns, deal with it. Just let the essential oils and all other magical elements go to work. Spit out the remains. Dont rinse your mouth out with water, for all this will do is reduce its preventative effects.

Now comes time to put you onto the MVPs of the product category. So open up that yap and breakdown the top mouthwashes and their best uses.

Related Reading

17 Oral Hygiene Products That Can Replace Annoying Floss

Want Whiter Teeth? These Nine Products Will Do The Trick

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2017 has been a big year for Altadis U.S.A. The two big stories heading into this years trade show were the ever-strengthening partnership with AJ Fernandez and the new distribution agreement with Boutique Blends Cigars that has also added Rafael Nodal to the team. Add to the mix, the ever-expanding footprint of Casa de Montecristo lounges by Altadis U.S.A.s parent division Tabacalera U.S.A and there is little doubt Altadis U.S.A. is making a statement. And there were plenty of other projects showcased at this years trade show putting Altadis U.S.A. in the spotlight.

The AJ Fernandez Releases

Tabacalera USA actually started the ball rolling releasing the Montecristo Crafted by AJ Fernandez and Romeo y Julieta Crafted by AJ Fernandez. These are two projects blended by AJ Fernandez and produced at his factory in Esteli, Nicaragua These releases went to Santa Clara Cigars, the distribution arm for JR Cigars under Tabacalera USA. Earlier this year, three additional releases were produced by Fernandez to be sold under the Altadis U.S.A. name.

First up Gispert, a somewhat dormant brand under Altadis U.S.A., received an all-new blend with the Gispert Intenso. This cigar brings what the name says  a more intense and bolder cigar experience. Intenso uses a Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and a combination of Dominican and Nicaraguan fillers. It is available in three box-pressed sizes (Corona, Toro, and Belicoso)  packaged in 20-count boxes. Its a value priced offering with MSRP between $6.00 and $6.95.

Fernandez also had a chance to put his stamp on the H. Upmann line with the H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez. The cigar features an Ecuadorian Sumatra wrapper, a Nicaraguan Corojo 99 binder, and a combination of Criollo 98 and Piloto Cubano in the filler. It is also the first H. Upmann cigar to come out of Nicaragua. The H. Upmann by AJ Fernandez is available in three sizes: Robusto, Toro, and Churchill. The cigars are packaged in 20-count boxes priced between $7.25 and $7.75.

Finally, Fernandez would deliver a second Montecristo release with a new extension to the Monte line. The Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Corojo 98 binder, and a combination of Criollo 98 and Piloto Cubano Dominican filler. The cigars will be in four box-pressed sizes  each packaged in 20-count boxes. The original Monte was meant to be a more affordable Montecristo, and the new AJ Fernandez version is priced is between $10.50 and $11.25 MSRP.

Boutique Blends

We highlighted Boutique Blends first year as a part of the Altadis U.S.A. booth with a separate Spotlight feature.

Other IPCPR Releases

Montecristo

In addition to the Monte by Montecristo AJ Fernandez, the Montecristo brand was once again the centerpiece of this years releases by Altadis U.S.A.

The Montecristo Artisan Series Batch 2 was launched. Its a follow-up to the Montecristo Artisan Series Batch 1. Like Batch 1, the Montecristo Artisan Series Batch 2 uses aged tobaccos from a private batch of some of Altadis best tobaccos. The Batch 2 features a different blend from its predecessor as it consists of an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, a Java Indonesian binder, and fillers from the Dominican Republic, Nicaragua, and Colombia. This years cigar is also a Toro, but it measures 6 x 50 (as opposed to Batch 1s 6 x 54).

There was a third installment to the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch series with the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III. The cigars in the Private Batch series represent blends that the Grupo de Maestros created for the members own private consumption. The Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III features a different blend than the previous two installments. Private Batch III incorporates Dominican, Nicaraguan, and Peruvian fillers with a Santo Domingo binder from the Dominican Republic and an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper. Like its predecessors, Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III is available in one size  this time a 6 1/8 x 52 Belicoso (the first Private Batch to not feature a Toro). Pricing is set at $16.00 SRP per cigar.

The packaging for the Montecristo Grupo de Maestros Private Batch III also features a similar collectible cedar trunk to what was used for the previous two installments.

The Montecristo Espada Estoque is back for another limited run with the Montecristo Espada Estoque Vintage 2002 . The blend consists of a Jalapa wrapper and binder over an all-Nicaraguan filler. Included in the blend are vintage 2002 tobaccos. The Estoque Vintage 2002 comes in one size  a 6 x 50 torpedo. It will be packaged in ten-count leather boxes. Pricing is set at $15.00 per cigar.

H. Upmann

In addition to the H.Upmann AJ Fernandez, there is a new H. Upmann Banker Ingot release with the H. Upmann Banker Ingot Rose. The new installment brings an all-new blend consisting of an aged Cameroon wrapper, Nicaraguan binder, and fillers from Nicaragua, Peru, and the Dominican Republic. The Ingot Rose is being made in one size  a 6 3/4 x 48 Churchill. It is available in 12-count boxes with a total of 5,000 boxes (60,000 cigars) produced. While the first Ingot was packaged in gold bricks with gold bands, the Ingot Rose will feature rose-colored packaging and bands. Pricing is set at $12.00 per cigar.

VegaFina

This year Altadis U.S.A. introduced the VegaFina Anejado 7 Anos Robusto Extra into the U.S. market. This was originally a European release. The blend features an Ecuadorian Habano wrapper, Indonesian binder, and fillers from Colombia, Nicaragua, and the Dominican Republic. The blend contains tobaccos aged up to seven years. While it was offered in Europe in two sizes, only one size was introduced to the U.S. market  a 6 x 50 Robusto Extra with a special pig-tailed finish. Its available in 25-count boxes and priced at $6.00 per cigar.

Saint Luis Rey

This year Altadis U.S.A. showcased the Saint Luis Rey Natural Broadleaf. While releases such as the Saint Luis Rey Serie G Maduro have utilized bold and oily Connecticut Broadleaf wrappers, the Saint Luis Rey Natural Broadleaf is going to be slightly lighter. This Connecticut Broadleaf wrapper is sun-grown and then undergoes what Altadis U.S.A. refers to a natural fermentation process.

The remainder of the blend consists of a Criollo 98 binder and a combination of Honduran and Nicaraguan fillers. The Saint Luis Rey Natural Broadleaf is available in three sizes: Rothchilde, Churchill, and Magnum. The line is skewed toward larger ring gauges as the smallest ring gauge size is a 56. The three sizes are available in 25-count boxes. Production of the cigar comes out of Flor de Copan in Honduras. Pricing ranges from $6.50 to $6.95 per cigar.

Romeo y Julieta

This was a quieter brand at this years trade show, but earlier this year Altadis put the Romeo 505 Nicaragua into widespread distribution. Its a line done in collaboration with the Plasencia family in Nicaragua. This was a line showcased at the 2016 IPCPR Trade Show and was showcased again this year.

Photo Credits: Cigar Coop, except where noted.
This show is named after the first album by Tangerine Dream, and inspired by adventurous electronic rock music, often making heavy use of synthesizers, sequencers, and effects. Music from the German Kosmische scene, the various 70s psych and prog scenes, and the more current revivalist scenes are commonly part of the playlist. I also branch out self-indulgently into other areas of interest from time to time, from funk to indie rock to whatnot. Definitely some occasional whatnot.

I proudly play >35% Canadian content, although individual shows vary.

While CKCU has many other shows to recommend, the following ones play the most similar music and I recommend them if you just aren't getting enough here: Infinite Ceiling, The Oort Cloud, Friday Morning Cartunes, Sunday Night Mind Melt, The Night Watch.
THURSDAY, Sept. 7, 2017 (HealthDay News) -- Cholesterol-lowering statins reduce the risk of heart disease and death in otherwise healthy people who have very high levels of "bad" LDL cholesterol, a long-term study finds.

For 20 years, more than 5,500 men in Scotland who did not have heart disease but who had high levels of LDL took 40 milligrams of pravastatin, a relatively weak type of statin, daily. Doing so reduced their overall risk of death by 18 percent, the risk of death from heart disease by 28 percent, and the risk of death from other cardiovascular diseases by 25 percent.

"For the first time, we show that statins reduce the risk of death in this specific group of people who appear largely healthy, except for very high LDL levels," said study senior author Dr. Kausik Ray, a professor in the School of Public Health at Imperial College London.

The findings challenge taking a "watch-and-wait" approach in younger patients with elevated LDL levels, according to the researchers. They said even people with slightly elevated cholesterol have a higher long-term risk of heart disease.

"This is the strongest evidence yet that statins reduce the risk of heart disease and death in men with high LDL," Ray said in a college news release.

"Our study lends support to LDL's status as a major driver of heart disease risk, and suggests that even modest LDL reductions might offer significant mortality benefits in the long term," Ray concluded.

The study was published Sept. 6 in the journal Circulation.

More information

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has more on cholesterol and statins.
Dear Rep. Fortenberry: To quote John Bolton, "How do you feel about dead Americans?"

I lived in South Korea, including Seoul for 10 years. Just recently, I brought my Korean wife home to Nebraska, but her large family still lives in South Korea.

Now, not one of us want the Korean War to start up again. however, none of us who really understand the Kim regime's mindset believe we have time to wait until a generation of rebellious North Korean youth rise up and overthrow the murderous, Chinese-backed Kim dynasty, as you suggested in your newsletter.

Your old friend's idea is idealistic and naive, Congressman. It is an academic "what if" pipe dream.

Let's get real, Congressman -- there is no Lech Walesa in North Korea. And, if there were, he'd be dead in under 6 seconds flat, fed to the starving pigs.

Kim Jong Un is soon going to give South Korea an ultimatum, "Surrender, or watch 25 million family members in Seoul burn in a radioactive ball of fire." If they refuse and the U.S. starts to mobilize, he will fire at Los Angeles, San Francisco or Seattle at the same time as he drops one on Seoul.

So, Congressman, how do you feel about dead Americans? Are you really willing to risk our lives on your friend's ivory tower theory?

SMSgt Phillip G. Schupbach, Lincoln (Retired, U.S. Air Force)
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New York, September 7, 2017The French justice ministry should dismiss criminal defamation charges the government of Azerbaijan brought against journalists Elise Lucet and Laurent Richard, and allow the pair to continue their work without obstruction, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today.

A court in the Paris suburb of Nanterre on September 5 held a hearing in a defamation lawsuit against the French broadcast journalists over their 2015 investigative report for the France-2 television show Cash Investigations in which Azerbaijan is referred to as a dictatorship, according to international media reports.

The next hearing is scheduled for November 7, according to Le Monde.

Azerbaijan is now trying to silence journalists abroad as well those in the country, this time with the help of the French legal system, CPJ Europe and Central Asia Program Coordinator Nina Ognianova said. We call on the French authorities to drop this defamation case, and not facilitate Azerbaijans attempt to censor Elise Lucet and Laurent Richard.

During the report, which aired in September 2015 on France-2, Lucet described Azerbaijan as one of the worlds harshest dictatorships. Richard separately referred to the country as a dictatorship following his May 2014 trip to Baku during which Azeri authorities briefly detained him and his cameraman, seized their reporting equipment, and confiscated their footage, according to a CPJ report from the time.

Ahead of Tuesdays court date, Richard reiterated what he and Lucet said in the television program during an interview with the U.S. government-funded Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty. We do think that it [Azerbaijan] is a dictatorship, and not a land of tolerance as [Azeri officials] are pretending.

Fines for criminal defamation usually run up to 12,000 euros ($14,292), though the Azeri government is asking for a symbolic one euro in damages, according to French media reports.

Tuesdays court hearing coincided with the release of an investigation that allegedly uncovered vast money laundering and corruption among Azeri officials. The report also included accusations that Azerbaijan paid off European politicians for favorable treatment, a claim Azerbaijans deputy prime minister rejected in a statement made to the state news agency Azertas.
A North Carolina man accused of killing his wife after he told a 911 dispatcher that he thought he committed the crime after taking too much cold medicine could potentially receive the death penalty if convicted, a judge told him today.





Matthew Phelps, 28, who is charged with one count of murder for allegedly fatally stabbing his 29-year-old wife, made his first appearance in a Wake County court this afternoon, but he has not yet entered a plea. A judge told the defendant that, if convicted, he could potentially receive the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole.





ABC News has reached out to Phelps' attorney, Joseph Cheshire, for comment but did not immediately hear back.





His next court date is set for Sept. 25.





Early Friday morning, police say Phelps called 911 and told the dispatcher, "I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she's dead on the floor."





"I have blood all over me and there's a bloody knife on the bed," Phelps said. "I think I did it."





"I can't believe this," he said.





The Raleigh Police Department released the audio from the 911 call but redacted some information and altered the caller's voice.





Phelps told 911, "I took more medicine than I should have." He said he "took Coricidin Cough & Cold," explaining, "a lot of times I can't sleep at night."





Man tells 911 he thinks he killed wife after taking too much cold medicine The dispatcher asked if the victim was awake, and Phelps responded, "She's not breathing. Oh my God."





The dispatcher asked if the victim was beyond help, and Phelps replied, "I don't know. I'm too scared to get too close to her. ... I'm so scared."





Sobbing, Phelps said, "She didn't deserve this."





Officers responded and found his wife, Lauren Phelps, with stab wounds. She was hospitalized and later died.





According to ABC Durham station WTVD, the couple had been married since last year.





Bayer, the makers of Coricidin, said in a statement, "Bayer extends our deepest sympathies to this family."





"Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products," Bayer said, adding, "There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior."

Aspiring Pastor Accused of Murdering Wife Appears in Court: 'There's a Lot to This Story,' Defense Says

A North Carolina man accused of murdering his wife last week made his 1st court appearance on Tuesday, after which his attorney reportedly vowed there would be "a lot" more to be revealed about what happened.





Matthew Phelps appeared in front of a Wake County, North Carolina, judge on a 1st-degree murder charge in the death of his wife, Lauren, a courthouse official tells PEOPLE.





Phelps stayed silent during the hearing and did not enter a plea. Under state law, he could face the death penalty or life in prison without parole if convicted.





Outside the courtroom, his attorney, Joseph Cheshire, urged the public to not rush to conclusions.





"It's a very tragic situation - sad and tragic. And at the same time we have to ask everybody to withhold judgement in this particular case until we know more and we're able to develop more," Cheshire said, according to local TV station WRAL. "There's a lot to this story I believe that will be told in the future,"





"I know this is difficult for people to understand, but he [Phelps] is going through a terrible trauma," Cheshire told reporters. "And you know there are all kinds of stages to these things and he's at the beginning of those stages. So there's a lot of trauma to go around in all of this, in all of these cases always."





Cheshire could not be reached for comment by PEOPLE. Prosecutors did not immediately return a call.





"We're asking everyone to be patient so we can all get to the bottom of this," Cheshire said after the hearing on Tuesday, according to the News & Observer.





Early Friday morning, a distraught Phelps called 911 in Raleigh, North Carolina, declaring that he had just woken up to find his wife dead on the floor of their home.





"I had a dream, and then I turned on the lights and she's dead on the floor," Phelps said in the call, audio of which was obtained by PEOPLE.





He continued, "I have blood all over me and there's a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it. I can't believe this."





Over the course of the approximately 6 1/2 minute conversation with a dispatcher, Phelps grew progressively more inconsolable, breaking down into sobs.





He also said that he had taken too much cold medicine before he went to sleep the night before.





"I took more medicine than I should have," he said, adding, "I took Coricidin Cough and Cold because I know it can make you feel good. A lot of times I can't sleep at night. So I took some."





He added: "Oh my God. She didn't deserve this."





Police arrived at the couple's home on Patuxent Drive in Raleigh to find Lauren Phelps suffering multiple stab wounds, authorities have told PEOPLE. She was taken to a local hospital where she later died.





"While the investigation of the case is currently underway, preliminary findings have established that the crime was not a random act," police said in a statement.





In the wake of the killing, Bayer, the maker of Coricidin, said in a statement that "patient safety is our top priority and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products."





"Bayer extends our deepest sympathies to this family," the statement read. "... There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior."





The Phelps married last year, according to Lauren's Facebook. She "was all about her family," relatives said in a statement obtained by ABC News.





Lauren was a Sunday school teacher and Matthew was studying to be a pastor, a friend told ABC. Matthew's social media presence shows that he studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.





Matthew is being held without bond in the county jail and will next appear in court on Sept. 25, ABC News reports.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

Source: ABC News, Sept. 6, 2017People.com, Sept. 6, 2017
A case appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court could impact Oregon law allowing 10-2 convictions.





Oregon's long-time law allowing felony convictions by non-unanimous juries could be tested if the U.S. Supreme Court accepts a case challenging a similar law in Louisiana.





Only in Oregon and Louisiana can a defendant be convicted of a felony with a 10-to-2 jury vote. All other states and the federal government require a unanimous verdict.





Lawyers for defendant Dale Lambert argue that the court should overturn its previous rulings that Louisiana's and Oregon's non-unanimous jury laws are constitutional.





The statutes deprive certain defendants of equal protection under the law and deny them the right to have accusations confirmed by a jury of 12 of their peers, according to Lambert's petition.





"This law essentially eviscerates the idea that you are entitled to a jury of your peers when you are a black person who resides in Oregon, because statistically speaking, you are lucky if you get even one juror who is black, and that juror's voice may just not count at all," said Mat dos Santos, legal director of ACLU of Oregon.





Lambert was convicted of second-degree murder by a 10-to-2 guilty verdict in connection with the fatal shooting of a man in Louisiana's Orleans Parish on March 22, 2013.





His lawyers supported their petition to the Supreme Court with research by Professor Aliza Kaplan and law student Amy Saack of Portland's Lewis & Clark Law School.





Louisiana's majority verdict system was introduced in the 1898 Constitution as part of measures designed to "establish the supremacy of the white race," according to the researchers' February article in the Oregon Law Review.





Likewise, Oregon's law, passed by voters in 1934, was an anti-Semitic reaction to one juror holding out on convicting a Jewish man of first-degree murder in the death of Jimmy Walker, a Protestant white man, in 1933, the researchers assert. Instead, the Jewish man, Jacob Silverman, was convicted of manslaughter and spared a death sentence.





The U.S. Supreme Court upheld Oregon and Louisiana's jury laws in 1972, but since then, the understanding of the detrimental effect of non-unanimous jury verdicts, especially on people of color, has increased, said Kaplan, director of the Criminal Justice Reform Clinic at Lewis & Clark.





"All of the social science points to why unanimous juries work out better and more fair and demonstrate why all voices need to be heard," she said.





Clatsop County District Attorney Josh Marquis, a frequent critic of criminal justice reforms in Oregon, dismissed the researchers' assertion that Oregon's law is based on racism. The law offers benefits that criminal justice reformers overlook, such as fewer hung juries, he said.





And the law can mean a defendant no longer faces subsequent trials if a jury votes 10-to-2 for acquittal.





"In other words, in federal court what would be a hung jury could end up being an acquittal in Oregon," Marquis said.





The law has a protection requiring a unanimous vote for a guilty verdict in the case of aggravated murder, while a defendant charged with the same crime can be acquitted with a vote of 10-to-2, he said.





The Supreme Court is scheduled to consider whether it will take the case Sept. 25.





 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde
The House of Representatives justice committee has batted for the measure overhauling the country's 85-year old Revised Penal Code, renaming penalties, adjusting fines, requiring joint civil and criminal proceedings, introducing community service, and lowering the minimum age of criminal liability to 12 years.





In a statement, committee chair Rep. Reynaldo Umali sought the speedy passage of House Bill No. 6204, which seeks to replace Book 1, or the first 113 articles of the 367-article RPC. Book 1 was trimmed to just 78 articles.





Umali was quoted in the statement as saying that legal complications and difficulty have arisen from the passage of special penal laws in the past eight decades.





"Now we can hardly keep track of the exact number of penal laws that we have and there is difficulty in determining which law or laws are to be used to prosecute a particular criminal conduct," Umali added.





Book 1 covers the "general principles on the application of this Code, the offenses, the persons liable and the table of penalties." The proposed replacement of the RPC would be named "the Philippine Code of Crimes."





The bill had been prepared for the past 3 years by the Institute of Government and Law Reform of the University of the Philippines Law Center, which constituted an 8-member Code of Crimes Committee that included Umali.





Asked if the provisions recommended by the UP Law Center committee would still be changed by the House justice committee, Umali said in a phone interview: "Of course, it can. That will depend on the committee."





Age of criminal liability





Among the likely controversial provisions of the proposed code is the lowering of the minimum age of criminal liability to "12 years of age or below" or "above 12 years of age and under 15 acting without discernment."





This changes the threshold of 15 years old (or 15 to 18 years for those acting without discernment) as set under Juvenile Justice and Welfare Act of 2006, which raised the minimum age of criminal responsibility from the original age of 9 fixed by the RPC in 1932.





Another change is the Code's proposal to let convicts render community services in case of failure to pay fines - instead of the current subsidiary imprisonment at a rate of 1 day for every 8 pesos of unpaid fine.





This ranges from 4 to 6 months for grave crimes, 1 to 4 months for less grave crimes, and a maximum of 30 days for light crimes.





The RPC provision for the court to consider "the wealth or means of the culprit" in imposing fines, however, was deleted because it violated the equal protection clause.



No 'prescription of penalties'





The proposed Code would also do away with the prescription of penalties, the limitation within which the penalty can be imposed when the convict escapes the service of his sentence.





It would also require civil liabilities to be tried simultaneously and jointly with the criminal proceedings against a defendant. If the civil action is instituted first, it would have to be transferred to the court where the criminal case is subsequently filed.





"The filing of the criminal action shall carry with it the filing of civil action, and no right to reserve the filing of such civil action separately from the criminal action shall be allowed," the bill read.





Renamed penalties





The proposed Code of Crimes also replaced the terminologies, starting with the use of the word "crime" in place of "felony."





Capital punishment is referred to as "punitive penalties" with "punitive 1" referring to the death penalty, and "punitive 2" to imprisonment of 20 years and 1 day to 40 years.





The proposed afflictive penalties are "afflictive 1" (12 years and 1 day to 20 years, or the current prison temporal), and "afflictive 2 and temporary disqualification" (6 years and 1 day to 12 years, or the current prision mayor).





The current penalty of prision correccional (6 months and 1 day to 6 years) would be split into 2 penalties of "corrective 1 and suspension" (3 years and 1 day to 6 years) and "corrective 2" (6 months and 1 day to 3 years).





What are currently called light penalties will be renamed "restorative penalties." These include "restorative 1" (1 month and 1 day to 6 months), which is equivalent to arresto mayor, currently a corrective penalty.





"Restorative 2" (1 to 30 days) is equivalent to the current penalty of arresto menor.





The proposed code would also introduce the penalties of "community service" of 1 day to 6 months, and "restrictive penalty" of 6 months to 2 years.





Updated outline of crimes





Umali could not say yet if Book 2 of the RPC, which lists down the crimes and their corresponding penalties, would be passed together with Book 1 under one House bill.





He said the committee "hopes to complete" its work on the crimes and penalties that may be covered by the overhauled Code of Crimes by March next year.





The Code of Crimes Committee was also composed by Court of Appeals Associate Justice Mario Lopez, Special Prosecutor Edilberto Sandoval, former Special Prosecutor Dennis Villa-Ignacio, former Sandiganbayan Justice Rodolfo Palattao, former UP College of Law Dean Bartolome Carale, UP Vice-President for Legal Affairs Hector Danny Uy, and Reps. Umali and Ramon Rocamora.





The 22-page House bill, meanwhile, was authored by Umali, Rocamora, Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, Majority Floor Leader Rodolfo Farinas, and Rep. Marlyn Primicias-Agabas.

 | Report an error, an omission, a typo; suggest a story or a new angle to an existing story; submit a piece, a comment; recommend a resource; contact the webmaster, contact us: deathpenaltynews@gmail.com



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"One is absolutely sickened, not by the crimes that the wicked have committed,

but by the punishments that the good have inflicted." -- Oscar Wilde

newsinfo.inquirer.net, Sept. 6, 2017
Between 1964 and 1973, in an effort to prevent the movement of supplies, armaments and North Vietnamese fighters across neighboring territories and into Vietnam, the U.S. Air Force dropped over 270 million cluster bombs on Vietnams western neighbor, Laos. As a result, Laos has the grim distinction of being, per capita, the worlds most bombed country.

Today, most of the countrys 17 provinces remain contaminated with unexploded ordnance, or UXO, wrote U.S. Air Force Major General Michael Rothstein, who recently served as the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Plans, Programs, and Operations in the State Departments Bureau of Political-Military Affairs. Because many of the bombs that were dropped did not explode immediately as intended, UXO has killed or injured thousands of Laotians. While landmines were also laid in Laos during the Indochina Wars of the 1960s and 1970s, UXO account for the bulk of explosive hazard contamination.

Landmines and unexploded munitions render millions of hectares of land unusable, preventing farmers from tending their fields. They make travel dangerous because explosives lie hidden in pepper fields, meadows and forests, and a misstep could be deadly.

Nonetheless, as time goes by, population growth in Laos has increased demands to put UXO-contaminated land into productive use, which of course means an increased risk of injuries and deaths.

The government is committed to removing the UXO threat but progress has been slow. One of the reasons is that, while many local surveys have been conducted over the years, Laos has lacked a comprehensive national survey of UXO contamination.

That is why today, in addition to funding mine clearance in Laos, the United States is partnering with Laos on just such a survey.

This new project will allow us to better identify areas of the country with the greatest concentrations of UXO risk, improving the effectiveness of clearance operations, wrote General Michael Rothstein.

Years of work remain ahead, but clearly, this work is more important than ever. Not only does it address a wartime legacy, but it is also a smart investment in a brighter future for Laos, its neighbors, and ultimately for U.S. diplomatic and security partnerships in the region.
Despite the best efforts of the United Nations Security Council over the past 24 years, the North Korean nuclear program is more advanced and more dangerous than ever, warned the U.S. Ambassador Permanent Representative to the United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley. North Korea fires missiles over Japanese air space. They have ICBM capabilities, and now claim to have tested a hydrogen bomb.

Enough is enough, said Ambassador Haley. We have taken an incremental approach, and despite the best of intentions, it has not worked.

Each time the international community has engaged in direct and multilateral talks with the North Korean regime, it has failed to achieve the denuclearization of the rogue state.

The time for half measures in the Security Council is over, said Ambassador Haley. The time has come to exhaust all of our diplomatic means, before its too late. We must now adopt the strongest possible measures, she urged.

Kim Jong-Uns abusive use of missiles, and his nuclear threats show that he is begging for war, said Ambassador Haley. But war, she stressed, is never something the United States wants. At the same time, the United States patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory, she vowed.

Ambassador Haley urged fellow Security Council members to exhaust all diplomatic means to end this crisis.

Only the strongest sanctions will enable us to resolve this problem through diplomacy, she noted. We have kicked the can down the road long enough. There is no more road left.

The United States will look beyond the U.N at every country that does business with North Korea as a country that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions.

The stakes could not be higher. The urgency is now, said Ambassador Haley. Twenty-four years of half measures and failed talks is enough.
A few hours before Dutch security forces raided the home of Jimmy F. in the early hours of August 23 in Zevenbergen, a small town some 40 kilometers south of Rotterdam, the 22-year-old had been chatting online using a false identity with an alleged Jihadist calling himself Ayoub. I told him I was planning my own thing, because he canceled his plan because spain [sic] now has high security [following the attacks in Catalonia in mid-August]. So I dropped the name Rotterdam. So maybe thats [sic] what triggered them, he wrote in a series of text messages to a friend about the terror scare he triggered.

Part of a conversation between Jimmy F. and a friend explaining how he triggered a terror alert in Rotterdam in the wake of the attacks in Catalonia in August.

Unwittingly, Jimmy F. had prompted the Spanish security services, who had been monitoring his conversation with Ayoub, to issue a terrorist alert, prompting the authorities in Rotterdam to cancel a concert and arrest him. He denies any links to terrorists, describing himself as a jihadist hunter.

EL PAIS has had access to the online conversations Jimmy F. held with alleged Islamic radicals, which read like something from a novel, and reveal activities that were until now the preserve of the deep web: the search for terrorists by infiltrating online jihadist networks.

He has been fascinated since childhood with the war in Syria Jimmy F.s lawyer

Jimmy F. believed he had uncovered something important when he contacted a jihadist online, but when he suggested that he was planning his own attack in Rotterdam, the Spanish security services immediately contacted their Dutch counterparts. A concert was cancelled that night in the port city, while a Spaniard driving a van containing gas canisters  and who turned out to be drunk  was arrested close to the stadium where the event was to be held. He was later released.

While all this was going on, Jimmy F. was telling his friends what had happened. Concert got canceled. But I am on some kind of list So now I have to call the police to say I didnt [sic] do it Without telling them I have been in contact with the feds.

Part of a conversation between Jimmy F. and alleged jihadist Azizz Hamda about recording an ISIS video.

Karianne Bal, Jimmy F.s lawyer, says that the 23-year-old called the local police on several occasions to inform them of his activities, but they did not pay much attention to his story. At 2am on August 24, according to Dutch television channel NOS, special forces raided Jimmy F.s home and arrested him.

Jimmy F. is studying security at a community college in Zevenbergen, and is a member of Syria General, an online group that discusses the war in Syria. His lawyer says he has been fascinated since he was a child with the political and economic aspects of the war, but nothing else. She describes him as an amateur spy and a jihadist hunter.

He had no plans for any kind of attack and mentioned Rotterdam unaware that there was a concert. He believed he was talking to a jihadist who did have plans and he hoped to find out more about them, concludes his lawyer.

Dutch prosecutors say Jimmy F., who is being held in custody, could face charges of involvement in a terrorist threat. The Dutch media say that the judge overseeing the case has told prosecutors that, for the moment, the evidence points only to a public-order disturbance.

A chat between Ayoub and members of Syria General about being detected while using the Telegram instant messaging service.

El PAIS has been told that Ayoub, the supposed jihadist Jimmy F. had been talking to about an attack in Rotterdam, describes himself as resident in Spain and is obsessed with the idea of recovering Al Andalus, the area covering much of the south of the country that was occupied by the Arabs for several centuries. Ayoub was also talking to another individual called Azziz Hamdan on the messaging service Telegram. An administrator on the instant messenger, a US citizen who also tries to identify jihadists online, says that Ayoub and Hamdan were trying to recruit up to 16 people to take part in an attack. In one of the chats, Jimmy F, using his pseudonym, asked Hamdan for 100,000 to record a video pledging support for the so-called Islamic State, or ISIS. If there is a will, there is a way, Hamdan replied.

Bal says her client was known to the Dutch security services, with whom he spoke on the day of his arrest, as well as to the police. She says that Jimmy F. provided information about a suspect named as Youad A, who was arrested in December in possession of an AK-47, along with ammunition and fireworks. The Dutch authorities have refused to comment on the case. Bal suggests that the Spanish police issued their warning about a possible terrorist attack in Rotterdam because they didnt know who Jimmy F. was.

The more pressing question for both the Dutch and Spanish security services is the whereabouts of Ayoub. Jimmy F.s colleagues say they will continue to search for him online. They say they doubt he is a member of ISIS, and suggest that he may well turn out to be another online vigilante or a member of one of Europes security services.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Spanish police make an arrest in Melilla. EFE

Hafid Mohamed, a 39-year-old Moroccan-born Spanish national based in the exclave city of Melilla, was working as an educator at a juvenile center before his arrest on Tuesday for jihadist activities, according to local police sources.

Mohamed, believed to have been the leader of a jihadist cell, allegedly used this position to recruit and indoctrinate at-risk youths he worked with at the Fuerte de la Purisima center for juvenile immigrants. Most of the centers 300 youngsters, who are all under 18, are from Morocco.

Five other presumed jihadists were also arrested as part of the raid.

The cell members were undergoing a physical training program and simulating decapitations

Spanish Interior Minister Juan Ignacio Zoido said that the joint police operation between Spain and Morocco broke up a jihadist cell with a high potential for carrying out attacks.

Mohamed worked for several years as an assistant educator at the center, ever since he joined the local branch of the Popular Party (PP) and Juan Jose Imbroda [mayor of the city], helped him get the position, according to police sources.

Investigators believe that during this period, he was able to effectively conduct recruitment activities as he created a terrorist cell, now broken up, whose imminent goal was to move on to violent jihad activities.

Imbroda called an emergency party meeting to eject Mohamed from their ranks, and said that for the last three years the suspect had not been paying his membership fees, which meant that he lacked political rights within the group.

Investigators found that the cell members had been holding secret meetings to plan large-scale attacks. The members were undergoing a physical training program and simulating decapitations.

English version by Susana Urra.
I traveled 700 miles to camp near my fathers homelands by Indian Cave State Park and see the total eclipse on a hill south of Falls City. Kids played on rows of hay bales, the sky opening just in time to view the totality. A luminous 360-degree panoramic earth corona, an encircling sunset ringed the horizon.

Words caught in our throats, but, afterwards, a sour note sounded.

Signs in Minnesota mandate drivers use both lanes during road delays. It's called zipper merging. Scientific studies prove this speeds traffic and increases public safety.

But Nebraskans prefer inefficient virtue signaling. South of Nebraska City, we stalled for miles, leaving the left lane unoccupied because of a quaint custom to form one line instead of using both lanes and kindly allowing merging.

People self-righteously swerved to block miles long unoccupied lanes. A truck pulled in front of a sensible car passing, and, when I passed it, he waved the national hand gesture.

At the first Obama inauguration, I saw a similarly rational but foolish phenomenon. We waited at the Purple Gate en masse. We moved politely forward in a crowd toward the security entrance -- the pedestrian equivalent of zipper merging.

Some, however, asked where the line formed. Many of these left the crowd and foolishly searched for it at the rear of the assembly, unnecessarily but virtuously stuck in a tunnel.

Lawmakers take note. Its time to mandate zipper merging. Using both lanes should be mandated custom and law -- and go Huskers.

Al Kammerer, Duluth, Minnesota
These are the responsibility of the editor and convey the newspaper's view on current affairs-both domestic and international

Carme Forcadell, the speaker of the Catalan regional parliament. LLUIS GENE (AFP)

Wednesdays debate in the Catalan regional parliament that approved a law to hold an independence referendum on October 1, takes to breaking point an already tense situation created by the challenge that the independence process initiated five years ago represents for Spanish democracy, the law and Catalonias own institutions.

That independence process is now close to running aground. The secessionists were already deprived of allies; the moderate nationalists and those prepared to stick to the law have been expelled from their parties and the regional government; Catalan society has been divided, and having followed an arcane route map that has undermined politics, all that was left was the final flourish needed to begin the final chapter in this ludicrous escapade.

Unless it returns to the realms of legality, the Catalan question will drift further away from viable, constructive solutions

That flourish was the echo chamber of a social movement that had started out as responsive, approachable, civic-minded and peaceful: a kind of secessionist 15-M movement. The spectacle on Wednesday of a tiny pro-independence parliamentary majority (representative of a minority of voters), along with that of the institutions speaker, Carme Forcadell, was a shameful attempt to quash any opposition, along with the millions of voters they represent, and thus the democracy and legal system combined. In short, it was the very opposite of the transparency and legality that had been promised.

The first major step in breaking away from Spain took place in parliament. Agreed. But it was a stormy session, as might have been expected from a movement that aims to destroy the gains built jointly over four decades of Spanish democracy, namely Catalan autonomy and the contribution of Catalans to the collective knowhow, as well as to Europe.

The attempt to pressure opposition deputies and to divide the regional parliament in two (and thus to split Catalonia itself) prompted a dignified response by the minority parties. We witnessed authoritarian, aggressive and uncivil behavior by the pro-independence parties and the speaker of the parliament toward the representatives of more than half the electorate.

This simplified, opaque and hasty procedure, absent of any legal guarantees and against the Constitution, leaving no time for debate or amendment, was patent for all to see: a clear demonstration of the Herculean task of breaching co-existence and legality through a virtually clandestine law, deprived of any parliamentary credibility and failing to meet the most basic democratic standards.

All that was left was the final flourish needed to begin the final chapter in this ludicrous escapade

Some of the more aware deputies belonging to the secessionist block realized that the sectarian nature of this law, along with the servile and authoritarian approach of the speaker of the Catalan regional parliament was endangering their project not just in the eyes of voters watching the debate on television, but in those of the international community. It is with sadness, doubtless shared by many, that an institution that has been a pioneer in so many positive ways should have been subjected to such harm.

That said, there are other cases of parliaments inflicting harm on themselves (sometimes even committing suicide) by handing over their power to out-of-control governments, dangerous leaders or by approving ridiculous projects.

The parliamentary bureaus veto of a request by the Council of Statutory Guarantees for a ruling of the constitutionality of the proceedings was a flagrant breach of the rights of democratic representatives and an attack against Catalonias statute, as was its decision that the majority of seats prevailed over all others (such as those dedicated to its oversight), raising the specter of dictatorship. These are people who reduce popular sovereignty to parliamentary hegemony, and then shrink it further to a circumstantial majority.

That veto was a powerful blow to the parliament, with the concomitant damage to its credibility. From now on, its laws, lacking any filters to protect them, and out of sync with the necessary legal structures, will coexist alongside the parliaments correct procedures, but as everybody knows, forgeries tend to force the real McCoy out of the marketplace. The loser in all this is Catalonia, and above all, Catalans.

The plans of the secessionists have already split Catalan society, but their immediate goals have gone further: to breach the collaboration and solidarity of Spaniards and the plural and decentralized state they have been given. The governments decision to restore legality by appealing to the Constitutional Court is the right one. It is particularly commendable that the main opposition parties, despite their differences with the government, have thrown their support behind this decision.

Unless it returns to the realms of legality, the Catalan question will drift further away from viable, constructive solutions that avoid division, and hopefully, frustration and pain.

English version by Nick Lyne.
Spanish PM Mariano Rajoy at a press conference on Thursday. LUIS SEVILLANO ARRIBAS (EL PAIS)

There will be no referendum on self-determination.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy made this unequivocal statement on Thursday afternoon, following an emergency Cabinet meeting to craft the central governments response to the Catalan secessionists latest challenge.

I am very aware of my obligations and of the gravity of the moment, said Rajoy at a press conference that began at 2.20pm. I know what is expected of me. I will not allow our model of social harmony to be liquidated with a single blow. I will do whatever is necessary, without renouncing anything to prevent it.

Calling a referendum is not illegal. Were going ahead with this

Jordi Turull, Catalan government spokesman

It is possible to be pro-independence in Spain. But one cannot walk all over our democratic rules, the Popular Party (PP) leader continued. What is not legal is not democratic. Democracy will respond firmly, with assurance and dignity.

Addressing Catalan authorities, Rajoy urged them to stop walking toward the abyss.

On Wednesday, pro-independence parties used their slim majority in the Catalan parliament to approve a law allowing an independence referendum to be held in the region on October 1. The bill passed by 72 votes, after 52 members of the opposition walked out of the 135-seat chamber in protest.

The regional premier of Galicia, Alberto Nunez Feijoo (PP), has called this move the most dire event to have taken place in Spain since 23-F, a reference to the failed coup detat that took place on February 23, 1981, when armed members of the Civil Guard stormed Congress and held deputies hostage.

Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza has announced legal measures against the holding of the referendum FERNANDO VILLAR (EFE)

Madrid has already lodged an appeal against this law with Spains Constitutional Court, and Attorney General Jose Manuel Maza on Thursday announced that all members of the Catalan government will be prosecuted for signing a referendum-enabling decree shortly after the law got the green light late on Wednesday night. Parliamentary officials who allowed the vote to take place, including Speaker Carme Forcadell, are also facing charges.

The National Police, the Civil Guard and the Catalan law enforcement agency  known as the Mossos dEsquadra  will receive instructions to seize effects or tools destined to prepare or to hold the illegal referendum, said Maza.

The central government has also issued instructions to all 947 mayors across Catalonia not to heed calls to give up public spaces to set up ballot boxes.

Catalan regional premier Carles Puigdemont (R) embraces his predecessor Artur Mas after the regional parliament voted to hold a referendum on independence from Spain. ALBERT GEA

Barcelona Mayor Ada Colau, a former housing activist with leftist sympathies, has not yet decided whether to cooperate with the Catalan executive and has relayed the latters request to City Halls legal department.

Tarragona, a provincial capital, will not offer help with the referendum, local officials said on Thursday. But the mayors of Girona, Sabadell and Badalona have already announced their support on social media.

The Catalan government, which is headed by the pro-independence Junts pel Si coalition with support from a fringe anti-capitalist party called CUP, has vowed to hold the vote no matter what.

Weve transitioned from having money raining down on us to having criminal charges raining down on us, said Jordi Turull, the Catalan executives spokesman. Calling a referendum is not illegal. Were going ahead with this.

The Catalan government has vowed to conduct a real referendum and to declare independence within 48 hours if Yes wins

Earlier on Thursday, Rajoy met with opposition leader Pedro Sanchez of the Socialist Party (PSOE), and he is scheduled to sit down with Ciudadanos chief Albert Rivera later today to discuss a joint strategy against what all three view as an illegal referendum.

On November 9, 2014 Catalonia held a non-binding independence vote after Spanish courts banned the possibility of holding a referendum. The vote came out in favor of independence, but it was widely viewed as skewed and did not gain international recognition. The Catalan premier at the time, Artur Mas, was tried for disobedience last March and barred from office for two years.

This time around, the Catalan government  now under Carles Puigdemont  has vowed to conduct a real referendum and to declare independence within 48 hours if Yes wins by slightly more than 50%, no matter what the turnout.

English version by Susana Urra.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Our logistics center is aimed at big players on the market, Alekber Muradov, a director of the logistics center of Azerbaijans Azersun Holding in Aktau, told Trend.

These are mainly foreign companies that bring food products here. In general, our refrigerated warehouses are in demand. There are no more such warehouses in this area, he said.

In addition, the fact that we are located near Aktau seaport gives us the advantage of working directly with importers who also want to store their products without losses during transportation and general logistics, according to the director.

Therefore, the demand is very high. However, I do not think that at the moment there is a need for expansion, since we have a sufficient area (10,000 square meters) which allows us to store the products of our customers in sufficient quantities, he added.

But there are plans to expand the production part, according to Muradov.

There is a shortage of food products in this region. Our warehouse was built here to compensate for this deficit, he added.

The director informed that about 70 percent of the products are sold domestically.

But there were customers who brought the goods from Iran, Turkey or Azerbaijan to the Russian consumers, he added.

Azersun production and logistics center is the first logistics center of Azerbaijan, located outside the country.

The center located in the Aktau Sea Port special economic zone creates favorable conditions for the supply of industrial, agricultural and food products produced in Azerbaijan to Kazakhstan and other Central Asian countries.

Thus, 25 percent of the shares of the logistics center belong to the Azerbaijani government represented by the Azerbaijan Investment Company (AIC).
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Czech Senate delegation led by the vice-speaker will pay a visit to Azerbaijan in late October, ambassador of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan Vitezslav Pivonka told Trend Sept.7.

He noted that the delegation will consist of six senators. Cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of agriculture, as well as industry and transport will be discussed during the visit, added the ambassador.

Currently, the visit program is being prepared, said Pivonka.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

There is such a Latin phrase as cui prodest? It means for whose benefit? When it is not immediately apparent which political or social groups, forces or alignments advocate certain proposals, measures, etc., one should always ask - For whose benefit? (V.I. Lenins quote)

However, Lenin was right. If the origin of "noise" against Azerbaijan is still unclear, it is necessary to find out to whom and why it is needed.

The very fact that money has been spent on a large-scale campaign testifies that the customers are not poor people and they spend much money to achieve their goals.

We have already written many times that an entire campaign is being held against Baku. Billionaire George Soros and rich representatives of the Armenian diaspora spend huge money for this campaign.

Frankly speaking, even this money was not enough to fabricate more or less reliable evidence of the horrible news published by the Western media outlets.

For example, there is no fact, except rumors and assumptions, in the sensational articles, published by The Washington Post and The Guardian. The burden of the whole article was the idea that "there are no documents, but we know for sure".

The external forces goal is to discredit Azerbaijan in the eyes of the international community, which, by the way, can be connected with the countrys deal on hydrocarbons soon.

For example, according to The Guardians recent article, Azerbaijan is particularly interested in presenting a positive image in Europe because it needs Europes significant support for its flagship Southern Gas Corridor.

However, in fact, Europe needs the Southern Gas Corridor more than Azerbaijan, which in any case will find a country to sell its gas. It was Brussels that urged on the implementation of the Southern Gas Corridor, trying to reduce its gas dependence on Russia and ensure the energy security of the EU member-states.

Moreover, it is planned to sign a new contract on development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) block of oil and gas fields in a few days to prolong activity at this field until 2050, which testifies to Azerbaijans abundant oil reserves.

It is clear that the new contract will bring big profit to Baku, which can not but disturb Armenia, which fears that one day, Azerbaijans funds will be directly used for the liberation of the lands occupied by Armenia.

And this means that a new wave of negativity, directed against UKs companies allegedly connected with Azerbaijan, can be seen as an attempt to exert pressure on Azerbaijans main partners for the production of hydrocarbons.

However, the lack of evidence in custom-made articles can not cause any serious consequences for Azerbaijan. This information will be forgotten in a few days although we can expect Armenia and its friends to create new fascinating detective stories about Azerbaijan in the near future.

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Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agencys Russian news service
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva  Trend:

Today the most important meeting will be held between General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and first deputy minister of defense.

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of this event, since this is the first meeting since NATO made a decision to freeze relations with Russia. The meeting will be held in Azerbaijans capital  Baku, which has already become a landmark; in February 2017, Gerasimov met here with General Joseph Francis Dunford, chairman of the Joint Committee of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff.

The February meeting once again demonstrated that Azerbaijan is a geopolitical link between Russia and the United States, having strategic relations with both countries.

Baku, as a platform for Russias negotiations with Western partners, is the most obvious choice. Moreover, the country has deservedly won the spot as one of the most important geopolitical centers of the region. Azerbaijan is a reliable and long-standing partner of NATO and a strategic partner of Russia, and Moscow trusts it.

All this contributes to the fact that both Russia and the West trust Azerbaijan as the host country and consider it the most successful platform for important negotiations. The fact that the information about this meeting appeared in the Russian media on the day of holding the meeting, became one of the proofs of the highest professionalism of the host party.

However, in February, the news of Gerasimovs meeting with Dunford leaked to the US media, but not to the Azerbaijani one.

The subject of the negotiations between Gerasimov and Pavel is likely to be related to a number of topical issues of military cooperation, which today determines the situation in the whole region. One of the main issues today is the establishment of direct and consistent contacts between Moscow and NATO in order to prevent the emergence of potential miscalculations and unite against the only real enemy - global terrorism.

However, if one ignores the quite rich agenda of the relations between the two world powers, and returns to the venue of the meeting, it becomes obvious that this meeting has become yet another message demonstrating the true position Baku has on the international arena.

Baku has long established itself as a NATO partner, which can and should be trusted. Azerbaijan, remaining an independent country that has good relations with almost all its neighbors, plays an important role in the transit of cargo for coalition troops in Afghanistan.

Big percentage of supplies for the NATO coalition goes through Azerbaijan, which is extremely important, because today transit through the territory of Russia is impossible.

Being a key component of the Northern Distribution Network of NATO, Azerbaijan provides a secure route for 40 percent of NATO-supported International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan.

Azerbaijan is an active participant in international anti-terrorism efforts. Azerbaijan and the US work together to counter nuclear proliferation and drug trafficking, as well as to ensure security in the Caspian Sea region and beyond.

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Elmira Tariverdiyeva is the head of Trend Agencys Russian news service
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

Trend:

Azerbaijan has allocated more than $1.5 million for education of girls in four African countries through UNESCO projects, reads a tweet from the countrys Permanent Delegation to UNESCO.

The projects cover Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Liberia.

Azerbaijan is a UNESCO donor. Azerbaijan signed a framework agreement with the organization in 2013, under which it is funding the UNESCO education projects in Africa.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

Trend:

Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia is based on friendly relations and mutual trust, said Azerbaijani First Deputy Minister of Defense, Chief of the General Staff of Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmeddin Sadikov.

Sadikov made the remarks at a meeting with a delegation led by Russian First Deputy Defense Minister, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Army General Valery Gerasimov, said the Azerbaijani Defense Ministry Sept. 7.

During the meeting, Sadikov said the relations between the two countries have recently reached the level of strategic partnership.

Touching upon the military-political situation in the region, Sadikov said the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict is the main threat to regional security. He stressed the importance of achieving a solution to the conflict within the norms of international law.

In his turn, Gerasimov stressed that the ties between the two countries have historical roots and Azerbaijan is an important strategic partner of Russia.

The Russian first deputy defense minister stressed the importance of holding high-level military meetings in terms of expanding bilateral relations as well as military and military-technical cooperation.

During the meeting, Sadikov and Gerasimov discussed the current state of military and military-technical cooperation and the prospects for developing ties in military education.

The sides also exchanged views on issues of mutual interest.

Gerasimov also expressed deep gratitude to the Azerbaijani leadership for hospitality and hosting his meeting with the Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Petr Pavel in Baku.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Azerbaijan's capital has proved to be the best location for holding international talks.

Baku was eventually chosen as a location considered neutral for the meeting between NATO and Russia military chiefs, Mark Galeotti, a Senior Researcher at Institute of International Relations in Prague, told Trend.

Today, on Sept. 7, the official meeting between the chairman of the NATO Military Committee Petr Pavel and Russias Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces General Valery Gerasimov takes place in Azerbaijans capital.

It is not the first time when Baku is chosen as a platform for hosting international talks. In February this year another high-ranking meeting between the Chiefs of General Staff of the US Armed Forces and Russia was held in the capital of Azerbaijan.

There is an official agenda related to deconfliction in Syria, as well as in potential near-miss situations in the Baltic Sea, the expert noted.

The talks come ahead of the joint Zapad 2017 Russian exercises with Belarus next week which caused concern in Poland and the Baltic States.

Above all this is a first step in trying to reconnect NATO and Russia in some kind of meaningful dialogue, according to Galeotti.

Moreover, this date marks the first meeting between the sides since NATO took a decision to freeze relations with Russia.

The hope is that soldier-to-soldier talks can rebuild a little of the lost trust, in a way that is harder when politicians meet, he added.

In 2014, NATO decided to suspend practical cooperation with Russia, while maintaining a political dialogue at the level of ambassadors and above. Russia has repeatedly stated that it was not Moscow that suspended agreements with NATO and that's why the alliance should take steps to reanimate the interaction.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

Trend:

Azerbaijans Foreign Minister Elmar Mammadyarov has received newly appointed Ambassador of Hungary Viktor Szederkeny.

During the meeting, Ambassador Szederkeny presented a copy of his credentials to Elmar Mammadyarov.

Ambassador Szederkeny noted that Hungary is keen to develop cooperation with Azerbaijan in energy, transportation, tourism, cultural and other fields, and said he would spare no effort to expand bilateral relations during his diplomatic mission.

Azerbaijani FM wished the envoy every success in his diplomatic activities.
RACINE  The Racine Unified School District is expanding the number of schools that receive free after-school programming, thanks to a once-imperiled funding source.

The schools slated to receive funding through federal 21st Century Community Learning Centers grants are Mitchell Middle School and Dr. Jones, Julian Thomas and Roosevelt elementary schools.

The institutions, which predominantly serve children coming from lower-income households, previously had after-school programming, but it was funded by the district, explained Kathy Dunkerson, Unifieds director of extended learning.

With the added funding for programs previously paid for by Unified, the district will now also be able to fund after-school programming for four other schools that previously had no such programming: Gifford School, the REAL School, and Schulte and Olympia Brown elementary schools.

Unified has about 22 after-school programs, Dunkerson said. Thirteen of those programs are funded by the community learning centers (CLC) grants. Another nine are funded by the district.

With the district-funded programs, schools may charge a small fee to parents based on the familys income, but the grant-funded programs are free to all students of each school, Dunkerson said.

For our grant-funded sites, we chose not to charge anything, because our primary focus for the grant-funded sites is helping to (boost) reading and math (skills), she said.

According to the state Department of Public Instruction, students spend an average of 13 hours per week in after-school programs funded by the CLC program, which is equal to approximately 56 additional school days.

A student who attends a CLC program every day in a typical week receives nearly four hours of academic enrichment, three hours of youth development opportunities, three hours of homework assistance and three hours of physical activity.

Dodging a bullet

The CLC program is the only federal program that provides grants for after-school programming to schools with at least 40 percent of students coming from low-income families. It had been in real danger just a few months ago.

In a budget proposal put forth by President Donald Trump this spring, the administration proposed eliminating the $1.3 billion program.

At that point program supporters were concerned that funding for this years programming might be threatened, but the money was ultimately kept in place.

Congress is still reviewing whether to keep funding the program through the 2018-2019 and 2019-2020 school years, but Dunkerson said shes hopeful the money wont be eliminated.

There is still a lot of back and forth, but it has been proposed to be fully funded at the Senate level, she said. Its still up in the air at the House level, but it looks like it is not going to be cut.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

Trend:

Rector of Baku Higher Oil School (BHOS) Elmar Gasimov hold a meeting with Gianni Bardazzi, Senior Vice President, Group Special Initiatives and Regions Coordination, Maire Tecnimont Group (Italy), and Niccolo Heilpern, head of Kinetics Technology, branch office of Maire Tecnimont in Azerbaijan.

The Rector welcomed the guests and expressed his pleasure to see them at BHOS once again. Speaking about cooperation with the company, he said that within this partnership BHOS students were able to participate in internship programs arranged by Maire Tecnimont. Elmar Gasimov emphasized importance of such mutually beneficial initiatives and expressed his gratitude to the company management for providing professional training opportunities to BHOS students.

In his turn, Maire Tecnimont Groups Senior Vice President Gianni Bardazzi said that the company management highly appreciates fruitful cooperation between BHOS and Kinetics Technology. In his words, Maire Tecnimont Group pays close attention to professional training of young specialists and development of relations with technical higher educational institutions. Gianni Bardazzi expressed the hope that effective bilateral relations between BHOS and the company would continue to be successful in the future. He also informed about his intention to deliver a lecture on technical subject to BHOS students and teachers.

The internship program for the Higher Schools students is implemented within Cooperation Agreement signed between BHOS and Maire Tecnimont Group on October 19, 2016. Within 17-week program, the interns worked with the company specialists at the KT-Kinetics Technology facilities and departments including the fabrication yard in Sumgayit. During the job training, the students improved their professional knowledge, gained practical experience, participated in resolving technical problems and were able to master their skills in project management.

Among the students who successfully completed internship program in 2016 were fifth-year Chemical Engineering students Riyad Bahshiyev and Sanan Ibrahimov. Recently both graduates were invited to work at the company and already started their professional career at KT-Kinetics Technology.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

About two million manats have been returned to Azerbaijani exporters since early 2017 under the mechanism for the return of a part of costs for the export of non-oil products, Yusif Abdullayev, vice president of the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO), told Trend.

According to him, this mechanism has led to a significant expansion of the number of export-oriented producers.

This mechanism is already yielding results. With the introduction of this mechanism (exporters are compensated for 3-6 percent of goods customs value) in October 2016, we received a lot of applications, and about two million manats have been returned since the beginning of this year, noted Abdullayev.

This also gives results  in the first six months of 2017, exports increased by 36 percent, including non-oil exports  by 27 percent, added the vice president.

He went on to say that AZPROMO also receives applications of exporters for studying new markets, which will allow them to significantly expand the geography of Azerbaijani exports in the future.

Abdullayev added that as part of promoting the Made in Azerbaijan brand, work is being continued on creating shelves with Azerbaijani products in Duty Free stores at major airports, as well as in stores of big retail chains.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Maksim Tsurkov  Trend:

The international ratings agency Fitch Agency has downgraded Azerbaijani AccessBanks Long-Term Issuer Default Rating (IDR) to BB- from 'BB+', says the agencys report.

At the same time, the agency has affirmed the banks Viability Rating (VR) at 'f'.

According to Fitch experts, the banks shareholders provided $20 million of equity in March 2017 and are committed to inject a further $12 million by the end of September 2017 to make the banks total capital above the regulatory minimum of 50 million manats.

Fitch has maintained the banks Long-Term IDR in the 'BB' category and affirmed the Support Rating at '3', reflecting the agencys view that there is still a moderate probability of support for the bank. This view is based on the IFIs' strategic commitment to microfinance lending in emerging markets, the IFIs' direct ownership of AccessBank, stemming from their participation as founding shareholders, and the fact that capital contributions have been made in 2017 and may be considered again in 2018, depending on the banks capital position, says the report.

The Stable Outlook reflects Fitchs view that the capital support provided by the IFI shareholders is likely to be eventually sufficient to restore the banks capital position and enable it to continue fulfilling its obligations to creditors, according to the report.

The rating actions are as follows:



Long-Term IDR: downgraded to 'BB-' from 'BB+'; Outlook Stable

Short-Term IDR: affirmed at 'B'

Viability Rating: affirmed at 'f'

Support Rating: affirmed at '3'

AccessBank was founded in 2002 by the Black Sea Trade and Development Bank, EBRD, IFC, KfW, a German consulting company LFS Financial Systems and AccessHolding. Being one of the leading banks of Azerbaijan, AccessBank offers a full range of banking services.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @MaksimTsurkov
Details added (first version posted on 10:25)

Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

About 40 percent of the standards adopted in Azerbaijan are recognized in Europe, Ramiz Hasanov, chairman of Azerbaijans State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent, told reporters in Baku Sept. 7.

New standards being adopted in Azerbaijan are fully harmonized with the European ones, he noted. A number of older standards are also being improved and unified with the European and international ones.

During the presentation of the EU-funded twinning project called Strengthening the National Accreditation System of Azerbaijan, Hasanov noted that this project will make it possible to fully bring the standards in Azerbaijan to international levels.

It is known that in November this year, Berlin will host a regular meeting of the General Assembly of the European cooperation for Accreditation (EA), and the issue of Azerbaijans admission to the EA as an associate member will be discussed there, he said.

We have fulfilled all the conditions set before us, therefore I think that the decision will be positive, Hasanov added. After the completion of the twinning project, we hope that we will be admitted to full members of the EA.

Earlier, Sabig Abdullayev, head of the Accreditation Center at the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent of Azerbaijan, told Trend that the twinning project aims to contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani economy and expand access of local exporters to the world markets by creating an accreditation system that meets the European requirements.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Anvar Mammadov  Trend:

The strategic road map adopted for implementation of the economic reforms in Azerbaijan will help diversify the countrys national economy and give impetus to the development of the non-oil sector, Jeroen Willems, head of the EU Baku office, said.

He made the remarks in Baku Sept.7 at the presentation of the EU-funded twinning project called Strengthening the National Accreditation System of Azerbaijan.

As is known, from time to time the Azerbaijani products are exported to the European market, they have a quality certificate and are accepted by the EU accreditation services, Willems said.

However, unfortunately, the export of Azerbaijani products to the European market is not provided at the proper level, because not all certificates are recognized in the EU for now, he said.

He noted that this project is aimed at promoting Azerbaijani products in the global market, adding that this is important and will contribute to the expansion of export of Azerbaijani products.

Along with this, by reducing costs, the EU will simplify the access of Azerbaijani products to the European market, but at the same time, protection of consumer rights is also related to the strengthening of the accreditation system, Willems said.

Willems also stressed that Azerbaijan occupies leading positions in the European Neighborhood Policy (ENP).

This is already the 51st twinning project being implemented by the EU in Azerbaijan, the EU representative said.

After the completion of this project, the relations between the relevant structures of Azerbaijan and the EU will further strengthen, he noted.

Earlier, Sabig Abdullayev, head of the Accreditation Center at the State Committee for Standardization, Metrology and Patent of Azerbaijan, told Trend that the twinning project aims to contribute to the development of the Azerbaijani economy and expand access of local exporters to the world markets by creating an accreditation system that meets the European requirements.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

With over 294 million euros of finance, the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has been backing the growth of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijan for decades, EBRD said in a message Sept. 7.

The funds were allocated via direct financing and lending through local banks.

EBRD noted that helping diversify the Azerbaijani economy beyond the energy sector is a priority.

Since 2003, more than 850 SMEs in Azerbaijan have received advisory services, boosting their competitiveness. The EBRD tools to assist SMEs to reach their potential include specific priority areas such as accounting improvement, through helping SMEs secure investments, export promotion training to help them conquer new markets, and the Women in Business program, aimed at providing financing and advice to companies that are managed by female entrepreneurs.

In Azerbaijan, the EBRD has also provided 233 million euros in indirect finance, supporting an SME lending portfolio of our partner banks reaching over 94,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises annually, the EBRD said.

Azerbaijan has been a member of EBRD since 1992. Since then, the bank has invested more than $2.8 billion in 161 projects in Azerbaijans financial, corporate, infrastructure and energy sectors.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Azad Hasanli  Trend:

The heads of railway authorities of Azerbaijan, Ukraine, Iran, Georgia and Poland signed a protocol following a meeting of the Coordinating Committee for the Development of the South-West International Transport Route Sept. 7, the Ukrainian Railways said.

The document was signed by Javid Gurbanov, chairman of the Azerbaijan Railways CJSC, Evgeny Kravtsov, acting chairman of the board of the Ukrainian Railways JSC, Wadysaw Szczepkowski, director for corporate affairs at the Polish State Railways JSC, Mamuka Bakhtadze, director general and chairman of the board of directors at the Georgian Railways JSC, and Saeed Mohammadzadeh, head and chairman of board at the Iran Railways.

The South-West route has great potential, Gurbanov said. We want to develop the route and it is principal now to attract a bigger volume of cargo transportation. For this purpose, each of the participating countries is developing its railway and port infrastructure.

In his turn, Kravtsov said the signing of the protocol was preceded by two years of intensive cooperation among the project participants.

Following the meeting, Bakhtadze said the project participants will introduce through rates, which will help attract additional cargo to the international route.

Meanwhile, Szczepkowski said the project participants will popularize the route in the transportation market, adding that a South-West corridor website is already operating (http://southwest.adyexpress.az/int/).

In his turn, Mohammadzadeh added that the Iranian side promotes the development of the route and develops the infrastructure inside the country.

Along with the Trans-Caspian and North-South corridors, the South-West corridor is of great importance for Azerbaijan. The South-West corridor is supposed to run from India to Europe through the Persian Gulf, Iran, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and the Black Sea. At an initial stage, it is planned to transport 10 million tons of cargo via this route with the possibility of increasing the transportation volume by several times in the future.

An agreement on the South-West corridor was signed in 2016 by Azerbaijan, Georgia, Iran and Ukraine in Baku. The corridor will make it possible to slash the time of cargo transportation from India to Europe by two or three times.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation goes beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic told Trend Sept.7.

Azerbaijan is an important energy partner for the EU, currently supplying around 5 percent of the EU's oil demand and playing a pivotal role in bringing Caspian gas resources to the EU market through the Southern Gas Corridor, he said. EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation does, however, go beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, for instance, in the area of renewables and energy efficiency.

Further, Sefcovic pointed out that the Energy Union has its intra-EU dimension, but at the same time, the Energy Union does not stop at the EU borders.

The EU's energy security is closely linked with its neighbors and therefore, cooperation is vital, he said. In practice, for instance, we are expanding the EU energy market  with its rules  into our neighborhood via the Energy Community but also the Southern Mediterranean, ensuring effective implementation of the EU's energy, environment and competition acquis, energy market reforms and incentivizing investments in the energy sector. The goal is closer integration of the EU and Energy Community energy markets.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.



At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.



As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

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Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.5

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Eastring pipeline is not linked to any supplier and will be open for every source from various regions on the non-discriminatory basis in full compliance with EU legislation, a source in Slovakian Eustream gas transmission system operator told Trend.

The source was commenting on the possibility of connecting the Eastring pipeline with the Southern Gas Corridor, which envisages transportation of Azerbaijani gas to Europe.

"The project is moving forward in close cooperation with our partners. This year, the important milestone was the signing of the agreement between European Unions Innovation and Networks Executive Agency (INEA) and Eustream, allowing us to receive EU grant for the feasibility study needed for the planned pipeline," said the source.

The source noted that the completion date of the feasibility study is June 2018.

"Representatives of Eustream have already signed the agreement with supplier of the feasibility study. The planned commissioning date of the new pipeline is the end of 2021 (further details will be decided based on the feasibility study results)," added the source.

Eastring will transport natural gas from different areas and alternative sources. At the first stage, it will provide the Balkans and/or even Turkey with gas from the European gas market. At the final stage, when its bi-directional mode should be in place, Eastring will transit prospective Romanian Black Sea natural gas, Caspian and Middle East natural gas to Europe.

The main purpose of this project is to carry natural gas from: (i) Western Europe to the Balkan countries, enabling those countries to diversify their natural gas sources; (ii) alternative gas sources, including but not limited to Russia, AGRI, TANAP, Caspian, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Israel and Cyprus to Central, South and Western Europe.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.

At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.

As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept.7

By Leman Zeynalova  Trend:

Baker Hughes, a GE company, based in the US, stands ready to assist in the second phase of implementation of the Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline (TANAP) project, said Rami Qasem, president for the Middle East, North Africa, Turkey (MENAT) and India at Baker Hughes.

Qasem said his company sees Turkey as a long-term partner.

Baker Hughes has participated in such an important project as TANAP in Turkey and is ready to render assistance in the projects second phase as well, he told Anadolu Agency.

In 2015, Baker Hughes was awarded a contract to provide high-end turbomachinery for Phase 1 of TANAP.

The multi-million dollar contract provided critical systems referred to as "the heart of the pipeline" comprising aeroderivative gas turbine driven centrifugal compressor packages - also known as turbo-compressor trains.

TANAP project envisages transportation of gas from Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field to the western borders of Turkey. The gas will be delivered to Turkey in 2018 and after completion of the Trans Adriatic Pipeline's construction the gas will be delivered to Europe in early 2020.

The length of TANAP is 1,850 kilometers with an initial capacity of 16 billion cubic meters of gas. Around six billion cubic meters of this gas is meant to be delivered to Turkey, with the remaining volume to be supplied to Europe.

The projects total cost is estimated at $8.6 billion.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @Lyaman_Zeyn
RACINE COUNTY  A summer-long project aimed at increasing human trafficking awareness along Interstate 94 wrapped up Monday, on Labor Day.

The I-94 Project, which was developed and administrated by local anti-trafficking group Fight to End Exploitation, focused on bringing awareness and educating the public about human trafficking. It focused on those passing along I-94 from Memorial Day to Labor Day.

Since education is the No. 1 way to prevent trafficking, we are very excited with the number of people reached, said Karri Hemmig, founder and executive director of Fight to End Exploitation.

Raising awareness

The I-94 Project was a collaboration among various organizations, agencies and community members to fight human trafficking across southeastern Wisconsin and bring awareness to trafficking along the I-94 corridor between Illinois and Milwaukee.

The kickoff was held in June at the Route 20 restaurant and was attended by about 350 people, Hemmig said. The event featured a premiere of the music video for Voices by the local band Well-Known Strangers. The video is a human trafficking awareness video Hemmigs organization assisted with. It has been viewed more than 11,000 times on YouTube.

Wed love for this (video) to have an impact on human trafficking, whether its used in educational circles and opportunities or however they determine is the best approach to bring more awareness to the youth and the parents in the area, Joe Adamek, founder and guitarist of Well-Known Strangers, has said.

Educating the public

Part of the I-94 Project also focused on launching a marketing campaign, including educational materials, web and social media presence, billboards, posters and brochures.

Approximately 4,000 posters showing four different types of human trafficking scenarios were printed and distributed in the area, Hemmig said. The billboard campaign, which took place from June 26-Aug. 20, reportedly reached more than 7 million travelers along I-94.

The project also included the development of victim services resource brochures, which will be available beginning in 2018.

A thousand indicator cards, which the National Human Trafficking Hotline defines as a card with general indicators of human trafficking, have been printed and will be distributed to law enforcement agencies across southeastern Wisconsin as part of the project.

To bring awareness, the organization attended Kenosha Harbor Market, Kenosha National Night Out, expos in Racine and Kenosha, churches and community centers. Hemmig estimates more than 35,000 people were reached in those ways.

Encouraging training, conversation

Because truck stops, rest stops, restaurants, gas stations and hotels along the highway have become common places for victims to frequent, part of the project included reaching out to 34 hotels along I-94 from the Illinois border to General Mitchell International Airport in Milwaukee, Hemmig said.

Over 80 percent of the hotels responded and will set up employee training throughout the next year.

We didnt know what to expect since this was the first time weve attempted something on such a large scale, Hemmig said. I am very pleased with the results of this campaign.

I do believe that it (the project) helped bring the topic of human trafficking to the surface and created a conversation in the greater community, Hemmig added. Now, our job is to take that conversation to the next level with more education among juveniles and increased awareness of support services that are available.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan aim at further improving business ties between the two countries.

Uzbek Chamber of Commerce and Industry is considering the issue of holding an Uzbek-Kazakh business forum in the city of Tashkent Sept. 16, according to the message published on the website of Uzbek Foreign Ministry.

The purpose of the business forum is to establish and strengthen cooperation ties between Uzbek and Kazakh companies of various sectors of the economy at a qualitatively new level, as well as study the issues of setting up joint ventures and implementing investment projects in the territories of the two countries.

The event will be held in Uzexpocentre in the format of presentations from the Uzbek and Kazakh sides, as well as individual bilateral negotiations between Uzbek and Kazakh companies.

There are about 230 enterprises with participation of Kazakh capital in Uzbekistan, while more than 130 enterprises created jointly with Uzbek entrepreneurs operate in Kazakhstan.

The volume of bilateral trade between Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan amounted to $2 billion in 2016.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

Kyrgyzstan has long been known for its desire to be energy secure and independent from neighboring states.

In order to achieve this goal the country initiated ambitious project to construct the Verkhne-Narynsky cascade of hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) which was delayed due to funding problems and opposition in Uzbekistan.

The country explained its negative view on the project saying that this HPP will reduce flow of the Naryn river and thus result in a lack of water in Uzbek Ferghana Valley - the most densely populated territory not only in Uzbekistan, but the whole Central Asia. Moreover, Uzbekistan saw a great risk of dam break due to seismic activity of the region which can result in flood in tens of Uzbek cities and villages.

Currently, it seems that Uzbekistan has become more neutral on the issue.

Uzbekistan's attitude towards the construction of hydroelectric power plants in Kyrgyzstan has changed, Leonid Gusev, a senior researcher of Moscow State Foreign Relations Institutes (MGIMO) Analytical Center, told Trend.

Uzbekistan has always opposed the construction of Verkhne-Narynski cascade of hydroelectric power plants. Tashkent officials have stated that Kyrgyzstan cannot solely manage the water resources of Central Asia and when resolving such issues it must take into account the views of its neighbors in the region, the expert said.

However, the situation is slightly different at the moment. The first premises were seen in the beginning of the summer, according to Gusev.

At the end of June 2017, the presidents of Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan gave their preliminary consent to the construction of the Kambar Ata HPP in Kyrgyzstan. Therefore, we need to see how the events will develop further, he said.

The recent meeting held Sept. 5 between the presidents of Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan Shavkat Mirziyoyev and Almazbek Atambayev also gives ground for reconsideration of the water and energy issues which caused controversy in the past.

Previously, the relationship between these two states was rather strained, however it began to improve after the new president took office in Uzbekistan.

During their meeting, both sides stressed that one of the key factors of the Central Asias well-being is the integrated use of water and energy resources, taking into account the interests of all the states of the region.

Moreover, they underlined the importance of open dialogue, strengthening of mutual understanding and development of constructive cooperation, searching for mutually acceptable solutions in this sphere on the basis of reasonable compromises.

The heads of state noted with satisfaction the resumption of electricity exports from Kyrgyzstan to Uzbekistan in 2017 and stressed the interest of the two countries in developing such cooperation on a long-term basis.

At the meeting, the presidents also agreed on the rational use of water resources in accordance with the common interests.

Although it doesnt mean that Uzbekistan supports the construction of HPPs in Kyrgyzstan, the country demonstrated its readiness for dialogue and compromise. Nevertheless, the project investment problems still exist and its fate remains unclear.

The construction and exploitation of Kambar Ata HPP and the Upper Naryn cascade will allow Kyrgyzstan to produce about five billion kilowatt hours of electricity per year and cover the growing needs of the population.

The investment agreement with the Czech company Liglass Traiding CZ, SRO for the construction of the Verkhne-Narynsky hydroelectric power plants (HPPs) and small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan was signed on Aug 4.

The deal also envisages the attraction of financing in the amount of about $230 million for the construction of the Akbulun HPP and Naryn HPP-1.

The project of construction of small hydropower plants in Kyrgyzstan is implemented by the Kyrgyz government and Liglass Traiding CZ, SRO, following a tender conducted in accordance with the decree of the government, dated May 15, 2017.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, Sept. 7

By Huseyn Hasanov  Trend:

Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov received Russian Deputy Prime Minister Sergei Prikhodko, the Turkmen Dovlet Habarlary state news service reported.

It was noted that Russia highly appreciates friendly relations with Turkmenistan, attaching great importance to the all-round deepening of interstate cooperation.

Berdimuhamedov noted the traditionally friendly nature of the interstate dialogue, built on the principles of constructive, equitable cooperation.

During the meeting, the Turkmen president and the Russian deputy prime minister discussed priority issues of bilateral cooperation, including in the political, trade and economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres. In this context, the parties noted the productivity of activity of the Turkmenistan-Russia intergovernmental commission for economic cooperation.

Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov and Sergei Prikhodko reaffirmed the two countries commitment to a course aimed at strengthening the traditional Turkmen-Russian ties in every possible way, and further promotion of bilateral cooperation.

Prikhodko also had a meeting in Turkmenistans Foreign Ministry, where a constructive exchange of views was held on priority areas for the development of interstate cooperation.
Tashkent, Uzbekistan, Sept. 7

By Demir Azizov Trend:

Uzbek Foreign Minister Abdulaziz Kamilov has received a delegation of Human Rights Watch (HRW), the international non-governmental organization, the press service of the countrys foreign ministry reported.

The HRW delegation was composed of Hugh Williamson, director of the HRWs Europe and Central Asia division, and Steve Swerdlow, Central Asia researcher at the HRW, the report noted.

Topical issues of bilateral relations were discussed during the conversation, the report said.

The sides also exchanged views on other issues of the agenda, the press service said.

It should be recalled that the HRW office in Uzbekistan was officially closed in 2011.

During the meeting, it was noted that the program of reforms envisaged by the Action Strategy for five priority directions of Uzbekistans development in 2017-2021 opens new opportunities for constructive and mutually respectful cooperation between Uzbekistan and the HRW.

According to the press service, the HRW representatives shared their impressions of the meetings in Tashkent.

During the visit to Uzbekistan, the HRW delegation held meetings with representatives of ministries, law enforcement agencies, national human rights institutions and civil society institutions in the country.

Hugh Williamson stressed that HRW is pleased to return to Uzbekistan following a seven-year pause and aims at constructive dialogue in the spirit of mutual understanding and respect.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 5

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Shortcomings in Irans auto parts industry have cast shadow over the industry ministrys short-term plans to improve the nation's car making industry, which is suffering from poor quality.

According to the Iran Standard and Quality Inspection Company rankings about 54 percent of home-made cars failed to meet the required standards last year.

"When an official speaks about stopping the production of sub-standard cars in short-term, it means that he does not have enough information about the current situation of the domestic auto part makers and car manufacturers," Akbar Mirza-Hosseini, car industry expert and the Vice-chairman of the board of directors at Iran's Rakhsh Khodro Diesel Company, told Tend.

Akbar Mirza-Hosseini believes that numerous obstacles to the production of spare parts have caused Iranian manufactures to turn to Chinas low-quality products.

"A large group of Iranian producers simply import Chinese auto parts, repackage and distribute them under Iranian brands," he said.

Saying that some Iranian car makers have established offices in China to directly import auto parts, he questioned the competency of the plan to stop manufacturing low-standard cars over the coming months.

Iranian automakers produced more than 1.332 million units of passenger cars and pickups over the last fiscal year out of which about 722, 554 units scored poorly by the countrys standard inspector.

Akbar Mirza-Hosseini further touched upon the nations purchasing power saying that most of Iranians currently cannot afford cars above $10,000.

"On the other hand, there is a small group of customers who can afford cars with prices above $10,000. About 65 percent of buyers in the Iranian market purchase cars with a value about $10,000. This is while the production costs in the country are quite high," he said.

The expert criticized Iranian car makers for failing to create a proper balance between cutting the expenses and protecting the quality due to managerial shortcomings, blaming the government for its interference in controlling car makers.

Speaking about foreign investment and cooperation with western car manufacturers, he said that this could leave a positive impact on the performance of the industry.

The expert believes that cooperation with westerners would help the Iranian manufactures to reform their management systems and improve the quality of their design and production process.

"However, any improvement in the industry would take place gradually and we should not expect the reforms to work miracles," he said.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Fatih Karimov  Trend:

A number of Iranian websites have recently announced that Google has canceled their Google Analytics accounts.

It is not clear whether the ban is related to the US economic sanctions on Iran or not.

Google cut access for some Iranian users to some of its services, including Google Analytics and Google Developers in 2012 after economic sanctions were put by the United States on Iran. However, the IT giant made the services available again for Iranians in 2016 after the nuclear deal between Tehran and the six world powers came into force.

In response to a number of Iranian users who have lost their access to Google Analytics, the companys support team has said their accounts have been cancelled due to a Terms of Service violation.

Google has not yet responded to Trends request for comment on the issue.

Meanwhile, some experts believe that the Google decision will not expose serious challenges for Iranian users.

Iranian teams currently use various foreign and domestic analytics services, including Google Analytics, Fabric, Flurry, Localytics and Facebook analytics to track and report website traffic, Saman Mahdevar, business intelligence team leader at Cafe Bazaar, a local Android app store, told Trend.

Mahdevar confirmed that Google has restricted access for some Iranian teams to its analytics service.

Google Analytics is one of the best services tracking and reporting website traffic, he said, adding that however Iranian website and mobile app developers can use similar services.

Googles recent restriction has not brought a big challenge for Iranian developers, Mahdevar underlined.
A land route from Turkey to Qatar via Iran is now operational, with 200 trucks of food having already arrived in the Persian Gulf peninsula.

The trucks carrying milk, fruits, vegetables, grains and other food products made the journey from the Turkish city of Mardin to the Iranian port of Bushehr in the Persian Gulf from where they were carried by Ro-Ro ships to the Qatari port of Ruwais.

Qatar is under a blockade by Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain and Egypt which cut trade and transport links with Doha in June in a diplomatic dispute which has exposed serious fissures in the Persian Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Turkey and Iran were quick to ease the economic stranglehold on the tiny Arab nation, flying food and other commodities as the diplomatic fallout escalated, and then agreeing on a land route to export goods to Qatar.

The Doha-based Al Sharq newspaper quoted prominent Qatari businessman Ahmed al-Khalaf as saying that the new land trade line between Turkey and Qatar via Iran was reducing the cost of transportation drastically.

Meanwhile, the sea route between Turkey and Qatar initially took 11 days, while a separate land route took 14 days. The new commercial land line via Iran has shortened the duration to less than two days.

The distance between Mardin and Bushehr is about 1,700 km, which can be traveled by trucks in about 22 hours. The route by sea between Bushehr and Qatars Hamad Port takes just 8 hours to cover, where the wheeled cargo is carried by roll on/roll off ships.

This means a truck with Turkish goods can reach Doha via Iran in less than two days.

The Iran trade route is a significant step in tackling the illegal blockade as less transportation time means perishable goods can be transported quickly without damage, the Qatari daily The Peninsula wrote.

According to board member of Qatar Chamber Mohammed bin Mahdi Al Ahbabi, the new route via Iran has been reducing the cost of transportation by about 80 percent compared to air cargo.

The cost of air freight is ranging between $1.2 and $1.5 per kilogram, while the cost of road transport (via Iran) is approximately 15 cents, he said.

Iran's network of road and rail lines

Chairman of Qatar Consume Ali Hassan Al Khalaf, who runs a chain of retail outlets across the country, said the new land route is going to be more sustainable and economically viable in the days to come.

As more and more importers start using the route, the economies of scale will come into play, which will help further reduce the transportation cost, he told the Qatari paper.

The businessmen touched on a wide network of road and rail lines which Iran has developed, saying other neighbors of the Islamic Republic such as Russia and Pakistan can also benefit from the new land route to export their goods to Qatar.

Before the diplomatic crisis, Qatar relied almost entirely on Saudi Arabia for imports. Ali Hassan Al Khalaf said unlike the Saudi land route, the Iran trade line will have lesser number of checkpoints, which will ensure a faster movement of trucks.

This will not only save a lot of time and money, but goods will reach without losing much of their nutritional value.
Tehran, Iran, Sept. 6

By Mehdi Sepahvand  Trend:

An Iranian producer of industrial carpets has found a market worth near $1 million in countries of the CIS region.

"Last year, we exported near $300,000 worth of carpet and synthetic fibers to Azerbaijan. We also export near $600,000 worth of carpet to other northern neighbors, such as Uzbekistan and Tajikistan," Behnam Ebrahimi, the chairman of board of directors at Sadaf Termeh Fiber, told Trend Sept. 6.

According to Ebrahimi, Iranian-made industrial carpets also have good markets in Turkey, Iraq, Afghanistan, India, and even in Europe.

"By March, we plan to start producing tufted carpets, which find huge consumption in the hotel industry and have a very lucrative market in Europe in particular."

Iran has a quality carpet industry, backed by an opulent petrochemical industry, thanks to its rich oil and gas reserves.
Iranian foreign minister on Wednesday called extremism a global problem and urged peaceful ways for resolution of regional crises, IRNA reported.

Mohammad Javad Zarif made the remarks in a meeting with visiting Vatican Minister of Foreign Affairs Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher.

'World has forgotten the danger of use of such weapons after the Cuba crisis but this danger is emerging again, 'Zarif said in a reference to the crisis in the Korean Peninsula and threat of nuclear war.'

He called for stop of expelling and killing of Muslims in Myanmar and praised Vatican efforts in this regard.

Vatican foreign minister, for his part, encouraged peaceful co-existence of followers of various religions in the Middle East.

Vatican would continue efforts for resolution of crisis in Myanmar, he noted.

Elsewhere in his remarks, the official declared support for Iran's peaceful nuclear program and the nuclear deal reached between Iran and world powers in Vienna in 2015.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 7

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian presidential administration has decreed to appoint Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Masoud Karbasian as the new co-chairman of Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

Mohammadreza Najafi, the press officer of Irans Embassy to Azerbaijan, has told Trend that the development came after Iranian President Hassan Rouhani appointed the former co-chairman of the commission, Mahmoud Vaezi, as the chief of staff of presidents office.

President Rouhani earlier in August named Masoud Karbasian as the minister of economic affairs and finance of Iran.

Mahmoud Vaezi, the former minister of communications and information technologies, was the co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission from the Iranian side.

From the Azerbaijani side, the intergovernmental commission is headed by the Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev.



According to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee, Azerbaijans trade turnover with Iran in January-July 2017 amounted to $148.9 million, of which $139.1 million accounted for import of Iranian products.
12500 N.E. Tenth Place  Bellevue, WA 98005  JPFO.org  800-869-1884  info@jpfo.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE  Sept. 6, 2017  Contact Alan Korwin

JPFO CONDEMNS VIRGIN ISLAND ORDER

TO CONFISCATE PRIVATE FIREARMS

Press Release

Governor Kenneth Mapp of the U.S. Virgin Islands has issued an order to confiscate privately held firearms as this U.S. Territory faces an oncoming hurricane. If U.S. National Guard troops execute this illegal order and attempt to forcibly disarm the public they should be met with armed resistance and subject to court martial. Other so-called gun-rights groups are calling for slow legal paperwork and making strongly worded statements.

What is it about people once they get into office--they seem to lose all sense of proportion and the right of the public to protect itself, according to Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org, in response to the dangerous and intolerable gun-confiscation order.

The idea that you can make people safer by making them defenseless in the face of hurricane devastation is insanity, JPFO says. At the very time when lawlessness may rule, government can collapse, and essential services will rely on each family's abilities, this order should be repealed or overlooked for safety.

Government is banned from, and has no legitimate authority for, disarming innocent civilians. Government however is historically prone to do so, preceding every civilian mass murder in history. Authorities don't disarm criminals and malcontents--because they cannot--that's common knowledge. Government agents arriving to disarm innocent people who face mayhem should face loaded guns, not compliant victims, because the agents are doing harm and threatening lives. Soldiers take oaths against this. People are justified in defending themselves--it is precisely why they are armed.

Resistance to society-wide tyrannical edicts is exactly why the Founding Fathers enacted the Second Amendment, look it up. People are not armed to lay down like helpless sheep when government bangs on the door and illegally demands, Give us your guns because we have our orders or we'll shoot you. Do the Virgin Islands have a registry list, so agents know on whose doors to knock? Compliance with this unlawful order of usurpation is lethally dangerous and must be withdrawn for everyone's security.

#####

Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership, http://www.jpfo.org is America's most aggressive civil-rights organization, dedicated to destroying the notion of "gun control" as any kind of credible public-policy position. So-called "gun control" does not control guns and doesn't control criminal behavior. What it does do is disarm the innocent, leaving them helpless in the face of criminals, tyrannical governments and genocide. History repeatedly proves this fact. Founded in 1989 by Aaron Zelman as a response to the Holocaust, JPFO speaks with the moral authority and tenacious commitment of survivors of persecution, and knows that surrendering your personal and family safety to government protection courts disaster. "You don't have to be Jewish to fight by our side, you just have to love liberty."

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Baku, Azerbaijan, Sep. 7

By Farhad Daneshvar  Trend:

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif has called on the international community to take urgent measures aimed at putting an end to the dramatic situation of Rohingya Muslims.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani also earlier condemned Myanmars brutal crimes against Rohingya Muslims.

Myanmars security forces have purportedly launched a series of attacks against Rohingyas since October 2016 in a bid to push them out of the western state of Rakhine.

Tens of thousands of people have reportedly fled violence in Rakhine state since August 25 when the attacks were intensified. There are also reports on alleged massacre and rape.
Pakistani Foreign Minister said Thu. he will visit Tehran in two or three days to hold talks with Iranian senior officials on regional and international issues, including the US new strategy in Afghanistan, Mehr news reported.

Foreign Minister of Pakistan Khawaja Muhammad Asif made the announcement during a press conference on Thursday, saying his upcoming visit to Tehran will include meetings with his Iranian counterpart Mohammad Javad Zarif and President Hassan Rouhani.

On August 21, US President Trump announced a new strategy in Afghanistan which prolongs the presence of American troops in the South Asian country for another four years, and also increases their number by 3,900, adding to some 11,000 US forces already there.

Pakistani FM Khawaja Asif maintained that he would also bring up the US new plan in Afghanistan during his visit to China today.

About efforts on exchanging delegations between Iran and Saudi Arabia in a bid to mend the severed diplomatic ties, the Pakistani top diplomat said his country wishes for Tehran and Riyadh to settle the differences between them.

The then-Pakistans Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif visited Tehran and Riyadh to mediate between the two countries, but his efforts were not much effective. But if relations between Iran and Saudi Arabia are now improving, Pakistan is really pleased to hear it, he added.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Fatih Karimov Trend:

Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has declared an amnesty on the occasion of the Eid al-Adha (Festival of Sacrifice) and Eid al-Ghadeer - two religious holidays in the country.



Khamenei agreed to pardon or reduce the sentences of 1166 inmates convicted by various Iranian courts on Sept. 7, the leader's official website said.



The head of Iran's judiciary Sadiq Amoli Larijani appealed to the Supreme Leader with a letter in which he asked for pardon and reduced sentences of some convicts of military, civil and revolutionary courts.



The supreme leader signed the decree. Iran's Constitution grants him the right to pardon or reduce the sentences of convicts upon the recommendation of the judiciary chief.

Amnesties and reduced prison terms are granted mainly on occasions of religious and national festivals in Iran.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Azer Ahmadbayli  Trend:

Within the first half of 2017, Armenias permanent population has decreased by 6200 people, National Statistical Service of RA says. The figure comes from the difference between the negative net migration rate, which was -8700 people, and the natural growth rate accounted for 2500 people.

Special emphasis on the migration problem in Armenia must be made, as this indicator grows rapidly and is gradually becoming a real issue for the countrys economy and defense capacity.

Facts dont lie, especially those from trustful international sources. The chart below showcases the whole picture, as we compare Armenia to Azerbaijan:

Armenia Azerbaijan 1990 2016 1990 2016 Population, total (millions) 3.54 2.92 7.16 9.76 Population growth (annual %) 0.0 0.3 0.4 1.2 Share of Population Below the National Poverty Line (%) .. 29.8 .. 4.9 Unemployment rate, total (%) .. 18.5 .. 5 GNI, PPP (current international $) (billions) 8.24 26.33 25.18 157.43 Life expectancy at birth, total (years) 68 75 65 71 GDP (current US$) (billions) 2.26 10.55 8.86 37.85 Military expenditure (% of GDP) 2.1 4.1 2.5 3.6 Foreign direct investment, net inflows (BoP, current US$) (millions) 2 338 .. 4,500 Net migration rate (migrant(s)/1,000 population) -5.7 0

Sources: World Bank, Asian Development Bank, CIA World Fact Book

It is noteworthy that most of the latest available data are for year 2016, but some refer to 2015.

Armenia has reached an impasse in its short-sighted policy. The country managed to turn once friendly Azerbaijan into its enemy, being sure that it will easily seize Nagorno Karabakh  the internationally accepted part of Azerbaijans territory - on the ground that the majority of population there has been of Armenian origin.

Don't listen to anyone who says Armenians felt inferior to Azerbaijanis during the 70 year of the Soviet era. Neither is it ethnic or religious conflict as there were thousands of mixed marriages in both countries. It is called territorial claims.

Armenia is a country without its own voice, the global powers are exploiting it as the regions loyalty trader.

I have no idea how many Armenians realize that it is much better to live in peace with their neighbors, as it had been some time before in the past, rather than chase a shadow of the Great Armenia. The former Armenian president Levon Ter-Petrosyan once voiced the idea of finding common ground with Azerbaijan, and he paid for it  by losing his presidential post.

Today there is nobody in Armenian society who dares to voice publicly a root cause of the nations deteriorating performance as it is  occupation of another countrys territory.

Economic discontent made Armenians come out on streets twice within the last years to put end to their worsening conditions of life (events of the so-called Electromaydan in 2015, and Sasna Tsrer in 2016). They protested about Serzh Sargsyans rule but they never ever highlighted why they turned out to be in such a grave situation.

Thus, at the time being people of Armenia and the ruling regime are not prepared to face the truth.

But, lets put emotions aside and look at a picture that is gradually taking shape. It is far from being in favour of Armenia. The gap between the two economies is growing from year to year and this will most likely go on. Figures shown in the chart are the first signs of Armenias fall, and this is a key factor that will sooner or later make Armenia change its aggressive policy.

Enter Armenian diaspora. It is the most pragmatic part of Armenians as it has good experience how to survive and succeed in other countries, and can better assess the risks Armenia is facing. The diaspora has a significant influence in Armenia. In addition, the Diaspora does not depend on the process of parliamentary or presidential elections in Armenia and consequently it feels free in taking decisions.

I believe that Armenian diaspora is the one that could bring the future Armenian government to terms, when its most powerful representatives are definitely sure that Armenia will not come out victorious in the face-off with Azerbaijan. This is a cynical approach but it is what we have at hand.

However, the chiefs of the diaspora should hurry up because while they are playing for time, their young nationals die every day at the armed forces contact line, and economy of their motherland is gradually going downhill.

Azerbaijan offers negotiations, peaceful resolution of the conflict and is even prepared to giv Armenians opportunity to save face, but they should get a move on and withdraw their armed forces from occupied Azerbaijani territories. Time is ticking away.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Kamila Aliyeva  Trend:

The majority of tourists who visited Georgia in January-August of 2017 were from Azerbaijan, according to the message published on the website of Georgian National Tourism Administration.

In the first eight months of the current year the number of international arrivals in Georgia amounted to 5,059,106, showing an increase of 18.9 percent compared to the same period in 2016, said the messages

As many as 1,148,484 people from Azerbaijan visited the country in the mentioned period while in 2016 the amount of Azerbaijani tourists was 1,039,991.

During the period of January-August of 2017, Azerbaijan recorded a 10.4 percent increase in the number of international arrivals to Georgia compared to the same period last year.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the launch of a new military operation against militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the cities of Hawijah and Anbar, the Iraqi media outlets reported Sept. 7.

The prime minister noted that every corner of Iraq will be retaken in cooperation with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

It should be recalled that on August 31, al-Abadi announced the victory of the countrys military over IS in Tal Afar and the complete liberation of the northern province of Nineveh from terrorists.

The military operation in Iraqs Tal Afar was carried out from August 20.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Security forces have killed two PKK terrorists in northern Iraq, the Hakkari governor's office said Wednesday, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, it said the PKK militants attacked the 34th Border Brigade Command in the Tekeli area of Semdinli district with mortars and an anti-aircraft gun.

In a counter-attack operation, security forces targeted the PKK group on the Iraqi side of the Turkey-Iraq border, it said.

The operation left two PKK terrorists dead.

The PKK -- listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU -- resumed its armed campaign against Turkey in July 2015. Since then, it has been responsible for the deaths of around 1,200 Turkish security personnel and civilians.
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The forest fire, which broke out in the Turkish province of Mugla on Sept. 6, continues, the countrys media reported Sept. 7.

According to the report, despite all attempts, firefighters failed to put out the fire.

It is reported that evacuation of the population, which started Sept. 6, is still going on in a number of villages.

Earlier, a wildfire also broke out in Turkeys Balikesir province.

Forests cover 27.6 percent of Turkeys territory. Almost all of them are owned by the state.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

Germany has no right to hinder Turkeys joining the EU Customs Union, Turkish media quoted Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci as saying Sept. 7.

He noted that Turkey is not negotiating accession to the EU Customs Union with Germany.

Zeybekci said that, in spite of all German efforts, Turkey continues the work to join the Customs Union.

Earlier, Chancellor Angela Merkel said Germany sees no possibility to continue the talks with Turkey to establish a Customs Union.

Turkey is the only non-EU country which is in a Customs Union with the EU.

The talks on updating EU-Turkey Customs Union started in Brussels on June 13.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
Baku, Azerbaijan, Sept. 7

By Rufiz Hafizoglu  Trend:

The Turkish Foreign Ministry urged citizens to refrain from traveling to the US due to the devastating hurricane Irma, which is approaching the US eastern coast.

The Turkish citizens who are in the hurricane zone must be more cautious, the Turkish Foreign Ministry said Sept. 7.

Reportedly, hurricane Irma can reach the coast of the US State of Florida this weekend. The state of emergency has been already announced in Florida.

Irma is one of the most powerful hurricanes on Earth. The wind speed in the epicenter of the hurricane reaches 300 km / h.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @rhafizoglu
KYODO NEWS - Sep 7, 2017 - 16:34 | World, All

Outgoing Taiwan Premier Lin Chuan led his Cabinet to an en masse resignation on Thursday following his offer over the weekend to step down, making way for a new government that will take office the next day.

After gathering for a photo on the square of the Executive Yuan building, Lin told his Cabinet ministers that no matter how well his team had performed over the past 15 months, it is time to pass the baton.

"And every runner carrying the baton must do his or her best to sustain the lead until crossing the finish line," he said.

Lin, who submitted his resignation to President Tsai Ing-wen on Sunday, had faced calls to step down amid stinging criticism of the government's performance, not only from the opposition but also the ruling party.

Many critics, including die-hard pro-independence activists and faction members coveting government positions, had criticized Lin and Cabinet members for being too sympathetic to pro-unification parties like the Nationalist Party.

Tsai, whose popularity has been on the wane, announced earlier this week that she had accepted Lin's resignation and appointed Tainan Mayor William Lai as her new premier.

Lai, who will take the oath of office on Friday, has asked many of Lin's Cabinet ministers to stay on, including Cabinet Spokesman Hsu Kuo-yung, Mainland Affairs Council Minster Katharine Chang, Interior Minister Yeh Jiunn-rong and Finance Minister Sheu Yu-jer.

The appointment was seen as a bid to lift Tsai's Democratic Progressive Party's sagging fortunes ahead of next year's nationwide local elections.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 7, 2017 - 19:58 | World, All

Japanese wrestler-turned-lawmaker Antonio Inoki arrived in North Korea on Thursday to possibly meet with the country's top official in charge of foreign affairs, amid deepening tensions over its nuclear and missile programs.

Inoki, an independent lawmaker who has developed uniquely close ties with North Korea, said he is planning to hold talks with Ri Su Yong, known as a trusted confidant of leader Kim Jong Un, when he spoke to the press at Beijing's international airport before leaving for Pyongyang.

Ri, a vice chairman of the Workers' Party of Korea, formerly served as foreign minister and is now regarded as the country's top official responsible for external affairs.

The Japanese government has expressed concern over Inoki's visit, which comes after North Korea's sixth and by far most powerful to date nuclear test last Sunday.

The 74-year-old House of Councillors member, who does not belong to any political party, said he thinks it necessary to maintain lines of communication with North Korea, even at a time when many countries are trying to push it into a corner over its defiant pursuit of nuclear and missile programs.

"I don't care about any criticism," Inoki, donning his trademark red muffler, told Kyodo News.

The trip is set to coincide with the 69th anniversary of North Korea's founding on Saturday. The international community is bracing for another possible provocation by Pyongyang around the celebration.

The former pro-wrestling star, whose real first name is Kanji, last visited North Korea one year ago also for its national foundation day, when its fifth nuclear test was conducted.

During the previous visit, Inoki held talks with senior North Korean officials, including the vice chairman of the ruling party, who was the country's ambassador to Switzerland when Kim was studying at an international school in the European country in the 1990s and is known for being his guardian during the period.

This is Inoki's 32nd visit to Pyongyang, and he said one of the trip's other main purposes is to help promote "sports exchanges" between Japan and North Korea, which have never established diplomatic relations.
By Haruna Togi, KYODO NEWS - Sep 6, 2017 - 11:10 | Feature, All, World

Amiri Afifa, a 24-year-old Afghan woman who lost one of her legs to a landmine at age 4, visited an orthotics and prosthetics maker in western Japan this summer to be fitted with an artificial limb for the second time.

"Does it hurt here?" prosthetist Hiromi Omori of Nakamura Brace Co. asked Afifa at the company's workshop in Ota city, Shimane Prefecture, while adjusting the socket of the new leg.

Omori watched Afifa, who had looked nervous at the beginning, become noticeably relaxed and smile when she walked with the leg, which had been specially crafted for her.

"So happy. Arigato," Afifa said in her limited English and Japanese, and kissed the leg.

Omori, 53, himself wears prostheses on both of his legs. "I'm doing this work because I want to see patients smile."

Afifa lost her right leg below the knee in 1997 when she was fleeing with her family from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan to Pakistan. The vehicle she was riding hit a landmine. She lost her two sisters in the incident.

Her connection with Nakamura Brace stems from her appearance in a Japanese film "I Love Peace" featuring the relationship between a Japanese female prosthetist and an Afghan girl who lost her leg. Afifa played the role of the girl.

In the spring of 2003, Afifa visited Japan to film the movie. During her stay, Omori made an artificial leg for her.

Over time, though, the leg wore out and became unusable, with some of the buckles coming off.

Afifa, who now lives in Kabul, mostly stays at home because her parents ask her not to go outside, citing safety concerns in a country where risks of terrorism still exist.

According to the International Campaign to Ban Landmines, a federation of nongovernment organizations, about 1,300 people died or were injured in Afghanistan in 2015 due to landmines and unexploded bombs.

Unable to walk freely mainly due to her artificial leg not functioning, Afifa was forced to leave the college she had been attending. But seeing her fall into depression, her elder brother sent an email to Nakamura Brace in January this year, seeking its support to make a new artificial leg for her.

Acting on the request, the company offered to shoulder the costs of making the new device and her travel to Japan, leading to her June 27 visit to the country.

Before wrapping up her three-week trip to Japan, Afifa told reporters she wants to return to college and become a medical doctor. "I want to take a job that can help other amputees."

"She will certainly encourage other handicapped people," Toshiro Nakamura, president of Nakamura Brace, said.
KYODO NEWS - Sep 7, 2017 - 13:44 | All, Feature

Police presented a bravery award Thursday to a pet dog for helping capture a burglar at a home in Toyama Prefecture on the Sea of Japan coast in May.

The miniature dachshund, named Lucy, alerted her owner in Namerikawa to the presence of an intruder, leading to his arrest.

The man had entered the home belonging to Lucy's owner, a woman in her 40s, on the night of May 4 before trying to make off with several thousands of yen in cash. After the woman was alerted, she and her neighbors apprehended the man.

The Namerikawa Police Station presented Lucy with a certificate of appreciation and her favorite dog food.

Despite being 17 years old, equivalent to the late 80s in human years, Lucy showed heroism in barking loudly to alert her owner, the local police said.

The burglar was indicted and given a prison term of two years, suspended for four years.

Police dog awarded for role in yakuza arrest
KYODO NEWS - Sep 6, 2017 - 13:02 | All, World

Japan has raised its estimate of the explosive yield of North Korea's sixth nuclear test to 160 kilotons, 10 times the force of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, Defense Minister Itsunori Onodera said Wednesday.

"This is vastly greater than previous North Korean nuclear tests. We cannot rule out the possibility that this was a hydrogen bomb test," Onodera told reporters.

"(North Korea) is evolving not just their ballistic missiles but also their nuclear technology," he said.

(Planet / 38 North)

Onodera said the new estimate is based on definitive seismic data from a commission promoting ratification of the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty.

The commission has informed Tokyo of its observation of magnitude-6.1 shaking during Sunday's nuclear test, up from provisional estimates of 5.8 and 6.0.

The government had initially put the yield at 70 kilotons, which is still far greater than the yields estimated in North Korea's five previous nuclear tests. It had later raised the estimate to some 120 kilotons.

The nuclear bomb dropped by the United States on the western Japanese city of Hiroshima on Aug. 6, 1945, had a yield of 16 kilotons and one dropped on Nagasaki three days later came in at 21 kilotons. One kiloton has the explosive force of 1,000 tons of TNT.

North Korea said the test was a detonation of a hydrogen bomb that can be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile, prompting the U.N. Security Council to convene an emergency meeting the following day.

While bombs like those dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki use atomic fission to release energy, hydrogen bombs use an initial fission reaction to force radioactive isotopes of hydrogen to fuse together, giving off far more destructive force.

Earlier Wednesday, Onodera and U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis agreed in telephone talks to continue ramping up pressure on North Korea in the wake of the nuclear test.

Speaking to reporters, Onodera said he told Mattis that Sunday's test "was far greater (in scale) than previous nuclear tests and presents a new, more grave and pressing threat to our country's security." "Secretary Mattis expressed the same viewpoint," Onodera said.

He quoted Mattis as saying the United States will defend Japan, citing in particular the deterrence offered by the U.S. "nuclear umbrella."

Onodera said Mattis also expressed his intention to actively cooperate on the Japanese Self-Defense Forces' acquisition of the land-based Aegis Ashore missile defense system.

In their roughly 20-minute conversation, Onodera and Mattis also affirmed they will coordinate trilaterally with South Korea on the matter.

They had made similar commitments in their last phone call on Aug. 31, which followed North Korea's launch of a ballistic missile across Japan into the Pacific Ocean.

After his call with Mattis, Onodera met Adm. Scott Swift, the commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, at the Defense Ministry to confirm their cooperation in responding to security issues.

Senior defense officials from Japan, the United States and South Korea also held a videoconference on Wednesday to discuss their response to North Korea.
New Delhi: Dokalam controversy may have ended but the danger prospects are not over. This can be judged by the statement of Army Chief Bipin Rawat. The Army Chief cautioned against China and Pakistan, "Not only the army, but the whole nation should be prepared to fight against China and Pakistan."

We must be prepared for every situation

Chief of the Army Bipin Rawat said, "During the recent Dokalam dispute, we saw how our opponents started cyber, media, psychological and info warfare before fighting the soldiers directly. Although this did not translate into a straight war, we should be prepared for every situation. We are surrounded by enemies on both sides."

Not only war forces, the nation has to fight:

The Army Chief said, "On believing that if we increase our military strength then war will not happen, it is wrong. Because the war in the future is not necessarily between the armies. Recently, in the Dokalam controversy, it was seen that before the war, China started the Psychological Warfare. That is, not only the war forces but also the nation has to fight."

Emphasis on the integration of all three armies:

The Chief of the Army also stressed the integration of all the three organs of Army, Air Force and Navy. It is worth mentioning that China's last year itself has unified its armies and made the theater-command.

Referring to Pakistan, the Army Chief said, "Pakistan wants to take advantage of the ongoing tension on our northern border (Yan China border). We can never have peace or peace with Pakistan. Because it has been filled in the minds of Pakistan's army, politics and general people that India will make pieces of Pakistan. That is why Pakistan takes the support of pseudo-war and propaganda."

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Islamabad: Pakistan has accepted its mistake about terrorism. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khwaja Asif has opened Pakistan's take on terrorism. The External Affairs Minister has said that Pakistan had made some mistakes in the past, but now both the army and the political leadership want to follow a clean path.

In an interview given to Pakistani news channel Geo, when Khwaja Asif was asked about Pakistan's stand in the BRICS Summit Declaration, he said, "Pakistan has made some mistakes in the past. But now both the Pakistani army and the political leadership have realized that Pakistan will have to follow the path of their past and pursue a clean path."

Khwaja said, "We have to tell our friends that we have improved now. To avoid embarrassment at the international level, we need to improve the condition of our home. He also said, "If terrorist organizations such as Lashkar-e-Toiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are not restrained then the country will continue to face embarrassment. Pakistan should fix its things because the whole world is raising finger on us."

Khwaja Asif further said, "Pakistan army did its part, but did we do our part?" Asif said that the world needs to believe that Pakistan has nothing to do with terrorism.

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11 injured after two families clash in Rupandehi

Eleven persons were injured, two of them critically, when members of two families clashed at Rohini Rural Municipality of Rupandehi district on Wednesday evening.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) CEO Meg Whitman said Wednesday she was disappointed by President Donald Trump 's decision to end a program that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. "I am not in favor of rolling DACA back," Whitman said in an interview on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ." "Think about who these individuals are. They were brought here as children, through no fault or agent of their own. And they have gone to school here. English is often their first language. This may be the only country they ever know," she said. The HPE chief's remarks echo a number of tech CEOs, including Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg , who spoke against Trump's decision on Tuesday to rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Attorney General Jeff Sessions , who announced the decision Tuesday , argued that the program was an unlawful overreach by President Barack Obama and said he could not defend it. The Trump administration gave Congress six months to complete legislation on the issue before DACA individuals lose their status. Whitman said there are no HPE employees that she is aware of that will be directly affected by Trump's decisions but said she is sure "there are probably some.""We all know people who have children of blended families," Whitman said. "Three children in a blended family: One came here with their parents illegally, but the two others were born here. I mean I think it's just a shame and unnecessary, and I think it's not the right thing for America."Whitman added these individuals have made real contributions to the U.S. and have the opportunity to make future contributions. Hewlett Packard Enterprise (NYSE: HPE) CEO Meg Whitman said Wednesday she was disappointed by President Donald Trump 's decision to end a program that protects undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children. "I am not in favor of rolling DACA back," Whitman said in an interview on CNBC's " Squawk on the Street ." "Think about who these individuals are. They were brought here as children, through no fault or agent of their own. And they have gone to school here. English is often their first language. This may be the only country they ever know," she said. The HPE chief's remarks echo a number of tech CEOs, including Facebook (NASDAQ: FB) CEO Mark Zuckerberg , who spoke against Trump's decision on Tuesday to rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Attorney General Jeff Sessions , who announced the decision Tuesday , argued that the program was an unlawful overreach by President Barack Obama and said he could not defend it. The Trump administration gave Congress six months to complete legislation on the issue before DACA individuals lose their status. Whitman said there are no HPE employees that she is aware of that will be directly affected by Trump's decisions but said she is sure "there are probably some." "We all know people who have children of blended families," Whitman said. "Three children in a blended family: One came here with their parents illegally, but the two others were born here. I mean I think it's just a shame and unnecessary, and I think it's not the right thing for America." Whitman added these individuals have made real contributions to the U.S. and have the opportunity to make future contributions.



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If you feel like youre constantly asked to provide your Social Security number, you may be right! Social Security numbers were originally created to track income to determine your Social Security benefits in retirement. But now, a Social Security number has become a near-universal form of identification, and is often sought whenever you give out your personal information.

With this increase in use has come a massive increase in the amount of identity theft reported in the United States. In 2016, 15.4 million cases of identity theft were reported, according to the Insurance Information Institute. One way to lessen your risk is to limit where you give out your information. Here are 5 places where you dont need to give out your Social Security number.

1. Before youve been hired for a job

Employers may ask for a Social Security number before youve been hired, but its not mandatory to provide it, according to the Society of Human Resource Management. When you are hired, you will need to provide your Social Security number so your employer can do a background check. But if youre asked for your SSN on your job application, you may be able to leave it blank, or explain that you dont feel comfortable providing that information.

2. At the doctors office

Your doctor may ask for your Social Security number when you fill out patient forms because they want to easily identify you to collect outstanding payments. But your insurance company identifies you by your insurance policy number in order to bill you and submit payments. While your insurance company will need your SSN, your doctor does not need this information for billing purposes.

If you have Medicare or other federally sponsored health care, you will need to provide your SSN, according to the IRS. Otherwise, leave this box blank the next time youre visiting the doctor.

3. To attend schools or colleges

According to the US Department of Justice, all children living in the US are entitled to attend public school, and schools cannot require children or their parents to provide a Social Security number in order to enroll. If they ask for proof of identity, provide a birth certificate or passport. Leases or electric bills can also be presented as proof of address.

Story continues

If youre heading to college, youre not required to submit your Social Security number. However, if youre applying for financial aid, loans, or scholarships, this information will be needed to confirm you or your familys income, as well as to check your credit score.

4. At supermarkets and other retailers

You will need to provide your Social Security number when applying for a credit card, because the bank associated with your card will want to track your credit score. But rewards cards at grocery stores, pharmacies, and other retailers dont have any credit value, and are used just to track your purchases. So dont give out your SSN when you sign up!

5. When purchasing travel

You dont need to provide your SSN in order to book travel. Depending on where youre going, you will need to provide your passport number and will need a credit card in order to purchase your tickets. Once youre ready to take off, bring your drivers license, passport, or another TSA-approved form of ID.

There are situations when you will need to provide your Social Security number, like applying for a credit card; filing your tax returns; when signing up for state and federal benefits like Medicare or food stamps; or when applying for a drivers licence. Otherwise, if youre asked for your SSN, the Social Security Administration recommends you ask these questions:

Why do you need it? What will it be used for? What other identification do you accept? What will happen if I dont provide my number?

Keep your Social Security card in a safe place and take steps to protect your identity.

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In the past week, airline behemoth Delta Air Lines DAL issued a bleak outlook with respect to passenger unit revenue and operating margin for the third quarter of 2017. Spirit Airlines SAVE also unveiled a bearish current-quarter view with respect to total revenue per available seat mile (TRASM: a key measure of unit revenue) mainly due to the disruptions induced by Harvey.

Additionally, Ryanair Holdings RYAAY unveiled its London schedule for the summer of 2018 in the same period. The Irish carrier, however, reiterated its Brexit-related fears.

The week also saw a customer-friendly announcement from Alaska Air Groups ALK subsidiary, Alaska Airlines, because the company aims to form a codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines.

As if the disruptions caused by Harvey were not enough, Hurricane Irma has offered a fresh challenge to the airline companies. In fact, this latest natural calamity already resulted in cancellation of multiple flights to Caribbean cities.

On the price front, the NYSE ARCA Airline Index declined almost 1% at $105.06 over the past week, which was a day short on trading owing to the Labor Day holiday on Sep 4.

Transportation - Airline Industry 5YR % Return

Transportation - Airline Industry 5YR % Return

(Read the last Airline Stock Roundup for Aug 30, 2017).

Recap of the Past Weeks Most Important Stories

1. Ryanair Holdings unveiled a busy London schedule for the summer of 2018, even as it reiterated Brexit-related fears. The schedule announced by the low-cost carrier features a record 68 routes. The carrier aims to transport 24.8 million customers from the three London airports  Stansted, Gatwick and Luton (read more: Ryanair Issues 2018 London Summer Roster Amid Brexit Fears).

Meanwhile, the carrier also unveiled impressive traffic numbers for August. Traffic climbed 10% and load factor (% of seats filled by passengers) improved 1% to 97% on the back of lower air ticket prices.

Story continues

Currently, Ryanair holds a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

2. Spirit Airlines expects its top line to decline to the tune of approximately $8.5 million in the third quarter due to Harvey. This view takes into account the multiple flights cancelled by the company as well as the continued soft demand for air travel to and from the affected areas due to the natural calamity.

In the current quarter, the company anticipates TRASM to decline between 7% and 8.5% (the previous guidance had called for a decline in the band of 2% and 4%). In fact, per the company, 100 basis points of the trimmed guidance can be attributed to the negative impact of Harvey. Also, aggressive competitive pricing in its key markets contributed to the bleak forecast.

On a brighter note, the company revised its unit cost (non-fuel) guidance for the current-quarter favorably owing to better operational performance. Spirit Airlines now expects adjusted cost per available seat miles (CASM ex-fuel) to decline between 2% and 3% on a year-over-year basis (the previous guidance had projected the metric in the band of -1% and +1%).

3. Delta reported a 6.9% rise in air traffic for August, while capacity expanded 2.7% for the month. Meanwhile, load factor increased 350 basis points to 87.9%.

However, the carrier has lowered guidance for the third quarter of 2017 citing reasons like higher fuel costs and soft yields. Delta now anticipates passenger unit revenue for the said quarter to increase in the band of 2-3%. Previous guidance had called for an increase in the 2.5-4.5% range. Operating margin is expected to improve in the range of 16.5-17.5% from the former 18-20% band. The airline, however, raised its outlook for fuel prices per gallon from $1.68 to $1.73 from the earlier $1.55 to $1.60 band. The uptick was driven by an increase in market price that began in late July.

4. Alaska Airlines stated that from Sep 27, members of Alaska Mileage Plan and Singapore Airlines KrisFlyer loyalty programs will begin earning miles on the flights. Additionally, the carriers will form a codeshare partnership, subject to government approval. Notably, a codeshare deal allows sharing of flights. This implies that a passenger can avail any flight operated by either of the companies covered under the agreement, irrespective of the flight number (read more: Alaska Air Group Arm-Singapore Airlines Deal to Aid Flyers).

Performance

The following table shows the price movement of the major airline players over the past week and during the last six months.

Company Past Week Last 6 months HA -0.5% -16.2% UAL -6.7% -16.2% GOL 17% 37% DAL -3.3% -6.2% JBLU -1.3% -5.6% AAL -3.5% -3.1% SAVE -13.1% -39.4% LUV -0.2% -10% CPA 6.5% 22.5% ALK -2.2% -22.4%

The table above shows that all airline stocks barring GOL Linhas GOL and Copa Holdings traded in the red in the past week mainly due to the bearish events mentioned above. Over the last six months, the sector tracker lost 1.8% due to multiple headwinds like capacity woes, Spain attacks and Harvey. Shares of Spirit Airlines depreciated the most (39.4%) during the period.

What's Next in the Airline Space?

The coming week will see Aug traffic reports from major players in the airline sector like Southwest Airlines LUV and Hawaiian Holdings HA. Investors will also await updates on the impact of Irma on airline operations.



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From Woman's Day

OFFICIAL RULES NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE OR PAYMENT OF ANY KIND WILL NOT INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. WINNER SELECTION: Winners (individually and collectively, the "Winner") will be selected on or about 11/30/2017 in a random drawing from among all eligible entries received. Each sweepstakes is a different drawing that must be entered separately. All the sweepstakes in these Official Rules are individually and collectively the "Sweepstakes." In the event the Sponsor does not receive any eligible entries, the Sponsor has the right to cancel the Sweepstakes. Drawing will be conducted by Woman's Day, whose decisions are final. Odds of winning will depend upon the total number of eligible entries received for each sweepstakes. In the event Canadians are eligible to enter as specified in the Eligibility paragraph below, and if there is a Canadian Winner, the Winner will be required to correctly answer a mathematical skill testing question as a condition of receiving the prize. Important Notice: You may be charged for visiting the mobile website in accordance with the terms of your service agreement with your carrier. Please consult your wireless service provider regarding your pricing plan. You must use a Smartphone device to participate via your mobile phone. Not all mobile phone providers carry the necessary service to participate. Check your phone capabilities for specific Internet instructions. If your data usage exceeds what is allotted by your data plan, you could be subject to additional fees by your carrier. Please contact your mobile service provider with any questions regarding your bill.

2.WINNER NOTIFICATION: Winner will be notified within one (1) month of the last day of the Sweepstakes, via e-mail, and/or at Sponsor's discretion, via phone or postal mail. In the event the Winner doesn't respond to Sponsor's notification or does not accept the prize within five (5) business days of notification, the prize will be deemed forfeited and an alternate Winner will be selected. In the event that any one or more potential Winner(s) fails to respond as stated above, declines the prize or fails to provide signed affidavits or releases, such Winner(s) will be deemed to forfeit the prize and Sponsor will select an alternate Winner(s) from the remaining eligible entrants. If any alternate(s) similarly fails to respond or declines the prize, Sponsor will use a reasonable number of attempts, in its discretion, to award the prize(s) to another alternate(s) but if it is unable to do so, the prize(s) will be finally forfeited and Sponsor shall have no further liability in connection with said Sweepstakes. List of Winners: For the names of the Winners, send a separate self-addressed, stamped envelope to Woman's Day September Sweepstakes Winners' List, Hearst Communications, Inc., 300 West 57th Street NY, NY 10019 within two (2) months from the Winner notification date as specified above.

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ALEX DIY Happy Little Loom Sweepstakes: Beginning 9/7/17 at 12:01 AM (ET) through 11/7/17 at 11:59 PM (ET) (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. Prizes & Approximate Retail Value: Ten (10) winners will each receive one (1) ALEX Happy Little Loom from ALEX Brands. Approx. retail value of each prize: $29; total ARV of all prizes awarded: $290. Any difference between the stated ARV and the actual value of the prize will not be awarded in any form.

3. ENTRIES: Limit one (1) entry per person per day for Sweepstakes. Multiple entries from the same person per day will be disqualified. Entries become the property of the Sponsor and will not be returned. Proof of submission does not constitute proof of receipt. If applicable, illegible, inaccurate, lost, late, misdirected, incomplete, mutilated, postage due or mechanically reproduced entry forms or entry forms that have been tampered with will be disqualified. Online entrants must have valid email address and it is entrant's responsibility to update Sponsor of any change in email address. The mobile phone number and wireless service provider/carrier of mobile entrants (if applicable) will be automatically captured in the Sweepstakes database and all participation will be limited to that phone number unless entrant notifies Sponsor of a change. If there is a dispute as to the identity of an online or mobile entrant, the prize will be awarded to the authorized account holder of the email address or mobile phone. The "authorized account holder" is defined as the natural person to whom the email address or mobile phone is assigned by an internet service provider, online service provider, carrier, mobile phone provider or other organization (e.g., business, educational institution, etc.) that is responsible for assigning the email addresses for the domain associated with the submitted email address or responsible for assigning the mobile phone number.

4. ELIGIBILITY: Open to legal residents of the 50 United States and the District of Columbia, who are eighteen (18) years of age in their state or territory of residence at time of entry. Legal residents of Canada (excluding Quebec) who have reached the aforementioned age in their province of residence at time of entry are also eligible to enter. Void in Puerto Rico and where prohibited by law. Employees of Sponsor, its parents, affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, independent judging organizations, and prize suppliers (and members of their immediate family and/or those living in the same of household of each such employee) are not eligible.

5. CONDITIONS OF PARTICIPATION: Expenses not specifically included in prize description and all taxes are the sole responsibility of the Winner. Each prize is awarded "as is" with no warranty or guarantee, either express or implied outside of manufacturer's limited warranty. No transfer, assignment or substitution of a prize permitted, except Sponsor reserves the right to substitute prize for an item of equal or greater value in the event an advertised prize is unavailable. The Winner is required to comply with any and all applicable federal, state, provincial, if Canadians are eligible to enter, and local laws, rules and regulations. All federal, state and local taxes, and any other costs not specifically provided for in these Official Rules are solely the Winner's responsibility. If the actual retail value of any Winner's prize is $600 or more, the Winner must complete a W9 form and supply Sponsor with his/her social security number for tax purposes. An IRS Form 1099 will be issued in the name of the Winner for the actual value of the prizes received. Sponsor shall have no responsibility or obligation to the Winner or potential Winner who are unable or unavailable to accept or utilize prizes as described herein. Entrants agree to be bound by the terms of these Official Rules and by the decisions of Sponsor, which are final and binding on all matters pertaining to this Sweepstakes. Winner may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility, a Liability Release and where legally permissible a Publicity Release within seven (7) days following the date of first attempted notification. Failure to comply with this deadline may result in forfeiture of the prize and selection of an alternate Winner. Return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable may result in disqualification and selection of an alternate Winner. Winner hereby further agrees that it will sign any documents necessary to transfer copyright of his/her submitted entry, if applicable, to Sponsor within seven (7) days following the date of first attempted notification. By entering, Entrant grants permission for Sponsor, and any of its affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to use the entrant's submission (including an altered form of the entry), if any, for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. If images are being submitted to Sponsor as a requirement for entry, Entrants agree that they have all rights to use the images submitted and to allow Sponsor, any of its affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to reuse any of the images, without any liability, for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes. Additionally, acceptance of the prize by Winner constitutes permission for Sponsor and any affiliates and subsidiaries, participating advertising and promotion agencies, and prize suppliers to use Winner's name and/or likeness and biographical material for editorial, advertising and promotional purposes without additional compensation, unless prohibited by law. By accepting prize, Winner agrees to hold Sponsor, its advertising and promotion agencies and their respective parent companies, subsidiaries, affiliates, partners, representative agents, successors, assigns, officers, directors, and employees harmless for any injury or damage caused or claimed to be caused by participation in the Sweepstakes or acceptance or use of the prize. Sponsor is not responsible for any printing, typographical, mechanical or other error in the printing of the offer, administration of the Sweepstakes or in the announcement of the prize.

6. INTERNET/MOBILE: Sponsor is not responsible for electronic transmission errors resulting in omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operations or transmission, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to or alterations of entry materials, or for technical, network, telephone equipment, electronic, computer, hardware or software malfunctions or limitations of any kind, or inaccurate transmissions of or failure to receive entry information by Sponsor or presenter on account of technical problems or traffic congestion on the Internet, at any Web site, or via the mobile phone or any combination thereof. If for any reason the Internet or mobile phone portion of the program is not capable of running as planned, including infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorized intervention, fraud, technical failures, or any other causes which corrupt of affect the administration, security, fairness, integrity, or proper conduct of this Sweepstakes, Sponsor reserves the right at its sole discretion to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the Sweepstakes. Sponsor reserves the right to select winners from eligible entries received as of the termination date. Sponsor further reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process. Sponsor may prohibit an entrant from participating in the Sweepstakes if it determines that said entrant is attempting to undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes by cheating, hacking, deception or other unfair playing practices or intending to abuse, threaten or harass other entrants. Caution: Any attempt by a participant to deliberately damage any Web site or undermine the legitimate operation of the Sweepstakes is a violation of criminal and civil laws and should such an attempt be made, Sponsor reserves the right to seek damages from any such participant to the fullest extent of the law.

7. DISPUTES/CHOICE OF LAW: Except where prohibited, each entrant agrees that: (1) any and all disputes, claims and causes of action arising out of or connected with this or any prize awarded shall be resolved individually, without resort to any form of class action, and exclusively by state or federal courts situated in New York, NY, (2) any and all claims, judgments and awards shall be limited to actual out-of-pocket costs incurred, but in no event attorneys' fees; and (3) no punitive, incidental, special, consequential or other damages, including without limitation lost profits may be awarded (collectively, "Special Damages"), and (4) entrant hereby waives all rights to claim Special Damages and all rights to have such damages multiplied or increased. New York State law, without reference to New York's choice of law rules, governs the Sweepstakes and all aspects related thereto.

8. SPONSOR: The Sponsor of these Sweepstakes is Hearst Communications, Inc., 300 W. 57th Street, New York, NY 10019.

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Amazon.com Inc. AMZN has announced its plans to open its first fulfillment center in Staten Island, NY. This new facility will be equipped with modern technology.

Also, it is likely to deploy robots which will decrease the time taken to sort and pack products, thus strengthening its same-day or overnight delivery services.

Notably, Amazon has underperformed the industry on a year-to-date basis. Shares of the company have gained 29.1% compared with the industrys growth of 47.0% in the same time period.

About the New Facility

The 855,000-square-foot fulfillment center is being developed by Matrix Development Group. It will feature innovative technology like deploying robots to speed up its deliveries. Going forward, the center is expected to create more than 2,250 new full-time jobs.

Meanwhile, Amazon has been increasingly investing to build and modernize fulfillment centers mainly to cut shipping costs and speed up delivery. The company also plans to open more centers in Sacramento, CA; Kansas City, KS; North Randall, OH and other cities, which will add to more than 80 such centers worldwide.

In 2016, Amazons capital expenditure increased 51% on a year-over-year basis. A major part of it was used in the construction of 26 fulfillment centers and deployment of robotics technology inside them.

A Prudent Capital Investment

Fulfillment centers help Amazon in storage and shipping of products, besides handling returns quickly. In fact, these are important for providing the level of services that customers expect from the company.

In addition, small retailers that are unable to provide relatively cost-efficient shipping are signing up for Amazons fulfillment services. Third parties also avail the companys warehouses and shipping services. These, in turn, help the company boost revenues and drive expansion in the long haul.

Although heavy investments in these arrangements (and several other initiatives) keep Amazons margins under pressure, they are also responsible for the companys progress. Evidently, Amazons retail business is currently unbeatable on price, choice and convenience in the face of fierce competition from Alibaba BABA and eBay EBAY, among others.

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Furthermore, we believe that Amazons long history of execution, growing focus on innovation, technological prowess and huge cash balance not only give it the flexibility to pursue growth in potential areas but also create value for investors.

Amazon.com, Inc. Price and Consensus

Amazon.com, Inc. Price and Consensus | Amazon.com, Inc. Quote

Zacks Rank & Stock to Consider

Amazon currently has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell). A better-ranked stock in the broader technology sector is Lam Research Corporation LRCX sporting a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

Lam Research delivered a positive earnings surprise of 4.44%, on average, in the trailing four quarters.

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Burning issue

Over the years, foreign labour migration has proven alluring for many Nepali youths who wish to fulfil their dreams of achieving better livelihoods.


Amazon announced on Thursday that it is planning to open another headquarters called Amazon HQ2 in a currently unknown US city.

Amazon HQ2 will cost $5 billion (3.8 billion) and eventually house up to 50,000 Amazon staff, Amazon said in a press release.

The ecommerce giant currently has its main HQ spread across 33 buildings in Seattle but its aggressive expansion means it is quickly running out of space in the city.

"We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, in a statement.

Jeff Bezos

"Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home."

Amazon employs more than 380,000 people worldwide, with around 40,000 of those in Seattle.

Amazon dome headquarters designs

Amazon said it wants HQ2 to be in a metropolitan area with a "stable and business friendly environment" and more than 1 million people. The company also wants HQ2 to be within 45 minutes of an international airport and in a location where there is potential to attract strong technical talent.

Amazon made a point of stressing that HQ2 will be a "complete headquarters" for Amazon as opposed to a satellite office.

The company said it expects to hire new teams and execs at HQ2 and that employees in "HQ1" could be given the opportunity to relocate to HQ2.

Amazon is inviting city representatives and those working for regional economic development organizations to submit a proposal if they want to host Amazon's second headquarters.

Incentives offered by local governments will play a key role when Amazon comes to make a decision.

"Incentives offered by the state/province and local communities to offset initial capital outlay and ongoing operational costs will be significant factors in the decision-making process," the company said.

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Amazon said it will announce the location for HQ2 next year. It's unclear when the project will be complete.

Amazon Seattle

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Glass spheres under construction at the Seattle, Washington, headquarters of Amazon, which has unveiled plans for a second North American headquarters (AFP Photo/David Ryder)

Washington (AFP) - Amazon announced plans Thursday to invest some $5 billion in a second North American headquarters, in a fresh sign of the phenomenal growth of the diversified US technology giant.

Bids are now being accepted for the second headquarters, to be called HQ2, which will be "a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and chief executive, in a statement.

"Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home."

The announcement highlights the extraordinary growth of Amazon, which was founded two decades ago as an online bookseller and has grown into one of the world's largest retailers, while diversifying into streaming video, cloud computing and other sectors.

The company, which has more than 380,000 employees worldwide, said it would add as many as 50,000 jobs for the new headquarters. It is already the eighth-largest US employer.

Amazon said it will be seeking bids from metropolitan areas with more than one million people -- of which there are about 50 in the US -- and which offer a "stable and business-friendly environment."

Proposals are being requested by October 19, and Amazon indicated it would make a decision on the location sometime next year.

- Cities 'that think big'-

The Amazon proposal is likely to spark a bidding war among cities offering tax breaks and other incentives to lure the new headquarters. In 2001, Boeing moved its headquarters from Seattle to Chicago and got some $60 million in incentives.

Amazon said it would consider "urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent" and is aiming for "communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options."

The new location "will be a complete headquarters for Amazon -- not a satellite office," according to the company, which added that it would hire new teams and executives for HQ2, and also allow some executives based in Seattle to choose either location.

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Amazon's campus in the northwest US state of Washington currently employs more than 40,000 people scattered across 33 buildings and 750,000 square meters (8.1 million square feet) of office space, according to a company fact sheet.

Amazon has dozens of warehouses and data centers around the world and has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, resulting in its Echo "smart" speakers and its voice-controlled Alexa digital assistant.

- Humble beginnings -

Company founder Bezos, who also owns the Washington Post newspaper and the private space exploration firm Blue Origin, briefly overtook Bill Gates as the world's richest individual earlier this year due to a surge in Amazon's share price.

Amazon was incorporated in 1994 in Seattle, and made its first online book sale in July 1995, with Bezos personally mailing packages to customers in the early days. In 1999, Amazon went beyond books to become a diversified online retailer of consumer electronics, toys and games, software, home improvement and video games.

Its Amazon Web Services, launched in 2002, has grown into one of the world's biggest cloud computing operators, generating close to 10 percent of company revenues and a large share of its profit.

Over the years, Amazon has expanded internationally, and operates as a retailer in Canada, Mexico, Britain, France, Germany, Japan, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Ireland, China and India, with plans to move into Australia.
home depot

The retail landscape looks like it's about to get rougher for everyone  especially those on the lowest rung of the ladder.

Retail is the largest employer in the US, employing an estimated 4.6 million people in full- or part-time jobs.

But estimates also say that the sector has shed more than 89,000 jobs in general merchandise stores alone between last October and May of this year. At last count, over 6,375 stores have been announced for across the country this year.

It's this shedding of jobs that's about to create what retail-industry consultant Doug Stephens is calling a "retail refugee crisis" in an article in Business of Fashion.

It's not hard to envision a store of the future where there are very few employees, if any at all.

Automation is spreading into more and more places in stores, from ringing up customers at the cash register to stocking product. The phenomenon also extends outside of the store itself, with robots that can do fulfillment and order processing both for stores and for going directly to customers. Automation could also reasonably apply to driving trucks and performing simple customer-service tasks.

"Retail workers will become the blacksmiths of their era," Stephens wrote.

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SPOKANE, WA / ACCESSWIRE / September 6, 2017 / Board of Directors, Regi U.S., Inc. REGI U.S., Inc. (RGUS) ("REGI" or "RGUS" or "the Company") and its wholly owned subsidiary, RadMax Technologies, Inc., are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul L. Porter as President of Regi U.S., Inc. and RadMax Technologies, Inc.

Paul Porter was selected by the Board of Directors to fill the role of President and Chief Technology Officer after having served as its VP Engineering for the last year.

Mr. Porter's extensive background in Mechanical Engineering while building an internationally respected aerospace seal technology company and his continued advancement of the RadMax Technology complement his expanded role for Regi U.S., Inc. and RadMax Technolgies. Inc.

As President, Mr. Porter will serve as the principal technology voice of the company and work alongside Paul W. Chute, the Chief Executive Officer in advancing Regi U.S., Inc. and RadMax Technologies.

The Board of Directors are also pleased to announce the election of James W. Slinger, Ph.D. as a new board member. Dr. Slinger is Emeritus Professor of Philosophy at California State University, Fresno.

Dr. Slinger was critical to the restart of Regi U.S., Inc., and served one year as its Investor Relations contact while advising on the restructuring of the organization. As such, his critical thinking skills and counsel have played a vital role in our successful recovery. We look forward to his continued contributions going forward.

Paul W. Chute, CEO and Board Chairman, congratulates Mr. Porter and Dr. Slinger on their new roles and welcomes their continued leadership.

We continue to evolve our new website radmaxtech.com, and encourage all investors to follow our progress.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Regi U.S., Inc.

Paul Chute

CEO

CONTACTS:

P: 253-514-6114

E: pchute@radmaxtech.com

7520 N. Market St. STE # 10

Spokane, WA 99217-7800

ABOUT REGI U.S., INC.

RadMax Technologies, Inc., the wholly owned subsidiary of REGI U.S., Inc., is developing for commercialization multiple improved axial vane type rotary devices using our Patented RadMax Rotary Technology. This technology allows for revolutionary designs of lightweight and high efficiency engines, compressors, pumps and other devices. One current prototype, The RadMax engine, has only two unique moving parts, the vanes (up to 12) and the rotor, compared to the 40 moving parts in a simple four-cylinder piston engine. This innovative design makes it possible to produce up to 24 continuous power impulses per one rotation that is vibration-free and extremely quiet. The RadMax engine also has several capabilities allowing it to operate on fuels including gasoline, natural gas, hydrogen, propane and diesel. For more information, please visit radmaxtech.com.

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READER ADVISORY

Statements in this press release regarding the business of and REGI U.S., Inc. (together the "Companies") which are not historical facts are "forward-looking statements" that involve risks and uncertainties, including management's expectation on closing the second tranche of the private placement, certain of which are beyond the Companies' control. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove accurate, and actual results and developments are likely to differ, in some case materially, from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this press release. Readers of this press release are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based on a number of assumptions that may prove to be incorrect, including, but not limited to: the impact of competitive products and pricing, the Companies' dependence on third parties and licensing/service supply agreements, and the ability of competitors to license the same technologies as the Companies or develop or license other functionally equivalent technologies; financing requirements; changes in laws, rules and regulations applicable to the Companies and changes in how they are interpreted and enforced, delays resulting from or inability to obtain required regulatory approvals and ability to access sufficient capital from internal and external sources, the impact of general economic conditions in the United States, industry conditions, increased competition, the lack of availability of qualified personnel or management, fluctuations in foreign exchange, stock market volatility and market valuations of companies with respect to announced transactions. The Companies' actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements, including those described in Regi U.S., Inc.'s financial statements, management discussion and analysis and material change reports filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov, and REGI's Form 10-KSB annual report filed with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Accordingly, no assurances can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will transpire or occur, or if any of them do so, what benefits, including the amount of proceeds, that the Companies will derive therefrom.

Readers are cautioned that the foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. All subsequent forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, attributable to the Companies or persons acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Furthermore, the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as at the date of this news release and the Companies do not undertake any obligation to update publicly or to revise any of the included forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be required by applicable securities laws.

SOURCE: Regi U.S., Inc.
FILE PHOTO: Flood waters caused by Tropical Storm Harvey encompass the Motiva Enterprises LLC in Port Arthur, Texas, U.S. August 31, 2017. REUTERS/Adrees Latif/File Photo (Reuters)

By Florence Tan

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Some oil traders in Asia are looking to snap up crude cargoes from the United States after Hurricane Harvey closed U.S. refineries, denting local demand and pushing out the price spread between U.S and Atlantic Basin crude benchmarks.

Hurricane Harvey barreled into the U.S. Gulf of Mexico coast around 10 days ago, closing nearly a quarter of the nation's refining capacity, although some of that is now coming back online.

The closures pushed the prompt-month spread between West Texas Intermediate crude <CLc1> and Brent crude <LCOc1> to the widest in two years at nearly $6 a barrel last week, prompting Asian traders to hunt for competitively priced U.S crude. However, some said spot prices would need to ease further before traders fixed cargoes for the journey east. (GRAPHIC: Spot prices for U.S. crude http://reut.rs/2gKWKun)

"One good piece of news is that the WTI-Brent spread has blown out so much that means excess U.S. crude is going to be exported," said Tony Nunan, oil risk manager at Mitsubishi Corp in Tokyo. (GRAPHIC: U.S. WTI vs Brent crude oil futures price spread - http://reut.rs/2vKqBtG)

"It looks like there wasn't much damage to export facilities and they should come back up quicker (than expected)."

Prices for WTI light grades were the weakest and they could head to Asia first, said a Singapore-based trader, declining to be identified as he was not authorized to speak with media.

Still, the market is evolving daily with spot levels for WTI Midland <WTC-WTM> rebounding on Tuesday after several refineries restarted post-Harvey.

Taiwanese refiner Formosa Petrochemical Corp <6505.TW> could consider buying from the United States.

"We're watching the situation," spokesman KY Lin told Reuters.

"U.S. crude's length may worsen and put more downward pressure on prices in the next two weeks."

Spot premiums for Mars <WTC-MRS>, another grade that's popular with Asian refiners, edged down on Tuesday from more than two-year highs as more tankers were allowed to offload sour grades in the Gulf.

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U.S. crude supplies are expected to stay elevated because at least 1.4 million barrels per day of refining capacity could still be offline past mid-September, Goldman Sachs analysts said in a note on Wednesday.

"We project that the hurricane will have added 40 million barrels to U.S. crude inventories in the month following landfall," the analysts said.

Companies that often ship U.S. crude to Asia include BP <BP.L>, Chevron Corp <CVX.N>, Trafigura, Mercuria and Occidental in addition to North Asian refiners Unipec, PetroChina, JXTG <5020.T>, Cosmo Energy <5021.T>, GS Caltex and SK Energy.

(Reporting by Florence Tan; Additional reporting by Aaron Sheldrick in TOKYO; Editing by Joseph Radford and Tom Hogue)
Aveva is based in Cambridge - Christopher Pledger

FTSE 250 software company Aveva has confirmed it has finally agreed a merger with the software arm of French energy group Schneider Electric at the third time of asking.

The 3bn deal will see Schneider take a 60pc stake in the combined company, with Aveva shareholders owning the remaining 40pc.

The announcement, which follows two failed attempts to unite the companies over the past two years, sent Aveva shares soaring by 24pc in early trading.

In return for its majority stake, which is worth around 1.7bn, Schneider said it will pay Aveva 550m in cash or around 858p per share.

Cambridge-based Aveva, meanwhile, will pay a further 100m or 156p per share to shareholders once the deal is completed. The combined company will retain Avevas UK listing.

Aveva

Aveva, which supplies software to the oil and gas industry, has been hurt by low commodity prices in recent years.

Aveva chairman Philip Aiken said the deal, which provides the company with greater exposure to North America, will create a global leader in industrial software.

He said: Aveva will significantly expand its scale and product portfolio, increase its capabilities in the owner operator market, diversify its end user markets and increase its geographic exposure to the North American market, in line with our strategic goals.

The deal comes just over a month after Schneider agreed to buy US switch maker Asco Power Technologies for $1.25bn (970m), in an all-cash takeover that has not yet completed.

Schneider, which is a major player in the electricity distribution market in France, is currently considering its strategic options for a part of its infrastructure business, with the potential for a sale.
Two of the largest cryptocurrencies were seen to make a recovery after dropping significantly over the past few days.Both bitcoin and ethereum showed bearish signals following a decision by Chinese authorities to ban initial coin offerings (ICOs), which allow firms to raise funds by selling new digital tokens. Bitcoin is now currently trading at $4,519.98, up 2.21 percent, according to Coindesk's price index ; Ethereum, meanwhile, is trading at $326.87, up 4.37 percent. The former, a highly volatile asset, fell to a low of $4,037 on Tuesday , shaving off $1,066 from its most recent all-time high of $5,103 on Saturday. ICO crackdown Analysts told CNBC earlier this week that they expected the downward activity on bitcoin's price to be short-lived. China's ICO ban is not directly linked to either bitcoin or ethereum, but to future digital tokens which are offered to the market.Some see the clampdown as an expected move, given that cryptocurrency fundraising in the country is viewed as bloated."The Chinese market has been perhaps the most virulently exuberant in terms of its irrational excesses and across the world regulators are looking to gradually turn up the regulatory heat on this ICO phenomenon," Charles Hayter, chief executive and founder of digital currency comparison website Crypto Compare, told CNBC in an emailed noted Tuesday.Unlikely supporters involved in the 'crypto world'A number of celebrities seem to be becoming active in the cryptocurrency game. On Sunday, Paris Hilton said she would be participating in an ICO run by LydianCoin Ltd, which describes itself as the "first AI (artificial intelligence) big data marketing cloud for blockchain". Meanwhile, British entrepreneur Michelle Mone and her partner Doug Barrowman launched the first major real estate development to be sold to the bitcoin community. WATCH: Could a bitcoin bubble be looming on the horizon? Two of the largest cryptocurrencies were seen to make a recovery after dropping significantly over the past few days. Both bitcoin and ethereum showed bearish signals following a decision by Chinese authorities to ban initial coin offerings (ICOs), which allow firms to raise funds by selling new digital tokens. Bitcoin is now currently trading at $4,519.98, up 2.21 percent, according to Coindesk's price index ; Ethereum, meanwhile, is trading at $326.87, up 4.37 percent. The former, a highly volatile asset, fell to a low of $4,037 on Tuesday , shaving off $1,066 from its most recent all-time high of $5,103 on Saturday. ICO crackdown Analysts told CNBC earlier this week that they expected the downward activity on bitcoin's price to be short-lived. China's ICO ban is not directly linked to either bitcoin or ethereum, but to future digital tokens which are offered to the market. Some see the clampdown as an expected move, given that cryptocurrency fundraising in the country is viewed as bloated. "The Chinese market has been perhaps the most virulently exuberant in terms of its irrational excesses and across the world regulators are looking to gradually turn up the regulatory heat on this ICO phenomenon," Charles Hayter, chief executive and founder of digital currency comparison website Crypto Compare, told CNBC in an emailed noted Tuesday. Unlikely supporters involved in the 'crypto world' A number of celebrities seem to be becoming active in the cryptocurrency game. On Sunday, Paris Hilton said she would be participating in an ICO run by LydianCoin Ltd, which describes itself as the "first AI (artificial intelligence) big data marketing cloud for blockchain". Meanwhile, British entrepreneur Michelle Mone and her partner Doug Barrowman launched the first major real estate development to be sold to the bitcoin community. WATCH: Could a bitcoin bubble be looming on the horizon?



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By Paul Sandle and Noor Zainab Hussain LONDON (Reuters) - France's Schneider Electric will take a 60 percent stake in Britain's Aveva after the pair agreed to combine at the third time of asking to create a software business worth about 3 billion pounds ($3.9 billion). Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman and CEO of Schneider Electric, said the combined company would be better placed to serve a wide range of industries and its enhanced capacity would also benefit investors. Completion of the deal, due around the end of the year, will mark the end of independence for the last $1 billion plus tech company founded in the university city of Cambridge, an area known as "Silicon Fen". The British company's chief executive James Kidd said he was confident the merger would get over the line this time after two failed attempts to do a deal since 2015. "We are in a much further progressed position than we've been before; we've signed a binding merger agreement with Schneider," he said in an interview. Aveva's products are used to design and manage oil rigs, ships and chemical plants, while the French multinational spans electrical components, energy management and industrial automation systems. Kidd, who will be the interim chief executive of the combined group before taking the deputy CEO and CFO role, said the logic of the deal remained compelling. It gave Aveva a bigger presence in sectors such as food and beverages and pharmaceuticals as well as in its strongholds in oil and gas, mining, and marine, he said. "They have also got a substantial presence in the US, which has been one of our key strategic objectives for some time and this gives us a great platform," he said. Shares in Aveva, which have underperformed the FTSE 250 index by 21 percent in the last two years, soared 27 percent to 24.54 pounds at 1030 GMT. Schneider Electric was little changed at 68.84 euros. REVERSE TAKEOVER Schneider will take a 60 percent stake in the enlarged group in a reverse takeover that will enable Aveva to retain its London listing. The merged group said it was in the process of seeking a new chief executive with experience of running a global software business. The collapse of the first tie-up attempt was blamed by Aveva on the "highly complex structure of the proposed transaction" and worries about "significant integration challenges". Kidd said on Tuesday that Schneider had worked to separate its software assets ahead of the deal this time. Under the terms of the deal, in return for ceding control, Aveva shareholders will receive 550 million pounds of cash, worth around 858 pence per share, from Schneider and another 100 million pounds, worth around 156 pence per share, of cash on Aveva's balance sheet. Analysts at Investec, who put their "hold" rating on Aveva under review, said the deal was "sensible" considering the strategic challenges Aveva faced. "In absence of any bids being made by other potential suitors over the last couple of years, this seems like the best option for Aveva shareholders to help overcome the strategic growth challenges of being largely focused on the oil and gas market," they said. The deal, including the cash return, implied a total value for the shares of about 25-26 pounds, they said. Analysts at Jefferies said the rationale looked reasonable, but the details were less convincing for shareholders in the French group. "Aveva's recent record is poor, with profits 30 percent below the 2014 peak and minimal growth," they said. "The deal also increases Schneider's exposure to Oil & Gas capex," they added, an area that has come under pressure as energy companies trim their budgets. ($1 = 0.7732 pounds) (Additional reporting by Leigh Thomas in Paris; editing by Jason Neely and Keith Weir)
Fuses from French company Schneider Electric are seen in an office in Madrid, Spain, August 9, 2017. REUTERS/Sergio Perez

LONDON (Reuters) - Britain's Aveva Group said on Tuesday it had agreed to combine with Schneider Electric's software business to create a London-listed leader in industrial software worth more than 3 billion pounds ($3.88 billion).

France's Schneider will take a 60 percent stake in the enlarged group under the terms of the deal, which is structured as a reverse takeover, the companies said.

The tie-up comes after two abandoned attempts to agree a deal in 2015 and last year.

Chief Executive James Kidd said the deal would give Aveva a bigger presence in sectors such as food and beverages and pharmaceuticals as well as in its strongholds in oil and gas, mining and marine.

It will also benefits from Schneider's bigger position in North America, he said.

The collapse of the first tie-up attempt was blamed by Aveva on the "highly complex structure of the proposed transaction" and worries about "significant integration challenges".

Kidd said on Tuesday that the agreement was "much more advanced" this time and he was sure it would get over the line.

He said Schneider had done more work to separate its software assets ahead of the deal.

Under the terms of the deal, Aveva shareholders will receive 550 million pounds in cash, worth around 858 pence per share, from Schneider and another 100 million pounds, worth around 156 pence per share, from cash on Aveva's balance sheet.

Shares in Aveva jumped 24 percent to 23.78 pounds while Schneider Electric was up 1.2 percent at 69.75 euros.

Details of the deal were reported late on Monday.

($1 = 0.7732 pounds)

(Reporting by Paul Sandle and Noor Zainab Hussain; editing by Kate Holton and Jason Neely)
House panel suspects foul play in embossed plate procurement

The Parliamentary Committee on Development has suspected foul play in procurement process of embossed vehicle registration number plates, as the contract for supplying the plates was not handed over to the company that had quoted the lowest amount during bidding.
Boeing (NYSE: BA) has forecast that Chinese airlines will buy 7,240 commercial aircraft worth $1.1 trillion between now and 2036. The fresh 20-year outlook, released Wednesday, is a chunky 6.3 percent larger than the plane maker's previous estimate. Boeing said it reflected a firm belief in China's prospects."China's continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle-class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in the report."China's fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well above the world average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China," Tinseth added.Boeing sees the need for 5,420 new single-aisle airplanes through 2036, accounting for three-quarters of total deliveries. For wide-body planes, Boeing forecasts China will require 1,670 new airplanes over the same time period.It says passenger airlines will likely focus on smaller and medium sized wide-body aircraft while larger planes will be snapped up by freight operators.Boeing has estimated that China's outbound travel market will soon reach 200 million passengers annually.And worldwide, Boeing projects the need for 41,030 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years valued at $6.1 trillion dollars.The Chinese challengeAccording to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China will overtake the United States as the world's largest aviation market by passengers in the year 2024.Beijing wants a slice of the ever increasing pie and in May, a 158-seat jetliner built by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China took its maiden flight from Shanghai. The C919 is a narrow-body twinjet similar in size to Boeing's 737 or the Airbus (Euronext Paris: AIR-FR) A320. The Chinese passenger jet has been under development since 2008. Xinhua, China's official news agency, has said that while the plane might struggle at first against the likes of Airbus and Boeing, it "should do well in the Chinese market."The C919 will be assembled in China, with some input from firms affiliated with Honeywell and General Electric. Boeing (NYSE: BA) has forecast that Chinese airlines will buy 7,240 commercial aircraft worth $1.1 trillion between now and 2036. The fresh 20-year outlook, released Wednesday, is a chunky 6.3 percent larger than the plane maker's previous estimate. Boeing said it reflected a firm belief in China's prospects. "China's continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle-class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook," said Randy Tinseth, vice president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes, in the report. "China's fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well above the world average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China," Tinseth added. Boeing sees the need for 5,420 new single-aisle airplanes through 2036, accounting for three-quarters of total deliveries. For wide-body planes, Boeing forecasts China will require 1,670 new airplanes over the same time period. It says passenger airlines will likely focus on smaller and medium sized wide-body aircraft while larger planes will be snapped up by freight operators. Boeing has estimated that China's outbound travel market will soon reach 200 million passengers annually. And worldwide, Boeing projects the need for 41,030 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years valued at $6.1 trillion dollars. The Chinese challenge According to the International Air Transport Association (IATA), China will overtake the United States as the world's largest aviation market by passengers in the year 2024. Beijing wants a slice of the ever increasing pie and in May, a 158-seat jetliner built by the state-owned Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China took its maiden flight from Shanghai. The C919 is a narrow-body twinjet similar in size to Boeing's 737 or the Airbus (Euronext Paris: AIR-FR) A320. The Chinese passenger jet has been under development since 2008. Xinhua, China's official news agency, has said that while the plane might struggle at first against the likes of Airbus and Boeing, it "should do well in the Chinese market." The C919 will be assembled in China, with some input from firms affiliated with Honeywell and General Electric.



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Copper is on a tear, hitting fresh three-year highs thanks to encouraging economic numbers out of China  the worlds biggest consumer of the metal. Renewed optimism about the Chinese economy has given the red metal a fresh shot in the arm.



Dr. Copper on Fire



Prices of copper for December delivery touched roughly $3.18 per pound on the New York Mercantile Exchange on Tuesday, a level not seen since September 2014. Copper prices on the London Metal Exchange (LME) also hit a three-year high on Tuesday, clocking $6,970 per ton, according to Reuters.



The widely used industrial metal, nicknamed Dr. Copper for being a reliable barometer to track the health of the world economy, gained from encouraging economic data from China. This raised expectations of higher demand for the commodity.



China's official manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) for August came in at 51.7, up from 51.4 in July and also exceeded expectations. A reading above 50 indicates growth. The better-than-expected August reading came on the heels of strong production and a rise in new orders.



Moreover, China Caixin/Markit services PMI rose to 52.7 in August from 51.5 in July on a pickup in new business orders. These data suggest that the world's second largest economy is in good health notwithstanding a cooling property market and high debt levels.



China maintained the momentum of steady and sound development in first-half 2017, laying a strong foundation for achieving the governments GDP growth target of 6.5% for this year.



China holds the largest share by far of global copper consumption (roughly 46%), and has a significant share in the total production of pure copper. Trends in Chinese GDP growth and world trade have a significant influence on copper prices. There is a strong correlation of the metal with ups and downs in the Chinese economy. As such, positive economic data are likely to step up the nations demand for the red metal.



Another factor that contributed to coppers rally is a sharp drop in output from Codelco  the worlds biggest copper producer. On Sep 5, the Chilean state copper company said that production for first-half 2017 from its copper operations fell to 798,000 tons from 843,000 tons a year ago.



Copper prices were also supported by a weak U.S. dollar. A weaker greenback makes dollar-priced metals cheaper for holders of other currencies.



The Red Metals Rebound



Copper, an important barometer for the global economy, is a major industrial metal that plays a significant role in emerging countries. Trends in the copper market are often a useful indicator of the state of the global economy given the metals diverse applications. Developments in the world economy have a strong correlation with movements in copper prices.



After vastly underperforming other metals, copper witnessed a sudden spike at the end of 2016. A pick up in global manufacturing activity and hopes of Trump's infrastructure spending drove the red metals recovery. Optimism around the Chinese economy and indications of tighter global mine supply aided prices.



Moreover, supply disruptions at some of the key copper mines including BHP Billitons Escondida mine (the world's biggest copper mine) in Chile earlier this year and a strike at Freeport-McMoRans Grasberg operations in Indonesia led to a decline in mined copper production and provided a thrust to prices.



Copper received further boost in July on reports of a potential Chinese ban on certain imports of copper scrap by the end of 2018 as part of the countrys move to reduce waste. This would lead to higher demand for refined copper and copper concentrate. While Chinas imports of copper scrap increased this year, the countrys demand for refined copper remains depressed. As such, a ban on scrap would result in increased imports of refined copper.



Moreover, investors are betting on copper as the metal is expected to significantly gain from the booming market for electric vehicles that use a substantial amount of copper in their batteries.



Copper prices are up around 24% so far in 2017 and the metal is trading roughly 50% higher than last year. The non-ferrous metal is among the best performing commodities this year.



The Zacks Non Ferrous Mining industry has also outperformed the broader market in a years time. The industry has gained around 31.6% in this period, higher than the S&P 500s return of around 12.3%.

Story continues





Rising prices have also given a boost to share prices of copper producers. Mining majors Freeport-McMoRan Inc. FCX and BHP Billiton Limited BHP have both seen their shares shoot up roughly 25% over the past three months.



Moreover, shares of Glencore Plc GLNCY, one of the worlds top copper producers, have rallied around 27% in the same time frame. Southern Copper Corporation SCCO shares are also up 15% while Rio Tinto plc RIO has gained 17%. Rising prices of copper is a good sign for these mining stocks.



While Freeport, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Southern Copper carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), Glencore is a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock. You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.



Will the Rally Last?



While copper has lately been enjoying a stellar run, analysts are skeptical about the sustainability of the recent price rally. Many believe that prices of the metal will come under pressure as the market remains adequately supplied and demand is not strong enough. Some analysts have also cautioned that the markets are overheated and will experience a price correction soon.



Oversupply in the market also continues to pose a threat on copper prices. In the short to medium term, new and expanded production should keep the market well supplied. Chile is expected to contribute significantly to supply growth in 2017.



BHP Billiton, last month, said that production from the Escondida mine is running at normal levels. Completion of a major investment program is expected to significantly boost output from the mine this financial year. Freeport and the government of Indonesia have also recently agreed on a framework that would allow Freeport to keep operating its Grasberg mine  the worlds second-biggest copper mine.



There are also lingering concerns surrounding Chinas copper demand. Chinas move to tighten credit growth could hurt demand for copper in its property and infrastructure sectors. Beijing's crackdown on risky debt may lead to slower economic growth in the second half of 2017. Any demand weakness in China would put downward pressure on copper prices.



As such, it remains to be seen if the good times for copper stay or passes soon.



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Many of the evacuees have been relocated to Cuba's capital Havana, which is outside of the danger zone (AFP Photo/YAMIL LAGE) (AFP/File)

Havana (AFP) - Cuba has evacuated 10,000 foreign tourists, many of them Canadians, from beach resorts and raised its disaster alert level to maximum as Hurricane Irma rapidly approached the Caribbean's biggest island on Thursday.

Most of the tourists were evacuated from around the beaches and cays in the exposed east and center of the island, the tourism ministry said.

Among the evacuees were more than 6,000 vacationers who were relocated to Vardarero and Havana, located outside the danger zone, given the hurricane's probable trajectory.

A further 2,400 tourists were transferred from the exposed eastern province of Camaguey to facilities in the interior, it said.

"Most Canadian visitors, who represent 60 percent of the total, have absolute protection" in the areas where they have been taken, Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero said.

In recent days, Canadian tour operators have repatriated some of their clients, he said.

Irma, packing winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour), has left a trail of devastation across small islands in the Caribbean, killing at least nine people.

It is set to sideswipe Cuba in the early hours of Friday morning.

The capital Havana, with a population of two million, is outside the probable trajectory and has been put on a lower level of alert by the authorities.

According to the US National Hurricane Center, the eye of Irma is unlikely to touch Cuba.
Delta Airlines raised the price of a flight out of Miami 600 percent when a traveler was trying to flee Hurricane Irma.

Update  Tuesday, Sept. 6 at 1:06 p.m. EDT: After the story was published, a rep for Delta responded to International Business Times request for comment. The airline did not raise any prices because of the storm. We have absolutely not been raising prices, the rep said.

The discrepancy apparently happened after the traveler, Leigh Dow, tried to book her ticket through Expedia.com. When she spoke with Delta directly, they fixed the problem. She was satisfied with the fare she got, the rep said.

Moving forward, Delta encouraged anyone who wants to book a flight with their airline to go to Delta.com directly. They added extra flights from Florida and the south Caribbean to accommodate people who want to evacuate because of Hurricane Imra.

If passengers need to alter their travel plans, they will not be charged a fee because of the storm. In addition to the waiver, the fares are stable and we have not increased them at all, the rep said.

Finally, the rep noted Delta Air Lines has a partnership with the Red Cross and were working with them to provide relief. Were very active in those efforts, the spokesperson said.

Original story:

Delta's in trouble again.

The airline was accused of jacking up the price of one of their flights nearly 600 percent after a traveler tried to book a flight out of Miami in the midst of Hurricane Irma Tuesday. Leigh Dow, a public relations executive, was trying to safely evacuate from the hurricane area and not pleased with the price gouging. She took to Twitter to vent her discontent to her nearly 19,000 followers.

Dow posted a screenshot of the price change. The photo showed her flight from Miami to Phoenix was raised from $547.50 to $3,258.50. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacuate responsibly?

Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute responsibly? #IrmaHurricane pic.twitter.com/O2nfPHQUAh  Leigh (@LeighDow) September 5, 2017

While talking to her followers, Dow said the flights out of Miami were apparently sold out. I think they are probably sold out at this point. Seems to be the case across the industry, she wrote when someone suggested she take another airline.

Story continues

The post soon went viral on Twitter, garnering more than 30,000 reactions over 23,000 shares. Hundreds of people started to comment on Dows post. They slammed Delta.

They shud be fuckn free. They should be sending planes from everywhere to get these people this is sad.  _LUVIN_ (@luvin_hester) September 6, 2017

Right! But then gone say "pray for them" once everybody dead, underwater, and missing _  S.S. _ (@ReallyDGAFF) September 6, 2017

Horrible  Heather Hunter (@heather_hunter) September 6, 2017

That is not cool @Delta! Help people, not screw them.  Paul Abrahamian (@deadskulltweets) September 6, 2017

Delta like, "Just wait till you get in this flight." ___ pic.twitter.com/Ck5Sh5lSzu  Falcon Travis (@TravisSelvidge) September 6, 2017

Delta soon responded to Dow to try to make amends. Leigh, can you please message me more details regarding this! I would love to try and help, the airline wrote.

Less than a half hour later, Delta helped Dow find a solution.

The @Delta team explained how it happened, and another airline was also involved. That wasn't obvious to me. They intervened & helped us out, she wrote. .@Delta reached out & helped tremendously. Note to travelers, always call airline directly if something doesn't look right.#IrmaHurricane.

International Business Times reached out to Delta for a statement, but did not immediately hear back.

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella

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star wars

Disney CEO Bob Iger announced Thursday that the company's upcoming Disney-branded streaming service will feature Marvel and Star Wars movies, and its app is set for launch in late 2019.

Iger told a Bank of America-Merrill Lynch media conference in Los Angeles that the service will also feature four to five original films and four to five original TV series, produced exclusively for the app, as well an extensive library of Disney film and TV content, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

"It will have the entire output of the studio, animation, live action at Disney, including Pixar, Star Wars, and all the Marvel films," Iger said.

Iger told investors to "think of the Disney app as a traditional SVOD service," or streaming video on demand service, in the vein of Netflix. He did not specify a monthly fee for the service.

The new service marks a significant strategy change for Disney.

Starting in 2017, Netflix became the exclusive subscription streaming home of all new Disney movies. Disney's decision to shift to its own app in 2019 will, however, bring an end to their Netflix deal, and remove a vast amount of Disney-produced content from the service.

Iger said just last month that the company hadn't decided how to deal with Marvel and Star Wars films, but it's now clear that Disney is making moves to bolster the service's "treasure trove" of content, as Iger labeled it on Thursday.

NOW WATCH: 6 details you might have missed on the season 7 finale of 'Game of Thrones'





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(Adds details on Exxon's post-Harvey plans)

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Exxon Mobil Corp is making good progress as it restarts operations at its Baytown, Texas refinery following Hurricane Harvey, Chief Executive Darren Woods told CNBC.

The world's largest publicly traded oil producer on Sunday restarted operations at the 560,500-barrel-per-day refinery - the nation's second-largest.

"It's very difficult to predict exactly when all those units will be back up and we'll be back on our full load. But we're making good progress. We're hoping to get some units started up later this week, and then it will be one unit after another," Woods said.

Exxon has not yet assessed Harvey's impact on third quarter earnings, Woods told the TV channel.

Harvey tore through Corpus Christi in southern Texas on Aug. 25 and then drenched the Houston area with historic rains, knocking out nearly a fifth of U.S. oil-refining capacity. Oil companies are now bracing for Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century.

Irma has not impacted any of the oil major's offshore Gulf of Mexico operations yet, Woods said.

Part of Exxon's Harvey response team has been tasked with planning for Irma, which could make landfall in Florida this weekend, CNBC reported. (Reporting by Nivedita Bhattacharjee; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Saumyadeb Chakrabarty)
My Twitter panic started somewhere in Spain. Six days into a 10-day vacation, the news about the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, started making its way to my phone. I wasnt necessarily trying to unplug or do any kind of social media cleanse, but I hadnt swapped my SIM so connectivityand news accesscame only when there was free Wi-Fi. That night, six hours ahead of Virginia, my friends and I were settling into our Valencia hotel as things were picking up at the "Unite the Right" protest. Id started to read some headlines but wasnt aware of how bad things had gottenor would get. In the interim Id been unpacking a bag and found a tube of obscure sunscreen and blurted out, I just realized this is badger lotion." My friend cracked up and said, "Thats a tweet." Without giving it too much thought, I typed it out and sent it.

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A woman checks her phone while police officers monitor the situation near a CVS pharmacy that was looted and burned by rioters, April 29, 2015 in Baltimore, Maryland.

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How to Be a Good Internet Citizen During Breaking News

Yes, you can tweet.

This is how Twitter used to work: Think of something funny, insightful, whatever, compose 140 characters, and hit tweet. Share the news, share music, share jokes with your followers. It was a lovely mixed bag. But five minutes after I sent that badger lotion tweet, I felt awful. My comment was OK as comic relief amongst friends trying to grapple with the news from hundreds of miles away, but as more details came in I realized now was not the time for sunblock jokes.

Story continues

It never is anymore. For months the gravity of social media has felt heavier than standard atmospheric pressure. The news is often bad and the awareness of filter bubbles is too great to feel right about posting anything that doesnt seem Important. Id kept my output to professional news-sharing and the occasional Game of Thrones reaction for months, but in the haze of vacation my old tweet impulses came back. I asked my friend if I should delete the tweet. She assured me that in the flood of bad news she was also getting, it was exactly those moments that served as a nice reprieve. I left it up. Its a nice memory from my travels, but I still hate that its in my feed.

In the September issue of WIRED, my colleague Nick Stockton has a wonderful piece about the new FOMO: fear of missing out not on your friends night at the bar, but on the news. In the piece, psychologist Ethan Kross suggests that the best way for coping with the ever-tumultuous news cycle is to actively engage with it more, to read every post and comment. Kross has a degree and a lot more expertise than I do, so I believe this, but for me the tendency is to engage far less than ever before, especially in political discussions. Either offer something of value or take a seat. Anything else is dreck.

As the person who edits our internet-roundup column, While You Were Offline, Im probably overly attuned to this shift. This time last year the internet was already deep in discussion about the election, but there was still time to joke about Rihanna curving Drake at the MTV VMAs. Shortly thereafter, though, that columntypically the one guaranteed LOL in my editing weektook a turn. Social media didnt get any quieter but it definitely got a lot more serious, to the point where (somewhat counter-intuitively) people were tweeting about how un-fun tweeting was.

In January 2017, a few days after President Trumps inauguration, comedian Billy Eichner tweeted Remember when Twitter was fun? Remember when our biggest problem was CHARLIE SHEEN?! I miss those days. TV host Andy Cohen expressed a similar sentiment seven months later. A little bit of joy returned when things like covfefe happened, but amidst the Womens March, White House staff shakeups, Black Lives Matter demonstrations, investigations into Russias meddling in the 2016 US election, andmost recentlythe events in Charlottesville and Hurricane Harvey, posting on Facebook about anything short of an actionable way to do something felt flimsy and ineffectual.

Last month people tweeted a half a million times about Beyonce and Jay-Zs twins in the first 45 minutes after it was announced they were born, so someone out there is still posting about things other than pushing back the tide of impending doom. But I realized not too long ago that I missed watching my feeds' meltdown over Real Housewives of Atlantaand I dont even watch that show. Its not as though no one is populating the #RHOA hashtag, or tweeting about the VMAs, but the constant anxiety I feel about my (not actually sent) status update celebrating Jon Snow and Daenerys Targaryens hookup finding itself next to news about Trumps transgender troop ban is just too much.

Psychologically speaking, I dont know what this #NeverTweet reticence meansor even if its healthy. A literature review coauthored by Ethan Kross (the same University of Michigan psychologist my colleague spoke to) found mixed results for the effects of social media usage on overall happiness. Some studies, for example, have found that Facebook usage can have a positive relationship on a persons subjective well-being. (OK, thats cool; its not like I stopped looking at it.) Others show folks are better off when they dont use the social network a lot. (Who are you, my mother?) And further research has concluded that passive Facebook usagethe non-posting kind I most often find myself participating inled to reduced levels of subjective well-being. (Yikes.) Oh, and subjective well-being in this case is a factor in ones health and longevity. (Great, so this whole thing might be killing me softly.)

So maybe it is better to tweet than not to tweet, but about what? Just the days news? Or is it alright to go off-topic? According to Northeastern University psychologist Lisa Feldman Barrett, author of How Emotions Are Made, its a good idea to discuss a range of ideas. As political discourse has devoured social media, other topics such as scientific discoveries or moments of cultural significance dont get as much traction. Science scored a win when the solar eclipse took over everyones feed last month, but so many otherwise important things get lost in the onslaught. Even the less-important bits hold some value because, as Barrett puts it, we should be multifaceted people, online and off, and just talking about bad news all the time is dangerous. "This is really problematic, I think, not only because it means we dont get a break from the stress and perils of political issues," she adds, "but also because it makes our lives more one-dimensional, which is not actually a good thing from a mental-health standpoint."

In the past couple of weeks, I started making non-work/news-related posts again on social media: Frank Ocean lyrics, quips about Lady Gaga, a joke about my failed pen name (Typo Negative, if youre wondering). I collected some likes and hearts; comics writer Ivan Brandon even responded to that last item with a GIF of Anne Hathaway crying and clapping. It was liberating, and no one got on my case for being an insensitive pricknot publicly, at least. I think some people mightve even gotten a moment of levity out of it. I'll likely continue this trend, but it'll always feel a little futile. Social media, Twitter especially, started as a way to bring people togetherthen it brought out the best and worst in them. I've returned to it for now, but I'll never use it the way I used to. And maybe I shouldn't.
Fed Vice Chair Stanley Fischer to resign in mid-October

Investing.com - Stanley Fischer, vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, submitted his resignation to U.S. President Donald Trump on Wednesday, saying that he would be leaving the central bank around mid-October.

Fischer was originally appointed to the Fed by former President Barack Obama for an unexpired term ending January 31, 2020.

His term as vice chairman was to expire on June 12, 2018.

I am writing to inform you that for personal reasons it is my intention to resign from the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System on or around October 13, 2017, Fischer wrote in his letter of resignation to the President.

"Stan's keen insights, grounded in a lifetime of exemplary scholarship and public service, contributed invaluably to our monetary policy deliberations, current Fed chair Janet Yellen commented in the press release.

He represented the Board internationally with distinction and led our efforts to foster financial stability, she said.

Yellen noted that she was personally grateful for his friendship and his service and added that we will miss his wise counsel, good humor, and dry wit."

In Fischers own letter of resignation, he noted that he had been a great privilege to serve at the central bank, most especially, to work alongside Chair Yellen as well as many other dedicated and talented men and women throughout the Federal Reserve System.

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stanley fischer

Stanley Fischer, the vice chairman of the Federal Reserve, plans to step down by October 13.

Fischer on Wednesday cited "personal reasons" for his decision in a letter to President Donald Trump.

"It has been a great privilege to serve on the Federal Reserve Board and, most especially, to work alongside Chair Yellen as well as many other dedicated and talented men and women throughout the Federal Reserve System," Fischer said in his resignation letter.

Fischer has served at the Fed for three years. His term was set to expire next June.

His resignation will create a fourth vacancy on the Fed's Board of Governors ahead of February, when Fed Chair Janet Yellen's term ends. She has said she would stay on for another term, though Trump could nominate someone else.

"What this tells us is that President Trump will control the Federal Reserve," Jaret Seiberg, an analyst at Cowen, said. "The only two holdovers are Lael Brainard and Jerome Powell. Both were Obama nominees."

In July, Trump nominated former Treasury undersecretary Randy Quarles as the Fed's vice chairman of supervision to oversee the banking industry.

The central bank is preparing to start unwinding the $4.5 trillion balance sheet it built up by buying bonds and other assets after the recession. This effort is another step the Fed is taking to gradually reverse its crisis-era policies that are less necessary now that the economy is in an eighth year of expansion.

Fischer is widely considered a centrist on monetary policy whose views are closely aligned to Yellen's. "He represented the board internationally with distinction and led our efforts to foster financial stability," Yellen said in a statement. "I'm personally grateful for his friendship and his service."

Fischer, 74, was governor of the Bank of Israel for eight years before joining the Fed. He holds a Ph.D. in economics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

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Here's his resignation letter:





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Gary Cohn, Trump rally linchpin? We may soon find out.

President Donald Trump has changed his mind on nominating the former Goldman Sachs GS COO as the next chairman of the Federal Reserve, according to reports from The Wall Street Journal and The Washington Post. Currently director of the National Economic Council, Cohn is considered by many on Wall Street a pillar of stability in the often-chaotic Trump White House. If the lack of prospects of a Fed job, combined with scant progress on tax reform, were to spur him to exit the administration, it could roil markets.

Rumors Cohn might quit in the wake of Trump's response to racist violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in August caused a temporary slump in stocks, and markets rebounded on the White House's denial he would leave.

But speculation has continued to swirl that Cohn might be on the outs. He raised eyebrows in a Financial Times interview where he criticized the president's equivocal reaction to Charlottesville and acknowledged he had considered leaving the administration.

"As a patriotic American, I am reluctant to leave my post . . . because I feel a duty to fulfill my commitment to work on behalf of the American people. But I also feel compelled to voice my distress over the events of the last two weeks," he said. "Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK."

The remarks appear to have annoyed the President. One White House official said Trump visibly bristles at the mention of his economic adviser, the Journal reported.

The New York Times reported that Cohn had gone as far to draft a resignation letter.

"He's been a conduit between the White House and Wall Street," said Jack Ablin, chief investment officer at BMO Private Bank. "[Treasury Secretary Steven] Mnuchin would still be there, but I don't think he has anywhere near the same standing with the Street."

Wall Street has warmed to the idea of one of its own heading economic policy at the White House and the prospect of him taking the helm of the Fed.

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TheStreet's Jim Cramer in July estimated his appointment could add 5% to the S&P 500. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, senior associate dean at Yale School of Management, last month in an interview with CNBC said if Cohn steps away from the White House entirely, "it would crash the markets."

President Trump.

Goldman CEO Lloyd Blankfein said in an interview Wednesday that Cohn, once considered his likely successor, is "very, very capable" and touted his talents as second-to-none. "There's nobody who has a better sense of markets or the consequences that decisions will have on people's behavior who act and are guided by market forces. No one's perfect, but he's the best I know," he said.

Blankfein, who has taken a handful of jabs at Trump on Twitter in recent months, acknowledged Cohn doesn't have the background of a traditional Fed chair and would likely take a more practical approach than a theoretical one. "If Gary got the job, I think he would do a different job but a great job," he said.

If Cohn is indeed passed over for the Fed job, investors would likely be disappointed because they feel as if he understands them and is one of their own, said Sam Stovall, chief investment strategist at CFRA Research. But Cohn falling out of Trump's favor is also representative of a broader and more worrying trend for certainty-favoring markets: the president's fickle nature.

"We can't plan for anything in this administration, because it could change overnight," Stovall said. "Essentially we can model nothing, because Trump is such a freewheeler that he will do what he wants to do, and that can change from day to day. There's no policy direction that can be modeled, because everything is in flux."

The president told WSJ in July that Cohn was one of his top contenders for the Fed job.

Stocks were mixed on Thursday as investors appeared heartened by a forming debt ceiling deal in Washington, D.C., but were nervous about incoming Hurricane Irma and ongoing recovery from Hurricane Harvey. Speculation about Cohn did little to move the needle, though questions about his permanence remain.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said in a CBS interview that he thinks Cohn should have resigned after disagreeing with Trump's Charlottesville response.

"If you don't like what he's doing and you don't agree with it, you have an obligation to resign," he said.

If he does, investors should hold onto their hats.

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Editors' pick: Originally published Sept. 7.

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FILE PHOTO - A Goldman Sachs sign is seen above the floor of the New York Stock Exchange shortly after the opening bell in the Manhattan borough of New York, U.S. on January 24, 2014. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson/File Photo

By Kane Wu and Julie Zhu

HONG KONG (Reuters) - Goldman Sachs has suspended its preliminary work on a planned U.S. initial public offering (IPO) for Chinese conglomerate HNA Group's IT outsourcing unit Pactera, four people familiar with the matter told Reuters.

One of the sources, who could not be identified as the negotiations are not public, said the Wall Street bank shelved the project after the deal failed to meet the bank's internal due diligence requirements, or "know-your-customer" checks.

Reuters reported in July that HNA had tapped Goldman to work on the U.S. IPO of Pactera, a Beijing-based firm it bought from Blackstone last year for $675 million in cash. The unit was renamed HNA Ecotech Panorama Cayman Co this year.

Goldman was not formally mandated for the IPO, which was in the early stages, but had been tapping investors for the firm's pre-IPO fundraising round.

HNA said in a statement sent to Reuters that Pactera had not started the formal IPO process and had not appointed any investment bank to assist in the IPO.

"HNA and Goldman Sachs have always had a strong working relationship, and currently all joint projects between the two companies are functioning normally," it said.

Goldman declined to comment. Pactera did not respond to requests for comment.

The sources said the suspension of work on the IPO by Goldman could delay Pactera's plan to list next year.

Pactera had initially sought to close a $200 million pre-IPO round in the third quarter of 2017, and list in early 2018.

The sources said Pactera was pressing ahead without Goldman, hoping to act as a listed vehicle for HNA's Ecotech arm, focused on technology investments. It is seeking to raise capital through convertible bonds, two of the sources said.

HNA, one of China's most acquisitive conglomerates, has seen its banking relationships put to test since the summer, as Beijing cracks down on what it deems excessive deals.

China's banking regulator in June ordered a group of lenders to assess their exposure to offshore investments by a handful of acquisitive groups, including HNA.

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The New York Times reported in July that Bank of America Merrill Lynch had pulled back from working with the group due to its opaque ownership stricture. HNA Chief Executive Adam Tan said later that BAML had not dealt closely with the group.

The sources said Goldman had not severed ties with HNA, adding due diligence checks were made separately for every deal.

(Reporting by Kane Wu and Julie Zhu; Additional reporting by Matt Miller; Editing by Sumeet Chatterjee, Kim Coghill and Edmund Blair)
Steve Silverman helped build cameras for two NASA rovers that went to Mars. In the less exotic landscape of a Google parking lot, he looks up fondly at his latest creation, bolted onto the roof of a Hyundai hatchback. The gawky assemblage almost doubles the cars height: four white legs holding up a vertical black stalk sporting eight cameras. We thought about covering it up, but were kind of nerds, Silverman says. Were proud of it.

Silverman and his team build the hardware that captures imagery for Google Street View, the project that since 2007 has put panoramas of more than 10 million miles of roads, buildings, and the occasional act of public urination online for all to see. The new camera design, the first major upgrade in eight years, started regularly patrolling the streets last month. The data thats just starting to come back will strengthen Googles digital grip on the world.

As you might expect if you think back to the camera in your 2009 cell phone, Street View imagery is about to get a lot clearer. Look forward to sliding through the world from your couch in higher resolution and punchier colors. But Googles new hardware wasnt designed with just human eyes in mind. The car-top rig includes two cameras that capture still HD images looking out to either side of the vehicle. They're there to feed clearer, closer shots of buildings and street signs into Googles image recognition algorithms.

Those algorithms can pore over millions of signs and storefronts without getting tired. By hoovering up vast amounts of information visible on the worlds streetssigns, business names, perhaps even opening hours posted in the window of your corner deliGoogle hopes to improve its already formidable digital mapping database. The company, built on the back of algorithms that indexed the web, is using the same strategy on the real world.

Untitled / Ruby Goldberg / Sep 1st, 2017 @ 13:22

Google

Global surveillance

The idea behind Street View is nearly as old as Google itself. In 2001, three years after the companys founding, CEO Larry Page took a videotape hed shot driving around the Bay Area into Stanfords graphics lab. He asked researchers there to figure out a way to summarize it in images, and they began a project dubbed crawling the physical web. Its technology was absorbed by Google in 2006, when the companys cars first hit the roads ahead of Street Views public launch the following year.

A decade later, Street View cars have snapped more than 80 billion photos in thousands of cities and 85 countries. The companys conventional mapping data is even more extensive. But Google still hungers for a better index of the world. Jen Fitzpatrick, the vice president who heads the companys maps division, blames that on us. People are coming to us every day with harder and deeper questions, she says.

The first time you searched Google Maps or Street View you probably typed in a street addressperhaps your own. Fitzpatrick says the company now gets tougher queries that require a fresher, more detailed digital model of the world, like Whats a Thai place open now that does delivery to my address?

She wants her service to handle queries that assume knowledge of what the world looks like: Whats the name of the pink store next to the church on the corner? Googles push to get us talking with its Siri-style virtual assistant encourages us to be more conversational in our demands. These are questions we can only answer if we have richer and deeper information, Fitzpatrick says.

Googles huge investment in machine learning and AI provides a natural way to get that information. Thanks to recent research inside the maps division, when a Street View car captures photos of a stretch of road, algorithms can now automatically create new addresses in the companys maps database by locating and transcribing any street names and numbers. Street View was the first of Google's product groups to use the company's powerful custom AI chips, dubbed TPUs.

The team's system has learned to figure out abbreviations, such as AV. for avenida, by taking hints from other signs in the country where theyre spelled out in full, and other clues in Google's maps data. Software has also been trained to recognize business names, and is smart enough to ignore visual trip hazards like the giant Bridgestone logo that might dwarf the name of a tire shop.

Higher quality images coming from the new hardware now atop Googles Street View vehicles will allow those systems to extract information like that more reliably. From a machine learning perspective, everything gets better, says Andrew Lookingbill, an engineer working on the technology. It will also help his teams efforts to build new software even better at understanding the world. Theyre thinking about trying to automatically recognize different types of business from their appearance and reading finer-grained information like opening hours signs.

Google

New territory

Decoding Street View imagery with algorithms can be especially useful in places where roads, cities, and businesses are changing fastestthe less-developed economies where Google and its competitors hope to find their next few billion users. The government of India reported this year that it has recently laid an average of 14 miles of new road every day. Street View went live this summer in Nigerian megacity Lagospopulation 21 million. Fitzpatrick says that Googles image-scouring algorithms could help translate the new imagery into a significant bump in map quality. Google sells ads inside maps, so new coverage and accuracy can translate into more revenue if they draw new users and usage to the service.

Google wants you to help feed its image-hungry algorithms. The tech industrys recent interest in virtual reality has made 360 degree cameras relatively cheap. This summer, Google began certifying some cameras as Street View ready, meaning you can upload your own panoramas through the Street View mobile app to live on the companys service. That footage will be processed by Googles image recognition algorithms for fresh map data just like its own imagery.

Google is counting on crowdsourcing to make Street View data fresher than it is now. The expectation is that Google has the world indexed, says Charles Armstrong, a product manager for Street View. But it never lives up to expectations. Googles Street View mobile app rewards individuals who contribute photos with virtual trophies, and it will even suggest local spots to take your camera. More significantly, Armstrong predicts companies, tourist boards, and even governments will soon be driving their own camera-toting cars to make sure the world gets an up-to-date view of their streets and cities.

All the upgrades to Street View could help Google maintain its prime position in digital maps. The company is the most prominent among the handful of leading global mapping projects. The other heavy hitters are HERE, owned by a coalition of German auto companies; TomTom, known for stand-alone GPS units and watches; and collaborative project Open Street Map. Each one measures themselves against the others, says Alyssa Wright, president of the US chapter of Open Street Map. (Apples relatively young mapping operation licenses data from TomTom.) In a world where most of us carry GPS-equipped smartphones, maps data is important for much more than just directions. Mapping is fundamental to how we build our digital future, from autonomous vehicles to dating apps, says Wright.

Street Views new cameras and Googles push for crowdsourced imagery could also lead the company into new privacy controversies. Concern about Google making ephemeral public scenes into permanent internet fixtures has rumbled, and occasionally flared, since Street View began. Germany and Austria are largely invisible on Google Street View, and have been for years, after the company got in trouble for logging Wi-Fi data with Street View vehicles. Google's fleet only recently returned to both countries. In 2012, Switzerlands highest court ordered Google to cut down its cameras to prevent them from peeping over walls and to blur certain places such as womens shelters.

Fitzpatrick flicks away the suggestion that higher quality imagery could lead to more privacy concerns. We havent seen or heard of places where there are additional sensitivities, she says. Google will continue to automatically blur faces and license plates on its own Street View images. But it wont do that by default on crowdsourced footage, instead leaving it up to users to choose whether to use Googles blurring technology when they upload new 360 photos.

How much more could Google extract from Street View using image processing algorithms? A lot.

Earlier this year Stanford researchers, including professor Fei-Fei Li, now chief scientist at Googles cloud division, showed they could predict income, race, and voting patterns for US cities with software that logs the make, model, and year of cars in Street View photos. When asked if anything like that was planned at Google, a spokesperson would say only that the company is always looking for ways to use Street View data to improve the company's platforms, including beyond maps.

Processing Street View images from Google and its users might also help the self-driving cars of fellow Alphabet subsidiary Waymo understand the world. The team collaborates on things from time to time, is all Fitzpatrick will say about that. But her team has as much to gain in return from Waymo.

Back in that Google parking lot, camera-wizard Silverman confesses that trolling highways in a Street View car sporting one of his teams devices isnt much fun. After a day youre ready to not be a bus driver and go back to engineering, he says. Just as self-driving vehicles would shift the economics of on-demand ride services, not having to pay people to be bored behind the wheel would be a boon to Street View. The companys algorithmic index of the physical world may just be getting started.
Heres a look at some of the stocks the Yahoo Finance team will be watching for you today.

GoPro (GPRO) shares soared on Thursday. The wearable camera maker says it expects to swing to a profit on an adjusted basis in the current quarter  thanks to strong demand for its Hero 6 and the Fusion 360 action-cameras.

RH (RH) shares surged in early trading. The home furnishing retailer formerly known as Restoration Hardware raised its outlook for the year. Thats after reporting a beat on both its top and bottom lines for the second quarter. Revenue jumped more than 13% from a year ago on strong same-store sales.

Procter & Gamble (PG) is on investors watch list. P&G dismissed a 94-page white paper released by Trians Nelson Peltz as containing nothing substantive. Activist investor Peltz, who has been pushing for a board seat, detailed plans in the white paper to reorganize the consumer products giants into three separate units to improve performance. Trian holds a $3.5 billion stake in Procter & Gamble.

Amazon (AMZN) is in the spotlight this morning. The company is looking for a home away from home as it plans to open a second headquarters. Seattle-based Amazon is looking for a city somewhere in North America. The project has been dubbed HQ2 and will cost $5 billion to build and operate.
Hackers have been burrowing their way inside the critical infrastructure of energy and other companies in the U.S. and elsewhere, warns cybersecurity giant Symantec.

In a new report, Symantec symc claims that the threat of cyberattack-induced power outages in the west has elevated from a theoretical concern to a legitimate one in recent months. Were talking about activity were seeing on actual operational networks that control the actual power grid, Eric Chien, technical director of security technology and response at Symantec, told Fortune on a call.

Reports surfaced over the summer of hackers targeting staff at nuclear energy facilities with phishing attacks, designed to steal login credentials or install malware on machines. The extent of the campaign as well as the question of whether the attackers had breached operational IT networks, rather than merely administrative ones, was unclear at the time.

Symantec is now erasing all doubt. There are no more technical hurdles for them to cause some sort of disruption, Chien said of the hackers. All thats left is really motivation.

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Symantec detailed its findings in a report released Wednesday morning. The paper tracks the exploits of a hacker group that Symantec has dubbed DragonFly 2.0, an outfit that the company says it has linked to an earlier series of attacks perpetrated between 2011 and 2014 by a group it dubbed DragonFly.

Adam Meyers, vice president of intelligence at CrowdStrike, a billion-dollar cybersecurity startup, said his team had been tracking the group, which it dubbed Berserk Bear, since 2015. He disputed Symantecs attribution, saying there is no reason to believe that DragonFlynicknamed Energetic Bear by CrowdStrikeand DragonFly 2.0 (aka Berserk Bear) were linked.

In Meyers view, theres not enough evidence to tie the two groups together, especially given that source code for some of the malicious software used in the most recent attacks leaked in 2010, he said. In other words, anyone could incorporate the code into their own hacking tools.

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Meyers did wager a guess about the origin of the attacks, however. Its likely a Russian actor targeting global energy and related industries, Meyers added, noting that the intrusions appeared to align with Moscows strategic interests.

The most recent wave of attacks hit energy companies in the U.S., Turkey, Switzerland, Afghanistan, and elsewhere. The first phase began in December 2015 with a set of phony New Years Eve party invitations that were actually boobytrapped emails. The intensity and frequency of attacks picked up this year, Symantec said.

Chien said Symantec had notified more than 100 companies in the U.S., Europe, and elsewhere about the attacks. Even if businesses remove the malware on their computers, the attackers might still be able to use stolen login credentials to commandeer the corporate systems, he said.

Such an attack would echo tactics employed in Ukraine, where attackers infiltrated computers and caused a temporary blackout at the end of last year.

Rob Lee, CEO of Dragos, a startup that protects critical infrastructure networks, told Fortune that he was, like Meyers, not sold on Symantecs attribution work. Im not yet confident linking this to Dragonfly, but what Symantec highlights is a consistent and worrying trend of adversaries targeting U.S. industrial infrastructure, he wrote in an email. Our infrastructure is resilient so folks shouldnt worry, but we do need to do more in the face of an aggressive adversary.

Other experts are more outwardly alarmed by the recent breaches. We used to talk about what could a cyber attack doit could shut down the power grid. That was all hypothetical, Chien told Fortune. Now were seeing activity where, to be honest, if they wanted to disrupt something in the power grid, they could have done it yesterday.

Before President Donald Trump took office, he vowed to conduct a sweeping review of the nations and federal governments cyber defenses. At the end of last month, a quarter of the presidents National Infrastructure Advisory Council quit their advisory posts, saying that the president had devoted insufficient attention to cybersecurity threats to critical infrastructure.
You really can't please 'em all.

Even after posting major beats in both revenue and earnings per share Tuesday, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co (NYSE: HPE) failed to impress.

Bank of America downgraded the stock to Underperform. Loop Capital Markets lowered its price target from $17 to $14.50. Even Deutsche Bank, while reiterating a Buy rating on attractive valuation, lowered estimates based on perceived challenges in commodity costs.

Loop Managing Director Ananda Baruah was largely turned off by the companys anticipated restructuring charges and tax payments, which he expects to limit free cash flow (FCF) through 2018. Still, he sees the potential for positive execution to generate $2 billion in FCF and unlock substantial appreciation.

Where Opportunity Lies

HPs third quarter performance was driven by strong Server sales, growth in the Enterprise Group, and general operational improvements from having spun off its Enterprise Services business.

Now, Baruah considers HPs focus split between four emphases: software-defined hybrid IT infrastructure, computing on the edge capabilities, Technology Services and Financial Services.

We believe HPEs strategy and core assets are clear with the acquisitions of Aruba Networks, ConteXstream, Rasa Networks, SGI, as well as the divestitures of Tipping Point, H3C in China, Mphasis and the spins of enterprise services and application software assets, Baruah wrote.

He expects potentially material boosts in annual EPS from both the spinoff and anticipated gross savings of $1.5 billion over the next few years.

Even so, Loop Capital maintained a Hold on the stock and saw less than $1 in upside. Deutsche Bank offered greater optimism with a $16 price target. At time of publication, shares were trading at $13.69, down 2.5 percent on the day.

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Image credit: Cinerama14 (Own work), via Wikimedia Commons

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Sep 2017 Deutsche Bank Maintains Buy Sep 2017 UBS Maintains Buy Sep 2017 BMO Capital Maintains Market Perform

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 2017 Benzinga.com. Benzinga does not provide investment advice. All rights reserved.
Lawmakers call for promotion of civil servants transferred at local level

Lawmakers have started lobbying for promotion and added incentives to civil servants who are transferred to work at the local level.
Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company HPE, yesterday, reported encouraging third-quarter fiscal 2017 results, wherein the bottom line not only came ahead of its estimates but also surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate. Furthermore, the company recorded impressive year-over-year growth in revenues, which came ahead of the Zacks Consensus Estimate.

The companys non-GAAP earnings of 31 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 25 cents and also came ahead of managements guidance range of 24-28 cents. However, the figure plunged 22.5% on a year-over-year basis.

On a GAAP basis, the company reported earnings of 15 cents from continuing operations, as against $1.43 reported in the year-ago quarter. However, it compared favorably with the guided range of a loss of 2 cents to earnings of 2 cents.

Per the company, the better-than-expected bottom-line performance was mainly due to cost savings, software performance and favorable other income and expense.

Notably, during second-quarter fiscal 2017, the company closed the spin-merger of its Enterprise Services business. Therefore, Hewlett Packard considers Enterprise Services as a discontinued operation since the fiscal second quarter, and the year-ago quarters results have also been adjusted accordingly.

In addition, the company completed the pending spin-merger of its Software business in the fiscal third quarter. However, in this quarter, results include the full business of this division.

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise | Hewlett Packard Enterprise Company Quote

Quarter in Detail

Revenues

Hewlett Packard Enterprise reported revenues from continuing operations (which includes Enterprise Group, HPE Financial Services and Software businesses) of $8.209 billion, up 2.5% from the year-earlier quarters revenues of $8.005 billion. Quarterly revenues comfortably surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $7.566 billion.

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The year-over-year growth was mainly driven by better execution and a compelling portfolio, which was partially offset by heightened commodities pricing pressure and unfavorable exchange rates. Adjusted for currency exchange rates and divestures, the companys revenues from continuing operations were up 6% year over year.

During the fiscal third quarter, the company witnessed uneven global demand across all regions. In the United States, sales, excluding Tier 1 servers, grew on the back of elevated sales of core servers and strong growth in networking business. However, the storage business witnessed a soft performance. Europe made a turnaround this quarter, registering year-over-year growth, mainly attributed to strong performance in Germany and broad stabilization across Western Europe. Additionally, the Asia-Pacific and Japan (APJ) region recorded growth, with stellar performance in Japan, China and India.

Segment wise, revenues at the Enterprise Group were up 3% from the year-ago quarter to $6.8 billion. Adjusting for divestures and currency, segment revenues came in at 3%. While revenues from Servers were down 1%, Storage, Networking and Technology Services were up 11%, 16% and 1%, respectively.

Software revenues declined 3% to $718 million. Adjusted for divestures and currency, the segments revenues were down 2%, when compared with the prior-year quarter. Revenues from Support and Professional Services dropped 2% and 23%, respectively. License and SaaS revenues, however, grew 2% and 7% year over year, respectively.

Financial Services revenues were up 10% to $897 million. The segments net portfolio grew 2%, but financing volume dipped 8% year over year.

Operating Results

Hewlett Packard Enterprises gross margin contracted 340 basis points (bps) on a year-over-year basis to 33%. This year-over-year contraction was mainly due to competitive pricing, elevated DRAM pricing, unfavorable currency, as well as stranded costs and short-term dilution from the recent acquisitions.

Moreover, the companys non-GAAP operating margin descended 150 bps to 8.4%, primarily due to a lower gross margin, which was partially offset by a decline in non-GAAP operating expenses as a percentage of revenues.

Balance Sheet and Cash Flow

Hewlett Packard Enterprise ended the fiscal third quarter with $7.8 billion in cash and cash equivalents, down from $8.1 billion recorded at the end of the previous quarter. Long-term debt at the quarter end was $14.527 billion compared with $11.904 billion recorded in the last quarter.

During the quarter, Hewlett Packard Enterprise generated $891 million of cash flow from operational activities. Free cash flow was $428 million. For the first three quarters of fiscal 2017, the company generated $63 million of cash flow for operational activities.

Additionally, during the reported quarter, the company returned $732 million to its shareholders, of which $625 million was through share repurchases and the remaining through dividend payments. During the first three quarters of fiscal 2017, Hewlett Packard Enterprise returned $2.259 billion to its shareholders, of which $1.936 billion was through share repurchases and the remaining through dividend payments.

Guidance

The company issued a disappointing bottom-line guidance for fourth-quarter fiscal 2017. Hewlett Packard Enterprise expects non-GAAP earnings per share in the range of 26-30 cents (mid-point: 28 cents), which is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 41 cents. On a GAAP basis, the company guides the bottom line to be in a range of breakeven to earnings of 4 cents.

As the company completed its spin-merger of the Software business in the recently reported quarter, it adjusted the outlook for fiscal 2017. Hewlett Packard Enterprise now expects non-GAAP earnings per share for fiscal 2017 in the range of $1.36-$1.40 (mid-point $1.38), down from $1.46-$1.56 (mid-point $1.51). The Zacks Consensus Estimate is pegged at $1.46. On a GAAP basis, the company now projects the bottom line to be in the range of a loss of 7-11 cents. Earlier, the companys guidance was in the range of a loss of 3 cents to earnings of 7 cents.

However, Hewlett Packard Enterprise estimates free cash flow to be negative $1.8 billion in fiscal 2017.

Our Take

After two back-to-back quarters of dismal performance, Hewlett Packard Enterprises reported encouraging fiscal third-quarter results, which indicates that the companys contrarian strategy is in the right direction.

The stocks after-hour trade performance reflects that the better-than-expected quarterly results have reinstated investors optimism. Shares of Hewlett Packard Enterprise gained approximately 5% during yesterdays after-hour trading session.

Notably, although the entire industry, to which Hewlett Packard Enterprise belongs to, has been underperforming, the stock is among the worst performers. During the year-to-date period, the stock has lost 39.3% of its value, as compared with the industrys loss of 19%.

During the conference call, the companys chief executive  Meg Whitman  hinted that it will continue to look for opportunity to create an internal structure and operating model that is simpler, nimbler and faster. This indicates that we may see Hewlett Packard Enterprise becoming even smaller with spin offs, or acquiring assets to enhance its capabilities in the hybrid IT model.

Nonetheless, we remain slightly cautious about the companys near-term prospects due to the three main challenges it is currently facing  heightened pressure from unfavorable currency exchange movements, elevated commodities pricing and some near-term execution issues. These headwinds are expected to thwart its overall performance in the near term.

Also, macroeconomic challenges and tepid IT spending remain other concerns. Competition from International Business Machines IBM and Oracle ORCL adds to its woes.

Currently, Hewlett Packard Enterprise carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold).

A better-ranked stock in the same industry is Iteris, Inc. ITI, sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of todays Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Iteris has long-term expected EPS growth rate of 10%.

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A submerged home is seen in the aftermath of Tropical Storm Harvey in Vidor, Texas, U.S. September 5, 2017.

Now that flood waters have begun to recede, Texas victims of Tropical Storm Harvey face another challenge: eviction notices. Even worse, some people are still on the hook for rent on apartments they cant live in.

Sheri Ilo was a resident of an upscale apartment complex in Katy, Texas, a city just west of Houston. She was evacuated during the storm and now has just five days to leave her building all over again, according to the Houston Chronicle Tuesday.

Where do you expect us to go? Ilo said Monday to the Chronicle. This is overwhelming to my neighbors and I. ... We all work here in Houston so we have to go back to work. Do you expect us to commute from San Antonio?

San Antonio is roughly three hours away.

Ilo is an assistant principal at a high school and considers herself luckier than others, as she has a place to stay and the means to be able to get her things. The kids shes responsible for, however, might face different circumstances.

About half of our school community live in areas that were flooded, she said to the Chronicle. My parents live across the street from the high school and they lost everything. The entire street outside the school is loaded with memories and furniture.

As many as 17 percent of the 640,000 rental units overseen by the Houston Apartment Association have seen some flood damage, according to NPR Saturday. The Association represents at least 90 percent of rental units in Houston.

Most owners are doing everything they can to accommodate residents whose apartments are flooded, but individual owners and renters are working out those situations based on what level of damage they have received in their unit, Michelle Pawelek, a spokesperson with the apartment association, told NPR.

Some landlords have waived late fees and returned rents, but others are asking tenants to pay up.

We are paying rent for somewhere we can't live in. They said you aren't the only ones in this situation, but what are we supposed to do? We don't have any money. We don't have anything, said Rocio Fuentes, who had to evacuate his home, to the Guardian Monday.

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Fuentes construction job has also stopped due to the flooding and said for the time being he has no income.

Landlords may still charge rent in Texas unless the building is completely uninhabitable. Either a tenant or a landlord can break a lease in Texas if the residence is totally unusable.

More than half a million people have applied to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for assistance, and the agency has already doled out over $33 million in housing assistance. Housing assistance can help with rent subsidies, but the market is sure to be squeezed with lots of people left without homes, and housing stock suddenly dipping substantially.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner spoke with NBC Sunday and when asked what his biggest priority going forward was, he responded, Housing, housing, housing.

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IBMs Watson AI software is best-known for winning at Jeopardy! in 2011. (IBM Photo)

IBM is making a 10-year, $240 million investment in artificial intelligence research through a new lab its creating in partnership with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

The investment will support research by IBM and MIT scientists at the newly created MIT-IBM Watson AI Lab in Cambridge, Mass., the two partners announced today.

Through this collaboration, we will target innovations that will move us beyond specialized tasks to more general approaches to solving more complex problems, with the added capability of robust, continuous learning, Dario Gil, IBM Researchs vice president of AI and IBM Q, said in a blog post.

Gil and MIT engineering dean Anantha Chandrakasan will be co-chairs of the lab, which will bring together more than 100 AI scientists, professors and students for joint research into AI hardware and software.

The aim will be to take advantage of big data and find better ways to augment human intelligence, Gil said. Health care and cybersecurity lead the list of potential applications.

In a statement, MIT President L. Rafael Reif said he was delighted by the collaboration.

True breakthroughs are often the result of fresh thinking inspired by new kinds of research teams, Reif said. The combined MIT and IBM talent dedicated to this new effort will bring formidable power to a field with staggering potential to advance knowledge and help solve important challenges.

This isnt the first IBM-MIT research collaboration: Last year, IBM Research said it would work with MIT neuroscientists to advance the field of machine vision, an important aspect of AI. IBM and the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard also have a five-year, $50 million research collaboration on AI and genomics.

Neither is it the only case of a major corporation working with an academic institution on AI. For example, Amazon and Microsoft have each contributed $10 million to the University of Washington for a new Computer Science & Engineering building on campus, and both companies collaborate with UW researchers on AI projects.

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Artificial intelligence is one of the hottest frontiers in tech  not only for Microsoft, Amazon and IBM, but for Facebook, Google and a host of other companies as well.

Over the past week, two high-profile commentators from vastly different quarters drew attention to the high stakes of the AI race.

During a meeting with students in Yaroslavl, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that the development of artificial intelligence raises colossal opportunities and threats that are difficult to predict now.

The one who becomes the leader in this sphere will be the ruler of the world, Putin said.

Elon Musk, the billionaire CEO of SpaceX and Tesla, took note of Putins comments and said many countries, including China and Russia, would soon be vying for AI supremacy, with potential military implications.

Competition for AI superiority at national level most likely cause of WW3, Musk tweeted. May be initiated not by the country leaders, but one of the AIs, if it decides that a preemptive strike is most probable path to victory.

However, the power of AI can sometimes be overestimated. Today a STAT investigative report said that IBMs Watson AI technology isnt living up to the lofty expectations IBM created for it in the field of cancer research.

More from GeekWire:
California may have produced the horrorshow traffic that prompted Elon Musk to pitch the hyperloop, but it's hardly the only place eager to ditch cars for levitating pods hurtling through tubes at speeds approaching the sound barrier. India wants in, too.

Today, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies, one of the companies formed to realize Musk's vision of tube travel, announced it has signed a deal with the state of Andhra Pradesh, in southeast India.

Working with the states economic development board, HTT will spend six months studying possible routes for a hyperloop connecting the cities of Vijaywada and Amaravatia move that would transform a 27-mile, hour-long drive into a six-minute whoosh. And then, over an undisclosed period of time, the Los Angeles-based company says it will build the thing.

HyperDreams

I dont think the construction hurdles are significant compared to other technologies that are already out there, says Carl Brockmeyer, Oerlikons head of business development. From a technical point of view, its not a challenge. We are used to much higher and harsher applications.

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Turning a three-hour journey from Seoul to Busan into a half-hour hop.

The India deal is just the latest for HTT, which also plans to build networks of tubes in South Korea, Slovakia, and Abu Dhabi. But to make allor anyof that happen, the companys 800 engineers (most of whom have day jobs and work on this in their spare time, in exchange for stock options) must first master the practical aspects of the hyperloop. That means building and maintaining a near-vacuum state across miles of tubes, propelling levitating pods through them, getting people or cargo into and out of those pods, and much more.

The company has not publicly demonstrated a working system, but CEO Dirk Ahlborn is confident. "We are ready to build," he told WIRED in June. "Technology is not an issue."

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That seems good enough for the folks running Andhra Pradesh. "In order to boost its image and emerge as the frontier city in future technology, Amaravati is looking forward to collaborating with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies," Krishna Kishore, CEO of the states economic development board, said in a statement.

Meanwhile, HTT's rivals are pushing ahead, too. Hyperloop One, the mainstream favorite to deliver the transportation transformation, recently fired its 28-foot pod through a test tube at nearly 200 mph. Musk himself has decided to build his own hyperloop, and is testing his own design.

But making the hyperloop work isnt the real challenge here; the physics are quite straightforward. Even regulation may not be the toughest hurdle, as the companies can cherry pick routes where local powers are keen to host the future of travel. The real difficulty lies in making a transportation system that can compete on price and practicality with established airlines, train companies, and private cars.

However that clash pans out, the Indian front is now part of the battlefield.
REUTERS/Mike Blake

JetBlue (JBLU) is capping its ticket prices in every city in Florida where the airline operates so people can evacuate as Hurricane Irma barrels through the Caribbean.

JetBlue will charge a maximum of $99 up to the last available seat for direct flights and a maximum of $159 up to the last available seat for connecting flights, a JetBlue representative told Yahoo Finance. That includes government taxes.

The airline has also added flights to its schedule out of select cities where they have aircraft available.

For existing reservations, JetBlue is waiving cancellation fees as well as waiving change fees and differences in air fare for rebooking.

Given that many Floridians are struggling to get out of harms way, this is welcome news, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson (D-FL) said in an emailed statement sent by a spokesman. I hope more airlines do the right thing and follow suit.

Other airlines followed JetBlues lead.

On Wednesday afternoon, American Airlines (AAL) said it would also cap its airfares.

While there are limited seats remaining before the storm hits, we will cap our pre-tax fares at $99 for MainCabin seats on direct, single leg flights out of Florida for tickets sold through Sunday Sept. 10 for travel until Sept. 13, a spokeswoman said in a statement to Yahoo Finance.

A spokesman for Delta (DAL) told Yahoo Finance that the airline reduced the price level of its highest fares, which are typically seen when customers are booking last-minute travel and inventory is limited.

In addition, we are waiving change fees for customers who want to change their flight plans due to the forecast. We have full details on the waiver at delta.com, the Delta spokesman said. We also are adding flights and increasing the size of the aircraft were using on flights to and from San Juan and south Florida, providing more opportunities for customers to leave. New flights are being added to and from San Juan, Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Key West, all to Atlanta (where people can connect to destinations across the U.S.).

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Delta is capping fares at $399 on flights out of Florida and the impacted islands. New flights are being added from Miami, Palm Beach, Fort Lauderdale and Key West to Atlanta, the spokesman confirmed to Yahoo Finance.

United Airlines (UAL) added six additional flights in Florida with airfare capped at $399. Those additional flights have already sold out, according to a spokesperson.

A number of travelers had complained of steep airfares as they scrambled to book tickets to flee the storm. Some had even noticed prices above $1,000.

Heres what the fares look like on JetBlues website at the time of this articles publication.

Julia La Roche is a reporter for Yahoo Finance. Follow her on Twitter.
BERLIN (Reuters) - Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday Germany should do all it can to avoid a ban on diesel vehicles in cities, adding that her government was willing to help car manufacturers make the change to cleaner models with low-emissions engines.

"We'll need combustion engines for years and decades - and still at the same time we'll have to take the bridge, the path towards new mobility and new engines," Merkel told lawmakers in the Bundestag lower house of parliament.

The centre-right chancellor said there was a collective social responsibility in Germany to admit and fix the mistakes made in the auto industry, whose reputation has been hit by a diesel emissions scandal.

(Reporting by Michael Nienaber; Editing by Paul Carrel)
Learn the lesson

The government has formed a High Level Education Commission to formulate an education policy that will suit Nepal in its new federal structure.
The logo of Dow Jones Industrial Average stock market index listed company Procter & Gamble (PG) is seen on a tube of toothpaste in Los Angeles, California, United States, April 25, 2016. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

(Reuters) - Procter & Gamble Co (PG.N) said on Thursday activist investor Nelson Peltz's plan to boost shareholder value would result in higher costs, lower profits and another restructuring that could lead to a breakup of the company.

Peltz's Trian Partners released its long-awaited proposal on Wednesday, and called for P&G to be organized into "three largely autonomous business units under a lean holding company."

"Mr. Peltz's suggestions would be value destructive, and we believe it represents another example of his misguided view of P&Gs business," P&G said in a statement.

P&G said it had studied several organizational structures, including the one proposed by Peltz, and concluded it would result in higher costs, lower efficiency, reduced profits, and an added layer of management complexity.

Trian, P&G's fifth-largest shareholder, has been locked in a prolonged battle with the consumer products conglomerate, raising investor hopes of a break-up of the company.

In July, Peltz made public his frustrations with the company's lagging stock price and its "suffocating bureaucracy" and said he was seeking a board seat, a demand the company has turned down.

"The board evaluated Mr. Peltz against its previously identified list of desired skills and experiences and concluded that he did not fill a current need," P&G said in the statement, adding that it did not get positive recommendations about Peltz from others who have worked with him.

Shareholders will vote on Oct. 10 on whether to add Peltz to the board.

P&G's shares, which have risen 5.5 percent since Peltz announced his stake in the company in February, were slightly higher before the opening bell.

(Reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru, editing by Bernard Orr)
A federal appeals court that is considering the landmark class action settlement covering millions of allegedly defective Remington rifles has now heard from a second group of state attorneys general  this one urging the court to approve the settlement. Previously, a coalition of attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia , led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, argued that the court should reject the settlement because they said it does not do enough to protect public safety. But the new group, consisting of attorneys general from 11 predominantly southern and Midwestern states led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, accuses the other states of a hidden agenda "to achieve other goals about firearms regulation in general." The case involves some 7.5 million Remington firearms including the iconic Model 700 rifle, and a dozen other models with similar designs. In 2010, CNBC investigated allegations that for decades, Remington covered up a design flaw that allows the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled. Lawsuits have linked the alleged defect to dozens of deaths and hundreds of serious injuries. Remington has steadfastly denied the allegations. The company maintains that the guns are safe, and blames all the incidents on user errors. But in 2014, the company agreed in a class action settlement to replace the triggers in millions of guns, in hopes of putting the matter to rest once and for all.Putting the settlement into effect has been elusive, however. After a federal judge gave final approval to the trigger replacement program earlier this year, two Remington rifle owners appealed the ruling, accusing the company of deliberately downplaying the risks in order to reduce the number of claims. The Massachusetts coalition agreed in a friend-of-the-court brief in July, and now the Alabama group has filed its own brief taking the other side, and essentially pitting Red states against Blue states."Politics has made its way into our judicial system in what appears are states that perceive themselves to be pro-gun taking on states that they perceive to be anti-gun," said Richard Barber, a Montana gun owner who blames a Remington Model 700 for the death of his nine-year-old son in 2000. He calls the Alabama filing "shameful.""Where does one state get off telling another state that its sole responsibility is not to protect the safety and welfare of its citizenry," Barber said.Barber, who says he is "as pro-gun as anyone," settled a wrongful death suit against Remington for an undisclosed amount and has devoted the past 17 years to learning the truth about the company and his products. He said the class action settlement is "built on a lie" because it allows Remington to continue claiming that the guns are safe.But the Alabama coalition argues that the class action case is not about safety. Rather, they say, the settlement is designed to compensate gun owners for the economic losses resulting from the purchase of an allegedly defective rifle. Under the settlement, they can still sue Remington for injuries and wrongful death."The settlement fairly resolves the only claims at issue  claims for economic damages  and leaves issues about firearms regulation, personal injury, and property damage for another day," the filing said.Barber has been contacting the offices of the attorneys general behind the latest filing, and is recruiting families who have had similar incidents to do the same.Regardless, the battle virtually assures that the issues surrounding Remington's bolt-action rifles will remain unresolved through this fall's hunting season. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Kansas City has agreed to hear oral arguments in the case, but the first available date is in mid-November. And it could be months after that before the court rules. A federal appeals court that is considering the landmark class action settlement covering millions of allegedly defective Remington rifles has now heard from a second group of state attorneys general  this one urging the court to approve the settlement. Previously, a coalition of attorneys general from 13 states and the District of Columbia , led by Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, argued that the court should reject the settlement because they said it does not do enough to protect public safety. But the new group, consisting of attorneys general from 11 predominantly southern and Midwestern states led by Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall, accuses the other states of a hidden agenda "to achieve other goals about firearms regulation in general." The case involves some 7.5 million Remington firearms including the iconic Model 700 rifle, and a dozen other models with similar designs. In 2010, CNBC investigated allegations that for decades, Remington covered up a design flaw that allows the guns to fire without the trigger being pulled. Lawsuits have linked the alleged defect to dozens of deaths and hundreds of serious injuries. Remington has steadfastly denied the allegations. The company maintains that the guns are safe, and blames all the incidents on user errors. But in 2014, the company agreed in a class action settlement to replace the triggers in millions of guns, in hopes of putting the matter to rest once and for all. Putting the settlement into effect has been elusive, however. After a federal judge gave final approval to the trigger replacement program earlier this year, two Remington rifle owners appealed the ruling, accusing the company of deliberately downplaying the risks in order to reduce the number of claims. The Massachusetts coalition agreed in a friend-of-the-court brief in July, and now the Alabama group has filed its own brief taking the other side, and essentially pitting Red states against Blue states. "Politics has made its way into our judicial system in what appears are states that perceive themselves to be pro-gun taking on states that they perceive to be anti-gun," said Richard Barber, a Montana gun owner who blames a Remington Model 700 for the death of his nine-year-old son in 2000. He calls the Alabama filing "shameful." "Where does one state get off telling another state that its sole responsibility is not to protect the safety and welfare of its citizenry," Barber said. Barber, who says he is "as pro-gun as anyone," settled a wrongful death suit against Remington for an undisclosed amount and has devoted the past 17 years to learning the truth about the company and his products. He said the class action settlement is "built on a lie" because it allows Remington to continue claiming that the guns are safe. But the Alabama coalition argues that the class action case is not about safety. Rather, they say, the settlement is designed to compensate gun owners for the economic losses resulting from the purchase of an allegedly defective rifle. Under the settlement, they can still sue Remington for injuries and wrongful death. "The settlement fairly resolves the only claims at issue  claims for economic damages  and leaves issues about firearms regulation, personal injury, and property damage for another day," the filing said. Barber has been contacting the offices of the attorneys general behind the latest filing, and is recruiting families who have had similar incidents to do the same. Regardless, the battle virtually assures that the issues surrounding Remington's bolt-action rifles will remain unresolved through this fall's hunting season. The 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Kansas City has agreed to hear oral arguments in the case, but the first available date is in mid-November. And it could be months after that before the court rules.



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Last year's Galaxy Note 7 was a big step forward for the Note line, pairing an impeccably built body with an updated S Pen and excellent performance. Then they started blowing up. The Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus did well to rehabilitate Samsung's image as a top-notch phone maker, and now the company is trying to make up for past mistakes with the brand-new Galaxy Note 8.

Samsung had a lot to prove, and it mostly succeeded. There's no doubting that the Note 8 ($929) is a great smartphone  it packs all the usual flagship amenities, not to mention a dual camera that works very, very well. The problem is, the Note 8 feels a little... by-the-book. Samsung, frankly, got so much right with its other huge phone, the Galaxy S8 Plus, that the Note 8 doesn't feel as triumphant an improvement as the Note 7 did in comparison with the S7 line. Don't get me wrong: The Note 8 is still Samsung's best smartphone, and one could even argue it's the best big phone out there. Just know that it's a pretty conservative update, and that it's going to cost you.

Hardware

As always, this year's Note takes major inspiration from the Galaxy S8s that launched earlier in the year. What's interesting is how subtly different they feel despite all those similarities. The physical differences between the Galaxy Note 8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus are minute; the former is just a hair larger than the latter in every dimension. Still, Samsung's new Note feels denser, and a little more... masculine. It's slightly heavier, and the Note 8's curved glass front and back come together in a way that makes the metal frame separating them feel more prominent. They're subtle changes, to be sure, but they're enough to make the Note 8 feel a little sturdier. These tweaks won't mean much for some of you, though. While the Note 8 is surprisingly narrow and manageable for its size, it's still a big phone that some smaller-handed people will struggle with.

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Also noteworthy is just how uncluttered the Note's face is. There's just enough room above the screen for an earpiece, an 8-megapixel front-facing camera and an iris scanner. Below the screen, there's nothing at all, since the Note 8 uses a virtual home button, but beneath that is the now standard USB-C port, a speaker, a headphone jack (!) and the S Pen's hidey-hole. Despite that glut of ports, the Note 8 is rated IP68 for water and dust resistance, allowing doofuses like to me to use the phone as a cold brew coffee stirrer. (Pro tip: It makes coffee taste terrible.) Meanwhile, the power button lives on the Note's right edge, and on the left you'll find the volume rocker and the love-it-or-hate-it Bixby key. (In case you were wondering, no, there's still no way to remap this button to do anything else.)

The back is where things start to get interesting. The Note 8 is the first major Samsung smartphone to pack a dual camera, which includes a pair of 12-megapixel sensors. I'll dig into that more later, but suffice to say, Samsung knows how to craft a camera (or two). Next to that is the LED flash and the pulse oximeter, for measuring how much oxygen is in your blood (in case you'd ever want to do that), and next to that is the fingerprint sensor. No, it hasn't moved, and yes, it's still annoying, since people are likely to smudge their camera lenses trying to reach for it. (Some might scoff, but I think LG has the right idea when it comes to rear-fingerprint-sensor placement.) Aside from that misstep, there's little to fault here. I wish the tray for the nano-SIM and microSD cards was a little sturdier, but the Note 8's fit and finish is otherwise top-notch.

Display and sound

The 6.3-inch Super AMOLED screen here is the biggest Samsung has ever squeezed into a Note. That the phone isn't crazy uncomfortable to use is a testament to Samsung's fastidious tweaking. As with the S8 line, this display runs at 18.5:9, meaning the screen is a little over twice as long as it is wide. Combine that narrower screen with an almost complete lack of side bezels and voila: We're left with a big phone that's smaller than you'd expect. In any case, the screen itself is just lovely -- colors are bright and punchy right out of the box, and if they're not exactly what you were looking for, fiddling with Samsung's various display modes will certainly help. Viewing angles are great, brightness is among the best I've seen and text and photos look crisp at the default resolution.

Unless you're paying very close attention, you probably won't even notice at first that the screen isn't running at its maximum resolution. By default, the Note 8's display runs at Full HD+ (2,220 x 1,080) rather than the maximum WQHD+ (2,960 x 1,440). Blurred edges really become noticeable only when you drop the screen's resolution down to the Infinity Display's version of 720p, but you'll probably never see that unless you drop the phone into its most stringent power-saving mode. These options are nice to have, though most people will probably never know that they're there.

It's also worth noting that, like the S8s, the Note is one of a handful of Mobile HDR Premiumcertified phones on the market. Thanks to services like Amazon and Netflix, it's surprisingly easy to get HDR content running on the Note 8, and it's absolutely worth it. I swear I'm trying not to gush, but screens are the one thing you could always count on Samsung to get right, and the tradition continues.

Now, if only the company spent just a little more time on the Note 8's single speaker. It gets points for being able to pump up the jams to respectable volume levels, but that doesn't count for much when the audio comes through sounding hollow and unsatisfying. Good thing there's a solid pair of AKG earbuds tucked inside the box.

Software

The Galaxy Note 8 runs a highly tweaked version of Android 7.1.1, but that's no surprise. Aside from a handful of new add-ons, the software here is a dead ringer for what we got on the Galaxy S8 line. I'd argue that's a good thing: Samsung polished up its custom interface dramatically this year, and it finally feels mature and well thought out. It will still be way, way too much for Android purists, but I've surprised myself by sometimes missing Samsung's tweaks when I test other devices. (File that under: "Sentences I never thought I'd write.")

I won't call out every feature carried over from the S8 family, but it's worth going over the highlights. Since there's just no room for it, Samsung ditched the physical home button for a virtual one that you press on the screen; you'll get a little jolt of haptic feedback to let you know you've done it right. Right of the box, the virtual home key takes just a little too much pressure to actuate, but it's easy to fix this in settings. The old-school launcher button is gone too, so you'll have to swipe up or down on a home screen to see all of your installed apps. More important, actually managing those apps is a lot easier. Long-pressing an app brings up a menu with options to quickly clear its notification badges, disable it or uninstall it entirely. It's a minor touch, sure, but it makes wrangling ornery apps radically simpler.

The Note 8 also packs a few relatively new interface tricks that S8 owners got in a software update over the summer. See that little dot near the on-screen navigation keys? A quick double tap on that forces the navigation bar to hide off-screen; it takes a swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring it back. It's been handy for moments when I really wanted my apps to use every pixel of this enormous screen, but in general, I like my nav keys where I can see them. And since some apps don't natively play nice with this long screen, the Note 8 will sometimes display a button you can "tap to fill the entire screen" to force things to fit.

Samsung's Edge UX is back too, and as usual, it offers access to app shortcuts, favorite contacts, device maintenance tools and more. This is where you'll find one of the few new additions to the mix: App Pair. The concept is simple: You can create a shortcut to two apps, and with a tap they'll both launch in split-screen windows. There's a little fun to be had in finding neat combinations of apps that work well together -- I'm a fan of Spotify and Genius for lyrics running side by side -- but it's a moot point for people who never do any multi-window multitasking. Nice try, though.

Bixby isn't going anywhere either, and, for better or worse, it essentially works as well here as it does on the S8 and S8 Plus. The Bixby Home experience, which lives in a panel to the left of your main home screen, did a fine job highlighting how many steps I had taken and what was up next on my calendar. Bixby Vision, which attempts to interpret whatever the camera is pointed at, remains hit-or-miss: it'll identify bottles of wine and clearly marked products without trouble, but anything other than that feels like a crapshoot. In my experience, Bixby is also a reliable listener when you hold down its dedicated button to offer voice commands.

Here's the problem, though: You can also activate the assistant with a friendly "Hi, Bixby," but the Note 8 has been more prone to false positives than either of its predecessors was. In fact, as I write this sentence, Bixby came to life in a quiet office no less than four times, and I have no idea why. That was with the microphone sensitivity set to low, mind you; it's seriously obnoxious and it shouldn't be happening.

Life with the S Pen

Whether the Note 8 makes sense for you depends largely on how you feel about the tiny pen stuck inside of it. If you've never been a stylus person, well, I'm surprised you even read this far. For people at least open to the idea, know that the S Pen offers the best writing experience you'll find on a phone... not that there's much competition.

A few words on the S Pen's design: It's mostly unchanged from the Note 7's version, meaning it's still IP68 water-resistant and supports 4,096 levels of pressure sensitivity. The nib is the same 0.7 mm as it was before, but that seems to be the sweet spot -- writing on the Note 8's massive screen is smooth and snappy, though it still lacks the pleasant tactility of using a pen on paper. I was never much of an artist, but the level of precision was more than adequate for dashing off quick sketches of -- what else? -- robots and anime faces. I'm an adult, I swear.

While the S Pen hasn't changed much physically, a handful of software tweaks and additions make it more capable. One of my favorite features, Screen Off Memo, now lets you jot down up to 100 pages of notes on the phone's screen without having to unlock the device. Whether anyone will actually ever use all 100 allotted pages is another story, but it's nice to have the option. So far, I've jotted down daily to-do lists that were several pages long; not having to unlock the phone to continue writing has been helpful. Translating text with the S Pen is much improved too, since you can now translate whole sentences and passages instead of just single words. Why the feature didn't work this way to start with escapes me, but it still works a lot better than Bixby Vision's translations.

The most notable new S Pen feature is also the most fun. Samsung has gone a little insane with GIF creation on its recent phones, and Live Message is the logical next step in that insanity. Long story short, you can use the S Pen to write animated messages that can be shared far and wide as GIFs. The concept is simple, but that simplicity belies its addictiveness: I've been sending out handwritten messages and marked-up photos that sparkle for a week, and I'm starting to think I have a problem. The only issue I've noticed is that resulting GIFs can get pretty big (think: between 10MB and 20MB), so people with tightly metered data plans might want to steer clear.

Cameras

Samsung is late to the dual-camera game, but the extra time has paid off: The company's first attempt is among the best I've ever used. The Note 8 combines a 12-megapixel telephoto sensor with another 12-megapixel sensor for wide-angle shooting, and most of the time you probably won't know which camera you're actually using. Unlike the newly announced LG V30, which has a toggle to switch between wide-angle and telephoto shooting, the Note 8 quietly switches between the two cameras depending on how closely you're zoomed into your subject. In that way, it's more like the iPhone 7 Plus's camera -- good news for people who don't want to think much before shooting, but bad news for people who crave flexibility (that would be me).

In any case, both cameras produced great-looking photos, with consistently lively colors and impressive levels of detail. They're right up there with the photos produced by the Galaxy S8s, though shots captured with the wide-angle sensor benefit from that camera's f/1.7 aperture; the telephoto lens has a respectable but unimpressive f/2.4 aperture. Thankfully, both of those sensors pack optical image stabilization, which helps the Note 8 tremendously in low light. You'll still find the occasional soft edge, but these sensors excel at sucking up whatever light is available so even shots taken in dim, dingy bars came out brighter and more vivid than I expected. Devices with a single dedicated camera, like the HTC U11, sometimes produced photos with better dynamic range, but the sheer number of options available to the Note 8's camera make it a more capable all-around shooter.

Having two cameras also means we can add bokeh to photos in the new Live Focus mode. It's not as finicky as similar features on other phones either: The camera recommends you stay about four feet away from the subject, but a couple steps closer won't screw things up. More important, you can easily control the amount of blur in each shot before and after you've taken it. It sometimes has trouble picking up every edge of the subject in front of it, but in general it's been very good at separating the foreground from the background.

Honestly, my biggest gripes have more to do with the camera interface than the cameras themselves. Let's say you're trying to zoom in on a subject. By default, you can tap a button to switch between 1x and 2x zoom modes, but it disappears for a while after you tap on the screen to lock focus and exposure. You can still pinch to zoom in and out, but it would've been nice if the shortcut button showed up again sooner. Shooting in Live Focus mode also offers close-up and wide-angle views of your photo, and you can switch between them in your gallery. Strangely, there doesn't seem to be a way to save the view you didn't select as a separate photo, even though earlier demo units did it just fine. There's definitely a little software strangeness going on here, and while it's never outright frustrating, Samsung could have stood to polish these apps further.

Performance and battery life

The Galaxy Note 8 is the latest in a long time of high-end smartphones with a Snapdragon 835 chipset, but this time Samsung paired it with 6GB of RAM rather than the 4GB we got in the S8 line. My workdays involve plenty of running around and multitasking, and I was really hoping that extra 2GB of memory would make for a noticeable difference in speed. It hasn't. If you've used a Galaxy S8 or S8 Plus this year, you know exactly what to expect when it comes to how well the Note 8 runs. That's not necessarily a bad thing, though: Barring some minor software strangeness, the Note 8's performance was effortlessly solid throughout my week of testing. Launching apps and jumping between them all willy-nilly proved to be no issue, and neither did visually sumptuous games like Afterpulse and Hearthstone.

I've said basically the same thing about most other flagships this year, and that's a testament to just how good this year's crop of high-end phones is. Still, the other side of that argument is that, since performance is starting to feel almost equal across the board, the Galaxy Note 8's doesn't feel like a huge improvement over the competition. It runs like a champ, but so does everything else.

Galaxy Note 8 Galaxy S8 Plus LG G6 OnePlus 5 Moto Z2 Force AndEBench Pro 15,568 16,064 10,322 17,456 21,425 3DMark IS Unlimited 38,960 35,626 30,346 40,081 33,385 GFXBench 1080p Manhattan Offscreen (fps) 55 55 42 60 59 CF-Bench 67,415 64,441 29,748 78,935 67,193

Fun fact about the Note 8's battery: With a capacity of 3,300mAh, it's actually a little smaller than the one in the S8 Plus. While the Note 7 also had a smaller battery than the S7 Edge, I don't think anyone could blame Samsung for keeping the conservative streak going here. Smaller doesn't necessarily mean safer, so Samsung subjected its batteries to an eight-point safety check and worked with UL for additional independent testing. That's reason to be cautiously optimistic.

Anyway, even though this smaller cell has to power a slightly larger screen, the Note 8's battery life was largely in line with the Galaxy S8 Plus. In our standard video rundown test, wherein we loop an HD video at 50 percent screen brightness with the phone connected to WiFi, the Note 8 lasted 15 hours and four minutes -- that's just four minutes less than on the S8 Plus. Of course, you're not always going to be sitting around watching the same video over and over. During the week, when I turn into a phone-obsessed workaholic, the Note has consistently run for full days and still had a little juice in the tank the next morning. On weekends, when I didn't need to pick up the phone too often, the Note 8 would stick around for a day and a half to two days.

The competition

I've been talking about it a lot in this review, but I can't help it. The Galaxy S8 Plus offers almost everything the Note 8 does, and it's not hard to find some great deals -- a recent one had the S8 Plus for under $700. That's more than $200 less than the Note 8 will cost at launch. Remember, the S8 Plus uses the same chipset (with a little less RAM), runs almost exactly the same software, has a slightly bigger battery and has an excellent single camera. For anyone who doesn't care about writing on a screen or doesn't mind about adding bokeh to their photos, the S8 Plus is an absolutely first-rate device that won't break the bank the way the Note 8 will.

It's not out yet, but LG's V30 deserves a nod here, because it's by far the best smartphone Samsung's rival has made in a long, long time. More than that, it squeezes a handsome screen and a Snapdragon 835 into a slim, sleek body that's almost shockingly light. The V30 also packs a dual camera, but this one is heavily geared toward shooting excellent video. We haven't reviewed a final unit yet, but the sheer flexibility and nuance afforded to smartphone shooters is astonishing.

And, of course, you should be mindful of the flagships launching soon. Apple is holding a press event next week at its spaceship in Cupertino to show off a new iPhone (or three of them, if the rumors are correct), and Google won't be far behind with its new line of Pixel phones. If you're really on the fence about what your next smartphone will be, this is the perfect time to wait and see what happens.

Wrap-up

The Galaxy Notes were always pretty niche devices, and that hasn't really changed. If you're intrigued by the idea of doodling on a phone with a pen, you simply will not do any better than the Galaxy Note 8. That's just a fact. For the vast majority of people who probably don't care about that, the Note 8 remains a tough sell. It's an undeniably powerful, well-made smartphone with surprisingly thoughtful features and a great dual camera. Does that mean it's worth its sky-high asking price when the Galaxy S8 Plus -- which, remember, does almost all of the same things -- can be had for between $100 and $200 less? That's up to you. While the Note 8 might be Samsung's best big phone, it's not dramatically better than the S8 Plus and probably won't be worth the extra cash for most people.
samsung galaxy note 8

You have your work cut out for you if you want to upgrade your smartphone this fall.

Between Apple, LG, Samsung, and even startups like Essential, you're going to have a bunch of great-looking, premium phones to choose from.

Samsung's latest is the Galaxy Note 8, which launches on September 15. Like its predecessors, the Note 8 packs in the best of what Samsung has to offer: the biggest screen, the most power, and advanced features like split-screen multitasking and stylus input. And unlike last year's model, Samsung promises the Note 8 has gone through rigorous safety checks to ensure the battery won't overheat. (I didn't have any problems on that front over the last week, for what it's worth.)

The Note 8 comes at a heavy price though. It starts at $930, and can go for as much as $960 depending on your carrier.

You have to pay a premium if you want the best of the best these days.

Hardware and design

The Note 8 looks kind of like a stretched-out version of the Galaxy S8 from earlier this year. It has a slightly larger 6.3-inch curved display, a new dual-lens camera system, and more RAM. Think of it as a souped-up version of the phone Samsung delivered a few months ago.

It also follows the budding trend of cramming as much screen on the front of the phone as possible, so you get more display on a device that has the almost the same physical footprint you're used to in older phones. Samsung calls this its Infinity Display, and it's quickly becoming the standard for high-end phones.

All that screen gives the Note 8 a stunning look. Samsung has always made the best smartphone displays, and this one is no exception. My only complaint is that the aspect ratio makes the screen feel a bit too "tall" to me, making it awkward to use one-handed or fit in my pocket. But videos also look incredible on this thing.

Samsung Galaxy Note 8 wireless charging

Big screens also mean there's no room for a home button, which comes with its own set of challenges.

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The Note 8 now has a digital home button that appears in a bar at the bottom of your screen. The fingerprint sensor has been moved to the back of the phone, and you also have the option to unlock the device with an iris scanner, facial recognition with the front-facing camera, or a passcode. The iris scanner works pretty well, but you have to be staring at your phone at the proper distance for it to work. It's fast, but not entirely reliable. Iris scanning doesn't always work if you're wearing glasses or holding the phone at an angle, for example. Facial recognition works fine, but as Samsung admits, it's not as secure as the iris or fingerprint scanner. In fact, someone was recently able to trick it with a photograph. Samsung shouldn't even allow a method this insecure as an option to unlock your phone.

Besides the size, the biggest thing that sets the Note 8 apart is the camera system. Like the iPhone 7 Plus, the Note 8 has two cameras on the back for enhanced photos. That means you can use a 2x optical zoom, which won't distort your photos as much as the digital zoom on single-lens cameras. It also lets you take portrait-style photos where the subject is in focus and the background is blurred. It's similar to the effect you see on high-end DSLR cameras and the iPhone 7 Plus.

samsung galaxy note 8 dual lens cameras

But unlike the iPhone 7 Plus, the Note 8 lets you adjust the blur effect before or after you take a shot with a handy slider tool at the bottom of the screen. In my tests, portrait shooting wasn't perfect though. I found that conditions have to be just right to get a perfect photo, since a lot of the work is done with software, not just the dual camera lenses. If your subject isn't the right distance from the camera and the background, the blur effect can bleed into the person you're taking a picture of. (I've had similar issues shooting portraits on the iPhone 7 Plus, for what it's worth.)

Other than that, the Note 8 has the same features found in the last few Samsung phones, including wireless charging, water resistance, and expandable memory. And if you pre-order the phone before the September 15 launch, Samsung will throw in a free wireless charging pad and 128GB memory card. That's a really good deal.

Software

samsung galaxy note 8 split screen apps

When it comes to the software side of the Galaxy Note 8, it's the same story we've seen for the last few generations of Samsung phones. The company has perfected design and performance, but still struggles to pack in innovative software that rivals what you find from Apple and Google. It's not terrible, and it's definitely not a deal breaker. It's just a step behind the rest.

The latest example is Bixby, Samsung's new digital assistant that launched earlier this summer. Bixby is so ingrained in the Note 8 that it even has a dedicated launch button on the left side of the phone. But as I've written before, Bixby feels half baked compared to Google Assistant and Siri. There were many times it didn't understand what I said, and many of my queries just dumped me into a Google search instead of bringing me the answer I wanted. Even Siri is better than that.

Bixby should get better over time as more people use it and Samsung teaches it to do more. But for now, you're better off using Google Assistant, which also ships with the Note 8.

samsung galaxy note 8 bixby

I also recommend getting the unlocked model of the Note 8 if you can. It runs a cleaner version of the operating system without all the apps from carriers that can clunk things up. Plus, you're likely to get software updates faster than you would if you bought the phone through your carrier.

Like I said, none of this is a deal breaker. The operating system runs just fine for the most part, and you can still use all the great Google apps and services, just like you can on any other Android phone. Plus there are a few nice additions from Samsung, like creating pairs of apps for split-screen multitasking and a new feature for the S Pen called Live Message, which lets you create a library of animated messages and doodles that you can text or share with any device.

samsung Galaxy Note 8 S Pen writing

Conclusion

You have a tough choice to make. Samsung has a lineup of three excellent phones  the S8, S8+, and Note 8. And within a couple months, you can expect similar offerings from Apple, LG, and Google. If you can wait a few weeks to make your decision, then hold off. But you won't be disappointed if you choose the Note 8 now.

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about the Samsung Galaxy Note 8





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Sarah Huckabee Sanders and Mike Huckabee

White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders and her father, former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, were grilled by the co-hosts of ABC's "The View" on Wednesday over President Donald Trump's comments about women, his relationship with the truth, and his handling of Hurricane Harvey, among other topics.

"Who approved you coming here, the Mooch?" co-host Joy Behar jokingly asked at the start of the interview, mentioning former White House communications director Anthony Scaramucci. "Is that why he got fired?"

The first contentious topic the panel broached was Trump's past controversial comments toward women.

"Trump, the things he says about women are just horrendous, and we all know that so let's not pretend that he hasn't said some horrifying things about women," Behar said, asking Huckabee how he can let his daughter "defend him."

Huckabee said Trump has "also empowered women" and gave his daughter "an incredible opportunity." Huckabee, the former Republican governor and presidential candidate, said Trump gave women opportunities both in the private sector and within the White House.

Confronted about allegations of racist behavior by Trump, Huckabee said Trump "opened up Mar-a-Lago to Jewish people when they had been shut out" in addition to hiring black Americans to work for the Trump Organization.

Huckabee added that if he "didn't have some confidence in" Trump's integrity, he wouldn't let his daughter serve him.

Sanders was then asked if she has struggled with Trump's past comments, and if they have made it more difficult for her to defend Trump as a person.

"I've spent a lot of time with the president," she said. "I've never felt anything but respected and empowered to do exactly what I'm there to do every day, and that is my job. I think he's an equal opportunity president, he hits men just as hard. Women want equal opportunity, and this president certainly gives it to them one by empowering them to take senior level positions ... he doesn't just put milquetoast women around him. He puts very strong, very outspoken women in very powerful positions."

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She made mention of the fact the she and interim White House communications director Hope Hicks are the first female press secretary/communications director combination to work together in a White House.

Huckabee was then pressed about how religious Americans, particularly evangelicals such as himself, can support Trump.

"It's not that difficult because nobody voted for him to be their Sunday school teacher," Huckabee said. "He's a defender of religious liberty, which means he doesn't have to embrace everything that I personally embrace in order to believe that people of faith should be respected, and that they should not be relegated to a portion of the culture."

The conversation then took a turn into Trump's tumultuous relationship with the media, which he regularly admonishes. After Sanders went on an extended rant about how, while the White House has responsibilities to uphold, the media needs to do a better job of presenting the facts, co-host Whoopi Goldberg said "you also have to get someone in the office who recognizes what the truth is."

"Where was President Obama born and is he an American citizen?" Goldberg asked, making note of the birther conspiracy that alleged former President Barack Obama was not born in the US.

Trump was the most prominent of the birther conspiracists.

"I think this has been pretty well addressed," Sanders said.

Goldberg replied, "But this narrative, this is what I'm talking about, that's a narrative that went on for forever, and he didn't really clear it up until he was in office."

Later in the discussion, Huckabee was asked about Trump's pardon of former Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of criminal contempt for ignoring a court order to stop racial profiling of Latinos. Arpaio became a notorious figure over the more than two decades he spent leading the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, which is perhaps best known for keeping inmates in a "tent city" jail under inhumane conditions. He once called the sweltering open-air facility a "concentration camp."

"I know Joe Arpaio, I do not agree that he's a racist," Huckabee said. "I don't agree with that. I don't."

Huckabee said Arpaio is "an 85-year-old man" who "has enforced the law in his county."

When one co-host pointed out that "several judges disagree," Huckabee said "we're in a country where everybody disagrees."

"I can't hardly find agreement from within my own family sometimes, it's so divided and polarized," he said.

Discussing Trump's response to Hurricane Harvey, Huckabee added that "there's so much Trump hate, that if he took a drinking straw and sucked out every drop of flood water from Houston and spit it out into the Gulf of Mexico, they would've said he should spit it into the Indian Ocean."

"He created that," Behar responded.

Watch parts of the interview below:

NOW WATCH: Columbia Law School professor explains exactly how impeachment works, and what it takes for a president to be impeached





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GoPro shares surge on strong guidance

GoPro (GPRO) shares jumped after the camera maker said it expects to turn an adjusted profit in the third quarter. The company expects revenue and gross margin for the third quarter to be at the high end of its previously announced ranges of $290 million to $310 million and 36% to 38%. GoPro also expects to be profitable on a non-GAAP basis in the third quarter. Shares are up 14.6% as of 11:30 a.m. ET.

Fitbit shares gain on new partnership

Fitbit (FIT) has reached a deal with DexCom, a leader in continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes. The two companies plan to work together to develop products for people to monitor their activity and glucose levels on their wrist. In a statement, Fitbit CEO James Park said, The strength of our brand and our ability to track critical health metrics continuously for up to 4+ days, coupled with Dexcoms market leadership in CGM, present a powerful combination that we hope will help millions of people better manage their diabetes.

Airlines cancel flights ahead of Hurricane Irma

Buckingham Research is warning that airlines could take a hit through the fall and winter if tourism to Florida and the Caribbean suffers due to the impact of Hurricane Irma. American Airlines (AAL) and Southwest Airlines (LUV) have already started canceling flights to the south Florida region because of the storm.

For more on Thursdays big stock movers and breaking news after the bell, check out The Final Round, starting at 3:55 p.m. ET, on Yahoo Finance.
FILE PHOTO: A logo of Toshiba Corp is seen on a printed circuit board in this photo illustration taken in Tokyo July 31, 2012. REUTERS/Yuriko Nakao/File Photo

By Makiko Yamazaki

TOKYO (Reuters) - Toshiba Corp's board, under pressure to clinch a deal for its prized memory chip unit soon, met on Wednesday to review a revised bid proposed by Western Digital Corp (WDC.O) but no agreement was reached, people familiar with matter said.

The latest twist in a tortuous series of revised bids and changing alliances among suitors has seen Western Digital - which has been at loggerheads with Toshiba - offering to drop out of the bid it is organizing if that will help get a deal done and other conditions are met, separate sources said on Tuesday.

Those conditions include no other rival chipmaker being part of the consortium and a stronger position for the U.S. firm in their joint chip venture, they said.

Scrambling to cover billions of liabilities at its U.S. nuclear unit, Toshiba needs an agreement in the next few weeks. According to one person with direct knowledge of the situation, Toshiba's board is aiming to vote on the new proposal at a meeting next week.

Sources declined to comment as they were not authorized to speak on the matter. Toshiba declined to comment on the auction process.

Western Digital, which has invested heavily in their chip joint venture, had been on the backfoot for much of the auction this year as Toshiba entertained other higher bids. Relations between the two frayed to the point where the U.S. firm, which argues no deal is possible without its consent, initiated legal action.

Toshiba shares rose nearly 5 percent on hopes that Western Digital's compromise, in which it would stay in the consortium but no longer offer financing, would help seal a deal.

But whether the revised proposal will be enough to get the Western Digital-backed consortium, which also includes U.S. private equity firm KKR & Co LP (KKR.N) as well as Japanese government-backed investors, over the finishing line is unclear.

TOSHIBA WARY

Toshiba remains wary that Western Digital is still angling to take control of the unit - worth $17 billion to $18 billion - at some point in the future, sources familiar with the matter said.

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Just last week, Toshiba said it had not narrowed the pool of suitors and was also looking at a bid from U.S. private equity firm Bain, which has roped in Apple Inc (AAPL.O) to bolster its offer, as well as one from Taiwan's Foxconn (2317.TW).

It was not known if those bids were also reviewed by Toshiba's board on Wednesday.

One source said the Western Digital consortium was now sounding out Apple's interest in providing some financing to the chip business, although another source said this did not sound feasible.

The value of the revised offer from the Western Digital-backed consortium was not immediately clear.

Under its earlier proposal, the U.S. firm was offering to contribute 150 billion yen ($1.4 billion) through convertible bonds as part of the consortium's $17-18 billion offer, sources have said.

But Toshiba insisted that Western Digital limit the size of its stake in the chip unit to 15 percent over the next 10 years - a condition that the U.S. firm declined to accept, they added.

In exchange for withdrawing from the consortium, Western Digital is asking Toshiba for a larger share of the chip allocation at their plant. It is also demanding that Toshiba ensure the two firms invest jointly in new production lines, sources said.

Toshiba, after the board meeting, said it decided to build a new semiconductor manufacturing facility in Iwate, northern Japan, and was considering whether its chip joint venture partner SanDisk, owned by Western Digital, will take part.

Failure to clinch a sale of the chip unit in the next few weeks could mean that it may not clear all necessary regulatory approvals by the end of the financial year in March, which would likely lead to Toshiba reporting negative equity for two years in a row, increasing its chances of its shares being delisted.

(Reporting by Makiko Yamazaki; Additional reporting by Kentaro Hamada and Taro Fuse, Taiga Uranaka, Junko Fujita and Chris Gallagher; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)
Mahara stresses resumption of Tatopani border during China visit

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Foreign Affairs Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is on a six-day visit to China, held a meeting with Chinese Prime Minister Li Keqiang at the latters office in Beijing on Thursday.
donald trump

President Donald Trump on Tuesday issued a lengthy statement defending his decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which shields roughly 800,000 young immigrants from deportation.

In the statement, Trump argued that DACA, implemented in 2012 by President Barack Obama, was "unlawful and unconstitutional and cannot be successfully defended in court."

Trump had faced a lawsuit filed by by officials from 10 Republican states if he did not announce he would end DACA by September 5. On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that DACA would be phased out over a six-month period, allowing Congress time to enact a legislative solution instead.

"Congress now has the opportunity to advance responsible immigration reform that puts American jobs and American security first," his statement said.

The statement also laid out the timeline for the program's termination, declaring no new applications for work permits will be accepted, but existing ones will be honored and renewal applications for permits facing "near-term expiration" will be processed.

"This is a gradual process, not a sudden phase out," the statement said. "Thus, in effect, I am not going to just cut DACA off, but rather provide a window of opportunity for Congress to finally act."

The statement also addressed some critics' concerns that rescinding DACA would leave its recipients vulnerable to deportation, declaring that "DACA recipients are not enforcement priorities unless they are criminals, are involved in criminal activity, or are members of a gang."

"Our enforcement priorities remain unchanged. We are focused on criminals, security threats, recent border-crossers, visa overstays, and repeat violators," the statement said.

In the statement, Trump acknowledged a common argument in defense of DACA  that its recipients were brought to the US illegally at young ages, through no fault of their own, and in many cases grew up in the US knowing no other home country.

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"I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents," the statement said. "But we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws."

He went on to argue that Washington, DC's "failure" to enforce federal immigration law led to lower wages and higher unemployment among American workers, as well as "burdens" on the education and healthcare systems, and the entry of drugs and "criminal cartels."

"Yet few in Washington expressed any compassion for the millions of Americans victimized by this unfair system," the statement said. "Before we ask what is fair to illegal immigrants, we must also ask what is fair to American families, students, taxpayers, and jobseekers."

NOW WATCH: Columbia Law School professor explains exactly how impeachment works, and what it takes for a president to be impeached





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President Donald Trump walks from Marine One across the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 23, 2017, as he returns from Reno, Nev. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Donald Trump is set to make the next stop on his tax reform tour on Wednesday, visiting the Andeavor refinery in North Dakota.

Trump said on Twitter Wednesday morning that he planned to address not only a comprehensive overhaul, but tax cuts more specifically.

The Andeavor refinery, which produces gas, diesel and jet fuel, processes 74,000 barrels per day. The facility employs 250 people and is located about 10 miles west of Bismarck, North Dakota.

Trump will be joined by North Dakotas Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp, which some believe is a plea for bipartisanship on the tax reform effort.

On Tuesday, Trump met with the Big Six  the group of Republican administration officials and lawmakers responsible for crafting tax reform legislation  and said he intended to reduce taxes for both individuals and businesses, which he hopes will spur job creation.

However, Rep. Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) told FOX Business on Wednesday that the window for passing a comprehensive tax reform bill was closing.

Theres a sense of urgency now and the sense of urgency is weve got this collapsing window of time. This has to happen, in my opinion, in 2017. If it doesnt happen in 2017, this will be the big fish that got away, he said.

Roskam also said lawmakers are waiting on the Big Six to lay out the parameters regarding exactly what they expect to be included in the tax bill, like what the rates should be and whether the legislation should be revenue neutral.

So far, the GOP has been mum on tax reform details. During a rally stop in Springfield, Missouri last week, Trump said he hopes to slash the corporate tax rate to 15% and aims to cut the tax rate for middle-income Americans.

In addition to tax reform, lawmakers were working on a relief bill for Hurricane Harvey victims on Wednesday. They must also increase the United States borrowing authority by Sept. 29 and pass a new spending bill before the onset of the new fiscal year in October.

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(Rewrites throughout, adds Warner quotes, Twitter declining to comment)

By Dustin Volz and Jonathan Landay

WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Twitter Inc is expected to brief U.S. congressional investigators soon on whether Russia used its advertising platform to promote divisive social and political messages during the 2016 election, Senator Mark Warner said on Thursday.

The news came a day after Facebook said an operation likely based in Russia had placed thousands of U.S. ads with polarizing views on topics such as immigration, race and gay rights on the social media site during a two-year-period through May 2017.

Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the suspected Russian placement of such ads may have gone far beyond what Facebook disclosed, and that Twitter and other technology companies should also examine the issue.

"It was my belief that the Russians were using those sites to interfere in our elections, and the first reaction from Facebook was, No. You're crazy." Warner said at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance conference in Washington.

"I think what we saw yesterday in terms of their brief was the tip of the iceberg," Warner said.

He also told reporters he expected Twitter to soon brief the Senate Intelligence Committee, one of the panels investigating Russian meddling in the 2016 election and whether members of President Donald Trump's campaign colluded with Moscow.

A Warner spokeswoman later confirmed that was expected to occur.

Twitter declined to comment.

Facebook briefed U.S. lawmakers on the issue on Wednesday and also turned over information about the ads to Robert Mueller, the special counsel who is leading his own investigation into alleged Russian interference in the election, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.

That information included copies of the ads and data about the buyers, the source said.

Warner said he wanted to have Facebook brief lawmakers again and that he wanted Twitter and other companies to do the same.

"As you see for example in the case of Facebook, they denied that they were being used in any way. They didnt do anything," Warner said. "But by the time of the French elections, Facebook was working with the French" and they shut down 50,000 accounts.

Warner said legislation may be required to change how social media platforms can be used for political advertising to bring federal disclosure rules in line with those governing television advertising. (Reporting by Dustin Volz and Jonathan Landay; Writing by Susan Heavey; Editing by Paul Simao)
U.S. natural gas futures edge higher as traders monitor storms

Investing.com - U.S. natural gas futures edged higher on Wednesday, recouping some of the prior session's more than 3% decline as potentially catastrophic Hurricane Irma headed for American shores.

Another Tropical Storm, Jose, is gathering strength in the Atlantic and may shape up as another hurricane.

The weather threats come after Hurricane Harvey caused flooding and devastation in Texas less than two weeks ago, forcing the closure of several refineries and pipelines.

Energy traders track tropical weather in the event it disrupts production in the Gulf of Mexico.

U.S. natural gas for October delivery was at $2.997 per million British thermal units by 9:05AM ET (1305GMT), up 2.5 cents, or around 0.9%.

Futures sank 9.8 cents, or 3.2%, on Tuesday, as traders began to react to the reality that higher summer demand for the commodity is coming to an end.

Summer heat has waned and cooler temperatures beckon with the approach of autumn, when gas demand typically slackens and prices fall.

Total natural gas in storage currently stands at 3.155 trillion cubic feet, according to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, around 7.0% lower than levels at this time a year ago and less than 1.0% above the five-year average for this time of year.

Early market expectations for this week's storage data due on Thursday is for a build in a range between 58 and 67 billion cubic feet in the week ended September 1.

That compares with a gain of 30 billion cubic feet in the preceding week, a build of 36 billion a year earlier and a five-year average rise of 58 billion cubic feet.

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U.S. natural gas bounces back as traders monitor Irma, other storms

Oil prices continue to climb as market recovers from Harvey

Gold hovers near 1-year highs as geopolitical tensions dominate
By Alwyn Scott and Mike Stone (Reuters) - Aerospace supplier United Technologies Corp has struck a $30 billion agreement to buy avionics and interiors maker Rockwell Collins Inc , the companies said on Monday, in a deal that bulks up UTC's power with plane makers by creating one of the world's largest makers of civilian and defense aircraft components. Farmington, Connecticut-based United Technologies will pay $140 per share for Rockwell Collins, split between $93.33 per in cash and $46.67 in stock, according to the companies. The price represents a 17.6 percent premium to Rockwell's $119 share price before news of the talks emerged on Aug. 4. Shares of Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based Rockwell Collins closed at $130.61 on Friday. U.S. markets were closed on Monday for the Labor Day holiday. The acquisition price implies a total transaction value of $30 billion, including Rockwell Collins' debt, and a total equity value of $23 billion. United Tech said it plans to fund the cash portion through debt issuances and cash on hand. Under the deal, the companies said that Rockwell Collins and UTC's aerospace systems segment will be combined to create a new business unit named Collins Aerospace Systems. "This acquisition adds tremendous capabilities to our aerospace businesses and strengthens our complementary offerings of technologically advanced aerospace systems," UTC's chairman and chief executive officer, Greg Hayes, said in the statement. "Together, Rockwell Collins and UTC Aerospace Systems will enhance customer value in a rapidly evolving aerospace industry by making aircraft more intelligent and more connected," he said. SUPPLIERS VS PLANEMAKERS The creation of a new giant in the top echelon of aircraft parts makers comes as planemakers Boeing Co and Airbus SE are trying to capture more of the profits earned by their suppliers. Both are pushing suppliers to lower prices and are moving into the high-margin aftermarket arena for parts and services that suppliers now enjoy. In a move seen as a threat to Rockwell, Boeing said in July that it would build up its own avionics business. Last week, Airbus urged supplier UTC to stay focused on fixing industrial problems that have delayed new aircraft deliveries. If plane makers "are going to take more of the aftermarket or demand more of the aftermarket, we're going to have to think about how we price our products," Hayes told analysts in July. By making more of the components needed on each aircraft, analysts say, United Technologies likely will gain some leverage to resist such pressures. The deal also follows a wave of consolidation among smaller aerospace manufacturers in recent years that was caused in part by the need to invest in new technologies such as metal 3-D printing and connected factories to stay competitive. A combined United Technologies and Rockwell Collins could similarly invest, and their broad portfolios have little overlap. United Technologies makes Pratt & Whitney jet engines used by Airbus, Bombardier Inc , Embraer SA and other plane makers. It supplies engines for Lockheed Martin Corp's F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. It also supplies such key components as landing gear, air conditioning systems and engine covers to a wide range of jetliners. Rockwell Collins is a major avionics supplier to Boeing and Airbus and other plane makers. In April it added passenger seating, cabin interiors, lavatories and galleys through its $6.4 billion acquisition of B/E Aerospace. The two companies have spent a month trying to reach an agreement, and their combined sales would be more than $62 billion, compared with about $95 billion for Boeing. United Technologies expects to close the purchase in the third quarter of 2018. The company, with a $94.2 billion market value, also owns Otis Elevator and air conditioner maker Carrier. Rockwell Collins has a market value of $21.2 billion. The deal, which includes $7 billion in Rockwell's debt, is expected to save more than $500 million by the fourth year after its completion, the companies said. Morgan Stanley & Co LLC was the financial adviser to United Tech, and Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz was its legal adviser. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC and Citigroup Global Markets Inc were Rockwell's financial advisers, while Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom was its legal adviser. (Reporting by Alwyn Scott and Mike Stone; Additional reporting by Michael Flaherty and Chuck Mikolajczak in New York and Yashaswini Swamynathan in Bengaluru; Editing by Leslie Adler)
Kim Jong Un

North Korea's testing of what it said was a hydrogen bomb that observers estimated to yield 10 times the explosive power of the atomic bomb dropped on Hiroshima has escalated the threat and gravity of potential nuclear war on the Korean Peninsula, but there could actually be a worse outcome yet.

As the US and its allies scramble to cook up sanctions tough enough to curb North Korea's weapons program or bring it to the table, many have pointed out that decades of diplomacy and sanctions have failed to contain Pyongyang's nuclear breakout.

Instead, in the view of Malcolm Davis, the senior analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, the US and its allies have the "unenviable choice" between two dark futures.

"We either need to use military means to neutralize the threat," Davis told Business Insider, "or we accept North Korea as a nuclear-weapon state."

"If we do the latter, we avoid war in the short term but end up with a more dangerous situation in the long run," Davis said.

Davis argues that caving in to North Korea's nuclear pressure would set a precedent eventually causing the nuclear-nonproliferation regime in Asia to fall apart and the US's influence in Asia to collapse.

In such a scenario, Davis expects South Korea and Japan and possibly other countries in Asia and around the world to acquire nuclear weapons, something he calls a "far more destabilizing disorder."

The US will have to make the critical decision soon. As the UN Security Council gears up for another round of sanctions on North Korea, it will become clearer whether China is willing to cut off trade enough to cripple the North Korean government's ability to develop weapons capable of destroying US cities.

north korea missile tests

If the US determines China to be an unwilling partner, it will be faced with a choice: "We accept the need to go to war, or we accept" North Korea as a nuclear weapons state, Davis said.

Story continues

For this reason, even though a conflict with North Korea could cost hundreds of thousands of lives in an allys capital city and potentially even result in the destruction of US cities from a hydrogen bomb delivered via an intercontinental ballistic missile, the US still considers military action against Pyongyang an option.

NOW WATCH: Heres why there are nuclear fallout shelter signs on buildings in NYC





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Media Society launches campaign against corruption

The Nepal Media Society (NMS), an umbrella organisation of mainstream media outlets in the country, has launched a campaign against corruption.
By Alexandra Ulmer

CARACAS (Reuters) - Venezuela has arrested the state oil company's boss for the western region and eight other executives at PDVSA, according to an internal company memo and a half-dozen sources in the OPEC member's oil industry.

It was not immediately clear why Gustavo Malave and the other employees were apprehended, though a series of corruption probes are under way at PDVSA and have entangled other employees.

The sources said Malave was arrested on Monday in Zulia state, Venezuela's traditional oil-producing region near Colombia, in what would be one of the highest-profile detentions of a PDVSA executive.

PDVSA, the prosecutor's office, and Malave did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Separately, Venezuela's new chief prosecutor Tarek Saab on Thursday announced he was investigating "spectacular" overpricing in a dozen contracts in the nation's Orinoco oil belt, on the other side of the country. [nL2N1LH1BL]

The reputation of PDVSA - short for Petroleos de Venezuela SA - has been tarnished in recent years by graft investigations involving high-profile staff.

The company has blamed the problems on a small group of employees and executives, and promised a war on corruption.

Last year, the opposition-led congress said $11 billion was lost at PDVSA between 2004 and 2014, when Rafael Ramirez was in charge of the company. He denied the allegations. [nL1N1CP1BX]

The Caracas-based company is the financial motor of leftist President Nicolas Maduro's government, but is reeling from low oil prices, mismanagement, and lack of investments. [nL1N1KT1ER]

(Reporting by Alexandra Ulmer; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne and Andrea Ricci)
People line up at a Walmart store that reopened Friday after Tropical Storm Harvey in Port Arthur, Texas, U.S., September 1, 2017. REUTERS/Carlo Allegri (Reuters)

By Nandita Bose

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Wal-Mart Stores Inc has begun its holiday layaway program as it hopes to cash-in early on demand for gifts like toys, which saw slower sales growth industry-wide last December and has struggled to pick up so far this year.

The world's largest retailer started the layaway program on Sept. 1, a day before it did last year where customers can pay as little as $10 to hold items worth a minimum of $50.

Layaway programs, which have made a comeback since the 2008 financial crisis as customers avoided using credit cards to make purchases, allow shoppers to put aside holiday merchandise like electronics and toys and make payments in installments until the full price has been paid.

These plans tend to have a sizeable impact on sales and analyst estimates suggest the program accounts for as much as 15 percent of holiday revenues at Wal-Mart stores in poorer areas of the United States.

Wal-Mart expects demand for toys to remain strong this year, despite worries about possible viewer fatigue after two strong years for the Star Wars franchise.

"We think episode eight is going to be a strong movie, strong theatrical, the weekend was what we expected ... and what was going on in our stores and anticipate that will carry through," Anne Marie Kehoe, Wal-Mart's vice president of toys, said on a conference call. The retailer released Star Wars products at its stores on Sept. 1.

She said Wal-Mart has stocked a bigger assortment of Star Wars items at a variety of price points this year.

According to data from The NPD Group, the U.S. toy industry grew 5.5 percent between January-November 2016 but in December sales grew 3 percent, bringing annual 2016 growth to about 5 percent at $20.4 billion. In 2015, sales grew 6.7 percent.

Sales are also off to a slower start in 2017, the NPD group said in a note in July.

Toy sales have been under pressure as they compete with videogames and YouTube videos. Toymakers like Lego A/S and Mattel Inc, who are seeing sales decline, have been attempting to modernize toys for the digital age.

For the holiday season, Wal-Mart said it will have 300 toys exclusively available at its stores and on its website from 400 toys last year. It includes Frozen Sleigh and Monster Jam Grave Digger along with collectible items like Fingerlings, L.O.L. Surprise Fizz Factory and littleBits Star Wars Droid Inventor Kit, Kehoe said.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago)
Walt Disney DIS shares climbed on Tuesday morning after Wells Fargo WFC upgraded the media giants stock.

Wells Fargo upgraded Disney from "market perform" to "outperform" and raised its price target to $116 a share from $109 a share, which would mark a 14% gain from Friday's close. The firm pointed to Disneys new commitment to enter the streaming and over-the-top programming sector as the key reason for its renewed faith in the media powerhouse.

Disney recently announced that it expects to introduce a Disney brand direct-to-consumer streaming service in 2019. The company also hopes to roll out a streaming version of the struggling ESPN channel as soon as 2018.

With DISs foray into direct-to-consumer (DTC) streaming, we cant help but believe the TV ecosystem will soon embark on an accelerated over-the-top (OTT) path, Wells Fargo analyst Marci Ryvicker wrote in a note to clients Monday. Thus, investors may need to start thinking about increasing exposure to those media cos. with solid streaming strategies, such as CBS CBS, FOXA FOXA, and DIS

Disney announced in early August that the company would leave Netflix NFLX to set up an exclusive streaming platform for all Disney and Pixar movies.

"We like the entry point for DIS even if we're early.  We view the risk/reward as heavily skewed to the upside," Ryvicker noted. "We continue to believe Disney is a premium brand with one of the best management teams in media."

Wells Fargo also said that if Disneys move into video streaming is successful that we might even see the stock return to trading at a 1-2x premium to the market, putting the stock at $128/share.

Disneys stock has had an up and down year thus far, and shares of the conglomerate have dropped significantly from its 52-week high water mark of $116 a share that it reached in April.

Shares of Disney popped over 1% in morning trading on Tuesday, but now hover around 0.50% higher than Fridays closing price at $102 a share.

Story continues

Other Note Highlights

Ryvicker upgraded Disney based on a strong belief in the companys ability to successfully progress into the world of digital streaming. The same Wells Fargo note cautioned investors about media companies that dont have enough exposure in nonlinear television.

The analyst pointed to three companiesDiscovery Communications DISCA, Scripps Networks SNI, and Viacom VIABas media outlets that could potentially be hurt as the shift towards streaming continues to heat up.

Ryvicker singled out Viacom as being particularly exposed and downgraded the stock accordingly. Ryvicker downgraded Viacoms non-voting stock to market perform from outperform. The analyst also lowered her price target from $43 a share to $32 a share.



Shares of Scripps Networks fell marginally, while Discovery Communications saw its stock price sink by around 1% to touch a new 52-week intraday trading low of $21.89 a share.

Viacoms class B shares dropped by over 3.20% to hit a new 52-week intraday trading low. The companys voting VIA shares dipped by roughly 2%.

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A suicide bomber riding a motorcycle has blown himself up outside the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, Afghan officials say.

The Taliban claimed the September 6 attack was in revenge for a U.S. leaflet deemed highly offensive to Muslims.

U.S. and Afghan authorities confirmed several people were wounded in the late afternoon attack at Bagram Airfield, some 55 kilometers north of Kabul.

The Taliban claimed responsibility and said it was in retaliation for the authorities' "insult to the Islamic creed."

A spokesman for the governor of Parwan Province, where Bagram is located, said that "a suicide attacker on a motorbike detonated himself at the third gate of Bagram air base."

"The attacker was riding a motorcycle. Three wounded can be confirmed," Interior Ministry spokesman Najib Danish said.

NATO's Resolute Support mission said in a statement that "an explosion" had occurred "outside an entry-control point" to Bagram that had caused a "small number of casualties."

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid claimed the attacker had killed and wounded "over 20 soldiers."

The incident came hours after U.S. forces apologized for dropping leaflets in Parwan Province that Deputy Governor Shah Wali Shahid said included an image of a dog carrying the Taliban flag.

The Islamic statement of faith -- "There is no God but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah" -- was superimposed on the dog's body.

Major General James Linder, who heads the U.S. and NATO special-operations forces in Afghanistan, issued a statement apologizing for the leaflet design, which he said was an "error."

NATO forces frequently drop leaflets over large swaths of Afghanistan in an effort to persuade locals against supporting insurgents.

Based on reporting by AP and AFP
UN workers estimate that a total of 87,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have arrived in Bangladesh since violence erupted in Burma, also known as Myanmar, on August 25. Video obtained by Reuters shows refugees sitting under makeshift tents in the Kutupalong camp in Bangladesh on September 5.
English Chinese (Simplified)

AMSTERDAM, The Netherlands, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- IBFD is pleased to announce it will host the 8th International Tax Conference at the Intercontinental Beijing Sanlitun Hotel on 22 September. Held annually in China, the goal of the IBFD International Tax Conference is to promote and develop the understanding of cross-border taxation at the highest level. With international taxation a hot topic more than ever before, the 2017 edition of the conference is set to be the most well attended in its eight-year history, attracting an appealing mix of government, academic, corporate and advisory bodies together with distinguished speakers who will explore the ground-breaking developments of the international tax landscape and their impact on China and the rest of the world.



Key topics of the 8th IBFD International Tax Conference will include the global impact of the proposed US tax reform, how the Multilateral Instrument will be implemented in China, and the highlights, related issues and practical solutions of new transfer pricing rules in the country. Additionally, with Chinas Belt and Road initiative in full swing, the conference will focus on outbound investment and the associated tax issues that are often overlooked by Chinese enterprises.

The steady growth and development of the Chinese economy has spurred the interest and demand for knowledge in international taxation across all sectors in China. The International Tax Conference was created to provide a platform for those tax professionals and policymakers to share knowledge for the common good around international tax, said Victor van Kommer, Tax Services Director at IBFD and Chief Operations Officer of IBFD China. Its very exciting to see how the conference has developed into the premier event in the country for tax professionals.

To learn more about the topics, speakers and agenda, please visit the official IBFD event page.

Supported by:

Deloitte China

Golden Finance

About IBFD



IBFD is a leading international provider of cross-border tax expertise, with a long-standing history of supporting and contributing to tax research and academic activities. As an independent foundation, IBFD utilizes its global network of tax experts and its Knowledge Centre to serve Fortune 500 companies, governments, international consultancy firms and tax advisors. Headquartered in Amsterdam, IBFD has regional offices in Beijing, Washington and Kuala Lumpur. IBFDs Library and Information Centre is widely regarded as the world's leading research facility in the field of international and comparative taxation.

Renowned as the leading expertise portal in the field of cross-border taxation and legislation, IBFDs powerful Tax Research Platform allows tax practitioners around the world to access a wealth of reliable and valuable content, enabling faster and more effective work.

IBFDs complete coverage further includes courses, journals and books, and a Masters in International Tax Law (in collaboration with the University of Amsterdam). IBFD also offers government consultancy and individual client research services.
English French

7 September 2017, 5:35 pm

At its meeting of 7 September 2017, Rubis' Supervisory Board approved the half-yearly financial statements for the period ended 30 June 2017.

The first half of 2017 saw robust organic growth, reflected by an 8% increase in the overall sales volume at constant scope. The acquisitions completed in Haiti and Turkey in the first half of 2017 made a positive contribution to results, leading to a 10% increase in EBIT (stable at constant scope).

Completion of the acquisition of the shareholders' interests in Turkey resulted in non-recurring income of 14 million. Overall, the Group recorded record net income of 139 million, up 34% (8% at constant scope).

All three of the Group's business divisions contributed to this increase, driven both by organic growth and acquisitions, which generated a strong contribution in terms of profitability:

Rubis Energie benefited from an 8% increase in distributed volumes (up 4% at constant scope) that led to a 13% increase in EBIT (up 6% at constant scope), driven in particular by a rebound in business and margins in the bitumen sector in Africa;

Rubis Support and Services recorded a strong recovery in sales volumes thanks in particular to the bitumen sector. However, the decline in unit margins meant that, excluding non-recurring expenses, EBIT remained stable;

Rubis Terminal enjoyed strong growth (+11%) of its storage revenues, with all depots operating at full capacity. Rubis Terminal Petrol (Turkey) has been fully consolidated since 1 January and made a strong contribution to the results, generating a 31% increase in EBIT (+7% at constant scope, excluding non-recurring expenses).

KEY FIGURES FOR THE FIRST HALF-YEAR

(in  millions) 2017 2016 Change Revenue 1,815 1,453 25% EBITDA 238 213 12% EBIT, of which 177 160 10% Rubis Energie 126 112 13% Rubis Support and Services 31 33 -7% Rubis Terminal 31 24 31% Net income, Group share 139 104 34% Cash flow 189 165 15% Capital expenditure 80 76

The 15% increase in cash flow generation over the period reflects the quality of the results.

At the end of April, Rubis completed the acquisition of Dinasa in Haiti to become the largest distributor of petroleum products on the island and significantly expand its business in the Caribbean region.

In July, Rubis announced the acquisition of Galana, the leading distributor of petroleum products in Madagascar, thereby scaling up its operations in the Indian Ocean. It also acquired certain LPG distribution assets in Portugal from Repsol.

The Group's financial position following these transactions remains solid, with an annualised net debt to EBITDA ratio of 1.4.

RUBIS ENERGIE: Petroleum products distribution

Propane prices were up sharply compared with the first half of 2016 (+41% in USD). This change had no overall impact (unit margin: +2%), affecting only European operations, where a slight (-3%) contraction in the unit margin was observed in the LPG segment.

CHANGE IN VOLUMES SOLD BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA

IN THE FIRST HALF-YEAR

(in '000 m3) 2017 2016 Change Change at constant scope Europe 426 425 0% 1% Caribbean 908 818 11% -3% Africa 496 451 10% 10% TOTAL 1,830 1,694 8% 2%

CHANGE IN VOLUMES SOLD BY GEOGRAPHIC AREA

IN THE SECOND QUARTER

(in '000 m3) Q2 - 2017 Q2 - 2016 Change Change at constant scope Europe 185 193 -4% -4% Caribbean 498 415 20% -6% Africa 242 234 3% 3% TOTAL 926 842 10% -3%

Volumes as reported were up 8% at current scope. Changes in scope over the period concern the Caribbean, with the acquisition of Dinasa (Haiti). Adjusted for the scope effect, sales increased by 2% despite a slight reduction (-1%) in LPG sales in Europe related to adverse weather conditions (worse than the 30-year average and in 2016).

Adjusted for non-recurring items including termination of a relatively unprofitable wholesale contract to supply EDF with crude fuel oil in Martinique, and a strike in French Guiana, sales volumes in the Caribbean were up by 2% and overall volumes by 4% (at constant scope).

In terms of unit margins, the decline seen in LPG in Europe (-3%) was offset by the strong rebound in Africa's bitumen sector (up 9%), enabling the overall unit margin to remain at a satisfactory level.

Overall, the division posted record EBIT of 126 million (up 13%):

Europe (EBIT -12%): the contraction was attributable to climatic factors, a negative unit margin effect and a 2016 base effect. At constant scope, EBIT fell by 11%;

Caribbean (EBIT +25%): the sharp growth in the Eastern Caribbean reflecting expansion of the sales network was offset by a reduction in Jamaica resulting from the local refiner's aggressive positioning. The situation stabilised at the end of the period. The results include Haiti's two-month contribution. At constant scope, EBIT was stable;

the results in Africa (EBIT +33%) were buoyed by the bitumen sector, notably in Nigeria. The existing scope (South Africa, Morocco, Madagascar and Reunion) continues to grow apace (up 11%).

RUBIS SUPPORT AND SERVICES: Refining, shipping, and trading-supply

This sub-group comprises Rubis Energie's petroleum product supply facilities:

the 71% interest in the Caribbean refinery (Sara);

the trading and supply activity, based in Barbados and operating in international markets;

in logistics support, the shipping activity (12 chartered vessels).

EBIT came in at 31 million compared with 33 million in 2016. Excluding a non-recurring provision, EBIT was unchanged.

The results of the Sara refinery are recognised using the calculation formula set by decree (9% of equity at the end of the prior year), and were stable year on year.

While sales volumes at the petroleum products and bitumen trading, supply and shipping activity were up sharply (by 59%), unit margins were lower than in 2016, resulting in an unchanged EBIT excluding a non-recurring provision.

RUBIS TERMINAL: Liquid products storage

The storage activity reported revenue growth of 35% as a result of the full integration of Rubis Terminal Petrol (Turkey). However, activity measured as revenue incorporating 100% of the scope assets (unchanged) grew by 11%, with storage billings of 96.9 million, representing flows across all products of 7.3 million tonnes, up 14%.

This growth (11%) breaks down geographically as follows:

France storage: +3%, driven by oil revenues (up 5%);

Northern Europe storage: +27%, reflecting the increase in capacity at the end of 2016, with a utilisation rate of almost 90%;

Turkey: +19%, characterised by strong growth in flows from and to northern Iraq (Kurdistan).

Reported EBIT increased by 31% to 31 million. However, the performance analysed based on a comparable scope, including the contribution of Antwerp (SME) to EBIT and adjusting for non-recurring expenses, was up 7%.

OUTLOOK

The increase in activity and the integration of acquisitions in the second half of the year is expected to sustain earnings growth over full year 2017.

Next results:

Third-quarter revenue on 9 November 2017 (after market close)

Media contact Analyst contact PUBLICIS CONSULTANTS - Aurelie Gabrieli RUBIS - Investor relations Tel: +33 (0)1 44 82 48 33 Tel: +33 (0)1 44 17 95 95

Attachments:

http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/cfc727e1-29d3-4bcc-90c1-0e2fde1e1f5e
HALIFAX, Nova Scotia, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oceanus Resources Corporation (TSXV:OCN) (OTCQB:OCNSF) ("Oceanus" or the Corporation) reports it has received assay results of channel samples collected from the legacy underground exploration tunnels on the unmined Protectora, Caleigh and Fundadora veins located north of the old El Tigre Mine (see Figure 1 Location Map).



The Figure 1 Location Map accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9909d934-e145-4f0e-8491-0e431c3abb23

In the Fundadora workings, the most significant result is from Channel ETLU-254 which returned 19.5 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 14.7 g/t gold and 359.8 g/t silver across a true width of 5.20 meters; including 57.3 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 43.5 g/t gold and 1,039.5 g/t silver across a true width of 1.70 meters.

In the Caleigh workings, channel sample ETLU-242 returned 48.2 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 25.5 g/t gold and 1,704.2 g/t silver over a true width of 0.50 meters. Channel ETLU-243 returned 34.8 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 12.6 g/t gold and 1,659.4 g/t silver over a true width of 1.0 meters.

In the Protectora workings, channel sample ETLU-215 returned 5.70 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 1.59 g/t gold and 308.3 g/t silver across a true width of 1.25 meters; and channel sample ETLU-218 returned 3.94 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 2.09 g/t gold and 112.7 g/t silver across a true width of 1.50 meters.

Glenn Jessome, President and CEO of Oceanus reports, The high-grade gold-silver-base metal mineralization in the Protectora, Caleigh and Fundadora Veins is an exciting new development on the El Tigre property. The results from the mapping and sampling of the underground workings present a series of high priority drill targets for this fall over a 2 kilometer strike length north of the old El Tigre Mine.

As press released on June 7, 2017 and June 27, 2017, drill hole ET-17-144 in the Protectora Vein returned 0.85 meters of 135.1 g/t gold equivalent consisting of 37.2 g/t gold, 7,338.9 g/t silver as well as 2.84% copper, 1.38% lead and 4.06% zinc. The gold equivalent ratio is based on a gold to silver price ratio of 1:75 (Au:Ag) and does not include the copper, lead and zinc values. Drill hole ET-17-144 was the last drill hole of the 62 hole drill program completed in May, 2017. Drill hole 144 was a step-out hole located approximately 800 meters to the north of the old El Tigre Mine. The mineralized zone consists of several vuggy quartz veins and veinlets carrying galena, sphalerite, chalcopyrite, stromeyerite and pyrite within a strongly silicified and kaolinized alteration zone.

Underground Channel Sample Program

Oceanus mapped and sampled the historical workings north of the El Tigre mine during the summer exploration program. The goals of the program were to map and identify the styles of mineralization and alterations exposed in the old workings and to collect a suite of channel samples to document the gold, silver and base metal grades. This work combined with field mapping would facilitate selecting drill targets for the fall 2017 drilling program. A total of 990 channel samples have been collected to date.

Channel samples were collected from nine underground exploration tunnels over a 2.0 kilometer strike length of the Protectora vein between Section 5650 and Section 7600 North and from additional exploration tunnels on the Fundadora and Caleigh Vein. None of these veins have been mined. The first exploration tunnel on the Protectora Vein is located 650m north along strike from the northern end of the old El Tigre Mine workings.

After surveying the tunnels, the geologists mapped the quartz veins and then collected channel samples across the back (roof) of the tunnels. The majority of the mine openings are between 1.0 to 2.0 meters wide and so the channel widths are limited to this approximate length. The geologists collected samples of the hanging wall alteration zone, the quartz vein material and the footwall alteration zones and the reported result is the weighted average grade across the width of the mine opening. The high grade silver values are related to the quartz vein material. The quartz veins and alteration zones exposed in these exploration workings are similar to those found in the historical El Tigre Mine workings.

The average grade of the samples in a tunnel is provided. The significant channel sample assay results are set out in the table below (see Figure 1 Sample Location Map).

Vein Channel Comment From To Length Au Ag EqAu751 (m) (m) (m) (g/t) (g/t) (g/t) Protectora ETLU-215 0.00 1.25 1.25 1.59 308.3 5.70 Protectora ETLU-216 0.00 1.70 1.70 1.34 243.1 4.58 Protectora ETLU-218 0.00 1.50 1.50 2.09 112.7 3.94 Protectora ETLU-220 0.60 1.10 0.50 5.19 11.7 5.35 Protectora ETLU-225 0.00 1.20 1.20 3.35 293.9 7.27 including 0.70 1.20 0.50 7.74 701.6 17.09 Protectora ETLU-247 0.00 1.00 1.00 3.69 660.8 12.50 including 0.50 1.00 0.50 7.35 1,221.1 23.63 Caleigh ETLU-242 0.00 0.50 0.50 25.46 1,704.2 48.18 Caleigh ETLU-243 0.00 1.00 1.00 12.65 1,659.4 34.77 Fundadora ETLU-067 0.70 1.75 1.05 12.89 869.9 24.49 Fundadora ETLU-253 0.00 3.30 3.30 2.77 124.1 4.42 including 2.30 3.30 1.00 7.80 200.0 10.46 Fundadora ETLU-254 0.00 5.20 5.20 14.66 359.8 19.45 including 3.50 5.20 1.70 43.48 1,039.5 57.34 Fundadora ETLU-255 0.00 4.40 4.40 3.72 163.2 5.89 including 0.90 1.90 1.00 3.82 473.6 10.13 including 3.90 4.40 0.50 18.21 247.7 21.51 Fundadora ETLU-262 0.50 1.50 1.00 4.87 1,244.6 21.46 Fundadora ETLU-342 0.00 0.50 0.50 3.89 537.2 11.06 Fundadora ETLU-343 0.00 0.50 0.50 2.58 899.8 14.58 Fundadora ETLU-348 0.50 1.00 0.50 3.31 823.1 14.28 Note: 1. Gold Equivalent (EqAu75) ratio based on gold to silver price ratio of 1:75 (Au:Ag).

El Tigre Resource Estimate



As previously announced Oceanus has completed the 2016-17 infill drilling program at El Tigre with a total of 62 diamond drill holes totalling 11,923.1 meters. The purpose of this drill program was to support a NI 43-101 resource estimation for the El Tigre Property (Resource Estimate). The results from the Oceanus drilling, prior drilling and other data will be incorporated into the Resource Estimate being completed by P&E Mining Consultants Inc. (P&E). The results of drill hole 144, with its high-grade gold, silver and base metals mineralization, required P&E to conduct another site visit to El Tigre, and in particular the Protectora Vein, prior to the Corporation releasing its Resource Estimate. The required P&E site visit was conducted in July, 2017. As a result of the new discoveries at the Protectora Vein Oceanus now expects the Resource Estimate will be completed and released in the first half of September, 2017.

El Tigre Property

The El Tigre Property lies at the northern end of the Sierra Madre gold belt which hosts many epithermal gold and silver deposits including Ocampo, Pinos Altos, Dolores and Palmarejo. In 1896, gold was first discovered on the property in the Gold Hill area and mining started with the Brown Shaft in 1903. The focus soon changed to mining high-grade silver veins in the area with the majority of the production coming from the El Tigre vein. Underground mining on the El Tigre vein extended 1,450 meters along strike and mined on 14 levels to a depth of 450 meters. By the time the mine closed in 1938, it is reported to have produced a total of 353,000 ounces of gold and 67.4 million ounces of silver from 1.87 million tons (Craig, 2012).

The El Tigre Property is approximately 35 kilometers long and comprises 21,842.78 hectares. The El Tigre gold and silver deposit is related to a series of high-grade epithermal veins controlled by a north-south trending structure cutting across the andesitic and rhyolitic tuffs of the Sierra Madre Volcanic Complex within a broad gold and silver mineralized prophylitic alternation zone. The veins dip steeply to the west and are typically 1 meter wide but locally can be up to 5 meters in width. The veins, structures and mineralized zones outcrop on surface and have been traced for a distance of 5.3 kilometers along strike. Historical mining and exploration activities focused on a 1.5 kilometer portion of the southern end of the deposits, principally on the El Tigre, Seitz Kelly and Sooy veins. Four veins in the north (Aguila, Escondida, Fundadora and Protectora) were explored with only limited amounts of production.

Lab Preparation and Assay

The sealed and tagged sample bags are transported to the ActLabs facility in Zacatecas, Mexico. ActLabs crushes the samples and prepares 200-300 gram pulp samples with ninety percent passing Tyler 150 mesh (106m). The pulps are assayed for gold using a 50 gram charge by fire assay (Code 1A2-50) and over limits greater than 10 grams per tonne are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (Code 1A3-50).

Silver and multi-element analysis is completed using 4 acid total digestion (Code 1F2 Total Digestion ICP). Over limits greater than 100 grams per tonne silver are re-assayed using a gravimetric finish (Code 8-Ag FA-GRAV Ag). Over limits greater than 10,000 ppm for copper, lead and zinc are re-assayed using 4 acid total digestion (Code 8-4A AAS) and reported in percent.

Quality Assurance / Quality Control and Data Verification

Quality assurance and quality control ("QA/QC") procedures monitor the chain-of-custody of the samples and includes the systematic insertion and monitoring of appropriate reference materials (certified standards, blanks and duplicates) into the sample strings. The results of the assaying of the QA/QC material included in each batch are tracked to ensure the integrity of the assay data. All results stated in this announcement have passed Oceanus QA/QC protocols.

Qualified Person

David R. Duncan, P. Geo., V.P. Exploration of the Corporation, is the Qualified Person for Oceanus as defined under National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Duncan has reviewed and approved the scientific and technical information in this press release and has reviewed the Technical Report.

About Oceanus Resources Corporation

Oceanus Resources Corporation is a gold exploration company operating in Mexico. Oceanus is managed by a team of mine finders with extensive experience in exploring and developing large hydrothermal gold projects in Mexico. Oceanus is currently exploring the El Tigre Property in the Sierra Madre Occidental.



CAUTIONARY STATEMENT:

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This News Release includes certain forward-looking statements. All statements other than statements of historical fact included in this release, including, without limitation, statements regarding potential mineralization, resources and reserves, the ability to convert inferred resources to indicated resources, the ability to complete future drilling programs and infill sampling, the ability to extend resource blocks, the similarity of mineralization at El Tigre to the Ocampo mine, exploration results, and future plans and objectives of Oceanus, are forward-looking statements that involve various risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are frequently characterized by words such as may, is expected to, anticipates, estimates, intends, plans, projection, could, vision, goals, objective and outlook and other similar words. Although Oceanus believes the expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements are based on reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Oceanuss expectations include risks and uncertainties related to exploration, development, operations, commodity prices and global financial volatility, risk and uncertainties of operating in a foreign jurisdiction as well as additional risks described from time to time in the filings made by Oceanus with securities regulators.
Narayangadh-Muglin road to be opened during night from Sept 13

The Narayangadh-Muglin road that remained closed earlier for traffic during night as part of the road-expansion project will resume operation during night from September 13, the police said.
Parties use children in election rallies in Rautahat district

Not giving two hoots about the repeated calls from child rights activists, the election code of conduct and their own commitments, various political parties on Wednesday were found using children in their rallies as they proceeded towards the election offices in Rautahat to file nominations for the September 18 local elections in Province 2.
Guwahati, Sept 6 (IBNS): Unleashing a major boost in industrial growth of the state, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal on Wednesday inaugurated the personal product factory, unit-4 of Hindustan Unilever Limited at Doom Dooma in upper Assamas Tinsukia district.

Titled as Rhino Project, the new unit is a part of Hindustan Unilevers over Rs 3000 crore value products which are being produced in Assam.

The unit has been constructed in a record time of 300 days.

Speaking at the programme, Sonowal termed the occasion as the historic day for the industrial sector of Assam as it would open new vistas for industrial growth.

Advocating synergy between the government and the industries, Sonowal said that if the role of one complements the other the development of both industry and community will register a greater impetus.

Stating that industrial environment in Assam is very conducive and the government is coming up with promising industrial policy by easing out all procedures including providing land for industrial units, the Assam CM requested Hindustan Unilever to increase its footprints in Lower Assam and Barak Valley in the State.

Sonowal also said that Assam government would set up more skill development centres in association with private players to provide quality manpower to the industrial units.

He further requested Hindustan Unilever to take advantage of the potential of organic sector in Assam and come up with latest technology to produce new products in a bid to materialise Prime Minister Narendra Modis dream of making Assam and North East an organic hub of the country.

Highlighting close ties that Assam shares with South East Asian Nations and the access that Assam could provide to the markets of South East Asian countries, Sonowal said that Assam government is resolutely working to make Assam as the gateway to South East Asia by implementing the Act East Policy of the Centre.

Sonowal also asked Hindustan Unilever to increase its PR activities and pursue its CSR policy taking the local people and the public representatives into confidence.

He also sought Hindustan Unilevers support in drawing investors for the proposed Global Business Summit in Guwahati in February 2018 and also generate goodwill about Assam.

Paul Polman, the Global Chief Executive Officer of Unilever, who was also present at the inaugural ceremony appreciated State Governments support in completing the 4th unit of Hindustan Unilever within 300 days.

Stating that Doom Dooma unit is an example of simultaneous growth of the company in sync with the community, Polman assured that Hindustan Unilever will continue to be a worthy partner in economic growth of Assam. He also expressed hope that the new Rhino Unit would set a new bench mark in terms of sustainability, equality and productivity.

Sanjiv Mehta the Chief Executive Officer of Hindustan Unilever while delivering welcome speech highlighted Hindustan Unilevers journey in Assam. Mehta informed that Hindustan Unilever will soon set up a Skill Development Centre in Tinsukia.

Member of Parliament Rameswar Teli, Pradan Barua, MLA Suren Phukan, Bolin Chetia, Sanjay Kisan and a host of other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

On the sidelines of the programme, the Assam CM held a fruitful discussion with Global CEO Unilever Paul Polman regarding investment in Assam.

Sonowal informed Polman about geographic and locational advantage of Assam which the company could utilise to capture the market of South East Asian Nations.

Assam governments ambitious project of setting up of a World Trade Centre, executing the State Capital Region and proposed Global Business Summit are some of the few issues that the Assam CM brought to the notice of Polman during interaction.

Sonowal also drew the attention of Polman of the possibility of Jogigopa, a town in Goalpara district of becoming the hub of trade and commerce between India and Bangladesh.

He also informed that as many as 23 MoUs were signed between India and Bangladesh to promote trade and other issues of multilateral interests including Government of Indias UDAN to improve regional connectivity.

Polman during the interaction wanted to know about availability of skilled workforce and government policy towards industry and assured to take fruitful measure in this regard.

Polman also expressed his sympathy over the loss perpetrated by the recent waves of floods in the State and contributed Rs 1 crore on behalf of the company to Chief Ministers Relief Fund and announced to donate Rs 1 crore more in the near future.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Various international human rights organizations tend to report similar figures on this topic, especially end-of-year figures. But precise numbers are difficult to ascertain because not all executions are officially reported by the Iranian judiciary or state media. Iran Human Rights notes that this was at least initially the case with the three executions carried out on Sunday, which were confirmed via independent channels.

The official silence over those hangings is particularly remarkable in light of the fact that they were carried out at the same time that Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Qassemi issued a statement rejecting the latest report of Asma Jahangir, the United Nations special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Iran. According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, Qassemi described Jahangirs mandate as a resolution relying on purely political and selective goals and malice of certain countries with a special agenda.

This is a familiar response to international criticism of Irans human rights abuses. Although Qassemi claimed that the Islamic Republic had provided frequent, detailed and well-founded responses to relevant allegations, the reality is that Iranian officials including the countrys own human rights monitor have made a habit of simply declaring the accounts of widespread abuse to be fabricated while providing no contravening evidence. Meanwhile, Jahangir and her predecessor in the same office have been refused entry to the country, and Iranian citizens have been prosecuted and punished for communicating with this and other international human rights advocates.

The regime has also staged public relations stunts aimed at presenting a more positive image of Irans human rights record, but these have lacked transparency and have been criticized both domestically and internationally for conveying clear propaganda. In July, select ambassadors to the Islamic Republic were taken on a tour of Tehrans notorious Evin Prison, but the visitors were only shown particular wards of the facility after political prisoners had been transferred in order to guarantee they had no contact with the ambassadors.

In response to positive statements from some of those ambassadors following their visit, the political prisoner Maryam Akbari-Monfared wrote an open letter in which she said, The honorable ambassadors should realize that what so amazed them was the dolled-up version of the ruling Islamic states prison system. The overall state of that prison system has been a subject of urgent calls to action from Amnesty International in recent weeks, motivated in large part by an ongoing hunger strike in another facility housing dozens of political prisoners, namely Rajai Shahr Prison in the city of Karaj.

That hunger strike has surpassed three weeks, and participants have long since reported serious health concerns including heart, lung, and kidney ailments. For some, these effects are worsened by the fact that prison authorities confiscated prescription medicine when the prisoners were transferred to an area of the facility that had been newly renovated with 24/7 video monitoring and obstructed ventilation systems. This reflects a common human rights concern regarding the Iranian regimes denial of medical treatment in order to exert additional pressure on prisoners, particularly political prisoners.

The aftermath of one such incident was highlighted by the Center for Human Rights in Iran on Monday, when it reported that a prominent journalist named Alireza Rajaee had lost his right eye and part of his jaw as a result of an operation to remove cancer that went undiagnosed while he was serving a four-year prison term. The report notes that a physician who visited Evin Prison during that time insisted that Rajaee needed to be hospitalized, but the prison clinic refused to do so and sent Rajaee away multiple times after only giving him painkillers.

The report also quotes Rajaees wife as saying, They wanted to get rid of Alireza. My sense was that they wanted to make sure he died a slow death in prison. But a spokesperson for the judiciary denied that prison authorities had any responsibility for the situation, and he criticized Rajaees advocates for disturbing public opinion.

On Tuesday, the National Council of Resistance of Iran reported that another judiciary spokesperson had gone further by not only denying responsibility for human rights abuses but actually asserting that the Prisons Organization has done considerably more than its capacity to take care of the health and well-being of prisoners. The NCRI notes that even a report in a state-run newspaper contradicted this claim and acknowledged the inadequacy of medical care in Iranian prisons, though it did not mention the deliberate denial of medical care as a pressure tactic.

The exertion of that pressure on the Rajai Shahr hunger strikers comes amidst a much broader crackdown targeting both political prisoners and the civilian population. As part of efforts to reinforce the hardline Islamic values of the Iranian regime, security forces have conducted numerous raids in recent months on mixed-gender parties, and another of these took place on Sunday, on the same day as the above-mentioned three executions and the Foreign Ministrys denial of any human rights abuses.

According to Iran Human Rights Monitor, the latest raid resulted in the arrest of 19 men and women who had violated the countrys strict gender segregation laws, and authorities were actively pursuing other suspects, in the interest of making a further public example of these sorts of parties. In previous instances of these types of raids, arrestees have been brutally flogged in front of their friends, as allowed by law.

This is only one tactic of public intimidation reportedly employed by the Iranian regime on a regular basis. In the case of capital crimes, executions may be carried out publicly, in front of crowds of hundreds of people including children. According to Iran Human Rights, one such public execution was carried out on Tuesday and another on Thursday, suggesting that the rate of these incidents may be escalating compared to last year, when at least 34 people were put to death in the presence of a crowd.
Within the new context, the ambassador said that the president might leave the final decision to Congress, to which he is required to report on Irans compliance every 90 days. Two such deadlines have passed since Trump took office in January, and he has certified Irans compliance both times, albeit begrudgingly. When campaigning for office, Trump repeatedly promised to tear up or renegotiate the deal, which he called one of the worst ever negotiated. The next deadline for certification is in October and the president has said that he expects Iran to be deemed out of compliance by then.

This is, however, at odds with the findings of the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is tasked with enforcing the deal and inspecting Irans specified nuclear sites to make sure that enrichment activities are being held within acceptable levels. The IAEA has repeatedly judged Iran to be in compliance with its obligations, although critics have observed that this judgment involved overlooking minor or temporary violations such as overruns on the Iranian regimes quota for the nuclear byproduct known as heavy water.

The White House has reportedly urged intelligence agencies to reexamine such downplayed or overlooked violations, in hopes of better supporting the efforts to undermine the JCPOA. But as Haleys speech pointed out once again, the current argument for the deals cancellation hinges less on these issues and more on Irans alleged violation of the spirit of the agreement, particularly through its neglect of the United Nations Security Council resolution that established the implementation of the JCPOA.

Iranian officials have variously indicated that they might be willing to walk away from the deal on their own if the US continued to exert pressure over these peripheral violations, particularly Irans ongoing development of ballistic missiles, which are capable of carrying a nuclear payload. Security Council Resolution 2231 calls upon the Islamic Republic to avoid such work, but Iran has carried out more than half a dozen relevant tests since the JCPOA went into effect, and its officials have repeatedly stated that they will accept no foreign imposition regarding Irans military activities.

In the midst of rising tensions between Iran and the US, the Iranians have greatly elaborated on this commentary, as well as committing to the continuation of other provocative moves that are evidently intended as statements of defiance against American pressure. As an example of this latter phenomenon, Fox News reported on Tuesday that the new Iranian Defense Minister Amir Hatami had boasted to Iranian state media about Tehrans desire to extensively arm its allies in the Middle East, to prevent war and conflict.

Iran has already established a firm presence in Syria, Iraq, and Yemen by way of militant proxies, and many of these have been compared to the Lebanese paramilitary Hezbollah, through which Iran has long wielded significant control over that countrys affairs. Hatami did not specify which countries he was referring to when he spoke of Iranian arms shipments, which are still largely banned under international law. But his remarks may have been aimed at vaguely encouraging concerns about the development of an overarching Shiite crescent extending from Tehran to the Mediterranean.

Irans adversaries, both in the local region and in the West, have expressed serious concern about the growth of this Iranian sphere of influence in the wake of the Syrian Civil War and the nearly concluded fight against Islamic State militants. Hatamis allusions to the Shiite crescent were paired with references to a specific plan to boost missile power in the Islamic Republic. Insofar as this implies the transfer of advanced missile technology to other regional enemies of the US, it highlights the national security concerns that many American commentators are quick to connect to the nuclear deal.

Although Nikki Haley told the American Enterprise Institute that the exact outcome of the White Houses review of the nuclear deal remains uncertain, she also described that deal as implicitly flawed and having an adverse impact on national security. CNN quoted the ambassador as warning against wearing blinders and as saying of the JCPOA, you cant put lipstick on a pig. She also suggested that the agreement merely kicks the can down the road with respect to the Iranian threat, which she suggested needs to be addressed directly.

At the time of the nuclear negotiations conclusion in 2015, it was suggested that the implementation of the JCPOA could be the first step toward broader rapprochement between Iran and the West. But Iranian hardliners quickly acted against those assumptions, ramping up anti-Western rhetoric and barring officials from negotiations with the US over anything other than the nuclear file and resulting business deals.

Iran effectively reaffirmed its anti-Western self-image on Sunday when the countrys judiciary announced that appeals had been rejected for three American citizens and one permanent resident of the US who had been given 10-year sentences in Iran on the basis of unsubstantiated accusations of spying. Newsweek detailed some of these cases on Tuesday, emphasizing their particular mistreatment, including beatings and tasering applied to the Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi during his weeks-long periods of solitary confinement.

Reports of the upheld sentences for the four Americans have also tended to point out that an unknown number of citizens of other Western countries have been subjected to similarly questionable arrests and prosecution, as well as mistreatment in the political wards of Iranian prisons. While the identities of many of these individuals are unknown, some have become major activist causes, including the Iranian-British charity worker Nazanin Zaghari-Ratcliffe, whose two-year-old daughter was taken from her and prevented from returning to the United Kingdom following her arrest last year.

Another Iranian-British political prisoner, Kamal Foroughi, has just marked his 78th birthday while serving his sixth year in Evin Prison. According to informed sources his family and friends organized a rally outside the Iranian regimes embassy in London to coincide with the occasion and to call attention to the regimes unexplained refusal to grant him the conditional release for which he was legally eligible after his third year in prison.

The same report points out that Foroughis birthday coincides with the one-year anniversary of the resumption of diplomatic relations between the UK and the Islamic Republic. This is significant because it has arguably diminished the British governments responsiveness to the imprisonment of Western nationals, including its own citizens. Whereas the UK government has been widely criticized for silence on the cases of Zaghari-Ratcliffe, Foroughi, and others, the Trump White House has vocally demanded the release of all wrongly imprisoned Americans.

Following the July announcement of a 10-year sentence for the Princeton graduate student Xiyue Wang, Trump said that there would be new sanctions and serious consequences for the continuation of this crackdown on Western nationals. It is not clear that this same commentary would have emerged if the White House was committed to expanding business relations with Iran under the JCPOA, as many European policymakers and business leaders still appear to be.
The video also included other quotations from the Iranian president, highlighting such things as his supposed confidence in a jobs creation initiative. These were paired with facts and images reflecting widely-reported scandals from recent years, including widespread protests and a report about the phenomenon of homeless Iranians sleeping in open graves.

Notably, Rouhani was also quoted as saying, We are led by the supreme leader [Ali Khamenei], who insists on greater unity and cooperation. We will continue this even better than before. Such remarks can easily be regarded as acknowledgment of subservience to Khamenei, and indeed critics of the Iranian regime such as the National Council of Resistance of Iran have tended to point out that the system of Islamic governance involves vetting all candidates to high office for their perceived loyalty to the supreme leader.

Despite this fact, some observers expressed hope that Rouhani would represent a moderate challenge to the hardline authority of Supreme Leader Khamenei, which show increasingly close association with the paramilitary Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps. Rouhani campaigned on a series of reformist-sounding promises including the release of the Green Movement leaders Mir Hossein Mousavi and Mehdi Karroubi. After his first four years in office, Rouhani repeated these promises this past May in the run-up to his reelection, even though there had been little to know progress toward fulfillment of those promises during his first term.

This situation has frequently been described as the Rouhani administrations capitulation to hardline pressures, although critics like the NCRI are quick to point out that Rouhani has a long history as a regime insider, thereby casting doubt upon even the initial seriousness of his moderate commitments. Whatever the case may be, the signs of capitulation have arguably increased since Rouhanis May reelection. Although the president had suggested that a stronger mandate for his second term could lead to the fulfillment of sidelined promises, he quickly backpedaled on issues like the house arrests after securing victory.

In addition to saying that those issues would be largely in the hands of hardline authorities, Rouhani also reportedly consulted with the supreme leader on decisions that are specific to the presidents administration. Rouhanis lingering supporters had been looking to his choices of cabinet ministers for signs that he would begin to uphold reform-minded promises such as the expansion of the role for women in the notoriously anti-feminist Islamic Republic. But as cabinet appointments were announced in the wake of his August 5 swearing-in ceremony, it was reported that his selections only consisted of individuals who had been approved by Khamenei. Accordingly, there were no women and no persons who could unequivocally be described as reformists.

This goes to show that for Rouhani and virtually all officials in the Iranian system, official actions are frequently influenced by an obsession with serving the interests of the supreme leader. The extent of this obsession was highlighted in the context of another IranWire article, which was published on Friday and featured the story of a student at Meshkat Seminary who had been tasked with delivering a speech during a visit from the supreme leader.

The student, Haydar Abassi, explained that he was given only vague guidelines for the content of that speech, consisting of examples of content from other speeches that Khamenei had and had not liked. Referring to the supreme leader as sir, the guidelines simply insisted that one must talk in a way that Sir likes. And the review boards subsequent rejection of Abassis speech made it clear that one thing the supreme leader was not expected to like was any criticism of the Islamic Republic.

Although reflecting a highly conservative, Islamist point of view, Abassis proposed speech adopted a critical tone in order to make recommendations regarding the development of Islamic civilization. Abassi argued that the implementation of Irans revolutionary principles had become too top-down and had eschewed the participation of people like the seminary students on behalf of whom he was speaking. He went on to assert that the supreme leader had been surrounded with sycophants whose primary role was to reinforce Khameneis views about the policies and future of the Islamic Republic.

Are all mental activities about revolutionary ideals only correct when they are limited to statements by Your Excellency? Abassi asked in the speech. Its full text has been published online as a means of protesting the apparent censorship. In context with the widely recognized censorship of reformist media outlets and private expressions of pro-democratic dissent, this speech goes to show that censorship in the Islamic Republic is not specifically aimed at a particular ideology as much as it is aimed at any opinion that opposes the supreme leader and his closest associates.

Such associates are not strictly members of the clerical establishment or the government, however. They include paramilitary officers in the IRGC and even wealthy private citizens. Insulting the supreme leader is legally established as a crime in the Islamic Republic, but citizens have also been arrested and prosecuted for allegedly insulting lower level officials and business leaders. As an example, Iran Human Rights Monitor reported on Tuesday that an individual had been arrested and turned over to Cyber Police in Hormozgan Province for using the popular Telegram messaging app to share material that defamed and insulted the manager of one of the provinces building projects.

Such arrests seem to fly in the face of President Rouhanis promises of a more open Iranian society, but many critics have observed that the regime stepped up its repression of dissent early in his presidency and never really scaled back. Independent journalists were the target of well-publicized mass arrests in November 2015, and the persistence of this crackdown was highlighted this week when the Center for Human Rights in Iran reported that one of the targets of that crackdown had had her prison term unlawfully extended by three months just as it was about to expire.

Afarin Chitsaz was scheduled for release this month, but the judiciary announced at the last moment that the three months she had spent in hospital during her two year prison term would not count as time served, contrary to the provisions of Iranian law. Chitsaz was initially sentenced to 10 years for assembly and collusion against national security and collaboration with enemy states, but the sentence was reduced on appeal. The three-month extension is likely indicative of the belief among some hardline officials that she has been inadequately punished.

According to CHRI, the journalists mother was also sentenced to four months in prison for speaking to the media about Chitsazs case. Although the effects of this censorship are much more serious than in the case of Haydar Abassi, both incidents point to the fact that the silencing of dissent has not diminished under the presidency of Hassan Rouhani, who continues to consult with Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei over essential policies and decision-making.
The NBN pricing model is in urgent need of repair. In this letter, we offer our thoughts on how an overhaul of the pricing model can solve a number of problems facing the NBN.

We argue that the volume of data transferred should be the basis of wholesale charges for the NBN, not the bandwidth provided to the user.

We also argue that all users should have full access to the bandwidth capabilities of the particular technology connecting their premises.

The blame game

As you know, some users complain about slow download speeds (especially at peak times) and some Retail Service Providers complain about high CVC charges. In the meantime, the ACCC has required RSPs to provide greater clarity around their service offerings. To compound these problems, some customers are signing up for low-speed services that may not meet their needs.

We believe that these and other problems are largely caused by the current practice of rationing speed on lower-cost plans and the use of the CVC as a proxy for usage charges. Our proposed overhaul of NBNs wholesale pricing scheme will overcome the confusion and blame-game at the interfaces between the customers, service providers, and NBN Co. In addition, it will re-invigorate the NBN and drive increased use of the network.

Speed

The NBNs access download speed (AVC) tiers range from 12 Mbps to over 100 Mbps with 25 Mbps the most popular choice  not much different from what ADSL2+ can offer. Because of these tiers, the NBN throttles the download and upload speed of users to less than what the NBN is capable of, except for the highest-speed services.

It costs the NBN no more to provide 100 Mbps than 12 Mbps. In fact, rationing speed increases cost. The AVC tiers are an attempt to capture willingness-to-pay for speed. However, in light of the problems listed above, the evidence so far is that the market is not willing to pay for higher speeds. About 85% of activated services are 25 Mbps or less. That is a terrible indictment of a $50 billion investment in high-speed broadband.

Australia languishes in 50th and 64th place on Akamais global ranking of average and average-peak download speeds respectively. Speeds will improve with the rollout of the NBN, but other countries will not be standing still. We believe it is time to take a leap forward and provide all users with the best speed available on the platform on the day. This will make the ACCC and NBN education efforts around 25/50/100 Mbps redundant and boost Australias place in the rankings overnight.

Not all users need or want very high speeds. However, by providing all users with the maximum available bandwidth capabilities of the technology in their area (e.g. FttN, FttP, HFC etc.), the benefits of higher speeds, such as faster downloading of Web pages will be visible to all, including light users of the network. Importantly, NBN Cos revenues will not suffer by removing the speed bumps (see below) and removing them will boost innovation and usage of the NBN, leading to better utilisation of higher speeds.

With all NBN users enjoying the maximum bandwidth available, more people will discover the benefits of broadband and more would be inspired to embrace the benefits offered by the NBN.

Affordability

It is important that there is an affordable low-use plan for voice-only customers and light users of the Internet. Those users who only use the Internet occasionally, or only for voice applications, will typically consume less than a few GB per month.

Currently, the cheapest AVC at 12/1 Mbps costs $24 per month. Originally intended for voice-only services, it is now being sold by some RSPs as a cheap broadband service.

When Telstra objected to the current version of Dimension-Based Discounts for CVCs because its voice customers dragged down its measured provisioning level and the discount it could get, you suggested fixing that by limiting the speed on RSP-identified voice lines to less than 1 Mbps. What a desecration of a high-speed network that would have been! In short, we strongly believe that all users deserve a taste of high-speed Internet.

We suggest below two options that could provide a more affordable basic service than is offered now and help retain users.

Usage

As good economists, the ACCC supports a two-part tariff  a mix of fixed and usage fees  as it is an economically efficient (least distortionary) way to recover the fixed costs that dominate the NBNs cost structure. Relying on purely fixed fees would mean low use end-users subsidise high-use customers.

NBN Co itself has always conceded that CVCs are a proxy for usage fees. They are currently charged like bandwidth  the list price is $17.50 per Mbps ($14.25 per Mbps if around 1Mbps per end user is purchased) with a minimum purchase of 100 Mbps. This forces its wholesale customers to make compromises on the amount of bandwidth they purchase and choose what contention they will make their customers accept on the NBN. That is the basis for much of the acrimony between the NBN Co and its customers.

Another problem is that because RSPs limit the amount of CVC bandwidth they purchase, the transit bandwidth of the NBN is not fully utilised, leading to inefficiencies.

We believe that a direct approach to usage pricing would cut through these problems. We propose just two AVCs and charging for bytes of data instead of Mbps of transit and access bandwidth. Under this arrangement, the RSPs will still have to deal with the contention issue on their own networks, but it leaves the NBN Co to manage its access network while encouraging the traffic that will pay for the capability of supporting more traffic.

Two pricing models

Here we offer two examples of how our proposed pricing approach could work. Both models flatten the speed bumps and replace CVC bandwidth pricing with direct usage fees. Both models have two parts  a fixed fee and a usage fee  and both models ensure that light users of the network have affordable (but high-speed) access. See the table below for details.

Fixed fee, $ per month Use fee per month, cents/GB Model A Basic < 100Mbps $10 300 Standard < 100 Mbps $40 5 Premium > 100 Mbps $50 5 Model B < 10 GB pm $20 100 Standard 10  100 GB pm $29 10 > 100 GB pm $35 4 Premium > 100 Mbps $20 plus Standard plan charges

Model A includes three separate monthly wholesale plans. The first two plans, Basic and Standard, apply to services that operate up to 100 Mbps. The premium plan accommodates those domestic users and businesses who are prepared to pay for speeds over 100 Mbps on those parts of the network where it is available, such as where fibre-to-the-premises (FttP) is in place. In these parts of the network, there is a cost to NBN Co to change fibre split ratios in GPON, or perhaps to later upgrade to NG-PON2.

Under the Basic plan in Model A, the wholesale cost for a user with low data usage of only 1 GB would be as little as $13. Under the standard plan, the usage charge drops to 5 cents per GB. The break-even between the Basic and Standard Plans is 10 GB pm and there is a strong incentive for the RSP to move the line from one to the other after 10 GB (and, hopefully, pass on the benefits to the end user).

RSPs would be able to continue to offer end-users unlimited data or fixed downloads per month with excess fees or throttled speeds when pre-set download limits are reached.

Model B has two monthly wholesale plans. The Standard plan applies to all customers except for those on services that operate above 100 Mbps. The monthly charge for the Standard depends on the monthly usage of data and the cost per GB of data becomes lower the more data the end-customer uses.

Customers on the Premium plan pay the same amount as the Standard plan for data and an additional fixed charge of $20 for speed over 100Mbps.

If usage is low in a particular month, the wholesale price for a particular customer on the Standard plan would be as low as $21 for 1 GB of data, but in another month, it could increase, for example, to $51 for 400 GB of data. The wholesale price, if the user downloaded 1 TB of data in a single month, would be $75. As with Model A, there is flexibility for RSPs to innovate at the retail level.

We have focused here on downloaded data. Separate charges could apply to uploaded data, or the two could be combined. In these examples, we have not differentiated between peak versus off-peak usage pricing, but it may be possible to include a loading on data downloaded and uploaded during peak periods.

Revenues

NBN Cos corporate plan shows projections to 2021 by which time the rollout of the network is expected to be complete. The plan forecasts that in 2021 there will be 8.6 million activated end-users with an average wholesale average revenue per user of $53 per month, meaning downloads of 300 GB per month and revenues of $5.4 billion.

Based on various assumptions of customer usage patterns, we have calculated the revenue NBN Co would receive from both of our suggested pricing models (Model A and Model B). We have found that these pricing models can match (or even exceed) NBN Cos projected 2021 revenues.

An important feature of these pricing models is that they generate more revenue as usage on the network increases. Currently, NBN Co and Chorus in New Zealand report comparable mean downloads just over 150 GB per month but while NBN Co. forecasts this to double to 300 GB by 2021, Chorus expects mean downloads to be double that again at 680 GB per month in 2020. Removal of the CVC charges and simplification of the AVC charges so that all customers are served with real broadband speeds will encourage increased usage of the network. The resulting increase in revenue could be used for future upgrades of the network to technologies such as FttP or fibre to the curb (FttC).

Our proposed shift in NBN Cos pricing model will solve some current issues and unlock the networks potential. Our examples are just that. NBN Co has access to more detailed data about customer usage and can tweak our models to achieve NBN Cos revenue objectives. We believe this will provide a much better outcome for all broadband customers and the nation.

John de Ridder is an internationally recognised telecommunications economist with pricing expertise and more than 30 years practical experience in dealing with competition and regulation, the last 12 years as an independent consultant. Rod Tucker is Laureate Emeritus Professor at the University of Melbourne and a member of Labor's Expert Panel that advised on the NBN.
Province 2 local polls: Candidates register nominations

Nominations for the third and final round of local elections were filed in all eight districts of Province 2 on Wednesday.
RJP-N leader quits party to become Mayor candidate of Maoist centre

A Rastriya Janata Party-Nepal (RJP-N) leader has quit the party not only to join the CPN (Maoist Centre) but also to become the its mayoral candidate.
On 5 September, Carmen Lucia Antunes, the president of Brazils supreme court (STF), called for an immediate investigation by the police and prosecutors into claims about the courts justices made in a recorded conversation by two senior executives from local holding firm J&F Investimentos.In comparison to Brazils other public institutions, the STF enjoys a reasonable level of trust. But as it plays an increasingly central role in the countrys politics, it stands in danger of losing even that modest level of support. Antunes said that there should not be a shadow of a doubt about the dignity of the body and its members. The courts decision to authorise the release of the audio tapes made by the J&F executives, Joesley Batista and Ricardo Saud, threatens to challenge that. While the immediate impact of the new leaked recordings is that it weakens the corruption allegations levelled by Batista against President Michel Temer , the long-term impact could be the corrosion of the STFs remaining authority.

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Bangladesh says it is struggling to build camps for the huge number of Rohingya fleeing violence in Myanmar.

United Nations officials estimate that more than 120,000 people have arrived in southeastern Bangladesh over the past two weeks. Refugees started flooding across the border after violence started in Myanmars Rakhine state on August 25.

The fighting began after a group called Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army launched attacks on police positions in Rakhine. Myanmars military answered the attacks with it calls clearance operations.

Officials reported last week that at least 400 people have been killed.

Myanmar security forces and militias linked to them have been accused of targeting Rohingya civilians in mass killings.

Rakhine state is home to most of the Rohingya, many of whom are Muslim. Myanmars government considers them illegal immigrants. The Rohingya, however, say they are a minority group and have roots in the country, also called Burma, going back hundreds of years.

They have been coming and coming, Lt. Col. Ariful Islam, a Bangladeshi border commander, told the BenarNews website. He added, We are trying to convince them to stay at their homeland, Rakhine, but it is not always working.

Before the latest fighting, at least 400,000 Rohingya who fled earlier violence were already living in refugee camps and settlements in southeastern Bangladesh.

Bangladeshi officials said the country plans to set up shelters for arriving refugees. No date was given for opening the new camp, which is to be set up near an established camp that has held more than 50,000 Rohingya since October.

An official with the U.N. refugee agency, Duniya Aslam Khan, said the existing refugee camps in Bangladesh are now at a breaking point.

Refugees who are arriving in Bangladesh are arriving in desperate conditions. They have been walking for three days. Many of them have not eaten since they have fled. They need medicine, they need emergency shelter, they need food, they need clean drinking water.

She added that most of the refugees are women, children and older adults. U.N. aid agencies are currently trying to raise at least $18 million to help meet the needs of new refugees.

In the past, Myanmars leader, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, has condemned attacks on Rohingya. But the Nobel Peace Prize winner has been criticized for not doing more to halt the violence. U.N. officials have urged her to call for a ceasefire.

In a statement posted to her Facebook page Wednesday, she said the people of Myanmar know very well what it means to be deprived of human rights and democratic protection. She added the government is committed to protecting the rights of all people and also providing humanitarian defense.

However, Aung San Suu Kyi also said there had been "a huge iceberg of misinformation" about the violence in Rakhine state.

Her statement said she spoke with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan about the crisis. It said they talked about a series of photographs posted on Twitter by Turkey's deputy prime minister. The photos  which were later removed - reportedly showed dead Rohingya. But they were later proven to be fake and not related to the current violence.

Rights group Amnesty International condemned Aung Suu Kyis statement.

"In her first comments on the crisis, instead of promising concrete action to protect the people in Rakhine state, Aung San Suu Kyi appears to be downplaying the horrific reports coming out of the area, said Tirana Hassan, the groups Crisis Response Director.

Im Bryan Lynn.

Bryan Lynn wrote this for VOA Learning English. His report was based on reports from VOANews.com, Reuters, the Associated Press and Radio Free Asia. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

desperate  adj. in great need of something

deprive  v. not allow someone to have something

iceberg  n. a large piece of ice floating in the ocean

fake  adj. not real, false

concrete  adj. related to specific things or actions
Kenyas electoral commission said Monday that the country will hold a new presidential election on October 17.

Kenyas Supreme Court announced last Friday it was dismissing the results of the August 8 presidential election.

The Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) said in its announcement that current President Uhuru Kenyatta and opposition leader Raila Odinga will be the only people on the ballot for next months vote, along with each candidates running mate.

The IEBC has asked the Supreme Court to release a detailed ruling of its decision to dismiss the election results. They said they need such information to identify which areas need improvement for managing the new election.

In last months election, President Kenyatta was declared the winner. He was said to have beaten Odinga by 1.4 million votes. Odinga and his opposition party, NASA, rejected the results and appealed to the Supreme Court for a new election.

Odinga and his party also said Tuesday that they would prefer the new election take place on October 24 or 31. They say there needs to be enough time to fix problems with the IEBC.

"We are saying that we are not ready to participate in elections on the 17th of October without legal and constitutional guarantees because you cannot do a mistake twice and expect to get different results," Odinga said.

Odinga also said he believes a number of electoral officials should be removed from their positions or arrested. They should not be permitted to take part in another round of elections, he said.

"As far as we are concerned, it is not the date, the day," said Odinga. "It is the preparations for these elections which is more important for us, that there must be proper preparations. It must deal with all irregularities which were committed....beginning with the people who committed them, and also rectifying those irregularities."

An IEBC official told VOA they would provide a response soon.

The Supreme Court said in its ruling Friday that the electoral commission was responsible for "irregularities and illegalities" in the managing and communication of results during the first election.

However, the Court did not order specific action for electoral officials.

Chief Justice David Maraga told the electoral commission that, under the constitution, it had 60 days from the ruling to organize a new vote.

The full judgment of the court must be released within 21 days of the ruling.

Im Phil Dierking.

This story was originally written by Jill Craig for VOANews.com. Phil Dierking adapted it for Learning English using other media. Ashley Thompson was the editor.

Do you think Kenya should have a new election? We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or on our Facebook page.

_____________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

rectify - v. to correct (something that is wrong)

specific - adj. special or particular

running mate - n. the person who runs with someone in an election (such as an election to choose a new president) and who is given the less important position (such as vice president) if they are elected


Members of the United Nations Security Council are considering new sanctions for North Korea in reaction to its sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

However, experts say the support of China is critical to increase pressure on the government of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un.

Chinas Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday, The U.N. Security Council should respond further and take necessary measures.

But, Wang said sanctions and pressure must be tied to dialogue and negotiations. China has said that increased restrictions will not ease tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. President Donald Trump spoke to Chinese President Xi Jinping about North Korea on Wednesday. Trump said Xi agreed on the need to answer North Koreas nuclear test, saying, He does not want to see what is happening there either.

On Monday, U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the 15-member UN Security Council would negotiate a version of a resolution to place new sanctions on North Korea. She said the U.S. would seek a vote by Monday.

On August 5, the UN Security Council approved resolution 2371. It came as the result of two long-range missile tests that North Korea carried out in July. The UN Security Council barred North Korea from exporting coal, iron, lead and seafood, along with other restrictions. The measures were aimed at cutting about one-third of North Korea's $3 billion in export income.

However, now there are calls to cut North Koreas fuel imports in an effort to build pressure on its leaders.

The proposed resolution

VOA received a copy of the new proposed resolution on North Korea on Wednesday. The proposal calls for stopping North Korean cloth and clothing exports, and seeks to put limits on North Koreans working in other countries. But the biggest restriction would ban the sale of oil, refined petroleum products, and natural gas liquids to the North.

Support from Russia and China is needed for an oil embargo to work. Both countries are permanent members of the Security Council. They also are energy exporters to North Korea.

On Wednesday, Russian President Vladimir Putin did not offer support to the idea of blocking North Koreas oil imports. Putin spoke during a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at an economic meeting in Vladivostok, Russia.

China provides North Korea with most of its oil and gas.

Joseph DeTrani is a former special diplomat to the six party talks. They were nuclear talks including both Koreas, China, Russia, Japan and the U.S. DeTrani says the leverage that the Chinese have on crude oil is immense.

But he says an oil embargo would destabilize North Koreas economy, something China opposes.

Although China and North Korea have had strained relations, DeTrani says Chinese public support for an oil ban is unlikely.

China doesnt want to make North Korea a total enemy. They want to have some leverage. They dont want to totally alienate the leadership in Pyongyang.

Richard Bush is with the Brookings Institutions John L. Thornton China Center. He says China has to walk a fine line in its policies towards its eastern neighbor.

Bush says China wants to influence North Korea to stop its nuclear and missile tests. At the same time, China worries that a complete oil embargo would cause the country to collapse. That situation would create a refugee crisis on Chinas border.

Instead, Bush says China may try to create some flexibility in possible new sanctions by setting a limit for yearly oil imports, or by slowly decreasing them.

He says China wants to preserve its own freedom of action and flexibility, but at the same time be responsive to the concerns of the international community.

Yun Sun is a China expert at the Stimson Center in Washington DC. She says China has not shown that it is willing to cut off the Norths oil supplies. She said it might press for oil exports to be considered a humanitarian exception to UN Security Council sanctions.

Im Mario Ritter.

Jenny Lee reported this story for VOA News with contributions from Margaret Besheer and Steve Herman. Mario Ritter adapted it for VOA Learning English. Kelly Jean Kelly was the editor.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

critical  adj. very important, without which nothing can be done

leverage  n. influence that can be used to get a desired result

alienate  v. to cause to become isolated or apart from the group

walk a fine line  idiom to try to deal with two opposing issues or sides to avoid conflict

flexibility  n. the quality of being able to adjust or make small changes

exception  n. a case where a rule does not apply

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments section, and visit our Facebook page.
North Koreas efforts to develop nuclear weapons have frustrated hopes by South Korea to reduce tensions with the North through talks.

The nuclear activities have also affected South Koreas relations with both the United States and China.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in took office in May. At the time, Moon said he wanted to balance contacts with sanctions to lower tensions on the Korean peninsula. In comparison, U.S. President Donald Trump has supported using maximum pressure on North Korea through economic sanctions and the threat of military action.

Conflicting signs

Yet after the Norths nuclear test this week, conservatives in South Korea have been criticizing Moons call for talks. President Trump also criticized the policy, calling it unworkable appeasement.

The Moon administration has attempted to play down differences with the United States over how to deal with the growing North Korean threat. It says the two allies continue to support the idea of denuclearization. But Moon has also come out strongly against taking any preventive military action against North Korea  one that could lead to war.

Bong Young-shik is with the Yonsei University Institute for North Korean Studies in Seoul. He says President Trump might have felt frustration about a seemingly softer stance from the South Korean leadership, but at the same time the Trump administration also agrees that military options are way too risky.

This week Moon seemed to take a stronger stance and one closer to the Trump administrations position. On Tuesday, he voiced support for new sanctions that would cut off the money North Korea earns from foreign currency income and oil supplies.

If North Korea doesn't stop its provocations, we could face an unpredictable situation in the future, Moon said. He made the comment on Wednesday at a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in the Russian city of Vladivostok.

However, Russian and Chinese leaders might not support new sanctions that have proven to be ineffective in slowing North Koreas nuclear missile development program. Putin said North Koreans would eat grass rather than give in to outside pressure to disarm. He called for talks to settle the crisis.

But the North Koreans said the nuclear tests will continue. Han Tae Song, the North's ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, noted Tuesday that more North Korean missiles and nuclear tests are planned.

Trade problems

President Trump said over the weekend that he is considering withdrawing from the U.S. Free Trade Agreement (FTA) with South Korea. That could also create a problem in the security alliance to oppose North Koreas nuclear missile program.

Trump has repeatedly criticized the five-year-old FTA for creating a $27 billion U.S. trade deficit with South Korea last year.

Chinese concerns about anti-missile system

The possibility of increased U.S. tariffs comes at the same time the Moon administration is facing Chinese criticism for deploying the American THAAD missile defense system.

China strongly objects to the radar system, calling it a threat to the countrys security. China had reportedly ordered informal restrictions on some South Korean imports and travel as retaliation.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Brian Padden reported on this story for VOANews.com. Anne Ball adapted his report for Learning English. George Grow was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.

_______________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

frustrate  v. to make ineffectual; bring to nothing; to prevent from succeeding

maximum  adj. the greatest amount or value of something

appeasement  n. the act of pleasing someone by giving or something desired

stance  n. position

currency  n. the money that a country uses

income  n. money that is earned from work or business

sanction  n. a measure designed to punish someone or something

tariff  n. a tax

retaliation  n. the act of repaying in kind; taking action against someone
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Olin Corporation manufactures and distributes chemical products in the United States, Europe, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls; Epoxy; and Winchester. The Chlor Alkali Products and Vinyls segment offers chlorine and caustic soda, ethylene dichloride and vinyl chloride monomers, methyl chloride, methylene chloride, chloroform, carbon tetrachloride, perchloroethylene, hydrochloric acid, hydrogen, bleach products, potassium hydroxide, chlorinated organics intermediates and solvents, and sodium hypochlorite. The Epoxy segment provides epoxy materials and precursors, including aromatics, such as acetone, bisphenol, cumene, and phenol, as well as allyl chloride, epichlorohydrin, and glycerin used for the manufacturers of polymers, resins and other plastic materials, and water purification; liquid and solid epoxy resins that are used in adhesives, marines, protective coatings, composites, and flooring; and converted epoxy resins and additives for use in electrical laminates, paints and coatings, wind blades, electronics, and construction. The Winchester segment offers sporting ammunition products, including shotshells, small caliber centerfire, and rimfire ammunition products for hunters and recreational shooters, and law enforcement agencies; small caliber military ammunition products for use in infantry and mounted weapons; and industrial products comprising gauge loads and powder-actuated tool loads for maintenance applications in power and concrete industries, and powder-actuated tools in construction industry. The company markets its products through its sales force, as well as directly to various industrial customers, mass merchants, retailers, wholesalers, other distributors, and the U.S. Government and its prime contractors. Olin Corporation was incorporated in 1892 and is based in Clayton, Missouri.
State of perfidy

It says a lot about the state of our country that the headline-grabbing news a few days ago was that those convicted of corruption (and various other crimes) would not be allowed to contest the upcoming federal and provincial elections.
Irans President Hassan Rouhani asserted Wednesday that his country shall never breach the nuclear deal, known as the JCPOA, that he described as an important international accord.

President Rouhani made the remarks at a meeting in Tehran Wednesday with Japanese Prime Ministers Special Envoy Masahiko Koumura, reported the Iranian News agency IRNA.

Today, after the implementation of the JCPOA, we should not allow violating the deal, IRNA quoted President Rouhani as saying.

He added that the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified Irans commitment to JCPOA many times.

Meanwhile, the US has not so far been fully committed to the nuclear deal, he deplored adding that the US is trying to make media campaign against international cooperation.

Talks between the Iranian President and the Japanese envoy also covered the security in the region and cooperation prospects between Iran and Japan.

The Iranian president said in this connection that Japanese firms would be able to operate in Iran in oil, gas, petrochemical, dam building and ports development fields.
(HealthDay)A "biologic" drug in development to treat severe asthma reduces the rate of serious attacks by about two-thirds compared to a placebo drug, according to preliminary research findings.

If approved, the drug, tezepelumab, could join a group of costly medications that appear to offer relief when nothing else curbs respiratory distress.

"A new era has begun in which many new drugs are being developed for patients with severe asthma," said Dr. Elisabeth Bel, a professor of respiratory medicine at the University of Amsterdam in the Netherlands.

"Similar to what has happened for rheumatoid arthritis, I expect that in a few years effective treatments will be available for almost all patients with severe asthma," said Bel, author of a commentary accompanying the new study.

The new research was funded by the drug's developers, Amgen and MedImmune, a subsidiary of AstraZeneca.

Asthma is a chronic lung disease. Bel said an estimated 15 percent of asthma patients can't control the disease with current inhaled medications.

"They have severe disease with persistent airway inflammation, which causes continuous symptoms of breathlessness and exercise intolerance," Bel said. This also puts them at risk of severe attacks for which they have to be hospitalized, she added.

Tezepelumab, an injectable drug, is a monoclonal antibodya term that refers to how it's made.

Drugs in this category help many patients with severe asthma, but not all of them, Bel said. That's because the disease comes in different types, she explained.

The new study represents the second of three phases of research required before a drug can be approved in the United States. Researchers wanted to understand tezepelumab's effects on asthma patients who'd suffered at least one asthma attack that required hospitalization within the past year, or two attacks that forced physicians to increase their medication level.

The 584 study patients with severe asthma were nonsmokers, aged 18 to 75, who used asthma inhalers. They were randomly divided into low-dose, medium-dose or high-dose groups, or assigned to take a sham ("placebo") drug.

The researchers found that those on the drug had 61 percent to 71 percent fewer asthma attacks that required a hospital visit or change in medication dose than those who took a placebo.

Study co-author Dr. Rene van der Merwe said, "Tezepelumab also demonstrated improvements in lung function at all doses, in asthma control at the two higher doses, and in quality of life across all treatment groups relative to placebo." She's a researcher with MedImmune.

The study "did not reveal any unexpected safety concerns," said van der Merwe. Between 62 percent and 66 percent of the patients in the various groups reported side effects, and between 9 percent and 12 percent reported serious side effects.

The researchers reported two cases of serious side effectsstroke and pneumonia in one patient, and Guillain-Barre syndrome in another. The patient with stroke and pneumonia died.

Bel said patients with severe asthma suffer greatly. "They have very poor quality of life and have much difficulty in functioning and cannot go to work," she said.

"Many of them have to take oral corticosteroidsprednisoneon a daily basis and suffer from the serious side effects. And these patients are at risk of severe asthma attacks, admission to the intensive care unit and death," she added.

In her commentary, she writes that "tezepelumab appears to be the broadest and most promising biologic for the treatment of persistent uncontrolled asthma to date."

The drug blocks a molecule that's key to the development of swelling in the airway, Bel said, "and is therefore effective in different subtypes of asthma."

As a result, "the chances that the drug will work in severe asthma patients are higher than with the existing monoclonals that are more selective for a specific subtype of patients," she said.

Van der Merwe said it's too early to estimate how much the drug may cost. A spokesperson for AstraZeneca also refused to discuss cost.

However, similar biologic asthma drugs cost $25,000 to $30,000 a year.

The study is published in the Sept. 7 issue of The New England Journal of Medicine.

More information: Elisabeth Bel, M.D., Ph.D., professor, respiratory medicine, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Rene van der Merwe, MBChB, senior director, clinical development, respiratory and inflammation, MedImmune; Sept. 7, 2017, New England Journal of Medicine Elisabeth Bel, M.D., Ph.D., professor, respiratory medicine, University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Rene van der Merwe, MBChB, senior director, clinical development, respiratory and inflammation, MedImmune; Sept. 7, 2017, For more about asthma, see the U.S. National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Researchers at the University of Illinois worked with physicians at Carle Foundation Hospital in a new study that found one measurement of biomarkers in the blood can predict a patient's sepsis status as well as monitoring the patient for hours. Pictured, from left: Professors Rashid Bashir and Ruoqing Zhu, Prenosis Inc. employee Ishan Taneja and professor Sihai Dave Zhao. Credit: L. Brian Stauffer

Sepsis is a deadly and quick-moving medical condition, but its presence can be betrayed early on by the very immune responses that trigger it.

A team of researchers from the University of Illinois and Carle Foundation Hospital in Urbana, Illinois, found that five key biomarkers in blood that characterize sepsis can give physicians as much information as hours of monitoring symptoms.

"Sepsis is a process that happens very rapidly. A patient could change from stable to near death in a matter of days or hours," said Ruoqing Zhu, a professor of statistics at Illinois and a co-leader of the study. "Data show us that if a patient is treated within a few hours of showing symptoms, there is a high survival rate. But as time lengthens, survival rate drops dramatically. So early decision-making is very crucial in treating sepsis."

Sepsis develops when the immune system overreacts to an infection in the body. It triggers widespread inflammation that can very quickly lead to organ failure and even death. Currently, the standard for determining whether a patient has or is developing sepsis is to monitor their vital signs over time to watch for key symptoms.

"Sepsis is one of the most deadly and costly conditions for hospitals in the United States, striking roughly 20 percent of patients admitted to intensive care units and accounting for more than 5 percent of health care costs nationwide," said Rashid Bashir, the executive associate dean of the Carle Illinois College of Medicine and a professor of bioengineering at Illinois. Bashir co-led the study with Zhu.

The Illinois group focused on an alternate means of quickly identifying patients in the early to peak phases of sepsis: measuring biomarkers in the blood that point to elevated immune responses. In July, the group published a study detailing a new point-of-care device for measuring biomarkers in a single drop of blood. The researchers also have a startup company, Prenosis Inc., that is working to commercialize the device.

In a new study published in the journal Scientific Reports, the researchers identified five key sepsis biomarkers and looked at whether they had the same or better predictive power as traditional methods.

"These biomarkers are the first things that get triggered in the progression of the disease, so it makes sense to look at them if you want to make a more accurate early diagnosis," said Ishan Taneja, the first author of the study. He is a recent Illinois graduate now employed at Prenosis.

To see whether the biomarkers could be used to identify patients in the early to peak phases of sepsis, the researchers used blood samples and vital sign data from electronic medical records from patients in the ICU and emergency room at Carle Foundation Hospital. The researchers used machine learning models to determine the predictive power of using traditional vital sign data, using biomarkers alone, or using a combination of the two.

They found that combining biomarker data with electronic medical record data yielded the greatest predictive power. However, they also found that biomarkers alone carried more predictive power than data from electronic medical records alone - in fact, one biomarker measurement from a single blood draw yielded the same results as monitoring vital signs for an additional 16 hours, time that could be crucial for treatment.

"These results support that the biomarkers reflect your health status quicker than outward signs," Zhu said. "Vital signs and other symptoms are observed from outside the patient, but biomarkers show what's going on inside the body. They change immediately once certain processes are triggered."

The Illinois researchers and Carle physicians plan to continue their partnership to further verify the usefulness of biomarkers for identifying sepsis, and to integrate all five of the biomarker readings into the point-of-care device. They also are looking to further track the progression of sepsis so that physicians can identify what stage of the disease a patient presents.

"This paper focuses on making decisions from a single point, when a blood sample is taken. What we're working on right now is to take multiple measurements to see if the trajectory of disease progression can be predicted accurately," Zhu said.

More information: Ishan Taneja et al, Combining Biomarkers with EMR Data to Identify Patients in Different Phases of Sepsis, Scientific Reports (2017). Journal information: Scientific Reports Ishan Taneja et al, Combining Biomarkers with EMR Data to Identify Patients in Different Phases of Sepsis,(2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-09766-1
A groundbreaking talking treatment has been developed and successfully trialled with a group of black and minority ethnic (BME) schizophrenia service users, carers, community members and health professionals.

Dr Dawn Edge from The University of Manchester led a team that developed the model in a study funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) which she says could be a breakthrough for BME patients whose mental healthcare is both sub-optimal and costly for the NHS.

The new therapy, called Culturally-Adapted Family Intervention, or 'CaFI' for short, emerges in the context of decades of poor engagement between black communities and mental health services.

People of African-Caribbean origin, including those of 'Mixed' heritage, are nine times more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia than White British people. Black Africans' risk of diagnosis is six times greater.

Having tried the new therapy, service users, carers, therapists and service providers reported improved symptoms and better understanding and communication between patients, families, and services.

Dr Edge, a Senior Lecturer who is also the University of Manchester's Academic Lead for Equality Diversity and Inclusion, says racism, discrimination, adversity and alienation are key contributors to the problem.

She said: "People from BME communities tell us that the constant stress of racism and surviving in often hostile environments can make trigger mental illness.

"Moreover, when a black person is experiencing psychological distress, mental health services are often unable to distinguish between their responses to everyday stressors and illness, compounding the problem.

"Not surprisingly, African-Caribbeans and people from other BME backgrounds are often reluctant to engage with mental health services as they do not think they will be understood or treated fairly.

"In consequence, they tend to come into contact with services much later in their illness, often in a state of crisis, involving the police and being 'sectioned' under the Mental Health Act. Once in services, their care is more likely to be coercive than White British peoples.

"For example, black patients are much more likely to be held in seclusion, forcibly given medication and regularly readmitted.

"On average, they remain in hospital twice as long as White British people and are more likely to be discharged on costly Community Treatment Orders (CTOs)."

Dr Edge added, "We have demonstrated that it is possible to develop this treatment and to improve African-Caribbean patients' and families' engagement with mental health services.

"We now need to test CaFI nationally to see if it delivers better outcomes and is cost-effective in comparison to usual treatment.

"This is the first time that a psychological therapy, specifically designed to meet the needs of this community, has been developed, which is intriguing given that this is one of the most long-standing challenges facing mental health services.

"To me, equitable access to effective mental healthcare is a social justice issue. Moreover, family-focused psychological care makes good economic sense. It reduces NHS and social care costs not just for service users but also for carers."

The research to develop and test the new treatment was conducted over three years at Greater Manchester Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust.

CaFI was trialled with 26 family units, of which 24 completed all 10 therapy sessions. Half the service users who took part had no contact with their families and were given the support of 'care coordinators, friends or community members from a range of ethnic backgrounds.
Tecno, itel phones makes Nepal entry

Transsion Holdings, one of the worlds major mobile phone manufacturers and a leading supplier of communication devices has forayed into the Nepali mobile phone market. The company is launching mobile phone brands , Tecno and itel along with accessory brand Oraimo.
Credit: University of Manchester

An international collaboration led by scientists and doctors from the UK, Netherlands and United States has identified a new genetic disease that affects the size of our brains and causes severe developmental problems.

While working on another project, Dr Siddharth Banka who is based at The University of Manchester and the Manchester Centre for Genomic Medicine, Saint Mary's Hospital, noticed three children with large or small brains, developmental delay and mutations in a gene called RAC1.

At that point, it was difficult to be sure if it was a true finding, because RAC1 has never before been linked to human disease. And mutations in no other single gene have previously shown this extent of variability in brain-size.

As part of a parallel project, Professor Han Brunner and Dr Margot Reijnders of the Radboud University in Nijmegen had gathered together four more children with mutations in the same gene and altered brain-sizes. Some of the affected children were also found to have epilepsy and heart defects.

Dr Tom Millard also from The University of Manchester then used mouse cells to show that mutations in RAC1 affect the shape of the cells. When Dr Maria Kousi and Professor Nicholas Katsanis of Duke University, North Carolina found a similar effect of RAC1 mutations in brain-size of zebrafish, the team had no doubt they had discovered something new.

The study is published in the American Journal of Human Genetics.

"Evolution has tinkered with thousands of genes over millions of years, to shape the human brain, an organ that is remarkably consistent in its appearance and size across billions of people," said Dr Banka.

He added: "However, occasionally a tiny little alteration in just one of these thousands of genes can have devastating effects, reflecting the fine balance of this complex genetic orchestra."

Dr Reijnders said: "Remarkably, evolution has hardly meddled with RAC1. In fact, the RAC1 of the humble roundworm is not very different from the RAC1 present in your and my cells.

"This astonishing conservation across eons indicates the fundamental role of RAC1 in life. Hence, in some ways it is not surprising that a small alteration in this gene is difficult for us to tolerate."

Professor Han Brunner added: "These findings open new doors to our understanding of the development of the brain.

"We suspect RAC1 plays an important role in other genetic diseases as well".

Dr Banka added: "We are sure that this discovery will lead to identification of more patients with RAC1 mutations, who have not yet been diagnosed.

"The next step for the scientists will be to use this knowledge to work out possible treatments for this disease and related conditions."

Part of the study was based on the genetic data from the Wellcome Trust Sanger Institute in Cambridge.

The doctors and scientists who took part in this study are unable to deal with individual clinical enquires from the public. However, patients and families should in the first instance contact their GP who may refer them on to a local geneticist.
Credit: Bobby Mikul/public domain

Exposure to dairy farms early in life may dramatically reduce the frequency and severity of respiratory illnesses, allergies and chronic skin rashes among young children according to a collaborative study that includes two researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health. Drs. Christine Seroogy, associate professor of pediatrics, and James Gern, professor of pediatrics, worked with researchers at the Marshfield Clinic on the study.

"Seeing decreased allergies in farm-exposed children from the Marshfield area is in agreement with similar findings in Western Europe that found farm exposure is linked to allergic disease and wheezing illnesses," said Seroogy. "But this is the first study to show an association between farm exposure and reduced medically-attended respiratory illnesses."

The study, published online by the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, was conducted in the Marshfield Epidemiologic Study Area. It compared 268 children ages five to 17 who lived on a dairy farm from birth to five years to 247 children who live in a rural area but never lived on a farm. The study included the use of questionnaires and review of electronic medical records.

Conditions that were significantly less common in farm-exposed children were allergic rhinitis or hay fever (17 percent compared to 28 percent) and eczema (7 percent versus 19 percent). The study found children born onto dairy farms had much less severe respiratory illnesses during the first two years of life (16 percent in farm infants compared to 31 percent in non-farm infants.)

"These findings suggest that environmental exposures or other elements of the farming lifestyle help kids to be resistant to both allergies and viral respiratory illnesses," said Gern.

Seroogy and Gern said they are working on an additional study in Marshfield to identify which farm exposures may be beneficial and to determine whether they stimulate development of the immune system during infancy. This prospective birth cohort study, known as the Wisconsin Infant Study Cohort, will help to determine how farm exposure reduces childhood respiratory illnesses.

"Ultimately, the goal of our ongoing study is to determine the beneficial exposures of the farming lifestyle and establish a safe manner to bring this to children at risk for asthma and allergic diseases," said Seroogy.

More information: Farm Exposure in Early Childhood is Associated with a Lower Risk of Severe Respiratory Illnesses. Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. DOI: Journal information: Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology Farm Exposure in Early Childhood is Associated with a Lower Risk of Severe Respiratory Illnesses.. DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jaci.2017.07.032
Hip fracture is a major public health problem, associated with high morbidity and mortality, and high costs to the healthcare system. With the ageing of populations worldwide, the socioeconomic burden of hip fracture is set to rise dramatically.

A new Australian study published in Archives of Osteoporosis, looks at the 12-month mortality of older persons presenting to hospitals in Australia with hip fracture. It is the first large population-based matched cohort study exploring excess mortality risk from hip fracture in the Australian population while accounting for pre-injury comorbid conditions.

The researchers linked hospital and mortality data from four Australian states. 9748 Individuals aged 65 years and older who had a hospital admission with a primary diagnosis of hip fracture in 2009 were matched 1:1 on age, sex, and postcode of residence with a cohort of non-injured individuals selected from the electoral roll. Adjusted mortality rate ratios and attributable risk percent were calculated, and Cox proportional hazard regression was used to examine the effect of risk factors on survival.

The researchers found that hip fracture sufferers experienced significantly worse survival at 12-months post-fracture:

Individuals with hip fracture were more than 3.5 times more likely to die within 12 months compared to their non-injured counterparts (mortality rate ratio 3.62 [95%CI 3.23-4.05]).

Hip fracture was likely to be a contributory factor in 72% of mortality within 12 months after the index hospital admission.

Excess mortality risk at 12 months was higher in males than in females, and in the 65-74-year age group compared to older age groups.

Dr Reidar P. Lystad from the Australian Institute of Health Innovation at Macquarie University and co-author of the study, stated:

"With an ageing population in Australia, the burden of hip fractures is expected to increase in the coming decades. Our findings suggest that, with the hip fracture trauma itself a main predictor of excess mortality, efforts may best be directed at primary and secondary prevention of the fracture itself."

More information: Reidar P. Lystad et al, Mortality risk among older Australians hospitalised with hip fracture: a population-based matched cohort study, Archives of Osteoporosis (2017). Reidar P. Lystad et al, Mortality risk among older Australians hospitalised with hip fracture: a population-based matched cohort study,(2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11657-017-0359-7
Credit: Adam Glanzman/Northeastern University

Most guidelines suggest adults get six to eight hours of sleep each night. Lichuan Ye, associate professor in the Bouve College of Health Sciences, thinks about sleep for much longer than that each day. Indeed, her research focuses on promoting better sleep, and managing sleep disorders.

As a registered nurse and one of the Haley Nurse Scientists at Brigham and Women's Hospital, Ye, who joined Northeastern this fall, brings a unique perspective to the university and to her research.

"I have this mixed education and training background, so I love to explore the medicine of sleep, but I'm more behavior- and education-focused," she said. "That's how I started my clinical research."

That research, which has been published in the scholarly journal Sleep and covered by Reuters, examines the symptoms and treatment of sleep disorders. Most recently, she's focused on obstructive sleep apnea. The condition commonly leads to snoring and disrupted sleep, but can also cause sufferers to stop breathing altogether in more extreme cases.

However, the sleep apnea often takes a while to diagnose, Ye said. Her research includes examining how to better facilitate earlier diagnosis.

Treatment often includes wearing a continuous positive airway pressure, or CPAP, machine at nighta breathing mask that pushes a stream of air through the nose and mouth. But as Ye noted in her most recent publication on the topic, the biggest obstacle to treating obstructive sleep apnea is that people don't wear the mask. Or, if they do, they don't do it regularly.

So, her most recent research, supported by the National Institutes of Health, found that spouses play an important role in whether or not their partners do routinely use the CPAP machine.

Outside of those diagnosed with sleep apnea, there's another population that regularly grapples with disrupted sleephospital patients. Between the standard din of a busy hospital ward and the intermittent check of vital signs administered by hospital staff, it's hard for hospital patients to get more than a few hours of sleep at a time.

To address this issue, Ye helped develop the SLEEPkit, a sleep promotion toolkit for hospital staff. The kit, which is still being tested, will help hospital staff communicate with patients to gauge how to better enable uninterrupted sleep. For example, a stable patient may only need her vital signs checked every four hours instead of every two, Ye offered. Little changes like that could make a huge difference for the patient.

Ye, who helped create the very first sleep lab at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, credits her interdisciplinary background for the way she approaches sleepboth as an academic and as a person deeply concerned with results.

"I love looking at patient outcomes, and interacting with real patients," she said. "That's where I feel like my studies can make a difference."

More information: L Ye et al. 0511 Spousal involvement in adherence to CPAP treatment, Sleep (2017). Journal information: Sleep L Ye et al. 0511 Spousal involvement in adherence to CPAP treatment,(2017). DOI: 10.1093/sleepj/zsx050.510
A five-year effort across the Johns Hopkins Health System to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions has improved patient care and yielded a 400 percent return on investment. Credit: Keith Weller

A five-year effort across the Johns Hopkins Health System to reduce unnecessary blood transfusions and improve patient care has also resulted in an annual cost savings of more than $2 million, researchers report.

A summary of the blood management program, published September 7 in the Online First edition of Anesthesiology, the peer-reviewed medical journal of the American Society of Anesthesiologists, details the development and implementation of the program, which quality improvement experts at Hopkins say can be adopted elsewhere by other health systems.

"Hospitals across the country are merging into health systems in part to realize economies of scale by improving quality," says Steven Frank, M.D., professor of anesthesiology and critical care medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and the paper's first author.

"Our experience with a patient blood management program shows that it's feasible to do that," he adds.

According to the Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that accredits health care organizations and programs in the United States, blood transfusions are one of the top five most overused procedures, in addition to being the most common procedure performed in U.S. hospitals. Beyond the costly misuse of sometimes scarce blood resources, transfusions may carry side effects and harms, so efforts to reduce their use overall are a patient safety issue.

Initiatives such as Choosing Wisely, which focus on reducing unnecessary tests and procedures and are endorsed by multiple professional societies, have further focused on blood transfusions as a target for reduction.

At the start of the new program, the five adult hospitals that comprise the Johns Hopkins Health System spent nearly $30 million each year for blood, an amount that did not include overhead costs of collection, storage and administrative expenses. Those costs alone can increase the blood costs three- or four-fold, he says.

The new patient blood management (PBM) program was launched in January 2012 at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the system's flagship institution, with a clinical education program.

Dr. Steven Frank in an operating room with a unit of packed red blood cells. Credit: Steven Frank

The educational outreach consisted of live, in-person Grand Rounds presentations to various clinical departments to inform physicians, nurses and others about hospital transfusion policy guidelines and the results of eight published landmark studies that support reduced use of transfusions.

"Our premise is that doctors don't want to be told how to practice medicine by computer pop-up alerts; they would rather hear about the studies supporting the guidelines," says Frank. In July 2014, The Johns Hopkins Hospital entered phase two of the program by forming a blood management "clinical community," a physician-led, self-governing network of stakeholders who work together to promote best practices across the health system.

The network was composed of clinicians from multiple disciplines across all five hospitals, ranging from surgery to obstetrics/gynecology. After the educational campaign was rolled out, a series of well-designed pop-up alerts was launched at all five hospitals to encourage guideline compliance.

The single most effective intervention, says Frank, was the "Why give 2 when 1 will do?" campaign to encourage single-unit transfusions, which resulted in a 49 percent decrease in multiunit orders. The number of red blood cell units transfused per 1,000 patients decreased by 19.8 percent, while plasma transfusions decreased by 38.9 percent and platelets by 15.6 percent.

For the past fiscal year, blood acquisition cost savings were $2,120,273, which marked a 400 percent return on investment for the PBM program, Frank says.

"The most effective way to change practice is through education," says Frank. Despite the fact that all eight landmark studies support that "less is more" for transfusion, many providers had not seen these studies and were unaware of current best practices.

In addition to education, feedback is another important aspect of quality improvement program success, he says. Part of the PBM program includes sending more than 600 providers monthly or quarterly reports showing their individual guideline compliance rates and comparison to peers.

The new report is one of a series of peer-reviewed implementation guides co-authored by faculty from the High Value Practice Academic Alliance (HVPAA), a national coalition created by the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Faculty from more than 80 academic institutions representing 15 medical specialties and subspecialties have joined HVPAA to advance evidence-based quality improvement in hospital care. Additional reports being co-authored by HVPAA faculty from multiple institutions aim to reduce ineffective blood tests for diagnosing heart attacks, routine daily lab tests, antibiotics for asymptomatic bacteriuria and inappropriate Clostridium difficile testing.
The study by researchers at the Naveen Jindal School of Management indicates that the cost savings from early discharge is outweighed by the extra costs incurred from future readmission. Credit: University of Texas at Dallas

An adequate length of stay during hospitalization is a critical factor in quality of care and a predictor of future readmission risk, according to a new study from The University of Texas at Dallas.

University researchers recently examined the deviation between hospital length of stay and guidelines mandated by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. Length of stay is a key component of health care costs that resonates across the health care system, affecting patients, health care providers and payers, such as Medicare and insurers. The United States leads developed nations in shorter hospital stays.

Dr. Zhiqiang "Eric" Zheng and Dr. Indranil R. Bardhan, professors of information systems in the Naveen Jindal School of Management, co-authored the paper, which was published in Production and Operations Management.

Using data from congestive heart failure patient records in North Texas from January 2006 to December 2009, they studied the relationship between length of stay and readmission risk, the role of health information technology (IT) in reducing the deviation of length of stay, and the cost trade-offs between early discharge and readmission.

Their results suggest that patients with hospital stays shorter than the guidelines by two or more days are likely to exhibit greater readmission risk, while patients whose length of stay exceeds the guidelines are likely to have a lower readmission risk.

"We show that if health care providers deviate from the mandated guidelines substantially, it results in significantly higher readmission risk, which is associated with higher dollars in terms of overall management of the patient," Bardhan said.

He noted that congestive heart failure is a chronic and very expensive disease.

"It needs long-term management," Bardhan said. "If you are able to keep patients away from the hospital and manage their care, you can bring down the costs dramatically."

The study indicates that the cost savings from early discharge is outweighed by the extra costs incurred from future readmission.

"There's a trade-off between saving now versus having higher costs later," Zheng said. "If you save a certain amount of money today by discharging a patient one day earlier, one month later the patient will have a 7.7 percent higher chance of coming back."

The study is one of the first to examine the relationship between the implementation of health IT and deviation from the guidelines of length of stay. The researchers found that the implementation of various health IT applicationsincluding electronic medical recordshelps reduce deviation.

They also found an association between patients who stick to the same hospital and a reduction in readmission risk.

The researchers said the study's results have significant implications for hospital executives, case managers and policymakers in terms of decision-making related to patient discharge planning and capacity utilization, and their effects on hospital quality.

"Hospitals are too focused on reducing length of stay," Zheng said. "They should be more forward-looking. Our paper tells a message that saving money by discharging patients now may not help hospitals save later. If you have to keep a patient a little longer this time, hospitals should not be penalized for doing that."

More information: Jeong-ha Cath Oh et al. Sooner or Later? Health Information Technology, Length of Stay, and Readmission Risk, Production and Operations Management (2017). Jeong-ha Cath Oh et al. Sooner or Later? Health Information Technology, Length of Stay, and Readmission Risk,(2017). DOI: 10.1111/poms.12748
Credit: Association for Psychological Science

Positive emotions are often seen as critical aspects of healthy living, but new research suggests that the link between emotion and health outcomes may vary by cultural context. The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, show that experiencing positive emotions is linked with better cardiovascular health in the US but not in Japan.

"Our key finding is that positive emotions predict blood-lipid profiles differently across cultures," says psychological scientist Jiah Yoo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "American adults who experience high levels of positive emotions, such as feeling 'cheerful' and 'extremely happy', are more likely to have healthy blood-lipid profiles, even after accounting for other factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, and chronic conditions. However, this was not true for Japanese adults."

"Our findings underscore the importance of cultural context for understanding links between emotion and health, something that has been largely ignored in the literature," Yoo adds. "Although some studies have examined cultural differences in links between positive emotions and healthy functioning, this work is novel in that it includes biological measures of health and large representative samples from both countries."

The fact that positive emotions are conceived of and valued differently across cultures led Yoo and colleagues to wonder whether the health benefits observed in tandem with positive emotions might be specific to Western populations.

"In American cultures, experiencing positive emotions is seen as desirable and is even encouraged via socialization. But in East Asian cultures, people commonly view positive emotions as having dark sides - they are fleeting, may attract unnecessary attention from others, and can be a distraction from focusing on important tasks," says Yoo.

The researchers designed a cross-cultural comparison, examining data from two large representative studies of adults: Midlife in the United States and Midlife in Japan, both funded by the National Institute on Aging. Data included participants' ratings of how frequently they felt 10 different positive emotions in the previous 30 days and measures of blood lipids, which provided objective data on participants' heart health.

"Because of the global prevalence of coronary artery disease, blood lipids are considered important indices of biological health in many Western and East Asian countries," Yoo explains.

As expected, the data indicated that experiencing frequent positive emotions was associated with healthy lipid profiles for American participants. But there was no evidence of such a link for Japanese participants.

The differences may be due, in part, to the relationships between positive emotions and BMI in each culture. Higher positive emotions were linked with lower BMI and, in turn, healthier lipid profiles among American participants, but not among Japanese participants.

"By demonstrating that the cultural variation in the connection between emotional well-being and physical well-being, our research has wide-ranging relevance among those who seek to promote well-being in the communities and the workplace, including clinicians, executives, and policy makers," Yoo concludes.

In future work, the researchers will examine longitudinal data to determine whether the evidence suggests a direct causal link between emotions and health. They also hope to identify emotional profiles that may be more relevant or important to health outcomes in East Asian cultures.

More information: Jiah Yoo et al, Linking Positive Affect to Blood Lipids: A Cultural Perspective, Psychological Science (2017). Journal information: Psychological Science Jiah Yoo et al, Linking Positive Affect to Blood Lipids: A Cultural Perspective,(2017). DOI: 10.1177/0956797617713309
(HealthDay)The inhaler medication Spiriva (tiotropium bromide) may help slow the progression of COPD if given in the early stages of the disease, a new study suggests.

Researchers found that the drug helped patients preserve more lung function over two years. It also cut down on symptom flare-ups and boosted patients' quality of life, on average.

All of the study patients were in the early stages of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPDa group of serious lung conditions that include emphysema and chronic bronchitis.

Experts said the study, funded by Spiriva maker Boehringer Ingelheim, could help change the way early COPD is managed.

Until now, nothing has been shown to slow the progression of early COPDother than smoking cessation, said Dr. Louis DePalo, a lung disease specialist who wasn't involved in the study.

"Quitting smoking is the one thing that's tried and true," said DePalo, a professor of pulmonology at Mount Sinai's Icahn School of Medicine in New York City.

But as far as medication, there has been a "nihilistic" attitude among doctors, DePalo said. Often, they see no point in prescribing a drug like Spiriva, he explained, unless patients have chronic symptoms that need relief.

That might start changing now, according to DePalo.

COPD affects more than 11 million people in the United States alone, according to the American Lung Association. And it's the third-leading cause of death nationwide.

There is no cure for COPD, but there are therapies to control the symptoms and improve patients' quality of life. The medications include inhaled bronchodilators, which relax the muscles around the airways and make it easier to breathe.

There are short-acting bronchodilators, which are used "as needed" to control symptom flare-ups. And there are long-acting ones, like Spiriva, which are used daily to control symptoms.

People in the early stages of COPD may have minimal symptoms. So their doctors may prescribe only short-acting medications, along with smoking cessation, said Dr. MeiLan Han, a spokesperson for the American Lung Association.

Han, who wasn't involved in the research, also used the word "nihilism" to describe the traditional view of treating early stage COPD.

She pointed to the current guidelines from the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force. They recommend against screening for COPD in people who are symptom-free, partly because there was no good evidence that early treatment slowed the disease down.

"These new data could start to turn everything on its head," Han said.

More research is still needed to back up the current findings, according to Han. If that happens, "this could be a real game-changer," she said.

"We may need to get more aggressive about screening and diagnosing this earlier," Han said.

The study included 841 patients in China. All were diagnosed with stage 1 or 2 COPD, and most had minimal to no symptoms at the outset.

Researchersled by Dr. Pixin Ran from Guangzhou Medical Universityrandomly assigned the patients to use either Spiriva or an inhaler containing a placebo, once a day for two years.

In the end, patients on Spiriva showed better lung function on standard tests. They were also less likely to have had a symptom attack during the study period29 percent on the medicine versus 39 percent on placebo.

And compared with the placebo group, people on medication gave higher ratings to their quality of life.

"It translated to improvements in how patients felt, which is what we really care about," DePalo said.

But it's difficult to know, he said, how the findings will affect everyday patient care. It can be hard, for instance, to get patients to use an inhaler if they are "feeling fine," DePalo said.

"And these inhalers can be expensive," he noted.

Plus, most patients with early stage COPD are seeing primary care doctors, not lung specialists.

"The primary care providers are treating a lot of different diseases," DePalo noted. "And they're more focused on diabetes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol."

In fact, Han said, the majority of Americans diagnosed with COPD have never had spirometry. That's a simple breathing test that helps confirm a COPD diagnosis and gauge how severe it is.

She said patients diagnosed with COPD should make sure they've had spirometry. "Your COPD may be more advanced than you think, or you may not even have it," Han said.

As for treatment, DePalo said, patients with milder COPD can ask their doctor whether a long-acting bronchodilator could be appropriate.

"These data should start prompting more discussions," he said.

Findings were published Sept. 6 in the New England Journal of Medicine.

More information: Louis DePalo, M.D., professor, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City; MeiLan Han, M.D., associate professor, internal medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and spokesperson, American Lung Association, Chicago; Sept. 7, 2017, New England Journal of Medicine Louis DePalo, M.D., professor, pulmonary, critical care and sleep medicine, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York City; MeiLan Han, M.D., associate professor, internal medicine, University of Michigan Health System, Ann Arbor, and spokesperson, American Lung Association, Chicago; Sept. 7, 2017, The American Lung Association has more on COPD. Journal information: New England Journal of Medicine

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
(HealthDay)Asking patients to stop smoking before undergoing cosmetic surgery can promote long-term smoking cessation, according to a study published in the September issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

Aaron C. Van Slyke, M.D., from the University of British Columbia in Canada, and colleagues conducted a retrospective cross-sectional cohort study involving 85 patients who smoked before their preoperative consultation, quit two weeks before surgery, and then underwent rhytidectomy, abdominoplasty, or mastopexy. At long-term follow-up, patients were asked to complete a survey; 47 patients completed the survey, with an average follow-up of 63.3 months.

Five of the respondents were social smokers and excluded. At long-term follow-up, the researchers found that 40.5 percent of the 42 daily smokers were no longer smoking cigarettes on a daily basis. Ten of these 17 patients had not smoked since their operation. Overall, 57.1 percent of patients had reduced their cigarette consumption by any amount, and 70.8 percent of these patients agreed that discussing adverse surgical outcomes associated with smoking influenced their ability to quit or reduce smoking. Half of the patients admitted that they were not compliant with the preoperative smoking cessation instructions.

"The authors have shown a positive association between smoking cessation and cosmetic surgery," the authors write. "Requesting a period of cessation before cosmetic surgery may promote long-lasting smoking cessation."

One author disclosed financial ties to the pharmaceutical industry.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
8 priority research themes for tobacco control research. Credit: University of Oxford

A new set of research priorities to support tobacco control will help ensure future research provides the greatest benefit to public health and value for money, according to an international group led by Oxford University researchers.

The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group's research prioritisation exercise involving over 300 people identified a total of 183 unanswered questions in tobacco control through two online surveys and an Oxford-based workshop, narrowed down to 24 priority questions.

This prioritisation exercise was funded by the NIHR School for Primary Care Research. The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group is funded by the NIHR Systematic Reviews Programme. Results from the prioritisation exercise are published in the journal Addiction.

The top 24 unanswered questions are grouped into eight priority research themes: addressing inequalities in tobacco use; delivery of smoking cessation treatments; electronic cigarettes; quit attempt triggers; preventing tobacco use in young people; tobacco use in people with mental health problems and/or substance abuse issues; interventions targeting whole populations rather than individuals; quitting during pregnancy.

"The range, appearance and accessibility of tobacco products has changed significantly in recent years," said Dr Jamie Hartmann-Boyce, Senior Researcher and Managing Editor in the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, which is based in Oxford University's Nuffield Department of Primary Care Health Sciences. "Technology has given rise to new ways of delivering nicotine that can help reduce the harms associated with traditional cigarettes.

"To ensure our research continues to address the contemporary issues in tobacco control, we aimed to develop a set of research priorities that represent the views of the widest group possible."

Discussing the future of tobacco addiction research with the Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group. Credit: University of Oxford

The Cochrane Tobacco Addiction Group, part of the global independent Cochrane network, gathers and summarizes the best evidence from research on the most effective methods of supporting smoking prevention and cessation. Their reviews, presenting what is considered "gold standard evidence", often inform healthcare policy, guidance and practice and have contributed to global and national health guidelines in both the UK and US, and professional clinical training programmes.

Dr Hartmann-Boyce and colleagues from the Universities of Oxford, Vermont and University College London consulted with doctors, stop smoking advisers, smokers, ex-smokers, health service commissions, researchers, funding bodies and policymakers representing 28 countries, though the majority were based in the UK and USA. Their project differed from traditional health research priority setting exercises, which typically target just clinicians and patients.

At the Oxford workshop, attendees commented on the "moral issue" of addressing inequalities in tobacco use as a reason for putting it in the top spot. Also discussed were the issues surrounding electronic cigarette safety and their long-term side-effects, as well as the difficulty in maintaining the motivation to quit smoking.

Unanswered research questions identified as most important for researchers to consider include: what are the most effective stop-smoking interventions for smokers are part of a hard-to-reach group?; how can we make sure that all healthcare providers provide stop-smoking treatment which research has been found to be effective, safe and cost-effective?; how safe are e-cigarettes, and are they as safe as other products?

Professor Robert West, Professor of Health Psychology and Director of Tobacco Studies at University College London, who contributed to the project, said "It is important that research designed to evaluate tobacco control interventions is aimed at the people that need it most, and investigates the latest products and services to understand their potential to make a difference at both the individual and population level.

"This new set of research priorities has relevance to the entire research community and can support the design of future studies in tobacco control, helping to maximise the likelihood that research findings are useful in reducing the harms associated with tobacco use."

More information: Lindson N, Richards-Doran D, Heath L, and Hartmann-Boyce J, on behalf of the CTAG taps team (2017) Setting research priorities in tobacco control: A stakeholder engagement project. Addiction, DOI: 10.1111/add.13940 Journal information: Addiction Lindson N, Richards-Doran D, Heath L, and Hartmann-Boyce J, on behalf of the CTAG taps team (2017) Setting research priorities in tobacco control: A stakeholder engagement project.
TU scraps National Medical College affiliation

The Tribhuvan University (TU) has scrapped the affiliation of Kathmandu National Medical College.
Professor Monika Janda with the dermatoscope being trialled to detect melanoma early. Credit: Queensland University of Technology

QUT skin cancer researchers are seeking community volunteers to participate in a skin self-examination study. Performed regularly, self-examination can alert you to changes in your skin and may improve the early detection of melanoma.

Professor Monika Janda, from QUT's Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation, said the study aimed to find out how well people can detect suspicious skin spots and if the new imaging technology "mobile dermatoscopes" could significantly increase early detection of melanoma.

"Melanoma is often cured when it is detected before it embeds itself deeper into the body," Professor Janda said.

"That is why early detection by regular checking of skin lesions or changes can improve survival of melanoma.

"People with light skin that burns rather than tans, who have many moles, a family history of melanoma or a personal history of skin cancers other than melanoma are all at high risk of melanoma.

"This research is testing the use of mobile teledermoscopy which combines a skin microscope with a bright light source attached to a smartphone so that a person at home can send a photograph of a magnified image of a suspicious lesion to a dermatologist," she said.

"The dermatologist could then provide feedback directly to the patient as to whether the lesion needs treatment, a management plan or no further action."

QUT is seeking volunteers to trial a new smartphone-based way to detect melanoma early. Credit: Queensland University of Technology

People who are 18 years or older who have not had a melanoma within the past five years are asked to take part in the study. They will need an iPhone 5, 6 or 7 and live in Brisbane or be willing to travel to Brisbane for a skin check by a doctor. Selected participants will be asked to test the mobile dermatoscope. All participants receive a $50 gift voucher.

To volunteer, contact skin@qut.edu.au.

More information: SKin INnovation (SKIN) Research Project: SKin INnovation (SKIN) Research Project: skinresearch.com.au/
Credit: CC0 Public Domain

Imagine you find out that your friend meets with mutual co-workers for lunch every Friday. You ask to join, but your friend declines your request. Could the way they phrased this rejection make you feel more or less hurt about being snubbed?

A new study published in the open-access journal, Frontiers in Psychology, reveals that saying sorry when making a social rejection can have the opposite effect of its intention.

"Contrary to popular belief, apologies don't soften the blow of rejections," says Dr. Gili Freedman, lead author of this study, currently based at Dartmouth College, Hanover, New Hampshire, USA.

"Most people have had the experience of wanting to minimize the hurt of the person they are rejecting. But how exactly do you do that? Our research finds that despite their good intentions, people are going about it the wrong way. They often apologize, but that makes people feel worse and that they have to forgive the rejector before they are ready."

Previous research has focused on the target of the rejection, rather than those who carry it out and how they do it. There can be times when people cannot accept all invitations or wish to avoid a social encounter, but little is known about how they can protect the feelings of those being rejected.

Social norms dictate that we should forgive someone if they apologize, which puts the targets of social rejection in a difficult position if they aren't ready to do this or think the apology is insincere. With that in mind, Dr. Freedman performed several different tests to assess how often apologies were included in a social rejection and how the recipients felt and responded to them.

"We approached over a thousand people who were in town for various festivals so we could get a wide range of participants by capitalizing on the free time that people had while waiting in queues."

They found 39% of people included an apology when asked to write a 'good way of saying no' to a social request, such as being able to meet up or to be roommates again. When asked how they would feel when put in this position themselves, those people shown a rejection containing an apology reported higher feelings of hurt.

Dr. Freedman then carried out specially designed face-to-face rejection experiments to account for the fact that people don't like to admit negative feelings, such as the pain of rejection.

"We know that people often don't want to admit that they have hurt feelings, so in some of the studies, we looked at how much people wanted to seek revenge," explains Dr. Freedman. "Specifically, we looked at the degree to which rejectees imposed an unpleasant taste test of hot sauce on their rejectors."

It showed that those offered an apology when rejected from a set of group tasks, which included a taste test of hot sauce, exacted revenge by allocating more sauce to the person who had rejected them. This was despite being told they had a strong aversion spicy food!

Lastly, the researchers asked participants to view a video of a rejection in action, to assess if feelings of forgiveness can be affected. Those who saw the recipient receiving an apology thought they would feel more obliged to express forgiveness, despite not feeling it.

Dr. Freedman hopes to further this research by examining if the rejector is actually protecting their own feelings when apologizing.

"It is possible that rejectors may feel better about themselves if they apologize. We intend to examine when rejectors are motivated to feel better about themselves and when they would rather put the rejectee's needs ahead of their own."

More information: Gili Freedman et al, When Saying Sorry May Not Help: The Impact of Apologies on Social Rejections, Frontiers in Psychology (2017). Journal information: Frontiers in Psychology Gili Freedman et al, When Saying Sorry May Not Help: The Impact of Apologies on Social Rejections,(2017). DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01375
(HealthDay)High rates of body dissatisfaction and disordered eating behaviors (DEB) are reported by adolescents with type 1 diabetes, particularly females, according to a study published online Aug. 30 in the International Journal of Eating Disorders.

Emanuala Araia, from Deakin University in Australia, and colleagues used data from a national online survey (Diabetes Eating Problem Survey-Revised [DEPS-R]) of 477 adolescents (aged 13 to 19 years) with type 1 diabetes for at least one year. Four hundred thirty-one participants also completed the Body Mass Index Silhouette Matching Test (BMI-SMT).

The researchers found that the DEPS-R total score was higher for females than males and that females' scores increased with age. There was a moderate association between BMI, HbA1C, insulin omission, and binge eating frequency and DEPS-R scores for both genders. Eighty-eight percent of females wanted to be thinner on the BMI-SMT, while 76 percent of males reported body dissatisfactionthough just 43 percent of them expressed a desire for thinness. DEPS-R was positively associated with the discrepancy between perceived actual and ideal body size for both genders.

"Given the high levels of self-reported DEB and gender-based patterns of body dissatisfaction, future research needs to examine the effectiveness of routine screening of DEB and consider implementation of stepped care approaches," conclude the authors.

Copyright  2017 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
A person's risk of dying is higher if they are admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at the weekend compared to a weekday, according to a study involving 119 ICUs in Austria. Conversely, the risk of dying in the ICU on a weekend is lower than on a weekday, highlighting the complexity of the so-called 'weekend effect'. The study was published in the open access journal Critical Care.

Dr Paul Zajic, lead author from Medical University Graz, Austria, said: "Our study demonstrates that patients admitted to ICUs at weekends are at increased risk of death. This effect requires thoughtful considerations both by clinicians and policy makers because in the 21st century, the day of admission should not influence patient outcomes. While one must avoid jumping to conclusions based upon retrospective studies, our findings may guide further research, and ultimately lead to systematic improvements that aim to eradicate the 'weekend effect'."

Some studies conducted on data from the NHS in the UK have suggested that there is increased risk of death if admitted at the weekend but findings from different studies have been inconsistent.

In this Austrian study, the researchers took into account the severity of illness at admission, the reason for admission, the chance of discharge from the ICU to the hospital or home and risk of death following discharge to the hospital, in order to get a better understanding of the factors that might contribute to a weekend effect. The study used data on 167,425 patients collected from 119 ICUs across Austria between 2012 and 2015. Data was obtained from the Austrian Centre for Documentation in Quality Assurance in Intensive Care.

Dr Zajic explained: "Contrary to what one might expect, weekend admissions do not alter patient outcomes immediately but are felt further down the line, potentially explaining why risk of death in the week was actually higher than the weekend. We noticed that several key interventions in the ICU were less likely to be performed at the weekend, suggesting that the increased mortality in the week is not due to an increased rate of something that would increase mortality immediately, but is more likely to be caused by systematic issues that prevent optimum provision of care for critically ill patients at weekends and so raises their risk of dying in the days following a weekend admission".

The researchers found that severity of illness varied noticeably between weekends and weekdays, with more patients with a higher severity of illness being admitted on a Saturday or Sunday. The case mix was also different at the weekends, with more patients being admitted for 'medical' purposes as opposed to 'scheduled surgery'. The chance of being discharged to the hospital from the ICU on a weekend was lower than on a weekday.

The authors state that their findings are not necessarily generalizable to other health systems in other countries, and their data may be limited by its retrospective nature. However, this study provides strong evidence for the presence of the 'weekend effect' and allows for a more nuanced description of the implications of weekend admission of patients to ICUs.

More information: Paul Zajic et al, Weekends affect mortality risk and chance of discharge in critically ill patients: a retrospective study in the Austrian registry for intensive care, Critical Care (2017). Journal information: Critical Care Paul Zajic et al, Weekends affect mortality risk and chance of discharge in critically ill patients: a retrospective study in the Austrian registry for intensive care,(2017). DOI: 10.1186/s13054-017-1812-0
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Liquid Telecom has appointed Willem Marais as Chief Business Development Officer to oversee the groups growth.

In the newly-created role, Willem will continue to lead the wholesale data business where his focus includes sales and product management for mobile and fixed-line operators, global carriers, services providers, and OTTs, said Liquid Telecom.

Marais will focus on new market growth, strategic partnerships, large infrastructure projects, and acquisitive growth.

Marais joined Liquid Telecom in May 2015 as CEO for South Africa, having previously served as CCO at SEACOM. He also held numerous senior management positions in the ICT, media, and telecoms industries  including at the Siemens Group.

Im looking forward to building on our current capabilities, and finding new ways to collaborate with the wider technology and telecoms ecosystem, said Marais.

Now read: Vodafone to sell 90 million Vodacom shares
"We create new shipyards and build a new gigantic dry dock in the Far East. If the order is received for an aircraft carrier with a displacement of 110000-115000 tons it will be physically possible to build it beginning from 2020," he said.



The Russian aircraft carrier will be considerably less costly than US analogues, he added.

Rogozin said orders for such warships depend on the needs of the General Headquarters which determine the necessity of combat engagement of aircraft carriers.



The production facility for such warships can be Zvezda Shipyard in the Far East where a 114-meter wide dry dock is being constructed. "Now we have no limitations by the tonnage of civilian vessels and warships which we can build there," Rogozin said.



The Russian Navy earlier said it plans to get a perspective nuclear aircraft carrier by 2030. Deputy Defense Minister Yuri Borisov said the contract for the construction of a new aircraft carrier can be signed in late 2025. Russian Industry and Trade Minister Denis Manturov said the detailed design of the aircraft-carrying warship has been created and submitted to the Russian Defense Ministry.



 Copyright 2017 TASS. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
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
Araratbank will receive two local currency loans amounting to $10 million from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) to support SMEs and female entrepreneurs.

The relevant agreement was signed on Monday by Ashot Osipyan, the Chairman of the Executive Board of Araratbank, and EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti.

Successful work of SMEs is very important for employment and VAT in the developing economies given that SMEs cannot always have an opportunity to receive funding, Suma Chakrabarti said.

Speaking about Armenias economy, Chakrabarti underscored importance of EBRDs loan and technical assistance. The EBRD experts help in modernization of Armenias legislation for the development of capital market, cooperation between the government and private sector as well as establishment of business ombudsman institution.

This helps in creating equal business climate. The Armenian government has carried out considerable work in this direction, he said.

For his part, Ashot Osipyan recalled that these are local currency loans, and entrepreneurs will not face risks while repaying the loan.

Businesswomen assistance projects have been in the spotlight of Araratbank. The first was launched with the Asian Development Bank. Now we will enhance experience with EBRD knowledge, he added.

Araratbank has been working with EBRD for already eight years. Thanks to its knowledge and technologies, the bank has become a reliable partner for the leading European banks. Araratbank has credit lines with Raiffeisenbank and Commerzbank.

As to the small and medium-sized businesses, we, among others, have been trained in financing instruments. Those working with us  exporters and importers, can be sure that they will get their profit from the sale, regardless of the transaction risks, Osipyan said.

Major shareholders of Araratbank are Flash LLC with 64.24% share, EBRD with 25% share and Rural Impulse Fund with 10% share.

Since the start of its operations in Armenia in 1992, the EBRD has invested over 1.11 billion in 153 projects.
Two killed in Nawalparasi accident; car set ablaze

Two people died in a road mishap that took place nearby the forest of Sunawal municipality-7, Jyamire in Nawalparasi along the East-West Highway.
"Run away! I need only foreigners! Something like that was shouted by a man who attacked tourists with a knife on the beach of a hotel in Hurghada on July 14. Armenian citizen, K.Z. remembers that day, but she is not ready to talk about it yet although almost two months have passed since the incident> The woman is still in shock after the event.

That day 27-year-old Abdel-Rahman Shaaban sailed to the private beach of one of hotels of Hurghada from another beach and, warning the local residents that he was not interested in them, attacked tourists. Two Germans were killed, Czech citizen who got severe wounds died in hospital a few days later. Two citizens of Armenia, including K.Z, as well as a woman from Russia were seriously injured.

K.Z., who had got 18 knife wounds, was in Egyptian hospitals for about two months. Immediately after the incident, she was taken to one of the hospitals in Hurghada, where she underwent surgery, and afterwards she was taken to one of the largest clinics in Cairo, where she underwent several more surgeries. The condition of the woman was grave: she got three exit wounds, injuring her liver.

During her recovery, representatives of the Armenian embassy were in constant touch with her.

"The doctors' attitude towards me was very good, and our consul visited me almost every day, the wounded woman noted.

Yesterday K.Z. finally returned home. She noted that everything is good but wounds still hurt. Doctors cannot say how long it will take K.Z. to fully recover, but psychological rehabilitation may take more time.
Azerbaijani Laundromat investigation revealed that several bank transfers  totaling more than USD 7 million  were made to an MKB bank account in Budapest right around the time the Hungarian government handed over murdered Ramil Safarov to Azerbaijan.

The investigation was conducted by the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), the Danish Berlingske, The Guardian as wel;l as Hungarian investigative journalism NGO Atlatszo.hu.

According to Atlatszo.hu, the Budapest bank account belonged to an offshore company owned by the son of an influential Azeri politician. No information is available regarding how the aforementioned funds were used, while the offshore company has since been wound up, The Budapest Beacon reported.

According to Atlatszo.hu, during Orbans visit to the Azerbaijan capital Baku in June 2012 (right before the release of Safarov), he was greeted by then-First Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Azerbaijan Yaqub Eyyubov, father of Orkhan Ejjubov. The younger Ejjubov was reportedly the owner of Velasco International Inc.

It was the Budapest-based bank account of one of the companies in this constellation, Velasco International Inc., that received transfers from Metastar Invest LLP totaling more USD 7 million around the time of Safarovs extradition to Azerbaijan

When asked about these reports at a press conference Wednesday, Hungarys foreign minister Peter Szijjarto did not explicitly name what the scandal was about, and instead chose to refer to the investigation by British and other news media.

In the firmest possible way, I reject any inference or insinuation which make a connection between the Hungarian foreign policy decisions and the aforementioned international criminal actions, Szijjarto said. I really hope we uncover the truth of what happened very soon.
Bakery Fined $1.3 Million After Fatal Fall

"Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in Great Britain. The risks associated with working at height are well known," said HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham.

A bakery located in England was fined $1.3 million on Sept. 5 in connection with the death of a self-employed electrical contractor from a fall four years ago. The Health and Safety Executive reported that Hull Crown Court learned the worker was contracted to complete electrical work at Greencore Grocery Ltd site in Hull, which is in East Yorkshire. He was standing on a stepladder to wire a motor located above a machine; the bakery agreed the work activity could be completed using a stepladder and had provided it.

HSE, which investigated the case, reported the contract employee fell from the stepladder and suffered fatal injuries. The investigators found Greencore failed to plan the work properly, and the bakery pleaded guilty to breaching Section 3 (1) of the Health and Safety at Work Act 1974. It has been fined 1million, equivalent to about $1.3 million in U.S. dollars, and ordered to pay costs of 30,000.

"Falls from height remain one of the most common causes of work-related fatalities in Great Britain. The risks associated with working at height are well known," said HSE inspector Denise Fotheringham. "Work at height regulations require that all work at height is properly planned and appropriate access is provided. If Greencore had carried this out, this death could have been prevented."
Mariner-Operated Low-Visibility Warnings Coming to Connecticut, Long Island

The new MRASS technology is far better because it is less expensive and requires less maintenance that the foghorns, which use older technology that is prone to being knocked out of calibration and for which parts are hard to find, according to the Coast Guard.

Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound will replace traditional foghorns with marine radio-activated sound signals at eight different locations across Connecticut and three locations on Long Island, the U.S. Coast Guard announced.

Mariners who require the use of sound signals during periods of reduced visibility will activate them on demand by momentarily turning their VHF-FM radio to channel 83A/157.175Mhz and keying their microphone five times consecutively. This activates the sound signal of the new Marine Radio-Activated Sound Signals (MRASS) equipment for up to 60 minutes.

USCG reported that the current sound signal type and characteristic will not change due to this conversion, and all light characteristics, equipment, and patterns also will not change.

A short Coast Guard video explains the new MRASS equipment and contrast its operation and warning sound with that of an older foghorn. The new technology is far better because it is less expensive and requires less maintenance that the foghorns, which use older technology that is prone to being knocked out of calibration and for which parts are hard to find, according to the video.
Saudi Arabia is getting ready to list 5 percent of its crown jewelstate oil firm Aramcoin what could be the biggest IPO ever. The Saudis claim that the whole company is worth US$2 trillion, while most external analysts think the fair valuation is at least US$500 billion lower than that estimate.

If the Saudis continue to pursue their target valuation, they may have to turn to major Chinese investors such as sovereign wealth funds and major state companies, who have deeper pockets than major institutional investors in the West.

This could give China a stake in the lowest-cost oil producer and major exporter of the commodity that Beijing will continue to use in growing volumes in the foreseeable future.

Saudi Arabia, for its part, would then have a much closer economic and energy relationship with one of its primary Asian markets, which it lost its no.1 top supplier spot to Russia.

The closer ties between Saudi Arabia and China could ultimately lead to Riyadh giving preference to Beijing as its top global strategic ally, at the expense of the U.S., Asian affairs expert Tom Holland writes in an article in South China Morning Post.

In March this year, Saudi King Salman visited China and signed US$65 billion worth of potential deals including deals in oil supply and petrochemicals. Related: Is This Country About To Revive Biofuels?

We would like to further strengthen our oil supply relationship and multiply our investments in China, particularly in the downstream, Saudi Aramco chief executive Amin Nasser said in March.

According to Wang Yupu, chairman of Chinas Sinopec, the Saudis invited the Chinese firm to consider a possible investment in Aramcos IPO.

Getting Chinese investment in Aramco could provide the Saudis with the proceeds to fund their ambitious Vision 2030 plan to diversify away from oil.

For China, an Aramco investment could secure one of its biggest oil import sources. It could also increase Beijings bargaining power to convince Aramco to accept yuan payments for its oil instead of U.S. dollars, as China is trying to make its currency a global one.

Although there is no indication yet that Aramco would want yuan for its oil, the Saudis said a couple of weeks ago that they would be willing to consider issuing yuan-denominated bonds, in what could be a break from the practice to issue debt only in U.S. dollars.

In terms of oil shipments to the U.S. and China, Saudi exports to the U.S. have been on the decline as the total U.S. imports fall while domestic shale production rises.

In China, domestic crude oil output is dropping while demand is continuously growing, and as such, China is raising its imports. Saudi Aramco has made China a strategic priority and is signing downstream investment deals and crude supply deals with Chinese firms to achieve that goal.

In this way, the Saudis are making sure that China would continue to buy more of their oil, while Beijing is securing part of its crude import needs.

But while Aramco is pursuing closer Chinese ties, it is still holding onto its U.S. ties, signing US$50 billion worth of potential deals with American firms during the first trip of U.S. President Donald Trump to Saudi Arabia.

The U.S.-Saudi strategic alliance survived the 1970s oil embargo and 9/11, and is now bound by a common, and more pronounced, anti-Iran rhetoric under President Trump. Related: Oil Takes Center Stage In Norways Election

But if the Saudis seek a closer ally in China, they may find Beijing as a more convenient global strategic partner, because China is more likely to turn a blind eye to Riyadhs poor human and womens rights record, Mr. Holland argues in his article.

For the time being, its evident that the Saudis and Chinese are expanding their oil and energy relations, and its feasible that a Chinese fund or a group of firms and/or funds could buy a sizeable stake in Aramco. Even if Saudis dont switch loyalties to China, Beijing will have even more clout over the global oil market and stronger energy ties.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Russias tight oil will play an increasingly important role in its oil output, underpinned by the fact that 20 percent of its current reserves already belong to the tight category. Most of it, however, remains untapped as oil producers prioritize traditional projects which entail lower production costs and time-honored technological solutions. As the traditional variants of production gradually move towards depletion, it is tight oil that oil companies will inevitably turn to.

Mostly located below historically formed oil-producing regions, these tight oil reserves come with a well-developed infrastructure and supply logistics. However, one sees significantly more media coverage on Russias Arctic, than its tight oil. The reason, you ask? Using traditional methods, tight oils recovery factor is a mere 3-5 percent, therefore it is evident that its development requires new tailor-cut approaches, which, unfortunately, have been severely lacking.

Generally speaking, the development of Russias tight oil reserves is hindered by many factors; prioritization of other oil clusters, lack of adequate funding (Central Banks base rate at 9 percent and commercial credits are even higher), high dependence from foreign know-how, lack of test sites and only a small number of companies appraising tight reserves in earnest.

The same can be said with regard to Russias Arctic reserves, with one essential exception: the government impels Rosneft and Gazprom Neft, the only oil companies active in Russias Arctic region (and the only eligible), to provide tangible results about their progress. Perhaps, it all boils down to more favorable breakeven levels (Russian Arctic currently floats around $70/bbl, whilst tight oil is in the $80-90/bbl), perhaps not. The fact is that the state has not given due consideration to Russias tight oil bounty.Apart from technological solutions, the development of tight oil reserves also requires legislative changes despite a wide range of concessions already in effect since 2013. Tight oil projects, including the Bazhenov, Abalak, Khadum, Domanik Suites among others, are exempted for 15 years from paying the mineral extraction tax. Moreover, in case the oil is exported and Urals is below $50/barrel, the export duty is nullified. If Urals is above $50/barrel, producers will still pay a mere fraction of what they would pay for regular crude. Still, even more is required. The Russian Ministry of Natural Resources is proposing changes to the existing legislation, asserting that a full 0 percent taxation rate would be instrumental in consolidating geological test sites as springboard for new technologies to be used when studying subsurface resources. Related: Post Harvey: Crude Climbs As Gasoline Crashes

Unfavorable economics, Western sanctions and economic recession notwithstanding, almost all major Russian companies are trying to tackle the tight oil conundrum. Yet, typically, companies brave enough to take on the Bazhenov suite seem to be approaching it with different conceptual foundations. For instance, the LUKOIL-owned RITEK is focusing on various means of implementing thermal gas treatment to enhance oil recovery, whilst Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz are concentrating on fine tuning multi-stage fracking and sidetracking techniques. This discrepancy in approaches also resulted in the sluggishness of Bazhenov Suite fields being brought online.

Only a few years ago, the Russian Ministry of Energy predicted that tight oil production would reach 50 million tonnes per year by 2025. As things stand now, Surgutneftegaz will remain the only company with significant Bazhenov output (0.5 million tons per year), Gazprom Neft intends to start commercial production on its fields in 2021.

Bazhenov Suite

Occupying an area the size of Ethiopia, roughly 1 million square kilometers spreading from the Russo-Kazakh border to the Kara Sea along Western Siberias most prolific oil fields, the Bazhenov Suite has been keeping Russian geophysicists awake at night for more than 50 years. Although it is one of the most researched subjects in Russian petrogeology, there still is no authoritative estimate on Bazhenovs reserves (most reasonable located within the 15 to 20-billion-ton interval) and will not be for some time. There is no unified method for the quantification of Bazhenov reserves, moreover, most oil discoveries within it were carried out on a rather hit or miss basis. Yet we know a lot already about the Bazhenov Suite - the 70 known oil fields in the Bazhenov Suite are located at depths ranging from 600m to 3800m, while the thickness of the Suite mostly ranging from 20 to 40 meters, with an organic matter content of 16-17 percent.

The probability of hitting the rock-fracture zone with a standard vertical well is quite low - all companies have opted for multistage hydraulic fracturing as primary means of extraction. It remains to be seen how commercially viable RITEKs attempts with the pyrolysis of kerogenic shale will be. It can allegedly extract up to 60 percent of the original kerogen volumes  the problem they will face sooner or later, however, is that they will have to develop a standardized procedure for layers at very different depths. As there is no indication that sanctions are to be eliminated anytime soon, companies are looking for a fresh take.

Gazprom Neft has been particularly keen to attract fresh ideas and approaches domestic institutions (universities, service companies) to unlock the potential of the Bazhenov Suite, partly driven by the overarching need to carry out this technological import substitution as soon as possible, since in the pre-sanctions period up to 90 percent of tight oil-related equipment was imported to Russia.

The Ministry of Energy considers the Bazhen project as one of federal importance; a laudable lobbying result, however, it is only the thin end of the wedge. Even with the most intensive and successful lobbying, one cannot speed up the Bazhenov development without some sort of technological breakthrough. Simply implementing methods which proved their worth in the United States will not work  even though Bazhenov and the Bakken share many similarities - permeability, porosity, organic content. Bazhenov is stratigraphically more complex, more argillic and thinner than its American counterpart. It is worth noting that below the Bazhenov lies the Abalak Suite  due to really high hydrostatic pressure and appropriate reservoir characteristics oil may move down from Bazhenov to the Abalak Suite.

Domanik Suite

Just as the Bazhenov Suite more or less copies the Western Siberian oil region, the Domanik Suite follows the contours of the historically oil-producing Volga-Urals region. A dark bituminous shale formation with current 2P oil reserves of a mere 27 million tons. Its organic content is thrice lower than that of Bazhenov, around approximately 5 percent. Of the 10 oilfields discovered in the Domanik Suite, none have any sort of commercial production. Related: In A Bold Move, Saudis Raise Crude Prices For Asia

This need not be the case forever. Even though the Domanik remains uncharted territory, its estimated reserves are expected to amount to 2-3 billion tons. Whilst Bazhenov will most likely end up being a Gazprom Neft  Surgutneftegaz domain, virtually the only oil major that seems intent on developing the Domanik Suite is Rosneft.

Rosneft formed two joint ventures with European majors BP and Statoil to explore the Domanik in the Orenburg and Samara region, respectively. By spudding first exploration wells in 2017, the Russian oil giant and its partners did not violate any sanctions-related conditions, as technically they were not drilling for (the banned) shale reservoirs, instead they drilled deeper, going for the limestone.

By Viktor Katona for Oilprice.com

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Libyas largest oil field, Sharara, will resume production following a two-week halt, after a pipeline blockade ended yesterday. This is what an unnamed source from Libyas oil industry told Reuters, with the Sharara to resume output today, according to Bloomberg.

The pipeline that was blocked feeds crude oil from Sharara to the Zawiya export terminal. The armed group responsible for the latest blockade, which began on August 19, was one led by Ashraf Al-Gurjthe leader of an organization from Zintan that calls itself the Reyayna Patrol Brigade. The same group was behind the August shutdown of another two fields as well, El Feel and Hamada. The three shutdowns cost Libya 360,000 bpd in lost output, the National Oil Corporation said at the time.

Al-Gurjs group claims they are fighting for more investments by NOC in Zintan but according to Libyan media, the more likely reason for the blockades is the release of Al-Gurjs cousin, who is being held in custody on charges of smuggling.

Sharara produced 280,000 bpd before the August blockade, which was the latest in a string of similar events that had a crippling effect on Libyas recovering oil output. Before the last shutdown at Sharara, the country was producing around 1.1 million barrels daily. This was still short of pre-2011 levels, when Libya produced about 1.6 million bpd, but on the way to 1.2 million bpd  the daily production figure NOC announced it will be striving for earlier this year.

While oil production recovery has been positive for Libya, it has been a problem for the countrys OPEC partners. When the cartel agreed to take off 1.2 million bpd from global supply, Libya was exempted because of its political and militant group woes. Over time, its rising production began to pressure prices, offsetting the cuts that other OPEC members made.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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Western Europes biggest oil and gas producer, Norway, is holding a general election next weekthe outcome of which will be largely determined by the oil policies and oil-related economic issues that are taking the center stage in the debates and in voters minds ahead of an election thats too close to call.

The Conservative Party currently in power in a coalition government and the opposition Labor Partythe two biggest partiesare neck-and-neck in polls. Whoever wins would probably need the support of smaller parties to form a government after the September 11 election. This may propel the small Green Partywhich currently holds just one seat in the 169-seat Parliamentto the role of holding the key to forming a government, and kingmaker of Norways future economic choices and policies, if it stays true to its pledge to demand a high price for its support of a government.

For the oil industry, this is not such good news, because the Greens are strongly opposed to oil drilling, and propose to stop opening new oil and gas fields for exploration on the Norwegian Continental Shelf, and phase out petroleum activities over a 15-year period.

However, neither Conservative nor Labor support the idea to phase out oil production, an industry which is a big employer in Norway.

The scenic Lofoten archipelago will likely remain off-limits for oil exploration and development, no matter who the victor, because both parties would need coalitions to form a government after the election. And all the potential junior partners of both Labor and Conservative are strongly opposed to any meddling with the beauty of the Lofoten, Vesteralen, and Senja islands. Estimates have put the potential oil resources underneath the picturesque islands at between 1.3 billion and 3 billion barrels of oil equivalent, estimated to be worth US$60-65 billion at todays oil prices. Related: Goldman Sachs: Oil Majors See Upside At $50 Oil

Potential development aside, the Norwegian oil and gas industry was hard hit by the oil price crash, with employment and government revenues dropping off 2013 highs. The petroleum sectorwhich accounts for 12 percent of Norways GDP and for 36 percent of the nations total exportsgenerated 40 percent lower revenues for the government in 2016 compared to 2015. Last year an estimated number of 185,300 people were directly or indirectly employed in the Norwegian petroleum sector, about 47,000 less than in 2013, or a decrease of around 20 percent. The number of people working in the oil and gas sector accounts for some 7 percent of Norways total employment.

So, its not surprising that in the western and southern parts of Norway, around the oil capital of the country, people want to know how each party plans to deal with oil policies and employment. According to Rune Veenstra, managing director at NorSea, which invests in port infrastructure to facilitate offshore oil activities, the election campaign is sending mixed signals on oil policies, which creates uncertainty for the industry that wants to plan long term.

If we cant have a clear direction, it is no good for anyone, Veenstra told Reuters.

Meanwhile, the ruling Conservatives have been closing the gap with Labor in polls in recent weeks, especially after Statistics Norway said on August 24 that mainland Norways GDP increased by a seasonally adjusted 0.7 percent in the second quarter of 2017, posting the same growth as in Q1. The recovery came after two and a half years with weak growth, the statistics bureau said. Conservatives took credit for the economic recovery.

The latest poll by TV2 from September 3 showed Conservative and Labor both with 26.1 percent of voting intentions, with the current Conservative ally in government, the Progress Party, third at 14.7 percent. The Greens have been polling at between 3 percent and 6 percent in the past two months, according to various pollsters results compiled by Reuters. Even if they win more than the single seat in Parliament that they currently hold, they are unlikely to persuade either of the two big parties to put an early end to the industry that employs 7 percent of Norways almost 2.8 million-strong labor force.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Amid rising tension over North Koreas nuclear tests, South Koreas president has pleaded with Russia to help it with its push to cut off oil supplies to Pyongyangs regime, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is urging for diplomacy, saying that sanctions and pressure wont work, while stopping oil supply would have a worrying impact on regular North Koreans.

We too, are against North Korea developing its nuclear capabilities and condemn it, but it is worrying cutting the oil pipeline will harm the regular people, like in hospitals, Putin said at his meeting with South Koreas President Moon Jae-in on Wednesday, according to a readout from a South Korean presidential official, as carried by Reuters.

Pyongyangs missile and nuclear programme is a flagrant violation of the UN Security Council resolution, it undermines the non-proliferation regime and poses a threat to security in Northeast Asia, Putin said in press statements after meeting with Moon, as the Kremlin reports.

At the same time, it is obvious that the Korean problems cannot be settled with sanctions and pressure alone. We must not yield to emotions or try to drive North Korea into a corner. Now is the time for all of us to summon the presence of mind and to avoid taking steps that could escalate tensions, Putin added.

Yesterday, Putin said that Russia sends only 40,000 tons of oil and petrochemicals per quarter to North Korea, which, compared to exports of over 400 million tons of oil and petrochemicals to the global market, is as good as nothing.

Moreover, none of our large vertically integrated companies exports anything to North Korea, Putin said at a press briefing posted on the Kremlin website.

China and Russia have been supporting a freeze for freeze plan in which the U.S. and South Korea would stop major military exercises in exchange for North Korea suspending its nuclear weapons programs. Related: Post Harvey: Crude Climbs As Gasoline Crashes

A day after North Korea claimed that it tested a hydrogen bomb, U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haley, said at an emergency UN Security Council Briefing on North Korea that the freeze-for-freeze plan was insulting. Referring to North Korea sanctions, Haley said enough is enough for half measures, and We must now adopt the strongest possible measures.

Tensions continue to escalate and on Tuesday, a senior North Korean diplomat was quoted as saying that Pyongyang was ready to send more gift packages to the United States.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo researchers found the use of ethanol in vehicles reduces pollution by significantly lowering the number of nanoparticles emitted. Levels of ultrafine particulate matter in Sao Paulo City, Brazil, increased by up to 30 percent at times when ethanol prices rose and its consumption fell.

When ethanol prices at the pump rise for whatever reason, it becomes economically advantageous for drivers of dual-fuel vehicles to fill up with gasoline. However, the health of the entire population pays a high price: substitution of gasoline for ethanol leads to a 30 percent increase in the atmospheric concentration of ultrafine particulate matter, which consists of particles with a diameter of less than 50 nanometers (nm).

The phenomenon was detected in Sao Paulo City, Brazil, in a study supported by the Sao Paulo Research Foundation (FAPESP) and has been published in Nature Communications.

Paulo Artaxo, Full Professor at the University of Sao Paulos Physics Institute (IF-USP) and a co-author of the study said, These polluting nanoparticles are so tiny that they behave like gas molecules. When inhaled, they can penetrate the respiratory systems defensive barriers and reach the pulmonary alveoli, so that potentially toxic substances enter the bloodstream and may increase the incidence of respiratory and cardiovascular problems.

According to the professor, between 75 percent and 80 percent of the mass of nanoparticles measured in this study corresponds to organic compounds (carbon in different forms) emitted by motor vehicles. Related: Kyrgyzstan Unveils Revamped Transnational Gas Pipeline

Levels of ultrafine particulate matter in the atmosphere are neither monitored nor regulated by environmental agencies not only in Brazil but practically anywhere in the world, Artaxo stressed.

What these compounds are exactly and how they affect health are questions that require further research. The Sao Paulo State Environmental Corporation (CETESB), for example, routinely monitors only solid particles with diameters of 10,000 nm (PM10) and 2,500 nm (PM2.5)  as well as other gaseous pollutants such as ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO) and nitrogen dioxide (NO2).

Nonetheless, he explained that a consensus is forming in the United States and Europe based on recent research indicating that these emissions are a potential health hazard and should be regulated. Several U.S. states, such as California, have laws requiring a 20 percent-30 percent ethanol blend in gasoline, which also helps reduce emissions of ultrafine particulate matter.

The data collection was performed from January to May 2011, and the analyses took place before, during and after a sharp fluctuation in ethanol prices  owing to macroeconomic factors such as the international price of sugar (Brazilian ethanol is made from sugarcane)  leading consumers to switch motor fuels in Sao Paulo City.

While no significant changes were detected in levels of inhalable fine particulate matter (PM2.5 and PM10), the study proved in a real, day-to-day situation that choosing ethanol reduces emissions of ultrafine particles. To date, this phenomenon had only been observed in the laboratory.

Artaxo said, These results reinforce the need for public policies to encourage the use of biofuels, as they clearly show that the public loses in health what they save at the pump when opting for gasoline.

According to Artaxo, the research included innovative approaches so that the study could focus on older aerosols that had already interacted with other substances present in the atmosphere. Thus, collection was performed in a site relatively distant from main traffic thoroughfares  the top of a ten-story building belonging to IF-USP in the western part of Sao Paulo The pollution we inhale every day at home or at work isnt what comes out of vehicular exhaust pipes but particles already processed in the atmosphere he explained.

Also, data analysis was performed through the adaptation of a model developed by Brazilian economist Alberto Salvo, first author of the article, that meticulously integrates a large number of variables.

We adapted a sophisticated statistical model originally developed for economic analysis and used here for the first time to analyze the chemistry of atmospheric nanoparticles, Artaxo said. The main strength of this tool is that it enables us to work with all these variables, such as the presence or absence of rainfall, wind direction, traffic intensity, and levels of ozone, carbon monoxide, and other pollutants.

In Sao Paulo, a city with 7 million motor vehicles and the largest urban fleet of flexible-fuel cars, it would be feasible to run all buses on biofuel. We have the technology for this in Brazil  and at a competitive price, he said.

The fact that the citys bus fleet still depends on diesel, Artaxo warned, creates an even worse health hazard in the shape of emissions of black carbon, one of the main components of soot and a pollutant that contributes to global warming. Alongside electricity generation, the transportation sector is the largest emitter of pollutants produced by the burning of fossil fuels.

Related: Looming Gas Shortage: Imports Cant Make Up For This

For Artaxo, incentives for electric, hybrid or biofuel vehicles are vital to reducing greenhouse gas emissions. By incentivizing biofuels, we could solve several problems at once, he said. We could combat climate change, reduce harm to health and foster advances in automotive technology by offering a stimulus for auto makers to develop more economical and efficient cars fueled by ethanol.

Its interesting to see more in-depth research on the consequences of using biofuels. The idea that ethanol offers less air pollution in another way is good news for producers, consumers and those living nearby.

By New Energy and Fuel

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Tensions over North Koreas flexing of its nuclear capabilities over the past few months reached a new peak last weekend when Pyongyang conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test so far. South Korea, Japan, and the United States are on high alert, and U.S. President Donald Trump is stepping up his rhetoric aimed at the countries who continue to do business with North Korea.

The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea, President Trump tweeted on Sunday after news of the latest North Korean test broke.

The country that is doing business with North Korea, and is said to still supply Kim Jong-Uns regime with crude oil, is China.

So far, the U.S. has targeted only minor Chinese banks and companies for trading and/or doing business with North Korea, and for propping up its economy, but Trump is threatening to cast a wider net, which may include Chinas big guns in the oil industry.

The possibility of broader sanctions against major Chinese companies could affect the U.S. operations of several of Chinas oil giants, as well as many of Beijings biggest banks with assets in America. However, a major widespread sanctioning of big Chinese companies could result in retaliation on U.S. firmsincluding major S&P 500 companieswith their business in China, analysts who have spoken to Bloomberg warn.

China is said to continue to supply oil to North Korea, and while the latest round of U.S. sanctions on North Koreas oil trade is likely to stop major companies from trading due to reputational risks, it is unlikely to stop Chinas crude oil supplies to Pyongyang, according to S&P Global Platts.

Related: In A Bold Move, Saudis Raise Crude Prices For Asia

Imposing widespread sanctions on Chinese financial institutions and other companies is on the table, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox News Sunday.

Were going to strongly consider everything at this point. And again, I will draft a package for his [President Trumps] strong consideration that would go as far as cutting off all trade and other business, Mnuchin said.

And if countries want to do business with the United States, they obviously will be working with our allies and others to cut off North Korea economically, the Treasury Secretary added.

Big Chinese oil firms would be under pressure if the U.S. were to extend sanctions to major state-held energy companies. China is supplying nearly all of North Koreas oil, and most of the shipments from Beijing are being made by its largest oil producer, state-held China National Petroleum Corp (CNPC), Kim Kyung Sool, a senior research fellow at the Korea Energy Economics Institute, told Bloomberg.

Although CNPC doesnt have U.S. energy assets, it is the majority shareholderwith 86 percentin PetroChina, in which JPMorgan Chase and BlackRock also hold small stakes.

Then, there are Chinese companies with exposure to U.S. assets. Sinochem bought 40 percent of 207,000 net acres in the Wolfcamp from Pioneer Natural Resources in 2013, for US$1.7 billion. Sinopec acquired a stake in Chesapeake Energys acreage in the Mississippi Lime in northern Oklahoma for US$1.02 billion in cash. Chinas CNOOC Limited controls Nexen, which has assets in the Gulf of Mexico, and interests in projects in Colorado, Wyoming, and Texas, as well as in Canada.

Apart from oil operations and assets, tougher sanctions on China could also affect trade and put pressure on Chinese banks.

Several Chinese banks held a total of US$144.4 billion worth of assets in the U.S. as of December 31, 2016, with the Bank of China holding as much as US$78.483 billion.

U.S. goods and services traded with China totaled an estimated US$648.2 billion last year, and China is currently the biggest goods trading partner of the U.S. with US$578.6 billion in two-way goods trade.

In terms of energy trade, in recent months China has increased its crude oil imports from the U.S., as America is bumping up exports and reaching more markets since it lifted the export restrictions at the end of 2015. EIA data shows that in February and in April this year, China was the biggest importer of U.S. oil, outstripping Canada.

Chinese companies may proceed at any time to negotiate all types of contractual arrangement with U.S. LNG exporters, including long-term contracts, the U.S. Commerce Department said in May, in what Wood Mackenzie described as having the potential to alter global LNG trade, opening the door of the worlds largest LNG growth market to the worlds fastest-growing LNG supplier.

Related: Is This Country About To Revive Biofuels?

If the U.S. were to sanction big Chinese companies, however, it could face retaliation that would hurt companies with large shares of their revenues coming from China. Such companies would be Apple, Intel, Qualcomm, and Boeing, according to Bloomberg calculations based on the companies latest full-year reports.

Wider sanctions would disrupt trade and energy links, and are currently an option for discussion in the U.S. as it is trying to cut off North Korea entirely and pressure China to rein in its nightmare neighbor.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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The effects of Hurricane Harvey have sent the energy markets into chaos, with gasoline prices soaring and oil prices slipping.

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Friday, September 1, 2017

Hurricane Harvey is still far and away the major story of the week in the energy world, with a huge number of refineries still offline. Oil prices continue to sag, while gasoline prices soared this week.

Refinery outages persist. Some refineries in the Corpus Christi region are coming back online, but the larger ones in Houston and Port Arthur/Lake Charles are mostly offline. The Motiva facility in Port Arthur, the largest in the country, is still offline and could remain out of commission for two weeks, according to the latest reports. As of Friday, an estimated 3 mb/d of refining capacity is still offline, a slight improvement from earlier this week.

Colonial Pipeline outage interrupts gasoline flows to east coast. The Colonial Pipeline carries more than 2 million barrels per day of refined products  diesel, jet fuel and gasoline  from Texas and Louisiana up through much of the U.S. Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. The pipeline was forced to shut down because of problems sourcing enough product. The outage has led to a spike in gasoline futures, pushing them up to their highest level in years. "Typical Colonial Pipeline volumes are equivalent to Europe's gasoline exports, so these volumes will be difficult to replace and will require supplies from distant regions if the outage is prolonged," Wood Mackenzie analyst Alan Gelder said in a note. As of now, the pipeline is slated to come back online in a few days as refineries along the Gulf Coast trickle back online. But it will likely operate at reduced rates through next week at least. "The major refined product pipelines out of Houston are mostly shut because there is no gasoline and diesel to pump," said Andy Lipow, of Lipow Oil Associates. Related: An Energy Independent North America Needs NAFTA

TransCanada shuts down southern leg of Keystone pipeline. TransCanada (NYSE: TRP) announced the closure of the southern leg of its 600,000 bpd Keystone pipeline that runs from Cushing to refineries along the Texas Coast. The disruption could lead to a sharp increase in inventories at the Cushing storage facility. Discounts are deepening for Permian crude relative to WTI.

DOE taps SPR. The U.S. DOE authorized the release of 500,000 barrels of oil to help Phillips 66 (NYSE: PSX) to bring its Lake Charles refinery back online. The release is the first in five years.

Gasoline prices to rise. "Gas prices are going to go up because of the flooding," U.S. Sec. of Energy Rick Perry told reporters. He also warned that the state attorney general would be watching to make sure price gouging did not occur. Texas is seeing fuel shortages both in Houston and elsewhere in the state. Tom Kloza, global head of energy analysis at Oil Price Information Service, told CNBC that a worst-case scenario would be retail gasoline prices spiking by 40 to 60 cents per gallon, pushing averages up to $2.75 per gallon. Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy, said the price increases and supply problems could last for a month or more.

Toxic releases in Texas. The storm has led to the spill or release of some 2 million pounds of hazardous chemicals, according to Business Insider, some of which are cancer causing agents such as carbon monoxide and benzene. Some companies had to intentionally burn and flare chemicals because they had no way of disposing them. The toxic threat was punctuated by the explosion at a chemical plant owned by French company Arkema (OTCMKTS: ARKAY).

U.S. offshore production still down. According to IHS Markit, Gulf of Mexico operators still have about 236,000 bpd offline, or about 13 percent of the total production from offshore producers in the Gulf. Fortunately, however, there are no reported damages to platforms.

Eagle Ford output cut in half, return delayed. The Eagle Ford shale in South Texas has suffered outages on the order of 500,000 bpd, although much of that could come back online when the port of Corpus Christi reopens in the coming days. But other analysts are more pessimistic. Raymond James & Associates estimates that more than half of the rigs in the Eagle Ford suspended operations, and it could take time for them to return to rain-soaked fields. Given that much of oil and gas activity occurs in areas only accessible via dirt roads, the heavy rainfall usually makes the movement of trucks and supplies much more difficult, Marshall Adkins of Raymond James wrote in a note. The trucking and rail of sand, chemicals, and personnel to the well site will all take more time given the likely nasty condition of many Eagle Ford access roads.

OPEC frustrated by low prices. Reuters reports that OPEC officials are bewildered by the lack of movement in crude prices even after the U.S. Gulf Coast was inundated by the worst rain event in the countrys history. It seems no event will move the oil price up much, an OPEC official told Reuters. OPEC must be raging, theyre not getting any of this (gain), Olivier Jakob of Petromatrix said.

Investment banks slash oil price forecasts again, Brent at $54 in 2018. An August survey of investment banks by the Wall Street Journal reveals ongoing pessimism regarding the trajectory of oil prices. The average prediction from the 14 investment banks puts Brent crude at $54 per barrel in 2018, down $1 per barrel from the same survey a month earlier. It marked the fourth consecutive month that major analysts cut their price forecasts. The big reason is the expectation that the OPEC deal expires next year and the group ramps up production.

Related: Kyrgyzstan Unveils Revamped Transnational Gas Pipeline

Tesla starts solar roof production. Tesla (NYSE: TSLA) announced the beginning of solar cell manufacturing at its Buffalo, NY factory, which will be used in its new solar roof arrays. The roof tiles will eventually be made at the same facility. Tesla hopes to ramp up to 2 GW of annual solar cell production over time, with an interim target of 1 GW by 2019.

U.S. government prepared to block Rosnefts ability to take control of Citgo. Citgo, the U.S.-based subsidiary of Venezuelas state-owned PDVSA, offered about half of the company as collateral to Rosneft last year in exchange for a $1.5 billion loan. With PDVSA looking dangerously close to a default, the U.S. government is concerned that Rosneft will take control of Citgo, which owns major refineries in the United States (some of which were disrupted during the Hurricane). According to the Wall Street Journal, the U.S. government is prepared to block the hypothetical takeover of Citgo by Rosneft.

By Tom Kool for Oilprice.com

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The East Coast will start feeling the effects of Hurricane Harvey as the gasoline supplied from the Gulf Coast starts to dry up. One of the most important pipelines that ships refined products to the Eastern Seaboard shut down on Thursday, which means that the U.S. Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast could see supply disruptions and price increases.

The Colonial Pipeline carries gasoline, diesel and jet fuel from several refineries in Houston, Port Arthur and Lake Charles, along the Texas and Louisiana Coast, up through the U.S. Southeast to Washington DC, Baltimore, and New Jersey.

The pipeline had been operational through the worst of the Hurricane, easing fears about supply disruptions. But the outages at the nations top refineries along the Gulf Coast have forced the Colonial Pipeline company to announce on Wednesday that it was shutting down Line 2, which carries diesel and jet fuel due to supply constraints. And on Thursday, the company shuttered Line 1, the pipeline that carries gasoline. The pipeline company said that operations would only resume when it can ensure that its facilities are safe to operate and refiners in Lake Charles and points east have the ability to move product to Colonial.

It is hard to overstate the critical role that the Colonial Pipeline plays. It carries 2.5 million barrels of refined products per day, or as the FT notes, roughly one in every eight barrels of fuel consumed in the country. More importantly, it is one of the only suppliers for major cities on the eastern seaboard, including New York, Washington DC and Atlanta.

Related: Can Mexico Capitalize On This Golden Oil Opportunity?

With no refineries between the Gulf coast and Pennsylvania, the south-east is largely dependent on pipelines from the Gulf coast for their fuel, with Colonial being the largest, Jason Bordoff, the director of Columbia Universitys Centre on Global Energy Policy, told the FT. With Colonial shut and a quarter of Gulf coast refining capacity out, the south-east will need to get fuel from storage, other forms of transport from the Gulf like trucks and ships, and imports. Consumers will see the impacts of these disruptions and higher cost alternatives in higher prices paid at the pump.

It is unclear when the refineries will be able to come back online, but there are some signs of recovery. Corpus Christi, a major refining and oil import/export center that was slammed by the hurricane, is starting to bounce back. According to IHS Markit, the city is faring the best among the cities on the Texas coast that were badly hit, with its four major refineries set to resume operations this week.

But that does little for the Colonial Pipeline, which depends on refineries further up the coast along the Texas-Louisiana border, an area that was dealing with catastrophic flooding mid-week.

The disruption of nearly a quarter of the nations refining capacity has already led to a spike in gasoline prices. But gasoline futures continue to surge, made worse by the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline. During midday trading on Thursday, gasoline futures for September were up nearly 12 percent.

Its one thing to not have refiners, Dan McTeague, an analyst at GasBuddy.com, told Bloomberg. Its quite another thing to not have pipelines.

Consumers along the East Coast will soon see the effects. Bloomberg reports that Valero Energy has stopped supplying gasoline stations that are not Valero-branded outlets. Shell has reportedly also curtailed fuel supplies at the retail level.

East Coast refineries are struggling to keep up as the gap has grown too big. Reuters reported that at least two refineries on the East Coast are out of gasoline. Ive never seen a situation this bad, one East Coast market source told Reuters.

In the short run, refiners from Europe and Asia could help fill the gap, sending supplies to the U.S. East Coast. But the Reuters source says refiners abroad wont be able to resolve everything. Imports cant make up for this. ... This is going to be the worst thing the U.S. has seen in decades from an energy standpoint. It should be noted, however, that many market watchers view the supply disruptions as temporary.

Related: Russias Comeback In The LNG Race

When things get back to normal, there will be strong demand for both crude oil and refined products. WTI has suffered a heavy discount relative to Brent, so the U.S. will have no problem finding customers, even as far away as Asia. And so far, there has not been reports of major damage at the Gulf Coast refineries, although with flood waters still in the Port Arthur area, it is still unknown how quickly they will return to operation.

There are some reports as of Thursday that the Colonial Pipeline could resume operations within days, which, if true, could prevent the gasoline shortage from getting too bad.

The federal government is also trying to accelerate the recovery. With an eye on the nations fuel supply, the Department of Energy authorized a release of crude oil from the strategic petroleum reserve in order to help Phillips 66 get its Lake Charles refinery up and running. The SPR release is reportedly an emergency exchange agreement  a swap or a long of sorts  in which Phillips 66 has to pay back in crude at some point in the future. Phillips 66 will receive 500,000 barrels (200,000 barrels of sweet and 300,000 barrels of sour) of oil for its refinery.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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An open military conflict in Northern Asia would disrupt more than a third of global seaborne crude oil trade, Wood Mackenzie warned last week amid yet another escalation between North Korea, its neighbors, and the U.S.

Such a conflict would cripple North Asias production and refining capacity, the consultancy said. Some 65 percent of Asias crude oil refining capacity is located in China, Japan, and South Korea, so the effects of an open war would be far-reaching and potentially long-lasting. The most pressing question, then, is how likely such an open conflict is.

Pyongyang seems determined to expand its military capabilities with intercontinental ballistic missiles that can carry a nuclear head. State media claim that the nuclear head is a fact, releasing a photo featuring the countrys leader Kim Jong Un inspecting said weapon. After a quick succession of ballistic missile tests over the last couple of months that put South Korea, Japan, and the U.S. on red alert, more nuclear talk from Pyongyang is exactly what the world does not need. Yet it is what we are getting.

Talk is not enough to tip the region into a warpossibly even a nuclear warbut it serves to heighten the pressure, and decisions made under pressure are seldom the wisest. Analysts seem to be divided as to the most probable course the events would take.

A recent analysis by SBS News Kelsey Munro looks into the two basic scenarios: accept a nuclear North Korea, or prevent it from becoming nuclear as soon as possible. Geopolitics experts seem to be split on which scenario is the more sensible one to follow.

On the one hand, Munro notes, some researchers believe that accepting North Koreas nuclear capability would prevent a war that would result in hundreds of thousands of casualties and disrupt the Asian economy. This would be a conventional war, since the chances of success for a tactical nuclear strike seem to be too slim to be comfortable with.

On the other hand, acceptance of a nuclear Pyongyang will in all probability lead to other countries in the region going nuclear, ultimately pushing the world closer to a nuclear war as it would be that much harder to exercise any pressure on North Korea after it has solidified its second-strike capability. Related: Are Libyan Oil Production Gains History?

Last week North Korea launched an intercontinental missile over Japan. This Sunday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement that the United States is prepared for a massive military response to any attacks from North Korea to it or one of its allies. Mattis added that "We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so."

It seems an open war is not as far from reality as opponents would like it to be. Given the amount of refining capacity in the area would be affected and the fact that China, Japan, and South Korea are among the largest consumers of oil, a war would be good news for OPEC and oil bulls. But all of these countries, Wood Mac noted in its report, have solid stocks of crude. This means the effect of a war in Northern Asia on international crude prices may well be short-lived.

Last month, the UN approved a new round of sanctions against North Korea that would see a third of its annual exports, some US$1 billion, erased. So far, sanctions have failed to have any effect on Pyongyangs missile development plans. Notable as it may be that Russia and China supported this round, its effects are doubtful  will Kim return to the negotiations table and agree to suspend his nuclear program? Its hard to believe that is a possibility, so all options remain on the table while China continues to stock up on crude.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

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About half of the shuttered refining capacity along the Gulf Coast could be back up and running by Thursday, assuaging concerns about the possibility of acute gasoline shortages in much of the U.S.

The disruptions of more than 4 million barrels per day of refining capacity have been cut in half, with major refineries restarting operations in Corpus Christi and Houston. ExxonMobil is ramping up operations at its Baytown facility, the second largest in the country. Valero Energy brought two refineries in Corpus Christi and Texas City back online, with another large one in Port Arthur scheduled to resume operations soon.

The massive Motiva refinery  the largest in the country with 600,000 bpd of capacity  is still offline, but is getting closer to resuming operations. The large volume of restarts led to a spike in crude oil prices on Tuesday, with WTI up more than 3 percent. Gasoline futures fell back as the Colonial Pipeline restarted shipments.

Goldman Sachs predicts that as of Thursday, half of the shuttered refining capacity will have resumed.

But what about the rest? An estimated 1.4 mb/d could remain offline through mid-September at least, the investment bank predicts. Goldman says the lingering effects will be modestly bearish, projecting a 40-million-barrel increase in crude oil inventories. But the quick comeback of some larger refineries led Goldman to lower its projected demand impact from -750,000 bpd in the first month after the storm to just -600,000 bpd. Related: Oil Markets Rebound After Hurricane Harvey

However, the effects could actually become slightly bullish over time as the recovery efforts pick up, and intriguingly, there is potential for some sustained US onshore production curtailments. Eagle Ford shale drillers were forced to shut in some shale output as both the takeaway capacity (i.e., pipelines) and Gulf Coast refineries went offline, backing up crude at the wellhead. Some estimates put Eagle Ford output down by half at first, although data is hard to come by at this point. Goldman Sachs estimates that 200,000 bpd of Eagle Ford production remains shut-in, which offsets some of the bearish impact on WTI from the refinery outages. Adding in some lingering outages offshore in the Gulf of Mexico, total upstream supply outages still stand at about 300,000 bpd.

Goldman raises the possibility that the comeback in shale production could be curtailed by the sustained outages at Gulf Coast refineries, a scenario that it says is underappreciated by market analysts.

But taken altogether, Goldman says the impact of Harvey will be stronger on demand than it will for supply. In other words, in the first month after the storm, oil demand will fall by 600,000 bpd while supply will only be curtailed by 400,000 bpd. A net-bearish impact.

Things could get a lot more complicated in the days ahead with a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane barreling towards Puerto Rico, Cuba, South Florida and maybe the Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane Irma had sustained wind speeds of 180 miles per hour on Tuesday, which appears to be one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic. At the time of this writing, the path is still uncertain, but a multitude of scenarios have the hurricane slamming directly into South Florida by the weekend.

If that were to occur, Irmas effects on the energy sector would be felt pretty much only on the demand side of the equation. Florida has little to no supply-side infrastructure  negligible levels of oil production and refining capacity. There is a very remote chance it will travel into the Gulf of Mexico, which would have huge implications for the regions offshore production  most weather models have the hurricane shifting north up along the East Coast. Related: Can Russia Develop Its Shale Reserves?

The two storms impacts on the oil market could be drastically different. Harvey put Houston, the U.S. fourth largest city under water, including some 500,000 cars. Those cars are not going to be driving again, and the people who own them, in large part, wont be hitting the roads again in the near future. But, as mentioned before, the storm also devastated the U.S. refining sector and even pummeled shale production in the Eagle Ford.

Irma, on the other hand, if it directly hits South Florida, would destroy oil demand in the U.S. Southeast for a period of time, without any impact on supply.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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OPEC appears to be nervous that its production cut deal will once again fall short, and the group is already discussing the possibility of yet another extension.

While the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey continues to drive headlines in the energy sector, the attention will once again shift back to OPEC as the year wears on and we head into 2018. OPEC had hoped that a nine-month extension of its original six-month production cut deal  1.2 million barrels per day from OPEC, plus reductions of nearly 0.6 mb/d from non-OPEC countries  would be enough to rebalance the market. But with seven months or so left to go on the deal, they are already coming around to the conclusion that it wont be enough.

Part of the reason for the groups struggles is that the two exempted members  Libya and Nigeria  have added large volumes of new supply this year. Nigerias output is up to about 2.2-2.3 mb/d, according to government officials, a figure that includes condensate. Based on that figure, S&P Global Platts says Nigerias crude output probably stands at about 1.8 mb/d, which comports with OPECs latest estimate. In other words, Nigeria is now producing about 400,000 bpd more than it was a year ago on the eve of the original OPEC agreement.

Libya too has ramped up output dramatically, topping 1 mb/d recently, essentially twice as much as a year ago, although Libyas output has seesawed lately on pipeline and oilfield outages.

Although exact figures are a bit elusive, those two countries have added between 700,000 and 900,000 bpd of new supply in the past year, going a long way to offsetting the production cuts from the rest of the OPEC. Related: An Energy Independent North America Needs NAFTA

In other words, one of the principle reasons that OPECs efforts to balance the market are floundering is because of the resurgence of supply from its exempted members, Libya and Nigeria. It is no wonder why OPEC officials are trying to bring Nigeria, at least, formally into the agreement by taking away its exempted status. In the past, Nigerias oil minister Emmanuel Kachikwu said that Nigeria would join the agreement when its oil production returned to 1.8 mb/d, a threshold it appears to have reached.

OPEC has invited both Libya and Nigeria to its upcoming monitoring meeting on September 22. The pressure to put a limit on Nigerias production could rise ahead of the official meeting at the end of November.

But even capping Nigerias output at its current rate would not solve OPECs problems. That is why the group is reportedly considering another three-month extension, pushing the deal through mid-2018. The proposal is gaining traction, and there are some signs that other members, including Iran, could sign on.

There are concerns that if OPEC and non-OPEC producers exit the market in March, traders will react quite negatively to it and behave as if the market is in a free fall, a senior Saudi oil official told the Wall Street Journal. This also ensures that producers wont pump full tilt and push prices down.

An extension would surely be welcomed by oil traders looking for some reassurance that prices wont crash again. Plus, compliance has actually ticked up a bit recently, with Iraq, in particular, boosting its efforts. Related: Failed Oil Price Recovery Slams Energy Stocks

But letting the deal lapse in June 2018 as opposed to March is not really a game-changer. A much bigger question is what happens when the deal expires, regardless of the precise end date. What is the exit strategy? Will the group immediately go back to producing at maximum capacity? Not only are there not answers to those questions, but there is little evidence that top OPEC officials have any semblance of a strategy beyond keeping the current cuts in place for the time being. An extra three months might not do a lot to move the market closer to some sort of balance.

And based on OPECs current output, and the current supply/demand dynamics, it could arguably take years to normalize inventories. If they wish to achieve the reduction of oil stocks down to the five-year average, theyre going to have to dig in for the long haul, Neil Atkinson, head of the IEAs oil markets and industry division, told Bloomberg in an interview last month. Rebalancing is a stubborn process.

By Nick Cunningham of Oilprice.com

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Azerbaijan will sign in the coming days a new deal with BP to continue the development of the Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG) oil field in the Caspian Sea until 2050, extending the existing contract that is set to expire in 2024, Azeri media quoted President Ilham Aliyev as saying on Wednesday.

ACG was Azerbaijans first offshore oil Production Sharing Agreement (PSA) contract with Western majors. The country and a consortium of foreign oil companies signed back in 1994 a 30-year deal to develop the field. Foreign partners in the venturealongside SOCARs 11.6 percent interestinclude BP, Chevron, INPEX, Statoil, ExxonMobil, TPAO, ITOCHU, and ONGC, with BP acting as operator.

In December last year, BP, its co-venturers, and Azerbaijan signed a letter of intent (LoI) to cover the development of the field until 2050.

The LoI agrees the key commercial terms for the future development of the ACG field and enables the parties to conclude negotiations and finalise fully-termed agreements in the next few months, BP said back then.

Now, according to Azeri President Aliyev, the signing of the actual contract is expected shortly.

ACG is the biggest producing oil field in the Caspian Sea, and oil production there started in November 1997. Until the end of 2016, the field had produced more than 3 billion barrels of oil with around US$33 billion of investment, BP says. There are six producing platforms on ACG, linked with an onshore terminal in Sangachal near Baku. From that terminal, ACGs oil is exported to world markets primarily by the Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan oil export pipeline, and the Western Route Export Pipeline to the Supsa terminal in western Georgia.

In the first half of 2017, the ACG field production averaged 585,000 bpd from the six platforms. BP and its partners spent more than US$230 million on operating expenditure and some US$601 million in capital expenditure on ACG activities between January and June this year, BP said last month.

By Tsvetana Paraskova for Oilprice.com

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New tax breaks will put Norwegians on the hook for oil production taxes levied by the United Nations for drilling deeper in the Arctic, according to Reuters.

The report suggests the strategy of spreading legal costs to citizens could set an example for other nations planning to explore fossil fuel production farther and farther from solid land.

Opposition parties in Norway seek to limit oil exploration in the countrys waters. The Scandinavian countrys sovereign wealth fund is famed for using its fossil fuel wealth to fund the development of green energy initiatives within its borders.

There is too little risk on the companies, and too much risk on the people of Norway, Ola Elvestuen, who chiefs the Energy and Environment committee as a representative from the small Liberal Party, said. Neither me, nor the committee were informed about this, he said regarding the plans, which were described in special letters given to Reuters by the Oil and Energy Ministry.

Article 82 of the U.N. Convention on the Law of the Sea stipulates that rich nations must pay a seven percent tax per year on any fossil fuel production that occurs beyond 200 nautical miles from land. The capital from those fines are meant to be used to fund development efforts in other countries.



Related: Post Harvey: Crude Climbs As Gasoline Crashes

Hypothetically, the International Seabed Authority based in Jamaica would receive the money for its projects, but no country has yet attempted to drill so far into the ocean. The United States and Norway are the only two nations that have discussed the implementation of Article 82, with the former concerning itself with efforts to explore further in the Gulf of Mexico.

The licensees could be required to cover certain costs in this connection, the petroleum ministry wrote in the letters to oil companies. Any such cost will be deductible in the calculation of the petroleum tax.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

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The American Red Cross is working around the clock along the Gulf Coast to help the thousands of people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Harvey. On Monday, a little piece of Texas came north as HAWS welcomed 46 displaced dogs.

Acting as an Emergency Placement Partner for the Humane Society of the United States, HAWS welcomed the dogs to the Waukesha County Airport Monday afternoon, and I was fortunate enough to be on hand to witness the dogs arrive in this first transport to Waukesha County.

The animals were already in shelters looking for their forever homes when Harvey arrived and had to be evacuated to make space for pets that may have been separated from their owners in the storm. Those animals will take up temporary shelter in Texas and other Southern states while their owners search to be reunited.

It was a heartwarming but also heart-wrenching day as we watched dog upon dog being unloaded from the plane. Some of them were excited but some were also nervous and scared not knowing where they had been transported to.

But, in true Wisconsin fashion, the public is asking how to help. The biggest need right now at HAWS is to find foster homes for these animals. HAWS is looking for foster homes that can give a 60-90-day commitment for these pets. Most of the pets needing foster care will be dogs, although HAWS will most likely receive cats and other small animals as part of the transport.

Veterinary care and behavior support, along with care supplies, will be supplied by HAWS. All you need to do is supply the love.

If you would like to be a part of helping the voiceless victims of Harvey, please call the shelter at (262) 542-8851 , extension 0. Once HAWS has a complete idea of the number and types of foster situations, they will hold a basic foster training session and place the animals.

So let's rally Southeastern Wisconsin. These animals need our help.
A new restaurant specializing in eastern Caribbean fare is on its way to the former Playmakers space, 2230 N. Martin Luther King Dr., potentially as soon as December or January.

Owner Lennora Jules is a Milwaukee native currently working in the music industry in Los Angeles. Her parents, Lucile and Selo, are originally from the Caribbean island of Saint Lucia, and Jules says the restaurants menu will incorporate both family recipes and traditional Saint Lucian dishes.

"I really feel like in Milwaukee theres this really cool, hip indie culture that has been nurtured by things like Summerfest and the East Side," says Jules. "And people really love variety and have an interest in diverse art and culture. But you cant really get a true Caribbean experience, including the music and dance, unless you drive to Chicago or fly to the islands."

In keeping with that experience, Jules says the restaurant will be decorated with a Caribbean theme that offers guests a tropical escape.

"We want them to feel like theyre entering a different world," she explains. "We want to create a place where people can really sit down and feel as if theyre on vacation, even if its just for an hour or two."

Jewels menu will feature Caribbean style curries with proteins including chicken and goat, along with fresh seafood like salmon, shrimp and whitefish infused with Saint Lucian flair. There will also be dishes flavored with jerk spices including a signature burger and jerk chicken wings.

Items like papaya salad, guava turnovers, fish cakes, cassava and fried yucca and plantains will also make an appearance. Desserts will include selections like rum cake and mango pie.

"Well be hiring a chef and general manager," notes Jules, "But, at its heart the restaurant will be family-run."

Jules says she will employ her talents in the music industry to arrange for bookings of live music including Caribbean bands and DJs.

She says shes excited about the prospect of bringing something new to Milwaukee, based on her familys background and experience. And she says that, in light of the burgeoning development Downtown, shes glad to be a part of the growth and revival of the area.

"Milwaukee has so many really cool pockets," says Jules. "And I feel like small businesses are really whats going to make the city grow. Im really happy to invest in that and be part of that growth."
About three out of every four Americans support hotly debated net energy metering policies, which allow residents with wind turbines and solar panels to sell excess energy back to the grid at retail rates, according to a national poll by University of Michigan researchers.

The poll, conducted by the National Surveys on Energy and Environment, is believed to be the first nationally representative public opinion poll on the topicthough regional and industry pollsters have collected public opinions on net energy metering in the past.

The researchers found strong support for net energy metering, regardless of respondents' age, political party, or even belief in climate change.

As an increasing number of Americans generate their own power, net energy metering has been the subject of much debate in legislatures across the nation. In the past two years, all but two states (Alaska and Wyoming) have discussed how to balance the interests of their electric utilities along with a public that wants to sell excess energy to the grid.

Renewable energy advocates see the practice as a way to expand use of renewables and meet climate targets, but many utility companies argue that it unfairly favors solar customers.

"There are lots of rooftops, so lots of potential to generate power," said Sarah Mills, a postdoctoral fellow at the Center for Local, State, and Urban Policy at U-M's Ford School of Public Policy, which published the report findings. "But without net metering, rooftop solar makes less financial sense for homeownersso it's an important policy tool."

That said, Mills points out that net energy metering is far less palatable to utilities.

"Like all other infrastructure, the utility grid has suffered from a lack of investment, and wasn't built for 21st century clean energy," she said. "Utility companies bear the cost of necessary infrastructure upgrades, while expressing concern that with net energy metering, rooftop solar customers, who operate as tiny electric utilities, are enjoying the benefits of grid connection without paying for maintaining that system."

Poll results show that:

76 percent of self-identified moderates and 62 percent of self-identified conservatives support net energy metering.

72 percent of Americans age 50-64 and 66 percent of those 65 and older support net energy metering.

64 percent of respondents who said they don't think there is solid evidence of climate change support net energy metering. And 74 percent of these same individuals support increasing the use of solar in their state.

As they work to balance these interests, some states have conducted formal solar valuation studies, aiming to put a price tag on both the economic costs and benefits of rooftop solar. Others have introduced or increased fixed fees for energy grid upgrades to residents who wish to sell their energy back to the grid. Other states are considering proposals about whether to allow groups of utility customers to collectively participate in net energy metering.

Interestingly, public support for net energy metering is consistently positive, regardless of whether a state has passed legislation related to net energy metering, Mills says. And there is no notable difference in opinion between Americans who live in states with mandatory renewable energy requirements and those who don't.

"Although net metering has been a hotly debated topic in most states in recent years, the public is clearly in support of it," Mills said.
Don't mess with DACA. That was the message from major technology companies who are pressuring lawmakers to take swift action on a legislative fix after the Trump administration said it would jettison an immigration program that allows young people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children to remain here.

Apple and Microsoft, two of the companies to come out swinging against the president's decision to dump Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, pledged to shield employees who could face legal troubles or deportation.

Microsoft President Brad Smith urged Congress to move swiftly with legislation to preserve the immigration program, even prioritizing DACA over tax reform.

"We say this even though Microsoft, like many other companies, cares greatly about modernizing the tax system and making it fairer and more competitive," he wrote.

The Trump administration on Tuesday began winding down the Obama-era immigration program that has allowed some 800,000 young people to study and work in the U.S., but invited Congress to address it through legislation within six months.

The sharp rebuke from Silicon Valley reflects the toughening stance toward Trump administration policies as tech companies seek to protect their business interests and preserve their public image as the "Do no evil" wing of corporate America.

A series of clashes over immigration including the president's executive order banning immigration from Muslim-majority countries, trade and, most recently, Trump's controversial remarks in Charlottesville, Va., have widened the political divide between the White House and Silicon Valley.

Posing the greatest threat to the tech industry is Trump's "Hire American" policy and his administration's growing efforts to curb immigration. Changes to the nation's immigration rules could undercut the employment practices and bottom lines of major tech companies, both through restrictions on legal immigrationtemporary H-1B visas and on young people who work in tech through DACA.

"This is just the latest chapter of Silicon Valley feeling that the president is out of touch certainly with their needs here, if not the nation's," said Larry Gerston, professor emeritus of political science at San Jose State University.

For Silicon Valley, immigration has been the key to the greatest wealth creation machine on the planet. Engineers and entrepreneurs from overseas have played a vital role in building and running some of technology's most powerful companies. Tech companies say they rely on that steady stream of skilled talent, frequently on H-1B visas, to build their products and companies and to address an acute shortage of engineers.

"In Silicon Valley, there's this natural affinity for immigrants," Gerston said. "There's also a sense that immigration has provided an immense source of talent, not just the people who have started companies but those on H-1B visas and DREAMers who come out of college to work as programmers and engineers."

DACA is a cause taken up by many who work for major tech companies. It also matters to the vast communities of people around the globe who use these companies' services. Many in the public have also come to expect tech CEOs to play the role of social warriors.

In a blog post Tuesday, Smith said Microsoft would pay for employees' legal counsel and would intervene in court cases to defend DACA.

Apple CEO Tim Cook said he was "deeply dismayed" by Trump's decision and said his company would work with Congress to "advocate for a legislative solution that provides permanent protections for all the Dreamers in our country."

Apple will provide the approximately 250 employees at Apple potentially affected by the termination of DACA with the support they need, including the counsel of immigration experts, he said.

Among the other tech company CEOs speaking out were Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Box CEO Aaron Levie.

Tech companies, which used to shy away from Washington, are now some of the most powerful corporate interests there, shaping a range of policies from immigration to privacy to taxes. While the tech industry stands to benefit from looser regulations and tax reform embraced by the Trump administration, its opposition to the administration's positions on immigration has escalated.

Following Trump's first immigration order, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg wrote: "I hope we find the courage and compassion to bring people together and make this world a better place for everyone."

Zuckerberg: Ending DACA is 'particularly cruel'

That tone has changed dramatically as Silicon Valley finds itself increasingly at odds with Trump.

Zuckerberg said Tuesday that the termination of DACA marked a "sad day" for the country and urged Congress to step in.

"The decision to end DACA is not just wrong," Zuckerberg wrote in a Facebook post. "It is particularly cruel to offer young people the American Dream, encourage them to come out of the shadows and trust our government, and then punish them for it."

Last week hundreds of executives urged Trump not to rescind DACA. Ending DACA could endanger 700,000 jobs, according to research released this week by FWD.us, a pro-immigration group co-founded by Zuckerberg, and the Center for American Progress, with data from the Cato Institute. Some 91% of DACA recipients are employed. If Trump ends the program, 1,400 people of them will lose their ability to work each business day, the research found.

The stakes are high for the tech industry when it comes to immigration. The industry says it needs overseas labor to stay competitive globally, and for years it's funneled millions into Washington lobbying operations to try to loosen restrictions on the H1-B program.

That temporary visa program grants 65,000 work visas a year, with 20,000 more handed to foreigners with advanced degrees and an unlimited number made available to universities, teaching hospitals and the like.

Most of the visas go to technology companies. Major companies such as Apple, Facebook, Google and Microsoft employ thousands of H-1B workers. Fwd.us has been on the front lines of increasing the number of H-1B visas permitted each year.

The program is controversial with labor unions that say tech companies rely on these visas to hire cheaper labor that come with far fewer benefits and protections than American workers receive. On the campaign trail, President Trump promised to axe the H1-B program. In April, he signed an executive order that called for a review and suggested changes.

2017 USA Today

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
"Cover art" for this article reminds of the cover of the album "The Dark Side of the Moon" by Pink Floyd. It shows how red, purple, orange and violet proteins can be obtained from a colorless protein and one type of a carotenoid. Credit: Eugene Maksimov

Specialists from the biological faculty of Moscow State University have studied how the photoactive orange carotenoid protein (OCP) exchanges carotenoid with proteins of similar structure. The discovery will boost the development of OCP-based antioxidant drugs aimed at protecting healthy cells during cancer treatment. The paper was published in the Biophysical Journal.

The orange carotenoid protein (OCP) is a small water-soluble protein that serves as an excitation energy quencher in cyanobacteria. It reduces energy transfer in the photosynthetic apparatus under high light conditions. Cyanobacteria are among the oldest organisms on the Earth capable of photosynthesis, and are responsible for the high concentration of oxygen in the atmosphere.

Under strong light, the structure of orange carotenoid protein changes and interacts with antennas to prevent formation of reactive oxygen species. Carotenoids are long hydrocarbon molecules with a large number of double bonds, which serve as photosensitive chromophores. The color of carotenoids depends on the protein state.

Previously, the biologists from the Moscow State University have described the structure and properties of the OCP domains that appeared to be capable of binding the carotenoid into a complex of bright violet color. One of the interesting and previously unknown properties of the orange carotenoid protein is the ability to transmit the carotenoid to other proteins with a similar structure. The mechanism of the process is described in theBiophysical Journal article.

"We studied the interaction of carotenoid-containing violet C-domains of the OCP with a colorless apo form of the OCP. As a result of the interaction, the colorless apo form of the OCP became orange and photoactive (capable of changing its structure and color). The carotenoid transfer process simulates the process of assembling a photoactive protein from a protein matrix and a chromophore (carotenoid)," said Dr. Eugene Maksimov, senior researcher at the Laboratory of Biophotonics.

The transfer reaction of a hydrophobic carotenoid molecule between two water-soluble proteins offers several interesting research opportunities. This mechanism will allow researchers to create water-soluble protein complexes to deliver antioxidant carotenoid to cells that need protection from the reactive oxygen speciesfor example, to healthy tissue during photodynamic cancer therapy. The photoactive properties of the complex will be useful in molecular thermometers as their color would show the difference in temperature between the parts of the cell.

More information: Eugene G. Maksimov et al, The Unique Protein-to-Protein Carotenoid Transfer Mechanism, Biophysical Journal (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.bpj.2017.06.002 Journal information: Biophysical Journal
Credit: University of British Columbia

A Canadian effort to build one of the most innovative radio telescopes in the world will open the universe to a new dimension of scientific study. The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, today installed the final piece of this new radio telescope, which will act as a time machine allowing scientists to create a three-dimensional map of the universe extending deep into space and time.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, known as CHIME, is an extraordinarily powerful new telescope. The unique "half-pipe" telescope design and advanced computing power will help scientists better understand the three frontiers of modern astronomy: the history of the universe, radio bursts from pulsars and the detection of gravitational waves.

By measuring the composition of dark energy, scientists will better understand the shape, structure and fate of the universe. In addition, CHIME will be a key instrument to study gravitational waves, the ripples in space-time that were only recently discovered, confirming the final piece of Einstein's theory of general relativity.

CHIME is a collaboration among 50 Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). The $16-million investment for CHIME was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the governments of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, with additional funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The telescope is located in the mountains of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley at the NRC's Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Penticton.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) telescope was built at the National Research Council of Canada's Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory. Credit: CHIME

Quick facts

The CHIME telescope incorporates four 100-metre long U-shaped cylinders of metal mesh that resemble snowboard half-pipes. Its overall footprint is the size of five NHL hockey rinks.

CHIME collects radio waves with wavelengths between 37 and 75 centimetres, similar to the wavelength used by cell phones.

Most of the signals collected by CHIME come from our MilkyWay galaxy, but a tiny fraction of these signals started on their way when the universe was between 6 and 11 billion years old.

The radio signal from the universe is very weak and extreme sensitivity is needed to detect it. The amount of energy collected by CHIME in one year is equivalent to the amount of energy gained by a paper clip falling off a desk to the floor.

The data rate passing through CHIME is comparable to all the data in the world's mobile networks. There is so much data that it cannot all be saved to disk. It must first be processed and compressed by a factor of 100,000.

Seven quadrillion computer operations occur every second on CHIME
Credit: Parks Australia

Researchers are assisting Parks Australia in the eradication of feral cats on Christmas Island, something very few populated islands in the world have successfully achieved.

UQ School of Earth and Environmental Sciences researcher Dr Eve McDonald-Madden is supporting the project with research to ensure the cat eradication does not produce any unintended impacts on wildlife.

"On other islands, cat eradication programs have sometimes had unexpected negative flow on effects," Dr McDonald-Madden said.

"Each island is unique, but in some cases a reduction in cats has led to an increase in feral rats or other invasive species, which can also be a big problem for native wildlife.

"Our research is looking at these potential consequences  such as the impact rats have on nesting sea birds and forest birds  and how this could change as cat numbers reduce."

Dr McDonald-Madden said the research team, led by the Australian Government's Threatened Species Recovery Hub, will work with Christmas Island National Park managers to avert potential problems.

"Overall this will ensure that threatened species on Christmas Island will get the maximum possible benefit from the cat eradication," she said.

Feral cats remain a key threat for many species on the island, as it is a site of international conservation significance and home to many unique species found nowhere else in the world.

Christmas Island National Park Manager Scott Suridge said feral cats are very efficient predators and have been a major problem for many of the island's threatened species.

"We've made significant inroads into the feral problem, by first removing over 600 stray cats living around the township, and getting community support for a program of mandatory registration and desexing of per cats," Mr Suridge said.

"We'll continue to work hard with our partners to ensure we remain on track with the aim of ridding the rest of the island of feral cats by 2020."
Molecular dynamics of the green fluorescent protein chromophore caused by light absorption. Credit: Anastasia Bochenkova

Researchers at the Lomonosov Moscow State University in cooperation with Danish molecular physicists have revealed the mechanism that determines the sensitivity of green fluorescent protein to light exposure. The scientists have proved that an isolated chromophore group is capable of emitting light outside the protein environment, while the protein function is to enhance its fluorescent properties. The results are published in the Journal of the American Chemical Society.

Proteins from the GFP family are widely used as biomarkers. With their help, researchers could visualize biological processes taking place inside living cells. These proteins are widely used in molecular and cellular biology due to their unique ability to fluoresce upon absorption of light of a certain wavelength.

Chromophore groups, or chromophores, are responsible for light absorption. The chromophore is composed of just three amino acid residues. Until now, researchers believed the protein environment caused its chromophore to emit light under irradiation. This idea was supported by the fact that the isolated chromophore loses its fluorescent properties upon protein denaturation, i.e. unfolding of the protein. For the first time, the authors have predicted and experimentally proved that the isolated chromophore can also fluoresce outside the protein environment, but only at certain temperatures.

Following absorption of light, the fluorescent protein gains extra energy and undergoes transition to the electronically excited state. The protein molecule is striving to return to the ground state by getting rid of the excess energy. This process is called deactivation and proceeds in two ways. The first one is fluorescence. In transit from the excited state to the ground state, the chromophore emits energy in the form of light, and as a result, the protein becomes luminous.

The second way is called nonradiative relaxation. During this process, electronic excitation energy, transferred to a molecule upon light absorption, is transformed into vibrational energy of nuclei. Internal conversion inside the green fluorescent protein is followed by a chemical reactioncis-trans isomerization of the chromophore (i.e. intramolecular rotation about one of the double bonds inside the molecule).

In the case of the anionic (negatively charged) chromophore of the green fluorescent protein, energy can also be transferred to one electron, which exits the chromophore. The chromophore, which undergoes isomerization or loses an electron, removes excess electronic energy and doesn't fluoresce. Fluorescence is called a radiative channel of deactivation, while internal conversion and electron emission are called nonradiative channels. The scientists have experimentally used both nonradiative channels to study the excited-state decay and the ground-state recovery of the isolated GFP chromophore at various temperatures.

The scientists have shown that the isolated GFP chromophore can be trapped in the excited state due to the presence of intrinsic energy barriers along the nonradiative deactivation pathways. When the chromophore is cooled to 100 K, the trapping lasts for nanoseconds, thus enabling the slow radiative channel. The trapping barriers prevent the chromophore from returning to the ground state by fast nonradiative conversion and causing the molecule to fluoresce.

Chemist Anastasia Bochenkova of the Lomonosov Moscow State University says, "The GFP chromophore is intrinsically fluorescent. Interactions between the chromophore group and the nearest protein environment improve conditions for trapping the chromophore in the excited state, thus enhancing the molecular fluorescence. As a result, the radiative channel becomes predominant inside the protein already at room temperature."

The scientists have studied the chromophore properties both theoretically and experimentally. The scientists elaborated a theoretical model and estimated an excited-state lifetime of the isolated chromophore, based on the high-level quantum-chemistry calculations. Such calculations require high-performance computing resources, and the scientists used the Lomonosov Supercomputing Center for their studies.

The Danish scientists designed and created a new experimental technique for studying light-induced molecular dynamics of isolated charged chromophores in vacuofemtosecond pump-probe action spectroscopy with 2-D temporal resolution. Both delay time between two femtosecond laser pulses and decay time of a particular molecular action were varied. The new technique resolves the light-induced dynamics of the GFP chromophore as it happens in different decay channels through both the excited and ground electronic states, depending on temperature. Based on the results, the researchers have concluded that native GFP chromophores are intrinsically able to fluoresce outside the protein environment with a nanosecond lifetime, fully supporting theoretical predictions.

Anastasia Bochenkova says, "Our research aims at disclosing molecular mechanisms of functioning of living systems. A fundamental challenge is to understand the relationship between the properties of an entire light-sensitive biosystem and its much smaller active chromophore, which is at the heart of the molecular machinery. Here, we have shown that the properties of a single chromophore are important for understanding the mechanisms of action of the entire GFP protein. This knowledge is at the intersection of physics, chemistry and biology, and results in revising the prevailing paradigm about the role of the protein environment in the fluorescence of the GFP protein. Beyond solving the question about the origin of the intrinsic fluorescence of GFP, the work shows that detailed molecular knowledge obtained through high-level quantum chemistry calculations may be used together with molecular engineering in designing new functional biomaterials with optimal photoresponse."

More information: Annette Svendsen et al, Origin of the Intrinsic Fluorescence of the Green Fluorescent Protein, Journal of the American Chemical Society (2017). DOI: 10.1021/jacs.7b04987 Journal information: Journal of the American Chemical Society
Credit: University of Sussex

A new study, published today in the journal Political Geography, shows that there is no sound evidence that global climate change was a factor in causing the Syrian civil war.

Claims that a major drought caused by anthropogenic climate change was a key factor in starting the Syrian civil war have gained considerable traction since 2015 and have become an accepted narrative in the press, most recently repeated by former US vice president Al Gore in relation to Brexit. This study, led by Professor Jan Selby at the University of Sussex, takes a fresh look at the existing evidence for these claims as well as conducting new research into Syrian rainfall data and the experiences of Syrian refugees.

Professor Jan Selby, Director of the Sussex Centre for Conflict and Security Research at the University of Sussex, says: "Our paper finds that there is no sound evidence that global climate change was a factor in sparking the Syrian civil war. Indeed, it is extraordinary that this claim has become so widely accepted when the scientific evidence for it is so thin.

"Global climate change is a very real challenge, and will undoubtedly have significant conflict and security consequences, but there is no good evidence that this is what was going on in this case. It is vital that experts, commentators and policymakers resist the temptation to make exaggerated claims about the conflict implications of climate change. Overblown claims not based on rigorous science only risk fueling climate scepticism."

Professor Selby worked on the study with Christiane Frohlich from the University of Hamburg's Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN), Omar Dahi from Hampshire College, and Mike Hulme from King's College London. Their article is published in a special section of the journal Political Geography, the leading outlet worldwide for the study of climate-conflict linkages. The article is accompanied by three responses from leading US-based academics, and a rejoinder from Selby and colleagues. All are available open access for a limited period.

Selby and colleagues' article finds that:

Although northeast Syria did experience an exceptionally severe drought prior to its civil war, this drought was not necessarily caused by human influences on the global climate; Though the 2006/07 to 2008/09 drought did contribute to migration away from northeast Syria, this was on nothing like the scale which has been claimed (most likely 40-60 thousand families, rather than the 1.5 million people often quoted), and was probably more caused by economic liberalisation than by the drought; There exists no meaningful evidence that drought-related migration was a contributory factor in the onset of the civil war.

Mike Hulme at King's College London led original analysis of Syrian rainfall data, which showed the precise geographical and temporal limits of the 3-year drought. He says: "The drought in northeastern Syria was undoubtedly very severe, but is not necessarily part of a desiccating trend and cannot unambiguously be attributed to greenhouse gas emissions."

Christiane Frohlich from the University of Hamburg's Center for Earth System Research and Sustainability (CEN) conducted interviews with Syrian refugees in Jordan with experiences of the pre-civil war drought. She says: "We need to bring the lived experience of those affected by global environmental change in to the scientific study of global warming in order to gain a fuller understanding of how its effects impact different parts of a society to varying degrees."

Omar Dahi at Hampshire College says that: "Many aspects of Syria before and after March 2011 are widely accepted as fact despite little evidence. The climate change thesis is one of them, endlessly repeated without being properly interrogated."

More information: Jan Selby et al. Climate change and the Syrian civil war revisited, Political Geography (2017). DOI: 10.1016/j.polgeo.2017.05.007
Seagrass and adjacent land in Palau. Credit: Mark Priest

Marine restoration, rather than protection, might be the most cost-effective solution for coastal marine ecosystems suffering from human activities, a new study has found.

The University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre for Excellence in Environmental Decisions study examined how to best benefit coastal marine ecosystems on limited conservation budgets, to help managers better understand the trade-offs.

UQ Development Fellow Dr Megan Saunders said the researchers developed a model comparing scenarios of restoration versus protection, on land, or in the sea, for coastal marine ecosystems.

"Coastal ecosystems like seagrass, coral and mangroves occupy the narrow fringe of sea between the land and the deep ocean," Dr Saunders said.

"As such they provide easy access to the marine world  they are shallow, close to shore, and relatively calm places compared to the open ocean.

"These same features also make coastal ecosystems vulnerable to human activities  activities occurring both on land and in the ocean. Consequently, these ecosystems pose a number of challenges to managers."

Dr Saunders said conventional wisdom was that the most effective conservation actions to benefit coastal marine ecosystems involved implementing marine protected areas, or alternatively reducing land-based threats.

"Active marine restoration, on the other hand, is typically considered a low priority option," she said.

"This is due in part, to high costs and low success rates.

"However, our model, based on seagrass meadows and adjacent catchments in Southeast Queensland, found that contrary to conventional wisdom, and despite high costs, marine restoration may be the most cost-effective way over decades to maximise the extent of marine ecosystems under particular circumstances.

"This assumes that there is suitable habitat available for restoration (such as planting seagrass transplants); clearly, if suitable habitat does not exist, for example due to poor water quality, then other actions would take priority."

Dr Saunders said the researchers had developed some simple rules to guide decision making for whether restoration or protection should occur in either marine or terrestrial environments to best benefit marine ecosystems.

"These rules-of-thumb illustrate how cost-effective conservation outcomes for connected land-ocean systems can proceed without complex modelling," she said.

The paper, Simple rules can guide whether land or ocean based conservation will best benefit marine ecosystems, is published in PLoS Biology.

More information: Megan I. Saunders et al. Simple rules can guide whether land- or ocean-based conservation will best benefit marine ecosystems, PLOS Biology (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pbio.2001886 Journal information: PLoS Biology
Florian Thurk (left) testing the device. Credit: Vienna University of Technology

A new imaging technique, Electrical Impedance Tomography (EIT), will soon be used to monitor important bodily functions. A collaborative project between TU Wien, the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, has enabled significant progress to be made with this technology.

It couldn't be simpler, more convenient or cheaper: with electrical impedance tomography, a belt featuring electrodes is applied directly to the skin. Minuscule currents are passed through the body and the resulting electrical voltage is measured; these measurements are then used to produce images of various bodily functions. This enables lung function, for example, to be continuously monitored during artificial respiration.

There is, however, as yet no standardised method for converting the measured data into reliable images. But now a project between TU Wien, the Medical University of Vienna and the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna has succeeded in showing that the quality of the results drastically improves when the evaluation methods are individually tailored for each patient. This means that EIT could soon provide a valuable service in intensive care units. The research results have been published in the journal PLOS One.

Continuous monitoring

"We have had high hopes for electrical impedance tomography for a number of years," says Dr Stefan Bohme from the University Clinic for Anaesthesia, General Intensive Care and Pain Therapy at the Medical University of Vienna. Electrodes are used to apply high-frequency currents through the body. The current itself is so weak that it cannot even be felt but can nonetheless be used to calculate the electrical resistance of the body and provide insight into internal processes.

A visualization of the lung function. Credit: Vienna University of Technology

A vital application area where this has a great deal of promise is the monitoring of lung function for patients in intensive care. Artificial respiration can place significant strain on the lungs which can lead to damage if it is not precisely calibrated to the patient's individual needs. Using imaging techniques such as computed tomography, lung activity can be monitored but this only produces single images. Plus, the patient has to undergo the strenuous process of transport and significant exposure to X-rays. As such, continuous, ongoing monitoring of lung function directly in a bed in the intensive care unit, without any side effects, is preferable. And this is exactly what EIT delivers.

"The problem is that there is still no standardised method for determining reliable medical data from the measured results," explains Florian Thurk, a doctoral student in Prof. Eugenijus Kaniusas' research group at the Institute of Electrodynamics, Microwave and Circuit Engineering at TU Wien. "This is considerably more complicated than is the case for computed tomography. From a mathematical perspective, different impedance distributions inside the body can produce identical measurement results. It is difficult to say for sure which of the distributions is actually correct."

Individualised evaluation

The puzzle can be solved, however, by including a little more information in the calculation model: "High-resolution CT images allow individual parameters  such as the exact location of the contours of the lungs  to be monitored to an impressive degree," explains Florian Thurk. "If we feed this computed tomography data into our evaluation program, we can produce customised evaluation methods that provide much more accurate results than had ever been thought possible."

"The aim is not to generate the best single frames possible, but rather to derive physiologically relevant parameters from the data, in order to directly monitor the lung function. In the course of their daily work, medical professionals often do not have the time to review individual images  they want the data that is to be monitored to be available to them immediately," explains Eugenijus Kaniusas.

This new technology has now been successfully tested in animal experiments (with pigs), with the EIT results and CT images working well together. With further improvements and clinical tests, EIT looks to become the new standard method for use in intensive care in future.

More information: Florian Thurk et al. Effects of individualized electrical impedance tomography and image reconstruction settings upon the assessment of regional ventilation distribution: Comparison to 4-dimensional computed tomography in a porcine model, PLOS ONE (2017). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0182215 Journal information: PLoS ONE
NAGO chief Jens Stoltenberg (2ndL) said the alliance had seen a 60 percent increase in cyber attacks on its networks over the last year

A major cyberattack targets European Union military structures, with hackers using social media and "fake news" to spread confusion, and governments are left scrambling to respond as the crisis escalates.

This was the scenario facing a gathering of EU defence ministers in Tallinn on Thursday as they undertook a exercise simulating a cyber assault on the blocthe first mock drill of its kind at such a senior level in Europe.

With countries around the world heavily reliant on computers for everything from defence systems to hospital equipment to critical infrastructure such as power stations, the cybersphere is seen as the next major theatre for conflict.

NATO now considers cyberspace to be a conflict domain alongside that of air, sea and land.

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the exercise in Tallinn, said NATO had seen a 60 percent increase in cyber attacks on its networks over the last year.

In Tuesday's exercise, the 28 EU defence ministers were presented with an escalating crisis during an operation in the Mediterranean Sea similar to the current Sophia naval mission against people-smuggling networks.

"First a drone went down after a problem with the server at the military headquarters, then another drone was intercepted and then a more serious threat with a worm (computer virus)... and then more serious still with the loss of communications with our ships in the Mediterranean," Belgian Defence Minister Steven Vandeput explained.

The ministers were given tablet computers to answer multiple choice questions about how to respond to each fresh development.

"We are not creating programmers from the ministers but we want them to understand that these quickly developing situations could demand quick political decisionsthat's the idea of the exercise," Estonian Defence Minister Juri Luik said.

'Exciting' exercise

Estonian officials said the aim was to improve ministers' understanding of the kinds of target that could be hit by a cyberattack, the effects such an attack could have and how they could respondas well as the need for clear, coordinated communication with the public on what can be a complex issue.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the two-hour exercise was "extremely exciting".

"The adversary is very, very difficult to identify. The attack is silent, invisible... it is cost-effective for the adversary because he does not need an army, but only a computer with internet connection," she said.

Estonia has made digital issues one of the priorities of its EU presidency, which runs until the end of this year, and Thursday's exercise was over a year in the planning.

Leyen said the drill showed the importance of "informing each other and to include the economy in case a major cyber attack spreads in critical infrastructure of the EU economy".

Russian threat

The devastating WannaCry ransomware attack that hit more than 200,000 users around the world in May, causing chaos in Britain's National Health Service and halting production at numerous factories, was a stark signal of hackers' power to wreak havoc.

But NATO and the EU are also on their guard against Russia deploying so-called hybrid tacticscombining cyber warfare and misinformation as well as conventional boots on the groundas it did in Crimea to destabilise and ultimately annex a region.

In the last couple of years Lithuania and Latvia have warned they were coming under hybrid attack, accusing Moscow of waging a propaganda campaign to sow dissatisfaction among ethnic Russians in their territory.

Estonia itself was hit as far back as 2007 by one of the first major cyberattacks, suffering a blistering assault on official state and bank websites. The onslaught was blamed on Russian hackers, though the Kremlin denied involvement.

While getting ministers to think of cybersecurity at a strategic level was the key aim of Thursday's practice, Estonian officials stressed that proper resilience to hacking requires education across the whole population.

The vast majority of hacking attacks begin with a security breach from human actionsomeone opening an email attachment or clicking a link that lets a virus infect their computer network.

Tanel Sepp, a senior cyber expert at the Estonian defence ministry, said children should be taught the priniciples of online safety in the same way they are taught to cross the road safely.

 2017 AFP
Research by Surrey's Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES) has found that Western European garment industry workers in BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) countries earn only half of the living wage.

The study, which has been published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment, shows that while globalisation has made the Western European clothing supply chain fairer by increasing employment opportunities and income for workers in BRIC countries, their income is still insufficient to support a decent standard of living.

The research was conducted using a Social Life Cycle Assessment (SLCA) approach, in which impacts across the whole lifecycle of the product are considered. So, rather than focusing solely on factory workers, the researchers looked at everyone involved in the garment industry supply chain - including, for example, workers growing cotton and miners providing metal to make machinery.

The researchers estimated how much workers would need to be paid in order to be able to afford a decent, but not luxurious life - a living wage. The research found that garment factory workers are only paid around half the living wage, and agricultural workers are paid even less.

The study was also innovative in taking into account financial demands on workers - income tax and social security contributions - in addition to wages, thus giving a more comprehensive picture than previous studies where the living wage does not account for these costs. It found that in real terms, workers would need to be paid, on average, an additional 35 per cent to offset these factors.

The research was led by Research Fellow Dr Simon Mair, with Angela Druckman, Professor of Sustainable Consumption and Production and Tim Jackson, Professor of Sustainable Development and Director of the Centre for the Understanding of Sustainable Prosperity (CUSP) within Surrey's Centre for Environment and Sustainability (CES).

Dr Mair said: "Despite some improvements to workers' income and employment opportunities through globalisation over the last 20 years, this research has demonstrated that workers are still not paid a living wage, so the supply chain cannot be described as 'fair'.

"The next step is to look at the potential impact on companies and consumers if BRIC workers were paid a living wage. For example a company may choose to absorb the additional cost, or might pass the cost onto consumers.

Faced with a higher priced product, consumers might choose to buy less, which could in turn have a positive impact on the environment (by reducing carbon emissions) but possibly a negative social impact (by reducing employment)."

Professor Druckman said: "This research has implications for all those who are concerned about social justice along clothing supply chains."

The research is a strand of CES's ongoing work on the sustainable economy, led by Professor Tim Jackson, whose book Prosperity Without Growth (first published in 2009) outlined a ground-breaking vision for lasting prosperity on a finite planet.

The research paper, 'Investigating fairness in global supply chains: applying an extension of the living wage to the Western European clothing supply chain', was published in The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment on 30 August. The research is also featured in a new book, The Social Effects of Global Trade, published by Pan Stanford Publishing Pte Ltd, due out later this year.

More information: Simon Mair et al, Investigating fairness in global supply chains: applying an extension of the living wage to the Western European clothing supply chain, The International Journal of Life Cycle Assessment (2017). DOI: 10.1007/s11367-017-1390-z
A global distribution of lagerstatte preserving integument (body coverings) of land-dwelling vertebrates. Filled circles correspond to the rough number of lagerstatte fossils known for all time periods from the area. Credit: Image modified from Eliason et al. (2017) PRSB.

When most people hear the word fossil, they probably think of gigantic leg bones or sharp teeth. But, given the right conditions, after an animal dies even delicate body coverings like skin, hair and feathers can be preserved.

New research led by The University of Texas at Austin has found that when it comes to preserving these body parts, fossilized hair is rarefive times rarer than feathersdespite being an important tool for understanding ancient species. This finding has researchers trying to determine if the lack of hair in the fossil record has to do with physical traits that might make it more difficult for hair to fossilize, or an issue with scientists' collection techniques that could lead to them missing important finds.

"This pattern of where and when we do find fossilized feathers and hairs can be used to inform where we look for future fossil discoveries," said first author Chad Eliason, a researcher at the Field Museum of Natural History who conducted the research while a postdoctoral fellow at the UT Jackson School of Geosciences.

The study was published on Sept. 6 in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B. Co-authors include Julia Clarke, a professor in the Jackson School's Department of Geological Sciences who led the study, and three Jackson School undergraduate students, Leah Hudson, Taylor Watts and Hector Garza.

Fossils of body coverings contain unique data on the ecology and lifestyle of extinct animals, including what color they might have been. They also might affect our understanding of when kinds of body coverings, such as feathers and hair, evolved. In this study, the researchers used data on fossil type and age to determine that hair probably evolved much earlier than current fossil samples indicate.

Fossil beds that preserve soft tissues like hair and feathers are called lagerstatte ('fossil storehouses' in German) and are rare on their own. The researchers were interested in understanding how frequently different types of body coverings were found preserved in these exceptional sites, which include the Yixian Formation in China and the Green River Formation in the western United States.

A fossilized bird with some feathers intact. Credit: Julia Clarke/UT Austin.

Eliason and his collaborators assembled the largest known database of fossilized body coverings, or integument, from land-dwelling vertebrates, a group known as tetrapods, collected from lagerstatte. They found that unlike feathers, hairs are extremely rare finds.

"Mammal hair has been around for more than 160 million years yet over that time we have very few records," Eliason said.

The rarity might be explained by feathers and hair containing different types of the protein keratin, which may impact the likelihood of fossilization. However, the study notes that the lack of hair samples could have nothing to do with fossilization, and be explained by the collecting behavior of paleontologists, with a single feather usually being much easier to identify than a single hair.

The database also allowed the researchers to conduct a type of statistical method called gap analysis, which models the probability of finding a fossil in a given time. The team found that feathers appear to have evolved very close to the earliest known examples in the fossil record, about 165 million years ago. However, hair and hair-like filaments found on pterosaurs probably evolved far earlier in the fossil record than currently known.

"The hunt is on," said Clarke. "These data suggest we might expect to find records up to 100 million years earlier potentially."

The team also applied a statistical approach called a time series analyses to study if climatic factors might explain gaps in the fossil record. They found that soft tissue preservation was most common when ancient sea levels were high.

"There is still a lot we don't know about the chemistry of these deposits and why they are so uneven through time," Clarke said. "But we can say that their uneven distribution across the worldmost [sites] are in North America or Eurasiais an artifact of where paleontologists looked. We have a lot more work to do."

More information: Chad M. Eliason et al. Exceptional preservation and the fossil record of tetrapod integument, Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences (2017). DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0556 Journal information: Proceedings of the Royal Society B
Lines of cars snaked around those gas stations that remained open in Miami, as Florida prepared for Hurricane Irma

With Hurricane Irma aiming squarely at Florida, up to a million people were told to evacuate coastal areas in the Sunshine State and neighboring Georgia Thursday, amid worries that fuel shortages and traffic bottlenecks could thwart the mass exodus.

In a state home to more than 20 million people, Governor Rick Scott warned residents on both coasts to be ready to get out before the monster storm strikes south Florida late Saturday.

Experts hope to avoid mass casualties by ushering residents out of the riskiest areas, in what could be the largest US evacuation since Hurricane Rita forced 3.7 million people to leave Texas and Louisiana in 2005.

Already, 31,000 people have already fled the Florida Keys chain of islands, and Scott warned people yet to evacuate to get out, fast.

"Look at the size of this storm. It's huge. It's wider than our entire state," the governor told a press conference, warning of 10 feet (three meters) of storm surge, enough to reach the roofs of many homes.

"We can't save you once the storm starts."

More than 650,000 people in Miami-Dade County are being told to leave, after Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez expanded the mandatory evacuation zone further inland along the southeast Florida coastalthough many were expected to stay behind to try to protect their homes.

Motorists leaving Miami have found many gas stations cordoned off with yellow tape, signaling they were closed due to lack of fuel

Sign of the growing alarm about the damage Irma could wreak in the southeast US, authorities in the neighboring state of Georgia also ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas, affecting more than 300,000 people.

In Miami Beach, people were filling the trunks of their cars with water and other provisions, and sharing contact information with their neighbors as they prepared to hit the road.

"I have been through hurricanes before but this one is so huge," said Robert McCleary, a 67-year-old retiree. "I am just so worried about the homeless, about the poor."

Fuel shortage

President Donald Trump voiced serious concern as Hurricane Irma ripped across the Caribbean toward the US, declaring in the Oval Office: "We are with the people of Florida."

"Florida is as well prepared as you can be for something like this, now it's just a question of what happens," he said.

The only way to drive out of the Florida peninsula is northward, and motorists leaving Miami have found many gas stations cordoned off with yellow tape, signaling they were closed due to lack of fuel.

Updated forecast track of Hurricane Irma, close-up on the Caribbean.

Lines of cars, some more than a dozen deep, snaked around those that remained open. Often those lines jutted into the main roadways, causing traffic to pile up.

"People are freaking out," said Yasmine Herrera, a hair stylist who works south of Miami.

She told AFP she had heard rumors of fights breaking out at gas stations, and experienced a tense standoff herself when two drivers blocked her in at a pump, each wanting to fill their tanks after her and each refusing to yield and allow her to exit. Eventually, one relented.

The governor acknowledged "issues" with fuel and said he had asked the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive rules and regulations in order to get as much fuel as possible into the state and ports.

He also called on state law enforcement to provide escort services for gas trucks.

Traffic bottlenecks

Traffic has started to pile up on main highways, as cars heading north bottleneck near the larger cities, including Miami, Fort Myers and Sarasota.

People waited in line to purchase supplies outside a Home Depot store in Miami, as they prepared for Hurricane Irma

Elderly residents, those in small hospitals and people living in mobile homes were among the first to be evacuated.

"Leave now. The roads are going to get worse the longer you wait," warned Governor Scott.

He urged people to use apps like GasBuddy and Florida511 to check for open fuel stations and traffic conditions.

Highway patrol and National Guard Officers would do all they could to keep roads open, even allowing motorists to drive on the edges if need be.

Scott said the utility giant Florida Power and Light would close its Turkey Point power plant, where twin nuclear reactors operate, "at some point."

FPL said Hurricane Irma's size and strength suggest that "much of Florida could be impacted by this major storm, resulting in extended power outages," according to an email sent to customers.

"We are preparing for the possibility of having to rebuild our electrical infrastructure in the worst hit areas."

 2017 AFP
This artist's concept shows the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft passing by Earth. Credit: NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center/University of Arizona

On Sept. 22, NASA's OSIRIS-REx (Origins, Spectral Interpretation, Resource Identification, and Security  Regolith Explorer) spacecraft will make a close approach to Earth, using the planet's gravity to slingshot itself toward the asteroid Bennu. Over the course of several days, observatories and amateur astronomers with specialized equipment will be able to see OSIRIS-REx as the spacecraft approaches and retreats from its closest position over Earth, approximately 11,000 miles (17,000 km) above the planet's surface.

The mission will collect images of OSIRIS-REx taken by observatories and other ground-based telescopes around the world during this period  approximately Sept. 10-23, depending on location and local conditions. Observers from the OSIRIS-REx Target Asteroids! citizen science program, who regularly volunteer their time to help scientists study near-Earth asteroids, will be among those who train their telescopes on the spacecraft's path.

"The opportunity to capture images of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft as it approaches Earth provides a unique challenge for observers to hone their skills during this historic flyby," said Dante Lauretta, OSIRIS-REx principal investigator at the University of Arizona, Tucson. "As the spacecraft approaches Earth for its own imaging campaign, ground-based observers will also be looking up and taking photos from the opposite perspective."

Individuals and groups may submit images of the spacecraft via the mission's website, where instructions to locate the spacecraft in the sky are also available.

"The team is eager and ready to execute the Earth Gravity Assist," said Rich Burns, OSIRIS-REx project manager at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greeenbelt, Maryland. "Not only will it be a significant change in trajectory putting OSIRIS-REx on track for rendezvous with Bennu, it also represents a unique opportunity for the OSIRIS-REx instruments to observe our home planet. It is fantastic that ground based observers are also taking the opportunity to image OSIRIS-REx."

The images collected during the Earth gravity assist represent the last opportunity for Earth-based observers to see the spacecraftuntil it returns to Earth in 2023 carrying a sample from asteroid Bennu.

The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA), the home institution of several OSIRIS-REx science team members, will also work with the Japan Public Observatory Society and the Planetary Society of Japan to collect imagery from vantage points in Japan.

Shortly before OSIRIS-REx reaches its closest distance from Earth, the spacecraft will fly over the eastern half of Australia, giving observers there some of the best opportunities to see and photograph the spacecraft. The Desert Fireball Networkan organization based at Curtin University, Perth, that studies meteorites, fireballs and their pre-Earth orbitswill deploy observers to locations around Australia to track OSIRIS-REx across the sky.

Members of the public without telescopes can still celebrate the Earth Gravity Assist by joining the "Wave to OSIRIS-REx" social media campaign. Individuals and groups from anywhere in the world are encouraged to take photos of themselves waving to OSIRIS-REx, share them using the hashtag #HelloOSIRISREx and tag the mission account in their posts on Twitter (@OSIRISREx) or Instagram (@OSIRIS_REx).

Participants may begin taking and sharing photos at any timeor wait until the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft makes its closest approach to Earth at 12:52 p.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 22.

More information: For more information on OSIRIS-REx, visit:

www.nasa.gov/osirisrex

www.asteroidmission.org

Provided by NASA
Sampling of mosquito larvae and water from their breeding sites in the urban environment by researcher Laura Dickson during a field mission in Gabon. Credit:  Institut Pasteur

Researchers have demonstrated that differential bacterial exposure during the development of mosquito larvae (Aedes aegypti) can influence adult traits related to the transmission of arboviruses. This study represents an important step toward a more comprehensive understanding of how the environment shapes the risk of vector-borne disease.

Mosquitoes are holometabolous insects (i.e. organisms that go through a complete metamorphosis). As such, they occupy two main habitats during their life cycle. The larval stage develops in water and the adult stage lives on land. The adult traits of mosquitoes (e.g. body size, lifespan, susceptibility to human pathogens) depend on environmental conditions experienced both during larval development and during adult life.

Recently, the scientific community has realized that the adult mosquito gut microbiota (the microbial environment in the gut of the mosquito) contributes to modulate the transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens. However, the role of the microbiota of larvae in influencing adult traits is under-explored.

This question is particularly important for Aedes aegypti, a major vector of arboviruses such as dengue, yellow fever, Zika and chikungunya viruses. In sub-Saharan Africa, Ae. aegypti exists in an urban form and a forest form, and the larval breeding sites differ between the two. Whereas the urban form develops in man-made containers such as used tires and discarded items, the forest form develops in natural breeding sites such as rock pools and tree holes.

Researchers from the Institut Pasteur and CNRS, in collaboration with scientific teams from IRD, University Claude Bernard Lyon 1 and CIRMF in Gabon, observed differences in the gut microbiota of Ae. aegypti larvae between the forest and urban environments. In the lab, they demonstrated that differential bacterial exposure during the development of Ae. aegypti larvae can have carry-over effects on adult traits related to the transmission of arboviruses. Thus, exposure to different bacteria during development results in variation in the speed at which larvae develop, the size of adult mosquitoes, immune activity of adults, as well as susceptibility to dengue virus.

Laura Dickson, first author of the study and researcher at the Institut Pasteur, says, "This discovery is highly significant because it provides the first empirical proof of principle that bacteria in the aquatic environment can modulate the ability of adult mosquitoes to transmit human pathogens."

Louis Lambrechts, researcher at CNRS, says, "our discovery calls for an increased appreciation of the role of larval ecology in the transmission of mosquito-borne pathogens."

These findings represent an important first step toward a more comprehensive understanding of how the environment shapes the risk of vector-borne disease. Improved knowledge on the bacteria found in natural larval breeding sites and their consequence at the adult stage could lead to new disease control strategies. For instance, this could be done by targeting the breeding sites where mosquito larvae are most likely to become efficient vectors of arboviruses. An alternative could be to directly manipulate the bacteria in breeding sites to reduce the ability of mosquitoes emerging from these sites to transmit human pathogens.

More information: Laura B. Dickson et al, Carryover effects of larval exposure to different environmental bacteria drive adult trait variation in a mosquito vector, Science Advances (2017). DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.1700585 Journal information: Science Advances

Provided by Institut Pasteur
British billionaire Richard Branson said Thursday that "whole houses" on his private island in the Caribbean had been swept away by Hurricane Irma

British billionaire Richard Branson said Thursday that "whole houses" on his private island in the Caribbean had been swept away by Hurricane Irma, leaving it "completely and utterly devastated".

"We took shelter from the strongest hurricane ever inside the concrete cellar on Necker and very, very fortunately it held firm," Branson, founder of the Virgin business empire, said in a blog post.

"I have never seen anything like this hurricane. Necker and the whole area have been completely and utterly devastated," he said, adding that he and his staff were all "safe and well".

"We are still assessing the damage, but whole houses and trees have disappeared.

"Outside of the bunker, bathroom and bedroom doors and windows have flown 40 feet (12 metres) away."

"I'm speaking these words from a satellite phone that is just about working, but all other communications are down," he said.

Branson said his company had made a donation to the British Red Cross and a Virgin Atlantic flight to Antigua on Thursday had brought in aid supplies including blankets and bottled water.

But he said the British Virgin Islands, where his island is located, would need "major help to rebuild people's homes, buildings, livelihoods" and urged the British government to "send as much help as possible".

Branson started out his business in London in 1970 to sell discount music records.

Proceeds from the shop helped build a recording studio, and Virgin Records came into being in 1972.

The company has since diversified into air travel, railways, healthcare and banking.

Branson's mane of blond hair and goatee beard made him one of the world's most recognisable businessmen.

 2017 AFP
Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech/Univ. of Arizona

The combination of morphological and topographic information from stereo images from NASA's Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter, as well as compositional data from near-infrared spectroscopy has been proven to be a powerful tool for understanding the geology of Mars.

Beginning with the OMEGA instrument on the European Space Agency's Mars Express orbiter in 2003, the surface of Mars has been examined at near-infrared wavelengths by imaging spectrometers that are capable of detecting specific minerals and mapping their spatial extent. The CRISM (Compact Reconnaissance Imaging Spectrometer for Mars) instrument on our orbiter is a visible/near-infrared imaging spectrometer, and the HiRISE camera works together with it to document the appearance of mineral deposits detected by this orbital prospecting.

Mawrth Vallis is one of the regions on Mars that has attracted much attention because of the nature and diversity of the minerals identified by these spectrometers. It is a large, ancient outflow channel on the margin of the Southern highlands and Northern lowlands. Both the OMEGA and CRISM instruments have detected clay minerals here that must have been deposited in a water-rich environment, probably more than 4 billion years ago. For this reason, Mawrth Vallis is one of the two candidate landing sites for the future Mars Express Rover Mission planned by the European Space Agency.

This image was targeted on a location where the CRISM instrument detected a specific mineral called alunite, KAl 3 (SO 4 ) 2 (OH) 6 . Alunite is a hydrated aluminum potassium sulfate, a mineral that is notable because it must have been deposited in a wet acidic environment, rich in sulfuric acid. Our image shows that the deposit is bright and colorful, and extensively fractured. The width of the cutout is 1.2 kilometers.

Provided by NASA
Pluto's first official surface-feature names are marked on this map, compiled from images and data gathered by NASA's New Horizons spacecraft during its flight through the Pluto system in 2015. Credit: NASA/JHUAPL/SwRI/Ross Beyer

The Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature of the International Astronomical Union has officially approved the naming of 14 features on the surface of Pluto. These are the first geological features on the planet to be named following the close flyby by the New Horizons spacecraft in July 2015.

The IAU has assigned names to fourteen geological features on the surface of Pluto. The names pay homage to the underworld mythology, pioneering space missions, historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in exploration, and scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. This is the first set of official names of surface features on Pluto to be approved by the IAU, the internationally recognised authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features.

NASA's New Horizons team proposed the names to the IAU following the first reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons by the New Horizons spacecraft. Some of the names were suggested by members of the public during the Our Pluto campaign, which was launched as a partnership between the IAU, the New Horizons project and the SETI Institute. Other names had been used informally by the New Horizons science team to describe the many regions, mountain ranges, plains, valleys and craters discovered during the first close-up look at the surfaces of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon.

"We're very excited to approve names recognising people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld. These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery," said Rita Schulz, chair of the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. "We appreciate the contribution of the general public in the form of their their naming suggestions and the New Horizons team for proposing these names to us."

More names are expected to be proposed to the IAU, both for Pluto and for its moons. "The approved designations honour many people and space missions who paved the way for the historic exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the most distant worlds ever explored," said Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado.

The approved Pluto surface feature names are listed below.

Tombaugh Regio honours Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997), the U.S. astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930 from Lowell Observatory in Arizona.

Burney crater honors Venetia Burney (1918-2009), who as an 11-year-old schoolgirl suggested the name "Pluto" for Clyde Tombaugh's newly discovered planet. Later in life she taught mathematics and economics.

Sputnik Planitia is a large plain named after Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honouring Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) and Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the Indian/Nepali Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer who were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return safely.

Al-Idrisi Montes honours Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi (1100-1165/66), a noted Arab mapmaker and geographer whose landmark work of medieval geography is sometimes translated as "The Pleasure of Him Who Longs to Cross the Horizons."

Djanggawul Fossae defines a network of long, narrow depressions named for the Djanggawuls, three ancestral beings in indigenous Australian mythology who travelled between the island of the dead and Australia, creating the landscape and filling it with vegetation.

Sleipnir Fossa is named for the powerful, eight-legged horse of Norse mythology that carried the god Odin into the underworld.

Virgil Fossae honors Virgil, one of the greatest Roman poets and Dante's fictional guide through hell and purgatory in the Divine Comedy.

Adlivun Cavus is a deep depression named for Adlivun, the underworld in Inuit mythology.

Hayabusa Terra is a large land mass saluting the Japanese spacecraft and mission (2003-2010) that returned the first asteroid sample.

Voyager Terra honours the pair of NASA spacecraft, launched in 1977, that performed the first "grand tour" of all four giant planets. The Voyager spacecraft are now probing the boundary between the Sun and interstellar space.

Tartarus Dorsa is a ridge named for Tartarus, the deepest, darkest pit of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Elliot crater recognises James Elliot (1943-2011), an MIT researcher who pioneered the use of stellar occultations to study the Solar Systemleading to discoveries such as the rings of Uranus and the first detection of Pluto's thin atmosphere.

Provided by International Astronomical Union
A large male Pachycheles tuerkayi, new species from Santa Marta, Colombia (a) and large male P. serratus (Benedict, 1901) from the Gulf of Morrosquillo, Colombia (b).Scale = 4.5 mm. Credit: Alexandra Hiller

Despite their names, hermit crabs, king crabs and horseshoe crabs are not true crabs. Neither are porcelain crabs, decapod crab-like crustaceans that live in shallow water throughout the world's oceans. Researchers working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany (JLU), recently identified a new species of porcelain crab: Pachycheles tuerkayi.

"For quite some time, scientists confused our new species with another, very similar species called P. serratus that often shares the same habitat," said Alexandra Hiller, research collaborator at STRI and JLU. "They look nearly the same and are both found in the southern Caribbean Sea. However, our new species has hairy claws and is only found along the coasts of Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, whereas P. serratus is found from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to Panama and south to Venezuela."

The new species, P. tuerkayi, is named for the late Michael Turkay, head of the Crustacea Section at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany for more than 30 years, and long-time friend and colleague of Hiller and lead author, Bernd Werding from the Department of Animal Ecology and Systematic Zoology, JLU. The new species was published in a special issue of Crustaceana dedicated to Turkay.

"We collected samples of P. tuerkayi and P. serratus under boulders off the coast of Santa Marta, Cartagena and the Gulf of Uraba, Colombia, and also from Bocas del Toro and Playa Diablo, Panama, and from Isla Margarita, Venezuela," said Hiller. "We compared the ribosomal DNA of these two species in a phylogeny with other species of Pachycheles and found that they were very different, more different, in fact, than related crabs in the Atlantic and Pacific, separated by the Isthmus of Panama."

Pachycheles tuerkayi n. sp., male holotype, INV CRU8408, dorsal view. Scale = 5.4 mm. Credit: Credit: S. Kalscheid

Hiller and Werding have described nine new species of porcelain crabs, four of which were discovered in the Caribbean and along the Pacific coasts of Colombia and Panama. The authors have identified more than 20 pairs of porcelain crab sister speciesone species on each side of the Isthmus of Panama.

Porcelain crabs are tiny in the tropics, usually less than 1.5 centimeters wide, but in temperate waters like those bordering the coast of Chile, species can be more than 9 cm wide. These extremely fragile animals shed claws and walking legs more easily and frequently than true crabs as a strategy to evade a predator, which is why they are called porcelain crabs. This new discovery brings the total number of porcelain crab species in the west Atlantic to 50.

The specimens used to describe the new species will be deposited in the collections of the Museo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia as well as in the Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt, Germany.

More information: Bernd Werding et al, Description of a new species of Pachycheles (Decapoda, Anomura, Porcellanidae) from the southern Caribbean Sea, Crustaceana (2017). DOI: 10.1163/15685403-00003684
Launch of the University of Sydney partnership with Microsoft.Front row: Ph.D. candidate Alice Mahoney with Microsoft's David Pritchard. Back row (R-L): Station Q Sydney director Professor David Reilly; Microsoft's Douglas Carmean; Station Q Sydney senior research scientist Dr. Maja Cassidy; University of Sydney Chancellor Belinda Hutchinson, postdoctoral researcher Dr. John Hornibrook and University of Sydney Vice-Chancellor Dr. Michael Spence. Credit: Jayne Ion/University of Sydney

Scientists at the University of Sydney are entering a new phase of development to scale up the next generation of quantum-engineered devices.

These devices will form the heart of the first practical topological quantum computers.

A study released today in Nature Communications confirms one of the prerequisites for building these devices.

An author of that paper, Dr Maja Cassidy, said: "Here at Station Q Sydney we are building the next generation of devices that will use quasiparticles known as Majorana fermions as the basis for quantum computers."

Dr Cassidy said the $150 million Sydney Nanoscience Hub provides a world-class environment in which to build the next generation of devices.

Microsoft's Station Q will move scientific equipment into the Nanoscience Hub's clean rooms - controlled environments with low levels of pollutants and steady temperatures - over the next few months as it increases capacity to develop quantum machines.

Detective hunt

Dr Cassidy said that building these quantum devices is a "bit like going on a detective hunt".

"When Majorana fermions were first shown to exist in 2012, there were many who said there could be other explanations for the findings," she said.

A challenge to show the findings were caused by Majoranas was put to the research team led by Professor Leo Kouwenhoven, who now leads Microsoft's Station Q in the Netherlands.

The paper published today meets an essential part of that challenge.

In essence, it proves that electrons on a one-dimensional semiconducting nanowire will have a quantum spin opposite to its momentum in a finite magnetic field.

"This information is consistent with previous reports observing Majorana fermions in these nanowires," Dr Cassidy said.

She said the findings are not just applicable to quantum computers but will be useful in spintronic systems, where the quantum spin and not the charge is used for information in classical systems.

Dr Cassidy conducted the research while at the Technical University Delft in the Netherlands, where she held a post-doctorate position. She has since returned to Australia and is based at the University of Sydney Station Q partnership with Microsoft.

University of Sydney Professor David Reilly is the director of Station Q Sydney.

"This is practical science at the cutting-edge," Professor Reilly said. "We have hired Dr Cassidy because her ability to fabricate next-generation quantum devices is second to none."

He said Dr Cassidy was one of many great minds attracted to work at Station Q Sydney already this year. "And there are more people joining us soon at Sydney as we build our capacity."

Professor Reilly last week won the Australian Financial Review award for Emerging Leadership in Higher Education.

More information: J. Kammhuber et al, Conductance through a helical state in an Indium antimonide nanowire, Nature Communications (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00315-y Journal information: Nature Communications
Credit: Stefan (via Flickr)

Schools are rejecting the chance to teach children in "mixed-ability" classes despite evidence that the alternative  pupils being put in ability sets or streams  will have a negative effect on at least some of their charges' results, according to new research from UCL.

The paper - "Factors deterring schools from mixed attainment grouping practices," written by Dr Becky Taylor, UCL Institute of Education (IOE), together with academics from Queen's University, Belfast, was presented yesterday at the British Educational Research Association's (BERA) annual conference.

The study finds that fear of reactions from parents, who often expect children to be grouped in sets or streams, as well as a more general caution in schools, may be playing a part in these decisions.

It cites previous evidence that setting, where pupils are grouped in classes based on prior results in tests or other judgements the school may make about their "ability", is overwhelmingly used for maths in English secondary schools.

It is also widely used in English in secondaries, while setting has also been extending into primary schools. This is despite established research showing that, while "high-attaining" pupils may make some gains from the practice, the reverse is true for those in lower sets, including many students from poorer backgrounds.

The BERA paper sets out difficulties the research team had in even finding schools to take part in a major investigation they are carrying out into "best practice" in how pupils should be grouped in the early years of secondary school.

The researchers sought to set up a randomised control trial in which they would compare the test results of children who were grouped in ability sets, and those taught in "mixed attainment" classes.

But while they recruited all of the 120 schools they had sought which taught pupils in sets, it proved impossible to find even the much smaller sample they had aimed for among schools teaching mixed classes. Having aimed for 20 such schools from the London area alone, the team only managed to recruit 17 from across England.

In the paper, analysis of the team's experience in struggling with recruitment to the trial is complemented by evidence from interviews, other research studies and a survey of those schools which did feature in the investigation and which use mixed attainment teaching. This presents a picture of a widespread reluctance among schools to adopt the practice.

Survey and interview data suggested that a lack of exposure to mixed-attainment teaching in the past, especially among maths teachers, was a likely factor in low levels of mixed-attainment teaching now. Teachers also worried they would not have the time to do the work needed to change their practice.

Some schools which ended up withdrawing from the mixed-attainment element of the trial said that they worried that it would be viewed as "unconventional" by parents, who might avoid choosing the school for their children as a result.

In a climate of fear in which schools faced serious consequences if results fell, there was also a caution against trying anything new. This may be creating a "vicious circle", with the practice seen as "risky", so few schools adopted it, which meant few teaching resources were created to support it.

Paradoxically, however, this is despite setting seemingly lacking strong research evidence. On the website of the Education Endowment Foundation, the organisation set up by the government to promote evidence-based teaching, the practice of "setting or streaming" is listed as likely to have a "negative impact", on balance, on pupils.

The site says: "Overall, setting or streaming appears to benefit higher attaining pupils and be detrimental to the learning of mid-range and lower attaining learners. On average, it does not appear to be an effective strategy for raising the attainment of disadvantaged pupils, who may be assigned to lower groups."

Lower-attaining learners made one to two months per year less progress when taught in sets or streams as opposed to those in mixed classes, the site says in a summary of existing research, although the reverse was true of higher-attainers.

Some schools were committed and enthusiastic users of mixed-attainment teaching, the paper found, in some cases viewing it as part of their identities. But they were clearly well outnumbered.

Dr Taylor said: "The recruitment records and recruitment outcomes to our large-scale project, and qualitative data gathered in our pilot study, show that schools are generally reluctant to engage with mixed attainment teaching, particularly in mathematics and even in an educational context that strong advocates evidence-based practices.

"Mixed attainment grouping is widely seen as difficult, and unconventional, and therefore risky."

"It is student attainment outcomes which suffer as a result of this fear, while research suggests outcomes might be improved (at least for low attainers) by mixed attainment grouping."

"Factors deterring schools from mixed attainment grouping practices", was being presented to BERA by Dr Becky Taylor (IOE) on Tuesday, September 5th.
As in Hurricane Ike in Texas (pictured), NSF's Doppler on Wheels set up near Hurricane Harvey. Credit: Center for Severe Weather Research

The outer rainbands of Hurricane Harvey's intensifying winds were moving onshore in South Texas, bringing torrential rains and tropical storm gusts.

Northbound Interstate 37 was jammed with cars, trucks, trailers and boats. Stores and gas stations were boarded up. Corpus Christi was shutting down. "People just grabbed whatever they could carry and went," said atmospheric scientist Josh Wurman, director of the Center for Severe Weather Research (CSWR) in Boulder, Colorado.

Wurman should know. He and scientist Karen Kosiba, also of CSWR, were running the wrong way, heading for ground zero, where Harvey's fury would roar onshore. They weren't alone. A National Science Foundation (NSF) Doppler-on-Wheels (DOW) was with them.

The DOW looks more like the dish of a radio telescope than a sophisticated weather instrument. It's mounted on the back of a flatbed truck. With DOW onboard, the truck becomes an odd configuration of generator, equipment and operator cabin.

Ungainly as it may appear, it's ideally suited to providing detailed information on the inner workings of hurricanes, said Wurman. The DOW uses Doppler radar to produce velocity data about objects (such as hurricanes, tornadoes and other severe storms) from a distance.

The Doppler on Wheels at an airport near Rockport, Texas. Its mast measured 145 mph winds. Credit: Center for Severe Weather Research

"The measurements made by the Doppler on Wheels are revealing new levels of detail about small-scale structures in storms like Harvey," said Linnea Avallone, a program director in NSF's Division of Atmospheric and Geospace Sciences. "These observations are leading to an improved ability to forecast winds and precipitation in major hurricanes."

In the midst of Harvey, Wurman and Kosiba set up the DOW and several weather podssmall, stick-shaped instrumentsat an airport near Rockport, Texas. The scientists' goal: to map the hurricane's winds in detail. "The pods were deployed at locations exposed to the wind, including on top of a tall bridge," said Wurman.

The team then hunkered down in the DOW for the night. To observe the most intense phenomena, "we put ourselves in the path of the worst," Wurman said. And "the worst" happened.

A weather pod deployed on a bridge north of the Doppler on Wheels. It tracked Harvey's winds. Credit: Center for Severe Weather Research

Harvey's eye moved onshore overnight, directly over the DOW. "Conditions were worse than any we had yet experienced," said Wurman. "The DOW anemometer measured wind gusts of 145 miles-per-hour, the strongest observed in Harvey."

Buildings at the airport were destroyed. Debris flew through the air at more than 100 miles-per-hour. "Cars were tossed about," Wurman said. "The pods on the bridge were blown away."

Small wind vortices swirled around in the hurricane's eye. "Although the wind vortices were barely visible on more distant radars," said Kosiba, "they were mapped with amazing precision by the DOW." The smaller, tornado-like vortices caused extreme and damaging winds, the scientists found.

Intense vortices swirled for hours in the eyewall of Hurricane Harvey as it made landfall. Credit: Center for Severe Weather Research

A new understanding of how hurricane eyewall vortices behave and how they fuel the most intense winds will help future predictions of hurricane damage.

"Using the DOW, we discovered how these vortices and 'boundary layer streaks' [winds along the hurricane's edge] mix energy from the ocean into these storms," said Wurman. "This finding will enable a better understanding of hurricane intensification."

The team is now analyzing the trove of data collected during Harveyand getting ready to go again.

The DOW's next stop? Hurricane Irma.

Small vortices 1 to 2 miles across caused some of Harvey's strongest winds at landfall. Credit: Center for Severe Weather Research
YouTube-mp3.orgwhich music industry representatives said had 60 million visitors a month and accounted for more than 40 percent of global streamrippingallows users to transform music on YouTube into downloadable files

The most popular "streamripping" site, in which millions of users have converted YouTube videos into audio files, shut down Thursday faced with a legal campaign by the music industry.

YouTube-mp3.org, a site in Germany started in the bedroom of computer science student Philip Matesanz, was inaccessible on Thursday with no further message.

The global recorded music industry group IFPI, along with its US and British affiliates, announced that the platform had closed and that a US court has issued an injunction on its activities.

The industry groups, in turn for not taking further legal action, said that YouTube-mp3.org's operator has agreed not to infringe on copyrights in the future.

YouTube-mp3.orgwhich music industry representatives said had 60 million visitors a month and accounted for more than 40 percent of global streamrippingallows users to transform music on YouTube into downloadable files of the sort purchased on iTunes.

The music industry said that streamripping had grown by 50 percent in the United States between 2013 and 2015, despite the success in persuading listeners to pay for licensed music through streaming sites such as Spotify.

Geoff Taylor, chief executive of the British Phonographic Industry trade body, said that the site "wasn't just ripping streams, it was ripping off artists."

"Most fans understand that getting music from a genuine site supports the artists they love and allows labels to nurture the next generation of talent," he said in a statement.

"Music stands on the cusp of an exciting future in the streaming age, but only if we take resolute action against illegal businesses that try to siphon away its value," he said.

In a lawsuit filed last year in a federal court in California, record companies alleged that Matesanz has earned millions of dollars through advertising revenue from the site.

Matesanz, who is in his mid-20s, has defended his site and earlier withstood battles with Germany's music industry and Google, the parent of YouTube.

In a petition to Google executives that drew more than four million signatures, Matesanz said that his technology preserved individuals' rights.

"For decades people were allowed to take a private copy of a public broadcast. You could record the radio program with a cassette recorder or make a copy of your favorite movie by using a video recorder," the petition said.

The music industrywhich has enjoyed a revival in profits after years of stagnationhas been increasingly aggressive in tackling piracy. In 2015, it succeeded in shutting the popular site Grooveshark.

 2017 AFP
Tail movements in geckos facilitate rotation of the pelvis and increase step length, a finding that is likely applicable to many terrestrial animals with tails. Credit: UC Riverside

A wagging tail is often associated with dogs' emotions, but the side-to-side motion may also help them take longer strides and move faster, according to a study by researchers at the University of California, Riverside.

The research was done on leopard geckos, which are ideal animals for the study of tail function because they naturally lose their tails as a defense mechanism against predators in a process called autotomy.

In the study, which was published today in Scientific Reports, the researchers compared geckos with an intact tail to geckos that had either lost their tail through autonomy or whose tail movements were restricted using a graphite rod that eliminated side-to-side motions. This process allowed researchers to account for weight differences and the shift in the center of mass associated with tail autotomy - geckos lose up to 30 percent of their body mass when they drop their tails.

The researchers found that disrupting the horizontal undulations of the geckos' tails limited the rotation of their pelvis, which ultimately decreased step length.

Titled "Lateral Movements of a Massive Tail Influence Gecko Locomotion: An Integrative Study Comparing Tail Restriction and Autotomy," the study's authors are Timothy Higham, an associate professor of evolution, ecology, and organismal biology in UCR's College of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, and Kevin Jagnandan, a research associate at Chapman University who completed the study as a graduate student in Higham's lab.

The researchers studied tail function by comparing geckos with an intact tail (a) to geckos whose tail movements were restricted (b) or that had lost their tail through autotomy (c). Credit: UC Riverside

Higham said the results demonstrate a role for tail undulations in geckos that is likely applicable to many terrestrial animals with tails.

"We know that tails have a number of important functions, such as fat storage in lizards and balance and stability in cats," Higham said. "This research suggests another role for tails, which is in increasing step length and ultimately speed."

More information: Kevin Jagnandan et al, Lateral movements of a massive tail influence gecko locomotion: an integrative study comparing tail restriction and autotomy, Scientific Reports (2017). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-11484-7 Journal information: Scientific Reports
This satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Irma at 1145 UTC on September 6, 2017

Hurricane Irma sowed a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean on Wednesday, reducing to rubble the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin and claiming at least seven lives.

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the dangerous Category Five hurricane was churning off the north coast of Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated.

The French part of St Martina pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlifesuffered the storm's full fury: at least six people died and 95 percent of dwellings were decimated, officials said.

"It's an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed," top local official Daniel Gibbs said in a radio interview. "I'm in shock. It's frightening."

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire called the situation in St Martin "dramatic," saying the islandwhich is divided between the Netherlands and Francewas without drinking water or electricity, and warning the death toll was almost certain to rise.

French President Emmanuel Macron earlier warned the final toll would be "harsh and cruel."

To the southeast, Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, suffered "absolute devastation" with 95 percent of properties damaged, and up to 30 percent demolished, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

Hurricane Irma made landfall in Barbuda but is making its way north west towards the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico

"Barbuda now is literally rubble," Browne said. One person is known to have died on the island of 1,600 residents, apparently a child whose family was trying to get to safer ground.

Irma was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 185 mph (295 kph) as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, continuing past eastern Cuba before veering north for Florida.

As of 0000 GMT, the eye of the storm was just north of Puerto Rico and the hurricane was moving west-northwest at 16 miles per hour (26 kilometers per hour).

Haiti vulnerable

More than half of Puerto Rico's population of three million is without power, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island where Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient to house up to 62,000 people.

Blanca Santiago, who works in a beachside hotel in Puerto Rico's capital San Juan, described the howl of the wind whipping the coastline: "It was as if there were ghosts inside my home."

US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico as well as the US Virgin Islands and Florida where he said the outlook was "not good."

Map showing the forecast track of Hurricane Irma across the Caribbean

Trump spoke by telephone with the governors of all three areas to assure them of the federal government's support.

In Cuba, a state of alert was declared in several eastern and central provinces, with at-risk residents advised to move in with relatives or reach government shelters.

Haiti's northern coast was on hurricane alert, although in the town of Cap-Haitien residents appeared mostly unaware of the impending storm.

"It's thanks to word of mouth that we always learn about these things," said Josue Rosse, as he crouched next to a tree trunk that he was digging out to make a boat.

"We live on the edge of the sea but no one in authority has come to tell us what's what."

Florida in path of storm

Category Five is the highest on the scale for hurricanes in the Atlantic and hurricanes of this intensity are rare. They can cause severe flooding, tear off roofing, shatter windows and uproot palm trees, turning them into deadly projectiles.

Haiti's northern coast has been placed on hurricane alert

Irma follows hot on the heels of Hurricane Harvey which devastated swaths of Texas and Louisiana in late August. Irma was hitting the Caribbean even as two other tropical storms, Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico, were upgraded to hurricane status.

With forecasters warning of catastrophe, including surges of up to 25 feet (7.6 meters) above normal tide levels, people evacuated tourist areas, stocked up on provisions, and packed into shelters across an area stretching as far north as Florida.

The Sunshine State is expecting to face the brunt of the storm from Friday night.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma, coming barely a week after Harvey claimed some 60 lives, posed "a severe threat to the entire state."

Tourists in the popular Key West islands were packing their bags on a mandatory evacuation order, with a similar order for residents due to follow.

"We're emphatically telling people you must evacuate, you cannot afford to stay on an island with a Category Five hurricane coming at you," said Monroe County emergency operations center director Martin Senterfitt.

Panicked residents stripped shelves bare in Miami as they rushed to stockpile everything from bottled water to sandbags before Irma strikes.

This food store in North Miami ran out of water as people stocked up ahead of Hurricane Irma

Gas stations between the Florida Keys and Miami ran out of gas, while nearly all local supermarkets had sold out of bottled water, with fights breaking out among shoppers in some stores.

"People go crazy and buy up everything," 81-year-old Gladys Bosque told AFP in a crowded supermarket in Miami Beach.

"There's no water, no milk, there are very few cansand no cat food."

Scott, the governor, activated 1,000 members of the National Guard and another 6,000 of the reserve troops will be reporting for duty no later than Friday morning.

A US aircraft carrier with a field hospital and dozens of aircraft able to conduct rescue or supply missions have been put on standby.

 2017 AFP
Credit: University of Leeds

The UK's 50 largest cities could save 7 billion annually and create over 90,000 years' worth of extra employment by adopting simple measures to cut their energy use and counter climate change.

The most comprehensive survey yet of cities' energy-saving capabilities  revealed today at an event in Leeds  shows they are failing to capitalise on profitable opportunities which could slash costs for houses, schools, hospitals and businesses by billions of pounds, saving an average of 300 per year for every person in the 50 cities.

In London alone, cost-effective measures would see more than 2 billion wiped off a total yearly energy bill of more than 11 billion by 2026, and carbon emissions would fall by 23.5 per cent over and above current predictions as a result.

The pattern is repeated across the country, with the new research identifying a host of opportunities for investment which could play a huge part in stimulating the economy as well as safeguarding the public against climate change.

The study, carried out at the University of Leeds, assessed the total energy bills of the UK's 50 biggest cities  which currently amount to over 35 billion a year, and average 1,500 per person. It found that simple, profitable improvements to heating, lighting, insulation, appliances and vehicles would reap extraordinary results for their 23.5 million citizens.

The manufacturing, installation and maintenance involved in implementing these improvements would create the equivalent of 90,000 new man-years of employment in the 50 cities, while carbon emissions from these cities would be cut by almost a quarter more than currently expected.

The up-front cost of the changes would total less than one per cent of GDP annually for the next ten years. Measures such as more efficient lighting in homes or cooling in retail buildings would cover their costs in approximately a year and generate profits thereafter.

"There is so much more we could and should be doing to unlock these opportunities," said Professor Andy Gouldson, who led the study from the ESRC Centre for Climate Change Economics and Policy at the University of Leeds.

"All cities are struggling to deliver things like low-carbon strategies in the face of spending cuts, but we've proved that garnering investment in practical energy-saving measures is a win-win for all involved," he added.

"Industry wins, local authorities win, householders win and the climate wins."

But Professor Gouldson argued that it won't happen without some facilitation from central government and a change in the way that local authorities try and do things.

"Central government would normally fall over themselves to deliver an economic stimulus package or an infrastructure investment on this scale, but they're not doing that here, perhaps because of austerity and a sense that climate change is economically too challenging," he said.

"And local government is facing some significant challenges when it tries to address these issues, given the scale of the cuts they've had to face."

However, Professor Gouldson argued that with some lateral thinking they could still do it. "The harsh reality is that we can't rely on local government to do this alone, but if the public, private and third sectors in a city come together, they can find new ways to get things done."

This is what's happening in Leeds, where a pioneering Climate Commission hopes to stimulate the city by encouraging investment in low-carbon, climate-resilient development.

Launched today by former Environment Secretary and current chair of the UK Committee on Climate Change Lord Deben, the Leeds Climate Commission harnesses the capacity of 24 key businesses and organisations.

These range from Yorkshire Water and the NHS to house builders, transport providers and community groups.

Leeds City Council leader Councillor Judith Blake said: "In Leeds we are fully committed to creating a low-carbon, climate-resilient city, and the Climate Commission takes us another step closer to this.

"It will ensure that organisations across the city come together and really make a move to cut the city's energy bill and look at how we can pass these savings on to households."

Professor Gouldson added: "We are delighted that even in the current climate, Leeds City Council has backed this initiative and is playing a leading role in creating the environment for productive collaboration."

Leeds has a history of attracting investment (more than 10m in 2016/17) to improve the housing stock in the city and is progressing a citywide District Heating scheme. It has a successful solar scheme which saves 1,200 tonnes of CO2 per year as well as saving housing tenants 130,000 on their fuel bills. The council has also launched White Rose Energy, a not-for-profit energy company providing low-cost energy to all households.

A new website  'Can-do Cities' - encouraging others to follow Leeds' example has been launched at CanDoCities.org.

It sets out the economic case for low carbon development not only for Leeds, but for each of the UK's 50 biggest cities and for all local authorities across the UK.

Full statistics are available for each of the 50 cities. Estimated annual energy savings from profitable investments for the UK's core cities are as follows:

London: 2.1 billion, equivalent to 240 per person

Belfast: 105 million, equivalent to 316 per person

Birmingham: 307 million, equivalent to 275 per person

Bristol: 122 million, equivalent to 270 per person

Cardiff: 129 million, equivalent to 353 per person

Glasgow: 208 million, equivalent to 344 per person

Leeds: 272 million, equivalent to 349 per person

Liverpool: 132 million, equivalent to 281 per person

Manchester: 146 million, equivalent to 277 per person

Newcastle: 88 million, equivalent to 309 per person

Nottingham: 84 million, equivalent to 266 per person

Sheffield: 158 million, equivalent to 278 per person
Fig.1. DNA repeats in the centromere of fission yeast, and centromere-specific regulation of recombination between DNA repeats. Credit: Osaka University

Osaka University scientists show molecular factors that determine why some regions in yeast chromosomes are apt for remodeling, while other regions stay faithful during cell replication.

The billions of cells in your body can be traced to a single cell. That single cell will replicate and divide into two new cells that will replicate and divide on and on until the whole body is formed. For each division, the cell will replicate its chromosomes, which are then divided equally between the two new cells. The centromere is the structure that assures equal division of the chromosomes. A new study by Osaka University researchers shows in yeast that different proteins regulate the distinctive behavior of the centromere from non-centromere regions in the chromosomes .

"In meiosis, the non-centromere undergoes lots of crossover-type recombination but the centromere does not. We do not know how these regions behave during mitosis," explains Associate Professor Takuro Nakagawa, who compared the two types of cell replication that happen in the body.

To compare the two regions in mitosis, Nakagawa had two of his doctoral students, Faria Zafar and Akiko Okita, examine the molecular machinery that controls the recombination in yeast. Like humans, yeast are eukaryotes, but their simpler centromere structure makes them ideal for these experiments.

Fig. 2. Chromosome rearrangements mediated by centromere repeats can produce isochromosomes. Credit: Osaka University

Zafar and Okita found distinct factors that regulated crossover-type recombination at the centromere and non-centromere regions.

"Crossover-type of recombination was underrepresented at the centromere as compared to the non-centromere region" said Zafar.

"Rad51-dependent homologous recombination was prevalent at the centromere, while both Rad51-dependent and Rad51-independent homologous recombination were observed at the non-centromere region," she said.

These differences could explain why centromeres are not a location for chromosomal rearrangements in mitosis, which is consistent with their behavior in meiosis.

Fig. 3. Kinetochores that are assembled on centromeres bind to the tip of microtubules. Credit: Osaka University

Okita explained that the absence of crossovers was due to proteins specific to the centromere.

"Mhf1/CENP-S, Mhf2/CENP-X, and Fml1/FANCM were necessary for the suppression of crossing over," she said.

That tThe centromere has machinery that reduces the amount of recombination typical in the non-centromere region suggests the importance of its DNA fidelity and the evolution of this structure.

"It is interesting to see how cells have evolved. The cell has designed specific apparatus to protect certain structures from change," said Nakagawa.

More information: Faria Zafar et al. Regulation of mitotic recombination between DNA repeats in centromeres, Nucleic Acids Research (2017). DOI: 10.1093/nar/gkx763 Journal information: Nucleic Acids Research
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WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue University-affiliated agricultural startups looking for early seed-stage funding to help with their plant sciences innovation can receive up to $100,000 through the Ag-celerator innovation fund.

A callout meeting and information session on Ag-celerator, a partnership between the Purdue University College of Agriculture and the Purdue Research Foundation, will be held 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 at the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Purdues Discovery Park.

This is a great opportunity for Purdue University students, faculty and alumni to receive funding to help move innovations through the commercialization process, said Karen Plaut, interim dean of the College of Agriculture. Ag-celerator also provides Purdue, Indianas land-grant university, with a chance to help advance innovation as the need to improve food productivity continues to increase.

Ag-celerator, created in 2015, offers critical startup support for Purdue-affiliated innovators who want to commercialize intellectual property or Purdue know-how technologies that impact the life sciences, such as advancing crop traits, generating higher yields, using big data to improve farm management, finding new uses of plants, using precision agriculture and discovering advanced breeding techniques. To be considered, innovators must complete an application form, provide a business concept description and pitch deck at Purdue Ventures. The application deadline is midnight Sept. 28 and semifinalists will be announced Oct. 5. Ag-celerator recipients will be announced on Dec. 19.

Ag-celerator seeks to help Purdue entrepreneurs, including students, faculty, alumni and others, build momentum that will put them in better position to gain customers, find development partners and obtain more investment funding.

Startups that receive funding must become active clients of the Purdue Foundry, an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator that will provide assistance.

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization accelerator in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. Managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, the Purdue Foundry was named a top recipient at the 2016 Innovation and Economic Prosperity Universities Designation and Awards Program by the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.

Purdue Research Foundation contact: Tom Coyne, 765-588-1044, tjcoyne@prf.org



Sources: Karen Plaut, 765-494-8391, kplaut@purdue.edu

John Hanak, 765-588-5255, jmhanak@prf.org
A major cyberattack targets European Union military structures, with hackers using social media and "fake news" to spread confusion, and governments are left scrambling to respond as the crisis escalates. This was the scenario facing a gathering of EU defence ministers in Tallinn on Thursday as they undertook a exercise simulating a cyber assault on the bloc -- the first mock drill of its kind at such a senior level in Europe. With countries around the world heavily reliant on computers for everything from defence systems to hospital equipment to critical infrastructure such as power stations, the cybersphere is seen as the next major theatre for conflict. NATO now considers cyberspace to be a conflict domain alongside that of air, sea and land. Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the exercise in Tallinn, said NATO had seen a 60 percent increase in cyber attacks on its networks over the last year. In Tuesday's exercise, the 28 EU defence ministers were presented with an escalating crisis during an operation in the Mediterranean Sea similar to the current Sophia naval mission against people-smuggling networks. "First a drone went down after a problem with the server at the military headquarters, then another drone was intercepted and then a more serious threat with a worm (computer virus)... and then more serious still with the loss of communications with our ships in the Mediterranean," Belgian Defence Minister Steven Vandeput explained. The ministers were given tablet computers to answer multiple choice questions about how to respond to each fresh development. "We are not creating programmers from the ministers but we want them to understand that these quickly developing situations could demand quick political decisions -- that's the idea of the exercise," Estonian Defence Minister Juri Luik said. - 'Exciting' exercise - Estonian officials said the aim was to improve ministers' understanding of the kinds of target that could be hit by a cyberattack, the effects such an attack could have and how they could respond -- as well as the need for clear, coordinated communication with the public on what can be a complex issue. German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the two-hour exercise was "extremely exciting". "The adversary is very, very difficult to identify. The attack is silent, invisible... it is cost-effective for the adversary because he does not need an army, but only a computer with internet connection," she said. Estonia has made digital issues one of the priorities of its EU presidency, which runs until the end of this year, and Thursday's exercise was over a year in the planning. Leyen said the drill showed the importance of "informing each other and to include the economy in case a major cyber attack spreads in critical infrastructure of the EU economy". - Russian threat - The devastating WannaCry ransomware attack that hit more than 200,000 users around the world in May, causing chaos in Britain's National Health Service and halting production at numerous factories, was a stark signal of hackers' power to wreak havoc. But NATO and the EU are also on their guard against Russia deploying so-called hybrid tactics -- combining cyber warfare and misinformation as well as conventional boots on the ground -- as it did in Crimea to destabilise and ultimately annex a region. In the last couple of years Lithuania and Latvia have warned they were coming under hybrid attack, accusing Moscow of waging a propaganda campaign to sow dissatisfaction among ethnic Russians in their territory. Estonia itself was hit as far back as 2007 by one of the first major cyberattacks, suffering a blistering assault on official state and bank websites. The onslaught was blamed on Russian hackers, though the Kremlin denied involvement. While getting ministers to think of cybersecurity at a strategic level was the key aim of Thursday's practice, Estonian officials stressed that proper resilience to hacking requires education across the whole population. The vast majority of hacking attacks begin with a security breach from human action -- someone opening an email attachment or clicking a link that lets a virus infect their computer network. Tanel Sepp, a senior cyber expert at the Estonian defence ministry, said children should be taught the priniciples of online safety in the same way they are taught to cross the road safely.
Police at the scene of the 13 July candlelight vigil outside Changi Prison. (Photo: Kirsten Han/Facebook)

Human rights body Human Rights Watch (HRW) has come out in support of Singapore activists who held a peaceful vigil outside Changi Prison in July, calling police investigations into the incident harassment of the activists.

On 13 July, anti-death penalty activists staged a candlelight vigil at the prison in support of Prabagaran Srivijayan, who was to be hanged in the early morning of 14 July. The 29-year-old Malaysian had been sentenced to death after being convicted of importing 22.24g of heroin into Singapore.

Police went to the site of the vigil and asked the group to remove the candles and photos of Prabagaran, which they later confiscated. Police also filmed the participants and took photos of the scene. The participants were told they could stay at the site as long as they did not light any more candles.

On 3 Sept, the police then sent letters to those who participated in the vigil, saying they were being investigated for taking part in a public assembly without a permit.

Freelance journalist Kirsten Han and editor of local news website The Online Citizen, Terry Xu, were part of the vigil and served with letters summoning them for questioning in relation to the incident.

On Wednesday (6 Sept), Xu said he was stopped from travelling to Malaysia while at the Woodlands Checkpoint. Xu said he was told by the police inspector who sent the letter that he could not leave the country because he had not yet completed his interview with the police.

Writing the account in a Facebook post, Xu said, I then asked if it is certain that I can travel once I have my statement taken, it was then where he said that it will still be up to the Police to decide whether or not I can travel after the statement has been taken.

So the thing is here, even if I am being investigated for an illegal public assembly which the Police said it was ok at the time they turned up, what powers does the Police possess to restrict my travel without any specific mention in the law? If travel restriction is being imposed, why is it not indicated anywhere in the letter to me?

Story continues

HRWs deputy Asia director Phil Robertson weighed in on the police investigation in a post on the website on 7 Sept, calling the investigation a harassment campaign. He said, Both the belated criminal investigation and the travel ban have all the hallmarks of a harassment campaign against those who dare to peacefully criticise the government.

The Singapore government needs to end this dubious investigation, recognise that peaceful protest is part and parcel of the democratic process, and amend the Public Order Act to respect the right to freedom of assembly.

Han also recounted Xus predicament in a separate Facebook post, calling it a confusing day. She said, It appears as if we have been subjected to bail conditions even though we have not been arrested, charged, or had our travel documents confiscated.

I am aware that our restrictive public assembly laws allow the police to classify a peaceful vigil held out of compassion and solidarity as an illegal assembly. But when the laws are so broad  and the police powers so extensive  then I am concerned about a chilling effect that deters Singaporeans from being active, engaged citizens and participating in civil and political life. This, ultimately, will not benefit Singapore as our society grapples with present and future challenges, said Han.

Local non-government organisation Function 8 also made a statement on 4 Sept calling on the Minister for Home Affairs to cease the investigation and to stop the harassment and intimidation of citizens.

In June, Singapore police questioned a man over a silent protest on an MRT train related to the 1987 Marxist conspiracy.

Other Singapore stories:

Man arrested after 3-hour stand-off with police after allegedly threatening tenants

Singapore honours Mount Kinabalu mountain guides for heroic efforts

First hawker centre in Pasir Ris to feature hipster kitchens
By Tom Allard SUKAJAYA, Indonesia (Reuters) - Hatf Saiful Rasul was 11 years old when he told his father, a convicted Islamic militant, that he wanted to leave school and go to Syria to fight for Islamic State. The boy was visiting his father in a maximum security prison during a break from Ibnu Mas'ud, his Islamic boarding school, Syaiful Anam said in a 12,000 word essay on his son and religion that was published online. "At first, I did not respond and considered it just a child's joke," he wrote. "But it became different when Hatf stated his willingness over and over." Hatf told his father some of his friends and teachers from Ibnu Mas'ud had gone to fight for Islamic State and "become martyrs there", Anam wrote. Anam agreed to let him go, noting in his essay that the school was managed by "comrades who share our ideology". Hatf travelled to Syria with a group of relatives in 2015, joining a group of French fighters. Reuters spoke to three Indonesian counter-terrorism officials who confirmed the boy went to Syria. Indonesia is the world's most populous Muslim-majority country and most of its people practice a moderate form of Islam. But there has been a recent resurgence in militancy and authorities believe Islamic State has more than 1,200 followers in Indonesia while about 500 Indonesians have left to join the group in Syria. Drawing on court documents, registration filings and interviews with counter-terrorism police and former militants, Reuters has found that Hatf was one of at least 12 people from Ibnu Mas'ud who went to the Middle East to fight for IS or attempted to go there between 2013 and 2016. Eight were teachers, four were students. At least another 18 people linked to the school have been convicted, or are now under arrest, for militant plots and attacks in Indonesia, including the three deadliest attacks in the country in the past 20 months, according to counter-terrorism police and trial documents of convicted militants. For details, click here: http://tmsnrt.rs/2wDwgPD Jumadi, a spokesman for Ibnu Mas'ud, denied the school supported IS or any other militant Islamist group, or taught any extreme or ultra-violent interpretation of Islam. Ibnu Mas'ud is one of about 30,000 Islamic boarding schools, or pesantren, across Indonesia. Most educate students in Islam and other subjects, but a handful are linked to extremism and act as centres for recruitment, Indonesian police and government officials say. "NOT OUR DOMAIN" Ibnu Mas'ud has been in existence for a decade, despite its links to militants. Irfan Idris, the head of deradicalisation at Indonesias national counter-terrorism agency, blamed weak laws and bureaucracy for the lack of action against such schools. "Basically, it's not our domain, it's the religious ministry," he told Reuters. "We have informed the ministry that you have a problem with Ibnu Mas'ud." Asked about the school's links to militants and why it had not been shut down, Kamaruddin Amin, the director general of Islamic education at Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs, said: "Ibnu Mas'ud never registered as a pesantren." Jumadi confirmed the school was not registered with the ministry. The local government, Amin added, "had requested an explanation regarding the status of their study but did not get a response." Jumadi confirmed recent discussions with local government officials about the school's teaching. "We have no curriculum," he said, a reference to the emphasis on teaching the Koran. "We're focused on the tahfiz, on memorising the Koran, and the Hadith (the sayings of the Prophet Mohammad)," he said. "We teach students about the Arabic language, about faith and the history of Islam." Jumadi said Hatf studied at Ibnu Mas'ud but he did not know the circumstances of his leaving. He said he was unaware of any staff or students travelling to Syria to join IS, other than three teachers and one student detained in Singapore last year. Mustanah, a former student deported from Iraq in August, has told police several ex-students from Ibnu Mas'ud had travelled to Syria, two counter-terrorism officials told Reuters. Nestled in the foothills of Mount Salak, a dormant volcano, in the village of Sukajaya, 90 km (55 miles) south of Indonesia's capital Jakarta, Ibnu Mas'ud is a ramshackle complex of classrooms, dormitories and prayer rooms that hosts up to 200 students from elementary school to junior high. A Reuters team entered the school in June but was not allowed to tour the premises and was eventually asked to leave. Inside a mosque that forms part of the complex, young boys dressed in Arabic tunics and skull caps could be seen sitting in a circle holding their Korans, smiling and fidgeting as they waited for their lessons. In a courtyard, young girls were scampering about. They looked no older than five or six and were wearing headscarves. "FIGHTING FOR THE RELIGION" In a video viewed by Reuters but later taken down from Youtube, principal Masyahadi outlines the institution's adherence to Salafism, an ultra-conservative brand of Sunni Islam that urges followers to emulate the lives of the earliest disciples of Mohammad and embrace sharia law. "Ibnu Mas'ud ensures that Muslim children are preoccupied with efforts to understand their religion correctly so they become a generation that understands the religion and will fight for the religion," he says. Asked if fighting for the religion included taking up arms, Jumadi, the spokesman, said "it would need further discussion to answer that question" before declining to elaborate further. According to documents presented in court, Ibnu Mas'ud was founded in 2007 in Depok, a Jakarta satellite town, by Aman Abdurrahman, a jailed cleric and Indonesia's leading Islamist ideologue. The deed of establishment of the foundation that runs Ibnu Mas'ud lists three people among its executives who were jailed with Abdurrahman for setting up a militant training base in the Indonesian province of Aceh in 2009. Sofyan Tsauri, a former militant who said he has made donations to the school, told Reuters Ibnu Mas'ud "was for the children of Ikhwan (Islamic fighters)" to study while also serving as the hub of safehouses for Islamist fugitives. Dulmatin, who had a $10 million bounty on his head for taking part in a 2002 bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali in which 202 people were killed, prayed at Ibnu Mas'ud while he was on the run, according to court documents related to the Aceh trials of Abdurrahman and the three foundation executives. Dulmatin was killed by police in 2010. After the trials, Ibnu Mas'ud moved from Depok in 2010 but it ran into problems at its current location as well when a teacher tried to set fire to bunting celebrating Indonesia's independence day on August 17. The incident was confirmed by police and local villagers. People in the area were already suspicious about activities at the school, village chief Wahyudin Sumardi said. "Every time there was a terrorist incident elsewhere, the authorities would come," he told Reuters in July. "I'm not comfortable with the whole situation." After complaints by villagers, local authorities have asked Ibnu Mas'ud to leave by September 17, but Jumadi said this week that the school was negotiating to stay. The school may look for a new location if forced to move, he said. "MERRY LITTLE MUJAHID" Pesantren have deep roots in Indonesia, harking back centuries, when they were the main form of education for most poor and rural people. Even as Indonesias education system modernised and state-run secular schools were introduced, the overwhelmingly private Islamic boarding schools remain important. Amin, at Indonesia's Ministry of Religious Affairs, told Reuters in July that the ministry was working on a new policy to standardise the curriculum in pesantren and assume control of their approval. No policies have yet been announced. Anam, Hatf's father, told Reuters in handwritten comments in response to questions during a court hearing in Jakarta in July that he was proud of his son. Photos viewed by Reuters, which Anam said were taken in Syria and posted on social media by Hatf, showed the boy at a meal with older men and one in which the fresh-faced youngster is holding an AK-47 rifle almost as big as himself. Hatf could disassemble the rifle in 32 seconds, Anam wrote. He was also issued "a 9mm handgun, 2 hand grenades, a commando knife and compass." By his father's account, citing messages sent by his son, Hatf survived one air strike, flying through the air from the force of an explosion and emerging with only a bloody ear and hearing loss. On September 1, 2016, two months short of his 13th birthday, Hatf was hit by another air strike. Shortly thereafter, the death of three Indonesians near the Syrian city of Jarabulus was announced by IS. The "merry little mujahid" was dead, wrote Anam in his essay, "his tattered little body crushed by the bomb". "I do not feel sad or loss, except a limited sadness as a father who was left by his beloved child," Anam told Reuters in the notes he provided at the court hearing. "Instead I felt happy because my child has achieved martyrdom, inshallah." (Additional reporting by Agustinus Beo Da Costa, Gayatri Suroyo, Ed Davies and Stefanno Reinard in Jakarta; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
Plans for an independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan have angered Ankara and Tehran, but little has changed for Iranian Kurdish rebels at rear bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. A spokesman for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) said reports of a joint Turkish-Iranian military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq were mainly intended to unsettle Iraqi Kurds. Speaking in Koysinjaq, 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of the autonomous region's capital Arbil, Aso Hassan Zada said Iran and Turkey had only one shared interest -- their opposition to the September 25 referendum. Both countries fear it could stir separatist aspirations among their own sizeable Kurdish minorities. "Neither country will help the other without something in return," he said as armed, uniformed men and women trained outside in a courtyard plastered with portraits of their rebel movement's founders. The central government in Baghdad has said the non-binding referendum violates Iraq's constitution. Coming as Iraqi forces backed by an international coalition battle Islamic State group jihadists in Iraq and Syria, it has also stoked opposition from Washington and Western countries. Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that a joint Turkish-Iranian operation against Iraq-based Kurdish rebels from the two countries was "always on the agenda". Turkey has battled the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for decades, while Iranian security forces have fought the PDKI and a PKK affiliate, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK). Iran, while equally opposed to the referendum, swiftly denied Erdogan's claim of any planned operation inside Iraqi Kurdistan. But its elite Revolutionary Guards warned: "As always we will strongly confront any group, team or person who wants to penetrate into Iran's territory for anti-security or terrorist operations." - 'Impossible' co-operation - From another mountain base, Zelan Vejin, a leader of the PJAK whose fighters also operate along the border with Iran, shrugged off the threat of any joint operation. "It's impossible that Iran and Turkey operate together" because of their divergent political aims, she said. Besides, she added, "Iran always undertakes military actions in secret, never disclosing its intentions, whereas Turkey pre-announces its campaigns." The PDKI's Zada said Ankara prioritises fighting the PKK inside Turkey and on Iraqi and Syrian territory, while Tehran's goal is to clear its Iraqi border of PDKI and PJAK militants. Ankara and Tehran have carried out a string of separate military operations against Kurdish rebel bases in the mountains of northern Iraq. "Our fighters have observed repeated incursions into Iraqi territory by Iranian forces," Zada said, adding that Iran had deployed artillery units right along the border. If Iran and Turkey do launch operations, "we will step up our fight inside Iranian territory", Vejin said. "Iran has forever occupied our land but it has never managed to defeat us through military means. War does not frighten us," she said.
NATO has put Moscow on notice that it will be keeping a close eye on a major military exercise with Belarus next week, in a region still on edge after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014. Similar drills in the past included a simulated invasion of Poland by tens of thousands of Russian troops culminating in a nuclear strike on Warsaw, and the coming show of force, codenamed "Zapad 2017" (West 2017) has sparked months of speculation and fears along NATO's eastern flank. Observers say that while there is little chance of Russia using the exercise as cover for an actual invasion, there are concerns about what troops and equipment it will leave behind afterwards. Moscow has said about 12,700 Russian and Belarusian troops will take part in the exercises, to be held in Belarus and Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad from September 14 to 20, but Lithuania and Estonia have put the figure as high as 100,000. "We are concerned about the nature and the lack of transparency of the exercise," Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said Wednesday on a visit to NATO troops at the Tapa base in his country's north with alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg. - 'Defensive' manoeuvres - Stoltenberg himself poured doubt on Russian claims about troop numbers in July, saying that based on past experience "we have every reason to believe that it may be substantially more troops participating than the official reported numbers". Russia says the exercises are "purely defensive", with an "anti-terrorism focus" and an "artificial" enemy, but the Belarus army chief has given a rather different scenario, in which his forces respond to an attempt at "destabilisation" by a coalition of Western countries. To counter growing Russian assertiveness in recent years, NATO has posted around 4,000 troops in the three Baltic countries and Poland -- the biggest reinforcement in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War. Western allies have been urging Moscow for months to be more open about the Zapad exercises and to allow expert observers to key parts of the event, particularly briefings on the scenario being used. Three NATO observers have been invited to "distinguished visitors" days at the end of the exercise, but Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday that Russia was failing in its obligations under international agreements on military exercises by limiting observers' access to the drills. But the alliance is taking steps to follow the operations, with or without Russian cooperation. "The means will obviously be put in place by NATO to watch what is happening. That's fair enough," a diplomatic source told AFP on condition of anonymity. - High-tech radar - NATO and the US have powerful airborne radars deployed in drones that they can use to track the movement of tanks, trucks and other equipment on the ground from as much as 200 to 300 kilometres (120 to 180 miles) away, Brooks Tigner of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly told AFP. This synthetic aperture radar "can switch its beam in microseconds from one target to the next and start calculating and use algorithms to determine how everything is moving... that of course will reveal to NATO what kind of exercise this is," he said. In an anti-terrorism scenario all the troops would converge on a single small target, Tigner said, though he dismissed the idea as "absurd". "If you're going to do a terrorist scenario, you don't need 13,000 -- that's an awful lot of soldiers to make a move against terrorists," he said. "It's quite difficult to imagine what kind of terrorist scenario would require numbers like that." At the Tapa base, French Colonel Olivier Wache said Zapad would not change the joint training exercises between British, French, Danish and Estonian troops that began in the spring. "We have the means to respond if the Russians really want to cross the border, but this is not at all what we expect," Wache said. But the diplomatic source warned of "genuine concern" within the alliance that the exercises would reinforce a more aggressive posture from Russia "or even be used to install Russian military hardware even closer to NATO countries". Tigner agreed, saying that Moscow was well aware that an attack on a NATO member would bring a swift and serious response from the alliance, but that Zapad will give it an opportunity to show it still has considerable forces at its disposal and can keep the West on edge. "The bigger concern is how many troops and weapons, et cetera that Russia would leave in Kaliningrad -- that makes everyone nervous, and indeed how many troops it might leave in Belarus," he said.
MANILA (Reuters) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's son on Thursday told a Senate inquiry he had no links to a seized shipment of $125 million worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as "baseless" the allegations of his involvement in the drugs trade. Opponents of the president, who has instigated a fierce crackdown on a trade he says is destroying the country, say they believe his son Paolo may have helped ease the entry of the drug shipment at the port in Manila, the capital. On Tuesday Duterte said he had told Paolo to attend the senate investigation if he had nothing to hide, besides advising him not to answer questions and invoke his right to keep silent. "I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay," Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the Senate. "My presence here is for the Filipino people and for my fellow Davaoenos whom I serve," he added, referring to the people of Davao, where his father served as mayor for more than two decades before being elected president in 2016. The Philippine leader has repeatedly said he would resign if critics could prove any members of his family were involved in corruption. Senator Antonio Trillanes, a staunch critic of the president, displayed to the Senate panel photographs of Paolo Duterte beside a businessman who was behind the shipment in which the alleged drugs were found. The president's son-in-law, Manases Carpio, who has also been accused of links to the May drug shipment from China, told the hearing he had no involvement. Duterte unleashed his bloody campaign the day he took office on June 30 last year, after promising Filipinos he would use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs. Police records show more than 3,800 people have died in police operations since July last year, and more than 2,100 other reported murders are linked to drugs. Police reject activists' allegations that they are executing suspected drug users and dealers and say officers shoot only in self-defence. Trillanes said he had intelligence information from an undisclosed foreign country that Paolo Duterte was a member of a criminal syndicate, citing as proof a "dragon-like" tattoo with secret digits on his back. Asked about the tattoo, Duterte said he had one, but declined to describe it, invoking his right to privacy. Asked by Trillanes if he would allow a photograph to be taken of the tattoo and sent to the U.S Drug Enforcement Agency to decode secret digits, Duterte said: "No way". He refused to respond to questions about his bank accounts, calling them "irrelevant". Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the attendance of Duterte and Carpio "demonstrates that both gentlemen are willing and ready to face malicious allegations intended to impugn their character and credibility." ($1=51.0290 Philippine pesos) (Reporting by Karen Lema; Editing by Martin Petty and Clarence Fernandez)
North Korea conducted its largest ever nuclear test on Sunday (3 September), which prompted US President Donald Trump to send a series of tweets denouncing the tests and threatening to halt trade with all of Pyongyangs partners. South Korea responded by conducting live-fire tests on Tuesday. (PHOTO: Reuters)

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is advising Singaporeans to avoid all non-essential travel to North Korea, given the unpredictable situation in the country arising from the actions of the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea.

In a travel advisory on Wednesday (6 September), an MFA spokesman noted, Singapore has no diplomatic representation in North Korea, which constrains our ability to extend consular assistance to Singaporeans who travel there.

On Sunday, North Korea claimed it had detonated a hydrogen bomb in a nuclear test, sparking strong condemnation from its traditional patron China. The Middle Kingdom has also begun radiation monitoring at the North Korean border.

US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis declared that any threat to the US will be met with an effective and overwhelming response. US President Donald Trump also rebuked South Korea for what he termed a policy of appeasement towards the North.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Tuesday called for a political solution and warned against using confrontational rhetoric over North Korea. He said, Confrontational rhetoric may lead to unintended consequences. The solution must be political. The potential consequences of military action are too horrific.

Related stories

Trumps options on North Korea going from bad to worse
By John Davison HAZIMA, Syria (Reuters) - The few bullet-marked schools Islamic State did not flatten or booby trap around its former Syrian stronghold of Raqqa are buzzing for the first time in years with the sound of children learning. In the village of Hazima, north of Raqqa, teachers gave ad-hoc alphabet lessons to crammed classrooms on a recent summer's day before the start of term. "Right now, the most important thing is to get children into class," said teacher Ahmed al-Ahmed, standing next to a hole in the school stairwell left by a mine blast that wounded a colleague. The ultra-hardline Islamic State closed this school and many others in northern Syria after it seized control of the region in 2014, three years into the country's civil war. Instead it taught children extremist thought in mosques. But now that the group has been ousted from most territory it held in and around Raqqa by a U.S.-backed military alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a growing debate over education points to the ethnic tensions expected to follow. What is taught in areas under the control of the SDF, which includes Arab militias but is dominated by the Kurdish YPG, is one of many questions over how predominantly Arab parts of northern Syria will be run as they come into the Kurdish fold. Schools around Raqqa will this year teach a new curriculum that is based on old textbooks but erases the Baathist ideology of President Bashar al-Assad, a decision agreed on by Arab and Kurdish teachers alike. But an official in the SDF has floated the immediate introduction of Kurdish lessons in Raqqa schools, an idea that makes local officials bristle. In contrast with other areas under SDF control that have for years taught Kurdish, there are no plans yet to teach the language in mostly Arab Raqqa. Officials say it would need broad consensus, hinting at concerns that its introduction too quickly would cause unrest. "We wouldn't object to Kurdish teaching. But if it's imposed on schools then there will be problems," Ahmed said. RESENTMENT OVER KURDISH POWER The YPG has held areas of northeast Syria since early in the six-year-old war which are now under a self-run administration opposed by Assad, who holds the main population centres in the west and is also advancing against Islamic State, and Turkey, a YPG foe which borders Syria. Raqqa is likely to join the administration, officials say. All ethnic groups are represented in the local bodies that run majority Arab regions captured by the SDF as it ousted IS fighters but critics say Kurds dominate decision-making. Reuters interviews with SDF officials and local authorities suggest resentment over Kurdish power is brewing over education plans. A senior SDF adviser and coordinator with the U.S. coalition said he believed Kurdish would be taught to Kurdish pupils around Raqqa this year, following the model for other schools in SDF territory. "No one has opposed this ... every (ethnic) group has the right to study in its own language," Amed Sido said via the internet. Officials in the Raqqa Civil Council, the newly-formed local governing body, were taken aback. "No, that won't happen without consultations with us and agreement in the council," Ammar Hussein, an education committee official, said at its office in the town of Ain Issa. "For now it's in Arabic, with English and French lessons." Echoing several council members, he said Kurdish would be taught only if families requested it, there were enough qualified teachers and the Arab-Kurdish council approved it. "If the people here agree ... there won't be any objection," said Ali Shanna, another education committee official. "But the Kurd knows the Kurdish language, why does he need to learn it?" A former Kurdish teacher privately derided Shanna's comments. "I hate that attitude. It's ignorance, it's the same thinking as Daesh (Islamic State)," said the teacher, who had been jailed under Assad for writing a Kurdish-language journal. FEAR OF UNREST The sensitivity over language has already caused unrest in Hasaka to the northeast, an area controlled for years by the YPG where a new curriculum is taught in Arabic and Kurdish, both now official languages. In demonstrations reported by a monitoring group, protesters called for Arab children not to have to learn Kurdish. Mostafa Bali, an SDF official, said there was no intention to force Kurdish on Arabs, or to suppress Arabic. "We don't support racism over language. But there are many Kurds who would like to see Arabic teaching banned in Kurdish areas as revenge for the Baath (teaching)," he said. The Baathist curriculum championed Arab nationalism over ethnic identity. Kurdish pupils were punished for speaking their mother tongue in school playgrounds. Now, even in some Arab-majority towns, Kurds are taught Kurdish. Officials in Raqqa are determined to do things their way, regardless of what they say are potential military threats from Assad or neighbouring Turkey. "We won't let Turkey or anyone else interfere in our internal affairs. We decide what we'll teach or not teach," Leila Mostafa, the Kurdish co-president of the Raqqa Civil Council said. At Hazima school, teachers worry about both the legacy left by Islamic State and Assad, and future political upheaval. "One kid turned up singing Islamic State chants," teacher Ahmed Saoud said. The teachers say "racist" Baathist modules help fuel Syria's conflict and are anxious to begin the new curriculum. "It's urgent we start teaching. The next phase will be difficult - there'll be a reckoning between factions," Ahmed al-Ahmed said, without specifying which groups he was referring to. "A reckoning, in general." (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch in Beirut, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
Two Indonesian sailors abducted by Islamist militants off the southern Philippines walked free on Thursday after a firefight that left five kidnappers dead, the military said. The sailors were kidnapped nine months ago in Malaysian waters and taken to the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo, a stronghold of the suspects from the Abu Sayyaf group, Islamist militants engaged mainly in kidnappings for ransom. Their ordeal ended when they turned up at a military checkpoint on Jolo shortly after Philippine troops clashed with their suspected kidnappers in a nearby town, the local military chief said. Police named the sailors as Sarapuddin Koni and Sawal Maryam Ivo. Both are natives of Indonesia's Sulawesi island, south of the Philippines. "Our soldiers spotted them at a checkpoint where they were on board a public utility vehicle," Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, task force commander for the region, told AFP. "It appears they were able to flee their captors after the encounter that occurred 30 minutes prior to that," he said, adding all were unharmed but showing the effects of poor nutrition. Five Abu Sayyaf members were killed and five soldiers were wounded in that firefight, he added. The two were abducted in November off the Malaysian state of Sabah that had for years suffered from repeated kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf. The kidnappers still hold 15 other hostages, all but two of them foreigners, the general said. One Vietnamese sailor was rescued last month after nine months in captivity. The Abu Sayyaf is known to behead its hostages unless ransom payments are made, but Sobejana said he was unaware of any ransom being paid for the two Indonesians. Elderly German yachtsman Jurgen Kantner, was beheaded in February after the kidnappers' demand for 30 million pesos ($600,000) was not met. The kidnappers had also murdered his female partner and compatriot during his kidnapping at sea four months earlier. Last year, the group beheaded two Canadian hostages. Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, has splintered into factions, with some continuing to engage in banditry and kidnappings. One faction has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, and joined militants battling security forces since May in the southern city of Marawi, the largely Catholic nation's most important population centre. The militants continue to occupy parts of the southern city despite a US-backed military offensive there that has claimed more than 800 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people.
By Daren Butler and David Dolan ISTANBUL (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged a former Turkish economy minister and the ex-head of a state-owned bank with conspiring to violate Iran sanctions by illegally moving hundreds of millions of dollars through the U.S. financial system on Tehran's behalf. The indictment marks the first time an ex-government member with close ties to President Tayyip Erdogan has been charged in an investigation that has strained ties between Washington and Ankara. Ex-minister Zafer Caglayan was also charged with taking bribes in cash and jewellery worth tens of millions of dollars. The charges stem from the case against Reza Zarrab, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader who was arrested in the United States over sanctions evasion last year. Erdogan has said U.S. authorities had "ulterior motives" in charging Zarrab, who has pleaded not guilty. Prosecutors have now charged Caglayan and former Halkbank general manager Suleyman Aslan and two others, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York. They were charged with "conspiring to use the U.S. financial system to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by United States sanctions," U.S. prosecutors said in a statement dated Wednesday. They were also accused of lying to U.S. government officials about the transactions, laundering funds and defrauding several financial institutions by concealing the true nature of the transactions, prosecutors said. Reuters was not immediately able to reach Caglayan or Aslan for comment. Halkbank said all of its transactions have always fully complied with national and international regulations, adding that news regarding the U.S. case "misleads" the public and investors. Relations between Washington and NATO ally Turkey, an important partner in tackling the Syrian conflict, were strained after a failed coup against Erdogan in July last year and the president's subsequent crackdown on opposition. Ankara is seeking, so far without success, extradition of a U.S.-based Muslim cleric it accuses of backing the coup attempt. The cleric, Fethullah Gulen, denies the allegation. 'NO CONCERN TO TURKEY' Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci defended his predecessor and said U.S. prosecutors had yet to prove their accusations. "Caglayan did not do anything against Turkey's interests," Zeybekci told reporters. "It is no concern to Turkey if Caglayan acted against interests of other countries." Both Caglayan and Aslan are also accused of taking bribes, according to the indictment. "Caglayan, who was serving as Minister of the Economy... received tens of millions of dollars' worth of bribes in cash and jewellery from the proceeds of the scheme to provide services to the government of Iran and conceal those services from U.S. government officials," prosecutors said. U.S. prosecutors have said that between 2010 and 2015 Zarrab and others worked to conceal his ability to supply currency and gold to Iran through the Turkish bank, avoiding U.S. sanctions. As part of that scheme, Zarrab and others used front companies and fake invoices to trick U.S. banks into processing transactions disguised to appear as though they involved food, and thus were exempt from the sanctions, prosecutors have said. The U.S. indictment echoes charges in a leaked 2014 Turkish police document, reported by Reuters, which detailed allegations that a "crime organisation" had helped Iran exploit a loophole in Western sanctions that allowed it to purchase gold with oil and gas revenues. When the West prohibited the gold trade in 2013 as a sanctions violation, the police report alleged the network concocted records of shipments of food at preposterous volumes and prices to continue giving Iran access to foreign currency. Iran emerged from years of economic isolation in January 2016, when world powers lifted the crippling sanctions in return for Tehran complying with a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions. The sanctions had cut off the country of 80 million people from the global financial system, slashed its exports and imposed severe economic hardship on Iranians. 'DIPLOMATIC SOLUTION' Caglayan, Aslan and others indicted in the case on Wednesday remain at large, prosecutors said. Zarrab and a Halkbank deputy general manager, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, were arrested while in the United States. Zarrab was detained in March 2016 and Atilla a year later. Both are scheduled to appear for trial in October. Zarrab has hired former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to defend him against the charges. Giuliani has said that both U.S. and Turkish officials remained "receptive" to a diplomatic solution due to the nature of the charges against Zarrab and the importance of Turkey as an ally. A decree issued two weeks ago gave Erdogan authority to approve the exchange of foreigners detained or convicted in Turkey with people held in other countries "in situations required by national security or national interests". Shares of Halkbank were down 3.4 percent at 13.81 lira as of 1337 GMT, underperforming the benchmark BIST 100 index, which was flat. (Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker in Ankara and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; Editing by Dominic Evans and Ralph Boulton)
I was an Exxon-funded climate scientist

Posted on 7 September 2017 by Guest Author

Katharine Hayhoe, Professor and Director, Climate Science Center, Texas Tech University. This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

ExxonMobils deliberate attempts to sow doubt on the reality and urgency of climate change and their donations to front groups to disseminate false information about climate change have been public knowledge for a long time, now.

Investigative reports in 2015 revealed that Exxon had its own scientists doing its own climate modeling as far back as the 1970s: science and modeling that was not only accurate, but that was being used to plan for the companys future.

Now, a peer-reviewed study published August 23 has confirmed that what Exxon was saying internally about climate change was quantitatively very different from their public statements. Specifically, researchers Geoffrey Supran and Naomi Oreskes found that at least 80 percent of the internal documents and peer-reviewed publications they studied from between 1977 and 2014 were consistent with the state of the science  acknowledging that climate change is real and caused by humans, and identifying reasonable uncertainties that any climate scientist would agree with at the time. Yet over 80 percent of Exxons editorial-style paid advertisements over the same period specifically focused on uncertainty and doubt, the study found.

The stark contrast between internally discussing cutting-edge climate research while externally conducting a climate disinformation campaign is enough to blow many minds. What was going on at Exxon?

I have a unique perspective  because I was there.

From 1995 to 1997, Exxon provided partial financial support for my masters thesis, which focused on methane chemistry and emissions. I spent several weeks in 1996 as an intern at their Annandale research lab in New Jersey and years working on the collaborative research that resulted in three of the published studies referenced in Supran and Oreskes new analysis.

Climate research at Exxon

A scientist is a scientist no matter where we work, and my Exxon colleagues were no exception. Thoughtful, cautious and in full agreement with the scientific consensus on climate  these are characteristics any scientist would be proud to own.

Did Exxon have an agenda for our research? Of course  its not a charity. Their research and development was targeted, and in my case, it was targeted at something that would raise no red flags in climate policy circles: quantifying the benefits of methane reduction.

Methane is a waste product released by coal mining and natural gas leaks; wastewater treatment plants; farting and belching cows, sheep, goats and anything else that chews its cud; decaying organic trash in garbage dumps; giant termite mounds in Africa; and even, in vanishingly small amounts, our own lactose-intolerant family members.

On a mass basis, methane absorbs about 35 times more of the Earths heat than carbon dioxide. Methane has a much shorter lifetime than carbon dioxide gas, and we produce a lot less of it, so theres no escaping the fact that carbon has to go. But if our concern is how fast the Earth is warming, we can get a big bang for our buck by cutting methane emissions as soon as possible, while continuing to wean ourselves off carbon-based fuels long-term.

For the gas and oil industry, reducing methane emissions means saving energy. So its no surprise that, during my research, I didnt experience any heavy-handed guidance or interference with my results. No one asked to review my code or suggested ways to adjust my findings. The only requirement was that a journal article with an Exxon co-author pass an internal review before it could be submitted for peer review, a policy similar to that of many federal agencies.

Did I know what else they were up to at the time? I couldnt even imagine it.

Fresh out of Canada, I was unaware that there were people who didnt accept climate science  so unaware, in fact, that it was nearly half a year before I realized Id married one  let alone that Exxon was funding a disinformation campaign at the very same time it was supporting my research on the most expedient ways to reduce the impact of humans on climate.

Yet Exxons choices have contributed directly to the situation we are in today, a situation that in many ways seems unreal: one where many elected representatives oppose climate action, while China leads the U.S. in wind energy, solar power, economic investment in clean energy and even the existence of a national cap and trade policy similar to the ill-fated Waxman-Markey bill of 2009.

Personal decisions

This latest study underscores why many are calling on Exxon to be held responsible for knowingly misleading the public on such a critical issue. For scientists and academics, though, it may fuel another, different, yet similarly moral debate.

Are we willing to accept financial support that is offered as a sop to the public conscience?

The concept of tendering literal payment for sin is nothing new. From the indulgences of the Middle Ages to the criticisms some have leveled at carbon offsets today, we humans have always sought to stave off the consequences of our actions and ease our conscience with good deeds, particularly of the financial kind. Today, many industry groups follow this familiar path: supporting science denial with the left hand, while giving to cutting-edge research and science with the right.

Gabe Chmielewski for Mays Communications, CC BY-NC-ND

The Global Climate and Energy Project at Stanford University conducts fundamental research on efficient and clean energy technologies  with Exxon as a founding sponsor. Philanthropist and political donor David Koch gave an unprecedented US$35 million to the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History in 2015, after which three dozen scientists called on the museum to cut ties with him for funding lobbying groups that misrepresent climate science. Shell underwrote the London Science Museums Atmosphere program and then used its leverage to muddy the waters on what scientists know about climate.

It may be easy to point a finger at others, but when it happens to us, the choice might not seem so clear. Which is most important  the benefit of the research and education, or the rejection of tainted funds?

The appropriate response to morally tainted offerings is an ancient question. In the book of Corinthians, the apostle Paul responds to a query on what to do with food that has been sacrificed to idols  eat or reject?

His response illustrates the complexity of this issue. Food is food, he says  and by the same token, we might say money is money today. Both food and money, though, can imply alliance or acceptance. And if it affects others, a more discerning response may be needed.

What are we as academics to do? In this open and transparent new publishing world of ours, declaration of financial supporters is both important and necessary. Some would argue that a funder, however loose and distant the ties, casts a shadow over the resulting research. Others would respond that the funds can be used for good. Which carries the greatest weight?

After two decades in the trenches of climate science, Im no longer the ingenue I was. Im all too aware, now, of those who dismiss climate science as a liberal hoax. Every day, they attack me on Facebook, vilify me on Twitter and even send the occasional hand-typed letter - which begs appreciation of the artistry, if not the contents. So now, if Exxon came calling, what would I do?

Theres no one right answer to this question. Speaking for myself, I might ask them to give those funds to politicians who endorse sensible climate policy  and cut their funding to those who dont. Or I admire one colleagues practical response: to use a Koch-funded honorarium to purchase a lifetime membership in the Sierra Club.

Despite the fact that theres no easy answer, its a question thats being posed to more and more of us every day, and we cannot straddle the fence any longer. As academics and scientists, we have some tough choices to make; and only by recognizing the broader implications of these choices are we able to make these decisions with our eyes wide open, rather than half shut.
With Hurricane Irma swirling its way toward Florida, the internet has been filling up with angry accounts of airline price gouging, complete with pictures of thousand-dollar-plus fares that (of all people) Perez Hilton has been collecting. An Arizona PR exec racked up more than 30,000 retweets when she posted a screengrab showing a Delta ticket that had supposedly shot up from $547.50 to $3,258.50. The Miami Herald tracked down an absurdly sympathetic woman who wanted to fly her mother, adult cousin, 71-year-old grandmother, [and] 11-year-old sister to New York but could only find a flight that cost $1,318.80 per person. The issue is even getting some attention from the Sunshine States politicos: Floridas attorney general says her offices newly opened price-gouging hotline has been getting a stream of complaints about airlines, and her staff has been calling carriers about the issue.

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Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacute responsibly? #IrmaHurricane pic.twitter.com/O2nfPHQUAh  Leigh (@LeighDow) September 5, 2017

Many of these horror stories are obviously realIve found a few $1,000-plus tickets myself. But overall, the rage seems maybe a little excessive. Airfares do appear to be rising in advance of Irma, but generally not by absurd amounts. Meanwhile, some airlines have even responded to the storm by increasing flights and capping fares in order to make sure people can get to safety.

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According to an analysis by the travel-booking website Kayak, people looking to fly out of South Florida within a day last week could expect to pay somewhere in the mid-$300s. As of yesterday, those prices were up by more than 25 percent. This is not surprising. Airlines set their prices automatically via algorithms that account for the number of seats available, demand, timing, and a whole host of other factors. Last-minute tickets can be especially expensive. When half a metro area suddenly decides to evacuate because a deadly hurricane is bearing down on it, you can expect prices to rise. Situations such as these drive pricing anomalies due to an instantaneous imbalance between demand and supply, airline industry consultant Bob Mann of R.W. Mann & Company told me in an email. Same occurred to United returns to Houston, post-Harvey, and to NY-DC fares after the Amtrak crash eliminated thousands of seats daily.

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Of course, this is not necessarily a good thing. Its the flying equivalent of Uber failing to turn off surge pricing during Hurricane Sandy, which plenty of people found ethically grotesque.

But a 25 percent bump in last-minute fares is not exactly the equivalent of a $99 case of bottled water, nor are those surges the rule. JetBlue will only charge up to $99 for flights out of Florida to help more families get out of the storms path. Delta is capping fares at $399 out of South Florida while adding flights on larger planes in order to provide more seats leaving the area. For what its worth, Ive been able to find sub-$300 tickets along with some obvious rip-offs while searching travel sites. If anything, it seems fair to criticize airlines for being slow-footed and failing to pre-empt their normal pricing strategies before the pre-storm panic set in. But this doesnt strike me as an example of capitalism at its most rapacious either. As far as fixes go, Mann told me one option would be for airlines to automatically flag rapid fare jumps for a prompt manual review by an employee.

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Meanwhile, some of the gouging stories may not be what they seem. When I asked Delta spokesman Anthony Black about the $3,258 ticket that caught Twitters attention on Tuesday, he pointed out that the screengrab was actually from Expedia. It wasnt posted on our site, he told me. And once Dow checked with Delta, it apparently addressed her issue.

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For a while there, Gary Cohn seemed like a pretty decent bet to become the next Federal Reserve chairbut apparently no longer. According to the Wall Street Journal, President Trump has become significantly less enamored with his chief economics adviser ever since Cohn decided to sound off on the administrations response to the white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginiawhich could end up costing him his shot at the central bank gig.

Cohn, who leads Trumps National Economic Counsel and was previously the president of Goldman Sachs, was technically charged with leading the search for a new Fed chair to replace Janet Yellen, whose term expires next year. But from all outside appearances, the man seemed poised to pull a Dick Cheney and claim the job himself. He doesnt know this, but yes he is [a candidate] Trump said in July, after the WSJs editors asked whether Cohn might be in line for the job (like heck he didnt know). This was somewhat discouraging, since Cohnwho spent much of his career as a trader at Goldmanlacks many of the basic qualifications you typically want in a Fed chair, such as a background or even an obvious interest in monetary policy or economics.

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But then came the moral and political calamity of Charlottesville. After Trumps gobsmacking attempt to blame both torch-bearing white nationalists and anti-fascist counterprotestersone of whom was killedfor the weekends violence, Cohn, who is Jewish, decided to speak up. Or, at least, he tried to explain to the Financial Times why he wasnt leaving his job in protest while assuring his respectable financial world friends that, yes, he was adequately disgusted by the White Houses response.

Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK, Cohn told the paper. I believe 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. As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting Jews will not replace us to cause this Jew to leave his job.

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Oops. According to the WSJs sources, Trump wasnt aware such a blunt critique was coming and now visibly bristles at the mention of his economic adviser. Cohn might be able to redeem himself by securing a tax reform deal with Congress, an effort hes managing for the White House. But its also possible that his limp attempt to maintain some semblance of dignity while continuing to work for an administration that has an obvious affinity for white supremacists has backfired.

For those trying to figure out the future of American monetary policy, this means Yellens chances of being reappointed to the job just shot up. In the scheme of things, this is probably a good policy outcome. But its also a reminder that, even when it comes to picking the worlds most important central banker, personal loyalty trumps all.
How do you anticipate the risk of catastrophic hurricane damage? In jacked-up airline fares, in surge-priced taxis, in cases of bottled water selling for $42?

In Florida, at least, theres a tried-and-true indicator of potential hurricane damage: the futures market for frozen orange juice. Futures go up when traders think the future price of orange juice will go up, and down when traders think orange juice will be more plentiful, and therefore cheaper.

If traders are worried the states entire orange crop is at risk of being annihilated, futures go way up. And thats whats happening right now. Just as Harveys arrival in oil-and-gas-capital Houston gave us a big spike in gasoline prices, so Irmas arrival in Florida may juice frozen OJ prices. As the most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history heads toward South Florida, the Frozen Concentrate Orange Juice futures market opened at $1.45 a pound today, up from $1.30 last weeka gain of more than 10 percent.

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Theres some history behind this. In 2004, Hurricanes Charley, Frances, and Jeanne left Florida with the smallest number of viable orange trees in 18 years, sending the cost of juice concentrate skyward. In 2012, anticipation of Hurricane Isaac drove futures to a six-week high. In 2016, Hurricane Hermine sent OJ to a five-week high.

Gains driven by Irma have FCOJ at the highest point since May, when the orange industry was coming off a brutally small harvest that had doubled prices. The volume of trading is up sixfold, the Financial Times reports, in anticipation of a price spike.

Only about 20 percent of the states crop winds up as concentratein recent years, not-from-concentrate juice has gained the upper hand as it has become more popular. Still, the market remains a valuable indicator.

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The Intercontinental Exchange, which offers futures trading in coffee, cocoa, sugar, cotton, and orange juice, among other things, notes that the FCOJ market is built for this type of thing:

The volatile nature of FCOJ pricing is what makes this market so vital for hedgers and so interesting for speculators. The market is prone to sharp price spikes in anticipation of weather-related disruptions in supply, including freezes and hurricanes, and to retracements of those spikes when the damage was not as bad as feared initially, or when imports of FCOJ from Brazil and other suppliers enter the U.S. market.

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Like all commodity futures markets, the FCOJ serves a practical purpose for juice producers and buyers. A grower with thousands of ripe orange trees is vulnerable to a price drop, and might short a futures contract to cover her holdings. A supermarket that needs to ensure it has store-brand from-concentrate OJ is vulnerable to prices rising, and would therefore go long, ensuring it makes enough money to cover its purchases if prices do rise.

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But it can also be an intriguing gamble for speculators who think they know more than everyone else. This is of course the plot of Trading Places, the classic 80s Wall Street comedy starring Eddie Murphy and Dan Aykroyd:

(Heres a detailed explanation of whats going on there.)

How do you measure the risk of a hurricane, then? In Florida, at least, you measure it in orange juice futures.
Cyber security breaches cost businesses billions of dollars each year. Breaches in 2016 reached a record peak. Data from the Identity Theft Resource Center reveals in 2016, U.S. businesses and government agencies suffered a record 1,093 data breaches, a 40 percent increase from the previous year.

According to Deloitte, the current market valuation of cyber incidents is grossly underestimated.

As Emily Mossburg, a principal with Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu LLP and resilient practice leader for Deloitte Advisory cyber risk services, notes, An accurate picture of cyber attack impact has been lacking, and therefore companies are not developing the risk posture that they need.

The impact a cyber-attack can have on businesses can be devestating. Given the rise in frequency and intensity of these breaches and the damage they cause, taking out data beach insurance could be a wise move for businesses.

What is Data Breach Insurance?

Data breach insurance is designed to protect and support a business if it becomes the victim of a cyber-attack. This specific type of insurance provides comprehensive cover in the event of a claim related to a malicious cyber-attack or breach of data.

Data breach insurance offers protection if a hacker attempts to hold a business to ransom. The insurance can cover the ransom you are forced to pay the hacker, as well as helping you manage the whole stressful situation.

Comprehensive data breach insurance will also offer practical support in the event of a cyber-attack on your business. Such support includes providing a business with legal advice, forensic investigations, notifications to clients, customers and regulators and support to affected customers, such as credit card monitoring.

A cyber attack that targets a businesss systems can even prevent a company from earning revenue. This disruption caused by cyber hacks and security breaches can lead to businesses experiencing a significant loss of income. Data breach insurance can provide compensation for such loss of income, including where the hack has created damage to a businesss reputation.

What Small Businesses Might Need Data Breach Insurance?

Does your business create and store sensitive data? If data is one of the most important assets of your business, you should consider getting protection from potential hacks and data breaches.

If your business holds customers personal data it may be particularly vulnerable to data breaches by hackers who seek to steal personal information and use it fraudulently. Data such as bank account information, customer records, social security numbers and credit card numbers, make appealing targets for cyber criminals. Breaches of such valuable information could then lead to liability claims made against your company, putting your businesss reputation in serious jeopardy.

If your business has a network on which employees save data and a virus gets into the network, your company could be at risk of a data breach.

Naturally, some industries are more data-reliant than others. Some of the most heavily targeted businesses by cyber criminals include financial services, healthcare providers, manufacturers and retailers.

Business owners operating in these categories need to take measures to protect their companies, employees, customers and data from such threats. That said, few businesses are entirely immune to the threat of cyber crime. Increasingly sophisticated cyber criminals leave no stone unturned in their quest to seek out data that doesnt belong to them.

You may be a solopreneur operating a one-person marketing business from home. Or you may operate a mobile hairdressing business and store personal information of customers on a computer. Virtually any business that relies upon and stores data is at risk of being hacked into.

Natalie Cooper, editor of BankingSense, reiterates the importance of cyber liability insurance for small businesses, stating, For small businesses, nothing is more important than protecting their livelihood. Cyber liability insurance is another tool they can use to prevent financial disaster in the event of a malicious attack.

Some of the best data breach insurance policies cover the associated costs of the breach, including forensics, customer alerts, legal fees, crisis management and consumer identity monitoring.

Regardless of the size of business you operate and the industry you work in, if you store sensitive data, investing in data breach insurance would be an invaluable move in protecting your data, and safeguarding your business from attack.
A set of proposed tax code changes in Canada could potentially have a negative impact on small businesses north of the border. And even though U.S. businesses might not see any immediate impact due to these changes, the impact on partners, clients and others in Canada could eventually make a difference to U.S. businesses as well.

The legislation, according to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, is meant to help the middle class and inject more fairness into the countrys tax structure by closing loopholes used by wealthy business owners. But a growing number of small business owners, even those who could be considered middle class, are voicing their disapproval of the changes.

Proposed Small Business Tax Changes in Canada

There are three potential changes included in the proposed legislation. The first would end a practice that allows small business owners to sprinkle income to their family members in lower tax brackets in order to receive a lower tax rate. Currently, those family members dont even need to be active in the business in order for business owners to use this strategy.

The next proposal would place limits on the use of private corporations to gain tax advantages when making passive investments in things like stocks or real estate. And the third would limit the ability of corporations to transfer regular income into capital gains, which are usually taxed at a lower rate.

Opponents argue that these loopholes are meant to offset and recognize some of the risks small business owners face, like using their homes as collateral for business capital and not having access to unemployment insurance. The government is holding a consultation on the proposed reforms from now until October 2.
The recent detention of an artist for disposing the sickles and hammers from a memorial opened a discussion about the attitude towards characteristic symbols of totalitarian regimes.

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Slovaks have already read or heard about the damaged memorials dedicated to controversial personalities and events linked to totalitarian regimes. But several days in custody for such a deed, until recently, were unheard of.

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The police have accused civic activist and artist Lubos Lorenz of disorderly conduct for removing eight communist symbols depicting the hammer and sickle from a memorial for World War II victims in downtown Kosice.

He was imprisoned on August 30, and released only on September 2, after the General Prosecutors Office and regional prosecutors office stepped in.

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Lorenz keeps saying that by removing the communist symbols he was only trying to prevent the crime of promoting groups that suppress fundamental human rights.

The sickle and the hammer symbolise a regime, under which Red Army soldiers were suffering, Lorenz said in an interview with the Sme daily. It is not a dishonour to them. Will we now be putting swastikas on the graves of German soldiers too?

Lucia Kurilovska, rector of the Police Academy and an expert in criminal law, however, says his argument that he was preventing the crime of using symbols of totalitarian regimes in public does not hold up.

Instead of removing the symbols, people should submit a criminal motion to the respective authorities and bring their attention to the problem.

One cannot take the law into their hands in this way, Kurilovska told The Slovak Spectator.

Extraordinary decision

The official reason for detaining Lorenz was that he damaged a memorial, explained Kosice police spokesperson Jana Mesarova.

Every wrongdoing can only be corrected by lawful means, not by violating other laws, Mesarova said, as quoted by the SITA newswire.

Lorenz was expected to be prosecuted in a so-called super-fast proceeding, media reports suggest.

The decision, however, opened a heated discussion as nobody had been detained in the past for damaging other memorials. People even organised protests in Bratislava and Kosice, while several personalities signed a petition against the detention prepared by opposition MP Ondrej Dostal.

Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska questioned the fact that Lorenz was to be tried in a super-fast proceeding, explaining these procedures are used mostly in cases of hooligans in stadiums, as reported by the Dennik N daily.

President Andrej Kiska even called the actions of both the police and the district prosecutors office strange as the steps adopted in previous cases have been different.

I was speaking with the general prosecutor, who informed me that following the intervention of the General Prosecutors Office and the regional prosecutors office the proposal for custody was dismissed and Mr Lorenz was freed, Kiska stated on his Facebook page on September 2.

Problems with police

The district prosecutors office did not explain why it had proposed taking Lorenz into custody, but the activist later told journalists this was probably caused by public pressure, Dennik N reported.

Lorenz is still convinced that he observed the law when removing the symbols placed on the memorial at odds with the law. When approaching the memorial, he noticed traffic police officers who were patrolling near the memorial. He thought the police would help and protect him.

After he was detained, he had no idea he would spend three nights behind bars.

If I had known I would have never acted in front of the police officers, he told Dennik N.

Since they knew the punishment would not be serious, the police officers tried to complicate his situation as much as possible and treated him terribly, Lorenz added.

I know what the police force tastes like, Lorenz told journalists after being released, as quoted by the regional daily Korzar. He added that police officers have several possibilities of making a stay behind bars unpleasant.

Charges remain

Though Lorenz was released from custody, the charges for disorderly conduct have not been dropped.

I face further charges, but I think I will defend myself without any problems because what I was doing was not a criminal offence, Lorenz said to journalists after his release.

Meanwhile, Lorenzs lawyer Daniel Lipsic explained that the artist was only removing the copies from the plywood which are not part of the memorial. Thus, their removal does not mean that the cultural memorial is damaged, the regional daily Korzar reported.

The maximum punishment Lorenz may receive is a financial penalty, Lipsic added. He also thinks that the idea of taking the artist into custody was only an attempt to scare him off, Korzar wrote.

Lorenz was not removing the symbols to prevent a crime that could have posed a threat to the life, health and property of people, Kurilovska said. His argument that he was trying to prevent the violation of the law can only be used to diminish his punishment.

Disputes with the city

The sickles and hammers from the monument to the Soviet army soldiers in Kosice were officially removed between December 1989 and May 1990. It then contained only one original, which remained there until 2010. In that year, the city placed new stars and added the 21 missing sickles and hammers onto the memorial.

Since then, various activists have kept removing the communist symbols from the memorial, Sme reported.

The installation of new symbols, which were removed by Lorenz recently, was not approved by the respective monuments board.

Sme asked Kosice Mayor Richard Rasi about the repeated gluing of the communist symbols to the memorial. He only said that the monuments are repaired by the city vegetation administration, which will now wait for a statement by the preservationists on what to do next.

Lorenz considers Rasis statement to be buck-passing, though.

Everybody knows its a cultural monument, but Rasi continues gluing the sickles and hammers on it, he said in the interview with Sme. He is ignoring the law. Under his order the crime of defaming a cultural monument is being committed.

Kurilovska stressed that the law should be observed even in the case of memorials.

When they put the communist symbols back on, they are acting unlawfully, Kurilovska said.
A businessman whose name appeared on the so-called mafia lists sold his flat in the disputed residential complex of Bonaparte where PM Robert Fico also lives.

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Marian Kocner sold the flat in a residential complex built by the developer Ladislav Basternak, connected in lobby rumours with the ruling Smer party and its top politicians.

The sale is not related to the fact that he is being investigated by the police, Kocner claimed, as quoted by the Aktuality.sk website.

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The businessman sold his property to Erich Feix, the manager of Prva Stavebna Sporitelna, a construction-saving institution, the real estate cadastre hints.

Recently, Kocner was accused by the police for the crime of violating duties when administering other peoples property, the Sme daily wrote. He is expected to be charged for suspicion of fraud soon.

Kocner told Aktuality.sk that the sale of the flat is unrelated to the police move; and later, he threatened Aktuality reporter Jan Kuciak that he would try to find dirt about his family and then publish it.

Kocner regularly insults and threatens journalists, Sme wrote, giving as an example a recent press conference in which he said he would establish a website publishing information on their private lives.
The antivirus-software developer Eset is facing a lawsuit concerning patents filed by the California-based Finjan company, known for this type of disputes also from abroad.

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Estet is involved in disputes over patents for which it might pay up to 15.5 million, the Hospodarske noviny (HN) daily wrote on September 7. The lawsuits were submitted to the courts in the USA and Germany by the US company Finjan.

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Such lawsuits are common under US jurisdiction, Esets spokesperson Zuzana Hosalova told HN, adding that Finjan sues nearly every important company active in the cyber security field. She refused to comment on the ongoing disputes. The US company questions the antivirus programmes that allegedly use their solutions protected by licences. One of the two suits, in which Finjan accuses Eset of violating six patents, was submitted to the Californian court in July 2016. The company extended the complaint last month, asking for compensation at 15 million for damages. In Germany, it is asking for 0.5 million.

Finjan has many such lawsuits

Finjan sues practically all important companies enterprising in cyber security, Hosalova commented on the US firm. As for the ongoing lawsuits in the courts in San Diego and Duesseldorf, Germany, Eset will not comment on these proceedings.

Finjan does not like the anti-virus programmes which allegedly use their patent-protected solutions. One of the suits against Eset was expanded about a month ago, and it estimates the damage caused on the US market at 15 million. In Germany, Finjan is accusing Este of violating one of its patents and asking for half a million euros as compensation.

The first proceedings are planned for October 5.

On the other hand, Eset sued Finjan before the Munich court, contesting the validity of the patent whose alleged violation is the cause of the German lawsuit against the Slovaks.

These are the first lawsuits of such extent against Eset, which has branches in several countries around the world, the daily wrote. However, the Slovak firm is in good company  as companies like Symantec, FireEye, Palo Alto Networks, Blue Coat Systems, Cisco and Avast Software have been sued by Finjan  while 90 percent of its reveneus last year came from licensing fees.
The Eastring pipeline will serve as an interconnection between western European liquid hubs and the Balkan region

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Slovak gas transmission system operator Eustream has signed a contract pertaining to the feasibility study for the Eastring: the Pan-European pipeline directly connecting central and south-eastern European countries. The Hungarian engineering and consultancy company Euroil will now elaborate on the study. The deadline is June 2018, Eustream informs on its website. Its outcomes will serve as the basis for next decisions on the project parameters.

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We have launched a new important phase of the project which will improve energy security for customers in central and south-eastern Europe said Eustreams CEO Rastislav Nukovic as cited in a press release by Eustream.

The main purpose of the study is to define all necessary technical, economic, financial and environmental details of the future pipeline including optimal routing as well as carrying out in-depth market testing.

Following the signing of the contract in late August, the works on the study were initiated on September 5 in Bratislava. The first working meeting was held with representatives of Euroil as well as representatives of all Eastring project partners, i.e. Bulgarian TSO Bulgartransgaz, Romanian Transgaz, Hungarian FGSZ Zrt and Eustream.

50 percent of the eligible costs of the feasibility study will be funded by the European Commission under the Connecting Europe Facility fund. The study will be completed in June 2018 and its outcomes will serve as the basis for future decisions on the project parameters.

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The Eastring pipeline is the EUs Project of Common Interest (PCI) that will serve as an interconnection between western European liquid hubs and the Balkan region (an area with a potential to be a highly liquid region offering new natural gas sources from the Caspian region/eastern Mediterranean/Middle East region). The project will enhance the security of supply for the Balkan region as well as for the whole of Europe by creating a new corridor for new natural gas sources, and will help to improve competition by enabling the diversification of routes and sources.
The parliament is debating the future of Jan Richter as labour minister. If he goes, coalition fails.

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This school year started in Slovakia without a proper education minister, who resigned following the turmoil that the junior coalition Slovak National Party (SNS) provoked when they withdrew from a coalition agreement.

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Unlike former education minister, Peter Plavcan, the ruling coalition has survived the crisis so far, and has put together a working group (composed of one person per each of the three coalition parties) tasked with writing the new coalition deal.

The hopes voiced by Smer leader, PM Robert Fico, and other coalition politicians that the new agreement could be signed on September 1, a national holiday marking the signing of the Constitution in 1992, never materialised. But the countrys top ruling politicians met on that day in the parliament to attend the pompous festivities of the Constitutions 25th anniversary.

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The coalition now allegedly expects to sign the new deal around mid-September.

But I am not sure if this deadline is realistic either, SNS MP Tibor Bernatak said as quoted by the Sme daily.

SNS, reportedly experiencing problems finding a suitable expert to replace Plavcan, already announced they will most likely fill the ministerial post only after the new coalition agreement is signed. For now, Agriculture Minister Gabriela Matecna is leading the education department.

Its about Richter

But the coalition struggle is not at an end yet. Plavcan had to leave the ministerial chair over allegations of murky practices linked with the distribution of hundreds of millions of euros from the EU funds for research and development.

In response to his departure, the SNS demands that also Smers Labour Minister Jan Richter resigns. The opposition is going to attempt to oust him in the parliament on September 7, citing the Cisty Den resocialisation centre scandal as the reason.

SNS originally admitted that they might support the opposition proposal. Fico responded that this would mean the end of the coalition. The coalition agreement (that Danko withdrew from in mid-August) stipulates that if any of the coalition partners votes with the opposition to oust a government minister, the coalition automatically falls.

At the September 6 session of the cabinet, the ministers unanimously dismissed the motion to recall Richter as a minister. Two SNS ministers abstained from the decision. Instead, the party issued a call on the prime minister to dismiss Richter.

Due to the generally known and medialised facts that regard the functioning and the solving of problems at the labour ministry, the SNS is convinced that the ruling coalition cannot afford to gamble with the trust of voters anymore, the call reads.

Danko and his party were expected to make a statement about their final decision on the vote, but that did not happen before the session started.

It is all about how Slovakia should develop going forward, where the limits are that the SNS cannot cross in the coalition coexistence, Danko told journalists prior to the session of his partys parliamentary caucus, as quoted by Sme.

Some of the SNS MPs have suggested that about half of the caucus was inclined to vote against Richter.

The extraordinary session with the vote on Richter was scheduled to be held in the parliament on the same day. Fico labeled the whole session a ridiculous performance of the opposition.

SNS demands

The originally declared intention of the SNS behind their withdrawal from the coalition agreement was to get a new deal that would reflect the current situation in the country, particularly its favourable economic performance.

Since the start of the talks about the new deal, which the three coalition leaders (Danko, Fico, and Bela Bugar of Most-Hid) launched at their meeting on August 25, several demands emerged. The SNS is rumoured to demand the post of a deputy prime minister in the cabinet. It is now the only party that does not have such post  Smer has Deputy PM for Investments Peter Pellegrini and Interior Minister Robert Kalinak who is also a deputy prime minister. So is Justice Minister Lucia Zitnanska of Most-Hid.
Radoslav Prochazka has canceled his application for judge of the EU General Court in Luxembourg.

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After a year of wide-spread criticism, Radoslav Prochazka officially cancelled his application for judge of the EU General Court in Luxembourg by sending a letter to the institution. He had already spoken about his decision a few weeks earlier.

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I ask you to withdraw the motion to appoint me European Union General Court judge, Prochazka wrote to Prime Minister Robert Fico in July. As this motion falls under the exclusive purview of the Slovak government, and I have no options to either take it back or otherwise amend it, I am asking you or the government of the Slovak Republic to do so.

The former Siet leader was Slovakias second candidate for the post. The Judicial Council nominated him on September 19, and the government approved the candidacy on September 28.

The Open Justice association and the Freedom and Solidarity party criticised this decision, claiming that Prochazka may have the professional qualifications but lacks the moral qualities necessary to hold the post.

In early January, the Judicial Council received, via diplomatic channels, a negative statement regarding Prochazka's nomination from the Council of the EU advisory body. No candidate has ever been appointed to the court without the approval of the advisory body.
The SNS chose not to vote in a way to cause the coalition government to fall so the opposition failed to find enough MPs to oust Richter.

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After two weeks of criticism of Labour Minister Jan Richter for his procrastination in the scandal over the resocialisation centre, Cisty den (Trnava region) the governments SNS party decided to not vote for his removal.

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Richter finally took away Cisty dens accreditation due to the possible endangerment of its clients. He decided to do so after the police filed sexual abuse charges against a former Cisty Den employee in mid-August.

The suspicions of abuse however occurred earlier in September 2016 but Richter claimed at that time that he saw no reason to strip the centre of its accreditation.

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Since mid-August SNS representatives have been pointing out that PM Robert Fico forced their nominee Peter Plavcan to leave his post as education minister due to suspicions related to the distribution of eurofunding and asked why the same approach did not apply to Richter.

In response to Plavcans departure, the SNS demanded that Smers Richter should also resign. The opposition attempted to oust him in the parliament session on September 7. The SNS indicated that it would vote with the opposition which would mean the fall of the coalition formed by the SNS, Smer and Most-Hid. At the end of day however they stated that they will not support the opposition.

"We will not make Mr Sulik happy," SNS MP Eva Antosova told the Dennik N daily referring to Richard Sulik, the leader of the SaS, the strongest opposition party.
Previdzas Aerospool plans serial production of the certified aircraft

One of models of aircraft manufactured by Aerospool in Prievidza (Source: TASR)

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The new type of light sport aircraft (LSA) manufactured in Prievidza is now certified according to the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). For now, only a prototype of the WT9 Dynamic LSA exists, but the Aerospool company in Prievidza is planning its serial production. This is also why it is planning the expansion of its production, the TASR newswire reported.

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Aerospool has been manufacturing the WT 9 Dynamic ultra-light since 2000 and has exported them to about 20 countries around the globe.

It took the company five years to complete the certification process for the LSA category. This was partly because the EASA were still completing their regulations.

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The company plans to launch the serial production of the WT9 Dynamic LSA in October.

This will mean quite a significant extension in production, said company director Jan Hrabovsky as cited by TASR.

video //www.youtube.com/embed/qccGaW9Zlm0

So far, the company manufactures four planes in the ultra-light category each month. Now it will add two LSA aircrafts each month. Hrabovsky expects that they will need to hire an additional 20-30 people in order for the company to satisfy the orders it receives.

Since the certification, countries from the whole of Europe have showed an interest in the LSA aircrafts. The company also expects revived sales to South America where the EASA certificates are accepted too. Northern America remains questionable as Slovakia does not have a respective bilateral agreement with them.

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The certification means the opening of new markets for the Slovak aviation industry, said Hrabovsky. This is also proof that Slovakia does not need to be just an assembly hall; that there does not only need to be cars. Also, not only companies that employ people on assembly lines but those designing aircraft can grow here.
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.
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.
YEREVAN.  The novel by writer Mark Aren, and entitled Where Wild Roses Bloom: Anatolian Story, and which is about Armenian Genocide, will soon turn into a movie.

The shooting of this movie by filmmaker Artak Igityan will get underway in 2018. And its teaser shows that famous French actors Samy Naceri and Gerard Darmon also will play in it.

Actress and announcer Hermine Stepanyan will play the main character in this film.

Stepanyan spoke to NEWS.am STYLE, shared with us her respective enthusiasm, and presented details about her collaboration with the said renowned actors.

The actress noted, however, that she cannot provide any details on the subject matter of this movie yet. But, instead, she spoke with great enthusiasm about her future collaboration with Samy Naceri and Gerard Darmon.

I await the full movie shooting with great impatience, especially since my parts will primarily be with them, she noted, in particular.

We asked her whether this movie could open new doors for her toward the European or the American film market.

The work that I expect [in this movie] () is much more interesting and important to me because films about the [Armenian] Genocide are always thoroughly discussed, she responded, in particular.

In her words, the movie will be shot in France, Bulgaria, and probably in Armenia and Turkey, too.

Separately, I agree to be the composer of your film, renowned French musician Michel Legrandwho is of Armenian descenttold Artak Igityan.

Also, in the filmmakers words, Legrand for the first time expressed a wish that his Armenian surnameDer Mikaelianalso be written in the titles of this movie.

By Syune Arakelyan

Photos by MENART.ru

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Policy & Funding

Senate Ed Appropriations Subcommittee Approves $68.3 Billion in Discretionary Spending

The Senate Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Subcommittee has unanimously approved a funding bill for fiscal year 2018 that includes $68.3 billion in discretionary funding for the United States Department of Education, a $29 million increase over the previous year's budget.

The bill increases funding for Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants  a provision of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) calling for $1.6 billion in funding and known as Title IV  by $50 million to $450 million. The SSAE is a "flexible formula block grant to help support activities to provide students with a well-rounded education, including STEM education; ensure safe and supportive learning environments; and use technology to improve instruction," according to information released by the subcommittee.

President Trump's proposed budget for FY2018 would eliminate Title IV grants completely. Nevertheless, the Consortium for School Networking (CoSN) is "deeply disappointed" in the subcommittee's failure to fund the program further, according to a statement released by the non-profit agency.

"By modestly increasing funding for the program, the subcommittee's decision continues a disturbing trend," according to the organization's statement. "The House Appropriations Committee has agreed to just $500 million in program funding in FY 2018. This waning digital commitment among U.S. policymakers will affect learning experiences and outcomes in schools nationwide.

"We urge Congress to fully fund the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grant program and lift the spending caps of the Budget Control Act," the statement continues. "These actions would advance, rather than hamper, America's public education system and technology infrastructure."

"We must support increased funding in education, period," said ISTE CEO Richard Culatta. "While we recognize and appreciate the increase in funding for Title IV, Part A, we are concerned that the program is still only funded at a fraction of the level approved by Congress only a year ago. This dramatically constrains states from providing support to schools and districts in using technology to transform learning."

The move is one of four called for in the bill to support flexibility at the state and local level for elementary and secondary education. Other provisions in this vain include:

A $25 million increase in Title I grants to local education agencies (LEAs) for a total of $15.5 billion;

$367 million, also a $25 million increase over the current year, for the start-up, replication and expansion of charter schools; and

$1.3 billion, an $11.5 million increase from FY2017, to impact aid, which provides funding for schools and districts, such as those on tribal land or military bases, impacted by federally owned land or federal activities.

"The FY2018 Labor-HHS Appropriations Bill will help States to meet the promise of the Every Student Succeeds Act, by funding vital programs designed to build the capacity of educators and systems that will help students succeed," said Maria Worthen, iNACOL vice president of federal and state policy, in an email. "ESSA gives states a historic opportunity to transform K-12 education toward personalized, student-centered learning; it represents a marked shift in federal control to states, presenting state and local stakeholders with important opportunities and flexibilities to redefine student success and the goals of the United States education system."

The proposed budget would maintain spending for Title II, Section A of ESSA at $2.05 billion, which priovides funding for preparing, training and recruiting teachers and another section of the education act that Trump suggested eliminating funding for in his proposed budget.

"In order to prepare our students to thrive in a globally connected world, teachers must have the support they need," said Culatta, in a prepared statement. "When teachers know how to use technology effectively, we see amazing results. Funding Title II, Part A is a step in the right direction, but we must also support leadership in states and districts to turn the potential of technology into a reality of transformed learning for students."

The bill features the first discretionary increase to the maximum Pell Grant in more than a decade, up to $6,020 from $5,920, a 1.7-percent bump. That increase, however, merely offsets the expiration of an automatic yearly increase in place from 2007-2017.

Funding for TRIO programs will receive a modest $3 million increase if the bill passes, up to $953 million. "TRIO Programs are Federal outreach and student services programs designed to identify and provide services for individuals from disadvantaged backgrounds," according to information released by ED.

Other programs for which the bill maintains funding, and their funding levels, include:

$12 billion for IDEA Grants to States (Part B, Section 611);

$2.1 billion for Title II Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants;

$1.2 billion for 21st Century Community Learning Centers;

$1.1 billion for Career and Technical Education State Grants;

$990 million for Federal Work Study; and

$733 million for Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grants.

The full committee is scheduled to consider the bill Thursday.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
By Krishna N. Das and Nazimuddin Shyamol CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Mohammed Idrees, a 10-year-old Rohingya boy, does not remember how he landed at the hospital in Bangladesh with a part of his right ear blown off. But he says he won't return to his home country, neighbouring Myanmar, until there is peace. Idrees is one of around 60 badly injured Rohingya Muslims admitted to the hospital in Chittagong since violence flared in Rakhine state in the northwest of Myanmar in late August. Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base on Aug 25, leading to a military crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people and sent 146,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh. Apart from creating a humanitarian crisis, the unrest has also brought waves of international criticism of Myanmar's leader, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for not speaking out for a minority that has long complained of persecution. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country. Almost all the Rohingya being treated at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the largest in southeast Bangladesh, have been injured by gunshots or bomb blasts, according to a hospital document given to Reuters. Around a third of the total injured are teenagers or younger, including a six-year-old boy. The Myanmar military has repeatedly said that it has been targeting only insurgents in the crackdown. Ajoy Kumar Dey, who is in charge of the hospital, said he had not seen similar wounds during previous influxes of Rohingya from Myanmar. He said the large number of young men and children, like Idrees, underlined the gravity of the situation in Rakhine. "I don't remember what happened to me, but I want to go see my mother," Idrees said, lying on his bed in a soiled white shirt and a checked longyi, a Myanmar-style sarong. His head was bandaged and he was clutching the hand of his father, sitting by his side. "It hurts a lot." He cried as his father, Mohammed Rasheed, described how Myanmar security forces sprayed bullets into their village, Kyauk Chaung, on the morning of Aug. 25. One bullet took off a chunk of Idrees' ear as his family crouched behind a canal near their house. Six fellow villagers from Kyauk Chaung died in the hour-long shooting, said Rasheed. A bleeding Idrees was carried on a bamboo stretcher over some hills near the border to reach Bangladesh the same night. His mother, three sisters and a brother arrived on Sunday. "We are lucky all of us are alive," said Rasheed. Across the ward, a Rohingya man with bullet wounds in one shoulder, the back of a thigh and a shin, writhed in agony. A plastic nasal pipe was helping him breath. OVERCROWDED The government hospital in Chittagong is usually crowded at the best of times; now it is receiving twice as many people as it has beds - many of them Rohingya with shattered faces, shredded legs and damaged eyes who are fighting for their lives. Around two dozen young Rohingya men, some groaning in pain, were laying on blue hospital mattresses on the floor of a corridor on Wednesday, their legs or hands heavily plastered. Zaw Htay, Aung San Suu Kyis spokesman, said Thursday that Myanmar was in discussions with Dhaka on what to do about what he said were "terrorists" in the hospital, a charge the Myanmar military made earlier in the week. The Bangladeshi foreign secretary, Shahidul Haque, denied being contacted by Myanmar about militants being treated at the hospital. However, he said that Bangladesh had previously handed over two terrorists after being given their names by Myanmar. He did not provide further details, but said Bangladesh would hand any terrorists to Myanmar if it provided more names and the individuals could be found. A United Nations source said that on Sept. 3 alone, 31 Rohingya with bullet injuries and six with burn injuries were admitted to the Chittagong hospital. "There have been many people who have come with bullet wounds on the backs of their bodies," said H.T. Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. "That is most reprehensible. This is a killing mission, plain and simple." Myanmar officials have said the country has the right to defend itself from attack, adding that security personnel were told to keep innocent civilians from harm. Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh are in urgent need of medical and humanitarian assistance given the massive scale of the influx, Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday. "Many of the arrivals have serious medical needs, such as violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds, and advanced obstetric complications," Pavlo Kolovos, the humanitarian group's head in Bangladesh, said in a statement. "Without a scale-up of humanitarian support, the potential health risks are extremely concerning." One such person with severe injuries is Mohammed Jubair, 21, who, according to doctors treating him in the burns and plastic surgery department, is on his deathbed. The right side of Jubair's face has been smashed up completely; the left has severe burns, as does his lower body. He was fleeing his village in Rakhine with his five-year-old sister when Myanmar forces in a helicopter hurled a bomb at them on Aug. 26, killing the girl on the spot, according to his older brother, Nur Mohammed. "Unlike me, my brother was carrying our young sister as we fled to the hills when the army came and started setting our houses on fire," he said. "I could move ahead faster, now Allah save my brother." Like the attack on the village reported by Rasheed, it was not possible to independently verify Mohammed's account. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Philip McClellan)
Pound and Euro coins are seen in this picture illustration taken January 18, 2017. REUTERS/Dado Ruvic/Illustration

By Huw Jones

LONDON (Reuters) - France wants European Union regulators to have a veto over how Britain supervises UK-based clearing houses of euro denominated transactions after Brexit, EU sources said.

The demand marks an escalation in efforts by France, the European Central Bank and others to have a decisive say over euro-denominated clearing after Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019. LCH, a unit of the London Stock Exchange (LSE.L), currently dominates clearing of euro denominated derivatives.

Euro clearing has become a battleground between London and Brussels as both sides are locked in divorce talks that will shape how Europe's financial market - along with its tax revenue and the hundreds of thousands of jobs - is divided up.

The EU's executive European Commission proposed a draft law in June that sketches out a system of joint supervision of "systemic" clearing houses outside the bloc that handle large amounts of derivatives and other contracts traded in euros.

Euro clearing would have to move from London to the EU if joint supervision was deemed insufficient by Brussels.

EU policymakers say they should have a say over such "third country" activity in order to ensure euro zone financial stability in times of crisis.

Officials from the bloc's member states meet next week to begin the approval process for the draft law, and the two biggest states, Germany and France want tougher measures than what's been proposed so far, EU sources with knowledge of the meeting said.

Each member state was asked to give their views on the draft law, and France has said it wants the ability of the ECB to impose extra requirements on non-EU clearing houses to be given to the European Commission and to the bloc's European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) as well, the sources said.

France wants them to "have a say, up to a veto right if needed" on some decisions taken by non-EU authorities, if those decisions go against the bloc's interests, the sources added.

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The closure of a vital clearing service that cannot be easily be replicated in the EU is one example of a decision that could be vetoed. LCH and other clearing houses in Britain are regulated by the Bank of England.

Germany says in its submission that the EU proposals don't go far enough in giving the ECB powers to change clearing house rules and act quickly in a crisis, the sources said.

Some EU policymakers are still smarting after LCH raised how much cash was required to back financial transactions during the euro zone debt crisis, saying this decision fuelled further instability.

Germany, like Austria, is against handing more powers to Paris-based ESMA at the expense of national regulators, and instead backs giving the ECB new powers "to impose additional requirements on third-country" clearing houses.

Next week's meeting will start by discussing a proposal from the ECB to amend one of its founding articles to allow the Frankfurt-based central bank to "make regulations to ensure efficient and sound clearing and payment systems" within the EU "and with other countries".

Germany believes this is of "particular relevance to the Brexit situation", the sources said.

Spain said it was unsure whether such "deep change" was actually needed for supervising clearing houses, a view backed by Sweden, a sign of how member states don't want to see their national watchdogs lose more power to EU regulators.

(Reporting by Huw Jones; Editing by Rachel Armstrong and Mark Potter)
By Elias Biryabarema KAMPALA (Reuters) - A spate of unsolved murders of young women in Uganda is putting rare public pressure on a police force long accused by opposition politicians of spending more time suppressing political dissent than tackling crime. Widespread media coverage of the appearance of 20 corpses beside roadsides south of the capital since May reflects public anger with police for repeatedly saying they have arrested the perpetrators, only for another body to be discovered. "It's terrifying," Susan Kabul, 29, told Reuters, standing near the garbage-littered bank of a drainage channel where the latest murder victim was discovered. "The police need to tell us who is slaughtering people like this." The government has defended the police, and police say they have arrested 30 suspects and charged 13 of them, listing possible motives ranging from domestic rows through sexual abuse to ritual murder linked to human sacrifice. "Ritual killing is one of the motives that we suspect, we also think there might be cases of jilted lovers," police spokesman Asan Kasingye said by telephone. "Other theories might come up as investigations progress." There have been occasional individual cases of alleged ritual murder in the east African nation, but this is the first time there has been such a large number of people killed in similar circumstances in the same area. In a nod to the public outrage, lawmakers stopped work for two days this week after the 20th body was found, saying ministers had failed to appear before the legislature over the killings in three districts on the outer edge of Kampala. Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo accused them of populism. "They spoke as if the government is doing nothing," he said. "They should leave police to work without pressure." The legislature is dominated by supporters of longstanding President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986. The constitution was changed in 2005 to remove a two-term limit, allowing him to extend his rule, and parliament is discussing removing an age cap. His son is a major general and powerful presidential adviser. Opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who contends that Museveni stole his victory in last year's election, has been charged with treason. Police often break up opposition rallies with teargas, beatings or detentions. The opposition and rights activists have long accused security forces of neglecting crime to focus on political control. "Police can't secure women in a small area - all the attention is on politics, on who is criticizing Museveni," said Sarah Birete of the Centre for Constitutional Governance. Government spokesman Opondo said police were doing a good job. "Some people start disguised as political activists and degenerate to criminals, I think they are unhappy that the police is on their back," he said. "The police is right to focus on all forms of crime that can cause insecurity." Uganda is ranked among the world's most corrupt countries by watchdog Transparency International. The Ugandan government's inspector general said in a 2014 report that the police force was "the most corrupt public institution in the country" and noted crimes were rarely investigated. In Wakiso, the district south of Kampala where most of the victims have been found, few residents have faith that the killings will stop. "I have stopped moving about at night. He could be a serial killer. I don't know where he will strike next," said Deo Busulwa, who lives a stone's throw from the canalside bank location of the latest grisly discovery, of mother-of-two Maria Nabilawa. Many residents suspect the victims are killed elsewhere and the bodies dumped. Kasingye said they had arrested Nabilawa's husband in connection with her killing. (This story has been refiled to add dropped word in fifth paragraph) (editing by Katharine Houreld and Philippa Fletcher and Jon Boyle)
By Camilla Knudsen OSLO (Reuters) - Norway's next prime minister could be a man born into wealth and privilege who became the unlikely leader of the Labour Party, the political home of the working class. Jonas Gahr Stoere, 57, hopes to replace Conservative Prime Minister Erna Solberg, 56, after a Sept. 11 parliamentary election. With the left and right neck-and-neck in the polls and many voters undecided, the race is too close to call. If he wins, it would be a victory for a millionaire, whose background was once deemed an obstacle to his ambition to lead a party rooted in the struggle for workers' rights. Stoere got massive attention in the media in 2013 when he failed, apparently by accident, to raise the national flag outside his house on International Workers' Day on May 1 - an important tradition in the labour movement. "I have not grown up in the traditional working class and I cannot explain my background away. Like everyone else I'm the sum of my experiences," he told the tabloid VG at the time. With a net worth of 64.5 million Norwegian crowns (6.37 million), media interest in Stoere's investments has at times threatened to overshadow his campaign, leading him last week to divest stakes in a mutual fund that did not comply with the same ethical standards as the sovereign wealth fund. He served as foreign minister and health minister in the two cabinets of his friend, prime minister Jens Stoltenberg, in 2005-2013, and became Labour Party leader when Stoltenberg was named NATO Secretary General. In 2010, while foreign minister, Stoere helped broker a deal to delineate an Arctic offshore border between Norway and Russia that had been in dispute for four decades. "Stoere was a very popular foreign minister, but has experienced problems as party leader," Toril Aalberg, a professor of political science at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology in Trondheim told Reuters. "While there is a greater degree of consensus in Norwegian foreign policy, there is a greater degree of disagreement in domestic policy matters." FRANCOPHILE The son of a shipbroker, Stoere credits his conversion to social democracy to his move to study in France where he was confronted with starker class differences. "I learnt what kind of society I wanted to live in. In France, differences between people are large, larger than in Norway -- between rich and poor, between those with education and those without, between city and countryside," he wrote in a column for Norway's ABC News website in June. "In Norway, we have shaped a society where there are fewer differences. But we are not immune to this and this is not a given." He attended Paris' prestigious Sciences Po university, became engaged in the movement to support Soviet dissidents, and travelled to the Soviet Union to provide supplies and support. He organised a protest in support of Andrei Sakharov, then held in internal exile, persuading French star Yves Montand, a long-time Communist sympathiser, to deliver a letter to the Soviet embassy in Paris calling for the Nobel laureate's freedom. When he returned to Norway, Stoere worked closely with Norway's first female prime minister, Gro Harlem Brundtland, known as the "mother of the nation" in Norway, first as an adviser and later a senior civil servant under several governments between 1989 and 1997. From 1998 to 2000 he followed Brundtland to the World Health Organisation to serve as chief of staff to the new executive director. He was also Secretary General of the Norwegian Red Cross from 2003 to 2005. TIGHTENING OIL SPENDING If Labour wins the Sept. 11 vote, it would spend less money from Norway's near-trillion dollar sovereign wealth fund and instead raise taxes, arguing that the growth in oil revenue spending must slow. "Sound public finances are critical for welfare and critical for productivity," Stoere told Reuters in an interview in June. Stoere also said he would be careful about allowing the sovereign wealth fund into new asset classes. "Political risk is clearly one issue. Spreading the focus of the fund too much is another one," he said. To govern, Labour will need the support of the Centre Party, whose main support is in rural areas, with whom it shared power between 2005 and 2013. But depending on the outcome of the vote, Stoere may be in need of the support of the far-left Red Party and would face demands from the small-but-growing Green Party about limiting the reach of Norway's oil industry. Stoere says he is adamant he would not accept the Green Party's ultimatum of shutting down the industry but his position may be more difficult to defend if he needs their support. "Forming a government is going to be difficult," said Johannes Bergh, a political scientist at the Institute of Social Research in Oslo. (Additional reporting by Lefteris Karagiannopoulos in Oslo; Editing by Gwladys Fouche and Robin Pomeroy)
VIENNA (Reuters) - A vehicle belonging to an international monitoring mission in eastern Ukraine that struck a landmine in April, killing a U.S. paramedic on board, was not the mine's intended target, an independent investigation has found. The death was the first suffered by the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe's (OSCE) Special Monitoring Mission while on patrol in Ukraine, where its 700 observers report on a conflict that has deeply strained relations between Russia and the West. Two other members of the team were wounded in the blast during a routine patrol near the small village of Pryshyb, which is controlled by pro-Russian separatists. The investigation into the circumstances of the explosion was carried out by the International Humanitarian Fact-Finding Commission, an international body based in Switzerland. Its findings were presented to the 57-nation OSCE on Thursday. "We concluded that it is unlikely that the SMM was the intended target, given that the mission rarely used this road, the patrol was planned late, and there was limited opportunity to lay mines during the patrol," Alfredo Labbe, a Chilean ambassador who headed the investigation team, said in a statement issued by the OSCE. A 2015 ceasefire between Ukraine and Russian-backed separatists in the eastern part of the country is regularly violated, and Washington cites the conflict as a key obstacle to improved relations between Russia and the United States. The OSCE, whose participating states include Ukraine, Russia and the United States, in March extended its monitoring in Ukraine by a year. (Reporting by Francois Murphy; editing by Ralph Boulton)
The reputation of global PR company Bell Pottinger has suffered a massive blow. The boss has resigned, clients have walked, the firm has been expelled from the Public Relations and Communications Association (PRCA)  and it has now put itself up for sale. All because of its work on a controversial contract in South Africa.

Bell Pottinger, which has staff, partners and offices in many parts of the world, is headquartered in London. So when the South African political party the Democratic Alliance wanted to complain about the firms activities, the London-based PRCA was its chosen route.

The whole issue of ethics and regulation in public relations is a thorny one. In virtually every country, anyone can call themselves a PR practitioner. I am an accredited practitioner with all sorts of qualifications, but there is nothing in law to stop my neighbour, a plumber, from hanging out a sign saying he is a PR officer, too.

But thanks to a drive from industry professionals there have been efforts to promote ethics and ensure some sort of regulation, which practitioners and companies can choose to sign up to.

In the UK, there is the PRCA (mostly for organisations) and the CIPR (mostly for individual practitioners). Each has codes of conduct and disciplinary processes. Each can censure and expel. Ethical practitioners hope that clients will equate membership with high standards.

The PRCAs expulsion of Bell Pottinger is the most serious sanction it can take, and follows an investigation, a provisional ruling and an appeal. But now Bell Pottinger is out, and it cannot apply to rejoin for at least five years.

According to PRCA Director General Francis Ingham:

Bell Pottinger has brought the PR and communications agency into disrepute  The PRCA has never before passed down such a damning indictment of an agencys behaviour.

Bell Pottinger was founded in part by Sir Tim (now Lord) Bell in 1987. Advising former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher on her presentational style, he became one of the biggest names in PR. The firm did not shy away from controversial clients, who included former South African president FW de Klerk, Asma al-Assad, the wife of Syrian president Bashir al-Assad, and the South African athlete Oscar Pistorius, after he was accused of murder.

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Lord Bell himself resigned from the company last year. And in an interview with the BBCs Newsnight (which was twice interrupted by his mobile phone ringing) he said this latest episode was almost certainly the end.

Experts in keeping up appearances, the firm no doubt regrets the work it carried out for the wealthy Gupta family, which has close links to South Africas president Jacob Zuma.

The British PR firm got into trouble with a social media economic emancipation campaign in which the phrase white monopoly capital was said to have been deliberately, or irresponsibly, used, stirring up racial tension.

South Africas opposition Democratic Alliance accused Bell Pottinger of a hateful and divisive campaign to divide South Africa along the lines of race.

The scandal led to resignations  and the loss of clients. Britains biggest bank, HSBC, has said it would no longer use Bell Pottinger. A Swiss luxury company headed by a South African businessman, a South African investment group, and Acacia, which owns gold mines in Tanzania, are also reportedly off the books.

The damage to the companys reputation is immense. While Bell Pottinger did take on work for clients which some of us find offensive or to be avoided, there is a difference between a client with a bad reputation deserving some help, and creating a bad reputation through the very act of communication.

Is all publicity still good publicity?

Will nations and companies still want to hire the company in the future? Some will probably take the attitude that recent events do not affect the organisations ability to carry out its work.

But will journalists and other PR audiences be ready to accept the firms messages? Probably not. The first response of any journalist contacted by a Bell Pottinger spokesperson will surely be to think of this damning incident. It will be tough for any lobbying campaign to carry conviction with the Bell Pottinger name attached.

Of course, being expelled from a professional association does not take away the ability to practice. The Democratic Alliance itself has pointed out that Bell Pottinger can still work in South Africa.

But PR depends on the ability to win client accounts  by convincing them that you will protect and enhance their reputation. It is difficult to see how an organisation which has effectively trashed its own reputation can protect someone elses.

This article was originally published on The Conversation. Read the original article.

The Conversation

Paula Keaveney is a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Relations and a CIPR accredited practitioner.
DUBAI (Reuters) - Bahrain's government has crushed dissent and violently cracked down on protests in the past year, Amnesty International said on Thursday, and it accused Britain and the United States in particular of turning a blind eye to its abuses. Amnesty said in a report on Thursday that it had documented how the Bahraini government, from June 2016 to June 2017, arrested, tortured, threatened or banned from travel at least 169 activists and opponents or their relatives. Bahraini authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Bahrain has repeatedly denied systematic rights abuses. Entitled "No one can protect you: Bahrain's year of crushing dissent", the report said that at least six people were killed, including a child, in the crackdowns. The report also accused Western governments, notably the United States and Britain of remaining silent. The two countries have a particularly high level of influence in Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based and where Britain's Royal Navy has a major facility. Amnesty said U.S. President Donald Trump's policy has shifted from that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who had publicly criticised the authorities of the tiny Gulf state. "In March 2017, President Trump told Bahrain's King Hamad 'there won't be strain with this administration': Bahrain appears to have interpreted this statement as a green light to pursue its repression," the report said. Bahrain has stepped up a crackdown on critics, shutting down two main political groups, revoking the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the Shi'ite Muslim community and jailing rights campaigners. It denounced attempts by previous U.S. and UK governments to intervene in its campaign. In July, a Bahraini court sentenced rights campaigner and prominent activist Nabeel Rajab to two years in jail for allegedly making "false or malicious" statements about Bahraini authorities. Rajab is facing another trial and risks a further 15 years in prison for tweeting. "Using an array of tools of repression, including harassment, arbitrary detention and torture, the government of Bahrain has managed to crush a formerly thriving civil society," Philip Luther, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement. Amnesty said it had received reports of nine cases of government critics being tortured in detention, eight of them in May 2017 alone. Bahrain has been a flashpoint since the Sunni-led government put down Arab Spring protests in 2011. The kingdom, most of whose population is Shi'ite, says it faces a threat from neighbouring Shi'ite theocracy Iran. It accuses the Islamic Republic of radicalizing and arming some members of its majority Shi'ite population in an effort to bring about the downfall of the ruling Al Khalifa family. Tehran denies any meddling in Bahrain. (Reporting By Aziz El Yaakoubi,; editing by Sami Aboudi and Larry King)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's foreign ministry on Friday announced an agreement with Tajikistan to establish exchanges of security intelligence as part of an upgrade to diplomatic relations during a state visit by Tajik President Emomali Rahmon to China. Chinese President Xi Jinping and Rahmon on Thursday established a "comprehensive strategic partnership" between the two countries, according to a statement released on the foreign ministry's website. The two sides agreed to bolster efforts to combat the threats of terrorism, separatism and religious extremism, as well as international criminal groups and drug trafficking by launching professional intelligence exchanges, the posting said. "Both sides will strengthen communications between defence, security and law enforcement departments and deepen intelligence exchanges," it said. China's plan to rebuild the ancient Silk Road by reconnecting trade routes from its borders into Central and South East Asia, dubbed the Belt and Road Initiative, has raised new security concerns for the country and its companies. Beijing has worked to deepen security cooperation with countries in Central Asia and elsewhere to make up for shortfalls in its own intelligence and security measures to combat terror groups and other threats in the region. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization, a security bloc established in 2001 by China, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan to fight radical Islam, has expanded to now include nearly twenty states as members or partners. In September last year, China agreed to finance and build several outposts for Tajik border guards and other facilities along the porous 1,345-km border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan. (Reporting by Christian Shepherd; Editing by Tom Hogue)
By Panarat Thepgumpanat Bangkok (Reuters) - Thailand have signed two contracts, worth 5.2 billion baht (120.42 million pounds), with Chinese state enterprises for a high-speed rail project with China, Anon Luengboriboon, acting governor of the State Railway of Thailand, told Reuters on Wednesday. The first contract covers the detailed engineering design of the project worth 1.7 billon baht, while the second involves the hiring of Chinese technical advisers, worth 3.5 billion baht. The Thai government and Chinese state enterprises signed the to contracts this week, witnessed by Chinese President Xi Jinping and Thai Prime Minister Prayuth Chan-ocha on the sideline of a BRICS summit in China. Construction of the first phase of the project, a 250-km rail line that will link the Thai capital, Bangkok, and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima, will begin in October. It is expected to be operational in 2021, according to Anon. "The Department of Highways will build the first 3.5 km of the rail line while the rest will be open to public bidding for Thai contractors, Anon told Reuters. "The signing of these two contracts has officially kicked-off the Thai-Chinese high-speed rail project." The project has been in the making since 2014 but was beset with delays, held up by negotiations over everything from the cost and loan terms to land-development rights. The full line will span 873 km (542 miles), linking Thailand and Laos across the Mekong river at the northeastern Thai city of Nong Khai. The project is part of Chinas Belt and Road initiative, which aims to build a modern-day Silk Road connecting the worlds second-largest economy by land corridors to Southeast Asia, Pakistan and Central Asia, and with maritime routes opening up trade with the Middle East and Europe.($1 = 33.1400 baht) (Reporting by Panarat Thepgumpanat; Writing Suphanida Thakral; Edited by Panu Wongcha-um, Robert Birsel)
NEW YORK (AP) -- Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the U.S. government Wednesday to block President Donald Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants, saying it was motivated by prejudice against Mexicans.

Legal experts, however, say the evidence of bias is not strong in the case involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

"It might be able to muck up the works, maybe push off the effective date of the repeal, but I don't see litigation being successful in the same way as the travel ban," Kari Hong, an immigration expert at Boston College Law School, said, referring to the lawsuit earlier this year that limited the Trump ban involving predominantly Muslim nations.

As indications of Trump's bias, the suit cited his previous statement referring to some Mexican immigrants as rapists and his decision to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt for ignoring a federal court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

"Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President's Trump's oft-stated commitments  whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof  to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots," the lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn said.

In its fight against the travel ban, Hawaii argued that it was illegally motivated by religious discrimination against Muslims and used statements Trump made as a candidate to support that claim.

A federal judge agreed and blocked the ban, though the U.S. Supreme Court later allowed a version to move forward.

The attorneys general who brought the DACA lawsuit  all Democrats  represent states where the population of DACA participants ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. Known as "dreamers," they were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Story continues

Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program.

Opponents of the program called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power.

Supporters of the DACA program disagreed.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said Trump's plan is "cruel, shortsighted, inhumane" and driven by a personal bias against Mexicans and Latinos.

He said the 42,000 New Yorkers with protected status under the program are largely model citizens.

"They are the best of America," Schneiderman said.

"Dreamers play by the rules. Dreamers work hard. Dreamers pay taxes. For most of them, America is the only home they've ever known. And they deserve to stay here," he said.

Devin M. O'Malley, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency looks forward to defending the administration's position.

Pratheepan Gulasekaram, who teaches immigration and constitutional law at Santa Clara University School of Law, agreed that the bias claim will be hard to win.

"As a general matter, showing animus is not easy especially showing animus on the basis of nebulous statements that don't necessarily reference this group," he said.

Holly Cooper, co-director of the Immigration Law Clinic at the University of California Davis School of Law, disagreed, saying: "Given his past history, pretty explicit statements against people of color and immigrants and people of certain religions, you have a lot of evidence to work with to make this case."

Under Trump's plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isn't accepting new applications.

Trump on Tuesday said he had "love" for those who benefited from DACA and said he hoped Congress would help them.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include New York, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

A half-dozen beneficiaries of DACA  young adults from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and elsewhere, including some now working at law firms or for the state Legislature  flanked Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, at a news conference in Seattle announcing the lawsuit.

"It's outrageous, it's not right," an emotional Ferguson said. "As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, it's the law."

California, one of the most solidly Democratic states with a large immigrant population, was noticeably absent from the group of plaintiffs.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he plans to file a separate lawsuit, noting that the state has a high number of DACA recipients.

"The breadth and scope of the impact of the president's, I'd say, heartless decision is going to be felt here more than anywhere else," he said.

California's lawsuit isn't likely to make any different legal arguments, he said.

___

Thanawala reported from San Francisco. Associated Press writers Gene Johnson in Seattle, Sadie Gurman in Washington, Deepti Hajela and Karen Matthews in New York, and Andrew Selsky in Salem, Oregon, contributed to this report.

___

This story has been corrected to say the lawsuit cites a Trump statement  not statements  about Mexican immigrants.
Photo credit: Getty

From Esquire UK

You would think that when the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded approaches, planes would stop flying in the vicinity.

Well, in the face of Hurricane Irma  which has already caused mass devastation to Caribbean islands including Barbuda, St Martin and St Barts  one Delta plane flew through the category 5 storm.

The flight took off from New York City's JFK airport on Wednesday and flew to San Juan in Puerto Rico. Within an hour, it then left Puerto Rico and returned return back to JFK with a full flight, all while Irma was approaching Puerto Rico.

Jason Rabinowitz, an aviation fan and expert, tracked the flight's race against the storm, sharing updates, including terrifying satellite images, on Twitter.

Here is the plane flying directly into that massive storm:

You really want to fly into SJU during a category 5 hurricane, DL431?



Everyone else has turned around. pic.twitter.com/nHdChvYh2Y - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

While other planes from airlines including American Airlines and Jet Blue turned around, the Delta flight went for it:

A few flights attempted to squeak into @AeropuertoSJU ahead of Hurricane #Irma



Too late. 2x @JetBlue & 1 @AmericanAir flight turning around pic.twitter.com/ssGLh5EFCp - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

DL431 is going for it.



Latest METAR: 35011G20KT pic.twitter.com/MqNgVPenQ8 - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Once the plane safely landed at San Juan, they speeded up their boarding in order to return to JFK  so they could presumably take people who wanted to evacuate the island - before they were unable to fly. According to Rabinowitz, they were on the ground for a total of 52 minutes  which isn't long when you think of getting all the passengers and bags off, and then a whole other load getting back on.

Story continues

Here they go! DL302 now taxiing for takeoff before #Irma gets really bad. pic.twitter.com/CNfk5L6oaa - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Now DL302 has to climb out of SJU, and they're doing so between the outer band of #Irma and the core of the storn. Amazing stuff. pic.twitter.com/lOq9Te5DO6 - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

A video of the plane taking off from San Juan in Puerto Rico was shared on Facebook, according to The Guardian.

Delta 302, Boeing B737-900ER taking off from San Juan, hours before Hurricane Irma. Wind 35025G35KT Posted by Wladimir Castro on Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Naturally, all of this madness made for a very tense, and confused, following on Twitter:

Quite possibly one of the most tense series of tweets today. - Andy Batchelor (@Pyrobrainiac) September 6, 2017

Imagine those pilots will need a shirt change once they land. - Dan (@Dansnov1086) September 6, 2017

That is totally amazing wow! - Reinecke van Dyk (@SAFFAinTX) September 7, 2017

This story is crazy - BattleoftheAxe (@BattleoftheAxe1) September 7, 2017

Thankfully, the plane finally left the area of the storm and arrived back safely in New York.

Well, that's the end of that story. DL302 is reaching the edge of #Irma's outer bands.



Guess the flight crew serves lunch now...? pic.twitter.com/IDTV3WuLd5 - Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Commenting on this intense battle against nature, Delta's Vice President for operations and customer centre made it seem like it was really no big deal.

"Our meteorology team is the best in the business," Erik Snell told the Washington Post. "They took a hard look at the weather data and the track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight. And our flight and ground crews were incredible in their effort to turn the aircraft quickly and safely so the flight could depart well before the hurricane threat."

Photo credit: Getty

After the flight's departure, Irma hit Puerto Rico - which has declared a state of emergency - with heavy rain and powerful winds. The storm left most of the island's population without power and tens of thousands without water and photos from the island show parts of it heavily flooded. The hurricane is now heading towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Photo credit: Getty

Additional reporting by the Associated Press.

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Growing up in California and Georgia, Bryan Herrera didn't feel connected to his Hispanic culture. In fact, he admitted his Spanish-speaking skills were "awful."

But when Herrera enrolled at the University of North Georgia (UNG), he finally found a connection.

"With the Latino Student Association (LSA), I was introduced to a new world, culture and people," the sophomore computer science major said.

Herrera connected with his heritage by meeting other UNG students with Latino backgrounds.

Dr. Robert Robinson, director of Multicultural Student Affairs (MSA), said that's the purpose of the MSA and student organizations such as the LSA on the Gainesville Campus, the Latin American Student Organization (LASO) on the Dahlonega Campus, and the Spanish Club on the Oconee Campus.

"We have several students who are not familiar with their culture and this gives them a foundation," Robinson said.

The LSA, however, does not limit itself to only connecting Latino students to each other. The student-run organization shares its culture with fellow UNG students during Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept. 15 to Oct. 15.

Hispanic Heritage Month will feature several activities, starting with the Expo Fair from noon to 1 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 13, at the volleyball courts on the Gainesville Campus. Music, food and games will be available for all students.

The Oconee Spanish Club will sponsor a Day of the Dead presentation from noon to 1 p.m. Oct. 31 in SRC 522. Dr. Ken Martin will talk about the history of the celebration and explain what it is today. Ethnic food will be served. The event is free and open to everyone.

The Dahlonega campus is in the process of planning its events.

The Expo Fair is a design board competition with students selecting a Latin American country and displaying information about it. Judges will pick the best board. The deadline to enter is Sept. 6. Interested students should email Roany Casas, LSA vice president of membership, at rcasa0644@ung.edu to enter.

Other Hispanic Heritage Month events on the Gainesville Campus include:

Sept. 27: Dance performance

Oct. 4: LSA alumni panel

Oct. 11: Keynote speaker

Oct. 14-15: Great Latino Debate

The first three events will take place from noon to 1 p.m. in the Robinson Ballroom at the Student Center. The debate will be an all-day event in the Martha T. Nesbitt Building.

The debate is a collaboration among the LSA, MSA and Debate Club. In previous years, participants were given the topics in advance, allowing them time to prepare their speeches. But this year marks a change.

The new format will follow the World Series or British Parliament debate style, Herrera said. That means participants will receive the topic 15 minutes before the debate, said Kyle Murphy, limited term coordinator for MSA and Latino Success.

As the LSA president, Herrera is looking forward to the new style and debate, especially since it is all in Spanish.

"It's given me more of an appreciation of the Spanish language," said Herrera, who is from Loganville, Georgia. "The debate also helps me critically think in a language I rarely use, and it is good practice with public speaking."

Robinson said the Latin Debate marks UNG's willingness to embrace and accept the cultures of the native speakers. He also hopes it marks the beginning of similar events, pointing out UNG has a large population of Asian students.

"We could have Korean or Mandarin events, depending on the student population," he said. "Those are things to come in the future."

For more information about Hispanic Heritage Month or the LSA, visit the LSA website or LSA Facebook page.
Boar's Head Weekend returns to the University of North Georgia's (UNG) Dahlonega Campus on Oct. 6-7 with a goal of connecting current and former cadets during a weekend of mentoring and networking.

"This weekend is intended to bond undergraduate cadets with experienced alumni to assist in career building and especially in creating loyal alumni of the future through the mentoring and networking process," said Alan Ware, president of the North Georgia Corps of Cadets Association (NGCCA).

NGCCA is an alumni support group dedicated to preserving the legacy of leadership provided by UNG's Corps of Cadets, also called the Boar's Head Brigade.

The weekend includes a variety of events, classes, speakers, socials, recognitions, and remembrances that all corps alumni are invited to attend. Alumni do not have to be NGCCA members to attend.

Boar's Head Weekend is a fantastic opportunity for our cadets to start planning for life after college," said retired Maj. Richard Neikirk, assistant commandant of cadets at UNG. "Most college students are thinking about today, not a few years from now. Students dont realize how fast their college years will fly by. Our Cadets have a great opportunity to network with alumni, which will help them get a tremendous jumpstart in their career planning.

Boar's Head Weekend kicks off the evening of Friday, Oct. 6, with retired Col. Jimmy Blackmon, a 1991 alumnus and author of "Pale Horse: Hunting Terrorists and Commanding Heroes with the 101st Airborne Division." Blackmon's book, which details the true story of an Army aviation task force during combat in Afghanistan, serves as the backdrop for his lessons on trust, empowerment, innovation, and teamwork.

Blackmon served 30 years in the U.S. Army, including 12 years in the 101st Airborne Division where he commanded the Pale Horse Task Force. In his keynote speech, Blackmon will explain how to inspire human behavior through quality leadership. Blackmon's appearance is sponsored by GreyStone Power Corp., as presenting sponsor for the event.

On Saturday, Oct. 7, the afternoon will include networking opportunities for all UNG cadets. Career-based panel discussions are planned for junior and senior cadets who do not plan to commission as a military officer; commissioning cadets can attend military briefings featuring active duty junior officers who have been recently deployed. Freshman and sophomore cadets can attend panels that address topics such as internships and other resume-building opportunities.

"The corps delivers great leaders to the military services and civilian careers," Ware said. "If there is any way experienced alumni can assist in enhancing the professional development in any of these fields, NGCCA leadership sees a duty to assist. Boars Head-Corps Alumni Weekend is one way that we can provide this assistance."

Oct. 7 events also will include UNG's annual Distinguished Military Student (DMS) Review to recognize high-achieving senior cadets, set for 10 a.m. to noon on the Gen. William "Lipp" Livsey Drill Field. To earn DMS recognition, a cadet must be in the upper half of the academic class at UNG, the upper third of the ROTC class, and the upper third of UNG's Order of Merit List, established by the professor of military science. The DMS students and their families will be recognized at a dinner that evening, which is co-sponsored by the UNG Alumni Association. Tickets are $40 per guest.

Registration is required for all events except Saturday's DMS Review, which is open to the public. For more information, to register, or to see who's attending, visit the UNG Alumni Association website.

UNG is one of only six senior military colleges in the nation and is designated as The Military College of Georgia and a state leadership institution.
Bank of Montreal provides diversified financial services primarily in North America. The company's personal banking products and services include checking and savings accounts, credit cards, mortgages, and financial and investment advice services; and commercial banking products and services comprise business deposit accounts, commercial credit cards, business loans and commercial mortgages, cash management solutions, foreign exchange, specialized banking programs, treasury and payment solutions, and risk management products for small business and commercial banking customers. It also offers investment and wealth advisory services; digital investing services; financial services and solutions; and investment management, and trust and custody services. In addition, the company provides life insurance, accident and sickness insurance, and annuity products; creditor and travel insurance to bank customers; and reinsurance solutions. Further, it offers client's debt and equity capital-raising services, as well as loan origination and syndication, and treasury management; strategic advice on mergers and acquisitions, restructurings, and recapitalizations, as well as valuation and fairness opinions; and trade finance, risk mitigation, and other operating services. Additionally, the company provides research and access to markets for institutional, corporate, and retail clients; trading solutions that include debt, foreign exchange, interest rate, credit, equity, securitization and commodities; new product development and origination services, as well as risk management advice and services to hedge against fluctuations; and funding and liquidity management services to its clients. It operates through approximately 900 bank branches and 3,300 automated banking machines in Canada and the United States. Bank of Montreal was founded in 1817 and is headquartered in Montreal, Canada.
SANTA FE  A clash over the accuracy of a campaign advertisement targeting State Land Commissioner Aubrey Dunn is headed to trial, attorneys in the case say.

State District Judge Matthew Reynolds this week refused to order Democrat Garrett VeneKlasen to stop airing or publishing the ad, which Dunn contends is false.

But the underlying complaint  a defamation suit, seeking damages from VeneKlasen  will move forward, and Dunn has asked for a jury trial.

Dunns son, Blair, is representing him in the case. The younger Dunn said he knew it would be difficult to win a court order halting publication but that the underlying case is a strong one.

A jury could hear the case early next year.

We agree with the judge, Blair Dunn said. When it comes to First Amendment cases, we entirely understand the bar is extremely high for an injunction.

Attorney Karen Mendenhall, who represents VeneKlasen, said the land commissioner had a chance to present his case during an all-day hearing in Torrance County on Tuesday and fell short.

Mr. VeneKlasens ads were accurate, Mendenhall said. They were not defamatory, and every statement in the ad was supported by publicly available documents.

The dispute centers on an audio advertisement VeneKlasen released earlier this year to announce his campaign. The ad accused Dunn of negotiating a deal to run a power line through his personal ranch, to great financial benefit.

Blair Dunn said theres no evidence of that.

The commissioner had no say in where the line was running, Blair Dunn said.

In any case, it doesnt look like Dunn and VeneKlasen will face off during election season.

Dunn, a Republican, isnt seeking re-election. Instead, hes campaigning to succeed U.S. Rep. Steve Pearce in the 2nd Congressional District.

VeneKlasen, executive director of the New Mexico Wildlife Federation, is seeking the Democratic nomination for land commissioner, facing off against state Sen. George Munoz of Gallup and former Land Commissioner Ray Powell.

On the Republican side, Pat Lyons  a member of the Public Regulation Commission and a former land commissioner  is running.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

The number of police-involved shooting cases awaiting a decision on whether charges will be filed against the officers has grown under the current district attorney, who had promised while campaigning for office that he would tackle the backlog.

His predecessor, Kari Brandenburg, who did not seek re-election, had faced criticism for the time it took to her office to resolve officer-involved shootings and for the method she had been using to clear them.

For years, Brandenburg had relied on investigative grand juries to analyze police shooting cases. But that stopped in 2013 amid criticism from court officials. She then started having her office review them internally.

When District Attorney Raul Torrez took office in January, there were 26 cases waiting to be cleared. The oldest case dated back to 2013.

Now, after a spate of shootings this year involving sheriffs deputies and city police officers, there are 33 cases where police have finished their investigations and decisions whether to prosecute are pending.

More than 50 law enforcement officers from local and federal law enforcement agencies fired their weapons in those cases, according to the district attorneys website.

Some officers and the union that represents them have complained about the wait.

Changing methods

After taking office, Torrez changed the practice for how such cases are reviewed.

He hired two retired prosecutors to take the lead on reviews, instead of using prosecutors who work in his office, because, he said, they dont work regularly with police officers so they wont be biased.

Torrez declined to do an interview with the Journal on the topic. But he said in a statement that the Legislature will need to provide more resources so he can hire additional prosecutors in order for his office to clear the historical backlog he inherited.

Unfortunately, resource limitations, special budgetary rules for establishing contract funds, and the steady increase in our overall caseload has prevented the office from fully staffing this team, he said. We are in the process of using vacancy savings within the agency to hire additional special prosecutors in order to address the historical backlog as well as keep pace with the influx of new cases. However, the impact of rising violent and property crime means that the office has had less contract money available to conduct independent evaluations of officer involved shooting cases.

Since the start of the year, Torrezs office has closed four shooting cases, deciding in each not to prosecute the officers involved.

The DAs Office has received 11 new investigations into shootings by law enforcement officers from both Albuquerque police and the Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office. Other shootings involving local and federal law enforcement agencies are still being investigated.

Torrez announced in February that his office would not retry officer Dominique Perez and retired detective Keith Sandy for the fatal shooting of James Boyd.

Torrez then hired two special prosecutors, who have ruled on three other shootings.

Michael Cox, one of the special prosecutors, said in a letter to the U.S. Marshals Service that a deputy marshal wont face charges for firing a shot at a suspect who was driving at the deputy with a vehicle in 2014.

And Cox said in a letter to Albuquerque police Chief Gorden Eden in April that no officers would face charges for fatally shooting Christopher Chase, who shot four police officers during a rampage in October 2013 before he was shot and killed by several police officers, including officer Simon Drobik, who sometimes also works as the departments spokesman.

Chase was the oldest pending police shooting case that Torrez inherited.

The office also recently decided not to prosecute two officers who shot and killed John Okeefe in January 2015.

Frustrated officers

Drobik told the Journal in an interview that its been frustrating for officers to wait years to get an answer on whether a shooting in which they were involved would be prosecuted.

He said waiting for resolution of a case like the one involving Chase was especially difficult. Chase was armed with two rifles, wearing body armor, had cop killer tattooed on his knuckles and had shot multiple officers before he was killed.

Now I had pretty much a black and white situation. There are more complicated officer-involved shootings, and the turmoil that these guys go through when its hanging over their head, Drobik said. Theyve been trained well. Theyve been asked to do a job and they do the job and they go back to work and now theyre waiting around for a decision from people who are not under stress and can look at the totality of everything. And it takes years? Thats a joke.

Drobik and police union officials said leaving the cases open for years before making a decision is troubling both for officers and their families.

Tough calls needed

Shaun Willoughby, the president of the Albuquerque Police Officers Association, said the police union is disappointed that the backlog of cases has grown under Torrez.

He said police unions around the country are shocked to learn that it can take years before Albuquerque prosecutors announce a decision on whether or not to charge an officer. He said the union has been disappointed at the speed in which the current district attorneys administration is reviewing the cases.

Whatever strategy or tactic or whatever resources he needs to throw at this elephant in the room to get it done and to get it done right now is what he needs to do, Willoughby said. Push comes to shove. Thats what we elect a district attorney to do. They need to make tough calls. They need to get through this workload and they need to get it done.
SANTA FE  Not everyone was pleased with how Wednesdays Fiesta Symposium at the New Mexico History Museum went, but nearly everyone left the event wanting more.

In place of whats usually an hour-long lecture held prior to Santa Fe Fiesta given by a historian, museum director Andrew Wulf decided this year to expand the program into a six-hour symposium featuring a series of speakers and finishing up with a community conversation centering around the still lingering tensions resulting from the Pueblo Revolt of 1680 and Spanish conquest of northern New Mexico.

May this event be a day of reconciliation and not of blame, Wulf said during his opening remarks.

That wish came true, as there was no finger pointing and several audience members who spoke during a roundtable discussion that closed the event praised the museum for providing forum offering different perspectives and for reconciliation to begin.

But a few said they felt the symposium missed the mark.

One of the first audience members to join the roundtable was a local man who said he expected the forum to be about New Mexicos complicated history, but instead felt the symposium got derailed. The man left the table and auditorium without providing a more detailed explanation, but several of the 150 or so audience members seemed to understand, confirming his comments with applause.

Marcos Gallegos, a member of the Caballeros de Vargas, the group that stages the controversial Entrada  a reenactment of Don Diego de Vargas return to resettle northern New Mexico 12 years after the Revolt held during the Fiesta that has been met with protests by Native American groups in recent years  also felt the program went off track. He, too, was expecting a conversation about local history. Instead, it became an art show, he said.

The symposium started with a talk by archeologist Stephen Post, but the rest of the lineup included filmmaker Jaima Chevalier, photographer Steven Katzman, and Cochiti Pueblo artist Virgil Ortiz. None of the scheduled speakers were Hispanic. Wulf has said Hispanic historians passed when asked to speak.

Still, Gallegos and others also praised the museum for providing a forum where a discussion about tensions, primarily between Hispanics and Native Americans, could take place.

Everybody has a story to tell, Gallegos said. But we cant get the entire story until you tell your story and I tell my story. Others said similar symposiums on the subject should be held more than once a year, one woman suggesting one should be held every two months so we can see progression and healing in the community.

Afterward, Wulf said hed work on putting something together within the next year.I think the outcome was very positive and has given us a template for similar events we can do more frequently, he said.
SANTA FE  Gov. Susana Martinez has asked a state district judge to block 10 vetoed bills from becoming law, arguing that allowing them to take effect before an appeal can be heard would set off a chain of events that could prove difficult to undo.

In a landmark decision, District Judge Sarah Singleton ruled last month that the governor did not follow proper constitutional procedures in vetoing the 10 bills  she either took too long to act on them or did not provide an explanation with each vetoed bill  and paved the way for the bills to hit New Mexicos books.

However, Martinez has indicated she plans to appeal the ruling and doesnt want Secretary of State Maggie Toulouse Oliver to chapter the bills into law before that can take place.

In a recent motion, attorneys for the two-term Republican governor said that enacting one vetoed bill that would authorize the growing of industrial hemp for research purposes, for instance, could lead to an entire crop of hemp having to be confiscated if the governors appeal is successful.

And enshrining a separate vetoed bill that would add computer science to the list of allowable math and science requirements for high school graduation could put the state in a similar predicament, the attorneys argued.

There would be no feasible way to un-graduate high school students who used a computer science unit to fulfill their math and science credit requirements under (the legislation), Martinez attorney Paul Kennedy argued in the motion.

A group of top-ranking lawmakers filed a lawsuit over the vetoed bills in June, after a contentious 60-day legislative session in which the Democratic-controlled Legislature sparred frequently with the Governors Office over budgetary matters.

Martinezs office has insisted the governors vetoes were legal, and has blasted Democratic lawmakers for wasting time and taxpayer money in spearheading the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was authorized in a closed-door vote by the Legislative Council, a bipartisan group of lawmakers, but GOP lawmakers have been largely silent about the effort.

Meanwhile, Martinez vetoed most of the 10 bills in question on March 15, the day after the Senate voted to successfully override the governors veto of a teacher sick leave bill.

Singleton, who recently retired but is still presiding over the veto lawsuit as a pro tem judge, gave the legislators until Friday to file a response to the governors latest motion. Shes expected to rule on it shortly thereafter.

The Secretary of States Office has said it will wait for legal direction before moving forward on enacting the 10 bills in question.

In all, Martinez vetoed 145 bills passed during this years regular session  or roughly 52 percent of the bills approved by lawmakers. The veto rate was the highest of the governors tenure, which started in 2011.

At a glance

Among the 10 bills in question:

Senate Bill 6  Authorize growing of industrial hemp for research purposes; House Bills 144, 154 & 280  Establish industrial hemp research and development programs.

Senate Bill 67  Require that county treasurers be notified when tax increment development districts are formed.

Senate Bill 134  Add computer science to allowable math and science requirements for high school graduation.

Senate Bill 24  Provide local governments with more leeway to expand broadband access.

House Bill 126  Give financial aid preference to medical students or health care professionals who attended or are attending New Mexico institutions.
NEW YORK  Amazon, bursting out of its Seattle headquarters, is hunting for a second home. Must haves: A prime location, close to transit, with plenty of space to grow.

The company said Thursday it will spend more than $5 billion to build another headquarters in North America to house as many as 50,000 employees. It plans to also stay in its sprawling Seattle headquarters, with the new space a full equal to that, said founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

Albuquerque Mayor Richard Berry said his administration plans to pitch the metropolitan area as the perfect new home for Amazon.

Among the metro areas virtues are available land that is affordable, a reliable power grid, a workforce that has shown it can handle large construction projects and an environment that doesnt have earthquakes, hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis, Berry said.

The investment Facebook is making at its data center in Los Lunas shows the area has every bit the capability of other areas for a large-scale tech project, he said.

But Albuquerque has something no other city can claim: Bezos was born here.

Jeff, come home, Berry said. Wed love to have you.

Amazons announcement highlights how fast the e-commerce giant is expanding, and its need to find fresh talent to fuel that growth. With the lure of so many new jobs, city and state leaders were already lining up Thursday to say they planned to apply. Among them: Chicago, Philadelphia and Toronto. They have a little more than a month to do so through a special website , and Amazon said it will make a decision next year.

Its requirements could rule out some places: Amazon wants to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade. Thats about the same size as its current home in Seattle, which has 33 buildings, 23 restaurants and houses 40,000 employees.

The Albuquerque area, which includes Rio Rancho, Los Lunas and Belen, has about 900,000 residents, which Berry said was right there as a metro area.

Theyre so big in Seattle, theyre running out of room, said Kevin Sharer, a corporate strategy professor at Harvard Business School.

Amazon said it will hire up to 50,000 new full-time employees at the second headquarters over the next 15 years, and they would make an average pay of more than $100,000 a year.

The company is hoping for something else from its second hometown: tax breaks, grants and other incentives. A section of the proposal that outlines those says the initial cost and the ongoing cost of doing business are critical decision drivers.

Brad Badertscher, an accounting professor at the University of Notre Dame, said the public search appeared to be a way to start a bidding war among cities.

This was like an open letter to city leaders saying, Who wants Amazon and all our jobs?' Badertscher said. This is Jeff Bezos doing what he does best: adding shareholder value and getting the most bang for the buck.

Amazon gets tax breaks when cities compete for its massive warehouses, where it packs and ships orders. The company received at least $241 million in subsidies from local and state government after opening facilities in 29 different U.S. cities in 2015 and 2016, according to an analysis by Good Jobs First, a group that tracks economic development deals.

In explaining why it was holding a public process, Amazon said on its site that it wanted to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit.

Bezos has crowdsourced major decisions before  in June, just before Amazon announced its plan to buy organic grocer Whole Foods, the billionaire took to Twitter seeking ideas for a philanthropic strategy to give away some of his fortune. And tech companies have been known to set places in competition with each other: In vying to land Googles ultra-fast broadband network, many cities used stunts and gimmickry to get the companys attention. Topeka even informally renamed itself Google, Kansas.

Amazon.com Inc. said its search is open to any metropolitan area in North America, but declined to say how open it was to going outside the United States. Jed Kolko, the chief economist at job site Indeed, noted that the companys request for proposals mentions provinces several times  a clear sign it would consider a Canadian metro area.

Kolko also said an East Coast locale could bring it closer to the companys offices in Europe.

Amazons arrival might transform an area: Until 10 years ago, the neighborhood near Seattles campus just north of downtown was dotted with auto parts stores and low-rent apartments. Now its a booming pocket of high-rise office complexes, sleek apartment buildings and tony restaurants.

And the company keeps growing. Amazon has said it will hire 100,000 people by the middle of next year, adding to its current worldwide staff of more than 380,000. It announced plans to build three new warehouses that pack and ship packages in New York, Ohio and Oregon. And it recently paid close to $14 billion for Whole Foods and its more than 465 stores.

The Whole Foods headquarters in Austin is far smaller than what Amazon said its looking for  the flagship hub is also a full-service grocery store with shoppers who compete for parking spaces. Even its larger corporate campus that stretches down the surrounding blocks may be too small for the space Amazon would want for a second headquarters.

In Seattle, its rise has not been without critics, who say the influx of mostly well-heeled tech workers has caused housing prices to skyrocket, clogged the streets with traffic and changed the city for the worse. The Seattle Times reported Thursday that the median price for a house in August in Seattle was $730,000, up almost 17 percent in a year.

That itself may be a factor. Amazon may be looking for a spot where its not as expensive for its employees to live, said Rita McGrath, a professor at the Columbia Business School in New York.

Its hard to attract people if they cant afford the housing available locally, she said.

___

Associated Press writers Michelle Chapman in Newark, New Jersey; Chris Grygiel in Seattle; Will Weissert in Austin, Texas; and Michael Liedtke in San Francisco contributed to this story.
BEIRUT  Israeli warplanes struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria Thursday, killing two soldiers, the Syrian army said, in a stronghold of President Bashar Assad that is also heavily protected by the Russians and Iranians.

The airstrike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf, in Hama province, described by some as a missile producing factory, amid Israeli outrage over Irans growing influence in the war-torn country.

Other reports suggested the facility was tied to Syrias chemical weapons program.

In a statement, the Syrian army said the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese air space, and warned of the dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region.

We will do everything to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor from Iran to Damascus, said Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who declined commenting directly on the strike in an interview with Israels 100FM Radio Thursday. He said Israel isnt looking for adventures, and we dont want to be dragged into this fight or another.

We are determined to prevent our enemies from harming or even creating the possibility of harming the security of Israeli citizens.

Israel has carried out several airstrikes against suspected arms shipments it believed to be bound for Lebanons Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assads forces, over the course of Syrias civil war, now in its seventh year. Israel has also struck several Syrian military facilities since the conflict began, mostly near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Assad, not wanting to draw Israel into his countrys war, has never retaliated.

The airstrike comes amid heightened tensions over Irans growing reach in Syria. Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed recently that Iran is building sites in Syria and Lebanon for the manufacture of precision-guided missiles with the aim of deploying them against Israel.

Thursdays air raid was seen as a message to both Russia and Iran that Israel can strike anywhere in Syria. It was also a rare instance of Israel striking a Syrian government facility rather than an arms shipment and harked back to an Israeli airstrike that destroyed a suspected, partially constructed nuclear reactor in the eastern city of Deir el-Zour exactly 10 years ago.

This week, Israel is conducting a massive drill along its border with Lebanon simulating war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

It was not immediately clear if the facility struck Thursday was used for the production or storage of chemical arms. Syria denies having or using such weapons.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said two facilities were hit in Thursdays airstrike, a scientific research center and a nearby military base where short-range surface-to-surface missiles are stored.

Many explosions were heard in the area after the air raid, said Abdurrahman, whose group relies on a network of activists across the country.

He said Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military officials often visit the site, adding that those killed and wounded were Syrians.

A local opposition media activist said the facility that was struck is a factory that produces missiles under the supervision of Iranian experts. He said those killed and wounded were Syrian soldiers guarding the facility. The activist spoke on condition of anonymity out of security concerns.

Days after the April 4 chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, the U.S. Treasury sanctioned 271 employees of Syrias Scientific Studies and Research Center. Washington said the agency is responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them.

The airstrike is the furthest north since Russia joined the war in September 2015 with a major air campaign to aid Assads forces.

In October 2016, Russia deployed a battery of S-300 air defense missile systems to protect a Russian navy facility in the Syrian port of Tartus and Russian navy ships in the area. Moscow also has long-range S-400 missile defense systems and an array of other surface-to-air missiles at the Hemeimeem air base in Syrias coastal province of Latakia, about 70 kilometers (43 miles) from Thursdays strike location.

Israel and Russia maintain open communication lines and a mechanism to prevent their air forces from coming into conflict with one another. It was not clear whether Thursdays strike was coordinated with Moscow, and there was no immediate comment from the Russians.

Yaakov Amidror, Israels former national security adviser and a former general, said the strike targeted a weapons development and manufacturing site that was producing arms for Hezbollah.

Former Israeli military intelligence chief Amos Yadlin wrote on Twitter that the facility produces precision missiles, chemical weapons and barrel bombs.

Thursdays strike comes a day after a U.N. probe found the Syrian government responsible for a chemical attack in April in northern Syria that killed more than 80 people.

Meanwhile on Thursday, a convoy of 40 trucks carrying 1,000 tons of humanitarian aid arrived in Deir el-Zour after troops secured a corridor to the eastern city. The land convoy is the first since Syrian government forces and allied militiamen breached a nearly three-year-old siege by the Islamic State group on government-held parts of the city on Tuesday.

The Syrian official news agency SANA said the convoy reached a garrison known as Brigade 137 on the southwestern edge of the city, carrying thousands of food baskets, fruits and vegetables, medicine, and school books and stationary.

The aid convoys arrived at the city by way of a military road that links the recently liberated military garrison to the town. They were greeted by jubilant civilians, who gathered around the trucks.

No more hunger after today, proclaimed Mohamed Ibrahim Samra, the governor of Deir el-Zour before the cameras.

___

Associated Press writer Ilan Ben Zion in Jerusalem contributed to this report.
A man opened fire on an undercover detective near Central and Juan Tabo Thursday morning without, apparently, knowing he was shooting at a police officer.

Albuquerque police spokesman Tanner Tixier said a detective was looking for stolen vehicles as part of an auto theft tactical plan near Central and Elizabeth when a man began following the detective around 10:30 a.m.

The detective, who was in an undercover vehicle and in no way identified as a police officer, heard about 5 or 6 shots fired at his vehicle, Tixier said.

The detective was not struck by the gunfire and did not return fire.

Its unclear why the suspect, later identified as Jaime Santiesteban, 36, shot at the detective or why he was following him.

Santiesteban fled after the shooting and officers tried to stop him near Eubank and I-40. He crashed into multiple cars, including a police vehicle, and fled again before ditching the stolen truck he was driving near Hannett and Pennsylvania, Tixier said.

Santiesteban hid in a garage near Robin and Pennsylvania, Tixier said. Thats where he was arrested.

Nobody was injured during the chase, Tixier said.

Where the shooting happened

Where the suspect was arrested
The impact of President Trumps America-first trade policies took a bite out of New Mexicos surging exports to Mexico last fall and winter, but local trade experts say exports are on the upswing again.

The elections effects are still evident in the latest statistics from the U.S. Commerce Department, which show New Mexico sales to its southern neighbor down 9 percent in the first half of 2017 compared with the same period last year. Exports to Mexico totaled $810.7 million from January to June, down from $890.3 million in the first six months of 2016.

But experts say thats misleading because trade with Mexico was surging in early 2016. The state must still fully recover from the downturn following the elections, but since then, its generally gone back to business as usual, with companies now either holding steady or climbing in sales, said Jerry Pacheco, executive director of the International Business Accelerator at Santa Teresa.

From about November to February, things were practically dead as everyone struggled to understand what was going on, and many companies froze their inventories, Pacheco said. But after February, people decided to get on with life.

Worldwide, New Mexicos total exports are down by about 11 percent in the first half of 2017, from $1.96 billion to $1.74 billion, thanks largely to a plunge in sales to Israel this year.

Exports to Israel fell from $314.3 million in first-half 2016 to just $6.8 million this year, generally reflecting the ups and downs of sales from Intel Corp.s plant in Rio Rancho.

The Commerce Department doesnt publish quarterly statistics that might show an upswing in exports to Mexico in the second quarter. But sales for the first half of 2017 already surpass more than half of the total $1.58 billion that New Mexico exported across the border in 2016.

At the current pace, we expect to do at least as much if not more than last year, Pacheco said.

That reflects renewed confidence among export businesses about renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Accord, which began in August .

Trumps early threats to pull out of NAFTA contributed to a huge devaluation in the Mexican peso, making U.S. exports there more expensive. That, plus general uncertainty about NAFTA, fueled the initial trade slump.

But border businesses are more confident now, said Robert Queen, director of the Commerce Departments New Mexico Export Assistance Center in El Paso.

Early this year, there was a lot of concern, Queen said. But now that were into negotiations, businesses are more comfortable and eager to see a final deal.

In fact, three new companies have moved into Santa Teresas industrial parks since the spring. A new, 183,000-square-foot spec building is also under construction there, Pacheco said.
Copyright  2017 Albuquerque Journal

LAS CRUCES  During an emotional hearing in a crowded courtroom, a state district judge sentenced Jesse Denver Hanes on Thursday to life in prison without the possibility of parole for the killing of a Hatch police officer last year.

The 39-year-old Ohio man, who had pleaded guilty to one count of first-degree murder, stood quietly as Judge Douglas Driggers handed down the sentence. Officer Jose Chavezs parents listened from a front-row seat in the courtroom with other relatives.

As his mother, the death of my son has left an unimaginable emptiness in my heart, Maria Ramirez said in letter to the court read during sentencing by a victims advocate with the 3rd Judicial District Attorneys Office. Several relatives in the courtroom sobbed when Ramirez held up a photo of her son wearing his police uniform.

A dozen Las Cruces police officers in uniform and other law enforcement officers from Dona Ana County were in the courtroom in a show of solidarity and to support the family.

This is a very emotional time for my office and the family. We have grown quite fond and friendly with the family, and they have suffered greatly, said District Attorney Mark DAntonio, tears welling up in his eyes as he stood outside the courtroom after the sentencing.

Hanes was a fugitive wanted on murder charges in Ohio when he fatally shot the 33-year-old police officer during a routine traffic stop in the farming village of Hatch in August 2016. He then fled to a nearby highway rest stop where he shot and wounded a motorist and took his vehicle. Hanes also pleaded guilty in federal court to federal firearms and carjacking charges.

The district attorney said Hanes will serve out life sentence in a federal prison.

Our hearts are destroyed. Its good someone so dangerous will no longer be loose on the streets and putting the community in danger, said Ramirez, the slain officers mother.

Just before his sentencing, Hanes stood before the judge and said, Id like to apologize to the family of the officer and let them know Im sorry.

Chavez, a father of two daughters, had served in the Hatch Police Department for two years.

In his last moments, no one got the chance to say goodbye or praise him for the job hed done, the officers sister, Lupita Chavez Ramirez, said during the sentencing. But in his last moments he found a way to say his own goodbye.

A nurse told us he said, Tell my family I love them. Tell my girls I love them. 
State lawmakers are asking whether New Mexico is getting its moneys worth for the hundreds of millions of dollars paid to outside firms that help manage its investments each year.

In a committee hearing Thursday, lawmakers began zeroing in on the roughly $300 million in management fees paid in the 2016 fiscal year by the state Educational Retirement Board, State Investment Council and Public Employee Retirement Association.

The fees are only a fraction  less than a percentage point  of the billions of dollars in assets that are managed. But lawmakers said its important to make sure the fees are worth it.

State Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Mesilla Park, said a key consideration is whether the

states investment agencies would be better off moving to a more passive management style  putting money in index funds and the like  to lower fees.

Obviously, were in a position where every dollar is counting, state Rep. Bill McCamley, D-Mesilla Park, said.

Each of the three agencies that handle state investments  the Educational Retirement Board, State Investment Council and Public Employees Retirement Association  has a slightly different approach to how much of their money is actively managed.

PERA tends to pay the least in fees  as a percentage of the total investments involved  and ERB is paying the most, according to information shared with legislators Thursday. The State Investment Council was in the middle.

Charles Wollmann, spokesman for the SIC, said the management fees paid by the council are in line, or even below, what similar investors pay. And the council finished the last fiscal year with investment performance above its benchmark, he said, delivering hundreds of millions of dollars in extra revenue to the state permanent funds.

Regardless, Wollmann said, the council closely considers the fees to ensure its getting the most bang for its buck.

Wayne Propst, executive director of PERA, said his agency has substantially reduced the amount it pays in management fees over the last few years.

We do have a mix of passive and active management that we generally feel comfortable with, but constantly evaluate that mix to ensure the best chance of meeting our investment target, he said.

Bob Jacksha, chief investment officer for the ERB, said his organization constantly evalutes what it can manage in-house and when it should hire money managers.

The things we cant do well internally, we should hire someone, and thats what we do, he said.

Sen. George Munoz, D-Gallup, said the critical questions include: Are we getting the most we can for our dollar? Is our return worth it?
Airbnb says in a new report that its summer bookings in New Mexico increased 77 percent over last year.

Laura Rillos, a spokeswoman for the company, said bookings in Albuquerque were up 94 percent over the same June-August period.

According to the report, New Mexico saw more than 64,000 guest arrivals using Airbnb over the summer months.

The report said 42 percent of spending by Airbnb guests occurs within the neighborhoods in which they rent, pushing tourism dollars out to non-traditional tourist areas.

With roughly three quarters of Airbnb listings located outside hotel zones, Airbnb gives millions of everyday people a chance to travel to cities and neighborhoods they might have missed had they stayed in a hotel, the report said.

The presence of the company has caused controversy in some areas, with neighbors complaining about sudden booms in short-term rentals in residential neighborhoods and more traditional hotels and bed and breakfast operations noting that while they must collect lodgers and other taxes, Airbnb landlords often do not. The city of Santa Fe and the town of Taos both announced last year that they would begin collecting lodgers tax from Airbnb and similar companies. According to Randy Randall, the tourism director for the city of Santa Fe, the city projected it would bring in $500,000 annually from taxing short-term rental properties.

In Albuquerque, the lodgers tax is 5 percent. In fiscal year 2016, the city brought in a record $11.4 million from the tax. The city has discussed taxing short-term rentals, but a policy change has not yet been proposed.

Airbnb will always be around, said Charlie Gray, executive director of the Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association, but he said the hospitality industry is far from panicked.

According to the Rocky Mountain Report, which calculates hotel numbers for the Southwest, hotels in Albuquerque also saw a boost in occupancy over 2016, from 72.4 percent to 75.5 percent for June, the latest month available for reporting.

Airbnb has said it will seek to work out a deal with state legislators to voluntarily collect lodgers tax on short-term rental properties statewide.

Gray said the association is hoping the Legislature will levy a lodgers tax on Airbnb and other short-term rentals. It would be a win-win for Albuquerque, said Gray. The hope is that the lodgers tax would both even the playing field for the local hotels and bring more revenue into the city, he said.
A man drove head on into two deputy vehicles after a car chase through west Albuquerque on Wednesday night, according to a Bernalillo County Sheriffs Office spokeswoman.

Deputy Felicia Maggard said 44-year-old Adrian Lovato led deputies on a chase, involving two PIT maneuvers, that started in southwest Albuquerque and ended in the northwest.

Lovato is charged with aggravated fleeing, two counts of aggravated battery on a peace officer with a deadly weapon, false imprisonment and multiple misdemeanor charges including DWI and reckless driving.

Maggard said the incident started around 11:30 p.m. when deputies spotted Lovato driving fast and recklessly near Yucca and Plano NW. The pursuit began when Lovato refused to stop for deputies, she said.

Two separate PIT, pursuit intervention technique, maneuvers were made by deputies in the area of Coors and Gonzales SW, according to a criminal complaint filed in Metropolitan court.

After the PIT was performed, the driver of the vehicle intentionally drove towards units and crashed into two occupied marked units, Maggard said. One of the deputys patrol unit airbags deployed, causing minor injuries.

Lovatos vehicle was disabled and he was taken into custody, she said. He admitted to consuming alcohol and narcotics, she said.
Advertising Agencies Association of India (AAAI) under the aegis of the AAAI Prowess initiative today announced a One-day workshop Media Strategy in the Digital Age scheduled for 22nd September 2017 in Mumbai at the AAAIs Training Centre at Lower Parel. This workshop will be helmed by Media Veteran Shripad Kulkarni, Managing Director, Vizeum India.

With the digital disruption, which is underway, all in non-media functions of advertising have a lot to catch up. Approach to media strategy, creative units or crafting the communication strategy are obviously directly impacted. However, it also affects consumer behaviour, decision journey, and attitudes to advertising, content and loyalty programmes and hence drives a fundamental change with far reaching ramifications.

With the segregation of Media and Creative, Client Servicing Managers are detached from happenings in media. Gone are the days of access to hard & soft media and market data that a Client Service Manager would have. This further distances Client Servicing Managers from the media revolution and its impliacations.

This workshop is an attempt to bridge that gap.

The one-day workshop would take stock of the changing landscape i.e. what has changed and what will change and will cover basic media concepts; Digital media concepts; approach to media in the new milieu; a new construct for media strategy; basics of New age tools and digital strategy and aligning creative approach to different digital media messaging.

About the Faculty

With over 30 years of professional exposure in the Media industry, Shripad Kulkarni has handled every aspect of the advertising media. He holds a Masters Degree in Statistics from Mumbai University, an MBA from JBIMS, and is a certified O.R specialist

During his tenure with agencies like Contract, Clarion and O&M, and now in Dentsu Aegis Network, he has handled a wide spectrum of renowned brands covering the entire gamut of product categories in various Lifecycle stages. He went on to establish his own media training and consultancy company. He later joined Carat India as COO. In 2007, he set up Percept Media. He now heads Vizeum, Asias fastest growing media agency of Dentsu Aegis Network, Indias no. 2 Agency Network.

Shripad is a renowned trainer and has conducted over 200 workshops in Media Planning, Media Buying as well as Ad Sales. He regularly teaches management students and has also advised many media in Strategy, Content and Ad Sales.
The Advertising Council of India (ACI) & The Advertising Club has announced the appointment of Sunil Kataria, Business head, Godrej Consumer Products as leader of the Indian delegation for the AdAsia Congress to be held in Bali. The 30th edition of the esteemed media and advertising awards organized bi-annually by the Asian Federation of Advertising Associations (AFAA) will see global marketing and creative industry practitioners be a part of the ideas exchange platform.

Making the announcement Mr. Srinivasan K Swamy, Vice Chairman, Asian Federation of Advertising Associations and a representative of The Advertising Council of India said Ad Asia is a great forum for the Indian creative and media maestros to interact with other global practitioners on evolving industry trends. Having someone which such rich and versatile multi-functional and sectoral experience as Mr. Sunil Kataria lead the Indian delegation is sure to ensure that the India delegation plays an inspiring and impactful role at the congress

Speaking about the appointment of Mr Sunil Kataria as the leader to the Indian delegation, Mr Raj Nayak, President  The Advertising Club said India has been at the forefront of some ground breaking and high impact media campaigns. A coveted knowledge platform like Ad Asia 2017 is a great place to showcase the immersive and transformational work being done by the India media and advertising diaspora. With Sunil helming the Indian delegation, we are sure to receive the best representation at the form. Sunil with his in-depth understanding of the Indian market dynamics and global trends in sure to add significant value to the Indian delegation.

Speaking about being nominated to lead the Indian delegation Mr, Sunil Kataria, Business Head, Godrej Consumer Products said I am honored to be nominated to lead the Indian contingent to the prestigious congress. The forum is a great platform for the fraternity to network with global creative leads and jam on media and marketing trends in the new social paradigm that we are currently in. We hope to have significant Indian representation at the event and would hence urge maximum participation by corporates at the event.

Ad Asia 2017, Bali is expected that witness close to 2000 executives from marketing companies, advertising agencies, and media organizations attend this landmark event from all around the Asia Pacific region. To be held between 7th and 10th of November, the awards is slated as the largest Asia Pacific regional event for marketing and advertising in 2017. The Advertising Council of India (ACI) & The Advertising club has also announced a special delegate fee applicable on early bird entries for India at US$ 870 per delegate as against the rate of US$ 1100. This discounted rate is applicable for registration done on AdAsia website before 15th September 2017. A limited number of rooms have been blocked for Indian delegates at Nusa Dua Beach Hotel & Spa at a special rate of US$ 142/night (inclusive of taxes and Breakfast for two), which is just a few minutes walk to the Convention Centre where the Congress is being held.
Twenty-five young people honored for using the Internet to make a difference

The Internet Society today announced the awardees of its 25 under 25 program. One of the many initiatives supporting the Internet Societys 25th Anniversary, the program recognizes 25 young people from around the globe who are passionate about using the Internet to make a positive impact in their communities and the world.

Representing 19 countries on five continents, the 25 Under 25 awardees initiatives include creating an anti-cyberbullying youth movement in Australia, providing e-health education to teens in Tanzania, and using ICTs to break the cycle of poverty for families in Costa Rica.

While their individual accomplishments are noteworthy in their own right, together these 25 awardees highlight how todays youth are helping to shape the future. As Kathryn Brown, Internet Society President and CEO, notes, their efforts have a tremendous impact, creating new ways of socializing, mobilizing and organizing in a digital world. By recognizing these individuals, we aim to inspire other young people around the world to become actors of change and use the Internet for social good.

The 25 Under 25 awardees will be formally recognized at a special ceremony on Monday, 18 September in Los Angeles, California.

For profiles of each awardee, please visit: https://www.internetsociety.org/25th/25-under-25/awardees.

25 Under 25 Awardees

Mr. Adam Galloway (United Kingdom)  Protecting online freedom of expression

Mr. Akah Harvey N (Cameroon)  Detecting and predicting road accidents

Mr. Akshay Makar (India)  Creating sustainable livelihoods with online crafts

Mr. Alec Foster (United States)  Strengthening student movements through digital activism

Mr. Ash Ball (Australia)  Anti-cyberbullying youth movement

Ms. Asha Abbas (Tanzania)  Providing health education to adolescents

Mr. Augusto Mathurin (Argentina)  Creating virtual spaces for collaborative participation

Mr. Biddemu Bazil Mwotta (Uganda)  Connecting local farmers with buyers

Ms. Bidyabati Meher (India)  Digitising a cultural tradition for sustained livelihood

Ms. Cintia Padilla (Honduras)  Teaching computer skills to local youth

Mr. Diego Cordova (Guatemala)  Enabling access to educational materials

Ms. Farah Abdi (Somalia)  Giving voice to refugee and LGBT issues

Mr. James Beaumont (United Kingdom)  Building online communities of support

Ms. Jazmin Fallas Kerr (Costa Rica)  Lifting families out of poverty

Ms. Juma Baldeh (Gambia)  Improving gender balance among web users

Ms. Kate Ekanem (Nigeria)  Empowering girls through education and literacy

Ms. Kate Green (United Kingdom)  Protecting the data of online health communities

Ms. Linda Patino (Colombia)  Advancing human rights through ICTs

Mr. Mariano Gomez (Mexico)  Connecting an isolated community

Ms. Mary Helda Akongo (Uganda)  Using technology to empower Ugandan women

Mr. Naitik Mehta (India)  Connecting people with disabilities to employment opportunities

Mr. Nilay Kulkarni (India)  Helping make large gatherings safer

Ms. Paula Corte Real (Brazil)  Promoting safe and responsible Internet for youth

Ms. Poornima Meegammana (Sri Lanka)  Preventing cyber-harassment of teenage girls

Mr. Valentinos Tzekas (Greece)  Using AI to identify fake news

Honorable Mention Recipients

Ms. Makkiya Jawed (Pakistan)  Raising awareness about e-health solutions

Mr. Parker Woods (United States)  Delivering Internet connectivity in the Arctic

Ms. Radwa Hamed Soliman (Egypt)  Providing employment opportunities for refugees

About the Internet Society

Founded by Internet pioneers, the Internet Society (ISOC) is a non-profit organization dedicated to ensuring the open development, evolution, and use of the Internet. Working through a global community of chapters and members, the Internet Society collaborates with a broad range of groups to promote the technologies that keep the Internet safe and secure, and advocates for policies that enable universal access. The Internet Society is also the organizational home of the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).

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Internet Society

Allesandra de Santillana, +41-22-807-1451

desantillana@isoc.org
PARIS, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI, (the Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) held its annual Congress simultaneously in Tirana and five other countries. On the PMOI's 52nd anniversary, the Congress elected Ms. Zahra Merrikhi as its new Secretary General. Ms. Zohreh Akhyani, the Secretary General since 2011, chaired the Congress.

According to the PMOI's bylaws, the Secretary General is elected to a renewable term of two years. The election is held in three phases. In the first phase, members of the PMOI Central Council, and in the second the organization's officials and cadres in different departments, cast their votes in secret ballots. In the third phase, at the PMOI Congress, all members vote by raising their hands.

In the first phase, on August 20, 2017, Ms. Merrikhi was elected from among 12 candidates by a majority of the Central Council members. The four leading candidates were put on the ballot for the second phase, which was held on September 3, 2017. Ms. Merrikhi received a majority of the votes cast in ten different PMOI centers. In the final phase, during the PMOI Congress, Ms. Merrikhi was unanimously elected Secretary General.

Previously, Ms. Merrikhi was coordinator for the offices of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and Vice-President of the PMOI's Central Council.

Born in 1959 in the city of Qa'emshahr in the northern Province of Mazandaran, Ms. Merrikhi became acquainted with the PMOI during the 1979 anti-Monarchic Revolution and joined the PMOI after the Shah's overthrow. She was soon appointed head of the women's section in Qa'emshahr, and later became a member of the editorial board of the PMOI publication in Mazandaran, called Talavang.

1981, she was transferred to Tehran and acted as liaison between the PMOI and its branches in the forests of northern Iran. In 1984, she moved to PMOI bases in the border region with Iraq, and a year later became a member of the Central Council.

Her younger brother, Ali Merrikhi, was murdered by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in 1988.

Ms. Merrikhi oversaw PMOI branches in Scandinavia and Germany for some time. In 1991, she became a member of the Executive Committee and was later appointed head of Radio Mojahed, Simay-e Moghavemat (the Iranian Resistance's television network) and the publication Mojahed.

She became a member of the NCRI in 1992 and was appointed Chairwoman of the Public Affairs Committee.

Ms. Merrikhi had been the coordinator of the offices of Mrs. Rajavii since 2003 and the Vice-president of the PMOI's Central Council since 2004.

Following her election as Secretary General, Mrs. Merrikhi was sworn in, placing her hand on the Holy Quran and paying her respects to the Iranian flag and PMOI emblem. She pledged to remain faithful to the enormous responsibilities with which she has been entrusted. Ms. Merrikhi vowed to devote all her abilities and those of the PMOI as a national treasure of the Iranian people, to establish freedom and democracy in Iran.

The new Secretary General expressed her appreciation for the efforts of her predecessor, Ms. Akhyani, and Ms. Mojgan Parsai, the President of the PMOI's Central Council. She lauded their efforts and those of other PMOI officials over the past 14 years, during one of the most dangerous and tortuous periods of the Organizations history in camps Ashraf and Liberty.

"Today, the PMOI, with the help of the Iranian people, is prepared as never before to overthrow the clerical regime," Ms. Merrikhi said, adding that the PMOI has now 18 co-Secretaries General (including seven former Secretaries General). Ms. Merrikhi also introduced Narges Azodanlou, 36, Rabi'eh Mofidi, 35, and Nasrin Massih, 39, as new deputies to the Secretary General.

In congratulating the election of Ms. Merrikhi as the new PMOI Secretary General, Mrs. Rajavi described it as a brilliant election, embodying the height of democracy, cohesion, and growth in the PMOI. It heralds the breaking of the spell of repression which will lead to the overthrow of the regime ruling Iran, she added.

SOURCE Peoples Mojahedin Organization of Iran
Amazon is now officially searching for a second headquarters in North America, the tech giant announced on Thursday, estimating that its Amazon HQ2 project will cost around $5 billion in terms of construction alone. The office complex thats meant to complement the firms existing campus in Seattle, Washington, will span millions of square feet and consist of dozens of buildings including hospitality establishments like restaurants and cafes, the company suggested. Not accounting for direct hirings set to work in the future headquarters, Amazon believes its project will contribute to the economy by creating tens of thousands of construction jobs, as well as openings in related industries. Likewise, the e-commerce giant stated that its campus will attract significant additional investments in the city it chooses, estimating those to be in the tens of billions of dollars range. For added context, the firm previously estimated its first campus attracted approximately $38 billion in additional investments in the economy of Seattle, whereas Fortune 500 companies with R&D or engineering units in the area went from seven to 31 since the company opened its first headquarters in 2010.

The complex itself is envisioned as housing up to 50,000 high-paying employees and is now officially in the planning phase, with Amazon launching a related Request for Proposal. Both local and state government heads are now encouraged to submit their proposals to host Amazons second North America headquarters, with the firm explicitly stating that its looking for a city with a strong local or regional talent core in engineering, software development, and related fields. Amazons ideal location would also have a business-friendly administration which would facilitate the companys efforts to innovate across a wide variety of industries, the firm said. In a prepared statement, Amazon Chief Executive Officer Jeff Bezos asserted that its second North America headquarters will be at least equal to the Seattle complex or even surpass it in terms of size and employee count.

Once completed, the second headquarters will see the company hire entirely new teams, in addition to allowing HQ1 executives to relocate their staff to HQ2 or opt to work from both locations. Many employees will also be given the opportunity to relocate if they so choose, Amazon said. No specific timelines for the projects completion have yet been given, though the public proposal process which officially starts today will run until October 19, indicating that Amazon may choose its preferred location by the end of the year.
Google has announced that its Google Trips, Google Flights, and Google Destinations services are adding in new languages and locations. In total, the three services will be getting a combined 20 new languages, and 26 new countries to explore. The full list of new countries includes Albania, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czechia, Estonia, Finland, Georgia, Greece, Greenland, Hungary, Iceland, Latvia, Lithuania, Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Romania, Serbia, Slovenia, Slovakia, and Ukraine. The full list of new languages, on the other hand, was not included in Googles press release. The new languages and locations should be live for all users on mobile and desktop, effective immediately.

The three travel-related services can all be accessed through a simple Google search. In order to access Google Flights, just search flights to and your destination. Google should automatically pick up your location, or ask you to specify if you have not granted location permissions in the past, and will then show you available flights and even allow you to book them right from your smartphone or computer. Google Destinations is accessed in a similar manner, but rather than allowing you to book attractions, simply lets you look into the attractions in a given area and plan out your vacation or just decide where to go. Finally, Google Trips is a separate mobile app, to be used at your destination. The app will show you what attractions and things to do are nearby, and give you a bit of information about those attractions and the local area.

Google has useful tools available for just about any purpose in the digital world, and travel is one of the areas where the companys products and services really shine. Once you reach a destination, you can use the Google Translate app, for example, to translate local signage, and even converse with locals using real-time, on-the-fly translations. Google Maps is another great travel partner  available almost everywhere, it can not only help you find your way around, but can also help you find fun things to do and connect you with reviews and content from Local Guides for a bit more information, as well as telling you exactly how to get there from where you are, whether you want to walk, ride a bus, or get a rental car.
HTCs consolidated revenues for August 2017 hit a 13-year low, with the company reporting that the aggregate of all of its revenues last month amounted to $3 billion New Taiwan dollars, or approximately $99.69 million. Compared to the companys financial report for July, its August performance dropped by 51.5 percent, worrying investors. A similar drop is observable when comparing HTCs latest financial report with that for August 2016, with the Taoyuan, Taiwan-based original equipment manufacturer (OEM) experiencing a 54.4 percent year-on-year decline.

In a short statement issued on Wednesday, the company stated that its monthly performance isnt entirely representative of the current quarterly trends, adding that its smartphone shipments in the third quarter of the year are still on track to hit its previously set targets, without clarifying on the matter. According to previous reports, HTC was commissioned to manufacture the Pixel 2 smartphone from Google, with this particular deal being an extension of the hardware partnership the two entered in 2016 when the Taiwanese tech giant produced both the Pixel and Pixel XL flagships. HTCs latest struggles are understood to be partially related to the weakening demand for the U11, its latest high-end Android offering which peaked in July and has been rapidly losing momentum ever since. The firms annual sales are currently 14.4 percent down year-on-year compared to the first eight months of 2016, amounting to approximately $1.33 billion.

The companys struggles recently led it to start considering liquidating some of its assets, industry insiders said earlier this summer, with latest reports indicating that Google and HTC have entered the final negotiation phase on the potential sale of the firms smartphone business to the Mountain View, California-based Internet giant. Apart from a direct acquisition of HTCs handset division, the Alphabet-owned company is also said to be considering becoming the firms strategic partner in an effort to boost its performance and consequently share a cut of any potential profits from their hypothetical joint operations. For the time being, HTC still isnt seeking to sell the entirety of its business or its most promising Vive VR unit, insiders said. Google already has some experience running an acquired smartphone business, having owned Motorola Mobility from 2011 to 2014 when it sold the U.S. OEM to Lenovo.
Google is sending out mailers to Microsoft Azure partners in an attempt to get them to switch to Googles products and services, according to a report from The Petri IT Knowledgebase. The site received the attached images, which depict a parcel that has been reportedly showing up on Microsoft partners doorsteps. This package, decorated in Googles Material Design conventions and a lighthearted color scheme, contains a few flash cards with quick testimonials from Google partners about the services that theyre taking advantage of, and a black Chromebook case, along with an offer for a free Chromebook. All the Microsoft partner has to do to get the free laptop is agree to chat with a Googler about the possibility of making the switch to Googles services, including deploying Chromebooks, and using Google Cloud Platform and G Suite.

There is no indication thus far of exactly what Chromebook is being offered for free, and since reports have only recently started surfacing to publicly available sources, there is no way of knowing exactly how long Google has been employing this tactic. According to various partners, Googles efforts are not limited to large partners, nor are they limited to the US; one commenter, who declined to name their organization, said that they had received such a solicitation package and had decided to go through the steps to obtain the free Chromebook. This particular commenter is in the area of Toronto, Canada, but as of this writing, no other Microsoft partners from outside the US have come forward to confirm receiving a package from Google.

Google has been pushing hard lately to get into every crevice of the enterprise space, following a successful push into the education sector and increasing popularity of Chromebooks and the Google services on them among consumers in many regions. The company has been making improvements to its G Suite services, and working on improving Google Cloud Platform while putting out initiatives like free trials and other developer advocacy tactics. This latest move is a fairly bold grab at users of a rival ecosystem, and goes to show that Google is not content to have Google Cloud Platform sit in third place behind Microsoft Azure and Amazon Web Services.
Microsoft is set to demonstrate a wide array of its new Windows 10 VR headsets starting next month, according to a job listing posted online by Wave, a UK-based experiential marketing and sales services provider. The job listing is seeking a brand ambassador for Microsoft and a host of other staff members who would run the companys London operations with the goal of demonstrating the Redmond, Washington-based companys virtual reality offerings in a campaign that is slated to begin on October 20 and last until December 30.

The job listing is part of Waves partnership with Microsoft and the prospective brand ambassador will be responsible for engaging customers through live demos for the Windows 10 VR headsets in store. That is on top of helping to drive sales and raising awareness of the products. Microsoft will be hosting the live demo in collaboration with Lenovo and Dell, two of the original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) with a stake in the Windows 10 VR technology. Late last month, Dell introduced its Visor Mixed Reality headset, which costs $350 and will run on Microsofts Mixed Reality platform to make the device compatible with Windows 10 PCs. As the name suggests, the headset is equipped with visor that can be flipped up to let users switch between mixed reality and real-world scenarios more easily. The Visor also includes a 360-degree panoramic view made possible through the inside-out tracking cameras.

Meanwhile, Chinese OEM Lenovo is also set to roll out its own Windows 10 VR headset in the future, though no specific launch window has been announced as of yet, except that the company pointed to the later part of the year. More specifically, Lenovos VP of Consumer Business in North America, Mike Abary, said during a recent interview that the VR headset will be released during the back-to-school period, suggesting that the launch window could be sometime between July and mid-September. If that is the case, the Lenovo VR headset will be hitting store shelves sooner than later. The Lenovo VR headset was unveiled last January as a less costly alternative to VR headgears, a segment that is currently dominated by the Oculus Rift and HTC Vive.
Antitrust regulators in Europe have again called off its investigation of Qualcomms move to acquire NXP Semiconductors for $38 billion as both parties have failed to submit a complete set of information required by the European Union to issue its decision on the deal. According to a new report by Reuters, this is the second time that EU regulators have canceled their review of the acquisition bid by the American semiconductor and telecommunications equipment firm.

The investigation kicked off in June with the goal of ensuring that end users will continue to benefit from innovative products at competitive price points, according to Margrethe Vestager, who oversees the review on behalf of the European Commission. It was meant to focus on how the acquisition might affect competition in the semiconductor industry, whether it could lead to increased semiconductor prices and what its impact on innovation might be. Qualcomm needs to fulfill the requirements set by the EU antitrust regulators if it wants the deal to push through, though it is not immediately clear when the next review would happen. The regulators halted the investigation after Qualcomm previously refused to make concessions as part of the compliance standards for the deal to be approved. Concessions are a crucial part of a deal to convince regulators that it is not anti-competitive in nature.

The San Diego, California-based company announced its plan to purchase Eindhoven, Netherlands-based NXP Semiconductors in October of last year, the largest semiconductor bid of its kind so far. The regulatory challenge Qualcomm is facing is seen as a necessary measure since NXP is one of its closest competitors, and now it is close to acquiring it. Nevertheless, Qualcomm managed to gain approval from antitrust regulators in the United States in April of this year for its plan to buy NXP Semiconductors, allowing the deal to move forward with no further regulatory restraints in the country. It is likely that the EU competition regulators could issue the same verdict on Qualcomms bid once both parties submit the necessary information to the antitrust watchdog in Europe. More updates about this matter are expected to follow in the coming months.
According to a new report that surfaced in Taiwan, Google and HTC have entered the final stage of negotiation when it comes to the sale of HTCs smartphone business. This is not the first time such reports are surfacing, though, weve seen quite a few such reports in the last year or two, and nothing came out of them, will it this time, though? Well, according to Commercial Times, a Taiwanese news publication, it will, read on.

Now, according to this report, Google is actually considering two options when HTC is concerned, either to become HTCs strategic partner, or buy the companys entire smartphone business. Do keep in mind that the HTC Vive is not included here, HTCs Vive business is something completely different and is not a part of the companys mobile unit. Now, this report comes straight from Commercial Times, and the publication did not share a source for such claims, but HTC is not doing that well at all, at least in terms of finances. The HTC U11 was praised by various publications, and it was selling rather well for the company, but it seems like that was nowhere near enough for HTC. August was actually HTCs worst month in the past 13 years, which is saying a lot. The companys revenue actually dropped by 51.5 percent compared to July, and in comparison to August last year, it dropped 54.3 percent. As you can see, things are not looking that great for HTC, and this buyout report seems more probable than ever.

The HTC U11 was announced back in May, and it was selling rather well in the first couple of months of availability, it managed to keep HTC somewhat afloat, but the phones sales wore off, and the companys revenue dropped quite a bit. HTC has been having such issues for quite some time now, this Taiwan-based company is simply not able to sell enough devices. For those of you who do not know, HTC partnered up with Google a couple of times thus far, this Taiwan-based company actually manufactured both the Google Pixel and Google Pixel XL, even though Google designed both phones. It seems like HTC will manufacture the Google Pixel 2 as well, at least according to reports, though LG might be the company behind the Google Pixel XL 2. These are only rumors for now, though, so take this info with a grain of salt.
Samsung has announced a successful test of 5G data transmission technology using Millimeter Wave spectrum while traveling at speeds reaching in excess of 200 kilometers per hour, in partnership with Japanese telecom corporation KDDI. The test took place in a race car on a closed track. The professional driver maintained average speeds around 180 to 190 kilometers per hour, and shot over 200 at times. Meanwhile, a cellular connection created between small cells laid out along the track and testing equipment in the car maintained connection at speeds in excess of a gigabit per second, thanks to quick and seamless handoffs. 

Samsung and KDDI conducted the joint testing at South Koreas famous Everland SPEEDWAY, a racetrack and surrounding park that make up a grand total of 2,125 kilometers of track to race around on. During the testing period, Samsung and KDDI werent just seeing if their hardware could maintain a steady connection at high speeds, but just how well the hardware fared in a variety of categories, and where things could be improved. Handover time, connection latency, and the stability of the uplink and downlink stability throughout the test were all among the metrics that went into the data harvested from the test.

Samsung has conducted a variety of 5G tests before, but this one focused more on maintaining connection at high speeds through smooth handoffs, rather than doubling down on data transmission rates or overall network stability. According to Samsung, the main purpose for this test was to ensure that users in vehicles will have a consistent and stable 5G experience. The company had already demonstrated successful use of a 5G connection in an urban testing environment at speeds of about 60 miles per hour. Future vehicle infotainment and self-driving systems, among other parts, will likely rely on 5G, making Samsung and KDDIs high-speed testing much less of a novelty than it may seem at first glance. Samsung executive Woojune Kim, one of the key figures in charge of next-generation network initiatives, said that this test reflects Samsungs push to improve 5G technology in all metrics, rather than just pushing for pure network speed. This push is what will make Samsungs brand of 5G viable for things like the Internet of Things, virtual reality, and autonomous cars.

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Samsung Electronics has launched a new initiative that will reward researchers who would report security and privacy flaws found within its apps and software. The manufacturer states that the rewards program was instituted to show appreciation to individuals and experts who track down and report software flaws. According to the South Korean tech firms representatives, the Samsung Mobile Security Rewards Program will compensate people who discover vulnerabilities found in the firms handsets and tablets ranging from the flagship devices of the Galaxy S and Galaxy Note lineups to low-end models. In addition, the program also covers vulnerabilities found in applications developed by the company, as well as the third-party apps specific to the manufacturers handsets. Those who find software flaws may submit a report detailing the vulnerability along with a valid Proof-of-Concept via Samsungs Security Reporting Page.

After the manufacturer receives the report, its security team will categorize the threat into one of four levels  Critical, High, Moderate, and Low. Threats deemed critical include vulnerabilities that could bypass the smartphones Secure Boot and those that could execute arbitrary code in the softwares Trusted Execution Environment, which may consequently compromise users of Samsung Pay. Individuals who report critical security flaws are entitled to a prize of up to $200,000, but if their submission lacks the necessary Proof-of-Concept, the monetary reward may be significantly reduced, with the minimum amount that users may get for reporting vulnerabilities being $200. The tech firm notes that it may take up to two months before the rewards are given to qualified individuals and the process may take even longer if the required documents are not submitted on time.

Samsung noted that any vulnerability that requires both a physical connection to the device and a developer debugging tool, whether ADB or similar solutions, is not eligible for the prize, presumably because only a small percentage of users actually tinker with their devices in such a manner. Also ineligible for the bounty are vulnerabilities already covered by bounty programs spearheaded by Google and Qualcomm. Once the reports are submitted to the company, researchers may not discuss the loophole in public, unless the company provides them with the necessary permission to do so.
Joanne Hardwick

DibbsBarker has wooed another partner to continue its growth in Melbourne.The firm has welcomed Joanne Hardwick as its fourth partner in Melbourne less than two weeks after it announced the appointment of banking and finance expert Jason Morris in the city. Hardwick came from Mills Oakley , where she was partner for the last eight years. Morris came from Allens , where he was partner for 10 years.Hardwick, who has more than 17 years experience in her specialty, is an expert in insolvency and restructuring. She works with insolvency practitioners, accountants, company directors, creditors and other key stakeholders involved in or impacted by a company's voluntary administration, receivership or liquidation, the firm said.Her practice also includes general commercial litigation and disputes work. She works on a wide array of matters, including debt recovery, shareholder disputes, breach of contract, franchising and breach of duty cases. Her insolvency work covers a range of industries, including financial services, building and construction, aged care and retail.With her wealth of experience, Joanne adds further depth to our restructuring and insolvency practice, which has gathered significant momentum in Melbourne since John Stragalinos arrived. The safe harbour and other reforms due to take effect next year will only enhance the opportunities that already exist in a highly active market, and together with John, Joanne will be key in enabling us to realise those opportunities, said Scott Guthrie, the firms head of banking, insolvency, and disputes (BID).Stragalinos heads the firms BID team in Melbourne. In April, the team added special counsel Silvana Larobina from Corrs Chambers Westgarth and senior associates Joseph Ip from King & Wood Mallesons and Richard Fong Hall & Wilcox.DibbsBarker opening a Melbourne office has given me an exciting opportunity to join forces with John Stragalinos, combining our skills and experience to offer a fresh alternative in the Melbourne insolvency market, Hardwick said. The firms strategy and vision are clear and the potential for growth and success here is great. I am delighted to play a pivotal role in expanding DibbsBarkers Melbourne presence and servicing our valued clients and referrers.
The UK business of Slater and Gordon may be sold to another law firm if early talks proceed.The Australian-listed firm has already set out plans for its Senior Lenders to take full control of the UK business under a separate holding company as part of a recapitalization plan which will allow focus on the Australian business.Talks have now begun with law firm BLM which could involve a sale of the business or other possible tie-ups.BLM told Australasian Lawyer:Conversations with Slater & Gordon about working closely with its business legal services experts are in early stages. Well be sure to share details of any new projects or initiatives with our colleagues, customers and the wider industry at the appropriate time.The use of litigation financing is increasingly and becoming more important to the business of law according to new research.Burford Capitals survey of lawyers and financial professionals at law firms in Australia, the UK and the US shows that 70% now regard it as a growing an increasingly important part of the business of law.More than half of respondents (59%) said that their use of litigation finance has increased in the last two years. Around half of respondents intend to increase its use in the next two years with those in law firms (57%) more likely than in-house lawyers (47%) to say that.More and more often, clients and law firms are turning to litigation finance as a solution to some of the intractable challenges and pressures of managing legal cost and risk, and that strong demand is driving dramatic growth, commented Christopher Bogart, Burfords CEO.Burfords survey also shows that concerns over financing leading to unnecessary litigation fell to 10% of respondents from 81% five years ago. Ethical concerns were expressed by just 9%.Hogan Lovell's has appointed a former chairwoman of the US Federal Trade Commission as a partner and co-head of its antitrust, competition and economic regulation practice.Edith Ramirez will be based in Washington and Los Angeles and will co-lead the global practice alongside Suyong Kim who is based in London.Alongside her leadership role Ramirez will also play a part in the firms privacy and cybersecurity practice.A Harvard law school graduate, Ramirez was a litigation partner in a prominent Los Angeles law firm before joining the FTC in April 2010, becoming its chairwoman from 2013 to 2017.
In fact, not the Ceed Shooting Brake, but the Pro_Ceed . This move is explainable considering what sister brand Hyundai has done with the all-new i30. To the point, the compact model is available in three body styles: hatchback, wagon, and fastback. The shooting brake-styled Pro_Ceed, which should go official next year, is Kias enticing reply to the i30 Fastback. And to the i30 N based on Kias choice of words in the attached release.Described by its creator under the tagline extended hot hatch, the concept previews the sort of car thats reworked and reimagined for a new generation of driver. According to Gregory Guillaume, whos role is that of chief designer of Kias European division, the Pro_Ceed makes a solid business case as a halo model for the Ceed range, and an alternative to the familiar three-door body style so common among hot hatchback vehicles.Set apart by the lack of B-pillars, lateral strakes, 20-inch six-spoke alloy wheels, and the rakish window frame, the Proceed Concept makes use of something called Luminline. Thats the short way of saying the outline of the glasshouse illuminates as the driver approaches the vehicle. The Porsche-like rear light strip, meanwhile, takes inspiration from molten ferromagnetic metal.Up to this point, the spy photographers havent spotted pre-production prototypes of the Pro_Ceed. The 2018 Kia Ceed , however, strikes a glaring resemblance to the Hyundai i30. Therefore, it shouldnt come as a surprise the newcomer will share many of its bits and pieces - including the platform, engines, and transmission options  with the Hyundai-branded model.Fingers crossed the 2.0-liter T-GDI in the i30 N will also be shared.
FWD

AWD

Zooming in on the front fascia of the Bimmer, we notice the massive kidney grilles that define the automaker's most recent styling language. And, even though the front apron is covered in heavy camouflage, it's obvious that the intakes are overly generous. In fact, the uncovered left corner of the bumper means we can get a taste of the intake design.The German designers will undoubtedly gift the third generation of the 1er with an uber-appealing appearance. It's all part of an asset package aimed at moving the focus away from the fact that the newcomer will mark the switch from RWD toAs we've mentioned on previous occasions, the new 1 Series will be based on the carmaker's UKL platform. The architecture is currently offered in two versions and while the first serves the MINI Hatch (3-door and 5-door), as well as the MINI Convertible, the second can be found underneath the MINI Clubman and Countryman, as well as underneath the BMW 2 Series Active Tourer and 2 Series Gran Tourer , the new BMW X1 and the BMW 1 Series Sedan. Keep in mind that the saloon we're talking about is a Chinese market product, one that entered production earlier this year.Nevertheless, not all 2019 1 Series will be front-paw machines, since xDrivewill be offered as standard or in the form of an option.It will be interesting to see how the Bavarian engineers will approach the performance side of the lineup. We've already spied the 2019 M140i on the Nurburgring, with the M Performance hot hatch expected to move from its current straight-six form to a turbo-four unit, albeit with the output set to remain well above 300 horses.We could also expect to see the German automaker introducing a proper M version of the next 1 Series, but it's still too early to discuss such matters.
President Donald Trump and the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah shake hands at a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday Sept., 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

At his joint press conference with the Emir of Kuwait on Thursday, President Trump said he "would be willing to be the mediator" for the diplomatic crisis in the Gulf, even offering to host the feuding countries at the White House if necessary. He later added that if "certain countries" don't "stop the funding of terrorism, I don't want [the GCC] to come together."

Other highlights from the president:

On North Korea: "Military action is definitely an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable... I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen."

"Military action is definitely an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable... I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen." Palestine-Israel peace deal: "It's an event that's just never taken place... sometimes people think they're close and it just never happens... I think we have a chance of doing it... but again I say that a little bit reluctantly."

"It's an event that's just never taken place... sometimes people think they're close and it just never happens... I think we have a chance of doing it... but again I say that a little bit reluctantly." Syria: "As far as Syria's concerned, we have very little to do with Syria, other than killing ISIS."

Correction: the first sentence has been corrected to show President Trump did not mention Qatar by name, but said "certain countrines."
President Trump played Democratic Party president today. He gave Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer everything they hoped for and sent Republican leaders spiraling into anger and disbelief.

In just the past 24 hours:
Donald Trump Jr. told Senate investigators Thursday he set up his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin because he wanted to learn about Clinton's "fitness" to be president, the NYT reports. Trump Jr. disclosed this information in a meeting with Senate staff as well as some Democratic Senators.

A key point: Trump Jr. said he was initially conflicted when the lawyer told him she might have damaging information on Clinton and that he intended to talk with his lawyers about it.

Why it matters: That means Trump Jr. knew to some extent accepting potentially damaging information about a political opponent from a foreign country could get him in legal trouble. And although Trump Jr. has given several different statements about the nature of the meeting, his testimony on Capitol Hill has added pressure, since it's a crime to mislead Congress.

When told he could potentially receive that damaging information last year, Trump Jr. replied in an email "I love it." Today, he brushed away the suspicion that this meeting could show the Trump campaign sought to collude with Russia: "As much as some have made of my using the phrase 'I love it,' it was simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Rob's gesture.'" Trump Jr. insisted he did not collude with Russia.

Excerpt from his prepared statement, which the NYT obtained:

"To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them outDepending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration."
Trump Jr. told Senate investigators today that he set up his 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer, after being promised help from the Russian government for his father's campaign, because he wanted to determine Hillary Clinton's "fitness" to serve as president.

His shifting explanations:
7 September 2017 15:25 (UTC+04:00)

By Elmira Tariverdiyeva

The US media is closely following the trial of the case of the main mouthpiece for the Armenian lobby in the US, Robert Menendez, who is accused of corruption.

A trial of Menendez, a 63-year-old Democratic senator from New Jersey, accused of bribery and corruption, began in the US on Sept. 6.

Lead prosecutor Peter Koski said wealthy Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen gave Senator Menendez a lifestyle that reads like a travel brochure for the rich and the famous and hundreds of thousands of dollars in political contributions in exchange for official favors, according to the American political journalism company Politico.

Koski laid out the corruption case against Menendez and Melgen, his co-defendant, telling jurors in the federal court that the New Jersey Democrat had accepted bribe after bribe from a wealthy Florida doctor who wanted one thing  his influence.

Koski told the jury the details of Menendezs stays at luxury hotel rooms paid for by Melgen, stays at Melgens luxury condo in the Dominican Republic, and free flights on Melgens private jet. In exchange, Koski said, Menendez went to bat for Melgen  who lived 1,000 miles from New Jersey  by pressuring officials at the highest levels of government to benefit Melgen, Politico reports.

That meant helping obtain visas for the doctors foreign girlfriends, pressuring US officials to help resolve a multi-million-dollar contract dispute between one of Melgens companies and the Dominican Republic, and working to influence the outcome of Medicaid billing dispute. Menendez even threatened an assistant secretary of state, Koski said.

All of this to enrich one man who didnt even live in the state, Sen. Menendez was elected to represent, he added.

Senator Menendez has been a part of the so-called Group for Armenian Affairs in the US Congress since 1995. Being accompanied by other Armenian lobbyists, like Mark Kirk, he was one of the authors of resolution 339, which calls on the US government to recognize the so-called Armenian genocide. Menendez also periodically demanded recognition of the independence of the Armenian-occupied Azerbaijani region of Nagorno-Karabakh.

Menendez has always explicitly and, of course, not for free, acted in the interests of the Armenian lobby. He blocked a resolution authorizing the sale of helicopters to Azerbaijan by the US, as well as appointment of Matthew Bryza to the post of US ambassador to Azerbaijan.

In March 2014, the Russian Foreign Ministry included him in list of persons, against whom sanctions were imposed.

Despite the fact that the trial of pro-Armenian senator has just started, Republicans on Capitol Hill are already demanding the resignation of Menendez.

In case Menendez is found guilty but refuses to resign, then, under the Constitution, the Senate has the right to exclude him from its membership, if at least two-thirds, or 67 members of the Upper House, vote for it.

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7 September 2017 13:22 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Indonesia is ready for a broader partnership with Azerbaijan in the sphere of economy, Indonesian Ambassador to Baku Husnan Bey Fananie said at the event dedicated to the 72nd anniversary of the countrys independence.

The diplomat noted that the trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Indonesia increased from $19 million in 2015 to $46 million in 2016.

This is an indication that the two countries have many opportunities for the further development of relations, the Ambassador said.

Speaking at the event, Azerbaijans Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Salim Muslimov noted that the share of Indonesia in Azerbaijans total trade turnover is only 0.7 percent.

The Minister said the trade turnover with the countries of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation makes 20 percent of Azerbaijans total trade turnover, and noted the need to increase the share of Indonesia.

Indonesia recognized Azerbaijans independence on December 28, 1991. Bilateral relations between the two countries were established on September 24, 1992. The embassy of Azerbaijan in Indonesia was established in 2006, while the embassy of Indonesia in Azerbaijan was opened in 2010.

The trade turnover between the two countries is mostly related to the energy sector, as Azerbaijan is the second biggest supplier of crude oil to Indonesia after Saudi Arabia. Indonesia has been importing crude oil directly from Azerbaijan since 2015.

A total of 400,000-600,000 barrels of oil annually are imported to Indonesia from Azerbaijan. In addition, Indonesia buys mazut oil from Azerbaijan. Overall, in recent years Indonesia has been the third largest trade partner of Azerbaijan.

Last year, the Indonesian delegation visited Baku to discuss energy cooperation and consider opportunities for the joint work with Azerbaijan, which has huge experience in the oil and gas industry.

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Rashid Shirinov is AzerNews staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @RashidShirinov

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7 September 2017 17:08 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The Azerbaijan-Japan relations constantly developed and deepened over the past 25 years, said Teruyuki Katori, the Ambassador of Japan to Baku.

Katori, in an interview with Azertac, highlighted the importance of reciprocal visits, discussions held within the meetings of Azerbaijani-Japanese Economic Committee.

Cooperation in cultural field is deepening. Events for popularization of cultures are being held in both countries. We will spare no efforts for further development of Azerbaijani-Japanese bonds, he added.

Touching upon the cooperation in economic field, the diplomat noted the government of Azerbaijan attached great importance to development of agriculture and tourism in the country. He stressed the importance of boosting cooperation in the relevant fields.

Touching upon the opening of Baku-Komatsu cargo flight between Japan and Azerbaijan, the envoy said that it is possible to open a passenger flight in the future, which will contribute to further deepening of relations.

Azerbaijan, working hard to develop its tourism sector, now targets on attracting Japanese tourists. Earlier, Azerbaijan Tourism Association Chairman Nahid Bagirov said that Japanese is interested in visiting the Caucasus region. In this regard representatives of the major Japan tourism association with more than 10,000 members visited Baku last year.

On strengthening the relations between the two nations, the diplomat added that studying the Japanese language in Azerbaijan develops.

We are pleased with cooperation between the regions of both countries. There are wide opportunities for publication of books about Azerbaijan in Japan. The Embassy of Japan is ready to comprehensively assist the further development of cooperation between the two countries, he said.

The ambassador went on to say that Japanese companies "Itochu" and "INPEX" have a total of 15 percent share in the Azeri-Chirag-Guneshli field, which is the largest block of oil fields in Azerbaijan.

Japan was one of the first countries to support Azerbaijan's forward-looking oil strategy. Today two major Japanese companies Itochu and Impex are involved in the Contract of the Century [signed on September 20, 1994 in Baku, a large-scale international contract on the joint development of three oil fields - Azeri, Chirag, Gunashli in the Azerbaijani Sector of the Caspian Sea].

Leaders of Japanese business, Mitsubishi, Mitsui, Marubeni, and Sojits are involved in energy and infrastructure projects in the country.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Japan amounted to $22.08 million in January-March of 2017, according to the Azerbaijan's State Customs Committee.

Diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and Japan were established in 1992. A number of important projects are being implemented in Azerbaijan through the financial support of Japan, while very important infrastructure projects had already been commissioned in the country through Japanese government`s loans.

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7 September 2017 15:43 (UTC+04:00)

By Sara Israfilbayova

The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has allocated over 294 million since the beginning of cooperation to support small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Azerbaijan.

The priority of lending is to support the diversification of the Azerbaijani economy beyond the energy sector, which is one of the main tasks of the EBRD in the country, the Bank reported on September 7.

Thousands of small businesses have acquired new skills, improved governance and invested to modernize and expand, thanks to the support of the EBRD and donors such as the European Union, Sweden, Taipei China and the EBRD Early Transition Countrys Fund.

"The EBRD has also provided 233 million in indirect finance, supporting an SME lending portfolio of banks reaching over 94,000 micro, small and medium-sized enterprises annually, the report reads.

Moreover, more than 850 SMEs in Azerbaijan have received consulting assistance since 2003, including assistance to improve accounting, to enter new markets, and work under the Women in Business program, whose goal is to provide financial and consulting assistance to companies run by female entrepreneurs.

EBRD President Sir Suma Chakrabarti is currently in Azerbaijan for meetings with the government. The discussions will focus on ways to further strengthen Azerbaijans economic performance.

The EBRD is an international financial institution founded in 1991. As a multilateral developmental investment bank, the EBRD uses investment as a tool to build market economies.

The Bank was established to support countries of the former Eastern Bloc in the process of establishing their private sectors. To that end, it offers "project financing" for banks, industries and businesses, for new ventures or existing companies.

The EBRD has allocated more than 3 billion to Azerbaijan for implementation of 160 projects since 1992.

One of the main priorities of the EBRD in Azerbaijan for 2017 is support the local corporates with direct financing. The EBRD continues to pursue investments in energy projects, especially where there is a gap to improve efficiency and energy security.

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7 September 2017 16:26 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The total net profit of banks operating in Azerbaijan was 216.8 million manat ($128.4 million) as of August 1, 2017, according to the data of the Financial Market Supervisory Body (FMSB).

In July 2017, interest income of banks amounted to 1.145 billion manat ($678 million), including 845.5 million manat for loans. The interest expenses of banks amounted to 559.1 million manats ($330 million).

During the reporting period banks directed 297.3 million manat ($175.7 million) to form reserves to cover possible losses on assets.

Currently, 31 banks are implementing their activities in Azerbaijan.

The licenses of 11 banks were withdrawn in 2016 due to the discrepancy of their total capital with the minimum requirements [50 million manats-$29.4 million] and default to the creditors.

Earlier, President of the Azerbaijan Bank Association (ABA) Zakir Nuriyev and Executive Director Yunus Abdulov met with Reto Weyermann Program Manager, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Macroeconomic Support Section, and Simone Haeberli, Deputy Regional Director Swiss Cooperation Office in the South Caucasus to discuss the current situation in bank sector.

The meeting discussed the role of the ABA in the formation of laws and regulations governing the banking sector and its cooperation with the relevant authorities. They also exchanged views on the newly established Auction Center, the Bank Ombudsman and their activity directions.

ABA was founded in 1990 by commercial banks. The main goal of the ABA was to protect the interests of member organizations, to help them meet the needs of different types of business services and to coordinate their activities.

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7 September 2017 16:35 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

The Iranian Presidential Administration has decreed to appoint Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Masoud Karbasian as new co-chairman of the Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The decision followed the appointment of the former co-chairman of the commission, Mahmoud Vaezi, as the chief of staff of presidents office, Mohammadreza Najafi, the press officer of Irans Embassy to Azerbaijan, told Trend.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in August named Masoud Karbasian as the minister of economic affairs and finance of Iran.

Vaezi, the former minister of communications and information technologies, was the co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission from the Iranian side.

From the Azerbaijani side, the intergovernmental commission is headed by the Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev.



The two countries are eager to develop their non-oil economy, integrate regional transport networks and boost mutually advantageous business projects. Such spheres as agriculture, banking sector, pharmaceutics, as well as cooperation within the international North-South transport corridor are the main areas that the two states are focused on.

Iranian companies have so far invested some $1.2 billion, while some $145 million fell to a share of non-oil sector. Some 538 companies with Iranian capital are operating in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans trade turnover with Iran in January-July 2017 amounted to $148.9 million, of which $139.1 million accounted for import of Iranian products, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.

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7 September 2017 13:12 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The Heydar Aliyev Center in Baku has opened its doors to the Contemporary Turkish Art Exhibition, a collection of art pieces by various Turkish artists.

A solemn opening ceremony of the exhibition, organized jointly with the Turkish embassy in Baku and devoted to the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan, took place on September 6.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, Azerbaijan's Minister of Culture and Tourism Abulfaz Garayev, public and art figures attended the event.

Cavusoglu, addressing the ceremony, stated that relations between Azerbaijan and Turkey are at the highest level.

Stressing that the world-renowned artists and sculptors expressed their desire to participate in this exhibition, the minister added that the two states will further cooperate in the field of economy, energy and culture.

Garayev, in turn, named the celebration of the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Turkey and Azerbaijan as a major event.

He stressed that the venue of this cultural event is the Center named after national leader Heydar Aliyev, who used to say "One nation, two states" to characterize the Azerbaijan-Turkey relations.

As proof, we see how our leaders, our peoples today have sincere attitude, trust and respect to each other. As in all spheres, our cooperation in the field of culture has been extensive. Over the past 25 years, Turkey and Azerbaijan have a unified concept in all international projects and support each other in organizing large events," said the minister.

Garayev added that before the exhibition, Turkish artists have had very good meetings and master classes in the country. Culture as a driving force will always bring people closer together, he concluded.

Later the participants got acquainted with the exhibition that features more than 60 works by 8 artists, Azertac reported.

The works by famous representatives of contemporary Turkish art such as Adnan Turani (1925-2016), Devrim Erbil (1937), Yalcn Gokcebag (1944), Sukran Pekmezci (1946), Hasan Pekmezci (1945), Zeki Serbest (1946) and Ahmet Yesil (1954) Malik Bulut's (1974) are put on display.

Devrim Erbil, a professor of art at the Turkish State Academy of Art, shared his impressions about the exhibition:

It is a special exhibition. Although my works are exhibited in many countries around the world, it is different to display them at the Heydar Aliyev Center in Azerbaijan. This is an expression of the bridge of friendship between Turkey and Azerbaijan, which is very important to me. So I joined the exhibition with great enthusiasm. We are very glad that the exhibition opened at the Heydar Aliyev Center, he said.

Artist Sukran Pekmezci and her husband Hasan Pekmezci also noted that their participation in the exhibition is of great importance for them. They pointed out that the exhibition plays an important role in the Turkey-Azerbaijan relations.

The exhibition will last till October 6.

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Laman Ismayilova is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Lam_Ismayilova

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7 September 2017 14:08 (UTC+04:00)

Beauty Azerbaijan 2017, the 11th Azerbaijan International Beauty and Aesthetic Medicine exhibition, countrys leading beauty industry event, will take place on September 28-30 at Baku Expo Center.

Beauty Azerbaijan brings together industry specialists, manufacturers and distributors of cosmetics from many countries.

The exhibition is officially supported by the Ministry of Healthcare of Azerbaijan, the Azerbaijan Export and Investment Promotion Foundation (AZPROMO) and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organisations of the Azerbaijan Republic (ASK).

The organizers of the exhibition are Iteca Caspian and its partner ITE Group.

This year companies from Azerbaijan, Italy, Korea, Russia, Turkey, USA and several other countries will participate in the exhibition. They will present professional cosmetics, a wide range of equipment for beauty salons, meso preparations, cosmetological equipment and others.

Within the framework of the business program of the exhibition, will be held bilateral meetings between manufacturers and distributors, prepared by the organizers.

Companies will hold presentations to demonstrate exclusive products, and body and hair care master classes at their stands.

Beauty Azerbaijan 2017 will take place alongside the 23rd Azerbaijan International Healthcare exhibition BIHE 2017. The programme of master classes will be available on the exhibition website www.beauty.iteca.az

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7 September 2017 09:45 (UTC+04:00)

By Laman Ismayilova

The weather will be changeable cloudy in Baku and Absheron peninsula on September 7 .

South-west wind will be followed with north-west wind in the second half of a day. Rain is predicted in some places in the evening.

The temperature will be +22-25C at night, +31-33C in daytime in Absheron peninsula, +23-25C at night, +31-33C in the afternoon in Baku.

Atmospheric pressure will raise from 753 mm Hg up to 762 mm Hg. Relative humidity will be 65-75%.

The Ministry warns that after a few days of hot weather the weather will become unstable in Baku and Absheron peninsula.

The temperature will drop gradually by 4-7 degrees compared to previous days.

Lightening is predicted in country's regions. West wind will blow in some places. The temperature will be +20-25C at night, +33-38C in daytime, +13-18C in mountains at night, +22-27C in daytime.

From the afternoon of September 7 till morning of September 8 the weather will be unstable and khazri wind will blow against the backdrop of a significant increase in atmospheric pressure, which is inconvenient for meteo-sensitive people.

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7 September 2017 10:23 (UTC+04:00)

Azerbaijani Deputy Prime Minister, Deputy Chair and Executive Secretary of the New Azerbaijan Party Ali Ahmadov has condemned an anti-Azerbaijani report of the Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP) and articles published by some foreign media, Azertac reported.

It is not a secret for anyone that slander against Azerbaijan and its leader has become a favorite business of some Western political circles, non-governmental organizations and media. Therefore, taking into account the trends of the recent years there is nothing unusual in the article, which is a product of OCCRP and The Guardian`s fantasy and which is an attempt to draw attention by slandering Azerbaijan and its leader again. The same order, the same sponsors, the same executors, but with a slight difference.

This time, the executors (and perhaps the sponsors) were so much eager to slander Azerbaijan that they did not even notice that they have discredited Europe`s most influential institutions. According to the anti-Azerbaijani report and article, the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe makes very serious political decisions, to put it mildly, by receiving gifts. This is really a very serious accusation against PACE. Is the assembly ready to digest it? Ahmadov said.

There is no need to prove that the main target of the authors of the report and article is Azerbaijan and its rapidly growing positive image.

Another and still a key goal of the authors of the report and article is that annoyed by Azerbaijan's recent superiority in diplomatic, propaganda and especially military areas in the fair settlement of the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, they want to launch the second front against Azerbaijan, he added.

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7 September 2017 10:41 (UTC+04:00)

Pakistan and Azerbaijan enjoy cordial relations that have grown with the each passing day, Pakistani Minister of State for Capital Administration and Development (CADD),Dr.Tariq Fazal Ch said.

Pakistan was indebted to Azerbaijan for extending humanitarian assistance on various occasions, he added.

The minister expressed these views while speaking on the occasion of a special ceremony held at the Special Education Department under the aegis of the Embassy of Azerbaijan. The function was held to distribute gifts among the special children on the occasion of Eid, Azertac reported.

The minister also lauded the efforts of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation and President of the Foundation Mrs. Mehriban Aliyeva for carrying out various humanitarian projects in Pakistan.

Ambassador of Azerbaijan Ali Alizada delivered speech on behalf of First Vice President of Azerbaijan, President of the Heydar Aliyev Foundation Mehriban Aliyeva.

He said Pakistan was the first country to recognize Azerbaijan on its independence. Both Muslim countries are supporting politically, socially and culturally each other at every regional and international forum. Azerbaijan fully supports Pakistan on issue of occupied Kashmir.

Starting from 2005 the first lady of Azerbaijan initiated a series of healthcare, education, development and humanitarian projects in all provinces of Pakistan, he added.

Within the plan of action, the hepatitis B vaccination, check up and treatment were carried out at Edhi Home, Akbar Care Institute for Cerebral Palsy in Peshawar and equipped ambulance and thousands of blood collection bags to Hamza Foundation.

Alizada further stressed that annually during the holy month of Ramadan, the Foundation hosted iftars to beneficiaries of Pakistan Sweet Homes and other orphanages in all fours provinces of Pakistan.

The Foundation also carried out action on Eid al-Adha, distributing meat of hundreds of animals to the people and inmates of sweet homes. In 2004 the Foundation inaugurated Heydar Aliyev Water Supply Scheme of Tank district of Dera Ismael Khan.

Because of her great humanitarian work, the First Lady of Azerbaijan has been awarded the title of Symbol of Humanity, Women of 2012 by Women Volunteers Organization and Shaheed Benazir Bhutto Excellence Award 2013.

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7 September 2017 10:33 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Czech Senate delegation led by the vice-speaker will pay a visit to Azerbaijan in late October, ambassador of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan Vitezslav Pivonka told Trend on September 7.

He noted that the delegation will consist of six senators. Cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of agriculture, as well as industry and transport will be discussed during the visit, added the ambassador.

Currently, the visit program is being prepared, said Pivonka.

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7 September 2017 12:16 (UTC+04:00)

President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev received a delegation led by President of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Suma Chakrabarti in Baku on September 7, Azertac reported.

The head of state recalled his meetings with the EBRD President in Azerbaijan and in Davos, and emphasized the importance of Suma Chakrabarti's regular visits to Azerbaijan. He noted that these visits create a good opportunity for discussing what has been done and future plans. President Ilham Aliyev hailed Azerbaijan-EBRD cooperation.

The head of state noted that the EBRD's loan portfolio in Azerbaijan is about $3 billion, praising the fact that its major part is being channeled into the private sector. He described this as a clear manifestation of the expansion of the private sector of Azerbaijan's economy.

The President noted that this also demonstrates the increasing confidence in the economy and helps to support entrepreneurship through additional financial resources.

Expressing his hope that cooperation between Azerbaijan and EBRD will be successful in the years to come, the head of state underlined the current plans and challenges ahead.

President Ilham Aliyev said that the majority of infrastructure projects in Azerbaijan have already been finalized or they are at the stage of completion, adding that the new economic development program mainly aims to develop the non-oil sector in Azerbaijan, diversify the economy and support the private sector. The head of state hailed great opportunities in this regard.

President Ilham Aliyev underlined the importance of implementing plans to establish transportation and new logistic centers.

The head of state said the EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti's visit to Azerbaijan created the opportunity to hold discussions on what should be done.

The EBRD President Suma Chakrabarti recalled his previous meetings with President Ilham Aliyev, saying they held fruitful discussions on bilateral cooperation. He expressed his confidence that the issues relating to Azerbaijan-EBRD cooperation prospects will be determined during this meeting too.

They also discussed the EBRD's involvement in financing the Southern Gas Corridor, and opportunities for cooperation in developing transport corridors, supporting the private sector and solid waste management in Azerbaijan.

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7 September 2017 12:51 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

General Petr Pavel, chairman of the NATO Military Committee and General Valery Gerasimov, chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces and first deputy minister of defense, will meet today, on September 7 in Baku, says a NATO message posted on its website.

This meeting is a follow-on from a phone call between the two generals which took place on March 3, 2017, says the message.

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7 September 2017 14:24 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Azerbaijan and South Korea have discussed prospects for cooperation as a delegation led by the Vice-Speaker of the National Assembly of Korea, Park Joo-sun, has met with the members of the Azerbaijan-Korea inter-parliamentary relations working group in Baku on September 7.

The head of the parliamentary working group, Malik Hasanov, stressed successful development of bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Korea and emphasized the historically friendly ties between the two countries.

He noted that Azerbaijan has been closely observing the rapid development of Korea in high tech industry, adding that the two countries are famous with their rich natural resources and there is a good potential for further development of the cooperation.

Hasanov also informed the delegation about the Armenia-Azerbaijan Nagorno-Karabakh conflict, providing detailed data on the current situation. He stressed that the conflict is the major threat for the entire region.

Park Joo-sun, in turn, said that the visit is a good chance for the Korean delegation to get acquainted with Azerbaijan closer, considering more than 25 years of friendly relations between the two countries.

He also stressed the international prestige of Azerbaijan, emphasizing the prospects of cooperation between the two countries in humanitarian, cultural and tourism spheres.

Park Joo-sun added that Korea is keen on further expanding of exchange of experience in various spheres with Azerbaijan.

The Vice-Speaker also noted that Azerbaijan has successfully hosted and attended several landmark international events.

During the meeting, the sides also exchanged views on expanding cooperation in political, inter-parliamentary, economic, cultural and humanitarian spheres, as well as ways of solving regional conflicts.

Previously the delegation was received by President Ilham Aliyev, who praised a very good level of bilateral ties between the two countries.

The diplomatic relations between Azerbaijan and the Republic of Korea were established on March 23, 1992. The relations became more intensive after the establishment of the Embassy of the Republic of Korea in Azerbaijan in 2006 and the Embassy of Azerbaijan in Korea in 2007.

The trade turnover between Azerbaijan and Korea totaled $72.17 million last year, while $72.05 million accounted for the import of Korean products. Korea's exports to Azerbaijan are mainly automobile, plastic, and electronic products, while it purchases oil, aluminum, and copper products from Azerbaijan. There is also a great potential for cooperation in the tourism sector between the countries.

Azerbaijan was declared by the Korean government as priority country for economic cooperation for 2011-2013. In 2015, the Joint Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation was established between the Azerbaijan and Korea. Last June, the first meeting of Joint Economic Commission was held in Seoul.

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7 September 2017 15:02 (UTC+04:00)

The co-rapporteurs of the PACE Monitoring Committee will pay a visit to Azerbaijan on September 13-17.

The initial version of the report on Azerbaijan was confirmed during the meeting of PACE Monitoring Committee, Azertac reported.

The Azerbaijani delegation also attended the meeting.

The Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE) is the parliamentary arm of the Council of Europe, a 47-nation international organisation dedicated to upholding human rights, democracy and the rule of law.

The Council of Europe is an older and wider circle of nations than the 28-member European Union.

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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.

Vote

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7 September 2017 16:04 (UTC+04:00)

By Rashid Shirinov

Chairman of the NATO Military Committee, General Petr Pave named Azerbaijan a reliable partner of NATO.

He made the remarks at a meeting with First Deputy Defense Minister of Azerbaijan, Chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces, Colonel General Najmaddin Sadikov in Baku on September 7.

Pavel highly appreciated Azerbaijans participation in the fight against terrorism and noted the significant contribution of the country in providing airspace for cargo transportation within the framework of peacekeeping operations.

He also pointed out high professionalism of Azerbaijani peacekeepers in Afghanistan.

Expressing satisfaction with his visit to Azerbaijan, the general also expressed deep gratitude to the leadership of the country for assisting in holding a bilateral meeting with Chief of the General Staff of the Russian Armed Forces Valery Gerasimov in Baku.

Sadikov, in turn, noted successful development of military ties with NATO and spoke about military cooperation between Azerbaijan and NATO.

He also noted the activities of the Azerbaijani Armed Forces within the framework of various NATO programs, as well as Azerbaijans contribution to the non-combat Resolute Support Mission held in Afghanistan.

Sadikov highlighted the merits of Azerbaijans national leader Heydar Aliyev and the head of state, Supreme Commander-in-Chief of the countrys Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev in establishing fruitful and trusting relations between Azerbaijan and NATO.

Touching upon the military and political situation in the region, Sadikov emphasized the importance of resolving the Armenian-Azerbaijani Nagorno-Karabakh conflict within the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan and the norms of international law. He highly appreciated NATOs position regarding the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Azerbaijan and expressed confidence that the organization will continue its efforts in this regard.

The history of Azerbaijan-NATO relationship dates back to March 1992 when Azerbaijan together with some Central and Eastern European countries, joined a newly established consultative forum  the North Atlantic Cooperation Council (NACC), which was transformed into the Euro-Atlantic Partnership Council later in 1997.

Azerbaijan's cooperation with NATO is also carried out in the framework of the Partnership for Peace program. The country makes significant contributions to freight transport for peacekeeping operations, while Azerbaijani servicemen contribute to ensuring security in Afghanistan.

Besides, NATO keeps in the focus the issue of security of the oil and gas pipelines in the South Caucasus region that pass through the territory of Azerbaijan as well.

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7 September 2017 16:57 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan has allocated more than $1.5 million for education of girls in African countries through UNESCO projects.

The projects cover Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda and Liberia, the countrys Permanent Delegation to UNESCO reported.

Azerbaijan is one of the donors of UNESCO. The country is funding a UNESCO project on the education of girls in Africa in accordance with the Framework Agreement signed between Azerbaijan and UNESCO in 2013.

Gender equality is a global priority for UNESCO and inextricably linked to its efforts to promote the right to education and support the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals. Gender inequality in education affects both girls and boys, and women and men, but girls and women are still more often disadvantaged.

Azerbaijan has been historically committed to gender equity. The country has achieved universal suffrage in 1918, being the first to empower women, and by 1919 Azerbaijan had women parliamentarians. Women with Ph.D. in the fields of mathematics and science could be found in Azerbaijan almost a century ago.

Currently, women in the country are holding key strategic areas including human resources and economic sectors of different government ministries and directories.

Earlier, Azerbaijan contributed $5 million to the UNESCO/Azerbaijan Trust Fund, under which there are three projects implemented in the field of Girls Education in Sub-Saharan countries in Uganda, Tanzania and Kenya.

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7 September 2017 10:00 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

The EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation goes beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, European Commission Vice-President for Energy Union Maros Sefcovic told Trend on September 6.

Azerbaijan is an important energy partner for the EU, currently supplying around 5 percent of the EU's oil demand and playing a pivotal role in bringing Caspian gas resources to the EU market through the Southern Gas Corridor, he said. EU-Azerbaijan energy cooperation does, however, go beyond the Southern Gas Corridor, for instance, in the area of renewables and energy efficiency.

Further, Sefcovic pointed out that the Energy Union has its intra-EU dimension, but at the same time, the Energy Union does not stop at the EU borders.

The EU's energy security is closely linked with its neighbors and therefore, cooperation is vital, he said. In practice, for instance, we are expanding the EU energy market  with its rules  into our neighborhood via the Energy Community but also the Southern Mediterranean, ensuring effective implementation of the EU's energy, environment and competition acquis, energy market reforms and incentivizing investments in the energy sector. The goal is closer integration of the EU and Energy Community energy markets.

The Southern Gas Corridor is one of the priority energy projects for the EU. It envisages the transportation of gas from the Caspian region to the European countries through Georgia and Turkey.



At the initial stage, the gas to be produced as part of the Stage 2 of development of Azerbaijan's Shah Deniz field is considered as the main source for the Southern Gas Corridor projects. Other sources can also connect to this project at a later stage.



As part of the Stage 2 of the Shah Deniz development, the gas will be exported to Turkey and European markets by expanding the South Caucasus Pipeline and the construction of Trans Anatolian Natural Gas Pipeline and Trans Adriatic Pipeline.

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7 September 2017 12:21 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi has announced the launch of a new military operation against militants of the Islamic State (IS) terrorist group in the cities of Hawijah and Anbar, the Iraqi media outlets reported on September 7.

The prime minister noted that every corner of Iraq will be retaken in cooperation with Kurdish Peshmerga fighters.

It should be recalled that on August 31, al-Abadi announced the victory of the countrys military over IS in Tal Afar and the complete liberation of the northern province of Nineveh from terrorists.

The military operation in Iraqs Tal Afar was carried out from August 20.

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7 September 2017 13:14 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

The European Union has reportedly agreed to extend for another six months the blacklist on Russian nationals and entities, in one way or another engaged in turmoil in Ukraine.

Representatives of the 28 EU states agreed on September 6 on the roll over, which will formally be adopted on September 14, and prolong the visa ban and asset freeze list until mid-March 2018, Reuters reported citing sources in Brussels.

The blacklist includes 149 Russian nationals and Ukrainian separatists, as well as 38 entities.

The Union first imposed sanctions on Russia after it annexed the Black Sea peninsula of Crimea from Kiev in early 2014. The sanctions covered wide range of spheres aiming to damage the Russian economy.

The European Union has repeatedly condemned Russia's annexation of Crimea and does not recognize it to date. The officials from Europe stated that the duration of the economic restrictions will be equal to the duration of complete implementation of the Minsk agreements.

The blocs separate main economic sanctions against Russia, which curb EU cooperation in the energy, defense and financial fields, are effective by late January 2018.

Moscow refuses to return Crimea though the annexation has not been internationally recognized.

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7 September 2017 14:18 (UTC+04:00)

By Ali Mustafayev

The leaders of South Korea and Japan have agreed to push for a new U.N. Security Council resolution with the "strongest" sanctions against North Korea, including cutting off all oil supplies to the impoverished country.

"Regarding the North's nuclear test and missile launches, the leaders of the two countries noted it was time to increase pressure on the North rather than engage the country in dialogue under the current conditions where the international community's condemnation and pressure against the North continue to intensify," the chief press secretary of the Korean President, Yoon Young-chan said in Vladivostok, according to Yonhap.

The leaders of South Korea and Japan have agreed to work together to build support for further sanctions against North Korea following its latest nuclear test.

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test on September 3. The explosion was said to be almost 10 times more powerful than the country's last nuclear test a year ago. The test was realized under the order of North Korean leader Kim Jong-un to defy its Southern neighbor and the USA after another joint military exercise was conducted on the Korean peninsula.

Earlier, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe spoke with President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

Japans Foreign Ministry said that Abe strongly encouraged Russia to respond constructively as a permanent member of the Security Council.

Abe told Trump that North Koreas nuclear test is a serious threat to Japans security that poses a head-on challenge to the international community.

The widening of sanctions against Pyongyang was previously offered by the United States, in order to restrict the countrys income as much as it is possible.

The Trump administration says the UN needs to tighten economic sanctions to pressure North Korea to change its behavior and start talking. The United States wants the U.N. Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban its exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean laborers abroad, and to subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

Donald Trump also urged China to do more to rein in its neighbor.

Beijing said it agreed the United Nations should take more action against North Korea.

Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the U.N. Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters on Thursday.

Vladimir Putin previously warned that cutting off oil exports to North Korea would violate humanitarian norms, signaling that Moscow would likely block U.S.-led efforts to impose an oil embargo on Pyongyang following its sixth nuclear test.

Meanwhile, Secretary General of NATO Jens Stoltenberg stated that North Korea's "reckless pursuit of nuclear weapons" demands a united response from the international community.

Stoltenberg, during a news conference at a military base in Estonia, also called on North Korea to "abandon all nuclear and ballistic missile programs," adding that their nuclear program is in "violation of multiple UN Security Council resolutions and a major threat to the non-proliferation regime.

North Korea said it would respond to any U.N. sanctions and U.S. pressure with powerful counter measures, accusing the United States of aiming to start a war.

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7 September 2017 15:50 (UTC+04:00)

By Trend

Turkey is ready to support Uzbekistan in the development of tourism, said Turkish Culture and Tourism Minister Numan Kurtulmus at a meeting with Uzbekistans Deputy Prime Minister Jamshid Kuchkarov.

Kuchkarov and Kurtulmus met in Ankara on September 7, the Turkish Culture and Tourism Ministry reported.

The Turkish minister noted that Uzbekistan is one of important countries of Central Asia and has important tourism potential.

He added that Turkey attaches special attention to the development of relations with Uzbekistan.

It was previously reported that Uzbekistan plans to develop and sign international agreements on expanding cooperation in tourism sphere with nine countries, including Turkey, in 2018-2019.

There are more than 60 agreements and contracts between Uzbekistan and Turkey. These documents cover the spheres of trade, economy, science, transport, culture and others.

Currently, 479 companies with Turkish capital operate in Uzbekistan, including 199 joint enterprises.

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7 September 2017 11:44 (UTC+04:00)

By Amina Nazarli

Azerbaijan was included in Top 5 for the number of tourists visiting Russia this year.

As many as 403,000 Azerbaijanis visited Russia in the six months of 2017.

Ukraine leads the list of visitors coming to Russia. The northern neighbor hosted about 3.9 million Ukrainians. Then comes tourists from Kazakhstan, China and Finland.

Today, the Azerbaijani community is one of the largest Muslim communities in Russia. About 1.5 million of Azerbaijanis are living in Russia.



The most popular places of Azerbaijani tourists alongside Russia, is Turkey and Georgia.

Azerbaijans tourism industry is growing rapidly year after year, and today Russian tourists make up more than 30 percent of the total number of tourists visiting the country.

Russians choose Azerbaijan as their travel destination for many reasons. First of all, the Land of Fire does not require visa for Russian tourists to enjoy the country.

The Land of Fire attracts Russian tourists due to affordable prices, developed infrastructure, beautiful weather, delicious food, the fact that many local residents speak Russian, etc.

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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @amina_nazarli

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First up, Joe Biden is thinking about dropping tariffs against China. But theres a spy in prison this morning that helps us understand why he shouldnt. Ill explain.





Your second brief, If youre looking for a good paying job, you might consider being a CEO for a health insurance company. One executive made $142M dollars last year. Let's talk about that.





And as always, Im keeping an eye out for developing stories. Put this one on your radar. Mexican cartels are grooming American kids online and paying them cash to traffic illegals or run drugs across the border. Ill share details.





If you enjoyed this episode of the President's Daily Brief, remember to subscribe and listen daily at podfollow.com/pdb.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
The app works because the walls of arteries are almost completely elastic, they expand and contract with each beat of the heart.

In a proof-of-concept clinical trial, engineers at Caltech, Huntington Medical Research Institute have demonstrated that the camera on your smartphone can noninvasively provide detailed information about your heart's health.

The team developed a technique that can infer the left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) of the heart by measuring the amount that the carotid artery displaces the skin of the neck as blood pumps through it. LVEF represents the amount of blood in the heart that is pumped out with each beat.

To measure LVEF using the technique developed at Caltech, doctors simply held iPhones against the volunteers' necks for one to two minutes.

The app works because the walls of arteries are almost completely elastic, they expand and contract with each beat of the heart. That expanding and contracting can be measured and described as a waveform that encodes information about the heart.

The team is now exploring what other information about the heart can be mined from the waveform captured by the app. Soon, the researchers anticipate that the technique could be used to diagnose heart valve diseases, like aortic stenosis, and coronary artery blockages.
This Pakistani Man Has An Unbelievable Number Of 54 Kids & 6 Wives! Life oi-Syeda Farah

Can you imagine of having a big family and then realise that people do have HUGE families than yours?

A truck driver from Pakistan is trying hard to meet his ends, as he has 54 children and 6 wives to look after!

This man is now 70 years old and yet is struggling to cope up with his daily life, as only one son of his is helping him in earning money.

Read on to find out more.

The Family Abdul Majeed Mengal and his extraordinary family lives in a 7-room house, where the kids sleep separately with their respective mothers. The family is extremely poor and the kids need schooling too. It Is Only He And His Eldest Son Who Are Earning Abdul Majeed Mengal and his eldest son Abdul, who is 34 years old, are the only earning members in the family. According to sources, 2 of his wives and 12 of his children had died, as he could not afford for medication to get them treated. life Story Of A Man Who Got A Dress For His Daughter After 2 Years His Earnings Abdul merely earns 10-15 rupees every month, which is not sufficient to support such a huge family. He claims that he wishes to educate all his children but it is not possible due to his financial condition. What do you have to say about this story? Let us know in the comment section below.

Image Credit: Cover Asia Press

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 10:03 [IST]
Woman, Presumed Dead, Wakes Up Alive From A Mortuary Life oi-Syeda Farah

Can you imagine of being alive and living in a mortuary freezer and assumed to be dead? Well, this can be the worst nightmare a person can ever have and this is something that actually happened in India.

A woman who was believed to be dead was kept in the freezer of a mortuary. Her family members assumed her to be dead, wherein she was still alive while in the mortuary freezer.

Check out the details of this sad incident.

She Was A 51-year-old Woman Rathnam was a 51-year-old woman, from Kerala, who was admitted in a hospital for treatment of jaundice. The doctors informed the family that her survival chances were very less and hence sent her back home. On Their Way The family realised that Rathnam was not responding and was still. The family assumed her to be dead and shifted her body to the nearest mortuary and returned with the relatives and after an hour to complete the death rituals. pulse The Last Wish Of A Cancer Patient! Family Got A Shock Of Their Lives... Rathnam's family got the shock of their lives when she was found to be alive after reportedly spending an hour in the morgue! Apparently, a relative noticed that Rathnam was breathing and they shifted her to a nearby hospital. She Died Finally Since her organs failed due to jaundice, there were minimal things that doctors could do to save her. She expired the same evening. Probably, if her family had not taken the decision of shifting her to a mortuary, she may have been able to fight longer; however, it's all about fate at the end of the day.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 16:00 [IST]
Billionaire Network Ten backer Bruce Gordon has successfully delayed a meeting of the failed company's creditors as part of a push to thwart the purchase of the free-to-air television network by America's CBS.

Mr Gordon took urgent action in the NSW Supreme Court on Wednesday to prevent Ten's administrator, KordaMentha, holding a second creditors' meeting next Tuesday.

Mr Gordon, the majority owner of Ten's regional affiliate WIN Corporation, and fellow Ten backer Lachlan Murdoch were underbidders for the failed network.

His lawyers are seeking a court declaration that the second creditors' report "fails to include adequate information" about the proposal by his private company, Birketu, and Mr Murdoch's Illyria Nominees Television to buy Ten and the reasons why administrators support the proposal by CBS.
After welcoming twins earlier this year and mastering the art of changing diapers, George Clooney and wife Amal, a human rights lawyer, are not looking to expand their brood further. Clooney, 56, spoke candidly in an interview with the Hollywood Reporter, published on Wednesday, about becoming "a very good diaper guy" and the pressures of being a first-time father to twins Alexander and Ella, born in June in London. George and Amal Clooney at the the premiere of the movie, Suburbicon at the Venice Film Festival. Credit:Joel Ryan/Invision/AP When Amal Clooney was asked if she wanted to have more children, the reporter said, her response was a negative shake of the head. "I'm 39," Amal Clooney said. "I already had them quite late."

The twins have been the subject of much speculation and the Clooneys, one of Hollywood's most famous couples, kept a low profile before their birth. "The first thing you think is, 'I hope I don't screw this up'," Clooney said of fatherhood. "But you are really responsible for two kids. I want them to be happy. I want them to have a sense of humour. I want them to be interested in things. I want them to be compassionate about other people's plights. Because that's the thing, you know? You have to have some sort of empathy." He also added, "But I'm a very good diaper guy, which I didn't know I would be." The actor and director of the upcoming black comedy Suburbicon also discussed an array of topics, from his friendship with former US president Barack Obama, with whom he said he sometimes shares some "racy" texts, to his own political ambitions, or lack of them.
The Gold Coast looks set to be confirmed as the new home of the Logies Awards, with TV Week editor Emma Nolan to front a media conference early on Friday morning with Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate and Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

TV Week is the major sponsor of the television industry awards and the method through which votes are received for entrants.

The Logies red carpet appears set for the Gold Coast. Credit:Simon Schluter

Cr Tate told reporters earlier this week he was working very hard "behind the scenes" with Queensland's Tourism Minister Kate Jones to assess the viability of hosting the TV Week Logies on the Gold Coast.

For the past 20 years, it has been held at Melbourne's Crown Casino, where some reports indicate the Victorian Government had contributed $1 million each year to help cover the costs.
It was once known as the flashjack or waistcoat wallaby and its soft fur was so popular, 'roo shooters essentially wiped it out in Queensland by 1929.

Indigenous Australians called it "Merrin", but as colonialists brought their dogs and cats, cleared bushland, and foxes and dingos attacked in more open country, its numbers dwindled.

Two small populations of 'bridled' nailtail wallabies in Central Queensland are keeping the species that was previously considered extinct, 'alive'. Credit:Department of Environment and Heritage Protection.

Wildlife Queensland declared the bridled nailtail wallaby extinct in Queensland in 1956, but a fencing contractor in central Queensland found a small population on a property near Dingo in 1973.

"This was confirmed by researchers from the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service and the property eventually became Taunton National Park," the Department of Environment and Heritage Protection said.
Least of all, it doesn't want large- and medium-size companies waiting to book at the last minute. Thus, offering a small discount on a select range of fares is small fry compared to the money that it continues to make offf intra-WA routes. Mr David also was at pains to say that Qantas has to fly smaller aircraft on its WA routes which are more expensive and thus it has little room to cut fares. At FlightGlobal, we keep a database of hundreds of airlines' schedules, including Qantas's, which give us insight into what aircraft they fly on which routes, and thus how many seats there are on offer. The schedules show that, at least thrice-weekly, the airline flies its 156 seat Boeing 737-800s, which are the same aircraft it flies up and down the east coast, and in theory are the bigger jets Mr David was referring to. The other jets used are 115 seat Boeing 717s and 100 seat Fokker 100s, with the latter flown by its subsidiary Network Aviation.

Those Fokker aircraft are the oldest in the Qantas Group's fleet, and while they use more fuel than the newer jets, the fact that they can be bought for less than the cost of an apartment in Sydney means that the higher fuel cost is offset by lower ownership costs. Indeed, sources within the airline have indicated that Network Aviation is among the lowest cost carriers within the Qantas group  even lower than budget carrier Jetstar. However, it certainly does not charge like that, despite Mr David's assertion that airfares are comparable to other routes. But, again, the data tells a different story. Compare the Perth-Broome and Sydney-Townsville routes, which are similar in length. Granted, both cities are larger and have different market characteristics, but Skyscanner data shows that there is a great gulf in the lowest fares available on the routes. Across October, the lowest one-way fares on Perth-Broome ranged from $186 to an eye watering $807, compared to $122-$271 on Sydney-Townsville.

One of the major reasons for that is that the Sydney-Townville is flown by Virgin Australia and Qantas's budget unit Jetstar. It shows that if Qantas was serious about offering lower fares to the WA regions, it would look to bring Jetstar onto some of the routes. Broome, Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie and Port Hedland can easily support the 180 seat Airbus A320s that Jetstar flies  if not daily then at least two or three times a week. That would not only help those who live in the regions to be able to travel to Perth for business, to visit family or other leisure activities, it would also spur on tourism in those regions, where we have some of the most unique natural attractions that are totally underrated, and would open up ways for foreign travellers to access more of the outback. It could also entice more people to live in the regions, knowing that their friends and family will have access to reasonable air fares to go and visit, or if they need to come to Perth. To be fair, Virgin Australia is just as much to blame for the situation as Qantas is. It too has major contracts that it needs to protect, and thus has no incentive to cut fares and stimulate more traffic to the regions.

It, too, could look to bring in Tigerair Australia onto some of those routes to stimulate traffic and open up new travellers to the market, but for the same reasons there is little incentive to do so. That means that more people fly over the Pilbara and Kimberley on the way to places like Phuket, Singapore and Bali. It also affects all WA taxpayers, who foot the bill for any time someone from those towns needs to come down to Perth for medical treatment, or when public servants and politicians travel to and from those centres. Loading Qantas and Virgin can afford to do better for West Australians.
Mortgage stress is in the news, with increasing numbers of borrowers reporting trouble making their repayments. Furthermore, rates look like going up.

After a meeting last Tuesday, Reserve Bank Governor Philip Lowe told a business dinner in Brisbane: "Our judgment has been that it is not in the public interest to encourage an already highly indebted household sector to borrow even more. More borrowing might have helped today, but it could come at a future cost." That's a clear signal that there are no more rate cuts.

Former treasurer Peter Costello put it succinctly on ABC radio recently when he pointed out that rates had been slashed to protect Australia from the global financial crisis and to encourage people to spend. In Costello's words, "and spend they did  all on housing".

He reminded us that the GFC is now over and rates will eventually "return to normal". He finished on a sombre note: "the longer the rate rises are delayed, the greater will be the pain when they eventually rise, as they must".
At a time when green power was becoming increasingly problematic in conservative politics, Brisbane City Council's Liberal National Party administration has boasted of its 100 per cent carbon neutrality.

In doing so, Lord Mayor Graham Quirk said the council had become the first major government in Australia to achieve the milestone.

Lord Mayor Graham Quirk has confirmed two senior IT officers have left the council over a contract blow-out. Credit:Lisa Maree Williams

Cr Quirk said the council reached the landmark this week, through internal energy efficiency and emissions reduction projects, along with renewable energy and carbon offset purchases.

"The important thing to recognise is this council has very large landfill operations and we also have a massive public transport fleet," he said.
Industry leaders have said Brisbane needs more pride and should leave behind comparisons to Sydney and Melbourne and aim to be more like London and New York.

Queensland Art Gallery & Gallery of Modern Art director Chris Saines, Queensland Tourism Industry Council chief executive Daniel Gschwind and Queensland Ballet artistic director Li Cunxin spoke on a panel about what makes Brisbane famous and how to develop the citys brand at a Brisbane Development Association event on Tuesday.

It's been argued Brisbane should compare itself to New York and London rather than Sydney and Melbourne. Credit:Glenn Hunt

Mr Saines pinpointed Expo '88 as the event that put Brisbane on the map.

Rome had Romulus and Remus, we had Expo, he said.
An Epping man has told of jumping from the second floor of his home as he fled four balaclava-wearing armed men who were smashing their way through the front door in one of two terrifying home invasions in Melbourne's outer north this week.

"This is a movie, this is something surreal, I'd never imagined this was going to happen to me, ever," John, 35, who asked not to have his surname published, said on Thursday.

"I just jumped out the window, the adrenalin kicked in, I didn't feel any pain. I jumped over the fence and ran through on gravel and everything with bare feet."

In an earlier home invasion that police believe was linked to the Epping raid, three men armed with a handgun and metal poles burst into a Mount View Road, Thomastown, home about 12.40am on Tuesday and demanded drugs.
Calls for an 18-month trial of a safe injecting room for drug addicts have been rejected by the Andrews government, despite its admission that drug and alcohol abuse is out of control in some communities.

Reason Party MP Fiona Patten proposed an 18-month trial of a medically supervised injecting room near Victoria Street in North Richmond, the epicentre of Melbourne's heroin crisis.

Thirty-four people died from drug overdoses in the area last year and hundreds more needed treatment.

But a parliamentary inquiry report by a group of cross-party MPs failed to take a definitive stance on the trial, with MPs split along party lines.
Two women who went missing while hiking in Kalbarri National Park on Wednesday have been found alive.

The women, aged 26 and 40, went hiking to Nature's Window about 2pm and failed to return to the carpark.

The women went hiking to Nature's Window. Credit:Getty Images

Police, together with Department of Parks and Wildlife staff and SES teams searched along the walk trails during Wednesday night but could not find them.

The search was scaled up on Thursday with the arrival of the Police Airwing.
Queensland's fastest-growing regions in the south-east corner are being unfairly underfunded at the expense of north Queensland, an economists analysis of the state government's 2017-18 budget shows.

Economist Gene Tunny, a former Commonwealth Treasury economist who now runs the Queensland Economy Watch website, examined where the money was being spent in the 2017-18 budget.

Mr Tunny found the government spending difference between north and south-east Queensland to be excessive.

The large per capita funding differences between well-funded regions, such as Fitzroy and inner Brisbane, and relatively poorly funded regions, such as Brisbanes eastern, southern and western suburbs and Logan-Beaudesert among others, appear excessive to me, he wrote.
There are no laws banning people from flying drones around power stations or prisons in Queensland.

Fairfax Media revealed One Nation staffer James Ashby was stopped by a security guard after being seen operating a drone near the Stanwell power station, with the incident referred to the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

James Ashby was seen flying a drone over Stanwell power station near Rockhampton on July 13.

Mr Ashby said he had done nothing wrong.

In Parliament on Thursday, Treasurer Curtis Pitt said Stanwell's power stations were critical infrastructure and questioned what Mr Ashby was doing.
"I take breaches of our security procedures very seriously because of the potential risk posed to members, staff and the public," he said. "There was a prima facie breach of security procedure. "Further examination of the facts are required ... This matter involves wider issues of policy including what sanctions are appropriate to be instituted against members for failing to follow security procedures whilst also taking into account the rights of members." Mr Pyne said Mr Khalesirad asked to see him and claimed he did not know the man was accused of stalking. He said he had not apologised to Ms Lauga.

I had no reason to expect that she would be distressed by this gentlemans entry, Mr Pyne said. She hasnt spoken to me or asked for one [an apology]. Ive done nothing wrong. Mr Pyne said there were allegations about people all the time. He said Mr Khalesirad's behaviour was "exemplary".

I would be very surprised if this gentleman was found guilty of stalking, I found him to be of exemplary behaviour, well-mannered, he said. I dont believe he was sighted by Ms Lauga or anywhere near her. If this gentleman is found guilty of stalking or harassing, I will apologise unreservedly. Mr Pyne said if he was told someone was at the Annexe, he would see what they wanted, often sign them in and take them to his office. He described the issues as a political game designed to smear him and could be an "ALP distraction to muddy the waters".

Opening Parliament for the day, Mr Wellington delivered a withering assessment of the use of parliamentary privilege to table documents, stopping short of naming the Cairns MP. Mr Wellington said the Queensland Parliament was very "liberal" and members had an "almost unfettered right to table documents, at least in the first instance". "I have become increasingly concerned about the unfettered right to table documents, which I believe is open to abuse," he said. "On an increasing basis, reams of material are being tabled ... Which then falls on the clerk and his officers to ensure (the documents) do not breach standing orders. "This material often includes matters which offends standing orders, material is then either not tabled or redacted."

Mr Wellington said some "fetter" or accountability may be necessary because of the frequency and nature of the tabling. "It appears we can no longer rely on members to self-regulate the right to table material," he said. But he said there was no suggestion members' freedom of speech would be impinged. "I'm talking about the ability to table anything a member wants to table as long as it does not offend rules such as the sub judice or reflections on other members," Mr Wellington said. The Speaker referred the issue to the Committee of the Legislative Assembly and invited MPs to make submissions.
Victorian crossbench MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins has spoken of her anguish at discovering her estranged husband was addicted to child pornography while they were married.

In an emotional speech to Parliament on Thursday, Dr Carling-Jenkins broke her silence on the personal toll his crime has taken on her family.

She said she was shocked to find her husband Gary had an "extensive" collection of highly disturbing material.

"In this discovery I viewed deeply distressing images which have caused me immediate and then ongoing anguish," she said.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull and US President Donald Trump talked for half an hour on Wednesday in a phone call described as "warm and constructive" and dominated by the ongoing crisis surrounding North Korea's growing nuclear weapons capability.

Mr Trump has held discussions with key allies in recent days as the world considers further sanctions against Kim Jong-un's regime after it conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test to date on Sunday. The detonation followed a series of missile tests that have rapidly raised tensions in the region.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin has blasted an American and South Korean push for fresh sanctions, calling them "ineffective" and arguing the North Korean regime would rather "eat grass" than bow to outside pressure. US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said this week the North Korean leader was "begging for war".

Not taking a backward step, North Korea has warned it is ready to send "more gift packages" to the US.
The head of the Minneapolis Police Department says that Australian woman Justine Damond did not have to die.

Minneapolis Police Chief Janee Harteau cut short her leave to return to the city where the Australian woman was gunned down by an officer on Saturday.

Addressing a press conference, she said she had spoken to Ms Damond's grieving fiance Don and assured him a full and fair investigation into the shooting would take place.

"I will do everything in my power to make sure due process is followed and justice is served," she said.
New York: Analysts peering at satellite images of North Korea after the latest nuclear test on Sunday, report they have spotted many landslides and wide disturbances at the country's test site, in the North's mountainous wilds. Tunnels for the nuclear blasts are deep inside Mount Mantap, a mile-high peak.

"These disturbances are more numerous and widespread than what we have seen from any of the five tests North Korea previously conducted," three experts wrote in an analysis for 38 North, a website run by the US-Korea Institute of the Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies.

Planet Labs satellite images taken before, left, and after the latest nuclear test show signs of landslides, the researchers said. (Note: clouds appear in white) Credit:38 North/Planet Labs

Early readings from global networks that monitor shock waves suggest that the nuclear blast on Sunday had a destructive power equal to 120,000 tons of high explosives. If correct, that is roughly six times more powerful than the North's test of September 2016, and eight times larger than the bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945.

The new satellite images of the Punggye-ri nuclear test site were taken Monday, the day after the nuclear detonation. Planet, a company in San Francisco that owns swarms of tiny satellites, reconnoitered the secretive nuclear test site.
Sir Richard Branson, the billionaire founder of the Virgin Group, said he had no plans to evacuate his home in the British Virgin Islands, which lies directly in the path of Hurricane Irma.

Instead, Branson said he would hunker down with his team on Necker, his private Caribbean island, "as I have been on the three times we have had hurricanes over the past 30 years."

"On Necker Island we have constructed really strong buildings (with hurricane blinds) that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well, though with a Category 5 hurricane almost nothing can withstand it," Branson wrote in a blog post, which also implied there would be no guests at his island's private resort when the hurricane hits.

"We had some lovely guests staying on Necker Island who have cut their trip short for safety reasons, and another group of guests have also postponed."
September 7, 2017  Kaleden, BC  A Canadian effort to build one of the most innovative radio telescopes in the world will open the universe to a new dimension of scientific study. The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, today installed the final piece of this new radio telescope, which will act as a time machine allowing scientists to create a three-dimensional map of the universe extending deep into space and time.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, known as CHIME, is an extraordinarily powerful new telescope. The unique half-pipe telescope design and advanced computing power will help scientists better understand the three frontiers of modern astronomy: the history of the universe, the nature of distant stars and the detection of gravitational waves

By measuring the composition of dark energy, scientists will better understand the shape, structure and fate of the universe. In addition, CHIME will be a key instrument to study gravitational waves, the ripples in space-time that were only recently discovered, confirming the final piece of Einsteins theory of general relativity.

CHIME is a collaboration among 50 Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). The $16-million investment for CHIME was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the governments of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, with additional funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The telescope is located in the mountains of British Columbias Okanagan Valley at the NRCs Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Penticton.
The National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited (NHSRCL), has announced a recruitment notification for the posts of Manager, Senior Manager, Deputy Manager, General Manager, General Deputy Manager and General Chief Project Manager. There are a total of 18 vacancies available.

The last date to apply for the recruitment process is September 29, 2017. The job location for the notified posts will be in the cities of Ahmedabad, Mumbai, Vadodara and New Delhi.

Candidates are requested to check for the official notification and read through the information provided in it. The candidates are requested to make sure that they are eligible to apply for the post before they send in the application.

Important Dates for NHSRCL Recruitment 2017

The starting date for the submission of applications is September 4, 2017

The last date to send the application is September 29, 2017.

About NHSRCL

The NHSRCL is a joint sector company, under the Government of India and the participating State Governments, which is formed to make sure that High Speed Train Corridor Project is implemented properly in the country.

Vacancies for NHSRCL Recruitment 2017

Senior Manager ( Construction/Civil) : 03 Vacancies

Senior Manager ( Contract) : 01 Vacancy

Senior Manager (Planning) : 01 Vacancy

General Manager (Design) : 01 Vacancy

Principle : 01 Vacancy

Deputy General Manager ( SHE) : 01 Vacancy

Manager (HR) : 01 Vacancy

Senior Manager ( operation & General Admin) : 01 Vacancy

Senior Manager (Electrical) : 03 Vacancies

Manager ( Signal Design) : 01 Vacancy

ED (Planning) : 01 Vacancy

Manager (Electrical) or Assistant Manager ( Electrical) : 01 Vacancy

Manager (Finance) or Assistant Manager ( Finance) : 01 Vacancy

Deputy Chief Project Manager (System) or Deputy General Manager (system) : 01 Vacancy

Eligibility for NHSRCL Recruitment 2017

The candidate needs to have Diploma/B. Tech/B.E from a recognized institution for the post of Senior Manager (Construction/Civil).

The candidate needs to a g raduate from any discipline from any recognized institution for Senior Manager (Contract - I) post.

The candidate needs to have a E/B. Tech in any discipline from any recognized institution for the post of Senior Manager (Planning-I).

The candidates are requested to check for the official notification for the information regarding the rest of the vacancies.

Selection Process for NHSRCL Recruitment 2017

The selection process for the recruitment of candidates will be based on a written examination and an interview.

How to Apply for NHSRCL Recruitment 2017?

The candidates will have to visit the official website - nhsrcl.in

On the home page find the tab that reads 'Careers'

Find the Recruitment notification and read it carefully

Download the application form.

Fill in the necessary details in the space provided.

Attach your recent passport size photograph in the space provided.

Attach the necessary documents to the form and send it to the following address- General Manager (HR), National High Speed Rail Corporation Limited, Asia Bhawan, Road No. 205, Sector-9, Dwarka, New Delhi- 110077

Also Read: MRPL Recruitment 2017: Apply Now!
Mon State Parliament to debate coal-fired power plant

07 September 2017

Mon State Parliament agreed on Tuesday to debate the legality of a cement factorys coal-fired power plant in Mon States Kyaikmayaw Township, according to local press reports.



The US$400m cement factory run by Mawlamyine Cement Ltd (MCL)  a joint venture between Thai firm Siam Cement Group (SCG) and Pacific Link Cement Industries  is powered by a 49MW coal-fired power plant.



The proposal to debate the issue was submitted by Mon State lawmaker U Aung Kyaw Thu who stated that local and foreign investors failing to abide by laws damaged the dignity of the new government.



Last month, the committee for the assessment of financial, planning and economic matters in the Mon State Parliament asked the Ministry of Electricity and Energy about the coal-fired power facilities at the cement factory. The ministry replied that it had not approved power generation with coal.



However, MCL managing director Mr Surachai Pornjindachote said in a statement on 29 August that the cement factory received permission from the Mon State Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection to run a 20MW coal-fired turbine valid from January 2017 to 15 February 2018. (Source: The Irrawaddy Online).

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West Bank case against CRH thrown out by Washington DC court

07 September 2017

A US$34bn US lawsuit launched last year by Palestinian activists against dozens of companies including Ireland's CRH, has been dismissed by a Washington DC court, the Irish Independent reports.



The activists had tried to sue about 40 defendants for alleged "profiteering" related to the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The companies sued ranged from Hewlett-Packard, Volvo and Motorola, to security firm G4S.



Last year, and prior to the lawsuit being launched, CRH sold its 25 per cent stake in Israel's only cement firm, Mashav which is the holding company for Nesher.



CRH had been previously targeted by pro-Palestinian activists at its AGMs, who pressed for the building materials firm to sell its stake in the Israeli business.



In March last year, more than two dozen plaintiffs - mostly individuals but also some Palestinian village councils - filed the lawsuit in Washington DC.



The lawsuit claimed that Israel's separation wall with Palestine, "numerous checkpoint concrete barriers, the concrete foundations in all West Bank settlements, and Israeli infrastructure in the West Bank were all built using cement purchased from Nesher".



The plaintiffs alleged that Nesher knew the cement it produced would be used for "aggressive settlement expansion and thus ethnic cleansing of the local Palestinian population".



"Since none of these defendants had received licensing agreements from the legitimate property owners to exploit the resources owned on that property and have no recorded deeds which formally transferred ownership to them, they have committed the war crime of pillage for approximately 30 years," lawyers claimed.



The Washington DC court has dismissed the lawsuit, saying it lacked jurisdiction over the matters raised in it.

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For around seven hours each day, teachers across the United States are in charge of making sure students learn to read, write, and figure out that 2 + 2 = 4. Their job description gets a little more nuanced as students grow older, but its no less important as the basics, since English literature and geometry eventually prepare them for college or a career. Any teacher will tell you that their day doesnt end when the final bell rings  then its on to their own versions of homework in the evening. Its why teachers landed on our list of jobs that are more difficult than you might think. The designation is well deserved, especially considering that many public school teachers make far less money than their peers with other college degrees.

Despite generally low earnings, at least compared to other college grads, there are still numerous college students who choose to enter the teaching field, specifically in public schools. Starting salaries are often shockingly low for teachers, but wages do have the ability to rise generously as they gain experience.

According to a recent study by the Economic Policy Institute, the ratio of teachers wages compared to the wages of other college graduates is consistently lower. In fact, there is not one state in which teacher wages are equal to or better than other college degree-holders. On a national average, teachers earn just 77% of what other college graduates are making, the EPI reports.

However, if youre looking to start a career in teaching, some states offer pathways to a higher paycheck than others. Heres a look at the states that pay the most, and least, on average.

States with the highest teacher salaries

Each year the National Education Association (NEA)  the largest teachers union in the country  releases a comprehensive report about how states use their money for education. A part of this report includes information about teacher salaries broken down by state. The most recent report, released by the union in May 2016, includes salary estimates for the 2015-16 school year. The average salary for that year is estimated to be $58,064 for all public school teachers.

The highest-paying states all had average salaries that were higher than the national average. Though the rankings change from year to year slightly, the highest-paying states for teachers stay roughly the same. Here are the top 10 states for teacher salaries, based on the 2016 estimates.

10. Pennsylvania

Average teacher salary: $64,991

Pennsylvania has been the 10th-highest paying state for teachers for three years running. According to the EPI report, teachers in the state earn 87.1% of the salary that other college graduates do, the 7th best in the nation. When adjusted for the cost of living, Pennsylvania teachers also make the third-highest salary, according to a WalletHub analysis. From the 2013-14 school year to the estimates for the 2015-16 year, teachers in Pennsylvania saw an average wage increase of 2.03%, just below the 2.53% average increase among the top 10 best-paying states.

9. Rhode Island

Average teacher salary: $66,197

Rhode Island was in the No. 8 spot for two years, but fell to No. 9 for the 2015-16 school year. However, teachers in Rhode Island earn 95.8% of the salary that other college graduates in the state do. Thats second-best in the nation, only behind Wyoming. Intriguingly enough, Rhode Island scored poorly in the WalletHub analysis, ranking at No. 42, with particularly poor results for the job opportunities and competition category.

8. Maryland

Average teacher salary: $66,482

Maryland teachers saw an average salary increase of 3% from the 2013-14 school year to the 2015-16 year, more than Rhode Islands increase of 2.32%. With a comparable salary, its likely why the two states swapped rankings in the most current year, with Marylands salaries slightly edging out that of Rhode Islands.

7. Alaska

Average teacher salary: $67,443

The U.S. residents living closest to the North Pole still need to get a decent education, and Alaska evidently pays its teachers well to stay. Alaska teachers earn 93.8% of the salary that other college-educated professionals do, the third-best ratio in the nation. Salaries for teachers have risen 2.36% in the state over the past three school years.

6. New Jersey

Average teacher salary: $69,330

Though teacher salaries in New Jersey have risen just 1.6% over the past three school years  the lowest rate among the top 10  it still ranks as the best state for teachers according to WalletHub. New Jersey teachers earn 86.5% of the salary that other degree-holders earn in the state, good enough to place at the No. 9 spot in the EPIs report.

5. Connecticut

Average teacher salary: $72,013

Many of the top-paying states in the nation are located in the Northeast, and Connecticut continues that trend. It has consistently been the fifth-highest paying state in the nation, with a 2.03% wage increase over the past three school years. Highly ranked academic and work environments were enough to land the state at the No. 10 spot in WalletHubs analysis as well.

4. California

Average teacher salary: $72,842

Breaking with geography, California is the only western state in the contiguous U.S. with a high-paying salary. Average salaries rose $1,446 from the 2013-14 school year to an average of $71,396, good enough to represent a 2.03% increase. Teachers in California earn 85.8% of the salary that other college graduates do, sadly good enough for the No. 10 spot in the nation.

3. Washington, D.C.

Average teacher salary: $75,810

Teaching in a district in our nations capital is a notoriously tough gig, according to WalletHubs analysis, but teachers are compensated well for their efforts. Teachers in the area have seen a raise on average of 3.62% over three school years. That ranks as the second-best among teacher increases, even though the nationwide trend for salaries is a 3% increase every year.

2. Massachusetts

Average teacher salary: $76,981

Our tour of high Northeast teacher salaries continues in Massachusetts, which has shifted between the No. 2 and No. 3 spots for the past three school years. An average raise of 4.24% over that time  the highest among the top 10 states  was enough to solidify its place as the second-highest paying state in the nation for the 2015-16 school year. Massachusetts also ranked at the No. 2 spot in WalletHubs report, with high ranks for job opportunities and work environment.

1. New York

Average teacher salary: $77,957

New York is known for its educational prowess, and the teacher salaries reflect that. The state has easily held the No. 1 spot for the past three school years, often $1,000 or more above the next-closest state average. Even a modest 2.03% increase over those years has kept the state comfortably ahead of other states teacher salaries. According to the EPI report, New York teachers earn 91.3% of the salary other college graduates in the state do, the fifth-highest ratio in the nation. However, New York was only at the No. 7 ranking for WalletHubs analysis, with a slightly lower work environment ranking than Massachusetts.

Altogether, the salary differences between the top 10 states in the nation are quite drastic. Almost $13,000 per year separates teachers in New York and Pennsylvania, a salary difference of just under 20%.

States with the lowest teacher salaries

According to the NEAs report, all of the lowest-paying states in terms of teacher salaries allot far less than the national average  more than $10,000 less each year, in fact. The differences between the bottom 10 states in terms of salary dont have quite the spread that the top 10 do: The salary differences fall within $6,000, with a percentage difference of about 14%.

Many of these states are marked with more rural communities and likely a lower cost of living, but not all of the payment gaps are explained by those factors. When the EPI looked at the teacher pay gaps and salary ratios, half of the states with the lowest teacher salaries are also at the bottom of the list in terms of earnings compared to other college graduates living in those states. In other words, teachers simply dont command as high of a salary in these states.

10. Missouri

Average teacher salary: $47,849

The lowest-paying states for teacher salaries fluctuated more in the past three school years compared to the top 10, but Missouri has more or less stayed around the 10-worst spot in terms of teacher pay. Teachers in the state have seen an average raise of 2.35%, however, which is one of the highest in the group  and well above the bottom 10 average of 1.31%. Unfortunately, Missouri teachers only earn an average of 67.8% of the salaries of other college graduates in the state, the seventh-worst ratio in the nation.

9. New Mexico

Average teacher salary: $47,163

Teachers in New Mexico earn just 66.2% of the salaries of other college graduates, the fourth-worst ratio in the nation. Teachers in the state have seen an average raise of 3.14% over the past three school years, more than many in the bottom tier, but the starting point is so low its difficult to catch up.

8. Louisiana

Average teacher salary: $46,733

In the 2013-14 school year, Louisiana ranked No. 34 in terms of average teacher salary, with teachers earning around $49,067. However, the salary has actually fallen since that time by 4.76%  the only state to experience a wage decrease in the top or bottom 10 states. As a result, teachers in the state now earn the eighth-worst salary of the nations educators. Its unclear if there is a correlation or not, but WalletHub also ranks Louisiana schools as the worst in the nation.

7. Utah

Average teacher salary: $46,042

Teachers in Utah have only seen an average raise of 0.76% over the past three school years, and teachers make only 70.3% of the salary of other degree-holders. Thats the ninth-worst ratio in the nation. WalletHub also points out that teachers in Utah have the second-highest pupil-to-teacher ratio in the country, behind only California. Not only are teachers being paid less, but theyre being asked to educate a larger number of students each year.

6. West Virginia

Average teacher salary: $45,977

Overall, West Virginia scored as the second-worst state for teachers in WalletHubs report, only above Hawaii. The states relatively low salary surely was a factor in that, along with a generally small raise of 1.98% over three school years.

5. Arizona

Average teacher salary: $45,477

Teachers in Arizona have only gotten an average 0.31% raise over the past three school years, the lowest increase among the lowest-paying states. The EPI report shows that Arizona teachers earn just 62.8% of the salary that other college degree-holders do in the state  the lowest ratio nationwide. The state scored as the third-worst for teachers according to WalletHub, at least in part because the state spends the second-least amount of money per pupil on education, ahead of only Indiana.

4. Idaho

Average teacher salary: $45,409

Idaho teachers earn 77.3% of the salary that other college grads do in the state, which is just above the national average of 77.0%. In that sense, Idahos low teacher salaries could be accurately reflective of the states low cost of living. Though $45,400 isnt a huge salary, its also had a 2.12% increase over the past three school years  higher than the average increase for the bottom 10 salaries.

3. Oklahoma

Average teacher salary: $44,921

At a three-year raise of 0.83%, wage increases have been almost nonexistent for educators in Oklahoma. Teachers make 67% of the salary others do with a college degree, the sixth-worst ratio in the country. The cost of living might not be as high as other states, but theres clearly a discrepancy between teacher salaries and the earnings of other Oklahoma residents.

2. Mississippi

Average teacher salary: $42,744

Teachers earn the second-lowest average salary in Mississippi, where three school years have yielded only an average raise of 1.32%. Mississippi has consistently been in this spot for three years, with income likely at least part of the reason it ranked at a dismal No. 47 on WalletHubs school rankings.

1. South Dakota

Average teacher salary: $42,025

South Dakota ranked slightly better than Mississippi in WalletHubs analysis at No. 46. Still, the state has consistently paid teachers the lowest salary nationwide. A low cost of living adjustment doesnt hold up under scrutiny as an excuse, either: WalletHub reports that teachers in South Dakota still have the second-lowest salary in the nation, only better than extremely expensive Hawaii. Thats despite a 5% salary increase over the past three school years, higher than any state on either list. Salaries are rising, but not enough to budge them from the bottom spot.

The difference is shocking when you compare the salary of teachers in South Dakota to those in New York. Theres more than a $35,000 difference in annual pay, meaning teachers in South Dakota make 85.5% less than their professional counterparts in New York.

Other wage factors

There are some states that fall in the middle of the pack that have relatively good salary values, even if they dont command the highest paychecks in the nation. Wyoming is an example. Wyomings estimated salary for the 2015-16 school year was $57,761, according to the NEA, just below the national average. However, the states low cost of living means the salary provides adequate means. It also ranked the highest in the teacher wage gap study from the EPI. Teachers in Wyoming earn 98.6% of the salaries that other college graduates in the state do, the highest in the nation.

Wyoming also ranked No. 4 in Wallet Hubs analysis, and had the fourth-highest salary when it was adjusted for the cost of living, according to WalletHub. The downside? Wyoming also ranked for being a highly competitive state to become a teacher  likely a combination of low populations and relatively high salaries for the profession.

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45,000 People Baptised At Rick Warren's Saddleback Church

More than 45,000 people have now been baptised at Rick Warren's Saddleback Church in California.

Warren called the moment "historic", before Alberto Flores became the 45,000th person to be baptised by the church.

Flores was baptised along with his 13-year-old son, Andre.

"This weekend is a historic weekend for our church," Warren told his congregation last Sunday, "because somebody in this group is going to be the 45,000th baptism of Saddleback Church. And I'm going to take whoever that person is, out to lunch."

Almost 800 people were baptised across Saddleback's 16 campuses last weekend alone, taking the total to 45,743.

"Baptisms are an amazing moment in the life of the church," Warren said.

"They are a public sign of new life in the believer, of new beginnings for all those involved, and they encourage everyone watching to renew their own commitment to Christ.

"We are grateful that God has graciously allowed us to be a part of more than 45 thousand people taking this amazing step and we pray that we'll get to be a part of many many more in the coming months and years."

The news follows research that suggests the US church is in decline.

Studies undertaken earlier this year by University College London (UCL) and Duke University in the US showed a drop in the number of Americans who claim religious affiliations, attend church regularly and believe in God.

Furthermore, researchers found that younger people are increasingly irreligious: "this decline has been produced by the generational patterns underlying religious decline elsewhere in the West: each successive cohort is less religious than the preceding one. America is not an exception."

The study found 68 per cent of Americans aged 65 and over said they had no doubt God existed, compared to 45 per cent of young adults, aged 18-30.

Saddleback said it saw its own increasing number of baptisms as a source of encouragement amid these statistics.
Can theologians help biologists find life on other planets?

The number of planets that have been detected orbiting other stars now exceeds 5,000. Many of these exoplanets, as they are known, look like good homes for extraterrestrial life. But there is one question to which no-one yet knows the answer. It has a huge bearing on whether we are alone in the cosmos. How does life start?

Interestingly, it's a question that theologians can address as well as biologists, because buried within it lies another question: what is life?

At the moment, two main theses for the origin of life dominate the discussion. One draws directly from what Charles Darwin famously called 'some warm little pond'. The idea is that life arose spontaneously in the chemical soups that are presumed to have littered the surface of the Earth four or more billion years ago.

A second theory focuses on the chemical compounds called RNA, which catalyze DNA, the proteins that form genes. RNA is crucial to the self-reproductive capabilities of DNA, one of the key markers of life as we know it. The assumption is, therefore, that RNA must have come first.

Both theories have keen advocates and also powerful critics. If there is a central objection to both it's whether the chemical reactions each requires are efficient enough. You can put the issue like this: is the Earth old enough for the random collisions between chemical compounds to have occurred before life first sparked? Further doubts emerge because it's unclear what conditions were like on the surface of the Earth all that time ago.

Prasanta Bandyopadhyay, a statistician at Montana State University, was speaking at a recent conference in Oxford organised by the Ian Ramsey Centre and the International Society for Science and Religion. Given the doubt that surrounds both theories, he asked whether either are testable? 'It could be years or decades until this is decided,' he said.

This is where theology might have a part to play. It can contribute to the discussion about the nature of life by helping to ask, what is it? Another speaker at the conference, Andreas Losch, a theologian at the University of Bern, has edited a collection of essays on this question, What is Life? On Earth and Beyond. The book has just been published by Cambridge University Press. In particular, he argues that theology can help keep biology from becoming too physicalist about life - that is, assuming life is no more than a very complicated biochemical machine.

For example, it's possible that life is not the product of random chemical collisions at all but that, embedded in the universe, is what the cosmologist Paul Davies calls a 'life principle'. His thought is to consider whether there is an innate tendency in the cosmos to produce life.

It's an old idea. The medieval theologian Thomas Aquinas wrote: 'It is clear that nature is a certain kind of divine art impressed upon things, by which these things are moved to a determinate end. It is as if a shipbuilder were able to give to timbers that by which they would move themselves to take the form of a ship.' Aquinas was arguing for a God who is not an intelligent designer who tinkers with nature to get the balance right. Instead, God would grant nature a degree of autonomy. It is these internal processes that science uncovers.

Many of the contributors to the conference argued that many old biological assumptions about life are reaching their sell-by date. For example, organisms are increasingly being studied as whole systems, rather than machines that can be taken apart. As Ottoline Leyser, a plant biologist at Oxford University, put it: 'Plants don't know that they have parts.'

The upshot is that scientists are increasingly searching for processes in life that work from the top down as much as the bottom up. That kind of complexity resonates with a theistic view of things, adds Losch, as God must also do both.

You could say that a theological view of life can help keep the imagination of biologists open, as they seek to ask what life is and how it arose. After all, if both questions are currently unanswered, and seem likely to remain undecided for the foreseeable future, it could be that an unexpected insight about the nature of life proves crucial.

In the meantime, as more and more exoplanets are found, and as speculation about the possibility of life elsewhere continues to grow, it's worth keeping these central issues in mind. Until we know what life is, and how it started, it is premature automatically to presume it must exist elsewhere.

Mark Vernon is a psychotherapist and author of 'The Idler Guide to Ancient Philosopy'. For more see www.markvernon.com
Confederate memorial windows judged a stain on Washington National Cathedral

The Washington National Cathedral is in the process of removing two stained glass windows that depict the Confederate generals Robert E Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson.

Cathedral authorities announced yesterday that the windows, which were installed 64 years ago, will be taken down and stored pending a decision about their future.

A cathedral statement said that the images were 'inconsistent' with its mission and 'a barrier to our important work on racial justice and racial reconciliation'.

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde of the Cathedral said in a statement: 'After considerable prayer and deliberation, the Cathedral Chapter voted Tuesday to immediately remove the windows. The Chapter believes that these windows are not only inconsistent with our current mission to serve as a house of prayer for all people, but also a barrier to our important work on racial justice and racial reconciliation.

'Their association with racial oppression, human subjugation and white supremacy does not belong in the sacred fabric of this Cathedral.'

The fate of the windows has been debated for at least two years, since the racially motivated shootings in Charleston, South Carolina in June 2015.

Cathedral officials had said that they were debating ways potentially to keep the windows but 'contextualize' their historical meaning.

But yesterday's statement said that the need to remove the windows gained new 'urgency' after the violent clashes at last month's white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

'This isn't simply a conversation about the history of the windows, but a very real conversation in the wider culture about how the Confederate flag and the Old South narrative have been lively symbols today for white supremacists,' said Bishop Budde, who is leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, which includes the cathedral.

'We'd be made of stone ourselves if we weren't paying attention to that.'
Donald Trump meets Christian leaders, asks for prayer after Hurricane Harvey

President Donald Trump met with leaders of the Christian community in the Oval Office and urged the nation to pray for the survivors of Hurricane Harvey and for the response and recovery efforts on Sunday. He also pledged $1 million of his personal money to help victims in Texas and Louisiana.

"From the beginning of our nation, Americans have joined together in prayer during times of great need to ask for God's blessing and God's guidance," President Trump told the christian leaders Friday. "When we look across Texas and Louisiana, we see the American spirit of service embodied by countless men and women."

At least 44 people have died in incidents related to Hurricane Harvey, while 32,000 people have been forced into shelters, according to officials.

"We invite all Americans to join us as we continue to pray for those who have lost family members and friends, and for those who are suffering from this great crisis," Trump said.

"And behind me, we have faith-based people who are highly respected, and especially so in their communities where they're not only respected, but they're loved  evangelical leaders, Christian leaders -- many people of faith. And I just want to thank you all for being with us today because we're going to be signing a Day of Prayer, and that will be on Sunday. It will be a very special day. And I don't know when this was done last, but it's been a longtime coming. It's been a longtime coming."

After the president finished reading the proclamation, he invited Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church Dallas to lead them in prayer.

In another speech in the Oval Office on Friday, President Trump said Hurricane Harvey is "of epic proportion," and praised the efforts of American Red Cross, Salvation Army and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief.

"These organizations and the many other non-profits involved represent the generosity, determination, and unbreakable spirit of the American people," he said.

Meanwhile, Trump also promised to donate $1 million.

"The president is pledging a million dollars of personal money to help," White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders told reporters Thursday, according to Fox News.

The president and first lady Melania Trump traveled to Texas on Tuesday to visit with first responders and officials, and where scheduled to travel again to Texas and also to Louisiana on Saturday.

On Thursday, Vice President Mike Pence, his wife Karen, and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott joined the Rev. Franklin Graham in Rockport, Texas, to help Samaritan's Purse staff and volunteers as they carried out relief work.

"After difficult days, the President sent us here, to say the American people are with you. We will be here every day until this region rebuilds bigger and better than ever before," Pence told Samaritan's Purse volunteers.

This article was originally published in The Christian Post.
Four Kenyan Christians beheaded in latest Islamist atrocity

Islamist militants went from house to house in villages on Kenya's north coast on Wednesday, dragging out victims, shooting them and then beheading them.

Witnesses to the horror said four died in total and called on police to act after they accused security services of being slow to respond to the threat.

The attack from the Somali group Al Shabaab in Lamu County comes a month after 12 people were killed in a similar incident in the region.

Lamu County Commissioner Gilbert Kitiyo said around 30 heavily armed assailants surrounded the victims' houses before beheading three villagers in Silini-Mashambani, with another killed in Boko village, Reuters reported.

The second attack in a month caused fury among the local Christian population who protested at the government's lack of response. One local resident Joseph Muchemi told International Christian Concern they were demanding at least one police post be set for every villages to protect locals.

Pastor Bernard Baya told International Christian Concern (ICC): 'The people here have been protesting the state of insecurity where only Christians are [being] killed. Roads have been blocked and tyres are being burned everywhere as the police try to calm the residents. I have heard some protesters say that they would break into the mosques and burn them down because the Muslims have been killing their friends like chicken.'

The militant group is affiliated to Al Qaeda and rose to prominence in 2013 after it claimed responsibility for the deadly attack on Westgate Mall where 67 people died and then on Garissa University College in 2015 where 148 died.

In a spate of recent attacks Al Shabaab has targeted Christians near the Somali border focusing on churches, passenger buses, police stations, shopping centers, communication masts and aid workers.

ICC says in many of these attacks the militants separate the Christians from any Muslims before executing the Christians.

ICC's regional manager for Africa, Nathan Johnson, said: 'The Kenyan government needs to show a much greater desire to protect its people. This is the third such attack in less than two months, and all in the same area. If the government isn't willing to protect its people from al-Shabaab's reign of terror, then they will lose the fight to terrorism. We pray for the families of the deceased and for peace to come to this region.'
Hurricane Irma brings 'carnage' to the Caribbean, killing 8 as Christian Aid assists on the ground

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, today killed eight people on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and left Barbuda devastated before heading towards Florida.

Power was knocked out in Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy and in parts of the US territory of Puerto Rico, as television footage of the Franco-Dutch island of Saint Martin showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes.

'It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock,' Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

The French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said eight people were killed and the toll was likely to rise.

'We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores,' Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured. In all, at least 10 people were reported killed by Irma on four islands.

Irma caused 'enormous damage' to the Dutch side of Saint Martin, called Sint Maarten, the Dutch Royal Navy said. The navy tweeted images gathered by helicopter of damaged houses, hotels and boats. The airport was unreachable, it said.

The hurricane was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the US mainland in as many weeks after the deadly Hurricane Harvey.

The eye of Irma was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The NHC said it was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years.

The island of Barbuda is a scene of 'total carnage' and the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance, said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.

Browne told the BBC that about half of Barbuda's population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.

'We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had,' Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four.

'Approximately 50 percent of them (residents of Barbuda) are literally homeless at this time. They are bunking together, we are trying to get ... relief supplies to them first thing tomorrow morning,' he said, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island.

Browne said one person was killed on Barbuda. A second storm-related fatality, that of a surfer, was reported on Barbados.

Irma's precise course remained uncertain but it was likely to be downgraded to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, the NHC said.

The carnage came as Christian Aid was working with local partners on evacuation plans and stockpiling provisions on the ground.

Prospery Raymond, country manager for Christian Aid in Haiti and Dominican Republic said: 'Hurricane Irma is huge and we are very worried about the people in Northern Haiti and the Dominican Republic; particularly vulnerable communities. Our partners are doing all they can to evacuate as many people as possible and find them safe shelter.

'For example, in the North East of Haiti, we have built more than 160 hurricane-resistant houses, and some of those families will host others if needed. But we fear that Irma will wipe out even well-built houses.

'People are being moved to schools and churches for safety but in some areas, especially in the North West of Haiti, these buildings will not withstand the force of the storm. In these cases, they need to be transported to safer locations in the cities.

'We work with some of the poorest communities in these countries and they are still reeling from Hurricane Matthew last year which was also a category five. There is no time for them to recover between these disasters and now we are already hearing about Hurricane Jose which is only about four days behind Irma.'

As well as evacuating people, Christian Aid partners including MISSEH, KORAL and Haiti Survie are clearing the ravines and canals of rubble so that the expected influx of rainfall can flow more easily and not cause even more damage by blocked waterways pushing the water through communities.

Climate change campaigners believe Irma is so powerful because there has been a rise in temperature in the Atlantic Ocean. Hurricanes benefit from warmer water.

Richard Ewbank, climate advisor at Christian Aid, highlighted the links between climate change and the severity of the hurricane. 'Cyclones churn up the sea surface layers below them, mixing cooler, deeper water with warmer surface layers,' he said. 'This usually limits the ability of the storm to persist and gather moisture. But in Irma's case, and in Harvey's last week, the deeper layers are also warm creating a longer and more dangerous storm. Irma has had longer over open water to build up to category five (Harvey only made four) and develop a larger storm surge.'

Additional reporting by Reuters.
07 September 2017 | 9:00 AM

Most Americans think sex education should support abstinence, encouraging youths to wait for sex rather than just encouraging use of contraception.

As part of a study by research group Barna on American education, the research published Tuesday found some predicatable generational divides on approaches to sex, but most adults, including millennials, still back an approach to sex education that encourages waiting for sex.

Most US adults (71 per cent) said the primary message of sex education should be 'one that uses practical skills to reinforce waiting for sex', while 29 per cent said it should be 'one that says teen sex is OK, so long as they use contraception'. Among the surveyed generations millennials were the most supportive of the latter response (43 per cent), but most (57 per cent) supported waiting for sex.

Religious faith is the most significant influence on adult views of sex education, the survey found. Most self-identified Christians (78 per cent) and 86 per cent of practising Christians supported a message of waiting, while 52 per cent of non-Christians said the same.

Evangelicals were the most enthusiastic about abstinence (94 per cent) and almost all (96 per cent) said that 'even is sex is consensual and contraception is used, it is not OK for teens to have sex'.

Many of those surveyed (65 per cent), including evangelicals (74 per cent) were surprised to learn than today's teens are less sexually active than they would have been 20 years ago. All generational groups, upon hearing the statistic, were then more likely to say sex education should promote waiting for sex.

The complete Barna study can be found here.
New Archbishop of Wales: The Church is seen as only living for itself

The new Archbishop of Wales says his Church is seen as looking after its own interests before others as he seeks to address a steady decline in attendance.

After first press conference since being elected, John Davies told Christian Today the Church in Wales needed a confidence boost as it tried to turn around a negative perception.

'There is a perceived decline,' he said. 'Well, an actual decline.

'I think that is because we are not very good at communicating our message.

'We are seen as an institution that lives for itself when really the Church is there to serve the community. But that is not necessarily understood.'

The Church in Wales is declining even faster than the Church of England with average Sunday attendance down nearly a third in just over a decade. A report on the latest figures noted it was 'particularly worrying' to see a rapid declines of the Church's typical entry services with baptisms down eight per cent on last year alone and confirmations down 21 per cent.

On top of that the report said a downward trend in expenditure 'has seemed to indicate a lack of confidence by parishes, particularly in taking on major projects' with parishes frequently having a large surplus.

Bishop Davies admitted: 'I think we need to create a culture where we grow in courage about the message we are proclaiming and engage in better communication.'

He takes over from Dr Barry Morgan who retired after 14 years in the post. A prominent liberalising figure, Dr Morgan used his final presidential address to urge Anglicans to rethink views on same-sex marriage and said sex within a committed gay or lesbian relationship is perfectly 'proper'.

But Bishop Davies caused fury among more liberal members of the Church when he strongly opposed the promotion of a senior gay cleric Jeffrey John earlier this year, prompting allegations of homophobia.

In emails released after a freedom of information request, Bishop Davies wrote to his fellow bishops at the time warning John's appointment 'could set off a media circus' and it would 'do the perception of the Bench, at home and elsewhere, no particular good either'.

He wrote to colleagues before the vote where Dr John narrowly missed out on the two-thirds needed to be appointed: 'My instinct is that JJ's stance on the matter of same-gender relationships and his own situation might be unwelcome to many in the Diocese who would suspect that Barry's [the former archbishop's] evident liberal agenda was being perpetuated by his election.'

After the vote he wrote: 'As for the Jeffrey John saga, I (and a number of people, not least some C of E bishops) am of the firm view that we have had a lucky escape and that the Holy Spirit spoke (at least to some!).'

Asked about his role in the election he told Christian Today the bishops had closely followed the process for electing a bishop under the church's constitution.

'It may be that people were disappointed,' he said. 'The bottom line was Doctor John did not achieve the number of votes in the college and the process had to be followed.

After the vote the bishops then blocked Dr John from further consideration but Bishop Davies told Christian Today that decision was justified: 'I think it would have been unjust and unwise for us to include somebody for consideration who had previously been considered by the college.

'I am very sorry if people were disappointed and I am particularly sorry if people feel trust was damaged by what happened but we had to follow the process.'

As to his own plan for the Church in Wales, Bishop Davies said the idea Morgan had a liberalising agenda was 'perrception not a reality': 'I don't think it was actually liberal.'

And would he be different? 'I don't see any change coming,' he said.
Threefold role for new Lambeth bishop includes Falklands and Armed Forces

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, has commissioned and licensed Bishop Tim Thornton as the new Bishop to HM Forces, Bishop for the Falkland Islands and Bishop at Lambeth.

Thornton, who was previously the Bishop of Truro, takes up this new three-part role following the retirement of Nigel Stock.

He will act on the Archbishop of Canterbury's behalf, carrying out episcopal duties within the UK's Armed Forces, and will have pastoral oversight of Anglican chaplains and the Anglican church within the Forces.

Thornton's duties as Bishop at Lambeth will include supporting the Archbishop of Canterbury's work in the House of Bishops, General Synod and the Archbishops' Council.

Lambeth Palace said that he will be 'heavily involved' in the Lambeth Conference 2020.

Thornton was commissioned by Archbishop Justin during a Eucharist service attended by guests from the Armed Forces and their chaplaincy departments, the Falkland Islands Government's representative in the UK, and ecumenical guests.

Archbishop Welby said: 'We are grateful for Tim's vision, energy and sense of humour and are praying for him as he begins this role. Part of this role is to ensure Lambeth remains a place of welcome, ministry, compassion and hospitality.' Addressing Thornton, Welby added: 'Tim, you need to keep us focused on the Church as a place of simplicity, humanity and love.'

Thornton said: 'I am delighted to be joining the team in Lambeth and have received a very warm welcome. The service was moving and it was good to see old and new friends gathered as I start this new phase of my ministry. I look forward to assisting Archbishop Justin and to the variety of roles I have been given.'

Thornton became Bishop of Truro in 2009, going on to co-chair an inquiry into foodbanks which led to the report Feeding Britain.
What will the UK government do for vulnerable children? Why politics doesn't have to fail

It is famously said that that all political careers end in failure. Even, or perhaps especially, those who reach the very highest office. Blair's Iraq. Thatcher's downfall. Chamberlain's 'peace in our time'.

The British people do not quickly forget or forgive the mistakes of their politicians. Being Prime Minister is a tough job, and any brave soul who dares to sit behind the desk of Number 10 runs the risk  every day  of failure.

This week has seen the opening of a new parliamentary year. MPs, Theresa May and her cabinet included, have spent the summer doing their homework, building alliances and, perhaps, even taking some time to relax, recover and regroup. Now, as Parliament meets under a silent Big Ben, the big question looms: what will they be remembered for?

We have a government with a strong commitment to international issues, with an increasing focus on Global Britain and its place in the world. Not only has May brought the heart-breaking crime of modern day slavery into sharp focus, she has also committed the government to continue spending 0.7 per cent of gross national income on foreign aid.

Even better, it is clearly more than a begrudging commitment. May herself said she is 'proud of the record we have, of the children around the world who are being educated as a result of what the British taxpayer is doing in terms of international aid'. As schools go back this week here in the UK, this will resonate with so many of us.

And it's not just the PM. Priti Patel, Secretary of State for International Development, is showing an increasing focus on the world's most vulnerable people, and clearly has a heart for vulnerable children.

Patel sits on the board of the Global Partnership to End Violence Against Children  alongside World Vision. This is a partnership set up specifically to fulfil the Sustainable Development Goal to eradicate violence against children in all its forms by 2030.

Just last week, Patel spoke powerfully about modern day slavery and its effect on children during her visit to Nigeria, saying: 'We will not stand aside and ignore this barbaric and often invisible crime.'

These are strong words and the ambition behind them is clear. For World Vision our commitment to reaching the most vulnerable children is unshakeable. It is exciting to hear UK government ministers speaking as we would about children's needs.

And we all know that words mean nothing if they are not backed by actions.

There is an underlying mistrust of politicians among the British public thanks to the fear that they'll simply say whatever we want to secure votes. It's true that the temptation to slip into crowd-pleasing mode is one which some MPs have not been able to fight off, and we should be wary of taking everything they say as gospel.

That's why it's important that the government shows its encouraging words go beyond well-turned phrases and into well-planned actions. I believe that if our government buys in to the World Vision dream of life in all its fullness for every child, then we could see true transformation: children lifted out of poverty; children safe and healthy; children educated and with exciting futures ahead.

Thanks to the support of the UK government and international aid, World Vision UK was able to reach an unprecedented 4.4 million children in 2016  and we will not stop until every child is reached. Until every child, wherever they are in the world, has the chance to realise their full potential.

That's why I will be supporting, encouraging, watching and praying as our government sets out to make its pledges reality.

Because political careers may fail, but our efforts to reach the most vulnerable children must not.

So what will our government commit to?

What will they prioritise?

What will they choose to be remembered for?

Amy Johnson is Political Advocacy Officer at World Vision UK @WorldVisionUK
When repentance becomes possible: How these Christians learned to love one another

Christians do not always 'love one' another as the Bible commands, and hurt can linger on over many generations.

Now some senior church leaders will be travelling to London next month from New South Wales in Australia to describe how they have repented of their treatment of a monastic-style Christian community two decades ago.

And this repentance has led to an amazing transformation in the name of Christ.

The church leaders realised they needed to repent and seek forgiveness for their treatment of a group of fellow Christians after they approached Inverell city council in New South Wales to seek a closer working relationship.

Instead of agreeing to this, the council called them to account.

The church leaders were told they had to put things right with the Bruderhof community before any further conversations could take place.

This was because, more than 20 years ago the Bruderhof community, a modern day monastic Christian community, applied for planning permission to establish a new centre in Inverell.

They found themselves aggressively opposed by local church leaders who had wrongly identified them as a cult. Bishop Randall Gauger, the leader of the community, says: 'The council took a lot of criticism for supporting us and their staff were very hurt.'

The Bruderhof community was started in Germany in the 1920s as a response to the carnage of the first world war. It operates as a modern-day monastic community holding all possessions in common and serving the poor. Once they had applied for planning consent the local population, led by church leaders, began a campaign against their request. Strong pressure was applied to the council with public meetings held and angry letters being sent. After some time and under significant criticism the council approved the plans and the Bruderhof community began its work.

Time moved on and church leaders changed, the Bruderhof were increasingly valued in the community for their support for people with disabilities and relationships were greatly improved.

It was therefore a huge shock for the church leaders to hear that the council still held significant concerns about the situation.

Rev Phil Wiedemann, the Presbyterian minister leading the church's delegation to the council, says: 'At our first meeting the Bruderhof issue was raised and they identified this as a major issue. The council were grieving at the way the churches had behaved.'

The church leaders on hearing the news approached the Bruderhof to understand more.

Gauger says: 'After a period of time we had ended up reconciling with those who opposed us and we had moved on. However, when a group of pastors had approached us they identified the way we were treated as the most important issue facing Inverell that need to be reconciled. We were totally surprised  however, we did know the council took a lot of criticism for supporting us and that members of staff had been hurt.

Wiedemann says: 'We approached the Bruderhof and asked them if we could repent of the past. They welcomed us with open arms and said they had already forgiven us but it was the spirit of Christ to engage in active repentance together.'

In May last year a large public meeting took place with members of the churches, the Bruderhof community and council officers.

Wiedemann says: 'We thought it needed to be done publicly because the sins were very public and virtually every church was involved.' A 12-point statement of repentance to the Bruderhof and the council was read out and prayers of repentance were made by the church leaders. Wiedemann said: 'Now there are genuine friendships developing which were not there 12 months ago. Everything is now possible in this community.'

This is one of many stories being told at Movement Day UK on the role of the churches in city wide transformation. Organiser Rev Roger Sutton says: 'We all long for the deep divisions in our society to be healed, but that can only start with all of us at a personal and local level. For the Church to have any integrity in society as a force for good it must live the life of Jesus and go to ever deeper levels of reconciliation. A united reconciled Church will be able to help a divided society  this is why Jesus prayer for us to be one. It is not enough to sweep relational issues under the carpet, Movement Day UK will be about calling the Church to honest loving reconciliation.'

Gauger says: 'The issue of forgiveness is central to the Christian faith. Jesus came to this earth so we could be forgiven. We are offered the chance to be reconciled to God, each other and even our enemies. Forgiveness can change the world.'

This story is being highlighted at Movement Day UK, where leaders from Inverell will be attending to talk further about the issues involved. Movement Day UK is a two-day event in central London October 6 and 7, 2017, at Methodist Central Hall, Westminster, that will focus on the future of towns and cities.

At the heart of discussions and debate will be the role the whole Church can play in their spiritual, cultural and social transformation.

Follow Movement Day on Twitter and Facebook @MovementDayUK. Movement Day is supported by a wide range of denominations, organisations and individuals including Gather, Churches Together in England, Hope Together, World Vision, Evangelical Alliance, The Methodist Church, LICC, Cinnamon Network, Christians in Politics, Media Net, Care for the Family and many more. Most leaders of Christian denominations will be attending alongside senior Christians in education, politics, health, arts, business, the media and other sectors.
White Christians in America are a declining and ageing minority, new survey finds

White Christians in the US are in the minority and declining, amid increasing ethnic diversity and growing numbers of people who identify as religiously unaffiliated, according to a new survey.

The poll from the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) found that just 43 per cent of Americans now identify as white and Christian. This is in contrast to 81 per cent of Americans identifying as white Christians in 1976.

Past surveys have detailed a decline among Catholics in the US.

But what is most striking about the new PRRI survey is that it shows a relatively recent decline among evangelicals  from 23 per cent to 17 per cent from 2006 to 2016.

'This report provides solid evidence of a new, second wave of white Christian decline that is occurring among white evangelical Protestants just over the last decade in the US,' said Robert P Jones, the PRRI's CEO and author of The End of White Christian America.

'Prior to 2008, white evangelical Protestants seemed to be exempt from the waves of demographic change and disaffiliation that were eroding the membership bases of white mainline Protestants and white Catholics. We now see that these waves simply crested later for white evangelical Protestants.'

Today, fewer than half of all states are majority white Christian, the survey found. As recently as 2007, 39 states had majority white Christian populations.

As TIME magazine pointed out, the survey reinforces the findings of a separate one in 2015 by the Pew Research Center, which found that the number of white Christians in the US had fallen to 46 per cent.

Overall, a majority of Americans today are Christian, bolstered by a growing percentage of black and Hispanic believers.

At the same time, the new PRRI survey identified a specific decline in the percentage of Americans who identify as white Protestants  now at just 30 per cent.

And a further sign of the apparent, gradual decline of Christianity in the US comes with the fact that although non-Christian religions still account for less than 10 per cent of the American population, they are growing and are made up of higher percentages of young people, compared to the ageing group of white Christians.

The PRRI's director of research, Daniel Cox said: 'The young are much less likely to believe this is a "Christian nation" or to give preference to Christian identity. Young people and seniors are basically inhabiting different religious worlds.'

Almost a quarter (24 per cent) of Americans now identify as religiously unaffiliated, and around a third of those are under 30.

Meanwhile, around one in 10 white Catholics, evangelicals and mainline Protestants are under 30, compared with one-third of all Hindus and Buddhists.

Muslims and Mormons are the youngest faith groups in the US, with 42 per cent of all Muslims and nearly a quarter of all Mormons being under 30.

Cox links this to the rise of conservative evangelicals  who oppose same sex marriage, abortion access and the legalisation of marijuana  and their alienating effect on the young.

'It is no longer the case among young people that being religious is necessarily a positive attribute,' said Cox.

The survey also shows that white Christians are a minority in the Democratic Party: fewer than one in three Democrats are white Christians, down from almost half 10 years ago.

And among Democrats under 30, only 14 per cent now identify as white Christian, while 40 per cent are 'nones'.

In the Republicans meanwhile, white evangelicals remain predominant, with more than one-third (35 per cent) of GOP supporters being white evangelicals.

Elsewhere, the survey found that almost half (46 per cent) of LGBT Americans are religiously unaffiliated  which is around twice as many as the general population (24 per cent).

Rabbi Denise Eger, founding rabbi of the Kol Ami synagogue in West Hollywood and an LGBT activist, told the Catholic news website Crux that fundamentalism, especially in Christianity, Islam and, to a lesser extent, Judaism, was to blame for this.

'The truth is that all of religion becomes tainted, even though there are many denominations that welcome them, that it becomes "why bother?"'.

Speaking about the rise of the 'nones,' Jennifer W Davidson, an associate professor of theology and worship at the American Baptist Seminary of the West, said that the rise in the religiously unaffiliated means people must now ask old questions in new ways.

'We need to begin asking people, "How do you make meaning in your life? What sustains you when you suffer? How do you cultivate a sense of wonder?"' she said.

'It is fully possible to answer these questions from a secular perspective, and if we asked them, we might be able to see abundantly fruitful connections among people who are religiously affiliated, religiously unaffiliated, secular, agnostic and atheist.'

The study, 'America's Changing Religious Identity,' contacted 101,000 Americans in 50 states, and has an overall margin of error of plus or minus 0.4 percentage points.
Ed McLaughlin foresees a future of frictionless commerce in which cars pay for gas and parking, video game systems order more games and printers order paper and ink. As Mastercards president of operations and technology sees it, everyday devices equipped with sensors will increasingly make payments based on their surroundings.

Every one of these connected devices is a commerce device, McLaughlin told CIO.com from the sidelines of the CIO100 Symposium recently. We see it just being woven into all of kinds of new experiences to make it easier and more convenient for consumers.

McLaughlin, who was promoted from CIO to president of operations and technology, and his team are gearing up for a time when processing payments via an internet of commerce mesh becomes the rule rather than the exception. He says Mastercard analyzes hard and soft trends to anticipate with what new devices or modes the companys payments platform should work. And then it game-plans for them.

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Plotting the future of payment services

We would literally write all of the devices on the whiteboard, with an EMV chip card being the simplest device, McLaughlin says. Wed have a box at the end for the as-of-yet unimagined chip device. This anticipatory IT focus was a major theme at CIO100, where futurist Daniel Burrus introduced the concept during a keynote session. The thesis is simple, if not often ignored by CIOs and their C-suite cohorts: Change is linear, exponential and predictable. Burrus found that 93 percent of 1,000 companies he surveyed said their biggest problem had been predictable  they just werent looking.

This isnt to say Mastercard isnt already pushing the envelope with regard to digital payments. Its tested ways to enable consumers to pay by blinking or waving jewelry at a terminal. And its currently enabling anything from contactless payments through smartphones in retail stores and digital payments via fingerprints and selfie photos. Most recently, Mastercard struck a deal to process contactless payments via Fitbit smartwatches.

IDG Ed McLaughlin, president of operations and technology, Mastercard

As CIO, McLaughlin helped lay the foundation for these initiatives and contextual commerce with a services-oriented architecture fueled by application programming interfaces (APIs), giving Mastercard the ability to easily create new services and plug into new devices as they became available. For example, what Mastercard does for merchants to hold credentials for cards on file it also does for Apple Pay as well as credentials for its own MasterPass digital payment service.

What it will allow us to do is when I look at market opportunities that are out there, I ask how do I adapt what I already know how to do for that, McLaughlin says. If we dont know what [a new device] is yet but we have the right services in place to enable it we know weve gotten it right.

The company is also shedding cubicle farms in favor of a more open neighborhooding model, in which teams are co-located by projects rather than function (i.e. sales, marketing, IT, HR, etc.). Such collaborative workspaces and business processes foster agile software development, a necessary ingredient for companys conducting digital transformations. As a productivity play, McLaughlin is exploring how to use artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to automate traditionally manual business processes. The source of productivity growth is people doing better work, McLaughlin says. Were trying to eliminate toil to free up more resources for work.

Payment processors provide little value if they cant ensure a trusted transaction at lightning speed.

Mastercard is also deploying AI and ML to detect anomalies and thwart fraudsters trying to, for example, hack and drain ATMs. We have fraud scoring systems constantly looking at transactions to update it and score the next transaction thats going in, McLaughlin says.

Similar circuit breakers operate in higher levels of the network, including in the Mastercard Digital Enablement Service (MDES). MDES enables any connected device to make and receive payments protected by tokens, or card numbers that mobile devices use in place of the card number printed on the plastic. MDES validates the transaction, maps the token back to the primary account number and forwards it to the issuer for authorization.

Technology leaders are perennially being tasked by their C-suite bosses to justify the costs of their efforts. To that end, McLaughlin is also embracing technology business management (TBM), essentially a philosophy of aligning IT costs with business value, to better understand how Mastercard is consuming IT resources. TBM has helped FedEx shave hundreds of millions of dollars from its IT budget, FedEx CIO Rob Carter told CIO.com.

Digital, mobile replacing plastic cards

While these projects pervade different parts of the organization, theyre all part of McLaughlins master plan to free Mastercard from the tyranny of the physical world  one predicated on payments via plastic cards. What has McLaughlin truly excited is the notion of any digital payment, whether trigger by humans or machines, in which each step generates a recordable data point.

Mastercard

For example, if a plastic card fails to work at a payment terminal, Mastercard will never know. However, if the payment is contactless through a smartphone, wearable or some other connected device, Mastercard will know if a payment stalled, enabling it to analyze and determine why. Was it the payment terminal? The device? Maybe it was Mastercards own network? And then it can take corrective action.

As mobile becomes a sensor I can get purchase intent to when it actually happens, so in real-time I have a sensor at the edge of my network that I could never get in the physical plastic to terminal, McLaughlin says. Its the idea that everything on the edge of the network becomes a point of security but also a sensor for monitoring the quality of whether whats most important is really happening. That becomes incredibly compelling.

One thing McLaughlin has learned working in the payments sector for the past two decades  he founded Paytrust in 1998  is that companies cant force consumers to change their behavior. He scoffs at the notion of training people to adopt emerging services, such as digital and mobile payments.

How do you get people to use it? You dont, McLaughlin says. Its up to consumers for when and how they switch their behavior. You just make sure that you have something that is better and theyll figure out when they want to use it and go from there.

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Audio Transcript

Brian Anderson: Happy Labor Day to all our listeners. I am Brian Anderson, the editor of City Journal. It has been more than 80 years since Congress passed the National Labor Relations Act, guaranteeing the right of private-sector workers to unionize and bargain collectively for better pay and working conditions. During the booming post World War II manufacturing years, millions of industrial workers were represented by labor unions for the purpose of setting pay and work conditions. The unrest of the 1930s was largely left behind as labor and industry worked together in at least relative harmony. Since the 1970s, changes in the economy and the emergence of foreign competition have drastically changed the market for American labor. In 2015, fewer than 10% of U.S. workers belonged to a union. That was down from nearly 40% in the 1950s. Todays labor unions are still based on a model of industrial relations that dates back to the Depression and even earlier. Does this old model of labor in perpetual contention with management over basic standards still apply, still make sense in the modern economy? Maybe it is time to rethink how labor organizations operate. Joining us on the show today to talk about that is Oren Cass. Orens essay for the special Shape of Work to Come issue of City Journal is called More Perfect Unions. Its subtitle, Organized labors adversarial approach has failed workers and society: its time for a new model.

Hello, I am City Journal editor Brian Anderson. Thanks for joining us for the 10 Blocks Podcast, featuring urban policy and cultural commentary with City Journal editors, contributors, and special guests.

Joining us now is Oren Cass. Oren is a senior fellow at the Manhattan Institute, where he focuses on issues ranging from welfare to climate change. Before joining the institute, he was the domestic policy director of Mitt Romneys 2012 presidential campaign. Oren, thanks for joining us.

Oren Cass: Thank you so much for having me.

Brian Anderson: It has been nearly a century and the National Labor Relations Act, which was signed in 1935, still governs how unions are organized in the United States. It certainly shaped the relationship between workers and employers over the years. Could you give us a brief overview, Oren, of the law and what exactly it does?

Oren Cass: Sure. So, the National Labor Relations Act provides a framework for workers to organize together into unions and then negotiate with employers. What that tends to mean in practice is that a national union will go to a company and try to persuade a majority of the workers there to vote to unionize. If a majority of the workers vote that they want a union, then that union becomes their representative and negotiates on their behalf with the employer. And, so, then there are a variety of provisions governing exactly how the employer and the union negotiate and whatever agreement they come to then governs all of the employees who are part of the union in the terms and conditions of their employment.

Brian Anderson: Now, the purpose of your essay is to recommend reforms to organized labor or how we think about labor as well, but before we get to that, which is the heart of your essay, maybe you could describe how American labor unions operated during their peak years, which would probably be the 1950s, and what has happened since and where labor unions are today in 2017.

Oren Cass: Sure. So, you know, if you think all the way back to 1935, you were at the height of the Great Depression, American workers had been pushed to the brink, you had violent labor struggles going on, and so the National Labor Relations Act really was something that benefited all sides. It created a framework to bring everyone to the table and then to allow employers and workers to agree on basic terms and conditions. You know, things like how many hours they should be working, what sorts of benefits they should receive, what sort of protections they would have. And that became a system, particularly, as you said, in the 1950s, where, really, an entire industry would reach an agreement about that. And, so, you would actually end up with agreements that were very generous to workers, but that the employers were okay agreeing to because they didnt have any competition. So, if all of the Detroit automakers agreed to provide very generous pay and benefits to all of the autoworkers, that didnt really affect them competitively. It just meant that they all raised their prices together and they could all still earn a comfortable profit. So, the companies did alright. The workers who were now receiving the higher pay and benefits did very well. Really it was the consumers who would lose out, but of course many of those consumers were union members and if you werent, then all the more reason to join a union. Obviously, what has happened since then is two very important trends. One is globalization, which has opened up competition in these industries to areas that are not governed by these agreements, so the three Detroit automakers may agree on generous pay packages, but if the Japanese and Korean automakers dont, then you cant just pass that on via price increases. And the other is a very different role for government regulation in the employment setting. So, really, everything that you would have expected unions to negotiate about back in 1935 is now codified in federal law. In fact, the protections for everything from health and safety, to benefits, to hours and wages for the most part goes way beyond what workers would have asked for in the past. And, so, that creates a very strange dynamic where if the two sides sit down to the table, on the one hand, unions still have to find something to deliver to their workers, and those are going to be things that are ever more expensive for the employer to provide, and on the other hand, employers are less able than ever to afford to make those kinds of concessions. And, so, an adversarial relationship that was setup to really strike bargains that could benefit everybody, as you said, a century ago, really does not create those incentives today and instead produces a great deal of frustration, a great deal of conflict, and agreements that might benefit or be tolerable to existing management and existing workers at a moment in time but end up positioning everyone very poorly to prosper in the long run.

Brian Anderson: These days I think the number is under 10%, around 10% of U.S. workers belong to a union. That is down from, I think, 40% in the 1950s, so it has been a significant decline.

Oren Cass: Yeah, thats right. I think the height was about 36% and it is even lower than 10% now. You know, one thing that is striking is that unions have increasingly become a public sector phenomena, because, of course, there you still dont have any competition, so government can strike a deal with its workers and then pass that along to taxpayers, whereas in the private sector it is down below 7% of the workforce is unionized at this point, and it is especially striking in manufacturing. You know, people who support labor in its current form will say well, this is declined because you know, things like manufacturing have declined. But, in fact, manufacturing employment for non-union workers has gone up in recent decades, whereas manufacturing employment for union workers has completely collapsed. And, so, it seems more like it is the unionizing that is not sustainable, not the manufacturing.

Brian Anderson: You mention in your essay that the Volkswagen manufacturing plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee, became the modern Waterloo for organized labor just a few years ago in 2014. What happened there?

Oren Cass: Yeah, so the situation there was very interesting because, you know, you have automakers in Detroit who are unionized, but then a lot of foreign automakers who have opened plants in the southern United States are not unionized. And so that has provided some significant competitive advantages for them. Volkswagen was in an interesting position because in Germany they are used to dealing with unions. They have a very different system of organized labor, and they think it works quite well, and they wanted to be able to have that kind of relationship with their workers in the United States. So, they actually teamed up with the union to try to coordinate a campaign that would persuade workers to join the union. And, so, you had the, both the employer and the union campaigning on the same side for a couple of years, and yet, when everybody came together and voted, the employees still said no. And so it provided this very stark reminder that while labor organizers will say this is a problem of choice, that workers really want to unionize and employers stand in their way, in fact you saw that that wasnt the case. It was the union organizers wanted to organize, but workers, no matter how positive a story you told them, understood that it just wasnt the right choice for them.

Brian Anderson: And why are workers reaching that conclusion? What has made unionization less attractive?

Oren Cass: Well, I think what they have seen is what happens in the long run to organizations that are unionized. You know, when a union comes in and strikes a deal with an employer, it might provide higher wages and benefits and so forth to workers in the short run, but if you are thinking about what that is going to mean for the company where you want to work, it is going to mean within that company that the company is likely to do better, achieve higher profits, make more investments in areas where it is not unionized. If you are thinking across the industry, it is likely that companies that are not facing those pressures are going to do better than yours. And then even if you are thinking globally, it is likely that competitors in other countries entirely are going to do better than you do. And, so, what you see over time is that you might have struck a good initial deal, but the employment opportunities arent there in the long run, it is not as good for your broader community, it is not as good as for your own upward mobility. And what seemed like a good deal on day one might mean a layoff five years later. And, so, as people have seen that unions dont deliver the goods, while they do setup very adversarial relationships with management, while they do collect union dues that are a significant chunk of paychecks, especially for working-class households, it doesnt turn out to be such a good bargain.

Brian Anderson: Your essay goes on to propose a series of very substantial reforms to how unions would function, or how labor organizations would function in the future. Could you talk a bit about your idea of labor co-ops and what the reforms specifically are that you would like to see implemented?

Oren Cass: Yeah. You know I think something really unfortunate has happened politically in the United States, which is that as big labor has waned as an economic force it has become a political force. It is a means by which funds from union members who are really fairly representative of Americans politically, all that money, then goes almost exclusively to Democrats. And, so, Democrats have shown a very strong interest in keeping the existing system in place, and Republicans, on the flipside, have said they are happy to see it wither. And that is a really missed opportunity, because theres nothing inherently partisan or counterproductive about the idea of having workers organize. We should want workers to be able to organize together, to provide mutual aid to each other, and to represent their interests collectively. And we actually have models of that working very well, particularly in Europe. You know, Im certainly not one to look across the Atlantic and say wholesale that we should adopt models that they have there, but we should certainly be open to things that they are doing that seem to make sense. And one that they have in particular is their approach to labor, which is that instead of organizing within a company as I described, where you have a vote and if the majority of your employees vote yes then you are now a unionized company. The unions actually exist independent of companies. So, unions are organizations of civil society that workers join voluntarily because they recognize that they provide benefits, and those organizations are then able to collaborate with employers in a way that benefits everybody. The idea is not to essentially equip workers with this power within the workplace to claim benefits from the employer. The idea is to actually find ways to create value that wouldnt exist in the absence of the relationship. And, so, I think thats something that certainly makes a lot of sense, both economically and politically, and that could absolutely work in the United States and could provide a lot of benefits, particularly to some of the conditions and challenges that we are facing in the economy today.

Brian Anderson: Could you elaborate a little bit on that, such as your thinking of retraining workers and educational programs?

Oren Cass: Yeah, sure. So, you know, I guess there are a number of things I would list. One is these what I would call these co-ops can actually be very good mechanisms for providing social support in terms of social insurance programs like unemployment insurance, disability insurance, even healthcare. They are a logical purchaser of group insurance. And so, you know, right now we already have a system where the states administer that system for the federal government. You could actually push it further to the point where organizations led by workers are responsible for administering that, supported in part by the dues that their own members pay. And, so, it truly does become a form of social insurance. A second, like you mentioned, is job training. You know, I think job training is something that our government programs and even nonprofits really struggle with today because they are not the right decisionmakers. They have a lot of trouble figuring out what the market actually wants from the employer side and what workers, what will work for workers, and their incentives at the end of the day tend to be to boost enrollment statistics or graduation statistics, not to actually form employment relationships, whereas if you had co-ops directly responsive to workers and in collaboration with employers trying to find ways to get the skills that people need to the people who need them, I think you would find a system that was aligned much better to achieve what the actual participants, the employers and the workers are trying to achieve. A much broader point that I think is important to bear in mind with co-ops is that unions in general, and co-ops could be a very important mediating institution in civil society, you know, by which I mean something that a lot of folks on Left and Right are concerned about is the breakdown in social capital, particularly in working-class communities. But it can be very hard to figure out what policy levers can you actually pull, how do you actually, as, from the side of government, intervene in a constructive way and I think creating institutions that encourage workers to collaborate and use their collective resources and interests to further their needs is something that could really rebuild some of that social capital, for everything from helping a disconnected worker or a young person from a disadvantaged background figure out how to get into the workforce to making sure that the little league has enough coaches. And then Ill mention one more, which is particularly unique. It is not something I think people talk about a lot, but, you know, this point I was raising that government provides all of the regulation today is very inefficient. Government is providing all the regulation in theory because we say well, workers cant represent their own interests so we need all of these government rules, but then when workers do organize we say they have to put stuff on top of those government rules. I think it would make a lot more sense to say look, if you are organized in a co-op and if you are representing workers and want to negotiate with an employer, you can actually negotiate over those government rules. So, by default, the employment regulation is in place but now employers have an interest in a good negotiation also. You know, I like to use the example of a retailer who might say you know, look, we can get rid of this on-call scheduling that saves us money but on the other hand is really very challenging for households to manage, but on the flip side we need to get rid of time-and-a-half overtime. You know, when people are able to work and we do put it in their schedule, we need that to be at the standard wage. And so that could be something that saves money for the employer, is of great benefit to the employee, and actually represents a model of labor and capital finding agreements that add value instead of just fighting over a fixed pie.

Brian Anderson: It is a far less adversarial model. But, speaking of that, unions are, today, powerful political players, even as private sector union membership has dwindled. The unions have become much more politically active and they contribute millions of dollars yearly to politicians, almost entirely, right now, to the Democratic Party. How would your new idea of labor organizations, labor co-ops, affect that political reality?

Oren Cass: Well, I guess there are two parts to that answer. One is how do you overcome that political reality to actually make progress in reform, and then the second is how do you make sure what replaces it looks better?

Brian Anderson: Right.

Oren Cass: You know, I think in terms of making progress the important thing to remember is we dont need to get rid of the NLRA, the National Labor Relations Act. If a union is happy, if its members are happy, we dont need to blowup that relationship. What we should be pushing for is choice, which, by the way, is what the union leaders at least claim to care about also. We should be saying look, alongside this structure of very adversarial unions, lets also offer the opportunity of co-ops. Lets offer the possibility of creating a nonprofit organization controlled by its workers, collaborating with government on providing services, able to negotiate with employers over employment regulations, and lets see if people want to join them. And if they do, what ground would you have to object, and if they dont, we havent touched the system that is already in place and that some folks want to defend. You know, I think in terms of how politics would look in a world with these co-ops, a co-op essentially as a nonprofit would not be a political entity. You know, even Left-leaning labor scholars will acknowledge that there is no reason why a union needs to be both an economic and a political entity. And we have all sorts of nonprofit entities, a thinktank like the Manhattan Institute included, that by virtue of its status cannot participate in certain times of electioneering activity, and so co-ops would be in that exact same basket, by virtue of their cooperation with government on social services and so forth and the dues they collect from their members, they would be precluded from directly trying to channel any of those resources toward political action. Now, they of course would be welcome to setup a PAC, or their own independent entity that does political campaigning, but that would have to be a separate activity. It could not be the case that the co-op work in the economic sphere or the resources for that were also dedicated toward political campaigning for any party.

Brian Anderson: A final question, Oren: The gig, or sharing economy as it is called, has obviously disrupted the labor market. Many have noted that it has also revealed a kind of hole in our current labor laws. Uber has been fighting vigorously against state regulators which want to classify its workers as independent contractors. What are your thoughts on this particular debate and does that plug into your argument in this essay?

Oren Cass: Yeah, I think its a great question and a critical element of this, which is that what we have seen over the past decade is a very aggressive push by employers to try to get away from employment relationships, in part because of the combination of regulatory burdens and the prospect of having to fight with a union. And so, in fact, I think its, you know, between 2005 and 2015 the entire growth and employment in this country was in nontraditional relationships. A little bit of that is the high-profile gig economy, stuff like Uber drivers. A lot of it is just independent contractors, and temps, and folks who have lost control over the employment relationship that they want because it is so heavily burdened, and the NLRA really compounds that problem. It pushes employers away from wanting to have employees and then says once they have done that there is no support left for the now independent worker. I think a co-op could really have the opposite effect. You know, on the one hand it would provide support for those independent workers, so whether you are an Uber driver, a contract coder, a call center temp, those are groups that would ideally fit into a co-op-like structure. Theres actually a nonprofit called the Freelancers Union, that provides a lot of these kinds of services to a lot of freelance workers today. And, so, you would be providing support to those kinds of folks and then you would also be actually providing a very strong incentive for employers to want to partner more closely with them. So, an Uber for instance, if it actually were to establish a closer employment relationship with co-op-affiliated workers, would now have more scope to negotiate over employment regulation, might now have more scope to establish training programs that would come with public support as well, and so instead of pushing employers and employees further apart you would actually be recognizing a very important, valuable relationship that can benefit both sides if governments role is to contribute to that instead of enflaming it.

Brian Anderson: Dont forget to check out Oren Casss essay, More Perfect Unions. It was featured in our special issue, The Shape of Work to Come, and you can find it on our website. You can also follow Oren on Twitter, @Oren_Cass. Lastly, if you like our show and want to hear more, please leave ratings and reviews on iTunes. Thanks for listening and thank you again, Oren, for joining us.

Oren Cass: Thank you for having me.

Brian Anderson: You can subscribe to this and other Manhattan Institute podcasts in the iTunes store. The audio edition and transcript is available on our website, www.city-journal.org. This is City Journal editor Brian Anderson. Thanks again for listening to the 10 Blocks Podcast.
Fergus Burnett

The Charity Commission has launched an investigation into Jewish charity Chabad Lubavitch UK, which has filed its accounts at least 300 days late in four of the last five years, and failed to file at all since 2014.

The London-based charity had an income of almost 8.7m in 2014 - the last year it filed its accounts. Its objects are the advancement and promotion of the Jewish religion and Jewish education.

The charity has a single corporate trustee, Lubavitch UK (Ltd), which has three directors, all rabbis.

The Commission said the trustee has demonstrated continuing evidence of mismanagement in the administration of the charity.

The Commission said its investigation will look at:

The extent to which the charity is complying with its legal duties in respect of the administration, governance and management and in particular, the compliance with legal obligations for the preparation and filing of the charitys accounting information

The extent to which the charity has complied with previously issued regulatory guidance

The Commission said it has issued an order under section 84 of the Charities Act 2011 directing the charity to submit the outstanding accounting information.

It has also directed the charity to undertake a review, and implement changes to ensure that the charity fully complies with its legal obligations in the future for the preparation and submission of annual accounts and returns.
The Kings Fund has produced a report on some of the most common and pressing challenges that charities and their leaders face.

Based on its work on the GSK Impact Awards over the last 20 years, it has produced a paper to share some of the knowledge and feedback it has gained over the years.

Its top tips are:

1. Take time to reflect and learn: a necessity not a luxury

Leaders need time to reflect on the organisations work, to examine their leadership styles, to learn new ways of working, and to receive support. In such a challenging environment for charities, its more important than ever to not see this as a luxury.

2. Build strong relationships with your board

Analyse the relationships between you and your board; make sure your organisation examines board skills and leadership and has a critical eye on trustee roles. Surfacing these issues are the first steps towards making positive change.

3. Your trustees' report should offer a full picture

The trustees report should not just be left to the finance manager and treasurer; it is worth investing time and effort in producing a full and accurate reflection of your organisation.

4. Present and analyse your data carefully

Invest time in pulling your data together, being clear on the difference between your activities and your impact and in articulating your value. Provide a good narrative, including how you are responding to the findings, that will make sense to those outside your organisation.

5. Weigh up the opportunities and risks of partnerships

Carefully weigh up the opportunities and risks of partnership work  both of taking part and of not taking part, there are pros and cons for each. Small organisations can easily be sidelined in partnership working, so be assertive when negotiating terms and articulating the distinctive value you bring, and make sure you are clear on areas such as budgets, quality, responsibility and risk.

6. Manage capacity and demand to ensure sustainability

Give yourself time to think outside the box and be entrepreneurial; face up to tough decisions and change and make sure you keep abreast of new opportunities. Look after yourself and your staff to minimise stress, and dont be afraid of saying no to new services, particularly if you cant afford to run them.

7. Ask if you don't know the answer

Dont be afraid to get help if you need it  it will reduce the pressures of leadership but could also be an organisational risk if you dont.

8. Don't bury your head in the sand if the money is running out

You will have a better chance of solving any funding problems if you predict them well in advance and explore your options carefully. Keep trying to diversify income  difficult but important, and tell your funders as early as possible if you think you will have a problem; they may be able to renegotiate with you or reschedule payments to help see you through.

The full report can be found here.

The GSK IMPACT Awards, funded by GSK, provide core funding and leadership programmes for charity leaders. They are aimed at charities working in health and care with income of less than 2.5m.

More information on the awards can be seen here.
The UK has fallen out of the top 10 most generous countries in the world, according to the latest iteration of the CAF World Giving Index.

The UK has come in 11th place in this, the eight year of the Charities Aid Foundation global giving report. The index measures how many people have donated, volunteered and helped a stranger in the past month to arrive at an overall giving score. It surveyed 146,000 people from 139 countries for this years report as part of the Gallup World Poll.

In terms of its overall ranking, the UK fell three places on the international index from eighth to eleventh in line with wider global trends. The UKs global index scores were also down on 2016, with both donating money and helping a stranger down 1.8 percentage points, whilst volunteering was down 0.8 percentage points.

The UK had an overall Giving Index score of 50 per cent, down four points from the year before. Some 64 per cent of people surveyed said theyd donated money in the last month, while 58 per cent said theyd recently helped a stranger, while just 28 per cent said theyd volunteered their time.

Giving down across the globe

The CAF report showed that giving was down more or less across the globe, with scores particularly falling amongst the worlds more developed nations. Every Western country in the top 20 including New Zealand, the United States, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Ireland, Germany, Malta, Iceland and Norway had a decreases in their giving scores of between one and five percentage points.

While the UK fell out of the top 10, only two European countries remained with Ireland now being the most generous country in Europe, followed by the Netherlands.

Myanmar retained its top spot as the worlds most generous country for the fourth year in a row, however its overall score was five percentage points lower than in 2016. Myanmar's overall giving index was 65 percentage points, which CAF put down to the prevelance of Buddhism in the country.

The only region which saw significant increases across the board was Africa, which bucked the global downward trend and was the only continent to see an increase in all three giving behaviours after years of stagnation.

Global trends over the last five years

The CAF report also showed global giving trends across the last five years as an average, which showed that Myanmar retained the top spot, while the UK moved up to seventh overall, two percentage points behind Ireland in sixth place.

In terms of five year percentage point differences, all but three of the top 20 saw either no change, or a decrease. The only countries to have increased index scores over the last five years were Indonesia, Kenya and, of course, Myanmar.

The report also said that the proportion of people across the globe who reported donating money was the lowest seen for three years.

'Generosity should not be taken for granted'

John Low, chief executive of the Charities Aid Foundation, said: This years Index results are slightly down on last years but its too early to know if this is a cause for real concern. It does remind us that our global culture of generosity should never be taken for granted.

Governments worldwide should make it a priority to encourage giving, build up civil society and seize the opportunity to translate economic development into a culture of generosity that will benefit everyone.
In this weeks lowercase, we highlight editorial flubs that prove how valuable careful copy editors are to the news outlets.

I like to imagine the copy editor saw this typo, giggled and moved on. pic.twitter.com/xwtoTjY6p6  kelley hibberd (@kbagby) May 12, 2017

the New York Times has a picture of the wrong Thomas Frank on the front of the business section today pic.twitter.com/NkwDe8elnR  Steven Perlberg (@perlberg) September 6, 2017

Coach Bill Self being indicted into Naismith Hall of Fame https://t.co/Fmc6rDn1OF pic.twitter.com/sTc3YupQTY Sign up for CJR 's daily email  KMBC (@kmbc) September 6, 2017

A copy editor here is definitely not having a good day pic.twitter.com/EytKoLANnR  Alex Konrad (@alexrkonrad) August 19, 2017

jesus christ @Complex hire a copy editor pic.twitter.com/eqkEFu34i9  BLUNT PROPHET (@bluntprophetFF) August 18, 2017

Have a news flub you want to share? Snap a photo and email it to editors@cjr.org or tweet it to us @CJR.

Want to see more regrettable headlines? Check out the Lower Case archives.

ICYMI: A copy editor was looking at early Charlottesville images Saturday. While doing so, he made a big realization.

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The Editors are the staffers of the Columbia Journalism Review.
Politicos Morning Media newsletter bills itself as your guide to the media circus. Every weekday morning, the newsletter delivers a must-read mix of the days biggest media headlines to thousands of inboxes. But after the departure of its third curator in as many months, and with a decimated media team, the flagship newsletter lately featured fewer of Politicos own scoops and more aggregation. And some days, the newsletter seems to be Politicos sole media product. The blog content is infrequent; its Twitter hasnt been active since April. Amidst the biggest media story in decades, Politicos once-formidable media team seems to have quietly dissolved.

Politicos leadership hopes to put the franchise back on track with its hire this week of HuffPos Michael Calderone. He created Politicos original media beat when he joined the upstart site in 2007, and his rehiring signifies a return to Politicos roots. For the media beat, that means a return to covering the press through a political lens, rather than as a discrete industry.

RELATED: Politico embarrasses WSJ

The previous media teams exodus began in January when Tom McGeveran, who led the media vertical, left the company. McGeveran had joined Politico in 2013 when the company acquired the politics, culture, and media site Capital New York, which McGeveran founded with fellow New York Observer alum Josh Benson. The merger signified Politicos interest in expanding beyond Washington, DC, and Capital New York rebranded itself Politico New York in 2015. That also marked the consolidation of New York and Washington media staffs under the Politico Media brand, with McGeveran as their editor and champion.

McGeverans exit had a ripple effect, based on CJRs interviews with several former members of Politicos media team. By late April, both Peter Sterne and Kelsey Sutton had left Politico for gigs at the Freedom of the Press Foundation and Mic, respectively. A few months later, Politico Medias senior journalists, Hadas Gold and Joe Pompeo, also decamped. CNN poached Gold to cover European politics, media, and business, while Pompeo, who had spent a combined six years covering media for Capital New York and Politico and founded the morning newsletter, moved to The Hive, Vanity Fairs tech, media, and politics site.

Under McGeverans leadership, the media staff grew to five full-time reporters, most of whom he had brought with him from Capital New York. The exception was Gold, who had been covering media and politics for Politico in DC since 2012. Most media reporters were based in New York City, what McGeveran calls the center of gravity for media.

Sign up for CJR 's daily email

The team launched two paid subscription-based media newsletters in 2014, similar to Politicos Pro model, while also producing a regular flood of scoops and extensive reporting on the media industry from all angles. In May 2016, Politico opened up its media coverage to a wider audience by removing the paywall from its newsletters and consolidating them into a single free newsletter: the popular Morning Media. When I started this newsletter a little over a year ago, I didnt expect it would catch fire the way it did, with tens of thousands of subscribers and a steady stream  often more like a firehose  of reader interaction, wrote Pompeo in his final email for Politico on July 7 (the company declined to say how many people receive the email).

RELATED: The story behind one of the most-read Politico pieces of all time

Morning Media acted as a relaunch of sorts for Politico Media. McGeverans new vision was to create a single online hub that would collate all media-related content across Politicos platforms: the New York-based media desk (including Morning Media), the Washington-based On Media blog, and more in-depth coverage from veteran reporters Jack Shafer and Alex Spence (now with BuzzFeed).

When McGeveran left Politico, DC-based editors took over the sites media coverage. There was a push for its junior-level reporters, Sterne and Sutton, to assume new roles in Washington. In the months after Tom left, it became clear to me that Politico wanted me to relocate to Washington, DC, and cover a beat other than the media beat, Sterne tells CJR. Both he and Sutton chose to leave rather than move to another desk within Politico.

Staff turnover is not unusual for Politico; major shake-ups have become commonplace over the last few years. But the decimation of the media team was partly the result of a significant change in the scope and direction of Politicos media coverage. The site has been trying to move away from straight media industry news toward the intersection of media and politics. To be honest, I think we all felt like on the media desk, we werent quite trained to approach media in that way, McGeveran says. We had always written about it as a business and not as a politics story or a culture story.

But by looking at media solely through the frame of politics, Politico risks missing the context, nuance, and texture the industry deserves, including the various commercial and business pressures [facing] news organizations and journalists, Sterne says. So much of what happens on the business side of media directly affects the political side, whether thats Sinclair Broadcast Groups attempts at acquiring Tribune Media or The Washington Post hiring a new bureau chief. Politico could miss the broader picture of the media environment.

Carrie Budoff Brown, Politicos editor, tells CJR Politico is committed to its media coverage despite its internal reshuffle. When we illuminate the intersection of politics and media, our readers eat it up, Brown says. Its always among some of our most-read content. Im personally really interested and invested in it. Were in the process of getting back to a staffing level that I believe is appropriate and good for a newsroom of our size.

ICYMI: Why copy editors are still valuable to the news industry

Brown declined to specify what that staffing level would be, but after Gold left in August, the shop was pretty much empty apart from Shafer, who has remained a senior media writer and columnist. Alex Weprin, who previously managed the media desk, now writes and edits the Morning Media newsletter on a freelance and interim basis, with help from Cristiano Lima, a Web producer. Politico recently hired Jason Schwartz, formerly of ESPN the Magazine, who started as a media writer last week. Calderone starts September 19.

Politico inherited its old media team from Capital New York. Now its tasked with rebuilding one from scratch, while fine-tuning its approach. Its a nearly identical situation to when Calderone first worked at Politico, exactly 10 years ago, though the political climate and company resources are radically different.

The staff and resources were limited Calderones first time around at Politico. As the sole media reporter back then, Calderone remembers consuming cable news in the early morning and overnight. It was scrappy startup out of the gate, still building itself up into what it is now, he says. Now its an institution in Washington. Calderone launched Politicos first media and politics blog in 2008. He penned the blog until he left for Yahoo two years later, where he launched a similar venture, the now-defunct The Cutline, before moving onto HuffPo in April 2011. There, he further carved his niche as a media reporter, winning awards for his coverage of the 60 Minutes Benghazi scandal and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. And, in 2012, he revisited his old stomping grounds at Politico for a juicy piece on its newsrooms stressful, hamster wheel environment.

But Calderone is most proud of the work he did around Trumps candidacy. His first of many Trump pieces, about the medias obsession with the candidate, hit HuffPos site in July 2015; he would publish more than 60 Trump stories throughout the campaign season. Calderone wants to bring this same level of intensity and acuity back to Politico later this month.

Theres a huge political media story that we need to focus on, he says.

ICYMI: WashPo reporter gets Trump administration statement. You can probably guess what happened an hour later.

Correction: A previous version of this story used the wrong title for Brown. She is editor.

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Meg Dalton is a freelance journalist and audio producer based in Connecticut. She's reported and edited for CJR, PBS NewsHour, Energy News Network, Architectural Digest, MediaShift, Hearst Connecticut newspapers, and more. Follow her on Twitter: @megdalts. Find her on Twitter @megdalts.
Washington Post healthcare reporter Paige Winfield Cunningham recently raised a few serious questions about how the Trump administration planned to manage Obamacares fall enrollment season. The six-week sign-up period will be the first handled exclusively by an administration thats hostile to the Affordable Care Act, Cunningham wrote, and one that hoped by now to see Congress pass legislation unraveling much of the law.

Any reporter might have asked the questions Cunningham put to the Department of Health and Human Services, some of which she published in her daily Health 202 column:

Will the government contact current enrollees to alert them that sign-ups will last just 45 days, about half as long as in the past three years? Will HHS run call centers for consumers who need help as they look for plans? Will the HealthCare.gov computer system be adjusted to accommodate a possible crush of shoppers given the shorter sign-up period? And how will automatic enrollment be handled?

HHS offered no answers, although a spokesperson for the departments communications staff did provide Cunningham with a statement: As open enrollment approaches, we are evaluating how best to serve the American people who access coverage on HealthCare.gov. Even that statement did not stand for long, reported Cunningham:

An hour later, the spokeswoman, Jane Norris, requested that the statement be withdrawn, saying that she did not have permission to release it. When I asked her again for detailed answers, neither she nor anyone else at HHS responded further.

Nobody at HHS ever reaches out to me, Cunningham told CJR during an interview. More times than not, they dont respond to emails asking for information. On the day we spoke, Cunningham asked a spokesperson from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to have coffee. The official said shed like to, but would have to get back to her. She never did.

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ICYMI: Journalists need to discontinue the genre of reporting known as inspiration porn

Cunninghams troubles reflect the challenge many health reporters are up against as enrollment season approaches. Journalists from mainstream news outlets as well as trade publications are frustratedby a lack of information from Trump administration health agencies, by their insufficient responses to those questions that do get answers, and by demands from HHS officials to change stories that have already been published. In light of the Trump administrations plans to cut advertising and programs like local navigator groups that promote enrollment in the Affordable Care Act, such silence can carry devastating consequences for many Americans.

Complaints about access to government sources are nothing new. Journalists squawked about lack of access under the Obama administration, which promised to be the most transparent in US history. The public information model is dead, a public information officer employed by a federal agency that dealt with science and health told CJR. That model has now been replaced by a highly message-controlled environment.

Still, a lot can change in two years.

Things have gotten worse in the Trump administration, says Charles Ornstein, a senior reporter at ProPublica. Theres an outward vitriol from this administration thats different from previous administrations.

Dan Diamond, who writes Politicos health newsletter, shared several instances of unanswered questions with CJR. In one instance, Diamond asked Alleigh Marre, the recently departed national spokesperson for Health and Human Services, to confirm that HHS still sees a link between climate change and risks to American health. Marre didnt respond.

My experience, says Diamond, has not been great.

Harris Meyer, a senior reporter for Modern Healthcare, says he always wants to give agencies a chance to respond. But its basically impossible to get an interview with a CMS staffer, he says. While officials seem to be fairly responsive to emails, they dont seem willing or able to provide an interview with the appropriate staffer. That goes for positive coverage, like this story from Modern Healthcare that placed HHS Secretary Tom Price atop the publications annual list of the 50 Most Influential Physician Executives. Meyer tried for two weeks to snag an interview with Price before he gave up.

Matt Wynn, data reporter for MedPage Today, went public with his troubles prying loose the data underlying a series of maps CMS sent out this summer. One map published in early June identified counties without insurers selling policies on healthcare.gov this fall, and a news release announced at least 35,000 active Exchange participants live in counties projected to be without coverage in 2018. Wynn asked CMS to see the numbers supporting those conclusions.

I shot an email to the media relations office in the department, asking for the data behind the map. About an hour later I got a response. No further information would be shared at this time, wrote Shelby Venson-Smith, a public affairs specialist. Adding insult to injury, the non-response was not to be used as a direct quote, the email said.

In his story, Wynn suggested that he had called Venson-Smith on a bad day. Wynn believes that line prompted Venson-Smith to contact his editor.

It became clear she just didnt like the insinuation that she was having a bad day, says Wynn, who spoke with Venson-Smith about their exchange and then updated his story to attribute her bad day to CMS. The point wasnt specific to her, anyway, so I had no problem changing that.

ICYMI: Why copy editors are still valuable to the news industry

In updating his story, Wynn also cut the description of CMS non-response, though perhaps that point is still clear enough to some readers. During his reporting, Wynn followed up with CMS and requested the map data once more. Again, there was no further information to be had, wrote Wynn. Again, I was forbidden from quoting the email itself.

Kathryn Foxhall, a freelance writer who works with the Society of Professional Journalists on freedom of information issues, protested the matter to Jane Norris, the same press contact that The Washington Posts Cunningham had interacted with. In an email to Foxhall, Norris replied that CMS would not be sharing their data publicly because insurers hadnt finalized their agreements. (Though, apparently, those agreements were final enough for CMS to put out its maps.) The email said the agency would provide the public a complete picture of the insurers prior to open enrollment on November 1. Furthermore, said Norris, It would be greatly appreciated if you would respect the decision of our office and consider this matter tabled until we get closer to this time-frame.

Noam Levey, Washington health reporter for the LA Times, also had a run-in with Norris, who asked him to retract information included in a piece last spring about potential rate hikes. Levey reported the administration had offered to continue paying the ACAs cost-sharing subsidies in exchange for insurer support of repeal legislation.

Once the story was out, the department demanded language about the quid pro quo be taken out, Levey told CJR. The offending words stayed, but the paper updated the story to include a comment from Norris, who called the Times account of the meeting where the deal was apparently discussed completely false.

The experiences of reporters like Wynn and Levey are instructive for journalists covering federal health policy. Even when HHS and CMS share relatively little information with reporters and the public, they retain a great deal of control over what little they give out.

While HHS press officials decline to answer reporters questions in satisfying detail, they seem to have plenty to say in their news releases and email blasts, which disparage the health law and sound more like campaign propaganda and GOP talking points than routine communications from a federal agency. The Obama administration was not shy about using the same PR tools to boost the ACA. But messages from HHS now feel substantively different, perhaps because they are aimed at denigrating a law they have a legal responsibility to administer.

An August 21 email blast sent by HHS to select reporters charged that the Affordable Care Act failed to create a thriving, competitive market. The email pointed out that Obamacares Enrollment Assistance Program had spent more than $1,500 for each one of the 14,500 people it signed up, numbers attributed to reporting by the Washington Free Beacon. There was no consideration for how such support might have helped healthcare shoppers understand complicated insurance optionsjust the implication that the money spent to help thousands of enrollees wasnt worth it.

News releases that accompanied the county maps published this summer threw darts at the Affordable Care Act, tooagain repeating a familiar theme from the Trump administration. This is yet another failing report card for the Exchanges, noted CMS Administrator Seema Verma in one release. In another, Verma said the decline in insurer participation left consumers with fewer and fewer insurance options, and she was deeply concerned about the crisis situation facing the individual market in many states across the nation. Later releases took on a softer tone but still claimed that millions of participants would have only one choice and may not be able to receive the coverage they need.

How reliable is the information the public gets from HHS and CMS? I asked Charles Gaba, the Michigan-based freelance web developer and founder of ACASignups, which has tracked Obamacare enrollment since 2013 and has criticized number crunchers in both the Obama and Trump administrations. A lot of what they say is misleading, questionable, or in some cases outright wrong, says Gaba about the Trump administration numbers. For example, a June email from HHS with the subject line Failing for years sent to some reporters asks them to consider this important market updatethat average premiums are up 105 percent across the country  an increase of nearly $3,000since 2013.

But as Gaba has pointed out, that number is misleading. The calculation includes only 39 states, notes Gaba. (When the other 11 are added, the number drops to 84 percent.) Gaba says it would have been absurdly easy to obtain data for the other 11 if the agency had wanted to present a fuller picture.

The 105 percent increase also doesnt consider tax credits, which reduce premiums for half the buyers in the individual market. And policies sold in 2013 were not the same as those sold for 2017. While the older policies excluded people with preexisting conditions, newer policies did include them, as the ACA requires.

CJR asked HHS about its media communications. This is what the agency said in response:

HHS aims to respond in a timely manner to reporter inquiries. We do make policy experts available to the media and we contact reporters as often as necessary to provide additional context and to seek connections if information reported is inaccurate. On average, we do about 6,000-7,000 media interviews across the dept. each year, which could be about 500-600 interviews every month. Some months are even higher and some may be lower depending on what is happening that month. Calendar year 2017 is consistent with previous years.

The response also includes a link to HHS media policy.

What can health-care reporters do when they are denied information? There are workarounds, of course. But, while useful, workarounds effectively give agencies a pass and allow them to continue their information blockades. Reporters have always relied on experts from universities, think tanks, foundations, or businesses to explain complicated stuff. USA Today health reporter Jayne ODonnell called on researchers at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation to help create a map and story that showed the number of counties likely to have only one Obamacare insurer. The best stories are ones from disgruntled employees. Theyre not coming from official channels, ODonnell tells CJR. Finding those employees, however, grows harder with each successive administration that cuts off direct access to its experts.

HHS and CMS are powerful agencies that could decide the future of critical programs like Medicaid and Medicare, the Obamacare insurance marketplaces, and whether or not hospitals are considered safe. But when agency press officials avoid interviews and refuse to answer questions, its hard to present their positions fairly and understand whose side they are on. Government agencies are supposed to be objective about industry practices under their jurisdiction. But if reporters cannot get honest information about the industries they regulate, where can they go? Outside experts may not be unbiased sources. They may be trying to sell a book, or pursuing a promotion through quotes in the news media. Its easy to overlook those biases when a reporter needs a comment on deadline.

I see one administration learning from the last and building on the last administrations restrictions, says Foxhall. I dont see the administrations ever stopping what they are doing, unless we as journalists pull out all stops and call it the censorship that it is. Theres been reluctance to do that on the part of journalism professional groups and news outlets themselves.

Foxhall says some journalists are unwilling to fight back for the information they want. When all the accounting is done, she says, were more responsible for this than they are.

CJRs health care reporting is sponsored in part by a grant from the Commonwealth Fund.

ICYMI: Ive never seen lying and obstruction like this.

Has America ever needed a media watchdog more than now? Help us by joining CJR today

Trudy Lieberman is a longtime contributing editor to the Columbia Journalism Review. She is the lead writer for CJR's Covering the Health Care Fight. She also blogs for Health News Review and the Center for Health Journalism. Follow her on Twitter @Trudy_Lieberman.
The exercises came days after North Korea's sixth, and most powerful, nuclear test fueled global concern that the isolated nation plans more weapons tests, possibly of a long-range missile.

China's air force has carried out exercises near the Korean Peninsula, practicing to defend against a "surprise attack" coming over the sea, Chinese state media said.

Anti-aircraft artilleries at a military parade to mark the 70th anniversary of the end of World War II on September 3, 2015 in Beijing, China.

An anti-aircraft defense battalion held the exercises early on Tuesday, near the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea that separates China from the Korean peninsula, an official military website, www.81.cn, said.

Troops traveled to the site from central China before immediately beginning drills to fend off the "surprise attack" simulating real battle, it said.

"The troops' rapid response capabilities and actual combat levels have effectively been tested."

It was the first time certain weapons, which the website did not identify, had been used to shoot down low-altitude targets coming over the sea, www.81.cn said, without elaborating.

The drills "do not target any particular goal or country," and were part of an annual plan intended to boost the troops' capability, China's Defense Ministry said on its website late on Wednesday, in a response to media.

After weeks of rising tension over North Korea's actions, South Korea and the United States have been discussing the deployment of aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the Korean Peninsula.

China is deeply suspicious of any U.S.-backed military build-up in the region, and has repeatedly expressed anger at the deployment of a U.S. anti-missile defense system in South Korea.
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When CNBC's Jim Cramer first started working at Goldman Sachs in 1984, he used to get calls from his mother, who loved the stock market and would ask him for quotes on her favorite stocks. She chose to invest by buying what she knew and staying on top of it. She liked to shop at Giant Food, a progressive supermarket chain at the time, so she bought the stock. The process of homework back then was to like an idea through personal experience, read up on it with the best research, and then match those insights with other firms. Back then, the "Mad Money" host also learned that sometimes Wall Street research can be very wrong, so it is good to have a healthy dose of skepticism. "I want to show you that it isn't reckless to try to pick individual stocks, and those who say it is just don't understand the process of first-hand experience, married with research and buttressed by skepticism. It all increases the odds of successful individual stock investing while minimizing the risks of single-stock ownership," Cramer said. When Cramer decided to leave Goldman Sachs after four years and open his own hedge fund, the first stock he bought was Heinz . He owned the stock because it represented a call on great management that could deliver earnings through thick and thin.

The rotation game

Michael Nagle | Bloomberg | Getty Images

However, Cramer wasn't prepared for the performance demands of a hedge fund manager. He quickly learned that if he wanted a portfolio to perform daily, he would have to take daily action. You cannot just sit there and take a beating because you own best-of-breed companies. "Heinz was a staple with a good dividend, and what I didn't understand at the time was when the economy heats up, people dump these kinds of stocks for something more cyclical," Cramer said. The problem was that this rotation game is not one investors can play at home without being full-time professionals. And eventually, when the market got too hot, it crashed and all of the cyclical plays were decimated. But guess what? Heinz snapped right back. That is what happens to best-of-breed, well-managed companies. "As a homegamer, you can use the flailings of the hedge fund performers to your own advantage by picking up best-of-breed companies," Cramer said.

How the 2008 recession changed Cramer

A trader holds his face while working on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange October 7, 2008 in New York City. Getty Images

Every night, Cramer goes on "Mad Money" with a mission to help people become better investors. Over the past 12 years of the show, that mission has transformed to match the surrounding environment. The show first began as an outgrowth of Cramer's radio show called "Real Money." Back then, people craved specific investment ideas. But everything changed when the 2008 financial crisis hit investors and tainted the way they viewed the market. During that time, the downturn ravaged many big companies, especially in the financial sector, and caused a dramatic decline in economic activity. "That era changed things, and it changed me. It changed the show," Cramer said. "Mad Money" is no longer about just giving stock ideas, because, in Cramer's opinion, that is not enough anymore. In fact, he now has deliberately minimized highlighting stock ideas. He would rather teach investors to understand the process and be able to pick stocks for themselves.

How Cramer got hooked on stocks

Harvard University Michael Fein | Bloomberg | Getty Images

After losing money on a few investments, Cramer decided to go to the library and research companies. Eventually, he found an oil company called Natomas, which had just discovered a large find in Indonesia. He took $300 and bought the stock, and Natomas quickly caught a $1.4 billion takeover bid from former energy giant Diamond Shamrock Corporation. Cramer realized from his investment in Natomas that by doing the homework, it gave him an edge over others and helped arm him with the proper knowledge about the stock. From then on, Cramer was hooked on stocks and never turned back. Eventually, he made enough money to pay for his first year of law school at Harvard, where he decided to become an attorney. "I recognized that you can study and you can pick worthwhile stocks that might be doing better than the average stock and that can, indeed, augment your savings provided you do it right, have some edge and stay current on the company," Cramer said.

Stocks stop at $0
Deere is bringing more robots to the farm.

The maker of John Deere agricultural equipment said on Wednesday that it's acquiring robotics start-up Blue River Technology for $305 million. The deal is expected to close in September.

Based in Silicon Valley, Blue River makes "see-and-spray" robots that affix to tractors. They use computer vision to identify plants in the field in need of fertilizer, pesticides or other costly "inputs" used to manage crops. The robots are primarily used on lettuce, cotton and other specialty vegetables.

As farmers spend on more on inputs, they tend to spend less on heavy equipment. By helping farmers be more efficient in areas like fertilizing, Deere can free up more money for investing in tractors.

According to The Robot Report, 50 robotics and automation companies were acquired last year in deals totaling over $18.8 billion.

Blue River Technology raised about $31 million in venture funding from Pontifax Agtech, Data Collective, Innovation Endeavors, Khosla Ventures and others. The company claims that its "precision farming" technology can save farmers up to 90 percent of the volume of chemicals they use with more traditional approaches.

Phil Erlanger, a co-founder of Pontifax Agtech, told CNBC that the deal generated "attractive" returns for its investors but declined to give specific numbers.

With the world's population expected to reach 10 billion by 2050, "this necessitates more efficiency and innovation all along the agricultural supply chain," Erlanger said. He predicts that incumbents in the industry will increasingly snap up or partner with tech start-ups for innovation.
Rob Coppedge is CEO of Echo Health Ventures in Seattle and has been investing and working in health care for 20 years.

Let me be clear: I believe strongly in the need for substantive, consumer-centric transformation of the health care system and have been a long-term proponent of the power of entrepreneurs to catalyze and drive these difficult changes.

Despite this, I truly struggled to prepare for a recent presentation on the future of venture capital investing in the "digital health" space. The group I addressed expected another digital health pep rally  but, after much reflection, the best I could bring them was an explanation of why, despite the countless blog posts and questionable survey data to the contrary, I believe the digital health party is over and why those of us focused on long-term systemic transformation should be happy to put this hype cycle behind us.
With popular cryptocurrency a few percentage points away from a new high, Yale economics professor Robert Shiller shared his theory on why it resembles a bubble.

Shiller, who won the Nobel Prize in Economics for his work on bubbles, told CNBC's "Fast Money" on Wednesday that often bubbles are promulgated by stories, not metrics.

"I'm not as negative as it may seem, but I think that the thing that's driving bitcoin at the moment, like other examples of bubbles, is a story," Shiller said. "And it's the quality of the story that's attracting all this interest, and it's not necessarily sustainable."

Bitcoin's increasingly attractive story all started with its mysterious creator, Satoshi Nakamoto, whose existence is hotly debated after he created the currency then disappeared, Shiller said.

"Then, we have a new form of money that ... sounds extremely revolutionary and involves a very clever use of cryptography that you can spend all afternoon trying to figure out," Shiller said. "So the story has inspired young people and active people, and that's what's driving the market. It's not fundamentals. It's not like this is a fundamentally important thing, this bitcoin."

Still, Shiller did not find the word "bubble" perfect for describing bitcoin. It suggests that when a bubble bursts, it vanishes, which is not what happens with most financial bubbles, he said.

"I don't mean to say that we're going to see a burst in bitcoin tomorrow and it will be gone forever. We did see a burst in 2013, by the way. It could happen again, and then it could take off again," the professor said.

Shiller added that he is not demeaning the innovation and technology behind the peer-to-peer cryptocurrency's system. But he did harbor some hesitation when it comes to bitcoin's uses.

"It seems to me that the enthusiasm for bitcoin is a little bit out of proportion to its immediate application," Shiller said. "I don't know, maybe it's possible that you can still ride this bubble on bitcoin. But I keep thinking there'll be other currencies, other ideas [that] will come up and will eclipse this one. So it's risky."
U.S. Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin said on Wednesday that if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea over nuclear tests, he has an executive order ready for President Donald Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang.



"I have an executive order prepared. It's ready to go to the president. It will authorize me to stop doing trade, and put sanctions on anybody that does trade with North Korea. The president will consider that at the appropriate time once he gives the U.N. time to act," Mnuchin told reporters on a flight back to Washington from North Dakota, where Trump gave a speech on tax reform.
A South Korean national flag, center, and U.S. national flags fly at the Imjingak pavilion near the demilitarized zone (DMZ) in Paju, South Korea, on Saturday, April 29, 2017.

The White House has set aside for now consideration of terminating the U.S. trade agreement with South Korea, a senior administration official said on Wednesday.

President Donald Trump had been discussing with his senior advisers ending the trade deal out of concern that it was tilted against the United States.

The official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said it was possible the deal could yet be terminated, but that there were no immediate plans to do so.

"It's not dead. It could come back. It might not," the official said.

Trump needs the assistance of South Korea as he tries to resolve a crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs after a sixth nuclear test by Pyongyang this week.

Some Trump advisers had been urging the president to stick with the current trade agreement to avoid straining relations with a key U.S. ally in Asia.

The U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement (Korus), hammered out by Trump's Democratic predecessor President Barack Obama, has been a frequent target for Trump, who in earlier interviews with Reuters threatened to withdraw from what he called an unequal deal in which Washington runs a goods trade deficit of almost $28 billion with Seoul.

"It is very much on my mind," Trump said in Houston on Saturday when asked if he is talking to advisers and whether he would do something about the pact this week.

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the largest U.S. business lobby, had urged member companies to have senior executives call the White House and other administration officials to tell them not to proceed, and to enlist Republican governors in the effort.

Trump agreed to renegotiate terms of the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) but on Aug. 27 renewed his threat to scrap the 23-year-old trade pact, even as U.S., Canadian and

Mexican trade negotiators were preparing for this weekend's second round of talks in Mexico City.
President Donald Trump has often touted his ability to create jobs. In September 2016, Trump boasted that his economic plan will make him the "greatest president for jobs that God ever created." Fast-forward to Trump's Tuesday announcement that he plans to halt the Obama-era DACA program that protects 800,000 children of undocumented immigrants from deportation. tweet Paul Metselaar CEO of travel management company Ovation Travel Group says terminating DACA runs contrary to Trump's campaign promise of job creation. "This is a job-killing decision at the end of the day," Metselaar, who currently employs a DACA recipient, tells CNBC Make It. Metselaar says that although the announcement wasn't particularly surprising, it left him feeling "disappointment, disgust and repulsion." To qualify for the DACA program, individuals must register with the government, pass multiple background checks and pay taxes. Over 97 percent of the "dreamers" who qualify for the program are in school, the workforce or serve in the armed forces.

Demonstrators hold signs during a protest in front of the White House after the Trump administration today scrapped the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects from deportation almost 800,000 young men and women who were brought into the U.S. illegally as children, in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2017. Kevin Lamarque | Reuters

Metselaar says that ending DACA will cost the U.S. $433.4 billion in GDP lost and will also affect hundreds of thousands of hard-working Americans. One of those Americans is his employee and DACA recipient Ilknur Eren, 25. Eren, who works as an executive assistant to the company's CFO, came to the U.S. from Turkey when she was just nine years old, she tells CNBC Make It. "It was not my conscious decision," she says. "I was nine. I couldn't even decide what to eat for dinner." Because she was not a U.S. citizen she was ineligible for most federal aid, loans and scholarships during her undergraduate career. However, when Obama signed DACA into law in 2012, she applied for the program, went through the strenuous vetting process and paid a fee to be protected as an undocumented immigrant. "I knew that it would open up a lot of opportunities and a lot of doors," says Eren. But in six months, she may lose all of that and the country that she called home for most of her life. "I am more accustomed to the American culture than the Turkish culture," she says. "I'm an American, just without the paperwork." tweet Metselaar describes Eren and other dreamers that he has come across as incredibly bright and dedicated. "They are all contributing more than immigrant parents from one or two generations ago," he says.

Protestors gather outside the Trump International Hotel to protest President Donald Trump's plan to repeal DACA in Washington, U.S., September 5, 2017. Aaron P. Bernstein | Reuters
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Shortly before Amazon Prime Day in July, the owner of the Brushes4Less store on Amazon's marketplace received a suspension notice for his best-selling product, a toothbrush head replacement. The email that landed in his inbox said the product was being delisted from the site because of an intellectual property violation. In order to resolve the matter and get the product reinstated, the owner would have to contact the law firm that filed the complaint. But there was one problem: the firm didn't exist. Brushes4Less was given the contact information for an entity named Wesley & McCain in Pittsburgh. The website wesleymccain.com has profiles for five lawyers. A Google image search shows that all five actually work for the law firm Brydon, Swearengen & England in Jefferson City, Missouri.

The phone number for Wesley & McCain doesn't work while the address belongs to a firm in Pittsburgh called Robb Leonard Mulvihill. The person who supposedly filed the complaint is not registered to practice law in Pennsylvania. One section on Wesley & McCain's site stole language from the website of the Colby Law Office. The owner of Brushes4Less agreed to tell his story to CNBC but asked that we not use his name out of concern for his privacy. As far as he can tell, and based on what CNBC could confirm, Amazon was duped into shutting down the seller's key product days before the site's busiest shopping event ever. "Just five minutes of detective work would have found this website is a fraud, but Amazon doesn't seem to want to do any of that," the owner said. "This is like the Wild Wild West of intellectual property complaints." Brushes4Less is just one small business among millions that use Amazon's massive global operation to reach customers. But as the marketplace has grown to account for more than half of all goods sold on the site and as Amazon has expanded its dominance across online commerce, seller complaints have multiplied. Hot items are booted and innocent sellers are suspended, victims of malicious complaints that some experts suspect are coming from rival sellers masquerading as lawyers. Just ahead of last year's Black Friday and Cyber Monday rush, a number of Samsung device sellers were suspended due to mistaken claims of infringement. And sellers of hot brands ranging from Nike to Michael Kors say they've received violation claims and suspension notices even if they're buying inventory from legitimate distributors.

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"Virtually any person can push the right buttons to get Amazon's attention for particular issues," said Paul Dworianyn, founder of Awesome Dynamic Tech Solutions, which helps brands on the site. During the course of our reporting, CNBC heard of numerous cases in which complaints were made by a competitor or a third-party law firm with bogus contact information. One seller of Keurig coffee pods was recently reinstated on Amazon after being suspended due to a fake complaint filed by a competitor, Dworianyn said. The owner of Brushes4Less said he generates about $2 million in annual sales on Amazon. In addition to electronic toothbrush heads, his storefront features brushes for cleaning auto parts as well as wine tote bags, a camera lens and a set of microfiber towels. He said the issue with Amazon was finally resolved on Tuesday after two months of waiting. Losing his best-selling item  a particular type of toothbrush replacement head  resulted in at least $200,000 in lost sales, he estimates. During that time, his inventory was in Amazon's fulfillment center and inaccessible. The Brushes4Less owner suspects the complaint was filed by a competitor and isn't even sure of the specific alleged violation. He hired an intellectual property law firm, which attempted to reach the complainant five times from July 21 to Aug. 3.

"Due to the complainant's failure to respond to our attorney's attempts at contact (or even confirm receipt), we believe these complaints are baseless and were filed in bad faith," the Brushes4Less owner wrote in a memo to Amazon. Amazon didn't provide a comment on the Brushes4Less incident. The company emailed the following statement to CNBC: "Fraud is prohibited on Amazon.com. If we discover that bad actors have abused our systems, we work quickly to take action on behalf of our customers, which includes sellers. If a seller believes we've made a decision that requires further review, we encourage them to contact us directly so we can investigate and take the appropriate action." For sellers, Amazon doesn't offer much by way of guidance in resolving IP issues. In the notice sent to Brushes4Less, the company provided little more than the complainant's email address, which turned out to be fake. Brydon Swearengen said in a statement that it has nothing to do with the hoax and that its images have been stolen. "Brydon, Swearengen & England P.C. has no association with the 'Wesley McCain' web site which has misappropriated attorney photographs from our web site," the firm wrote in an email. "We have brought this matter to the attention of the Missouri Bar and the Pennsylvania Bar Association." CJ Rosenbaum, a lawyer who represents suspended Amazon sellers, is getting used to these types of stories. False claims from sellers with malicious intent have become common, he said, because Amazon offers so little resistance to such trickery. "There are so many good sellers who get suspended needlessly," said Rosenbaum, who's also the author of the "Amazon Law Library," published last year. Amazon's aggressive suspension practices of late followed an explosion of counterfeit sales in recent years and a series of negative news stories and unflattering lawsuits.

Reinstatement can be a major challenge for sellers facing IP violations. There are so many merchants to replace them that Amazon does almost nothing to help suspended sellers get back up and running, said Chris McCabe, a former Amazon employee who now helps sellers get reinstated and stay compliant. "Amazon does little to vet the complaints to make sure they are legitimate, and typically they refer you to the accusing party for any info or resolution," McCabe said. "Amazon internal teams are overwhelmed with these complaints and are very slow to react to fake submissions." McCabe said Amazon has recently beefed up its appeals team to combat these types of problems. Still, while the time to get complaints overturned has sped up, false submissions still come in on a daily basis, he said. Amazon's business has yet to suffer from its marketplace chaos. Sales rose 25 percent last quarter and the stock is up 31 percent in 2017. But the seller problems are putting the company's reputation at risk, McCabe said. "If Amazon continues to process brand or buyer complaints as they are now, suspended accounts will continue to spike," he said. "It undermines faith in the marketplace." Correction: A previous version of this story had the wrong name for Paul Dworianyn's company.

WATCH: An inside look at how Amazon Prime Now delivers food and household items in less than two hours
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon said in CBS interview that top Trump economic advisor Gary Cohn should have resigned after disagreeing with the president's reaction to violent protests in Charlottesville, Virginia.

"Absolutely," Bannon said when asked if Cohn should have stepped down.

"If you don't like what he's doing and you don't agree with it, you have an obligation to resign," Bannon told CBS' "60 Minutes." A segment of the interview was posted Thursday.

Cohn has said he seriously considered resigning after President Donald Trump's response to Charlottesville, saying the administration "must do better" in condemning neo-Nazis and white supremacists.

"As a Jewish-American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting 'Jews will not replace us' to cause this Jew to leave his job. I feel deep empathy for all who have been targeted by these hate groups. We must all unite together against them," Cohn told the Financial Times last month.

Cohn met with Trump privately in the week following the protests and even drafted a resignation letter, The New York Times reported.

Cohn leads the White House national economic council and is jointly guiding Trump's effort to enact tax reform with Treasury secretary Steve Mnuchin.

Cohn had been rumored to be Trump's pick to succeed Janet Yellen as Fed chair, but sources told The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday that the president is "unlikely" to choose him.

Read the interview on CBS News here.

 CNBC's Jacob Pramuk contributed to this report.
The Air Force is mostly not clear about the intentions for the X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle  details on the 29-foot drone and its mission are scant and vague. "The X-37B Orbital Test Vehicle, or OTV, is an experimental test program to demonstrate technologies for a reliable, reusable, unmanned space test platform for the U.S. Air Force," the military branch's website says. "The primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold: reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth."

Notably, though, the X-37B can both stay orbiting in space for months  up to 270 days  and return experiments to Earth "for further inspection and analysis," according to the site. SpaceX completed the launch of the mysterious unmanned Air Force vehicle despite earlier warnings that the weather forecast was only 50 percent favorable due to approaching Hurricane Irma.

Musk's launch of the Air Force space vehicle comes just a few months after the House of Representatives proposed the first ever "Space Corps" in the National Defense Authorization Bill. The "Space Corps," the bill says, would be a division of the Department of the Air Force and would be established on Jan. 1, 2019. It would create, effectively, a branch of the military to operate in space, ''protecting the interests of the United States."

SpaceX's launch of the Air Forces X-37B space vehicle. Photo courtesy SpaceX

According to Alabama Republican Rep. Mike D. Rogers, who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, "Space Corps" would "focus on 'space domination,'" writes the Washington Post. The bill passed the House in July but has yet to be considered by the Senate, according to GovTrack, a public record of where government legislation is in its creation process.
When a billionaire investment manager and a Nobel-Prize winning economist are sounding the alarm over the speculative fever in digital currencies, it may be prudent to review the sage old wisdom on the topic from the Oracle of Omaha himself.

Warren Buffett was specifically asked for his views on bitcoin several years ago.

"Stay away from it. It's a mirage basically. It's a method of transmitting money. It's a very effective way of transmitting money and you can do it anonymously and all that. A check is a way of transmitting money too. Are checks worth a whole lot of money? Just because they can transmit money?" Buffett said on CNBC in 2014. "I hope bitcoin becomes a better way to do it. But you can replicate it a bunch of different ways. The idea that it [bitcoin] has some huge intrinsic value is just a joke in my view."



Digital currency advocates will point out that the price of bitcoin has risen more than sevenfold since Buffett expressed his negative view. In addition, the cryptocurrency was up nearly 380 percent this year through Thursday morning, according to data from industry website CoinDesk.



But the famed investor never said he can predict exactly when bubbles peak, just that the feverish times will end some day. He specifically warned about the perils of "effortless money" through speculation during the dot-com bubble time period:

"The line separating investment and speculation, which is never bright and clear, becomes blurred still further when most market participants have recently enjoyed triumphs. Nothing sedates rationality like large doses of effortless money  But a pin lies in wait for every bubble. And when the two eventually meet, a new wave of investors learns some very old lessons: First, many in Wall Street - a community in which quality control is not prized - will sell investors anything they will buy. Second, speculation is most dangerous when it looks easiest." - Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway 2000 shareholder letter

In similar fashion, billionaire investor Howard Marks told his clients to avoid high-flying digital currencies in July.



"In my view, digital currencies are nothing but an unfounded fad (or perhaps even a pyramid scheme), based on a willingness to ascribe value to something that has little or none beyond what people will pay for it," Marks wrote in an investor letter.



The manager then compared cryptocurrencies to the tulip mania of 1637, the South Sea bubble of 1720 and the internet bubble of 1999.

To be sure, there is no way to know we are near the top even if digital currencies are similar to previous asset bubbles. However Buffett has proven to be rarely wrong over the long run and investors should be cognizant of his warnings on bitcoin.
Facebook is blocked in China, but it is feeling comfortable enough there to look for its own place.

The social media giant in recent months has quietly scouted for office space in Shanghai, according to two people with knowledge of its efforts there. Those offices would house employees working on Facebook's effort to make hardware but could also help with its broader ambitions in China, said the people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to publicly discuss the plans.

Facebook's plans are tentative, the people said, and would depend on approval from the Chinese government. But if successful, it would be a symbolic victory for the social network, which has long worked to get into China despite being blocked there for nearly a decade.

"We have long said that we are interested in China, and are spending time understanding and learning more about the country in different ways," a Facebook spokeswoman said in response to questions about the office plans.

More from The New York Times:

Facebook has been looking for momentum in China, home of the world's largest population of online users. Earlier this year, it quietly authorized the release by a small local company of a Chinese version of its Moments photo-managing app.

Despite being obstructed in China, Facebook has many reasons to continue pursuing business there. The social network sells advertising to Chinese companies hoping to reach the rest of the world. The Chinese ad sales, supported from its office in Hong Kong, are some of the largest in Asia. Even China's government propaganda organs use it.

Facebook's new hardware ambitions would require a Chinese presence as well. The initiatives would require plugging into China's electronics supply chain, which helps build some of the world's most popular gadgets, like Apple's iPhone. The office would first be used by employees of Facebook's hardware effort, called Building 8, according to the people with knowledge of the plans. Anything from an internet-connected medical device to a drone requires coordination with dozens of Chinese producers and assemblers, mostly located in the southern part of the country.

Facebook has for years entertained the idea of a Chinese office. In late 2015, it obtained a license to open an office in Beijing, but the permit lasted only three months and it could not establish a space in that time. Oculus, the virtual reality company Facebook bought three years ago, already has a Shanghai office.

At the moment, Facebook uses third parties and its own employees to sell ads in China. Because of cybersecurity concerns, Facebook employees run special security software on devices when they travel in China and do not have access to secretive or critical business information.

Opening an office in Shanghai allows more support for its employees when they are in China, but also raises security questions. The Building 8 teams, which focus on their own hardware projects, would have less need to access sensitive Facebook data when in China, one person said. The office could also help Facebook work more with local Chinese companies.

If it opens a Shanghai office, Facebook would not be the only Western internet company banned in the country to have some space there. Google, which pulled its servers out of China in 2010 after it decided to stop censoring search results, retained offices in Beijing and Shanghai that support both advertising and research and development. Google still maintains extensive advertising sales and research facilities there.

Facebook over the past three years has pulled out all the stops to court the Chinese government and gain approval for its network. Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook's founder and chief executive, has showed off his Mandarin at one of the country's top universities and has directly courted Xi Jinping, China's president.

The office search comes just months after Facebook released the Chinese-language version of Moments. That app, called Colorful Balloons, originally went largely unnoticed but briefly rose into the top 50 in the photo and video section of China's iPhone app store after The New York Times reported its release last month, according to app research company App Annie.

Like other cities in China, Shanghai has been eager to attract technology start-ups and other internet-related investments.

Earlier this year, a woman listed as the executive director of the company that released Colorful Balloons on Facebook's behalf was photographed at a meeting between Shanghai government officials and Facebook. In order to open an office in Shanghai, Facebook will likely have to register a branch company in Shanghai as well.

That the Colorful Balloons app has not come down could be a sign that Facebook has done something right with the government, said Teng Bingsheng, a professor at Cheung Kong Graduate School of Business. Opening an office, if it happens, would be another sign.

"It has symbolic meaning," Mr. Teng said, "because it must be the result of good communication with the government."
CFPB spokesman David Mayorga said his agency had "not previously heard any concerns as we have worked together to make sure that all student loan borrowers are treated fairly, with respect and dignity."

"This latest [jurisdictional] expansion is characteristic of an overreaching and unaccountable agency," wrote Education Department officials in a letter sent late last week to the consumer watchdog agency, saying the agreement called for the CFPB to forward all of those complaints.

In the latest blast from the Trump administration, the Education Department said it is ending an information-sharing agreement because the CFPB handled complaints about federal student loans instead of passing them on to the department.

The criticism in the Education Department letter echoes ongoing charges from other administration officials, congressional Republicans and the financial services industry that the agency and its director, Richard Cordray, operate with too much power and too little oversight.

And as lawmakers are resuming their work in Washington this week following their month-long recess, multiple pieces of legislation are on the table that would address critics' concerns by reining in the CFPB's power.

Among them is the Financial Choice Act, which the House passed in July. The bill would end the CFPB's rulemaking ability and allow its director to be fired at will (currently disallowed), among other provisions. Whether the Senate would have the required 60 votes to pass it is questionable.

"It's too controversial," said Alan Kaplinsky, a partner with national law firm Ballard Spahr. "It would make dramatic changes to the CFPB, and Democrats simply aren't going to support it."

Awaiting Senate Action H.R. 10 (Financial Choice Act) This bill, which aims to gut many parts of the Dodd Frank financial reform bill of 2010, would also strip the CFPB of its rulemaking ability and make it an enforcement agency, allow the president to fire the agency's direct with or without cause, end its authority to supervise and examine financial institutions and let Congress decide the agency's funding, among other provisions. H.J. Resolution 111 This joint resolution nullifies a new CFPB rule that bans financial firms from including mandatory arbitration clauses in customer agreements. The rule, scheduled to take effect Sept. 18, would make it easier for consumers to band together in class-action lawsuits.

In addition, the House also passed a resolution in July to kill a new rule issued by the CFPB that bans financial firms like banks or credit card companies from including mandatory arbitration clauses in customer agreements. The rule, scheduled to take effect Sept. 18, would make it easier for wronged consumers to band together in class-action lawsuits.

While the fate of the resolution is unclear, Kaplinsky said it has a better chance than the Financial Choice Act of getting Senate approval because it only requires a majority vote vs. the 60 required with legislation.

"Right now there are three or four Republican senators who are undecided or haven't said which way they'll vote," said Kaplisnky, who co-chairs his firm's consumer financial services group and blogs about the CFPB.

Republican disdain for the agency has persisted since it was created by the Dodd-Frank Act financial reform bill of 2010. Yet public opinion could stand in the way of the GOP kneecapping the agency despite the party's hold on both chambers of Congress and the White House.
People gather in central Delhi for a protest against the government's decision to withdraw 500 and 1000 Indian rupee banknotes from circulation, India November 28, 2016.

The Reserve Bank of India said in its annual report on Aug. 30 that 99 percent, or around 15.28 trillion rupees ($238.7 billion), of the demonetized 500- and 1,000-rupee notes were deposited or exchanged for new currency. That figure suggests that most people  including corrupt officials, businessmen and criminals said to have hoarded their illicit wealth in cash  have managed to preserve their fortunes.

India's surprise move to ban several bank notes last November  aimed at rooting out illicit cash  appeared to have achieved the opposite of its intended goal, according to a report from the country's central bank.

Undeclared, untaxed and potentially criminal money in the economy was believed to largely exist in big bills, and so the scheme was designed to draw that cash out of the shadows. The thought process was that many bills would not be exchanged, as criminals refused to declare their funds, and so those enterprises would lose out. Instead, the plan appears to have only briefly inconvenienced holders of that so-called black money.

India's Finance Minister Arun Jaitley reportedly told a conference in New Delhi that illegal money had indeed found its way into the banking system, but said authorities are investigating 1.8 million bank accounts and 200 individuals to identify and tax that black money.

Opponents of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were quick to jump on the RBI's findings as proof that demonetization had failed. For one, former Finance Minister Palaniappan Chidambaram asked on Twitter if the whole effort had been a laundering scheme.

P. Chidambaram tweet: 99% notes legally exchanged! Was demonetisation a scheme designed to convert black money into white?

"Critics have presented this as overwhelming evidence that demonetisation failed in its stated aim of clamping down on illicit wealth, known colloquially as 'black money,'" Shilan Shah, India economist at Capital Economics, wrote in a Wednesday note.

"After all, the rationale was that demonetisation would penalise those storing illicit cash as they would be unable to declare it," he added.

A report by the Financial Times said complex money-laundering networks sprang up in Asia's third-largest economy after the demonetization scheme was announced. Wealthy individuals, attempting to evade tax authorities, sold the banned notes at a discount to brokers who dispatched low-income Indians to deposit or exchange them at banks.

Others turned to friends and relatives to help channel their undeclared cash into the banking system.
Today, Education Secretary Betsy DeVos addressed invited guests at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, about sexual assault on college campuses.

"The previous administration helped elevate this issue," she said. "I am grateful to those who endeavored to end sexual assault on college campuses, but good intentions alone are not enough."

"Instead of working with schools on behalf of students," she said, "the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students."

The secretary claimed that the Obama-era sexual assault policy failed "hundreds upon hundreds" of sexual assault survivors and "dozens upon dozens" of students falsely accused of sexual misconduct because it limited due process for those accused, was confusing and lowered standards for sexual assault.

Under the Obama Administration policy, colleges were required to address sexual assault and sexual misconduct accusations based on a preponderance of evidence in order to receive federal funding. "Washington dictated that schools must use the lowest standard of truth," she said.

This policy, she argued, infringes upon the rights of those who are accused of sexual assault and makes things confusing for survivors. "The notion that a school must diminish due process rights to better serve 'victims' only creates more victims," said DeVos. "Guilt is not predetermined."
Check out which companies are making headlines before the bell:

Amazon.com  D.A. Davidson initiated coverage of Amazon with a "buy" rating and a price target of $1,300 per share. The firm said Amazon is poised to take even more market share following its acquisition of Whole Foods and its embracing of brick-and-mortar operations. Separately, Amazon announced plans to open a second headquarters, dubbed "HQ2" and is soliciting bids for locations.

GoPro  The high definition camera maker said it expects the current quarter to be profitable on a non-GAAP basis, and that revenue and gross margins will come in at the high end of expectations on strengthening consumer demand.

FireEye  Morgan Stanley upgraded the cybersecurity company's stock to "overweight" from "equal-weight." Part of Morgan Stanley's bull case is anticipated "meaningful adoption" of FireEye's Helix platform.

RH Inc.  The Restoration Hardware parent reported adjusted quarterly profit of 65 cents per share, 18 cents a share above estimates. The upscale furniture retailer also saw revenue beat forecasts, and a same-store sales increase of seven percent was better than the 5.4 percent consensus estimate of analysts polled by Thomson Reuters. In addition, RH raised its full-year forecast, as it benefits from a shift to a membership model.

Royal Caribbean  Royal Caribbean increased its quarterly dividend to 60 cents per share from 48 cents a share, an increase of 25 percent. The cruise line operator's stock has been down the past three sessions on concerns about the financial impact of hurricanes Harvey and Irma, and other cruise company stocks like Norwegian Cruise Line and Carnival have been impacted, as well.

Procter & Gamble  Trian's Nelson Peltz released a white paper detailing ideas to improve the company's performance. Peltz wants a board seat, and criticized Procter for losing its leading position in the consumer marketplace and settling for "mediocrity." Trian holds a $3.5 billion stake in the consumer products giant.

CBS  CBS will see a delay in its planned buyout of Australian broadcaster Ten Networks, after a court agreed to put the deal on hold to hear a challenge by a rival consortium led by News Corp. co-chairman Lachlan Murdoch.

AstraZeneca  AstarZeneca said its Duaklir drug showed significant improvement in lung function for patients who have chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or COPD, a chronic lung disease. The drugmaker said it sees a submission to the Food and Drug Administration for approval in the first half of 2018.

Sanofi  The drugmaker ended development of two Zika vaccines, pointing to a decline in Zika cases and limited U.S. government funding.

Apple  Apple has finalized a deal with Warner Music for music streaming rights for its Apple Music service, according to Bloomberg. The report said Apple could be close to a similar deal with Sony .

Alphabet  Alphabet's Google unit is close to a deal to buy HTC's smartphone operations, according to a report in Taiwan's Commercial Times.

Urban Outfitters  The apparel retailer expects comparable-store sales for the third quarter to drop by a low single-digit percentage, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing. That would be better than the 7.1 percent comp-store sales drop expected by analysts polled by Thomson Reuters.

Conn's  The furniture and home appliances retailer earned an adjusted 26 cents per share for its latest quarter, compared to estimates for a loss. Revenue did fall shy of forecasts, but Conn's benefited from improvement in its credit business as well as what it calls its strong underlying retail model.
European markets finished trade in the black on Thursday, with investors having spent the latter part of the session digesting the European Central Bank (ECB) latest rate decision and comments. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed up 0.27 percent on Thursday, with most sectors ending in positive territory.

European markets



In the meantime, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 popped 0.58 percent by the close, while the French CAC rose 0.25 percent and Germany's DAX jumped 0.67 percent. Periphery bourses however ended on a mixed to higher note, with Italy's FTSE MIB closing in the red. Looking at sectors, autos continued to post solid gains, following on from a strong performance in recent days. The sector, however, came off its highs, closing up 0.44 percent after Italian automaker Ferrari had its rating downgraded to "underweight" by Morgan Stanley. It was the STOXX 600's worst performer, closing down 6.9 percent. Elsewhere, tech stocks posted solid gains  closing 1.47 percent up as a sector  with AMS and Micro Focus both closing sharply higher, up 6.8 and 5.12 percent respectively. In individual stocks, Capita sank 2.4 percent as it lowered its underlying operating profit for 2016 after putting new international accounting standards into practice. The business services firm is currently looking for a new chief executive after a flurry of profit warnings. Wendel was also found near the bottom of the STOXX 600, closing down 3.8 percent, after the investment firm said that its Chairman of the Executive Board, Frederic Lemoine, would leave by the end of 2017. In banks, Nordea ended in the red after it announced that it would be moving its headquarters to Finland. The bank said it would move away from Sweden, to cut the costs enforced by its domestic regulators.

ECB policy decision

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Darren Woods, CEO, ExxonMobil Michael Newberg | CNBC

Exxon Mobil is making progress restarting the nation's second largest refinery in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and is preparing to keep Florida supplied with gasoline as Hurricane Irma takes aim, Exxon CEO and Chairman Darren Woods told CNBC. Flooding and other damage caused by Harvey temporarily cut about 20 to 25 percent of U.S. refining capacity. That included Exxon's massive Baytown, Texas, refinery, which closed last week due to operational issues caused by flooding. The oil giant began the restart process on Friday at the refinery, which processes 585,000 barrels a day. Refiners must gradually resume operations to avoid damaging equipment. "It's very difficult to predict exactly when all those units will be back up and we'll be back on our full load. But we're making good progress. We're hoping to get some units started up later this week, and then it will be one unit after another," Woods said in an interview that aired Thursday on CNBC's "Squawk Box."

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That process will continue over "the next several weeks," he said. Woods confirmed that there were "significant impacts" and "lots of flooding" at Baytown. Exxon's Beaumont, Texas, refinery, which processes 363,000 barrels a day, remained offline due to flooding, though the company restarted operations at its Beaumont chemical manufacturing complex by Sunday. The Gulf Coast is the center of the U.S. petrochemicals and specialty chemicals industry. Harvey knocked out about 60 percent of base plastics manufacturing. Exxon has not yet assessed Harvey's impact on third-quarter earnings, Woods said, but he sought to assure investors that the storm would not affect Exxon's capital spending plans. "We're working through what the financial impacts of that will be, and as we get further along in this recovery process we'll have a better read of that," he said. Part of Exxon's Harvey response team is now planning for Hurricane Irma, a rare Category 5 hurricane that could make landfall in Florida this weekend.

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The Food and Drug Administration accused a medical company of failing to investigate "hundreds of complaints that" the anti-allergy EpiPen device has misfired "during life-threatening emergencies," including some cases in which people later died.

That stunning revelation is contained in a damning warning letter the FDA sent to the division of drug giant Pfizer , which makes EpiPens for another pharmaceuticals behemoth, Mylan .

The letter cites multiple "significant" regulatory violations related to the manufacturing of EpiPen discovered during inspections during February and March of this year at a Missouri facility operated by Meridian Medical Technologies, the Pfizer-owned company.

It is the same facility that produced EpiPen lots which were subject to a recall earlier this year after two reports of the auto-injector devices misfiring. At the end of that recall, which is mentioned in the FDA letter, there were no public reports of deaths associated with EpiPens.

EpiPens are used to deliver a dose of the drug epinephrine to people who are suffering a potentially fatal allergic reaction known as anaphylaxis.

Mylan is the leading seller, by far, of auto-injectors containing epinephrine.

The FDA's letter dated Tuesday to Meridian noted that "patients can died or suffer serious illness" if the EpiPen injectors do not operate as expected, or do not deliver the intended dose of epinephrine.

Despite that, the FDA charged, "you failed to thoroughly investigate multiple serious component and product failures for your EpiPen products, including failures associated with patient deaths and severe illness."

"Your own data show that you received hundreds of complaints that your EpiPen products failed to operate during life-threatening emergencies, including some situations in which patients subsequently died," the letter said.

Many of those complaints involved failures of EpiPen to activate when a user followed instructions for the device, the FDA said.

There were also complaints that the EpiPens had "spontaneously dispensed epinephrine drug prior to use so that the drug was no longer available when the user attempted to activate the product," according to the letter.

Between 2014 and 2017, Meridian records show, the company received samples of 171 EpiPens related to complaints that they failed to activate when a patient followed instructions properly.

The FDA noted that Meridian disassembled only a fraction of those 171 samples, and that when asked why that was the case, a quality control official at the company told inspectors it was policy not to disassemble the product unless "approved by management."

"Not only did Meridian not thoroughly investigate the complaints about EpiPens, the FDA said, but the company also did not remove "potentially defective products from the marketplace" despite the fact that "you had identified a a defect in one of the critical components use to manufacture these products."

The FDA ordered Pfizer's unit to correct the violations promptly. The agency's letter also says failure to do so may result in legal action including seizure and injunction.

When asked for comment, a Pfizer spokeswoman told CNBC, "Between 2015 and now, we have shipped more than 30 million EpiPen Auto-Injectors globally. It's not unusual to receive product complaints, especially when the product is frequently administered by non-medically trained individuals. We currently have no information to indicate that there was any causal connection between these product complaints and any patient deaths.

"We are very confident in the safety and efficacy of EpiPen products being produced at the site," the Pfizer spokeswoman said.

A spokeswoman for Mylan said, "Pfizer is continuing to work with FDA to resolve the points raised in the letter regarding Pfizer's manufacturing of EpiPen Auto-Injector and Mylan will do whatever it can to support this process."

"We note that Pfizer's recall several months ago of certain lots of EpiPen Auto-Injector was taken as a proactive and precautionary measure with FDA in relation to these issues," the Mylan spokeswoman said.

"Mylan has an unwavering commitment to quality and patient safety and we are confident in the safety and efficacy of EpiPen products being produced at the site. Further, we do not currently anticipate any supply issues as a result of the warning letter."
Cars sit in traffic as they evacuate heading North on Overseas Highway in the Florida Keys on Septeber 5, 2017 in Islamorada, Florida.

What key personal and financial documents should you bring with you in an evacuation?

Hurricane Irma is on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday before making its way up the coast, and officials in both Florida and Georgia have issues evacuation orders for areas that could be affected.

Florida officials have issued mandatory evacuation orders in Miami-Dade and Monroe counties and voluntary evacuation orders in Collier County, according to a statement from Florida Gov. Rick Scott's office. Broward County has issued mandatory evacuation orders for some areas and voluntary evacuation orders for others.

"Additional orders are expected as the storm nears the state," according to a Wednesday prepared statement from Scott.

On Thursday, Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency for 30 counties, and issued a mandatory evacuation order for areas at risk of potential storm surges from Irma.

Priority in an evacuation should be given to your own safety, certified financial planner Ann Coulson, an associate professor at Kansas State University's Institute of Personal Financial Planning, told CNBC earlier this year. While it can help to bring with you harder-to-replace documents (like birth certificates) or ones that can help in the aftermath of a storm (such as your insurance policy), tracking those down shouldn't delay evacuating.

"A lot depends on time," she said. "Their lives should come first."

Ideally, consumers should have important documents already gathered and stored in a watertight, fire-protected safe as part of a disaster preparedness plan. You might consider making electronic copies that can be uploaded to secure cloud storage service, in the event you are not allowed to return to your home after a storm.

Based on recommended lists from the Red Cross, the Insurance Information Institute and ASPCA, here's some of the documentation that would be good to bring with you, if possible, in an evacuation.
A former Amazon financial analyst allegedly leaked the company's earnings results to a former fraternity brother in exchange for $10,000, the Securities and Exchange Commission announced Thursday.

The agency charged Brett Kennedy and Maziar Rezakhani with insider trading. It alleges Kennedy gave Rezakhani Amazon's 2015 first-quarter earnings information while Kennedy was an employee at the company. Rezakhani supposedly paid Kennedy $10,000 in cash for the results and made more than $116,000 in illegal profits from the results, the SEC said.



Rezakhani also allegedly shared the money with Sam Sadeghi, who advised him on the trades. Sadeghi supposedly met with Rezakhani and Kennedy to discuss the results. The SEC said Rezakhani and Sadeghi wanted to establish a successful track record under Sadeghi's brokerage account and eventually start a hedge fund together.

Rezakhani predicted Amazon's earnings and bragged on at least two trading-related internet communication platforms that "the numbers are so obvious" that a "5-year old can guess what they will do," according to the SEC.

"As alleged in our complaint, Rezakhani boasted on social media that he could accurately predict Amazon's financial performance," Jina L. Choi, director of the SEC's San Francisco Regional Office, said in a statement. "But he failed to predict that we would catch him and his accomplices in their illegal scheme."

Sadeghi and Kennedy have agreed to settlements without admitting or denying allegations. Both agreements require court approval. Sadeghi has agreed to pay $24,214.87, and Kennedy has agreed to pay $10,875.36, according to the SEC.

Separately, the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Western District of Washington announced criminal charges against Kennedy on Thursday.

Amazon declined to comment.
Amazon just kicked off a location search for its second headquarters, and the retailer created a wish list to help find the perfect spot for its new campus.



In its proposal, Amazon said it's looking for a city of more than 1 million people with an international airport, mass transit, quality higher education, an educated workforce and a solid business climate.

To help the world's largest e-commerce company narrow down its search, CNBC looked at some of the key criteria the online retailer laid out in its pitch to cities and states.

The competition has already prompted local officials to tout their city's appeal.



"New York City has the most innovative and diverse tech sector in the nation," said Anthony Hogrebe, a spokesman for the New York City Economic Development Corp.



Boston Mayor Martin Walsh immediately jumped into the ring, too. "If Amazon wants an East Coast headquarters, I don't see any city better in America than Boston, Massachusetts," he said.



To measure how prospective cities stack up, we looked at the list of cities with at least 1 million people and then ranked them in five categories: local airport traffic, mass transit ridership, the number of accredited higher educational institutions, the share of the workforce with at least a college degree and the pace of job growth over the last 12 months.
Some millionaires reach seven figures through hustling and penny pinching. Others just get lucky.

Graffiti artist David Choe knows the second scenario well.

As featured on a recent episode of CNBC's "The Filthy Rich Guide," in the early 2000s, Choe's work caught the eye of Sean Parker, founder of Napster. In 2005, after Parker became president of then-fledgling start-up Facebook, he hired Choe to deck out its original headquarters in Silicon Valley with murals.

Though Choe despised social media's early iterations like MySpace and called Facebook a "ridiculous" idea, according to "The Filthy Rich Guide," he agreed to paint the building for a hefty sum: $60,000.

"My prices had been going higher and higher and I was like, 'Yeah, I mean, if you want me to paint the entire building, it's going to be 60, you know, 60 grand,'" Choe told Howard Stern.
IBM Watson might not deliver on its lofty goal to revolutionize medicine with artificial intelligence, as a recent investigation suggests.

But that doesn't mean new technology will be incapable of improving health care.

IBM put a heavy dose of investment and hype into the medical potential of its machine learning system Watson. It was supposed to help doctors make decisions on how to identify and treat diseases, most specifically cancer.

STAT News reported this week that Watson has failed to gain much adoption in hospitals and has proven ineffective at recognizing various cancers.

Experts who have spent years researching the space told CNBC that IBM blundered by prioritizing headlines over peer-reviewed evidence. Still, there are plenty of reasons to be optimistic about the potential for machine learning to help detect patterns of disease.

"What bothers me is that exposing hype makes people wonder whether any of this is real and whether the whole thing is marketing," said Robert Wachter, a practicing physician and chair of the Department of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco. To that question, "the answer is a strong no," he said.

In the past five years, doctors across the country have moved from paper-based systems to electronic ones, with more than 90 percent of hospitals having made the shift. All this new digital health data is still messy and challenging to access, but it's more available than ever.

The opportunities to derive recommendations from these data sets are clear, Wachter said. UCSF is partnering with Alphabet 's machine learning group Google Brain to make better use of this data, once it's stripped of personal information.

Wachter is confident that these tools can support specialties like radiology, where clinicians are saddled with a huge amount of data and too little time.

Failure in health care is commonplace for technology companies. Google and Microsoft are among businesses that have tried to build tools for the industry but have fallen short.

Wachter said that too often technology companies ignore real-world circumstances, whether it's the patient population or the physician's workflow. Throwing sexy tech at the problem won't prove useful in the day-to-day operations of a hospital, and it certainly won't replace doctors, as some have claimed.

Technologists also need to understand the needs of the intended buyer, said Leonard D'Avolio, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School and the founder of a health-technology start-up called Cyft.
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Teams of undercover police officers fan out across Los Angeles International Airport targeting what they call the "insider threat." This potentially serious hazard isn't coming from travelers, but from those who work at the airport itself. Law enforcement officials say airports around the country routinely monitor the thousands of employees, who must undergo a criminal background check and get fingerprinted. At LAX, the nation's second busiest airport, police screen employees and check IDs as part of a multi-agency operation. CNBC was allowed exclusive access to a recent insider threat police operation as well as inside security operations at the airport, videotaping areas never before seen by the public. "I think about everything. I think about the possibilities," said Los Angeles Airport Police Chief David Maggard Jr. "And then, what we try to do is get that information from the other people that have maybe had an experience with the tragic event or with the threat. And we try and gather that information and apply it here."

Los Angeles Airport Police Chief David Maggard Jr. oversees the largest aviation police force in the country. Source: CNBC

Maggard oversees the largest aviation police force in the U.S. with about 1,100 police and other staff. The airport's "zero tolerance" policy for employees means any employee can be randomly searched at any time. During the insider threat operation in July, an airport ramp worker was arrested for an outstanding DUI warrant. "The key to our program is they don't know when they're going to be checked. We can check people as they come in. They'll check people as they go. We'll check people when they're here working. And so we do have a comprehensive program," he said. Maggard gave CNBC a tour of the Airport Response Coordination Center, known as the ARCC, where employees monitor more than 3,500 cameras throughout LAX around the clock. Threats, small and large at airports around the country, are also watched, as well as social media feeds. "Our analysts are helping connect the rest of the region," Maggard said. "So we want to make sure that if we hear of something that would be concerning to an airport 100 miles from where we are, we want to make sure we're communicating that." LAX was the first airport to hire two full-time intelligence analysts in 2014, the year after a shooter killed a TSA officer and wounded three people there. "We've learned that anything can happen here," Maggard said. "And we want to make sure that we spent a lot of time learning from that incident, as we have studied other events around the world that have threatened airports. As a result, we've increased our technology. We've added cameras. We've added officers in the terminal area. Our profile is larger."

Officers ride to a training site near LAX. Source: CNBC

As LAX undergoes a massive expansion, it plans to eventually double the number of cameras, many of which are hidden, throughout the complex. Outside, police randomly screen vehicles entering LAX as part of a program called Operation Safe Entry. In addition, cars are periodically screened with hand-held radiation detection devices, which is considered another counterterrorism measure. "If you want to turn around and leave the airport, they have the ability to do that," Maggard said. "But if they want to come into the airport, there are some legal limited abilities for us to do some searches. We're looking for anything that may be harmful to the airport environment." The airport spends more than $200 million annually on security, according to LAX officials. One federal government study found that federal and local spending at airports nationwide totals at least $8 billion, a figure the study considered a low estimate. Most airport security operations are hidden. For example, CNBC videotaped an LAX police officer checking sharp knives in an airport restaurant kitchen. All of those knives are subject to inspection and must be properly inventoried. "We have to make sure is that we account for all the knives that's in what's called the sterile area, that's past the TSA screening checkpoint," Police Officer Sean Foley said. "Most of the problems we come into is accountability, meaning they're not checking out the knives properly. Thankfully, we haven't run across too many knives missing. What has happened we have knives missing, but they go into the trash. We have video cameras inside a lot of the restaurants and we do have video of them going into the trash."

Senior Intelligence Analysts Anthony McGinty and Michelle Sosa were the first assigned to a U.S. airport. Source: CNBC

The two intelligence analysts assigned to LAX acknowledge one of their main concerns is the insider threat. "If somebody is trying to smuggle bulk cash or drugs, they're getting paid to put something on an aircraft. And the concern is, when are they going to know that it's a bomb and not drugs that they're being asked to put on board?" senior intelligence analyst Michelle Sosa told CNBC. Anthony McGinty, who is also a senior intelligence analyst, said the TSA has been "very good at securing above the wing. But often times, below the wing and what goes on around the airplane in many versions, that's what we're worried about. If you can put drugs in a bag, that's another step to put a bomb in the bag. So it's a serious threat."

Police officers who are part of the airports Emergency Services Unit practice target training. Source: CNBC
After Hurricane Irma's strike on Puerto Rico, dealing with the personal tragedies and damage from the powerful storm remains front and center for the government.

However, some investors are starting to quietly question the impact on Puerto Rico's widely held, but troubled municipal bonds. They're extremely popular among investors on the U.S. mainland because they're tax free and generally pay a higher yield than most other municipal bonds offered in the 50 states.

Some hedge fund managers believe there may be a potential financial benefit for Puerto Rican bondholders because of this unfortunate tragedy.

Odeon Capital's Andrew Gadlin says the most widely held debt, general obligation bonds, "could arguably benefit from widespread rebuilding on the island and consumer spending with funds from insurance companies and FEMA, which might provide a shot of liquidity into a stagnant economy."

However, other bonds could see serious problems due to damage brought on by the hurricane.

"Power outages and water main destruction would be unequivocally bad for Electric Power Authority and Water Authority bonds issued by the island," Gadlin said.

Irma, one of the most powerful storms to ever hit the Atlantic, has caused widespread damage to Puerto Rico, knocking out power to 70 percent of the island. Power companies say it could be months before all power is restored.

Puerto Rico's Gov. Ricardo Rossello declared a state of emergency in advance of the storm authorizing all necessary expenses from the cash strapped island to deal with Irma.

Spending money is an especially crucial issue in Puerto Rico because of its massive debts to bondholders.
Former Treasury Secretary Jack Lew told CNBC on Thursday that congressional leaders and President Donald Trump should create a tax reform plan under a central idea: "Start by doing no harm."

In an appearance on "Squawk Box," Lew said any plan Congress comes up with must not make the current system worse by creating more inequities. He added that tax cuts, not tax reform, would add to the national deficit and harm the economy. He also urged Congress to avoid cuts to programs for the most vulnerable.

"It would be good if we could do revenue-neutral tax reform that lowers the rates by cutting loopholes  and paying for it. How you do it really matters," said Lew, who served under former President Barack Obama.

"I'm a big believer we should get rid of the junk in the tax code, lower the statutory rates, have a system that's more competitive," he said. "I worry about that the choice right now, because it's so hard, it's technically harder and even politically harder."

Trump made another plea for tax reform Wednesday at a rally in North Dakota. He is pressing for a simpler tax code, a lower corporate tax rate and the closing of loopholes for special interests.

Lew said Trump's plan to lower the corporate tax rate by 15 percent is only possible by "cheating on the numbers and adding to the deficit."

On Friday, White House top economic advisor Gary Cohn told CNBC that simplifying the tax code could mean higher earners would pay more, rejecting arguments that the administration's tax plan would benefit the most wealthy.

Regarding Cohn, Lew also spoke on a Wall Street Journal report that Trump is unlikely to pick his top economic advisor to lead the Federal Reserve. Trump was reportedly upset with Cohn's criticisms of the president after a white supremacist rally in Virginia last month.

Lew said he wasn't sure his instincts would mirror the current administration but said he respected the comments Cohn made after Charlottesville.

"I personally would find that a very, very difficult thing to go back to," he said.
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Amazon announced the search for a second North American headquarters on Thursday, saying it would give preference to areas with 1 million residents or more. It didn't take long for cities to throw their names out for consideration.

Chicago

Spokesperson for the City of Chicago: "Chicago's unmatched workforce, world-class universities and unparalleled access to destinations throughout the world make it the perfect headquarters location for companies large and small. That's also why Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations for the last four years."

Baltimore

William Cole, president and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corp.: "Baltimore's strategic location in the Mid-Atlantic and its accessibility via highway, rail, port and air, make us a great fit for Amazon's second headquarters. Also, we've worked with Amazon in the past when they opened their distribution center and they know that we can be a good partner." Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh: "I've already met with Bill Cole and we are excited by Amazon's latest announcement and will pursue this opportunity aggressively to make a compelling case for Baltimore City as its second headquarter location."

Houston

A Houston spokesperson: "Houston is definitely interested in the Amazon HQ project and will look into the process of formally soliciting it. Houston is the most diverse city in the nation, has always been a business-friendly environment, is the home of the number one US port for exports and has a proven history of cutting edge advances at places such as the Texas Medical Center and the NASA Manned Space Center as well as all across the energy industry. Recently Amazon began hiring 2,500 local workers for a distribution center here."

New York City

Spokesperson for New York City mayor's office: "New York City has the most innovative and diverse tech sector in the nation. We are very interested in the possibility of Amazon locating a headquarters in the five boroughs, and believe the city's competitive advantages position it well."

Boston

Mayor Martin Walsh to the Boston Business Journal: "If Amazon wants an East Coast headquarters, I don't see any city better in America than Boston, Massachusetts."

Mayor Darrell Steinberg: "Our city and region are putting real energy into intentionally building and growing an innovative and well connected ecosystem unlike anywhere else in the country. We are about people, and we are pulling together our best and brightest from across the region to work together on a competitive plan for Amazon and are confident in the unique assets and abilities our region has to offer."

Dallas

Dallas Mayor Michael Rawlings: "We've already contacted Amazon to express our interest and have proceeded to their prescribed next step. We will aggressively demonstrate that Dallas and our surrounding area would be the perfect spot for their expansive business needs. Amazon already has an extensive amount of business here. They've been good corporate citizens and we look forward to future conversations."

Toronto

Toronto Mayor John Tory: "I firmly believe that Toronto is a prime candidate to host Amazon's second headquarters in North America. We are a bold, innovative city that has plenty of homegrown tech talent. We also continue to attract talent and companies from around the world. City staff are working with Toronto Global to make sure we put together an attractive bid for this opportunity. I will be leading the charge to make the case that Amazon should call Toronto home."

Vancouver, British Columbia

Spokesperson from the City of Vancouver: "Yes, Vancouver will certainly be putting in a bid to submit for the HQ!"

Cincinnati

Philadelphia

Spokesperson for the City of Philadelphia: "Obviously, this is going to be a very competitive process. Philadelphia will be submitting a proposal and given their preference for a city with over 1,000,000 people, Philadelphia would provide them with a perfectly located East Coast hub where they have access to a rapidly growing millennial talent pool. We're also much more affordable than other nearby east coast cities with similar population sizes."

Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf: "Oakland always seeks to attract jobs and prosperity to our great city," said Mayor Libby Schaaf. "We're excited to explore the Amazon HQ2 project and the benefits it could bring to our community, as well as our region. At an estimated 50,000 employees, the project would have a profound impact on Bay Area residents, and in the midst of a statewide housing affordability crisis, we would need to address all outcomes a project of this magnitude would create."

San Antonio, Texas

San Antonio Mayor Ron Nirenberg: "San Antonio is increasingly recognized as a leading city for the 21st Century. Every day, the City and its regional partners work together to compete for jobs and economic development opportunities for this community. We have the workforce, infrastructure and quality of life that all major corporations look for in a location. In coordination with the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, Team San Antonio is ready to show that our City is in the most competitive position possible when those opportunities arise and when they align with community priorities." Erica Hurtak, Vice President of Public Affairs and Communications for the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation: "In the wake of Amazon's announcement of a second headquarters search, a local team comprised of the San Antonio Economic Development Foundation, the City, County, and private-sector partners is engaged and ready to pursue the opportunity. San Antonio is primed for an initiative of this size, and while competition for the site will be aggressive, we are confident in the assets our community has to offer."

San Diego

City of San Diego spokesperson: "San Diego has the geographic proximity to international markets, unparalleled quality of life and workforce talent that companies like Amazon are looking for, so Mayor Faulconer's office has directed the San Diego Regional Economic Development Corporation to coordinate a regional response."

Los Angeles

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti: "Over the last four years, our economy has come roaring back with record-breaking job growth and investment across our City. L.A. is the perfect place for a company like Amazon to find talented workers, and an environment that nurtures growth and innovation. I welcome the opportunity to compete for this remarkable investment, and the tens of thousands of good-paying jobs it is sure to bring with it."

... And one voice of caution
After Amazon announced plans to establish a second headquarters in North America, a source familiar with the talks told CNBC that Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos have had several conversations.

"Chicago's unmatched workforce, world-class universities and unparalleled access to destinations throughout the world make it the perfect headquarters location for companies large and small. That's also why Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations for the last four years," a city spokesperson told CNBC.

Chicago is one of several cities that have been floated as a possible spot for Amazon, which is now headquartered in Seattle. Amazon has yet to confirm a location for its second base, although it said it prefers cities or suburban locations with more than 1 million people.

A location in the Midwest could make sense for several reasons, said James Thomson, former head of Amazon Services who is now an e-commerce consultant.

"Right now we have a situation in Seattle where there are 9,000 job openings, there are increasing rents on both residential and commercial real estate at levels that are basically unsustainable," Thomson told CNBC's " " on Thursday.

"You've got to move to a lower-cost city, you've got to move to a city that has a lot of space for big skyscrapers," he said. "I definitely think you're going to see somewhere in the Midwest, where there's a lot of technology capabilities, local universities that can support this huge amount of demand for technology employees."

"All of the other major Silicon Valley companies have also set up shop in Seattle. They're all competing for the same employees. If Amazon puts a facility in another location that doesn't have that same kind of demand on high-tech employees, you're going to see potentially a two- to three-year advantage that Amazon can enjoy as they start to ramp up."

If Amazon opts for a location in America's bread basket, it would not be the only big company investing outside of Silicon Valley. Other companies, such as Boeing, have also looked beyond Seattle amid rising costs over the past two decades.

Apple has been . But CEO is fresh off a visit to Apple's Midwest facilities, including the site of a . Amazon, in addition to its e-commerce facilities, also has data centers for its leading web services products in Ohio and Virginia.

Apple supplier Foxconn has agreed to invest in a manufacturing facility in Wisconsin, and lawmakers have proposed up to .

The Foxconn deal was backed by President Donald Trump, who has been especially critical of Bezos' ownership of the Washington Post, which is a separate entity from Amazon. Nonetheless, when asked if the fact that Wisconsin, a swing state, voted for Trump during the election factored into the Foxconn deal, such as workforce and relationship with state leadership that factored into the decision.

Amazon has not specifically mentioned taxes but has said it is looking for a "business-friendly environment" and communities that "think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options."

"Amazon's very good at making sure they extract as much tax dollars as possible," said Thomson. "For the right state, they will step up, and they will have to pay dearly for it."
Oleh Derevianko is a business and social entrepreneur. He is the co-founder and chairman of the Board of ISSP  Information Systems Security Partners  a private international cybersecurity company founded in Ukraine in 2008 and currently operating in seven countries of Central and Eastern Europe and Middle Asia. Having a strong presence in the countries at the front line of cyber and hybrid war, such as Ukraine, and serving both private and public sectors, ISSP provides unique expertise for APT attacks analysis, detection and response.

Derevianko is also a co-founder and president of Kyiv Cyber Academy, which provides world-class learning opportunities for students who want to become skilled professionals in a world that depends on the use of cyberspace. Ukraine is a rapidly rising high-tech nation with the fastest-growing number of IT professionals in Europe. Its current IT engineering workforce of 90,000-plus professionals is expected to double to more than 200,000 by 2020.

In 20152016 he served as Deputy Minister, Chief of Staff at Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. He is the founder of the Institute for Self Realization (Kyiv), author and founder of School Angels initiative, co-founder and chairman of the board of trustees of Chestnut Piano International Music Festival (Kyiv) and member of The Aspen Institute Kyiv.

Derevianko received his master's degree in international economics with honors in 1997 from the Institute of International Relations at Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. In 2001 he received a PhD in economic policy, also from Kyiv National Taras Shevchenko University. Additionally, Derevianko holds a postgraduate diploma in business administration from Warwick Business School, and his continuous education includes MIT's course on cybersecurity technology, application and policy, and a number of leadership development programs in Columbia Business School and The Aspen Institute.
Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, son of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, takes an oath as he attends a senate hearing in Manila on September 7, 2017.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's son on Thursday told a Senate inquiry he had no links to a seized shipment of $125 million worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as "baseless" the allegations of his involvement in the drugs trade.

Opponents of the president, who has instigated a fierce crackdown on a trade he says is destroying the country, say they believe his son Paolo may have helped ease the entry of the drug shipment at the port in Manila, the capital.

On Tuesday Duterte said he had told Paolo to attend the senate investigation if he had nothing to hide, besides advising him not to answer questions and invoke his right to keep silent.

"I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay," Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the Senate.

"My presence here is for the Filipino people and for my fellow Davaoenos whom I serve," he added, referring to the people of Davao, where his father served as mayor for more than two decades before being elected president in 2016.

The Philippine leader has repeatedly said he would resign if critics could prove any members of his family were involved in corruption.
Republican leaders in Congress suffered more setbacks Thursday as they worked to build support for President Donald Trump's deal with Democrats to tie hurricane relief funding to a short-term debt-ceiling raise.

In addition to scattered opposition from Republican senators, the bill suffered a setback when it was rejected by the Republican Study Committee (RSC), a powerful, 155-member group of House conservatives. The growing opposition increases the chances that congressional leaders will be forced to pass the bill in the House with more votes from Democrats than from the majority party.

In a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan, RSC chair Mark Walker (N.C.) objected to two different proposals: a standalone debt-ceiling increase and a multi-part bill like the one Trump favors. But he said a multi-part deal was even worse.

"While some have advocated for a 'clean' debt limit increase, this would simply increase the borrowing authority of the government while irresponsibly ignoring the urgency of reforms," Walker wrote. "Worse yet is attaching the debt limit to legislation that continues the status quo or even worsens the trajectory on spending, such as the deal announced yesterday by the President and Congressional Leadership. The RSC Steering Committee opposes this proposal."

The deal was struck Wednesday at the White House, during a meeting Trump held with both Democratic and Republican leadership. While his fellow Republicans looked on in disbelief, Trump agreed to a deal proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) to raise the debt limit and fund the government for three months, in addition to funding billions of dollars in hurricane relief.

Few on Capitol Hill were surprised by the RSC's opposition to the plan, including Ryan, who emphasized in a press conference Thursday morning that his party's original plans for both a debt ceiling hike and a continuing resolution to fund the government had been upended by Hurricane Harvey and the looming threat of Hurricane Irma.

"People are using their smartphones to apply for aid from FEMA even before the hurricanes land," Ryan explained, the effect of which has been to deplete emergency aid funds at an unprecedented rate. "The Treasury Secretary is worried about the nation's borrowing limit and cash flow with a new hurricane coming," he added, "and those are the concerns that trump everything else."

Ryan sidestepped a question about whether the deal, struck Wednesday between the president and the top two Democrats in Congress, had enough support to pass in the House. "We haven't done the whip count on this, so I don't know about [what] the vote count is," he said. "We thought we had more time to work on this before the hurricanes hit."

Nonetheless, there is little doubt that the Trump-Schumer deal would secure the necessary 218 votes to pass, especially with the overwhelming support the bill is expected to receive from House Democrats.
It is hard to find a bigger Apple stock cheerleader than me. I've been writing Apple stock love poems for years. For a long time, it was easy to love the shares because they were unloved by others and it was cheap.

Until recently, when Apple stock was still trading in the low $100s and at single-digit multiples, we were buying current product categories at a discount and were not paying for future product categories.

At today's price that is not the case anymore. That is true with any company  the more expensive the stock gets, the more clairvoyance investors need to discern the company's future growth.

At Apple's size it is very hard for the company to increase its earnings significantly. Macs, iPads, and even iPhones are mature products.

The iPhone may have a few growth spurts left, but not many. It is facing an unavoidable headwind: the elongation of its replacement cycle. The iPhone improved substantially over the years, but as the i-marvels piled up, the incremental improvements that motivated people to buy a new phone every two years or so became less and less significant.

At some point the iPhone will face the fate of the iPad  its replacement cycle long in the tooth and sales stagnant and declining.

Will the iPhone's sales stop growing in 2018, or 2020? I don't know, but from a long-term perspective of the company's valuation, a few years don't make that much difference.

(A new iPhone is expected to be unveiled next week. The stock fell slightly Wednesday on concern supply disruptions could cause shipping delays with the new phone.)

Services is the only segment that can grow at a double-digit rate for a considerable period of time, but it only represents 13 percent of revenue. Even the Apple Watch doesn't really move the needle.
Russian President Vladimir Putin warned it is "impossible to scare" North Korea on Thursday, adding that Pyongyang would always be opposed to quitting its nuclear program because the country views this as its only means of self defense.

Speaking on the sidelines of an economic summit in the Russian city of Vladivostok, Putin explained the international community had promised to lift economic sanctions against the isolated regime in exchange for it discontinuing its nuclear and missile programs.

However, he argued that such an offer would always be dismissed by Pyongyang because the country would continue to prioritize defense over the prospect of greater economic benefits.

"We are telling them that we will not impose sanctions, which means you will live better, you will have more good and tasty food on the table, you will dress better, but the next step, they think, is an invitation to the cemetery. And they will never agree with this," Putin said, according to Reuters.
"Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of building destroyed," he wrote on Instagram.

His son Sam said late Wednesday that everybody on the island had survived, but he added that many of the luxury island's buildings had been destroyed.

The Virgin boss had insisted on remaining on the island but took to the concrete shelter with his family and staff Wednesday when worst of the 185 mph winds passed over Necker Island in the Caribbean.

Richard Branson rode out Hurricane Irma by hunkering down in his wine cellar as the Category 5 storm ripped through his private island.

The worst of the storm is thought to have now passed Necker Island, which sits to the north of the British Virgin Islands' collection of more than 40 islands and islets.

At 10 a.m BST (5 a.m. EDT) Thursday, the billionaire businessman retweeted a message of condolence sent by VirginLimitedEdition to the residents of the Caribbean.

TWEET

TWEET

Hours before the storm hit, Branson published a Virgin blog post describing the atmosphere before as "eerie but beautiful."

He and his team spent the previous night together having a "sleepover" reminiscent of his childhood, Branson wrote, sharing a photo on Twitter.

TWEET

"All of us slept together in two rooms. I haven't had a sleepover quite like it since I was a kid. Strangely, it's a privilege to experience what is turning into possibly the strongest storm ever with such a great group of young people," Branson wrote.

He later said that the team planned to relocate to the wine cellar, adding that little of the wine was likely to remain at the end of their stay.

"Knowing our wonderful team as I do, I suspect there will be little wine left in the cellar when we all emerge," Branson said.

Necker has a large main house and several small Balinese-style houses to accommodate up to 34 people. Branson wrote in a separate blog post Wednesday that the properties were built to withstand severe weather. However, he added that "almost nothing" could withstand a Category 5 storm  the most severe rating.

Hurricane Irma continues to wreak havoc as it rips through the Caribbean, with projections suggesting it could hit Florida on Sunday. So far it has killed at least nine and reduced buildings to rubble.

President Donald Trump said he and his aides were monitoring Irma's progress. "But it looks like it could be something that will be not good. Believe me, not good," he told reporters at the White House.

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Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement.

The army statement said it took place near the town of Masyaf and warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region".

An Israeli army spokeswoman earlier declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria, saying the army does not comment on operational matters.
Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin told Fox Business on Thursday he's comfortable with a three-month deal to increase the debt ceiling.

President Donald Trump on Wednesday split with congressional GOP leaders to support a Democratic approach on Hurricane Harvey relief coupled with a three-month extension on federal borrowing authority and government funding.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell later said he would support the package.

Just hours before the president's White House meeting with leaders from both parties, House Speaker Paul Ryan called a three-month debt limit increase proposed by Democrats "ridiculous" and "unworkable." A short-term extension would disadvantage Republicans in future fiscal negotiations.

"We're very happy we have a deal," Mnuchin told Fox.

"The president's priority was to make sure we have the funding for Harvey and to make sure we raise the debt limit to pay for that," he added. "We've accomplished that."

"Everybody in the room was very clear that we would never let the government default" on its debt, said Mnuchin.

On tax reform, Mnuchin said it's "still very viable" this year.

"The major blueprint has been outlined," he said. "The [congressional] committees will add to parts of this."

Mnuchin also said Trump has not made any decisions on additional appointments to the Federal Reserve.

As speculation swirled around the future of Fed Chair Janet Yellen, Vice Chair Stanley Fischer announced his resignation Wednesday, effective next month. He cited personal reasons.

Trump already has nominated Randal Quarles to one of the other Fed vacancies.

Mnuchin will be speaking next week at CNBC's Delivering Alpha conference.

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to correct the spelling of Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin's name.
"President Trump essentially let GOP leadership off the hook with this deal. Now, they can presumably blame him for caving in even though they surely would have themselves."

And then there's the fact that, two times in recent years, McConnell has given away the GOP debt ceiling and shutdown leverage before any of that pressure was even applied. That's what he did shortly after the Republicans won the Senate in 2014 when he promised there wouldn't be a government shutdown even before any negotiations over spending began. He caved in pre-emptively again last month when he said there was "zero chance" Congress wouldn't raise the debt ceiling.

With Republican hardball negotiating tactics like that, who needs Democratic opposition?

McConnell isn't the only Republican with fortitude issues. Then-House Speaker John Boehner backed down from the GOP budget fight with President Obama after shutting down the government for 16 days in 2013.

And that's only part of the story. Remember that this debt battle was beginning just as Hurricane Harvey was causing tens of billions of dollars of damage to Texas and the even more powerful Hurricane Irma was threatening to do the same to Florida. Are we really supposed to believe that Ryan and McConnell were going to show stronger backbone on the debt ceiling or a government shutdown even as these storms and their effects were demanding immediate money and manpower from Washington? Anyone who thinks they would should just look at how the congressmen and senators who held up a Hurricane Sandy relief bill over pork concerns are still being skewered and attacked five years later.

That's why it's so clear that President Trump essentially let GOP leadership off the hook with this deal. Now, they can presumably blame him for caving in even though they surely would have themselves.

But the question remains: Has President Trump done himself and the nation a favor with this move?

It's hard to argue this move isn't a boon for the president. The last 25 years are filled with stark examples of presidents who appeared on the ball in the face of hurricane disasters and those who didn't. President George H.W. Bush appeared to react to Hurricane Andrew too slowly in 1992, and then-candidate Bill Clinton scored points by criticizing the entire government's delays. That stance on storm response dictated a lot of the Clinton presidency, as he routinely snapped into action fast in the face of storms. President George W. Bush's response to Hurricane Katrina remains an oft-noted example of presidential missteps, especially his initial decision to fly over the affected areas on Air Force One instead of visiting victims on the ground. President Barack Obama was especially front and center in New Jersey and other areas hit by Sandy in 2012.

President Trump isn't going to make the same mistakes the Bushes did, and his approval rating is on the upswing, according to the latest Rasmussen poll, since he responded quickly to Hurricane Harvey on the Gulf Coast.

The more desperate the situation gets in Texas and Florida, the more likely it is that politicians in Washington will find a way to shove added spending measures into bills supposedly only meant for emergency relief. But the spending and debt problems both parties in Washington are responsible for is a more deep-rooted issue. And President Trump was already not a good candidate to fix it with his calls for $1 trillion infrastructure projects and more military spending.

It's unrealistic to believe President Trump would suddenly get hawkish when two major storms are slamming the country. But, it's just as inaccurate to portray his deal with Pelosi and Schumer as some kind of destruction of Republican debt purity. That purity never existed, at least at the leadership level.

Now, at least, Ryan and McConnell can look their more conservative colleagues from the Freedom Caucus and the Tea Party voters in the eye and claim this new round of heavy spending isn't their fault.

Commentary by Jake Novak, CNBC.com senior columnist. Follow him on Twitter @jakejakeny.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.
The three countries are currently re-negotiating NAFTA, which underpins Mexico's economy  the U.S. accounts for 80 percent of its exports.

The deal comes as Pena Nieto closes a trip to China on trade and investment, and is part of efforts to open new opportunities for Mexico, as President Donald Trump has threatened to kill the $1.2 trillion North American Free Trade Agreement, the foundation of trade for the U.S., Canada and Mexico.

"By partnering with Alibaba, we can expand Mexico's export options in China and in Asia more broadly, while enhancing Mexican [small- and medium-sized enterprises'] knowledge of e-commerce and cross-border trade," said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto of the memorandum of understanding inked with Alibaba.

Mexico's Ministry of Economy and Alibaba will partner to get more Mexican products onto the tech firm's popular e-commerce platforms. The move aims to help Mexico's small- and medium-sized enterprises expand internationally and in China  the world's largest consumer market with a growing middle class. Alibaba, in turn, will provide its technological expertise on logistics and payments, and it will share analytics to help Mexican firms market better to the Chinese.

"The idea behind Mexico's current diversification efforts, including going to China, is that, in the event President Donald Trump eventually backs out of NAFTA, we have to be ready to start implementation of plan B, and plan B is China," said Adrian Cisneros Aguilar, a lawyer and director-general of Chevaya, a firm that specializes in helping Mexican firms expand in China.

For a long time, Mexico didn't need to look beyond the U.S. when it came to trade. But on the campaign trail, Trump said he would slap tariffs on both Mexico and China, something that appears to have pushed the two nations closer together. China reiterated during Pena Nieto's trip that it's open to signing a free trade agreement directly with Mexico. Mexican officials have previously echoed similar sentiments.

More trade with Mexico is something consumers will likely welcome, as many in China have developed a taste for avocadoes, beer and tequila. Avocado exports from Mexico to China, for example, have shot up to more than 10,000 metric tons of the green fruit from 17 metric tons back in 2009, according to Mexican government data cited by ChinaAg, a market research firm.

While growing trade with China can offset some of Mexico's reliance on the U.S., there's still a long way to go for replacing the U.S. as the main trade partner  Mexican exports to China are around $7 billion a year, a far cry from the $300 billion in goods the country sends across the border to the U.S.

But experts say there are a number of challenges when it comes to a broader economic relationship between China and Mexico. One detail that complicates further trade ties between the two nations is that both are competing for more business with the U.S. The physical distance is also an issue, as China has no shortage of trading partners closer to home.

On top of that, while a free trade agreement could be a step in the right direction, many Mexican businesses are still inexperienced when it comes to dealing with China's tough business environment.

"Companies that have never mentioned China are approaching me to say they see, suddenly, it's an option," said Cisneros Aguilar.

But success in the world's second-largest usually requires time and effort  what works for Mexican companies in Spain won't translate in China, he explained.

Understanding the environment is very "important when it comes to a country like China, which is so culturally different from us," Cisneros Aguilar said.
President Donald Trump on Thursday again refused to rule out U.S. military action in North Korea, telling reporters that the nuclear-armed dictatorship has been "behaving very badly, and it's got to stop."

"I would prefer not going the route of the military, but it's something certainly that could happen," the president said at a White House press conference with the visiting Emir of Kuwait.

Lauding the recent U.S. military buildup in and around the Korean peninsula, Trump said, "Hopefully we're not going to have to use [military force]. But if we do, it will be a very sad day for North Korea."

U.S. markets did not immediately respond to Trump's latest comments, which were more tempered than some of his recent tweets on the issue.

The comments came just days after North Korea appeared to have tested a hydrogen bomb, sparking renewed fears around the world of what the hermit kingdom might do with such a weapon.

At the time, Trump tweeted a warning to North Korea:

Trump NK tweet

Asked on Thursday whether the United States could tolerate a situation where North Korea retained its nuclear weapons, but was otherwise contained, the president declined to answer: "I don't put my negotiations on the table," he said.
Virgin Galactic chief executive George Whitesides said his company will soon return to powered flights for the first time in three years.

"We're ready to go into powered flight," Whitesides said on Thursday at the Mars Society Convention in Irvine, California.

Virgin Galactic has not tested a powered flight of one of its spaceships since the fatal crash of Spaceship Enterprise on Oct. 31, 2014. An investigation by the National Transportation Safety Board found the pilot prematurely unlocked the spaceship's "feather system," causing the vehicle to break apart during rocket-powered flight.

Engine testing for the spaceship company's new vehicle, Spaceship Unity, is complete, and "a very small number of glide flights" remain before Virgin Galactic returns to powered flight, Whitesides said.

Virgin Galactic's subsidiary The Spaceship Company is also building two more spaceships, the hulls of which were visible in a photo Whitesides showed of the company's manufacturing facility.
U.S. stock index futures were flat this morning ahead of a number of key economic reports, speeches by Fed policymakers, and an ECB meeting. The S&P 500 has risen in seven of the past eight sessions, with the Nasdaq up in six of seven days and the Dow higher in five of six. (CNBC)

Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester, New York Fed President William Dudley, and Kansas City Fed President Esther George all have public appearances today, although Dudley and George will speak after the markets close. (CNBC)

The European Central Bank will issue its latest rate decision and policy statement at 7:45 a.m. ET, with ECB President Mario Draghi holding his usual post-meeting news conference at 8:30 a.m. ET. The bank is expected to leave rates unchanged but possibly start laying the groundwork for the eventual removal of accommodation. (CNBC)

Two economic reports will be out at 8:30 a.m. ET, with the Labor Department issuing both weekly jobless claims and a revised look at second quarter productivity. The Energy Department issues its weekly look at natural gas inventories at 10:30 a.m. ET, and the holiday-delayed report on oil and gasoline supplies at 11 a.m. ET. (CNBC)

GoPro (GPRO) shares were up 17 percent in premarket after the company said that revenue and gross margin for the third quarter are both expected to be at the high end of their previously announced ranges. The action camera maker sees Q3 revenue between $290 million to $310 million and gross margins at 36-38 percent. (CNBC)
European Central Bank (ECB) President Mario Draghi spoke in Frankfurt on Thursday, following the ECB Governing Council's meeting, which saw the group discuss the current state of monetary policy in the euro zone.

During the press conference, Draghi and fellow ECB officials spoke on the timing of a possible exit from the bank's ultra-loose monetary policy program, as well as commenting on overall strategy.
When Warren Buffett's late wife Susie told him about the Glide church in San Francisco and all the good it was doing for the community, the billionaire investor was skeptical. "I thought, 'This sounds too good to be true,'" says Buffett, speaking with CNBC. "I am a suspicious guy by nature, so she didn't sell me." But then Buffett's wife took him to visit the congregation and meet its leader. "It is run by a very special man, Cecil Williams," Buffett says. "She took me there one time to Glide and I got to meet Cecil, I got to see what happened, the kind of people he was helping and how he was helping them."

Rev Cecil Williams, Warren Buffett and GLIDE Co-founder Janice Mirikitani (Rev. Williams wife). Photo by Thomas Walsh

The Glide church is located in the Tenderloin district of San Francisco, an area known for its crime, homelessness and drugs. Williams was assigned to be the minister of the Glide church in the early 1960s. At that time, the church was "on the way down," says Buffett. "It had about 110 or 20 white parishioners and Cecil was black, so the 120 went down very fast when he arrived there. And so he started from scratch and he built a remarkable church  but really a remarkable social organization." Indeed, Glide, under the leadership of Williams, grew into an organization with an impressive social justice program. Glide serves three squares a day to the homeless and the hungry. In its last fiscal year running from 2015 to 2016, Glide provided more than 770,000 meals. Glide also offers affordable health care to the homeless and poor, including mental health care and non-Western holistic treatments. Glide has programs to help those who are dealing with substance abuse, for the testing and prevention of HIV and AIDS and for the treatment of diabetes. Glide offers free legal services too, and those are just a few of the many programs.

"He helps the people that the world has given up on and he never gives up on anyone," says Buffett of Williams. "They really take people who have hit bottom and help bring 'em back. And he has been doing it for decades, and he's a remarkable man and if we can help out by raising some money for him, I enjoy doing it." To raise money for the Glide church, Buffett has auctioned off his company over lunch for 18 years running. This year, the lunch date, which happened last week, went for $2.7 million to an anonymous bidder. Buffet's yearly auctions have raised $25 million for the church.
A Hong Kong-based fintech firm is launching an initial coin offering as part of its plans to revolutionize how payments are conducted.

Octo3 Group is a start-up that currently sells a range of financial technologies, but it's hoping to bring its global payment processing network onto a blockchain platform. As part of that move, the company plans to hold a digital token sale from Oct. 3 to 31.

The move could change the entire payment landscape, Chairman Ajmal Samuel told CNBC.

Currently, "many merchants cannot accept different payment methods and consumers ... cannot pay with those particular payment methods which they have," Samuel told CNBC.

Those challenges stem from the large number of intermediaries, such as banks and financial service firms, involved in issuing, processing and acquiring payments. But the situation could soon change, he said.

"With the advent of blockchain type of technologies, a lot of innovation is starting to happen, which opens up room for parties like us to go in and make these networks fully accessible to the community," Samuel said.

The new platform will open up and decentralize existing payment networks, and make it easier for buyers to bypass intermediaries on their way to paying sellers, he added.

The initial coin offering (ICO) is the first step to making the new blockchain platform a reality.

ICOs are a means for start-ups to raise capital by allowing users to buy into their platform. In return for money, investors are issued new cryptocurrency created by the firm. Although the functions vary depending on the digital token, users can often use them to purchase goods and services on a start-up's platform or to take a profit should the asset appreciate in value.

The digital token market is worth billions of dollars. Around the world, firms are increasingly turning to ICOs as a fundraising method. Around $1.78 billion have been raised through initial offerings since 2014, according to an ICO tracker from industry outlet CoinDesk.
Yet now that such a crisis has arrived in the form of North Korea's nuclear escalation, the most interesting thing about the U.S. response is that President Trump has not proved to be the liability that his critics assumed he would be. As with everything else he does, Trump has not behaved the way any of his predecessors or election rivals would have done. He has tweeted and boasted and at times has demonstrated that his command of the issues is far from complete.

Ever since he came down the escalator at Trump Tower that fateful day in June 2015, President Trump's critics have worried that his anger-management and impulse-control issues would be exposed in an international crisis. Everything we've learned about him tells us that he is temperamentally unsuited to diplomacy or putting forward the image of quiet strength and confidence that is synonymous with traditional ideas about good leadership. In other words, he is exactly the type of person you wouldn't want in control of the nuclear codes, or leading the meeting when an American response to a foreign provocation is required.

Nonetheless, the criticism that has rained down on him for this is off the mark.

For all of his flaws and unorthodox behavior, the president is listening to his advisers and actually sounding the right themes about the need for our allies to stand fast and for those who do business with North Korea to join the West in completely isolating the regime.



If that isn't the impression one gets from most of the coverage of the North Korean crisis, it's due in large measure to the way Trump has conditioned us to view him. He prides himself on being a "counterpuncher," but a better description might be a vindictive, thin-skinned egotist who will lash out at anyone who criticizes or thwarts him. That's why many jump to the conclusion that what Trump does or says about North Korea is as much a mad distraction from the real work of government as his unscripted rants on other issues have often been.



While every tweet Trump has issued on North Korea tends to produce howls of anger from the mainstream press, their content has actually been generally accurate and often quite helpful to the cause of restraining Pyongyang.



Even if one takes the most notorious of his statements, in which he threatened Kim Jong-un with "fire and fury," that language (which echoed a statement once issued by President Harry Truman during the Korean War) merely articulated the same policy affirmed by every U.S. administration since the 1950s. Some criticized that line for being an empty boast, but after decades of weak responses to outrageous actions from the North Koreans, the problem with U.S. policy in the region is the very idea that there is something strange about an American president's reminding a dictator that it is possible for him to go too far. To the extent that Trump impressed upon Kim and his Chinese enablers that if North Korean threats escalate, the U.S. has the power to endanger the survival of the Communist regime, it can only be helpful.

Nor is there anything wrong with Trump's not treating the Chinese or the South Koreans with kid gloves.

The Chinese may hold the solution to this problem in their hands, since they are North Korea's only allies and the key to its economic survival in isolation. But for too long, they too have been operating under the assumption that there is nothing that Kim Jong-un can't get away with, even if his destabilizing actions threaten their interests as much as those of the U.S. and its allies.



As for the South Koreans, their nervousness about North Korea's ability to devastate their capital and kill countless citizens in the first moments of any military conflict with conventional weapons is understandable. But here again, mere deference to their fears won't necessarily contribute to a diplomatic solution. Trump is correct that appeasement of the barbarous North Korean regime  and that is not too harsh a word to describe the instincts of the current government in Seoul  only makes Kim Jong-un believe that he can play nuclear chicken with the West and win.



There are no good options for the U.S. in dealing with a nation and a leader that think they have little to lose and much to gain by threatening war. But the critics' assumption  that Trump's attempts to impress upon Pyongyang that his administration will not be as easily cowed as those of Clinton, George W. Bush, and Obama are a mistake  underestimates the damage done by previous unsuccessful efforts to bribe the North Koreans to behave.



Moreover, as much as Trump has given us good reason to question his temperament, the one real exception to his predilection for ill-considered actions has been in decisions involving the use of military force. Whatever else one can say about him, the president appears to have a commendable caution about ordering the military into action. Just as important, his conduct of the conflicts in Afghanistan and against ISIS in Iraq and Syria has demonstrated an equally commendable deference to the judgment of his commanders rather than the sort of White House micromanagement and second-guessing of the military that characterized Obama's record as commander in chief. Which is to say that if the North Koreans were mad enough to actually seek to directly threaten the U.S. with a nuclear weapon, then what we've seen of Trump so far would indicate that he would listen to his military advisers rather than shoot from the hip.



Although the media have seized upon every Trump tweet as if it were a casus belli for more North Korean outrages, that instinct is the reverse of the truth. Trump may not be communicating in the ways we expect a president to speak, but he is not the problem here. We should all pray that he will never be put to the supreme test of leadership in a crisis; and, as with more-even-tempered presidents, worries about how he will handle himself then are not unreasonable.

But the effort to shift blame for the escalation in the Korean peninsula from Kim Jong-un to Trump is unfounded. To date, the president appears to understand that more urgency than has been applied to this problem in the last 20 years is necessary if the worst-case scenario is to be avoided. Like his able and articulate United Nations ambassador, Nikki Haley, Trump has, in his own unorthodox manner, been signaling the world and the North Koreans that a stronger stance is needed, rather than more of the futile bribery and hand-wringing that we got from Clinton, Bush, or Obama. You don't have to be an admirer of the president to realize that at least in this case, Trump's behavior is not the problem when it comes to North Korea.

Commentary by Jonathan S. Tobin, a contributor at National Review and opinion editor at JNS.org. Follow him on Twitter @jonathans_tobin.

For more insight from CNBC contributors, follow @CNBCopinion on Twitter.

2017 National Review. Used with permission.
The press has detected, among Conservatives, a degree of weariness not just with the Prime Minister but with her Cabinet colleagues, and a desire, when the moment comes, to find the next leader among the ranks of the gifted intake of 2010, or even of 2015.

Jacob Rees-Mogg is so far the most conspicuous beneficiary (if that is the word) of this craving for someone new, but another name, Tom Tugendhat, is mentioned with increasing frequency.

He would be a much, much better candidate, Rees-Mogg on Tuesday assured ConHome. Im a founder member of Tugmentum.

In a sense, the fevered search for someone from the younger generation of Tory MPs is fit subject only for jokes. But it does also indicate the insurgent mood at Westminster.

And Tugendhat this summer led a successful insurgency. Despite only entering the House in 2015, he stood against his fellow Conservative Crispin Blunt, who became an MP in 1997, for the chairmanship of the Foreign Affairs select committee, and won a decisive victory on the first ballot.

Tugendhat got 317 votes to Blunts 184, and 71 for the third candidate, John Baron. On the Conservative side, Tugendhat was nominated by, among others, Owen Paterson, Tracey Crouch, Michael Gove and Rees-Mogg, while on the Labour side he was supported by two men sometimes spoken of as future leaders of that party, Sir Keir Starmer and Dan Jarvis.

Blunt was felt by some MPs to be too soft on the Foreign Office, and too inclined to attribute its deficiencies to inadequate funding.

Nor did Tugendhat shrink from criticising more eminent figures than Blunt. In a piece for The Times, published just before the vote, he began by setting out some of his own qualifications for the role:

I have spent the best part of 15 years on the front line of British foreign policy. As we crossed the border into Iraq, I was one of many soldiers who questioned the decision but obeyed the orders. As I flew down to Helmand to establish the first non-warlord governor in Lashkar Gah I was not alone in wondering if we had the resources to do the job. But my job then was to execute British foreign policy, not to question it. Im not a diplomat or a soldier any more. My job now is to challenge the decisions. Its the reason I got into politics and why Im standing for the Commons foreign affairs committee. Too often Ive seen the cost of failure.

Tugendhat proceeded to slip in an unkind reference to the present Foreign Secretary:

When humour is lost in translation it creates misunderstandings with other countries that we cant afford.

And yet for most of the time, Tugendhat is the soul of affability, very good at getting on with people. One of his most remarkable promotions was to become, towards the end of a decade of service with the Territorial Army which started in 2003 and included active service in Iraq and Afghanistan, military assistant to General David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff.

Tugendhat, in the words of one who knows him well, is very unusual in having a strategic sense of the world. Few soldiers or politicians possess this. He also has a kind of candour, or the courage to speak his mind, which is difficult to define, but makes conversation with him more valuable: He was loyal to Richards, but also told you things that were quite risky to tell you, but not in order to undermine his boss.

When interviewing Tugendhat last year for ConHome, I invited him to endorse some critical remarks Richards, now a life peer, had made about the tendency in Whitehall to prefer freedom fighters to soldiers.

Tugendhat batted that away with no trouble: I think the General knows how to express his own opinions. I think most people are very supportive of the armed forces.

While working for Richards, he became worried by the utterly unfair and misguided persecution, by lawyers making large sums at public expense, of British troops who had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

As soon as Tugendhat left the Army, Dean Godson, at Policy Exchange, commissioned him to write two pamphlets, The Fog of Law and Clearing the Fog of Law, which put this issue on the map.

Policy Exchanges work on lawfare, as it came to be known, was the UK equivalent of the Manhattan Institutes Broken Windows moment, for it drastically changed the terms of the debate, and led to decisive action to deal with the problem.

At the same time, Tugendhat put in for the Tory candidacy in the safe seat of Tonbridge and Malling, and in an open primary defeated three other finalists  Ed Argar, Victoria Atkins and Chris Philp  who are all now in the Commons.

Tugendhat was able to tell his prospective constituents: I am not a professional politician I have never fought an election.

This was perfectly true. Nor did he suffer the handicap of having been to Eton, which would have exposed him to the charge of being a toff. He was educated at St Pauls School in London, and read theology at Bristol University (he is a devout Roman Catholic), followed by a masters degree in Islamic studies at Caius College, Cambridge, which included learning Arabic in Yemen.

He went to live Beirut, did some journalism, set up a public relations firm, came back to London to work as an energy consultant, and joined the Territorial Army, becoming a member of the Intelligence Corps just in time to go, thanks to his Arabic, to Iraq with the Royal Marines in 2003, by which time he was 30.

In his maiden speech in the Commons, Tugendhat quoted St Thomas More, and referred to his father, Sir Michael, a high court judge, whose own father, Georg, was of Austrian Jewish descent, had come to London after the First World War to study at the London School of Economics, and set up the Manchester Oil Refinery.

Another of Georgs sons, Christopher Tugendhat, became a Conservative MP, served as a European Commissioner, and is now a Conservative peer.

The family is of an interest which cannot be fully drawn in a short profile. And Tom Tugendhat is married to Anissia Morel, a woman of striking good looks who is herself from a distinguished French diplomatic family, and works full-time as a judge of the supreme court in Paris. They have two young children.

In the EU referendum, Tugendhat was a firm Remainer. He is good friends with Ed Llewellyn, who used to be David Camerons chief of staff and is now Ambassador in Paris.

Among the present crop of Tory MPs, the obvious comparison is between Tugendhat and Rory Stewart, who entered the House in 2010 and in 2014 won a tough fight to become chairman of the defence select committee, but a year later accepted junior ministerial office.

Both are proconsular figures, in an age not rich in such types. But Stewart, who has been on some very long walks through some very remote places, is by temperament much more of an outsider than Tugendhat.

The next leader of the Conservative Party usually turns out to be some unexpected figure who comes through at the right moment. Not since Sir Anthony Eden succeeded Winston Churchill in 1955 has the heir apparent taken over.

But at least the pastime of trying to spot the next leader helps draw attention, for a moment or two, to the depth of talent which can be found in the parliamentary party, much of it recruited in the period when Cameron was leader.
Ben Roback is a Senior Account Executive at Cicero Group and a member of the US Embassys Young Leaders UK programme.

There is little doubt that the tax code in the United States is in dire need of reform. In the run-up to midterm elections in 2018, you will not find a single member of the House of Representatives or Senate giving a stump speech advocating maintaining the status quo or further complicating the tax code.

Businesses big and small share the same goals as individual citizens  a simpler, smaller tax code that is far less onerous and commands less time (much to the chagrin of Americas ever-booming tax planning advisory industry).

With a Republican in the White House and majorities in the House and Senate, the political climate is ripe for the Republican Partys biggest legislative priority.

Given the tax code has been untouched on a comprehensive basis since President Reagans reforms in 1986, the White House and Congressional leadership have ambitiously set out creating what Steve Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary, promised would be the biggest tax cut and the largest tax reform in US history.

Wake me up when September ends

The summer recess ended in Washington with an immense thud. Congress has a September schedule that would even make the UK Parliaments Brexit-heavy legislative programme blush.

Congressional attention will be dominated by a list of must-do items including raising the debt limit, funding the government and avoiding a shutdown, providing funding assistance for the Hurricane Harvey relief effort, and initiating the process of ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions this week.

In the background, Special Prosecutor Bob Muellers investigation remains an ongoing distraction although General Kelly, White House Chief of Staff, has calmed down executive infighting for the moment at least.

The White House plans to be ambitious and aggressive, with the President selling the policy when the heavy lifting has been completed by Congressional leadership and tax-writing committees on the Hill. Both sides face a challenge finding the time to do so.

Broad principles, not fine details

Last week, President Trump gave his first major speech on tax reform. Republican Congressional leaders and the White House have yet to reach an agreement on the finer details of the tax plan, so the speech only offered broad principles.

These are: simplifying and creating a more competitive tax code, delivering tax relief for the middle class, and repatriating corporate profits being held offshore (the Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy estimates Fortune 500 Companies to be holding $2.6 trillion offshore, avoiding up to $767 billion in US federal income taxes).

The President and his party will need to articulate and sell a policy that gives big corporations some tax relief as an incentive to bring profits back to America. That polls poorly amongst the American people, and is far from the populist wave Donald Trump rode in his ascendancy to the White House.

While we know there will be a tax reform plan, we dont know whose it will be  critical differences remain between the plan presented by Donald Trump on the campaign trail and Speaker Paul Ryans Better Way plan, setting up a policy battle between Congress and the White House.

For example, the White Houses broad plan aims to bring the rate of corporation tax down to 15 per cent, a figure that has been met with resistance by congressional leaders who see it as too low. The Republican Better Way plan commits to reducing corporation tax to 20 per cent. The Border Adjustment Tax that Paul Ryan has endorsed is seen to be politically dead within the White House, with little chance of revival.

The plan will be refined in meetings of the Big Six  the leaders of the House and Senate, the chairmen of the congressional tax-writing committees, Gary Cohn, the National Economic Council Director, and Mnuchin, the Treasury Secretary.

With a blueprint to talk up, the President will target sitting red-state Democrats for stump speeches selling the reforms as a win for American workers and businesses. The White House sees its role as pressuring Congress into putting a Bill on the Presidents desk for signing. This approach best exemplifies Trumps role of CEO president, firing lower managers (Bannon, Priebus, Scaramucci, Gorka) who fail to deliver.

Pressure on Congressional Republicans is expected to increase, in what is expected to be a major push to get a detailed tax plan published by the end of 2017. Both sides share the need for a political win before the midterm elections in 2018, having failed to repeal and replace Obamacare and with no legislative successes to campaign on.

In order to pass legislation, the president needs more friends than enemies

This column has consistently outlined the need for this President  indeed, any president  to keep Members of Congress on side if there is to be any hope of passing a legislative programme. Lyndon Johnson once famously said that the first rule of politics is being able to count. Policy is pointless if there is insufficient support when Whips make their tallies.

Having isolated Republicans who failed to back attempts to repeal and replace Obamacare in stump speeches and on Twitter, the President has hardly created a path for loyalty. While Republican support in the House and Senate cannot be guaranteed for his legislative programme, tax reform could be the one exception.

The jewel in the crown of the GOP, it is the single most important policy area that has the capacity to unite a Republican party split on DACA and its support for the President. If packaged and sold well, there is a real chance of getting reform passed, even if the current time frame is aspirational and the scope of reforms fail to live up to current White House expectations.

Make no mistake, while tax reform is almost universally sought after it is incredibly difficult to achieve. In 2013, President Obama took aim at private jet owners, a group few American taxpayers would argue is in need of relief from the IRS. Closing the loophole was fiercely opposed by the National Business Aviation Administration on the grounds of jobs and economic activity generated. Further opposed by big donors that benefit both parties, the reform died.

Republicans in Washington want tax reform and the White House is flexible about the small print. When politics is the art of the possible, that could be a good thing. With a Bill set to be drafted by the end of 2017 and introduced in 2018, soon we will get a better idea of how Congress plans to reform a tax code in dire need of change.
Garvan Walshe is a former national and international security policy adviser to the Conservative party. He runs Brexit Analytics.

Tweet loudly, because your stick, like your hands, is so small. Were Donald Trumps language on North Korea the product of careful deliberation, this might be the advice behind it.

North Koreas nuclear ambitions have confounded better presidents than this orange little prince. Slowly, and despite the continual efforts of the worlds great powers, its leadership has got closer and closer to its desire: to make its vile, paranoid regime safe against all attempts to dislodge it.

Sanctions are of little use against a government that wants to cut itself off from the world. The hardships they imposed are simply passed down to a subject population. Military force was already difficult. North Korea artillery, impeccably conventional, stands ready to obliterate Seoul. Long before they built their first bomb, the Kims mastered the arts of deterrence.

Part of the problem is that North Korea is too small, and too weak, to pose an existential threat even to South Korea. Seoul doesnt have sufficient reason to risk war through an Israeli-style strike to disarm Pyongyangs programme.

In fact, Israel is the only country to succeed in anti-proliferation by military means. Others programmes, in Argentina and South Africa, expired with the oppressive regimes that sponsored them. The agreement between the P5, Germany and Iran has postponed Tehrans bomb, with luck buying enough time for political change to take place there.

And unlike Iran, whose regional ambitions include conflict with Sunni Muslim powers across Iraq, Syria, Lebanon and Yemen, North Koreas main objective is survival, and its acquisition of nuclear weapons defensive. From Pyongyangs perspective they provide further protection against a hostile world than the threat to obliterate Seoul with conventional weapons can on its own. That its nuclear programme in itself provides the rest of the world with a reason to consider North Korea a threat to international peace and security will have escaped Kim and his henchmen.

Pyongyang has calculated that short of actually attacking another country with a nuclear weapon, it wont provoke a war with the US. In this they are right, and have called the Wests bluff.

In fact they have done so for more than ten years, having first conducted a nuclear test in 2006. Its now time to admit that the policy of preventing them becoming a nuclear state has failed, and needs to shift to protecting the region from North Korea.

A nuclear armed North Korea poses two main risks. First, that it should actually use a nuclear weapon. This requires a united response from the five officially declared Non-Proliferation Treaty nuclear weapons states that any nuclear use by North Korea will bring about immediate and devastating retaliation. Under previous US administrations, a declaration by the American President would have been sufficient. But it has become clear that North Korea believes it can ignore public threats from Donald Trump. A united front, certainly including China, and, if possible, Russia, is now required.

US proposals to try and put pressure on China by holding them responsible for North Koreas bomb, and threatening trade sanctions are misguided. These appear far too much like an excuse for limits on trade with China the Trump Administration would like to impose anyway, and the United States currently lacks the moral authority for these measures to carry legitimacy. Worse, it is not clear that China could itself enforce a rollback of the North Korean programme without tipping that fragile regime towards collapse, and leaving Beijing and Seoul with a major political and humanitarian crisis on their borders.

The second, and perhaps more serious risk, is that North Korea continues to sell its nuclear technology to other rogue states (and possibly terrorist groups) to earn what little hard currency it can. Its successful test of a thermonuclear (that is, nuclear fusion powered) bomb carries the risk that it will seek to spread this new technology to other proliferators such as Iran and Pakistan.

It is to this risk that the International Community must turn, and step up if efforts to control the proliferation of this relatively advanced nuclear technology. In this case, the focus ought not to be on the seller but the buyer. It should consider how to devise new sanctions, designed to apply to any state, whether or not it is a signatory of the NPT, found in the future to have received thermonuclear technology from North Korea. The aim should be that they be pre-approved, so that their suspension, but not their initiation, should only be possible by an affirmative decision of the UN Security Council.

Old-fashioned international diplomacy is what this crisis needs, rather but bloodcurdling bluff from the White House is what were likely to get.
Castellon rolls out the red carpet for cruise calls, with free shuttle busses to the city center for both passengers and crew. In addition is a local dance exhibition on the pier and fresh orange juice for passengers.

The Spanish port received the Saga Pearl II in June and is looking forward to another visit from the Saga Sapphire in 2018.

We understand that Castellon and the province are still not well known in the international market, commented Susana Soria, cruise and business development area manager. This lack of brand awareness also reflects in the current low customer demand.

The port authority has thus formed an alliance with various tourism bodies to build the brand, said Soria.

Our priority is to raise awareness about Castellon while we improve the offering and services for tourism in general, and gradually build the appetite for cruise lines and passengers to discover Castellon province, she said. In the process, we will be working directly with cruise lines, cruise associations, travel agents, service providers, local stakeholders, politicians and media in different educational and promotional operational initiatives.

Cruise vessels have their own berth, Prolongacion Dique Modesto Viguera, which can accommodate ships up to 300 meters long with a 16-meter draft.

The port authority is also making a new facility available, Muelle de Levante, for smaller vessels, up to 160 meters in length.

There is also a new international airport which is ideally sized for charter flights, Soria added.
President Trumps announcement that he was ending the Delayed Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) in six months unless Congress passes legislation addressing the issue has important implications for lenders as individuals affected by the Presidents announcement turn to the courts for protection.

The DACA program was instituted by President Obama in 2012. It allows qualified individuals who are illegal aliens who entered the country as minors to receive renewable two-year periods of deferred deportation. They are also eligible to receive work permits.

When I heard about the Presidents announcement, I figured that now would be a good time to update you on the status of a case which has important potential implications for lenders. In Perez v. Wells Fargo & Co., Case No.: 17-cv-00454-MMC, DACA recipients are suing Wells Fargo claiming that the banks lending policies violate federal civil rights law. Each of the highlighted plaintiffs applied to the bank for a loan. Nonetheless, they argue that they were denied loans ranging from student loan applications to a loan for commercial equipment. Each claims that they has a U.S. citizen as a willing co-signer but that the bank categorically refused their applications.
Talking Points:

Crude oil prices continued to push upward, scoring the fifth consecutive day of gains. Support from rebuilding refining capacity in the wake of Hurricane Harvey was helped along by comments from Russian Energy Minister Alexander Novakand weekly inventory flow statistics from API.

Novak said an OPEC-led production cut scheme may be extended if the market hasnt balanced by April 2018. Meanwhile, API said stockpiles added 2.79 million barrels last week, a smaller increase than the 3.67 million build expected to appear in official EIA statistics due today.

As noted previously however, gains may not be lasting. EIA data set probably needs to show an even-smaller storage inflow than the API result to offer prices a lasting boost. Meanwhile, Libya has restarted the Shahara oil field  its largest  and US energy infrastructure is at risk again, this time from Hurricane Irma.

Gold prices turned lower as the US Dollar and benchmark Treasury bond yields rebounded in tandem, undermining the appeal of non-interest-bearing and anti-fiat assets. The move followed ISM data showing service-sector activity growth accelerated and a relatively sanguine Fed Beige Book survey.

The spotlight now turns to a policy announcement from the European Central Bank. The yellow metal may fall further if Mario Draghi and company signal that a winding down  or tapering  of its QE asset purchase effort is around the corner. The absence of such guidance may yield the opposite result.

What is the #1 mistake that traders make, and how can you fix it? Find out here !

GOLD TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Gold prices put in a Bearish Engulfing candlestick pattern, hinting a turn lower may be ahead. A move below resistance-turned-support at 1326.38  the 23.6% Fibonacci expansion  sees the next downside barrier marked by the 14.6% level at 1315.49. Alternatively, a push above the 38.2% Fib at 1344.04 exposes the 50% expansion at 1358.32.

Chart created using TradingView

CRUDE OIL TECHNICAL ANALYSIS  Crude oil prices are poised to test trend line resistance that has capped the upside for seven months, a barrier reinforced by the 50% Fibonacci expansion at 49.73. A daily close above this barrier would initially expose the 61.8% level at 50.71. Alternatively, a move back below the 38.2% Fib at 48.75 targets the 23.6% expansion at 47.53 anew.

Chart created using TradingView

--- Written by Ilya Spivak, Currency Strategist for DailyFX.com

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Contact and follow Ilya on Twitter: @IlyaSpivak
Talking Points:

Asian markets were mostly lower as North Koreas nuclear program loomed over trade again

Chinese stocks managed gains, but these were small

The Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates alone, as expected

How do retail traders view your favourite currency of the moment? Check out the DailyFX Sentiment Page

Asian stock markets were still in cautious mood Tuesday, with North Korea once again the reason why.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said on Monday that the rogue states leader Kim Jong Un was begging for war as she urged the Security Council to take up the strongest sanctions regime practicable. Reports that another missile test could come soon, and that a missile launcher had been moved closer to the coast, also kept markets on edge.

The Nikkei 225 slipped 0.6%, with the ASX 200 up a little and the Kospi lower. Chinese shares again bucked the gloom with small gains evident in Shanghai and Hong Kong.

The Australian Dollar got a lift against its US rival as investors focused on more buoyant export data and ignored a yawning overall current account gap. Chinas private. Caixin snapshot of the service sector- the Purchasing Managers Index- came up strongly for August. The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its Official Cash Rate on hold at its 1.50% record low, as expected. In an accompanying statement the RBA once again fretted about the currencys strength, but in truth there was little new for markets here.

Spot gold prices slipped on the day but remained understandably close to the years highs. Crude oil prices meanwhile edged up as the gradual restart of oil refineries closed by Hurricane Harvey lifted demand. However, gasoline prices slipped as worries about serious dearth faded.

The rest of the session will offer the UKs service sector PMI, along with US factory and durable-goods order data. Eurozone retail sales are coming up and RBA Governor Philip Lowe is due to speak.

--- Written by David Cottle, DailyFX Research

Contact and follow David on Twitter: @DavidCottleFX
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.
Greenhill & Co., Inc., an independent investment bank, provides financial and strategic advisory services to corporations, partnerships, institutional investors, and governments worldwide. The company offers advisory services related to mergers and acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, financings, private capital raising, and other similar transactions. It also advises clients on strategic matters, including activist shareholder defense, special committee projects, licensing deals, and joint ventures; and valuation, negotiation tactics, industry dynamics, structuring alternatives, and timing and pricing of transactions, as well as financing alternatives. In addition, the company provides restructuring advisory services to debtors, creditors, governments, and other stakeholders, and acquirers of distressed companies and assets; and advice on restructuring alternatives, capital structures, and sales or recapitalizations. Further, it assists clients in identifying and capitalizing on incremental sources of value; and on court-assisted reorganizations by developing and seeking approval for plans of reorganization, as well as the implementation of such plans. Additionally, the company advises on private placements of debt and structured equity, refinancing of existing debt facilities, negotiating the modification, and amendment of covenants, as well as acts as an independent advisor. It also offers financial advisory services to pension funds, endowments, and other institutional investors on transactions involving alternative assets; and advice to alternative asset fund sponsors for private capital raising, financing, restructuring, liquidity options, valuation, and related services. The company was founded in 1996 and is headquartered in New York, New York.
Equifax Inc. provides information solutions and human resources business process automation outsourcing services for businesses, governments, and consumers. The company operates through three segments: Workforce Solutions, U.S. Information Solutions (USIS), and International. The Workforce Solutions segment offers employment, income, criminal history, and social security number verification services, as well as payroll-based transaction, employment tax management, and identity theft protection products. The USIS segment provides consumer and commercial information services, such as credit information and credit scoring, credit modeling and portfolio analytics, locate, fraud detection and prevention, identity verification, and other consulting; mortgage services; financial marketing services; identity management services; credit monitoring products; and online information, decisioning technology solutions, as well as portfolio management, mortgage reporting, and consumer credit information services. The International segment offers information service products, which include consumer and commercial services, such as credit and financial information, and credit scoring and modeling; and credit and other marketing products and services, as well as offers information, technology, and other services to support debt collections and recovery management. The company serves customers in financial services, mortgage, employers, consumer, commercial, telecommunication, retail, automotive, utility, brokerage, healthcare, and insurance industries, as well as state, federal, and local governments. It operates in the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, India, the United Kingdom, Spain, Portugal, Argentina, Chile, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Honduras, Mexico, Paraguay, Peru, Uruguay, Brazil, the Republic of Ireland, Russia, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United Arab Emirates. The company was founded in 1899 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
FLEETCOR Technologies, Inc. provides digital payment solutions for businesses to control purchases and make payments. It offers corporate payments solutions, such as accounts payable automation; Virtual Card, which provides a single-use card number for a specific amount usable within a defined timeframe; Cross-Border that is used by its customers to pay international vendors, foreign office and personnel expenses, capital expenditures, and profit repatriation and dividends; and purchasing cards and travel and entertainment cards for its customers to analyze and manage their corporate spending. The company also provides employee expense management solutions, including fuel solutions to businesses and government entities that operate vehicle fleets, as well as to oil and leasing companies, and fuel marketers; lodging solutions to businesses that have employees who travel overnight for work purposes, as well as to airlines and cruise lines to accommodate traveling crews and stranded passengers; and electronic toll payments solutions to businesses and consumers in the form of radio frequency identification tags affixed to vehicles' windshields. In addition, it offers gift card program management and processing services in plastic and digital forms that include card design, production and packaging, delivery and fulfillment, card and account management, transaction processing, promotion development and management, website design and hosting, program analytics, and card distribution channel management. Further, it provides other products consisting of payroll cards, vehicle maintenance service solution, long-haul transportation solution, prepaid food vouchers or cards, and prepaid transportation cards and vouchers. The company serves business, merchant, consumer, and payment network customers in North America, Brazil, and Internationally. The company was founded in 1986 and is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia.
Mohawk Industries, Inc. designs, manufactures, sources, distributes, and markets flooring products for remodeling and new constructions of residential and commercial spaces in the United States, Europe, Russia, and internationally. It operates through three segments: Global Ceramic, Flooring North America (Flooring NA), and Flooring Rest of the World (Flooring ROW). The Global Ceramic segment provides a range of ceramic tile, porcelain tile, and natural stone products; and sources, markets, and distributes other tile related products. This segment markets and distributes its products under the American Olean, Daltile, Eliane, EmilGroup, KAI, Kerama Marazzi, Marazzi, and Ragno brands. The Flooring NA segment offers floor covering product lines in a range of colors, textures, and patterns, including carpets, carpet tiles, rugs and mats, carpet pads, hardwood, laminate, medium-density fiberboards, luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), and sheet vinyl products. This segment markets and distributes its flooring products under the Aladdin Commercial, Durkan, IVC, Karastan, Mohawk, Mohawk Group, Mohawk Home, Pergo, Portico, and Quick-Step brands. The Flooring ROW segment provides wood flooring and vinyl flooring, as well as laminates, roofing elements, sheet vinyl, LVT, insulation boards, medium-density fiberboards, chipboards, and other woods products under the Feltex, Godfrey Hirst, Hycraft, IVC Commercial, IVC Home, Leoline, Moduleo, Pergo, Quick-Step, and Unilin and Xtratherm brands; and licenses its intellectual property to flooring manufacturers. Mohawk Industries, Inc. was incorporated in 1988 and is headquartered in Calhoun, Georgia.
Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. operates as a seaborne shipping and logistics company in North America, Australia, Europe, Asia, South America, and internationally. It focuses on the transportation and transshipment of dry bulk commodities, including iron ores, coal, and grains. The company operates in two segments, Dry Bulk Vessel Operations and Logistics Business. The Dry Bulk Vessel Operations segment engages in the transportation and handling of bulk cargoes through the ownership, operation, and trading of vessels and freight. This segment charters its vessels to trading houses, producers, and government-owned entities. The Logistics Business segment operates ports and transfer station terminals, as well as upriver transport facilities in the Hidrovia region; and handles vessels, barges, push boats, and cabotage business. This segment provides its integrated transportation, storage, and related services through its port facilities, cargo barges, and product tankers to mineral and grain commodity providers, as well as to users of refined petroleum products. As of December 31, 2021, the company's fleet consisted of 36 vessels totaling 3.9 million deadweight tons. Navios Maritime Holdings Inc. was incorporated in 1954 and is headquartered in Grand Cayman, the Cayman Islands.
Validus Holdings, Ltd. provides reinsurance coverage, insurance coverage, and insurance linked securities management services worldwide. It operates through three segments: Reinsurance, Insurance, and Asset Management. The Reinsurance segment underwrites property reinsurance products on a catastrophe excess of loss, per risk excess of loss and proportional basis; and aerospace and aviation, agriculture, composite, marine, technical lines, terrorism, trade credit, workers' compensation, and other specialty lines, as well as casualty and financial lines. The Insurance segment underwrites property, accident and health, agriculture, aviation, contingency, marine, and political lines insurance products; bankers blanket bond, commercial crime, computer crime, cyber- crime, professional indemnity, and directors' and officers' insurance products for various financial institutions and other companies; and commercial and institutional risks comprising general, professional, and product liability, as well as miscellaneous malpractice insurance products. This segment also underwrites marine and energy liability, and political risk insurance products, as well as insurance products for repair, maintenance, and upkeep of aircrafts and premises for small companies. The Asset Management segment manages capital for third parties through insurance-linked securities, and other property catastrophe and specialty reinsurance investments. Validus Holdings, Ltd. was founded in 2005 and is based in Pembroke, Bermuda.
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 Prudential Financial: 210-220 E. 22nd Street SSGA Owner LLC, AIG Edison, AIG Star, AREF Cayman Co Ltd., AREF GP II Pte. Ltd., AREF GP Ltd., ASPF II - Feeder Fund GmbH, ASPF II - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, ASPF II Management GmbH, ASPF III Scots L.P., ASSURANCE, AST Investment Services Inc., Adlerwerke CB Investment LLC, Administradora de Fondos de Pensiones Habitat S.A., Administradora de Inversiones Previsionales SpA, Aoba Life Insurance Company, Aoba Life Insurance Company Ltd., Asia Property Fund III GP S.a.r.l., Assurance IQ LLC, Assurance Intelligence LLC, BSC CP LP, Braeloch Holdings Inc., Braeloch Successor Corporation, Brazilian Capital Fund GP Limited, Broad Street Global Advisors LLC, Broome Street Holdings LLC, CB German Retail LLC, CLIS Co. Ltd., COLICO INC., Capital Agricultural Property Services Inc., Chadwick Boulevard Investment Holdings Co. LLC, Cibecue LLC, Coconino LLC, Colico II Inc., Columbus Drive Partners L.P., Commerce Street Holdings LLC, Commerce Street Investments LLC, Coolidge LLC, Coral Reef GP, Coral Reef L.P., Coral Reef Unit Trust, Cottage Street Investments LLC, Cottage Street Orbit Acquisition LLC, DICKENS AVENUE HOLDINGS VI LLC, DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI Ireland L.P., DICKENS AVENUE PARTNERS VI US L.P., Dale/P Minerals Limited Partnership, Don Cesar Investor LLC, Dryden Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Dryden Finance II LLC, EVP II GP S.a r.l., EVP II Horizon GP S.a r.l., EVP II Sprint GP S.a r.l., Edison Place Senior Note LLC, Essex LLC, EuroCore GP S.a r.l., European Value Partners GP S.a.r.l., Everbright PGIM Fund Management Co. Ltd., Flagstaff LLC, GA 1600 Commons LLC, GA 333 Hennepin Investor LLC, GA BV LLC, GA Bay Area GP LLC, GA Bay Area Investor LLC, GA Belden LLC, GA CLARENDON LLC, GA Cal Crossings LLC, GA Collins LLC, GA E. 22nd Street Apartments Holdings LLC, GA East 86 Street LLC, GA JHCII LLC, GA MENLO PARK INVESTOR LLC, GA Manor at Harbour Island LLC, GA Metro LLC, GA TRITON INVESTOR LLC, GA W Paces LLC, GA/MDI 333 Hennepin Associates LLC, GIBRALTAR BSN HOLDINGS SDN BHD, GIBRALTAR INDIA SOLUTIONS LLP, Gateway Holdings II LLC, Gateway Holdings LLC, German Retail Income CP LP, Gibraltar BSN Life Berhad, Gibraltar International Insurance Services Company Inc., Gibraltar International Service LLC, Gibraltar Reinsurance Company Ltd., Gibraltar Universal Life Reinsurance Company, Glenealy International Limited, Global Portfolio Strategies Inc., Gold GP Limited, Gold II L.P., Gold L.P., Graham Resources Inc., Graham Royalty Ltd., Green Harvest Asset Management LLC, Green Tree GP, Green Tree L.P., Greenlee LLC, Halsey Street Investments LLC, Hirakata LLC, IVP Fund GP LLC, Impact Investments Bridges UK S.a.r.l, Inter-Atlantic G Fund L.P., Inversiones Previsionales Chile SpA, Inversiones Previsionales Dos SpA, Ironbound Fund LLC, Jennison Associates LLC, Kyarra S.a r.l., Kyoei Annuity Home Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Kyouei Nenkin Home, LINEUP LLC, Lake Street Partners IV L.P., Lotus Reinsurance Company Ltd., MC GA COLLINS HOLDINGS LLC, MC GA COLLINS REALTY LLC, MC Insurance Agency Services LLC, Manor at Harbour Island LLC, Marble Canyon LLC, Maricopa LLC, Market Street Holdings IV LLC, Montana Capital Partners, Morenci LLC, Mulberry Street Holdings LLC, Mulberry Street Investment L.P., Mulberry Street Partners LLC, Mullin TBG Insurance Agency Services LLC, MullinTBG Insurance Agency Services, National Family Assurance Group LLC, New Savanna, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund A LP, Northbound Emerging Manager Fund II - A LP, Orchard Street Acres Inc., PAI Bay Farm LLC, PAI Bayrock Groves LLC, PAI Belvidere Farms LLC, PAI Big Cypress Farm LLC, PAI Corcoran 640 Ranch LLC, PAI DeKalb Farm LLC, PAI Delano 1500 Ranches LLC, PAI Desert Falcon Farms Manager LLC, PAI Flicker Orchard LLC, PAI Good Hope Farm LLC, PAI Hawk Creek Ranch LLC, PAI Hills Valley Ranches LLC, PAI Holly Hill Groves LLC, PAI Hunt Farm LLC, PAI Jackson Bayou Farm LLC, PAI Lake Placid Groves LLC, PAI River Bend Ranches LLC, PAI Wallula Gap Vineyard LLC, PCP V Cayman AIV GP L.P., PEREF II Co-Invest 1 GP S.a r.l., PEREF II GP S.a r.l., PFI EM-Tech Fund I LLC, PG Business Service Co. Ltd, PG Collection Service Co. Ltd., PG Friendly Partners Co. Ltd., PGA Asian Retail Limited, PGA European Limited, PGI Co. Ltd, PGIM AC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM AVP IV GP S.a r.l., PGIM Advisory Shanghai Co. Ltd., PGIM Agricultural Investments GP LLC, PGIM Australia Pty Ltd, PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Fund L.P., PGIM Broad Market High Yield Bond Partners LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Feeder VI LLC, PGIM Capital Partners Management Fund VI L.P., PGIM Custom Harvest LLC, PGIM DC Co-Invest GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC JV GP Pte. Ltd., PGIM DC Solutions LLC, PGIM European Financing Limited, PGIM European Services Limited, PGIM Financial Limited, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund II L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives Fund L.P., PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives GP LLC, PGIM Fixed Income Alternatives II GP LLC, PGIM Foreign Investments Inc., PGIM Holding Company LLC, PGIM Holdings Limited, PGIM Hong Kong Ltd., PGIM INDIA ASSET MANAGEMENT PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM INDIA TRUSTEES PRIVATE LIMITED, PGIM IRELAND LIMITED, PGIM Inc., PGIM International Financing Inc., PGIM Investments Ireland Limited, PGIM Investments LLC, PGIM Japan Co. Ltd., PGIM Korea Inc., PGIM LTIF Berlin GP S.a r.l., PGIM LTIF Berlin MLP S.ar.l., PGIM LTIF GP S.a.r.l., PGIM Limited, PGIM Loan Originator Manager Limited, PGIM M Campus GP S.a r.l., PGIM Management Partner Limited, PGIM MetaProp Investor LP LLC, PGIM Netherlands B.V., PGIM Overseas Investment Fund Management Shanghai Company Ltd, PGIM Private Capital Ireland Limited, PGIM Private Capital Limited, PGIM Private Placement Investors Inc., PGIM Private Placement Investors L.P., PGIM QUANTITATIVE SOLUTIONS LLC, PGIM REF EUROPE SCSp, PGIM REF Europe GP S.a r.l., PGIM REF Europe Member LLC, PGIM REF Intermediary Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate CD S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Capital VII GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest L.P., PGIM Real Estate Carry & Co-Invest SCSp, PGIM Real Estate Co-Invest Holdings LLC, PGIM Real Estate Debt GmbH, PGIM Real Estate Finance Holding Company, PGIM Real Estate Finance LLC, PGIM Real Estate France SAS, PGIM Real Estate Germany AG, PGIM Real Estate Global Debt GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate Global Master Fund GP S.a r.l., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles II S de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Inmuebles S. de R.L. de C.V, PGIM Real Estate Italy S.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Japan Ltd., PGIM Real Estate Loan Services Inc., PGIM Real Estate Luxembourg S.A., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Administradora V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles IV S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate MVP Inmuebles V S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate Management Luxembourg S.a.r.l., PGIM Real Estate Mexico S.C., PGIM Real Estate S. de R.L. de C.V., PGIM Real Estate U.S. CORE Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate U.S. Debt Fund GP LLC, PGIM Real Estate UK Limited, PGIM Scots Limited, PGIM Securities Investment Trust Enterprise, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management (Feeder) I LLC, PGIM Senior Loan Opportunities Management Fund I L.P., PGIM Shanghai Company Ltd., PGIM Singapore Pte. Ltd., PGIM Strategic Financing LLC, PGIM Strategic Investments Inc., PGIM Taronga Investor GP LLC, PGIM U.S. Agriculture Fund LP, PGIM USPF VI Manager LLC, PGIM Wadhwani LLP, PGIM Warehouse Inc., PGLH of Delaware Inc., PIFM Holdco LLC, PIIC Limited, PIISC Holdings UK Limited, PIM KF Blocker V Holdings LLC, PIM USPF V Manager LLC, PLA Administradora Industrial SRL, PLA Administradora LLC, PLA Administradora S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional II S. de R.L. de C.V., PLA Asesoria Profesional S.de R.L. de C.V., PLA Co-Investor LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager I LLC, PLA Mexico Industrial Manager II LLC, PLA Retail Fund I Blue LP, PLA Retail Fund I Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II Aggregating Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LLC, PLA Retail Fund II LP, PLA Retail Fund II Manager LLC, PLA Retail Fund II U.S. Carry/Co-Invest LP, PLA Services Manager Mexico LLC, PLAI Limited, PMCF Holdings LLC, PMCF Properties LLC, PPPF General Partner LLP, PR GA SCP Apartments LLC, PRAMERICA LIFE INSURANCE COMPANY LIMITED, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP LLP, PRAMERICA PRECAP VI GP SCOTS FEEDER LLP, PRECO Account IV LLC, PRECO Account Partnership IV LP, PRECO III GP LLP, PREFG Hanwha Manager LLC, PREI Acquisition I Inc., PREI Acquisition II Inc., PREI Acquisition LLC, PREI HYDG LLC, PREI International Inc., PRIAC Property Acquisitions LLC, PRICOA Management Partner Limited, PRISA Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Fund Manager LLC, PRISA II Pooled Manager LLC, PRISA III Fund GP LLC, PRISA III Fund PIM LLC, PRREF Debt Fund Manager LLC, PRREF II Fund Manager LLC, PRU 3XSquare LLC, PRUCO LLC, PRUDENTIAL CAPITAL ENERGY PARTNERS MANAGEMENT (FEEDER) LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP MEMBER LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP REIT LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE 2 LLC, PRUDENTIAL MORTGAGE SKP VENTURE LLC, PT PFI Mega Life Insurance, Passaic Fund LLC, Pine Tree GP, Pine Tree L.P., Platinum GP Limited, Platinum II L.P., Platinum L.P., Pramerica Business Consulting Shanghai Company Limited, Pramerica EVP CP LP, Pramerica Financial Asia Headquarters Pte. Ltd., Pramerica Financial Asia Limited, Pramerica Fixed Income Funds Management Limited, Pramerica Fosun Life Insurance Co. Ltd., Pramerica Holdings Ltd, Pramerica Hong Kong Holdings Limited, Pramerica Insurance Agency China Company Ltd., Pramerica Luxembourg CP GP S.a.r.l., Pramerica PRECAP I GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP II GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP III GP LLP, Pramerica PRECAP IV GP LLP, Pramerica Pan European Real Estate Scots LP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital I Scotland Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital II Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital III Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Limited, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV GP Scots Feeder LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital IV Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Netherlands GP LLP, Pramerica Real Estate Capital V Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Real Estate Capital VI Scots Limited Partnership, Pramerica Scots CP GP LLP, Preco III Scotland Limited Partnership, Pru 101 Wood LLC, Pru Alpha Partners I LLC, Pru Fixed Income Emerging Markets Partners I LLC, PruVen Capital Partners Fund I L.P., Pruco Assignment Corporation, Pruco Life Insurance Company, Pruco Life Insurance Company of New Jersey, Pruco Securities LLC, Prudential 900 Aviation Boulevard LLC, Prudential Affordable Mortgage Company LLC, Prudential Agricultural Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Annuities Distributors Inc., Prudential Annuities Holding Company Inc., Prudential Annuities Inc., Prudential Annuities Information Services & Technology Corporation, Prudential Annuities Life Assurance Corporation, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Captive Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Term Company, Prudential Arizona Reinsurance Universal Company, Prudential Bank & Trust FSB, Prudential Capital Energy Opportunity Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners L.P., Prudential Capital Energy Partners Management Fund L.P., Prudential Capital Partners Management Fund IV L.P., Prudential Capital and Investment Services LLC, Prudential Chile II SpA, Prudential Chile SpA, Prudential Commercial Property Holding Company LLC, Prudential Equity Group LLC, Prudential Financial Inc., Prudential Fixed Income Global Liquidity Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Fixed Income U.S. Relative Value Partners LLC, Prudential Funding LLC, Prudential General Services of Japan Y.K., Prudential Gibraltar Agency Co. Ltd. Prudential Gibraltar Agency Kabushiki Kaisha, Prudential Global Funding LLC, Prudential Holdings of Japan Inc., Prudential Huntoon Paige Associates LLC, Prudential IBH Holdco Inc., Prudential Impact Investments Mortgage Loans LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Debt LLC, Prudential Impact Investments Private Equity LLC, Prudential Insurance Agency LLC, Prudential International Insurance Holdings Ltd., Prudential International Insurance Service Company L.L.C., Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, Prudential International Investments Company LLC, Prudential International Investments LLC, Prudential Investment Management Services LLC, Prudential Japan Holdings LLC, Prudential Legacy Insurance Company of New Jersey, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 1 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Asset Holdings 2 Japan Investment Business Limited Partnership, Prudential Mortgage Capital Asset Holding Company LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Funding LLC, Prudential Mortgage Capital Holdings LLC, Prudential Multifamily Mortgage LLC, Prudential Mutual Fund Services LLC, Prudential Newark Realty LLC, Prudential QOZ Investment Fund 1 LLC, Prudential Realty Securities Inc., Prudential Retirement Financial Services Holding LLC, Prudential Retirement Holdings LLC, Prudential Retirement Insurance and Annuity Company, Prudential Securities Secured Financing Corporation, Prudential Seguros Mexico S.A. de C.V., Prudential Seguros S.A., Prudential Select Strategies LLC, Prudential Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Prudential Structured Settlement Company, Prudential Systems Japan Limited, Prudential Tax Services LLC, Prudential Term Reinsurance Company, Prudential Trust Co. Ltd., Prudential Trust Company, Prudential Universal Reinsurance Company, Prudential Workplace Solutions Group Services LLC, Prudential do Brasil Seguros de Vida S.A., Prudential do Brasil Vida em Grupo S.A., Prudential/TMW Real Estate Group LLC, Pruservicos Participacoes Ltda., QMA JP EM All Cap Equity Partners LLC, Quartzsite LLC, Residential Services Corporation of America LLC, Rio CP LP, Rock European Real Estate Holdings S.ar.l., Rock Global Real Estate LLC, Rock Kensington Limited, Rock Marty GP S.a r.l., Rock Oxford S.a r.l., Rock UK Real Estate II S.a.r.l., Rockstone Co. Ltd., Rosado Grande LLC, Ross Avenue Energy Fund Holdings LLC, Ross Avenue Minerals 2012 LLC, SCP Apartments LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERS VI GP LLC, SENIOR HOUSING PARTNERSHIP FUND VI GP LLC, SHP IV Carried Interest LP, SHP V Carried Interest L.P., SMP Holdings Inc., SVIIT Holdings Inc., Sanei Collection Service Co. Ltd. Kabushiki Kaisha Sanei Shuuno Service, Senior Housing Partners V LLC, Senior Housing Partnership Fund V LLC, Sterling Private Placement Management LLP, Stetson Street Partners L.P., Strand Investments Limited, TBG Insurance Services Corporation, TENSATOR HOLDINGS LTD, TF Proveedora S.C., TMW ASPF I Verwaltungs GmbH & Co. KG, TMW ASPF Management GmbH, TMW Management LLC, TMW Real Estate Group LLC, TMW Realty Advisors LLC, TMW USPF Verwaltungs GmbH, TRGOAG Company Inc., The Gibraltar Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Keynes Dynamic Beta Strategy US Fund GP LLC, The Prudential Assigned Settlement Services Corp., The Prudential Brazilian Capital Fund LP, The Prudential Gibraltar Financial Life Insurance Co. Ltd., The Prudential Home Mortgage Company Inc., The Prudential Insurance Company of America, The Prudential Life Insurance Company Ltd., The Prudential Real Estate Financial Services of America Inc., The WMF Group, Thurloe Commercial Guernsey Limited, USPF V - Verwaltungs - GmbH & Co. KG, USPF V Carry LLC, USPF V Co-Invest LLC, USPF V Investment LP, United States Property Fund VI GP S.a r.l., VIP Australia Holding Company LLC, VIP Australia Trustee Pty Ltd, Vailsburg Fund LLC, Vantage Casualty Insurance Company, Wabash Avenue Holdings V LLC, Wabash Avenue Partners V L.P., Wadhwani Capital Limited, Waveland Avenue Holdings I LLC, Waveland Avenue Partners I Ireland L.P., Waveland Avenue Partners I US L.P., Wellness Services Ecossistema De Bem Estar Ltda., Wellness Services SRL, Yamato Life, and Yavapai LLC.

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Meritor, Inc. designs, develops, manufactures, markets, distributes, sells, services, and supports integrated systems, modules, and components in North America, South America, Europe, and the Asia Pacific. It operates through two segments, Commercial Truck, and Aftermarket and Industrial. The company offers axles, including front steer and rear drive axles for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles; heavy-duty trailer axles; suspension modules and brake products comprising drum and disc brakes; universal joints and driveline components; trailer air suspension systems and products; transfer cases and drivelines; and advanced suspension modules for use in light-, medium- and heavy-duty military tactical wheeled vehicles. It also provides air brakes, such as cam drum, wedge drum, and air disc brakes, as well as wheel-end components, including hubs, drums, and rotors to medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle manufacturers; and electric drive systems comprising electric motors and inverters, power electronics, battery pack, electrified accessories, and related software and controls for terminal tractors and medium and heavy-duty trucks and buses. In addition, the company sells other complementary products, including third-party and private label items, which include brake shoes and friction materials; automatic slack adjusters; yokes and shafts; wheel-end hubs and drums; ABS and stability control systems; shock absorbers and air springs; and air brakes. Meritor, Inc. sells its products under the Meritor, Euclid, Trucktechnic, US Gear, AxleTech, and Mach brands primarily to original equipment manufacturers, their parts marketing operations, and their dealers, as well as other independent distributors and service garages in the aftermarket industry. The company was formerly known as ArvinMeritor, Inc. and changed its name to Meritor, Inc. in March 2011. Meritor, Inc. was founded in 1909 and is headquartered in Troy, Michigan.
Quotient Technology Inc. operates as a digital media and promotions technology company that offers power integrated digital media and promotions programs for brands and retailers. The company's Quotient Promotions platform offers digital paperless, print promotion, and cash back rebates, including Coupons.com website and mobile applications; brand and retailer websites and mobile applications; and third-party publishing websites and mobile applications. It also provides Quotient Retailer Promotions Platform that uses consumer data and insights to distribute personalized and targeted media and promotions for retailers of grocery, drug, mass merchant, dollar, club, and convenience merchandise; and Quotient Media Platform, which provides targeted advertising solutions that enables brands to reach shoppers before, during, and after their shopping cycles with digital media campaigns. It also provides Quotient Retailer Performance Media Platform that uses retailer's consumer data to drive sales and enhances the shopper experience; Quotient Analytics provides campaign analytics and measured sales results to brands and retailers; Quotient Consumer Properties; and Quotient Retailer Media Services. It serves approximately 900 consumer packed goods, representing approximately 2,500 brands, including various food, beverage, personal care, and household product manufacturers; retail partners representing various classes of trade, such as grocery retailers, drug, mass merchant, dollar, club, and convenience merchandise channels; and consumers visiting its websites, mobile properties, and social channels. The company was formerly known as Coupons.com Incorporated and changed its name to Quotient Technology Inc. in October 2015. Quotient Technology Inc. was incorporated in 1998 and is headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah.
As Dalhousie students arrive for the start of a new academic year, they'll find their campuses are a bit more colourful. New lamp post banners, which are going up in anticipation of Dal's bicentennial celebrations, will be brightening the sidewalks along some of the main campus streets.

Welcoming community



The banners feature 14 Dal students, with at least one representing each of the university's Faculties. Ensuring the banners were able to showcase students from every Faculty required teamwork across the university community. Students were then selected with a focus on inclusion.



"This was a great opportunity to recognize the diversity in our community and in our program offerings" says Hope McCallum, Dal's Director of Marketing. "We want to be sure everyone feels they're a part of the celebration."



View all the banners at the bottom of this article.



You might notice some of the students have familiar faces: Hasmeet Singh Chandok (Computer Science), Nicole Dalrymple (Graduate Studies), Michael Doane (Management), Anika Riopel (FASS), Celeste Williams (Dentistry), Michele Tchiakoua (Health), and Jiajing Chen (Architecture & Planning) have all been featured recently in Dal News.

Bicentennial boogie



The students were literally ready to jump right in, so Dal photographer Nick Pearce was able to get all the shots needed in just three days. To get everyone in a groovy moving mood, students had a chance to pick their favourite music for the photoshoot. Then they were encouraged to strike a number of poses, from subdued to wildly expressive. Some even performed handstands and showed off their break dancing moves. Their enthusiasm shines through in the photos and, ultimately, in the final creative.



Dal designer Luke Smith says the banners are a physical demonstration of celebration. "200 years is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. We really wanted to express the excitement and energy of such a momentous occasion."

Collaboration at work



Communications and Marketing worked closely with Facilities Management throughout the process  from completing a full Halifax campus audit of all the current lamp post banner locations to the creation of a new map that outlines all the banner locations. On the Agricultural Campus in Truro, a new system is being installed that should see banners flying by 2018.



The banners will remain up throughout Dalhousie's 200th anniversary in 2018, adding a touch of festivity on campus and welcoming everyone to join the celebration. L to R: Tricia Crawley (College of Continuing Education), Catherine Callaghan (Faculty of Engineering), Moe Karkada (Faculty of Science). L to R: Mike Doane (Faculty of Management), Nicole Dalrymple (Faculty of Graduate Studies/Management), Cheyenne MacDonald (Faculty of Agriculture). L to R: Hasmeet Singh Chandok (Faculty of Computer Science), Celeste Williams (Faculty of Dentistry), Mike Coady (Faculty of Law). L to R: Anika Riopel (Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences), Alicia Malone (Faculty of Medicine), Michele Tchiakoua (Faculty of Health). L to R: Jiajing Chen (Faculty of Architecture & Planning), Alicia Malone (Faculty of Medicine), Jordan Boudreau (Faculty of Medicine).
By the time they filtered into the Rebecca Cohn Auditorium for this year's Induction ceremonies Monday night, Dalhousie's newest students were well into their third day of Orientation activities.



Rather than showing signs of petering out, though, the hundreds of incoming students made it clear they had plenty of energy and enthusiasm left to spare  especially when it came to displaying their newfound school spirit.



The room was a sea of black and gold as students waved their new Dal scarves, cheered, and at one point even danced when prompted by the student leaders, faculty and administrators who were there to give them their first official welcome into Dal's community of scholars.



"You have made a great choice in Dalhousie," said Dal President Richard Florizone, who began his remarks by giving the crowd a peek at his striped black and gold socks. "Dal is full of committed and talented individuals who really want to see you succeed, not just academically but to have a great experience on our campus."



Dal held two back-to-back Induction ceremonies in Halifax this year in order to accommodate as many incoming students as possible for the popular O-week tradition. Each year during the ceremonies, Dal faculty and staff observe the new students taking the New Student Pledge and take a pledge of their own (called the Faculty Pledge) as a display of their commitment to helping the students succeed in the years ahead.



Induction on the Agricultural Campus in Truro took place on Saturday, with Faculty dean David Gray reassuring the new crop of "Aggies" (as students in that Faculty are called) as they embark on their post-secondary journey at Dal.



"I will not lie to you. The next few years will undoubtedly be challenging at times," he said, "but our committed and dedicated team will be here to help you and support you when you need us."

From serious advice to selfies



Emceed by Cory Larsen, vice-president of student life with the Dalhousie Student Union (DSU), this years Halifax ceremonies gave students plenty to ponder and aspire to.



Medicine student and outgoing president of Dalhousie's Indigenous Students Collective Aaron Prosper from Eskasoni Frist Nation kicked the proceedings off by sharing a bit of Mikmaq history with the students and asking that they work together with Dal to help fulfill some of the many calls to action laid out in the Truth and Reconiciliation Commission's final report.



Following that, students heard from Arig al Shaibah, Dal's vice-provost of Student Affairs, who encouraged the incoming class to show pride, curiosity and humility during their time at Dal. She challenged each student to get involved in at least one campus or local event by the end of the first year that would allow them to make a positive difference in the community.



"At Dalhousie, we believe that being a successful student includes not only being an excellent scholar, but also becoming a good citizen and human," she said.



DSU President Amina Abawajy shared a collection of advice she gathered from Orientation organizers, leaders and fellow students as well as some of her own insights. She urged students to take time to care for themselves, get involved in activities outside the classroom, and to look out for each other.



She made good on the last bit herself when she instructed the crowd to "Get out your phones and save my number.



The move elicited much buzz throughout the auditorium and spurred a flurry of texts to her phone. She then turned her back to the crowd to snap a selfie with them.



Fifth-year Engineering student Bai Bintou Kaira, a 2017 Dal Governors Award winner and 3M Student Fellow from The Gambia, shared stories about her own path to success in her academic and community pursuits, ending the ceremony on an inspiring note.



Get involved and create your own unique story, she said. Do not try to fit in. Rather, try to find your place because there is space for each and every one of us."

Induction pledges



New student pledge



I promise to uphold and protect the integrity, good character and scholarly legacy as well as the culture of respect and good citizenship at Dalhousie University.

Faculty pledge



Today, as each of you stand, you commit yourselves to the academic success of your students in the lifelong learning process. Will you, as Dalhousie University faculty and staff, promise to provide students with an enriched educational experience; with academic challenge through active and collaborative interactions; and with a supportive and engaging campus environment? (Answered with: I will.)
All moved in and with goodbyes out of the way, Dal's newest batch of students took to the Studley Quad last Saturday afternoon for the start of Orientation activities in Halifax.

We caught up with some of them there to find out why they chose Dal, what they're most looking forward to this year, and what the university's upcoming 200th anniversary milestone means to them.

Bronwin OConnor  First Year, Integrated Science Program

Where are you from?

Brockville, Ontario.



Why did you choose to come to Dalhousie?

I came to Dalhousie because I have family that came here in the past.



What are you most looking forward to this year?

Im most excited to meet new people!



What might your new friends be surprised to learn about you?

I come from a huge family. There are nine of us.



Dalhousie celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. What does this milestone mean to you as a student? A lot of people are going to be coming together to celebrate throughout the year, so it will be interesting to be a part of that.

Grace Erikson-Mierau  First Year, Sociology and Social Anthropology



Where are you from?

Ottawa, Ontario.



Why did you choose to come to Dalhousie?

My Mom came to Dalhousie, so I have a family connection.



What are you most looking forward to this year?

Im excited to start classes!



What might your new friends be surprised to learn about you?

I own a business  Gracelets by Grace. I sell bracelets in the Byward Market.



Dalhousie celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. What does this milestone mean to you as a student? It sounds like the school has been around for a LONG time!

Andreya Skrlac - First Year, Commerce



Where are you from?

Calgary, Alberta



Why did you choose to come to Dalhousie?

Ive never been to Halifax before and wanted to try something

brand new!



What are you most looking forward to this year?

Meeting new people!



What might your new friends be surprised to learn about you?

Im bilingual  I speak French and English.



Dalhousie celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. What does this milestone mean to you as a student? We get to continue the Dal Legacy!

Cassondra Davis  First Year, Arts and Social Sciences



Where are you from?

Just up the road in Prospect, Nova Scotia.



Why did you choose to come to Dalhousie?

I wanted to stay close to home, and Dal is the best school around!



What are you most looking forward to this year?

New experiences!



What might your new friends be surprised to learn about you?

I looked into my ancestry, and it turns out I am distantly related to Princess Dianna.



Dalhousie celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. What does this milestone mean to you as a student? Its cool to know were not the first ones that have gone here. There are 200 years of alumni.

Dylan Bennett  First Year, Arts and Social Science



Where are you from?

Im from here! Halifax, Nova Scotia.



Why did you choose to come to Dalhousie?

I have a family history here, and I wanted to stay close to home.



What are you most looking forward to this year?

Pursuing what I am interested in studying instead of just taking general classes.



What might your new friends be surprised to learn about you?

I had two uncles that worked at Dalhousie, but the entire time they worked here they never met!



Dalhousie celebrates its 200th anniversary next year. What does this milestone mean to you as a student? Well, a lot of new buildings, thats for sure.






Ascent Resources said it had re-completed and connected its Pg-11A well to its processing facility in Croatia via a new flow line from the Petisovci field project in Slovenia.

All infrastructures required to produce and transport gas over the border had been completed and tested and all handover procedures, bank guarantees, and documentations between the two participants had been exchanged with final approval waiting to be granted from the Croatian government before production could commence.

Colin Hutchinson, chief executive at Ascent said, "We are pleased that everything on our side is now ready to commence export production and look forward to the final administrative details being completed as soon as possible."

Government approval was expected two weeks from the day of the announcement, with the firm pledging to make a further update in due course.

As of 1020 BST, shares had risen 6.67% to 2.00p.
Chaarat Gold Holdings said on Thursday that its drilling programme in the Tulkubash Zone of its Chaarat Gold Project in the Kyrgyz Republic had provided evidence of mineralisation open to the northeast with indications of continuity for at least three kilometres.

The group, based in the British Virgin Islands, had planned to extend its drilling programme from 11,000 metres to 15,000 metres as the discovery continued to show the "substantial potential" to increase project life at the Tulkubash open pit heap leach project.

Robert Benbow, chief executive of Chaarat, said "The results reported today continue to demonstrate the untapped potential of the Tulkubash heap leach project. The 2017 drilling program, as highlighted in the sections selected above, has identified oxide mineralisation for another kilometre northeast of the current Tulkubash pit and it is still open in that direction. We have progressed ahead of schedule and, with the encouraging results to date, are adding 4,000 metres to the drilling program this season bringing the target to 15,000 metres."

"We remain confident that the reserve base of the Tulkubash Project can be enlarged to significantly extend the life of mine. Once the mine plan is updated we expect the pre-stripping required before gold production commences to be considerably reduced. A reduction in the pre-stripping and the extension of the life of mine are expected to impact positively on the economics of the Project. The Feasibility Study for the Tulkubash heap leach Project is due for completion in Q1 2018," Benbow added.

As of 1045 BST, shares had moved up 2.35% to 16.00p.
Low-carbon technology energy business Cogenpower announced on Thursday that the Italian legislature has enacted a new law which prohibits state monopolies from retroactively revising decisions they have previously made, if such revisions would be detrimental to the affected party.

The AIM-traded firm said the law had particular relevance to its business, as its Italy subsidiary SRL had previously announced that it had been in dispute with the GSE, the Italian state entity overseeing the disbursement of Green Certificate environmental incentives, with regards to the company's entitlement to Green Certificates.

It said the GSE had sought to revise downwards its previously audited and approved entitlement to Green Certificates, and had consequently claimed a repayment of more than 0.9m, which it subsequently offset against 2015 certificates issued.

This new legislation comes just over two months after SRL had a positive decision from the Regional Court in Rome, as announced on 27 June, in which SRL had successfully contested the GSE's right to offset their demand for repayment against entitlements to Green Certificates for 2015 and 2016 and that the GSE's basis of recalculation of entitlements was flawed, the board explained in its statement.

The preliminary judgement was that the company's case had merit, although the full judgement of the court would not be announced until March 2018, due to its significance as a legal precedent.

Cogenpower also announced on Thursday that the GSE had made an initial payment to SRL of 0.392m.

It said the funds had predominantly been used to settle amounts owed to certain trade creditors of SRL and put the company in an improved working capital position.

There has been no further acknowledgement of indebtedness by the GSE, the board noted.

However, with the enactment of this new law, the board is confident of recovering the outstanding amount of approximately 1m which the company is owed by the GSE.

On 26 June, Cogenpower announced that it had become apparent that it would not be in a position to publish its audited report and accounts for the year ended 31 December 2016 by 30 June 2017 in accordance with rule 19 of the AIM Rules for Companies.

As a result, the company's shares were suspended from trading on AIM.

Cogenpower said it was continuing to make good progress with the audit, and anticipated being in a position to publish the annual report and accounts - along with the half yearly report to 30 June - by the end of September.

The company's ordinary shares remained suspended, pending publication of its annual report and accounts.

We are pleased that this law has been passed, reinforcing the regional court's decision in June, which fully supports the company's position, said Cogenpower CEO Francesco Vallone.

Despite the damage this dispute has done to the company's prospects, we are now looking forward to settling the matter and growing our business again.
US social media giant Facebook has admitted to receiving money from a Russian -funded campaign which was spread across its network in the last two years.

The company said it had received $100,000 from the campaign for 3,000 adverts, until it was halted in May of this year.

While the ads did not support any political entity specifically, they were based on issues such as immigration and rights.

Facebook said the activity originated from 470 fake accounts and were operated as part of larger operation based in Russia.

Mark Zuckerbergs company has led a campaign to prevent the rise of fake news in the aftermath of the 2016 US presidential election.

In a statement from the firms chief security officer Alex Stamos, it said that it had handed its evidence to special prosecutor Robert Mueller, The former FBI chief is leading an investigation into Russian interference in last years campaign.

"We dont allow inauthentic accounts on Facebook, and as a result, we have since shut down the accounts and pages we identified that were still active, Stamos said.

We have shared our findings with US authorities investigating these issues, and we will continue to work with them as necessary, he added.

The FBI has said that there was a high likelihood that the Kremlin attempted to exert an influence over last year's election, which was surprisingly won by Donald Trump as he defeated Hillary Clinton.
MPs will vote on the withdrawal bill on Monday

EU chief negotiator Barnier says progress is 'very disappointing'

Brexit secretary David Davis has refused to rule out the possibility of the UK contributing to the EU budget during its transition out of the bloc.

On Thursday, MPs in the House of Commons began debating the EU withdrawal bill, which sets out a transition period for the UK following Brexit day in 2019.

Davis and the Conservative government have been roundly criticised for their involvement in exit negotiations with their European counterparts as they struggle to bring together a cohesive strategy.

The minister told the Commons that he had considered the case for the UK joining the European Free Trade Association alongside the likes of Norway and Switzerland, but had decided against it.

When asked by Labours Hilary Benn about the possibility of the UK continuing to contribute financially when it leaves the EU, Davis responded by saying that the transition period would be important for both sides.

"The simple truth is membership of EFTA would keep us within the acquis and it would keep us within requirements for free movement, albeit with some limitations, but none of those have worked so far," Davis told MPs.

EEA AGREEMENT

He added that the UK would also be leaving the EEA agreement, but was looking into whether a formal declaration was needed to do so.

"We are considering what steps, if any, we might need to take to formally confirm our withdrawal from the EEA agreement as a matter of international law."

The Labour party indicated earlier this week that it would instruct its MPS to reject the withdrawal bill, which aims to transpose all of the EUs current laws into UK law in order to ensure a smooth Brexit transition.

Meanwhile, the EUs chief negotiator Michel Barnier has said he is 'very disappointed' by Britains attitude towards the so-called Brexit bill.

In a press conference, also on Thursday, Barnier also said that there is still no agreement on a solution for Northern Ireland, and reiterated that an arrangement which ignores the custom union is not possible.
The world's largest oil firms are continuing to evacuate non-essential personnel as Hurricane Irma barrels towards Puerto Rico and the Gulf Coast.

According to reports, BP was evacuating staff from its Thunder Horse platform, located 150 miles southeast of New Orleans.

Meanwhile, Shell was said to be monitoring its Gulf assets, while Buckeye Partners had shut its Yabucoa oil terminal in Puerto Rico even as it made preparations for the storm at two other marine terminals, in Florida and the Bahamas.

That followed a decision from Nustar Energy LP on Monday to shut its St. Eustatius oil terminal.

The announcements came shortly after Category 5 hurricane, packing sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, had struck the northern Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands.

Meteorologists were predicting that Irma would make landfall in Florida and the Southeast United States at weekend or by early next week at the latest.
Investor confidence in the UK's oil and gas sector may be making a comeback but companies need to continue pursuing efficiency gains and Westminster needs to provide more clarity, including on Brexit, to ensure the long-term health of an industry that is critical to the country's energy security, a leading business lobby said.

Among the tentative signs of a recovery, nearly $6bn of investments in assets and corporate acquisitions were carried out in the first half of 2017 and the pace of job losses had been sharply reduced, UK Oil & Gas said in its annual economic report.

The former trend was seen extending into 2018, while layoffs in the sector had slowed from nearly 60,000 in 2016 to roughly 13,000 in the current year, it said.

Furthermore, the group estimated there were nearly 40bn-worth of potential investment opportunities sitting on company business plans.

However, companies had to stay the course, relentlessly driving better efficiency and lowering costs in order for those plans to materialise in the near-term.

As for the government, UK & Oil Gas said its industry required "frictionless" access to markets and people to maintain Britain's supply chain and protect energy trading and the internal energy market.

Underlining the need for everyone to do their bit, the group highlighted how global oil and gas demand was expected to rise by 25% by 2035.

In the Britain, the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy had forecasted that the UK Continental Shelf would supply around two-thirds of domestic energy demand in 2035.

"It is crucial that industry and government work together to ensure that as much of the UK's energy needs as possible are met through domestic resources.

"[...] The focus on developing as much of our natural resource as possible is an opportunity that neither the industry or the government can afford to forgo."
London stocks were trading higher by midday, extending earlier gains as investors sifted through corporate news that included well-received results from Bovis Homes , with Direct Line also lending support.

The FTSE 100 was up 0.4% to 7,383.75.

Investors were digesting the latest figures from mortgage lender Halifax, which showed UK house prices rose more than expected in August.

House prices were up 1.1% from July, comfortably ahead of forecasts of a 0.2% gain. Prices were 2.6% higher on the year, beating expectations for a 2.1% increase, while the average house price rose to 222,293 from 219,918, and was above the previous high from December 2016 of 222,190.

Next up, the focus will be on the European Central Bank rate decision at 1245 BST, followed by the press conference at 1330 BST. With rates largely expected to remain on hold, the focus will be on what chief Mario Draghi has to say.

IG analyst Chris Beauchamp said: The big question is whether he will be able to talk down the euro for anything more than a few hours, or whether markets will simply look past his words with an expectation that a renewed tapering of QE is on its way, and that it is now merely a question of time. We know that the euros strength is beginning to irk the ECB, but will irritation be enough to prompt them into a policy change? And given the widespread rush to buy eurozone stocks, and hence the euro, is there really much that the ECB can do anyway? Away from the world of central banking, housebuilders remain in focus in the UK.

On the corporate front, insurer Direct Line was on the front foot amid news that the government might be backtracking on its changes to the Ogden rate, which was cut to -0.75% from 2.5% in February, forcing most insurers into sizeable write-downs as the new rate meant they had to pay out more to personal injury claimants. The proposed changes would mean a rate of 0% to -1%.

Housebuilder Bovis Homes reported a 31% drop in first-half pre-tax profit but the shares rallied as investors welcomed a hike to the dividend, a special dividend and healthy margins as they put their faith in new chief executive Greg Fitzgerald. FTSE 100 peer Barratt Developments, which released its full-year results on Wednesday, also gained ground.

AstraZeneca rose after putting out a pair of positive respiratory updates from Phase III trials of combined treatment Duaklir and Phase IIb trials of tezepelumab.

Imperial Brands was up after agreeing to sell 13.275m ordinary shares of 20 euro cents each in Compania De Distribucion Integral Logista Holdings on the Madrid Stock Exchange, raising gross proceeds of 230.8m through the placing.

ZPG rallied as it announced a deal to buy financial services comparison website Money.co.uk in deal worth up to 140m.

On the downside, Go-Ahead Group slumped as it reported that pre-tax profit for the full year fell 5.7%, while Ashmore was in the red despite posting a rise in full-year profits as underlying profit growth fell short of expectations.

Capita was under the cosh after it cuts its underlying operating profit for 2016 as it adopted new accounting standards, while Sanne retreated after the release of its first-half results.

RBS was also in the red amid calls for the full publication of a leaked report on the treatment of customers in its global restructuring group.

Admiral was weaker as it went ex-dividend, along with BHP Billiton, Land Securities, and Glencore, among others.

Market Movers

FTSE 100 (UKX) 7,383.75 0.40%

FTSE 250 (MCX) 19,604.52 -0.24%

techMARK (TASX) 3,428.30 0.25%

FTSE 100 - Risers

Imperial Brands (IMB) 3,302.50p 2.88%

Micro Focus International (MCRO) 2,407.00p 2.73%

Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG) 381.30p 2.61%

GKN (GKN) 329.40p 2.55%

British American Tobacco (BATS) 4,899.00p 1.81%

Barratt Developments (BDEV) 606.00p 1.76%

AstraZeneca (AZN) 4,631.00p 1.19%

TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI) 1,323.00p 1.15%

Johnson Matthey (JMAT) 2,865.00p 1.09%

Shire Plc (SHP) 3,996.50p 1.02%

FTSE 100 - Fallers

BHP Billiton (BLT) 1,450.50p -2.29%

Admiral Group (ADM) 1,841.00p -1.81%

Babcock International Group (BAB) 806.00p -1.35%

Paddy Power Betfair (PPB) 7,125.00p -1.18%

WPP (WPP) 1,389.00p -1.00%

Land Securities Group (LAND) 996.50p -0.94%

Rolls-Royce Holdings (RR.) 885.00p -0.78%

Standard Chartered (STAN) 744.30p -0.67%

Royal Bank of Scotland Group (RBS) 243.00p -0.65%

RSA Insurance Group (RSA) 645.50p -0.54%

FTSE 250 - Risers

Bovis Homes Group (BVS) 1,140.00p 8.37%

ZPG Plc (ZPG) 365.30p 3.02%

Euromoney Institutional Investor (ERM) 1,140.00p 2.52%

Hastings Group Holdings (HSTG) 308.20p 2.09%

Acacia Mining (ACA) 191.40p 1.65%

Nostrum Oil & Gas (NOG) 381.00p 1.60%

Petrofac Ltd. (PFC) 453.10p 1.52%

AA (AA.) 163.30p 1.43%

Northgate (NTG) 403.10p 1.36%

Indivior (INDV) 296.60p 1.30%

FTSE 250 - Fallers

Go-Ahead Group (GOG) 1,600.00p -8.73%

Ashmore Group (ASHM) 341.20p -6.57%

Pagegroup (PAGE) 477.20p -4.85%

Vectura Group (VEC) 90.80p -4.42%

Capita (CPI) 616.00p -4.35%

Phoenix Group Holdings (DI) (PHNX) 736.50p -3.16%

Sanne Group (SNN) 760.50p -2.75%

RPC Group (RPC) 893.00p -2.51%

Redefine International (RDI) 38.65p -2.47%

Restaurant Group (RTN) 306.80p -2.42%
Hong Kong Exchanges & Clearing chief executive Charles Li pledged to continue talks with Saudi Aramco to woo the oil major to its trading venue, particularly now given the bourses planned IPO investment link with China.

Li told Reuters that the talk will never stop in trying to woo Aramco, with China now one of the largest buyers of oil from the Middle Eastern Kingdom.

Earlier this year, Li said the stock exchange would use its position as a gateway to mainland Chinese investors in order to clinch the listing.

Aramco's attractions for all of the world's main trading exchanges were enormous, with Saudi authorities thought to be planning to list close to 5% of the firm's shares in a dual-listing in Riyadh and on a second as yet undecided venue, potentially raising up to $100bn.

Aramco was thought to be favouring New York over London for its foreign listing, according to reports, but financial and legal advisors had recommended London as a less riskier option.

For his part, Li pointed out the benefits of having access to an additional liquidity pool supported by domestic Chinese liquidity.

"Having a rival liquidity pool that is supported by domestic Chinese liquidity that trades and invests at a very different valuation [...] allows them to walk on two legs globally at different clocks of trading," Li said.
Go-Ahead Group posted results in line with expectations on Thursday, reporting bus operating profit of 90.7m, down slightly from 91.2m, and rail operating profit of 59.9m, sliding from 71.4m in the prior year.

The FTSE 250 passenger transport operator put the rail profit slide down to ongoing industrial action at its Govia Thameslink Railway franchise - in particular, the Southern division - although it claimed service levels were now improving as the impact and level of industrial action reduced.

Its board reiterated that agreement had been reached in July with the Department for Transport on contractual variations on the Govia Thameslink franchise, relating to industrial action, which had since reduced the financial uncertainty around the franchise.

We apologise to our Southern passengers who have been inconvenienced for many months by disruption caused by industrial relations issues, said Go-Aheads chief executive David Brown.

Service levels are beginning to improve but there is still a lot of work to be done to provide the level of service we and our customers expect.

Our primary aim is to improve the experience for our passengers and we are resolute in this commitment.

On the financial front, revenue was ahead 3.6% year-on-year at 3.48bn, with total operating profit down 7.4% at 150.6m for an operating profit margin of 4.3%, compared to 4.8% in the 2016 financial year.

Its profit before tax was down 5.7% at 136.8m, while basic earnings per share fell 4.8% to 207.7p.

The board still declared a 6.5% increase in the full-year dividend, to 102.08p.

Go-Ahead's regional bus operation received the highest levels of customer satisfaction in the sector, up to 90% in the latest survey and exceeding the levels of satisfaction achieved by some of Britain's best-loved brands, David Brown said.

Our local bus businesses are focused on improving customer experience, including making it easier to pay for travel.

Brown said that during the year, the latest contactless technology was introduced across a number of our operations.

We plan for contactless payments to be available to every Go-Ahead bus customer by the end of the year.

In bus operations, Go-Ahead said it maintained sector-leading performance in customer satisfaction in regional bus, with a score of 90%.

It also claimed Southeastern had achieved the largest ever improvement in customer satisfaction of any UK rail operator.

As one of the UK's largest providers of public transport, Go-Ahead plays a vital role in building a thriving economy and connecting communities, David Brown explained.

By providing essential bus and rail services, we help people connect with each other and get where they want to go.

We believe in creating shared value for our many stakeholders.

Brown said the company strived to deliver high quality services for customers, as well as sustainable returns for shareholders.

Our 29,000 employees, who are at the heart of the communities we serve, are key to our success and we believe in taking care of them.

Effective partnership working is vital to delivering efficient transport systems; we work closely with key strategic partners to deliver improvement and change.

Looking overseas, the company said it was progressing towards a new target for international operations to contribute 15% to 20% of group profit within five years.

Go-Ahead pointed out that its bus contract in Singapore had now commenced, and said it was delivering high performance levels.

Its third German rail contract had been secured during the year, and a bus contract was won in Dublin.

The companys board said it was actively exploring further bus and rail opportunities in the Nordic region, as well as in Australia.

The group remains in a good financial position, with a robust balance sheet, allowing us to invest in our core UK businesses and providing flexibility to pursue value-adding opportunities in new and existing markets, David Brown said.
The future of one of the UKs most iconic high street fashion brands in one of its markets was hanging by a thread on Thursday morning, with confirmation that the operator of Topshop and Topman in the island nation had gone into receivership.

Topshop entered the New Zealand market in 2014, under a franchise agreement between the brand's owner, Philip Green's fashion empire Arcadia, and local firm Top Retail.

Top Retail was launched with backing from local menswear giant Barkers, fashion designer Karen Walker and property investor Philip Carter.

But on Thursday, Conor McElhinney and Kare Johnstone of McGrathNicol were called in as receivers by the companys secured lender, at the request of Top Retails directors.

We have put our hearts and souls into this business, we have the best staff, great store locations, the directors said in a statement.

It is with regret that the directors had no alternative but to request the secured lender to appoint receivers.

We will work closely with the receivers to ensure the best possible outcome for the business and employees.

The companys two flagship stores in Auckland and Wellington would continue to operate, although the future of a South Island site in Christchurch was now up in the air.

Topshop and Topman had been expected to anchor The Crossing, a major retail redevelopment in central Christchurch on a site closed since the city was struck by a devastating earthquake in February 2011.

Its understood the brand struggled to compete in the market, being undercut but local fashion giants such as Hallenstein Glasson, and also swimming against the tide of New Zealanders shopping online from overseas, which is tax-free.

The collapse follows a similar situation across the Tasman Sea in Australia, where the Topshop brand was tipped into voluntary administration in May.
Rio Tinto announced increased coal reserve estimates to the Australian Securities Exchange overnight on Thursday, relating to Rio Tinto Coal Australias Kestrel underground longwall mine in Queensland, as compared to the previous estimate in the 2016 annual report.

The FTSE 100 company said Kestrel Ore Reserves increased by 62 Mt, to 185 Mt from 123 Mt.

As a result, Kestrel mineral resources exclusive of ore reserves had decreased by 65 Mt, to 241 Mt from 306 Mt.

It said the updated ore reserves and mineral resources were reported in accordance with the Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves and the ASX Listing Rules.

This increase in ore reserves reflects a continuation of work on Rio Tinto Coal Australia deposits previously announced on 3 March 2016, Rio Tintos board said in its statement.

The updates are based on a rigorous examination of leases that included an updated geological model, updated mine layout, revised coal product classifications and revised loss and dilution and productivity assumptions.

Rio Tinto confirmed that ore reserves and minerals resources were quoted on a 100% basis, while Rio Tinto's interest was 80%.
After his bulldozing reforms to the gold mining sector, Tanzania's President John Magufuli has turned his attention to local diamond miners, calling for a review of Petra Diamonds ' local mining contract.

On Thursday Magufuli ordered a review of Petra's contract over the Williamson diamond mine and ordered an investigation into allegations of under-declared diamond exports, mirroring the gold export probe that has beleaguered Petra's fellow FTSE 250 peer miner Acacia.

Overnight, a parliamentary investigative committee on diamonds and tanzanite mining accused the industry of being rife with corruption and tax evasion, with negligence by government officials causing losses of millions of dollars for the East African country.

Two reports on the diamond and tanzanite sector were submitted to Magufuli, with the president ordering the review and endorsed all the recommendations of the parliamentary committees in a live broadcast from Dar es Salaam.

In March, the government banned Acacia Mining from exporting its gold and copper concentrate exports as it accused the London-listed company of under-declaring its mineral content and for not paying enough tax, leading to the placing of one mine under care and maintenance earlier this week.

"Look out, Petra Diamonds," said Shore Capital mining analyst Yuen Low on Thursday morning.

"Apparently not satisfied with the havoc already wreaked on Tanzanian gold miners, press reports suggest that President John The Bulldozer Magufuli is now moving his crosshairs to the Tanzanian diamond sector  which, in practice, means Petras Williamson mine."

The Williamson open pit mine, which has been in operation since 1940, is Tanzanias main diamond producer, based upon the 146-hectare Mwadui kimberlite pipe, which is the worlds largest economic kimberlite to have seen continuous mining.

Petras expansion plan for Williamson is expected to see tonnage throughput ramp up to about 5m tonnes per year from the 2018 financial year, which, at a grade of roughly seven carats per hundred tons, is expected to deliver circa 350,000 ctpa.

Petras current mine plan for Williamson has a life extending to 2033, but given that the Mwadui kimberlite hosts a major resource of 40.4mcts the company sees potential to extend the life of the mine considerably.

Shares in Petra, which unlike Acacia is not too reliant on Tanzania for its output, were down just over 1% to 89.95p on Thursday afternoon.
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Hurricane Irma tore through the northeast Caribbean Wednesday, causing widespread devastation on the islands of Barbuda, Anguilla, Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy.

As many as ten deaths have been reported. One official called Barbuda barely habitable, estimating to the BBC that 50 percent of the islands population are now homeless.

The hurricane raked over Puerto Rico early Thursday, leaving one million without power and officials worried about flash flooding as the storm heads for the Dominican Republic. In Haiti, officials worry that the storm could wreak havoc on an island still recovering from Hurricane Matthew last year.

As reported by the Associated Press (AP):

On St. Thomas in the nearby U.S. Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and 1-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters. Many of their neighbors homes were damaged and once-dense vegetation was largely gone.

There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And its gone, Strickling said. It will take years for this community to get back on its feet.'

For a deeper dive:

Caribbean: BBC, AP, USA Today, Miami Herald, New York Times, LA Times. Puerto Rico: NBC. Haiti: Thomson Reuters Foundation

For more climate change and clean energy news, you can follow Climate Nexus on Twitter and Facebook, and sign up for daily Hot News.
By Mark Schlosberg

Rep.Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) introduced the Off Fossil Fuels for a Better Future Act (OFF Act) last week. This visionary bill comes as the nation bears witness to the devastation being brought by the climate change-super charged storm Harvey to Texas and Louisiana and braces for Irmas impacts. Storms like this and other extreme weather events will become all the more frequent and intense unless bold action is taken.

Gabbards billthe strongest yet introduced in Congresswill put us on a path towards avoiding increased climate chaos: It will place a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects and move the country to 100 percent renewable energy by 2035, with a focus on a rapid transition in the next ten years. The bill is co-sponsored by Representatives Nanette Barragan (D-CA), Barbara Lee (D-CA), Ted Lieu (D-CA), Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Keith Ellison (D-MN) and Jan Schakowsky (D-IL).

This legislation could not be more needed. While the impacts of Harvey are readily apparent to all, it is not an isolated occurrence. Evidence continues to build of the severity and urgency of the climate crisis. And while Trump flew to Texas and talked about helping communities there, he and fossil fuel-funded members of Congress continue to put the planet on a collision course with climate chaos. They deny climate change and are suppressing our governments ability to address it; they are moving to increase drilling and fracking on public lands and off our coasts; they are promoting development of more pipelines; and they are exporting more oil and gas abroad while wrecking the environment here at home.

In this dysfunctional political environment, a broad movement has grown to resist Trumps foolish and dangerous agenda. Hundreds of thousands of people have marched in the streets in DC and across the country. Thousands more have called members of Congress, written letters, and gone to town halls and community meetings opposing this destructive agenda. This is heartening and powerful, but we must do more.

To win on climateto really move off of fossil fuels and transition our economy to 100 percent renewable energy on a time frame that will actually prevent even greater climate catastrophewe must continue to resist Trumps agenda, but we need to do more than that: We need to propel a bold agenda for addressing the crisisone that will protect our communities while creating hundreds of thousands of good jobs in the renewables and energy efficiency sectors. This agenda must center racial and economic justice and cannot rely on false market solutions like carbon trading and taxing programs, which are simply corporate pay-to-pollute schemes. What we need is nothing short of a World War II-scale mobilization of our economy around a quick and just transition off fossil fuels and onto 100 percent renewable energy now.

Rep. Gabbards OFF Act is a critical step towards that mobilization. It requires 100 percent renewable energy by 2035 (and 80 percent by 2027), places a moratorium on new fossil fuel projects, bans the export of oil and gas, and also moves our automobile and rail systems to 100 percent renewable energy. Additionally, it provides for a truly just transition for environmental justice communities and those working in the fossil fuel industry. The bill requires that people in impacted communities have a leading role in the development and implementation of clean energy plans and regulations, and establishes an equitable transition fund and workforce development center, paid for by closing an offshore tax loophole and repealing federal tax breaks for the fossil fuel industry.

Now we must mobilize to build support for this bill. Though the prospects of passing anything in Congress right now are grim, moving members of Congress to support the OFF Act and elevating its profile are important for three reasons:

1. Create Political Consensus for Rapid Transition to 100 Percent Renewable Energy

Six years ago, when Food & Water Watch followed the lead of our grassroots partners to become the first national organization to call for a ban on fracking, conventional wisdom dictated that fracked gas was an environmentally friendly bridge fuel. There was lots of support for stronger regulations on fracking, but little serious talk about actually banning it. Yet hundreds of organizations and thousands of people all over the country organized around the issue and held their elected officials accountable.

New York and Maryland have since banned fracking. Rep. Mark Pocan introduced legislation to ban fracking on federal lands. Banning fracking became a top issue raised by Sen. Bernie Sanders in the 2016 presidential race, and a majority of Americans now support a ban. It took lots of hard work, but the political consensus has shifted. We must do the same thing with the urgent need to act on climate, by building support for the OFF Act.

2. Make OFF a Top Issue Now

Even though Congress is controlled by pro-fossil fuel ideologues, it is still critical that we work to get members to sponsor this bill now. If we organize to get large numbers of co-sponsors on the OFF Act, it will become a top issue that representatives will need to respond to. Even as it has just been introduced, the OFF Act already enjoys support from more than 100 organizations including a wide range of major national groups like National Nurses United, Progressive Democrats of America, Climate Justice Alliance, Indigenous Environmental Network and Peoples Action.

3. Make Space for State and Local Action

At the same time we are working to build support for the OFF Act, there are also campaigns across the country working to move cities, counties and states to 100 percent renewable energy now. Organizing around these local efforts can and should dovetail with efforts to pressure members of Congress to co-sponsor federal legislation. Passing local measures, or getting state and local elected officials to sign the OFF Pledge, will help build the political power needed to push Congress to support the federal legislation. Similarly, getting more co-sponsors on federal legislation to stop fossil fuel projects will open up more space for state and local action. These efforts work together.

Winning the fight to move off fossil fuels will not be easy, as the thousands of people who are working to stop pipelines, ban fracking and build renewable energy projects can tell you. But these are also fights that we canand mustwin if we are to protect people and the planet and avoid the very worst of climate chaos. The OFF Act is a critical first step in what must be a major national mobilization to restructure our energy system now.

Visit OFF Fossil Fuels to get involved in your community and join our grassroots team. Lets make this happen.
With no path to win, Mastriano still silent on conceding blowout loss
Positive emotions are often seen as critical aspects of healthy living, but new research suggests that the link between emotion and health outcomes may vary by cultural context. The findings, published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, show that experiencing positive emotions is linked with better cardiovascular health in the US but not in Japan.

"Our key finding is that positive emotions predict blood-lipid profiles differently across cultures," says psychological scientist Jiah Yoo of the University of Wisconsin-Madison. "American adults who experience high levels of positive emotions, such as feeling 'cheerful' and 'extremely happy', are more likely to have healthy blood-lipid profiles, even after accounting for other factors such as age, gender, socioeconomic status, and chronic conditions. However, this was not true for Japanese adults."

"Our findings underscore the importance of cultural context for understanding links between emotion and health, something that has been largely ignored in the literature," Yoo adds. "Although some studies have examined cultural differences in links between positive emotions and healthy functioning, this work is novel in that it includes biological measures of health and large representative samples from both countries."

The fact that positive emotions are conceived of and valued differently across cultures led Yoo and colleagues to wonder whether the health benefits observed in tandem with positive emotions might be specific to Western populations.

"In American cultures, experiencing positive emotions is seen as desirable and is even encouraged via socialization. But in East Asian cultures, people commonly view positive emotions as having dark sides - they are fleeting, may attract unnecessary attention from others, and can be a distraction from focusing on important tasks," says Yoo.

The researchers designed a cross-cultural comparison, examining data from two large representative studies of adults: Midlife in the United States and Midlife in Japan, both funded by the National Institute on Aging. Data included participants' ratings of how frequently they felt 10 different positive emotions in the previous 30 days and measures of blood lipids, which provided objective data on participants' heart health.

"Because of the global prevalence of coronary artery disease, blood lipids are considered important indices of biological health in many Western and East Asian countries," Yoo explains.

As expected, the data indicated that experiencing frequent positive emotions was associated with healthy lipid profiles for American participants. But there was no evidence of such a link for Japanese participants.

The differences may be due, in part, to the relationships between positive emotions and BMI in each culture. Higher positive emotions were linked with lower BMI and, in turn, healthier lipid profiles among American participants, but not among Japanese participants.

"By demonstrating that the cultural variation in the connection between emotional well-being and physical well-being, our research has wide-ranging relevance among those who seek to promote well-being in the communities and the workplace, including clinicians, executives, and policy makers," Yoo concludes.

In future work, the researchers will examine longitudinal data to determine whether the evidence suggests a direct causal link between emotions and health. They also hope to identify emotional profiles that may be more relevant or important to health outcomes in East Asian cultures.

###

Co-authors on the research include Yuri Miyamoto and Carol D. Ryff of the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Attilio Rigotti of Pontifical Catholic University of Chile.

This research was supported by a grant from the National Institute on Aging to conduct the Midlife in Japan study (5R37AG027343) for comparative analysis with the Midlife in the United States study (P01-AG020166).

All data and materials have been made publicly available via the Inter-university Consortium for Political and Social Research (ICPSR) website. The complete Open Practices Disclosure for this article is available online. This article has received the badges for Open Data and Open Materials.

For more information about this study, please contact: Jiah Yoo at jyoo32@wisc.edu.

The article abstract is available online at http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797617713309

The APS journal Psychological Science is the highest ranked empirical journal in psychology. For a copy of the article "Linking Positive Affect to Blood Lipids: A Cultural Perspective" and access to other Psychological Science research findings, please contact Anna Mikulak at 202-293-9300 or amikulak@psychologicalscience.org.
As we age, we may be less able to perform daily activities because we may feel frail, or weaker than we have in the past. Frailer older adults may walk more slowly and have less energy. Frailty also raises a person's risks for falling, breaking a bone, becoming hospitalized, developing delirium, and dying.

No one knows exactly how many older adults are frail--estimates range from 4 percent to 59 percent of the older adult population, according to a 2015 study. Researchers say that frailty seems to increase with age, and is more common among women than men and in people with lower education and income. Being in poorer health and having several chronic illnesses also have links to being frail.

Frailty also tends to worsen over time, but in at least two studies, a small number (9 percent to 14 percent) of frail older adults became stronger and less frail as they aged. A team of researchers decided to find out what factors might predict whether frailty in older men worsens or improves over time. The researchers' findings were published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.

The researchers examined information gathered from more than 5,000 men aged 65 or older (average age was about 73) who had volunteered for a study about bone fractures caused by osteoporosis (the medical term for a thinning of the bones, a loss of bone density, or increasingly fragile bones). At the start of the study, between 2000 and 2002, the men all lived independently and could walk; none had had hip replacements. Most of the men participated in a second examination about four years after the study began.

At the start of the study, the researchers determined the participants' frailty status by measuring levels of weakness, exhaustion, lean muscle mass, walking speed, and physical activity. They also asked the participants to fill out a questionnaire about their race, ethnicity, education, marital status, tobacco and alcohol use, and any diseases they had, as well as how they would self-rate their health.

The men were categorized as frail, pre-frail (had one or more signs of frailty, such as low grip strength, low energy, slow walking speed, low activity level or unintentional weight loss), or robust (showing no signs of frailty). The researchers tested the men to measure their ability to think and make decisions. They also assessed their ability to perform daily tasks such as eating, bathing, and performing other necessary activities. A group of 950 participants took blood tests to look for signs of inflammation.

At the start of the study, nearly 8 percent of the men were frail and 46 percent were pre-frail. The most common problems for the frail men were weakness, slowness, and low activity. Over four and a half years, the number of frail men increased while the proportion of robust men decreased. Among the men who were frail at both visits:

56 percent had no change in frailty status

35 percent had become frailer or had died

15 percent of pre-frail or frail men improved

Having greater leg power, being married, and reporting good or excellent health were linked to improvements in frailty status. In fact, married men were 3.6 times more likely to improve their frailty status. Men who had trouble performing their daily activities, as well as those with diabetes or COPD/, were less likely to improve their frailty level.

Activities that preserve strength and exercises that target leg muscles, prevent chronic conditions like diabetes and COPD, and improve social support might be good ways to improve frailty and slow its progression, suggested the researchers.

###

This summary is from "Patterns and Predictors of Frailty Transitions in Older Men: the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study". It appears online ahead of print in the May 2017 issue of the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society. The study authors are Lauren R. Pollack, MD; Stephanie L. Harrison, MPH; Peggy M. Cawthon, PhD; Kristine Ensrud, MD; Nancy E. Lane, MD; Elizabeth Barrett-Connor, MD; and Thuy-Tien Dam, MD.

About the Health in Aging Foundation

This research summary was developed as a public education tool by the Health in Aging Foundation. The Foundation is a national non-profit established in 1999 by the American Geriatrics Society to bring the knowledge and expertise of geriatrics healthcare professionals to the public. We are committed to ensuring that people are empowered to advocate for high-quality care by providing them with trustworthy information and reliable resources. Last year, we reached nearly 1 million people with our resources through HealthinAging.org. We also help nurture current and future geriatrics leaders by supporting opportunities to attend educational events and increase exposure to principles of excellence on caring for older adults. For more information or to support the Foundation's work, visit http://www.HealthinAgingFoundation.org.

About the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society

Included in more than 9,000 library collections around the world, the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS) highlights emerging insights on principles of aging, approaches to older patients, geriatric syndromes, geriatric psychiatry, and geriatric diseases and disorders. First published in 1953, JAGS is now one of the oldest and most impactful publications on gerontology and geriatrics, according to ISI Journal Citation Reports. Visit wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/JGS for more details.

About the American Geriatrics Society

Founded in 1942, the American Geriatrics Society (AGS) is a nationwide, not-for-profit society of geriatrics healthcare professionals that has--for 75 years--worked to improve the health, independence, and quality of life of older people. Its nearly 6,000 members include geriatricians, geriatric nurses, social workers, family practitioners, physician assistants, pharmacists, and internists. The Society provides leadership to healthcare professionals, policymakers, and the public by implementing and advocating for programs in patient care, research, professional and public education, and public policy. For more information, visit AmericanGeriatrics.org.
WASHINGTON D.C. -- Thunderstorms directly above two of the world's busiest shipping lanes are significantly more powerful than storms in areas of the ocean where ships don't travel, according to new research.

A new study mapping lightning around the globe finds lightning strokes occur nearly twice as often directly above heavily-trafficked shipping lanes in the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea than they do in areas of the ocean adjacent to shipping lanes that have similar climates.

The difference in lightning activity can't be explained by changes in the weather, according to the study's authors, who conclude that aerosol particles emitted in ship exhaust are changing how storm clouds form over the ocean.

The new study is the first to show ship exhaust can alter thunderstorm intensity. The researchers conclude that particles from ship exhaust make cloud droplets smaller, lifting them higher in the atmosphere. This creates more ice particles and leads to more lightning.

The results provide some of the first evidence that humans are changing cloud formation on a nearly continual basis, rather than after a specific incident like a wildfire, according to the authors. Cloud formation can affect rainfall patterns and alter climate by changing how much sunlight clouds reflect to space.

"It's one of the clearest examples of how humans are actually changing the intensity of storm processes on Earth through the emission of particulates from combustion," said Joel Thornton, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Washington in Seattle and lead author of the new study in Geophysical Research Letters, a journal of the American Geophysical Union.

"It is the first time we have, literally, a smoking gun, showing over pristine ocean areas that the lightning amount is more than doubling," said Daniel Rosenfeld, an atmospheric scientist at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem who was not connected to the study. "The study shows, highly unambiguously, the relationship between anthropogenic emissions - in this case, from diesel engines - on deep convective clouds."

Mapping lightning and exhaust

All combustion engines emit exhaust, which contains microscopic particles of soot and compounds of nitrogen and sulfur. These particles, known as aerosols, form the smog and haze typical of large cities. They also act as cloud condensation nuclei - the seeds on which clouds form. Water vapor condenses around aerosols in the atmosphere, creating droplets that make up clouds.

Cargo ships crossing oceans emit exhaust continuously and scientists can use ship exhaust to better understand how aerosols affect cloud formation.

In the new study, co-author Katrina Virts, an atmospheric scientist at NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, was analyzing data from the World Wide Lightning Location Network, a network of sensors that locates lightning strokes all over the globe, when she noticed a nearly straight line of lightning strokes across the Indian Ocean.

Virts and her colleagues compared the lightning location data to maps of ships' exhaust plumes from a global database of ship emissions. Looking at the locations of 1.5 billion lightning strokes from 2005 to 2016, the team found nearly twice as many lightning strokes on average over major routes ships take across the northern Indian Ocean, through the Strait of Malacca and into the South China Sea, compared to adjacent areas of the ocean that have similar climates.

More than $5 trillion of world trade passes through the South China Sea every year and nearly 100,000 ships pass through the Strait of Malacca alone. Lightning is a measure of storm intensity, and the researchers detected the uptick in lightning at least as far back as 2005.

"All we had to do was make a map of where the lightning was enhanced and a map of where the ships are travelling and it was pretty obvious just from the co-location of both of those that the ships were somehow involved in enhancing lightning," Thornton said.

Forming cloud seeds

Water molecules need aerosols to condense into clouds. Where the atmosphere has few aerosol particles - over the ocean, for instance - water molecules have fewer particles to condense around, so cloud droplets are large.

When more aerosols are added to the air, like from ship exhaust, water molecules have more particles to collect around. More cloud droplets form, but they are smaller. Being lighter, these smaller droplets travel higher into the atmosphere and more of them reach the freezing line, creating more ice, which creates more lightning. Storm clouds become electrified when ice particles collide with each other and with unfrozen droplets in the cloud. Lightning is the atmosphere's way of neutralizing that built-up electric charge.

Ships burn dirtier fuels in the open ocean away from port, spewing more aerosols and creating even more lightning, Thornton said.

"I think it's a really exciting study because it's the most solid evidence I've seen that aerosol emissions can affect deep convective clouds and intensify them and increase their electrification," said Steven Sherwood, an atmospheric scientist at the University of New South Wales in Sydney who was not connected to the study.

"We're emitting a lot of stuff into the atmosphere, including a lot of air pollution, particulate matter, and we don't know what it's doing to clouds," Sherwood said. "That's been a huge uncertainty for a long time. This study doesn't resolve that, but it gives us a foot in the door to be able to test our understanding in a way that will move us a step closer to resolving some of those bigger questions about what some of the general impacts are of our emissions on clouds."

###

The American Geophysical Union is dedicated to advancing the Earth and space sciences for the benefit of humanity through its scholarly publications, conferences, and outreach programs. AGU is a not-for-profit, professional, scientific organization representing 60,000 members in 137 countries. Join the conversation on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and our other social media channels.

The preceeding press release and accompanying images can be found at: http://news.agu.org/press-release/ship-exhaust-makes-oceanic-thunderstorms-more-intense/

Ship exhaust makes oceanic thunderstorms more intense

AGU Press Contact:

Nanci Bompey

+1 (202) 777-7524

nbompey@agu.org

University of Washington Press Contact:

Hannah Hickey

+1 (206) 543-2580

hickeyh@uw.edu
(Toronto - Sept. 7, 2017) A Canadian telescope with unprecedented abilities to image the sky and capture signals from space was unveiled today in Kaleden, B.C. The newly completed radio telescope will open the universe to a new dimension of scientific study thanks to key contributions from CIFAR researchers.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment (CHIME) is a radio telescope made up of "half-pipe" reflectors with an array of radio receivers along the focus. Unlike other radio telescopes, it has no round dish and no moving parts. CHIME will survey more than half the sky each day as the Earth turns. CHIME captures radio frequencies that can map hydrogen gas in the universe, which will allow scientist to create a three-dimensional map of the largest volume of space ever surveyed. This will help us better understand the history of the universe, the nature of distant stars and will help with the study of gravitational waves.

"With the CHIME telescope we will measure the expansion history of the universe and we expect to further our understanding of the mysterious dark energy that drives that expansion ever faster. This is a fundamental part of physics that we don't understand and it's a deep mystery. This is about better understanding how the universe began and what lies ahead," said Mark Halpern, a Senior Fellow in CIFAR's Gravity & the Extreme Universe program and principal investigator with CHIME.

CHIME is a Canadian collaboration with heavy involvement from CIFAR fellows in the Gravity & the Extreme Universe program (formerly known as Cosmology & Gravity). CHIME brings together scientists from the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory, where the telescope was built. Researchers affiliated with CIFAR have helped bring CHIME to life from its unique design to the underlying hydrogen-mapping technique. Key members of the scientific collaboration include Halpern (UBC), CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholar alumnus Keith Vanderlinde (UofT), Senior Fellows J. Richard Bond (UofT), Matt Dobbs (McGill), Gary Hinshaw (UBC) and Ue-Li Pen (UofT).

In addition to mapping the universe, CHIME captures a frequency range that is ideal for studying fast radio bursts and radio pulsars. CIFAR Program Director and R. Howard Webster Foundation Fellow Victoria Kaspi (McGill) is the lead investigator of the CHIME extension to study transient radio signals with Senior Fellows Ingrid Stairs (UBC) and Scott Ransom (National Radio Astronomy Observatory).

As CHIME was being developed, CIFAR researchers recognized that with only a small modification to the backend system, the telescope could simultaneously measure Fast Radio Bursts.

"CHIME's unique design will enable us to tackle one of the most puzzling new areas of astrophysics today - Fast Radio Bursts. The origin of these bizarre extragalactic events is presently a mystery, with only two dozen reported since their discovery a decade ago. CHIME is likely to detect many of these objects every day, providing a massive treasure trove of data that will put Canada at the forefront of this research," said Kaspi.

Fast Radio Bursts last only a few thousandths of a second but are far brighter and more powerful than any known short flashes, such as pulses from radio pulsars, a form of neutron star. Their brief nature combined with technological constraints have made them difficult to detect.

The $16-million investment for CHIME was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the governments of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, with additional funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and CIFAR.

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About CIFAR

CIFAR creates knowledge that is transforming our world. Established in 1982, the Institute brings together interdisciplinary groups of extraordinary researchers from around the globe to address questions and challenges of importance to the world. Our networks help support the growth of research leaders and are catalysts for change in business, government and society. CIFAR is generously supported by the governments of Canada, British Columbia, Alberta, Ontario and Quebec, Canadian and international partners, as well as individuals, foundations and corporations.

Media contacts:

Ann-Marie Paquet

Press Secretary

Office of the Honourable Kirsty Duncan

613-404-2733

ann-marie.paquet@canada.ca

Media Relations Team

National Research Council of Canada

613-991-1431 or 1-855-282-1637 (24/7)

media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca

Heather Amos

University of British Columbia Public Affairs

604-828-3867

heather.amos@ubc.ca

Chris Chipello

McGill Media Relations Office

514-398-4201

chris.chipello@mcgill.ca

Chris Sasaki

Communications Co-ordinator

Dunlap Institute for Astronomy & Astrophysics University of Toronto

416-978-6613

csasaki@dunlap.utoronto.ca

Juanita Bawagan

Writer & Media Relations Specialist, CIFAR

juanita.bawagan@cifar.ca

416-971-4884
Researchers from the UK and China will collaborate on five projects to develop the next generation of offshore renewable energy (ORE) technologies to enable the safe, secure, cheap and efficient provision of clean energy.

The collaborative, multidisciplinary three-year-long projects will use environmental science, technology and engineering to tackle key challenges affecting the development of ORE systems, such as offshore wind, wave and tide facilities, and maximise their environmental and socio-economic benefits. The projects will determine where the best energy resource is available and where would be best to implement ORE technologies, and inform the development of technology so that structures are resilient to extreme events such as typhoons and earthquakes.

The latest data published by the government in 2017 showed that a record 47 per cent of the UK's electricity was generated by clean energy sources in 2016. Overall, renewable sources - which include onshore and offshore wind, solar farms, hydroelectric dams and biomass - accounted for 25 per cent of the UK's electricity generation.

In addition, the projects will:

showcase the potential of ORE technologies to provide stable power supply for island and coastal communities, particularly in China, but also in UK offshore island communities

improve understanding of resources for ORE systems under different conditions between UK and China, all of which will move both countries closer towards a low carbon economy

help to understand and reduce the risk of extreme events and encourage sustainable development of ORE systems, which could kick-start floating design methods and assess suitability of current standards and methods

help to reduce the uncertainty in resource and the potential power produced, while identifying and informing ORE system build sites. This research could underpin other aspects of ORE development, both engineering and policy

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) and the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) are supporting the projects with almost 4 million of funding, which will be distributed from the Newton Fund. The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is providing support for all of the projects. The projects have been funded as part of the Joint UK-China Offshore Renewable Energy programme.

Richard Harrington, Minister for Energy and Industry, said: "The UK is a world leader in offshore wind which helps us meet our climate commitments while we grow the economy and create jobs.

"This 4 million investment will support collaborative research into the next generation of offshore technologies with one of our largest global trading partners, unlocking further opportunities for projects across the UK and the rest of the world."

EPSRC's Chief Executive, Professor Philip Nelson, said: "The Joint UK-China Offshore Renewable Energy programme will build on a successful history of international collaboration between EPSRC and NERC in the UK, and the NSFC in China, across a range of topics.

"This multidisciplinary programme has already delivered invaluable research on reducing energy demand at the city scale, the integration of electric vehicles and grid scale energy storage. These new projects bring together some of the leading minds in this field from the UK and China to increase our capacity to generate and distribute affordable, safe, clean energy."

NERC's Chief Executive, Professor Duncan Wingham, said: "This research will develop the potential of offshore renewable energy technologies, integrating environmental science to provide a better understanding of the energy resources, the sustainable development of ORE systems and where best to locate and deploy these systems to ensure a stable power supply with minimal environmental impact."

NSFC President, Yang Wei, said: "Further advancing China's already world-leading renewable energy sector is an integral part of the country's 13th Five-Year Plan and will help drive future economic growth and advance the cause of low-carbon development. As always, partnership with the UK in this field helps build upon both sides' complementary strengths in research and innovation and will definitely further strengthen our already productive bilateral relationship in the long run."

NSFC's Deputy-Director General of the Department of Engineering and Material Science, Professor Che Chengwei, said: "In the long run, it is vital to develop high-efficiency clean energy for a sustainable society. We are delighted to see the ongoing development of UK-China research collaborations, and believe these newly-funded projects lead to positive outcomes that will further strengthen bilateral cooperation."

The projects will ultimately promote economic development in China by bringing down the cost of energy, understanding the environmental processes that can lead to climate change as well as addressing the population welfare issues associated with reliance on fossil fuels.

Summaries of the projects:

Resilient Integrated-Coupled FOW platform design methodology (ResIn) - EP/R007519/1

The vision of this multi-disciplinary project is to provide a foundation to develop and demonstrate an integrated approach to system resilience for ORE in China and the UK, improving energy security while reducing environmental impacts. The proposal builds on environmental resource assessment techniques and data that enable enhanced characterisation methodologies with a focus towards localised environmental conditions and extremes. The engineering focus lies on the quantification and validation of the load reduction potential of novel floating offshore wind platform innovations.

Led by: Professor Lars Johanning, University of Exeter, and Professor Bing Chen, Dalian University of Technology

EPSRC funding: 811,876

FENGBO-WIND: Farming the Environment into the Grid: Big data in Offshore Wind - EP/R007470/1

The FENGBO-WIND project aims to utilise the newest developments in high-performance computing, physics-based modelling and data science, to create a new generation of predicting capabilities that support the design and operation of more economical offshore wind farms, while assessing and seeking to minimise their environmental impact.

Led by: Professor Mike Graham, Imperial College London, and Professor Yonghua Song, Zhejiang University

EPSRC funding: 812,414

Extreme wind and wave loads on the next generation of offshore wind turbines - EP/R007632/1

The aim of this project is to improve the design methodology for offshore wind turbine farms, leading to a reduction in environmental impact, reduction in design uncertainties and ultimately reduced cost of energy. Key themes that will be addressed include: the modelling of the ocean environment in typhoon conditions in potential candidate areas for offshore turbines in China; the creation of realistic environmental load time-histories on turbines; analysis of the structural and geotechnical design of turbines under ultimate state limit and fatigue loadings; and activities aimed at the establishment of long-term collaboration between the UK and China partners.

Led by: Professor Thomas Adcock, University of Oxford, and Professor Ye Li, Shanghai Jiao Tong University

EPSRC funding: 799,386

Modelling, Optimisation and Design of Conversion for Offshore Renewable Energy (UK-China MOD-CORE) - EP/R007756/1

The project aims to advance the use of virtual prototyping in the design and optimisation of ORE Power Takeoff (PTO) systems. Advances in virtual prototyping, which involves the use of numerical, analytical and empirical models to create and validate designs before the creation of physical PTO prototypes, can reduce the risks to offshore development through evaluation of difference performance and environmental metrics and interactions between separate system aspects. It can also address operating challenges such as availability by revealing stress characteristics and confirming the effectiveness of operation and management strategies for electrical generators and power converters.

Led by: Dr Alasdair McDonald, University of Strathclyde, and Professor Li Ran, Chongqing University

EPSRC funding: 809,108

Investigation of the novel challenges of an integrated offshore Multi-Purpose Platform - EP/R007497/1

The project proposes a multi-disciplinary approach to tackling challenges facing the integration of different offshore technologies, such as renewable energy and aquaculture, in a Multi-Purpose Platform (MPP) system, finding synergies in the manufacturing, installation, operation and decommissioning costs of the different facilities, lowering the overall cost. MPPs have the potential to save money, reduce overall impact and maximise socio-economic benefits. It will develop approaches to assess the feasibility of an MPP system and showcase this potential through two case studies, one focusing on an island community in China and one in the UK.

Led by: Dr Maurizio Collu, Cranfield University, and Liang Zhang, Harbin Engineering University

EPSRC funding: 766,237

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For further information please contact the EPSRC Press Office on 01793 444 404 or email pressoffice@epsrc.ac.uk

Notes for Editors:

The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)

As the main funding agency for engineering and physical sciences research, our vision is for the UK to be the best place in the world to Research, Discover and Innovate.

By investing 800 million a year in research and postgraduate training, we are building the knowledge and skills base needed to address the scientific and technological challenges facing the nation. Our portfolio covers a vast range of fields from healthcare technologies to structural engineering, manufacturing to mathematics, advanced materials to chemistry. The research we fund has impact across all sectors. It provides a platform for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone's health, lifestyle and culture.

We work collectively with our partners and other Research Councils on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK. http://www.epsrc.ac.uk

NERC is the UK's main agency for funding and managing research, training and knowledge exchange in the environmental sciences. Our work covers the full range of atmospheric, Earth, biological, terrestrial and aquatic science, from the deep oceans to the upper atmosphere and from the poles to the equator. We coordinate some of the world's most exciting research projects, tackling major issues such as climate change, environmental influences on human health, the genetic make-up of life on Earth, and much more. NERC is a non-departmental public body. We receive around 330 million of annual funding from the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS).

About the Newton Fund

The Newton Fund builds research and innovation partnerships with 18 partner countries to support their economic development and social welfare, and to develop their research and innovation capacity for long-term sustainable growth. It has a total UK Government investment of 735 million up until 2021, with matched resources from the partner countries.

The Newton Fund is managed by the UK Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy (BEIS), and delivered through 15 UK delivery partners, which include the Research Councils, the UK Academies, the British Council, Innovate UK and the Met Office.

For further information visit the Newton Fund website and follow via Twitter: @NewtonFund.

The National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) is widely respected as the most transparent research funder in China, it implements a rigorous and objective peer review system to support basic and frontier research, foster talented researchers and develop international cooperation. NSFC is RCUK's primary funding partner. RCUK's relationship with NSFC has developed significantly since the China office was set up. RCUK and NSFC signed a joint agreement in December 2013 to establish Biennial Strategic Meetings to optimise resources and explore more effective mechanisms for bilateral cooperation. This is the first of its kind for both the Research Councils and the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), and has been a vital step in solidifying the partnership.
LUGANO-MADRID, 8 September, 2017 - Thanks to DNA sequencing, patients with rare cancers for which no standard treatment is available could receive existing therapies that work in patients treated for different cancers, but who carry the same genetic mutations. The first results of a multi-drug and multi-tumour clinical trial (1), to be presented at the ESMO 2017 Congress, show that this kind of precision oncology trial is not only feasible, but also has the potential to identify patient subgroups who could benefit from existing drugs outside of their registered indication.

The Centre for Personalised Cancer Treatment (CPCT), a network of more than 40 hospitals in the Netherlands, systematically collects biopsies from metastatic cancer patients, which are then analysed by Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) in order to create a database that now comprises about 2,000 individuals treated for all types of cancer.

"By sequencing the whole genome in so many patients, we found commonalities between tumours and DNA mistakes. For example, the ERBB2 gene is mainly screened for in breast cancer patients, but we know that it is also present in patients with other tumour types," said principal study investigator Prof. Emile Voest, from the Netherlands Cancer Institute in Amsterdam, who led the trial on behalf of the CPCT.

"Now that we are able to identify these patients, the question is: How can we get them to benefit from existing, potentially active drugs? That is the basis for our Drug Rediscovery Protocol, which currently includes 19 different drugs from 10 pharmaceutical companies," Voest reported.

Since the trial was launched in late 2016, over 250 cases have been submitted for review: of these, about 70 patients have so far been found eligible and started treatment. Adult patients with solid tumours, glioblastoma, lymphoma or multiple myeloma with no standard treatment options were enrolled in the study in multiple parallel cohorts according to tumour type and trial drug.

"We have preclinical evidence and case reports suggesting that certain drugs, which patients with a given genetic aberration and a certain type of cancer are sensitive to, could equally be active in patients with the same mutation in other tumour groups. However, we also know that the tissue background is extremely important: That's why we create study cohorts not just according to genetic mutation, but also according to the specific tumour type," Voest explained.

The efficacy of the treatment for each cohort is analysed in a two-stage process: "If in stage one, the first group of eight patients with the same tumour type and genetic mutation responds to the treatment, we expand the cohort to 24 patients in stage two to get a stronger indication of the clinical benefit," said Voest. "Clinical benefit, in this case, is defined as either a complete remission, a partial response, where the tumour shrinks by more than 50 percent, or disease stability for at least 16 weeks."

To date, a clinical benefit has been observed in 37 percent of trial participants, and six of the 20 study cohorts have graduated to stage two. "We've seen real success with several anticancer drugs, including immunotherapy, a PARP inhibitor and an antibody combination," Voest reported.

"Our team is quite excited about these results, because everybody knows that developing new drugs is very expensive. With this study, we are providing a platform for expanding the indications of existing drugs and utilising them to their full potential," he said. "Using drugs that are already available based on DNA sequencing is a truly novel approach to personalising medicine, and we are talking to regulatory authorities to see how new findings in this area can be translated to the clinic as quickly as possible for these rare subsets of patients."

Dr. Richard Marais, from the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, commented on the study: "What makes this trial so exciting is that it could change the way we stratify patients for treatment, that is to say match their genetic profile with a treatment option. The team looks for mutations, some of which will have drugs to target them. If they find them, the patients are treated based on their genetics, rather than their indication: This is incredibly powerful. Beyond identifying new indications for existing drugs, this study is about finding treatments for patients for whom there is currently no standard of care," he said.

"Gene sequencing is starting to become standard practice in cancer care: For example, we know that about half of all melanoma patients have a so-called BRAF mutation, so we look for it and give the relevant individuals a BRAF drug. However, for these rare types of cancer or rare mutations, we need to sequence hundreds of genes to find the specific mutations that therapies can target. The CPCT has the ability to find those targets because it sequences the entire genome," Marais explained.

"This is very expensive, so the trial needs to show that it can be cost-effective and work for patients. Stratifying even 10 percent of trial participants could make the process cost-neutral: for health systems around the world, this would mean that despite a high upfront investment, the downstream benefits to patients and potential reduction of the cost of treating them would be enormous," he said. "In this context, the numbers being presented here are very impressive. They have definitely shown a proof of principle."

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Notes to Editors

Please make sure to use the official name of the meeting in your reports: ESMO 2017 Congress

References

1 Abstract LBA59 'Expanding the use of approved drugs: The CPCT's Drug Rediscovery Protocol (DRUP)' will be presented by Dr. Emile Voest during the Proffered Paper and Poster Discussion Session, 'Translational Research', on Saturday, 9 September 2017, 09:00 to 10:45 (CEST) in Pamplona Auditorium.

Disclaimer

This press release contains information provided by the authors of the highlighted abstracts and reflects the content of those abstracts. It does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of ESMO who cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of the data. Commentators quoted in the press release are required to comply with the ESMO Declaration of Interests policy and the ESMO Code of Conduct.

About the European Society for Medical Oncology (ESMO)

ESMO is the leading professional organisation for medical oncology. With 16,000 members representing oncology professionals from over 130 countries worldwide, ESMO is the society of reference for oncology education and information. We are committed to supporting our members to develop and advance in a fast-evolving professional environment. http://www.esmo.org
The latest outbreaks of emerging, dangerous pathogens, such as Ebola, MERS-CoV or Zika, emphasise the importance of the rapid development of effective vaccines. However, being able to predict the efficacy of new vaccines is and remains a challenge in vaccine development. DZIF scientists at the Heinrich Pette Institute and the University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf (UKE) were successful in their study in assessing early on the longer-term immune response in humans after being vaccinated with the newly developed Ebola vaccine "rVSV-ZEBOV". The study results provide approaches for searching for new strategies to improve the efficacy of vaccines.

rVSV-ZEBOV is one of the most promising vaccine candidates against the dreaded Ebola virus. In phase I of the clinical trial in 2016, it proved to be a safe and effective vaccine and is expected to be approved this year by the U.S. FDA. rVSV-ZEBOV is based on the vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV) - when weakened and genetically modified, it expresses a glycoprotein of the Ebola virus. To date, there has been relatively little scientific data about the immune responses to VSV. Until now, there has been no data at all on early responses of the innate immune system in humans who have been vaccinated with VSV. The current study is adopting a systems vaccinology approach. Using high-throughput technologies, in which tests can be carried out on a huge number of samples at the same time as well as statistical models, immune responses to the vaccine can be systematically analysed: "Following vaccination with rVSV-ZEBOV, we identified a signature of five early innate immune markers correlating with the antibody titer four weeks after vaccination," explained Dr Anne Rechtien, DZIF scientist at the Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology, physician at the UKE and lead author of the study. To do so, blood samples from days 0, 1, 3, 7 and 14 after vaccination were examined for various biomarkers. Among these immune markers was IP-10 (interferon-gamma induced protein 10) - a cytokine, i.e. protein, produced by the immune system cells. This is the first time that a soluble immune marker could successfully be identified that is "activated" early after vaccination, can be quickly detected and correlates with the degree of subsequent antibody response regardless of other early immune markers.

The current study is contributing to the better understanding of the immunological properties of VSV-based vaccines which could lead to a vaccination of people: It shows that VSV triggers a quick and strong activation of the innate immune system. Systems vaccinology approaches such as in this study can help to identify early immune markers that enable the long-term efficacy of vaccines to be predicted. Thus, the study results could provide important findings for the development of emergency vaccines such as vaccines against the Zika virus: For example, one approach would be to increase the efficacy of the vaccine by manipulating IP-10.

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Background

The development of the vaccine candidate "rVSV-ZEBOV" was supported by the WHO-led VEBCON. The German Centre for Infection Research supported the preparation of the studies at the UKE in Hamburg and in Gabon and provided the initial funding, the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) and the British Wellcome Trust provided the funds to prepare and conduct the clinical trial. The Canadian health authorities donated the vaccine candidate to the WHO, which then made it available for these trials.

Contact

Prof Marylyn Addo

University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf

German Centre for Infection Research

m.addo@uke.de

Dr Anne Rechtien

Heinrich Pette Institute, Leibniz Institute for Experimental Virology

University Medical Centre Hamburg-Eppendorf

German Centre for Infection Research

anne.rechtien@leibniz-hpi.de
The IAU has assigned names to fourteen geological features on the surface of Pluto. The names pay homage to the underworld mythology, pioneering space missions, historic pioneers who crossed new horizons in exploration, and scientists and engineers associated with Pluto and the Kuiper Belt. This is the first set of official names of surface features on Pluto to be approved by the IAU, the internationally recognised authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features.

NASA's New Horizons team proposed the names to the IAU following the first reconnaissance of Pluto and its moons by the New Horizons spacecraft. Some of the names were suggested by members of the public during the Our Pluto campaign, which was launched as a partnership between the IAU, the New Horizons project and the SETI Institute. Other names had been used informally by the New Horizons science team to describe the many regions, mountain ranges, plains, valleys and craters discovered during the first close-up look at the surfaces of Pluto and its largest moon, Charon.

"We're very excited to approve names recognising people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld. These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery," said Rita Schulz, chair of the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature. "We appreciate the contribution of the general public in the form of their their naming suggestions and the New Horizons team for proposing these names to us."

More names are expected to be proposed to the IAU, both for Pluto and for its moons. "The approved designations honour many people and space missions who paved the way for the historic exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the most distant worlds ever explored," said Alan Stern, New Horizons Principal Investigator from the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) in Boulder, Colorado.

The approved Pluto surface feature names are listed below.

Tombaugh Regio honours Clyde Tombaugh (1906-1997), the U.S. astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930 from Lowell Observatory in Arizona.

Burney crater honors Venetia Burney (1918-2009), who as an 11-year-old schoolgirl suggested the name "Pluto" for Clyde Tombaugh's newly discovered planet. Later in life she taught mathematics and economics.

Sputnik Planitia is a large plain named after Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honouring Tenzing Norgay (1914-1986) and Sir Edmund Hillary (1919-2008), the Indian/Nepali Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer who were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return safely.

Al-Idrisi Montes honours Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi (1100-1165/66), a noted Arab mapmaker and geographer whose landmark work of medieval geography is sometimes translated as "The Pleasure of Him Who Longs to Cross the Horizons."

Djanggawul Fossae defines a network of long, narrow depressions named for the Djanggawuls, three ancestral beings in indigenous Australian mythology who travelled between the island of the dead and Australia, creating the landscape and filling it with vegetation.

Sleipnir Fossa is named for the powerful, eight-legged horse of Norse mythology that carried the god Odin into the underworld.

Virgil Fossae honors Virgil, one of the greatest Roman poets and Dante's fictional guide through hell and purgatory in the Divine Comedy.

Adlivun Cavus is a deep depression named for Adlivun, the underworld in Inuit mythology.

Hayabusa Terra is a large land mass saluting the Japanese spacecraft and mission (2003-2010) that returned the first asteroid sample.

Voyager Terra honours the pair of NASA spacecraft, launched in 1977, that performed the first "grand tour" of all four giant planets. The Voyager spacecraft are now probing the boundary between the Sun and interstellar space.

Tartarus Dorsa is a ridge named for Tartarus, the deepest, darkest pit of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Elliot crater recognises James Elliot (1943-2011), an MIT researcher who pioneered the use of stellar occultations to study the Solar System -- leading to discoveries such as the rings of Uranus and the first detection of Pluto's thin atmosphere.

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More information

The IAU is the international astronomical organisation that brings together more than 10 000 professional astronomers from almost 100 countries. Its mission is to promote and safeguard the science of astronomy in all its aspects through international cooperation. The IAU also serves as the internationally recognised authority for assigning designations to celestial bodies and the surface features on them. Founded in 1919, the IAU is the world's largest professional body for astronomers.

The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, Laurel, Maryland, manages the New Horizons mission for NASA's Science Mission Directorate. Alan Stern of SwRI is the principal investigator and leads the mission; SwRI also leads the science team, payload operations, and encounter science planning. New Horizons is part of the New Frontiers Program managed by NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama.

The New Horizons spacecraft -- built and operated at APL with a payload and science investigation led by SwRI -- performed the closest flyby of Pluto. During the encounter, New Horizons collected more than 1200 images of Pluto and tens of gigabits of data.

Links

* IAU - https://www.iau.org/

* NASA's New Horizons Mission - http://www.nasa.gov/newhorizons

* SETI Institute - http://www.seti.org/

* Our Pluto - http://www.ourpluto.org/

* History of Planetary Nomenclature - https://planetarynames.wr.usgs.gov/Page/History

Contacts

Rita Schulz

Chair, IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature / ESA Netherlands

Tel: +31 71 565 48 21

Email: rschulz@cosmos.esa.int

Lars Lindberg Christensen

IAU Press Officer

Garching bei Munchen, Germany

Tel: +49 89 320 06 761

Cell: +49 173 38 72 621

Email: lars@eso.org
Programmers from ITMO University created a computer algorithm that allows tourists to find places of interest that are most popular with locals based on their instagram posts. To test the algorithm, the team analyzed Instagram photos taken in Saint Petersburg and compiled a list of museums, cafes, streets, and event venues preferred by the residents of Russia's northern capital, thus providing local suggestions to tourists. The results of the research were presented at The International Conference on Computational Science and published in Procedia Computer Science.

People tend to photograph memorable moments or places. Therefore, social networks, such as Instagram, are constantly becoming more and more popular. There are more than 700 million active Instagram users around the world. In most cases, people post photos either because it's their first time visiting a place or, on the contrary, because they go there often.

Programmers at the eScience Research Institute at ITMO University found a way to distinguish between Instagram users living in a city and visiting tourists based on how they post on social media. In a nushell, the researchers discovered which locations were most loved by St. Petersburg residents.

"Of course, popular locations for locals and tourists differ, but it was important for us to know how they differ. Guides usually offer tourists a list of 10-15 attractions. However, locals usually know much more. By identifying their favourite places, we can significantly diversify tourists' experience", explains Alexander Visheratin, engineer and head of research at eScience Institute at ITMO University.

To remove tourists' input from the analysis, the scientists chose two months of the year with the least number of visitors, that is, February and November, and collected all the posts from Instagram taken during that time in St. Petersburg. Based on each photograph that was posted, the programmers then analyzed the profiles of all the users who posted them.

Tourists would usually post a bunch of pictures made in the center of the city, along the main street, while geotags of residents' photos were scattered throughout St. Petersburg.

In order to detect city residents more effectively, the scientists used official tourist statistics. According to the information from the city administration, the largest number of tourists comes from the European Union (32%) and their holidays usually do not exceed two weeks. Thus, a user was identified as a tourist if his or her posts in St. Petersburg during a calendar year were covered by two 15-day or less long windows with a gap of at least 30 days between each time period.

Furthermore, the programmers excluded the 15 top tourist locations. "The main idea behind our work is to give tourists insider information from residents. Therefore, Nevsky prospect, Kazan cathedral, the Hermitage, Pulkovo airport and other well-known areas were excluded from the analysis. Metro stations, geotags for locations that represent the city as a whole, and nearby cities were also not included," shares Ksenia Mukhina, the first author of the paper, engineer at the eScience Research Institute, and assistant at the High Performance Computing Department at ITMO University.

The scientists also note that the algorithm now automatically organizes popular locations according to five categories: theaters and museums, restaurants and bars, bridges and streets, parks and other. Thus, the most popular place in the "Theaters and Museums" category was the Ice Palace, a big arena and concert venue, which was more popular than even the world-famous Mariinsky Theater in terms of the number of photographs taken there. In the category "Streets and Bridges", the locals mostly liked the Alexander Column at the Palace Square and the Fontanka river embankment.

The findings can have a real effect in the urban planning practice. "The method developed by researchers at ITMO University gives a fresh overview of Instagram data, this time from the perspective of the users who live in the city", says Damiano Cerrone, co-founder and principal at SPIN Unit consulting group, Project researcher at Tampere University of Technology and principal researcher at TERREFORM New York. "By isolating only the pictures taken by locals, ITMO researchers can produce maps that are less about global trends and mass-media and more about the everyday life in the city - a "locals' guide" for the city of St. Petersburg that is as genuine as it gets. Further on, they can also study how different uses and urban spaces are perceived by locals and tourists, providing two different perspectives that, if studied apart, can give planners new ideas on what is popular in the city".

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More than 1 in 4 lack dental insurance now, and half don't know how they'll get it after age 65, U-M/AARP National Poll on Healthy Aging finds

ANN ARBOR, MI - The dental health of middle-aged Americans faces a lot of problems right now, and an uncertain future to come, according to new results from the University of Michigan National Poll on Healthy Aging.

One in three Americans between the ages of 50 and 64 say they're embarrassed by the condition of their teeth. A slightly larger percentage say dental problems have caused pain, difficulty with eating, missed work or other health problems in the past two years. Forty percent of those polled don't get regular cleanings or other preventive care that can help prevent dental problems.

Insurance coverage appears to have a lot to do with this lack of care. Overall, 28 percent of respondents said they don't have dental coverage. But that percentage was much higher -- 56 percent -- among those who say they only seek care for serious dental problems.

As for the future, 51 percent of those surveyed said they simply didn't know how they will get dental insurance coverage after they turn 65.

Another 13 percent of middle-aged adults expect to count on Medicare or Medicaid to cover their oral care needs after that age. Traditional Medicare does not cover routine dental care, and Medicaid dental coverage is often limited.

The poll, based on a nationally representative sample of older adults, was conducted by the U-M Institute for Healthcare Policy and Innovation with support from AARP and Michigan Medicine, U-M's academic medical center.

"Our findings highlight a stark divide among middle-aged Americans in terms of their oral health now, and a real uncertainty about how they will get and pay for care as they age," says associate poll director Erica Solway, Ph.D. "This is not out of disregard for the importance of preventive dental care - more than three-quarters of the people we polled agree that regular care is important to preventing problems later. But it does highlight opportunities to improve access to care and insurance options after age 65."

Solway and poll director Preeti Malani, M.D., a professor of internal medicine at the U-M Medical School, divided the poll respondents into three groups based on their responses about their use of dental care:

prevention-focused: about 60 percent of the sample, who got regular preventive care as well as getting attention for dental problems

inconsistent prevention: the 17 percent who sought preventive dental care occasionally

problem-only: the 23 percent who went to the dentist only for serious dental problems.

"We know that oral health is a critical factor in overall wellness, and this research helps us identify some key issues - such as affordability and coverage - that we can focus on to address those 40% who are not prevention-focused," stated Dr. Alison Bryant, Senior Vice President of Research for AARP.

A clear divide

Poll respondents who were female, white, had higher incomes or had insurance were much more likely than others to take a prevention-focused approach to dental care. Men, African Americans, Hispanics, those with lower income, or those without insurance were more likely to seek dental care for problems only.

The differences among the three groups was also apparent when the U-M team asked about how easy it was to get care, and why they might not have sought care.

Among those who were prevention-focused, only 13 percent said they had delayed or hadn't received dental care when they needed it in the last two years. But that jumped to 35 percent in the inconsistent-prevention group, and 56 percent in the problem-only group.

Why didn't poll respondents get needed dental care? Cost was the most commonly reported answer, given by 69 percent who said they did not get or delayed needed care. Respondents also reported they were afraid of the dentist, couldn't find time to go, or couldn't find a dentist. Of the people who didn't receive care they needed, one in five cited fear of the dentist as a major factor.

Uncertain future

Looking ahead to the years beyond their 65th birthday - an age when most Americans become eligible for Medicare- the poll respondents were uncertain about how they'd get dental insurance.

Some - 16 percent - said they counted on employer-based coverage or a retirement-based plan. Another 12 percent said they planned to buy supplemental dental insurance.

And in addition to the half of respondents who indicated that they didn't know whether they will have dental insurance at all after age 65, another eight percent said they'd just go without it.

But it's the remaining respondents - the 13 percent who expect Medicare or Medicaid to cover their dental care in their older years - that concern the poll leaders the most.

"Traditional Medicare does not cover dental care, and many states offer very limited or no dental coverage for adults with Medicaid," says Malani. "Even those who were diligent about seeing the dentist and had dental insurance throughout adulthood may find it harder to afford dental care as they get older and coverage options may be more limited."

The nationally representative sample included 1,066 people ages 50 to 64, who answered a wide range of questions online; laptops and Internet access were provided to those who did not already have it.

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A full report of the findings and methodology is available at http://www.healthyagingpoll.org.

The poll will issue its next findings in late September; sign up for email notifications on the website.
Patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma who are positive for human papilloma virus (HPV-positive) have been observed to respond significantly better to chemo-radiotherapy than HPV-negative patients. This observation is surprising because HPV infection leads to an increased risk of developing oropharyngeal cancer. To date, the reason for this dichotomy has not been well understood.

In an article in the August 2017 issue of EMBO: Molecular Medicine, researchers and clinicians at the Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) Hollings Cancer Center report having identified one of the underlying mechanisms -- expression of the viral protein E7 leads to cell death through mitophagy, a process that destroys the mitochondria. They went on to develop a novel peptide that mimics this pathway and improves therapeutic intervention in HPV-negative head and neck cancers.

"This study looked at both the clinical aspects as well as the mechanistic and therapeutic aspects of oral cancer. We are very excited about these findings because they represent what is happening in the clinic," says Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D., senior author for this study, director of the Lipidomics Shared Resource Center and professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at MUSC.

Ogretmen's laboratory has a history of studying mitochondria as well as a specific lipid, ceramide. Association of ceramide with mitochondria elicits a decrease in energy production as well as an increase in the production of toxic molecules called reactive oxygen species. The findings described in their recent work bridges these two areas of study and describes a mechanism of cell death termed ceramide-induced mitophagy, which plays an important role in killing oral cancer cells.

Ceramide-induced mitophagy is a two-pronged approach to killing cancer cells. The first prong involves treating cancer cells with cisplatin, a chemotherapeutic agent that mimics ceramide. The treated cells accumulate ceramide at the mitochondria. The second prong involves the viral protein E7. The E7 protein liberates the cellular protein E2F5, which is then capable of binding another cellular protein called dynamin related protein 1 (DRP1). This complex is then targeted to the mitochondria. Importantly, it is the combined presence of ceramide and DRP1 at mitochondria that prompts mitochondrial degradation and ultimately cell death.

Having described the mechanism by which HPV-positive cancer cells succumb to chemotherapy, the Ogretmen lab next wanted to determine if they could apply these findings to HPV- cancers, since patients with these cancers are much more likely to succumb to their disease relative to patients with HPV-related cancer.

"Based on these mechanistic findings, we developed a peptide that can mimic the HPV effects without the HPV infection," says Ogretmen.

In order to accomplish this, they developed a peptide that mimics the interaction of the cellular proteins E2F5 and DRP1. Treatment of HPV- oral cancer cells with cisplatin and this novel peptide led to increased cell death in a manner that was similar to treatment of HPV-positive cancer cells with cisplatin. Further experiments showed that this peptide was effective at killing HPV cancer cells in a mouse model.

Future studies are aimed at better understanding the mechanism by which ceramide is incorporated into mitochondria. How does ceramide enter the cell? How is ceramide transported to the mitochondria? Better understanding of this pathway may provide further avenues for improved treatment with cisplatin or other ceramide-like compounds.

Overall, these results demonstrate that chemotherapy is much more effective in HPV-positive cancer cells and that this improved efficacy can be achieved in HPV-negative cancer cells through co-treatment with an E2F5 peptide.

"We are very excited about the potential therapeutic aspects of this peptide; however, developing a drug and taking that drug to the clinic takes a lot of effort and a lot of funding," says Ogretmen.

There are many hurdles that have to be overcome before this novel treatment becomes available in the clinic. One of the first hurdles is manufacturing large quantities of the peptide using good laboratory practices, which is a requirement of the Food and Drug Administration. Once these protocols have been established, clinical trials testing the safety and efficacy of this combinatorial therapy can begin.

This work was achieved through the coordinated collaboration of clinicians and basic science researchers and exemplifies the "bed to bench to bed" mantra that scientific research strives to achieve. Patients were asked to donate the leftover cancer tissue from their surgery. Then the tissues were tested in the lab and in animal models. Now, the results of these tests are to be taken back into the clinic (bedside) in an attempt to treat patients with HPV-negative head and neck cancers.

"Given the profound impact of HPV status on survival, it has become clear that understanding the mechanisms driving the sensitivity of HPV-related disease to cytotoxic therapies could provide the foundation for novel therapies in HPV-negative head and neck cancer," says David Neskey, M.D., a surgeon at MUSC Hollings Cancer Center specializing in the treatment of head and neck cancers.

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About MUSC

Founded in 1824 in Charleston, The Medical University of South Carolina is the oldest medical school in the South. Today, MUSC continues the tradition of excellence in education, research, and patient care. MUSC educates and trains more than 3,000 students and residents, and has nearly 13,000 employees, including approximately 1,500 faculty members. As the largest non-federal employer in Charleston, the university and its affiliates have collective annual budgets in excess of $2.2 billion. MUSC operates a 750-bed medical center, which includes a nationally recognized Children's Hospital, the Ashley River Tower (cardiovascular, digestive disease, and surgical oncology), Hollings Cancer Center (a National Cancer Institute designated center) Level I Trauma Center, and Institute of Psychiatry. For more information on academic information or clinical services, visit musc.edu. For more information on hospital patient services, visit muschealth.org.

About MUSC Hollings Cancer Center

The Hollings Cancer Center at the Medical University of South Carolina is a National Cancer Institute-designated cancer center and the largest academic-based cancer research program in South Carolina. The cancer center comprises more than 120 faculty cancer scientists with an annual research funding portfolio of $44 million and a dedication to reducing the cancer burden in South Carolina. Hollings offers state-of-the-art diagnostic capabilities, therapies and surgical techniques within multidisciplinary clinics that include surgeons, medical oncologists, radiation therapists, radiologists, pathologists, psychologists and other specialists equipped for the full range of cancer care, including more than 200 clinical trials. For more information, visit http://www.hollingscancercenter.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. Sept 7, 2017 - The U.S. Department of Agriculture's (USDA) National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) today announced $945,400 in available funding to help foster the next generation of multicultural scholars in agricultural sciences. Funding is made through NIFA's Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP).

"The Multicultural Scholars Program seeks to help young people reach their potential in the agricultural sciences," said NIFA Director Sonny Ramaswamy. "It is important to develop the most diverse talent pool possible and show these students the abundant opportunities in the agricultural sector."

The Higher Education Multicultural Scholars Program (MSP) helps colleges and universities recruit and retain multicultural scholars who may pursue degrees in food and agricultural sciences disciplines or the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree. Projects may involve scholarships to support recruiting, engaging, retaining, mentoring, and training of committed, eligible multicultural scholars.

Eligible applicants include land-grant institutions, colleges and universities with significant minority enrollments and the capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences, and other colleges and universities with the capacity to teach food and agricultural sciences. Additionally, research foundations maintained by an eligible college or university are eligible to submit undergraduate and/or Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) training proposals under this RFA. Applicants should be institutions that confer an undergraduate or DVM degree in at least one of the disciplines in the food and agricultural sciences.

The deadline for applications is October 31, 2017. See the request for applications for details.

Among previous projects, North Carolina State University's Poultry Science Department recruited five multicultural scholars into their program. Three graduated within four years, while the remaining two will graduate next year with double majors. Over the course of the project, the department has seen a steady increase in its ability to attract and retain additional students from underrepresented groups, and the program is now comprised of approximately 20 percent underrepresented students.

Oregon State University offers scholarships to undergraduate students from groups underrepresented in agriculture, natural resources, food science, or human health, and nutrition. They have developed an innovative and interdisciplinary undergraduate curriculum in renewable materials, and are actively recruiting more multicultural students to build the pipeline of professionals in this area. In recent years, the university has awarded 27 scholarships to MSP students pursuing BioResource Research (BRR), an interdisciplinary biosciences major centered on student research.

NIFA's mission is to invest in and advance agricultural research, education, and extension to solve societal challenges. NIFA's investments in transformative science directly support the long-term prosperity and global preeminence of U.S. agriculture. To learn more about NIFA's impact on agricultural sciences, visit http://www.nifa.usda.gov/Impacts, sign up for updates, and follow us on Twitter @USDA_NIFA, #NIFAImpacts.

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Long-Qing Chen, Donald W. Hamer Professor of Materials Science and Engineering, professor of engineering science and mechanics and professor of mathematics, Penn State, has been awarded a Humboldt Research Award by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation of Germany.

"The award is granted in recognition of a researcher's entire achievements to date, to academics whose fundamental discoveries, new theories or insights have had a significant impact on their own discipline and who are expected to continue producing cutting-edge achievements in the future," according to the foundation.

Chen was nominated by Jurgen Rodel, a member of the German National Academy of Science and Engineering and professor of materials science and engineering at the Technische Universitat Darmstadt in Germany.

"It's such a great honor to be selected for the prestigious Humboldt Prize," said Chen. "I am grateful for the generosity of Professor Rodel for his time and effort in putting together the nomination package."

The Humboldt Research Award also seeks to foster international scientific collaboration and award winners are invited to spend a period of up to one year cooperating on a long-term research project with specialist colleagues at a research institution in Germany.

"I would like to use this opportunity to learn about the European culture, the German culture in particular, and their research environment, and to establish collaborations with prominent research groups in Germany," said Chen. "For example, I plan to work with Professor Rodel and his colleagues at Darmstadt on a number of problems of mutual interest including mechanical tuning of electric properties of ceramics, multiferroic thin films, phase change materials, and lead-free relaxor/semiconductor composites," said Chen.

Chen also plans to establish partnerships with other research groups in Germany.

"I am planning several short-term visits to more than half a dozen prominent laboratories around Germany, including Professor Rainer Waser's group at RWTH Aachen University, Professor Joachim Maier's group at the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research in Stuttgart and Dr. Dierk Raabe's group at the Max Planck Institute for Iron Research GmbH in Dusseldorf," said Chen. "I hope to learn about their research efforts on resistive switching, the mesoscale mechanisms of ionic conduction in solid electrolytes and interactions between phase transformations and plasticity. I also plan to visit several groups who are leaders in the phase-field method development including Ingo Steinbach's group at the University of Bohem."

Chen joined the Penn State's faculty in 1992 and has earned worldwide recognition and acclaim for his leadership in computational materials science. He is a Fellow and life member of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society. He also is a Fellow of the Materials Research Society, the American Physical Society, the American Ceramic Society and ASM International. He received the 2014 Materials Research Society Materials Theory Award, the 2011 TMS Electronic, Magnetic, and Photonic Materials Division Distinguished Scientist Award and the 2015 Lee Hsun Lecture Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Shenyang Institute for Metals.

He is the editor-in-chief of npj Computational Materials, a Nature Partner Journal published by the Nature Publishing Group (now Nature Research under Springer-Nature). He has published more than 500 papers in the area of computational microstructure evolution and multiscale modeling of metallic alloys, oxides and thin films and energy materials. In 2005, he was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship.

Chen earned a bachelor's degree from Zhejiang University, China; a master's degree from the State University of New York at Stony Brook; and a doctoral degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, all in materials science and engineering.

Every year, the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation grants up to 100 Humboldt Research Awards to internationally renowned academics in all disciplines. The award is named after the late Prussian naturalist and explorer Alexander von Humboldt.

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The prices that large employers pay for hospital care in Indiana are high relative to national norms and are increasing over time relative to the prices that Medicare pays for the same services, according to a new RAND Corporation study.

The price of hospital care varied widely among groups of hospitals and hospital systems, ranging from less than two times the rate Medicare pays for the same services to more than 3.5 times what Medicare pays, according to the analysis. The state's largest hospital systems generally command the highest prices.

The study found the prices paid for hospital outpatient care in Indiana averaged 3.5 times what Medicare would have paid for the same services. Although there are no studies that benchmark the cost of such care nationally, other research has suggested that Indiana has high outpatient hospital costs.

"The prices that employer-sponsored health plans pay for hospital services in Indiana are unreasonably high, especially for outpatient services," said Chapin White, the study's author and a senior policy researcher at RAND, a nonprofit research organization. "With this information, employers can develop strategies over the next several years to gradually rein in the high prices they pay for hospital services."

While previous studies have examined the relative cost of hospital care, the RAND study is the first to include details about the prices paid to individual hospitals and health systems rather than reporting results in an aggregated or blinded fashion.

RAND was asked by the Employers' Forum of Indiana to analyze insurance claims data to provide insight into the prices employers pay to hospitals. The goal was to provide information to help employers become better-informed purchasers of health care and stronger advocates on behalf of their employees.

Despite spending more than half a billion dollars on hospital care over a three-year period, the employers that participated in the study previously had only limited information about the prices they pay hospitals for their workers' health care, limiting their ability to negotiate lower prices.

The RAND study calculated the average prices paid for hospital services in Indiana by analyzing insurance claims data provided by a group of employers that chose to participate in the study. Participating employers provide coverage to 225,000 people, representing about 7 percent of the Indiana population with employer-sponsored health coverage. The study is based on claims for services provided from July 2013 through June 2016.

The study includes details about the payments to hospitals and hospital systems relative to the payments made by Medicare for the same services. Parkview Health system had the highest prices at 3.7 times the rate paid by Medicare, with Deaconess Health System at the low end with prices at 1.2 times the Medicare rate.

The overall average price for inpatient hospital care in Indiana was 2.17 times the Medicare rate. A recent study using national data on payments for inpatient hospital care found the average price paid by private plans was 1.75 times the Medicare rate.

The RAND study found that the relative price of hospital care in Indiana rose over the three-year study period, with particularly steep increases for two hospital systems -- Parkview Health and Community Health Network.

"By itself, increased price transparency will not bring down prices, but it can enable employers and other purchasers to change their health benefit design in ways that reduce costs," White said.

The report suggests two approaches that employers in Indiana can take to reduce the amount they pay for services at the state's hospitals.

One would be to move away from agreements where employers pay a discount of the charges billed by hospitals. Paying hospitals discounted charges encourages hospitals to aggressively inflate charges, according to the report. A better approach is to contract with hospitals to pay a prospectively determined amount for each procedure, which could be accomplished by paying a fixed multiple of the prices set by Medicare.

A second approach might be to use benefit design to move patients away from high-priced hospitals and health systems to lower-priced providers.

"Employers play a key role in the U.S. health care system, but to be smart shoppers they need solid information on the care they are buying and the prices they are paying," White said. "Alternative payment models, like shared savings or bundling, get a lot of attention. But this study shows that we also need to focus on the basics, and do more to rationalize prices in existing fee-for-service payment systems."

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Support for the study was provided by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

RAND Health is the nation's largest independent health policy research program, with a broad research portfolio that focuses on health care costs, quality and public health preparedness, among other topics.
Despite their names, hermit crabs, king crabs and horseshoe crabs are not true crabs. Neither are porcelain crabs, decapod crab-like crustaceans that live in shallow water throughout the world's oceans. Researchers working at the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) in Panama and the Justus-Liebig University in Giessen, Germany (JLU), recently identified a new species of porcelain crab: Pachycheles tuerkayi.

"For quite some time, scientists confused our new species with another, very similar species called P. serratus that often shares the same habitat," said Alexandra Hiller, research collaborator at STRI and JLU. "They look nearly the same and are both found in the southern Caribbean Sea. However, our new species has hairy claws and is only found along the coasts of Costa Rica, Panama and Colombia, whereas P. serratus is found from Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands to Panama and south to Venezuela."

The new species, P. tuerkayi, is named for the late Michael Turkay, head of the Crustacea Section at the Senckenberg Research Institute in Germany for more than 30 years, and long-time friend and colleague of Hiller and lead author, Bernd Werding from the Department of Animal Ecology and Systematic Zoology, JLU. The new species was published in a special issue of Crustaceana dedicated to Turkay.

"We collected samples of P. tuerkayi and P. serratus under boulders off the coast of Santa Marta, Cartagena and the Gulf of Uraba, Colombia, and also from Bocas del Toro and Playa Diablo, Panama, and from Isla Margarita, Venezuela," said Hiller. "We compared the ribosomal DNA of these two species in a phylogeny with other species of Pachycheles and found that they were very different, more different, in fact, than related crabs in the Atlantic and Pacific, separated by the Isthmus of Panama."

Hiller and Werding have described nine new species of porcelain crabs, four of which were discovered in the Caribbean and along the Pacific coasts of Colombia and Panama. The authors have identified more than 20 pairs of porcelain crab sister species--one species on each side of the Isthmus of Panama.

Porcelain crabs are tiny in the tropics, usually less than 1.5 centimeters wide, but in temperate waters like those bordering the coast of Chile, species can be more than 9 cm wide. These extremely fragile animals shed claws and walking legs more easily and frequently than true crabs as a strategy to evade a predator, which is why they are called porcelain crabs. This new discovery brings the total number of porcelain crab species in the west Atlantic to 50.

The specimens used to describe the new species will be deposited in the collections of the Museo de Historia Natural Marina de Colombia as well as in the Senckenberg Research Institute, Frankfurt, Germany.

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The authors thank H. Lessios, L. Geyer, L. Rivera and A. Calderon for support at STRI's Naos Marine and Molecular Laboratory in Panama City, Panama. This study was supported by the Smithsonian and the Centre of Excellence in Marine Science, an initiative by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD).

The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The Institute furthers the understanding of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Website: http://www.stri.si.edu/. Promo video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M9JDSIwBegk.

Werding, B. and Hiller, A. 2017. Description of a new species of Pachycheles (Decapoda, Anomura, Porcellanidae) from the Southern Caribbean Sea. Crustaceana 90 (7-10) 1279-1288.
(Philadelphia, PA) - Of the nearly one million people in the United States who are affected by sepsis each year, almost one-fifth die. Cardiovascular complications account for approximately 80 percent of those deaths. The heart muscle, weakened by systemic inflammation, is unable to generate the energy it needs to contract, resulting in a severe decline in blood flow and oxygen delivery to tissues that ultimately leads to organ failure. Now, in new work, scientists at the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University (LKSOM), in collaboration with colleagues at Columbia University in New York, describe the mechanism underlying the loss of energy from heart dysfunction in sepsis, opening the way for the development of a new therapy that could save thousands of lives annually.

"Sepsis is caused by infection, which stimulates a powerful inflammatory response, causing increased oxidative stress in heart muscle cells," explained Konstantinos Drosatos, PhD, Assistant Professor of Pharmacology and Assistant Professor in the Center for Translational Medicine and the Center for Metabolic Disease Research at LKSOM and a senior investigator on the new study. "However, anti-inflammatory therapies fail to improve survival. We think that this happens because there simply is not enough time for the anti-inflammatory drugs to begin working before critical organs begin to fail."

In their new work, published online September 7 in the journal JCI Insight, Dr. Drosatos and colleagues propose a novel approach to expanding the window of opportunity for anti-inflammatory treatments to take effect. In a sepsis mouse model, the researchers show that blocking the activation of an enzyme known as NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) in the heart lowers oxidative stress and thereby allows cardiac energy production to return to near-normal levels. The findings suggest that NOX2 inhibition, used alongside existing sepsis therapies, could significantly benefit patient survival.

The study builds on earlier work by Dr. Drosatos and colleagues, who were among the first to pursue the blockage of energy production in organs as an alternative angle in understanding sepsis. In two previous studies using mouse models of sepsis, they were able to show that stimulating energy production in the heart can correct cardiac dysfunction and potentially improve survival. The mechanistic connection between cardiac dysfunction and sepsis, however, remained unclear.

Dr. Drosatos and colleagues Madesh Muniswamy, PhD, Professor in the Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry and Center for Translational Medicine at LKSOM, and John P. Morrow, MD, Assistant Professor in the Department of Medicine at the Division of Cardiology at Columbia University in New York, who are co-senior authors on the new report, decided to focus their recent efforts on NOX2 because its activation leads to the production of reactive oxygen species, which constitute a major source of oxidative stress in the heart. "Increased levels of reactive oxygen species are a key feature of cardiac dysfunction during sepsis," Dr. Drosatos said. "Mitochondria, the energy powerhouses of cells, are especially vulnerable to damage from reactive molecules, and this seems to be critical for energy production in the heart and maybe other organs."

To elucidate the relationship between NOX2 activation, increased reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial damage, and energy production in heart muscle cells during sepsis, the researchers first carried out experiments in isolated mouse cardiomyocytes treated with the endotoxin lipopolysaccharide (LPS), which induces a sepsis-like state. Once the cells exhibited changes characteristic of sepsis, including elevated levels of oxidative stress, the cells were treated with a NOX2 inhibitor. The inhibitor prevented NOX activation by LPS and resulted in reduced oxidative stress. Similar experiments were subsequently performed in mice, where measurement by echocardiography revealed preserved cardiac function in septic animals treated with a NOX2 inhibitor.

"Currently, the main approach to the treatment of sepsis is supportive," Dr. Drosatos said. "With our latest findings, supportive and anti-inflammatory treatments would remain a mainstay, but by also ensuring that the heart is producing energy, we could provide extra time for the treatments to work before the heart fails."

Dr. Drosatos and colleagues are now turning their attention to humans, expanding their research in human cells. "If the treatments are beneficial, as they have been in mice, we hope to soon be interacting with clinical groups to translate our studies to human patients," he said.

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Other investigators contributing to the new study include Leroy C. Joseph, Grace J. Kim, and John P. Morrow, Department of Medicine, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, New York; Dimitra Kokkinaki and Mesele-Christina Valenti, Metabolic Biology Laboratory, Center for Translational Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, LKSOM; Emanuele Barca and Michio Hirano, Department of Neurology, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; Dhanendra Tomar, Nicholas E. Hoffman, and Muniswamy Madesh, Department of Medical Genetics and Molecular Biochemistry, Center for Translational Medicine, LKSOM; Prakash Subramanyam and Henry M. Colecraft, Department of Physiology and Cellular Biophysics, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons; and Adam J. Ratner, Departments of Pediatrics and Microbiology, New York University School of Medicine, New York.

The research was supported in part by National Institutes of Health grants T32 HL007343, K08 HL105801, R01 HL130218, R00 HL112853, R01 GM109882, R01 HL086699, R01 HL119306, 1S10 RR027327, R01 AI092743, R21 AI111020, and R33 AI098654, and by American Heart Association postdoctoral fellowship 17POST33660251.

About Temple Health

Temple University Health System (TUHS) is a $1.6 billion academic health system dedicated to providing access to quality patient care and supporting excellence in medical education and research. The Health System consists of Temple University Hospital (TUH), ranked among the "Best Hospitals" in the region by U.S. News & World Report; TUH-Episcopal Campus; TUH-Northeastern Campus; Fox Chase Cancer Center, an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center; Jeanes Hospital, a community-based hospital offering medical, surgical and emergency services; Temple Transport Team, a ground and air-ambulance company; and Temple Physicians, Inc., a network of community-based specialty and primary-care physician practices. TUHS is affiliated with the Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University.

The Lewis Katz School of Medicine (LKSOM), established in 1901, is one of the nation's leading medical schools. Each year, the School of Medicine educates approximately 840 medical students and 140 graduate students. Based on its level of funding from the National Institutes of Health, the Katz School of Medicine is the second-highest ranked medical school in Philadelphia and the third-highest in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. According to U.S. News & World Report, LKSOM is among the top 10 most applied-to medical schools in the nation.

Temple Health refers to the health, education and research activities carried out by the affiliates of Temple University Health System (TUHS) and by the Katz School of Medicine. TUHS neither provides nor controls the provision of health care. All health care is provided by its member organizations or independent health care providers affiliated with TUHS member organizations. Each TUHS member organization is owned and operated pursuant to its governing documents.
PHILADELPHIA -- (Sept. 7, 2017) -- Results of a study by The Wistar Institute have described a correlation between a key melanoma signaling pathway and a novel class of drugs being tested in the clinic as adjuvant therapy for advanced melanoma, providing useful information for a more effective use of this type of treatment. The study was published online in Cancer Research.

Melanoma is the deadliest form of skin cancer. In recent years, there has been a large effort for the development of targeted therapies that inhibit specific signaling pathways required for proliferation of tumor cells and melanoma progression. However, the effectiveness of this therapeutic approach is only temporary, as tumors eventually become resistant, emphasizing the need for other therapeutic options.

Autophagy is a metabolic process that provides resources for the synthesis of new macromolecules through the degradation of cellular constituents. It allows cancer cells to survive under stressful conditions in the tumor microenvironment. Because it also affects the response to melanoma targeted therapy, several studies are investigating the potential of inhibiting autophagy as a strategy to improve sensitivity to targeted therapy, with some autophagy inhibitors currently moving into clinical trials. This latest Wistar study provides important, new information on the interplay of autophagy with the Wnt signaling pathway, a key regulator of melanoma progression and metastasis.

"We have already shown that Wnt5A, a component of the Wnt pathway, plays critical roles in melanoma progression," said Ashani Weeraratna, Ph.D., Ira Brind Associate Professor and co-program leader of the Immunology, Microenvironment and Metastasis Program at Wistar and corresponding author of the paper. "Our new study indicates a link between the Wnt pathway and autophagy, whereby Wnt is a key player in the response to autophagy inhibitors and likely affects the efficacy of this class of drugs."

Weeraratna and colleagues assessed the interplay between Wnt5A, a key molecule in the Wnt pathway, and autophagy by combining expression studies in human melanoma biopsies with functional analyses in cell lines and mouse models. In particular, they found a direct correlation between expression levels of Wnt5A, which also correlate with melanoma progression, and activation of autophagy. They then observed a reciprocal regulation of autophagy and Wnt signaling. This prompted them to test in vitro and in vivo how the response of melanoma to an autophagy inhibitor is affected by Wnt signaling activation.

They observed that cells with high levels of Wnt5A and autophagy activation are less sensitive and require higher concentrations of the inhibitor. They also found that the pharmacological modulation of another molecule of the Wnt pathway, -catenin, significantly improves the response of aggressive melanoma cells to autophagy inhibition, lowering the dose required to eradicate these cells.

"By dissecting the crosstalk between the autophagy pathway and the Wnt pathway, we discovered that signaling changes that occur within the tumor may affect the response to autophagy inhibitors," said Abibatou Ndoye, a graduate student in the Weeraratna lab and first author of the study. "Our observations will be helpful to determine which patients will be more responsive to this therapeutic strategy and how we can target the pathways that affect the response, in order to overcome resistance."

Through the new link established between autophagy and Wnt, the study also proposes a novel role of autophagy in melanoma invasion and suggests that autophagy inhibitors may be useful in melanoma treatment beyond their ability to render the cells more sensitive to targeted therapy.

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This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grants R01 CA174746, P01 CA114046, P50 CA174523, T32 CA009171, K99 CA208012-01, R01 CA169134M, R01 CA139319; additional funds were provided by a Melanoma Research Alliance/L'Ore?al Paris-USA Women in Science Team Science Award, a gift from the Adelson Medical Research Foundation, and the Ira Brind Associate Professorship to Weeraratna. Core support for The Wistar Institute and The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was provided by the Cancer Center Support Grants P30CA010815 and P30 CA16672.

Co-authors of this study from The Wistar Institute include Anna Budina-Kolomets, Curtis H. Kugel III, Marie Webster, Amanpreet Kaur, Reeti Behera, Ling Li, Patricia Brafford, Qin Liu, Meenhard Herlyn, and Maureen Murphy. Other co-authors include Vito Rebecca, Xiaowei Xu, Michael Nicastri, Jeffrey Winkler, and Ravi Amaravadi from the University of Pennsylvania; Y.N. Vashisht Gopal, Michael A. Davies, and Gordon B. Mills from The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center; Hong Wu from the Fox Chase Cancer Center; and Maria S. Soengas from the Spanish National Cancer Research Centre, Madrid, Spain.

The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the United States, Wistar has held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute since 1972. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. wistar.org.
A Canadian effort to build one of the most innovative radio telescopes in the world will open the universe to a new dimension of scientific study. The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science, today installed the final piece of this new radio telescope, which will act as a time machine allowing scientists to create a three-dimensional map of the universe extending deep into space and time.

The Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment, known as CHIME, is an extraordinarily powerful new telescope. The unique "half-pipe" telescope design and advanced computing power will help scientists better understand the three frontiers of modern astronomy: the history of the universe, radio bursts from pulsars and the detection of gravitational waves.

By measuring the composition of dark energy, scientists will better understand the shape, structure and fate of the universe. In addition, CHIME will be a key instrument to study gravitational waves, the ripples in space-time that were only recently discovered, confirming the final piece of Einstein's theory of general relativity.

CHIME is a collaboration among 50 Canadian scientists from the University of British Columbia, the University of Toronto, McGill University, and the National Research Council of Canada (NRC). The $16-million investment for CHIME was provided by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the governments of British Columbia, Ontario, and Quebec, with additional funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council and the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research. The telescope is located in the mountains of British Columbia's Okanagan Valley at the NRC's Dominion Radio Astrophysical Observatory near Epenticton.

Quotes

"CHIME is an extraordinary example showcasing Canada's leadership in space science and engineering. The new telescope will be a destination for astronomers from around the world who will work with their Canadian counterparts to answer some of the most profound questions about space. Our government believes in providing scientists with the opportunities and tools they need to pursue the answers to questions that keep them up at night."

- The Honourable Kirsty Duncan, Minister of Science

"The National Research Council works hand-in-hand with academia for the advancement of knowledge in Canada. CHIME is a shining example of what outcomes we can achieve, working in collaboration, for today and tomorrow, for Canada and beyond."

- Mr. Iain Stewart, President of the National Research Council of Canada

"With the CHIME telescope we will measure the expansion history of the universe and we expect to further our understanding of the mysterious dark energy that drives that expansion ever faster. This is a fundamental part of physics that we don't understand and it's a deep mystery. This is about better understanding how the universe began and what lies ahead."

- Dr. Mark Halpern, University of British Columbia

"CHIME's unique design will enable us to tackle one of the most puzzling new areas of astrophysics today - Fast Radio Bursts. The origin of these bizarre extragalactic events is presently a mystery, with only two dozen reported since their discovery a decade ago. CHIME is likely to detect many of these objects every day, providing a massive treasure trove of data that will put Canada at the forefront of this research."

- Dr. Victoria Kaspi, McGill University

"CHIME 'sees' in a fundamentally different way from other telescopes. A massive supercomputer is used to process incoming radio light and digitally piece together an image of the radio sky. All that computing power also lets us do things that were previously impossible: we can look in many directions at once, run several experiments in parallel, and leverage the power of this new instrument in unprecedented ways."

- Dr. Keith Vanderlinde, University of Toronto

Quick facts

The CHIME telescope incorporates four 100-metre long U-shaped cylinders of metal mesh that resemble snowboard half-pipes. Its overall footprint is the size of five NHL hockey rinks.

CHIME collects radio waves with wavelengths between 37 and 75 centimetres, similar to the wavelength used by cell phones.

Most of the signals collected by CHIME come from our MilkyWay galaxy, but a tiny fraction of these signals started on their way when the universe was between 6 and 11 billion years old.

The radio signal from the universe is very weak and extreme sensitivity is needed to detect it. The amount of energy collected by CHIME in one year is equivalent to the amount of energy gained by a paper clip falling off a desk to the floor.

The data rate passing through CHIME is comparable to all the data in the world's mobile networks. There is so much data that it cannot all be saved to disk. It must first be processed and compressed by a factor of 100,000.

Seven quadrillion computer operations occur every second on CHIME

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Related products

Backgrounder: Canadian Hydrogen Intensity Mapping Experiment: https://news.ubc.ca/2017/09/07/backgrounder-canadian-hydrogen-intensity-mapping-experiment-chime/?preview=true

Video: Timelapse of the construction of the CHIME telescope: https://www.dropbox.com/s/yz8oxee5srsu2d2/Video%20timelapse%20construction.mp4?dl=0

Video: Footage of the CHIME telescope: http://chime.phas.ubc.ca/drone_20161015_1K.mp4

Video: Fast Radio Bursts (from McGill University): https://www.dropbox.com/s/yo2idw4vyadd3p5/Video%20CHIME_Fast%20Radio%20Bursts.mp4?dl=0

Video: How CHIME works (animated video from McGill University): https://www.dropbox.com/s/4xprw6ys37hmct3/Video%20CHIME%20animation.mp4?dl=0

Video: CHIME and dark energy (from University of British Columbia): https://youtu.be/c-P9kbo0U8A

Associated links
Irvine, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 - Researchers from the University of California, Irvine and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory have reported the first observation of sea level "fingerprints," tell-tale differences in sea level rise around the world in response to changes in continental water and ice sheet mass. The team's findings were published today in the American Geophysical Union journal Geophysical Research Letters.

"Scientists have a solid understanding of the physics of sea level fingerprints, but we've never had a direct detection of the phenomenon until now," said co-author Isabella Velicogna, UCI professor of Earth system science and JPL research scientist.

As ice sheets and glaciers undergo climate-related melting, they alter Earth's gravity field, which causes nonuniform sea level change. Certain regions, particularly in the middle latitudes, are harder hit. For instance, Antarctica-generated sea level rise in California and Florida is as much as 52 percent greater than what's average in the rest of the world.

The team calculated sea level fingerprints using time-variable gravity data collected by the twin satellites of NASA's Gravity Recovery & Climate Experiment between April 2002 and October 2014. During that time, according to the study, the global mean sea level grew by about 1.8 millimeters per year, with 43 percent of the increased water mass coming from Greenland, 16 percent from Antarctica, and 30 percent from mountain glaciers. The scientists verified their calculations of sea level fingerprints associated with these mass variations via ocean-bottom pressure readings from stations in the tropics.

"It was very exciting to observe the sea level fingerprints in the tropics, where they were not expected to be detectable," said lead author Chia-Wei Hsu, a graduate student researcher at UCI. "In the tropics, sea level fingerprint values are very close to global average sea level values, making them harder to detect."

Velicogna added: "We know that sea levels climb faster in the middle to low latitudes versus the high latitudes and that Greenland and Antarctica contribute differently to the process. With our improved understanding through GRACE data and other techniques, we're now able to take any point on the global ocean and determine how much the sea level there will rise as a result of glacier ice melt."

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This research project was supported by UCI and NASA's Cryospheric Sciences Program.

About the University of California, Irvine: Founded in 1965, UCI is the youngest member of the prestigious Association of American Universities. The campus has produced three Nobel laureates and is known for its academic achievement, premier research, innovation and anteater mascot. Led by Chancellor Howard Gillman, UCI has more than 30,000 students and offers 192 degree programs. It's located in one of the world's safest and most economically vibrant communities and is Orange County's second-largest employer, contributing $5 billion annually to the local economy. For more on UCI, visit http://www.uci.edu.

Media access: Radio programs/stations may, for a fee, use an on-campus ISDN line to interview UCI faculty and experts, subject to availability and university approval. For more UCI news, visit news.uci.edu. Additional resources for journalists may be found at communications.uci.edu/for-journalists.

NOTE TO EDITORS: CLIMATE MAP AND ANIMATED IMAGE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

PHOTO AVAILABLE AT https://news.uci.edu/2017/09/07/uci-jpl-investigators-find-direct-evidence-of-sea-level-fingerprints/
PHILADELPHIA--Researchers from the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania have made a discovery about muscular dystrophy disorders that suggest new possibilities for treatment. In a study published today online in Stem Cell Reports, researchers found that stem cells in the muscles of muscular dystrophy patients may, at an early age, lose their ability to regenerate new muscle, due to shortened telomeres.

Telomeres are tail-like chains of DNA at the ends of chromosomes that protect chromosomes during cell division. In many cell types, telomeres also serve as biological countdown clocks, being shortened with every cell division until their reduced length triggers the death of the cell or an inactive, non-dividing state called senescence. The team found that telomeres specifically in muscle stem cells are abnormally short in teenage boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD), as well as in young mice with the same genetic disorder. The finding of shortened telomeres could help explain why prior research has found defects in the functions of muscle stem cells from muscular dystrophy patients.

"We found that in boys with DMD, the telomeres are so short that the muscle stem cells are probably exhausted," said the study's senior author, Foteini Mourkioti, PhD, an assistant professor of Orthopaedic Surgery and Cell and Developmental Biology, and co-director of the Musculoskeletal Regeneration Program in the Penn Institute for Regenerative Medicine. "Due to the DMD, their muscle stem cells are constantly repairing themselves, which means the telomeres are getting shorter at an accelerated rate, much earlier in life. Future therapies that prevent telomere loss and keep muscle stem cells viable might be able to slow the progress of disease and boost muscle regeneration in the patients."

Muscles tend to degenerate in muscular dystrophy disorders because the gene mutations that cause these disorders leave muscle fibers abnormally fragile, so that they are damaged even by ordinary physical activity. In principle, muscle stem cells could regenerate this lost muscle, thereby slowing or even stopping the disease process. But some scientists, including Mourkioti, have suspected that in muscular dystrophy the continuous cycles of muscle damage and repair--requiring near-constant cell division for the muscle stem cells--soon erode the regenerative capacities of muscle stem cells, by shortening their telomeres and inducing early death or senescence.

"The problem with trying to identify what is happening in DMD muscle stem cells is that we've lacked sufficient tools for measuring telomere length in these stem cells," Mourkioti said.

To enable their discovery in DMD patients, Mourkioti and colleagues developed a new stem cell telomere-measuring method, based on an existing technique called fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Telomeres are made of one short sequence of DNA building blocks (TTAGGG) repeated over and over, and the new FISH-based method (MuQ-FISH) uses a fluorescent probe designed to stick specifically to that sequence. Longer telomeres accumulate more probes and fluoresce more brightly. The technique can be used with a microscope and electronic imaging equipment to measure the lengths of telomeres within individual stem cells.

Mourkioti and her team initially used their new technique to show that the telomeres of muscle stem cells are about the same length in healthy lab mice, whether the mice are young or old. In contrast, the scientists found that in young mice with a severe DMD-like disorder as well as in several teenage patients with DMD, muscle stem cells on average had abnormally shortened telomeres. Other non-stem muscle cells in the DMD patients had normal telomere lengths.

The findings suggest that telomere-shortening specifically in muscle stem cells is a factor in the progressive muscle weakening and wasting seen in muscular dystrophy patients. That, in turn, suggests that gene therapy and other treatments now being developed for muscular dystrophies might be more beneficial if administered before muscle stem cells have lost their muscle-regenerating abilities. The findings also point to the possibility that future treatments to block the shortening of telomeres in muscle stem cells might be able to slow or even stop the disease. Mourkioti and colleagues now plan to employ their new method to help them find such a treatment, with an eye toward early intervention, when these stem cells are still capable of making new muscle.

"We are now looking for signaling pathways that affect telomere length in muscle stem cells, so that in principle we can develop drugs to block those pathways and maintain telomere length," Mourkioti said. "Currently very little is known about the factors that shorten or maintain telomeres."

There are about 30 distinct muscular dystrophy disorders, all caused by gene mutations that impair the integrity of muscle cells. The most common, DMD, is caused by mutations to a gene on the X-chromosome, and affects one of every fifteen hundred boys born in the United States. Milder muscular dystrophy disorders typically result in lifelong disability. More severe ones, such as DMD, eventually destroy the muscles needed for breathing, and reduce life expectancy to the mid-20s. At present, there is no specific treatment that can stop the progression of these diseases.

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Additional Penn authors on the study include Elisia D. Tichy, David K. Sidibe, F. Brad Johnson, and Maryam Sharifi-Sanjani. The study was also done in collaboration with researchers from Sanford Burnham, Paradise Valley and Children's Hospital in San Diego. The research was supported by start-up funds, the Ellison Medical Foundation (AG-NS-0843-11), the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA Grant 200845), and the National Institutes of Health (UL1TR000100, R01 AR064873, P30 AR06130303, F31 AR065923-03, P30 AR069619).

Penn Medicine is one of the world's leading academic medical centers, dedicated to the related missions of medical education, biomedical research, and excellence in patient care. Penn Medicine consists of the Raymond and Ruth Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania (founded in 1765 as the nation's first medical school) and the University of Pennsylvania Health System, which together form a $6.7 billion enterprise.

The Perelman School of Medicine has been ranked among the top five medical schools in the United States for the past 20 years, according to U.S. News & World Report's survey of research-oriented medical schools. The School is consistently among the nation's top recipients of funding from the National Institutes of Health, with $392 million awarded in the 2016 fiscal year.

The University of Pennsylvania Health System's patient care facilities include: The Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and Penn Presbyterian Medical Center -- which are recognized as one of the nation's top "Honor Roll" hospitals by U.S. News & World Report -- Chester County Hospital; Lancaster General Health; Penn Wissahickon Hospice; and Pennsylvania Hospital -- the nation's first hospital, founded in 1751. Additional affiliated inpatient care facilities and services throughout the Philadelphia region include Good Shepherd Penn Partners, a partnership between Good Shepherd Rehabilitation Network and Penn Medicine.

Penn Medicine is committed to improving lives and health through a variety of community-based programs and activities. In fiscal year 2016, Penn Medicine provided $393 million to benefit our community.
Macular degeneration is the leading cause of vision loss in older adults, but scientists have long struggled to study and replicate key elements of the disease in the lab. A study published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences is the first to demonstrate hallmarks of macular degeneration in a new human stem cell model developed by researchers at the University of Rochester Medical Center.

This new model could make whole new avenues of macular degeneration research possible and has helped the team hone in on some possible drug targets for the disease.

"So far, there has not been a patient-derived model of macular degeneration," said Ruchira Singh, Ph.D., assistant professor of Ophthalmology in the Flaum Eye Institute at URMC and lead author of the study. "It was not known if you can take cells from the human eye and make a cell model that displays the hallmarks of the disease."

Though macular diseases can vary widely, age-related and similar inherited macular degenerative diseases are all characterized by buildup of debris in the retina, the light sensing tissue in the back of the eye that is crucial for vision. These deposits, called drusen, are specifically found beneath a layer of retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells, which are known to be key players in macular degeneration.

For their new model, Singh's team collected skin cells from patients with genetic forms of macular degeneration, re-programmed them to stem cells, and used the stem cells to create RPE cells. RPE cells derived from patients mimicked several characteristics of macular degeneration when aged in a dish, like producing the hallmark deposits.

RPE cells carrying macular degeneration-causing mutations developed more deposits with more similar composition to what is seen in the affected human eye than cells from healthy adults, or patients' cells in which disease-causing mutations were corrected using gene editing.

Using this model, Singh's group showed for the first time that dysfunctional RPE cells can cause specific aspects of macular degeneration on their own - without the help of other cells or components of the retina. This was true for cells derived from patients with three different genetic forms of macular degeneration, suggesting RPE cell dysfunction could be central to multiple forms of the disease.

Singh's new model also allowed her research team to identify a group of molecules in RPE cells that could be targeted by new macular degeneration drugs. These "complement proteins", which normally boost immune functions in cells, may be affected by genetic alterations that cause macular degeneration. In the study, the expression of genes that encode these proteins was elevated in RPE cells from all of the macular degeneration patients, suggesting they may also play a key role in multiple forms of the disease.

"Now we can actually identify and test a rational drug therapy in patients' own cells," said Singh. "So far, this has not been possible, but now we can actually study macular diseases in parallel and identify what might be the central defect across macular diseases."

Singh believes this study will help move the field of macular degeneration research toward developing new drugs that target RPE cells, while providing a new and improved model to screen those drugs. Though this work is early, the team hopes it will lead to an effective treatment for macular degeneration in the future.

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Tsukuba, Japan--Many bacteria release membrane vesicles, which are nanoscale spheres consisting of a cellular membrane containing various biomolecules. Membrane vesicles can transport DNA and proteins, and are involved in bacterial interactions. They have potential applications in nanotechnology and biomedicine; e.g., in cancer treatment. However, the formation of membrane vesicles by bacteria is currently not well understood. In particular, the release mechanism of membrane vesicles of Gram-positive bacteria, which have a very thick cell wall, has remained an enigma.

In a collaborative effort, Japanese and Swiss researchers investigated membrane vesicle formation in the model Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis. The team was able to visualize the release of membrane vesicles by using live cell imaging techniques and state-of-the-art electron cryotomography. Live cell imaging allows the fate of cells during membrane vesicle formation to be followed in real time, while electron cryotomography can provide high-resolution three-dimensional structures of cells in a near-native state.

Live cell imaging showed that cells that released membrane vesicles died but retained their cell structure. Electron cryotomography further demonstrated that small holes were formed in the cell wall, through which the cellular membrane protruded and formed vesicles. A series of experiments indicated that the holes in the cell wall were formed by an endolysin, an enzyme that is typically used by bacteria-infecting viruses (phages) to break the cell wall of their hosts to induce their release into the environment.

"This is one of the first examples clearly showing how membrane vesicles are formed in Gram-positive bacteria," says first author Masanori Toyofuku (University of Tsukuba, University of Zurich). "We found that membrane material is extruded through a hole in the cell wall, forms a vesicle, and then eventually detaches from the cell."

The live cell imaging experiments also indicated that membrane vesicle formation by a cell can trigger vesicle formation in neighboring bacteria because the released endolysin damages the cell wall of nearby cells.

Endolysin has previously been shown to induce membrane vesicle formation in Gram-negative bacteria. The team's findings therefore further strengthen the importance of endolysins in membrane vesicle production in bacteria, suggesting a universal formation mechanism. It has been hypothesized that membrane vesicle production is important for neutralizing environmental agents, such as antimicrobial peptides or bacteriophages, that target the membranes of bacteria.

"Considering the high abundance of phages in the environment and other mechanisms that disrupt the cell wall, cell lysis may play a major role in membrane vesicle formation in nature," says Leo Eberl (University of Zurich). "It would be interesting to elucidate the proportions of vesicles in the environment that originate from cell lysis and alternative mechanisms."

The knowledge that endolysins induce the formation of membrane vesicles in bacteria may advance their use in nanotechnology and biomedicine.

"We envisage that mass production of membrane vesicles may be achieved through development of bacterial strains with engineered endolysin production," explains Nobuhiko Nomura (University of Tsukuba).

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VANCOUVER, Wash. - Monarch butterfly populations from western North America have declined far more dramatically than was previously known and face a greater risk of extinction than eastern monarchs, according to a new study in the journal Biological Conservation.

"Western monarchs are faring worse than their eastern counterparts," said Cheryl Schultz, an associate professor at Washington State University Vancouver and lead author of the study. "In the 1980s, 10 million monarchs spent the winter in coastal California. Today there are barely 300,000."

Schultz adds, "This study doesn't just show that there are fewer monarchs now than 35 years ago. It also tells us that, if things stay the same, western monarchs probably won't be around as we know them in another 35 years."

Migratory monarchs in the west could disappear in the next few decades if steps aren't taken to recover the population, Schultz said.

Like eastern monarchs, which overwinter in Mexico, western monarchs have a spectacular migration. They overwinter in forested groves along coastal California, then fan out in the spring to lay their eggs on milkweed and drink nectar from flowers in Arizona, California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Utah. They return to their coastal overwintering sites in the fall.

In the 1990s, residents of coastal California became alarmed that a once common butterfly seemed to be disappearing. The Biological Conservation study indicates that those concerns were justified. The researchers combined data from hundreds of volunteers who have participated in the Xerces Society's Western Monarch Thanksgiving Count since 1997 with earlier monarch counts conducted by amateur and professional butterfly enthusiasts in the 1980's and early 1990's. They then predicted the monarch population's risk of extinction over the next several decades.

Emma Pelton, endangered species conservation biologist at the Xerces Society for Invertebrate Conservation and co-author of the study, said the research will help conservationists better understand the extinction risk of western monarchs.

"Scientists, policy makers and the public have been focused on the dramatic declines in the well-known eastern population, yet this study reveals that western monarchs are even more at risk of extinction," Pelton said. "We will need significant conservation action to save monarch butterflies in the West."

The precise causes of the decline in western monarchs are not yet clear, but the loss and modification of its habitat and pesticide use across the West, where monarchs breed, are likely culprits, the researchers said. Climate change and threats to coastal California overwintering sites likely also play a role, they said.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, which funded the study, is currently considering whether to list the monarch butterfly as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act.

Elizabeth Crone, Tufts University professor and a co-author on the study, says that "The hard part of being a conservation biologist is documenting species declines. The exciting part is figuring out how to help declining species recover. In the 20th century, we brought bald eagles back from the brink of extinction by limiting use of DDT. If we start now, we can make the 21st century the era in which monarchs return to our landscapes."

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Editor's note: Video is available for download at http://mediatransfer.wsu.edu/. Click on Login. Use "wsunewsvideo" as username and password. File is called "CherylSchultzInterviewSOTS". Click on the download button to save file to your computer. The video can also be embedded in a web page with the following link:

https://s3.wp.wsu.edu/uploads/sites/609/2017/09/CherylSchultzComplete.mp4
Thursday, September 7, 2017

The Before I Die ABQ Festival and Gail Rubin were recently featured in two news outlets!

The Albuquerque Business First publication ran the story, New ABQ festival tells you what youre dying to know. It includes interviews with event coordinator Gail Rubin, and two of the sponsors, attorney Jim Plitz with Morris Hall estate planning law firm, and Ken Gonzales, field manager for The Neptune Society in Albuquerque. The story by Marielle Dent starts:

Bynature, business ownersfeelcomfortable planning ahead,but planning for the end often gets left by the wayside.

Many people dont want to think about what will happen to their body, family andbusiness when they die.That may be one reason why only 30 percent of family-owned businesses succeed past the second generation, according to the Family Firm Institute.

The Before I Die Albuquerque Festival, which will run from Oct. 20 to 25, is sponsored by several local companies and aims to get people talking about end-of-life issues through discussions, events and art.

Read the full story here.

funeralOne Blog

The funeralOne Blog, an online resource for Funeral Innovation, Technology, Marketing, Healing and much more, recently did a story titled 10 Funeral Directors to Follow on Twitter for Constant Inspiration.

While Im a death educator, not a funeral director, its thrilling to see my name on the list at #2. Heres what Rilee Chastain wrote:

2. Gail Rubin

Username: @TheFamilyPlot

Follow her for: A quirky twist on getting the funeral planning conversation started.

As someone who uses humor and funny films to connect with people on uncomfortable topics, you can bet that Gail Rubins take on end-of-life planning is nothing but unique. Through books, TV/DVD series, internet radio and more, she helps bring light to a dark subject, for both funeral professionals and the families they serve.

Read the fully story here.

TEDxABQ This Saturday

And this weekend is the TEDxABQ Main Event! Saturday, September 9 from noon to 6:00 p.m. in the Kiva Auditorium in the Albuquerque Convention Center, come for a day of exciting ideas presented by speakers from many different backgrounds. Other experiential activities are part of the day. Tickets are still available at www.TEDxABQ.com.

I will be attending as a VIP past speaker. Two years ago, I took the stage as the last speaker of the day with A Good Goodbye. Heres the video of that talk.

[embedded content]

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From: Polly Franks - Crime Victim Advocate, Child Safety Expert Richmond , VA Thursday, September 7, 2017

True crime author and victims' advocate Polly Franks is calling upon California Governor Jerry Brown to once again deny parole to Leslie van Houten. van Houten, a member of the infamous Manson Family, was convicted in the August 1969 stabbing murder of Rosemary LaBianca. van Houten acknowledged stabbing Rosemary LaBianca "at least 14 times" and then "cut the lady up." She has petitioned for parole 20 times. A California review board has once again recommended parole for van Houten. Her fate now rests in the hands of Governor Jerry Brown, who has the power to accept or deny the parole board's recommendation. Polly Franks, author of Devil at My Door, is urging Governor Brown to remember the horror, brutality and terror of van Housen's crimes. "Forty-eight years later, families of the Manson murder victims still live with the loss and memories of their loved ones' final moments," says Franks, adding "van Housen committed the most brutal murder imaginable to an innocent woman and this should never be forgotten. There is no undoing this. Apologies and good behavior aren't going to bring back Rosemary LaBianca. This innocent lady spent her final terrifying moments begging for her life. van Housen's response was to stab LaBianca at least 14 times. In addition, do the voters and taxpayers of California really want a free Manson family murderer as a neighbor?" Polly Franks has served as an advocate for victims of violent crime, particularly childhood sexual abuse, since 1995. Her commitment to this cause stems from her experience as the mother of three children who were endangered by a former neighbor and family friend who turned out to be a convicted sexual predator from another state. During his crime spree between 1982 to 1998, this predator was linked to a minimum of 286 reported incidents of sexual crimes. Although she is in a wheelchair, Polly became a licensed private investigator for the sole purpose of bringing ths predator to justice. He is now in prison serving a life sentence. Since that time, Polly has testified before Congress and lobbied on Capitol Hill for tougher sex offender laws, such as the nationwide Amber Alert bill and the Adam Walsh Child Protection Act. Her story was published in Good Housekeeping magazine. She has been interviewed by the Today Show, Dateline NBC, 20/20, Court TV, the John Walsh Show, ABC World News Tonight, CNN/HLN, Nancy Grace and Fox News. In addition, she has numerous interviews for national radio programs, as well ans newspaper and magazine articles. She has shared her story in audiences throughout the country. In 2006, Polly created the Franks Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting America's children from sexual predators. Since that time, the Franks Foundation has been expanded and renamed "It's Not Your Fault," (www.itsnotyourfault.us) In 2017, her story was published by Vandamere Press in a nonfiction book "Devil at My Door." (www.devilatmydoor.com) Polly is a graduate of Bluefield College. She is the very proud mother of three grown daughters, one grandchild, a menagerie of house pets (her four-legged children) and a host of "honorary" sons and daughters.


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Instant News Wire
Hello again,

We will soon be into corn silage season in the area, and that got me wondering about when and how the ensiling process was developed. It actually started long, long ago!

To begin, the word silage derives from the Greek word siros, meaning a pit or hole sunk in the ground for storing corn. Actually, preservation by fermentation and utilization of microorganisms has been known since the beginning of civilization: pickles and wine both rely on microorganism activity.

The first evidence of ensiling forage comes from archaeological evidence in ancient Egypt, in a mural from the second millennium BC. In the book of the prophet Isaiah (700 BC), it is also mentioned that silage was fed to animals. The Roman historian Cato (100 BC) mentioned a German tribe  the Teutons  that used to preserve green forage in a pit, covered with dung.

Using the same technique as the process for making sauerkraut, green fodder was preserved for animals in parts of Germany since the start of the 19th century. This gained the attention of a French agriculturist, Auguste Goffart, who published a book in 1877 that described the experiences of preserving green crops in silos. He advised to preserve corn in a barn in such a way as to exclude the air that causes deterioration. Goffarts experience attracted considerable attention.

The conditions of dairy farming in the USA suited the ensiling of green corn fodder and was soon adopted by New England farmers. Francis Morris of Maryland prepared the first silage produced in America in 1876. The favorable results obtained in the U.S. led to the introduction of the system in the United Kingdom, where Thomas Kirby first introduced the process for British dairy herds.

Early silos were made of stone or concrete either above or below ground. In the U.S., structures were typically constructed of wooden cylinders to 35 or 40 feet in depth. In the early days of mechanized agriculture, stalks were cut and collected manually using a knife and horse-drawn wagon, and fed into a stationary machine called a silo filler that chopped the stalks and blew them up a narrow tube to the top of a tower silo.

Weve certainly come a long way in the silage making process since then!

By the way, corn silage is eligible for FSAs nine-month recourse loans. And the silo it is stored in would be eligible for FSAs farm storage facility loans! I will explain the details of these loans in the next couple weeks editions of FSA Andy.

Thats all for now,

FSA Andy
The calendar may show Labor Day but with another enormous American harvest and its resulting low prices just around the corner, it feels more like Groundhog Day.

The movie, I mean, not the shadowy holiday.

The reason why, as Bill Murrays boorish character learns, is because weve been here before. And before and before and before.

Farm problem

In agriculture, old-timers see these repetitive, big harvest-low price loops as the proverbial farm problem.

After decades of these endless loops, however, maybe the real problem isnt on the farm.

Maybe the real problem is our loopy farm policy that all but guarantees long stretches of little-to-no profit interrupted by short bursts of (usually) disaster-inspired, low yields and high profits.

Thats our past and it will likely remain our future because farmers, ranchers, and taxpayers are about to go for another lap in the farm policy hyperloop machine.

Farm bill

Congress is back in Washington and its ag leaders hope to finish the 2018 farm bill before the snow flies.

By all accounts, however, the new law will mirror the old law because old is what our mostly old representatives and senators deliver when we mostly oldsters out in the country are asked what we want.

New ideas, it seems, are as rare in rural America as they are in Washington.

That means the well-worn, low-and-going-lower price centerpiece of recent farm bills, crop insurance, will again be the centerpiece of the new  and in all likelihood, really low price  Farm Bill of the future.

Like crop insurance, other tired policy elements wont even bother to shower and shave before going back into the new law: there will be no meaningful conservation cross compliance, no program payment caps, no increases in Land Grant research funds, no needed increase in rural infrastructure spending, and no new money for beginning farmer programs.

All, either individually or collectively, could be a starting point to meaningful farm policy reform. But, no, no, no, no, and no.

We know this because, as Bill Murray finds out over and over in the 1993 movie, no is easy; it carries its own strident righteousness.

Extra burden

Heres how Senate Ag Committee Chairman Pat Roberts, R-Kan., recently explained why the status quo no of today will become the status quo no of tomorrow:

This is no time to be proposing revolutionary ideas with the farm billcrop insurance is, for many, the most valuable tool in the risk management toolbox.

Besides, he added, he doesnt want to make cuts in crop insurance, but rather reduce regulations that impact farmers and ranchers.

While Chairman Roberts didnt point to any specific regulation whose elimination would deliver more profit to farmers and ranchers, his committee colleague, Nebraska Republican Sen. Deb Fischer, did recommend the elimination of one that not only isnt a regulation now, it wont be in your lifetime or mine.

Fischer said there is a movement by some activists, reported the Columbus (NE) Telegram, to tie more conservation programs into any kind of farm payments. These programs can, in turn, be tied into crop insurance.

That would be very bad, she said, because putting an extra burden on our farmers isnt the way to go.

Extra burden is an interesting and revealing phrase for what should be at the very center of all farm bills: a clear public benefit  cleaner water, less soil erosion, more vibrant rural communities, and a safe, abundant food supply to name but a few  in return for the subsidies received by farmers.

We need a change

Accountability, after all, is how well-deserving farmers and ranchers build trust with hungry, helpful taxpayers.

But today our farm and political leaders often are so scared of their own shadow  a primary challenger, a knee-buckling White House tweet, some awful activist with an idea that challenges convention  that few pause to consider what change could mean for rural Americas economic and cultural future.

And yet change is what is needed to make tomorrow a new day, not another Groundhog Day again and again and again.
When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, Look for the helpers. You will always find people who are helping.

 Fred Rogers

At last count, it is estimated that 72,000 rescues were enacted as a result of Hurricane Harvey and this epic national disaster is not over yet. Seventy-two thousand and counting. Let that sink in.

There are simply no words for the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. We have not even begun to understand the loss.

What we do know is that among the wrenching chaos are so many brave souls.

In the event I am involved in any sort of challenging natural disaster, I will be the first to perish. I am unprepared and whiny. If things get dire, feel free to eat me, use as a flotation device, use me for something practical.

Knowing I am next to useless for anything, but maybe sending cash or food and applying a mean Band-Aid when necessary, I am always impressed with the selflessness of skilled volunteers.

I am so glad that there are so many helpers in the world. On that note, as people lament children these days, let us take a moment to note that as Hurricane Harvey ravaged their region.

It is reported that four teenage boys, all high school students in Houston, pulled out a small fishing boat and paddled around rescuing upward of 50 people and numerous pets.

They represent only a small fraction of the many people of all ages who leapt into action even as the rain continued to fall and the water to rise.

Boat

Caravans of people brought their personal watercraft to aid in rescue. Many people brought boats knowing there was a risk of damage to their personal watercraft from debris and rising and lowering floodwaters.

Still, they came to save lives. That is the definition of selfless.

For those awaiting rescue, we saw can-do spirit. A young mother tucked her baby into a cozy floating bed fashioned out of a plastic storage tub to literally float her child, Moses style, in safety.

That is Mama Bear ingenuity at its finest.

Rescues

A volunteer carried a young mother clutching a blissfully sleeping baby to her chest. The rescuer did not know the woman. He was not saving his own child. He just waded into a bad situation in hoping of making things better.

This story repeated hundreds and thousands of times over. People jumped in, literally, to assist others.

A smiling woman, making the best of a beyond bad situation, paddled a small boat through her kitchen. The water was cresting her countertops. Still, she grinned knowing she was safe even if the structure around her was not. God bless her.

Another family put their young children to bed on their kitchen counters. Their photo showed the children sprawled out with blankets while the water crept ever higher. Two of the children were clearly laughing.

I hate that this happened to them but thought to myself, those children are going to shine in life. If you can laugh while napping on cabinetry, youre a pretty resilient soul.

Here in the Midwest, we are safe and dry. We pray for our neighbors in this path and for their comfort, safety and recovery in the aftermath.

All the calamity and column fodder of First World Problems such as the endless kitchen renovation, back to school blues, and wandering livestock aside, may we pray for all those impacted through no fault of their own  and all those helpers who chose to wade in with no thought to their own comfort.

Please keep all lives in the path of a hurricane comfortable and safe.
WOOSTER, Ohio  As pipeline construction continues  and even nears completion in some counties  landowners need to pay attention to the impacts on their soil and what kind of remediation will be needed.

Just last week, the Rover pipeline received federal approval to put the first phase of its natural gas pipeline into service, and other energy companies are also making strides to get their lines in operation.

During a meeting Aug. 29 at the Agricultural Technical Institute in Wooster, experts with Ohio State University Extension and the Wayne Soil and Water Conservation District said they have heard from a wide range of landowners with varying experiences  both positive and negative  about their satisfaction with the reclamation process.

The session was led by OSU Extension Wayne County, as well as OSU soil fertility specialist Steve Culman; Adam Liston, of Wayne SWCD; and John Knapp, of Wayne Countys USDA Natural Resource Conservation Service office.

The speakers outlined a number of things landowners should do, and they also encouraged landowners to take part in a soil study being led by OSU researchers.

 

Keep an eye on the work and the worker. You may not be able to watch everything that gets done, but having the workers know youre interested and concerned about what theyre doing could work to your benefit. Be mindful about your own safety and the safety of those around you, but communicating with project leaders is a valuable way of keeping them accountable and making sure both parties have the same understanding.

2. Make sure your easement and soil reclamation contracts are complete. If youre still working on an easement, make sure youve had it reviewed by an attorney, and soil and fertility experts and that it covers everything you need to restore your soil to favorable growing conditions. Yield losses can continue for multiple years, depending on how long it takes to rebuild the organic matter and fertility of your soil. You need to think both short- and long-term.

Avoid and mitigate compaction. As Culman pointed out, the best way to handle compaction is to prevent it in the first place. This means not driving over excessively wet soils and limiting the use of heavy equipment. There are many ways to help alleviate compacted soil, but compaction can take years to overcome. One method is deep ripping and certain controlled types of tillage. You can also add organic matter, including various mulch materials. Other methods include crops with deep root structures, and adding soil amendments like gypsum.

Bring back the fertility. In addition to alleviating compaction, you should have your soil tested to determine its fertility needs and add organic matter and fertilizer accordingly. You might also consider reducing or eliminating tillage for a period of years to build soil structure, aggregates and porosity. A long-term perennial crop like alfalfa or clover and grasses could provide a natural way of improving your soil health.

Get bare ground covered. Its never a good idea to leave your ground uncovered  especially with winter coming. There are dozens of cover crops that can be used, but you need to select a variety that will do well in your soil type and that will satisfy your expectations. Charts are available to help you compare different crops. You need to consider the heat, drought, shade, flood and fertility tolerances of different crops, and what exactly you want the crops to do  whether its build soil, fight erosion, fight weeds, provide for grazing  or all of these things.

Get a good start. After youve decided on what type of crop or vegetation to plant, make sure your seed bed is properly prepared. All tree limbs, boulders, rocks and anything else exposed during the pipeline project should be removed. Make sure your seed is a high quality brand and free of noxious weeds. Choose a seeding and planting schedule that assures proper establishment, and add as much chopped straw or mulch as possible.

Get in touch. OSU Extension, as well the SWCD and NRCS offices, all have information available in each county to help direct your decisions. You can visit their websites or contact your local Extension agent or soil conservation technician. You may also be able to participate in an OSU-led study of pipeline-affected soils by contacting a team member and volunteering your farm. The study will compare pipeline-affected soil to adjacent, non-affected soils and provide landowners with soil health and comparison data over a period of three to four years.

(To learn more about the OSU pipeline soil study, visit go.osu.edu/pipeline-signup, or contact Steve Culman at culman2@osu.edu, or call 330-822-3787. You can also contact your local SWCD or NRCS office for more information.)
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The first herd screening project in Wales has been launched as part of the Welsh governments multi-million pound bid to eradicate Bovine Viral Diarrhoea (BVD).

Farmers throughout Wales will be urged to participate in this new voluntary eradication programme which has been funded through the Welsh Governments Rural Development Programme.

Called Gwaredu BVD (Eradicating BVD), its purpose is to provide the necessary support and guidance to ensure farmers can identify herds infected with BVD.

The programme will be managed jointly by Coleg Sir Gars Agriculture Research Centre in partnership with the Royal Veterinary College (RVC).

'Widespread'

Speaking at the launch, John Griffiths, manager of the Agriculture Research Centre based at Coleg Sir Gars Gelli Aur campus said BVD in cattle is "widespread" in Wales.

[It causes] annual losses totalling up to 15,000 and 4,500 respectively in the average sized dairy and beef herds. This disease can reduce fertility, increase incidences of abortion and cause pneumonia in affected stock, so it has drastic and long-lasting effects on all farms affected, from both a personal and business perspective.

This new voluntary disease eradication programme will be conducted alongside Waless annual herd TB testing regime to help identify herds infected with BVD. Support will also be available to find the persistently infected (PI) animals from infected herds.

The testing phase will continue over a three-year period. When complete, well hopefully be in an improved position with regards to BVD in Wales and our ultimate aim is to make Wales BVD free.

'Unpleasant virus'

Dr Neil Paton, Lecturer in Farm Animal Health and Production at the RVC, has played a significant part in the projects development and will act as the Veterinary Technical lead for its duration.

BVD is an unpleasant virus and represents a significant drain on the UK cattle industry. This new disease eradication programme is the first industry driven initiative that aims to eradicate a disease in Wales. said Dr. Paton.

BVD is a viral and immunosuppressive disease maintained by a small population of animals that become persistently infected and are a risk to the health of the rest of the herd.

This affects the farms production system in terms of cost and animal welfare issues that can lead to pneumonia, scour, infertility and reproductive disorders.
A County Down motorist involved in a fatal road collision which killed an elderly farmer has been banned from driving for three years.

William Mark Murphy was driving a lorry that collided with a tractor pulling a trailer on the A4 dual carriageway in County Tyrone on 25 June 2014.

The fatal crash resulted in the death of farmer Phelim Brady, who was standing on the tractor's drawbar and was killed after it was hit from behind.

69-year-old Phelim Brady, from Caledon, was a father-of-four.

The court gave 53-year-old Murphy, from Castlewellan, a suspended four-month jail sentence for causing death by careless driving. He's also been given a driving ban that will last for three years.

Dungannon Crown Court heard Murphy attempted to overtake the tractor at the junction of the Killybracken Road between Dungannon and Ballygawley, but was forced to stop overtaking after failing to see an oncoming car travelling in the outside lane.

After attempting and failing to overtake, he quickly moved back into the inside lane.

Tragically, Murphy was too close to the back of tractor towing the trailer, and failed to brake in time to prevent the fatal crash.

The court heard that Mr Brady sustained "multiple injuries as a result of the collision" and died at the scene.

During the sentencing, the judge paid tribute to the "tremendously dignified and decent" Brady family, and that the whole family had "lost the bedrock of the family unit".
Almost nine out of ten people in the UK do not trust foreign food chains, with just 12% of people having confidence in the European food chain and 7% in global food suppliers, according to new research.

The NFU Mutual Food Fraud Report 2017, published today (7th September), also reveals that almost three quarters (72%) think there is an issue with food fraud in the UK, with over a quarter also believing that they have personally experienced it (27%).

Hearing about high profile cases of fraudulent food in the media, such as the horse meat scandal in 2013, is the most common cause of reduced confidence in nearly half of consumers (46%).

In July, police dismantled an organised crime group trading horsemeat in Europe that was unfit for human consumption. Over 60 people were arrested in the Europe-wide investigation.

The recent mass egg recall due to poison fears also caused shoppers to question the origin of their food purchases.

The report goes on to state that takeaways are the outlet that UK consumers are least trusting of, receiving 42% of the vote followed by online (21%) and convenience stores (16%). The least trusted product types are processed foods (35%), red meat (18%) and supplements (15%).

One third of consumers (33%) are less trusting of products and retailers than they were five years ago, compared with only 9% whose trust has increased.

A further 33% believe that food crime is likely to increase in the future.

'Tough scrutiny'

Commenting on the report, Frank Woods, Retail Sector Specialist at NFU Mutual, said leaving the EU provides an "important time" for tackling food fraud and getting regulation right.

He said: Government proposals for where we will get our food from are already under tough scrutiny from industry and consumers alike with concerns over skilled workers and quality.

Producers are under immense pressure to offset price rises caused by the weakened value of sterling and higher import costs, squeezing already tight budgets and resources and potentially cornering them into using cheaper global suppliers that may be more vulnerable to fraud.

The UK food and drink industry could be losing up to 12bn annually to fraud, entering the food chain through means including falsified or inaccurate documentation, and redirection of waste products back into the supply chain or re-dating of stock.

The British farming industry has seen today's report as a sign that consumers are opting to buy British more than ever, due to its reputation for trustworthiness and safety.

Mr Woods continued: Our research exposes the damaging effect that various influencers have had on consumer confidence over time.

Much of the industry is addressing this by changing its supply strategy and supporting British produce - likely to be popular with a majority of consumers who want to support local businesses on home soil as shown in our research.

How British farmers, producers, retailers and caterers will be supported and enabled to deliver the quantity of food required and improve consumer confidence remains to be seen.

'Field to fork'

The Food Fraud report, which is designed to understand challenges facing businesses working across the field to fork supply chain, explores attitudes and influencers of trust, perceived blame, impact upon behaviour and awareness of food crime.

The report includes viewpoints and advice from major industry bodies including the British Retail Consortium, Food and Drink Federation, British Hospitality Association and National Farmers Retail & Markets Association.

The report also found that over two thirds of people (70%) regularly take measures to ensure their food is legitimate and 17% avoid certain foods altogether that they believe could be susceptible to fraud.

Almost four out of five respondents though (77%) said that they would not know how to spot a counterfeit product.

The Soil Association is hoping to change this. Consumers can now scan their produce to find out exactly where it's come from, thanks to their new pilot scheme aiming to highlight food transparency.
Oil prices haven't bounced back as expected this year, which has weighed on oil stocks, including big oil companies ExxonMobil (XOM 3.12%), ConocoPhillips (COP 3.48%), and Occidental Petroleum (OXY 5.46%). That trio has been particularly walloped this year, falling more than 10% apiece even though crude is only down 5%. That underperformance is coming despite the fact that these oil giants have improved their ability to thrive at lower prices, which is why investors with a long-term mindset should consider scooping up shares.

Getting closer to the pivot point

Occidental Petroleum has endured the steepest decline of this group, falling more than 16% this year. That slump comes despite recently reporting solid second-quarter results, where it delivered 7% higher production from its Permian Basin resources, recorded its 15th consecutive annual dividend increase, and bolstered its cash position to $2.2 billion. In addition to its solid financial and operational performance, the company also started up a new chemical plant in Texas and sold some non-core acreage in the Permian, reinvesting the proceeds to acquire additional working interests in several enhanced oil recovery assets in the region.

These strategic moves are worth noting because they keep the company on a pathway to get its break-even level down to $50 a barrel, which would enable the company to pay its current dividend and finance the capital needed to fuel 5% to 8% annual production growth within cash flow. While the company still needs to hit a few more milestones to achieve all those goals at the price point, it's getting closer by the day. Once it reaches that level, Occidental Petroleum has the potential to deliver low double-digit total returns to investors on an annual basis even if oil stays in the $50s for the long-term.

Lots of low-cost oil with more on the way

ExxonMobil's stock is down a surprising 15% this year even though it is one of the strongest operators in the industry. In fact, the company's underlying operations already generate more than enough cash flow to support its current dividend as well as the capital needed to maintain and grow its production. Last quarter, for example, Exxon produced more than $7.1 billion in cash, which covered the company's $3.9 billion in capital outlays and its $3.3 billion in dividends.

Because of its strong financial position, ExxonMobil has been able to move forward with low-cost oil projects that should bolster cash flow in future years. One of the most compelling is its Liza project offshore Guyana, which is a world-class field that should start producing by 2020. The project has a development cost of less than $10 per barrel of oil equivalent and should deliver a discounted cash flow return of more than 10% at $40 oil. Add to that its high-return position in the Permian and a host of other return-focused projects around the world, and ExxonMobil can deliver steady growth and a compelling dividend in the current low-price environment, making it a top oil stock to hold for the long-term.

Overdelivered and ahead of schedule

ConocoPhillips' stock has fallen nearly 12% this year despite the fact that it not only outperformed its objectives to reposition its portfolio but did so three years ahead of schedule. Initially, the company planned to sell $5 billion to $8 billion of primarily natural gas assets in North America by 2019, which would give it the cash to pay down debt and repurchase stock. However, the company has already announced $16 billion of asset sales this year, highlighted by the sale of a significant portion of its Canadian assets to Cenovus Energy (CVE 3.55%) in a $13.3 billion deal. These transactions provided it with the cash needed to meet its debt reduction and buyback targets three years early, which allowed it to set new goals for 2019.

The share repurchases are worth pointing out because they have the potential to deliver a meaningful impact for investors. For example, while the company expects to generate asset sale adjusted production growth of 3% this year on an absolute basis, output has the potential to increase by 8% on a per share basis if it completes its planned repurchases at around the current stock price. Meanwhile, ConocoPhillips can achieve that compelling growth rate and fund a growing dividend, all while living within cash flow at $50 oil, putting it on par with Exxon and Occidental.

Low-cost oil stocks for a lower price

All three of these big oil stocks can thrive at current oil prices since each can generate enough cash from operations to finance their dividend and some growth-focused spending. That alone makes them excellent long-term buys. However, what makes them even better opportunities right now is the fact that their stock prices have fallen double digits this year despite the progress they've made on their strategies to thrive at lower oil prices. Because of that, investors can buy these excellent companies for a compelling price, which should enable them to earn solid returns over the long-term even if oil never recovers any further.
Five years ago, Freeport-McMoRan (FCX 3.51%) decided to diversify into oil and gas in a move that it thought would pay big dividends down the road. Unfortunately, that decision didn't pay off as expected, because commodity prices plunged across the board. That downturn forced the company to shed several assets in recent years to stay afloat, including unloading most of its energy assets for a fraction of their purchase price.

While the company has improved its financial situation dramatically, it still has work to do. Overall, Freeport-McMoRan remains in transition. While it has unwound most of its oil and gas business, it now must sell a majority stake in its crown jewel copper and gold mine in Indonesia as part of a new framework agreement to continue operating in the country. Thus, the company will likely look different in five years.

The Freeport-McMoRan of today

Currently, Freeport-McMoRan operates 10 mines around the world -- seven in North America, two in South America and one in Indonesia -- that produce copper, gold, and molybdenum. However, its Grasberg mine, in Indonesia, accounted for a quarter of its copper output last year and the bulk of its gold production. Unit costs at that mine were just $0.83 per pound of copper, versus $1.41 per pound across its other mines, which means it makes more money off every pound produced in Indonesia.

At current commodity prices, these mines are on pace to generate $3.8 billion of operating cash flow for the company this year. Given that the miner expects to invest only $1.6 billion on capital projects this year, it's on pace to produce $2.2 billion of free cash flow. That excess will enable the company to continue to improve its balance sheet, with it likely getting net debt below $10 billion by year-end, which would represent a 50% decline over the last two years. That said, even at that level, its leverage ratio would still be high at around 2.0. For perspective, rival global mining giant Rio Tinto's (RIO 6.41%) leverage ratio was just 0.6 at the end of June, while BHP Billiton's (BHP 6.63%) was 1.2. Given its weaker balance sheet relative to those peers, it seems likely that Freeport-McMoRan will continue to divert the bulk of its excess cash toward debt reduction in the near term.

Where Freeport-McMoRan appears to be heading

Aside from bolstering its balance sheet, one of Freeport-McMoRan's other priorities over the past few years has been to secure a new long-term agreement to continue operating the Grasberg mine. After much negotiation, the company recently announced a new framework for an agreement with the Indonesian government. While that deal will provide the company with long-term operating rights through 2041, Freeport-McMoRan had to give up a lot to secure that certainty. It agreed to sell down its 90.64% stake in the operating entity at fair market value so that Indonesian interests own a majority 51% stake in that operating partnership, though the company will retain operational and governing control of the entity.

That agreement to sell down its stake will do two things to Freeport-McMoRan in the future. First, the company should receive a significant cash infusion upon completion of the sale, which the company will likely initially use to bolster its balance sheet. That said, Freeport's future copper output and cash flow will decline since it will only receive 49% of the entity's production instead of 90%.

Once the company completes this transition, it will become a leaner copper producer, with what should be a top-notch balance sheet. That gives the company options for its excess cash flow, including investing to expand production at its other mines to offset the lost output at Grasberg, making acquisitions, buying back stock, and reinstating the dividend. That said, the most likely course of action seems to be that the company will focus its investment dollars toward expansion projects in the Americas as opposed to acquisitions, given the botched oil and gas deals. Meanwhile, shareholder returns will likely come from dividends as opposed to buybacks because that will enable Freeport-McMoRan to draw in income-focused investors since they have few top income-producing options in the mining sector other than Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton.

A lean, mean copper-producing machine

Freeport-McMoRan has learned a valuable lesson over the last five years, that taking on a mountain of debt to acquire a commodity producer when prices are high can blow up should they unexpectedly fall. The miner is unlikely to make that same mistake twice, which is why I believe that it will focus on maintaining a fortress-like balance sheet with growth coming from organic expansion in the coming years. Furthermore, I suspect that it will eventually reinstate its dividend. As a result, the Freeport-McMoRan of five years from now could be a lower-risk, copper-focused producer that offers investors a blend of growth and income, much like BHP and Rio.
NFU Scotland has voiced serious concerns over plans to extend the powers of compulsory purchase to cover sustainable development under new legislation.

The issue centres on one part of the Forestry and Land Management Bill that covers management proposals and details of plans to devolve powers for Forestry Commission Scotland.

The Bill states that the Scottish government would grant compulsory purchase order powers to further the achievement of sustainable development.

Giving evidence on the Bill to the Scottish Parliament Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee on 6 September, the union said the definition was too vague and therefore gave too much power to potential developers.

See also: Guide for landlords and tenants on improvements amnesty in Scotland

Speaking after the evidence session, an NFUS spokesman said the scope of the term sustainable development was too broad and needed further definition.

As it stands the phrase sustainable development is open to interpretation and could cover a wide range of activities.

We must have clarification of exactly what could be included so that there is a legal definition and examples of what can be purchased, the spokesman said.

Blank cheque

NFUS deputy policy director Andrew Bauer said the term was malleable and gave a blank cheque to developers.

The major expansion proposed in the Bill could potentially see [orders] applied in a much wider range of circumstances  perhaps to allow renewable energy and tourism developments and to facilitate community ownership of land, Mr Bauer said.

The Law Society of Scotland (LSS) has expressed legal uncertainty over the term sustainable development, he added.

By proposing to extend the already outdated compulsory purchase powers to further delivery of such a malleable concept, NFUS is concerned that the problems highlighted by the LSS will be compounded rather than remedied, he added.

However positive the intentions behind the proposal, the severe shortcomings of the compulsory purchase process and blank cheque that furthering the achievement of sustainable development represents, mean NFU Scotland is opposed to the proposed expansion in these powers.

Heightened tensions

NFU Scotlands evidence to the committee also reflected heightened tensions over compulsory purchase laws after farmers were landed with repair bills in the wake of a major road development in Aberdeenshire.

The Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route is close to completion, but has left land with inadequate fencing and drainage, the union said in its written evidence.

In many cases the farmers have given up waiting on the government to provide suitable fencing and have had to carry out repairs at their own cost. That is unacceptable, the NFUS said.

It alleged that underpasses were left incomplete, water was polluted by run-off from the construction and replacement water troughs had been left uninstalled.

The evidence also said the compensation payment system had failed and farmers had waited more than two years, with no resolution and no compensation.

Meetings between farmer groups and government representatives to discuss the issues are planned to take place later this autumn.
Truecaller adds exciting new features to its Android app for Indian users News oi -Samden Sherpa Truecaller has added two new Number Scanner and Fast Track Numbers features in its Android app.

Truecaller, which is a popular caller-ID app among smartphone users is adding two new features to its Android version. The two additions will be a Number Scanner and Fast Track Numbers features. Both of these features are expected to be rolled out in the next Android 8.45 release.

How to remove your number from true caller app

So apart from identifying unknown calls, blocking spam calls and spam SMS, Truecaller will now help the users to do more. As such, the first feature, Number Scanner will allow the user to scan a number directly from business cards, websites, street signs and shop fronts through the phone's camera.

As per the company, users in India will be able to scan a number and use it along with the UPI payments. Truecaller users will also be able to send or request money, recharge, or even Flash Message with any contact from their contacts.

"When you see an important phone number, you can directly pull it into your phone with Truecaller and use it, in seconds, to connect or make a payment," said Narayan Babu, Director of Product & Engineering at Truecaller, in a press statement.

Whereas, the new Fast Track numbers feature will integrate toll-free numbers for emergency services and essential categories directly into the app. Moreover, this feature will be accessible without a stable internet connection. And there's more. This feature will also save 'Bank Balance Check' numbers in the Contacts tab, for offline use.

These features will be available only in India.

Best Mobiles in India

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Cache

Most search engines maintain a cache of web pages indexed by them. Instead of visiting the website, you can access a cached copy of the same web page from Google's or any other search results.

DNS

Sometimes, your ISP can block the access to the sites you are looking for. In this case, you can reconfigure the DNS server. In fact, the DNS servers resolve the IP address for a particular request. Moreover, some DNS has the ability to route some of your requested data packets through servers within the restricted locations.

SEE ALSO: How to create a Photo Book using Google Photos

Proxy servers

Since there are many proxy websites available on the net, it opens blocked websites on their servers and present the data. The proxies can also keep cached copies of web resources, which lets you access websites faster.

VPN

VPN or Virtual Private Network lets you connect to a specific network from outside. Moreover, it extends a specific private network over shared public networks as if it belonged to the same private network. It also offers anonymity than proxy websites as it also encrypts the data transferred by the blocked.

Nyud.net

To unblock the blocked websites, just add nyud.net to their URL.

IP hiding

Sometimes, websites block users on a particular IP address from visiting themselves. In these cases, you can use free IP hiding software to visit them.
Health

The field of health is rapidly changing and increasingly complex. Our content helps you keep up with the latest trends in health care in ways you can understand.
Hurricane Irma, a category 5 storm, is projected to reach Haiti by Thursday. We are carefully monitoring the hurricane and making preparations in the communities where we work.

Weather forecasts predict the arrival of tropical storm force winds late Wednesday evening or early Thursday. The current trajectory shows probable impact on the northern coast of Haiti, extending into the western coastal area of the country.

A Hurricane Irma projection the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration released at 11 a.m. AST on September 6.

Heifer Haiti has distributed information to communities on how to best shelter livestock and protect crops before the storm arrives. Representatives from Heifer Haiti also met with government officials on Tuesday and are ready to mobilize within 24 hours of the storm to provide emergency care for 30,000-50,000 animals and deploy food kits.

Our strength [in this situation] is livestock emergency, said Hervil Cherubin, Heifer Haiti country program director. We might be the only one in the country with that capacity. Many organizations and the government will be assisting with food and shelters, so we will focus more on rescuing and saving the animals.

The next 24 hours are a critical time for Haiti and neighboring countries as the exact path of Hurricane Irma becomes clear. Heifer International stands with these communities and is ready to provide immediate support.
Doing Homework on Vaccines this Back-to-School Season? Here are 10 Ways to Separate Fact from Fiction.
Islamabad : In a massive victory for India, Pakistan on Tuesday night admitted that banned militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) exist and operate from their soil.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview to Geo.tv, acknowledged the existence of such LeT and JeM among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

Whats the big surprise about this? We (Pakistan) too has banned these proscribed organisations, Asif told the anchor, further adding that the country has been trying to fight them for the last three years.

The acknowledgement comes a day after BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations unanimously condemned the violence carried out by terrorist groups, including LeT, JeM based out of Pakistan.

Source : Zee News
The 223-room Sofitel Singapore City Centre, AccorHotels" 800th hotel in Asia Pacific, will open its doors next month.

Located in Tanjong Pagar, just 20 minutes from Changi Airport, the hotel will be AccorHotels" 13th in Singapore, and will be shortly followed by a combined 782-room Novotel and Mercure complex which will open on Stevens Road.

Guests entering Sofitel Singapore City Centre are welcomed by a nine-metre chandelier designed by Lasvit. The art installation of glass leaves that whirl through the lobby, comprises 700 hand-blown glass crystals.

Guests can choose from 223 rooms and suites featuring floor to ceiling windows; complimentary minibars serviced by the hotel"s very own droid butler  Sophie The Robot; Sofitel"s luxurious MyBed; a Handy Phone which provides access to free local and international calls to 10 countries and Wi-Fi on the go; Smart TVs and Bose Sound systems; large soaking tubs with separate rain showers and luxurious Lanvin or Hermes amenities.

Guests of Luxury Club Rooms and Suites will enjoy the services of Club Millesime, including breakfast, evening cocktails and canapes, a library, intimate meeting spaces and a butler service.

Sofitel Singapore City Centre offers several dining outlets including Racines, helmed by Executive Chef Jean-Charles Dubois, which will offer both French and Chinese cuisines prepared by two distinct culinary brigades across four open kitchens.

The hotel will also offer 20,000 square feet of meeting space, a SoFit gym, 30m infinity outdoor pool and a lawn. Guests will be able to use the SoSpa located at Sofitel Singapore Sentosa Resort & Spa and Club floor guests can access the adjacent Virgin Active Fitness Club  Tanjong Pagar.

Hotel website
The report, which is free to download now, examines the role that deep learning can play in travel and finds that far from being a futuristic concept, the machine learning technique is already creating real-world return on investment for travel brands.

One of the most obvious areas where deep learning is being deployed is in the area of predictive pricing. The report notes several different brands that are using deep learning in the field of pricing but in different ways. Both technology company Amadeus and metasearch firm Amadeus are deploying deep learning to understand airline pricing and model it into the future. Amadeus aims to maximise prices and revenues from airline tickets, whereas Aviasales is approaching the challenge from the consumer perspective. They claim that they can predict air fares with a 5% error margin and are applying this to make recommendations to customers about when and with which airline to book.

Stena Line on the other hand has combined deep learning's ability to recognise objects and its pricing strategy. Their challenge was to make sure they were offering the cheapest prices on board compared to what consumers could buy on land but not to undercut to such a degree they were losing revenue. To do this manually would have been exhausting and expensive as there are tens of thousands of products to monitor. Through machine learning, neural networks and image recognition software, deep learning can recognize products and their prices and present findings back to the team with a more than 90% accuracy rating.

This is just one aspect of where deep learning is being applied in the travel industry, so download the complete report for free by clicking here to find out:

What other brands such as Expedia and The Travel Corporation are doing to harness deep learning.

How neural nets have been developed and how they power deep learning.

Where deep learning will transform the industry.

How deep learning can save time and reduce costs.

What the limits are to deep learning and how regulation might affect it.

The report is part two of EyeforTravel's How Will Artificial Intelligence Transform Travel? report series. You can find the first report, which studies chatbots in travel, by clicking here.

About Reuters Events

Reuters Events is a community where the worlds top online travel brands  from hotels to airlines, online travel agents, cruise, car hire firms and more  come to meet to drive forward growth and innovation in the industry.

We know that working in the turbulent online travel industry is as exciting as it is challenging. In this constantly evolving market place, we appreciate that keeping up with the pace of change can be tough, not to mention time consuming. You need the right information, contacts and strategic insight to succeed.

Established in 1997, by Tim Gunstone, we offer a diverse product portfolio including industry analysis, insights, research, webinars, reports and conferences to suit the needs of our clients.

Our clients read as a whos who of online travel. From major hotel brands to new startups, we help our 80,000 strong customer base make better decisions, build better brands, close the most lucrative deals and ultimately sell more of their product. After all, increasing travel brand profit margins in the cutthroat travel industry is the name of the game!

No other online travel intelligence provider has been charting the growth of online travel as long as we have. We were here at the inception of online travel and we know the industry inside out. Whats more, were a small, friendly team. Forget impersonal hierarchies, we like to get to know our customers and work towards their exact needs.

Meredith Pistulka

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Hyatt Regency Lucknow Hotel Opens in India

Located in the corporate hub of Vibhuti Khand, Hyatt Regency Lucknow is designed to connect business and leisure travelers to all Lucknow has to offer. The hotel is in close proximity to the citys High Court and multiple public sector head offices, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is less than 16 miles (25 kilometers) away.

Hyatt Hotels Corporation (NYSE: H) announced today the opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow, the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Lucknow, capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India. Hyatt Regency Lucknow is the 27th Hyatt-branded hotel in India and further expands the companys brand presence in South Asia by offering enriching, authentic and diversified brand experiences for guests.

The opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow marks a significant milestone for the Hyatt Regency brand as it continues to expand its footprint throughout India, said Kurt Straub, vice president, operations for India at Hyatt. Not only is the hotel strategically located for business travelers visiting Lucknow, it is also well positioned for leisure guests who are interested in enjoying a journey through the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc of Lucknow, Agra and Varanasi.

We are delighted to announce the opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow in the dynamic capital of the largest and most populous state of India. Chartered Hotels Private Limited remains focused on developing full service hotels across tier one and tier two cities in India for the ever growing business and leisure traveler, said Varun Saraf, managing director, Chartered Hotels Private Limited. The hotel's strategic location along with the food and beverage offerings and large state-of-the-art meeting and banqueting facilities will provide guests with an unforgettable experience which Lucknow has not yet seen.

Located in the corporate hub of Vibhuti Khand, Hyatt Regency Lucknow is designed to connect business and leisure travelers to all Lucknow has to offer. The hotel is in close proximity to the citys High Court and multiple public sector head offices, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is less than 16 miles (25 kilometers) away. Additionally, landmarks and tourist attractions include Bara Imambara, La Martiniere College and Hazratganj Market.

Our passionate, caring and well-trained team is ready to welcome guests to our contemporary and stylish hotel. At Hyatt Regency Lucknow, we set the stage for dynamic interactions  from a quick coffee meeting to shared culinary experiences, our guests can come together to socialize, collaborate or celebrate, said Kumar Shobhan, general manager of the hotel. We are confident that the hotels spacious accommodations, premier meeting facilities and superior service will provide an authentic experience and one-stop convenience to business and leisure travelers.



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With 206 guestrooms, including 19 suites, Hyatt Regency Lucknow offers elegantly decorated, bright and spacious accommodations. All guestrooms feature 43-inch LED HD televisions, a multi-functional workspace, a comfortable seating area, and a well-appointed bathroom. Guests staying in the Regency Club guestrooms and suites can enjoy access to the Regency Club that serves complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and hors doeuvres. Other Regency Club benefits include private check-in and check-out and airport transfers.

Culinary Journey

The dining options at Hyatt Regency Lucknow focus on offering different local and international dishes.

The all-day-dining restaurant Rocca offers Italian and Awadhi cuisine ideal for a family, a group of friends or work colleagues. The restaurant features a live kitchen and pizza oven and offers a variety of Italian and popular Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.

The hotels specialty restaurant LukJin, which will open later this year, will offer a selection of Thai and Chinese dishes, including dumplings, soups, noodles, aromatic curries, stir-fried dishes and desserts. Led by well-trained Thai & Chinese chefs, the restaurants authentic flavors will make it the most sought-after place for dinner.

UPs Lounge is a lounge during the day that transforms into a lively bar in the evening. This social venue offers innovative and creative cocktails inspired by local ingredients and spices, along with a fine selection of alcoholic beverages.

Wellness Experiences

Siddh Spa, which will be launched subsequently, will be an Urban Spa offering beauty and wellness therapies inspired by ancient Siddha practices. Guests can choose a wellness path based on their desired state of being  Vatham, Pitham or Kapham. The spa features a four-treatment rooms and separate male and female hydro areas equipped with steam room and showers for a rejuvenating experience.

Hyatt Regency Lucknow also features a pool and 24-hour fitness center so that guests can maintain their fitness routine while traveling.

Event Venues

Hyatt Regency Lucknow is the perfect venue for a variety of events such as weddings, social banquets, exhibitions, meetings, and conferences. With more than 18,000 square feet (1,579 square meters) of flexible meeting and event facilities, including a 4,200-square foot (390-square meter) ballroom, the hotel provides thoughtfully designed multi-functional spaces with high-tech audio-visual and lighting solutions. For corporate meeting requirements there are seven breakout rooms spread over one floor with different seating capacities.
For hotels in the Middle East & Africa, July marked a low in recent top and bottom line performance as demand levels remained soft during the stifling summer months, according to the latest poll of full-service hotels from HotStats.

For hotels in the Middle East & Africa, July marked a low in recent top and bottom line performance as demand levels remained soft during the stifling summer months, according to the latest worldwide poll of full-service hotels from HotStats.

Whilst hotels in the Middle East & Africa recorded a 1.0 percentage point increase in room occupancy in July, to 60.4%, it was at the expense of a 12.7% drop in achieved average room rate, to $140.73, as low demand levels forced hoteliers to discount rates in an attempt to drive top line revenues.

However, as a result of the movement in volume and price, RevPAR at hotels in the region dropped to a monthly five-year low of $84.98, which surpasses the previous low of $93.57 recorded in June 2016.

Further woe was heaped on to hoteliers in the Middle East & Africa as declines in non-rooms revenues, including Food and Beverage (-6.2%) and Conference and Banqueting (-1.0%), contributed to the 9.1% year-on-year drop in TrevPAR, to $149.31. Again, this represented a recent historic low in this metric for hotels in the region.

Profit & Loss Key Performance Indicators  Middle East & Africa (in USD)

July 2017 v July 2016

RevPAR: -11.2% to $84.98

TrevPAR: -9.1% to $149.31

Payroll: +3.2 pts to 34.5%

GOPPAR: -27.3% to $35.47

Although hotels in the Middle East & Africa did their utmost to arrest escalating costs, Payroll levels increased by 3.2 percentage points, to 34.5% of total revenue, punctuating a poor month of performance with GOPPAR recorded at just $35.47.

Profit per room this month was at the lowest level recorded in recent years and was 51.8% below the average for the 12-months to July 2017, at $73.63. As a result, profit conversion at hotels in the Middle East & Africa fell to a low of just 23.8% of total revenue.

The poor profit conversion this month will be unfamiliar to hoteliers in the Middle East & Africa who have become accustomed to recording punchy bottom line performance.

However, much to the disappointment of hotel owners and operators in the region, the challenging market conditions are likely to continue in the short term. This is not only due to the laboured recovery of the oil industry, but many of the new hotel developments which were either late in the planning stages or had already broken ground when the crisis hit, are now coming to fruition, said Pablo Alonso, CEO of HotStats.

Whilst the performance for hotels in Muscat was stronger than in June, year-on-year properties in the capital of Oman suffered significant declines across all key metrics this month, which included a 177.7% drop in profit per room to -$6.76.

Profit & Loss Key Performance Indicators  Muscat (in USD)

July 2017 v July 2016

RevPAR: -24.1% to $53.80

TrevPAR: -24.4% to $121.28

Payroll: +10.0 pts to 60.3%

GOPPAR: -177.7% to -$6.76

In addition to relying heavily on demand from the oil industry, additions to hotel supply in Muscat in 2017 have put further pressure on hotel performance and have included the three-star 152-bedroom Al Irfan International Hotel and 120-bedroom Muttrah Corniche and four-star 215-bedroom Sundus Rotana.

As in other locations across the region, it is noteworthy that additions to supply in Muscat are primarily in the mid-market segment, as these destinations look to broaden their appeal to leisure visitors. However, this is likely to not only dilute demand levels but will put real pressure on room rates at the upscale hotels polled in the HotStats sample, added Pablo.

Amongst political demonstrations and disruption in the city, hotels in Amman performed strongly this month, with a 7.8 percentage point increase in room occupancy, to 60.8%, successfully offsetting the 6.9% decline in achieved average room rate, to $144.84.

This month was a welcome respite from the year-to-date performance for hotels in Amman, which have struggled to grow top and bottom line performance so far this year, illustrated by the -8.0% year-to-date RevPAR decline, to $74.74.

The growth this month was even more impressive considering the contribution from the high-yielding contracted corporate and residential conference segments fell, to 33.3% of rooms revenue, against a year-to-date average of 40.7%.

Despite the uplift in volume, hotels in Amman suffered declines in non-rooms, including Food and Beverage (-3.0%), but this was not to the detriment of TrevPAR, which increased by 2.6% to $158.01.

Due to the growth in top line revenue and cost savings, hotels in Amman recorded a 10.8% increase in GOPPAR, to $53.22. This went someway to offsetting the 24.9% year-to-date profit per room decline, to $30.39.

Profit & Loss Key Performance Indicators  Amman (in USD)

July 2017 v July 2016

RevPAR: +6.8% to $88.02

TrevPAR: +2.6% to $158.01

Payroll: -0.7 pts to 27.2%

GOPPAR: +10.8% to $53.22

HotStats provides two reporting tools to hoteliers:

Our unique profit and loss benchmarking service which enables monthly comparison of hotels performance against their competitors. It is distinguished by the fact that it provides in excess of 100 performance metric comparisons covering 70 areas of hotel revenue, cost, profit and statistics providing far deeper insight into the hotel operation than any other tool.

Our latest innovation in daily revenue intelligence, MORSE. Amongst its reporting are daily and highly granular market segmentation metrics as well as distribution channel and source of booking analysis. It takes daily market intelligence to a whole new level.

For more information contact:

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DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul Topkapi Hotel Opens

DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul Topkapi, a 216-room hotel just minutes from Istanbul's historical site and Ataturk International Airport, is the latest addition to the growing portfolio of DoubleTree by Hilton. With easy access to the E100 motorway and closeby to Istanbul's central business districts and the Koc Research Hospital, the hotel is a convienent location for both business and leisure travellers.

Guests can uncover the Hagia Sophia, visit the Golden Horn or enjoy the nearby coasts from the hotels central location. Spanning 18 floors, the modern hotel features sea- view rooms and suites overlooking Marmara Sea and The Princess Islands. Situated on the European side of Istanbul, the hotel holds the largest conference and ballroom in the area, available for up to 700 guests. Also available is the Topkapi Terrace, the largest open air function space in the area, offering one-of-a-kind panoramic views of Istanbul.

Additional hotel features and amenities include:

DINING

Guests can start their day right with the DoubleTree breakfast in the Turquaz Restaurant. Serving international and local dishes made from fresh and local produce, the restaurant is also open for group lunches and dinners. For something more casual, The Lounge Cafe & Bar offers a relaxed and elegant atmosphere, offering quick bites influenced by both Turkish and international flavors, from 10:30am until 11pm. Room service is also available 24/7 at the property.

AMENITIES

Guests seeking exercise or relaxation have a variety of options, including the 24-hour fitness suite, or the indoor, temperature controlled pool. The Rose Spa is open from 10am and offers a range of traditional Turkish beauty treatments and massages, with separate sections for men and women.

MEETINGS & EVENTS

Perfect for business events, conferences, and personal parties, the hotel offers over 2,500 square meters of meeting and event space, including a pillar-free ballroom, which can be divided into three sections. With natural daylight and meeting room foyers available, the hotel can cater to all needs.

"We are delighted to be welcoming guests to our newly-built hotel in Topkapi, with superb access to E100, and to Ataturk Airport", said Hulya Akgun, general manager, DoubleTree by Hilton Istanbul Topkap. "The hotel is perfectly situated, nearby key landmarks in this historic city, which attracts a vast number of travellers each year. From those wanting to explore Istanbul or wishing to host conferences in our versatile meeting spaces, we cater for every type of traveller."
Greater New York receives Chapter of the Year Award

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) celebrated 90 years of fueling sales, inspiring marketing, and optimizing revenue, and honored current leaders and chapters at HSMAIs 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner on September 6, 2017 at Lansdowne Resort & Spa in Leesburg, Virginia.

The Greater New York Chapter was named Chapter of the Year and the University of Memphis was honored as Collegiate Chapter of the Year. Other Chapter Best of the Best award winners were honored throughout HSMAIs annual Mike Leven Leadership Conference, held in the same venue September 56, 2017.



HSMAI Greater New York Chapter  20162017 Chapter of the Year

Our chapters and their creative approaches to revenue optimization have strengthened HSMAIs commitment to fueling hotel sales over these past 90 years, said Fran Brasseux, HSMAI executive vice president. We are proud to recognize these achievements and are appreciative of these chapters hard work.

Held the final evening of this years Mike Leven Leadership Conference, HSMAIs 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner recognized and honored HSMAI leaders and innovations. Fifteen Past Presidents and seven HSMAI Lifetime Achievement Award honorees were on hand for the celebration. The evening included remarks and remembrances from past and present HSMAI leaders including HSMAI Lifetime Award Winner Roger Dow, U.S. Travel Association; Past Chairs Bruce Himelstein, BJH Group; Barb Bowden, Loews Hotels; Dorothy Dowling, Best Western Hotels & Resorts; current HSMAI Board Chair Jeff Senior, KSL Resorts; HSMAI Foundation Chair John Fareed, Horwath; incoming Chair Mark Thompson, Dallas Convention & Visitors Bureau; and HSMAI President & CEO Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA.

We may be celebrating a major milestone tonight, but well also recognize a number of outstanding leaders and some special guests who have helped to grow HSMAI over the last two decades, said Robert A. Gilbert, CHME, CHBA, president & CEO of HSMAI, in his opening remarks. He added, We really feel HSMAI is 90 years young. Tonight is the celebration of many industry feats and firstsbut its also the beginning of a new chapter for our game-changing organization. (For a brief recap of HSMAIs 90 years of innovation, view the 6-minute video, Celebrating 90 Years: An HSMAI Video Story.)

A special part of the anniversary celebration was devoted to presenting HSMAIs first-ever Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Awards. Adreana Bailey, National Sales Manager, Hilton DFW Lakes, was recognized as the HSMAI 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, received the HSMAI Above-property Hotel Sales Professional of the Year Award.

HSMAI honored chapters in the Americas Region for leadership, communications, membership, educational programming, and community involvement. The Frank W. Berkman Best of the Best 20162017 winners are as follows:

Chapter Leadership Award Winners

Greg Bodenair, Boston Chapter

Erik Dorr, Arizona Chapter

Jason Edwards, North Carolina Chapter

Blair Green, Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex Chapter

Large Chapter Winners

Arizona, Special Events

Greater New York, Membership, Partnership

South Florida, Education

Washington, D.C., Communications

Medium Chapter Winners

Boston, Education, Membership, Partnership

Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, Communications

Missouri, Education, Special Events

Small Chapter Winners

Austin, Communications

British Columbia, Communications, Membership, Partnership

Florida Keys, Special Events

North Carolina, Partnership

Seattle, Education

Collegiate Chapter of the Year

University of Memphis

Conference highlights included deep dives into critical topics such as volunteering, partnerships, recruiting, educational programming, and profitability. The conference kicked off with an executive interview with conference benefactor Mike Leven, CEO, Georgia Aquarium & Former President and Chief Operating Officer, Las Vegas Sands Corporation. Attendees were treated to an insightful discussion on harnessing the headwinds by Col. Nicole Malachowski USAF, first woman Thunderbird flyer, former White House Fellow, and former executive director of Joining Forcesthe Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden military and veterans initiative. As part of the HSMAI Helps service program, attendees hand-stuffed more than 100 bears to give to a childrens hospital.



Mike Leven, namesake of HSMAI's annual leadership conference,

speaks at HSMAI's 90th Anniversary Celebration Dinner

The conference was renamed the HSMAI Mike Leven Leadership Conference following a generous donation from the Mike and Andrea Leven Foundation in 2013. This year leaders came together at the Lansdowne Resort & Spa September 56. The conference was made possible by Conference Partners: The Michael and Andrea Leven Family Foundation, Anniversary Partner: Accor Hotels, Two Roads Hospitality, Lansdowne Resort & Spa, Booking.com, Visit Fairfax, and Visit Loudoun.

About HSMAI

The Hospitality Sales and Marketing Association International (HSMAI) is committed to growing business for hotels and their partners, and is the industrys leading advocate for intelligent, sustainable hotel revenue growth. The association provides hotel professionals & their partners with tools, insights, and expertise to fuel sales, inspire marketing, and optimize revenue through programs such as HSMAI ROCET, Adrian Awards, and Revenue Optimization Conference. Founded in 1927 and celebrating 90 years in 2017, HSMAI is an individual membership organization comprising more than 7,000 members worldwide, with 40 chapters in the Americas Region. Connect with HSMAI at http://www.hsmai.org.
The American Hotel & Lodging Educational Foundation (AHLEF), the not-for-profit affiliate of the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA), announced that nearly $1 million was awarded to 372 scholarships this year  of which 131 were given to minority hospitality management students. AHLEF administers several scholarships for students who are enrolled in a hospitality-related degree-granting program at an American college or university. Applicants are evaluated based on academics, related work experience, extracurricular activities, financial need, honors, and personal attributes. Scholarship awards range from $500 to $6,000, contingent upon the program and the students enrollment status.

The core mission of the Foundation is to ensure a strong and viable future for the entire lodging industry by fueling the talent pipeline through training, research and educational opportunities, said Rosanna Maietta, AHLEFs Interim President. These grants allow a new, aspiring workforce to establish long-term careers in our growing and dynamic industry. Funded solely through the generous contributions of our industry partners, AHLEF continues to build on its legacy of empowering our current workforce and building the next generation of hoteliers.

Scholarship Programs Include:

AHLEF administers eight scholarship programs that are available to incoming freshman through graduate level for students studying hospitality management and awarded $851,500 to students across the country. Two of these programs are dedicated specifically for minority students:

The Annual Scholarship Grant Program, the foundations largest, is co-administered with 70 universities and colleges. In 2017, 269 students, nominated by AHLEF affiliated schools, were awarded $563,000 in funds. The program is supported by proceeds of the Americas Lodging Investment Summit (ALIS), the Foundations Annual Giving Campaign, previous AHLEF capital campaigns, annual special events and the following scholarship endowments:

 Melinda Bush Mentor

 John Clifford Memorial

 Cecil B. Day Memorial

 Handlery Hotels Foundation

 Conrad N. Hilton Memorial

 Creighton Holden Memorial

 Hospitality Asset Managers Association

 Steve Hymans Extended Stay

 Richard Kessler

 J. Willard Marriott Memorial

 Joseph McInerney

 Curtis C. Nelson

The Hyatt Hotels Fund for Minority Lodging Management Students awarded $42,000 in scholarships to 21 minority hospitality management students. Since its inception in 1988, this program has awarded 393 students with scholarships totaling $786,000.

JHM Hotels awarded 21 scholarships totaling $45,500 through the Rama Scholarship for the American Dream Program. The fund, established with a $1,000,001 endowment on the 25th anniversary of the Rama brothers first hotel purchase, provides the financial support to help others create their own American Dream. To date, the fund has awarded $817,800 in scholarships to 492 recipients.

The American Express Scholarship Program awarded 14 scholarships totaling $21,500. Founded in 1994 by American Express, it is designed specifically for current hotel employees and their dependents. The fund has awarded more than $406,000 in scholarships to 344 students and hotel employees. The program also offers professional development scholarships for distance learning and certification offered through the American Hotel & Lodging Educational Institute (AHLEI).

The Ecolab Scholarship Program awarded 12 scholarships totaling $23,000. Established by Ecolab in 1997, the program has awarded more than $429,000 to 289 hospitality management students and hotel professionals. The program also supports scholarships for professional certification offered through EI.

The Incoming Freshmen Scholarship was disbursed to 27 students for a total of $100,000. In conjunction with this scholarship program, thePepsiCo Foundation Scholarship awarded four scholarships, totaling $14,000. The PepsiCo Foundation established this fund with a $250,000 gift to provide perpetual scholarships to hospitality management students. To-date the fund has awarded more than $151,000 to 62 students.

The Graduate Scholarship Program awarded $80,000 to 16 students in hospitality programs at the graduate level.

The Arthur J. Packard Memorial Scholarship Program, the Foundations oldest award, provided three scholarships totaling $10,000. This program, started in 1974 to honor third-generation hotelier Packards numerous accomplishments in the lodging industry, is awarded to three students at AHLEF-affiliated four-year educational institutions. Each school nominates their top student to compete. The first-place winner is Elizabeth Babson from Johnson & Wales University-Denver, second-place is Grayson Jamroch from Missouri State University, and third-place is Brittany Tam from the University of San Francisco.

This year, AHLEF is projected to distribute more than $1.6 million to prepare promising college students for a career in hospitality, attract and retain quality industry professionals, and fund valuable research for lodging properties. For more information about AHLEF scholarships and other programs, contact Michelle Poinelli, senior vice president, foundation programs, at (202) 289-3181 or mpoinelli@ahlef.org, or visit www.ahlef.org.
On the banks of the North Oconee River, Athens is a lively college town centred around its historic university. Its home to stunning 19th-century mansions and the state botanical garden, as well as a quirky tree landmark.

Things to do in Athens

Stroll along the nature trails winding through the themed gardens of the beautiful State Botanical Garden of Georgia. Learn about the importance of cotton, tobacco and pears to Georgias social history in the Heritage Garden and journey around the world in the International Garden.

Athens is renowned for its antebellum architecture, with the octagon-designed T.R.R. Cobb House one of the citys most striking landmarks. It has been beautifully restored to reflect its appearance during the mid-19th century, with original furnishings, period artefacts and weaponry on display.

Also of note is the Greek Revival mansion of Taylor Grady House, built in the mid-1840s for the state militia leader, General Robert Taylor. Stop in at the Church-Waddel-Brumby House, a Federal-style museum believed to be the oldest surviving residence in the city.

One of quirkiest landmarks in Athens is the Tree That Owns Itself, a white oak deemed to have legal ownership of itself by a University of Georgia professor in the 1820s. While the original tree fell in 1942, a new tree was grown using one of its acorns on the same site and is now affectionately known as the Son of The Tree That Owns Itself.

Getting around Athens

Athens is around 1.5 hours drive from Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport and there are regular buses to the centre of Atlanta. Buses and taxis also service Athens and the downtown area is compact enough to explore on foot.
Nipsey Hussle continues to go on the offensive after a week that saw him spend a night in jail last Monday. Apparently, law enforcement didnt take kindly to the Los Angeles native parking in a handicapped spot. However, despite this unsavory run-in with the police, Nipsey took to social media earlier today to express his frustration with the state of another industry that hasnt ordinarily been kind to citizens who dont abide by the law: commercial radio.

In the short video, which made its way onto Instagram, the rapper expresses his disappointment that big stations, such as Hot 97, Power 106 and more arent doing their part to call out the current President Donald Trump for his controversial comments and actions, especially since the Charlottesville protest that left an innocent woman dead as a result of a White Nationalist march. Specifically, he names YGs incendiary anthem F**k Donald Trump as a song that radio stations are particularly scared of playing, presumably for fear of push back from the White House or a member of the Commander in Chiefs staff. Yall n****s supposed to stand up. F**k this n****. Play that record. Make that motherf**ker the anthem. He also straight-up called the stations who put that track on the no-play list hoes.

While Nipseys sentiment can be understood, theres obviously some potential financial loss at stake if a radio station who is supposed to be catering to a wide audience plays a song with lyrics as polarizing as YGs on F**k Donald Trump. On the other hand, theres this feeling that free speech, from the artist, projected outward into the public sphere, is being hindered by not playing any material that can be deemed controversial. In the sensitive times that we live in, theres no telling how far those boundaries may shrink during Trumps time as President, so its only natural to empathize with this call to action, at least in part. There has been no official response to Nipsey Hussles comments, from both YG or Clear Channel, the latter of whom Nipsey called out directly in the video. Its a rant that will surely get some replays in the days to come.

Nipsey Hussle
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Montreal and Reykjavik, 7 September 2017  Extending ICAOs deep appreciation for the many regional organizations it works so closely with in Europe, the UN aviation agencys Secretary General, Dr. Fang Liu, delivered a comprehensive keynote address late last week to the 66th Special Meeting of Directors General of Civil Aviation for the European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC).

Highlighting a wide range of current and emerging issues for European civil aviation, and the global air transport sector at large, Dr. Liu especially noted that capacity challenges would be of particular interest to European governments, and that continuous increases in traffic volumes are making the goal of ensuring maximum operational capacity and efficiency increasingly complex.

Airport operators and air navigation service providers must therefore remain diligent in managing their traffic demand against the capabilities which existing airport and ATM systems can safely support, Dr. Liu stressed.

The ICAO Secretary General also updated her European audience on the progress being seen on the aviation emissions offsetting agreement, CORSIA, agreed to by States at ICAOs 39th Assembly last October. The UN agency is presently conducting global outreach to raise awareness on the programme, and is resolving its Monitoring, Reporting and Verification system, amongst other technical requirements.

I am tremendously encouraged that countries representing almost 90 per cent of international flight operations, including all of the ECAC and EU States, have already committed to participate in the CORSIA from its earliest pilot phase, Dr. Liu commented.

During her stay in Reykjavik, Dr. Liu met with Icelands President Mr. Guni Th. Johannesson during the reception. She also met with Icelands Permanent Secretary of its Ministry of Transport and Local Government, Mrs. Ragnhildur Hjaltadottir, and the States main air navigation service provider ISAVIA..



Permanent Secretary Hjaltadottir expressed how important ICAO is to Icelands aviation sector, while Dr. Liu explained how the States increasing aviation connectivity with other countries and regions would bring improved and sustainable economic growth to the benefit of Icelandic citizens and companies. Dr. Liu stressed in this regard that a key requirement to optimize these prosperity benefits would be to ensure adequate financial and human resources for the States Civil Aviation Authority, and enhanced compliance with ICAO global standards and policies over the longer term. She also suggested Iceland incorporate aviation capacity and modernization requirements in the States National Development Plan.

Dr. Liu also thanked Iceland for its continued leadership on volcanic ash exercises and contingency plans for the ICAO European and North Atlantic Regions, and highlighted key emerging issues its government should remain cognizant of going forward, such as unmanned aircraft systems and cybersecurity preparedness.

Permanent Secretary Hjaltadottir confirmed to Dr. Liu Icelands commitment to the development of civil aviation and the recognition of aviation development priorities in its National Development Plan. She agreed to look into the needs of its Civil Aviation Authority and provide sufficient resources She responded that the State look towards establishing closer cooperation with ICAO in support of ongoing CORSIA implementation, including through training and capacity building initiatives for developing countries. Iceland also concurred favourably with Dr. Lius proposal to consider seconding experts to ICAO, and to strengthen its cooperation with the UN agency regarding volcanic ash issues and participation in ICAO meetings.

During her visit the ICAO Secretary General was accompanied by the ICAO EUR/NAT Regional Director, Mr. Luis Fonseca de Almeida, and the agencys Air Navigation Bureau Director, Mr. Steven Creamer.

Resources for Editors



About ICAO



A specialized agency of the United Nations, ICAO was created in 1944 to promote the safe and orderly development of international civil aviation throughout the world. It sets standards and regulations necessary for aviation safety, security, efficiency, capacity and environmental protection, amongst many other priorities. The Organization serves as the forum for cooperation in all fields of civil aviation among its 191 Member States.

ICAOs European and North Atlantic (EURNAT) Regional Office

ICAO's No Country Left Behind initiative



Contacts

Anthony Philbin

Chief, Communications

aphilbin@icao.int

+1 514-954-8220

+1 438-402-8886 (mobile)

Twitter: @ICAO



William Raillant-Clark William Raillant-Clark

Communications Officer

wraillantclark@icao.int

+1 514-954-6705

+1 514-409-0705 (mobile)

Twitter: @wraillantclark

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/raillantclark/




Mumbai, Sep 7 (IBNS): The Indian market closed flat on Thursday, with BSE Sensex up 0.77 points at 31,662.74 and NSE Nifty up 13.70 points at 9,929.90.

Top gainers for the day included M&M, Vedanta, Eicher Motors, Bajaj Auto, Dr Reddy's Labs, Bosch, Sun Pharma, Hindalco and Hero Motocorp while ITC, BPCL, Tata Motors (D), Bharti Airtel, Idea Celluar, Tata Motors and Coal India declined.

Meanwhile, Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, while attending the Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers'(SIAMs') 57th Annual Convention in New Delhi on Friday, said that the Union government will go ahead with the proposed 10 per cent hike in cess on large cars, according to media reports; there is no chance of a rollback.

The automobile industry is not in favour of the rise in cess on large cars as it is likely to total to 53 per cent if the GST Council decides to pass on the entire 10 percent when they met on September 9, media reported.
Mumbai, Sept 7 (IBNS): Continuing its focus to expand connectivity between emerging cities in India, Jet Airways is set to introduce as many as 56 new weekly flights in this month and the next, ahead of the festive season.

The new flights  that include industry firsts as well as a mix of non-stop and one-stop services between key Indian cities, are in response to the rising demand for aviation services in these cities and will further strengthen the airlines footprint across its domestic network that currently comprises 44 cities. Jet Airways today offers over 100,000 seats per day to its guests.

In a series of industry-firsts, Jet Airways will introduce daily flights from Pune, connecting the Oxford of the East to Guwahati via Kolkata as well as to Coimbatore. In other notable firsts, Jet Airways is also set to commence flight operations between Bengaluru and Silchar, as well as New Delhi and Jorhat.



Jet Airways will be the only airline in the country flying these routes which will not only bolster connectivity from Pune but will also improve connectivity of North East India with the rest of the country.

The airline is also introducing additional, non-stop frequencies on certain existing routes such as Pune  Kolkata, Jaipur  New Delhi, Guwahati  New Delhi and Chennai  New Delhi, reflecting the growing demand for its services to facilitate the travel aspirations of its guests.



Jayaraj Shanmugam, Chief Commercial Officer, Jet Airways said, Introducing the new flights and frequencies will strengthen our presence in the emerging cities. We will be able to provide greater choice, convenience and connectivity to our guests, who can easily connect with our hubs in Mumbai and Delhi and onwards into our wide international network.


Tallahassee, Sep 7 (IBNS): At least seven people have died in the Hurricane Irma, which has left the Caribbean battered and bruised after making landfall, reports said.

Extensive damage has been reported from several parts of the island, as the death toll is expected to rise.

The Barbuda Island is said to be barely habitable, while BBC news quoted officials as saying that the French territory of St Martin is almost destroyed.

The threat level has been raised to category five in the US, the highest in a five-point scale.

Irma is said to be the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade and had wind speeds of 295km/h (185mph).

It is expected to pass near the north of the coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday.

Following the devastation, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said about 95 percent of the buildings had suffered some damage.

"The island is literally under water. In fact, I'm of the view that, as it stands now, Barbuda is barely habitable," he was quoted in the media as saying.

The hurricane also destroyed St Martin's airport, the third largest in the Caribbean.

At least six deaths were reported in the French territories of St Martin and Saint Barthelemy.

Loss of electricity and the shortage of drinking water have only added to the woes of the residents.



How to deem the category of a storm:

There are five categories in the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind scale.

Category One: Wind speed upto 153 km/hr. Slight damage and power cuts.

Category Two: Wind speed 154-177 km/hr. Significant damage.

Category Three: Wind speed 178-208 km/hr. Building suffering major damage.

Category Four: Wind Speed 209-251 km/hr. Trees blown over. Building suffering major damage.

Category Five: Wind Speed 252+ km/hr. Trees blown over. Building suffering major damage. Major roads cut off.
New Delhi, Sep 7 (IBNS): India will join the world in celebrating the 51st International Literacy Day on Friday. UNESCO has declared 'Literacy in a Digital World' as the theme for 2017.

The Union Ministry of Human Resource Development will hold a programme at the Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, on Friday, where Saakshar Bharat Awards will be distributed to the best performing states, districts, village Panchayats and NGOs.



The International Literacy Day is celebrated on September 8 every year.

On this day, in 1965, the World Congress of Ministers of Education met in Tehran for the first time to discuss the programme of education at the international level.

UNESCO in its 14th Session in November, 1966, declared September 8 as the International Literacy Day (ILD).

Since then, ILD is celebrated September 8 every year by most of the member countries.

The key aspect of the observance of ILD is to mobilize public opinion in favour of struggle against illiteracy.

Tweeted UN Education Report, "Globally, about 9% of youth aged 15 to 24 are unable to read or write a sentence, equivalent to 114 million people."

ILD is a forum to disseminate information on literacy and raise the public awareness and the significance of literacy for individual and national development.

The National Literacy Mission Authority has been celebrating International Literacy Day every year since 1988. The occasion of ILD is used for raising public awareness to eradicate illiteracy and create environment in favour of adult education programmes.



Image: UNESCO Retweet
Washington, Sept 7 (IBNS): The United State has condemned the killing of Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

"The U.S. Mission in India joins advocates of press freedom in India and world-wide in condemning the murder of respected journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru," the US Embassy in New Delhi said in a statement.

"We offer our sincere condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Ms. Lankesh," it said.

Hundreds of people, including Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, assembled as journalist Gauri Lankesh was laid to rest at Chamrajpet in Bangalore on Wednesday.

Amid chants like 'Amar rahe Gauri Lankesh', body of the journalist was lowered to the grave.

To honour the journalist, state funeral and a gun salute was given to Gauri Lankesh as hundreds of people bid adieu to the activist.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, Congress leader and member of Parliament M Veerappa Moily were present at the venue and paid their respects to the journalist.

The state government has reportedly ordered a SIT probe into the murder of the journalist.

Lankesh, a popular journalist who took stands against Right-wing ideology, was shot several times by some unidentified assailants outside her residence on Tuesday evening.

Karnataka Police have claimed that they have come across some good leads and have also secured CCTV footage, which will help them crack the case.

Her murder bears a resemblance with earlier murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.
Yangon, Sept 8 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in Myanmar.

MEA spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted: "A moment with timelessness.PM @narendramodi visits 2500 yrs old Shwedagon Pagoda,considerd to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage."

Shwedagon Pagoda is the most sacred Buddhist pagoda in Myanmar, as it is believed to contain relics of the four previous Buddhas of the present kalpa.

These relics include the staff of Kakusandha, the water filter of KoaAgamana, a piece of the robe of Kassapa, and eight strands of hair from the head of Gautama.

Modi is currently on a three-day visit to Myanmar.

He has met top leaders of the nation during this visit.

Images: Raveesh Kumar Twitter page
Mangalore, Sep 7 (IBNS); Karnataka police detained several Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, including state unit chief B S Yeddyurappa, who were trying to organise a bike rally despite the denial of permission in Mangalore on Thursday, media reports said.

Though the BJP leaders were allowed to hold a meeting in Mangalore, police did not give permission to organise the bike rally which was named as "Mangalore Chalo".

The BJP had a plan to hold a bike rally to protest the killing of Hindus in Mangalore.

The rally also had an aim to mobilise 20,000 youth workers of the BJP in the state ahead of 2018 Assembly election in Karnataka.

However, the Congress government alleged that the BJP is trying to fan communal disharmony in sentisitive areas.

The saffron party counter-alleged to say the killings of the Hindus are "politically motivated", much similar to the incidents in Kerala where several RSS workers were killed in recent times.

New Home Minister of the state, Ramalinga Reddy, on Tuesday said any kind of rallies will be allowed in the state which are peaceful, News 18 reported.



Image: Facebook page of B S Yeddyurappa.
New Delhi, Sep 7 (IBNS): Union Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who took charge of the Defence Ministry recently, handed over various equipment and vehicles to the Central Armed Police Forces, on Thursday, according to media reports.

She handed over an armoured bus, an all-terrain vehicle and other equipment, which are expected to improve the functioning of the security forces in their work.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh was also present at the event.

Image: RakshaMantri/Twitter
New Delhi, Sep 7 (IBNS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi has been dragged into a controversy as he follows few Twitter users who were seen abusing journalist-turned activist, Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her residence by some unknown assailants on Tuesday evening.

Lankesh, who worked as editor in a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrikewas, was a critic of the right wing forces.

Since PM Modi follows those Twitter handles who abused the 55-year-old senior journalist, the angry people preferred to block the Prime Minister instead by launching a hashtag #BlockNarendraModi.

After Lankesh's death, Nikhil Dadhich tweeted to say: "Ek kuttiya kutte ki maut kya mari, saare pille ek sur mein bilbila rahe hain (Just a bitch has died a dog's death, all pups are howling in the same tune)."

Later, it was found that the PM follows Dadhich which sparked controversies.

Since then, several users started to block PM Modi as a protest.

All of them who has blocked Modi tagged someone named Dr Rakesh Parikh. Parikh claims to be Diabetologist, Clinical Researcher, Blogger, Social Activist. Ex Politician on Twitter.

Blocking the PM, Amit Behere said: "Doing something I should have done a long time back. Thanks @drrakeshparikh."

Another user, Vidyut, said: "A Prime Minister who serves a third of the country and follows those indulging in filthy abuse of others is rubbish. #BlockNarendraModi."

"#BlockNarendraModi Anyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM" Sandipan Mitra said while blocking Modi.
Kolkata, Sep 7 (IBNS): A minor fire broke out at state government-run Nil Ratan Sarkar (NRS) Medical College and Hospital in Kolkata's Sealdah area on Thursday morning, triggering panic among patients and their family members, reports said.

According to reports, the fire was first noticed at around 10 am at Pediatric Ward which is located on the fifth floor of hospital's Centenary Building.

As many as three fire tenders, local police and Disaster Management Group (DMG) personnel rushed to the scene and firemen fought for nearly an hour to douse the blaze.

A local police official confirmed that no casualty was reported in the incident.

However. fire department and police have started probe into the reason behind the fire.

"After preliminary investigation, we are suspecting that the fire might have started due to a short circuit in a switch board," an official of state fire and emergency department told IBNS.

(Reporting by Deepayan Sinha)
Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IBNS): Indrajit Lankesh, brother of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead on Tuesday evening, said he cannot wait for years to get justice for his sister's murder, media reports said.

While interacting with media, Indrajit said: "We want justice. We cannot wait for two years to get justice like it happened in case of other activists."

Gauri's sister Kavita taking Indrajit into confidence, said Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has taken initiative in the case so they want to wait for the probe to take place.

The Karnataka government has decided to constitute a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the case.

Gauri's family also said they will move to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) if they fail to get any justice in the murder case, media reports said.

However, the police could not identify the gunmen who killed Gauri by examining CCTV footage.

Lankesh, a popular journalist who took stand against Right-wing ideology, was shot three times by some unknown assailants outside her residence.

Her murder bears a resemblance with earlier murders of rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.

Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh told reporters that one lady who stays opposite his sister's house heard the noise of the shooting first which she initially mistook it as fire crackers and later identified Gauri's body lying down.

Lankesh, who worked as an editor in a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrikewas, died at an age of 55.




New Delhi, Sep 7 (IBNS): The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has reacted to the controversy that broke out concerning Narendra Modi in Gauri Lankesh murder case after few people whom the PM follows on Twitter abused senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead on Tuesday evening.

In an official statement on Twitter, the BJP, called the controversy "mischievous and contorted".

The controversy over PM following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted: Shri @malviyamit, National Head - Information & Technology pic.twitter.com/8Ss6fgCOj2  BJP (@BJP4India) September 7, 2017

After the controversy erupted, several Twitter users who earlier used to follow PM Modi, blocked.

A hashtag protest has also been launched on Twitter by the users as #BlockNarendraModi.

Supporting the PM, the BJP said in the statement: "PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms.......He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter."

"PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in anyway a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself," the statement read.

In order to defend the Prime Minister in this controversy, the BJP even went on to attack Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former a BJP volunteer. "....PM also follows Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in loot and fraud. "

"PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal, who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'Settle Kar Lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her. PM still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and abused PM in the worst possible language," the statement added.

The BJP has also called the debate to be "one-way street", hinting at a biased view to the whole incident. "Thus the debate is not only farcical and fake, but also an exhibit of selective right to freedom of expression."

Lankesh, who worked as an editor in a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrikewas, was a critic of the right wing forces.

After Lankesh's death, Nikhil Dadhich tweeted to say: "Ek kuttiya kutte ki maut kya mari, saare pille ek sur mein bilbila rahe hain (Just a bitch has died a dog's death, all pups are howling in the same tune)."

Later, it was found that the PM follows Dadhich which sparked controversies.

Since then, several users started to block PM Modi as a protest.

All of them who has blocked Modi tagged someone named Dr Rakesh Parikh. Parikh claims to be Diabetologist, Clinical Researcher, Blogger, Social Activist. Ex Politician on Twitter.

Blocking the PM, Amit Behere said: "Doing something I should have done a long time back. Thanks @drrakeshparikh."

Another user, Vidyut, said: "A Prime Minister who serves a third of the country and follows those indulging in filthy abuse of others is rubbish. #BlockNarendraModi."

"#BlockNarendraModi Anyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM" Sandipan Mitra said while blocking Modi.

Image of Narendra Modi: Twitter handle of BJP.




Guwahati, Sept 7 (IBNS): Two former Congress ministers of Assam are now in trouble after the Vigilance of Anti-Corruption (V&AC) of Assam police has started investigation against them in disproportionate assets case.

According to the reports, following the directive by Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, the V&AC has registered a disproportionate assets case against former minister Gautam Roy and started investigation against another former Congress minister Akon Bora. Both held charges of few departments in the previous state government.

ADGP of V&AC YK Gautam said that, a disproportionate case has already been registered against Gautam Roy and asked him to appear before the V&AC office on Wednesday.

But he sought more time up to October 10 next from the investigation agency and said that his physical condition is not good to appear before the agency, ADGP YK Gautam said.

On the other hand, the investigation agency has also started a probe against another former Congress minister Akon Bora following corruption charges made against him.

The sleuths of V&AC had recently raided the residence of the former Congress minister.

Meanwhile, the top Assam cop said that, a team of the investigation agency had grilled Akon Bora two days back and likely to grill him next time again.

Earlier, the two former ministers were grilled by the investigation agency in the Rs 2250 crore Social Welfare scam.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Bengaluru, Sep 7 (IBNS) : Condemning the murder of journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, actor Kamal Haasan on Thursday said silencing a voice with gun is the worst thing to happen.

"Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those grieving Gauri Lankesh's demise", the Tamil superstar tweeted.

The actor's comment is similar to those who have expressed their resentment with a belief that Lankesh, a known critic of saffron politics, had to pay with her life for her stand.

In similar reactions, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and several other opposition leaders, besides activists and journalists have expressed their anger, some explicitly accusing the the BJP-led saffron brigade for being behind the crime.

However, Kamal Hassan did not make any insinuation like that, though it makes clear that he believes Lankesh was killed for raising a voice of dissent.

Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified motorbike-borne assailants outside her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.

According to police, the assailants fired seven bullets at Lankesh, of which three hit her and four missed the target. Two bullets hit her in the chest, while another hit her forehead.

As soon as the news of her death spread, many started comparing her murder with the manner in which Kannada rationalist M M Kalburgi was shot dead at his residence by unidentified assailants in August 2015.
New York, Sept 7(Just Earth News): Over 530 suspected cases of cholera, claiming some 23 lives, have been registered in Nigeriaas Borno state, the United Nations humanitarian wing reported on Wednesday.

According to a flash update issued by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), most of the cases are in the Muna Garage camp for internally displaced persons, located on the outskirts of the state capital, Maiduguri, hosting approximately 20,000 individuals.

Although an outbreak has not yet been declared officially, humanitarian partners have started taking the appropriate action, read the update.

A CTC [cholera treatment centre] has been setup [at Dikwa General Hospital, where at least 103 suspected cases have been reported] and an ORP [oral rehydration point] will be set up in coming days, it added.

The number of suspected cases complicates the already complex and challenging humanitarian emergency in the province that has been plagued by persistent violence by the Boko Haram terrorist group.

In addition to poor quality and quantity of safe water and very poor sanitation and waste management conditions, the region also suffers from high rates of malnutrition, especially among children  who are amongst the most vulnerable to the deadly disease.

International community cannot afford to ignore this problem  WFP chief

UN World Food Programme (WFP) Executive Director David Beasley, who is currently visiting the country highlighted the urgency of sustained humanitarian action amid the complex and challenging emergency.

The power of humanitarian assistance [] has changed the lives of malnourished children whose mothers once worried about whether they would survive, he said.

It is giving hope to many displaced and hungry people, and to others who are now returning home. Together, we are making a difference, but we must build on these fragile successes.

Beasleys two-day visit to Nigeria  his first since being appointed the WFP chief in March  included meetings with senior Government officials as well as with community leaders and young mothers at a camp in Maiduguri.

In addition to Nigeria, other countries in the Lake Chad Basin region also have been suffering the impact of the violence and the crisis.

Underscoring the importance of continued attention to the crisis, Beasley added: [It] needs a security, humanitarian and development component  these are key to resolving it in the short and long term [] the international community cannot afford to ignore this problem, or it risks getting much worse.

Photo: WFP/Amadou Baraze

Source: www.justearthnews.com
Beijing, Sept 7 (IBNS): During a telephonic conversation with US President Donald Trump, Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that his country remained persistent on the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

"Xi said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation regime, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks," Xinhua reported.

During the conversation over the situation in the Korean Peninsula, Xi reportedly said that the general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue.

Meanwhile, an official statement issued by the White House said both the leaders discussed the Sept 3 test of a powerful nuclear device that was carried out by North Korea.

"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Xi Jinping of China to discuss North Koreas September 3 test of a powerful nuclear device. The two leaders condemned North Koreas latest provocative and destabilizing action and noted North Koreas current path is dangerous to the world and not in its own interest," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump and President Xi committed to strengthen coordination and take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," it said.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his government is selling Japan and South Korea a substantially increased amount of US military equipment.

The President made the announcement amid heightened tension in the Korean peninsula.

"I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States," Trump said.

North Korean state-run media on Sunday reported that the country has successfully tested a Hydrogen Bomb, which is way more powerful than an atomic bomb.

This was the reclusive nations's sixth test, according to reports.

According to South Korean media reports, the latest test was conducted near Kilju County, where the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is situated.

The tremor felt was 9.8 times more powerful than the one from the fifth test, the country's state weather agency said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the world for the "strongest" response to the test and further isolate North Korea, including imposing new UN Security Council sanctions, according to Yonhap state news agency.

According to a CNN report, Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean Presidents chief security advisor, said that South Korea will seek diplomatic measures to completely isolate North Korea.

North Korea today ignored the repeated warnings from us and the international society and conducted a stronger nuclear test than before, he told reporters, reported the US media.

President Moon has ordered the most powerful response to condemn [North Korea], along with the international society and decided to seek diplomatic measures such as pushing ahead for an UNSC resolution to completely isolate North Korea, it said.

Earlier, the Kim Jong-un led government had claimed that they have successfully managed to miniaturise a nuclear weapon that can be loaded on to a missile.

The development looks ominous as the reclusive nation has already threatened the US.

Even though many, including the American President Donald Trump, speculates the gravity of the threat, US intelligence have told the Washington Post that North Korea has progressed at a much faster rate than expected and is capable of striking the US.

In the past, Kim and his men have conducted umpteen tests, ignoring sanctions against them, but have mostly failed to threaten the likes of the US, against whom it plans to mount an attack.

However, the repeated tests have kept countries like Japan, South Korea, China and Russia on alert.

Recently, the Pyongyang confirmed that it flew a projectile over Japanese air-space.

The missile was 'personally guided' by Kim.

Even though it physically didn't damage anything, except the already battered bi-lateral ties, the move was met with much scorn by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

North Korea's antics also halted several operations in Japan as residents were ordered to stay indoor and take cover.

A day later, Kim Jong-un was quoted in the state-run media as saying that the launch was a "meaningful prelude to containing" the US Pacific territory of Guam.

The North Korean leader also warned of further strikes.

Experts believe that the strikes are in connection with the latest sanction it faces from the United Nations, where the US played a major role.

According to the new sanctions, importing coal, seafood, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore from North Korea is banned.

Under the new rule, no country can hire or receive North Korean workers.

Countries have also been barred from entering into ventures from North Korea.

The member states will have to report within 90 days on how they have gone about the job.


Kabul, Sep 7 (IBNS): A suicide bombing near the US base in Afghanistan's Bagram left at four injured, local Khaama Press reported.

The incident took place late on Wednesday evening near one of the entrance gates of Bagram airfield.

However, contrary to reports, the Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) spokesman Najib Danish said at least three people were wounded in the suicide attack.

The attack was claimed by the Taliban, who said that several US soldiers were killed in the attack, which they said was carried out to avenge the desecration of the holy verses of Islam printed on their flag.

Meanwhile, the US has apologised for distribution of highly offensive leaflets.

"The design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam," US military official Gen. James Linder said in a statement on Wednesday.

"I sincerely apologize. We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide, he added.

Linder said that an investigation would be initiated to determine the ''cause of this incident and to hold the responsible party accountable."
Islamabad, Sep 7 (IBNS): Putting decades of denial aside, Islamabad on Wednesday finally admitted that international terrorist organisation Jaish-e-Mohammed and Lashkar-e-Toiba operate from within Pakistan, reports said.

While calling for tougher sanctions against these groups, Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif told local Geo News, "We should impose restrictions on activities of elements like LeT and JeM so that we can show the global community that we've put our house in order."

The minister was responding to a question about the latest BRICS declaration where China too condemned the Pakistan-based terror groups.

Asif also said that Pakistan should not test China's friendship especially in a changing geopolitical situation.

"Friends like China should not be tested every time, particularly in the changed global scenario," the minister said.

Meanwhile, Asif's confession comes only a day after foreign office in Islamabad, as well as the Pakistani Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir rejected the BRICS statement.

Contrary to the foreign office's claim that Pakistan itself was a victim of terror, Asif said that the country cannot afford to shut its eyes any more on such ongoing activities.

"I am not making any political statement.. we cannot afford to shut our eyes on activities of these organisations in our country. If we continue to do that we will always face such embarrassments," the lawmaker added.

He also urged the government to cut loose the baggage of the past.

"There's an urgent need for a clean break from our past. In 1979, Pakistan had made a wrong decision and acted like a proxy for the next decade. After 9/11, we again made a wrong decision and adopted a war, which was never ours. We have suffered uncountable losses of lives and properties in this war," the minister said, adding, "We've no stakes involved but are only carrying the baggage of our past follies. We cannot correct ourselves as long as we do not accept historical facts."
Washington, Sept 7 (IBNS): US President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that military action was not his'first choice' against North Korea.

The President made the remark after he had a telephonic conversation with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping.

"Certainly that's not a first choice, but we'll see what happens," CNN quoted Trump as saying on military action against North Korea.

Meanwhile, an official statement issued by the White House said both the leaders discussed the Sept 3 test of a powerful nuclear device that was carried out by North Korea.

"President Donald J. Trump spoke today with President Xi Jinping of China to discuss North Koreas September 3 test of a powerful nuclear device. The two leaders condemned North Koreas latest provocative and destabilizing action and noted North Koreas current path is dangerous to the world and not in its own interest," the White House said in a statement.

"President Trump and President Xi committed to strengthen coordination and take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula," it said.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday said his government is selling Japan and South Korea a substantially increased amount of US military equipment.

The President made the announcement amid heightened tension in the Korean peninsula.

"I am allowing Japan & South Korea to buy a substantially increased amount of highly sophisticated military equipment from the United States," Trump said.

North Korean state-run media on Sunday reported that the country has successfully tested a Hydrogen Bomb, which is way more powerful than an atomic bomb.

This was the reclusive nations's sixth test, according to reports.

According to South Korean media reports, the latest test was conducted near Kilju County, where the North's Punggye-ri nuclear test site is situated.

The tremor felt was 9.8 times more powerful than the one from the fifth test, the country's state weather agency said.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged the world for the "strongest" response to the test and further isolate North Korea, including imposing new UN Security Council sanctions, according to Yonhap state news agency.

According to a CNN report, Chung Eui-yong, the South Korean Presidents chief security advisor, said that South Korea will seek diplomatic measures to completely isolate North Korea.

North Korea today ignored the repeated warnings from us and the international society and conducted a stronger nuclear test than before, he told reporters, reported the US media.

President Moon has ordered the most powerful response to condemn [North Korea], along with the international society and decided to seek diplomatic measures such as pushing ahead for an UNSC resolution to completely isolate North Korea, it said.

Earlier, the Kim Jong-un led government had claimed that they have successfully managed to miniaturise a nuclear weapon that can be loaded on to a missile.

The development looks ominous as the reclusive nation has already threatened the US.

Even though many, including the American President Donald Trump, speculates the gravity of the threat, US intelligence have told the Washington Post that North Korea has progressed at a much faster rate than expected and is capable of striking the US.

In the past, Kim and his men have conducted umpteen tests, ignoring sanctions against them, but have mostly failed to threaten the likes of the US, against whom it plans to mount an attack.

However, the repeated tests have kept countries like Japan, South Korea, China and Russia on alert.

Recently, the Pyongyang confirmed that it flew a projectile over Japanese air-space.

The missile was 'personally guided' by Kim.

Even though it physically didn't damage anything, except the already battered bi-lateral ties, the move was met with much scorn by the Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

North Korea's antics also halted several operations in Japan as residents were ordered to stay indoor and take cover.

A day later, Kim Jong-un was quoted in the state-run media as saying that the launch was a "meaningful prelude to containing" the US Pacific territory of Guam.

The North Korean leader also warned of further strikes.

Experts believe that the strikes are in connection with the latest sanction it faces from the United Nations, where the US played a major role.

According to the new sanctions, importing coal, seafood, iron and iron ore, lead and lead ore from North Korea is banned.

Under the new rule, no country can hire or receive North Korean workers.

Countries have also been barred from entering into ventures from North Korea.

The member states will have to report within 90 days on how they have gone about the job.

Image: DOnald J Trump Official Facebook page
Poland will support Turkey's accession to the EU

by Altan Yavuz Thu, Sep 7, 2017 1:01AM
Arts Abstract Animals: Modernist Painter Soe Naings New Exhibition

Soe Naings exhibition Dancing Soe Naing is at OK Gallery at Aung San Stadium (North Wing) from Sept. 9 to 13.

YANGON  Myanmar modernist painter Soe Naing is known for his skilful manipulations of lines. His depictions of humans, dogs, cats, and horses astound art pundits for their vigorous, yet dexterous, brushstrokes.

For his latest solo exhibitiontitled Dancing Soe Naing and at OK Gallery at Aung San Stadium (North Wing) from Sept. 9 to 13Soe Naing showcases dancing creatures with his trademark colorful and energetic style which he describes as freedom of movement of lines.

Some dancing figures hold swords and others a four-edged daggerthe royal regalia of Myanmar monarchs. And, all of them seem carefree.

Soe Naing does not like drawing portraits from life, so he creates according to his own imagination.

If I am to draw a dog, I feel like it is freer to draw it as I remember, rather than watching and copying it. And I think it is more alive. Typically, I draw dogs, cats and humans, Soe Naing told The Irrawaddy.

The exhibition will display 50 paintings prices between US$400 and $800.

Soe Naing has presented his paintings at over 20 solo exhibitions internationally and art collectors world wideincluding the Singapore Art Museumhave purchased his paintings.

I love lines. I like drawing small creatures because this allows me to draw many curved lines. Im happy with those lines, said Soe Naing.
Guest Column UNFC: On the NCA Path

Only four of the original UNFC members remain.

On August 15, the Federal Political Negotiation and Consultative Committee (FPNCC) hosted Myanmars other major ethnic bloc, the United Nationalities Federal Council (UNFC), led by Nai Hong Sar, in Pangsang, headquarters of the United Wa State Army (UWSA).

According to Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) sources, the blocs discussed potentially collaborating in order to expedite talks with the government and focused on a common vision for establishing a federal democratic Myanmar.

But FPNCC attempts at persuading UNFC to abandon the nationwide ceasefire agreement (NCA)with an emphasis on the militarys rejection thus far of the UNFCs entire nine-point proposalultimately failed, as, according to UNFC spokesperson Twan Zaw, the UNFC decided to stay on the NCA path.

The question of why the UNFC persists with the NCA path, despite all of the agreements perceived flaws, is best answered in the blocs background, current military situation, and internal politic dynamics. For the UNFC, the NCA is the preferable, but not necessarily plausible, option.

History of the UNFC

Expectations were high for the UNFC when it formed in November 2010. Comprised then of 12 ethnic armed organizations, many, particularly ethnic minorities, believed the bloc could strike a deal with the government and military in order to end Myanmars perennial civil wars.

In 2014, however, the Karen National Union (KNU) suddenly withdrew its membership. One year later, in October 2015, two other membersthe Pa-O National Liberation Organization (PNLO) and the Chin National Front (CNF)were suspended from the council after signing the NCA, which other members had rejected because it was not all-inclusive of the countrys many armed groups.

The Myanmar National Democratic Alliance Army (MNDAA) and the Taang National Liberation Army (TNLA) resigned from the bloc in 2016, followed by the Kachin Independence Organization (KIO) and the Wa National Organization (WNO) in 2017. Now the Shan State Progress Party (SSPP) is the latest withdrawal from the UNFC. The SSPP submitted a letter of resignation to the UNFC on August 12.

Only four of the original UNFC members remain: the Karenni National Progressive Party (KNPP); New Mon State Party (NMSP); Arakan National Council (ANC); and Lahu Democratic Union (LDU).

Rather than achieving its lofty aims of building ethnic unity, establishing a genuine multi-party system, and introducing a peaceful federal Union, the UNFC instead has fragmented. The majority of its members, including the strongest, have pulled out. It has reached a critical juncture, a time of survival.

Why the NCA path?

UNFC members have shown interest in signing the NCA before the third round of the Union Peace Conference. Tellingly, the NMSP told Aung San Suu Kyi during a recent meeting that the bloc could sign the NCA.

Three main reasons can be drawn for the UNFCs willingness to sign the NCA. The first is to deter possible attacks from the Tatmadaw, though clashes have occurred between it and NCA signatory Shan State Army-South and its armed wing the Restoration Council of Shan State (RCSS/SSA-S).

According to a member of the UNFC, they are concerned joining the FPNCC might result in Tatmadaw attacks, which would lead to the displacement of hundreds or thousands. Kachin and Taang people currently surviving in internally displaced peoples (IDP) camps exemplify this.

The Tatmadaw also has stronger military capabilities than each member. According to Deciphering Myanmars Peace Process: A Reference Guide 2016, the active military personnel of the NMSP is about 1,000, the KNPP is more than 600, the LDU is about 150 and ANC is about 100. Some observers say signing the NCA is the only way the UNFC can avert conflict.

The second reason is international pressure, especially from Thailand. Myanmar Army chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing visited Thailand in May 2016, meeting Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha and military top brass, and visited again in August for a Thailand-Myanmar High-Level Committee meeting.

According to the Myawady Daily, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing said bilateral relations between the two armed forces and two countries were strong. He may have asked Thailand to encourage the UNFC, which has its headquarters in northern Thai province, Chiang Mai, to sign the NCA.

Thailand has received tens of thousands of refugees because of conflicts between the Tatmadaw and KNU. Undoubtedly it would want its neighbor to avoid imploding into another civil war.

And the third: geography, as the UNFC and FPNCC would find it difficult to ally with their territories buffered by Tatmadaw-controlled land.

Aside from these reasons, the UNFC would not have received assurance that the FPNCC would offer protection if one of its members came under attack.

Five of the seven FPNCC members have been targets of Tatmadaw offensives, with only the UWSA and National Democratic Alliance Army (NDAA) not engaging in clashes. The FPNCC does not have a policy of standing shoulder-to-shoulder in order to protect each other and is more of a political alliance.

But the NCA quagmire is prolonging Myanmars journey to peace. UNFC general secretary and leader of the Delegation for Political Negotiation (DPN), Khu Oo Reh, told the government Peace Commission in August that after 14 months of talks, the level of trust was at zero.

Union Peace Dialogue Joint Committee (UPDJC) member Sai Kyaw Nyunt also complained the process of the NCA had become more complex after two years.

RCSS/SSA Gen Yawd Serk accused the Myanmar Army of not abiding by NCA terms after the Myanmar military attache in Bangkok banned a July meeting of the Committee for Shan State Unity in Chiang Mai.

The Myanmar Army has also collided with NCA signatories. For instance, a central committee member of signatory All Burma Students Democratic Front (ABSDF) was arrested in Kachin State for unlawful association last December and was only recently released.

The Tatmadaw and NCA signatory RCSS clashed in July 2017; apparently ignoring terms such as informing the other prior to crossing the others controlled areas.

Still, the UNFC pursues the NCA as a means of achieving peace in Myanmar.

The government and the bloc have so far agreed on half of the blocs nine-point proposal, but the Tatmadaw has not agreed on UNFC concerns regarding ceasefire monitoring, a military code of conduct, demarcation, and troop relocation.

The Tatmadaw may do well accepting the points as a token of appreciation of the UNFCs commitment. The success of the NCA hinges on the partiesparticularly the Tatmadaw, a major driver for the peace processand whether they genuinely commit with an unwavering political will.

UNFCs willingness to sign the NCA is welcomed and its members may boost the stalled peace process. Hopefully, the government and Tatmadaw will show the courage and magnanimity to accept ethnic demands and respond suitably, for the sake of the future of this country.

Joe Kumbun is the pseudonym of a Kachin State-based analyst.
Cloud-based business software provider Freshworks has released recruitment management software known as Freshteam that takes the makes the hiring process easier.

iTWire was given a demonstration of the application by product manager Kalyan Ram.

The software permits management of the recruitment process under one platform. Apart from standard market features like job posting management and interview scheduling, recruiters can attract top talent through multiple channels including social media channels.

They can also contextually collaborate with hiring teams, engage with candidates directly from the application tracking system, get organised by building candidate databases that help archive candidate profiles, and leverage a mobile-friendly version to be connected on the go.

Girish Mathrubootham, chief executive and founder of Freshworks, said: "During the early days of Freshworks, it was a big challenge to get candidate experience right. Recruiters have a tough job of simultaneously managing candidates, interviewers and external staffing vendors for every opening to deliver the best hiring experience.

"Our talent acquisition team needed a unified way to manage all the touchpoints of the candidate life cycle, much like how customer interactions and sales leads are managed through candidate relationship management."

Mathrubootham said as Freshworks worked on a solution, it came up with Freshteam, "a recruitment management solution that transforms hiring experience for recruiters as well as candidates, while helping organisations grow even faster".

Ram said the tangible benefits for recruiters included:

streamlining the entire recruitment process;

removing the administration associated with recruitment; and

allowing recruiters to focus more on recruiting and less on operational tasks.

"Overall, the idea behind Freshteam is not to replace the job of recruiters within SMBs. Rather, the technology aids the recruitment team throughout the hiring process, enabling them to do their job better and more efficiently," he said.

Ram agreed that software like Freshteam could mean competition to dedicated recruitment companies.

An Android app was in development, Ram said, adding that it had reached the beta stage and enabled hiring team members to view candidate profiles and submit feedback on the go.

The software is suitable for organisations of all sizes and is supplied on a subscription model. Companies with less than 50 employees can use the software free.
Mac automation guru Sal Soghoian spent almost 20 years at Apple as product manager for automation technologies until his position was eliminated in October 2016. But he's still pushing the automation barrow.

Soghoian is currently working with (as opposed to for) long-time Mac and iOS software developer Omni Group on Omni Automation, a new cross-platform automation technology.

At the recent Apple University Consortium /dev/world conference in Melbourne, Soghoian said this was a good example of how a single developer could change the direction of a platform.

"I'm a firm believer in paddling out to where the wave is going to be, and then surfing the wave," he said.

Soghoian demonstrated the use of Omni Automation on an iPad Pro, taking a shopping list from a Web page displayed in Safari and creating an equivalent Omni Outliner list complete with checkboxes.

Omni Automation is built on standards including JavaScript, CSS and HTML5, but is "going to change the way iOS can work", he predicted.

A second demo involved the OmniGraffle graphics app, and showed how any object can be turned into a JavaScript. Objects have properties, and properties can be changed programmatically. So a square can be turned into a circle, stoke and fill colours can be changed, or strokes made thicker or narrower.

The same scripts work on iOS and macOS. This is "very powerful, (and) opens the door to a lot of things", said Soghoian.

Scripts are stored as actions, and shared routines as libraries  "this is standard programming stuff".

Actions and libraries are packaged as plug-ins that the developer or user can install.

"Installing this functionality is very easy," he said. "This works the same on iOS and macOS."

Like AppleScript, Omni Automation provides for communication between applications. "That's where the power of automation really kicks in."

This is achieved via the URL mechanism. To send a script to OmniGraffle, for instance, the URL would be:

omnigraffle:///omnijs-run?script=

followed by an encoded (URL-safe) form of the script.

This is less robust than AppleScript, which can address multiple applications from one script, he said, but the call-and-response architecture allows data to be shared between applications in a similar (though more complicated) way to Apple Events.

Omni Automation is "approved and shipping in the Apple (App) Store" as part of OmniGraffle, said Soghoian.

Other demonstrations included the use of a Web form to drive an OmniGraffle document (eg, to select fill and stroke colours), visualising data by colour-coding areas on a geographical map, and extracting images and notes from a Web catalogue.

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The project is "only a small step away from incorporating voice" so a program can tell Siri how it can respond. Then "automation becomes the hands of the (voice) technology... that's when people become very powerful" and accessibility is no longer a separate consideration".

iTWire asked whether the Omni Automation frameworks would be made available to other developers. Soghoian said he could not speak for the company, but noted it had released other frameworks in the past. He expects other developers will think "I want some of that."

There is a fairly widespread belief among long-term Mac users that Apple is downplaying automation. Asked whether Omni Automation was a response to that, Soghoian said "They (Apple) rely on automation", both internally and for products such as Apple Configurator for iOS devices. "It's not part of their message right now. (But) automation is a fundamental truth."

Organisations' top priority is security, but after that they want automation in order to gain speed, accuracy, consistency and scalability, he observed. "Automation is bigger than any corporation."

"Nobody want to go back to doing it by hand, or go shopping for a new solution," said Soghoian. "It's hard to stop a good idea whose time has come."
Steve Wozniaks love affair with Australia continues, as he gets set to headline the third Pivot Summit in Geelong on 8 December.

Widely regarded and respected as one of technologys most influential minds, its no surprise that the Apple co-founder is in high demand at events around the world, with many demands on his time.

Indeed, with his son, daughter-in-law and grandchild living in Sydney, and with Woz not only an adjunct professor at Australias University of Technology in Sydney but also a permanent resident of Australia, thus making him practically Woztralian, Woz and Oz are now inextricably linked.

So, what is The Pivot Summit?

It is held annually in Geelong, and brings Australian and international thought leaders together to share insights on the future of the digital space and its impact on how we work, live and think".

Woz will share his insights on innovation and emerging technologies in the current business landscape as headline speaker at the summit, and will discuss the technology of the future, what exciting developments he has seen globally and how this will affect and impact our daily lives".

Naturally, Woz is described as a hugely popular and visionary speaker, with the Pivot Summit happy to use his appearance to cement the position of this symposium as one of the most important events of its kind in Australia".

We are told that it also marks recognition of the growing importance of the work Pivot and the Geelong-based start-up accelerator Runway are doing to establish Geelong as a major hub for startups and innovative technology businesses".

Pivot founder Leighton Wells, who is also chief operations officer of Runway, said Pivot, Runway and Geelong each had important roles to play in amplifying the tech and start-up culture in Australia.

Wells said the inclusion of Wozniak on the list of speakers at this years Summit was exciting evidence of the events momentum, and added: Entrepreneurial thinking is a global currency and Geelong is incredibly competitive in this space.

To have someone with the international profile of Woz addressing a future-focused technology event in regional Victoria is reflective of where Geelong is at as a startup and tech community. Wozs focus on innovation and disruption captures the spirit of Pivot and Im sure he will be delighted by the start-up culture he discovers here in Geelong.

For more information on the Pivot Summit and to express your interest, click here.
Software vendor Flexera has promoted seven-year company executive Hugh Darval as director of Australia and New Zealand.

Darval previously held the position of major account manager, director & manager of Asia Pacific (APAC) Telebusiness & Alliances, and APAC Channel Alliances Manager.

Prior to Flexera, Darvall worked in Channel Sales at Quintiq, where he focused on backend systems, analysed large amounts of data and monitored events, and he also worked at CMO Global as well as being account manager for Expo Hire.

Flexera thrives in Australia and New Zealand with Hugh at the realm, said Vincent Smyth, senior vice-president of Worldwide Sales at Flexera.

His industry experience, proven track record and can-do attitude fits right in with our entrepreneurial culture  where technology professionals thrive and individual contributions really count. Hughs candour and passion to keep score is a great asset and enables his team to meet and exceed goals, objectives and commitments to our employees, customers and partners. I congratulate Hugh and look forward to working with him more closely in his new role.

As the leading global player within the software supply chain, Flexera has always been a fantastic place to work, said Darvall.

Since joining the company, Ive been able to work with Australia and New Zealands software developer communities, as well as some of ANZs leading businesses to develop solutions that fix the dysfunctional software supply chain. I am excited to take on this new challenge and look forward to working with my team to continue the growth weve achieved in ANZ.
Its been a milestone bonanza for the Kogan group of companies, with Kogan Mobile increasing data for all new and existing customers, and Kogan.com increasing active customers.

The e-tail rogue one that is Kogan has so long ago reached retail respectability that the one who was once an e-tail rogue challenging retailers has transformed into a superior sales Shogun with even his own brand name on products.

And, while his competitors might once have smeared Kogan as just a Lucky Logan bogan done good, a decade of success and Ruslan Kogans announcement that Kogan.com hit 1 million active customers during August has clearly deflated these claims  see embedded tweet below.

Kogan said: "On behalf of the entire Kogan.com team, I'm proud to announce that during August we hit 1,000,000 active customers. For our entire team, that's 1,000,000 reasons to jump out of bed in the morning and work relentlessly to delight every single one.

On behalf of the entire https://t.co/jqymyYIxp1 team, I'm proud to announce that during August we hit 1,000,000 Active Customers. pic.twitter.com/yUM4gQ0C9o  Ruslan Kogan (@ruslankogan) August 31, 2017

Kogan.com reports having increased active customers by 42% since June 2016, and proudly boasts it is a testament to the companys relentless efforts to make the most in-demand products and services more accessible and affordable for all Australians".

Indeed, one wonders whether, and when, a Kogan movie will hit cinemas with a heart-stopping thriller of retailing, Chinese manufacturing, exotic branding and espionage-laden corporate intrigue spanning the US, UK, China and Australia, based on a true story that allows the core success story to be given the full Hollywood treatment.

Somehow I doubt the Koganator would be a potential title, despite Kogans relentless nature, nor does Kogans Zeroes relating to all the zeroes behind bigger numbers in the millions in customers and profits sound like it would be a possibility. Sell Hard with a Vengeance will probably die a hard death on the naming room floor. Marketing Man doesnt have the oomph required Perhaps Kogan himself has a riveting movie title in mind, or an actor able to portray him.

Now, while any such movie might well be simply the fanciful notions of your humble scribe, so too were thoughts that one day Kogan might scale the heights of sales success, with businesses spanning travel, insurance, mobile, smartphones, food, consumer electronics, appliances and so much more.

So now we turn to Kogan Mobiles surprise data boost on all phone plans it offers, free of charge, whether youre an existing or a brand new customer.

Naturally, this ups the competitive ante against the rest of the industry, including Vaya, Boost, Amaysim and everyone else, with Kogan delivering more bang for your buck  effective immediately.

As we know, Kogan Mobile customers enjoy unlimited talk and text, as with most other pre-paid MVNO plans out there, with the main differentiator being the network being connected to, and the actual amount of data included with each plan.

With Vodafone being Kogan Mobiles network provider, and having long since fixed its network issues, and now offering solid 4G connectivity and speeds in major centres, as well as a range of recent announcements talking up extended regional coverage, Vodafone has ensured Kogan Mobile has a quality network on which to rely.

So, that really leaves data as the big thing that people are looking for most these days, along with the not inconsequential fact that iPhone users can enjoy free Visual Voicemail on Kogan Mobile.

So, in comes Kogan with new cunningly competitive deals, promising the free data increases are permanent and available across all Kogan Mobile 30, 90 and 365 day phone plan options":

Turn phone horizontal if reading on mobile to see the full image:

Kogan Mobiles Extra Large plan now includes 16GB of data (a 2GB free increase) for the same price  making it the largest data-inclusion plan in Australia, with the note that 2GB of extra data on the Extra Large plan means Aussies can now enjoy up to six hours more of YouTube while on-the-go.

Meanwhile, the Large 10GB plan has been increased to 11GB, the Medium Plan has rise from 5GB to 6GB, and the Small plan has gone from 1GB to 1.5GB.

David Shafer, executive director of Kogan.com, said: We know Australian mobile users want to access the Internet on-the-go, without worrying about bill shock.

In March this year, we increased the data on our Medium, Large and Extra Large plans for free. Six months on, were doing it again  and this time, were increasing the data inclusion on our Small plan too.

Mobile users looking for a phone plan with a huge amount of data included, that doesnt break the bank, now have more choice than ever and all our plans are receiving a free data increase. Our customers have been telling us that theyre using their phones more than ever before, and data allowance is the most important part of their mobile plan. As always, were listening to our customers and acting on it.

Full details are at the Kogan Mobile site, while the full plan terms and conditions (which contain no nasties that I can see and are written in plain English) can be read here.

Here are Kogan's other current deals:
Our thoughts and prayers are with the thousands of victims impacted by the unprecedented devastation from Hurricane Harvey.

We compliment our local leadership for their extraordinary efforts to assist our fellow citizens and to coordinate response and mitigation efforts. Both Harris County Judge Ed Emmett and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner have tirelessly worked on behalf of our region and have emphasized the importance of returning to normalcy as soon as possible.

In that spirit, and under the leadership of Executive Director Roger Guenther we are happy to report that Port Houston facilities are fully operational and working normal business hours.

Our quick return to serving ship channel industry and Port Houston customers was made possible by the extraordinary teamwork of many stakeholders, including our own Port Houston staff, stevedores, the trucking community, ocean carriers, Houston Pilots, tugs, line handlers, vessel agents, the U.S. Coast Guard, Port Coordination Team, Customs and Border Protection, and many others in the maritime industry who pulled together 24/7 since the storm to make this happen for the good of our region. On behalf of Port Houston, thank you all for your extraordinary dedication and help.

Port Houstons recovery began on Friday, September 1. On that day, Port Houstons Barbours Cut and Bayport Container Terminals handled five thousand gate transactions. Vessel activity and gate operations continued seamlessly through the weekend. Thanks to the proactive leadership of the International Longshoremans Association  the ILA  more than 120 crews worked ships from Friday night through Monday, even though Labor Day is traditionally observed across the nation as a holiday in honor of American Labor. Since Friday, fourteen container vessels have been serviced at Barbours Cut and Bayport terminals, and on Monday, those container terminals handled three thousand additional gate transactions.

We are also grateful to Governor Greg Abbott for his attention to the needs of our region and his assistance with recovery efforts. We are working with Governor Abbott and the Coast Guard to assure that oil tanker movements are able to serve refineries in the north channel once they reopen, and that deliveries of crude supplies are not unnecessarily impeded by competing traffic.

As our region recovers, we are ever mindful of the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Thank you Maritime Community for your unflagging efforts to restore commerce. We are indeed a family that pulls together during a crisis, and we are very grateful for the recognition by so many that ship channel industry and ship channel operations are critical to our nations energy security, as well as the need to keep commerce flowing for the benefit of our citizens, supply chain certainty and the vitality of our region.
Proven Reserves Probable Reserves 2P Reserves Deposit MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au Nogbele 1.09 1.45 0.05 10.38 1.56 0.52 11.48 1.55 0.57 Fourkoura 0.31 1.64 0.02 2.10 1.73 0.12 2.41 1.71 0.13 Samavogo 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.43 2.02 0.29 4.43 2.02 0.29 Stinger 0.15 2.09 0.01 2.95 1.72 0.16 3.10 1.74 0.17 Total 1.55 1.55 0.08 19.87 1.70 1.09 21.42 1.69 1.16

Notes for Mineral Reserves Estimate

1. CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves. 2. Mineral Reserve cut-off grades range from 0.39 g/t to 0.53 g/t Au for oxide and 0.51 g/t to 0.64 g/t Au for fresh rock based on a $1,200/oz gold price. 3. Dry bulk density was estimated in the Mineral Resource models; values for ore range from 1.61 t/m3 to 2.22 t/m3 for oxide and 2.50 t/m3 to 2.80 t/m3 for fresh rock. 4. Mineral Reserves account for mining dilution and mining ore loss. 5. A minimum mining width of 2.5 m was used. 6. Proven Mineral Reserves are based on Measured Mineral Resources only. 7. Probable Mineral Reserves are based on Indicated Mineral Resources and diluting material. 8. Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding.

Mining

Mining will be by way of conventional open pit mining techniques using drill and blast with material movement by hydraulic excavators and trucks. The project scale suits 110 to 140 tonne class excavators in a backhoe configuration matched to 50 tonne class mining haul trucks operating at five-metre bench heights. Following operating procedures similar to Sabodala, an extensive reverse circulation ("RC") drill program is planned to supplement the production blast hole sampling as part of the grade control strategy. The mine operations will emulate Sabodala, with multiple near-surface pits feeding the process plant.

The process plant will be located adjacent to the Nogbele deposit, which contains approximately 50% of the initial reserves. The Fourkoura, Stinger, and Samavogo deposits are located 6, 15, and 25 kilometres, respectively, from the process plant. The haul trucks selected have the ability to haul ore directly to the process plant. This is expected to reduce re-handling costs and minimize waste movement through optimized pit designs for the near-surface ore bodies. The Company will operate its own fleet.

The Banfora Project is expected to benefit from lower operating costs and reduced operational risk as a result of Teranga's experience as an owner-operator at Sabodala.

To maximize the value of the Banfora Project, the primary aim of the mine schedule is to supply the processing facility with the best value material first and stockpiling low-grade ore.

Metallurgy and Processing

The process plant design is based on a conventional CIL gold process flowsheet consisting of primary crushing, SAG and ball milling, with a pebble crusher, CIL tanks, elution, electro-winning and gold smelting to produce dore onsite. Throughput is expected to range between 2.2 and 2.5 million tonnes per annum, depending on the blend of soft and hard ore. The average predicted plant recovery is 92%, with soft material recoveries from some zones reaching as high as 95%.

The process plant design is based on a robust metallurgical flowsheet designed for optimum recovery and minimum operating costs. The key criteria for equipment selection are suitability for duty, reliability and ease of maintenance, and synergies with Sabodala, including same-sized crusher, mills, feeders and CIL tank agitators. The process selected is based on industrially proven equipment and sizing, resulting in additional operational flexibility and lower technical risk.

The tailings storage facility ("TSF") will be developed as a high density polyethylene geomembrane lined paddock type facility in a two-cell arrangement. The TSF embankments will be constructed in annual raises to suit storage requirements, using downstream raise construction methods.

Transport and logistics for mining projects in the region are well-established with eleven mines built in Burkina Faso within the past decade. Goods will be containerized and transported by liner services to the Abidjan port in Cote d'Ivoire or the Tema port in Ghana.

A construction readiness program is underway for initial engineering, site infrastructure and preparation of large vendor packages. The engineering, procurement and construction management ("EPCM") scope is currently in a tender process amongst several EPCM service providers with construction experience in West Africa and Burkina Faso. An award decision is expected shortly. Plant construction is expected to commence in Q2 2018, with first gold pour following within approximately 18 months of the construction start date.

Operating Costs

Operating costs include all direct costs for the production of gold dore. The estimates are based on annual rates determined in the mining schedule with ore delivery from the Nogbele, Fourkoura, Samavogo and Stinger deposits.

Table 3: LOM Operating Costs5

$/t $/oz Mining 2.19 358 Processing 11.15 222 General & administrative 4.31 86

Mine operating costs were determined using first principles estimates and input provided by equipment quotations, supply providers and costs at Sabodala where applicable. The average mining costs are $1.73/tonne mined for soft material and $2.65/tonne mined for harder material. The mining costs include rehandle and haulage of ore from the satellite pits and stockpiles to the process plant.

Processing costs are based on metallurgical test results, quotations from suppliers and consultant recommendations and using a rate of 338 tonne per hour for soft material and 250 tonne per hour rate for hard material. The average processing cost are $9.38/tonne milled for soft material and $12.18/tonne milled for harder material.

General and administrative costs average $4.31/tonne milled and consist of site office costs, insurance, financial costs (banking charges, legal fees, etc.), refining and transportation costs and personnel costs.

Table 4: LOM Production Plan*

Total LOM 2019 -

2024

Average 2018 Yr -1 2019 Yr 1 2020 Yr 2 2021 Yr 3 2022 Yr 4 2023 Yr 5 2024 Yr 6 2025 Yr 7 2026 Yr 8 2027 Yr 9 2028 Yr 10 Ore mined Mt 21 2.7 0.2 1.4 3.3 3.1 2.8 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.0 1.8 0.1 Waste mined Mt 155 19.0 2.2 12.4 19.2 18.6 18.3 18.3 17.5 16.4 16.2 15.2 0.3 Ore milled Mt 21 2.3 1.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.2 1.9 Mill head grade g/t 1.69 1.88 2.22 2.01 1.95 2.08 1.51 1.73 1.74 1.27 1.50 1.07 Contained gold Koz 1,165 141 82 148 146 151 115 136 124 96 104 64 Recovered gold Koz 1,075 131 76 137 134 139 107 127 111 90 95 61

* This LOM production plan assumes plant construction will commence in Q1 2018. With plant construction moved to Q2 2018, this LOM production plan may shift by several months.

Pre-production and LOM Capital Costs

The Company plans to replicate the first phase of the Sabodala process plant layout which is expected to lower construction and operating risk and, in turn, pre-production project capital and operating costs. The capital cost to construct the Banfora Project is estimated at $232 million4 (see Table 5), including processing plant, infrastructure, an owner operated mining fleet, owners cost, contingency, taxes and duties. The Company is evaluating opportunities to optimize and reduce capital costs that may improve the IRR.

Owners costs have been captured in the capital estimate, including the management team, project expenses, pre-production costs, first fills, opening stocks, plant mobile equipment, project spares, vendor representatives, training and initial resettlement costs. The Company has hired Metifex Pty Ltd ("Metifex") to form part of the owners team for the project. Metifex has worked on a number of projects with the Teranga management team, including most recently the mill optimization project at Sabodala.

Pre-production capital costs exclude acquisition costs and reserve development costs incurred from acquisition through the end of 2017. It also excludes construction readiness activities of $12 million, which will be spent prior to major construction.

Table 5: Pre-production Capital Costs

($M) Indirect project construction 19.6 Processing plant 46.6 Reagents and plant services 12.2 Infrastructure 52.9 Mining infrastructure and equipment 30.2 EPCM costs 16.3 Owners project costs 30.5 Subtotal 208.2 Contingency 24.0 Total(a), (b), (c) 232.3

(a) Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding. (b) Excludes cost to mine and stockpile 764 Kt at 2.25 g/t or 55Koz (strip ratio of 9:1) prior to mill production which has been included in mining operating costs. (c) Excludes $12 million used for construction readiness activities spent prior to major construction.

Life of mine sustaining costs for the Banfora Project total $105 million and include mobile fleet upgrades and replacements, road construction, TSF lifts, resettlement costs and general sustaining capital in support of mining, processing and general and administrative functions.

Table 6: LOM Sustaining Capital Costs

LOM Sustaining Capital ($M) Mining fleet replacement and mine sustaining 30.1 Processing sustaining 13.5 General and administration sustaining and other 3.8 TSF 26.9 Deferred resettlement action plan costs 30.5 Total 104.8

Social and Environmental Impact Assessments

The current resources and reserves for the Banfora Project are permitted and the environmental impact assessment study is complete.

The resettlement action plan is progressing well, strongly supported by the local communities. Under the resettlement action plan, approximately 500 households in the villages of Zegnedougou, Nangueledougou, Djondougou, Katolo, Nadjengoala will be relocated over the next five years, with a further 350 households compensated for agricultural land impact. The resettlement and livelihood restoration process for the project is being managed by an experienced team from the global sustainability firm, ERM, building on work completed under the previous project ownership.

Resettlement sites have been identified, and the physical planning, design and approval of future resettlement communities is underway. Construction of the first resettlement households is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018. Employment opportunities and sustainable development initiatives supported by Teranga will provide further support for socio-economic growth in the area.

The Company is working with the local community to rename the Banfora Project to reflect the local culture.

LOM Cash Flow

Table 7: LOM Cash Flow(a), (b), (c), 5

Total 2019 -

2024 Average 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 LOM Yr -1 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Yr 6 Yr 7 Yr 8 Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Gold produced Koz 1,075 131 76 137 134 139 107 127 110 90 95 61 Gold price $/oz 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 Gold sales $M 1,344 163 95 171 167 173 133 159 138 112 119 76 Cash costs $M (716) (81) (7) (46) (81) (80) (81) (79) (78) (83) (79) (77) (27) Royalties and gov't payments(e) $M (85) (10) (6) (10) (10) (10) (8) (10) (9) (8) (8) (6) Sustaining capital $M (105) (15) (12) (13) (18) (14) (12) (14) (7) (6) (9) (0) AISC(d) $M (906) (105) (7) (63) (104) (107) (106) (99) (102) (99) (92) (95) (33) AISC(d) $/oz 843 807 830 759 801 761 926 799 897 1,030 999 549 Income taxes, W/C and other(f) $M (29) (3) (1) (4) (2) (2) (2) (4) (3) (8) (4) (2) (1) 5 Free cash flow from operations(d) $M 409 55 (8) 28 65 58 66 31 54 31 15 22 42 5 Pre-production capital $M (232) (120) (112) (0) Net cash flow $M 176 (128) (85) 65 58 66 31 54 31 15 22 42 5 NPV 5% $M 90 IRR 15%

(a) This LOM production plan assumes plant construction will commence in Q1 2018. With plant construction moved to Q2 2018, this LOM production plan is anticipated to shift by several months. (b) Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding. (c) All figures are on a 100% basis. (d) See Non-IFRS Performance Measures on page 9 of this news release. (e) Includes royalties, business taxes, mortmain taxes, and surface taxes. (f) Includes income taxes, refundable VAT movements, government social fund, and rehabilitation and equipment residual value. Excludes all project financing costs and allocation of corporate overhead costs.

Project Return Sensitivity

Gold Price $1,200 $1,250 $1,300 $1,350 After-tax NPV 0% $134 $176 $219 $249 After-tax NPV 5% $58 $90 $122 $145 After-tax IRR 11% 15% 18% 20%

Feasibility Study Technical Report Contributions and Qualified Persons

The mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates in this news release have been classified in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" 2014, as required by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., an independent consultant prepared the resource and reserve estimates and the report with the assistance of a number of independent experts or firms.

Lycopodium Limited (ASX:LYL), an Australian headquartered engineering and project management consultancy that has successfully completed the construction of a dozen gold development projects in West Africa since 2009, completed the process design, capital estimate and execution plan for the process facilities and associated infrastructure.

Knight Piesold Consulting completed the tailings management facility design, surface geotechnical engineering and site water balance, ECG Engineering completed the Power Supply solution, BBA/Aurifex completed the metallurgical test work supporting the process design, and MBS Environmental completed the ESIA summary and Closure Plan.

Competent Persons Statements

The technical information contained in this document relating to the open pit mineral reserve estimates is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Glen Ehasoo, P. Eng., who is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, which is currently included as a "Recognized Overseas Professional Organization" in a list promulgated by the ASX from time to time. Mr. Ehasoo is independent of Teranga and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and a "competent person" as defined in the 2012 Edition of the JORC Code. Mr. Ehasoo has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Ehasoo has verified the technical data in this news release related to mineral reserves estimation, and has reviewed and approved the information in this news release relevant to mineral reserves estimation.

The technical information contained in this document relating to open pit mineral resource estimates is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. David Ross. Mr. Ross, P. Geo., is a Member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, which is currently included as a "Recognized Overseas Professional Organization" in a list promulgated by the ASX from time to time. Mr. Ross is independent of Teranga and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Ross has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Ross has verified the technical data in this news release related to mineral resources estimation, and has reviewed and approved the information in this news release relevant to mineral resource estimation.

Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures

The Company has included non-IFRS measures in this document, including "total cash cost per ounce of gold sold", "all-in sustaining costs per ounce" and "free cash flow from operations". The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.

Total cash costs figures are calculated in accordance with a standard developed by The Gold Institute, which was a worldwide association of suppliers of gold and gold products and included leading North American gold producers. The Gold Institute ceased operations in 2002, but the standard is considered the accepted standard of reporting cash cost of production in North America. Adoption of the standard is voluntary and the cost measures presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measure of other companies. The World Gold Council ("WGC") definition of all-in sustaining costs seeks to extend the definition of total cash costs by adding corporate general and administrative costs, reclamation and remediation costs (including accretion and amortization), exploration and study costs (capital and expensed), capitalized stripping costs and sustaining capital expenditures and represents the total costs of producing gold from current operations. All-in sustaining cost excludes income tax payments, interest costs, costs related to business acquisitions and items needed to normalize earnings. Consequently, this measure is not representative of all of the Company's cash expenditures. In addition, the calculation of all-in sustaining costs does not include depreciation expense as it does not reflect the impact of expenditures incurred in prior periods. Therefore, it is not indicative of the Company's overall profitability. Life of mine total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs figures used in this press release are before cash/non-cash inventory movements and exclude any allocation of corporate overheads. Other companies may calculate this measure differently. The Company calculates free cash flow from operations as net cash flow provided by operating activities less sustaining capital expenditures. The Company believes this to be a useful indicator of its ability to generate cash for growth initiatives. Other companies may calculate this measure differently.

For more information regarding these measures, please refer to the Company's 2016 Management's Discussion and Analysis accessible on the Company's website at www.terangagold.com.

Conference Call & Webcast Details

Teranga will host a conference call and audio webcast later this morning, September 7, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss the Feasibility Study in more detail. Those wishing to listen can access the live conference call and webcast as follows:

Telephone: Toll-free +1-877-291-4570 Local or International +1-647-788-4919 Please allow 10 minutes to be connected to the conference call Webcast: The webcast can be accessed on Teranga's website at www.terangagold.com/banfora Replay: The conference call replay will be available for two weeks after the call by dialing +1-416-621-4642 or toll-free at +1-800-585-8367 and entering the conference ID 70012458 Note: The slide presentation will be available for download at www.terangagold.com for simultaneous viewing during the call

Technical Report

An NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Banfora Project will be filed on the Company's website and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) within 45 days of this news release.

Endnotes
TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Superior Gold Inc. ("Superior Gold" or the "Company") (TSX.V:SGI) is pleased to announce the appointment of Rene Marion to its Board of Directors.

Mr. Marion is a member of the Professional Engineers of Ontario and has over 30 years of experience in the Mining Industry in both technical and management roles. His wide ranging and extensive experience includes over 12 years at Barrick Gold Corp. (TSX: ABX), including a period in which he provided technical advice and input into their Australian assets, including the Plutonic Gold Mine. Most recently Mr. Marion was President and CEO of Aurico Gold Inc. from 2007 to 2012. He is currently Chairman of the Board of Richmont Mines Inc. (TSX:RIC) and also serves on the Board of Guyana Goldfields Inc. (TSX:GUY).

Chris Bradbrook, President and CEO of Superior Gold stated: "We are very pleased to welcome Rene to our Board of Directors. His extensive industry experience, operational expertise and familiarity with our Plutonic Gold Mine will be a great asset to our Company and will compliment the skill set and experience of our existing Board of Directors."

The Company has granted Mr. Marion, subject to the terms and conditions of the Company's Stock Option Plan and the receipt of regulatory approval, options to purchase 200,000 common shares of the Company at an exercise price of $1.00 per common share exercisable until September 5, 2022.

About Superior Gold

Superior Gold is a Canadian based gold producer that owns 100% of the Plutonic Gold Operations located in Western Australia. The Plutonic Gold Operations include the Plutonic Gold Mine, which is a producing underground operation with a central mill, the Hermes open pit development project and an interest in the Bryah Basin joint venture. Superior Gold is focused on expanding production at the Plutonic Gold Operations and building an intermediate gold producer with superior returns for shareholders.
> > > Trumps new strategy a threat to Talibanization in Afghanistan?

Trumps new strategy a threat to Talibanization in Afghanistan? Thursday 7 September 2017 Reading time: (Number of words: )
/ Yonhap



Four more rocket launchers for a U.S. missile defense system were deployed in South Korea Thursday after police removed hundreds of protesters from the site.

Clashes occurred throughout the night as some 400 residents fought off police officers near their community center in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, where the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system has been partially deployed on a military base.

Police dispersed the residents around 5 a.m. but only after dozens of locals and police officers sustained injuries and were taken to nearby hospitals.

"The current administration, like the former Park Geun-hye administration, is committing an illegal act," said a local official. "We cannot accept THAAD under any conditions."

The THAAD equipment was carried by about 10 U.S. military vehicles from Osan Air Base, some 70 kilometers south of Seoul. Police said some 8,000 officers were sent to the area near the deployment site.

Two truck-mounted launchers and a powerful X-band radar are currently in operation at the base. A THAAD battery is known to require at least six rocket launchers, also involving a fire control and communications unit.

President Moon Jae-in ordered the deployment of additional THAAD launchers soon after Pyongyang launched a second intercontinental ballistic missile in late July.













/ Yonhap



"The government promised to inform us a day before the additional deployment. It is a trick for the police to drive us out of our rally site just a few hours after we received the notification," said a resident who identified himself as a 30-year-old surnamed Lee.

Some protesters wound chains around their necks and locked their bodies onto trucks that blocked the roads to the site.

Others tied ropes around their bodies and formed a line to stop the police from separating them.

Local residents have protested the THAAD deployment for fear that their town may turn into a primary target for North Korean attacks.

They are also concerned that electromagnetic waves emanating from the cutting-edge radar could cause health and environmental problems.

The deployment comes amid heightened tensions on the Korean Peninsula over North Korea's missile and nuclear tests.

On Sunday, North Korea carried out its sixth and most powerful nuclear test in further defiance against international pressure over its nuclear and missile programs.

China and Russia have strenuously opposed the THAAD deployment, viewing it as aimed at bolstering Washington's military presence in the region and undermining their security interests. Seoul and Washington have claimed it is only for self-defense against the North.

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang expressed grave concerns over the planned additional installation as he urged South Korea and the U.S. to withdraw the THAAD system. (Yonhap)
By Kim Tae-gyu



Daejeon  The creator of Korea's famous android Hubo negated controversial remarks by Elon Musk who stated that artificial intelligence (AI) could start a Third World War.



The founder of SpaceX and Tesla has contended that AI can pose a great existential threat to humanity and the world should be prepared for this.



"No matter how advanced AI is, it cannot start a war because it doesn't have an ego. Without an ego, AI is just a computing machine, nothing more than that. I don't think that AI will have an ego even in the distant future," said professor Oh Jun-ho of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST).



"People with advanced AI can start a Third World War. But AI cannot do so on its own. I recommend people stop making arguments like science-fiction novels."



Along the same lines, Oh said that AI will not be able to replace the roles and status of humans. He expects that AI will only benefit people by helping them perform tasks in easier ways.



"Who is talking about doomsday scenarios with regard to AI? They are mostly not AI experts. They are futurists, neuroscientists and businesspeople," said Oh, a robot scientist famous across the world.



"As far as I know, legitimate AI experts hardly come up with such negative and gloomy prospects. Most of them are on the same page as me."



Oh said that AI development is not as fast as many people imagine.



"What is happening now is that AI is expanding its domain. Its technological level has not improved so fast," he said. "The roles of robots in industrial sites are almost the same compared to 25 years ago."



Hubo is a walking biped. It basked in the global spotlight in 2015 by topping the podium in the Darpa Robotics Challenge, which took place in the United States.



Hubo defeated 22 other competitors from five countries to win the $2 million grand prize.



Most of them lost their balance to collapse to the ground while performing such tasks as operating a drill or opening a door. But Hubo proficiently carried out the jobs on the back of its unique design.



Oh is trying to incorporate AI into Hubo.



"Now, Hubo acts in line with preprogrammed software in performing jobs. In the future, it will become more autonomous so that it can choose how to do its jobs. It is one of our top priorities for now," he said.




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The panel on the left shows a scan of the man's abdomen. The large white circle is the neobladder stone, and above it, a black arrow points to another stone in the man's left ureter. The middle panel shows the man's abdomen from the side, and the panel on the right shows the egg-shaped neobladder stone after it was surgically removed.

When a man in California went to the hospital because of bladder problems, doctors found a large reason for his pain: a mineral stone nearly the size of an ostrich egg, according to a new report of the case.

The 64-year-old man went to the emergency room because he had pain in his left side and trouble urinating. His doctors found an egg-shaped bladder stone that weighed a whopping 1.7 lbs. (770 grams) and measured 4.7 inches by 3.7 inches by 3 inches (12 by 9.5 by 7.5 centimeters), according to the report. (For reference, a typical ostrich egg weighs about 3 lbs., or 1,360 grams.) [Here's a Giant List of the Strangest Medical Cases We've Covered]

Bladder stones are mineral masses that form in the bladder. In some cases, the stones are too small to be seen with the naked eye, but in others, the stones can be quite large, reaching an inch or more in diameter. According to Guinness World Records, the largest bladder stone was 7 inches long, 5 inches thick and 3.7 inches tall (17.9 by 12.7 by 9.5 cm), and weighed 4.2 lbs. (1.9 kg).

CT scans of the man's adbomen also revealed another, much smaller stone in the man's left ureter, which is the tube that carries urine from the kidneys to the bladder, according to the report, which was published today (Sept. 6) in The New England Journal of Medicine.

The doctors who treated the man noted that he'd had invasive bladder cancer more than a decade before he developed the stones. At the time, surgeons needed to remove his bladder, and they constructed what doctors call a "neobladder" out of segments of the man's intestines. Like a regular bladder, the neobladder is connected to both the ureters and the urethra, which is the tube through which urine exits the body, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.

Using part of the intestines to create a neobladder can increase a person's risk of developing stones, the authors wrote.

The man had surgery to remove the stone from his bladder, and doctors used a laser to break up the stone in his left ureter, according to the report. The man had no problems after his surgery, though doctors are continuing to monitor him in case new stones form.

Originally published on Live Science.
African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus) once flourished from the mountainous areas of sub-Saharan regions to the deserts of Africa. Now endangered, these pack-living relatives of domesticated dogs still have a population in Botswana, where researchers like Neil Jordan  a research fellow at the University of New South Wales Sydney and Taronga Conservation Society Australia  study them.

While spending immersive hours of observation in the field is less common among researchers these days, Jordan and his colleagues who work with the Botswana Predator Conservation Trust (BPCT) believe this time is well spent. Such efforts often require long hours of watching resting carnivores and waiting for them to become active, such as by leaving their rest site to go hunting.

"It was during these long waits and subsequent high energy rallies that I first noticed a possible relationship between sneezing and leaving," Jordan said. "I could predict whether or not they were going to move off by listening to the number of sneezes."

To test the unorthodox theory, he and his team collected data from five packs of African wild dogs in and around the Moremi Game Reserve in the Okavango Delta from June 2014 to May 2015. VHF radio collars affixed to at least one dog in each pack allowed the scientists to track the animals.

Through direct observations and video recordings, the researchers documented 68 "social rallies" that occurred among the five packs. Such rallies are the times in which these dogs interact with each other.

The researchers were amazed that the data confirmed Jordan's suspicions: the more sneezes that occurred, the more likely it was that a given pack moved off and started hunting.

"The sneeze acts like a type of voting system," Jordan said.

The findings, published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, suggest that dogs are not just simply clearing their airways when they sneeze.

RELATED: Why Do We Sneeze?

Lead author Reena Walker of Brown University said there is evidence supporting that domestic dogs sneeze when they're excited or anxious. Such "unvoiced" or mechanical sounds turn out to be pervasive in dogs and other canids.

"Panting, huffing, and sneezing are signals observed in domestic dogs, coyotes, and jackals that use the exhalation or inhalation of air as a sound to convey an emotional state  messages that range from 'let's play' to 'I see an unfamiliar object' to 'I'm scared,'" Walker said.

"So, finding that sneezes are a signal utilized by African wild dogs is not out of the realm of already understood means of communication in canids," she continued, "but it is the first time we have seen a signal like a sneeze used in the context of group decision making."

Co-author Andrew King of Swansea University added that the sneezes act as a type of quorum, where the sneezes have to reach a certain threshold before the pack changes its activity.

"Quorum-like responses occur in lots of different species," King said. "For example, ants or bees use quorums when moving to new nest sites. In the case of bees, which dance to direct one another to new sites, once the number of bees at a site reaches a quorum, the bees begin an additional recruitment strategy to dancing, known as piping."

Meerkats also use quorums to "vote" by emitting moving calls before heading off to a new foraging patch. Prior research has also determined that white-faced capuchin monkeys emit trills and, if the vocalizations reach a certain threshold, the monkeys will collectively depart.

RELATED: Historic Alaska Wolf Pack May Be Gone

Even bacteria, King said, "use quorums to coordinate gene expression according to the density of their local population," so the process does not necessarily require substantial, if any, brain power.

For African wild dogs, the sneezing acts like democratic voting, such that each individual in a pack may participate and have a vote count. As for human voting, however, the system does not always seem fair.

The researchers noticed if the dominant male and female within each African wild dog pack sneezed, fewer additional sneezes were needed before the group left the resting site.

"However," Walker said, "if the dominant pair were not engaged, more sneezes were needed  approximately 10  before the pack would move off."

The researchers are not yet certain if the sneezes of dominant and subdominant dogs are acoustically different. How dominance is established in a pack also remains unclear, but age appears to be a factor, with younger dogs tending to be more dominant, Jordan said.

Sneezes are surprisingly important in the animal kingdom. Among humans and many other animals, evidence suggests that sneezes  like yawns  can be contagious, a fact that was not lost on Walker, who sneezed a lot as she watched all of the African wild dog behavior videos.

Scientists are not yet sure why these behaviors are contagious, but the actions could help to safeguard against certain health threats, such as reduced oxygen or added dust in the air. They may also help to promote empathy and bonding among social animals, like humans and dogs.

"I think that there is much we still need to learn about animal communication in general, and the majority of what we do with BPCT is building this understanding to try to develop innovative signal-based tools for conservation management," Jordan said.

African wild dog survival is often threatened when conflicts occur between these animals and humans. For example, food sources at farms, such as animals raised for human consumption and more, can attract the dogs, leading to problems.

BPCT holds promise in preventing such negative encounters with its innovative Bioboundary project. The researchers have learned that the dogs use scent marks to demarcate their territories, so Jordan said they are attempting to understand and manipulate the canine behavior "by tricking them into thinking that the area is already taken" by another pack of dogs.

Originally published on Seeker.
Giant, jelly-like blobs have been sighted off the western coast of Norway, but the identities of these mysterious objects have scientists stumped.

The blobs are about 3.3 feet (1 meter) in diameter and are translucent, except for a strange dark streak running through their center, Science Nordic reported. No one knows what they are, or what made them.

"This is a mystery, actually," said Michael Vecchione, an invertebrate zoologist at the Smithsonian Institution who has been corresponding with Norwegian researchers about the blobs. "It could be an egg mass, or something completely different, but we just don't know at this point until we get some more detailed observations." [13 Bizarre Things That Washed Up on Beaches]

Egg mass, or something else?

Vecchione has helped identify weird ocean blobs before. In 2015, for example, divers discovered a glittering blob off the coast of Turkey in the Mediterranean Sea and uploaded a video online. That one, Vecchione said, was a squid egg mass, probably from a red flying squid (Ommastrephes bartramii).

The new Norwegian blobs could be squid egg masses, too, Vecchione told Live Science, but their appearance is different from any squid egg sac that has been identified before now. Vecchione said that the only similar one he has ever seen was from a photograph, many years ago, taken near Alaska.

"The reason it's different is because of the dark streak that goes through the center of it," Vecchione said. The dark streak could be squid ink, he said, and there are certainly many species of squid whose egg sacs scientists have never identified or seen. But no one will know for sure whether squid made the jelly balls until someone does a DNA test.

That's one reason why the mystery blobs are in the news, in fact. Marine biologist Gro I. van der Meeren of the Institute of Marine Research in Bergen, Norway, and colleagues are trying to get divers to grab a chunk of one of the jelly balls to send to them for genetic testing. Once the researchers have a DNA sequence, they'll be able to compare them to catalogues of known DNA "barcodes," or short DNA segments that identify and differentiate species, Vecchione said.

Doing the detective work

But, getting a sample might not be easy. Gelatinous egg masses are very light, and they're hard to get close to because the slightest ripple in the water pushes them away, Vecchione said. A diver trying to get a sample might have the best luck with a "slurper" tool that uses a vacuum to capture soft underwater objects. The researchers ask that the sample be frozen and that they be contacted to collect the sample.

The shallow areas where divers are sighting these egg masses are near a deep-water drop-off, Vecchione said, so it's possible that the eggs belong to a deep-sea creature. Many deep-living squid, for example, release their egg masses to float on currents closer to the surface. If that's what's happening in this case, Vecchione said, a current may be coincidentally pushing a number of egg sacs in the same direction, which could explain the multiple sightings reported by divers this summer.

"It's an interesting mystery," Vecchione said.

Divers who sight one of these blobs or collect a sample should contact Halldis Ringvold at post@buzzingkid.no or Gro I. van der Meeren at grom@imr.no, according to Science Nordic.

Original article on Live Science.
Loricatus' story is known today because the villagers near his cave petitioned for his sainthood on a 16-foot-long (5 meters) parchment that now resides in the Vatican Secret Archives in Vatican City. However, much of the scroll has been damaged by mysterious purple spots  and the spots are similar to ones that mar parchments made of animal skins all over the world, said Luciana Migliore, an ecotoxicologist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata.

Using Loricatus' scroll, Migliore and her colleagues have finally pinpointed the culprit that damaged all of these parchments: salt-loving marine microbes. This was a shock, Migliore said, because the parchment had been nowhere near the sea. [Cracking Codices: 10 of the Most Mysterious Ancient Manuscripts]

"When my students came to me, saying, 'Luciana, we found marine bacteria,' I told them, 'Repeat, please; there is a mistake. There must be a mistake!'" Migliore said.

Mystery bacteria

The surprising finding was the result of applying new technology to an old problem. Migliore is a toxicologist who usually works on marine plants. At a friend's behest, she started teaching biology in a conservation-and-restoration program.

This goatskin scroll from A.D. 1244 is covered in mysterious purple spots. (Image credit: G. Vendittozzi)

"I thought that I could apply the techniques that I'm used to applying to underwater plants to scrolls and old documents," Migliore told Live Science. [7 Secrets of the Dead Sea Scrolls]

Specifically, Migliore wanted to use next-generation genetic sequencing to see if she could identify the microbes that eat away at old parchments. She and her team chose to restore the Laurentius Loricatus scroll both because of its gripping content and the beauty of the document itself.

The goatskin scroll, which dates to A.D. 1244, has purple dots all along its margins, and the first and last pages are entirely obscured by the mystery pigment. Migliore's team sampled a few millimeter-size bits of the scroll that had already flaked off. They sent these samples to a lab in the United States that does fast, cheap gene sequencing.

Inside job

The findings showed much more genetic diversity, indicating a wider range of microbes, in the purple spots than in the undamaged areas of the parchment. The genetics told a two-stage story of damage: First, salt-loving, or halophilic, bacteria colonized the parchment. Next, salt-tolerant microbes, particularly the Gammaproteobacteria, took over. What shocked Migliore is that so many of these microbes were marine or aquatic.

But when they took into account how skin scrolls were made, the discovery made sense, Migliore said. The first step after removing the hide from an animal was to bathe the skin in a sea-salt bath to help preserve it, she said. This bath would have killed off most microbes that eat away at flesh  but it also introduced salt-loving and salt-tolerant marine bacteria. These little microbes huddled in the middle layers of the parchment, where the salinity was just right. When the scroll was read and stored at various monasteries throughout its lifetime, changes in temperature and humidity would have allowed the salt-loving bacteria to grow and thrive. Many of these species produce purple pigments, Migliore noted.

Eventually, though, those salt eaters would have seen their supply run out and died off. Their corpses, Migliore said, provided a whole new source of food for the next phase of bacterial colonization. The Gammaproteobacteria moved in and ate not only the dead halophilic bacteria but also the fine collagen matrix of the goatskin parchment. This caused parts of the parchment to flake off, lost forever.

The story of a teenage soldier named Laurentius Loricatus, who accidentally killed a man was written on a lengthy scroll in A.D. 1244, and is now kept at the Vatican Secret Archives. (Image credit: G. Vendittozzi)

Salt curing is one thing that skin parchments around the world have in common, Migliore said, so it makes sense that similar damage is seen in scrolls from all sorts of regions and time frames. (Loricatus' scroll is currently safe from further damage, as it has been kept in climate-controlled conditions since its move to Vatican City in the late 1700s.)

There's no reversing the damage to the parts of the parchment where the underlying collagen was eaten away, Migliore said. There may still be a way to remove the purple pigments, though. She and her team are working to determine the pigment structure now.

"In this way, this work opens new perspectives, because we have to study to see if it is possible to make something of this parchment," Migliore said.

The researchers reported their findings today (Sept. 7) in the open-access journal Scientific Reports (opens in new tab).

Original article on Live Science.
The eye of Hurricane Irma completely engulfs the island of Barbuda, shown here in this Suomi NPP satellite image captured on Sept. 6, 2017.

As the monster, Category 5 Hurricane Irma continues its march toward Florida, it's still not clear exactly what the impacts will be.

That's because so much now depends on tiny factors that could nudge Hurricane Irma a few miles here or there. While the odds are that it will hit Florida as a Category 4 hurricane, there's a chance that the storm could re-strengthen, or even weaken to a Category 3, scientists say.

And exactly where the storm hits in Florida, if it does hit the state, will make a huge difference in terms of damages, said Thomas Downs, a meteorologist with WeatherBell Analytics in New York City. [Hurricane Irma: Photos of a Monster Storm]

Warm waters, land obstacles

One of the most effective ways that a hurricane can weaken is if it passes over land. So, from the perspective of South Florida, the best scenario would have been if Cuba took some of the brunt of Hurricane Irma, Downs said.

Right now, however, Irma is interacting relatively little with Cuba and so is weakening only slightly, Downs said. There's some chance the storm will continue to weaken before it makes landfall on the U.S. mainland, likely somewhere in Florida. The latest projections from the National Hurricane Center predict that Irma will make that landfall as a Category 4 storm.

"There are some signs of it being a little bit stronger at landfall and being able to maintain that very strong intensity at landfall," Downs told Live Science. "Other signs show it could be weakened a little bit."

There's a remote chance that the storm would even strengthen again, as it passes over the 90-degree-Fahrenheit (32 degrees Celsius) water in the straits of Florida, between Cuba and Florida. However, there are also islands in the way that could put the brakes on the storm's heavy winds; in addition, because this is such a big storm, it's harder to slow down its winds, but also more difficult for those winds to speed up much, Downs said. [Hurricane Irma: Everything You Need to Know About This Monster Storm]

"Very hot water provides a lot of fuel, but there's still all these obstacles, and you almost need perfect conditions for it to develop into a monster storm like it was," Downs said.

Still, at this point, there remains some chance that Irma could make landfall as a Category 5 storm, or as a Category 3 storm, he added.

Uncertainty still

While many of the forecast tracks have Irma converging on South Florida, there's still quite a lot of uncertainty about the final impact, Downs said. That's because the eye of the hurricane is between 20 and 25 miles (32 to 40 kilometers) across, and around that core is a fringing ring of incredibly intense winds and rain called the eyewall. (In this case the most intense part of the eyewall is the northeastern quadrant.)

However, just a few miles out from the eyewall, the winds die down tremendously. For instance, the eyewall may have wind speeds of 150 mph (240 km/h), while just a few miles away, the winds may be at just 100 mph (160 km/h). And the damage of winds is related to the wind's power, which increases as the square of the wind speed. So, a wind speed that is twice as fast will have four times the damaging impacts, Downs said.

Beyond that, weather systems thousands of miles away may affect the trajectory in subtle ways. For instance, a high-pressure system coming down from Canada, the Dakotas and the Great Lakes could determine whether the storm turns west or takes a tighter turn toward the east, Downs said.

Some of the American hurricane models currently have the storm tracking slightly to the east of Florida, staying mostly offshore, but European models have the storm slamming right into South Florida, near Biscayne Bay, near where Hurricane Andrew made landfall 25 years ago.

That would be the worst-case scenario, Downs said.

"When the storm is moving from south to north, the worst part of the storm is the northeastern part of the storm," Downs said. "It's pushing all the water with the direction of movement, funneling everything in."

However, if the storm stays a little bit off the coast before making landfall, the less powerful side of the storm will hit land, he added.

Either way, impacts from the storm will be very different from those of Hurricane Harvey, which dumped dozens of inches of rain on the Houston area over several days. Unlike Harvey, Irma's biggest risks are its high winds and transient storm surges, not days and days of inundation while the storm system stays put, he said.

"The storm is going to keep moving," Downs said.

Originally published on Live Science.
ClaroNav, a company headquartered in Toronto, Canada, won FDA clearance for its NaviENT system that gives otolaryngologists information about the location of the tip of an instrument introduced during functional endoscopic sinus and skull base surgeries. During such surgeries, which are performed through the nose, the NaviENT shows the instrument tip superimposed on a 3D CT scan performed earlier on the same patient. This allows physicians to accurately traverse through difficult anatomy while avoiding fragile and important tissues.

The system uses 3D cameras placed not far from the head of the patient that follow optical tracking balls attached near the proximal ends of the instruments. Since the system knows the distance from the tracking balls to the instruments tip, it can quickly calculate the tips location and overlay it on the tomography scan.

The firm believes that outcomes can be significantly improved, leading to shortened hospital stays and more comfort and savings for everyone involved. [NaviENT] is a precious aid in primary surgery and its benefits are widely accepted among neurosurgeons and otolaryngologists. Its 3D anatomical structure localization and visualization capability assists the surgeons to target specific anatomy and avoid complications in highly variable sinus anatomy. However, despite its obvious advantages, many surgeons are hesitant in adapting the technology, blaming its cumbersome operation and high price tag. said Ahmad Kolahi, CEO of CKI NaviENT is an innovative navigation system designed in close collaboration with experienced rhinologists to address shortcomings of the current navigation systems. Our primary goal is to offer an intuitive, accurate and affordable state-of-the-art ENT navigation system and make it standard-of-care in the ENT field.

Here you can check out the software powering NaviENT:

Product page: NaviENT

Via: ClaroNav
by Erik Sass , Staff Writer @eriksass1, September 7, 2017

$1 wont buy you much at Starbucks, but its the amount Tronc, formerly Tribune Publishing, paid for one of New York Citys two dominant tabloids. (The second is the New York Post.) The one-digit price tag for New Yorks Daily News is brutal shorthand for the steep decline of the newspaper industry over the last decade, including the iconic tabloids, now shadows of their former selves.

Even more remarkable than the price tag is that many media watchers  far from classifying Troncs acquisition as a steal, or at least a savvy expansion at a rock-bottom price  wondered whether the deal was a strategic misstep.

In fact, Troncs own Chicago Tribune characterized the acquisition, which also included the assumption of $30 million in liabilities, as a stunning and bold bet on the future of newspapers.

For his part, former Daily News owner Mort Zuckerman is relieved to have divested the loss-making newspaper, after years of trying. It seems like its getting hard to give newspapers away.

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A few figures convey the disastrous descent of the tabloids over the last decade.

In the six-month period ending March 2007, the Daily News had an average weekday circulation of 718,174, according to the Audit Bureau of Circulations, now known as the Alliance for Audited Media. In AAMs latest figures, the daily circ figure was down to 274,816.

Although media-measurement methodology has evolved somewhat since then, in part to reflect the rise of the Web, apps and other developments, the overall trend is devastatingly clear. No business can experience a 62% contraction in its core product and customer base in 10 years and remain unchanged. (The latter figure includes both print, digital replica, and digital non-replica circ.)

Of note, the Daily News arch rival is faring only slightly better. Over the same period, the New York Post saw its average weekday circ plunge from 724,748 to 433,606, for a 40% drop  a somewhat more modest contraction, which can only be termed a relative success at best.

Both tabloids have made some headway building their Web audiences, in part, by reaching readers beyond their traditional print distribution range. The Daily News boasts 24 million unique visitors per month, while the NY Post claims 40.2 million across its full network of online properties.

But these impressive readership figures only serve to highlight the difficulty facing the tabloids, like the rest of the newspaper industry. All struggle to monetize their digital audiences at levels anywhere near their old print business.

At the same time, the ongoing decline in print ad revenue leaves publishers with few attractive options. Last year, NYP owner Rupert Murdoch confided to Fortune: I would think it might be quite likely in 10 years for the NYP to fold its print publication altogether.
By Samuel Ssebuliba

The Ministry of Internal Affairs has this afternoon released a formal report on the Wakiso murders linking most of them to ritual purposes.

While presenting the report before parliament, the internal affairs minister Gen Jeje Odong said eight of nine Nansana murders were linked to rituals.

He said that after thorough investigations, it was confirmed that most of these were carried out by a notorious killer known as Ibrahim Kaweesa who confessed to have been hired by a one Philip Tumuhibise to kill for him 12 women for ritual purposes.

The minister says the murder of the ninth Woman Juliet Kyandalli was linked to domestic violence.

Regarding the Katabi murders, police found out that most of them were carried out by a one Ivan Katongole with a motive of getting more money and boosting his wealth.

However Minister Odong has assured the August House that the situation is under control since all the prime suspects are in police custody.
by Wendy Davis @wendyndavis, September 6, 2017

Tech news site Techdirt has defeated a closely watched defamation lawsuit brought by entrepreneur Shiva Ayyadurai, who claims to have invented email.

Earlier this year, Ayyadurai sued Techdirt and its CEO and founder, Mike Masnick, over a series of critical articles, including ones that called Ayyardurai a "liar" and characterized his claims as "fake" and "fraudulent."

On Wednesday, U.S. District Court Judge Dennis Saylor IV in Boston dismissed Ayyardurai's suit. Saylor ruled that Ayyardurai couldn't prevail on his defamation claim, because Techdirt's articles could not be proven false. Only assertions of verifiable facts can be defamatory.

In 1979, at the age of 14, Ayyadurai created an electronic-mail system. But Saylor said in his ruling that creating an email system isn't necessarily the same as inventing email.

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"Whether plaintiffs claim to have invented e-mail is 'fake' depends upon the operative definition of 'e-mail.'" Saylor wrote. "Because that definition does not have a single, objectively correct answer, the claim is incapable of being proved true or false."

Saylor also wrote that that Ayyardurai's complaints about the language used by Techdirt wasn't actionable, in part, because the posts included non-defamatory facts.

"The core underlying facts are not disputed. The articles repeatedly acknowledge that plaintiff did create an electronic messaging system that he called 'email,' that he did so at the age of 14 when he was a research fellow at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey ... that the program apparently worked well, and that he subsequently received a copyright for the program," Saylor wrote. "Thus, while the complaint challenges the conclusions drawn from the available facts, it does not challenge the underlying facts themselves."

The judge added that some of Techdirt's allegedly defamatory language was hyperbole, and therefore not actionable.

"Courts have repeatedly held that language such as 'fraud,' 'snake-oil job,' 'rip-off' and 'scam' is generally protected as hyperbolic speech," the judge wrote.

"It is clear, particularly from the surrounding language describing plaintiffs claims as 'bogus' or 'easily debunked,' that the articles are simply using colorful and figurative language and are not making any fact-based accusation that plaintiff has actually committed a fraud," he added.

Ayyardurai was represented by Charles Harder -- the same lawyer who represented Hulk Hogan in an invasion of privacy lawsuit that drove Gawker into bankruptcy. In 2016, Ayyadurai also sued Gawker Media's tech site Gizmodo for defamation. After Gawker declared bankruptcy, the company agreed to pay Ayyadurai $750,000 and delete two posts about him.
Spotify has lured Disney executive Courtney Holt to lead its original content efforts.

The hire -- first reported by Variety -- comes less than a week after news surfaced that the music streaming startup was parting ways with Tom Calderone, its global head of content partnerships.

Under Holts leadership, Spotify will continue to experiment in original content. In the short term, the company plans to expand video related to serval shows, including Rap Caviar and Rock This, a Spotify spokesperson said.

Holt joined the Disney family in 2014 when the media giant acquired Maker Studios, which he was heading at the time.

Calderone joined Spotify in early 2016 to oversee its original content efforts, including shows, studio content and podcasts. As former head of VH1, Calderones appointment was a clear signal that Spotify had high original content aspirations.

Before Calderones arrival at Spotify, the music-streaming company was already exploring video opportunities. With the help of media partners like ABC, Conde Nast and Comedy Central, it officially added video to its content mix at the beginning of 2016.

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During Calderones tenure, Spotify aligned with a number of media partners, including Russel Simmons All Def Digital, Panoply Studios, Gimlet Media and Loudspeaker Network.

Spotify isnt the only tech company with big content ambitions. Apple, for one, has reportedly set aside about $1 billion for its original content push.

Calderone served as president of VH1 since late 2008. He officially joined the Viacom family in 1998 after assuming the position of music and talent programming at MTV Networks.
Researchers find that listening to happy music may enhance our ability to be creative. Boardrooms, lecture halls, and laboratories might soon be blaring out Vivaldi.

Share on Pinterest Could happy music enhance creativity?

The importance of creativity needs no introduction; without it, science, technology, the arts, business, and education would all grind to a halt.

In a world of ever-increasing complexity, approaching problems with insight and innovation is vital. But some researchers believe that, as a society, we are becoming less creative as the decades pass.

If this is the case, it could be a serious stumbling block for future generations facing the wealth of challenges involved in a postmodern society.

Recently, two teams of researchers  one from Radboud University in Nijmegen, the Netherlands, and another from the University of Technology Sydney in Australia  joined forces to investigate a simple way of influencing creativity: listening to music.

Their intriguing results are published this week in the journal PLOS ONE .

Over the years, a number of studies have looked at whether listening to music enhances cognitive performance, and the so-called Mozart effect is still debated. However, studies looking at whether or not music can influence creativity are few and far between. The authors of this most recent study explain their focus.
Practicing Hatha yoga or mindfulness meditation for just 25 minutes can significantly improve brain function and energy levels, compared with spending 25 minutes quietly reading, according to new research from Canada. Share on Pinterest Researchers have found that practicing Hatha yoga for 25 minutes, compared with reading for 25 minutes, significantly benefits brain function. Kimberley Luu and associate professor Peter Hall, of the School of Public Health and Health Systems at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada, report their study in the journal Mindfulness. Yoga and meditation, once regarded as predominantly Eastern customs, are becoming mainstream in the West. In the United States, for example, there are 36.7 million people who practice yoga, up from 20.4 million in 2012, while some 18 million have used meditation. The U.S. workforce is rapidly taking to yoga and meditation. A recent study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) found that yoga practice among workers in the U.S. more than doubled between 2002 and 2012, rising from 6 to 11 percent. Meditation practice also rose from 8 to 9.9 percent.

Hatha yoga and mindfulness Of the many styles of yoga, the one most commonly practiced in the West is Hatha yoga, which combines breathing with meditation and movement and concludes with relaxation. Ashtanga and Iyengar yoga are examples of Hatha yoga. Mindfulness meditation is an approach that emphasizes paying attention to what is going on in the mind without evaluating or judging it. While yoga often includes some aspects of mindfulness, it can also be practiced on its own. Prof. Hall explains, Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation both focus the brains conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing and posing, and also reduce processing of nonessential information. He explains that he and Luu were interested in finding out whether the two practices might have a positive carryover effect that helps people to focus more easily on what they choose to attend to in everyday life.

Executive function In a comprehensive review of the evidence, the two authors had already concluded that there was a need for more good-quality studies on the effects of Hatha yoga on executive function. In that paper, they describe executive function as a set of high-order cognitive processes that allows control of behavior, emotion, and thought independently of stimuli. Executive function operates through the prefrontal cortex of the brain and other centers that are linked to it. It typically involves working memory, mental flexibility, and inhibitory control. Many researchers also regard executive function as inclusive of other processes such as decision-making, problem-solving, and attention control because they are closely linked to it or highly dependent on it. For their new study, the researchers invited 31 healthy, moderately experienced practitioners aged 28 years, on average, to complete three sessions of Hatha yoga (including an element of mindfulness meditation), mindfulness meditation (without yoga), and quiet reading (control task). They used a within-subjects experimental design, which meant that the participants did not complete the tasks in the same order (each was assigned the order at random).
The Marlins have reached an agreement with second baseman Omar Infante on a two-year contract believed to be worth $8MM, according to MLB.com's Joe Frisaro. Infante passed his physical Tuesday, tweets Frisaro.

The Marlins acquired Infante in last November's Dan Uggla trade and plugged the 29-year-old Venezuelan in at second base this year. He has a .277/.316/.381 line in 629 plate appearances in his first season for the Marlins and final season before free agent eligibility.

Combine his 2011 performance with his All-Star 2010 campaign and you get a projected Type B ranking. That means the Marlins would have obtained a compensatory pick in next year's draft if Infante had turned down an offer of arbitration to sign with another club as a free agent.

On most nights, this would easily be the biggest Marlins news, but that's not the case tonight. Jack McKeon announced that he won't return as manager in 2012 and the White Sox released Ozzie Guillen, who is expected to sign with Florida. For even more Marlins links click here.
12:55pm: Lewis can earn up to $4MM in incentives based on games started and active service time.

11:59am: The Rangers and Colby Lewis have agreed to a one-year contract extension for 2013 according to John Blake, the team's Executive Vice President of Communications (on Twitter). Lewis' deal is worth $2MM in guaranteed money plus incentives, Jeff Wilson of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reports (on Twitter). The Octagon client had been on track for free agency this coming offseason, but he's on the 60-day disabled list and hasn't pitched since July.

Lewis, 33, signed a two-year, $5MM contract with the Rangers in January of 2010 after pitching in Japan for two years. The deal worked out well for the Rangers, who exercised their 2012 club option for Lewis after the guaranteed portion of the two-year deal expired.

The right-hander has started 16 games for this year's Rangers team, posting a 3.43 ERA with 8.0 K/9 and 1.2 BB/9 in 105 innings. However, he last pitched on July 18th and is expected to miss the remainder of the 2012 season and the beginning of the 2013 season with a torn flexor tendon. From 2010-12, Lewis posted a 3.93 ERA with 8.1 K/9 and 2.4 BB/9 in 506 1/3 innings with Texas.

The Rangers' projected 2013 rotation includes Lewis, Yu Darvish, Derek Holland and Matt Harrison. Martin Perez and Neftali Feliz could also contribute, but Ryan Dempster will hit free agency.

Ben Nicholson-Smith contributed to this post.
A group of top Ghanaian actors made up of Yvonne Nelson, Luckie Lawson, Kafui Danku, Prince David Osei, Kweku Elliot and a host of others have started a campaign to get the government to help revive the country's movie industry, which they said is collapsing.

The group which is calling itself United Ghanaian Filmmakers started the campaign on social media on Monday morning with the hashtag #SaveTheGHMovieIndustrycampaign.

The preliminary stage of the campaign is gathering as many signatures as possible to petition government on the current poor state of the movie industry and how government can help make the movie industry vibrant.

Yvonne Nelson, the producer of 'Heels & Sneakers', who first posted about the campaign, is calling on all who have any stake or interest in the movie industry to be part of the positive movement to make Ghanaian movies active and relevant again.

Hello everyone, this is a call in the right direction, with unity and team work, the dream will always come true. For God and country, I humbly ask all stakeholders in the Ghana movie industry, actors, (upcoming actors), crew members, avid Ghanaian movie watchers, etc. to help us present our petition to the government of our beautiful country Ghana, this is for us, this is for our failing movie industry. Kindly locate a petition form at these various locations and pen down a few details.

All we need are signatures to express the passion we all have for the industry and how far well go to bring it back to life. ABC-Pictures (050 411 1200) Spintex, YN Productions (0240595959) East Legon, 7th Art Productions (0262314645) East Legon, Naadie (026 795 6233) Legon campus, Belinda (024 551 0044) West Legon #SaveTheGHMovieIndustry

We need all the supports we can get, by just getting industry people know about it, so they can sign. We need as many signatures as possible.

For a long time, stakeholders of the movie industry have been calling for government's interventions to help put structures in place. But there hasn't been clear support.
By Moses Kyeyune:

The Minister of Internal Affairs Gen Jeje Odong is this afternoon expected to report to Parliament the interventions made by government following the unexplained attacks on women in parts of Wakiso district.

According to the order paper for this afternoons session, the ministers statement will come ahead of any other business in the House.

Parliament was on Tuesday moved by Aruu South MP Odonga Otto, to halt business until government shows commitment to inform the country about the situation.

So far 20 women have died in separate attacks in Parts of Entebbe and Nansana municipality.
Agona Swedru, Sept 6, GNA - An Interdicted Police Constable, Samuel Asamoah, 36, of the Kasoa Police Station and Yaw Boadi, 35, a businessman at Abeka Lapaz in Accra, have been arrested at Agona Otopiase, for alleged robbery.

Superintendent Seth Panti Yirenkyi, Agona Swedru District Police Commander, who disclosed this to the Ghana News Agency (GNA) in an interview at Swedru, said the robbery occurred at about 1300hours on Tuesday at Mensakrom, near Agona Duakwa.

The District Police Commander said one Nicolas Baffoe, from Agona Odoben came to the HFC Bank, Agona Swedru branch to withdrawn GH7, 800 and after the transaction boarded a commercial vehicle heading to his destination.

According to Superintendent Yirenkyi, the interdicted police constable Asamoah and Boadi dressed in military uniforms in a taxi cab with registration number 5248-17, chased the commercial vehicle and crossed it at Mensakrom.

He said the two suspects ordered the victim to come down from the vehicle to answer fraud charges of which he was involved.

Superintendent Yirenkyi told the GNA that the suspected robbers snatched the bag which contained the GH7,800 from Mr Baffoe when he alighted and sped off.

The District Commander stated that the victim who looked traumatized and confused told some Okada riders at Mensakrom and Agona Duakwa respectively about his predicament.

He disclosed that the okada riders sent the information to their colleagues at Agona Otopiase and quickly they barricaded the road and the two suspects were arrested but the taxi driver escaped.

The District Commander said Asamoah who joined the Ghana Police Service five years ago, but was recently interdicted and Boadi who deal in local sandals have been placed in police custody pending further investigations.

Superintendent Yirenkyi said the taxi cab which was impounded by the Police was used to rob a student of the University of Education, Winneba of his GH 7,000 on the streets of Agona Swedru last week.

He said the suspects would soon be arraigned.
Togolese opposition parties have begun a fresh wave of protests against the regime of President Faure Gnassingbe.

The protests are taking place in centers such as Be' and Agoe, close to the country's capital, Lome.

The latest round of protests follow a recent demonstration which claimed the lives of seven citizens in Sokode, a city north of the capital Lome.

The protesters are demanding a return to the 1992 Constitution of Togo which puts term limits on the presidency.

A local journalist with Radio Pyramid in Lome, told Citi News that the leaders of the demonstration have said they will not relent in their efforts to ensure that the country returns to constitutional rule.

Faure Gnassingbe has been President of Togo for 12 years.

Prior to his election as president, he was appointed by his father, President Gnassingbe Eyadema, as Minister of Equipment, Mines, Posts, and Telecommunications, serving from 2003 to 2005.

Following Eyademas death in 2005, Gnassingbe was installed as President with support from the army. Doubts regarding the constitutional legitimacy of the succession led to heavy regional pressure being placed on Gnassingbe, and he subsequently resigned on 25 February.

He then won a controversial presidential election on 24 April 2005, and was sworn in as President. Gnassingbe was re-elected for a second term in 2010.

In the April 2015 presidential election, Gnassingbe won a third term, defeating his main challenger, Jean-Pierre Fabre, by a margin of about 59% to 35%, according to official results.
The International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea (ITLOS) is to deliver its ruling on the Ghana Ivory Coast border dispute on the 23rd of September 2017.

The two countries are seeking a resolution over the dispute at the International Tribunal after Ivory Coast accused Ghana of using the development of its oil industry to annex a part of its territory which does not belong to it.

Ghana opted for the arbitration processes at the ITLOS after several talks with Ivory Coast over the matter failed.

Ivory Coast requested the ITLOS to direct Ghana to suspend oil exploration in the disputed maritime area until a substantive ruling is given.

The court in April 2015, ordered Ghana to suspend all new drilling in the disputed area.

The moratorium prevented Tullow from drilling additional 13 wells, Tullow drilled 11 wells in Ghana's first oil field.
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The 98 million fumigation contract awarded 11 Jospong affiliated companies has been widely condemned by Metropolitan, Municipal and District Assemblies (MMDAs).

The project was signed between the Local Government Ministry and the 11 companies to fumigate the 216 districts in the country against mosquitoes and to prevent the spread of cholera.

But former Bongo DCE, Alexis Ayamba has said a fumigation project sponsored by mining company, AngloGold Ashanti was more visible across the country than a similar activity undertaken by Zoomlion.

Related Article: MMDAs push for cancellation of shady Zoomlion fumigation project

Former Bongo DCE, Alexis Ayamba

He said the AngloGold project afforded community members the opportunity to contribute towards the success of the fumigation exercise through periodic engagements.

Some of the youth were employedand there were quarterly review meetings which I was part, he told Joy News Manasseh Azure Awuni during investigations into the contract.

Mr Ayamba was emphatic that aside the AngloGold sponsored project, there was no other visible activity done in the Bongo District in the Upper East Region that he could remember.

Jospong CEO, Joseph Siaw Agyepong

An investigation by Joy News revealed the 98 million cedis contract was awarded at a time the various MMDAs had similar arrangement with Zoomlion Ghana Limited.

The contract spanned four months but after it elapsed, some assembly members have raised issues about the fumigation project endorsed by the past government.

The Police Criminal Investigations Department (CID) has taken up investigations of the contract as well as the $74 million, equivalent to 318 million sanitation contract awarded Jospong Group for the provision of one million waste bins and 900,000 bin liners.

Joy News has learnt two separate invitation letters have been delivered to the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the company, Joseph Siaw Agyepong to aid investigations of the matter.

Investigative journalist, Manasseh Azure Awuni who uncovered the questionable deal has also been invited to appear before the Department with documents and videos covering his findings.
Washington (AFP) - The United States slapped sanctions Wednesday of three senior South Sudan officials accused of fomenting and profiting from the four-year civil war in Africa's youngest country.

Washington was South Sudan's key foreign sponsor as it won its independence from Sudan in 2011, but US officials have become frustrated by its descent into chaos and infighting.

The latest measures target information minister Michael Makuei, who is in particular accused of having "engaged in or been complicit in" attacks on the UN mission in South Sudan.

The feared former head of the army, Paul Malong, is also placed on the sanctions list, updated periodically by the US Treasury.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir sacked Malong in May, but before that he was accused of being behind the deadly clashes that erupted in the capital Juba in July last year.

Finally, senior military figure, Malek Reuben, the former head of logistics for the Sudanese Peoples' Liberation Army, is placed on the list, along with three private firms he controls.

US citizens are barred from doing business with individuals on the sanctions list, and any assets they might hold under in areas under US jurisdiction can be frozen.

Treasury also warned US banks "that certain South Sudanese senior political figures may try to use the US financial system to move or hide proceeds of public corruption."

US State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert warned that other measures might follow if South Sudanese leaders do not seriously engage in a peace process.

"Six million people in South Sudan -- half of the population -- face life-threatening hunger while more than four million people have been displaced from their homes, including two million refugees," she said.

"This is a man-made crisis, and one the Government of South Sudan can stop."
Luanda (AFP) - Angola's Electoral Commission declared Wednesday that the ruling MPLA party had won last month's election, in a victory that allows outgoing President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to install a party loyalist in his place after 38 years in power.

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) garnered 61.7 percent of the vote, and 150 of the 220 seats in parliament, the head of the CNE electoral commission, Andre da Silva Neto, said in announcing the final results.

Dos Santos, 75, who has ruled since 1979 and is reportedly in poor health, will hand over to former defence minister Joao Lourenco at the presidential inauguration on September 25.

The opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) won 26.6 percent of the vote and 51 parliamentary seats, while Casa-CE managed 9.5 percent with 16 seats.

Along with two smaller groups, the opposition parties said they would challenge the results of what they have called an "unconstitutional and illegal" vote in court.

On Sunday, the four defeated opposition parties had called for a recount of the August 23 vote, alleging that ballot boxes and voter forms had disappeared.

The electoral commission rejected the demand.

"The country is at a crossroads because the conduct, transparency and validity of the electoral process is being called into question," said Claudio Silva, a spokesman for the opposition.

"We consider that the practices of the CNE are a violation of democracy and the rule of law," he added.

A Unita delegate to the CNE confirmed it would file a challenge with Angola's constitutional court.

If the electoral commission upholds the results, "we will turn to other measures prescribed by the constitution," said Estevao Tachiungo, indicating that protests could be held.

'Spoiling the party'

But the claims of violations were dismissed by Lourenco late Wednesday, who accused the opposition of "spoiling the people's party".

"These political groups, by protesting in their sole interests against these so-called procedural irregularities, have violated electoral laws," he said.

"Their attempts at inciting civil disobedience show that they do no respect the popular will as expressed at the ballot boxes."

Human Rights Watch Southern Africa has urged the incoming president to "urgently implement much-needed human rights reforms" in the oil-producing country, which suffered years of civil war that ended in 2002.

"He should support free press and association, and ensure that all Angolans are able to express their political views without fear of reprisal or intimidation," said regional director Dewa Mavhinga.

"Opposition parties' claims that elections were marred by irregularities, such as the disappearance of ballot boxes, should be promptly investigated by a competent and impartial body," he added.

The MPLA had predicted it would win easily, but the result showed a decline in support from the 2012 election.

The country of 28.8 million population is battling high poverty levels and has suffered from a slump in crude prices in recent years.
The Ghana Investment Fund for Electronic Communications (GIFFEC) has begun the extension of mobile telephony services to over 50 under-served communities in the Assin South District of the Central Region.

The ultimate objective of the extension is to achieve 100% mobile telephone coverage throughout the entire Assin South District to boost businesses and to improve the lives of the residents.

Residents in these communities have to walk several kilometers before making mobile phone calls.

Sometimes residents have to climb trees to receive signals to make phone calls.

Based on a request made by the MP for Assin South, Rev. John Ntim Fordjour, about the predicament of the communities in his District, GIFFEC responded and a sod-cutting ceremony to kick-start the construction of facilities to give the area telephone coverage has been done.

According to the Assin South MP, the first phase of the project will see eight communities in the District connected.

A second phase will see over 15 communities having access to voice and data services to improve the socio-economic activities in the area.

During the campaign, I promised to help connect the communities in my District to get access to the internet. By the kind courtesy GIFFEC, our dream is coming to fruition. We will connect all the communities that need voice and data services,' he said.

According to the MP, the chiefs have provided the need lands for the project and have promised their support to ensure the completion of the project.

The Chief Executive Officer of GIFFEC, Kofi Asante, says not only will the communities be given mobile telephony coverage but his outfit will also assist educational institutions in the district with laptops and computers to aid teaching and learning.

You remember recently what we did at Assin Asamankese when we heard that the school lacked computers and that a teacher was using a stone to teach the pupils instead of a computer mouse? You remember, we helped set up a computer laboratory for them, he said.

According to him, the NPP government will aggressively pursue the issue of mobile telephony connectivity in the under-served communities across the country to ensure that 100% mobile telephone service coverage is achieved throughout the country.

The move, he said, will also increase telephone subscription by as many citizens as possible.
Every year, final year students of the Basic Education level in Ghana are given the opportunity to choose their preferred senior high schools (SHS) and programmes before they sit for the Basic Education Certificate Education (BECE). The over 800 secondary and technical schools - public and private are grouped into Options and students are required to select four schools in order of preference.

To avoid any ambiguity, guidelines are provided for the students to follow. For instance, in the Option 3 category, where public schools like Opoku Ware, Mfantsipim, St. Louis etc could be found, competition is high. The Option 1 public SHSs are somehow, the less-endowed ones and the competition is not as high as the Option 3 and 2 schools. Students who pass (except grade 9 in Maths and English) are placed by the GES/Computer Schools Selection Placement System (CSSPS).

Regrettably, many parents instead of showing interest and collaborating with teachers/headteachers at the Basic Level to make good choices for their wards, rather leave the students to their fate during that critical period. Some average students, due to pride wrongly assume that, their parents could secure admission for them through protocol or bribe. As a result, they choose grade A schools or programmes of study without being circumspect of their academic performance and the high competition in those schools.

Today, they are the very people whining for missing their first choices knowing very well that, securing your 2nd, 3rd or 4th choice is not automatic. It must be noted that, a Candidate's 2nd choice could be another person's 1st choice and therefore, it is likely a consideration would be given to the latter, the aggregate notwithstanding.

A critical observation of the school placement again shows that, some students and parents are ignorant about the BECE grading system. For instance, instead of using the four core subjects - English, Maths, Social Studies and Integrated Science plus any two best grades in the optional ones - ICT, RME, BDT, Ghanaian Language, French to get the aggregate, some students just add up the best six grades among the subjects they wrote. This is wrong and parents need to be educated on that before they put blame anybody.

For me, it is premature for any successful candidate who was not placed in any of his four choices to over- complain. This is because the placement was purely based on grades, schools and the chosen programmes. It is in line with this that the GES has given the Candidates another opportunity to choose the schools. They should however understand that, their preferred schools might not be on the list when they log on to the website ( www.myjhsresult.net ), but rather, schools with vacancies. This is because, if vacancies existed in their preferred schools, they would have been placed by the CSSPS.

Admittedly, it is sad for a student to miss a school of his choice, but the question is; whose fault is it if you don't get a better aggregate? I think as parents, we should psyche our children to accept the new schools just as teachers, service personnel, and other professionals accept postings to certain areas. We should let our children understand that, not only are all the SHSs using the same WAEC syllabus, but also, the same professional teachers. What is however, important is for the student to take his studies seriously.

There is no doubt that, the NPP government under HE, Nana Addo has done extremely well. Allowing candidates who even passed the BECE in 2016, 2015 and 2014, but could not go to SHS due to financial and other constraints to benefit from this year's free SHS policy and providing one hot meal a day for Day Students are no mean achievement.

The government needs commendation, especially the Minister of Education, Hon. Dr. Opoku-Prempeh for this great feat, but whilst commending them, I propose the timely provision of educational resources to the less-endowed schools to enable them compete favourable with the category 'A' schools. The GES should also post more professional teachers to such schools to bridge the teacher-student gap.

To the prospective students who feel disappointed, I say, get away with this psychological trauma and take advantage of the situation. Stop that I don't like this school; I don't like this programme. Free SHS is meant not only to free you of financial bondage, but also, equip you with skills and right attitude to be a good citizen. This, I believe, could be found in every public SHS or Technical school in Ghana. Let the end justify the means.

God bless Ghana! God bless the NPP!! God bless Nana Akufo-Addo!!!

Katakyie Kwame Opoku Agyemang - 0202471070

Asante Bekwai-Asakyiri

"Vision, coupled with persistency, results in true success"
By Felix Basiime & Alex Ashaba:

President Yoweri Museveni has threatened to take legal action against private radio stations over what he calls promoting misinformation on land matters.

Speaking last evening on a local radio station in Fort Portal town, the president demanded for a list of radios so that he could sue them for hosting people he said have been peddling lies on land matters.

He said he would not allow indiscipline by people who delay development projects by trying to loot from government through compensations, threatening to take stern action against some individuals who hike the value of land and delay government projects.

Delaying government projects is an enemy to the youth unemployment. The one who is fighting a factory is fighting youth employment and tax base he said and urged all people to fight the people who delay government projects.

He said most governments in Africa own all lands in their country and they just lease it to the people.

To know the price of land in any given area is simple and it is common knowledge why should government come to buy your land and you hike the price, people want to loot government, most government projects have been paralyzed due to delayed negotiation and compensation issues he reasoned.

He said another man in Kasese district near Nkenda power station had 2 acres but demanded Shs 17 million and delayed work.

The President is on a countrywide tour in radio campaign to push for the setting up of a land tribunal and change of the current land laws and also defuse what he called toxic misinformation by his political opponents.

The president will address the media in Kampala and Wakiso on land matters at State House Entebbe on Sunday.
The 2012 and 2016 Independent Presidential candidate, Mr. Jacob Osei Yeboah know in a political circle as 'JOY' has called on Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey to stop defending former President John Mahama and observers who went to Kenya to observe the 2017 presidential elections of Kenya.

Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey who was an observer of the Kenya's elections said all the observers agreed that the voting, vote counting and the e-transmissions of the results were transparent and credible.

Dr. Akwetey, therefore, commended former President John Mahama of Ghana and former President Mbeki of South Africa as experienced African statesmen who uncompromisingly pointed Kenya in the direction of the Kenyan Supreme Court; "thereby, they played a critical role in steering Kenyan away from a second post-elections violence in August 2017".

Speaking on a radio station in Jomoro District of the Western Region on September 6, 2017, Hope FM 107.1 with Nyhiraba Gideon, Mr. Jacob Osei Yeboah (JOY) refuted the calls made by Dr. Akwetey that Ghanaians should commend former President John Mahama for playing critical role in Kenya's elections as an observer.

"It is rather unfortunate, though that former President Mahama has once again been sacrificed at the horizon of elections observers diligent and prudent statements".

Mr. Osei Yeboah, therefore, advised former President John Mahama to withdraw and purge himself before taking any leadership mission being local or international.

He also said it on Hope FM that former President John Mahama should stop thinking of contesting in 2020 as flag-bearer for the opposition National Democratic Congress (NDC) and salvage his image.

He stated emphatically that former President Mahama can't win elections again for the NDC.

Below is the full argument of Dr. Emmanuel Akwetey and Mr. Jacob Osei Yeboah;

HEAR THE EXPERTS ON FORMER PRESIDENT MAHAMA'S OBSERVER MISSION ROLE IN KENYA

Dr. Akwetey O. Emmanuel writes

Please hold your fire. Prez Mahama and Prez Mbeki acquitted themselves well as leaders of the Commonwealth and AU Elections Observer Missions to Kenya, respectively. I was in Kenya as an observer of the elections too.

First, all observers agreed that the voting, vote counting and the e-transmissions of the results were transparent and credible. Therefore if the results published by the IEBC followed logically from the observations at the polling stations, then the results ought to be accepted as credible too. However, Raila and the NASA'S allegations about hacking and tampering with Form 34 A/B, they effectively raised doubts about the transmission of the IEBC results.

Secondly, the international observers and their leaders could neither investigate the hacking etc allegations on the spot nor stop the declaration of the results, which the IEBC alone was empowered to do. The two leaders however engaged the IEBC and reported back to observers and the international media the IEBC had rejected the allegations by Raila & Co. Prezs Mahama and Mbeki repeatedly advised Raila & Ci to resort to the Supreme Court to deal with their claims.

Thirdly, Raila & Co initially rejected the two Prezs advice and rather accused them of being friends or sympathisers of Kenyatta. But the leaders maintained their composure and their stand that the elections as observed were transparent and credible. But doubts about the credibility of the results ought to be sorted out in the SC, which was empowered to scrutinise the issues being raised by Raila & Co.

Fourthly, Raila & Co proceeded to resort to the streets by calling for a nationwide strike. But the strike flopped; thereafter they decided to go the SC, as Prez Mahama and Mbeki had earlier advised. It is a good thing that Raila &Co eventually went to the Supreme Court as they had earlier been advised.

By eventually respecting the advice of Prez Mbeki and Mahama to pursue justice in the SC, Raila and Co saved Kenya from explosive post-elections violence. Both those who insisted on the SC route and those who acted accordingly have been vindicated.

The Kenyan SC has ruled that the process of transmitting the results had serious flaws. Serious enough to undermine the integrity of the results and warrant a re-run of the Prez elections in 60 days.

Today is a good historic day on which Kenya set a higher standard for credible elections, democracy and the rule of law in Africa.

Let us therefore commend, rather than condemn, Prez Mbeki and Mahama as experienced African statesmen who uncompromisingly pointed Kenya in the direction of the SC; thereby, they played a critical role in steering Kenya away from a second post-elections violence in August 2017.

Jacob Osei Yeboah replies Dr. Akwetey

This is a mediocre argument from Dr. Akwetey. It does not matter the names of the dignitaries involved whether former Presidents Clinton, Tony Blair or Bush or Mandela. Election observers always put up 'see No Evil' attitude. They were economical with dissenting voices and let me admit it requires high level strategic diplomacy as its very sensitive and unpredictable.

But Ghana's 2012 and 2016 elections experiences coupled with Fmr Prez Mahama as the leader of CWO and the Kenya Authorities repatriating some key observers indeed raised doubts about the credibility. More especially, when the head of IT of Kenya's Electoral Commission was murdered a few days to the elections.

They were not prudent in their observation when they limited themselves to no ballot box snatching, no intimidations, etc. Whilst neglecting, Ghana's experiences of hacking to prevent riggings.

Declaring results without due cognisance of probable hacking is not acceptable and prudent enough.

Let's not try to eulogise mediocrity. I am optimistic that from now onwards, elections observers statement will change to procure truly free and fair in the context of applicable technology and probable contestation of results in court.

It is rather unfortunate, though that Fmr Prez Mahama has once again been sacrificed at the horizon of elections observers diligent and prudent statements.

Though Fmr Prez Mbeki was part, Fmr Prez Mahama has been at the receiving end because from his own mouth, he is a dead goat to the feeling and dignity of the living.

If there are elders in Prez Mahama's family and there are indeed true men of God, he needs to withdraw and purge himself before taking any leadership mission being local or international.

But some loud mouthed men with spirit of divination just like the slave girl in Acts 16: 16-19, parading themselves as Prophets and making noises all over our radios may always deceive because they want money.
The Upper West Regional Coordinating Council is picking the well-being of the environment over business interests as it has refused to allow a lumbering firm with a legal permit, to cut rosewood in its domain.

The Forestry Commission in a letter July 2017 approved a permit for the lumbering firm, AttaKey Limited, to allow it to salvage 5000 cubic metres of rosewood from the Upper West and three other regions.

But in an August 30, 2017 response to the Forestry Commission letter sighted by Citi News, the Upper West Coordinating Council says it will not comply with the directive to protect the fragile and fast depleting environment of the region.

I am therefore to inform you that the directives per your letter cannot be implemented in this region for the best interest of the state, the letter signed by the Acting Regional Coordinating Director, A.K Boahene, said.

File photo: Rosewood logging in Bawku

The ban on cutting and export of rosewood was announced by Peter Amewu, the Minister of Lands and Natural Resources, as part of efforts to bring sanity in the forestry sector.

As part of the ban, the Forestry Commission was also directed to stop the issuance of cutting permits for rosewood.

Reports in August indicated some 25 companies had been given the approval to salvage Rosewood from the Brong-Ahafo, Upper East, Upper West and Northern Regions.

An August 16, 2017, letter signed by acting Executive Director of the Forestry Commission, Forest Services Division, directed the affected companies to comply with the guidelines for the evacuation of lying logs, harvesting, processing and transportation of the Rosewood.

The companies by the guidelines were to, among others, maximize revenue and logs with a valid permit by selling them at GHC120.00, while confiscated logs shall be sold at GHC200.00.



By: Delali Adogla-Bessa/citifmonline.com/Ghana
A group called the Progressive Alliance Media Communicators (PAMC) has petitioned the International Monetary Fund (IMF) in Washington DC, USA, over what they describe as painful developments in the financial market in Ghana.

Ghana is a member of the IMF and the fund is currently guiding the Government of Ghana under the Extended Credit Facility (ECF) programme which was expected to end in April 2018 but has been extended into 2019.

The programme, among others, is designed to achieve improved reforms in key institutions including Bank of Ghana and the financial sector.

But PAMC, in their petition, said they are surprised that under the watch of the IMF the government of Ghana since 7th January 2017 has been undermining the tenets of corporate governance in almost all its activities.

According to the group, government, through the Ministry of Finance, did not follow the constitutional requirement for the issuance of the $2.25billion bond and also did not comply with the requirements of the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC) Act.

The Finance Minister, in particular, is facing conflict of interest investigation with USA SEC, Ghanaian SEC and the Commission on Human Rights and Administrative Justice (CHRAJ) in Ghana. There are a number of business associates and family members occupying key financial market regulatory institutions such as Bank of Ghana, National Insurance Commission and SEC. The state-owned banks are not spared as there is massive interference. Recently, in the absence of a board at the Agricultural Development Bank (ADB), the Minister of Finance personally approved a GHC10million credit to a private firm on behalf of ADB. It is also believed that this interference in the credit management of banks will affect many loans from January 7, 2017 till August 2017. This means many loans have been granted without the actual approval of Board of Directors of commercial banks such as GCB, NIB and ADB.

Finally, the Finance Minister has today appointed his close business partner and friend who, until today, was Vice President of his Data Bank to serve as the Executive Director of the SEC which is expected to investigate the Finance Minister, Ken Ofori Atta. We are losing hope as the IMF seems not concerned about all these developments. This is not good governance. In the takeover of the Capital Bank and UT Bank, again the SEC law and the Companies Act were violated, with applause from you (IMF).

We are drawing your attention to these painful developments in the financial market in Ghana under your watch and to let us know why you are allowing the Minister of Finance and the government engage in hardcore disregard for corporate governance rules in the financial sector of Ghana. Now the Bank of Ghana is becoming very arrogant and unwilling to provide information about the $2.25billion bond and the takeover of the two banks by GCB without approval by the shareholders as required by law.

Your urgent comment on these matters is requested unless you approve of the dangerous corporate governance roadmap by the Finance Minister, Bank of Ghana and the Government of Ghana, the statement said.
Accra, Sept. 6, GNA - Vice-President Dr Mahamudu Bawumia has urged African countries to consider a future beyond aid as inflows from traditional donors dwindle across the continent.

Addressing a meeting of G20 Compact countries Finance Ministers in Accra, Dr Bawumia said the fall in aid should spur the countries to build a future with enhanced productive capacity, with a robust private sector, and one where infrastructure gaps are met.

'We must create space for our private sector to thrive and provide the jobs and finance needed to grow our economies. And we must create the environment to mobilize domestic financing,' he said.

The Finance Ministers of the seven Compact Countries are meeting for the first time in Accra to exchange ideas on how best to use the Compact with Africa (CwA) to support their economic development.

The CWA was launched following the June 12-13 G-20 Africa Partnership Conference in Berlin and the G20 Summit of 7-8 July in Hamburg.

It seeks to increase private investment from G20 countries to Africa by improving the macroeconomic, business, and financial frameworks.

Dr Bawumia said there was the need for the African countries to own and drive the implementation of the CwA by being ambitious and bold.

'The Compact with Africa is just that - a Compact. We, African governments, have made commitments. The World Bank, IMF and African Development Bank have made commitments. And the G20 nations have made commitments. It is our responsibility and duty to live up to our commitments,' he said.

'Let us use the Compact to harness our transformational opportunities. Let us harness our capacity to learn from each other and improve,' he added.

Dr Bawumia said for Ghana the CwA had been an opportunity to re-focus attention on areas where investment was badly needed - and where we have created a positive business environment.

This includes areas such as renewable energy, agriculture and agro-processing, the financial sector, infrastructure such as transport, industrial sectors such as aluminium and petrochemicals, and tourism.

He said the pillars of the Compact fell in line with the government overarching goal of building a very business-friendly environment un-parallel in Africa that will create jobs and stimulate growth and wealth creation.

Dr Bawumia said under the macroeconomic framework pillar government was focused on prudent expenditure management to reduce expenditure, broadening the tax base, enhancing tax compliance to reverse the unfavourable debt dynamics.

We are also pursuing domestic debt re-profiling to lengthen maturities and reduce the cost of credit, he said.

Under the business framework pillar, government is creating the Ghana Business e-Registry and developing model contracts in line with international best practice while under the financial framework pillar government was reducing its dominance in the domestic debt market and promoting corporate issuance.

Dr Bawumia said the CwA provided yet another opportunity for the countries to work together and also together with the international partners.

Finance Minister Ken Ofori-Atta said though the CwA was conceived by the Government of Germany, it is really part of Africa countries own broader agenda for economic development on the continent.

He said increasing private sector investment in both infrastructure and production facilities that create jobs and add value to agriculture and natural resources were critical to Africa's economic development.

'What the CWA offers then is an opportunity and support to re-double our efforts in pursuing our own agendas, and importantly a framework that offers us the opportunity to work togetherthrough peer learning and mutual motivationso as to accelerate our progress,' Mr Ofori-Atta added.

Finance Ministers from the seven Compact countries CAte d'Ivoire, Ghana, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia are attending the meeting.

There are also representatives from Burkina Faso, Benin, Gambia, Liberia and Guinea.

GNA
07.09.2017 LISTEN

Nkwanta (VR), Sept. 06, GNA - Mr John Thasun, the District Chief Executive for Nkwanta South, has appealed to government to consider the District for a municipality status to enhance development.

He said the District had over 300 communities with a total population of 117,000, and an above average birth rate.

The Nkwanta South was created out of the Kete Krachi District in 1989 and retained a land area of 2,733 square kilometres after the Nkwanta North District was carved out in 2008, making it the largest District in the Volta region by land size with 14.7 per cent.

Mr Thasun made the appeal at a public engagement during a duty tour of the area by Mr Nyonyo Agboada, Council of State member for Volta in Nkwanta.

He said the District was strategically positioned to become an economic and industrial enclave and had resolved to establish three factories for a start under the One District One Factory policy initiative.

Mr Thasun said the District was in need of vocational and other skill training centres to productively engage the unemployed and expressed readiness to collaborate with the private sector to transform its economy.

He said an extra substation and rural electrification were crucial to the transformation agenda and appealed to government to prioritize the area.

Mr Thasun said the District's communities suffered bad road networks and dilapidated bridges with most remote communities being cut off during heavy downpours.

He said the road linking Dambai in the Krachi East remained a major route but construction had been stalled for some time and appealed for it to be fixed.

Mr Thasun expressed concern over malnutrition in the District and said apart from fighting poverty, sensitization was necessary to erase barriers of "ignorance" and traditional beliefs as well as the establishment of health facilities especially in the remote communities.

He said the District faced environmental degradation due to bush fires, unsuitable farming practices and climate change.

Mr Agboada asked the people to be united to attract investments for rapid development.

GNA

By Samuel Akumatey, GNA
Tema, Sept.06, GNA - The Assembly Member for A-Road Electoral Area in Tema Community 8, Mr Derrick Boateng, has scolded some Ghanaians domiciled in the United States, for their decision to demonstrate against President Akufo-Addo over the Exton Cubic mining lease withdrawal.

Mr. Boateng, affectionately called Akosah, said the threat of the so-called Ashanti Youth for Development (AYD) was shameful, lawless and an unpatriotic act borne out of environmental ignorance.

'The simple question that I ask this group is, is Exton Cubic above the law; or is Exton Cubic more important than the future of the environment of this country? What they are threatening is shameful and very unpatriotic,' Mr Akosah said in an interview with the Ghana News Agency in Tema.

His position was in support of the decision by Lands and Natural Resources Minister, Mr John Peter Amewu, who has revoked exploratory licenses granted Exton Cubic to prospect for bauxite in the pristine Nyinahini forest in the Ashanti Region.

At a press conference in Accra, Mr. Amewu pointed out that the company which is linked to former President John Mahama's younger brother, Ibrahim Mahama, had infracted aspects of Ghana's mining laws which warranted a withdrawal of their mining license.

Among others, Mr. Amewu cited Exton Cubic's failure to obtain an environmental permit and operational permit for exploration.

Prior to this revelation, both the Minerals Commission and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued statements about several breaches of the mining laws.

The Assembly Member said upon Mr. Amewu's announcement of the withdrawal of the licenses from Exton Cubic, detractors of government had seized on it to accuse President Akufo-Addo of witch hunting.

'That claim against the President is obviously baseless. Why, so these people want the President to sit down and allow the laws of the country to be vandalized anyhow?'

He said, 'We voted President Akufo-Addo into office to protect our resources as a country and that is exactly what he is doing' and lashed out that those who are organizing to demonstrate against the President during the 72nd meeting of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Pointing out that Exton Cubic has been given the opportunity to reapply for the same mining licenses, he said the company had in the first place, secured the exploratory licenses under questionable circumstances.

Meanwhile, the Assembly Member for A-Road has successfully organized a clean-up campaign in his Electoral Area.

On Saturday, Akosah led his area people to desilt gutters, sweep streets and clear weeds in the area he is representing at the Tema Metropolitan Assembly.

He said the cleanup exercise was meant to inspire the people there to good personal and communal hygiene.

The Assembly member thanked Axiss Shipping Company and Zoomlion for helping the community in diverse ways.

The Tema Metropolitan Chief Executive, Mr Felix Mensah Nii Annang-La, the Member of Parliament for Tema Central, Mr. Kofi Brako, as well as the Assembly Member for Sahara Electoral Area, Mr. Francis Davis-Mills also participated the clean-up exercise.

GNA
07.09.2017 LISTEN

Wa, Sept. 6, GNA - The German International Co-operation (GIZ) has kicked started its first series of training aimed at building the capacities of regional and district staff of agriculture as well as Agriculture Extension Agents (AEAs) on pests and disease control.

Pests and diseases have been identified as one of the biggest threats to the success of the Market Oriented Agriculture Programme (MOAP); a 160 million Euros project that is co-financed by the European Union (EU) under the 11th European Development Fund (EDF) and the German Government.

MOAP is being implemented by the Ministry of Food and Agriculture (MoFA) with support from GIZ, hence the essence of the series of capacity building trainings for all MoFA staff within the Savannah Accelerated Development Authority (SADA) Zone Six.

SADA Zone Six comprises all 11 districts in the Upper West Region and three districts in the Northern Region.

Briefing the Ghana News Agency on the training, Mr Charles Kwame Sackey, Component Manager, Decentralization and Agriculture Development, said the pests and disease management and control training was based on the seven selected value chain commodities.

They include, rice, sorghum, mango, cashew, vegetables, soya bean and groundnuts.

Mr Sackey said the training would build the capacity of the officers to support farmers to control pests and diseases on their farms in order to get maximum yields.

The first series of trainings brought together about 90 participants drawn from Sissala West, Sissala East, Wa West, Wa Municipal, and Wa East Districts including the Regional Officers of Agriculture.

In another development, MOAP has also engaged the District Planning and Coordination Units (DPCUs) in the Upper West Region in a separate three-day capacity building training with the aim of helping them promote sustainable and inclusive agriculture that would improve livelihoods and food security.

Madam Fati Koray, a Deputy Director at the Upper West Regional Coordinating Council (RCC), said the development of the District Medium Term Development Plans (DMTDPs) was one of the essential pillars for monitoring and tracking the development of districts and communities.

'I am confident that this training on Strategic Planning, Participatory Tools, Physical and Community Planning will equip all members on the appropriate techniques and tools to use to be able to come out with a quality and appropriate MTDPs for your districts', she said.

Madam Fati said the training on Community and Physical Planning would among others highlight the importance of maps and critical components of the physical planning process and the evaluation of physical development projects, through the collection, processing and analysing spatial data.

She said the team would also be trained in using data collection tools such as Global Positioning Systems (GPSs) instruments and how data was collected, processed and analysed using Geographic Information System (GIS) software.

She thanked GIZ and the EU for supporting the training programme through MOAP.
07.09.2017 LISTEN

Kaleo-bile (U/W), Sept. 6, GNA - Access to clean water in Kaleo-bile, a small farming community in the Wa East District, is a challenge as the people depend on a locally dug well and a nearby stream as their only source of water.

Women of the community in an interaction with the media during a tour, complained that access to water in the dry season was difficult as the well which served as their only source of water often dried up.

This, according to the women, has resulted in them battling with reptiles and other dangerous animals at the well site at night.

The media tour to the Bullenga health facility, Veihah and Kaleo-bile communities in the Wa East District of the Upper West Region was led by WaterAid Ghana with the aim of ascertaining the water and sanitation situation in those communities.

The members of the community said the situation also exposes them to waterborne diseases and this has affected productivity levels of women in the community.

In addition, the people said, they lacked a toilet facility in the community and lamented that the concept of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) has not yet been brought to their notice.

At Veihah, the water situation is not different as the people relied on a single borehole rehabilitated by Pronet North with financial support from WaterAid Ghana in the dry season.

They appealed to government and other stakeholders to come to their aid, help improve their lot and save them from preventable diseases.

While urging government and stakeholders to prioritise WASH activities to help meet the SDG target on water and sanitation, Madam Yvonne Kafui Nyako, the Communications and Campaigns Officer of WaterAid-Ghana, said Ghana has made some progress in water coverage which currently stands at 85 per cent.

She said WASH is a development issue which demanded financial commitments and expressed unhappiness that government approved about 255 million Ghana cedis for the sector this year which was quite low.

Madam Kafui said arresting the challenge of water and sanitation issues had a trickle-down effect on other development sectors, since it would help increase productivity through effective time management and reduction of water and sanitation related infections.

She said in order to help government achieve the SDG target on water and sanitation, WaterAid-Ghana was committed to supporting rural communities to have access to clean water and good sanitation through the CLTS concept.
07.09.2017 LISTEN

Kumasi, Sept 06, GNA - The gold mining companies contributed GH1.6 billion cedis in direct taxes to the Ghana Revenue Authority (GRA), last year, representing 15.8 per cent of the total revenue collected.

Mr. Sulemanu Koney, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Ghana Chamber of Mines, who announced this, put the corporate tax and mineral royalties paid by the companies during the period at over GH1.2 billion.

The industry, he said accounted for 46 per cent of the gross export revenue, reinforcing its position as the leading source for foreign exchange and a major contributor to the country's balance of payments.

The CEO, interacting with journalists in Kumasi indicated that 'for the first time since 2011, the provisional balance of payments in 2016 recorded a surplus'.

'This largely reflected an improvement in the trade balance driven by a rise in gold export receipts and a fall in oil import prices.'

Mr. Koney added that producing members of the Chamber returned US$2.3 billion, representing 71 per cent of their mineral revenue through the Bank of Ghana and the Commercial Banks.

'This has significant bearing on the international reserve position of BoG and the stability of the monetary system.'

He touched on jobs and said the sector gave direct employment to about 11,628, of which 190, representing 1.63 per cent were expatriates.

The CEO pointed out that apart from the fiscal contributions, the mining industry continued to create significant value to its various stakeholders, suppliers of goods and services in the supply chain.

He underlined the need for the government to take deliberate steps and put in place the right structures to enable the nation to derive optimal benefits from the extractive industry.

He said conscious effort must be made to drive the nation's development through efficient exploitation of its mineral resources.

Mr. Koney noted that there were many unutilized investment opportunities in the extractive industry that could be tapped to boost Ghana's economic fortunes.

He encouraged local entrepreneurs to venture into the production of mining equipment and inputs, adding that, the requisite raw materials for doing this were here.

He made reference to the situation where in excess of US$363 million was used to import sodium cyanide, caustic soda and other items and said the local manufacture of these inputs would have helped the nation to retain the revenue.

He suggested to the government to ensure that geological investigation was conducted before granting mining licenses.
Puma Energy, a global integrated mid and downstream energy company, received the Best Fuel Service Provider Achievement Award at the second National Aviation Awards held recently in Accra.

This award sought to recognise the contribution of Puma Energy to the efficient operation of the aviation sector in Ghana through the consistent and efficient supply of high quality fuel to various airlines.

Mr. Myles Bouvier-Baird, Managing Director of Puma Energy in Ghana, thanked Ghana for this acknowledgement and pledged Puma Energys continued support of the sector.

Its truly an honour to receive this award. Were passionate about aviation, so we are glad to be acknowledged for our commitment to the development of aviation in Ghana. We fully support the governments vision to make Ghana the aviation hub of West Africa and have already demonstrated this through continuously providing our airline customers with outstanding quality fuel and great service, as well as investing to improve the security of fuel supply, said Mr. Bouvier-Baird.

Graced by the Deputy Minister of Aviation, Mr. Kwabena Okyere Darko Mensah; the Ambassador of the Peoples Republic of China to Ghana, H. E. Mdm. Sun Baohong and other dignitaries, this second edition of the National Aviation Awards sought to celebrate the various players in the Ghanaian aviation industry whose efforts may have not been recognised on a national level. The event was organised by NinetyEightz Events, a subsidiary of NinetyEightz Company Limited.

Puma Energy is however no stranger to supporting efforts in aviation. Currently servicing 63 airports worldwide, the enterprising energy company is an official sponsor of the upcoming African Air Expo in Ghana, while it is the certified sponsor of the South African aerobatics team, the Flying Lions.

During the 2016 Crete to Cape Vintage Air Rally, an 8000+ mile aviation adventure involving 20 international teams from 17 countries, Puma Energy was the sole fuel provider  a testament to its solid fuel offering across the region. Locally, Puma Energy seeks to continue supporting Ghana with high quality fuel services as the nation builds itself into the sub-regional aviation hub.

Combined with the construction of Terminal 3 at the Kotoka International Airport, among other progressive measures spearheaded by the Ministry of Aviation, Ghana is on course to establishing itself as an aviation powerhouse in Africa.
Ahead of the upcoming 72nd Session of the United Nations General Assembly meeting scheduled to take place sometime this month, President Akufo-Addo has started pushing for certain reforms in its dealings.

As an institution that was established some 70 or so years ago, he stressed the belief that it was high time the UN changed its ways to suit the demands of the time.

This was when the newly assigned Norwagian Ambassador to Ghana, Gunnar Andreas Holm, called on him at the presidency yesterday to present his letters of credence.

Also at the Flagstaff House was the newly assigned Zambian High Commissioner to the country.

Speaking during the short ceremony, President Akufo-Addo remarked, We are concerned that global institutions of governance like the UN have to undergo some important structural reforms if it wants to beat the challenges of our time.

An institution that was set up some 70 years ago to confront the circumstances of the post-war era cannot be the same institution and its arrangements today.

His point was that, Africa was not present at that time, but present today at the comity of nations. The arrangements that have been made in the UN are not arrangements that accommodate our principles.

Commendation

On his part, Gunnar Andreas Holm touted Ghana's stable democracy and efforts for regional and international peace which he said were highly commendable.

That, he said, was because a vibrant economy, rich natural and human resources provide a unique base for continued economic and social growth.

He indicated his country's support for President Akufo-Addo's agenda for private sector job creation and investments, promising that NorFund, which provides risk capital for investors, will open its regional office in Ghana in October this year.

Together with his Prime Minister, Erna Solberg, Holm as co-chair of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), stressed that President Akufo-Addo could play a critical role to help achieve economic, social and environmental sustainability.

As a country seeking one of the non-permanent seats in the UN Security Council, Mr Gunnar Andreas Holm called on the government and people of Ghana for their support.

The new Zambian High Commissioner to Ghana, Rayford Mbulu, considered it a great honour and privilege to be given the opportunity to serve in Ghana as a bridge between the two countries.

Commitment

It is my conviction and my fervent hope that I will represent my country effectively and efficiently even as we together pursue the flagship of the African Union's Agenda 2063, he underscored.

He stressed the fact that Ghana and Zambia have been enjoying cordial relations for a long period, indicating his decision to focus on enhancing trade between the two countries and learn best practices during his stay in Ghana.

Zambia will for instance, need to draw lessons from Ghana in terms of mineral benefits, knowing that Ghana has done so well in the gold sector. Agriculture is another area in which we will need to learn from Ghana, especially in the field of research, he emphasized.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said the toughest decision he has had to take since becoming a public officer, was authorising the takeover of Capital Bank and UT Bank.

It was difficult [for me] because these are also indigenous firms with entrepreneurs who take risks, Mr. Ofori Atta told Joy Business.

The Bank of Ghana in August, selected GCB Bank to take over operations of the two distressed financial institutions, as a result of non-performing loans given out to customers.

Mr. Ofori Atta said despite the challenge he faced giving the approval, he had to act in the interest of the state and save the investments of about some 300,000 or so depositors.

That really for me is what the Ministry should exemplify. Looking at the big issues; what is good for Ghana and then well solve the little personal things that may come up, he said.

He assured of the government's commitment to improving the environment so that managers of financial institutions will be provided with the needed capacity to avoid things like the DKMs to rear their head again.

That truly, if there had been a little bit of laissez faire attitude in the banking sector lets come back together and make it stronger, the Finance Minister advised.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Jerry Tsatro Mordy | Email: [email protected], Twitter: @jerrymordy
Orly (France) (AFP) - A controversial west African activist expelled from Senegal for being a "threat to public order" arrived in France on Thursday, according to an airport source.

Kemi Seba, born in France to parents from Benin, was ordered to leave Senegal Tuesday following an incident last month in which he burned 5,000 CFA francs -- a banknote worth 7.6 euros ($9.10) -- in an anti-colonial protest over "French Africa".

The 35-year-old landed at Orly airport in Paris, where a reception committee of around 20 people awaited him, the source said.

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Capo Chichi, was acquitted by a Dakar court last week on the charge of destroying a banknote following a complaint by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).

However, the Senegalese interior ministry took the decision to expel him, saying "his presence on national territory represents a serious threat to public order".

The former leader of the Ka tribe -- a group that was dissolved in 2006 in France, particularly for anti-Semitism -- was arrested at his home in the Senegalese capital in August.

After spending five days in detention, Seba was released along with another member of his Urgences Panafricanistes movement who was being held for providing him with a lighter.

Rights groups 'surprised' at expulsion

The Dakar prosecutor's office appealed against the decision, and a legal source told AFP on Tuesday that he is to be retried at a future date.

In a joint statement, three rights groups -- the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Senegalese League of Human Rights and Amnesty International Senegal -- said they were "surprised" at the expulsion.

They denounced the "completely arbitrary procedure which violates the right to aid provided for people covered by deportation orders" and had asked the Senegal government to postpone the expulsion.

The CFA franc 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, although they are not technically interchangeable.

Seba 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".

He 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.
Finance Minister, Ken Ofori-Atta has said the toughest decision he has had to take since becoming a public officer, was authorising the takeover of Capital Bank and UT Bank.

It was difficult [for me] because these are also indigenous firms with entrepreneurs who take risks, Mr. Ofori Atta told Joy Business.
Accra, Sept. 06 - (dpa/GNA) - Pope Francis set off on Wednesday for Colombia, a country plagued by violence for five decades that has since emerged as a regional leader following a hard-fought peace process with left-wing militias.

A temporary ceasefire was agreed on Monday with the National Liberation Army (ELN), while the larger Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) disarmed and disbanded in June.

"I come as a pilgrim of hope and peace to celebrate with you the faith in our Lord and also to learn from your charity and perseverance in search of peace and harmony," Francis said in a video message this week.

The motto of the September 6-11 trip, which will see the pontiff travel to four different cities and is expected to attract total crowds of some 4 million people, is "take the first step," an invitation to bury the hatchet.

On the way to Colombia, the papal flight through the Caribbean was rerouted slightly southwards, to avoid the category-5 Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic storm on record.

Vatican spokeswoman Paloma Garcia Ovejero said the plane was going to fly over Barbados, Grenada and Trinidad and Tobago, whereas it was previously scheduled to pass over Puerto Rico.

President Juan Manuel Santos, who won a Nobel Peace Prize in 2016 for his reconciliation efforts, told Italy's Il Messaggero newspaper that the visit would "motivate [Colombians] to continue on the path of reconciliation."

Peace in the country remains fragile, as FARC's demise may lead other violent groups to take control of drug trafficking, and there are fears of revenge attacks on former rebels.

At the start of his trip, Francis also mentioned Colombia's neighbour Venezuela, wracked by violent clashes between the opposition and President Nicolas Maduro's increasingly authoritarian forces.

"I ask you to pray also for Venezuela, so that there may be dialogue and the country may regain a good stability through dialogue with all," Francis told journalists, as quoted by the ANSA news agency.

In Colombia, at least 220,000 people died in an armed conflict between 1958 and 2012, which pitted left-wing militias against the military, police and right-wing paramilitaries, according to Colombia's National Centre for Historical Memory.

Almost 7 million Colombians were forced to leave their homes due to the conflict, according to a UN report last year on internally displaced people.
The National Communications Authority (NCA) has told Citi Business News it is open for negotiations with prospective buyers of the second 4G spectrum license.

The CEO of the NCA, Joe Anokye explains that the outfit will abide by best practices in the sale of the license.

Telecommunication companies have complained about the high cost of the spectrum .

They argue that the high cost has deterred most of them from purchasing it.

As a result, they have made appeals for the cost to be reviewed downwards to make it affordable for interested networks.

Mr. Joe Anokye who could not readily announce a possible reduction however said the outfit will make the right decision if any company approaches it.

I believe if an operator came up and requested for the block that is available, I believe we will have a discussion. We will have a discussion to look at what could be done.

So one of the things we do here is also look at what has been done in other jurisdictions so we will look at what happens in other countries and what has taken place here in Ghana and then we make a decision, he explained.

The second 4G spectrum has been left untaken after MTN acquired the first at a cost of 67.5 million dollars in 2015.

The spectrum allows the telecom operator to provide improved internet services to customers as it has a faster speed and enhanced features.

The CEO of Vodafone, Yolanda Cuba has asserted that her outfit will launch into 4G network but will not do so at the high prevailing cost being quoted by the NCA.
Responding to news that outspoken government critic Tanzanian parliamentarian Tundu Lissu has been shot and wounded by unidentified attackers in the capital Dodoma, Sarah Jackson, Amnesty Internationals Deputy Regional Director for East Africa, the Horn and the Great Lakes, said:

This cowardly attack on one of Tanzanias most fearless and prominent politicians raises concerns about the safety of all dissident voices in the country, at a time when space for dissent is quickly shrinking.

This heinous crime must not be swept under the carpet. The Tanzanian authorities must immediately launch an effective and impartial investigation into the shooting and ensure that those responsible are held to account.

The authorities must take steps to reassure Tanzanians and the world that this shooting was not politically motivated.

Background

Tundu Lissu, who also heads up the lawyers association, the Tanganyika Law Society, is a fierce and outspoken critic of President John Pombe Magufuli.

He was arrested in July for calling the president a dictator, and again in August for saying the Canadian government had detained a jet bought by the Tanzanian government over an unpaid $38m debt to a Canadian company. In total, he has been arrested six times this year.
07.09.2017 LISTEN

Accra, September, 7 - The maiden edition of the Harvard Africa Alumni Forum ended in Accra at the weekend with a call on Africans to leverage the many opportunities available on the continent to address the challenges that impact various sectors for rapid socio-economic development.

The two-day forum was dubbed Re-imagine Africa: A call to Action. Ms Kosi Yankey, Executive Director of National Board for Small Scale Industries (NBSSI) and Convener of the Forum in her remark said the objective was to provide a platform to inspire Harvard Alumni in Africa and key actors on the African continent to rethink and re-imagine a new Africa  one that is healthy, educated, and thriving with many opportunities for the youth.

She expressed hope that the outcome of the forum would contribute towards an action plan and the way forward for the transformation of the African continent.

The forum was opened by the President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf of the Republic of Liberia. Other high profile speakers included Dr Bernice Dahn, Minister of Health for Liberia, Nasir Ahmad El-Rufai, Charles Darko, CEO of Tullow Oil Ghana and other dignitaries.

President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo in his address stressed the need to position Africas enterprises to compete in the global scene.

He made the clarion call on the people of the continent to take urgent steps to add value to its raw materials to enable it realize real value for everyone along the value chain on the continent.

He also expressed the need to strengthen the African Union in line with the re-imagine Africa call.

In her speech, the Liberian President Ellen Sirleaf Johnson said she was excited to speak at the first ever Harvard Africa Alumni Forum and recalled her time at Harvard University where she had the opportunity to meet with and interact with the finest minds on the continent. As alumni, the challenge is to create similar Harvards here in Africa to empower the African continent, she said.

Discussants at the forum proposed actions to address problems within Africas healthcare delivery, education, governance and rule of law, entrepreneurship and technology, business and finance, gender and leadership, infrastructure and natural resources among others.

The event was attended by politicians, business leaders, development practitioners, Harvard alumni, students, friends of Harvard University and of the continent.

About the Africa Action Forum - Harvard Africa Alumni

The Africa Action Forum - Harvard Africa Alumni is dedicated to convening alumni, celebrating successes and making real impact on the continent of Africa.
Owners of broken down vehicles will now pay for the cost of towing their vehicles after the service has been provided, Senior Minister Osafo Marfo has said.

The Minister disclosed this during a meeting with the owners of towing companies in Accra on Thursday.

The decision to meet with these companies comes after a huge public outcry compelled government to scrap an initial annual mandatory tow levy policy.

Passed in 2012, the LI 2180 was given five years fallow period after which it would come into effect in 2017. But just two weeks before its implementation, the general public incensed by the decision, called on the government to scrap the levy.

Some questioned why the National Road Safety Commission (NRSC) awarded the contract to the Road Safety Management Services Limited (RSML), a subsidiary of the Jospong Group owned by Businessman Joseph Siaw Agyapong.

Fees per year for both commercial and non-commercial vehicles, depending on tonnage, ranged from GHS20 to GHS200. Under that contract, the RSML would have been entitled to 85% of all levies collected.

But as Joy News Joseph Opoku Gakpo reports, the levy will indeed not see the light of day.

Government has also directed the towing companies to register with the Transport Ministry so they can begin work.

Mr Marfo said "Today we will end up asking you to go and register the services you provide. Naturally, people will have some questions and we want to listen to your concerns if any because this policy which was supposed to start has been stopped.

"There is the need to provide that service so we are asking those who have the capacity to provide the service to register through the appropriate ministry and provide the service to those who need it, and those who receive the services to pay for it, he added.

The companies are however pushing back, insisting that what government is proposing has not worked in the past.

More soon
Nairobi (AFP) - Gunmen shot and wounded prominent Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu, an outspoken government critic, outside his home in the capital Dodoma.

The opposition, rights groups and Tanzania's government expressed shock and demanded a full investigation.

"The attack took place at his Dodoma residence at midday," the main opposition party CHADEMA, of which Lissu is a leading member, said in a statement, adding that the lawmaker was seriously wounded and rushed to hospital.

Party spokesman Tumaini Makene described Lissu's condition as "critical" while local media reported he had been shot in the stomach and leg.

Regional police commander Gilles Muroto said an investigation was underway.

"We are asking fellow citizens with information to help us," he said, adding that initial enquiries were focussing on a car believed to have followed Lissu to his home.

"This cowardly attack on one of Tanzania's most fearless and prominent politicians raises concerns about the safety of all dissident voices in the country, at a time when space for dissent is quickly shrinking," said Sarah Jackson of rights group Amnesty International.

"This heinous crime must not be swept under the carpet," she added.

Lissu, 49, has had a series of run-ins with the government of President John Magufuli and has been arrested at least six times this year, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges.

'Climate of fear'

"The authorities must take steps to reassure Tanzanians and the world that his shooting was not politically motivated," Jackson added.

In a statement, Magufuli's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party condemned "this cruel and inhuman act" and urged police to investigate fully.

Magufuli tweeted that he was "shocked to hear the news of the attack on Tundu Lissu and I pray to god almighty that he will soon recover."

Lissu serves as chief whip for the parliamentary opposition and president of Tanzania's bar association, the Tanganyika Law Society, as well as being CHADEMA's attorney general.

His most recent arrest was in August after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts.

Magufuli has been praised for cracking down on corruption since his election in 2015 but criticised for his authoritarian rule with opposition meetings banned and newspapers shut down, moves Lissu has loudly condemned as creating a "climate of fear".

His party said Lissu was shot just after a parliamentary session.

"CHADEMA strongly condemns this act, and we are following up closely on his situation," the party added.
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Johannesburg (AFP) - South Africa's outspoken Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday castigated Aung San Suu Kyi over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims and urged her to intervene in the crisis.

The United Nations on Thursday said that nearly 164,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh over the past two weeks in the wake of a massive security sweep and alleged atrocities by the country's security forces and Buddhist mobs against the Rohingya.

Suu Kyi, feted for her years of peaceful opposition to Myanmar's junta rulers, has been urged to speak up for the Rohingya, with Muslim nations and the UN leading condemnation of her government.

Tutu, who helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa and became the moral voice of the nation, joined in the condemnation.

"If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep," Tutu said in a statement.

"It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain," he said noting that "the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread."

"As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again... for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people," said Tutu.

Witnesses in Myanmar's Rakhine state say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.
The Ghana Prison Service has expressed concern over its inability to pay medical bills, inmates ration bills, and utilities due to the delay in release of funds, leading to total debt of over 43.165 million.

Currently, the service is in arrears for 11 months of the year 2016 of prisoners ration bills of over 9.596 million, a medical bill of 3.173 million, and utilities 12.885 million in addition to other debts.

Superintendent George Ankamah Chief Budget Officer of the Ghana Prison Service, made this known at the Interior Ministry 2017 mid-year review meeting in Accra, Thursday.

The meeting aims at reviewing performance of the Ministries and its Agencies, discuss and prioritize works plans for the second half of the year.

Participants are expected to also discuss a concept paper on the establishment of the Ghana Migration Commission, intensify police visibility and respond to various Regional Peace Council concerns.

Superintendent Ankamah said the current feeding fee of 1.80 cedis per prisoner a day is woefully inadequate.

We anticipate that the 11 months of prisoners ration bills in arrears would be released before the end of the year and the budgetary releases would be increased substantially to meet the needs of the service in order to enable it execute its mandate efficiently.

The Chief Budget Officer of the Ghana Prison Service said the service intends to modernize its agriculture sector to increase yield as well as expand its livestock production in order to supplement government budgetary provision.

He said the service would be a pursuing strategic rebranding policy in order to give the service a positive image by running efficient industry programmes to enhance skill training in order to help reform and rehabilitate them.

The Service will embark on vigorous capacity building programmes for categories of staff to enable them to cope with modern trends in correction management.

"It also intends to commit more funding to the welfare needs of inmates to conform to the United Nations Minimum Standards for the treatment of prisoners, he said.

He announced that the service has also received a commencement certificate of 200,000 for the procurement of multi-purpose photocopying machines and building materials for the continuation of its headquarters extension project.

In the bid to decongest the Prisons, Superintendent Ankamah said the service has submitted a non-custodial sentencing bill to Parliament.

Deputy Minister for the Interior, Henry Quartey, commended officers for working tirelessly and relentlessly in order to maintain and peace and stability in the country.

I must testify that your hard work has created a peaceful environment for individuals to carry out their daily social and economic activities without fear as well as protected lives and property.

Mr Quartey told the gathering that the mid-year review of Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) was mandatory by law under the new Public Financial Management Act, 2016.

The Deputy Minister said though the Ministry was doing well, there are some things that ought to be done to improve its performance in ensuring relative peace and security.

There is the need for this review and constant stream of feedback to see if the sector is on track. It is significant we make follow-ups throughout the remaining year, he said.

The Chief Director of the Interior Ministry, Adelaide Anno-Kumi, in a speech read her behalf said the Ministry would this year revise and coordinate existing laws and develop a concept paper on the establishment of the Ghana Migration Commission.

Additionally, Mrs Anno-Kumi said participants would discuss a five year development plan for the ministry, launch campaign for women in the bid to ensure peace in communities enhance safe custody of inmates, enhance career development and conflict mediation in Bawku, Bimbilla, Alavanyo and Nkonya and discuss and transmit the Narcotics Control Board bill to Parliament.
Accra, September 07, 2017Work on a 40-bed capacity maternity block being funded by MTN Ghana Foundation for the Tema General Hospital has been completed and the facility is ready to be furnished.

The project, which commenced in November 2016, will be handed over to the Tema General Hospital before the end of 2017. The maternity block includesa 20-bed first stage ward, a20-bed lying-in ward, two delivery bedsandone theatre.

It also includes a seven-bed monitoring and recovery ward, nurses station and changing rooms, sluice rooms, pantry and store, consultation rooms, offices and restrooms.The facility, which is expected to benefit over 6,000 women in Tema and its environs annually,was funded by MTN Ghana Foundation at a cost of GH4.2 millionGhana Cedis.

A team from the MTN Foundation visited the hospital to assess progress of work. The visit was a follow up toan earlier visit which took place in March 2017. At the time, the maternity block was 42% complete and within schedule.

Commenting on the project, the Senior Manager for MTN Ghana Foundation, Mrs Georgina A. Fiagbenu said, Tema General Hospital is the 3rd highest in Ghana in terms of deliveriesand as we know post-delivery care is very critical to survival. Access to quality and child-mother friendly hospitals like the Tema General Hospital willmake a big difference.

It is our hope that when the project is completed, the facility will bring relief to many expectant mothers and staff of the Tema General Hospital, she added.

Dr. Kwabena Opoku Adusei, the Medical Superintendent of the Tema General Hospital said, MTN is delivering this complex in totality, ranging from the building, equipment and furniture, and MTN has been with us every step of the way to ensure that plans for the facility are promptly executed.

MTN Ghana Foundation initiated the maternity block for the Tema General Hospital, as a result of news report on television about the deplorable state of the existing Maternity ward. Upon hearing the news, the Foundation team visited the facility to confirm the need after which a proposal was submitted to the MTN Ghana Foundation Board for consideration. The construction of the maternity block wasthen incorporated into the list of projects identifiedto mark the 20th anniversary of MTN Ghanas operations.

About The MTN Foundation:

The MTN Ghana Foundation was established in November 2007 as the vehicle to select and implement MTNs Corporate Social Investments. MTN Ghana Foundation has three areas of focus -Health, Education and Economic Empowerment.

From inception to December 2016, the Foundation had undertaken 142 major projects across the country. Notable health projects include: construction of a Neonatal Care Center for Tamale Teaching Hospital, refurbishment of the 2nd floor maternity block of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, construction of a maternity block for Ejisu Government Hospital, and construction of an Emergency Center for Atua Government Hospital.

Education projects undertaken include: construction of a boys dormitory for Akropong School for the Blind, construction of a six-unit classroom block for Kodjonya Millennium School, establishment of 10 MTN ICT Learning Centers in each of Ghanas 10 regions and the institution of an Innovation Hub at KNUST to promote TelecomsEngineering and Research.

Key projects undertaken in Economic Empowerment include: the construction of shea butter processing centers, provision of seed capital and skill training for Women of Tizaa Dini Association of Yendi and the Sung Suma Women Association of Wa. For more information visit http://www.mtn.com.gh/about-mtn/community/mtn-ghana-foundation .
Lagos (AFP) - Poverty, marginalisation and bad governance are more important factors in the radicalisation of young Africans than religion, according to a new study published on Thursday.

The UN came to the conclusion after interviewing 495 former members of organisations such as Nigeria's Boko Haram, the Shabaab in Somalia, and the Islamic State in Sudan.

According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), 33,300 people were killed in attacks by violent extremists in Africa between 2011 and the start of 2016.

Boko Haram alone was responsible for at least 17,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 2.8 million people, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region.

According to the two-year study, the most likely recruit for jihadists is "a frustrated individual, marginalised and neglected over the course of his life, starting in childhood".

With few economic or job prospects and little trust in the government to provide opportunities, particularly in remote, border areas, they are likely to be ripe for conversion.

But the UNDP crucially found that less than half of those interviewed cited religion as a motivating factor.

More than half (57 percent) of the voluntary recruits admitted to understanding "little to nothing of the religious texts or interpretations, or not reading religious texts at all".

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) said government action such as the arrest or killing of a family member was often the tipping point for their decision to join.

Boko Haram for example began life as an anti-corruption movement in northeast Nigeria, where the government was blamed for the widespread poverty affecting the region.

UNDP Africa director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye said the study's findings should be a wake-up call for governments across the continent to improve governance for its citizens.

"Delivering services, strengthening institutions, creating pathways to economic empowerment -- these are development issues," he said at the launch of the report in New York.

"There is an urgent need to bring a stronger development focus to security challenges."

Whatever the initial reasons for young people joining jihadist groups, the UN study indicated that a large number of those questioned were disappointed by their experience.

One-third said they were never paid, some never found the wife they were promised, while others ended up regretting the violence and destruction that they brought about.

One man called Ali, who spent a large part of his 53 years with the Shabaab, told researchers he was not motivated by money but his faith, despite never having studied the Koran.

But he ended up realising it was a war without end and that they had never scored a "real victory" after so much bloodshed, most of it of his fellow Muslims.

"That's why I decided to give it up," he added.
Johannesburg (AFP) - Three cars were torched in a Johannesburg business district on Thursday in the latest clash between drivers with ride-hailing service Uber and traditional cabbies.

"Three cars were set alight," police spokesman Mavela Masondo told AFP, adding that two of the vehicle were believed to belong to Uber drivers while one was owned by a cab driver.

A fourth car had its windows smashed in the confrontations in the Sandton area. No injuries were reported.

Uber spokeswoman Samantha Allenberg confirmed that one of the cars was registered to use the Uber app.

AFP reporters saw shells of the burnt vehicles, two just metres from a train station and another one in front of a five-star hotel in the wealthy financial district of Johannesburg.

"We suspect it is the ongoing fight between Uber and metred taxis in the area," said Masondo. He denied local media reports that police fired stun grenades to disperse groups of rival drivers.

Taxi drivers have regularly targeted Uber drivers in Johannesburg where they compete for passengers. They accuse Uber of stealing business and competing unfairly due to low fares.

The Uber car-hailing app service is hugely popular in the city where public transport is poor and taxi drivers previously enjoyed a monopoly.
There is a lot of grave dancing going on.

Earlier this week bitcoin and ethereum prices were in freefall. The crypto-cynics were rejoicing.

From highs of US$5,000 and US$400 respectively prices plummeted to US$4,000 and US$300.

Why?

Well partly due to psychological resistance at those high values. And part in response to a global crackdown on cryptocurrency by governments. In my view, its quite likely automated trading had a hand in it all too.

The big question is, should you worry?

To put it simply, no.

This is affectionately known as tree shaking. Its part of the crypto game, to see who will fall from the tree and whos going to stay up there. Remember, this is a long term financial revolution. Its not about short term gain.

Well come back to that shortly. But first, China.

China says NO to ICOs

Chinas just decided to blanket-ban ICOs (the IPOs of the crypto world). This news has given crypto-cynics even more reason to be merry.

Chinas authorities suggest that 90% of all ICOs are fraudulent. Most of them are illegally raising money. That means, China says NO to ICO!

As youd expect, this sent crypto markets into a panic. Hence the price falls. Of course, this isnt the first time China has said no to crypto. They did the same thing to bitcoin back in December 2013, after giving bitcoin the green light weeks earlier in November.

Just look at the volatility that brought to bitcoins price. In October 2013 bitcoin was around US$140. Then after China said yes, it marched up to US$1,200. Then after China said no in December, it plummeted back to around US$100 by February 2014.

Now thats what we call volatility!

Are we worried about China banning ICOs? No. We think its just a measure to allow the government to catch up with the pace of change. Once they realise how big an opportunity this is for their country and their people, theyll open the doors again.

Backflipping on crypto seems to be a common occurrence with China. This is just history repeating, in our view.

The way we see it there is much more to come. In fact, we think youll be looking back in a few years and consider US$5,000 per bitcoin outrageously cheap.

A perfect straw man argument

We know a lot of people think this is a fad. A bubble.

Their favourite dismissal of this new asset class is to refer to tulip fever.

Heres such a dismissal, in a Tweetfrom when bitcoin was around $2,000 cheaper than it is right now.



Source: Twitter

[Click to open new window]

Lets set something straight. Money (dollars) has had no intrinsic value since it came off the gold standard. It is literally backed by a promise.

And its done so on the pretence that the nation printing it is a successful, solvent concern. Thats a promise that most debt-choked nations (or banks) cannot deliver upon, on request.

Crypto-cynics very quickly lose sight of the massive deficiencies of fiat currency when bashing crypto.

And the No industrial or consumer use argument?

Earlier this year 260,000 stores in Japan started accepting cryptos as legal tender.

Microsoft and PayPal accept bitcoin. McLaren and Ferrari will let you buy a car with bitcoin.

Just this week a London property agency has started to allow tenants to pay deposits and rent in bitcoin.

A Dubai developer is selling apartments off the plan for bitcoin. And as weve shown you before, livingroomofsatoshi.com lets you pay for your bills in bitcoin.

The criticism that cryptos have no consumer use just tells us that they are still fundamentally misunderstood.

Another favourite dismissal of cryptocurrencies is that they are not backed by an authority. This is a straw man argument, if ever there was one.

The whole point of cryptos is that they are decentralised.

And for that reason, they offer a unique function that dollars dont  they are out of the reach of the financial authorities.

Ask the people of Venezuela what they think of cryptos. Bitcoin has given thousands of honest savers the chance to get their money out of a sinking financial system.

10 years ago there was no practical option to escape the tyranny of government and central banks. If your domestic currency devalued by 40% overnight, stiff luck. If your countrys economy was imploding, tough bikkies.

Before crypto you had to suck it up and deal the hand that was dealt for you. With crypto you get to pick the cards you want to play. Its a chance to beat the house. A chance that people never thought would exist. Now it does.

And the power that crypto provides to everyday people like you is like nothing else before. I believe thats the reason the likes of Chinas government are cracking down on it. Its why the US are watching it with their finger over the trigger. Theyre petrified of the implications to their power base.

This my friend is a true financial and social revolution. And theres nothing the government or the central banks can do about it. The power of the network, the power of the people is too great for them this time.

Heres everything you need to know about cryptocurrencies

When you understand the enormity of whats happening in front of your very own eyes there is only one option in our view. But you still have a choice. You can be a part of this revolution, or you can stand by and watch it pass.

But our advice has been the same from day one: do not let anything stop you from dipping your toe in this erupting market.

Least of all the simple practicalities of how to do it.

If youre not sure how to buy cryptosor which exchange to useor where to store your cryptos, dont worry. Weve put together a special package showing you everything you need to know. You can find out more about that here.

Why should you listen to us? Because we have been in the crypto investing game longer than anyone we know. We first started researching this in 2010, and have been invested in it ever since.

But this revolution is about more than bitcoin, so much more

This alternative and independent financial system cannot be stopped. In times of crisis, crypto is exactly what people are looking for. Its a revolution. And youre either on board, or youre not.

Every time bitcoin or the other major cryptos dip, you should feel lucky. In our view, its a fantastic opportunity to get in on this new asset class just that little bit cheaper and join the revolution.

Regards,

Sam Volkering,

Editor, Secret Crypto Network
I write a lot about cryptocurrencies.

But with good reason.

I firmly believe that theres never been such a unique, fascinating and game changing investment opportunity. And I dont think there ever will be again.

At least not in my lifetime.

Of course not everyone agrees with that. In fact, its still the minority view.

Bitcoin is nothing more than a classic bubble according to Nobel Prize winning Yale university professor, Robert Shiller.

The best example (of a bubble) right now is bitcoin. And I think that has to do with the motivating quality of the bitcoin story. And Ive seen it in my students at Yale. You start talking about bitcoin and theyre excited!

Incidentally, Shiller wrote a seminal book on speculative manias, Irrational Exuberance. It was a deep analysis of the dramas over the centuries in which otherwise sane people drove prices for tulips, stocks, and houses to inexplicable heights.

He clearly knows a thing or two about bubbles.

But when asked in the same Quartz interview what he thought of ICOs (Initial Coin Offerings  the crypto equivalent of an IPO), he replied, Whats an ICO?

That makes me think the professor hasnt done the required reading!

Anyway, time will tell who ends up right

And I dont want to be accused of merely being a cheerleader and writing only when things are going well.

In the last few days we have seen some big falls in the prices of most cryptocurrencies.

Im talking 60%+ falls in 24 hours in some cases.

Why?

Like most economic outcomes these days, its all to do with China.

The Chinese regulator came out with a statement on Monday saying that all Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs) were illegal under Chinese law.

Given the fact that most of the recent ICO hype has driven the crypto price rises across the board, this statement had a predictable effect.

Prices fell as some investors panicked. Traders used it as an excuse to bank some profits on the recent price rise.

Its not just about being right

So am I concerned? Is the bitcoin bubble about to pop? A Ponzi scheme about to collapse?

No. I dont think so.

Consider the following.



Source: Howmuch.net

[Click to open new window]

The graphic is slightly off, as Bitcoin is now worth $71 billion and the entire cryptocurrency market is around $170 billion. But the comparison still makes sense.

Quite simply, bitcoin is a drop in the ocean of money out there right now. Bill Gates is worth more than bitcoin. And its nowhere near the value of gold or physical money.

Now as a crypto bull I believe that cryptocurrencies are eventually going to disrupt all of these other forms of value in some way. Plus do a lot more.

I could be wrong.

And if I am there will be no shortage of smug economists lining up to say I told you so.

But as an investor and trader my concern isnt just about being right or wrong. Its also about working out how much I make if Im right and how much I lose if Im wrong.

Cryptocurrencies represent what I call an asymmetric bet.

In other words, the pay off if Im right is 1,000%, 10,000% or even 100,000% my original investment over the next 10 years.

If Im wrong on the other hand, the maximum loss I can make is 100%.

The asymmetry in the two possible outcomes is huge. And I firmly believe there can only be one of these two outcomes.

There is no middle road.

Then whats the rational play here for an investor?

Well first of all, its to be cautious and not invest more than you can afford to lose.

Everyones circumstances are different, so you need to think carefully about whats right for you.

Lets say you decide to dip a toe in. Are there any strategies you can employ to invest into crypto with a proper game plan?

There are two ways of crypto investing I think make sense right now.

Crypto Investment Strategy 1  Simply HODL

Hodl is an intentionally mis-spelled way of saying hold.

As well as reflecting the enthusiastic typing speed of the early bitcoin community when telling others to stay invested, its also thought to stand for Hang on for Dear Life.

In other words, ignore the volatility, and play the long game.

The trick here is to make sure you invest in the most promising cryptos, avoid the scams, and learn how to keep our holdings safe.

(We can help with that.)

Then just wait 510 years and see how things pan out.

The second option copies the professional investors.

Crypto Investment Strategy 2  In a bull market just BTFD

Im not usually a fan of acronyms, but I like this one.

And its not a crypto-only phrase. It was born in the high octane share trading pits of New York, and gives traders courage to buy into market panics when shares are falling.

It stands for Buy The Friggin Dip. (Well, it doesnt exactly stand for that. But the Editorial department at Port Phillip Publishing wont let me publish the classic version of the phrase.)

In other words, if an asset or share is in a long term bull market, the smart thing is to buy on every market panic.

You buy the dip, as it were, in the long term uptrend.

And thats what I think cryptocurrencies are in  a long term uptrend.

In fact, I think the current volatility is being manipulated to a large degree by players with deep pockets. Theyre looking to build up positions in cryptocurrencies. But they cant do it all at once.

Let me explain.

As I stated earlier this week, there are over 55 cryptocurrency-dedicated hedge funds now in existence. With many more to come.

Now heres the thing

As the chart earlier showed, the cryptocurrency market is actually not that big compared to other markets. Especially for professional money.

That means if they all came in now and tried to buy, they would push up the prices very high, very quick.

Clearly thats not something they wish to do.

So instead, perhaps they create volatility in an effort to shake the tree and make more people sell. This allows them to build positions over time, as they know ordinary people struggle psychologically with volatility. Often they cant handle it, and panic sell.

If you want to invest like a professional crypto investor, wait for these dips and buy in. The danger is of course if the dips dont come. Or if the dips are actually the start of really steep falls!

I could be wrong about all of this.

But like I said before, Im willing to take an asymmetric bet on cryptos. For a whole host of reasons beyond the scope of this piece.

If you want to learn more and start to get involved, start here.

Good investing,

Ryan Dinse,

Editor, Money Morning
Maintaining independence and editorial freedom is essential to our mission of empowering investor success. We provide a platform for our authors to report on investments fairly, accurately, and from the investors point of view. We also respect individual opinionsthey represent the unvarnished thinking of our people and exacting analysis of our research processes. Our authors can publish views that we may or may not agree with, but they show their work, distinguish facts from opinions, and make sure their analysis is clear and in no way misleading or deceptive.

To further protect the integrity of our editorial content, we keep a strict separation between our sales teams and authors to remove any pressure or influence on our analyses and research.

Read our editorial policy to learn more about our process.
President Hoover swept out illegal immigrants, legal immigrants without papers and U.S. citizens of Mexican descent to free up jobs for real Americans
'The big truck is still on ...
Yuliya V Krylova works across few disciplines of painting, costume/fashion design, performance and installation. In the interview she talks about her art, plans, life in london, railway uniform designs and much more.





Kazakhstan Today: Yuliya, tell us about the name of your website thehouseofdreams.co.uk What does it mean to you?





Yuliya V Krylova: I like the idea of dreams being visually revealed and put on a canvas or in a performance space or any space for that matter - cyber space if you like. It creates an energy of elevated state or at least a connection to any human being seeing it, experiencing it.





Kazakhstan Today: So far your artwork/performances were presented in many European exhibitions. Tell us about some of them.





Yuliya V Krylova: One of the last performances I worked on was 'Nagare' with both dancers Eliza Soroga, Roxani Garefalaki and musician Takatsuna Mukai. It was a beautiful mix of polyphonic traditional singing method of Epirus with butoh dance and electric violin sound.





Note: Butoh originated in the late 50s in Japan and it became a new distinctive form of dance very quickly. At the time Japanese artists were influenced by european surrealism and american avant-gardism. Butoh has little connection to the traditional Japanese dance and theatre practice, like the Noh or Kabbuki, but it has many very unique japanese expressions. Butoh dancers usually do not use much jumping or spinning or fast paced movement; they use the sense of gravity which centred/directed towards ground. Butoh makes us face the uniqueness of each human being and its existence.





It is difficult to describe performances because they are meant to be seen and experienced. I could never do justice to it with words. I was the costume designer in this project.





Another performance which also was part of the art exhibition I was part of - Frida Khalo "Lust for Life". I have exhibited two self-portraits at this exhibition and created butoh performance "Creation of self" with dancers, Yuka Negoro and Angelina Kornecka. The performance, live happening, was inspired by Frida Khalo's painting, Two Fridas. Two dancers were performing side by side the story of one body, mind and soul. The challenge was to create an idea of one person through two completely different body experiences. This exhibition represented artists around the world who's artistic practice was inspired by work of Frida Khalo.





An art journalist Irene Kukota wrote a beautiful review for the performance for the Russian publication Theartnewspaper.





If I were to truly describe the most important exhibitions so far, I would say that exhibitions I had in Kazakhstan, years ago were the most important ones. I got the worst reviews in local





newspapers in Astana and Almaty! These exhibitions were very small scale, but for me, my family, friends they meant a lot. My mother collected poor reviews in local 'gazeta' and suggested that possibly I should not exhibit anymore.... (laughing)





Kazakhstan Today: We know, you we're engaged in developing the new uniform for the national railway company in Astana. Can you tell us more about the new details of the uniform.





Yuliya V Krylova: The new uniform is brighter in colour, more fitted, has less detail than before. Females have the scarf which has many stylised details relating to Kazakhstan Temir Zholy and its symbols.





Kazakhstan Today: You work across many disciplines, please tell us about them.





Yuliya V Krylova: I create, telling a story through visual, conceptual experiment. I work across disciplines of costume design, fashion design, installation and performance. I enjoy working with choreographers, dancers, film makers and theatre practitioners.





Kazakhstan Today: Which practice you prefer?





Yuliya V Krylova: I do not give any preference to anything specifically, partly because if I do something, it is important to me. I do things which have meaning and purpose to me.





Kazakhstan Today: When did you start painting?





Yuliya V Krylova: I started painting since I was 4 y.o.       4-. I used to draw a lot of linear shaped movements. My very first tools were black and blue pens and simple A4 paper. I upgraded to drawing with markers and coloured pencils later on. When I was ready I started using ink and watercolours. My grandmother used to collect and keep safe all my paintings and drawings I have ever done.





Kazakhstan Today: Yuliya, who helped you believe in yourself and inspired you?





Yuliya V Krylova: One of the most important people in my life was the art teacher in primary school, Abramov Gennadi Federovich, who made me believe in myself and in what I create. He used to say that I have the best sense of colour and I believed him! He created many exhibitions with my work which he hung on walls, in school #28. My grandmother used to keep everything I created, every little drawing; she never wanted to throw away anything.





Kazakhstan Today: Can you describe your style of painting?





Yuliya V Krylova: I love mixing techniques and experimenting with different materials like wax, thread, acrylics, gouache, oil pastels. I do not thing I have a specific style. Possibly you can find influences of primitive art, surrealism in my works. I travel a lot and the path I chose usually influences a lot of what I create and how. I create and recreate though everything I do.





Kazakhstan Today: What dod you do before arriving in London?





Yuliya V Krylova: To put it short, I was working as a lawyer in Salans, Hertzfeldand Heilbronn, now known as Dentons.





Kazakhstan Today: What made you change your career path?





Yuliya V Krylova: There was never a question what the path should be but rather when I was ready to follow it. I never excelled being in comfort zone or got pleasure living in it for long, so with time I grew wings to fly, haha It is scary and exciting at the same time to be able to pursue the dream you might be the only one believing in.





Kazakhstan Today: How did you discover Butoh dance?





Yuliya V Krylova: My final MA show then I was finishing MAsters degree at the university of the arts london, was developed with well-known Butoh teacher and choreographer Marie-Gabrielle Rotie. After this project I have developed interest and passion for working and collaborating with Butoh performers.





Kazakhstan Today: Why costume design for performance?





Yuliya: When I collaborate as a costume designer, I try to create/tell a story though a shape. The shape I create dictates and guides the content of the story. Shape of the costume can direct, restrict and liberate movements of a performer and with that create a scenography of a different kind. Through costume design I can affect a concept, scenography and choreography of a performance which is exciting.





Kazakhstan Today: Tell us about your life in London? That do you like, dislike? Are you planing on coming back to Kazakhstan?





Yuliya V Krylova: I enjoy creative buzz of London. It is a hive of artistic energy which is changing every day:) At the moment I am planning to bring an exhibition together with the curator and close friend, Zhanna Aman, to Kazakhstan. It will be an interesting experience to exhibit again in my home country after a long journey away. I am looking forward to it.





Kazakhstan Today: Who or what influences your art?





Yuliya V Krylova: Creating art is a way of living. It is like breathing. So, it is not easy to answer.... people I meet, nature I see, everything around me which I come in contact with influence me one way or the other.





Kazakhstan Today: Tell us about your artistic plans?





Yuliya V Krylova: I would like to create performances in Kazakhstan and introduce button practice in this part of the world. Collaborating with local artists might be something I would be looking to do in Kazakhstan. After my last journey to Japan, I am now working on creating a body of work about my trip and experiences.





Kazakhstan Today: Yuliya, what is art to you?





Yuliya V Krylova: Are allows to transform human experiences through unique energy. I wish to create and share my experiences which are unique to me with everyone else willing to make them collective. Art can create strong connections between humans through geographies, spaces and times which are in constant cycle of transformation.





Works of Yuliya V Krylova





Exhibitions





FOCUS LDN, winter exhibition, Menier Gallery, London, December 2016 Human Nature, Espacio Gallery, London, October, 2016





Merge, Vin + Omi @ Sanderson Hotel, London, October 2016 Frida Khalo - Lust for Life, Menier Gallery, London, August 2016 The Art of Regeneration, Menier Gallery, London, April 2016





THE CYCLE - ATOM, Westminster Library, London January 2016 Forces of Nature, Menier gallery, London, August 2015 Maverickexpo, BargeHouse OXOtower, London, December 2015 Drawing and the Body, KG52 Gallery, Stockholm, April 2011





Performances (recent collaborations)





Nagare, with Eliza Soroga and Roxani Garefalaki, March 2017

Hands on Perspective, with Freddie Opoku-Addaie, Tate Britain, February 2017

Pass on, directed by Freddie Opoku-Addaie, North Woolwich Art Festival, September, 2016

Creation of Self, Butoh performance, Frida Khalo - Lust for life, Menier Gallery, August 2016

The Cycle - Atom, Butoh improvisation with Angelina Korencka and Yuka Negoro, Jan 2016

The Sea Knows, White Conduit Projects, March 2016

The O Cycle, costume improvisation with Angelina Kornecka, August 2015

The Path, devised performance with Yuka Negoro for Impfest Festival, November 2015

Lights of Life, with Sima Vassilieva and Sonia Roshal Fedorova, Berlin, November 2015

Heir to the Throne, comedy co-directed with Roderick Jaynes, Etceteratheatre, Camden

Leda's Womb, Butoh performance with Mari Gabrielle Rotie, the National Gallery, June 2013

The Anatomy of Architecture, with Marie Gabrielle Rotie, Kiril Brulov, Nick Parkin, June 2013





Interviewed by journalist Nataliya Shirinskih




ONALASKA  Gander Mountain was eerily silent on Thursday.

The doors to the outdoor retailer in the Crossing Meadows Shopping Center were closed, with barricades and window covers drawn down. The floors stood empty despite a voice message at the stores phone number proclaiming Gander Mountain would be open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Messages left with media relations staff were not returned Thursday, nor were tweets directed at Gander Mountains new owner, Marcus Lemonis, who has made a name for himself by addressing reporters and news stories about the company through his personal Twitter account.

Gander Mountains previous owner declared bankruptcy this spring, after which Lemonis bought the rights to the company and its locations while liquidating firms bought up much of the companys inventory and equipment.

Liquidators, Camping World Holdings win Gander Mountain bankruptcy auction The Onalaska Gander Mountain could close after the results of the companys recent bankruptc

Despite banners proclaiming Going out of Business and Store Closing located on the property through August, Lemonis insisted the Onalaska store would be among those locations that would remain open. He reiterated that again in July, after the Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development sent out a notice that all 32 of the employees at the store would be laid off before the beginning of September.

Lemonis is in the middle of rebranding the chain of sporting goods and outdoor retail to Gander Outdoors. On Twitter, he said this was part of how the rebranding process worked and that all of the employees were being fired from Gander Mountain and would be rehired by the new company.

Layoff notice posted for Onalaska Gander Mountain, 32 employees affected ONALASKA  More than 30 Onalaska Gander Mountain employees will lose their jobs by the end o

Attempts to reach staff at the store were not successful Thursday. A story posted on Aug. 28 on the website guns.com states that all Gander Mountain stores closed at the conclusion of the liquidation sales and that Lemonis had said less than half of the 162 locations would reopen when the rebranding was complete, sometime in November.

What this means for the employees who were laid off is unknown. Also unknown is how Lemonis strategy of furloughing all of the stores for up to two months and reopening in the middle of hunting season will affect his plans of turning around the struggling outdoor retailer.

Editor's Note: An earlier version of this story listed Kraus-Anderson realty as the building owner of the Onalaska Gander Mountain Store. That company owns the Crossing Meadows Shopping Center and the vacant lot adjacent to the Gander Mountain.
Pot plant bust Mountain Ranch View Photos

Mountain Ranch, CA  Calaveras County Sheriffs Office assisted in a raid of a Mountain Ranch property on Tuesday.

Deputies provided security for code enforcement officers to serve an abatement warrant at an illegal marijuana cultivation site on Wendell Road. Sheriff Rick DiBasilio explains, This was done under the countys new 8.06 ordinance which has taken the eradication process from the 120 days that it use to be down to about 16 to 18 daysCode enforcement has a contractor that comes out and eradicates the actual plants, then loads them up and we escort it down to the landfill. So were there for a couple of reasons: one for security, two because its still an illegal product and three to make sure that it gets transported and disposed of correctly.

Officers discovered 699 marijuana plants, which were destroyed. There was also a water tank and plastic bottles of plant grow were littered around the site, which Sheriff DiBasilio says can be harmful, Typically theyre like a Miracle Grow but they are still classifiedsome of them as a pesticide. The problem is that they just leave the stuff lying around and anything in concentration, obviously, that runs down into our waterways is going to cause problems.

There were no individuals found at the site as it had been abandoned.
The White House View Photos

Congressman Tom McClintock is praising President Trumps decision regarding DACA, while Governor Jerry Brown supports a lawsuit in opposition.

DACA, Deferred Action For Childhood Arrivals, is an Obama-era program that protects young immigrants in the country illegally from deportation. President Trumps administration announced plans to end the program, but also gave Congress a six month window to come up with an alternative before the reversal is fully implemented.

Governor Jerry Brown called the Trump administrations decision senseless and cruel and stated that he supports California Attorney General Xavier Becerras decision to file a lawsuit in opposition.

Attorney General Becerra says, President Trump has turned his back on hundreds of thousands of children and young Americans who came forward and put their trust in our government.This Administration has chosen to ignore what American voters have said they think is right. Nearly 80 percent of voters want to protect the legal status of Dreamers. Ending the program is devastating not just for recipients, but for our economy. California businesses would lose more than a billion dollars in turnover costs. Attorney General Sessions claims this decision is full of compassion, but real compassion would be treating Dreamers with heart, as President Trump himself said. California is taking action because one in four DACA grantees live in our great state. I will do everything I can to fight for them.

With a different opinion, Mother Lode District Four Republican Congressman Tom McClintock says President Trump was right to end DACA, saying President Obamas executive order creating the protections was unconstitutional, and says the upcoming Congressional action should incorporate two polices.

McClintock states, First, the reform must include measures to restore complete integrity to our legal immigration system. This includes full funding for construction of the border wall, mandatory use of e-verify for employment with strengthened penalties to employers who violate federal employment law, strengthening penalties for those illegally entering or staying in the country, strong sanctions against local and state sanctuary jurisdictions and implementation of entry/exit monitoring of visa stays. Second, DACA must not be made a permanent and open-ended policy, or we will encourage more parents to illegally bring their children to the United States. DACA should be ended immediately. Those currently enrolled in the program should be granted legal residency if they have no criminal convictions in their background, if they are not affiliated with criminal gangs and if they have not previously been subject to a deportation order. DACA residents who wish subsequently to apply for citizenship should not displace the applications of legal immigrants. 
If you are looking for an explanation of how to calculate PAYE in Nigeria, you have come to the right place! In this article, you will find some useful information on what PAYE actually is, how it works and where it stands among other taxes in Nigeria.

Taxation in Nigeria

Lets take a moment to review the Nigerian taxation system before we jump into details about PAYE itself.

The agency responsible for collecting taxes in Nigeria is called Federal Inland Revenue Service or FIRS for short. Nigerian citizens and companies are required to pay nine taxes. These are:

Capital Gains Tax;

Companies Income Tax;

Educational Tax;

National Information Technology Development Fund Levy;

Personal Income Tax;

Petroleum Profit Tax;

Stamp Duties;

Value Added Tax;

and Withholding Tax.

However, out of all these, this article only revolves around the Personal Income Tax, or PIT. To be more precise, we are going to be talking about PAYE.

PAYE tax

So what exactly is PAYE? This abbreviation stands for Pay As You Earn. It is a system, through which people who earn their salaries in Nigeria can pay their Personal Income Taxes. PAYE is quite a widespread system, used in many other countries, including the United Kingdom, New Zealand, Australia, etc.

Through PAYE, Nigerian employers withhold a portion of their employees salaries and pay that money on behalf of the employees to FIRS. In the end, employees receive their net salaries, with the Personal Income Tax already deducted.

Some categories of people are exempt from paying the PIT. These include:

residents of Abuja FCT;

foreign residents who receive income in Nigeria;

Nigerian military personnel (including people who serve in Nigerian Foreign Service).

Important thing:

According to PAYE, the taxes you pay go to the state of your residence. So if you live, for example, in Kaduna State, but work in Osun State, you are required to pay taxes to Kaduna State.

Now that we are done with theory, lets get to the practice.

PAYE calculation in Nigeria

READ ALSO: What is withholding tax in Nigeria?

For a person who knows next to nothing about economy, tax calculation might seem incredibly confusing. Trust us, even some professional economists cower in fear when they see the tax system they have to deal with. But if you want to figure this out, you will have to do your best and try to understand it.

So this is how it works:

Before you figure out how much of your salary you will have to give to FIRS, you need to calculate the amount of taxable income. This means that you need to deduct reliefs and exemptions. These include the consolidated relief allowance (CRA), money to spend on children (up to 4) and/or dependent relatives (up to 2) and a payment to the pension fund. Some people also include their payments to the National Housing Fund, Life Assurance and National Health Insurance.

Up until 2012, consolidated relief allowance did not exist. Instead, there were several separate personal reliefs, which included housing, meals, utilities and other things. Since 2012, they were combined into one thing. Now it stands at 20% of gross income (GI) with the added 200,000 or 1% of GI, if the yearly salary is less than 200,000.

Therefore, to calculate the taxable income, you need to deduct:

CRA (20% of GI + 200,000 OR 1% of GI);

reliefs on children (2,500 per kid) and/or dependent relatives (2,000 per relative);

pension relief (at least 8%);

and other payments, if applicable.

After you have calculated your taxable income, you can finally move on to calculating PAYE. For that, you will definitely need a calculator, a pen and a piece of paper, as there is quite a lot to take in. Alternatively, if you are handy with Microsoft Excel, you can program it to do the calculations for you.

For the first 300,000 of your annual income, the PIT rate is 7%. For the next 300,000, the rate is 11%. For the next 500,000, it is 15%; for 500,000 after that, it is 19%. The next 1,600,000 are taxed at 21%, and everything else over 3,200,000 is taxed at 24%.

You need to take your taxable income, calculate the amount of tax payable for each of the segments, add them up, and you will receive the amount of tax you need to pay through PAYE.

Too confusing?

Continue reading for a more detailed breakdown of the calculation.

Step-by-step guide on how to calculate PAYE in Nigeria

In order for you to understand it better, lets use an example of a random imaginary person. Lets say that this person earns a yearly gross income of 3,000,000. They have no children or dependent relatives, but they contribute 2,5% to the NHF.

In the image above, you can see a full breakdown of their salary. Notice the first three positions: the basic expenses (B), housing (H) and transportation (T). Those three are important for calculating the pension contribution (at least 8% of B+H+T) and the NHF contribution (2,5% of B).

Next, we can determine the amount of taxable income. As you can see, out of 3,000,000, only 1,986,538.35 can be taxed.

Now the hard part: calculating PAYE itself. We need to take our taxable income amount and break it into several parts, as the tax rate increases along with the size of the income. The first 300,000 are taxed at 7%, which gives us 21,000. Then we count the tax rate for the remaining 1,686,538,35 and continue until we get to the final 386,538.35.

As you can see, the last row has zeroes in it, as there is nothing else left to tax. Thus, all we need to do now is add up the tax amounts for each portion of the income, and we will get the total amount of PAYE for a year, which is 305,173.05. If we divide the number by 12, we will receive the monthly PAYE, which is 25,431.09.

To determine the effective tax rate, we need to divide the yearly PAYE by the gross income. 305,173.05 divided by 3,000,000 gives us 10,17%.

In the last picture, you can see how to calculate the take home salary, which a monthly salary without the deductions is and taxes.

And that is how you calculate PAYE in Nigeria. We hope we have been able to help you figure the system out. We would appreciate your feedback!

READ ALSO: History of taxation in Nigeria

Source: Legit.ng
Nigeria is a large and stunningly gorgeous country. And yet, here you are, sitting behind your screen, when there are so many beautiful places in Nigeria that you have not seen before! Check out our list of the tourist centres in Nigeria you should definitely visit at least once in your life. Plan your next vacation now!

As Nigeria stretches over more than 900,000 square kilometres, it would be weird if it did not have anything worth visiting. Which is why it is only natural that it is filled to the brim with such tourist attractions as beautiful parks, squares, beaches and other spectacular places .

But here is the thing:

If we were to list all of the places that deserve your attention, we would be here all day. Therefore, we decided to limit our selection to only ten tourist centres in Nigeria.

Top 10 tourist centres in Nigeria

It was incredibly hard to limit our list to ten places. Nevertheless, we managed to choose some of the most beautiful places in Nigeria for your consideration. Check them out below.

Yankari National Park

This park, otherwise known as the Yankari Game Reserve, is too beautiful for words to describe. On an area of more than 2,000 square kilometres, you can watch animals in their natural environment, enjoy the wonderful nature of the savannah or simply relax after long months of work.

Yankari National Park would be a great destination for people who enjoy ecotourism. Visitors of the park can climb the many hills or watch elephants, lions, monkeys and many other animals, who are able to live freely. You can find the park in the Bauchi State, 225 km east of Jos.

Ikogosi Warm Springs

This place is one of the most peculiar spots on our list. The small town of Ikogosi located in Ekiti state became famous because of this natural phenomenon. It has a place where a warm spring meets a cold spring, but the two springs manage to somehow maintain their respective temperatures.

But wait, there is more:

This occurrence is one of a kind both in Nigeria and in the whole world. You should definitely go there and experience it for yourself. You can stay at a resort near the spring, which will allow you to enjoy the scenery for longer than just one day.

Balogun Market

For people who are tired of nature, or for those who just like shopping and bargains, Balogun Market on Lagos Island would be a perfect place to visit.

Did you know?

This market is considered one of the biggest in the whole of West Africa. It is so big that it does not even have a definite address. It stretches across several streets, and sometimes, it seems that it never ends. The market is open every day from 7 am to 8.30 pm, so you will have plenty of time to find something you like and get it at a great price.

Olumo Rock

READ ALSO: History of Ogun State

At first glance, this large rock might not look like something great. However, it has a long and fascinating history you can learn about when you get there. To get you excited to find out more about it, you should know that Olumo Rock used to be a fortress for Egba people in the 19th century. The name of the city where it is located, Abeokuta, literally translates as under the rock.

If you are not all that interested in history, you might still enjoy the breath-taking view from the Olumo Rock. It is located in the heart of Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, so you would also be able to explore the city while you get to the Rock.

Ogbunike Caves

If you find parks, rocks and markets boring, you should give Ogbunike Caves a try. Located in Ogbunike, Anambra State, the site consists of numerous caves. Local people have always considered this location to have a deep spiritual significance. Thus, visitors of the caves have to take their shoes off before entering.

The cave system is strewn with streams, rivers and small lakes. It is populated by various bats, so bat lovers will definitely enjoy this place. The area surrounding the caves is covered with thick rainforests. The whole site is absolutely fantastic and definitely worth the visit.

The Town of Badagry

For those who want to experience the history of their people, we recommend visiting Badagry. But beware, your journey might be darker than you expect.

This town is infamous for being the epicentre of African slave trade. It still bears the 17th century wells, barracoons, slave shackles and, most importantly, the slave route titled The Point Of No Return. You can find this small town in Lagos State.

Idanre Hill

Otherwise known as Oke Idandre, this natural landscape is one of the most beautiful in Nigeria. It consists of several cultural sites, including Owas Palace and the Shrines. The hill rises high above the sea level, reaching almost a kilometre in height. The view from the top is simply to die for.

When you get to the hill, you can see an ancient tree at its entrance. It is called Iraye Tree. What is also interesting about this location is that it has a spot on the UNESCO World Heritage list, so you know it is a real deal. You can see the hill in Idandre, Ondo State.

Tinubu Square

What has been previously called Independence Square now bears the name of the late Madam Efunroye Tinubu (and not the other Tinubu you might have thought about). She was a significant woman in the pre-colonial times, both in politics and in the slave trading business.

The square itself is a beautiful open space located on Broad Street, Lagos. It has two sparkling fountains and several monuments, including the full-sized statue of Madam Tinubu.

Mambilla Plateau

You can find this fabulous natural location in the Taraba State, right next to the Nigerian border with Cameroon. This plateau is famous for having the highest peak in Nigeria. It is called Chappal Waddi, and its height reaches 2,419 metres.

Mambilla Plateau also has lush vegetation. Some trees and plants that grow there can be considered exotic for Nigeria as a whole. Even the drive to the plateau could be a fun experience on its own, as the road is winding and bordered by cliffs.

Confluence of Rivers Niger and Benue

Last, but not least is this wonderful place. You can find it in Lokoja, Kogi State. Two Nigerian rivers come together in this exact spot, form a Y-shape and continue their path to the ocean as one. It is worth seeing as the coffee-coloured waters of Niger River merge with the emerald waters of Benue River.

You can view this natural occurrence from the riverbank, or you can take a ferry/boat/cruise to make the experience so much more pleasant. You will definitely not regret this trip!

That is it for our list of Nigerian tourist attractions. Have you seen them all? Which one do you like best? We would love to hear your thoughts.

READ ALSO: Fun places in Ikeja

Source: Legit.ng
There are over a hundred federal government colleges in Nigeria. The question is, do they all provide equally good education? Check out our article on best 10 federal government colleges in Nigeria and find out! All you need to know about the best federal government colleges in Nigeria is here.

About federal colleges in Nigeria

Nigeria has a wide array of secondary education institutions, so anyONE can choose the right option for them. Among those options are federal government colleges. A federal government college, also known as a unity school, is a secondary education establishment, the main purpose of which is to unite children from all over Nigeria and provide them with exemplary education.

What started as a small experimental project, which involved opening three government colleges in different regions of Nigeria, has since grown into a large network. These days, there are 104 federal government colleges that are spread across Nigeria. You can see the full list of federal government colleges in Nigeria here.

But here is the kicker:

Not all of them are good. To be fair, many federal government colleges provide children with subpar or frankly unsatisfactory education. Therefore, we decided to highlight those colleges that really deserve your attention.

Best 10 federal government colleges in Nigeria

READ ALSO: Most expensive secondary schools in Nigeria

The latest rating of Nigerian federal government colleges was released in 2016 and it ranked the colleges in accordance with their students results at the WAEC (West African Examination Council) exams in 2014/2015. Unfortunately, there have been no recent ratings as of late. Nevertheless, this list is still useful today.

Here are the ten best federal government colleges (presented in reverse order):

10. Federal Government Girls College, Efon-Alaaye

State: Ekiti

Address: Federal road PMP 004, Ita Osun

Website: fggcefonalaaye.com

Founded in: 1999

Percentage of students that passed their WAEC exams: 90.27

9. Federal Government College, Ikole-Ekiti

State: Ekiti

Address: Ifaki-Oye Ikole road

Website: fgcikoleekiti.com

Founded in: unknown

Percentage: 91.73

8. Federal Government College, Okposi

State: Ebonyi

Address: Obiozara-Ndeaboh Junction Road

Website: fgcokposi.com

Founded in: 1965

Percentage: 92.08

Additional information: this is one of the first three federal government colleges in Nigeria

7. Federal Government College, Ijanikin

State: Lagos

Address: kilometre 78 Lagos-Badagry Expressway

Website: fgclagos.org.ng

Founded in: 1975

Percentage: 92.25

6. Federal Government College, Nise

State: Anambra

Address: Nise road

Website: fgcniseonline.com

Founded in: 1995

Percentage: 92.31

Additional information: This government college is also among the top colleges based on the results of BECE and SSCE.

5. Federal Government College, Okigwe

State: Imo

Address: Ubahu road

Website: fgcokigwe.com

Founded in: 1977

Percentage: 92.44

4. Federal Government Academy, Suleja

State: Niger

Address: Maje-Diko By-Pass

Website: fgasuleja.com.ng

Founded in: 1986

Percentage: 92.78

Additional information: It is the best federal government college based on the BECE exams. It is also positioned as a school for gifted children.

3. Federal Government College, Rubochi

State: FCT-Abuja

Address: 16 kilometres northeast of Abaji town, and 160 kilometres southwest of Garki

Website: fgcrubochi.com.ng

Founded in: 1999

Percentage: 93.59

Additional information: This college is among the top three ranked by results in SSCE exams.

2. Federal Government Girls College, Kazaure

State: Jigawa

Address: Amaryawa road

Website: fggckazaure.com

Founded in: 1977

Percentage: 98.14

1. Federal Government Girls College, Benin

State: Edo

Address: Federal College Rd, Uselu PMB 1161

Website: fggcbenin.com

Founded in: 1973

Percentage: 99.14

And that is all for our ranking. Did your educational institution get The best federal government college in Nigeria title? Let us know! We would appreciate your feedback.

READ ALSO: Best unity schools in Nigeria

Source: Legit.ng
Jackson County is known for its recreation destinations, ATV trails and tourist spots, but what it might not be known for is its hidden important historical sites.

Tucked back on the hillside in rural Alma Center is a little spot called Silver Mound that holds a special historical value for researchers and human history in general.

This is one of the first sites in the area that Paleo people visited, lecturer at UW-La Crosse Constance Arzigan said.

The importance of the site is tied to a special rock inside the mound, which contrary to the mounds name, isnt silver.

What makes Silver Mound special is the Hixton Silicified Sandstone (HSS) that comprises the mound and provided high quality material to early humans.

This special type of stone supposedly was harder than flint and held sharp edges longer making it an ideal raw material.

It got its name because it had a kind of shine in the sunlight with this silver color and people thought it might be silver, Arzigan said.

Material from Silver Mound has traveled pretty far according to the Mississippi Valley Archaeological Center, who say HSS has been found as far away as Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.

What is more impressive to Arzigan is that the earliest visitors would have to quarry out the material by hand, which just further shows how important it was if people were willing to expend that effort.

Its really fun to just walk into it and see where these people used to be, Arzigan said.

It wasnt just Silver Mound that drew people to the area though, the MVAC says that in addition to high quality materials, the receding glaciers also left behind some areas full of vegetation and roaming mastodons for people to hunt.

We see at the mound that people from hundreds of miles away had visited the site, Arzigan said.

They can tell this by the different artifacts and materials from other places that have been found in the area, meaning that Silver Mound was an important spot where people communicated and traded.

Silver Mound was first discovered back in 1846 when it was noticed by some surveyors, but it wasnt explored from an archaeological perspective for a few more decades.

According to the MVAC website, Will C. McKern was the first professional archaeologist to explore the mound in 1928.

Since then, some excavations and research has been done by other universities over the years to find out more about the previous visitors.

The site became a National Historical Landmark in 2006 and archaeologists have been working to preserve and protect it since.

Silver Mound currently sits behind the KOA Campground in Alma Center, hidden back through thickets and a short hike.

Current owner John Bierbach said he knew about the site when he bought the campground, but it didnt influence his decision to buy it.

Not many tourists come by to see it, but thats because I dont think they know about it, Bierbach said.

Some archaeological enthusiasts have come through the campground to check it out, but its mostly visits from universities that frequent Silver Mound.

The easiest way to access the mound is through the KOA Campgrounds and taking the hike up to Silver Mound.

Arzigan and Bierbach both stressed a reminder that it is illegal to take anything from the Silver Mound site since it is a historical landmark, but people are allowed to visit it and see where history was made.
- Biafra Secret Service commander vowed that Anambra election will not take place

- Ejike Njeze in his reaction warned that the implication might affect those in the south-east

- The APC chieftain said the government would not fold its hands and watch a group threaten the country

Ejike Njeze who is a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has said that the action of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) will affect Igbos.

Vanguard reports that the APC chieftain spoke in reaction to a threat issued by a commander of the Biafra Secret Service, Ezekwesiri Kenneth, who said the Anambra election will only hold over their dead bodies

READ ALSO: Arewa Youths blast Kanu for not accepting withdrawal of quit notice issued to Igbos

Chief Njeze said the tone used by IPOB indicated that it plans to use violence to stop the election and predicted that it will bring an end to IPOB.

He urged IPOB to reconsider its decision as the government would not watch a group try to stop a legitimate election.

He said: There is no reality behind laying a claim that an individual or IPOB could halt the governorship election in Anambra state. Any attempt to stop a lawful process like an election is chasing a wild goose. It is equivalent to a young child looking at the moon and thinking that he could pluck the moon simply because he could see it.

For me, it is clear that IPOB will attempt to use violence to try to stop a lawful process but the law-enforcement agencies will not sit-down and watch any individual or group set Anambra state ablaze. Rather than one man set the whole state ablaze, the state will set the man ablaze.

No well-meaning and responsible Anambra person will support that call for the halting of the progress of the state through the boycott of a governorship election. Honestly, I dont see the place of election boycott in the Biafra agitation.

What Nigerians should expect is the election results because the conduct of the governorship poll is non-contestable. IPOB lacks the locus standi to halt a constitutional election of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

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IPOB has given the options to the government that it is between their dead bodies and the conduct of the elections and the most realistic between the two alternatives is the latter. So, I urge them to have a rethink on the call to boycott Anambra gvernorship election because it is doomed to woefully fail and also bring forth unpleasant consequences among those residing in Southeast.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court, Abuja, on Tuesday, September 5, granted the request seeking to serve court processes on Kanu and IPOB through substituted service.

The court, however, ordered that other respondents in the matter, namely: the Inspector-General of Police, the Commandant General, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Attorney-General of the Federation be served personally.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Kanu speaking about his agitation.

Source: Legit.ng
- The vice president of the defunct Republic of Biafra, Late General Phillip Effiong, may have died with regrets

- This indication was given by his kinsman, Elder Enefiok Ekefre

- He urged the federal government to give the Effiong family the same privileges given to Late Chukwuemeka Odimegwu family after his death

A chieftain of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Akwa Ibom state, Elder Enefiok Ekefre, has alleged that the Igbos abandoned Late General Philip Effiong who he said died a Biafran rebel.

Ekefre made the comment in an interview with Vanguard, even as he chided the Igbos for abandoning the Late Effiong.

He lamented that Effiong, the vice president of the defunct Republic of Biafra who died in 2003, was not given the amnesty accorded to Late Ojukwu by the federal government.

General Effiong was the vice president of the defunct Biafra Republic. Source: YouTube

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His words: The Igbo are expecting support forgetting that they all looked the other way and allowed General Effiong who made the historic declaration that ended the bloody civil war to live and die a Biafra rebel while Ojukwu died a Nigerian Army General.

General Philip Effiong, an Ibiono Ibom man, was the vice president to Ojukwu. Mr. M. U. Akpan, the Secretary to the Government of Biafra (SGB) was also from Ibiono. General Effiong signed the instrument of surrender but when the Igbo were talking of payment of gratuity and pension, they only presented General Ojukwu and refused to mention General Effiong.

He lived and died a Biafran military officer but Ojukwus rank was restored with salaries and gratuity paid from 1966. Today, the Igbo are complaining of marginalization and oppression, forgetting that justice and injustice should not be selective.

Ekefre appealed to the federal government to make adequate compensation for the family of the late General Effiong in the spirit of true reconciliation and justice.

He said the agitation by the Indigenous Peoples of Biafra (IPOB) was ill-timed, stressing that the Igbo had President Goodluck Jonathan from South-south, Senate President from South-east, Secretary to the Government of the Federation government, minister of finance and General Azubike Ihejirika as Chief of Army Staff, and they could not ask for their republic then.

He also lamented that the south-south, south-east and south-west regions are not united.

Meanwhile, Nigerian novelist, Chimamanda Adichie, has debunked quotes attributed to her which gave the impression that she was in support of the Biafran agitation in some news websites.

Writing on her Facebook page on Saturday, September 3, the famed writer stated that she did not say or write the words attributed to her.

READ ALSO: APC chieftain warns IPOB over Anambra governorship election

Watch Legit.ng TV interview with Nnamdi Kanu speaking on the Biafra agitation below:

Source: Legit.ng
- The leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, is a thorn in the flesh of the Igbo elites

- Kanu has used unconventional means for his group's agitation for the Biafra Republic

- The IPOB leader says his campaign has now woken the Igbo elites from their slumber

IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, has said the mode of his group's campaign has woken Igbo elites from their slumber.

Kanu made the comment on Monday, September 4 in Owerri, the Imo state capital, after he met with the Alaigbo Development Foundation (ADF), as part of his consultations towards the realization for Biafra Republic.

According to Vanguard, ADF delegation at the meeting was led by its national president, Professor Uzodinma Nwala, while Kanu led senior officials of IPOB to the parley.

Nnamdi Kanu has been constantly meeting with key Igbo leaders of thought on the Biafra agitation

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Speaking to journalists after the meeting, Kanu said: I told them that I will update them periodically on what we are doing.

I am glad that the elite are coming on board. We are all elite, including the carpenter and the mechanic by the road side, who have understanding of the times, as long as they can make sense and articulate their viewpoints and channel them towards emancipating our people.

Elitism is not purely about academics; it has to do with being able to articulate a sense of purpose for a people and pursuing it doggedly.

He described the meeting as a family meeting and not for public consumption, adding that it was very fruitful.

According to him, the outcome of the meeting will guide us in our efforts towards restoring Biafra.

Alaigbo Development Foundation is a pan-Igbo organisation composed of some accomplished Igbo professionals, academics and the intelligentsia at home and in the diaspora with interest in Igbo cause.

Meanwhile, Kanu has warned members of IPOB to desist from giving out money to the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).

Kanu also threatened to expel any member of the group who fails to heed his warning, even as he accused the NPF of being a criminal organisation, out to extort members of his group.

READ ALSO: General Effiong died a Biafran rebel - Kinsman reveals

Watch Legit.ng TV interview with Nnamdi Kanu speaking on the Biafra agitation below:

Source: Legit.ng
- Niger Delta activist Government Ekpemupolo has vowed to revenge his father's death

- Ekpemupolo popularly known as Tompolo said troops of the Nigerian military who caused his father's death would not go unpunished

- He also denied involvement in the diversion of NIMASA fund as alleged by the EFCC

The founder of the defunct Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), Government Ekpemupolo popularly know as Tompolo, has vowed that soldiers under the Joint Task Force will pay for the death of his father Thomas Ekpemupolo.

While speaking during the one year anniversary of his late father, the Niger Delta activist who is currently in hiding said the descendants of Thomas will not rest until the masterminds of his death are held accountable.

The Nation reports that Tompolo said his father's soul can finally find peace if the soldiers are brought to book.

READ ALSO: We cannot trust her again - Ministers react after Aisha Alhassans endorsement of Atiku for 2019

As we mourn and remember our late patriarch, we will seek justice to apprehend and hold accountable the very soldiers responsible for his murder so that he can finally rest in peace and we his descendants can be fulfilled.

I will also not be deterred by persecution and state act of terror against my person and communities in Ijaw land in the quest for the emancipation of our land and people, Tompolo vowed.

He sustained injuries in one of his legs and due to lack of medical facilities in the area he could not be treated and could also not be timely evacuated because of the siege and blockade by the Nigerian Army," he said.

READ ALSO: Controversial Turkish diplomat who met Kanu promises to take issue of Biafra and Myanmar killings to UN General Assembly

The activist also denied any involvement in the looting of funds belonging to the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) as alleged by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

I have been marked as state enemy number one by the President Muhammadu Buhari regime because of my natural and open association with my kinsman and former President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Dr. Goodluck Jonathan," he said.

Tompolo also denied involvement in the destruction carried out by Niger Delta Avenger militants in the region.

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He further accused the Nigerian Navy of looting his waterfront properties and jetties worth over N10 billion.

In the last taken inventory of my facility, there was over 10 billon naira worth of building and other materials in the Jetty, but information reaching me now has it that the Jetty has been stripped bare by service personnel of the Joint Task Force [JTF]," Tompolo added.

Below are photos taken from the one year anniversary ceremony of Thomas Ekpemupolos death.

Tompolo has blamed the death of his father on JTF soldiers, photo credit, Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Guests arriving at the venue of the ceremony, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Tompolo says his father's soul can finally find peace if the soldiers are brought to book, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Tompolo says the descendants of Thomas will not rest until the masterminds of his death are held accountable, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Guests in warm handshake at the venue of the occasion, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Tompolo speaks from hiding, vows JTF will pay for his father's death

Tompolo denies any involvement in the looting of funds belonging to NIMASA as alleged by the EFCC, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Dancers performing at the ceremony, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Dancers at the ceremony, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Tompolo denies involvement in the destruction carried out by Niger Delta Avenger militants in the region, photo credit: Gbaramatu Voice Newspaper - Facebook

Legit.ng earlier reported that High Chief Thomas, the Tunteriwei of Gbaramatu kingdom, died on September 7, 2016, following harassment by some troops of the Nigerian military.

Chief Thomas was reportedly assaulted by the troops who laid siege on Gbaramatu Kingdom on May 28.

It was gathered that Tompolo's father had sustained injury on one of his legs during the military invasion and later died from complications from the wound.

You can watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Nigerians speaking about whom they think is the best president ever in the country:

Source: Legit.ng
- A pan-Igbo, Imeobi Igbo has cautioned Nnamdi Kanu, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) to be calm over Anambra election

- The Igbo forum said it respects Kanus enthusiasm but he should soft-pedal

- The group noted that he can not achieve Biafra republic by boycott of election

A pan-Igbo grassroots sociocultural organisation, Imeobi Igbo said no amount of threat by Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), would stop November 18 gubernatorial election in Anambra state.

The forum also said the problem in Igbo land has nothing to do with the conduct of election but marginalisation of the Igbos, Nigerian Tribune reports.

Mike Ikegulu-Onugha, the group's national chairman urged Kanu to take easy with his agitation.

READ ALSO: Tompolo speaks from hiding, vows JTF will pay for my fathers death

He said: "We respect Kanus enthusiasm but I dont know what he has in mind for saying that there will be no election in Anambra state, he should soft-pedal.

''The referendum he is talking about will come one day and it is not by boycott of election that we will achieve a Biafran republic, rather, it will worsen our problem.

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''We will constitute a reconciliatory body to help move Igbo nation forward and for those who believe we dont have a king in Igbo land they are funny because we have.

''This organisation has its tentacles in Igbo land and we will screen all the candidates when the time comes to know their antecedents''.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that Igbo leaders under the aegis of the Ala Igbo International Foundation met with Kanu on Friday, August 18.

The traditional leaders met with him to discuss the upcoming gubernatorial election in the state.

Watch a Legit.ng TV video below of Kanu speaking about his Biafra agitation:

Source: Legit.ng
- South-east governors claimed they never blamed the federal government for IPOB members deaths

- The chairman of the governors forum said reports that the governors met to accuse the federal government is a lie

- He added that the communique raised during the governors last meeting with IPOB leaders still stands

The governors of south-east Nigeria has denied claims that they recently held a meeting where they accused the federal government of killing members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB).

In a statement by the chairman of the South-east Governors Forum, David Umahi, the governors debunked a report by one Nwankpa Osita Okere who recently alleged that the governors met in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state, where they accused the federal government of brutality on the Igbo ethnic nationality.

READ ALSO: Atiku laments being side-lined by Buhari, APC after bringing them to power

Premium Times reports that Governor Umahi, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Emmanuel Uzor, said: While it is our responsibility to protect the lives and property of our people including the IPOB, it is rather embarrassing to link the forum to whatever politics of bitterness in any part of the country.

Firstly, the writer and his paymasters failed to meet up with the realities on ground as concerns the already initiated move between the governors forum and leader of IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu, reached during our last meeting in our secretariat in Enugu.

It is, therefore, the wish of the forum to assure the general public that the communique raised during our last meeting with IPOB leadership still stands and anybody circulating any report contrary is the real enemy of Ndigbo and should be disregarded.

He claimed that such rumour was being passed by enemies of Ndigbo, who are out to cause trouble between the governors and the federal government as well as strain the relationship between IPOB and the governors.

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Meanwhile, Legit.ng earlier reported that IPOB leader, Nnamdi Kanu, on Wednesday, September 6, received some IPOB supporters who were released from alleged military detention.

The youths were detained on Monday night, September 4, at the popular Isi Gate area, after they clashed with the army.

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
- 10 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) were arraigned by the police in Umuahia, Abia state

- The IPOB members were arraigned before L.Ugbaja of the Umuahia magistrate court

- The suspects were charged on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit

The police in Abia state has arraigned 10 members of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) before a magistrate court in Umuahia.

The IPOB members, the police said were arrested for instigating a clash between the group and soldier of the 14 Brigade Ohafia on Monday, September 4, at the popular Isigate in Umuahia.

The suspects - 10 tricycle (Keke Napep) operators - were arraigned before Chief Magistrate L. Ugbaja on an eight-count charge bordering on conspiracy to commit felony to wit, riotous assembly.

READ ALSO: How APC, Buhari used me and dumped me after I brought them to power - Atiku breaks silence

The offence, Legit.ng gathered, is punishable under section 516A of the criminal code law cap 80, Vol- 3 laws of Abia state 2005.

The suspects include: Maduka Okoro, 42; Kelechi C. Okoro 29; Onyekachi Eyera 33; David Eke 38; Udochukwu Omekara 34 and Chinedu Ogbonna, 25.

Others are Chukwudi Mmesoroonye, 24; Okwudiri Nwagwu, 41; Ihedigbo Monday, 45 and Sunday Eze, 25.

READ ALSO: Niger Delta activist Tompolo fumes, vows JTF will pay for his father's death

Other charges leveled against the suspects include; act to commit a misdemeanor and malicious damage to property; taking part in riotous act; willfully and unlawfully breaking the wind shield of a Hilux vehicle property of the Nigerian army; resisting arrest and injuring a private soldier Eze Kenneth.

But in his argument, counsel to the suspects G. I. Chionye said the soldiers have no business being at Isigate extorting money from motorists.

Chinonye while applying for bail also argued that the offence is bailable.

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having heard the argument, the Chief Magistrate the suspects bail of N400,000 each and sureties whom will produce the same amount of money.

The Chief Magistrate also ordered that the sureties must tender before the court evidence of three years tax clearance.

He further adjourned the matter to Monday, September 18, for hearing.

Legit.ng earlier reported that there was a clash between soldiers and some members of the IPOB at the Isigate in Umuahia.

The clash began after a disagreement between the soldiers at the checkpoint and a commercial tricycle operator.

Members of the IPOB said the soldiers shot at and injured some individuals who had remained peaceful at the scene of the clash.

They also appealed to the Nigerian Army to release their members who were arrested by the soldiers during the clash.

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
Jesse Hiebs standup paddle board adventure is not just historic; it led the adventurer on a journey to advocate for the states longest river.

Hieb paddle boarded the entire length of the Wisconsin River in 2016, beginning at the rivers source at Lac Vieux Desert, on the Wisconsin-Michigan border, to where it meets the Mississippi River at Prairie du Chien.

Hieb will tell the story of his trip and his work to preserve the health and beauty of the river at the Friends of the Black Rivers Wednesday, Sept. 13 meeting. The meeting will be held in the Jackson County Banks community room beginning at 6:30 p.m.

To his knowledge, Hieb believes he is the only person to paddle the length of the river on a paddle board.

As the longest river contained entirely within the states borders, Hieb took 21 days to complete the 430-mile journey. Carrying 70 pounds of food, camping gear and photography equipment on his paddle board, Hieb encountered rapids and numerous portages as he made his way down river.

The Wisconsin River has been described as the hardest working river in the U.S. With 26 dams, 14 paper mills and 43 municipalities located on the river, it was also one of the countrys most polluted waterways.

That was 40 years ago. At that time, people swimming in the river or eating fish taken from the river could get sick. Pictures taken of the river at that time show animals were able to walk across it because there was so much sludge sitting on the surface.

Through the efforts of concerned citizens and the paper mills, energy companies and municipalities, pollution in the river has been cut by 93 percent.

Heib has created a documentary of his paddle on the Wisconsin River and his work to improve the rivers health. The documentary is titled, Gone Paddling and information about the documentary and his trip down the Wisconsin can be found on his website at http://gonepaddlingthefilm.com. He intends to show segments of the documentary during his presentation.

The FBR meeting is free and the public is encouraged to attend. For more information, email info_fbr@yahoo.com.
In 2014, former vice president, Atiku Abubakar, said that he believes he is the largest private employer of labour in Nigeria. This, he revealed in a series of tweets on his twitter handle, @atiku, while discussing the need to prioritise job creation in Nigeria.

As an individual, I believe my record in employing young Nigerians is unrivalled by any single private investor in Nigeria #LetsTalkJobs, the former vice president said.

Mr Abubakar, who has investments in media, shipping, education, and other sectors, said back then that he currently employs about 50,000 people in his companies in Nigeria.

Although there have been various speculations as to the exact companies he owns, he made a big reveal again on Twitter on September 7.

Another Nigerian had accused Atiku of owning MIKANO, a company producing electricity generators. He tweeted:

The former vice president who has been linked to presidential ambitions for 2019, was forced to reply and he did by saying:

He then listed the companies he owns:

READ ALSO: 300,000 signal support for Atiku's presidential bid in 2019

Below is some information on his companies:

1. Intels

Intels Nigeria Limited provides integrated logistics services for the Nigerian oil and gas industry.

It offers agency services; cargo services; port management and support services in shore bases; and manages client operations, including pipe racks, stacking areas, warehousing, enclosed areas, jetties, offices, water tanks, fuel storage, generators, compressors, and various other services and facilities.

2. Prodeco

Prodeco operates in Nigeria with two companies: Prodeco (Property Development Company) operating within the main territory of Nigeria and Prodeco International operating in Oil & Gas Free Zones.

The first company was incorporated in March 1996 as a property development company. Over the years, PRODECO has engaged in building, marine, and infrastructural construction for various clients in the oil and gas industry.

3. Atiku Abubakar farm

He also has a farm in Adamawa state. In 1981 he moved into agriculture, acquiring 2,500 hectares of land near Yola to start a maize and cotton farm. The business fell on hard times and closed in 1986. "My first foray into agriculture, in the 1980s, ended in failure," he once said in 2014. However, since then his farm has expanded and blossomed.

READ ALSO: 2019 Election: Atiku, Lamido prepare for battle

4. ABTI schools

The major part of this is the American University of Nigeria (AUN). It is located in the city of Yola, capital of Adamawa, one of Nigeria's 36 states.

The campus, which occupies nearly 1000 hectares, is a serene mixture of desert and farmland. Adamawa, one of the six states in northeast Nigeria, shares the longest borderline with Cameroon Republic.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng reported that Atiku recently condemned those peddling quit notice, hate speeches and anti-Igbo songs.

Atiku also urged the federal government to restructure the country and remove the use of state of origin from the country's constitution.

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In a statement issued by his media office, Atiku said: "Just as I strongly condemned the Quit Notice on people of the Igbo ethnic stock living in Northern Nigeria and the counter quit notices that ensued.

"I also vehemently condemn the retaliatory Quit Notice given by certain elements in other parts of Nigeria to persons of other origins be they Northern, Yoruba or any other ethnic grouping within our country."

Watch this Legit.ng video as Nigerians speak on what works in the country:

Source: Legit.ng
- Samuel Odinye, special assistant to Willie Obiano on community mobilisation, has revealed why his principal will win the November 18, Anambra governorship election

- Odinye said that Governor Obianos second tenure is non-negotiable

- He said the governor is the only marketable candidate in the state governorship race

Samuel Odinye, special assistant to Governor Willie Obiano on community mobilisation, has said his principal will win the November 18, Anambra governorship election because he is the most qualified candidate.

Odinye made this known while addressing some APGA faithful in Ward 1, Ogbunike, Oyi local government area of the state.

He said: ''APGA is an indivisible party with a national identity and its national chairman remains Victor Oye. It is the only party that protects the interest of Igbo in Nigeria.

READ ALSO: Tompolo speaks from hiding, vows JTF will pay for his father's death

''The present governments achievements within three years are second to none. Therefore, Governor Obianos second tenure is non-negotiable. He is the only marketable candidate in Anambra state governorship race''.

He, however, appealed to the youths to step up their campaign and ensure the APGA is more known than the grassroots.

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Izunna Emesia, councillor ward 1 Ogbunike said: ''The return of nightlife in the state has helped to improve socio-economic activities and reduced crime

''Investors are coming to the state, which at end, will help to create employment as well as create opportunities for the people of the state''.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that the pro-Biafra group, the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has vowed to ensure that the governor did not return to the state government house after the November 2017 poll.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video had reported that APC is the worst party in Nigeria:

Source: Legit.ng
Tomah police arrested a 17-year-old Chicago resident with thousands of dollars worth of drugs and cash after a routine traffic stop Wednesday.

According to police, an officer stopped a car for an equipment violation on Hwy. 21 around 12:30 p.m., and one of the occupants gave inconsistent information about his identity.

Officers determined his name was Ronald Delaney Smith Jr. and arrested him on suspicion of providing false information when they discovered 46 grams of meth, 4.1 grams of heroin and $6,194 in cash, according to the police department.

Smith has not been charged. He is being held in the Monroe County Jail and is scheduled to appear in court Friday.

The Monroe County Joint Investigative Task Force is assisting with the investigation.
- Aisha Alhassans reported endorsement of Alhaji Atiku Abubakar as president for 2019 has sparked disquiet among ministers

- Some ministers describe Alhassans endorsement of Atiku Abubakar as evidence of her disloyalty

- APC youths say Alhassan has every right to support her godfather as President Muhammadu Buhari has not declared his intention

The presidency has summoned the minister of women affairs, Aisha Alhassan, to Aso Rock a day after her reported endorsement of Atiku Abubakar for president in 2019 became public.

READ ALSO: Arewa Youths blast Kanu for not accepting withdrawal of quit notice issued to Igbos

According to the Sun, the summon may be connected to her comments on Wednesday, September 6, where she reportedly said even if President Buhari decides to re-contest in 2019, she would still support Atiku.

Legit.ng had reported that Alhassan in an interview with the BBC Hausa, explained that the former vice president is her godfather, and that is why she supports him.

Meanwhile, Aisha Alhassans reported endorsement of Abubakar has sparked disquiet among ministers who fear her comment could hasten cabinet reshuffle.

The Nation reports that most cabinet members were shocked by their colleague's comment.

While some said it was typical of the minister, others said it showed her disloyalty.

One minister who spoke on the condition of anonymity said: Some of us called her when the video went viral and she confirmed the comments attributed to her.

To me, I think it is like passing a vote of no confidence on your boss. I think it is untidy to write off your boss as incompetent to continue in office.

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Another cabinet member said: I am not surprised; it is typical of the Minister of Women Affairs. But the ideal thing is to leave and pursue your career. This development might affect our unity in the cabinet. Some will certainly not trust her again.

However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) youths have thrown their weight behind Aisha Alhassan saying she has the right to support her godfather, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

In reaction, APC youths said she has every right to support her godfather as President Muhammadu Buhari has not declared his intention.

In a statement signed by its national secretary, Collins Edwin, the APC Youths Renaissance group said that Mrs Alhassan was right to her benefactor

The group said the minister has not been found wanting in her duty as minister and warned against people trying to divide the party.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video about how Nigerians reacted to 2019 Buhari campaign posters flooding the streets.

Source: Legit.ng
Louie Ferris has grand visions and the follow-through to make them reality.

Ferris, 87, of La Crosse, has dedicated his life to assisting and honoring veterans.

In 2016, he spearheaded the creation of the Korean War Memorial in Veterans Freedom Park, and in June 2017, he began raising funds for an adjacent World War I memorial. The latter, which will be dedicated on Oct. 21, has not yet been completed, but Ferris is already hard at work on his next project  a Vietnam Memorial.

My vision is to do many (memorials) in the same park, said Ferris, a Korean War vet and president of Korean War Veterans Association Chapter 275 of La Crosse. The Vietnam vets are biting at the bit. They all want this.

The Korean War Memorial took nine months to finance and complete, and the World War I Memorial will have only taken four months by its projected completion in mid-October. Largely funded by a $15,000 donation from River Bank, with support from La Crosse Sign Company, Christen Farm Nursery and the La Crosse Parks and Recreation Department, the memorial will feature a statue by sculptor David Oswald of Sparta and pillars inscribed with quotations.

Ferris envisions a substantially larger memorial for Vietnam veterans, costing somewhere in the realm of $200,000.

The Vietnam vets really deserve a nice one. They didnt get nice treatment when they came back, Ferris said. These vets are still alive ... they need it more than most.

A board is being developed to oversee the design and funding of the memorial, with members including Ferris, one or two local members of the Lao Veterans of America, and Sheryl Pederson and grandson Jordan Briskey, a Holmen High School sophomore who took part in the Korean War Memorial dedication.

Jordan is very ambitious, a patriot ... Sheryl is very intelligent, ambitious, inspirational and a visionary, Ferris said. We are dedicated, work together very well and have perseverance.

Ferris anticipates the same outpouring of support he received during his last two projects, saying many of the contractors used are themselves veterans or relatives of veterans. He said Pederson and Briskey will be in contact with larger organizations for donations, and Don Weber, himself a Vietnam vet, will be assisting.

The memorial will be inclusive of the Lao and Hmong-American veterans who served during Vietnam, with input from Na Tou Lor and other local Lao veterans.

They sacrificed a lot, Ferris said. They lost their homes. They had to move and learn a whole new language. They played a big part in Vietnam and I told them I wouldnt think of setting up a memorial without including them.

Ferris believes the trio of memorials will become a destination for veterans from across the country, a place to mourn, to remember and to heal.

Once you walk into that area, its a sacred ground, Ferris said.
- Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs and social development has declared that President Buhari is not a naive person

- Alhassan had said that she would support ex-vice president Atiku Abubakar in 2019 even if Buhari recontests

- Presidency, had however summoned Alhassan over her comments

Aisha Alhassan, minister of women affairs and social development has said that she does not think President Muhammadu Buhari is a naive person.

According to a report, Alhassan said this while speaking with state house correspondents after visiting Aso Rock with the hope to meet with Abba Kyari, chief of staff to the president.

READ ALSO: Atiku Abubakar lists all the companies he owns

Legit.ng gathered that She said she had not seen the president since she made the comment, which made some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to call for her sack.

I have not seen the president but I dont think he is a naive person, she said.

The minister had described former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar as her godfather, saying she would support him even if Buhari seeks reelection in 2019.

When asked to explain her reason for moving against the president, Alhassan said: I have no comment.

I have said all in BBC Hausa. Get someone who speaks Hausa very well to translate it for you let the will of God be done.

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It is unclear if she was summoned to the presidential villa or she visited on her own accord.

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had earlier reported that the presidency summoned the minister of women affairs, Aisha Alhassan, to Aso Rock a day after her reported endorsement of Atiku Abubakar for president in 2019 became public.

Watch this Legit.ng TV video about how Nigerians reacted to 2019 Buhari campaign posters flooding the streets:

Source: Legit.ng
I never imagined that the late Gabrielle Chanel and I would make similar fashion statements.

Well, truth be told, I didnt even know who she  perhaps better known as Coco Chanel  was, other than hearing people lust for Chanel No. 5 when I was a lad, until I started researching todays topic.

I got up Tuesday morning in a rebellious mood and said to myself: Forget what they say  Im going to wear white after Labor Day.

After all, I wondered, who are they and why should they have that say? They probably have to put their pants on one leg at a time, I thought, as I pulled my white linen pants on one leg at a time.

Upright pantsing can be a challenge on some days, because its easy to lose your balance and fall if you snag a toe. But I refuse to surrender to advancing age and sit down to don pants  a secret I guard from my insurance company. Similarly, depantsing also carries risks of taking a tumble. OK, OK  I admit to the possibility that I may have ended up on my bum a few times.

But what kind of a punishment can they dole out for flouting the law  slap me with a sentence of a hard days labor for every after-Labor Day violation?

As it turns out, there are a couple of theories about when and how the rule originated.

It was a stroke of luck that the email I received Tuesday as part of my online Readers Digest service highlighted some of those theories in an article headlined The Real Reason Were Not Supposed to Wear White After Labor Day.

One explanation often cited traces to the early 1900s, a time of progressive changes for American women, such as the election of the first woman to Congress and, of course, passage of the 19th Amendment granting women the right to vote, according to Readers Digest.

However, social acceptance for wealthy women pivoted on what you wore, and when. The trend-setters wore white only during the warmer months, based on the belief that they could afford to buy lightweight clothing and replace it if they became pitted out, the article notes.

Womens magazines in the 1950s promoted the no white after Labor Day regulation from an old saying to a matter of fact. Those who toed the line and wore white only between Memorial Day and Labor Day felt as if they had graduated to the upper class.

Another theory is that most fashion designers lived in the North, specifically New York City, where fall and winter rain and slush could spray all over the whites, making them difficult to clean, the Digest article explains. Now, thats an explanation that a poor dry cleaners son can understand from the get-go.

The most prominent rule-breaker apparently was Coco Chanel, who the Digest says insisted on donning her bright white finery throughout the year. So I guess that, in a way, I inadvertently became a Coco buff on my treasonous Tuesday.

The Mental Floss web site offers support to the Readers Digest piece. It even refines the explanation of how the slogan became so common that it could be used year-round.

As is often the case, all you had to do was follow the money to solve the conundrum of who they were back then. As is also often the case, the wives in incredibly rich families were despots who took no prisoners after the Civil War, according to Mental Floss.

As the number of millionaires exploded, it often was hard to distinguish between respectable old-money families and the vulgar interlopers with new money in their purses and wallets.

By the 1880s, the rich mean girls felt the need to create fashion rules to make the in crowd more easily recognizable and, therefore, exlude the hoi polloi.

That way, if a woman showed up at the opera in a dress that cost more than most Americans made in a year, but it had the wrong sleeve length, other women would know not to give her the time of day, according to Mental Floss.

Wearing white only during the summer months was one of those rules, and the more people heard it, the more it seemed legit, according to Mental Floss.

I think we missed the chance to nullify the summer-only rule because President Barack Obama didnt sign an executive order making it the law of the land. If he would have, President Donald Trump would have overturned it on Day One because his raison detre clearly is just to reverse everything Obama ever did as president.

As for me, I confess that I wore those white pants Tuesday just to stick my thumb in the eye of any old-fashioned, old-moneyed fashionistas who might have been offended.

I admit that Im no arbiter of fashion, but I do have my own 2 cents worth of advice for men who opt for white britches: Be sure to wear your tighty whities because bold colors  even flesh-colored, Buck Naked long boxers  might show through.

And anybody knows that the fear of visible panty lines keeps men awake at night.
Press Release

BI Nutraceuticals will be sampling products made from a selection of the company's newest and trending functional ingredient offerings at the SupplySide West (SSW) Expo, being held September 27 & 28, 2017 at the Mandalay Bay hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada, including:

Fiber-rich Blondie with new sweet potato powder  Introduced in May, the sweet potato powder provides an excellent nutritional profile with essential vitamins and minerals, protein and fiber. The favorable taste profile, versatile application form and clean label classification make the powder the ultimate consumer-friendly ingredient from baby foods to beverages and snacks.

 Introduced in May, the sweet potato powder provides an excellent nutritional profile with essential vitamins and minerals, protein and fiber. The favorable taste profile, versatile application form and clean label classification make the powder the ultimate consumer-friendly ingredient from baby foods to beverages and snacks. Protein-packed cinnamon chocolate shake with clean label lentil concentrate  This plant based protein is not only potent, but is among BIs family of clean label products. The lentil concentrate is a nutritional powerhouse and is paired with BIs new Lucuma Fruit Powder for clean flavor with a clean label.

 This plant based protein is not only potent, but is among BIs family of clean label products. The lentil concentrate is a nutritional powerhouse and is paired with BIs new Lucuma Fruit Powder for clean flavor with a clean label. Energy boosting cranberry aloe vera shot featuring a Guayusa, Lucuma and Yerba Mate blend  BIs Guayusa Powder Extract comes from the leaves of the holly tree, Ilex Guayusa, and contains naturally occurring caffeine. Mixed with nutrient-rich lucuma, this blend is perfect for anyone wanting a healthy boost of energy with a slightly sweet twist.

BI conducts extensive species identification and quality testing on every ingredient so manufacturers can be assured each one meets clean label claims. With more than 400 ingredient offerings  200 of which are GRAS  BI can help companies boost the healthful properties of nearly any product.

To learn more about BIs extensive portfolio of ingredients, visit booth # AA164 at SSW or http://www.botanicals.com/. To arrange to speak with a representative from BI at the show, please contact Ida Baghoomian at [email protected].
A vaccine that can literally eradicate the majority of cervical cancer cases shows long-term effectiveness in a study published today in The Lancet. This study of 14,215 women in 18 countries extends and solidifies the initial phase 3 efficacy and safety trial of the nine-valent human papilloma virus vaccine, Gardasil 9, that was published in February 2015 in The New England Journal of Medicine.

These new results strengthen the promise that vaccination with Gardasil 9 can reduce 90 percent of cervical cancers.

"There is no question that the vaccine works," said primary author Warner Huh, M.D., professor and director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham Division of Gynecologic Oncology and a senior scientist at the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center. "We're on the verge of a dramatic change that will positively affect all individuals, particularly women, in the United States. The challenge is to get the new vaccine into widespread use among young women."

The UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center and a coalition of Alabama health groups last year launched a formal call for action, urging Alabama parents and health care providers to get children -; girls and boys -; vaccinated against the sexually transmitted human papillomavirus, or HPV. The vaccine is unique in its ability to prevent certain cancers.

HPV infections cause global disease, including an estimated 266,000 deaths from cervical cancer worldwide in 2012, according to the World Health Organization. Routine screening by Pap smears or tests for HPV infection has reduced death rates in developed countries compared to less developed regions of the globe. Still, an estimated 12,200 U.S. women a year are diagnosed with cervical cancer.

Gardasil 9, marketed by Merck & Co., was approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in December 2014. The vaccine immunizes against nine genotypes of HPV known to cause cervical cancer, as well as vulvar, vaginal and anal cancers and genital warts caused by HPV. It is an advance over the four-valent HPV vaccine, Gardasil, which was approved by the FDA in 2006.

Huh helped develop and test Gardasil, which targets the two HPV genotypes known to cause about 70 percent of cervical cancer and two other genotypes that cause genital warts. Gardasil 9 targets those four genotypes and five additional ones as well. Both vaccines are prophylactic, meant to be given before females or males become exposed to possible HPV infection through intimate contact.

"Nationwide, 40 percent of girls and boys do not receive the HPV vaccine, and in the state of Alabama, almost half of girls and boys do not receive the HPV vaccine," Huh said. "With this new vaccine, there is a very legitimate opportunity to wipe out cancers that are caused by HPV, particularly cervical cancer in women.

"Seventy-five years ago, cervical cancer was a very common cause of mortality in the United States. Looking forward, with widespread vaccination, it is highly likely that cervical cancer will evolve into historical interest only, and screening, like Pap smears, might go away altogether. HPV vaccines are one of the most scrutinized vaccines ever, but multiple studies have demonstrated the vaccine to be safe and well-tolerated."

In the Lancet study, women were followed for efficacy at preventing disease for up to six years after the first vaccine shots, and they were followed for production of infection-halting antibodies against the nine genotypes of HPV for more than five years. The randomized double-blind efficacy, immunogenicity and safety study involved 105 sites in Austria, Denmark, Germany, Norway and Sweden; Brazil, Chile, Colombia and Peru; Canada, Mexico and the United States; and Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, Taiwan and Thailand.

Half the women were vaccinated with the four-valent Gardasil and half with the nine-valent Gardasil 9. They were followed via gynecological exams for evidence of infections or disease, and their blood sera were tested for antibody levels against HPV.

Gardasil 9 showed 97.4 percent efficacy to prevent infections and disease caused by the five additional HPV genotypes not included in the four-valent Gardasil vaccine. Gardasil 9 vaccination produced similar antibody protection against the four HPV genotypes in Gardasil. The two vaccines also had similar safety profiles.

The nine-valent HPV vaccine has now been licensed in more than 60 countries for prevention of HPV-related anogenital cancers and precancers, and genital warts. Results of the Lancet study support the public health value of -; and the need for -; comprehensive vaccination programs.
Congenica, a global provider of clinical genomics interpretation software, today announced a new customer partnership with the Coimbra Paediatric Hospital (CPH), a leading paediatric hospital in Portugal and part of the Coimbra Hospital and University Centre (CHUC). Through this partnership, the hospital has licensed Congenicas Sapientia software platform to perform analysis of whole-exome sequencing data and produce diagnostic reports for its In2Genome project. The 1.2 million ($1.4 million) project funded by Portugal2020, Compete 2020, and European Structural and Investment, aims to revolutionize the diagnosis of rare genetic diseases through insights gained from population-wide genomic data.

Initiated by The Medical Genetics Unit of CHUC, which is housed in CPH, the In2Genome project is a multidisciplinary consortium collaborating with Portuguese companies Coimbra Genomics and Genoinseq by Biocant. The project, which commenced in July 2017, is expected to run for two years.

Sergio B. Sousa, MD, PhD, Medical Geneticist at CPH, said:

This is a unique and innovative project for the Portuguese national health system. We have chosen Sapientia due to its demonstrated speed and high accuracy in other diagnostic projects as well as the well-known UK 100K Genomes Project. One of the main aims of In2Genome will be to set up a whole-exome sequencing analysis service at our leading public hospital centre. Our first project is the study of a large cohort of patients with neurodevelopmental disorders, namely intellectual disability syndromes with the aim of developing faster precise diagnostics to better support patients health and lifestyle outcomes.

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Sapientia is currently deployed at a number of clinical and research organizations as well as being used for the interpretation of rare disease in the 100,000 Genomes Project. As an end-to-end solution, the platform is designed to allow clinicians to upload data in a number of different formats, using existing bioinformatics pipelines or adopting publicly available ones, and then to filter and interpret the genetic variants associated with disease.

Shikha OBrien, Congenicas Chief Business Officer stated:

Building rapidly on our global footprint, we are delighted to be working with CPH and CHUC, and to be part of an important national project in Portugal. The use of Sapientia in this clinical setting demonstrates the value of the platform, especially in diagnoses of paediatrics cases where speed and accuracy is of utmost importance.

Professor Jorge Saraiva, Director of both CHUCs Medical Genetics Unit and CPH, added:
The coming together of health professionals from more than 30 countries for the WHINN - Week of Health and Innovation in Odense in October is the result of Danish health tech maturity.

Health technology. Huge investment in health technology, super hospitals and robotics, together with public-private partnerships and a high rate of adaptation, form the basis for the growing interest in Denmark as the health technology laboratory of Europe. As the number of carers decreases and the number of patients grows, there is an increasing need to come up with health technology solutions for the future:

"With technological giants such as Apple and Philips on the list of participants, there is no doubt that WHINN is fast becoming big business. That's why it's important for us to reach out to Europe and the rest of the world, while taking care of everything that makes Denmark unique."

So says Christian Graversen, Executive Director of the Danish health technology business cluster, Welfare Tech. He is also quick to point out the value of the tradition of public-private partnerships as a competitive parameter in relation to the rest of Europe.

Unique gathering of health professionals

Advances in health tech depend on the success for professional staff who utilizes the technology on a day-to-day basis. That is precisely why Denmark is the perfect place to have Europe's largest health technology knowledge festival. That is the opinion of Danielle Siarri (InnoNurse), a nurse and an influencer in the field of international nursing.

"I've visited Denmark on a previous occasion to study Danish health innovation, because the technology here is some of the most advanced in Europe. It's clear that the open collaborative culture with public-private partnerships helps create a favourable environment for health innovation, and I'm sure things will just accelerate when participants from so many countries flock together."

Danielle also believes that the decision to keep WHINN free of isolated financial interest by running the knowledge festival as a non-profit organization, helps make the event unique in Europe.

Digital delivery rooms

Danish health innovation is wasting no time. The sensory technology company, Wavecare is one of the companies currently experiencing the potential of reaping the benefits of the innovation-friendly Danish healthcare system. After more than 10 years of development and impact measurement across the public sector, Wavecare is facing a global breakthrough with its so-called 'Sensory Delivery Room'. Using stress-reducing sound and light concepts, it reduces the number of emergency caesarean sections and the duration of births. One of Wavecare's two partners, Bjoern Wennerwald, believes that this is what makes WHINN such a great showcase:

"In the past three years Wavecare has installed sensory delivery rooms in 10 Danish and Chinese hospitals, and last year the company made a profit for the first time. Now we're ready to realise the business element, and that means that health professionals need to experience the concept."

This year Wavecare expects to double its turnover, and by 2018, when the first overseas sensory delivery rooms and other Wavecare solutions are implemented in Asia, Australia and the Middle East, Bjoern Wennerwald expects turnover to increase tenfold.

The design of Wavecare's sensory delivery room is the result of 10 years of development and studies in a number of Denmark's largest hospitals. But the real evidence will not be available until early 2018, when the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) publishes a research report based on the first studies. In other words, while it is a still a matter of indications, it has been convincing enough to awaken global interest in the product.

Enthusiasm for Danish sound and light

The sensory delivery room is just the first in a series of products in the pipeline, which are based on soothing sound and light concepts. The overseas markets are responding extremely positively to the combination of measurable efficiency, Scandinavian quality and Danish skills in the fields of acoustic technology and lighting design. Bjoern Wennerwald emphasizes that the sensory delivery rooms are just the start:

"For almost three years we've been working on the reduction of coercion in psychiatry, focusing on dedicated sensory rooms to promote de-escalation and reassurance. Results have been convincing in this area too. So far there have been 30 installations, and there are more in the pipeline."

Bjoern also points out that it is not only psychologically vulnerable individuals and patients coming for examination and treatment who benefit from these sensory rooms. Healthcare professionals also experience a less stressful working environment.

Source: http://www.whinn.dk/
insights from industry Dr. Richard Brandon Chief Scientific Officer Immunexpress

An interview with Dr. Richard Brandon, Chief Scientific Officer, Immunexpress, conducted by April Cashin-Garbutt, MA (Cantab)

What is systemic inflammation and how many different underlying causes are there?

Firstly, it is necessary to make a distinction between systemic inflammation and Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome (SIRS).

SIRS consists of changes in clinical signs including an abnormal body temperature, increased heart rate, increased respiratory rate, an abnormal white cell count (either decreased or elevated), or an increase in band neutrophils.

Whereas systemic inflammation can be defined as an alteration or perturbation in the immune system, that could be detected by measuring something in the blood.

Credit: Kateryna Kon/Shutterstock.com

Systemic inflammation and SIRS can both be caused by lots of different things, but at the highest level you would categorize the causes into either infectious or non-infectious.

Infectious causes include bacteria, fungi, viruses, or parasites. Non-infectious causes include burns, trauma, surgery, ischemia-reperfusion, stress, sarcoidosis, asthma, etc.

The difference between infectious and non-infectious can sometimes be a bit of a blurred line. This is because the body has a microbiome, and when you get damaged tissue, there's often a certain bacterial or infectious element to it as well.

What impact do sepsis and SIRS have on the population?

Sepsis is the most expensive condition in U.S. hospitals costing our healthcare system over $15 billion per year. Sepsis is also the biggest killer of children under 5 worldwide.

The prevalence of SIRS in hospitals is also very high - about 30% of people in hospital have an episode of SIRS during their stay. Clinicians then have to determine whether these patients have an infection or not.

Sepsis, in the United States, has an eight times higher mortality than any other condition. It is the number one killer of people in intensive care. Sepsis needs more attention, and people need to become more aware of it. There is a need for better diagnostics, better and more directed care, and better antibiotic use.

Why do you think sepsis is not more well-known?

The clinical definition of sepsis has changed over the years. A lack of a clear definition of what sepsis is, and a lack of gold standard diagnostic for sepsis are possible factors contributing to its low-profile status. Other terms used for sepsis include blood poisoning, toxic shock syndrome, endotoxemia, or blood stream infection.

Because sepsis often affects the elderly, usually when they have some other condition, it is perhaps talked about less. The tragedy of the lack of awareness of sepsis is in children. Thats where people need to be made more aware of it in particular.

The fact that sepsis isn't well-known emphasises that it needs more promotion as a potential killer.

Credit: toeytoey/Shutterstock.com

Why can it be difficult to establish the underlying cause of systemic inflammation?

The main reason that infectious and non-infectious causes are difficult to distinguish is because patients present with the same clinical signs. Clinicians therefore can't tell the difference between an infectious and a non-infectious case. An infectious cause of systemic inflammation, like sepsis, is a medical emergency which has to be treated as soon as possible.

Another reason is that current diagnostic tests aren't particularly good. For instance, for sepsis there is no gold standard diagnostic.

Blood culture is used to diagnose sepsis which involves taking blood from a patient and then trying to grow a microorganism. However, blood culture is a gold standard diagnostic for bacteremia, rather than for sepsis. Blood culture has high false positive and false negative rates. Up to 90% of all blood cultures taken from patients suspected of having an infection are negative. Also, in many instances when a blood culture is positive it is due to contamination rather than because of the patient actually having an infection.

What challenges does this pose for diagnosis and treatment?

The fact that there is no diagnostic gold standard for sepsis makes it very difficult to diagnose, and the treatments for an infectious condition versus a non-infectious condition are quite different.

Because these patients present with similar sorts of clinical signs, many patients in hospital are on antibiotics, and a large proportion of those are on antibiotics needlessly. But it also could mean that certain patients are misdiagnosed. Either they're diagnosed with having a non-infectious condition, when they actually have an infectious condition, or vice versa. This leads to patients getting the wrong treatment or not getting treatment at the right time.

Sepsis is a medical emergency, and the sooner it is treated, the lower the mortality. For septic shock for instance, every hour a patient is not being treated leads to an increase in mortality.

How does the required response to sepsis differ from systemic inflammatory response syndrome?

The response to sepsis and non-infectious SIRS are different.

Sepsis has to be treated as soon as possible. It involves the immediate use of empiric broad-spectrum antibiotics and fluid support while waiting for the results of blood culture and antibiotic sensitivity. Other treatments for septic shock include the use of vasopressors and organ support. In some instances, which is still controversial, some patients get steroids.

Patients with non-infectious Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome shouldn't be on antibiotics. They could be given anti-inflammatory medications and other support. They may also need to undergo some other diagnostic procedure to determine what is the cause of non-infectious SIRS.

Can you please outline the recent investigation of a four-biomarker blood signature to discriminate viral and non-viral causes of systemic inflammation?

There are a number of published articles in the literature that describe biomarker signatures that can distinguish between bacterial and viral infection, but they either consist of a large number of biomarkers, or do not take into consideration that patients could have a non-infectious condition. In our most recent paper, we discovered a four-gene biomarker signature in blood that is very specific to viral infection in a heterogenous population of patients that could have other infections or non-infectious Systemic Inflammatory Response Syndrome.

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We thought specificity was important because patients that are suspected of infection usually present with clinical signs of SIRS. We also thought it was also important that the signature consisted of a limited number of biomarkers.

A signature consisting of a limited number of biomarkers means that it lends itself more to translation onto a point-of-care machine. Testing on a point-of-care machine means that it can be done quickly and closer to the patient, which is an important part of managing a patient with suspected sepsis.

It was a large study where we used over 3000 subjects to discover the signature, and then we validated the signature on another 600 subjects, including patients enrolled in two clinical trials in adults and children.

Did the signature demonstrate a meaningful distinction?

One of the key attributes of this viral signature is that we've demonstrated that it has diagnostic power across all seven Baltimore virus classification groups.

In the Baltimore classification of viruses, there are seven groups. Classification is based on whether a virus is DNA or RNA, double-stranded or single-stranded, or whether it is a negative or positive-sense.

This particular signature works across all of those different types of viruses. A patient could be infected with any type of virus and our signature could still detect that that person had systemic inflammation caused by a virus.

The study also demonstrated that the signature is able to detect a viral infection very early in the course of infection, before viremia and before clinical signs develop.

Another key finding was that the signature worked in a number of different tissues, including blood, liver, and in vitro culture. It also worked in different mammals, including macaques, monkeys, pigs, rats, and mice.

We're calling it a pan-viral signature; it is very specific, and it can be used very broadly.

What impact will this analysis have?

We didn't intend that the viral signature was to be used alone. We always intended that it'd be used in combination with our SeptiCyte LAB signature.

SeptiCyte LAB is an FDA-cleared assay that provides a probability of a patient having sepsis or non-infectious SIRS. It is also a four-biomarker signature. In the last part of our paper, we analysed a public dataset using the combination of our viral signature and SeptiCyte LAB. In this dataset patients had acute respiratory illness due to either bacterial, viral or non-infectious causes. Using the two signatures in combination separated out these patients very well based on etiology.

Using these two assays in combination, clinicians can be provided with a probability of whether a patient has either sepsis or SIRS, and whether the sepsis was caused by a virus or not. In combination, these signatures may lead to better management of patients that are suspected of having an infection.

What do you think the future holds for patients suspected of sepsis?

I think that the future for patients suspected of having sepsis it is very positive.

Whilst I don't think the prevalence of sepsis is going to necessarily decrease in adults or the elderly, the largest impact I hope to see as a result of better awareness, diagnostics, prognosis, monitoring and treatment will be in children less than five years of age.

Using our viral signature in combination with our SeptiCyte lab signature, especially on a point-of-care platform, will lead to faster and more accurate diagnosis of sepsis, which will ultimately lead to faster and more directed treatment.

When the test costs come down, patients can ultimately be monitored.

For instance, patients on chemotherapy are particularly prone to getting infectious conditions. If they could monitor themselves on a regular basis to see whether they were getting an infection, then they could be treated much earlier, and there would be less side effects of chemotherapy.

The use of biomarkers can provide a prognosis for sepsis, but patients can also be stratified. Patients in intensive care and wards can be categorized or stratified into different levels of treatment or management requirements.

The future for patients with suspected sepsis is very positive, especially with the use of host response signatures in combination with point-of-care machines for better and earlier diagnosis.

What is Immunexpress vision?

The original company vision was to be able to aid clinicians in making better diagnoses, especially for patients suspected of infection, which would then lead to better patient outcomes.

The company's vision is for our tests to be a clinician's first choice of diagnostic procedure when they suspect that a patient has infection. This would then guide a clinician on how to manage a patient and what other diagnostic tests might be of use.

In addition, I mentioned earlier that sepsis doesn't have a diagnostic gold standard, I would like to see the Immunexpress tests being a new gold standard for diagnosing sepsis based on host response.

Where can readers find more information?

www.sepsis.org

Our website - http://www.immunexpress.com/

The Centers for Disease Control - https://www.cdc.gov/sepsis/index.html

The World Health Organization - http://www.who.int/bulletin/volumes/88/11/10-077073/en/

Journal of the American Medical Association - Blood Culture Collection for Suspected Bacteremia - http://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/article-abstract/1558267

About Dr. Richard Brandon

Richard is currently co-founder and Chief Scientific Officer for Immunexpress, a Seattle-based company commercializing host response assays for sepsis diagnosis. He is a qualified veterinarian and gained his PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Queensland, and his MBA from the Queensland University of Technology.

After a brief period in veterinary practice, his career has focused on molecular immunology / genetics and its application in understanding the immune response to infection.

Before co-founding Immunexpress, he has spent time as a veterinary pathologist, a post-doctoral researcher at Cornell University and The Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, and in an equine-DNA parentage-testing laboratory.
Research has shown most frail elderly patients want to maintain quality of life rather than prolong it, but the use of invasive life-sustaining technologies in this population has been increasing.

A new $2.7 million national study is aiming to narrow the gap between the care that frail elderly Canadians want and the care that they receive by evaluating ways to improve care planning conversations between patients, families and health professionals.

"Canadians, especially the frail elderly, should be receiving person-centered care that is based on their goals and values," says Dr. John You, an associate professor of medicine at the Michael G. DeGroote School of Medicine at McMaster University and an internist at Hamilton Health Sciences.

"Unfortunately this is not the current reality. Many are receiving unwanted treatments that can have a negative impact on them and their families."

He added that earlier research has shown that prescribed orders for life-sustaining treatments only matched seriously ill hospitalized patients' preferences 30 percent of the time.

You is the project lead of the new three-year research project that will engage the elderly, families, clinicians, and health care organizations to implement and evaluate a suite of tools to support advance care planning, a process for reflecting on and communicating wishes for future health care. These tools include videos, workbooks, interactive websites, and conversation guides, all of which can support better communication and decision-making about care, particularly for those who can no longer communicate their wishes.

The Improving Advance Care Planning for Frail Elderly Canadians study is being conducted in several health settings across Canada, bringing together a team of 32 investigators from 16 universities, five international collaborators and 42 partner organizations. The study will be undertaken within hospital, primary care and long-term care settings.

The study is funded by the by Canadian Frailty Network and supported by Government of Canada through Networks of Centers of Excellence program.

You is talking about the issue at the International Society of Advance Care Planning and End of Life Care conference, being held this week (September 6-9) in Banff, Alberta.

You says that advance care planning is a critical component of health care for this vulnerable group. "Advance care planning can have a significant impact on the patient experience and the family experience," he says. "They deserve to have their voices heard."

Source: http://www.mcmaster.ca/
Morbid obesity affects the liver: Almost one-third of all adults suffer from chronic fatty liver disease, which can lead to infections and even trigger cancer. Researchers at the University Children's Hospital Zurich and the University of Zurich have now found a signaling pathway in cells that play an important role in the development of fatty liver disease.

In Switzerland, about every tenth adult suffers from morbid obesity. Such corpulence can not only lead to diabetes or cardiovascular disease, but also to fat accumulation in the liver. Worldwide, about 25 to 30 percent of all adults and increasingly children are affected by such steatosis - becoming the most frequent liver disease in recent years. Some patients suffer from inflammation that could lead to a scarred shrinkage of the liver (cirrhosis) or even cancer.

Receptor for programmed cell death activated

Despite the increasing frequency of obesity-related liver steatosis, there is currently insufficient knowledge about the origin of this disease. At the University Children's Hospital Zurich, researchers from the University of Zurich have identified a signaling pathway in liver cells that may contribute to the development of steatosis. In the process, the plasma membrane receptor Fas (CD95) is key; this cell receptor occurs in almost all human cells and is involved in programmed cell death (apoptosis). This self-destruction program is activated when cells are no longer functional or are even developing malignantly. Activation of the Fas receptor then induces apoptosis in these cells. A low-threshold activation of Fas, however, can trigger cell reproduction or an inflammatory response without cell death occurring.

Lack of Fas receptor protects against a fatty liver

"In our study, we were able to demonstrate in mouse models that Fas is activated within the scope of obesity and can therefore lead to the development of liver steatosis," says Prof. Dr. med. Daniel Konrad, professor for endocrinology and diabetology from the University of Zurich and physician at the University Children's Hospital Zurich. "Mice missing Fas in their liver cells were protected against the development of obesity-induced fatty liver for the most part." The animals are also considerably less insulin resistant. "Conversely, our study shows that an increased Fas content in the liver can lead to liver steatosis and insulin resistance, even in case of a normal body weight," Konrad explains.

Permeable mitochondria inhibit lipid oxidation

The team of researchers found indications that an activation of Fas affects the mitochondria: Their capacity to oxidize fatty acids is limited and therefore leads to the accumulation of lipids in liver cells. In the process, the protein-coded gene "BID" plays an important role. This gene is also involved in programmed cell death, leading to an increased permeability of the mitochondrial membrane. The researchers were able to demonstrate that mice with increased Fas content but simultaneously low BID content in the liver were protected against the development of fatty liver.

New therapy approach possible

The study therefore shows how both factors, Fas and BID, interact in case of obesity contributing to fatty liver disease. "The described signaling pathway of Fas and BID could serve as a novel target for a better treatment of fatty liver disease associated with obesity," Daniel Konrad explains.
Salk Associate Professor Tatyana Sharpee has been awarded a grant of approximately $950,000 over 4 years by the National Science Foundation to study how the brain processes complex sounds. This grant is part of a multi-national project together with groups in France and Israel.

"Tatyana's computational approach and modeling is at the cutting edge of neurobiology research," says Salk President Elizabeth Blackburn. "This award will allow her to continue to make important discoveries about how the brain processes sounds and test theories about how different types of neurons work together. Such work could inform better ways to treat hearing loss or improve speech-recognition technologies."

Sharpee, who is a member of Salk's Computational Neurobiology Laboratory, seeks to develop a unifying theory of "biological control" to understand the universal principles of behavior. Specifically, she is uncovering how animals sense and adapt to their environment as well as make predictions and decisions. To do this, she applies mathematical strategies--like statistics and probability models--to chart the principles by which the brain's billions of neurons exchange energy and information.

"This grant represents a tremendous opportunity to solve the mysteries of auditory processing by combining electrical recordings from the brain, simulations of large scale neural circuits, and statistical analysis of both model and real responses to understand how different types of neurons in the auditory cortex represent naturalistic sounds," says Sharpee. "I could not be more excited about it."

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The grant brings together three groups, one experimental and two computational, to develop models based on known properties of neural networks to describe how different types of neurons cooperate to represent sounds. In addition to deepening our understanding of auditory perception, the researchers from Salk, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Paris-Descartes University hope to gain insights into general principles of cooperation between neurons within a single neural network.

"The work Dr. Sharpee and her colleagues are doing is really exciting and difficult," says Kenneth Whang, NSF program manager, Information & Intelligent Systems division in the directorate for Computer & Information Science & Engineering. "They are bringing together computational models of what a brain network can accomplish with the mechanisms underlying those processes. This is critically important for understanding how large numbers of neurons work together to power our perceptions and other cognitive functions."

The research has implications for understanding representation of signals in other senses (vision, touch) as well as the general principles of neural coding in the brain, and offers a number of potential practical applications, including the design of improved hearing aids and artificial speech recognition systems.

Additionally, because an altered balance between types of neurons has been implicated in a number of attention deficits and psychiatric disorders, including autism and schizophrenia, the project could also reveal new ways of treating those diseases.
A national HIV awareness campaign is launching today (Thursday 7 September) on New Cathedral Street, Manchester.

HIV has Changed includes a ten-foot-tall, thriving ecosystem of plants and flowers spelling out HIV, to visually demonstrate how the virus is not what it used to be, and with the right treatment and care, people living with HIV can now lead full and healthy lives.

Jim Kemp, who has been living with HIV for 13 years, said: There is a lot of misunderstanding and prejudice towards HIV  both what it means to live with the virus and for the people around you.

I have always found it ironic that HIV is still spoken about in whispers but when written down, it is shouted out in CAPITALS. Being able to talk openly about HIV in a normal way, will lead to a better understanding and less fear and stigma. HIV has changed. It's time to tell people about it".

Supporting the new campaign, Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester said Manchester is a city that is proud of our inclusive, tolerant and diverse people.

Its important that we all know that HIV has changed, and given our strong heritage as a progressive city, I'm proud that Manchester has been chosen as the launch city for this vibrant campaign. I know our communities are keen to help tackle the stigma associated with HIV.

A survey commissioned by ViiV Healthcare, showed that nine out of ten adults surveyed in Greater

Manchester have heard of HIV, however it also highlighted the need for continued education to dispel some persisting misconceptions about the virus.

Almost 1 in 5 (18%) people incorrectly said that HIV can be passed from person to person by kissing, and 1 in 4 (25%) didnt know, or were unsure of, the difference between HIV and AIDS.

HIV is a relatively uncommon, communicable infection, affecting an estimated 100,000 people in the UK, of which 13,500 are thought to be unaware that they are HIV positive.

George House Trust, provides support to people who are living with the virus and is part of the Passionate about Sexual Health (PaSH) Partnership along with BHA for Equality and LGBT Foundation, who collaboratively deliver HIV prevention and support across Greater Manchester.

We hope that raising awareness of how HIV has changed will help tackle the stigma so often associated with the virus, and help overcome any fear of being tested. Steph Mallas, CEO from George House Trust

The survey results showed that 4 in 5 (78%) people thought that having an HIV test is a good idea; however, 2 in 5 (42%) didnt know where they could get tested.

Steph continued: There are now more convenient options for getting tested than ever before, including GP surgeries, sexual health clinics, community clinics and home testing. Knowing if you have HIV means that you can get the right support and treatment for you.

Jim added: Discovering I was HIV positive was hard to hear, but with help from George House Trust, I was better able to cope with my condition.

Knowing my HIV status also means I can take responsibility for my actions. With the advances in treatment it means there is little risk of me transmitting the virus and I can choose how to live my life. More people knowing their HIV status and being responsible would lead to a drop in further infections.

Dr. Alistair Paice, Medical Director of ViiV Healthcare UK, said: Over the last 30 years, weve made huge strides in the medical management of HIV. However, stigma and discrimination still present a considerable barrier for people living with HIV.

Alongside prevention education, it is essential that we continue to address the outdated prejudices towards HIV within our communities. That way, more people will feel comfortable getting tested and a greater number of people living with HIV will speak openly about their HIV status  just as other people do who live with a chronic condition.
Natural disasters such as Hurricane Harvey remind us that the health of a thriving population can become endangered in a matter of moments. With Hurricane Irma now expected to impact the east coast, disaster relief expert, William Blazey, D.O., reminds communities that peril continues in the aftermath of a catastrophe, as victims and responders are often unknowingly exposed to an array of short and long-term health risks.

"Following a major storm, the need for medical attention is higher than ever, when otherwise healthy individuals are more susceptible to disease, infection, and psychological disorders," says Blazey, who serves as assistant dean of pre-clinical affairs at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine.

Having provided emergency medical care to populations in crisis in the U.S., as well as in developing nations such as El Salvador and Haiti, Blazey can attest that this increased need for medical attention also requires that patients' medical history be readily available.

"Patients are more likely to suffer a range of health issues requiring urgent care, from cardiovascular disease to respiratory illness, as well as skin disorders and infections," says Blazey. "Every second counts in emergency response situations. When the ability to adequately deliver care is already delayed by hazardous conditions such as flooding, the additional time needed to locate one's health history can further complicate care and postpone treatment, which can be deadly for patients living with chronic diseases."

Blazey recommends that individuals arrange physical records of their prescriptions and health history, noting that electronic health information may not be accessible. "We tend to believe that we'll have the necessary information at our fingertips with our smart phones, or that our physician will be able to access the files, but issues such as loss of electricity and cell tower outages can prevent patients from accessing their medical information when they need it most," says Blazey.

Disaster victims are not the only ones at risk for serious health issues, Blazey adds. "In acting as caregivers, first responders may prioritize the basic needs of others before their own. Dismissing small items, such as the need for dry socks and footwear, can lead to skin breakdown, whereby the responder becomes a patient of infection and microbial disease," says Blazey.

Self-neglect in victims or responders may also signal the presence of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), with recovered addicts being more likely to return to old habits. "The effects of a disaster can lead individuals to seek the comfort of self-destructive patterns. We see that the need for counseling is higher following events such as Hurricane Harvey, but the good news is that many organizations, including the American Red Cross, can provide these services to assist victims and manage the long-term trauma," says Blazey.

Source: https://www.nyit.edu/
The watchdog agency for the federal Department of Veterans Affairs says staff at the Tomah VA Medical Center failed to report a dentist who used improperly sterilized equipment for more than nine months and found surprise inspections could have alerted hospital leaders sooner.

The findings are contained in a report released Thursday by Office of Inspector General on its investigation into the lapse in hygiene, which could have exposed hundreds of veterans to bloodborne infections, including HIV and hepatitis.

In November, the Tomah VA asked nearly 600 patients to get screenings after learning of the violations. Spokesman Matthew Gowan said as of Thursday more than 90 percent of those patients had been tested with no confirmed infections.

The VA has flagged electronic records of the remaining patients to alert their physicians to follow up on their next visit, according to the IG report, which determined facility leaders took appropriate actions once alerted to the problem.

The dentist, identified as Thomas Schiller in an internal VA report submitted to Congress, was suspended and resigned in December.

The investigation  conducted at the request of Wisconsins two senators and Reps. Ron Kind of La Crosse and Tim Walz of Minnesota  recommends unannounced inspections of the dental clinic, training for staff on when and how to report issues relating to patient safety and consultation with VA leadership on any action to take against staff who failed to report the use of unsterilized instruments.

Tomah VA Director Victoria Brahm said the clinic has followed through on all the IGs recommendations.

I think the findings were fair, Brahm said. Weve done everything that weve been asked to do.

Both the internal and IG reports makes clear that Schiller knowingly violated VA policy but the internal report also points to problems with a hostile work environment, which was also cited as a factor in the over-prescription of painkillers revealed in 2015.

According to the internal VA report, Schiller used his own bits  known as burs  and other personal supplies over the objections of his assistant. Schiller said he was aware that he was only allowed to use VA equipment but admitted using personal equipment and cleaning it in accordance with private sector protocols.

The assistant said she reported the policy violation in December 2015 to the lead hygienist, who reportedly told her not to worry about it and that he would get caught sooner or later.

Schiller wasnt caught until Oct. 19  more than a year after he was hired  when a substitute hygienist witnessed him use a personal bur and reported it to another dentist.

According to the internal review, Schiller used unsterilized burs on approximately 112 of the 592 patients he treated during his year with the VA and used other personal supplies on about 243 of those patients.

According to the OIG report, the lead hygienist said she instructed Schillers hygienist to report the violations to Dr. Frank Marcantonio, the chief of dental services and Schillers supervisor. The lead hygienist, who has since retired, told investigators she didnt report it because she had not personally witnessed a violation.

Staff members also said Schiller had poor hand-washing habits, didnt always follow cleaning protocols and slept during clinical hours, although the OIG said they did not report the behavior.

The hygienist said she was afraid to turn Schiller in, according to the report, which also cited a hostile work environment as a potential cause of his diversion from known protocol.

Brahm said an unannounced visit by the Joint Commission, an independent organization which accredits all U.S. hospitals, found no evidence to support hostile workplace allegations.

One thing we do not ever tolerate is bullying, Brahm said.

Marcantonio has since left the VA, and neither he nor Schiller cooperated with the OIG investigation, although Schiller submitted a letter. He also made allegations about the cleaning process used in the dental lab, which were referred to the OIGs hotline.

According to the VAs internal report, Schillers clinical privileges were revoked and he was reported to regulators in Texas, where he was licensed in 1996, and to the National Practitioner Data Bank, a federal clearinghouse designed to prevent health professionals from moving to another state without disclosing malpractice payments or other red flags.

The Texas State Licensing Board lists no disciplinary actions against Schiller.

The Tomah medical center was at the center of an 18-month Congressional investigation that culminated with a top VA official acknowledging a clear and inexcusable lack of leadership was to blame for the deaths of at least two veterans.

That investigation began after 2015 media reports detailed high levels of opioid prescription and a pervasive culture of intimidation and retaliation against employees who spoke out. Two top officials from Tomah  Director Mario DeSanctis and Chief of Staff Dr. David Houlihan  were removed in the wake of that report, and Houlihan later surrendered his medical license.

U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson, a Republican who chairs the Senate committee with VA oversight, issued a statement Thursday saying he is glad the dentist no longer works for the VA.

His actions were more than disturbing and provoked my request for the VA inspector general to conduct an investigation, Johnson said. I will continue my oversight to ensure that the finest among us receive the quality care that they deserve.

Sen. Tammy Baldwin, who has come under fire from Republicans for her response to reports of opioid abuse, issued a statement Thursday saying shes extremely troubled that Schiller was able to avoid questioning by resigning. Baldwin, a Democrat, said she is drafting legislation to give the OIG the power to subpoena testimony from former VA employees.

A resignation or a retirement shouldnt prevent a bad actor from being held accountable, Baldwin said.
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Humans' origin likely from Europe, not Africa: Study

New Delhi : With a recently found footprint in the Greek island Crete  dating back to 5.7 million years, there are high chances that Humans may have originated in Europe, disqualifying theory of human evolution in Africa.

Old studies claimed that all fossil hominins older than 1.8 million years (the age of early Homo fossils from Georgia) came from Africa, leading most researchers with a conclusion that Africa is the place where humans evolved.

With the latest found foot print fossil, all revealed theories seem to be going in the drain.

The big toe is similar to our own in shape, size and position. It is also associated with a distinct 'ball' on the sole, which is never present in apes.

The Trachilos footprints were securely dated using a combination of marine microfossils, plus the fact that they lay just below a very distinctive sedimentary rock formed when the Mediterranean Sea briefly dried out, 5.6 million years ago, the study said.

The researchers noted that during the time when the Trachilos footprints were made, a period known as the late Miocene, the Sahara Desert did not exist and savannah-like environments extended from North Africa up around the eastern Mediterranean.

Furthermore, Crete had not yet detached from the Greek mainland. It is thus not difficult to see how early hominins could have ranged across south-east Europe and well as Africa, and left their footprints on a Mediterranean shore that would one day form part of the island of Crete.
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From the moment it was announced to the public, the tale of how Osama bin Laden met his death in a Pakistani hill town in May 2011 has been a changeable feast. In the immediate aftermath of the Navy SEAL teams assault on his Abbottabad compound, American and Pakistani government accounts contradicted themselves and each other. In his speech announcing the operations success, President Obama said that our counterterrorism cooperation with Pakistan helped lead us to Bin Laden and the compound where he was hiding.

But others, including top Pakistani generals, insisted that this was not the case. American officials at first said Bin Laden resisted the SEALs; the Pakistanis promptly leaked that he wasnt armed. Then came differing stories from the SEALs who carried out the raid, followed by a widening stream of new details from government reports  including the 336-page Abbottabad Commission report requested by the Pakistani Parliament  and from books and interviews. All of the accounts were incomplete in some way.

The latest contribution is the journalist Seymour Hershs 10,000-word article in The London Review of Books, which attempts to punch yet more holes  very big ones  in both the Obama administrations narrative and the Pakistani governments narrative. Among other things, Hersh contends that the Inter-Services Intelligence directorate, Pakistans military-intelligence agency, held Bin Laden prisoner in the Abbottabad compound since 2006, and that the C.I.A. did not learn of Bin Ladens whereabouts by tracking his couriers, as the White House has claimed since May 2011, but from a former senior Pakistani intelligence officer who betrayed the secret in return for much of the $25 million reward offered by the U.S.

On this count, my own reporting tracks with Hershs. Beginning in 2001, I spent nearly 12 years covering Pakistan and Afghanistan for The Times. (In his article, Hersh cites an article I wrote for The Times Magazine last year, an excerpt from a book drawn from this reporting.) The story of the Pakistani informer was circulating in the rumor mill within days of the Abbottabad raid, but at the time, no one could or would corroborate the claim. Such is the difficulty of reporting on covert operations and intelligence matters; there are no official documents to draw on, few officials who will talk and few ways to check the details they give you when they do.
Puerto Ricans have ample experience with hurricanes, but the storm approaching on Wednesday brought an added level of anxiety. The islands dire financial straits have left essential public works, from power plants to retaining walls, weakened by years of scrimping on maintenance.

This is not an event that is occurring in the Netherlands, where theyre ready for it and they have a strong economy, said Miguel A. Soto-Class, president of the Center for a New Economy, a research group on the island. This is an event happening on a very poor island thats been in a depression for the last 10 years.

Puerto Rico effectively sought bankruptcy protection in May, burdened with about $123 billion in bond debt and unfunded pension obligations. Its case is being handled in federal court under a special new law, called Promesa, because the existing bankruptcy law excludes Puerto Rico.

Under Promesa, Puerto Ricos finances must be supervised by a federal board until its house is back in order, a process that is expected to take years. Relations between the board and the elected government of Gov. Ricardo Rossello were contentious even before Hurricane Irma, with the governor first agreeing to a five-year austerity plan, then reversing course and threatening to go to prison rather than accepting the entire package.

In particular, the governor has refused to furlough government workers, and to reduce the pensions of retired government employees by an average 10 percent. The fiscal oversight board has sued the governor, asking the court to order him to carry out the entire austerity plan. The furloughs were supposed to have begun on Sept. 1.

Despite the legal dispute, the boards executive director, Natalie Jaresko, said in a statement Wednesday that the board was working closely with Governor Rossello to coordinate support for Puerto Rico in the aftermath of the storm.

We have also reached out to the federal government to activate Title V of Promesa, which allows the board to work with agencies to accelerate the deployment of grants and loans following a disaster, she said.

On Tuesday, Governor Rossello urged residents to move into hurricane shelters, and began evacuations on the islands eastern and northern coasts, which are prone to flooding. Shopkeepers on the island said they were sold out of essential provisions and had never seen residents prepare so thoroughly for a storm.

To the east of Puerto Rico, another financially challenged jurisdiction, the United States Virgin Islands, was also battening down. Gov. Kenneth Mapp ordered a 36-hour curfew to reduce the risk of injuries and looting.

The United States Virgin Islands has a far smaller population than Puerto Rico, but on a per-capita basis its debt is much bigger, and even before the hurricane it was struggling economically. Governor Mapp has said that a default is out of the question, and has maintained that the territory is trying to reverse a crisis of confidence that arose there after Puerto Ricos bankruptcy.
A reporter in West Virginia who was arrested four months ago after he aggressively questioned Tom Price, the secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, will not be prosecuted, officials announced Wednesday.

The May 9 arrest of the reporter, Dan Heyman, had stoked concerns about possible efforts to stymie the free press.

In a joint statement released by the Kanawha County prosecutors office and Mr. Heymans legal team said that the State had determined after a careful review that Mr. Heyman had not acted unlawfully. He had been charged with a misdemeanor count of willful disruption of governmental processes.

Mr. Heyman, a reporter for the Public News Service, has maintained that he was simply asking questions of a federal official as that official walked through the West Virginia State Capitol. In another statement released Wednesday, Mr. Heyman said he was very relieved by the states decision.
Toys R Us has hired restructuring advisers from the prominent law firm Kirkland & Ellis as it tries to cope with hundreds of millions of dollars of debt coming due, according to two people briefed on the matter.

Among the options that the retailer, which is owned by private equity firms, is considering includes filing for bankruptcy, the people said.

Toys R Us must find a way to pay back about $400 million in debt as it tries to increase sales in the upcoming holiday season.

The company, based in New Jersey, is still holding out hope that it can refinance the debt. But the hiring of the restructuring lawyers by a financially troubled company usually suggests that bankruptcy is a real possibility. The hiring of Kirkland & Ellis was first reported by CNBC.
Police officers fatally shot a 31-year-old Bronx man on Wednesday afternoon after they were called to his home by his landlord and the man confronted them with a knife and what turned out to be a toy gun with a laser, the authorities said. It was the first shooting involving a New York City officer to be captured on police body cameras.

The police were summoned to the apartment, near Seton Falls Park, around 4 p.m. after the landlord reported that he had not seen his tenant in some time. The landlord escorted the first officers who arrived to the mans third-floor unit and unlocked the door for them.

When they went inside, the man was clutching a small knife in his left hand and hiding his right hand behind his back, Carlos M. Gomez, the chief of department for the New York Police Department, said at a news conference late Wednesday.

The two officers repeatedly asked the man to drop the knife but he refused, Mr. Gomez said. After pleading with him, the officers noticed that he was gripping what appeared to be a laser-mounted pistol.
Kate Milletts first and most famous book, Sexual Politics (1970), is credited with inciting a Copernican revolution in the understanding of gender roles, but it began life somewhat unobtrusively, as a doctoral thesis. And its author was a somewhat reluctant standard-bearer for the new feminism.

Ms. Millett, who died on Wednesday in Paris at 82, was freshly out of a job, fired from her teaching position at Barnard College for her role in organizing student protests in 1968, and she worked furiously to develop her arguments into a book. She passed with distinction (although one adviser complained that reading her work was like sitting with your testicles in a nutcracker), and the book, published by Doubleday, became a sensation.

Sexual Politics sold 10,000 copies in a fortnight. Time magazine called Ms. Millett the Mao Tse-tung of Womens Liberation and featured her on the cover, with a portrait by Alice Neel. Along with Ti-Grace Atkinson and Shulamith Firestone, she became a defining architect of second-wave feminism.

Sexual Politics combined literary criticism, historical analysis and passionate polemic. In close readings of writers like D. H. Lawrence and Henry Miller  the so-called champions of sexual liberation  Ms. Millett traced contempt and outright hatred of women.
Simeon Wright picked cotton all day in his fathers field on Wednesday, Aug. 24, 1955, just as he had done every summer growing up in the Mississippi Delta. It was just too hot, though, for his 14-year-old citified cousin, Emmett Till.

After a few hours of harvesting, Emmett, lately arrived on vacation from Chicago, wearily retreated to the Wrights home on Dark Fear Road, just outside the cotton-milling hamlet of Money, Miss.

That night, the boys sought refreshment with relatives and friends, all black, at Bryants Grocery & Meat Market in Money. Inside, Emmett bought some bubble gum from the 21-year-old white woman, Carolyn Bryant, who ran the store with her husband. It was a fateful encounter.

She would tell her husband that Emmett had made a sexually suggestive remark to her, that he had grabbed her by the waist, that he had let loose a wolf whistle. She would repeat those contentions in court, then retract some years later. Whatever happened in those fleeting moments, the encounter would lead to Emmetts kidnapping and murder and the mutilation of his body four days later in a crime that would shake the nation and galvanize the nascent civil rights movement.
What comes next is anyones guess. If Mr. Morales wins, he and his allies in the government and organized crime would be emboldened to go further, emptying the jails and putting an end to reform efforts. But hes not a fool; faced with enough backlash, he might beat a tactical retreat and forge a rapprochement with Mr. Velasquez that allows reform to go ahead.

While the standoff remains, neither Guatemala nor the international community can stand still. They need to act to protect the commissioner, the commission and the rule of law. Ms. Aldana and the ministry of justice should double down, taking current trials forward, continuing to root out corrupt practices and agitating for more judicial reforms. She has been pushing to remove Mr. Moraless immunity from prosecution, and on Monday, Guatemalas Supreme Court ruled that the matter should be decided by the countrys Congress.

Civil society needs to play a lieutenants role. Two years ago after the Justice Now movement ousted a corrupt president and vice president, it went into hibernation. Reawakened today, it needs to remain ever alert and pugnacious in pursuit of the justice it seeks, despite threats of repression.

The international community can play a critically important supporting role. The United Nations and others need to fight mightily for Mr. Velasquez, a fierce champion of justice who exemplifies everything the United Nations stands for, and for a commission that is one of their biggest success stories. It is hard to imagine how to replace Mr. Velasquez. There are few such fierce, principled and resolved champions of justice, and even fewer who would be interested in stepping in to lead a debilitated commission, under sustained attack and with just 19 months left in its mandate.

The American government has an opportunity to match its supportive rhetoric with concrete action. It can use its leverage to keep the army in the barracks and to lean heavily on recalcitrant elites. Military assistance can be cut. Wealthy Guatemalans and politicians who choose graft over justice can be denied the visas that permit their children to study in the United States, and they themselves to visit their second homes. If the commissions hands are tied, even temporarily, the United States can intensify its investigations of fishy financial transactions made by the same elites in the American banking system.

The United States also has an opportunity to make good use of $270 million earmarked for development and security assistance in Central America as part of the regions Plan for Prosperity.

No one element of the anti-corruption coalition can succeed alone. Playing on one anothers strengths and capacities, they can collectively strengthen Guatemalan institutions to ensure that the violence and poverty that fuel crime and migration are mitigated, and that Guatemalan democracy pulls back from the brink.
In 1968, the Mossad received fresh confirmation that Mengele was living on the farm near Sao Paulo, sheltered by the same people who had been under surveillance six years earlier. We have never been so close to Meltzer, a Mossad operative wrote to Amit, using Mengeles code name. The operative asked permission to nab one of those people and torture him to find Mengele. But his superiors were worried by his eagerness, ordered him back to Israel and replaced him.

By then, Palestinian terrorism had become Israels main security challenge, and the Mossad devoted most of its efforts to that threat. For the next 10 years, backed by Eshkol and his successors as prime minister, Golda Meir and Yitzhak Rabin, almost nothing was done about Mengele. The surge in terrorism, the surprise Yom Kippur War in 1973 and the Syrian military buildup with Soviet assistance took precedence.

When Menachem Begin came to power in 1977, he wanted a change. He made that clear in an early meeting with Yitzhak Hofi, who was then the director of the Mossad. When Begin came in, he thought that not enough was being done and that there was a need to go on hunting Nazis, Hofi later said in a classified interview with the Menachem Begin Heritage Center. I told him, Prime minister, today the Mossad has other missions that concern the national security of the people of Israel today and tomorrow, and I give preference to today and tomorrow over yesterday.  Begin didnt appreciate that response. In the end we decided that we would focus on one more target, Mengele, but Begin, who was a very emotional man, was disappointed, Hofi said.

For Begin, getting to Mengele was not just a matter of the past. He equated Yasir Arafat with Hitler. Unlike other Israelis, who saw the Holocaust as a one-time historical catastrophe, said Shlomo Nakdimon, a prominent Israeli journalist who was close to Begin, Begin believed with all his heart that the lesson of the Holocaust is that the Jewish people must protect themselves in their own country in order to prevent a renewed threat to their existence.

Begin thought settling the score with Mengele would show Palestinian leaders (and the Israeli public) that they would have to pay a price for harming Israelis. His attitude was reflected in a message he sent to President Ronald Reagan when he sent the Israeli Army into Lebanon in 1982, saying that he felt as if I have sent an army to Berlin to wipe out Hitler in the bunker.

The prime minister wasnt satisfied with Hofis verbal agreement to find Mengele. In July 1977, the cabinets security committee secretly approved a proposal from Begin to instruct the Mossad to renew its search for Nazi war criminals, in particular Josef Mengele. If it is not possible to bring them to trial, to kill them.

The pursuit resumed with a vengeance. In 1982, the agency even considered abducting a 12-year-old boy and threatening to take his life unless his father, Hans-Ulrich Rudel, a devoted Nazi and a childhood friend of Mengeles, gave them the information that could lead to his capture. (In the end, Rudel died before the Mossad decided whether to go through with the operation.)
I was 13 and I obviously remember Hurricane Hugo, but this is something incomparable. This is something terrible, an experience out of this world.

JOSE PEREZ, director of emergency management on the Puerto Rican island of Culebra, who took shelter with 65 others in a high school as Hurricane Irma passed nearby. [IRMA]
The loosely coordinated legal strategy faces uncertain prospects, and may represent a kind of precautionary measure for supporters of DACA, who are also engaged in a ferocious campaign aimed at spurring Congress to pass a law protecting people in the program from deportation. The litigation is likely to become a political rallying point for opponents of Mr. Trump, and should the legislative effort fizzle, a court challenge could become an alternative vehicle to derail or delay his policies.

To some extent, the court battle could reproduce some of the arguments surrounding Mr. Trumps travel restrictions, pitting the traditionally sweeping powers of the presidency against claims that this particular administration, on a specific matter of policy, had misused its authority.

But presidents typically have broad discretion in matters related to national security and border control, and legal opponents of Mr. Trumps policy are in the awkward position of arguing that while President Barack Obama had the presidential authority to create DACA, Mr. Trump does not have the authority to freely undo it. And the government can also assert that undercutting Mr. Trumps decision to rescind the program would impinge on his power to enforce immigration law.

Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, said Mr. Obamas program was always going to be vulnerable to the whims of his successor.

Itd be rather curious if President Trump could not use the same authority that President Obama used to create DACA, Mr. Turley said. Echoing conservative arguments that Mr. Obama had overstepped his power, he added: This is a problem you have when you ignore the constitutional structure. This matter shouldve always remained in Congress.

Besides the argument that the Trump administration has violated the equal protection clause of the Constitution, the lawsuit filed Wednesday makes a more complex claim, saying that the administration failed to follow the right process, under the Administrative Procedure Act, for shutting down Mr. Obamas program.

The states argue that DACA had become so entrenched in the immigration system that to abruptly end it was arbitrary and capricious, and that such a U-turn demanded a better explanation than what administration officials offered on Tuesday.
MIAMI  Survivors of Hurricane Andrew  a Category 5 storm that decimated cities south of Miami  talk of pre-Andrew and post-Andrew as a kind of biblical milestone.

But out of the ruin of the 1992 storm came changes that helped remake the way South Florida, the state and the rest of the country confront hurricanes.

Andrew kicked our butts and we learned from it  basically in South Florida, people were running around like crazy, mostly in circles, said Richard Olson, the director of the international hurricane research center at Florida International University. It was a marker event in the history of South Florida and for Florida in general. Nothing was ever the same in terms of mitigation and preparedness.

As Hurricane Irma trounced several Caribbean islands and headed for Puerto Rico on Wednesday, South Florida prepared for the possible landfall this weekend of a Category 5 storm with 185 mile-an-hour winds. State officials rolled out carefully detailed protocols for evacuations, storm surges, emergency response and power losses.

Gov. Rick Scott did not mince words: This is a devastating hurricane, adding that the storm is bigger, stronger, faster than Hurricane Andrew.

Andrew, which blew in 25 years ago, was the last Category 5 storm to hit the United States, and it clobbered south Miami-Dade County, flattening houses and buildings.

After the storm, South Florida approved a building code intended to make structures better withstand high winds. The state came to be seen as an international leader in storm preparation.

Laws were passed that required supermarkets, gas stations and hospitals to be equipped with generators so they could reopen quickly after a storm. Residents took outfitting their homes much more seriously. In addition to hurricane-impact windows, which are now common, many South Floridians bought hurricane shutters. Some have installed hurricane resistant roofs.

The storm also gave rise to the modern-day federal, state and local emergency response system.

Counties invested in rescue boats and vehicles, and began training teams of emergency workers in how to deal with big storms. Miami-Dades swift-response teams are part of a small, specially designated federal network. One of the teams, along with other Florida emergency medical workers, went to Houston after Harvey.

Andrew kick-started the professionalization of emergency management in Florida and, really, elsewhere, Mr. Olson said.

But emergency managers are the first to say that hurricanes are unpredictable and foolproof plans are fiction. Hurricane Irma is anticipated to be a wind and storm surge rather than a rainstorm, which plays to South Floridas strengths, forecasters said. A sudden change  like Houstons 50 inches in rain  can upend the playbook.

You have plans in place; you do drills, you make your notifications, said Pete Gomez, the city of Miamis emergency manager. Sometimes you can prepare for everything, and something else hits you.

Mitch Landrieu, the mayor of New Orleans and the president of the United States Conference of Mayors, warned that even the cities that are the most forward leaning, if overtaken by a massive event like a Category 5 hurricane with 185 m.p.h. winds, will likely suffered significant damage.

There are some things that will just not allow you to defeat Mother Nature, he said.

Gerald Galloway, a specialist on flood risk and floodplain management at the University of Maryland, agreed. While lauding Miamis attention to windstorm preparedness, he said that its residents are probably more sensitive to what would happen than what we saw in Houston.

A punishing surge could do tremendous damage, despite the attention to wind standards in construction. Another potential question, Mr. Galloway said, is how effectively the standards are put into place. They are certainly more attentive to it  but are they enforcing it? Im not sure.

Whether it will make much of a difference with Irma, he said, will all depend on what the nature of the event is, and where it is.
This is an overview of Hurricane Irma, reported by journalists throughout the region. To see their latest dispatches from places hit by the storm, go to Thursday's live Irma updates.

SAN JUAN, P.R.  Hurricane Irma struck the northeast Caribbean with terrifying force Wednesday, its battering rain and winds of up to 185 miles per hour leaving a trail of chaos, wreckage and flooding from Barbuda to Puerto Rico, before taking aim at islands farther west and, beyond them, Florida.

Already one of the most powerful storms ever recorded, Irma could become one of the most destructive as well, depending on its path, and officials from Turks and Caicos to Florida pleaded with people to heed advisories to evacuate to shelters and higher ground. The National Hurricane Center described the hurricane as potentially catastrophic.

The storm made direct hits on Barbuda, St. Barthelemy, St. Martin, Anguilla and the British Virgin Islands, and raked the United States Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico with hurricane-force wind and torrential rain. Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, said Irma had destroyed 95 percent of the structures on Barbuda, an island with about 1,600 people.
WASHINGTON  Republican congressional leaders perched on the couches in the Oval Office froze in mid-smile on Wednesday afternoon when they realized President Trump was bypassing them to cut a short-term spending and debt ceiling deal with Democrats, and not them.

Speaker Paul D. Ryan and Senator Mitch McConnell, the majority leader, had expected the rare bipartisan, bicameral meeting to be little more than a photo-op in which the broad outlines of a deal were discussed, aides said.

Instead, Mr. Trump  who has often outsourced the details of negotiations to subordinates like Vice President Mike Pence  interrupted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin as he argued for an 18-month debt ceiling increase to stabilize financial markets. When other leaders offered yearlong or half-year extensions, the president waved them off, according to the accounts of staff members briefed on the meeting.

The three-month deal Mr. Trump eventually embraced is a significant tactical change for a president thus far anxious to preserve, not expand, his political appeal. The plan was pitched by two Democratic leaders he has relentlessly demonized and marginalized: Senator Chuck Schumer of New York and Representative Nancy Pelosi of California.
Other officials who have staked a claim to China, such as Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson and the commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross, have run afoul of Mr. Trump, either on specific policies or broader issues. And Mr. Trumps national security adviser, Lt. Gen. H. R. McMaster, is not playing the coordinating role on China that several of his predecessors did.

That lack of a guiding hand has contributed to the administrations dissonant signals toward Beijing. Two months ago, Mr. Ross tried to negotiate a deal with China on steel exports, only to be publicly rebuffed by Mr. Trump. On Sunday, the Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, threatened to cut off trade with any country that does business with North Korea  an unsubtle, and impractical, warning to its main trading partner, China.

President Xi would like to do something, Mr. Trump told reporters about their exchange on North Korea. Well see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea. I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent.

But there is little evidence that Mr. Xi will sign on to the steps now being pushed by the United States: a global embargo of oil supplies to North Korea. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia, who often acts as Mr. Xis proxy on these matters, declared that he would oppose such a move in the United Nations Security Council, where Russia holds a veto.

Mr. Xi, a senior Trump administration official said, stuck to his talking points during the call with Mr. Trump. Among them: China was already doing the most it could to pressure North Korea, taking additional steps could create havoc in the region, and the best remedy for the current tension would be for the United States to enter talks with Pyongyang.
Forty years ago, in August and September of 1977, a band of humans launched a pair of robots to explore the solar system and probe the infinite darkness beyond. 3, 2, 1. We have ignition and we have liftoff! Taking advantage of a rare planetary alignment, the twin Voyager spacecraft raced outward toward Jupiter, then used the giant planets gravity to slingshot on to Saturn. At Saturn they parted company. Voyager 1 turned upward, leaving the plane of the planets and heading toward interstellar space. But Voyager 2 kept trekking, spiraling outward on a grand tour of the outer planets, toward distant Uranus and Neptune. At each planetfall, fuzzy dots bloomed into worlds. Every image sent back to Earth was another lesson on natures ability to surprise. Voyager saw swirls within swirls in Jupiters banded jet streams. Volcanoes spouting sulphur on Jupiters moon Io, a tormented world twisted and pulled by gravity. And eggshell-smooth Europa, an icy shell around a hidden ocean. Two years after Jupiter, the Voyagers approached Saturn, jewel of the solar system. Its broad rings dissolved into thousands of grooves, like a phonograph record. Braided, kinked and patrolled by tiny moonlets. Voyager probed the methane skies of Titan. It slid past two-faced Iapetus, with light and dark sides. Giovanni Cassinis disappearing moon. And Enceladus. Trapped under its crust of ice is another dark ocean, and perhaps living creatures. After Saturn, Voyager 1 turned away from the planets but Voyager 2 sailed on. Voyager found ghostly Uranus tipped on its side, its south pole facing the sun. A blue-green bulls eye with faint rings. Voyager slipped passed methane-blue Neptune, a pacific-looking world bruised with dark, violent hurricanes. Antennas on Earth strained to hear the trickle of data from almost 3 billion miles out. Voyager 2s last port of call was Triton, Neptunes biggest moon. A mottled ball of exotic ices, plumed with dark geysers of nitrogen. One final world added to Voyagers tally. But the Voyager mission was not only to observe. Each spacecraft carried a message. A gold record, with a needle and instructions on how to play it. A time capsule from the 1970s, grooved with the sights and sounds of Earth. I send greetings on behalf of the people of our planet. We step out of our solar system, into the universe, seeking only peace and friendship, to teach if we are called upon, to be taught if we are fortunate. Of all the voices ever recorded, of all the photographs ever taken, these few will survive the end of our planet. Scratches on gold, adrift in the void. A time capsule from the 1970s, grooved with the sights and sounds of Earth. Of all the voices ever recorded, of all the photographs ever taken, these few will survive the end of our planet. Scratches on gold, adrift in the void. As Voyager 1 climbed away from the planets, it turned its cameras backward. To snap a family portrait of the worlds it was leaving behind forever. The Earth appears as a bright pixel in a wash of scattered sunlight. A Pale Blue Dot in the words of astronomer and cosmic sage, Carl Sagan: Consider again at that dot. Thats here. Thats home. Thats us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives. ... The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. No other spacecraft have gone so far, or explored so many new worlds. In the fullness of galactic time the Voyagers might yet be found, but by then the human race could be long extinct. Long after they have ceased speaking to us, the twins will forever drift among the stars. Mute, but carrying sounds and greetings from home. Hello from the children of Planet Earth The last lonely evidence that we too once lived in this starry realm, on an island of ice and rock. As Carl Sagan put it: A dust mote in a sunbeam.
Federal prosecutors in New York announced on Wednesday the filing of a new indictment that charges a former Turkish economy minister and three other Turks with participating in a broad conspiracy to violate the United States sanctions against Iran.

The new charges represent a significant expansion of a case that had already drawn the attention of the Turkish president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, senior members of the Trump administration and President Trumps informal adviser, Rudolph W. Giuliani.

Mr. Giuliani has been retained by one defendant, Reza Zarrab, to try to negotiate a diplomatic resolution to his case. Mr. Giuliani has met with Mr. Erdogan to discuss the case; in the past, Mr. Erdogan claimed there were malicious intentions behind Mr. Zarrabs prosecution.

Prosecutors have charged that Mr. Zarrab, a gold trader and dual citizen of Iran and Turkey, and his co-defendants conspired to facilitate millions of dollars in transactions on behalf of Iran and other sanctioned entities through the use of front companies and false documentation.
That sets up a confrontation at the Security Council pitting the United States, Britain and France against the other two permanent members. Mr. Trump appears to be using the resolution to highlight the contrast between the nations that support maximum sanctions pressure against the North and those seeking the status quo.

The Trump administration on Wednesday repeated a drastic  if highly unlikely  warning if United Nations action is blocked. The Treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, told reporters aboard Air Force One during a flight from North Dakota that an executive order had been prepared that would authorize a halt in trade with anybody that does trade with North Korea. China is among dozens of nations that trade with the North.

Even some Democrats have joined the Trump administration in calling for an oil cutoff, including Senator Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts. In an interview with CBS News on Wednesday, President Barack Obamas former defense secretary, Ashton B. Carter, said he supported a strategy of coercive diplomacy that would steadily increase pressure on the North if it continued to test its missiles and nuclear weapons, and would reduce sanctions if it complied with United Nations resolutions.

Mr. Carter, now the director of the Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs at Harvard, said he considered it in Chinas interest to strangle North Korea, but said he was not optimistic, because China has consistently disappointed.

The fate of the Trump administrations resolution may hinge in part on North Korean actions in the next few days. South Koreas intelligence and defense agencies have said they see preparations for another missile test from the Norths main missile launch site on the northeast coast. There is some speculation that the test could be aimed at the waters off Guam, which Mr. Kim has said will be among his next targets.

That has created a behind-the-scenes debate inside the Trump administration over how to respond  whether to consider a pre-emptive strike on the missile, try to intercept it with antiballistic missile batteries, or simply let the test proceed, especially if the missile appears headed for splashdown in international waters.

Administration officials briefed members of Congress on the North Korean standoff on Wednesday, but they were vague about their plans, according to people who attended.
Barr embraced modernism as a series of intellectual principles, propounded like a science in pedagogical charts. Johnson treated it above all as an aesthetic  though Barr had no problem with pretty things either. A case in point was MoMAs fetishistic Machine Art, a show of everyday design from 1934 that was utopian and commercial at once. Against steel- and linen-covered walls of Johnsons design, the show held up industrial objects as art in itself, and praised their unadorned beauty over the Art Deco housewares more popular at the time, which Johnson derided as insufficiently modern and too French. (This was just the start of MoMAs pesky habit of treating Germany as the locus of European modernity, and putting France in the shade.) Cake pans, coffee pots, cash registers, and a white ElectroChef stove appeared amid scientific instruments such as steel calipers and a brass plumb bob. Five glass boiling flasks may put you in mind of high school chemistry, but Johnson reported from Dessau that Anni and Josef Albers used them as wine decanters. Soon enough, Barr was too.

The show steps gingerly around the question of how much Johnsons design tastes fed into his embrace of fascism of the 1930s (he later apologized for his youthful politics). He had already gushed over all those blond boys in black leather at a Hitler rally, and after Machine Art Johnson resigned from MoMA and designed gray shirts for an imagined fascist party he wanted Huey Long to lead. He soon returned to Europe and filed anti-Semitic dispatches for Father Coughlins newspaper, with such headlines as Jews Dominate Polish Scene. Barr deplored it all. Yet despite Johnsons Nazi infatuation, he and Barr too helped several Bauhauslers come to America after the schools closure in 1933. Johnson would eventually become their student: He enrolled at Harvard in 1940, where the exiled Gropius and Breuer were his teachers.

There is a biting irony to the history lesson of Partners in Design: how contemporary and covetable it all looks. Barr and Johnson were obsessed with the design of their time, but what about us, who furnish our apartments now with the exact same daybeds and housewares? (Contrast this show with the Met Breuers current exhibition of Ettore Sottsass. The Italians furniture, though decades closer to our time, seems from another world.) One wonders if theres anything you could put in your house today that would express the same forward drive that Barr and Johnson embraced.

Maybe only Klaus Biesenbach, one of their successors in MoMAs curatorial ranks, has found a way to duck the problem: his apartment is empty.
In Tecate, Mexico, a little boy with dark hair and curious eyes peers carefully over the barrier wall that borders San Diego County. Rising up almost 70 feet, his hands seemingly grip the barrier tightly, as if he were holding onto his mothers body.

The French artist JR pasted that plaintive image on Wednesday, his first installation in Mexico. The piece, based on his photo of a 1-year-old who lives with his mother and grandparents in Tecate, is fully viewable only from the American side of the divide.

The idea came to JR in a dream. Some people dream about fantasy worlds, I dream about walls, he said in a phone interview. And though his artwork was not intended as a direct response to the Trump administration, it has extra resonance this week as the White House moved to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, the Obama-era program that shields young undocumented immigrants from deportation.

I wonder, is this kid worrying about what will happen? What does he think? JR said. At one year old, you dont see the frontier or which side is better.
With its spherical shape and surface of broad, undulant bands and incised patterns, a Caddoan clay bottle found in Texas (from around 1500) recalls some very early Chinese pottery on view elsewhere in the Met. Less purely coincidental may be the crouching figure on a carved-shell Caddoan gorget (or pendant) from Oklahoma, dated around 1200-1350, whose design has some of the taut compression of Mayan figuration.

Especially impressive are several objects from the artists of different Pacific Northwest groups, among them a magnificent Tsimshian wood war club (around 1800-30), dense with incised patterns and images; a Tlingit basket (around 1850), ringed in striking geometries; and a nearly life-size Kwakwakawakw Potlatch figure (around 1880-95) in carved and painted wood. Its angular forms depict a man holding a copper: a shieldlike sheet of that metal, painted with designs, that was displayed as a symbol of wealth. Next to him stands an imposing example of an actual copper, of either Haida or Tsimshian origin, dated 1840-60.

Three pigmented clay vessels diagram several centuries of cultural continuity in the American Southwest, from a Sikyati jar, dated around 1450-1500, to a related example from around 1925, by Maria and Julian Martinez, well-known potters from San Ildefonso, N.M. And not to be missed is a notebook of energetic, closely observed pencil drawings, from 1880-81, by the Lakota artist Black Hawk. Its pages, all available in a digital reproduction, depict tribal ceremonies and dress, warfare, buffalo hunts and indigenous fauna, including a spread featuring three extremely alert owls and two smaller birds rendered large.

If there is a lesson underlying this show, it may concern the ease with which so many non-European cultures avoid crippling binaries like representation versus abstraction, art versus craft or geometric versus biomorphic. The wonders here may leave you momentarily out of sympathy with Western paintings supposedly heroic pursuit of realism, spatial illusion and one-point perspective.
Did you know that Wisconsin ranks third among the states in volunteerism?

According to the Corporation for National and Community Service, our state boasts 1,630,800 volunteers who have donated more than 169 million hours in the last year alone. We are so fortunate to live in a state with an enormous amount of community kindness and we certainly see this demonstrated by our volunteers throughout the Coulee Region.

Volunteering is a perfect way to be welcomed as active members of a community, and the La Crosse Public Library would like to thank Viterbos Center for Community Engagement for offering volunteer assistance to our newest community volunteers with their Service Saturday initiative.

After their move in day, Viterbo freshmen were given an opportunity to give back to the community. On Orientation Weekend, the library hosted six students who collectively helped to inventory 4,000 items in our adult nonfiction collection  a huge task that was greatly appreciated.

Wed like to extend our gratitude to Viterbo University and our student volunteers: Thank you for your volunteer service and we look forward to seeing you the next time you visit the library.

Heather Miller, La Crosse
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 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 at http://legis.wisconsin.gov/.
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 month.

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 in 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. It also operates stores in Elroy, Sparta and Cashton.

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. It recently sold its Tomah store to Festival Foods, which is looking to begin operation later this month.

Gordys Market could not be reached for comment.
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ON LABOR DAY Trump sent out a tweet vowing, We are building our future with American hands, American labor, American iron, aluminum and steel. It also included a picture of the president and the first lady, who was wearing 
Jackson County District Attorney Gerald Fox, 56, died unexpectedly Monday in Eau Claire County during a shooting sport event.

The cause of death was not immediately known, but officials said he died of natural causes. He is survived by his wife, Susan Fox.

Fox was elected in 2006 and re-elected to four-year terms in 2008, 2012 and most recently in 2016. He recently was recommended by U.S. Sens. Ron Johnson and Tammy Baldwin as one of two candidates to fill the vacant U.S. attorney position in the western district of Wisconsin.

He didnt sit back and just take it easy in his office. He took on major cases. His presence in the courts was known, not only with his voice, but with his knowledge of the courts, Jackson County Sheriff Duane Waldera said. He was a really well-known district attorney that did well for the citizens.

County officers are meeting with district attorneys office staff today, and clerical help has been retained for the office.

We are going to try and function and run the courts as business as usual. There might be some delayed or rescheduling, but we dont know that up to this point, Waldera said.

Assistant District Attorney Melissa Inlow will be interim district attorney until Gov. Scott Walker appoints a new one.
This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.



Customs on Russia/China/North Korea Border

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This is not Dorothy's Yellow Brick Road. Nor the secret exit to a Mario Brothers Game. This is (courtesy of Google Map) an unguarded Russian entrance to the Chinese border, a mouse-click away from North Korea across the Tumen River. In fact, all three countries converge in a narrow strip in the Tumen River. If you tried to swim across, you could be arrested, in the so-called Golden Triangle, by three different cultures.



Chinese Russian North Korean Border

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Yet not much gold is evident. Everything appears rusty and in disrepair; almost gulag-like, especially in Khasan, where the Russian guard shack holds back the weeds. In the distance a Chinese watch-tower rises from Hunchun City, with North Korean Mountains rising on the left.



Entry Shack with China Tower in Back

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Google Map drivers have been allowed, sans visa, to penetrate the Siberian hinterland; China and North Korea, however, ban such frivolities out of fear of Western digital degeneration. Nevertheless, we can reflect upon the fuzzy facials of the Russian populace.



Home with Puddle

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The woman above, with her bright clothes, green bucket, and well-done hair could be a far-East version of Melania Trump. Her stockings shout stylish. Obviously, however, the Russian city Khasan, the final point of the Trans-Siberian line, could use a few upgrades. With a rogue neighbor like North Korea, disaster seems inevitable. Yet life goes on; chickens, dogs, and ducks strut confidently. Maybe it is a ruse--like the guard shack--with soldiers hidden in the brush, using vodka bottles for periscopes; having perhaps gambled away their rubles.

Nevertheless, an impending nuclear apocalypse is likely a Drudge Report away. Yet why would anybody fight over such a bleak land?

I include a Youtube Slideshow, that shows larger resolution here:

With Google street map abandon, I navigate my mouse further down a road called Lineynaya ul: which I think means Linear Street; I have no way of knowing; it is in Russian; probably a Putin ruse.



China Tower

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But then my engine quit.

Here, one can clearly see the Chinese tower, almost pagoda-like, with a big Buddha buttress. This is where the road ends; either that or the Google driver was abducted, decided to turn around, or the white rectangle that pops up is a radar-jamming micro-weapon. I choose the latter; I could navigate no further. Foiled again, by a secret if not insane, possibly Chinese-aided, Korean technology, I navigated my screen-shot down another road and gadzooks!--

There is a Russian Tower on the left, looking at the Chinese Tower. Far-East spys on East, and visa versa.



Russians Looking at Chinese

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I sped on, alongside an outlet of the Tumen River. Yes, a more pastoral view of the tower, with the less elegant Russian tower showing like a faint daub on the left, and the North Korean Mountains rising behind. Likely at least one Korean up there with a cracked telescope. What are those little boxes in the water? Some Russian ruse, no doubt.



Towers on Tumen River Road

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Nearby, a fisherman appears.



Fisherman

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In camou! Better back out!



Fisherman and Towers

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Lastly, a possible Putin protege strolls onto the scene.



Possible Putin

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Enjoy my Google-assisted invasion of Russian Privacy. Or pick up your mouse and take a journey. There are many (corporately unfocused) and invasive shots of the local populace that you will recognize. I hope it does not make me a Russian Colluder--or even worse, a Peeping Jong.

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From PIPR

Co-written by T.J. Coles

The US continues to provoke North Korea with military exercises near its borders. It also fails to live up to diplomatic agreements. Western media continue to distort the chronology of cause and effect, inverting reality to claim that North Korea is provoking the West. John Pilger (The Coming War on China) talks to T.J. Coles about the situation.

This interview contains material from our book, Voices for Peace: War, Resistance and America's Quest for Full-Spectrum Dominance -- an edited collection of original works by Pilger, as well as Noam Chomsky, Cynthia McKinney, Ilan Pappe' and other leading activists and scholars (Clairview Books, 2017).

TJC: What is the threat from North Korea?

JP: The threat is from the United States, which for more than two generations has bullied and provoked North Korea while denying Koreans a treaty that would finally ended their civil war and open up numerous possibilities, including reunification. The one pause in this warmongering campaign, during the 1990s, demonstrated that negotiations can "work," regardless of what Trump says.

In 1992, the North and South signed the Declaration of Denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula, what was called "An Agreed Framework" was established and resulted in a suspension of North Korea's nuclear programmes in exchange for a US agreement to build two nuclear reactors within the terms of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.

George W. Bush tore this up in 2002.

Then there were Six-Party Talks in Beijing. Today, China and Russia have said that if the US and South Korea cease their provocative military exercises -- which include regime change -- North Korea will stop firing its missiles. Will the Trump administration agree to this?

TJC: How do you assess Trump's China policy, as opposed to Obama's?

JP: There isn't a real difference. Obama -- urged on by his Secretary of State Hillary Clinton -- initiated the so-called Pivot to Asia, which set the hare running of a US confrontation with China. Trump has continued this. He has, however, hosted the Chinese president and said what a great guy he is, whatever that's worth.

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Free illustration: Peace, Earth, Globe, World, Planet - Free Image ...960 -- 540 - 187k - jpg

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Many years ago, while the war in Vietnam still raged, the psychologist Ralph K. White wrote a book entitled Nobody Wanted War that has resonated deeply with my own thinking about war. I've long believed that the willingness of our government to kill and bring misery to millions of powerless people in nations like Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan, and Iraq, which represent no direct threat to us, cannot be justified alone in terms of a broad strategic conception of national defense. Instead, it must for the most part be rationalized by an appeal to the darker dynamics of human psychology.

White's book, though it was focused primarily on the Vietnam War, seeks broadly to identify psychological factors common both to that war and to World Wars I and II that can distort our perceptions of an adversary's true motivations and thereby justify making war against him. Today, it seems, those same factors can also shed light on the relentless militancy of America's foreign policy and, in particular, our continuing "war on terrorism." The principal factors White sees in producing distorted views of the enemy can be characterized in capsule form as follows:

A diabolical enemy-image. The enemy is bad and must be destroyed. He is perceived as externally aggressive and internally suppressive. His institutions and ideology are a cancer that must at any cost be prevented from spreading. This diabolical enemy-image is well exemplified by the slogan popular in the fifties: "Better dead than red." Today's version is that "they" comprise an "axis of evil," are "enemies of freedom," and "seek to destroy our way of life."

The moral self-image. Our way is good and honorable and must be preserved. Our part of the world is the "Free World," despite its inclusion of a number of nations with self-evidently totalitarian governments. Both Good and God are on our side. By implication, countries not aligned with us reject freedom and godliness. This congratulatory self-image was exemplified by the German World War I slogan: "Gott Mit Uns" ("May God Be with Us")--meaning also, by implication, "May God Not Be with Our Foe." Osama Bin Laden himself was convinced God was on his side; but, then again, so was President Bush.

The virile self-image. In 1914, each of the "Great Powers" feared "losing our position as a Great Power." Analogous cases exist today. Nations are reluctant to retreat lest they be deemed weak or irresolute. This reluctance prevails even when they decide the situation at hand is not worth a fight, or, indeed, that they may even be in the wrong. The image of virility must be preserved at any cost. The essential thing is to seem consistent, strong and firm. Bush told us that we couldn't allow a gang of terrorist thugs to deflect us from our goal of bringing freedom to the Iraqi people. "National decision-makers," White wrote, "judge themselves and expect to be judged by others not as good vs. bad, or right vs. wrong, but strong vs. weak."

Selective inattention. This distortion stems from a tendency to focus attention only on information that reinforces the black-and-white views described above. What may be "gray," or even "white," elements on the enemy side are glossed over; the only interest is to paint the enemy "black."

Absence of empathy. This is the failure to try to understand how the situation looks from the adversary's point of view.

Military overconfidence. Nations generally enter wars with full confidence that they can win. There is a tendency also to not fully appreciate how long the war might last, and how much it might cost in both resources and casualties. Germany and Japan certainly regretted having started World War II. And, in the U.S., most of the people and their leadership now regret having entered both the Vietnam War and the war in Iraq.





Do White's "Distortions" Explain President Bush's "Axis of Evil" Speech?

President George W. Bush's State of the Union Address in 2002 included several references that seem to lend credence to the distortions Dr. White cites in the perceptions nations have of would-be adversaries and their justifications for waging war against them. Consider the following passages from the Bush speech:

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"In the other room Rateau was looking at the canvas, completely blank, in the center of which Jonas had merely written in very small letters a word that could be made out, but without any certainty as to whether it should be read solitary or solidary."

Albert Camus, "The Artist at Work"

A solitary, early Sunday morning walk in the rain. As I like it, my only walking companion was the soothing sound of rain in the trees and on the lake. From the shallow water at the lake's swampy edge, a blue heron, perched on one leg, froze my gaze as I stopped and stared. As I turned to walk on, it rose with blue beating wings and soared up through the raindrops, alighting high above out on a limb. The road was flooding as I walked, water streaming down the hill, creating eddies as it met the water backing up from the over-filled lake. The eddies formed whirling patterns, artistic visions running counter to the main current.

My mind swirled with thoughts as I walked and talked to all my ghosts, dead and living, who accompany me everywhere, but whose presence is so palpable in the rain. Their voices seemed to descend with the drops, bouncing off the water and echoing in my mind.

I heard my mother say to me, "Eddy, you were always a contrarian. I worry about you." Yes, I answered, I am, but you named me, and Eddy is the correct spelling. I'm an eddy, a whirlpool, a contrarian, one who runs counter to the mainstream. But, dear mother, the mainstream is flowing fast toward destruction, carrying everyone and everything with it. We have to reverse course and resist. Please, mother, worry only if I wasn't walking against the wind.

Through the weeping trees I heard Thomas Merton, the Trappist monk, whisper, "I told you that someday they will sell us the rain. Everyone and everything is for sale. 'They' are the people who don't understand that rain is a free and useless festival, and because it is a gift, they wish to control it. The weather modifiers and geo-engineers are working overtime now. Together with the nuclear madmen, they will rain poisonous death upon us all unless we stop them. Remember: to be a contemplative is to be an outlaw. Don't divorce resistance from contemplation; they are married for life. Joy and suffering are their children."

I didn't reply, just kept walking, sloshing and slamming through the puddles. Merton has an eerie way of insinuating himself into odd private moments, and I didn't want an extended conversation. I just wanted to enjoy the rain.

The sloshing brought voices from my children's young years, the exultation as we romped streaming-wet through the wild beating storm, singing at the top of our voices, "If all the raindrops were lemon drops and gum drops/Oh what a rain it would be/I would stand outside with my mouth open wide/ Ah ah ah ah..." I opened my mouth wide, tongue out, and tilted my head back. Ah, the sweet taste of love and joy. I heard my children scream ecstatically, "Yippee!" and whirl and twirl with mouths agape.

On I walked, listening and watching. The rain fell harder, so hard it was difficult to see and all other sounds were completely obliterated. Bubbling up from somewhere came the rhythm of Jacques Pre'vert's poem, "Barbara":

Remember Barbara

It rained all day on Brest that day

And you walked smiling

Flushed enraptured streaming wet

In the rain

"

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North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons and its right to maintain them, indefinitely. After all, if the three states that have not signed the Nucelar Non-Proliferation Treaty , India, Pakistan, and Israel, can have them, why not North Korea? The excuses for India and Pakistan are primarily each other, for Israel, its size and its geographical isolation. For North Korea, the reason is a rather different one. Rather, it is reasons. Let me count (some of) them: North Korea (1950-53), Iran (1953), Guatemala (1954), Vietnam (1954), Hungary (attempted, 1956), Brazil (1964), the Dominican Republic (1965), Chile (1973), (Afghanistan, 1978-86), Nicaragua (partial, 1980s), the Soviet Union (which, despite having nuclear weapons, succumbed to the 75 Years War Against the Soviet Union, 1917-1992), Iraq (2003), Cuba (since 1961, unsuccessful, but still trying), (Iran, presently, still trying), Libya (2012), Venezuela (2017: http://www.globalresearch.ca/large-scale-manoeuvres-encircling-venezuela/5607619 ). And so on and so forth.

This is a partial list of countries in which the U.S. has attempted, often but not always with success, what is politely called "regime change." The interventions have ranged from the frank overthrow of a freely elected government (Iran, 1953), to direct military invasion of a supposedly "threatening" military dictatorship which, however, presented no threat to the United States other than what was put out in the government propaganda of the time (Iraq, 2003).

It happens that it was the U.S. that created the two Koreas. As World War II was coming to a close, the Soviet Union was poised to invade Japan and its then colonial possession, Korea, on August 8, 1945. One motivation for the dropping of the atomic bomb on Hiroshima (August 6) and Nagasaki (August 9) was to foreclose the possibility that the Red Army would establish a foothold on Japanese territory (the first landings were to be on the northernmost Japanese island of Hokkaido) and would quickly take over the whole of the Korean Peninsula.

With the forestalling of the Soviet invasion, U.S. personnel quickly were moved to Korea. Before they arrived in September, in Washington a young U.S. colonel, one Dean Rusk, looked at a map and decided that a line dividing Korea in two, one a "Soviet" zone, and the other a "U.S." zone, would a) be a good idea, and b) would be [arbitrarily] drawn at the 38thparallel. (With this sort of action, Dean Rusk, an army colonel at the time, was obviously preparing for his much bigger role in preparing and perpetuating the War on Viet Nam.) Although the first North Korean leader, Kim il Sung, and his parents, had been leading anti-Japanese guerilla forces since the Japanese conquest of Manchuria in 1932, and was widely respected (revered by some) throughout Korea, the U.S. set-up a pro-U.S. government under the former exile, the pro-U.S. Syngman Rhee. Using many former Korean Japanese collaborators, they spent much of their time rooting out, and in many cases killing, supporters of Kim il-Sung residing in the South.

North Korea has previously negotiated with the United States and at one time was an adherent to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. It pulled out in 2003 because, bottom line, despite what was being said in Washington at the time, it simply did not trust President George W. Bush. (And, after "Iraq," why would any potential adversary?) Regardless of what did or did not happen between North Korea and the United states during the Obama Administration , the former clearly now does not trust the U.S. any more than it could hoist the whole country onto one of its Intermediate Range Ballistic Missiles (or perhaps, if they really have one, an ICBM) and send the whole country into outer space.

It is very important to note that there has never been a peace treaty, either between North and South Korea nor between the North and the United States following the conclusion of the armistice that ended the fighting in 1953. The North has been asking for such a treaty for many years, as have many elements in South Korea. Under neither Democratic nor Republican Presidents has the U.S. ever shown any inclination to negotiate one. And so, as far as the North Koreans are concerned, the number one objective for the U.S. has been the overthrow of their government, with the likely "unification" (and man, would that be a bloody affair) under South Korean rule. That of course would put a close diplomatic, commercial and military ally of the U.S. on both the Chinese and Russian borders.

As I said at the beginning of this column, the North Koreans are never going to give up their nuclear weapons. Those weapons are the only guarantee they have against U.S.-sponsored "regime change." (For obvious reasons, as is well known, neither the Chinese not the Russians want that to happen either.) Nevertheless, the outlines of a deal are on the table. 1. A peace treaty is negotiated. (In early 2016, North Korea did say that in return for a peace treaty, it would end nuclear testing. And that had to have been an opening negotiating position.) 2. Relations between North Korea and South Korea and the United States are normalized. 3. All sanctions are lifted. 4. North Korea re-joins the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treey, agrees to a freeze on its ballistic missile development program, and subjects itself to regular International Atomic Energy Agency inspections (like Iran), including its military facilities (unlike Iran).

There are give-ups on both sides here, but such a resolution would be very beneficial to the North as well as to Russia and China. There has been much talk about the impending collapse of the NK government --- for years. It has not happened. But true peace would give it the opportunity to massively develop the nation economically. There is much talk about how poor and backward it is. Nevertheless, it has been able to create what must be a fairly large group of scientists and engineers, for its nuclear programs, peaceful and military. A settlement would allow the turning of those human resources towards productive pursuits, for all.

Finally, would the U.S. agree to such a proposal? Not a chance, especially under Trump. Since North Korea would, and could, never agree to de-nuclearization, such a deal would be an almost impossible sell politically for any U.S. President, but especially Trump. But more than that, the U.S. needs the "North Korean threat" to justify all sorts of things, military and commercial, starting with the maintenance of Permanent War. In a while, the short-term threats from both sides will quiet down. (Yes, Trump will get bored with this one and turn has attention elsewhere where he can mouth off.) But, because of the inherent U.S. resistance to it, any permanent, peaceful resolution of an unstable situation that has been in place or over 60 years is a long way off.

BUT, if South Korea and its ruling class, with the country's capital within massive artillery (not nuclear) range of the North, finally gets tired of being led around by the nose by the U.S. (and most especially by its current President) on the matter of relationships with the North and decides to go off and negotiate its own peace treaty, well then ---

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Important references:

1. Bruce Cumings, "A Murderous History of Korea," London Review of Books , May 18, 2017, https://www.lrb.co.uk/v39/n10/bruce-cumings/a-murderous-history-of-korea?utm .

2. Tim Shorrock, "Diplomacy With North Korea Has Worked Before, and Can Work Again,"The Nation, Sept. 5, 2017, https://www.thenation.com/article/diplomacy-with-north-korea-has-worked-before-and-can-work-again/

3. Darrell Prince, "North Korea situation Sept 3 2017: You catch more flies with honey, than vinegar," http://thecallforunity.org/north-korea-situtation-sept-3-2017/.

4. Bruce Cumings, Korea's Place in the Sun. A Modern History (New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 1997).

(Article changed on September 7, 2017 at 16:45)
A leaderless Newark, New Jersey United States attorney's office kicked off its fall season on September 6thwith the trial of US Senator Robert Menendez. Menendez, 63, is charged with accepting questionable campaign donations and gifts from co-defendant Salomon Melgen in exchange for lobbying on the wealthy Florida ophthalmologist's behalf.

Assistant United States Attorney Peter Koski delivered the government's opening statement. He opened by detailing Menendez's request for a Paris hotel room directed to Melgen. Koski took great pains to describe the opulence of the room requested by Menendez, claiming that the room required 650000 American Express mileage points and was "not just any hotel room." Koski claimed in his opening that over a seven year period, Menendez had received from Melgen numerous vacations, political contributions, and flights on Melgen's private jet. While lacking clear evidence of a quid pro quo, the government maintains that Menendez's official acts purportedly on Melgen's behalf constitute bribery. They repeatedly referred to Menendez as "Melgen's private senator." In support of this contention, the government presented an incriminating timeline of events.

The government pointed to Menendez's meetings with various federal officials, including an under-secretary of state, purportedly for the benefit of Melgen. The government claims that these meetings closely coincided with subsequent donations and gifts.

While a New Jersey jury may respond to allegations that a politician accepted contributions in exchange for political favors with a collective yawn, United States District Judge William Walls has a decidedly dimmer view. "We, the people of the United States, are sick and tired of political and public officials being on the take," said Walls in 2015, when he imposed a 70-month sentence on a New Jersey official who admitted stealing about $120,000.

Walls has even berated prosecutors for going too easy on defendants accused of public corruption. Conversely, Walls has been reticent to share his views on prosecutorial corruption.

How this case landed in Walls' courtroom raises fresh questions about the "randomness" of case assignments in Newark. Many court watchers have asserted that the purported random nature of judicial assignments in Newark is merely a polite veneer for a process completely controlled by prosecutors.

The Newark US attorney's office has long been rife with corruption. The office has been operating without a US attorney since the forced resignation of Paul Fishman. Fishman reportedly landed the position with the help of former Senator John Corzine who was reciprocating for the discreet manner in which Fishman handled a private legal matter for Corzine's then fiance'e.

Fishman succeeded Chris Christie who was given the job as US attorney as a reward for his prodigious fundraising on behalf of George W. Bush. This despite Christie's complete lack of prior experience in trying or prosecuting criminal cases. While US attorney, Christie was accused of leaking false and damaging information alleging corruption on the part of Menendez so as to hinder his chances of reelection in 2012.

The Newark office now awaits President Trump's appointment of a new head.

Publicity considerations have repeatedly eclipsed the purported mission statement of the federal prosecutors at the Newark office, and the trial of Senator Menendez is exactly the kind of event for which this office pines. By routinely placing career advancement over public safety, the Newark office has served its occupants well as a launching pad for those with political ambitions. Accordingly, a successful criminal prosecution of a sitting United States senator is a resume-making event.

Menendez's lead counsel, Abbe Lowell, is a highly experienced Washington, DC attorney who first rose to national prominence as a Democratic staff attorney during the Clinton impeachment.

Lowell's opening statement deftly responded to the government's most damning allegations. "Friendship cuts through a mountain of words and a mountain of evidence. Acting out of friendship is not a crime," Lowell stated to the jury.

Indeed, Lowell advised jurors that if they could not find evidence of bad intent in the actions taken by Menendez, they must acquit.

Lowell further undercut the government's argument by claiming that the friendship between the defendants spanned 25 years, markedly longer than the seven year period highlighted in the government's indictment.

To underscore this argument, Lowell pointed to the fact that if Menendez sought to corruptly intercede on his friend and codefendant's behalf, there were numerous opportunities to have done so in a much more meaningful fashion. Lowell described how a senator could introduce beneficial legislation, or attach an accommodating rider to otherwise unrelated legislation. The record, according to Lowell, shows no such acts.

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The annual flag burning ceremony will be held at the Chaseburg American Legion on Monday, Sept. 11, to commemorate the 16th anniversary of the 9-11 tragedy. Burning of worn Americn flags is the only recognized way to dispose of them properly. Annually more than 100 flags are disposed off at the Chaseburg event

The annual American flag burning ceremony is sponsored by the Chaseburg American Legion Post 202, the Coon Valley American Legion Post 116 and the Coon Creek VFW Post 10532. American flags that are no longer serviceable are collected by veterans organizations in the Chaseburg, Coon Valley and Westby areas. The flags are then brought to the ceremonial burning at the Chaseburg American Legion.

The flag burning has been an annual occurrence for 19 years, although the date of the event varied until 2001, when area veterans agreed to always hold the ceremony on Sept. 11. The ceremony honors all the people who lost their lives in the 9-11 tragedy and is a tribute to all the people, past and present, who fight to keep America free.

For more information contact Eugene Johnson at 608-483-2441.
Latvia along with Lithuania and Estonia is at the junction of the geopolitical interests of the United States (representing NATO) and Russia. In fact Latvia has turned into a buffer zone. This position became especially acute in the time of current crisis and on the eve of the Russian-Belarusian exercise "Zapad-2017."

Whose signal is stronger?

In response to Russia's actions in Ukraine the NATO leadership deploys more troops and equipment in the Baltic countries, increases the intensity and scale of operational combat training and expands its military infrastructure, saying it is "a strong signal to the Kremlin." In its turn, Moscow deploys Iskanders in the Kaliningrad region, recreates the 1st Tank Army, creates three new divisions, conducts large-scale exercises in Belarus on the border with Latvia and Lithuania, emphasizing that this is a strong signal to NATO to stop expanding eastward.

Only a lazy politician in the Baltic States has not yet spoken out about the Russian threat and the possible occupation of Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia according to the scenario of the exercises.

For example Latvia's Foreign Minister Edgars Rinkevics at a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Baltic States, the Nordic countries and the United Kingdom in London said that during Zapad-2017 Moscow would work out the scenario of using nuclear weapons.

The same idea expressed the deputy of the Seimas of Lithuania, member of the Committee for National Security and Defense Laurynas Kasciunas in his article on the news portal "Lietuvos zinios."

Lithuanian politician Kasciunas assumes that "Russia will carry out pre-emptive strikes on the infrastructure and NATO bases in Lithuania during Zapad-2017 military exercise, threatening Lithuanian population.

However, despite some absurdity of these statements, it is necessary to agree with the experts and politicians that the geographical coordinates of NATO facilities in the Baltic States will be used to guide missiles in case of Russian preemptive strike.

According to the publicly available information, the first targets will be:

in Latvia -- Riga (NATO Strategic Communications Centre of Excellence), Lielvarde (Lielvarde Air Base), Adazi (NATO's multinational battle group led by Canada);

in Lithuania -- Vilnius (NATO Energy Security Centre of Excellence), Rukla (NATO's multinational battle group troops led by Germany), iauliai (iauliai Air Base), Karmelava (Baltic Combined Control and Reporting Center), Mumaiciai (US Military Storage Site);

in Estonia -- Tallinn (NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence), the Baltic seaport of Paldiski , Tapa (Military base), Amari (Amari Air Base).

That is, cities along with all population will be wiped off the face of the earth within the first ten minutes of a hypothetical conflict.

According to the results of population census as of August 1, 2017, Latvia's population is 1,935,800 people. In Riga live 658,640 inhabitants, in Lielvarde region -- 10,388 inhabitants, in Adazi region -- 10,027 inhabitants. Totally, thanks to NATO, 679,055 citizens of Latvia 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, regardless of age, gender and nationality, are under the gun of Russia. And they consist 35% of the total population!

And if you believe Edgars Rinkevics, in case of using nuclear weapons, the picture will be even sadder.

Since gaining independence, Latvia's population has been continuously shrinking and aging, both through natural loss and emigration. How do we preserve the nation's gene pool? In case of the worst scenario, Latvians will simply disappear as a nation...

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From Smirking Chimp

Making good on a campaign pledge to his right-wing nativist base, Donald Trump has rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. DACA was established by President Barack Obama to encourage young people without immigration papers, who were brought to the United States as children, to come out of the shadows and sign up for temporary protection against deportation. Trump's heartless decision will throw approximately 800,000 "Dreamers" currently enrolled in DACA into limbo.

Did Trump Really Struggle With the Decision?

The White House claimed that Trump was conflicted about this difficult decision. He recently referred to Dreamers as "absolutely incredible kids," promising, "We're going to deal with DACA with heart ... because, you know, I love these kids." Trump told reporters, "We love the Dreamers. We think the Dreamers are terrific."

But Trump "counts only winners and losers, never bothering with moral principles or democratic norms," wrote conservative blogger Jennifer Rubin. "The debate, if there is one, is over whether to disappoint his rabid anti-immigrant base or to, as is his inclination, double down on a losing hand."

Too cowardly to announce the controversial verdict himself, Trump sent his racist, anti-immigrant attorney general Jeff Sessions to make the fateful announcement. Sessions called the DACA program an "open-ended circumvention of immigration law through unconstitutional authority by the executive branch," saying it circumvented the "legislative process."

A Political Decision, Not a Legal Issue

Sessions claimed that rescinding DACA was essential to forestall a looming legal challenge. Ten state attorneys general had threatened litigation if Trump didn't end DACA by September 5, 2017. But that was a "convenient pretext," Wayne A. Cornelius wrote in a Los Angeles Times op-ed. DACA has never been overturned in court. More than 100 law professors who specialize in immigration signed a letter in August stating that DACA was a "lawful exercise of prosecutorial discretion."

In a Facebook post yesterday, Obama wrote: "Let's be clear: the action taken today isn't required legally. It's a political decision, and a moral question."

Obama is correct. In 1999, Justice Antonin Scalia wrote for the majority in Reno v. American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee, an immigration case, that presidents have a long history of "engaging in a regular practice ... of exercising [deferred action] for humanitarian reasons or simply for its own convenience."

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra, writing at HuffPost, concurs: "Presidents of both parties ... have exercised discretion in their enforcement of immigration laws in a constitutional manner, safeguarding groups of individuals who are not priorities for deportation and thereby reserving enforcement resources for higher priorities."

Becerra cited Dwight Eisenhower, John Kennedy and Lyndon Johnson, who permitted Cubans to remain in the United States before Congress enacted legislation to allow them to stay. Ronald Reagan allowed about 200,000 Nicaraguan immigrants to remain in the US even though Congress had not passed authorizing legislation. And George H.W. Bush permitted almost 200,000 Salvadorans fleeing civil war to stay in the US.

Sessions also claimed, "We are a people of compassion and we are a people of law," disingenuously adding, "The compassionate thing is to end the lawlessness, enforce our laws."

Didn't Trump encourage lawlessness when he recently pardoned the notorious racist, Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio? For 18 months, Arpaio had brazenly defied a court order to stop racial profiling. Indeed, Matthew Yglesias from Vox wrote this tongue-in-cheek tweet: "Pardons for racist sheriffs who defy court orders, deportations for folks who crossed the border illegally when they were six years old."

Compassionate? The decision to end DACA "is inhumane, cruel and shameful," stated Vanita Gupta, president and CEO of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights. Obama, former vice-president Joe Biden, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-California) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vermont) also called Trump's decision "cruel."

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This piece was reprinted by OpEd News with permission or license. It may not be reproduced in any form without permission or license from the source.

Nothing much is surprising anymore.

The Syrian Arab Army recently liberated Deir Ezzor from its ISIS occupation amidst the joy and jubilation of its captive population.

Syrian resident Lilly Martin explains that people have been dying of hunger and illness for years now but that now they are FREE.

Trucks carrying food and supplies are rolling in to feed those who have been starving for years, reports Martin.

She explains that

(s)everal Russian soldiers were killed fighting ISIS in the last few days there, not to mention others who gave their lives and limbs to FREE Syria from the occupation and tyranny of ISIS and other Radical Islamic terrorists. Thank GOD from whom all blessings flow. Syria will now begin celebrating a huge VICTORY.[1]

Celebrations as SAA breaks 4-year-long Daesh siege. (Source: Mark Taliano)

Pictures and videos are emerging that show the jubilation of Syrians finally freed from their NATO terrorist captors, and their relief is palpable.

None of this is surprising. We've known who the terrorists are and the atrocities that they have been committing for some time now. Any population freed from the torture, the executions, the starvation, the Sharia law, the coercion, the fear, and the hatred would be relieved.

The reaction from Washington and its allies isn't surprising either.

Washington is aiding its ISIS field commanders and evacuating its agents for use in other areas. We've seen all of this before.

Sophie Mangal reports that

(o)n August 26, the United States Air Force helicopters evacuated two European ISIS commanders along with their families from the settlement of Al-Treif, which is located to the north-west of Deir Ezzor. In addition, on August 28, the international coalition aviation relocated more than 20 ISIS commanders from AlbuLeil village to a military airbase in northern Syria.[2]

The Washington-led coalition and its allies, drenched in high crimes and remorseless, may one day say that "it was a mistake", but they will never apologize for the holocaust that they have created.

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From Alon Ben-Meir Website

Although President Trump is not responsible for the complete failure of the US to stop North Korea from becoming a nuclear power, his bellicose threats against North Korea and the acceleration of Pyongyang's missile and nuclear program have dangerously increased regional tension. The conflicting messages emerging from the White House, the lack of coordination with the Department of Defense, and the absence of effective diplomacy point to a total lack of a coherent strategy to deal with North Korea. It is time for the US to accept the reality that North Korea is a nuclear power. Short of a massive military attack on its nuclear facilities, which is unthinkable, no diplomatic efforts or incentives will compel Pyongyang to give up its nuclear arsenal, as the history of the conflict has demonstrated.

Instead, the US must now focus on diplomatic means to prevent North Korea from completing the development of a deliverable miniaturized nuclear warhead on an ICBM that would put the US and its allies at an unacceptable risk. This must be the red line that the regime should not be permitted to cross, and it may well be the only concession that North Korean leaders will be willing to make in return for several concessions -- especially the retention of their nuclear weapons.

The lack of a comprehensive strategy to deal with the North Korean threat was sadly demonstrated by Trump's off-the-cuff bellicose statement, "North Korea best not make any more threats to the United States. They will be met with fire and fury like the world has never seen," or his tweet that followed, suggesting that "Military solutions are now fully in place, locked and loaded, should North Korea act unwisely. Hopefully Kim Jong Un will find another path!"

Defense Secretary Mattis added fuel to the fire when he stated that "Any [North Korean] threat to the United States or its territories, including Guam, or our allies will be met with a massive military response, a response both effective and overwhelming [emphasis added]." None of these threats deterred North Korea. On the contrary, it responded by firing an ICBM that could theoretically reach the US followed by exploding what is believed to be a hydrogen bomb hundreds of times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima, Japan.

For the following reasons, Pyongyang has concluded that the US will not go to war over its nuclear program because of its dire implications, which was also echoed by several senior US officials.

The administration's concerns are not limited only to the horrifying devastation that such a war will inflict on the US' allies, especially South Korea and Japan, but the ominous destabilization of Southeast Asia that would put China and the US on a collision course, among other horrendous developments.

The US chose not to deploy additional naval and air assets to current forces stationed in the area, which raised serious doubts in the mind of Pyongyang about the US' credibility to use force. Instead, the Trump administration pushed for additional sanctions, which North Korean leaders anticipated and have managed to live with for decades.

Despite US pressure, China was and still is unwilling to force North Korea to abandon its nuclear program. China can live with a nuclear North Korea; it does not want to see the collapse of the North Korean regime fearing waves of refugees, and it does not want an increased American military presence in its hemisphere.

Moreover, contrary to US belief, China's influence on Pyongyang is limited, knowing that North Korean leaders would adhere to their wishes only up to a point. They will, however, stand fast to protect their nuclear weapons because they believe their very survival rests on the possession of such weapons -- and they will never put them on the negotiating table.

North Korea also knows that South Korea does not want any military conflagration because it has the most to lose. The South Korean regime has time and again indicated its willingness to negotiate even in the midst of the boisterous exchange of threats between Washington and Pyongyang, to the chagrin of Trump.

Contrary to the view expressed by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley who stated that Kim Jong Un is "begging for war," he is not. He knows that the US will not rush into a war unless he attacks the US or any of its allies' territories, which he will not even contemplate knowing that his country could potentially be wiped out by massive US retaliatory strikes.

Finally, Trump's warning that "The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea" would be impossible to implement, especially with China, whose trade with the US runs into the hundreds of billions of dollars. In any event, it will be counterproductive as the US needs China's support in dealing with North Korea.

To prevent further escalation of the conflict, the US needs to eventually accept the new reality of a nuclear North Korea just as it had come to terms with both India and Pakistan as nuclear powers, which created mutual deterrence and brought an end to the conventional wars between the two countries.

Indeed, the real threat to the US and its allies does not emanate from North Korea's possession of a nuclear arsenal, but from the development and deployment of ICBMs mounted with miniaturized nuclear warheads that could reach not only US allies, but the US mainland itself. To remove this threat, the US should negotiate directly with North Korea and reach an agreement that would freeze further development of such technology, which China would certainly support.

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In July, Salt Lake City detective Jeff Payne violently abducted Alex Wubbels, a nurse at University of Utah Hospital. Most accounts don't put it that way -- they use the word "arrested" instead -- but Wubbels was released without charges because Payne's actions were clearly an extralegal physical power play by a police officer who was angry at not getting his way.

At issue: Payne wanted to draw blood from a patient who'd been involved in a traffic accident, presumably to test that blood for drugs and alcohol. The patient was not under arrest. He was unconscious and couldn't consent. And Payne didn't have a warrant. So Wubbels, in accordance with hospital policy, refused to let him molest her patient.

Since the incident, the hospital has revised its procedures to protect members of its staff. Law enforcement personnel are no longer allowed into patient care areas where they might bully doctors and nurses. They're required to check in at the front desk and deal directly with supervisors instead.

That's a good start, but it's only a start. Instead of merely changing the way they assist police, hospitals should make it clear that assisting police isn't their job.

Around the country, police have long conscripted medical professionals as investigative assistants, demanding not just blood draws but forced catheterizations, enemas, and colonoscopies.

The purpose of a hospital is to treat the sick and injured, not to act as an arm of law enforcement. If police bring in patients to treat, of course conscientious doctors and nurses will treat those patients.

But medical professionals have an ethical obligation "to abstain from doing harm." A medically unnecessary procedure exposes the patient to potential harm, as all such procedures come with risks. Furthermore, when a hospital develops a reputation for acting as an adjunct to law enforcement, that reputation will likely scare patients with potential legal entanglements into forgoing treatment, likely resulting in harm.

Hospitals should, as a matter of strict policy, refuse to perform unnecessary procedures for police evidence collection purposes, or to allow police to perform those procedures on their premises. And if, after the fact, a law enforcement agency wants access to patient specimens or patient information gathered for legitimate medical purposes, those things should be turned over only in response to a valid search warrant, issued on probable cause to believe a crime has been committed and signed off on by a judge.
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From Consortium News

Federal and state initiatives targeting undocumented immigrants have spread alarm through Latino communities as people face ethnic profiling, and some in Houston even feared seeking refuge from Hurricane Harvey because of the possibility they would run afoul of law enforcement.

"Texas is ground zero for the fight against Trump-inspired, white nationalist legislation," said Salvador Sarmiento, National Campaign Coordinator for the National Day Laborer Organizing Network (NDLON), which represents thousands of day laborers across the country. Sarmiento has also been leading the fight against recently passed anti-immigrant legislation in Texas known as SB 4.

I spoke to him in Dallas on August 30 about the dangers that SB 4 presents for undocumented people in Texas and about the implications for hundreds of thousands of so-called "Dreamers" and their families as President Trump moves to rescind President Obama's directive allowing them to stay in the U.S., known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

In a recent victory for NDLON and other immigrants groups, Chief U.S. District Judge Orlando Garcia ruled on August 30, that Texas officials may not implement Texas Senate Bill 4, which was set to go into effect on September 1 and would have given local law enforcement the power to ask for information regarding a person's immigration status during routine interactions such as a traffic stop.

Critics of the law argued that it gave a green light to racial profiling and violates the First and Fourth Amendments. In his 94-page ruling, Judge Garcia maintained there is overwhelming evidence from local officials, including local law enforcement, that SB 4 would "erode public trust" and actually make many "communities less safe."



U.S. Customs and Border Protection in Washington, D.C. during the inauguration of Donald Trump. January 20, 2017.

(Image by (Flickr U.S. Customs and Border Protection)) Details DMCA



Dennis Bernstein: I'd like to talk to you about the struggle against the draconian SB 4. But I have to begin by asking you about the more than half a million undocumented people in the greater Houston area. The border patrol has said that they will proceed as usual, unlike in the past when they suspended activities during hurricanes.

Salvador Sarmiento: The people in Houston and the surrounding communities are trying to focus on making life and death decisions. Instead, the immigrant community in Houston is facing a triple threat. They know that ICE [Immigration and Customs Enforcement] is going to be setting up checkpoints, there is now news that DACA could be under attack and, at the same time, we are dealing with SB 4, this racial profiling law. Emergency officials know that this is not a time to be talking about immigration enforcement.

DB: Despite that, on Friday [August 25], the border patrol came out with the following statement: "Border patrol checkpoints will not be closed unless there is a danger to the safety of the traveling public, and our border patrol resources, including personnel and transportation, will be deployed on an as-needed basis to augment the efforts and capabilities of local response authorities." This sort of feels like the checkpoints in Palestine.

SS: It is outrageous that we even have to deal with this at this time. Even the mayor of Houston directly stated that he himself would defend undocumented immigrants because this is no time to be thinking about enforcement.

DB: I imagine there is a sort of widening underground railroad, with people opening their homes. I imagine that kind of organizing is going on and expanding.

SS: We are relying on the grassroots capacity already in place. They really are the first responders. Professional disaster response is important, but even that depends on the networks that exist on the ground.

DB: This is all happening at a time when Texas is going extreme right-wing with the passage of SB 4. You have a half million undocumented folks in the greater Houston area facing that kind of terror, you have Donald Trump pardoning Joe Arpaio. So there is this coordinated campaign of hate. What efforts are underway to resist all this? These are difficult times for you all.

SS: This is what all the Trump rhetoric has been pointing to. He is using government institutions to exploit fear, to enable white supremacists, such as Joe Arpaio, and to really go after the most vulnerable among us.

The Texas government is leading the attack against immigrants across the country. SB 4, this racial profiling law, sends a message to local law enforcement that it is their job to stop and question immigrants. This is together with an unprecedented expansion of 287(g) deportation agreements with local sheriffs.

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The city of New York announced Tuesday it is deploying funding for legal services for DACA recipients across the city, following the Trump administration's decision to rescind the DACA program. In a message posted on Twitter, the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio said, "You are not alone. ... If you face legal problems, we'll be right there with you." The fight to save DACA marks just the latest example of cities pushing back against the Trump administration's agenda. From climate change to sanctuary cities to police accountability to affordable housing, cities are increasingly pushing a far more progressive agenda than their counterparts in Washington. This is a central theme in a new book by Democracy Now! co-host Juan Gonza'lez titled "Reclaiming Gotham: Bill de Blasio and the Movement to End America's Tale of Two Cities." For more, we speak with Juan Gonza'lez, longtime staff writer for the New York Daily News, now a professor of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University.

This is a rush transcript. Copy may not be in its final form.

AMY GOODMAN: The city of New York announced Tuesday it's deploying funding for legal services for DACA recipients across New York. In a message posted on Twitter, the office of Mayor Bill de Blasio said, quote, "You are not alone. ... If you face legal problems, we'll be right there with you." At a news conference, Mayor de Blasio urged President Trump not to mess with fellow New Yorkers.

MAYOR BILL DE BLASIO: We are here to stand by each and every one of them. Thirty thousand New Yorkers, this morning, were put in the crosshairs. They are our neighbors. They are our friends. They are our colleagues. They are our family members. We stand with all 30,000 DREAMers here in New York City and all 800,000 around this country. ...

We are going to stand up to this. And New Yorkers do not take kindly to anything that affronts our fellow New Yorkers. We don't take kindly to people being separated out because of who they are. So I have a message for President Trump: Don't mess with your fellow New Yorkers.

AMY GOODMAN: Meanwhile in Boston, Mayor Marty Walsh also slammed President Trump for rescinding DACA.

MAYOR MARTY WALSH: I can say this honestly to the White House: We don't want you here in Boston. We don't want any part of you in Boston. We're doing perfectly fine without you. I think it's a sad statement that the president of the United States of America and the attorney general of the United States of America are sending messages out to so many good young people. Many of those young people, the DREAMers that we're talking about, right now are fighting for this country, fighting with their uniform on, under this flag, and proud of that.

AMY GOODMAN: The fight to save DACA marks just the latest example of cities pushing back against the Trump administration's agenda. From climate change to sanctuary cities to police accountability to affordable housing, cities are increasingly pushing a far more progressive agenda than their counterparts in Washington.

This is a central theme of a new book by my colleague Juan Gonza'lez, co-host of Democracy Now! It's titled Reclaiming Gotham: Bill de Blasio and the Movement to End America's Tale of Two Cities. The book examines how de Blasio and other progressive city leaders are leading a nationwide revolt against corporate-oriented, neoliberal policies that have dominated urban America for decades. In addition to co-hosting Democracy Now!, Juan Gonza'lez is author of a number of books, including Harvest of Empire, News for All the People and Fallout. He was a staff writer at the New York Daily News from 1987 'til just last year, now a professor of journalism and media studies at Rutgers University.

Juan, it's great to have you here talking about your new book, Reclaiming Gotham. I mean, we see the mass protests just yesterday and today around DACA, and this is really the major thesis of your book. Who is speaking out now? Who are the progressive forces in America?

JUAN GONZA'LEZ: Well, yes, Amy. I began to notice, actually about four years ago, in 2013, that there was something happening in the cities across the country that was actually a movement, a political movement that was not getting much attention. And that is the rise, post-the Great Recession, post-the Occupy Wall Street movement, that many young and progressive people were running for political office and actually winning seats in city councils and some even in mayoral races across the country, and that they were, in essence, the political -- the political effect of a mass movement now that has been building across the country for decades, and that Bill de Blasio -- and, you know, people say to me, "Well, has Juan Gonza'lez gone crazy? Is he now wanting to praise Democratic politicians?" I think that you have to look beyond individuals, and you have to look beyond positions, and you have to try to understand the systemic things that are happening.

One of the things I realized was that the de Blasio victory in 2013, because New York City is such an important part of the United States -- we're talking about a city with a $70 billion budget back then, with 300,000 employees. It is a huge administrative unit of government in America. And the fact that a left-leaning progressive, de Blasio, complete upstart, who no one expected to win, had captured the most important city in the United States and the center of world capitalism, had captured its administrative apparatus, that that was only a reflection of what was going on across the country. And very few journalists and scholars have begun to look at this as a movement. So I started doing more research into other cities to try to understand how this happened, how real was it in terms of substantive change for the future. So that's what my book is about.

AMY GOODMAN: Your book begins with the scene on Inauguration Day in 2014 here in New York City. I want to go back now to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio speaking at his inauguration in 2014.

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Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, a politician who only recently joined the ticket of Illinois gubernatorial candidate Daniel Biss, has now been forced off that same ticket.

Biss campaign is built on being unapologetically leftist, but apparently supporting the BDS movement against Israel is a bridge too far. Ramirez-Rosa was criticized for his ties to the Democratic Socialists of America, an organization which supports the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement (BDS), by Illinois congressman Brad Schneider in a Facebook post.

Now, just days later, The Intercept reports that (most likely in response to Schneider withdrawing support) Biss campaign has dropped Ramirez-Rosa from the ticket.

Biss put out a lengthy statement soon after, explaining why he has chosen to find a new running mate:

Growing up with an Israeli mother, grandparents who survived the Holocaust, and great-grandparents who did not survive, issues related to the safety and security of the Jewish people are deeply personal to me.

I strongly support a two-state solution. I support Israels right to exist, and I support Israel as the homeland of the Jewish people. I also care deeply about justice for Palestinians, and believe that a vision for the Middle East must include political and economic freedom for Palestinians. Thats why I oppose the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement, or BDS, as I believe it moves us further away from a peaceful solution.

When I asked him in the interview process prior to his selection, Carlos said he too supported a two-state solution and opposed BDS. Since weve announced his selection, we have been asked about his position on BDS. After much discussion, its become clear that Carlos position has changed. While I respect his right to come to his own conclusions on the issue, it simply wasnt the understanding we shared when I asked him to join the ticket.

For his part, Ramirez-Rosa also put out a statement declaring his intention to continue advocating for the issues close to his heart:

While I was honored to be chosen as Senator Daniel Biss gubernatorial running mate, it became clear over the past few days that while we share a total commitment to peace, security, and statehood for the Israeli and Palestinian people, and both oppose pursuing BDS at the state level, the difference of opinion we have on the role the BDS movement plays at the federal level would make it impossible to continue moving forward as a ticket.

I was asked to join the ticket to even more strongly advocate for the critical issues facing this state, such as Medicare for all, a $15 living wage today, affordable childcare, and free college tuition. While I am no longer part of the ticket, I have every confidence that Senator Biss and I, in our different roles, will continue to be strong advocates for these progressive issues.

I especially want to thank the members and organizational leaders of Reclaim Chicago, Our Revolution IL, and Democratic Socialists of America, and the thousands of activists who have shown their commitment to addressing these critical concerns for their confidence in me, and their continued work on these progressive issues. There is so much work to be done, and I am proud to stand by your side while we continue to build our progressive movement.
For the second time in four days the tears rolled nonstop from the eyes of Angie Geier, but for different reasons.

On Aug. 26, Angie couldnt control the steady stream of tears as she stood by helplessly watching flames shoot from the roof of her house at 417 Coon Prairie Ave. in Westby. But days later, on Aug. 29, her tears of sorrow, were suddenly filled with joy, when her 11-year-old cat, Misha  who was believed to have perished in the fire  rose from the ashes and began purring in the grasp of Angies arms.

Ever since the fire completely destroyed the Geier home, Angie has made regular trips back to the burned out structure in search of a miracle. She would call Mishas name and listen for a response. She would leave a small amount of food and water in a dish praying quietly to herself that somehow Misha had found a way out of the fire and was simply hiding nearby.

As the days passed and with no sign of her beloved cat, Angie began to give up hope. She feared when the time came that she was allowed back inside the burned out structure, she would find Misha under her bed, which was her favorite place to hide and unfortunately was on the back side of the house where the fire raged the hottest.

Following the fire inspection, Angie was allowed back into the house for a short time on Tuesday, Aug. 29. She immediately made her way to the bedroom, with her father nearby to assist her. She called Mishas name again, but all she heard was the rustling of ashes below her feet. Together they moved the mattress off the bed and picked up the first piece of the split box spring set. She looked below, but still no sounds were heard as she called Mishas name one more time.

Angie took a deep breath realizing when they picked up the remaining box spring, that odds were they would find the lifeless remains of the family pet. Instead, Angie burst into tears when she saw Misha hovering in the corner, scared, thirsty, hungry, but oh so alive. Once again she called her name, but this time Misha came willingly into her arms.

For the next hour all I did was sob. I couldnt believe Misha survived. It was a miracle, Angie said.

The Geier house was listed a total loss as a result of the fire. An inspection of burned structure revealed the fire started in the back of the house, but due to the extent of the damage an exact cause could not be pinpointed.

So how did Misha survive? As the house burned the insulation in the roof and ceiling of the bedroom collapsed onto the bed that Misha sought safety under. The heavy wet insulation created a protective seal around the bed preventing any of the deadly smoke from getting under the bed.

Misha was in complete darkness for days. She had no food or water, but miraculously she survived. Cats must really have nine lives, Angie said.

The Geiers five children  two sets of twin boys and a daughter  were not at home when the fire broke out. The family has three additional pets, a dog and two other cats. The dog was not in the house when the fire broke out and the other two cats were rescued by firefighters the day of the blaze.

A neighbor, Joy Moser, called 911 to report the fire and Westby-Christiana Fire Department, along with mutual aid from the Viroqua Fire Department, battled the blaze for several hours. The Geier home was constructed in 2010 as a Habitat for Humanity project and dedicated in January 2011.

Angie said her family is humbled by the generosity of the community. Dan and Gina Iverson of Westby offered the Geier family a place to stay while their house is rebuilt; the American Red Cross provided financial assistance; the Bethel Butikk opened its doors to the family; and friends set up a donation drop-off for clothing, household items, school supplies and more that is still ongoing at Zzip Stop (formerly Central Express) on the north end of Westby. For information about what donations are still needed and clothing sizes, contact Emilee Nottestad at 608-778-1664.

Angie said anything that has been donated and the family is not able to use will be donated back to the Bethel Butikk for other families in need of assistance. She choked back tears as she thought about the overwhelming kindness bestowed upon her family.

I pray no one has to ever go through anything like this, but knowing people are there to help you during the darkest times in your life is truly the silver lining. Once my family is back on their feet and we have the chance to help others, there will be no hesitation, just wide open arms and rolled up sleeves ready to pitch in and give back, Angie said.

Misha was in complete darkness for days. She had no food or water, but miraculously she survived. Cats must really have nine lives. Angie Geier
The persecuted Rohingya are being driven from their homeland. They flee Myanmar, and end up in Bangladesh. Now the government there wants to force them onto an easily-flooded island. Where will they lay their head?

The Rohingya are a minority in Myanmar, Muslims in a Buddhist-majority country. They are persecuted by their government, told they do not belong in their own land. A long-lasting wave of persecutions drove them into contained refugee camps. The current pogrom came after a few Rohingya committed a violent act.

After enough state brutality, a few violent Rohingya attacked a guard post, killing twelve people. That was the moment that the elites had wanted. They had the guns and clubs. All they needed was a legal precedent. The government used this as an excuse to harry the beleaguered people into more misery. That is the current state of play. The Rohingyas homeland, Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), does not recognize their basic human rights. They do not possess citizenship in their own country.

Per the Times:

Myanmars military appears to have resumed scorched-earth tactics against Muslim Rohingya that were of such devastating cruelty last year, according to the United Nations, that they most likely constituted crimes against humanity.Tens of thousands of desperate Rohingya are fleeing Rakhine State, where a government operation began after attacks by the insurgent Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army on Aug 25. Since then, Myanmars military reports nearly 400 people have been killed, mostly insurgents, but Rohingya reaching Bangladesh report widespread atrocities by the military, including deliberate killings of civilians. The insurgents said they were reacting to abuses by the military, which reportedly moved a battalion into the region about a month ago, prompting concern from the United Nations about the Rohingyas fate.

Aung San Suu Kyi, the one-time Nobel Peace Prize recipient, has condoned this suffering, and is a chief villain in this tragedy.

As George Monbiot notes in the Guardian,



I doubt she has read the UN human rights report on the treatment of the Rohingyas, released in February. The crimes it revealed were horrific. It documents the mass rape of women and girls, some of whom died as a result of the sexual injuries they suffered. It shows how children and adults had their throats slit in front of their families. It reports the summary executions of teachers, elders and community leaders; helicopter gunships randomly spraying villages with gunfire; people shut in their homes and burnt alive; a woman in labour beaten by soldiers, her baby stamped to death as it was born.

It details the deliberate destruction of crops and the burning of villages to drive entire populations out of their homes; people trying to flee gunned down in their boats. And this is just one report. Amnesty International published a similar dossier last year. There is a mountain of evidence suggesting that these actions are an attempt to eliminate this ethnic group from Myanmar. Hard as it is to imagine, this campaign of terror has escalated in recent days. Refugees arriving in Bangladesh report widespread massacres. Malnutrition ravages the Rohingya, afflicting 80,000 children.



The United Nations reached out to Bangladesh and India to aid the refugees crossing their border. The line separating the two countries consists of forests and hills, and so it is challenging to keep out suffering people. As Reuters reports:

Bangladesh, one of the worlds poorest and most crowded nations, plans to go ahead with work to develop an isolated, flood-prone island in the Bay of Bengal to temporarily house tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in neighboring Myanmar, officials say. Dhaka says the Rohingya are not welcome, and has told border guards to push back those trying to enter the country illegally. But close to 125,000 Rohingya have crossed into Bangladesh in just 10 days, joining more than 400,000 others already living there in cramped makeshift camps.



To put people on the island of Thengar Char is not humane, but it is better than leaving the Rohingya to the monstrous persecutions of their own government. No man is an island, nor any nation. When will Myanmar, and the false saint that leads them, see that the cry of these people is the cause of the world, and of human dignity?
It was only a few minutes after my imaginary Trump supporter Todd White began exploring Facebook that he learned filmmaker Michael Moore was staging a coup detat against president-elect Donald Trump. Todd also learned that Trump won the popular vote. And that there were people paid to protest at Trump rallies.

None of that is true, of course. Thats the sort of fake news that was disseminated by Facebookbogus content that many believe was written by partisan groups to influence the election. That belief was apparently confirmed Thursday, as The Washington Post reported that Facebook had sold ads to Russian troll farms, presumably to influence the election. Previously, Senator Mark Warner (D-Va.) had warned that potentially thousands of trolls had published posts to spread disinformation about Hillary Clinton.

But how do Facebook users end up seeing it? During November 2016, we decided to test whos seeing this partisan fake news, whos supplying it, and just how obvious it is.

We began our investigation on Nov. 21, 2016, as the fake-news controversy gained momentumand Facebook and Google began blocking sites that traffic in disinformation from their respective advertising networks. We set up two Facebook accounts, one favoring Hillary Clinton, and the other supporting Trump, then let Facebook recommend a series of news pages. In effect, we were asking Facebook to be our news service.

Then we sat back and watched the news roll in. We looked closely at each post to determine whether it was real news, fake news, or something in between.

Fake news is a real problem

Questions about Facebooks role in spreading fake news were raised almost as soon as Trump shocked the world with his victory. BuzzFeed and other news sites began publishing reports about how a small town in Macedonia turned fake election news into a cottage industry.

It appears the authors behind the fake news reports had no partisan agenda. They were just in it for the money. One creator claimed he could make $10,000 per week in ad revenue from stories that were shared among Trump supporters.

Mark Hachman Fake or just partisan?

The Macedonians may still be at it, because our Republican supporter, Todd White, was flooded with partisan posts. Worse, over a little more than two days, we counted 10 such posts in his feed that were fake, most accusing Democrats or their supporters of illegal activity. In all, White was clearly exposed to more spin than his Democratic counterpart, Chris Smith, who saw exactly zero fake news stories.

But the problem goes beyond fake news. As Facebooks feeds prove, we live in a post-truth world, where the line between partisan spin and outright lies is practically indistinguishable.

What our Democratic persona, Chris Smith, sees when using Facebook.

Letting Facebook choose the news

To conduct our experiment, I opened Google Chrome in Incognito mode, then created two Gmail addresses. I then used both email addresses to register for new Facebook accountsChris Smith for Clinton, and Todd White for Trump. To eliminate hidden biases, I registered them both as white males, each with the same birthday.

For Smith, I then Liked three people: Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and President Barack Obama. For White, I Liked Donald Trump, Mike Pence, and Newt Gingrich.

Facebook has a large, visually interesting page suggesting Pages to follow.

I then asked Facebook to recommend Pages to follow. Facebook provides two mechanisms for doing this: a Like Pages page in the left nav bar, which provides a visually compelling tiled layout of suggested Pages, and a similar list of suggested Pages next to the Pokes section. For each of my test profiles, I systematically selected the first, fourth, and seventh from the list of Pages next to Pokes. Then I added the first seven suggestions from Like Pages later that night, for a total of 10 across both avatars.

Note that I deliberately didnt Like pages like alt-right news service Breitbart.com, as I wanted to see if other pages would reference them. (Surprisingly, they often didnt.) I was testing what Facebook offered my avatars, more than what these avatars might actively solicit. I also made no friends on the serviceagain, to test Facebook, not other humans.

Facebook suggests Pages like these to follow. For someone new to the system, this is what they might click upon. Note that some conservative sites snuck in.

Smith ended up with Pages like Exposing Facts to the Misinformed Viewers of Fox News, Hillary Clinton, Democratic News, and Rude and Rotten Republicans. White landed such gems as Hillary for Prison, TRUMP TRAIN, and I hate Hippies and their stupid light bulbs.

I was putting my trust in Facebook. Would Facebook show me Pages that believed in trusted news sources? Or would Facebook toss me into the maelstrom of partisan news, some of it fake?

What do you think?

Into the cesspool

Immediately I saw some clear distinctions between my two Facebook users, Smith and White. For one, Trump fan White saw many, many more posts compared to Smith: 129 versus just 41, over the course of about two and a half days. Granted, this was partially due to the whims of the Pages recommended by Facebook. Its likely (or at least possible) that Whites news sources are more prolific posters. Nonetheless, it appears that conservative Facebook viewers are being flooded with posts.

Another post in the conservative Facebook feed.

Second, rarely did conservative Pages reference so-called mainstream media. Instead, they tended to regurgitate blog posts from other sites, Facebook posts, and right-wing blogssites like AmericasFreedomFighters.com and USASupreme.com. Facebook didnt show my avatar any outright hate sites, though Photoshopped images of a sickly Hillary Clinton certainly wandered into that territory.

Third, although Clinton lost, my pro-Clinton page was bombarded not by anti-Trump messaging, but rather pro-Clinton messaging. The pro-Trump page was split about 50-50, Id say, between pro-Trump posts and insults directed at Clinton and other Democrats and liberals.

The question that we set out to answer, though, was how many partisan fake news stories we saw. In our study, 10and thats 10 too many if you believe that Facebook should be held to accuracy standards.

Fake news and propaganda

As I skimmed through each post on the feeds of Smith and White, I tried to characterize each post: Was it politically neutral? Was it clearly partisan? Fake? Or simply a non-political post that would qualify as none of the above?

One of the posts in the feed of Chris Smith, our Democratic Facebook user.

A significant number of posts on both sides were largely neutral, or slanted so slightly that I gave them the benefit of the doubt. Of those, Smith, the Democrat, saw 12 political posts, 23 slanted posts, and six posts which I characterized as non-political. None were fake.

White, the Republican, saw 33 political posts and 79 slanted postsmany more posts in general, but a higher percentage of slanted posts within his overall News Feed. Facebook also chose to show White the 10 fake posts, as well as seven that werent political.

Weve listed all the fake posts we found at the end of the article. While a couple of them were obviously faked, most were plausiblejust as plausible as stories that I thought were false, and turned out to be completely true. Will carrying a medical marijuana card prevent you from owning a gun? Sounds incredible, but yes, that story is true. Then theres the piece on Paul Schrader, the writer of Taxi Driver, who apparently advocated violence after Trumps election. Thats true as well, and he apologized for it on Nov. 15. Discovering that such outlandish stories are indeed factual helps reinforce the idea that other seemingly dubious articles can be factual, too.

Is this factual? Depends on how you see it.

But its the stories that fall somewhere in between that can be confusing. Is Paul Ryan really trying to get rid of Medicare? He may not have said so explicitly, but if youre a Democrat, you probably believe he is. Picture memes add another element: They may not explicitly tell an untruth, but they can imply as much through innuendo. Most of Facebooks political posts fall somewhere in this middle ground between truth and fiction, and it can be exhausting trying to label them as one or the other.

People Also Shared posts typically either confirm the post above or simply take the topic in new directions. In this case, we werent able to confirm or deny the first story that Clinton was too intoxicated to speak on Election Night, so it went into our slanted category.

One important problem is that Facebook doesnt just show you posts from Pages youve Liked. The site also suggests posts that other users have shared, as well as what it calls Related Articles. In both cases, that means certain posts are reinforced by other similar posts placed directly beneath them, with stories that seemingly back up whats being shared as actual truth. (Occasionally, Facebook also promotes fact-checking sites like Snopes.com to either back up or debunk the story in question, but thats far rarer.) The upshot, though, is that the post in question seems to be true, because of this apparent confirmation by other reports.

Major change is needed at Facebook

Facebook chief executive Mark Zuckerberg has scoffed at accusations that fake news affected the election. Personally, I think the idea that fake news on Facebook, which is a very small amount of the content, influenced the election in any wayI think is a pretty crazy idea, Zuckerberg said on Nov. 11.

Zuckerbergs numbers may be right. But he seems to be conflating the volume of fake news with the impact of fake news, ignoring the power of half-truths, omissions, and outright lies to spread misinformation and confusion.

Negativityand half-truthsarent just confined to the conservative side.

Even President Barack Obama has voiced his concern about fake news. Speaking at a November 18 press conference in Berlin during a visit with German Chancellor Angela Merkel, Obama remarked, If we are not serious about facts and whats true and whats notand particularly in an age of social media where so many people are getting their information in soundbites and snippets off their phonesif we cant discriminate between serious arguments and propaganda, then we have problems.

Facebook has not returned an emailed request for comment. Recent reports indicate the company is aware of the problem, but it may be struggling to address it while also distancing itself from earlier allegations of liberal bias.

Facebook vice president of product management Adam Mosseri has acknowledged that the companys efforts to verify stories dont go far enough. Its important that we keep improving our ability to detect misinformation, he said. Were committed to continuing to work on this issue and improve the experiences on our platform. Most recently, over the weekend, Facebook said it would employ third-party fact-checkers to verify news posted on its site.

This sounds like one of the Big Problems that Silicon Valley companies are forever setting out to solve. And its not going away. The clocks ticking on the midterm elections, meaning Facebook has less than two years to make real changes around fake news.

Fake posts

Heres a list of the fake news that Todd White, our fake GOP supporter, encountered while on Facebook:

Soros Can Face Prison Under U.S. Code  Title 18  Part I  Chapter 115 Is George Soros planning the next American Revolution? Not really.

Putin Soros in a Bind Russian president Vladimir Putin does not have a warrant to arrest Soros.

Woman Investigating Clinton Foundation CHILD SEX TRAFFICKING Just Found DEAD The source for this fake story was a Reddit post from someone with the username billclintonisarap1st.

STILL PENDING! FINAL ELECTION 2016 NUMBERS: TRUMP WON BOTH POPULAR ( 62.9 M -62.2 M ) AND ELECTORAL COLLEGE VOTES ( 306-232)HEY CHANGE.ORG, SCRAP YOUR LOONY PETITION NOW! We saw this report twice. There are several sources that show this isnt true; heres one.

Donald Trump Protester Speaks Out: I Was Paid $3,500 To Protest Trumps Rally This isnt true, according to the man who invented the hoax.

Is Elizabeth Warren promoting Hillarys Civil War? She is not, nor is Clinton leading one.

Donald Trump appoints Lord Voldemort as Chief of Staff Cute idea, but not true.

Also, there was this illustration:

We would characterize what this picture implies as totally false.

In this case, the story about Michael Moore seems fairly straightforward. Stating in the post that hes involved in a coup detat, however, is false.

Another slanted, partisan post in the conservative Facebook feed. In this case, whats being communicated crosses the line into falsehood.

Avengers director Joss Whedon suggests coup; Says Trump cannot be allowed a term in office The maker of Hollywood blockbusters is not leading an insurrection, either.

Not totally fake, but almost certainly not trueespecially after you click through to the page and parse what the Buffy the Vampire Slayer and Avengers writer actually said.

We didnt receive any fake news on our imaginary Clinton supporters page. These stories do existbut there are far fewer than the fake news from the Trump side. As the Macedonian writers of fake news told BuzzFeed, theres not as much money in it. But heres a smattering of what you can find on the Internet:

Trump supporters call to boycott Pepsi over comments the CEO never made Pepsi CEO Indra Nooyi did not tell Trump supporters to take their business elsewhere.

Lie Witness News Asks People About Donald Trumps Fake White House Renovation Plans This is openly fake newsJimmy Kimmels reports about how Trump plans to redesign the White House.

This story was originally published on Nov. 21, 2016, and updated on Sept. 7, 2017 to add details about the Post report.
Hurricane Irma Impacts Poker Plans in Caribbean, Southern Florida

September 08, 2017 Valerie Cross

According to news sources on Wednesday, Hurricane Irma is currently a Category 5, which is the highest possible on the hurricane scale, with winds reported at 185 mph. It has been called one of "the most intense storms on record" and is tied for the second strongest storm ever in the Atlantic Basin.

Irma has ripped through the Caribbean and is heading towards Puerto Rico, on track to pass near or just north of the island. While it is still unclear whether or not it will touch the US mainland, forecasts show it could turn toward Florida over the weekend, and authorities urge residents to evacuate.

Poker Streaming Plans in Caribbean Derailed

Bill Perkins' "Streamboat" project which took some top poker streamers to his yacht in the Caribbean in the spring, was all set to sail this month for some streaming of WCOOP on "Streamboat2."

Jaime Staples posted a Vlog documenting his evacuation from the Caribbean on a private jet (thanks to Perkins). In the video, he tells viewers, "We just want to get back to Streamboat2, get on the boat, start streaming WCOOP. But theres a storm in the way."

Jaime and Matt Staples are featured in the video evacuating to New York. Jeff Gross and Kevin Martin were also scheduled to be streaming poker from Perkins yacht in the British Virgin Islands, but according to Perkins Twitch channel, the next stream is "unknown due to hurricane Irma."

WSOP Circuit Event Cancelled

After damage sustained by Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Casino in St. Maarten, Caribbean Wednesday, the property has cancelled all reservations now through the end of 2017.

That includes the World Series of Poker International Circuit stop that was scheduled to take place at the resort from Nov. 1-15.

The resort released a statement saying, "The damages to Sonesta Maho Beach Resort & Royal Casino are severe, as is widespread damage and destruction on our beloved island of Sint Maarten. Severe damage has also occurred at Princess Juliana International Airport, and we do not have news as to when the airport will resume operations."

According to TK Poker Events, all prepaid reservations for the event will be refunded. The property hopes to rebuild as soon as possible and rescheduling of the event will depend on that process.

Florida Poker Prepares for the Worst

WPT Deepstacks reported on its website that the event that was to be held at the Seminole Casino Hotel in Immokalee, Florida from Sept. 1-10 has been cancelled "due to the potential impact of Hurricane Irma on South Florida."

According to WPTDS, they will be working with their partners at Seminole Casino Hotel Immokalee to reschedule the event at a later date.

As Irma's exact path through the weekend remains in question, Floridians are preparing for the worst. It is unclear at this time how other poker plans may be impacted in the region, but players are advised to check weather forecasts and plan accordingly.

For an updated list of poker rooms closing in Florida, visit this week's edition of Inside Gaming.

Photo courtesy of Cayobo/Flickr
Four Charged in Alleged Arson of Rival Poker Game in Brooklyn

September 06, 2017 Valerie Cross

According to the United States Department of Justice, a 33-count indictment was unsealed Wednesday in the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York. The indictment charges six defendants, who allegedly have ties to an Eastern European organized crime syndicate, with racketeering predicate acts. One of those alleged crimes involved arson that took place in May 2016.

The Arson Charge

Four of the defendants, Viktor Zelinger, Vyacheslav Malkeyev, Leonid Gershman, and Aleksey Tsvetkov, are charged with crimes related to arson of a residential building at 2220 Voorhies Avenue in Brooklyn that took place shortly after 1:00 a.m. on May 2, 2016.

The impetus for the crime? It is alleged that the defendants operated an illegal high-stakes poker game on Coney Island Avenue and that they conspired to set fire to the Voorhies building because it was the location of a rival poker game.

While the rival game was allegedly on the ground floor of the residential building, the entire building went up in flames, and two residents were trapped in a third-floor apartment as a result.

Putting Out the Fire

In the amateur video of the fire, a firefighter is seen climbing a ladder through dense smoke to rescue the two trapped teens.

The residents and five firefighters sustained injuries in the fire, and one firefighter suffered burns to his face. The building and all apartments within it were destroyed.

Investigation and Prosecution

Five of the six defendants are in custody while one, Zelinger, remains at large. According to the Department of Justice, the arrests were the result of a long-term investigation by the DEAs New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force.

The charges contained in the indictment are allegations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

The Offices Organized Crime and Gangs Section is handling the governments prosecution of the defendants.
Should We Balance Our Play in Low-Stakes Live No-Limit Hold'em?

September 06, 2017 Steve Selbrede

The Wednesday Poker Discussion Group is held every week in Ricardo's restaurant in Las Vegas. We recently discussed a hand history where an excellent player said, "If I am going to three-bet with or here, I should also three-bet with my -offsuit in order to balance my overall play."

I often hear similar comments at WPDG, on television poker broadcasts, and on the poker forums. This is one of my many poker pet peeves. It bothers me because I think that this "balance your play" wisdom rarely applies to the low-stakes live poker hands we normally discuss.

In fact, this advice can be downright harmful for these games.

This may sometimes be just a semantics issue, a sloppy description of what the pundit is really thinking. When he encourages us to "balance our play" he may actually mean we should "watch our frequencies."

But words matter. When we say one thing but mean something else, we make it harder to communicate what we are actually thinking. The less sophisticated listener might get the concept wrong.

Adjusting Our Frequencies

Balancing our play is not the same thing as adjusting our frequencies. Consider the curve depicted below, which shows Late-Position Profit versus Late-Position VPIP for online NL100. ("Late-Position" includes the hijack and cutoff seats, but not the button.)

LP-Profit vs LP-VPIP for online NL100. Peak Profit is at 17.6%

This curve shows that our optimal "LP-VPIP frequency" for this game is 17.6 percent. But the precise location of the peak depends on the situation in which we find ourselves.

If we are playing in a Las Vegas $1/$2 game with four limpers ahead of us, the peak will shift to a higher frequency, meaning we can play a wider range. On the other hand, with a single raiser ahead of us, the peak will shift to a much lower frequency, which means we should play a tighter range.

So wherever the peak might be for our current situation and skill level, we lose value when we are off-frequency. For example, if we have been playing too loosely, we should adjust our frequency by folding our negative-EV hands.

This concept of adjusting our frequency applies to nearly every poker situation.

Suppose our optimal frequency for preflop three-betting in the cutoff is 3.8 percent. This could be a range of [JJ+, AK, AQs] = [3.3%] plus another [0.5%] for the occasional profitable three-bet bluff. We make these three-bets when we think it is our most profitable action in the current situation.

Yet the average Vegas $1/$2 player three-bets only 0.9 percent of the time, which might be only [KK+]. Mr. Average should adjust his three-bet frequency by adding hands which he can three-bet for value. If he is fairly unskilled, this might be just , and , so his optimal three-bet frequency might only be 3.0 percent. The greater his skill, or the weaker his opponents, the more hands he might be able to profitably three-bet.

Frequency errors abound in Vegas NLH. Most players are too loose, too passive, call too many raises and so forth. Our profit is generally maximized by exploiting their frequency errors while minimizing our own.

What Does "Balance our Play" Mean?

A cynical definition explaining why we should "balance our play" would be "we should make some bad plays to balance the good plays we normally make, because this confuses our opponents so they make more mistakes." I like this definition because it emphasizes the folly of balancing our play.

Less cynically, balancing our play means that we should sometimes make a negative-EV play in order to improve the profitability of our normal positive-EV plays. This makes us less predictable and therefore less exploitable.

Betting to balance our play could be understood as "betting to protect our overall strategy." Poker is a game of information and balancing provides less information to our opponents. They will make more mistakes if they are forced to make more guesses.

This is not the same as a passive player increasing his three-bet frequency by adding additional +EV hands. In fact, adjusting our frequencies (VPIP, CFPR, PFR, CBet or any other) in order to maximize profit is what we should always strive to do. Making a submaximal-EV play for balance is not the same thing.

Balancing our play means that we should sometimes make a negative-EV play in order to improve the profitability of our normal positive-EV plays. This makes us less predictable and therefore less exploitable.

The general approach to balancing our play is to play a wide range of hands in the same way and to play a particular strength hand (say, a set) in a variety of different ways. This makes it more difficult for an observant thinking villain to put us on a range.

Suppose we only three-bet preflop with our top 3 percent range, which might be [JJ+, AK]. An observant, thinking villain could safely fold his weakest holdings preflop or when he misses the flop. Adding -suited would be a reasonable frequency adjustment if we can do so profitably in the current situation. But adding a negative-EV hand like -offsuit would be a balancing play, designed to confuse our opponents in a future situation.

Balancing our Play in Small Stakes Live Poker

Balancing our play is beneficial only if our opponents can exploit our imbalances. To do this they must first be able to detect our imbalances. Then they must be capable of exploiting them.

Consider an online $1/$2 NLH game. Players at this level often data mine their opponents by downloading every hand history they play. Then they use a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) to inform them of key statistical tendencies of their opponents. This information can be used to exploit an opponent's frequency errors and to clean up their own.

Note the emphasis on the word frequency. Adjusting our frequencies is not the same as balancing our play.

In principle, an opponent could review every hand to discover how we play in specific circumstances. For example, by filtering his database to look at three-bets, he might be able to determine what our three-betting range actually is. If we do not balance our three-bet range, we might be subject to exploitation.

But a fear of being unbalanced is usually not well-founded, even online. It not only requires a villain who data mines, he must also be able to find our imbalances. This can only happen if he has a large number of our hands and the motivation to search for imbalances. It's much more likely that Mr. HUD will simply monitor some of our key stats, hoping to exploit our frequency errors.

Low-stakes Vegas games are different. Even when playing against local regulars, there is no practical way for them to know whether we are balanced or not. Since our imbalances are rarely exposed and rarely noticed, balancing our play is really just a form of fancy play syndrome.

We are just wasting our money by advertising to the clueless if they can't (or won't) exploit our imbalances. At best, they will just guess at our imbalances, based on a general feeling about how we play.

Again, this is not the same as being off-frequency. We should endeavor to play optimal frequencies. But we can't fix a frequently made mistake by balancing a profitable play with a less profitable one.

A Vegas Example

I was playing $2/$5 at the Venetian in Las Vegas against totally unknown players. I was card dead for the first hour or so, playing only a few hands. Then I opened in middle position to $20 with pocket aces.

The unknown player in the hijack seat said (inappropriately), "You haven't played a hand yet  you must have aces." Nevertheless, he called, as did two other villains.

Mr. Hijack thought he detected an imbalance in my play, thinking that I would only open with a very strong hand. But Mr. Hijack can't possibly detect such an imbalance in just an hour or two. (Perhaps he realized this, so he called.)

And as demonstrated here, even when a local regular suspects an imbalance, he will rarely exploit it. This is a hallmark of low-stakes live no-limit hold'em games.

Some other Vegas Scenarios

Suppose we usually limp with small pairs in early position in a passive Vegas $1/$2 game. Then a hand comes up in which we are in EP and look down and find pocket aces.

The balancing meme whispers in our ear, telling us "we should sometimes limp with our aces to balance our play." But we would be losing value by doing this. Early position limping with aces might be +EV, but raising should be even more profitable.

Suppose an average player opens UTG+1. It folds to us in the hijack seat where we have . We normally three-bet with a 3.8 percent range in this situation, something like [TT+, AK, AQs]. The balancing meme suggests we can three-bet our this time, even though it is nowhere close to our usual three-bet range.

But would our opponents ever notice that our three-bet range is unbalanced? Even though we are three-betting four times more often than our average opponent, this is still only once every 26 hands or so. If we add -suited to our three-bet range, we will be three-betting light about once every 330 hands, or once every eight hours. And since we don't unnecessarily show our hand, our opponents are even less likely to see this. And even then, most won't even notice.

We shouldn't three-bet unless it is our most profitable action in this situation.

Suppose we call a small preflop raise in the big blind with , and the flop comes . Our standard line is to check-raise when we flop a strong draw out of position. This can be considered an unbalanced strategy, since an observant thinking player could exploit it. So, we sometimes check-call to balance our play.

But will a typical $1/$2 player notice this? Probably not! For one thing, this scenario does not come up very often. Furthermore, we sometimes also check-raise with a set or two pair, a play we make when it is our most profitable line. It would be very difficult for any live player to detect an imbalance in our check-raising strategy.

Suppose we call a small preflop raise and flop a set. The raiser continuation bets. A balanced strategy has us raising sometimes and calling the other times. And since we sometimes raise our flopped sets, we must also sometimes raise when we miss our set.

But making these adjustments in a Vegas game merely to balance our play is not an optimal strategy. We should raise our flopped set when it is our highest EV play in the current situation. When we miss the set, we should also make the play we think has the highest EV in the current situation.

Don't Balance Your Play

Balancing our play against the many weak players in order to be less exploitable by the rare strong player makes little sense (or profit). It's better to play a fully exploitive strategy, completely ignoring the fancy-play concept of balance.

The vast majority of low-stakes live players will never exploit our imbalances because they won't notice, won't care and won't know how to adjust. We will make much more money exploiting them than we might lose to the rare observant, thinking player.

Steve Selbrede has been playing poker for 20 years and writing about it since 2012. He is the author of five books, The Statistics of Poker, Beat the Donks, Donkey Poker Volume 1: Preflop, Donkey Poker Volume 2: Postflop, and Donkey Poker Volume 3: Hand Reading.
Tricky Spot with Top Pair for Leo Margets at 888Live Poker Festival

September 07, 2017 Samuel Cosby

The 888Live Poker Festival Sao Paulo is well underway at the Casa Bossa - Shopping Cidade Jardim, with both the High Roller and Main Event having begun. Wednesday saw a big turnout for the R$2,500 buy-in High Roller, with the re-entry option still available for those wanting to join in today.

Among those in action in the High Roller yesterday were Sofia Lovgren and Leo Margets. In fact, those two tangled in an interesting hand that ended with Margets being eliminated, and we spoke with the Spanish pro afterwards to discuss how it played out.

With roughly 17,000 chips already in the middle and the board showing , the small blind checked and then Lovgren bet 6,000 from the big blind. After thinking about it for a bit, Margets moved all in over the top for just over 24,000 chips. The small blind folded, but Lovgren called the shove quickly.

Margets held for top pair, but Lovgren had her crushed with . The turn was the and the river the , and that was it for Margets. We caught up with her shortly after and talked a bit about the hand as well as what her plans are for the future.

Leo Margets

According to Margets, a player opened under the gun to 1,500 and Margets flatted from the button. The small blind came along, then Lovgren made it 4,500 from the big blind.

"She's not squeezing to 4,500 with ace-king," Margets explained. "Or squeezing for the sake of squeezing because she thinks it's a nice spot. She would do it bigger, for sure."

"The [original raiser] folds and I call. I could have folded, but it's so small that I can call," she continued. "And the small blind calls as well. So it's like 17,000 [in the pot], and she bets 6,000. That's 23,000 and I have like 25,000 behind."

There was enough in the middle to put Margets in a difficult spot not wanting to let go of her top pair, top kicker.

"It's just like, 'Ughhhhh, I wanna puke!' and 'Why am I here?' I decided to shove because there was so much money in the pot."

"I guess I also considered calling, but then so many cards can slow the action," explained Margets, alluding to that board. "I didn't want spades, or... if a king came. I mean, I guess I could have called, but I thought that it was big enough, the pot."

"I guess she could do the same with jacks or tens," she speculated. "I don't think she doesn't continue, for protection even probably. But then she would've raised more probably pre. So yeah... not super happy with the hand."

For Margets, she thought her biggest mistake was her preflop call. If she can get away from the hand preflop, she doesn't end up in such a tricky situation.

"The problem is that I know Sofia is a good player and she wouldn't be raising that small... squeezing that small unless she had aces, or queens, or kings," Margets said.

"But then sometimes you know, that's live poker. You need to sometimes say I don't give a shit about math. Sometimes you need to see that and say 'she's only doing that with aces or kings, and I'm done.' Because otherwise, you know I have the odds to call pre and then I call and of course I have top pair, top kicker, and there's a flush draw, and the stack-to-pot ratio is almost 1-to-1. But I know she's got aces or kings, right?"

Despite that, Margets was still happy about the tournament, with both the structure and size.

"You never plan busting, but it happens," Margets said about her run in the tournament. "But I liked it. I'm happy that in the end there were quite a few people."

"At the beginning... we were sitting at the same table as Sofia and Tiffany [Michelle], which was kind of fun," she added.

Leo Margets, Sofia Lovgren, and Tiffany Michelle at the 888Live Poker Festival Sao Paulo

"It was a very good table. I was playing good, [and] running good which is the best. And then we changed tables and I had a couple of tough spots."

It might be a while until we see Margets back on the felt as she's embarking on a new kind of journey.

"I'm not sure when I will play again because I'm starting a new project now in Barcelona," she explained, describing her involvement in a new television show on Catalan TV.

"It's about political debates," Margets said with a wide grin on her face. "I'm going to be kind of analyzing the behaviors of the main guests and asking questions. It's a nice challenge. I've very excited, but [because of the show I'll be] committed to staying in Barcelona on Saturdays, at least for this season."

Margets thinks the next time she plays may not be until the World Series of Poker Europe. She will be finishing out the week here in Brazil though, playing both the Ladies Event and the Main Event.

We'll be staying as well, so be sure to stick with PokerNews this week for more coverage from the 888Live Poker Festival Sao Paulo.
Do you remember pop punk? Did you love it? Did you listen to Blink 182, Sum 41, Green Day, and/or Newfound Glory? Did you skateboard? If you couldn't skateboard, did you play Tony Hawk's Pro Skater? Were you angsty, torn up and angry about nothing in particular? If any or all of these are the case, then Pop Punk High is a show that you are going to love. Set against the backdrop of the early 2000s, this boisterous, lighthearted musical comedy is everything that your inner disaffected teenager needs to feel feelings again.

Derek is kinda lame. He dreams of being the pop punk king of his pop punk high school, but his guitar skills are for jack and he can't shred on a skateboard to save his life. His only friend is a loser like him, and he hates his poser parents. He pines after Amanda Bunkface, the coolest girl in school, but she doesn't even know his name. Besides, she's dating the coolest kid in school: Skeet. He has no chance, until one day he finds the ghost of Avril Lavigne in a lamp in his attic. She offers him three wishes, which he uses to chase after his dreams, but, in time-honored fashion, you have to be careful what you wish for

"I haven't laughed this much at the PIT since the first time I saw Puffs"

Anderson Cook has written a belter. His previous indie-musical The Disembodied Hand That Fisted Everyone to Death was a tonne of fun, but Pop Punk High is most assuredly the next step in his evolution. His one-liners are savage, his dialogue is to both kill and die for, and his understanding of the pop-punk milieu is doctorate grade. I haven't laughed this much at the PIT since the first time I saw Puffs there and look where that show ended up. The comedy is fun, witty, and cartoonish, laid on as thickly as the audience will take it, and delivered by a sterling cast with the bravura of an angsty Mel Brooks picture.

I would love to say more on the cast, unfortunately no literature was ever provided with their names, making it difficult to single anyone out. Suffice to say, they were uniformly brilliant, giving comic performances that belong in a room far bigger than the PIT Loft.*

Musically, the show hits the parody nail directly on the head. If the lyrics weren't so damned funny, you could easily mistake these tracks for an actual Blink 182 album. Ben Lapidus layers in power chord guitar riffs and turns the nostalgia dial all the way to eleven. Vocally, the cast match the era's finest, note for nasally note. Christine Ferry's choreography is a perfect visual mix-tape of every dance move you'll remember from early 00s MTV, and Turner Barrett Law has directed the show to the point where there isn't a second of dead air. This production is a tight-knit, well-oiled machine.

What Cook and his crew have created here is explosively good. It leaps off the stage at you. Sometimes literally. Everything from the overly-mercurial Derek, to his bizarre nemesis Skeet, to his stiflingly supportive and doting parents, is a joy, and the only crime the show commits is that it is too short. An extra fifteen or so minutes with these characters, in this world, would be a holiday we could all use. It would also allow for a more elaborate third act turnaround, so that the ending wouldn't feel quite as brisk. I left this show and immediately wanted to watch it again. If you get the chance, you absolutely must see it.





*Edit (5/30/17):

The producers contacted us with a full cast list following the article's publication. The full roster is as follows:



Derek: Ben Lapidus

Tib: Gwynn Ballard

Amanda Bunkface: Kelly Krauter

Avril Lavigne: Francesca Ferrari

Skeet: Caleb Isaac

Mom: Jamie Watson

Dad: Jacob Grover

Pop Punk Gremlins: Alexander Might, Donovan Mendelovitz, Leanne Velednitsky



We extend our heartiest congratulations to the cast.
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
The Europe Market for Pea Protein has been estimated at USD 10.94 Million in 2016 and is projected to reach USD 15.19 Million by 2021, at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period from 2016 to 2021.

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The North America Autoimmune Diagnostics Market was worth $5.48 billion in 2016 and estimated to reach $ 6.48 billion by the end of 2021 with a growing potential of 3.40%. The term autoimmune disease refers to a different type of illnesses that involve almost every human organ system. It includes diseases of the nervous, endocrine systems, gastrointestinal and other connective tissues, blood, eyes and blood vessels.NIH expected that up to 23.5 million Americans have an Auto immune disorders. In comparison, heart diseases up to 22 million and cancer affects up to 9 million people in America. So NIH estimates that the annual direct health spending on auto immune diagnostics is nearly 100 billion (USD).with 50 million Americans living and copying with auto immune disorders more than 75% of them are women. Autoimmune diseases affect women three times more than men. Some of these diseases have even more higher incidence in women. Autoimmune diseases have been mentioned in the top ten leading causes of the deaths among U.S. women aged 65 and younger. So these diseases represent the fourth largest cause of disability among women in the United States.Full report at: www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-autoimmu ..In North America, the U.S. and Canada have emerged as the most lucrative markets for autoimmune disease diagnostics. So, both these countries boast sophisticated healthcare infrastructure with advanced laboratory techniques, and increasing awareness about various medical procedures. The overall high healthcare expenditure across the region, puts North America at the front in the global autoimmune disease diagnostics marketSupportive government policies and Increasing public awareness, increasing occurrence of Auto immune disorders, advancements in health care and improved laboratory techniques are the factors driving the growth of the market. The key restraints that hindering the growth of the auto immune diagnostics market are growing rate of diagnostics errors and low occurrence of localized auto immune disorders as compared to systemic diseases.The North America Auto immune diagnostics Market is broadly categorized based on Test type into Complete Blood Count (CBC), Autoantibody Tests, Antinuclear Antibody Tests, C - reactive protein (CRP), Comprehensive Metabolic panel, Urinalysis, Erythrocyte Sedimentation Rate (ESR) and others.Based on Disease type the market is categorized into Localized auto immune disease diagnostics and systemic auto immune disease diagnostics. Local auto immune disease diagnostics is further classified into Graves disease, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Type 1 diabetes, Multiple Sclerosis, Psoriasis and Others. Systemic auto immune disease diagnostics is categorized into Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA), Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), and Ankylosing Spondylitis.Based on End users into Hospitals, Research centers, and diagnostic laboratories and on the basis of geography, the North America Auto immune Diagnostics market is analysed under various regions namely US, and Canada.Request sample: www.marketdataforecast.com/market-reports/north-america-autoimmu ..Some of the major companies dominating the North America Auto immune disease market by their products and services include Bio-Rad, Siemens Healthcare, Abbott Laboratories, Crescendo Bioscience, Roche Diagnostics SQI Diagnostics, AESKU Diagnostics, INOVA Diagnostics Inc., BioMerieux SA, Beckman Coulter Inc., Hemagen Diagnostics, Quest Diagnostics, Eli lilly, Glaxosmithkline Plc.About Market Data Forecast:The publisher of this report is Market Data Forecast whose forte lies in Market research and Business Intelligence. Handling both individual and corporate clients across multiple business domains they offer syndicated/customized research to suit the clients research objective. Their research reports section offers a wide variety of market studies ranging from all-encompassing comprehensive market studies to product specific niche markets covering North America among other regions of the global market as well. For more info kindly visit, www.marketdataforecast.com Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@ marketdataforecast.com Visit MarketDataForecast Blog @ www.marketdataforecast.com/blog/ View latest Press Releases of MDF @ www.marketdataforecast.com/press-releases
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 22:18:38

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90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030

As organizations embrace, new technologies and applications become more distributed across diverse environments, enterprises face new security and availability challenges, including an increased risk for DDoS (Distributed denial of services) attacks. These attacks causes an online service unavailable to an authorized user by overwhelming it with traffic from multiple sources. The DDoS attack uses multiple computers and Internet connections to flood the targeted resource. These include traffic attack, bandwidth attack and application attack.Hybrid DDoS protection market are set of technologies that mitigate the impact of DDoS attacks on network attached to the internet by protecting the target and relay networks. The high demand for DDoS prevention solutions has encouraged vendors to introduce, cost effective hybrid solutions. On-premise, cloud-based and hybrid DDoS protection services are three solutions to address the threat of DDoS attacks. On-premise solution mitigates DDoS attacks at all layers, including network-layer, SSL-based and application-layer but unable to provide protection against massive volumetric DDoS attacks that saturate the internet network. In cloud based solution (either on-demand or always-on deployments), detection is done via remote monitoring of the internet link.Request Sample Copy of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29126 Though this solution limits visibility into any DDoS attack beyond the network layer, the hybrid approach combines on-premise DDoS protection appliances and cloud DDoS protection services to provide a robust protection suite. DDoS attacks now employ as a combination of volumetric and application-layer attack vectors.Organizations are rapidly growing their partnership and mitigation solutions across the globe.The factors such as the need to mitigate increasing network and application targeted DDoS attacks, rising penetration of Internet of things (IoT) and connected devices, coupled with the surge in demand from small and medium enterprises are expected to surge the demand for DDoS protection mitigation market during the forecast period. Every sector including infrastructure providers, organizations and agencies, witnessed DDoS attacks, which resulted in vendors investing heavily in developing DDoS solutions. Moreover, security concerns are anticipated to drive the market growth.Attacks using dynamic IP attacks that challenge mitigation through simple blacklisting are now ubiquitous. Volumetric network-level DDoS attacks at staggering throughput rates are anticipated to open up ample opportunities to the hybrid DDoS protection market. Hybrid DDoS approach also features challenges if on-premise DDoS solution and the cloud-based DDoS service do not share protection policies and signatures in real time. This eventually takes a lot of time to mitigate a DDoS attack.The global market for hybrid DDoS protection market is segmented on the basis of components, application area, organization size, end user and geography. On the basis of components, market is segmented into solution and services. The services can be further classified as managed service, consulting service, design and implementation. On the basis of application area the market can be segmented into network, application, database and endpoints. On the basis of end user the market can be segmented into business financial services and insurance (BFSI), manufacturing, hospitality, healthcare, retail, IT and telecommunication, automobile, and government. On the basis of organization size, the market can be segmented into small and medium enterprises and large enterprises. Moreover, on the basis of geography, the global market is classified into North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.North America is expected to dominate the global hybrid DDoS protection market, Due to the presence of major DDoS protection vendors and service providers along with the early adoption trends for innovative technologies in the developed economies of U.S. and Canada, the region is expected to grow at an accelerated rate during the forecast period.Request TOC of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=29126 Key vendor in the hybrid DDoS protection market includes Arbor Networks, Inc., Akamai Technologies, F5 Networks, Imperva, Inc., Radware Ltd., Corero Network Security Inc., Neustar Inc., Cloudflare Inc., Nexusguard Ltd., DOSarrest Internet Security, NSFOCUS Ltd., Radware Ltd. and Verisign among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 22:25:18

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90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030

An intrusion detection systems (IDS) is a device or software applications to detect the presence of an intruder attempting to breach a network or systems. Tremendous growth and usage of internet raises concerns about protection and communication of digital information in a secure manner. Intrusion is a major problem for industry, commerce and governments worldwide. So detection systems that can provide a fast alert to intrusion have an increasingly persuasive role to play. IDS monitors a network or systems for malicious activity or policy violations, and alerts the network administrator or collects centrally using a security information and event management (SIEM) system. SIEM combines outputs from multiple sources, and uses alarm filtering techniques to distinguish malicious activity from false alarms.There is a wide spectrum of IDS, varying from antivirus software to hierarchical systems that monitor the traffic of an entire backbone network. Classification is based on analyzed activity approach or detection approach. Analyze activity approach holds network intrusion detection systems (NIDS) and host-based intrusion detection systems (HIDS). NIDS identifies intrusions by examining network traffic and monitors multiple hosts, connecting to a hub or network switch configured for port mirroring. While HIDS entails an agent on a host which identifies intrusions by analyzing system calls, application logs and file-system modifications. On the other hand, detection approach comprise of signature based detection which uses specifically known patterns to detect malicious code and anomaly detection which are designed to detect abnormal behavior in the system.Request Sample Copy of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29141 Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) extended IDS solutions by adding the ability to block threats in addition to detecting them. Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDPS) are primarily focused on identifying possible incidents, logging information, attempting to stop, and reporting to security administrators. The threat of authorized users misusing privileges and proliferation of heterogeneous computer networks are major implications for intrusion detection problem.Increasing adoption of new technology in both commercial and industrial sector is anticipated to drive the market growth. Development in semiconductor technology such as LED and photo diode, biometrics technology provides finger print, palm veins, face recognition, iris recognition, DNA and retina authentication. Integration of detection system with such authentication system result into fulfillment of high security demand of certain industries, which contributes to market growth in near future. Global intrusion detection system market is expected to grow rapidly during the forecast period. Increasing cybercrime and unauthorized practices are expected to be key factors that drive the global intrusion detection system market. The growing acceptance of cutting-edge intrusion detection technologies in the IT companies, increasing security threats to enterprise network, increasing government pressure on compliance of policy and regulations are also driving the growth of intrusion detection system market.There are several challenges to the intrusion detection system growth such as lack of awareness. However, these issues can be tackled by conducting several awareness campaigns. High product and installation cost may also hamper the market demand.Global intrusion detection system market is segmented on the basis of type, services and deployment model. On the basis of type, the global intrusion detection system market can be segmented into host based intrusion detection system (HIDS), network based intrusion detection system (NIDS), signature based detection and anomaly detection. On the basis of service, the global intrusion detection system market can be segmented into design and integration services, managed services, training & education and consultancy services. On the basis of deployment model, the global intrusion detection system market can be segmented into on-premises deployment and cloud deployment. Moreover, on the basis of geography the global market is classified into North America, Europe, Middle East and Africa, Asia Pacific and South America.North America region is expected to dominate the global Intrusion Detection System Market during the period of forecast. It is because of high security awareness and increasing government spending on data safety & security.Request TOC of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=29141 Key players in global intrusion detection system market are Tyco International Ltd., Robert Bosch LLC, Corero Network Security, Inc., Extreme Networks, Inc., Juniper Networks, Inc., NSFOCUS, Inc., McAfee, Inc. Nortek, Inc. and Allegion plc among other.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 04:55:12

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for King's Bay Gold Corporation--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Vancouver BC. (FSCWire) - King's Bay Gold Corporation (TSX Venture:KBG). has issued a press release with the following headline:Kings Bay Announces $250,000 Non-Brokered Private PlacementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on King's Bay Gold Corporation, or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/King's Bay Gold CorporationSource: King's Bay Gold Corporation (TSX Venture: KBG)Date: September 06, 2017Time: 10:55 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of King's Bay Gold Corporation and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 17:03:01

DUBLIN - September 7, 2017 - Medtronic plc (NYSE:MDT), the global leader in medical technology, today announced that it will participate in the 15th Annual Morgan Stanley Global Healthcare Conference on Monday, September 11, 2017, in New York City.

Omar Ishrak, chairman and chief executive officer of Medtronic, will answer questions about the company beginning at 9:20 a.m. EDT (8:20 a.m. CDT).

A live audio webcast of the presentation will be available on September 11, 2017, by clicking on the Investor Events link at http://investorrelations.medtronic.com, and an archive of the session will be available on the same webpage later in the day.

About Medtronic

Medtronic plc (www.medtronic.com), headquartered in Dublin, Ireland, is among the world's largest medical technology, services and solutions companies - alleviating pain, restoring health and extending life for millions of people around the world. Medtronic employs more than 84,000 people worldwide, serving physicians, hospitals and patients in approximately 160 countries. The company is focused on collaborating with stakeholders around the world to take healthcare Further, Together.

Any forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties such as those described in Medtronic's periodic reports on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Actual results may differ materially from anticipated results.

-end-





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

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

Source: Medtronic plc via Globenewswire


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By Alex Martinez

More than 70 members of the Los Angeles Fire Department who were deployed to Texas to assist with Hurricane Harvey response efforts will now head to Alabama to prepare for Hurricane Irma.

The team includes medical doctors, K-9 handlers, water rescue specialists, and urban search and rescue, according to a statement released Wednesday by the Los Angeles Fire Department. The crew is part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force.

These LAFD members are true ambassadors across the nation in times of great need, said LAFD Fire Chief Ralph Terrazas in the statement.  It is a testament to the effectiveness of our Department that we can handle one of the Citys largest brush fires while still supporting a deployed FEMA team, 11 members individually assigned to brush fires across the West, and answering more than 1,300 calls for service we receive every day.

Hurricane Irma was described by The Weather Company as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 hurricane. As of Wednesday evening, the center of Irma was located around 50 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico.

The crew arrived in Texas early last week and conducted rescue and recovery operations in communities southwest of Houston. With other FEMA teams they rescued residents, pets, and livestock from communities inundated by the hurricane, the fire department said.

They were discharged from Harvey on Tuesday and were ordered by FEMA on Wednesday to re-route to Montgomery, Alabama, where they will stage in preparation for any damages caused by Hurricane Irma.

The team is expected to arrive in Alabama by midnight on September 7. The team is rested, in good spirits and prepared to continue helping those in need, according to the statement.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 22:24:33

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90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Internet Marketing Head+1-518-618-1030

Parking meter is a revenue collection device installed in the parking area where the vehicle owners pay for the space allotted to them. The conventional parking meter comprising of a timer, coin collector is set on a pole at the entrance of a parking space. The main ideology behind setting up a parking meter is to accommodate parking management along with collecting revenue from its installation. Both private and public agencies install parking management solutions in areas with highly indicated traffic. Parking meter is a device being part of such smart parking systems.Request Sample Copy of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=29138 The parking meter device is expected to have high call since a gap exist in demand and supply of parking space. This is due to area allotted for parking space is limited and parking demand for increasing vehicles on road is increasing day by day. For instance, these parking meters are also finding its application into household segment due to increasing community living concept. Hence, it becomes necessary to implement such smart parking options when large number of inhabitants live in a township kind of ecosystem. Accordingly, increasing adoption of parking meter across wider applications is expected to drive the parking meter market. Another factor that would be driving the parking meter market is the flexible payment options such as coins & notes, card payments, smart card by parking space provider, etc. It becomes a challenge for the parking space provider/agency to personally collect coins & notes from each parking meter. Additionally, the operating policies of each player in the market may be differing and this creates a limitation in the effective designing of parking meter for each parking space agencies. However, the new technological innovations in the parking meter devices are allowing more public system agencies to install these devices. Technological elements such as smart apps, energy efficient eco-design, user-interface choices, etc. are incorporated into parking meter.The parking meter market is segmented on the basis of payment type, power type, parking mode, and application. Segmentation based on payment type incudes coins & notes, card payments, smart cards and others. Users can pay for the parking space allotted to them by conventional system of coins & notes, by using their debit/credit cards or by the smart cards issued by the parking space provider where users can add money to it. Additionally, the power type segment can be further bifurcated as battery, electric and solar. Besides, the parking meter can be segmented on the basis of parking mode such as pay & display, by plate, by space, and others. Pay & display option is the simplest one allowing the car user to pay for the parking space and get a ticket displaying the details on the customers dashboard. By plate segment, the customer enters the details of his car number plate and details are automatically shown on the dashboard. The customer can also use the option of space segment to pay for the required space to park the vehicle. Furthermore, this market can be segmented on the basis of applications such as municipalities, hospitals, parks & recreation, events, transit systems, and others (hotels, institutions, housing, etc.). Geographically, the study of parking meter market is segmented as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America.Request TOC of the Report@ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=D&rep_id=29138 Some of the key players in the parking meter market are T2 Systems, Inc., Parkeon, Inc., J.J. MacKay Canada Limited, METRIC Group Ltd, Global Parking Solutions USA, IPS Group Inc., Westco Parking Technologies, Inc., Shenzhen Horoad Electronic Technology Development Co., Ltd., POM, Inc., Parx Ltd, CDS Worldwide Pty Ltd, Guangzhou COMA Electronics Co. Ltd, Ventek International, Inc., RTB GmbH & Co.KG , Hectronic GmbH, Cale Access AB and IEM SA.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland and Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia, and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, and North Africa)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 15:00:18

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Patriot Gold Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Las Vegas Nevada (FSCWire) - Patriot Gold Corp. (CSE:PGOL). has issued a press release with the following headline:Patriot Gold Corp Announces Normal Course Issuer BidTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Patriot Gold Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Patriot Gold Corp.Source: Patriot Gold Corp. (CSE: PGOL, OTCQB: PGOL)Date: September 07, 2017Time: 9:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Patriot Gold Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 20:51:04

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# 705 Words

1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154CEO+1-206-701-6702

The Global Prefilled Syringes Market was valued at US$ 2805.4 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period (20172025), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. The rising incidence of chronic disease coupled with the rising occurrence of needle-stick injuries and infections caused as a result of these injuries are expected to be major factors driving growth of the global prefilled syringes market over the foreseeable future.Various harmful diseases such as Hepatitis B virus can spread through use of unsafe syringes. According to World Health Organization, the Hepatitis B virus accounts for 21.7 million new infections each year due to unsafe injections. This large number can be reduced with the incorporation of prefilled syringes that facilitates high levels of safety due to presence of retractable needles that eliminates the risk of needle-stick injuries.Request Sample : https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/insight/request-sample/162 Prefilled syringes are utilized across a wide range of therapeutic sector that includes vaccines, blood stimulants and therapeutic proteins. The two greatest advantages of prefilled syringes are elimination of dosage errors and the ease of use promoting parental medication are responsible to drive the market for global prefilled syringes. The growing popularity of biotechnology medicines and emerging biotech space are resulting in the enhancement of the as well as use of prefilled syringes across the globe. The containers of the prefilled syringes are considered to be ideal for vaccines and biotech drugs as they do not interact with the packaging material. However, few therapeutics change their chemical tendency after interaction with the container material serving it to be the cause of concern for growth of this market.According to a study conducted by Lybrate Healthcare, approximately 52% of people in India opt for self-medication, in a sample group from 10 largest cities in India. This indicates the extensive use of parental medication within the population suggesting the evident use of prefilled syringes. According to the World Health Organization, 30% of the chronic disease population, mainly suffering from cancer can be treated with correct medication to come over the disease. Diseases such as granulocyte cancer can be cured with granulocyte colony stimulating factors and erythropoietin that can be packaged into prefilled syringes that allows patients a high flexibility, independence and easy handling for injection at home sitting. Prefilled syringes can be used to administer drugs in treatment of chronic diseases and can also be used for the vaccination purpose, catering to patients suffering from infectious diseases or certain epidemic diseases. Convenience and safety for both the patients and medical professionals offered through these devices are also a major cause leading to growth of the global prefilled syringes market. According to World Health Organization, approximately 2 million healthcare professionals suffer from infectious diseases as result of needle-stick injury. The retractable nature of these prefilled syringes helps to overcome this problem acting as an ideal device to reduce the occurrence of needle-stick injuries. Thus, all of these factors in integration creates highly lucrative growth opportunities for players in the global prefilled syringes marketTo know the latest trends and insights prevalent in the Prefilled Syringes Market, click the link below: https://www.coherentmarketinsights.com/market-insight/prefilled-syringes-market-162 Key takeaways of the prefilled syringes market:The global prefilled syringes market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 11% during the forecast period (20152025) as there exists a huge unrealized market especially in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and AfricaThe increased development of biological therapies coupled with demand for improved safety profiles as well as growing adaption of self-medication are responsible for the growth of global prefilled syringes market.Cancer, diabetes type 2, cardiovascular diseases and other infectious diseases including that can be treated through vaccination are the major therapeutic applications in which prefilled syringes can be of a great use.Some of the major players involved in global prefilled syringes market are Baxter Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Medtronic, SCHOTT AG, Gerresheimer AG, Nipro Corporation, West Pharmaceuticals, Unilife Corporation and Treumo Corporation.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.
Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market

PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 20:50:55

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1001 4th Ave,#3200CEO+1-2067016702Pareesh Phulkar08087996871

The Global Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market was valued at US$ 754.9 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period (20172025), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Technological developments like the innovative portable monitoring device, rising incidences of unhealthy lifestyle related disorders and the enhancing healthcare infrastructure are expected to be major factors driving growth of the global remote patient monitoring devices market over the foreseeable future.According to the Stanford Center for Sleep Sciences and Medicine 2017, around 30 million people suffer from sleep deprivation and sleep disorders, also known as sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can even cause serious health consequences by increasing the risk of diabetes, hypertension and heart attack if not diagnosed or treated. The collaboration of Telenor Connexion and French eHealth provider, SRETT, in 2014, provides a connected solution for remote monitoring of patients affected by sleep apnea. SRETT has developed a universal solution T4P for all types of continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) device. The T4P is the only solution adapted to fit all CPAP devices on the market. The connected T4P collects and analyzes data from the CPAP remotely and in real-time, thereby reducing travel time and hospital visits. The patient data is uploaded automatically to healthcare professionals facilitating personalized and ongoing monitoring of patients condition.According to the World Health Organization 2017, one third of ischemic heart disease is attributed to high cholesterol. The raised cholesterol is estimated to cause 2.6 million deaths (4.5% of total) and 29.7 million disability adjusted life years. The remote patient monitoring device provides easy-to-use and portable system with correct assessment of the cholesterol levels.Request Sample Copy of the Business Report,Cardiac arrhythmia is a condition characterized by the hearts failure to beat slower or faster than normal. According to the World Health Organization 2013, 33.5 million people or 0.5% of the global population is estimated to have Atrial fibrillation, a major condition leading to cardiac arrhythmia. The remote patient monitoring devices provide real-time remote continuous cardiac arrhythmias detection and monitoring platform, allowing easy diagnostics facilitating early clinical intervention of cardiac arrhythmia among high-risk patients. The innovative devices allows the patients to lead a normal life while being remotely monitored in real-time by ambulatory ECG sensor. For instance, Nihon Kohden introduced the Bedside Monitor, BSM-3500 in 2016, which is designed to meet the needs of ambulatory surgical centers and specialty centers. The device offers advanced patient care which includes real-time mini trends for early detection of vital sign variability during outpatient procedures and is also designed to integrate with electronic medical records systems.To know the latest trends and insights prevalent in the remote patient monitoring devices market, click the link below:Key takeaways of the Remote Patient Monitoring Devices Market:The global remote patient monitoring devices market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.1% during the forecast period (20172025) as there exists a huge demanding market especially in Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa.The cardiac monitors dominates the market in the product segment, as these portable devices continually monitor electrical activity of the cardiovascular system while performing daily activities.The cardiac arrhythmia dominates the market in the application segment, as the cardiac monitors available for monitoring cardiac arrhythmia are easily usable and largely available in medical healthcare facilities and home care settingsHospitals and home care settings are the major end users of remote patient monitoring devices market, as these devices offer reliability and accuracy with periodic measurements of physiological parameters like heart activity, blood pressure, body temperature, pulse rate and other clinical conditions.Some of the major players involved in global remote patient monitoring devices market are Abbott Laboratories, GE Healthcare, Omron Healthcare, Medtronic, Nihon Kohden, Smiths Medical, Philips Healthcare, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd. And Kokinklijke Philips N.V. and St. Jude Medical.About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.
PR-Inside.com: 2017-09-07 01:46:13

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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for Skyline Investments Inc.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Toronto, Ontario (FSCWire) - Skyline Investments Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board:SKLN). has issued a press release with the following headline:Skyline Investments Inc. Completes Debenture Private PlacementTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on Skyline Investments Inc., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/Skyline Investments Inc.Source: Skyline Investments Inc. (OTC Bulletin Board: SKLN)Date: September 06, 2017Time: 7:25 PM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of Skyline Investments Inc. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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FSCwire / Press ReleaseThe following press release was disseminated by FSCwire for South American Gold Corp.--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---Las Vegas, NV (FSCWire) - South American Gold Corp. (OTC Pink:SAGD). has issued a press release with the following headline:South American Gold to Acquire KindaHigh(dot)comTo view this press release on the FSCwire website, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:If you would prefer, you can also view this press release as a PDF file, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser:For more information on South American Gold Corp., or to see additional press releases issued by this company, please either click on the link below, or copy and paste the link into your browser: http://www.fscwire.com/public-company/South American Gold Corp.Source: South American Gold Corp. (OTC Pink: SAGD, ISIN: US8363011011, WKN: A1H89U)Date: September 07, 2017Time: 7:00 AM EDT--- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- --- ---The story mentioned above was issued on behalf of South American Gold Corp. and disseminated through FSCwire.About FSCwireFSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.), is a global newswire dissemination, SEDAR, SEDI, and EDGAR / XBRL service provider.FSCwire is a full service global newswire dissemination company and is fully approved by all exchanges in Canada and the U.S. Press releases can be distributed for all sizes of public, private or not for profit companies and any other organization requiring news distribution. In addition to individual companies; public relations, communications and investor relations firms trust FSCwire to distribute press releases for their respective clients.In addition to newswire dissemination FSCwire also offers EDGAR, XBRL, SEDAR, SEDI, and additional services for publicly traded companies. For more information, please go to our website: http://www.fscwire.com Maximum News Dissemination by FSCwire. http://www.fscwire.com Copyright 2017 - FSCwire (a division of Filing Services Canada Inc.)
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.




The acquisition will complement Pivot's core engineering and manufacturing expertise and will expand its capabilities and resources for design, engineering as well as custom and contract US-made electronics manufacturing. The acquisition is Pivot's fourth in the last 18 months continuing its substantial growth trajectory since 2012.

By: Pivot International

Media Contact

Diane Blanck, Principal

2B Creative Marketing

dianeb@2bcreativekc.com Diane Blanck, Principal2B Creative Marketing

End

-- Pivot International, with global headquarters in Lenexa and offices in Europe and Asia, announces that it has acquired(EDM) based in Omaha, Nebraska, operating for over 38 years, specializing in commercial/industrial, consumer, energy, medical, military and telecommunications markets.Mark Dohnalek, Pivot International President and Chief Executive Officer describes the company's growth strategy as "an aggressive calibrated approach to organic and acquired competencies, expertise and assets to help customers meet market needs most effectively. The EDM acquisition greatly expands our capacity in the custom and contract electronic manufacturing space as well as expands our expertise in electronic assemblies, circuit boards, box builds and encapsulation. Pivot is making this strategic acquisition to expand our technological engineering and manufacturing capabilities in the U.S., specifically in the Midwest, while also growing our resources in Asia and the UK to serve European customers." This acquisition provides for nearly 170,000 square feet of global manufacturing capacity, with approximately 80,000 square feet in the US.EDM is one of the most recognized electronic manufacturing services (EMS) companies in the Midwest. EDM has provided both EMS and engineering expertise for over 38 years. Pat Bystrek, one of the original owners of EDM will continue to lead EDM as a Pivot International subsidiary. Pat Bystrek states that "this acquisition will result in substantial growth for both companies due to the increased manufacturing footprint and added engineering capabilities of the combined firm."Pivot's revenue growth of 147% in the last 3 years demonstrates the company's agility across a broad range of industries and product categories. This is the fourth acquisition for Pivot since the beginning of 2016. In January 2016, the company purchased Mid-Continent Custom Electronics (MCCE) followed by the acquisition of DigitTron in March 2016 and Avatar Engineering in May 2017 expanding its ODM (original design manufacturing), EMS (electronic manufacturing services) and IoT (internet of things) services.Concurrent with the acquisition of EDM, Pivot International continues to build its portfolio of brands, talent and resources adding staff in London, UK to support the European market, an office in Hong Kong to support the Asian market, expanding its US national sales force, as well as building company-owned manufacturing plants in the US and Asia. Pivot's company-owned global resources provide a unique ability to engage the world's top talent to develop and engineer product and the world's most efficient and effective manufacturer for any product format.Pivot has a 45-year track record of outstanding performance, innovation, quality and design, engineering and manufacturing as a single-source expert serving clients in a broad range of industries including biometric/security products, wearable technology, touchscreen technology, medical, wireless, fitness, electronic components, agriculture, building operations and consumer products.Mark Dohnalek, President & CEO affirms, "I am committed to generating jobs, products and revenue in the US, especially in the Heartland. I am equally committed to ensuring that Pivot has the global capabilities to manufacture in the US and Asia so that we can deliver the most efficient solution for our clients all over the world."
Lively Radio Interview Covered a Variety of Home-Related Topics

By: Michael Menn Ltd.

Michael Menn in the WCGO-AM studio. (David Lewis Photo)

Contact

Levinson Communications

***@lcinews.com Levinson Communications

End

-- Architect, home builder and interior designer Michael Menn, principal of Michael Menn Ltd., was recently interviewed on WCGO-AM, an Evanston, Illinois-based radio station. Daniel French, host of the "French and Friends" show that is broadcast weekdays from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm CST, regularly interviews Chicago-area professionals about their careers and professions. French and Menn discussed a variety of topics including new housing starts and what these government statistics mean to the national economy; what are the differences between building homes in Chicago and building homes in other major cities; the challenges of renovating 100-plus year-old homes; designing commercial and residential structures; and where are the most popular neighborhoods in Chicago for renewal. Menn is scheduled to return to the French and Friends show at the end of September.Michael Menn earned his Bachelor's degree and two Masters degrees in Architecture from the University of Illinois. He has been a licensed architect since 1977 and founded his first architectural practice in 1983. He is a Certified Aging in Place Specialist (CAPS), and a Certified Graduate Remodeler (CGR) through the National Association of Home Builders. In addition to a significant number of industry awards, Menn was named "Remodeler of The Year" by the National Association of Home Builders in 2016.Michael Menn Ltd. is located at 1930 Phillips Avenue in Northbrook. For more information, call (847) 770-6303 or view his web site at: www.michaelmenn.com
Avatar Management Services will launch a new vertical, Public Service Safety, to provide low-cost, industry-specific safety training for the 40,000 states, counties, cities, townships and villages who operate "white fleets."

Contact

Derek Lann

***@avatarms.com Derek Lann

End

-- Avatar Management Services, Inc. (Avatar) is proud to announce the launch of a new business line, Public Service Safety (PSS). PSS provides a low cost, effective defensive driving and safety training program for municipal employees. The product follows a quarter century of Avatar creating custom-designed safety processes to help large firms achieve better safety results.Founder, Mark G. Gardner, commented, "I've dedicated my life to making the world a safer place, and my company, Avatar, has done it by producing award-winning safety training for transportation companies. Two years ago, we realized that there are more than 40,000 government fleets and no one has ever addressed their safety training needs. With the launch of PSS, we'll become the single-source provider of safety education and training for this unserved market."PSS is a subscription-based web service that provides training programs, safety meeting materials, how-to-guides, and a wide range of professionally-developed performance support materials. Small municipal fleets will suddenly have access to high quality tools and information previously found in only the largest fleets. Best of all, the materials are designed specifically for the public works/service demographic, right down to the "white" trucks and typical work activities.PSS is ideal for any public-sector fleet: street, water, animal control, parks, solid waste and utilities. These jobs are inherently risky, but public servants face 20 times greater risk when driving than when doing any other work activity. "Nearly 100 Americans die everyday in vehicular crashes," Gardner said. "Sadly, some of them include our public servants who are killed on the job. They repair our roads, pick up our trash, keep our lights on after a storm, and they risk their lives doing so. We intend to make every community safer, one driver at a time."PSS features Avatar's unique approach to adult learning that focuses on making material engaging as well as educational. "We're big believers in 'edu-tainment,'"said Producer/Creative Designer, Matt Pallotta. "After all, education and training shouldn't be boring. You get out of it what you put into it. PSS is the result of best practices built into entertaining stories that lead to high level learning. Our goal is to forever eliminate the behaviors that result in accidents. If we can engage the adult learner, we can succeed in making the world a safer place."About AvatarAvatar creates custom management tools, such as employee recruitment and hiring protocols and outcome-based training materials. During the last 25 years, Avatar's designs have been used by hundreds of leading firms to improve the job performance of more than one million employees. In fact, Avatar's steady growth has led to the creation of four successful spin-offs: TAPTCO, AvatarFleet, SBSC and Avesta. Each one provides human performance improvement tools to their respective niche markets. For more information, please contact Derek Lann at www.dlann@avatarms.com
The Report on Russia's foreign trade in goods with North Korea in the second quarter of 2017: exports, imports, products, dynamics.

Russias Trade with North Korea

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-- In the 2nd quarter of 2017, Russia's trade with North Korea totaled $29,333,784, up 61.34% ($11,152,990)from the 2nd quarter of 2016.Russia's exports to North Korea in the 2nd quarter of 2017 totaled $27,902,255, up 67.10% ($11,204,135)from the 2nd quarter of 2016.Russia's imports from North Korea in the 2nd quarter of 2017 were $1,431,529, down 3.45% ($51,145) from the 2nd quarter of 2016.Russia's trade surplus with North Korea in the 2nd quarter of 2017 was $26,470,726, a 73.97% increase ($11,255,280)over the 2nd quarter of 2016.North Korea was Russia's 112th largest trading partner in the 2nd quarter of 2017 (up from 113th in the 2nd quarter of 2016), accounting for 0.0210% of Russia's total trade (up from 0.0167% in the 2nd quarter of 2016).North Korea was Russia's 96th largest export market in the 2nd quarter of 2017 (up from 97th in the 2nd quarter of 2016), accounting for 0.0332% of Russia's total exports (up from 0.0251% in the 2nd quarter of 2016).North Korea was Russia's 122nd largest supplier in the 2nd quarter of 2017 (up from 123rd in the 2nd quarter of 2016), accounting for 0.0026% of Russia's total imports (down from 0.0035% in the 2nd quarter of 2016).The full report is available here: http://en.russian- trade.com/reports- and-reviews/ 2017-08/russian- trade-in-goods- with-north-korea- in-q2-2017/
Nacional Gastronomia is a preserver of Portuguese gastronomic heritage. The festival is hosted by Portugal every year with a series of interesting activities like terrific themed lunches, live cooking shows with many Portuguese products for tasting

Media Contact

Findvisas.com

***@findvisas.com

020 84323472 Findvisas.com020 84323472

End

-- This year lets be a part of the biggest technological conference, the Lisbon web summit. Being commenced in 2010, the Lisbon web summit has played a major role in connecting the technology community with rest of the business domain. Hosting a tech conference annually since 2010, the web summit has emerged as the largest technological conference on Earth. The conference attracts more than 60000 visitors, more than 650 speakers from more than 160 countries; making it ahuge event for every tech lover and business man.This year the conference will be held from 6to 9November 2017 in Lisbon, Portugal. This four day event is said to cover major topics related to diverse business and tech related topics from the major personalities of the world. This year the list of speakers includes  Mr. Brian Krzanich, CEO (Intel) Mark Hurd, CEO (Oracle) Brad Smith, President (Microsoft) Werner Vogels, CTO (Amazon) Steve Huffman, CEO (Reddit)and many more renowned speakers from the world. The Web Summit is a must visit event; here you will come across many new aspects of the tech and business domain which were unknown to you previously.The tickets for the Web Summit 2017 are available for sale on its website at an affordable price. You can avail your chance to get an early bird discount and enjoy this four day summit at its best. If you are thrilled to visit the web summit then hurry and apply for yourand plan a trip to Portugal with the Web Summit as the main attraction of the trip. You can simply opt for therendered by the private agencies to help you apply forat an affordable
Colombo Dockyard PLC (CDPLC) ceremonially laid the keel to build the first ever Cable Laying Vessel for Kokusai Cable Ship Co. Ltd. (KCS) Japan, on 7th September 2017.

CABLE LAYER VESSEL IMAGE

Contact

DARSHANA CHANDRASEKERA

***@cdl.lk DARSHANA CHANDRASEKERA

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-- This will be the biggest ever vessel (contract value wise as well as length wise) to be built by CDPLC in its illustrious journey of shipbuilding excellence. The securing of this prestigious shipbuilding contract from a premier Japanese cable laying company further reinstates the high shipbuilding standards achieved by CDPLC in the world shipbuilding arena.The historical Shipbuilding Contract for this project was signed on 7April 2017 by Mr. D.V. Abeysinghe Managing Director/ Chief Executive Officer in the presence of Dr. Toru Takehara Chairman while Mr. Yukihiro Fujii Managing Director (Engineering & Facility Planning Department) signed on behalf of KCS. From the date of signing of this contract, the Shipyard was actively engaged in finalising the preliminary basic design with the Ship Designer VARD Designs of Norway and carrying out model testing at the model testing basins in Vienna, Austria in order to verify the performance, which were successfully completed.The keel laying ceremony marks the commencement of hull construction work and the auspicious occasion was graced by the Prime Minister Hon. Ranil Wickramasinghe, His Excellency Kenichi Suganuma Ambassador for Japan, Minister of Development Strategies and International Trade Hon. Malik Samarawickrama, Mr. Takaaki Anraku President KCS, Mr. Shigeto Kiritani Chief Technical Officer Global KDDI, Mr. Yukihiro Fujii Managing Director (Engineering & Facility Planning Department) KCS, Mr. Kenta Arai Director MOL, Mr. Fukuichi Yamada President MOL Marine, Mr. Shigeyuki Sato Deputy Director KCS, Mr. Makoto Kambe Director MOL Marine, Mr. Hiroshi Shimotai Site Manager MOL Ship Tech, and a host of other distinguished officials from Japan.This Cable Laying Vessel is a high technology vessel which is intended for subsea operation and cable installation and repair works of optical cables as well as power cables adding to the versatility of the Vessel and has a cable carrying capacity of 5000 tonnes. For the handling of power cables, the forward tank has been fitted with a carousel system with a Spooling Arm.The vessel is specially designed and equipped with a focus on maintaining good sea keeping ability and excellent station keeping performance. Passive roll reduction tanks help minimize the effect of ship rolling. The vessel has many special features including low resistance hull lines designed for speed and low fuel consumption. The vessel is extremely eco-friendly, enabling high reduction of harmful emissions, waste storage solutions, water ballast treatment, eco-subsea coating etcThe vessel is a diesel electric driven vessel and optimized power is another key feature. Power is provided by four generator sets, developing 2,250 kW each. Three generators out of the four available are sufficient to cope with the highest propulsion power demands, ensuring high reliability. Transit at economic speed with two engines efficiently running will optimize fuel consumption. The Vessel shall have a bollard pull of 80 tonnes with a range of 10,000 nautical miles and has Dynamic Positioning capability to Class 2 for precision maneuvering.The basic design and production drawings also shall be supplied by VARD Designs. This Vessel shall be built and classed by Class NK and shall also meet the regulatory requirements of the Japanese Government.This vessel which is 111.3 meters in length, 21.5 meters in breadth, 8.80 m depth, with a maximum load laying draught of approx 7.1 metershas a deadweight carrying capacity of 5,300DWT and a planned average cruising speed of 14.5 knots with accommodation facilities for 80 persons.The Cable Laying Vessel is to be completed by the end of March 2019.Colombo Dockyard PLC is a flag ship investment of Japan and operates in joint collaboration with Onomichi Dockyard Company Limited of Japan.
Contact

Flor de Cana

***@flordecana.com Flor de Cana

End

-- Ultra-premium rums Flor de Cana 25 Year and 12 Years from Nicaragua, both received a "Gold Medal" award during the 2017 edition of the China Wine and Spirits Awards (CWSA). These awards constitute the most powerful endorsement of quality granted by the CWSA.Flor de Cana has previously earned top recognitions at prestigious international competitions such as the San Francisco World Spirits Competition, the International Wine and Spirit Competition in London and the International Rum Conference in Madrid.Flor de Cana rums are born and aged at the base of Nicaragua's most active volcano, the San Cristobal, whose properties contribute in creating a singularly smooth and deliciously balanced rum. Flor de Cana is distilled with 100% renewable energy and is naturally aged in small white oak bourbon barrels without the aid of accelerants, unnatural additives and with zero sugar content.Flor de Cana, Nicaragua's #1 exported brand, is present in over 40 countries worldwide and is one of the fastest growing ultra-premium rums in the world. With more than 125 years and 5 generations of family tradition, Flor de Cana has been recognized as the world's best rum in prestigious international competitions in London, San Francisco and Chicago. www.flordecana.com
By: DataS

Contact

Laszlo Szabo

laszlo.szabo@ datas.ro

+40367804070 Laszlo Szabo+40367804070

End

--Laszlo SzaboDataST. +40 367 804 070version of thewas launched in the Microsoft Azure Cloud.Following the high interest shown by the fashion brands, textile faculties and manufacturers during the first presentation in May 2017 at Texprocess / Frankfurt, the Beta version is running in the Cloud with seven languages installed: English, German, Russian, Turkish, Romanian, Bulgarian and Hungarian.provide accurate times for handling, positioning, sewing, dispose, use of tools, read-write, walking and ironing motion elements used during the methods development, with focus on the sewing industry.The Beta version of the timeSSD is invitation based and its use is free, for commercial purposes too.All the methods and workflows developed in Beta will be available in the commercial version.The commercial version of the timeSSD is "pay per use" based, no user licenses, no special keys and no maintenance costs. Its availability depends only on the internet connection for the user.The data backup is managed by Azure with geo redundant backup policy.DataS develops garment industry dedicated software solutions to increase the operating and manufacturing performance. timeSSD provide the "must to have" benchmark data for the efficiency control and incentive payroll in labor intensive industries, especially in garment manufacturing.However, is a collaborative platform where the user develops private working methods and workflows and has the possibility to share them with the selected partners.Laszlo Szabo, managing director of DataS says: "For example the execution method edited in Germany on German language by the fashion brand's development team it's shared in timeSSD with the manufacturer from Romania. The production supervisor gets the method descriptions by default on Romanian and has all the necessary elements for the style execution with the standard times specified. This feature avoids the misunderstandings, save times and money. In the near future the Polish, French, Arabic, Bengali and Urdu languages will be implemented. Our intentions are to have the Hindi, Mandarin and Vietnamese languages included too, before the end of this year. I would like to say my thanks to our partners and supporters from different countries for their continuous support in the language translation processes. "timeSSD has a native connection with the GPD  General Production Data  QR code based, real-time, shop floor control and materials requirement planning software solution, developed by DataS.DataS develops and delivers integrated software solutions dedicated for the manufacturing and business processes in textile, leather, garments and knitwear industry starting from 1992.Today are more than 1400 installed DataS software licenses in 21 countries.DataS, today, is the commercial brand of Astailor Shine Ltd. from Romania, and of our sister company from Hungary: DataStep Hungary Ltd.More at:
The Lexicon Bracknell has announced four new signings for the 262.5 million (240 million) retail and leisure town centre transformation in Berkshire. The new announcements bring the number of new signings within the last six weeks to almost 20, demonstrating the continued strong interest and momentum in the scheme. With

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The Pardee RAND Graduate School (PardeeRAND.edu) is home to the only Ph.D. and M.Phil. programs offered at an independent public policy research organizationthe RAND Corporation.
VITSEBSK, Belarus -- A court in Belarus has convicted a woman of unintentional manslaughter in the death of her newborn child, who died after a home birth.

At a hearing on December 7, a court in the eastern city of Vitsebsk found Olga Stepanova guilty and sentenced her to six months in a colony settlement, a penitentiary in which convicts live close to an industrial facility or a farm where they work.

But Stepanova has spent four months in pretrial detention and the judge ruled that the last two months of her sentence should be replaced by an order not to leave Vitsebsk.

Stepanova, who lives in the Russian city of St. Petersburg, arrived at her mother's home in Vitsebsk last autumn and gave birth to a daughter there on February 17.

Stepanova says she noticed that the baby was not breathing and asked her mother to call an ambulance.

Her daughter was pronounced dead at the hospital. Doctors say the baby died of asphyxiation by amniotic fluids.

Before the child was born, Stepanova refused in written form to give birth to her child in a medical institution.

She was arrested on May 5 and charged with unintentional manslaughter.

Belarusian laws do not prohibit home births.

Stepanova, 31, has a 2-year-old daughter who was delivered at home.
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son told Senate investigators that he met with a Russian lawyer in 2016 because he wanted to determine if she had damaging information about his fathers Democratic rival, Hillary Clinton, U.S. media are reporting.



Donald Trump Jr. on September 7 told investigators that nothing came of the meeting at Trump Tower, and he stressed he had nothing to do with any Russian government efforts to interfere in the 2016 U.S. presidential campaign.



The New York Times cited prepared statements Trump Jr. delivered to Senate Judiciary Committee investigators during a closed session. The New York Times said it had seen a copy of Trump Jr.s statement, as did other news organizations.



Trump Jr. said he initially was unsure of what to do when he learned the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, could have information damaging to Clintons campaign.



He said that although he was interested in what the lawyer might have, he intended to consult with his own lawyers about the appropriateness of using any information Veselnitskaya might provide.



Media reports in July that Donald Trump Jr.; President Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner; and then-campaign Chairman Paul Manafort had met on June 9, 2016, at Trump Tower in New York raised questions about potential coordination between Kremlin-linked persons and the Trump campaign.



The presidents son gave varying accounts of the meeting before eventually acknowledging that he had received an e-mail suggesting the Russian lawyer had damaging information about Clinton.



To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character, or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, he said in his prepared statement.



Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration.

Trump Jr. met with Senate investigators for about five hours, answering questions after giving his prepared statement.

After the session, he posted a Twitter note saying: "I met with the Senate Judiciary Committee today. I am thankful for their professionalism and courtesy."

He added that he answered "every question posed by the Committee...I trust this interview fully satisfied their inquiry.

Trump Jr. is also expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point.

With reporting by The New York Times and the Associated Press
European Union defense ministers have gathered in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, for an informal meeting that included a cyberexercise aimed at testing the bloc's ability to respond to a potential attack by hackers on its military structures.

The September 7 training exercise was dubbed EU CYBRID 2017 -- a reference to a mix of cyber and hybrid warfare techniques such as disinformation campaigns.

In a fictional scenario, hackers crippled the command of an EU naval mission in the Mediterranean Sea and launched a campaign on social media to discredit the operations and trigger protests, the Reuters news agency reported.

Each of the EU's defense ministers tried to contain the crisis over the course of the exercise.

Describing the exercise as "extremely exciting," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told reporters that "the adversary is very, very difficult to identify, the attack is silent, invisible."

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg, who took part in the exercise as an observer, said that the alliance saw a 60 percent increase in the number of cyberattacks against its networks over the last year.

"A timely exchange of information [with the EU] is key to responding to any cyberattacks," he added.

New Domain Of Operations

Members of the alliance last year recognized cyberspace as a domain of operations in which NATO must defend itself as effectively as it does in the air, on land, and at sea.

"We want to show ministers the impact of cybercampaigns," Tanel Sepp, deputy director for cyberplanning at Estonia's Defense Ministry, said ahead of the war game. "Cyber has become a conventional tool in modern warfare."

Estonia has put cybersecurity at the forefront of its six-month EU presidency running in the second half of 2017, after a series of global cyberattacks disrupted multinational firms, ports, and public services this year.

In 2007, Estonias private and government Internet sites suffered massive cyberattacks following a decision to move a Soviet-era war memorial from a square in Tallinn. The move also triggered street protests by ethnic Russians in Estonia and a diplomatic spat with Moscow.

Russia's military actions in Ukraine have also increased concerns about Moscow's intentions in NATO nations, particularly former Soviet republics or 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.

Security Challenges

Those actions have prompted NATO to step up its defenses in the east, deploying four battalions to Poland and the Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

In the course of their informal meeting in Tallinn, EU defense ministers were also due to discuss the topic of security challenges in the Sahel and Horn of Africa regions, said a statement from the Estonian EU presidency.

And, at a joint working lunch with EU foreign ministers, the defense ministers were set to discuss plans to develop cooperation in the field of defense.

Ahead of the talks, Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik said it was "important that the new European Union defense policy initiatives, regarding which we are hoping to reach decisions by the end of the year, will lead to actual growth of the military capabilities of the member states."

He added that NATO continues to ensure collective defense in Europe, saying the EU defense cooperation has opened the opportunity to increase Europe's contribution to NATO."

Among other things, EU foreign ministers will discuss whether the bloc should add more sanctions on North Korea as part of international pressure following Pyongyang's sixth nuclear bomb test.

With reporting by Reuters and dpa
An activist who is serving time over Internet posts criticizing Russia's actions in Ukraine is being mistreated in prison, her mother says.

Darya Polyudova's mother, Tatyana Polyudova, told RFE/RL on September 7 that her daughter went on a hunger strike on August 31 to protest conditions at the prison where she is being held but had to stop after several days due to medical problems.

The prison director had warned Polyudova that she would be forcibly fed if she did not stop the hunger strike, her mother said.

She said it was her daughter's third hunger strike since she was sent to the prison in the southern city of Novorossiisk.

Tatyana Polyudova said her daughter has been subjected to physical attacks and other abuse by fellow inmates and suspects that the prison authorities are behind the mistreatment.

There was no immediate comment from prison officials.

Polyudova was sentenced to two years in prison in 2015 after being convicted of propagating extremism and separatism online.

She had been charged in 2014 over Internet posts in which she criticized the Russian government for its support of separatists in eastern Ukraine, where fighting that erupted in April of that year has killed more than 10,000 people.

The Moscow-based Memorial human rights center has designated Polyudova a political prisoner.
ALMATY, Kazakhstan -- A Kazakh journalist known for his criticism of the government has been convicted of money laundering and sentenced to three years of "limited freedom," meaning he will not be imprisoned but faces parole-like restrictions.

After a high-profile trial in a case the defendant and his supporters say was politically motivated, the Almaty court also ordered the confiscation of Zhanbolat Mamai's property and barred him from journalism for three years.

Mamai, who maintains his innocence and who had been jailed since his arrest in February, walked free from the courtroom -- something he said he "did not expect at all."

"This is completely unbelievable for me.... I am sure that my walking out of the courtroom today after seven months of pretrial detention is a huge victory for our society, for public organizations," Mamai told journalists. "

Without colossal help from society, public opinion, and international organizations today's outcome would have been impossible," he said. "As far as I remember, this is the first time in our country that somebody has walked free following trials of journalists and political and public figures held on politically motivated charges."

Mamai, the acting chief editor of the independent Sayasi Qalam-Tribuna (The Political Pen-Tribune) newspaper, went on trial on August 14.

Investigators accused Mamai, 29, of involvement in laundering money they claim was stolen by fugitive tycoon Mukhtar Ablyazov.

Mamai denies any connection with Ablyazov.

Ablyazov, a former head of Kazakhstan's BTA bank who is currently living abroad, is a prominent opponent of Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbaev.

He is wanted by Kazakhstan, Russia, and Ukraine on suspicion of embezzling some $5 billion.

Ablyazov denies the accusations, saying they are politically motivated.

Nazarbaev, who has ruled the oil-and-gas producing Central Asian country of 18 million since before the Soviet breakup of 1991, has established tight control over the media and politics and tolerates little dissent.

Mamai said he would consult with his lawyers and decide whether to appeal the verdict and sentence.




Kosovos president has named former guerrilla commander Ramush Haradinaj as prime minister-designate and given him the mandate to form a new government, apparently ending a monthslong political crisis in the Balkan country.

President Hashim Thacis nomination of Haradinaj on September 7 comes shortly after Kosovo's parliament elected Kadri Veseli of the Democratic Party of Kosovo (PDK) as speaker -- a crucial step toward stabilizing the countrys political landscape.

Haradinaj, who fought in Kosovos battle for independence, briefly held the prime minister post in 2005 before resigning to stand trial before the United Nations war crimes court for the former Yugoslavia.

He was acquitted, but he is still wanted by Serbia under charges including murder and torture during and after the 1998-99 war in Kosovo, which led to NATO air strikes that helped the Kosovars drive Serbian forces out of the country.

His appointment as prime minister must now be approved by parliament, a move expected after the election of Veseli as speaker by a 62-52 vote in the 120-seat parliament.

Haradinaj told reporters in Pristina that he will present a new cabinet for approval by the parliament on September 9.

"The duty of all of us is to revive the country and bring hope back," he said.

Veseli heads a three-party ruling coalition that backs Thaci, who headed the PDK before he resigned as required to assume the presidency.

Saying there was no time to lose, Veseli urged the opposition to join the new government in passing reforms to improve the economy and to reduce unemployment.

He also mentioned the sticky issue of approving a border demarcation agreement with Montenegro, which Brussels has set as a condition for adding Kosovo to the list of western Balkan countries whose citizens don't need visas to enter the European Union

"There should be one joint stance on our agenda: Euro-Atlantic integration and backing dialogue with our neighbor Serbia," said Veseli.

The latest developments come days after the PDK agreed to a deal with the junior New Alliance for Kosovo party to form a government, potentially ending the political crisis sparked by inconclusive elections on June 11.

The September 4 accord gave the coalition, which includes Haradinaj's Alliance for the Future of Kosovo (AAK) along with ethnic minorities, 63 of parliament's 120 seats.

The Veseli bloc, dominated by former fighters against Serbian rule, was able to secure the parliamentary majority and the right to form a government through a deal with ethnic Serb lawmakers of the Lista Srpska party.

A party official said Lista Srpska lawmakers committed to back the vote for the speaker but said it would decide "following consultations" with Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic and other Serbian officials whether to support a new government.

Kosovo, a country of 1.8 million people, 90 percent of whom are ethnic Albanian, declared independence from Serbia in 2008.

The independence has been recognized by more than 110 countries, including big Western powers, but not by Serbia or Russia.

There are about 120,000 ethnic Serbs in Kosovo and most of them, mainly in the north, oppose the Pristina authorities.

Kosovar Albanians oppose greater autonomy for Serb-dominated municipalities, saying that this would give Belgrade more influence in the country.

The European Union has pushed for Kosovo and Serbia to normalize ties, hosting a meeting late last month in Brussels between Thaci andr Vucic.

With reporting by AP, dpa, Balkan Insight, and RFE/RLs Balkan Service
A Ukrainian teenager whose disappearance in Belarus has triggered claims of a Moscow-orchestrated kidnapping is being held in a detention center in Russia, his father and Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) have confirmed.



Belarusian authorities said on August 31 that 19-year-old Pavlo Hryb, whose father reported him missing after he left for Belarus to meet a young woman, entered the country a week earlier from Ukraine but that they have no record of his departure.



The case has rattled ties between Kyiv and Minsk and prompted Ukrainian appeals to Moscow to clarify whether Hryb is in Russian custody.



The teenager's father, Ihor, said on September 7 that his son is being held in one of the detention centers of Russia's FSB in the southwestern city of Krasnodar.



"Pavlo is currently detained in Krasnodar's Prison 5," Ihor Hryb told RFE/RL, adding that he received the information from Ukraine's Foreign Ministry.



FSB officials later on September 7 confirmed the information. No further details were immediately available.



Ihor Hryb last month wrote on Facebook that his son departed the Ukrainian city of Chernihiv on August 24 to meet the woman, whom hed met on social media, in the Belarusian city of Homel.



He said that after his son failed to return, he went to search for Pavlo in Homel. There, Hryb claimed, he learned unofficially that his son was wanted in Russia on terror-related charges, though there had been no public confirmation of this from Russian authorities.



Hrybs father has alleged that his son was lured into meeting the woman by Russias Federal Security Service (FSB) and kidnapped by its agents.



I immediately understood that an FSB special operation was conducted, he told Current Time TV, a Russian-language television network run jointly by RFE/RL and Voice of America, on August 31.



He said his son had published social-media posts criticizing Russia for its 2014 seizure of Ukraines Crimean Peninsula and backing of armed separatists in eastern Ukraine. He added, however, that Hryb had not served in the military due to a disability.



Ukrainian media outlets say they identified and interviewed the woman, reportedly a 17-year-old resident of the southern Russian city of Sochi. They have quoted her as saying that she persuaded Hryb to meet her under pressure from the FSB.



For a week after Hrybs disappearance, Belarusian authorities had yet to confirm whether the Ukrainian man had entered or left the country. Belarusian border officials on August 31 said Hryb had entered that country legally on August 24.



But Anton Bychkouski, a spokesman for Belaruss state border committee, told RFE/RL that at the moment, authorities had no record of Hryb leaving the country.



Diplomatic tensions have flared between Kyiv and Minsk over the case. In an August 30 television interview, Ukrainian Deputy Foreign Minister Olena Zerkal criticized Belarusian efforts to locate Hryb.



She accused Belarus of acting like a partner in words, but in reality they behave in a completely different way and suggested that Kyiv might not support Minsks bid to join the World Trade Organization (WTO).



Minsk hit back a day later, calling Zerkals comments unacceptable and saying that the Belarusian Foreign Ministry had called in the top official at the Ukrainian Embassy in Kyiv over the matter.



Belarusian Foreign Ministry spokesman Dzmitry Mironchik said in an August 31 statement that several law enforcement and security agencies had been looking for Hryb on the entire territory of the country based on an August 29 request from the Ukrainian Embassy.



Mironchik added that people, unfortunately, disappear for all kinds of reasons and that if a 19-year-old young mans parents and own government didnt keep track of him, thats no reason to shift the blame.

With reporting by RFE/RLs Ukrainian Service, Current Time TV, Hromadske, and 5.ua
Moldovan troops will take part in September 8-23 multinational military exercises in Ukraine despite pro-Russian President Igor Dodon's bid to keep them out of the drills.

The Moldovan Defense Ministry said on September 6 that 57 military personnel would participate in the Rapid Trident maneuvers, which involve 1,800 troops from 14 countries -- most of them NATO members.

Dodon announced on Facebook on September 5 that he had rejected the Defense Ministry's request to send the troops, saying that "involvement by Moldovan servicemen in military exercises beyond the national borders" is unacceptable.

The Moldovan government later overruled Dodon's decision.

The dispute has underscored divisions in Moldova, where Dodon is frequently at odds on foreign policy with a government that favors closer ties with the European Union and the United States.

The Rapid Trident exercises, held in western Ukraine near the Polish border, are aimed to foster improved interoperability among forces of countries in NATO and its Partnership for Peace program.

The countries participating are Bulgaria, Canada, Estonia, Italy, Georgia, Lithuania, Moldova, Norway, Poland, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

Russia and Belarus are holding their own military drills, Zapad 2017, on September 14-20 in Belarus and parts of western Russia.


Russian President Vladimir Putin said U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has "fallen in with the wrong crowd" since being awarded the Russian Order of Friendship four years ago.

"We have given...Rex Tillerson an Order of Friendship some time ago, Putin said while speaking at an economic forum in the Far East city of Vladivostok.

But it seems he has fallen in with the wrong crowd and is now steering in a different direction," he added, in comments taken by many in the crowd as a joke.

Putin has expressed hopes that relations with the United States would improve under President Donald Trump, who had regularly praised the Russian leader during the U.S. presidential campaign.

However, tensions have heightened over recent months as the United States has imposed increased sanctions on Moscow and as both countries have expelled each other's diplomats.

Putin gave Tillerson -- who was then chief executive of ExxonMobil -- the award in 2013 for his "significant contribution to strengthening cooperation in the energy sector."



Despite his ironic remarks in Vladivostok, Putin held out hope for better relations with Tillerson.

"I hope that the wind of cooperation, friendship, and reciprocity will eventually put him on the right path," Putin added, to cheers from many in the audience.

Based on reporting by AFP, Reuters, and Interfax
Moscow authorities say a plaque honoring slain opposition politician Boris Nemtsov placed on the apartment block where he lived is illegal.

An official from Moscow's Department of Cultural Heritage told TASS news agency on September 7 that memorial plaques honoring individuals can be publicly placed 10 years after their deaths, according to law.

Opposition politician Ilya Yashin wrote on Facebook earlier that the plaque, which reads "Politician Boris Nemtsov, who was murdered by a hired killer on February 27, 2017, lived here," was placed on the wall of the apartment block on September 7.

Yashin said the plaque was installed after most residents of the building supported the move initiated by a Moscow city lawmaker, Sergei Markov.

Moscow city authorities had previously prevented activists from installing another plaque on the bridge where Nemtsov was shot dead.

Nemtsov supporters have established a makeshift memorial to Nemtsov on the bridge.

Activists have organized a permanent watch at the memorial, made up of Nemtsov's portraits and flowers, after it was repeatedly ransacked and sometimes removed either by unknown people or by the police.

One activist died in hospital after he was attacked while guarding the makeshift memorial last month.

In July, a Moscow court found five men from Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya guilty of Nemtsov's murder, but relatives and associates believe the killing was ordered at a higher level. They say justice will not be served until the person or people behind the slaying are identified and prosecuted.

As with previous killings, including that of investigative journalist Anna Politkovskaya in 2006, government critics have voiced suspicion that the culprits will never face justice because an honest investigation could lead close to Moscow-backed Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov or Putin's government.

With reporting by TASS
The French and German defense ministers have condemned Russia's upcoming military maneuvers with Belarus, saying Moscow is seeking to show off military might on the borders of the EU and NATO.

"It is particularly important in this context that we reaffirm our presence in the face of...this demonstration the Russians are making which is a strategy of intimidation," France's Defense Minister Florence Parly said on September 7.

Parly was speaking to reporters at a joint news conference with her German counterpart on the sidelines of an EU defense ministers informal meeting in the Estonian capital, Tallinn.

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 nations in advance and be open to observers.

Russia and Belarus say the Zapad (West) 2017 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.

"It is undisputed that we see a demonstration of capabilities and power of the Russians," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen said. "Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the high numbers of the participating forces in the Zapad exercise: more than 100,000."

NATO says it will send three observers to Belarus and Russia to monitor Zapad 2017, but repeatedly called on the two countries to allow broader monitoring of the drills.

The alliance's secretary-general, Jens Stoltenberg, said on September 6 that he saw no "imminent threat" from the military maneuvers but reiterated that Russia's openness about them did not meet international standards.

"We will monitor the [Zapad 2017] activity closely and we are vigilant but also calm, because we don't see any imminent threat against any NATO ally," he said during a visit to a NATO contingent in Tapa, Estonia.

Russia charges that Western concerns about the exercises are unfounded, saying the war games will be "purely defensive" and pose no threat to Russia's neighbors, NATO, or the West.

Russia holds the Zapad exercises every four years, rotating them with drills in three other parts of the country.

Belarus borders three 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 nations, particularly former Soviet republics or 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, deploying four multinational battlegroups in the three Baltic states and Poland -- totaling approximately 4,500 troops.

Parly, who was due to meet French troops in Estonia, said the deployment sent a clear signal that the Baltic states and Poland were covered by the NATO alliance.

Also on September 7, Russias Armed Forces General Staff chief Valery Gerasimov was set to hold talks with the chairman of the NATO military committee, Petr Pavel, in Azerbaijans capital, Baku.

The alliance described the meeting as "a follow-on" from a March 3 phone call between the two generals.

The Russian Defense Ministry said Gerasimov and Pavel will discuss "current issues of international security," according to Russian news agencies.

With reporting by AFP and Reuters
Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic met with Bosnian leaders on September 7 and discussed establishing state borders, trade, infrastructure, and other economic issues.

Before the meeting, the three members of Bosnias presidency -- Dragan Covic, Mladen Ivanic, and Bakir Izetbegovic -- welcomed Vucic on his first visit to Sarajevo at a ceremony at the presidential building.

During his two-day visit, Vucic and the Bosnian leaders had been expected to discuss issues outstanding since the breakup of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s and the bloody Bosnian War that followed, including issues related to Bosnia's Serb-majority entity, Republika Srpska.

As part of the 1995 peace agreement known as the Dayton accords, Bosnia was preserved as a state but broken into two constituent states: a Muslim-Croat federation and the Serbian entity -- Republika Srpska.

President Milorad Dodik, Republika Srpska's nationalist leader, has claimed that the Serbian-majority entity will one day be part of Serbia.

Before traveling to Sarajevo, Vucic had distanced himself from that claim, saying he always respects Dodik, as president of Republika Srpska, and that institution."

But he added that "I can tell you the position of Serbia -- we respect the territorial integrity of Bosnia-Herzegovina. We have no claims toward Bosnia-Herzegovina, as we expect from Bosnia-Herzegovina and every other state towards the territory of Serbia."

In an interview with Sarajevo newspaper Dnevni Avaz, Vucic said his country will do everything possible to avoid future disputes with Bosnia.

Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina "must have the closest relations, which includes mutual respect and respect of the borders," he said.

Vucic's visit comes six years after a president of Serbia -- Boris Tadic  last traveled to Sarajevo on an official visit. Vucic, a former prime minister, was sworn in as president on May 31, succeeding Tomislav Nikolic.

He was accompanied by Serbian Trade, Tourism, and Telecommunications Minister Rasim Ljajic and Construction, Transport, and Infrastructure Minister Zorana Mihajlovic.

Ini his meeting with Bosnian leaders, Vucic also discussed removing custom barriers that have impeded a freer flow of trade.

Vucic is also expected to help launch several infrastructure projects related to Republika Srpska, including a Belgrade-to-Sarajevo highway, along with discussing providing additional financial aid to the struggling entity.

Bosnia faces internal tensions among the Bosniaks -- the Bosnian Muslim population -- ethnic Croats, and ethnic Serbs.

It was a part of Yugoslavia until the breakup of the communist country in the early 1990s. It declared independence in March 1992, leading to a civil war between its Muslim, Croatian, and Serbian populations.

The war, which ended following international intervention in December 1995, resulted in the death of an estimated 100,000 people and the displacement of some 2.6 million more.

The U.S. Treasury Department in January announced sanctions against Dodik for actively obstructing efforts to implement the 1995 Dayton peace agreement.

Vucic was once an ultranationalist who served under strongman Slobodan Milosevic but has solidified his grip on power by reinventing himself as a reformer committed to Serbia's drive toward European Union membership.

The Serbian presidency is largely ceremonial, but he has retained much de facto power through control of his ruling Serbian Progressive Party.

Bosnia has also expressed desires to join the EU.

With reporting by Balkan Insight and B92.net


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
ON MY MIND

The signs continue to mount that the Russian elite is preparing itself for life after Vladimir Putin.

On The Power Vertical blog last week, I argued that "there's a specter haunting the Russian elite. The specter of Putin as a lame duck."

And as the reality of this settles in, Russia is probably headed for a prolonged period of intensified and very high-stakes clan warfare.

And now in a smartly argued piece featured below, political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya argues that Putin looks increasingly sidelined in intra-elite conflicts -- more a bystander than an arbiter or a master.

If this trend continues, Stanovaya writes, "Putin may soon not be Russia's demiurge, but a boring part of the background in processes that no longer depend entirely on his own desires or priorities."

"Under Putin," Stanovaya adds, "the post-Putin system is being born."

Putin, of course, is all but certain to seek and win a new six-year term in the Kremlin; and the Russian presidency remains a powerful institution.

Moreover, analysts have written Putin off in the past only to see him come roaring back.

But something significant does appear to be happening.

Politics is "about control of the imagination," Mark Galeotti of the Institute of International Relations in Prague argued in a video commentary featured last week in The Morning Vertical.

And "as soon as people begin thinking about life beyond Putin, this eats into a key element of his own legitimacy, which was that he was in effect the irreplaceable man. They're already thinking: we can replace the irreplaceable man."

IN THE NEWS

Facebook has informed U.S. investigators that the social network recently discovered it sold advertisements to a Russia-based operation targeting U.S. voters during last year's presidential election.

The European Union will prolong its asset freezes and visa bans on Russian officials and Moscow-backed separatists in Ukraine for another six months, with Russia's new ambassador to the United States likely to remain on the list, diplomats said.

Vladimir Putin has again voiced opposition to imposing further sanctions on Pyongyang, saying that the crisis over North Korea's missile and nuclear tests could be resolved by "diplomatic means."

The leaders of Japan and South Korea called for stronger sanctions against North Korea on visits to Russia's Vladivostok despite Putin's warning against "pushing North Korea into a corner."

The Russian energy minister says his country will consider extending a deal with OPEC to cut oil output further into next year if supplies continue to glut the market and keep prices down.

John Teft, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Russia, has defended Washington's decision to order Moscow out of diplomatic facilities in the United States amid a mounting standoff straining already frayed bilateral ties.

Human Rights Watch says that Russian police are "systematically" interfering with attempts by opposition leader Aleksei Navalny to campaign for the March 2018 presidential election.

A man who took four people hostage at a Citibank branch in downtown Moscow last year has been sentenced to 12 years in prison.

A Moscow court has sentenced two Russian hackers to three years in prison each for breaking into the e-mail accounts of top Russian officials and leaking them.

A man accused of carrying out an arson attack on a movie theater in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg has been sent to pretrial detention.

A court in Moscow has sentenced a man to 30 months in prison over violence at an anticorruption rally in the Russian capital in June.

U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son will testify privately before the Senate Judiciary Committee today as it investigates allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

A Moscow court has ruled in favor of a flight attendant who said Russia's flagship Aeroflot airline stopped assigning her to work on international routes because of her weight.

Authorities in Ukraine say three political analysts, a journalist, and an activist died in a traffic accident in the western region of Rivne on September 6.

A Kyiv court adjourned Viktor Yanukovych's in absentia treason trial until September 21 after the former Ukrainian president's new lawyer asked for more time to prepare.

WHAT I'M READING

The Birth Of Post-Putin Russia

In Republic.ru, political analyst Tatyana Stanovaya argues that Vladimir Putin increasingly looks more like a bystander than an arbiter in conflicts among the elite.

(In case you missed it, see my post on The Power Vertical blog, Lame-Duck Putinism, on this theme.)

War And Politics In Ukraine

Andrew Wilson of the European Council on Foreign Relations reviews the book Everyone Loses: The Ukraine Crisis And The Ruinous Contest For Post-Soviet Eurasia by Samuel Charap and Timothy J. Colton.

Oleksandr Fisun, chair of the political-science department at Kharkiv National University, has a piece in PONARS Eurasia on "Ukraine's semi-managed democracy."

In The Kyiv Post, Paul Niland offers a checklist of Russia's unmet obligations under the Minsk agreement.

In an op-ed for the Financial Times, Jeffrey Mankoff and Jonathan Hillman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies argue that Russia is using infrastructure projects to close Ukraine's window to the West.

And Euromaidan Press looks at Putin's proposal to send UN peacekeepers to eastern Ukraine, Kyiv's response, and what it all means.

Kazakhstan Surpasses Russia

According to a report in Nezavisimaya Gazeta, Kazakhstan has surpassed Russia in per capita consumer spending.

Regional Elections

Nezavisimaya Gazeta and Moskovsky Komsomolets have pieces previewing this weekend's local and regional elections.

Russia's Bosnian Intrigue

Jasmin Mujanovi, author of the forthcoming book Hunger And Fury: The Crisis Of Democracy In The Balkans, has a piece in Foreign Affairs looking at Russia's efforts to destabilize Bosnia-Herzegovina.

And Putin's Korea Games

In his column for The Washington Post, Josh Rogin looks at the spoiler role Russia is playing in the North Korean crisis.

And Kommersant looks at Putin's efforts to expand in South Korea's energy market.
WASHINGTON -- U.S. President Donald Trump says nations in the Middle East must confront parties such as the Iranian regime as part of efforts to defeat murderous terror groups and radical militias in the region.

Every responsible nation must work to strip these [terror] groups of their territory, their financing, and the false allure of their evil ideology, Trump told a joint news conference with visiting Kuwaiti Emir Sabah Al Ahmed Al Sabah on September 7.

"It also means confronting those such as the Iranian regime who support terror groups and radical militias, he added.

Trump and the emir addressed a variety of issues facing the Middle East in response to reporters questions.

Trump said he would be willing to act as a mediator in the bitter diplomatic dispute between Qatar and at least four Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia, a role so far taken up by Kuwait.

The U.S. president said he appreciated Kuwaits role as a mediator very much, but said he, too, would be willing to be the mediator.

If I can help between U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, where I have a very great relationshipIf I can help mediate between Qatar and in particular the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so, he said.

Trump added that he believed the crisis could be solved "fairly easily."

The Saudis, along with Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, and other countries in the region, have broken all commercial and diplomatic ties with Qatar over its alleged financing of terrorism and close ties to regional rival Iran.

Qatar, which is a U.S. ally and hosts a large American military facility, has denied the allegations.

The Saudi-led Arab countries, also close U.S. allies, have presented Qatar with a list of 13 demands to restore relations, which the Qataris have so far rejected.

The emir said he believed Qatar was willing to sit down and discuss the demands and that he was optimistic a solution will come in the very near future.

Trump also said the United States good relations with both sides in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict could help bring about a peace agreement -- what he called the worlds most complex and difficult deal.

"[A peace accord] is an event thats just never taken place, he said. I think we have a chance of doing it. I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen. I think the Israelis would like it to happen.

I think theres a chance there could be peace, he said.
U.S. President Donald Trump's eldest son will testify privately before the Senate Judiciary Committee on September 7 as it investigates allegations of Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election.

Donald Trump Jr. was invited to testify in public in July, but reached an agreement instead to speak privately with committee staff.

"We look forward to a professional and productive meeting and appreciate the opportunity to assist the committee," Alan Futerfas, a lawyer for Trump Jr., said on September 6.

The focus of the meeting is likely to be a June 9, 2016, meeting Trump Jr. held in New York's Trump Tower with a Russian lawyer, a Russian lobbyist who was a formerly a Soviet military officer, Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, and then-Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort.

Trump Jr. released e-mails showing he agreed to the meeting after being told he would receive information that was damaging to Trump's rival Hillary Clinton

The meeting has been a focus of the Judiciary and other congressional committees that are investigating alleged Russian efforts to influence the election. The Kremlin has repeatedly denied interfering in the election.

Trump Jr. is also expected to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee later this year.

Based on reporting by AP and Reuters


Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko says that the purpose of a proposed UN-mandated peacekeeping mission in war-torn eastern Ukrainian must be to foster peace, not to cement what he called "Russia's occupation" of a chunk of his country.

Poroshenko spoke in an annual address to parliament on September 7, two days after Russian President Vladimir Putin called for the deployment of lightly armed peacekeepers to protect OSCE observers monitoring the conflict.

Russia has indicated that, under its plan, the peacekeepers would operate only along the front line separating Ukrainian government forces and Russia-backed separatists. Russia also says that the plan should be subject to approval by the separatists.

Poroshenko said the mission should patrol the whole conflict zone including the border between Russia and the separatist-held parts of Ukraine's Donetsk and Luhansk regions, which Kyiv says is used to ship weapons and military personnel in from Russia.

"Its purpose should not be the preservation of Russia's occupation and the legalization of the Russian military presence, but a durable peace," Poroshenko said.

He called Putin's proposal "strange" but said that Ukraine is ready to discuss any proposal at the UN.

The conflict has killed more than 10,000 civilians and combatants in eastern Ukraine since it erupted in April 2014, after Russia seized control of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and fomented separatism across large parts of the country.

The war has persisted despite a European-brokered agreement on a cease-fire and steps to peace that was signed by Ukraine, Russia, and the separatists in February 2015.

With reporting by AFP and Unian


Facebook's disclosure that a Russia-based operation targeted U.S. voters with advertising on divisive issues during the last U.S. presidential election campaign has focused the attention of investigators on a notorious Russian "troll farm" known as the Internet Research Agency.

The St. Petersburg-based firm is a shadowy organization that spreads false information on the Internet to support the Kremlin's strategic and geopolitical goals.

As a tool in Russia's "hybrid warfare" strategy, the Internet Research Agency -- sometimes formerly known as the Internet Research center -- employs hundreds of young Russians who conduct online information operations using fake social-media accounts in an attempt to distort political sentiment in Russia and abroad.

A Facebook official on September 6 told The Washington Post there was evidence that fake accounts used to promote the Russian-bought Facebook ads were linked to the International Research Agency.

Past RFE/RL interviews with former employees of the Internet Research Agency's operations paint a picture of a hard-charging operation that relies on a combination of methods -- from generating fake news, disinformation, and memes to building up networks of fake social-media accounts run by "troll" employees who flood web forums with posts in an attempt to manipulate public opinion.

Lyudmila Savchuk told RFE/RL in 2015 that the firm was targeting Russian and English-language social-media sites at the time. "There are hundreds of people, operating around-the-clock, writing thousands of comments, texts, and posts on all social-media sites and blogs," she recounted.

"They comment on media articles and write for social-networking sites, pretending to be ordinary people," Savchuk said. "They run blogs under false pretenses. They promote ideas they were given through verbal or written instructions."

"You write, write, write from the point of view of anyone," another former employee, Tatyana N., told RFE/RL in 2015. "You could be [posing as] a housewife who bakes dumplings and suddenly decides: 'I have an opinion about what [Russian President Vladimir] Putin said! And this action by Vladimir Vladimirovich saves Russia."

'Inauthentic' Facebook Accounts

Facebook's chief security officer, Alex Stamos, said on September 6 that $100,000 was spent for 3,000 Facebook advertisements dating back to June 2015 that were spread across the social-media network by users of 470 "inauthentic" Facebook accounts and pages.

"Our analysis suggests these accounts and pages were affiliated with one another and likely operated out of Russia," Stamos said.

Stamos said the ads and fake accounts "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum" in the United States -- touching on topics ranging from homosexuality and race issues to immigration and gun-ownership rights.

Most of the initial ads bought on Facebook in 2015 were geographically targeted and appeared to seek to identify individual Facebook users in the United States who might share the operation's narratives and themes.

"From there, organic proliferation of the messaging and data through authentic peer groups and networks was inevitable," according to a case study co-authored by Stamos in April about alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. election.

'False Amplification'

In fact, the "information operation" described by Stamos matches descriptions of activities at the Internet Research Agency provided to RFE/RL in 2015 by former employees.

St. Petersburg blogger Marat Burkhard said he spent two months working in a department of Internet Research that was tasked with clogging the Russian Internet forums with pro-Kremlin comments.

"It's a modern building, four floors," Burkhard told RFE/RL about the company headquarters in March 2015 after he quit working there. "There's a Live Journal department, a news department, a department where they create all sorts of images of demotivators," -- satirical graphics and memes that undermine their subject matter -- and "a department where they make videos."

Burkhard said the job of his department was an activity now referred to by security experts as "false amplification." Fake personas are created online to highlight and spread advertisements, memes, or other content that serves the Kremlin's agenda.

"Our department commented on posts" within Russia, Burkhard said. "People would write something on the forum, some kind of news, and our task was to comment on it."

"We did it by dividing into teams of three," Burkhard said. "One of us would be the 'villain,' the person who disagrees with the forum and criticizes the authorities in order to bring a feeling of authenticity to what we're doing."

"The other two enter into a debate with him -- 'No, you're not right; everything here is totally correct.' One of them should provide some kind of graphic or image that fits in the context, and the other has to post a link to some content that supports his argument. You see? Villain, picture, link."

"We create the illusion of actual activity on these forums," Burkhard said. "We write something, we answer each other. There are keywords, tags, that are needed for search engines. We're given five keywords.... All three of us have to make sure these keywords appear all over the place in our comments."

Burkhard said that as far back as early 2015, there were "special people working on Facebook" at the Internet Research Agency. "There are about 40 rooms with about 20 people sitting in each, and each person has their assignments," he said. "They write and write all day. And it's no laughing matter. You can get fired for laughing."

Former employees say the hierarchical structure is as opaque as the composition of the Russian bureaucracy itself. "The underlings not only aren't allowed to approach management," Tatyana N. told RFE/RL. "But they don't even know who they are. They know only the little boss -- the so-called team leader."

Savchuk, who was reportedly fired for calling the firm a "troll factory" in 2015, said Internet Research "pretends it doesn't exist, although the whole world knows about its existence."

The firm is said to be funded by Yevgeny Prigozhin, a St. Petersburg oligarch, restaurant owner, and supposedly well-connected Kremlin insider known as "the Kremlin's chef."

Prigozhin has been targeted by U.S. sanctions for supporting Russia's seizure and annexation of Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and pro-Russia separatists in eastern Ukraine.
She then swam across a portion of Thompson Lake in Grant County to a residential area, where she found the farmer who helped her.Jasmine has been reunited with her family. Three men were arrested Tuesday in connection with the alleged abduction of the 15-year-old in early August. Thomas Barker, 32, of Carlos, Minn., Steven Powers, 20, of Mankato and Joshua Holby, 31, of Carlos are being held in the Douglas County Jail on probable cause kidnapping, false imprisonment, and assault.



Three men were arrested

Block disappeared from her home on August 8 and since then has been the focus of an intense search by law enforcement and members of the community. According to the preliminary investigation, Thomas Barker approached Block outside of her home around 11 PM on August 8 on the pretense that he needed help with a situation. Mr. Barker was known to Block and so she offered to assist and entered Barkers vehicle. The men took Block from Barkers house, a foreclosed home more than 200 miles away, to various locations including a cornfield and a foreclosed property in Grant County.
Made in India, the new Jeep Compass is also exported to Europe. It is this Compass SUV that was recently crash tested by EURO NCAP. As per the European standards, the new Compass has been given a five star safety rating. This is the highest safety rating any car can get.

As per the crash test report, Jeep Compass adult safety rating is at 90%, child occupant safety rating is at 83%, pedestrian safety rating is at 64%, and safety assist rating is at 59%. It was the base variant (Standard trim) which was used for the crash test. Watch the crash test video below.

In India too, the car was recently crashed in Bangalore after a driver lost control and banged into a tree. The airbags deployed, but the cabin remained safe.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dfk7jKIqmF0

Manufactured at the company plant in Ranjangaon, near Pune, Jeep Compass has been a huge success globally. In India, the company has already received 10,000 bookings, that too in less than 40 days since launch. Jeep Compass in India is powered by a 1.4 liter Multi-Air petrol engine offering 160 hp and 250 Nm torque and a 2.0 liter diesel engine capable of 170 hp and 350 Nm torque. Both these engines are mated to a 6 speed manual transmission or a 7 speed DCT automatic transmission.

In India, Jeep Compass is offered in three trim levels of Sport, Longitude and Limited and in a choice of five colours  Minimal Grey, Exotica Red, Hydro Blue, Vocal White and Hip Hop Black. A true off-roader, it comes in 42 and 44 options.

Jeep Compass also gets a set of best in class features among which are a 7 touchscreen infotainment system, electric parking brake and 60:40 split seats. It will also be seen with Select Terrain Traction Management System and a host of safety features such as ABS, EBD, HSA, PBA, ESC, dual airbags and disc brakes.

New Jeep Compass competes with the Hyundai Tucson, Honda CR-V, VW Tiguan, and the likes. Read Jeep Compass Review.

News Release
It has been a quite a while since the first reports about VW planning to sell their premium two wheeler brand Ducati emerged. Many Indian names have been linked as interested entities, including Bajaj, Hero, and Royal Enfield. Even international brands like Harley Davidson and some names from China were interested.

As per a new report from Economic Times, Royal Enfield is the one which is the closest on making the final cut. REs parent company, Eicher Motors is close to submitting a bid amounting to $1.8  2 billion (approx. INR 12,800 crore) later this month.

Eicher Royal Enfield are the only Asian contenders who still remain in the race to buy Ducati. Sources closely following the deal, say that Eicher is currently sorting out financing and structuring terms. They are also in talks with banks the world over.

Though it is Volkswagen which is the parent, it is Audi AG which is going to go through with the deal. Audi has been working with investment bank Evercore to sell brand Ducati. They have managed to value the brand at 1.5 billion ($1.8 billion). This amount is about 15 times Ducatis EBITDA (Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortisation) earnings of $100 million.

Earlier this week, Reuters had revealed that it will take quite a few months before Ducati is handed over to the new buyer. This is because of Union opposing the sale. Labour leaders at VW, who hold half the seats on the 20-member board, have strongly opposed a sale regardless of price, revealed Reuters.

There are still differences between VW and Audi that need to be resolved and the unions are far from backing the sale. At this stage it is highly unlikely that negotiations will be resumed this year, added a source.

However, it seems Royal Enfield is the front-runner to buy Ducati. If it does go through, this will be a huge deal for the Indian auto industry. Some of the Indian two wheeler companies who are have tied up with foreign brands are  Bajaj  KTM, Bajaj  Triumph, TVS  BMW; and hopefully very soon  Royal Enfield  Ducati.
Updated at 12:57 pm ET: Today, Sept. 15, NASA's Cassini spacecraft wrapped up 20 historic years in space, and collected data as it crashed into Saturn's atmosphere and burned up like a meteor. Read our parent company Purch's interview on Cassini's death with managing editor Tariq Malik. Read on for our complete coverage:

Main Story: RIP, Cassini: Historic Mission Ends with Fiery Plunge into Saturn

Parting Views: In Photos: Cassini's Last Views from Saturn

Scientists React: Tears and Applause: Cassini Team Reflects on Saturn Plunge

Why did NASA let Cassini hit Saturn?

The $3.2 billion Cassini-Huygens mission  a joint effort of NASA, the European Space Agency and the Italian Space Agency  launched in October 1997 and arrived in the Saturn system on June 30, 2004 (PDT).

Huygens was a piggyback probe that touched down on Saturns largest moon, Titan, in January 2005, pulling off the first-ever soft landing on a body in the outer solar system. The Cassini orbiter, meanwhile, kept circling Saturn, making a number of important discoveries in its 13-plus years at the ringed planet.

For example, the spacecraft spotted geysers of water vapor and other material blasting from the south pole of the icy moon Enceladus. Mission scientists have determined that this stuff is coming from a huge ocean of liquid water beneath the satellites shell  and that this ocean may be capable of supporting life as we know it.

Cassini also detected lakes and seas of liquid hydrocarbons on Titan  the first stable bodies of liquid ever discovered on the surface of a world beyond Earth. Scientists think Titan may also be able to support microbial life (though if that life teems in the hydrocarbon seas, it will be very different than organisms here on Earth).

But nothing lasts forever. Cassini is nearly out of fuel; if it runs out completely, the probes handlers wont be able to control it anymore. So they want to dispose of Cassini before things get to that point, which is why theyre sending the spacecraft on a death dive into Saturn on Sept. 15. [Cassini's 'Grand Finale' at Saturn: NASA's Plan in Pictures]

This main goal of this final maneuver is protecting Titan and Enceladus  keeping them clean and pristine.

In order to avoid the unlikely possibility of Cassini someday colliding with one of these moons, NASA has chosen to safely dispose of the spacecraft in the atmosphere of Saturn, NASA officials wrote in a statement. This will ensure that Cassini cannot contaminate any future studies of habitability and potential life on those moons."

Space.com coverage of Cassini's final days

Weve written a lot about Cassini's Grand Finale  the last phase of its mission, which consists of 22 dives Cassini is making between Saturns cloud tops and its innermost rings  and the spacecrafts impending death.

See our full coverage of Cassini's final days below.

More Images

Stories

September 2017

Since 2004, the Cassini space probe has orbited Saturn, collecting photos and data that have revolutionized our understanding of the planet and its moons. (Image credit: by Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

Sept. 14

Saturn Spectacular: NASA's Free E-Book Offers Top 100 Cassini Images

Cassini's Mark: Plunging Into Saturn, What the NASA Probe Leaves Behind on Earth

Styx Sings Touching Farewell to Cassini Probe Before It Crashes into Saturn

Cassini's Swan Song: How Saturn Probe Will Spend Its Final Day

Accompany Cassini on Its Final Dive into Saturn with Mobile Apps

Sept. 13

The End Is Nigh for Cassini: Saturn Probe Enters Final 48 Hours

Why the Cassini Mission to Saturn Must End in a Fiery Dive

'Vaporize!' Cassini Gets Operatic Saturn Send-Off from 'Star Trek: Voyager' Actor

Cassini's Death Dive Will Protect 2 Possibly Life-Supporting Saturn Moons

Cassini at Saturn in Videos: Latest Mission Events and Amazing Discoveries

Sept. 12

Rings Revealed: How Cassini's Saturn Odyssey Exceeds Expectations: As NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn heads toward its dramatic dive into the planet's atmosphere, scientists are reflecting on all that the mission has taught us about the ringed planet and its fascinating moons.

Cassini Spacecraft Photos Reveal the Secrets of Saturn's Strangest Moons: The weird and wonderful Saturn system is home to some truly strange moons. Here's an image gallery of some of the strangest satellites in the bunch.

Cassini Headed for Saturn Plunge After Titan 'Goodbye Kiss': After a "goodbye kiss" with Saturn's huge moon Titan, NASA's Cassini spacecraft should now be on course for its suicide dive into the ringed planet Friday (Sept. 15).

Sept. 11

Wild! Cassini Probe Spots Weird Waves in Saturn's Rings : NASA's Cassini spacecraft captured a spectacular photo of a perplexing wave structure in one of Saturn's rings as the probe headed into its final days at the gas giant.

Sept. 9

Saturn's Icy Moons Are a Little Less Mysterious Thanks to Cassini's Long Mission: Perhaps its greatest contribution to science is helping us learn about the many icy moons circling Saturn and its elegant rings.

Sept. 8

1 Week Until Cassini's Fatal Saturn Dive: Here's How the Probe Will Spend Its Final Days : The one-week countdown has begun for the Cassini spacecraft's fatal plunge into Saturn's atmosphere, and the probe has a busy week ahead.

Sept. 7

Saturn Moon Enceladus Shows Off Its Moves for Cassini : Saturn's possibly habitable moon Enceladus seems to dance in a gorgeous new video captured by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

August 2017

No End to Saturn's Mysteries in Cassini's Closing Days: Scientists are preparing for a bountiful harvest of science data when the Cassini probe makes its final death plunge into Saturn's atmosphere.

Cassini Snaps Saturn's Strange Polar Vortex During Daring Dive: The bizarre vortex spinning at Saturn's north pole takes center stage in a newly released photo by NASA's Cassini spacecraft.

Cassini Saturn Probe Preps for Last Hurrah: On Aug. 14, NASA's Cassini spacecraft made the first of five passes through Saturn's upper atmosphere, kicking off the last phase of the mission's "Grand Finale." The probe will end its life with a plunge into Saturn's atmosphere on Sept. 15.

Cassini Probes Last Saturn Mysteries 1 Month from Demise: The end is nigh for NASA's trailblazing Cassini mission to Saturn as the veteran spacecraft enters its final month in orbit. The probe will burn up like an artificial meteor in the gas giant's upper atmosphere on Sept. 15.

Life in the Saturn System? Cassini Has Shown It's Possible: The European-American Cassini spacecraft has found that three of Saturn's many moons likely host subsurface oceans and may be capable of supporting life.

July 2017

Saturn's Surprising Rings: The Fascinating Mysteries Cassini Has Solved: Before the Cassini-Huygens mission, scientists weren't sure how old Saturn's rings are, what they're made of, how they change, how thick they are, how fast they move, how big the ring particles are, or how Saturn's moons its rings. Now, we know.

How Long Is a Day on Saturn? Cassini Is Racing to Find Out in Its Final Months: How long is a day on Saturn? The answer is still unclear as the Cassini spacecraft approaches its "Grand Finale" plunge into the ringed planet's atmosphere.

Why Kill Cassini? Saturn Probe's Fate Carefully Considered: On Sept. 15, the Cassini spacecraft will destroy itself by burning up in Saturn's atmosphere in order to protect the ringed planet's moons from biological contamination by bacteria from Earth. But there were other possible fates for Cassini.

'Kingdom of Saturn': New Documentary Dives Deep into NASA's Amazing Cassini Mission: A new documentary look backs at the triumphs of the Cassini probe ahead of the spacecraft's scheduled death dive into the ringed planet.

June 2017

Happy Anniversary, Cassini! NASA Probe Marks 13 Years at Saturn: Cassini arrived in orbit around the ringed planet on June 30, 2004, after a nearly seven-year journey through deep space.

Cassini Makes 8th Dive Through Saturn's Rings: The Cassini spacecraft has made its eighth dive between Saturn and its rings, documenting the planetary system up close as it prepares for its Grand Finale plunge into the gas giant on Sept. 15.

May 2017

Cassini Takes Most Dangerous Saturn Ring Dive Yet: The Cassini spacecraft completes its sixth dive between Saturn and its rings today (May 28), and this is the most dangerous dive yet through the inner edge of Saturn's D ring.

Cassini's 'Grand Finale' Dives Could Show How Quickly Saturn's Rings Will Fade: New research suggests Saturn's rings may last a billion years before fading away  and Cassini's ring dives will help test the theory.

Wow! Cassini's Bird's-Eye View of Saturn Plunge Astonishes in New Video: An amazing new video shows just what NASA's Cassini spacecraft saw during its first "Grand Finale" dive between Saturn's cloud tops and the gas giant's rings last week.

April 2017

Cassini Saturn Probe Survives 1st 'Grand Finale' Dive: NASA's Cassini spacecraft has survived its first plunge between Saturn's cloud tops and the giant planet's innermost rings, a region that no probe had ever explored before.

'Giant Hurricane' on Saturn: 1st Images Back from Cassini's Epic Ring Dive: NASA's Cassini spacecraft dove between Saturn and its rings yesterday (April 26), snapping the closest-ever views of Saturn's atmosphere.

Cassini Spacecraft's Ring Dive Yields Saturn Surprises: The Cassini spacecraft spotted strange atmospheric structures during the first of its 22 dives between the rings and gas body of Saturn, the planet it has studied up close since 2004.

Google Doodle Celebrates Cassini Probe's 'Grand Finale' Saturn Dive: Today, Google is honoring NASA's Cassini mission to Saturn with an adorable Google Doodle featuring the spacecraft swooping between the planet and its rings.

Cassini's Grand Finale Is Saving the Best Saturn Science for Last: As Cassini wraps up its 13-year mission in Saturn's system, scientists are preparing for the spacecraft's final burst of observations in the never-before-explored region between the planet and its inner rings.

No Turning Back: Titan Flyby Assures Cassini's Crash Into Saturn: There's no turning back now. The Cassini probe's most recent flyby of Saturn's moon Titan puts the spacecraft on a path to crash into the ringed planet.

As Cassini Makes 1st 'Grand Finale' Dive, More Saturn Mysteries Remain: Running low on fuel, NASA's Cassini spacecraft has begun the final (and most daring) phase of its epic mission to Saturn.

Cassini's Final Chapter: 1 More Titan Flyby Before 'Grand Finale' at Saturn: NASA's Cassini spacecraft will make its final close flyby of Saturn's moon Titan this weekend in preparation for the mission's grand finale, when it dives down into the planet itself.

Epic Cassini Saturn Mission Begins 'Grand Finale' This Month: NASA's veteran Cassini mission will officially kick off its farewell tour of the Saturn system on April 22 with a final close encounter of the ringed planet's largest moon, Titan. Then, on Sept. 15, Cassini will burn up in Saturn's atmosphere.

2016

One Last Year at Saturn: Cassini Heads for Grand Finale: The Cassini spacecraft has studied Saturn for 12 years, and the probe has just one more year to go before its final dive into the planet itself.

At Saturn, Cassini Spacecraft Adjusts Orbit for Titan-ic 'Grand Finale': NASA's Cassini Saturn probe has begun reshaping its orbit in preparation for the spacecraft's "grand finale" at the ringed planet next year. The spacecraft performed an engine burn Jan. 23 to set up a Feb. 1 flyby of Saturn's huge moon Titan.

2014

NASA Saturn Probe Will End Mission in Epic 'Grand Finale': Starting in late 2016, Cassini will zip between Saturn and its innermost ring a total of 22 times in a mission phase now known as the "Cassini Grand Finale," which will end when the probe intentionally dives into Saturn's atmosphere in September 2017.

Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
The U.S. Air Force's secretive X-37B space plane is set to launch on its fifth classified mission today  the only question is exactly when.

Weather permitting, the space plane will lift off aboard a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket from Kennedy Space Center in Florida sometime between 9:50 a.m. EDT and 2:55 p.m. EDT (1350-1855 GMT), and you can watch the launch live online.

SpaceX will broadcast the launch live, and you can also watch it live on Space.com, courtesy of SpaceX. But the launch window spans hours, and the webcast will start just 10 minutes before the launch  so stay on your toes. Shortly after the launch, the Falcon 9's first stage will land SpaceX's Landing Zone 1 at the nearby Cape Canaveral Air Force Station. [The Mysterious X-37B Space Plane: 6 Surprising Facts]

A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket carrying the U.S. Air Force's X-37B space plane moves to Launch Pad 39A at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida for a Sept. 7, 2017 launch. It will be the fifth classified X-37B space plane mission. (Image credit: Ken Kremer/ KenKremer.com

The U.S. Air Force's robotic X-37B space plane is a miniature space shuttle capable of long, classified missions in orbit. See how the X-37B space plane works in this Space.com infographic (Image credit: By Karl Tate, Infographics Artist)

This flight marks SpaceX's second military launch; in May, a Falcon rocket carried a classified spy satellite into orbit for the Department of Defense.

The Air Force's 45th Space Wing posted an airspace closure advisory spanning a slightly more than a 5-hour window for launch.

Of course, this launch all depends on the weather. According to SpaceNews, the weather is 50 percent "go" for a launch tomorrow but will grow increasingly worse over the following days as Hurricane Irma approaches the area. If SpaceX is unable to launch the X-37B today, it has a backup launch day of Sept. 8.

Though Irma will be 950 miles southeast of the spaceport and won't affect a Thursday launch, a schedule slip to Friday could mean winds of up to 20 mph (32 km/h) by the end of the launch window, Emre Kelly reported for Florida Today.

X-37B space plane also called the Orbital Test Vehicle (OTV), is one of two known reusable vehicles in the military fleet.

"The fifth OTV mission continues to advance the X-37B's performance and flexibility as a space technology demonstrator and host platform for experimental payloads," Air Force officials said in a statement. "This mission carries small satellite ride shares and will demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies."

They added that the mission will host a payload to test experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipe technologies for use in long-duration missions. It will also be launched into, and landed from, a higher-inclination orbit than in previous missions.

The robotic minishuttle is no stranger to civilian uncertainty; the last X-37B mission finally landed May 7 after 718 days in space, with no prior warning. Each of the four OTV missions, starting in 2010, has stayed in space longer than the previous one.

So there are a few question marks with this mission: Not only are the precise launch time and details of the mission nebulous, but the landing date is also uncertain  although it's safe to guess it won't be anytime soon.

Email Sarah Lewin at slewin@space.com or follow her @SarahExplains. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
Watch out, Mars. Scientists are going to kick the search for habitability up a notch in 2020, when NASA and the European Space Agency plan to send rovers to the Red Planet to survey, drill, and take pictures of potentially habitable regions.

A recent issue of Astrobiology focuses on the ESA rover mission, which is called ExoMars. The rover will roam the surface in search of places where ancient microbes lived, which would likely be in areas with abundant water and energy. It will also search for "biosignatures," or substances that provide scientific evidence of past life.

Here's the challenge for ExoMars: If you're looking for ancient biosignatures on Earth  say, more than 3.5 billion years old  it's very difficult to tell the difference between a biosignature or a geologic signature. This is because the Earth has very active geology. Earthquakes and other movements of plate tectonics tend to crush and distort fossils.

Mars, however, has a quieter history; the planet appears to lack global plate tectonics. Jorge Vago, a project scientist on ESAs ExoMars mission, acknowledged that even if ExoMars finds something interesting, we may not know for sure what it is unless we can bring back a sample to Earth.

"With the very best technologies we have on Earth, we barely get to what we claim is the threshold for saying you made a good, reasonable case for proving there was life there," said Vago.

An artist's impression of the ExoMars rover's drill, which is expected to gather samples from as deep as 2 meters (6.6 feet) below the Martian surface. (Image credit: European Space Agency)

But there are some things that geologists can agree on; we know of environments more likely to host ancient life than others. On Earth, these tend to be areas of stable water over long periods of time which have a source of energy. And that's exactly the kind of environment in which ExoMars will land. ESA has identified two locations: Oxia Planum and Mawrth Vallis. These landing zones are only a few hundred miles apart, but they lie in regions where ancient water channels likely flowed. Oxia Planum appears to have clay-rich materials (clay forms in water) and Mawrth Vallis may have old underwater hydrothermal vents, where life on Earth thrives.

The instruments aboard ExoMars, while not as sophisticated as those in a laboratory on Earth, may still be able to detect ancient biosignatures, Vago said. Along with the usual cameras and spectrometers, ExoMars will carry a new instrument called the Mars Organic Molecule Analyser, MOMA for short. Samples from the rover's drill will go into one of 21 single-use ovens, where the materials will be cooked and analyzed using a gas chromatograph, a sort of sniffing instrument. NASA's Curiosity rover, by comparison, carries two reusable ovens and a gas chromatograph, but the sniffer was likely contaminated by a vapor leak early in the mission.

MOMA will be on the look out for chirality, which describes the geometry of a molecule and can be a reliable indication of life. Scientists describe molecules as either "left-handed" or "right-handed" depending on their configuration. On Earth, amino acids and sugars  the building blocks of life  only exist in the left-handed configuration. So if ExoMars finds a sample of sugars and amino acids where all the molecules are left-handed, this may mean the molecules came from life.

Another new feature on ExoMars is the rovers capacity for extracting organic molecules using a high-power ultraviolet laser. Vago said the process is so fast that they can remove the organic molecules without destroying the underlying perchlorate salts. If the salts are destroyed, it becomes more difficult for scientists to prove if the organics came from a biosignature.

RELATED: Tunnels on Mars Might Protect Astronauts From Dangerous Levels of Radiation

Other new instruments on ExoMars focus on the planets subsurface. These include a long drill and ground-penetrating radar called WISDOM (Water Ice and Subsurface Deposit Observation On Mars), which will examine the geology underneath the rover. Another instrument called Adron will augment the work of WISDOM by hunting for subsurface water and hydrated minerals.

But even with the best technology, recent history shows there are no guarantees of proving ancient life on Mars  let alone on Earth, in certain cases. In the last two years, geologists said they found evidence of ancient life in 4.1 billion-year-old rocks in Western Australia, as well as 4.28-billion-year-old rocks in Quebec, Canada (opens in new tab).

The finds remain controversial, though. Several lines of evidence are needed to convince skeptical scientists of the veracity of a fossil's date.

Vago argues that chemical biosignatures are probably one of the most important indicators, since they can demonstrate chirality and molecular weights that favor living organisms.

"You have to find a number of biosignature [types] at the same time," Vago said. "You can't just hope to wing it or swing it just by finding one thing that looks like it could have been life."

Originally published on Seeker.
The private space telescope initiative Project Blue launched a new crowdfunding campaign Sept. 6 in a second attempt to raise money for its mission to directly image Earth-like exoplanets.

The initiative aims to launch a small space telescope into low-Earth orbit. The telescope will spy on our interstellar neighbor Alpha Centauri and image any Earth-like planets that might orbit the star system.

In support of Project Blue, BoldlyGo Institute and numerous organizations, including the SETI (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence) Institute, the University of Massachusetts Lowell and Mission Centaur, launched an IndieGoGo campaign to raise $175,000 over the next two months. The funds will be used to establish mission requirements, design the initial system architecture and test its capability for detecting exoplanets. Project leaders will also begin looking for potential partners who could manufacture parts of the space telescope, representatives said in a statement.

"We're very excited to pursue such an impactful space mission and, as a privately-funded effort, to include a global community of explorers and space science advocates in Project Blue from the beginning," Jon Morse, CEO of BoldlyGo Institute, said in the statement.

Last year, Project Blue organizers attempted to raise $1 million through the crowdfunding platform Kickstarter, but the campaign was canceled after only $335,597 was contributed and Project Blue received none of the funds (as is Kickstarter's policy).

With the IndieGoGo campaign, however, the organizers have a more flexible goal and will be able to keep all contributions from supporters, even if the initial goal of $175,000 is not reached. So far, more than $45,000 has been raised through the campaign.

The neighboring star system Alpha Centauri is located only 4.37 light-years from Earth, making it a target for scientific research. Project Blue estimates it will take about $50 million to build the special-purpose telescope, which is planned to launch in 2021.

The small space telescope will use a specialized coronagraph to block the bright glare of Alpha Centauri's stars and detect planets that may be orbiting there. One planet, Proxima b, has already been detected around Proxima Centauri.

However, Proxima b was discovered indirectly, by measuring the planet's gravitational effect on its host star. Instead, the Project Blue telescope will be designed to directly image Earth-like planets in Alpha Centauri's neighborhood.

Follow Samantha Mathewson @Sam_Ashley13. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
The NASA-NOAA Suomi NPP satellite captured this nighttime view of Hurricane Irma over the Leeward Islands on Sept. 6 at 1:35 a.m. EDT (0535 GMT). Puerto Rico is to the storms left.

The world's second-largest radio telescope has apparently weathered the storm.

The Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico is still standing, and still seemingly intact, despite experiencing the wrath of powerful Hurricane Irma, which battered the island last night (Sept. 6).

"Preliminary inspections of our facilities show no damages. We will continue inspections, and we'll keep the public informed," Arecibo representatives wrote today (Sept. 7) via the observatory's Twitter account, @NAICobservatory. [Hurricane Irma in Photos: Satellite Views]

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Arecibo, which features a 1,000-foot-wide (305 meters) radio dish, closed earlier this week to prepare for Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storms ever recorded. The Category 5 hurricane is expected to take a northward turn soon, and it could slam into Florida this weekend, forecasters say.

Arecibo will remain closed until it's safe to resume operations, observatory representatives have said.

Things could have been worse for Arecibo, and the rest of Puerto Rico. Though Hurricane Irma pounded the island with strong winds and heavy rains, it was a glancing blow; the storm's eye, around which the fastest winds of a hurricane swirl, passed north of Puerto Rico.

The huge Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. (Image credit: Arecibo Observatory/NSF)

Arecibo came online in 1963. Since then, astronomers have used the observatory for a variety of purposes, from imaging asteroids to mapping water ice on Mercury to searching for possible signals from intelligent extraterrestrials. In 1974, scientists famously used Arecibo's dish to beam a message toward the globular cluster Messier 13 in an attempt to communicate with any aliens who might reside there.

Arecibo was the largest single radio dish in the world for more than half a century, until China's Five-hundred meter Aperture Spherical Telescope (FAST) became operational last year.

The Arecibo Observatory is a U.S. National Science Foundation facility. It's operated by SRI International, the Universities Space Research Association and Puerto Rico's Metropolitan University.

Follow Mike Wall on Twitter @michaeldwall and Google+. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook or Google+. Originally published on Space.com.
Hurricane Irma seen from space by the GOES-16 satellite at 7 a.m. EDT (1100 GMT) on Sept. 6, approaching Anguilla (on the left) in the Caribbean.

NASA's Kennedy Space Center (KSC) is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm that is expected to make landfall in southern Florida over the weekend.

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The facility is located on Florida's eastern coast, about midway up the peninsula and about an hour's drive due east of Orlando. Officials announced today (Sept. 7) that the facility will be closed from Friday (Sept. 8) through at least Monday (Sept. 11) due to the storm. About 120 KSC personnel will remain on the site to monitor conditions and handle any emergencies that arise, according to Tracy Young, KSC's news chief.

"We have a hurricane plan. We practice it. We review it every year before hurricane season," Young told Space.com. "Some years are more active than others. Some years we get lucky and we don't have to activate the hurricane team." [Hurricane Irma in Photos: Satellite Views]

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The center is in Hurricane Condition 3 status, which means officials expect sustained winds of at least 58 mph to reach the center within 48 hours. When that time frame drops to 24 hours, the status will change to Hurricane Condition 2.

In addition to the expected high winds, the NHC has issued a storm surge watch for the Florida peninsula and the Florida Keys. A storm surge watch indicates there is a "danger of life-threatening inundation from rising water moving inland from the shoreline," according to the NHC. "The combination of a dangerous storm surge and the tide will cause normally dry areas near the coast to be flooded by rising waters moving inland from the shoreline."

KSC personnel are preparing the facility for the arrival of strong winds, heavy rain and potential flooding, Young said. KSC is primarily a launch facility, and many of its buildings contain launch hardware, such as NASA's Orion human spaceflight vehicle, which is still being prepared for its first crewed flight. Flight hardware and electronics will be covered with water-resistant material, Young said, to protect them from water that may enter those buildings. Facility personnel are also placing sandbags around door frames to prevent flooding.

The 45th Space Wing (which represents Cape Canaveral Air Force Station (adjacent to KSC), is also preparing for the storm.

"During HURCON V, 45th Space Wing will begin precautionary preparations to secure property and any launch infrastructure that may be exposed to storm conditions," Air Force officials said in a statement. "All hurricane response teams are now on telephone standby and teams will soon begin to store outdoor items that could become projectiles in a storm."

The Vehicle Assembly Building (VAB) at NASA's Kennedy Space Center suffered some structural damage from Hurricane Ivan in September 2004. (Image credit: NASA)

Irma is reportedly one of the strongest hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean. The storm has caused severe flooding and destruction on many of the Caribbean islands in its path. The National Hurricane Center (NHC) said in an update today that the storm is expected to remain a Category 4 or 5 hurricane "during the next couple of days." [Best Hurricane Irma Apps: Track the Storm and Stay Safe]

"Essential personnel will make final preparations to secure center facilities and infrastructure," NASA said in a statement. "After the storm has left the area, Kennedy's Damage Assessment and Recovery Team will evaluate all center facilities and infrastructure for damage. The spaceport will reopen after officials determine it is safe for employees to return."

The arrival of Irma comes about two weeks after NASA's Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston was closed due to extreme flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey. JSC is home to NASA's Mission Control Center, which is responsible for operations on the International Space Station. It is also where NASA's next large-scale telescope, the James Webb Space Telescope, is being stored ahead of its 2018 launch. JSC reopened on Tuesday (Sept. 5).

Follow Calla Cofield @callacofield. Follow us @Spacedotcom, Facebook and Google+. Original article on Space.com.
T he City watchdog has dropped a probe into a police officers insurance firm after giving the company the all-clear.

The Financial Conduct Authority said a six-month investigation Police Mutual, which offers financial services for current and ex-coppers, had been closed with no further action.

The review focused on whether Police Mutual had provided customers with enough information to take informed decisions on buying policies such as platinum bonds and low-cost endowments.

Police Mutual chief executive Stephen Mann said: Our belief that we had met requirements was also supported by the independent reviews we commissioned ourselves and at no time was there the risk of our members losing out.

The FCA will push on with its investigation into five other insurers, Scottish Widows, Abbey life, Countrywide, Prudential and Old Mutual.

No inferences should be drawn from the closure of the Police Mutual case concerning the continuing investigations, it said.
D oes rhetoric matter? I ask because the Home Office draft document on the UKs immigration policy post-Brexit that was leaked this week represents a marked departure from the positive tone used in the referendum campaign by the Leave-supporting members of the current Cabinet. They were keen to argue that Britain would be an open and global trading nation after leaving the EU. I cannot stress too much that Britain is part of Europe, and always will be, wrote Boris Johnson, now Foreign

Secretary, in an article for the Daily Telegraph in the immediate aftermath on the Brexit vote. There will still be intense and intensifying European co-operation and partnership in a huge number of fields: the arts, the sciences, the universities, he insisted, and sought to give his reassurance to EU citizens.

Johnson, and other prominent Leave supporters now in ministerial positions, such as Michael Gove, did talk about the additional scope the UK would have to set its own controls over migration after Brexit but always made sure to do so in positive language. I think we would benefit as a country if we had a more effective and humane immigration policy, allowing us to take the people who would benefit us economically, Gove said in a speech last April, in the run-up to the EU referendum.

Compare this against the language of the leaked draft, which says of EU migration post-Brexit that the Home Office will design a future system to ensure our new immigration rules are complied with, but our overall approach is likely to include tackling illegal working and labour market abuses, ensuring that all relevant organisations are playing their part in controlling migration and taking steps to enforce removal. There is, of course, no problem with enforcing the rules but the Home Offices whole approach in the document is clearly led by the guiding principle that much lower immigration should be the objective of government policy. No doubt, the Governments insistence on targeting an arbitrary annual level of migration in the tens of thousands is behind civil servants attempts in this document to find all means possible of squeezing the numbers.

We do have to remember that this is just a draft. Staff at the Home Office have clearly been asked to come up with ideas, and this is the result. They are at pains to point out that many elements are subject to negotiation with the EU. Combined with the fact that the report acknowledges that the Government has commissioned the Migration Advisory Committee to provide hard evidence of the effect of migration, this document looks distinctly premature. Business leaders will be hoping that it was a very rough draft, and will not form the final official policy. This is because while concern about immigration was clearly a factor in the referendum, a headlong dash for low numbers of annual arrivals would have economic consequences that simply cannot be ignored.

The low migration principle can be seen in the recommendations, such as reducing the opportunity for workers to settle long-term in the UK and to bring their dependents and limiting the number of EU citizens able to come to the UK to undertake low-skilled work, for example through a salary threshold, an assessment of the skill-level of the occupation and/or through a direct numerical cap on numbers.

I do not deny that some people will find these solutions attractive but I want you to consider one crucial number: 4.4 per cent. This is currently the UKs unemployment rate  the lowest since 1975. Looked at from the other side, the proportion of people in work, at 75.1 per cent, is the highest since comparable records began in 1971. Simply put, we cannot see any strong reason to think EU citizens are forcing British workers out of the labour market, or that if there were a drastic reduction in numbers domestic employees would be able to fill vacant roles that would arise.

This is a very real concern for business. There are nearly 800,000 job vacancies in the UK, a higher level than before the financial crash. When I talk to members of the Institute of Directors, and to other businesses, they repeatedly complain of significant skills shortages in key areas such as engineering and IT. This is, of course, a double-edged sword. It is a frustration for businesses that have to put their growth plans on hold because they cannot get the right member of staff but it also shows the demand in the economy. The Home Office document does acknowledge the importance of skilled migration but its proposals for what happens once the UK leaves the EU, such as much tighter restrictions on bringing family members, are clearly aimed at making the UK less attractive for this mobile and in-demand group of workers.

The reply will inevitably come, but why dont firms train up British workers instead? This is not, however, an either/or question. Yes, the UK needs to improve training but we know from surveys of IoD members that those who employ EU citizens also overwhelmingly train British workers. They could do more, and are very keen, for example, to work with colleges on designing apprenticeships courses.

When I talk to businesses, they do give me different views on Brexit. The majority voted Remain but it wasnt unanimous. People running companies are mostly pragmatic, and those I speak to are focused on getting the best Brexit deal possible. That means reassuring the EU citizens that they currently employ, and knowing that after Brexit they will still be able to get the people they need. These are questions that will only be answered through negotiations with the EU. The leaked document was not a very successful start, but then it was never meant to see the light of day. Businesses will be hoping the next effort is considerably better.

Lady Judge is chair of the Institute of Directors


O ne of Londons top Turkish restaurants is on a mission to get London drinking more raki, Turkeys anise-flavoured national spirit.

Hus Vedat, the head chef at Yosma on Baker Street, is challenging a handful of Londons best bartenders and mixologists to whip up cocktails made with the spirit. The best will win a cash prize as well as the chance to see their cocktail on Yosmas menu for the coming year.

Hus said: Raki is totally underrated, to the point that it is not really known at all outside of Turkish communities. Its a way of life for many in Turkey and I want to get people tasting it and talking about it in London.

He added: Its strong anise flavour makes it a challenging drink to mix with. Even in Turkey it isnt common in cocktails with a lot of people very puritanical about drinking it just with ice and water. But here in London we have some of the best bartenders in the world so I think we should be able to come up with something.

The best bars in London 1 /64 The best bars in London Scarfes Bar at Rosewood London 252 High Holborn, WC1V 7EN, rosewoodhotels.com/london

The Rosewood is doubly wonderful for drinkers, as theyve two fine spots. In the modern Dining Room, sit at the gin bar, which outstocks anywhere else in London, with more than 400 gins and 27 tonics. Trying to choose is impossible, but what a lovely impossibility to have. The bar staff clearly had one hell of a tasting session as they know the list perfectly. Across the way is Scarfes Bar, a brilliant, brilliant bar gladly shaken free from all the stuffiness usually found in hotel bars. The drinks are stunning, theyve often live music, it gets wonderfully busy and crackles with laughter. Go a little later and its busier, people drink more, everything is better. Bar Americain 20 Sherwood St, W1F 7ED, brasseriezedel.com

As the name suggests, this is a classic American bar, and done near perfectly. One can become very fond of Bar Americain and very quickly: passing through Piccadilly Circus, it acts as a magnet  a quick negroni becomes a temptation impossible to resist. Its a very beautiful place, calling to mind grand Parisian hotels of the 20s and 30s, bottles winking from the bar, staff floating through with their finery and litres of charm. Youre here to drink the classics: theyve a killer Clover Club and a straight-down-the-line Manhattan. But ask: the bartenders know their stuff and bring their A-game to any challenge  tell them what you like, and theyll bring you something new. They often have specials on, as well. Top marks for the attentive staff, bringing plenty of water and bowl after bowl of popcorn  both essential after a few here. Oriole Smithfield Markets, E Poultry Ave, EC1A 9LH, oriolebar.com

The team behind Nightjar took their winning formula, gave it a bit of a shake up and created Oriole. Theyve live music throughout the week  from Wednesday to Saturday, theres a charge per person, so watch out for that  which gives any night here a bit of zip. This is a strictly seated spot, so be sure to book: once inside, its a whirlwind tour of the world, with fine details from across the globe, both in the styling and the drinks and so much cheaper than booking a holiday. Drinks are excellent, whether youre into New Orleans style classics or something from the depths of Asia: explore the menu (split into Old World, New World and The Orient) and expect something unusual and faintly brilliant, with a touch of the Tiki. Put it this way: Oriole is ideal whether you prefer drinking from a crystal tumbler, a teacup or, er, a silver crocodile. Piano Works 113-117 Farringdon Road, Farringdon EC1R 3BX, pianoworks.bar

Full credit to this fun Farringdon spot: theyve worked hard to make the place better and better since opening, which is pretty good going for what was already a decent spot to begin with. The Piano Works sounds like a quiet jazz bar but instead is a hell-raising house of sound, splendidly raucous, where a house band take requests and belt out your favourite songs. The more you get involved, the more fun it is, and the place heats up the later it gets. Wine starts at 16, house cocktails are 8, but they've tons of terrific deals during the week  including cocktails for a fiver (!!) Drink lots, dance lots and leave in the early hours with someone you shouldnt do. Thats what we did. Hawksmoor, Spitalfields 157A Commercial St, E1 6BJ, thehawksmoor.com

Its hardly surprising the bar snacks are a highlight here  have the oxcheek nuggets with a side of chips, then call the waiter over to order them over again  given how good the steak upstairs is. The drinks and setting, though, match them pound for pound. The old tube tiles on the walls, the beautiful parquet floor, the copper tops and silvery black ceiling make the large space a place to settle in for the night no matter your seat, while the cocktails come with oodles of thought in each one: the new menu has homemade bitters, shrubs and syrups, and its bloody obvious everyone behind the bar is more than a little nerdy about building drinks. Shaky Petes Ginger Brew is the classic, so have it, but follow up with the Shadow Boxer, a mix of scotch, sherry and Fernet-Branca. Odd, oddly delicious. Its also a cracking place to sit for a bottle of wine. Andrew Edmunds 46 Lexington St, W1F 0LP, andrewedmunds.com

Perhaps better than its ever been, Andrew Edmunds recently won The Good Drinking prize in our Restaurant Awards, and for good reason. Its a small spot, cramped to the point that coming here on a first date feels like youre being very forward indeed , with the best tables upstairs and not much to look at  just settle for being distracted by someone beautiful. The food, French-ish/English-ish, is fine, but its the wine that's extraordinary. And youre here for wine: forget cocktails, they have. What a list, and so quietly marked up that youre getting a steal with almost every bottle  indeed, the more expensive the better the deal. Having been going 30 years, those who knew old Soho say its one of the last bastion of such things. Drink too much gorgeous wine and come back often. The Connaught Bar Connaught, Carlos Place, W1K 2AL, the-connaught.co.uk

A bar for the impossibly beautiful, a bar of high heels and glimmering lights, of perfume and leather. Aside from oddly thumping music, the Connaught is wonderfully detached from the world  a place of its own, cosy and winter warm when it needs to be, light and summer when desired. The drinks, naturally pricey, are well put together and while classic in tone, come with crackles of theatre: washes in perfume bottles, branches as garnishes, smoke, the lot. Still, the martini trolley is what theyre famed for, so its only right to indulge. Afterward, head to the Champagne Room: sadly the law stops it being the cigar haven it once was, but it's still gorgeous: romantic and charming with its fireplace, dramatic with its glass ceiling and sculpture swan diving. Treat yourself to the Ruinart blanc de blanc. Damned good olives, too. Milk & Honey 61 Poland St, W1F 7NU, mlkhny.com

You know a bar is good when local bartenders love it, and Milk & Honey has long been a Soho favourite for those in the know. Hidden in plain sight this terrific bar has been doing its thing for just shy of 15 years. The talent hasnt diminished, and neither has the care put into the drinks. Cocktails are strong and proper and happily, they're updating the list soon to freshen things up. At around 10 a drink, M&H is also a bargain for central London, and the quality outstrips the price. It functions as a members bar, but non-members can book up until 11pm  though going earlier in the week means youre more likely to score a table. Milk & Honey is civilised, without the crushing formality. Next door is the Blind Pig, another top 'hidden' spot. Mark's Bar HIX Soho, 66- 70 Brewer St, W1F 9UP, hixrestaurants.co.uk

The bad: you might not get in. If its busy, they dont squeeze people into this basement, so either be there early, or bamboozle them with charm, or dazzle them with your brilliant wit. Were kidding: just take someone hot. The good: pretty much everything else. Naturally, the bar snacks are distractingly tasty, but the drinks list is excellent, and unusual too, with a few historical recipes brought back to life. Attention to detail is everything here, so if youre not sharing one of the big old Chesterfields, head to the bar and sit and watch  theres something about it thats like seeing a cardmaster turn tricks. And have a Hix Fix, just to say you have. The Beaufort bar and the American Bar at The Savoy The Savoy, Strand, WC2R 0EU, fairmont.com

Glitz, glamour and lots of gold: both Savoy bars are wonderfully opulent. The world-famous American bar, recently revamped, is still up there as one of the best bars on our humble planet. The bartenders bible, Harry Craddocks The Savoy Cocktail Book, was written here, and the cocktails served today remain as finely tuned as they ever were. Whereas as other bars try to recreate the glamour of such places, The Savoy neednt pretend: everything is genuine. The palatial Beaufort is absurdly romantic, and drinks are extravagantly presented: it works for the most special of special occasions, and theres something undeniably grand about sipping away in the same place Frank Sinatra, Marlene Dietrich, Coco Chanel and Ernest Hemingway all did. If youre planning a few drinks, either be rich or take someone rich  seriously. Artesian 1C Portland Pl, W1B 1JA, artesian-bar.co.uk

Artesian won its accolades for its team, Alex Kratena and Simone Caporale, who ran the place for eight years and earned its reputation as the best bar in the world. Theyve sadly departed, but have left the place in capable hands, and the feel is much the same as it ever was, which is chic, glamorous, and not taking itself too seriously. While the beautiful and the rich rub shoulders, the bartenders are mixing up excellent but often slightly silly drinks  but its their mischievousness that makes them so winning. Seriously impressive. Les Compagnie Des Vins Surnaturels 8-10 Neal's Yard, WC2H 9DP, cvssevendials.com

Call it CVS and your night becomes considerably easier to pronounce. Sat in Neils Yard, it is one of Londons finest wine bars. Thoroughly French, of course: New World wines barely get a sideways glance, while even Italys finest is only begrudgingly given a little space on the considerable menu. This doesn't mean there is a lack of choice  to the contrary, it is almost overwhelming, though they have a short by-the-glass list, and the charming staff are both well informed and passionate about what to have. In the summer, sit outdoors, in the winter, cosy up by the bar. Wherever you are, try the mystery wine; if you guess it, youll win a bottle. Have food  small plates made to share, and terrifically good  and drink plenty, so the bill doesnt hit as hard. The Shrub & Shutter 336 Coldharbour Ln, SW9 8QH, theshrubandshutter.com

This Brixton bar felt new in the area, taking a little of east London and bringing it down south. Theyve a pleasingly patchwork approach to decor: there are jars and bottles and shakers everywhere, which gives the place a kitchen feel. The cocktails, lovely to drink on their own, are made better with the food, which is designed to match what youre drinking. The pairings initially sound a little gimmicky  crayfish with vodka, venison on the side of The Deerhunter (an old fashioned, basically)  but they work, so drop that sceptical streak for a moment. It gets busy, so book up, get in early, and stay late. Theyve a license until 3am, so itd be rude not to. Sky Pod at the Sky Garden 1 Sky Garden Walk, EC3M 8AF, skygarden.london

The truth of it is, you come for the view, but good God it's a great view, and 360-degrees at that. Up 35 floors, if you can think of a London icon, you can probably see it. When the weather's good, get outside for some fresh air. With completely free entry and minimal security fuss, its worth making a reservation, though if youre ok to queue, theyll have you in. Cocktails arent torturously expensive, at around 11.50, and are very enjoyable  the cognac-chocolate-caramel-port mix that is Black and Gold is particularly good so it doesn't feel like they're relying on the sights.

Theres a sense of special occasion, and all the more so with live music on Thursday, Friday and Saturdays. Theyre hoping for jazz on Wednesdays, too. If youre tempted to eat, Fenchurch and the Darwin Brasserie are well worth trying  Fenchurch is particularly good for veggies. The Gilbert Scott St Pancras Renaissance Hotel, Euston Rd, NW1 2AR, thegilbertscott.co.uk

Given the golden hue here, where luxury hangs in the air like perfume, its remarkable that wine starts at as little as 5 a glass. Wine is its strong point, and likeable head sommelier Joris Beijn is a man worth knowing: he is passionate about his list, knowledgeable and accommodating. The bar is flexible, in that it is by turns ideal for a date, or a catch up with old friends, or a pre/post dinner drinks. The room is a stunner: high painted ceilings, dramatic red walls, great big bells as art, marble bar top and crystal glasses catching the light. Cocktails come in at around 14, and err on the light side: lots of gin and floral concoctions. The restaurant, next door, isnt to be missed, either, just be prepared to get an Uber home: invariably, youll stretch and tease out the evening to stay just a little longer. Gerry's Club 52 Dean Street, W1D 5BJ, gerrysclub.com

A word of warning: this is technically a member's club, but you'll probably be fine if you flirt enough  and don't ask for Gerry, he's long since passed. Michael looks after this place now. We've only been once  very late, very drunk and with very good friends. Most old-school Soho drinking dens are dead, but this hub of actors and writers is what remains of 'Old Soho'. If you're boring, steer clear: it is a place to drink wine and beer and tell stories, to laugh uproariously and to give yourself a monumental hangover in a faintly discreet way. 68 and Boston 4-5 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4DD, 68andboston.com

Boston, the bar upstairs, looks like glamorous train carriage from the golden age of cocktails but plays it a little bit safe. Wine bar 68, downstairs, is the real gem, with a wonderful way of pricing: every bottle on the list is 20, so choose what you like, not what you can afford. Better yet, if you don't fancy a bottle, they're served by the carafe (14) or glass (5.50). Wines are well picked and Denise Medrano, wine blogger and lover found behind the bar, is always working to update the list  so go back to try something new. Youll probably end up getting drunk here: the pull of another bottle at just 20 is monumentally hard to resist, but hey, thats what Soho is for. If you fancy drinking something more upscale, ask  theyve a few hidden wines kept hidden away for those in the know. Thats you, now. The Pink Chihuahua at El Camion 25-27 Brewer St, W1F 0RR, elcamion.co.uk

Forget house infusions and drinks that take half an hour to make: sometimes a good night needs tequila and dancing. The Pink Chihuahua is built for it: theyre providing the tequila  more than 300 different types of it, in fact  youre there to drink it down and dance it up. Theyve all sorts of twists on Margaritas and Daiquiris, and, given youre downstairs from Mexican restaurant El Camion, plenty of bar food to indulge in too. Lots of fun, and if youre feeling more in the mood just to sit back and sip something slowly, ask about their choice of Mezcal. There's real talent here, but fun too. The Gibson 44 Old St, EC1V 9AQ, thegibsonbar.london

Given the dearth of decent cocktails in Farringdon, the tiny Gibson is a God-send. Its a parlour pitched somewhere between Edwardian and Art Deco, and drinks arent simply poured here, theyre tended to, built, thought about, adored. All unsurprising, really, given the team learnt their trade at the likes of Nightjar and The Connaught.

This place is doing more creatively to push bartending forward than any bar that's opened up in a while, so ask the team for recommendations and youll be presented with something magic. Youll need to ask, actually, as the menu is a novel and theres the risk of wasting the evening reading instead of drinking, and that simply wouldnt do at all. Peg+Patriot Patriot Square, E2 9NF, talentedmrfox.com

The Talented Mr Fox, Matt Whiley, offers is a nice blend of things here: while the menu takes a sophisticated trip around London, with each cocktail a column of flavour, some managing chameleonic taste all within the space of a sip, the actual bar is surprisingly spare and understated. The effect is such that while drinks are upmarket, one doesnt feel obliged to sit demurely to enjoy them. Relax, have a few  you might want to, as the serves arent huge. It should be said that these cocktails are among Londons most interesting, rather than Londons best: they are talking points, oddities, they put flavours together in a way that isnt available elsewhere. If youre big on trying new things, different experiences, seeing what a cocktail can do, come, its a must. If its just something reliably delicious you fancy, elsewhere may be better. Worship Street Whistling Shop 63 Worship St, EC2A 2DU, whistlingshop.com

One presumes the staff here have night vision, otherwise its a complete and utter mystery how they see customers, let alone their ingredients. Still, they must do, for the output is pretty much excellent through and through at this dark spot. Its Victorian-inspired, which sounds tired and not a little tacky, but the gang from Purl have done it properly. Drinks are busy  lots of fusions, blends, gasses and pressure and all sorts  so its appropriate they come out of a lab. Still, all this engineering seems to be worth it, as the drinks slip down easily, the alcohol often hidden away. Make sure to take a seat in the Dram Shop, and pop in to the Gin Closet too, which operates as an honesty bar. Kansas Smitty's 63-65 Broadway Market, E8 4PH, kansassmittys.com

Below bar Off Broadway  a long way off, its Mexican  sits this glorious den of jazz and juleps. It is a speakeasy for 2016: that is to say, it has none of the contrived mannerisms of bars which proclaim to be speakeasies, it just happens to actually be one: youll need to knock to get in, the music raves loud and hot, and the place is so crowded strangers become family after a drink or two. The house band, for which the place is named, have envy-inducing talent, and the bar has fairly recently overhauled its drinks list, and the results are good. Youll be absorbed by the music, and stay afterwards to ride the buzz of the crowd. GONG 52, Shangri-La Hotel, the Shard, SE1 9QU, .gong-shangri-la.com

Gong is in the Shard, so youre there for the view alone. View it certainly does: at 52 floors up, its by far Londons highest spot to drink: consequently, sipping on a martini, one feels a little like a Bond villain pondering all thats below. Its not a huge bar, but that somewhat adds to the sense of exclusivity. Prices are, naturally, sky high: expect to pay at least 18. The drinks have plenty about them to compete with the view: presentation is everything. Theyve not skipped on the spirits making the mix, either: expect the likes of Zacapa 23 rum (heavenly stuff), Talisker scotch and Tanqueray 10 for the gin. All top drawer stuff. If this all sounds a bit intimidating, bear in mind they operate a no reservations policy, so youve as good a chance of getting in as anyone else. Mr Fogg's Salon 58 St Martin's Lane, Theatreland, WC2N 4EA, mr-foggs.com

Downstairs is a pretty decent pub, busy from theatreland. Upstairs, the salon is quieter, but only a little. The walls are a glittering ballgown of 19th century curiosities, unsubtle nonsense winking away. Head to a chaise longues with a couple of friends or a date and take in something from each one of the five acts which split the menu. Drinks seem to smell especially good here, rich, relying heavily on the likes of rum, cognac and sherry. Gin lovers need not despair: theyve a room with 300 different types next door. Come elegantly dressed. Bar Termini 7 Old Compton St, W1D 5JE, bar-termini.com

Do Bar Termini right and youll love it: do it wrong, and you may be underwhelmed. Tony Conigliaro, cocktail chap par excellence, and coffee maestro Marco Arrigo have built a revolving-door of a place: dont come here to linger. Expect a night of cocktails and youll leave disappointed: instead, love it in the day for the 1 espressos, and swing by in the evening for a negroni (6). Theyre small, but some of the best in the capital. One swishes in and out here, and that way, it adds a touch of Italian glamour to any evening. Trisha's (New Evaristo Club) 57 Greek St, Soho, W1D 3DX



Drinks dont make a bar, and thank goodness, as the stuff served at Trishas  named for its owner  is uniformly pretty awful: red and white wine youd consider an insult if a friend served it at supper, prosecco wildly overpriced, terrible spirits ecetera ecetera. At more than 70, the club is Sohos oldest, and while nobody who goes there can ever remember anything changing  its often quite hard to recall much about Trishas in crystal detail, as it happens  nothing needs to. The bad wine and expensive mixers and paint stripper spirits are all part of the point: its a glorious drinking den, and marvellous, marvellous fun. There are characters here: the last time we were in, we sat being scared witless by an old East End gangster who said hes known the Krays. Tremendous. Long may this place live. The Fumoir Claridge's, 49 Brook St, W1K 4HR, claridges.co.uk

The Fumoir will confuse you, as youll be torn between shouting about it and keeping it all to yourself. This plush purple and leather spot, deco decadence with a touch of welcome pomp, is hidden away behind a secret door at Claridges. Tiny and glitzy enough to feel like a Hollywood dressing room from the Golden Age, its little surprise the likes of Christina Hendricks adore it. For such a small place, they squeeze an awful lot in: plenty of wines, classic cocktails given a stern shake up, buckets of gin, a lovely choice of armagnac and a magnificent scotch list, gleaming with rarities. 69 Colebrooke Row 69 Colebrooke Row, N1 8AA, 69colebrookerow.com

Once known as the bar with no name, henceforth they shall be called the bar with Bernards watch, as there is no other explanation for the speed with which their finely mixed cocktails arrive. Another bar from Tony Conigliaro, its earned its reputation for turning out hit after hit: the drinks list is endlessly tempting. The piano is a nice touch; that is gets played a much nicer one, and make sure to order the Prairie Oyster  fun to drink, and one even for those who cant eat seafood. Bear in mind its a small spot, so youre close to your neighbours, and if you dont like strong drinks where the booze kicks, this wont be for you. Happiness Forgets 8-9 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, happinessforgets.com

Dont expect frills and fuss or the rest of it here: Happiness Forgets is cocktail bar distilled down to its very essence, and done very well  their tag High End Cocktails/Low End Rent sums it up best. The bartenders are all top drawer, and their creations impeccable. Unsurprisingly, this Hoxton space has its regulars, so the crowd is always good. Tables can be booked, but half are always kept for walk-ins: try your luck, its worth it. Dry Martini by Javier de las Muelas Melia White House Hotel, Albany Street, NW1 3UP, melia.com

Come to this one to brag: Dry Martini is known as Barcelonas best cocktail bar, and has been rated the fifth best bar in the world by the Worlds 50 Best Bars panel. Renowned bartender Javier de las Muelas has bought over his concept to us lucky Londoners, and with it, finely mixed and classic cocktails. No prizes for guessing that the Dry Martini is the house special  if you dont think you like them, heres a place to change your mind. With more than 80 gins on the list, you could easily lose a week here. Gordon's 47 Villiers St, WC2N 6NE, gordonswinebar.com

Gordons seems to get more and more crowded with each passing day, but perhaps rightly so: the beloved Embankment institution is made for knocking back bottles of wine in. Eat a few cold bites and chat into a long, unwinding evening. The wine list is good enough, but youre really here for the atmosphere: in summer, the terrace, buzzing, in winter, the caves indoors, crammed with noise, spilt wine, and joy. Social bar at City Social 25 Old Broad St, EC2N 1HQ, citysociallondon.com

Youd think youre at City Social, up 24 stories of Tower 42, to eat, but if you stop in the bar, theres a good chance you wont make it to your table. The drinks come as something of a surprise: theyre so much better than one expects from a restaurant bar, inventive, put together carefully but not staidly, retaining a sense of fun. And, crucially, damned tasty. Its a dark room, and full of city types, but perfect for a few late night cocktails soaking up the view, which is really quite wonderful. Bloody pricey, but thats part of it. Ladies and Gentlemen 2 Highgate Rd, NW5 1NR, twitter.com

William Borrells bolthole transcends its gimmick (which, if you hadnt guessed, is that its a converted public loo), with the help of some very handy bartenders, and its house-brewed gin, Highwayman, of which twelve bottles a day get distilled. Ladies & Gents manages well as a place for a quiet drink, or better yet, a place to quietly get roaringly drunk. Convenient indeed. The drinks are strong, very interesting, and theres plenty of odd sods on the wall to keep your conversation up. It maintains a veneer of being somewhere faintly upmarket, but youll probably end up reading from one of the books scattered around or trying to dance to the live music. Perfect for a date that gets out of hand. Bull In A China Shop 196 Shoreditch High Street, E1 6LG, bullinachinashop.london

Truth it, youll need to catch this place on a good night, as weve been in often enough to know it has its good nights and its meh nights. But when the place is on, its really cooking, and easily one of the best bars in town. The cocktail list is short, but thought through, and care is taken in even the small things: they even make sure the water glasses are chilled. The chamomile and charcoal Old-Fashioned is a must, and any whisky lovers should get chatting to the bar staff, as theyve bottles which arent available anywhere else in the capital. Sager + Wilde Arch, 250 Paradise Row, E2 9LE, sagerandwilde.com

Wine lovers rejoice, wine bores look elsewhere. Sager + Wilde admirably keep things unpretentious: the exposed brickwork sets the tone: theyre keeping things low key. The specials list changes regularly, and always with interesting choices introduced. Some of the wines are exclusive to this place, so youre all but guaranteed to try something new. Have a SHE + T (sherry with tonic, delicious), and absolutely do not leave without having the grilled cheese sandwich. 7 Tales at Sosharu 64 Turnmill St, EC1M 5RR, sosharulondon.com

Underneath Jason Athertons Sosharu is this sexy, seedy Japanese drinking den, where youll find the hazy, debauched glamour of Tokyo after dark. Unlike so many bars underneath restaurants, 7 Tales doesnt feel like a holding pen, and drinks are precision made, with flavours leaning beyond the usual  think rice-washed gin, sake, infusions of sesame, snacks like tempura. Bar snacks are an irresistible must. Callooh Callay 65 Rivington St, EC2A 3AY, calloohcallaybar.com

Eccentric doesnt seem to quite cover it: enter the surreal world of Callooh Callay through an old Victorian wardrobe, catch sight of a throne and order punch out of a gramophone from a menu thats more of a sticker book. It sounds a bit ridiculous, but the bartenders really know their stuff, so for all the quirks, drinks are fundamentally pretty excellent. On the weekends, its a party bar, and DJs spin music to match: youre here for a good time. Any detectives in your gang will find there are two extra rooms in Callooh Callay to explore  theyre hidden away, too, naturally. If youre good, you might even get an invite upstairs to the Jub Jub Room, where the 10-long cocktail list changes every three weeks. Fans should also head to their new offering in Angel, Little Bat. Dukes Bar Dukes Hotel, 35 St James's Pl, SW1A 1NY, dukeshotel.com

Dukes is known for one reason: martinis. The St Jamess hotel was a favourite haunt of James Bond author and (very) keen drinker, Ian Fleming, who supposedly came up with the shaken, not stirred line here. Their martinis are exceptionally strong, and very large: theres a reason they wont serve you more than two. But look, break the mould: theyre a classic hotel bar, they serve a fine range of classic cocktails. Theres also a cognac and cigar garden, if youre so inclined. NOLA 1st Floor, 68 Rivington Street, EC2A 3AY, nola-london.com

It would be too easy to miss this place, so do your homework and saunter in: its must more attractive than sweatily asking anyone if theyve seen the place. Drawing inspiration from the home of proper cocktails, New Orleans, the bar loves traditional drinks, builds them properly and serves them in a den of music and laughter. Unlike some places specialising in old school serves, NOLA is a place for fun: sure, it seems to say, you could have a quiet drink  but why would you want to? Theres a cracking cigar terrace too, small enough that everyone talks before heading back in for one hell of a Vieux Carre. Call Me Mr Lucky 11 Southwark St, SE1 1RQ, twitter.com

All the hidden bars at the Breakfast Clubs around the capital are popular, with perhaps The Mayor of Scaredy Cat Town being the best known. Call Me Mr Lucky, on Southwark Street, happens to be our favourite. Once youve flirted with the staff  ask to get lucky  youre taken through the restaurants kitchens to a lively bar decorated like some twisted take on a kids party. Have a go on the wheel of fortune, where youll really want to get lucky, and win a free shot, and then work your way through the cocktail list. Like any good-time bar worth its salt, this place is big on tequila, and the drinks are light-hearted fun, but  here we go getting lucky again  along with the quirks comes quality. By the of the evening, before youre porured back onto the street, youll swear tequila is your new favourite drink, and youll be singing the party hits they play all the way home. K Bar at The Kensington 109 - 113 Queen's Gate, SW7 5LP, townhousekensington.com

K bar feels majestic  and there is no other word for it  because drinking here is a little like being in the captains quarters of the Titanic, albeit without the sinking feeling. There is glamour here: a kind of place to be seduced in. Cocktails wise, bar manager Ben Manchester is the man to ask for, but theres a fine list to choose from. It avoids stuffiness, and just needs to be packed out to really get cooking. Nightjar 129 City Rd, EC1V 1JB, barnightjar.com

Nightjar has fame which means writing about it is redundant: people think it marvellously good, and theyve live music most of the week. Its seating only and worth booking: just be sure not to cancel, or theyll charge a steep 10 per person. They do the speakeasy theme, but well enough that it isnt too tired yet, and have plenty of old school style on the list. Pick up a pack of cards from the bar on your way out. Reverend J W Simpson 32 Goodge St, W1T 2QJ, revjwsimpson.com

Bourne and Hollingsworth run this rather lovely little bar, downstairs from a small doorway on Goodge St. Service is friendly and speedy, it's comfortable, and drinks more than hold their own  there's both obscure traditional mixes and modern serves made with fresh, seasonal ingredients. Luckily, with good drinks come good people, and it's a loud, happy place. Albertine 1 Wood Ln, W12 7DP, albertinewinebar.co.uk

Albertine hasnt changed much since the day East Enders was commissioned there. A wine bar through and through, youll struggle to get anything else (though there are a couple of ales on the menu.) Its a place with spirit, which draws a regular, devoted crowd. They sell everything they serve, and its well worth splashing out: the mark-up gets less and less as the bottles get more expensive, meaning you can get an absolute bargain at the top end of the list. Its also the kind of wine bar you go to to overindulge. First Aid Box 119 Dulwich Rd, SE24 0NG, firstaidbox2015.com

This place really is worth travelling to Herne Hill to, which must be saying something. The team behind Shrub & Shutter have thickly laid on the pharmacy theme here, with cure-all drinks. Its not an idea which sounds like it should work, and yet, how much better life would be if they were one of the emergency services. Expect saline drips, syringes, and the likes of plastic lungs  their take on thirst aid  but rest assured, flavours arent medicinal in the slightest. At 8 - 10 a drink, its reasonable for London, and wonderful to see a bar really trying something new. Bravo. Media Wisdom Photography - Giles Christopher Nam Long Le Shaker 159 Old Brompton Rd, SW5 0LJ, namlong.co.uk

It gained fame for its celebrity fans, which include Mick Jagger and Prince Harry, but Nam Long has held on longer than most A-list haunts: its been going 30 years, and recently was given an overhaul. Its quite possibly the most Chelsea place imaginable  there are literally MIC cast members floating about  and its a go-to spot to drink far too much and party. The upstairs area is bright, airy, and well looked after by the excellent bartenders, while downstairs  "the Opium Den"  is as it sounds (though there was no opium available when we asked... ) The drinks upstairs were made with more care, but downstairs is more intimate, opulent, and better for a small groups. Some of those Chelsea types who go really are the very worst, and the drinks are outrageously expensive, but hey, its a laugh. The Vault at Milroy's 3 Greek St, Soho, W1D 4NX, shop.milroys.co.uk

A bar through a bookcase: were sold. Better yet, its underneath one of Sohos finest whisky shops  with stiff competition from The Vintage House  so if youre taken with something downstairs, buy it on your way out. Its a simple little bar and the service is decidedly so-so, but its usually pretty busy, they play good music and have an excellent range of spirits. The menu is changed regularly, but its a good place to cram into with friends or on a date. You mightnt spend the entire night here, but for a couple of drinks on the way somewhere, or on the way back, it fits the bill perfectly. Bounce 241 Old St, EC1V 9EY, bouncepingpong.com

There are two Bounce bars, one on Old Street and one on Holborn. The Old Street spot is a little more fun, graffiti adorning the walls,the Holborn spot somewhat more upmarket. Still, they both deserve a mention, and for the simple reason theyre damned good fun. Drinks here are good, with a decent spirit selection at both (and a huge number of gins in Farringdon) and a respectable selection of beers. Food is fine, simple. Still, you come to play ping pong. Theyve tables everywhere. Theres little to fault with Bounce: its a laugh, and sometimes thats all somewhere needs to be.

Those competing will include Pierre-Marie Bisson of Milk & Honey, Mr Foggs Daniele Rubegni, Radoslaw Rozycki of The Cocktail Trading Company, Federico Pes of Brasserie Zedel, Blanchettes Marc Boltma and Jon Rivera, bar manager at Jamie Olivers Fifteen.

They will present their drinks at a ticketed event at Yosma on September 26, billed Raki & Roll, where they will be judged by a panel including Matt Whiley of Scout among many other bars as well as Galip Yorgancoglu, the CEO of leading raki brand Yeni Raki.

Tickets to the evening cost 30 and give guests the opportunity to sample all six raki cocktails alongside an array of mezze plates. They are available now via Billeto.
G eorge Smiley returns! John le Carre hasnt written about Smiley since The Secret Pilgrim (1991), in which the retired Smiley played a tangential role, addressing a graduation dinner at a spys training course, prompting a series of reminiscences.

Smiley had by then already had an extraordinarily long career, having first appeared in Call for the Dead in 1961  so long, in fact, that midway through, in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy of 1974, le Carre radically revised his timeline to save his hero from becoming impossibly old, suggesting he had been recruited into intelligence in 1937, rather than 1928, as previously hinted.

At the same time, Smileys protege Peter Guillam was helpfully rejuvenated too. Now, amazingly, both are back with us in the 21st century.

Often it is a mistake for novelists to revive their favourite characters late in their careers, actually detracting from, rather than adding to, their original achievement. Evelyn Waughs appalling Basil Seal Rides Again published two years before his death remains the classic example, Waugh himself accurately calling it a senile attempt to recapture the manner of my youth.

Le Carre is now 85 and it is more than a quarter of a century since he last visited these characters. Yet, quite remarkably, he has pulled it off. A Legacy of Spies deploys a complex and ingeniously layered structure to make the past alive in the present once more (so complex, in fact, that the novel only reveals itself fully on a second reading).

Its in the first person, Guillam writing now but recalling the events of 50 years ago, said to have taken place in East Germany in the late Fifties and early Sixties. So its perhaps not quite 2017 but near enough.

White-haired, living quietly on his farmstead in Brittany, Guillam is suddenly drawn back into the past by a legal letter from London, from the Office, or whatever the Circus calls itself these days, demanding his presence at an investigation into an historic case that went badly wrong called Operation Windfall.

Off he goes to the grotesque new MI6 headquarters in Vauxhall, scathingly described (this Welcome to Spyland Beside the Thames), to be cross-questioned by service lawyers who seem to him to be barely adult. The children of those who died in Operation Windfall are now seeking the truth about who was responsible, threatening legal proceedings, even perhaps a parliamentary inquiry.

Guillams own role in the case, as a notorious Lothario, is now being compared to our modern undercover police informants who go about stealing the hearts of their women victims. Hes in trouble.

In the books most outrageous implausibility it is discovered that after all these years, a safe house in a Bloomsbury side-street used in the operation is still being maintained, still looked after by the same loyal guardian.

Entering it again, Guillam remarks: What I was seeing around me would have surpassed the dreams of the most demanding archaeologist: a scrupulously preserved burial chamber, its seals unbroken, dedicated to Operation Windfall and all who had sailed in her, complete with every original artefact  including all the contemporaneous documentation and reports by all involved, including Smiley.

So Guillam, reading them to refresh his memory, tells us the story, incorporating into it all these texts vebatim, so that it is not just a retrospective narrative but one unfolding for us now, through the documents from the time. Clever!

Of course, this is not where to begin reading le Carre. To make any sense of the tangle of deceptions here you need at least to know, if not the whole oeuvre, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, in which Smiley finally unmasks the traitor at the very top of the Circus. A Legacy of Spies is more or less a prequel, or sidebar, to that classic.

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The novel, however, has at its heart, as ever, quite a simple story, a wild romanticism about an unknowable woman. Back in the day, Guillam helped in the exfiltration of a compromised source from East Germany, a promiscuous beauty, code-named Tulip, real name Doris. Although Guillam only spent one brief night with her, and says he can practically count the number of words they ever exchanged (often best with le Carres women), it was the great, determining event of his life.

His interrogators rudely ask: Between men. Did you or did you not fuck Tulip? Guillam categorically denies it to them  later revealing that his reasoning was rather a reversal of Bill Clintons when similarly put on the spot. Did I fuck her? No, I bloody well didnt. I made mute, frenzied love to her in pitch darkness for six life-altering hours, in an explosion of tension and lust between two bodies that had desired each other from birth and had only the night to live.

As if that were not showing enough enthusiasm, he also tells us she took me naked into her arms, welcomed me, absolved me, showed me; then formed herself around me until we were old friends, then careful lovers, and finally triumphant rebels, broken free of everything that presumed to control our two lives. Quite a result for a one-night stand.

And George, wheres George in all this? There are some lovely glimpses of Smiley in the past, conducting an interrogation, for example, a bit put out, a bit pained, as if life is one long discomfort for him and no one can make it tolerable except just possibly you.

But are we going to see him in the present? Throughout the book, thats a big tease. Wheres George?, everybody keeps asking, rather like Wheres Wally? Guillam wants to know most of all. Wheres Smiley? Why isnt he here instead of me? Shouldnt the organ-grinder, rather than the monkey, be answering the charge?

Artfully, le Carre keeps his trump card close to his chest until the very end and the slimmest of cameos. But Smiley still has his moral authority: We were not pitiless, Peter. We were never pitiless. We had the larger pity. Le Carre has not lost his touch either: such a gift.
C laire Tomalin is used to looking at other peoples lives, putting together a story and pondering its meaning: her biographies of famous writers, notably Pepys, Austen, Dickens and Hardy, are among the best of their kind. But how does a professional biographer deal with her own life? Can the same scrutiny she brings to other peoples triumphs and tragedies ever be applied to her own?

Theres plenty here to give a biographer pause. Her parents were both gifted, her mother a composition student at the Royal Academy of Music at a time when women were rare there; her French father was an ambitious scholar who began a thesis on D H Lawrence in the year the novelist died. But the marriage was brief and miserable, and their second child was conceived on a night when Emile had been feeling murderous intention towards his spouse, really wanting to push her off a clifftop. He told his daughter this when she was almost 60, an act of seemingly pointless aggression.

Tomalins schooldays in the Forties were happy, and Cambridge led to a first-class degree, but by then she had fallen in love with handsome and charming Nick Tomalin and they plunged into marriage almost immediately. These were the days when a couple of recent graduates working in journalism could buy a house in Greenwich and, soon after, a five-bedroom terrace in NW1. They were also the days when female job candidates in publishing were given marks out of 10 for looks. Tomalin got a seven, and the job.

She interspersed her editing work with having five children. One died in infancy and another was born with spina bifida, entailing constant care (her account of this sons life and character are consistently simple, touching and tender). Her marriage, meanwhile, turned out as rocky as her parents, with infidelities on both sides (but mostly Nicks) and a succession of separations.

The couple were tentatively back together when her husband went out to cover the Yom Kippur War for his newspaper in 1973 and was killed in an attack in the Golan Heights. Tomalins description of being told the news is brilliant: when three colleagues from The Times entered her room silently and sideways, keeping their backs to the wall, she knew immediately what they had come to say.

More remarkable still is the honesty with which she admits what also flashed through her mind. Concerned friends swooped to her aid, there was an outpouring of love and sympathy  but she was free. I grieved. But I also thought, NOW!

As literary editor of the New Statesman, and then of The Sunday Times, Tomalin became established at the centre of literary London, with many admirers and consolers. One was Martin Amis, her junior by almost 20 years, with whom she had an enlivening fling. Other lovers remain discretely unnamed, from which one guesses she liked them rather better.

Tomalins manners are refreshingly unmodern. She obviously got on terribly with Andrew Neil, editor of The Sunday Times when it moved to Wapping in 1986 (Tomalin declined to go and was sacked), but manages to spear him obliquely by calling him undoubtedly able.

Its not Tomalins professional life that impresses most in this book, though, but her survival through personal tragedy, or rather, her remarkable ability to articulate its bleakness.

More book reviews 1 /24 More book reviews Recovery by Russell Brand Will Russells brand of self-help prove quite so addictive? By Nicholas Lezard. Read review A Life in Questions by Jeremy Paxman Paxo refuses to answer all the really good questions, says David Sexton. Read review Politics: Between: The Extremes by Nick Clegg The basis of this book makes it impossible not to warm to Clegg, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review Serious Sweet by A L Kennedy Thank heavens for London in this tale of self-obsessed lovers. Read review The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth by Anna Keay Born a kings b****** and destined for a traitors death. Read review Man Up: Boys, Men and Breaking the Male Rules by Rebecca Asher Getting to the bottom of why boys will be boys. Read review The Course of Love by Alain de Botton A philosophical novel that does run smooth, says Johanna Thomas-Corr. Read review The Tree Climbers Guide: Adventures in the Urban Canopy by Jack Cooke How I gave this book a proper test and ended up with a broken ankle. Read review Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre Brontes classic tale in the imaginations of other writers, says Claire Harman. Read review Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran Caitlin comes clean about politics  the world according to our funniest feminist. By Rosamund Urwin. Read review Spark Joy An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying by Marie Kondo Theres no messing wih Marie, says Katie Law. Read review Cockfosters Stories by Helen Simpson After 50, a womans life gets better not worse. By Katie Law. Read review Stalins Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess by Andrew Lownie Joker in the spying pack. By Richard Bassett. Read review Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin The darkness that lies at the heart of the novel is offset by a lightness of touch, says Mark Sanderson. Read review Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello Elvis proves not quite so lyrical on the page, says Nick Curtis. Read review The Importance of Elsewhere: Philip Larkins Photographs by Richard Bradford His poetry paints better pictures than any camera, says David Sexton. Read review Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith Morality wins out over macabre murders, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review The Grownup by Gillian Flynn Calling all Flynnies: the con girl whos like gone girl. Read review

The account of her daughters suicide in 1980 is devastating in its simplicity, as is Tomalins free admission of how bewildered she still feels. Grief has to be set aside but it does not go away. It arrives each morning as you wake, lies in wait in the familiar routines of the day, takes you by surprise. She speaks from the heart, but retains a sort of privacy, and is all the more powerful for it.
L ike Tony Blair, Emmanuel Macron was an enthusiastic teenage actor and his recent career sometimes reads like a particularly improbable script for one of those political thrillers of which the French are fond. He was appointed a minister in his mid-thirties without ever having held elected office, formed a new movement  En Marche!  and then became, at the age of 39, the youngest ever President of France. The subsequent legislative elections gave him a commanding majority in the National Assembly.

Much of this, of course, was chance. Many of Macrons rivals and opponents have contrived to destroy themselves. All the same, leaders have to know how to use their luck. Macron took risks when others hesitated. He has been so successful that it is easy to forget the odds against which he gambled.

Just two years ago the king-makers of French politics considered themselves generous in discussing the prospect that Macron might become mayor of a large city. The most ambitious of his patrons thought he might have a shot at the presidency in 2022.

Where has this extraordinary figure come from? Adam Plowrights excellent book captures the strangeness of Macrons life. He was born in Amiens to a couple of doctors  his father is an expert on the physiology of sneezing in cats  but he left for Paris at the age of 16, at about the same time that he began an affair with his drama teacher, to whom he is now married. Since then, as a Socialist politician remarked, his career has depended largely on his capacity to seduce the old.

As a student he became close to the philosopher Paul Ricoeur (then in his eighties). Many of his prominent supporters now are in their seventies  a category, of course, that includes former soixante-huitards.

Macron has a well-developed killer instinct. He sacked the head of the French armed forces within weeks of coming to power. It seems unlikely that he admires Donald Trump, but he made a cold-blooded calculation about the advantages of flattering the American president.

Oddly, it is Macrons youth that underlies this world-weary cynicism. The cohort of democratic leaders who preceded him came of age in the belle epoque that lay between Mikhail Gorbachevs accession in the USSR and the financial crisis of 2008. They have struggled to adjust to a world in which optimism no longer seems plausible. Macron, by contrast, started work in an investment bank (disarmingly he described his job as that of a prostitute) 10 days after the fall of Lehman Brothers.

The drama of Macrons personal story should not make us forget his broader political significance. He is neither a neo-liberal nor a technocrat  the terms with which his critics most often condemn him. His support for the free market is matched by a willingness to countenance dramatic displays of state power when he thinks it useful, and he understands that politics needs an emotional dimension that goes beyond the spreadsheets  on the night of his election, he strode alone across the courtyard of the Louvre to the sound of Beethovens Ode to Joy.

His lack of an established political base is also a novelty and, in some ways, an advantage  unlike almost every other politician in Europe he can think about what he ought to do rather than about the amount of applause he is going to get at the party conference.

More book reviews 1 /24 More book reviews Recovery by Russell Brand Will Russells brand of self-help prove quite so addictive? By Nicholas Lezard. Read review A Life in Questions by Jeremy Paxman Paxo refuses to answer all the really good questions, says David Sexton. Read review Politics: Between: The Extremes by Nick Clegg The basis of this book makes it impossible not to warm to Clegg, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review Serious Sweet by A L Kennedy Thank heavens for London in this tale of self-obsessed lovers. Read review The Last Royal Rebel: The Life and Death of James, Duke of Monmouth by Anna Keay Born a kings b****** and destined for a traitors death. Read review Man Up: Boys, Men and Breaking the Male Rules by Rebecca Asher Getting to the bottom of why boys will be boys. Read review The Course of Love by Alain de Botton A philosophical novel that does run smooth, says Johanna Thomas-Corr. Read review The Tree Climbers Guide: Adventures in the Urban Canopy by Jack Cooke How I gave this book a proper test and ended up with a broken ankle. Read review Reader, I Married Him: Stories Inspired by Jane Eyre Brontes classic tale in the imaginations of other writers, says Claire Harman. Read review Moranifesto by Caitlin Moran Caitlin comes clean about politics  the world according to our funniest feminist. By Rosamund Urwin. Read review Spark Joy An Illustrated Guide to the Japanese Art of Tidying by Marie Kondo Theres no messing wih Marie, says Katie Law. Read review Cockfosters Stories by Helen Simpson After 50, a womans life gets better not worse. By Katie Law. Read review Stalins Englishman: The Lives of Guy Burgess by Andrew Lownie Joker in the spying pack. By Richard Bassett. Read review Even Dogs in the Wild by Ian Rankin The darkness that lies at the heart of the novel is offset by a lightness of touch, says Mark Sanderson. Read review Unfaithful Music & Disappearing Ink by Elvis Costello Elvis proves not quite so lyrical on the page, says Nick Curtis. Read review The Importance of Elsewhere: Philip Larkins Photographs by Richard Bradford His poetry paints better pictures than any camera, says David Sexton. Read review Career of Evil by Robert Galbraith Morality wins out over macabre murders, says Melanie McDonagh. Read review The Grownup by Gillian Flynn Calling all Flynnies: the con girl whos like gone girl. Read review

Of course, it could all still go wrong. Macrons poll ratings have already declined and it may be that the very hopes that he has aroused will mean that voters will express their disappointment all the more bitterly at the next election  possibly to the advantage of the Front National. But what if his plans work? Macron has an acute sense of history. He must have realised that, if he survives, he will have served two full five-year presidential terms by the time he is 50  the age of Charles de Gaulle in 1940. Perhaps this partly accounts for Macrons enthusiasm for the European Union. Has he already sensed that, one day, he will need a bigger stage than can be provided by national politics?
N atalia Vodianova has the accent of a seductive James Bond villainess: husky and indeterminate, her native Russian laced with Parisian fricatives. Shes probably a good deal tougher than Bond though, despite her bone-snapping appearance. She has a focused determination that seems uniquely Russian: unrelenting and hard. Whereas the cliche once belonged to gymnasts and piano players, Russia now seems to export these gritty female entrepreneurs whose work ethic makes us all look idle.

Last time I met her she was eight months pregnant and wearing a sweatshirt over a bump the size of a bum bag. Two babies in the intervening three years and I detect a little concealer around the eyes, maybe a shallow frown line. At 35 shes a mother of five (five!). Is she done? For a while, she smiles. I need to just make sure I do well with everything else I have on, which is a lot.

Yes, well she certainly packs it in. Theres the modelling from which she made her name, a 20m career trimmed to an efficient 20 days a year. Then there is her Naked Heart Foundation, which has raised 30m since 2004 for children with disabilities. Four years ago she launched Elbi, an app which allows people to micro donate by pressing a love button. She calls it a philanthropy collective, happily reclaiming a word once soaked in communist propaganda.

Its a very Russian idea, she continues. You dont have 100 roubles but you have a hundred friends. Its the alternative to billionaires who donate to certain causes and who choose where this money should go. Its about collective power.

Caroline Weinberg, Natalia Vodianova, Cara Delevingne and Doutzen Kroes / Dave Benett/Getty Images for Por

Its tempting  oh, so tempting  to see her as another rich celebrity patronising the poor and relieving their consciences with good works. After all, she was married aged 19 to the aristocrat Justin Portman, 13 years older, whose family coffers pulsate with revenue from the large chunk of central London they own. Now she lives with the father of her two youngest children, Antoine Arnault, the son of Bernard Arnault, the owner of LVMH, worth 43.5bn and ranked the eighth richest person in the world. Arguably she has a Marie Antoinette existence in central Paris with a view of the Eiffel Tower from her apartment  Cest genial!  and any material thing her fluttering heart desires.

But that is to oversimplify. Hers is a rags-to-riches story: a childhood below the poverty line in Nizhny Novgorod, a bleak and grim industrial city in western Russia. She and her mother, Larissa, were abandoned first by her father, then her stepfather after her half-sister Oksana was born with autism and cerebral palsy. Sometimes a sachet of dried soup was all she ate in a day. By 11 she was selling fruit by the side of the road. Cold, hunger, survival  these were not alien or romanticised concepts. The mark of poverty is still on her, she says, most explicitly in her understanding of the shame that surrounds it. When I ask if she can see it in others, she surprises me: she starts to cry. It touches something visceral.

Its a very emotional question. For those simple families who nobody cares about, really living with that stigma [for example] of disability, then even if I give them money, its not enough. The best thing I can do is spend time with them listening and to share my story. And, yes, we cry a lot. Usually.

Vodianova with her childrens furniture range for made.com

She says shared traumatic experiences  whether it is living in poverty, with someone disabled, or losing someone to cancer  transcends friendship, nationality, blood or any other bond. In an ideal world, she says, we would draw on our experiences to comfort one another more often. We have blind corners in our lives; we may have next door someone who we could understand.

Im sure psychologists could find an unconscious link between the hardship of childhood and her attraction to extremely rich men, but one driving ambition has been to improve her mothers life.

And I have succeeded. My mother has a little business and is independent. She can buy me presents that I did not pay for. She says Larissa instilled in her two things: self-reliance and a steely drive. (I tell myself this is the heritage I am leaving my children: a work ethic.)

My mother was in a desperate situation, working four jobs, raising kids alone. From a young age she taught me: Only rely on yourself. You have to be strong. No one will do anything for you; you have to do it for yourself.

And she lived it. I had this idea that the government is a faraway thing that does not affect me, touch me or help me.

With, from left, Oksana, Kristina and their mother, Larissa

Of course, her children are growing up in a different universe, with easy proximity to the French government. Vodianova has met Emmanuel Macron, and Macrons wife, Brigitte, is friends with Antoines sister, Delphine. (I make a terrible faux pas by asking if Delphine helps Brigitte with her wardrobe  Ha! Delphine is a businesswoman, not a stylist. How funny that you thought she was a stylist. I must tell her.)

We sidetrack to discuss the age difference between the President and his wife  its 25 years  and Vodianova gives me a Gallic shrug and says this is not unusual in Paris. I often see it where you have this incredibly handsome young guy with this beautiful older woman  and obviously much older. Its quite common. If he wasnt the President, no one would blink.

We are sitting in the showroom of Made.com on Rue Etienne Marcel surveying yet another of her projects combining tech and fundraising: a childrens furniture range she has designed for the online company co-founded by her buddy Brent Hoberman of lastminute.com fame. A bedroom scene  bed, wardrobe, bookshelves decorated with matryoshkas  has been set up in a little tableau vivant beside us in. Vodianova tells me she met Hoberman through Founders Forum and he insisted she get involved, which wasnt a chore as she loves tech (Its where everything is going). Most importantly, all proceeds go to Naked Heart.

The Naked Heart Foundation Fund Fair

She takes me through the detail  the pull holes for drawers to stop little fingers getting trapped: This is a phobia for me because when I was five someone closed the door on my finger. I still remember the pain.

So what was her own bedroom like growing up? I didnt have a bedroom, she says. Every single one of her children  Lucas, 16; Neva, 11; Viktor, 10, with Portman; Maxim, three; and Roman, one, with Arnault  have just done a publicity shoot here and loved it, she says.

She softens when she is talking about her kids, flipping one thigh-high boot over the other, her rod-straight back dissolving a little. They were all breast-fed, which is very, very tiring. None of my children slept, so for the last 15 years Ive been up every night twice at least. The baby is my bonus for all the hard work Ive done: hes a saint.

Mario Testino, Natalia Vodianova, Patrick Demarchelier and Anna Wintour / Getty Images

She has help  Of course, or I wouldnt be here  and keeps tabs on each of them by carving out one-on-one time. I have moments where I feel Im losing control of one  thats motherhood. Naturally babies get priority, but then its about working out which child needs extra time.

They dont complain, although recently she overheard the youngest of the Portman brood saying to the eldest: Yes, but you had mummy to yourself for four years. The three eldest moved to Paris from a rural Mill House in West Sussex in 2012. It was exciting and scary. They were very courageous. Of course, they left friends behind and I do sense that they miss the pleasures of the countryside because they dont have this in Paris. But theyve settled well. And now they speak another language.

Are they very Parisian now? She smirks. No, they are still very English. In fact, Paris was the first European city the 17-year-old Vodianova experienced on arriving from Russia as a fledgling model. I spent one year here as a girl with no money, going on the Metro, really discovering the city. And its probably the city I know the most out of my home town.

Natalia Vodianova and Justin Portman / WireImage

At 18 she moved to New York where she threw herself into her work. And it was there she met the sybaritic Portman, an artist and Prince Charming with a taste for models (more recently he was dating the Ukrainian Anna Shut, 23).

Vodianova could have lived happily ever after if her happily ever had been going to parties, looking pretty and staying up late. She once said that the biggest differences between England and France is royalty versus republican and my marriages reflect that. My first husband was a member of the aristocracy, did not work but was a walking encyclopedia. My second husband is a workaholic.

I ask her to elaborate. I am a workaholic as well, she says brightly. Thats why it didnt work with my ex-husband. We loved each other but we separated like water and oil because we were just very she searches for the elusive word. Our everyday lives were different. Our rhythm of life was different. In the past she has described Portmans parenting as hands-off. With Antoine we love to get up in the morning, be with the children then go to work.

The British aristocracy, she says, was another world, not necessarily welcoming to outsiders. Its a beautiful world, yes. But if you havent been born into it, it can be difficult to be part of. I was born into a working-class family. And then when things became really desperate I had to work. I was very young.

Vodianova with her children

By 19 she was married to Portman and had her first child. Not that it slowed her down. She stepped back on to the runway 10 days after giving birth and did 40 shows that season. He had all this free time to follow me and our baby around in my crazy career. At the time I thought I knew everything. I thought that it didnt matter that we were so different because we had complicity elsewhere. In emotional ways we were very supportive of each other.

On returning to England they bought their rambling country house from Evelyn de Rothschild and filled it with children and animals. But the glue of their relationship began to come apart. Vodianovas patience with Portmans partying wore thin.

She met Arnault in 2008 shooting for Louis Vuitton although she doesnt remember it. They met again in 2011 and after two dates she was smitten. Moving her three children to Paris wasnt difficult as Portman spends so much time wrapped in a sarong in a sprawling estate in Uruguay. But shortly after they separated Portman wrote a post on Facebook saying that his life was not in synchronicity with her fashion life. He claims she was embarrassed of him, treated him like an old Louis Vuitton handbag and that after a stint in rehab he said she didnt receive him home with any warmth.

Fashion for Relief with Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Naomi Campbell

She describes the 40-year-old Arnault  the chief executive of Berluti and the chairman of the Italian cashmere company Loro Piana  as always happy to go to work: very driven and very hardworking.

For me work is my life. I guess in that sense we are very well balanced. He inspires me and I think I inspire him because of the same energy I give, but to philanthropy.

He is actually an incredibly compassionate person, she adds. But like any man his view is, Make your own money first, secure your career, your wellbeing, the wellbeing of your family and then you think of everything else. She says she feels guilty about working so hard especially when in principle I dont have to work any more. She says she compensates by having no time to herself  and anyway even when she tries she feels guilty. Last night, she says, she tried to enhance her evening beauty routine by five minutes.

NataliaVodianovaand Antoine Arnaultattend the "The Art of Giving" Love Ball Naked Heart Foundation / WireImage

I swear to God I am standing there doing this last night, thinking, Agh, my husband is already in bed. I could be cuddling with him. Or I could be like chatting with my kids. I tell myself, Shut up  stop it. Youre crazy.

But I cant help it.

To see the full Matryoshka childrens furniture collection designed in collaboration with Natalia Vodianova, go to made.com
A fter devoting his 30s to building a career in advertising and marketing, Luke Hope says his colleagues thought he was bonkers to give it up. Now aged 44 and running a successful wooden spoon-carving business in north London, he says that bemusement has turned to jealousy.

In contrast to years of meetings and computer work, Im now doing something tangible, says Hope.

Running my site, Hope in the Woods, is still taxing and Ive taken a pay cut but I wake up excited. Im a thousand times happier.

Hope is part of a major cultural shift. High-achievers across London are giving up jobs with six-figure salaries to work with wood. The richer ones are even growing trees. A former director at Citigroup, for example, now buys and sells logs from the sizeable wood he has planted and carves picture frames.

Catherine Milner, curator at Messums gallery and arts centre, which currently has an exhibition of design works in wood, identifies a trend among alpha City men turning to working with wood as a means of rediscovering what makes life worthwhile for them.

After 20-30 years of people doing sedentary jobs in front of computers theres satisfaction in creating something with your hands. That elemental desire is innate in most humans, and its not being met by the way in which we live. Even as little bits in tables and chairs wood is reassuring in times of great flux, as we are going through now.

The best books on happiness- in pictures 1 /9 The best books on happiness- in pictures Boost the happiness in your life with a little help from one of these books... Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert Its probably fair to say that we all make certain choices without thinking too much about the consequences , whether thats to overeat, over drink or over spend- even though we know well regret it later. Psychologist Daniel Gilbert looks into the neuroscience behind this as well as why most of us have no idea how to make ourselves happy. Exploring our inability to really see what will and will not bring us a brighter future, Gilberts dry wit makes this a great read. We confidently predict that reading it will lift your mood. 10, Amazon, Buy it now -A Guide to Developing Lifes Most Important Skill by Matthieu Ricard Why is it that even when we are living a life that, once upon a time, we could only dream of do we still often feel unfulfilled? In this refreshing book, scientist- turned- Buddhist monk Ricard talks about the art of creating happiness out of what we have now, rather than things we think will transform our lives in the future. Filled with practical exercises and free of superfluous jargon, Ricards own happiness emanates from the language, making the reader believe that it really is possible to create a happier life. 10, Amazon, Buy it now Happy by Fearne Cotton Theres something reassuring about reading a book thats not been written by an expert- in Fearne Cottons hotly anticipated Happy you get the sense that youre chatting with a friend. Bringing to light her own struggles with mental health issues, Cotton shares some easy-to-follow, everyday exercises and anecdotes that have helped her get through tough times. Not to be dismissed as merely another celebrity memoir, it brings together the common challenges faced that can impede upon everyday happiness, rather than thinking of happiness in a grandiose or abstract way. This is a great one to dip in and out of. 7, Amazon, Buy it now Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin In this hilarious mixture of anecdotes and research-backed advice, Rubin addresses the inherently human behaviour of making and breaking habits. From diets to practicing an instrument every day, we are always trying to start or stop a habit. But why is it that even when its something we love, or something we know is really bad for us, cant make the habit stick? Rubin answers questions such as this in a bit to help us lead our best lives. Of course, the best part of any self-help book is when you get to look at yourself- this book provides ample opportunity for that in the form of personality quizzes and practical guides to help you better understand your own behaviour. 6.30, Amazon, Buy it now The Book of Joy by the Dalai Lama & Desmond Tutu Youd think that years of hardship and oppression would make you miserable, but for Nobel Peace Prize laureates Desmond Tutu and the Dalai Lama, this simply isnt the case. In this collaboration, two of the worlds most joyful global figures reflect upon their own lives and try to answer the question that burns all of us: how can humans find happiness in the face of suffering? 9, Amazon,Buy it now Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes What if you said yes to every opportunity that came your way for a whole year? Well thats exactly what Shonda Rhimes did to hilarious and often poignant effect. Written by the creator of Greys Anatomy and Scandal, it offers insight into how accepting opportunity- even if you dont initially want to- can transform your life. 9, Amazon,Buy it now

Matthew Law, aid exec turned boat-builder, says: You are able to see results, which after working with NGOs was a contrast. In previous jobs I had anxiety about budgets or deadlines or staff. Here the challenges are technical.

Law ran large-scale humanitarian assistance projects for the UN in East Africa, accompanying Audrey Hepburn on her last tour for Unicef (she was cool, with this magnetic personality and an amazing grasp of issues). Like Hope, he cant imagine returning to office life: Working with wood is absorbing and therapeutic.

Law also teaches boat-building and meets a lot of high-achievers in their late 30s wanting to escape. There are TV execs, engineers and younger people doing it instead of university.

The effects of the financial crisis are still being felt, with graduates 40 per cent less likely to choose a career in banking than they were before 2008.

Messums runs regular courses in a 13th-century wooden barn, where execs decompress by making boats, spoons and chairs. At the moment they are also getting inspiration from pieces by Thomas Heatherwick at the gallerys wood exhibition.

Unless you are Heatherwick, woodwork is rather less well paid than city jobs, but nevertheless still in demand. Theres a skills shortage, so craftsmen are hot property. Milner says: Screen culture is all well and good but it is not going to provide all young people with jobs necessarily. Woodwork isdemocratic, anyone can take it up. Even a jaded City veteran.

There are women woodworkers, too, but Milner says it has particular appeal formen. Women have a gearchange built into their life when they have children. Men dont. They have to find a way to survive without burning out.

The best books to help you succeed - in pictures 1 /9 The best books to help you succeed - in pictures Get ahead with these career boosting books TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking by Chris Anderson Whether youre delivering a presentation to your boss or addressing a room full of people, learning how to speak well publicly is trickier than you think. Written by Chis Anderson  the head of TED and therefore the master of public speaking  this guide is filled will all the tips you need to deliver a great talk. From controlling your nerves and avoiding those vocal ticks to planning and delivering your piece, this book will teach you to master one of the most necessary skills for getting ahead at work. 12.99, Amazon, Buy it now Lean In by Sheryl Sandberg As the COO of Facebook and Mark Zuckerbergs second-in-command, Sheryl Sandberg is one of the most successful business women in the world. In this seminal bestseller, she addresses the reasons why many women have struggled to get ahead at work, despite their capability. The idea that women need to lean in and speak up more at work is not only the title of the book, but has become a bastion of the equality argument. This isnt just a great read for ambitious women; men can learn a lot about being inclusive in the workplace too. 6.29, Amazon, Buy it now Designing Your Life by Bill Burnett & Dave Evans One of the hardest things to master is a good balance between your working and personal life. With reports that only 30 per cent of works actually take a proper lunch break, its easy to see how the pressures of that never ending to-do list can slip out of whack. This book teaches you how to design a way of thinking that will help you build the life you want. Focused on building a life that is fulfilled and joyful, rather than just successful, it will help you look at some of lifes troubles and biggest questions from a fresh perspective. 6.29, Amazon, Buy it now What Colour Is Your Parachute? by Richard N. Bolles When we first start applying for jobs, we often have no idea how to navigate the market and make ourselves stand out. School or university can often feel like a bubble that doesnt equip us for the practicalities of the real world and we end up feeling like were stumbling around in the dark. Bolles book touches on every aspect of getting a job, from creating a great CV and cover letter to navigating interviews and finding a job you love. This is a great read for graduates looking for practical guidance. 15.99, Amazon, Buy it now How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie In the age of social media, having the ability to network and get on with people is more valuavle than ever before. Although written 80 years ago, this book remains as relevant today as it did in the 1930s. Cited by many of the most successful people in the world as a source of inspiration, this is the ultimate tome to help you improve your social skills. A master of self-improvement, Carnegie will teach you to perfect the art of communication and improve relationships in every area of your life. 6.29, Amazon,Buy it now Pivot by Jenny Blake Changing careers can be a daunting but rewarding thing. In this practical, how-to guide, Jenny Blake - the creator of Googles Career Guru Programme  breaks down the steps of turning your dream into a reality in four simple stages. For those overwhelmed by the seemingly mammoth task of changing careers, Blake offers a helpful hand and allows you to clearly see before you the path to doing it successfully. 13.48, Amazon,Buy it now

For Hope it was a chance to go back to something hed enjoyed at school but not had a chance to pursue because I was pulled into looking for a job that would make money.

Eventually I had to leave it because I was in the grips of a smouldering midlife crisis.

Hope would like to think his career change will change the way his sons think of jobs. Whats incredibly important is that theyve seen the happiness working with wood has brought me. Success should not be measured by material wealth.

Others are actually buying woods. Milner says: Bankers are buying up farms and planting trees. These bankers may be powerful in the financial world but they dont know about coppicing, for instance, or how to grow trees. They are turning into the new custodians of the countryside, and enjoying it.

Some are holiday woodworkers, like Merrick Howes, a hedge-fund manager who flies over from Sydney to take part in Messums workshops.

Milner explains: These people are doers. It wouldnt be a holiday for them just sitting on a beach  they are action men who need to keep busy, and so making things is the perfect mindful activity. Hope sums it up:

Working with wood gives a new sense of great satisfaction.

messumswiltshire.com
B rits are spending more money on friends wedding celebrations than ever before, with the average hen and stag dos now costing 350 per person on average, nearly four times more than ten years ago.

As more bride and grooms choose to spend their last days of singledom in the sunshine, friends are expected to shell out for a full-blown holiday, not just a one-off party.

The rise in hen and stag dos held abroad explains the massive increase in cost for attendees, who are paying on average 260 more than they did ten years ago to celebrate other peoples weddings. A decade ago, guests paid 90 each on average.

The findings come from money-saving website Voucher Codes Pro, which asked over 2,000 UK adults how much cash they splashed on hen and stag parties.

Majorca is now the most popular destination for a pre-wedding holiday / Getty Images

When asked what the most expensive element of the event was, the majority of participants said it was accommodation (54 per cent), followed by travel (17 per cent).

The top 25 cheapest city breaks in Europe 1 /33 The top 25 cheapest city breaks in Europe Bratislava, Slovakia Typical price per night: 36 Shutterstock Athens, Greece Typical price per night: 36 Milos Bicanski/Getty Images Vilnius, Lithuania Typical price per night: 35 Maciej Lulko/Flickr Istanbul, Turkey Typical price per night: 27 Chris McGrath/Getty Images Belgrade, Serbia Typical price per night: 27 Shutterstock Wrocaw, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Janek SkarzynskiFP/Getty Images Toulouse, France Typical price per night: 36.50 Rob DeGraff/Flickr Ljubljana, Slovenia Typical price per night: 36.50 Pedro Szekely/Flickr Thessaloniki, Greece Typical price per night: 28 Shutterstock Zadar, Croatia Typical price per night: 36.50 Min Zhou/Flickr Riga, Latvia Typical price per night: 36.50 AFP/Getty Images Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Gran Canaria Typical price per night: 33 Shutterstock Sofia, Bulgaria Typical price per night: 28 Dennis Jarvis/Flickr Tbilisi, Georgia Typical price per night: 24 Shutterstock Nantes, France Typical price per night: 38 AFP/Getty Images Palermo, Sicily Typical price per night: 36.50 Shutterstock Budapest, Hungary Typical price per night: 36 GLars Baron/Getty Images Catania, Sicily Typical price per night: 35 Carlos Bustamante Restrepo/Flickr Leipzig, Germany Typical price per night: 32.50 Shutterstock Krakow, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Jan Kucharzyk/Getty Images Zagreb, Croatia Typical price per night: 32 Shutterstock Saint Petersburg, Russia Typical price per night: 28.50 Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images Bucharest, Romania Typical price per night: 28 Shutterstock Warsaw, Poland Typical price per night: 32 Shutterstock Kiev, Ukraine Typical price per night: 28.50 Marco Verch/Flickr

Meanwhile, 61 per cent of people said they had gone abroad for a stag or hen do. Majorca appeared to be the most popular choice for the celebration, hosting 12 per cent of hen and stag dos abroad.

Unsurprisingly, Brits seemed to favour boozier destinations, with Benidorm the second most popular (10 per cent) followed by Amsterdam (eight per cent) and Dublin (six per cent).

Not everyone is willing to spend hundreds of pounds on someone elses party, though. The survey found more than half of stag and hen dos lost out on guests because they were too pricey.
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.
W hile President Trump cracks down on the children of undocumented migrants, wealthy Russians are using his properties to secure dual-citizenship for their babies.

The President's Florida properties are a Russian birth tourism hotspot, according to a Daily Beast investigation. Trump resorts are a popular choice for birth tourism companies, who offer luxury holidays to help expectant Russian parents secure dual Russian and American citizenship for their baby by giving birth in the US.

Russian birth tourism companies are offering Trump apartments as part of packages costing 57,000 ($75,000) plus, as well as medical care, the Daily Beast found.

Status-Med, a Miami birth tourism company, offers a Trump Royale penthouse apartment for 5,300 ($7,000) a month alongside full access to the Sunny Medical Centre, which organises both beach yoga, get-togethers and medical care for expectant mothers.

On its website it describes itself as "a multidisciplinary medical center in the heart of Sunny Isles Beach, a fashionable Miami district with a large Russian community."

Status Med owner Vera Muzyka said Trump properties are in high demand among her clients.

And also, the name Melania has become very popular, she told the Daily Beast.

Sunny Medical Center openly advertises citizenship as one of the primary benefits their clients receive. Muzyka told The Daily Beast that all the women using Sunny Medical Centers services openly tell U.S. officials that they are coming for birth tourism.

Theres even a hashtag for Miami birth tourism: expectant Russian mothers posting glamorous pool-side scenes on Instagram tag their photos with births in Miami in Russian.

Its not just new parents using the hashtag. Baby Boom USA, a birth tourism organisation offering support and assistance in obtaining documents, tags idyllic photographs of birthing experiences with births in Miami.

The Trump Organisation does not directly profit from birth tourism subleases of privately owned apartments, but 75m ($98m) worth of Trump's property is now owned by Russian investors.

Dual-citizenship gives children born in the US to foreign parents easier access to education and jobs in the country, as well as the opportunity to apply for green cards for the rest of their family when they turn 21.

In his presidential campaign, Trump argued that children born to undocumented parents, like those born through birth tourism, dont have a legal right to citizenship.

I dont think they have American citizenship and if you speak to some very, very good lawyersand I know some will disagree, but many of them agree with meand youre going to find they do not have American citizenship, Trump told Bill OReilly on Fox News. We have to start a process where we take back our country. Our country is going to hell.

The investigation comes as the Trump administration scraps the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) programme, which guards 800,000 young people, mostly from Latin America, against deportation, proving work and study permits.
I f youre still unsure about driverless cars  and there are plenty of people that are  get along to Somerset House tomorrow where a brilliant new London event will convince you that the revolution is just around the corner.

Bosch, which provides vital, high-value components to most of the motor industry and which develops much of the astonishing cutting-edge technology that big names fit in their cars, is holding a special open day.

Open to the public from 9am to 5pm, the German auto parts giant will be showing off some of its mind-bending tech and hosting talks by a range of top experts  all free of charge.

The aim of transforMOTION is to showcase mobility solutions that, it is believed, will solve congestion problems facing London and other major cities, against a backdrop of urban traffic set to triple by 2050.

That means electric, and autonomous travel: I recently had a preview when I visited the firms HQ at Boxberg, Southern Germany, and was impressed with what I saw; now some of it will be on show at Somerset House, where you can try it for yourself.

Highlights include a close-up of Boschs specially adapted Tesla, which can  on cue, following an instruction from the driver  take over completely, driving itself, seeing and interpreting the road ahead, allowing it to steer, accelerate, brake, and bring itself to a halt.

Peering slightly further into the future is the futuristic (but unimaginatively named) Bosch Connected Car, a visually impressive but static concept demonstrating how driverless will work in practice.

See the car take over as the driver and passenger seats slide back into relax mode and the steering wheel folds away, and how instead of buttons or switches youll simply gesture at sensors to conjure up films, TV or email  or even control the fridge, shutters, heating and so on at home. Clever stuff. It even uses facial recognition, instead of a key.

Also on hand will be the fashionable little 14,000 e.Go life electric car that goes on sale in London next year, the trendy 4,500 Schwalbe electric motorbike which will be on sale here soon, both jointly developed by Bosch, and Home Zone Park Assist  enabling complex, safe, autonomous parking manoeuvres.

The firm will also show off its city air quality and traffic management solutions and smart, autonomous passenger pods. Another must for Londoners is Boschs eBike  a fun, electric bicycle also featuring safe antilock braking (I tried it at speed on loose gravel at their testing ground and remained resolutely upright), and other glimpses of a clean, green future. Theres a chance to win an e-bike, too. Theres even an opportunity to build your own smart city with a computer simulation much like that of The SIMS video game.

In the Embankment galleries, you can discover how the sciences and arts are coming together to drive innovation with a ground-breaking technology showcase from the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Special guests from the worlds of science, technology, arts and engineering  including STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) ambassador Carol Vorderman, experimental architect Theo Spyropoulos, roboticist Hod Lipson and award-winning producer Sara Ellis, will deliver a series of engaging public lectures on everything from the Future City to Engineering the Brain and the Role of Robotics in Mobility.

More at somersethouse.org.uk
I t's easy to judge Jordan by the conflict in the countries around it, but a little-known fact is that it is one of the safest countries in the Middle East with relatively low crime rate. Since the Arab Spring, the government has increased police presence and installed metal detectors at hotels to reassure tourists. Remain vigilant, keep clear of restricted areas, and you'll have nothing to worry about.

Jordan is a small country with excellent roads, which makes driving relatively easy and pain-free. Public transport is good but less reliable so hire a car, book a taxi or take an air conditioned coach, all of which can be arranged by the hotel. Most key sites are easily accessible by road and are a short distance from each other. Regular flights also operate between Amman and Aqaba.

If you're planning on travelling around Jordan then invest in a 'Jordan Pass'. Introduced in 2015 to lure in the tourists, it costs 70 JOD and includes your visa fee (40JOD) plus entry to Petra (an eye-watering 50JOD) and 39 other attractions. Apply for this online before you arrive, its totally worth every penny as there is a lot to see.

From breathtaking views of Wadi Rum to taking a muddy dip in the Dead Sea, here are 10 reasons why Jordan should be your next holiday destination.

1. Sunset in Wadi Rum

Wadi Rum looks exactly as you see on screen in "The Martian" but better. Frequently referred to as one of the world's most beautiful stretches of desert, its dramatic sandstone mountains and red sand dunes are awe-inspiring, overwhelming and spiritual. Hire a Bedouin guide to show you around its several points of interest including The Seven Pillars of Wisdom" named after T.E Lawrence's book. End your adventures here by watching the sunset; it's an experience like no other. wadirum.jo

Radhika Aligh

2. Stargazing

Jordan's vast and diverse landscape provides a perfect backdrop for stargazing. Most camp sites in Wadi Rum and Dana Biosphere Reserve will make arrangements for you to enjoy the night sky. Find yourself a secluded spot and lie underneath the blanket of stars

3. The people

Radhika Aligh

Making friends in Jordan is surprisingly easy. They are one of the most hospitable, kind and generous people you will ever meet. Establish eye contact and the next thing you know, they are inviting you over for a cup of coffee. Accept the invitation as gracefully as it was offered and you won't regret it.



4. Petra by night

Established as the capital city of the Nabataeans in 312BC, Petra is known for its rock-cut architecture and water conduit system. In 2007 it was named as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Petra by day is certainly a spectacle not to be missed but by night, it's magical. The place that's bustling with tourists and traders feels eerily quiet at 8:30pm as a pathway created by candles guides you through the Siq to The Treasury, which is illuminated with coloured lights. It's the perfect way to end your time in Petra and reflect on its history. petrabynight.jo

Radhika Aligh

5. Hiking in Dana Biosphere Reserve

The largest nature reserve in Jordan is covered with carved limestone and sandstone cliffs. Its vast and varied landscape is home to some of the most rare plant and animal species. There are several guided tours that operate from Dana village, you could also hire a guide or explore the wilderness on your own.

6. Go green

Located within the Dana Bioshpere Reserve, Feynan Ecolodge is a solar-powered, candle-lit, eco-friendly accommodation with stunning views of the canyon. This Bedouin-inspired lodge is exactly what it says on the tin and that's what makes this stripped-down experience truly refreshing.

7. Float effortlessly in the Dead Sea

Radhika Aligh

Slather yourself with its mineral-laden black mud, let it dry and have a float. You can peddle all you like but the unusually high levels of salt in the water will keep you bobbling at the surface. Access to the Dead Sea is mostly through the many resorts that line it but head south of the lake to enjoy its turquoise waters and white salt formations.

8. Explore Amman

It's usually a pit stop for travellers heading to Petra but Amman has enough to keep you busy and fascinated in equal measures. With a perfect blend of ancient and modern, this vibrant metropolis has something for everyone. Atop Jabal Al Qala in the ancient city sits the Greco-Roman citadel and eighth-century Umayyad castle. Travel downhill and you're in the heart of the capital, Al-Balad or 'downtown'. Walk its narrow alleyways to enjoy the souks, mosques and various coffeehouses it has on offer.

9. Feast on Middle-Eastern delicacies

Food is central to Jordanian life and they pride themselves on their national dish: Mansaf - lamb cooked in a sauce of fermented dried yogurt called Jameed and served with rice. A close second - and my favourite - is Maqluba, which quite literally means upside down and can be cooked with either chicken or lamb. And because no meal can conclude without a dessert, get yourself a portion of Kanafeh - a cheese pastry soaked in a sweet, sugary syrup.

10. Jerash

Radhika Aligh

An hour away to the North of Amman lies Jerash - one of the best preserved Roman cities in the world. Be prepared to walk around this vast archaeological site to explore its impressive oval plaza, colonnaded street, near intact amphitheatres and Hadrian's Gate.

Details

Royal Jordanian operate direct flights to Amman from London Heathrow; rj.com

visitjordan.com

jordanpass.jo

romero-jordan.com/sufra.html

captains-jo.com
L os Angeles has no shortage of oft-filmed assets to recommend it. But theres one in particular that always gives it an edge over anywhere on our modest islands  the sun.

And as it keeps a rich melting pot of cultures bubbling up with surprises, the cosy climate also makes the regions golden beaches, breathtaking hills and sumptuous surf seriously tempting.

Can you take it all in during one trip from the UK? You better believe it

City meets coast

It shouldnt take too long to cross off those must-see entries on your itinerary: Chinese Theatre? Tick. Museum Row? Tick. A selfie with the Hollywood sign in the background? Rude not to. But whether youre a fan of culture, cuisine or sun loungers, theres a lot more to LA than the usual tourist destinations.

Go hiking to keep fit and see the sights / Alamy Stock Photo

In recent years hiking has become Angelenos favourite way of keeping fit and getting great views of their city into the bargain, so check out Runyon Canyon or the trail through Griffith Park to Mount Hollywood to get a birds eye view of this extraordinary city.

The best rooftop bars in LA 1 /8 The best rooftop bars in LA 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. 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. 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. 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. 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. 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.. 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. www.livehollywoodproper.com The Roof on Wilshire Want fries with your Cosmo? This bar-come-restaurant serves up classic American fare with poolside views 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. www.theroofonwilshire.com

If you prefer to stay closer to the urban buzz, the hip place to be right now is the regenerated Downtown area, where Broadways historic theatrical buildings such as the Bradbury (as seen in Blade Runner) have been restored to their former glory alongside dazzling new arrivals such as the Gehry-designed Walt Disney Concert Hall.

Head to Grand Central Market for foodie delights / Alamy Stock Photo

Foodies will have a field day here: Grand Central Market on South Broadway offers mouth-watering ethnic street food, while the Arts District has a thriving craft brewery scene and is home to Otium, Tim Hollingsworths internationally renowned eaterie. Then when the bustle of the city gets a little too much, you can catch the subway to the sea. A subway? In LA? Yes maam, and its just been extended. The new Metro Expo Line can whisk you from Downtown to Santa Monica in just 45 minutes.

Lifes a beach

LAs coastal suburbs offer the kind of sun-soaked California coastline you remember from the movies. No prizes for guessing what activity is most popular at Malibus Surfrider beach, but if you fancy a more traditional summer holiday stretch of sand, head to Santa Monica State Beach.

Head to the sun-soaked California coastline of the movies / Alamy Stock Photo

And after youve had your fill of swimming and sandcastles, Santa Monica Pier is a veritable party on stilts, full of funky food stalls and fairground rides.

Book your next trip to Los Angeles at ba.com/losangeles
A hotel receptionist who bludgeoned to death his one-year-old son in a horrific hammer attack is facing life behind bars today.

Bidhya Sagar Das, 33, inflicted devastating head injuries on baby Gabriel Bibekdas Sonu at the home he shared with his partner in Wilberforce Road, Finsbury Park.

Das, a night receptionist at the nearby Pembury Hotel, also left another child badly injured in the hammer attack, on March 18.

He went on the run and was captured by the Met Police after a 20-hour manhunt.

At the Old Bailey today, Das pleaded not guilty to murder but admitted manslaughter by diminished responsibility.

The incident happened in Wilberforce Road, north London / PA

He also pleaded guilty to the attempted murder of the second trial.

He initially denied attacking both children, but changed his pleas this afternoon after being assessed by psychiatrists.

"In light of the conclusions of the various psychiatrists, those pleas are acceptable to the Crown", said prosecutor William Emlyn Jones.

Das, who followed proceedings through a Bengali interpreter, expressed no emotion as he entered the guilty pleas.

Mr Justice Spencer adjourned sentencing until October 12 for further medical reports to be prepared.

He told the court Das will either be jailed for life or detained in a mental hospital indefinitely.

Das, of Wilberforce Road, was remanded in custody until sentencing.
T he mother of a 15-year-old boy who murdered a teenager leaving school has hit out at Brent council for failing to help her son for two years before the killing in January in Willesden.

The killer, who cannot be identified, stabbed 15-year-old Quamari Barnes three times in an ambush outside Capital City Academy. Quamaris mother told the Old Bailey the stabbing, sparked by a petty feud on Instagram, was an act of pure evil.

The killer was jailed indefinitely for murder yesterday and told he must serve at least 14 years behind bars. Today it emerged the killers mother had warned that her sons behaviour was spiralling out of control but claimed her pleas for help were ignored.

The court heard she first wrote to Brent council in 2015 saying please help me save my son, telling social workers he was on a downward spiral.

She said she alerted officials when her son was threatened with violence, and warned them that moving him into different care and foster homes around Britain was contributing to his decline.

The teenager was just 14 when he was killed

Kirsty Brimelow QC, defending, said the boy had thrown himself out of a window in Herefordshire and was found walking along a motorway trying to escape from a placement in the North-West.

She said the boy also suffered from racist abuse at another care home. His mother says she asked repeatedly for her son to receive anger management classes, but it was only after he murdered Quamari that he began to receive treatment, behind bars.

Since 2015 (he) and his mother have been requesting he has anger management, said Ms Brimelow. (He) considered he had issues with his temper, was worried about it and wanted help.

The local authority was asked for help for two years. If he had had it before January this year, who knows?

The boy confessed to the murder yesterday afternoon, in a letter written to the judge hours before he was sentenced. He said a feud began with the 365 gang after he was beaten up on January 14 and called a waste man on Instagram Live a few days later.

A friend gave him a knife and asked whether I was going to take the violation, the court heard.

The teenager said he woke frustrated and anxious on the day of the murder, and when he could not find his grandmother to calm him down he went to wait outside Quamaris school.

The boy said he was looking for one of Quamaris friends but decided to chase the victim when he spotted him singing as he left the school. Im really sorry for what I did, I dont know why I did it, I didnt mean to do it, he wrote.

Judge John Bevan QC decided to preserve the boys anonymity so he has a chance of rehabilitation, and noted that the anger management intervention had come too late. Brent council said: An independent multi-agency review is now taking place. The council, along with other agencies involved, will be participating fully to help us agree how lessons can be learnt.
A secondary school has banned girls from wearing skirts and ordered them to wear trousers as part of a new gender-neutral dress code.

Pupils starting at the Priory school in Lewes, East Sussex, will be required to wear grey trousers rather than the usual grey skirt as part of its updated uniform policy.

Bosses at the comprehensive said they introduced the plans as it looks to combat the issue of inequality" at the school.

Headteacher Tony Smith said the school has a small but increasing number of transgender students and that numerous pupils had questioned the school's traditional policy.

Some parents have criticised the decision, while TV presenter Piers Morgan, who attended the schools sixth form, branded the move ridiculous.

The rule only applies to Year 7 pupils, but other students are welcome to switch as part of the new policy.

One parent, who did not want to be named, told the Mirror: My daughter and her friends are appalled by this.

"The school is creating a hostile environment for girls by treating their views with contempt: there was no consultation. It was just imposed by the head.

"The hypocrisy is what gets me the most.

Former pupil Mr Morgan told the Mail Online: It's disappointing to see one of my old schools getting sucked into this gender neutrality nonsense, which is being driven by a tiny minority of people.

Let boys be boys and girls be girls, and stop confusing them in this ridiculous way."

Headteacher Mr Smith said that while the move was largely brought in because of transgender pupils, there had also been complaints in the community about pupils indecently wearing the skirts.

He said: "Pupils have been saying why do boys have to wear ties and girls don't, and girls have different uniform to boys.

"So we decided to have the same uniform for everybody from Year 7.

"Another issue was that we have a small but increasing number of transgender students and therefore having the same uniform is important for them.

We know the current uniform is not necessarily worn as respectfully as it should be.
A London traffic warden dubbed the UKs laziest after being photographed taking a rest on the job several times said today that the criticism was unfair and insisted: I have a bad back.

The warden, who patrols the Pimlico area, has been pictured resting on a bus stop bench, sitting on a bike rack and leaning against a wall and lamp-post to read his handheld ticketing device.

He was also accused of spending almost two hours in Subway, in Upper Tachbrook Street, on two occasions, despite only being allowed one hour for lunch. It led The Sun to ask: Is this UKs laziest traffic warden?

Today the man said he has been to see a doctor several times about his back, which means he sometimes has to sit down.

'Bad back': the warden leans on a lamppost for support / Dan Charity/The Sun

The Westminster council employee, who did not wish to give his name, told the Standard: I have a back problem so I sometimes need to sit down.

I have a back problem where I get this big ball of pain and sometimes it goes down to my leg. I have been to the doctor several times. Its very unfair to say this [that Im lazy].

Pause: the warden in London today / David Churchill

The warden, who was reportedly seen entering Subway on Tuesday at 3.46pm and not leaving until 5.39pm, insisted he had spent only an hour in the shop. He was further seen yesterday going in at 11.34am and leaving at 12.07pm before returning at 2.54pm until 4.43pm, according to reports. He said: I didnt go in Subway for two hours... when I work I sit a little bit and then move on. I took my lunch and went straight out, this is not true.

I have medication and I need to eat everyday with it so I took my lunch [in Subway] but only for an hour. Responding to claims from locals that he was spotted using his phone on the job, he said: No, no, thats the device for issuing tickets. I finished issuing a ticket so thats why I am looking at the screen. Thats not my phone its a device we use for tickets.

After the pictures emerged, a source said: The guy walks around a bit checking cars but quickly needs a rest. Its all right for some. Westminster council last year made a UK-high of 55.9 million from parking fines. It said: Our marshals are given handheld devices that look similar to a phone. We can use the devices data to regularly monitor their performance. We take any complaints seriously and will fully investigate the matter.
L ondon is no longer the most expensive place in the UK to buy a pint after being overtaken by Surrey, a new study reveals.

Drinkers can expect to splash out 4.40 in the well-off county, 20p more than in the capital, according to the Good Pub Guide.

It was the first time in the guides history that the capital was not the most expensive place to drink beer.

Fiona Stapley, the Guide's editor, told the Guardian: Were not sure why this has happened, but Surrey is so affluent.

"It may be that we have quite a lot of little local pubs in the guide that are London locals and theyre not as expensive as some of the big pubs [in the capital] that young people go to.

Meanwhile the difference in the price of a pint of beer is now more than 1 across the country, with the cheapest pints at 3.31 in both Yorkshire and Herefordshire.

The average pint now costs 3.60, up by 13p on last year.

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Beer in pubs brewing their own brands was typically 3.09 a pint.

Other counties where beer is cheaper included Shropshire (3.33 a pint), Derbyshire (3.36), Cumbria (3.38) and Worcestershire (3.38), while drinkers will find their favourite brew more expensive in Sussex (3.82), Hertfordshire (3.81) and the Scottish Islands (3.80).

The Guide showed that increasing numbers of pubs are offering accommodation, food and outside catering services, taking business away from restaurants.

Some pubs have delis offering offering local produce and take-away meals, while others keep rooms free for book clubs, live music or conferences, said the Guide.

Ms Stapley added: "You name it and pubs have thought of it. It's this entrepreneurial spirit that will keep pubs alive and kicking for years to come, despite all the doom and gloom around."
A n electrical explosion sparked mass panic on London's busiest shopping street and left one man injured as shoppers "ran in horror" from the blast.

Smoke billowed over Oxford Street as terrified witnesses fled "screaming and crying from what police later described as a small power network explosion on Thursday evening.

One man suffered minor injuries when a box containing electric cables overloaded close to John Lewis flagship store, Scotland Yard said.

Labour member for Hornsey on Haringey Council, Adam Jogee was trying on a suit in the department store when shoppers began screaming and crying as staff members ordered people to hide.

Mass panic: Police and fire crews descended on Oxford Street / Twitter/ Jorge L

He told the Standard that his heart was in his mouth as he watched panicked customers rush into the changing rooms and run and down escalators.

Mr Jogee said: It was super scary. People were running and screaming and crying, and when you see that, you do assume the worst.

It was my reaction to get outside the shop and then when you realise what it is it seems a bit silly but it is a sign of the times when people hear a loud bang and see smoke billowing down Oxford they automatically assume its a bomb.

Blackened pavement: The site of the explosion / Twitter/Christopher Batts

Not to belittle these horrible atrocities were so many people have been killed but you do hear these stories of attacks in cinemas and shopping centres, when youre in a department store on Oxford Street and people are screaming and running down the escalators, you do panic.

Dramatic footage posted on social media showed concerned shoppers rush away from the scene while other images appeared to show a blackened pavement.

One restaurant worker said crowds ran past the window looking back in horror.

Met Police officers and crews from London Fire Brigade rushed to the retail hub, which attracts millions of tourists every week.

People were evacuated from nearby shops as a cordon was put in place around the explosion.

Police said the road was reopened shortly before 8.30pm.
B anks in London are no longer considering EU citizens a safe bet as uncertainty grows over their status post-Brexit, it was claimed today.

The London Assembly, which has investigated the rights of EU nationals, warned that some lenders had become nervous and were turning down customers for mortgages or loans.

In a letter to Sadiq Khan, they urged him to use his monthly meetings with Brexit Secretary David Davis to alert him to the risks of financial institutions refusing credit.

They cited experts who gave evidence to the Assemblys EU Exit Working Group who claimed some EU citizens were also struggling to access private rented housing and employment.

Some landlords, banks and employers have become nervous about the longer term status applicants from the EU, and no longer consider them a safe bet, the letter said.

The Assembly urged the Mayor to support citizens advice agencies to track cases of discrimination against EU citizens so they could build up a fuller picture.

Around one million EU nationals are living in London and the current network of law centres and citizens advice bureaux offering advice are stretched and lack specialist knowledge.

It comes after a leaked Home Office document yesterday suggested the Government plans to curb migration of EU nationals following Brexit.

Len Duvall, chair of the Assembly group, said: Some EU citizens have experienced difficulties in accessing private rented housing, banking and employment.

This is the kind of discrimination that stems from confusion  Im sure its not deliberate or malicious  but it needs to stop.
J eremy Corbyn faced growing calls today to ensure Sadiq Khan addresses delegates at Labours annual rally.

The Mayor of London is not scheduled to give a speech from the platform at the partys conference in Brighton this month.

But Labour MPs are urging Mr Corbyn to guarantee Mr Khan a high-profile slot.

Ealing Central and Acton MP Rupa Huq is hoping the conference organisers will find time for the Mayor to deliver a speech.

She said: If they were to neglect to ask the electorally most successful Labour politician along and his Manchester counterpart, Andy Burnham, Metro Mayor of Manchester, Im sure the people of those two great cities would find that a curious oversight.

Harrow West Labour MP Gareth Thomas added: I hope a solution can be found and that Sadiq, as Labours most powerful elected politician, can be heard by delegates, not least as its a particularly important time to make the case for more funding for public services in London and elsewhere.

Mr Khan, named yesterday as GQs politician of the year, angered some Corbyn supporters with his speech last year when he stressed the importance of Labour in power not just talking the talk, but walking the walk too. But Ilford North MP Wes Streeting, chairman of the London Group of Labour MPs, has warned that denying the London Mayor a speech this year would be a terrible snub.

Charlie Gray

Labour party chiefs are seeking to give delegates at conference a greater say in the proceedings and no final decision has yet been made on the line-up of speakers.

The main speakers are set to be Mr Corbyn, shadow chancellor John McDonnell, shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry, shadow home secretary Diane Abbott, and shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer  all of them London MPs.
J eremy Corbyn was hit by a Brexit revolt today over Labour voting against the Withdrawal Bill.

Brexit-supporting Labour MPs and some who represent constituencies where a majority voted Leave criticised party chiefs over the decision to oppose the legislation, which has been branded a power grab by ministers.

One Labour MP claimed as many as 50 backbenchers, many from the North and Midlands, could defy Mr Corbyn by abstaining rather than voting against the Bill. He said: The anger is this has been decided by the shadow cabinet and handed down from on high with no consultation with the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Among traditional Labour voters who voted for Brexit it will be seen as the party wanting to block Brexit.

Blackley and Broughton MP Graham Stringer, a former whip, told BBC radio it would be an absolute breach of trust to try to block the Bill next week.

Former minister Kate Hoey, MP for Vauxhall, told the BrexitCentral website: To vote against the Repeal Bill is to vote against the will of the British people. Labour cannot appear to be attempting to scupper Brexit.

Shadow Brexit secretary Sir Keir Starmer briefed Labour MPs yesterday on the partys stance but during heated exchanges is understood to have faced criticism from several MPs.

However, the Holborn and St Pancras MP defended imposing a three-line whip on MPs to vote against the Bill. He said: If this is passed in its current form, MPs are effectively relegating themselves to spectators as the baton is passed to the Government to do as it likes with Brexit.

He insisted Labour was not trying to block or delay the UKs departure from the European Union.
T heresa May was being forced into concessions over Brexit laws today as three more Tory MPs joined a chorus against a power grab by ministers.

And in another blow the EUs chief Brexit negotiator today accused Britain of backtracking on promises to pay a share of EU spending after Brexit.

The scale of the potential Commons revolt  with six MPs now voicing concern in public  means Mrs May has no choice but to offer concessions or risk losing her working majority of just 12, said MPs.

The Westminster rebellion gathered steam as senior European Union figures spoke out in an attempt to pressure the Prime Minister into paying a cash divorce bill to the EU.

EU negotiator Michel Barnier said too little progress had been made towards agreements on the EUs priorities, and rejected British attempts to move more quickly onto trade talks.

Former European Council president Herman van Rompuy / PA

Turning up the heat, he said alarm bells were ringing over the lack of progress. In a riposte to Brexit Secretary David Daviss call for more imagination by the EU side, Mr Barnier said: Creativity and flexibility cannot be at the expense of the integrity of the single market.

Former European Council president Herman van Rompuy warned that Mrs Mays hopes of trade talks before she agrees to pay up were in the neighbourhood of zero.

In Westminster, potential Tory rebels are unifying behind a plan for a cross-party committee of peers and MPs to consider every time a minister wishes to use so-called Henry VIII powers to make laws by decree.

Tory MP Bob Neill said he agreed with former Attorney General Dominic Grieves call for a challenge to such powers.

There should be a committee, appointed by Parliament and not by the Government whips, to decide whether statutory instruments are merely technical or whether they have wider implications, he said.

Backbencher Sarah Wollaston said: Parliamentary scrutiny of secondary legislation is woefully inadequate as it is little more than a rubber-stamping exercise. It is essential that Parliament genuinely takes back control of the power to scrutinise this.

Meanwhile, Mr van Rompuy dismissed Mrs Mays hopes of going over Mr Barniers head to appeal to the 27 EU leaders to start trade talks next month. The chances that we are ready in October are in the neighbourhood of zero, he told Radio 4s Today show.

He said the EU leaders will not change  the unity of the 27 is the most important thing.

In a speech in Brussels, Mr Barnier said: Theres a problem of confidence here. What I am worried about is the credibility of 28 states signing up to the EU budget. We need to be thinking of the future and working on a basis of confidence and trust. On the tricky Northern Ireland border issue, he said the EU will not allow Britain to use it as a test case for a future UK-EU border deal.

He dismissed Mrs Mays wish for a bespoke trade deal, saying: It will not be possible for a third country to combine the benefits of the Norwegian model with the low-level obligations of a simple Free-Trade Deal.

Separately, new documents revealed EC president Jean Claude Juncker voiced concern about the stability and accountability of Mr Davis and his mandate to conduct Brexit talks.

The minutes of a meeting in July recorded Mr Juncker saying the Brexit Secretarys apparent lack of involvement in talks risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations.

The president of the European Parliament, Antonio Tajani, urged leaders to delay a decision on trade talks to December.

But First Secretary of State Damian Green insisted: I think thats too pessimistic. Lets see what happens between now and October.

In the Commons today, the Government offered extra time for MPs to debate Brexit as part of the Withdrawal Bill timetable. Mr Davis told MPs that important progress had been made in talks.
M ore than a fifth of LGBT people have been victims of hate crime in the past year, new research has found.

Leading charity Stonewall found 21 per cent of the UKs LGBT population had experienced abuse such as insults, unwanted sexual contact and violence - compared to just 16 per cent in 2013.

The figure was almost double for transgender people alone, with 41 per cent of people experiencing hate crime in relation to their gender.

Despite the shocking rise, only 81 per cent of respondents to the survey who had been abused informed the police.

Stonewall's chief executive Ruth Hunt said: "While we have come so far in the past 25 years, it is clear that much must still be done before all LGBT people can feel safe, included and free to be themselves in Britain today.

"These findings warn against complacency, and stand as a call to action.

The survey of 5,000 members of the LGBT community in England, Scotland and Wales, carried out by YouGov, included case studies in which victims spoke of being attacked in numerous different environments, ranging from in bars to when trying to find a house.

The organisation has called for the Home Office to review hate crime laws to give them parity with those based on race and faith.

David Isaac, chairman of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, said: "All hate crime is abhorrent. LGBT people, like everyone else, have the right to live safely in the community.

Minister for countering extremism, Baroness Williams of Trafford, said: "All forms of hate crime are completely unacceptable and those who commit these awful crimes should be met with the full force of the law.

"We are clear there can be absolutely no excuse for targeting someone because of their gender identity or sexual orientation. We put victims at the heart of everything we do, which is why we work closely with partners to support victims of LGBT hate crime."
S adiq Khan does not allow his two teenage daughters to take mini cabs alone, the Mayor of London revealed.

Speaking to LBC Radio about sexual assaults in cabs across the capital, Mr Khan said his two daughters "haven't got an Uber app".

Figures released earlier this year showed an Uber driver in London is accused of sexually assaulting a customer once every 11 days.

Mr Khan told LBCs James OBrien: I dont generally talk about my family but I will in this case because its relevant, my two daughters, who are teenagers, havent got an Uber app.

Anybody who knows me or my wife knows we spend a lot of our time being a mini cab firm for our daughters.

He Mayor added: Our daughters arent allowed a cab. We pick them up or drop them off.

The Metropolitan Police received 32 reports of rape or sexual assault involving Uber drivers during a 12 month period, a Freedom of Information request submitted by the Sun newspaper found

The force accused Uber of failing to report serious crimes, including sexual assault, earlier this month.

Inspector Neil Billany, head of the Met's taxi and private hire unit, said he had significant concern that the firm seemed to be deciding what [crimes] to report.

Uber said the comments did not reflect its good working relationship with the police.

The company's licence to operate in London is up for renewal at the end of September.

Mr Khan told James OBrien he expects Transport for London to consider the allegations before renewing its licence.
A n Australian politician has told how she discovered her estranged husbands extensive collection of child pornography.

Rachel Carling-Jenkins, a member of Victorias state parliament, said the discovery of the deeply distressing images had turned her life upside down.

Her husband was jailed after Dr Carling-Jenkins and her son reported him to the police.

The conservative politician told a meeting of the Victoria upper house on Thursday that she did not reveal the matter to prevent interfering with court proceedings.

She said the faces of many of the children are etched into my memory for eternity, adding that they would not have been abused if people like my ex-husband did not provide a market."

"In this discovery, I personally viewed deeply distressing images which have caused me immediate and ongoing anguish," Dr Carling-Jenkins said.

"My marriage ended instantly and I left home the day I made that discovery and I have not returned to the family home since, except to pick up belongings."

Dr Carling-Jenkins said her husband had since refused to sign divorce papers, denied her a property settlement and access to assets.

She had never had any suspicions that her husband had a child pornography addiction.

The politician added: "The faces of many are etched into my memory for eternity and I pray that the police were able to identify and rescue as many of the poor, helpless, vulnerable victims as possible.

"These little girls would not be abused if people like my ex-husband did not provide a market."

Fellow MPs hugged her in the chamber following the delivery of her harrowing speech.
T he Queen has sent a heartfelt message to thousands of people whose lives have been devastated by Hurricane Irma as Britain rushed aid to the Caribbean.

At least 10 people have been killed in the wake of the raging storm, which wreaked havoc as it hit the islands on Wednesday morning.

Navy ship RFA Mounts Bay, with 40 marines on board, was sent to one of the worst-hit areas after ministers said the region needs extensive humanitarian assistance.

The Governments emergency Cobra committee is meeting to co-ordinate the response.

In a statement released by Buckingham Palace, the Queen said: Prince Philip and I have been shocked and saddened by the reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images

Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm.

Please convey my gratitude and good wishes to members of the emergency services and to those working on the rescue effort at this very difficult time for you all.

Devastation: A hotel destroyed by Irma / AFP/Getty Images

The island of Barbuda is said to be barely habitable. Officials say the French and Dutch island territories of St Martin/Sint Maarten have been devastated and the death toll is likely to rise. There has been no word from many islanders and tourists since the storm cut communications yesterday.

The area hit by the storm includes a number of British overseas territories, among them the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.

Thousands of British nationals and tourists are also believed to be on Anguilla, which was described as having suffered critical damage.

Asked if the Government was expecting British fatalities, Theresa Mays spokesman refused to speculate. He said: We are working urgently to assess the damage.

Devastation: the scene on the island of Sint Maarten / AFP/Getty Images

RFA Mounts Bay was sent to Anguilla to assess the situation. Today the Foreign Office was making 12 million available for the recovery effort.

There were fears for pregnant Briton Afiya Frank, 27, and sister Asha Frank, 29, who were in Barbuda but have not been heard from since Tuesday.

Their aunt, Ruth Bolton, told the BBC: They were going to turn the electricity off on the island as a safety measure and they had boarded up their homes.

The storm batters Sint Maarten (REUTERS) / Ministry of Defence via Reuters

There were also fears for London tourist Alex Woolfall, who was on St Martin. Yesterday he tweeted from his hotel: May be my last tweet as power out and noise now apocalyptic.

The storm, which has reached wind speeds of 180mph, was due to reach the British overseas territory of Turks and Caicos today. The Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and the Bahamas will also be hit.

Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said there have been no individual requests for consular assistance.

The National Hurricane Centre's guidance on when Irma will hit the Caribbean islands (National Hurricane Center ) / National Hurricane Center

But he added: We all have concern that beneath the rubble ... there will be cases that require our urgent personal response.

He said extensive humanitarian assistance is now needed for the British territories and that the UK is working with France and Holland.

Hurricane Irma Predicted Pathway

Responding to complaints in Anguilla that the UK Government had not done more in advance to help the island, Mrs Mays spokesperson said: You can see from our response we are working as quickly as we possibly can to get help and support and assess the scale of the damage. The Prime Ministers thoughts are obviously with everyone there and trying to deal with this.
H urricane Irma has caused widespread destruction as it flattens homes during its path through the Caribbean.

The category 5 storm, the largest ever to form in the Atlantic Ocean, devastated the tropical islands when it landed on Wednesday, with Barbuda left barely habitable by the destruction.

Having grown in strength over the last few days, Irma is continuing to hurl towards the US state of Florida while countries such as Haiti and Cuba are bracing for its impact.

A two-year-old child is among those killed in the storm, with the current death toll of 10 expected to rise in the coming days as it journeys across the islands.

A truck drives past fallen trees as Hurricane Irma hits Puerto Rico on Thursday / REUTERS

Hurricane Irma began to form in the Atlantic Ocean in late August, sparking warnings from the National Hurricane Centre (NHC) that the storm is heading straight for the Caribbean.

By Tuesday, due to favourable conditions in the Atlantic, the storm had rapidly intensified to become a Category 5 hurricane  the largest ever formed in the Atlantic.

It reached a peak intensity of 185mph as it began to bear down on the Caribbean.

On Wednesday, the storm caused widespread devastation across the small island of Barbuda as it made its first landfall, prompting Prime Minster Gaston Browne to say the island is barely habitable.

Hurricane Irma - In pictures 1 /153 Hurricane Irma - In pictures Boats wrecked by Hurricane Irma are seen from a plane in Sint Maarten, Netherlands Reuters A van remains in a sinkhole,at the Astor Park apartment complex in Winter Springs, Florida AP This combination of natural-color images provided by NASA Earth Observatory shows the U.S. and British Virgin Islands islands on 25 August 2017 (top) before the the passage of Hurricane Irma, and after the storm passed on 10 September 2017 (bottom) AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters Debris lies from a destroyed building in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Key Largo, Florida AP A house slides into the Atlantic Ocean in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida AP John Duke tries to figure out how to salvage his flooded vehicle in the wake Hurricane Irma AP Damaged houses are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Florida Keys AP Property damage is seen at a mobile home park after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Naples, Florida Reuters The Sunrise Motel remains flooded after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Debris from Hurricane Irma lays on the side of the Overseas Highway in Islamorda in the Florida Keys AP A mobile home, destroyed by Hurricane Irma, is seen in Naples, Florida Reuters A Florida Highway Patrol trooper inspects a closed segment of Interstate 4, near State Road 434 in Longwood AP Steve Slonan inspects a friend's home after Hurricane Irma hit the area in East Naples, Florida Getty Images Olga Teakell hugs her grandson Gabriel Melendez, 9, after he cut his finger on glass, while he and his bother Ellisha, 12, (left) help clean debris from Olga's destroyed home in the Naples Estates Mobile Home Park, Florida AP Damaged sail boats are shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma AP Two men walk their bicycle along a flooded street on the waterfront of Fort Lauderdale, Florida., as Hurricane Irma passes through AP Boats ride out the storm in a marina in Miami, Florida. Getty Images View of damages after the passage of Hurricane Irma, in Cojimar neighborhood in Havana AFP/Getty Images The epic scale of Hurricane Irma has been revealed in incredible satellite images sent from the International Space Station Nasa/Randy Bresnik Randy Bresnik/NASA A fallen tree crashes atop a row of cars in Miami, Florida AFP/Getty Images People waded through flood-hit streets in Cuba AP Sheryl and Rick Estes (R) take shelter from Hurricane Irma inside the Germain Arena in Estero, Florida. Reuters Cars that have been wrecked by Hurricane Irma on the British Virgin Islands. AP Debris litters the street after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People battle high winds and rain to take in the sights along the Miami River which is flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through on September 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida Getty Images A man swims on a flooded street in Havana, Cuba EPA Tourists lie on a beach, littered with palms, one day after Hurricane Irma passed the resort area in Varadero, Cuba AP A stranded manatee in Manatee County, Florida. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached AP A houses is surrounded by water as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Florida AP A defiant man braves the full force of Irma and takes a selfie as the storm strikes Miami, Florida EPA Flooding in the Brickell neighborhood as Hurricane Irma passes Miami, Florida Reuters A speed limit sign stands tilted and a power line that snapped it half lays on a building, after the passage of Hurricane Irma in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma in Florida AP Richard Branson posted this picture from Puerto Rico after revealing the devastation to Necker Island @richardbranson A woman walks her dog in the brisk wind downtown as the weather conditions deteriorate due to Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Satellite shows Hurricane Irma as it moves on the Florida coast as Tropical Storm Jose (right) moves west in the Atlantic Ocean taken at 06:30 GMT on 11 September 2017. As Irma heads up Florida's west coast its leaving hundreds of thousands of residents without power as more than 100,000 people have taken refuge in shelters and millions have evacuated the area Getty Images Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating before Hurricane Irma makes landfall AP Samantha Belk says goodbye to her maltese, Gardolf until after the hurricane in a locker room at John Hopkins Middle School in St. Petersburg, Florida AP Debris is piled up next to the houses on the seashore in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Heavy traffic traveling north bound on Interstate 75 moves slowly, as a major evacuation has begun in preparation for Hurricane Irma AP Soldiers board a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before they are flown to help out in the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA A woman takes a break from cleaning the debris in front of a house, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic Reuters Marie Charlotte walks through water near her house that was flooded in Malfeti, Fort Liberte, north east of Haiti AFP/Getty Images Customers buy supplies and wood to secure their property in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Miami AP Dfid aid is loaded onto a Royal Air Force C-17 Globemaster III aircraft at Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, before it is flown to the areas affected by Hurricane Irma as winds of up to 175mph left death and destruction in the Atlantic PA Damage outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach AP UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 Debris and trash is seen on a beach in Cap-Haitien as Hurricane Irma approaches. AFP/Getty Images Workers hang plywood in front of doors and windows at Mango's, a salsa club, following mandatory evacuation orders in Miami Beach, Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A nearly-deserted beach after residents and visitors evacuated from Miami Beach, Florid AFP/Getty Images A family readies to evacuate from a mobile home park in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami, Florida EPA Motorists remove debris caused by Hurricane Irma from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP A young man walks along the beach covered with debris carried by strong winds in Cap Haitian, Haiti EPA UK Armed Forces disaster relief operation in Anguilla MoD/Crown copyright 2017 the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten AP Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees AP Flooding caused by Hurricane Irma on Charlotte Amalie, in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Volaris Airlines ticket agent Cely Vasquez (left) attends to Mexico bound passengers at Miami International Airport AP Satellite image showing the eye of Hurricane Irma (centre) is just north of the island of Hispaniola with Hurricane Katia (left) in the Gulf of Mexico, and Hurricane Jose, (right) in the Atlantic Ocean AP sStellite image shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean AP Yanina Fernandez (left) and her sister Liz, wait for an available flight to Argentina after their flight was cancelled at Miami International Airport AP damage to a post office caused by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Aerial image of several damaged houses by Hurricane Irma in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Residents clear debris from the road in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands AP Cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Destroyed palm trees, outside the "Mercure" hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images A car turned onto its side in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Damage outside "Le flamboyant" hotel and resort in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Devastation in Philipsburg, Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Pleasure craft lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay, British Virgin Islands Reuters Satellite image shows Huricane Irma at 12:30 UK time. Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of St. Martin and Barbuda into mountains of rubble. One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, Irma churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida AFP/Getty Images A street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy in the Caribbean AFP/Getty Images Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Damage caused by hurricane Irma in Saint-Martin, Leeward Islands Rex Hurricane Irma evacuating traffic streaming out of Florida creeps along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia, USA epa Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News iew of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma slams Saint Martin Splash News Barbuda Members of the civil defence in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters A destroyed building in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Barbuda Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency check a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico AP Flooded houses in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images People pick up debris in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters Barbuda A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic Ocean on Wednesday. Jose strengthened into a category 1 hurricane, as Irma, a category 5 hurricane continues to move through the Caribbean, battering Barbuda, St. Martin and Puerto Rico EPA The destruction at Sir Richard Branson's island of Necker Sir Richard Branson Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images A woman pushes out floodwaters on her property in St John's AP Cars left flooded in Saint Martin Saint Martin is suffering catastrophic flooding Hurricane Irma hitting Saint Martin Some of the devastation left behind at Saint Martin Hurricane Irma hits Saint Martin Floodwaters run down a street in Saint Martin Carole Greaux Saint Martin Residents in St Petersburg, Florida, carry sandbags ahead of Hurricane Irma AP A satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 11AM UK time slamming into the French Caribbean islands. Countries can be seen outlined on the image AFP/Getty Images A view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Employees load plywood for customers in preparation for Hurricane Irma at Lowe's in Jacksonville, Florida AP Shoppers in Florida ransacked a supermarket as they prepared for Hurricane Irma Getty Images Shoppers at Costco waited up to eight hours for water and essentials in preparation for Hurricane Irma in North Miami AFP/Getty Images Policemen talk to customers at a Costco shop in North Miami as mineral water is sold out and people shop ahead of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Members of the Civil Defense prepare their gear ahead of Hurricane Irma, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic Reuters People put boards on their windows in Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images People load up their cars with sandbags in St Petersburg as the storm approaches AP A thermal image of Harricane Irma NOAA Satellite image shows Hurricane Irma at 10.45am UK time followed by Tropical Storm Jose AFP/Getty Images

Heres full path of Hurricane Irma so far and where the storm is expected to hit next:

Antigua and Barbuda, St Martin, St Barts, The British Virgin Islands and Anguilla - Wednesday, 8pm local time (Thursday, 1am BST)

The storm has already ravaged a series of small tropical islands in the eastern Caribbean, with Barbuda left in rubble with 90 per cent of its buildings destroyed.

A two-year-old child on the island became one of the first known casualties when he was killed as his family tried to escape the storm.

At least eight people are believed to have died when the hurricane struck St Martin.

The scale of destruction as the storm hit Barbuda

Puerto Rico  Wednesday, 11pm local time (Thursday, 4am BST)

The hurricane reached Puerto Rico shortly after devastating the eastern islands. The body of the hurricane is currently travelling at a speed of 17mph, but with gusts of wind exceeding 185mph.

More than 300,000 residents are already reportedly without power as high winds crippled the countrys infrastructure.

Officials have warned the blackouts could last months after the storm passes, while emergency measures have been put in place.

The hurricane warning has since been lifted after a state of emergency was originally declared.

Boats lie crammed against the shore in Paraquita Bay in the British Virgin Islands / REUTERS

Dominican Republic  Thursday, 8am local time (11am BST)

As of 5am local time on Thursday, Hurricane Irma was roughly 210 miles away from hitting the Dominican Republic.

On Tuesday the state activated the International Charter on Space and Major Disasters so that humanitarian aid could be acquired in preparation for the storm.

The NHC has issued warnings about possible storm surges raising water levels to between 15 and 20ft.

The National Hurricane Centre's guidance on when Irma will hit the Caribbean islands (National Hurricane Center ) / National Hurricane Center

Haiti  Thursday, 2pm local time (7pm BST)

Hurricane Irma is expected to hit the small island of Haiti some time on Thursday afternoon, though the complete path of the storm is still difficult to fully predict.

The NHC has warned storm surges in northern Haiti could cause flooding with water level rises of between 3 to 5ft.

In October 2016, when Hurricane Matthew struck the island hundreds of people were killed and areas of the country wholly destroyed.

As a Category 4 storm, Matthew was slightly weaker than the approaching Irma.

Cuba, Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas  Friday, 2am local time (7am BST)

The storm is expected to arrive at Cuba and the Bahamas sometime early on Friday morning, according to the NUC.

Towns on Cubas eastern tip are still recovering from the impact of Matthew a year ago and residents have begun taking shelter in preparation for the storm.

The storm is expected to career north towards the small islands of the Bahamas shortly after hitting Cuba.

ISS captures dramatic footage of Irma

Florida, United States  Saturday, 8am local time (1pm BST)

It is expected Hurricane Irma will finally hit Florida early at the weekend, though the speed and strength of the storm could change as it passes over the Caribbean.

A state of emergency has already been declared in Florida, while holidaymakers were also told to flee the tourist hotspot.

US President Trump approved a federal emergency declaration for Florida ahead of the storm, freeing up federal funds, while state Governor Rick Scott said the storm was likely to be extreme and life threatening.

Schools have already been closed and residents evacuated.
R epublican leaders were reportedly left visibly annoyed after the Presidents daughter interrupted a meeting with her father to say hello.

The senior politicians were discussing plans to raise to increase emergency relief for Hurricane Harvey when Ivanka Trump popped in.

The meeting reportedly careered of topic when Ms Trump came into the room near the end, aides briefed on the discussion told reporters.

White House journalists revealed Ms Trumps actions on Twitter:

But AshLee Strong, spokeswoman for the House Speaker Paul Ryan, reportedly refuted the claims, saying: Thats not true.

The First Daughters interlude happened shortly after President Trump had agreed to support a deal that would secure disaster relief funding and raise the debt ceiling, a senior Republican source told CNN.

Ms Trump faced ridicule yesterday when Donald Trump revealed to the nation that the 35-year-old first daughter still calls her father daddy.

Speaking at a tax reform event in North Dakota, Mr Trump shared an anecdote about how his daughter asked to accompany him to the state: She said, Dad, can I come with you. Actually she said Daddy, can I go with you?' I like that. I said, 'Yes, you can.'"
P olice officers joked they were left "completely terrified" as red balloons were tied to drains in a reference to Stephen King's horror novel 'It'.

The red balloon is used by Pennywise, the child-eating clown in the novel, to lure children down into the sewers. The movie version comes to cinemas tomorrow.

The Lititz Borough police department in Pennsylvania posted photos of the red balloons a on Facebook on Tuesday, speculating that a prankster had been tying them to the sewer gates.

The playful message requested respectfully that they dont do it again.

Pennywise the clown uses a red balloon to lure children into the sewers in Stephen King's novel "It"

More than 16,000 people shared the post, which concluded with the words Youll float too, the evil clowns ominous catchphrase which is never fully explained

"Lititz is now officially the creepiest little town in America," one person commented.

"I don't think we have an accurate balloon count, but it's definitely above 20," Sergeant Stephen Detz with the Lititz Borough Police Department told CBS News. "They pretty much hit the entire town and the area around the town."

Sergeant Detz said there are some "It" fans within the department, so when officers saw the balloons they immediately caught the reference.

In another Facebook post later that day, the police department joked that they had turned the investigation over to our Criminal Investigations Division.
S tar Wars director Rian Johnson has put an end to months of speculation to reveal the identity of the Last Jedi.

Fans have been questioning who exactly the title of the eighth film in the sci-fi franchise refers to, with many asking if it is Daisy Ridleys Rey or Mark Hamill's Luke Skywalker.

Johnson finally debunked the mystery, telling fans that the answer was in the opening crawl of The Force Awakens.

Speaking to New York Times he said: Skywalker, right now, is the last Jedi.

star wars the last jedi trailer

Theres always wiggle room in these movies  everything is from a certain point of view  but coming into our story, he is the actual last of the Jedi.

And hes removed himself and is alone on this island, for reasons unknown.

Addressing the voice in the latest trailer that declares its time for the Jedi to end, Johnson continued: Thats [Skywalker]. It sounds pretty dire. Thats something that were definitely going to dig into.

Star Wars - In pictures 1 /66 Star Wars - In pictures Daisy Ridley as Rey in 'StarWars: The Last Jedi' (2017) Harrison Ford as Han Solo in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) Darth Vader in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) Anthony Daniels pictured as C-3PO, Carrie Fisher as Leia, Jabba the Hutt with Michael Carter as Bib Fortuna in 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi (1983) Alec Guinness as Obi Wan Kenobi in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker and Alec Guinness as Obi Wan Kenobi in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) Guido with Harrison Forad as Han Solo in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) C-3PO and R2-D2 in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) Death Star in 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) 'Star Wars: A New Hope' (1977) Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker with Yoda in 'Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) Jason Wingreen voiced Boba Fett in 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' (1983) Erik Bauersfeld as Admiral Ackbar in 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' (1983) Harrison Ford as Han Solo, Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia and Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Return of the Jedi' (1983) REwan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi in 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' (1999) Jar Jar Binks in 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' (1999) Ray Park as Darth Maul in 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' (1999) Keira Knightley in 'Star Wars: The Phantom Menace' (1999) Ewan McGregor as Obi-Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' (2002) Natalie Portman as Senator Padme Amidala in 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' (2002) Samuel L Jackson as Mace Windu in 'Star Wars: Attack of the Clones' (2002) Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Yoda in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker transformes into Darth Vadar in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Ewan McGregor as Obi Wan Kenobi with Yoda in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Natalie Portman as Padme Amidala with Anthony Daniels as C-3PO in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Anthony Daniels as C-3PO, Natalie Portman as Padm Amidala and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker in 'Star Wars: Revenge Of The Sith' (2005) Daisy Ridley as Rey and John Boyega as Finn in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca and Harrison Ford as Han Solo in 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' (2015) Riz Ahmed, Diego Luna, Felicity Jones, Jiang Wen and Donnie Yen in 'Star Wars: Rogue One' (2016) Stormtroopers in 'Star Wars: Rogue One' (2016) Darh Vader in 'Star Wars: Rogue One' (2016) Cast members and co-directors of the Han Solo "Star Wars" spin-off pose for a photo, from bottom left, co-director Christopher Miller, Woody Harrelson, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Alden Ehrenreich, Emilia Clarke, Joonas Suotamo as Chewbacca, co-director Phil Lord and Donald Glover. The Walt Disney Co. announced on 21 February 2017, that shooting has begun at London's Pinewood Studios Baze Malbus as Jiang Wen in 'Star Wars: Rogue One' (2016) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker in 'Star Wars: The Last JedI' (2017) LucasFilm John Boyega as Finn battling Gwendoline Christie as Captain Phasma in 'Star Wars: The Last JedI' (2017) Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in 'Star Wars: The Last JedI' (2017) LucasFilm John Boyega as Finn in 'Star Wars: The Last JedI' (2017) Prince Harry meets Chewbacca during a visit to the Star Wars film set at Pinewood Studios near Iver Heath, west of London in 2016 Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images Prince William, Duke of Cambridge smiles at BB-8 droid during a tour of the Star Wars sets at Pinewood studios in Iver Heath, west of London Yoda goes on display at The STAR WARS Identities: The Exhibition at The O2 in London, which features over 200 props, models, costumes and artwork from the original films Micheal Clarke The STAR WARS Identities: The Exhibition opens at The O2 in London, featuring over 200 props, models, costumes and artwork from the original films Craig Gunn/PA A San Diego police officer takes a second look at an attendee's Star Wars Tusken Raider costume while patrolling the convention floor during opening day of Comic-Con International in San Diego, California Mike Blake/Reuters The Duke of Cambridge, Prince William tries a light sabre against his brother Prince Harry during a visit to the Star Wars film set at Pinewood Studios near Iver Heath, west of London Adrian Dennis/AFP/Getty Images John Boyega attends the World Premiere of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' in Hollywood Kevin Winter/Getty Images R2-D2 and C-3PO attend the World Premiere of 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' in Hollywood Jesse Grant/Getty George Lucas attends the Star Wars Celebration day on 13 April 2017 in Orlando, Florida Gustavo Caballero/Getty Images

The heart of the movie is Luke and Rey. It follows all the other characters, but its real essence is the development of the two of them.

And its absolutely tied up in that question of, What is Lukes attitude toward the Jedi?

Star Wars: The Last Jedi, will also see Kylo Ren star Adam Driver return as well as appearances from the late Carrie Fisher, who played Princess Leia.

Disney's chief executive Bob Iger recently assured fans that further images of Fisher would not be digitally recreated for the film.

He told a University of Southern California conference: "Her performance, which we're really pleased with, remains as it was."

Star Wars: The Last Jedi is set for UK cinema release on December 15.
J osh Homme fans have described the Queens of the Stone Age frontman's forthcoming appearance on CBeebies show Bedtime Stories as the best news ever.

The musician will first read Julia Donaldsons Zog, a story about a clumsy yet determined dragon which won the author the Galaxy National Childrens Book of the Year award.

He is also set to read two other as yet unconfirmed tales to CBeebies viewers in subsequent episodes of the children's show.

Hommes fans shared their delight at the news on social media, calling it excellent and a gift.

However, not everyone was pleased. One user admitted shed be slightly scared of the frontman reading a bedtime story.

According to NME, Homme recorded an episode of Bedtime Stories the day before performing at Reading & Leeds festival.

The 44-year-old is the latest in list of high profile names to star on the BBC childrens series.

Previously Tom Hardy appeared on the show to read stories including Fleabag by Helen Stephens and You Must Bring a Hat by Simon Philip.

The actor even paid tribute to his dog Woody, who died in June, as the pet had accompanied him on the show on several occasions.

Other celebrities who have read stories in the series include actor Damian Lewis, astronaut Tim Peake and Great British Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

Josh Hommes first episode of Bedtime Stories will air on the BBC in October.
T in Star is not a TV show lacking in atmosphere, thanks in part to the menacing Rocky Mountains that loom over Little Big Bear, the town where its set.

Their shadow finds parallels in a dark crime wave thats stealing into the sleepy locale thanks to the arrival of a new oil refinery.

The ensuing trouble gives Tim Roths recovering alcoholic cop Jim Worth plenty to be driven to drink about.

Heres everything you need to know about the new show.

1. The plot follows a policeman who's new to the area and battling a wave of organised crime

Tin Star Interview

Roth plays Jim Worth, a former London Met policeman with lots of demons to be drawn out of the course of the series.

His dark side is more literal than most though, in that he struggles to subsume his undercover alter-ego Jack.

Its a persona that goes hand in with his alcoholism which he has under control, for now.

Worth has upped sticks and moved his family from London to the remote town of Little Big Bear.

Christina Hendricks as Elizabeth Bradshaw (Sky Atlantic) / A Sky UK LTD

At first he finds the serenity he seeks but its shortlived, as large oil refinery rumbles into town bringing with it comedy villain CEOs and a wave of gang crime.

2. Christina Hendricks plays a senior employee at North Stream Oil

Worth isnt the only one grappling with inner conflict. Hendricks is ex-journalist Elizabeth Bradshaw who after years of criticising the oil industry decides to try and improve it from the inside.

Her intentions are honourable but with corruption all around and the strength of her own ambition testing her morals, will she manage to stay true to her cause?

3. The fictional town of Little Big Bear merges two Canadian locations

Tin Stars town scenes are filmed in High River, where the Rocky Mountains are visible in the background but aren't quite as imposing as the producers had hoped. So they sought out a second filming location, Waterton, a tiny town on the outskirts of the Glacier National Park.

However, Waterton didnt have the infrastructure to support a 250-strong film crew, which meant the locations mountain backdrop had to be superimposed onto the High River town scenes, not  thanks to skilfull VFX  that youll be any the wiser when watching.

4. Its written by 28 Weeks Laters Rowan Joffe

Tin Star is Joffes first TV series since 2004. In the intervening almost 15 years hes worked on films like 28 Weeks Later, The American and Brighton Rock.

A scene from the new series (Sky Atlantic) / A Sky UK LTD

Joffe also has a directing credit on the series and says episodes will take viewers on labyrinthine journeys of discovery.

With a background of movie screenwriting, its been an ambition of mine to author an epic piece of cinema in a long-series format, he said in a statement.

To me this means a certain kind of dramatic landscape, classical themes of illicit love, familial corruption, grief and all-consuming revenge as well as characters of a particular stature on dangerous, labyrinthine journeys of discovery.

5. You can watch it on Sky Atlantic and Now TV

The series continues on Tuesday, September 12 at 9pm on Sky Atlantic, with new episodes also available on streaming service Now TV
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Germany is sending its MANTIS (Modular, Automatic and Network capable Targeting and Interception System) C-RAM (Counter-Rocket, Artillery and Mortar) system to guard its peacekeeper base in Mali. Islamic terrorists there have taken to firing rockets and mortar shells at this camp. MANTIS was developed from an anti-aircraft system in 2008 as the Skyshield 35 C-RAM system but by the time the first unit was ready (in 2011) for service in Afghanistan it had been renamed MANTIS and evolved into a more capable system. Yet the basic concept and function of the 2008 design remained. That was a radar and control unit linked with two separate 35 mm/1000 KDG autocannon that could swivel quickly to face a target. When turned on the radar detected and identified likely targets and then, when they were 3,000 meters away one or both 35mm autocannon fired a burst of 12-24 shells which automatically exploded near the target and each 35mm ABM-KETF shell disperses 152 tiny (3.3 g each or 8.5 per ounce) tungsten rods that formed a cloud and disabled any shell or rocket passing through. The MANTIS fire control system automatically calculates the speed and trajectory of the incoming target, aligns the 35mm guns and fires the burst of shells that will create a large enough tungsten cloud to intercept. All this takes a few seconds and it worked reliably, after a few tweaks, before it got to Afghanistan in 2011. A MANTIS system consists of two radar control systems and six 35mm autocannon each on its own swivel platform. There is also a ship based system similar to the American Phalanx.

The original C-RAM was an American system that showed up in Iraq in 2006, left in 2011 and returned in 2015. C-RAM is a land-based version of the U.S. Navy Phalanx anti-missile system. Phalanx is the last line of defense against anti-ship missiles. C-RAM was first created to defend American bases in Iraq and Afghanistan. Several foreign nations have since bought C-RAM and users are satisfied with its performance. C-RAM works 24/7 and needs a lot of maintenance. Often civilians (usually retired sailors with Phalanx experience) are hired to operate and maintain C-RAM systems. Phalanx is used by sixteen other navies besides the American fleet.

C-RAM, like MANTIS and other similar system, is basically the Phalanx naval gun system with new software that enables it to take data from its own, or other radar systems and shoot down just about any kind of artillery shell or rocket within range. Phalanx uses high explosive 20mm shells that detonate near the target, spraying it with fragments. By the time these fragments reach the ground they are generally too small to injure anyone. The 35mm shell used by MANTIS has about 50 percent more range (3,000 meters) than Phalanx but that does not seem to make much difference.

The original Phalanx used 20mm depleted uranium shells to slice through incoming missiles but the high-explosive shell was needed to ensure destruction of the smaller (than missiles) targets shells and rockets presented. Phalanx fires shells at the rate of 75 per second. Another advantage of C-RAM is that it makes a distinctive noise when firing, warning people nearby that a mortar or rocket attack is underway, giving people an opportunity to duck inside if they are out and about.

The first C-RAM was sent to Iraq in late 2006 to protect the Green Zone (the large area in Baghdad turned into an American base). It was found that C-RAM could knock down 70-80 percent of the rockets and mortar shells fired within range of its cannon and that success rate has gone up because of hardware and software tweaks as well as operator experience. Other improvements included the ability to detect low altitude (flat trajectory) rockets and home-made rockets that are not as predictable as factory made stuff.

The first C-RAM systems in Iraq intercepted several hundred rockets or mortar shells aimed at the Green Zone and other bases. Not bad, since C-RAM only took about a year to develop. A C-RAM system, which can cover an area about four kilometers wide, costs $15 million. There is also a mobile version, mounted on a flatbed trailer and hauled by a tractor. MANTINS built on all this to evolve into a similar system but one using components developed in Europe.
France recently sold 63 recently retired Mirage F1 fighters for use as adversary aircraft to train combat pilots. The aircraft were not sold to another country but to a commercial firm; ATAC (Airborne Tactical Advantage Company) that will refurbish at least half of the Mirages for combat training. ATAC is an American firm which provides flight and combat training mainly to the U.S. Navy and Marines but also other customers.

The use of contractors for military functions proliferated after the Cold War ended in 1991, especially in the United States and Europe. This was nothing new. The CIA, and later SOCOM (Special Operations Command) have long used contractor firms for logistics and air transport, especially in parts of Asia, South America and Africa where even civilian charter airline service was not available, or simply because the missions were classified.

For example the U.S. military uses the Phoenix Air Group to provide twin engine passenger and cargo aircraft to move American troops and equipment around Africa. This was nothing new for the Phoenix Air Group, which had long provided the U.S. Air Force with specially equipped Learjet 35/36 aircraft for electronic warfare training. The Learjets are twin engine aircraft fitted out with electronic warfare equipment and manned by technicians who can replicate a multitude of situations fighter and bomber pilots might encounter in combat. Phoenix also has dozens of twin engine cargo and passenger aircraft for charter, which AFRICOM hired rather than creating its own transport service.

AFRICOM (Africa Command) is similar in organization to other commands (Central, for the Middle East, and South, for Latin America, etc). AFRICOM coordinates all American military operations in Africa. Before AFRICOM was created in 2007 those operations were coordinated between two other commands (the one covering Europe and the one covering Latin America). The establishment of AFRICOM means more money for counter-terror operations in Africa, and more long range projects. But there was not much infrastructure in Africa and contractors had to be used.

ATAC is the largest commercial firm providing military flight training. This is a common function for basic flight training but ATAC expanded into training for combat pilots and that included adversary training that uses Western aircraft and veteran military pilots or accurately represent potential enemy warplanes. In the past the American A-4 and F-5 were popular for this task. But potential foes are using more capable fighters and the Mirage F1, which entered service in the mid-1970s and has been upgraded since.

France retired the last of its The Mirage F1s in 2014 but this aircraft is still used by some countries (Gabon, Iran, Libya and Morocco) and the manufacturer long provided refurbishment and upgrade services for the 720 built through 1992. The Mirage F1 is a 16 ton interceptor that can only carry two tons of weapons. With modern electronics and missiles it is still be a formidable air defense aircraft. ATAC got the Mirage F1s for a few hundred thousand dollars each and France will have them demilitarized (all classified or strictly military equipment removed) and ATAC will then have about half of them modified to act as various types of potential enemy fighters. The rest of the Mirage F1s will be used for spares which will enable ATAC to use some of the Mirage F1s for a decade or more,

By the late 1990s the use of retired combat personnel as "adversary pilots" became popular and ATAC soon expanded that that to supply adversary aircraft as well. In the 1990s civilian instructors were already being used for part of military flight training. But with so many pilots getting out, the navy and air force could no longer afford to provide military pilots to play the role of the bad guys in "Top Gun" type exercises. Former military pilots were hired to play the bad guys and were very good at it became many had done that sort of thing before they retired.
In the aftermath of defeating ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) in Mosul(Iraq) an effort was made to compile as much data as possible on the many dead Islamic terrorists found in the rubble. Few ISIL fighters would surrender and many of them kept fighting even after they were wounded. It was also found that many of the dead (and some of those taken alive) had got by on little sleep for weeks in an effort hold out. One reason for this behavior was drugs. That was not unexpected. What was somewhat surprising was the large number of dead ISIL fighters who were apparently taking more powerful drugs via injection rather than the more common pills.

Counter-terrorism analysts have long recognized the connection between illegal drugs and Islamic terrorism. While these drugs are not forbidden in Islamic scripture, as alcohol is, most Islamic scholars and clerics condemn drug use by Moslems. Yet one of the appeals of Islamic terrorism is the tendency of these groups to point out that there is a long tradition of Holy Warriors (what the rest of the world calls Islamic terrorists) using these drugs in various religiously approved ways. For example clerics who support Islamic terrorism say it is justified to manufacture and sell these drugs to infidels (non-Moslems) to raise money for the cause and weaken the enemy. It is also accepted for Islamic terrorists to use drugs to get in the proper mood to carry out suicidal attacks (and blood tests of dead terrorists first revealed this) and to unwind after some high stress combat or maintain alertness during combat. Some Islamic sects allow some drug use to help get into a more meditative mood and get closer to God. That practice is ancient and persists in many other religions. But the use of drugs via injection was always seen as too degenerate and disabling to be useful. It turns out that the injections ISIL fighters in Mosul were taking were for methamphetamine. That is dangerous, especially for new users. But if you are in a fight to the death situation the needle seems like the Islamic thing to do.

Drug use by Islamic terrorists is nothing new and it has existed at least since the 11th century. The first recorded users were the Hassassins (or "hashasheen" or users of hashish) of 11th century Iran. The training back then was similar to what many Islamic terrorists groups still use today. There was liberal use of hashish to provide a taste of paradise for new recruits. As is the case now the medieval Hassassins went on suicidal missions assured that they would experience eternal paradise if they died.

The Hassassins began when a Iranian minor noble with a grudge and excellent organizational skills created a network of suicide assassins who were convinced they were doing Gods Will. The Hassassins thrived, and killed, for many decades until the Mongols came along and destroyed their impregnable mountain fortress. The Mongols were not afraid of suicide assassins but were annoyed by them. Back then, annoying the Mongols was almost always fatal.

The current crop of suicide terrorists do not provide a single fortress to go after, so the Mongol approach of overwhelming force applied to one objective will not work. But the resolute Mongol attitude towards terrorism should be remembered. While the Mongols did not adopt Islam until the 13th century they were impressed by the fanaticism and dedication of the Hassassins. Most Mongols eventually abandoned Buddhism (and a host of other religions) for Islam because they considered it a more suitable religion for conquerors. There was also the fact that the term Islam is based on the Arab word for submission. For the Mongols this was a better fit than the pacifism implicit in their former religions (especially Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity). The Mongols did not change their lifestyle much after the conversion.

Hashish (cannabis, or marijuana, resin) has long been an Islamic terrorist favorite, as are more modern recreational substances like heroin, cocaine and especially methamphetamine pills. For Islamic terrorists the most popular form of meth is actually Captagon, which is the trade name for fenethylline, a synthetic drug that has the same effects as amphetamine but with fewer bad side effects (like increased blood pressure). Fenethylline is still pretty potent and by the 1980s most countries had either outlawed it or made it a prescription drug. Now the most common form of fenethylline is Captagon, which is widely available in the Middle East. Fenethylline was even manufactured by ISIL (for a while) in a captured drug factory using raw materials smuggled in from Turkey. Captagon is considered a major problem in the Middle East because there is so much illegal use of it. It is the stimulant of choice among many Syrian rebels as well as pro-government forces.
ARABIAN GULF (Sept. 5, 2017) Sailors move mail from an aircraft elevator into the hangar bay aboard the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz (CVN 68). Nimitz is currently deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of Operation Inherent Resolve. While in the region, the ship and strike group are conducting maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, preserve freedom of navigation, and maintain the free flow of commerce. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Elesia K. Patten)

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The recently announced change in American strategy in Afghanistan includes a lot more air support (fixed wing, helicopter and UAV). What is interesting is that currently about half the American airstrikes occur in Nangarhar province (east of Kabul on the Pakistan border) and about 30 percent in Helmand province (in the south on the Pakistan border). About ten percent of airstrikes have been occurring in Kunduz province (in the north, near the Tajikistan border). All three of these areas are key locations for the Afghan drug gangs. Nangarhar is where a lot of the heroin exported via Pakistan is moved. More importantly Nangarhar is a favorite hangout for Haqqani Network (the chief enforcer for the Pakistani military) and ISIL (Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant) and various anti-Pakistan Islamic terror groups that have been forced out of Pakistan since mid-2014. Haqqani Network leaders now head the main factions of the Afghan Taliban while ISIL is full of former Taliban men disappointed with the loss of religious purpose in the Taliban (its mainly about money and loot these days) and looking for some good old fashioned religious fanaticism and righteous mayhem. A lot of American airstrikes in Nangarhar are directed at ISIL. Helmand is still where most of the opium and heroin in Afghanistan (and the world) is produced while Kunduz is the main drug smuggling route to Central Asia, China and Russia. What goes on in these three provinces says more about the war in Afghanistan than anything else. The additional American air support will still concentrate on these three (out of 34) provinces but there will be more available for Afghan troops in a dozen other provinces where the Taliban is a problem.

The change in American strategy also means more money and effort devoted to expanding the AAF (Afghan Air Force, actually part of the army). So far this year the AAF has carried out about 300 air strikes a month. The Americans add another 350 a month. The Afghans know the Americans can do a lot more because in 2012 the U.S. and NATO warplanes carried out nearly 2,400 airstrikes a month. In another area, surveillance (using UAVs and manned aircraft) the Americans are still carrying out over 1,500 sorties a month (compared to nearly 3,000 in 2012). The surveillance is very important for Afghan security forces since it gives them a better (and often real-time) picture of where the enemy is and what they are up to. The Afghans would like more air support in the form of fixed wing (C-130) and helicopter (CH-47) support. Both of these would help the Afghan army a lot to move forces (particularly commandos) around quickly and safely. The Afghans dont expect American air support to increase to peak (2012) levels but the closer the better. Air support, both in terms of surveillance and air strikes, was the most effective capability the foreigners could provide for Afghan forces.

This was part of a trend because during 2016 when the United States increased its air support for Afghanistan over 40 percent. That meant 1,337 missiles and smart bombs used for the entire year. The number of airstrikes was about 600, nearly double what it was in 2015. This was no surprise as in mid-2016 the United States revealed that earlier in the year it had ordered American forces in Afghanistan to go after all Islamic terrorists and do so with few restrictions. An easing of restrictions was noted earlier in 2016 but there was no official announcement until June. By then the U.S. Air Force admitted that during the first five months of 2016 American warplanes used 451 missiles and smart bombs against ground targets in Afghanistan. Thats nearly twice as many as during the same period in 2015. That is still less than a quarter of the activity during 2011 and less than half the number of missiles and smart bombs used per month in 2014 (the last year American combat troops were in Afghanistan). The change in 2016 came after the Afghans finally convinced the American political leaders that more air support for Afghan forces would make a major difference. In early 2016 the United States agreed to allow American forces in Afghanistan to work more closely with Afghan forces against the Taliban and other Islamic terror groups. That change included more American air support and relaxed ROE (Rules of Engagement). Now local American commanders could decide when to use American air power or ground forces to assist Afghan forces rather than having to try and convince lawyers and politicians back in the U.S. that this particular attack was a matter of life or death. That cautious approach left a lot of Afghan soldiers, police and civilians dead and other Afghans noticed why. Afghan political and military leaders have been increasingly critical, often publically, about the earlier, more restrictive, American policy. The policy changes in mid-2017 moved more in this direction. The Taliban responded by announcing they would be more violent but the Taliban chatter being monitored on the ground and electronically revealed less enthusiasm in the ranks. Most Taliban members believed what their leaders told them back in 2014 when the American combat troops and most air support left. Now the Taliban could crush the Afghan security forces and take control of the country again. That did not happen and since then Taliban casualties have gone up and the Afghan soldiers and police, especially those from the non-Pushtun majority (who largely control northern and central Afghanistan). Since 2014 many Taliban members have learned that their senior, and many mid-level, leaders have made a lot of money and shipped it to foreign havens (usually in the Persian Gulf) and are now moving more of their family members there. Thats a great backup or retirement plan for the top people but where does that leave the other 95 percent of Taliban fighters. Granted, many of those are just in it temporarily, usually for the money, some adventure or both. If more American soldiers and warplanes return working for the Taliban will become an even more risky choice. But as long as the Taliban have regular supplies of cash from the drug gangs, there are plenty of young Afghan men who are unemployed and willing to fight for pay.

Playing With Pakistan

The current (since 2014) Afghan president Ashraf Ghani got elected as a reformer who was also Pushtun and had to spend about two years convincing the non-Pushtun leaders (who represent the majority of Afghans) that he really a different kind of Pushtun ruler. This was a hard sell. Since the 1970s the Pushtun had been largely responsible for chaos and endless war in Afghanistan. The Pushtun were responsible for the drug gangs, the Taliban and most of the Islamic terrorism. Ghani has got most Afghans (including most Pushtun) behind him as he calls on Pakistan (mainly the military, which has always run Pakistani foreign affairs and much else) to negotiate a peace deal with Afghanistan and order their Taliban minions to do the same. Until recently the Pakistani generals saw no need for that as they considered Afghanistan an extension of Pakistan, especially the Pakistani northwest (the tribal territories) where most of the Pakistani Pushtuns (twice as many as in Afghanistan) live. But now the Pakistani generals are under attack from all sides. This was a long time coming and Ghani is offering a way to make the Pakistani generals look good and make peace in the Pushtun lands on both sides of the border. The new American strategy complements this but the Pakistani military has to go along. That is not likely to happen. So far the Pakistani military is demanding that Afghanistan eliminate sanctuaries for anti-Pakistan Islamic terrorists, but those groups are concentrated in Nangarhar province and under constant attack by Afghan and American forces and some, like the Haqqani Network, can still move back to Pakistan without danger.

The Americans have modified their hard line on Pakistan to help get these peace talks going. The U.S. has recently declared that it does not hold Pakistan responsible for the violence in Afghanistan. What the U.S. is doing is focusing on the Pakistani military, which is generally seen as responsible for most of the violence. That is something many Afghans and Pakistanis can agree on.

An earlier effort to persuade Pakistan to stop supporting violence in Afghanistan (and elsewhere) had the Americans withholding military aid more frequently. That is still in play. For example in 2016 the U.S. was willing to pay up to $900 million in reimbursements for Pakistani counter-terrorism efforts but threatened to withhold nearly half of that. Pakistan can retaliate by blocking road access to Afghanistan but this escalation ultimately fails for Pakistan because the only major ally they have is China and the Chinese have made it very clear that they will not join Pakistan in such an escalation. China is more concerned with the Pakistani ability to protect the thousands of Chinese coming into Pakistan each year to build new infrastructure projects. Pakistan has over 100,000 soldiers and police dedicated to the security of these Chinese and their growing number of work sites. There are still thousands of Islamic terrorists inside Pakistan who see the Chinese as a legitimate target. This provides another way for the military to ensure that the Islamic terrorists on its payroll remain docile inside Pakistan.

Meanwhile Afghanistan and India are more aggressively cooperating against the Pakistan sponsored terrorism sent their way. This has turned India and Afghanistan into allies, which infuriates the Pakistani military. That means India has to deal with more Pakistani-backed Islamic terrorist and separatist violence in Kashmir. This has been increasing since 2015. In 2016 there were about twenty terrorism related deaths a month in Kashmir and because of increased Pakistani aggression this is it is about 40 percent higher so far in 2017. Because of the increased Kashmir violence popular support in India (the largest democracy on the planet) for pressuring Pakistan (and risking a nuclear war) has increased. The problem with the Pakistani generals is that they place personal safety and security above doing what is best for Pakistan and that makes them very difficult to negotiate with. Elected Pakistani leaders have been struggling with that since the 1950s but at least now everyone (except the generals) are willing to discuss the situation as it is not as the Pakistani generals prefer to portray it.

Taliban Factions Flee Pakistan Sanctuary

Since early 2017 a growing number Taliban leaders (or former leaders) and their families have left sanctuaries in Pakistan and returned to Afghanistan. This isnt a long trip as it usually means goring from Taliban headquarters in Quetta (the capital of Baluchistan province in Pakistan and near the border with Helmand and Kandahar provinces) to safety in Kandahar city. Its a four hour drive (239 kilometers) from Quetta to Kandahar city. These people are related to or were associated with Mullah Omar, one of the Taliban founders and until 2015 the leader of the Afghan Taliban. The problem is that Mullah Omar had died in a Pakistani hospital in 2013 and that was kept secret by the acting head of the Taliban; Mullah Akhtar Mansour. That revelation led many Afghans to wonder if you could trust the Taliban if the Taliban dont trust each other. But Mansour had been Omars chief deputy for many years and knew his way around the organization as well as traditional allies like the Haqqani clan, an even more murderous bunch who eventually took control of the Taliban. Because of that anyone close to Mullah Omar now fears their sanctuary guarantee may be revoked at any time so that Pakistan can turn them over to the Americans as part of some deal that restores American aid or prevents stronger American moves against Pakistan. Despite enjoying Pakistani protection (even from American UAV attacks) since 2002 the Mullah Omar group dont trust the Pakistanis or the favorite Afghan Islamic terror group of the Pakistanis; the Haqqanis.

The Taliban refugees in Kandahar spoke freely of their years in Pakistan and admitted, as have a growing number of retired Pakistani generals and senior government officials, that the army and its intel organization (ISI) have indeed provided sanctuaries for helpful (to the army) Islamic terror groups. The Pakistani military officially denies these accusations and usually blames India, Israel, the United States or all three for inventing and spreading lies. That excuse doesnt have the potency it once possessed and many Pakistanis quietly mock their own military for it. Mocking the generals in public is risky and doing in the media can get you killed, kidnapped (and released after you recant) or disappeared (for those who wont recant).

The Haqqani Network is a group of Islamic terrorists operating in the Pushtun tribal areas along the Afghan border. Founder Jalaluddin Haqqani was a major player during the 1980s battle with the Russian occupation of Afghanistan. He joined the Taliban in 1995, and became a senior official. But after 2001 he gradually grew apart from Taliban leader Mullah Omar. The Haqqani Network has survived by being the most obedient Afghan ally of Pakistan. That means no terror attacks in Pakistan and, when called on, carrying out specific attacks that Pakistani intelligence (ISI) wants carried out in Afghanistan. Jalaluddin Haqqani died in 2o14 and his successor continued to cooperate with the Taliban and maintain subservience to ISI. Because Jalaluddin Haqqani helped Mullah Omar and other Taliban leaders escape Afghanistan in 2001 there has always been a sense of mutual dependence. For that reason Haqqani leaders were able to help fix the 2015-16 power struggle within the Taliban and thwart (but not stop) the recruiting efforts of ISIL. Given that Haqqani works for ISI, Pakistan is believed to have played a role the new Taliban willingness to negotiate with the Afghans. The Afghan government protested to Pakistan about their Haqqani ties but, as usual, Pakistan insisted it had nothing to do with Haqqani, the Taliban or supporting Islamic terrorism of any kind.

With Mullah Akhtar Mansour clearly in power he implemented some policies his predecessor Mullah Omar opposed or was not enthusiastic about. This included no interest at all in peace talks with the Afghan government and active support for al Qaeda. Then, in May 2016, an American UAV missile killed Mullah Akhtar Mansour in southwest Pakistan, an area that has always been off-limits to U.S. UAVs. A Pakistani general called this a violation of Pakistani sovereignty that must stop. It did, while the Haqqani Network quietly took over the leadership of the Afghan Taliban. It is now believed that that Pakistanis tipped off the Americans about where Mansour would be and indicated a UAV missile attack would be protested but go no further and the loss of Mansour might be beneficial to all concerned (except Mansour and his loyalists).

Meanwhile the Pakistan government quietly took care of the embarrassing revelation that Mansour was living in Pakistan when Pakistan always insisted they were not providing sanctuary for the Taliban. Yet when the wreckage of the car Mansour was killed in was found it became public knowledge that Mansour had been carrying one of the new forgery proof Pakistanis Ids that depicted him as someone else. In an effort to placate (by deception) the angry Americans Pakistani police diligently followed the evidence and arrested six government employees who had supplied Mansour (and apparently other Taliban) with authentic new IDs and fake names. But by mid-2017 those six government employees had been bailed out of jail and disappeared as had others who had been close to Mansour in Quetta. All this angered the Americans, who had seen the same sort of behavior in the wake of the 2011 U.S. raid into Pakistan to kill Osama bin Laden. The Pakistani military went to a lot of effort to try and hide their connections with bin Laden but it was an obvious cover up and the Americans (and the rest of the world) is accusing the Pakistani military of that along with the continued support for Islamic terrorists.

The Year Karachi Died

All this year Iran and Afghanistan have sped up the completion of the rail link from Afghanistan to Iran a new port on the Indian Ocean. Iran is complaining that India is less intense about speeding up (by providing over a billion dollars in promised financing) the construction of the longer rail line to the Russian border. Currently all this is to be completed by late 2018. Already a lot of Afghan business that used to come and go via Pakistan (and the port of Karachi) is now doing so via the new Iran link. To encourage more trade Iran is offering major cuts in Iranian tariffs for Afghan imports and exports along with secure travel via Iran and that is working. This is part of the Indo-Iranian project (largely financed by India) that enables foreign cargo delivered to the port of Chabahar (in southeastern Iran) to enter Afghanistan by rail or road without any additional tax problems or other restrictions. Iran and India are building the 1,300 kilometer long rail line from the port to the Afghan border (near Herat) in the north. Indians are providing over two billions dollars to upgrade the port and build new roads and railroads to Afghanistan and Central Asia. For Iran the Central Asia link is the most valuable one. But for Afghanistan having another way to move most of their imports and exports is a major achievement because Pakistan and Iran will have to complete and that will keep costs down for Afghans and reduce the use of closing the border (which Pakistan has done frequently to coerce the Afghans) because that will just drive more trade permanently to the Iran link.

Afghanistan never had an internal rail net but it does have (since 2002) a growing number of working rail links to the outside world. The problem is that all three of them are in the north. The longest (75 kilometers) goes from Mazar-e-Sharif across the border into Uzbekistan. Another goes from Herat Province into Turkmenistan while the third one goes from Faryab Province into Turkmenistan. Central Asia is still dependent on long (and expensive to use) Russian rail links to ocean ports. Then there is the bottleneck for moving cargo to southeastern Afghanistan (where Kabul and much of the population is) by truck. The Salang tunnel was built by the Russians in 1964 and cut transportation costs enormously throughout eastern Afghanistan. This tunnel makes the Salang pass useable when deep snow usually makes it impossible for wheeled traffic to get over the Hindu Kush Mountains. The 2,560 meter (1.6 mile) long Salang tunnel is at an altitude of 3,385 meters (11,000 feet). But the tunnel cannot handle all the truck traffic that the road access to Pakistan currently provides. The rail link with Iran gives quick and cheap (compared to trucking cargo through Pakistan) route to the outside world.

Afghan Special Operations Command (SOC)

The Afghan government have agreed to expand their special operations forces and the Americans have agreed to pay for it. The Afghan SOC (special operations command) has grown from nothing in 2007 to 9,000 troops in 2012 to 17,000 now and expansion to 30,000 troops as quickly as it can be accomplished. This could take as long as four years but if enough experienced trainers are sent in from nations that have previously sent special operations personnel to Afghanistan (including some Moslem nations) then the expansion can be done in two or three years.

In August the government said the increase in personnel meant the Afghan SOC will now be designated a corps rather than a division. While SOC comprise only seven percent of army personnel they participate in 80 percent of the offensive operations and have been the most feared (by the Taliban and so on) Afghan military force for years. SOC attracts a disproportionate of non-Pushtuns because SOC is seen as the most effective force to deal with the Pushtun dominated Taliban and drug gangs. Moreover the screening of SOC recruits has become more effective over the years thus keeping out men of questionable loyalty or potentially vulnerable to extortion (by threatening kin, a favorite Taliban tactic).

September 6, 2017: Outside Kabul a Taliban suicide bomber on a motorbike attacked outside one of the entrances to Bagram Air Base. This killed the attacker and wounded four people nearby. This attack was notable because it was mainly a publicity stunt to generate some attention for the recent American use of a propaganda leaflet dropped up north that featured the picture of a dead dog near text mentioning Allah (God). Dogs are considered offensive to many Moslems and the Taliban likes to exploit situations like this to demonstrate how religious they are despite the fact that they are not very religious at all any more.

August 29, 2017: In downtown Kabul (500 meters from the U.S. embassy) a suicide bomber attacked a bank leaving five dead and nine wounded. No one took credit but the Taliban often attack banks at the end of the month when a lot of government employees (including military) come at once to obtain their pay.

August 25, 2017: In Kabul four Islamic terrorists attacked a Shia mosque, killing 28 and wounding more than 50 worshipers. Security forces quickly evacuated over a hundred survivors and cornered the two remaining gunmen. The other two attackers were suicide bombers who died early in the attack. No one took credit but there are several Sunni Islamic terrorist groups that regularly attack Shia.

August 21, 2017: The U.S. announced a change in strategy for Afghanistan and is sending 4,000 more troops with more to follow as needed. The new strategy will change the ROE (Rules of Engagement) to allow for more aggressive operations against the Taliban and other Islamic terror groups. Moreover the goals would be based on conditions not the current (since 2009) use of timetables that ignored actual conditions in Afghanistan. There will also be an increase in air and intelligence support. There is also a problem with tech support and more Afghans need to be trained for this. Currently only 20 percent of Afghan Air Force aircraft maintenance work is done by Afghans, the rest is carried out by foreign contractors. There are already 16,000 American (mostly) and NATO troops in Afghanistan many of them trainers.

August 20, 2017: In the east (Kunar province) at least 85 rockets were fired from Pakistan overnight (and into Monday). These landed in rural areas near the border. In 2016 Afghanistan accused Pakistan of resuming the shelling of Afghan territory in Kunar and southern (Helmand province) Afghanistan. Although most of the shells and rockets land in remote areas they still manage to kill or wound some people, usually innocent civilians. These rocket, mortar and artillery attacks from Pakistan were particularly heavy in 2013 and 2014 but happened much left frequently after a new Afghan government joined the U.S. to call out the Pakistanis on these attacks. Pakistan usually refuses to admit they are even happening but because of the 2015 cooperation deal (mainly to deal with Islamic terrorists hostile to everyone) Pakistan became more receptive to these complaints.

August 13, 2017: In the southwest (Nimroz province) two Taliban suicide bombers tried to attack a checkpoint and failed. One was shot dead and the other man captured. Both turned out to be Iranian, which was obvious for the captured man because he spoke Farsi (Iranian) as well as Dari (a language similar to Farsi that is common in Afghanistan) with an Iranian accent. A growing number of Iranians are showing up in Afghanistan involved in Islamic terrorism. The Taliban denies that it has any Iranian members but several have been encountered, usually after they were killed in combat. Several Taliban leaders with known Iranian connections (usually with the Quds force) are known to be active in central Afghanistan. Normally Quds Force (which supports Shia terrorism worldwide) avoids working with Sunni groups like the Taliban al Qaeda but Iran has taken the position that the enemy of my enemy is my friend and encourages its allies and Quds to work, when it is useful, with Sunni terrorists that are killing (or trying to) Americans or Israelis. The strategy is not popular with a lot of Iranians, although the Iranian government openly approved of the fact that senior al Qaeda leadership (including those outside Iran) had, since at least 2006, advised their subordinates to not kill Shia women and children. That advice has been frequently ignored but Iran has continued to work with al Qaeda and the Taliban when it suited Iranian interests.

August 7, 2017: In the south (Kandahar province) Pakistani soldiers and border guards stood watch as workers began building dozens of new border outposts on what the Afghans consider the Afghan side of the border in an area called Spin Boldak. About a hundred kilometers north is Kandahar City, the original "home town" of the Taliban. Most of the construction work takes place at night but the construction sites are guarded day and night because local Afghans will sometimes attack, even if their government is willing to negotiate.

August 3, 2017: Afghanistan has ordered another five ScanEagle systems (each with four UAVs, ground control equipment and maintenance gear) for $3.84 million each. Afghanistan had first ordered eight ScanEagle systems in 2015 and began using them in early 2016. The Afghans found ScanEagle very effective and asked for more (from the U.S. that supplies most of the money for the defense budget). The new order will all be delivered by the end of 2018.
In a statement to congressional investigators on Wednesday, Facebook representatives announced that the social network sold ads to a Russian company during the 2016 US presidential election.

The ads were specifically targeted at voters and have been traced back to a Russian "troll farm" supposedly known as the Internet Research Agency. The ad company is also known to have a history of putting out pro-Kremlin propaganda. Although the total ad spending in this case only amounted to $100,000, the fact that Russia was even able to inject ads into the election at all is worrisome to many.

Facebook has stated that in compliance with their privacy and data policies, they won't be releasing the 3,300 specific ads in question. They did say, however, that the ads were targeted at users with a history of interest in politically charged issues such as gun rights, immigration and discrimination.

Facebook has been facing growing scrutiny for allowing the spread of fake news before and during the election. They have since put in place new procedures to help stop false news and hoaxes but it will be a while before we know if this policy is working.

It is now an accepted fact among the intelligence community that Russia interfered in the election. There are currently four congressional committees and a special counsel investigating whether there was any collusion between the Trump team and Russia. They are also investigating what impact paid social media ads like these and other false news stories had on influencing the public.

Facebook currently has no knowledge of whether or not the ads were purchased in coordination with any Trump campaign associates.
As voice-controlled devices such as smartphones, vehicle infotainment systems, and smart speakers become increasingly popular, hackers are coming up with innovative ways of targeting them. Now, a team of researchers has shown off a method that uses ultrasonic frequencies - sounds so high that they're inaudible to humans.

Scientists from China's Zhejiang University demonstrated the technique, which is aptly called DolphinAttack. First, they created a program that can translate human voice commands into sounds above 20kHz. These were played back using a standard smartphone equipped with an amplifier, ultrasonic transducer, and an extra battery, all of which costs less than $3.

The commands were tested on 16 devices and seven systems, including Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant, Samsung S Voice, Cortana, and the navigation system in Audi cars. The team said: "the inaudible voice commands can be correctly interpreted by the SR (speech recognition) systems on all the tested hardware."

In addition to basic commands like "Hey Siri" and "Okay Google," the exploit can be used in more malicious ways, such as visiting malware-loaded websites or making outgoing calls to spy on victims.

Thankfully, there are limitations that mean the attack is less than perfect. At the moment, the device is ineffective beyond a range of five or six feet, and it works better in quieter environments; using ultrasonic commands that tell Siri to switch on airplane mode was 100 percent successful in an office but just 30 percent successful in a street. The other problem for hackers is that a digital assistant must be switched on, and most of them respond to commands with a tone or reply of their own, which would likely alert a user.

While altering a system so it ignores commands over a certain frequency might seem like a simple solution, industrial designer Gadi Amit told FastCompany that doing so could lower its "comprehension score," while some devices use it for ultrasonic pairing.
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Betsy DeVos. Photo: Bill Clark/CQ-Roll Call via Getty Images

If youre still wondering whether or not our bear-obsessed education secretary Betsy DeVos has any idea what shes doing, her speech today on Title IX and campus rape offers a pretty clear answer. That answer, by the way, is no.

DeVos had been widely expected to use her speech today at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, to announce a rollback of the Obama administrations guidance on how colleges should deal with accusations of rape. And she did, declaring the 2011 Dear Colleague letter  requiring that colleges take rape accusations more seriously  basically null and void.

Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students, DeVos declared. Rather than inviting everyone to the table, the Department insisted it knew better than those who walk side-by-side with students every day. That will no longer be the case. The era of rule by letter is over.

While the bluntness of her language may have surprised some listeners, DeVoss distaste for Obamas approach to campus rape has not exactly been a secret. During her confirmation, critics noted that she and her husband had donated $10,000 to the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education (FIRE), a group then actively campaigning against the Dear Colleague letter.

And then there was her infamous meeting this summer with several fringe mens-rights groups, including one that has suggested as many as 90 percent of rape accusations are false (most experts think the real rate is somewhere between 2 and 10 percent) and another that recently published an article arguing that the real reason Democrats opposed DeVos so vociferously is that [t]hey did not want to lose their most powerful weapon against men  false sexual abuse allegations.

The Dear Colleague letter that caused so much wailing and gnashing of teeth among mens-rights activists, conservatives, and libertarians was a policy statement from the Office for Civil Rights in the Education Department reminding college administrators that they have an obligation under Title IX to actively pursue rape cases and punish offenders in order to keep their school from becoming a hostile environment for women.

Especially controversial was the letters insistence that schools judge the merit of rape accusations by a preponderance of evidence standard rather than the more demanding clear and convincing evidence standard some had adopted for their campus rape tribunals. While preponderance of evidence is the standard in civil cases, critics say the lowered standard has deprived college men (and the occasional accused woman) of due process, turning college disciplinary proceedings into kangaroo courts. (Never mind that college tribunals are not courts of any kind, and college administrators cannot sentence anyone to prison.)

Critics of the policy have often indulged in rhetoric only a step or two away from pure hysteria. A recent post on RedState took aim at Obamas Fascist Sex Abuse Investigation Guidelines, denounced the supposed weaponization of  administrative agencies and complained that Department of Educationmandated star chambers were giving marginally educated social justice warriors  a hunting license to pursue male students and harry them from campus on the flimsiest of evidence  or even no evidence at all.

In mens-rights circles, meanwhile, paranoia about these so-called star chambers has metastasized to such an extent that some college-age MRAs claim theyve sworn off college women entirely. [D]ont talk to women on campus unless its about school/work/emergency, one MRA urged his colleagues in one discussion in the Mens Rights subreddit. [V]ideorecord all your activities, even sex acts, using bodycam. Apparently this advice-giver is unaware that most people have sex sans clothing, and that it is hard to hide a bodycam on a naked body.

In her speech today, DeVos echoed much of this overblown rhetoric  denouncing kangaroo courts, lamenting what she called weaponiz[ation] of the Office for Civil Rights, declaring that the supposed unraveling of justice on campuses is shameful, it is wholly un-American, and it is anathema to the system of self-governance to which our Founders pledged their lives over 240 years ago.

So what does DeVos propose as a replacement for this failed system? Shes got nothing.

Thats right. After torpedoing the Dear Colleague letter, she offers college administrators precisely zero guidance on how the Department of Education expects them to fulfill their Title IX responsibilities. Indeed, at one point, she seems to suggest that providing colleges with any kind of guidance is somehow anathema to democracy itself, complaining that [f]or too long, rather than engage the public on controversial issues, the Departments Office for Civil Rights has issued letters from the desks of unelected and unaccountable political appointees.

If she has a plan, she doesnt want us to know what it is. Instead of guidance, DeVos offers only a promise that her department will launch a transparent notice-and-comment process to incorporate the insights of all parties in developing a better way.

So the era of rule by letter is over, but the better way is yet to come. What exactly are college administrators expected to do in the in-between days? More to the point: What are victims of sexual assault on college campuses supposed to do?

Betsy DeVos literally has no answer.
Over the last two years, Canada has welcomed more than 40,000 Syrian refugees. These people crave a taste of home. Meanwhile, Canadians  many of whom have donated to or hosted newcomers  want to learn more about this culture.

Soufis, a new casual eatery on Queen St. W. near Euclid Ave. is offering up an authentic Syrian menu to fill these gaps.

Its time for Canadians to know about Syria, and to find out more than just whats on the news, says Jala Alsoufi, who is running the new venture along with her family.

Here, the hungry can discover manaeesh, a flatbread dressed with toppings  a little like a pita sandwich, as its folded over  and knaffeh, a little dessert pie of cheese topped with pastry, syrup and chopped pistachios.

The Soufi family hails from Syria by way of Saudi Arabia  they moved there when Jala was a child. They spent three months in Syria every summer until 2010, when it became too dangerous.

We always had plans to come to Canada, says Alsoufi, recalling that you cant do much under the tight rules in Saudi Arabia.

She came first, in 2012, to study architecture and psychology at the University of Toronto. Right away, she began working on the paperwork for her parents and two brothers to join her.

Dad Husam, mom Shahnaz Beirekdar and brothers Alaa and Ayham arrived two years ago. They noticed early on that while there was plenty of Middle Eastern food in the city, some of their favourite Syrian treats were nowhere to be found. We could not find manaeesh that was authentic, says Alsoufi.

The family pondered starting a restaurant themselves, and got serious with the idea about six month ago. Since Beirekdar is a fabulous cook and the family owned a beach resort in Saudi Arabia, they had the right skills.

They decided on Queen, despite the high rents, because they knew the area was receptive to new ideas. Its my favourite neighbourhood, says Alsoufi, who finished school last year. Its so diverse, its so busy all the time.

They got this space and the family did a lot of the renovation work themselves. While the name choice seemed pretty obvious, they also toyed with other names  cities, plays on words  before realizing their own last name was perfect. Early on, they hoped to cook up a wide range of Syrian and Middle Eastern foods, but decided that specializing and getting things just right on fewer items would be wiser.

The store opened in August with a surprisingly large menu for having only two main food categories. Manaeesh come in flavours such as the classic Zaatar ($5.25), which is dressed with olive oil and thyme, plus tomatoes and cucumbers (Alsoufi recommends paying the extra $1 for avocado too). Traditional Mhammara ($6.25) is the most pizza-like, smeared with red pepper and tomato paste ($1 extra for cheese). More recently, they added a peanut butter and banana manaeesh, and Beirekdars eggplant creation is coming soon.

Knaffeh sell for $5.25 and come in a few different types, including some vegan options. (Alsoufi is a vegetarian who used to be vegan, so the menu reflects that.)

Queen St. regulars and Syrians living all around the GTA have come in for a bite, and love the flavourful but surprisingly healthy snacks. Meanwhile, this family of new Canadians has found a true passion project.

The Soufis have hired an all-Syrian staff, but are putting in long hours themselves.

They love it, Alsoufi says of her parents. Theyre excited to come in every day. But its been tough to get my mom out of the kitchen to take a break.

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Andrew Hunter, the Art Gallery of Ontarios top curator of Canadian art, resigned Thursday, according to an internal memo, and its hard to see it as anything less than a blow to the gallerys progressive arc of recent years.

The gallery confirmed Hunters departure Thursday afternoon. Hunter, reached on the phone, said that his resignation was not with a specific destination in mind. Ive always made my career decisions based on ideas, around community, and around family, he said. Maybe thats a flaw  Ive never really managed my career as a career. I always gravitate to where I feel I belong.

Nonetheless, the timing seems a little strange, with Hunter coming off his most triumphant exhibition, Every. Now. Then., a powerfully inclusive, unblinkingly critical take on contemporary Canadian nationhood.

The show stands as a high-water mark for the ambitions of any museum grappling with keeping a bead on a rapidly splintering society and audience: It refutes master narratives in favour of hidden histories  driven whether by race, gender, or economic disparity  and unflinchingly demands that we, as Canadians, face the reality of our country, past and present, unpleasant though it may be.

In a blithely celebratory moment of Canada 150, it provided a necessary drop of poison in the public ear. More importantly, it pried open wide the institutions doors to artists and communities it had historically kept at bay. It said, in no uncertain terms, that a museum cannot function apart from the messy social context in which it dwells, but rather must do so because of it.

In a statement, AGO director Stephan Jost praised Hunters work at the gallery and singled out Every. Now. Then. specifically: Andrew has helped us think more critically, deeply and compassionately about our country and our world  and he has made an incredible difference at the Gallery as a result.

Hunter said that the shows deep dive into grassroots and community arts initiatives helped reawaken his own commitment to those worlds, and spurred his decision to leave. I feel like it pointed me more clearly in a direction I was already heading, he said. A recent Aboriginal youth workshop Hunter attended in northern Ontario this summer solidified the urge. It really reminded me of whats important to me.

It many ways, Every. Now. Then. expressed the apex of Hunters ambition, which I suppose makes it a high note on which to go out. At the same time, if it signals the end to Hunters project, the gallery is in some trouble. Hunter was hired in 2013 as an outlier. Coming from outside the institutional system with a background in independent curating, community arts and experimental social practice (Dodolab, which he co-founded with Lisa Hirmer in 2009, and Hirmer still runs, was a crucible of these concerns), Hunter was the least conventional hire the AGO could make.

In other words, he was exactly what it needed. Coming out of its long Frank Gehry renovation in 2009, the gallery capped its transformation with an ill-advised, out-of-the-box imported blockbuster with King Tut: The Boy King. That piqued local anxieties as to the new AGOs ambitions, leaving most to fret that the gallery would further detach from its time and place to play in some kind of generically global context.

Then-director Matthew Teitelbaum bore the brunt of those anxieties personally, and slowly turned the ship towards a core priority of balance, intertwining the gallerys international ambitions with the critical foundation of its here and now. The AGO smartened up, crafting such things as long-overdue surveys of senior Toronto-based artists Suzy Lake and Stephen Andrews, and even in its blockbuster offerings never forgot the city outside its walls.

Hunters appointment by Teitelbaum deepened that commitment in an outward way. Teitelbaum had reset course, and appointed Hunter to maintain it. He pushed hard against convention, even in the most conventional tasks: A retrospective of Alex Colville, inflected by filmmakers Wes Anderson and the Coen Brothers, or the epic Hollywoodization of Lawren Harris, as curated by Steve Martin, which Hunter brought home and de-sanitized from its high-Modern purity, connecting it with the hardscrabble realities of early industrial-era Toronto, roiling with inequity.

Hunter has been a leader in eroding traditional barriers, demanding marginalized histories take their rightful place alongside official versions. He championed Indigenous art, overseeing a reinstallation of the museums permanent Canadian collection that wove Indigenous art into the traditional display. He refused to see divisions between sectors of the art world siloed by haughty convention, and happily surrendered authority to voices unaccustomed to taking the lead.

He led the way in establishing the museums first curator of Indigenous art, Wanda Nanibush (her current exhibition is a retrospective of iconic Indigenous Toronto-based painter Rita Letendre) and has gamely collaborated wherever possible  most recently for Every. Now. Then. with Anique Jordan, an African-Canadian independent curator.

In other words, Hunters mission was to make the AGO relevant to the world outside its doors in a deep and real way. For maybe the first time in its history, it is. The gallerys task now, with two key positions now vacant  Hunters, and the role of chief curator  is to decide whether to maintain course, or chart a new direction. It does the latter at its peril.

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ELQUI VALLEY, CHILE-Located 420-kilometres north of Santiago and an hour and a half away from La Serena, picturesque Elqui Valley sits at the southern end of the driest desert on Earth (Atacama Desert) in the mountainous Coquimbo region in northern Chile.

While the area is known to produce high-quality wines due to extreme climate conditions and sunlight with 300 sunny days per year, theres an impressive number of activities for the nature enthusiast and New Age practitioner. Here are six things worth checking out. (Tip: Cristobal Vergara of Tembeta Tours can help with the arrangements.)

Astrotourism:

Blessed with some of the clearest skies on the planet, the worlds first International Dark Sky Sanctuary is home to many pro and semi-pro observatories. Take a pre-arranged (Saturday morning only) tour of world-famous research facility Cerro Tololo or let Observatorio Chakanas Jorge Tredvino tutor you in the night sky, before returning to upscale Elqui Domos to admire more stars from bed with your new-found knowledge through the open detachable roof of your geodesic dome.

New age centre:

Need help shifting to a lower gear? Absorb the laid-back, family-friendly vibes from the mystical valley thats known for its healing energies (its the magnetic centre of the world) and concentration of alternative therapy centres. Think apitherapy, Reiki, to meditation via the resonating hum of quartz bowls at the Bioluz Bioenergetic Center. The tranquil mecca for hippies is also a hotbed of UFO activity with frequent sightings including the well-publicized crash in Paihuano and government coverup in 1998.

Pisco, Pisco, Picso:

Known for its dry Mediterranean climate, the areas vineyards mostly grow Muscat grapes for Chiles thriving pisco industry. The epicentre of production is a town theyve renamed Pisco Elqui. Unrelated to the stuff from Peru, the wood barrel-aged grape brandy produced is more delicate (Chileans argue its also superior). Visit Fundo Los Nichos and partake in a tasting after touring through Chiles oldest pisco distillery, then pick up a bottle of local-only 90-proof Espiritu de Elqui for home.

Nobel influence:

The charming small town of Vicuna is the birthplace of South Americas first Nobel Prize-winning poet Gabriela Mistral (whose face graces Chiles 5,000-peso note), and where youd find her namesake museum that preserves her memory. Continue 31 km to Monte Grande to see the simple, one-level school-home where she taught, and discover the life, culture and environment which influenced her works. Those wishing to pay their respects can find her tomb on a hill across from the villages main plaza.

Alternative energy cuisine:

Theres no questioning the valley is sunlight-rich. Delicias Del Sol, a solar-powered restaurant in Villaseca near Vicuna harnesses that energy to power 33 solar ovens that cooks everything from bread and potatoes, to stews and flans (leche asada) in four-hours or less. Some may call this ecoconscious cooking, since the low-tech devices dont contribute to air pollution or require wood that would lead to deforestation, but after tasting the fork-tender sun-roasted goat, youd agree its simply delicious.

Outdoor fun:

Sports and adventure travellers will revel in the many trekking routes, bike paths and off-road 4x4 tours available, although few things compare to stargazing while trotting on a horseback through the hills and village streets of Pisco Elqui. You might even stumble on some Indigenous petroglyphs carved into large boulders in Alcohuaz. Campers have plenty of options in the area but will require their own camping gear, however, food can be found at grocery stores and restaurants in nearby towns.

Renee S. Suen was hosted by Turismo Chile, which didnt review or approve this story.

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INDIAN BROOK, N.S.Its been eight years since the body of Tanya Brooks was discovered in the basement window well of a Halifax school.

The murder of the 36-year-old mother of five from Millbrook First Nation remains unsolved, one of an untold number of cases of violence against Indigenous women and girls that a national inquiry will examine as it visits communities across the country this fall.

My sister is one of the murdered Indigenous women in this country and I dont want her death to be in vain, said Vanessa Brooks, who plans on sharing the story of her sisters death with the inquiry when it comes to Nova Scotia in late October.

One murder is one murder too many. We need to know why our numbers are so high, why our girls are going missing and why theyre being murdered, she said. We need this inquiry and we need answers.

Read more:

Indigenous Affairs shakeup holds promise and risk: Editorial

Missing, murdered Indigenous women hearings moving ahead despite call for a reboot

Seeking fresh start, missing and murdered Indigenous women inquiry visits Nova Scotia communities

The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Inquiry has been embroiled in controversy and faces numerous criticisms, including failing to provide sufficient support to families.

In an attempt to help families and communities through the process, the Nova Scotia government announced Thursday it has hired three community support workers.

Justice Minister Mark Furey said the outreach workers will support Indigenous women and families as they share their traumatic stories with the inquiry.

The positions are funded through a three-year, $790,000 agreement with the federal government.

In addition to supporting and counselling families and providing cultural support through smudging, prayers and sweat lodges, the unit of three outreach workers will share updates and information about the inquiry process.

Nova Scotia Native Womens Association president Cheryl Maloney said providing culturally appropriate services for Indigenous communities is long overdue and should continue beyond the inquirys time frame.

This unit is one of those things that should have been done years ago, not just for the inquiry but for justice for Indigenous women, she said. There are things we can do now, that can be done better. We dont have to wait.

Marie Sack, co-ordinator of the new unit and a community support worker, said the team is already out in the field visiting Indigenous communities in Nova Scotia.

Its a very delicate situation. Sometimes families dont want to even hear about the inquiry, she said. They dont want to go back to a place in their life that they shut down and closed. But so far weve been accepted and listened to by families.

Sack said the team is reaching out to families to explain the inquiry and to see if they want to participate and share their stories.

Were trying to get families to come forward to the inquiry to give their statements privately or publicly. Were preparing families and offering them the support or healing they may need.

The inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women is moving forward despite calls from some groups for a restart.

The inquiry is examining the systemic issues behind the high number of Indigenous women who have been killed or disappeared over the last four decades. It is expected to take two years and cost almost $54 million.

The first formal public hearing was held in Whitehorse in May, but subsequent hearings were pushed back until the fall.

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OTTAWANDP leadership rivals Charlie Angus and Jagmeet Singh showcased new-found support from former opponents on Thursday, when each campaign received the backing of a candidate who dropped out of the race earlier this year.

Pat Stogran, the former veterans ombudsman and retired army colonel who called the party fundamentally flawed when he pulled out of the race in June, has thrown his support behind Ontario MP Charlie Angus.

Later Thursday, Jagmeet Singh announced in Vancouver that Peter Julian, the B.C. MP who was the first candidate to enter the race in February, is supporting his bid to replace Tom Mulcair as federal leader.

The twin endorsements came before the final debate of the contest on Sunday, with just 11 days remaining before NDP members start voting for a new leader.

Karl Belanger, a long-time NDP strategist who now is the director of the Douglas-Coldwell Foundation in Ottawa, said the four remaining candidates in the race are trying to demonstrate momentum with competing endorsement announcements.

Belanger noted that Quebec MP Guy Caron has been racking them up recently, with endorsements from former party president and 2012 leadership candidate Brian Topp, as well as former federal leader Alexa McDonough and former Newfoundland NDP leader Lorraine Michael.

These endorsements are meant to show momentum and try to influence people who are undecided to come their way, because there are seen as prominent figures of the party, he said.

In a press release Thursday morning, Angus said he asked Stogran to join his campaign to work on military and veterans issues. He said Stogran would help develop an independent and progressive foreign policy that will re-establish Canadas international credibility.

Stogran, a retired colonel who led Canadian troops in Afghanistan and served as the countrys first veterans ombudsman from 2007 to 2010, said, in a statement, that he trusts Angus to stand up for veterans. Charlie is a stand-up guy, who isnt afraid to say it as it is. That is what we need in Ottawa these days.

Stogran launched his own bid for the NDP leadership in April, when he billed himself as a scrappy populist who would reject what he called politics incorporated, a euphemism for the political and bureaucratic culture in the capital.

Our system of government is morally and functionally bankrupt, he said at his campaign launch in April.

I want to break the system.

He dropped out of the race three months later, blaming NDP insiders for trying to prevent his victory. In a video posted to YouTube, Stogran said the party he was trying to lead will never form government in Ottawa unless it reforms itself.

Belanger said that Stogran was seen as a wild card in the race, and that for him to back Angus after his criticism of the party might suggest an appeal to outsiders from the Ontario MPs campaign.

Singhs campaign released its own statement Thursday to announce Julians endorsement. The MP from New Westminster, B.C. said Singh is well-positioned to grow the party, pointing to the 47,000 new members his campaign says it has signed up since he entered the race in May. On top of that, according to Elections Canada, Singh raised $356,784 in the second quarter of 2017, more than his three rivals combined.

Julian said this shows Singh can compete with the likes of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Conservative leader Andrew Scheer.

I know Jagmeet has already surpassed their fundraising and been competitive with their membership recruitment in their respective leadership runs, he said in the statement.

Julian dropped his own bid for the leadership in July, explaining that his campaign couldnt raise enough money for a legitimate shot at victory.

NDP members will start voting by mail and online Sept. 18, and their new leader will be chosen in October.

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Torontos booming film, video and digital production industry, limited only by the availability of studio space and crews, is getting a boost.

As stars and moguls land downtown for the Toronto International Film Festival, Mayor John Tory and Cinespace Film Studios executives will be in Etobicoke on Thursday breaking ground on two new studios and connecting space totalling 50,000 square feet.

Cinespace, home to the Hulu hit The Handmaids Tale, recently wrapped period drama Reign and many other productions, says the addition will allow concurrent filming at its Kipling Studio Campus of seven big productions, up from six. The expansion will also include a large, permanent underwater filming tank.

Cinespace vice-president Jim Mirkopoulos told the Star the new space will help alleviate  but not eliminate  the studio space crisis that has cost Toronto big bucks in lost filming opportunities.

My company has had to turn away at least 10 projects in calendar year 2017 so far because of lack of studio space in Toronto, Mirkopoulos said.

Some of those projects went to other jurisdictions  they werent able to find studio space in Toronto. We are doing our part to ensure that happens less often in Toronto.

Cinespace opened the Kipling campus in 2009 after more than 20 years in the neighbourhood of Eastern and Carlaw Aves. The homegrown family firm has more than 2 million square feet of studio space in Toronto and Chicago.

Plans for its new Titan Studios, part of a multi-year, multi-million-dollar expansion of the Kipling site, come after rival Pinewood Studios, home to the Star Trek: Discovery television series, broke ground on a 30,000-square-foot Port Lands studio complex with advanced special effects stage.

In an interview Wednesday, Tory said he expects yet more good news for the production industry.

This is huge, Im delighted, he said of the Cinespace commitment. This is going to help, I believe  given both the (studio space) need and the competitive nature of the business  trigger other investments that I know people are thinking and talking about in different parts of the cities.

There are a significant number of expansion plans out there, Tory said. People just need the trigger, and I think this will help.

After sagging in 2012, filming investment in Toronto soared to $1.55 billion in 2015 and last year topped $2 billion for the first time. Much of the record investment was in successful episodic shows that kept crews busy but also tied up studio space held for the next seasons filming.

Mirkopoulos says factors in the ongoing success are stability in provincial tax credits; the low Canadian dollar; the success and proven quality of Toronto-made productions; and a city hall welcome wagon driven by staff in the film office as well as Tory and Councillor Paula Fletcher.

Efforts with film unions to get more crew members trained is helping address that problem, he said, while agencies including the Toronto District School Board are stepping up with filming locations and, in the summer months, school parking spaces for those ubiquitous white trucks.

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This week, I regurgitated the bile I had swallowed over transit planning in the region.

The catalyst was news that approval of new GO transit stops in Kirby and at Lawrence Avenue East came only after provincial transportation ministry pressure; Kirby is in the ministers riding and the Lawrence stop is needed for Mayor John Torys dubious plan.

I could taste again the bitterness formed over three decades of reporting the half-truths, secret deals and political interference that has sullied the transit planning process in Greater Toronto.

Metrolinx, the arms-length agency that is supposed to give us the unvarnished truth about transit options and decide on which ones best serve the regions needs, was co-opted on this file, documents suggest.

We always suspected this, even though stellar public servants, such as Anne Golden, sit on the board.

But now comes the evidence that Metrolinx, at first, did not approve the two stations because a consultants analysis showed the system would lose riders, not gain, by spending the $123 million to add those stations to the network. Then Metrolinx officials reversed the decision after interference from Steven Del Ducas ministry, with supporting documents subsequently altered to downplay the earlier concerns.

The political finagling was done in private, unknown to the public, until a freedom of information request from Star reporter Ben Spurr unearthed the truth.

But worse of all, few of us care enough to raise an eyebrow once the underhanded manoeuvring became public; Del Duca easily deflected concerns. Tory continues to defend his indefensible position on SmartTrack. And Metrolinx Chair Rob Prichard ignored requests for comment, responding with a one-word, Yes, to Star queries about whether he stood by the station-approval process.

This proves again how sedated we have become on the transit file.

We are not surprised that politics trump good planning, because we have seen it play out with the Sheppard Subway, the subway extension into Vaughan and also one proposed to the Scarborough Town Centre.

Cynical and skeptical we may be.

But not agitated or resentful enough to demand better.

We fall back into acceptance.

But censorious vituperation and raw anger is needed.

I have long felt that righteous indignation might stop this madness and prevent Toronto from wasting billions of dollars in the worthy quest for transit improvements.

The minister should resign.

And the civilian overseers at Metrolinx, starting with chair Rob Prichard, should be sent packing.

There is enough evidence of shoddy, misleading, unsupportable, politically-motivated, damaging and wasteful decisions to sustain outrage for months on end . . . until the culprits start taking heed.

That came to mind when it was reported that Torontos chief planner Jennifer Keesmaat was moving on from the city at the end of September. Keesmaat did save us from the more damaging aspects of Torys transit plan, a scheme so obviously flawed that she risked being fired rather than endorse SmartTrack as it was proposed.

She made it palatable, but not healthy. Now, even her improved version is being exposed as bad for transit in the corridor.

You have probably tuned out long ago, but a quick recap reminds us of the madness that flowed from the simple task of modernizing and replacing the Scarborough RT line, running from Kennedy subway station up to the Scarborough Town Centre at McCowan and the 401.

Instead of modernizing the RT (see Vancouver), Mayor David Miller proposed a LRT network and Queens Park agreed to pay the $1.7-billion price tag. Obviously, there was a stop at Lawrence Ave. East. But madcap Mayor Rob Ford bellowed subways, subways, subways! and had Council abandon the funded LRT for a nearly $3.56 billion unfunded subway.

But wait! New Mayor John Tory wins the election on proposal to build SmartTrack, with a Lawrence station right next to the now-subway station at Lawrence. Keesmaat and everyone else knows you dont need a subway stop and a SmartTrack (GO) stop cannibalizing each other in a corridor that barely has enough riders for a LRT stop.

So Keesmaat masterminds a deal that moves the subway east to McCowan, with no stop at Lawrence. Alas, Metrolinx studies showed that, even with the compromise, a Smart-Track GO stop at Lawrence isnt warranted, and would have the system lose riders because it would slow down the GO commute.

Of course, Tory and Del Duca cant take no for an answer. Kirby is in the ministers riding. And Tory needs the Lawrence East GO/SmartTrack stop to claim his gutted SmartTrack plan remains viable.

So Metrolinx acquiesced.

How refreshing it would be if, at least now, freed of the constraints of the mayors office, Keesmaat could say clearly how disastrous the mayors designs were and how conflicted and less than ideal her compromised one-stop subway solution is.

Yes, its asking a lot of a bureaucrat who has a long career ahead and is concerned about the repercussions. But if the Toronto region is to be rid of these political charlatans and their schemes, it will take courage from the civil servants and bureaucrats who prop them up.

And it will take a more vigilant and determined press.

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Tech giant Amazon is looking to establish a second HQ in a city in North America and Toronto is aiming to get it. Municipal and provincial officials know competition will be fierce for the facility, which will generate tens of thousands of jobs, billions of dollars in investment and potentially massive spinoffs. But they are determined to do all they can to secure it.

Seattle-based Amazon announced Thursday its search for a home for Amazon HQ2, adding it expects to invest more than $5 billion (U.S.) in construction and grow this second headquarters to include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs.

Inviting competitive bids, Jeff Bezos, the online retail giants founder and chief executive, added that the new complex will be a full equal to the companys Seattle urban campus, which has 33 buildings, measures 8.1 million square feet and boasts 24 restaurants and cafes.

In an interview, Mayor John Tory called the chance of securing the facility for Toronto, which is on the cusp of a tech boom, the Olympics of bidding, for 50,000 jobs over time . . . its gigantic.

Tory said Amazons request-for-proposal outline of what it wants in a winning bid sounds as though it was written for Canadas biggest city. It asks for a large educated workforce and the presence and support of a diverse population, excellent institutions of higher education, local government structure and elected officials eager and willing to work with the company.

We should be bidding for this and be very, very competitive and Im in the midst of talking to the other governments to make sure thats what we do, the mayor said Thursday afternoon, adding they were determining who should quarterback the proposal, which must be submitted by Oct. 19.

Within hours of Amazons morning announcement, a raft of North American states and cities, including Vancouver, Boston, Pittsburgh, Chicago and Detroit, signaled plans to fight for a tenant weighty enough, according to tech industry observers, to trigger the creation of new firms and propel a city to the status of a global player.

In a Bloomberg news column Conor Sen, a portfolio manager for New River Investments in Atlanta, said Amazons real options are Toronto, Boston, Washington, Atlanta, Dallas and Denver.

Economic Development Minister Brad Duguid told the Stars Robert Benzie that Ontario officials are already working hard to lure the new flagship site for Amazon, which announced in June it would add 200 staff to the 600 at its Toronto office. The company also has workers at a corporate office in Vancouver and a Montreal-based cloud region.

This is a groundbreaking type of investment; I mean, theyre talking 50,000 jobs, and theres no question that we wouldnt be bold enough to be very ambitious when it comes to trying to land this, said Duguid, adding that Ontarios chief investment officer Allan ODette is already on this and the province has heard expressions of interest from officials in Toronto and other municipalities.

We certainly would work with our federal partners as well; something like this would probably require all three levels of government working together.

While Torontos educated workforce, powerhouse cluster of universities, booming Toronto-Waterloo tech corridor and internationally recognized quality of life all tick boxes on Amazons wishlist, the company also wants bidders to outline total incentives offered for the project.

Duguid made no promises, but noted his government has spent $3 billion on incentives for businesses over the years to leverage $27 billion in investment and create 170,000 jobs.

Also keen is Toronto Global, established this year with funding from all three levels of government to lure companies to the Toronto region.

We read the (request for proposal) this morning and said the only place youre going to get all of this is Toronto, so lets go, said the agencys chief executive Toby Lennox.

The opportunity comes at a fortuitous time for Toronto. Uber and Thomson Reuters have both made significant recent tech investments in the city.

Waterfront Toronto will soon announce the winning bidder to build a high-tech test neighbourhood in Quayside on the citys eastern waterfront. Companies vying for that prize reportedly include Sidewalk Labs, a sister company of Google.

I think Toronto is a really reasonable place for a company the scale of Amazon to look at, said OCAD University president Sara Diamond, adding that all levels of government have done a great job positioning the Toronto region for major tech investment.

Torontos emergence as a cultural magnet and sports city, and strong edge over U.S. cities in public education and health care, should also help, she said.

Abdullah Snobar, executive director of Ryerson Universitys DMZ business incubator, called Toronto an underestimated, but hugely accomplished, city.

We pack a punch way above our weight, but should work on celebrating our successes, telling our story a little better, he said, predicting Torontos predictability and stability, compared to whats happening in the U.S., will appeal to a global company such as Amazon.

Toronto also boasts large swaths of central undeveloped land, particularly in east downtown. David Gerofsky, chief executive of developer First Gulf, says his companys East Harbour site at the former Unilever site could host Amazon as an environmentally sustainable transit hub that can host up to 70,000 workers in 12-million-plus square feet.

Theres no other site like it with scale in the heart of a major city and thats what makes it quite unique, he said.

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Carrying signs saying We are here for Dafonte, demonstrators protested outside an Oshawa courthouse Thursday before a brief hearing for the Toronto police officer and his brother charged with assaulting the Black teen.

(Toronto police) Chief Saunders is saying this is not a cover-up. But this is a clear definition of what is wrong with policing in Ontario, said Rodney Diverlus, a member of Black Lives Matter Toronto and one of about two dozen protestors.

Const. Michael Theriault, 25, and his brother, Christian Theriault, 21, are charged with aggravated assault, assault with a weapon and public mischief in relation to the alleged beating of Dafonte Miller on a Whitby street in December.

The brothers  whose father John Theriault is a longtime Toronto police officer currently assigned to the professional standards unit  did not appear in court Thursday, where a brief hearing was held to arrange pre-trial hearing dates.

Read more: SIU investigation into Toronto officer charged with assault will not be available at trial, judge rules

Currently out on bail, the brothers were ordered to appear in person at a court date later this month.

Miller, 19, was seriously injured on Dec. 28, 2016 after an early morning encounter with the Theriaults on a residential Whitby street. His injuries included a broken orbital bone, broken nose, a fractured wrist and damage to an eye thats so severe it will have to be surgically removed.

The high-profile case has raised questions about the conduct of the off-duty cop and his brother, as well as the response by Toronto police and Durham Regional Police. Durham police was called in to investigate on the night of the incident and charged Miller, not the Theriaults, with assault and other charges that were later dropped.

In spite of a provincial law requiring police to contact the Special Investigations Unit (SIU) immediately after incidents where civilians were seriously injured in interactions with officers, the police watchdog was not informed of Millers injuries until four months later  and only then by Millers lawyer, Julian Falconer.

Once the SIU learned of Millers injuries, the watchdog launched an investigation that resulted in charges against the Theriault brothers in July.

The SIU typically does not investigate incidents involving off-duty officers, but will take on a case if the off-duty cop identifies himself as a police officer during an occurrence that leads to serious injury, death or allegations of sexual assault.

Saunders told reporters last month that Toronto police determined they would not contact the SIU because they understood that Michael Theriault had not identified himself as a police officer during the incident. Meanwhile, Durham police have said they did not contact the SIU because it was Toronto polices role to contact the SIU as the employer.

Falconer, Millers lawyer, told a press conference at Queens Park last month that he believes there was a deliberate and intentional effort on the part of police authorities to conceal a crime by one of their own. He alleges there were attempts by the Theriaults father to conceal his sons alleged crimes.

Saunders has strongly denied allegations of a cover-up, saying his officers acted in good faith.

Outside court Thursday, protestor Ravyn Wingz accused the Theriaults of taking the law into their own hands.

We will not rest until justice is put upon these officers, Wingz said, before the group headed into the courthouse.

According to Falconers summary of the incident, which has not been tested in court, Miller and his friends were walking down the street when they were confronted by the Theriaults, who had been sitting in the garage of their home nearby. Michael Theriault, who was off-duty, identified himself as a police officer and asked what the young men were doing.

When Miller and his friends did not reply and kept walking, the Theriaults chased after them and caught up to Miller and proceeded to punch him, kick him, beat him with a metal pipe and strike him in the face, according to Falconer.

Durham police were called to the scene, where Michael Theriault told officers he and his brother had heard noises coming from a car in their driveway, and saw Miller and one of his friends running away from the car, according to Falconer. Michael Theriault told Durham police that change used for grocery money was missing from the car, the lawyer said.

Miller was charged with theft under $5,000, assault with a weapon and possession of a small amount of marijuana. The charges were later withdrawn by the Crown.

Wendy Gillis can be reached at wgillis@thestar.ca

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SUDBURYBribery charges against Premier Kathleen Wynnes former deputy chief of staff and a local Liberal organizer are unfounded, defence lawyers argued Thursday as a closely watched Election Act trial began in Ontario Court of Justice.

Patricia Sorbara and Sudbury funeral home operator Gerry Lougheed are accused of trying to induce a potential Liberal nominee out of the February 2015 Sudbury byelection with offers of jobs or appointments to make way for Wynnes preferred choice, defecting New Democrat MP Glenn Thibeault.

But Thibeault, now Wynnes energy minister, had agreed to be the candidate on Dec. 11, 2014, hours before Andrew Olivier was first approached by Lougheed and Sorbara the following day to step aside and endorse him, defence lawyers said.

There was never going to be a contested nomination process, Lougheed lawyer Michael Lacy told Justice Howard Borenstein in opening arguments of the trial scheduled to continue into October.

Mr. Oliviers wishful thinking in that regard does not transform him into a candidate.

Olivier, a mortgage broker who recorded conversations with the defendants allegedly offering him jobs, was the Sudbury Liberal candidate in the 2014 provincial election, placing second to a New Democrat who won the riding held by veteran Liberal MPP and cabinet minister Rick Bartolucci for 18 years. The NDP winner quit for family reasons five months later, prompting the byelection.

Sorbara lawyer Brian Greenspan noted the Ontario Liberal Party constitution allows candidates to be appointed by the leader in some circumstances.

Ultimately, the premier, as head of the party . . . has the right.

Lacy revealed new evidence from Oliviers cellphone  a conversation with Sorbara showing she talked to him three weeks earlier on Nov. 23, 2014 making it clear he would not necessarily be the Liberal flag-bearer in the byelection later called for Feb. 5, 2015.

You are the past candidate but youre not the current candidate yet, she cautioned in a recorded phone call replayed for the court with Olivier on the stand as the Crowns first witness.

Olivier, who is a quadriplegic, records his conversations because he cannot take notes.

In the call, Sorbara asked Olivier his opinion on the timing of the byelection, if he could work with Lougheed in seeking the nomination and spoke of the urgent need to win the riding back from the NDP, calling Wynne a determined woman in that regard.

Olivier said he got the impression he needed to continue selling party memberships in hopes of winning a nomination meeting, and was later floored to learn of the backroom deal with Thibeault.

Even after meeting with Thibeault, I still felt an open nomination would be the best way to go, said Olivier, who eventually decided to run as an independent in the byelection and placed third behind Thibeault and a New Democrat.

Olivier also had a call from Wynne in which he told her not holding a nomination contest would be a disservice to the democratic process but did not ask about the alleged job offers from Lougheed earlier the same day.

My intentions were still on running, he testified, adding it would not make any sense to inquire about positions in consolation for being shunted aside.

Crown prosecutor David McKercher maintained that the separate conversations recorded by Olivier with Sorbara and Lougheed on Dec. 11 and 12 of 2014 will prove he was offered jobs and appointments to exit the nomination race.

The premier did not think Andrew Olivier would win, McKercher said in the Crowns opening statement, painting a picture of a party eager to get Olivier out of the way as smoothly as possible.

The Liberals were especially concerned there be no dissent in party ranks over Wynnes choice of candidate given there had been rumours the premier had wanted to appoint a candidate in the June 2014 general election.

Mr. Thibeault was particularly concerned about the switch factor, McKercher added, referring to Thibeaults own defection from the federal NDP.

In the Liberal hierarchy, the push was on to get Olivier to ideally step aside and have Thibeault acclaimed in an open nomination process to show unity, McKercher said.

But the behind-the-scenes talks with Thibeault, including a Nov. 30, 2014 meeting in which Wynne decided he had the best chance of winning the byelection, had to be kept quiet.

The premier and the Ontario Liberal Party believed that secrecy was very important, McKercher said.

Thibeault demanded three things to become the candidate: replacement of his MPs income during the byelection campaign, paid Liberal campaign jobs for two of his NDP riding office staff, and the full support of the Liberal party.

Sorbara made these commitments to him, said McKercher.

The Crown alleges the job offers to the staff are against the Election Act, resulting in a second charge Sorbara is facing.

Both Sorbara and Lougheed, who faces one charge, pleaded not guilty. If convicted, they could be fined up to $25,000 and sentenced to maximum jail sentences of two years less a day. The charges under the Election Act are in a lesser category than the Criminal Code.

Sorbara stepped down as a key member of the Liberal 2018 election campaign after being charged late last year.

Wynne, who has previously said the goal was to keep Olivier involved in the party, will testify in the case next Wednesday.

An investigation by Ontario Provincial Police included tapes posted on social media of conversations with Sorbara and Lougheed with Olivier.

In one recording, Sorbara told Olivier we should have the broader conversation about what it is youd be most interested in doing . . . whether its a full-time or part-time job in a (constituency) office, whether it is appointments, supports or commissions. . . 

Wynne has said previously the goal was to keep Olivier, who placed second in the 2014 general election to New Democrat Joe Cimino, involved in the Liberal party.

Cimino quit five months into his term for family reasons, prompting the byelection.

Read more: Kathleen Wynne to testify in Sudbury byelection trial next week

Top Liberals face Elections Act charges in Sudbury case

Wynne adviser steps down after OPP charges related to Sudbury byelection

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CHINO, CALIF.Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Mansons murderous followers, was recommended for parole Wednesday by a state panel that concluded she has radically changed her life during the more than 40 years she has been in prison for two brutal murders she helped commit 48 years ago and is no longer a threat to society.

The two-member panels ruling must still be approved by the state Parole Board and Gov, Jerry Brown, who reversed another panels ruling last year.

In blocking her release then, Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19.

Read more:

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Charles Manson follower seeks parole again 47 years after killings

On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns.

Ive had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself, she said.

To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened, added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her grey hair pulled back in a bun.

She went on to say that she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her schools outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia. She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Franciscos Haight-Ashbury District during San Franciscos summer of love.

When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her fetus in their backyard.

Soon after, she was travelling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a family to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders. His disaffected youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him.

As she did at her parole hearing last year, the soft-spoken Van Houten went on to candidly describe how she joined several other members of the Manson Family in killing Los Angeles grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, in their home on Aug. 9, 1969, carving up La Biancas body and smearing the couples blood on the walls.

She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage.

On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to do something, she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it, she added quietly.

Relatives of the La Biancas didnt believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid.

No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever, nephew Louis Smaldino said. She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done.

The voice of the La Biancas oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne, broke as he noted hes about to turn 44, the same age his grandfather was when he was killed.

Please see to it that this fight doesnt have to happen every year for the rest of our lives, he said of Van Houtens nearly two dozen parole hearings.

Family members left before the panel announced its decision.

In reaching it, Parole Commissioner Brian Roberts and Deputy Commissioner Dale Pomantz said they took into account Van Houtens entire time of incarceration. During those years she has earned bachelors and masters degrees in counselling, been certified as a counsellor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

Youve been a facilitator, youve been a tutor and youve been giving back for quite a number of years, Roberts said.

Still, he warned her that if she is released that living in society again will not be easy. He noted parole officials have heard from tens of thousands of people who dont want her released. But others, he added, including many who have known her since childhood, spoke up for her, saying theyve seen her mature in prison and become a different person.

So with that wed like to wish you good luck, he said.

Thank you very much, I really appreciate it, replied Van Houten, who attended on crutches because of a knee injury suffered in a recent fall. She said her health is otherwise fine.

Afterward, her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, said he believes Van Houten addressed the concerns the governor had when he denied her parole last year.

My hope is hes going to follow the law and let his commissioners do their job, he said.

He added his client was relieved by Wednesdays ruling, adding he believes she will be released eventually.

Im getting her out of here. Thats not an issue. The question is when, he said.

No one who took part in the Tate-La Bianca murders has been released from prison so far.

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BANDARBAN, BANGLADESHThe young Rohingya couple fleeing violence in Burma had escaped with their family to nearby Bangladesh, where they spent days living in a hastily built shelter on a muddy hill. For the sake of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Adha, they decided to return home briefly, for a quick bath and clean clothes.

The mans brother soon followed them  to retrieve their bodies.

Kefayet Ullahs brother has been slaughtered near the fence! a man shouts in a cellphone video as a cousin carries Jarullahs body, blood from the corpse pouring down his back. They cut his hands and legs and belly also.

Kefayet Ullah carried his dead sister-in-law. Wailing and moans  Oh, Allah!  can be heard in the video as the group encounters villagers along the wooded path.

Read more:

Rohingya refugee boat capsizes near Bangladesh, killing 5 as more flee Burma

123,000 Rohingya refugees have fled Burma, UNHCR says

Starving and exhausted, Burmas Rohingya Muslims embark on treacherous journey in search of safety

Ullah said he couldnt bear the thought of leaving his loved ones behind, and so risked his life to bring their bodies back so they could be buried in peace. There was also one life left to save: the couples 2-year-old son, who was found near his parents bodies.

Like untold numbers of people, Ullah and his family have been caught up in the latest violence to ravage Rohingya villages in northern Rakhine state, in the northwest corner of majority-Buddhist Burma. Many have seen their homes burned to the ground. More than 120,000 have fled for safety in neighbouring Bangladesh in less than two weeks since the violence began.

Burmas government said it conducted security clearance operations to root out Rohingya insurgents who attacked at least two dozen police posts with machetes and rifles.

Rohingya see the violence that followed the insurgent attacks as something more: a campaign to rid the country of a minority seen by authorities as unwanted outsiders. They were denied citizenship and rights by the countrys former military rulers. And life has only gotten worse for many since an elected government headed by Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi took over.

On Aug. 28, three days after the violence began, Ullah and his family fled, leaving behind their ancestral home, a shop and four hectares of farmland.

The government ordered the military to come to our villages and to shoot the people who were older than 8, Ullah said in a small forest clearing near the refugee-packed seaside city of Bandarban, where he buried his brother and sister-in-law.

Two simple mounds of earth marked the spot. He brushed fallen leaves from the unmarked graves.

In some areas, he said, they started attacking people and raping the girls and women. They were burning down the houses.

He paused to fill holes left in the earth by the hooves of cattle that had wandered through the makeshift cemetery. Across the road, his parents, pregnant wife and three sons huddled under a sheet of plastic propped up haphazardly on bamboo poles.

For the moment, they are safe  one of many families occupying a muddy patch sticking out of the Naf River in what is essentially a no mans land between the borders of Burma and Bangladesh. But Ullah said he wasnt sure how long they could manage in their squalid shelter. There is no clean water and no access to toilets.

Refugee camps in Bangladesh have filled beyond capacity and tens of thousands are squatting in the open. Meanwhile, Rohingya continue to pour in through several open areas along the barbed-wire border fence, or aboard smugglers rickety wooden boats.

Even now, the family yearns to go back to their village near the border, the only home Ullah has known.

Even my grandfathers father was born there, he said. But he realizes they may never return. Ultra-nationalist Buddhist monks call his people Bengali  meant as a derogatory term implying they were illegal immigrants.

The monks say that we came from Bangladesh and India. They say you are not the people of this land. You go from this place,  he said.

They think, If we burn down Rohingya houses and kill the Rohingya people and slit their throats, then the number of Rohingya people will decrease,  he said, his voice breaking. Thats why they say theres no need to give us citizenship.

Ullahs home in Maungdaw township is fairly close to the barbed-wire fence that marks much of the Burma-Bangladesh border. In other places, the Naf River separates the countries.

The home was close enough that Jarullah, 25, and his 21-year-old wife, Ayesha Bibi, decided to return Saturday morning.

Kefayet Ullah said Jarullah called within minutes of their return and told him soldiers and monks had surrounded their home.

Then, the phone went silent.

Ullah said a terrified cousin managed to escape behind some bushes and watched. He told Ullah the mob first looted the house of its valuables, then killed the couple after demanding money and gold from them.

Ullah said he felt he had no choice but to bring the bodies back. He and his cousin snuck across the border once again to do it.

They buried them later Saturday, the main day of Eid al-Adha.

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You may have seen it circulating online: a big, bold headline warning that hurricane Irma is on track to become a Category 6 storm.

Do not be fooled. There is no such thing.

As Irma churned west with sustained winds of 298 kilometres per hour on Tuesday, making it among the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes on record, some armchair meteorologists suggested that there should be. On the surface, that makes some sense: The difference between successive categories on the existing scale ranges from 23 to 42 km/h, and Irmas winds were 45 km/h past the Category 5 threshold. In the years ahead, hurricanes are quite likely to become stronger, and the strongest ones more frequent. But Category 6 still is not going to happen.

The scale was developed one to five, Joel Myers, founder and president of AccuWeather, said in an interview Tuesday evening. When you develop a scale one to five, there cant be any Category 6.

The purpose of the categories, known as the Saffir-Simpson scale, is to quantify a hurricanes destructive power, and the destructive power of a Category 5 hurricane  one with sustained winds of at least 253 km/h  is virtually total.

A high percentage of framed homes will be destroyed, with total roof failure and wall collapse, Dennis Feltgen, a spokesperson for the National Hurricane Center, wrote in an email. Fallen trees and power poles will isolate residential areas. Power outages will last for weeks to possibly months. Most of the area will be uninhabitable for weeks or months.

The scale classifies this level of damage as catastrophic, Feltgen said, and what is left after catastrophic damage?

This is not to say there is no difference between a storm that brings 257-km/h winds and one that reaches 306. Myers noted that the force of the winds goes up with the square of the velocity. In laymans terms, that means a hurricane with 322-km winds has four times  not just double  the force of one with 161-km/h winds. And wind is not the only factor; barometric pressure and other characteristics also affect how destructive it will be.

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But practically, once a storm has levelled a city, there is little more it can do.

Just three Category 5 hurricanes have made landfall in the United States since 1924. The most recent one, hurricane Andrew, hit in August 1992, and the destruction it wrought in South Florida was so complete, the Miami Herald reported the next morning, that it changed the very nature of the region.

Fifty kilometres south of Miami, a state official told the Herald at the time, Homestead Air Force Base no longer exists.

The only other Category 5 hurricanes to strike the United States in the past nine decades are Camille, which made landfall in Mississippi in August 1969, and an unnamed storm that made landfall in the Florida Keys on Labor Day of 1935. Both decimated the regions they hit.

The Category 6 reports were not the only hoaxes circulating as Irma bore down on the Leeward Islands. Another one claimed that the storm is on track to hit the region just ravaged by hurricane Harvey, when in reality, current forecasts show it heading for Florida. And that is not an academic question.

Peoples lives are at stake, Myers said. If people get the wrong information and make the wrong decision, its a tragedy.

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WASHINGTONIn a flurry of phone calls with world leaders, U.S. President Donald Trump took a tough line against negotiating with North Korea as the communist countrys latest nuclear test exposed stark differences among international leaders for containing the threat. Meanwhile, Trumps military, diplomacy and intelligence chiefs briefed Congress on his strategy Wednesday.

Trump stressed now is not the time to talk to North Korea, according to a White House description of his telephone call with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Tuesday. He said the U.S. was considering all options to defend itself and its allies. The readout was released shortly before Trump spoke with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whose support is critical if the UN is to tighten sanctions on North Korea, including possibly restricting oil sales.

We had a very good phone call. It lasted for a long time, Trump said of his talks with the Chinese leader. President Xi would like to do something. Well see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea. I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 per cent. He doesnt want to see whats happening there, either.

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Asked if he was considering military action against North Korea, Trump told reporters: Certainly thats not our first choice, but we will see what happens.

A statement posted on state broadcaster China Central Televisions website described Xi telling Trump that China is committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula. But Xi stressed the solution must come through dialogue and peaceful means.

Trump also discussed North Koreas purported hydrogen bomb test with Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull. The weekend explosion was Pyongyangs strongest-ever nuclear test and follows launches in July of an intercontinental ballistic missile that could reach the U.S. mainland. Trump and Turnbull confirmed that their two countries will intensify joint efforts to denuclearize North Korea.

While Trump consulted his international counterparts, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats were holding closed-door briefings with House and Senate members on the North Korean threat.

Members of the UN Security Council met on Sept. 4 to address the growing threat from North Korea following its claimed successful test of a nuclear bomb. (The Associated Press)

As the Trump administration looked for partners to increase the Norths economic and diplomatic pressure, Russian President Vladimir Putin was pushing in the opposite direction. He warned against cornering Pyongyang. That sentiment is likely shared by Beijing, which fears a North Korean collapse on its border.

The Norths nuclear test flagrantly violates international law, Putin said. But he urged talks with North Korea, saying sanctions arent a solution.

Speaking after a meeting Wednesday with the president of close U.S. ally South Korea, Putin urged support for a Russian-Chinese road map that seeks a North Korean nuclear freeze in exchange for the U.S. and South Korea curbing military drills. Washington rejects the proposal; Putin insisted it offers a genuine way to defuse the tensions and a step-by-step settlement.

We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner, Putin said. As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions.

South Korean President Moon Jae-in urged Russia to back stronger sanctions on the North, including an oil cut-off, but Putin worried that such moves would hurt North Koreas people, said Yoon Young-Chan, Moons chief press secretary. Moon also called for a ban on overseas North Korean workers  many of them in China and Russia  who provide foreign currency to the North.

Moon, a liberal who took office in May, initially advocated a diplomatic approach on North Korea. His government has taken a harder stance as the North continued its torrid pace of weapons tests. Speaking to Russian news agency TASS on Tuesday, Moon said he believes now is not the time for talks and that the international community must increase the pressure on North Korea.

Illustrating the countrys hardening sentiment, South Korea says the U.S. military will begin adding more launchers to a contentious high-tech U.S. missile defence system in South Korea on Thursday. Although focused on deterring North Korea, China and Russia see the system as harmful to their security interests.

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BANGKOKJournalists saw new fires burning Thursday in a Burmese village that had been abandoned by Rohingya Muslims, and pages ripped from Islamic texts that were left on the ground. That intensifies doubts about government claims that members of the persecuted minority have been destroying their own homes.

About two dozen journalists saw the fires in Gawdu Zara village in northern Rakhine state on a government-controlled trip.

About 164,000 Rohingya from the area have fled across the border into Bangladesh in less than two weeks since Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts in Gawdu Zara and several other villages, the UN refugee agency said Thursday.

The military has said nearly 400 people, mostly Rohingya, have died in clashes and that troops were conducting clearance operations. It blames insurgents for setting the villages on fire, without offering proof.

Read more:

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Rohingya who have fled Burma, however, have described large-scale violence perpetrated by Burmese troops and Buddhist mobs  setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately, stabbing civilians and ordering them to abandon their homes or be killed.

On the Burma side of the border, reporters saw no Rohingya in any of the five destroyed villages they were allowed to tour Thursday, making it unlikely they could have been responsible for the new fires.

An ethnic Rakhine villager who emerged from the smoke said police and Rakhine Buddhists had set the fires. The villager ran off before he could be asked anything else.

No police were seen in the village beyond those who were accompanying the journalists. But about 10 Rakhine men with machetes were seen there. They looked nervous and the only one who spoke said he had just arrived and did not know how the fires started.

Among the buildings on fire was a madrassa, an Islamic school. Copies of books with texts from the Quran, Islams holy book, were torn up and thrown outside. A nearby mosque was not burned.

Another village the journalists visited, Ah Lel Than Kyaw, was blackened, obliterated and deserted. Cattle and dogs wandered through the still-smouldering remains.

Local police officer Aung Kyaw Moe said 18 people were killed in the village when the violence began last month.

From our side, there was one immigration officer dead, and we found 17 dead bodies from the enemy side, he said.

He said the fires were set Aug. 25, though some continued to burn Thursday. Virtually all buildings in the village seen by journalists had been burned, along with cars, motorbikes and bicycles that fleeing villagers left behind. A mosque was also damaged.

Columns of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, and distant gunshots could be heard.

They burned their own houses and ran away, Aung Kyaw Moe said. We didnt see who actually burned them because we had to take care of the security for our outpost. . . . But when the houses were burned, Bengalis were the only ones in the village.

Buddhist-majority Burma refers to Rohingya as Bengalis, contending they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, though many Rohingya families have lived in Burma for generations.

Burning the homes of Rohingya can make it less likely they will return. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven from their homes in another wave of violence in 2012. Many are now confined to camps, while the land they once held is either vacant or occupied by Buddhist squatters.

Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger based in Europe with contacts in northern Rakhine, said that according to witnesses, the Burmese military, border guard police and Rakhine villagers came to Ah Lel Than Kyaw and burned the houses from Monday to Wednesday.

On Aug. 25, he said, young men with swords and knives tried to attack the border guard outpost in Aley Than Kyaw but failed. The authorities took away all Buddhist villagers, and many Rohingya villagers fled on their own.

Nay San Lwin said the remaining villagers left after the military warned them they would be shot if they did not leave.

Burmas leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign.

According to her office, she said such misinformation helps promote the interests of terrorists, a reference to the Rohingya insurgents who attacked security posts on Aug. 25.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Suu Kyis response unconscionable.

On Thursday, Suu Kyi told reporters her government was working to improve security and livelihoods for Rohingya, but that its a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months since her administration took office.

With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more.

The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no mans land between the two countries borders.

UN agencies said they were distributing food to new arrivals, about 80 per cent of whom were women and children, joining about 100,000 who had already been sheltering in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier convulsions of violence in Burma.

Aid workers said many were arriving with violence-related injuries, severe infections or childbirth complications.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Thursday that her country offered refuge to Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, but called it a big burden for us.

The international community must take the responsibility, she said.

Hasinas government has taken an initiative to identify the refugees to prevent terrorists from entering Bangladesh under disguise, the local Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency reported, quoting the prime ministers Press secretary Ihsanul Karim.

With so many Rohingya fleeing, it is unclear how many remain in Burma amid reports of soldiers burning villages and killing civilians.

Before the recent violence, aid experts estimated about 1 million Rohingya were living in northern Rakhine state. But aid agencies have been unable to access the area since.

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited a Rohingya camp in Bangladesh and then met with Hasina.

They said Burma agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya. They also pledged continuing support for the Rohingya.

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MIAMIThe race to flee Hurricane Irma became a marathon nightmare as more than a half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday.

With the storm barrelling toward the tip of Florida for perhaps a catastrophic blow this weekend, normally quick trips turned into daylong journeys on crowded highways amid a constant search for gasoline and lodging. Airline seats out of Florida were in short supply as well.

Mari and Neal Michaud loaded their two children and dog into their small sport-utility vehicle and left their home near Cocoa Beach about 10 a.m., bound for an impromptu vacation in Washington, D.C. Using a phone app and calls to search for fuel along the way, they finally arrived at a convenience store that had gasoline nearly five hours later.

The 100-kilometre trip up Interstate 95 should have taken an hour, said Mari Michaud.

There was no gas and its gridlock. People are stranded on the sides of the highway, she said. Its 92 degrees out and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them.

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the Keys and parts of South Florida, including some of the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people. It was the first of perhaps many watches and warnings along the Southeastern coast over the next several days as forecasters warn the storm could hit anywhere from Florida to North Carolina.

As people along the Atlantic Coast anxiously watched the behemoth, Irma battered the northern Caribbean, killing at least 11 people and leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees.

At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night, Gov. Rick Scott said. He noted the size of the powerful Category 5 storm, and told residents not to become complacent.

Read more:

Hurricane Irma brings death, destruction to the Caribbean

Florida Panthers charter plane to shuttle players, staff out of Hurricane Irmas path

Theres no such thing as a Category 6 hurricane, no matter what Irma says

It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate, Scott said.

Florida residents trying to find an airline seat before Hurricane Irma hits are running out of time. Many airlines say they are sold out. A few lucky passengers able to get a one-way flight out said they'll worry about the rest later. (The Associated Press)

Scott ordered all schools and state offices to close Friday through Monday.

NASA secured Kennedy Space Center and SpaceX launched an unmanned rocket for an experimental flight. Kennedy closed its doors to all non-essential staff and a crew of about 120 people will ride out the storm on site.

Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of up to 220 km/h. Irmas wind could exceed that if it reaches Cape Canaveral.

With winds that peaked at 300 km/h, Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

With the hurricane bearing down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge.

In just five years, the states total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 per cent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.

Floridas property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state  1.7 million policies, covering about $42 billion in assets  but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed.

With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the continental United States, Florida has roughly 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, FEMA estimates. And yet, across Floridas 38 coastal counties, just 42 per cent of these homes are covered.

Floridas overall flood insurance rate for hazard-zone homes is just 41 per cent.

Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of up to 135 mph (220 kph). Irmas wind could exceed that if it reaches Cape Canaveral.

With winds that peaked at 185 mph (300 kph), Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah, and authorized about 5,000 National Guard members to help with response and recovery.

Noel Marsden said he, his girlfriend, her son and their dog left Pembroke Pines north of Miami with plans to ride out Irma in Savannah, only to find the city was also shutting down because of Irma. Marsden isnt sure where theyll all end up.

Ive got a buddy in Atlanta and a buddy in Charlotte. Well wind up one of those two places because there are not hotels, I can tell you that, he said.

The last time Georgia was struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher happened in 1898.

Irmas eventual path and Floridas fate depends on when and how sharp the powerful hurricane takes a right turn, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said.

It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, the Hurricane Center said in a forecast discussion Thursday afternoon.

The last Category 5 storm to hit Florida was Andrew in 1992. Its winds topped 265 km/h, killing 65 people and inflicting $26 billion in damage. It was at the time the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump urged people to be careful, be safe during Hurricane Irma. In a tweet, Trump remarked that Irma is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help.

Trumps exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach  the unofficial Southern White House  sits in the path of the storm.

U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer Maj. Jeremy DeHart flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet Wednesday and through Hurricane Harvey just before it hit Texas last month.

He said Irmas intensity set it apart from other storms.

Spectacular is the word that keeps coming to mind. Pictures dont do it justice. Satellite images cant do it justice, DeHart said.

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As the worst of Hurricane Irma departed Antigua and Barbudas reef-ringed beaches early Wednesday morning, Prime Minister Gaston Browne boasted that no other country in the Caribbean would have been as well prepared as we were.

The problem with this statement, as Browne later acknowledged, was that Barbuda was left barely habitable  and now things might get worse: Hurricane Jose is strengthening and appears to be coming for the same islands already devastated by Irma.

At 11 a.m., the National Hurricane Center released an ominous bulletin about the new menace is looming in the Atlantic: ......JOSE EXPECTED TO BECOME A MAJOR HURRICANE BY FRIDAY ... WATCHES ISSUED FOR THE NORTHERN LEEWARD ISLANDS.

Already reeling from Irma, Antigua and Barbuda issued a hurricane watch for Jose on Thursday.

Barbuda, the smaller of the two islands in the eastern Caribbean, sustained damage to about 95 per cent of all properties, Browne told local media after flying over the area.

Aerial footage showed homes with walls blown out and roofs ripped away. Those who lived through it described a night of pure terror when at least one person, a young child, was killed on Barbuda  one of at least 10 deaths reported across the Caribbean in Irmas aftermath.

I felt like crying, Browne said after seeing the destruction, which he called unprecedented. But crying will not help.

Read more:

Hurricane Irma brings death, wide-scale destruction to the Caribbean

15 photos that show Hurricane Irma's devastating destruction

Quebec man on Saint-Martin calls Irma the most terrifying experience of his life END

As Irma continues a merciless, historic churn toward the U.S. mainland, those first islanders left in its wake are only beginning to decipher the scope of devastation  or, in some fortunate cases, a surprising paucity thereof.

Barbuda. Anguilla. St. Martin. St. Barthelemy.

These jurisdictions are part of the Leeward Islands, a vulnerable, isolated chain arcing southeast from Puerto Rico.

Browne, the prime minster of Antigua and Barbuda, said that parts of Barbuda, a 160-square-kilometre island, are literally underwater. Most of the islands 1,300 residents live in the town of Codrington.

As the sun rose, and people throughout the Caribbean took stock of what's been lost, there was confusion, desperation and worsening fear that another hurricane, Jose, appears to be coming for them, too.

The looming storm now has sustained wind speeds nearing 145-kilometres per hour with even stronger gusts. Its potency is forecast to grow over the next 48 hours.

To the west, Irma raked the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, where nearly one million people were without electricity Wednesday night.

The Dominican Republic, Haiti and the Turks and Caicos Islands are next in its path. Closer to Florida's southern tip, the Bahamas remain in danger, and mass evacuations are underway.

At 8 a.m., the National Hurricane Center said that Irma was heading for Turks and Caicos.

The United Nations has said that Irma, a Category 5 storm, could affect as many as 37 million people.

The majority are on the American mainland. But it's the residents of tiny islands in the Eastern Caribbean who were hit first  and hardest.

Some 60 per cent of Barbudas residents were left homeless, Browne told the Associated Press. The prime minister has vowed to evacuate everyone there to Antigua ahead of Joses arrival.

To the south, in the French territories of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, at least eight people have died. Ghastly images, captured on mobile phones and circulated on social media, showed cars and trucks almost completely submerged in the storm surge, and several buildings in ruin.

French President Emmanuel Macron said its too soon to determine how many victims there may be. He has dispatched the countrys overseas territories minister, Annick Girardin, who told reporters while en route to the region that evacuations may be necessary, its too soon.

In Anguilla, part of the British West Indies, the local government is overwhelmed and desperate for help, Attorney General John McKendrick said late Wednesday. Officials were barely able to communicate among one another and with emergency response teams, he said. With most lines down, they were dependent on instant messaging.

It appears at least one person has died in Anguilla, McKendrick said.

Roads blocked, hospital damaged. Power down. Communications badly impaired. Help needed, he wrote in one message. In another, McKendrick said, More people might die without further help, especially as another hurricane threatens us so soon.

Jose remains deep in the central Atlantic for now, but as it gathered strength Wednesday, forecasters said its expected to become a dangerous Category 3 hurricane by Friday. Its possible the storm could approach the same islands this weekend.

The United Kingdoms international development secretary, Priti Patel, announced Wednesday that the British navy, along with a contingent of Royal Marines and military engineers, had been dispatched to the Caribbean with makeshift shelters and water purification systems. While some in England criticized the response, McKendrick said that hes worried they, too, will quickly become overwhelmed by the amount of work that must be done to restore a sense of normalcy.

Elsewhere on Anguilla, some informal reports were less bleak. The Facebook page for Roys Bayside Grill, for instance, remained active as Irma passed.

Around 7:30 a.m., the page broadcast a brief live video, about a minute of footage of the storm captured from inside an unidentified building. With rain pelting the windows and wind whipping the treetops back and forth, a narrator calmly describes the scene outside. Cant see very far at all, he says. Weve got whitecaps on the pool. Water is spilling out. And its quite a ride. But thought Id check in and let everyone know were still good.

Phone lines to the restaurant appeared to be down by the afternoon, and messages left with the Facebook pages administrator were not immediately returned.

At 1 p.m., a panoramic photo appeared showing several buildings. The decking on one appeared to be ripped apart, and debris was scattered about the beach. One industrial building had a hole in its roof, but by and large everything was still standing.

We made it through, the caption reads, but there is a lot of work to be done.

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Some Canadians have launched a campaign to revoke the honorary Canadian citizenship granted to Aung San Suu Kyi, the globally celebrated human rights activist who is now the de facto leader of Burma. The UN and human rights groups accuse Burma of ethnic cleansing.

For decades, the million-strong Muslim minority living among 50 million Buddhists have faced brutalities at the hands of extremist Buddhists and security forces, but now many including the UN are calling it an unfolding genocide. Since the first brutal military action against the Rohingya in 1977, about one million have fled their homes to seek refuge in neighbouring countries, mostly in Bangladesh.

Last year a Parliamentary Subcommittee on Human Rights issued a report titled Sentenced to a Slow Demise highlighting the plight of these stateless persons.

Despite nothing concrete coming out of the report (at least publicly), Ottawa did not openly raise the plight of the worlds most persecuted minority during Suu Kyis visit here this summer.

Sadly, even much of the media and politicians have for the most part maintained an unusual eerie silence.

On the other hand, the primary barrier in achieving legal justice for Rohingya under international law is that Burma is not a signatory to the Rome Statute of the International Court, which established the International Criminal Court (ICC). Jurisdiction is restricted to countries that have signed and ratified it. Consequently, the only way that the ICC can investigate and prosecute is through a resolution of the UN Security Council. Another way would be if Burma voluntarily acceded to ICC jurisdiction. Not likely given that it refused to even issue visas to UN investigators. Suu Kyi also publicly opposed the move stating that the resolution for the investigation is not in keeping with what is happening on the ground.

There is a possible international law loophole, though perhaps of only symbolic value. We argue that Canada can investigate Suu Kyis (or any other Canadian citizen or permanent resident) involvement in state-backed or state-acquiesced atrocities without any UN authorization. On June 24, 2000, we became the first country to incorporate the obligations of the Rome Statute into our domestic laws by adopting the Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act (CAHWCA). This act allows Canada to exercise jurisdiction over a crime that is committed outside Canada by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.

Adopting the principles of the Rome Statute, the CAHWCA makes it an indictable offence punishable by up to life imprisonment if a person in authority conspires, attempts to commit, commits or counsels genocide, a crime against humanity, a war crime or fails to exercise proper control over a person, under his or her effective authority. Liability extends for failing to take all necessary and reasonable steps to prevent or repress the commission of the offence or submit the matter for investigation.

Since her victory in the 2015 elections, and her subsequent ascension to the highest position, state counsellor, on April 1, 2016, Suu Kyi has been heavily criticized from many quarters for her silence and what some call her complicity by denying atrocities committed under her watch. Earlier this week during a parliamentary session, conservative MP Garnett Genuis also accused Suu Kyi of being complicit for rejecting the UN investigation in the face of mounting evidence.

Given that Suu Kyi accepted the honorary citizenship, Canada should not ignore these accusations. There is a clear Canadian connection. Moreover, the CAHWCA does not distinguish between honorary or full citizenship. Canada made a commitment when it ratified the Rome Statute that it will bring individuals engaged in such crimes to justice.

Furthermore, by enacting the CAHWCA, Canada also removed the jurisdictional barriers and reaffirmed our commitment both to the international community and to Canadians. If never again is to have any real meaning, Canada must fulfil its obligations and commence an investigation against Suu Kyi and any other citizens or permanent residents involved. We must also extend a refugee sponsorship program for the victims.

Canada must revoke Suu Kyis citizenship and then push to prosecute her for conduct while she held the honor. Yes, this is unconventional, but then again there is nothing conventional about what is happening on the ground. Our citizenship, even if honorary, must not be sullied.

Faisal Kutty is counsel to KSM Law, an associate professor at Valparaiso University Law School in Indiana and an adjunct professor at Osgoode Hall Law School. @faisalkutty.

Washim Ahmed is managing partner of OWS Law and serves as a spokesperson for the Canadian Rohingya Development Initiative. He holds an LL.M. from Osgoode Hall Law School.

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One important test of the federal governments midterm caucus meeting in Kelowna this week will be whether the government manages to avoid both dwelling on misplaced anxieties or reveling in premature self-congratulations, whether it can avoid fully buying into either the good press or the bad.

Theres much for the Trudeau Liberals to feel good about. The governing party has a steady 10-plus-points lead in the polls, and Canadas economy is far outperforming expectations. It has acquitted itself well so far during the NAFTA renegotiations, showing a welcome understanding that Canada has more levers than some assume. And it continues to be seen, whether deservedly or not, as a beacon of progressivism on the darkening world stage.

Nevertheless, worries are rampant among constitutionally nervous backbenchers.

The disquiet over the governments proposed package of tax reforms, for instance, was expected to dominate discussions at the retreat. But on this, as we wrote earlier this week, the Liberals are on the right track.

Caucus members are understandably nervous about the gripes of a few noisy constituents and lobbyists, but the government should nevertheless forge ahead with its plan to close three unfair loopholes. These, like other aspects of our small-business tax regime, have for too long been used not primarily to help companies thrive, but rather to allow well-off individuals to dodge paying their share. Reform is needed.

Another reported source of anxiety is the uproar over Ottawas decision to compensate Omar Khadr for successive governments failure to uphold his rights. Again, the backlash against the governments move was predictable. The idea that someone convicted of killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan would receive a big cheque from taxpayers is no doubt hard for many to swallow. But the decision was both morally and (almost certainly) legally necessary, if politically difficult.

There are of course plenty of issues about which the government should be worrying. These should not be foremost among them. NAFTA negotiations, the tricky implementation of a legalized pot regime, the preparedness of Canadas immigration and refugee system to manage an influx of asylum seekers crossing into Canada from the U.S., delivering on Canada's climate-change targets  these, among other challenges, are much better focuses for the governments anxieties.

But some major issues might not get the anxiety they deserve. The Liberals must be careful not to congratulate themselves prematurely on important files on which real but incomplete progress has been made and on which they might be tempted to declare success or to downplay.

Take, for example, three areas on which the Liberals made big promises and tout significant achievements: Indigenous affairs, poverty and health care. While the Trudeau government has made strides in each, the promises of these advancements will sour if they remain unfulfilled.

On Indigenous issues, for instance, this government is clearly an improvement over the last. It has offered welcome talk of a renewed, nation-to-nation relationship and an even more encouraging $8.4-billion budget commitment to improve the lives of Indigenous people over the next five years.

Yet the Liberals have too often failed to live up to their rhetoric. The governments brushing-off of repeated legal orders from the Human Rights Tribunal to address the child welfare crisis on reserves, along with its unilateral imposition of energy projects and the disastrous roll-out of the much-touted Inquiry Into Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls have inevitably raised doubts about the sincerity of its lofty talk on reconciliation.

When the government recently split Indigenous and Northern Affairs into two departments, it declared the move an important step toward decolonization. But true reconciliation will require more than mere changes to the machinery or the rhetoric of government. It will require a material improvement in the lives of Indigenous peoples who have already been made to wait too long. This is an area that merits some caucus fretting.

On poverty, too, the Liberals have made progress, as they often proclaim, but must do much more to deliver on the promises they made on their way to power. The governments hallmark social policy, the expanded Canada Child Benefit, will lift thousands of children out of poverty. Yet the governments welcome commitment to developing a larger anti-poverty strategy after a decade of federal retrenchment remains unfulfilled, next steps uncertain.

The 2018 budget will be a test of the governments commitment, for example on ending homelessness, reforming Canadas broken Employment Insurance system and improving benefits for parents and others among the growing ranks of the working poor.

On health care, in particular, the temptation will be for caucus to check off this box as complete. The government has no doubt made important strides, successfully negotiating health accords with all of the provinces. In so doing, it reestablished Ottawas leadership role in health, making targeted investments in mental health and home care  both totally sensible priorities.

Yet Ottawa missed a larger opportunity to transform Canadian health-care. Funding for system transformation is clearly inadequate. Most important, universal access to essential health care requires replacing our existing hodgepodge of private drug plans and patchy public coverage. We are the only country with a public health-care system that doesnt include drug coverage. Its not too late for the Trudeau government to lead on national pharmacare. The evidence is overwhelming that both the health of Canadians and of the Canadian economy would benefit.

The government would be well-served by a caucus meeting that focused more on how to deliver its ambitious promises than on how to avoid political consequences for doing whats right. As the Trudeau government approaches the second half of its mandate, it should be careful not to be cowed by inevitable public backlashes against tough but good decisions. Nor should it be complacent about victories half-won.

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Re: Americas Dream team pushes back, Dale, Sept. 6

Americas Dream team pushes back, Dale, Sept. 6

If Alt-America is not interested in finding room for thousands of dreamers who are college-educated, employed, taxpaying, law-abiding citizens, then perhaps Canada should help out. Are these not exactly the type of new Canadians we should be accepting?

Mike Reynolds, Georgetown

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A nuclear North Korea is as much a problem for China as it is for the United States. The inability to manage a tinpot dictatorship and a failed economy right next door raises the question of just how much China deserves recognition as a superpower and central force in Asia.

In the Korean War, China lost 400,000 men, killed or wounded defending North Korea. It was a heavy cost to pay to keep U.S. and South Korean forces at bay below the 38th parallel. It was rewarded with a dictatorship that it has always found hard to control.

As the Korean War ended, post-revolutionary China was in no shape to support its own people, let alone the nation next door. So it was that the Soviet Union served as North Korea's main ally until its collapse in 1992.

Kim Il-sung, the founding father of modern North Korea, had a testy relationship with both China and Russia. In securing power, he purged high-ranking enemies allied with both states.

It is by default, then, that China has become North Korea's nanny state. That wasn't a problem when Kim's son, Kim Jong-il, spent most of his time obsessing over Japanese movie stars and directors. It has become much more of a headache now that Kim Jong-un, second grandson of the country's founder and therefore not the natural heir to the Korean throne, has pushed his claim by magnifying the North's nuclear might.

It's said that Chinese President Xi Jinping is weary, if not furious, at Kim's antics. Xi is intent on depicting himself as Mao Zedong's natural successor. Appropriately enough, then, he has run into the same problem as Mao.

Neither subtle persuasion nor economic bribery have worked in containing the dictator next door. An invasion by China's U.S.-backed rivals in South Korea and even Japan is unthinkable. It's been suggested, rather implausibly, that China should now invade North Korea to bring it to heel.

China supported the last set of sanctions on North Korea, alongside Russia. Now, it is Russian President Vladimir Putin advising (correctly) that the North Koreans would "rather eat grass" than give up their nuclear program, and that further sanctions of any kind would be "useless and ineffective."

Putin made his comments in the coastal Chinese city of Xiamen, where he was attending a summit of the leaders of the BRICS nation. China, notably, encouraged further diplomacy but, according to the South Korean foreign minister, is open to sanctions, too.

Continued nuclear tests and improvements in missile technology by North Korea are a threat to China's rising power in Asia. They only encourage Japan and South Korea to consider a change in tack that would see them pursue the same.

China, in fact, shares a border with the bulk of the world's nuclearized nations: Russia, India, Pakistan and North Korea. It is partly at fault for that situation. It shared nuclear technology with Pakistan to counterbalance India, as this New York Times article explains, technology that was ultimately transferred to North Korea.

Indirectly, then, China is responsible for Pyongyang's nuclear power. There's debate as to whether the transfer was unintentional or deliberate, but accomplished via Pakistan to offer a screen of deniability. Either way, the result is very clear.

China has not sent an official delegation to North Korea in almost two years. It would prefer to see the United States take on a greater role in handling Kim and the North. But the United States should head down that path only with China, South Korea and Japan as allies -- Russia, too, if Putin can be dragged.

It is "less likely than war on the Korean Peninsula" for the international community, "major powers," and Asian nations to accept a nuclearized North Korea, the state-backed Global Times newspaper says in an editorial on Wednesday. It upsets the Northeast Asian geopolitical pattern; it flies in the face of the nuclear nonproliferation principle.

That is a far cry from the opinions expressed before this current crisis by Cui Lei, a researcher for the China Institute of International Studies, a think-tank overseen by China's foreign ministry.

"It's now pointless to deny that North Korea has gone nuclear," he wrote. "We should re-adopt our India-Pakistan approach: acquiescence in North Korea's nuclearization, while refusing to legalize it." Doves like that have now been replaced by hawks, as the Financial Times wrote in a recent article.

Curiously, the Global Times editorial says it is down to Seoul to solve the problem. "Cracks seem to be appearing in the Washington-Seoul alliance," it says, China's dream outcome. Washington is too far away and has "no incentive to solve this crisis in a way that doesn't fit its national interests."

Neither does China, despite its proximity. But what, now, are its national interests? That is very hard to say. An invasion of its own? Propping up a puppet state? Sanctions that could cause a humanitarian crisis? Nuclear appeasement?

None of the options is all that attractive. It's clear, though, that the problem is now too massive to ignore, whether you are in Washington or Beijing. China's inner circles of power will not express what they currently really think about North Korea. But they are conflicted, unhappy -- and for now, holding fire on what to do.

This article originally appeared at 09:00 ET on Real Money, our premium site for active traders. Click here to get great columns like this from Jim Cramer and other writers even earlier in the trading day.

See how North Korea's missile program has developed since it began.





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Gap Inc. (GPS) - Get Free Report is taking steps to avoid the retail doldrums that have plagued its competitors.

At the Goldman Sachs Retailing Conference on Wednesday, Sept. 6, Gap outlined plans to double down on its Old Navy and Athleta brands, while scaling back its Gap and Banana Republic brands. Old Navy's net sales are expected to exceed $10 billion "in the next few years," while Athleta is expected to hit $1 billion, "driven by growth in online and mobile channels, U.S. store expansion, and continued market share leadership in loyalty categories," the company said.

To that end, Gap will close 200 "underperforming" Gap and Banana Republic stores and add 270 new Old Navy and Athleta stores through 2020, while increasing its online presence. The closures represent about 10% of Gap and Banana Republic locations. During the same period, Gap expects to achieve $500 million in expense savings, a portion of which will be reinvested in these "growth initiatives."

"This is an industry that is not historically rewarded scale and leverage," Gap CEO Arthur Peck told analysts at the conference. "As we watch the industry, it is in the process of consolidating, part of the consolidation push is the fact that scale and leverage matters. And we are partway through fully leveraging that, but we have a long way to go and a lot of opportunity in front of us."

When Gap reported second-quarter earnings on Aug. 17, the New York retailer revealed that Old Navy same-store sales were up 5% year over year, while Gap sales fell 1% and Banana Republic sales dropped 5%. All those were improvements from the second quarter of 2016, however, when sales were flat, down 3% and down 9%, respectively. Peck referred to Old Navy as "obviously the very important horse pulling the cart right now inside of this company."

Under consideration on the digital end, Peck said, is a new credit card loyalty program and a Baby Gap subscription service. Gap's e-commerce sales will top $3 billion this year, and Peck earmarked $750 million "over the next few years" for further investment.

Gap's retrenchment comes as the retail sector grapples with waves of store closures, bankruptcies and upheaval. CNBC reported Wednesday, for instance, that Toys R Us has added a top law firm to its restructuring efforts and may soon file for bankruptcy protection.

Gap shares closed Wednesday at $25.82, up 7.5%, and were down 1.2% to $25.50 in premarket trading on Thursday, Sept. 7.

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As the Federal Reserve loses one vice chairman, it's getting closer to gaining another.

The Senate Banking Committee recommended in a split vote on Thursday, Sept. 7, that the full chamber confirm Randal K. Quarles as the U.S. central bank's vice chairman for supervision. If the chamber acts before Oct. 13, when Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer's resignation takes effect, the Fed would maintain at least a four-member board since its chair and vice chairs also serve as governors.

Otherwise, just three of the board's seven governorships would be filled. All of the governors are members of the 12-person Federal Open Market Committee that sets monetary policy, so the excess vacancies would shift the balance of power even further toward the five regional Fed presidents who serve on the panel, as well as heighten uncertainty about the pace of interest-rate adjustments.

The departure of Fischer, 73, "highlights the need to quickly confirm Mr. Quarles so that the seven-member board can maintain at least four members," Sen. Mike Crapo, the Idaho Republican who chairs the banking committee, said before Thursday's vote.

Even so, Quarles' portfolio as head of the Fed's regulatory programs, handled on a de facto basis by Governor Daniel Tarullo before his departure earlier this year, would be vastly different from that of Fischer.

A monetary policy expert appointed by former President Barack Obama, Fischer had served at the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund and is credited with teaching former Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke and European Central Bank President Mario Draghi during his 22 years as a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Fischer "contributed invaluably to our monetary policy deliberations," Fed Chair Yellen said in a statement on Wednesday. "We will miss his wise counsel, good humor, and dry wit."

Quarles, 60, is managing director at family-investment specialist Cynosure Group and was the undersecretary for domestic finance in former President George W. Bush's Treasury Department prior to the 2008 financial crisis, according to BoardEx, a relationship-mapping service of TheStreet.

It was his performance in that role that spurred criticism from some Democrats on the Senate Banking Committee, though he still won 17 out of 23 votes.

Neither Quarles nor Joseph Otting -- whom the committee recommended confirming as Comptroller of the Currency on Thursday -- are appropriate choices for "these important roles as our financial watchdogs," said Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio, the highest-ranking Democrat on the committee.

Quarles' role at Treasury was to "coordinate oversight of the finance industry," Brown noted. "Many of his statements leading up to the crisis were far too credulous when it came to industry claims that we need not worry about a credit bubble."

The crisis, which began to develop as early as 2006 when housing prices dipped, eventually led to widespread defaults by borrowers with poor credit scores who had obtained home loans they couldn't afford to repay.

That rendered mortgage-backed securities, which lenders had created to book profits on the loans immediately while avoiding risk, impossible to value.

Wall Street firms holding billions of dollars in such notes were forced under existing regulations to mark down their worth, which dragged down their stocks and eventually pushed Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. into bankruptcy.

The collapse of Lehman, the fourth-largest investment bank in the U.S., froze global credit markets, and the ensuing turmoil wiped out close to half of the stock market's value while forcing the government to spend billions of dollars on bailouts to prop up the financial system.

"I'm not confident that Mr. Quarles took to heart the costly lessons of the financial crisis," Brown said. "He seems far too ready to relax the rules for Wall Street, and those that protect consumers. It's pretty stunning that he was in the middle of it and didn't seem to learn those lessons."

Crapo, however, said that Quarles is well-qualified for his prospective post and "up to the challenge" of complex duties with wide-ranging impacts -- an opinion Quarles worked to validate during a July hearing before the same committee.

While Quarles acknowledged that his post would give him "a particular role in ensuring the safety, soundness and efficient operation of our financial system" and that post-crisis policies had made it safer and more resilient, he said "some refinements will undoubtedly be in order."

Tarullo, one of the principal architects of those policies, indicated as much himself in an April speech in which he said "'there are clearly some changes that can be made without endangering financial stability,'" Quarles noted.

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It's an attitude supported by both President Donald Trump, who argued during his campaign that excess regulation since the crisis had hindered U.S. economic growth, and the country's largest banks. Companies from JPMorgan Chase & Co. (JPM) - Get Free Report to Citigroup Inc. (C) - Get Free Report and Bank of America Corp. (BAC) - Get Free Report would stand to benefit from looser rules.

"The key question," Quarles said, "will be ensuring that, as we continue to refine the system over time, we do so while maintaining the robust resilience of the system to shocks."

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A potentially historic storm, an unexpected working relationship between President Donald Trump and the Democrats, and a profit warning from Walt Disney Co. (DIS) - Get Free Report pulled markets in all directions on Thursday, Sept. 7.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 0.22%, the S&P 500 declined 0.1%, and the Nasdaq added 0.06%.

Hurricane Irma, the latest weather risk, made landfall in the Caribbean earlier Wednesday and has the potential to reach Florida by the weekend. A state of emergency has been declared in Florida and Puerto Rico.

Miami is preparing for its largest evacuation in more than a decade Thursday as the U.S. National Hurricane Center warned that Hurricane Irma, potentially the most powerful storm to hit the American mainland since 1992, was maintaining its category 5 wind speed as it bears down on the south Florida coast.

Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez issued a mandatory evacuation order for residents in some coastal areas of Dade County, the metropolitan area of Miami, to move inland and ordered local schools closed for the remainder of the week. The evacuation order, which will take effect at 7 a.m. ET on Thursday, is the first since Hurricane Wilma in 2005 and is expected to affect around 150,000 people.

Meanwhile, weekly jobless claims in the U.S. were the first data point to reflect the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey. Claims posted their largest increase in years as Harvey derailed thousands' ability to work. The number of new claims for unemployment benefits increased by 62,000 to 298,000 in the past week, the largest gain since Hurricane Sandy in November 2012 and the highest level since April 2015.

Harvey devastated the area surrounding Houston, the nation's fourth-largest city, with catastrophic, record-setting flooding in late August. The storm has taken the lives of 60 people in 11 counties, with roughly half of the fatalities in Houston's Harris County.

In terms of overall damage, Harvey could rank among the top costliest storms to hit the country. Superstorm Sandy in 2012 cost $73 billion in today's dollars, ranking second-most-costly behind Hurricane Katrina in 2005, which cost a massive $118 billion. Moody's said total losses from Hurricane Harvey will come in between $45 billion and $65 billion, with overall U.S. economic losses between $6 billion and $10 billion.

Harvey's flooding also disrupted operations at a number of refineries in the region. In the wake of the hurricane, at least 4.4 million barrels per day of refining capacity was offline. Texas accounts for roughly 30% of the U.S. refining capacity and Louisiana around 18%.

Refineries' limited ability to process crude oil caused U.S. stockpiles to balloon. Crude inventories in the week ended Sept. 1 rose by 4.6 million barrels, according to the Energy Information Administration. Analysts expected an increase of 4 million barrels after a drop of 5.4 million in the previous week. Gasoline and distillates stockpiles both decreased.

West Texas Intermediate crude was down 0.5% to $48.95 a barrel on Thursday morning.

Trump continued to surprise political pundits on Thursday, a day after unexpectedly agreeing with Democrats' deal to extend the debt ceiling through mid-December. On Thursday, Trump said there were "a lot of good reasons" to eliminate the ceiling limit altogether, a position championed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Any plan to eliminate regular votes to raise the debt ceiling would still need to be passed by Congress. Republicans will likely oppose any legislation backing the removal of the ceiling after having used it as a bargaining chip in recent years.

The Senate approved legislation on Thursday afternoon that allocated disaster aid funds for Hurricane Harvey and raised the debt ceiling. The government has funding through Dec. 8.

Walt Disney contributed a large chunk of the Dow's losses after CEO Bob Iger warned of weaker profit this year. The world's largest entertainment company expects earnings per share "roughly in line" with fiscal 2016. Disney reported $5.72 a share in profit in 2016. Analysts had expected $5.89 a share this year.

Film franchises Star Wars and Marvel movies will be included on its planned streaming service, Iger said at an investor day on Thursday. In comments at the Bank of America Merrill Lynch conference, Iger said the service will also include four to five original films as well as the Disney studio library.

Disney shares were down 4.2%, while Netflix Inc. (NFLX) - Get Free Report crept higher.

The European Central Bank said Thursday that it would leave interest rates unchanged and that it anticipates they will remain at the current level for an "extended period." The move was as economists expected. The bank's main refinancing operations rate held at 0% and the rate on deposits at minus 0.4%.

The central bank also said it would continue to repurchase assets through December and possibly beyond that date if needed. The bank currently repurchases 60 billion euros in bonds per month, though has left a possible increase to that amount open-ended should the economic outlook worsen.

"If the outlook becomes less favourable, or if financial conditions become inconsistent with further progress towards a sustained adjustment in the path of inflation, the Governing Council stands ready to increase the programme in terms of size and/or duration," the ECB said in a statement.

Economists anticipate the program will begin winding down next year.

In a press conference Thursday, ECB President Mario Draghi said further monetary stimulus is needed to support inflation trends, though said the central bank had held early talks on how long to maintain its quantitative easing program. The ECB will further discuss easing plans at its October and December meetings.

U.S. productivity in the second quarter was revised to show 1.5% growth, up from 0.9%. Output was also increased to 4% growth from 3.4%. Unit labor costs were a third of previous estimates, coming in at 0.2% growth.

Activist investor Nelson Peltz late Wednesday released a 93-page white paper detailing his campaign for change at Procter & Gamble (PG) - Get Free Report . Some of those ideas included plans to eliminate an "insular" culture, increase M&A activities and restructure the packaged goods company into three global business units. The activist investor, who owns about $3.5 billion in Procter & Gamble shares, says he wants to eliminate what he sees as a "suffocating bureaucracy." The plan comes as Peltz seeks one seat on the company's board.

In response, Procter & Gamble said Peltz had an "outdated and misinformed" view of the company's operations and that his paper held "nothing substantive." The company reiterated confidence in its current plan and board.

GoPro Inc. (GPRO) - Get Free Report surged 14% after guiding for a surprise profit in its third quarter. Analysts had expected a net loss of 5 cents a share over the quarter. The action camera company also said it expects revenue at the "high end" of a previous range of $290 million to $310 million, surpassing consensus of $304 million. Chief operating officer CJ Prober said in a statement that "consumer demand for GoPro products is strong."

General Mills Inc. (GIS) - Get Free Report moved slightly lower on Thursday after issuing guidance for its fiscal year ending May 2018. Adjusted earnings per share are targeted to rise 1% to 2% on a constant currency basis. Organic net sales are expected to dip 1% to 2% and total segment operating profit in constant currency to come in flat to 1% higher.

Barnes & Noble Inc. (BKS) - Get Free Report slumped 11% after a disappointing first quarter. A net loss of 15 cents a share was 5 cents narrower than a year earlier, but wider than an anticipated loss of 12 cents. Sales declined 6.6% to $853.3 million, below estimates of $873 million. Same-store sales dropped 4.9%.

General Electric Co. (GE) - Get Free Report declined more than 2% on Thursday after analysts at JPMorgan maintained their underweight rating and $22 price target, though warned that the company's outlook is even worse than it previously thought. Analysts at the firm believe that the company is tight on cash.

Eli Lilly & Co. (LLY) - Get Free Report was 1.8% higher on reports it will cut 8% of its total workforce, roughly 3,500 positions. The drugmaker also plans to close a number of facilities, such as a research-and-development location in Bridgewater, N.J., and another in Shanghai. Eli Lilly anticipates a total charge of $1.2 billion.

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Updated from 12:47 p.m. ET, Thursday, Sept. 7.

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This column has been updated from Sep. 7 to note the launch date for Google's Pixel event, as well as to mention the iPhone X launch and Google's deal to buy phone assets from HTC.

For so many hit consumer electronics products, it has been the second-gen version of the product that has propelled it to stardom rather than the first. That's because its creators relied on customer feedback, technology advances and at times better distribution to deliver a mass-market hit the second time around.

For Apple Inc. (AAPL) - Get Free Report , the iPhone 3G and iPad 2 each shipped in far greater volumes than the original iPhone and iPad. For Samsung (SSNLF) , it was the Galaxy S II far more than the original Galaxy S that made Samsung the undisputed leader of the high-end Android phone market. And it was the Galaxy Note II more than the original Note that made phablets a big part of this market. Likewise, Microsoft Corp.'s (MSFT) - Get Free Report Xbox 360 console easily outsold the original Xbox.

Can Alphabet Inc./Google's (GOOGL) - Get Free Report Pixel phone line see a similar breakout via the expected fall launch of second-gen Pixel phones? While the new Pixels -- expected to be unveiled at an Oct. 4 event starting as 12 p.m. ET -- should benefit from better distribution, what has been reported about the phones to date, along with what's known and reported about rival hardware, suggests Google faces an uphill battle.

Reports indicate Google will sell a standard Pixel 2 sporting a 5-inch display that has a traditional 16-to-9 aspect ratio, as well as a 6-inch Pixel XL 2 featuring a wider 18-to-9 aspect ratio, close to what Samsung's Galaxy S8 and Note 8 phones use. Like rival 2017 Android phones featuring OLED displays, the displays reportedly support an "Always On" mode that makes useful information and controls quickly available with minimal battery usage.

The rumor mill also indicates that Google's Oct. 4 event will feature the unveiling of a $49 home speaker known as the Google Home Mini, a new Pixel-branded Chromebook and a revamped version of Google's Daydream VR headset (it works with certain Android phones). The company might also show off Bluetooth headphones with built-in Google Assistant support.

The new Pixel phones are expected to be powered by Qualcomm Inc.'s (QCOM) - Get Free Report Snapdragon 836 processor -- a slightly-improved version of its current Snapdragon 835 flagship -- and run Google's just-launched Android 8.0 (Oreo). And like some HTC phones, they'll reportedly have frames that can do things such as launch the camera app or bring up the lock screen when squeezed.

On Sept. 20, Google announced a $1.1 billion deal to buy much of HTC's struggling phone business and obtain a non-exclusive license to HTC's intellectual property. HTC has been Google's contract manufacturer for the original Pixels and (along with LG) is rumored to be one of the manufacturers for the second-gen Pixel. Acquiring HTC's mobile assets could provide Google with some useful hardware engineering talent, and also speed the pace at which the company can add new hardware innovations to future phones.

The second-gen Pixels look decent overall, and should find an audience with consumers partial to the Pixel line's uncluttered Android interface (technically, it's not "stock" Android) relative to custom interfaces that make bigger changes, such as Samsung's TouchWiz and HTC's Sense. Another appealing feature is Google's ability to quickly push Android updates to its phones.

In addition, should it leave starting prices for its smaller and larger Pixels at $649 and $769, respectively, Google should be able to undercut its top rivals. Samsung's Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus carry $750 and $800 starting prices, respectively, and the Note 8 -- which launched recently to good reviews -- sells for over $900. The iPhone 8 and 8 Plus start at $699 and $799, respectively, while the iPhone X will cost $999 and up.

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This Nissan (NSANY) Leaf is also a cool tech gadget for $30,000.

Meanwhile, the Pixel's distribution will almost certainly improve. The first-gen Pixels are only available in the U.S., the U.K., Germany, Canada and Australia. And though they work on the networks of all four major U.S. carriers, Verizon Communications Inc. (VZ) - Get Free Report is the only one to retail the devices. Carrier distribution is also limited in the U.K. and Germany. Supporting more countries and adding new carrier partners should provide a sales boost.

But in a couple respects, the Pixel 2 and XL 2 might come up lacking relative to major rivals. Their displays don't appear to wrap around a phone's edges the way that the displays on the iPhone X and Samsung's Galaxy S8, S8 Plus and Note 8 do. More importantly, whereas the Note 8, the iPhone 8 and LG's G6 and V30 high-end phones all sport dual rear cameras, Google is reportedly sticking with a single rear camera.

To be fair, the solitary rear cameras found on last year's Pixels got very high marks for image quality, and it's safe to assume this year's cameras will, too. But the primary rear cameras on Samsung and Apple's high-end phones are no slouches, either. And having dual cameras enables a number of features that consumers are warming to, such as optical zoom, the ability to take wide-angle shots (through a dedicated wide-angle lens) and the ability to create depth-of-field effects such as background blur. Outside of the display, there's no bigger selling point for a smartphone than its cameras, and Google could be at a disadvantage here.

In addition, the iPhone X has its TrueDepth front camera -- it supports 3D face-mapping abilities that enable the phone's Face ID face-unlocking system -- as a selling point. And the iPhone X, along with the iPhone 6S, 7 and 8, also supports Apple's ARKit augmented reality platform for iOS apps, which has a head-start on Google's ARCore platform for Android apps in being commercialized.

The fact that high-end Android loyalty rates, like iPhone loyalty rates, are pretty high, should keep a lid on how many would-be Pixel buyers end up getting an iPhone 8 or X. But the unique hardware and software features supported by Apple's next flagship are bound to tempt some Android users.

What makes such feature disadvantages especially worrisome is that Apple and Samsung are very much the incumbents in the high-end smartphone market, and Google, for all its brand power, is the upstart. By and large, Google is the vendor tasked with convincing millions of consumers who have long been loyal to some other smartphone brand with a giant advertising budget to jump ship, rather than the other way around. And as the likes of LG, Sony undefined , Huawei and HTC will gladly tell you, that's not an easy thing to do -- especially if a rival phone can't claim a big edge in functionality.

The original Pixels have been moderately successful -- research firm BayStreet estimated 1.8 million sales as of June -- and the newer models will likely build on that success some. But unless the rumor mill is drastically underselling what the Pixel 2 and Pixel XL 2 will be capable of, one shouldn't expect fireworks.
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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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The following companies are subsidiares of Cummins: Anvl, Apollo FC Holdings Ltd., Atlantis Acquisitionco Canada Corporation, Atlantis Holdco UK Limited, Brammo, CIFC Worldwide Partner C.V., CMI Africa Holdings BV, CMI CGT Holdings LLC, CMI Canada Financing Ltd., CMI Canada LP, CMI Foreign Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings B.V., CMI Global Equity Holdings C.V., CMI Global Holdings B.V., CMI Global Partner 2 C.V., CMI Global Partners B.V., CMI Group Holdings B.V., CMI Group Holdings Cooperatief U.A., CMI International Finance Partner 1 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 2 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 3 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 4 LLC, CMI International Finance Partner 5 LLC, CMI Mexico LLC, CMI Netherlands Holdings B.V., CMI PGI Holdings LLC, CMI PGI International Holdings LLC, CMI Turkish Holdings B.V., CMI UK Finance LP, CMI UK Financing LP, Cherry Island Renewable Energy LLC, Consolidated Diesel Company, Consolidated Diesel Inc., Consolidated Diesel of North Carolina Inc., Cummins (China) Investment Co. Ltd., Cummins (Xiangyang) Machining Co. Ltd., Cummins Africa Middle East (Pty) Ltd., Cummins Afrique de l'Ouest, Cummins Americas Inc., Cummins Angola Lda., Cummins Argentina-Servicios Mineros S.A., Cummins Asia Pacific Pte. Ltd., Cummins Aust Technologies Pty. Ltd., Cummins BLR LLC, Cummins Battery Systems North America LLC, Cummins Belgium N.V., Cummins Botswana (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins Brasil Ltda., Cummins Burkina Faso SARL, Cummins CDC Holding Inc., Cummins CV Member LLC, Cummins Canada ULC, Cummins Caribbean LLC, Cummins Center of Excellence Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Centroamerica Holding S.de R.L., Cummins Child Development Center Inc., Cummins Colombia S.A.S., Cummins Comercializadora S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Corporation, Cummins Cote d'Ivoire SARL, Cummins Czech Republic s.r.o., Cummins Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Diesel International Ltd., Cummins Distribution Holdco Inc., Cummins EMEA Holdings Limited, Cummins East Asia Research & Development Co. Ltd., Cummins Eastern Marine Inc., Cummins Electrified Power Europe Ltd., Cummins Electrified Power NA Inc., Cummins Emission Solutions (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Emission Solutions Inc., Cummins Empresas Filantropicas, Cummins Energetica Ltda., Cummins Engine (Beijing) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine (Shanghai) Trading & Services Co. Ltd., Cummins Engine Holding Company Inc., Cummins Engine IP Inc., Cummins Engine Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Engine Venture Corporation, Cummins Enterprise LLC, Cummins Filtration (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtration GmbH, Cummins Filtration IP Inc., Cummins Filtration Inc., Cummins Filtration International Corp., Cummins Filtration Ltd., Cummins Filtration SARL, Cummins Filtration Trading (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Cummins Filtros Ltda., Cummins Franchise Holdco LLC, Cummins Fuel Systems (Wuhan) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Americas Inc., Cummins Generator Technologies Germany GmbH, Cummins Generator Technologies India Private Ltd., Cummins Generator Technologies Italy SRL, Cummins Generator Technologies Limited, Cummins Generator Technologies Romania S.A., Cummins Generator Technologies Singapore Pte Ltd., Cummins Ghana Limited, Cummins Ghana Mining Limited, Cummins Global Financing LP, Cummins Global Technologies LLP, Cummins Grupo Comercial Y. de Servicios S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Grupo Industrial S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Holland B.V., Cummins Hong Kong Ltd., Cummins India Ltd., Cummins Intellectual Property Inc., Cummins International Finance LLC, Cummins International Holdings Cooperatief U.A., Cummins International Holdings LLC, Cummins Italia S.P.A., Cummins Japan Ltd., Cummins Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins LLC Member Inc., Cummins Ltd., Cummins Maroc SARL, Cummins Middle East FZE, Cummins Mining Services S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Mobility Services Inc., Cummins Mongolia Investment LLC, Cummins Mozambique Ltda., Cummins NV, Cummins Namibia Engine Sales and Service PTY LTD, Cummins Natural Gas Engines Inc., Cummins New Zealand Limited, Cummins Nigeria Ltd., Cummins Norte de Colombia S.A.S., Cummins North Africa Regional Office SARL, Cummins Norway AS, Cummins PGI Holdings Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (China) Co. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (S) Pte. Ltd., Cummins Power Generation (U.K.) Limited, Cummins Power Generation Deutschland GmbH, Cummins Power Generation Inc., Cummins Power Generation Limited, Cummins PowerGen IP Inc., Cummins Research and Technology India Private Ltd., Cummins Romania Srl, Cummins S. de R.L. de C.V., Cummins Sales and Service Korea Co. Ltd., Cummins Sales and Service Philippines Inc., Cummins Sales and Service Private Limited, Cummins Sales and Service Sdn. Bhd., Cummins Sales and Service Singapore Pte. Ltd., Cummins Sinai ve Otomotiv Urunleri Sanayi ve Ticaret Limited Sirketi, Cummins South Africa (Pty.) Ltd., Cummins South Pacific Pty. Limited, Cummins Southern Plains LLC, Cummins Spain S.L., Cummins Sweden AB, Cummins Technologies India, Cummins Trade Receivables LLC, Cummins Turbo Technologies Limited, Cummins Turkey Motor Guc Sistemleri Sats Servis Limited Sirketi, Cummins U.K. Holdings Ltd., Cummins U.K. Pension Plan Trustee Ltd., Cummins UK Global Holdings Ltd., Cummins UK Holdings LLC, Cummins Vendas e Servicos de Motores e Geradores Ltda., Cummins Venture Corporation, Cummins West Africa Limited, Cummins West Balkans d.o.o. Nova Pasova, Cummins XBorder Operations (Pty) Ltd, Cummins Zambia Ltd., Cummins Zimbabwe Pvt. Ltd., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Costa Rica S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica El Salvador S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Guatemala Ltda., Distribuidora Cummins Centroamerica Honduras S.de R.L., Distribuidora Cummins S.A., Distribuidora Cummins Sucursal Paraguay SRL, Distribuidora Cummins de Panama S. de R.L., Dynamo Insurance Company Inc., Efficient Drivetrains, Efficient Drivetrains (Beijing) New Power Technology Co. Ltd., Efficient Drivetrains (Shanghai) Co. Ltd., Hilite International, Hydrogenics, Hydrogenics Corporation, Hydrogenics Europe N.V., Hydrogenics GmbH, Hydrogenics Holding GmbH, Hydrogenics USA Inc., Markon Engineering Company Ltd., Nelson Burgess Ltd., Nelson Industries, Newage Engineers GmbH, Newage Ltd. (U.K.), Newage Machine Tools Ltd., OOO Cummins, Petbow Limited, Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) B.V., Power Group International (Overseas Holdings) Ltd., Power Group International Ltd., Quickstart Energy Projects SpA, Shanghai Cummins Trade Co. Ltd., TOO Cummins, Taiwan Cummins Sales & Services Co. Ltd., Worldwide Partner CV Member LLC, Wuxi Cummins Turbo Technologies Co. Ltd., Wuxi New Energy Automotive Technologies Co. Ltd., and ZED Connect Inc..

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WATERLOO  Last week, Aiden Witney spent Labor Day floating along the South Santiam River with about 30 family members and friends in an armada of inner tubes, kayaks and inflatable rafts.

It was relaxing but also thrilling, said the 11-year-old Albany resident, who enjoyed going over rapids between Bates Bridge and Waterloo County Park, east of Lebanon. They were probably my favorite part."

The two-hour journey was Aidens last splash of summer. He entered the sixth grade at Calapooia Middle School on Sept. 5.

School starts tomorrow. This is the last big hurrah, said Michael Rasmussen, of Albany, as he pulled a raft out of the water on Sept. 4. Rasmussen, clad in a cowboy hat, sunglasses and swim trunks, had six children along on the trip.

He was quick to point out that everyone in his group had a lifejacket  some of them on loan from the Albany Fire Department  and that no one had a drop of alcohol.

Waterloo County Park, with its beach, picnic shelters, campsites and more, was the destination on the Labor Day holiday weekend for numerous mid-Willamette Valley residents, as well as people from out of the area.

Marilyn Scharen of Eugene had a different take on the haze caused by numerous Oregon wildfires. This is wonderful, said Scharen, who added that air conditions were far worse in the south Willamette Valley.

Scharen and her husband David Scharen had just arrived in their fifth-wheel trailer on Monday, and planned to stay until Sept. 6.

Theres nice hiking trails here and you can do some retail therapy close by if youre so inclined, David Scharen said.

Aiden said this was the second year floating the river with family and friends, and he hoped it would become a longstanding tradition.

Well probably continue going and invite more people, Rasmussen said.
BNL girls thump Mitchell at The Hive

Bedford North Lawrence defeated Mitchell 78-20 at the Hive on Saturday evening. The win moved the Stars to 3-0 on the season.
Ghana hosts first CWA Ministerial Meeting

The first meeting of Finance Ministers from the seven African countries  Ghana, Cote dIvoire, Ethiopia, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal, and Tunisia  has taken place in Accra.

The seven countries belong to the G-20 Compact with Africa (CWA) which was launched, following the G-20 Africa Partnership Conference in Berlin and the G-20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany.

The CWA seeks to support Africa Compact countries to improve macroeconomic, business and financial framework for attracting private investment; strengthen their public sector financial and debt management, and to encourage private investment from G-20 countries.

The objective of the meeting was, therefore, to explore what role the CWA could play in African economic transformation.

The CWA being central to the economic transformation agenda of Africa, the focus of the meeting was to express commitment and support to the Compact Agenda; provide stocktaking of progress made and to outline the next steps, including a peer learning framework to address common challenges over the next three years.

Also present at the meeting, which was organized by the Ministry of Finance (MoF) in collaboration with the African Center for Economic Transformation (ACET), were representatives from Burkina Faso, Benin, Gambia, Liberia and Guinea.

In an address to open the meeting, the Vice President of the Republic of Ghana, Dr Mahamadu Bawumia, noted that the pillars of the CWA fell in line with the Government of Ghanas (GoGs) overarching goal of building a very business-friendly environment un-paralleled in Africa which would create jobs and stimulate growth and wealth creation.

For example, Dr Bawumia said, under the macroeconomic framework pillar of CWA, GoG was focused on prudent expenditure management to reduce expenditure, broadening the tax base and enhancing tax compliance to reverse the unfavourable debt dynamics.

GoG, he said, was also pursuing domestic debt re-profiling to lengthen maturities and reduce the cost of credit.

He said under the business framework pillar, GoG was creating the Ghana Business e-Registry and developing model contracts in line with international best practice while under the financial framework pillar GoG was reducing government dominance in the domestic debt market and promoting corporate issuance.

Dr Bawumia said the CWA was central to the economic transformation agenda related to the three pillars, adding that even though the CWA was an initiative of the G-20, Ghana needed to own and drive the Compacts implementation.

He stressed the need for Ghana to begin to contemplate a future beyond aid, that is a future with enhanced productive capacity, a robust private sector, and one where infrastructure gaps were met while urging Compact countries to use the Compact to harness the transformational opportunities as well as the capacity to learn from each other.

In his remarks, Ghanas Finance Minister, Mr Ken Ofori-Atta, underscored the importance of the private investment to creating a modern productive agriculture and the industries that would process Africas resources, and generate productive employment for the growing youth population.

Mr Ofori-Atta said the CWAs focus on better fiscal management and increasing private sector investment, fully identified with Africas agenda, adding that many African countries, including Ghana, were already pursuing national growth and transformation programmes that prioritized these objectives.

What the CWA offered, he said, was, therefore, an opportunity and support to re-double efforts in pursuing African countries own agendas and, more importantly, a framework that offered the opportunity to work together  through peer learning and mutual motivation  so as to accelerate our progress.

He said in order for Africa to meet its infrastructure requirements of about US$340 billion by 2040, the private sector had to be an important financing partner.
Featured tweet, @MaureenAAchieng (IOM Ethiopia Chief of Mission and Representative to AU, UNECA, IGAD): @AUC_DPA Continental free movement in Africa is a step closer after 3 days of deliberation on a roadmap in Mauritius.

Featured African migration policy publications from IOM:

(i) Free Movement of Persons in the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa: trainers manual. The Manual builds on a needs assessment among representatives of the National Monitoring Committees, National Focal Points and the COMESA Secretariat to establish training needs. The assessment was designed to gauge current levels of knowledge, understanding and capacity to administer roles and responsibilities in relation to the COMESA Visa Protocol and the COMESA Free Movement Protocol. This Manual (pdf) therefore responds to the demand to provide trainers with a comprehensive, interactive, practical and flexible training guide for effective adoption and implementation of the COMESA Visa Protocol and COMESA Free Movement Protocol respectively. It is targeted at helping policymakers and practitioners to comprehend what adoption and implementation of the Protocols entail, as well as enable them to embark on concrete measures to undertake these tasks. The Manual focuses on the following key areas:

(ii) Regional guide to facilitate SouthSouth labour mobility in Southern Africa. This document (pdf) has been prepared primarily for use by decision makers and labour migration practitioners within the SADC region and has drawn upon the current context of labour migration management in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, the United Republic of Tanzania, Zambia and Zimbabwe, as well as good practices in other regions of the world. Chapter 2 outlines the legal frameworks, examines the labour market conditions and determines the scope for potential labour management cooperation between Mauritius and Zambia. Chapter 3 offers a framework for an SADC circular labour migration model that could be used for a Mauritius-Zambia labour exchange, or more broadly throughout the region. We conceptualize an intra-SADC circular labour migration model in five phases: planning, recruitment, predeparture, preparation for employment and return. [Note: this report is also available in French, Portuguese]

UNCTADs Trade and Development Board (11-22 September): preview. Note: The Trade and Development Report 2017 will be launched on 14 September. The report links the issues of globalization, inequality and growth, with the SDGs, specifically, SDGs 1, 8 and 10, which define the inclusive growth agenda in the 2030 framework, as well as through the Fourth Industrial Revolution, macroeconomic aspects of gender issues, and the rise of rentier capitalism. The African Union launches the report at a briefing (14 September) to be addressed by the Commissioner for Trade and Industry, Amb. Albert M. Muchanga. He will discuss the key messages of report in the context of the AUs Agenda 2063 and one of its flagship project, the Continental Free Area.

The Africa Agriculture Status Report 2017 is posted. Recognizing that Africa has experienced significant economic changes over the past decade, the Report calls for an agricultural transformation that is more focused on a market driven, business agenda that encompasses the entire food system, not just agricultural production. It argues for an inclusive transformation based on promoting small farms and SMEs on a commercial basis with the potential to create many more productive jobs, reduce poverty, improve nutrition outcomes, and make farming and value chains more resilient to shocks from climate change, and more attractive to young workers.

2017 Africa-China Poverty Reduction and Development Conference: update from Mauritus (GoM)

The theme of the two-day conference is Africa and China: rising to new challenges in poverty reduction. The objectives are to discuss poverty reduction challenges and strategies and practices in African countries. It also aims to address progress and challenges of poverty alleviation in Africa and the role of society engagement for Africa-China poverty reduction cooperation.

Chinas Belt and Road Initiative: boosting trade opportunities for Sub-Saharan Africa (Commonwealth Trade)

The experience of five triennial summits as part of the FOCAC process should stand African countries, especially the 35 least developed countries, in good stead to take advantage of the letter, spirit and promise of the BRI. Thus far, the major recipient countries of BRI funding have been Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Laos, Pakistan and Russia. Next in line are Ethiopia, Kenya, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania and Vietnam. These countries provide the gravitational pull for the initial geographic focus on Central Asia and Southeast Asia, with subsequent expansions to Africa and the Middle East. Sub-Saharan Africa could benefit significantly as the BRI attempts to reshape the nodal structure of the global economy by establishing Kenya and Tanzania as new BRI hubs. What is important for Sub-Saharan African countries is how to take advantage of the strong initial BRI project focus on energy, transport, industry and trade, water and urban infrastructure, and agriculture. Much of the investment in these projects will come from Chinese state-owned enterprises with which African countries have had considerable negotiating experience and operational interaction. [The author: Garth le Pere]

US Congressional Delegation visits the African Development Bank (AfDB)

I know the US is very concerned about the issue of security  as it should be  but the message I want to suggest is for you to think of this in the form of a disaster triangle. What I mean by that is that in every area where you have the three factors of extreme rural poverty, a very high level of unemployment among young people, and climate and environmental degradation, you always have terrorism, said Akinwumi Adesina, President of the AfDB. He urged the delegation to consider the three areas in future engagement of the United States in Africa.

Admassu Tadesse: Mauritius ought to be a bigger stakeholder in COMESAs Bank (LExpress)

On the 33rd annual general meeting of COMESAs Trade and Development Bank, Weekly speaks to Admassu Tadesse, president and CEO of the bank, about its role in regional integration, Mauritius role in the bank and the region as well as where he sees its future heading. Q: How much has Mauritius committed into the bank? A: Well, Mauritius has committed funds to the TDB but its still not really a major shareholder. Given that its a middle-income country that is hosting the TDBs headquarters, the perception is that Mauritius is still quite small as a shareholder. Theyve become more relevant and influential in the bank but nowhere near as influential as they should be in my view. Mauritius controls 1.77% of the shares of the TDB but it can easily grow that to, say, 5%.

Ghana: 2017 Article IV Consultation (IMF)

IMF comment on Ghanas trade statistics (from the Statistical Issues section): Currently, the GSS is not publishing timely monthly trade statistics, although the data are available from the Customs, Excise, and Preventive Service. The staff has recommended that the GSS collaborate with the CEPS to process customs data within six weeks and with the Ministry of Trade and Industry and the BOG to identify and reduce discrepancies in trade statistics and to ensure that imports into bonded warehouses are not double-counted. Data collection procedures of the CEPS need to be improved, and there is also room for improving trade volume data collected by the CEPS through customs invoices, which would help the GSS to extract meaningful import and export unit values. Fund staff has recommended that the GSS produce export unit values for major export commodities, such as gold and cocoa. A high coverage of the countrys export bundle can be obtained from just three major exports  cocoa, gold, and oil. [Ghana: IMF Executive Board completes Fourth Review under the ECF]

Unlocking the potential of the power sector for industrialization and poverty alleviation in Nigeria (UNCTAD)

Enterprise surveys suggest that the total factor productivity (TFP) of Nigerias manufacturing sector is below its expected value relative to the countrys per capita income. For example, although Nigeria has a higher per capita income than Ethiopia and Ghana, the median manufacturing firm in Ethiopia has TFP that is two times higher than that of Nigeria, and in Ghana the median firm has TFP that is about three times higher than that of Nigeria. In principle, a country with a low TFP could remain competitive if it has relatively low wages. However, in Nigeria unit labor costs are higher than in some African countries. For the median firm in Nigeria, unit labor costs are about 31%of output compared to 10% in Ethiopia, 12% in Kenya, and 17% in Ghana. That said, the median firm in Nigeria has a lower unit labor cost than the median firm in South Africa (45%) and Cote dIvoire (34%).

India: Developing a logistics facilitation monitoring mechanism  the next step in trade facilitation reforms (RIS)

It is also critical to understand that customs and other clearances is just one leg of the entire process of logistics that supports connectivity to global value-chains. Thus, the concept of trade facilitation needs to address the infrastructural and regulatory bottle-necks all along the complete chain of transport, port and airport gateways, freight movement system in the railways, and ancillary services that make up the overall logistics solution for trading across borders from India (Box 1, pdf). Thus, there is a need to move away from what might be a limited perspective of trade facilitation to the broader concept of logistics facilitation that integrates both the soft regulatory and hard infrastructural performance measures and the means to monitor and improve them. A key first step in this process would be to establish a holistic framework that can identify the key elements of these individual activities in the logistics chain, and find an effective way to monitor their performance. Box 2 summarizes the key principles of such a framework. [The authors: Rajeev Kher, Pritam Banerjee]

Nigerian sovereign wealth fund grows to $2bn, CEO says (Bloomberg)

Nigerias sovereign wealth fund stood at $2bn this month with the investment agency seeking further growth through agriculture and the addition of asset management, its chief executive officer said. The governments contribution stands at $1.5bn, with the rest including funds owned by the institution and those managed for several government agencies, Uche Orji of the Nigeria Sovereign Investment Authority said in an interview on Wednesday in Kazakhstans capital, Astana. The authority has revamped 11 fertilizer-blending plants so far this year as part of President Muhammadu Buharis initiative to boost farming output and reduce the economys dependence on oil, which contributes two-thirds of government revenue.

Local content in Tanzanias gas and minerals sectors: who regulates? (CMI)

The implementation of Tanzanias local content policy for the petroleum and mineral sectors has been hampered by inconsistency, confusion, and un-coordinated donor interventions. There is a need to replace overlapping institutional authorities by clear lines of regulatory authority to advance Tanzanias vision of leveraging its gas and mineral wealth for industrial transformation. This is crucial in the areas of training and skills development, the development of small and medium enterprises, and the monitoring and enforcement of regulations. [The author: Jesse Salah Ovadia]

Abundant resources, absent data (PWYP)

This report analyses publicly available data in an attempt to draw a comprehensive picture of Australias extractive presence  by company, country and project. It shows stakeholders a regional snapshot of what a mandatory disclosure law would cover in the Australian context and how this would enable citizens and governments to ensure that they are receiving a fair deal for the extraction of the natural resources. It also demonstrates how Australian policy can support the sustainable development of natural resources in the countries it operates in. Using data, it argues for the introduction of a mandatory disclosure law which would align Australia with the global reporting standard set by the 30 countries who have already implemented it.

The AfDB has posted a revised strategic framework and action plan on the prevention of illicit financial flows in Africa 2017 - 2021

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The memory of a beloved pet inspires one couple's fight against injustice.
From olive oil raindrops to a contemplative polar bear, the winners in this year's Royal Society Publishing Photography Competition have one thing in common: they all celebrate science.

It's the third year for the contest which, organizers say, "celebrates the power of photography to communicate science and shows the beautiful images discovered whilst exploring our world."

The competition was launched in 2015 to celebrate the 350th anniversary of the oldest continual scientific journal in the world, Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society.

This year's overall winner, above, was shot by Peter Convey, a polar ecologist with the British Antarctic Survey. Convey photographed an Antarctic ice sheet being stretched in two directions with a Twin Otter plane flying overhead for scale. The photo was taken in 1995 during a flight over the southern Antarctic Peninsula.

Chosen from more than 1,100 photos, it's also the judges' top selection in the Earth Science and Climatology category.

"It's been an incredible privilege to work in the Antarctic for nearly 30 years now; every time I go there it takes my breath away," Covey said. "As a terrestrial ecologist, originally specialising in insects, you wouldn't think the inland areas of the continent could hold much scientific promise, but you would be so wrong!"

'Bow first'. (Photo: Giuseppe Suaria/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

Giuseppe Suaria's photo captured the Russian research vessel Akademik Tryoshnikov as it leans against the Mertz Glacier in Eastern Antarctica. The image was taken moments before ROPOS, a Remotely Operated Underwater Vehicle (ROV), was deployed under the glacier tongue. The ROV was sent to investigate the melting of the ice sheet after a large, protruding piece of protruding ice broke away from the main body in 2010.

The photo was named runner-up in the Earth Science and Climatology category.

'Olive oil drop family hanging together'. (Photo: Herve Elettro/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

The winner in the Micro-imaging category, Herve Elettro's photo features precariously hanging olive oil drops. He explains the science behind his inspiration.

"Inspired by the micro-glue droplets produced by the Nephila Madagascariensis spider to trap its prey, we began thinking to ourselves 'What if these droplets could do more than just gluing?' Surface tension, the ability of a fluid to oppose deformation, indeed allows droplets to swallow any fibre made slack under compression, thus tightening the web against natural elements. A first step in the understanding of this mechanism was to use a model system for capture silk: drops on a thin soft fibre. The hanging olive oil drop family was born."

We know that tiny tardigrades are very resilient, but who knew these water bears were also so photogenic, at least in an extremely close-up kind of way?

Vladimir Gross captured a 50-hour-old tardigrade embyro using a scanning electron microscope at a magnification of 1800x. His photo, which depicts the embryo at a mere 1/15 of a millimeter in length, was the runner-up in the Micro-imaging category.

'Waiting in the shallows'. (Photo: Nico de Bruyn/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

"On an island filled with life and with the opportunity for incredible wildlife sightings, you learn to keep your camera close at hand," says Nico de Bruyn, winner of the Ecology and Environmental Science category.

His photo features killer whales suddenly entering a small bay at Subantarctic Marion Island, surprising a small huddle of King Penguins busy preening themselves in the water. De Bruyn says he was busy taking a census of elephant seals further up on the beach when the sounds of sudden splashing by the penguins alerted him to the whales' presence.

'Invincible ants'. (Photo: Thomas Endlein /Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

Normally pitcher plants would be quite happy when insects come parading their way, but the ants marching here are immune to the the slippery rim and structures that trap their lesser kind.

Here Thomas Endlein captured these "invincible ants" as they climb the curled tendrils of the carnivorous pitcher plant, occasionally even darting in unharmed to steal a bit of tasty nectar.

The image was runner up in the Ecology and Environmental Science category.

'Respiro'. (Photo: Antonia Doncila/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

The winner in the Behavior category, Antonia Doncila's photo was taken while crossing the Fram Strait near the eastern Greenland coast.

"Since the Arctic Ocean is warming at double the rate compared with the rest of the globe, it was painful yet unsurprising for us to see that at 80N sea-ice was sparse. On our journey, we saw polar bears swimming in an ocean of open water with no shadow of sea-ice for them to rest their heavy bodies on. Those polar bears were doomed to die from overheating while swimming hopeless in any direction," Doncila writes.

But her subject, she says, is lucky.

"He found a portion of fast ice which rapidly became his home. His gaze into the water represents the product of our societal wrongdoings. It is also a symbol of hope because what has melted can become frozen again."

Arctic terns mate for life, and they have a preference for making their homes on the ground, says photographer David Costantini. While on a research trip to Svalbard, between Norway and the North Pole, he discovered these resourceful birds.

"I came across this couple of Arctic terns that found a clever solution to solve the difficult task of finding a good place to breed in human-modified landscapes: they made their own house on an abandoned shovel," he says. "This photo also shows how vocal communication between mates is very important in terns to coordinate parental efforts in order to achieve a successful reproduction."

His photo was the runner-up in the Behavior category.

'Lunar spotlight, South Pole, Antarctica'. (Photo: Daniel Michalik/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

Daniel Michalik, who is wintering at the South Pole working for the South Pole Telescope research collaborative, took this photo, which won the Astronomy category.

"Ice crystals suspended in the atmosphere create a rare optical phenomenon: a light pillar underneath the Moon. The cold dry atmosphere at the Geographic South Pole favors this and similar phenomena (sun/moon dogs, halos, arcs); they are much more often seen here than in the non-polar regions," Michalik says. "The light pillar creates a dramatic spotlight on the out-of-this-world appearance of the frozen Antarctic plateau."

'Diamond ring through thin clouds'. (Photo: Wei-Feng Xue /Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

The runner-up in the Astronomy category, Wei-Feng Xue's photo is of the American Eclipse of 2017, as seen from the path of totality that went through northern Georgia.

"This is the diamond ring lighting up some very thin cloud structures, looking almost like space clouds (i.e. a nebula). Also in the photo, the solar corona was dimmed a little by the thin clouds but was still visible, and some Baily's beads and solar prominences that can be seen around the diamond."

'Acari trapped in spiderweb'. (Photo: Bernardo Segura/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

It's hard to miss the massive webs built by the spiders of the genus Austochilus in the Chilean temperate forests, says Bernardo Segura, who adds that it's also impossible not to be amazed by the "gigantic horizontal sheet of spiders up to a meter long."

After taking several photos near Nahuelbuta National Park, he realized that some of the threads had lovely blue tones.

"I also realized that those threads are probably specialized in prey capture, and the spring-like structure that can be seen inside the threads probably has something to do with the elasticity. While taking photos of this amazing structure I saw a small acari hanging from the web, which may have fallen into the web and the spider didn't notice."

Segura's haunting photo won an honorable mention in the Micro-imaging category.

'The rainy season, the green tree frog, and the maintenance of life'. (Photo: Carlos Jared/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

For eight months of the year, the small green tree frog Phyllomedusa nordestina remains hidden in its home in the Brazilian semi-arid desert. But after the first summer rains, when the dry, brown landscape begins to turn a verdant green, the tree frog awakes with the surrounding landscape.

"The apparent fragile tree frogs follow this same tendency and change their usual brownish color to the fresh summer green. With this new garment, they mate within the flowers and leaves that also color the scenario, often (as in this case), with natural pomp," writes Carlos Jared, who won an honorable mention in the Ecology and Environmental Science category for his colorful image.

"Reproduction usually occurs in puddles or on the shores of small temporary swamps. Everything must be very fast because drought will ruthlessly return."

'Pele's fire'. (Photo: Sabrina Koehler/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

Sabrina Koehler says she didn't even need to fully extend her telephoto lens to capture the image in this photo, which earned an honorable mention in the Earth Science and Climatology category.

"I had the unique opportunity this year to capture nature's creation, the 61G lava flow at the current Pu'u O'o eruption site of the active Kilauea volcano in Hawaii's Volcano National Park," she says. "Hawai'i, or the Big Island, is the last of a series of islands created by this volcano, and still growing landmass every year. I went there by boat since it's the way to go if you want to get very close. It was stunning."

'Toss the scorpion - Indian roller playing with the kill'. (Photo: Susmita Datta/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

During an early morning safari drive at Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve in India, everyone else was looking for big cats, but Susmita Datta saw something else.

"When everyone was busy tracking the tiger movement, this little moment happened on a tree branch, giving me the chance to shoot the sequence. Though light was poor (that was dealt with, in the processing part), it was still great to witness the natural history moment of survival between the prey and its predator. This Indian roller is establishing its superiority and showing off the kill (a scorpion) before finishing it off by thrashing it against the tree branches."

The photo earned an honorable mention in the Behavior category.

'Within Reach'. (Photo: Petr Horalek/Royal Society Publishing Photo Competition)

Petr Horalek captured this ethereal portrait of a person reaching for the stars and "Within Reach" won an honorable mention for Astronomy.

"The rocky, barren landscape below evokes an alien world, complementing the cosmic display above. The main feature: our beautiful home galaxy, the Milky Way, arching across the Chilean night sky and framing the observer on the left. The light from billions of stars combine to create the Milky Way's glow, with huge clouds of dark dust blocking the light and creating the observed mottled pattern. A natural effect, airglow, is responsible for the swathes of green and orange light that appear to be emanating from the horizon."
The urban farming scene is diversifying, and instead of growing veggies and greens, Smallhold is fruiting fungi in minifarms located right in the restaurants where they'll be served.

The virtual explosion in indoor grow units and small vertical urban farms might be an indication that we're starting to come full circle when it comes to local food production, and although many of these home growing units are rather expensive when compared with DIY solutions, it's a great step in the right direction. Growing your own veggies, greens, and herbs at home can be a rewarding hobby, and there's no shortage of information on the web about the myriad ways to do so.

However, when it comes to growing your own culinary mushrooms, there really aren't too many plug-n-play options other than the pre-colonized mushroom kits that are sprouting up these days like, well, mushrooms after a rain. Those types of mushroom kits are easy to grow, considering that most of the work has already been done for you and all you have to do is give it the right fruiting conditions, but they also cost a fair bit more than just buying those same mushrooms ready to eat from the store. But with any luck, having success with a kit might mean that those people are willing to go to the next step, which is to try going from grain spawn to a homemade fruiting substrate, so perhaps that initial cost should be considered an educational investment instead of a purchase. Speaking as someone who is currently up to his ears in home mushroom production, growing fungi is an addictive hobby and it really isn't that difficult once you understand the basics.

The Misunderstood Mushroom

So why don't we see more restaurants or markets growing their own mushrooms during a time when self-contained growing units are starting to make it easy to grow lettuce and microgreens at the point of use? Part of that may be because fungi aren't nearly as well-understood by the average person as plants are, which makes them seem mysterious and dangerous, and part of it might be because they do require different conditions to grow and to fruit than plants do, with certain phases of their growth requiring sterile conditions and high humidity, which aren't nearly as easy to create as a growing chamber for greens is.

But one Brooklyn-based startup is looking to change that, as its mushroom mini-farms can bring not only the beauty and mystery of mushrooms into the restaurant but can also ensure that the chefs have the freshest possible mushrooms right near to hand. If you've ever seen raggedy-looking, bruised, and dried out mushrooms for sale in many grocery stores, you can appreciate the huge difference in quality and taste that freshly-harvested mushrooms have, and for this reason, many chefs go nuts over fresh gourmet mushrooms.

How Smallhold Is Helping

Smallhold builds and manages networked minifarms that are sited in the client's location and filled with pre-colonized bags, after which the vertical minifarm (about the size of a shelving unit) automatically maintains the correct fruiting conditions, so that clients only need supply the space (and the funds, one would presume) for freshly-grown mushrooms. According to a piece in Vogue, Smallhold uses "a substrate made of recycled materialsmostly sawdust mixed with organic matter like wheat berries and coffee grounds," so there's a local reuse component to the business as well.

"Smallhold Networked Minifarms are 100% climate-controlled vertical farms. They employ the latest in agricultural technology, applying advanced lighting and water recirculation to high-density growth chambers. The result? 40 times the output per square foot of a traditional farm with 96% less water usage." - Smallhold

According to the Smallhold website, these networked mini-farms can also be used to grow lettuce, greens, and herbs, depending on the customer's needs, but considering the sheer number of indoor grow units on the market right now, it's hard to see how these units could compete on growing plants alone, whereas growing mushrooms on-site is something that's actually quite uncommon. In addition, to have a supply of fresh mushrooms on hand to go on the menu, restaurateurs can also boast of some of the most unique decor around - bouquets of fresh fungi to be admired by their patrons. No pricing information is available on the Smallhold site, but interested parties can contact the company for more info.

[On a related note, if you've ever wanted to try your hand at growing mushrooms, one of the absolute easiest ways to get started is with a piece of a fresh oyster mushroom and some plain old wet cardboard. It's a little more complicated than that, but not much -- it's almost ridiculously simple to do. That experience was my gateway to growing mushrooms, and now I'm currently cultivating a half-dozen different oyster mushroom varieties, as well as elm oysters, shiitakes, lion's mane, wine cap, reishi, and turkey tail, so fair warning that it's quite addictive.]
"The OP is from the USA, but with us Canucks, buying a one way ticket from PVR to Canada, we have to pay in US $ for the return to Canada, which will could amount to more than buying a return ticket."

Hi jimmie - I am assuming with this reference you're talking about WestJet. You don't have to pay in USD if you phone them to book rather then going online for that one way return ticket to Canada. I purchase a lot of one way fares on several airlines and have done this with WJ before. They actually told me to do it this way.

For the OP: there's all kinds of factors on getting one way tickets. Often it's cheaper, but another factor is timing. Not all round trip itineraries have favourable flight times that work for you, so being able to do mixed itineraries with one way tickets is a way to combat that. I've done lots of them over the years with several airlines. The other reason I've bought one way tickets in the past is sometimes my dates cross over a seat sale cutoff date - so I'll buy a one way ticket in the sale window and then just wait for the next sale window to buy the other one.
I would use some of the spare days to extend my saty at least for Sapa. It is not the rainy season in the north when you are there, so no problem doing an overnight trek. But taking the overnight train and start with a trek straight away would not be my favourite option. I would spend the first night in Sapa, then do the overnight trek, and then return to hanoi by train.

Also, I was glad I did the 2 night cruise, as the second day (where you sepond the whole day at the aby, rather than just from noon to nnon the next day) was my favourtie time.

So these are two additional nights.

Regarding one more place - Phong Nha is not a good place to visit in Ocotber and November due to the rainy season. Some tours to the caves stop in September, and if there is heavy rain other caves might be closed as well.

Hoi An, hue and Nha Trang can also be very wet during the rainy season in Central Vietnam. If you don't mind rain, you can still visit one of these places.Check the weather forecast though to esnure there is no flooding.

An alternative to central Vietnam could be either Ninh Binh (near Hanoi) or the Mekong Delta, where you can see some lovely green rice fields. Both places are worth a visit.

To visit Phu Quoc I would fly directly from Hanoi or Danang (depending which place you visit after Sapa), and not to HCMC. This will save some travelling time. Besides, you should always spend your last night in town where your flight home departs from.

If you want to cover the Mekong Delta, I would still fly to Phu Quoc, then fley to Can Tho, and then travel through the Delta to HCMC, either by bus or by private cars, that would enable you to stop on the way.

Just a few thoughts
>visit tourist spots around Tokyo, which may include a tour to Ghibli Museum in Mitaka

Unless you luck out and there still would be remaining tickets in Loppi machines in Lawson convenience stores, you won't probably get there. Ghibli Museum tickets get bought out about half a year before the day on the internet, and about a month before in tourist agencies like JTB. Lawsons are the only place where there's a chance to get them after that, if we are to believe my friend who's told me so. Still, the area is one of my favorite spots in Tokyo, and the Inokashira Park where the museum is situated, is a very pleasant place.
Ah Maree, Maree, Maree,

What you need is a Bex, a cup of Tea and a good lie down

So long as you don't and I seriously mean don't go during the school holidays you will be fine.

Had your lie down now tottle off and get yourself a nice Sauvignon Blanc. One from New Zealand would be good. The Kiwis make some great sav blanc's and they got us with the pav's. Oh and I forgot they manage to give us a belting in Rugby Bledislow Cup. Any way got your glass good.

First thing I am going to do is post a piece I did for a lady from Colac here in Western Vic and she and other people have found it very helpful and as you're in Vic the reference to the Sunday Herald Sun will mean something to you.

Here goes:

'First time to FIJI

Like a lot of things ########### holidaying in Fiji is a very personal thing. So, it is about you finding your piece of paradise. First thing I would do today is go out and buy the Sunday Herald Sun and have a look in the travel section. Some Fiji resorts advertise specials so see if anything floats your boat. Variables include budget, ages of kids, what you are looking at doing and time (How long you want to spend in Fiji). My wife and I prefer May because the Cyclone season is over but there is still more warmth in the water but it is a personal thing. Have been in January, August and October and all were good.

Now there are lots of places to visit in Fiji with over 300 islands but there are 4 area's that get talked about the most.

Coral Coast - is situated on the south coast of the main island of Viti Levu. Beaches can be hit and miss. Have been to Naviti 3 times with the kids, which no matter what you read is only 3 - 3.5 stars but we found the staff terrific but the beach is not good and the coral reef has seen better days. Have a look at The Warwick, Intercontinental, Shangri La and Hideaway to start with.

Denarau - this is where I upset most people because it leaves me cold but they have a lot of the major chain resorts and hotels like the Hilton, Radisson and Westin etc. Much like South Bank in Melbourne with a choice of eateries etc. Built on a reclaimed mangrove swamp and has a fairly sizeable marina there as well.

Mamanuca Islands - This is where my wife and I spend most of our time coz we are in a rut! I personally prefer the islands over the main land but that is my choice. Remember it is about you. I would start my research with Malolo, Castaway, Musket Cove and Treasure Island. Beaches can be tidal but there are some wonderful spots.

Yasawa Islands - Of the 4 locations this area takes the longest to get to. Start your research with Blue Lagoon Beach Resort.

Now with the numbers you are talking about I would definitely pop in and see a travel agent and don't forget that once you're booked you will need travel insurance

If I think of anything else I'll add another post.

Other regulars should jump in and give their idea's. We all have our own spots.

As I have said repeatedly it is about you and I hope you have a great time

Baz"

RE: Splitting your time between resorts. To get the most effective use of your time I would only split time between locations if I was staying in Fiji more than 10 days say 12 to 14 and then I would do a Coral Coast Resort then I would do an island. So for example we'll do 6 days at Shangri la (never been there myself)but we'll pluck it out of the air. (It is a resort on the Coral Coast and it sometimes comes on special) then we'll transfer back to Nadi and as a treat we'll catch a sea plane from the airport and go to Blue Lagoon Beach Resort up in the Yasawa's. A great treat for the kids and you'll have a ball.

I don't recommend Plantation I have been there a couple of times and sorry but I did not find it good at all.

So the Sunday Herald Sun. Each Sunday this paper has an Escape Section so have a look, usually there is at least 1 page of specials, some days there is more and some none at all.

My beloved is our travel agent but the most important thing is the moment you book you need travel insurance. My wife usually books the resort and then books the airfares. We book far enough a head you wont have any problems

One trick is we use the Fiji Airways Red Eye out of Tulla which means we get into Fiji at about 6.00 am so you don't loose a minute.

Now I like Castaway Island Resort in the Mamanuca Chain just off Nadi. It is a little more expensive than other resorts but the location is sublime. Oh and that's the other trick check what currency the Resort are quoting in coz converting to the Ozzie is good at the moment. When you're seeing prices on this website just be aware that the prices are quoted without the travel agents commission.

Here is the webcam from Castaway: http://castawayfiji.com/webcam/. It is a good way to keep the kids interested without getting over excited. So let them look at it once in a while.

This time I would go with the travel agent, speak to the other tourist at where ever you go coz you'll pick up lots of tricks.

How was the wine? Hope you enjoyed it. Just about to bucket down.

Hope everything goes well and if you have another question ask.

Baz
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-Tanzanian opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been shot by unknown assailants and is said to be in bad shape

- Police have so far identified a white Nissan that is said to have been ferrying the assailants

- Lissu who is a strong critic of President Magufuli belongs to the CHADEMA party and is the president of the Tanganyika Law Society

- He has previously been arrested by the Tanzanian police and charged with incitement and is currently facing 12 political cases in court

Tanzaniaa Opposition leader Tundu Lissu has been shot and critically wounded by unknown assailants.

Lissu, who is one of President John Pombe Magufulis fiercest critic was shot on the abdomen and rushed to hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.

Police have so far identified a white Nissan that is said to have been ferrying the assailants who sprayed his car with bullets.

Lissu is said to be in a critical condition.Photo:Nation Media.

READ ALSO: Confusion as IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba denies taking Wafula Chebukati to court

The politician who is also the president of the Tanganyika Law Society was shot while on his way to Parliament in Dodoma.

Various media outlets including the East African and Aljazeera report that the Opposition party CHADEMA Chief Whip was accosted by the criminals near his home and shot several times on Thursday, September 7.

Lissu has suffered multiple gunshot wounds. We strongly condemn this attack and are closely monitoring his condition, CHADEMA spokesman Tumaini Makene is quoted by AlJazeera.

READ ALSO: Jubilee Party declines to hold meeting with IEBC, demands NASA presence

One of Magufuli's fierce critics has been shot.Photo:Tanzanian Invest.com.

READ ALSO: Court refuses to save IEBC CEO Ezra Chiloba from Chebukati replacement

According to the East African, Lissu has at least 12 political cases against him following his fierce criticism on the Magufuli administration.

The Singida East MP was arrested on July but later released after he called the Tanzanian president a dictator.

Lupita Nyong'o made me change my name - Njugush

Source: TUKO.co.ke
The Mayor of the nation's capital city says the police are working and it is not for him to assess their performance.

This,. as he called on the entire society to work together on getting rid of any perception that crime is an opportunity.
Ukraine does not yet see any signs of Russia's readiness to retreat from Donbas and withdraw from Crimea. On the contrary, there is increasing evidence that Russia gets ready to offensive war on a continental scale.

President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko said this today during his annual address on the internal and external situation of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"There is still no indication that Moscow is ready to retreat from Donbas or withdraw from Crimea. However, there is increasing evidence that Russia gets ready to offensive war on a continental scale. For example, the Russia-Belarus military exercise Zapad 2017... Naturally, we have strengthened the control at all the sections of the state border due to this reason," Poroshenko said.

The President of Ukraine stressed that new main attacks forces of Russian troops could have been created under the guise of strategic command and staff exercises to invade Ukraine. "Seven thousand platforms with troops and equipment have approached or are approaching our borders... And there are no guarantees they will return from Belarus to Russia after the maneuvers end," the Head of State said.

In this context, Poroshenko recalled how Russia had aligned forces to seize Crimea in 2014 under the guise of alleged safety precautions at the Olympics in Sochi. In the second half of July 2008, the Ukrainian President added, when the Kavkaz 2008 military exercises were taking place, Russian troops attacked Georgia instead of returning from the training grounds to their permanent bases.

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Moldovan President Igor Dodon has signed a decree suspending the government's decision to send a military contingent of the National Army for the Rapid Trident 2017 exercises in Ukraine.

At the same time, he promised to lower the ranks of servicemen who left for the exercises, presidential press secretary Ion Ceban wrote on Facebook.

"The government's decision to send Moldovan soldiers to the exercises in Ukraine was suspended by a presidential decree. The president also ordered checks in the military units of the National Army to find out who is absent and present among the military so as to make a decision subsequently, in accordance with the law, up to the lowering of the responsible persons in their ranks," he wrote.

As Ukrinform reported, the Rapid Trident 2017 international military exercises, which are taking place at the International Peacekeeping and Security Center in Yavoriv, Lviv region, from September 7 to September 23, are attended by soldiers of the 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion and the First Infantry Brigade of the National Army of Moldova (57 people).

The decision on participation in the 2017 exercises was taken by the Moldovan government on Wednesday, September 6, despite the president's ban.

Dodon said on September 6 that he had suspended the government decision, being guided by the constitutional powers of the commander-in-chief of the country's armed forces.

Experts in the field of constitutional law, in turn, emphasize that the president's decision to suspend the government's decision is unenforceable, as the dispute between the government and the president can only be settled by a decision of the Constitutional Court.

op
The U.S. Department of State states that the UN peacekeeping mission should be deployed throughout the territory of occupied Donbas and not just on the line of conflict.

"Any such force should have a broad mandate for peace and security throughout the occupied territory in Ukraine," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

According to her, such a force could protect Ukrainians of all ethnicities and help restore Ukraines sovereignty.

As reported, on September 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin said his country would ask the U.N. Security Council to send peacekeepers to patrol the front line separating Ukrainian troops and Russia-backed separatists.

ish
President of Ukraine Petro Poroshenko says he can initiate holding a referendum on Ukraine's accession to the EU and NATO.

Poroshenko said this today during his annual address on the internal and external situation of Ukraine to the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, an Ukrinform correspondent reports.

"The opinion polls show that majority of Ukrainians supports joining both the European Union and NATO. I do not rule out that I will initiate holding an appropriate referendum in due time to demonstrate the will of Ukrainian people," the Head of State said.

Poroshenko stressed that Ukraines accession to NATO is no less important than joining the EU.

The President recalled that the Ukrainian army now develops in accordance with the NATO standards and should reach them completely by the end of 2020.

The Head of State expressed his confidence that the Ukrainian army would become the first state institution to meet the criteria for membership in the Alliance.

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The Ukrainian side, in the presence of OSCE representatives, has confirmed its readiness to exchange 309 militants for 87 Ukrainians and expects a response to the proposal for the immediate release of hostages.

The first deputy head of the Verkhovna Rada and Ukraine's representative in the humanitarian subgroup of the Trilateral Contact Group, Iryna Herashchenko, reported this on Facebook on Wednesday.

"Minsk. The humanitarian subgroup, where the Ukrainian side was also represented by [Viktor] Medvedchuk, SBU experts and [Valeria] Lutkovska. In the presence of the OSCE, we confirmed the recent proposal for the immediate release of hostages. We are demanding the release of 87 Ukrainians whose location we have established. As part of the compromise, the Ukrainian side is ready to release 309 people so as to free our guys. It is important that [Russian-supported militants] do not deny the holding of 87 Ukrainians from the list of 144. It is hard to find information about each of them, and we are fighting for their inclusion in the lists... We expect replies to our official proposals that are fully based on the Minsk agreements," Herashchenko said.

She added that the stumbling block at the negotiations is the requirement by militants to release criminals and terrorists who are not subject to the Minsk agreements, which is why it is unacceptable.

Herashchenko also said that as part of previous agreements, representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross had managed to convey letters and parcels from families to hostages in the occupied territories.

The working subgroups of the Trilateral Contact Group held the talks behind closed doors in Minsk earlier on Wednesday.

op
Devastating floods in Nepal have claimed lives and displaced thousands of people. Communities are now confronted with damaged or destroyed homes and schools, ruined food stocks and an increased risk of waterborne diseases. UNICEF and partners are providing immediate relief to those affected and supporting early recovery efforts.



Rautahat, Nepal, 6 September 2017  When Ram Patiya Mahato, 32, went to bed on Friday 11 August, she expected to go the next day to a medical facility to give birth to her fourth child. Instead, she woke to see her home flooded.

Roads were obstructed and there was no local transport available.

As the floodwaters started rushing into their village, her husband Hari Mahato Dhangar, 35, managed to carry her to a nearby school building just in time.

Soon after, with the help of women from the community, Ram gave birth to a healthy baby girl.

Family and neighbours have started calling the little one Dahariya, after "dahar" which means floods.


PANAMA CITY/NEW YORK, 7 September 2017  More than 10.5 million children live in the countries that are likely to be exposed to the damage from Hurricane Irma, UNICEF warned today. Based on the storm's current trajectory, children in the islands of the Eastern Caribbean, Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba are at risk, including over 3 million under 5 years old. UNICEF is concerned that hundreds of thousands of children could suffer the worst effects of the storm, with those living in coastal zones at highest risk.



Strong winds and torrential rains have already barreled through some of the smallest and most exposed islands in the eastern Caribbean, including Anguila and Barbuda," said Patrick Knight, Head of Communication for UNICEF in the Eastern Caribbean, speaking from Barbados. "As the extent of the damage becomes clear we are seeing severe levels of destruction. Our priority is to reach all those children and families in the affected communities as soon as possible.



Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm, travelled across various islands of the Eastern Caribbean on Wednesday, leaving a trail of destruction in its path, especially in Anguila, the British Virgin Islands, Barbuda and Turks and Caicos Islands.



Early estimates suggest that 74,000 people, including 20,000 children, have been affected in these islands.



According to local authorities, communication networks in many of the affected areas have been affected either totally or partially. Infrastructure, including roads, bridges, hospitals and schools have also suffered varying degrees of damage. In Barbuda, 90 per cent of the infrastructure has been destroyed, and it is anticipated that this will include up to 132 schools.



UNICEF's immediate concern is providing drinking water and sanitation to affected communities, as well providing child protection services for both children and adolescents, including psycho-social support for those affected. UNICEF will also support the reestablishment of education systems and early learning systems as safe spaces.



In advance of the storm, UNICEF prepositioned life-saving humanitarian supplies in Antigua, Barbuda and Barbados to ensure a rapid distribution of these goods to affected populations in coordination with local authorities. These supplies include water, food and medicine, water treatment supplies, hygiene kits, provisional shelters and education materials.



Hurricane Irma is projected to continue its devastating path west, with the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba at risk in the coming hours and days.



###



For more information please contact:

Marisol Quintero, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Panama Phone: +507 6569- 2718 mquintero@unicef.org

Alfonso Fernandez Reca, UNICEF Regional Office for Latin America and the Caribbean, Panama Phone: + 507 6941-2277 afernandezreca@unicef.org

Joe English, UNICEF New York, +1 917 893 0692 jenglish@unicef.org
Prostate cancer, one of the most common male malignancies with an increasing incidence in the recent years, requires the development of new methods of treatment. One of the most debated subjects is the tumor-associated macrophages (TAM). Although, the pathophysiological mechanisms are still a subject of intense research, TAM acts as procarcinogenic factors. It was also demonstrated that hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF1) induces the expression of TAM genes involved in prostate carcinogenesis. Furthermore, it should be noted that the stromal extracellular lactate, the result of tumoral glycolysis process is one of the HIF1 activators. In addition, lactate inhibits the differentiation of monocytes and dendritic cells and also induces the inactivation of the cytotoxic T-lymphocytes. Through an analysis of recent studies, we conclude that lactate is a vital component of several ways of modulating the immune response at the stromal prostatic adenocarcinoma including TAM activation and cytotoxic T lymphocytes immunosuppression. Our review focuses on the impact of lactate on prostatic adenocarcinoma progression in terms of its immunology, and how this influences the therapy of this condition and the clinical outcome.

Journal of cancer research and therapeutics. 0000 Jan [Epub]

Iuliana Nenu, Grigore-Aristide Gafencu, Tiberiu Popescu, Gabriel Kacso

Department of Medical Oncology and Radiotherapy, "Iuliu Hatieganu" University of Medicine and Pharmacy, Cluj-Napoca, Romania.

PubMed http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28862200
The Cambodian regimes fear of losing the upcoming general election led it to detain opposition leader Kem Sokha on spurious treason charges, his daughter has said.

Kem Samathida, Sokhas daughter, who has no formal role in the Cambodia National Rescue Party, told VOA Khmer in an email that the charges brought against her father were an insult to the intelligence of Cambodians.

Their fear of losing the 2018 election has never been more obvious as evidenced by the arrest of my father along with the crackdowns on the media and civil society. They don't even have [the] decency to come up with more believable excuses. They don't even have the time to think [about] creating a lie that some people could buy, she said.

This is them crossing the line and they will keep going until we put a stop to it. This is them handcuffing and locking up their challenger and sending him to a prison far away. They will continue to use the justice system and armed forces to attack anyone in a position to lead [the] CNRP until we run out of people, she added.

Sokha was arrested in a pre-dawn raid on Sunday and charged with espionage under Cambodias treason laws over a speech he gave in Australia several years ago in which he alluded to receiving strategic advice from the United States and Canada.

The government claims this speech is evidence of a foreign conspiracy to topple the regime of Prime Minister Hun Sen, who has held power in Phnom Penh for more than 30 years.

Samathida alleged police taking part in the raid held household staff at gunpoint and stole money and cell phones and vandalized the house.

As a human, I'm hurt beyond any existing word in the English or Khmer language... the pain caused by injustice is very common in Cambodia, so I know that many Cambodians can relate to this feeling. But with the circumstances that I'm in, I will remain strong and continue to fight for my father's release and the values that he holds dearly till the last second of my life, she said.

Yeth Chakriya, a prosecutor, claimed in a letter on Tuesday that the speech was proof of a conspiracy launched in 1993 to overthrow the legitimate government.

Leng Penglong, a parliament spokesman, said an extraordinary session would be convened so a vote could be held on whether to continue with the prosecution, which leading officials have also said is not a political issue and would be handled by an independent judiciary.

If the case goes to a vote in parliament, Sokha will need more than 75 percent of the vote to overturn the charges, while the CNRP holds fewer than 45 percent of seats in the legislature.

The government has also announced it is seeking to make further arrests in the case.

As for future arrests, everyone at CNRP is of course at risk. That's not even the question anymore. The question is what are we going to do about that? Is the world going to watch democracy being murdered? Are we going to continue to pretend that there's any form of democracy left? They're pushing us to the edge of a cliff and no doubt that they continue to push us further, Samathida said.

Khieu Sopheak, interior spokesman, and Kirt Chantharith, police spokesman, could not be reached for comment.

Cambodia has been roundly condemned by the international media for the arrest, as well as its crackdown on independent radio stations and forced closure of the Cambodia Daily newspaper.

U.S. Senator John McCain this week also issued a statement on Twitter. He said: The unacceptable repression of democratic leaders in Cambodia underscores the alarming growth of authoritarianism [in Cambodia].

Sok Khemara contributed to this report.
South Sudan says the United States should rethink its decision to impose sanctions on two senior government officials and the former army chief accused of obstructing peace in the country. The sanctions were announced by the U.S Treasury Department yesterday against Information Minister Michael Makuei, defense official Malek Reuben, and former army chief General Paul Malong.
Donald Sutherland, the star of "MASH," "The Hunger Games" and more than 140 other movies, is to get a lifetime achievement Oscar, along with Belgian director Agnes Varda, Oscar organizers said on Wednesday.

Sutherland and Varda will be joined by African-American indie film director Charles Burnett and cinematographer Owen Roizman in receiving honorary Oscars at a ceremony in Los Angeles in November, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences said in statement.

Academy president John Bailey said the honorees reflect "the breadth of international, independent and mainstream filmmaking, and are tributes to four great artists whose work embodies the diversity of our shared humanity."



Canadian actor Sutherland, 82, has a career spanning five decades starting with his 1967 breakthrough in "The Dirty Dozen." He went on to play wisecracking army surgeon Hawkeye Pierce in the 1970 movie version of "MASH," as well as roles in thriller "Don't Look Now" and "Klute."

Sutherland, the father of "24" actor Kiefer Sutherland, played President Snow in all four of the recent "Hunger Games" young adult movie franchise. He has never been Oscar nominated.

Belgian-born Varda has experimented with shorts, documentaries and feature films during her more than 60-year career. Called the mother of the French New Wave, her movies include "Cleo from 5 to 7," "Le Bonheur," and "One Sings, the Other Doesn't."

Burnett is an independent filmmaker whose work, including "America Becoming," has been praised for its portrayal of the African-American experience.

Roizman has five Oscar nominations for his work as a cinematographer on movies including "The French Connection," "Tootsie" and "Network."

The honorary Oscars will be presented at a gala dinner on Nov. 11.
Poverty, deprivation and state abuse of power are driving young Africans to join violent extremist groups, such as Boko Haram, al-Shabab and Islamic State, according to a first-of-a-kind study by the U.N. Development Program.

The 124-page study, which was conducted over a two-year period, is based on interviews with 495 voluntary recruits to extremist organizations.

It explores the reasons why young Africans are attracted to organizations that engage in terrorist activities, and it sheds light on the recruitment process, misperceptions, growing dangers and presents recommendations for resisting extremist messages and recruitment.

The report finds the road to extremism in Africa is paved with deprivation, said Mohamed Yahya, lead author and UNDP Africa Regional Program Coordinator. Poverty, marginalization and underdevelopment play an important role in the African context and it is, therefore, important for development actors to also be involved in finding solutions.

Yahya said society must move away from its fixation on security to contain violent extremism. He told VOA that security actors obviously have an important role to play, but two decades of ever-tightening security measures have not succeeded in stopping the growth of terrorism.

Security becomes important only when these groups or these people who join these groups have acted, or have engaged in terrorist acts, or violent extremist acts, he said.

He added that it would be more useful to work on solutions aimed at preventing young Africans from joining extremist groups, rather than reacting to a terrorist act after the fact.

The report warns Africas vulnerability to violent extremism is deepening. It notes half of the continents population lives below the poverty line, and many of its young people are chronically underemployed, making them vulnerable to recruitment.

Disillusion, frustration as drivers

Participants in the study were asked about their family circumstances, including childhood and education, religious ideologies, economic factors, state and citizenship.

According to the study, 71 percent of recruits interviewed said some form of government action was the tipping point that triggered their decision to join an extremist group; 83 percent believe that government only looks after the interests of a few; and more than 75 percent place no trust in politicians or in the state security apparatus.

Half of the respondents cited religious reasons for joining extremist groups, but 57 percent admitted that they understood little to nothing of the religious texts or interpretations and indicated that frustration about their economic condition played a larger role than religious ideology.

The study found that recruitment in Africa takes place mostly at the local level, face-to-face, rather than online, as is the case in other regions.

In the African context, the Internet plays a very small part in the recruitment process, said Yahya. Recruitment is a process of socialization, actually, 50 percent of people join with a friend. Very few people join alone.

Despite this hands-on method of recruitment, Yahya notes the impact of violent extremism in Africa was very high compared to most regions, except the Middle East.

UNDP estimates some 33,300 people in Africa lost their lives to violent extremist attacks between 2011 and early 2016. The most destructive force has been Boko Haram, which UNDP notes is responsible for at least 17,000 deaths and the forcible displacement of 2.8 million people in the Lake Chad region.

Internet as future recruiter

Yahya told VOA that, for now, recruitment of young Africans between the ages of 17 and 26 by terrorist organizations was still a labor intensive process. He warned, however, that ominous changes in this process were likely to occur when the Internet becomes more universally available on the continent.

When Internet penetration comes, you can realistically assume that recruitment will go up because you can leave messages on the Internet. You can have people joining these organizations in their own private homes, he said.

The UNDP official said this future, riskier reality should spur people to action. He said there was still a window of opportunity to get our houses in order, to provide opportunities for our young people, to ensure that the rights of young people are much more respected.

We have to invest in education. We have to invest in social services, he said. We have to accelerate development in areas that are highly deprived to safeguard and create a kind of resilience against extremism that we want to see.
Bahrain's government has crushed dissent and violently cracked down on protests in the past year, Amnesty International said on Thursday, and it accused Britain and the United States in particular of turning a blind eye to its abuses.

Amnesty said in a report on Thursday that it had documented how the Bahraini government, from June 2016 to June 2017, arrested, tortured, threatened or banned from travel at least 169 activists and opponents or their relatives.

Bahraini authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Bahrain has repeatedly denied systematic rights abuses.

US and Britain cited in report

Entitled No one can protect you: Bahrain's year of crushing dissent, the report said that at least six people were killed, including a child, in the crackdowns.

The report also accused Western governments, notably the United States and Britain of remaining silent. The two countries have a particularly high level of influence in Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based and where Britain's Royal Navy has a major facility.

Amnesty said U.S. President Donald Trump's policy has shifted from that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who had publicly criticized the authorities of the tiny Gulf state.

In March 2017, President Trump told Bahrains King Hamad there won't be strain with this administration: Bahrain appears to have interpreted this statement as a green light to pursue its repression, the report said.

Crackdown on critics

Bahrain has stepped up a crackdown on critics, shutting down two main political groups, revoking the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the Shi'ite Muslim community and jailing rights campaigners. It denounced attempts by previous U.S. and U.K. governments to intervene in its campaign.

In July, a Bahraini court sentenced rights campaigner and prominent activist Nabeel Rajab to two years in jail for allegedly making false or malicious statements about Bahraini authorities. Rajab is facing another trial and risks a further 15 years in prison for tweeting.

Using an array of tools of repression, including harassment, arbitrary detention and torture, the government of Bahrain has managed to crush a formerly thriving civil society, Philip Luther, Amnesty International's director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Tortured in detention

Amnesty said it had received reports of nine cases of government critics being tortured in detention, eight of them in May 2017 alone.

Bahrain has been a flashpoint since the Sunni-led government put down Arab Spring protests in 2011. The kingdom, most of whose population is Shi'ite, says it faces a threat from neighboring Shi'ite theocracy Iran.

It accuses the Islamic Republic of radicalizing and arming some members of its majority Shi'ite population in an effort to bring about the downfall of the ruling Al Khalifa family.

Tehran denies any meddling in Bahrain.
With a new sanctions package under international consideration following North Koreas sixth and most powerful nuclear test last week, analysts say China still appears reluctant to support an oil cutoff, a measure that could trigger destabilization of the Kim Jong Un regime.

Speaking at an emergency meeting of the U.N. Security Council called after Pyongyang on Sunday tested what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb that can fit onto an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said Monday that the U.S. is running out of patience with Kim, who is begging for war. She said only the strongest sanctions would allow a resolution of the growing nuclear threat through diplomacy.

Haley said the 15 Security Council members would negotiate a new draft resolution of tougher sanctions this week and push for a vote next Monday.

It has been just more than a month since the Security Council adopted a sanctions resolution in the wake of the regimes two long-range ICBM tests, conducted in July, aiming to slash a third of Pyongyangs $3 billion annual export revenue by banning coal, iron, lead and seafood. What remains untapped that has the potential to stifle Pyongyangs nuclear pursuits is cutting off its supplies of oil and other fuels.

Draft resolution

The U.S. draft resolution of new U.N. sanctions, obtained by VOA Wednesday, calls for a ban on the sale of oil, as well as refined petroleum products and natural gas liquids, to North Korea.

Support from China and Russia is critical to impose an oil embargo on North Korea. The two countries are not only permanent members of the Security Council but also major energy exporters to the reclusive country.

But Russian President Vladimir Putin on Wednesday resisted the idea of blocking oil shipments to the North as a punishment for the regimes continued development of nuclear weapons and as a way to force the country back to the negotiating table.

Beijing, from which Pyongyang imports nearly all of its oil and gas, has yet to indicate its position on such a measure, only reiterating its support of peaceful negotiations.

The leverage [the Chinese] have on crude oil is immense, Joseph DeTrani, former special envoy for Six-Party Talks with North Korea, told VOAs Korean Service.

DeTrani said the consequence of severing Chinas oil supplies to North Korea would be disastrous  the crumbling of an already fragile North Korean economy followed by the implosion and destabilization of the regime.

Despite Chinas strained relations with Pyongyang in recent years, the odds of Beijing publicly backing oil sanctions seem remote, he added.

China doesnt have a great relationship with North Korea  but they do have a peace and friendship treaty that goes back to 1961, said the former envoy, in reference to The Sino-North Korean Treaty of Friendship, Cooperation and Mutual Assistance. China doesnt want to make North Korea a total enemy. They want to have some leverage. They dont want to totally alienate the leadership in Pyongyang.

Fine line for China

Richard Bush, a senior fellow in the Brookings Institutions John L. Thornton China Center, said Beijing walks a fine line between taking punitive measures against Pyongyang for its provocative acts and providing enough resources to the regime, allowing it to survive.

As Bush puts it, China wants to prove that it is a real tiger to Kim, who has ignored its advice to show restraint and proceeded with various weapons tests.

But at the same time, China worries that imposing a blockade on oil to North Korea could put the country in danger of collapse. China, which shares a border with North Korea, not only fears a refugee crisis if the regime fails, but also values North Korea as a strategic buffer between China and South Korea, where the U.S. maintains a large military presence.

It is likely China would try to create some flexibility when considering new sanctions, such as setting a ceiling for North Koreas annual oil imports or pushing forward a graduated approach to restrictions on crude oil, Bush suggested.

This would be in the hope that flexibility on the part of the international community would lead to flexibility on North Koreas part, he added. But I dont think thats going to work.

China doesnt want to be seen as sort of totally being dictated to by the United States. It wants to preserve its own freedom of action and flexibility, but at the same time be responsive to the concern of the international community about where North Korea is going. So I would look for some sort of intermediate position, Bush said.

With the latest nuclear test producing an estimated explosive yield of 120 kilotons,10 times more powerful than a hydrogen bomb test a year ago, the Chinese are concerned about the level of threat North Korea poses to their country, said Yun Sun, a China expert at the Stimson Center in Washington.

Nevertheless, there has been no indication from China that it is willing to cut off its oil supply to North Korea at this time, Sun said, adding it could instead move to place oil exports under a humanitarian exception during U.N. Security Council negotiations.

So if China categorically put oil supply and put the food assistance to North Korea under the humanitarian catalog, then I think it will be very tricky for countries to demand China to cut the supply because the Chinese will argue that those are for humanitarian purpose, Sun said.

Margaret Besheer at the United Nations contributed to this report.
Indias army chief has warned the nation to be prepared for a possible two-front war  with China and Pakistan  at the same time.

General Bipin Rawat warned China would continue its efforts to nibble away at Indias territory, as it did during a recent standoff in the Himalayas that ended last week. He said more incidents like the standoff at Doklam plateau in Bhutan could lead to a larger conflict on Indias northern border.

If that were to happen, Rawat warned, it is possible Pakistan would seize the opportunity to strike its arch nemesis from the west.

We have to be prepared for conflict on the northern and western borders, he said.

As far as our western adversary is considered, he said in reference to Pakistan, we dont see any scope of reconciliation because their military, the polity, and the people in that nation have been made to believe that India wants to break their country into pieces.

India and Pakistan have fought three wars since both nations gained independence from Britain 70 years ago. India and China have also fought once since then.

All three nations are nuclear powers, but Rawat said that will not necessarily be a deterrent.

Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence. Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true, he said.

Rawat made the comments at a seminar organized by the Center for Land Warfare Studies, a New Delhi-based think tank.
As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands: weapons. South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying arms to rebels fighting its bloody civil war.

On a visit last month, The Associated Press spoke with opposition fighters who recently defected to the South Sudan government side. They described how weapons flow in from Sudan - and how rebels flee there to find safe harbor.

Past documentation by arms experts that Sudan has supplied weapons to South Sudan's rebels are a concern as the Trump administration considers permanently lifting sanctions on Sudan in October. The sanctions have been in place for two decades because of grave human rights concerns.

Sudan's government has denied arming the rebels. Human rights groups say that if it is happening, Sudan's actions should weigh heavily against lifting sanctions.

If Sudan can't restrain itself from destabilizing its southern neighbor when it has so much to gain from the United States by not doing so, imagine the damage Sudan will do once sanctions are lifted and the U.S. no longer has leverage on Sudan to temper its worst instincts, the founding director of the Enough Project, John Prendergast, told the AP.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan's four-year civil war and millions have fled the country. Multiple efforts at peace deals have failed and no end to the conflict is in sight.

Between 2011 and 2015, the independent organization Conflict Armament Research documented Sudanese support to opposition forces in South Sudan. It found that Sudanese military equipment had been captured from non-state armed groups there. It also found that Sudan often repackaged ammunition or masked shipping information to conceal its origins, especially with large quantities of Chinese ammunition.

However, experts say that since 2015 there have been no new findings to support the claims of Sudan arming South Sudan's rebels, adding that proving any recent transfer is extremely difficult.

The U.S. put a lot of pressure on Sudan last year to cut off support to South Sudan's rebels as it explored whether to lift sanctions, said Alan Boswell, a conflict analyst specializing in South Sudan. The rebels then lost significant ground after struggling to resupply, Boswell said.

In the past year, despite South Sudan declaring a unilateral cease-fire, government forces have launched offensives reclaiming most of the West Bank in Upper Nile state, an epicenter of the civil war. Government troops have pushed the rebels further north.

In two towns the AP visited along the border with Sudan, mounds of bullets and explosives were seen piled on the ground or buried in holes to limit the damage from accidental explosions. South Sudan's army says the arms come from Sudan and were captured from the rebels - but the army also loads its own guns with the ammunition.

Sudan is giving the opposition military equipment and everything they need, said Col. James Gatjiath, the army commander in Northern Upper Nile state. Government troops in June captured two tanks from the opposition that he said came from Sudan.

Shown photos of the piles of ammunition, the coordinator of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring sanctions on South Sudan, Klem Ryan, said he agreed with arms experts that this stuff has mostly been in country for at least a couple of years. And it's impossible to say how any group comes by it.

The AP spoke to three rebel defectors in Wadakona town. Each said roughly 8,500 rebel fighters were based in two towns on the Sudan side of the border.

They gave us AK-47s, machine guns and artillery, John Bier, a defector-turned-South Sudan government soldier, said of the Sudanese. Bier said he fought with the opposition for four years was based in Sudan for most of that time.

There's a contract in place between Machar and Khartoum, said Sebit Kong, another rebel who recently defected. He was referring to opposition leader Riek Machar, now in exile in South Africa. Machar says, `Give me everything I need and I'll pay you back once we kick them out.'

The opposition rejects the claims that Sudan is supplying it with weapons.

I wish that was true. We could be in Juba by now, said opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel, referring to South Sudan's capital. We get our supply [of weapons] from the Juba regime's untrained forces in battles.

The State Department says the U.S. will continue to urge Sudan's government to maintain cooperation with the United States on addressing the South Sudan conflict and seek to stop the historical patterns of retributive, proxy support provided by both Sudan and South Sudan to armed opposition groups in each other's territory.
Australia's High Court has cleared the way for citizens to express their views for or against same-sex marriage in a nationwide mail-in ballot.

The court rejected two separate legal challenges to the proposed survey after two days of hearings, but did not issue any written opinions.

The High Court's decision means the government can go ahead and begin mailing the ballots next week, with the results to be announced in November. If a majority of "yes" ballots are returned, lawmakers would follow through with a vote on the measure the following month.

Gay rights advocates went to the Melbourne-based court seeking to scrap the plan out of concern the ballot would stoke anti-gay violence.

Prime Minister Turnbull, who supports same-sex marriage, praised the court's decision in Parliament Thursday. "I will be encouraging others to vote 'yes'," Turnbull said, and urged every Australian to vote "to have their say."

Turnbull launched the voluntary mail-in balloting after Parliament voted down a plan to hold a binding plebiscite.
Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has pledged to carry out a major reorganization of the U.S. State Department, with the results set to be announced on September 15.



On Wednesday, the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, Ed Royce, was on hand as several former ambassadors and business leaders launched a report with recommendations for State Department reform at the Atlantic Council research institution. Royce said he has been clear that he does not support deep cuts to the State Department and the Agency for International Development, proposed by the Trump administration.

When the administration first announced its proposed cuts of over 30 percent, I expressed my concerns and said we should be supporting, not slashing anti-terrorism, law enforcement, humanitarian programs given the growing threats that we face, he said.

Time to move quickly

Royce also called on Tillerson to move quickly to fill the many vacant senior positions, both at the State Department and at U.S. embassies across the world, since all but two of the department's 24 bureaus are still headed by acting assistant secretaries.

The men and women of the department need an effective chain of command in order to implement administration policies and in order to carry out their crucial national security duties, the secretary said.

Tillerson has come under criticism for supporting President Donald Trump's massive budget cuts to the State Department. Congress has rejected that level of cuts.

The high-ranking group of former ambassadors and business leaders assembled by the Atlantic Council concluded that is essential to bolster the State Department by reducing the number of bureaus and offices and making training for mid-level and senior staff mandatory. Former Ambassador Chester Crocker said the State Department maintains day-to-day relations between the U.S. and 180 countries around the world.

We cannot afford a weakened State Department. We cannot afford an underfunded, poorly-led, inadequately trained and bureaucratically muscle-bound State Department. We need to strengthen it, restore it and empower it to do better, he said.

WATCH: Atlantic Council Report

Security a must for department

The Atlantic Council report did not advocate for any certain budget. But a former senior financial officer at the State Department, Brad Higgins, said the main reason that the department's budget has increased in recent years is because diplomatic security costs have skyrocketed since the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

We now spend more securing the State Department than we do running the State Department. That is a discussion we need to have, Higgins said.

No matter the price tag, with security threats from North Korea, terrorism, and ongoing violence in Afghanistan and other places, the experts agreed that U.S. diplomacy is more crucial than ever in protecting Americans at home and keeping U.S. troops out of harm's way.
Parliament in Spain's prosperous Catalonia region has approved an independence vote for October 1, which Madrid has vowed to stop.

Separatist parties, which hold a slim majority, backed the referendum legislation and legal framework needed to set up an independent state.

Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy ordered government lawyers to file a complaint with the country's constitutional court in hopes of annulling the referendum.

Polls in the northeastern region show support for self-rule waning as Spain's economy improves. But the majority of Catalans say they do want the opportunity to vote on whether to split from Spain.

The vote will come about three weeks after Barcelona and a nearby town were struck by Islamist attacks that killed 15 people.

'Act of force'

Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria condemned the Catalan leadership for carrying out "an act of force" and for acting more like "dictatorial regimes than a democracy."

"What is happening in the Catalan parliament is embarrassing. It's shameful," she told reporters.

But Catalan leaders have pledged to proclaim a new republic within 48 hours if the "yes'' side wins, regardless of turnout.

Former Catalan President Artur Mas said pushing ahead with the referendum was justified because a pro-independence coalition won the 2015 regional election.

"The referendum is what we have to do because we have the mandate of the peoples of Catalonia,'' Mas said.
The U.S.-led coalition to defeat Islamic State in Iraq and Syria has confirmed that Syrian military forces have made it to the Islamic State-held city of Deir el-Zour.

Coalition spokesman Army Col. Ryan Dillon told reporters Thursday the Syrian military had arrived on the outskirts of the city and linked up with their besieged brigade that had been trapped in the city for nearly three years.

The coalition estimates there are some 2,500 ISIS fighters in and around Deir el-Zour, which lies on the eastern end of the Middle Euphrates River Valley.

The U.S.-led coalition has been conducting airstrikes against Islamic State in Deir el-Zour province, but so-far has left clearing the province of the terrorists to the Syrian regime and its Russian partners.

A recent deal brokered between the Syrian government, Hezbollah and Islamic State meant to allow Islamic State fighters and their families to take a convoy of buses to the Iraqi border, however, has raised additional concern about the Syrian governments determination to defeat the group.

The deal, which neither the coalition nor the Iraqi government agreed to, was intended to provide safe passage to the Iraqi border for hundreds of Islamic State fighters and their family members.

Yes, there is concern about whether or not and how serious the Syrian regime is about defeating ISIS, Dillon told reporters Thursday, adding that the U.S. would not allow the Syrian government to merely push Islamic State fighters to another country.

Dillon said Syrian Democratic Forces, along with an Arab contingent from the area, are still prepared to seize hometowns in the province of Deir el-Zour from ISIS, even as the Syrian military has advanced to Deir el-Zour city.

Well just have to see when that is going to happen, Dillon said.

At the United Nations, the Syrian government said road access to some areas of Deir el-Zour now have reopened as a result of the Syrian militarys advance. U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said the area previously had been reachable only by World Food Program airdrops.

Israel kills 2 Syrian soldiers

Meanwhile, Syria's army says Israeli warplanes attacked a Syrian military position early Thursday near the town of Masyaf, killing two soldiers and causing material damage.

The army statement said Israeli forces fired missiles while in Lebanese air space. Masyaf is located in Hama province, near the Mediterranean Sea about 40 kilometers north of the Syria-Lebanon border.

The Israeli military did not comment on the reported attack, which has been its usual response to similar attacks during the Syrian conflict. Israeli officials have, though, confirmed in the past that strikes inside Syria have targeted weapons shipments believed to be headed to the Lebanon-based militant group Hezbollah.

Hezbollah forces have fought in Syria in support of President Bashar al-Assad's forces.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the fighting in Syria, said the strikes hit a scientific research center and a nearby camp where surface-to-surface missiles are stored.
Colleges, universities and students nationwide have condemned a plan to rescind a rule from 2012 that protects undocumented child immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by parents or family members from deportation.

In Washington, students and educators marched to the White House to protest President Donald Trumps announcement to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) measure created by then-president Barack Obama.

Many of the young immigrants are nicknamed Dreamers because they pursue what is commonly known as the American Dream: better education and life in the prosperous U.S.

Demonstrations took place across the country in New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, as thousands of Dreamers and others protested the decision made by the Trump administration to leave the DACA policy in the hands of Congress.

Among the nearly 800,000 Dreamers in the United States, about 65,000 graduate from American high schools and nearly 10,000 graduate from U.S. colleges every year.

To have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, we cannot admit everyone who would like to come here, U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday in announcing the decision. That is an open-border policy and the American people have rightly rejected it.

WATCH: Sessions Rescinds DACA Program

Illegal immigration has been a focus of the Trump administration, which says undocumented immigrants take jobs and public funding from citizen taxpayers.

DACA makes Dreamers eligible to receive work permits and stay in the United States without risk of deportation for two years. They have been allowed to renew their work permits after being granted deferred action. But the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) has stopped receiving applications for DACA since the September 5 announcement.

WATCH: DACA Changes Explained



On August 28, the American Council on Education (ACE) and 36 other educational associations - including the Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities, and Association of American Universities - wrote a letter to Trump, lobbying to keep DACA intact.

In a September 5 letter from Harvard University, President Drew Faust said, In the months to come, we will make every effort to have our voice heard  about the need for the protections of DACA to continue.



Four states - Hawaii, Michigan, Oklahoma and Rhode Island - allow undocumented students to receive in-state tuition. Virginia allows to undocumented students, but only if they are part of DACA.

Sixteen states (California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Kansas, Maryland, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Texas, Utah, and Washington) have laws protecting undocumented students, and offer in-state tuition at their public colleges and universities.



Stockton University in New Jersey has labeled itself a safe campus under a program called Stockton Safe, which protects the identity and information of all students to the fullest extent permitted by law, which is on the school's website.

There are DACA students on campus and we are following the state laws in place to protect our students, Diane DAmico, director of news and media relations at Stockton University, told VOA Student Union. We don't know what Congress is going to do and we will continue to monitor the situation so that our students can continue their education.

California State University-Fresno has posted information on its school website for its 1,000 Dreamers, who are among a school population of 25,000. It advises how to qualify to DACA, what rights recipients of DACA have, and what services the school offers. Fresnos President Joseph Castro tweeted the universitys support.

Congress has until March 5, 2018, to provide an alternative to DACA before protections for Dreamers will end.

VOA Student Union reporters Zach Rayment and Max Cotton contributed to this story.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos says her agency will change its approach to handling cases of sexual assault on college and university campuses.

In a speech Thursday at George Mason University in Virginia, DeVos didn't detail how the rules will change, but she said the Education Department would seek public input on revamping the Obama-era guidelines on dealing with campus sexual assault.

The Obama-era rules, set forth in a memo now known as the "Dear Colleague Letter,'' asked schools to investigate all complaints. It also asked the schools to judge students based on whether it's "more likely than not'' they committed the offense.

"Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students,'' DeVos told the invitation-only audience as protesters demonstrated outside.

Critics of the rules have charged that they pressure colleges to take harsh actions against the accused, without affording them due process. DeVos criticized the standard of evidence and said the system has led schools to create "kangaroo courts'' overseen by campus officials who don't always have legal training.

But supporters of the Obama-era rules fear DeVos' speech signaled a step back for victim's rights.

Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, said the speech "signals a green light to sweep sexual assault further under the rug.

"It will discourage schools from taking steps to comply with the law  just at the moment when they are finally working to get it right,'' she said in a statement.
DNA tests done on the remains of Spanish surreal artist Salvador Dali revealed he is not the father of a Spanish psychic who claimed to be his only child and heir.

The Gala-Salvador Dali Foundation said in a statement released Wednesday that the results showed "the exclusion of Salvador Dali as the biological father of Maria Pilar Abel Martinez."

In June, a court in Madrid ordered the artists body to be exhumed after previous attempts to determine paternity had failed. A month later, experts entered the crypt beneath the museum Dali designed for himself in his home town of Figueres to take DNA samples from his hair, nails and bones.

Abel had alleged her mother and Dali had an affair in the fishing village where he lived and that it was no secret among the villagers. She claimed she was not interested in his estate and only wanted to be recognized as his daughter.

"This conclusion is not a surprise for the foundation, since at no point has there been any evidence that she was a relative," said the foundation, which manages Dali's estate. "The foundation is happy that this puts an end to an absurd and artificial controversy."

Dali, who died in 1989, is the world's most renown surrealist painter. His picture melting watches, "The Persistence of Memory," is an icon of surrealism.

He is also known for a long pencil-thin mustache and eccentric behavior.
Former White House Chief Strategist Steve Bannon has said he will continue supporting President Donald Trump, despite the fact he was dismissed last month from the White House.

In a wide-ranging interview with CBSs 60 Minutes, Bannon called himself a fighter and said he would ensure Trumps enemies are aware there will be no free shots on goal.

I'm a street fighter, Bannon said. By the way, I think that's why Donald Trump and I get along so well. Donald Trump's a fighter. Great counter puncher. Great counter puncher. He's a fighter.  I'm going to be his wing man outside for the entire time.

Bannon said he was the only person in the White House that defended comments Trump made following violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville that left one woman dead. Bannon criticized other members of Trump's staff that broke with the president over the issue.

My problem  my problem, and I told [White House Chief of Staff] General [John] Kelly this  when you side with a man, you side with him. I was proud to come out and try to defend President Trump in the media that day, Bannon said.

Trump received heavy criticism after he said many sides, including white supremacists and members of Antifa, a violent far-left organization, shared blame in the violence that took place.

White House economic advisor Gary Cohn said he seriously considered resigning following the comments made by Trump and that the administration must do better to condemn the white supremacists.

"Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK," Cohn said in the interview with Financial Times.

To this, Bannon told CBS, Cohns comments were unacceptable and he should absolutely have resigned.

If you're going to break with him, resign, Bannon said. The stuff that was leaked out that week by certain members of the White House I thought was unacceptable. If you find it unacceptable, you should resign.

In a separate portion of the interview, Bannon took a swing at the Catholic Church and its response to the debate over illegal immigration in the U.S., saying the church profits from illegal immigrants.

Unable to really come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches. It's obvious on the face of it, Bannon said. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.

Bannon, a Catholic, said he respects the pope and the church on doctrine, though he argued the debate over illegal immigration isnt about Catholic doctrine.

This is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion, he said.

Bannons remarks to CBS were part of his first televised interview since he left the White House. Following his departure, Bannon returned to the far-right website Breitbart, where he serves as the sites executive chairman.
Boy wonder, tyrant, genius: Zac Posen has been called that and more.



The fashion designer, at 36, has experienced more ups and downs than his years might indicate and all are laid bare in a new documentary, "House of Z,'' available on demand Wednesday at Vogue.com.



Without a theatrical release, after debuting at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, the film traces Posen's creative-fueled childhood in the heart of Soho, his young and beautiful muses, some of whom he met in high school, his best and worst moments on the runway and a painful falling out with loved ones who helped make his dreams come true during lean times indeed.



In some ways, the intensely personal film, the directorial debut of Toronto's Sandy Chronopoulos, feels more like a retrospective than the comeback tale it tells. So why now?



"I was at a place in my career, in my company and in myself, to be open to tell a story. I've had time to reflect. I knew I wouldn't want to be part of a puff piece but I didn't know what kind of story she was going to tell. It was terrifying,'' Posen told The Associated Press in a recent interview.



Soon after his first independent runway show in 2002, when he was 21, key fashion critics hailed Posen as a star. The "Vogue baby'' got a boost when he put his luscious creations on the backs of Naomi Campbell, Claire Danes and Natalie Portman, this after he hosted buyers for Henri Bendel in his parents' living room, when his company was more "air and interns'' than financially secure.

With his mother, corporate attorney and Wall Streeter Susan Posen, and his sister, Alexandra, by his side on the job, Posen received help in 2004 from rap mogul Sean "Puffy'' Combs, who pumped money, prestige and really great runway soundtracks into their company.



But Posen, a gay, dyslexic kid who attended his high school graduation dressed as the pope, went on to experience a darker side of fashion. He became known more as the ultimate "song and dance kid'' rather than the master draper, the craftsman of luxury gowns, that he is.



His mother and his sister, who sit on his board and own a piece of the company today, departed in a contentious falling out. The 2008 recession hit, and the cutthroat fashion world in New York turned on Posen, especially after he decamped to Paris Fashion Week and showed a collection roundly torn apart by American critics.



Posen, depressed, not speaking to his family, returned to New York to double down on craft and regain the respect he had lost in his hometown. That moment is framed in the film by a stunning model walking in a stunning green gown during a February 2014 runway show that sealed his comeback.



Before that?



"We were a wreck. There were lots of ferocious rumors about us. It was very isolating. I was very physically sick from it. I think mind over body, it's real. It was hugely humbling, hugely reflective. It was scary,'' Posen recalled.



Regrets? Posen said he has some, particularly over the shabby way he treated his sister at his most frustrated, angry and lost moments. The family reunited several years ago, learning once again how to be with each other.



"I don't live with regret any more,'' he said. "My family and I have certainly evolved and come to terms and grew from that experience, because it makes everything very real. I just don't think I was very understanding at certain moments, understanding of her needs, of her desires, of where she wanted to be in her life. I think that in some ways it came out as selfish.''



Chronopoulos told The Associated Press by phone from Toronto that digging through Posen family business was perhaps the most difficult for the designer. She spent three-and-a-half years on the film.



"When I first started, Zac didn't really want to talk about it, not even off camera. He would talk about his family but not the separation from the company. That came with time and trust,'' she said. "The film really was part of the healing process for his family because they had never talked about it before.''

Today, Posen is a presence on TV as a judge on "Project Runway,'' which began its 16th season in August. He's the creative director for womenswear at Brooks Brothers and maintains an atelier in New York, turning out ready-to-wear and red carpet couture that continues to wow. Come October, he's putting out his first cookbook, "Cooking with Zac,'' based on his popular home meals with a following of their own on Instagram.



What would he like viewers to take away from the film?



"Hopefully what it does is inspire people to follow their dreams. I want people to follow their creative passion. I believe that creativity is an important human experience and element, in the same way as sleeping, eating, having sex,'' Posen said. "I also want people to realize what it takes to build anything, that there's sacrifice, there's struggle, and it's important to be resilient.''



Does he feel like the genius he was made out to be?



"No, not yet. I don't,'' Posen said. "I'm just me.''
Faced with the looming threat of dual disasters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency on Wednesday ramped up preparations for Hurricane Irma as the storm barreled toward the Florida coast, even as the agency continued the massive recovery effort in storm-battered Texas.

It was a one-two punch of powerful storms certain to strain the agency's quickly dwindling coffers.

The roughly $1 billion left in FEMA's Emergency Response Fund was expected to run out as soon as the end of the week, just as Category 5 Irma could be pounding Florida and less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding in Houston.

The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed $7.9 billion in Harvey disaster relief as warring Republicans and Democrats united to help victims of that storm in Texas and Louisiana. The 419-3 vote sent the aid package, likely the first of several, to the Senate in hopes of getting the bill to the president before FEMA runs out of money.

Far more money will be needed once more complete estimates of Harvey's damage are in this fall. The storm's wrath could end up exceeding the $110 billion federal cost of recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Katrina, Rita

That year was perhaps the last time FEMA faced as tough a test  when Hurricanes Katrina and Rita struck within weeks of each other. The agency's widely criticized response to the then-unprecedented flooding in New Orleans became a major embarrassment for the Bush administration. Despite years of post-recession funding cuts during the Obama administration, FEMA's leaders worked to streamline and consolidate operations, cutting costs while maintaining staffing levels.

Still, top officials tried to offer reassurance Wednesday.

"We're not going to let money get in the way of saving lives," FEMA Administrator Brock Long said Wednesday on CBS This Morning. Brock said his confidence was high that the agency could handle Irma.

"Despite everything that's going on, this is what we train for. We have catastrophic plans. Obviously after Irma, staffing patterns could be strained," he said.

Top officials responsible for responding to large-scale public emergencies meet regularly to conduct drills and update plans covering numerous worst-case scenarios. That includes what to do if two massive hurricanes strike the U.S. mainland within days, 1,000 miles apart.

Stationed in Florida

As of Wednesday, more than 100 FEMA personnel had already been deployed to Florida, where they will coordinate on the ground with the state's emergency management officials. FEMA regional assistance teams were also sent to Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

"Our staffing levels are coming up," Long said. "We have over 700 people right now prepositioned to support our partners."

FEMA maintains large stores of food, bottled water, medical supplies, cots and blankets, prepacked and strategically placed at locations throughout the United States and its territories. Those supplies were being put ahead of time on semitrucks, where they could be driven into disaster zones after the storm passes.

To help speed delivery of emergency supplies after a storm, the U.S. government as part of the disaster-declaration process routinely exempts commercial truck drivers in the region from federal rules, including ones limiting how many consecutive hours they can safely drive.

The preparations were being made even as FEMA continued to respond in Texas. So far, FEMA has approved $148 million in aid for more than 180,000 survivors of Harvey, finding more than 50,000 hotel and motel rooms for survivors.

Tom Bossert, President Donald Trump's homeland security adviser, said the federal government wouldn't forget Harvey's victims as attention shifted toward the threat from Irma, a Category 5 storm with 185-mph sustained winds  the strongest ever observed in the open Atlantic.

Recovery phase

He said the federal response in Texas was entering a recovery phase that would be long and, at times, frustrating for affected homeowners. The U.S. government was marshaling Small Business Administration loans, disaster unemployment assistance from the Labor Department, and FEMA reconstruction aid to rebuild state and municipal infrastructure.

"I won't forget Harvey," Bossert said, as he rushed to join a phone call between Trump and Florida Governor Rick Scott. "Now, it is a long game that requires a lot of attention to detail."

Speaking at an event in North Dakota on Wednesday, Trump said the emergency personnel now redeploying from Texas to Florida could use some rest, but most likely won't get much.

"They're really now again in harm's way," Trump said. "Together we will recover and we will rebuild."
Kate Millett, the activist, artist and educator whose best-selling "Sexual Politics" was a landmark of cultural criticism and a manifesto for the modern feminist movement, has died. She was 82.



Millett died of a heart attack while on a visit to Paris on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the family. The publishing house that carried her books in French also confirmed the death but provided no details.



"Sexual Politics" was published in 1970, in the midst of feminism's so-called "second wave," when Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Millett and others built upon the achievements of the suffragettes from a half-century earlier and challenged assumptions about women in virtually every aspect of society. Millett's book was among the most talked-about works of its time and remains a founding text for cultural and gender studies programs.



Millett chronicled millennia of legal, political and cultural exclusion and diminishment, whether the ``penis envy'' theory of Sigmund Freud or the portrayals of women as disrupters of paradise in the Bible and Greek mythology. She labeled traditional marriage an artifact of patriarchy and concluded with chapters condemning the misogyny of authors Henry Miller, D.H. Lawrence and Norman Mailer, but also expressing faith in the redemptive power of women's liberation.



"It may be that a second wave of the sexual revolution might at last accomplish its aim of freeing half the race from its immemorial subordination  and in the process bring us all a great deal closer to humanity,'' she wrote.



While countless women were radicalized by her book, Millett would have bittersweet feelings about "Sexual Politics," which later fell out of print and remained so for years. She was unhappy with its "mandarin mid-Atlantic" prose and overwhelmed by her sudden transformation from graduate student and artist to a feminist celebrity whose image appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Amused at first by her fame, she was worn down by a "ruin of interviews, articles, attacks."



"Soon it grew tedious, an indignity," she wrote in the memoir "Flying," published in 1974.



She was dubbed by Time "the Mao Tse-tung of Women's Liberation," and rebutted by Mailer in his book "The Prisoner of Sex," in which he mocked her as "the Battling Annie of some new prudery" Meanwhile, she faced taunts from some feminists for saying she was bisexual (she was married at the time), but not gay. During an appearance by Millett at Columbia, an activist stood up and yelled, "Are you a lesbian? Say it. Are you?"



"Five hundred people looking at me. Are you a Lesbian?" Millett wrote. "Everything pauses, faces look up in terrible silence. I hear them not breathe. That word in public, the word I waited half a lifetime to hear. Finally I am accused. 'Say it. Say you are a Lesbian!'



"Yes, I said. Yes. Because I know what she means. The line goes, inflexible as a fascist edict, that bisexuality is a cop-out. Yes I said yes I am a lesbian. It was the last strength I had."



Millett's books after "Sexual Politics" were far more personal and self-consciously literary, whether "Flying" or "Sita, " a memoir about her sexuality in which she wrote of a lesbian lover who committed suicide; or "The Loony Bin Trip," an account of her struggles with manic depression and time spent in psychiatric wards.



"There is no denying the misery and stress of life," she wrote. "The swarms of fears, the blocks to confidence, the crises of decision and choice."



The daughter of Irish Catholics, Millett was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, and was long haunted by her father, an alcoholic who beat his children and left his family when Millett was 14. She attended parochial schools as a child and studied English literature at the University of Minnesota and St Hilda's College, Oxford, from which she graduated with honors.



For a couple of years, Millett lived in Japan, where she met her future husband and fellow sculptor Fumio Yoshimura (they divorced in 1985). They moved to Manhattan in 1963, and Millett embraced the political and artistic passions of the city. She joined the National Organization for Women and began attracting a following for her sculpture, which appeared in Life magazine and has been exhibited worldwide. Through her own Women's Liberation Cinema production company, she directed the acclaimed feminist documentary "Three Lives." She also founded the Women's Art Colony Farm in Poughkeepsie, New York.



Millett taught at several schools, including the University of North Carolina and New York University. In 1968, she was fired from her job as an English lecturer at Barnard College, a decision that stemmed at least in part from her support of student protests against the Vietnam War. The extra free time did allow her to complete "Sexual Politics," which began as her doctoral thesis at Columbia University.



Less known to younger feminists than Steinem or Friedan, she was honored several times late in life. In 2012, she was given the Pioneer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation and the same year was presented a Courage Award for the Arts prize by her longtime friend Yoko Ono. Millett was inducted into the National Women's Hall of Fame in 2013 and, in her acceptance speech, reflected on her years as an activist.



"The happiness of those times," the joy of participation, the excitement of being part of my own time, of living on the edge, of being so close to events you can almost intuit them. To raise one's voice in protest, just as the protest is expressed in life, in the streets, in relationships and friendships,'' she said.



"Then, in a moment of public recognition, the face of the individual becomes a women's face. "
While students in southeast Texas were cleaning up from the receding floodwaters left by Hurricane Harvey, students in Florida, a few states to the east, were preparing for Hurricane Irma, which is being called the most powerful Atlantic storm on record.

Hurricane Irma hit Puerto Rico and the Caribbean on Wednesday and was tracked to move to Florida by Sunday. While the storms intensity and course could diminish, universities in Southern Florida are preparing for the worst.



Tyler Benthal, a senior in his home state at Florida Southern University in Lakeland, Florida, said its too early to tell how badly it will affect us, but people back home in Florida are taking it seriously.

Benthal, an intern in Washington, D.C. this semester, said he had planned to go home to Florida this weekend, but the storm forced him to reconsider.

Stores are already either out or running out of water and other supplies, he said of Lakeland. Because of our past with hurricanes, it is just a waiting game to see how bad we will get hit.

Once Hurricane Irma was forecast to hit Florida, the University of Miami was the first college to respond, announcing that all classes for the rest of the week were canceled.

All students have been encouraged to take steps to leave South Florida, no later than Thursday, said Peter Howard, assistant vice president of news and media relations at the University of Miami.

Miami Dade College tweeted that they are operating normally while monitoring the storm.



Most area colleges promised to keep students updated of the storms course. Janine Sikes, assistant vice president of public affairs at the University of Florida, said the universitys police department will email students, reminding them to update their emergency contacts.

Miami-Dade County public schools canceled their Thursday and Friday classes, and the county plans to begin evacuations Wednesday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.

This is a powerful storm which poses a serious threat to our area, Gimenez said. I would rather inconvenience residents on this occasion than suffer any loss of life.

Officials from Monroe County, home to the popular chain of islands in the southern tip of the state called the Florida Keys, issued a mandatory evacuation order for tourists and residents.

Irma, being called potentially catastrophic by the National Hurricane Center, passed over Puerto Rico late Wednesday with winds at more than 280 kilometers per hour.
The former finance minister under Brazil's Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva on Wednesday accused the ex-president of receiving bribes from contractor Odebrecht, adding to a list of corruption accusations that threaten Lula's ability to run for president in 2018.

Lawyers for the former finance minister, Antonio Palocci, said he told prosecutors that Lula accepted Odebrecht's purchase of land for an institute in his name, a country house in Sao Paulo state and 300 million reais ($97 million) to be used after he left office.

A representative for Lula said in a statement that Palocci, who was arrested a year ago in a corruption investigation, was lying and making accusations without evidence to secure a favorable deal with prosecutors to reduce his sentence.

Such testimony from a close confidant could be damning for Lula, who intends to run for president again next year if he can successfully appeal a conviction that would bar him from standing. Lula faces four additional trials.

Separately on Wednesday, Brazil's top prosecutor, Rodrigo Janot, charged Lula, ex-President Dilma Rousseff and a former minister with obstruction of justice related to Lula's nomination as Rousseff's chief of staff in 2016. The nomination, later struck down by the Supreme Court, would have shielded Lula from prosecution by lower courts.

It was the second charge from Janot in two days. On Tuesday he accused Lula, Rousseff and six other members of their Workers Party for allegedly forming a criminal organization to carry out corruption and other crimes involving state-controlled oil company Petrobras.

Lula and Rousseff deny the charges.

Palocci leveled his accusations in two hours of testimony on Wednesday as part of a probe into allegations that Lula accepted the land for the institute.

"It was a blood pact and a package of bribes that included payment for a property, an estate ranch and 300 million reais that gradually were made available according to a spreadsheet delivered by the contractor," said Adriano Bretas, one of Palocci's lawyers.

Tracy Reinaldet, another of Palocci's lawyers, said the agreement was made during the transition from Lula into Rousseff's first term. Palocci also served as Rousseff's chief of staff initially but was forced to resign due to corruption allegations.
Ramush Haradinaj, a former guerrilla fighter who has twice stood trial for war crimes, was chosen Thursday to form a new government in Kosovo, ending a political deadlock that has persisted since elections on June 11.

President Hashim Thaci gave Haradinaj the mandate after his coalition struck an agreement with a smaller party that paved the way for them to take power.

Haradinaj's PAN coalition comprises his AAK party and others made up of former guerrillas who fought Serbian forces in 1998 and 1999. That campaign led to accusations of war crimes against him, but he was acquitted twice by a U.N. war crimes tribunal.

The coalition signed an agreement Monday with the smaller New Alliance for Kosovo (AKR) party to put together a new government, an agreement that gives them 62 seats in the 120-seat parliament. The AKR is led by Behgjet Pacolli, whom media call the richest man in Kosovo.

Haradinaj is expected to present his program to parliament on Saturday, after which the government should be elected.

The new government will confront unemployment running at 30 percent and uncertain relations with Kosovo's neighbors, especially Serbia, a precondition for both countries to move forward in their efforts to join the European Union.

It must also reform health and education and the tax administration system as well as include representatives of 120,000 Kosovo Serbs who do not recognize independence.

Kosovo declared independence from Serbia in 2008, almost a decade after NATO airstrikes drove out Serbian forces that had been accused of expelling and killing ethnic Albanian civilians in a two-year counterinsurgency.
French President Emmanuel Macron said Thursday that the International Monetary Fund should step back from its role in European bailouts - breaking with a widely accepted policy adopted when Greece sought international help seven years ago.

On a two-day visit to Athens, Macron said the eurozone rescue fund, the European Stability Mechanism, should play the lead role in financial rescue within the currency zone.



France, Europe's No. 2 economy, had previously backed Germany's insistence in involving the IMF to enforce austerity measures that came with bailout programs in Greece and other rescued economies including Ireland, Portugal and Cyprus.



But on Thursday, Macron told reporters: "I don't think it was the right method for the IMF to supervise European programs and intervene in the way it did ... Let's work within Europe and not turn to outside agencies."



Macron made the remarks after meeting Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and before delivering a speech on Europe's future on a hill facing the ancient Acropolis in Athens.



"The presence of the IMF was a symptom of a lack of confidence between European countries and sometimes even between the European countries and the European institutions," Macron said after the meeting.



Greece considers France a vital ally and counterweight to fiscally hawkish Germany in its efforts to ease the stringent terms of its international bailouts.



The country has relied on international rescue loans since 2010, and in return has seen its economy put under strict supervision by its creditors. Successive governments have had to enforce radical fiscal and structural reforms, including pension cuts and repeated tax hikes, in order to qualify for the loans.



Thursday's visit went ahead hours after Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record, battered French, British and Dutch Caribbean territories.



"All of France is grief-stricken by the many victims yesterday from the hurricane," Macron said. He promised to visit the region weather-permitting and put climate change "at the heart" of policymaking.



Security was tight for the French president's visit, with Greek authorities banning protests through a large part of central Athens and mobilizing more than 2,000 police on the capital's streets as motorists suffered in congested traffic.




Germany said on Thursday that Russia was planning to send more than 100,000 troops to war games on NATO's eastern flank this month, disputing Moscow's version that only 13,000 Russian and Belarussian servicemen would participate.

The Sept. 14-20 exercises known as Zapad, or "West," in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, are stirring unease in NATO despite Moscow's assurances troops would rehearse a purely defensive scenario.

"It is undisputed that we are seeing a demonstration of capabilities and power of the Russians," German Defense Minister Ursula von der Leyen told reporters at an EU defense ministers' meeting in Tallinn.

"Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the high numbers of participating forces in the Zapad exercise: more than one hundred thousand," she said in a joint news conference with her French counterpart, Florence Parly.

While Baltic nations have voiced concerns about a bigger-than-reported exercise and while NATO's secretary-general expects more than 13,000 troops, Von der Leyen's remarks are the first time a top Western politician has called out Russia publicly on what NATO sees as the true size of the war games.

Such numbers would be legal under international treaties on war games, but would require inviting international observers.

With less than 13,000 troops, international observation of the drills is not mandatory, Russia says.

In a sign of efforts to contain tensions, NATO general Petr Pavel held his first face-to face meeting in more than two years with Russia's top general, Valery Gerasimov, in Azerbaijan on Thursday, the alliance said.

NATO said in a statement the meeting showed "a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication."

"Demonstration of force"?

An exercise on that scale is one of NATO's most pressing concerns. France, for one, believes the war games are no simple military drill, even though Russian Deputy Defense Minister Alexander Fomin told Western military attaches in Moscow in August the West had nothing to fear.

Russia accuses NATO of building up forces on its frontiers in a manner reminiscent of the Cold War. But NATO says it is protecting the interests of member states bordering Russia who are troubled by Moscow's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea and links to pro-Russian rebels in eastern Ukraine.

Previous large-scale exercises in 2013 employed special forces training, longer-range missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles that were later used in the Crimea annexation and in actions in eastern Ukraine and Syria, NATO diplomats said.

"Russia has a global strategy of a visible, deliberate demonstration of force," Parly said before heading to meet French troops in Estonia as part of NATO's deployment of deterrent forces in the Baltics and Poland.

"They have a strategy of intimidation," Parly said, warning that any attack on a Baltic country or Poland by Russia would be considered an attack on all of the U.S.-led NATO alliance.
Haitian authorities and aid agencies were scrambling Wednesday to prepare for Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic storm on record, warning it could devastate the country still reeling from drought and last years Hurricane Matthew.

Barreling through the Caribbean, the extremely dangerous core of Irma was predicted to strike northern Haiti and the Dominican Republic as well as the Turks and Caicos and Bahamas on Thursday with winds of 185 miles per hour (295 km per hour), the U.S. National Hurricane Center said.

The eye of Irma, a Category 5 storm, passed over the northern Virgin Islands on Wednesday after crossing the half-French, half-Dutch island of St. Martin and the Dutch islands of Saba and Sint Eustasius. Category 5 is the highest hurricane ranking used by U.S. forecasters.

Nation on alert

Haitian authorities put the nation on alert, closing schools, moving people to shelters and mobilizing 18,000 civil and Red Cross volunteers backed by police and the military.

Irma is expected to sweep across the northern part of the country, so besides the strong winds and rain that could cause damage to houses, it is likely that many areas will be affected by flooding, landslides, and loss of livestock, said Jessica Pearl, Haiti country director for aid agency Mercy Corps.

More than half of the population depends on agriculture, so any damage to their farms or livestock could make the difference of eating or not for the next few months, she said.

Farming communities in Haiti, one of the worlds poorest nations, are struggling to recover from Category 4 Matthew last October.

Matthew killed about 1,000 people and left 1.4 million others in need of food aid.

Aid systems in place

Irma will also bring major consequences to northern Haiti, which also has suffered three years of drought, said Ronald Tran Ba Huy, Haiti country director for the U.N World Food Program (WFP). But systems to handle health, water and housing put in place for Matthew remain and can be used for Irma, he said.

Lessons learnt and mechanisms are fresh, he said.

The WFP said it has food supplies across Haiti, a nation of 10.8 million people, for 150,000 people for one month, and trucks carrying emergency food aid to northern Haiti would be able to reach 40,000 people immediately.

Damage likely to be magnified

Poor infrastructure and a lack of flood prevention measures such as coastal embankments and drainage systems, along with widespread deforestation, are likely to magnify damage from Irma as they did with Matthew, aid agencies say.

The international aid community has been criticized for a slow response and poor coordination to disasters in Haiti, including a 2010 earthquake.

There is an effort on the part of the international community to address the lessons learned from Matthew and have a more efficient response this time, Pearl said.

That said, the government consists of new people on a steep learning curve, she added. Haitis new government took power in March.
Hurricane Irma is lashing Haiti and the Dominican Republic with fierce winds and heavy rain, but thankfully appears to be sparing them a direct hit.

Forecasters say Irma's eye will pass between Hispanola  the island shared by the two nations  and the Turks and Caicos Islands late Thursday before its next target: Cuba and the Bahamas.

The forecasters are still calling Irma an "extremely dangerous" Category 5 storm, with top sustained winds of 280 kilometers per hour.

Irma is blasting through the Caribbean, leaving a path of destruction.

'Barely habitable'

The storm tore up the island of Barbuda, leaving it "barely habitable," according to Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

"What I saw was heart-wrenching. I mean, absolutely devastating," he said Thursday. About 95 percent of all the buildings on the island were either destroyed or damaged.

As if Irma has not brought enough agony to Antigua and Barbuda, the islands are under a hurricane watch for Category 3 Hurricane Jose, which could affect the already devastated region by Saturday.

On the island of St. Martin, shared by France and the Netherlands, "lots of people are just wandering around aimlessly as they have no homes anymore and don't know what to do," a newspaper reporter told the local radio station.

It could be up to six months before all power is restored on cash-strapped Puerto Rico. Witnesses say wires are either lying in the streets or dangling from the poles that managed to stay upright.

U.S. President Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency on Puerto Rico. The Federal Emergency Management Agency will coordinate the cleanup and relief.

French and Dutch relief flights are on the way and British Prime Minister Teresa May has sent a Royal Navy shipload of soldiers, Marines and emergency supplies to British territories in the Caribbean.

At least 10 deaths have been reported so far in the Caribbean.

WATCH: Officials Urge Evacuations Before Hurricane Hits Southeastern US States

Florida prepares

Meanwhile in Florida, residents who say they have seen it all and experienced everything are not taking any chances with Hurricane Irma.

Forecasters say the southeastern U.S. state is in line for a direct hit from what will likely be a by-then Category 4 storm on Saturday. Governor Rick Scott has spent the last few days repeating three words: "Get out now."

Scott warned residents and tourists not to ignore mandatory evacuation orders. "We cannot save you once the storm hits," he stressed.

Hundreds of thousands of people are leaving and Scott said the biggest concern right now is gasoline shortages. Three fuel tankers were unloading supplies Thursday at the Port of Tampa, and police will escort fuel trucks as they make their deliveries to gas stations that have run dry.

Scott said all 7,000 Florida National Guard members will be deployed Friday and thousands of power workers will be standing by, ready to go to work.

The governor has even reached out to all hotels to waive policies against allowing cats and dogs.

Scott said the entire state is at risk from Irma, including both Atlantic and Gulf coasts. He said the storm surge, predicted to be as high as 3 meters in some spots, can flood entire coastal towns and will be worse than the rain.

Hurricane Irma is already a storm for the history books. Experts are calling it the most powerful Atlantic storm ever recorded.

Irma's strength

Hurricanes need tropical moisture for fuel and Irma's strength is coming from the unusually warm Atlantic waters.

About 1.2 million people have already been victimized by Irma, and the Red Cross said Thursday that number could exceed 26 million.

The United Nations Children's Fund said about 10.5 million children live in Caribbean countries struck by Irma. Many of them are younger than 5.

Meanwhile, the U.S. Senate on Thursday approved more than $15 billion in disaster aid, including for the cleanup in southeastern Texas from last month's Hurricane Harvey.

The House passed an $8 billion bill Wednesday. A final bill is expected to be ready by the end of the week.

In addition to Irma and Jose, another storm, Hurricane Katia, is in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. Hurricane warnings are out for parts of Mexico's Veracruz state.

Katia was a Category 1 storm Thursday afternoon, but forecasters said it could strengthen into a major storm before making landfall.
As Hurricane Irma bears down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge.



In just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.



Florida's property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state - 1.7 million policies, covering about $42 billion in assets - but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed.



With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the continental United States, Florida has roughly 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, FEMA estimates. And yet, across Florida's 38 coastal counties, just 42 percent of these homes are covered.



Florida's overall flood insurance rate for hazard-zone homes is just 41 percent. Fannie Mae ostensibly requires mortgage lenders to make sure property owners buy this insurance to qualify for federally backed loans, and yet in 59 percent of the cases, that insurance isn't being paid for.



In the counties being under at least partial evacuation orders Wednesday (Collier, Broward, Monroe and Miami-Dade), where 1.3 million houses are estimated to be in flood hazard zones, the percentage is an even lower 34.3 percent.

Nationwide, only half the 10 million properties that need flood insurance have it, said Roy Wright, who runs the National Flood Insurance Program. He told the AP last week that he wants to double the number of policies sold nationally in the near future.



The declines in coverage started after Congress approved a price hike in 2012, making policies more expensive. Maps of some high-risk areas were redrawn, removing a requirement that these homeowners get the insurance. About 7 of 10 homeowners have federally backed mortgages, and if they live in a high-risk area, they still are required to have flood insurance. But many let their policies slip without the lender noticing; loans also get sold and repackaged, paperwork gets lost and new lenders don't follow up.



FEMA, which is ultimately responsible for enforcing flood insurance requirements, did not respond to an email seeking comment from its Washington office on Wednesday.



Possibly most costly storm in US history

The latest forecasts suggest Irma's most destructive winds could carve up much of Florida's priciest real estate, damaging properties from the Florida Keys through Jacksonville as it swirls north.



This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago, said University of Miami hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.



Insurance companies are still tallying the damage from Hurricane Harvey's extended stay over southern Texas in August, but insured losses are estimated at $20 billion, and that's a fraction of the $65 billion or more in losses due to flooding alone that could have been insured, according to the catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide.



No one is expecting Irma to flood Florida on a similar scale. Harvey sat over Houston for days, dumping up to 50 inches of rain. Irma is moving swiftly and should bring less than a quarter of that to Florida cities.



South Florida also has a better flood control system, the ground is more porous and there aren't any hills to send water rushing down from above, said Hugh Willoughby, a former research director at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and now a professor at Florida International University in Miami.



Still, many Floridians could find themselves with no money for flood repairs, just like people in Houston, where flood coverage dropped by 9 percent since 2012.

If Irma's eye follows a track just west of Florida's eastern coast, the initial storm surge could heavily damage the Florida Keys, the cities at the southern tip of Florida's mainland, Florida City and Homestead, parts of Miami and Miami Beach, and other Atlantic coast cities, said Brian Haus, a professor of ocean sciences at the University of Miami's Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science.



The AP analysis shows that the number of flood insurance policies sold in the Keys, Miami, Miami Beach and Homestead has stayed basically steady since 2012, but tiny Florida City has seen a drop of 31 percent. Miami-Dade County overall has seen a 7 percent drop in policies sold, falling from 371,000 in 2012 to 342,000 today.



Just to the north in Broward County, home to Fort Lauderdale, the state has seen its biggest drop among major counties, falling 44 percent from 372,000 policies five years ago to 207,000 today. County officials say they don't track the flood insurance program, leaving that to the cities.



If Irma's eye moves instead up Florida's west coast, that would put Tampa, St. Petersburg and other Gulf cities in danger to significant storm surge, Haus said. St. Petersburg has seen an almost 10 percent drop in federal flood policies written in the last five years, while Tampa has seen a 3.5 percent drop, according to the AP analysis.
An Iraqi student jet fighter pilot was killed when an F-16 jet crashed during a training mission in southeastern Arizona, authorities said Wednesday.

The Iraqi air force identified the pilot as Capt. Noor Faleh Rassan Al-Khazali, but it didn't list an age or hometown.



Al-Khazali was killed Tuesday when his Fighting Falcon jet went down in the southern Arizona desert during what an Arizona Air National Guard official called a routine training mission. The U.S. Air Force has activated a team to investigate the crash about 80 miles (129 kilometers) northwest of Tucson, the Air Guard's 1st Lt. Lacey Roberts of the 162nd Wing said.



The Iraqi defense ministry said it will join in the investigation.



Roberts could not immediately say what type of training was being conducted. The F-16 is used in both air-to-air and air-to-ground combat missions.



Al-Khazali's death was the second involving an Iraqi pilot flying an F-16 in Arizona in recent years.

Roberts said the plane belonged to the Iraqi air force and that the training mission was being conducted in conjunction with the 162nd Wing, which is based at Tucson International Airport.

The jet crashed in desert terrain, leaving a crater and scattered debris, Graham County Undersheriff Carl Jeff McCormies said.

The U.S. military is training Iraqi pilots to fly F-16s at the request of Iraq's government, Roberts said.



In July 2015, an Iraqi brigadier general flying from the 162nd died when his F-16, a newer model recently delivered to the Iraqi air force, crashed during night training near Douglas.

In January 2016, a Taiwanese pilot on a training flight from Luke Air Force Base near Phoenix was killed when his F-16 went down in Yavapai County.

The 162nd Wing is the Air Guard's biggest F-16 training operation and conducts training missions across southern and central Arizona military ranges.

The wing, which has hosted training since 1990, has trained pilots from Iraq, Singapore, Poland, Norway, Denmark, Oman, Belgium and the Netherlands.
The eye of Hurricane Irma was passing just north of Puerto Rico Wednesday night, knocking out power and running water to hundreds of thousands of people.

Irma is a Category 5 storm and the most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever recorded. Its top sustained winds are 295 kilometers per hour (183 mph).

U.S. President Donald Trump earlier declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, which has been struggling to maintain its infrastructure amid a financial crisis. The declaration authorizes the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to coordinate disaster relief efforts on the island.

Some officials say it could be as long as six months for power to be fully restored.

Meanwhile, the prime minister of the Caribbean island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, Gaston Browne, told CNN that Barbuda is barely habitable after taking a direct hit from Irma.

Death, destruction

Browne said 95 percent of the properties on Barbuda are damaged, calling it unprecedented destruction.

At least one death on Barbuda has been reported while three others are reported dead on other Caribbean islands.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects the toll Irma took on the French West Indies, including St. Martin and St. Barts, to be harsh and cruel with considerable casualties and damage.

Forecasters said after Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic and Haiti are next in Irmas path. The Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas are bracing for a hit as Irma moves along its forecast path toward Florida.

Irma is predicted to strike southern Florida and the Miami area by Sunday.

One meteorologist said Irma is big enough that the entire state could fit inside its dimensions.

While an exact forecast is nearly impossible to nail down, Florida Governor Rick Scott told people to prepare now and not ignore mandatory evacuation orders.

You can rebuild your homes, but you cannot rebuild your life, Scott said.

The Florida Keys and Miami Beach are under a mandatory evacuation. People are finding long lines at gas stations that still have fuel. Anyone entering a southern Florida supermarket is finding more empty shelves than full ones.

The governor said stores are working as hard as they can to restock supplies, especially bottled water.

Storm surge, heavy rain

Forecasters said Irma could bring storm surges of 2 to 6 meters (6 to 19 feet) and as much as 50 centimeters (19.5 inches) of rain on top of its fierce winds.

Governor Scott said the storm is worse than Hurricane Andrew, the 1992 storm that turned entire Miami neighborhoods into empty lots.

Some longtime Florida residents who stayed put for Andrew and other powerful storms say they are not going to take any chances with Irma.

Along with Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, President Trump declared a state of emergency in Florida. He has ordered FEMA to begin relief efforts even while it is still helping southeastern Texas clean up from last months Category 4 Hurricane Harvey.

Hurricanes need tropical water for fuel, and Irmas power is coming from the unusually warm waters in the Atlantic.

WATCH: Caribbean Island Nations, Florida Brace for Hurricane Irma

More hurricanes

Meanwhile, forecasters have their eyes on two other hurricanes.

Hurricane Jose is a Category 1 storm east of the Lesser Antilles islands and still far from land.

Hurricane Katia is also a Category 1, in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, prompting authorities to issue a hurricane watch for the coast of Veracruz, Mexico.

Experts call the formation of three simultaneous Atlantic hurricanes extremely rare.
A mother of two from the eastern U.S. city of Philadelphia has been sentenced to eight years in prison for plotting to travel to Syria to join Islamic State militants.

Authorities said Keonna Thomas planned to abandon her children to join an Islamic State fighter she had married over Skype.

"I'm not an evil or malicious person,'' Thomas, 33, told the court Wednesday. "I'm just someone who, I guess, at one point, was impressionable."

But prosecutors say Thomas, who went by the online moniker "YoungLioness,'' was an ardent supporter of the terrorist group. She spent years spreading the group's message online and raising money for the group.

She was arrested by FBI agents at her Philadelphia home in April 2015 and charged with planning to join a jihadi organization. Thomas lawyers argue their client wanted to be accepted and was eventually seduced, and posed no legitimate threat.

But the prosecutors had called for a lengthy sentence as a warning. A lengthy prison sentence to others who might find themselves dissatisfied with life and excited by online extremists promising acceptance, a meaningful life, and piety must be shown that providing material support to terrorists translates to a very lengthy prison sentence regardless of the circumstances.
Troops from several southern African countries are deploying to Lesotho amid tensions over the shooting death of the mountain kingdom's military commander.



Lesotho's defense minister, Sentje Lebona, said Thursday that the Southern African Development Community, a regional bloc, is sending forces to keep order. Lebona says the force includes troops from South Africa, Angola and Mozambique but declines to comment on the size.



Lt. Gen. Khoantle Motsomotso was killed Tuesday in a resurgence of the political instability plaguing the country. He died in a gunfight with two rival officers who also were killed.



Lesotho has been beset by power struggles and concerns about military interference in politics. The country has seen a number of high-profile assassinations, including the 2015 killing of a former army chief.




Cameroons government has ordered the reopening of dozens of schools in the north that were deserted following attacks by Boko Haram. But turnout has been low amid continued security concerns.

It was quiet Thursday morning at the government primary school in Tiriwa, a village 13 kilometers from Fotokol, a town on the Cameroon-Nigeria border.

The government ordered the school reopened this week, but no one has shown up for class.



The school was closed after Boko Haram fighters attacked the village in April 2015. The assailants shot and burned to death about 30 civilians and wounded another 50. The surviving villagers escaped.



In all, the Boko Haram insurgency has displaced about 200,000 people in northern Cameroon since the attacks first spread from Nigeria in 2014.



Recently, Cameroon's government has been urging IDP's to return home to farm, and the government has reopened at least 40 schools in the Far North region.



Aminou Sanda Zoa is the government delegate in charge of elementary education in the region.



He says 124 schools were closed last year and the suicide bombings have made them reluctant to re-open some of the establishments. But he says their ultimate goal is to open all the closed schools.



Nigerian and regional troops have taken back most of the territory that Boko Haram once controlled, but the terrorists have remained a threat.



Amnesty International says since April, civilian casualties have climbed amid a spike in suicide bombings, with at least 381 people killed in northeastern Nigeria and Far North Cameroon.



Many teachers still fear for their lives and have not returned to service, according to Midjiyawa Bakari, governor of the Far North region of Cameroon.



He said the over 400 teachers who have abandoned schools because of the Boko Haram insurgency have turned down calls to return. He said those teachers will be called to the disciplinary council of Cameroons civil service.

Bakari said local authorities have drawn up a strategy with the military and self-defense groups to help people who fled to return to their villages. He said the military has also been teaching children in schools in some villages prone to Boko Haram attacks.



The governor said education is a fundamental human right and that is why they have made reopening the schools a priority.



At the government high school in the border town of Fotokol, about 900 of the expected 1,700 students returned to class this week.



The high school students told VOA they are happy to be back in class, but that they are also scared. Some spoke of their friends who were killed or wounded when Boko Haram attacked the school two years ago.



Lamine Bouba, one of the teachers, said they have increased security measures.

He said all school children have to be searched systematically before being given access to the institution. He said they are felling all trees in the forest near their school to increase visibility stop potential suicide bombers from hiding there and to increase visibility.



The government insists that the decision to reopen schools is not premature. Officials say Boko Haram has not carried out mass raids in the area since May and that adequate measures have been taken to check suicide bombings.
Mobile internet services were blocked in Togo Thursday as authorities prepared for a second day of protests demanding an end to the five-decade dynastic hold on power by President Faure Gnassingbe and his family.

Hundreds of thousands of people, urged on by leaders of Togo's opposition parties, took to the streets of the capital, Lome, and several other cities calling for Gnassingbe to leave office once his term ends in 2020, and for a constitutional amendment to reimpose presidential term limits. A law was passed in 1992 that limited the president to two terms in office, but Gnassingbe's father, the late President Gnassingbe Eyadema, scrapped it a decade later.

The opposition says the protests are the biggest against Gnassingbe's rule since his ascension to power twelve years ago.

Similar protests in August turned deadly, with at least two people killed by security forces.

Faure Gnassingbe assumed the presidency of Togo when his father died in 2005, after 38 years in power. The current president's cabinet approved a proposed bill Tuesday that reinstates presidential term limits.
Mexico's government said on Wednesday it has inked a deal with Alibaba Group Holding Ltd., to get Mexican products and services, especially from small- and medium-sized firms, onto the top Chinese e-commerce

firm's platform.

The deal comes as Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto wraps up a trip to China to discuss trade and investment, as part of a strategy to diversify and open new markets for his country's products.

With U.S. President Donald Trump repeatedly threatening to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), a deal that underpins $1.2 trillion in trilateral trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico, Pena Nieto's government has stepped up efforts to open up new trade channels.

The United States, Canada and Mexico concluded a second round of talks to modernize NAFTA on Tuesday, with top officials saying progress had been made.

During Pena Nieto's trip, China's vice trade minister, Wang Shouwen, said China was interested in possibly establishing a free trade agreement with Mexico.
The Moldovan government said on Thursday it has sent 57 servicemen to Ukraine to participate in military exercises starting this week, deepening a row with the pro-Russian president who had vetoed the move.

The drills in western Ukraine from Sept. 8-23 will be conducted mainly by NATO member countries, including the United States, the United Kingdom and Turkey.

They coincide with war games known as "Zapad," or "West," by thousands of Russian troops in Belarus, the Baltic Sea, western Russia and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. The Russian exercises have worried NATO despite Moscow's assurances troops would rehearse a purely defensive scenario.

Moldova is governed by a pro-Western government and a pro-Moscow president, meaning frequent clashes over foreign policy, especially where relations with Russia and the European Union are concerned.

The government's plans to send troops were vetoed by President Igor Dodon, who argued that Moldova is bound by its constitution to stay neutral. The defense ministry ignored the president, who is also Moldova's commander-in-chief.

"Officially I confirm that, despite all the obstacles, 57 servicemen of Moldova, as was planned earlier, just an hour ago went by bus to participate in NATO military exercises, which start on Friday in Ukraine," Defense Ministry spokeswoman Diana Gradinaru said.

Earlier this year, Dodon banned the participation of military personnel in NATO exercises in Romania, prompting complaints by the U.S. and Romanian ambassadors.

Moldova has been governed by pro-Western governments since 2009 and signed a trade pact with the EU in 2014. Russia retaliated by halting imports of Moldovan farm produce, depriving the country of a key market for its wine, fruit and vegetables.

Relations suffered further this year due to a dispute in March over the treatment of Moldovan officials traveling to or through Russia, and the expulsion of Russian diplomats in May.

In August, Moldova declared Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Rogozin persona non grata, accusing him of making defamatory remarks about Moldovan government officials.
Mongolia's parliament voted to oust Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat, its website said late on Thursday, after his ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) was defeated in a July presidential election.

No prime minister of Mongolia, a thinly populated and mineral-rich country sandwiched between Russia and China, has completed a four-year term since 2004.

Of 73 members of parliament attending the vote, 42 were in favor of Erdenebat's removal.

The outgoing prime minister noted that the country had seen 13 governments in the last 25 years.

"The resignation of a government in a democratic parliament is a normal occurrence, but it can be harmful if a good thing goes beyond its norms," Erdenebat said in a statement on parliament's website.

A former Soviet satellite, Mongolia transitioned to a parliamentary democracy in 1990.

"I believe that dismissing government is a mistake that hinders the development of the country, rather than a positive mechanism of accountability," Erdenebat said.

The MPP gained power in mid-2016 in elections in which it won 65 of parliament's 76 seats.

It is expected to hold a party congress to choose new leadership, said Dale Choi, an analyst and head of Altan Bumba Financial Group in Ulaanbaatar.

"I don't think it means instability" for the government, he said. "I think it means internal party politics. It's clearing the party's decks after a monumental, unexpected presidential loss."

Last month, some 30 members of the parliament, or State Ikh Khural, signed a petition calling for Erdenebat's resignation in the aftermath of the presidential vote, which was won by populist former martial arts star and businessman Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party.

The defeat was seen as a rejection of the MPP government's austerity policies and a reaction to allegations of corruption.

In Mongolia's parliamentary democracy, the prime minister is the leader of the government, and the president has limited powers including the ability to veto legislation and to propose laws to parliament.

Higher coal prices this year have helped the resource-dependent economy gain momentum. But earlier this year, a slump in foreign investment and declining commodity prices forced Mongolia to agree to a $5.5 billion economic bailout led by the International Monetary Fund, to relieve fiscal strains and try to restore investor confidence.
The United States is expressing deep concern about the situation in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state, where tens of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have been forced to flee across the border to Bangladesh, and it says it is in close contact with the Naypyidaw government.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert on Thursday spoke to reporters about Myanmar, also known as Burma.

WATCH: US 'Deeply Concerned' About Rohingya Crisis, in 'Robust Dialogue' With Myanmar Government

"We are deeply concerned by the troubling situation in Burma's northern Rakhine state," she said. "There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses, including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians.

"We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further violence and protect local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights," she said. "We urge all in Burma, including in the Rakhine state, to avoid actions that exacerbate tensions there."

Nauert also said the U.S. welcomed acknowledgement by the Myanmar government of the need to protect all communities, and its pledge to implement recommendations of the advisory commission on the Rakhine state aimed at addressing long-standing challenges that predate the country's democratic transition.

Asked whether the U.S. had confidence at this point in the desire of Myanmar's government to protect the Rohingya community, Nauert said the U.S. would certainly like to call on Myanmar to allow better access to the country for reporters and humanitarian aid groups.

Fleeing violence

The latest round of violence began August 25 when a group of Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts and an army base in what they said was an effort to protect their ethnic minority from persecution. Rakhine state is home to most of the Rohingya minority group.



Subsequent clashes and a military counteroffensive have killed at least 400 people and triggered the latest exodus of Rohingya villagers to Bangladesh.

Vivian Tan, the Asia spokeswoman for the U.N. refugee agency in Bangladesh, told VOA Burmese that aid workers estimated there were 164,000 new arrivals in Bangladesh.

The United Nations said about 146,000 people had crossed the border into Bangladeshs Coxs Bazaar district since August 25.



Officials said the U.N. World Food Program had provided high-nutrient porridge and other food to tens of thousands of women and children who arrived in Bangladesh hungry and malnourished. The agency said it needed $11.3 million to support the influx of people, in addition to those already living in camps.



The United States had strongly condemned the August 25 deadly attacks on security posts by a group called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) and urged all ethnic groups in Myanmar to work toward peace and stability.



Myanmars de facto leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has been criticized for her response to the violence. Many observers say she has played down reports of the Burmese military's brutal treatment of Rohingya civilians. Suu Kyi maintains there has been a huge iceberg of misinformation about the Rohingya crisis and violence in Rakhine following the attacks on security posts.

Twitter photos that allegedly showed dead Rohingya people were later proved to be unrelated to the current violence, according to a statement posted on Facebook by Suu Kyis office.

The Nobel Peace laureate said fake information had been used to promote the interests of terrorists, a word she used to describe ARSA insurgents.

State Department spokeswoman Nauert declined to comment when asked whether Suu Kyi should return her Nobel Peace Prize.

Priscilla Clapp, who served as chief of mission and permanent charge d'affaires at the U.S. Embassy in Myanmar from 1999 to 2002, said a lot of the criticism of Suu Kyi was unfair, because of the limitations on her power and influence.

"In a way, she's at a great disadvantage with the military, which controls all the security of the country and much of the government administration from before," said Clapp, currently a senior adviser to the U.S. Institute of Peace and Asia Society.

Clapp also blamed the ARSA group, calling them terrorists who had deliberately provoked extreme reaction on the part of the security forces. But she also maintained that security forces must be "much more moderate in the way they approach these things and sensitive to community relations."

International pressure

Human rights advocates urged the Burmese government to stop the violence.

The governments of the world have to press very hard on Aung San Suu Kyi and also the Burma military to stop the violence, Human Rights Watch Deputy Asia Director Phil Robertson told VOA, adding independent monitors should be granted access to assess allegations of serious human rights violations committed by ethnic Rohingya refugees who fled into Bangladesh.

Robertson urged the United States and other nations to provide more humanitarian relief and medical assistance to the refugees.

So far we have seen very little comment from the Trump administration about the situation, which is quite shocking, said Robertson. There is a massive humanitarian crisis in a country which, until recently, the United States spent a great deal of time trying to understand them and work with the government on various developments and trade.

Former U.S. diplomat Clapp said the complexity of the situation merited a more nuanced reaction from world leaders.

"To reduce it to simplicity and black-and-white equations is not helpful. It's just inflaming further problems inside the country and it's making the population more resistant to international advice," Clapp said. "We have to be much more understanding and get involved on the ground in helping them resolve this problem."

Abuses against and restrictions on members of the Rohingya population were cited as one of the leading human rights problems in Myanmar, according to State Department's 2016 Human Rights Report.

The Rohingya are one of Myanmar's many ethnic minorities in the Buddhist-majority nation. The Myanmar government considers the Rohingya to be economic migrants from Bangladesh and has never granted them citizenship, even though most can show their families have been in the country for generations.

VOAs Burmese service contributed to this report.
Although Chinas official stance is that sanctions are not the answer to the increasingly tense situation on the North Korean peninsula, calls for action and concern about the situation are growing at home. This comes even as the government is working hard to limit broader discussion.

In the wake of Sundays test, North Koreas most powerful to date, media organizations and websites in China were ordered to close commentary sections on the nuclear test and to not hype the story, according to a censorship directive obtained by China Digital Times.

On the website Freeweibo.com, which collects and monitors censored social media posts, "hydrogen bomb" and "North Korea" continue to lead a top 10 list of blocked topics. Still, not all comments were being taken down as quickly as they went up.

Many expressed frustration not only with North Korea, but the governments censorship tactics.

Clearly for many in China, there is a growing concern about the nuclear threat not only posed by North Korea, but the domino effect that could create.

One post in support of tougher sanctions said: To avoid Japan and South Korea deploying nuclear weapons and war breaking out, and any radioactivity being cast on our country, our only choice is to thoroughly comply with U.N. Security Council sanctions and cut off all oil supply and trade with North Korea.

The post added that China should also discuss with the United States how both can look after their own interests following the collapse of North Korea. Analysts note that a key reason China has hesitated going too far with sanctions has been its fear that it could lead to the collapse of the regime in Pyongyang.

That, and a possible humanitarian crisis along its northeastern border. For those living in Chinas northeast, however, there are concerns about radiation and even North Korean missiles.

The Chinese government says it is focused on getting the parties back to the negotiating table and talks that have been stalled since 2008. But as Pyongyangs provocations continue, some online are more focused on matters at home.

We don't need to condemn (North Korea). We need the government to protect the safety of its people in the northeast, said another post. The lives of our people matter more than anything. And what about an emergency plan?

Another post criticized the government for apparently focusing more on South Koreas deployment of a U.S.-made missile defense system.

You see that is the feature of those people. They ignore how North Korea is repeatedly testing nuclear weapons on our doorstep and claim South Korea has damaged the regional balance of power because they deployed THAAD to protect their own people, the post said. For those people who rule China and prop up the Chinese dream. Do you feel safe? Is that making your country stronger?

Facing calls for action at home and pressure from both Pyongyang and Washington, Beijing is clearly in a pickle, said William Choong, a senior fellow with the International Institute for Strategic Studies in Singapore.

Chinas strategy has always been to do the minimally acceptable option on North Korea, while at the same time maintaining the status-quo, said Choong. But the magnitude of the sixth nuclear test that we saw on Sunday was off the chartso China does have to present to the United States an option that is viable.

China supported tougher sanctions in early August, agreeing to ban coal, iron, lead and seafood. And given that China is the Norths biggest trading partner, it has already made a point to let the world know that it is feeling the pain more than any other country.

Late last month, Chinas Ministry of Commerce announced a ban on North Korean companies setting up new joint ventures or increasing investment in already existing joint ventures. In the wake of Sundays test, the United States is pushing for a ban on exports of oil to North Korea.

Choong said it is possible that China could cut off oil exports to North Korea, a move that would hurt Pyongyang. It could also offer to restrict North Korean workers from working in China and send them home. North Korea has been accused of using forced laborers to bring in illicit funds. China was included in a list of the worlds worst human traffickers this year, in part because tens of thousands of North Koreans work here.



China is North Koreas biggest supplier of oil, but just how much it supplies is unclear. The important thing is that oil from China is subsidized, notes Andrei Lankov, director of the Korea Risk Group.



Nobody knows exactly how much oil they are getting, and from exactly which sources, but it is not the only source, Lankov said. It is the only source of cheap, really seriously cheap subsidized oil.

Lankov said if China did cut exports, North Korea would still find ways to import it, but adds it would have an impact.



"If North Korea loses access to oil, it will face great economic difficulties. It's quite possible that there will be outbreaks of unrest because recently, contrary to what you have probably heard, North Korean's living standards have increased significantly, he said. And people don't like it when their living standards suddenly go down.

Both Choong and Lankov, however, doubt that an oil embargo would lead to an end of the Norths nuclear program.

Allen Ai in Beijing contributed to this report
A fast-moving wildfire chewing through Oregons forestland is threatening more than homes and people. Its also devouring the heart of the states nature-loving identity.

As flames erupted this week in the Columbia Gorge, horrified Oregonians mourned the devastation of beloved day trails, swimming holes and dozens of crystalline waterfalls that are all an easy day trip from Portland.

The Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area attracts more than 3 million tourists a year and holds North Americas largest concentration of waterfalls, including 77 named cascades. It is also home to 800 wildflower species, including 16 found nowhere else in the world.

The gorges winding trails are lush with ferns, hidden pocket waterfalls and stunning vistas of the mighty Columbia River. They are most cherished by Oregonians, who feel a deep connection to an area thats often referred to as Oregons crown jewel.

As the flames spread through the gorges forests at an alarming rate, social media lit up with posts recalling favorite hikes, memories of gorge weddings and worries about what will remain when the smoke clears.

Everybody has this visceral attachment to what they care about there and that all feels like its slipping through our fingers, said Kevin Gorman, executive director of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. We literally are waiting until the smoke clears to go out and assess whats there, what weve lost and then try to move on from there.

Fires merge

On Wednesday, two fires merged to form a blaze of more than 50 square miles (130 square kilometers). The fire has closed a 30-mile (78-kilometer) stretch of nearby Interstate 84 and forced the evacuation of hundreds of homes on the far eastern fringes of Portlands metropolitan area. Authorities say the fire was started by a 15-year-old boy who tossed fireworks into the woods.

Scorching heat, bone-dry vegetation and winds of 30 to 40 mph pushed the flames 13 miles (34 kilometers) in 16 hours at one point, an almost unprecedented rate of fire spread, authorities said. Embers from the blaze also were carried by winds across the Columbia River and started a spot fire on the opposite bank in Washington state.

On the Oregon side, the flames had some of the gorges most treasured spots in its crosshairs.

Lodge saved, falls unknown

After an all-night battle, fire crews saved the historic Multnomah Lodge, a historic 92-year-old information center, bar and restaurant at the base of Multnomah Falls.

That waterfall, visible and easily accessible from Interstate 84, alone attracts more than 2 million visitors a year from around the world. A low bridge allows easy viewing and a steep one-mile (1.6 kilometer) hike allows visitors to peer down 620 feet (190 meters) from just above its drop-off while taking in a panoramic view of the Columbia River and Washington state on the far bank.

Oneonta Falls, famous for a hike that includes wading in waist-deep water through a steep-walled canyon, was also charred. Photos posted on Twitter show a popular pedestrian tunnel near the gorge ringed with flames. The fate of other waterfalls with wistful names  Bridal Veil, Horsetail Falls and Ponytail Falls among them  was still uncertain.

Ive been where that fire began and Ive looked off that cliff and to imagine all that destroyed and all that gone, what I took for granted would be there forever, I just cant believe it, said Andrew Damitio, a 20-year-old who grew up hiking the gorge.

Unique geography, but a hot summer

The U-shaped canyon that holds the Columbia River is unique in its geology and contains microclimates nurtured by up to 70 inches (180 centimeters) of rain annually, Gorman said. But this summer has been unusually dry and extremely hot, creating an opportunity for a large fire to take hold in what is usually a lush forest, he said.

Gwen Farnham, a Portland resident and native Oregonian, belongs to four hiking groups and visits the gorge four times a week during the peak summer season. She has spent the past several days trying, without success, to learn what has burned and what has not in a place she reveres.

It just has this amazing ability to actually transform me and move energy in me and take me to an incredibly happy place. I call it my church, said Farnham, who serves on the board of Friends of the Columbia Gorge. Im grief-stricken. Im just sick. Its like a family member has died.

Area survived earlier fires

The gorge has burned before, and will likely burn again.

In 1902, a massive wildfire scorched the same area and also jumped the river to the Washington side. And in 1991, flames crept to within a few yards (meters) of the same lodge that fire crews battled to save this week. The scars from that blaze were still visible amid the forest before this years fire started, Gorman said.

Authorities sought to reassure the public even as they lamented the devastation.

Lt. Damon Simmons, a spokesman with the Oregon Fire Marshal, Wednesday drove the historic Columbia River Highway, a winding, two-lane road that parallels the river on the Oregon side and offers majestic viewpoints from the gorges steep cliffs. He came back with a hopeful message.

The gorge still looks like the gorge, he said. Its not a wasteland. Its not a blackened, destroyed no mans land.

Thats some consolation for Farnham, who has been fielding calls from concerned friends all week.

The gorge is an amazingly resilient place, she said. Well have to get to work and do what we can, each and every one of us.
Pakistan has vowed to stay engaged with the United States to help fight terrorism in neighboring Afghanistan, but said the war cannot be won by excluding or confronting Islamabad.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif made the remark Thursday at the end of a three-day conference of Pakistani ambassadors to key world capitals for formulating a comprehensive response to the new U.S. policy on Afghanistan.

U.S. President Donald Trump criticized Pakistan when he announced his long-awaited Afghan war policy last month. He accused Islamabad of harboring terrorists linked to the Taliban and Haqqani network, which are undermining U.S.-led efforts to stabilize Afghanistan and staging attacks on American forces.

The charges have strained an already fragile relationship between Islamabad and Washington.

We want to stay engaged with the United States. There is absolutely no doubt about it ... But this relationship will be driven by the interest of Pakistan. We want to have a relationship based on mutual respect, Foreign Minister Asif told reporters after the meeting.

He again rejected allegations his country is sheltering terrorists who are plotting deadly attacks in Afghanistan. Asif recounted Pakistan has lost thousands of its citizens, including security forces, and suffered massive economic losses while fighting terrorism.

I think people sitting in Washington have no comprehension of that ... I think they are oblivious, if not completely, at least partially oblivious of what actually is happening in this region, the foreign minister said.

Asif urged the U.S. to respect Pakistans sacrifices in the fight against terrorism and warned that scapegoating his country for failures of international forces to secure Afghanistan will be counterproductive.

They [the U.S.] should acknowledge Pakistans counterterrorism gains and make use of our experience to win this war on terrorism because it cant be won by excluding or confronting Pakistan, the foreign minister asserted.

Trump singled out Pakistan for not doing enough against militant groups operating on its soil but did not outline how he planned to pressure the country to move against the alleged terrorist sanctuaries on its soil.

US put on notice

U.S. media has reported a range of possible punitive measures under consideration, such as increasing diplomatic and economic pressure, and intensifying and expanding anti-terrorism drone strikes inside Pakistan. Asif warned against any coercive U.S. action.

We will defend our territorial integrity and we will not compromise our territorial integrity or our national dignity at any cost. And we expect from the U.S. to respect that, the foreign minister warned.

He admitted that eliminating militancy from the entire Pakistani society will take time.

You have to change an entire culture created to fight the Afghan jihad in the 80s . You needed a state of mind to wage the jihad, so you deliberately created that state of mind through a state-sponsored program. Now you are trying to reverse it, Asif said. It takes time, he said, to get rid of this baggage.

The Pakistani minister was referring to the U.S.-backed Afghan insurgency against Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s.

The American CIA in collaboration with Pakistans spy agency, Inter- Services Intelligence or ISI, created, funded, trained and armed Afghans as well as volunteers from across the Muslim world to fight Soviet occupation forces, admitted Hillary Clinton while testifying as U.S. Secretary of State during a congressional hearing in April, 2009.

ISI later used its ties with Afghan factions to try to influence affairs in Kabul during the civil war of the 1990s that gripped Afghanistan after the Soviet withdrawal.

The Pakistani spy agency also allegedly used some of the home-grown militants to fuel a Muslim separatist insurgency in India-controlled portions of the divided Kashmir region.

The backing from the powerful military establishment emboldened and enabled the militant groups to penetrate and extend influence in the mainstream Pakistani society, which has over the years become a major domestic security challenge and a source of spreading religious extremism, critics say.

Afghans and U.S. officials have been skeptical about whether ISI would cut its covert ties with the Taliban and Haqqanis because Islamabad uses them to counter growing influence of rival India in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Asif left for China, Pakistans staunch ally, shortly after addressing reporters, saying his talks with Chinese officials will focus on the situation in the aftermath of Trumps August policy announcement. Asif is scheduled to also travel to Russia, Iran and Turkey later this month before undertaking a crucial visit to Washington.
Previously uncalculated damage caused by severe flooding in Peru this year has pushed up the cost of rebuilding infrastructure by 28 percent to 25.65 billion soles ($7.92 billion), a government official said Wednesday.

Pablo de la Flor, who was appointed by President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski to lead the reconstruction effort, said 38 percent of the new total will pay for rebuilding highways, roads and bridges. The rest will be used to help build homes, schools, health clinics, sewage systems and farms affected by the floods.

"Without a doubt this is the most important fiscal effort in Peru's recent history," de la Flor told a press conference.

Finance Minister Fernando Zavala said the cost increase would be included in the budget in 2019 or 2020.

The rebuilding plan was approved by Kuczynski's cabinet on Wednesday and does not need a green light from Congress.

Early this year an unusually brutal rainy season due to a sudden warming of Pacific waters killed 162 people, slowed economic growth sharply and caused damage equivalent to 2 percent of Peru's gross domestic product.

De la Flor said the government would likely start awarding contracts at the end of the year.

($1=3.237)
Pope Francis urged Colombians to rally behind a peace process seeking an end to Latin America's longest-running conflict and to address the inequalities that fueled it during his first full day in the South American country Thursday.

"There has been too much hatred and violence," the pope told an adoring crowd at Bogota's presidential palace. "Let us not forget that inequality is the root of social ills.''

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff spoke alongside Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, addressing political elites bitterly divided by last year's peace deal with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, which ended a more than 50-year-old war.

Santos won the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts to restore peace, but the agreement remains unpopular among Colombians.

Later Thursday, Pope Francis will lead an outdoor Mass in Simon Bolivar Park, attended by thousands of people tightly packed into the plaza. At least four people were taken away in stretchers after fainting in the crowds.

Crowd control has been a challenge and security tight during the first Latin American pontiff's trip to largely Catholic Colombia.

Nearly four out of 10 Catholics lived in Latin America and the Caribbean as of 2010, the Pew Research Center's latest data show. Colombia alone had the sixth-largest concentration of Catholics globally. Out of the country's almost 49 million people, nearly seven out of 10 identify as Catholic.
Prince Williams wife Kate was too ill with morning sickness Thursday to take young Prince George to his first day of school.



The 4-year-old prince arrived at school holding the hand of his father, William.



Kate had planned to accompany them but canceled. Unfortunately the Duchess of Cambridge remains unwell, a Kensington Palace statement said.



George arrived on time for his first day at Thomass Battersea school in south London. He was met by a teacher who will introduce him to the other students.





The palace said earlier this week that Kate is pregnant with her third child and is suffering from acute morning sickness, as in her earlier pregnancies.



She has canceled several public appearances since the announcement.
Aid agencies were struggling to cope with a nonstop flood of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh, where some 146,000 have arrived hungry and terrified after fleeing renewed violence in Myanmar, a crisis the countrys leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, dismissed as a misinformation campaign.

With the influx pushing existing Rohingya refugee camps to the brink, Bangladesh pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no-mans land between the two countries borders.

U.N. agencies said they were distributing food to new arrivals, about 80 percent of whom were women and children, joining about 100,000 who have been sheltering in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier convulsions of violence in majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

Streams of people

Weve not had something on this scale here in many years, said Pavlo Kolovos, the Bangladesh mission leader for Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, in a statement. Our teams are seeing streams of people arriving destitute and extremely traumatized, including many in need of urgent medical care for violence-related injuries, severe infections or childbirth complications.

With so many Rohingya fleeing, its unclear how many remain in Myanmar amid reports of soldiers burning villages and killing civilians. Before the recent violence, aid experts had estimated about 1 million Rohingya were living in northern Rakhine state, but aid agencies have been unable to access the area since.

We are unable to reach the 28,000 children to whom we were previously providing psychosocial care or the more than 4,000 children who were treated for malnutrition in Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said. Our clean water and sanitation work has been suspended, as have school repairs that were under way.

Turkey aid officials to enter

Turkey said that Myanmar agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya, and that its foreign minister would visit a refugee camp in Coxs Bazar Thursday.

The violence has driven some Rohingya to flee into forests near their villages or to beaches on the Bay of Bengal in hopes of rescue.

Bangladeshs Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a protest note to Myanmars envoy Wednesday expressing concern about reports that Myanmars security forces had planted land mines along the border, and demanding immediate measures to de-escalate the violence.

Seeking to counter the storm of international criticism, Suu Kyis top security adviser on Wednesday asserted that security forces were acting with restraint in pursuing terrorists.

National Security Advisor Thaung Tun told a news conference Myanmars capital, Naypyitaw, that he was deeply disappointed and saddened by the disinformation campaign being waged around the world with regard to the situation in Rakhine.

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi complained to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call Tuesday that Turkeys deputy prime minister was a victim of fake news when he posted photos purportedly showing dead Rohingya that were not related to the crisis. The photos on Mehmet Simseks Twitter account have been taken down.
Russia is increasingly advocating an arms control strategy to accept North Korea as a nuclear state, disagreeing with the United States and its allies, and even to a degree with China, which all support applying sanctions to force Pyongyang into denuclearization talks.

While meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin Thursday again urged for dialogue to resolve the North Korean nuclear crisis, and said whipping up military hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive and could trigger a global catastrophe. He also said it is not possible to resolve the North Korean crisis with sanctions and pressure alone.

A different approach

Echoing the sentiments of the Russian leader, Alexander Nikitin, the head of an academic institution run by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia, told an international defense forum in Seoul Thursday that the time has come to stop seeking the immediate denuclearization of the DPRK (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) and instead pursue "realistic and verifiable arms controls talks.

Sanctions, the limitation of food supplies, a limitation of fuel is not a method to bring North Korea to the negotiation table, said Nikitin, who is director of the Center for Euro- Atlantic Security at Moscow State Institute of International Relations.

The Russian academic suggested treating North Korea like India and Pakistan, two countries that were given sanctions waivers by the U.S. in 2001, even though they openly tested nuclear weapons and refused to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). Under the NPT, only the United States, Russia, the United Kingdom, France, and China are permitted to possess nuclear weapons.

Sanctions support

North Korea has now conducted six nuclear tests in the last decade, more than 20 ballistic missile tests this year alone, and is rapidly moving toward its goal of developing a nuclear intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of targeting the U.S. mainland.



The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has stressed that all options, including military action, are being considered to eliminate what it calls this unacceptable existential nuclear threat from North Korea.

In contrast to the Russian representative's conciliatory views on North Korea, other officials at the Seoul Defense Dialogue forum voiced support for imposing more coercive measures against Pyongyang.

'Time to tighten the screws'

Lim Sung-nam, the vice minister of Foreign Affairs for South Korea, said the continued belligerent and threatening behavior of the Kim Jong Un government has convinced the progressive leadership in Seoul to back away from its earlier position advocating for talks and outreach.

Now is not the right time for dialogue, rather it is time to tighten the screws on North Korea with a view to forcing the regime to change its strategic calculation, he said.

Jia Qingguo, a professor of international studies at Peking University in China, categorized North Korea's relentless missile and nuclear tests as suicidal. He voiced support for stronger sanctions and proposed the United States, China, Russia, South Korea and Japan engage in five-party talks as North Korea refuses to negotiate. It is time, he said, to discuss all possible contingencies, including what to do if the Kim regime collapses.

Sanctions combined with dialogue

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi Thursday said the U.N. Security Council should make a further response on North Korea, but that sanctions must be combined with dialogue.

The United States asked the U.N. to impose an oil embargo after North Korea's latest and biggest nuclear test.

European Union Foreign Policy Chief Federica Mogherini also expressed support Thursday of adopting tougher economic measures to restrain the rapidly growing North Korean nuclear threat.
U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he hoped to see compromise immigration reform that combines border security measures with protections for immigrants who were brought illegally to the United States as children.

President Donald Trump on Tuesday ended a program for so-called Dreamers and gave Congress six months to find a legislative fix. In a New York Times interview on Thursday, Ryan was asked if he would put the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to a vote.

Im going to put a consensus plan on the floor, because I want members of Congress in both parties to talk to each other and find consensus on this issue.

Ryan said the DACA issue was a symptom of failure of security at U.S. borders.

It is only reasonable that while fixing this serious real problem, we also try to address the root cause of that problem. And that is border security, he said.

That is where I think the consensus lies.
Fifteen states and Washington, D.C., are suing the Trump administration to stop plans to end the program that keeps young undocumented immigrants from deportation.

The attorneys general filed their lawsuit Wednesday in a federal court in Brooklyn, New York.

They argue that the decision to scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals is unconstitutional because it would deny those affected the due process of law against arbitrary punishment.

New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called Trumps plans cruel, shortsighted and inhumane. He accused the president of showing his bias against Mexicans and Latinos.

There has been no comment so far from the White House.

Take care of this situation

But Trump said Wednesday he is confident Congress will act to protect 800,000 young people from deportation.

Congress, I really believe, wants to take care of this situation, Trump said aboard Air Force One before heading to North Dakota for a speech about tax reform. I really believe it, even very conservative members of Congress.

Trump is giving Congress six months to vote on the issue. He said would revisit his decision to lift the ban on deportations if Congress did not act. He did not make it clear if that means he would change his mind.

Many Democrats and some Republicans, along with U.S. business leaders, have strongly criticized Trump for overturning DACA, former President Barack Obama created by memorandum when Congress failed to act on immigration reform.

I think Congress really wants to do this, Trump said, adding he would like immigration legislation that includes protection for the undocumented immigrants and something where we have good border security.

Many undocumented immigrants under DACA go to school or are in the U.S. military. Some own businesses that employ U.S. citizens and others. Most say they were brought to the United States as children by their parents who may have come illegally and say the U.S. is the only country they know.

Trump has pressed for tighter immigration controls and called for construction of a wall on the countrys southern border with Mexico to thwart more migrants from entering the country, but the proposal remains controversial and Congress has not adopted it.

Symptom of larger problem

Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan said lawmakers would work in the coming months to find a compromise in how to protect the undocumented immigrants from being deported.

But Ryan described their plight as a symptom of a larger problem. And the larger problem is that we do not have control of our borders. And so its only reasonable and fitting that we also address the root cause of the problem, which is borders that are not sufficiently controlled, while we address this very real and very human problem thats right in front of us.

Key Democratic lawmakers called for passage of what they are calling the Dream Act, which would protect the undocumented immigrants but not address broader immigration issues. Four Republican senators have announced their support for it, but Democrats need another eight Republicans for Senate passage.

Trump has said he has great love for the young immigrants, who are known as Dreamers.

I would say this to President Trump: If you love the Dreamers, help us pass the Dream Act, Democratic Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois said. I would say to the Republicans in Congress who are not swept away by the anti-immigrant rhetoric, which we have heard over and over again: Stand up with us.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said Democrats want Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell to immediately put the Dream Act on the floor for a vote in the House and Senate. Were ready to pass it. I am confident that if put on the floor it will garner overwhelming support from both sides of the aisle.

Schumer said if the Dream Act is not passed this month, Democrats will attempt to attach it to other legislation until it passes.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Wednesday challenging President Donald Trump's decision to end protections and benefits for young people who were brought into the United States illegally as children.

The multi-state lawsuit filed by a group of Democratic attorneys general to protect beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program argues their state economies will be hurt if residents lose their status.

The lawsuit seeks to block Trump's decision and maintain DACA.

The lawsuit claims Trump's decision was "motivated, at least in part, by a discriminatory motive" against Mexicans, who are the largest beneficiary of the program. It points to his statements from the 2016 presidential campaign.

The attorneys general also argue the government has not guaranteed DACA recipients that their application information will not be used "for purposes of immigration enforcement, including identifying, apprehending, detaining or deporting noncitizens."

New York's Attorney General Eric Schneiderman took the lead, filing the case in the Eastern District of New York. He said that 42,000 New Yorkers participate in DACA, and that the end of the program would be "devastating" for them and would cause "huge economic harm" to the state.

Ready to defend

In commenting on the suit, the U.S. Department of Justice noted that DACA was an administrative program begun during the Obama administration and was not done through congressional action.

"While the plaintiffs in today's lawsuits may believe that an arbitrary circumvention of Congress is lawful, the Department of Justice looks forward to defending this administration's position," spokesman Devin M. O'Malley said.

Trump's decision Tuesday to end the five-year-old program resulted in uncertainty for almost 800,000 young people known as "Dreamers," based on never-passed proposals in Congress called the DREAM Act that would have provided similar protections for young immigrants. The president's move drew criticism from business and religious leaders, mayors, governors, Democratic lawmakers, unions and civil liberties advocates.

Trump, who delayed the end of the program until March 5, shifted responsibility to a Congress controlled by his fellow Republicans, saying it was now up to lawmakers to pass immigration legislation that could address the fate of those protected by DACA.

But the governor of Washington, whose state joined the lawsuit, criticized Trump for distancing himself from a final decision on the program.

Trump said Tuesday that he still had "great heart" for the Dreamers.

"The president has tried to shirk responsibility for this, but let's be clear: It is his hand on the knife in these people's backs," said Washington Governor Jay Inslee at a news conference announcing the suit. "He can't just put it on Congress. It is his responsibility to fix this."

Other claims in the lawsuit are based on the Administrative Procedure Act, arguing the White House did not follow the correct process in changing the policy.

Legal experts have said that court challenges to Trump's actions could face an uphill battle, since the president typically has wide authority when it comes to implementing immigration policy.
Movie fans attending a special screening of the movie It in Bangor, Maine, got a bonus: Author and local resident Stephen King joined them.

King's radio station, WKIT-FM, sponsored the special showing Wednesday night, and King received a standing ovation. He told the moviegoers: "You're going to be scared out of your seats anyway, so you might as well sit down."

It is based on King's book about a sewer-dwelling, homicidal clown in Derry, Maine. King has said the fictionalized town is based on Bangor.

The new adaptation of King's novel will be previewed in many select theaters Thursday before it opens nationwide Friday.
Syria says two people were killed when Israeli warplanes struck a military facility near Hama that Western nations allege is linked to Damascus' chemical weapons program. Syria claims to have handed over all of its chemical weapons, as part of an internationally-brokered deal in 2013, but the U.N. accuses Damascus of using chemical weapons on a number of times since.



Arab media Thursday showed footage of what appeared to be burning buildings, following an Israeli airstrike on an alleged Syrian government chemical weapons plant near the town of Masyaf, in the northwest of the country, near Hama. Lebanese media reported that the Israeli warplanes violated Lebanese airspace, launching their missiles at the Syrian plant from inside Lebanese territory.

A Syrian Army statement said the Israeli attack hit the facility near the town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast and not far from Russia's airbase at Hmeymim, in Latakia. The statement claimed that the attack was prompted by recent victories by the Syrian Army against the Islamic State group.

Syrian Defense Minister Fahd Freij, meeting with government military commanders at a government-controlled airbase outside the eastern oasis town of Deir-el-Zour, until recently encircled by IS, lauded the government's recent advances.

He says that all patriotic Syrians should be proud of this great victory and of the amazing tenacity of government forces as well as the resistance of all those citizens in Deir-el-Zour and those in nearby towns controlled by (IS) terrorists.

Khattar Abou Diab, who teaches political science at the University of Paris, tells VOA that he believes the Israeli attack came after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu failed to convince Russian President Vladimir Putin or U.S. President Donald Trump to push pro-Iranian forces supporting the Assad government away from Syria's border with Israel.

He says that the Iranians have been advancing and that they have just completed an arc from Tehran to the Mediterranean Sea, in addition to advances in their ballistic missile capability. He stresses that the Israeli attack was not far from Russia' main airbase in Syria, and that it sent a very strong message to both the Assad regime and Iran, along with Russia, as well.

Abou Diab argues that Israel's message to all three countries is that it is capable of defending its interests, and he believes that there will be even more Israeli military activity inside Syria in the future.

Israel made no official comment on the airstrike, although a former Israeli intelligence chief praised the attack. Israel has launched a number of attacks on what it claimed were pro-Iranian military convoys or facilities near Damascus over the past several years. Israel also launched an attack, destroying an alleged Syrian nuclear facility under construction in 2007.
The lifting of a vicious 32-month Islamic State siege of a Syrian regime enclave in Deir el-Zour city earlier this week marks a significant battlefield success for government forces. But the fight for eastern Syria is just beginning and analysts warn the toll in civilian casualties will be high.

With IS still controlling several neighborhoods in the city, and also much of the wider oil-rich province that stretches to the Iraqi border, the battle for eastern Syria is likely to prove an arduous test for the Syrian army and its allies.



That was brought home to the Syrian army by reports that one of the senior officers commanding the Deir el-Zour offensive, General Ghassan Iskendar Taraf, was badly injured Wednesday when his vehicle struck an IS land mine to the west of the city. A battle-hardened general, he commands the Al-Qassem Group, an elite force.

The U.N. estimates more than a million people are living in Deir el-Zour province. The population has been swollen by Syrians displaced from other war-torn parts of the country. U.N. officials have expressed alarm at the mounting civilian casualties in the province from the regime ground offensive as well as airstrikes conducted by Russia and the U.S.-led anti-IS coalition.

Military situation



In terms of how prolonged the fight will be for the province, the big question remains over IS determination and battlefield coherence, say analysts. In military terms, the terror groups position in the east has been weakened substantially by the Syrian regimes opening of the main highway into Deir el-Zour.

Analyst Aron Lund of The Century Foundation, a New York-based policy research group, dubs it a strategic disaster for IS, which is now at its weakest since 2014 and appears unable to break out of an accelerating spiral of defeats.

Having lifted the siege of the main regime enclave and commenced the task of retaking other IS-held neighborhoods in the city, the Syrian government is about to flip Deir el-Zour from a costly defensive liability into an offensive asset, putting new strains on the jihadist groups positions along the Euphrates," according to Lund. On the corresponding side of the border, Iraqi forces are preparing large-scale offensives on the jihadists, too, a squeeze that will strain what manpower IS leaders have left.

Running short of fighters



In August, IS announced a general "mobilization" of local men 20 to 30 years of age, and there have been reports of forcible enlistments of minors as well. Even though IS recently began drafting civilians in a desperate bid to shore up its positions in eastern Syria, it is unlikely to be able to cope with the overwhelming force now bearing down on it from nearly every direction, argues Lund.

While the conscription of locals suggests IS is running short of fighters to throw into battle, it is a tactically unpleasant way also to force locals to choose sides and to resist a regime offensive that includes Iranian-directed foreign Shiite militias from the east and south. U.S.-backed Kurdish-led assaults from the north are also a danger.

The enlistment ties locals to the fortunes of IS, having a son, brother or husband in the jihadists ranks, regardless of whether they joined willingly or not, will place families, who will already be suspect for living in an IS-controlled zone, at huge risk of retaliation and punishment from invading forces.

Syrian commanders greeted the lifting of the desperate siege earlier this week on a regime enclave sheltering about 100,000 people. This great achievement is a strategic shift in the war on terror and confirms the ability of the Syrian Arab army and its allies, the army command said.

Iranian, Russian forces involved



Ali Shamkhani, head of Irans Supreme National Security Council, said the offensive demonstrated how well Iranian, Russian and Syrian forces work together, saying the axis has started paying dividends, according to the Tehran Times. Analysts take that to be a pointed reference to the U.S. presence in Syria.

Iranian officials have been stressing that all "foreign" powers in the fight against IS should be mindful of Syrian sovereignty, noting that while Iranian and Russian forces were invited by Damascus into the country, U.S. forces backing the Kurds were not.

State-owned Russia Today was quick this week to highlight what the Deir el-Zour offensive means as far as Moscow sees it in the overall geopolitical game, headlining one story, Bashar Assad's Deir ez-Zor [sic] victory puts illegal U.S. presence in spotlight.
They took to Twitter, Facebook and their corporate blog posts. They called their congressional representatives, signed letters and pledged to fight.



This week, many tech industry leaders geared up for battle after the Trump administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows people in the U.S. without legal documents to live, work and go to school without fear of deportation.

The fate of young adults who benefited from DACA is a civil rights issue, say tech executives and leaders.



However, the lengths to which the tech industry will go to get Congress to act before the program expires in six months remain unclear.



Already, some tech executives have pledged not to fire employees who are DACA beneficiaries, even if they lose the legal right to work in the U.S.



Tools of political action



But there is more the tech industry could do. It could use its very services to put out a call to employees and customers to lobby Congress, something many firms and organizations did in 2012 when they successfully fought anti-copyright piracy legislation.

Tech companies also could pledge not to disclose personal information collected on their platforms to authorities to help deport people.

While many tech leaders spoke out this week against the decision, it's not clear how uniform the industry is about how to advocate for DACA beneficiaries.

They need to go to Washington and sit down with people and say, Get this done, said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, an advocacy group co-founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. It is a must-pass legislative item.



DACA before tax reform



Some companies have promised to make congressional legislation their No. 1 issue, even putting aside their long-held hopes for tax reform, which congressional leaders pledged to address this fall.



Brad Smith, president and chief legal officer at Microsoft, said Congress should pursue DACA legislation before tax reform.



We need to put the humanitarian needs of these 800,000 people on the legislative calendar before a tax bill, Smith wrote in a blog post.



The software giant also is pledging to help with the legal costs of the 39 DACA beneficiaries who it knows work at its company, he said.

Zuckerberg, in a Facebook post, called on people to contact congressional representatives.



In an email to employees, Apple CEO Tim Cook said the company would provide help to the more than 250 employees who are in the program, according to CNET.



Ads attacking Trump



The Emerson Collective, the philanthropic organization run by Laurene Powell Jobs, Steve Jobs widow, began airing political ads Wednesday in some cable markets criticizing the Trump administration action regarding DACA.



Outside of Silicon Valley, business leaders also were joining the call for action.

Stas Gayshan, managing director of Cambridge Innovation Center, a workspace business in the Boston area catering to entrepreneurs, said he planned to be part of ramping up pressure to make it clear that these folks are Americans.



This is a pretty clear assault on what makes our country great, said Gayshan, who came to the U.S. as a refugee from Uzbekistan when he was nine years old.



In Chicago, Rishi Shah, chief executive officer and founder of Outcome Health, a digital health firm currently valued on paper at more than $1 billion, said he was seeing the tech industry move quickly to get Congress to act.



This is not a niche issue for the industry, said Shah, whose father emigrated to the U.S. from India. We really see this as a defining moment.
U.S. President Donald Trump told 800,000 young undocumented immigrants in the United States they "have nothing to worry about" being deported during the next six months, while Congress works on a plan to allow them to permanently stay in the country.

Trump, in a Twitter comment Thursday, said that for those "concerned about your status," they need not be concerned, that "no action" would be taken to send them back to their home countries years after their parents illegally brought them into the United States. Many of the immigrants know only the United States as their home country.



Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi, the Democratic minority leader in the House of Representatives, said Trump had called her and she asked him to reassure the immigrants that their status would not change over the next six months, that the time span "is not a period of roundup," that the program "is frozen and that these people will not be vulnerable.

Trump earlier this week rescinded former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program that allowed the immigrants to study and work in the United States and serve in its military. But he delayed the end of the program for six months to give Congress a chance to approve immigration legislation, including protections for the young immigrants, often popularly called Dreamers.

It is unclear what might happen for the immigrants if Congress does not act in the next six months, but Trump says he would revisit his decision overturning the Obama program if lawmakers do not act to protect them against deportation.

On Wednesday, Trump said he is confident Congress will act on the issue.

"Congress, I really believe, wants to take care of this situation," Trump told reporters. "I really believe it, even very conservative members of Congress."

Trump said he would like immigration legislation that includes protection for the undocumented immigrants and "something where we have good border security." But the shape of any immigration legislation is uncertain, with lawmakers failing repeatedly in recent years to overhaul the country's immigration policies.

Fifteen states and the national capital, Washington, filed suit Wednesday against the Trump administration to stop plans to end the DACA program.

They argued that Trump's decision is unconstitutional because it would deny those affected the due process of law against arbitrary punishment.

New York state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman called Trump's plans "cruel, shortsighted and inhumane." He accused the president of showing his bias against Mexicans and Latinos. Most of the undocumented immigrants covered by the Obama plan came from Mexico or Central American countries.
Congressional Republicans, facing a fresh round of revelations that President Donald Trump was working with their Democratic counterparts on key fiscal and immigration issues, spent Thursday coming to terms with a level of cooperation that's rarely invoked on Capitol Hill.

The revelations came just a day after Trump blindsided Republican Congressional leaders, siding with Democrats on a three-month debt-ceiling extension that puts his own party in an awkward spot with mid-term elections little more than a year away.

"I'm focused on taxes," said House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, a Republican from Texas, after reporters informed him of a potential deal between Trump and Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer to end Congressional votes on the debt ceiling.

The ability to raise the debt ceiling is a core issue for many Republicans, who say it would be fiscally irresponsible to take away Congress' ability to consider spending levels before increasing the nation's credit level.

But Trump diverged from his own party, telling reporters Thursday the debt ceiling "complicates things, it's really not necessary. Because you're talking about budget, so it's really not necessary."

Earlier Thursday, following a phone call with House Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Trump issued a tweet telling those affected by the end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program that they have nothing to worry about. Pelosi confirmed to reporters that she had asked Trump to tweet that assurance.

"The people of the United States want to see a coming together  at least to an extent  with different parties," the president told reporters Thursday. "We have different thoughts, different feelings, different ideas, but I think you're going to see a much stronger coming together."

Bipartisanship?

Some Republicans on Capitol Hill, reacting to news of the Trump deal, acknowledged the popularity of his approach.

"From what I hear back home, Trump's populism is real," Representative Barry Loudermilk, a Republican from Georgia, told VOA. "People are very supportive of his ideas going forward. And they want us to come up here and just deal with the nuances of how you do it."

Loudermilk  who is from a district that gave Trump an overwhelming victory over Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election  said the negotiations with Democrats were "internal politics."

But for Texas Republicans looking to send aid to their hurricane-stricken state, the deal puts them in the position of voting for aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey while raising the debt ceiling.

"I would have liked to have seen them as separate issues and I'm disappointed that they're together, but there's plenty of blame to go around," said Representative Blake Farenthold, a Republican from Texas.

"I don't think the folks that voted for Donald Trump in the district I represent want to see him working with Miss Pelosi. I don't think a lot of his base will be happy," he added.

Another Republican member of the Texas delegation told VOA that while he still trusted the president and House Speaker Paul Ryan, he wondered how long cooperation with Democrats could last.

"It may be something where there is a feeling of euphoria today, but then there's always the hangover that comes the next day. So, there will be a hangover from the decision," said Representative Bill Flores. "I'm not being critical of the president  he did what he thought he had to do  but we'll see how it works. Not only this week, but longer term."

Focus on tax reform

The chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, Representative Mark Meadows, was conciliatory. At a Bloomberg News breakfast meeting Thursday with congressional reporters, Meadows said Trump told him he had cut the debt ceiling deal so he could focus attention on tax reform. Trump is "myopically focused on trying to get tax reform," Meadows said.

The deal left Republican congressional leaders, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and Ryan, in an embarrassing position. Hours before meeting Trump with other congressional leaders Wednesday at the White House, Ryan had called the idea of a three-month debt extension "ridiculous," telling reporters it was "disgraceful that they [Democrats] want to play politics with the debt ceiling."

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the deal a "positive step forward" that would avoid default and get money quickly to hurricane victims in Texas and Louisiana. "The nation can breathe a sigh of relief," Schumer said Thursday on the Senate floor.

Several Senate Republicans tried to put the best face they could on the deal.

"The Senate will soon consider legislation that will keep the government's lights on until December 8, and increase the nation's borrowing capacity," said Senate Majority Whip John Cornyn. "That's important, because without lifting the debt limit, we couldn't actually vote for and send aid to the victims of Harvey."

Nebraska Senator Ben Sasse mocked the deal in a news release, calling on fellow Republicans to reject it. "Yesterday we saw Washington's swamp continue to rise: Chuck Schumer wrote the art of the steal by taking hurricane relief hostage to guarantee a December showdown that favors Democratic spending priorities," Sasse said.

Ryan was more reflective at a meeting with reporters Thursday, saying the president had made clear he was looking for a "bipartisan moment," with the country facing two hurricanes, when he agreed to the three-month debt-ceiling extension. Ryan said his objection was based more on the effect the deal would have on financial markets.

"I was making an economic point," Ryan said, "which is that with respect to the credit markets, stability and longevity are key."

White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders issued a statement confirming that Trump held early-morning conversations Thursday with McConnell and Schumer, as well as Ryan and Pelosi.

"The president is committed to working across the aisle and doing what is needed to best serve the American people," Sanders said.
Congressional investigators on Thursday questioned Donald Trump Jr. about Russian meddling in his father's presidential campaign last year, including a meeting the younger Trump held with a Kremlin-linked lawyer who purportedly was going to hand them "damaging information" about Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton.

The younger Trump told the investigators that he set up the June 2016 meeting because he was intrigued that the lawyer might have "information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications" of Clinton, according to his opening statement, quoted by The New York Times.

But the newspaper said that the younger Trump, President Donald Trump's eldest son, told investigators nothing came of the meeting and that he never colluded with the Russians to interfere in the U.S. election that his father ultimately won.

The younger Trump, who now helps run the president's vast business empire, has emerged as a key figure in numerous Washington probes, with several being conducted by congressional committees along with a criminal investigation headed by Special Counsel Robert Mueller, a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Investigators are focusing on the meeting the younger Trump held more than a year ago in the midst of the campaign at Trump Tower in New York, the president's business and political campaign headquarters.

The younger Trump, along with his brother-in-law Jared Kushner, now a White House adviser to the president, and then campaign manager Paul Manafort, met with a woman described as a "Russian government attorney," Natalia Veselnitskaya, after an intermediary had told the younger Trump that she would hand them information that would "incriminate Hillary" as "part of Russia and its government's support for Mr. Trump" in the election.

"Love it," the younger Trump responded in setting up the meeting.

Both Kushner and the younger Trump have subsequently said the Russian attorney had no such damaging information about Clinton and the conversation quickly evolved into a discussion about a program for adoption of Russian children that Moscow canceled in retaliation for a U.S. law targeting Russian human rights abusers.

Senate Judiciary Committee investigators questioned the younger Trump behind closed doors, but eventually he and Manafort could be questioned by senators in a public hearing. At some point, the younger Trump is also expected to testify before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which also is probing Russian meddling in the election.

Mueller is investigating whether President Trump obstructed justice in firing former FBI director James Comey at a time he was heading the Russia investigation before Mueller took over.

Shortly after ousting Comey, Trump told television anchor Lester Holt that despite earlier explanations to the contrary, he was thinking of "this Russia thing" when he decided to dismiss Comey.

Trump has denied colluding with Russian interests during the campaign. He had repeatedly said Russian connections to the U.S. election and the ensuing investigations are merely an excuse by Democrats to explain Trump's upset win over Clinton.

The various investigations are expected to last for months and have cast a shadow over the first months of Trump's presidency.
President Donald Trump briskly overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary Wednesday to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise America's debt limit. The immediate goal was ensuring money for hurricane relief, but in the process the president brazenly rolled his own party's leaders.

In deal-making mode, Trump sided with the Democratic leaders  Chuck and Nancy, as he amiably referred later to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi  as they pushed for the three-month deal, brushing aside the urgings of GOP leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for a much longer extension to the debt limit. Republicans want that longer allowance to avoid having to take another vote on the politically toxic issue before the 2018 congressional elections.

The session painted a vivid portrait of discord at the highest ranks of the Republican Party. After an angry August that Trump spent lobbing attacks at fellow Republicans, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the failure of health care legislation, the president wasted little time once Congress came back this week in demonstrating his disdain for the GOP House and Senate leaders charged with shepherding his agenda into law.

 Meeting takes an odd turn

At first, in Wednesday's Oval Office meeting, the Republicans lobbied for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six, but Trump waved them off. As Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favor of a longer term, Trump tired of it and cut him off mid-sentence.

At another point, the meeting totally lost focus when Ivanka Trump entered to raise an unrelated issue on child care tax credits. Details of the meeting were disclosed by several people briefed on the proceedings who spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly.

One photo taken through the window of the Oval Office showed an animated Schumer pointing his finger in Trump's face as the president smiles with his hands on his fellow New Yorker's arms.

Trump headed to North Dakota

After the meeting, Trump boarded a plane to North Dakota with Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in an effort to garner bipartisan support for tax legislation that Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are crafting on a purely partisan basis. That continued the day of bizarre disconnects between the president and the leaders of his party.

Trump called Heitkamp to the stage at his Dakota event and praised her as a good woman. She will be running for re-election against a Republican in November 2018.

Aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer. He didn't mention Republicans McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also had been present. We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred, very important.

I think the deal will be very good, Trump added.

Barely an hour earlier, Ryan had slammed the Democrats' demand for a three-month extension as ridiculous and disgraceful. He issued no public statement on the final deal.

Reserved response

McConnell, in his own reserved fashion, did not sugar-coat what happened when he addressed reporters a short time later.



In the meeting down at the White House, as I indicated, the president agreed with Sen. Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi to do a three-month CR and a debt ceiling into December, and that's what I will be offering based on the president's decision, McConnell said. CR refers to a continuing resolution, which will extend existing government funding levels into mid-December, when the prospect of an enormous new round of deal-making now looms.



Asked whether he was surprised to see the president side with Democrats against his own party leadership, McConnell responded: Look, the president can speak for himself, but his feeling was we needed to come together, not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis, and that was the rationale.

In fact, Trump achieved the opposite.

The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad, Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., said over Twitter.



Hopefully well realize that negotiating with Democrats doesn't normally produce outstanding results, said Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

Surprising turn of events



The outcome was especially striking coming just a day after Trump announced he would be dismantling immigration protections for younger immigrants, a program known as DACA, or Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. He gave Congress six months to come up with a solution. That announcement had infuriated Democrats, and was not cheered by many Republicans either, since among other things it gives them a politically explosive issue to resolve ahead of the midterm elections.



Taken together, Trump's moves appeared to show little regard for the imperatives of his party leaders. And after the GOP's failure to pass long-promised legislation to repeal and replace Obamacare, the events renewed questions about whether the party can summon the focus and unity to advance tax legislation, the next big item they want to tackle. However, White House officials argued that putting other issues off until December cleared the decks for tax talks.



The deal struck Wednesday at the White House promises to speed the $7.9 billion Hurricane Harvey aid bill, which passed the House overwhelmingly Wednesday, to Trump's desk before disaster accounts run out later this week. The debt ceiling and government funding extensions will be attached.

Date to remember: Dec. 15

The move also buys almost three months, until Dec. 15, for Washington to try to solve myriad other issues, including more funding for the military, immigration and health care, and a longer-term increase in the government's borrowing authority to avoid a first-ever default. Adding the stopgap funding bill to the Harvey aid package would also immediately free about $7 billion in additional disaster funds.

Schumer was as pleased in the aftermath as McConnell was dour.



Today was a good day in a generally partisan town, he said. The bottom line is, the president listened to the arguments. We think we made a very reasonable and strong argument. And, to his credit, he went with the better argument.
Tunisia's two main parties on Thursday gave parliamentary backing to Prime Minister Youssef Chahed's new cabinet, handing him the initiative to push sensitive economic reforms demanded by the International Monetary Fund.

Chahed's cabinet needs strong support to reform public sector wages and overhaul the pension system to improve national finances. Infighting and social protests have kept past governments from pushing through tougher austerity reforms.

Chahed on Wednesday named 13 new ministers, including heads of the interior, defense and finance ministries. He appointed Taoufik Rajhi, one of his advisers from the Islamist Ennahda party, to a new economic reforms ministry in a deal that ends weeks of party infighting over posts.

Rached Ghannouchi, the head of Ennahda party, called his 69 lawmakers in parliament to give a vote of confidence to the coalition government, which includes ruling Nidaa Tounes, Machroua Tounes, the Republican and Massar parties.

The new cabinet also includes independents and former ministers who worked with ex-President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, ousted by a popular uprising in 2011.

Ennahda won four important ministries, including the new ministry of economic reforms. Nidaa Tounes, led by the son of President Beji Caid Essesbi, welcomed the reshuffle, in which his party secured six new posts and other junior portfolios.

"This reshuffle maintained political balances [and] boosted the political weight of our party. We will give our confidence to the new team," said Sofian Tobal, an official in Nidaa Tounes.

'Like a war cabinet'

Backing from the two main parties means Chahed's government can expect support from at least 150 lawmakers in the 217-seat parliament. Ennahda and Nidaa Tounes have more than 130 seats between them, plus the support of smaller parties. Chahed's cabinet needs 109 votes to win a confidence ballot.

"This government would be like a war cabinet, in a war against the corruption, against rampant unemployment and a war to save the economy," Chahed said Wednesday.

He has said he will present parliament with a comprehensive plan to push the economy forward, including accelerating the coordination of public-private partnerships and proposing more incentives to investors.

"We will confront the imbalance in public finances, adjust the trade balance and improve the situation of public institutions that are facing difficulties, as well progress on major priority reforms," he said.

Tunisia is struggling to revive its economy and create jobs for frustrated youth. But it is under pressure to reduce deficits by stopping public sector hiring, laying off thousands of state employees and selling shares in some troubled public institutions.

Reforms are also expected to include cuts in subsidies for energy and some basic materials, which would be highly sensitive and rejected by Tunisia's strong unions, who have in the past played the role of political power brokers.
Two Turkish-American men involved in a brawl at the Turkish Embassy earlier this year pleaded not guilty to assault charges in a Washington, D.C., courtroom Thursday.

Sinan Narin of Virginia and Eyup Yildirim of New Jersey faced charges of felony aggravated assault as well as making assault threats.

Court documents from Thursday indicate the men both entered pleas of not guilty and asked for a jury trial.

Eighteen people, many of whom were members of the Turkish ambassador's security detail, were indicted for allegedly attacking protesters outside the ambassador's residence on May 16. All 18 were charged with conspiracy to commit a crime of violence, a felony punishable by a maximum of 15 years in prison. Several faced additional charges of assault with a deadly weapon.

D.C. police have arrested four suspects with U.S. addresses, including including Narin and Yildirim; but warrants are still out for 14 Turkish security officers.

Another suspect  Ayten Necmi of New York  is due in court September 22, while the case of the fourth detainee, Jalal Kheirabaoi of Virginia, has been dismissed.

The brawl took place outside the residence of Turkey's ambassador to Washington shortly after U.S. President Donald Trump met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan at the White House.

WATCH: Related June 16 video report:



Video of the protest recorded by VOA's Turkish service shows what appear to be security guards and some Erdogan supporters attacking a small group of demonstrators.

Men in dark suits and others were recorded repeatedly kicking one woman as she was curled up 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 attackers to retreat, several suspects dodged the officers and continued the attacks.

The Turkish Embassy claimed that Erdogan's bodyguards were acting in "self-defense" during the incident, and that the protesters were affiliated with the Turkish left wing PKK or Kurdistan Workers' Party.

The PKK has waged a three-decade long insurgency in southeast Turkey.
With child labor soaring in Lebanon following the outbreak of war in Syria, the United Nations published Wednesday the first guide in Arabic to help farmers and officials seeking to protect them from risks like sexual abuse and injury.

Children as young as 5, largely Syrian refugees and poor Lebanese, are missing out on school and harming their health by working on farms, especially in remote, rural regions like the Beqaa, it said.

"Abuse and exploitation is widespread," Frank Hagemann, the International Labor Organization's deputy director for Arab states told the Thomson Reuters Foundation by phone.

More than 9 million, or almost one in 10 children in the Middle East and North Africa, are child laborers, mostly working in agriculture, ILO data show.

"It has been fueled by the refugee influx, by the need of refugee families to earn a livelihood, by their economic misery," Hagemann said.

Lebanon has more than 1 million Syrian refugees, including nearly 500,000 children, after a government crackdown on pro-democracy protesters in 2011 led to civil war, and Islamic State militants used the chaos to seize territory in Syria and Iraq.

The guide, co-written with the Food and Agriculture Organization, includes information on the risks child laborers face  for example, sexual abuse, contamination from pesticides and missing out on their right to education.
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The outgoing U.S. ambassador to Russia, John Tefft, has defended the expulsion of Russian diplomats from seized consular property in the United States amid an increasing strain in diplomatic ties.

In a joint interview Wednesday in Moscow with the Russian services of VOA News and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, Tefft rejected statements in Russian media that the seizing of diplomatic property in San Francisco, New York and Washington was done in what Russian President Vladimir Putin called a "boorish and unprecedented" fashion.

Putin accused U.S. authorities of threatening to "break down the entrance door" of the Russian Consulate in San Francisco after Washington set a September 2 deadline for the premises to be evacuated.

"Nobody broke down doors. Nobody put undue pressure on people. It was all done very, very carefully  and, in compliance with the Vienna Conventions," Tefft said.

Court battle

Speaking in China on Tuesday, Putin said, "Let's see how well the much-praised American legal system works in practice."

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his U.S. counterpart, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, in a telephone call on Wednesday that Russia had initiated legal proceedings for what was a "violation of international law."

U.S. President Donald Trump reduced Russia's consular facilities this month after the Kremlin demanded the U.S. cut its diplomatic staff in Russia to 455 people.

Russia said it was imposing the demand as a countermeasure to new U.S. sanctions over alleged Russian interference in the 2016 election and to achieve "parity" with the level of the Russian diplomatic presence in the U.S. Trump's closing of the Russian consulate and two annexes brought the number of Russian diplomatic facilities in the U.S. even with the number of U.S. facilities in Russia.

"But when we used parity to withdraw our consent for the Russian government to have a consulate in San Francisco, then everyone got all excited. And, you know, parity is parity," Tefft noted.

Tefft: Reduction not voluntary

Russia's Foreign Ministry gave conflicting statements, implying that the U.S. had voluntarily reduced its staff, a notion also rejected outright by Tefft.

However, Tefft said in the interview that it was false to suggest that Washington "negotiated or somehow signed on to the idea of reducing our staff."

"We were told to do that. That was not something that was negotiated," he said.

Russian officials say they are considering how to respond to the reduction of their U.S. consular facilities.

Despite the downward spiraling diplomatic relations, Tefft has urged Russia to join U.S. allies in Asia and Western governments in pressuring North Korea to end its nuclear weapons program.

"While the focus, at this point, is on the United States, I noted one of the earlier missiles a few weeks ago, you know, landed 60 kilometers off of Vladivostok in the water," Tefft said. "This is a regional and now becoming a global threat. It's not just against the United States, it's against all of us.

"One of the things that Secretary Tillerson and Foreign Minister Lavrov agreed, when they saw each other here in March, was that the United States and Russia both believed the Korean Peninsula should be non-nuclear.That's a fundamental which we can work on," Tefft added.

Regular talks seen continuing

The U.S. ambassador said there had been regular consultations between U.S. and Russian experts on North Korea and that he expected more in the next few weeks.

"Now, getting forward, we've got to try to find the best tactics to do this. But we need strong efforts by Russia and China if we're all going to be successful," he said.

Tefft is expected to leave Russia this year and be succeeded by Trump appointee Jon Huntsman, a former U.S. ambassador to China.

VOA's Danila Galperovich contributed to this report.
The United States placed near last among the world's wealthiest nations in an index ranking how their policies help improve the lives of people in poorer nations, a report showed on Wednesday.

The superpower ranked 23rd out of 27 countries in the yearly Commitment to Development Index but would have fared worse with data recent enough to capture U.S. President Donald Trump's policymaking, its authors said.

The Center for Global Development (CGD) compiled thousands of data points dating up to 2016, when Trump's predecessor Barack Obama was still in office.

The CGD said it looks at each nation's performance in areas of aid, trade, finance, migration, environment, technology and security to measure how policies of wealthy countries help or hurt the world's poorest people.

Denmark ranked at the top, in part due to effectiveness of its aid and its significant contribution to international peacekeeping efforts, the CGD said. It was followed by Sweden and Finland.

Dropping three places from the last ranking, the United States lags poorer Central European nations Poland, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Hungary. It scored poorly on policies impacting aid, finance and the environment, the CGD said.

The country has consistently scored low marks over the last five years "despite some promising movements" in the Obama administration on the environment, said Ian Mitchell, a spokesman for the CGD, a Washington think-tank.

But a number of new policies under the Trump administration could further erode the country's ability to bring prosperity and security to poorer countries and sink its ranking in the index, he said.

These include Trump's push for cuts in the U.S. foreign aid budget, policies hostile toward migrants and refugees and the president's decision to withdraw the nation from a 2015 landmark deal agreed upon in Paris to curb global warming.

"If President Trump follows through on his plans on ... migration and withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement, that will further diminish the U.S.'s performance in international development," said Mitchell.

The U.S. withdrawal from the Paris deal is expected to take at least three years.

Ranking at the bottom of the report was South Korea, below Japan, Greece and Switzerland.

South Korea scored poorly for its policies on the environment and security in the index, which began in 2003.
Graydon Carter, the longtime editor of Conde Nast's culture magazine "Vanity Fair," will be stepping down in December after 25 years at the helm, the publication said on Thursday.

Carter, 68, who has steered Vanity Fair through the shifting journalism landscape and expanded it onto a successful digital platform as well as print edition, will oversee the magazine's 2018 Hollywood issue, the publication said.

"I've loved every moment of my time here and I've pretty much accomplished everything I've ever wanted to do," Carter said in a statement, adding that he was "now eager to try out this 'third act' thing."

Carter said in an interview with The New York Times published on Thursday that he wanted to "leave while the magazine is on top."

"I want to leave while it's in vibrant shape, both in the digital realm and the print realm. And I wanted to have a third act - and I thought, time is precious," he told the Times.

The Times said no replacement has been named yet for Carter, who earns a "seven-figure salary" at the magazine, but suggested that New York magazine's editor-in-chief, Adam Moss, and Janice Min, former editor of The Hollywood Reporter, are potential candidates.

Carter, appointed editor of Vanity Fair in 1992, and turned the magazine's focus to crime, culture and celebrities. He nurtured revered writers such as Christopher Hitchens and Dominick Dunne, humorists Fran Lebowitz and James Wolcott, and photography great Annie Leibovitz.
One of the most active and most dangerous volcanoes of Indonesia: Merapi meaning "the one who makes fire", is a feared but also venerated holy mountain looming over the city of Yogyakarta, capital of Central Java.
This undated hand out picture released by Norway's energy group Statoil on Jan. 17 shows vehicles parked at the In Amenas gas field, which is jointly operated by British oil giant BP, Norway's Statoil and state-run Algerian energy firm Sonatrach, in eastern Algeria near the Libyan border. (KJETIL ALSVIK/AFP/GETTY IMAGES)

The companies whose workers were taken hostage by Islamic militants at a gas compound in Algeria on Wednesday say they have evacuated some employees and confirmed the whereabouts of others, but the status of more than 22 individuals is still unknown.

Norways Statoil, which along with London-based BP and the Algerian state oil company Sonatrach runs the isolated Tiguentourine natural gas facility, said the situation of eight employees at the plant remains uncertain.

One Statoil employee came to safety overnight and was treated at a hospital in the nearby town of In Amenas, the company said in a statement Friday. Five employees who escaped the plant Wednesday have been evacuated to Majorca, the company said, and three Algerian Statoil workers who escaped are safely in the capital, Algiers.

Japanese engineering firm JGC Corp. said it still had not been able to account for 14 of its employees at the plant, according to a Reuters report.

BP said there is a small number of BP employees whose location and situation remain uncertain, adding that the company was working with the Algerian government and authorities to confirm their status.

BP said it had teams on the ground working on the situation. Overnight, the company said, it began bringing non-essential workers out of Algeria. Three flights left Algeria Thursday, carrying 11 BP employees alongside several hundred staff from other companies, including Spains Cespa. The first flight arrived in London, while the other two landed in Palma, Majorca. Evacuees on those planes are slated to travel to their final destinations Friday.

A fourth plane is expected to transport further staff out of the country today and we will arrange further flights as necessary, BP said.

Statoil and BP are also evacuating nonessential personnel from two other gas processing plants in Algeria, In Salah and Hassi Mouina. Statoil said about 40 of its employees would be on board the planes that left Algeria Thursday.

A medically equipped U.S. military aircraft was sent to Algeria Friday to evacuate between 10 and 20 people who had been held hostage at the gas plant, said Tom Saunders, a spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, which is based in Stuttgart, Germany. Saunders said the former hostages would be transported to a U.S. facility in Europe, but he declined to identify where, citing security concerns. He said the rescued individuals were of several different nationalities, but he could not give details of their medical condition or confirm whether Americans were among them.

Analysts were divided over whether the attack  which might turn out to be one of the most lethal incidents in the history of the oil and gas industry  would usher in a period of instability in energy markets.

On Thursday, markets were calm. In New York exchanges, the benchmark West Texas Intermediate grade of crude oil advanced 0.7 percent to $94.87 a barrel, its highest level in four months. But the increase was seen as a response to strong data about the U.S. economy and a drop in U.S. crude inventories. In late morning trading Friday, the price edged down 42 cents, to $95.07 a barrel for February delivery.

Algeria, a member of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, produces more than 1.2 million barrels a day of crude oil and is the third-largest supplier of natural gas to Europe, according to the Energy Information Administration. Many of its fields are in the desert. The In Amenas gas field lies near the Libyan border, more than 800 miles from Algiers, the capital, and some analysts said Libyan fields could be even more vulnerable.

All these facilities are in remote areas and are absolutely unprepared for this, said Fadel Gheit, an oil analyst with Oppenheimer & Co. The borders are very porous. There is nothing there except hundreds of miles of desert. We complain about the Mexican border. Welcome to the Sahara.

He said there are about two or three dozen similarly isolated oil and gas installations and added that now they were all targets. Weve just opened the Pandoras box, he said.

Other analysts were less alarmed. Greg Priddy, global oil analyst at the Eurasia Group, said the isolated location of Algerias oil and gas fields would make them easier to secure and defend. He said that during the bloody civil war in Algeria in the 1990s, there was little disruption in oil and gas supplies because government troops guarded key facilities and ultimately crushed an Islamist uprising.

Part of the reason this incident was possible is that the government didnt have the numbers of security forces it needed there, and now this will put them on a much higher state of alert, Priddy said.

Algerias state-owned oil and gas company Sonatrach plays a major role in the North African countrys infrastructure. Oil and gas provide 60 percent of Algerias budget revenue. In November 2011, Sonatrach appointed its fourth chief executive in two years as it struggled to recover from a 2010 corruption investigation that resulted in the dismissal of much of the companys senior management team, the EIA said.

BP, which has been operating in Algeria since the 1950s, says on its Web site that it is the largest foreign investor there. The In Amenas project, a joint venture of BP, Sonatrach and Statoil, came online in 2007 and produces natural gas and gas liquids, BP said.

Other international firms in Algeria include U.S.-based Anadarko Petroleum, which resolved a long-running tax dispute with the government last year, and ENI, the Italian oil giant. It remained unclear whether this incident would chill foreign investment.

The whole of Statoil is strongly affected by the situation in In Amenas, Statoil chief executive Helge Lund said in a statement. The situation is still unresolved, uncertain and very serious.


Owner Mony Hang at Snowflake Donuts in Houston (Robb Walsh )

At 8 a.m. on Labor Day, less than a week since Hurricane Harvey paralyzed Houston, a Spanish-speaking construction crew occupies all the tables and most of the counter space in the tiny dining area of Snowflake Donuts on Winkler Drive, just off Interstate 45. More customers stand in line at the cash register. In the aftermath of the storm, the doughnut business is booming.

With many businesses shuttered, Houstons Cambodian-owned doughnut shops offer first responders, flood victims and other hungry souls shelter from the rain, hot coffee and a multicultural menu of breakfast favorites. There are selections in six languages on Snowflakes short menu, including all kinds of doughnuts, sausage kolaches, bacon-and-egg croissants, boudin biscuits, cappuccino and breakfast tacos.

[Who makes the tortillas, pasta and pierogi you love? These immigrants do.]

The Wendys and the Dairy Queen across the street arent open at this hour. Two taco trucks in the parking lot out front provide some breakfast taco competition, but the trucks dont offer any indoor seating. When its raining, customers line up in their vehicles at the Snowflake Donuts drive-through window.

Situated on the high ground of a gritty commercial area alongside the highway near Hobby Airport, this Snowflake Donuts at 8361 Winkler Dr. (there are several other locations) didnt flood during the storm. But owner Mony Hangs house in the Beamer Road neighborhood did; he also lost his 2002 Toyota Tundra to the floodwaters.

Not too bad. We got about four inches in the house, but the water went down by the next morning and we cleaned up right away, says Hang, 41, who was born in the Takeo province of Cambodia. As the storm ended, he walked several miles through the flooded streets from his home to the highway where a friend met him and gave him a lift. He typically opens the shop every day at 4 a.m.

Houstons Cambodian doughnut shop owners are a tightknit community. Earlier this week, Hang and a dozen other owners and their wives met at a North Houston Vietnamese restaurant to take stock after the storm over dinner and drinks. Hang stuck with Heineken, but the rest of the group polished off a large bottle of Johnny Walker Black, passing the bottle back and forth between two tables. A six-course feast, including fish maw soup, steak salad, shrimp rolls, fried rice and two styles of lobster, was piled on the lazy susans at the center of each table.



A week after Hurricane Harvey caused devastating flooding, parts of U.S. Route 90 in Houston remained underwater. (Justin Sullivan/Getty Images)

The gathering was hosted by Samoeurn Phan, one of the leaders of Houstons Cambodian doughnut shop community. Phan, 50, helped Mony open his first shop a decade ago. Phan explained that Cambodian immigrants arrive with no employment experience and limited prospects. Many of them escaped horrific conditions in Cambodia. Phan recounts his own story: After his father was executed, a 12-year-old Phan and his mother evaded Khmer Rouge patrols and made their way through the jungle to Thailand. They were relocated to Atlanta with the help of sponsors.

[The humble power of immigrant restaurants: You cant hate someone if you like their food]

Thanks to years of schooling in Atlanta, Phan reads and writes English. He speaks English with an Asian cadence and a Southern accent. They nicknamed me the Khmer redneck in Atlanta, he jokes. He moved to Houston in 2000 and began working in Cambodian doughnut shops. Then he began building his own shops and selling them to new immigrants.

I am a survivor, Phan says. The doughnut shop owners are survivors, too. They are doing a lot of business now because they get up at 3 in the morning and open the doughnut shop, no matter what.

Phan estimates that more than 90 percent of Houstons hundreds of doughnut shops are owned by Cambodian immigrants. A doughnut shop requires little investment, the ingredients and overhead are relatively cheap, and with labor supplied entirely by family members, a minimal profit supplies a modest living. Phan supplies the kitchen training and negotiates with landlords and contractors to get new arrivals up and running.

Cambodians first got into the doughnut business in Southern California, home of the largest Cambodian community in the United States. When the market got saturated, Cambodian doughnut entrepreneurs began to move to other cities and towns with large Asian populations  including Houston. As more shops opened in Houston and competition stiffened, new arrivals spread out. Phan has helped Cambodian immigrants build shops in rural East Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.

The trend has taken hold in Cambodia, too. While doughnuts were unknown there 30 years ago, Cambodians returning from the United States have opened lots of doughnut shops in the past 10 years, and there are now American-style doughnuts across Cambodia.



Owner Roth Ouch at Donalds Donuts. (Robb Walsh )

A few highway exits south of Mony Hangs Snowflake Donuts, Donalds Donuts at 435 El Dorado Blvd. in Webster is also busy. I opened on Monday, while it was still raining, says owner Roth Ouch. This is the best business weve ever had. There were people waiting outside when I opened at 4 a.m. Ive never seen so many people.

A second-generation Cambodian American, Ouch bought the store from his parents. He wasnt enthusiastic about getting into the business when he graduated from J. Frank Dobie High School. He tried his hand at a few other occupations, but soon realized that he could make a much better living running the well-established doughnut shop.

[Restaurants show diners what a day without immigrants tastes like  or doesnt]

Ouch, 38, isnt really religious, but he attends the local Buddhist temple on holidays and keeps a small Buddhist shrine in the shop in an inconspicuous corner on the side of the microwave, where a sitting Buddha looks out over an incense burner and an offering of food  a basket of brightly hued doughnuts. Nearby, there is also a bust of Homer Simpson holding a doughnut aloft. Ouch says he has come to enjoy the daily routine of mixing the batter, rolling the dough, cutting the doughnuts and flipping them in the fryer. He is assisted in the kitchen by an older Cambodian woman who is a friend of his mother and a veteran doughnut maker.

Ouch is glad for the spike in profits during the storm and its aftermath, though he feels bad for the storms victims. No one is faulting him for his increased business. The customers lining up to buy breakfast are just happy to find a doughnut shop thats open.

People just want a little bit of normalcy, Ouch says.

Walsh is a three-time James Beard Award winner, the author of a dozen books about food and a partner in El Real Tex-Mex Cafe in Houstons Montrose neighborhood.
Rescue staff in Puerto Rico investigate an empty car Wednesday in an area that flooded after Hurricane Irma past over parts of the island. The storm left about 1 million people on the island without power. At least 10 deaths have been reported on other islands hit by the storm. (Carlos Giusti/AP)

This story has been updated.

Hurricane Irma plowed past the Dominican Republic on Thursday after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 10 people as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida.

With winds of around 180 miles per hour, the storm lashed several small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, St. Martin and the British Virgin Islands, tearing down trees, flattening homes and causing widespread damage.

The eye of the hurricane passed north of Puerto Rico early Thursday, battering the U.S. territory with high winds and heavy rains and leaving about 1 million people without electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said.

The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a storm of Irmas magnitude since 1928s Hurricane San Felipe, which killed 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.



In this satellite image released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Irma reaches Puerto Rico on Wednesday. (NASA/NOAA via AP)

[GOES-16 satellite, launched last fall, is one of the tools used to track Irma.]

Frances Interior minister says Irma has killed at least eight people and left 23 injured on French Caribbean island territories.

Speaking on French radio France Info, Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

The other two confirmed deaths were on the islands of Anguilla and Barbuda.

The storm is expected to hit Florida over the weekend, possibly as a weaker Category 4 hurricane on the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale. The Weather Service warned that water levels on Floridas Atlantic Coast could be five to 10 feet above ground if the storm surge happens during high tide.

[Meet pilot and hurricane hunter Cathy Martin.]

 Wire service reports
1 of 11 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Civil War medicine, up close View Photos Exploring the Washington regions hospital museums. Caption Exploring the Washington regions hospital museums. Bill O'Leary Buy Photo Wait 1 second to continue.

They had me at the mummified arm. I've always been mesmerized by the grittier details of our mind-bogglingly bloody Civil War (about 620,000 dead). That includes macabre stories of early medicine's misguided stabs at healing  think dirty sponges used to clean wounds, cringe-worthy bloodletting tools and tales of horrid disfigurements from poorly treated illnesses.

Honestly, it's not the gore that I'm into. It's just that the drama of the Civil War, which can seem so abstract and dry in history books, becomes grippingly real when I'm brought face to face (or face to bullet-cracked skull) with the suffering it caused. My interest was piqued years ago during a visit to the National Museum of Health and Medicine, which is full of Civil War-era artifacts such as Union Gen. Daniel Sickles's cannon-fire-damaged leg bone and President Lincoln's skull fragments.

The period was marked by both stunning ignorance, at least in retrospect, and wide-reaching innovations for treating large groups of people in a more systematic way. And this region, home to some of the wars biggest battles, has some fascinating places to learn about them. Depending on your level of fear factor, theres this bonus, too: Dead 19th-century soldiers, at least to hear some museum employees tell it, have unusually restless souls.



A display depicting an amputation at the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Frederick, Md. (Yacouba Tanou/For The Washington Post )

As the National Museum of Civil War Medicine, in Frederick, Md., makes clear, the war was a crucial turning point for medicine. It inspired the first real use of triage in this country and widespread use of painkillers. Anesthesia was introduced in the 1840s, and, contrary to popularly held notions, about 95 percent of soldiers had the luxury of chloroform or ether to at least lightly knock them out during surgeries.

We have these kind of cartoonish views of what medicine was like then, says my groups tour guide, Jake Wynn, but medical care was merciful compared to what it was like 30 years before.

He shows us such artifacts as amputation kits, the mummified arm, photos of terribly wounded soldiers, descriptions of how an organized hospital system (there were 53 receiving hospitals in Virginia alone) developed and Clara Bartons camp bed. And we learn that while most soldiers did have the luxury of pre-amputation painkillers, the war was still a horrific test of physical endurance. And a stinky one. Imagine the smells! says Wynn, leading us toward a diorama of camp life, depicting a tent and soldiers, including one kneeling at a stream.

The men would go to the bathroom in the same waters they drank from, one reason the biggest cause of death in the war wasnt gunfire but infection and sicknesses such as dysentery and typhoid fever. They were literally pooping themselves to death, Wynn explains.

Then a city of 8,000, Frederick became the go-to spot for soldiers recovering from Antietam. Some 8,000 of the more than 17,000 soldiers who were wounded in that battle arrived here for treatment.

But if the wars history isnt enough of a draw, maybe a potential ghost sighting is. The museum was the site of embalming services during the war and is considered the most haunted building in Frederick, according to Wynn. He adds that he has heard weird things, including a sound like a dragging table above me when no one else was in the building.

People have also reported hearing scratching sounds. Some say theyve seen a womans shadow toward the back of the museum, the so-called Shadow of Death.



Artifacts on display at the Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum in Gordonsville, Va. Built in 1859, the museum once served as a Confederate hospital. (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

"I always believed in ghosts," says Angel May, the head administrator at the Exchange Hotel Civil War Medical Museum in Gordonsville, Va. "But since I came here there's no doubt in my mind. Seventy thousand troops came through here," she adds, as though that fact makes haunting a given. Backing her up is none other than the History Channel, which has labeled the museum the 15th "most haunted" building in the United States; it's the second "most haunted" in Virginia, according to Tidewater & Albemarle Paranormal Investigators (No. 1 is the Ferry Plantation House in Virginia Beach).

The Exchange was just an inn by the railroad tracks when the Confederacy came and transformed it into the Gordonsville Receiving Hospital. From March 1862 through May 1865, the Confederate army treated its wounded soldiers here (along with some Union soldiers, kept separate and considered prisoners of war). The men were brought in from nearby battlefields by the trainload and packed shoulder-to-shoulder into every available room.

May leads us to a room featuring an original operating table still marked with spots of blood with a bone saw atop. This is what surgeons would use to cut off the limbs, May says.

When it comes to ghost stories, the Gordonsville museum doesnt give an inch to Frederick. There have been supposed sightings of a Civil War-era teenage boy and two nurses dressed in black, and May says she has seen a male ghost on the second-floor landing five or six times. Right there in the doorway, she adds. An employee also claims to have seen a postcard rack in the gift shop move a full turn by itself.

Ghost hunters are a substantial proportion of the museums visitors; May says they often record themselves asking questions  what is your name? where are you from?  hoping to hear ghostly answers when they listen to the recording later. One hunter reportedly heard a North Carolina soldier say he had died at the hospital and was trapped there.

May nods toward my voice recorder, which Im using to capture her descriptions as we walk through the museum. Dont be surprised if you hear something in the background when you play that back.

I nod soberly.

Weeks later, I even feel a twinge of trepidation before I finally sit down to transcribe the recording. What do I hear? No ghosts  but plenty of stories that breathe life into that period of American history.

Christina Ianzito is a writer and editor in Washington.

Email us at wpmagazine@washpost.com.

For more articles, as well as features such as Date Lab, Gene Weingarten and more, visit The Washington Post Magazine.

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Former columnist

What a ridiculous notion, Mark Zuckerberg scoffed shortly after the election, that his social-media company  innocent, well-intentioned Facebook  could have helped Donald Trump's win.

Personally I think the idea that fake news on Facebook . . . influenced the election in any way  I think is a pretty crazy idea, he said. Voters make decisions based on their lived experience.

In fact, voters make their decisions based on many factors, not just their lived experience.

Disinformation spread on Facebook clearly was one  a big one. That was obvious in November. It was obvious in April when Facebook, to its credit, announced some moves to combat the spread of lies in the form of news stories.

Its even more obvious now after Wednesdays news that Facebook sold ads during the campaign to a Russian troll farm, targeting American voters with divisive social and political messages that fit right in with Donald Trumps campaign strategy.

The news, reported Wednesday by The Washington Post, fits right in with the findings of a fascinating recent study by Harvard's Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society. Analyzing reams of data, it documented the huge role that propaganda, in various forms, played in the 2016 campaign.

Attempts by the [Hillary] Clinton campaign to define her campaign on competence, experience, and policy positions were drowned out by coverage of alleged improprieties associated with the Clinton Foundation and emails, the study said.

The Trump campaign masterfully manipulated these messages. Truth was not a requirement.

And Facebook was the indispensable messenger. As the Harvard study noted: Disproportionate popularity on Facebook is a strong indicator of highly partisan and unreliable media.

We dont know everything about Facebooks role in the campaign. What we do know  or certainly ought to know by now  is to not take Facebook at its word. It always plays down its influence, trying for a benign image of connecting us all in a warm bath of baby pictures, tropical vacations and games of Candy Crush.

The company recently changed its mission statement, as John Lanchester noted in a blistering takedown in the London Review of Books, mocking the "canting pieties" of such corporate efforts. What used to be just a soft ideal of "making the world more open and connected" is now giving people "the power to build community and bring the world closer together."

The new mission statement didnt specifically mention bringing Russia and the United States closer together. But Facebook managed to accomplish that anyway.

Heres an undeniable fact: Facebook is about advertising. And it is so wildly successful at leveraging our eyeballs and spending power into ad dollars that it is now valued at nearly $500 billion.

But for all its power and wealth, Facebook is a terribly opaque enterprise. (It recently hired former New York Times public editor Liz Spayd, a former Post managing editor, to help with transparency. Lets just say that she has her work cut out for her.)

Facebook also has never acknowledged the glaringly obvious  that it is essentially a media company, where many of its 2 billion active monthly users get the majority of their news and information. As I've been pointing out here for more than a year, it constantly makes editorial decisions, but never owns them.

When its information is false, when it is purchased and manipulated to affect the outcome of an election, the effect is enormous. When the information purveyors are associated with a foreign adversary  with a clear interest in the outcome of the American election  were into a whole new realm of power.

Would Donald Trump be president today if Facebook didnt exist? Although there is a long list of reasons for his win, theres increasing reason to believe the answer is no.

I dont know how to deal with Facebooks singular power in the world. But having everyone clearly acknowledge it  including the company itself  would be a start.

For more by Margaret Sullivan visit wapo.st/sullivan
President Trump (R, background) and Vice President Pence (L) with Education Secretary Betsy DeVos as she speaks to students at a school choice event at the White House in May. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

The Senate Appropriations Committee voted overwhelmingly Thursday to approve a spending bill that rejects President Trumps proposed cuts to education funding for fiscal year 2018 and, for now at least, derails the administrations goal of directing federal dollars toward promoting and expanding school choice and private school vouchers.

The 29 to 2 vote on the Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations Bill further illustrates the president's difficulty in moving his education agenda through Congress despite Republican control of the House and Senate.

Earlier this year, the president had proposed a budget for the Education Department that represented a nearly 14 percent cut, or $9.2 billion, in spending, some of it for programs popular with Republicans. Members of the Senate Labor, HHS and Education Appropriations Subcommittee dismissed that request Wednesday and instead voted unanimously to increase overall spending for the department by $29 million.

House lawmakers had also rejected many of the administrations proposed cuts, but did approve overall cuts of about $2.4 billion. Agreement on a final budget is not expected until later this year.

The Education Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the Senate action.

Among the largest cuts sought by the administration were $2 billion to a federal program used to hire and train teachers, and $1.2 billion to a program that helps school districts pay for after-school and summer learning programs. The Senate bill left both programs untouched. The action did not come as a surprise, because leaders in both parties had made known their opposition to the administration's plan to slash education spending.

The kinds of cuts that are proposed in this budget will not occur, subcommittee chairman Sen. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.), said in June.

The subcommittee vote Wednesday was praised by the nations governors, who said states would not be able to compensate for the proposed cuts to the programs.

Today, despite a difficult fiscal reality, Senate appropriators found a way to protect and increase funding that states depend on to build a foundation for students, families and communities to live a successful life and to ensure strong state economies, Washington Gov. Jay Inslee (D) and South Dakota Gov. Dennis Daugaard (R) wrote in a statement on behalf of the National Governors Association.

Education Secretary Betsy DeVos, an outspoken proponent of school choice, spelled out the administrations guiding principle in the budget summary: School choice increases equity for our nations students and families by placing power in the hands of parents and families to choose schools that are best for their children.

The administrations budget called for $400 million to expand charter schools and vouchers for private and religious schools. And it also added $1 billion for school choice to the Title I program, the K-12 program aimed at providing money for public school districts with a large percentage of students from low-income families.

Both requests were shot down by Senate lawmakers, who made clear that using federal dollars for private school vouchers is not an idea they will support.

"After millions of students, parents and teachers stood up and rejected Secretary DeVos' extreme privatization agenda, I'm pleased that Republicans and Democrats in Congress ignored her requests to gut programs that help students from preschool to college and beyond, and instead continued to invest in the overwhelming majority of students who attend public schools," Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), the ranking Democrat on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said in a statement. "While this budget is not what I would have proposed on my own, I am pleased we are continuing to invest in our students and educators, and I will continue to hold Secretary DeVos accountable if she tries to undermine our public schools."

The Senates bill did increase federal funding for charter schools by $25 million, though that was well below the administrations request for a $167 million bump.
Children and their caretakers walk by the remains of the Flower Branch Apartments fire that killed seven and left about 100 homeless last year. (Jabin Botsford/The Washington Post)

Montgomery County is hiring more than a dozen new housing inspectors as part of a broad effort to crack down on unresponsive landlords, code violations and poor conditions in rental apartments.

The initiative, which began this summer, was touted Thursday by County Executive Isiah Leggett (D) and other officials who gathered at Pooks Hill Tower and Court apartments in Bethesda to unveil a public campaign to educate low-income tenants about their rights.

Too often, we dont hear from our tenants, said Council member Tom Hucker (D-Eastern County). Tenants need to know that the county government is listening, that were on their side.

The county is posting ads on buses and in apartment complexes, stores and recreation centers that say renters can call a 311 hotline to file anonymous complaints against landlords or receive help with tenant advocacy and conflict mediation. The ads also tell tenants that landlords cannot evict them for taking such actions.

About one-third of the countys nearly 1 million residents rent their homes, according to census data. Housing is increasingly expensive in the jurisdiction, which is Marylands largest, and affordable options are increasingly scarce.

After passing legislation last year to strengthen tenant protections, the county is requiring all multifamily buildings in the county to be inspected for code violations over the next two years. Those with significant problems must be reexamined annually, and their landlords will have to pay a fee for each follow-up review until the issues are resolved. Those with minor or no issues will be inspected every three years, with no fee.

"We can bring this housing stock up to a level of decency that it has not been at in many, many years," said council member Marc Elrich (D-At Large), who is running for county executive in 2018, when Leggett is slated to retire, and co-sponsored the 2016 bill with Hucker. "And once it's there, we can keep it there."

The countys previous policy was to inspect all multifamily buildings every three years. Inspectors had struggled to meet that standard.

The 2016 legislation passed after two years of committee hearings and behind-the-scenes negotiations with property owners and tenant groups. It gained momentum after an explosion and fire last year at the Flower Branch Apartments in Silver Spring killed seven people and left 100 homeless.

Leggett said the campaign marks a unique chapter in our efforts to make sure we are delivering on our promises.

Matt Losak, executive director of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, said tenant advocates will press the county for data on its inspection efforts to ensure that officials are holding landlords accountable by charging fees to those with repeat violations.

Losak said county officials also should consider measures to prevent landlords from declining lease renewals without a legitimate justification and punish them for evicting tenants in retaliation for reporting problems to authorities.

It doesnt take much to intimidate an entire community, he said. All you need is to make an example of one person, and the rest will be scared.

Elrich and Hucker had ideas for more measures, too.

In interviews, they said a good next step would be to enact legislation allowing courts to reduce rental rates for people whose landlords do not fix problems in a timely fashion.

I think we could get the votes on that, Hucker said. I dont think it would be that controversial, because the good landlords wouldnt fight it.

Elrich said he might propose a rent-stabilization measure to complement the inspections bill.
For two weeks starting in mid-February, the streets in one part of Congress Heights became a shooting gallery. Eleven people were shot in 13 days in an area of just a few square blocks.

D.C. police said the shootings continued until a man targeted in many of the attacks  28-year-old Andrew McPhatter  was killed March 1 while sitting in the drivers seat of a green Buick Regal.

The gunman, whom police said they arrested Wednesday, fired eight bullets and struck the victim five times in the head and body. McPhatter died four days later. In April, The Washington Post wrote an article focused on McPhatters son, Tyshaun McPhatter, now 8, as part of a series on how children cope amid gunfire in the District and beyond.

Police identified the suspect as Derek Brian Turner, 28, of Southeast Washington. He was charged with first-degree murder while armed. His attorney, Judith Pipe with the Public Defender Service, said at a court hearing Thursday that she planned to challenge the identification of her client and possibly raise an issue of "self-

defense." Pipe said she would elaborate at a preliminary hearing Sept. 28.

D.C. Superior Court Judge Hiram E. Puig-Lugo ordered Turner detained.



Andrew McPhatter, 28, was killed March 1 while sitting in the drivers seat of a green Buick Regal. McPhatter is pictured with his son, Tyshaun. (Family photo)

For McPhatters family, news of an arrest was welcome, but it brought few answers. Police say they think the violence that occurred over those weeks stemmed from an argument in the neighborhood, but they dont know exactly what was behind it.

Court documents say the same Glock 29 semiautomatic pistol used to kill McPhatter was used in at least three of the earlier shootings. Police said they seized the Glock from the glove box of Turners white Lexus after two gunmen fired at Turner as he approached the car three days after McPhatter died.

[Second-grade student copes with violence as father killed in dispute]

Police said they are still investigating whether all or nearly all of the gunfire over those two weeks in February and March is linked. We have not ruled out the connection at this time, said D.C. police spokesman Dustin Sternbeck. Two brothers were arrested and pleaded guilty to one of the February shootings; no arrests have been made in the other nonfatal shootings.

McPhatters son, Tyshaun, then a second-grader, was in the cafeteria at Eagle Academy Public Charter School when his father was shot outside the schools gates. He later saw the yellow crime-scene tape from the lobby. I hope my daddys okay, he recalled thinking.

His mother, Donna Johnson, told him later that his father had been shot. She told him four days later he had died. On Wednesday, she told him about the arrest. I hope he be locked up for life, Tyshaun told her.

McPhatters mother, Jessica Jackson, couldnt offer any explanation for why her son had been targeted. I dont know if its something that may have happened in the past, she said. I dont know if he thought Andrew was part of something. I dont know.

McPhatters mother did know, though, that her son had seemed paranoid in the days before his death and that he seldom left the house. She suspected he might have been carrying a gun to protect himself. He was worried about something, she said.

The violence began Feb. 16. In some cases, McPhatters friends were targeted, including one who attended the victims funeral. A car was shot up near McPhatters home. His own car was shot at and damaged. More than 20 bullets were fired near a school. Other shootings were near a church and private homes.

Police said that McPhatter had a .40-caliber gun tucked in his waistband when he was killed and that two of many different types of bullets recovered from a shooting on Feb. 17 matched that gun.

[Police investigate series of shootings in Congress Heights linked to neighborhood dispute]

Turner, who has a history of violence, was just 17 when he shot a rival in the arm in 2008, then returned a day later and beat him in the face with a revolver. Two weeks later, police said, Turner repeatedly shot through the same mans door to his apartment, putting one bullet in the mans leg and sending others close by the victims elderly grandmother and several small children.

It was part of what federal prosecutors described in court documents as a violent crime spree in Congress Heights years before the more-recent shootings in the same neighborhood, and according to law enforcement authorities, involving the same suspect.

Prosecutors in 2008 told a judge that the brazen and calculated nature of [Turners] past violent crimes indicates what a danger he is to the community.

Fats, as Turner is known in Congress Heights, was convicted as an adult in pistol-whipping and shootings, and he spent the next six years in prison. He was back in serious trouble in early 2017, and it caught up to him after he visited a probation office to check in under court-required supervision tied to the 2008 case.

As he left the office on South Capitol Street in Southwest Washington the afternoon of March 8, police said two gunmen from a Ford Explorer fired more than 20 rounds at Turner and his white 2011 Lexus LS350. No one was wounded, but police said they arrested Turner after finding the loaded Glock 29 inside a locked glove box. He was charged with unlawful possession of a firearm and ordered detained until trial.

On Wednesday, police added a charge of murder after saying that they linked the Glock to other shootings. Turners attorney in the federal gun case, Richard Finci, said that were pursuing all aspects of his defense.

Ellie Silverman contributed to this report.
Ariana DeCree would have started fourth grade Wednesday. The 9-year-old loved to don wigs, high heels and jewelry to play dress-up, but she also learned to do chores at an early age to help her mother around the house.

Ajayah DeCree would have started first grade. She loved music, dancing and pranks, whether the 6-year-old was the one taking or dishing the jokes.

But instead of taking the love bugs to their first day of school this week, Bathsheba Sumter talked about the horrific killing of her young daughters.

Theres no explanation for this at all, Sumter said. Theres no justification for this. Im devastated. Im distraught. Im hurt. They were the reason I would get up.

Ariana and Ajayah were fatally stabbed last month in Clinton, Md., along with their cousin Nadira Withers, 6. Antonio Williams, Nadiras older brother and cousin of the DeCree girls, is accused of killing them as they lay in bed. He was supposed to be babysitting while his mother was at work.



Ariana DeCree, 9, and Ajayah DeCree, 6. Their cousin Antonio Williams is accused of killing them and his 6-year-old sister. (Family photo)

On Thursday, a Prince Georges County district judge ordered that Williams, 25, of Clinton remain in jail without bond while awaiting trial after determining that Williams is able to participate in his own defense.

Williams was quiet during a court appearance Thursday, with his hands shackled behind him, a contrast to his chaotic first appearance in court in August.

His first bail review hearing ended abruptly after outbursts and mutterings from Williams punctuated the proceedings. The judge ordered that Williams undergo a mental evaluation.

[He was supposed to be caring for his sister and two cousins. Instead he killed them, he told police.]

The psychologist who interviewed Williams testified Thursday that he was competent, meaning he is able to reasonably consult with his attorney and understand the court proceedings.

Robert Katz, the psychologist, said he made three attempts before successfully interviewing Williams to arrive at that determination. When Williams did cooperate, he expressed himself in a detailed, articulated manner, Katz testified. Katz also said Williams did not appear to have any history of mental illness.

Williamss public defender, Daniel Moskov, argued against Katzs determination, saying Katz had not interviewed Williamss relatives, conducted an IQ test or fully reviewed medical records.



Antonio Williams, 25, is accused of stabbing his younger sister Nadira Withers, 6, and two of his cousins. (Family photo)

What we have at this time is one interview and one opinion, Moskov said.

Judge Ann Wagner-Stewart noted that during the hearing, Williams asked his attorney questions, answered questions and reviewed documents given to him. She deemed him competent and ordered him held without bond. The defendant is able to consult with his lawyer with a reasonable degree of understanding, Wagner-Stewart said.

Williams's eyes filled with tears when the judge reminded him that he had been charged with three counts of first-degree murder.

Williamss mother discovered his younger sister and two visiting cousins dead when she returned home from her shift as a nurse the morning of Aug. 18. Williamss 2-year-old sister was found unharmed in the home, police said.

[Mommy loves you, woman shouts to Maryland man accused of killing his sister, cousins]

Authorities are still investigating the motive behind the slayings, Prince Georges County States Attorney Angela Alsobrooks said.

Alsobrooks said that Williams has been uncooperative throughout the investigation but that such a posture does not mean he is incompetent to go to trial.

Police said they had not had contact with Williams before the stabbings and had not previously been called to the home.

Theres nothing that leads us to believe that Mr. Williams had a documented mental illness or disease, Alsobrooks said.

Weeks after the loss of her two children, Sumter said that never in a million years would she have guessed Williams, her cousin, would be suspected of committing such a heinous act.

We didnt see it coming, Sumter said. He loved them. He played with them. We cooked out together.

Anthony DeCree, the father of Ariana and Ajayah, said their cousin Nadira would have started first grade this week. DeCree also said he and Nadiras father, Kenneth Withers, were satisfied that Williams was ordered to remain in jail and are hoping justice will prevail.

Sumters daughters had been in Maryland a little over a month for summer vacation from school. Sumter said that she and her family would visit Maryland from New Jersey regularly and that her family and their cousins in Maryland were close-knit.

She wants the death penalty for her cousin, although she knows that Maryland does not have capital punishment.

The world was robbed of three little angels, Sumter said. This is horrific. I want justice.

Electa Levy, an aunt to the DeCree girls, said her nieces had made a big impact despite their short lives.

Levy said that her daughter on Wednesday was telling her about a bully who was bothering her at school. But her daughter said she did not want to fight because she knew her cousin Ariana would have forgiven this bully.

They were full of love and light, Levy said of her nieces. They were great kids who made the best of every situation.
D.C. police have arrested a 22-year-old who, police say, threatened taxicab drivers with a knife, demanding money and other valuables.

On Wednesday, police arrested and charged Thomas Maynard Parker, of the District, with three counts of armed robbery (Knife). All three incidents occurred in the Sixth Police District.

The last two incidents were in the 3500 block of A Street SE, and the other robbery happened in the 5500 block of Hayes Street NE.

The most recent incident happened Saturday at about 4:15 p.m. when the victim picked up Parker in his taxicab. Once the victim arrived at the drop-off location, the suspect brandished a knife and demanded the victim to hand over his property, police wrote in a statement.

The other incidents followed a similar pattern.

On Dec. 13, 2016 at about 6:15 p.m., police say Parker demanded the victim to hand over his cell phone and credit cards once they arrived at the drop-off location.

While the victim was driving on Aug. 23, 2017 at about 7:36 p.m., police allege that Parker showed his knife and forced the victim to give up his money and cell phone.

Each time, after obtaining the valuables, Parker fled on foot, police said.
A sex offender accused in the 1975 disappearance and murders of sisters Katherine and Sheila Lyon from a Wheaton shopping mall  one of Marylands most notorious crimes  is poised to enter a guilty plea, according to online court records and officials familiar with the negotiations.

Lloyd Lee Welch, 60, charged two years ago, would become the first person convicted in the girls deaths, in a case that many feared would never be solved. Based on their recent work, detectives believe the sisters, ages 10 and 12, were sexually assaulted and killed before the remains of at least one of them were taken to rural Bedford County, Va., and burned.

Welch, a former carnival worker, had been set to go to trial beginning Tuesday in Bedford, but online court records show the trial has been withdrawn. A subsequent entry, now online, shows a plea hearing set for Tuesday.

Welch instead has agreed to a plea agreement that calls for him to admit guilt in the Lyon sisters disappearance and face decades in prison, according to multiple people with knowledge of the case. The terms, which have been under negotiation for several weeks, also would resolve unrelated sexual assault cases in Prince William County, according to people familiar with the agreement.

Any plea deal would not be final until Welch appeared before a judge and admitted guilt, and the judge signed off on it. He is set to appear in court in Bedford on Tuesday, and Welch could change his mind before the agreement is finalized.

If Welch is convicted, it will bring a measure of justice for a family that has lived with the tragedy for 42 years. The sisters vanished during a March 25, 1975, outing to the Wheaton Plaza shopping center, where they had walked to see friends, look at Easter decorations and have lunch. Massive searches turned up no sign of Katherine and Sheila, and residents throughout the Washington region suddenly questioned the safety of their neighborhoods.

The crime went unsolved for decades before cold-case detectives homed in on Welch in 2013. He was indicted two years later.

[Imprisoned sex offender charged with 1975 killing of Lyon sisters]

The plea agreement would spare the Lyon family a long and difficult trial that could have included gruesome admissions about what happened to the girls.

And a plea means prosecutors would not have to piece together a case made difficult because the girls bodies were never found, key witnesses have died and there was little to no forensic evidence to bring forward.

Police and prosecutors continue to believe others were involved in the killings, but those potential suspects have died or officials felt they did not have strong-enough cases against them.

If the plea goes through, given Welchs age and parole practices in Virginia, it is difficult to see him ever getting out of prison.

Welch is serving a long prison sentence in Delaware, where he pleaded guilty in 1998 to sexually molesting a 10-year-old girl. He is scheduled to be released in that case in April 2026.

[Earlier: Details behind Lloyd Welchs 2015 indictment]

Welch is not eligible for parole in Delaware. He could continue to earn good-behavior credits and quicken his release date to sometime around 2024, when he is 67. If he is convicted in Virginia under the plea, he would then be moved to a prison in the state to begin serving time for the Lyon sisters deaths.

Virginia abolished parole years go, but it remains in place for crimes committed before 1995 under a provision that grandfathered in those cases.

Under those rules, according to Virginias Parole Board Policy Manual, many convicts become eligible for parole consideration after a quarter of their sentence.

But someone with Welchs criminal past who pleaded guilty to his current charges in Bedford would have a very difficult time getting released, said Adrianne Bennett, chair of the Virginia Parole Board.

After the initial investigation into the Lyon sisters disappearance slowed, it seemed the case might never be solved. Montgomery County investigators developed suspects over the years, but not with the certainty they needed to file charges.

The dynamic began to shift in 2013, when investigators took a closer look at Welch, whose name they noticed in an old case file. In 1975, when he was 18, he lived in Maryland and claimed to have seen the girls at the mall.

As detectives looked deeper, their suspicions grew.

[Graphic: Searching for the Lyon sisters]

Welch had picked up an extensive criminal record since the mid-1970s  in Maryland, Florida, Iowa, South Carolina and Delaware. The most serious cases were convictions for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in South Carolina and another 10-year-old girl in Delaware. The detectives noted that he was serving time in Delaware and began to travel there. Welch spoke to them, and his words became a big part of the case against him.

In subsequent court documents and court hearings, police and prosecutors laid out in broad terms what they think happened to the Lyon sisters:

Welch began to follow the pair that March day, according to the accounts. Sometime after 2 p.m., he and others managed to get the sisters out of the mall and into a car  through deception, coercion or threats.

The girls were then held in Maryland for a brief period, sexually assaulted and murdered, according to the accounts of police. They believe Welch carried some of the remains to wooded land in Bedford County that had been owned by his family. He was spotted throwing at least one large bag onto a fire, according to court records.

In 2015, Bedford County prosecutors secured indictments against Welch for two counts of murder during the commission of abduction with the intent to defile.

[Earlier: Once Welch started talking, he went on for 1,900 pages]

Among law enforcement officials, the hope was always that Welch would give them specific and credible information that could lead to charges against others. But that never happened.

The plea agreement, according to people familiar with the case, also would resolve two other, unrelated cases against Welch for conduct in the 1990s  cases that arose recently during the Lyon investigation.

Last year, Welch was indicted in Prince William County, Va., accused of raping a 6-year-old girl on a houseboat in 1996. This year, also in Prince William County, he was indicted on charges of aggravated sexual battery, allegedly for abusing another girl around the same time, according to court records.
Gregory Katsas testifies before the Senate Judiciary Committee at his confirmation hearing on his nomination to be assistant attorney general in 2008. (Dennis Cook/AP)

President Trump tapped one of his White House lawyers Thursday for an open seat on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, which often rules on important political cases involving executive power and government regulations.

Gregory G. Katsas, whose nomination requires confirmation by the Senate, has served as Trumps deputy legal counsel since March, held senior posts at the Justice Department during the George W. Bush administration and was a law clerk for Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas.

If confirmed, Katsas would join a bench referred to as the nations second-highest court  because of its decisions on separation-of-powers issues and because it has been something of a pipeline to the Supreme Court, with three current justices having previously served on the D.C. Circuit.

Pending now before the court is President Barack Obamas signature effort to combat global warming, the constitutionality of a key consumer watchdog agency and gun-control laws in the nations capital.

[A key part of Obamas climate legacy gets its day in court]

Katsas, 53, is considered a conventional conservative and would replace another conservative, retired judge Janice Rogers Brown, whose opinions were often infused with a libertarian streak.

Former colleagues describe Katsas as quirky and unassuming despite his intellect and legal credentials. He graduated from Princeton University, was an executive editor of the Harvard Law Review and was a clerk for Thomas at the D.C. Circuit in addition to the high court. Katsas has argued more than 75 appeals, according to the White House announcement, including the challenge to the Affordable Care Act at the Supreme Court.

Stephen Vladeck, a University of Texas law professor, said Katsass work at the Justice Department during the Bush administration and at the White House as Trumps legal adviser suggests that he would be sympathetic to strong views of presidential power.

Theres no question that he ticks all the most important boxes for government experience, but that experience is very pro-executive-branch, Vladeck said.

In the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Katsas was deeply involved in high-level, sensitive policy decisions involving national security and civil rights.

Greg had to make all the hard calls, said lawyer Robert Loeb, who worked with Katsas at the Justice Department on cases involving foreign detainees at the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, and other matters.

He was not a knee-jerk conservative. He was always thoughtful and balanced in his approach to the tough decisions, Loeb said. He always dug into the issues himself and sometimes ended up taking positions that did not make everyone in the White House or Defense Department happy.

[GOP set to block Obama court nominee, but confirmation wars arent new]

During the Obama administration, Republicans tried to block the presidents nominees to the D.C. Circuit, saying the courts workload did not require Obama to fill all 11 seats. Obama eventually put four judges on the court.

In contrast, on Thursday, after Trumps announcement, the conservative Judicial Crisis Network almost simultaneously unveiled a new website backing Katsas. The site details Katsass biography and includes more than a dozen statements of support from partners at Washington law firms, former U.S. attorney general Michael B. Mukasey and former White House counsel C. Boyden Gray.

Carrie Severino of the Judicial Crisis Network said Katsas has shown he will honor the Constitution and fairly apply the law. She described his nomination as yet another example of President Trumps commitment to nominating qualified, experienced constitutionalists to serve on the courts.

Katsas lives in Falls Church, Va., with his wife and two children.

Correction: An earlier version of this report referred to the Judicial Crisis Network as the Judicial Action Network in one reference.
Massachusetts Governor Charlie Baker, accompanied by fellow governors, from left, Bill Haslam of Tennessee, Steve Bullock of Montana, John Hickenlooper of Colorado and Gary Herbert of Utah, speaks at a Senate health committee hearing on Thursday. (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

Five governors  both critics and backers of the Affordable Care Act  called on Congress Thursday to bolster the insurance exchanges created under the law, challenging President Trumps argument that those marketplaces are unsalvageable.

The state executives, from three distinct parts of the country, appeared before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee as its members try to craft a short-term fix to shore up the ACAs federal and state exchanges for 2018. With continuing uncertainty over what sort of government subsidies will be available next year, many insurers have either pulled out of the exchanges altogether or proposed raising premiums by double digits in many places.

From Massachusetts to Utah, the governors agreed that guaranteeing payments to ACA insurers to help defray certain coverage expenses for consumers ranks as the most urgent step Congress should take. The cost-sharing-reduction subsidies, which reimburse insurers for discounts they must give roughly 7 million lower-income customers for health plans out-of-pocket costs, will total as much as $10 billion next year.

All of the governors urged the committee to extend these payments for longer than the one-year window favored by Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.).

Id love to see three years, said Montana Gov. Steve Bullock (D), who, like the others, argued that prices for ACA health plans will skyrocket otherwise. Youre sending a message to the market there is going to be some stability there, and they can plan accordingly.

[A GOP Senate leader calls for bipartisan compromise on ACA marketplaces]

Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker (R) said that insurers selling ACA coverage there  most of them nonprofit  have set premium rates for the coming year based on the assumption that the subsidies will continue. Were they to end, Baker said, insurers would revise their rates and probably raise them by about 20 percent.

Utahs Gary R. Herbert (R), the most conservative state leader testifying, delivered an even blunter warning.

It would be irresponsible to allow these markets to collapse simply because of [federal] inaction, he said.

The testimony of the governors, who also included Tennessees Bill Haslam (R) and Colorados John Hickenlooper (D), came during the second of four hearings aimed at sketching out the policy options Congress has before 2018 insurance rates are finalized at the end of the month.

Its pretty easy to agree about cost-sharing, Alexander told them, echoing a sentiment voiced by several other senators during the three-hour hearing. We can argue about how long it should be.

Afterward, Alexander reiterated that he favors extending the cost-sharing payments only through 2018 but added, Ive listened very carefully.

He said he plans to confer with the committees ranking Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray (Wash.), and other members to try to craft a consensus plan within about 10 days.

All five governors also urged lawmakers to recreate a fund to help buffer insurers from the expense of covering customers with the highest medical expenses. That fund was phased out after the marketplaces first three years.

Bullock spoke at one point about how states ability to implement changes would depend on adequate funding, to which Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) retorted that senators and governors might differ on that front. My daughter and me, we have different definitions of adequate funding, Cassidy said, prompting laughter.

And the governors prodded senators to give states more latitude to decide how their own ACA marketplaces can work best.

I would urge Congress to get past the health-care impasse and delegate to states, the laboratories of democracy, Herbert said. The states are best able to test what policies work and what policies do not work, he continued. If you empower the states to determine their own health-care destiny  well learn from each other and therefore improve.

[The nations final bare spot for Affordable Care Act health plans is filled in]

In particular, the group asked lawmakers to simplify the process for getting federal waivers from the ACAs insurance rules and to allow them more flexibility over the benefits ACA health plans must cover.

Both the governors and members of the committee repeatedly made clear that they regard the attempt at short-term fixes to ACA marketplaces as merely a prelude to conversations about the broader and more significant issue: how to constrain the cost of health care in the United States, which is far higher than in other developed nations.

Sen. Michael F. Bennet (D-Colo.) said his constituents, regardless of whether they support or oppose the current law, are deeply unhappy with the way they interact with the health care system  because our system is fundamentally broken, and they know that.

As Republicans' drive to repeal and replace the ACA has stalled, governors have played an increasingly active role in working to shape national health care policy. Just last week, eight governors led by Hickenlooper and John Kasich (R-Ohio) proposed a plan that would guarantee the cost-sharing subsidies while also giving states more flexibility in how they implement the 2010 health-care law.

That plan calls on Congress to provide those payments for at least two years that help offset deductibles and other out-of-pocket expenses for lower-income customers. It also calls for a two-year federal fund to buffer insurers from customers with high medical costs and for the government to foster competition in ACA marketplaces by encouraging insurance companies to move into counties with only a single participating insurer.

Over time, the plan would give states the leeway to make changes in insurance subsidies, the penalties that consumers who drop coverage would face and other parts of the current system.
Australia's Keely Andrew in action during Round One of the Swatch Women's Pro Trestles surfing event as part of the World Surf League in Trestles, California, USA, on Sept. 6, 2017. (Kenneth Morris - Wsl Handout)

MICHIGAN

Court: Officials did not violate religious rights

Christian prayers publicly offered by elected officials in a Michigan county don't run afoul of the U.S. Constitution, a federal appeals court said Wednesday, rejecting a challenge by a local man who contends the practice violates the rights of people with different beliefs.

Jackson County commissioners just happen to be Christian and aren't illegally promoting one faith over another, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit said.

"The solemn and respectful-in-tone prayers demonstrate the commissioners permissibly seek guidance to make good decisions that will be best for generations to come and express well-wishes to military and community members," wrote Judge Richard Griffin in a 9-6 opinion.

The dispute could reach the U.S. Supreme Court.

In July, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit said the prayer custom at meetings in Rowan County, N.C., was "unconstitutionally coercive."

Jackson County was sued by Peter Bormuth, a pagan, who said he's being forced to worship Jesus to participate in government. He doesn't stand during prayers. He believes his criticism probably cost him appointments on a county solid waste committee and a public works board.

One commissioner called Bormuth a "nitwit," and two turned their backs when he spoke during public comments.

 Associated Press

UTAH

Ex-teen bride wins

$16 million case

A woman who was married to her cousin at age 14 in a ceremony overseen by polygamous sect leader Warren Jeffs has won a $16 million lawsuit against the group.

Elissa Wall's lawyer said Wednesday the decision lets attorneys investigate the secretive group's bank accounts and property held in states all over the United States.

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is based along the Utah-Arizona border and has a compound in South Dakota.

The state of Utah is also entitled to half the punitive damages in the case, up to $6 million, under state law, Wall's attorney Alan Mortensen said.

Last year, Wall agreed to a $2.75 million settlement with the group's communal property trust, but her case against Jeffs and the group continued until Tuesday.

Her testimony about the 2001 marriage helped convict Jeffs in Utah of being an accomplice to rape, though the verdict was overturned on a technicality. He's now serving a life prison sentence in Texas for sexually assaulting girls he considered wives.

 Associated Press

LOUISIANA

Court to end jailing poor over unpaid fines

A final settlement has been reached in a federal lawsuit filed over a Louisiana city's jailing of poor people who fail to pay fines.

The settlement requires the Bogalusa City Court and Judge Robert Black to determine whether failure to pay a penalty is intentional. It says a defendant cannot be jailed for being unable to pay. The Southern Poverty Law Center's 2016 lawsuit was officially dismissed Tuesday by a federal judge in New Orleans. The lawsuit said criminal defendants were routinely jailed when they were unable to pay fines for minor traffic or misdemeanor offenses. Bogalusa is 75 miles north of New Orleans. In June, the city court agreed to refund some fees paid by indigent defendants to avoid jail.

 Associated Press

Reporter broke no law in questioning Price, official says: A West Virginia journalist who was arrested after repeatedly questioning U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price broke no law and isn't being charged, a prosecutor said Wednesday. A joint news release from the independent Public News Service and the Kanawha County prosecutor's office said a review cleared Daniel Ralph Heyman of any lawbreaking. The Charleston-based reporter for Public News Service was initially charged with willful disruption of governmental processes at the state Capitol in Charleston when he asked Price on May 9 whether domestic violence is a preexisting condition under the Republican health-care proposal.

 Associated Press
SOMALIA

U.S. drone strike kills 3 al-Shabab militants

A U.S. military drone strike has killed three members of the al-Shabab extremist group in Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command said Wednesday.

The airstrike was carried out Tuesday morning in the Bay region, about 45 miles west of the capital, Mogadishu, the U.S. statement said.

We assess no civilians were anywhere near the site, said a spokesman for the U.S. Africa Command, Lt. Cmdr. Anthony Falvo. He said he did not have identities for the extremists killed.

The al-Shabab members were operating in close proximity to Somali army forces and African Union forces in the area and were deemed as a credible threat, Falvo said.

The U.S. military has carried out several airstrikes against fighters with the al-Qaeda-linked al-Shabab in the Horn of Africa nation since President Trump approved expanded military operations against the group.

The shift includes more aggressive airstrikes and considering parts of southern Somalia areas of active hostilities.

A 22,000-strong multinational African Union force known as AMISOM has been helping to support Somalias fragile central government after more than two decades as a failed state. Both it and the U.S. military are trying to prepare Somalias military to take over the countrys security before AMISOMs planned departure by the end of 2020.

 Associated Press

EGYPT

Sissi backs torture, rights group says

An international rights group says Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sissi has given a green light to systematic torture inside detention facilities, allowing officers to act with almost total impunity.

In a 63-page report released Wednesday, Human Rights Watch says Sissi, a U.S. ally who was warmly received at the White House this year, is pursuing stability at any cost and has allowed the widespread torture of detainees despite its being outlawed by the Egyptian constitution.

Impunity for the systematic use of torture has left citizens with no hope for justice, said Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at the New York-based group.

Egypts Foreign Ministry slammed the report in a statement Wednesday, saying it is full of inaccuracies and undermines the sovereignty of the state and the role of its national institutions.

Most of the detainees are alleged supporters of the Muslim Brotherhood group, which rose to power after the 2011 uprising that toppled President Hosni Mubarak but has been the target of a sweeping crackdown since 2013, when the military overthrew Brotherhood-aligned President Mohamed Morsi and Sissi attained power.

 Associated Press

GERMANY

Merkel seeks support in turbulent times

Chancellor Angela Merkel warned German voters on Wednesday not to risk allowing an untested left-wing alliance to take power after this months national election, urging them to stick with her in turbulent times.

Less than three weeks before the Sept. 24 vote, politicians and media in Germany are turning their attention to the possible coalitions that could form after the election, from which no single party is expected to emerge with a clear majority.

Merkel, 63, leads a grand coalition of her conservatives and the left-leaning Social Democrats (SPD)  a tie-up neither wants to repeat.

Merkel wants to avoid being outflanked by a coalition of the SPD, the far-left Linke and the environmentalist Greens, who have held exploratory talks about the possibility of joining forces in a Red-Red-Green, or R2G, coalition.

 Reuters

Pope begins Colombia visit: Pope Francis headed to Colombia to try to help heal the wounds of Latin America's longest-running armed conflict. During a deeply symbolic five-day visit starting Wednesday, Francis is expected to press Colombian leaders to address the social and economic disparities that fueled five decades of armed rebellion, while urging ordinary Colombians to balance their need for justice with forgiveness.

Woman is not Dali's daughter, DNA said to show: DNA tests on the exhumed body of Salvador Dali showed that a Spanish woman who brought a paternity suit was not his daughter, the surrealist painter's foundation said. The court supervising the tests had informed its lawyers that Maria Pilar Abel was not Dali's daughter, the foundation said. A court spokesman declined to confirm the results.

 From news services
SPAIN

Court blocks Catalonia independence vote

Spains central authorities moved Thursday to crush plans by the northeastern region of Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence and took steps to prosecute regional lawmakers backing the ballot.

A long-running campaign for independence by a group of Catalan politicians, who hold a majority in the regional parliament, came to a head Wednesday when they approved a law to allow a vote on secession from Spain scheduled for Oct. 1.

The Constitutional Court, Spains highest legal authority on such matters, suspended the referendum law Thursday to allow judges time to consider whether the vote breaches the constitution.

Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said he had appealed to the court to declare the referendum illegal. The constitution states that Spain is indivisible.

In a separate move, Spains state prosecutors office said it would present criminal charges against leading members of the Catalan parliament for letting Wednesdays parliamentary vote go ahead.

 Reuters

AUSTRALIA

Court rejects challenge to gay marriage survey

Australias highest court cleared the way Thursday for the government to conduct a public survey on whether same-sex marriage should be legalized.

Gay rights advocates had argued that the government did not have the power to conduct the postal survey without Senate approval, but the High Court dismissed that challenge.

Opinion polls show that most Australians want same-sex marriage legalized, but many advocates question how representative of Australian attitudes the survey would be. They want Parliament to decide the issue.

The government has begun printing the ballot papers, which are to be mailed to more than 16 million voters nationwide starting Tuesday.

Results are to be announced Nov. 15, but lawmakers are not bound to accept the outcome.

 Associated Press

CHINA

Wanted tycoon seeks U.S. political asylum

Chinese real estate tycoon Guo Wengui, one of the ruling Communist Partys most wanted exiles, has applied for political asylum in the United States, his attorney said Thursday.

Guos asylum request poses a diplomatic quandary for the Trump administration, which must decide whether to expel a high-profile Chinese dissident or risk infuriating Beijing.

His attorney, Thomas Ragland, said the billionaire will stay legally protected in the United States while his application is being reviewed, a process that normally takes more than two years. If his request is denied, Guo could stay in the country while he exhausts his appeals, Ragland added.

Chinese officials said in August that Guo is being investigated in at least 19 criminal cases that involve bribery, kidnapping, fraud, money laundering and rape. He has denied the allegations.

Above all, Guo has attracted Beijings ire by unleashing allegations of high-level corruption within the Communist Party that have rocked Chinese politics. He has relentlessly targeted Wang Qishan, the partys anti-corruption czar and a key ally of President Xi Jinping.

Guo has said he was exposing high-level corruption for the good of his country. It was a gambit, he said, to prove his loyalty to Xi and negotiate an eventual return to China.

But the asylum request suggests Guos chances of a truce with Beijing have petered out.

 Associated Press

Mongolian prime minister voted out over graft allegations: Mongolian lawmakers voted to dismiss the prime minister and his 14-month-old cabinet for alleged incompetence and corruption related to the signing of government contracts with companies linked to three cabinet members. A majority of lawmakers from the ruling party joined with members of the opposition to pass the motion demanding that Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat and his cabinet resign over the granting of contracts worth $328 million.

Anti-graft agency to investigate Sharif: Pakistan's anti-corruption agency will open a criminal investigation into former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and current Finance Minister Ishaq Dar, it said. Sharif was ousted in July after the Supreme Court deemed him unfit to hold office for not declaring a small source of income. It ordered the agency, the National Accountability Bureau, to launch a criminal investigation into him, his family and Dar. Sharif, his family and Dar have denied any wrongdoing.

 From news services
Walter Isaacson is president of the Aspen Institute and a member of Service Year Alliances Leadership Council. He was vice chairman of the Louisiana Recovery Authority after Hurricane Katrina.

Flying into my home town of New Orleans on a National Guard helicopter shortly after Hurricane Katrina's floodwaters receded 12 years ago, I saw devastation so great that I wondered how many of the hundreds of thousands who fled  nearly half the population  would ever return. I had no idea then that a tragedy that caused more than $100 billion in damage and took 1,800 lives would lead to the rebirth of our city and bring it back even stronger.

A little-known part of the story of the rebirth of New Orleans is the role national service played.

I was on that helicopter because I had been asked to serve as vice chair of the Louisiana Recovery Authority. Early on, I met with a group of Teach for America corps members. Because it was unclear whether the school system would reopen, they had been given the choice to relocate. Instead, they stayed in New Orleans and took on a grand mission: to build a new type of school system that would be better than the old one. Instead of shrinking, the Teach for America corps quadrupled in three years.

Others stepped up in similar ways. Half a million Americans made the trip to the Gulf of Mexico to do what they could in person. Local nonprofits were among the institutions devastated by the floods, and the arrival of this many people could have added to the stress on the city. Instead, teams of AmeriCorps members from the National Civilian Community Corps relocated to New Orleans immediately to lead volunteers who were gutting houses, carrying out water-soaked sofas and carpets, knocking down drywall, and removing mold  often in 100-degree heat. In the years that followed, AmeriCorps members restored nearly 14,000 homes and built 1,600 others.

Tulane University, one of the city's finest institutions, closed for four months after Katrina. When it reopened, it became an engine of revival to help make the city better than before. A major part of that effort was Tulane's Center for Public Service, established in 2006 by then-university president Scott Cowen as part of the university's Renewal Plan. Tulane became the first and only major research university in the country to integrate a public-service graduation requirement into its undergraduate curriculum, and it created one of the largest campus-based Volunteers in Service to America (VISTA) programs. This program enabled hundreds of graduating students to take on leadership roles in the community to rebuild the capacity of community organizations.

Other community institutions were also wiped out. For example, many local lawyers were displaced, the legal infrastructure in many communities eliminated. That didn't stop the 125 Equal Justice Works attorneys and law students who answered the call to address Katrina-related legal needs  the evictions, illegal foreclosures, fraud and insurance disputes that abounded, along with bankruptcies, child custody disputes and issues arising from lack of property ownership documentation.

Katrina helped accelerate a deeply American instinct: to help neighbors and nation in a time of great need. More than 40,000 national service participants have served in New Orleans over the past decade. National service not only provided badly needed short-term help but also played an essential role in calling many of its best and brightest citizens back after Katrina and in recruiting new talent to New Orleans. While AmeriCorps members made a profound difference through their service year, these diverse teams brought something even bigger: powerful innovations that have transformed almost every aspect of the region.

New Orleans has become a magnet for education entrepreneurs, many of them former Teach for America corps members. Before Katrina, the city's school district was second from the bottom statewide in math and reading scores. Orleans Parish students now score on par with the state average, and graduation rates and standardized test scores have risen.

Others who came to serve for a year stayed to start new organizations. Robert Fogarty left a career in finance in New York to join VISTA in New Orleans and went on to found Evacuteer, which recruits and trains evacuation volunteers. Angela Davis, a Mississippi native drawn to New Orleans to serve in AmeriCorps, founded Hagar's House, a shelter for women and children. Others took on leadership roles with existing organizations. They are a big reason many call New Orleans one of the nation's most entrepreneurial cities.

Today, Houston faces many of the same challenges New Orleans faced, and communities in South Florida are bracing for the worst as Hurricane Irma approaches. While many lessons can be gleaned from our experience after Katrina, the vital role of national service is an especially important one. Retired four-star Gen. Stanley McChrystal has called for every 18- to 28-year-old to perform a "service year" to give something back to their country, meet public needs and understand what it means to be a citizen.

While every young American ought to have the opportunity  indeed the expectation  of a service year, we can start by bringing national service at scale in Houston and in every community overwhelmed by challenges it cannot tackle on its own. This has been the American instinct since our founding: to serve others and in turn strengthen our nation.
CAMBODIAS NORMALLY repressive leader, Hun Sen, is on a tear even by his standards. In recent weeks he has outdone himself in destroying what remains of independent news media, civil society and political opposition. His apparent motive is to wipe out any contrary voices before a July 2018 election, transforming a malfunctioning democracy into a fully authoritarian state.

The latest turn of the screw came Sunday, with the arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha and the announcement two days later that he had been charged with treason for "a secret plan and the activities of conspiracy." His "red-handed crime" was his appearance in a 2013 video telling supporters he received U.S. support and advice in planning political strategy. His lawyer, Pheng Heng, denied this was a crime, telling Reuters: "What he talked about was elections in a multi-party democratic way." Kem Sokha's arrest is a severe setback for his Cambodia National Rescue Party, previously headed by Sam Rainsy, who resigned earlier this year and is in exile. The party, established in 2012, posed the first real challenge in years to Hun Sen's rule. No wonder it is now in his crosshairs.

Another target is the Cambodia Daily, a newspaper known for its critical investigative reporting and fierce independence. Faced with a one-month deadline from the government to pay $6.3 million for years of back taxes, which the paper disputed, the Daily closed its doors Monday with a huge front-page headline in the last edition: "Descent Into Outright Dictatorship." The paper, founded by American journalist Bernard Krisher in 1993, was already in a perilous financial condition, and officials said the tax threat effectively forced its closure. At the same time, the government has been actively attempting to silence radio broadcasts, forcing dozens off the air; it is also pressuring radio station owners to stop relaying broadcasts of Radio Free Asia and Voice of America.

On Aug. 23, Cambodia ordered the National Democratic Institute, a nongovernmental organization loosely affiliated with the Democratic Party in the United States, to cease operations and its foreign workers to leave the country. The NDI had worked in Cambodia for 25 years, with both the ruling party and opposition, attempting to help strengthen democratic processes and institutions. Its expulsion was based on a 2015 law on associations and nongovernmental organizations that has been widely criticized as designed to serve as a weapon against such groups.

Cambodia's real patron is authoritarian China, which has been generous with aid and praised the Hun Sen regime this week for its efforts to "uphold national security and stability." This is Chinese code for imprisoning critics. The State Department expressed "grave concern" about the arrest of Kem Sokha, but at the same time President Trump has declared that the United States will not try to build democracy in other nations. "We are not asking others to change their way of life," Mr. Trump said recently. Hun Sen must think now is a good time to shutter what's left of Cambodia's democracy.
Mac Thornberry, a Republican, represents Texass 13th District in the House and is chairman of the Armed Services Committee.

This summer, the nation mourned the 42 service members who died in accidents related to readiness challenges across our military. The deaths of 17 sailors aboard the USS John S. McCain and USS Fitzgerald, along with separate accidents claiming the lives of 19 Marines and six soldiers, grabbed the nation's attention. But words of sorrow do not sufficiently honor their deaths, let alone prevent further incidents. It is essential to reverse the consequences of Washington's funding paralysis and do what is right by those who raise their hands to serve.

The Constitution places the responsibility on Congress for setting the size of the U.S. military, ensuring sufficient resources are in place to train and equip it, and funding maintenance programs and replacing worn-out equipment. We have a moral responsibility to ensure that our people are fully prepared and fully supported. While I have no doubt that the U.S. military can defeat any adversary, our collective passivity to our worsening readiness challenge means that our enemies defeat will cost more lives, time and materiel.

Investigators will determine the causes of this summer's fatal Naval collisions, but the heartbreaking truth is that we could see them coming. Start with simple math. In the 1980s, the Navy had around 600 ships; today it has 277. Current ships are more capable than before, but the oceans they patrol have not shrunk, their operational demands have not decreased, and would-be competitors' capabilities are advancing. That means the Navy must keep its sailors and ships at sea longer to meet its mission requirements, which has consequences. In 2015, an independent investigation by the Government Accountability Office determined that the Navy's mandate to keep ships afloat in the Pacific was shortchanging crew training and degrading the condition of our ships. Its findings mirror what my committee has learned and been warning about for some time. This is a recipe for disaster in some of the most heavily trafficked and dangerous regions of the world.

These kinds of challenges are not limited to the Navy. Marine Corps aircraft are operating well beyond their intended life, and the corps is straining to find spare parts to keep them in the air. Pilots are struggling to get the minimum training hours just to maintain basic proficiency, while worrying that adversaries get more flying time than they do.

The Army is also taxed to its breaking point. We simply have too few soldiers to keep up with the missions they are ordered to undertake. Only five of 58 brigade combat teams are ready to fight tonight. The rest are doing the best they can to keep pace with grueling training and deployment schedules.

The Air Force is hobbled by aging aircraft. The average age of its planes is 27 years old, and it is short thousands of mechanics and pilots. The result is that pilots are not flying as much as they used to or as much as they should.

We have too few planes that can fly, too few ships that can sail and too few soldiers who can deploy. A total of 185 service members lost their lives in non-combat accidents over the past three years  more than four times as many as the 44 who were killed in combat. In August, the Navy's surface fleet and the Marine Corps's aviation units took the nearly unprecedented step of standing down over safety concerns.

There is plenty of blame to go around for this situation, but it is Congresss responsibility to provide for the common defense. Regrettably, over the past six years, funding for our military has been held hostage by members of both parties.

We can do better. The president has called for rebuilding the military, and the House has passed legislation that begins to repair the damage. The Defense Authorization Bill passed the House with more bipartisan support than it has received in eight years. But time is running out. Both chambers must act to revise or repeal artificial caps on defense spending or none of this bipartisan work to support the military matters.

Half-measures, such as the one negotiated by the president and Democrats this week, present a stark risk. Continuing to govern from fiscal cliff to fiscal cliff  as we have done for years now  forces the military to limp along on stopgap funding and would shortchange it over $60 billion through fiscal year 2018 compared with the bipartisan House position.

As Congress gets to work, many colleagues and I are unwilling to allow this situation to continue. Although the agenda is crowded, it is hard to remember a time when our military readiness crisis has been on such sharp display. We have a choice to continue to shirk our responsibility, repeating past mistakes and jeopardizing more lives, or to complete our work before the end of the fiscal year this month and provide the military the resources it needs.
Contributing columnist

American journalism has suffered from many ailments at many different times, but every opinion on what ails it past, present and future is just an opinion, not science: just a proposition that cannot be proved, only found by any reader to be more or less persuasive.

The late Post columnist Michael Kelly often reminded my radio audience that journalism was a craft, not a profession. No licensing agency acted to credential "journalists." You take up the craft, practice it, got better at it (or not), flourish (or not). There aren't any rules that bind, nor oaths or codes to take or break: just a craftsman's pride in doing good work, occasionally recognized in ways that mattered by fellow craftspeople.

I have been part of this guild since 1989, in print, over the radio for Salem Media and on television, both for PBS and now for NBC. Ive conducted more than 10,000 interviews and moderated hundreds of non-broadcast conversations.

My most recent interview of some note and much fun was with Henry Winkler, loved by those 50 and older for his "Happy Days" role as "The Fonz," by millennials for "Arrested Development's" Barry Zuckerkorn and now the co-author along with Lin Oliver of the Hank Zipzer series of young adult and children's novels about a dyslexic Manhattan boy, based on Winkler's own life.

The reaction online to my interview with Winkler followed the now-standard bifurcation of American political discourse of 2017 into up or down, right or wrong. If you are a core supporter of President Trump, you hated the interview (and by extension Winkler). If you loathe Trump, your opinion of Winkler soared. The Trump Effect is to take any topic touching on the president, filter it through your Trump bias and conform it to a preexisting disposition.

I asked Winkler to talk politics as a test case for this proposition. He had weighed in for President Barack Obama in 2008, so I expected and received a negative take on Trump. What I wanted to see was whether his political views  athough I disagreed with them, they were presented with logic, reason and skill  would negatively or positively affect viewers impressions of Winkler the man. Judging from the anecdotal evidence, the answer is a resounding Yes! Increasingly, people are basing their views on everything  including other people  upon those things relationship to Trump and those peoples views of him.

The media is not apart from this phenomenon. In fact, it may be the driver of it. And that represents a profound illness for the craft.

The medical condition most akin to what is happening to journalism generally and to Manhattan-Beltway-elite journalism in particular is glaucoma, a disease that takes vision gradually, with no early warning signs or painful symptoms. Journalists are losing the full scope of our collective vision, coming to see every story through the lens of Trump, often through a lens colored by hostility toward him. Detachment about the president and his actions  genuine objectivity  is rare and getting rarer. Tell me the Trump subject and the pundit or reporter speaking to it  and there is an increasingly small difference between those roles  and I am pretty good at predicting not just the response but also the decibel level and the precise adjectives.

This is new for the media. That Manhattan-Beltway media elites skew left on the American political spectrum is not a bulletin. What is new is the transparency of that bias and, with regard to the president, a celebration of resistance to him  indeed, contempt for him. Journalists want very much for their audiences to know where they stand on the president and all the presidents men (and women).

This is "virtue signaling," an exercise in thinking oneself on the "right side of history" and within what C.S. Lewis called the "The Inner Ring." The problem with this obsession of positioning vis-a-vis Trump is that it is blinding a large and talented segment of the guild to the real stories: North Korea is a run by a gangster whose only product worth buying will soon be nuclear weapons. Iran fleeced the Obama administration and combines the nascent production capability of North Korea with an "end times" philosophy of apocalyptic fervor. The Budget Control Act is crippling the military in perilous times when it needs not budget gimmickry but serious resupply over a decade. The immigration reform the country needs is obvious and within reach but cannot be described because it might credit the president's demand for a border barrier. The "blue slip" is wreaking havoc on the judicial confirmation process.

Many in the craft are fond of saying something like the presidency is broken, the presidents conduct is unprecedented or that we face a constitutional crisis. Journalist, heal thyself. At a moment of peril on many fronts, the craft is collapsing into rote condemnation of a president who won a large majority of electoral college votes. Probably because of the deep and wide contempt for the media elites who have appointed themselves the guardians of a tradition they know little of and respect less: liberty.
Whatever else Larry Hogan accomplishes as Marylands governor  and so far, despite deft political instincts, his substantive achievements are modest  his time in office will be a failure if he causes or allows Metros financial collapse. Yet this is the likely effect of the stance Mr. Hogan took in recent negotiations among the transit systems three regional stakeholders on its financial future. Lets hope it was merely an opening gambit.

For Metro to pull out of its tailspin of inadequate maintenance, pitiable reliability and deteriorating safety, it needs what every other major subway in the United States has: a dedicated, reliable source of annual local funding. For that to happen, the top elected officials of Maryland, Virginia and the District must agree on a plan.

That would have been difficult enough even if all three  D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D), Virginia Gov. Terry McAuliffe (D) and Mr. Hogan (R)  were on board with the basic and undeniable fact that Metros death spiral portends disaster. Unfortunately, Mr. Hogan made clear last week that as far as he is concerned, Metro can continue to wither and die.

In a three-way summit, Mr. Hogan told his counterparts that he would oppose any further funding from Maryland for the nation's second-busiest transit system. Stunned by his adamance  he is reported to have said the system consumes 11 percent of the state's capital spending on transit though just 2 percent of Marylanders ride it  other officials at the meeting leaked his comments to The Post.

Mr. Hogans analysis is tissue-thin and upside-down. Montgomery County, the states leading engine of economic vitality, depends heavily on Metro; the subways demise would decimate the countys businesses and tax base, along with Marylands. Think Mr. Hogan has trouble balancing the states budget now? Wait till he tries it with the countys economy stalled, which would be the inevitable consequence of the subways continuing deterioration.

Decades of neglect and can-kicking by the regions elected officials have left the transit system badly underfunded  hence the maintenance and safety meltdowns for which it has become notorious. The buck-passing finally stopped with Metros current general manager, Paul J. Wiedefeld, who launched a track safety program and slashed staffing, spending and service. He then warned that without additional earmarked annual revenue of at least $500 million, Metros long-term decline could no longer be forestalled. He also suggested that without those funds  a bailout for a failing system  he would be moving on to another job. And who could blame him for wanting to get off a sinking ship?

Mr. Hogan seems unfazed by those warnings. Perhaps concerned with his GOP base, mainly rural and exurban voters far from the Washington suburbs, he delivered his verdict: not another dime from Annapolis for Metro.

Thats not just penny-wise and pound-foolish. Its an inexcusable abdication of leadership. Facing reelection next year, Mr. Hogan is broadly popular and at no risk of a primary challenge. Any Democrat who runs against him would be foolish to oppose Metro funding. What is Mr. Hogan so scared of? The stakes are clear. Its not just his governorship thats at risk; its the region itself.
The Sept. 3 front-page article "Trump targets S. Korea accord" reported that President Trump excoriated the George W. Bush administration for the 2007 free-trade agreement with South Korea. He called it "a horrible deal" that has "destroyed" America.

But by one important measure, it is a deal that significantly favors the United States. Yes, South Korea's exports to the United States are worth nearly $70 billion, about 60 percent more than U.S. exports to the nation of $42 billion. So there is a trade deficit. But South Korea's population is only 15 percent of ours  their nearly 51 million people vs. our 323 million. That means that on a per capita basis the deal favors Americans, by a lot. Each South Korean effectively buys $824 in U.S. products, whereas each American buys only $217 in South Korean goods.

Walter J. Culver, Reston
Columnist

One of the most cynical quotations in history is also one of the most widely attributed. Lets ponder the version associated with Groucho Marx: Sincerity is the key to success. Once you can fake that, youve got it made.

From the moment Donald Trump opened his quest for the presidency, this idea has defined him and served as an organizing principle of his politics.

He presented himself as the guy who said whatever was on his mind, who didnt talk like a politician, who didnt care what others thought and who railed against political correctness.

In fact, just about everything that comes out of his mouth or appears on his Twitter feed is calculated for its political and dramatic effect. Trump is the exact opposite of what he tries to project: The thing he cares about is what others think of him. So hell adjust his views again and again to serve his ends as circumstances change. Hes not Mr. Fearless. Hes Mr. Insecure.

Putting aside the catastrophe of his presidency, this approach has worked remarkably well for Trump. But when the input on which he bases his calculations is garbled or contradictory, he doesnt know which way to go. Lacking any deep instincts or convictions, he tries to move in several directions at once, an awkward maneuver even for an especially gifted politician. In these situations, Trump offers us a glimpse behind the curtain, and we see there is nothing there.

This is the most straightforward explanation for the fiasco created by the president's mean-spirited decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. Trump was trying to square incompatible desires: to look super tough on immigrants to his dwindling band of loyal supporters, and to live up to his expressions of "love" (you have to wonder why Trump throws this word around so much) for the 800,000 residents who were brought to the United States illegally as children, conduct productive lives and are as "American" as any of the rest of us.

His solution is a non-solution. First, Trump showed how little he believes in his policy  of ending DACA but delaying its death sentence by six months  by having Attorney General Jeff Sessions, the administration's ad hoc director of nativist initiatives, make the announcement.

Trump shifted responsibility for his impossible political dilemma to Congress. Its true that Congress should have acted on this long ago, but Trump undercut his claim by not telling his allies what he wanted done. He was simply tossing the choices down Pennsylvania Avenue in the way a lousy neighbor might hurl unwanted debris into the yard next door.

And then, when the bad reviews poured in, Trump backed away from even his muddle of a policy. He tweeted that if Congress didn't act, "I will revisit this issue!" So a six-month delay might not really be a six-month delay. It might be extended. Or maybe not. Who knows? Adding an exclamation point to your waffling doesn't help.

The improvised character of the Trump presidency owes to his inclination to see politics as entirely about public performance. He cares above all about the reactions he arouses day to day and even hour to hour.

There is no strategic vision of what a Trump administration should look like because he doesnt have any clear objectives of his own. On some days, he buys into the Sessions-Steve Bannon-Stephen Miller nationalist worldview. On others, he goes with his practical generals or his business-friendly Wall Street advisers. He doesnt resolve the philosophical tensions because they dont matter to him.

All this underscores what a waste this presidency is. Trumps campaign was irresponsible in many ways, but it did highlight problems our country needs to grapple with, particularly the vast gap in opportunity and hope between the countrys prosperous metropolitan areas and its economically ailing smaller towns and cities. We are doing nothing to ease this divide, and the policies Trump does embrace by default (he goes with conservatives in Congress on many issues as the path of least resistance) may worsen it. Stasis also rules on health care and infrastructure.

Those who condemn the fundamental cruelty of using dreamers to make a political point are right to do so. The mobilization for decency in reaction to Trump has already altered the direction of his weather vane. But there is a larger lesson here: It is a genuinely bad idea to elect a president who worries far more about how his actions look than what they actually are.

Read more from E.J. Dionne's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
IN ANNOUNCING an end to the program providing temporary relief from deportation to young immigrants brought into the country illegally as children, both President Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions have been clear: The responsibility of saving the "dreamers" is now on Congress's shoulders. House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) has sent encouraging signals so far, promising to push forward with legislation and telling dreamers to "rest easy." That's a praiseworthy response, though the devil will undoubtedly lie in the details of whatever compromise Mr. Ryan works to hammer out.

In the meantime, Mr. Trump and Mr. Sessions owe the public a better explanation as to why the president rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed young undocumented immigrants to work and live freely in the United States through renewable two-year deferrals of deportation. The administrations vague and haphazard account of the legal reasoning behind DACAs termination is far from a sufficient rationale for a decision on which so many lives rely.

Mr. Sessions argued Tuesday that the Trump administration was forced to end DACA after the Justice Department found the program unconstitutional. Yet what did the attorney general mean by that? His public statements provide few details beyond pointing to general concerns about presidential overreach into an area of congressional authority and citing a court ruling against President Barack Obama's would-be extension of DACA to parents of U.S. citizens. Which actions does the Justice Department now believe Mr. Trump is constitutionally prohibited from taking?

Likewise, if Mr. Sessions considers DACA to be unlawful, why is the administration allowing six months for the policy to wind down instead of halting it immediately? There may well be serious, prudential reasons behind this choice: An immediate rescission would have cast 800,000 dreamers suddenly adrift. Yet after finding the policy unconstitutional, Mr. Sessions should explain why the six-month delay is more than an effort by Mr. Trump to seek political cover for an unpopular decision.

Hours after Mr. Sessions's announcement, Mr. Trump tweeted that he would "revisit" DACA if Congress were unable to "legalize" the policy by March. It is unclear just what the president intends with this pledge. If he plans to reinstate or extend DACA, on what basis will he do so, given his own attorney general's determination that he lacks the necessary legal authority?

These questions may seem abstract when compared with the nuts and bolts of immigration legislation or the sickening uncertainty now faced by the dreamers. Yet the answers go to the heart of why these young people face uncertainty and what remedies Mr. Trump would have the power to offer should Congress fail to find a solution. Of course, it would be a mistake to hang too much on the words of this most mercurial of presidents. But having offered young immigrants a possible lifeline, the president has a responsibility to explain to them whether he is legally capable of following through with it  and why he snatched it away from them in the first place.
Tom Perriello, a Democrat from Virgina, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives from 2009 to 2011 and served as a special U.S. envoy to the African Great Lakes from 2015 to 2016. He is head of a Democratic political action committee in Virginia.

Virginia is the birthplace of American democracy, but it is also the birthplace of American slavery. We often hear our history described as a steady progress toward equality, but in reality, each generation that has pushed for progress has faced violence from those who seek to preserve a system of racial hierarchy.

In the 19th century, emancipation and Reconstruction sparked lynchings and the Ku Klux Klan. In the early 20th, the emergence of a black middle class and an influx of immigration sparked Lost Cause Confederate revisionism, eugenics-based immigration quotas and the firing of African Americans from the federal workforce. In our own time, the election of our first black president unleashed a wave of white supremacism, including in my home town of Charlottesville, where armed protesters whom I interviewed last month described former president Barack Obama as a national embarrassment that they needed to cleanse.

It is time we break this cycle. Virginia should establish a statewide Truth and Reconciliation Commission on race that could bend this endless loop of progress and backlash into an arc of justice.

Such commissions are not just conversations. They are systematic, nonpartisan public processes for establishing a common understanding of our history, evaluating how we publicly memorialize that history and tackling policy reforms that address the painful legacies of our past. Successful commissions spend a few years convening leading historians, community and moral leaders, former elected officials, and artists. They work across deep fault lines of conflicting narratives to establish common ground and common facts.

Many great nations  including Germany, Argentina, South Africa and Canada  have used similar strategies to forge a path forward after periods of violence, division and repression. Initiatives here in the United States have proved promising as well, including the Greensboro process in 2000 to review a 1979 attack in which members of the KKK killed five people in broad daylight and walked free.

Civil rights lawyer Bryan Stevenson has been building the South's first memorial to lynching as a teachable, interactive engagement with our past, and several localities in Virginia have launched Hope in the Cities initiatives. This year, after neo-Nazis held their first tiki-torch rally at the Robert E. Lee monument in Charlottesville, I issued a call for a comprehensive Virginia commission on race as part of my campaign for the Democratic nomination for governor, understanding from my past work on transitional justice abroad that hate left unchecked tends to escalate.

Much attention has been paid to the question of monuments, and these are often a component of such commissions. How we decide to commemorate and celebrate our history  and who gets a voice in the decision  speaks volumes about our present and our future. While I support the removal of most Confederate monuments, the process by which these decisions are made is as important as the outcome. The highly charged debate cannot be avoided; the question is whether this discussion should be done through a shared, historically grounded process or as isolated (and often reactionary) proxy battles in the public parks and streets of our cities.

But successful reconciliation looks well beyond monuments to the inequalities and cultural divides produced by history, including statutes on housing, education and criminal codes. It must not just be top-down but also provide a space for painful memories to be aired.

We saw a glimpse of how this process can help  and what its absence risks  in the first City Council meeting in Charlottesville after the violence. The meeting was messy and chaotic, but far less so than when we provide no such forum. Those who suffered at the hands of the forces of hate and breakdowns in protections from state authorities needed a forum to have their stories heard and to demand accountability. Reconciliation is not easy or pain-free, but it does provide an outlet for healing.

Virginia's history is full of contradictions. We hosted the capital of the Confederacy, but we were also the first state to elect an African American governor. We produced the Declaration of Independence but also shuttered public schools before allowing integration. The modern Klan rallied in Charlottesville with local support, but I was proud to the point of tears to see them massively outnumbered by Virginians of all races, faiths, generations and orientations standing up for racial justice and an inclusive commonwealth.

From tragedy, Virginia can lead again. We can heal through a statewide process that brings gravitas, methodology and inclusion to some of the most difficult questions our society must answer. These are the questions about who we are as Americans, how we got here and where we go from here. And they are about whether every American has a voice in crafting the answer.
Columnist

The U.S. Air Force "sniffer plane" was collecting air samples off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Sept. 3, 1949, when it gathered evidence of radioactivity, confirming that the war-shattered Soviet Union had tested a nuclear device. The Soviets' Aug. 29, 1949, test had come faster than expected.

Dating from the detonation at the Trinity Site in New Mexico on July 16, 1945, the basic science of nuclear explosions is more than 72 years old  three years older than the North Korean nation. Ballistic missile technology is more than 60 years old. The problems of miniaturizing warheads for mounting on missiles, and of ensuring the warheads' survival en route to targets, are not sufficient to stymie a nation  consider Pakistan, whose annual per capita income is less than $2,000  that is determined to have a nuclear arsenal.

North Korea has one and is developing intercontinental ballistic missiles faster than expected and with ostentatious indifference to U.S. proclamations. On Jan. 2, President-elect Donald Trump scampered up the rhetorical escalation ladder, unlimbering his heavy artillery  an exclamation point  to tweet about North Korea's promised ICBM test: "It won't happen!" It did. North Korea's most audacious act, firing a missile over Japan, came seven days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised North Korea's "restraint."

Pyongyang's "signaling" does not involve abstruse semiotics: It wants a global nuclear reach, and as the Economist magazine says, the world's unpalatable options are the improbable (productive negotiations), the feeble (more sanctions) and the terrifying (military preemption). Concerning the latter, there is no bright line, but there is a distinction to be drawn, however imprecisely, between preemptive war and preventive war. The former constitutes self-defense in response to a clear and present danger  repelling an act of aggression presumed with reasonable certainty to be imminent. The latter is an act of anticipation  and, to be candid, of aggression  to forestall the emergence of a clear and present danger.

When Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen," was he threatening to cross the nuclear weapons threshold? This has been contemplated before regarding North Korea. Former Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had been fired by President Harry S. Truman for insubordination, handed President-elect Dwight D. Eisenhower a memorandum on how "to clear North Korea of enemy forces": "This could be accomplished through the atomic bombing of enemy military concentrations and installations in North Korea and the sowing of fields of suitable radio-active materials, the by-product of atomic manufacture, to close major lines of enemy supply and communication. . . ."

MacArthur badly misjudged Eisenhower, whose biographer Jean Edward Smith says that during the Potsdam Conference (July 17 to Aug. 2, 1945), when Eisenhower was told of the New Mexico test  his first knowledge of the new weapon  "he was appalled" and "was the only one at Potsdam who opposed using the bomb." Smith says:

As president, Eisenhower would twice be presented with recommendations from his National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the bomb be used; first, in Vietnam to protect the French at Dien Bien Phu, then against China at the time of the Formosa Strait crisis. Both times Eisenhower rejected the recommendations. As a former supreme commander, Eisenhower had the confidence to do so, where other presidents might not have. And by rejecting the use of the bomb, there is no question that Eisenhower raised the threshold at which atomic weaponry could be employed  a legacy we continue to enjoy.

But for how long? The nonproliferation regime has been remarkably successful. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John Kennedy cited "indications" that by 1964 there would be "10, 15 or 20" nuclear powers. As president, he said that by 1975 there might be 20. Now, however, North Korea, the ninth, might be joined by Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, among others, unless U.S. leadership produces, regarding North Korea, conspicuously credible deterrence. The reservoir of presidential credibility is not brimful.

On Aug. 1, Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) said Trump had told him that "there will be a war with North Korea" if it continues to develop ICBMs capable of reaching the United States. "We'll see," said Trump on Sunday, responding to this shouted question: "Will you attack North Korea?" You ?

Are Congresss constitutional powers regarding war so atrophied that it supinely hopes for mere post facto notification? Ten months after Nov. 8, that days costs, until now largely aesthetic, are suddenly, although not altogether unpredictably, more serious than were perhaps contemplated by his 62,984,825 voters.

Read more from George F. Will's archive or follow him on Facebook.
In a major upcoming Supreme Court case that weighs equal rights with religious liberty, the Trump administration on Thursday sided with a Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple.

The Department of Justice on Thursday filed a brief on behalf of baker Jack Phillips, who was found to have violated the Colorado Anti-Discrimination Act by refusing to created a cake to celebrate the marriage of Charlie Craig and David Mullins in 2012. Phillips said he doesnt create wedding cakes for same-sex couples because it would violate his religious beliefs.

The government agreed with Phillips that his cakes are a form of expression, and he cannot be compelled to use his talents for something in which he does not believe.

Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights, Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall wrote in the brief.

[The spurned couple, the baker and the long wait for the Supreme Court]

The DOJs decision to support Phillips is the latest in a series of steps the Trump administration has taken to rescind Obama administration positions favorable to gay rights and to advance new policies on the issue.

But Louise Melling, the deputy legal counsel of the American Civil Liberties Union, which is representing the couple, said she was taken aback by the filing.

Even in an administration that has already made its hostility toward the gay community clear, Melling said, I find this nothing short of shocking.

Since taking office, President Trump has moved to block transgender Americans from serving in the military and his Department of Education has done away with guidance to schools on how they should accommodate transgender students.

The DOJ also has taken the stance that gay workers are not entitled to job protections under federal anti-discrimination laws. Since 2015, the Equal Employment and Opportunity Commission has taken the opposite stance, saying Title VII, the civil-rights statute that covers workers, protects against bias based on sexual orientation.

Federal courts are split on that issue, and the Supreme Court this term might take up the issue.

Indeed, lawyers for Jameka Evans, who claims she was fired by Georgia Regional Hospital because of her sexual orientation and nonconformity with gender norms of appearance and demeanor, on Thursday asked justices to take her case.

Citing a 1979 precedent, a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit rejected her protection claims.

Taking that case, along with Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission, would make the coming Supreme Court term the most important for gay rights issues since the justices voted 5 to 4 in 2015 to find a constitutional right for same-sex couples to marry.

The case of Phillips, a baker in the Denver suburbs, is similar to lawsuits brought elsewhere involving florists, calligraphers and others who say providing services to same-sex weddings would violate their religious beliefs. But these objectors have found little success in the courts, which have ruled that businesses serving the public must comply with state anti-discrimination laws.

Mullins and Craig visited Masterpiece Cakeshop in July 2012, along with Craigs mother, to order a cake for their upcoming wedding reception. Mullins and Craig planned to marry in Massachusetts, where same-sex marriages were legal at the time, and then hold a reception in Colorado.

But Phillips refused to discuss the issue, saying his religious beliefs would not allow him to have anything to do with same-sex marriage. He said other bakeries would accommodate them.

The civil rights commission and a Colorado court rejected Phillips argument that forcing him to create a cake violated his First Amendment rights of freedom of expression and exercise of religion.

The court said the baker does not convey a message supporting same-sex marriages merely by abiding by the law.
A long list of prominent Republicans is urging the Supreme Court to find that extreme partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, saying the practice of drawing electoral lines to benefit one party or another is detrimental to democracy.

It puts those Republicans on opposing sides from groups such as the Republican National Committee and the partys congressional campaign committee, which are supporting Wisconsins GOP-led legislature in a major high court case to be heard next month.

A lower court found lawmakers drew maps that so favored Republican candidates that they violated the constitutional right of equal protection.

Now, Republicans such as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the partys former presidential nominee Robert Dole have signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs that say the Supreme Court should find  for the first time  that a redistricting plan is so politically biased it must be thrown out.

Partisan gerrymanders frustrate majority rule by entrenching political parties in ways they do not earn on the merits, says the brief signed by Schwarzenegger and other former elected Republican officials. They turn republican government upside down, with politicians choosing their voters instead of voters electing their politicians.

In a conference call with reporters, Schwarzenegger said that in the case at the Supreme Court, it is Republicans who have drawn maps to their benefit. But when Democrats have the power, they gerrymander, like in Illinois and Maryland.

Indeed, challengers of the Democrat-drawn congressional maps in Maryland filed an unusual motion with the Supreme Court last week, asking that their case be heard as well as the Wisconsin case, Gill v. Whitford.

A three-judge panel last month split 2 to 1 to allow Maryland to use its voting boundaries for the 2018 election and put the lawsuit on hold until after the Supreme Court rules in the Wisconsin case.

The challenge in Maryland centers on redrawing a congressional district anchored in Western Maryland in such a way that transferred Republican voters out and Democratic voters in, resulting in a victory by a Democrat over the incumbent Republican congressman.

The challengers petition to the Supreme Court says that considering their case along with the one from Wisconsin would provide a broader spectrum of legal arguments and evidence with which to address the problem of partisan gerrymandering.

Such last-minute petitions are rarely granted by the court.

The outpouring of amicus briefs in the Wisconsin case  on both sides  underscores its importance. A host of Republican-led states have urged the Supreme Court not to get involved with what they say are essentially political decisions made by elected representatives.

There is nothing invidious, or irrational, under the Equal Protection Clause, about legislatures having partisan purposes when reapportioning legislative seats, said a brief filed by Texas and other states.
President Trump stands with Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), center, and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) after Republicans passed legislation aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act in May. (Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

Several influential House conservatives are privately plotting ways to use the legislative calendar this fall to push their hard-line agenda  including quiet discussions about possibly mounting a leadership challenge to House Speaker Paul D. Ryan.

The group has gone so far as to float the idea of recruiting former House speaker Newt Gingrich or former Pennsylvania senator Rick Santorum as potential replacements for Ryan (R-Wis.) should there be a rebellion. The Constitution does not require that an elected member of the House serve as speaker.

While the chances that a non-House member could mount a credible threat to Ryan are exceedingly slim, the fact that the group has even toyed with the idea underscores their desire to create trouble for GOP leaders if they believe their demands are not being addressed.

The closed-door conversations are being led by Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.), the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, in consultation with his allies on the right, in particular Stephen K. Bannon, President Trumps former chief strategist who recently returned to his perch as executive chairman of the Breitbart News website. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and other Freedom Caucus members are also involved in the talks to varying degrees, according to nearly a dozen people with knowledge of the discussions.

On Wednesday, Meadows, Jordan and Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) took their concerns directly to Ryan, telling him in a private meeting in the Capitol that his failure to enact conservative priorities could diminish his support among conservatives.

Even so, the group of more than 30 conservative House lawmakers is unlikely to stage a successful coup to push out Ryan and has so far shown unease about translating their grievances into action. But the mere fact that they are discussing the prospect  and strategizing with Bannon  underscores both their desire and ability to disrupt an already daunting legislative schedule.

Rep. David Brat (R-Va.), who toppled then-House Majority Leader Eric Cantor in a 2014 primary race, channeled the concerns of some of his colleagues in an interview Tuesday, saying many House conservatives are unhappy about the way the Republican leadership is handling the partys legislative check list this month.

I dont want to go there yet, Brat said of the discussions of a possible leadership shake-up. But its up to the leadership, right now, to get it straight.

Brat added: The big picture is that weve failed on Obamacare, we didnt do what we said wed do. Whats it going to look like on tax? What about the debt ceiling? No one is really sure. We said wed do all of these different things and we have to follow through.

[Freedom Caucus vent to Paul Ryan after talks with Steve Bannon]

Brats remarks came before Trump further upended Republican politics Wednesday by siding with Democrats on favoring a short-term debt-limit increase, giving Democrats more leverage in the months to come.

Bannon and Meadows have been talking for weeks and huddled Monday afternoon at the Breitbart Embassy  a Capitol Hill townhouse that houses Bannons office and the websites offices. Matthew Boyle, Breitbarts Washington editor, also joined the conversation.



President Trump, center left, meets with Hill leadership in the Oval Office on Sept. 6. From left are House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy R-Calif.), Vice President Pence, Trump, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky.), Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy PelosiD-Calif.). (Bill O'Leary/The Washington Post)

In conversations with friends and associates, Bannon has described the potential move against Ryan, should tensions escalate, as the beginning of a war against the Republican establishment.

Kurt Bardella, a former spokesman for Breitbart News, said working in tandem with the website and a potentially receptive president could allow the Freedom Caucus to wield outsize influence over Republican leadership.

The core difference is before you didnt have an occupant in the Oval Office who would have signed any of this into law under any scenario, and certainly wouldnt have cheered them on under any circumstances, he said. You have this perfect storm of a very condensed legislative calendar, a number of quote unquote must-pass vehicles  from the debt ceiling to storm relief  and theyre in the enviable position of having everything to gain and nothing to lose.

Breitbart, Bardella said, exists to provide Trump with who is to blame, and its always Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell.

But Rep. Peter T. King (R-N.Y.) said the presidents deal with Democrats raises the possibility that Trump is willing to defy the Freedom Caucus, right as theyre preparing to ramp up their demands.

He showed the Freedom Caucus that he doesnt have to cater to them and wont cater to them when it comes to the debt ceiling and how it all plays out  that sets them back, King said. They werent elected to run the country and they cant be going on suicide missions. Yet they continue to do that because a lot of them live in silos, these echo chambers where they can have their own way.

Still, should conservative lawmakers ultimately turn their ire on their partys leadership and rebel against Ryan, they could further imperil Trumps stalled legislative goals.

I cant imagine anything more counterproductive to Republicans shared vision of conservative reform, said Michael Steel, who served as press secretary to former House speaker John A. Boehner. There is no imaginable scenario where anyone other than Paul Ryan could get the voters necessary to be speaker of the House.

[The Daily 202: Trumps triangulation shows what might have been]

As speaker, Ryan has built strong relationships with his partys members on all sides of the House, who see him as a stable presence and appreciate his willingness to step in as speaker after Boehner resigned two years ago.

He remains close to House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) and House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.). McCarthy has long ties to Ryan that go back to their shared public profile as young guns during former president Barack Obamas administration and as allies in the emerging Republican leadership.

Some frustrated House Republicans have nonetheless been mapping out hypothetical options should Ryan be pressured to resign, including demands for more conservative voices to hold leadership posts and possibly drafting an outside political figure.

Two preferred options for speaker, according to the people familiar with the discussions, are elevating McCarthy or Scalise, who is still recovering from gunshot wounds after an assailant opened fire on a Republican congressional baseball practice in June. Conservative lawmakers have privately said they would only consider McCarthy and Scalise, both current members of leadership who are close with Ryan, if they were able to install one of their own members as a No. 2  someone like Meadows or Jordan, or one of their allies.

Someone close to McCarthy described the idea that the majority leader would replace Ryan in a conservative revolt as nonsense.

Meadows and Bannon have also discussed far less plausible options, such as replacing Ryan with Gingrich or Santorum.

When reached earlier this week by phone, Gingrich laughed at the possibility of returning as speaker. But he acknowledged that some House Republicans have vented to him over the course of the past year.

It would be a joke to have anyone not serving in the House or whos familiar with the members to lead the body, he said. Thats antithetical to what it means to be speaker and I know what it takes to be speaker.

Similarly, when reached by phone Wednesday, Santorum said: To be honest with you, I dont really know anything about it. I dont really have any comment.
People in Peshawar, Pakistan, hold a banner with picture of Burmese democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi during a protest against violence in Burma on Sept. 7. (Bilawal Arbab/European Press Agency/EFE)

Washington lawmakers who once enthusiastically supported Aung San Suu Kyi's rise to power in Burma have shifted this week to criticism of her silence in the face of a bloody military crackdown on ethnic minorities, the latest sign that the nation's fragile democratic project is on tenuous footing.

Congressional leaders from both parties are adding their voices to the international condemnation of the violence in western Burma that has sent an estimated 164,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh and led to growing doubts about Suu Kyis leadership.

[The Rohingya exodus from Burma is arduous  and sometimes lethal]

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators  Democrats Richard J. Durbin (Ill.), Dianne Feinstein (Calif.) and Cory Booker (N.J.), and Republican John McCain (Ariz.)  issued a joint resolution condemning the horrific acts of violence against the Rohingya and imploring Suu Kyi to play an active role in ending this humanitarian tragedy.

Suu Kyi, a longtime democratic icon who plays the role of state counselor to the ruling National League for Democracy, has remained largely silent about the mounting humanitarian crisis. The outcry in Congress reflects the dismay and confusion of the stoic group of Suu Kyis supporters in Washington that nurtured her throughout her more than 15 years under house arrest and protected her interests as her country emerged from military dictatorship to hold largely democratic elections in November 2015.

Her unwillingness to speak out against the military crackdown, which came in response to insurgent attacks in western Rakhine State, has prompted some former admirers to suggest that Suu Kyi be stripped of the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991.

Part of this is the fault of the international community, said Erin Murphy, a former State Department adviser who accompanied then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the country in 2011. Murphy said she thinks Suu Kyi is being unfairly maligned because supporters had unrealistic expectations.

We told her story for 25 years, and we dont like who she actually is, Murphy said. She does not have any idea how to handle this.

[Analysis: Why Aung San Suu Kyi is unlikely to have her Nobel Peace Prize revoked]

The Senate resolution calls on the Burmese government to allow the United Nations unrestricted access to assess the situation and provide aid, and to end legal restrictions on citizenship and freedom of movement for the Rohingya. It also calls on Suu Kyi to live up to her inspiring words and to address the historic and brutal repression of the Rohingya.

Other senators, including Benjamin L. Cardin (D-Md.) and Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), have expressed similar concerns this week.

Yet even as U.S. lawmakers sought to exert their influence, one other notable voice has been missing: that of President Trump. Neither the White House nor the State Department has spoken out in recent days, raising concern among Burma supporters that the Trump administration has abdicated the direct intervention that marked the tenure of President Barack Obama.

Obama made Burma, also known as Myanmar, a centerpiece of his administration's foreign policy in Asia, viewing the nation of 53 million as a bulwark against neighboring China's rising influence. Obama made two trips to the country, and last year his administration lifted the remaining economic sanctions, including on the import of jade and rubies.

Trump, by contrast, does not appear to have spoken with Suu Kyi, who skipped a roundtable meeting of Southeast Asian leaders with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in May because of scheduling conflicts.

Part of the problem is that there is not the kind of strong interest in the White House as there used to be, said Derek Mitchell, who was U.S. ambassador to Burma from 2012 to 2016.

Trump administration officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Burmas more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims are essentially stateless and have endured decades of discrimination and neglect from the Buddhist majority. The situation worsened in 2012 when more than 100,000 Rohingya were confined to dingy camps, where their movement, access to jobs and education were severely restricted.

The latest exodus of refugees began on Aug. 25 after members of a new insurgent group of Rohingya militants called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked dozens of police outposts as well as a military camp, leading to the government crackdown that has left more than 400 dead.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that Suu Kyi is doing nothing, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the situation amounts to genocide.

Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai condemned the tragic and shameful treatment of the Rohingya, saying she was still waiting for my fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same.

On Thursday, Suu Kyi told reporters in Burma that it is a little unreasonable to expect her government to have resolved the Rohingya crisis in the 18 months her party has been in power. She emphasized that she is focused on speeding up development and economic opportunities to help alleviate some of the tensions.

Her government also has pledged to implement some of the recommendations on Rakhine state made last month by an advisory commission led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan.

For Washington, which had invested heavily in Burma's success, the situation is a significant setback. In addition to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) played an instrumental role in supporting Suu Kyi and welcomed her during a visit to Washington last year.

These latest tragic developments are a troubling sign that the Burmese government and military are moving in the wrong direction, Gardner said in a statement.

Congressional aides said they do not expect renewed economic sanctions on Burma because lawmakers remain wary of taking steps that might set back democratic and economic reforms. Some aides, however, predicted an effort to strip language in the National Defense Authorization Act, which will be voted on this fall, to prompt greater ties between the Pentagon and the Burmese military.

Congress should suspend any advancement in military relations and make clear that there cannot be further progress while abuses continue, said Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.), who has been active on Burma issues.

Theres a lot of distress that she would be willing to jeopardize the international support, Tom Malinowski, who was an assistant secretary of state for democracy and human rights in the Obama administration, said of Suu Kyi. It seems to me that she has convinced herself that to be a successful politician, she has to give up being a moral icon.

Under the constitution, the Burmese military retains control of 25 percent of the seats in parliament, thus maintaining significant influence. Since the emergence of ARSA, Suu Kyis government has hardened its position on the Rohingya plight, saying that extremist elements pose a security risk. Last month, the government accusing international aid workers of helping terrorists and Suu Kyi has said the Rohingya fighters are burning their own homes.

We are not going to allow either the security or stability or the integrity of our country to be threatened, Suu Kyi told The Washington Post in a rare interview in October.

During that discussion, she brushed aside criticism over her role: Ive made it very clear that our work is not to condemn but to achieve reconciliation.

Refugees from Burma this week described walking through the jungles for days to reach the border and cross into Bangladesh, where they have built flimsy structures with bamboo and plastic sheeting.

Anisul Mostafa, 40, who fled with his family after the military destroyed his house, said of Suu Kyi: We thought our distress would be over once she took power. But she is the same, like the others. Perhaps worse.

Gowen reported from Kolkata, India, with reporting from a special correspondent in Teknaf, Bangladesh.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) speaks Wednesday at the Capitol after President Trump sided with Democrats on adding a three-month extension of the U.S. debt limit and government spending to a hurricane-relief bill over the arguments of fellow Republicans, who pressed for a longer debt extension. (Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg News)

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer could not hide his glee as he approached the microphones Wednesday afternoon.

Ye of little faith, the New York Democrat chirped to The Washington Post before launching into one of the strangest news briefings of the year. He praised President Trump for siding with him on how to handle the year-end crush of must-pass legislation, including funding the massive recovery effort from hurricane season, and averting a government shutdown and a default on the national debt.

So it was a really good moment of some bipartisanship and getting things done, Schumer said.

Now that the president has upended Republican plans, Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) think they have positioned themselves for a negotiation that will wrap most of the must-pass items into a big Christmas gift in December  the sort of year-end battles that Republicans have routinely lost for more than a decade.

Democrats still must prove, however, that they can actually land those victories. For now, they have secured a seat at the negotiating table.



President Trump speaks about tax reform at the Andeavor Mandan Refinery in North Dakota Wednesday. (Charlie Neibergall/AP)

The big issues include funding for federal agencies and the debt limit, and Democrats will use their votes on those issues as chips to be exchanged for their highest priorities, particularly legislation to codify an Obama-era order granting legal status to more than 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States by their parents.

Democrats will also demand more money to shore up private health insurance markets, which have been cratering under the uncertainty of the Affordable Care Acts future. In turn, Trump is sure to continue demanding funding for a border wall to back up his 2016 campaign pledge, but key Republicans have signaled that they would instead prefer funds for more border agents and a surge of technology to deter illegal immigration.

For the first time this year, Democrats can envision playing offense, possibly securing victories on immigration and health issues that eluded them in the last years of President Barack Obamas tenure.

[Trump sides with Democrats on fiscal issues, throwing Republican plans into chaos]

These year-end negotiations will take energy away from what is supposed to be the Republican effort to forge a massive tax cut for businesses and families, which many conservatives view as their political absolution for their failure in the health-care debate.

If theyre not careful, Republicans could end the year with no major conservative accomplishments to show for their complete control of Washington. This scenario would not only leave Obamacare as the law of the land, but also in better financial standing, and grant long-term legal status to the dreamers.

That would have been considered a good first year in office for President Hillary Clinton.



Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky.), center, joined by, from left, Sen. John Barrasso R-Wyo.), Sen. John Thune R-S.D.), and Majority Whip John Cornyn R-Texas), speaks at the Capitol after President Trump overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary and cut a deal with Democrats to fund the government and raise the federal borrowing limit for three months, all part of an agreement to speed money to Harvey relief. (J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

And there are only so many times that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) will be able to shout Supreme Court Justice Neil M. Gorsuch to calm the nerves of rattled conservatives, who expected much more out of the first GOP president and Republican-controlled Congress since 2006.

The bottom line is we have a lot of issues to come together on. It almost always works out best in a bipartisan way when we can do those issues together, Schumer told reporters.

Republicans staunchly disagree with that view, having repeatedly seen massive year-end negotiations turn into bigger spending deals and few victories for conservatives.

Thats why they entered Wednesdays Oval Office meeting with Trump and the bipartisan congressional leadership with a plan of their own: Kick the debt limit until after the November 2018 midterm elections.

That would have decoupled the most volatile issue  a default on the debt threatens global markets  from other issues. It also would provide relief on the issue for Wall Street traders growing jittery over the nuclear standoff with North Korea.

Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, who is supposed to be Trumps point person on the emerging tax proposal, pushed for an 18-month extension of the debt limit, well into 2019.

The markets dictated it, Mnuchin said, according to a Democrat briefed on the meeting.

Schumer called his bluff. The markets picked right after the 2018 election? I doubt it, he responded.

McConnell and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) agreed with Mnuchin. A little after 10 a.m., less than an hour before the Oval Office meeting, Ryan told reporters the proposal for a short-term boost to debt limit was ridiculous and disgraceful. He warned that it was playing politics with much-needed relief funds for Texas in Harveys wake and other southern states bracing for Hurricane Irma to make landfall in a few days.

The two leaders know how difficult it is to get Republican votes for raising the debt ceiling, an issue that conservative activists have turned into a purity test and one that primary challengers often use against GOP incumbents. Remove the debt-ceiling issue, until 2019, and the Democrats would have less leverage in the immigration and health-care negotiations.

Instead, Trump undercut his own treasury secretary and his nominal allies on Capitol Hill, siding with the Democratic proposal  perhaps in the belief that it would be an important show of bipartisanship during the hurricane-driven crises.

We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting, Trump told reporters aboard Air Force One en route to an event in North Dakota.

It followed a brutal August for the relationship between Trump and McConnell, whom the president repeatedly blamed for falling one vote short in the effort to revamp health-care laws. Trump also took to Twitter last month to blame McConnell and Ryan for not settling the debt-limit issue before Congress adjourned for the regular August recess.

Trump also ridiculed Arizonas Republican senators, John McCain and Jeff Flake, during a trip to their state. At his weekly media briefing, McConnell received a question about the intraparty feuding last month and simply ducked the question. Were in September now, he said.

But McConnell did not hide his irritation with the outcome Wednesday.

The president agreed with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi, he said, setting up the sort of showdown he had been trying to avoid. Thats what I will be offering based on the presidents decision.

Read more from Paul Kane's archive, follow him on Twitter or subscribe to his updates on Facebook.
A trawler carrying Rohingya Muslims fleeing violence in Myanmar capsized, drowning at least five people, as the countrys leader Aung San Suu Kyi blamed a misinformation campaign for fueling a crisis that the U.N. says has now pushed more than 125,000 refugees into Bangladesh.

Residents of Shah Porir Dwip fishing village recovered five bodies from the Bay of Bengal yesterday, hours after the boat capsized around midnight, said police official Yakub Ali.

It was not immediately clear where the boat began its journey, or if the passengers had been among some 450 detained by Bangladeshi border guards and ordered to return to Myanmar.

While some border guards were letting refugees across the borders, others were sending them back.

Faced with a mounting crisis and a lack of space and basic supplies, Bangladesh said it will set up a new camp to accommodate Rohingya refugees who have arrived from Myanmar since Aug. 25, many walking for days and crossing jungles and rivers to reach safety.

Shah Kamal of the Ministry of Disaster Management did not say when the new camp would be ready. He said yesterday it would be established in Tyingkhali, south of Coxs Bazar district and near the established camp in Balukhali where more than 50,000 Rohingya have been sheltering since October.

Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina has asked officials to prepare a database with fingerprints for the new arrivals.

The number of Rohingya fleeing western Rakhine state has reached more than 125,000, 80 percent of whom are women and children, said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

Many more children in need of support and protection remain in the areas of northern Rakhine state that have been wracked by violence, he said in a statement, adding that the U.N. refugee agency had no access to Rakhine trouble spots.

We are unable to reach the 28,000 children to whom we were previously providing psychosocial care or the more than 4,000 children who were treated for malnutrition in Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine, he said. Our clean water and sanitation work has been suspended, as have school repairs that were under way.

The violence and civilian suffering have prompted international condemnation and resonated particularly in many Muslim countries.

Suu Kyi complained to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call that Turkeys deputy prime minister was a victim of fake news when he posted photos purportedly showing dead Rohingya that were not related to the crisis. The photos on Mehmet Simseks Twitter account had been taken down.

According to her office, Suu Kyi said that such misinformation helps promote the interests of terrorists, a reference to Rohingya insurgents whose deadly attacks on Myanmar security posts Aug. 25 triggered the latest military crackdown and streams of refugees.

The military has said nearly 400 people, most of them insurgents, have died in clashes. Security forces responded to the attacks with days of clearance operations the government says were aimed at rooting out insurgents it accuses of setting fire to Rohingya villages.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was crucial that Myanmars government immediately give Rohingya either nationality or legal status so they can lead normal lives and freely move, find jobs, and get an education.

Guterres cited the longstanding history of discrimination, hopelessness and extreme poverty against Rohingya and warned about possible ethnic cleansing. Muneeza Naqvi & Julhas Alam, Kutupalong, AP
When Sen. Charles E. Grassley announced that the Judiciary Committee wouldnt make time to consider a replacement attorney general this year, he seemed to establish himself as a firewall between President Trump and the Russia probes the president has long sought to dismantle.

But the Iowa Republicans continuing efforts to focus attention on Hillary Clintons emails, her familys foundation and allegations that Democrats colluded with foreign governments suggest something else: that Grassley is also playing the part of partisan Republican, protecting the president he is also investigating.

As Congresss Russia probes enter an intense new phase this month, one uncertainty is which Grassley will prevail at the helm of the Judiciary Committee: fearless investigator ready to take on his own party, or loyal member of the GOP.

On Thursday, those competing tendencies will face a fresh test as the Judiciary Committee meets with Donald Trump Jr., the first of the presidents inner-circle campaign surrogates the panel hopes to interview as part of its investigation into Russian interference in the election  including allegations of coordination between the presidents team and the Kremlin.

Grassleys investigation is one of three ongoing efforts on Capitol Hill to examine such allegations. For several months, witnesses treated his probe as an also-ran to the House and Senate intelligence committees  a symptom of the limited clearance that Grassleys panel enjoys to dig into intelligence files critical to the investigation.

Yet the Judiciary Committees profile has risen as the president makes increasingly controversial moves to respond to the Russia probes. Firing FBI director James B. Comey, hinting that he might try to do the same with special counsel Robert S. Mueller III and demanding that members of Congress protect him from the Russia inquiries have inspired accusations that Trump may be attempting to obstruct justice  and pulled the Russia investigation straight into the purview of Grassleys panel.

Despite appearances, Grassley, 83, may be the man for this moment. From his perch on the dais, the seven-term senators slow Midwestern drawl and old-timey exclamations can lure the unacquainted into mistaking him for a simple Iowa farmer in the big city rather than one of Congresss most powerful and dogged investigators. But Grassley can be punishing with anyone who tries to circumvent his committees authority  even the president, whom Grassley recently lectured in a letter to be more responsive to congressional oversight requests from Democrats and Republicans.

Trumps surrogates have been less than responsive to Grassleys requests for information. Trump Jr. and former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort received such requests this summer, and at one point Grassley threatened to issue subpoenas but later rescinded them in favor of negotiating with their lawyers.

The scope of Grassleys probe is unique: While the intelligence committees are focused on whether the presidents team colluded with Russian officials, Grassleys is looking at abuse of power involving the Justice Department and matters such as foreign lobbying. That range could expose some witnesses to a different level of risk.

Yet Grassleys refusal to be constrained, and his reputation for putting the integrity of his probes above all, including party, is why many Democrats trust him with the reins of an investigation into Trump.

Chuck Grassley has demonstrated across several administrations an independent spirit and a dedication to the jurisdiction of the committee and the appropriate role of the Senate, said panel Democratic Sen. Christopher A. Coons (Del.) Hes pretty determined to make sure the Judiciary Committee gets its due.

Privately, Democrats also express concerns about Grassleys apparent affinity for Trump, and how he is steering the committees investigative attention toward other targets, including allegations about Hillary Clinton.



Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles E. Grassley R-Iowa) confers with ranking Democrat Sen. Dianne Feinstein Calif.) during a hearing on Capitol Hill in Washington on Wednesday. (Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP)

Grassley rarely criticizes the president, even when much of the GOP is doing so. He did not directly censure the president for pardoning former Maricopa County sheriff Joe Arpaio or for his reaction to neo-Nazi marches in Charlottesville. When reports emerged that Trump would end an Obama program that has allowed 800,000 undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children avoid deportation, Grassley released data alleging that some recipients were unfairly exploiting loopholes in the program to become citizens.

In the past few months, Grassley has also echoed or excused several of Trumps actions that have given the appearance of distracting from the Russia probe. He has supported the presidents fixation on leaks  a surprising turn from a senator who has made defending whistleblowers a key part of his career. After Trump fired Comey, Grassley encouraged the news media to suck it up and move on during an appearance on Fox News. And in late August, his committee released redacted documents alleging that Comey planned to exonerate Clinton for her email scandal before even interviewing her.

Grassley has also exhibited more passion attacking officials over Clintons email investigation than he has going after Trumps team. That tendency was on display during a May hearing when he excoriated Comey for not being more transparent about the FBIs email probe.

How do you justify that? . . . How do you justify it? Grassley yelled to Comey, who did not try to defend his decisions.

Egads, Grassley concluded.

Former Democratic aides say Grassleys continued focus on Clinton is consistent with the Grassley they know, who often displays his partisanship by fixating on certain targets.

But an aide to Grassley argued that the pattern proves his nonpartisan commitment to oversight.

If he asks questions about a political figure who is running for office, but then drops them the minute that person is no longer a candidate, then wouldnt that mean his interest was based on politics? said Taylor Foy, Grassleys Judiciary Committee press secretary. Its as simple as this: Chairman Grassley is interested in getting the facts to the American people, and hes going to continue to push for answers, regardless of where people are.

Part of what fuels the uncertainty about Grassleys motivation now is the way he has structured his investigation. To Grassleys team, referring to their investigation as a Russia probe is a misnomer. They prefer to describe it as a web of intersecting investigations into the reasons behind Trumps decision to fire Comey, the FBIs handling of Clintons email scandal, and how lax enforcement is allowing foreign interference in U.S. matters to proceed unchecked in Washington.

To date, and to Democrats continued confusion, Grassley has treated the Trump surrogates largely as witnesses to that foreign lobbying probe, which he started in 2015. At the center of the probe is Fusion GPS, the firm behind a salacious but unverified dossier of Trumps personal and financial activities in Russia.

Were trying to find out if Russia paid em, Grassley explained in a recent interview.

Manafort and Trump Jr. came into Grassleys Fusion orbit as a result of the June 2016 Trump Tower meeting they attended with a Russian lawyer claiming to have damaging information about Clinton.

Committee Democrats accept Grassleys unorthodox approach because it still puts them within striking distance of Trumps top advisers.

Anything that enables us to hear from witnesses who know about Russian meddling and Trump campaign conspiracies to aid it is welcome, said Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.).

Despite their political differences, Democrats have maintained a good working relationship with Grassley. He rarely takes a public step without at least attempting to coordinate his efforts with ranking Democrat Dianne Feinstein (Calif.), often whispering with her as he runs committee meetings, and co-signing with her the bulk of the formal letters he sends to witnesses and agencies demanding information.

In fact, it is often Republicans who cant seem to agree on what they think about Grassleys broad-based, multifaceted approach.

Senator Grassley, who has been a master of oversight  and hes very aggressive  I think hes a little frustrated that the Judiciary Committee hasnt had a more expansive role, said Sen. John Cornyn (R-Tex.), the Senates No. 2 Republican and a member of both the Judiciary and Intelligence committees. He didnt outright blame Grassley for taking the Judiciary Committees probe out of its unique lane of DOJ oversight  but he did warn that Grassleys approach increased the potential for confusion and delay.

Grassley is notoriously unperturbed by jurisdictional limitations  and aides say he has never received so much as a phone call from leaders asking him to back off aspects of his probe. It isnt clear if the current president has been as hands-off: Last week, Trump placed a phone call to Grassley to talk about ethanol, one of the most important parochial issues to the Iowa senator, just hours after cable news outlets carried chyrons about the Judiciary Committees upcoming interview with Trump Jr.

Grassley has often spoken of his respect for special counsel Muellers integrity and professionalism. But in a recent interview, the chairman also expressed disdain for the way Mueller is running his investigation into Trumps alleged Russia ties, complaining that this whole Russia thing is going to go on for five years before it is over.

When youve got a special counsel and they dont even have a budget, they just draw on the Treasury, and theyre going to keep going until they can at least find one person who lied under oath, so they can charge one person, Grassley said. Theyre not going to get their work done until they charge at least one person with something so they can claim victory.

Read more at PowerPost
When it c omes to problems with your condo association, you have only three options: try to get on the board yourself, put up with the problems or sell your unit. (YvanDube/Getty Images/iStockphoto)

I am president of our HOA (we are self managed) and we currently have homeowners who arent paying their yearly dues.

Do we have any course of action, such as liens or collections?

Not sure we can put a lien on the house, it wouldn't be a mechanic lien.  Steven

Steven, as president of your homeowners association, you have a fiduciary obligation to make sure all owners keep current with their dues.

If you let one owner slip by, soon more owners will say s/he got away with it, so I wont pay either.

Yes, from my experience, most association legal documents  and most state laws  allow the association to file a lien against the owner for nonpayment.

I hope you have read your legal documents because they spell out the process for collecting unpaid dues.

In most cases, the association can recoup its legal fees.

[More Kass: Your condo association prohibits pets, but you need a comfort animal. What do you do?]

The association also can foreclose on the owner.

You really need to retain a community association lawyer in your area who can guide you through the process.

If you need references, I suggest you contact the Community Associations Institute, which is a national organization that deals with all sorts of community association issues and problems.

You can find it at caionline.

org .

I am an owner in a 24-unit resort condo.

The board of directors continually ignores the bylaws and our state condo laws  for example, not holding open board meetings; spending beyond bylaw limits; not answering questions; responding trust your board, etc.

My question is: Like a tenant, can I withhold monthly dues and put them in an escrow account until the board follows the bylaws and the condo laws?

What requirements are necessary for such an account?  Andrew

Although unit owners often put their condo fees in escrow (or just dont do anything), basic community association law is that the requirement to pay the assessment is a separate legal obligation and cannot  and should not  be used as leverage or even a setoff for grievances against the association.

In other words, if you have a problem, you can sue the association, but you still have to pay the assessment on time.

[Condo owners can try to enact restrictions on smoking inside units]

Having said that, my experience (on both sides of this issue) is that if the association sues a delinquent owner, the court will accept a counterclaim against the association.

But to what avail? What do you think you can unilaterally do to change the mind-set of the association?

I recommend you contact all of the other owners, explain the facts and ask if they will join you in this fight.

One way to resolve the problem  if you have enough support  is to recall the board.

Your bylaws will spell out the procedure.

Another way is to file a complaint with the consumer protection division in your state attorney generals office.

And of course, the ultimate remedy: file suit.

But if you are unable to muster a sizable majority of owners, you have only three options: try to get on the board yourself, put up with the problems or sell your unit.

Benny L. Kass is a Washington and Maryland lawyer. This column is not legal advice and should not be acted upon without obtaining legal counsel. Send questions to blkass@

kmklawyers.com.
South Korea's new, liberal president took office this year with a pledge to foster warmer ties with North Korea. But the North Korean nuclear threat has rapidly escalated in the months since his election, leaving Moon Jae-in "sandwiched" between his supporters' expectations and the realities of dealing with an increasingly volatile regime, analysts say.

Moon was elected in May with broad support in a special election that followed the impeachment of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye. In electing Moon, who was wary of the United States and advocated dialogue with North Korea, voters eschewed nearly a decade of conservative governance in South Korea and Seouls hard-line approach toward its northern neighbor.

Throughout his campaign, Moon vowed to take a two-track policy of pursuing dialogue with North Korea while maintaining pressure and sanctions to change North Korean behavior.

But North Korea has stepped up its nuclear and missile programs significantly since Moon became president  most recently by conducting on Sunday its sixth and most powerful nuclear test. And Moon is taking an ever-harder line toward North Korea, which some in his base perceive as a shift from his campaign assurances.

Moons progressive supporters are not thrilled with the governments more hawkish rhetoric, while some of his harshest conservative critics are either confused or pleasantly surprised, analysts and advisers say.

In response to Sundays nuclear test, Moon this week urged the international community to expand economic sanctions by cutting off critical crude oil to the North.

Sanctions have done little to alter North Korean behavior. Pyongyang on Thursday defended its nuclear program in a Russian-language statement released during an economic forum in Vladivostok, Russia, Bloomberg News reported. "We will reply to U.S. barbarian sanctions and pressure with our powerful countermeasures," the North Korean statement said.

In Vladivostok, Moon and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe agreed to push for tougher U.N. sanctions, including cutting off oil supplies, and pressing China and Russia to support such measures. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that Beijing would support further "necessary measures" by the United Nations against North Korea, although he did not specify what those might be.

The Trump administration also is pushing for further economic and diplomatic pressure on North Korea, but Russian President Vladimir Putin is reluctant to strengthen sanctions, saying such a move might hurt North Korean hospital patients and other ordinary citizens.

The South Korean government has made it clear that pursuing a dialogue has become a secondary part of the two-track policy. At an annual security forum on Thursday, Vice Foreign Minister Lim Sung-nam said, The Korean government will do its utmost in close coordination with the international community so that every possible punitive measure can be taken.

"Our government, since its inauguration in May, has embraced a policy of denuclearization by pursuing sanctions and pressure on the one hand and at the same time seeking dialogue on the other hand," Lim said. "However, given North Korea's continuous provocations, now is not the right time for dialogue. Rather, it is time to tighten the screws on North Korea with a view to forcing the regime to change its strategic calculation."

Moon said his pursuit of tougher economic pressures on North Korea is a means to achieve a diplomatic and peaceful resolution  his two-track policy.

I can say for sure that there will be no war on the Korean Peninsula again, Moon said Thursday in Vladivostok, Bloomberg News reported.

Supporters are giving him time because they understand he is in a sandwiched spot and recognize that national security is the top priority from South Koreas perspective, advisers said. They warned that there will be a breaking point, although it is not clear what that would be.

Ive talked to many of my fellow progressives. They are still supportive and waiting, despite frustration and disappointment over Moons rhetoric on increasing economic pressures on North Korea, said Kim Joon-hyung, who was a key foreign policy adviser to Moons presidential campaign.

Kim pointed out that Moon took office under extraordinary circumstances, following Parks impeachment. There were candlelight demonstrations, a historical movement, that granted power to Moon. So they think Moon should be different, he said. So far, he is unexpectedly hard-line.

But broadly, public opinion is sympathetic toward the harsher rhetoric, Kim said. For example, domestic support for nuclear armament and an American antimissile defense system in South Korea continues to grow. According to Gallup Korea polls, public support for deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) anti-missile systems grew from 50 percent to more than 70 percent over the past year.

"There is, in a way, a nationalistic sentiment and security concern, so the majority support the deployment of THAAD. At the same time, they are supporting peace initiatives, so it's contradicting," Kim said. "But it's understandable, because the public is concerned about the increased threat. They are tired of Kim Jong Un's provocations, but they're also worried about it."

In many ways, Moons emphasis on pressuring the North mirrors public sentiments outside his core of support, said Kang Won-taek, a polling expert and professor of political science at Seoul National University. While Moons core base may feel differently, the public in general has shifted toward a more conservative view on pressuring North Korea, he said.

Some conservatives are cautiously supportive of Moon in his call for stronger U.N. sanctions.

Many conservatives are satisfied with the shifting direction, said Shin Beom-chul, an expert on North Korea and defense at the government-run Korea National Diplomatic Academy in Seoul. But they sometimes criticize that President Moon should have adopted that [approach] earlier, even from the beginning, in May or June.

Conservatives, he said, ask for more  stronger support on the alliance, stronger sanctions on North Korea.

But conservative party leaders continue to slam Moon as failing to rein in North Korea and are pushing for a redeployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in South Korea, an option that South Korea's defense minister said was worth reviewing.



The main opposition party leader, Hong Joon-pyo, chairman of the conservative Liberty Korea Party, who ran for president against Moon, criticized Moon as failing to deliver on his campaign pledge to take the drivers seat in leading a multilateral approach to Korean denuclearization.

Its just faint motion, a gesture, in the face of a political crisis. My supporters and I dont believe he really believes in increasing pressure, Hong said.

For 20 years, we have repeated dialogue, sanctions, dialogue, sanctions. Despite that, North Korea has consistently developed its nuclear power. Now, theyre at the final stages, at a point where dialogue is meaningless, Hong said. It has become extremely clear that diplomacy or dialogue is not a solution. That means the only path we can take is through operating tactical nuclear weapons.

Foreign policy advisers to Moon said that it would be politically possible for him to shift to emphasize dialogue again in the two-track policy approach  but that such a change would need to be framed as a long-term goal.

What the public wants now is weakening the immediate threat from the North, so to do that, you need THAAD and a tougher stance, Kang said. In the long run, you might need dialogue. For now, in public opinion, theyre supportive of Moons tougher stance. Even though South Koreans are accustomed to life under military threat of North Korea since the end of the Korean War, the impact of the recent nuclear test is enormous.

Read more:

China will back fresh U.N. measures on North Korea over nuclear tests

South Koreas defense minister suggests bringing back U.S. nuclear weapons

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The Civic and Municipal Affairs Bureau (IACM) has not yet identified the cause of the large number of gastroenteritis cases recorded recently. In the immediate days following Typhoon Hato, more than 200 people were diagnosed with gastroenteritis each day. In particular, on September 4, a total of 250 people were diagnosed with the condition, with the highest number recorded in a day being 280 cases. Relevant government departments have not found anything specific which could explain the cause behind the outbreak. IACM also noted that no water quality problems have been observed in the water supply system.

Overcharging remains top taxi infraction

The Public Security Police Force (PSP) recorded 590 taxi infractions during the month of August, according to a statement released by PSP. The infractions include 372 cases (63.1 percent) of over-charging and 156 cases (26.4 percent) of taxi drivers who refused to accept passengers. Six infractions were related to taxi drivers who accepted passengers who had not queued up. During the same period, the police recorded 32 cases of unauthorized taxis, none of which related to mobile taxi hailing services. Fifty-six cases involved other types of infractions.
There was a time only months ago when Martin Schulz  a high school dropout, former bookseller and political unknown to many in this country despite a decades-long career  seemed poised to pull off the German equivalent of Mission: Impossible.

After the blunt ex-president of the European Parliament became leader of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, the long-moribund party's popularity surged as backers clambered aboard "the Schulz train." Commentators excitedly speculated whether he could dethrone Angela Merkel after 12 years in power. Schulz himself vowed a "conquest of the chancellery."

But as that early-spring promise has met the reality of a late-summer German election campaign, it feels very distant.

With less than three weeks to go before voters choose their next government, Schulz and his party trail far behind in second place, while another Merkel term as chancellor  it would be her fourth  has taken on an air of inevitability. The Schulz train, once chugging ahead mightily, appears to be stalled on the tracks.

If Schulzs party does lose, the defeat would mark the latest in a long run of setbacks for center-left parties that have their roots in the Wests industrial age but have struggled to define themselves in the 21st century.

[In German debate, Merkel and her challenger go after Trump, but not each other]

But it would also reflect the particular challenge of vying against Merkel, a politician of the center-right who adopts many positions on the left, leaving little room for a coherent opposition.

It doesnt help the SPD, as Schulzs party is known, that it has served as Merkels coalition partner for two out of her three terms, including the current one.

For 12 years, the SPD has more or less supported Angela Merkels policies, said Gesine Schwan, a political scientist and Social Democratic veteran who was twice the partys candidate for president. Its very difficult to show up now and say, We want to do things completely differently. 

That dilemma was on display one recent afternoon as Schulz attempted to rally the faithful in Leipzig, an eastern German city where the mix of university students, factory workers and government servants has long made it friendly turf for candidates of the left.

Schulzs party  Germanys oldest  got its start here as the General German Workers Association more than 150 years ago, and for 40 minutes on a warm August day, the stout, bearded and bespectacled Schulz punched the air and banged a lectern in the shadow of a 12th-century church where Johann Sebastian Bach once wowed the locals with his concertos.

The crowd applauded solemnly as Schulz invoked the SPDs history in standing up to Hitler, a position that cost party leaders their lives. It cheered lustily as he berated President Trump for his equivocal response to white-nationalist violence in Charlottesville.



A poster of Germany's Social Democratic Party candidate for chancellor, Martin Schulz, is seen during an election rally in Leipzig, Germany, August 29. (Matthias Schumann/Reuters)

But when Schulz came to his critique of Merkel for not doing enough to ensure all Germans benefit from a growing economy, (Our country isnt fair. We want to change that.), the best his audience of nearly 1,000 in the citys central square could do was clap dutifully.

The muted response was in keeping with the overall mood in modern Leipzig, a city that feels economically prosperous but politically sleepy  much like the country overall. With a vibrant central shopping district that is full of organic smoothie joints and high-end home decor shops, some residents said they were reluctant to shake up what's working.

Everywhere else is unstable. The U.S. is unstable. But what Angela Merkel does is keep this country stable, said Christoph Von Radowitz, a 51-year-old who works for a company that makes electronic vehicles and who said he showed up at Schulzs rally out of curiosity, not support.

Even those in the mood for change said they were unsure whether Schulz was the right agent.

Philip Fiedler, a 20-year-old student, said he disliked the close cooperation between Germanys top two parties  theyre like best friends  and wants more debate. But he was willing to give Schulz a chance, if only for a somewhat unusual reason.

Hes not one of the best speakers or one of the smartest minds, said Fiedler, who said he was still deciding which party to support. Hes just some normal person. But thats interesting.

That intrigue over Schulzs regular-guy persona was in fact a big part of the surge in support he experienced in late winter and early spring, said Hendrik Trager, a University of Leipzig political scientist.

Schulzs background as a school dropout from a working-class family, who has openly discussed his battle with alcoholism, makes him unusual in the relatively elite and highly educated world of German politics.

Schulz, 61, has been a politician for decades, rising from mayor of his small western German home town to member of the European Parliament and, up until late last year, its president. But he was relatively unknown on the German political scene when he took over as SPD leader early this year.

At first, Trager said, voters saw him as a fresh face with a background they could relate to.

He was seen as the new Messiah, the big hope for the SPD and for Germany, he said. But when voters found out more about him, they learned that he was part of the establishment.

As his biography lost its appeal, his message also failed to resonate. His background may be working class. But his proposals are hardly the left-wing populism of a Jeremy Corbyn or a Bernie Sanders.

He talks a lot about social justice and social equality, but hes very vague about it, Trager said. What, exactly, is supposed to be more just?

Perhaps Schulzs last chance to differentiate himself from Merkel before the vote was a nationally televised debate on Sunday where he largely pulled his punches.

That may be strategic: After the election, one of the likeliest scenarios is another grand coalition between Germanys two largest parties, which would put Schulz in position to become one of Merkels top ministers.

But Schwan, the political scientist and SPD veteran, cautioned thatdoing another deal with Merkel would be suicide for a party already struggling to define its reason for being.

If that happens, she said, then for the next 20 years, theres no chance for the SPD.

Luisa Beck contributed to this report.

Read more

The last British lynx was killed 1,300 years ago. Now the wild cat may be poised for a comeback.

Britains housing crisis looms large as Grenfell fire survivors reckon with whats next

A British election campaign that few expected ends in a way that no one could have predicted

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world

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U.S. prosecutors have charged Suleyman Aslan, onetime chief of the Turkish state-owned Halkbank, along with some of his deputies, in an expanded investigation into a Turkish Iranian trader. (Diego Cupolo/Sipa USA/AP)

Federal prosecutors in New York have charged a former minister and other high-profile Turkish figures with conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, broadening an investigation into a Turkish Iranian trader to include allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The case had already raised tensions between U.S. and Turkish officials, who have suggested that the probe is politically motivated. The investigation had focused mainly on Turkish Iranian millionaire Reza Zarrab, whose network of companies prosecutors allege was used to launder money for Iran.

But the indictment Wednesday named additional defendants, including former economy minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan. It also charged Suleyman Aslan, onetime chief of the state-owned Halkbank, along with some of his deputies.

Caglayan is believed to be in Turkey, as is Aslan. Zarrab, 33, was arrested last year while on vacation in the United States and remains in U.S. custody. He has hired former New York mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani as his lawyer.

"Whoever brought those charges are responsible for proving them," Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.

"Caglayan did not do anything against Turkey's interests," he said, according to the Reuters news agency. "It is no concern to Turkey if Caglayan acted against the interests of other countries."

The indictment from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the Southern District of New York charged that Caglayan, in his capacity as economy minister, accepted tens of millions of dollars worth of bribes from the proceeds of the scheme. He also directed other members of the scheme to engage in transactions that would evade or deceive U.S. regulators, the indictment says.

In more than 50 pages, prosecutors laid out what they say was a multiyear scheme to violate sanctions that involved senior government officials in Turkey and Iran.

The alleged crimes occurred at the height of U.S. sanctions in 2012 and 2013, ahead of the relaxation of restrictions that accompanied the implementation of Irans 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Before the deal, Iran was shut out of the U.S. financial system, and the U.S. government sought to punish other banks and businesses trading with Iran.

If a foreign bank processed transactions relating to Iran, the U.S. would impose secondary sanctions  usually against the banks but also other companies  that would cut them off from the U.S. financial system, said Timothy OToole, a sanctions specialist at Miller & Chevalier, a D.C.-based law firm.

Prosecutors said Zarrab and his co-conspirators sought to facilitate Iranian access, through money laundering, to proceeds from its oil and gas sales to Turkey. The conspiracy allegedly included a gold export scheme and transactions falsely described as payment for food and medicine for Iran.

Zarrab, who was born in Iran, has businesses in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and China. In the indictment, the prosecutors quoted a letter he is alleged to have written to then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in which he said the Zarrab family was ready to collaborate to help Iran break free from "the grip of sanctions."

Read more

Iran calls new U.S. sanctions a violation of nuclear deal

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Sen. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.), center, arrives at court with his children, Alicia Menendez and Robert Menendez Jr., for his federal corruption trial in Newark on Sept. 6. (Seth Wenig/AP)

The judge overseeing the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez ripped into prosecutors Thursday for trying to focus on what he called tabloid details  an unusual description for dry testimony about a series of emails about a hotel reservation.

U.S. District Judge William Walls stopped testimony for 20 minutes in which he tongue-lashed prosecutors for their painstaking recounting of emails used to book a luxury hotel in Paris for the New Jersey Democrat in 2010. The three-day hotel stay is a central part of the Justice Departments case.

Menendezs friend, wealthy eye doctor Salomon Melgen, paid for the senators nearly $5,000 hotel stay, and prosecutors contend the gift is one of the most incriminating bribes the senator received, in exchange for which Menendez repeatedly did favors for Melgens business and personal interests.

But on Thursday, the judge was clearly fed up with prosecutors focus on the details of the Paris hotel room.

He halted questioning of FBI supervisory analyst Jane Ruch about emails discussing Menendezs lunch plans during the trip. After having the jury leave the courtroom, the judge lit into Justice Department lawyers.

I dont think its a sin for him to want a limestone bath, per se, Walls said. Its tabloid in nature. . . . Whether these defendants engaged in bribery does not depend on whether the senator chose a more expensive room. Were not talking about Days Inn.

The prosecutor, J.P. Cooney, tried to change the judges mind, saying the details of the hotel room pricing are important evidence because the value of these rooms far outstrips what he could afford to pay either in points or in cash.

The judge cut him off and said he was concerned prosecutors were trying to create an unfair inference because the emails showed Menendez went to Paris with a woman friend.

Its ridiculous, what youre asserting, Walls told the prosecutor. Youre saying because a person, according to you, wants to stay at a hotel with another person that he then goes out and solicits a bribe. Is that what youre telling me?

The exchange prompted Menendezs lawyer to interject: This person is actually just a friend, and it is not anybody to be shacked up with.

Cooney, the prosecutor, then insisted he was not trying to suggest to the jury Menendez went to Paris in order to shack up with another person.

Menendez and Melgen are on trial for what prosecutors call a years-long scheme of corruptly swapping gifts for official favors.

According to the indictment, those gifts allegedly include private jet rides, hotel stays and more than $750,000 in campaign and legal defense donations.

Prosecutors say Menendez sold his office because he wanted the perks of wealth, but he could not afford them on his senators salary.

In exchange, prosecutors say, the New Jersey senator repeatedly did favors for Melgen, including helping the doctors girlfriends get visas to the United States, interceding with Medicare officials when the doctor got into an $8.9 million billing dispute, and trying to assist the doctor in a separate, stalled business contract he held involving port security.

Lawyers for Menendez and Melgen say the two men are decades-long friends who took vacations together and acted out of friendship, not corrupt intent.

When you do things for friends because you love them like a brother, thats not a bribe, Melgens lawyer, Kirk Ogrosky, said.

The trial is expected to last more than a month, and the judges admonitions, coming on the first day of testimony, aimed in part to encourage lawyers to speed up their questioning.

Menendez and Melgen have denied wrongdoing, and the senator has said he may have to miss some of the trial if hes needed in Washington for a close vote in the Senate.
Natural disasters have nearly quadrupled in number since 1970 and the United States has experienced the most disasters since 1995, followed by China and India, the United Nations chief said yesterday [Macau time].

Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told reporters that in recent days the world has seen the dramatic aggravation of climate change with unprecedented events caused by storms and flooding from Texas to Bangladesh, India, Nepal and Sierra Leone.

Before the current floods, he said, preliminary reports registered 2,087 deaths this year from natural disasters. With the latest floods, that number will at least double.

In the last two months, more than 1,000 people have been killed in flooding events across India, southern Nepal and northern Bangladesh and some 40 million have seen their homes, businesses or crops destroyed. Last month, more than 1,000 people died from a mudslide and flood that hit Sierra Leones capital Freetown. And last week, Hurricane Harvey dumped almost a years worth of rainfall on Houston, Americas fourth-

largest city. It destroyed some 7,000 homes and damaged more than 37,000 others in Texas and is blamed for at least 60 deaths.

Guterres said last year 24.2 million people were displaced by sudden disasters  three times as many as by conflict and violence.

He noted that scientists caution about linking any single weather event with climate change. But they are equally clear that such extreme weather is precisely what their models predict will be the new normal of a warming world, Guterres said.

The secretary-general was asked whether he would try to persuade President Donald Trump to keep the United States in the Paris climate agreement when they meet during the U.N. General Assemblys annual ministerial meeting that starts Sept. 19.

We are totally committed to the Paris agreement, Guterres said. We hope that all countries will understand that its not only the right thing to do its also the smart thing to do because the green economy is the economy of the future. Edith M. Lederer, United Nations, AP
It was March 2020, and the world was closing down as the COVID-19 pandemic spread. At first, the news of...
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A Winnipeg mother serving an 8.5-year prison sentence for hiding the bodies of six dead babies in a storage locker intends to appeal her conviction and her prison sentence.

Andrea Giesbrecht, 43, was sentenced in July for six counts of concealing a childs body after a lengthy and high-profile trial in front of provincial court Judge Murray Thompson. Her notice of appeal takes issue with the judges decision in 42 different ways, and one of her main concerns is that she was sentenced for a crime for which she was not charged.

The learned trial judge erred in making findings that were not in accordance with the counts before the court and in sentencing the accused for actions that were an offence not charged, such as improperly or indecently interfering with (human remains), or infanticide or of failing to properly dispose of a dead body, states the notice to appeal filed by Giesbrechts defence team on Aug. 10.

Surveillance footage of Andrea Giesbrecht from the McPhillips Street U-Haul in Winnipeg on October 3, 2014.

The charges against Giesbrecht were never upgraded to include homicide offences, and the Crown told court the police investigation was thwarted by how much time had passed before the bodies were discovered in a McPhillips Street U-Haul storage locker in October 2014. The bodies of full and near-full term fetuses were too badly decomposed for medical experts to determine how they died. The judge ruled Giesbrecht would have known the babies would likely be born alive after a medical expert testified the chance of all six being stillborn was one in 500 trillion.

Giesbrecht concealed each of these six pregnancies, even from her husband. She bagged each of the bodies, sealed them or encased them in cement or powder, all in an effort to contain the smell of human decomposition and decay, the judge said in his decision.

Defence lawyer Greg Brodsky said after Giesbrechts sentence was imposed July 14 that he would recommend she appeal it. Throughout her trial, he maintained there were no live births and repeatedly referred to the fetuses as products of conception  a point thats echoed in Giesbrechts notice of appeal. It says Thompson erred in failing to acknowledge a woman can destroy her near term or term fetus and can induce an abortion accordingly and do what she wants with the remains without receiving criminal sanctions, and in failing to acknowledge that the mother should be acquitted if she killed the fetus (child) in the womb and thereby had a self-induced abortion but that allowing the child to be delivered in a stillborn state would require her to be imprisoned.

Brodsky could not be reached for comment Wednesday. Giesbrecht has more than seven years of her sentence left to serve.

There has never been a case in Canadian law involving so many charges of concealing infants remains, making Giesbrecht the worst offender for this type of charge, Crown prosecutors had argued.

Each count carried a maximum two-year sentence, and the judge decided Giesbrechts extreme moral culapability would have increased after the first time she disposed of an infants body. He sentenced her to six months for the first count, one year for the second, and two years each for the remaining four dead fetuses.

A 9.5-year sentence would have been crushing to Giesbrecht because of her family and work involvement, Thompson said, reducing the total sentence to 8.5 years. Giesbrecht also argues the judge erred in only reducing her sentence by one year.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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Manitoba posted one of the biggest monthly declines in building permit activity in the country in July, new Statistics Canada data shows.

Municipalities in the province issued $238.1-million worth of residential and non-residential permits during the month, the agency said Thursday. That was a drop of 26.4 per cent from Junes total of $323.4 million.

Among the provinces, only Saskatchewan saw a bigger decline, at 27.1 per cent. Canada, meanwhile, saw its permit values decline by only 3.5 per cent, to $7.9 billion.

Locally, the biggest dropoff in activity was on the non-residential side of the construction industry, where the value of permits issued fell by 39 per cent to just $89.6 million from $146.7 million in June.

The residential side saw permit values decline by 16 per cent to $148.5 million from $176.8 million.

Although Julys combined total was down substantially from June, the data shows it was still 3.2 per cent higher than in July 2016, when $230.7 million worth of residential and non-residential permits were issued in the province.

 Staff
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Ottawas decision to give an American family with a medically inadmissible child a second chance to stay in Canada came as a huge relief Thursday.

The Warkentin family, faced with a looming deportation deadline, learned this week Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada is allowing them to renew their application for permanent residency.

Canada is letting us reopen our file and we have 60 days to resubmit more information and show our worthiness, Jon Warkentin said over the phone from the family-owned Harvest Lodge outfitting business on the Waterhen River.

SUPPLIED Karissa and Jon Warkentin and four of their children at their lodge in Waterhen. Karalynn, six, (bottom right) was deemed medically inadmissible earlier this year, but the government has given the family a chance to reapply for permanent residency.

The Warkentins came to Canada from Colorado in 2013 to operate the outfitting business. They applied for permanent residency, intending to put down roots in the village of Waterhen, about 320 kilometres northwest of Winnipeg.

A year after they arrived, the family was given a bleak diagnosis: the youngest of Jon and wife Karissas four children, then-three-year-old daughter Karalynn, had epilepsy and global-developmental delay.

The diagnosis threw a bureaucratic wrench into the familys dreams of staying in Canada.

Ottawa denied their application this spring on the grounds Karalynn might cause excessive demand on health or social services in this country. As a result, the entire family faced being the imminent prospect of being forced out of the country when their current work permit expired Nov. 24.

This summer, they hired Winnipeg lawyer Alastair Clarke to explore their options.

Clarke worked through the bureaucracy, trying to convince federal officials to give the family a second shot. At the same time, he filed a motion in to have a federal judge look at the case.

It was the bureaucracy that came through first, Warkentin said, adding the family now has the choice of withdrawing the court action. The second chance offered this week gives the Warkentins what they wanted from a judge, without the need for time in court.

The permanent residency is back in process, and they qualify for an extension to their work permit, Clarke said.

The breathing room gives the family permission to file information that could allow them to stay in Canada for good.

Were ecstatic. Thats a huge move for them to go from a decision that was final to this one, which is, Well look at the information you submit,' Warkentin said.

Karalynn, meanwhile, started her first day in Grade 1 at the local school.

She was very excited to go on the bus, to be with all her friends and to go to school, Warkentin said.

The girl leads a relatively healthy life, rarely catches colds, and gets along without the need for special physical aides, her father said, adding she hasnt had a seizure in more than two years.

alexandra.paul@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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It has been billed as a strategy session, although its unclear whether this weeks gathering of federal Conservatives in Winnipeg is about forging a new strategy or just revamping the old strategy under new leader Andrew Scheer.

Since its thunderous loss in the 2015 federal election, the Conservative Party has floated somewhat aimlessly back and forth across the right side of Canadas political spectrum.

Former Prime Minister Stephen Harper got the ball rolling in the last election when he adopted edgier right-wing rhetoric and identity politics with disastrous results. In the race to replace Harper, there were times when it appeared the Tories were going to migrate even further right, as some candidates started emulating the populist rantings of U.S. President Donald Trump.

John Woods / The Canadian Press Federal Conservative leader Andrew Scheer is taking some of his party's cues from the playbook of former prime minister Stephen Harper.

Thankfully, both for the party and the country, the Tory faithful rejeted those candidates trying to pull the party into choppy populist waters, ultimately calling on Scheer to lead them into the next election.

While Scheers ascension solved one program, it did not define what the party stood for or explain how it was going to unseat the Liberal juggernaut of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Where are the Tories headed under Scheer? For the most part, it appears to be back to the path set by Harper.

Manitoba Sen. Don Plett said there is a strong case for sticking closely to the agenda that helped Harper earn a decade in power. Plett said the 2015 election was not a battle of ideas; instead, it was a result created by the electorates loss of affection for Harper and the explosion of support for Trudeau.

Ive never been unhappy with the agenda we have had, Plett said. We didnt lose the last election because of the things we did or said, we lost because people were really angry at one leader and they fell in love with another leader.

True to that analysis, Scheer outlined the three principal policy issues he will focus on in the upcoming session of parliament, issues that come straight out of the Harper playbook.

Scheer said he and his caucus would protest the flow of asylum seekers crossing the Canadian border illegally from the U.S. Scheer mocked the asylum seekers  many of whom are concerned about being sent back to their countries of origin by the anti-immigrant Trump administration  for fleeing a country that poses no real threat to them.

Canadians are proud to do our share to help the worlds most vulnerable, Scheer told a hotel banquet hall full of Tory Senators and MPs. But you know, Ive been to upstate New York and Ive been to North Dakota. Those places are safe.

Scheer said he and his caucus will continue to protest the federal governments decision to award a $10.5-million settlement and an apology to Omar Khadr, the Canadian-born man who was found guilty of war crimes by an American military court and who is now appealing his conviction.

Finally, Scheer identified a growing furor over recent Liberal tax policies as perhaps the central focus of his partys efforts in the 24-month ramp to the next election. These policies include the imposition of a national carbon tax by 2018, increased Canada Pension Plan payroll deductions and proposed changes to small business tax rates and rules.

Given that he is considered to be a Harper disciple on fiscal issues, taxes certainly came out as the No. 1 plank in the Scheer platform going forward. He suggested the Liberals were demonizing small businesses by bringing in new rules that would force them to pay more taxes.

These are good people, hardworking people, these are honest people who are being demonized by Justin Trudeaus Liberals just to pay for their out-of-control spending, Scheer said.

Scheers rhetoric around Liberal tax hikes is pleasing to the ear, particularly if youre a hardline fiscal conservative that believes taxes of all kinds are unjustifiable and destructive. However, this may not be the issue that ultimately breathes new life into the Tories.

There is every reason to believe the Liberals will walk-back some of their proposed changes. Finance Minister Bill Morneau has emphasized that Ottawa is consulting far and wide to ensure the changes  a bid to curb loopholes that allow certain wealthy small business owners to avoid taxes by turning business income into investments or paying salaries to family members that dont do any work  dont unfairly punish the kind of people Scheer is describing.

If  and its a pretty big if right now  Morneau can tailor his tweaks to penalize the least sympathetic of small business owners, the furor will die, and along with it the potential to energize Tory support.

And there lies the rub for the Tories going forward. With a choice between charting a new path with new ideas and an old path with updated rhetoric, the Conservatives seem destined to choose the latter. And for the record, its a path that has more problems than just the guy who created it in the first place.

The Conservative Party continues to harp on tax increases and immigration despite the fact there is little evidence that a clear majority of Canadians agree with any of their positions. Nobody likes taxes, but Canadians are patently aware the price of lower taxes is less government, and that was a bargain that was heartily rejected in 2015.

Scheer may have new ideas that may bubble to the surface before the next election. Diehard Conservatives better hope he does, because the repackaging of the old ideas is unlikely to get them very far.

dan.lett@freepress.mb.ca
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Eugene Kostyra had never heard of multiple myeloma until he was diagnosed with the incurable cancer in 2015.

Its not that he was unfamiliar with cancer. The former politician, who held several portfolios in Howard Pawleys NDP government in the 1980s, had battled kidney cancer just two years earlier.

Now Kostyra, 70, is helping to raise awareness  and money  to fight the disease, which attacks plasma cells in bone marrow.

Hadas Parush / Winnipeg Free Press Files Lieutenant Governor, Philip S. Lee names Eugene Kostryra to the Order of Manitoba in 2011.

On Sunday, hes taking part in the seventh annual Winnipeg Multiple Myeloma March. Organizers have set a fundraising goal of $50,000; they raised $64,000 locally last year.

Kostyra, a former finance minister who also held a powerful backroom job as secretary to the community and economic development committee of cabinet under former premier Gary Doer, said he was diagnosed with the illness after a routine blood test ordered by his family physician.

His MD saw some inconsistencies in the test results and referred him to an oncologist for further tests.

He knew there was something that was not right, Kostyra said Thursday from his home north of Gimli.

It was determined he had multiple myeloma  not to be confused with melanoma, a cancer of the skin. It was totally unrelated to his previous cancer, which had caused him to lose a kidney.

The disease was not advanced when it was diagnosed. It was kind of lurking in my system at that point, Kostyra said.

But within four months it had accelerated to the point where he began treatment: a gruelling six-month regime of once-a-week chemotherapy treatments at Gimli hospital.

Im doing fine at the present time, Kostyra said, heaping praise on CancerCare Manitoba and his health providers. Doctors say his multiple myeloma is now in substantial partial remission, meaning so far so good, although it will inevitably return.

The cancer can cause lesions to form on a sufferers bones, which causes considerable pain, Kostyra said. So far, he has been spared that.

Multiple myeloma is a relatively rare form of cancer. Every day, seven Canadians  in their mid-60s, on average  are diagnosed with it, according to Myeloma Canada, a non-profit advocacy group that raises funds for research.

Multiple myeloma is also one of several presumptive illnesses for firefighters under Manitoba law. It means that any firefighter with the cancer automatically qualifies for Workers Compensation Board benefits.

According to the Mayo Clinic, multiple myeloma is a cancer that develops in plasma cells. Plasma cells are white blood cells that help the body fight infections by producing antibodies to detect and attack germs. Multiple myeloma makes cancer cells aggregate in bone marrow, blocking out healthy blood cells. The cause of multiple myeloma is uncertain.

Myeloma Canada says the life expectancy in 2000 for multiple myeloma patients was three to five years. Today, many patients go on to live 10 years or longer, the organization says.

The annual Winnipeg march begins at 9 a.m., Sunday at the Norwood Community Centre at 87 Walmer St.

larry.kusch@freepress.mb.ca
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Its been more than five years since Teklu Mebrahtu stabbed his wife 12 times, left her in the bathtub of their downtown Winnipeg apartment suite, and phoned 911 to report hed killed her.

Alche Kidane, 34, was killed in January 2012, only five months after she and her husband settled in Winnipeg from Eritrea.

Now, as Mebrahtus second-degree murder trial ends, Crown prosecutors concede he was suffering psychosis and paranoid delusions at the time. But Court of Queens Bench Justice Shawn Greenberg still has to decide if Mebrahtu was not criminally responsible for the killing. The main question before the court is whether the accused knew what he was doing was wrong, despite his mental disorder.

Murder victim Alche Fsehaye Kidane, 34 years of Winnipeg

Forensic psychologists called to testify for the Crown and the defence disagreed on that point and offered opposing opinions on Mebrahtus potential NCR status during his trial earlier this year. But in an unusual step Wednesday, prosecutors asked the judge not to give any weight to the testimony of an expert Crown witness who said he believed Mebrahtu may have been faking his symptoms.

Crown prosecutors Daniel Chaput and Kyle Parker called Dr. Jeffrey Waldman to the stand in May to rebut the defences evidence from Dr. Giovana Levin, who said she believed Mebrahtu was not criminally responsible.

Waldman testified he believed the accused was malingering and his symptoms were inconsistent. He said Mebrahtu should be found criminally responsible. However, problems with Waldmans testimony resulted in the Crown prosecutors backing away from it, and Greenberg said they made the right call.

She has reserved her decision in the case. In April, she dismissed a defence request to have the case thrown out because of unreasonable delay.

Defence lawyer Wendy Martin White argued Mebrahtus delusions  particularly his belief his wife was trying to poison him  led him to kill her.

He felt he was morally justified in doing what he had done, she said, pointing to translations of what Mebrahtu said during a police interview after his arrest in January 2012 in the immediate aftermath of his 911 confession.

What they thought for me happened to her, he kept repeating.

Martin White argued the evidence shows Mebrahtu couldnt explain his actions. He said in his police statement she was trying to kill me, but I dont know what happened after I lost my patience.

He could not say what he did, why he did what he did, Martin White said.

Chaput argued even though Mebrahtu was having delusions, he still knew killing his wife was wrong. He believed she was poisoning him and had previously refused to eat.

This was not an unprepared mind, Chaput said, adding when Mebrahtu stabbed his wife eight times in her chest, three times in her abdomen and once in her upper back, He understood that he would kill her.

He knew his act was wrong from societys perspective.

Martin White argued just because her client later expressed regret and horror over what he had done when he was talking to police doesnt mean he understood what he was doing during what she described as a frenzied attack.

Mebrahtu remains in custody and has been diagnosed with schizophrenia. He spent four months in the psychiatric ward at Health Sciences Centre while in custody and received electric-shock treatment to bring him out of a reported catatonic state.

While Manitoba Justice doesnt track how many not-criminally responsible assessments are ordered in Manitoba courts, there were 11 not-criminally-responsible findings made in the province within the past year.

katie.may@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @thatkatiemay
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A 55-year-old man died on Monday after the all-terrain vehicle he was driving flipped over near Treherne.

The incident occurred just after 7 p.m. in the RM of Victoria on Road 40 North, close to the intersection of Road 65 West.

When RCMP officers arrived on scene, the ATV was in the middle of Road 40 North and an ATV trailer was flipped over in the north ditch. Early investigation indicates the ATV was travelling eastbound on Road 40 North when the driver lost control and the ATV overturned. It is undetermined at this time if the ATV completely rolled over.

The driver, from Holland, Manitoba, was rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead. He was not wearing a helmet. Alcohol does not appear to be a factor in the mishap. He was travelling alone at the time of the incident.

The investigation continues with the assistance of a RCMP Forensic Collision Reconstructionist.
The total number of non-tertiary education students in the new academic year has reached almost 79,100, up by 2.7 percent compared with 77,000 last year, marking the fourth consecutive year of growth in the number of students in the MSAR.

According to data released yesterday by the Education and Youth Affairs Bureau (DSEJ), the latest estimate for kindergarten students in the 2017/18 school year is about 19,000, representing an increase of 6.6 percent compared with the previous year.

At the same time, around 30,700 primary school students are accounted for in the new school year, up by 5.5 percent year-on-year, while 28,500 secondary students are expected, down by 2.8 percent.

According to the DSEJ, the increase in the number of kindergarten and primary school students has warranted an increase in the demand for teachers at this education level. Conversely, the opposite has been observed in the area of secondary school education. The total number of teaching staff is 7,600 for the school year ahead, marking an increase of 3.6 percent compared with September last year.

The estimated average class sizes for kindergartens, primary schools and secondary schools are 29.5 students, 29.6 students and 27.7 students respectively, marking progress along the governments goal to seek smaller class sizes.

At the start of the new academic year, there are 77 schools and 122 school units in Macau. The number of school units that have joined the free education school system have increased from 96 last year to 105, indicating that the coverage of the free education system has increased from 89 percent to 94 percent. The number of students covered is almost 70,000.

The DSEJ noted that Portuguese courses will continue to be listed as a priority funded item in education. Schools are subsidized through the School Development Fund to employ qualified teachers to teach Portuguese.
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Six students at Shaftesbury High School targeted a fellow student this summer with anti-Semitic language and graphics on social media.

No one has been suspended, but the targeted student has agreed to meet one-on-one with each of the six students in mediation, with adults present, Pembina Trails School Division superintendent Ted Fransen said Thursday. The targeted student wasnt aware of what happened until he learned of it from the division.

We are absolutely talking disciplinary action, but action which will help educate and heal, rather than suspensions, Fransen said.

The students used Instagram to attack their fellow student, said Fransen. He is not disclosing any details that might lead to anyones being identified.

Fransen would not speculate on why the students launched the anti-Semitic attack, or whether it had anything to do with anti-Semitic and neo-Nazi activities in the U.S. and elsewhere in recent weeks.

In general terms, it was anti-Semitic language and graphics directed at a single student, he said. I learned of this on Friday, as did the school principal. The police were contacted by the principal. The families were contacted, both the target and the posters.

The police were very quick to respond, he said. I reached out to Bnai Brith and asked if they would work with us.

Shaftesbury will hold an assembly Tuesday with Cantor Moshe Kraus, a Holocaust survivor.

Fransen could not say when the online attacks occurred or how widely they were seen.

There are no criminal charges at this time, Winnipeg Police Service public affairs officer Const. Jay Murray said Thursday.

On Sept. 1, at approximately 6:30 p.m., the Winnipeg Police Service attended to a residence in the South Tuxedo area to take a report after a parent was made aware of online content that was concerning to them, Murray said.

Ive been advised that criminal charges are not being pursued at this time. All involved parties have advised they are happy with the action taken by police and the school.

Fransen emphasized it was an isolated incident and does not reflect the caring and respectful environment within Shaftesbury and among Pembina Trails 14,000 students.

Shaftesbury principal Catherine Birch contacted parents by letter Thursday.

We are connecting this morning, to let you know that we recently became aware of social media postings that were anti-Semitic in nature, she wrote. The postings were generated and circulated by a small group of Shaftesbury students. This happened over the summer holidays and the Winnipeg Police Service has investigated and intervened to stop the spread of these hurtful messages. Both Shaftesbury High School and Pembina Trails School Division are thankful for the officers quick action.

As a school community, we are saddened by these events because when one of us is hurt, we are all hurt. This is indeed a natural reaction of a strong and cohesive community. The actions of these students do not represent who we are as a school community.

Shaftesbury is committed to our values of diversity and inclusion. We are planning to hold a school assembly on the morning of Sept. 12, where Cantor Kraus, a Holocaust survivor, will be sharing his moving story with our entire student body. It is our deepest hope that this shared experience will help our students to heal, to learn and to grow towards harmony and respect for all, Birch said.

Since parents received the letter, Fransen said, more than 30 families have contacted the school offering support for the schools handling of the attacks.

nick.martin@freepress.mb.ca
Opinion

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Content-rich instruction may not be as flashy as some of the educational alternatives, but its a whole lot more effective.

Educators have long debated the importance of specific content knowledge in the curriculum. Progressive educators generally favour a non-content-specific learning process. Traditional educators say all students should master a defined body of knowledge.

The 21st-century learning movement, with its emphasis on non-content-specific skills, such as critical thinking and creativity, is the latest manifestation of the progressive approach. A number of provinces  notably Alberta, British Columbia and Ontario  are making substantial curriculum changes to reflect the priorities of the 21st-century learning movement. If this trend continues, content knowledge will get less emphasis in schools.

Scott Anderson / NewsTribune Files Despite progressive notions that emphasize other learning techniques, old-fashioned content knowledge is the key to students' performance in all subject areas.

This shift away from content knowledge should give all Canadians cause for concern because such knowledge is essential in all subject areas and at all grade levels. There are several reasons why.

First, content knowledge is needed for reading comprehension. Give students an article to read about a topic they know nothing about and theyll struggle to understand it. But theyll have little difficulty reading an article or book when they possess background knowledge about the topic. The more they already know, the more effectively they can read and understand. Reading comprehension depends on background knowledge.

Second, content knowledge makes critical thinking possible.

In many schools, the development of critical thinking skills is considered more important than the acquisition of specific content knowledge. However, this overlooks the fact that critical thinking cant take place in the absence of specific content knowledge.

As a case in point, consider the recent proposal by the Elementary Teachers Federation of Ontario to remove Sir John A. Macdonalds name from public schools. Is this a good idea or not?

In order to think critically about this question, you need to know a lot of things about John A. Macdonald and the cultural context he lived in. Macdonald is considered a Father of Confederation because of the very important role he played in bridging the divide between anglophones and francophones in mid-19th-century Canada. He also spearheaded the construction of the CPR railroad, which brought additional provinces into Confederation and fiercely protected our country from American military aggression. These are significant accomplishments.

At the same time, Macdonald was a deeply flawed man. He drank too much, took bribes from railroad companies, brazenly handed out plum patronage jobs to his political cronies and created a residential school system that harmed many Indigenous people. These flaws cannot be ignored. Rather, they must be weighed against his accomplishments.

People cant think critically about something they know nothing about. While subject-specific content knowledge doesnt guarantee critical thinking, its a prerequisite for critical thinking to take place.

Finally, content knowledge empowers students from disadvantaged backgrounds. Far too many students come to school from low socioeconomic homes where they havent had the same learning opportunities as their more affluent classmates. They enter school at a significant disadvantage. However, schools can largely compensate for this gap by ensuring that all students receive content-rich instruction from an early age. Content-rich instruction is key to empowering students from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Protecting content knowledge in schools begins with provincial education departments. Instead of reducing or downplaying the subject content, those who write curriculum guides must ensure that content at all grade levels is substantial and logically sequential. Whether the subject is math, science, English language, arts or social studies, theres no excuse for providing teachers with nearly content-free curriculum guides.

At the local level, superintendents and principals should set a tone of support for content-rich instruction.

Students deserve the best education teachers can provide. Knowledge is powerful and good teachers know how to make their subjects come alive.

By restoring knowledge to its rightful place, we can help ensure that all students receive a top-quality education.

Michael Zwaagstra is a senior fellow with the Frontier Centre for Public Policy, a public high-school teacher and author of Content Knowledge is the Key to Learning.

 Troy Media
Opinion

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We dont govern by polls; we govern by what we think is the right practical policy.

Thats what Manitoba Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen said this week when asked about a Winnipeg Free Press/Probe Research survey that suggests a majority of adults in Winnipeg believes every publicly funded hospital  even those operated by faith-based institutions  should provide all legal medical services, including assisted dying.

And that is as it should be. Governments are elected to govern, not to follow popular opinion. Public opinion exerts its influence at the ballot box, but once an electoral decision is reached, those thrust into power must operate on the basis of sound judgment and service of the public interest.

BORIS MINKEVICH / WINNIPEG FREE PRESS files Health Minister Kelvin Goertzen

But on the issue of medically assisted dying, Mr. Goertzen finds himself on the horns of a dilemma. And by seeking to satisfy two competing constituencies, he and the provincial government he represents are exposing an intractable contradiction that will guarantee the contentious issue of medical assistance in dying (MAID) remains unresolved for the foreseeable future.

The Free Press/Probe Research survey asked Winnipeggers to specify their views on the subject of hospitals obligation to provide all legal medical services. The majority of respondents  59 per cent  said St. Boniface Hospital (SBH), which has refused to provide MAID on religious grounds, should be required to provide the service. A much smaller number  25 per cent  believed SBHs religious affiliation should excuse it from offering MAID as an end-of-life option.

After the hospitals board voted in June to allow MAID under rare circumstances, the Catholic Health Corporation of Manitoba, which controls SBH, reconfigured the board and held a second vote that overturned the earlier result.

The resulting controversy highlighted a cycle of contradictory agendas that could leave the most vulnerable among us without access to end-of-life service that the law says must be made available. According to the Supreme Court of Canada, individual health-care providers can refuse to be involved in assisted-dying procedures; the legal obligations of institutions are not as clear.

Patients, however, do not typically get to choose the facility in which theyre treated, which means people in failing health whose circumstances have led them to seek medical assistance in dying might suddenly find themselves in an institution that refuses MAID. And while theres an intention to transfer such patients, when necessary, to a facility that will provide the service, its possible someone who is too ill or frail to be transferred might be forced to remain in place and therefore be denied the assistance in dying they are legally allowed to request.

It is, the minister conceded, a health-care conundrum that could eventually be left to the courts to decide.

Mr. Goertzen confirmed this week that the policies of all Manitoba health-care facilities with respect to MAID are under review, and that protocols for transferring patients are to be developed by regional health authorities by late this fall. In the meantime, Manitobas compromise solution for MAID provision  a dedicated team that travels the province to administer the procedure  continues to function as best it can.

Every province is struggling to try to find that balance, and I think weve done that better than most, Mr. Goertzen said. (But that) doesnt mean weve done it perfectly.

The recent poll would certainly support the latter sentiment. Its a public-opinion endorsement Mr. Goertzen should rightly ignore as he directs his efforts to ensuring no Manitoban is denied a medical-service option that is now entrenched as a legal right.
The humanitarian crisis unfolding in Yementhe worst in the worldis an entirely man-made catastrophe, the product of a the two-and-a-half-year-old Saudi-led and US-backed war of aggression, the UN Office of High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in a report issued on Tuesday.

The war, which has increasingly assumed near-genocidal proportions, has killed at least 14,000 civilians, maimed many thousands more, displaced 2 million and left at least 7.3 million on the brink of famine.

Meanwhile, the country is confronting the worst cholera epidemic on record, with the World Health Organization and Yemens health ministry reporting 612,703 people infected and 2,048 of them dying from the disease since April. While the spread of the epidemic has slowed over the past two months, there are still 3,000 new cases reported daily.

Shortly after the outbreak of the epidemic, the WHO predicted a worst-case scenario of 300,000 cases within six months. That this estimate has been more than doubled is testimony to the merciless destruction wrought by a massive Saudi bombing campaign, described by the UN as the leading cause of death in Yemen, as well as the effects of a sea and air blockade imposed upon the country with the indispensable support of the US Navy.

The Saudi regime has dramatically escalated its bombardment of Yemen, staging 5,767 airstrikes in the first six months of this year alone, compared to 3,936 for all of 2016.

Bombs and missiles, supplied by the United States and delivered by US-made warplanes that are aerially refueled by American tanker planes and guided by US intelligence, have struck, as the UN reported Tuesday, markets, residential areas, hospitals, schools, funeral gatherings and even fishermen and small civilian boats at sea.

Airstrikes have demolished the countrys infrastructure, leaving 15.7 million people without access to either clean water or sanitation, creating the objective conditions for the spread of cholera.

This was also the conclusion reached by a study conducted by researchers at Londons Queen Mary University last month, which found that eight out of ten cholera deaths in Yemen were in Saudi-besieged areas controlled by the Houthi rebels. Saudi-led airstrikes have destroyed vital infrastructure, including hospitals and public water systems, hit civilian areas, and displaced people into crowded and unsanitary conditions, the study stated.

The Saudi war is aimed at restoring to power Yemens fugitive president Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, a stooge of Riyadh who was first installed in a 2012 election in which he was the only candidate for a two-year transitional period that has long since expired. He was forced to flee the country by an alliance of Houthi rebels and forces loyal to the former dictator, Ali Abdullah Saleh, who seized much of the country, including the capital of Sanaa.

The main concern of the Saudi monarchy is that any Yemeni regime not under its control could establish closer ties to Iran, Saudi Arabias regional rival. Both Riyadh and Washington have charged, without any substantive evidence, that Iran is arming and supporting the Houthis.

The Saudi war enjoyed the support of the Obama administration, which set up a joint command center between the Pentagon and the Saudi military to oversee the war and signed hundreds of millions of dollars worth of arms deals with the monarchy.

This support has only been escalated under Trump, who staged a visit to Riyadh in May in which he went out of his way to praise Riyadh for its strong actions against Houthi militants in Yemen and signed a $110 billion arms deal that includes an option for the Saudis to purchase $350 billion worth of US weapons over the next 10 years.

US Defense Secretary James Mattis likewise issued a memo last March calling for stepped-up support for the criminal war against Yemen, which is seen by the Pentagon as part of the preparation for a US military confrontation with Iran.

Tuesdays UN report called upon the Human Rights Council, the UN body authorized to order major international investigations, to mount such a probe of human rights violations in Yemen when it convenes later this month. The council has repeatedly rejected calls to investigate the war, leaving the matter in the hands of a Yemeni government panel that is an instrument of the Saudi monarchy.

I have repeatedly called on the international community to take action to set up an independent, international investigation into the allegations of very serious violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in Yemen, said Zeid bin Raad al-Hussein, the UNs high commissioner for human rights, in issuing Tuesdays report. He added, The reticence of the international community in demanding justice for the victims of the conflict in Yemen is shameful, and in many ways contributing to the continuing horror.

Saudi Arabia, whose ruling monarchy regularly tortures and beheads its political opponents, is a member of the Human Rights Council, where it and the United States have been able to block any critical examination of the Yemen war.

Meanwhile, the UNs World Food Program (WFP) also indicted Riyadh for the catastrophe in Yemen. Saudi Arabia should fund 100 percent of the needs of the humanitarian crisis in Yemen, the WFPs executive director, David Beasley, said Tuesday. Either stop the war or fund the crisis. Option three is, do both of them.

The WFP director said that the Saudi blockade of the Red Sea port of al-Hudaidah, through which 80 percent of Yemens food imports arrived before the war, along with the Saudi bombing of the ports cranes, had substantially reduced our capacity to bring food in.

The conditions spelled out by the UN agencies constitute war crimes inflicted by the wealthy and reactionary hereditary monarchies of Saudi Arabia and the Gulf oil sheikdoms together with their principal backers, the United States and Britain, against the most impoverished country in the Arab world.

The same capitalist politicians, corporate media, and various pseudo-left proponents of human rights imperialism who regularly denounce the Syrian government of Bashar al-Assad and its Russian and Iranian allies for war crimes largely ignore the mass slaughter in Yemen, where an entire population is being subjected to bombardment, disease and starvation.
Richard Branson's Son Is 'Glad to Say All Humans' Survived Hurricane Irma but Buildings on Private Island Are 'Destroyed' Richard Branson's Son Says 'All Humans' Survived Hurricane Irma but Buildings on Private Island Are 'Destroyed'

Richard Branson opted to stay on his private Necker Island on Tuesday even though the 185-mph winds of category 5 Hurricane Irma tore through the British Virgin Islands throughout the night.

Luckily, Bransons 32-year-old son Sam gave an update on Wednesday, informing fans and followers that all humans on Necker are ok amid the life-threatening Atlantic storm.

Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed. Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path, Sam wrote on Instagram and Twitter, along with a photo of Irma.

Please dont take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way. If your building is not very solid, do find somewhere safe! Homes can be rebuilt but lives cant. Nature warning us again of the impact of #climatechange We must all do more to combat this, he concluded.

The National Hurricane Center provided an update at 5 p.m. Wednesday with a statement: The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased.

It has recently been forecasted to modestly weaken in the next two days, but it will remain an extremely dangerous Category 4 or 5 storm.

Sam along with his father, who is the founder of Virgin and purchased Necker Island in 1979 for $180,000, had been seeking shelter in the wine cellar with about a dozen Virgin Group staff members.

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#roadtown #tortola during the eye of the storm. Thinking of everyone! ???????????? #hurricaneirma #bvi A post shared by Sam Branson (@bransonsam) on Sep 6, 2017 at 1:47pm PDT

#Tortola in the eye of the storm. Other side of #hurricaneirma hitting BVI now. Just so so sad ???? #bvi #tragic A post shared by Sam Branson (@bransonsam) on Sep 6, 2017 at 12:46pm PDT

We are expecting to get the full force of the hurricane in around five hours time, when we will retreat to a concrete wine cellar under the Great House, Branson wrote in a blog post on the Virgin website Wednesday.

Bransons buildings on Necker Island are designed to withstand storms, using hurricane blinds that he says should be able to resist the extreme weather.

The atmosphere is eerie but beautiful, Branson continued in his blog. Everyone is willing the eye of the storm to veer away from the BVI in these last few hours. As I wrote yesterday, our main concern is safety, for everyone here and for all the people in the BVI and in the path of the hurricane.

Hurricane Irma has the potential to be one of the most powerful and intense Atlantic storms in history. Once it passes through the Virgin Islands, Irma is expected to hit Puerto Rico and the Bahamas, and make landfall in Florida by Sunday.



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The reality star sat down with Steve Harvey, where he delivered a playfully backhanded compliment at his friend.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department confirms to ET that they responded to a call at Scott Disick's home in Hidden Hills, California.

A spokesperson for the LACFD tells ET that on Aug. 18 at 5:03 p.m., they arrived to Disick's residence after a call came in for a possible 5150 psychiatric hold on a male at the house. The responders, who noted that the man was non-violent when they arrived at the residence, then transported him to a local hospital.

According to The Blast, the Los Angeles Fire Department confirmed that "officials transported Mr. Disick to a local hospital."

MORE: Scott Disick Parties in Las Vegas, Denies He's a Sex Addict

A 5150 hold is when someone is hospitalized on an involuntary basis. "They're basically there involuntarily and why this can help certain people is because it keeps them in the hospital longer and helps them to get treated longer," psychotherapist Dr. Robi Ludwig explained to ET in a 2015 interview. "It's usually a person who is in a sicker state that ends up in a hospital involuntarily because other people have decided that they can't make decisions on their own behalf and they usually are considered a danger to themselves or others at least for a period of time."

News of the fire department being called out to the 34-year-old reality star's house comes nearly two years after Disick spent a month in a drug and alcohol rehab center.

PHOTOS: Bella Thorne Hits Nightclub With Scott Disick After Saying She Was 'Never With Him Sexually'

Back in July, a source told ET that Disick is having trouble dealing with his ex-girlfriend Kourtney Kardashian's new relationship with model Younes Bendjima.

"Its never an easy thing to watch someone you share three children with, and so many memories, move on with someone else," the source explained, adding that Disick really doesn't know Bendjima. "Scott has had a hard time watching Kourtney move on while he is in the same place hes been in for years. Its been tough for him.

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ET has reached out to Disick's rep.

Additional reporting by Steve Wilks.

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Three and a half years ago, your entire Stereogum staff was at the FADER Fort during SXSW, watching the beautifully random one-off set where the Afghan Whigs were Usher's backing band. It was a great moment, and we couldn't enjoy it. A few minutes earlier, we'd learned that Lil Wayne was in a hospital after

By Tom Breihan

Three and a half years ago, your entire Stereogum staff was at the FADER Fort during SXSW, watching the beautifully random one-off set where the Afghan Whigs were Ushers backing band. It was a great moment, and we couldnt enjoy it. A few minutes earlier, wed learned that Lil Wayne was in a hospital after suffering multiple seizures. TMZ claimed  erroneously, it turned out  that a priest had given Wayne last rites. We were all frantically refreshing our phones, sharing meaningful looks. We were utterly out of the moment, wondering the thing that nobody really wanted to think about: What if Lil Wayne dies?

Lil Wayne has survived a lot. He accidentally shot himself in the chest when he was 12. He spent the better part of a year at Rikers Island when he was at the peak of his fame. Hes openly feuded with his old label boss and father figure, Birdman, quite possibly the most feared man in mainstream rap. A few years ago, someone shot Waynes tour bus up. Hes spent years, if his own lyrics are to be believed, recreationally partaking in some truly dangerous substances. Hes lived through the mental strain of being globally famous since he was a teenager, of being one of the most recognizable people on the planet for at least the last decade. This past weekend, he was back in the hospital again, again after suffering from seizures, being found unresponsive. Hes since been discharged, and official word is that the reason for his ailments arent even drug-related. Hes just been working too hard and getting too little sleep. Hell be taking two weeks off.

It is my great hope that hell live to see the end of 2009. Thats how I ended a piece about Wayne at the beginning of 2009. That piece, written for the Village Voices end-of-year Pazz & Jop issue, was about the triumphant year Wayne had just had, the time when he made good on all of the promise of his mixtape years and fleetingly became raps biggest star. And even then, Waynes self-destructive streak was fully evident. It was enough to make loving Lil Wayne a complicated thing: What if were lionizing someone whos drawing some of his creativity from a drug intake that he cant sustain? What if were participating in his downfall by loving him? Even today, even if the seizures really have nothing to do with drugs, seizures are no joke. Severe epilepsy helped kill my aunt when she was 40. Wayne says hes off lean because of those seizures, but hes still pushing himself. Hes still pushing himself because people still love his music and want to see him perform.

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Its time to start thinking about whether Lil Wayne is the greatest rapper who has ever lived. Its time even though he hasnt had a sustained inspired streak in nearly a decade. Its time even though his commercial fortunes have declined, even though hes been trapped in a court battle with his old label thats kept him from putting out an album under his own name. (It was great to see him back on top of the Billboard Hot 100 for a week earlier this year with his verse on DJ Khaleds Im The One, but I think we can all agree that it was minor Wayne.) Its not time because were worried about Waynes health, because the events of the past weekend have forced some of us to, once again, contemplate a world after Wayne. Its time because its simply undeniable. There hasnt been a more influential rapper this century. There hasnt been anyone in any field who had a hot streak as ferocious as the one Wayne was on from, say, late 2005 to mid-2008. There hasnt been anyone else who achieved massive, universe-realigning commercial success while seeming to come from another galaxy entirely. Im not saying Wayne is the greatest rapper of all time; I simply dont have the authority to even float a claim like that. But I am saying that we need to talk about it. The possibility is real.

I cant tell you what a thrill it was to be writing about music when Waynes dominant streak was happening. Wayne was calling himself the greatest rapper alive since the greatest rapper retired back in 2004, and when he first said it, I laughed. A lot of people laughed. Wayne was a product of the Cash Money system  a fiery and unfocused little kid whod been blessed with the chance to rap over nothing but Mannie Freshs malfunctioning-spaceship beats. As virtually all of his Cash Money peers left the label or went to prison, Wayne was tasked with carrying the label, and he did better at that than anyone expected, but most nerds like me werent considering him a great rapper yet. We were wrong. It was all there from the beginning. The deranged croak of a voice, the weirdo charisma, the unexpected lyrical turns  he was developing all of that in plain sight, when he was already famous. With the release of the first Carter album, he started carrying himself like a star. But it took at least a year for most of us to realize what was happening.

For me the oh, shit moment was a throwaway guest-verse that nobody even remembers: Waynes appearance on Paul Walls March N Step in 2005. To this day, I cant even explain what it was about that verse. Wayne just seemed to be entering a whole new orbit, hovering over the beat like a dragonfly in a swamp. Everything he said radiated some implacable cool: Im tryna get somewhere like I aint never been nowhere / Theyd probably suffocate, tryna breath this NO air. I ride around with a mac-10 squared / Thats a pair of semiautomatics, shooting everywhere. Im extra bout it / If I get in beef, I do something about it fore I get out it. None of it looks like much on paper. All of it meant everything on record. I rewound that verse so many times. This was for a Paul Wall song that wasnt even a single. He threw it out there like it was nothing.

It kept happening. Wayne seemed to be getting better every week back then, and we could tell because hed show up on another five or six new songs every week. His mixtapes were instant classics. His guest appearances could lift a mediocre song toward greatness. And it wasnt just good rapping. He didnt act the way rap stars were supposed to act. He came off as a figure of chaos and rupture, a frantic and out-of-control trickster prince rather than an icy, composed mastermind. In doing so, he essentially cleaved rap history into two parts. Every major star whos come after, even relatively traditionalist figures like Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, have taken an idea or two or five from what he was doing then. At the time, I would insist to whoever was listening that wed remember Waynes run like he was late-60s Hendrix. Im wrong about a lot of stuff. Im wrong all the fucking time. But I was right about that.

It didnt last. How could it? Waynes decline has been so well-documented that its depressing to even bring up the bullet points: The prison stay, the skateboarding, Rebirth. Today, Wayne is stuck in legal hell, and his Carter V has sat on the shelf so long that it would inevitably sound hopelessly dated if it ever came out. Hes capable of brief flashes of brilliance, and his voice is still his own. But Wayne has outlived his moment. Hopefully, hell continue to outlive it for a long time to come. And whatever Waynes future might bring, we need to appreciate a beast, a dog, a motherfucking problem while he still walks among us.

FURIOUS FIVE

1. The Cool Kids  9:15AM (Feat. Jeremih)

The Cool Kids always sounded slick. They never sounded this slick. Hornball club-rap very rarely gets this irresistible. And the hook offers, I guess, a rare bright side to the Trump presidency.

2. $UICIDEBOY$  For The Last Time

At this moment, the buzziest group in rap is a pair of scabby white skate rats from New Orleans who do straight-up mid-90s Bone Thugs/Three 6 pastiche and sound a lot like Juggalos. This should not be a good thing, but somehow, it is.

3. Jimmy Wopo  First Day Out

Jimmy Wopo, from Pittsburgh, was only in prison for a few months this year, and yet hes already joined the venerable young tradition of rappers getting out of jail, recording fired-up and overjoyed songs immediately after coming home, and then calling those songs First Day Out.

4. Tee Grizzley  Beef (Feat. Meek Mill)

Speaking of songs called First Day Out! Tee Grizzleys big breakout hit was essentially a rewrite of Meek Mills Dreams & Nightmares (Intro). So its cool to hear him rapping alongside Meek on an urgent, purposeful new song, even though it might not be a good idea for Meek to be rapping about beef, even in the abstract.

5. NORE  Uno Mas (Feat. Pharrell)

Superthug was 19 years ago, and Pharrell and Noreaga are still making music together. Thats a beautiful thing.

IT WAS ALL GOOD JUST A WEEK AGO

celebrities donating money for Harvey is chill but Rocky literally turned himself into an inflatable raft and is headed to Texas rn. iconic pic.twitter.com/FBKhzN8fuh  we did it 1st (@MaskedGorilla) September 1, 2017

This post We All Need To Be Grateful For Lil Waynes Continued Existence first appeared on Stereogum.
The European Unions top court yesterday rejected legal action by Hungary and Slovakia to avoid accepting refugees under an EU scheme, a decision seen as a victory for countries bearing the greatest burden of Europes migrant wave.

In a long-awaited ruling, the European Court of Justice said that it had dismissed in its entirety the actions brought by Slovakia and Hungary.

EU countries agreed in September 2015 to relocate 160,000 refugees from Greece and Italy over two years, but only around 27,700 people have been moved so far. Hungary and Slovakia were seeking to have the legally binding move annulled.

Hungary and Poland have refused to take part in the scheme, while so far Slovakia has accepted only a handful of refugees from Greece.

The refugee scheme was adopted by the EUs qualified majority vote  around two thirds  and the ECJ held that this was appropriate, saying the EU was not required to act unanimously on this decision.

The court also noted that the small number of relocations so far is due to a series of factors that the EU could not really have foreseen, including the lack of cooperation on the part of certain member states.

Slovakian Prime Minister Robert Fico said he respected the court decision, but that his government still does not like the relocation scheme, which some see as a system of quotas imposed on countries by unelected EU bureaucrats in Brussels.

Fico said the scheme was a temporary solution. He says he believes his country doesnt face any sanctions from the EU over its stance. EU officials say the relocation of eligible asylum-seekers in Greece and Italy will continue even after the scheme ends.

Germanys foreign minister welcomed the ruling. Sigmar Gabriel said he expects all EU countries to implement the decision without further hesitation. He said solidarity is not a one-way street.

Human rights group Amnesty International welcomed the ruling, saying Hungary and Slovakia had been trying to turn their countries into refugee-free zones.

The Hungarian Helsinki Committee, an advocate for asylum-seekers, urged Hungary to give refugees an opportunity to make their case for asylum.

The lesson of the verdict is that helping people fleeing war and terror is truly a common responsibility for Europe, the group said. Hungary needs to respect the decision of the EU court.

Hungarys position is that only its elected leaders should be able to decide who is allowed into the country. Orban has said that the large influx of mainly Muslim immigrants threatens Europes and Hungarys cultural identity.

From mid-September 2015, Hungary closed off its southern border first with Serbia and later with Croatia, with a fence protected by razor wire. AP
Social Security is an important part of the retirement picture for millions of Americans, both young and old. According to a recent Gallup poll, 25 percent of Americans ages 18 to 29 and 43 percent of those ages 50 to 64 expect Social Security to be a major source of retirement income.

The average monthly retirement benefit for Social Security recipients was $1,325, as of July 2017. That may not go far if you're facing mounting medical expenses or still paying off a mortgage in your later years. You may be dealt a further blow if your benefit amount is smaller than you expected.

[See: 9 Dividend ETFs for Reliable Retirement Income.]

There are several things that could threaten the size of your Social Security check. As retirement nears, it's important to understand how certain choices can affect these critical benefits.

Timing matters. One of the most important questions for seniors is when to begin drawing Social Security. You can begin taking benefits as early as 62 or wait until full retirement age, typically 66 or 67 if you were born after 1943. Delaying benefits until age 70 is a third option. For each year you delay benefits ebyond full retirement age, your benefit amount increases by 8 percent until you hit you reach your 70th birthday.

Renee Kwok, president and CEO of TFC Financial in Boston, says the financial cost of claiming benefits before reaching full retirement age, typically 66 or 67 if you were born after 1943, may be high -- even more so for someone who's healthy and is likely to surpass standard life expectancies.

A 62-year-old who starts claiming Social Security today may see monthly benefits permanently reduced by 25 percent or more, Kwok says. A monthly benefit of, say, $1,000 at full retirement age becomes $750 for claiming benefits early. That's an annual loss of $3,000 or $60,000 less in total benefits over 20 years. If benefits increase 2 percent annually for cost-of-living adjustments over those two decades, the price tag for claiming early could climb to $73,000.

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When you do the math, you might wonder why anyone would ever consider taking Social Security early to begin with. Kwok says there are two main drivers: poor health and an immediate need for income.

If you have significant health issues, taking benefits early may seem like the logical choice, but you still have to think long term, says Hunter Unschuld, a financial advisor with Fractal Profile Wealth Management in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and the founder and CEO of The American Society of Fiduciary Education.

[Read: 5 Common Mistakes Investors Make With Social Security.]

"Maximizing your Social Security benefits requires you to gamble on your health and life expectancy," says Unschuld, adding that the break-even point for total Social Security benefits received is about age 80 to 81. When you compare starting your benefits at age 62, age 66 and age 70, it's this 80 to 81 mark where your total benefits received will be equal. If you only live to 85, you'll receive more benefits if you'd delayed until age 70 than if you started benefits at age 66 or age 62. The longer you live, Unschuld says, "the greater the total benefits received if you delayed to age 70."

Timing is also important for married couples who are trying to coordinate their benefits together. David Peterson, a certified financial planner and managing director at United Capital in Denver, says it typically makes sense for the spouse receiving the smaller benefit to take Social Security at age 62, while the higher earner delays until age 70. He says couples also have to consider their health. If the higher wage earner takes benefits early, the surviving spouse's benefit would also be reduced.

Continuing to work. Drawing Social Security early while continuing to work can deliver a double whammy to your benefits temporarily. Taking benefits while still working means in most cases, you may have to pay some of those benefits back to Social Security, says Ben Barzideh, a wealth advisor at Piershale Financial Group in Crystal Lake, Illinois.

In 2017, working seniors who claim Social Security ahead of their full retirement age can earn $16,920 per year, with no reduction of their benefits. For every $2 earned over that amount, $1 in benefits is withheld. Once you hit your full retirement age, the restrictions ease. The threshold climbs to $44,880, and $1 in benefits is withheld for every $3 you earn over that amount.

You do get those benefits back once you reach full retirement age, but it's still a wise move to keep track of your earnings in the meantime. Aside from having your benefits reduced temporarily, earning too much while claiming Social Security could make a portion of your benefits taxable. Up to 85 percent of your benefits may be subject to federal income tax, depending on your income and filing status.

Barzideh says contributing to a traditional individual retirement account could help offset any potential tax consequences if you're able to deduct your contributions. Remember, however, that once you reach age 70 , you're subject to required minimum distributions with a traditional IRA. Contributing to a Roth IRA while working and receiving Social Security benefits wouldn't offer any tax benefit in the short term, but you'd be able to withdraw that money tax-free once you stop working. And a Roth doesn't require taking distributions at all.

Medicare premiums. Medicare eligibility begins at age 65, and if you're taking Social Security, your premiums are automatically deducted from your benefits. Joseph Roseman, managing partner of O'Dell, Winkfield, Roseman and Shipp in Charlotte, North Carolina, says Medicare premiums are a small but important part of retirement income planning.

"The standard premium for part B is $134 month in 2017, but depending on your income, your premium may be as high as $267," Roseman says. One strategy for keeping premiums lower, he says, is to accumulate tax-advantaged assets, such as a Roth IRA or a permanent life insurance policy. When distributed properly, both "will generate income tax-free, which won't affect your Medicare premiums."

[See: The 9 Best Municipal Bond Funds for Tax-Free Income.]

Qualified charitable deductions are another tool seniors can use to minimize the impact of Medicare premiums on Social Security benefits, Peterson says. This strategy involves having your IRA custodian make a charitable donation on your behalf using funds from a required minimum distribution. "By doing this, you essentially get a tax deduction for the charitable contribution, even if you don't itemize," Peterson says. Plus, because the person never received the money from the required distributions, "it can help avoid those stealth taxes -- like an increase in Medicare premiums."

Rebecca Lake is a freelance Investing & Retirement reporter at U.S. News & World Report. She's been reporting on personal finance, investing and small business for nearly a decade and her work has been featured on The Huffington Post, Business Insider, CBS News and Investopedia. You can connect with her on LinkedIn and Twitter or email her at rlake0836@gmail.com.
Orly (France) (AFP) - A controversial west African activist expelled from Senegal for being a "threat to public order" arrived in France on Thursday, according to an airport source.

Kemi Seba, born in France to parents from Benin, was ordered to leave Senegal Tuesday following an incident last month in which he burned 5,000 CFA francs -- a banknote worth 7.6 euros ($9.10) -- in an anti-colonial protest over "French Africa".

The 35-year-old landed at Orly airport in Paris, where a reception committee of around 20 people awaited him, the source said.

Seba, whose real name is Stellio Capo Chichi, was acquitted by a Dakar court last week on the charge of destroying a banknote following a complaint by the Central Bank of West African States (BCEAO).

However, the Senegalese interior ministry took the decision to expel him, saying "his presence on national territory represents a serious threat to public order".

The former leader of the Ka tribe -- a group that was dissolved in 2006 in France, particularly for anti-Semitism -- was arrested at his home in the Senegalese capital in August.

After spending five days in detention, Seba was released along with another member of his Urgences Panafricanistes movement who was being held for providing him with a lighter.

- Rights groups 'surprised' at expulsion -

The Dakar prosecutor's office appealed against the decision, and a legal source told AFP on Tuesday that he is to be retried at a future date.

In a joint statement, three rights groups -- the African Commission on Human and Peoples' Rights, the Senegalese League of Human Rights and Amnesty International Senegal -- said they were "surprised" at the expulsion.

They denounced the "completely arbitrary procedure which violates the right to aid provided for people covered by deportation orders" and had asked the Senegal government to postpone the expulsion.

The CFA franc 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, although they are not technically interchangeable.

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Seba 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".

He 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.
Lagos (AFP) - Poverty, marginalisation and bad governance are more important factors in the radicalisation of young Africans than religion, according to a new study published on Thursday.

The UN came to the conclusion after interviewing 495 former members of organisations such as Nigeria's Boko Haram, the Shabaab in Somalia, and the Islamic State in Sudan.

According to the UN Development Programme (UNDP), 33,300 people were killed in attacks by violent extremists in Africa between 2011 and the start of 2016.

Boko Haram alone was responsible for at least 17,000 deaths and the displacement of more than 2.8 million people, triggering a humanitarian crisis in the Lake Chad region.

According to the two-year study, the most likely recruit for jihadists is "a frustrated individual, marginalised and neglected over the course of his life, starting in childhood".

With few economic or job prospects and little trust in the government to provide opportunities, particularly in remote, border areas, they are likely to be ripe for conversion.

But the UNDP crucially found that less than half of those interviewed cited religion as a motivating factor.

More than half (57 percent) of the voluntary recruits admitted to understanding "little to nothing of the religious texts or interpretations, or not reading religious texts at all".

Nearly three-quarters (71 percent) said government action such as the arrest or killing of a family member was often the tipping point for their decision to join.

Boko Haram for example began life as an anti-corruption movement in northeast Nigeria, where the government was blamed for the widespread poverty affecting the region.

UNDP Africa director Abdoulaye Mar Dieye said the study's findings should be a wake-up call for governments across the continent to improve governance for its citizens.

"Delivering services, strengthening institutions, creating pathways to economic empowerment -- these are development issues," he said at the launch of the report in New York.

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"There is an urgent need to bring a stronger development focus to security challenges."

Whatever the initial reasons for young people joining jihadist groups, the UN study indicated that a large number of those questioned were disappointed by their experience.

One-third said they were never paid, some never found the wife they were promised, while others ended up regretting the violence and destruction that they brought about.

One man called Ali, who spent a large part of his 53 years with the Shabaab, told researchers he was not motivated by money but his faith, despite never having studied the Koran.

But he ended up realising it was a war without end and that they had never scored a "real victory" after so much bloodshed, most of it of his fellow Muslims.

"That's why I decided to give it up," he added.
Luanda (AFP) - Angola's Electoral Commission declared Wednesday that the ruling MPLA party had won last month's election, in a victory that allows outgoing President Jose Eduardo dos Santos to install a party loyalist in his place after 38 years in power.

The Popular Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA) garnered 61.7 percent of the vote, and 150 of the 220 seats in parliament, the head of the CNE electoral commission, Andre da Silva Neto, said in announcing the final results.

Dos Santos, 75, who has ruled since 1979 and is reportedly in poor health, will hand over to former defence minister Joao Lourenco at the presidential inauguration on September 25.

The opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (Unita) won 26.6 percent of the vote and 51 parliamentary seats, while Casa-CE managed 9.5 percent with 16 seats.

Along with two smaller groups, the opposition parties said they would challenge the results of what they have called an "unconstitutional and illegal" vote in court.

On Sunday, the four defeated opposition parties had called for a recount of the August 23 vote, alleging that ballot boxes and voter forms had disappeared.

The electoral commission rejected the demand.

"The country is at a crossroads because the conduct, transparency and validity of the electoral process is being called into question," said Claudio Silva, a spokesman for the opposition.

"We consider that the practices of the CNE are a violation of democracy and the rule of law," he added.

A Unita delegate to the CNE confirmed it would file a challenge with Angola's constitutional court.

If the electoral commission upholds the results, "we will turn to other measures prescribed by the constitution," said Estevao Tachiungo, indicating that protests could be held.

- 'Spoiling the party' -

But the claims of violations were dismissed by Lourenco late Wednesday, who accused the opposition of "spoiling the people's party".

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"These political groups, by protesting in their sole interests against these so-called procedural irregularities, have violated electoral laws," he said.

"Their attempts at inciting civil disobedience show that they do no respect the popular will as expressed at the ballot boxes."

Human Rights Watch Southern Africa has urged the incoming president to "urgently implement much-needed human rights reforms" in the oil-producing country, which suffered years of civil war that ended in 2002.

"He should support free press and association, and ensure that all Angolans are able to express their political views without fear of reprisal or intimidation," said regional director Dewa Mavhinga.

"Opposition parties' claims that elections were marred by irregularities, such as the disappearance of ballot boxes, should be promptly investigated by a competent and impartial body," he added.

The MPLA had predicted it would win easily, but the result showed a decline in support from the 2012 election.

The country of 28.8 million population is battling high poverty levels and has suffered from a slump in crude prices in recent years.
Even by the standards of Burmas Rakhine State, which has seen its share of tragedy, the violence of the past two weeks has been staggering. Militants from the stateless Rohingya Muslim minority stormed police posts on August 25. The attacks killed at least a dozen members of Burmas security forces and prompted clashes that have resulted in the deaths of some 400 people. The Burmese military claims most of the dead are Rohingya insurgents, but Rohingya activists counter that civilian casualties figure highly. Villages are on fire. More than 140,000 Rohingya refugees have fled to neighboring Bangladesh. All the other villages have been already burnt down, a Rohingya activist messaged me this week. Women are giving birth while running away. More than 10,000 Rakhine Buddhists have been internally displaced.

But for hardline Buddhist nationalists, the chaos may be a boon insofar as it lends support to their negative portrayal of the countrys Muslim minority. Ma Ba Tha, a group led by ultranationalist Buddhist monks, can already be seen using the August 25 attacks as fodder in their weekly newspaper Aung Zay Yatu, whose tagline is Race and Religion Must Exist Until the World Ends. In the September 1 issue, one headline read: The Different Dangers of Bengali Muslims. (Despite evidence to the contrary, Burmas government insists the Rohingya are from Bangladesh and calls them Bengali.) The newspaper also featured an interview with Ashin Wirathu, a hardline monk and Ma Ba Tha leader who has served time in prison for inciting anti-Muslim violence.

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The editor in chief of the paper, Maung Thway Chun, told me in a recent interview at his Yangon home that he harbors no hatred toward Muslims and has Muslim friendsbut the threat of Islamization is a problem. Were not oppressing Muslims, and we recognize their existence. But we dont want Muslims to swallow our country.  They will not finish with attacking just Rakhine. They will also invade Chin State or Irrawaddy region, he said, referring to two states located to the immediate south and northeast of Rakhine. Then this country will be a Muslim country. It is such a shame for us that the land we inherited from our former generations will be lost in our time.

Founded in 2013, Ma Ba Tha successfully backed the 2015 passage of four race and religion lawswidely perceived as discriminatory toward Muslimsthat attempted to implement population control methods, forbid polygamy, and put restrictions on religious conversion and interfaith marriage. The government has attempted to crack down on the group, for example by ordering Aung Zay Yatu to stop publishing, but the weekly will simply relaunch under a different name, its editor said.

In March, Buddhist religious authorities slapped Ma Ba Thas Wirathu with a one-year preaching ban after he thanked the men who killed a high-profile Muslim legal adviser in Yangon and after he told Buddhist women it would be better to marry dogs than Muslims. The state-backed Buddhist Sangha Council said Ma Ba Tha was not a legal organization and ordered it to take down its signs. Ma Ba Tha chapters either ignored the order or rebranded.

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Wirathu also ignored it. On the Sunday after the August attacks in Rakhine, he appeared at a rally in front of City Hall in Yangon. Weve been to some high schools in Maungdaw and we didnt see any of our ethnic people in these schools, he said, referring to one of three main towns in northern Rakhine State impacted by the fighting. All of them are Bengali students. Will the world know who is the majority or who is the minority when it sees that?"

Buddhist nationalism and religious tensions in Burma have existed at least as far back as the British colonial era and into the rocky period following independence in 1948. Rohingya groups have for decades fought under different banners for more autonomy in Rakhine. But these tensions reached a new phase after 2011, when the country started to open up to the outside world after decades of military rule, and the feeling of uncertainty over the future of Buddhist life in a changing country was more acutely felt.

Muslims make up only about 4 percent of the countrys 53 million people, and the Rohingya make up part of that minority. But Rakhine State fuels nationwide existential angst as the Rohingya are concentrated in that territory, with more than 1.1 million living there. The state is seen as the Western Door beyond which Muslim South Asia, and Global Islam, waits.

Theres been a longstanding fear of Islamic cultures encroaching on Myanmar and weakening a national identity centered around Buddhism, and the violence of the past five years, which is spun as being largely perpetrated by Rohingya, confirms this in the minds of many, Francis Wade, author of the new book Myanmars Enemy Within: Buddhist Violence and the Making of a Muslim Other, told me. There are also local anxieties felt by Rakhine [Buddhists] which are often material in naturethat Rohingya are taking land, overwhelming resources, and so onbut these feed into a wider narrative that sees events in western Myanmar in more symbolic terms, of a conquest underway that threatens Myanmars sovereignty and, as a result, one of the last bastions of Buddhism.

Rohingya refugees walk to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh border by boat on September 5, 2017. (Mohammad Ponir Hossain / Reuters)

The upsurge of violence in Rakhine has complicated efforts by State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyis new government to confront Ma Ba Tha. While many Western critics see Suu Kyi as callous in the face of Rohingya oppression, Buddhist nationalists are also upset with her, but for opposite reasons. They think she is weak on Rakhine and on Islamization.

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One of the first things Suu Kyi did after coming into office in 2016, following elections months before that ended decades of military-backed rule, was to appoint a commission led by former United Nations secretary general Kofi Annan to provide recommendations on solutions to the conflict. But less than two months after she announced the news, the group that came to be known as the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army struck for the first time, initially killing nine officials at border guard posts and triggering clashes that killed dozens and forced nearly 90,000 into Bangladesh.

The emergence of ARSA gave new oxygen to nationalist groups, according to a report on Ma Ba Tha released Tuesday by the International Crisis Group. This brought the perceived threat of violent Islam to the forefront of national consciousness and anti-Muslim sentiment spiked, authors of the report write, citing rising tensions in Yangon neighborhoods with large Muslim populations. Protests shut down two Muslim schools, and there was a late-night mob raid on a house suspected to be harboring Bengalis from Rakhine State. The Kofi Annan commission seemed doomed, yet it pressed on with its work. But hours after it delivered its final report to the media at a fancy hotel in Yangon on August 24, the latest ARSA attacks went forward.

The measures taken so far against nationalists could backfire. As the International Crisis Group points out in its report, Ma Ba Tha also provides social services, legal aid, disaster relief, and education. Moving against it aggressively, authors of the report argue, could feed into the narrative of Buddhism under threat, and ultimately empower the organization and other, more extreme nationalist groups.

Into this complex saga steps an unexpected figure: Pope Francis. The pontiff is visiting Burma for the first time in late November. Many are hopeful about the appearance. Pope Francis has particularly shown he is very much on the side of the persecuted and marginalized, and is also passionate about speaking for peace and reconciliation, said Benedict Rogers, East Asia Team Leader with Christian Solidarity Worldwide. He is therefore in a unique position to bring a message of peace to a place of conflict, and as a Christian leader he may perhaps be able to speak to the hearts and minds of Buddhists and Muslims as an independent third party, as well as strengthening the Church as a voice for justice and peace for all.

But Rakhine has ensnared even the pontiff. He has spoken out several times on the plight of the Rohingya but not paid much attention to Buddhist victims. This has not gone unnoticed. Buddhist hardliners have cautioned the pope not to use the trip to advocate for the Rohingya. Bishops in Burma have also reportedly asked him to avoid using the word Rohingya. Father Mariano Soe Aung, a spokesman for the trip, told me recently that this was not official policy, and besides, they cant tell the pope what to say.

For the moment, at least, it seems no one can tell the hardline Buddhists what to say either.

Read more from The Atlantic:

This article was originally published on The Atlantic.
(NEWARK, N.J.)  Gifts from a wealthy friend or bribes?

Its the question at the center of the corruption trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., and a Florida eye doctor that starts Wednesday in Newark and promises to put the very business of governing under a microscope.

Menendez told reporters before entering the courthouse that not once have I dishonored my public office.

Menendez and Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen are charged with a conspiracy in which, prosecutors say, Menendez lobbied for Melgens business interests in exchange for political donations and gifts that included luxury vacations, flights on Melgens plane and stays at his private villa in an exclusive Dominican Republic resort frequented by celebrities including Beyonce and Jay Z.

The indictment also alleges Menendez pressured State Department officials to give visas to three young women described as Melgens girlfriends.

The men both pleaded not guilty, and Menendez has vehemently denied the allegations. Defense lawyers say that the trips described as bribes were examples of friends vacationing together, that most of Melgens contributions went to committees Menendez didnt control and that he didnt control the people he lobbied on Melgens behalf.

Im looking forward to finally having the opportunity to seek exoneration, Menendez said recently. I do believe well be exonerated. I did nothing wrong, and I did nothing illegal.

Menendez is up for re-election next year. If he is convicted and steps down or is forced out of the Senate by a two-thirds majority vote before Gov. Chris Christie leaves office Jan. 16, the Republican governor would pick a successor.

While a Democrat has a large polling and financial advantage in Novembers election to replace Christie, the stakes are high. A Republican-led partial repeal of the Affordable Care Act might have succeeded this summer if Menendezs seat had flipped before then.

Among the gifts prosecutors say Melgen gave Menendez were flights on Melgens private jet, vacations at Melgens private villa in the Dominican Republic and a three-night stay at a luxury Paris hotel valued at nearly $5,000.

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Melgen also directed more than $750,000 in campaign contributions to entities that supported Menendez, according to the indictment, which alleges they were inducements to get Menendez to use his influence on Melgens behalf.

Prosecutors say that lobbying included a three-year effort to help Melgen avoid paying $8.9 million for overbilling Medicare, a meeting with an assistant secretary of state to help Melgen in a contract dispute over port screening equipment in the Dominican Republic, and helping one of Melgens girlfriends and her sister get into the country after their visas were denied.

Melgens sentencing in a separate Medicare fraud case has been delayed until after his trial with Menendez.

Jurors will have to wade through complex legal concepts, including whether Menendezs interactions with executive branch officials were official acts as defined under federal bribery statutes. That will depend on how a 2016 U.S. Supreme Court decision reversing the bribery conviction of former Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell, a Republican, is interpreted.

This is not a black-and-white area of the law even for people who do this on a regular basis, said Mala Ahuja Harker, a former federal prosecutor in New Jersey now working in private practice. I think peoples gut sense of fairness is going to come into play: Does this offend their sense of the way politics is supposed to operate?

Menendez has hardly been a shrinking violet since his April 2015 indictment, and he has made a steady stream of public appearances to tout his legislative priorities and harshly criticize many of President Donald Trumps policies, including Tuesdays announcement that he will wind down a program protecting young immigrants from deportation.

Menendez has also remained a leading voice against improved relations with Cuba and praised Trumps rollback of President Barack Obamas plan to re-establish diplomatic relations.

The indictment also hasnt stopped Menendez from receiving financial support. He has raised more than $6 million since his indictment, between his legal defense fund and campaign, according to a review of federal filings.
South Korea's Hyunmoo II ballistic missile is fired during an exercise at an undisclosed location in South Korea - South Korea Defense Ministry

South Korea has pledged to develop a powerful Frankenmissile capable of destroying North Koreas underground military facilities and wartime commands as it beefs up its armoury to counter the growing threat from across the border.

According to the Korea Herald, military sources in Seoul revealed the plan the day after South Korean President Moon Jae-in and his US counterpart Donald Trump agreed to scrap an imposed 500kg limit on the warheads fitting onto the Souths missiles.

Mr Moon had told the US president during a telephone call on Monday, after Pyongyangs detonation of a hydrogen bomb test, that it was crucial to find powerful and practical measures to give North Korea a wake-up call about the consequences of its actions.

South Korea flexes its military muscle after Norths nuclear test

South Korea already has the capability of firing ballistic missiles with a range of up to 800km, allowing it to hit anywhere within the pariah regime to its north. But its deterrence capability has until now been curbed by a restrictions on the payload of its missiles.

Seouls new plans to develop new missiles capable of carrying 2 tonne bombs will allow it to attack North Koreas extensive underground military facilities on its own, without depending on Americas Bunker Buster Bomb.

The so-called Frankenmissile is just one of several new tactics intended by the South to build up its military muscle as North Korean dictator Kim Jong-un rapidly accelerates his missile and nuclear weapons programme.

Graphic: The military build-up

Seoul is also racing towards a December 1 deadline to set up an elite special brigade tasked with eliminating the Norths leadership, including Kim Jong-un, in the event of war.

The decapitation strike team is expected to train alongside members of Americas SEAL Team 6, who were responsible for the assassination of Osama bin Laden.

We are in the process of conceptualising the plan, Defence Minister Song Young-moo told the national parliament.
President Donald Trump 's decision to end a program that protects hundreds of thousands of people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children could cost the economy hundreds of billions of dollars over the next decade. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday announced the "wind down" over the next six months of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which shields some 800,000 young immigrants from deportation. Unless Congress acts to replace the Obama-era program with similar protections, those people would no longer be allowed to work in the U.S. The loss of those workers, and the paychecks they earn, would dampen the American economy, hitting hardest in states like California and Florida with the largest share of DACA participants, according to groups that support the protection of those immigrants from deportation.

A report last month from FWD.us, a pro-immigration reform group co-founded by Mark Zuckerberg , found that 91 percent of DACA recipients are employed. Canceling the program would mean roughly 30,000 a month would lose their work permits as their DACA status expires, the report said. A study earlier this year by the Center for American Progress estimated that the loss of all DACA workers would reduce U.S. gross domestic product by $433 billion over the next 10 years. That economic impact would be felt unevenly across the country. California, with an estimated 188,000 DACA workers, would suffer a GDP loss of $11.3 billion a year, according to the research. Texas would lose $6.1 billion in GDP annually, and North Carolina would lose $1.9 billion a year.

"To have a lawful system of immigration that serves the national interest, we cannot admit everyone who would like to come here," Sessions said in announcing the Trump administration's decision. "It's just that simple." The cancellation of the program comes as Congress returns from its August recess to a busy calendar. In addition to an ambitious effort to overhaul the nation's tax code, lawmakers have just 12 legislative work days left before the end of September. That marks the deadline for funding the government, appropriating billions of dollars in disaster relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey, reauthorizing the federal flood insurance program and raising the Treasury's debt limit, among other items. Some business leaders, led by those in the technology industry, have been mobilizing to support the program. Microsoft (MSFT) President Brad Smith said in a blog post on Thursday that the company knows of 27 employees who are DACA beneficiaries, including software engineers, finance professionals and sales associates. "These employees, along with other DREAMers, should continue to have the opportunity to make meaningful contributions to our country's strength and prosperity," Smith wrote. In addition, a letter circulated among tech companies by Zuckerberg-backed FWD.us expressed concern over the threatened demise of DACA, calling "dreamers" vital to the economy. Amazon's Jeff Bezos, Google's Sundar Pichai and Microsoft's Satya Nadella are among the signers of the letter. "With them, we grow and create jobs," the letter said . "They are part of why we will continue to have a global competitive advantage." Republicans on Capitol Hill are divided on the issue. Some GOP lawmakers have urged Trump not to rescind the program, including House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin. "I actually don't think we should do that," he told a Wisconsin radio station last week. "This is something that Congress has to fix." On Friday, Utah GOP Sen. Orrin Hatch issued a statement urging Trump to keep the program in order to protect "individuals who entered our country unlawfully as children through no fault of their own and who have built their lives here." But the program faces strong opposition from Republicans at the state level. In June, 10 Republican state attorneys general urged the Trump administration to rescind the program, noting the government did not have to revoke permits that had already been issued. If the federal government did not withdraw DACA by Tuesday, the attorneys general said they would file a legal challenge to the program in a Texas federal court. The 10 who signed the letter represent Alabama, Arkansas, Idaho, Kansas, Louisiana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas and West Virginia. A larger coalition of 26 Republican attorneys general had challenged the Obama-era policy covering parents who entered the country illegally, known as DAPA, which had been blocked by the courts before it took effect. The Department of Homeland Security rescinded that policy earlier this year.

WATCH: Business backlash over DACA decision



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"The Bachelor" has named its next star -- and it's definitely a surprise.

Arie Luyendyk Jr., who was the runner-up on Emily Maynard's season of "The Bachelorette" back in 2012, will be the leading man of the hit ABC reality show's 22nd season, set to air in early 2018.

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"This is pretty surreal," Luyendyk Jr., 35, told People. "It doesn't feel real yet, but I'm taking it step-by-step. The timing is just so perfect in my life. I could not be more excited for this journey I'm about to embark on."

Luyendyk Jr. lost to Jef Holm, who Maynard eventually broke up with. She is now married with three children.

The race car driver turned real estate agent was revealed to be the next Bachelor on "Good Morning America" on Thursday morning after weeks of speculation as to who would become the franchise's next star. Peter Kraus, who was the runner-up on the most recent season of "The Bachelorette," was widely considered to be the favorite -- though he had previously expressed doubt over whether he wanted to participate.

WATCH: A look back at @ariejr's journey on Season 8 of the @BacheloretteABC, before becoming the newest Bachelor!@BachelorABC#TheBachelorpic.twitter.com/p0RIRGr5Xg  Good Morning America (@GMA) September 7, 2017

The show's creator, Mike Fleiss, has been teasing the announcement as rumors swirled around who it could be, though insiders told People that the producers of the show were in "panic" mode over not having a viable option.

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According to former Bachelor Sean Lowe, Luyendyk Jr. was slated to be The Bachelor back in 2014, but was replaced last minute by Chris Soules.

"They actually told Arie he was gonna be the Bachelor," Lowe told Dish Nation in 2015. "They flew [him] down, had a camera crew, filmed him telling his family he was gonna be the next Bachelor -- then pulled the rug out from underneath him and made Chris the Bachelor."

How long all the "Bachelor" relationships have lasted:



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(KUTUPALONG, Bangladesh)  Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi blamed fake news and a misinformation campaign for fueling a crisis that the U.N. says has now pushed more than 125,000 minority Rohingya Muslims into Bangladesh with tales of atrocities at the hands of security forces.

Suu Kyi told Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call Tuesday that her government is defending all the people in western Rakhine state, according to a government statement. The violence and civilian suffering have prompted international condemnation and resonated particularly in many Muslim countries.

Erdogans office in Ankara said that the Turkish leader told Suu Kyi that disproportionate use of force against the minority group should be avoided and maximum care taken to avoid harming civilians.

Suu Kyis office said that she told Erdogan that his deputy prime minister was a victim of fake news when he posted photos purportedly showing dead Rohingya that were not related to the crisis. The photos on Mehmet Simseks Twitter account had been taken down.

Suu Kyi said that such misinformation helps promote the interests of terrorists, a reference to Rohingya insurgents whose deadly attacks on Myanmar security posts Aug. 25 triggered the latest military crackdown and streams of refugees.

The military has said nearly 400 people, most of them insurgents, have died in clashes. Security forces responded to the attacks with days of clearance operations the government says were aimed at rooting out insurgents it accuses of setting fire to Rohingya villages.

Many displaced Rohingya, however, said it was Myanmar soldiers who set their homes aflame and fired indiscriminately around their villages in Rakhine state. Rohingya Muslims have long faced discrimination in the majority-Buddhist Southeast Asian country.

A Rohingya Muslim whom The Associated Press reached by phone said that she and thousands of fellow villagers driven from their homes by the violence in Myanmar are now stuck along the coast, hoping to flee to nearby Bangladesh by boat.

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The 18-year-old provided AP with cellphone photographs she took Tuesday along the beach in southern Maungdaw township in Rakhine state. Several of the photos show hundreds of people sitting on the ground, with small sacks or plastic bags holding their meager belongings. Only some had tarps or umbrellas to protect themselves from the sun.

The teenager, who spoke on condition of anonymity out of concern for her safety, said her familys house was burned Aug. 25, right after Rohingya insurgents attacked Myanmar border guard police outposts.

The number of Rohingya fleeing Rakhine has reached more than 125,000, 80 percent of whom are women and children, said UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake.

Many more children in need of support and protection remain in the areas of northern Rakhine State that have been wracked by violence, he said in a statement, adding that the U.N. refugee agency had no access to trouble spots in northern Rakhine state.

We are unable to reach the 28,000 children to whom we were previously providing psychosocial care or the more than 4,000 children who were treated for malnutrition in Buthidaung and Maungdaw in Rakhine, he said. Our clean water and sanitation work has been suspended, as have school repairs that were under way.

Turkey said that Myanmar agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it was crucial that Myanmars government immediately give Rohingya either nationality or legal status so they can lead normal lives and freely move, find jobs, and get an education.

Guterres cited the longstanding history of discrimination, hopelessness and extreme poverty against Rohingya and warned about possible ethnic cleansing.
Typhoon Hatos passage through Macau on August 23, has potentially caused damage amounting to MOP11.5 billion, the Secretary for Economy and Finance Lionel Leong revealed yesterday. A press conference organized by the Commission for Reviewing and Monitoring the Improvements of the Response Mechanism to Major Disasters, which is chaired by Chief Executive Chui Sai On, was held to discuss the review of the mechanism of response to major disasters and follow up and improvement committee.

Leong spoke to the press regarding an evaluation of the completed clean-up works and also discussed the main priorities for the secretariat that he heads. According to figures based on an initial estimation by the Statistics and Census Service, there are many indirect losses related to the suspension of activity, operations and break in sales that will be impossible to calculate at this time, said Leong.

Further clarifying the figure, Lionel Leong said that of the MOP11.47b loss forecasted currently, a total of MOP8.31b is related to direct losses while MOP3.16b is related to indirect losses.

Although he acknowledged that there is still much work to be done for a full recovery, Leong reaffirmed that it is expected the damage will not put the regions economic performance in a critical condition.

We estimate that the Macau [economy] in general terms [should] continue to keep its recovery with a tendency of a stable growth of one digit through all this year, the secretary said.

Reviewing the current status of the government subsidies to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Leong said that until September 5 there were, registered at the Fund for Industrial Development and Commercialization (FDIC), a total of 10,544 applications regarding support measures to SMEs. Of these, a total of 3,146 were already approved, involving subsidies totaling MOP157.3 million. Additionally, Leong noted that these applications for support measures disclosed that affected SMEs and professionals reported a total of MOP3.6 billion dollars in damage, an average of MOP344,000 per company.

Leong also noted that the Monetary Authority of Macao has established a hotline for support with insurance claim processing. According to Leong, a total of 1,284 insurance claim requests had been lodged by September 4, and it was expected that these claims would equate to a total of MOP2.42 billion in compensation.

The Economy and Finance Chief also noted the insurance sector has already announced several claims which resulted in compensation amounting to MOP11.26 million for two death cases and 25 cases of accidents and property damage.

Questioned by the media on the possibility of implementing a law to suspend casino employees from working when the typhoon level 8 signal is hoisted, Leong noted, the law says that the operation of the casinos is 24 hours. Nevertheless its possible to make a request to the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau regarding these situations. He added that the government will analyze the case and observe what is done in other jurisdictions. On such a topic, the CE also added that in the eventuality of the establishment of a new law, we would have to define several levels [with which to match] mandatory measures, Chui said.

As for the recent proposal to introduce a tax reduction for the replacement of vehicles damaged by flood, Leong noted that such a measure needs a formal approval from the Legislative Assembly, adding that the submission of such a proposal needs to be done as soon as the AL resumes its activities after the elections.

new civil protection bureau to be set up

The government is planning to create a new, permanent bureau responsible for working on civil protection matters. Titled the Civil Protection and Emergency Coordination Bureau, the bureau will be under the authority of the Secretariat for Security, headed by Wong Sio Chak, and will seek to enhance the basic infrastructure for countering the risks of emergencies. Among the responsibilities of the bureau are specialized prevention and response to natural catastrophes or security incidents. The DPCCC will be also responsible for directly commanding the activities of the Civil Protection Operations Center, which will in turn be renamed the Civil Protection and Contingency Operations Center. The new bureau is just one of the measures that announced by Wong yesterday. He also pledged to boost smart policing and establish a Crisis Management Information System, that might include among its tasks the inspection of communication groups of mobile apps that [are used to] broadcast rumors.

Govt invited mainland committee to evaluate response mechanism

The government invited the China National Committee for Disaster Reduction to evaluate and review the response mechanism of the territory regarding the consequences of Typhoon Hato, the Commissioner-general of the Unitary Police Service (SPU) Ma Io Kun informed yesterday during the press conference organized by the Chief Executive.

Ma explained in 13 points how the mainland Committee would contribute specialists in order to help the region find solutions for the weaknesses unearthed by the passage of the typhoon on August 23.

According to the information presented to the media, the Committee will provide specialists in the areas of disaster prevention and reduction, weather, construction and hydrological fields, electrical engineering, telecommunications and search and rescue, among others.

The Committee will also conduct an evaluation of Macaus response mechanism and submit a proposal for the citys mid- and long-term strategy for the prevention and reduction of disasters. The CE specified yesterday that the plan was not to be restricted to natural catastrophes but also covers other kinds of disasters.

The work of the Committee will be conducted in three phases. In the first, which will commence immediately and last until the end of this month, the specialists will come to Macau and help the local government to finalize the preliminary report on the typhoon.

As for the second phase, which will start right after the first and is expected to last until the end of the year, the Committee will work on the creation and improvement of the crisis management mechanism on unpredictable incidents in Macau.

To close, the Committee will, in 2018, conclude the mid- and long-term plan (2018-2028) for the prevention and reduction of disasters in Macau.
U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced on Thursday the Trump administration's plan to overhaul Obama-era policy relative to sexual assault on college campuses.

"The truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students," DeVos said during a speech at George Mason University in Virginia. "Survivors, victims of a lack of due process and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved -- thats why we must do better, because the current approach isnt working."

The 2011 policy guidelines in question were implemented during former President Barack Obama's tenure, and pushed school districts colleges and academic leaders to actively combat sexual violence -- enforcing these rules citing federal Title IX law standards.

DeVos noted many sides of the issue will be able to present their opinions on policy moving forward as the administration works on their revamp.

RELATED: Betsy DeVos through the years


During a planned press conference on Thursday, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced that the era of rule by letter is over with regards to campus sexual assault.

DeVos delivered a speech on Title IX to a crowd at George Mason Universitys Law School campus in Arlington, VA on Thursday early afternoon. During her 20-minute speech, DeVos called the current campus reporting process a failed system that is increasingly elaborate and confusing.

She did not announce any large policy changes to Title IX other than implying that the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter would be rescinded when she told the crowd the era of rule by letter has ended.

The Obama-era Dear Colleague Letter, which was created by then-Vice President Joe Biden in 2011, is a comprehensive set of guidelines that essentially serve as a reminder to universities and Title IX administrators that schools need to follow the Title IX law.

DeVos also announced two new approaches to the campus sexual violence reporting process that the Department of Education is exploring. The first is that the Department will launch a transparent notice and comment process to incorporate the insights of all parties, including feedback from the public and educational institutions.

No one benefits from a system that does not have the publics trust, DeVos said, referring to the current Title IX system.

The second approach DeVos announced on Thursday is that the department will implement a regional reporting center model. The model would allow universities and colleges to opt in to local reporting centers that would partner with state attorneys general and law enforcement to ensure the reporting process runs fairly.

The Secretary of Education repeatedly discussed the rights of not only survivors of sexual assault, but also those who have been wrongly accused of sexual misconduct.

She allotted most of her speech to anecdotes about how the current Title IX system has failed survivors and those wrongly accused.

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One rape is one too many, one assault is one too many, one aggressive act of harassment is one too many, one person denied due process is one too many, DeVos told the crowd at George Mason. This conversation may be uncomfortable, but we must have it. It is our moral obligation to get it right.

President Donald Trump shakes hands with Betsy DeVos during a parent-teacher conference listening session inside the Roosevelt Room of the White House on Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2017. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Although just between 2 and 10 percent of reported rapes turn out to be false claims, DeVos devoted equal time to the stories of sexual assault survivors and those wrongly accused as if the group is the same size as survivors of sexual violence.

This campus official, who may or may not have any training in adjudicating sexual misconduct, is expected to render a judgment, DeVos said, walking the crowd through the Title IX process. A judgment that changes the direction of both students lives. The right to appeal may or may not be available to either party and no one is permitted to talk about what went on behind closed doors. Its no wonder so many call these proceedings kangaroo courts.

Notably, the groups that most often refer to Title IX proceedings as kangaroo courts are Mens Rights Activists and others who believe that the Title IX process is built to favor accusers over the accused.

While Title IX is best known as a broad tool for enforcing equal treatment of female and male student athletes, it also offers other important protections in areas including sexual harassment, sexual assault, and protections for trans and parenting students. In the past six months DeVos rescinded protections for transgender students and made the investigation process for college sexual assault less transparent, while also threatening to cut resources and funding.

DeVos announcement doesnt come as a surprise to many advocacy groups who have had concerns about the Secretary of Educations views on Title IX since she was confirmed in February.

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Before the announcement, survivor advocacy groups including End Rape on Campus and Know Your IX, NARAL and the Feminist Majority Foundation rallied outside of the law school as a sign of protest. Many protestors tweeted their support of the advocacy groups using the hashtag #StopBetsy.

There are no two sides when it comes to rape. Period, NitaChaudhary, co-founder of feminist organization UltraViolet, said in a press statement after DeVos announcement. With sexual assaults routinely going unreported, un-investigated and unpunished, the scales are already heavily tipped in the favor of rapists. The idea that we need to focus more on the rights of the accused would be laughable if it werent so terrifying and outright dangerous.

Anti-sexual violence organization KnowYourIX put out a similar statement after DeVos announcement:

Today, Secretary DeVos sent the message to student and survivors across the country that the Department of Education doesnt have their back. Before the Education Department took action to protect survivors, and hold schools accountable, too many young people were forced to drop classes they shared with their rapists, take long leaves of absence, or even leave school entirely. The Departments guidance, which outlined survivors rights under longstanding federal law, was a response to this urgent reality. Todays announcement risks taking us back to to the days when sexual violence routinely compromised survivors access to education and schools swept sexual assault under the rug.

Alexandra Brodsky, a civil rights attorney and co-founder of KnowYourIX, told HuffPost earlier this week that rescinding the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter does not actually change the law.

The [Title IX] law hasnt changed at all, Brodsky told HuffPost. Survivors have the same rights, schools have the same responsibility.

The concern advocates have is that there will be less clarity for all parties involved in Title IX adjudication.

It helps students understand what their rights are. But its not just survivors who are really going to struggle with this,Jess Davidson, Managing Director of End Rape on Campus told HuffPost. The people who use the 2011 Dear Colleague Letter the most  or are supposed to use it the most  are Title IX administrators, the people who are conducting these investigations on campuses across the country.

In July, DeVos met with three groups to discuss sexual violence on college campuses. The groups included survivors and advocates, university representatives and attorneys, and students who had been falsely accused of assault. A few weeks after DeVos met with these groups, 20 state attorneys general sent a co-signed letter to DeVos urging her to maintain Title IX guidelines.

This afternoon, Pennsylvania Attorneys General Josh Shapiro urged Secretary DeVos to focus her time on making sure students understand that Title IX process.

Ive been in touch with my colleagues and we will carefully review todays action, but one thing is clear, he said in a statement. Secretary DeVos should spend more time helping students learn and less time undermining their rights and safety.

Related...

20 State Attorneys General Urge Betsy DeVos To Maintain Title IX Protections

Betsy DeVos May Rescind Title IX Guidelines. Here's What That Could Mean.

Also on HuffPost

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Slash & Strike Back Black Panther Kids can imagine slashing into combat as Black Panther with this 13-inch electronic figure! Simply pull back and release the Black Panther figures arm to activate lights and sounds, allowing kids to imagine him striking down on his enemies in battle. Features more than 20 phrases and sounds, and comes equipped with Vibranium-grade technology as seen in the film. $29.99 (Photo: Hasbro)

Its been three long months since the breathtaking Black Panther trailer debuted, showcasing Chadwick Bosemans solo superhero outing, which hits theaters Feb. 16, 2018. Since then, weve had extremely limited looks at the anticipated Marvel Cinematic Universe entry, having to settle for a tantalizing action scene at San Diego Comic-Con along with a handful of costumes and props. But today, Yahoo Movies exclusively unveils the upcoming line of toys  which offer a few clues to the film.

Next spring, Hasbro will release a slew of Panther-themed playthings, from action figures of varying magnitude to role-play items that let fans channel their inner Wakanda warrior. The toys give us a glimpse of Michael B. Jordans villainous Erik Killmonger costume, tease the Panthers upgraded Vibranium-powered supersuit, and also provide a sneak peek at the heros shape-shifting vehicle, the Panther Jet. The toys will be publicly debuted at Hascon, Hasbros inaugural convention covering all its lines, including Star Wars, Marvel, Transformers, G.I. Joe, and My Little Pony, which runs Friday to Sunday in Providence, R.I. In the meantime, click through to get a taste of Black Panther.
FRANKFURT/MUNICH, Germany  BMW is gearing up to mass-produce electric cars by 2020 and will have 12 different models by 2025, it said on Thursday.

Car buyers shunned electric vehicles because of their high cost and limited operating range until Tesla unveiled the Model S in 2012, a car that cracked the 200-mile (322 km) range barrier on a single charge.

Since then, big advances in battery technology and a global crackdown on pollution in the wake of Volkswagen's diesel scandal have raised pressure on carmakers to speed development of zero-emission alternatives.

BMW, which launched the i3 electric car in 2013, said it was now readying its factories to mass-produce electric cars by 2020 if demand for battery vehicles takes off.

"By 2025, we will offer 25 electrified vehicles  12 will be fully-electric," Chief Executive Harald Krueger told journalists in Munich, adding the electric cars would have a range of up to 700 km (435 miles).

It marks a significant foray by a major manufacturer into electrification. BMW, which includes the Mini and Rolls-Royce brands and sold 2.34 million cars last year, announced the move on the day smaller rival Jaguar Land Rover said it would offer electric or hybrid variants of all its models by 2020.

On Wednesday, Nissan unveiled a new version of its Leaf electric vehicle in its latest move to take on Tesla, the U.S. firm co-founded by Elon Musk that sold 83,922 vehicles last year. BMW Group, by comparison, sold nearly 2.4 million vehicles.

ROLLS-ROYCE, TOO

Traditional carmakers have been slow to embrace the electric vehicle market because it remains unprofitable, largely due to the cost of batteries. They make up between 30 percent and 50 percent of the cost of an electric vehicle.

A battery pack with 60 kWh capacity and 500 km range costs around $14,000 today, compared with a gasoline engine that costs around $5,000. Add to that the $2,000 for the electric motor and the inverter, and the gap is even wider.

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But capacity investments into the battery sector may bring down costs of electric vehicles to a "tipping point" when they reach parity with combustion-engined equivalents some time between 2020 and 2030, according to analysts at Barclays.

With cities threatening to ban combustion-engined vehicles or to tax diesel cars more heavily, the total cost of ownership of electric cars could drop below their combustion-engined equivalents, and Europe could become a 100 percent pure battery electric vehicle market by 2035, according to analysts at ING.

The Frankfurt Motor Show, starting next week, will be used by BMW to unveil a new four-door electric car positioned between the i3 city car and the i8 hybrid sportscar, Krueger said.

"We will be increasing the share of electrified models across all brands and model series. And, yes, that also includes the Rolls-Royce brand and BMW M vehicles," he said.

German rivals will also be showing electric cars, with Daimler's Mercedes-Benz brand unveiling the EQ A, a concept mass market electric car, and Volkswagen taking the wraps off the ID Crozz.

Aside from vehicle cost, a key obstacle to making electric cars popular is the amount of time it takes to recharge, and a lack of charging stations.

London needs to spend 10 billion euros ($12 billion) to get charging infrastructure to a level where retail buyers can practically own an electric car, consultancy AlixPartners has said. Almost none of that spending has been earmarked so far.

($1 = 0.8331 euros)



Reporting by Edward Taylor



Related Video:
London (AFP) - Britain is sending two military vessels to help victims of Hurricane Irma and is earmarking A32 million ($41.8 million, 34.8 million euros) in aid, the government said Thursday.

Prime Minister Theresa May announced an increase in aid from an initial budget of A12 million following an emergency cabinet meeting.

The British fleet auxiliary Mounts Bay, carrying 40 Royal Marines, is already in the Caribbean region and will be joined by HMS Ocean, which is departing from the Mediterranean carrying a number of helicopters.

British medical advisers, reconstruction staff and Royal Marines will be taking part in relief efforts.

Hurricane Irma -- one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record -- has hit the Caribbean with deadly force, turning the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin into mountains of rubble.

The Department for International Development (DFID) and the Foreign Office are on "full alert," junior foreign minister Alan Duncan told parliament.

Charter flights with additional supplies also stand ready.

Foreign Minister Boris Johnson reaffirmed the UK's commitment to respond to the "catastrophic damage" caused by Irma.

May also held a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which they agreed to coordinate responses also with Dutch authorities.

Queen Elizabeth II and her husband Prince Philip said they were "shocked and saddened" by the reports of devastation in Antigua and Barbuda.

The queen is the two-island-nation's reigning monarch.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm," the statement from Buckingham Palace said.

According to the foreign office, there are currently 88,000 British citizens in the British Overseas Territories of Anguilla, British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos islands.

British Airways said flights to and from the region "will be affected over the next two days and into the weekend".

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Travel group Thomas Cook said in a statement on Thursday that as instructed by Cuban authorities, they would be evacuating customers currently in the resorts of Cayo Coco, Cayo Guillermo and Cayo Santa.

Irma has been packing maximum sustained winds of up to 185 mph (295 kph).

Its projected path sees it hitting the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, continuing past eastern Cuba before veering north for Florida.
WASHINGTON  A California group that aims to help Democrats win back the House in 2018 got a big boost on Thursday, adding a veteran progressive congressman to its efforts to flip seven vulnerable Republican-held congressional districts.

Former Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.), who represented Silicon Valley in the House of Representatives before being defeated last year, is joining Red to Blue California PAC as its chair, serving in an advisory role as the organization gears up for next years congressional elections.

In all my years of public service, I cannot think of a more critical time for us to stand up and fight for the values of equality, tolerance, and justice that we hold dear, Honda said in a statement on Thursday. Taking back Congress starts right here in California. We must do everything we can to not only resist Donald Trump and a Republican Party that has been hijacked by extremists and white supremacists, but we must also elect candidates that can proudly champion our shared progressive values.

Launched in June, Red to Blue California PAC supports Democratic candidates challenging GOP incumbents in seven congressional districts that voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton during the 2016 presidential election.

The group believes it can play a crucial role in helping Democrats nationwide to retain control of the House, arguing that the path runs through red California.

Democrats need a net gain of 24 seats for a majority in 2018.

Former Rep. Mike Honda (D-Calif.) is joining Red to Blue California PAC as its chair to help lead the organization's efforts to flip seven GOP House seats to Democratic in 2018. (Photo: Bloomberg via Getty Images)

Michael Eggman, a former congressional candidate in Californias Central Valley, founded the group after narrowly losing his 2016 race challenging GOP incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham, whose seat is among the seven on the groups radar.

These reps are standing with [President Donald] Trump and not the constituents of their district, Eggman told HuffPost in June. Their constituents dont share Trumps values, and it seems like these reps do.

In addition to its focus on 2018, the group also hopes to mobilize and train future progressive leaders for all levels of elected office, with Eggman drawing on his lessons learned as a candidate.

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Eggman on Thursday praised Honda as a progressive champion, plain and simple.

Throughout his entire career, Congressman Honda has never forgot where he came from and has always fought to make California and our entire nation a more fair and just place to call home, he said in a statement. I know with Mikes leadership and support, we are going to elect more progressive champions to Congress and to offices across California.

Honda, a native of California whose grandparents immigrated to the U.S. from Japan, spent three years of his childhood incarcerated in a U.S. prison camp during World War II.

He entered politics by serving in local and state offices, before winning election to the House in 2000, focusing on education and civil rights issues.

In 2008, he co-founded the Congressional LGBT Equality Caucus, and in 2015, earned praise for his support of his transgender granddaughter.

As the proud grandpa of a transgender grandchild, I hope she can feel safe at school without fear of being bullied, Honda tweeted.

The group also announced a six-figure fundraising haul over the months of July and August. According to spokesman Andrew Feldman, most of the money came in the form of small donations from Californians, reflecting that California voters are fired up more than ever before to elect folks that share their values, not the values of Donald Trump.

Related Coverage

Democrats Are So Riled Up, Theyre Contributing To Races With Unknown Candidates

Democrats Eye Key Hillary Clinton Districts To Win Back The House In 2018

Despite More Losses, Democrats Say They Can Win The House In 2018

Why This Democrat Is Focusing On California In Fight To Take Back The House In 2018

Also on HuffPost

Taking Security Seriously

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) talks with Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) before the start of a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing concerning the roles and responsibilities for defending the nation against cyberattacks, on Oct. 19, 2017.

With Liberty And Justice...

Members of Code Pink for Peace protest before the start of a hearing where U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions will testify to the Senate Judiciary Committee in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on Oct. 18, 2017. Committee members questioned Sessions about conversations he had with President Donald Trump about the firing of former FBI Director James Comey, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, the ongoing investigation about Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election and other subjects.

Whispers

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, speaks with Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) before a confirmation hearing for Christopher Sharpley, nominee for inspector general of the CIA, on Oct. 17, 2017.

Not Throwing Away His Shot

Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator of the musical "Hamilton," makes his way to a meeting of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Interior, Environment and Related Agencies in the Rayburn Office Building during a round of meetings to urge federal funding for the arts and humanities on Sept. 13, 2017.

Medicare For All

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), center, speaks on health care as Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), left, and Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), right, listen during an event to introduce the Medicare for All Act on Sept. 13, 2017.

Bernie Bros

Supporters of Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) pack his office on Sept. 8, 2017. Members of the "Draft Bernie for a People's Party" campaign delivered a petition with more than 50,000 signatures to urge the senator to start and lead a new political party.

McCain Appearance

Sen. John McCain, second from left, leaves the Capitol after his first appearance since being diagnosed with cancer. He arrived to cast a vote to help Republican senators narrowly pass the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

A Narrow Win

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, center, speaks alongside Sens. John Barrasso, left, John Cornyn, right, and John Thune, rear, after the Senate narrowly passed the motion to proceed for the replacement of the Affordable Care Act on July 25, 2017.

Kushner Questioning

Jared Kushner, White House senior adviser and son-in-law to President Donald Trump, arrives at the Capitol on July 25, 2017. Kushner was interviewed by the House Intelligence Committee in a closed-door meeting about contacts he had with Russia.

Hot Dogs On The Hill

Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.) prepares a hot dog during the American Meat Institute's annual Hot Dog Lunch in the Rayburn Office Building courtyard on July 19, 2017.

And Their Veggie Counterparts

Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.) visits the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals veggie dog giveaway on July 19, 2017, countering a National Hot Dog Day event being held elsewhere on Capitol Hill.

Poised For Questions

Callista Gingrich, wife of former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, waits for a Senate Foreign Relations Committee hearing on her nomination to be the U.S. ambassador to the Vatican on July 18, 2017.

Speaking Up

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 17, 2017.

In The Fray

Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) speaks to members of the media after announcing the revised version of the Senate Republican health care bill on Capitol Hill on July 13, 2017.

Anticipation

Christopher Wray is seated with his daughter Caroline, left, as he prepares to testify at a Senate Judiciary Committee confirmation hearing on his nomination to be the next FBI director on July 12, 2017.

Up In Arms

Health care activists protest to stop the Republican health care bill at Russell Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on July 10, 2017.

Across A Table

Speaker of the House Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) meets with South Korean President Moon Jae-in on Capitol Hill on June 29, 2017.

Somber Day

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) speaks about the recent attack on the Republican congressional baseball team during her weekly press conference on Capitol Hill on June 15, 2017.

Family Matters

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, and his sons, Jack, 10, and Brad, arrive in the basement of the Capitol after a shooting at the Republican baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, on June 14, 2017.

A Bipartisan Pause

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas), right, coach of the Republican congressional baseball team, tells the story of the shooting that occurred during a baseball practice while he stands alongside Rep. Mike Doyle (D-Pa.), left, a coach of the Democratic congressional baseball team on June 14, 2017.

Hats On

Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-Tenn.) reacts about the shooting he was present for at a Republican congressional baseball practice in Alexandria, Virginia, as he speaks with reporters at the U.S. Capitol in Washington on June 14, 2017.

Public Testimony

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions is sworn in to testify before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Capitol Hill on June 13, 2017.

Comey's Big Day

Former FBI Director James Comey testifies before a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on Russia's alleged interference in the 2016 U.S. presidential election on Capitol Hill on June 8, 2017.

Conveying His Point

U.S. Director of National Intelligence Daniel Coats testifies at a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing on his interactions with the Trump White House and on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act on June 7, 2017.

Selfie Time

Vice President Mike Pence takes a selfie with a tourist wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat inside the U.S. Capitol rotunda on June 6, 2017. The vice president walked through the rotunda after attending the Senate Republican policy luncheon.

Budget Queries

Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney testifies before the House Budget Committee about President Donald Trump's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017.

Flagged Down By Reporters

Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.), chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, leaves a closed committee meeting on Capitol Hill on May 24, 2017. The committee is investigating possible Russian interference in the U.S. presidential election.

Shock And Awe

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) hold a news conference on the release of the president's fiscal 2018 budget proposal on Capitol Hill on May 23, 2017.

Seeing Double

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) arrives in the Capitol for the Senate Democrats' policy lunch on May 16, 2017.

Honoring Officers

President Donald Trump speaks at the National Peace Officers Memorial Service on the West Lawn of the Capitol on May 15, 2017.

Whispers

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Richard Burr (R-N.C.), right, and ranking member Sen. Mark Warner (D-Va.) talk during a hearing with the heads of the U.S. intelligence agencies in the Hart Senate Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 11, 2017.

Skeptical

Former acting Attorney General Sally Yates arrives to testify before a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Russian interference in the 2016 U.S. election on Capitol Hill on May 8, 2017.

Differing Opinions

Rep. Glenn Grothman (R-Wis.) gives a thumbs-up to protesters on the East Front of the Capitol after the House passed the Republicans' bill to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act on May 4, 2017. The protesters support the ACA.

Real Talk

United States Naval Academy Midshipman 2nd Class Shiela Craine (left), a sexual assault survivor, testifies before the House Armed Services Committee's Subcommittee on Military Personnel with (2nd from left to right) Ariana Bullard, Stephanie Gross and Annie Kendzior in the Rayburn House Office Building on Capitol Hill on May 2, 2017. Kendzior, a former midshipman, and Gross, a former cadet, were both raped twice during their time at the military academies. The academy superintendents were called to testify following the release of a survey last month by the Pentagon that said 12.2 percent of academy women and 1.7 percent of academy men reported experiencing unwanted sexual contact during the 2015-16 academic year.

In Support Of Immigrants

Congressional Hispanic Caucus Chair Rep. Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-N.M.), center, is joined by dozens of Democratic members of the House of Representatives to mark "Immigrant Rights Day" in the Capitol Visitor Center on May 1, 2017 in Washington, D.C. The Democratic legislators called on Republicans and President Donald Trump to join their push for comprehensive immigration reform.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Growing marijuana has run in Junes family for three generations, a stretch that has seen universal prohibition give way to accelerating legalisation.

For well over a decade, June  who asked her real name not be used  and her husband have been among the thousands of Californians who cultivate pot in a state where the marijuana leaf has become as much of a symbol as the surfboard.

But, despite the grand opening of Californias recreational marijuana industry being mere months away, many of the people who have tended their plants beneath the evergreens and oaks of the states undulating hills arent sure they can stay in the business. A crop that should be becoming a boon risks becoming a burden, as many will have nowhere to sell what theyve grown.

June and her husband, who built a consistent business supplying dispensaries and hoped to get right with the law, arent sure they can meet the necessary regulations  and costs  to keep selling what they grow in a newly legitimised industry.

Its putting us in a situation where if were not able to sell to that market any more were having to find new, illegal channels in a saturated market, says June. We would either have to shut down or find new avenues of sale on the black market or the unregulated market.

They had moved from a location in the so-called Emerald Triangle, three counties in Northern California that form the states cultivation epicentre, to a discreet property in Sonoma County they thought would be better suited to meet the regulations they were sure were coming. But it may not be enough.

Junes struggles embody a contradiction at the heart of Californias burgeoning legal marijuana economy, which is set to fully launch in 2018. By sheer volume, the amount of cannabis grown in the state will vastly outstrip demand. But the market will also face a dearth of marijuana as farmers grapple with the prohibitive costs of going mainstream.

Heres the irony: there will be a huge oversupply of product and a shortage of regulated product, says Hezekiah Allen, executive director of the California Growers Association. We are looking at a unique situation where theres a boatload of product and a lot of folks arent going to make it into the market.

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It was not supposed to be like this. The last 10 years have been boom years for cannabis cultivators. Growers who have spent decades in the business say there has been a frenzy of new and larger grows. Many attribute the explosion to California easing marijuana penalties and approving a business model of cannabis collectives that made it easier to get buds to distributors without having to worry about its final destination. Farmers have planted more to compensate for plummeting prices.

A study prepared for the state as part of the regulation effort offered a conservative estimate that California grows about 13.5 million pounds of marijuana a year and consumes about 2.5 million pounds. But the most probable scenario is not a glut of pot for sale, not yet anyway.

Theres always been vastly more pot grown here than sold here, and the vast majority is shipped out to the rest of the country and that will continue, says Charley Custer of the Humboldt Mendocino Marijuana Advocacy Project. But with the price going down because of looser strictures against growing or possessing it overproduction is finally going to kill the golden goose.

Participating in Californias legal pot economy requires both a state license and a local permit. Obtaining official permission costs money and requires navigating a bureaucratic labyrinth unfamiliar to many pot farmers, who have worked for years without having to worry about disabled access or zoning regulations or stringent testing. One indoor grower said he would need to spend more than $200,000 (150,000) on a sprinkler system.

These are folks who are used to jury-rigging things for themselves, says Terry Garrett, who serves on a cannabis advisory board for Sonoma County and has studied the regional pot economy. Record-keeping is anathema to running a clandestine, secretive business, and now youre having to introduce QuickBooks into your operation.

Even for larger operations with the resources and sophistication to obtain correctly zoned property and pay experts to conduct needed inspections, the road to compliance has been steep.

Its been a lot more difficult than we thought, says Shivawn Brady, operations director for an Illinois-based medical cannabis company called Justice Grown that operates a farm in Sonoma County. She urges financial assistance to be given to smaller-scale growers, noting a single permit can cost $10,000 to $20,000  not to mention land use requirements that can compel people to relocate. Its hurting a lot of people, she says.

Brandon Levine, director of a dispensary called Mercy Wellness, says he doubts 10 per cent of the hundreds of growers he currently works with will be able to get licensed.

There wont be legal outlets for all the people that cultivate and have gone to dispensaries, so the black market is going to explode, Levine says, calling the situation hugely urgent.

Suppressing the black market was a central argument for proponents of legalisation, who argued that legal outlets would undercut the illicit trade. While it is an open secret in marijuana country that the black market absorbs some of what is grown, many cultivators have embraced legalisation as a way to come out of hiding and grow conscientiously, touting environmental protections and a way to finally jettison the ever-present threat of prosecution.

But some of them wont be able to get their products into the regulated market, and people who work with dispensaries and cant get permitted arent going to stop growing, says Sonoma cultivator Julie Terry, voicing a widely shared sentiment.

Many, many people will not be in that regulated market, says Sam Magruder, a Sonoma County grower who has sunk millions into obtaining properly zoned land and getting it up to code for his growing operation.

Growers hoping to keep their businesses alive must make a rational decision, Garrett says, that balances the cost of getting state approval against the risk of selling to the black market and getting caught. And theyre vying for coveted space in a finite market, with a new track-and-trace requirement clamping down on the flow of weed outside the system.

Its the equivalent of blocking the exits and setting the building on fire with everyone inside, Garrett says.

The solution, says Tawnie Logan, chair of the board for the Sonoma County Growers Alliance, is there must be a commitment to working with the growers who would happily submit to regulation but dont have the resources to make that leap, a group she believes generates around half the pot grown in California.

How do we bring that 50 per cent into compliance instead of pushing them into the black market? If this does not stay at the forefront of the conversation over the next two years were creating a massive problem, Logan says. We have to find a way to rehabilitate the business practices that are the response to decades-long prohibition and help them learn how to operate responsible businesses.

States that preceded California in legalising cannabis provide some clues about who will survive in the nascent pot economy. Large-scale operations that can take advantage of economies of scale will likely prosper, says former Colorado pot czar Andrew Freedman, pushing out people who lack the capacity or the capital to meet the new regulations.

Eventually, according to Mark Kleiman, a marijuana policy expert and professor at New York University, the legal players are going to drive the illegal players out of the system in California.

In the very long run, the illegal stuff just goes away  theres no substantial moonshining in the US, he says.

That scenario is too distant to inform what June and others like her do now. She hasnt yet decided whether to compete with the big growers she sees proliferating around her, even though she knows the potential consequences.

If theres still lax enforcement then were going to continue and a lot of people will and theres going to be a huge glut, June says. If it seems like things are going to be really grey and unorganised and the transition time will be a while, then we may just take that risk.
When Cambodias main opposition leader was arrested last weekend in a surprise police raid, one of the countrys last independent media outlets rushed reporters out in the middle of night to cover the story, just as it has done for nearly a quarter century.

But the English-language Cambodias Dailys reportage about the arrest of Kem Sokha, who stands accused by the government of treason, was a tragic story in and of itself: it was to be the papers last.

Last Monday the venerable broadsheet, which has helped pioneer press freedom and train generations of journalists since it was founded in 1993, appeared in newsstands for the last time  the latest victim of a determined push by the government of Prime Minister Hun Sen to silence critics in the run-up to 2018 elections.

The papers owners said they were forced to close because of extra-legal threats by the government, a reference to a USD6 million tax bill they say authorities contrived with no audit and a single purpose  to shut them down.

Its terrible, its frustrating, said Chhorn Chansy, who worked for a decade at the paper as a reporter and news editor. We normally write about others. We cant believe that this happened to us.

During its 24-year-run, the Cambodia Daily served as a model for budding journalists, its stories offering a window into a growing nation that is still emerging from decades of conflict and genocide. About half the Dailys 30 editorial staff were Cambodian; the other half were foreigners drawn from around the world.

The paper, which included a Khmer-language section, acquired a reputation for hard-hitting investigations in a nation where such things were rare. It was also a consistent thorn in Hun Sens side. Its final front-page headline, Descent into Outright Dictatorship, ran above a story about Kem Sokhas arrest.

Below the piece was another announcing last Mondays edition would be its last.

Jodie DeJonge, the papers American chief editor, called the closure a blow against press freedom, a blow against allowing dissenting voices to be heard, a blow against democracy in Cambodia.

Its hard to imagine that after working for so hard for so long, these journalists just have to walk away, she said.

The Dailys fate is part of a much broader government crackdown on critics that has intensified dramatically in recent weeks and left many wondering where the nation is headed. Its also part of a major shift away from American influence, which has waned for years as Cambodia edges closer to China.

Last month, authorities expelled the Washington-based National Democratic Institute and ordered at least a dozen radio stations shut down for allegedly violating broadcasting agreements. Although Ouk Kimseng, an information ministry spokesman, said the government was simply enforcing the law, the stations appear to have been singled out because they gave air time to opposition politicians and to the U.S. government-funded Voice of America and Radio Free Asia, which have also been accused by authorities of failing to pay taxes.

The stations were among only a few in the country considered independent, and their closure will have a profound impact on the ability of rural populations  which comprise a majority of the country  to obtain contrarian views. How will the Cambodian people be able to evaluate or access real information? asked Yi Chhorvorn, managing director of Mohanokor Radio, which was among those shuttered with little explanation.

Mu Sochua, a senior member of the opposition party, said the fate of the free press and the arrest of Kem Sokha are part of a government strategy aimed at clearing the stage for Hun Sen ahead of elections next year.

They think that any voice that is critical has to be eliminated  the media, independent analysts, human rights groups, trade unions, the opposition.

But free speech, she said, is critical for Cambodia to grow. This is not about winning or not winning. Its about giving democracy a chance.

Although Cambodia is nominally a democratic state, its institutions remain fragile and the rule of law weak. Hun Sen, one of the worlds longest-serving rulers, has been in office since 1985 and has held tightly onto it since. Contentious elections in recent years, however, have seen an emboldened opposition slowly chip away at his partys strength.

When the Daily was founded 24 years ago by Bernard Krishner, a veteran American journalist now living in Tokyo, Cambodias government, emerging from the chaos of years of war, was barely functioning.

DeJonge, who also worked for The Associated Press for more than 20 years, acknowledged the paper had not paid taxes for most of its existence, but it operated openly for years under the patronage of the late King Norodom Sihanouk, who stepped down from the throne in 2004. It has also run at a loss since at least 2008, so there were never going to be many taxes to pay.

It is unclear how the governments tax bill was calculated. Authorities never visited the paper to conduct an audit and never allowed an appeal.

When Krishners daughter, Deborah Krishner-Steele, registered the paper properly in April and began paying taxes for the first time, it may have given the government the opening it was looking for. On Monday, the tax department requested immigration authorities prevent her husband, Douglas Steele, from leaving without paying up.

DeJonge said the papers targeting clearly indicated political motives; as many as 90 percent of Cambodian businesses are not tax-compliant, she said.

Its crushing that tomorrow we are not going to wake up and keep working, DeJonge said as dozens of reporters wearing blue-and-white T-shirts emblazoned with the words Save Press Freedom worked into the night Sunday on the papers final edition.

A few had tears in their eyes.

Cambodias democracy is dying in the darkness. Who is going to shine a light on that now? DeJonge said. We just dont know.

Part of that task will be left to the English-language Phnom Penh Post, which on Monday was already calling itself Cambodias only international award-winning newspaper. Todd Pitman, AP, Phnom Penh
Reuters

LONDON (Reuters) -Russia's Yevgeny Prigozhin, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, said on Sunday that a former mercenary who was filmed being executed by a sledgehammer blow to the head after changing sides in the Ukraine war was a traitor. Prigozhin, a Russian businessman who founded the Wagner private military group, was responding to an unverified video distributed on Telegram that showed a man identified as a former Wagner mercenary being executed after admitting that he had changed sides in September to "fight against the Russians". In the footage, the man, who gave his name as Yevgenny Nuzhin, 55, was shown with his head taped to a brick wall.
As Hurricane Irma charges through the Caribbean and heads toward Puerto Rico and Florida, the Category 5 storm has many people worried about its potentially devastating impact, especially in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas less than two weeks ago.

Many are coming together to send positive messages and vibes to those in the hurricanes path via social media, including numerous celebrities. Latino celebs who grew up in the Caribbean or are of Caribbean descent, such as Lin-Manuel Miranda, Ricky Martin and Marc Anthony, are sending their love and prayers. Islands of the Caribe, stay safe. Your children all over the world are praying for you, wrote the Hamilton creator. My prayers for my beloved Puerto Rico, Anthony tweeted, and all areas that may be affected by Hurricane Irma. God bless you all always!

Islands of the Caribe, stay safe. Your children all over the world are praying for you. #Irma  Lin-Manuel Miranda (@Lin_Manuel) September 5, 2017

My prayers for my beloved Puerto Rico and all the areas that can be affected by Hurricane Irma. God bless you all always! #FuerzaMiGente  Marc Anthony (@MarcAnthony) September 6, 2017

A post shared by Ricky (@ricky_martin) on Sep 4, 2017 at 5:20pm PDT

Jane the Virgin Star Gina Rodriguezwho revealed on Twitter shes been on the phone day and night with her grandmother in Puerto Ricoresponded to her worried fans. When one follower wrote, I have family in Puerto Rico too. Ill pray for us Gina, Rodriguez replied, Prayers are sent and I pray everyone is safe. Support will be needed to rebuild and we will be there.

Prayers are sent and I pray everyone is safe. Support will be needed to rebuild and we will be there. https://t.co/nc0apJD1cL  Gina Rodriguez (@HereIsGina) September 6, 2017

Other stars, including Ashley Greene, Missy Elliott, and Kristen Bell, expressed their concern and support as well. Bell revealed that she was actually in Fort Lauderdale evacuating and urged locals to clear the area also Dont wait it out, she advised. Elliott urged residents to grab [an] emergency kit & stock up, adding that shes praying 4 safety 4 those in the path ofHurricane Irma.

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Sending love and well wishes to all my friends and family back home in Florida. Be prepared and stay safe! #hurricaneirma  Ashley Greene (@AshleyMGreene) September 6, 2017

I'm currently in Ft. Lauderdale FL, evacuating tomorrow morning-

If ur in an evac zone- don't wait this out. Get inland asap. #Irma2017  Kristen Bell (@IMKristenBell) September 5, 2017
Chicago's Mayor has declared the city a "Trump-free zone", after the US president ended protection for the children of undocumented immigrants known as "dreamers".

Introduced by former president Barack Obama, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration policy prevented nearly 800,000 people who came to the US as children from being deported.

Earlier this week Donald Trump rescinded the programme. While existing recipients will see no impact for at least six months, no new applications can now be made.

But in a speech to young DACA recipients at Chicago's Solorio Academy High School, mayor Rahm Emmanuel said: "To all the Dreamers that are here in this room and the city of Chicago: you are welcome in the city of Chicago. This is your home and you have nothing to worry about."

He added: Chicago, our schools, our neighborhoods, our city, as it relates to what President Trump said, will be a Trump-free zone. You have nothing to worry about. And I want you to know this, and I want your families to know this. And rest assured, I want you to come to school  and pursue your dreams.

The DACA programme, announced by Mr Obama in 2012, offers renewable protection from deportation for two years to people who entered the United States before the age of 16.

Recipients must have lived in America continuously since 2007 and must not have a criminal record.

Mr Trump's Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the decision to scrap the DACA programme, calling it an open-ended circumvention of immigration laws and an unconstitutional use of executive authority.

The programme known as DACA that was effectuated under the Obama administration is being rescinded, said Mr Sessions, who has long opposed the programme.

He added that the policy was implemented unilaterally, to great controversy and legal concern.

The announcement prompted hundreds to protest in New York and Washington.

Chicago's Democratic mayor, Mr Emmanuel, served as White House chief of staff under Barack Obama after the 2008 presidential election.

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Mr Obama had personally appealed to Mr Trump to keep the programme. He called the termination of DACA a political decision, adding that the targeting of Dreamers was wrong.

Whatever concerns or complaints Americans may have about immigration in general, we shouldnt threaten the future of this group of young people who are here through no fault of their own, who pose no threat, who are not taking away anything from the rest of us, Mr Obama said.

These Dreamers are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper.

The term Dreamers comes from the proposed DREAM Act, which planned giving unauthorised immigrants legal status in exchange for attending college or joining the military.

The bill was first introduced in 2001, but the latest version was voted down in the Senate in December 2010.

The majority of the 800,000 Dreamers came to the US from Latin America.

Mexico's Deputy Foreign Minister has subsequently accused Mr Trump of creating anxiety, anguish and fear.
On Americas Got Talent The Clairvoyants returned with another jaw dropping routine of mind bending telepathy. The Clairvoyants are Thommy Ten and Amelie van Tass from Vienna, Austria, a magic duo who placed second on season eleven. With Howie Mandel blindfolded, he was told to raise his left hand whenever he felt a touch from Thommy. Mel B was told to do the same as Amelie touched her. When they began, Thommy stopped touching Howie, but Howie raised his hand in time with every moment that Amelie touched Mel B. It appeared he was feeling everything that Mel B was feeling. And with that it only made sense that Howie would think what Mel B was thinking. Mel B then chose a random word from a group of cards and was told by Amelie to concentrate on reaching out to Howie with the word. When Thommy asked Howie if he had felt a word, he said he did: sunshine. When Mel B revealed that that was exactly the word on her card, Howies jaw dropped and the audience was amazed.
Stealing is against the law, unless, of course, the offender has permission from one of the worlds largest companies. Victims of Hurricane Harvey are short on water, so Coca-Cola allowed two men to break into their facility in Beaumont, Texas, to steal 14 cases of bottled water Saturday, USA Today reported Monday.

There were thousands of bottles of fresh water at Coca-Colas warehouse, but flooding prevented the company from distributing it. They informed Beaumonts Fire Department, who then turned to Bill Zang, the president of the Hovercraft Unlimited Company. He waded through the flooded streets of Beaumont at 60 miles per hour on his hovercraft to recover the drinking water.

READ: Joel Osteen Refuses To Shelter Houston Harvey Victims In Church, Twitter Claims

Zang happily took on the task, bringing along his friend, Sam Byers and a hand saw and hammer. They were able to break the lock and successfully find water. This is so much fun! said Byers.

Getting free water might have been one of the lighter moments, but rescuers spend their days checking empty houses to make sure theyre evacuated. While occasionally theyre able to save a pet, sometimes they come across a dead body.

Hurricane Harvey Rescue Operations

Photo: Getty Images / Scott Olson

After Hurricane Harvey wreaked devastation on Texas, Zang left his home in Rockport, Illinois with two of his hovercrafts to help the victims. At least 50 people were killed by the storm that left tens of thousands displaced.

I have no idea when we got here, Zang told USA Today. What was that, two days ago? Four? The days all start running together after a while. He added: There is still a lot of work to do.

One person who didnt leap out to help victims was televangelist Joel Osteen. While Houston residents braved the storm, Osteen tweeted from the comfort of his home. The doors of his church, an arena that could seat nearly 17,000 people, remained closed days after Harvey flooded Houston. It wasnt until Osteen faced mass criticism on social media that he decided to aid in the relief effort.

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Osteen claimed in a Sunday sermon that he didnt do anything wrong  that those who spoke against him were merely naysayers who wanted to see him and Lakewood Church flounder.

WATCH: Pastor Ed Young Defends Joel Osteen For Refusing Harvey Victims

Im a peace with taking the heat for being precautious. But I dont want to take the heat for being foolish. Its easy for people to make judgments from a distance without having all the information, he said.

Some people that dont know the facts and dont want to know the facts will continue to try to stir things up, Osteen said. They would love to discredit the ministry and lessen our voice, but can I tell ya, theyre not that strong. The forces that are for us are great than the forces that are against us.

After Osteen posted the video of his sermon to Facebook, he took to Twitter to finish his response. Be of good cheer. Nothing is a surprise to Him. God has already armed you with strength for every battle, he tweeted. Dont give up when its hard, when lifes not fair. Have faith in the middle. He will bring you through it.

Water

Photo: Getty Images

Follow me on Twitter @mariamzzarella

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By Devika Krishna Kumar and Jessica Resnick-Ault NEW YORK (Reuters) - Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday her office had received 45 complaints of inflated prices at Chevron Corp branded gasoline stations in the southern part of the state, as shortages worsened ahead of Hurricane Irma's expected U.S. landfall this weekend. More than 1,800 gas stations - more than a quarter of the state's total - were without fuel late Thursday, up from 1,200 Wednesday, ahead of Irma, which is battering the Caribbean with winds at speeds of around 185 miles per hour (300 km per hour). The storm is expected to hit Florida on Sunday. Gasoline prices in Florida have risen sharply in the last week, with the average cost of a regular gallon of gas hitting $2.725 on Thursday, according to motorists advocacy group AAA. Suppliers and terminal operators said demand has soared as motorists in coastal areas flee. Shortages were more acute in southern Florida, according to Gasbuddy.com. More than 40 percent of stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area were without fuel and around 30 percent were empty in the West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce areas, said Patrick DeHaan of Gasbuddy.com. "So Chevron, if you're watching me right now, you need to call us and tell us why your prices are inflated in south Florida," Bondi said on Fox News. Chevron has said several times this week it has no tolerance for price gouging at its stations. No retail outlets in Florida are directly owned by the company. The company reiterated that on Thursday, saying consumers should report price gouging to Bondi's office. "Our fuel supply agreements with independently owned Chevron and Texaco stations in the state and elsewhere require them to comply with all laws," spokesman Braden Reddall said in a statement. Port Everglades, the major point of fuel delivery for south Florida, is set to close Friday evening. At Tampa Bay, three ships made deliveries Thursday morning, unloading 1.2 million gallons each, said Samara Sodos, a spokeswoman for the port, adding that the port received five deliveries on Wednesday. One terminal operator, speaking on condition of anonymity, said his terminal typically loaded 25,000 to 30,000 barrels a day onto trucks every day, and expected to hit 40,000 to 45,000 on Thursday. Concerns about shortages spread beyond Florida as Caribbean fuel terminals closed and residents began evacuating other coastal U.S. states, including Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina. Georgia said on Thursday it will close its ports Friday night because of Irma. (Reporting by Devika Krishna Kumar and Jessica Resnick Ault; Additional reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston and Tim Ahmann in Washington; Editing by James Dalgleish, Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
The citys police authority contacted Facebooks Asia division regarding an alleged Legislative Assembly (AL) election violation involving the social network service provider, according to the president of the Electoral Affairs Commission (CAEAL), Tong Hio Fong.

Yesterday, during a CAEAL press conference, Tong stated that four or five election candidates were issued a warning notice because they had been found to be paying Facebook for election propaganda services.

The propaganda commercials have already been removed from Facebook. During the press conference, Tong revealed that the committee received reports from residents about the commercials on Facebook. According to the citys regulations, the social media business organization must pay a fine for violating election rules.

Tong reported that some election propaganda posters fell off the objects they were attached to, although he noted these incidents were later found to be unintentional.

PSP carried out investigations at the sites, [finding that] most of the posters fell due to the weather [rain]. [] No man-made behaviors were spotted, confirmed Tong, who pointed out that it was the police who took the initiative to inspect the sites.

CAEAL received no complaints about their posters having been deliberately taken down. Until now, the commission recorded 64 cases of election violation reports, with around 20 cases having already been forwarded to the police authority.

With respect to instances of candidate defamation, Tong stated that, basically, the situation is good, with only one or two reports listed.

The CAEAL president reminded the candidates to conduct their election campaigns according to the law. He repeated that some candidates have been spotted partaking in various violations, and that so far, PSP has only issued warnings to the candidates. He emphasized that from yesterday onwards, the authority will enforce the law strictly.

Except for one polling station (which is currently under maintenance but will be ready for polling on September 15), all the other polling stations are ready for the election.

Tong reminded the candidates that they can only attach publicity materials at the designated places, which include 23 fixed spots specially made for the candidates to exhibit their publicity posters.

The candidates can also use their advertisements at the other 19 official election events coming up, but they are not allowed to do so along random streets.
On Tuesday, Trumps administration said it would end the program giving legal status to undocumented young people. Heres what writers on the right have to say about it

A man participates in a protest in support of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in El Paso, Texas. Photograph: Jose Luis Gonzalez/Reuters

It has been reported that the Donald Trump may not himself understand all the implications of yesterdays repeal of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), President Obamas executive order granting residency to the children of undocumented immigrants. If thats true, its odd that conservative media appear to know exactly what he is trying to do.

On the whole, Americans are well-disposed to the idea that children brought here by their parents should be allowed to stay. Not so the hardcore Republican base, many of whom still obstinately support a president that the electorate has abandoned.

Trumps move  which punishes immigrants, trashes Obamas legacy, and outrages liberals  serves to buy the continued loyalty of that small segment of the American public which has not yet abandoned him, and that of their tribunes in conservative media. The latter, apart from a few exceptions among libertarians, have spent the last day gearing up to defend what so many of their compatriots see as indefensible.

Publication Reason

Author Shikha Dalmia is a writer for Reason, and a senior analyst at the Associated Reason Institute. Immigration is just one of the topics she regularly takes on there, and in other outlets like the Week.

Why you should read it The pro-immigration libertarians at Reason have not been well pleased by the Daca moves. Their set of concerns about hardline immigration policy are different from those of progressives  partly, they proceed from the impact that lessened labour market flexibility would have on their corporate sponsors. But they can also see that any move down the line to enforce the consequences of Daca repeal could easily become an authoritarian nightmare. Dalmia worries that Trumps morally reprehensible move, and the politics surrounding it, are all heading in one direction: enhanced powers for the state and its agencies.

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Extract Trumps move today seems designed to give the immigration hardliners in Congress vital ammunition to hold the fate of Dreamers hostage in order to extract concessions on enforcement action  funding to build the Great Wall of Trump, more appropriations for border patrol agents, etc. Indeed, immigration advocates whove approaching congressional Republicans for legislative action are finding little willingness among them to move anything Dreamer-related unless its tied to enforcement. The question is whether theyll settle for a modest or a large pound of flesh.

Publication Breitbart

Author John Nolte quit as Breitbarts media critic in the wake of Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowskis manhandling of Breitbarts Michelle Fields, and the websites weak response. Hes just returned in the last week  not long after Steve Bannon made his way back to the helm after leaving the White House.

Why you should read it Nolte got this piece out suspiciously quickly after Jeff Sessionss announcement. Under the guise of addressing media lies, he sets out the earliest iteration of what we can expect to be the nationalist rights DACA talking points. The piece relies heavily on blaming Dreamer parents, and the idea that Dreamers are taking American jobs.

Extract Then there is illegal immigration, which, like abortion, the MSM treats as its own personal sacrament. Flooding America, primarily Red States, with illegal Democrats who also serve the interests of a Big Business Complex desperate to keep wages low and unions non-existent, there is nothing our corrupt media will not do to keep that illegal flood flooding.

Publication National Review

Author Fred Bauer is a conservative blogger and opinion writer who is well practiced in affecting the clubby, National Review-style civility when discussing issues like the possible deportation of hundreds of thousands of people. With that said hes no dill, and this survey of the politics of Daca on the conservative side is worth reading.

Why you should read it Bauer thinks that immigration reform could well be a lose-lose for congressional Republicans. They can either destroy a popular program, or retain some of its measures at the cost of alienating their anti-immigrant base. (The more feral sectors of conservative media will most certainly go nuts about the establishment making concessions that look to them like amnesty). His advice is to pass a bill that makes some concessions on reform, but steps up enforcement. If thats the best they can do, were still in for a wave of deportations from a newly empowered Ice.

Extract Thus, a stand-alone Dream Act hurts Republicans whether it succeeds or fails. In a politically polarized time, depressing the grassroots probably harms the GOPs midterm chances more than disappointing some swing voters does, but both inflict a cost.

Perhaps the surest way to mitigate these political dangers is to bundle the Dream Act with immigration reforms that measurably advance conservative goals on immigration. What would these conservative goals be? One would be improving immigration enforcement. But an enforcement-only approach to immigration misses the broader importance of reforming the structure of the legal-immigration system. As Reihan Salam has suggested, conservatives should try to reform the immigration system so that it helps immigrants become equal partners in American society and ameliorates rather than exacerbates social divisions.

Publication The Federalist

Author David Harsanyis long career as a conservative opinionator includes his current senior editorship at the Federalist, his editorship of Human Events, and an op-ed column in the Denver Post.

Why you should read it Harsanyi mobilizes the argument that the right can be expected to continue to regard as a trump card: Daca, an executive action by President Obama, was itself unconstitutional, and an excessive use of presidential power. It hasnt been struck down by any courts yet, but given the current configuration of the courts, it might.

None of this addresses the problem that Daca was an attempt to solve, which is largely of the rights making. There are a large number of people living in America and who may wind up being deported because the nativist core of the Republican base wont allow its legislators to carry out any kind of immigration reform, and want Obamas legacy expunged. Were stuck in the same place we were for the entirety of the previous administration.

Extract: There are a vast number of solid economic and moral arguments for legalizing the children of illegal immigrants. In substance, I agree with Daca. Yet, the justification given by the president and his allies at the time was summed up best by the Washington Posts Eugene Robinson, who then argued that the only reason President Obama has to act on immigration reform is that House Speaker John Boehner wont.

Publication Infowars

Author Alex Jones

Why you should watch it: This is the red-meat counterpart to more genteel pieces like Harsanyis. Whether the latter likes it or not, hes on a unity ticket with Alex Jones and his audience, who simply dont like immigrants and want to repudiate Obama. The only difference is that Jones cannot countenance the idea that Trump might do anything wrong.

Extract The first three minutes or so should give you the drift.
A Danish submarine owner accused of killing Kim Wall has told a court the Swedish journalist died aboard his vessel accidentally after being hit by a hatch cover.

Testifying at Copenhagen Court Tuesday, Peter Madsen, 46, said he had lost his footing while holding open the submarines heavy hatch, the BBC reports. It then slammed shut, he claimed, striking Wall.

There was a pool of blood where she had landed, Madsen said.

Walls body was recovered in Danish waters on August 23. She was last seen alive on Aug. 10 boarding a submarine built by Madsen  an inventor she was profiling for a story. The following day, the navy rescued Madsen from his sinking submarine, hours after police began searching for Wall.

Read more: She Gave Voice to the Weak. What to Know About Slain Journalist Kim Wall

Prosecutors accuse the the Dane of killing Wall, mutilating her body, and deliberately sinking the submarine. But on Tuesday Madsen insisted her death was an accident, and said that after attempting to bury her at sea he had intended to commit suicide.

In the shock I was in, it was the right thing to do, Madsen said when asked why he threw the journalist overboard.

The inventor initially told police he dropped Wall off in Copenhagen on Aug. 10 before later amending the story.

[BBC]
As Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricanes, approached Puerto Rico on Wednesday, one last flight raced to the Caribbean island to drop off and pick up the airports last passengers of the day.

Jason Rabinowitz, an aviation writer and researcher, monitored the flight on Flightradar24, a flight-tracking app, and tweeted updates as the Boeing 737 jetliner, Delta Air Lines Flight 431, and Hurricane Irma both got closer to Puerto Rico.

What made the updates appear even more intense was the apps weather feature, which allows users to see weather conditions on the flight paths.

You really want to fly into SJU during a category 5 hurricane, DL431?



Everyone else has turned around. pic.twitter.com/nHdChvYh2Y  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

The Delta flight left New Yorks John F. Kennedy International Airport for San Juan, Puerto Rico, at 8:12 a.m. EDT Wednesday.

At least two other flights departing from Miami International Airport and the Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport headed to San Juan about the same time but were diverted before reaching the U.S. territory, according to flight records.

As Delta 431 flew to Puerto Rico, Twitter users cheered on the flight, giving kudos to the airlines dispatch team for expertly monitoring the volatile weather conditions against the Terminal Aerodrome Forecast and navigating the flight to its destination.

Rabinowitz pointed out that Delta even bumped up its departure time 25 minutes in an apparent attempt to get the returning flight, Delta 302, out of Puerto Rico more quickly.

DL431 is going for it.



Latest METAR: 35011G20KT pic.twitter.com/MqNgVPenQ8  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

So, how good is @Delta at dispatching?



The TAF calls for 25 MPH winds gusting to 40



It's actually 13 gusting to 23 now.



This will work https://t.co/Bw2cszfEEw  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Delta is hoping for a VERY quick turn once they get to SJU.



The return flight is listed as "early," departure bumped up 25 minutes pic.twitter.com/0F6rrn2HR7  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Those monitoring Rabinowitzs Twitter updates were nervous for Flight 431, especially as the flights icon entered the densely colored weather mapping.

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Once the plane landed in San Juan at 12:41 p.m., Rabinowitzs audience watched the updates as the flight crew worked to quickly turn the flight back around to New York.

Now for the quickest turn ever https://t.co/cTFzXKLCKX  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

https://t.co/YvkZOukBOS already listing the return flight to JFK as "boarding" pic.twitter.com/VEk2N1bpqW  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

me watching this flight on FlightAware pic.twitter.com/k8lNtfxZPP  Amol (@PointsToPointB) September 6, 2017

Indeed. Will he get out in time???  Fred Jansen (@fjansen04) September 6, 2017

that's the big question. I sure hope so  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

We're really doin it Harry!!!! pic.twitter.com/XpqMXSTtKQ  Ricky Piovesan (@TheRealRickyPio) September 6, 2017

Here they go! DL302 now taxiing for takeoff before #Irma gets really bad. pic.twitter.com/CNfk5L6oaa  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irma pic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

The return flight successfully landed in New York at 4:22 p.m., more than 30 minutes early.

Sarah Lora, a Delta spokeswoman, told HuffPost that it is against company policy to give out information on the flights pilots and crew, but she did confirm that Flight 431 flew from New York to San Juan on a safe route, touched down, picked up the people that needed to be picked up and made it back to John F. Kennedy.

Deltas plane spent less than an hour on the ground in San Juan before departing, which, as Rabinowitz pointed out, is pretty darn fast.

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Basically this, but for a 737 pic.twitter.com/zu8zqC4Tjk  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Considering the strength of Hurricane Irma and the devastation it has left so far in its path, Deltas mission in and out of Puerto Rico before the storm hit seemed intense. But the pilots, ground crew and dispatchers for Flights 431 and 302 appeared to just be following protocol.

Patrick Smith, an airline pilot who runs the blog Ask the Pilot, told HuffPost, When it comes to winds on the ground, theres not a whole lot thats subjective about it.

There are maximum tailwind and crosswind limits that have to be observed, Smith explained. Above and beyond any hard-and-fast limits, if youve got powerful gusts, severe turbulence, extreme precipitation or other clearly unstable conditions, no airline is going to sanction flight in those conditions.

In a news release, Delta said the weather conditions in San Juan were safe.

Flight 431 faced nine miles of visibility and light rain. Winds were around 24 knots with gusts up to 31 knots  all well below operating limits for the 737-900ER to safely operate, Delta said. Flight 302 then departed San Juan at 12:41 p.m., just 40 minutes after landing, with 173 customers on board.

Still, Rabinowitz and many others were impressed with Deltas storm-fleeing feat.

This pilot deserves everything. https://t.co/1Ol9sCJCwJ  The MC Wale (@theMCwale) September 6, 2017

Don't forget the @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, cabin crew, ground crew, airport staff, ATC tower staff, and dozens others making it work https://t.co/YyDIAyfodz  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Well, that's the end of that story. DL302 is reaching the edge of #Irma's outer bands.



Guess the flight crew serves lunch now...? pic.twitter.com/IDTV3WuLd5  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Also on HuffPost

Two men look for belongings in the rubbles of their restaurant in Orient Bay on Saint-Martin.

A door is seen blown in at a Regions Bank in Miami, Florida.

A store window is broken in Miami, Florida.

A Cuban wades through a flooded street in Havana, on September 10, 2017. Deadly Hurricane Irma battered central Cuba on Saturday, knocking down power lines, uprooting trees and ripping the roofs off homes as it headed towards Florida. Authorities said they had evacuated more than a million people as a precaution, including about 4,000 in the capital. / AFP PHOTO / YAMIL LAGE (Photo credit should read YAMIL LAGE/AFP/Getty Images)

A dolphin statue at Anglin's Fishing Pier lies toppled by Hurricane Irma.

A U.S. flag is tattered by winds produced by Hurricane Irma in Fort Lauderdale.

A flooded street in Havana, Cuba.

Cubans wade through a flooded street in Havana.

A collapsed tree in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

High winds blow through Brickell Avenue.

Trees and branches in Miami are knocked down.

Debris in the street in Miami.

A vehicle drives along Ocean Drive in South Beach.

Havana after Hurricane Irma.

A flooded street near the Malecon in Havana.

Cubans wade through a flooded street in Havana.

A building in Caibarien, Cuba.

Local residents return home in Villa Clara province, east of Havana.

Local residents at Villa Clara province, Cuba.

Damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Cuba.

Cubans wade through rubble in Havana.

A man looks on over the devastation of Hurricane Irma in Sint Maarten.

A woman uses a can to take water out of her house in a flooded area after hurricane Irma in Fort Liberte, Haiti

Houses are seen on September 8, 2017 in Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda

Boys walk in a flooded area in Fort Liberte, Haiti

Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda, devastated by Hurricane Irma

A girl stands in a flooded area in Fort Liberte, Haiti

A pup stands in flood waters in Fort Liberte, Haiti

Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda after Hurricane Irma

A man uses a metal plate to remove water from his house in Fort Liberte, Haiti

Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda after Hurricane Irma

People pass next to a flooded area in Fort Liberte, Haiti

A man wipes water in his house in Fort Liberte, Haiti

Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda

Houses in Codrington, Antigua and Barbuda

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Flightradar - Flightradar24

A Delta flight raced against Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, landing in Puerto Rico and taking off again within an hour just as the category 5 storm was bearing down on the island.

FlightAware data showed that the Boeing 737 left New York at 8.12am and arrived in San Juan at 12.01pm, just as Irma was set to make landfall.

Less than an hour later, it took off from Luis Munoz Marin International Airport in decidedly blustery conditions.

Pictures posted on social media showed the flight heading straight into the path of the hurricane, which had already left a trail of devastation across the Caribbean.

"Where others have turned back, Delta #DL431 presses on," tweeted the Flightradar24, which tracks air traffic in real time.

Jason Rabinowitz, an aviation enthusiast, shared photos of the flight data in real time as the fight landed, prepared for its next flight and took off again.

Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irmapic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

He said the total time on the ground for the flight was 52 minutes, including the taxi-in and taxi-out.

"Now DL302 has to climb out of SJU, and they're doing so between the outer band of #Irma and the core of the storn. Amazing stuff," he tweeted.

Now DL302 has to climb out of SJU, and they're doing so between the outer band of #Irma and the core of the storn. Amazing stuff. pic.twitter.com/lOq9Te5DO6  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Erik Snell, vice-president for Delta operations and customer centre, said their "meteorology team is the best in the business".

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"They took a hard look at the weather data and the track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight," he said, according to the Washington Post.

Hurricane Irma makes landfall in the Caribbean, in pictures

The flight was the last one to land and take off from the airport before it stopped operations.
President Trump has decided to end protections for DACA recipients  but he's after the wrong people.

On Tuesday, Trump announced that he'd be giving Congress six months to devise legislation to protect Dreamers, as the people protected by DACA are known, or else. Close to 800,000 undocumented people, 91% of whom work and 0% of whom have a criminal record, would be eligible for deportation if Congress does not act.

Even scarier, because of the nature of the order, many of these young adults could be deported before the end of the six month period.

This, while Trump's strangely oily adult children continue to enjoy total freedom in a country they so brazenly exploit.

SEE ALSO: Very good businessman President Trump uses Texas tragedy to show off his crappy merch

In another world, a good world that is not ours, Trump's children would get deported to the Upside-Down for committing one of their many exceedingly execrable offenses.

We deport kids for getting college scholarships, showing up to work, or otherwise contributing to society. Will the only punishment for Trump Jr.'s attempt at collusion be some Twitter dork's epic tweet?

Here are our grounds for the deportation of Trump's large adult sons and his daughter Ivanka.

1. Attempted to collude with a hostile foreign power and screwed it up so, so badly

Trump Jr. on working with the Russians to help sabotage Clinton: "I love it."

2. Reportedly misled donors and redirected charitable funds to benefit their father

Happens to the best of us.

Image: AFP/Getty Images

Sorry for the confusion. By "kids with cancer," Eric Trump actually meant "Donald J. Trump."

3. Exploited their role in government to benefit their crappy personal brand





Building international alliances to help increase the value of one woman's purse collection.

Image: chip somodevilla/Getty Images

It's funny how Ivanka Trump acquired all those Chinese trademarks out of nowhere.

4. Drained the economy

Image: nicholas kamm/AFP/Getty Images

Why can't they just steal from the comfort of their home?

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5. Repeatedly demonstrated egregious moral turpitude

Trump vacation photos posing with animals they killed for fun, including an elephant. Don Trump Jr. poses w/ tail he cut off in one picture. pic.twitter.com/tKPuGUakLX  Eliza Windholz (@Azile00) August 27, 2017

In America, legal immigrants who commit crimes of moral turpitude are subject to deportation.

6. Marketed products that didn't meet basic consumer product safety standards

Image: Getty Images

Ivanka Trump's scarves were recalled because they were highly flammable and criminally bland.

7. Committed unpardonable crimes against fashion.

"I DON'T CARE that Eddie Bauer didn't want me to model for their Fall Catalogue." pic.twitter.com/oU2mllYrXU  Heather Dockray (@Wear_a_helmet) 18. marts 2017

8. Reportedly and repeatedly appeared intoxicated in public, wet the bed

Image: LightRocket via Getty Images

Deport Diaper Don.

9. Posted an illegal ballot selfie

Eric Trump probably broke the law with this ballot photo tweet @verge pic.twitter.com/YpatXWJCKA  Foxlight News (@foxlightnews) November 8, 2016

We have the receipts, Eric.

10. Chronically abused hair styling products

Image: spencer platt/Getty Images

This is not Wall Street during the '80s, Eric.





11. Overstayed their welcome

Image: REX/Shutterstock

If they can't learn to act like decent human beings, we should send them to back to their home planet.
Evelin Hernandez cries as she hold a sign reading My dreams matter. Dont shatter them. at a protest against the announcement that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, in Minneapolis Sept. 5. Hernandez is a special education paraprofessional and is enrolled in the DACA program. (Photo: Renee Jones Schneider/Star Tribune via AP)

In order to enroll in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, Maria Praeli was required to provide the federal government a trove of personal documents, including her birth certificate, current and previous home addresses, phone numbers, school and medical records, as well as biometric data such as fingerprints and a photo ID.

I gave them all my information, said Praeli, who moved to the U.S. from Peru with her parents when she was 5, to reporters on a conference call following Tuesdays announcement that the Trump administration plans to end the program that provides a temporary shield from deportation for undocumented young people who were brought to the U.S. by their parents as children.

Now we could face deportation for doing what the government asked of us.

A 2016 graduate of Quinnipiac University, Praeli is now a policy associate at FWD.us, a pro-immigration reform group backed by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg and other Silicon Valley figures. She is also one of nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants who entrusted the federal government with an array of personal information that many fear could now be used against them.

Its scary, Praeli said. They know where I live, they know where my family lives. I feel as though it puts us in danger.  We are the easiest targets for them.

Whether and how ICE will be able to tap into the DACA database remains to be seen. But the U.S. government has a troubling history of using legitimately collected personal information for different, and more nefarious, purposes. Perhaps the most glaring example is the Census Bureaus involvement in helping locate Japanese-Americans to be rounded up and sent to internment camps after Pearl Harbor.

Japanese citizens wait in line for their assigned homes at an internment camp reception center in Manzanar, Calif., on March 24, 1942. Many were forced from their homes in Los Angeles by the U.S. Army. (AP)

Though a number of laws have since been passed that restrict the use of census data to statistical analysis, civil libertarians have raised concerns about the federal governments use of biometric and other identifying data the FBI has collected on people who have been convicted of a crime or suspected of terrorist activity  or just applied for a job or visa that required a background check.

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Increasingly there are examples where information collected for one reason is used for another purpose, said Neema Singh Guliani, a lawyer with the American Civil Liberties Union who focuses on issues of national security, privacy and surveillance.

Guliani pointed to Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which allows for the warrantless communications surveillance of non-Americans believed to be outside the United States, but can include their communications with people inside the country.

Related slideshow: Immigrants and advocates rally in support of DACA >>>

The law was justified as a counterterrorism tool, she said. However, thanks in large part to documents leaked by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden in 2013, we now know that the FBI, NSA and CIA routinely search through this database looking for information about Americans (who are not supposed to be targets), and the FBI essentially uses it as a Google search in cases that have nothing to do with national security, such as domestic crimes.

In one sense, questions about the potential reuse of DACA data are part of the larger issue concerning how the government uses personal information. Yet the DACA database is unique in that it is filled with information collected for the specific purpose of shielding people from deportation.

Marielena Hincapie, executive director of the National Immigration Law Center, told reporters Tuesday that the potential release of this confidential information has been one of the greatest fears about what will happen, when DACA is terminated.

Pedro Leon Martinez receives help from volunteer Maria Peralta in filing his application for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program at the Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights of Los Angeles on Aug. 15, 2012. (Photo: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)

Certainly the expectation from individuals was that this information was not going to be made available and used for immigration enforcement, said Guliani. Not only is this program being yanked out from underneath them, but now [DACA enrollees] are in a position where theyve shared information with the federal government that, in the wrong hands, could be used to their detriment.

Fearing this exact situation, 111 members of Congress sent a letter to President Barack Obama last December, urging him to do whatever he could to protect info submitted by DACA applicants, including suggesting that he issue an Executive Order that would prohibit the use of DACA enrollees information for purposes other than originally intended, including for purposes of deportation.

Later in December, a few weeks before Trumps inauguration, then-Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson responded to the letter, stating that the Obama administration shared the lawmakers concerns about the security of the DACA database, but stopped short of taking any sort of additional measures to protect it.

Since DACA was announced in 2012, DHS has consistently made clear that information provided by applicants will be collected and considered for the primary purpose of adjudicating their DACA requests and would be safeguarded from other immigration-related purposes, Johnson wrote in a letter. More specifically, the U.S. government represented to applicants that the personal information they provided will not be later used for immigration enforcement purposes except where it is independently determined that a case involves a national security or public safety threat, criminal activity, fraud, or limited other circumstances where issuance of a notice to appear is required by law.

We believe these representations made by the U.S. government, upon which DACA applicants most assuredly relied, must continue to be honored.

Johnson declined Yahoo News request to comment on whether, in retrospect, the Obama administration couldve done more to shield this sensitive information.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions makes a statement at the Justice Department in Washington Sept. 5, on President Barack Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program. (Photo: Susan Walsh/AP)

In an attempt to clear up some of the confusion surrounding Sessionss DACA declaration, the Department of Homeland Security posted a memo on its website this week that, in Gulianis words, left many DACA recipients and their advocates with a lot more questions than answers.

According to the memo, DHS is currently upholding its policy that generally, information provided in DACA requests will not be proactively provided to other law enforcement entities (including ICE and CBP) for the purpose of immigration enforcement proceedings.

However, Guliani said whats especially concerning is the following line, which notes that this policy may be modified, superseded, or rescinded at any time without notice. She pointed out that the Trump administration has already flipped its position many times on this issue.

The presidents position on DACA has been inconsistent. Throughout his presidential campaign, Trump pledged to revoke the program, which Obama enacted via executive order in 2012. However, once elected, Trump promised to show great heart toward undocumented young people in carrying out his aggressive immigration enforcement agenda. His muddled messaging on DACA continued to create more confusion this week: Hours after Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the administration had terminated DACA, Trump suggested that he might actually renew the program in six months if Congress is not able to pass the protections for young immigrants into law.

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017

Guliani said the lack of clarity surrounding Trumps position on DACA is even more troubling given his administrations previous efforts to strip immigrants of privacy rights. Buried in an executive order on Enhancing Public Safety in the Interior of the United States, one of many signed by Trump shortly after his inauguration, is a provision that says the federal government will no longer extend Privacy Act protections to anyone who is not a U.S. citizen or green-card holder.

This executive action, signed in January, sparked concerns throughout the immigration world that have now been amplified by this weeks DACA announcement.

We are in an administration whose disregard for immigrants has extended into disregard for privacy rights as well, said Guliani.

White House talking points distributed on Capitol Hill Tuesday noted that the Department of Homeland Security urges DACA recipients to use the time remaining on their work authorizations to prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States  including proactively seeking travel documentation  or to apply for other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible.

And yet by Thursday, amid nationwide protests, political backlash and a growing pile of lawsuits, Trump appeared to contradict himself yet again, tweeting: For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about  No action!

But Trumps assurances will likely do little to assuage the anxiety of hundreds of thousands young immigrants like Maria Praeli, who pointed out on Tuesday that we have seen DACA recipients being detained while the program is still in place. What does that mean when the program is gone?

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
They've been used in California, Las Vegas and at research universities across the country such as the University of Michigan. Now, a self-driving shuttle will begin a test program in downtown Detroit, marking the first test of autonomous commercial vehicles in the Motor City.



May Mobility, a startup based in nearby Ann Arbor, says it plans a five-day test program using two of its shuttles in downtown Detroit beginning Oct. 9. The shuttles, which can carry six passengers each, will be offered for use by employees of Quicken Loans and Rock Ventures, part of the business empire of Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert.



"We have shuttles that shuttle people around downtown for parking and back and everywhere else. So we're going to give it a shot and see what happens," The Detroit News quoted Gilbert as saying.



May Mobility was co-founded in January by Edwin Olson, a former computer science professor at the University of Michigan and a veteran of autonomous vehicle programs at Ford and Toyota, according to TechCrunch. It doesn't make the vehicles, but instead installs its autonomous technology stack on existing shuttle vehicle platforms. The shuttles debuting in Detroit are modified versions of vehicles made by Polaris.



Olson, the CEO, told the News that the company has driven routes in downtown Detroit for several months now to gather data. During the testing, a safety driver will be on board and will have the ability to override the vehicle if needed.



It will be interesting to see how these shuttles fare in an environment filled with Detroit's, um, very confident drivers. And we wonder how they'll do in the presence of all those ATVs whipping around Detroit that we wrote about the other day.



Related Video:
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's son and son-in-law denied allegations Thursday that they belonged to a drug trafficking gang, with the explosive claims raising questions about the government's bloody anti-narcotics crackdown.

Duterte came to power last year promising to wage a brutal and unprecedented war on drugs. Since then, police have killed around 3,800 suspects in anti-narcotics operations, while thousands of other people have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

His son Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio appeared at a Senate inquiry Thursday to answer accusations that they helped facilitate the shipment of crystal methamphetamine worth 6.4 billion pesos ($125.4 million) into the Philippines from China in exchange for payment.

The allegations emerged last month when a customs broker told the Senate panel that he had heard the names of Duterte's son and son-in-law mentioned while seeking to expedite the shipment.

The broker later issued a statement clearing the two men of involvement.

But opposition senator Antonio Trillanes at the inquiry accused Duterte's son of belonging to a drug trafficking gang, saying the 42-year-old had a tattoo on his back, resembling a dragon, that was "proof... of his membership" in the gang.

Paolo Duterte, vice-mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the panel that he had a tattoo but said he could not answer allegations based on hearsay.

"The law of karma will operate especially to those with evil intent," he added in a apparent swipe at Trillanes, an arch-critic of the president.

Carpio, who is married to Davao city mayor Sara Duterte, also rejected allegations against their family.

"Me and my brother-in-law have been publicly crucified based on rumours and gossip," said Carpio, a lawyer.

"I have no knowledge of or involvement in the illegal drugs shipment."

The sensational allegations have captured the attention of Filipinos, many of whom back the president's vow to pursue an unrelenting war against drug traffickers.

Story continues

Duterte, 72, has said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug addicts, even as critics warn the deaths of thousands of people killed in the crackdown may amount to a crime against humanity.

Duterte has denied ever inciting police or vigilantes to commit mass murder.

In speeches, he had encouraged his son to attend the hearing but advised him to invoke his "right of silence".

Detained opposition senator Leila De Lima last month accused the president of hypocrisy over his son's case.

"Let us look at the issue involving the 6.4 billion pesos worth of (illegal drugs) in the Bureau of Customs where the presidential son Paolo Duterte is being implicated," she said.

"(Rodrigo) Duterte has said a mouthful about killing the poor caught with small grams of shabu but his silence on the tonnes of illegal drugs that slipped past customs is deafening."
A report released two decades ago on the Harris County reservoir system predicted with alarming accuracy the catastrophic flooding that would besiege the Houston area if changes werent made in the face of rapid development.

The report released in 1996 by engineers with the Harris County Flood Control District said the Addicks and Barker reservoirs were adequate when built in the 1940s. But it noted that as entire neighborhoods sprouted over the years around the reservoirs in western Harris County, as many as 25,000 homes and businesses at the time were exposed to the kind of flooding Harvey has now brought.

In the report obtained by The Dallas Morning News, engineers proposed a USD400 million solution that involved building a massive underground conduit that would more quickly carry water out of the reservoirs and into the Houston Ship Channel. The conceptual plan envisioned a conduit consisting of eight channels to carry water out of the reservoirs and safely past developed areas downstream.

The primary flood threat facing the citizens of west Harris County and west Houston comes from the inability to drain the Addicks and Barker reservoirs in an efficient manner, the report said.

When asked about the report, Harris County flood control officials said they could not immediately locate a copy and were unfamiliar with the details.

What I recall is, and I havent read the report since back then, was that it was going to be very difficult to do physically, said Steve Fitzgerald, the flood control districts longtime chief engineer.

But the timing in 1996 was right, the engineers noted. The Texas Department of Transportation was launching a reconstruction of the Katy Freeway, a portion of Interstate 10 west of downtown Houston that leads directly from the two reservoirs to the downtown section, and it would have been a suitable route for the drainage channel, they said

Other solutions were offered, such as digging the reservoirs deeper, buying out properties at risk of flooding and imposing new regulations on development.

Do nothing and accept risk of flooding, the report warned.

The report was filed away without action, then last week Harvey struck. The usually dry Addicks and Barker reservoirs quickly filled until, on Aug. 28, they were nearly full and water had spread to their surrounding neighborhoods. The Army Corps of Engineers opened the floodgates to let a controlled amount escape. But instead of the normal 4,000 cubic feet per second, Corps officials opened the gates wide enough to release more than 13,000 cubic feet per second to keep the rising reservoir levels from overtopping the dams. They did so knowing it would flood neighborhoods downstream.

And just as the 1996 report predicted, water in many of the flooded homes would not drain for days or even weeks.

Who gets the blame? The Corps said with no federal money appropriated, there was no federal project, although Harris County is welcome to do that if they can work with whatever partners they need to do that, and we would encourage it to happen, said Richard Long, supervisory natural resources manager for the Houston Project Office of the Corps Galveston District.

Harris County Commissioner Steve Radack, whose precinct includes the reservoirs, blames Congress, which never allocated the money and credited the Corps with an outstanding job of managing this reservoir, outstanding.

The issue is moot for Aaron Voges, whose family home is in a neighborhood located inside a flooded reservoir.

For some stupid reason I thought that levee that I see on my way home, I thought that protected me, he said. I had no idea that there were plans in place to flood me to protect other people, which blows my mind.

This week, a Houston lawyer whose home was among those flooded filed a federal lawsuit against the Corps. Bryant Banes said the class-action suit seeks compensation from the federal government for what was effectively condemnation of their west Houston properties when water released from the reservoirs flooded Buffalo Bayou. AP
Tallinn (AFP) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to end Turkey's EU membership talks met resistance Thursday from many of her European partners, who warned against hasty action against a crucial ally.

Merkel said during an election debate on Sunday that she would ask the EU to terminate Turkey's accession talks, in a sharp escalation of an already bitter diplomatic spat.

A crackdown in Turkey in the wake of a failed coup last year has soured relations with the EU, and last week European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Ankara was "withdrawing from Europe by giant steps".

But on Thursday, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, whose country holds the bloc's rotating presidency, said no decision would be made on the matter before a commission assessment of Turkey's bid, expected early next year.

"I do not expect the European Union to make any decisions in that regard during this year," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn, Estonia's capital.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pursued a purge of opponents since the coup in which which more than 50,000 people have been arrested and almost three times that number have lost their jobs, including teachers, judges, soldiers and police officers.

A dozen German journalists and activists have also been arrested, fraying relations with Berlin yet further.

- 'No! No! No!' -

In December, EU member states agreed that no new accession chapters would be opened until Ankara reversed course, but Turkey remains an important player for Europe on a number of key issues, not least the migrant crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the Greek newspaper Kathimerini on Thursday he wanted to "avoid a rupture" with Turkey, which he called an "essential partner".

Echoing this measured tone, Mikser said the EU should "tread very carefully" with Turkey, which is also an important member of NATO.

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Most EU member states are also part of NATO.

"While discussing Turkey's status as a candidate country we should also discuss the future relationship in all its aspects, and not make any hasty decisions without looking at these things comprehensively," Mikser said.

Lithuania's Linas Linkevicius gave an even more emphatic response, barking "No! No! No!" when asked if accession talks should be ended.

And Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini added his voice to the calls for calm, saying dialogue was more useful than cutting ties.

"We know that there is problems with human rights in Turkey, but I am not in favour to cut the negotiations, because I think if we don't talk with each other this is not a very constructive way to go forward," he said.

- Election gambit -

The EU and Turkey last year signed a deal which has helped stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Greece.

Ankara has threatened to rescind the pact at times when tensions have flared with Brussels over concerns of human rights abuses.

Turkey began formal membership talks in 2005 after years of resistance from some EU members such as France, which were wary of admitting a largely Muslim country.

Progress has been slow and the negotiations came to a virtual halt last year after Turkey began the crackdown following the coup.

Merkel's remarks on Sunday drew a typically robust response from Erdogan, who compared them to "Nazism", but several European figures have suggested looking on her call in the light of her re-election battle.

Dutch Foreign Minister Bert Koenders said further discussions would follow the September 24 election in Germany, echoing comments by EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini earlier this week.

Mogherini said that geography and history made Turkey and the EU inescapable partners and the two sides should focus on ways to cooperate constructively.

"I would suggest that we look beyond what is said in the electoral campaigns both in Turkey and in the European Union," she said at a strategic forum in Bled.
Hungary's prime minister Viktor Orban - AFP

European Union divisions over migration were brutally laid bare today after the EUs top court ruled that member states would be forced to accept thousands of asylum seekers under a compulsory quota system.

Politics has raped European law and values, Peter Szijjarto, Hungarys foreign minister, told a news conference. The Hungarian government considers todays decision by the European court to be appalling and irresponsible.

The European Court of Justice dismissed Hungary and Slovakias legal challenge to the quota system, which was devised at the height of the migration crisis two years ago to relocate thousands of refugees in under-pressure Greece and Italy across the EU. Thanks to its opt-out on EU asylum policy, Britain is exempt from the scheme.

Hungary and Slovakia, with the support of other eastern member states, went to the court to block the EU decision to relocate 120,000 Syrian and other asylum seekers. Hungary, which faced international criticism after erecting controversial fences on its border with Serbia and Croatia, has refused to take in a single asylum seeker under the scheme.

Beata Szydlo, the Polish prime minister, who, like Hungarys Viktor Orban, is a steadfast opponent of the quota plan said: We expected this decision. However, this does not change the position of the Polish government on migration policy.

Italian border police officers escort sub Saharan men on their way to a relocation center, after arriving in the Golfo Azzurro rescue vessel at the port of Augusta, in Sicily, Italy Credit: AP

Peter Susko, a Slovakian foreign affairs spokesman, told The Telegraph that Slovakia respected the courts decision but maintained the quota policy was flawed.

We retain the opinion, however, that the so-called relocation compulsory quotas failed to work in real life as proven by only about 16 per cent of the original number of migrants relocated so far, he said.

The EUs Migration Commissioner Dimitris Avramopoulos was asked if the compulsory quotas could be replaced with voluntary ones.

It is mandatory my dear friend, he told one reporter before adding that accepting the refugees was the right thing to do legally and morally.

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Member states should show solidarity now becuase it is clear that some member states need solidarity now, he told a press conference in Brussels after the ECJ decision was announced.

Mr Avramopoulos, who is Greek, warned that if Hungary and other countries continued to refuse to accept refugees, they would be referred to the European Court of Justice for breaches of EU law. Such cases can result in large, daily fines.

Mediterranean migration routes

Mediterranean migration routes

Since its introduction in September 2015, the quota system has fallen short of reaching its 120,000 target. So far only 25,000 refugees have been moved.

The quota system was backed by a majority of EU leaders sitting in the European Council in 2015 but Hungary, Slovakia, the Czech Republic and Romania opposed the plan, arguing they were not equipped to integrate people from mainly Muslim countries.

EU judges ruled that even those countries that voted against the plan were bound by law to implement the quota scheme.

Poland initially supported the mandatory quotas but its new right-wing government, is against it and intervened in the court battle on Hungary and Slovakias behalf.

The European Commission, Greece, Italy, Germany, Sweden and several other EU countries backed the plan in court.

Asylum seekers wait outside a train station in Budapest, Hungary, August 28, 2015 Credit: REUTERS

Hungarys defeat is the latest twist in an increasingly testy relationship between Viktor Orban and Jean-Claude Juncker, the president of the European Commission, which slapped Hungary with a lawsuit for ignoring the quota system.

Mr Orban, Hungarys prime minister, earned himself a scolding from Mr Juncker after he demanded EU cash for border security to keep out migrants.

In a letter this week, Mr Juncker told Mr Orban that solidarity was a two-way street and itemised all the EU cash Budapest was offered to help deal with migration.

Mr Orban called a controversial referendum on the quota system in October last year. Although the turnout was so low that the result was declared invalid, 98 per cent of those who did vote rejected the system.

The quota scheme was planned as an exception to the Dublin rules that mean migrants must apply for asylum in the first EU member state they arrive.

Commissioner Avramopoulos said that once the quotas had been filled the scheme would not be renewed.

Migration flows have decreased since the height of the crisis. This is in part because of a deal the EU signed with Ankara to send back migrants in return for billions of euros in aid and for taking asylum seekers directly from refugee camps in Turkey.

On migration , most EU publics want decisions made by their governments , not EU

On migration , most EU publics want decisions made by their governments , not EU
By Felipe Iturrieta VINA DEL MAR, Chile (Reuters) - Chile expects to close an energy swap deal with Argentina in the days ahead, Chilean Energy Minister Andres Rebolledo said in an interview on Thursday, the latest example of increasing economic integration between the South American nations. The neighboring countries are also negotiating the locations for five additional transmission line interconnection points, with an agreement expected as early as January, the minister told Reuters. "We made a proposal to Argentina and we are very close to reaching an agreement," Rebolledo said, referring to the energy swap. "I think we can have an agreement in the next couple of days or if not, over the next few weeks," he added. Chile and Argentina share a 3,300-mile (5,300-kilometer) border running north to south along the rugged terrain of the Andes mountains. The deal would allow both countries to send natural gas or electricity at one point of the frontier and obtain needed supplies at another border point. In 2016, Chile exported 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity to Argentina and 361 million cubic meters of gas, worth nearly $100 million. The deal is the latest episode in a larger economic and diplomatic rapprochement between the neighboring South American countries that have often had frosty relations. Since conservative Argentine President Mauricio Macri came to power in 2015, the two nations have signed free trade deals and begun transporting gas between the nations, among several other measures. Rebolledo, who spoke with Reuters on the sidelines of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) meeting in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, said Chile and Argentina are planning to add five new electricity interconnection points in the coming years. For this, he said the countries commissioned studies with financial support from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) to define the geographic points that would make the project most efficient. "In January we will probably have the result (of the study), with the map of the five main points where there is supply and demand on the other side, and where it is best to put the transmission lines," he said. Chile is currently undergoing a broader transmission buildout. In August, Rebolledo told Reuters that the government hopes to have a formal proposal to pitch to investors for a line connecting northern Chile with southern Peru by the end of the current government in March. (Writing by Hugh Bronstein and Gram Slattery; editing by Diane Craft)
Facebook is under fire for its refusal to make public numerous political ads generated by a Russian troll factory. (Photo: Dado Ruvic; Illustration: Reuters)

Facebook, which acknowledged this week that it sold $100,000 worth of political ads in the last two years to accounts linked to a Russian troll factory, came under stinging criticism Thursday over its refusal to release copies of the ads to the public  or to congressional investigators.

After denying for months that any Russian entities purchased ads on Facebook during last years election, the social media giant has admitted that it belatedly discovered that some 470 phony accounts linked to a shadowy St. Petersburg media firm with ties to the Kremlin. The firm allegedly placed ads on highly charged issues in American politics, such as LGBT and gun rights  ads that in some cases explicitly mentioned Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton and the 2016 election.

Facebook officials acknowledged the existence of the ads in a closed-door briefing for investigators for the House and Senate intelligence committees. The company showed what it described as some samples of the ads, but didnt turn them over to investigators or release them to the media. Facebook said making the ads public would violate its strict privacy rules  even thought it acknowledges that most, if not all, of the accounts in question were registered under fake names and nonexistent entities and have since been removed from Facebooks platform.

Were trying to be as transparent as possible, but there are certain restrictions on what we can disclose under our data policies, a Facebook spokesman said in a response to a request from Yahoo News for copies of the ads.

That response brought a sharp retort Wednesday from campaign finance specialists and some congressional investigators, who noted that the exact wording of the questionable ads was critical. If the ads explicitly advocated or boosted one candidate or another, they would fall squarely under a federal law that bars foreign nationals from spending money to influence a U.S. election, making the individuals who paid for the ads  and any U.S. persons who might have assisted them  subject to criminal prosecution by the Justice Department and to heavy fines by the Federal Election Commission.

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I think this is shocking, said Ron Fein, legal director for Free Speech for People, one of two campaign finance groups that have already filed complaints with the FEC seeking an investigation into Russian government spending on last years election. Facebook has another thing coming if it thinks it can use its self-created privacy rules to prevent an honest accounting of what happened in the 2016 election, Fein said.

Trevor Potter, a former FEC chairman who was chief counsel for John McCains 2008 presidential campaign and one of the authors of the landmark McCain-Feingold campaign finance law, said Facebooks stand was especially puzzling given that the company was willing to show select samples of the ads to congressional investigators.

Potter said in an interview, These advertisements were directed to the public, so theyve already been put up publicly. And if they showed samples of the ads to investigators, theyve already violated their confidentiality rules.

The Facebook official declined to say whether special counsel Robert Mueller, who is investigating Russian interference in the election, has requested copies of the ads, or if the company has provided them. Because there are ongoing government investigations, we dont think its appropriate for us to be commenting on the specifics of what we are sharing or with who. Weve been in touch with a number of government officials, and will continue to engage with them, the official said. (A spokesman for Mueller declined comment.)

But Rachel Cohen, a spokeswoman for Democratic Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the ranking minority member on the Senate Intelligence Committee, said the senator still has lots of questions for Facebook, including whether and how pages and groups may have been used to spread disinformation during the election, both through ads and user content. She said Warner is seeking a committee hearing on the issue and left open the possibility that the senator would seek a subpoena for the material.

A possibly related effort to plant fake user content on Facebook was highlighted in a New York Times article posted Thursday that, as part of a collaboration with the cybersecurity firm FireEye, identified fake users such as a man who claimed to live in Harrisburg, Pa., and posted a Facebook message pointing users to a website, DCLeaks, that U.S. intelligence officials have concluded was a Russian front. These guys show hidden truth about Hillary Clinton, George Soros and other leaders of the U.S., the apparently nonexistent Pennsylvanian wrote on June 8, 2016. Visit #DCLeaks website. Its really interesting!

Senate Intelligence Committee Chairman Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., right, and committee Vice Chairman Sen, Mark Warner, D-Va., confer on Capitol Hill, June 28, 2017. (Photo: J. Scott Applewhite/AP)

Facebooks stand is typical of that taken by most social media companies, who generally resist sharing any information with the government about their users, even when it involves accounts that have been linked to terrorism or other criminal conduct. Their default position is we never provide any information about our users unless forced to under the gun of a subpoena, said Brett Kappel, a lawyer who specializes in federal election law.

Two years ago, when the Senate Intelligence Committee first sought information from Facebook about accounts linked to spreading propaganda for the Islamic State, they told us to pound sand, Sen. Richard Burr, Republican chairman of the committee, said, according to a CNN account of the panels clash with the social media company.

Since then, the company has expanded its efforts to remove terrorist-related content, setting up its own counterterrorism squad under the direction of a former federal prosecutor, Monika Bickert, including linguists who review material posted from across the globe and take down content that violate its policies.

But Russian political messaging and associated fake news accounts have presented special challenges and seemed to have largely escaped Facebooks notice during last years election. The phony accounts that began placing political ads first popped up on its platform in June 2015  the same month Trump declared his candidacy for president. They continued until May 2017, when Time magazine first reported the suspicions of U.S. intelligence officials that Russian trolls were placing political ads on Facebook; it was also around that time that Facebook says unidentified U.S. officials first alerted the company to what they had discovered.

What was especially alarming is that the accounts traced back to a company previously known as the Internet Research Agency, a St. Petersburg-based enterprise widely described as a troll factory and headed by Evgeny Prigozhin, a wealthy businessman and former restaurateur who is so close to the Russian president he is known as Putins cook.

The Internet Research Agency has been linked in multiple media accounts to the spreading of fake news stories around the world, including a phony video showing a U.S. soldier shooting a Koran and a fabricated account of an explosion at a Louisiana chemical plant.

A reputed troll factory in St. Petersburg, Russia, where hundreds of young workers write blogs and online comments supporting President Vladimir Putin and attacking the West. (Photo: Dmitry Lovetsky/AP)

More recently, according to a recent story in the English-language Russian newspaper Moscow Times, the agency has changed its name to the Federal News Agency and has created 16 news websites that employ over 200 full-time journalists and editors whose content attracts more than 30-million page views every month.

Every day, the sites churn out dozens of articles that praise Putin, cast Ukraine as a failed Nazi state and expose the nefarious machinations of the United States, the newspaper reported.

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Its not clear if anyone really wanted a remake of Flatliners  as Brat Pack-era thrillers go, Joel Schumachers glossy 1990 hit (starring Kiefer Sutherland, Julia Roberts, Kevin Bacon, William Baldwin, and Oliver Platt) handled its whats-on-the-other-side supernatural premise with adequate aplomb. But in Hollywood, as in the film itself, nothing stays dead forever. Thus, well soon be treated to a new group of young medical students intent on searching for the afterlife at great personal risk, courtesy of director Niels Arden Oplev and star Ellen Page  and following up its first promo, the upcoming sci-fi work has just debuted its second theatrical trailer (watch it above).

Taking a far more oblique approach than its predecessor, this new Flatliners spot proceeds with a pulsating rhythm thats meant to suggest an ever-faster heartbeat, all set to images that hint at the storys premise. That plot focuses on a group of young medical daredevils who devise a way to kill and then resuscitate themselves so they can take a peek at where we go after death. As one might expect, those answers are at first exhilarating and then, well, far less so, although at least for now, most of the horrors that await these characters  played by Diego Luna, Nina Dobrev, James Norton, and Kiersey Clemons  are being withheld in favor of suggestive CGI flights in and around various environments.

Whether director Oplev (best known for helming the original Swedish-language version of The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) can breathe new life into this familiar story will be known soon enough, as Flatliners bursts into theaters on Sept. 29.

Ellen Page flashback: Watch the trailer for Juno:

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Photo credit: Getty Images

From Delish

Hurricane Irma made landfall in the Caribbean yesterday, leaving many in Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, the Dominican Republic, and Barbuda without power and homeless. As the Category 5 storm moves farther north, Floridians are preparing for the worst. The storm, tied for the second-strongest on record in the Atlantic Ocean, is expected to hit the Florida Keys Saturday morning.

Grocery stores and gas stations throughout Florida are already struggling to keep up with demand for supplies, with water bottles at some Publix and Walmart locations depleted this week. Now, a two-case per person or four-case per family limit has been established at several Publix locations, the Tampa Bay Times reported. At at least one store in Fort Lauderdale, extra security is in place.

A spokesman for Publix, Dwaine Stevens, told the Times stores are receiving water deliveries "throughout the day and night" to keep up with demand. Walmart and Amazon have already reported delays in shipping orders to Florida, though 800 truckloads of bottled water were delivered to Florida Walmart locations starting Tuesday night, a Walmart spokesperson told the newspaper.

Gas and sandbags are also in short supply, with 10,000 sandbags distributed by the Gainesville Public Works Department Wednesday, the Gainesville Sun reports. Another supply is expected to be given out today.

Further north in Tallahassee, a Costco sold two truckloads of bottled water in less than an hour, managers told WCTV. There, cases were originally limited to five per person, then reduced to three.

No water jugs at this Miami grocery store. pic.twitter.com/Tx9v7V5x8R - Doug Hanks (@doug_hanks) September 4, 2017

Florida Governor Rick Scott urges residents to take warnings seriously. Several areas have already been told to evacuate, and the entire state is under a state of emergency.

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Local news outlets have updated lists of where to find supplies and shelter; here are resources for Broward County and the Tampa Bay Area. Check in with the National Hurricane Center for the latest updates on Hurricane Irma, Jose, and and Katia.

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When Crystal Estrada returned to Victoria, Texas, after Hurricane Harvey, she found her home ripped apart with shreds of fiberglass insulation strewn among her familys belongings.

Theres no roof, she said. Theres no walls, theres no doors, theres nothing.

Estrada, 27, and her family evacuated the day before the storm arrived. Now theyre living in a San Antonio motel, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency is paying for the room until Sept. 26. (State governments, though, can collaborate with FEMA and extend stays for up to six months.) Estrada said she has no idea what she and her family will do once that ends.

After the 26th, we will be in the streets, she said.

One thing that has made the ordeal a little more bearable: extra food stamp benefits. To make up for all the food lost in powerless refrigerators and ruined kitchens, the Texas Department of Health and Human Services on Friday reissued the benefit allotment for the month of August to more than 700,000 people who had been receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits in 58 Harvey-afflicted counties.

We were really hungry, and when we got them food stamps, we were so happy, Estrada said.

The state also distributed September benefits on the first of the month, rather than following the usual practice of staggering delivery over several days. Estrada would normally have received her $194 benefit on Sept. 6.

Members of the Texas National Guard prepare to distribute water and emergency meals as Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey. (Photo: Spencer Platt via Getty Images)

The U.S. Department of Agriculture, which oversees food stamps, approved the replacement benefits and the early September distribution last week. The USDA also agreed to waive SNAPs prohibition on using benefits for prepared meals; the program typically restricts purchases to food products for home consumption. Estrada said shes been able to use her benefits for chicken tenders and fries at Walmart.

On Thursday, the USDA announced a plan to distribute boxes of food directly to peoples houses. Sometime soon, a department spokesman said, Texas will probably also be able to distribute special disaster benefits, known as D-SNAP, that can be used by storm victims who didnt already qualify for food stamps because of poverty. (Such disaster benefits are typically rolled out later in a storm recovery since its necessary for retail stores to be up and running for the benefits to be redeemed.)

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Hurricane Harvey ravaged Crystal Estrada's house in Victoria, Texas. (Photo: Crystal Estrada)

Extra food stamp benefits have long been an important part of the federal governments response to disasters, which partly reflects the programs built-in responsiveness to economic need. The USDA distributed $320 million worth of disaster and replacement food stamps last year, plus emergency food supplies. After Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in 2005, the department distributed more than $680 million worth of disaster SNAP assistance to nearly 1.5 million households. The money comes from the programs budget and doesnt need an additional appropriation from Congress.

The nutrition program isnt a first responder, said Ellen Vollinger of the Food Research & Action Center. But within the world of government relief programs, she said, SNAP is considered a pretty important near-term responder.

Other federal nutrition programs, including the National School Lunch Program and the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program For Women, Infants and Children, also typically relax rules for people affected by major disasters.

The city of Victoria is about an hour north from where Harvey made landfall. Estrada, along with her girlfriend, her girlfriends two young children, and their dog, fled to San Antonio the day before the storm arrived. For a week they stayed in a shelter, sleeping in a room with hundreds of other people.

They got the motel room on Friday. Estrada said she is disabled and had to use all of her monthly Supplemental Security Income check to pay for necessities like gas, clothes and cleaning supplies. The SNAP benefits have been a huge help.

Were spending our own money to where we dont have no more money and were out of gas, she said.

People at the motel have been incredibly nice, she said, and someone even gave them free tickets to Six Flags, which was a thrill for her girlfriends 9-year-old and 6-year-old. After they returned, the person who gave them the tickets asked the kids if they had fun and was surprised that they didnt seem more enthusiastic.

The lady was like, Whats wrong with them? Theyre still dazed on it. I guess they dont get it. They want to go home, Estrada said. Theyre missing a lot of school and we dont know what to do.

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A volunteer from Texas A&M University helps to clean up flood damage in the house of an alumnus in Houston on Sept. 2.

Artemio Tamez and Franco Tamez sit in front of Franco's house on Sept. 2 after spending the day cleaning it out after torrential rains in the wake of Hurricane Harvey caused widespread flooding throughout the Houston area.

Children pick through toys in a trash pile on Sept. 2.

Patrice Laporte looks to see how much water is in his house on Sept. 1.

A man disposes of drywall while salvaging through belongings from his home on Sept. 2.

Axa Alvarez (holding coat) and her family sort through clothes on on Sept. 2 as they clean out their house, which had been inundated with water.

Jay Jackson adds to the pile of trash from Harvey flood damage.

A man tears out damaged parts of a home.

Church volunteers work in a damaged home.

Nancy McBride collects items from her flooded kitchen as she returns to her home on Sept. 1 after the record-breaking rainfall in Houston.

Church volunteers work help clear out a damaged home.

A man adds to a pile of trash.

Ernesto Ramirez pauses as he cleans out his house.

Damaged furniture, carpets and flooring are piled at a curbside on Sept. 2.

The Sam Houston Parkway was still completely covered with Harvey floodwaters as of Sept. 1.

Carl Ellis talks to his daughter stuck in Canada, while standing in front of her house surrounded by Harvey floodwaters on Aug. 31.

Giant mounds of trash from flood-damaged homes line a sidewalk on Sept. 2.

A girl sits amid giant piles of trash on Sept. 2.

Pete Schroeter surveys his flooded garage on Aug. 31 for the first time after his house was flooded.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Electric delivery vans are becoming more prolific in Europe. Electric powertrains are especially suited to urban environs, as well as to the last-mile movement of goods. As European cities crack down on emissions, going so far as to ban certain vehicles in city centers, delivering with EVs is a smart solution. Ford isn't blind to the need, and is testing plug-in hybrid versions of its Transit van in the U.K.



The PHEV Ford Transit offers 31 miles of all-electric driving, and features a 1.0-liter EcoBoost engine as a range extender for a total driving range of 310 miles. The plug-in version of the Transit is scheduled for production beginning in 2019, and Ford is leading its launch with a 12-month pilot program deploying 20 of the vehicles to fleet customers in London later this year. Heathrow Airport, the Metropolitan Police, British Gas, Transport for London, and Autoglass are among the participating customers testing the PHEV Transits.



In addition to its electrified powertrain, the PHEV Transits are equipped with geofencing technology, which adjusts vehicle settings based on location. This can ensure that they switch to all-electric power in London's low-emissions zones.



These PHEV transits use lithium-ion batteries under the load floor, preserving the van's full cargo volume. In addition to providing more range, the PHEV vans offer a greater payload capacity than all-electric vehicles, according to Ford.



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Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday the Trump administration's plan to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, an Obama-era policy that protected nearly 800,000 unauthorized immigrant children from deportation.

Later, President Donald Trump, in a statement, tried to explain the decision was not heartless. "As president, my highest duty is to defend the American people and the Constitution of the United States of America," he said. "At the same time, I do not favor punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents. But we must also recognize that we are a nation of opportunity because we are a nation of laws."

Trump's decision prompted criticism from all quarters and also sparked protests in several parts of the country. DACA was announced by former President Barack Obama in 2012. In an elaborate statement, Obama tried to explain these immigrant children may not know any other country besides the United States.

These Dreamers (a term used to refer to the immigrants protected under DACA) are Americans in their hearts, in their minds, in every single way but one: on paper. They were brought to this country by their parents, sometimes even as infants. They may not know a country besides ours. They may not even know a language besides English. They often have no idea theyre undocumented until they apply for a job, or college or a drivers license," he said.

According to Los Angeles Times, Obama also mentioned how his administration always worked to shelter these kids from the threat of deportation so that they could continue to contribute to our communities and our country. We did so based on the well-established legal principle of prosecutorial discretion, deployed by Democratic and Republican presidents alike, because our immigration enforcement agencies have limited resources, and it makes sense to focus those resources on those who come illegally to this country to do us harm.

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Referring to the termination of the program, Trump also told the Congress to resolve the fate of these undocumented immigrants. In his statement, Obama lashed out at the Trump administration as he urged the Congress to do their diligent duties and protect the young minds from getting booted out of the country because the administrations action is contrary to our spirit, and to common sense.

Former President Bill Clinton also released a statement Tuesday where he called these young people "a part of the American Dream."

DACA has brought hundreds of thousands of young people out of the shadows  allowing them to live without fear, go to school, work, and contribute to America in countless other ways. These young people's dreams are part of the American Dream," he asserted, "And they make it more real for all of us. Today's decision by the White House to terminate DACA -- and that is effectively what it attempts to do  will crush their dreams and weaken the American Dream for the rest of us.

He added Trumps policy to end the Dreamers programs made no sense because it did not offer any new solution to the sensitive issue of immigration and instead, just created new ones, Washington Examiner reported. It's cruel to send these young people to places many of them have never lived and do not know, Clinton said. For them this is home. The United States is their home.

While Clinton and Obama have been Democratic Presidents, a video clip that has been going viral on the internet shows that Republican Presidents  Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush  were more empathetic toward the Dreamers than the current president.

Even though Reagan, who was elected as the U.S. president in 1981, disagreed on several issues with Bush  who also served as his vice president  they did come to a consensus when it about was the lives of immigrant children. In 1980, during a primary debate sponsored by the League of Woman voters, when both of them were asked if children of illegal aliens should be allowed to attend Texas public schools for free, here's how they responded.

"If they're living here, I don't want to see 6- and 8-year-old kids being made totally uneducated and made to feel like they're living totally outside the law," Bush said. "These are good people, strong people."

Reagan echoed Bushs vision, adding: "Rather than talking about putting up a fence, why don't we work out some recognition of our mutual problems? Make it possible for them to come here legally with a work permit. And then, while they're working and earning here, they can pay taxes here. And then when they want to go back, they can go back. Open the borders both ways."

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The man charged in connection with a missing 9-year-old French girl admitted the child got into his car, but he maintained he did not kidnap her, authorities said. The unidentified 34-year-old was charged with kidnapping and illegal confinement or arbitrary detention of a minor after his explanation proved insufficient to investigators.

Maelys de Araujo went missing from a wedding Aug. 27 in Pont-de-Bauvoisin, France. Guests realized the child vanished when a DJ announced she could not be located around 3 a.m. Guests initially thought Maelys fell asleep or was lost. They launched a search of their own, but called authorities after an hour. Upon arrival at the scene, police were able to track her scent to the parking lot where the trail went cold. Based upon that, police theorized she may have been taken from the venue in a car. An exhaustive search of the woods and rivers nearby included cadaver dogs and police divers, but yielded no trace of the girl.

Upon further investigation, French authorities found traces of Maelys DNA on the dashboard of the suspects car, which had been cleaned the day after the wedding at which he was also a guest. A lawyer for the man said the child had been inside his car playing with another child but had returned to the party.

His dogs were mentioned during the party so the children, as they were playing outside, came to him and asked to see his dogs in the car, Bernard Meraud told BFM-TV. He opened the door, turned over the passenger front seat, the children went on the back seat, looked inside the boot and came out, thats it.

Meraud also said the man washed his car not to destroy evidence but because he planned to sell it.

The little girl and a little boy approached the car, next to which he was smoking a cigarette, he reiterated to Agence French-Presse. Given there had been a conversation during the evening about his dogs, the two children asked to see whether they were in the car.

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As for the DNA on the dashboard, Meraud said it could have been transferred there by someone else who came in contact with Maelys, according to AFP.

Authorities were unsatisfied with the explanation and re-arrested the suspect Sunday. He was previously detained for questioning but released.

Confronted with testimony, findings and scientific evidence, he persisted in his denials and explanations, the prosecutors office said, according to the Associated Press. This did not convince the investigative judges, who decided to hold him.

The suspect reportedly lives with his parents near Pont-de-Beauvoisin. His mother insisted her son did not kidnap the girl.

Hes a good boy who wouldnt hurt a soul, his mother told Frances RTL radio. [The authorities are] hounding him because they have to find a culprit.

GettyImages-841763000

Photo: Getty Images

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New airplanes capable of flying ultra-long distances could come into operation at key Asian airports within five years, as major plane manufacturers say they are confident their jetliners can link even the most distant continents.

Spanning distances of around 18,000 kilometers  or about half the circumference of the planet  direct flights between these two landmasses represent the next frontier in commercial aviation, and will seek to satisfy the travel demand of a rapidly growing middle class in the worlds most populous continent.

The establishment of ultra-long-haul flights  possibly in nearby airport hubs, such as Hong Kong, Shenzhen and Guangzhou  has implications for trans-Pacific connectivity as well as the Macau governments strategic aim of becoming a platform for trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

While the Macau International Airport (MIA) is likely to remain regional in its capacity, serving destinations in East Asia, Southeast Asia and possibly South Asia, neighboring Hong Kong is a logical testing ground for ultra-

long-haul connections.

In this sense, Macau is expected to continue using Hong Kong air infrastructure as a medium for long-haul imports and tourism; a relationship that will be strengthened by the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge later this year.

The worlds most reputable commercial jet manufacturers, Boeing and Airbus, say that their latest planes are able to handle distances of 18,000 kilometers, carrying passengers for up to 20 hours straight. This would allow Hong Kong to offer direct connections with some of Latin Americas largest cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and Mexico City.

Direct air connections are regarded as important levers in driving economic growth, and imports and exports activity.

According to PWC, the aviation industry was responsible for generating some USD2.4 trillion (amounting to 3.4 percent of global GDP) in 2012, with around USD600 billion comprising indirect benefits through increased economic activity of international suppliers. Better transport links also enable a freer flow of human capital between borders.

A direct link from Brazil to Hong Kong would, for all intents and purposes, mean a direct link between Brazil and Macau and a major step in establishing the city as a platform for trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries.

In the first quarter of this year, trade between China and Portuguese-speaking countries was tracked 40 percent higher than in the same period in 2016, totaling more than USD34 billion. However, the proportion of this trade channeled through the MSAR amounted to less than 1 percent.

The Macau Airport Company (CAM) told the Times it is intent on exploring its own potential airlines to operate direct long-

haul routes to Macau, but would not comment on specific routes to Latin America or Portuguese-

speaking countries.

Our companys marketing department has been trying all [manner of] ways to introduce new airlines to MIA, noted a representative of CAM, but an airline of a foreign country may have many considerations before entering into a new market.

So-called long-haul routes in Macau will not be on the same scale or distance as those currently operating out of Asias major airport hubs, nor the ultra-long-haul flights expected in the near future.

Currently, the Macau International Airports furthest regular destination is Jakarta, launched last month by Indonesia AirAsia, at around 3,200 kilometers  or five hours  away.

Growing demand for air travel, particularly in Asia, is making new, longer routes profitable and possible, through the offering of multiple travel options priced differently. With direct flights suited for business travelers, and stopover alternatives catering to price-sensitive tourists, the more people who fly, the more routes that are needed to support global connectivity.

According to aviation experts, ultra-long-haul flights can be financially viable provided that oil prices do not exceed the USD70 per barrel mark.

Fuel prices, which usually account for around one-third of an airlines expenditure, are crucial to determining the profitability of routes and how fast commercial planes should fly.

Previous ultra-long-haul flights have come and gone, with airlines deeming them unprofitable when oil hits unsustainable highs, as it did in mid-2008 when oil broke through the USD130 ceiling. Oil is currently trading at around USD50 per barrel and aviation experts say that new ultra-long-haul flights can be viable at this price.
A minority of evangelical faith leaders accused the LGBT community of provoking the extreme weather pattern: AFP

A number of Christian leaders have blamed LGBT people for causing Hurricane Harvey.

Despite overwhelming evidence that supports climate change as a factor in the devastating storm and subsequent flooding, a handful of evangelical leaders have ludicrously suggested the LGBT community are to blame.

Minister Kevin Swanson, who holds notoriously homophobic views, said Houston had sinned by having a "very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor."

Jesus sends the message home, unless Americans repent, unless Houston repents, unless New Orleans repents, they will all likewise perish, he told his radio show. That is the message that the Lord Jesus Christ is sending home right now to America.

His comments come just days after Christian radio personality Rick Wiles linked Houston's progressive attitudes with the storm.

"Heres a city that has boasted of its LGBT devotion, its affinity for the sexual perversion movement in America. Theyre underwater," he said.

Ann Coulter, right wing media pundit and climate change sceptic, also weighed in to the debate.

"I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than 'climate change'," she wrote on Twitter.

But her comments were met with a punchy comeback from Annise Parker, a former mayor of Houston who was one of the first across the US to hold a position of power and be openly gay.

"Darn it, I thought no one knew I had a super power over weather," she wrote.

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ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish court has ordered a German citizen who was detained in southern Turkey last week to be released but banned him from leaving the country, the news agency Dogan reported on Thursday. The released man and his German partner were detained while on holiday in Antalya, a popular tourist destination. The partner had already been freed after questioning, Dogan said. A spokeswoman for Germany's Foreign Ministry confirmed the man had been freed. "He is banned from leaving the country," she said. Dogan said the couple had been held as part of investigations into a network of supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, who is blamed by Turkish authorities for a failed military coup last year, and Kurdish militants in Syria. Gulen has denied any link to the failed coup. Thursday's release means 10 German citizens remain in Turkish detention on political charges. The arrests have raised tensions between Ankara and Berlin and led Chancellor Angela Merkel to call for a review of relations and of Turkey's EU accession talks. The detainees include dual German-Turkish citizen Deniz Yucel, who has been held for more than 200 days. (Reporting by Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul and Sabine Siebold in Berlin, editing by Larry King)
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - The head of a New York-based metallurgy company was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Thursday for conspiring to illegally export missile-grade metallic powder to Iran.

Erdal Kuyumcu, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry in Brooklyn after pleading guilty in June 2016 to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, court records show.

"We are obviously very disappointed in the court's sentence today, and will be exploring the available options," said Kuyumcu's attorney, Patrick Mullin, who had sought a sentence of probation.

Prosecutors said Kuyumcu, the chief executive of Global Metallurgy LLC, conspired to obtain more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of cobalt-nickel metallic powder, which can be used in aerospace, missile production and nuclear applications, for export to Iran.

The U.S. government closely regulates the powder to combat nuclear proliferation and protect national security, and exporting it requires a license from the Department of the Treasury.

According to prosecutors, Kuyumcu, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Turkish descent, and a co-conspirator hid the final destination of their powder by arranging for it to be shipped through Turkey, before being sent on to Iran.

The case is U.S. v. Kuyumcu, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00308.

(Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Leslie Adler and Jonathan Oatis)
New York (AFP) - The hijab and abaya dazzled center stage on the New York runway Thursday as up-and-coming Indonesian designers kicked off an increasingly diverse fashion week, hoping to change prejudices in the West.

"We're not oppressed and we just want to show the world that we still can be beautiful, stylish with our hijab on," said designer Dian Pelangi, 26, who has 4.8 million followers on Instagram.

She was one of five Indonesian luxury ready-to-wear designers, joined by an accessories designer, who presented collections at the show "Indonesian Diversity" -- held opposite a special needs school in Chelsea on the first day of fashion week.

Two of the five fell into the category "modest fashion" -- in this instance designed specifically for the affluent, modern, religiously observant Muslim woman -- and featured models all of whom covered their hair Islamic style.

Pelangi was one, Vivi Zubedi, 30, the other. Making her New York fashion week debut, Zubedi felt moved to come partly because of Donald Trump, who has sought to restrict immigration from certain Muslim majority countries.

"Mr. president, I love your country and also I love your people, and we will not (do) anything to you or your people. We are all the same, it's about humanity," the Jakarta-based designer told AFP, overcome with emotion.

Instead of the usual stick thin, white model types, the front row featured guests dressed to the nines in hijabs and Chanel bags, black women dressed to accentuate every curve, Latinas, and guests from across Asia and the Middle East.

Pelangi's elegant collection was a riot of colorful Indonesian materials, Batik print and tie dye -- covering women from head to toe in full skirts, wide pants, loose fitting jackets and rich brocade.

Covering the models hair were statement scarfs wrapped over and under raised head pieces as aristocratic as a noble woman's in Medieval or Renaissance Europe.

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Pelangi said inspiration came from the bestselling book "Humans of New York" by US photographer Brandon Stanton who documents the diversity of the 8.5 million people who live in the city.

Zubedi's look was more conservative still -- her signature abaya -- the loose flowing head to toe black garment obligatory in Saudi Arabia and adopted by some of the most strictly observant Muslim women elsewhere.

Sewn onto the back of her colorful gowns were "Mekkah, Madinah, Jannah" -- two sites of Muslim pilgrimage and the Arabic word for paradise -- and the phrase "all colors matter."

"I love the US every much and I have a lot of clients here," Zubedi told AFP. "Hijab is beautiful, we are all still human no matter what religion you are. We are still the same."

Diversity is a buzz word this season as the fashion establishment makes known its disgust with the Trump administration. Models of all sizes and colors are more prominent and social media is challenging the monopoly once set by editors.

Thursday's show comes a year after Indonesia's Anniesa Hasibuan broke new ground by staging the first New York runway show featuring models all wearing the hijab.
Budapest (AFP) - Hungary's leading press association has condemned a website close to the government for publishing a blacklist of journalists whom it calls "mouthpieces" for George Soros, Prime Minister Viktor Orban's bete noire.

The article, titled "Soros's foreign propagandists" appeared Tuesday on 888.hu, run by a close Orban ally.

It named eight journalists, mostly Hungarians, who work for foreign news organisations.

The list included correspondents from the Reuters and Bloomberg news agencies, Politico magazine and German television channel ZDF, all accused by 888.hu of portraying Hungary and Orban in a negative light.

It also said international media coverage of Hungary in general is "biased, stigmatising, prejudiced, and propagandistic".

The 3,500-member National Association of Hungarian Journalists (MUOSZ), Hungary's oldest media industry body, said in a statement Wednesday that it "condemns the listing of journalists".

MUOSZ said 888.hu provided no proof of any contact between the named journalists and Soros, the Hungarian-born US financier and philanthropist, and likened the list to the dark days of communism before 1989.

"Stigmatising colleagues by using listing methods that hark back to former anti-democratic times is far from the practise of democratic journalism and informing (the public)," said MUOSZ.

Over the last two years Soros, 87, has been called a "national security risk" and a "public enemy" by Orban over his alleged support for what the premier calls the dangerous mass immigration of Muslims into Europe.

Budapest has also made life harder for civil society groups funded by Soros and for the highly respected Central European University in Budapest, set up by the billionaire to help the region's transition to democracy.

Since the right-wing Orban came to power in 2010, critics say that public television and radio channels and many commercial outlets have been transformed into pro-government propaganda organs.

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In a recent speech Orban warned that "media operated by (Soros)" was an "external force" to be fought against in the run-up to the next parliamentary election due in early 2018.

In its statement MUOSZ also criticised the government for "negatively discriminating" against reporters not working for pro-government outlets, and Orban for only ever answering pre-agreed questions from friendly media in "choreographed" interviews.

Such "unlawful" factors "make it difficult in effect for journalists to perform their duties as set out in the constitution," it said.

In an article Thursday, 888.hu called the MUOSZ "a crypto-communist" body that "has no problem with someone serving the interests of Soros behind a mask of independence".
Tom Sommers was bitten and slashed in the head by a grizzly bear: AP

A hunter was mauled by a grizzly bear after the animal swatted his pistol away as he tried to shoot it in the neck.

Tom Sommer said he could hear bones crunching as the bear bit his thigh and slashed his head during the attack in the US state of Montana.

The 57-year-old and his hunting partner used a type of pepper spray to defend themselves against the charging bear after disturbing it as it feeding on an elk during a hunting trip in the Beaverhead-Deelodge National Forest.

But Mr Sommer was left with only a pistol to defend himself after failing to release the safety catch on his own spray.

"The bear just flat-out charged us," he said.

"It bit my thigh, ran his claws through my wrist and proceeded to attack my head."

His hunting partner managed to deploy the rest of his bear spray, ending the 25-second attack.

Brown bear (grizzly) (Ursus arctos), Montana, United States of America (Rex)

Just like that it stopped. He stopped biting me, he got up and started to run away, Mr Sommer said.

It could have been a lot worse.

(Tom Sommer via AP)

He was left with a 41-centimentre head wound and the pair had to walk for a mile and travel on mules to reach a hospital, where he was given 90 stitches.

Through it all I was very conscious, very level-headed and low key about it," Mr Sommer said.

"Besides some scars, it doesn't appear that I will have any problems.

"I've been a hunter my whole life. I have no grievance against the bear. He was just doing what bears do. But I would have shot him just the same."
Basse-Terre (AFP) - At least six people have been killed in the French part of the Caribbean island St Martin after Hurricane Irma tore through the region, Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said Wednesday.

"This is not the final toll. Far from it. We sadly risk further discoveries," Maire told journalists.

"The police didn't start again until the middle of the morning, we were not able, even with firefighters, to explore the whole of the island," he added.

The previous toll given by France's overseas ministry was two dead and two seriously injured on the eastern Caribbean islands St Barts and St Martin.

"The situation in St Martin and St Barts is dramatic -- there is no drinking water, electricity, public buildings are unusable, houses have been destroyed. We estimate that some 60, 70 percent of the houses have been destroyed in St Martin," Maire said.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, cut a deadly swath through a string of small Caribbean islands on Wednesday.

The French minister for overseas affairs, Annick Girardin, was to fly to Guadeloupe late Wednesday with emergency teams and supplies to assess the situation, the ministry said.

"It's too soon for casualty figures (but) I can already tell you the toll will be harsh and cruel," French President Macron said, adding that he expected damage on St Barts and St Martin to be "considerable".

St Martin ("Sint Maarten" in Dutch), located south of the island of Anguilla, is divided between the Netherlands and France.

St Barts ("Saint Barthelemy" in French), which lies to the southeast of St Martin, is administered with the status of a French collectivity, as is the French part of St Martin.
Chinese authorities may soon put on trial a Taiwanese pro-democracy activist detained since March and accused of endangering national security, his wife said yesterday.

Lee Ching-yu told reporters she received a call yesterday from a man who described himself as her husband Lee Ming-ches lawyer, saying the activists case was set to go on trial at a court in central Hunan province.

Calls to the court in the city of Yueyang and the lawyer, Zhang Zhongwei, rang unanswered yesterday.

This was the first word Lee Ching-yu directly received news about her husbands case since he disappeared 172 days ago into Chinese detention, she said, adding that she planned to apply for a travel permit to go to the mainland.

No matter how much heartache and sadness Ive been feeling, theres finally a ray of light in being able to see Lee Ming-che again since he was disappeared, she said in a statement. I must still embrace a glimmer of hope for human nature.

Lee Ming-che, 42, cleared immigration in Macau on March 19 and never showed up for a planned meeting later that day with a friend in the mainland Chinese city of Zhuhai. He had previously conducted online lectures on Taiwans democratization and managed a fund for families of political prisoners in China.

In April, Lees wife was prevented from flying to Beijing to seek a meeting with her husband because China canceled her travel permit. China, which claims Taiwan as its own territory, doesnt recognize Taiwanese passports and requires islanders to use to a Beijing-issued document called a Taiwan Compatriots Pass to visit the mainland.

Cross-strait relations have been near an all-time low since the election of Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen, whose Democratic Progressive Party has advocated for Taiwans formal independence. China cut off contacts with Taiwans government in June, five months after Tsai was elected. AP
(Reuters) - A pipe bomb exploded at a post office in northwest Indiana on Wednesday, injuring one worker, media reported.

The motive for the attack was not immediately clear and the FBI was investigating.

Firefighters responded at about 6 p.m. local time to the post office in East Chicago, about 25 miles (40 km) southeast of Chicago, where a female postal worker was hurt, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing East Chicago Fire Chief Anthony Serna.

The worker, who was not identified, was taken to a hospital where she was being treated for non-life-threatening injuries, the Tribune reported.

Two employees were inside the post office at the time of the explosion and another was outside, the newspaper reported.

Firefighters did not enter, but set up a perimeter around the building, Serna told the newspaper.

(Reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Nick Macfie)
Updated | Iran's foreign minister said Tuesday his country is prepared to open a dialogue with regional rival Saudi Arabia, but the kingdom appeared not willing to engage.

Both major oil producers, Iran is a majority-Shiite Muslim country and Saudi Arabia is majority-Sunni Muslim. and they have been locked in a battle for influence for decades. Their rivalry has increasingly come into the spotlight as their allies shape conflicts throughout the Middle East. Ties between the two gradually worsened and were cut entirely early last year, but Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said Tuesday his country would be willing to let bygones be bygones and start talks aimed at ending the wars that plague the region.

Related: Iran's military tells West it's not scared of being attacked, would win any war

"We are prepared to cooperate with Islamic countries on all issues that are important to the Islamic world, Zarif told Arabic-language news outlet Al Maydeen.

"If the Saudi government is ready to turn the page, Iran is ready for that as well," he added.

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Murad Sezer/Reuters

The countries accuse each other of fueling sectarianism and instability in the Middle Eastespecially in Bahrain, Syria and Yemen, where they support opposing factions. Zarif said Tuesday that a dialogue could perhaps "end the violence in Syria, the repression in Bahrain and the irrational war in Yemen." He also called for Saudi Arabia's support in ending violence against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

Zarif's comments echo remarks made by the minister last month during an extraordinary session of the executive committee of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, of which Iran and Saudi Arabia are members, in Istanbul. Zarif called for re-establishing a relationship between the two countries and even shook the hand of his Saudi counterpart, Adel al-Jubeir. Zarif later said the two may soon swap diplomatic visits.

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Jubeir shot down this idea on Tuesday, however. The top Saudi diplomat dismissed the possibility of rekindling ties between the two nations, saying that Iran would first need to rework its foreign policy and that any recent diplomatic visits occurred solely on the basis of coordinating the return of Iranian worshipers to the annual Islamic pilgrimage, known as Hajj, which Tehran boycotted last year due to a deadly 2015 stampede.

"The comments of the foreign minister are laughable, al-Jubeir told reporters in London, according to Reuters. If Iran wants to have good relations with Saudi Arabia, it has to change its policies. It has to respect international law.

"At this time, we do not see...that theyre serious about wanting to be a good neighbor," he added.

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REUTERS/TIMA/Mehdi Ghasemi/ISNA

In Bahrain, Saudi Arabia is a close ally of the ruling Khalifa family, which accuses Iran of stirring unrest among the small island nation's Shiite Muslim majority. In Yemen, Saudi Arabia backs exiled President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and has launched a campaign against the Zaidi Shiite Muslim Houthi movement that displaced him in 2015. (Saudi Arabia accuses Iran of supporting the movement.) In Syria, Saudi Arabia supports various insurgent groups attempting to overthrow President Bashar al-Assad, an ally of both Iran and Russia, since 2011.

During Tuesday's interview with Al Mayadeen, Zarif also hailed the Syrian military's recent lifting of a three-year siege by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) on soldiers and civilians trapped in the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. Assad's success against foreign-backed rebels and jihadists in Syria has raised concerns among Saudi Arabia, Israel and the U.S. that Iranian influence is expanding in the region.

This article has been updated to reflect the fact that Bahrain has a majority-Shiite Muslim population.

Related Articles
Several airlines were accused of raising prices as Irma approached Southern Florida: AFP/Getty Images

Flyers hoping to get out of Florida before Hurricane Irma makes expected landfall later this week are encountering large hikes in airline prices, and expressing dismay that theyre being charged extra in their attempts to get out of the storms path.

As Irma approached, breaking records in the Atlantic and hitting Caribbean islands, would-be ticket purchases were outraged on social media, calling out the airlines for what they perceived as taking advantage of a potential natural disaster.

Shame on you @delta. Jacking from $547 to over $3200 for people trying to evacuate properly? Twitter user Leigh Dow wrote with an accompanying picture that showed an alert for the price change. Ms Dow was retweeted tens of thousands of times.

Ms Dow, whose Linkedin profile shows is the CEO of a marketing agency in Phoenix, later wrote that the airline had helped her with the issue.

Certainly, the carriers revenue management algorithms are programmed to respond to spikes in demand, more commonly the sudden announcement of a big sporting or music event rather than a natural disaster.

In general, airlines pricing systems can create all manner of anomalous fares that no sensible passenger would contemplate: on the same evening as Ms Dow wished to travel, there were plenty of seats on non-stop flights between Los Angeles and San Francisco for around $150. But Alaska Airlines was also offering a two-stop option via Portland and Seattle for three times as much. No-one would buy it.

Yet many 21st-century airlines have such an image problem that people are prepared to believe the worst, even though the real story turns out to be more nuanced.

Delta and its rivals might wish that every fare quote was supervised by a public-relations professional whose task is to remove prices that would bring the airline into disrepute. But until that day, the dark art of revenue management will ensure that, every so often, an airline will be pilloried for its practises.

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Ms Dow wasnt the only person to encounter exorbitant prices while hoping to snag a regular-priced flight out of Southern Florida.

John Lyons, of West Hartford, Connecticut, also encountered issues while trying to book an American Airlines flight for his daughter, who attends the University of Miami. He logged in on Monday evening and saw a ticket for just under $160, and decided to buy it just in case. But, just the next day, he logged in to buy a ticket for the daughter of a family friend  who is also in Florida  and was astounded to see the ticket had jumped up to $1,020, even though there were a similar number of seats still open.

Very bad job by American Airlines. Booked a one-way ticket last night for my daughter to come home this Thursday night using this exact itinerary, Mr Lyons wrote in a Facebook post accompanied by a screenshot showing the pricing. Now with hurricane warnings in effect, American is gouging for the same ticket to the tune of $1,000 per person, and cost friends daughter who cannot afford is stranded.

An American Airlines spokesperson told Yahoo News that they had not changed their fare structures, and noted that the airlines had added capacity to get customers out of affected areas. That included added flights from several destinations, and the addition of 33 airports so that customers can receive waivers for ticket change fees.
Princess Juliana International Airport is famed for planes flying over beach-goers' heads as plane spotters cling to fences to feel the jet blast of aircraft taking off: Rex Features

The world-famous St Martin airport, where planes fly over beach-goers' heads and plane spotters cling to fences to feel the jet blast of aircraft taking off, has been severely damaged.

Hurricane Irma's 185mph winds tore through Princess Juliana International Airport, collapsing one of its jet bridges and covering its runway in sand and debris.

Photos on social media showed the airport's check-in lounge flooded and its safety fences pulled down.

One of the airport's jet bridges was collapsed and its safety fences were pulled down, as its runway was left strewn with sand and debris (Rex Features)

While the landing strips appeared to be intact, the Dutch navy said the airport is "unreachable" for now.

The airport had suspended all operations before the storm hit as a precaution.

The hurricane caused "enormous devastation" to the Dutch side of the island and cut off electricity and gas, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte has said.

Most communications with the outside world are being conducted via the military, he said, adding there was "no clarity" on victims.

The Dutch navy, which has two ships stationed off the coast of the island, tweeted images gathered by helicopter showing damaged houses, hotels and boats.

French authorities have counted at least eight dead on the French side of the island.

For more news videos visit Yahoo View, available on iOS and Android.

Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said he briefly had contact with St Martin's prime minister but communications are sporadic.

He said nine patients at a hospital in the country had been evacuated by Dutch military helicopter.

Sint Maarten is an independent nation within the Kingdom of the Netherlands, with a population of around 40,000 -- about the same as the French side.

Andre van der Kamp, commander of the Dutch ship Zeeland, tweeted to say the Zeeland and Pelikaan would be trying to moor on Sint Maarten to deliver emergency aid, but they needed to complete a safety check of the port first.
Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Islamic State terrorist group, is 'planning a fresh wave of terror attacks against Britain' - AFP

The leader of Islamist State of Iraq and the Levant (Isil) is planning a fresh wave of terror attacks against Britain and other European countries in revenge for the crushing defeats the Islamist terror group has suffered in Iraq and Syria, a leading Iraqi intelligence official has warned.

Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of Isils self-proclaimed Caliphate in Iraq and Syria, is said to be organising a number of sophisticated attacks against Western targets to boost the morale of jihadi fighters after the series of defeats the movement has suffered in places like Mosul and Raqqa.

In an exclusive interview with the Telegraph, Lahur Talabany , the head of Kurdish intelligence who has been heavily involved in the military campaign to liberate Mosul from Isil control, says a new generation of Islamist terror groups could emerge in Iraq if the country does not undertake radical political reform.

Isil has lost a lot of land in Iraq and Syria, but this is not the end of Isil, said Mr Talabany, 41, during a visit to London, where he is having a series of meetings with officials and ministers, including Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon.

Mr Talabany said that there were an estimated 500 British jihadists fighting with Isil at the height of the so-called caliphates influence in Iraq and Syria, but that the majority of them had been killed during the US-led coalitions military campaign to destroy Isil.

Iraq victory over Isil in Mosul, in pictures

As a result al-Baghdadi, who Mr Talabany says is still alive and probably hiding in the desert between the Syrian and Iraqi borders, is keen to launch a new wave of terrorist attacks against Britain and other Western countries to boost the morale of surviving Isil fighters.

We are going to see a lot more attacks on the West that are designed to boost the morale of the fighters who have suffered heavy losses, said Mr Talabany. They are trying to do attacks that will get them publicity.

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The more sophisticated attacks are being organised by the leadership around the Baghdadi camp.

Following the liberation of Mosul, Iraqs second largest city which was liberated from Isil control earlier in the summer, Iraqi security officials have been able to gain a better understanding of how Isil managed to seize control of the city and recruit so many foreign fighters to its cause.

Isil played the media card very well, said Mr Talabany. They used the media to demoralise the government forces in both Iraq and Syria, but they were never as strong as they led the world to believe.

They had lots of land, which they needed to attract foreign fighters. But now they dont have the land to attract people to join them. Consequently, Mr Talabany believes al-Baghdadi and other senior members of Isils leadership are seeking to launch fresh terror attacks to demonstrate the movement still has the ability to wage war against the West.

Mr Talabany said the Kurds and other Iraqi fighters were grateful for the military support they had received from the U.S., Britain and other coalition forces in the battle against Isil.

We are very grateful for the help we have received from the coalition forces, he said Their backing meant it was too much for Isil to handle.

But he warned that, as the military campaign against Isil began to wind down, it was important that countries like Britain continued to provide political support to the Iraqi government as it undertook the painful process of rebuilding the country after more than a decade of conflict.

In particular if was important the the Shia-dominated government of Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi reconciled the leaders of the Sunni tribes, many of whom have supported Isil because they do not believe they are properly represented in Baghdad. The Iraqi government also needs to engage with the Kurds, who have played a key role in defeating Isil.

We want to thank the UK government for their support, said Mr Talabany. But we need them to stay engaged for the next phase as we rebuild the country.

We will need political support as we get the Sunnis back into the government in Baghdad otherwise we will end up with a new set of extremists in the country.

If the Sunnis are brought back into the political system then that will be the end of Isil. But if the opposite happens then we could have new Islamist groups emerging that have a similar agenda as Isil.
The reported air raid on a Syrian government facility comes as Israel is conducting its biggest military exercise in 19 years on its northern border. - EPA

Israeli jets have bombed a Syrian military facility believed to be linked to President Bashar al-Assads chemical weapons programme.

The 2am attack on the Syrian Scientific Research Centre, which develops and produces chemical weapons, in the central province of Homs near the Mediterranean coast, left at least two dead.

The jets were heard flying over Lebanon overnight, with reports the strikes were carried out over Lebanese air space.

A statement released by the Syrian army warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region".

Israeli armed forces took part in the largest military drill in 20 years even as reports emerged that a Syrian chemical weapons facility had been attacked. Credit: EPA

The US has accused the SSRC of helping to develop the sarin gas used in an attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun in April that killed 87 people.

The strikes came a day after the United Nation Commission of Inquiry announced they had an "extensive body of information" indicating the Syrian regime was responsible.

It was the most concrete finding yet by the body linking the Assad regime to chemical attacks on civilians.

Israel has conducted air strikes on military positions inside Syria and against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Lebanon's Shia militia Hizbollah, which is fighting alongside Assad's forces, nearly 100 times during the six-year war.

However, experts say the nature of Thursdays target was not routine.

Maj. Gen. Yaakov Amidror, a former national security advisor to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, said: This is the first time that the target which was attacked was a formal Syrian facility,

He said it had also produced rockets which have been transferred to the Lebanese militia.

Amod Yadlin, the former Israeli intelligence chief, said the raid sends three messages: That Israel won't allow for empowerment and production of strategic arms. That Israel intends to enforce its redlines despite the fact that the great powers are ignoring them. And that the presence of Russian air defense does not prevent airstrikes attributed to Israel.

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The strikes follow a series of statements by Israel in recent weeks accusing its arch-enemy Iran of seeking to establish itself in Syria and of building a weapons factory.

They fear an emboldened Iran and Hizbollah may direct the missiles at Israel once the war winds down in Syria.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said strikes also hit a military camp next to the facility that was used to store ground-to-ground rockets and where personnel of Iran and its ally, Hizbollah, are stationed.

"There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hizbollah also uses the facility," said Rami Abdel Rahman, head of the Observatory.
Jennifer Lawrence gave Old Hollywood vibes in an Atelier Versace gown [Photo: Getty]

Jennifer Lawrences new thriller has drawn a collective WTF from critics, but the sparkling silver gown she wore to the films London premiere reminded everyone why shes true Hollywood royalty.

For the Wednesday showing of the psychological thriller Mother! at the Odeon Leicester Square cinema, Lawrence wore an Atelier Versace gown from the Autumn/Winter 2017 couture collection. The sheer, netted dress had a halter top and a subtle ombre sheen that Lawrence underscored with a wispy hair twist and soft pink lips.

Front and back views of Jennifer Lawrences Versace dress [Photo: Getty]

In the film, described by Variety as a head-trip horror movie, Lawrence plays one-half of a married couple (her husband is played by Javier Bardem) whose life takes a dark and twisted turn after unwelcome guests show up at their door.

Mother! was directed by Lawrences boyfriend of one year, Darren Aronofsky, 48, and its positive reviews have included dark comparisons to the 1968 film Rosemarys Baby and 2000s Requiem of a Dream.

Mother! also debuted at the Venice Film Festival Tuesday, where Lawrence walked the red carpet wearing a Christian Dior haute couture gown with black overlay (the 27-year-old is an ambassador for the brand) and earlier that day, she dazzled in a lace Giambattista Valli dress.

At the festival, Lawrence and Aronofsky strategically avoided posing together on the red carpet, noted People . In the shadow of Lawrences stunning style, who could blame him?

Follow us on Instagram and Facebook for non-stop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyleUK.

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Joey Santos, 12, top right, and Matthew Santos, 7, bottom right, of Costa Mesa, Calif., meet Archbishop Jose H. Gomez following a mass for immigration reform at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels in Los Angeles. The Santos family joined about 400 Orange County residents who attended the mass on July 21, 2013. (Photo: Ana Venegas/The Orange County Register/ZUMAPRESS.com)

The Trump administrations announcement that the Obama-era program giving temporary legal status to young undocumented immigrants was being scrapped sent shivers throughout churches across the country. Several prominent Catholics and evangelicals are united in their belief that ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, also known as DACA, is not the Christian thing to do.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, the preeminent Roman Catholic clergyman in America, condemned Trumps decision, announced by Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, as contrary to the spirit of the Bible and the United States.

All of the DREAMers who now face such uncertainty and fear, please know that the Catholic Church loves you, welcomes you, and will fight to protect your rights and your dignity, Dolan said.

If there is anything positive about President Trumps action, he suggested, its that it might compel Congress to pass humane legislation that will make the provisions of DACA law.

Carmen Cervantes, the executive director of Instituto Fe y Vida (Faith and Life Institute), which is dedicated to empowering young Latinos for leadership in Church and society, said she fully endorses Dolans formal statement and echoes what he said elsewhere. She also agrees with Archbishop Jose H. Gomez of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, who said, The announcement to end DACA is a national tragedy and a moral challenge to every conscience.

Carmen Cervantes is the executive director of Instituto Fe y Vida, or Faith and Life Institute. (Photo: Courtesy of Carmen Cervantes)

The Catholic Church has taken a prophetic and Christian stance about and immigration reform, which is very much needed for immigrants of all parts of the world and from diverse social classes. At Fe y Vida, we strongly and decisively support this plea, Cervantes told Yahoo News via email.

Instituto Fe y Vida knows firsthand several DACA young adults who have participated in its pastoral formation and leadership training programs, she said. For all these young men and women, the U.S. is the only country they know, and the only education theyve received has been in American schools. Their faith and morality has been cultivated in American churches, she continued, and all their friends are in the United States.

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According to Cervantes, DACA was only a partial solution, but not an ideal one. President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order gave 800,000 young adults legal permission to work in the U.S. She said this benefited the so-called DREAMers, their families, their neighborhoods and society in general.

If their legal status is not solved within the next six months, they will have to seek other types of jobs with significantly less income for their families and with less positive impact for the U.S. as a country, Cervantes said. If they are deported, they will be sent to countries they do not know; where they may or may not have family; and many will have to leave behind spouses and children who are U.S. citizens. This will be a calamity for personal, family and civic life, caused without any logical or moral reason.

Instituto Fe y Vida is calling for bipartisan legislation within the next six months to allow these young people to stay in the country.

Other aspects of a holistic immigration reform, which is badly needed, could follow, she said. Now is the time to act on this aspect of the law.

Notre Dame President Rev. John Jenkins speaks, Wednesday, March 4, 2015, in the Purcell Pavilion at the University of Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind. (Photo: South Bend Tribune, Robert Franklin, Pool/AP)

The Rev. John I. Jenkins, the president of the University of Notre Dame, called the decision to end DACA foolish, cruel and un-American.

Foolish because it drives away talented people the country needs; cruel because it abandons people who have done nothing wrong and have known life only in the United States; and un-American because we have always welcomed immigrants to our land of opportunity, he said in a statement.

He called upon congressional leaders to find a permanent solution to the problem and vowed that Notre Dame would continue to support DACA students financially and maintain their enrollment  even if Congress fails to act.

The Alliance for Catholic Education at Notre Dame also released a statement calling on Congress to find a legislative solution and describing Catholic schools as a safe harbor for all children in recognition of Gods love for His people, no matter a childs place of birth.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaks at City Hall in New York. Following President Trumps decision to revoke the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy, Mayor Bill de Blasio, first lady Chirlane McCray, key elected city officials and clergy spoke at a rally inside City Halls rotunda. (Photo: Albin Lohr-Jones/Pacific Press/LightRocket via Getty Images)

They came to this country as minors, and many remember only the United States as their home, the statement reads. To deport this group of people  those who have built lives contributing to our nation  is to turn our back on Jesuss call to serve Gods treasured children.



Although Catholic leaders have cited compassion and morality in their numerous defenses of DACA, former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon accuses the Catholic Church of having ulterior motives. He told CBSs 60 Minutes that Catholics need illegal aliens to fill the churches and that the church has been terrible about immigration.

Joseph Capizzi, the executive director of the Institute for Human Ecology at Catholic University of America, said the church has articulated the position taken by these Catholic bishops for a long time.

Its not something that  as Mr. Bannons comments suggest  theyve adopted for demographic reasons or for even economic reasons. Its a position that dates back arguably to Scripture itself regarding how were supposed to treat the stranger, the beggar, those who are most in need, Capizzi told Yahoo News.

Capizzi said the church does need immigrant Catholics, but that this is no different than the way the U.S. needs immigrants of all kinds who are interested in contributing to the country. He noted the irony of Bannons stance, given his concern for the decline of Christian culture in Western Europe and the U.S.

Former presidential adviser Steve Bannon. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)

These are people who actually bear Christian culture and in particular Catholic culture in their very being, he said. You would think that even he would welcome them if for that reason alone.

Similarly, Bill Donohue, the president of the Catholic League, an antidefamation and civil rights organization, said theres nothing wrong with criticizing bishops who take positions on public policy but that its unacceptable for people to ascribe invidious motives to them as Bannon has.

It is certainly true that most of the bishops promote a liberal position on illegal immigration. That is open to fair criticism, but to say that their motive is to fill the churches is inaccurate and unfair. Indeed, it feeds the worst impulses of anti-Catholics. The bishops are making their case based on their compassion for the dispossessed, Donohue wrote in a statement released Thursday.

He said legitimate issues could be raised regarding the approach that bishops have taken to address this issue, but that filling the pews is not one of them.

Besides, if filling the pews were the driving force, only a delinquent pastor would choose to attract those least likely to donate to, and most likely to draw on, parish funds, he said.

But Catholics are not alone.

Galen Carey, the vice president of government relations for the National Association of Evangelicals, which represents about 40 denominations and a whole range of evangelical associations, said it has long supported these young adults desire to stay and build their lives in the United States, which in many cases is the only country they know.

Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program supporters rally at City Hall in Los Angeles on Sept. 5. (Photo: Kyle Grillot/ Reuters)

Were totally onboard with that. There is a legitimate question about how that should be done, and we believe that a legislative solution that makes a permanent provision is whats needed. DACA was helpful in providing protection and work authorization, but it was temporary, Carey told Yahoo News.

He noted that DACA was always subject to potential revocation by another president after Barack Obama left office and that a more lasting solution would have to come from Congress.

If theres a silver lining at all in the presidents action, we think it would be the impetus it provides to Congress to act, he said.

When asked about Dolans comments specifically, Carey said, He was expressing his profound disappointment in the ending of the DACA program. He speaks as a pastor to his members, many of whom are directly affected by this, so his concern is very understandable. Its quite appropriate, I would say.

Carey described the association as nonpartisan and said it never endorses or campaigns for any candidates for any office. Instead, he said, the association reflects the concerns of its members and upholds the evangelical principles values that it would like political leaders to take into account.

In the past presidential election, for instance, it invited all the presidential candidates to prepare a video addressing how they intended to handle poverty at home and abroad. Without additional commentary, he said, the organization presented the videos to its members so they could make an informed decision when casting their ballots.

Russell Moore, president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission, speaks at a news conference on June 13, 2017, in Phoenix. (Photo: Angie Wang/AP)

Carey said congressional representatives are busy with spending bills and other matters but hopes they will resolve the DACA issue as soon as possible: The main thing we are saying to anyone who will listen in the Congress is dont wait until five months and 29 days before you take action because people are affected and need to be able to plan their lives.

Another evangelical leader, Russell Moore, the president of the Ethics & Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, largely shared the sentiments of Dolan, Cervantes and Carey when addressing the issue on Twitter:

Congress should do the right thing and provide a solution for those who were brought here by parents as children. #daca

And churches will be here to speak hope to children now thrown into fear and insecurity about their families and their futures.

Children shouldnt suffer because of the decisions of their parents, especially when they have tried to make things right. #DACA

(Cover tile photo: Patrick Fallon via ZUMA Wire)

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
Kate Middleton and Prince William are expecting baby number three, Kensington Palace announced Sunday in a statement. And as with babies one and two, the mom-to-be is again suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, a severe form of morning sickness that causes debilitating nausea and vomiting.

Middletons previous two pregnancies were announced in her first trimesterearlier than couples traditionally share their happy news with family, friends, and (in this case) adoring subjectsbecause her symptoms forced her to cancel public events.

That also appears to be the case with her third pregnancy. In fact, this latest news came in the form of a nearly identical statement as the one released when the couple announced their second pregnancy and revealed that the Duchess would no longer be attending a planned engagement.

RELATED: What Many Pregnancies Have in Common With Kate Middleton's

As someone who lives much of her life in the public eye, Middletons absence from the British event circuit is noticeable, and news of her illness can be concerning for those who follow the royal familyor who worry about experiencing the same symptoms themselves during their own pregnancies.

So what might the next few months look like for the Duchess of Cambridge, or any other pregnant women suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum? To find out, Health spoke with Richard Davis, MD, interim division director of maternal-fetal medicine at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Dr. Davis is not involved in Middletons care, but he has treated other women with the same diagnosis.

Dr. Davis says hyperemesis gravidarum is different from regular morning sickness in that it is extremely hard for women to keep down any foods or liquids without vomiting. Women can get dehydrated, they can lose significant amounts of weight, and they can obviously feel very weak, he says. It can become a dangerous cycle because the esophagus gets irritated from vomiting, which can cause reflex and contribute to the nausea, which then causes more vomiting.

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Thats why its so important for women with hyperemesis gravidarum to seek medical attention, Dr. Davis adds. Some women only need a few days of intravenous fluids to hydrate them and help the worst of their symptoms pass, while others need medications to calm their stomach and suppress nausea. In severe cases that have gone undiagnosed or untreated, women may also have vitamin deficiencies or other complications that need to be addressed.

The Duchesss hyperemesis was bad enough during her first pregnancy with Prince George that she was hospitalized for four days in the very early stages of her pregnancy. For her second pregnancy, she was reportedly cared for at home, but she missed several high-profile appearances during her first trimester, including a trip to Malta and the Invictus Games for wounded servicemen and women.

Middleton also spent part of her first trimester at her parents home when she was carrying second-born Princess Charlotte. At that time, a family friend told People that Middleton was not well at all, the poor thing. Still, the fact that the Duchess was able to stay with her parents, who live about 50 miles from her main doctors, likely meant that her symptoms were being kept under control.

To get our best wellness tips delivered to you inbox, sign up for the Healthy Living newsletter

Middleton stayed out of the public spotlight during her pregnancy with Prince George until about the 13-week mark, and followed a similar pattern while pregnant with Princess Charlotte. In the later months of both pregnancies, she kept up a regular schedule of high-profile events and made plenty of headlines about her chic maternity (or, more accurately, non-maternity) style.

That makes sense, says Dr. Davis, since many women with hyperemesis gravidarum start to feel better around the 12- to 14-week mark. They may still have some nausea or vomiting, he says, but most can keep it under control with strategies like small, frequent meals or natural remedies like ginger.

Thats not true for everyone, however; some women experience serious symptoms throughout their entire pregnancies. Theres not a lot of research to predict whether Middletons third case of hyperemesis gravidarum will mimic her first two, but Dr. Davis says thats likely to be the case.

And while theres no way to prevent hyperemesis gravidarum from occurring and nothing a woman can do differently a second or third time around, it can help if she and her doctors know what to expect, says Dr. Davis, and are prepared with preventive medicine and preemptive scheduling strategies.

It can be challenging for women to keep up with work or their daily lives, he says. You have nausea, you may still be vomiting, and you just feel really lousy, so going out in public and keeping appointments can be hard, especially when food is involved. (Just like with regular morning sickness, he explains, the smells and sights of certain foods can be potent triggers.)

At the same time, he says, women with hyperemesis gravidarum need to listen to their bodies and eat wheneverand whateverthey feel the urge to eat. Even if its something very surprising, like if a woman says she wants a cheeseburger and French fries, he says. Chances are if shes craving it, shes going to be able to keep it down.

RELATED: What Pregnancy Does to Your Health

Hyperemesis gravidarum can be physically and emotionally devastating, and in severe (and very rare) cases, it can cause long-term health issues for both mom and baby. But if a woman receives proper care and is able to manage her symptoms, she can recover fully and go on to have a perfectly healthy newborn.

Just look at Middletons two previous deliveries: Insiders told People that the Princess Charlottes birth went extremely well, and Middleton wowed her fans by appearing in public, looking radiant of course, shortly after giving birth to both George in 2013 and Charlotte in 2015.

So we may not see or hear much from Middleton for a whileuntil at least her second trimester, if her previous pregnancies are any indication. yet it's comforting to know that shes come back from this before looking as healthy and happy as ever.
Maseru (Lesotho) (AFP) - Lesotho's army commander was shot dead by rival officers at a military barracks Tuesday, an official told AFP, in an assassination likely to revive instability in the mountainous African kingdom.

The two senior officers behind the attack were also killed in the gunfight with Khoantle Motsomotso's bodyguards, just two months after elections meant to usher in a new era of peace.

"They attempted to forcefully enter his office. There was a shoot-out between the two... and the commander's bodyguards," a military official who declined to be named told AFP.

Prime Minister Thomas Thabane confirmed the deaths at a press conference, describing them as "a serious setback to vigorous efforts to restore peace and stability."

Thabane's new coalition government took office in June after the third general election since 2012 as Lesotho endures a series of political upheavals.

Thabane, 78, previously served as premier after the 2012 elections but was forced to flee to South Africa -- which entirely surrounds landlocked Lesotho -- following an attempted coup two years later.

In August 2014, soldiers led by sacked army chief General Tlali Kamoli seized control of police headquarters after Thabane had suspended parliament to avoid a no-confidence vote.

- Regional intervention -

Thabane's All Basotho Convention (ABC) party won snap elections on June 3 this year but failed to get an outright majority, leading it to negotiate joint rule with three other parties.

Thabane's estranged wife was shot dead two days before his inauguration.

Known as Africa's Switzerland because of its mountainous scenery, Lesotho has a long history of political instability having also suffered coups in 1986 and 1991.

In 2015, a former army chief was gunned down by soldiers who claimed that he was resisting arrest outside the capital Maseru.

Critics accuse the military of favouring Thabane's old rival Pakalitha Mosisili who ruled from 1998-2012 and 2015-2017.

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Lesotho is important to South Africa as it provides much of the water supply to Johannesburg, while the regional Southern African Development Community (SADC) has worked for years to try to resolve its political tensions.

"I am hoping that we can have a peaceful Lesotho," South African President Jacob Zuma told reporters from a summit in China.

"From the SADC point of view, we thought that the Lesotho problem ended and this is what we were promised by the new prime minister who said that now there is going to be peace now in Lesotho.

"Actions that people take there must not lead into another situation."

Lesotho is a constitutional monarchy ruled by King Letsie III, who has no formal power.

The country was a British protectorate known as Basutoland before independence in 1966.

Years of political friction have hampered attempts to fight dire poverty and the world's second highest HIV infection rate.
SAN FRANCISCO  A self-driving car will soon be one ride option available from Lyft in the San Francisco Bay Area, as the ride-services company ramps up its efforts to become a serious player in autonomous vehicle technology.

Lyft said on Thursday that self-driving cars will soon be dispatched to certain passengers who request a ride through the app in the area. The cars will come from Drive.ai, a Mountain View, Calif., startup that builds software to turn cars into autonomous vehicles.

It is the latest in a string of partnerships between Lyft and an autonomous car company, but it is the one with the most immediate impact to Lyft passengers. There will be initially a small number of cars available, said Drive.ai Co-founder and President Carol Reiley, each with a trained driver in the front seat in case something goes wrong.

"We want to make sure the experience feels as much like an autonomous vehicle experience as possible," Reiley said.

Passengers must choose to opt into the program and the rides are free. Reiley declined to disclose the car model being used or precisely when the self-driving Lyft rides would start. Lyft declined to comment further.

The program allows Lyft to test how its passengers react to self-driving cars and Drive.ai, a two-year-old company, to log more miles and tweak its software. Reiley said Drive.ai will use its own mapping data for the trips.

The program is Lyft's latest push into autonomous cars since announcing in July a new self-driving car division, including a facility in Palo Alto, California with hundreds of engineers who will work on autonomous technology and collaborate with other autonomous vehicle companies.

Lyft has previously announced partnerships with Alphabet Inc's self-driving division, Waymo, technology company Nutonomy, and automakers General Motors and Jaguar Land Rover. Lyft has previously said it will launch a pilot with Nutonomy in Boston by year-end.

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Although Lyft is a late entry into the field of autonomous cars, the partnership gives the company something of a victory over its chief competitor, Uber. While Uber was first to offer rides in self-driving cars, using its own autonomous technology, with programs in Pennsylvania and Arizona, it does not yet offer them to passengers in the Bay Area.

Reporting by Heather Somerville



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U.S. Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, said Wednesday he wants to see a "realistic" legislative approach for people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children, in the context of larger immigration reform that would include border security, a guest worker program, and addressing the legal status of other undocumented people in the country.

Simpson's only declared Democratic opponent so far, Peter Rickards of Twin Falls, released a statement saying he would vote for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy and urging Simpson to do the same, while condemning President Donald Trump's actions to end the program.

President Barack Obama established a policy in 2012 by executive order letting some people who live in the U.S. illegally but who were brought here as children live and work in the country without fear of deportation. President Donald Trump announced earlier this week he would end the program in six months, while urging Congress to pass something addressing the issue. There has been some talk of trying to tie legal residency for these people to other immigration reforms or border security measures, including the wall along the U.S.-Mexican border that was one of the core planks of Trump's presidential campaign.

Simpson has long said he opposes mass deportation of the estimated 11 million undocumented immigrants living in the country and supports letting them legalize their residence here but thinks they should have to go through the normal process to obtain citizenship.

About 800,000 people nationwide and 3,100 in Idaho are DACA beneficiaries.

Their full statements are below:

Rickards:

"I would vote for DACA if in Congress.

"We do need border security for terrorists but in no way are DACA kids anything but a benefit to this country. Trump should not race bait and play with people's future, causing harmful stress and family separation.

"I do believe in legal immigration but there is no need to punish innocent young people now, to make trump's pointless political points.

"I challenge Simpson to pass DACA immediately so families now crying can feel safe in America & able to show up AT WORK tomorrow. One Houston area EMT who just worked seven days straight faces DACA deportation when Trump announced his plan.

"Call it Amnesty if you want, it is what Jesus would do. I might even offer Sessions amnesty for lying under oath about meetings with Russians in return for stopping this stupidity."

Simpson:

While I did not agree with the previous Administrations overreach when developing the DACA program, I also believe we need to be realistic about how we treat these individuals that were unknowingly brought into this country. This issue, along with many others in our immigration system, needs to be addressed with a permanent legislative solution. I look forward to working with the my colleagues and the Administration to find a comprehensive solution for this situation, which should also include strong measures to secure our borders, an overhaul of our guest worker programs and address the issue of legal status for those who are working and living in our local communities.
A man who had just moments before proposed to his girlfriend met a tragic end this week after he fell to his death from a bridge in Miyakojima, Japan. The incident occurred early Monday morning near the central part of the Irabu Bridge, according to reports.

The 32-year-old man  who along with his girlfriend was not identified  fell from the bridges ledge around 12:05 a.m. local time, Japan Today reported Tuesday. It was not clear exactly how he managed to slip over the bridges railing, but the man had reportedly been drinking.

The woman called emergency dispatchers immediately after her boyfriend fell from the bridge. After a nearly seven-hour search, his body was later found around 7 a.m. Monday morning, according to Japan Today. He was confirmed dead after being transported to a hospital.

According to reports, the woman had accepted his proposal shortly before he slipped from the bridge.

In a similarly tragic incident, a Bulgarian woman fell off a cliffside to her death in 2014 just moments after accepting the marriage proposal of her boyfriend. Dimitrina Dimitrova, 29, was vacationing with the man in Ibiza at the time of the incident.

When the man popped the question at the cliff, Dimitrova reportedly began jumping up and down with excitement, the New York Post reported at the time. Dimitrova then lost her balance, fell some 65 feet from the cliffs edge and suffered a heart attack. While she was discovered unconscious by medics, she reportedly died just minutes later.

# # #miyakojima #miyakoisland #irabubridge A post shared by orthopedics Dr (@suzuki.ortho) on Apr 26, 2017 at 6:29pm PDT

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WASHINGTON (Reuters) - A U.S. government watchdog said on Thursday that more than a third of U.S. Navy ships based out of Japan had expired warfare training certifications, as lawmakers raised concerns about readiness after a series of collisions involving the Navy this year.

The U.S. Navy recently removed Seventh Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Joseph Aucoin after a pre-dawn collision between a guided-missile destroyer and a merchant vessel east of Singapore and Malaysia in August, the fourth major incident in the U.S. Pacific Fleet this year.

In the latest incident, 10 sailors were killed after the USS John S. McCain collided with a merchant vessel in waters near Singapore and Malaysia, triggering a fleet-wide probe of operations and training.

In June, the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine container ship, killing seven U.S. sailors.

Speaking before a House of Representatives Armed Services Committee hearing, John Pendleton, from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), said that a report had found that 37 percent of U.S. Navy cruisers and destroyers based out of Japan had expired warfare certifications as of June 2017. That was a five-fold increase from the number in May 2015.

The certification is a measurement of whether a ship and its crew are well trained and ready for operations.

The GAO report also found that a reduction in crew sizes was contributing to safety risks, with some sailors working over 100 hours a week and there was limited training because of an increased demand for operations.

"The Navy has made plans to revise operational schedules to provide dedicated training time for overseas-based ships, but this schedule has not yet been implemented," the report said.

Admiral Bill Moran, deputy chief of naval operations, said that advanced technology was meaningless unless sailors were well trained.

"All of the marvelous technology, the magnificent hardware that we put together in these ships, and the power of our weapons systems are meaningless without well-trained, skilled, patriotic and experienced sailors who are well lead," Moran said at the hearing.

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Lawmakers expressed concern about the Navy's readiness.

"These negative training trends clearly contributed to the lack of seamanship evident onboard the USS John McCain and the USS Fitzgerald," Congressman Rob Wittman said.

(Reporting by Idrees Ali; Editing by Alistair Bell)
London (AFP) - A landmark bill intended to smooth Britain's exit from the European Union faced a rocky first ride in parliament on Thursday, as the EU's chief Brexit negotiator voiced scepticism about British proposals.

The bill provides for the repeal on Brexit day of the 1972 European Communities Act that conferred Britain's membership, and also converts an estimated 12,000 existing European regulations into British law.

Ministers say it is the first step in implementing last year's referendum vote for Brexit, and will provide legal continuity to ensure no "cliff-edge" when Britain leaves the bloc in March 2019.

"Without this legislation, a smooth and orderly exit is impossible," Brexit Secretary David Davis told MPs in the House of Commons, as Prime Minister Theresa May sat by his side.

But critics accused May's government of an unprecedented power grab.

Opposition parties say it represents an "unacceptable" extension of executive power by allowing ministers to amend EU laws as they are transferred without proper parliamentary scrutiny.

"It's an unprecedented power-grab," said Labour's Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer, raising particular concern that the powers could be used to implement parts of the final withdrawal deal agreed with Brussels.

"That we are leaving is settled. How we leave is not. This bill invites us to surrender all power and influence over that question to the government and to ministers," he said.

The bill is the first parliamentary test for May since her Conservative party lost its majority in the June election, and was forced into an alliance with Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party.

Meanwhile Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier in Brussels revealed how much work remains to agree the divorce, as he criticised Britain's proposals to resolve the fraught issue of the Irish border after Brexit.

Barnier said London's proposal "worries me", as did the slow progress of talks, which he said he was now ready to speed up.

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- 'Power-grab' -

May said the Repeal Bill was "the single most important step we can take to prevent a cliff-edge for people and businesses, because it provides legal certainty" after Brexit.

Ministers also hope that preserving the equivalence between EU and British law, at least initially, will make it easier to agree a new trade deal with the bloc.

Once the EU laws are transferred, some of them will need to be amended to take account of the changed circumstances of Brexit -- for which the bill proposes an expansion of existing executive powers.

Officials estimate that around 800 to 1,000 such changes will be needed -- far too many to involve full parliamentary scrutiny in each case.

The use of these so-called Henry VIII powers would expire two years after Brexit and could not be used to raise taxes or amend human rights law.

But there remains widespread concern, with a House of Lords committee warning the bill "weaves a tapestry of delegated powers that are breathtaking in terms of both their scope and potency".

The Scottish National Party and the smaller Liberal Democrats, which are both strongly pro-European, are expected to join Labour in voting against the bill on Monday.

Former Conservative finance minister Ken Clarke, a leading europhile, said he could join them unless the government changed the legislation.

- Conservative divisions -

With the DUP's support, the first stage of the bill should pass.

But other Conservative MPs are expected to join opposition parties in trying to amend the legislation during eight days of detailed scrutiny later this year.

Fresh divisions in May's party emerged this week following the publication of a leaked government report proposing restrictions on EU workers after Brexit.

UK interior minister Amber Rudd was said by several newspapers to be unhappy with the plans, which have also been condemned by several business groups as too tough.

It emerged Thursday that a group of Conservative MPs are pressing May to ensure a clean break with Brussels, making clear that any transitional deal will not mean staying in the bloc "by stealth".
The following material contains mature subject matter and may not be suitable for young audiences.

Watch out J.Lo and Kim Kardashian, theres new booty competition on social media! Raylynn is close to cracking half a million followers on Instagram, all because of her impressive backside.

After she began showing off her butt, which measures 70 inches, in her posts, her follower count began to skyrocket. She has now started to monetize her backside with a paid subscription service that gives fans access to even more photos.

I wasnt expecting this much, this fast, she tells The Doctors. My family wasnt really excited at first because they didnt see where I was going with it.

Watch: How To Prevent "Swamp Butt"

Raylynn explains that most of her family also has a similar shape, with a small waist and stomach and a larger butt. I gain weight from the waist down, she shares. She goes on to say that she has endured plenty of ridicule for her shape and some have accused her of altering her photos.

Plastic surgeon Dr. Andrew Ordon performed an informal examine of Raylynn and concluded that she has Lipedema, a chronic disorder of adipose tissue and lymphatic vessel dysfunction that leads to fatty tissue excess usually around in the hip region. Lipedema is most often seen in females. Dr. Ordon says the main way to treat it is with liposuction.

The Doctors offer Raylnn help in finding a doctor that might be able to help her manage her condition, something shes excited about the prospect of. Its not a flaw I can hide I cant hide it. I have to accept it its just finding the beauty within you flaw. she says.

Watch: Bra for Your Butt

Raylynn is a shining example of loving yourself and celebrating your life, Dr. Stork adds. Check out more photos of Raylynn on Instagram!

Update:

In the end, Raylynn decided not to have liposuction and to keep embracing her unique curves.
Rising star Michaela Coel. (Photo: Fred Duval via Getty Images)

Michaela Coel isnt planning to do another season of her hit series Chewing Gum anytime soon, but she still has some amazing things in the works.

Netflix just bought the worldwide rights to a new romantic musical starring Coel opposite actor Arinze Kene. According to a Screen Daily report posted Thursday, the movie, titled Been So Long, was secured by Netflix in a multi-million dollar deal. This reportedly makes it the largest single acquisition of a U.K. film ever by the company.

Set in London, the film will focus on an unlikely romance between Coels character, a single mother of two, and a mysterious stranger (Kene) she meets during a night out in Camden.

Coel, 29, shot to fame after her series, Chewing Gum, found popularity in both the U.K. and the U.S. via Netflix. The British-Ghanaian actress wrote and starred in the series, which debuted in 2016. Coel revealed in August that she has no plans to write a third season of the acclaimed show, and will instead pursue new projects.

On Aug. 21 she tweeted:

Chewing Gum has been amazing but its only the begining, more stories to tell, & my latter will be greater.

If the buzz around Been So Long is any indication, Coels future projects will definitely be worth the wait.

Also on HuffPost

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
By Chris Kenning

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Missouri Governor Eric Greitens has said he is prepared to call out the National Guard if a pending verdict in the murder trial of a former police officer charged with killing a black man sparks protests that turn violent.

Judge Timothy Wilson has not announced the timing of a verdict in the bench trial of Jason Stockley, who pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the 2011 death of Anthony Smith following a car chase, but St. Louis has been on edge for days.

"We are going to protect people's constitutional rights and we are going to protect public safety," Greitens told reporters on Wednesday. "We will use every tool at our disposal in order to do that. It absolutely includes the possibility of working with the National Guard."

On Tuesday, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said anxiety and worry gripped a city where residents remember the 2014 shooting of unarmed black teenager Michael Brown in nearby Ferguson, Missouri, which sparked months of protests.

Greitens has criticized former Governor Jay Nixon for failing to respond with sufficient force to control the 2014 protests in Ferguson.

Activists promised major demonstrations if Stockley is acquitted, and city officials erected barricades outside courthouses and the police station.

Some businesses warned employees to stock plywood to potentially board their windows against looters, the St. Louis Business Journal reported on Tuesday.

Stockley, 36, who is white, was arrested at his Houston, Texas, home in May 2016 amid heightened scrutiny of police use of excessive force after killings of numerous unarmed black people triggered protests across the United States in recent years.

Stockley left the St. Louis Metropolitan Police Department in 2013. Additional evidence led to his arrest last year, prosecutors said.

On Dec. 20, 2011, authorities say Smith, 24, tried to flee from Stockley. During a pursuit, Stockley could be heard saying on an internal police car video that he was going to kill Smith, prosecutors said.

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Smith's car began slowing to a stop when Stockley directed his partner to smash into Smith's vehicle, court documents said. The driver slammed the police vehicle into Smith's car and then Stockley approached the driver's side and shot Smith five times.

Stockley shot in self-defense, his lawyers said. But prosecutors said the only gun recovered from the scene had only Stockley's DNA on it. Stockley waived his right to a jury trial, allowing the judge to decide the case.

(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by James Dalgleish)
Were not going to die. Not today, Idris Elba tells Kate Winslet in this newly released clip from The Mountain Between Us. But things are looking pretty dire for the attractive pair. In Hany Abu-Assads dramatic thriller, based on the 2011 novel by Charles Martin, a journalist (Winslet) and a surgeon (Elba) are the only survivors of a plane crash that leaves them stranded in the snowy peaks of Utah. Together, the two strangers must find their way out of the treacherous wilderness, which forces them to confront their own demons. The clip above reveals one of the experiences that haunts Winslets character  and makes it emotionally traumatizing for her to take a simple photograph.

The Mountain Between Us, one of Yahoo Movies most anticipated premieres at the Toronto Film Festival, was filmed on location in British Columbia in temperatures that reached negative 36 degrees Farenheit. It would take me 45 minutes to dress in the morning, clever layers under those costumes, so we didnt look like Michelin men, Winslet told the New York Times of her extreme shooting conditions. And then I would have heat packs stuck to me  three on my arms, a couple across my chest. They give out really fast when youre at altitude. A couple of moments, we would lose the feelings in our toes and have to stop for half an hour, and someone would put their gloves on our feet. We were in full survival mode.

The Mountain Between Us hits theaters on Oct. 20.

Watch Idris Elba make his pitch to star in a Magic Mike movie:

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Brussels (AFP) - EU aid to Libya to stop migrants entering Europe is fuelling a Libyan detention network that thrives on kidnapping, torture and extortion, a leading medical charity charged Thursday.

Joanne Liu, president of Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF), published an open letter describing "the horrific situation" for refugees and migrants in Libyan detention centres she visited last week.

Libya's detention of migrants "must be named for what it is: a thriving enterprise of kidnapping, torture and extortion," Liu wrote in the letter addressing European governments.

Italy and the European Union have been financing, training and providing other aid to Libya's coastguard to stop smugglers from taking migrants and refugees in flimsy boats across the Mediterranean to Europe.

Migrants are then sent to detention centres.

The number of migrant arrivals in Italy in July was down dramatically on the same month last year, suggesting efforts to train up and better equip the North African country's coastguard could already be having an impact.

But Liu said describing fewer migrant departures as a success in preventing drownings and smashing smuggler networks amounts to "pure hypocrisy" or worse, "a cynical complicity" in what is happening.

In the detention centres, migrants "are packed into dark, filthy rooms with no ventilation," she said.

Detainees told MSF how men are forced to run naked in the courtyard until they collapse from exhaustion, while women are raped and made to call family back home for money to free them.

"All the people I met had tears in their eyes, asking again and again to get out," Liu said.

She said the migrants instead need access to protection, asylum, increased voluntary repatriation procedures as well as safe passage across borders.

Catherine Ray, spokeswoman for the EU's diplomatic service, told reporters that Brussels is trying to tackle the abuses.

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"We are completely aware of the unacceptable, often scandalous, even inhumane conditions in which migrants are treated in reception camps in Libya," Ray said.

"We are trying to support the organisations which have access to these camps so that they can help the migrants."

She said more than 7,000 people have been helped to return voluntarily to their home countries while the EU is looking to open up "legal avenues" for those deemed to need international protection.
COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (AP) -- Aid agencies were struggling to cope with a nonstop flood of Rohingya refugees into Bangladesh, where some 146,000 have arrived hungry and terrified after fleeing renewed violence in Myanmar  a crisis the country's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, dismissed as a misinformation campaign.

With the influx pushing existing Rohingya refugee camps to the brink, Bangladesh pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no-man's land between the two countries' borders.

U.N. agencies said they were distributing food to new arrivals, about 80 percent of whom were women and children, joining about 100,000 who had already been sheltering in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier convulsions of violence in majority-Buddhist Myanmar.

"We've not had something on this scale here in many years," said Pavlo Kolovos, the Bangladesh mission leader for Doctors Without Borders, known by its French acronym MSF, in a statement. "Our teams are seeing streams of people arriving destitute and extremely traumatized," including many in need of urgent medical care for violence-related injuries, severe infections or childbirth complications.

With so many Rohingya fleeing, it's unclear how many remain in Myanmar amid reports of soldiers burning villages and killing civilians. Before the recent violence, aid experts had estimated about 1 million Rohingya were living in northern Rakhine state, but aid agencies have been unable to access the area since.

"We are unable to reach the 28,000 children to whom we were previously providing psychosocial care or the more than 4,000 children who were treated for malnutrition in Buthidaung and Maungdaw" in Rakhine, UNICEF Executive Director Anthony Lake said. "Our clean water and sanitation work has been suspended, as have school repairs that were under way."

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Turkey said that Myanmar agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya, and that its foreign minister would visit a refugee camp in Cox's Bazar on Thursday.

The violence has driven some Rohingya to flee into forests near their villages or to beaches on the Bay of Bengal in hopes of rescue.

Bangladesh's Ministry of Foreign Affairs delivered a protest note to Myanmar's envoy Wednesday expressing concern about reports that Myanmar's security forces had planted land mines along the border, and demanding immediate measures to de-escalate the violence.

Seeking to counter the storm of international criticism, Suu Kyi's top security adviser on Wednesday asserted that security forces were acting with restraint in pursuing "terrorists."

National Security Advisor Thaung Tun told a news conference Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw, that he was "deeply disappointed and saddened by the disinformation campaign being waged around the world with regard to the situation in Rakhine."

Meanwhile, Suu Kyi complained to Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in a phone call Tuesday that Turkey's deputy prime minister was a victim of fake news when he posted photos purportedly showing dead Rohingya that were not related to the crisis. The photos on Mehmet Simsek's Twitter account have been taken down.

According to her office, Suu Kyi said such misinformation helps promote the interests of "terrorists," a reference to the Rohingya insurgents whose attacks on Myanmar security posts on Aug. 25 triggered the latest military crackdown and streams of refugees.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Suu Kyi's response "unconscionable."

"This is a human rights and humanitarian catastrophe," said Tirana Hassan in a statement, noting the Rohingya streaming across the border and thousands of others displaced in Rakhine.

"In her first comments on the crisis, instead of promising concrete action to protect the people in Rakhine state, Aung San Suu Kyi appears to be downplaying the horrific reports coming out of the area," Hassan said.

The group that claimed responsibility for the Aug. 25 attacks on Myanmar police posts, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army, says it acted to defend persecuted Rohingya communities, but has been vague about its ideology and ultimate goals.

The military said it responded with "clearance operations" aimed at rooting out insurgents, and that nearly 400 people, most of them insurgents, have died in clashes. It blamed the insurgents for setting Rohingya villages on fire.

Many displaced Rohingya, however, said it was Myanmar soldiers who set their homes aflame and fired indiscriminately around their villages in Rakhine state.

Rohingya Muslims have long faced discrimination in the Southeast Asian country.

___

Associated Press journalist Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to the report.
Nuclear-armed North Korea's testing of long-range missiles that could possibly reach US soil has kindled debate in Japan and South Korea about developing their own nuclear deterrent, prompting fears of a North East Asian arms race.

In the event of all-out war with North Korea, would US President Donald Trump risk American cities being targeted to protect traditional allies in Seoul and Tokyo?

That is the question causing jitters in South Korea and in Japan, where the topic of deploying or developing atomic weapons is especially taboo as the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack.

As a presidential candidate, Trump ruffled feathers when he suggested that Japan and South Korea should take more responsibility for their own defence.

And concerns that an "America First" policy might mean less military protection for allies many thousands of kilometres away have prompted some to suggest that they need to look after themselves.

In Japan, a series of missile launches from its unpredictable and nuclear-armed neighbour across the sea -- including one that crossed Japanese soil -- has caused some prominent figures to wonder aloud whether to reconsider the taboo.

Shigeru Ishiba, a hawkish former defence minister and veteran in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative LDP party, asked on a TV debate show on Wednesday: "Is it really ok not to talk about it any more?"

"Is it right to say that we want to be protected by US nuclear weapons but we don't want them on our soil?" asked the former minister, while acknowledging it was an "emotional" issue in pacifist Japan, still scarred by the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Similar noises are emerging from South Korea, which is banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with the US.

"As nuclear weapons are being churned out above our heads, we can't always rely on the US nuclear umbrella and extended deterrence," the mass-circulation Donga Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Monday.

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And there appears to be popular support, with a Moonhwa Daily poll last month showing nearly two thirds of respondents in favour of Seoul developing its own independent nuclear deterrent.

- 'Hole' in US umbrella -

For decades, Japanese policy has been guided by the so-called "three principles": not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

And officials were quick to slap down Ishiba, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying: "Until now, we haven't discussed calling these three principles into question and we are not planning to do so."

South Korea has a similar official position, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha stressing Seoul is still sticking to its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Polls consistently suggest that the Japanese public is against the deployment of nuclear missiles on its soil and Ishiba acknowledged that if Japan developed its own bomb, "that would mean that any other country could do so."

But Takehiko Yamamoto, professor emeritus of international politics and regional security at Waseda University in Tokyo, said that Japan could already be considered a "de-facto nuclear power state."

"It has maintained its nuclear technologies and possesses enough plutonium to produce tens of nuclear weapons," said Yamamoto.

While popular opposition is likely to prevent concrete action for now, "North Korea's escalating provocative actions may be used by hawkish politicians to open up the debate, questioning if the US nuclear umbrella is safe enough and calling for its own deterrence," he added.

This appeared to be Ishiba's line of attack, arguing on a Thursday morning debate show that the US umbrella appeared to "have a hole".

"We have to make efforts towards increasing its effectiveness," said Ishiba, who is seen as a possible future prime minister.

But another expert, Walter Russell Mead from the Washington-based Hudson Institute, warned of the risks of a US disengagement from its allies in the region.

"An American retreat in the Pacific would more likely lead to arms races and military confrontation than to peaceful development," he wrote in an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday.
WASHINGTON  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) said Thursday that President Donald Trump told her on two occasions that he supports and would sign a bill to give legal status to young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

We made it very clear in the course of the conversation that the priority was to pass the Dream Act, Pelosi said at a press briefing. Obviously it has to be bipartisan. The president supports that, he would sign it. But we have to get it passed.

Democrats are pushing for the bill, called the Dream Act, after Trump rescinded the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program earlier this week. So-called Dreamers who received two-year work permits and deportation protections will begin to lose them in six months unless Congress steps in to act.

Trump has said he wants to work with Congress, including Democrats, to pass a bill that addresses DACA recipients before that time. He called Pelosi earlier Thursday and made the comment about the Dream Act then, as well as in a meeting on Wednesday, according to Pelosi.

After their phone conversation, Trump tweeted to say Dreamers should not worry about being detained over the next six months, which a Democratic aide said Pelosi requested he say publicly.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the conversations.

Democrats in the House and Senate called for a vote on the Dream Act in September and said they are prepared to attach the legislation to other bills until it passes. Earlier this week, lawmakers opened up an informal restriction on co-sponsorship of the bill  they were allowing members to sign on only in Democrat-Republican pairs  and expect the number of backers to go up significantly in the House.

Pelosi predicted it would pass in the House if it was allowed to go for a vote. That would depend, however, on whether House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) allowed it to go for a vote. He said Wednesday that he wanted to pair Dreamer legislation with border security.

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The same goes for the Senate, where Senate Majority Leader Mitchell McConnell (R-Ky.) has previously opposed the Dream Act and other immigration bills that would grant legal status to undocumented immigrants.

Pelosi said she believes Trump will demand border security measures as part of a Dream Act package, but not a wall.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) said Thursday morning on the Senate floor that Trump called him earlier in the day and said he wanted to help in the Dream Act. Schumer said that he asked Trump to push other Republicans to support the bill and Ryan and McConnell to hold a vote ASAP.

We now have four Republican cosponsors. We need more, Schumer said. There are many on the floor, in the Senate, who seem to be sympathetic to the Dream Act. Maybe the president can help them get to cosponsor.

The Dream Act, first introduced in 2001, would allow certain young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. under the age of 18 to gain legal status and eventually become eligible for citizenship.

Republicans are also gathering support for the Recognizing Americas Children, or RAC Act, a standalone bill that would allow certain young undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children to gain legal status. That bill would apply to a narrower population of Dreamers: only those who entered before the age of 16 would be eligible.

The RAC Act is picking up steam in the House. It gained nine co-sponsors on Tuesday and Wednesday, and is now up to 28 backers in total, all of them Republicans. Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) is expected to introduce the RAC Act in the Senate in coming days.

Also on HuffPost

April 2015

At an event hosted by Texas Patriots PAC: Everythings coming across the border: the illegals, the cars, the whole thing. Its like a big mess. Blah. Its like vomit.

June 2015

At a speech announcing his campaign: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

August 2015

On NBC's "Meet the Press": Were going to keep the families together, we have to keep the families together, but they have to go."

September 2015

On CBS's "60 Minutes": Were rounding em up in a very humane way, in a very nice way. And theyre going to be happy because they want to be legalized. And, by the way, I know it doesnt sound nice. But not everything is nice.

November 2015

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe": You are going to have a deportation force, and you are going to do it humanely."

February 2016

At a GOP primary debate: We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. They will come back  some will come back, the best, through a process.

March 2016

At a press conference when asked if he would consider allowing undocumented immigrants to stay: "We either have a country or we dont. We either have a country or we dont. We have borders or we dont have borders. And at this moment, the answer is absolutely not.

April 2016

At an event hosted by NBC's "Today Show": Theyre going to go, and were going to create a path where we can get them into this country legally, OK? But it has to be done legally. ... Theyre going to go, and then come back and come back legally.

July 2016

At the Republican National Convention: "Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied  and every politician who has denied them  to listen very closely to the words I am about to say. On January 21st of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced."

September 2016

At a rally: Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Otherwise we dont have a country.

September 2016

On "The Dr. Oz Show": Well, under my plan the undocumented or, as you would say, illegal immigrant wouldnt be in the country. They only come in the country legally.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Tapa (Estonia) (AFP) - NATO has put Moscow on notice that it will be keeping a close eye on a major military exercise with Belarus next week, in a region still on edge after Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014.

Similar drills in the past included a simulated invasion of Poland by tens of thousands of Russian troops culminating in a nuclear strike on Warsaw, and the coming show of force, codenamed "Zapad 2017" (West 2017) has sparked months of speculation and fears along NATO's eastern flank.

Observers say that while there is little chance of Russia using the exercise as cover for an actual invasion, there are concerns about what troops and equipment it will leave behind afterwards.

Moscow has said about 12,700 Russian and Belarusian troops will take part in the exercises, to be held in Belarus and Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad from September 14 to 20, but Lithuania and Estonia have put the figure as high as 100,000.

"We are concerned about the nature and the lack of transparency of the exercise," Estonian Prime Minister Juri Ratas said Wednesday on a visit to NATO troops at the Tapa base in his country's north with alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg.

- 'Defensive' manoeuvres -

Stoltenberg himself poured doubt on Russian claims about troop numbers in July, saying that based on past experience "we have every reason to believe that it may be substantially more troops participating than the official reported numbers".

Russia says the exercises are "purely defensive", with an "anti-terrorism focus" and an "artificial" enemy, but the Belarus army chief has given a rather different scenario, in which his forces respond to an attempt at "destabilisation" by a coalition of Western countries.

To counter growing Russian assertiveness in recent years, NATO has posted around 4,000 troops in the three Baltic countries and Poland -- the biggest reinforcement in Eastern Europe since the end of the Cold War.

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Western allies have been urging Moscow for months to be more open about the Zapad exercises and to allow expert observers to key parts of the event, particularly briefings on the scenario being used.

Three NATO observers have been invited to "distinguished visitors" days at the end of the exercise, but Stoltenberg warned on Wednesday that Russia was failing in its obligations under international agreements on military exercises by limiting observers' access to the drills.

But the alliance is taking steps to follow the operations, with or without Russian cooperation.

"The means will obviously be put in place by NATO to watch what is happening. That's fair enough," a diplomatic source told AFP on condition of anonymity.

- High-tech radar -

NATO and the US have powerful airborne radars deployed in drones that they can use to track the movement of tanks, trucks and other equipment on the ground from as much as 200 to 300 kilometres (120 to 180 miles) away, Brooks Tigner of IHS Jane's Defence Weekly told AFP.

This synthetic aperture radar "can switch its beam in microseconds from one target to the next and start calculating and use algorithms to determine how everything is moving... that of course will reveal to NATO what kind of exercise this is," he said.

In an anti-terrorism scenario all the troops would converge on a single small target, Tigner said, though he dismissed the idea as "absurd".

"If you're going to do a terrorist scenario, you don't need 13,000 -- that's an awful lot of soldiers to make a move against terrorists," he said.

"It's quite difficult to imagine what kind of terrorist scenario would require numbers like that."

At the Tapa base, French Colonel Olivier Wache said Zapad would not change the joint training exercises between British, French, Danish and Estonian troops that began in the spring.

"We have the means to respond if the Russians really want to cross the border, but this is not at all what we expect," Wache said.

But the diplomatic source warned of "genuine concern" within the alliance that the exercises would reinforce a more aggressive posture from Russia "or even be used to install Russian military hardware even closer to NATO countries".

Tigner agreed, saying that Moscow was well aware that an attack on a NATO member would bring a swift and serious response from the alliance, but that Zapad will give it an opportunity to show it still has considerable forces at its disposal and can keep the West on edge.

"The bigger concern is how many troops and weapons, et cetera that Russia would leave in Kaliningrad -- that makes everyone nervous, and indeed how many troops it might leave in Belarus," he said.
Moscow (AFP) - Russia's military chief on Thursday brushed off NATO concerns about Moscow's war games with Belarus next week at a rare meeting with a senior commander from the US-led alliance.

The Russian defence ministry said Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Petr Pavel, chairman of NATO's Military Committee that the joint exercises with Belarus were "long-planned and defensive" and "not aimed against any third country."

"Gerasimov focused attention on the main aim of the training -- the defence" of Russia and Belarus, a statement carried by Russian news agencies said after the meeting in Azerbaijan.

NATO said the meeting "demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication", but did not give any details on what was discussed.

The joint "Zapad-2017" Russian exercises with Belarus next week have stirred unease in Poland and the Baltic States.

Moscow says the event will involve about 12,700 troops, but Lithuania and Estonia have said as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part.

French defence minister Florence Parly on Thursday condemned the coming drills on the border of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that he saw no "imminent threat", but that the alliance would "monitor the activity closely".

Western officials have said the preparations for Zapad suggest it could be much bigger than Moscow has suggested, and Stoltenberg said the degree of openness about the drills did not meet international standards.

Three NATO experts have been invited to attend as observers, but Stoltenberg said this "fell short of the transparency required by the OSCE".

Suspicions are high between NATO and Russia, with the alliance's eastern members worried about Moscow's increasing assertiveness after it seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.

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Moscow has long railed against NATO expansion in its former sphere of influence.

NATO has deployed four battle groups -- around 4,000 troops -- to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years.

The meeting in Baku came after Pavel and Gerasimov spoke by phone in March, the first talks between military chiefs of both sides since ties collapsed over the crisis in Ukraine.

NATO severed military contacts with Moscow over its meddling in its ex-Soviet neighbour but diplomats and civilian leaders from the two sides continued to meet.
North Korea has condemned the U.S.'s expanding military influence over South Korea and has accused its southern rival of stirring up a potential nuclear conflict in the tense region.

North Korea's state-run media published a series of articles Tuesday criticizing recent decisions made by South Korea, a key U.S. ally with which Pyongyang has technically remained at war since the 1950s. As North Korea rapidly develops and tests its nuclear and ballistic missile technology in defiance of U.N. sanctions, the U.S. has become increasingly involved in the region in an attempt to get North Korean leader Kim Jong Un to abandon his arsenal. The U.S. and South Korea have practiced bombing North Korea, and the reclusive, communist state has fired back with harsh words for its foes.

Related: What war with North Korea looked like in the 1950s and why it matters now

"The puppet military of South Korea is hyping the establishment of 'conception of executing an offensive war on the Korean Peninsula,'" a commentary by the official Korean Central News Agency read.

"This is no more than an outcry and stupidity of losers stunned by the DPRK's nuclear force bolstered in quality and quantity," it added, using an acronym for North Korea's official name: the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

GettyImages-842341538

South Korean Defense Ministry/Getty Images

North Korea further said the idea of South Korea discussing an "offensive operation" provoked "side-splitting laughter" because Pyongyang felt Seoul was merely taking orders from Washington. President Donald Trump has taken a hard-line stance against his North Korean rival, and North Korea has blamed him for fanning the flames of war on the Korean Peninsula. Trump has maintained that military action against Kim's government is a serious option.

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On Monday, Trump appeared to green-light the historic sale of billions of dollars of weapons to South Korea, in response to North Korea's sixth nuclear weapons test on Sunday. In another commentary published Tuesday, North Korea's government-controlled newspaper Minju Joson wrote that South Korea's stated goal of settling the nuclear crisis "is little short of treachery that will bring a horrible nuclear disaster to South Korea by fanning up the war frenzy of Trump group."

Another state-run newspaper, Rodong Sinmun, echoed Minju Joson Tuesday in warning South Korea that its failure to distance itself from the U.S. and de-escalate the standoff would result in South Korean President Moon Jae-in meeting a fate similar to that of his predecessor, Park Geun-hye. Park was found guilty of corruption and was impeached and arrested earlier this year, in a turn of events that North Korea has capitalized on in an attempt to demonstrate its own superiority.

Tuesday's Rodong Sinmun piece specifically attacked South Korea's decision to reach out to another critical U.S. regional ally, Japan.

"They should be mindful that if they volunteer to play a guide of Japan's reinvasion, praising it as 'a friendly nation,' failing to draw a lesson from the fate of Park Geun Hye, they will not be able to escape from curses and denunciation of all Koreans but meet a miserable ruin," the commentary read.

RTX3ETVI

Nuclear Threat Initiative (2014 data)/CSIS Missile Defense Project/Reuters

While North Korea's dispute with its southern neighbor stems from the post-World War II feud between the U.S. and the Soviet Union that spurred the Cold War, its enmity toward Japan runs deeper. From 1910 until the collapse of the Japanese empire in 1945, Japan effectively controlled the Korean Peninsula. Allegations of sexual slavery, forced labor and camps dedicated to human experiments under Japanese rule have molded North Korea's current views toward Japan. It sees Japan as both an extension of U.S. military power and a historically hostile imperialist force.

Since replacing his late father as leader of North Korea in 2011, Kim has accelerated the country's defense development. Like his father and grandfather before him, Kim has been accused of egregious human rights abuses, especially by the West, but maintains that possessing nuclear weapons is key to preserving his country's sovereignty and protecting it from invasion.

Related Articles
U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping, seen here at the G20 Summit in Hamburg, Germany on July 8, 2017, discussed options for containing the North Korean threat: Reuters

Donald Trump has said that the United States will not tolerate the actions of North Korea, but said military action was not his "first choice" after a call with President Xi Jinping of China.

A month of escalating belligerence from North Korea reached a new peak over the weekend as the isolated country tested a massive nuclear weapon, showcasing its military capabilities after a series of missile tests that have rattled Asia and confronted the Trump administration with a geopolitical standoff with the highest possible stakes.

After the call, Mr Trump - who has repeatedly pressured China to do more to deal with thier isolated neighbour - said that he and Mr Xi had a very, very frank and very strong phone call.

President Xi would like to do something. We'll see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with what's happening in North Korea, Mr Trump said from the White House.

According to a statement from Chinas foreign ministry, Mr Xi urged a peaceful solution and said China saw its role as safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation.

The call came as a draft UN resolution put together by the US to punish North Korea for the latest missile test was leaked. It calls for the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban the country's exports of textiles, ban the hiring of North Korean workers abroad and place the head of the North Korean regime, Kim Jong-un, under an asset freeze and travel ban.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said she wants the 15-member council to vote on Monday on the draft resolution to impose new sanctions over North Korea's sixth and largest nuclear test. However, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has said a Monday vote may be a little premature.

It was not immediately clear if the draft resolution had the support of North Korean ally China, while Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted on Wednesday that resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis was impossible with sanctions and pressure alone.

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China has not always seen eye-to-eye with the United States on how to handle Pyongyang and the regime led by Kim Jong-un. China has consistently called for diplomacy rather than risk a renewed outbreak of conflict on the Korean Peninsula that could approach its border.

As North Korea has flexed its muscles with a series of missile tests, Mr Trump and his surrogates have consistently declined to rule out a military strike.

Global tensions soared in August after Mr Trump warned of meeting North Korean threats with fire and fury while Pyongyang has said it is considering firing missiles at the US territory of Guam. Ms Haley said this week that Mr Kim was begging for war with the most recent test, and Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis said America would respond to any threat with a massive military response, saying America was capable of the total annihilation of a country.

In addition to the bellicose rhetoric toward North Korea, Mr Trump has lashed out at other countries in the region. He responded to the nuclear test by taking to his preferred medium of Twitter and slamming South Korea - whose recently elected leader campaigned on a promise to seek a detente with North Korea - for embracing appeasement.

South Korea is finding, as I have told them, that their talk of appeasement with North Korea will not work, they only understand one thing!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017

He also floated stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea - a proposal that, because China provides an economic lifeline to North Korea, would mean cutting off trade with China and sundering one of Americas most prominent economic relationships.

The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 3, 2017

While China joined with other United Nations Security Council members in early August in levelling the last new sanctions on Pyongyang, state media has chastised Mr Trump for his aggressive language.

A state editorial condemning Pyongyangs latest nuclear test also faulted Washingtons belligerent tone and military exercises on DPRK's doorstep, echoing North Koreas denunciation of joint US-South Korean military drills that Pyongyang frames as laying the groundwork for an invasion.

Just as China has aligned with North Korea in assailing the drills, it has also steadily assailed Americas deployment of anti-missile technology in South Korea, arguing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system inflames tensions.

In talks with other key allies, Mr Trump has kept a military option on the table. On Tuesday Mr Trump discussed the North Korean situation with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, affirming his willingness to use all available diplomatic and military capabilities, according to a White House readout of the call.

During the call with Ms May, Mr Trump said that now is not the time to talk to North Korea and made clear that all options remain open to defend the United States and its allies against North Korean aggression, the White House said.
By Chris Kenning

(Reuters) - The Ohio Supreme Court on Thursday denied a request by death row inmate Gary Otte to delay his scheduled execution next week so he could pursue appeals.

Otte, 45, convicted for two home-invasion robbery killings in 1992 in a Cleveland suburb, is scheduled to be put to death on Sept. 13. The court did not explain its decision.

Otte was found guilty of murder after he shot 61-year-old Robert Wasikowski in the head from less than two feet away and stole $413, according to court documents.

The next day, Otto returned to the same apartment complex and shot 45-year-old Sharon Kostura in the head before stealing $45, her car keys and a checkbook, documents show.

Ohio Republican Governor John Kasich already rejected a clemency request. Otte's federal public defenders could not be reached Thursday.

In July, Ohio put to death a 43-year-old Ronald Phillips, convicted of raping and killing a three-year-old child, in what was the state's first execution in more than three years after a lengthy legal dispute over the choice of lethal injection drugs.

Ohio in 2015 implemented a moratorium on executions due to the difficulty in obtaining lethal injection drugs. The following year, the state said it would restart executions using a new drug protocol.

A federal court ruled in January that Ohio's new lethal injection process was problematic, delaying executions. A three-judge panel from the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the injunction in April, but that ruling was overturned in June by the full court.

(Reporting by Chris Kenning; Editing by Cynthia Osterman)
House speaker says Donald Trumps decision to rescind protections for young people brought to the US illegally as children was right

Paul Ryan speaks during a press briefing on Capitol Hill in Washington Wednesday. Photograph: Joshua Roberts/Reuters

As 15 states and Washington DC filed suit against Donald Trump over the rescinding of protection for young people brought to the US illegally as children, House speaker Paul Ryan said such Dreamers should rest easy as Congress tackled immigration reform.

Nearly 800,000 Dreamers are currently shielded from deportation under an Obama-era directive, most of them living in California and Texas. The lawsuit, filed in New York, was announced by the Washington state attorney general, Bob Ferguson, who said Trump had created a dark time for our country.

The other states in the lawsuit are New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia. Others could join.

The legal action came one day after the US attorney general, Jeff Sessions, announced that the president would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca) program, which provides a shield against deportation.

Obama called the move wrong, self-defeating and cruel. Trump challenged lawmakers to do something and do it right, giving them a six-month window to act.

At a press conference on Wednesday, Ryan said the president was right in his decision because Obama had overstepped his constitutional bounds.



The president was right to give us the time we need to find that compromise, the speaker said. Where does that compromise exist? Thats what were going to spend the next months figuring out.

Ryan said he would work with Trump to find a way to increase border security and provide a solution for Dreamers.

This is a dilemma that in large part stems from the fact that it is a symptom of a larger problem  and the larger problem is that we do not have control of our borders. It is only reasonable and fitting that we also address the root cause of the problem  while we address this very real and very human problem thats right in front of us.

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A battle looms, nonetheless, over how to achieve reform in so short a time and on an issue that has vexed US politics for years. Democrats on Wednesday called on Republicans to support a standalone measure to codify protections for Dreamers.

Trump, who has not said what measure he would be willing to sign, caused confusion when he tweeted on Tuesday night that he would revisit the issue if Congress failed to act to his timeline.

Aboard Air Force One on Wednesday on his way to North Dakota, the president told reporters he sent no mixed signal at all and said: Congress, I really believe, wants to take care of this situation  even very conservative members.

Without sharing details, Trump said he envisioned Congress passing legislation that married border security and protections for Dreamers. The Senate and House minority leaders, Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi, had appeared interested in such a deal, he claimed, during a White House meeting with congressional leaders.

We discussed that also today, and Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I, Trump said. And I said if we can get something to happen, were going to sign it and were going to make a lot of happy people.



Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi lead a news conference on Capitol Hill. Photograph: Jose Luis Magana/AP

Earlier on Wednesday, at a press event with Dreamers, Democratic leaders said six months was not enough time to consider comprehensive immigration reform.



The presidents decision to end Daca was heartless and it was brainless, Schumer said, imploring Republican leaders to bring to the floor the Dream Act, a bipartisan bill that would grant a path to permanent residency for Dreamers. Democrats were prepared to attach the measure to other items until it passed, he said.

Dreamer politics have shifted since 2012, when Obama enacted Daca, under which people brought to the US illegally before the age of 16, who have lived in the country for five years and have no criminal record, among other requirements, are protected from deportation and eligible for two-year work permits.

Many Republicans have softened. Susan Collins, a Maine senator, said she believed her party was largely sympathetic to the motive behind Daca, even if they did not believe the president had the authority to make it law.

In all of our states, there are young people who came to this country through no decision of their own with their parents or a parent, and in some cases have known no other country, Collins told reporters.

I think there is great sympathy on both sides of the aisle for providing some kind of protection for these children and young adults.

At the Democratic press conference, Senator Kamala Harris of California, the state with the largest population of Dreamers, said she had spoken to administration officials who had never met such young people.

How can you form such strong opinions about people youve never met  and then allow this population of people to be vilified? she asked. Its not only wrong, its irresponsible. Weve got to stop playing politics with these kids.

Karen Caudillo, a 21-year-old Daca recipient attending the event, broke down in tears.



Ive been fighting so long to be able to sustain myself, to go to school, to be productive, she said, clutching a photograph of herself from kindergarten. It just feels like everything is going to waste.

Caudillo was four when her parents entered the US from Mexico. The prospect of being deported to a country she has no memory of is unthinkable.

My earliest memory is from the first grade, playing with a friend named Eddy, said Caudillo, now a junior studying political science at the University of Central Florida in Orlando. I never really even knew what being undocumented was until my sophomore or junior year of high school when I was looking into colleges.

Though Caudillo is angry with the administration for canceling Daca, she remains hopeful lawmakers will find a permanent solution.

Im energized, she said. Im empowered. I think that the right people will step in and support humanity.
WASHINGTON  House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said Thursday that she believed President Trump would sign a DREAM Act legalizing young unauthorized immigrants after her meeting with him Wednesday.

The president both yesterday in the meeting and today made it very clear he wants Congress to act, to get this done, Pelosi told reporters.

Pelosi added that Trump wants border security measures attached to any bill focused on the immigrants, but that it does not include a wall.

The Democratic House leader brushed off the suggestion that she and Trump are seeing a relationship renaissance and will cooperate more in the future, but said she does hold out hope Congress will pass something to protect the nearly 800,000 young people who will lose their temporary legal status next year.

Im hoping and Im praying  and I dont say that as [a] cliche, I am praying  that the president really cares about the DREAMers, she said. Or knows that he should care about the DREAMers.

Asked about Pelosis comments, White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders said only that Trump wants to work with both Democrats and Republicans on the immigration issue.

The president Is focused on responsible immigration reform and wants to work with both sides to achieve it, Sanders told Yahoo News.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, accompanied by congressional Democrats, calls for Republicans to stand up to President Trumps decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative by bringing DREAM Act legislation to a vote in the House and Senate. (AP/Jose Luis Magana)

The conciliatory tone came a day after Trump sided with Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., instead of Republicans in a deal to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling. The president is also meeting with Schumer and New York and New Jersey politicians later Thursday to talk about a major tunnel project between the two states.

Republicans are fuming about Trumps decision to side with the Democrats, after a summer of the presidents insulting many Republican senators by name.

President Trump meets with, from left, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and other congressional leaders on Sept. 6. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

But Pelosi said Republicans simply didnt have the votes to lift the debt ceiling for more than the three months the Democrats were willing to agree to. Here the currency of the realm is the vote. You have the votes, no questions asked, she said. You dont have the votes? Three months.

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Trump called Pelosi Thursday morning, and the Democrat asked him to reassure young unauthorized immigrants spooked by his decision to revoke the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

After the pair talked by phone, Trump tweeted shortly before 10 a.m. that DACA recipients had nothing to worry about during the next six months. Pelosi said she was in the middle of recounting her conservation with the president to other Democratic lawmakers when boom, boom  the tweet appeared.

For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about  No action!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017

Related slideshow: Immigrants and advocates rally in support of DACA >>>

The presidents decision earlier this week to end the DACA program, which protects nearly 800,000 young unauthorized immigrants without criminal records, will not begin to take effect for half a year. At that point, recipients will begin to lose their status on a rolling basis and become eligible for deportation. They will also no longer be allowed to legally work.

But immigrants eligible for DACA who dont have it already can now no longer apply, and those whose status is set to expire within the next six months must quickly apply for a renewal before Oct. 5.

Trumps attorney general, Jeff Sessions, announced the decision as a return to the rule of law and suggested that the immigrants, who were brought to the country as children, were taking jobs away from other Americans.

Trump has asked Congress to pass something that helps those affected, though he has not said whether he believes a bill should provide DACA recipients with a path toward citizenship or a lesser form of legal status.

Additional reporting by Hunter Walker.

_____

Read more from Yahoo News:
WASHINGTON  The Department of Defense has not yet determined what it would do if the presidents decision to rescind protections for young undocumented immigrants leads to some of the militarys recruits losing the documents that made them eligible to serve.

A Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday that there are fewer than 900 individuals with Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program protections who are either serving or signed contracts to serve in the military.

President Donald Trump ended the DACA program on Tuesday, and while it will not immediately result in recipients losing protections, many of them could see their permits expire in six months or after without the ability to renew, unless Congress steps in to pass legislation.

The hundreds of DACA recipients who signed up for the military make up only a small fraction of the nearly 800,000 so-called Dreamers approved for the protections. Still, they are in a unique position. If they lose DACA, they would be unable to work and likely unable to fulfill their commitments to serve in the United States military. But the DOD has not yet announced how it would deal with them.

The Department of Defense (DOD) is coordinating with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security (DHS) regarding any impact a change in policy may have for DACA recipients, said DOD spokesperson Lt. Col. Paul Haverstick in a statement. The Department defers to our colleagues at DHS on questions related to immigration, naturalization, or citizenship.

DHS spokesman David Lapan confirmed on Thursday that the government is still working out how to deal with individuals who signed up for the military should they lose their DACA permits, including Dreamers in basic training and those who are already serving in the military.

Were ... working with DOD to figure out what those different outcomes are if individuals during this period have their DACA status expire, he told reporters.

He said that DACA recipients who had not yet enlisted would become ineligible for military service if they lose their DACA status.

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Undocumented immigrants are not typically eligible for military service, but DACA recipients are allowed to sign up as part of a program called Military Accessions Vital to the National Interest, or MAVNI.

The program was created in 2009 to allow foreign nationals to join the U.S. military if they could demonstrate certain skills, most often in language or medicine. (Although many Dreamers speak a foreign language, the most common, Spanish, is not one of the sought after languages in the program.) Since that time, more than 10,000 non-U.S. citizens have either joined or signed contracts to join the military through the program, according to the DOD.

The Trump administration is considering cancelling the program altogether, and it is under review for potential security risks after being suspended last September. In the meantime, the DOD is still processing about 4,000 immigrants  not specifically DACA recipients  who are waiting to enlist in basic training and are now in limbo.

Dreamers have long pushed for the ability to join the military in larger numbers, pointing out that many of them are ineligible for the MAVNI program. Now, Dreamers may lose their ability to serve even there  and they may be at risk of being forced out of the country entirely after six months.

This article has been updated with comments from the Department of Homeland Security.

Also on HuffPost

April 2015

At an event hosted by Texas Patriots PAC: Everythings coming across the border: the illegals, the cars, the whole thing. Its like a big mess. Blah. Its like vomit.

June 2015

At a speech announcing his campaign: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

August 2015

On NBC's "Meet the Press": Were going to keep the families together, we have to keep the families together, but they have to go."

September 2015

On CBS's "60 Minutes": Were rounding em up in a very humane way, in a very nice way. And theyre going to be happy because they want to be legalized. And, by the way, I know it doesnt sound nice. But not everything is nice.

November 2015

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe": You are going to have a deportation force, and you are going to do it humanely."

February 2016

At a GOP primary debate: We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. They will come back  some will come back, the best, through a process.

March 2016

At a press conference when asked if he would consider allowing undocumented immigrants to stay: "We either have a country or we dont. We either have a country or we dont. We have borders or we dont have borders. And at this moment, the answer is absolutely not.

April 2016

At an event hosted by NBC's "Today Show": Theyre going to go, and were going to create a path where we can get them into this country legally, OK? But it has to be done legally. ... Theyre going to go, and then come back and come back legally.

July 2016

At the Republican National Convention: "Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied  and every politician who has denied them  to listen very closely to the words I am about to say. On January 21st of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced."

September 2016

At a rally: Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Otherwise we dont have a country.

September 2016

On "The Dr. Oz Show": Well, under my plan the undocumented or, as you would say, illegal immigrant wouldnt be in the country. They only come in the country legally.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
A 28-year-old North Carolina man is expected to appear in court on Tuesday after allegedly stabbing his wife to death while they slept in their Raleigh home on Friday.

The headline-making case has left many scratching their heads: The suspect, Matthew Phelps has said he doesnt recall killing his wife, Lauren, 29, and even seemed to suggest to a 911 operator that cold medicine he took the night before might have led to his alleged actions.

Here are four things to know about the case:

1. Phelps Called 911 and Said I Think I Did It

In a 911 call obtained by PEOPLE, Phelps, of Raleigh, called police in a panic at around 1:15 a.m. on Friday, declaring that Lauren was dead on their bedroom floor covered in blood. He told the dispatcher that his wife wasnt breathing and that he was afraid to get close to her.

I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and shes dead on the floor, he said. I have blood all over me and theres a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it. I cant believe this.

As police work to determine the circumstances around Laurens death, Phelps seemed to suggest during the 911 call that cold medicine he took the night before might have led to what happened.

I took more medicine than I should have, he said. I took Coricidin Cough and Cold because I know it can make you feel good. A lot of times I cant sleep at night. So, I took some.

2. Phelps is Charged with Murder  and the Medicine Company Has Spoken Out

Police arrived at the couples Patuxent Drive home where they found Lauren suffering multiple stab wounds, authorities told PEOPLE. She was taken to a local hospital where she later died.

While the investigation of the case is currently underway, preliminary findings have established that the crime was not a random act, police said in a statement.

 Want to keep up with the latest crime coverage? Click here to get breaking crime news, ongoing trial coverage and details of intriguing unsolved cases in the True Crime Newsletter.

Phelps is charged with murder and is being held at Wake County Detention Center without bail, a jail spokesperson told PEOPLE.

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In the wake of the incident, Bayer, the makers of Coricidin, issued a statement to PEOPLE.

Bayer extends our deepest sympathies to this family, officials reportedly said in the statement. Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products. There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior.

3. Phelps is an Aspiring Pastor and Lauren Was a Teacher

Phelps and Lauren had been married for less than a year, ABC News reports. Both of their Facebook pages are filled with wedding photos of the young couple along with pictures that show their shared love for Star Wars.

One photo from their wedding showed the pair warring with lightsabers at the reception.

Lauren was a Sunday school teacher and Phelps was studying to be a pastor, a friend told ABC. Phelps account shows that he studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College.

Phelps and Laurens family did not immediately respond to a request for comment from PEOPLE.

4. Friends Remembered the Slain Woman as Sweet and Kind-Hearted

A YouCaring fundraiser has been set up for Laurens grieving family. Meanwhile, those who knew Lauren shared memories of the young woman on her Facebook page.

I am in disbelief. She was one of the purest souls one could ever meet, one person wrote. Her kind heart and sweet nature are an extremely rare find. She was a great friend to anyone lucky enough to call her one.

 PEOPLEs special edition True Crime Stories: 35 Real Cases That Inspired the Show Law & Order is on sale now.

Another person wrote in a Facebook post: I miss you a lot. I cant seem to stop thinking about you. Doesnt seem to really matter where I am or what Im doing. when I got the call I just couldnt believe it. I wanted it to be a bad joke. I still do. The past couple of days Ive just spent in shock.

A memorial service is scheduled for Monday, according to an update on Laurens page.

It is unclear if Phelps has entered a plea or retained an attorney.
Manila (AFP) - Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte symbolically honoured Ferdinand Marcos on Thursday by declaring the late dictator's 100th birth anniversary a public holiday in the ex-leader's home province.

It marked another step in the rehabilitation of Marcos 31 years after he was chased into exile in the US by a popular revolt that ended his 20-year rule marked by allegations of massive corruption and rampant human rights violations.

Duterte, who considers Marcos to have been the country's best-ever president, stunned the nation last November by allowing his remains to be transferred to the national "Heroes' Cemetery" despite a widespread outcry.

On Thursday, Duterte declared September 11 a "special non-working day" in the northern province of Ilocos Norte, the Marcos stronghold.

"The Ilocano community has been annually celebrating the birthdate of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos and commemorating his life and contributions to national development as a World War II veteran, distinguished legislator, and former president," the presidential palace proclamation read.

"It is but fitting that the people of the province of Ilocos Norte be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies."

Marcos was accused of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers, with anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2004 naming him the second most corrupt leader of all time, behind Indonesian dictator Suharto.

The dictator also oversaw widespread human rights abuses to maintain his control of the country and enable his plundering, with thousands of people killed and tortured, previous Philippine governments said.

No member of the Marcos clan has ever gone to prison, while his family has made a political comeback in the Philippines, with widow Imelda and their children being elected to office.

Duterte said last week that a Marcos family member had consulted him about a proposal to hand over some of its wealth to the government, later suggesting that they may ask for immunity in exchange.

Ilocos Norte will mark the 100th anniversary with a week of events including a literary and art festival and a fashion show featuring lookalikes of the late president and his widow.
Casual discriminationhappens all the time  sometimes when youre just trying to cross the street.

Nydia Han, a reporter and anchor at Philadelphias 6ABC Action News,took to Facebook on Sunday to describe a moment that made her feel like an outsider in her own city.

Han, a Korean-American with more than two decades of experience in broadcast journalism, was almost hit by a car while crossing a Philadelphia street Friday night on a green light.

A driver, coming the opposite direction on Locust, flew around the corner to make a left turn  clearly did not see me  screeched to a halt and missed hitting me by about half a foot,Han says in the video, which currently has over 1.4 million views.

The two exchanged a few words about who had the right of way at the intersection. Then the driver drove off and shouted, This is America!

The casual, cutting remark left Han shaken but determined to speak out.

Its those three words  this is America  that I would like to respond to since this woman did not give me the courtesy to allow me to respond to her at the scene,Han says in the Facebook video. So, yes, thisisAmerica.Iam American. Born and raised.

Han  whos worked in news stations across the country andcovered national stories including theColumbia shuttle disaster andHurricane Katrina goes on to describe the America she knows firsthand.

I know America in ways that you probably dont and never will,the reporter says in the four-minute video. I have seen Americans suffer and grieve. I have seen Americans rejoice and show resilience and recover. I have seen America at its best and at its worst, so I know this is America  you do not have to tell me that.

Pointing directly to her own face, Han challenges the driver to think twice before making assumptions about who gets to call themselves American.

Did you think that this face would not stand up against you? Against racism? And against ignorance? Well, you were wrong, Han says. I am Asian-American. I am strong, I am proud and I am speaking out against you today.

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The video has over 22,000 shares and 39,000 reactions on Facebook. Han, who was born in Ventura, California, has also received plenty of supportive feedback on Twitter:

Proud of you, Nydia! We must always speak out against ignorance and hate. Hope your message got back to her!  Trang Do (@TrangDoCBS3)September 4, 2017

Just seeing this. Your video response is spot-on and inspirational! Only ignorant Americans don't realize we're ALL Americans!!#besafe  Christian (@PhillyChristian)September 5, 2017

In an interview with HuffPost, Han said she wanted to speak out for the sake of her 5-year-old daughter and 3-year-old son, both of whom she mentions in the clip.

I kept wondering, What if my kids had been with me and heard that comment? Over the years, Ive developed a thick skin against ignorance and racism, but my children havent. And I know many other people, young and old, havent either.

Nydia Han says her two children are part of her reason for responding to the insult.

After years of intentionally brushing off similar comments, Han said she finally realized that no response is not the right response to uncomfortable encounters.

I realized I bear a responsibility to speak up for my kids and others, especially since I have the honor of a larger platform and megaphone than most people.

Watch the video above to hear the rest of Hans powerful message.

H/T Nextshark

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
Check out HuffPosts Hurricane Irma live blog for the latest updates on the storm.

Hurricane Irma left behind death and destruction on several Caribbean islands after a nearly weeklong rampage across the region toward Florida.

At least 38 people in the Caribbean were killed and thousands of homes and businesses destroyed as maximum sustained winds of 185 mph wreaked havoc on residents and tourists alike.

Some islands, such as Puerto Rico and several southeastern islands of the Lesser Antilles, were spared direct hits, though they still incurred damage and casualties. In Barbados, a 16-year-old professional surfer was killed trying to catch a wave during the storm.

Here are the islands that were hit hardest by Irma:

Antigua and Barbuda

Hurricane Irma first made landfall early Wednesday on Antigua and Barbuda, a single Caribbean nation made up of its two namesake islands as well as a few smaller islands.

Antigua was largely spared from severe damage, while the eye of the hurricane passed directly over Barbuda, killing a 2-year-old boy along the way as his family sought refuge from the storm.

Irmas then-Category 5 winds destroyed about 95 percent of the islands infrastructure, a spokesman for the Royal Police Force of Antigua and Barbuda told HuffPost on Monday.

Most of Barbudas roughly 1,600 residents have been evacuated to Antigua, the spokesman said, adding that the only people left on the tiny island are police.

There is nothing  no water, no electricity, he said. Ive never seen a storm like this.

Gordon Browne, the countrys prime minister, described the aftermath of Irma on Barbuda as total carnage.

It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had, Browne told BBC Radio Four.

St. Martin and St. Barts

St. Martin, an island controlled by France in the north and the Netherlands (Sint Maarten) in the south, was hit with extensive damage when Hurricane Irma made landfall around 6 a.m. Wednesday.

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At least 10 people on the island were killed by the storm, reported The Associated Press. Over 100 people were injured, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said Friday.

A St. Martin official told The New York Times on Wednesday night that 95 percent of the island is destroyed.

A picture shows a wrecked car in the streets of Marigot, on Sept. 9 in St. Martin island devastated by Irma hurricane. (Photo: MARTIN BUREAU via Getty Images)

In terms of material damage, the four strongest buildings on the island of St. Martin have been destroyed, Collomb told reporters, suggesting that weaker structures on the island had likely been leveled by Irma.

By Saturday, over 1,200 stranded Americans had been evacuated from the island, Heather Nauert, a spokeswoman for the State Department, told HuffPost in an email. Officials paused rescue efforts on Saturday due to weather, but planned to resume operations after Hurricane Jose passed.

Anguilla

Just north of St. Martin, the tiny island of Anguilla suffered the full force of Irmas 185 mph winds when it whipped past the British territory Wednesday morning.

One person was killed and roughy 70 percent of the islands critical infrastructure was damaged or destroyed by the hurricane, Melissa Meade, director of Anguillas disaster management agency, told HuffPost. As of Monday afternoon, the island was still without running water or electricity, she said.

The islands airport was open only for relief charters and emergency flights on Monday.

Josephine Gumbs-Connor, a lawyer on Anguilla, said last week that Irma had left the island in absolute pieces.

When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation, Gumbs-Connor told BBC Radio 4.

Police and fire stations, as well as medical centers, sustained damage, but were operational. Meade said residents were not panicking, but were in desperate need of food, water and fuel.

We got impacted, Meade told HuffPost. But were rallying together to try and get the country back to some state of normalcy.

185 mph winds showed no mercy in #Anguilla as #Irma screamed across the northern Caribbean islands. pic.twitter.com/et82nhFZE4  AMHQ (@AMHQ) September 7, 2017

U.S. and British Virgin Islands

About noon Wednesday, the British Virgin Islands felt Irmas wrath as the hurricanes powerful eye passed over areas of the archipelago.

Photos show collapsed roofs, piles of destroyed boats and flattened trees among the damage dealt to the British territory. Electricity and internet was still down for thousands as of Monday afternoon.

Heather Robinson, a BVI resident, said she lost nearly everything in the storm.

I mean, our house literally got swept away from around us, Robinson told PBS. Im really scared. Like, we went through our rubble and found some  like, a thing of peanut butter and some crackers and biscuits and stuff, but we  its not going to keep us much longer.

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The British government came under fire last week for not doing enough to aid in preparation and recovery.

Its absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for [the British secretary of state for international development] to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s, Dorothea Hodge, a former United Kingdom-European Union representative told The Guardian.

Road Town Tortola before and after. The blue building is Dolphin Discovery. Anyone have pics of Anegada or Virgin Gorda yet? pic.twitter.com/pjqyEHSsXm  Cyrena-Marie Arnold (@WxCyrena) September 6, 2017

The U.S. Virgin Islands, which includes St. Croix and St. Thomas just south of the BVI, as well as St. John to the east, also suffered extensive damage. At least four people were reported killed during the storm, according to Reuters.

The islands 911 emergency system was down Thursday, Stacey Plaskett, the Virgin Islands Democratic delegate to Congress, told USA Today.

President Donald Trump issued a disaster declaration for the U.S. territory on Thursday and told reporters that the islands had been hit very, very hard.

Puerto Rico

Hurricane Irma only scraped the northern region of Puerto Rico on Wednesday night, prompting Gov. Ricardo Rossello to thank the Almighty on Thursday.

Still, at least three people were killed during the storm and the islands current economic crisis poses a serious challenge for rebuilding efforts in Irmas aftermath.

A woman pulls a suitcase along on a rock-strewn road in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on Thursday. (Photo: RICARDO ARDUENGO via Getty Images)

Irma left more than 1 million people in the United States territory without power in the storms immediate aftermath, according to Ricardo Ramos, chief executive of the islands electric utility. By Tuesday morning, the number of people without power had been reduced to 300,000, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency Administrator Brock Long.

Flooding damaged or destroyed many homes along the islands northern coast.

Irma blew the roof off of Melissa Riveras home in the coastal town of Loiza.

All I thought was, Wow, my house is gone, Rivera told The Times. I dont have anywhere to live anymore.

Turks and Caicos

As Irma blew past Grand Turk Island on Thursday night, roofs were ripped off dozens of residential homes, streets were flooded and snapped utility poles caused an island-wide blackout, The Times reported. Hurricane-force winds could be felt as far as 70 miles from the center of the storm.

An aerial view on Sept. 11 shows flooding and damage after Hurricane Irma passed over Providenciales on the Turks and Caicos islands. (Photo: Cpl. Darren Legg RLC/Ministry of Defence handout via Reuters)

Power, communications and cell service remained down for many on Monday afternoon.

Commissioner of Police James Smith said Monday that no death or serious injuries had been reported as a result of the hurricane, though a state of emergency had been declared Monday for two heavily affected islands, South Caicos and Grand Turk.

Cuba

Irma made landfall on northern Cuba early Saturday as a Category 5 hurricane. The storm delivered strong winds and heavy rains, causing extreme flooding in some areas.

The storm  the first Category 5 to hit the island since 1932  killed at least 10 people. Photos showed downed power lines and trees, as well as many leveled homes and businesses.

Hundreds have been left homeless in Irmas aftermath. Cuba, already facing economic crisis, faces a long road to recovery.

Ive been working in the Caribbean for 10 years, and this is the first time I have seen a situation like this, Raphael Hamoir, the emergency coordinator for the French Red Cross in the region, told The Times.

For information on how to help those affected by Hurricane Irma, check out the American Red Cross and Habitat for Humanity.

Lydia O'Connor contributed reporting.

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Here's What You Need To Know About Hurricane Irma

These Photos Show Hurricane Irma's Destructive Path Across The Caribbean

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Bogota (AFP) - Pope Francis landed in Colombia on Wednesday to plead for lasting peace in a country moving towards the end of a half-century war, and praying for stability in its crisis-stricken neighbor Venezuela.

The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff descended from his plane at a military airport in Bogota and was greeted by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and a crowd waving white handkerchiefs.

Children in white outfits and red neckerchiefs performed a Colombian "cumbia" dance as Francis greeted the crowd, including civilians and army veterans injured in the conflict.

Smiling, he climbed aboard a white Popemobile which took him through the city center amid deafening cheers from admirers lining the route to the papal mission, the Nunciatura.

There he recited a Hail Mary and a blessing to assembled youths, who responded with a rap and breakdancing. He donned a white wool poncho they gave him as a present.

Francis had called ahead of his trip for a "stable and lasting peace" in Colombia. On arrival, he praised local people for their "heroism."

"Continue on the path that you have been brave enough to start, which is called heroism," he told the young people.

"Don't let yourselves be beaten, don't let yourselves be fooled. Do not lose joy. Do not lose hope."

- Peace and concord -

Francis's trip follows the disarmament of Colombia's biggest rebel force, the FARC, and a ceasefire by the country's last remaining guerrilla force, the ELN.

The pope supports Santos in his drive for a "complete peace" to end Latin America's longest civil war.

But Francis's first statements after starting the trip were about Venezuela, where a political and economic crisis has caused food shortages, deadly unrest and calls for President Nicolas Maduro to quit.

Francis sent a telegram with "cordial greetings" to Maduro and the Venezuelan people, "praying that all in the nation may promote paths of solidarity, justice and concord."

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- 'Pope, help Venezuela' -

Francine Howard, Colombia coordinator for major Venezuelan opposition party Popular Will, said her compatriots would attend the pope's public masses with signs reading "Pope, help Venezuela."

But with respect to Francis's visit, "there is one thing that has made Venezuelans uncomfortable, and that is the call for dialogue" with Maduro's government, she warned.

Vatican-mediated talks between Venezuela's government and opposition last year collapsed with the sides accusing each other of bad faith.

- Colombian reconciliation -

Francis's five-day tour will see him meet people who have suffered on various sides in the Colombian war, Latin America's longest conflict.

The violence has left 260,000 people confirmed dead, 60,000 unaccounted for and seven million displaced.

"The Holy Father is now in Colombian territory. He has come for a very special purpose: to push us to take the first step to reconciling with one another," Santos told reporters after welcoming Francis.

- Divisive peace deal -

Despite the pope's blessing, the peace process has been fraught with division.

Critics of the accord with the FARC say the rebels got off too lightly.

Colombians narrowly rejected that peace deal in a referendum last year.

Francis then tried unsuccessfully to mediate between Santos and the lead opponent of the accord, conservative leader Alvaro Uribe.

A reworked version was later pushed through Congress despite Uribe's ongoing resistance.

- Faith in peace -

On Thursday Francis will meet with Santos and Venezuelan Catholic leaders.

He will then make daily excursions by plane to the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.

In Villavicencio, he will preside over a prayer for national reconciliation with victims of violence, former guerrilla members and ex-military fighters.

Among those gathered to see the pope arrive in Bogota was Alva Marina Quinones, member of an association for victims of the conflict.

Her husband and brother were killed and she was raped.

"I know that the pope can sense our history, so I have a lot of faith that his arrival here will change us and speed up the process" of peace, she said.
Bogota (AFP) - Pope Francis held an open-air mass Thursday for hundreds of thousands of worshippers in Colombia, urging forgiveness as they seek a lasting end to half a century of civil war.

Cheering crowds greeted the 80-year-old Argentine pontiff as he urged them to reject "vengeance" -- though some warned forgiveness was hard after so much violence.

Francis earlier met with President Juan Manuel Santos, who has overseen a controversial peace deal with the FARC rebel force and a ceasefire with the last active guerrilla group, the ELN.

Those are key steps towards ending a many-sided conflict, fueled by drug trafficking, that has left 260,000 people confirmed dead, 60,000 unaccounted for and seven million displaced.

"Here, as in other places, there is a thick darkness which threatens and destroys life," Francis said in his homily in Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park.

"The darkness of thirst for vengeance and the hatred which stains the hands of those who would right wrongs on their own authority; the darkness of those who become numb to the pain of so many victims. Jesus scatters and destroys all this darkness."

Beside Francis on the roofed stage, prayers were read by guests including an indigenous leader in a feathered head-dress -- a representative of the rural communities particularly hurt by the war.

- Contested peace process -

Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize last year for his part in the accord that has seen the FARC disarm and transform into a political party.

But the peace process has been fraught with division. Critics say the FARC rebels got off too lightly, with amnesties and alternative sentences.

Francis last year tried unsuccessfully to mediate between Santos and the lead opponent of the FARC accord, conservative ex-president Alvaro Uribe.

"This process is a lie... I believe in God, but I do not need intermediaries," said Bogota resident Luis Eduardo Martinez, 63, commenting on the pope's visit as Francis's admirers gathered.

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"We who saw so many victims die have not lost our resentment. I hope God will allow me to let that resentment go, but it is still there."

In a balcony address to crowds of young people near Bogota's cathedral, Francis urged them to "dream big" for the country's future.

"Your youthfulness... makes you capable of something very difficult in life: forgiving. Forgiving those who have hurt us," he said.

- Rebel leader's welcome -

FARC leader Rodrigo Londono hailed the pope, tweeting his thanks to Francis "for supporting the peace and defending social and environmental justice."

Santos thanked Francis for coming to "encourage us to take the first step toward reconciliation.

Carlos Arturo Rodriguez, 51, an indigenous traditional doctor, traveled from the southern Caqueta region to see the pope.

Rodriguez told AFP his wife and various other relatives were killed by state security forces during the conflict.

"I forgive them with all my heart," he said. "But I don't know whether my God does."

- Praying for victims -

After talks with Santos at the presidential palace, Francis visited Bogota cathedral and met with bishops.

He posed for selfies with worshippers and prayed before the image of the Virgin of Chiquinquira, Colombia's patron saint, which was flown to Bogota by helicopter for the occasion.

From Friday he will make daily excursions by plane to the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.

In Villavicencio, he will pray for reconciliation with victims of violence, former guerrilla members and ex-military fighters.

"I think this pope has a very positive energy," said Cristal Vivas, 15, who came out to see him in Bogota.

"He puts himself in the place of us, the common people... and inspires peace in people."
An expectant mother in Washington was reportedly denied service at a restaurant for wearing a crop top.

Charisha Gobin is 7-and-a-half months pregnant with twins. According to the Seattle news station KIRO, she went to eat dinner at Buzz Inn Steakhouse in Marysville with her family on Sunday night, but a staff member told her she could not dine there because of her outfit.

Gobin told the local news station she was wearing a long skirt and a cropped T-shirt that said Weirdo.

The waitress/bartender stopped us and said, Im sorry, you cant be here in that shirt, the expectant mother alleged. I said, Are you being serious with me right now? And she said, Yep, you cant be here.

Gobin said she was livid and felt body-shamed because her belly was bigger and sticking out. Said the mom, Had it been anyone else, I dont think there would have been any problem whatsoever.

That night, Gobin shared a photo of her outfit on Facebook in a post that has since been made private. I was just denied service at the Buzz Inn on State Avenue in Marysville for my outfit. Im violating the health code, she wrote in the caption.

In response to the incident Buzz Inn Marysville offered an apology on Facebook on Monday.

We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding and will cover with all staff as to how to not overly enforce a rule that is intended to make all guests feel comfortable, the statement reads. The server in question has been with our company and a great employee for almost 20 years and was trying to use her best judgement and by no means was trying to be demeaning to the guest. Again our sincere apology for misunderstanding.

The staff member in question, who remains anonymous, told KIRO that the shirt violated the restaurants no shirt, no shoes, no service policy and that she wouldve asked anyone in that shirt  pregnant or not  to leave the establishment.

Gobin said shes never heard of a crop top not qualifying as a shirt. Said the mom, I was wearing a shirt. It had sleeves. I didnt have cleavage showing.

Story continues

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Chrissy Teigen: Cutouts

Natalie Portman: Empire Waists

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Prince George arrived for his first day at school holding Prince Williams hand [Photo: PA]

Today, four-year-old Prince George started his school life, arriving for his first day at Thomass Battersea with Prince William in tow.

Although George looked a little nervous, the head of the lower school was there to meet the royals and show the young prince around his new classroom.

Naturally, Georges adorable uniform caused a real talking point. Consisting of a blue school sweater, Bermuda shorts and black slip-on shoes, he looked a lot more modern than his father on his first day.

The young royals uniform doesnt come cheap [Photo: PA]

So how much does Georges uniform cost? A list on the schools website boasts 24 items totalling to a huge $587 CAD.

For daily school life, George will require a navy jacket, polo neck and shorts. In the summer, he will be allowed to swap a jumper for a short-sleeved shirt and white sun hat. (All are available from John Lewis in case youre wondering).

Less essential items are also on the list. A $47 CAD art smock is needed for potentially messy arts and crafts lessons while ballet shoes are required for dance lessons from the Royal Academy of Dance.

Of course, parents will probably need to buy more than one of each garment, sending the cost sky high.

Prince Georges school uniform will cost almost 400 [Photo: John Lewis]

Kate and William will be spending 75 per cent more than the average U.K. parent, according to a recent report which revealed that the average cost for a primary school uniform is $330.

Thomass costs $9,500 a term and is only 20 minutes away from Kensington Palace; the new permanent home of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

It seems an apt school for the young royal considering its motto is Be kind. The importance of kindness is something Kate previously spoke about at great length.

My parents taught me about the importance of qualities like kindness, respect and honest, and I realise how central values like these have been to me throughout my life. That is why William and I want to teach our little children, George and Charlotte, just how important these things are as they grow up, the Duchess stated in a school assembly in February.

Let us know what you think by commenting below and tweeting @YahooStyleCA!

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Protesters pushed and scuffled with local police as four more THAAD missile interceptor launchers were transported to a military base in Seongju, South Korea, on the evening of September 6.

This footage shows the protesters, who were blocking the road leading to the base. The uploader also uploaded a photo, writing: These cops are climbing up on cars to break through a blockade. It was so dangerous; one car nearly tipped over. Today Korea deployed 8,000 police to fight 700 anti-THAAD activists.

Reports from Arirang TV and The Korea Herald estimated that the actual number of protesters was around 400. The demonstrators were dispersed at around 5 am on September 7 and the THAAD equipment, which was transported from Osan Air Base south of Seoul, finally entered the Seongju site by 8:20 am. Credit: Instagram/sadgeomancy via Storyful
On Thursday, Russian President Vladimir Putin said he regretted awarding U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson the "Order of Friendship" in 2013 now that "he's fallen in with the wrong company," Reuters reports.

Speaking to a U.S. citizen at an economic forum in Vladivostock, Putin said, "We awarded your compatriot Mr. Tillerson the Order of Friendship, but he seems to have fallen in with the wrong company and to be steering in the other direction."

"I hope that the wind of cooperation, friendship and reciprocity will eventually put him on the right path," the Russian leader added.

Putin made the remarks in a fairly jocular manner, but they highlight how strained the relationship between the Trump administration and Russia has become in recent weeks.

Tillerson was awarded the "Order of Friendship" while he was CEO of ExxonMobil, after he orchestrated deals with the state-owned Russian oil company Rosneft.

When Trump announced he was nominating Tillerson for secretary of state, many took issue with his close relationship to Putin.

At the time, Senator Lindsey Graham said, "I dont know [Tillerson] much at all, but lets put it this way: If you received an award from the Kremlin, [an] Order of Friendship, then were gonna have some talkin. Well have some questions. I dont want to prejudge the guy, but thats a bit unnerving."

Tillerson had no government experience prior to becoming secretary of state, which might help explain why he's reportedly struggled to bring order and direction to the State Department.

During the presidential campaign, Trump signified a desire to improve U.S.-Russia relations. Due to Russia's interference in the election and the Trump campaign's alleged collusion, however, this has been politically impossible.

In August, Trump signed a bill imposing new sanctions on Russia, which angered the Kremlin. Putin retaliated by announcing the expulsion of 755 U.S. diplomats, representing one of the harshest diplomatic moves between the two countries since the Cold War.

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More recently, the U.S. called for the Russian consulate in San Francisco and diplomatic annexes in Washington and New York to close as a response to the expulsion of the 755 diplomats.

In this context, Putin's joke about Tillerson makes sense, though it may not be particularly helpful in terms of easing tensions between the U.S. and Russia.

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BOISE  A Twin Falls man pleaded guilty Wednesday in federal court to trying to arrange a sexual encounter with someone he was chatting with online and thought was a minor.

Jerry Bob Stewart, 50, is facing up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, a term of supervised release ranging from five years to life and a $5,100 special assessment, Acting U.S. Attorney Rafael Gonzalez said in a statement.

He agreed to forfeit a cellphone, tablet and portable wireless internet device used in commission of the crime as part of his plea to attempted coercion and enticement of a minor. Sentencing is set for Nov. 28 before Chief U.S. District Judge B. Lynn Winmill.

The plea agreement says Stewart communicated online with a 10-year-old girl in California. She told Stewart she was 19, but Stewart proposed they engage in a father-daughter fantasy where the child was 14, the U.S. attorneys office said.

The childs grandmother found the communications, and a Nevada County, Calif., sheriffs detective took over her accounts and continued to communicate with Stewart, posing as the child. The detective repeatedly told Stewart she was 13 years old, but Stewart continued to express his desire to have sex with the child and sent her sexually explicit images.

Stewart agreed in November 2015 to pay for a bus ticket for the child to travel to Twin Falls, sending $300. He rented a room under the childs name at a local hotel on Dec. 10, prosecutors said, and went to a bus stop to meet her. Homeland Security Investigations agents met him and found a box of condoms, two male sexual performance enhancement pills and a bottle of lubricant in his vehicle.

Homeland Security and the Nevada County sheriffs office investigated with help from the Idaho Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, and the Twin Falls police department and county sheriffs office. Prosecutors said it was part of the nationwide Project Safe Child initiative, which the Justice Department launched in 2006.
Afrodite, Sweetie, Faux Pas, Linda and Flloyd at the Building in 1991. (Photo: Linda Simpson -- The Drag Explosion)

Before DragCon, the worlds largest drag culture convention  which hits New York City for the first time this weekend  RuPauls Drag Race and the rise of RuPaul, an arts and performance community in Manhattans Lower East Side fostered and shaped the cultural climate that led to the eventual stardom of Mama Ru  and the mainstreaming of drag as an art form.

The 80s and early 90s in lower Manhattan are referred to by NYC drag historian Linda Simpson as The Drag Explosion  a proliferation of drag queens and queer performers who had the spotlight turned their way following the mainstreaming of the Club Kids and RuPauls hit single Supermodel Of The World.

Simpson was among those that came up through the Lower East Side drag scene, alongside legends like Lady Bunny, Ethyl Eichelberger, Sister Dimension and Taboo.

During much of this time, drag was an underground art form and not understood at all by mainstream culture, Simpson told HuffPost. In fact, it was risky to be a queen back then in public because there was often the threat of violence. But the nightlife was thriving, and every bar and club was clamoring for queens to be eye candy. Eventually, the media started paying a lot of attention.

Lady Bunny at Webster Hall in 1992. (Photo: Linda Simpson -- The Drag Explosion)

Kabuki and Keda at the Limelight in 1993. (Photo: Linda Simpson -- The Drag Explosion)

Leigh Bowery at the Parallel Nightclub in 1991. (Photo: Linda Simpson -- The Drag Explosion)

Drag culture today owes a monumental debt to the drag scene of the Lower East Side at that time. In fact, Randy Barbato and Fenton Bailey, Executive Producers on RuPauls Drag Race, came of age in this scene too  as film students who also performed under the stage name The Fabulous Pop Tarts.

The drag queens of New York, they inspired us! They really brought us up, Bailey told HuffPost. These are legendary queens who really, when Randy and I were starry-eyed film students, they really impacted us  they just blew us away. Wed never seen anything like it. And we always felt that we would be watching shows at The Pyramid on Avenue A and thinking, this should be on a bigger stage!

That bigger stage eventually became the institution that is RuPauls Drag Race, a cultural touchstone that has helped launch and solidify the careers of 113 drag artists, built a mammoth fandom and birthed the now bi-costal tradition of DragCon.

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Attendees packed the Los Angeles convention center at the 3rd annual "RuPaul's DragCon" in April 2017. (Photo: Santiago Felipe via Getty Images)

But it all started with The Drag Explosion  the name that Simpson gave to her collection of photos documenting the scene that she, RuPaul, Barbato and Bailey all navigated as young, queer New Yorkers.

For Fenton and Bailey, bringing DragCon, which has taken place three times in Los Angeles, to the Big Apple for the first time this fall is a homecoming of sorts that brings their journey with the art form full circle.

What always struck us about drag is that is wasnt necessarily all about gender  it is a lens through which you see the world. A way to look at the madness, the craziness, the insanity of culture, Bailey said. Its like a license  in a way that in like Shakespearian times the clown or the fool or the joker  these were protected figures who had a license to thrill. And I feel thats what drag is  its a way to take everything in the world and turn it upside down.

DragCon NYC will take place Sept. 9 & 10 at the Javits Center in New York City. Head here for more information.

What to read more about the history of queer art, performance and nightlife in New York? Head here to check out the HuffPost original series After Dark: NYC Nightlife Today and Days Past.

Check out photos from Linda Simpsons The Drag Explosion below.

Francine and Thaddeus at the Copacabana 1991

Chris Tanner at Yankee Stadium 1994

Joey and Misty at Wigstock 1988

Daisy at the Limelight nightclub 1994

Dean Johnson at the Gay Day Parade 1987

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By Eric M. Johnson (Reuters) - The American Red Cross will for the first time fly a drone to assess damage and funnel aid to areas of Houston flooded by Hurricane Harvey over the last two weeks, the agency and sponsors said on Thursday. The Red Cross is expected to be the largest U.S. non-profit aid group to employ the technology when it begins flights next week in a test program that could be used after disasters in other parts of the United States. The agency will deploy one drone and conduct a one-week test in an area of Houston badly affected by the flooding from Harvey, which came ashore on Aug. 25 as the most powerful hurricane to hit Texas in more than 50 years. It killed an estimated 50 people and caused as much as $180 billion in damage. Harvey marks the second major hurricane since the Federal Aviation Administration loosened restrictions on drones last June, allowing greater use for filming, inspecting facilities and other commercial activities. The use of commercial drones to hover over the destruction from Harvey has ushered in an unprecedented test of an unmanned aircraft's ability to assess billions of dollars in damage for the insurance industry and accelerate payouts for harried policyholders. The Red Cross program uses an aircraft built by Danvers, Massachusetts-based drone maker CyPhy Works. It is funded by the charitable foundation of United Parcel Service , which owns a stake in CyPhy Works and is using its drones to test package delivery, said UPS spokesman Glenn Zaccara. The images the Red Cross captures will help assess damage and funnel aid, though imagery could be shared with other organizations, Zaccara said. The drone, tethered to a power supply, can fly up to 400 feet high to record several days' worth of photos on homes miles away, Zaccara said. Depending on the results in Houston, the drone could be used to assess damage from Hurricane Irma, Zaccara said. The storm was on track to hit Florida over the weekend. (Reporting by Eric M. Johnson in Seattle; Editing by Dan Grebler)
President Trump at a White House event in August to unveil legislation that would place new limits on legal immigration. (Photo: Evan Vucci/AP)

Ive written a few times in the past about President Trump and immigration, and every time Ive heard from angry Trump supporters who took issue with my characterizing him as anti-immigrant. I was trafficking in a blatant lie, they told me; Trump was dead set against illegal immigration, because he believed in a nation of laws, but that didnt make him intolerant when it came to immigrants generally, as long as they followed the rules.

This argument gave me some pause. My own judgment was based principally on Trumps rhetorical bile, which seemed to me self-evidently xenophobic.

But it was also true that a candidate could theoretically propose drastic policies to deter undocumented, potentially dangerous visitors  like building a wall on the Mexican border and shutting out refugees from countries at a higher risk of terrorist infiltration  while still believing in the essential value of controlled immigration.

Trump had, in fact, claimed to strike exactly that balance. In an interview with the conservative website NewsMax just after the 2012 election, he lambasted Mitt Romneys idea of self-deportation as a maniacal idea.

He lost everybody who is inspired to come into this country, Trump said then. The Democrats didnt have a policy for dealing with illegal immigrants, but what they did have going for them is that they werent mean-spirited about it.

What we know now, though, well into Trumps first year in office, is that my instinct here was right: Trumps attitude toward immigration really isnt all that nuanced, or all that humane. And its up to Republicans to decide whether their party still stands for anything beyond the reactionary worldview he embodies.

I say this not just because the president decided this week to eliminate special protections for immigrants who were brought here as children. While I think Trumps policy is misguided, I dont find his reasoning entirely specious.

Trump is right that immigration policy is better made by an actual, functioning Congress than by executive fiat, which is bound to be temporal and therefore destabilizing to everyone it affects. (President Obama probably wouldnt disagree, and hed have been thrilled to sign reasonable legislation that protected these so-called DREAMers, if only Congress could have passed anything that required the slightest compromise.)

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Theres really no good reason that majorities in Congress cant get behind a bill that both shields children raised in America and provides some added money for border enforcement. If Trumps stand forces the parties to do exactly that, then hell deserve some credit for putting the onus of lawmaking back where it belongs.

But that decision cant be viewed in isolation. You also have to look at Trumps enthusiastic support, in a speech at the White House last month, for a plan that would slash legal immigration, overturning decades of bipartisan measures that made it easier for immigrants to bring their relatives to the country and that opened Americas borders to refugees from persecution.

Were not talking about potential terrorists here, or drug mules tunneling under the desert in the dark of night. Were talking about the kind of industrious, risk-taking immigrants without whom most of us wouldnt be here to debate these things today. (This includes Trumps grandparents and mother, all of whom immigrated in the late 19th or early 20th centuries.)

You also have to look at the astonishing comments made recently by Stephen Miller, the young adviser who seems to most faithfully channel Trump on these cultural issues, and who seems to say something breathtaking every time he shows up in public.

This time, Miller, who sounds very much like the smug, provocative kid in a senior-year philosophy seminar whom every other kid wants to toss out the library window, lectured reporters on the history of the Statue of Liberty. He pointed out that the words now enshrined in our national consciousness  Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses and so on  were added years after the statue was unveiled, and therefore, I guess, really werent all that relevant.

Thus did he become the first White House spokesman in history  though not the first white nationalist, by a long shot  to dismiss the American creed on immigration as a piece of propaganda. I dont know how Millers ancestors ended up in America. Im guessing it wasnt on the Mayflower.

No, the mounting body of evidence here is pretty clear. Trump is not a guy who resents illegal immigration because its unsafe for the country and unfair to the hardworking, law-abiding immigrants who embrace our laws and ideals and who give up everything theyve known for their childrens future.

Trump is a guy who resents immigrants, period. He is a neo-nativist. His America first actually means Americans only.

His story about combating furtive outsiders who steal jobs and menace communities is a simplistic story meant to arouse age-old passions and prejudices. His aim isnt to restore order and lawfulness, but to incite disorder and fear  to harvest cheap adoration from those who fear the unfamiliar.

This is why, long before he ever ran for president, Trump made a crusade of falsely attacking Obamas lineage. It wasnt only because he was trying to fuel his own political ambitions. It was because when you fundamentally believe that outsiders are the cause of economic and social disruption, it stands to reason that the president you disdain must be an outsider, too.

This is a worldview, not incidentally, that puts Trump outside the mainstream of his Republican predecessors. Ronald Reagan signed legislation extending amnesty to millions of undocumented immigrants. George H.W. Bush expanded legal immigration. George W. Bush made outreach to immigrants a centerpiece of his compassionate conservatism.

The intellectual argument for cultural conservatism, with its rejection of identity politics and diversity-by-quota, idealizes our tradition of assimilating immigrants. It holds that we are still the melting pot society, accepting anyone who will adopt our national customs and credos, assuring equality of opportunity but not equality of outcomes.

Thats not where Trump is. He seeks to restore the Buchananite faction of the party. (Pat, not Daisy.) He doesnt believe theres room for a melting pot in a world where factories relocate or shutter, where terrorists loom in the darkness and where most of the immigrants arent white.

These arent simple issues. Immigration is a harder sell in an imperiled empire than in a thriving incubator of the middle class. Its not coincidence that Trumps moment coincides with the rise of other nationalist movements in the world, where workers feel threatened by declining industries and porous borders.

But Republicans, in particular, have a choice to make. They can hold firm to the traditional conservative argument, or they can allow their party to be transformed by Trumpism. They can stand up for our essential identity as a nation of immigrants, or they can blame outsiders for all that ails the society.

What you cant do, anymore, is tell me that somehow this president does both.
President's daughter entered the room shortly after her father had agreed with the Democrats spending plan: AP

Republican congressional leaders were reportedly "visibly annoyed" after Ivanka Trump interrupted a meeting with her father to "say hello".

The senior politicians were discussing plans to raise the US debt limit for three months, as well as increasing emergency relief in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

But the conversation reportedly "careened off topic" when Donald Trump's daughter entered the room towards the end of the meeting, aides briefed on the discussion told reporters.

Cong. source to @deirdrewalshcnn on WH meeting: GOP leaders "were visibly annoyed by Ivankas presence" at end, said "careened off topic."  Kevin Liptak (@Kevinliptakcnn) September 6, 2017

Aide with knowledge: "Toward the end of the meeting Ivanka Trump entered the Oval Office to 'say hello' and the meeting careened off topic."  Sahil Kapur (@sahilkapur) September 6, 2017

Republican leaders were left "visibly annoyed" according to several reports, although AshLee Strong  spokeswoman for the House Speaker Paul Ryan  refuted the claim, saying "That's not true".

Ms Trump interrupted shortly after the President had agreed with Democrats, saying he would support a deal that would secure disaster relief funding and raise the debt ceiling, a senior Republican source told CNN.

Hours before the meeting, Mr Ryan had said it was "ridiculous and disgraceful" for Democrats to suggest increasing the debt limit in the short term.

Congress is under pressure to raise the country's borrowing limit by 29 September and pass a spending bill the next day. Missing the deadline would close the federal government.

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Well agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it, Mr Trump told reporters on Air Force One after the meeting. We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting.

At a news conference after the discussion, Republican leaders did not endorse the plan, but said they would "move forward" according to the President's wishes.

Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs, said Ms Trump entered the Oval Office to talk about child tax credit, one of her priorities as an unpaid adviser to the President.

He characterised the interruption as professional, saying it was a "quick and productive conversation".

The reports came after Ms Trump took her fathers seat during a G20 session in Hamburg in July, prompting complaints of nepotism.

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VLADIVOSTOK (Reuters) - Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the two leaders "decisively condemned" North Korean weapons tests. We decisively condemned North Koreas launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japans territory on August 28, as well as the new nuclear tests conducted on September 3, Putin said in a statement. Putin reiterated that the crisis around North Korea should be resolved only by political means, and that it posed a threat to peace and stability in the region. He called for it to be resolved through a road map proposed by Moscow and Beijing. Putin also said he and Abe discussed the prospect of joint economic activities by their countries on the disputed Kurile islands. The islands, called the Northern Territories in Japan and the Southern Kuriles in Russia, were seized by Soviet forces at the end of World War Two, when 17,000 Japanese residents were forced to flee. Putin said he and Abe discussed the prospect of a peace treaty officially ending World War Two hostilities, which has never been signed because of the territorial dispute. Putin did not say how close the two countries were to such an agreement. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later said there could not be a timeframe for concluding a treaty. "This is a very complicated and sensitive issue," he said. "Russia and Japan are steadily building up mutual trust, mutually beneficial cooperation, which cannot but promote the creation of a favorable atmosphere for finding a solution for the peace treaty." (Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva, Denis Pinchuk and Katya Golubkova; Writing by Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber; Editing by Christian Lowe and Andrew Roche)
A bill on autonomous car legislation originally scheduled for a vote on September 6th just passed the US House of representatives and has been sent to the Senate for consideration. The bill does not include legislation regarding autonomous big-rig trucks, however, so the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation is planning a hearing for September 13th to discuss potential implications for self-driving commercial vehicles.

According to a Senate press release, "Transportation Innovation: Automated Trucks and our Nation's Highways ... will examine the benefits of automated truck safety technology as well as the potential impacts on jobs and the economy. Including or excluding trucks, buses, and other heavy duty vehicles has been a topic of discussion in ongoing bipartisan efforts to draft self-driving vehicle legislation." The hearing is sponsored by Senator John Thune of South Dakota and will include testimony from the chief of the Colorado State Patrol, Colonel Scott G Hernandez, Navistar's CEO Troy Clarke, National Safety Council CEO Deborah Hersman and CEO of the American Trucking Associations, Chris Spear.

There are many companies with self-driving trucks in the works. Colorado's autonomous impact protection vehicle is set to protect road workers, Einride's self-driving elecrtic vehicle can transport 15 pallets and of course Uber and Waymo continue to try and one-up each other with self-driving big rigs. Convoys of semi-autonomous trucks are even set to hit the UK roads by next year. The push towards vehicles that don't need human drivers is a concern, however. The future is coming; our government has to figure out how to legislate it.
On Late Night With Seth Meyers, the host had no patience for Hillary Clinton and her book What Happened, in which Clinton blamed Bernie Sanders for causing lasting damage to her campaign and paving the way for President Trumps Crooked Hillary campaign. Meyers called out Clinton, saying, Dont blame Bernie because Donald Trump called you names. I promise you he was going to do that anyway.

Clinton certainly fought a worthy campaign, but there does seem to be a lot of room for placing blame for her loss on a system thats way older than Sanders. Meyers said, Bernie is not the reason you lost. You know how I know that? You beat Trump by three million votes. If you want to blame something ancient, blame the electoral college. We shouldnt be running the most important elections on earth on a system designed over 200 years ago to appease slave owners. If American Idol ran their voting like this, wed all have a Sanjaya CD in our cars.

For Meyers, Clintons comments only cause more damage. He thinks bringing Democrats and liberals together to stand up against incompetence in Washington is the best way to effect change. Meyers said, This isnt the time to complain because Senator Woodstock didnt roll over for you. Hey, if anything, he helped make you a better candidate.

Late Night With Seth Meyers airs weeknights at 11:35 p.m. on CBS.

Check out lying racist whos desperate for praise: Seth Meyers on Trumps Charlottesville press conference:

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With Florida facing down the barrel of a monstrous, record-shattering hurricane, a local sheriff in the state decided to make jokes about locking people up when they look for shelter.

Sheriff Grady Judd, of the Polk County Sheriff's Office, took to Twitter to let anyone with a warrant know that they would be unceremoniously locked up if they dared to seek refuge from the historic storm.

SEE ALSO: Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful storms to slam the Atlantic Ocean. Here's what you need to know.

"If you go to a shelter for Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail," he joked on Wednesday, as 185 mph winds from Irma wreaked havoc and took lives in the Caribbean.

If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail https://t.co/Qj5GX9XQBi  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

"If you have a warrant, turn yourself in to the jail  it's a secure shelter," he added 45 minutes later in case the mirth was missed first time round.

If you have a warrant, turn yourself in to the jail - it's a secure shelter https://t.co/UFNGNafJh8  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

IDs will be checked and sex offenders and predators will not be allowed, another tweet said.

If you go to a shelter for #Irma, be advised: sworn LEOs will be at every shelter, checking IDs. Sex offenders/predators will not be allowed  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

The reaction on Twitter to the comments was, shall we say, unfavorable.

Alt Sarah Sanders led the charge, reminding the sheriff that warrants can be issued for infractions as minor as a parking ticket, and asserting that his tweets could cause people to "risk death" to avoid shelters and subsequent arrest.

So basically this guy is encouraging anyone with a warrant, which are issued for things such as outstanding parking tickets, to risk death?  Alt Sarah H. Sanders (@AltUSPressSec) September 6, 2017

You are a public servant. You are in violation of your sacred duty to the citizens you serve. Shame on you and your ilk.  Alt Sarah H. Sanders (@AltUSPressSec) September 6, 2017

Journalist Kurt Eichenwald was among the other voices attacking the tweets, saying "this guy thinks nothing better to do in a devastating catastrophe that could kill many than chase outstanding warrants."

.@PolkCoSheriff So, at best, ur impeding law enforcement (telling ppl w/ warrants 2 stay away) or, at the human level, pushing them to die.  Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 6, 2017

Apparently, this guy thinks nothing better to do in a devastating catastrophe that could kill many than chase outstanding warrants.  Kurt Eichenwald (@kurteichenwald) September 6, 2017

Condemnation came thick and fast.

This could be the most irresponsible tweet I've ever seen from a public official, including my own, which is saying something.  John Burns (@johnburnsnc) September 6, 2017

Of all the gross things that America has invented and mass-produced, Aspiring Celebrity Tough Guy Sheriffs have to be about the grossest.  David Roth (@david_j_roth) September 6, 2017

The response was equally as severe on Facebook.

"Really disgusting that you would try and intimidate people into not seeking help. You're disgraceful," one poster wrote. "You're a disgrace to public service in the face of a natural disaster. You should resign. Shame on you and your department, shame!" another exclaimed.

Many others reminded the sheriff of the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, when prisoners were left in abandoned jails for days as floodwaters rose, according to Human Rights Watch.

The sheriff should focus on preparing for Irma, not burnishing your Joe Arpaio-style 'tough cop' credentials with irresponsible tweets, The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said.

The tweets were still live at time of writing and the sheriff's department was yet to respond.
TWIN FALLS  A new school year is bringing an uptick in reports by nervous parents about suspicious cars and people near children, but police have made no arrests nor offered evidence that would suggest children are in unusual danger.

The Twin Falls Police Department received four reports of suspected child enticement in August. It received no complaints in the same month last year, Lt. Terry Thueson said.

Police and school district officials arent sure whats driving the increase. Possible factors could include the citys growing population, and more awareness among children and parents about stranger danger and reporting anything that looks suspicious.

I think its on the forefront of peoples minds, said Ryan Bowman, director of operations for the Twin Falls School District. People think about these things more than they did 15 or 20 years ago.

Twin Falls police announced last month they investigated two reports and found no evidence of criminal activity.

Police received reports of two men driving a white van approaching children and offering them rides to school at Heyburn Avenue East and Teton Street, and near Sunrise Boulevard and Shoup Avenue East.

Thueson told the Times-News on Wednesday he wouldnt disclose details about what happened, but he said the men involved had legitimate reasons to be in those areas.

For those two reports, Twin Falls School District officials notified parents through its alert system. Parents can sign up to receive phone calls, text messages or emails.

The text message advised parents: Talk with your student about personal safety.

Bowman doesnt think more education is happening with students about stranger danger, though. Were doing what weve always done, he said.

That includes instruction from school counselors and lessons in classrooms  especially, when new reports surface of suspected child enticement.

We ask our teachers to visit with students about what to do when somebody approaches them, Bowman said. We have those discussions right in the classrooms.

Across south-central Idaho, one of the most prominent recent cases of suspected child enticement happened last year in Burley.

In March, a special prosecutor dismissed the remaining charges against a Burley man charged after schoolgirls said he tried to lure them from a playground.

The court issued an order of dismissal for misdemeanor battery and enticing of children charges against 51-year-old Vadian Dougal.

Dougal was originally charged with felony second-degree kidnapping along with the misdemeanor charges. The felony was also dismissed.

Dougal was arrested along with another man at his home near White Pine Elementary School, where girls said the incident occurred in April 2016. Charges were later dropped against the second man.

The girls said the two men tried to grab them and lure them off school grounds with the promise of candy and money.

Thats a scary thought for any parent.

The bottom line for parents across the Magic Valley: Talk with your children about what to do if they see something suspicious and encourage them to talk with a trusted adult, said police and school officials.

Its not only a role of the schools to help educate the children, Bowman said, but its a good topic at the dinner table with your kids about the importance of personal safety.
Grammy-winning artist Jennifer Nettles is one of the few country stars who live in New York City. As a tribute to her home, she has a timely new song King of the City a composition inspired by the story of an immigrant window washer who perished in the World Trade Center on September 11, 2001.

Nettles is set to release the song officially on Friday in advance of the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, but Yahoo Music has the first listen for fans to enjoy.

It has been so long since I started writing this song, but I was only able to finish it in the last year, says Nettles. I was inspired by the political tensions in our country right now. I want to humanize the immigrant story as an American story, and allow people a different narrative from what they might be seeing on the news or in their communities.

King of the City tells the story of Jose, who went from delivering pizzas to a job where his throne sits downtown in the air. While describing his terror and shock during the initial attack, it also declares: Its true I wasnt born here/But my heart is sworn here/To hold up your dreams with my own.

Nettles, who lived in Mexico and studied Spanish and anthropology in college, now resides in an apartment that overlooks the Freedom Tower site. September 11 was such a tragedy that everyone rallied around, she says. We all hurt on that day, we were all Americans and all patriots, and the immigrant story is the real American dreamto come and build your life in this place.

What I like to do as an artist is not wave a flag and scream in your face, she says. I like to sit in the corner and say, Look over here, heres a different story, another way to look at this. The places I want to address are places of pain, to say, Where does it hurt? Lets talk about thatand we are hurting as a country. So I hope that within the Latino community, people feel validated and seen with this song, and I hope that within the country at large it sends a message of unity.

Last year, Nettles released two new albums and starred in the Emmy-nominated special Christmas of Many Colors: Circle of Love. This summer, she returned to the stage in a production of Mamma Mia! at the Hollywood Bowl; it was her co-star in the show, Latin superstar Jaime Camil, who first proposed the idea of Nettles performing King of the City on Univision.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says its obvious why top members of the Catholic Church would be opposed to President Trumps decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

They need illegal aliens to fill the churches, Bannon said in an interview with Charlie Rose set to air on CBSs 60 Minutes on Sunday. The Catholic Church has been terrible about this.

Bannon, who left President Trumps administration last month, said he doesnt agree with Trumps move to allow Congress six months to extend or replace DACA, an Obama-era policy that provided work permits to about 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as young children.

I dont agree with that DACA decision, but I understand how he struggled with it, I understand how hes giving the possibility of a legislative thing, Bannon said. Trust me, the guys in the far right, the guys on the conservative side, are not happy with this.

Bannon, the controversial head of the far-right website Breitbart, joined the Trump campaign as chief executive last summer and is credited with helping craft many of Trumps nationalist and anti-immigration policies, including his controversial executive order temporarily banning immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

Its not surprising that Bannon, a right-wing Catholic and provocateur, would take on the more liberal Catholic Church, especially under the direction of relatively political figures like Pope Francis in Rome and Cardinal Timothy Dolan in the United States.

In 2014, Bannon traveled to Rome to cover the canonization of John Paul II. While there, he met with Raymond Burke, an archconservative American cardinal, who according to the New York Times shares Bannons suspicion of Pope Francis as a dangerously misguided, and probably socialist, pontiff.

Can I remind you, a good Catholic, that Cardinal Dolan is opposed to whats happened with DACA? Rose asked Bannon.

Story continues

The bishops have been terrible about this, Bannon said. They have an economic interest, they have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration. And as much as much as I respect Cardinal Dolan and the bishops on doctrine, this is not doctrine. This is not doctrine at all.

I totally respect the pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine, Bannon added. This is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, theyre just another guy with an opinion.

Bannon told Rose he views himself as a loyal street fighter who is determined to make sure Trumps enemies know that theres no free shot on goal.

I think thats why Donald Trump and I get along so well, Bannon said.

During the interview, Bannon also defended Trumps initial response to the violence at a white supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Va., last month. He said he backed the president even when White House officials were balking at Trumps decision to not specifically condemn the white nationalist organizers of the rally, which left one counterprotester dead.

When you side with a man, you side with him, Bannon said. I was proud to come out and try to defend President Trump in the media that day.

Bannon criticized Trumps chief economic adviser, Gary Cohn, who publicly expressed his dismay over Trumps response to Charlottesville.

You can tell [Trump], Hey, maybe you can do it a better way. But if youre going to break, then resign. If youre going to break with him, resign, Bannon said.

So Gary Cohn should have resigned? Rose asked.

Absolutely, Bannon replied.

Read more from Yahoo News:
Steve Bannon, former chief strategist to President Donald Trump, claims Catholic Church leaders oppose Trumps decision to end a program protecting young undocumented immigrants because they believe in unlimited illegal immigration and need illegal aliens to fill the churches.

In an excerpt of a 60 Minutes interview released Thursday  Bannons first major interview since being ousted from the White House last month  he told CBSs Charlie Rose that its obvious the church condemned Trumps decision due to its own interests.

They need illegal aliens to fill the churches, Bannon said. Its obvious on the face of it.

He continued, Catholic bishops condemn him [because] they have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.

Catholic bishops have roundly criticized the Trump administrations decision on Tuesday to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, former President Barack Obamas move to protect so-called Dreamers, undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. at a young age.

Church leaders supported Obamas efforts to help undocumented immigrants, and some Catholic churches have opened their doors to them as part of the sanctuary movement.

But immigration hard-liners on the far right believe Trump did not go far enough in restricting immigration, as he is now calling on Congress to find a legislative solution to address Dreamers status.

Bannon said on Thursday that he disagreed with Trumps decision.

When Rose discussed how the Catholic Church  including the head of New York Citys archdiocese, Cardinal Timothy Dolan  has opposed Trumps stance on immigration, Bannon, who is Catholic, said that church leaders have been terrible about this.

As much as I respect Cardinal Dolan and the bishops on doctrine, this is not doctrine. This is not doctrine at all, Bannon said. I totally respect the pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine. This is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, theyre just another guy with an opinion.

Story continues

Dolan called Trumps decision an ominous development on Tuesday and pledged to support Dreamers.

This is contrary to the spirit of the Bible and of our country, and a turning away from the ideals upon which our beloved country was founded, he said in a statement. All of the Dreamers who now face such uncertainty and fear, please know that the Catholic Church loves you, welcomes you, and will fight to protect your rights and your dignity.

The Archdiocese of New York did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Bannons remarks.

After being ousted from the White House last month amid simmering tensions and a torrent of scandals and controversies within the Trump administration, Bannon has returned to the right-wing website Breitbart News, which he led before joining Trumps campaign last summer.

Bannon on Thursday defended Trumps widely condemned response to last months violence in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which the president was reluctant to directly single out the white supremacist, KKK and neo-Nazi groups who incited the violence.

What he was trying to say is that people that support the monument staying there peacefully and people that oppose that, thats the normal course of First Amendment, Bannon said.

When hes talking about the neo-Nazis and neo-Confederates and the Klan, who, by the way, are absolutely awful. Theres no room in American politics for that. Theres no room in American society for that, he continued. And all Donald Trump was saying is, Where does it end? Does it end, in taking down the Washington Monument? Does it end, in taking down Mount Rushmore? Does it end at taking Churchills bust out of the Oval Office?

Trumps fiery press conference caused consternation for Republican leaders and administration officials.

Later that week, Trumps economic adviser, Gary Cohn, gave a candid interview to the Financial Times in which he suggested that he had considered resigning.

Bannon criticized Cohn on Thursday, saying that he absolutely should have done so: If you dont like what hes doing and you dont agree with it, you have an obligation to resign.

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A suspected shoplifter led police in Texas on a dangerous high-speed pursuit on Saturday after she slipped her handcuffs and stole a police car.

Authorities said Toscha Sponsler, 33, reached speeds of 100 mph while attempting to flee officers. Theyd detained her in the back of their vehicle for allegedly stealing from an Ulta Beauty store in Lufkin. But she climbed through a 12-inch-wide window partition onto the drivers seat and sped off.

Sponsler nearly went head on with two Lufkin officers and a Huntington constable during the pursuit, Lufkin Police Department wrote on Facebook. Throughout the chase, officers could see her reaching for the officers shotgun which was mechanically locked to the vehicle.

Officers detained Sponsler for a second time some 23 minutes later, when a Texas State Trooper used a PIT (Pursuit Intervention Technique) maneuver to make her lose control of the vehicle, which she crashed into a tree.

The suspect refused medical treatment at the scene and was transported to the Angelina County Jail, where she remains in custody on $18,000 bond.

Sponsler faces a slew of charges, including escape causing serious bodily injury, threat of a deadly weapon, aggravated assault against a public servant, possession of a controlled substance, evading arrest with a vehicle with a previous conviction and unauthorized use of a vehicle. Additional charges are also pending.

In a bid to prevent such an incident from happening again, the police department said it has now installed additional screws in all its marked units to stop the partition from opening more than four inches.

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By Shoon LeiWinNaing and Simon Lewis YANGON/COX'S BAZAR, Bangladesh (Reuters) - Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday her government was doing its best to protect everyone in the strife-torn state of Rakhine, as the estimated number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh leapt by 18,000 in one day, to 164,000. Suu Kyi did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya, which was sparked by insurgent attacks on Aug. 25 and an army counter-offensive, but said her administration was trying its best to take care of all citizens. Western critics have accused Suu Kyi of not speaking out for the Rohingya, some 1.1 million people who have long complained of persecution and are seen by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as illegal migrants from Bangladesh. Some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked. "We have to take care of our citizens, we have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens," Suu Kyi said in comments to Reuters Television's Indian partner, Asian News International. "Of course, our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be but, still, we try our best and we want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law," she said during a visit by Indian Prime Narendra Modi to Yangon. Suu Kyi on Tuesday blamed "terrorists" for "a huge iceberg of misinformation" on the strife in the northwestern state of Rakhine but made no mention of the Rohingya who have fled. She has come under increasing pressure from countries with Muslim populations, and this week U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned there was a risk of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar that could destabilise the region. 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Myanmar says its forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against terrorists responsible for a string of attacks on the police and army since last October. Officials blame Rohingya militants for killing non-Muslims and burning their homes. "We need to wipe out the threat of the terrorism in those regions," Ko Ko Hlaing, a presidential adviser of the previous government said on Thursday at a forum arranged by military-owned media to discuss the crisis. He said rehabilitation and development are important and the citizenship issue must be settled, but the first priority needed to be "the detoxification of dangerous ideology of extremism". Suu Kyi's spokesman, Zaw Htay, on Thursday posted what he said were "photos of Bengalis setting fire to their houses". 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It said more nurses, midwives and doctors had been brought in to tackle violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds and obstetric complications. (Corrects title of U.N. Secretary General in 8th paragraph, dropping extraneous words 'Security Council'.) (Additional reporting by Wa Lone in Yangon, Nurul Islam and Danish Siddiqui in Cox's Bazar and Mohammad Zargham in Washington; Writing by John Chalmers; Editing by Clarence Fernandez and Shri Navaratnam)
By Sarah Dadouch and Jeffrey Heller BEIRUT/JERUSALEM (Reuters) - Israel attacked a military site in Syria's Hama province early on Thursday, the Syrian army said, and a war monitoring group said the target could be linked to chemical weapons production. The air strike killed two soldiers and caused damage near the town of Masyaf, an army statement said. It warned of the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region". The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said the attack was on a facility of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, an agency which the United States describes as Syria's chemical weapons manufacturer. It came the morning after U.N. investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April. Syria's government denies using chemical arms. In 2013 it promised to surrender its chemical weapons, which it says it has done. The Observatory said strikes also hit a military camp next to the center that was used to store ground-to-ground rockets and where personnel of Iran and its ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, had been seen more than once. An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria. Syria's foreign ministry has sent letters to the U.N. Security Council protesting against Israel's "aggression" and saying anyone who attacked Syrian military sites was supporting terrorism, Syrian state TV reported. In an interview in Israel's Haaretz daily last month on his retirement, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had hit arms convoys of the Syrian military and its Hezbollah allies nearly 100 times in the past five years. Israel sees red lines in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-to-ground missiles and chemical weapons. ISRAELI SIGNAL? The reported attack took place on the 10th anniversary of Israel's destruction of a nuclear reactor in Syria. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 19, and is widely expected to voice Israel's concern over what it sees as attempts by Iran to broaden its military foothold in Syria and threats posed by Hezbollah Israeli officials have said that Russia, another ally of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, and Israel maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria. Some Israeli commentators saw the latest strike - a departure from the previous pattern of attacks on weapons convoys - as a show of Israeli dissatisfaction with the United States and Russia. Last month, Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin, but came away without any public statement from Moscow that it would curb Iranian influence. Hezbollah and Israel fought a brief war in 2006 in which more than 1,300 people died. Both have suggested that any new conflict between them could be on a larger scale than that one. Hezbollah has been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most important allies in the war and last month its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he had recently traveled to Damascus to meet the Syrian president. Israel is conducting military exercises in the north of the country near the border with Lebanon. Yaakov Amidror, a retired Israeli general and former national security adviser, told reporters he assumed Thursday's strike was linked to Nasrallah's visit to Damascus. "Weapons systems have been transferred from this organization (the Scientific Studies and Research Centre) into the hands of Hezbollah during the years," he said. HEZBOLLAH In May, an official in the military alliance backing Assad said that Hezbollah drew a distinction between Israel striking its positions in Syria and at home in Lebanon. "If Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, definitely it will respond," the official said. The Syrian army statement said the Israeli strike came at 2:42 a.m. (2342 GMT) from inside Lebanese airspace. It said it had been launched in support of Islamic State. Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that Israeli warplanes had breached Lebanese airspace. The Observatory reported that seven people were killed or wounded in the strike. "The factory that was targeted in Masyaf produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, said in a tweet. The strike sent a message that Israel would not let Syria produce strategic weapons, would enforce its own red lines, and would not be hampered by Russian air defense systems in Syria, he added. The U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Wednesday a government jet dropped sarin on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province in April, killing more than 80 civilians, and that government forces were behind at least 27 chemical attacks. U.S. President Donald Trump said he had not heard a report that Syria had used chemical weapons again. "But nothing would change. We would be extremely upset if he was using chemical weapons," he said in response to a question at a news conference in Washington. "As far as Syria is concerned, we have very little to do with Syria other than killing ISIS. What we do is we kill ISIS." (Reporting by Angus McDowall and Sarah Dadouch in Beirut and Jeffrey Heller, Ori Lewis, Dan Williams and Maayan Lubell in Jerusalem; writing by Angus McDowall; editing by Angus MacSwan, Andrew Roche and Jonathan Oatis)
By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala DAR ES SALAAM (Reuters) - Tanzanian opposition lawmaker Tundu Lissu, a fierce critic of President John Magufuli's government, was seriously wounded in a gun attack on Thursday, police and party officials said. Magufuli condemned the shooting and ordered the country's security forces to investigate the incident. Lissu underwent emergency surgery after being shot in the abdomen and other parts of the body by unknown gunmen outside his residence in the administrative capital Dodoma, they said. "Lissu has suffered multiple gunshot wounds and is being treated at the main public hospital in Dodoma," said Tumaini Makene, spokesman for the main opposition CHADEMA party. "We strongly condemn this attack and are closely monitoring his condition," the party said in a separate statement. James Kiologwe, a doctor at Dodoma regional hospital, said Lissu was in stable condition. Police said an investigation had been launched into the attack on Lissu, a senior lawyer and CHADEMA's parliamentary chief whip. Police said they did not know what had motivated the attack and the suspects were still at large. "I have been saddened by reports of the shooting of Hon. Tundu Lissu. I pray for his quick recovery," Magufuli said on Twitter. "Law enforcement agencies should hunt down all those involved in this barbaric act and bring them to justice." Lissu is a vocal opponent of Magufuli and has been arrested on several occasions and charged with incitement. He was detained most recently in July after having called Magufuli a dictator. He was subsequently released. "The authorities must take steps to reassure Tanzanians and the world that this shooting was not politically motivated," rights group Amnesty International said in a statement. (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by George Obulutsa and Hugh Lawson)
Prince George started his first day of school in London on Thursday morning, accompanied by his father, Prince William. Unfortunately, the Duchess of Cambridge, was not able to attend because shes still suffering badly from hyperemesis gravidarum, otherwise known as severe morning sickness.

The 4-year-old, however, was greeted by a friendly face: Helen Haslem, who is the head of the Lower School at Thomass Battersea.

Prince George was greeted by Helen Haslem, the head of the Lower School at Thomass Battersea. (Photo: Getty Images)

Haslem shook hands with the new student and then took his hand  William held the other  and escorted George into his classroom.

And while George most likely would have appreciated having his mother in Haslems place, the principal seemingly brought a piece of Kate Middleton to the occasion.

The dress worn by lower school head Helen Haslem is LK Bennett's Amana, with thx to @evangelina_th for the ID. https://t.co/gl5NofV2et pic.twitter.com/wE8FBkWRYH  WhatKateWore.com (@WhatKateWore) September 7, 2017

Haslem channeled Middleton by choosing a look from one of her most-worn brands, LK Bennett. The piece, a rose-color, long-sleeve dress with flare sleeves and a conservative V-neck, retails for $425.

Haslem shook hands with Prince George to welcome him to the school on his first day. (Photo: Getty Images)

As for Prince George, he wore his uniform, navy blue trouser shorts paired with high socks and penny loafers.

Take a look at The Duke and Prince Harry on their first days of school pic.twitter.com/RkL1MUbC4Q  Kensington Palace (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

Prince George resembled his dad, Prince William, on his first day of school. Both Georges father and uncle Prince Harry attended Wetherby Preparatory School in Marylebone London and were accompanied by their parents, Prince Charles and Princess Diana, on their first days.

Story continues

It has been an exciting week for the little royal after Kensington Palace announced another sibling for George and his little sister, Princess Charlotte, is on the way.

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Trump was said to have been at war with himself over ending the program, but he gave in to his hardline attorney general and ran away from a challenge

Trump ends Dreamers program, leaving fate of 800,000 uncertain

Donald Trump rescinded the Obama-era program on 5 September, set as an artificial deadline in an ultimatum by 10 state attorneys general. Photograph: Pool/Getty Images

Donald Trump claimed on Tuesday afternoon that he has a great heart and a great love for the Dreamers. But hours earlier the US president had delivered a kick in teeth, and, like a school bully, he did so from a position of weakness rather than strength.

Trumps decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca)  the programme that protects young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the US as children, or came with families who overstayed visas  marks another victory for his dwindling base, along with the exiled Steve Bannon, now back at Breitbart News.

But it triggered an avalanche of criticism from Barack Obama, Joe Biden and other Democrats, some Republicans and a legion of state governors, business leaders, activists and lawyers. Protesters gathered outside Trump Tower in New York, the White House in Washington and in other major cities. Along with the intense moral opprobrium at the sheer cruelty of the decision, there is a politically heavy price.

So why do it, and why now? The date of 5 September was set as an artificial deadline in an ultimatum by 10 state attorneys general, led by Texas, to put pressure on the administration to rescind Daca. Seemingly for the first time in his life, Trump ran away from a legal battle.

He also gave in to his hardline attorney general, Jeff Sessions, an anti-immigration zealot who contended that Daca could not withstand the legal challenge. Washing his hands of the matter, Trump allowed Sessions to coldly and clinically pronounce Dacas fate.

This was despite the president not so long ago expressing disappointment in Sessions over his decision to recuse himself from the Russia investigation. It was thought he might fire the attorney general. But he could not bring himself to do it.

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Trump makes decisions based on how he believes hes perceived. Its unadulterated populism

Even then, the most powerful man on the planet did not have the courage to make a clean break. He is delegating Daca to Congress to find an alternative in the next six months, clogging up an already overloaded timetable.

Rick Tyler, a political analyst and co-founder of consulting firm Foundry Strategies, said: By making a decision not to make a decision, theyre heading for a legislative collision course. They idea they would be able to fix Daca over the next six months is a bit of a fantasy.



Politically, they wanted to make clear they rescinded Daca, when they didnt. Its like banning transgender people from the military, but not really. There seems to be a pattern.

Yet Trump could not resist prodding and poking the mess and making it worse. On Tuesday night he put out a confusing tweet apparently confirming Tylers view that, not only he did stop short of repealing Daca, but leaving open the option to change his mind if Congress does not act.

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do), he wrote. If they cant, I will revisit this issue!

Suddenly he seemed to be signalling that Congress could stare at the buck for six months and then pass it right back to him, despite having previously argued  as many conservatives do  that Daca is a matter for Capitol Hill rather than the White House.

If there was a strategy to force a grand bargain on immigration, with a compromise on Daca in return for votes for border wall funding, it lay in tatters.

A protest in Nashville against Trumps decision to phase out the Daca program. Photograph: George Walker IV/AP

What is not certain is whether Trumps agonising over Daca  the president was at war with himself over Dreamers, Politico reported last month  was out of concern for the nearly 800,000 people affected or for himself. Was he sincere in his statement that I do not favour punishing children, most of whom are now adults, for the actions of their parents, or a case of protesting too much?



Asked if Trumps claims of compassion seem genuine, Tyler replied: Baloney. I would think so, but I dont think Trump is capable of empathy. He makes decisions based on how he believes hes perceived. Its unadulterated populism.

Critics could point to similar examples: Trump told last years Republican national convention he would do everything in my power to protect our LGBT citizens but, once in power, scrapped protections for transgender students in public schools and banned transgender personnel from the military.

The best test will be his next rally and whether he boasts about the decision in the same breath as guaranteed crowd pleasers such as promising to build a wall and pardon sheriff Joe Arpaio. After all, Trump launched his election campaign describing Mexican immigrants as killers and rapists, criticised a judge of Mexican ancestry and quickly initiated a travel ban.

Lanhee Chen, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution thinktank in Stanford, California, said: The immigration policy has been part of a piece. I expect him to say, We finally have an administration getting tough on immigration laws and this helps that argument.
TWIN FALLS  Three things consumed the last years of Jerry Browns life: building a memorial to his son killed in Afghanistan, caring for his autistic adult son and fighting the cancer that eventually took his life.

Brown died Aug. 25 at his home in Twin Falls after a two-year battle with the disease.

He was my best friend, my husband, Becky Brown said. We were together for 34 years, but I became more and more in love with him as I took care of him.

The world first learned about Brown in 2012 when his 27-year-old son, U.S. Army Staff Sgt. Daniel Brown, was killed by a roadside bomb while saving others in Kandahar Province.

Brown was sitting at his computer that morning when everything went black. He lost his bearings and couldnt focus.

And then, he told the Times-News several years later, I knew something was seriously wrong. That evening, two Army officers appeared at his Twin Falls home where he lived with his wife, Becky, and son Matt.

Two officers in uniform  thats something you dont want to see, he said.

Brown threw himself into making sure his sons sacrifice would not be forgotten.

While traveling through Cascade, the Browns visited a memorial statue of Army Spc. John Borbonus, who died in 2008 in Baghdad. The couple commissioned Salt Lake City artist Lena Toritch, who sculpted the Borbonus statue, to create a memorial for his son.

It was the only way his young twin granddaughters, Mattie and Marlee, would know their father, Brown said. Dan Brown died before he had a chance to meet his girls, who are now 5.

The girls were very important to him from then on, Becky Brown said. We spent every free minute with them.

Countless folks were touched by the Browns story, which eventually made NBCs Today Show.

Jerry was just a very genuine and sincere person, said his friend Ryan Horsley. As a Christian, he was one of those who truly displayed the qualities that are listed in the Bible as the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Browns kindness and compassion could be seen in how he cared for his son Matt, just 13 months younger than Dan. When Dan was killed, Brown quit his information technology job with the College of Southern Idaho and moved Matt out of a group home and back into the family home.

It was important to him, his wife said. He wanted to be able to enjoy what was left of his family.

During a routine eye exam in 2015, the technician saw something that didnt look right in Browns left eye. He was soon diagnosed with ocular melanoma. Brown received radiation for the tumor and a surgery to remove it. It was likely the cancer would return, doctors told him.

Meanwhile, Toritchs bronze statue was cast and the Sgt. Dan Brown Idaho Fallen Soldier Memorial was installed at Forsythe Park in Jerome, to honor Dan Brown and the nearly 70 Idaho soldiers who have died since 9/11. A dedication for the statue was held in November.

For two years, Brown flew every other week to Texas for an experimental treatment until doctors discovered in July the cancer had spread to his liver. He died a month later.

His wife, a registered nurse, said she thinks Matt understands what happened to his father. He seems to be accepting it in his own way, she said.

Its just me and you now, she tells Matt. Just you and me.
LIMA (Reuters) - Three Peruvian policemen were killed in an attack on patrol vehicles in a drug-trafficking region controlled by a remnant band of Shining Path rebels, the interior ministry said on Thursday. Authorities are investigating the attack, which occurred late on Wednesday in the jungle region known as the VRAEM, where most of Peru's cocaine is produced, the ministry said. The Maoist-inspired Shining Path largely ended its armed rebellion in the 1990s on orders from the group's leaders. But a faction that refused to put down its weapons occasionally ambushes state security forces in the region, where rebels work with drug traffickers. So far this year, nine police or military officers have been killed in the VRAEM in a sign the Shining Path faction has regrouped after two top leaders were killed in 2013, said Peruvian security analyst Pedro Yaranga. "This is going to continue," he said. Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski called the latest incident a "cowardly attack" and the interior ministry said it would increase security operations in the region. (Reporting By Mitra Taj; Editing by Dan Grebler)
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HURRICANE IRMA BARRELS THROUGH THE CARIBBEAN The storm has killed at least 9 people and left total carnage on the two-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda. And take a look whats in the storms path and how South Florida is preparing. [Reuters] [Tweet | Share on Facebook]

PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIDES WITH DEMOCRATS ON DEBT CEILING, GOVERNMENT FUNDING Republicans arent happy with the fiscal deal, which raises the debt ceiling for three months and ties it to aid for Hurricane Harvey. And Trumps willingness to come to the table has left Democrats hopeful the president will also make a deal on the Dreamers. [HuffPost]

FACEBOOK BELIEVES IT SOLD ADS TO A RUSSIAN PROPAGANDA COMPANY IN THE MONTHS LEADING UP TO THE ELECTION The tech giant is cooperating with both the Senate and House Intelligence Committees, and handed over its finding to special counsel Robert Mueller. [Reuters]

HOW NORTH KOREA IS ABLE TO DEVELOP ADVANCED NUCLEAR TECHNOLOGY The answer may lie in expertise brought home by North Korean scientists who studied abroad, especially in China, sometimes in apparent violation of 2016 United Nations sanctions that ban teaching North Koreans certain subjects. [WSJ | Paywall]

GARY COHN UNLIKELY TO GET FED CHAIR JOB National Economic Council Director Cohn, a close adviser to Trump, is on the outs after criticizing the presidents response to Charlottesville. [HuffPost]

SYRIA BLAMES ISRAEL FOR AN AIRSTRIKE ON AN ALLEGED CHEMICAL WEAPONS FACILITY Israel wont comment on that allegation. [Reuters]

A MASSIVE SOLAR FLARE IS HEADED TO EARTH And expected to mess with GPS and communications. [HuffPost]

WHATS BREWING

80 PERCENT OF HOUSTON HOMEOWNERS DIDNT HAVE FLOOD INSURANCE Heres why. [HuffPost]

HILLARY CLINTON HAD SOME NOT SO KIND WORDS FOR JOE BIDEN AND BERNIE SANDERS IN HER NEW BOOK Sanders has already brushed off the jab, while Bidens office did not respond for comment. And Seth Meyers had some thoughts of his own to add, including the gem: Want to blame something ancient? Blame the Electoral College. [Yahoo]

Story continues

ONE LOOK AT THIS FLIGHTS PATH IS ENOUGH TO GIVE YOU A HEART ATTACK As it raced against time to beat Hurricane Irma. [HuffPost]

GEORGE CLOONEY DOESNT THINK HES A LEADING MAN ANYMORE Oh George, that could not be further from the truth. He also opened up about being casual texting buddies with former president Barack Obama. [HuffPost]

PINK CHOCOLATE? Yes, please. [HuffPost]

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By John Zodzi LOME (Reuters) - Togo security forces fired tear gas at hundreds of anti-government protesters carrying out a late night sit-in at an intersection in central Lome as part of a bid to end the 50-year-old Gnassingbe family dynasty, witnesses said on Thursday. The move to disperse the crowds comes after two days of mass country-wide protests involving tens of thousands of people that have amounted to the biggest challenge to Faure Gnassingbe's rule since he succeeded his late father 12 years ago. In the past, security forces have violently suppressed protests, killing at least two people during an opposition march in August and hundreds after the contested election in which Gnassingbe took power in 2005. But up until late on Thursday, police officers armed with batons had watched passively at protesters wearing the red, pink and orange T-shirts of the opposition, who danced and blew whistles as they wound through the streets of the capital Lome. It was not immediately clear how the opposition would respond to the security forces' intervention with tear gas late on Thursday. The head of the main ANC opposition party, Jean-Pierre Fabre, had earlier pledged to remain seated on the tarmac of the Dekon crossroads until Gnassingbe left power. "We want the end of this 50-year-old Gnassingbe regime. Enough is enough," Kodjo Amana, a 42-year-old baker, shouted over a chanting crowd earlier in the day. The protests in the West African country of 8 million people have proceeded despite widespread reports of network outages confirmed by non-governmental organization Internet Without Borders. Other African incumbents in Gabon and Cameroon have used network cuts to control criticism and suppress protests at sensitive times. Residents said that text messages had also been blocked on Thursday. The communications minister could not be reached for comment, although another minister said earlier this week that the cuts had been carried out for security reasons. "VERY FRAGILE" The president's father Gnassingbe Eyadema seized power in a coup in 1967, a few years after the territory known as "French Togoland" that was once in German hands became independent from colonial power France. The current president this week sought to appease opponents by tabling a draft bill to reform the constitution and reintroduce a two-term limit that his father scrapped in 2002. But opposition leaders are skeptical about the implementation of the reforms that the government has stalled on for more than a decade and Prime Minister Komi Selom Klassou confirmed on Thursday that the term limits would not apply retroactively. That could mean that Gnassingbe, 51 and currently in his third term, could remains in power for two more mandates from the next election, until 2030. Gnassingbe sent a Tweet from his official account on Thursday, saying that he had met with the U.N. Special Representative for West Africa and the Sahel, Mohammed Ibn Chambas, on the subject of reforms. A spokesman for the latter confirmed the meeting without elaborating on its content. State TV said Thursday evening that parliament, which still needs to approve the bill, will meet for an emergency session on September 12. However, if the protests resume, analysts say Gnassingbe may find himself isolated amid growing criticism of autocratic rule in West Africa. "The president's position is very fragile and we do not think his peers in ECOWAS or his friends in Europe will help him if things get ugly," said the head of research at NKC African Economics, Francois Conradie. Togo, a regional financial hub that aspires to be an African Singapore, is at odds with West African neighbors which mostly have laws restricting presidential mandates. The government, along with Gambia's, voted in 2015 against introducing them across the 15 members of the ECOWAS regional body which Gnassingbe currently chairs. Since then, Gambia's longtime leader Yahya Jammeh has been voted out of power. African rulers, notably in Rwanda, Burundi and Burkina Faso, have moved to drop term limits in recent years in order to remain in power. In some cases this has sparked strong opposition that has led to violent unrest; in others, leaders have been driven from power, as happened in Burkina Faso. (Additional reporting and writing by Emma Farge; Editing by Diane Craft)
By Gabriela Baczynska BRUSSELS (Reuters) - The EU's top court is expected on Wednesday to dismiss a challenge by eastern European countries against talking in refugees coming from Africa and the Middle East, a dispute that has divided the bloc. The Luxembourg-based European Court of Justice (ECJ) is to rule around 0730 GMT on a challenge to EU immigration policy launched by Slovakia and Hungary, and backed by Poland. EU diplomats expect a resounding defeat of the challenge and that such a ruling could lead to resuming EU talks over an emergency mechanism for exceptionally high arrivals of refugees and migrants. The issue has been stalled for more than two years and divided the bloc at a time it faces Brexit, security threats and international challenges. "We expect a clear line from the court. We've been waiting for this to revive talks about the EU asylum system reform," a senior EU diplomat said. The challengers from the EU's east say the obligatory relocation of asylum-seekers arriving in frontline countries like Greece and Italy via the Mediterranean undermines their sovereignty and endangers their homogenous societies. They have said the bloc should instead control its external borders better to crack down on illegal immigration. The EU has taken in more than 1.7 million people from the Middle East and Africa since 2014. But, after a mass influx in 2015, numbers have gone down steadily following the 2016 deal that closed the route from Turkey to Greece, and with the EU stepping up support for Libya to curb arrivals in Italy. Arrivals in Italy from Libya, the main immigration route to Europe this year, dropped by more than a half in July from a year earlier. SOLIDARITY The eastern EU states say they can send equipment and border guards to the bloc's external frontiers but do not want to accept refugees because of security risks after a raft of Islamist attacks in Europe. Hungary and Poland have refused to host a single person under the 2015 sharing scheme, while Slovakia and the Czech Republic have each taken in only a dozen-or-so. Even the countries concerned are preparing to lose in the court following an early recommendation to the justices in July. "We are prepared for a repeat of July," a senior Slovak diplomat said. "We will react by making clear we respect the court ruling. We will also say we still think that's not the way to solve the problem but we'll say we'll go on with relocation." Western EU states, including Germany, which took in the vast majority of the people who made it into the bloc and which will hold parliamentary elections on Sept. 24, say the easterners cannot be exempted from showing solidarity. Italy has been calling for taking away from the reluctant easterners some of the generous EU funding they use to catch up with the wealthier West as punishment for their stance on migration. While the EU has sought in vain come up with a compromise, the court ruling may just force its hand. "What you hear more of now is that eventually we may just do it with a majority vote as long as there is broad political backing behind this majority," the senior EU diplomat said. It is a delicate balancing act as putting such a thorny issue to a vote, and possibly passing a migration reform despite opposition from several states, would cause even more bad blood. "If we push it through above their heads, they will use it in their anti-EU propaganda at home," another EU diplomat said of Poland and Hungary, where the nationalist-minded governments are quick to criticise the bloc. "But the arrivals are low, we have it more or less under control, so we have to get back to the solidarity mechanism." (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska Editing by Jeremy Gaunt)
Amazon Biosphere at corporate headquarters in Seattle, WA. (Flickr/brewbooks)

Could the 6ix become HQ2?

E-commerce giant Amazon announced plans on Thursday to scout locations for its second North American headquarters, and Toronto Mayor John Tory says game on.

According to a statement from the Jeff Bezos-owned retail empire, which now includes organic grocery chain Whole Foods, the company expects to invest over US$5 billion in construction and provide the host city with 50,000 high-paying jobs. Ontarios capital city will compete for the lucrative bid, satisfying the criteria of being a metropolitan area with a population greater than one million, a stable and business-friendly environment, and an attractive location that could retain workers.

I firmly believe that Toronto is a prime candidate to host Amazons second headquarters in North America, says Torys statement. We are a bold, innovative city that has plenty of homegrown tech talent. We also continue to attract talent and companies from around the world. City staff are working with Toronto Global to make sure we put together an attractive bid for this opportunity.

In its request for proposals, Amazon stated that the HQ2 would be a full equal to its current hub in Seattle, which currently houses over 40,000 employees and covers 8.1 million square feet. The Seattle company also reported paying US$43 million into the Seattles public transportation system as part of their employees transportation benefit, and counted 233 nights in area hotels by visiting Amazonians and guests in 2016.

According to the RFP, employees hired to work in HQ2 will make an average salary of US$100,000. The criteria for consideration include existing buildings of at least 500,000 square feet initially that are expandable to 8 million by 2027 (or have additional options for development nearby) and a greenfield site of approximately 100 acres with utility infrastructure. The ideal site will also be within 45 minutes of an international airport and direct access to public transit. The deadline for proposals is Oct. 19, and the mayor confirms Toronto wont be late.

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I will be leading the charge to make the case that Amazon should call Toronto home, Tory states.

UPDATE: The City of Montreal has also declared its intention to respond to the RFP. Press officer Noemie Briere-Marquez told Yahoo Finance Canada via email that they will work closely with local and international partners to promote Montreal to Amazon. Montreal Mayor Denis Coderre also weighed in:

Bien lintention de convaincre @amazon(@amazonnews) que @MTL_Ville est la metropole revee pour leur 2eme siege social en Amerique du Nord pic.twitter.com/R4LYQuxKRR  DenisCoderre (@DenisCoderre) September 7, 2017

Which roughly translates to, It is our intention to convince @amazon (@amazonnews) that @MTL_Ville is the metropolis it dreamed of for its 2nd head office in North America.

UPDATE: Ian McKay, CEO of the Vancouver Economic Commission, has also confirmed to Yahoo Canada Finance that the city is reviewing the Amazon HQ2 RFP with the intention of putting forth a proposal. McKays statement also highlights the attributes he believes make the British Columbian coastal city the best choice for this venture, noting that its dense and connected downtown tech cluster, competitive cost of doing business, leadership in green business & sustainable planning, and Canadas strongest startup ecosystem, to name a few  will position [Vancouver] as a frontrunner among other cities.

UPDATE: Calgary declares it will be making a strong pitch to win the bid. Mary Moran, President and Chief Executive Officer for Calgary Economic Development, said in a statement, The value proposition that we offer aligns with what Amazon is looking for. This is an innovative city with a highly educated and globally connected workforce, we have affordable available real estate, low-cost of doing business, exceptional transportation links and quality of life for their employees.

UPDATE: Ottawa is in. Mayor Jim Watson says the city will work hard over the next few months to put [its] best foot forward in this process. As an innovation and research-intensive city, counting a bilingual and culturally diverse high-tech and telecommunications workforce of more than 77,000 leading professionals, Ottawa is well-positioned to host this Amazon campus.

Yahoo Canada Finance has reached out to the city planning department in Edmonton and will update this story accordingly.
The president throws support behind a deal to fund the government and raise the debt limit for three months as Congress faces a series of fiscal deadlines

Paul Ryan, Mike Pence and Donald Trump in the Oval Office of the White House Wednesday. Photograph: Evan Vucci/AP

Donald Trump has ignored the objections of Republican leaders and sided with Democrats on a deal to fund the US government and raise the debt limit for three months, in addition to providing emergency aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

The president threw his support behind the proposal during a meeting with congressional leaders at the White House on Wednesday, hours after the House speaker, Paul Ryan, said it was both ridiculous and disgraceful for Democrats to suggest a short-term increase of the debt ceiling.

The agreement comes as Congress, which reconvened this week following the August recess, faces a series of pressing fiscal deadlines. Lawmakers must raise the countrys borrowing limit by 29 September and pass a spending bill by 30 September to avert a shutdown of the federal government.

We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump told reporters, referring to the two Democratic leaders without mentioning Ryan or the Republican Senate majority leader, Mitch McConnell, who were also present at the meeting.

Well agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it, he said aboard Air Force One, before taking off for North Dakota, where he is expected to make the case for tax reform. We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting.

Trumps comments followed a joint statement from Schumer and Pelosi, who said: Both sides have every intention of avoiding default in December and look forward to working together on the many issues before us.

Although they did not endorse the deal, Republican leaders said they would go along with Trumps wishes in a press conference on Capitol Hill following the meeting.

The president agreed with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi. Based on the presidents decision ... well try to get 60 votes and move forward, McConnell said.

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The president can speak for himself, but his feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis, and that was the rationale.

Under the agreement, Congress will seek to advance a bill that funds the government and raises the debt limit through 15 December. The package will also include disaster aid toward the areas of Texas and Louisiana that were left devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

A source briefed on the meeting said all Republican leaders, as well as the treasury secretary, Steve Mnuchin, objected to a short-term debt limit hike. The discussion arrived at a standstill, the source said, until Trump unexpectedly agreed with Democrats on the need for a three-month extension.

A separate aide, who was also briefed on the meeting, said Republican leaders pushed for an 18-month debt limit hike before floating six months. Democrats insisted on a three-month increase and were joined by Trump. The aide also said Ivanka Trump dropped into the meeting to say hello, and Republican leaders were visibly annoyed by her presence.

Both aides requested anonymity to speak freely on the private discussion.

Republican leaders, faced with conservative opposition to raising the debt limit, had hoped to advance a measure that would take the issue off the table until after the 2018 midterm elections. Hard-right conservatives have long opposed raising the debt limit unless it is accompanied by spending cuts.

Top Republicans also wanted to deny any leverage to Democrats, who are seeking concessions on issues such as immigration, healthcare and tax reform.

At least one Republican senator, Ben Sasse of Nebraska, swiftly lashed out at the news, issuing a terse statement: The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad.

Backlash also came from outside conservative groups who had fought against increasing the debt ceiling without also cutting spending.

The reported deal simply exploits people who lost their homes and business to a massively destructive hurricane in order to allow business as usual to continue in Washington, said Dan Holler, the vice-president of Heritage Action. It is absolutely absurd.

A short-term extension paves the way for another showdown in December, with Democrats positioned to make demands that could include resolving the fate of young, undocumented immigrants, who were left hanging in the balance by Trumps decision to rescind the Obama-era policy that granted so-called Dreamers with temporary status. Democrats have been calling for a standalone vote on legislation known as the Dream Act, which would provide young immigrants who were brought to the US illegally as children with a path to permanent residency.

Trump also seemed keen to work with Democrats on that issue, telling reporters: We discussed that also today, and Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I.

Democrats have also sought legislation to stabilize the health insurance markets, which have been mired in uncertainty over the future of the Affordable Care Act. With Republicans failing thus far in their attempts to repeal and replace Barack Obamas healthcare law, Democrats could make their support for raising the debt ceiling contingent upon funding to stabilize the health insurance marketplace established by the ACA.

If Congress does not raise the debt limit, the US will run out of money to pay its bills. Economists have said the effects of a debt limit breach would be catastrophic, with some suggesting a collapse worse than the financial crisis of 2007-08.

Republican leaders had planned to tie a longer-term debt limit increase to funding for Hurricane Harvey victims, in a bid to bring more of their members on board.

The House of Representatives overwhelmingly approved an initial $7.85bn in emergency aid for Harvey victims on Wednesday. The measure allocates $7.4bn to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (Fema) and an another $450m to the Small Business Administration. Just three lawmakers voted against the bill, while 419 voted in favor of advancing it to the Senate. That money will now be included in the broader package agreed to by Trump, Pelosi and Schumer.
By James Oliphant WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday said he would be willing to step in and mediate the worst dispute in decades among the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab states and Qatar, and said that he thinks a deal could come quickly. "If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so, and I think you would have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said at a joint news conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Egypt and Bahrain cut diplomatic and trade links with Qatar on June 5, suspending air and shipping routes with the world's biggest exporter of liquefied natural gas, which is home to the region's biggest U.S. military base. The nations say Doha supports regional foe Iran and Islamists, charges Qatar's leaders deny. Kuwait has been trying to mediate the dispute. "What is important is that we have stopped any military action," Sheikh Sabah said. While both sides in the dispute have ruled out the use of armed force, some ordinary Qataris have said they worry about the possibility of military action, given the ferocity of the criticism their country has received from media in the four Arab states. Sheikh Sabah said he had received a letter from Qatar that expressed willingness to discuss a list of 13 demands from its neighbors. "We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable," Sheikh Sabah said, referring specifically to issues that affected Qatari sovereignty. "A great part of them will be resolved," he said. Qatari officials have repeatedly said the demands are so draconian that they suspect the four countries never seriously intended to negotiate them, and were instead seeing to hobble Doha's sovereignty. At the same time, they have said Qatar is interested in negotiating a fair and just solution to any legitimate issues of concern to fellow Gulf Cooperation Council member states. (Reporting by James Oliphant in Washington and Reem Shamseddine in Khobar, Saudi Arabia; Writing by Roberta Rampton and William Maclean; Editing by James Dalgleish)
WASHINGTON  Days after sending out his attorney general to rescind a program that protects undocumented young people and accuse them of stealing jobs, President Donald Trump tweeted on Thursday that those so-called Dreamers have nothing to worry about  for six months, at least.

He did so in response to a request from House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), who told some Democratic lawmakers that she spoke to Trump by phone on Thursday morning and asked him to tweet this to make clear DREAMers wont be subject to deportation in 6 month window, according to a Democratic aide.

The tweet came after two days of Trump trying to have it both ways on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which gave two-year work permits and deportation protections to nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. as children.

After following through on a campaign promise to end the program, which he said was unconstitutional, the president has insisted he wants to do something to help Dreamers and will work with Congress to do so over the next six months.

The White House did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the call.

For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017

It makes sense that Democrats would want to quell some of the fears of Dreamers, many of whom are panicking over a decision that could cause them to lose their jobs and be expelled from the country.

Its also true that DACA recipients wont begin to lose their deportation protections until at least six months from now. Some will keep them even longer: The Department of Homeland Security is still reviewing applications from new DACA applicants if they were submitted by Sept. 5. DHS will also renew DACA for eligible current recipients if their permits expire between Sept. 5 and March 5, but they must submit their applications by Oct. 5.

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But rescinding DACA still poses a real risk for Dreamers. Some have permits that will expire after March 5, meaning they wont be able to apply to renew them. Others dont have permits yet and have not applied, and now wont be able to. Even if people are eligible to apply for renewal, its likely some wont be able to pay the $495 fee without more time to save.

The most important question will be what happens to Dreamers after the six-month period if Congress and Trump dont make a deal  which is a very real possibility given the many past failures on the matter, even if lawmakers in both parties are currently insisting they want to work out a compromise to help Dreamers.

The White House reportedly sent talking points to Capitol Hill that suggested DACA recipients should leave the country. The Department of Homeland Security urges DACA recipients to use the time remaining on their work authorizations to prepare for and arrange their departure from the United States  including proactively seeking travel documentation  or to apply for other immigration benefits for which they may be eligible, the memo said, according to CNN.

DHS spokesman David Lapan told CNN they expect Congress to pass legislation so this will hopefully be a moot point, but always encourage undocumented individuals to depart voluntarily or try to find legal avenues to gain status.

DHS officials have said they have no plans to affirmatively go after DACA recipients in the event that they lose their permits. But many Dreamers are afraid anyway, based on other Trump policies. Trump has said immigration agents should be unleashed to do what they believe is best, and he instructed officials to revoke Obama-era guidelines of who should be pursued for deportation.

Since those policies were changed, immigration advocates and attorneys said they have seen a greater number of individuals who were allowed to stay in the country for years being picked up  particularly if they have removal orders, which many DACA recipients do. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has reported large numbers of collateral arrests of people they were not initially targeting in enforcement operations and a greater proportion of arrests of non-criminals since Trumps inauguration compared to the same period under Obamas final year.

ICE acting director Thomas Homan said in June that all undocumented immigrants should be afraid of being detained.

If youre in this country illegally and you committed a crime by entering this country, you should be uncomfortable, he said at the time. You should look over your shoulder, and you need to be worried.

Also on HuffPost

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April 2015

At an event hosted by Texas Patriots PAC: Everythings coming across the border: the illegals, the cars, the whole thing. Its like a big mess. Blah. Its like vomit.

June 2015

At a speech announcing his campaign: "When Mexico sends its people, theyre not sending their best. Theyre not sending you. Theyre not sending you. Theyre sending people that have lots of problems, and theyre bringing those problems with us. Theyre bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists. And some, I assume, are good people."

August 2015

On NBC's "Meet the Press": Were going to keep the families together, we have to keep the families together, but they have to go."

September 2015

On CBS's "60 Minutes": Were rounding em up in a very humane way, in a very nice way. And theyre going to be happy because they want to be legalized. And, by the way, I know it doesnt sound nice. But not everything is nice.

November 2015

On MSNBC's "Morning Joe": You are going to have a deportation force, and you are going to do it humanely."

February 2016

At a GOP primary debate: We have at least 11 million people in this country that came in illegally. They will go out. They will come back  some will come back, the best, through a process.

March 2016

At a press conference when asked if he would consider allowing undocumented immigrants to stay: "We either have a country or we dont. We either have a country or we dont. We have borders or we dont have borders. And at this moment, the answer is absolutely not.

April 2016

At an event hosted by NBC's "Today Show": Theyre going to go, and were going to create a path where we can get them into this country legally, OK? But it has to be done legally. ... Theyre going to go, and then come back and come back legally.

July 2016

At the Republican National Convention: "Tonight, I want every American whose demands for immigration security have been denied  and every politician who has denied them  to listen very closely to the words I am about to say. On January 21st of 2017, the day after I take the oath of office, Americans will finally wake up in a country where the laws of the United States are enforced."

September 2016

At a rally: Anyone who has entered the United States illegally is subject to deportation. That is what it means to have laws and to have a country. Otherwise we dont have a country.

September 2016

On "The Dr. Oz Show": Well, under my plan the undocumented or, as you would say, illegal immigrant wouldnt be in the country. They only come in the country legally.

This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
WASHINGTON  President Trump said Thursday that he would prefer not going to war with North Korea over that countrys escalating nuclear and missile programs, but he warned that certainly that could happen.

Military action would certainly be an option, Trump told reporters during a joint question and answer session at the White House with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable. It would be great if something else could be worked out.

The president noted that his predecessors had achieved little by talking, talking, talking and cutting deals with North Korea.

I would prefer not going the route of the military, but its something certainly that could happen, Trump said. If we do use it on North Korea it will be a very sad day for North Korea.

While successive presidents of both parties have declared that they want the complete and verifiable denuclearization of North Korea, Trump did not rule out a scenario in which Washington could live with a nuclear-armed regime in Pyongyang, deterred from action by the prospect of nuclear annihilation by U.S. forces.

Asked by a reporter whether he could accept that outcome, Trump replied: Im not negotiating with you. Maybe well be able to have a chance to negotiate with somebody else. But I dont put my negotiations on the table.

President Trump looks on as Kuwaiti Emir Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah speaks during a joint press conference at the White House on Sept. 7, 2017. (Photo: Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Trumps remarks came a day after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Secretary of Defense James Mattis, and Director of National Intelligence Dan Coats briefed members of the Senate and House of Representatives behind closed doors on the escalating crisis.

The pressure on the president increased over the past week after North Korea claimed to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb in what would be its most powerful nuclear blast to date. U.S. officials, who have not disputed the assertion, are bracing for another provocative act by the North  a missile launch, for example  when the country celebrates its founding on Saturday.

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Sources say that Trump recently received an updated package of detailed options  diplomatic, economic and military  for confronting North Korea and inducing its primary patron, China, to tighten the economic vise on the regime in Pyongyang. Some lawmakers have stepped up calls for American sanctions on Chinese entities, like banks, that do business with North Korea.

U.S. officials say that they expect the Trump administration to ramp up the pressure over the coming weeks and months. But military action  seen as a last resort  would risk triggering retaliation by North Korea, which has South Koreas capital, Seoul, within range of its artillery and could reach targets in Japan with rockets. Former senior Trump strategist Steve Bannon said in a recent interview after leaving the White House that the prospect of a death toll in the tens of millions made waging preventive war unthinkable.

Theres no military solution [to North Koreas nuclear threats], forget it, Bannon told the American Prospect. Until somebody solves the part of the equation that shows me that 10 million people in Seoul dont die in the first 30 minutes from conventional weapons, I dont know what youre talking about, theres no military solution here, they got us.

President Trump, left, shakes hands with Emir of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah during a joint news conference at the White House on Sept. 7, 2017. (Reuters/Kevin Lamarque)

In an early test of peaceful options, the United States is pushing the United Nations Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, further restrict its exports of textiles, curb the hiring of North Korean workers abroad and freeze North Korean leader Kim Jong Uns assets and ability to travel overseas. Impoverished North Koreas centrally planned economy depends on China for most of its trade and energy supplies and earns foreign currency through limited exports and the wages of its citizens laboring abroad.

Trump aides say sanctions alone are unlikely to get North Korea to abandon its weapons programs, which the regime sees as guarantors of its survival.

Since taking office, Trump and senior officials have stepped up the rhetoric aimed at the North. In the past month alone, Trump has threatened to unleash fire and fury on the regime and warned that the U.S. military is locked and loaded. This week, his ambassador to the United Nations, Nikki Haley, said North Korea was begging for war.

At the same time, Tillerson and Mattis have also said that Washingtons goal is not regime change in Pyongyang.

Tensions have steadily escalated since July, when North Korea fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles  tests that showed its rockets could reach U.S. soil, according to U.S. intelligence officials. The United States responded by rallying an unusual 15-0 United Nations Security Council vote in favor of a package of tough new economic sanctions on the regime. In early August, news outlets reported that American intelligence confirmed a finding by Japans defense ministry that North Korea has likely developed warheads small enough to fit on its missiles.

There are still many questions about Pyongyangs capabilities  how reliable are its guidance systems? Has it devised reentry systems to ensure that its warheads would not burn up in the atmosphere?

In his appearance on Thursday, Trump sent a blunt message to Kim: North Korea is behaving badly, and its got to stop.

Read more from Yahoo News:
PAUL Living in the land of the free and the home of the brave has taken on new meaning at the Paul Post Office.

Every new American flag flown at the office in the past three years has disappeared, said Kayleen Mahoney, postmistress at the Paul Post Office.

If I could catch them Id sock it to them, 89-year-old Donna Holder said, holding up and shaking her fist as she collected her mail from the office on Wednesday.

A Paul resident, Holder comes from a family filled with veterans, and the American flag holds a special place in her heart.

Now Im worried about somebody stealing my flag, she said.

A tattered Old Glory hangs outside the office on the flagpole, a replacement to the new one that was stolen over Labor Day weekend.

Ill come to work and the flag is just not there, Mahoney said, who thinks the thefts are occurring at night because nobody has seen anything suspicious.

People are usually upset and they come in and ask where the flag is, said Jennifer Latta, a postal clerk.

So far, only new flags have disappeared; when an old one is hung, it is left alone.

I cant believe that nobody has ever seen it happen, Latta said.

At first, Mahoney said, she thought maybe someone had taken it down during a wind storm, but so far, none of the flags have been returned.

We have a light that shines on it so we fly it at night. Ive thought about taking it down each day, she said.

Mahoney reported the theft to the Minidoka County Sheriffs Office once, but the crime was not solved so when it was stolen again, she didnt report it.

All told, the flag has been stolen at least four times.

Its pretty pitiful that they cant buy their own flag, said Larry Morris, a resident in the small town.

Mahoney said the U.S. Postal Service supplies the flag for the office and so far no one at the organization has questioned her on why the office is going through so many flags.

I dont know how to express what I think about this, Holder said. How little would you have to be to do something like that? What theyre doing to the flag and their country is a disgrace.

Anyone who sees suspicious activity at the Paul Post Office should call the Minidoka County Sheriffs Office at 208-434-2320.
By Anthony Esposito and David Lawder MEXICO CITY (Reuters) - Canada, Mexico and the United States made progress in talks to update the NAFTA trade pact, top officials said on Tuesday, a relief after repeated criticism by U.S. President Donald Trump, although the round did not delve deeply into the toughest issues. A joint statement by U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer, Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland and Mexican Economy Minister Ildefonso Guajardo sought to quell concerns about U.S. commitment to the North American Free Trade Agreement after Trump's recent threats he could terminate it. Lighthizer said no chapter of the pact was completely wrapped up, but advances were made in consolidating language about small businesses, digital trade, the environment and services, among other things. "We feel like we've done as much as you can hope to do in two rounds," he told reporters at the end of talks in Mexico City. "This is kind of warp speed we are working at." The ministers announced a third round of talks in Ottawa for Sept. 23-27. Guajardo said more complex issues such as Mexican wages, regional content rules and the U.S. trade deficit with Mexico would begin to be addressed in those sessions. The United States did not make specific proposals on these subjects during the five-day round in Mexico, Guajardo said, looking ahead to a debate in future rounds about how to get a better deal for workers in all three countries. NAFTA, first implemented in 1994, eliminates most tariffs on trade between the United States, Canada and Mexico. Critics say it has drawn jobs from the United States and Canada to Mexico, where workers are paid far lower wages. The accord's supporters say the loss of manufacturing from the United States has more to do with China than Mexico. If NAFTA collapses, costs could rise for hundreds of billions of dollars in trade as tariffs return, potentially saddling consumers with higher prices and less availability of products ranging from avocados and berries to cars and trucks. The three ministers restated their goal of reaching a new NAFTA deal by the end of the year to avoid conflicts with 2018 elections in Mexico and the United States. Moving quickly to consolidate texts is paramount if they are to achieve that goal. It took five years and more than 20 negotiating rounds to broker the 12-nation Trans-Pacific Partnership trade deal that Trump pulled out of right after taking office. Freeland gave the most upbeat message, praising the working relationship between the three countries, and saying they had established a good foundation for the future rounds of talks. Despite warm public words, there were signs that Trump's skepticism may have influenced the talks. An initial draft of the trilateral statement seen by Reuters said the three nations were "fully committed to the negotiation of a new NAFTA" and would "join forces in facing the challenges of international competition." Those phrases were excised from the final version. ENERGY, TELECOMS Officials involved in meetings said progress was made on telecommunications and energy during the talks. Energy was partially excluded from the original NAFTA because in Mexico it was a state-owned industry However, following a 2013-14 opening to private and foreign investment, Mexico is now ready to incorporate the sector into the deal, with Guajardo saying there was common ground on the issue. The Mexican minister also signaled readiness for compromise on duty-free limits for e-commerce imports, a point of contention with the United States. "We have to find a middle point that does not damage our economies with extreme liberalization," Guajardo said. One area of concern identified by lobbyists as a possible stumbling block is Lighthizer's aim of incorporating U.S.-specific automotive content requirements. Another is whether Trump will be prepared to accept the final outcome. Trump used NAFTA as a punching bag in his election campaign and has repeatedly threatened to pull out of it, even after modernization talks began on Aug. 16. Lighthizer said he was confident he could broker a NAFTA acceptable to the U.S. president and that his goal was to negotiate a new deal, not pull out. The U.S. trade representative has adhered to Trump's line that NAFTA must be rewritten to reduce U.S. trade deficits of about $64 billion with Mexico and $11 billion with Canada and started the talks with strong demands for major changes. During the closing statements, Lighthizer said NAFTA must address the harm done to those in manufacturing industries and benefit all Americans. (Additional reporting by Ana Isabel Martinez, Dave Graham and Adriana Barrera; Editing by Dan Grebler and Leslie Adler)
The expected departure of President Donald Trumps longtime bodyguard and aide, Keith Schiller, reportedly may have stemmed from new White House Chief of Staff John Kellys personnel and management changes in the West Wing, Bloomberg reported Tuesday, citing people close to Schiller and the president.

Whats more, Schiller believes Kelly, a former general, doesnt like Trump personally and is only carrying out his duties for love of country, according to the report.

Schillers departure, which was expected but perhaps may be happening sooner than he and Trump believed, was first reported Friday by CNN, but White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told the network the story was not true.

But Schiller, a former New York City police officer and head of Trump Organization security, is reportedly expected to leave the White House and return to the more lucrative world of private security. Hes currently making $165,000 a year as the director of Oval Office operations, a dubious title considering Schiller is more of a close friend and ally of Trump who acts as an emissary and go-between.

Schiller, in fact, worked for Trump for nearly two decades and was by his side throughout the presidential campaign.

Kellys ascendance to chief of staff ushered in a new White House order that has been described as more militaristic and far more organized than throughout the first seven months of the administration. Previously, aides and even advisers and family members like daughter Ivanka and son-in-law Jared Kushner could saunter in to speak to the president, and Schiller also served as a means to directly contact the president.

That system is no more under Kelly, who has also taken to carefully vetting any articles or documents before they reach Trumps desk, something similar to what former chief of staff Reince Priebus and express secretary Sean Spicer did for the president.

Whether Kelly likes the president seems a moot point, but Trump has surrounded himself with friends and family throughout his business life, and allies told Bloomberg they worry Schillers exodus could have a strongly negative effect on Trump. One friend to the president said he is crushed by the idea of Schillers exit.

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With Schiller supposedly gone soon, few members of Trumps former close-knit team remain. Those include his daughter and son-in-law; Hope Hicks, his current communications director; and Dan Scavino, his social media director and assistant.

If Schiller is indeed leaving because of Kellys stonewalling of Trumps office, those close to the president say it is possible Trump and his month-old chief of staff could be on a collision course.

Kelly reportedly considered resigning after Trump fired former FBI Director James Comey in May, according to CNN. Kelly called Comey to express how upset he was over the dismissal, but Comey encouraged Kelly not to leave his post at the time, secretary of homeland security.

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By Patricia Zengerle and Karen Freifeld WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Donald Trump's eldest son told Senate investigators on Thursday that he had set up a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer because she might have had damaging information about Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump Jr., in a prepared statement to Senate Judiciary Committee investigators for a meeting behind closed doors, said it was important to learn about Clinton's "fitness" to be president. "To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," said the statement, which was seen by Reuters. Trump also said the meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and others in Trump Tower in New York provided no meaningful information. The New York Times first reported the statement. Russia has loomed large over the Trump presidency. U.S. intelligence agencies have concluded Moscow worked to tilt the 2016 presidential election in Trump's favor. Several congressional committees and a special counsel are also investigating allegations of possible collusion between the Trump campaign and Moscow. The younger Trump's testimony is believed to be the first by a member of the president's family to congressional investigators, much of whose work has been conducted behind closed doors. Moscow denies meddling and Trump denies collusion by his campaign, while regularly denouncing the investigations as political witchhunts. When news of the meeting with the lawyer broke earlier this year, the younger Trump at first said that the main topic at the encounter was child adoption from Russia but then he released emails that showed his reason for attending the meeting was to receive possibly damaging information about Clinton. His statement on Thursday is further acknowledgment that he was willing to receive potential help from a Russian citizen to help his father's campaign, when it was still not certain he was going to be the Republican presidential nominee. "The fact that Trump Jr. acknowledges taking the meeting along with two other top campaign officials ... during a time in which the nomination was to be contested at the convention, also highlights how significant the campaign viewed the promise of dirt on their opponent from the Russian government," Representative Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the House of Representatives Intelligence Committee, said in a statement. Trump's son-in-law Jared Kushner, now a senior White House adviser, and former campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the Trump Tower meeting. Congressional investigators have focused on the June 9, 2016, meeting, and what came of it, if anything, in terms of the relationship between Russians and the Trump campaign or Trump business interests. "As will become clear, I did not collude with any foreign government and do not know of anyone who did," the statement said, promising to "set forth the sum and substance" of what happened at that meeting. Trump Jr. was questioned by Judiciary Committee staff for five hours. He left without speaking to reporters, and the meeting room entrance was shielded by a special partition that kept news cameras from recording his arrival and departure. A handful of mostly Democratic senators attended the meeting but said questioning was limited to staff. The session was not classified and Trump Jr. was not under oath. However, it is illegal to provide false information to Congress. Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal described the atmosphere in the room as "cordial." He said the testimony made it clear there was more to discover. "There certainly are a lot of areas that are opening for future witnesses, and questioning," he told reporters. Blumenthal also said he expected Trump Jr. would testify under oath later at a public Judiciary Committee hearing. Schiff said his panel looked forward to having many questions answered when he appeared before them. (Additional reporting by Tim Ahmann and Mohammed Zargham,; Editing by Alistair Bell and Andrew Hay)
The internet found heroes in Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday as Donald Trump agreed to the leading Democrats plea for a three-month extension of the debt ceiling and government funding through Dec. 15.

The hashtag #ChuckandNancy was trending on Twitter following the news, but particular interest was paid to a photo of Trump and Senate Democratic Leader Schumer locked in a smiling, semi-embrace during a meeting about the debt ceiling, government shutdown and disaster relief aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The photo, taken by Getty photographer Alex Wong and colorfully described by CNNs Chris Cillizza as A Donald Trump-Chuck Schumer photo for the ages, quickly made waves on social media.

The Trump power moves in this photo are belied by Schumer's facehttps://t.co/WFc0XXs526  Chris Cillizza (@CillizzaCNN) September 6, 2017

TRUMP: So raising the debt ceiling will prevent a government shutdown?

SCHUMER: Yes, I read it on Verrit - authentication code 0443721 pic.twitter.com/ULwLPL1Dk6  The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 6, 2017

I KNEW the Schumer-Trump picture reminded me of something. But the President is supposed to be the one leaning in... pic.twitter.com/fU8BOZhwUp  Norm Eisen (@NormEisen) September 6, 2017

Donald Trump and Chuck Schumer walk into a room

Diametric'ly opposed, foes

(Photo:@alexwongcw/Getty Images) pic.twitter.com/u0ABxkju1Q  Lisa Tozzi (@lisatozzi) September 6, 2017

Trump will defend that this pic is a fake news photo op????????  Jomajjio (@jomajjio) September 6, 2017

In siding with Schumer and Pelosi, the House minority leader, Trump went against House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, who were pushing for a longer debt-ceiling extension.

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I am so sorry pic.twitter.com/7Z7cD2d2Oa  Haley Byrd (@byrdinator) September 6, 2017

Cameras caught up with #ChuckandNancy after their WH meeting with Trump this morning. ???? #SoMuchWinning pic.twitter.com/jLF6y4t0l6  Bandit Aleatoire (@BanditRandom) September 6, 2017

Some expressed surprise over Trumps decision to make a deal with the Democrats, both of whom are vocal opponents of the president. Just hours earlier on Wednesday, Schumer blasted the presidents heartless and brainless decision to end DACA at a news conference.

Remarkable Trump sided with Schumer/Pelosi on debt ceiling & CR given Pelosi and Schumer accused Trump of "cowardice" earlier today.  Jim Acosta (@Acosta) September 6, 2017

I never thought I'd agree w/Trump on anything but "The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump" while shooting R's & himself in the foot is a win in my book!  April (@speakout_april) September 6, 2017

Trump hadnt met with Schumer and Pelosi for months. After seeing them today, he quickly breaks with GOP leadership and sides with them.  Matt Viser (@mviser) September 6, 2017

Live look at Republicans reacting to the Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal: pic.twitter.com/sFX2hQ2oUi  TrumpsTaxes (@TrumpsTaxes) September 6, 2017

But speaking on Capitol Hill on Wednesday afternoon after making the deal, Schumer offered Trump some rare praise.

The president listened to the arguments. We think we made a very reasonable and strong argument. And to his credit, he went with the better argument, Schumer said.

The president himself told reporters aboard Air Force One on Wednesday that he had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, making no mention of Ryan and McConnell, who also attended the meeting.

Trump added of the DACA program, Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I.
By Ginger Gibson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - U.S Customs and Border Patrol has awarded four additional contracts to design prototypes for a wall along the southern border of the United States, another step toward fulfilling President Donald Trump's campaign promise.

Last week, the agency awarded four contracts for concrete wall prototypes and the latest contracts will be for prototypes of walls made out of other materials.

The contracts were awarded to ELTA North America Inc, a subsidiary of an Israeli company based in Annapolis Junction, Maryland; Caddell Construction Co, of Montgomery, Alabama; KWR Construction, of Sierra Vista, Arizona; and W. G. Yates & Sons Construction Company, of Philadelphia, Mississippi.

(Reporting by Ginger Gibson; editing by Grant McCool)
By Sarah N. Lynch

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - An internal government watchdog report has found that two former top officials at the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration improperly reinstated the security clearance of a special agent who was having a sexual affair with a convicted criminal.

The report, released on Thursday by the Justice Department's Inspector General, represents another black eye for the DEA, which came under criticism in 2015 after revelations that agents attended sex parties with prostitutes.

Former DEA Administrator Michele Leonhart resigned shortly after the inspector general released a scathing report on that scandal, which found numerous other failings related to the agency's handling of sexual harassment and misconduct claims.

Thursday's report concluded that Leonhart "shares responsibility" for a "flawed decision" by former DEA Acting Chief Inspector Herman E. "Chuck" Whaley to improperly intervene in getting a security clearance reinstated for a special agent who had engaged in "serious misconduct."

A DEA spokeswoman did not have any immediate comment on the report, and Leonhart could not be immediately reached. Whaley, who now works in Florida at the Wakulla County Sheriff's Office, could not be reached for comment.

The inspector general's report said the DEA's Office of Professional Responsibility first learned in 2013 about the agent's sexual affair.

The agent gave his lover access to a DEA drug evidence room, let her listen to recorded calls with investigative targets and had sex with her in the office, the report said.

However, the office failed to report the issue to the DEA's office in charge of adjudicating security clearances.

The Office of Security Programs finally learned about the problem in 2014 during a routine re-investigation to review the agent's eligibility to maintain a security clearance and suspended it in March 2015.

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Three days later, however, Whaley decided to have it reinstated on grounds that his behavior "did not raise national security issues," the report said.

Leonhart did not directly intervene, but "acquiesced" to Whaley's decision, it added.

"This situation is particularly remarkable," the report said, because it arose at the very same time that the watchdog office released its 2015 findings.

The report cleared Leonhart of having lied when she testified under oath to Congress that she had no impact on security clearances. But the Justice Department said it was concerned her testimony did not reflect the degree to which the DEA administrator has authority in the disciplinary process.

(Reporting by Sarah N. Lynch; Editing by Tom Brown)
It is meant as a compliment, but Valentina Shevchenko doesnt see it that way.

The 29-year-old Soviet-born fighter who now lives in Peru submitted Julianna Pena at 4:29 of the second round in January to earn a shot at Amanda Nunes womens bantamweight title.

A win over a gifted fighter like Pena is a big deal. But a win by armbar against one of the UFCs best fighters was a massive deal. It showed growth in her game.

Shevchenko quickly became known for her striking from the moment she debuted in the UFC on Dec. 19, 2015, with a win over Sarah Kaufman.

The win over Pena was something altogether different. Shevchenko showed a full MMA game, with the ability to fight at all distances and in all positions. When she got to the floor with Pena, an elite grappler, Shevchenko flawlessly and easily moved into position for the fight-finishing armbar.

Congratulated on her improvement, Shevchenko seemed to recoil a bit. She appeared to see it not as a compliment but as an indictment of her game.

Im a complete martial artist, she said. If you look at my career, you will see that I have won several fights by submission, several fights by TKO. Lately, Ive been fighting Muay Thai stand-up, but in this sport, you have to be able to do everything to succeed.

Shevchenko will get her shot at the title two months later than she thought when she faces Nunes on Saturday in the co-main event of UFC 215 at Edmontons Rogers Place. They were supposed to fight at UFC 213 in July, but Nunes pulled out on the morning of the fight with a sinus infection.

Shevchenko was none too happy at the time, but she moved on quickly, because thats who she is.

If anyone were, she was born to be a fighter. Her mother is the president of the Taekwondo federation in her native Kyrgyzstan. Her older sister, Antonina, is a Muay Thai fighter with a 39-1 record who will take an MMA fight later this month.

Amanda Nunes, left, and Valentina Shevchenko pose during the UFC 213 ceremonial weigh-in. (AP)

Antonina is nearly four years older than Valentina and provided a blueprint on what it takes to be a fighter: effort, discipline and an agile mind.

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I was young and little when I started in martial arts, and she was already a good fighter, Valentina said of her sister. She was already champion of our country and it is why me and all girls of our generation we would look at her as our example of what we wanted to be in the future. She was always an example for me and there was never a rivalry between us because I was looking up to her.

Antoninas message way back when resonated with her sister: Work hard. Never slack. Dont give 50 percent.

Its why the rescheduling of the fight hasnt impacted Shevchenko much. Its difficult for fighters who build to a peak on fight night to have a late postponement and quick rescheduling. In those cases, its hard to get their training back in order.

But Shevchenkos routine is always to take a week off after a fight and get back into the gym. She did that after the UFC 213 cancellation and said she believes shell perform better on Saturday than she would have had the fight gone forward in July.

She was able to use the time to improve her technique and fine-tune her game plan, she said.

Nunes is on a five-fight winning streak, having beaten Shayna Baszler, Sara McMann, Shevchenko, Miesha Tate and Ronda Rousey. Nunes squeaked past Shevchenko at UFC 196, but routed both Tate at UFC 200 and Rousey at UFC 207.

Shevchenko said it would not be wise to read too much into those fights when it comes to breaking down Saturdays bout. Nunes was able to use her striking to dominate Tate and Rousey and set up the finishes, but it will be a different type of match, Shevchenko said.

Its one thing when youre fighting a grappler, Shevchenko said. Its another thing when youre fighting against a stand-up fighter who is also a grappler. To manage this distance so as not to reach a hard punch, a big kick or whatever, you have to feel it and have a sense for it. When you are born, or almost born, and when youve grown up with this ability, not receiving a punch like a stand-up fighter, its totally different.

This fight will be entirely different than those fights. I am not the same fighter as they were and so there will be different approaches and different techniques that must be used.

Dont be surprised, though, by whatever Shevchenko may do. Whether its a punch, a kick or a submission, she has the ability to adapt to whatever is called for in the ring.

This fight game, there are so many good athletes and so many good fighters out there, if you stay standing everyone will pass you by, she said. Its always evolving and always learning to improve the techniques and improve the transitions between them. My sister taught me that a long, long time ago and its how Ive always approached my job.
Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Thursday that China would support the United Nations taking further measures against North Korea following its recent nuclear test.

However it remained unclear whether Beijing, the North's key ally, would be willing to back, or enforce, new sanctions at the UN Security Council, where it is a veto-wielding permanent member.

"Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," he told a press conference in Beijing.

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation," Wang added.

The comments came after Pyongyang on Sunday triggered global alarm with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

China, which is the North's biggest diplomatic and economic supporter, is seen as key to efforts to convince Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programme.

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang clarified later on Thursday that China would support the consensus of the UN Security Council.

"We support the Security Council in making further reactions and taking necessary measures," he said, adding "we hope to resolve this issue through dialogue and consultation".

The US has accused North Korea of "begging for war" and repeatedly urged China to step up pressure against its neighbour.

But in a phone call with US President Donald Trump Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks leading to a peaceful settlement.

Washington has rejected China's proposal for a freeze on North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korea military drills.

But Trump, who has recently been waging a fiery war of words with Kim, on Wednesday insisted that military action against North Korea's nuclear program is not his first choice and pushed for a diplomatic option.

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On Wednesday, the US submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council that would slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-Un, setting up a potential clash with China.

Beijing has repeatedly urged all parties to avoid rhetoric and actions that could inflame tensions, and called for a halt in annual military exercises between the US and South Korea.

But China's defence ministry on Wednesday said a recent Chinese military drill in seas adjacent to the Korean peninsula was a routine exercise that was not targeted at any country.
Washington (AFP) - The US House of Representatives Wednesday approved in a nearly unanimous vote $7.85-billion in emergency aid for victims of Hurricane Harvey, a rare show of unity by the bitterly divided chamber.

Lawmakers in the lower house of Congress voted 419-3 in favor of releasing the funds, which will mostly go to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).

The House also approved $450 million in disaster loans to help small businesses get back on their feet.

The Senate is due to hold its own vote in coming days.

The funds will "allow FEMA to continue response and recovery efforts, including life-saving missions, while also ensuring the agency has resources available should another emergency arise," said Republican Rodney Frelinghuysen, head of the House Appropriations Committee.

"In the wake of this disaster, our nation has come together," added House Majority leader Kevin McCarthy.

The "no" votes were from conservative Republicans who wanted to see the expense offset with other budget cuts.

The funds, however, are only a down payment on the total cost of the disaster, which experts say could surpass $150 billion.

The US Senate will vote on the measure in the next days, and may link the aid to increasing the ceiling on the national debt.

- Harvey scrambles Washington politics -

Congress is bitterly split between President Donald Trump's Republicans and opposition Democrats.

However the effects of Harvey -- a massive Category Five hurricane when it struck the US Gulf Coast of Texas on August 25 -- has upended politics as usual in Washington.

Harvey lingered more than a week, losing strength but dumping massive amounts rain and causing historic flooding, and leaving tens of thousands homeless especially in the Houston area.

"When you turn on the TV in America today, you look at all the vitriol, you look at the bitterness ... you begin to wonder whether or not our civil society is holding together. This hurricane shows that it is," House Speaker Paul Ryan said just ahead of the vote.

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"The government will be there to respond to the needs of the people," he said.

This attitude stands in sharp contrast with the debates that came after Hurricane Sandy struck the northeastern United States in 2012.

The northeast is predominantly Democratic -- unlike Texas and most of the southern US, which is mostly conservative and Republican.

In 2012 conservative Republican lawmakers refused to authorize funds for Sandy recovery that was not offset by budget cuts elsewhere. The aid was finally approved with support from Democrats.

- Debt ceiling battle looms -

Republican Senate leaders are also trying to exploit the spirit of unity by attaching to the aid bill a much more controversial measure: raising the US national debt ceiling.

In the United States, Congress sets the maximum level of federal government debt, currently $19.9 trillion.

The Treasury needs the debt limit raised in the coming weeks in order to continue borrowing on the financial markets to pay bills, including interest on debt, and avoid default.

Having failed to pass a top-priority healthcare reform or begin on tax reform since Trump took office in January, the Republican majority faces an end-September deadline for raising the debt ceiling and passing a spending bill for the fiscal year beginning October 1.

Despite their majority in both chambers of Congress, the Republicans are torn from within between moderate and conservative factions, and constantly at odds with the opposition Democrats.

Conservative Republican Senator Rand Paul said he is prepared to fight the White House and fellow Republicans over linking a debt limit increase to Harvey aid.

"I'll do anything to try to stop that," he told CNN on Wednesday.
BURLEY  Standridge Color Corp. is constructing a 58,000-square-foot facility that adds color to plastics.

We are excited about our new facility in Burley and look forward to being part of this wonderful community, said Henry Stowe with Standridge Color.

The companys site is on West Railroad Avenue north of Burleys municipal airport.

The Social Circle, Georgia-based company expects to be in production by late November, Stowe said.

Standridge Color will be a tremendous employer, said Doug Manning, Burleys economic development director. The company will employ about 30 people when ramped up to full production.

Stowe said the company takes plastic pellets about the size of BB pellets and provides standard and custom colors, custom compounds, additive concentrates and special dispersions for the plastics processing industry.

Products colored by the company include clothing and vehicles, Manning said.

The company was established in 1973, according to the citys release, and it has production and distribution facilities in the U.S., China, Spain and the Czech Republic. U.S. facilities are in Georgia, Texas, Ohio, Kansas and New Jersey.

The Burley location will be the companys first facility west of the Rocky Mountains.

Idaho is a great choice for companies looking to expand west of the Rockies. And we are thrilled that Standridge has noticed the opportunity in our state, Lt. Gov. Brad Little said in the release. Burley has a significant manufacturing sector already, and the expansion of Standridge into Idaho will continue to add value to our states products.

Manning said the ground, which is between the citys municipal and industrial wastewater plants, was purchased from the Burley Development Authority. Because of a high water table the 15-acre parcel had limited use.

The property was part of a J.R. Simplot Co. gift and had been managed by Boyer, Manning said. The company sought no state grants or incentives.

Manning said the city worked with the company for more than a year and construction began a couple of months ago.

We are delighted to have a company like Standridge locate in Burley. This is an outstanding company that is very community minded. They will be another tremendous asset to the area, Manning said. They already have a very strong customer base in the West, and after meeting with them on numerous occasions over the past months, were very excited to see construction underway.
(SEOUL, South Korea)  Russian President Vladimir Putin called Wednesday for talks with North Korea, saying sanctions are not a solution to the countrys nuclear and missile development.

Putin spoke after meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in in Vladivostok, Russia, on the sidelines of a conference on economic development of Russias Far East.

North Korea conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sunday, saying it had detonated a hydrogen bomb.

Moon said ahead of his meeting with Putin that the situation could get out of hand if North Koreas missile and nuclear tests arent stopped.

Putin, speaking in China on Tuesday, condemned the latest nuclear test as provocative, but said that Russia views sanctions on North Korea as useless and ineffective.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, who will meet Putin in Vladivostok on Thursday, said before his departure from Japan that we must make North Korea understand there is no bright future for the country if it pursues the current path.
The President and the First Lady will donate a collective $1 million of their own money to 12 different charitable organizations helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, the White House announced Wednesday.

Hurricane Harvey, which was subsequently downgraded to a tropical storm, made landfall on Aug. 25, ravaging Texas and Louisiana with record levels of flooding that left at least 70 people dead and thousands of homes destroyed.

The largest donations by the First Couple are to the Red Cross and the Salvation Army, each expected to receive $300,000, according to the White House. Samaritans Purse, an evangelical Christian organization that provides aid globally to those in need, will receive $100,000, as will Reach out America, a non-profit organization focused specifically on helping children.

Eight other organizations, including the ASPCA, Habitat for Humanity and the Houston Humane society, will receive a $25,000 donation.

It was unclear from the White Houses statement if the donations had already been made, or would be made shortly. A White House official did not immediately respond to request for comment.

President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump visited both Texas and Louisiana during the height of the flooding. The White House said the selection of these donations was partially determined by these visits as well as recommendations from the White House Press Corps. White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders had requested these recommendations from the press corps when she announced the Presidents decision to donate $1 million on August 31.
When Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced that she completely disagreed with a Politifact report which found only 5 percent of President Donald Trumps statements were true, The View co-host Whoopi Goldberg had only one question.

Where was President Obama born and is he an American citizen? Goldberg asked during Wednesdays broadcast.

I think that has been pretty well addressed, Sanders replied.

But this narrative, this is what Im talking about, Goldberg said. Thats a [false] narrative that went on forever and [Trump] didnt clear it up until after he was in office.

Sanders appeared on the program alongside her father Mike Huckabee, who previously served as the Republican governor of Arkansas.

The pair fielded questions about their support of Trump as The View co-hosts pressed them on some of the presidents most controversial moments.

Watch Goldbergs exchange with Sanders in the video above, and see co-host Joy Behar clash with the former governor in the clip below.

Also on HuffPost

A man holds up a sign during a protest against racism gathered in front of the White House, on August 14, 2017 in Washington, DC.

Protestors rally on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower.

Hundreds of protesters gather outside of Trump Tower.

A woman raises her fist at the front of a march down Washington Avenue to protest racism and the violence over the weekend in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Protestors rally on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival, August 14, 2017 in New York City.

Supporters of anti-Trump protestors hold up signs inside Trump Tower ahead of President Donald Trump's arrival, August 14, 2017 in New York City.

Pedestrians walk past a 15-foot tall inflatable rat in the likeness of U.S. President Donald Trump at the corner of Fifth Avenue and 59th Street up the road from Trump Tower, August 14, 2017 in New York City.

A President Donald Trump supporter (left) argues with anti-Trump protesters as they gather outside of Trump Tower.

Protestors rally on Fifth Avenue near Trump Tower.

Hundreds of protesters gather outside of Trump Tower.

Protestors rally on Fifth Avenue.

A man holds up a sign during a protest against racism in front of the White House.

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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.
The almost 800,000 undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers who Tuesday saw their legal status in the United States largely evaporate as Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced the end of the DACA immigration program may only have one true hope of remaining in the only country many of them have ever known: Congress.

Immigration attorneys and legal experts told Newsweek that the way the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals order  better known as DACA  was written and applied back in 2012 leaves little legal wiggle room for the Dreamers. Instead, a bipartisan bill passed in Congress is the best chance for them staying in the U.S. long-term.

The Obama administration wrote it so that it was really clear it could be voided, said Martin Valko, a managing partner at Texas-based Chavez & Valko, which focuses on immigration law. Valko, who said his firm has handled hundreds of DACA applications, added that the language was put in place to avoid the federal government being sued and said clients were told there was a chance DACA could be rescinded.

Attorneys general from New York and Washington threatened on Monday to sue and protect Dreamers. But the entire issue is unprecedented, said executive director for the American Immigration Lawyers Association (AILA), Benjamin Johnson, meaning it is unclear what the states could challenge. Just as President Barack Obama had the authority to put DACA in place, current President Donald Trump also had the power to rescind it.

Heres the truth, these kids have always been in jeopardy, Johnson said. He called Sessions' claim that Dreamers had been taking jobs from Americans and hurting the countrys culture were offensive.

Obama was hoping to pressure Congress to pass immigration reform when he decreed in 2012 that immigrants under the age of 30 who came to the U.S. before they were 16, did not pose a criminal or national security threat, and were in school or in the military could temporarily stay in the country under his DACA program. Obamas effort came as Democrats could not find a majority to pass the DREAM Act, a permanent plant to help young immigrants in the U.S. find a path toward legal status.

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Democrats are now looking to advance the policy once more, but this time under a Republican-led Congress and White House. House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi called on Republican and House Majority Leader Paul Ryan on Tuesday to bring the policy to the floor for a vote as its currently written to avoid expected mass deportations of Dreamers.

In the meantime, immigrants have been advised for months to start filing renewal applications so as to at least buy some extra time, North Carolina-based attorney Jeremy McKinney said.

The biggest victims are those who expire after March 2018, McKinney said.

McKinney, who has spent 20 of his 21 years as an attorney practicing immigration law, recalled when the DREAM Act nearly broke through a Senate filibuster in December 2010, just before the Republicans were about to retake the majority in Congress.

The act had passed in the House of Representatives and three Republicans actually switched sides to support it, but five Democrats, despite Obamas backing of the bill, shot it down. With 55 yes votes, the measure came five votes away from knocking back the GOPs filibuster.

The stars and planets, McKinney said, have not been able to align for the bipartisan bill.

Related Articles
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK (Reuters) - New York's highest court on Thursday ruled that doctor-assisted suicide is illegal in the state, rejecting a lawsuit claiming that mentally competent, terminally ill patients have a right to have their doctors prescribe lethal drugs.

In a unanimous, unsigned opinion, the seven judges of the New York Court of Appeals said the state had legitimate reasons for outlawing the practice, including to protect vulnerable patients from pressure to end their lives.

"We are very disappointed by the court's decision," said Edwin Schallert, a lawyer for the patients and doctors who brought the lawsuit. "It will prevent terminally ill New Yorkers from exercising an important option to achieve a peaceful death."

Schallert said he would likely move for the court to reconsider its decision, which cannot be appealed to any higher court.

The office of New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, which defended the law in court, had no immediate comment.

The patients and doctors argued in their 2015 lawsuit against the state that a New York law making it a crime to help another person commit suicide does not apply to doctor-assisted suicide for mentally competent, terminally ill patients. Advocates of the practice prefer to call it "aid-in-dying."

They also argued that a ban on doctor-assisted suicide would violate the state's constitution by depriving patients of their fundamental right to self-determination.

Of the three patients involved in the lawsuit, two have since died, according to Thursday's opinion. Both a trial-level court and a mid-level appeals court ruled in favor the state.

The Court of Appeals said Thursday that the state law against assisted suicide contained "no exceptions" for doctors.

It also said the state constitution did not include a fundamental right to doctor-assisted suicide, which it distinguished from patients' right to hasten death by refusing treatment.

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That right, the court said, rested on "a person's right to resist unwanted bodily invasions," and did not imply the right to be prescribed a drug that would actually cause death.

In a separate opinion, Judge Jenny Rivera concurred that there was no broad right to doctor-assisted suicide, but said there should be an exception for mentally competent, terminally ill patients facing "certain, imminent, excruciating death."

Laws in five states - California, Colorado, Oregon, Vermont and Washington - allow doctor-assisted suicide, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures. A Montana court ruling protects doctors there from prosecution for assisted suicide.

(Reporting By Brendan Pierson in New York; Editing by Dan Grebler)
The photo has gone viral. (Photo: Instagram/isaacwest)

What happens when four gorgeous South Sudanese women gather to eat breakfast dressed monochromatically in white and are photographed? It creates a stir on social media.

The creative director and photographer behind this artistic shoot is Isaac West. He tells Yahoo Style that as a conceptual photographer I am more into uplifting women of color, to show the different beauty and different shades of color of women, especially black women, he says. For this project I wanted to just do dark-skinned women, that was my main focus.

West shot the photographs in Minneapolis, where he lives now, and recruited South Sudanese women who live in the area to sit for the shoot. He chose to dress them in all-white outfits to provide the most contrast against the models gorgeous skin.

West and the models got together at 11 in the morning to take the pictures and didnt pretend to have breakfast  they actually had breakfast. I wanted them eating together, to show their oneness and their sisterhood and that theres no division, only friendship and love. He calls it the simple love of togetherness.

West now lives in Minnesota, but he is originally from Liberia. He left Liberia for Ghana because of the countrys civil war, and then in the mid 2000s, he and his family went to the U.S.

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West says he draws his creativity from his heritage and his purpose is to highlight and bring more representation of women of color to the media, especially in art and fashion. West is also a fashion designer and is currently enrolled in college, where he is studying TV production and art.

The photo shoot has been online for only a few days but has already received thousands of likes and comments, almost all of them offering praise.

Look at all this beauty. Thanks sisters for staying true to your color. I always see it shining through, one commenter wrote. Another commenter added, Everything about this picture is gold.

How are people this beautifully pigmented though.  Nkagisang Sebogodi (@Nkagisang_S) September 6, 2017

Friday Chuol, 24, one of the models in photo shoot, yells Yahoo Style of her decision to participate: I decided to be a part of it because if I can show that I am dark-skinned without apology, this may impact a little girl whos struggling to find beauty in herself. I want to show the girls that look like myself to embrace their inner and outer beauty.

I still cant believe the attention its gotten, but you cant deny that the photos send an incredible message to dark-skinned girls worldwide, Chuol says. I love it.

As for what the future holds for West, I have my sights on big names I want to collaborate with, he says. Which artists might those be? Rihanna, Solange, and Yeezy. All eyes on you, Mr. West.

Read more from Yahoo Style + Beauty:

Follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest for nonstop inspiration delivered fresh to your feed, every day. For Twitter updates, follow @YahooStyle and @YahooBeauty.




Jerusalem archeologists will display to the public a rare collection of seals (bullae) from the First Temple period at a conference in Jerusalem this week, the Israeli Antiquities Authority announced on Monday.

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Ortal Chalaf and Dr. Joe Uziel, directors of the excavation for the Israel Antiquities Authority, said dozens of ancient seals were unearthed in the City of David, adjacent to the Dung Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. They said the finds bear witness to the developed administration of the city in the First Temple period.

First Temple-era seal (Photo: IAA)

The earliest seals bear mostly a series of pictures, the archeologists said in a joint statement. It appears that instead of writing the names of the clerks, symbols were used to show who the signatory was, or what he was sealing. In later stages of the periodfrom the time of King Hezekiah (around 700 BCE) and up to the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BCEthe seals bear the names of clerks in early Hebrew script.

Through these findings, we learn not only about the developed administrative systems in the city, but also about the residents and those who served in the civil service, they said.

The bullae are small pieces of clay which in ancient times served to seal letters. A letter which arrived with its seal broken was a sign that the letter had been opened before reaching its destination. Although letters themselves did not survive the terrible fire which consumed Jerusalem at its destruction, the seals, being made of clay, were actually well-preserved thanks to the fire, and attest to the existence of the letters and their senders.

Some of the seals bear biblical names. One mentions a man by the name of Achiav ben Menachem. These two names are well-known in the context of the Kingdom of Israel: Menachem was a king of Israel, while Achiav does not appear in the Bible, but his name resembles that of Achav (Ahab), the infamous king of Israel described in the Book of Kings.

Chalaf and Uziel added that the appearance of the name Achav gives us a window into the names used during the Biblical era, and which appear in Judea during the period following the destruction. They noted that the two names which appear on the sealAchav and Menachemwere names of kings of Israel.

These names are part of the evidence that after the exile of the Tribes of Israel, refugees arrived in Jerusalem from the northern kingdom, and found their way into senior positions in Jerusalems administration, the statement said.
Despite foreign accusations by the Syrian army that the IDF sent its jets to hit a hazardous weapons center, the IDF continued with its huge drill in the north on Thursday.

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The IDF is currently holding its largest military drill in nearly 20 yearsa combined arms exercise along its border with Lebanon.

A military official said Monday that the joint exercise, which began Tuesday and involves thousands of ground, sea and air force vehicles and personnel, aims to prepare soldiers for "preserving the current stability in the northern sector."

IDF drill in the North (:  )

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Earlier Thursday, the Syrian army warned Israel of "serious consequences" Thursday after officially accusing Israel of sending fighter jets to carry out a strike on targets on the states Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS) near the city of Hama, which is responsible for research and development of nuclear, biological, chemical and missile technology and weapons.

Huge IDF exercise up North (Photo: Yoav Zitun)

"The Syrian army warns of the serious consequences of these kinds of aggressive activities against the security and stability in the region," the statement began.





Photo: Yoav Zitun

"The army is determined to destroy terrorism and obliterate it in all Syrian territory, and it doesnt matter what kind of aid is given to these terror gangs," it continued in an allusion to what it claims is Israel's active support for the terror group.





Photo: Yoav Zitun

The IDF made it a point to stress that the exercise is not simulating fighting in Syria or with Syrian involvement. That said, it is worth noting that sources within the Military Intelligence Directorate have started referring to Israel's next war as the "War in the North," and not the "Lebanon War."





Photo: Yoav Zitun

The military exercise, which is due to end on Sep. 14th, will change its tactics from defense to offense next week.

However, the drill has already begun setting up a possible scenario that could end up as the catalyst to the aforementioned "War in the North": specifically, the exercise is to include a scenario where Hezbollah's Radwan forces, currently situated in Syria, cross the border into Israel with the aim of kidnapping Israeli civilians and holing up in a local synagogue. The unit's ultimate goal in the drill is to raise the Hezbollah flag on Israeli soil and get a photograph of the event to Hezbollah's headquarters, to be used by Sec. Gen. Hassan Nasrallah as a visual mark of triumph in the terrorist organization's fight against Israel.





Photo: EPA

For the sake of the drill, Lower Galilee is considered South Lebanon. Within minutes, elite IDF fighters arrived on the scene, intent of thwarting the "Hezbollah unit's" goal.





Photo: AFP

"We'll kill anyone who tries to infiltrate, and no one's going to make it back to Lebanon, not even those who are equipped with GoPros," said Col. Eliad (Maor) Muati, who is in charge of the IDF divisions along the South Lebanon border, and who is also in charge of the elite IDF fighters fighting for the Israeli side in the drill.





Photo: AFP

"We're not carrying out an exercise simulating what's fun and easy. Hezbollah isn't really going to take over the Galilee and try to surprise us with Radwan units, gliders and heavy-duty mortar bombs. But we have our own surprises, and a lot of special forces that will protect from within the communities."
The Supreme Court rejected last week the petition of 500 residents of the absorption center in Mevaseret Zion against the closure of the center and their request to find permanent housing, ruling that the compound would be vacated by the end of October.

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At this point, many of its residents have no suitable housing solutions aside from other absorption centers in Ashkelon and Be'er Sheva.

"A lot of people, including me, already think that it's better to go back to Ethiopia. They throw us out of here, like objects," said Elelin Ayalo, 33, one of the absorption center's residents. "Since I immigrated to Israel, I have been working in security or as a supermarket clerk. I can't get an education because I can't study working, can't promote myself and earn money. Beyond that, I have nephews in Ethiopia that I need to send money to."

The Mevaseret Zion absorption center (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

"I am not against the evacuation of Mevaseret, but now they will send us to Be'er Sheva for another 34 years," clarified Ayalo, who already moved to and from several absorption centers since he immigrated to Israel 13 years ago. "I want to leave Mevaseret, but with the right tools to survive. I don't want to be in Mevaseret, the conditions at the absorption center are inhumane."

"At first I thought about applying for higher education, but I do not know where I will live in the next three years. I am in a state of survival," said another resident of the absorption center, Talhon Tarkin, 27, who immigrated to Israel with his grandfather and brother at the age of 14 after his parents died in Ethiopia.

"I did not know what to do, I wanted to work at first as a physical training instructor, but no place accepted me," said Tarkin, who served as a as a physical training instructor for the Israeli Special Forces unit Maglan during his military service. "Today I work in security, but if they evacuate us, I will lose this job, as well."

When asked about his plans for the future, Tarkin replied: "I do not have a family to live with, I have no one to turn to. My brother has his own family to care for and I cannot live with my grandfather. I do not have enough money to rent an apartment, NIS 3,000 (minimum wage) is not enough. I do not know what I will do."

Talhon Tarkin

'Majority of immigrants did their best to leave absorption center'

Attorney Nadav Haetzni, who represented the immigrants in their petition, said in response to the verdict that "the judges (who ruled against the petitioned) were swayed by the position of the state, the Absorption Center and the Jewish Agency, which is no less than a lie: the Jewish Agency and the state are trying to claim that the immigrants did nothing to help themselves.

"They seriously claim that these people have been living in the absorption center for many years and have gotten used to the situation as it is because they receive very cheap housing close to Jerusalem. We proved in affidavits that this claim is false.

"For example, one of the immigrants, who is entitled to receive a mortgage, located an apartment in Ma'aleh Adumim, but they refused to sign his forms. He was told to first move to an absorption center in Kiryat Gat and only then will it be possible to sign his forms, which is illegal.

"Another woman who is entitled to public housing located an apartment in Jerusalem. She had also been refused and was told to move to an absorption center in the South, otherwise she will lose her entitlement to public housing.

"The absorption center even admitted that about 300 of the immigrants are entitled to public housing, but the state has no public housing to provide them with.

"The bottom line is that the vast majority of the immigrants tried their best to leave the absorption center, they do not want to stay there and they want to integrate.

Elelin Ayalo

"We did not ask the court to allow them to stay in the Mevaseret Absorption Center forever. We explained that the circumstances in which they wanted to sell the land years ago that are related to the Jewish Agency Pension Fund no longer exist.

"In the meantime, there are two pending proceedings against the pension fund and against the transfer of the rights to the state, and the tender was canceled, so that it will take years, if at all, until someone even gets ownership of the land. There is no urgency, circumstances have changed.

"The decision of the court from three years ago was to allow the immigrants to utilize their rights in the matter of permanent housing to their fullest, but they were not allowed to and their rights withheld from them, so why not extend it in three years? This is a very bizzare affair that is still being examined to this day by the High Court of Justice and the District Court.

"There are unclear motives here that arouse serious suspicion. MK (Sofa) Landver said in the past that Ethiopian immigrants should be thankful for what they have received from the State of Israel. This hostile attitude is well felt in the position of the Immigration and Absorption Ministry, which has become the enemy of the immigrants."

Sign on the Mevaseret Zion absorption center saying: 'Absorption center, a social barrier' (Photo: Eli Mendelbaum)

In response, the Immigration and Absorption Ministry stated: "The date of the evacuation was set three years ago on September 4, 2017. The High Court ruled that there is no reason to postpone the date, which the residents of the absorption center have known for about three years, and that the absorption center is essentially a temporary residence for new immigrants who must evacuate within a short time and take care of themselves with the guidance, accompaniment and financial assistance provided by the State.

"Despite the court's decision, and with good will, the Minister of Immigration and Absorption, MK Sofa Landver, instructed the Ministry's employees to allow residents of the absorption center in Mevaseret Zion an additional period of time after the holidays on October 31, 2017 to facilitate their departure from the absorption center.

"As has always been the case, and as is customary in all absorption centers, Jewish Agency employees and employees of the Ministry of Immigrant Absorption are available to the immigrants and assist them in realizing their rights in housing and in any other endeavor."
Chief of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), Major General Herzi Halevi, spoke Thursday about the security threats facing Israel, saying that "we deal with the threats with determination, with those distant and those closer, in all their forms."

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Halevi spoke during an event commemorating the sixth President of the State, Chaim Herzog, who served twice as head of the MID.

"Iran is helping the most severe security threats directed against Israel from armed groups," Halevi noted. "These are serious, but not existential threats. Iran strives to base itself on our borders in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, flooding our borders with its deadly ideology.

MID head Maj. Gen. Herzi Halevi (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

"Its leader hopes for the destruction of the State of Israel, but those who are exposed to our intelligence and military activity know that their hopes are expected to turn to disappointments."

Israel has been reporting for some time of Iran's growing influence in Syria. Last month, a new report by intelligence analyst Ronen Salomon detailed Iran's influx of power in the Syrian state. Israeli security experts have recently voice concern that Iran's ultimate goal appears to be securing a corridor from its border, through Iraq and all the way to the Mediterranean, thus providing it unhindered land access to its allies in Syria and Lebanon, for the very first time.

Earlier Thursday, the Syrian army warned Israel of "serious consequences" after officially accusing Israel of sending fighter jets to carry out a strike on targets on the states Scientific Studies and Research Center (CERS) near the city of Hama, which is responsible for research and development of nuclear, biological, chemical and missile technology and weapons.

Two Syrian soldiers reportedly died in the airstrike.

CERS (Photo: Intelli Times)

Following the strike, the Syrian Foreign Ministry sent a letter to UN Director-General Antonio Guterres and to the president of the UN Security Council, accusing Israel of being behind the attack.

"The Israeli attacks have become systematic behavior to protect the terrorists from al-Nusra Front and ISIS," their letter read. "It is inconceivable that the Security Council has so far taken no action to put an end to these blatant attacks. Israel's protection of terrorists has become immune to accountability."

Hamas also condemned the overnight attack on Syria, saying in a statement that they are opposed any aggression against any Arab or Muslim country.
Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit is set to inform Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's wife, Sara, that she is to be indicted in the dormitory affair on Friday. Mrs. Netanyahu will be charged with the offense of fraudulently receiving goods under aggravated circumstances.

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Mandelblit announced his decision following the completion of a police investigation that strengthened the original recommendation of the Jerusalem District Attorney and the State Attorney to indict Mrs. Netanyahu.

Both the prime minister and his wife have called Attorney Yossi Cohen in for an emergency meeting regarding Friday's indictment.

Sara Netanyahu (Photo: AP)

Prime Minister Netanyahu responded to the indictment's announcement on his Facebook page. "The allegations against the prime minister's wife are absurd and will prove to be false.

"Sara Netanyahu is a courageous and honest woman, and her actions have never been without merit. In addition to her weekly work as an educational psychologist and child care expert, she spends a great deal of time helping children with cancer, Holocaust survivors and lone soldiers.

The statement on Netanyahu's Facebook page then veered somewhat off-topic, focusing instead on the prime minister's past accusations against Meni Naftali, who used to work as a caretaker at the Prime Minister's Residence who sued the Netanyahu couple for mistreatment.

"The steep increase in meal expenses at the Prime Minister's Residence was caused by offenses committed by the problematic Meni Nafatli, who is a serial liar and a criminal state witness. The average monthly expenditure on meals ordered during the period Naftali served as of the maintenance head (at the Prime Minister's Residenceed) was five times (!) higher than the monthly average of the next four years, when Naftali did not work there. That just says it all.

"The very preoccupation with the food (eaten by) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who works around the clock for the sake of the state and its security, and that (eaten by) his family, is pathetic and obsessive. No prime minister has ever garnered such nosiness, even though the expenses of other prime ministers on meals were identical, and sometimes even higher. How long will this obsessive preoccupation with the Netanyahu family last?"

Immediately after Passover, the District Attorney's Office recommended that the allegations against Mrs. Netanyahu be considered by the court, in accordance to the evidence found and the police's recommendations from a year ago, which led to the general conclusion that Netanyahu be indicted. The police has already stated that there is a sufficient evidentiary basis to prosecute Netanyahu and three members of her staff who allegedly provided her services.

The indictment deals with the employment of a caregiver for Sara Netanyahu's late father, whose cost was allegedly paid for by the state. It also involves the Netanyahu family's employment of electrician Eli Fahima for private jobs, on suspicions that the cost of meals at the Prime Minister's Residence were inflated, and that the guest lists at various functions at the residence were also inflated beyond their actual expenses, without Mrs. Netanyahu paying for them herself.

According to the suspicions, Mrs. Netanyahu ordered extravagant meals from restaurants and chefs amounting to a total cost of around NIS 400,000 of public funds.

AG Avichai Mandelblit (Photo: Alex Kolomoisky)

Naftali, for his part, responded to reports of Friday's indictment by saying, "I feel that if the accusations will only mention the meals, it's a trick to show that the attorney general is at work, but that it will only help Sara Netanyahu get out of everything. I'm not looking for revenge."

The Netanyahus' alleged purchasing of patio furniture for the Netanyahus' private house in Caesarea at the expense of the state, is not to be included in Mrs. Netanyahu's indictment, as she has since returned said patio furniture to the Prime Minister's Residence.
This Labor Day weekend had the nicest weather in recent memory this year. I spent it out and about at several activities plus a couple of days manning the Democrat booth at the Twin Falls County Fair. There were some warm days and nights, and it got a bit smoky toward the end. But we were spared rain, strong winds, snow, sleet, locust swarms or any other epic disasters. A couple I met watching Shakespeare in Boise mentioned Eastern Idahos small earthquakes, but there was no damage.

Ive got mixed feelings about the fair, especially doing an entire day from early morning to closing, largely tethered to one spot. The foods fun for a couple of meals. I enjoy strolling through exhibits. But the music, monster trucks, midway, etc., really arent near my fun-seekers bullseye.

What I enjoy is talking to people wherever I go, whether friends, strangers, merry-makers, carnies, etc. A person can have a lot of chitchat at the fair, especially if youre addicted to conversation like me. You can hardly avoid it if youre tending a political booth. Im a political junky, unafraid of a good discussion  locked horns, ruffled feathers and all. But (you can believe this or not) I swear off serious arguing at the fair. I dewax my ears and brace myself for a healthy regimen of listening. Its fun and I learn more absorbing the thoughts of others than continually spewing my own.

My wife snickered as she spied that last line on the computer. Not sure if she was laughing with or at me.

The earthquake couples conversation detoured to concern over the deteriorating state of Idahos roads and bridges. They quipped if the quakes, heavy snow and rain of recent years continue they might have to start riding their horses to town for errands. It was a joke, but the concern was genuine.

The recent eclipse lit up several Labor Day conversations. A lot of us shared the spectacle, awed by the beauty and chill of solar extinction. Temperatures dropped 15 to 20 degrees nearly instantaneously. The event apparently intensified interest in renewable energy among a many Idahoans. It demonstrated how much cheap renewable non-polluting power is out there for the development. Conversations consistently bemoaned the subsidies and life-support for obsolete and polluting fossil fuels. Conversely, folks disparaged failure to adequately encourage expansion of wind, solar and geothermal.

There were a handful of topics that nearly everyone I chatted with at the fair rattled off once they finished fishing through our candy basket or accepting water bottles from our cooler. These were education, health care, good jobs with living wages, preservation of public lands and responsible taxation policies. Many folks noted that this bundle of issues is strongly interconnected. Each synergizes or benefits from adequate attention to the other. All, in one fashion or another, affect quality of life, personal economics and determination of an individuals or familys long-term prospects and security.

Taxes are a perennial issue in Idaho elections, both for Republicans and Democrats. As you might expect most of the Democrats that chatted with us chided Republicans for their obsession with tax cuts (especially for the rich and well-connected). Fair-goers expressed their yearning for an Idaho epiphany that low-low taxes that provide low-low adequacy, quality or investment in public services, infrastructure, education and societal amenities shortchange the vast majority of working class families. For them the miniscule tax savings isnt worth it; they cant back fill these needs with a stingy tax windfall that barely buys a meal at a sit-down restaurant.

I thought the greatest focus would be on income taxes, but folks groused mostly about the grocery tax. Maybe thats because our fair booth conducted a grocery-tax macaroni poll. Regardless, people were borderline incensed that, for one of the few issues that Idaho Democrats and Republicans bent over backwards to cooperate on in the last legislative session, Gov. Otter chose to veto the Legislatures hard work. They also saw it as one of Idahos most regressive taxes.

The other opinions my conversations garnered this weekend covered a lot of ground. A handful of self-identified Republicans I chatted with in line in Boise resoundingly condemned the 31 Idaho lawmakers that wrote Attorney General Sessions urging curtailed prosecution of participants in the Nevada Bunkerville Standoff. The theater-going Republicans called it pandering to domestic terrorism. They said they and many of their Republican friends were concerned about growing right-leaning radicalization of Idaho Republicans.

The range fires of recent years evoked specific concern of several fair-goers about how Idaho could afford managing these lands and fighting fires if removed from federal control. Anxiety and distrust was also expressed regarding INLs and the Idaho governments commitment to preserving the agreement made under Gov. Phil Batt to stop accepting nuclear waste and to clean up INLs existing contamination.

Some Twin Falls locals complained we need to hold public town hall meetings before and during legislative sessions to influence choices and outcomes. They encouraged Democrats to hold such meetings without Republicans if they were unwilling. The Republicans and Democrats I engaged this weekend all voiced a strong desire to return to what was generally described as the more congenial, cooperative and constructive politics of the Andrus and Batt years.

I enjoyed sharing thoughts with everyone I met this weekend, regardless of their political persuasion. Id be remiss if I didnt thank our many fair volunteers, the bevy of newbies who signed up for the campaign work ahead and for those who had kind words for this column. Twin Falls Democrats will continue working for the betterment Idaho and all of her people, and I promise we will be listening to what Idahoans tell us is important to them.
Saudi Arabia has rejected information that it is working to thaw diplomatic ties with rival Iran, saying that the Islamic Republic needs to change its policies before willingness to end rivalry.

If Iran wants to have good relations with Saudi Arabia, it has to change its policies. It has to respect international law. At this time, we do not see that theyre serious about wanting to be a good neighbor, said Saudi foreign ministry Abdel Jubeir Tuesday in London.

Recent developments have led analysts to signal a warming up of ties between the two countries after a diplomatic row that followed last year attacks on Saudi missions in Iran by angry mobs protesting the execution of a prominent Saudi Shia cleric accused by Riyadh of spying for Iran.

Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif last month told local ISNA news agency that diplomats of both countries will soon re-join their posts. Zarif added that visas have been issued and visits by the diplomats could take place early September.

For the first time, Iran has thanked Saudi Arabia for the organization of 2017 Hajj ritual, which saw the participation of some 86,000 Iranians.

Last year, Iran banned its citizens from heading to Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj, after the two regional rivals failed to reach agreement over Iranian pilgrims security.

Relations between Riyadh and Tehran had also deteriorated following a stampede in Mecca in 2015 in which 2,300 people died, including hundreds of Iranians.
Russian President has announced a visit to Egypt shortly to attend the launch ceremony of the construction works of the Dabaa nuclear power plant, a Moscow-supported project.

Vladimir Putin reportedly made the announcement at the close of the BRICS summit in the Chinese city of Xiamen.

The Russian President met with President al-Sisi on Monday on the sidelines of the summit.

The two men reportedly discussed plans to resume tourist flights.

Egyptians are actually hoping Vladimir Putins visit will signal the resumption of air links between the two countries, suspended since October 2015 following downing in the Sinai of a Russian passenger jet, which had on board over 200 people mostly Russian holidaymakers.

The Islamic State group (IS) had claimed the attack.

Moscow suspended all flights to and from Egypt. Russia asked Cairo to improve security at its airports. It dispatched Russian security experts to Egypt to carry out inspections at airports before resumption of flights.

Egypt is to build its first-ever nuclear plant on its Mediterranean coast. The project worth $25 billion is totally funded by Moscow and will be operated by Russian technicians.

The project will be completed within 12 years, local media Al Ahram reports.
Saudi foreign minister Abdel Jubeir Tuesday said Saudi Arabia is ready to maintain blockade on Qatar for as long as the tiny gas-rich country does not stop supporting terrorism, claiming that Qatar is prolonging the Gulf Cooperation Council stalemate by failing to address the concerns of the four Arab countries boycotting it.

Qatar has been facing boycott by its regional neighbors namely Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, plus Egypt since June 5 over allegations that it funds terrorism. The four countries cut sea, air and ground links with Qatar. However, Saudi Arabia last month reopened Qatars only ground border to allow Qatari pilgrims to perform the Hajj.

Speaking to reporters from the Saudi embassy in London, he said the quartet anticipated the stalemate will hold for some time. If the Qatar crisis continued for another two years so be it, he said, adding that the four could press additional sanctions against Qatar.

We are ready for the continuation of the crisis with Qatar we will decide whether there are other sanctions on Doha, according to the circumstances, he said.

Qatar has refuted the allegations by the Saudi-led quartet, saying it is a victim of a smear campaign.

Doha has said it is ready for dialogue to defuse the crisis but on condition that Qatars sovereignty is respected.

During his visit to London, Al Jubeir conferred with a number of high-ranking British officials, including Prime Minister Theresa May and foreign secretary Boris Johnson.
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.
Access to Internet in Togo has been severely restricted since Wednesday amid opposition mounting protests in Togo.

Tens of thousands of people have marched through the streets of the West African nation, protesting against President Faure Gnassingbe.

The Government spokesperson Gilbert Bawara, speaking about the internet restriction, said the move is to protect citizens and the State.

Even in most developed countries, authorities take control of telecommunications in some cases, he said.

The protesters call for the revision of the 1992 Constitution, which was modified in 2002.

The opposition want the original two five-year term limit be restored, a two-ballot system, reform of the Constitutional Court and the Electoral Commission.

Although the government on Tuesday agreed to amend the constitution, the opposition has insisted on the demonstrations across the country on Wednesday and Thursday.

We will march again tomorrow. Faure should talk to us about the conditions for his departure. The (draft) law on mandates comes too late, Jean-Pierre Fabre, the head of the main ANC opposition party told supporters on Wednesday.

Gnassingbe came to power in 2005, following the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who ruled the West African country for 38 years. The president has not commented on the opposition protests.
Finance Ministers from the African Countries forming the Compact with Africa (CWA) held their first meeting Wednesday in Accra, Ghana.

The CWA meeting was devoted to examining the key role that the Compact can play in the agendas of the collective economic transformation of the continent and means to overcome some of the challenges facing the compact implementation.

The CWA finance ministers were called to express their commitment and support to the Compact Agenda, to assess the progress made so far and to outline the next steps, including peer learning to meet common challenges over the next three years.

They also discussed how to leverage the Compact with Africa and ensure that a platform is set in place to support and sustain it through enhanced private sector investment and at the same time make sure CWA is materialized on the ground and stimulates private sector investment in each CWA member state.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the meeting, Vice President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia said the Compact was an opportunity for African countries to work together and resolve their common challenges.

While the Compacts with African countries face specific challenges and are at different paces of development, the Compact with Africa also reinforces that in many respect we face common challenges and that it makes sense for us to learn from each other, he underscored.

Cote dIvoire, Ethiopia, Ghana, Morocco, Rwanda, Senegal and Tunisia are the seven countries currently forming the CWA.

Compact with Africa was launched after the 12-13 June G20 Africa Partnership Conference in Berlin and the G20 Summit of 7-8 July in Hamburg to support African Compact countries improve their macroeconomic, business and financial frameworks to attract more private investment.

It also seeks to strengthen their public sector financial and debt management; and to encourage private investment from G20 countries.
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BTK railway to be ready in September - minister

Construction of the Baku-Tbilisi-Kars railway will be completed in September, Ahmet Arslan, the minister of Transport, Maritime and Communications of Turkey, said in an interview with the TRT Haber TV channel.According to the minister, work is underway to complete the project on the territory of Georgia.Arslan said that, after the BTK is built in September, the opening of the railway will take place during the next few months.The minister said that, BTK is one of the most important projects in the region.He added that, the work is also underway to build a logistics center in the Kars Province.It is planned to build a number of logistics centers in Turkey, after the construction of the logistics center in Kars is completed, the minister said.An agreement on the creation of the logistics center was signed on July 19, during the visit of the Head of Azerbaijan Railways CJSC Javid Gurbanov to the Kars Province. That visit was related to Gurbanovs familiarization with the progress of the BTK project.The BTK railway is being constructed on the basis of a Georgian-Azerbaijani-Turkish intergovernmental agreement. Peak capacity of the railway will be at 17 million tons of cargo per year.
De-facto Leaders of Abkhazia visit Syria and blame US for isolation

By Tina Tskhovrebadze

Abkhazia, the breakaway region of Georgia, has participated in the 59th International market of Damascus as an independent country on August 17-22. Representatives of Abkhazian de facto government and the Syrian side held meetings and made several important statements regarding future cooperation and partnership in the fields of economy and trade. The idea of strengthening parliamentary cooperation was also put forward by exchanging visits among members of parliaments.De facto Foreign Minister of Abkhazia Daur Kove said as reported by Syrian Arab News Agency sana.sy: the United States, which is trying to isolate Syria from the international community, is also working to isolate the Republic of Abkhazia, so we must be in a united position to confront all parties that will be against the positions of our two countries.According to the Ministry of Finance of Abkhazia, the Abkhazian side hopes for the future cooperation and expresses a desire to sign a Free Trade Agreement with Syria. The role of Abkhazia in a process of transition of some goods from Russia to Syria was also mentioned.During our visit to the Damascus International Fair, we witnessed the presence and development of the Syrian economy and we have been introduced to the Syrian goods that are of a high quality, which will be one of the requirements of Abkhazia, said de facto Minister of Economy, Adgur Ardzinba, as cited by sana.sy.One of the most important questions this visit has raised is whether Syria will support Russias Recognition Policy of Abkhazia and declare the breakaway region of Georgia as an independent state? As it is known, the Government of Russia has strong ties with current Syrian government.Until now, it is clear that Russia is not playing a fair game and goes on to demonstrate her power by using Georgias breakaway region of Abkhazia as a threat to pro-western and pro-NATO aspirations in the South Caucasus.
Five years on, still no clarity over Lapankuri special operation

By Messenger Staff

Five years have passed since the very controversial special operation conducted by the previous United National Movement leadership, with no clarity under the current Georgian Dream leadership despite new details and exhumations.The families of the people killed in the operation are waiting for the truth to be revealed. They have no access to the case materials and know nothing about the outcomes of the exhumations, Georgias Public Defender, Ucha Nanuashvili, said.Nanuashvili stressed that an indifferent attitude to such cases is a violation of fundamental human rights and appeals to the relevant bodies to timely and effectively investigate the case.On August 29 2012, the Georgian Ministry of Internal Affairs (MIA) stated that it was carrying out an anti-terrorist operation against an armed group close to the Lapankuri village in the Lopota gorge, not far from the Dagestan section of the Georgian-Russian border.Later on the same day, it announced that eleven armed individuals and three Georgian special service personnel were killed in a clash that was preceded by a hostage-taking incident.After the initial denials, the Interior Ministry confirmed on September 2 that among the gunmen killed in the clash, two were Georgian citizens.In his report released in 2013, Nanuashvili claimed that in February 2012, senior officials from the Georgian Interior Ministry contacted some of the veterans of the Chechen war, as well as representatives of the Chechen community currently living in Europe with the purpose of convincing them that the Georgian authorities were ready to provide armed militants a so-called "corridor in the form of free passage for infiltrating Russias North Caucasus via Georgia.The Public Defender stated that after the invitation about 120 Chechens and other natives of the North Caucasus arrived in Georgia. Flats were rented for them in Tbilisi districts, the report reads, adding that the Interior Ministry provided them with firearms and driving licenses.The report read that militants were undergoing training outside Tbilisi at the Vaziani and Shavnabada bases. The Ombudsman stressed that members of the Georgian Special Forces killed at Lapankuri (Archil Chokeli and Solomon Tsiklauri), had been providing training to the group.Nanauahsvili states that the training courses lasted too long, and this dissatisfied the militants. The militants demanded that the Georgians keep to their promises. However, the Interior Ministry refused and asked them to surrender their weapons. They refused and the Georgian side used force against them.According to the father of Aslan Margoshvili, one of the militant killed in the clash, his son was trained at the Shavnabada base and among his instructors were Chokheli and Tsiklauri, Nanuashvili states.The Public Defender stressed that the nine surviving militants left Georgia with the help of Georgian interior ministry representatives and went to Turkey via the vale border crossing point. Nanauashvili stated that these individuals currently reside in Syria.A United National Movement representative, Giga Bokeria, stated then that Nanuashvilis report coincided with the Russian version of the incident and lacked argumentation.There are many other notorious cases which still remain uninvestigated and leave numerous question marks, as well as room for a private revenge.Of course, there are situations when much evidence has already vanished and investigations are at a dead end, but when it comes to cases with a range of evidence and several witnesses, people - especially those directly affected - are still waiting for the truth.Such cases indicate towards either a lack of evidence, or on a lack of professionalism and investigating staff.
Azerbaijan in TOP 5 for business travel among Russians

The economicposition in the global market, huge recourses and favorable business environment make Azerbaijan an attractive business travel destination. Over the past years, the volume of travel to the country has been increasing with its economical incline.Most recently, the country was included in TOP 5 directions of Russian businessmen.Azerbaijan was included in the list of the five countries of the near abroad, to which Russians most often travel with the purpose of business tourism, according to Travel and Travel Management company Aeroclub.The research shows that in 2017 Russian businessmen most often chose Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Belarus and Azerbaijan for business trips.Georgia for the first time in the past few years entered the top three countries for this indicator. The number of flights from Russia to this country for business purposes has grown by 2.5 times.Ukraine ranked sixth in the list. After the termination of direct air communication between the two countries, 70 percent of Russian businessmen fly to Ukraine by transit through Belarus, 17 percent through Azerbaijan and 4 percent through Latvia.Group of companies "Aeroclub" is a professional agency for the organization of business travel and MICE events, the official representative of the global business travel agency BCD Travel in Russia.The Russian-Azerbaijani partnership is regarded as an important factor of regional stability.Azerbaijan ranks fifth in Russia's foreign trade with the CIS countries. Moreover, Russia is also considered to be a leading importer of Azerbaijani goods. Some 600 Russian companies are currently operating in Azerbaijan.
Interior Minister says he thinks fires are deliberate

By Messenger Staff

Georgias Interior Minister Giorgi Mgebrishvili says that it is his personal view that large-scale fires in different locations in Georgia could be deliberately caused.But there may also be other factors, the Minister said..An investigation is underway and all eventualities are being considered. All the publics questions will be answered, Mgebrishvili told the local media.A former official under the United National Movement leadership and now the Vice President of Georgias Atlantic Council, Batu Kutelia, claims if a deliberate possibility is considered concerning the fires, Russia is to be the number one suspect.He stressed he did not rule out such a possibility, saying Russia is eager to see Georgia collapse.Russia is the only one that may want to do this to Georgia. It also represents the main threat for Georgia together with the hybrid threats that may be caused by it, Kutelia said.It is already about two weeks that Georgia has been fighting fires at sites which are generally very attractive for local and foreign visitors.There are no exact calculations of the losses; however, as tens of hectares of forestry areas have been burnt, the damage to the natural landscape is extensive.Many in the country are shocked by the fires and emergence of new blazes day after day.There are several main theories of the reason behind the fires circulating on social media.Many social network users believe that the fires are being caused by Russia.There are many as well who think that people, local officials among them, who wish to hide illegal lumberjack activities, are causing the fires.The number of those people who believed that the fires were because of the indifference of visitors has decreased since the fires broke out at six different locations within several days.A relatively small number of Facebook users say some from the neighboring countries could stand behind the fires in order to lower Georgias tourism potential.Such frequent fires in Georgia have never been reported, and the breakout of new fires almost every second day causes speculation that they could be deliberately caused.It is of the utmost interest and importance whether Georgian law-enforcers manage to establish the truth over the alleged crime.The response to such a crime, if confirmed, must be extremely strict.
The News in Brief

FMs of Georgia, Azerbaijan and Turkey to meet in Baku in early September



The foreign ministers of Azerbaijan, Turkey and Georgia are expected to hold a tripartite meeting in Baku in early September, Turkey's Ambassador to Azerbaijan ErkanOzoral said on Wednesday.



Georgian FM Mikheil Janelidze, Azerbaijani FM Elmar Mammadyarov and Turkish FM Mevlut Cavusoglu will meet on September 5-6.



The program and the agenda of a meeting are being coordinated at the moment, Georgia Online reported, quoting Erkan Ozoral.



The foreign ministers will discuss issues of regional, bilateral and multilateral cooperation and will consider the transport and energy projects. (news.am)







Georgia Closes Gulen-Affiliated School in Tbilisi



The National Center for Education Quality Enhancement (NCEQE), an agency at the Georgian Ministry of Education, which studies conformity of educational institutions with standards set by the Georgian legislation, decided to close down the Private Demirel College in Tbilisi, operated by the Chaglar Educational Institutions, a Gulen-affiliated network in Georgia.



The NCEQE authorization council decided not to renew the school authorization, a certificate required for any institution to carry out high educational activities in Georgia, at its meeting on August 29, citing problems with teacher and student registration, as well as the school infrastructure and equipment.



In the words of Revaz Apkhazava, one of the members of the NCEQE authorization council, the school had numerous problems and its closure had nothing to do with the political question.



The school enrolled Turkish citizens (students) in violation of Georgian legislation; it registered in a very short period of time that the students completed the Georgian-language program, which is a nonsense the student registration procedures were not well-organized as well, Apkhazava told Civil.ge and added that the monitoring carried out at the College documented the illegal registration of 87 such students.



The Ministry of Education commented on the matter as well.



Nata Asatiani, head of the Public Relations Department, stated that the College had violations, and added that the Ministry would assist in transferring the students and teachers to other schools in Tbilisi.



We have reached out to a number of private schools and they have expressed readiness to accept Private Demirel College students and teachers, Asatiani noted.



The decision comes slightly over three months after the detention of Mustafa Emre Cabuk, one of the managers of the Private Demirel College. Cabuk was detained on May 24 at the request of Turkish authorities and was sent to three-month pre-extradition detention by the Tbilisi City Court a day later. On August 23, the Tbilisi City Court upheld the prosecutions motion and extended Cabuks detention period by three months.



The Private Demirel College is the second Gulen-affiliated educational institution to have been shut by the Georgian Ministry of Education in 2017.



The NCEQE authorization council cancelled the school authorization of Batumi Refaiddin Sahin Friendship School on February 3, on the grounds that the school compliance monitoring revealed significant problems with respect to student enrolment.



The Private Demirel College was founded in 1993 pursuant to the agreement of former Georgian and Turkish Presidents Eduard Shevardnadze and Suleyman Demirel, respectively. (civil.ge)







Speed restricting tools installation in vehicles to become mandatory



The installation of speed restricting tools in buses, minibuses and trucks will become mandatory in Georgia, after the government approved the relevant decree on August 16.



According to the decree, the tools must be installed from December 31 2017 in trucks involved in international transportation, and those involved in internal transportation must provide installation from September 1 2020.



According to the governmental decree, the buses and minibuses will only be allowed on roads if their speed does not exceed 100 km per hour due to a specially regulated tool.



As for trailers and trucks, they will have the tools that will not allow them to exceed 90 km per hour. (IPN)








NEW YORK  When she served as president of the Goldman Sachs

Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the Wall Street giant, White

House Deputy National Security Adviser Dina Habib Powell

repeatedly partnered with the Clinton Global Initiative for a

globalist womens project that served as the centerpiece of

Goldmans charitable foundation.

Besides partnership with CGI, Powells foundation also directly funded the Clinton Foundation and partnered with Hillary Clintons State Department. Powell herself was associated with numerous groups and projects linked to the Clintons.

Powell served as president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, where she ran the foundations projects after Goldman Sachs was implicated in the 2007-2008 financial crisis and sought to resurrect its shattered image.

The Clinton Global Initiative (CGI) was founded by Bill Clinton in 2005 as a part of the controversial Clinton Foundation. CGI was co-founded by Doug Band, co-founder and president of Teneo Holdings . Powells now ex-husband, Richard C. Powell, is president of Teneo Strategy, an arm of Bands Teneo Holdings.

Powell, an Egyptian-American, reportedly received a salary of $2 million per year from Goldman Sachs. Her financial disclosure form from this year reveals salary, benefits, cash bonuses and equity from Goldman Sachs totaling $6,128,950.

As head of the Goldman Sachs Foundation, she specifically oversaw two major charitable initiatives, one called 10,000 Women and another named 10,000 Small Businesses. 10,000 Women aims to provide at least that number of women around the world with a business and management education to further economic opportunities and global financial growth. 10,000 Businesses, according to Powells Goldman bio , provides small business owners in the US and UK with business education and access to capital.

New York Times of the companys charitable efforts. The projects were widely viewed as Goldmans efforts to resurrect its tarnished image after the firm was accused of unsound practices that allegedly helped precipitate the financial crisis. Engaging wasnt just the right thing, it was necessary, especially in the wake of the financial crisis when people said we werent doing enough, John F.W. Rogers, Goldman Sachs chief of staff, told theof the companys charitable efforts.

Goldman would later agree to pay a $5 billion settlement to the Justice Department for its alleged role in the financial crisis. This resolution holds Goldman Sachs accountable for its serious misconduct in falsely assuring investors that securities it sold were backed by sound mortgages, when it knew that they were full of mortgages that were likely to fail, acting associate attorney general Stuart Delery announced in a statement when the settlement was finalized.

Clinton partnership

In September 2013, Powells 10,000 Women was a main sponsoring partner of that years Clinton Global Initiative conference, hosting numerous events including a panel moderated by Chelsea Clinton. Goldman reportedly paid the Clinton Global Initiative $375,000 for the hosting rights.

In 2014 again, 10,000 Women hosted the Clinton Global Initiative





annual event. Hillary Clinton spoke at the CGI event and singled





out 10,000 Women for its work. Thanks to Goldman Sachs and





thanks to 10,000 Women for really shining a bright spotlight on





what is possible if you believe in and you provide support to





women, Clinton said.





The official twitter account for Powells 10,000 Women posted a

picture of Clinton sitting at the event with Goldman Sachs CEO

and Chairman Lloyd Blankfein.

Speakers at the 2014 CGI event included the Clintons, President Obama, actor Matt Damon, and Alibaba Group executive chairman Jack Ma. Session topics featured such titles as Confronting Climate Change is Good Economics and Reimagining Finance for Social Impact: Planning for Scale.

At CGIs 2013 annual meeting, 10,000 Women and other groups announced the launch of a $1.5 billion commitment to act for global contract opportunities for women-owned businesses based outside of the U.S.

The Clinton Global Initiative was also a commitment to action partner with Powells 10,000 Women for a $30 million, five-year program launched in 2008 to educate women in the African nations of Liberia, Nigeria and Zambia.

CGI was further a commitment to action partner for 10,000 Womens $2.5 million, four-year program launched in 2009 to provide women entrepreneurs in Peru with quality business education and enhanced access to capital.

The Goldman Sachs Philanthropy Fund run by Powell is also listed as having donated between $250,000 and $500,000 to the Clinton Foundation.

New York Times characterized that support as underscoring the long-running relationship between one of the countrys most powerful financial firms and one of its most famous political families. In the spring of 2011, meanwhile, Hillary Clinton announced in an auditorium at the State Departments headquarters that the State Department would create a partnership with the 10,000 Women initiative to help bring the program to more countries. Thecharacterized that support as underscoring the long-running relationship between one of the countrys most powerful financial firms and one of its most famous political families.

Initiatives like 10,000 Women invest in the economic empowerment of women to promote security, stability and prosperity around the globe, Clinton announced in a statement about the partnership with Powells foundation. This new partnership with the Department of State will extend the reach of the program and provide individual women the means to build safer, stronger, families, communities and nations.

Clinton said the partnership with State would expand the program to more countries with a focus on Indonesia and Haiti.

At a luncheon in April 2012, Powell described how women from Pakistan were educated in the U.S. as part of the 10,000 Women partnership with Clintons State Department.

Stated Powell: We had our first graduationthis is a sticky situationof this group from Pakistan on a Monday and it just so happened Melanne and I were going to speak at the Embassy of Pakistan and it happened to be the Monday after Osama bin Laden had been killed. So it was really interesting because here were these women who were just extraordinary, in the United States at the invitation of Secretary Clinton.

Economist titled, Global Challenges, Corporate Solutions: Creating Value for Business and Society. Other speakers included Bill Clinton and Clintons former chief of staff, John Podesta, who at the time was president and chief executive officer of the George Soros-financed Center for American Progress and co-chairman of the Obama White House transition team. Podesta would later become chairman of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign. Earlier, on May 11, 2009, Powell was one of ten speakers at a Clinton Global Initiative event co-sponsored with thetitled, Global Challenges, Corporate Solutions: Creating Value for Business and Society. Other speakers included Bill Clinton and Clintons former chief of staff, John Podesta, who at the time was president and chief executive officer of the George Soros-financed Center for American Progress and co-chairman of the Obama White House transition team. Podesta would later become chairman of Hillary Clintons 2016 presidential campaign.

There are also crossover connections between employees paid by 10,000 Women and the Clintons.

Gene Sperling, who served as chief economic adviser for Clintons 2008 presidential campaign, reportedly earned $887,727 from Goldman Sachs in 2008 for consulting work he did to help launch 10,000 Women. Sperling had served as director of the National Economic Council under the Bill Clinton administration, and he went on to take up that same position in 2011 under the Obama administration.

Also Noa Meyer, global program director for the 10,000 Women program, worked in Clintons speechwriting office when she was First Lady. Meyer is an advisor at the Clinton Global Initiative.

Fortune magazine what she learned from working for Hillary Clinton, Meyer Asked bymagazine what she learned from working for Hillary Clinton, Meyer replied : I think the balance that you need to strike between impact and policy work, and how you actually draw attention to the importance of that work  those two need to go hand-in-hand in order to make change.

Powell has other ties to the Clintons. In 2007, she was named a director of Vital Voices Global Partnership, where Hillary Clinton served as honorary co-chair.

Powell also served as a panelist at the second annual Women in the World Summit in 2011, which was keynoted by Hillary Clinton. The summit was launched by longtime Clinton ally Tina Brown, who also founded the Daily Beast, where Powell was a contributor

Powells 10,000 Women partnered with the Obama State Department even after Clinton stepped down as secretary of state. In 2015, then-Secretary of State John Kerry joined Goldman Sachs Chairman and CEO Lloyd C. Blankfein to announce a new partnership between the State Department, 10,000 Women and the Harvard Kennedy School to train women in the Middle East and Northern Africa.

Goldman Sachs described the partnership in a press release:

The inaugural Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women-US State Department Entrepreneurship Program brings 29 entrepreneurs from the business, media, technology, social entrepreneurship and non-profit sectors to the US for a two-week program focused on entrepreneurship, leadership training, mentoring and networking to help them grow their business and create jobs. The program participants are from 15 countries, including Algeria, Bahrain, Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Libya, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Lebanon, Morocco, Oman, the Palestinian Territories, Qatar, Tunisia and the United Arab Emirates.

Powell has been described in press reports as having a good relationship with Valerie Jarrett, one of Obamas closest advisers during his presidency. Jarrett wrote a piece for the Huffington Post, cross-posted on the White House blog, recalling her attendance at Powells first annual 10,000 Women Dinner in September 2009 and then another annual dinner held on Powells initiative in September 2013.

Tuesday night ended with a return to this years Goldman Sachs 10,000 Women Dinner, where I had the opportunity to meet a number of the programs new graduates and participants, and feel inspired once again by their stories of strength, sacrifice and achievement, Jarrett wrote

Goldman Sachs and the Clintons

Powell joined Goldman Sachs as a managing director in 2007 and was named partner in 2010 in addition to her role as president of the Goldman Sachs Foundation. She headed the firms Impact Investing business, where she was responsible for Goldman Sachs investments in housing and community development projects, deploying more than $5 billion in loans and equity investments to revitalize underserved communities in the US.

In coming to Goldman Sachs, Powell joined a firm that has long been deeply tied to the Clintons.

New York Times partially outlined some of the lucrative Clinton-Goldman Sachs ties Thepartially outlined some of the lucrative Clinton-Goldman Sachs ties thusly

Over 20-plus years, Goldman provided the Clintons with some of their most influential advisers, millions of dollars in campaign contributions and speaking fees, and financial support for the family foundations charitable programs.

And in the wake of the worst crash since the Great Depression, as the firm fended off investigations and criticism from Republicans and Democrats alike, the Clintons drew Goldman only closer. Bill Clinton publicly defended the company and leased office space from Goldman for his foundation. Mrs. Clinton, after leaving the State Department, earned $675,000 to deliver three speeches at Goldman events, where she reassured executives that they had an important role to play in the nations recovery.

The Clinton-Goldman ties solidified in the 1990s, when Robert E. Rubin, Goldman Sachs co-senior partner, departed the firm to serve as the Bill Clinton administrations Assistant to the President for Economic Policy and later as treasury secretary, a powerful economic role.

The Clinton White House famously abolished the GlassSteagall legislation, which separated commercial and investment banking. The move was a boon for Wall Street firms and led to major bank mergers that some analysts say helped contribute to the 2008 financial crisis.

When Clinton joined the Senate, Goldman Sachs employees, who mostly lean Democrat, contributed more than $234,000 to her campaign coffers from 2003 to 2008, with the firm serving as her second largest contributor after CitiGroup.

New York Times The documented federal tax breaks that Clinton was instrumental in securing for lower Manhattan, which helped Goldman Sachs construct its nearly $2 billion New York City headquarters. Clinton was there for the November 2005 groundbreaking ceremony. Major employers like Goldman Sachs needed to know they had a partner in government to ensure that Lower Manhattan could continue to sustain their businesses in the area, Clinton said at the ceremony.

The Clinton Foundation utilized the Goldman Sachs headquarters in Lower Manhattan for a number of events, including a May 9, 2014 meeting with the foundations biggest donors attended by Bill, Hillary and Chelsea Clinton.

Bill and Hillary Clinton raked in massive speaking fees from Goldman Sachs, with CNN documenting a total of at least $7.7 million in paid speeches to big financial firms, including Goldman Sachs and UBS. Hillary Clinton made $675,000 from speeches to Goldman Sachs specifically, and her husband secured more than $1,550,000 from Goldman speeches. In 2005 alone, Bill Clinton collected over $500,000 from three Goldman Sachs events.

Goldmans chief executive, Blankfein, provided a major boost to Clintons failed 2008 presidential bid when he endorsed her over Barack Obama and held a fundraiser in his apartment for her 2008 campaign.

Powell paid $2 million year, helped resurrect Goldman Sachs image

New York Times in an article titled, Goldman Sachs, Buying Redemption. After being publicly implicated in the 2008 financial crisis, Goldman Sachs needed to endear itself to the public. Besides 10,000 Women, another of Powells initiatives, 10,000 Small Businesses, also may have been launched in response to negative publicity about Goldman Sachs, the relates in an article titled, Goldman Sachs, Buying Redemption.

The newspaper reported:

In late 2009, the company faced mounting criticism about the billions of dollars it was paying out in bonuses in the wake of the financial crisis. The firm needed some good public relations. And fast. Goldman committed $500 million over five years to another program, 10,000 Small Businesses, which helps businesses in the United States and Britain. 

Both 10,000 Women and 10,000 Small Businesses are featured prominently on Goldmans Web site. Goldman has poured money into producing slick videos of graduates of the programs. 

Goldman is a firm that prides itself on discretion, but it isnt giving away its billions quietly.  Its run as if its a Broadway show, said one Goldman employee who asked not to be named because of a firm policy against speaking to the news media.

Times how Powells $2 million paycheck stoked some bitterness among Goldman employees: The documented how Powells $2 million paycheck stoked some bitterness among Goldman employees:

This has created bitterness among some employees  bitterness stoked by the favored status seemingly granted to Dina Powell, who runs the foundation. At a firm where pay is almost always tied to what money you bring in, Ms. Powell, who is in charge of giving money away, has made roughly $2 million annually in some recent years, according to people familiar with her compensation but not authorized to speak on the record.

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Powell served in the Bush administration as Assistant Secretary of State for Educational and Cultural Affairs (ECA). Democrats heaped praise on Powell at her confirmation hearings for the position. You will have strong allies on both sides of the aisle, stated Democratic Senator Russ Feingold of Wisconsin, who notably was a regular critic of the Bush administration.

Before her State job, Powell, at the young age of 31, headed the Bush White Houses Office of Presidential Personnel, where she led efforts to staff the Bush administrations more than 4,000 presidential appointments.

Powell is a fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations and until her appointment to the Trump administration served on the board of the globalist Center for Global Development.

Aaron Klein is Breitbarts Jerusalem bureau chief and senior investigative reporter. He is a New York Times bestselling author and hosts the popular weekend talk radio program: Aaron Klein Investigative Radio . Follow him on Twitter @AaronKleinShow. Follow him on Facebook.

Written with research by Joshua Klein.





OBAMA-CLINTONOMICS to serve the filthy rich





The same period has seen a massive growth of social inequality, with income and wealth concentrated at the very top of American society to an extent not seen since the 1920s.





This study follows reports released over the past several months documenting rising mortality rates among US workers due to drug addiction and suicide, high rates of infant mortality, an overall leveling off of life expectancy, and a growing gap between the life expectancy of the bottom rung of income earners compared to those at the top.





THE LIFE OF HILLARY CLINTON: AMORAL PSYCHOPATH and GLOBAL





LOOTER OF THE POOR.. But she served Obamas crony bank$ter$ well!









THE DIRTY DEALS of DIRTY HILLARY.. looting anything that moves!












Where To Go When Your Local Emergency Room Goes Bankrupt?" During the past ten years 84 California hospitals have declared bankruptcy and closed their Emergency Rooms forever. Financially crippled by legislative and judicial mandates to treat illegal aliens have bankrupted hospitals! In 2010, in Los Angeles County alone, over 2 million illegal aliens recorded visits to county emergency rooms for both routine and emergency care. The cost is $1,000 dollars for every taxpayer. VIVA LA RAZA?
Billionaire Miami businessman Mike Fernandez this morning criticized House Speaker Richard Corcorans hardline on DACA.

We currently have a Speaker of the House in Florida in which the consensus among his peers can be best defined as a bully, Fernandez said in an email to the Tampa Bay Times. This may be the case, but in my humble opinion he truly is an intellectual midget ( or short person to be politically correct). His position on the 32,000 Floridian attending our universities is discriminatory at the very least. It may be legal, but so was slavery and that did not make it right.

Corcoran praised President Donald Trumps move to phase out Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, saying anything less would have been a tacit acceptance of President Obamas backdoor amnesty plan for illegal immigrants.

It was a break from the stances of two potential GOP rivals for governor, Adam Putnam and Jack Latvala, who said the children of immigrants brought to the country illegally should be protected.

While Congress has shown little ability to get anything done (think repeal and replace of Obamacare), I just hope they dont turn the opportunity the president has given them to deal with this illegal immigration problem into their own backdoor amnesty plan.

Fernandez, who left the GOP over Trump, called Corcorans position horrendous to our economy. President Trumps action sidestep the issue by passing it off to Congress, but there are real consequences for our nation and the state of Florida if the this giant in his own mind gets his way, as this is not a platform on which Republicans can stand.

The Times has asked Corcoran for a response.

His full email is below:

A former Head of the Israeli Army, Prime Minister, President and Worlds Statesman Shimon Peres once told former Florida Speaker Will Weatherford and I in a private meeting... Great Leaders Serve, they dont rule. On another occasion, part of my annual trip to the Israeli capital he also spoke with the wisdom of a warrior/visionary. I quote... with as many Palestinians as we have living as our neighbors, the future for our continued prosperity and safety is dependent on a single act, A Respectful handshake.

As a non politician I have the good fortune to speak my mind without a filter.

We currently have a Speaker of the House in Florida in which the consensus among his peers can be best defined as a bully. This may be the case, but in my humble opinion he truly is an intellectual midget ( or short person to be politically correct). His position on the 32,000 Floridian attending our universities is discriminatory at the very least. It may be legal, but so was slavery and that did not make it right.

Corcorans position is horrendous to our economy. President Trumps action sidestep the issue by passing it off to Congress, but there are real consequences for our nation and the state of Florida if the this giant in his own mind gets his way, as this is not a platform on which Republicans can stand.

We cant remain silent on an anti-economic position, which will increase the price of products and services, eliminates jobs while not creating new ones and position 32,000 Floridian (students in higher education) on the path to deportation. These young people are our future high wage earners and tax payers.

We all know key economic facts:

Every single Dreamer registered with DACA will be subject to deportation, 32,800 of the more than 800,000 Dreamers live in Florida.

In losing so many talented young people from the workforce and academia, Floridas GDP will experience a loss of $1.5 billion annually.

The United States will lose $460.3 billion in GDP over the next decade as a result of repealing DACA without a legislative solution.

We can find headlines like these in just about most major newspapers,

Wall Street Journal todays headline:

End of DACA Moves Labor Force in Wrong Direction, Big Employers Say.

Wall Street Journal todays headline:

Paul Ryan Urges Trump to Keep Dreamers Program.

This is the opinion of a former undocumented person who arrived in the great Nation (not in the smoke filled halls of the Capitol but with an M16 in his arms). An immigrant that created over 50,000 jobs in our State and has contributed over $30 million to the Republican causes over the last 15 years. Fir the sake of transparency, I also contributed $3million in the last election in an attempt to stop Trump. I never met Mrs. Clinton and I thought she could wound our Nation but I feared that Trump could mortally wound it.

Republicans, look back and re-evaluate our path. It is not a Republican thesis which we are following, its a Trumpist mistake.

Mike




@alextdaugherty @andreadrusch

Donald Trump gave Florida some fiscal breathing room as Hurricane Irma approaches the states east coast.

The president gave Congress more time to pass a recovery package worth billions if Irma causes major damage when he defied Republicans on Wednesday. Trump cut a deal with Democrats to raise the nations debt ceiling and keep the government running as part of a package to provide hurricane-related aid.

FEMA is set to run out of money by Friday, but Congress is expected to quickly send a $15 billion relief bill for Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts and potential damage from Irma to Trumps desk. The Senate passed the bill 80-17 on Thursday.

Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., like many Republicans, was not happy that Trump made a deal with Democrats instead of GOP lawmakers. But he acknowledged that the agreement makes it easier to get funding as Florida prepares for a major hurricane. The deal would extend government funding and the debt limit, which was expected to be reached this month, through December 15.

I have never supported a debt limit increase without fiscal restraint, Rubio told Fox News radio. And about the only good news in this whole endeavor is that it does provide funding for FEMA and it does those sorts of things Ive talked about until December, which hopefully gives us time to go about doing it the right way.

Members of Congress from South Florida expressed optimism that Congress will provide FEMA with the funding necessary to help Florida recover.

Congress has always been there for the victims of natural disasters and I have no doubt that we will use the peoples money wisely, Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen said. This isnt the governments money, its the taxpayers money and thats what they expect from their government agencies, to replenish the coffers of state and local officials who have dedicated a lot of funds to helping the community. I have no doubt that Congress will come through for us.

The relatively quick response from Congress on Hurricane Harvey, which ravaged parts of Texas and Louisiana, as well as potential Hurricane Irma relief is in contrast to the months-long debate over funding for a Superstorm Sandy aid package in 2012 and 2013. When Congress was debating how much money to spend on Sandy, FEMA was relatively flush with cash to provide short-term relief to affected areas in New Jersey and New York.

That isnt the case with FEMA in 2017.

The agency only has a few hundred million dollars, and its spending it fast.

Earlier today, we had a conference call with FEMA officials, and the latest update is that FEMA has approximately $460 million remaining in its disaster relief fund, Rep. Carlos Curbelo said at the Miami-Dade County Emergency Operations Center in Doral on Thursday. They are spending at a clip of $200 million a day.

The $15 billion Congress is considering gives FEMA 75 more days of funding if it spends about $200 million a day. FEMAs spending could go up depending on how much is needed for Harvey and Irma.

I want the Senate to be forewarned that this $15 billion package, this is only temporary, it will probably only take us through mid-October at the most, Florida Sen. Bill Nelson said Thursday.

Members of Congress from Florida and Texas were confident more money will be available if needed.

Read more here.
@alextdaugherty

Miami Republican Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen joined a top Democrat on the House Foreign Relations Committee on calling for the Department of Homeland Security to extend Temporary Protected Status to Caribbean countries hit by Hurricane Irma.

"I support extending TPS to the folks living in the U.S. who are from nations impacted by Hurricane Irma," Ros-Lehtinen said in a statement. "For them to go back to their areas that have been devastated by Irma would not be constructive because the infrastructure is not able to sustain the economy. Jobs would be impossible for them to get and if they are granted TPS here, they can earn a living and pay taxes to help our economy."

Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y., also issued a statement on Thursday expressing support for allowing Caribbean citizens from places in Irma's wake to temporarily stay in the United States.

I am heartbroken by the loss of life and damage caused by Hurricane Irma, even as the storm still churns toward the United States mainland," Engel said in a statement. "Images from the island of Barbudareportedly no longer habitableare especially haunting. I urge the Trump Administration to assist our friends in the Caribbean and Puerto Rico with all available resources. In particular, the Administration must provide Temporary Protected Status to Caribbean citizens who lived directly in Irmas destructive path but are currently residing in the United States and unable to return to their home countries. I plan to lead efforts to ensure that this happens. Congress must also get to work to make sure any needed disaster relief assistance is quickly appropriated for the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico and the Caribbean region where Irma did heavy damage."

The TPS program allows foreign nationals already in the United States from 10 countries to stay in the United States for a designated period of time. President Donald Trump, who continues to espouse a tough-on-immigration line, hasnt indicated that hes open to extending the program to another country.

One of the 10 countries on the TPS list, Haiti, lies within Irma's path. Other countries impacted by Irma include Antigua and Barbuda and the Dominican Republic, along with overseas territories of the UK, France and the Netherlands. Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands were also impacted by Irma, though residents there are U.S. citizens and not subject to TPS.

Engel cited a 2016 law he co-authored with Ros-Lehtinen as justification for extending TPS to the Caribbean.

Earlier this year, the State Department and USAID released the U.S. Strategy for Engagement in the Caribbean, mandated by a law that I authored with Congresswoman Ros-Lehtinen," Engel said in a statement. "This strategy promises renewed engagement with the region and strengthened resilience against natural disasters. I urge the Administration to move quickly to respond to Hurricane Irma and then support the Caribbean in preparing for future emergencies."


@PatriciaMazzei @doug_hanks

U.S. Rep. Carlos Curbelo lives in Miami's Kendall neighborhood -- not one of the low-lying coastal areas under mandatory evacuation orders for Hurricane Irma.

But the Republican might leave his house voluntarily anyway, for fear that strong winds could endanger his family.

"I am considering going to a shelter," Curbelo said in response to a reporter's question Thursday at the Miami-Dade County emergency operations center. "We do have some tall trees around our house, and given the strength and the magnitude of this storm, I don't feel entirely secure at home -- especially with our two little girls, ages 7 and 5."

Responding to the same question, Florida Sen. Marco Rubio said his family is "still trying to debate" what to do though it is not in an evacuation zone, either.

"I'm confident my home will withstand" Irma, Rubio said, noting his West Miami house was built in 2005, after Hurricane Andrew. The 1992 Category 5 monster forced Florida to rewrite its building codes and make them stronger.

"The question is, how will we get in and out and, more importantly, how to get to my mom," added Rubio, who said he's studied 500-year flood maps for the area and found neighboring streets might flood.

Rubio said Irma's projected path, up Florida's east coast, should make residents in evacuation zones wary about trying to drive far.

"If you look at the map of Florida right now," he said, "there's not many places you look at and think, 'That looks like a pretty safe place.'"

Photo credit: C.M. Guerrero, el Nuevo Herald
@doug_hanks @PatriciaMazzei

Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez expanded evacuation orders Thursday to the countys coast and other inland areas as Hurricane Irma threatened to bring severe flooding to South Florida.

Gimenezs new order covers the rest of evacuation Zone B as well as Zone C, a rapid escalation of Miami-Dades efforts to get residents to flee areas considered most vulnerable to dangerous storm surge. On Wednedsay, Gimenez told residents in Zone A and the eastern part of Zone B  Miami Beach and the countys other barrier islands  to begin evacuating at 7 a.m. Thursday.

The expanded order for all of Zone B includes Miamis two main office and condo districts on Brickell Avenue and downtown, as well as large portions of South Dade. Parts of Cutler Bay, Florida City and Homestead  a city ravaged by Hurricane Andrew in 1992  sit in the expanded evacuation area. For Zone C, the evacuation orders expand even further inland, encompassing the rest of Homestead, as well as at least parts of Coral Gables, South Miami, Miami Shores and North Miami Beach.

Gimenez said he decided to expand the orders after studying storm-surge maps provided Thursday morning by the National Hurricane Center. The new order will be effective sometime later Thursday. The mayor urged people to first seek shelter with friends and family before going to an emergency shelter.

Now is the time for us to come together and help each other out, Gimenez said.

More here.
@alextdaugherty

The U.S. Senate passed a $15 billion Hurricane Harvey disaster relief bill on Thursday, but Marco Rubio wasn't there.

He was in Miami preparing for Hurricane Irma and meeting with local officials.

Hours after the bill passed on Thursday, Rubio issued a statement explaining that he would have voted in favor of the package even though he had "significant reservations."

Today, I am in West Miami, which is now under a watch for Hurricane Irma and currently projected to take a direct hit from this Category 5 storm," Rubio said in a statement. "Tropical Storm conditions are expected in South Florida less than 48 hours after the time of todays vote, and I am using this crucial time to safely secure my home, my mothers home and otherwise prepare my family to face the brunt and the aftermath of a potentially catastrophic storm. If I had been able to participate in todays Senate vote in Washington, I would have voted to approve the supplemental package before the Senate. But my vote would come despite significant reservations about some of the other items attached to this legislation."

Rubio's vote wasn't critical, the measure passed with an overwhelming 80-17 vote. A number of conservative Republicans, most from non-coastal states, voted against it.

The Harvey relief bill, which helps to fund FEMA as it runs out of money, was tied to an increase in the nation's debt ceiling and the National Flood Insurance Program after Donald Trump cut a deal with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday.

Rubio opposed the deal.

"I strongly disagree with the decision made by the administration to agree to pair funding for FEMA and emergency disaster relief to short-term extensions to the continuing resolution, the debt ceiling and the National Flood Insurance Program unaccompanied by significant reforms," Rubio said. " Absent extenuating circumstances such as the outbreak of the Zika virus last year, I have consistently opposed passage of short term continuing resolutions, because they are an incredibly inefficient way of spending taxpayer dollars and fails to provide the certainty required for effective planning. Additionally, I am frustrated Congress has once again temporarily reauthorized the outdated National Flood Insurance Program without enacting a long-term solution that provides much-needed improvements for the people of Florida and places this vital program on a sustainable path for the future."

Florida Sen. Bill Nelson voted in favor of the proposal. Texas Sens. Ted Cruz and John Cornyn also voted in favor, even though Cruz has been a vocal critic of raising the nation's debt ceiling in the past, as Texas faces a massive recovery effort from Hurricane Harvey.

"Given that Texas continues to recover from the catastrophic effects of Hurricane Harvey and that the state of Florida is facing the most powerful Atlantic storm ever recorded, I have no choice but to support this measure," Rubio said. "Nevertheless, I consider the manner in which this measure was structured, linking emergency disaster relief for victims in need of immediate assistance with other controversial measures we still have time to debate through regular order, to be among the most politically cynical efforts I have ever witnessed."
Gas shortages were becoming so acute in Florida Thursday that Gov. Rick Scott announced the states law enforcement would provide an escort to gas trucks and appealed to the federal government and the governors of four other states to help replenish the fuel supplies as roads clogged with traffic out of evacuation zones throughout South Florida.

"We know fuel is important and absolutely devoting every state resource to addressing this, Scott said at a press conference in Hialeah Thursday morning. At an interview on CNN at 1 p.m, he added: There are lines. There are shortages. It isnt widespread right now.

Scott asked the governors of Alabama, South Carolina, Georgia and North Carolina to rescind weight and driver regulation to accelerate the ability of fuel tankers to get into the state. He said that U.S. Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao has lifted federal regulations to get gas into Florida quickly. Full story here.
For picture posts from 2010 and earlier, see the Earlier Picture Posts Page
On Sept. 3, 1991, workers at Imperial Food Products in the small town of Hamlet, North Carolina, heard a loud bang and then a hissing sound, as if a missile had just been launched inside the facility.

Moments later, a wall of flames swept through the decrepit brick chicken processing plant, which had never been inspected in its 11 years of operation. Workers who rushed to the emergency exits found they had been padlocked from the outside. Twenty-five workers, many of them single mothers, died behind the locked doors.

Journalists trying to piece together what happened that day focused on a string of tragic errors. The locked exits. The sprinkler system that failed. And the faulty hydraulic hose that sprayed flammable fluids in every direction, igniting the walls and ceiling.

Yet these accounts obscure the deeper economic and political roots of the tragedy in Hamlet, still the largest industrial accident in North Carolina history.

As Temple University history professor Bryant Simon argues in his prodigiously researched and penetrating analysis, "The Hamlet Fire," the blaze was the product of four decades of deregulation in the poultry industry, driven by Americans' insatiable appetite for cheap consumer goods.

"Again and again, those with power valued cheap food, cheap government and cheap lives over ... strong oversight and regulation," he writes.

Simon, who spent six years researching his book, draws a direct line between the fire in Hamlet and the disappearance of railroad and industrial jobs. The dislocations turned this once bustling freight rail hub, with stable and secure jobs, into a rural backwater. The weakened labor market made it possible for unscrupulous companies such as Imperial Food Products to command more control over workers, silencing those who complained of low pay and hazardous working conditions.

Like thousands of other manufacturers that relocated to the South in the 1980s, Imperial Food Products exploited the region's lax enforcement of workplace safety laws.

Even though the plant caught fire three times between 1980 and 1987, no safety inspector had ever set foot in the factory. Complaints of maggots and lice were ignored by the state's workplace agency. And when investigators went digging for the plant's Labor Department records after the fire, they came up empty. Technically, Imperial Food Products was not even authorized to be in business.

Sadly, there is little that is unique about the Hamlet fire. The tragedy bears striking similarities to a series of horrifying industrial disasters in recent years. In 2013, a garment factory near Dhaka, Bangladesh, collapsed, killing more than 1,100 workers. That same year, a fire tore through a poultry processing plant in northeast China, killing 120 people. As Simon notes, each of these tragedies occurred in remote areas where the factories could operate without interference from labor groups or government regulators.
Flathead Audubon will host Jay Sumner of the Montana Peregrine Institute on Monday from 7 to 9 p.m. in the United Way Conference Room at the Gateway Community Center on Highway 2 West in Kalispell.

The peregrine falcon, considered by most authorities to be the fastest animal on the planet, was almost extinct in Montana in the early 1980s. The peregrine fund, in conjunction with federal, state and private organizations, introduced more than 600 young peregrines into Montana. This introduction kick started the recovery of our peregrine falcons.

In 1999, Sumner and Ralph Rogers, bringing combined raptor research experience of more than 80 years, initiated intensive surveys of the Montana peregrine population with the help of federal and state biologists. Documented over the past 18 years through the efforts of the Montana Peregrine Institute, data have shown that the population of the peregrine falcon in Montana has expanded from 18 nesting pairs in 1998 to over 100 nesting pairs in 2017.

Because the peregrine falcon is an apex predator feeding primarily on riparian birds, they tend to encounter more environmental toxins than do mammals, and peregrines accumulate these more than other raptors. Limited data indicate that the migratory destinations of many peregrines lie south of the American border in regions of the world where regulation of pesticides is virtually unknown.

This event is free and open to the public.

For more information, visit the Flathead Audubon website at flatheadaudubon.org.

Missoulian Staff
BEIJING  Breathing Montana's smoky 2017 summer air was good training for the everyday conditions in China.

It took 12 hours of clean airplane air between Seattle and Beijing to finally relieve that heart-racing, tongue-scraping nastiness of forest fire residue that covered the Rocky Mountains through August. The feeling started all over again in the hallways of Beijing Capital Airport.

In a city packed with architectural marvels and 23 million people, the CCTV building claims a Top 5 wow factor. The television network staff inside nicknamed it "the pants building" for the two massive legs that support a cantilevered waist section swinging out into the thick air.

From the observation deck on the 37th level, Plexiglas portals in the floor allow a visitor to look 126 meters straight down. On Monday, the horizontal view through the more conventional windows extended just 3 kilometers.

The smog comes from a mix of coal-fired electrical generating plants, industrial activity, and 6 million cars packing the capital traffic. The federal government has recently pledged to reduce air pollution by 15 percent, although no one in a breath mask on the street was able to explain how that might be accomplished.

Ninety minutes outside Beijing, the signs along the trail leading to the Great Wall warn "It is strictly forbidden to use fire in the wild." But no forest fires have been reported in the Mutianyu region. The surrounding sawtooth mountains lurk like the unseen enemies the emperor's army hoped to deflect  out there somewhere but not quite visible.

The haze doesn't have a particular character, compared to the tongue-coating campfire taste of Montana's forest fire inversions. But it manifests in an odd gargle in the voice, a tickle at the back of the throat and a belt-tightening around the chest.

A CCTV network editor said Monday's air measured 160 PM 2.5, considered just short of Hazardous by the Missoula County Air Quality standards. Tuesday morning's reading was 80  considered Moderate by Beijing reckoning.

"The air quality is improving," the editor said. "You can see more blue-sky days than you could two years ago. On a good day, you can see the mountains to the west."
This summer, Guthrie McLean spent eight days jailed in China, but he doesn't want other people deterred from traveling to the country he considers home.

"This experience hasn't changed my perception of China," McLean said Wednesday. "China has been my home for a long time. I will always return to China as long as allowed for its rich culture and history."

McLean, who grew up both in China and the United States., loves to eat mapo tofu, a spicy Szechuan dish.

"Anywhere in China, the food is great," said McLean, a University of Montana student. He also said stereotypes don't hold: "It's nothing like China Buffet, which I don't consider to be tasty at all."

The East Asian studies major who speaks Mandarin definitely recommends a visit to the Great Wall of China and one city in particular.

"Beijing is full of culture and history," said McLean, who was 9 when he first went to China.

On July 17, after an altercation he had with a cab driver, Chinese authorities arrested McLean. McLean and his mom, Jennifer McLean, said the cab driver tried to rip her off and that Guthrie McLean ran out of their apartment and chased off the cabbie.

But the driver later claimed Guthrie McLean injured his knee in the scuffle, and police jailed McLean. His mother termed the apprehension a "shakedown" and requested diplomatic intervention.

In response, U.S. Sen. Steve Daines and his office worked with the U.S. Embassy, Chinese Embassy and Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Beijing to free McLean. The Montana Republican lived in China from 1991 to 1997 when he worked for Proctor & Gamble.

"If it wasn't for Sen. Daines, I probably wouldn't have gotten released. He also spent days and nights without sleep," McLean said.

***

Jennifer McLean teaches in central China, and she is a single parent to her only child, Guthrie.

At first Guthrie McLean didn't know the reason authorities descended on his mom's apartment on the fifth floor of a building of some 20 stories in central China. He estimated 12 to 15 officers showed up after one called earlier in the day to ask about inspecting the house.

"They handcuffed me in the elevator. They just forced me out," McLean said.

His mom tried to protect him, he said, but police blocked her.

The cops never showed him a warrant or told him the reason for his arrest, and they put him in a police car and hauled him to the station, he said. McLean said he was angry, but he didn't want to assault the authorities and make his situation worse.

"I asked them, 'What is going on? Why are you doing this to me? You don't have the right.'"

***

At the station, he learned that the run-in with the cab driver weeks earlier was the cause of his arrest.

As the McLeans reported, the cab driver refused to provide correct change to Jennifer McLean for the fare. Jennifer McLean, who is deaf, called her son, who said he heard her distress on the phone.

"I just went rushing down the elevator, and I defended my mother," McLean said. "I saw the guy roughing my mother up."

He saw her trying to defend herself with her iPad, he said.

At the station, McLean learned the cabbie was claiming to have received a severe injury in the fight. The cab driver showed up in crutches and wearing a cast, he said; McLean believed the crutches and cast were props.

At the time of the incident, he said the man's legs were working just fine because he tried to run after McLean until McLean grew angry and chased him in return. Then, he said the driver fled.

"He freaked out and ran like hell, scared, running to his car, and he drove off. And then he shows up in crutches," McLean said.

At the station, he told police the truth about the situation even though he wasn't convinced he could trust them, he said. Later, he said, his mom noticed the security cameras on her building had been removed.

"This isn't typical of my experience in China," McLean said. "I've dealt with some very, very good police officers before in China, but there are ones that are not."

***

McLean spent eight days in custody.

"I'd be lying if I said I wasn't scared," he said. "I was scared and worried because I didn't know what was going to happen to me."

Over the course of his incarceration, he experienced an intake and interrogation that ran from 3 p.m. one day to 6 a.m. the following day. He was fingerprinted and read his rights and got checked by a doctor.

"All this made me mad," McLean said.

Guards forced the prisoners to sleep with the lights on and he experienced sleep deprivation.

"You're not even allowed to cover your eyes or put something over your eyes," he said.

He surprised the officials by not being a rich foreigner with immediate access to the amount of money they wanted, he said. He said he ate food that wasn't terrible.

At first, he was placed with a room full of violent offenders, he said; he later was moved to be with a group of people accused of less serious crimes and with access to movies. One movie was part of "The Fast and the Furious" series.

"It was nice to have some of that, but that didn't make it any less stressful from actually being detained," McLean said.

At the time, he was the only foreigner in jail there, he said, and he had to explain his situation repeatedly. When a member of the U.S. Consulate finally visited, he felt disappointed; he wanted information about his release, but he learned he should prepare to be locked up for a month.

***

One day, some foreign affairs officers arrived and discussed his case, and McLean said they treated him like a guilty criminal.

To be released, he had to agree to pay a certain amount to the cab driver, he said. Then, he was told he had to apologize to the cab driver as well, and he flipped out.

"Basically, I told them some variation of 'Go to hell,'" McLean said.

He was furious he was being asked to not only pay the person who he said assaulted his mom but then to apologize, too. He believed the driver should apologize to his mom instead, and he drew the line.

"I will agree to pay him, but I'm not going to apologize to him," McLean said.

Eventually, the authorities acquiesced, he said, and they released him one day earlier than he expected. McLean hadn't wanted to make new friends in jail, but he acknowledged his fellow inmates on his way out.

"I said goodbye to all the inmates, thanked them for their hospitality," he said.

A car took him from jail to the police station, and on the way, the officers stopped for dinner, he said. They bought him fast food, maybe a chicken sandwich and fries or a hamburger.

At the station, his mom's coworker drove him home after another long outtake process with more signing and questions, he said.

"My mother was so relieved and cried, basically," McLean said of their reunion.

Psychologically, the arrest affected him, but he too was relieved to be done with the "charade." He feared he would have trouble with his visa, but he said he received the extension he needed.

"I think the reason they released me early is they were scared by all the media," McLean said.

Neither McLean nor Daines' office would disclose the terms of his release.

This summer, McLean had planned to visit a panda rescue center and he even had the opportunity to hold a baby panda, but he put those plans on hold until winter break or after graduation.

***

Wednesday, McLean thanked the people who advocated for his release: his mom; Tom Mitchell, Beijing bureau chief for the Financial Times; friends Zakk Winch and Caitlin Wind; UM's Olivia White, Eric Schluessel, Robert Tuck and Zhen Cao; and especially Sen. Daines and his staff, Jason Thielman and Wally Hsueh in particular.

In a statement he prepared about his arrest and release, McLean said he found inspiration in the dedication of the senator and his staff whose political views run contrary to his own.

"I wanted to make a special point of telling my fellow and sister Montanans that the Office of the Republican Senator from Montana went to bat for a fire-breathing Democrat (SMILE) without hesitation," McLean said in the statement.

"I know that every senator swears an oath to represent all of their states population equally, but in these deeply divisive times, I find their integrity inspiring; and their actions, not their words, have spoken to me, and these actions have given me hope in a period punctuated by profound disappointments in political processes."

***

Upon his returns to the U.S., McLean has experienced reverse culture shock.

Recently, he popped into a convenience store and heard himself ask the clerk  in Mandarin  where he could locate an item. On his way out, he again spoke Mandarin and said thank you.

"He just looked confused," McLean said of the clerk.

Several years ago, he had trouble with slang English terms, and he found the attitudes of high school students here jarring compared to those of pupils in China.

"It gets a little exhausting just to move from culture to culture," McLean said.
The story: For more than a month since the Battle of the Big Hole, the Nez Perce had continued to elude Gen. Howard, their easterly and then northerly pilgrimage taking them through Americas first national park, Yellowstone, where they killed two tourists. The 7th Cavalry under Col. Samuel Sturgis was ordered to intercept the Indians as they emerged from Yellowstone, but they failed until the tribe reached turbid Canyon Creek where it emerges from a cut in the rims. The Nez Perce came to the Yellowstone River country believing the Crow would provide asylum. But, fearing retaliation and mistakenly believing helping the U.S. Government would serve their future, the Crow refused Chief Looking Glass overtures; some even became cavalry scouts. Despite being outnumbered about 2-to-1, Looking Glass small group of snipers managed to keep the cavalry at bay long enough for the women and children to make an easterly escape along the rims before turning north in hopes of finding an ally in Sioux Chief Sitting Bull in Canada.
Date: Oct. 21, 1876. Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Wars.

Location: On both private and BLM land about 20 miles northwest of Terry along MT 253

Tribe: Lakota Sioux

Whats there: Nothing marks the site, but to see artifacts visit the Frontier Gateway Museum in Glendive. To visit the site on a hillside, make an appointment at least a few days in advance with the Prairie County Museum in Terry; they'll be happy to escort you to the battlefield a modest walk from the highway.

The story: Nearly four months after Little Bighorn, the Great Sioux Wars of 1876 were beginning to wind down and the tribes were becoming more conciliatory. Many Sioux wanted to return to their reservations. As Col. Nelson A. Miles and Gen. Alfred Terry settled for the winter at the confluence of the Tongue and Yellowstone rivers near present-day Miles City, Sioux Chief Sitting Bull met with Miles and offered to leave the soldiers alone in exchange for continued hunting of buffalo. Miles instead demanded surrender, talks broke down and after both sides retreated to their stations a skirmish broke out on the East Fork of Cedar Creek, a sparsely vegetated bump roughly on the divide between the Missouri and Yellowstone river drainages in country now called "The Big Open." The Indians fled and the troops chased Sitting Bull for 40 miles, stealing the tribe's supplies along the way. Six days later, having suffered six casualties, the 2,000 weary Sioux surrendered and returned to reservations, with Sitting Bull and a few holdouts headed for Canada.

The significance: The Sioux did not suffer many losses at Cedar Creek, but the skirmish was pivotal. Most notable was the growing dissension among the Indians, many of whom were weary and fearful of the impacts winter would have on their families. Lesser chiefs pleaded with Sitting Bull to surrender, and the chief had threatened to kill any of those who did. When it was over, fewer Sioux were committed to Sitting Bulls leadership and the tribes days of freedom clearly were numbered.
Date: March 17, 1876. Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Wars.

Location: 35 miles southwest of Broadus, near Moorhead

Tribes: Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne

Whats there: Just off a county road on private land overlooking the meandering Powder River is a mound of cemented rocks and four brass plaques bearing the names of soldiers killed in the battle, which took place along the river. The Fulton family owns the land and maintains the Veteran of Foreign Wars markers. To see artifacts from what locals refer to as "The Reynolds Battle," visit the Powder River Historical Museum in Broadus.

The story: The cavalry didnt lose many battles to the tribes, but this was one  three months before Little Bighorn. As part of the War Departments plan to round up hostiles and move them to a reservation in the Black Hills of South Dakota, the Army moved into southeastern Montana, where on a frigid late-winter day scouts found a Northern Cheyenne band of about 60 warriors and a few Oglala Sioux led by Chief Two Moons camped in about 40 lodges along the river. In the early morning, Col. Joseph J. Reynolds attacked in a blizzard, firing 100 rounds for every round from the tribe, destroying the village and rounding up 700 ponies. Despite the barrage, only a few Indians were killed, and the soldiers, weary from marching and frustrated by shots from snipers, retreated. A day later, Gen. George Crook met up with Reynolds and discovered four soldiers dead, many more wounded and 66 suffering from frostbite. Crook subsequently ordered the column to head for a fort in Wyoming.

The significance: By all accounts, the Battle of Powder River ushered in the Great Sioux War of 1876. And though cold and battered themselves, the Indians recovered 500 of their stolen ponies and were emboldened by a victory that set the stage for two more big battles that summer. Though some historians blame Gen. Crook for his lack of support of Reynolds, he was so disgusted with the colonel for losing to the Indians that he initiated a court martial. Reynolds eventually was expelled from the Army, effectively ending his career. Crooks regiment regrouped but would be ambushed some three months later at Rosebud Creek, losing 28 soldiers and rendering him ineffective for Little Bighorn.
Date: Jan. 8, 1877. Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Wars.

Location: Four miles southwest of Birney along the Tongue River and eastern edge of the Northern Cheyenne Reservation

Tribes: Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne

Whats there: An interpretive sign creaking in the wind and a National Historic Landmark stone marker along a remote dusty road is all that marks what is considered to be the final event in the Great Sioux Wars. Slip through a tattered barbed-wire fence to explore the rocky hillside called Belly Butte, where the battle took place.

The story: Seven months after Little Bighorn, most Sioux and Northern Cheyenne had resigned themselves to reservations, including the followers of Sitting Bull (Sioux) and Dull Knife (Northern Cheyenne). After a failed attempt to negotiate peace with Gen. Miles and a subsequent murder of an Indian delegation, Sioux Chief Crazy Horse decided to exact revenge. Amid a blizzard, Crazy Horse and his band of Oglalas, Brules and Northern Cheyenne attacked nearly 500 troops under Miles along the Tongue River. Fighting in three feet of snow and temperatures well below zero, the soldiers held their ground and, after five hours of battle, claimed seven modest hills from which the Indians attacked, including Belly Butte. The tribes scattered and would never mount a serious offensive again.

The significance: Though the remoteness and lack of ceremony belie its significance, the Battle of Wolf Mountain did indeed signal the end of the Great Sioux Wars. The tribes were demoralized, and many Sioux and Northern Cheyenne began to trickle onto reservations. After withdrawing from Wolf Mountain, Crazy Horse and the rest of his followers would arrive four months later at Fort Robinson, Nebraska, where they officially ended their resistance, forever taming the Plains for European settlers.
Dates: Aug. 9-10, 1877. Nez Perce War of 1877.

Location: 10 miles west of Wisdom off MT 43

Tribe: Nez Perce

Whats there: A recently renovated National Park Service interpretive center with books, artifacts and films features a sweeping view of the North Fork of the Big Hole River valley and the tepee poles representing the site of the Nez Perce village. A lower paved parking lot provides access to three self-guided trails that wind through the battlefield and to a hillside perch amid pines where the cavalrys cannon was stationed. Until several years ago, small markers with painted eagle feathers indicated where the Indians fell, but those were removed because the Park Service decided they didn't offer an accurate representation of what took place.

The story: After refusing to move from their homeland in eastern Oregon to a reservation in Idaho, a band of nearly 700 Nez Perce led by chiefs Joseph, Looking Glass, Ollokot and White Bird embarked on an 1,170-mile trail of tears across Oregon, Idaho, Montana and 5-year-old Yellowstone National Park. For much of the summer they eluded 2,000 soldiers under Gen. Oliver Howard and Col. John Gibbon, outfoxing the soldiers in most of 18 separate engagements. But in the early dawn of Aug. 9, 1877, in what would become the third and most significant of the four major battles of the Nez Perce War, Gibbons forces surprised the Indians, killing close to 90  mostly women and children. Many Nez Perce escaped, but they were battered and knew their journey was at end.

The significance: The Battle of the Big Hole clearly was the turning point of the Nez Perce Wars of 1877, putting the Indians on their heels for the final two months of their desperate effort to reach safety in Canada.
Date: Aug. 1, 1867. Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Wars.

Location: About three miles northeast of Fort Smith

Tribes: Sioux, Northern Cheyenne

Whats there: The battlefield site is on private property, but respectful visitors are allowed to stop and read the small National Park Service stone monument marking the spot. Its about three miles east of Fort Smith, near Cottonwood Camp on the Bighorn River. On County Road 40A, cross the Bighorn Canal and look for NE Warman Loop. The marker is in a field near both roads.

The story: Now a mecca for trout anglers, Fort Smith was one of three installations built after the Civil War to provide safe passage for gold miners headed to Montana from Wyoming on the Bozeman Trail. Naturally, the trail and what it brought didnt sit well with the Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne and Northern Arapaho, who raided the remote outpost frequently in the summer of 1867. Finally, in mid-summer, a band of about 800 warriors attacked 20 soldiers and nine civilians in a hay field and log corral about three miles from the fort. Though the battle could be heard inside the fort, no support was sent to the corral. Despite the Indians clear numbers advantage, the battle was a stalemate due largely to the soldiers' impenetrable cover in the walled corral and new weaponry that had just arrived from Europe. As daylight waned, the Indians gave up and left.

The significance: Fort Smith commander Lt. Col. Luther Bradley didnt make much of the fight, and its a relative footnote in Indian Wars history. But even though the Indians didnt suffer significant casualties (eight dead, 30 wounded), their inability to take the fort forced them to rethink their strategy. After the Hayfield Fight and a similar skirmish a day later in present-day Nebraska, the Indians abandoned full military-style attacks along the Bozeman Trail and for the next decade only conducted occasional raids. The battle also bears some renown for the introduction of the 1866 rifle, which was rarely used after the Hayfield Fight because the soldiers werent fond of them.
The story: As the name implies, the Marias Massacre -- or Baker Massacre as it is sometimes known and Bear River Massacre among the Blackfeet, for their name for the Marias -- was hardly a battle. A staggering 173 Piegan women, children and mostly elderly men were slaughtered on a frigid day during what later was determined to be an attack on the wrong group of Blackfeet. The massacre was touched off by the murder of a white trader who was killed near Helena by a young warrior named Little Owl. Determined to exact revenge, a regiment under Major Eugene Baker began pursuit of Little Owls Piegan band, which had joined up with a group under Mountain Chief, all believed to be camped along the Marias River. As temperatures reached 30 below zero, the soldiers came upon a camp of 32 lodges along the river, surrounding it and commencing firing. Only when it was over did an Indian scout for the cavalry realize that it was a peaceful group led by Heavy Runner, who had papers from the government indicating they were to be left alone. Heavy Runner was killed while greeting the soldiers with his papers, and of the 172 others, some 50 kids less than 12 years old were either shot or killed with a bayonet. The soldiers did take about 100 prisoners, but when they realized many of the Piegans had small pox they cut them loose in frigid temperatures with no clothing, food or shelter, causing many to freeze to death. Only later did the soldiers learn Mountain Chief was camped a few miles downstream.
Date: June 17, 1876. Sioux and Northern Cheyenne Wars.

Location: About 27 miles south of Busby, on the eastern edge of the Crow Reservation

Tribes: Lakota Sioux, Northern Cheyenne

Whats there: After a one-mile drive on gravel off MT 314 is a parking area with interpretive signs describing a battle that took place on what is now a largely undeveloped 3,052-acre state park and National Historic Landmark. An undulating one-mile loop drive or walk on gravel provides a further glimpse of the story, albeit with some imagination required.

The story: Eight days before Little Bighorn, there was Rosebud. For most of the Indian wars, tribes were on the defensive. But at Rosebud Creek, about 1,500 Sioux and Northern Cheyenne went on the warpath, attacking 1,000 troops and more than 250 Shoshone and Crow scouts under Gen. George Crook's direction. In what would be one of the largest battles of the Indian Wars, the soldiers and tribes fought to a stalemate, each losing about 10 men and each claiming victory when the Lakota and Cheyenne called off the battle, setting the stage for the most famous fight of them all.

The significance: Scholars agree that the Sioux and Northern Cheyenne sent a formidable message to the U.S. Government at Rosebud, and that it was one of the few Indian success stories. What also isnt debated is that in the aftermath, Crook was forced to head south to resupply, leaving Gen. George Armstrong Custer without full support at Little Bighorn. Some say Crook was short on provisions anyway and couldnt have helped Custer, but his legacy was permanently tarnished and the Indians were at the apex of their confidence.
Gun deaths, police violence and global warming are epidemics, solvable with commitment, ingenuity and cooperation. Unfortunately, as long as Republicans stand in the way, solutions to those problems will remain out of Americas grasp. With that in mind, Id like to ask Republicans, What will it take?

From 2000 to 2015, the equivalent to one-half the population of Montana (505,005 people) lost their lives in America due to guns.

In Australia, the 1996 Port Arthur massacre (35 deaths) was all it took for the country to change its gun laws. Since then, Australias gun deaths have dropped dramatically and mass shootings have disappeared.

In America, the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre took the lives of 26 people. If there ever was a time for America to follow Australias lead, that was it. Instead, Republicans obstructed, and last year annual gun sales reached 27 million  an all-time record.

If we had the collective will, America could come close to matching Australias success and still retain gun rights for hunters. Yet even weak gun regulation proposals send Republicans into a frenzy, and gun deaths clip along at an average of 33,667 per year.

Tell me, Republicans, how many grade-school massacres or annual deaths will it take before youve had enough?

Most police officers are brave citizens with ethical standards. Nevertheless, police violence is another American epidemic. Before cell phone videos, such violence was easier to hide. Now the internet is filled with examples of police violence, ranging from head stompings to firing on unarmed citizens.

And while the violence is committed by a minority of officers, its likely more common than it appears. No one knows how often the blue curtain covers up unfilmed violence or how often victims simply limp away, fearful of reporting to someone who could be buddies with the offending officer.

How does police violence apply to Republicans? Quite simply, Republicans have made it their mission to defend the police without question  especially when the victims are black. In a July 28 speech to Long Island police officers, Donald Trump actually encouraged officers to be more violent when making arrests! No wonder police officers get off so frequently in jury trials, despite damning video evidence.

Tell me, Republicans, how much brutality can you gloss over before youll demand that police academy training methods be revamped and all officers be outfitted with body cameras?

Global warming is the third epidemic plaguing America. Montana is enduring yet another devastating fire season, and Texas is enduring the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. Scientists warn that we cant tie individual forest fires or hurricanes to global warming. Even so, we do know that in the 31 years since Ronald Reagan ripped the solar panels off the White House, leading Republicans on an anti-environmental crusade, Montanas fire season has lengthened by roughly 40 days. We also know that ocean temperatures have risen during that same time, amplifying the intensity of storms.

If Republicans in Congress hadnt consistently voted against the environment and obstructed renewable energy innovation, perhaps wed now have the upper hand in the battle against global warming. Instead, we have super-fires and super-storms occurring at history-making rates.

Tell me, Republicans, how much devastation will it take before youll join the fight to keep our planet livable for future generations?

Although history wont be kind to todays Republicans, political parties can change. When President Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the Democrats lost the South but maintained their humanity. If Republicans ever wish to be ethical leaders, instead of blinder-wearing followers, they too must find their own Johnson and put country before party.

I just want to know. What will it take?
Forests and money aren't the only things going up in smoke in Montana.

So too are the excuses for many who would deny climate change as most of the West, especially Montana, is literally in flames.

This isn't the first time the Treasure State has lost considerable amounts of its riches as both the forest and prairies have been devoured by wildfire. And, we don't know the final tally of the damage.

Other years may have been more notable, as when Yellowstone National Park burned in 1988. Few will likely approach this fire season for sheer magnitude.

Let's not forget that large parts of Glacier National Park have burned or been closed, including the historic Sperry Chalet. It doesn't just cost money to fight fires, but tourism dollars are lost, hurting the surrounding communities.

Last week, Montana Gov. Steve Bullock warned that deeper cuts appeared to be in store for the state. Remember, when lawmakers skipped town after the session, they left behind an austere budget that didn't contemplate a terrible fire season. Off-target revenue numbers and the nearly certain need to find more funding for wildfires will translate to fewer Montanans with jobs. Those who need services may not get them.

It's easy to talk about being fiscally responsible in February. Cutting the budget then doesn't seem like having to choose between fire protection and caring for the elderly. But come September, on the back end of a brutal fire season, that's exactly the kind of pick-your-poison choice lawmakers have left for the governor.

Right now, some of the ideas for trimming the budget include reducing services for the elderly; it might mean eliminating drug treatment courts which send people into programs and not prison; it might mean that Montana doesn't have a Human Rights Bureau.

We cannot fault Bullock for having to make some painful choices. That's part of his job. And we can't simply quit paying firefighters or stop defending against the blazes when they happen.

It is simply a matter of too many needs and too little money. But fighting fires means paying for them, too.

In one edition of The Billings Gazette last week, we counted no fewer than seven different news items about fires across Montana. On one hand, that's life during fire season in Montana.

However, during the same week, we also have been running non-stop stories about the extraordinary hurricane and flooding in Houston. Now, with Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, we're set to see another destructive side of Mother Nature.

We have indeed seen fire and we've seen rain.

The devastation along the Gulf Coast certainly deserves and will keep our national attention for some time. But Hurricane Harvey has distracted from the terrible wildfire season being experienced across the West, including places like Washington and California.

It's hard not to read the news and get a sense that the natural disasters that have been wreaked upon the U.S. are not only devastating, but also seem to be intensifying.

Coincidence?

Maybe.

However, we have also been pointing out for years that climate scientists have warned that as part of global warming, weather patterns would intensify, not just warm. In other words, fire season would get longer and hotter.

Check.

We would also not just dry up because the average temperature increases. Scientists warned that we would see similar weather patterns, like hurricanes or tornadoes, but they may intensify or increase in frequency.

Check.

We can't for certain say that any one of the thousands of fires started in Montana is directly linked to climate change. We can't say that Harvey should be laid at the feet of those who deny change. We can't say for certain that it was more intense because of manmade pollution.

However, we believe the question of climate change needs addressing. If politicians, especially those on the right like Rep. Greg Gianforte or Sen. Steve Daines  need any political cover so that they can begin addressing the effects of climate change, it would seem that Harvey, Irma and the West's wildland fires have given them plenty.

We haven't just burned through the money here in Montana as we've fought fires, we have also burned through the question of whether something is happening to our environment. Clearly, the best science  and the best scientists  agree that humankind's impact is contributing to these changes.

We need honest talk and quick action to help curb this problem. We'd bet the economic impact of decreasing coal production in Colstrip will pale in comparison to the cost of firefighting, loss and rebuilding what the fires have taken. It's not just about coal or Colstrip. Quite frankly, it's about all of us here in Montana. It's not just energy, it's also tourism. It's about being able to live in the Last Best Place.

It's hard to see the Big Sky when it's covered in smoke and haze.
Police say a Butte man was cited for an aggravated DUI early Wednesday morning mere hours after he was arrested for the same crime in a separate incident.

The first arrest occurred around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday, when police say that officers and a witness allegedly observed Tony Sullivan, 36, of Butte drinking inside his vehicle at a gas station on Montana Street and driving away.

Undersheriff George Skuletich said that officers followed Sullivan from Montana Street to the intersection of Idaho and Gold, where he began driving erratically, slowing and accelerating multiple times. After traveling a block south on Idaho Street, Skuletich said, officers pulled him over, at which point he failed a field sobriety test, and officers could observe an open container of beer in his car.

Skuletich said Sullivan was then taken to the Butte jail, where he failed another sobriety test, blew more than twice the legal limit on a Breathalyzer and was cited with an aggravated DUI, along with several misdemeanors.

Sullivan was booked at 10:10 p.m., but it didnt take him long to bond out of jail, which he did at 11:55 p.m. with the help of a bondsman and $1,455.

But a few hours later, around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday, Sullivan was back in police custody, Skuletich said.

According to the undersheriff, police found the Butte man passed out and slumped over the wheel of his car with the ignition running on the 2000 block of Grand Avenue, where Skuletich said he hit a parked vehicle, causing minor damage to his car. Police were alerted to the scene by a resident in the area, who said that loud music was emanating from a parked vehicle and that a man, Sullivan, was asleep inside.

Skuletich said that when officers arrived it took them several minutes to rouse Sullivan. They could observe several open cans of beer in the car, along with a bottle of whiskey still containing alcohol. Officers called an ambulance, but paramedics did not recommend him for further medical treatment, Skuletich said.

After getting cleared by paramedics, Sullivan was transported to the Butte jail, where he again blew twice the legal limit and was cited with another round of charges, including a second aggravated DUI.

As of Wednesday morning, Sullivan remained in Butte county jail.
A Butte man previously sentenced to prison for threatening to kill a police officer and who in May was arrested in three separate incidents is in trouble with the law again.

In 2006 Richard Girard, 38, of Butte was sentenced to 10 years in the Montana State Prison with five suspended for felony intimidation. According to court documents, Girard threatened to kill a police officer during a traffic stop, going as far as describing where the officer lived. He was released from prison in 2011.

The most recent incident involving Girard took place Sunday afternoon.

Undersheriff George Skuletich said police received a call around 1 p.m. from a resident on the 600 block of Crystal Street who said that the man was loitering in his yard and throwing rocks at his home.

When officers arrived, Skuletich said, Girard was speaking irrationally and told officers he would have his dragons attack them if they tried to arrest him. Before being apprehended by the officers, Girard began removing planks from the yards fence in an attempt to get away. He was taken to Butte jail, where he was cited with trespassing and criminal mischief, both misdemeanors.

Girards arrest comes just months after he was accused of a series of crimes in May and April. In one of the incidents, police arrested him for trespassing May 5 after officers found him in the Kelley mineyard shoeless and hitting himself in the head with rocks.

According to police accounts at the time, officers arrested Girard, but not until shooting him twice with a stun gun. He bonded out of jail the next day, May 6, but was in police custody again hours later after a man accused Girard of striking him in the face and back with a weapon. Upon their arrival, police said they observed that the doors of the victims home were open, that there was blood in the residence and that Girard was sitting on the porch of another house, located across the street. The owner of the home told officers she did not known Girard. Girard is also facing a possession of dangerous drugs charge in relation to an April 20 incident in which police allegedly discovered him in possession of 14 methadone pills.

Trials are pending for the May assault, Kelley mineyard incident and the possession of dangerous drugs charge. Samm Cox, deputy county attorney, said a judge has ordered a mental evaluation in the dangerous drugs case and the outcome for all three cases could depend on the result of the evaluation.

Girard, meanwhile, has been released from Butte jail having paid a bond of $770. A trial has been set Oct. 3 for the Kelley mineyard incident.
BIG TIMBER  After outfitter Cameron Mayo had to shoot an injured mule to put it out of misery and it took four trips to carry the pack animals gear 350 feet back up to the trail, he knew he was in for a long day at the office.
A woman who was arrested for leading Butte police on a dangerous high-speed chase in May and later broke bail conditions was behind bars again Thursday with bond now set at $50,000.

A new warrant was issued for Tanisha Marie James, 20, on Aug. 18 after prosecutors say she broke numerous bail conditions, including GPS monitoring and drug-screening requirements.

Police recognized James while doing a routine walk-through in Lucky Lils Casino at 521 S. Montana St. and arrested her late Wednesday night. On Thursday, District Judge Kurt Krueger reset bail at $50,000. She is charged with five felonies, including theft, possession of dangerous drugs, and three counts of criminal endangerment.

On May 17, a Bozeman detective told Butte police to be on the lookout for James in a stolen 2008 GMC Sierra. She was spotted in the car later that day on Porphyry Street and sped away from police.

She almost struck other cars then hit Gillams Furniture Emporium at 1100 Front St., damaging the building and losing a tire. The chase continued before her car stopped on Harrison Avenue near the Civic Center and she was arrested.

She was later released on her own recognizance pending further court proceedings but was ordered to wear a GPS device and report for drug screening.

Her public defender asked Krueger on Thursday to consider additional bail conditions that would allow her to remain free, saying she was involved in divorce proceedings and was scheduled to visit with her child Friday.

But Deputy County Attorney Anne Shea said James had tried to remove her GPS device almost immediately after her release last time then let its batteries run down.

She has not demonstrated she can follow any conditions, she told Krueger, who agreed with her recommendation for $50,000 bond and said he would set another court hearing later.

NOT GUILTY TO STEALING, CRASHING CAR

A man accused of driving off in someone elses car, crashing it into a fence at Koprivica Park, and then running from police pleaded not guilty in Butte district court Thursday to two felony charges and one misdemeanor.

Krueger then ordered that Brendan Lee White remain in jail with bond set at $15,000.

Police say White was banging on the door of a house on the 800 block of South Main Street on July 30. A woman drove up, left her car running, and went inside the house, and White started jumping up and down on the roof of the car before taking off in it.

At one point he crashed into a fence at Koprivica Park off of Second Street. When spotted on foot shortly afterward, White took off a plastic motocross chest-protector vest, threw it at an officer, and ran, police said. He was later arrested.

He is charged with misdemeanor theft and felony assault with a weapon and criminal mischief. The next court hearing was set for Oct. 5.

PARTNER ASSAULT

A man pleaded not guilty to felony partner/family member assault for allegedly throwing and pushing his girlfriend and dragging her by her hair, ripping some of it from her scalp.

David Joseph Bustle, 53, remains free on $10,000 bond with the next hearing set Oct. 5. The charge is a felony because it was his third or subsequent offense for partner assault.

Prosecutors say Bustle accused his girlfriend on July 27 of cheating on him, threw something that hit her in the eye, threw her to the ground, and then dragged her by the hair into a bedroom.

The woman was able to escape from the house on the 2000 block of California Street and make it to a neighbors house to call police.

SENTENCED FOR ASSAULT

District Judge Brad Newman gave Joshua David Whaley a suspended six-month sentence for going into his ex-girlfriends house on Oct. 22 last year and punching a man while he slept.

Whaley already had served 84 days in jail, so the suspended sentence will only last for about three more months. Whaley will remain free with only minimal probation supervision.

He was originally charged with aggravated felony burglary, but prosecutors reduced it to a misdemeanor assault charge that Whaley pleaded guilty to Thursday in Butte district court.
The Out of the Darkness Community Walk at 1 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, has been moved to the Butte Plaza Mall because of smoky air quality, according to a news release issued Wednesday.

More than 150 people from throughout the Butte area are expected to participate in the fundraising walk. It supports the American Foundation for Suicide Preventions local and national programs and its goal to reduce the annual rate of suicide 20 percent by 2025.

The walk was originally scheduled for the walking trail from the Butte Chamber of Commerce to Father Sheehan Park.

The Butte walk is part of a national Out of the Darkness walk movement, and will start at the Events Center in the mall.

For details, visit www.buttewalk.org, or contact Butte chairwoman Dorea Wilmoth, 406-333-1367.
Audemio Orozco-Ramirez, father of seven U.S. citizens, was cruelly snatched from his family one month ago. We call on Immigration, Customs and Enforcement to release him.

Audemio Orozco-Ramirez has lived in the United States for 20 years, is considered a valued employee by his employer, and has raised a family. Six of his children are U.S. citizens and one is a legal resident under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals status. The last time he was in ICE custody, Audemio was raped. He applied for permanent status years ago and never heard from the Department of Homeland Security about his application.

The 10 Commandments begin with Gods reminder to the people that God delivered them as immigrants and refugees out of Egypt. Throughout the Judeo-Christian tradition, we are reminded to treat the foreigner, the alien, the stranger with hospitality and care, for our faith ancestors were once aliens in the land of Egypt and, by doing so, we might just be welcoming angels unaware. We formed Billings Sanctuary Rising to bear witness to the treatment of immigrants and refugees in our community.

We are heartbroken by the actions of our local Immigration and Customs Enforcement office. The local ICE agent promised to let us know if and when Audemios status changed. Instead of telling us, he sent an email to Audemios attorney at 6 a.m; ICE had detained Audemio through subterfuge by 9 a.m. The agent changed Audemios regular appointment time, asked if those church people were with him, and when Audemio told him no, the agent immediately detained Audemio. The agent also falsely stated that Audemio had committed crimes. The agents deceptive and cruel actions have ripped Audemios family apart.

During periods of his detention, Audemio was denied meals. When he asked about food, ICE employees threw saltine crackers and a bottle of water at him  hate and physical abuse piled upon lies and deception to treat a husband, a father, and a community member as if he were something less than human. Such shameful behavior from our government employees should not be tolerated.

Audemio Orozco-Ramirez is the main source of income for his family. If he cannot be the main source of income, his oldest son will be forced to forego his college education and return home to earn money to feed his family in his dads absence. Our countrys policies and practices are actively destroying the dreams of Audemios and other hardworking families and arbitrarily extracting important members of our communities.

We strongly reject the hateful language of our president, who would have all of us believe that every immigrant is a murderer or a rapist, a bad hombre. We know Audemio to be a devoted husband, loving father, and valued employee.

For years, our government's trade and foreign policy has decimated the lives of the poor in Mexico and Central America. This, in turn, created an immigration crisis as people naturally immigrated toward the center of trade power and influence, the United States, seeking out new lives for their families. After having made immigrants victims through our policies and practices, we have then made them victims twice-over with accusation and blame. And now, with the current administrations policies, we are unwilling to take responsibility for anything but the profit we make off immigrants lives.

Audemio Orozco-Ramirez is in detention in Aurora, Colorado, far from his family, his job, and his community. As Billings Sanctuary Rising, we pray that our community and country return to values of hospitality, mercy, and kindness, and that our government returns Audemio to his home in Montana.

Pharaoh, in fear of the Israelite people, enacted and practiced spiteful and cruel policies. Jesus taught us to practice extravagant hospitality. May we return to our values and return Audemio to his family.

-- Emma Kerr-Carpenter, Amy Aguirre, and the Rev. Mike Mulberry are members of Billings Sanctuary Rising.
On the same day kids went back to public schools in Butte, Butte-Silver Bow commissioners took up a request to have permanent radar speed signs installed along Continental Drive at Hillcrest Elementary School.

Commissioner Cindy Perdue-Dolan asked her fellow council members to authorize the signs, which show motorists how fast theyre going and, of course, what the posted speed limit is. They can also blink Slow Down in red letters for emphasis when limits are being exceeded.

The request is backed by Hillcrest School officials and some area residents, including Casey McGruder, whose son, Burke, is a fifth-grader at Hillcrest. McGruder said motorists sometimes go 50 mph along Continental, which has become even busier given the popularity of nearby Skyline Park.

I think its a matter of time before there's a catastrophe right there, I really do, he told commissioners Wednesday night. I really dont think its a matter of if, its a matter of when.

But there are costs and bureaucratic hoops involved and other factors to consider. For example, county Public Works officials say permanent radar signs run the risk of being overlooked by drivers after a while.

Still, from passing ones on Park Street at Montana Tech, Perdue-Dolan knows first-hand the electronic radar signs work.

If instead of 25 it says Im going 28, I go back down to where I should be, she said earlier Wednesday.

Others believe they work, too, given the number of requests Perdue-Dolan has fielded from constituents in other parts of District 1 on the Flat she represents. They make sense at Hillcrest, 3000 Continental Dr., because school just started again and Continental is heavily traveled, she said.

The mobile digital radar sings are apparently a big hit because I have gotten calls from neighbors and folks on different streets who want them on their streets for a while because it slows down driving, she said.

Commissioners referred the request to their Public Works Committee where it can be hashed out in more detail. And there could be several details to consider.

Public Works officials say the county has two permanent signs in the area of Paxson Street and Wynne Avenue. That decision was made several years ago because of numerous complaints about speeding.

The county recently purchased two radar signs on trailers so they can be moved around town. They cost about $7,000 each and were put on Cobban Street near Emerson Elementary School for the first day of classes there.

The signs can be set for any speed limit, so the ones near Emerson are set for 15 mph  the speed limit in that school zone.

We went to mobile ones so we can bring them around to different locations and test them  bring awareness to what the speed limit is there  for a week at a time, said Road Operations Manager Nick Sandford. If we put them there permanently, we think people will want them everywhere.

Public Works Director Dave Schultz says the signs do raise awareness and can be effective, but there might be a limit to that.

People ignore speed-limit signs and with permanent (radar signs), were not so sure people arent going to ignore them, too, he said. "Our hope is by dragging these around and putting them in different spots  and theres quite a list of people who want them  were raising awareness and it could be pretty effective.

The speed limit on Continental drops from 35 mph to 25 mph in front of Hillcrest during school hours, Sandford said, and although the county maintains the road, the Montana Department of Transportation has jurisdiction over it. That means any changes would involve conferring with state officials, he said.

Perdue-Dolan knows the signs cost money and commissioners just approved a new county budget last month. But she wants the request considered and says the school or even a private-public partnership with parents can be looked at for funding, too.

We dont want to be reactive after a child gets hurt, we want to be proactive, she said.
MUSCATINE  Greg Wall remembers the exact time a tornado plowed through Muscatine, causing a 75-foot tall chimney to crash into the roof of Wesley United Methodist Church, damaging the sanctuary and demolishing its organ.

Clocks stopped at 10:10 p.m., according to Wall, chairman of the board of trustees, who remembers the whole building shaking during the March 6 tornado. In the end, there were about a quarter of a million dollars worth of damages to the church. Within minutes, Wall said the church, 400 Iowa Ave., was a "beehive of activity," as police and firefighters arrived. Soon after, the insurance company and contractors arrived.

"The first thing (we noticed) was a bus in the parking lot that probably had been moved about 30 or 40 feet, with three broken windows and a gash in the side of it," Wall said.

Upon entering the church, he said the main priority was making sure the building was secure, and gas and other utility lines could be shut off. Then, Wall and other trustees could assess the damage.

The 200-yard wide EF2 tornado, as classified by the National Weather Service, traveled nearly two miles through Muscatine, between 4th and 5th streets. Wesley's Family Life Center, across the street from the church, received damage to its roof and HVAC system. Winds smashed windows in the church's education wing, ripped shingles off the roof and destroyed plaster on walls.

Most noticeable, though, was the sanctuary. The church's tall chimney had been ripped in half by strong winds and carried over the sanctuary, where it smashed through the roof, destroying the chancel and church organ.

The organ, which was installed in the 1980s and includes pieces of the church's original 1911 organ, was pushed on top of the chancel, with parts flying into the sanctuary's seating area. Wall said the organ was demolished.

They were able to salvage about 100 of the 5,000 pipes, plus some chimes that were part of the original organ.

"So hopefully we will have a little bit of both organs in the new one," Wall said.

The church has formed an organ search committee, and has been contacting manufacturers in the Midwest. He hopes to choose a company later this month to supply a new organ, which could take two years to fully install.

Some repairs to the church, including exterior and electric work, is estimated to cost more than $250,000, according to the building permit filed with the city. A new organ could cost up to $3 million, Wall said.

Despite the damage, Wall said there were silver linings. In the sanctuary, only one wall-sized stained-glass window, installed in 1911, sustained damage. The window's frame was damaged and pushed in about 2 inches, but the stained-glass was spared. A company reinstalled the window about three weeks ago.

It has also been an opportunity to "generally spruce up" the church. While crews repair damage to the sanctuary, Wall said church officials decided to make some needed improvements.

The sanctuary will get new floors, carpet, paint and LED lighting. The church will upgrade its audio and video systems, renovate the balconies and add a handicap accessible ramp. Other parts of the church are being renovated as well, and the main hallways will be repainted.

When the new organ is installed, Wall said, it will sit near a renovated, larger chancel. New insulation and electric work should improve the acoustics in the sanctuary.

"This is the time to do it," Wall said. "We've already got the contractors here and everything is in disarray anyway, so we might as well do it now."

Wesley United Methodist Church has started a capital campaign to fund the renovations, and Wall said support from the community has helped make the project come together.

"We've had excellent support from people in the community and people away from here," he said. "There's a lot of people who used to go here and have ties to Muscatine but moved away, and they are always willing to help."

The church's chimney has been replaced and is now functional, and exterior repairs are nearly finished. Wall hopes the sanctuary and other interior work will be completed in November. In the meantime, Wesley's congregation about 250 members on Sunday morning continue to hold weekly services at the Family Life Center.
WAPELLO  At one time the small unincorporated Louisa County community of Marsh was an important stop on the Iowa Central Railroad, midway between Morning Sun and Winfield.

According to iagenweb.org, the town, located on S Avenue less than one mile north of Iowa Highway 78, boasted a post office, stockyard, depot, elevator, vehicle-repair garage, church, scale house, small store and general store. However, time eventually passed it by and only two families and a few buildings remain. On Tuesday, William Huber, Washington, told the county board of supervisors about his plans for the old settlement and a piece of ground the county acquired a tax sale certificate to in 2016.

I want to clean it up and put a hog building up, he said, adding the parcel was overgrown with weeds.

Huber said he talked with the families who live in Marsh and they agreed to sell him their remaining property so he could erect the hog confinement. After hearing his plans, the supervisors cautioned that even if he was able to obtain the tax certificate, it could take some time before a clear title could be obtained.

Huber said an unidentified courthouse staffer had advised him it would be a 90-day process, but Supervisor Brad Quigley suggested it could take longer.

Quigley said it took Wapello about two years to obtain title to a city lot that had been sold at a tax sale. Quigley also said he wanted to see confirmation from the two property owners regarding their interest in the property transaction.

Id feel better if we got something from the adjoining owners, he said.

Huber said he would ask them to sign a statement that they were willing to sell.

The supervisors tabled further action on Hubers request.

In other action, a request from a San Francisco-based online service, which apparently examines building permits to develop contractor recommendations.

Louisa County Zoning Administrator Paul Choi said BuildZoom had contacted him about providing it with the last 10 years of permits. Choi said the former paper-based permitting system did not allow for a quick response and he took the matter to County Attorney Adam Parsons.

Choi said Parsons suggested providing the permit information at a reasonable charge. Choi said request might offer the county an opportunity to scan the documents to provide easier future storage.

IT Director Chuck Borschel also attended the meeting and during his update had also talked about document storage, especially for the sheriffs office body and dashboard camera recordings.
WASHINGTON (AP)  President Donald Trump headed to North Dakota to discuss his tax overhaul plans Wednesday, but not all of his speech lined up with the facts about the tax code and the state of the U.S. economy.

Trump says he intends to cut taxes by the most since 1981, but the White House still hasn't released a plan with numbers to support the claim. Nor do most economists say that Trump's presence at the White House has suddenly caused growth to accelerate as he suggested in the speech.

Here is a look at Trump's claims and the facts:

TRUMP: "This is a major, major tax cut. The biggest since Ronald Reagan."

THE FACTS: Trump has long bragged about the size of his tax cut, but he hasn't proposed a detailed plan to back up his claim. So it's hard to say how much tax relief he would offer.

But matching President Reagan's 1981 tax cut could cause the deficit to jump substantially.

The 1981 tax cut trimmed government revenues by an average of 2.89 percent over four years, according to a Treasury Department analysis. A similarly sized tax cut in 2018 would be equivalent to roughly $580 billion a year, a figure that would cause the national debt to balloon to levels that many economists say could ultimately hurt growth.

TRUMP: "Last quarter, we hit 3 percent GDP. And I'll tell you what, a lot of that had to do with the cutting of the regulation and I think a lot of it had to do with optimism."

THE FACTS: Most economists say that any president  including Trump  is unlikely to suddenly turnaround the world's largest economy. The impact is often felt at a more gradual pace than six months.

While a given president is in office, faster growth is often determined by oil prices, stronger growth overseas and higher levels of productivity  all forces outside the White House's domain, according to research by Princeton University economists Alan Blinder and Mark Watson.

Both the powers of the president and the broader government on the economy are "quite limited," Blinder said.

"Think of it as trying to steer a fully-loaded oil tanker," he said. "Policies do have effects, but they can't change the economy's course on a dime."

The U.S. economy did expand at a 3 percent annualized pace during the April-June quarter. But that increase came after a sluggish annual growth rate of 1.2 percent during the first three months of 2017. This means the economy expanded at 2.1 percent during the first half of the year, roughly the same pace as it has during the recovery from the Great Recession.

TRUMP: "The taxes are crazy. The highest taxed nation in the world."

THE FACTS: Trump has complained before about tax burdens in the United States. But the overall U.S. tax burden is actually one of the lowest among the 32 developed and large emerging-market economies tracked by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development.

Taxes made up 26.4 percent of the total U.S. economy in 2015, according to the OECD. That's far below Denmark's tax burden of 46.6 percent, Britain's 32.5 percent or Germany's 36.9 percent. Just four OECD countries had a lower tax bite than the U.S.: South Korea, Ireland, Chile and Mexico.

Will be going to North Dakota today to discuss tax reform and tax cuts. We are the highest taxed nation in the world - that will change.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017

Asked about a tweet Wednesday on the matter, White House counselor Kellyanne Conway said: "The president is probably referring to the fact that in the developed world we have the highest corporate tax rate."

The United States does have one of the highest corporate tax rates in the world, but, due to tax breaks, many companies don't pay the full rate.
Les emplois a Rennes sont abondants et varies. Il y a quelque chose pour tout le monde. Que vous soyez a la recherche dun emploi []
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 []
Born August 22, 1945 in Vallejo, she was the daughter of the late William Yohner and Shirley Young. She was a 1963 graduate of Napa High School, attended Napa College, and received a Bachelors degree and teaching credential from then Sacramento State. Linda taught elementary schoolfirst in a public system and last at St. Johns Catholic School in Napa. She spent most of her career as a mortgage underwriter in Napas real estate industry, retiring after more than thirty years. She attended St. Thomas Aquinas Catholic Church in Napa.
Napas businesses may be about 1,900 miles from Houston, but many are touched by the plight of Texans affected by Hurricane Harvey.

A number of Napa area wineries and other companies have collected donations or made contributions  both financially and otherwise  for the hard-hit state.

Downtown Napa business owner Sean Dougherty of Sidestreet Cigar said his entire family lives in the Houston area.

Its hit home for me, Dougherty said of the hurricane.

Everybody is alive, which is good, he said, but the dwelling of at least one member of his family was flooded.

To raise money for relief efforts, Dougherty donated 100 percent of his sales over Labor Day weekend for Hurricane Harvey relief. It was a no-brainer for me, he said.

Hes hoping to donate a few thousand dollars or more to two different efforts  the Lance McCullers Jr. Foundation and the JJ Watt Foundation. Both foundations were created by professional athletes in Texas.

Now that both Houston airports are back open, Dougherty left Napa on Wednesday to visit his hometown. Ive got to get back down there and see things for myself.

Dougherty said regardless of what he can do when he gets to Houston, I think moral support is the biggest thing of all. When I see my hometown under water, it takes something out of you.

On Tuesday night, Stephanie Sheehan and her husband, Trevor Sheehan, of the Corner Napa restaurant in downtown Napa, hosted a fundraiser called Tuesday for Texas. During the dinner service, they pledged to match every dollar spent in the restaurant for relief efforts. In total, they plan to donate more than $6,000 to the JJ Watt Foundation, she said.

The couple has many friends in Houston, Stephanie Sheehan said. We have a strong connection to Texas.

Some of their friends were flooded out of their homes and lost everything, she said. It was shocking. They were not anticipating the flooding where it ended up.

The couple plans to eventually travel to Houston to help affected friends and volunteer with other clean-up efforts. You kind of feel helpless in California but were trying to do whatever we can, she said.

Mike Glavin of Top It Off Bottling in Napa said he called the Houston Food Bank to find out how his company could help. Glavin once briefly lived in Houston. But other than that he has no other connection to the state.

Glavin said his 35 employees agreed to contribute a portion of the funds from their profit-sharing plan to the food bank.

Were very fortunate as a company, the employees work hard and we want to give back, said Glavin.

Glavin said the company will donate $20,000. It wasnt a huge amount, but enough to help, he said.

Stewart Cellars of Yountville is collecting diapers and wipes to donate to the Texas Diaper Bank. Caroline Stewart Guthrie said she and her brother, James Stewart, are from Houston.

Im a mother of three small children, two of which are still in diapers, she said. In a disaster, diapers and wipes are always needed.

Many moms have leftover diapers after their babies grow from one size to another. Those can be bundled up and shipped to the Texas Diaper Bank, she said.

In California, were not exactly geographically close and we cant go help physically but we can definitely send supplies, she said.

Stewart Guthrie said shes already collected 2,000 diapers and 40 packs of wipes and mailed the supplies to the Diaper Bank.

I just want to do my part, she said. We are all blessed to have so much, so when something catastrophic like this happens the least we can do is figure out a way to help.

Even if some of the diapers dont go to Harvey victims, No matter, what Im confident were helping somebody, which is really the goal here.

Others who wish to donate can drop off diapers at Stewart Cellars, 6752 Washington St., open daily from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

Stephanie Honig of Honig Vineyard & Winery in Rutherford said that the business agreed to donate 50 percent of all online sales from Aug. 29 to Sept. 5 to Hurricane Harvey relief efforts. That adds up to about $10,000, she said. The donation will be sent to the JJ Watt Foundation, she said.

We have a lot of supporters and friends in Texas but its really about helping communities and giving back, said Honig.

Any of us would want people to lend a helping hand. We do what we hope others would do for us if we were in that situation.

I dont know how much $10K will help but if everyone does, it will make some impact, said Honig.

Naomi Chamblin, owner of Bookmine in Napa, said that she and other merchants in the Oxbow Public Market agreed to donate a percentage of their sales from this past Saturday to hurricane relief efforts.

I was happy to do that, said Chamblin.

While the hot weather put a damper on the number of shoppers that day, in the end, Chamblin was able to raise $300, she said. That money, and funds raised by the other Oxbow businesses, will be donated to the Napa Valley Community Foundation to be distributed to the Houston Community Foundation, she said.

After the citys 2014 earthquake, I feel like Napans more than probably most cities really get how out of control you feel after such a disaster. Napans have a perspective of how long the recovery process is, she said.

Chamblin said she grew up in Florida where hurricanes are a constant threat, she said. I know how scary hurricanes can be.

Napa-based businesses arent the only companies making contributions.

According to a news release, Kaiser Permanente donated $1 million to support those affected by Hurricane Harvey.

Half of the donation will go to the American Red Cross for immediate needs in affected areas, such as medical care, food, shelter and clothing. The other half will go to Mental Health America of Greater Houston to provide mental health and emotional support for survivors, first responders and others affected by the storm.

Lucky Supermarkets are also collecting donations to be distributed to the Red Cross.
Napans showed their support for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, during a rally at Veterans Memorial Park on Wednesday evening.

The rally, attended by well over 100 people, was planned in response to the Trump administrations announcement Tuesday that the program that has protected approximately 800,000 people, commonly known as Dreamers, who arrived in the U.S. illegally as children, would be winding down.

A lot of Napa community members are feeling anguish, sadness, Ricky Hurtado said of the planned rollback of protection for young immigrants who were brought into the country illegally as children, but have been protected from deportation by an executive order by former President Obama.

The event, spearheaded by the Napa Valley Dream Team, focused on what resources are available to Dreamers and other immigrants in addition to showing support for the immigrant community.

We want to highlight organizations that people can turn to in this time of uncertainty, Hurtado said.

Eduardo Rivera, a DACA recipient and local organizer, said that the narrative that DACA beneficiaries were brought to the U.S. through no fault of their own suggests that parents who brought their children here are criminals.

I dont want my mom to be criminalized, he said. Even if DACA continues, he said, What is going to happen to the other 10.2 million (undocumented) immigrants who live here?

If the Trump administration is disbanding DACA is because it wants to uphold the law, then why pardon someone who deprived people of their civil rights, Rivera said, referring to President Trumps pardon of former Maricopa County Arizona sheriff Joe Arpaio last week.

During an open forum, Daniela Gamez, who is not a DACA recipient but is currently studying at UC Davis, echoed Riveras sentiment regarding the parents who brought them here.

Of her own parents, she said: They are not criminals for bringing me here. They just wanted a better future for me.

Her family pays taxes every year, and, she said, her mom may not be a citizen on paper, but she is one in her heart.

We didnt cross the border, she said. The border crossed us.

While the group stood in a circle holding signs and listening to impromptu speakers, including Napa County Supervisors Belia Ramos and Alfredo Pedroza, a man started chanting USA! USA! from the First Street Bridge.

USA! USA! answered the DACA supporters.

Seemingly confused for a moment, the man then yelled Trump! Trump!

The people united will never be divided, rally-goers answered. The rally continued peacefully, lasting nearly two hours and, when the shouter showed up again holding a Trump flag, a young man addressed him in front of the crowd. Youre by yourself, he said, yet were united.

Planned speakers included representatives from Calpulli Nanahuatzin, Rep. Mike Thompsons office, the Napa Valley Dream Team Club, the Dream Teams Rapid Response Team and Puertas Abiertas.
What could be only Round One in the Palmaz heliport battle goes to the opponents.

The county Planning Commission and Airport Land Use Commission on Wednesday dealt the proposed private-use heliport a double defeat. That doesnt necessarily settle a matter that can be appealed to the county Board of Supervisors.

I was moved today by the testimony of our community, said Michael Basayne, who sits on both commissions.

The Napa County Board of Supervisors can overturn a Planning Commission decision by a majority vote. It can override an Airport Land Use Commission finding by a four-fifths vote. A county report said no Airport Land Use Commission finding has been overridden by a local agency since the commission was formed in 1970.

Palmaz attorney Brian Russell said on Thursday morning that the Palmaz team is exploring its options, though he didnt give details. He expected to have an answer next week.

We were disappointed with the decision, Russell said. We think it was an incorrect decision not based on what the (county) staff recommended or what the science provided.

Christian Palmaz wants to build a private-use heliport on Mount George near his family home a few miles east of the city of Napa. An environmental impact report said the project with certain steps, such as establishing a no-fly zone over nearby rural neighborhoods, would have no significant impacts.

During the hearing, Russell called many of the objections voiced by project critics hysteria and speculation.

Opponents packed the chamber for Wednesdays hearings. They said a helipcopter would be noisy and that a Palmaz victory would encourage others to seek Napa Valley heliports. They see private heliports as being at odds with the ambiance of rural Napa County.

Vintner Warren Winiarski recalled the turmoil the community went through in 1968 to create the public benefit of the countys agricultural preserve. He said the Palmaz proposal is creating turmoil for a private benefit. He noted the county seal mounted on the wall behind the commission dais.

It has grapes, not wings, Winiarski said during public testimony.

The two hearings, which began at 9 a.m. and ended at about 4:30 p.m., meant double duty for Planning Commissioners. The five Planning Commissioners sit on the Airport Land Use Commission, along with two local pilots.

The Airport Land Use Commission hearing came first. The commission considered only whether the heliport would be consistent with the countys airport land use plan, not the merits of the proposal. Noise and safety were the main issues.

Palmaz retained acoustic consultant Paul Bollard to talk about potential heliport noise. Bollard told airport commissioners that he is objective, cant be bought and is not a hired gun.

Bollard said 130 decibels is the threshold of pain for humans and the typical noises of daily life are 35 decibels to 75 decibels. He took out a meter and showed the background noise in the meeting room during a quiet moment was 45 decibels due to the air conditioning.

He and his staff did noise monitoring on June 7 at seven sites in the vicinity of the proposed Mount George heliport, including at one of the closest rural neighborhoods about a mile away. At 2:15 p.m., Palmaz flew his helicopter to the proposed heliport site, hovered, then departed.

Bollard concluded that distance provided a noise buffer for rural neighbors.

At all seven sites, none of us heard the helicopter, Bollard said. It was completely inaudible at all seven locations.

Background noise in the rural communities near the Mount George site is about 35 decibels to 40 decibels, with spikes of 60 decibels to 70 decibels from barking dogs, passing cars and other daily noise. Bollard found the noise in these communities from the Palmaz flight was 40 decibels and less.

It is an extremely quiet helicopter, Bollard added. It is state of the art.

But he failed to convince everyone in the meeting room.

Mount Veeder resident Harris Nussbaum said the type of noise is important, not only the decibel level. When he hears a helicopter, he thinks of fires or escaped criminals. Nor did he think the commission should listen only to hired experts.

I am an expert because I live here, Nussbaum said. I live with helicopters.

Commissioner and pilot Norman Brod talked of his experiences over the years with helicopters, such as when one took him to a Canadian mountain peak to ski. He said Bollard did his study on a particular day and helicopter noise coming from a Palmaz heliport could vary day-to-day because of wind and other factors.

The Airport Land Use Commission voted 6-1 against the Palmaz heliport. Commissioners Basayne, Brod, Anne Cottrell, Joelle Gallagher, Jeri Gill and pilot Amy Walcker voted with the majority. Commissioner Terry Scott, who said he found the Bollard study convincing, dissented.

The subsequent Planning Commission meeting looked at land-use issues. The vote in this case was 4-1 against the Palmaz heliport, with Scott again in the minority.

Cottrell said allowing a heliport would be against Napa County General Plan policies to keep urban uses out of agricultural areas.

She also cited a General Plan policy calling for balancing the rights of individuals and the needs of the community. She said she didnt think the Palmaz proposal met this test.

Gallagher said Napa County has no jurisdiction to regulate how a helicopter is flown. Its recourse if mitigation measures were violated would be to revoke the heliport use permit, a step she didnt believe the county would take.

Scott said concerns expressed by people opposed to the proposed heliport, while heartfelt, lacked credibility. He focused on the Bollard noise study and an environmental impact report that he found to be sound.

Nor did Scott say approval of the Palmaz heliport would open the floodgates for more heliports in Napa Valley.

The bar for this that Mr. Palmaz has set is so high, Scott said. I dont think its achievable by almost anyone else in the valley.

Palmaz told commissioners that, if the project is denied, it could have counterproductive consequences.

Other potential operators would conclude they couldnt attain county approval for a heliport no matter what steps they took, Palmaz said. That would encourage them to break the law and ask for forgiveness if caught.

But the majority of the Planning Commission disagreed that the proposed heliport should be approved.

The concerns articulated by the neighbors and stakeholders are enough to give me pause, Gill said.
It could not be more fitting that only 24 hours after scrapping protections for 800,000 young immigrants brought here illegally as children President Donald Trump was set to deliver a big speech extolling the need to cut taxes for the wealthy and corporations. The juxtaposition captures the massive lie at the very heart of Trumpism as perfectly as anyone could ask for.

Two of Trump's new tweets neatly bracket this big lie. In one tweet, Trump announced he will give a speech Wednesday in North Dakota calling for "tax reform and tax cuts," arguing that "we are the highest taxed nation in the world." This is itself a repeatedly debunked falsehood that Trump employs to push an agenda in tune with the trickle-down GOP economic orthodoxy he used as a foil during a campaign in which he portrayed himself as an economic populist.

In the other tweet, Trump asserted that Congress has six months to act to protect the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals "dreamers" via legislation and hinted that if Congress fails, he might renew the executive protections he just rescinded. But Trump has not told us what legislation along these lines he'd be willing to sign. There's a reason for all this vagueness: Trump cannot come out squarely for protecting the dreamers, because that would reveal another side of his alleged economic populism - the demagoguing about immigrants threatening U.S. workers - to be hollow.

Two Republican senators have aptly called out Trump on this point. The Post reports that Trump's call for Congress to protect the dreamers has thrown Republicans into "chaos," partly because nobody knows what Trump wants from such legislation. Lindsey Graham, S.C., urges Trump to show "where your heart's at" on the dreamers. Marco Rubio, Fla., adds that Trump "needs to show what he's willing to support."

Trump needs to decide what he really wants for the dreamers. He is widely being described as "conflicted" on their fate: We are told that he empathizes with their plight - he says he has "great heart" for them - but that he felt pressure to end DACA because the immigration hard-liners insisted he must deliver for his base.

But let's be clear on what this conflict is really about. Trump isn't wrestling with a dilemma made difficult by two valid competing moral imperatives. He's torn between (on one side) the reality of what it actually means to scrap protections for hundreds of thousands of people who know no other country, are thoroughly American and just want to contribute positively to American life; and (on the other) the need to continue propping up his campaign lies about how deporting these people will boost American workers. The conflict is between the inescapably awful truth about the real-life consequences of ending DACA and the imagined need to continue making empty gestures to his core supporters.

Consider that in announcing an end to DACA, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who was tasked with delivering the message Trump would not, claimed that the presence of these "illegal aliens," as he described the dreamers, "denied jobs to hundreds of thousands of Americans." As The New York Times' Paul Krugman explains, the idea that the dreamers constitute an economic threat is nonsense on multiple levels. But reality aside, if Trump believes this, then how can he be calling for legislation that would make their presence in this country - and their alleged theft of U.S. jobs - permanent?

Thus, Trump cannot flatly say he will sign legislation protecting dreamers without revealing that whole story line to be a sham. Instead, Trump will insist that any solution for the dreamers come packaged with either tighter immigration restrictions or spending on his U.S.-Mexico wall or on other border security measures to prop up the fiction that he is fighting for U.S. workers by protecting them from the swarthy invaders who have been scapegoated for the workers' complex, multicausal economic woes. And that may end up meaning that no solution for the dreamers is reached, leading to untold numbers of them being deported or driven underground.

Trump campaigned on an agenda of economic populism that included not just the promise of an immigration crackdown, but also massive infrastructure spending, revamped trade deals, a protected safety net and a confrontation of elites while getting the wealthy to pay more. The first two addendums are nowhere in sight, and Trump sold out the third with his failed health plan. But the anti-immigrant hostility is shaping policy in a major way: Joe Arpaio has been pardoned, and now the dreamers may join the ranks of those getting caught up in Trump's mass-deportation dragnet. It is perfect that Trump will cap this whole episode with a speech calling for tax cuts that will inevitably lavish their largest benefits on the rich.
In the wake of North Korea's most dangerous nuclear test yet - one reportedly yielding enough destructive power to eliminate a city - it is worth setting aside all the blustering presidential tweets for a moment and considering what an actual strategy on North Korea would look like.

The first step would be to stop searching for silver bullets. That means forgetting about grand diplomatic bargains with Pyongyang or Beijing. Since 1992, North Korea has established a 100 percent record for cheating on freezes, frameworks, and agreements of all kinds. We are past the tired cliche that Pyongyang must "make a choice" between nuclear weapons and acceptance in the international community. They have clearly made their choice. Talking to Pyongyang might yield tactical insights, but any negotiator will quickly find that the North Koreans will no longer even pretend they are interested in denuclearization. It is dangerous and counterproductive for us to pretend otherwise.

Nor is a preemptive military strike going to eliminate this threat. The administration is prudent to plan for all contingencies, including the option of hitting nuclear-tipped missiles before they are launched. This is also the right time to demonstrate to North Korea that we will not be intimidated or blackmailed by Pyongyang's belligerency. But the administration will find no surgical strike option that would eliminate the North's weapons or avoid the risk of triggering a war that could cause a million-plus casualties across Northeast Asia. The White House appears to be encouraging stories that pre-emptive war is an option - and there may be leverage in that - but no serious strategy would be based on this course of action.

The third easy out - to simply contain the North Korean nuclear threat and live with it (proposed recently by President Barack Obama's National Security Advisor Susan Rice) is also unacceptable. We can be quite certain that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un will use his growing ICBM capability to blackmail and threaten the United States, South Korea, and Japan. More confident that his nuclear weapons will protect him against retaliation, he will conduct increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks and possibly military strikes against isolated South Korean targets (the way he sank a South Korean corvette in 2010). He may also threaten to transfer nuclear-related technology to hostile third states, the way his regime helped Syria begin building a nuclear reactor at el Kibar until the Israeli Air Force destroyed it in 2007.

If we make short-term diplomatic arrangements or give Kim economic aid to buy him off, he will drive an even bigger pick-up truck through the plate-glass window the next time, demanding ever larger concessions such as the withdrawal of U.S. security guarantees from our allies. China, which would like to see U.S. alliances in Asia atrophy over time, will be an enabler of this North Korean strategy if we are passive ourselves.

In short, we cannot make a deal on the North's nuclear weapons, take them out, or ignore them. Instead, a serious strategy would muster U.S. power and alliances for a difficult longer-term campaign to contain, deter, and roll back this threat.

Strengthening our alliances will be critical. President Donald Trump has established an easy rapport with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, but has gone out of his way to antagonize and humiliate our South Korean allies. The administration's internal decision to scuttle the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement (KORUS) last week was an act of sophomoric economic nationalism and terribly timed in terms of national security - as H.R. McMaster, James Mattis, and Rex Tillerson all reportedly warned the president. The Trump tweet attacks on South Korea's president are also completely self-destructive - sowing the seeds of dissent with a new Korean president who is clearly pro-American and resolute on defense, despite his naive hope for dialogue with the North. (One cannot entirely blame South Koreans for hoping their might be a diplomatic way out of this nightmare.) Those of us who worked the Six Party Talks know well that when Beijing thinks Seoul is in play, China pulls back; but when North Korean actions are prompting collective security cooperation across the U.S.-Japan and U.S.-Korea alliances, China moves to pressure North Korea. If we cannot get both our major alliances right in Northeast Asia, we have little hope of managing this new threat.

A serious strategy would also strengthen the military and intelligence tools we have with our allies to check North Korean military ambitions going forward. Containment and deterrence can work, but only if we take far more active countermeasures than we have been to date. We will need a more aggressive strategy for defeating Pyongyang's cyber activities and to interdict North Korean movements of money and technology related to its nuclear and missile development. New sanctions put in place by Congress are only the beginning of that process and Beijing will need to understand that its firms will face further sanctions if China does not actively help with the interdiction and roll-back of North Korean technology acquisition and money-laundering. Integrating missile defenses among our allies in Northeast Asia will also be essential (South Korea was hesitant to do so because of Chinese resistance, but will be more forthcoming, as long as Trump's strategy is not to alienate the South Korean president). The administration should also consider new military deployments, including cruise missiles in Japan or South Korea, that would demonstrate that we are working with our allies to expanding our options for deterrence and defense.

All of these steps will by necessity lead to more friction with Beijing, but that friction will simply have to be managed without trepidation. The friction will also have to be targeted. Beijing remains wary of regime collapse in the North and the United States is unlikely to muster sufficient leverage to change that bottom line. Instead, the administration will have to press for Chinese action in specific areas that hurt the regime leadership and constrain the North's weapons programs. There is no shortage of Chinese firms now investing in North Korea or exporting dual-use materials - well beyond the initial sanctions list announced by the administration last month. Expecting China to act based on U.N. Security Council consensus alone will no longer be sufficient, particularly with Russia playing spoiler right now.

In sum, a serious North Korea strategy will require persistence, resolve and above all -discipline. We can no longer afford conflicting diplomatic messages, gratuitous fights with allies, unfilled positions at the State and Defense Departments, or commentary from the commander-in-chief as if this were not happening on his watch.
A St. Helena group has indicated it intends to launch a recall campaign against Mayor Alan Galbraith.

In a statement Wednesday afternoon, Galbraith said he does not welcome a recall effort, calls it "extremely disruptive" and adds it does not "make good sense and threatens to waste taxpayers' money on a special election."

Recall proponents argue that, since his election in 2014, Galbraith has been pushing the agenda of special interest groups, including large corporate wine interests and hotel and housing developers, and ignoring the wishes of citizens who seek to maintain the citys small-town character. They point to his endorsing plans for a new 100,000-square-foot hotel center and surrounding condominiums.

A Bay Area public relations firm, Public Good PR, sent a press release announcing the recall on Wednesday morning. It mentions that the group pushing for recall includes a broad group of 25 long-time residents and community leaders.

Those who signed the notice of intention to recall Galbraith include Anthony Micheli, retired general contractor; Mike Griffin, retired firefighter; Kathy Coldiron, real estate investor; and Sharon Dellamonica, art consultant.

Coldiron said, St. Helena residents have been struggling to maintain our small-town character. But the publics concerns and opposition to many projects have been ignored or shut down by the mayor at many public meetings. Unfortunately, we believe this recall effort is our only hope of getting our local planning process back on track.

On Wednesday afternoon, Galbraith released a statement, which read in part: "If the voters are dissatisfied with my tenure as mayor, they have an opportunity to elect a new mayor in November 2018. To mount a recall campaign in the middle of my term will be extremely disruptive to the work of the City Council, and, even if it succeeds, is unlikely to shorten my term by more than a few months.

Galbraith has claimed the development of city-owned property is part of a long-range plan to alleviate the citys financial woes. To address financial and infrastructure problems, the City Council recently approved significant water and wastewater rate hikes, along with a $40 million, five-year capital improvement plan.

In his statement, Galbraith said, Besides disrupting the work of the City Council, a recall campaign is all but guaranteed to polarize our community in ways that will make it more difficult for us to find good solutions to shared problems, many of long standing. With all the challenges we face, now is the time to work harder than ever to come together as a community. It is hard to imagine a worse time for divisive political actions.

According to recall proponents, including Micheli, another example of Galbraiths favoritism of corporate interests is the recent approval of a change in operations at Beringer Vineyards, the large St. Helena winery owned by Treasury Estates. This approval, say opponents, failed to comply with the California Environmental Quality Act. As the leader of a group of residents calling themselves, Citizens for Responsible Winery Growth in St. Helena Micheli has filed a lawsuit seeking a court injunction to temporarily halt construction of the project at Beringer Vineyards.

The mayor has facilitated the rapid approval of these, and many other projects, despite local wastewater challenges, the press release states.

The group was expected to deliver its notice of intention to circulate a recall petition to the St. Helena City Clerk Cindy Tzafopoulous on Wednesday. Now, it must be reviewed by the city attorney and certified within 10 days, and then published in a general circulation newspaper.

Once certified, petitioners must gather signatures from at least 835 registered voters in this town of about 6,000 residents to trigger a recall election, according to state guidelines.

Galbraith is up for election in November 2018. The soonest general election the recall might appear on is next June. Napa County Registrar of Voters John Tuetor estimated the cost of the initiative would be in the $7,000 to $10,000 range. If a special election were necessary, he said on Wednesday morning, the cost might be $20,000-$30,000.

The press release states, Among other issues, the notice cites that Mayor Galbraith has failed to effectively maintain and open and fair democratic process at public meetings, provide public financial statements to determine St. Helena fiscal health, and operate a well-functioning, modern and cost-effective municipal water system.

Galbraiths statement concludes: There will always be differences of opinion over major policy decisions, but for as long as I have been a public servant here in St. Helena, I have sought to contribute my experience and perspective in ways that serve the long-term interest of the community as a whole. I truly do not know how else to approach my responsibilities as Mayor.

One further point: my job is strictly non-partisan. I have no economic interest in town. A main concern has been to ensure that we have a first class City staff. I could not be more proud of our amazingly skilled and dedicated employees. We are so lucky.

No matter what happens, I remain deeply appreciative of the opportunity to serve our community as your mayor.
(Natural News) If the decay of our constitutional system and the general success of the progressive movement over the past one hundred plus years all seems like some kind of elaborate plot unfolding before our very eyes, thats because it is. The liberals know that they cant just introduce totalitarianism overnight, as much as they might want to. Rather, the process must be slow and steady; so slow and steady, in fact, that most Americans dont even realize whats happening.

Recently, Donna Calvin of BeliefNet.com published a list of the 45 communist goals as read into the congressional record in the year 1963 by Hon. A. S. Herlong Jr. of Florida, who was quoting from Cleon Skousens book The Naked Communist. The 45 steps towards the introduction of a communist state are as follows:

U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war

The statists among us must weaken our country to the point where the people believe surrender and coexistence is more important than military strength and national security. To do this, they often use scare tactics, such as the idea that the only alternative to coexistence is atomic war.

U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war

Much like goal number one, the idea here is to make the people believe that surrender is the only real, legitimate option.

Develop the illusion that total disarmament by the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength

You often hear the liberals say that the United States should adopt stricter gun laws because it is the moral thing to do. This too is just another step in their elaborate plan to bring about totalitarianism in America  they need you to be unarmed and incapable of defending yourself.

Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war

Put simply, this is a tactic used to get the people to let their guard down when it comes to the advancement of foreign communist nations.

Extension of long-term loans to Russian and Soviet satellites

If the goal is to put America on a path towards totalitarianism, then it only makes sense that those seeking this transformation would want to force us to follow behind nations who are already there.

Provide foreign aid to all nations regardless of communist domination

The transformation of America into a communist country requires us to be actively supporting other communist nations around the world.

Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

In order for totalitarianism in the United States to be more widely accepted, it is crucial that the statists bolster up the idea of communism on the global stage.

Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchevs promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

To those who embrace the rise of communism, the destruction of individual liberty is the ultimate goal. It is imperative that they do away with free elections and make moves to consolidate power into fewer and fewer hands.

Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress

If communism is to become the dominant ideology, then those who might resist must be rendered defenseless. Americas military strength has got to be diminished if a centralized authority is to successfully take over.

Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

The injection of more Soviet propaganda into American society will only make the progressives quest to bring about a tyrannical state more acceptable to the public.

Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces.

The U.N. is the primary vehicle that the left uses to amass more and more power into the hands of fewer and fewer. As such, the public must view it in a positive light and embrace its existence.

Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party

Obviously, if communism is to become the dominant ideology in the United States, then the Communist Party cannot be outlawed.

Do away with all loyalty oaths

All loyalty oaths must be done away with so that the people become solely committed to the communist state and nothing else.

Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. patent office.

In the lefts slow and steady journey to bring about communism in the United States, close cooperation with the Russian government is key.

Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States

Its obvious that the communists and the statists have taken over the Democrat Party, and there is a strong argument to be made that they are beginning to take over the Republican Party as well.

Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights

One of the best examples of this is the lefts assault on the institution of marriage, which they insist must be redefined to include same-sex couples so as to protect the civil rights of all Americans.

Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

The introduction of communist propaganda in to Americas education system is an area where the Left has been incredibly successful. They are brainwashing an entire generation through various lectures and textbooks, all of which promote, in one way or another, big government.

Gain control of all student newspapers

If the goal is to successfully brainwash the upcoming generation with communist propaganda, it only makes sense that the communists would need to gain control of all student newspapers.

Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack

The progressives know that they should never let a tragedy go to waste. If a particularly tense or even violent situation can be exploited to advance the communist agenda, then it will be.

Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

The press is a very powerful tool when it comes to getting the public to think a certain way, and the progressives know it.

Gain control of key positions in radio, TV and motion pictures

By infiltrating radio, television and Hollywood, the statists can more easily promote their totalitarian agenda to the American people.

Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expressions. An American Communist cell was told to eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms.

In order to establish a communist state, American culture must be done away with. We see this all the time when the left insists on taking down certain historical statues and public displays of the Ten Commandments.

Control art critics and directors of art museums. Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art.

Once again, if a communist state is to be established, American traditions and culture must be diminished.

Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them censorship and a violation of free speech and free press

The modern day progressives seem to be doing the exact opposite of this step. Instead of eliminating censorship laws, they are moving the United States closer towards tyranny by openly embracing them.

Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio and TV

Americas embrace of pornography and obscene realty television shows is a clear indication that, at least with regards to this particular step, the statists are succeeding.

Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as normal, natural, healthy.

The statists among us promote the idea that homosexuality and promiscuity are normal and natural, and the public is more than happy to play along. This helps bring about the decay of the civil society at a more rapid rate.

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with social religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a religious crutch.

Religion and the Bible are to be discredited so that a centralized state can become more widely accepted. All traditions and values of the past must be expelled from American society.

Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of separation of church and state

Despite the fact that the phrase separation of church and state has been twisted and morphed over the past couple of centuries, the progressives see it as a vehicle to detach the American people from their religious roots.

Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis

The statists understand that the Constitution was originally written in order to restrain the federal government and protect individual liberty, neither of which are acceptable if communism is to become the dominant ideology in America. Therefore, the Constitution must be entirely discarded.

Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the common man.

Much like the Constitution, the Founding Fathers must be discredited, because their ideas go against everything that communism stands for.

Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the grounds that it was only a minor part of the big picture. Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

If upcoming generations are taught accurate American history, then they will know how to avoid the mistakes of the past, or worse, possibly even appreciate our countrys unique founding. As such, American history is to be minimalized and rendered unimportant.

Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture  education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

If communism is to take over America, then no part of American society can remain unregulated or free from government control.

Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus

All things that stand in the way of the establishment of a totalitarian system, such as the United States Constitution, must be done away with if any progress is to be made.

Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities

The House Committee on Un-American Activities, which investigated allegations of communist activity during the start of the Cold War, was to be done away with. It has been.

Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI

If the goal is to introduce a new oppressive set of laws in the United States, then obviously the old laws  and those who work to enforce them  have to go. The existence of the FBI would be a threat to a rising communist state.

Infiltrate and gain control of more unions

The more control over the various parts of American society that the statists can obtain, the better it will be for them.

Infiltrate and gain control of big business

A true communist state cannot sustain itself while the people are allowed to actively participate in a free market economic system. Therefore, the statists must infiltrate and gain control over big business and the means of production.

Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand [or treat].

Even ones mental health and the treatment they receive to stabilize it is to be controlled by the government.

Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals

Rebels are not to be tolerated. As such, the statists believe in taking over the health industry and the psychiatric profession as a means of ensuring that there will be complete conformity.

Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

Family values have been a part of American society since the time of our founding. In order to bring about societal decay, the family unit must be broken apart.

Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

Under a communist system, the state has to be to sole provider, not the parents. As such, mothers and fathers are to be rendered irrelevant.

Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

The progressives feed off of chaos, because more times than not they can exploit it for their own personal gain. Many of them even encourage it, and brainwash the public into thinking that rioting in the name of what they think is virtuous is morally acceptable.

Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government

Self-government cannot exist if tyranny is to gain a foothold. The only government that can legitimately be established is centralized and of a totalitarian nature

Internationalize the Panama Canal

Internationalizing the Panama Canal will bring America and the entire world that much closer to the establishment of an all-powerful centralized state.

Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court

The establishment of a World Court will no doubt bring America and the rest of the world closer to a New World Order, whereby individual liberty is discarded and power is to be surrendered to a massive governmental leviathan.

Sources include:

AllNewsPipeline.com

BeliefNet.com
(Natural News) For almost four years, a building located in an eastern Missouri floodplain has served as the illegal dump site for thirteen million pounds of hazardous waste. This shocking information was revealed in federal and state documents, reported STLToday.com. The publication added that one federal indictment filed at St. Louis was against companies based in Missouri and Ohio, as well as their officers. The federal indictment alleged that nine million pounds of the waste was first deposited in Mississippi before being dug up then transferred to Missouri.

The warehouse sits near the town of Berger, Mo., and just southeast of Hermann, Mo., in an area dense with weeds. According to the SeattleTimes.com, the building is just across the road from Little Berger Creek, a body of water which empties into the Missouri River. As of this writing, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources has not yet issued any statements about the potential health risks posed by the hazardous waste.

A lawyer for Missouri Green Materials owner Penny A. Duncan said that she was unaware that the waste was, in fact, hazardous. Attorney Paul DAgrosa stated that Penny A. Duncan was told by her husband and general manager Daryl Duncan that the waste was actually recyclable and could be re-purposed into concrete additives.

According to the federal indictment, however, about 300,600 pounds of hazardous waste a day was shipped to the Missouri Green Materials warehouse in rural Franklin County between Oct. 30, 2013 and Dec. 3, 2013. Penny A. Duncan coordinated the shipment of these hazardous waste over the course of 20 days, while Daryl Duncan knew the waste had been contaminated with high levels of cadmium.

The waste is composed of spent bead blast waste, the byproduct of the removal of paint from military base equipment like tanks and planes. As a result, the waste contained the heavy metals cadmium, lead, and chromium, which are typically present in paint pigments.

Prior to being shipped to Missouri Green Materials, the waste remained under the care of Ohio company U.S. Technology Corp. of Canton. The company supposedly leased the materials to clients and was in charge of disposing the waste. Instead, U.S. Technology hired the company Hydromex to recycle the waste for them. Hydromex shut down in 2002, and in 2006 its former President Dennie Eugene Pridemore was accused of defrauding the government by dumping the waste in Yazoo City, Miss., leading to Pridemore being slapped with a 41-month-long prison sentence in 2008.

U.S. Technology President Raymond Williams then agreed to remove the waste in 2003, 2011, and 2013. However, in 2008, U.S. Technology filed a lawsuit against Mississippi regulators claiming that the waste was hazardous and could therefore not be recycled. After this, Williams had the waste shipped to Missouri in hopes that it would become somebody elses problem, claimed DAgrosa.

Moreover, court documents revealed that the state of Mississippi asserted that Williams had failed to inform the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality of his plan to ship the waste to Missouri Green Materials, nor had Williams obtained a permit to do so.

A 2016 consent agreement revealed that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and U.S. Technology agreed to formulate the plan to properly remove the waste from Missouri Green Materials facility where it was being stored in 55-gallon drums and four-foot-square supersack containers. In addition, they would test for any soil contamination.

But federal prosecutors stated that the waste had remained in the facility well into April, when the indictment had been handed out. DAgrosa said that he had not been informed of any contamination or leaks. (Related: High cancer rates occur near St. Louis creek contaminated with nuclear waste; government says no connection, blames cancer on poverty.)

Williams, his lawyer, and Daryl Duncan have all declined to comment on the case.

To remain abreast of the happenings in Missouri, simply visit Environ.news today.

Sources include:

STLToday.com

SeattleTimes.com
Advances in science and technology are enabling cancer patients to live longer than ever before. Still, the everyday reality of cancer treatment is harsh.

The concomitant effects of chemotherapy and radiation can ravage healthy tissues while battling tumors. Oral therapies can come with a startling array of potential side effects and daunting price tags.

While many researchers race to identify new targets for treatment and formulate new therapies, a growing cadre of School of Nursing researchers is leading the nation in studies that examine the patient experience and how patient-reported outcomes can inform cancer care.

Deborah Bruner PhD RN FAAN, Robert W. Woodruff Professor of Nursing at Emory's Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing, is a well-known expert in cancer clinical trials and oncology nursing research through Emory's Winship Cancer Institute. She is associate director for mentorship, training, and education at Winship, newly designated by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a comprehensive cancer center for reducing cancer burden in Georgia. She is the first and only nurse to lead one of four adult NCI Community Oncology Research Programs. She also helped set new priorities for NCI clinical trials on symptom management and patient quality of life. In 2016, she was elected a member of the National Academy of Medicine.

"When you are in clinical practice, the physician mostly is interested in doing diagnostics and cure. In inpatient care, the nurse manages everything elsethe symptoms related to disease and treatments, the environment around the patient to provide comfort and care, and the environment around the family to engender support," Bruner says. Nurses understand how evidence-based, supportive oncology care to families and patients decreases pain and suffering and improves quality of life. That knowledge has inspired Bruner to improve the patient experience in a rigorous, scientific way.

Over the years, her work has informed the NCI's adverse event reporting system, an important tool used to grade symptom toxicities associated with chemotherapy drugs, immunotherapies, precision medicine, radiation medicine, and surgery in cancer treatmentwork that has made patient-reported outcomes as important in changing clinical practice as clinical outcomes.

Late last year, Congress passed the 21st Century Cures Act, authorizing $1.8 billion over seven years for NCI's Cancer Moonshot, a program designed to accelerate cancer research by making more therapies available to more patients, while also improving early detection and prevention of cancer.

Earlier this year, Bruner presented "Challenges in Cancer: Moonshots, Miracles, and Myths" during an academic symposium celebrating the inauguration of Emory's new president, Claire E. Sterk. In her talk, Bruner challenged the current funding model that prioritizes cures and precision treatments that benefit a fraction of cancer patients over research that benefits larger patient populations.

Because new precision medicines, immunotherapy treatments, and other "miracle" drugs are so costly, these drugs often are out of reach for the small number of patients who qualify for them. The discovery of the EGFR mutation in lung cancer offers a compelling example.

"Now we have immunotherapy drugs to treat patients with that mutation, and 10 percent of those patients had long-term survival and some have even been cured," Bruner says. "That is miraculous. But only 10 percent of lung cancer patients have the EGFR mutation, and only 10 percent of those patients experience the miracle."

Precision medicines come at another price: the possibility of side effects or even death.

"Some drugs, unfortunately, kill patients, and many of the side effects are terrible," Bruner notes. "Taste changes mean meals with family and drinks with friends will never bring the same pleasure again. Ulcers in the mouth mean you can't eat or drink at all. Blisters on your hands and feet mean you can't walk or touch or hold your child or play the piano. These side effects have not gotten enough attention. We are paying a lot of attention to cures but not to living with these cures."

Emory is an international leader in developing ground-breaking cancer treatments. It is also a leader in symptom science and quality of life.

"Precision medicine is not just genetics or immunotherapy," Bruner says. "Real precision medicine also takes into account environmental and lifestyle factors and puts them all together. How do we make sure a patient gets a $10,000 drug at home and takes it at noon and bedtime with the other drugs they are allowed to take? That is symptom science, and we have great nurse scientists at Emory who are studying that."
- Emir of Kuwait flying to the U.S. to see Trump.





- Aiming to discuss restoring peace in the GCC.

Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah IV Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah is currently on his way to the U.S. to hold discussions with President Trump regarding the three-month old Gulf diplomatic crisis.





Saudi Arabia and a host of other countries recently cut ties with Qatar and the Kuwait government has been spearheading the mediation between both sides of the conflict.
University of Florida announces closures Sunday and Monday due to threat of Hurricane Irma

Due to the threat of Hurricane Irma, the University of Floridas main campus in Gainesville will be closed on Sunday, Sept. 10 and Monday, Sept. 11. Only needed essential university personnel should report for work.

UF is currently scheduled to reopen and resume classes and normal operations on Tuesday, Sept. 12. The official site for university hurricane information is the UF home page.

Information on student services, including safety and dining will be announced later today and distributed to students. Depending on the hurricanes projected impact, campus shelters may be opened for students, faculty and staff, and their family members.

UF Health clinical and core service personnel are asked to check with their supervisors as to whether they should report to work and provide support to the academic health center for emergency operations.

UF/IFAS personnel outside Gainesville should adhere to their county government guidelines on closing. Personnel in other UF programs outside of Gainesville should consult their supervisors.

P.K. Yonge Developmental Research School is also closed Monday, and is operating on the same schedule as Alachua County schools.

Notices of any scheduling changes can be found through a link on the UF home page or on the information line at 866-UF-FACTS or 866-833-2287.

As a reminder, students and employees in need of immediate assistance should dial 911. Students may also contact U Matter We Care at umatter@ufl.edu or by calling (352) 294-CARE (2273). Employees may call the Employee Assistance Program at (352) 392-5787.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-06 22:42:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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THE HAGUE, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The Dutch Association of Soft drinks, Waters and Juices (FWS) announced on Wednesday that by the end of 2018 its members will no longer sell sugary soft drinks at Dutch secondary schools, a measure supporting ongoing national efforts to offer a healthier range of food and drinks in school environments.

"We want to help young people make a healthier choice," Raymond Gianotten, director of the association told RTL News about the new agreement, which is part of a commitment of the entire European soft drink industry, striving to only offer low-calorie and calorie-free soft drinks at secondary schools starting from 2019.

The "light" varieties will remain for sale. "There's nothing wrong with those. They contain no sugar, and hardly any calories. You can drink them without ingesting too many calories," explained Gianotten. According to the Dutch Nutrition Centre, products containing 30 percent less kcal, sugar, or fat than the original product are classified as "light".

The FWS, which has about 20 members including Dutch-based producers and foreign manufacturers with sales offices in the Netherlands, has already halted marketing activities aimed at children under the age of 13. It also stopped selling and promoting soft drinks at elementary schools and no longer puts branded soft drink vending machines at secondary schools.

The association currently aims at filling 60 percent of the vending machines with water and low-calorie soft drinks. With this new action for healthy nutrition at schools, it wants to contribute to further reducing obesity among young people.

In 2016, of the Dutch youngsters aged four to 20 years, 10.6 percent were moderately overweight and 2.7 percent extremely overweight, up from 8.0 percent and 2.1 percent respectively in 1981 when Statistics Netherlands (CBS) started recording these figures.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 00:38:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) said Wednesday that conflict and widespread poverty have stalled progress on education rates over the past decade around the world.

"Pervasive levels of poverty, protracted conflicts and complex humanitarian emergencies have led to stagnation in reducing the global out-of-school rate over the past decade," UNICEF said in a press release.

With 11.5 percent of school-age children, or 123 million missing school today, compared to 12.8 percent, or 135 million in 2007, the percentage of out-of-school children has barely decreased in the last decade, according to UNICEF.

"Investments aimed at increasing the number of schools and teachers to match population growth are not enough," said UNICEF Chief of Education Jo Bourne.

Children living in the world's poorest countries and in conflict zones are disproportionally affected. Of the 123 million children missing out on school, 40 percent live in the least developed countries and 20 percent live in conflict zones, said UNICEF.

The conflicts in Iraq and Syria have resulted in an additional 3.4 million children missing out on education, bringing the number of out-of-school children across the Middle East and North Africa back to 2007's level of approximately 16 million.

With their high levels of poverty, rapidly increasing populations and recurring emergencies, Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia account for 75 percent of the global out-of-school primary- and lower-secondary school age population.

"Governments and the global community must target their investments at eliminating the factors preventing these children from going to school in the first place, including by making schools safe and improving teaching and learning," said Bourne.

However, some progress has been achieved, she said.

Ethiopia and Niger, among the world's poorest countries, have made the most enrolment rate progress in primary-school-age children with an increase of more than 15 percent and around 19 percent, respectively.

On the other hand, emergency funding shortfalls for education affect access for children in conflict to attend school, she said.

Six-months into 2017, UNICEF had only received 12 percent of the funding required to provide education for children caught up in crises. More funds are urgently required to address the increasing number and complexity of crises and to give children the stability and opportunities they deserve.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 00:48:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- GNC Holdings, Inc. named Ken Martindale its new CEO, succeeding interim CEO Bob Moran.

The Pittsburgh-based retailer of health and wellness products said Wednesday that Moran will remain as non-executive chairman of the board of directors.

The company said that Michael F. Hines will step down as chairman, but will remain on the board.

The changes will become effective on Sept. 11.

Martindale most recently served as CEO of Rite Aid Stores and President of Rite Aid Corporation which is a drugstore chain in the United States.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 01:03:29|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for more efforts to prevent genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

Civilians, including women and children, are being killed either deliberately or as victims of indiscriminate attacks, resulting in the high number of refugees and internally displaced people," Guterres told a UN General Assembly informal dialogue on the responsibility to protect civilians.

"We must do more, and we must do better, to reverse these negative trends," he said.

He said the United Nations must give greater attention to conflict prevention and he gave strong commitment to improving the capacity and coordination of the United Nations in atrocity prevention.

The responsibility to protect still generates some discomfort for a number of UN member states. The main concern is that the principle will be used to impose international approaches on national problems, in ways that may harm national sovereignty, he noted.

"I have deep respect for national sovereignty. Indeed, the success of the United Nations in implementing its mandates depends on national actors being able to deliver on their sovereign responsibilities. Our shared challenge is to use the principle of the responsibility to protect to achieve the goals that were originally envisaged. I am convinced that open and constructive discussion among concerned states can overcome any remaining differences."

The UN member states have the primary responsibility to protect their populations, he said. "But should national authorities manifestly fail to protect their populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity, then we must be prepared to take collective action, in accordance with the (UN) Charter, including Chapter VII, on a case-by-case basis."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 02:13:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ARUSHA, Tanzania, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzania's semi-autonomous Zanzibar archipelago will upgrade Pemba Airport to an international one so as to boost tourism, an official said Wednesday.

The move is also meant to improve aviation services in the Indian Ocean archipelago, said Mustafa Aboud Jumbe, Zanzibar's principal secretary in the Ministry of Infrastructure, Communications and Transport.

He said that the Pemba island is less visited than Zanzibar island, but is popular for having exotic and pristine white sandy beaches and tourist sites such as Jozan Forest Reserve, home of flying fox.

"For years, Pemba relies on charter planes and waterways when it comes to transport," he said. "We want to improve the airport facility so that it meets international standards; hence accommodate bigger planes."

Jumbe said Pemba has numerous tourists attractions such as unspoiled diving areas with very rich marine life, famous spiritual mystics, and physical healers.

He said the Zanzibar government has signed a consultancy work deal worth 1.9 million U.S. dollars with Dar al Handash Consultant (Egypt) Limited, in a new drive to improve islands-based airports including Pemba.

The work is part of a program funded by African Development Bank.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 02:13:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ACCRA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- For Africa to compensate for and lessen the impact of dwindling aid from development partners, there is the need to enhance its productive capacity, Vice-President of Ghana, Mahamudu Bawumia said here on Wednesday.

According to him, this is only possible with a robust private sector with infrastructure gaps being closed considerably.

Bawumia, who made this remark in his keynote address at the opening of a one-day First G-20 Compact With Africa (CWA) Finance Ministers Meeting, said that African countries needed to own and drive the CWA with ambitions and bold initiatives.

"We must create space for our private sector to thrive and provide the jobs and finance needed to grow our economies. And we must create the environment to mobilize domestic financing. This is a prospect that my President, Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, is most keen to promote, and this meeting is an important step towards building that future," the Vice-President added.

"It makes sense for us to learn from each other. The CWA provides yet another opportunity for us to work together as CWA countries and also together with our international partners," he said.

He said the compact gave Ghana the opportunity to re-focus attention on areas where investment was badly needed and where positive business environment had been created.

"For our government, there is a sense of urgency for economic transformation in order to meet the needs of citizens in a rapidly changing world. Let us use the Compact to harness our transformational opportunities," Bawumia urged.

The CWA aims to develop comprehensive, coordinated, and country specific investment compacts among individual African countries, international organizations, and other partners.

"According to the African Development Bank, Africa needs to spend about 340 billion US dollars on infrastructure by 2040.

"With almost all African countries currently running overall fiscal deficits that average six percent of GDP and public debt beginning to rise in many countries, the private sector has to be an important financing partner if we are to meet our infrastructure requirements," Finance Minister of Ghana Ken Ofori-Atta noted.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 02:39:09|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Alessandra Cardone

VENICE, Italy, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Within the old buildings of the Lazzaretto Vecchio, audience members of the Venice Film Festival patiently queued to watch a screening.

The Lazzaretto -- an abandoned 15th-century leper colony open for the first time to the festival -- looked more like an art gallery than a cinema facility.

Yet, it was here where a competitive section devoted to virtual reality (VR) works of the 74th edition of the festival was set up.

With 22 titles in the competition, the VR program offered visitors three different areas to experience the new technology: first, a 50-seat theater where they could enjoy screenings on rotating white chairs allowing for a 360-degree view. Secondly, oculus stand ups to watch interactive works; and finally, installations.

Some 3,000 visitors were registered up to Sept. 4, according to festival organizers.

Venice has thus become the first major film festival in the world to include such a large and competitive program of VR works.

Besides the experience itself, it opened a space to discuss what VR means for the cinema industry, whether it would represent its whole future, a part of it, or a new kind of medium overall.

"For me, virtual reality is clearly a new way of expression," French author Mathieu Pradat told Xinhua after the screening of his short film "Proxima."

"When watching VR, you are not totally an actor inside the movie, but neither a passive spectator (as in a traditional movie)," he said. "It is a kind of in-between media form; but it is clearly not cinema, it is not the pure art of the frame."

Proxima, a 9-minute VR experience featuring French actor Fabrice Adde, has the texture of a dream.

There is a naked man emerging from water, and a vibrant light follows, which he would never come to reach.

"The concept of the work comes from an old daydream about the feeling I sometimes have of being able to understand the universe," Pradat explained.

"Yet, it is just an instant; whenever I try to put my mind on this, it immediately vanishes."

Filmgoers at the Lazzaretto can go through the most diverse VR experiences. They can watch the short movie "Gomorra" -- from the Italian drama series about Naples' Camorra mafia -- and wander in the city's suburbs, among young mafia gangsters and drug dealers.

They can immerse themselves in the short feature "Melita", and follow a valiant Inuit female scientist and an advanced Artificial Intelligence ally to find a suitable new planet for humans, after the world has collapsed due to climate change.

The audience can also empathize with animals, and the eco-system overall, with the animation film "Free Whale" by Chinese director Zhang Peibin, and "Chuang" (In the pictures) by Qing Shao.

In "La camera insabbiata" installation by American Laurie Anderson and Hsin-Chien Huang, one could lose oneself in a fully interactive, immersive, and sometimes disquieting, animation journey.

A themed event within the second "Focus on China" Forum -- co-organized by Xinhuanet, Venice Production Bridge, and the Italian National Association of Film, Audiovisual and Multimedia Industries (ANICA) -- was also devoted to VR to assess the new technology, and how the most advanced VR applications were developing.

Experts in the sector seemed to appreciate the efforts Venice had put into the new medium.

"I have been working with virtual reality for about two years now, and I can say this is probably the best VR festival in the world," Tupac Martir, a visual designer, told Xinhua.

"The fact that it has been given its own venue here, the way installations, stand ups, and the theater are set up, the common area for people to come and have a chat...the quality of the products...it is an amazing festival."

The VR competition's winners will be announced by a jury of five creative professionals, conferring three awards: best VR film, grand VR jury prize, and best VR creativity prize.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 02:44:11|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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UNITED NATIONS, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Ahead of the possible disaster which might be brought up by Hurricane Irma, the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) is busy preparing to supply relief material to the countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

"The main concerns of UNICEF center around the supply of drinking water and food, and the health and protection of children and adolescents," UNICEF said in a statement on Wednesday.

If Irma stays on its current track as a category 5 hurricane, it will bring devastating damage within hours to parts of the Caribbean, affecting the lives of hundreds of thousands of children, UNICEF said.

UNICEF's office in the region has activated its emergency protocols and is working with government officials in Antigua and Barbuda, Dominica, Sint Maarten, St. Kitts and Nevis, and the Virgin Islands, as well as the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, which the hurricane is projected to hit next.

Supplies of drinking water, nonperishable food and medicines, and emergency kits are pre-positioned and ready for distribution in the most affected communities, UNICEF said.

The UN agency also activated its U-Report platform, which allows it to send urgent messages via Facebook and other social media platforms to young subscribers.

"Considering the possible magnitude that Irma represents, it is both hugely urgent and necessary to be prepared, informed and vigilant so that we try to avoid the impact on the most vulnerable, that is to say children," said Marita Perceval, Regional Director of UNICEF in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Irma, which has reportedly become "the most dangerous natural phenomenon" in the region this year, is likely to surpass the impact of Hurricane Matthew, which was a category 4 hurricane on a five-point scale and affected 3.2 million people last October - of whom 1.3 million were children.
File photo: Soldiers 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)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that military action was not the "first choice" of his administration on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.

On his way to Bismarck, North Dakota, where he'll participate in a tax reform event, Trump told reporters that military action against the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) was "not a first choice, but we will see what happens."

The DPRK on Sunday detonated a hydrogen bomb that can be carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), DPRK's Central Television announced.

DPRK's nuclear testing and launches using ballistic missile technology have violated UN Security Council resolutions.

China's permanent representative to the United Nations Liu Jieyi on Monday condemned the latest nuclear test by the DPRK and urged the country to return to the track of dialogue. China will not allow chaos and war on the Korean Peninsula, he said.

Liu said the suspension-for-suspension proposal and dual-track approach put forward by China together with the Russian proposal of a step-by-step approach is a realistic and feasible roadmap for the settlement of the issue.

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 for the DPRK to suspend its nuclear and missile activities and for the United States and South Korea to suspend their large-scale military exercises.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 03:14:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian parliamentary investigative committee on diamonds and tanzanite mining said on Wednesday the industry was marred with corruption, secrecy, cheating, tax evasion and negligence by government officials causing losses of millions of U.S. dollars to the east African nation.

A parliamentary committee tasked to investigate diamonds mining in the central region of Shinyanga revealed that weak mining contracts entered by corrupt government officials with mining companies was a thorn in the flesh to the country.

Submitting its findings to the National Assembly in the political capital Dodoma, the chairman of the committee, Mussa Hassan Zungu, said there were conflicting data on the actual amount of diamond transported outside the country among various government institutions.

At one point, said Zungu, one government official he declined to mention was given a diamond gift worth millions of dollars.

"The diamond gift was given to the senior government official during one of his tours to the site in Shinyanga region some years ago," Zungu told the august House.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Job Ndugai, presented the report to Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa who will also present it to President John Magufuli.

On July 5 the National Assembly formed a nine-man investigative team to assess how Tanzania was benefiting from diamond mining.

The investigative team looked at regulation, ownership and diamond mining, said Speaker Ndugai.

He said the team drawing Members of Parliament from the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi and the opposition camp worked for 30 days before submitting its report.

In June, Tanzanian President Magufuli suspended issuance of new mining licenses to investors until after the government reorganizes itself.

He said minerals, including gold, that were being mined in the country were natural resources that belonged to Tanzanians and that his administration would never tolerate seeing a few individuals benefiting from the country's natural resources, leaving majority of Tanzanians swimming in poverty.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 03:29:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SANAA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- A Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a house in Yemen's northwestern province of Hajjah on Wednesday, killing six family members, a provincial security official told Xinhua by phone.

The targeted house is located in Alsadah village near the Saudi border, the official said on condition of anonymity.

Rescuers rushed four other critically wounded family members to a hospital in the province's capital city that bears the same name, as there is no hospital near the village.

The victims were a father, his wife and their children, according to the official.

It is the latest airstrike targeting civilians in the war-torn Arab country.

Three days ago, a Saudi-led coalition airstrike hit a house in Washahah district in Hajjah, killing two women and a child.

In March 2015, the Saudi-led coalition intervened in the Yemeni conflict to back internationally-recognized government of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi against Iranian-backed Houthis, who invaded the capital Sanaa militarily and seized most of the country's northern provinces.

More than 10,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the war with over 3 million displaced, according to UN agencies.

The country has also been hit by a deadly cholera epidemic and is on the edge of famine.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 03:59:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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COPENHAGEN, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Microsoft and University of Copenhagen signed a long-term collaboration agreement here on Wednesday on the development of a general-purpose, scalable quantum computer.

According to the agreement, Microsoft is establishing state-of-the-art research and development laboratories at the University of Copenhagen's North Campus in close proximity to the Niels Bohr Institute.

Over the course of the new long-term agreement, more Microsoft employees will come and partner with University personnel in the development of a topological quantum computer, the first of its kind in the world.

Computers based on quantum technology have the potential to solve and execute complex mathematical calculations much faster than any existing computer built with ordinary bits.

Microsoft is also committing to significant quantum research funding at the University of Copenhagen, according to the agreement.

"The University of Copenhagen's quantum research contributes to placing Danish research at the very top, which was evidenced today by the IT giant, Microsoft, expanding its investment in a quantum development centre in Denmark," said the Danish Minister for Higher Education and Science, Soeren Pind.

"It is a perfect example of how a university can create value in collaboration with the business sector from all over the world," Pind added.

The agreement with Microsoft is the culmination of a sustained and extremely focused research partnership within quantum technology, said Thomas Bjoernholm, Prorector for Research and Innovation at the University of Copenhagen.

"We are very proud of this and are confident that it will reinforce a strengthened perception of Denmark as an attractive destination for international investments," Bjoernholm said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 04:09:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- While violence has been reduced through de-escalation zones inside Syria, the parties to the conflict continue to perpetrate unthinkable crimes against civilians, a UN report issued Wednesday said.

In its latest report, the UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria pointed out that the crimes include forced displacement, deliberate attacks against civilians and the use of chemical weapons.

Charting the major trends and patterns of international human rights and humanitarian law violations committed in Syria, the latest report said between March and July 2017, warring parties continued to lay sieges and to instrumentalize humanitarian aid to compel surrender.

According to the report, terrorist groups Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham and the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) continued to employ brutal tactics against civilians.

Terrorist and other armed groups targeted religious minorities through car and suicide bombings, the use of snipers and hostage-taking, including in areas controlled by the Syrian government, the report said.

In al-Rashidin (Aleppo), it added, a single car bombing killed 96 people, including 68 internally displaced children, from previously besieged Fu'ah and Kafraya (Idlib). Afterwards, at least 17 civilians were taken hostage by armed groups, while others remain missing.

According to the report, Syrian government forces continued to deliberately target civilians, including through the use of chemical weapons against civilians in opposition-held areas.

The report also found that U.S. forces failed to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians and civilian objects when attacking alleged terrorists and destroying part of a mosque complex in al-Jinah, Aleppo in March, in violation of international humanitarian law.

By highlighting the violations committed during the reporting period, the report emphasized the pressing need for genuine, concerted, and sustained action from national and international actors to find a political solution and to put an end to grave violations of human rights and the laws of war.

The Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic is mandated by the United Nations Human Rights Council to investigate and record all violations of international law since March 2011 in the Syrian Arab Republic.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 05:55:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania on Wednesday donated one million U.S. dollars to help with relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey.

The White House said in a statement that the money was a "personal donation," but the White House has stopped short of clarifying whether the money was from Trump's own purse or from the Trump organization.

The money will be distributed among 12 organizations, ranging from 100,000 dollars to 25,000 dollars each.

Reach Out America, Red Cross and Salvation Army are the top three recipients for Trump's donation.

"The president and the first lady witnessed the work of some these groups first hand while visiting with hurricane survivors," the statement said.

Category Four Hurricane Harvey, which made landfall in Texas on Aug. 25, causing at least 70 deaths and 70 billion dollars in property damage.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 07:15:47|Editor: ying

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Cuts to public spending in Mexico's federal budget for 2018 will be lower than in previous years, although the final details are still being worked out, said the country's Finance Minister, Jose Antonio Meade, on Wednesday.

"We will point out that the executive, the government, in its operation and administration, will make savings and is facing another round of cuts," Meade told reports after participating in a human resources summit.

Questioned about the size of these cuts, the minister said that "it will be a cut smaller than those seen in previous years as we will be in a better position, as a government, to take this on."

According to Meade, the government will provide Congress with its 2018 budget on Wednesday, which will not change the country's tax code and continue policies to stabilize changes in gasoline prices.

Concerning the cancellation of the U.S. Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) by President Donald Trump, Meade said the foreign ministry has sent clear signs that it will defend Mexican citizens that are among the "Dreamers."

On Tuesday, U.S. Attorney-General Jeff Sessions announced an end to the DACA program, passed by former president Barack Obama. DACA had allowed around 800,000 illegal immigrants, who had arrived in the U.S. as children, to avoid the fear of deportation.

Meade said the Ministry of Finance would ensure the Ministry of Foreign Affairs would have the resources needed to face this challenge.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 08:04:54|Editor: Yurou

A worker selects fruit for customer at the Thiri Mingalar wholesale market in Yangon, Myanmar, Sept. 6, 2017. About 95 percent of Myanmar's fruit export has gone to China during the current fiscal year, making the country Myanmar's main agricultural export market, official media reported Tuesday. (Xinhua/U Aung)
<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18px;">DHAKA, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Six bodies have been recovered after a boat with dozens of Rohingya on board capsized in the Bay of Bengal close to Bangladesh's southeastern border with Myanmar, leaving an unknown number of people missing, an official said.</p>

<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18px;">Lieutenant Colonel SM Ariful Islam, commanding officer of the 42nd Battalion of the Border Guard of Bangladesh (BGB), told Xinhua Wednesday that "six bodies were recovered this morning."</p>

<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18px;">He could not tell when the boat capsized but guessed that it may capsize sometime Tuesday.</p>

<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18px;">On receipt of information, he said BGB, Bangladesh Navy and Bangladesh Coast Guard have rushed there to recover the bodies which were floating in the Bay of Bengal near Shah Porir Island in Teknaf sub-district of the Cox's Bazaar district, some 292 km southeast of capital Dhaka.</p>

<p style="margin-top: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; font-size: 18px;">Islam said there is no information about how many passengers of the sunken boat managed to swim ashore after it capsized. He said usually Rohingya people come in some such small boats which can carry 25-30 people.</p>
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 10:26:39|Editor: Liu

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's Prosecutor General Rodrigo Janot on Wednesday charged ex-presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff with obstruction of justice.

The charges were filed a day after the two former heads of state, both members of the left-leaning Workers' Party (PT), were charged with conspiracy.

Janot said the new charges are related to Rousseff's appointment of Lula in March 2016 as her minister of the presidency, a move many believed was designed to shelter Lula from an ongoing corruption investigation by granting him the protections of a cabinet-level post.

Rousseff was impeached shortly afterward by a largely conservative legislature for allegedly allowing her administration to embellish fiscal statements so that public finances appeared more robust.

The creative accounting practice, which is not unusual in Brazil, raised suspicions that Rousseff's impeachment was politically motivated to make way for a more business-friendly government.

The conspiracy charges, which were also brought against two former finance ministers and at least four other members of the PT, were based on allegations that those involved conspired to use the state oil giant Petrobras as a cash cow to enrich themselves.

Also on Wednesday, Rousseff's former chief of staff, Antonio Palocci, testified that Brazilian construction giant Odebrecht gave the Lula Institute 1.3 million U.S. dollars, and had agreed to pay the PT 100 million dollars.

The donation to the institute was made in cash and used to buy property in Sao Paulo, according to Palocci, who has been convicted of corruption.

Lula, still a revered figure in Brazil for his government's welfare programs and effective anti-poverty campaigns, is scheduled to testify before federal judge Sergio Moro, who is heading the investigations, on Sept. 13.

Lula has already been sentenced to nine and a half years in prison on other corruption charges and an appeal is pending.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 10:31:41|Editor: ying

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YANGON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar and India pledged to support each other in fight against terrorism, saying that both countries would not allow terrorism to take foot on their territories during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit here.

During their meeting Wednesday, Myanmar State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi thanked Modi for the strong stand he has taken with regard to the terrorism threat in Myanmar.

She also stressed the role that India played in capacity building in Myanmar.

Modi pledged to strengthen the current friendly bilateral relations and carry out further cooperation in infrastructure, communications, health and capacity building sectors.

He also expressed appreciation over the efforts made by Myanmar in achieving peace in the country.

In a joint statement issued after the signing of agreements and memorandums of understanding, Modi asserted that India stands by Myanmar amid challenges including terrorist attacks in Rakhine state.

He expressed hope that all stakeholders can find a way out in which the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar is respected.

Modi also stressed the need for the two countries to work together to safeguard their land border and maritime boundary for regional security and stability.

In the joint statement, India also offered to give Myanmar nationals gratis visa in all categories, except e-visa, and grant special pardon to 40 imprisoned Myanmar nationals in India.

The two sides also pledged to carry out exchange programs of journalists and promote better understanding of political and economic development in both countries.

Modi, who arrived in Nay Pyi Taw Tuesday on a three-day state visit, also met with Myanmar President U Htin Kyaw.

The two leaders held talks on strengthening bilateral cooperation, effective implementation of the current joint projects, extending mutual support to each other at regional and international fora and anti-terrorism efforts.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 10:46:45|Editor: ying

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by Levi J Parsons

SYDNEY, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A team of quantum engineers in Australia have published a major breakthrough in the world of quantum computing.

Scientists at the University of New South Wales' high-tech facility, the ARC Centre of Excellence for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology, have been at the cutting edge of fabricating silicon quantum computing chips from the ground up.

They were the first in the world to demonstrate the operation of a quantum bit made out of a single atom of phosphorus in silicon.

But these quantum bits or qubits were either made up of a single electron or a single nucleus.

"What we have discovered is that if we combined the electron and the nucleus together, we can make a new quantum bit that can be operated by electric fields and those flip-flop qubits can be coupled to each other at a very long distance, 200 nanometers!" team leader professor Andrea Morella told Xinhua.

"Of course it's still a very short distance, but it's much longer than what we thought would be necessary in the past."

"So instead of atoms being side by side, we can now space them out on the chip, so that there is enough space to place classical electronics and the interconnecting wires between the qubits."

Described by Morella as a Eureka moment, the idea came when researchers were trying to couple single atom spins to superconducting circuits.

"We realized that if we combined the electron and the nucleus together and we pulled the electron away from the nucleus, we create and electric field," Morella explained.

"That allows us to couple two of these atoms at a much longer distance than would be possible by magnetic coupling."

In order to do this, the scientists use a nano fabrication lab and operate several machines that are able to modify the electrical properties of the silicon and deposit very small metallic electrodes on top of them.

"Once the chip is made, it needs to be cooled down to extremely low temperatures for it to start behaving quantum mechanically and then it gets connected to some very fast electronics on the outside, that controls the quantum state of the individual atom and does quantum operations with it," Morella said.

Although the breakthrough is a huge step on the way to developing and integrating quantum computers for wide scale use, there is still a long way to go before researchers can mass-produce the technology.

"Our goal is to make a prototype silicon quantum computer that has 10 qubits within the next five years," Morella said.

"So for this to become really practical and to make an impact in the world, we expect it to take another five to 10 years on top of that."

But according to Morella, the upgrade to modern computers is much needed because there are certain problems that just can't be solved even by big classical supercomputers.

"Typical examples are the simulation of molecules and materials, they are themselves quantum objects and so the complexity of understanding molecules and materials grows exponentially with size," Morella said.

"So that's where you hit a brick wall."

"A quantum computer is naturally born to solve those kinds of problems."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 11:01:50|Editor: Yurou

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SYDNEY, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- One of China's leading airlines, China Eastern Airlines, announced Thursday it will begin a daily flight from Shanghai to the Australian city of Brisbane in the state of Queensland.

The new service is expected to see 120,000 additional visitors over the next four years coming to Australia, and Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk said it will allow even more Chinese tourists to have "access to our best destinations."

"China is Queensland's most valuable and fastest growing international market," Palaszczuk told state parliament on Thursday.

"We know that securing additional international flights to Queensland is the best way to grow tourism."

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones was excited about the new flights, and said in a statement obtained by Xinhua that this was part of an Australia-wide collaboration between stakeholders to further welcome guests from China.

"It will offer Chinese travellers easier access to many of our iconic destinations known for their world-class beauty, natural environments, unique experiences and world-class events," Jones said.

With nearly 120 million outbound Chinese travellers in 2016, Tian Liuwen, executive vice president of China Eastern Airlines, said that these new flights will be able to further serve these tourists, with more seeking to come to Australia than ever before.

"We also believe that China Eastern Airlines will open up new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange not only between Shanghai and Queensland, but also between China and Australia," Tian said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 11:11:56|Editor: ying

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CANBERRA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Australian police officers traumatized after witnessing horrific traffic accidents, serious crimes or sexual assaults will be offered additional mental health assistance under a new million-dollar program announced by the federal government on Thursday.

In a media release, the nation's Justice Minister Michael Keenan said that an additional 1 million Australian dollars (801,000 U.S. dollars) would be allocated for a nationwide mental health awareness campaign for the nation's police officers.

Keenan said that police officers see and witness things that many everyday Australians would never hope to witness, and the least the government can do is ensure they have support after their shifts have ended.

"Australia's police selflessly take care of us, and we must ensure we take care of them," Keenan said.

"Every incident not only impacts a victim, but can take a toll on those police officers involved," he said.

The minister added that mental health awareness was important in modern life, and that acknowledging, talking and doing something about mental health was important, particularly in the field of law enforcement.

Meanwhile, President of the Police Federation of Australia (PFA) Mark Carroll said the acknowledgement of mental health trauma signified a huge positive "cultural change" across the industry.

"Growing this awareness and understanding, and doing away with the stigma that surrounds mental ill health will require a significant cultural change right across our profession," Carroll said on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 12:02:12|Editor: Mengjie

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NAY PYI TAW, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Myanmar's National Security Advisor to the government U Thaung Tun has urged the media to join hands with the government in its bid to bring in peace, stability and development in northern Rakhine state by reporting the situation there in an objective manner.

Briefing local and foreign media on the current situation in Rakhine state on late Wednesday, U Thaung Tun warned that some fabricated news on the situation in the state are written and published with the intent to mislead the public.

These social media campaigns are aimed to promote the interest of the terrorists by creating further division between the already divided communities in the northern state, which also caused international misperception on Myanmar, he said.

He pointed out that the current attacks indicate the intention of the terrorist groups to seize and separate the territory.

He stressed that the government cannot condone terrorism in any form or manner and will do its utmost to prevent terrorism from spreading to other parts of the state, adding that there is enough security forces to control the situation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 12:27:18|Editor: Zhou Xin

Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez speaks at the opening ceremony of the 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting and related Meetings in Pasay City, the Philippines, Sept. 7, 2017. Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicked off a four-day meeting here on Thursday to discuss ways on how to further strengthen economic ties and integrate trade and investment in Southeast Asia. (Xinhua/ROUELLE UMALI)

MANILA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) kicked off a four-day meeting here on Thursday to discuss ways on how to further strengthen economic ties and integrate trade and investment in Southeast Asia.

"Our meeting this week is vital to the region's messaging on the success of ASEAN as a bloc. We have achieved critical mass to take ASEAN higher as our economies are growing faster than most of the rest of the world," said Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez at the opening ceremony of the 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting and related Meetings.

He said it is expected that by 2050, the ASEAN economy will amount to over 9.2 trillion U.S. dollars, making it the fourth largest in the world.

Nevertheless, Lopez said there is still a lot of work to be done.

In 2017 and beyond, he said ASEAN "should be cognizant of the changing geostrategic landscape that presents both opportunities and challenges."

"As ASEAN economic ministers, we are gathered today to send a positive signal amid a backdrop of rising trade policy uncertainties," Lopez said, stressing the need to reaffirm the importance of integrating ASEAN into the regional and global economy.

He said ASEAN will maintain an open and outward-oriented perspective through free trade agreements (FTAs) with Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

ASEAN also has cooperation mechanism with dialogue partners such as Canada, the European Union and the United States.

As a formal community, the 10-nation ASEAN bloc wants to create more free movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of 2.6 trillion U.S. dollars.

The ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) aims to achieve high economic growth in the region by increasing trade, investment and job creation.

Since the adoption of the AEC Blueprint 2025 last year and the Consolidated Strategic Action Plan (CSAP) in February this year, the Philippines wants to push for concrete measures that would further solidify the bloc's community building strategy.

The Philippines, which holds the ASEAN rotating chairmanship this year, wants ASEAN to pursue an "inclusive, innovation-led growth."

To achieve this goal, the Philippines stressed the need to further increase trade and investment, integrate the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) in the global value chains, and develop "an innovation-driven economy" within the 10-nation bloc.

The Philippines is also introducing inclusive business in ASEAN, mainstreaming women economic empowerment in AEC, and supporting cross-border trade and eco-system of entrepreneurship based on technology and innovation through e-commerce and the ASEAN declaration on innovation.

ASEAN ministers will also meet their counterparts from Australia, Canada, China, India, Japan, South Korea, New Zealand, Russia, and the United States to exchange views on global and regional economic developments and discuss trade agreements and economic cooperation mechanisms with these partners.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 12:52:21|Editor: Mengjie

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. Commerce Department on Wednesday launched anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations against imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India, the latest trade protectionist move by the Trump administration.

The investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by the Coalition of American Flange Producers and its two members, the department said in a statement.

They alleged that Chinese and Indian producers were dumping stainless steel flanges in the U.S. market with margins ranging from 78.49 percent to 257.11 percent.

They also claimed that the governments of China and India were providing "unfair" subsidies to domestic producers of stainless steel flanges, the department said.

The U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), another U.S. trade authority, is scheduled to make its preliminary inquiry determinations around Oct. 2.

The probe will continue if the ITC determines that there is a reasonable indication that imports of stainless steel flanges from these two countries materially injure or threaten the domestic industry of the United States.

In 2016, imports of these products from China and India were estimated at about 16.3 million U.S. dollars and 32.1 million dollars, respectively, according to the department.

The Trump administration has initiated 62 anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations so far this year, up 41 percent year-on-year, the department said.

China's Ministry of Commerce has kept urging Washington to abide by its commitment against protectionism and help maintain a free, open and just international trade environment.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 13:22:29|Editor: ying

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MANILA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippines on Thursday urged ASEAN's member states and dialogue partners to expedite talks on the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP), saying the proposed pact will "tremendously" benefit Southeast Asia.

"This partnership has tremendous opportunity to re-energize global free trade and open markets. As such, all eyes are on RCEP and how it will delicately balance meaningful outcomes that benefit all parties while addressing the sensitivities and circumstances of our economies, especially on market access and rules-based scheme," said Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez at the opening ceremony of the 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting and Related Meetings.

"Therefore enjoin all parties to exert utmost efforts to constructively resolve outstanding issues and seek options that provide flexibilities to move the negotiations forward," he added.

"The substantial conclusion" of the RCEP negotiations remains high on the overall economic agenda of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), he said.

"It is a priority deliverable for the Philippines' chairmanship of ASEAN 2017 and in time for the 50th anniversary of ASEAN."

The RCEP is a proposed free trade pact between the 10 member states of ASEAN and the six countries with which ASEAN has existing free trade agreements - Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

Lopez said ASEAN needs "to take a collective stand and arrive at a clear consensus on the vital elements for this agreement."

"Let us not miss the opportunity of announcing a substantial conclusion of RCEP negotiations especially in November (summit) or a significant breakthrough to culminate our celebration of ASEAN's golden jubilee year," Lopez said.

On Wednesday night, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte also urged the ASEAN ministers to commit to fast-tracking the RCEP talks.

"As we continue to steer ASEAN's direction towards our shared goal of integrating the wider region into the economic global activity, we call on the parties in the ongoing RCEP negotiations to remain committed to delivering the agreements towards the substantial conclusion," Duterte said.

Lopez said last April that the Philippines will push for the "substantial conclusion" of the RCEP that will expand the ASEAN market from 600 million people to 3.5 billion.

Launched in November 2012, the RCEP targeted to cover trade in goods and services, investments, economic and technical cooperation, intellectual property rights, competition policy, and dispute settlement, among others. It is seen as a good platform for the region to negotiate with other regional blocks.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 13:27:31|Editor: ying

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RIO DE JANEIRO, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- Brazil's former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva denied on Wednesday accusations of corruption and obstruction of justice by a former minister from his administration.

Earlier in the day, the testimony of former Finance Minister Antonio Palocci to police was made public. Palocci, who testified in exchange for lenience, said Lula received 4 million reals (1.3 million U.S. dollars)from construction giant Odebrecht.

Lula's defense said the accusations are "false and baseless" and contradict all evidences and testimonies.

"Arrested and under pressure, Palocci negotiated with the Prosecution a lenience deal which demands that false accusations, without evidence, against Lula are justified," said Lula's lawyer, Cristiano Zanin Martins.

Martins said Palocci is making false accusations against Lula in hopes of obtaining a shorter sentence.

"Former President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva reaffirms that he never committed any illicit acts before, during and after his two terms as president of Brazil," said a statement released by the Lula Institute.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 13:27:33|Editor: An

WASHINGTON, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- The value of U.S. exports of goods and services to China is significant for congressional districts across the country, according to a report released Wednesday by the U.S.-China Business Council (USCBC).

"China was a top-three goods export market for 263 districts in 2016, and among the top five for 358 districts," the USCBC said in an annual report on U.S. congressional district exports.

Meanwhile, China was the top services export market in 2015, the most recent complete year of available data, for 93 congressional districts and a top five market for 399 districts.

There are 435 congressional districts in the United States.

The report showed that most U.S. congressional districts have seen significant growth in exports of goods or services to China over the past decade.

"432 out of 435 districts saw triple-digit growth in exports of services to China since 2006, and 190 districts saw similar growth in exports of goods," the report said.

While global trade is slowing, exports of U.S. goods and services to China continue to outpace exports to other major markets, the report said, noting that U.S. goods exports to China grew by 8 percent annually on average over the past 10 years.

Meanwhile, U.S. services exports to China grew more rapidly than to all the other major trading partners, averaging nearly 19 percent annually over the last decade.

In 2015, U.S. services exports to China totaled 47 billion dollars, making China the third-largest services export market for the United States.

In 2016, U.S. goods exports to China totaled 113 billion U.S. dollars, roughly on par with the previous year, according to the report. China is the third-largest export market for American goods in the year.

"Exports continue to play an essential role in the U.S. economy and job growth," the report said, adding exports to China have helped support a wide range of industries in the United States, including transportation equipment, agriculture, computers and electronics, chemicals, travel and education, business and professional services, and financial services.

The report also urged the United States to push forward negotiations with China on a high-standard bilateral investment treaty, which would facilitate American companies' sale of more products and services to China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 13:37:37|Editor: An

ISLAMABAD, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pakistani Army Chief Gen. Qamar Javed Bajwa has described the multi-billion-USD China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) as a guarantor of peace in the region.

Bajwa made the remarks in his address to a largely-attended gathering at the military headquarters in Rawalpindi on late Wednesday to mark Pakistan's Defense Day.

"We sincerely believe that CPEC is not only a guarantor of peace in Pakistan but the whole region," the Pakistani army chief said.

"Pakistan-China friendship is based on mutual respect, which is a shining example and CPEC is great manifestation of this relationship," he said.

Meanwhile, talking about Pakistan's role against terrorism, the general said Pakistan had been striving hard and making countless sacrifices in the war against terror for two decades.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 13:52:40|Editor: An

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GUIYANG, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- This is the quietest tourist site in China -- no phones, cameras and cars are allowed inside. Even planes have been rerouted to avoid disturbance, but still, it draws thousands of tourists.

Since it began operation in September last year, the world's largest radio telescope, located in southwestern province of Guizhou, has received 240,000 tourists, according to local authorities.

The Five-hundred-meter Aperture Spherical radio Telescope (FAST) is a single-dish telescope, with a diameter of half a kilometer. It was built in Dawodang depression, a natural karst basin in Pingtang County, an impoverished area in mountainous Guizhou.

The telescope is used to probe space for the faintest signs of life and is sensitive to any electromagnetic interference.

Nearly 10,000 residents living in the core zone, within five kilometers of the telescope, have been relocated.

"All phones and cameras must be handed in if visitors want to enter the core area," said Liu Xingwu, a local tour operator.

"Vehicle engine ignitions also produce electromagnetic waves, so all sightseeing vehicles which enter the core zone have been modified to remove magnetic interference," said Liu.

With a total investment of 1.2 billion yuan (about 188 million U.S. dollars), the telescope has also created a boom in tourism for the county, which is home to around 330,000 people.

An astronomical and cultural park is being extended. New theaters and exhibition centers will open ahead of the National Day holiday in October, said Shi Bangze, director of the county tourism bureau.

Shi said that any increase in tourist numbers must not interfere with scientific studies underway at FAST.

"Scientist are using FAST to probe space, and they do not want any disturbances, so tourism can only be developed on the condition that the research functions are not impeded," he said.

The county has instigated a daily cap of 2,000 visitors within the core area.

"Most travellers come on weekends and holidays. We use manual film cameras rather than digital ones to take photos of the visitors. The cameras have been tested for interference," Shi said.

"Once the daily limit is reached, we divert tourists to other scenic areas further away from the telescope," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 14:02:46|Editor: An

Editor's Note: China is rolling out a major documentary series on its diplomatic principles, practices and achievements over the past five years. The English-language version of the program will soon be available on TV and online. To help the audience better understand Chinese diplomacy, Xinhua is releasing a variety of reports that include anecdotes, quotable quotes, facts and figures.

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The following is a set of numbers related to Chinese President Xi Jinping's book "Xi Jinping: The Governance of China".

21 -- The book has been translated into 21 languages.

6.42 million -- A total of 6.42 million copies of the book have been distributed.

160 -- The book has been issued in more than 160 countries.

800 -- More than 800 people participated in a launch ceremony held in Cambodia, including Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and five deputy prime ministers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 14:22:55|Editor: An

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NANNING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Three people died and 24 others were injured in a bus-truck crash in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Wednesday night, local fire brigade said.

The accident occurred on a highway in Qinzhou city when a bus crashed into the rear of a truck and three people, including the bus driver and two passengers, died at the scene.

Four people are critically injured, with 20 suffering more minor injuries. All of them are treated at local hospitals.

The bus departed the China-Vietnam border county of Dongxing and was heading to the regional capital Nanning, about two hours away. It carried 27 people.

An investigation is underway.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 14:37:59|Editor: ying

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MANILA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The son and son-in-law of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte denied on Thursday any involvement in the drug smuggling.

Duterte's eldest son Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio, husband of Duterte's daughter Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte, appeared at the Philippine Senate Blue Ribbon Committee to clear their name.

Both have been "name-dropped" by a "broker" in the Bureau of Customs in the ongoing probe on the smuggling of shabu,' a slang term for illicit drug methamphetamine.

The broker has testified in a legislative investigation into how 604 kg of "shabu" worth 6.4 billion pesos (125.4 million U.S. dollars) made it past the customs bureau. The drug shipment was seized last May by customs officials at a warehouse in Valenzuela City.

Duterte's son told the senate that the allegations linking them are "baseless" and based on rumors.

"Once and for all, I have the time to deny any and all baseless allegations thrown against me," Duterte told the senate committee. He refused to answer further questions. "I am sorry but I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay."

For his part, Carpio lamented that he and his brother -in-law "have been publicly crucified based on rumors," Carpio, a lawyer, said his law practice involves representing clients in courts including the Bureau of Customs.

"I am here before this committee to formally dealer that I have no knowledge or involvement in illegal drug shipments...to assist the committee in whatever way I can as a resource person," Carpio said.

President Duterte, who earlier defended his son and son-in-law and called the accusations "malicious," advised the two to appear before the senate committee.

Duterte's spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement that the appearance of Duterte's son and Carpio before the senate committee "demonstrates that both gentlemen are willing and ready to face malicious allegations intended to impugn their character and credibility."

Abella reiterated that President Duterte would not interfere in the senate probe.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 14:48:01|Editor: ying

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SUVA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Secretariat and the European Union (EU) signed on Thursday an agreement to tackle gender inequality and violence against women and girls in the Pacific region.

According to a press release from the PIF Secretariat on Thursday, the financing agreement worth 13 million euros (15.5 million U.S. dollars) was inked in the Samoan capital of Apia by Secretary General of the PIF Secretariat Dame Meg Taylor and Director for Asia, Central Asia, Middle East/Gulf and the Pacific at the European Commission's Department for International Cooperation and Development Pierre Amilhat.

Both of them are in Apia to attend the 48th PIF Leaders Meeting which kicked off on Tuesday.

Australia will provide an additional 6.5 million Australian dollars (5.2 million U.S. dollars) to this program, to strengthen the EU-Australia cooperation to support Pacific responses to gender inequality in the region.

The program will support activities at the regional level.

Taylor acknowledged the EU's recognition of the importance of tackling the root causes of gender inequality and violence against women and girls in the Pacific region.

She also commended the EU for supporting the 2012 Forum Leaders Gender Equality Declaration which was adopted in the Cook Islands.

Amilhat reaffirmed the role of the EU as a reliable partner of the Pacific and highlighted its commitment to jointly tackling gender inequality in the Pacific region.

"Together, we must work to enhance awareness and practice of respectful relationships, ensure equal opportunities in life for women, men, girls and boys, and increase access to relevant services for women and girls who have suffered violence," said Amilhat.

The program is co-financed through the 11th European Development Fund (13 million euros), the Australian government (6.5 million Australian dollars) and the United Nations Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women (750,000 U.S. dollars).

It will be implemented over six years by UN Women, the PIF Secretariat and the Pacific Community (SPC).
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 15:03:05|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JAKARTA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia hosted a 2-day East Asia Summit (EAS) Conference on sea garbage in resort island of Bali, attended by representatives of EAS member countries, ASEAN, delegations from private sector, scholars and related institutions.

"Around 80 percent of sea garbage were originated from the land, caused by less-effective garbage management and misbehavior of people living in coastlines to manage plastic garbage across the world," Jose Tavares, director General for ASEAN Cooperation at Indonesian Foreign Ministry, said in his remarks in the conference.

He added that 12.7 million metric tons of plastic garbages were littered to the sea each year, have polluted the sea and endangered the environment and sustainability of all walks of life as well.

In this regard, Jose pointed out that EAS should play an active and pivotal role in seeking concrete and applicable solutions to address the sea garbage issue.

Indonesia has set initiatives, formed the National Action Plans to address the sea garbage issue, targeting to reduce its sea garbage by 70 percent before 2025.

Among the programs put in the action plans is the use of processed plastic garbage in road project, called plastic tar road. The pilot project of the program has been conducted in Bali with plans to apply it in other regions.

The other programs were the development of bio plastic made of cassava and seaweeds, garbage to energy projects and empowerment of "garbage bank" on grass root level.

The conference was to follow suit the EAS Statement on Enhancing Regional Maritime Cooperation initiated by Indonesia in 2015.

EAS is a regional dialogue and cooperation forum now joined by 10 ASEAN member countries and China, Japan, South Korea, the United States, Australia, India, Russia and New Zealand.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 15:13:09|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MAIMANA, Afghanistan, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- As many as 18 Taliban militants, including three local insurgents' commanders, were killed in clashes in Afghanistan's northern province of Faryab, police said Thursday.

The clashes occurred within the last 24 hours, when fighters loyal to the Taliban attacked security checkpoints in Pashtun Kot, Ghormach and Almar districts, but faced harsh military reaction from the area's government security forces, Sayyed Sarwar Housaini, police spokesman of 707 Pamir Police Zone based in the region, told Xinhua.

"Among those killed militants were three local Taliban commanders, Qari Salahuddin, Mawlavi Belal, Taliban's military leader for Ghormach district and Qari Zainullah known as Khaled, and 13 other militants were injured by the fighting," he said.

In addition, one civilian and one militia of pro-government local militias, known as local uprising group, were also killed and two civilians wounded in the incidents, according to the police spokesman.

Sporadic clashes were continuing in the districts, in the province, 425 km northwest of Kabul Thursday morning, he noted.

The Taliban has confirmed the incident but yet to comment on their casualties.

Fighting has escalated in Afghanistan as the Taliban insurgency spreads from its traditional strongholds in the south and east to the once peaceful region in the north, where the militants have been recruiting from among the youth.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 15:23:18|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KABUL, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan army found and defused 90 rounds of landmines and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) within the past 24 hours, Afghan Defense Ministry said on Thursday.

"The Afghan National Army (ANA) engineering teams found and neutralized 90 rounds of landmines, roadside bombs and IEDs across Afghanistan within the past 24 hours," the ministry said in a statement.

Taliban militants and Islamic State (IS) fighters have been using the home-made IEDs to target security forces but the lethal weapons also inflict casualties on civilians.

Finding and neutralizing the simple but difficult to be detected weapons remained a challenge for Afghan security forces.

More than 1,660 civilians were killed and over 3,580 others injured in conflict-related incidents in the first half of the year, according to figures released by the United Nations mission in the country.

The IED and landmine explosions were the second largest cause of civilians' casualties following ground engagements between government forces and insurgents.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 15:28:24|Editor: Zhou Xin

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MANILA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Philippine troops rescued on Thursday two Indonesian men held hostage by Islamist militants in southern Philippine Sulu island since November last year.

Brig. Gen. Cirilito Sobejana, the commander of the joint task force Sulu, said the two Indonesian hostages were rescued around 6:30 a.m. local time on Thursday in remote Bunot village in Indanan, Sulu.

Sobejana said the two kidnapped victims, Saparuddin Kong and Sawal Maryam, were aboard a car when recovered. The victims were brought to a local hospital for medical checkup, he said.

The military said five gunmen abducted the two indonesian men in November last year off Kunak, a small town in the eastern Malaysian state of Sabah.

A few minutes before the two Indonesians were recovered, Sobejana said troops encountered some 20 members of the Abu Sayyaf militants in another village in Talipao town in Sulu. Five militants were killed and five soldiers wounded in that clash, he said.

Abu Sayyaf is one of the smallest and most violent jihadist groups operating in the southern Philippines notorious for kidnappings, bombings and attacking civilians and the army. The group, numbering about 500 has been sowing terror in the southern Philippine region since the early 1990s.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 15:38:28|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KHARTOUM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Sudan on Wednesday said it closed borders with South Sudan, Chad and Libya to prevent smuggling of arms.

"We have closed our borders with Libya, Chad and South Sudan to prevent smuggling of arms and four-wheel-drive vehicles," said Sudan's Vice President Hassabo Mohamed Abdul-Rahman when addressing students' gathering in Khartoum.

"During the past period, around 60,000 four-wheel-drive vehicles have been smuggled into Sudan from Libya, Chad and South Sudan, where some of those smuggled cars were used in crimes such as murdering, smuggling, money laundering and drugs," he added.

He further noted that the International Police had recently sent requests to Sudan to register the data of those smuggled cars to help identify the criminal networks involved in those criminal acts.

Last August, the Sudanese government launched a campaign for collecting arms and unlicensed vehicles in Sudan's Darfur region.

During a visit to Darfur states last year, Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir stressed the country's determination to collect arms in the region and divided the project into two phases, as the first through financial compensation for each piece collected and the second through a compulsory law that included punishment to the violators.

Earlier, the government announced formation of a High Committee for collection of arms and unlicensed vehicles.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 16:18:41|Editor: Zhou Xin

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least two Syrian soldiers were killed when Israeli missile attack targeted a military base near the central city of Masyaf Thursday morning, the Syrian army said in a statement.

According to the statement, at 2:42 a.m. (0042 GMT) Thursday, the Israeli warplanes fired several rockets from the Lebanese airspace, targeting the Syrian base near Masyaf in the countryside of Hama province in central Syria.

The attack killed two soldiers and caused damages to the site, said the statement.

"This aggression is a desperate attempt to lift the morales of the Daesh terrorist gangs, which are crumbling following the victories achieved by the Syrian army against terrorism on several fronts," said the military statement, using the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State (IS).

"The attack also proves Israel's direct support to Daesh and other terrorist groups," the statement said.

Meanwhile, the statement warned of the "dangerous repercussions" of such attacks on the stability of the region, stressing the Syrian army's determination to eradicate terrorism in all Syrian areas.

Israel has repeatedly targeted military positions across Syria, mainly those suspected of harboring arms and munition for the Lebanese Hezbollah group.

Some anti-government reports suggested that the targeted site near Masyaf was a rocket factory that supplies Hezbollah.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 16:23:43|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has ordered to revoke the credentials of all Al Jazeera reporters in Israel and reiterated his intention to shut down the local office of the Qatari news network, the Government Press Office confirmed Thursday.

The press office said that Netanyahu instructed to cancel the participation of Al Jazeera local office director, Walid al-Omri, in its seminar about freedom of the press.

"At the same time, the Prime Minister instructed that legal steps be taken to deny the press cards of all Al Jazeera journalists working in Israel and to close their offices in Israel," said the press office.

On Aug. 30, the press office said it would not revoke the credential of an Al Jazeera reporter, Elias Karram, after holding a hearing over his alleged support of Palestinian "resistance."

Karram was called for the hearing after a television interview he gave in 2016 had surfaced. In the interview, he said "as a Palestinian journalist in an occupied area or in a conflict zone, media work is an integral part of the resistance and its educational political activity."

Karram was summoned for the hearing at the request of Israel's Communications Minister Ayoob Kara, who asked the Government Press Office to revoke the press cards of Al Jazeera personnel in Israel on the grounds that the network was "inciting and agitating violence in a way that harmed the security of the state."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 16:48:52|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Pyongyang's repeated nuclear tests and missile launches as well as Washington's tit-for-tat warlike threats have trapped the Korean Peninsula into a vicious circle. Even Worse, its spillover effects have taken a heavy toll on the interests of regional countries.

It is true that Pyongyang's moves violated UN Security Council resolutions and norms of international law, and also threatened peace and stability in the region and beyond.

However, U.S. pro-war rhetoric and coercive measures, ironically, are addressing a mistake by creating an even bigger one.

The White House is pressing for the toughest sanctions at the UN Security Council in response to DPRK's sixth and largest nuclear test on Sunday, as its UN envoy even said Pyongyang was "begging for war."

History has shown that U.S. sanctions and military intervention have caused humanitarian crises or even years of turmoil in countries like Afghanistan and Iraq, instead of achieving policy changes and peace it advertises.

It is difficult for the Trump administration to convince the world that similar policies will make a difference on the Korean Peninsula, given the fact that Pyongyang sees its nuclear program as an essential shield against towering foes like the United States and stronger neighbor South Korea.

The current nuclear issue, as China reiterated, is in essence a security issue. If Washington keeps cornering Pyongyang by its belligerent tone and military exercises on its doorstep, the last thing Pyongyang would discard is its nuclear capability.

Meanwhile, the crisis has already spilled over to endanger regional peace and stability. The deployment of Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) in South Korea, alleged by Seoul to respond Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, has substantially undermined regional strategic balance and harmed the security interests of regional countries like China and Russia.

China has for years been committed to preserving a non-proliferation regime, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through dialogue, which has won widespread approval and applause from around the world.

By proposing "suspension for suspension" and "dual-track" initiatives, Beijing upholds and reiterates the direction toward a peaceful settlement of the issue.

Intimidation brings no submission but repercussions. Only dialogue can create a platform and opportunities for related parties to discuss and address their problems and concerns, producing hope for peaceful settlement of the Korean Peninsula nuclear crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 16:59:00|Editor: Zhou Xin

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by Xinhua Writers Wang Wen, Zhang Zhihuan, Yang Shilong

NEW YORK, Sept. 6 (Xinhua) -- For 23-year-old Zuleima Dominguez, the Trump administration's decision to rescind a program that shields young immigrants brought into the United States illegally as children from deportation, means she might relive the fear that had once haunted her for more than a decade.

Born in Mexico, Dominguez arrived in the United States when she was seven years old. Her parents pinned hope on her opportunity to receive higher education and find a good job that they had never had in Mexico.

For more than a decade, Dominguez was living in the fear that she might be exposed as an undocumented immigrant and had to struggle to pay for her college.

It was the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, that lifted her out of despair and inferiority.

Under the program implemented in 2012, recipients receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit by applying to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Approximately 800,000 people have participated in the program across the United States and they are often referred to as Dreamers.

Dominguez was able to apply for a scholarship, become a full-time student, travel outside the United States, and most importantly, feel like a U.S. citizen.

"I thought I was never going to graduate (from college), and then DACA happened. DACA changed my life," Dominguez told media on Wednesday.

However, the White House announced on Tuesday that the DACA is being rescinded. President Donald Trump said in a written statement that he is looking forward to working with the Congress to finally address all of these issues "in a manner that puts the hardworking citizens of our country first."

The move met strong protest from many attorneys general, mayors, business leaders, labor unions and immigration advocates, among whom, 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Wednesday.

The lawsuit details how the Trump administration has violated the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against Dreamers of Mexican origin, who make up 78 percent of DACA recipients, violated Due Process rights, and harmed states' residents, institutions, and economies.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a news conference that there is no good reason to end the program because the Dreamers play by the rules, work hard, pay taxes, and have a clean record.

"For most (of the Dreamers), the United States is the only home they have ever known. They deserve to stay here," he said, adding that the Dreamers are making America great.

"Immigration is the lifeblood of New York State. The Trump administration's decision to end DACA is cruel, inhumane, and devastating to the 42,000 New Yorkers who have been able to come out of the shadows and live a full life as a result of the program," said Schneiderman.

He added that the DACA repeal would not only affect life of Dreamers and their families, but also cause huge economic harm to New York.

New York city mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Wednesday, "To the 30,000 Dreamers in this city and the 800,000 across the country: New York has your back."

Also on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted three Dreamers at home, and live-streamed their personal stories. The video was watched by more than 1.8 million people.

In the video, Zuckerberg expressed concern about White House's latest move. He said it is important to find a solution and give those in the DACA program a guarantee of work status and "a full pathway to citizenship," which is a fundamental and humane thing to have.

Yet, not all people are against Trump administration's decision. Some have voiced concerns that the DACA has amounted to an amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Lee Cheng, co-founder and director of the Asian American Legal Foundation, said he supports immigration standards focused on national security only "because it is clear to me that immigrants have always been and remain a huge net positive to America."

The problem and challenge with "broad amnesty of almost any kind" can be seen in the aftermath of the amnesty granted to illegal immigrants under former President Ronald Reagan, he said.

"No one can dispute that the amnesty absolutely encouraged even more illegal immigration in the following two decades and is the driver of many of the immigration issues facing America today," Cheng told Xinhua.

The Trump administration is simply asking the Congress to take appropriate action on immigration law rather than extending DACA -- the Congress has the power and also the authority, as well as the duty, to do so, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 17:39:21|Editor: liuxin

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VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Japan and South Korea on Thursday reiterated their appeal on strengthening sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its aggressive nuclear program, as they met on a economic forum held here.

"The DPRK is becoming an unprecedentedly grave and imminent threat...It is escalating challenges to peace and prosperity to the northeast Asia and the entire world," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on the plenary session of the Third Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Abe said it is necessary to make the DPRK immediately and fully comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Echoing Abe's appeal, South Korea President Moon Jae-in also voiced the desire of keeping the pressure of sanctions on the DPRK.

"I thank Russia for its active participation in regards to sanctions against the DPRK and I hope Russia will continue its support on this matter," he said.

During a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump late Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation regime, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks.

The general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, Xi said, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution.

The DPRK on Sunday successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was the sixth nuclear test by the country so far, further worsening the hair-trigger confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

Differing with the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said whipping up hostility would not settle the Korean Peninsula issue, as the DPRK will not be frightened and give up on its nuclear program.

Instead, Russia prefers to involve the DPRK into the regional cooperation in a bid to ease the tension around the Korean Peninsula, and has already offered specific proposals which include building a joint railway connecting Russia and the Korean Peninsula through the DPRK and the development of pipeline transport, Putin said.

On Wednesday, Putin called for a "step-by-step settlement", saying it is pointless to push the DPRK into a corner as sanctions and pressure could be counterproductive.

"Now more than ever, everyone needs to be calm and avoid steps that lead to an escalation of tension," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 17:49:25|Editor: liuxin

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A convoy of 40 truckloads of aid reached the entrance of Syria's eastern city of Deir al-Zour on Thursday, just a couple of days after the Russian-backed Syrian army lifted the Islamic State (IS) three-year siege on Deir al-Zour, local media reported.

The aid includes food, fuel, medicines and basic necessities provided to around 93,000 civilians in the city, said pro-government Sham FM radio.

A day earlier, the Syrian Health Ministry said it had sent nine tons of medical supplies to the city.

A well-informed source told Xinhua that the aid convoy came from the northern city of Aleppo through the recently-taken city of Rasafah in the southwestern countryside of Raqqa province.

During the IS siege, the government and the United Nations carried out expensive airdrops of food and aid to the besieged people.

Deir al-Zour is the last major stronghold of IS, as the terror-designated group is also losing its de facto capital of Raqqa to the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which has captured more than 60 percent of Raqqa.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 17:49:26|Editor: liuxin

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JALALABAD, Afghanistan, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A tanager would-be suicide bomber has surrendered to police in eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, the provincial governor office said in a statement Thursday.

"The 17-year-old Noor Aqa, who was lured by his father and brother to launch suicide attack on the government forces, has surrendered himself to police in Bati Kot district, but declined to carry out a suicide attack against security forces," said the statement.

Afghan officials blame Taliban militants for encouraging children to take part in fight against government security forces and foreign troops stationed in the country.

According to the statement, father and brother of the boy are active members of the Taliban militant group.

Last year, a 12-year-old suicide bomber handed himself over to the Afghan security forces in the same province after changing his mind about carrying out a planned attack.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 18:04:31|Editor: liuxin

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by Julius Gale

JUBA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has imposed targeted sanctions on two senior government officials of South Sudan and the country's former army chief over their roles in the conflict plaguing the East African nation.

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced that all assets belonging to South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei Leuth, Deputy Defense chief Malek Reuben and the sacked army Chief Paul Malong, in the United States have been frozen and further banned from entering the United States.

The Donald Trump Administration also sanctioned three companies that are owned or controlled by one of those individuals.

"The measures taken today against Malek Reuben, Michael Makuei Lueth, and Paul Malong Awan make clear that the U.S. government will impose consequences on those who expand the conflict and derail peace efforts," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement issued on Wednesday night.

The sanctions came less than a week after the senior aid official in the Trump administration revealed that Washington is considering reviewing its assistance to the war-torn country.

Washington said it has released a financial crimes enforcement network advisory alerting U.S. financial institutions on the possibility that certain South Sudanese senior political figures may try to use the U.S. financial system to move or hide proceeds of public corruption.

"The United States stands ready to impose other measures against those responsible for undermining the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan," it said.

"As the Advisory demonstrates, the United States is committed to increasing scrutiny on those who enrich themselves through corruption while the South Sudanese people suffer through economic hardship and a dire humanitarian crisis," Washington added.

South Sudan has been devastated by more than three years of civil war that erupted in December 2013 following wrangles within the ruling political party.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the warring parties under intense pressure from the international community that led to formation of unity government in April 2016 was shattered again in July the same year as rival forces belonging to the President Slava Kiir and his former deputy clashed in the capital, Juba.

The conflict has created one of the world's fastest growing humanitarian crisis as six million people face life-threatening hunger while more than four million people have been displaced from their homes, including two million refugees, according to the UN.

The Trump Administration said the crisis is man-made and tasked the government of South Sudan to end hostilities, stop the harassment of aid workers, cooperate with the UN and exert efforts to support the revitalization of the stalled peace pact.

"We continue to make clear to South Sudan's leaders that they must honor their declared ceasefire, revive the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan by engaging meaningfully with opposition parties, bring an end to atrocities, stop the harassment of aid workers, stem human rights abuses, cooperate fully with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and take action against corruption," the United States said.

"We urge all parties to engage constructively and seriously in the upcoming Intergovernmental Authority on Development High-Level Revitalization Forum for the South Sudan peace process," it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 18:14:35|Editor: liuxin

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ADDIS ABABA, sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The African Union Peace and Security Council (AUPSC) and the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will hold their 11th joint consultative meeting on Friday at the AU Headquarters in Ethiopia's capital Addis Ababa.

The meeting will deliberate on peace and security situations in Africa, particularly on the situations in Somalia, South Sudan and the Lake Chad Basin.

The meeting will be preceded by informal consultations on Thursday, which focuses on the partnership between the AU and the UN, funding for AU peace and security activities, and post-conflict peace building.

The UNSC members on Wednesday arrived in Addis Ababa, capital of the East African country, which co-chairs the meeting together with Botswana, chair of the AUPSC for the Month.

Head of Ethiopian Mission to the UN and President of UNSC for the Month of September, Tekeda Alemu, said the consultative meeting would further strengthen and deepen the cooperation between the two organizations.

The meeting is also expected to discuss ways to further strengthen financial support to peace keeping operations.
Buildings of the African Union (AU) Headquarters are seen in Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, on Jan. 28, 2016. The 26th AU Summit is scheduled to open here on Jan. 30. (Xinhua/Pan Siwei)

by Christine Lagat and Lu Duobao

NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scientists drawn from prestigious Chinese and African research institutions have approved a joint communique to advance green agenda through knowledge sharing in habitat protection, waste management and climate change mitigation.

The scientists said in a draft communique released after a three-day conference in Nairobi that joint research programs, capacity building and skills transfer will be the building blocks of their future collaboration.

"Scientists of Africa and China, with the involvement of many national and international partners have taken important steps on an important journey. It will make great contributions to prosperity for the people of Africa and the whole world," the scientists said.

More than 70 scientists and policymakers from ten African countries and China attended the three-day conference to brainstorm on new strategies to promote sustainability agenda in line with objectives of South-South cooperation.

The conference on climate, ecosystems and livelihoods for Africa was sponsored by United Nations Environment, World Academy of Sciences, Chinese Academy of Sciences and National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Delegates agreed that a robust Sino-African partnership in scientific research, technology transfer and innovations will unleash mutual benefits that include climate resilience, food security and improved human health.

"Participants agreed that future cooperation should be based on existing institutions, networks and ongoing programs in both China and Africa including centers of excellence," said the joint communique.

It added that that both Chinese and African research institutions should partner to promote awareness on climate, ecosystems and livelihoods while building the capacity of communities to advance the green agenda.

The joint communique underscored the role of the China-proposed Belt and Road initiative (B&R) in facilitating robust collaboration between Chinese and African scientists in diverse areas like climate research, health, agriculture, energy and habitat protection.

"The B&R initiatives, following those under the Forum on China-Africa cooperation, have brought China and Africa closer together, with joint research initiatives to explore sustainable development and adaptation to climate variability," noted the communique.

Both African and Chinese scientists are optimistic that their future cooperation will be fruitful given the goodwill from their respective governments.

"We have invested enormous resources to support capacity building and research in diverse areas like climate change, ecosystems conservation, solid waste and chemicals management across Africa," said Feng Feng, Director General of Bureau of International Cooperation at the National Natural Science Foundation of China.

Salif Diop, a member of African Academy of Sciences, was upbeat that strategic collaboration in climate research, agriculture and food security, water, energy and health will unleash prosperity at both ends.

"We are looking at a pragmatic cooperation with our Chinese colleagues to strengthen research that could rejuvenate action on climate change, hunger, water scarcity and pollution," Diop told Xinhua.
Refugees from South Sudan wait to be settled outside the Khour Al-Waral refugee camp in Al-Salam locality, some 69-kilometers south of Rebek, capital of White Nile State, Sudan, May 18, 2017. The Khour Al-Waral refugee camp accommodated 50,000 refugees. The majority of them are from Upper Nile State of South Sudan on the border with Sudan. (Xinhua/Mohamed Babiker)

by Julius Gale

JUBA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The U.S. government has imposed targeted sanctions on two senior government officials of South Sudan and the country's former army chief over their roles in the conflict plaguing the East African nation.

The U.S. Department of Treasury announced that all assets belonging to South Sudan's Information Minister Michael Makuei Leuth, Deputy Defense chief Malek Reuben and the sacked army Chief Paul Malong, in the United States have been frozen and further banned from entering the United States.

The Donald Trump Administration also sanctioned three companies that are owned or controlled by one of those individuals.

"The measures taken today against Malek Reuben, Michael Makuei Lueth, and Paul Malong Awan make clear that the U.S. government will impose consequences on those who expand the conflict and derail peace efforts," the U.S. Department of State said in a statement issued on Wednesday night.

The sanctions came less than a week after the senior aid official in the Trump administration revealed that Washington is considering reviewing its assistance to the war-torn country.

Washington said it has released a financial crimes enforcement network advisory alerting U.S. financial institutions on the possibility that certain South Sudanese senior political figures may try to use the U.S. financial system to move or hide proceeds of public corruption.

"The United States stands ready to impose other measures against those responsible for undermining the peace, security, or stability of South Sudan," it said.

"As the Advisory demonstrates, the United States is committed to increasing scrutiny on those who enrich themselves through corruption while the South Sudanese people suffer through economic hardship and a dire humanitarian crisis," Washington added.

South Sudan has been devastated by more than three years of civil war that erupted in December 2013 following wrangles within the ruling political party.

A peace deal signed in August 2015 between the warring parties under intense pressure from the international community that led to formation of unity government in April 2016 was shattered again in July the same year as rival forces belonging to the President Slava Kiir and his former deputy clashed in the capital, Juba.

The conflict has created one of the world's fastest growing humanitarian crisis as six million people face life-threatening hunger while more than four million people have been displaced from their homes, including two million refugees, according to the UN.

The Trump Administration said the crisis is man-made and tasked the government of South Sudan to end hostilities, stop the harassment of aid workers, cooperate with the UN and exert efforts to support the revitalization of the stalled peace pact.

"We continue to make clear to South Sudan's leaders that they must honor their declared ceasefire, revive the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan by engaging meaningfully with opposition parties, bring an end to atrocities, stop the harassment of aid workers, stem human rights abuses, cooperate fully with the United Nations Mission in South Sudan, and take action against corruption," the United States said.

"We urge all parties to engage constructively and seriously in the upcoming Intergovernmental Authority on Development High-Level Revitalization Forum for the South Sudan peace process," it added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 18:44:45|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Editor's Note: China is rolling out a major documentary series on its diplomatic principles, practices and achievements over the past five years. The English-language version of the program will soon be available on TV and online. To help the audience better understand Chinese diplomacy, Xinhua is releasing a variety of reports that include anecdotes, quotable quotes, facts and figures.

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The following is a selection of remarks made by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, and others about China's relations with major countries.

Xi Jinping, Chinese president

"There is no such thing as the so-called Thucydides trap in the world. But should major countries time and again make the mistakes of strategic miscalculation, they might create such traps for themselves."

"We want to deepen mutual understanding with the U.S. on each other's strategic orientation and development path. We want to see more understanding and trust, less estrangement and suspicion, in order to forestall misunderstanding and miscalculation." (Speech on China-U.S. relations at a welcoming dinner in Seattle, the United States, Sept. 22, 2015)

Xi Jinping, Chinese president

" ... the vast Pacific Ocean has enough room to accommodate the development of the two major countries, namely China and the United States." (In meeting with former U.S. President Barack Obama, at Annenberg Retreat, California, the United States, June 7, 2013)

Xi Jinping, Chinese president

"For that, we need to build four bridges for peace, growth, reform and progress of civilization, so that the China-EU (European Union) comprehensive strategic partnership will take on even greater global significance." (Speech at the College of Europe in Bruges, Belgium, April 1, 2014)

Xi Jinping, Chinese president

"Now China the lion has awakened, but it is a peaceful, amicable and civilized lion." (Speech at the meeting commemorating the 50th anniversary of the establishment of China-France Diplomatic Relations, Paris, France, March 27, 2014)

Vladimir Putin, Russian President

"Mr. Xi Jinping devotes much of his personal attention to the development of Russia-China relations. He is a very good friend and a reliable partner." (Moscow, June 23, 2016)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 18:49:50|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JUBA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The UN World Health Organization (WHO) has decried South Sudan's disease burden which it said is rising rapidly in the midst of a protracted conflict that is causing widespread displacement and a major food crisis.

Evans Liyosi, WHO South Sudan Representative, said malaria infections are on the rise in the war-torn country, with more than 1.3 million people infected in 2017, and thousands others sick with measles and cholera.

"Disease is a leading cause of death in South Sudan today, and malaria is the number one killer," Liyosi said in a statement issued in Juba on Wednesday night.

Malaria season which is underway across much of sub-Saharan Africa exacts a particularly heavy toll in South Sudan and the country's entire population is at high risk of contracting the illness because of a fractured health system and challenges related to accessing the population due to insecurity.

According to WHO, an estimated 1.3 million people have fallen ill with malaria this year, while thousands are affected by cholera and measles, particularly along the Nile River and in camps for displaced people.

The deadly mosquito-borne disease accounts for 65 percent of all illnesses reported in health facilities across the country. Every week it infects more than 77,500 people and kills nearly 220 -- most of them children under the age of five.

South Sudan has also recorded nearly 20,000 cases of cholera and more than one thousand victims of measles since January.

WHO and partners are working to provide critical health services to 2.7 million people targeted for health across the country, but the health response faces a staggering 84 percent funding gap.

Across the country, malnutrition, severe pneumonia, malaria and perinatal complications remain the most common causes of death in children under five.

The UN health agency regularly deploys mobile medical teams to outbreak hotspots for diseases such as cholera and malaria to help respond to disease outbreaks.

The teams also train frontline health workers on malaria diagnosis and treatment to improve quality of care and access to treatment.

Oral cholera vaccination campaigns have vaccinated nearly one million people against cholera, stemming the spread of the disease in areas where the vaccine was deployed.

"Awareness raising interventions and cholera treatment facilities have also helped to contain the spread of the waterborne illness," WHO said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 18:59:56|Editor: Zhou Xin

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NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Wildlife conservationists have renewed calls for protection of the endangered Mountain Bongo Antelope that is at risk of extinction.

Donald Bunge, Conservancy Manager at the Mount Kenya Wildlife Conservancy (MKWC), said in a commentary published on Thursday in the Standard newspaper that the population of the antelope in the wild has dipped in the past 50 years primarily due to unrestricted hunting, poaching, loss of habitat, illegal logging in forest and diseases such as rinderpest which is thought to have drastically cut their numbers in the 1890s and early 1900s.

"We are calling on likeminded Kenyans to join the conservation cause so that we can save the Mountain Bongo Antelope that is facing extinction. No small effort goes to waste; it all counts when we come together," Bunge said.

Considered the most beautiful antelope, Bongos are only found in their natural habitat, and there are approximately 100 of them left in the wild.

Presently, MKWC holds the world's largest herd of Mountain Bongo now totaling 72, on 130 acres divided into 14 paddocks, allowing the separation of incompatible breeding groups in the conservancy.

The conservancy runs a rehabilitation program that breeds mountain bongos for reintroduction into their natural habitat.

It is the only conservancy in the world, whose program is undertaken in a semi wild environment.

The antelope species is now listed as critically endangered on the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List.

Bunge said that efforts towards the rehabilitation of the Mountain Bongo began in earnest over ten years ago when a repatriation and breeding program began in 2004 when 13 zoos and conservation organizations in the United States partnered with the Kenya Wildlife Service and UN among others to start repopulating the critically endangered antelope.

He noted that one month ago, global efforts towards the survival of the critically endangered antelope, received a boost following four births at the MKWC.

"The births have renewed hope for the survival of the rare Mountain Bongo Antelope whose population is below the threshold of 250 mature individuals required to a make a genetically stable population," Conservancy Manager said.

He added that partnerships with the National Bongo Task force, the Kenya Wildlife Service and the Kenya Forestry Service have also boosted the steady progress being made to raise the population of the Mountain Bongo.

Bunge added that beyond government agencies, the bigger responsibility for conservation lies with the citizens.

"Human activities have over the years interfered with the animals' natural habitats and hampered conservation. Steady population growth is putting pressure on some of Kenya's pristine wild habitats," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:05:00|Editor: Zhou Xin

Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen (2nd R) shakes hands with Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha (2nd L) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia on Sept. 7, 2017. Prayut arrived in Cambodia on Thursday morning for a one-day official visit. (Xinhua/Sovannara)

PHNOM PENH, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cambodia and Thailand agreed on Thursday to further promote bilateral ties and cooperation in trade, investment, and tourism for mutual benefits.

The agreement was made between Cambodian Prime Minister Samdech Techo Hun Sen and visiting Thai Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha during a bilateral meeting at the Peace Palace in Phnom Penh.

"The discussion today produced highly fruitful outcome that will be used as a roadmap for promoting Cambodia-Thailand relations," Hun Sen said in a joint press conference after the meeting.

He said both sides agreed to enhance interconnectivity by road, railroad, air, and waterway in order to serve trade and tourism.

The two sides also discussed the issues of cross-border drugs and human trafficking, he said.

"We initiated the establishment of a free-drug zone along the Cambodia-Thailand border," Hun Sen said, adding that Cambodia also wished to see all of its laborers work in Thailand legally.

Approximately 1.05 million Cambodians are currently working in Thailand, and some 300,000 of them are undocumented.

The two neighbors reaffirmed their commitment to boost the trade volume to 15 billion U.S. dollars in 2020, up from 5.6 billion U.S. dollars in 2016.

Meanwhile, Prayut promised to encourage Thai merchants to buy more agricultural products from Cambodia.

"We will further enhance our bilateral cooperation along the border for the interest of our two countries and peoples," he said.

At the end of the meeting, the two prime ministers witnessed the signing ceremony of an agreement on the avoidance of double taxation between Thailand and Cambodia.

Prayut arrived in Cambodia on Thursday morning for a one-day official visit.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:10:04|Editor: Xiang Bo

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BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Beijing will ban the new addition of shared bikes in the city, local authorities announced Thursday.

There are 2.35 million shared bikes from 15 companies on the streets of the national capital, according to a spokesperson with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

Shared bikes, the number of which surged in Beijing in the past year, have led to haphazard parking and obstructions in crowded areas such as subway entrances and shopping malls, the spokesperson said, while acknowledging their role in promoting low-carbon transportation and alleviating congestion.

The commission plans to formulate a guideline to better regulate shared bikes, requiring district-level transport authorities to enhance supervision of bicycle parking.

In addition, the city will ban shared electric bikes for parking and safety reasons and violators will be punished, said the spokesperson.

For the same reasons, some big cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan have also banned new shared bikes from being stationed in the cities.

Shanghai, which issued the ban in mid-August, will launch a month-long campaign to crack down on parking chaos and new bikes, its transport commission said Thursday.

According to BigData-Research, 19 million people used shared bikes last year, and the number is expected to rise to 50 million this year.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:35:18|Editor: Zhou Xin

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KUALA LUMPUR, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Thai oil tanker and 14 crew members onboard were rescued near the northeast coast of Malaysia on Thursday, hours after they were hijacked by a group of pirates, said the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) Thursday evening.

The ship, MT Tanker MGT1, carried around 2.2 million liters of diesel with an estimated value of 7 million ringgit (1.66 million U.S. dollars) when it disappeared from the Auto Identification System on Wednesday afternoon, said the MMEA in a statement.

With the help of an aircraft, a MMEA Special Task and Rescue Team managed to locate and successfully board the tanker and arrested 10 suspects onboard.

The MMEA said none of the crew members of the tanker and the rescue team suffered any injuries, but three suspects fled the scene, possibly by speedboat which was identified by the aircraft earlier.

The tanker has been escorted to Kuala Terengganu for further investigation while another maritime vessel has been ordered to search for the escaped suspects.

Pirates occasionally target oil tankers in this area. In June, another Thai tanker was robbed of 1.5 million liters of diesel fuel by a group of armed pirates in the Malaysia waters of Kuantan. It was en route from Singapore to southern Thailand.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:35:18|Editor: Xiang Bo

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HANGZHOU, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China's National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) published on Thursday a new index to show the ups and downs of the country's new growth drivers.

The newly released index consists of five sub-indexes, covering economic vitality, digital economy, restructuring, knowledge capacity and innovation.

China's new economic momentum development index stood at 129.0 in 2015, up 29 percent year on year, according to Ning Jizhe, head of the NBS.

"After five years of exploration and application, China has established a statistical system that can reflect the development of the country's new growth drivers and industries," said Ning at the ninth meeting of the heads of the national statistical institutions of BRICS in Hangzhou in east China's Zhejiang Province.

The system highlighted new industries and business models in statistical standards and accounting methods, according to Ning.

The index was included in a development report on China's new economic momentum, which was published for the first time by the NBS at the meeting.

The two-day meeting opened in Hangzhou Thursday, shortly after the ending of a three-day BRICS Summit in Xiamen in southeastern China's Fujian Province.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:35:19|Editor: Zhou Xin

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LONDON, Sept.7 (Xinhua) -- Britain's Prince George began his first day at school Thursday.

Holding hands with his father Prince William, 4-year-old George arrived at Thomas's Battersea school, a preparatory school in south-west London. His mother, Princess Catherine, wasn't able to accompany him because she suffered from severe morning sickness with her third pregnancy, said a spokesperson from the Kensington Palace.

Local media reported that during the school time Prince George will put on his uniform includes navy shorts and jacket, long red socks and black shoes. George has joined a class of 20 other pupils and has his own desk and peg with his name on.

Ben Thomas, principal of Thomas's London Day Schools, said there will be no special treatment for the royal, but lots of planning had gone into his attendance to ensure as little disruption as possible to other pupils.

When Prince George enters the school, the moment is captured by only one photographer and one cameraman, as Prince William has previously required the media to respect his son's privacy, reported BBC.

Three decades ago when William went to school for the first day, many members of the media were present to record the time.

Attending school is not a tradition for the British royal family. Prince Charles was taught at Buckingham Palace before going to school at age of eight, but his first wife Princess Diana insisted sending their two sons to school at early age like normal kids.

Previously, Prince George attended nursery at the Westacre Montessori School, in Norfolk. His move to London coincides with his parents' decision to move their main residence to Kensington Palace, as Prince William takes on more royal duties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 19:40:22|Editor: liuxin

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by Olatunji Saliu

ABUJA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Colorful cultural performances, choreographed traditional dance, music, and art displays heralded the frenetic pace of activities at the opening of Africa's major arts and crafts expo in the Nigerian capital city of Abuja.

Ostensibly intended to show the strength and cultural diversity of Nigeria and Africa, the colorful opening session Tuesday was an all-comers affair.

Although for more than a week, the place had become a mecca of sorts for shoppers, mostly foreigners, the formal opening, held at the venue of the expo in the Abuja city center, was particularly ceremonious, attended by at least 17 African countries and 26 Nigerian states.

Tagged African Arts and Craft Expo 2017, the ongoing 20-day exhibition is said to be the largest in Nigeria.

It started a decade ago as a regional platform for the exchange of ideas and expertise in production, packaging, and marketing of indigenous arts and crafts.

Organized by the Nigerian Council of Arts and Culture (NCAC), the carnival-like opening session featured various art performances from different ethnic groups in Nigeria. It was attended by local officials, foreign diplomats, and exhibitors.

The expo, first held in 2008, usually attracts shoppers from all parts of the world to the most populous African country.

Shoppers at the expo are treated to various local and foreign music loudly oozing out of large sound systems planted in strategic locations of the expo venue.

Welcoming shoppers and dignitaries to the expo are a group of performers decked in the traditional Scottish Power Pipe Band costumes, donning the Nigerian national colors and dishing out traditional songs from their flutes.

Oluwatosin Nzube, a first-time shopper, said she was impressed with the local arts and crafts on display.

"Apart from that, I have made new local and international contacts here and I hope they will help my business to grow in future," Nzube said.

At least 20,000 to 30,000 arts and crafts enthusiasts from across the globeare expected to attend the expo.

So far, no fewer than 2,000 art lovers have been visiting the expo ground on a daily basis.

According to its organizers, the expo is expected to forge regional and continental exchanges, far-reaching economic activities, and people-to-people friendship and understanding.

Segun Runsewe, head of the NCAC, said the government agency was keen on reinventing the Nigerian economy far away from oil, its mainstay.

"We want to use culture to replace oil," Runsewe said.

He noted the colorful and well-attended exhibition would bring about adequate networking among art and culture enthusiasts, as well as open the window of Nigerian arts and craft to the world.

Exhibitors from Cameroon, Senegal, and The Gambia, among other African countries, displayed works of arts depicting their culture.

Antiques and other art works like painting, batik designs, woodworks, locally made shoes were richly displayed at the opening.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:10:44|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JAKARTA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The government of Indonesia has issued a regulation to preserve and accelerate expansion of mangrove forest in the archipelagic nation, a senior government official said here on Thursday.

The rules provide guidance to provincial administrations and other stakeholders in managing mangrove forest based on the characteristic of their territory, said Montty Girianna, deputy for energy, natural resources and environment management at the chief economic ministry.

The rule would also be expected to prevent and restore damages in mangrove forest in the country, according to the official.

According to ministry of environment and forestry it has been recorded 1.67 million hectares of damages in Indonesia's mangroves forest and only a total of 1.82 million hectares remains in a good condition.

"So that, our target of a 3.49 million hectares of mangroves forest coverage can be achieved in 2045," said Girianna.

Under the rules, it was also included public participation in preserving mangroves forest and planting coastline with plants.

Indonesia, home to over 17,500 islands, has about 95,000 kilometers coastline and harbors nearly a quarter of the world's mangroves.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:25:53|Editor: Zhou Xin

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DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian President John Magufuli on Thursday ordered the suspension of senior officials mentioned in reports by Tanzanian parliamentary investigative committees on diamonds and tanzanite mining.

"Ministers, Permanent Secretaries, Regional Administrative Secretaries, Regional Commissioners and District Commissioners mentioned in the two reports should be relieved of their duties pending investigations," said Magufuli shortly after he was presented with the reports at State House in Dar es Salaam.

The two reports which were presented to the president by Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa revealed massive corruption, secrecy, cheating, tax evasion and negligence by government officials causing losses of millions of U.S. dollars to the east African nation.

Among others, the report mentioned former Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, George Simbachawene, former Permanent Secretary for the Ministry Energy and Minerals, Eliakim Maswi and senior officials in the ministry.

Simbachawene is now Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for Regional Administration and Local Governments and Maswi is now Regional Administrative Secretary for Manyara region.

President Magufuli, who doubles as the east African nation's commander-in-chief of the armed forces, ordered defence and security organs to immediately start investigating all thorny issues raised in the reports.

"The officials mentioned in the two reports should give way pending the investigations," said Magufuli.

"The two committees have shown weaknesses in overseeing our natural resources. It is high time all Tanzanians became patriotic in protecting our resources," said Magufuli.

The parliamentary committee tasked to investigate diamonds mining in the central region of Shinyanga revealed that weak mining contracts entered by corrupt government officials with mining companies was a thorn in the flesh to the country.

Mussa Hassan Zungu, the chairman of the committee, said there were conflicting data on the actual amount of diamond transported outside the country among various government institutions. The two reports were submitted in the National Assembly in Dodoma on Wednesday.

Zungu appealed to the government to review laws pertaining to diamond mining to enable Tanzania to benefit from the resource.

On July 5, the National Assembly formed a nine-man investigative team to assess how Tanzania was benefiting from diamond mining.

The investigative team looked at regulation, ownership and diamond mining, said Speaker Ndugai.

He said the team drawing Members of Parliament from the ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi and the opposition camp worked for 30 days before submitting its report.

In June, Magufuli suspended issuance of new mining licenses to investors until after the government reorganizes itself.

He said minerals, including gold, that were being mined in the country were natural resources that belonged to Tanzanians and that his administration would never tolerate seeing a few individuals benefiting from the country's natural resources, leaving majority of Tanzanians swimming in poverty.

In May this year, Magufuli sacked Minister for Energy and Minerals Sospeter Muhongo after a report showed he was implicated in mining firms' undeclared mineral sand exports.

The report revealed that the undeclared mineral sand exports led to tax evasion by the mining firms.

Magufuli said the report revealed that mining firms, including Acacia Mining, cheated over mineral sand exports for smelting abroad, making the east African nation to lose millions of U.S. dollars.

The president also dissolved the Tanzania Mineral Audit Agency (TMAA) Board of Directors and suspended the agency's Chief Executive Officer, Dominic Rwekaza, for what he termed as negligence.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:30:56|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BERLIN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Hamburg court on Thursday opened the highly-anticipated trial of an alleged Turkish spy, who is accused of gathering information on Germany's Kurdish community for Turkish intelligence service MIT.

The suspect, 32-year-old Mehmet Fatih S., purportedly disguised himself as a journalist for the Kurdish TV station "Denge TV" and participated in local Kurdish community events and marches, according to the Federal Prosecution Office. The trial was opened at the Hanseatic Higher Regional Court.

The suspected MIT agent hereby showed particular interest in Yuksel Koc, a senior functionary of the banned Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) whom he offered to interview. He is said to have moved to Bremen in January 2016 to get closer to the Kurdish politician.

Speaking at a press conference ahead of Thursday's trial, Koc described how he met Mehmet Fatih S.

"He tried to establish contact with us. (Posing as a) Kurdish person who is politically interested. He did everything he could to gain our trust. He spoke to people in my social circle and contacted my relatives, spoke to my mother in our village in Kurdistan. I thought he was planning to do a portrait on me," Koc said.

Koc grew suspicious, however, and has since accused Mehmet Fatih S. of plotting to murder him. The PKK activist tried to involve German security authorities who were reluctant to investigate the case at first.

The decisive tip-off was ultimately provided by Mehmet Fatih S.'s partner, who contacted the German Kurdish newspaper "Yeni Ozgur Politika", when she discovered his double life and has since gone into the witness protection program.

Mehmet Fatih S. was subsequently arrested in Hamburg near the city's railway station and has been temporarily held in police custody in Karlsruhe ever since.

The development has attracted significant interest in German media, with reports claiming that the Turkish MIT had compiled a "death list" for Kurdish activists it intended to murder in Germany. Images of Mehmet Fatih S. at pro-Kurdish rallies and as a journalist were widely published.

Despite such wild accusations, the Federal Prosecution Office does not appear to be investigating an alleged murder plot at this point.

Instead, it is focusing on charges that Mehmet Fatih S. attempted to obtain confidential information about Koc and his family life, maintaining contact throughout with MIT via email, as well as meeting representatives of the agency in Turkey.

The suspect received 30,000 euros (35,800 U.S. dollars) for his clandestine services, according to the office. Prosecutors say the man has worked for the Turkish intelligence service since 2013.

Ankara has repeatedly accused Berlin of being too lax on the PKK, with Germany supposedly providing a "safe haven" for the organization abroad.

German officials have vehemently rejected the claim, noting that the PKK has been banned in Germany since 1993 and that the German Federal Supreme Court (Bundesgerichtshof) designated the PKK a foreign terrorist association in 2010.

Around 100 of its senior functionaries have already been convicted by domestic courts and 4,400 investigations were launched into members, activists and sympathizers of the organization so far.

Nevertheless, reports by the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution (BfV) suggest that the PKK remains highly active in Germany with more than 14,000 members.

"It remains the largest and most powerful foreign extremist organization in Germany," a recent BfV report read. At least 13 million euros (15.6 million dollars) were raised by the PKK in the country in 2016, according to BfV officials.

A verdict against Mehmet Fatih S. could be reached by Oct. 6 at the earliest. If found guilty, he faces up to five years in prison.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:35:57|Editor: Zhou Xin

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HAVANA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Cuba and Spain have expressed a common desire to expand ties, a Cuban newspaper said on Thursday.

This was heard when Cuban President Raul Castro met with visiting Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation Alfonso Dastis, according to a government release published by Cuba's official daily Granma.

Castro and Dastis expressed satisfaction for the favorable development of ties between Havana and Madrid, which they said corresponds to "nations that share deep historical and cultural ties."

They also discussed international issues.

Dastis arrived in Cuba on Tuesday for an official visit, during which he also held talks with his Cuban counterpart Bruno Rodriguez, when they agreed to strengthen bilateral economic cooperation.

"This visit confirms the favorable ties between our nations and its potential in further developing economic, academic, cultural, commercial and political links," said Rodriguez.

Rodriguez highlighted the "important role" of Spanish companies as investors in local key areas like tourism, food production and infrastructure.

Spain is Cuba's third largest trading partner, after China and Venezuela, and the top one in the European Union. Its trade value with Cuba reached 900 million euros (1.1 billion U.S. dollars) in 2016, according to official data.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 20:35:58|Editor: Zhou Xin

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BRUSSELS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Britain's position paper on its future border with Ireland "worries me", EU Chief Brexit Negotiator Michel Barnier said on Thursday.

Solution on the Irish border had to be "unique" and would require flexibility from both sides, Barnier said during a press conference for the release of EU's new document on the Irish border issue. Enditem

"The UK wants the EU to suspend the application of its laws, its customs union and its single market at what will be a new external border for the EU, and the UK wants to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future EU-UK customs relations. This will not happen," he said.

He also called Britain's position paper on financial settlement as "disappointing" and back-pedalling.

Barnier's remarks came in a week after the third round of Brexit talks concluded last Thursday without no decisive progress, except some technical agreements on such issues as the future Irish border.

The two sides had made real progress on the question of the Common Travel Area, on the basis of guarantees by the UK, and clarified in a constructive manner what remains to be done, particularly with regards to North-South cooperation in the Good Friday Agreement, Barnier told reporters in a press conference following the third round negotiation.

Highly anticipated, the third round Brexit talks kicked off on Aug. 28 in EU Commission headquarters. There were three negotiating groups covering citizens' rights, financial settlement and other separation issues. The issues related to Northern Ireland and the governance of the withdrawal agreement were addressed by the Coordinators.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:06:13|Editor: Zhou Xin

Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos (L front) welcomes visiting French President Emmanuel Macron in Athens, Greece, on Sept. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

ATHENS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- France will continue to stand by Greece's side in its efforts to achieve economic recovery, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday at the start of a two-day official visit to Athens.

Heading a large delegation of ministers and business leaders and with his wife Brigitte Macron by his side, the French leader arrived at the Greek capital to promote bilateral cooperation and exchange views of European affairs with Greece's leaders.

"France will continue to stand by your side...We owe it to you. Your resilience, courage and the reforms undertaken should not be forgotten," he told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos who welcomed him at the Presidential mansion.

Macron praised Greek people for their sacrifices in recent years during the official reception ceremony, which was broadcast live on Greek national broadcaster ERT.

Europe must not depart from its values, must be showing solidarity and courage to move forward, he said.

On his part, Pavlopoulos expressed Greece's solidarity with French people over the casualties caused by Hurricane Irma, and gratitude to Macron personally and France in general for the support to Greece throughout the seven-year debt crisis.

"Greece will continue to fulfill its commitments. Greece awaits its counterparts to do the same, in particular regarding the major issue of the sustainability of the Greek debt," the Greek President stressed.

Later on Thursday, the French leader will hold talks with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras and deliver a speech under the Acropolis hill.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:16:18|Editor: Zhou Xin

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GAZA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Islamic Hamas movement said Thursday that Israel's acceleration of the construction of a barrier on the borders with the Gaza Strip "will not bring Israel security."

Hamas Spokesman Abdullatif al-Qanoua told Xinhua that "Israel's accelerating construction of a separation wall on the Gaza Strip borders (with Israel) only aims at tightening the blockade and strangling the population of the Gaza Strip."

"Tunnels are one of the resistance's weapons in defending the Palestinian people, and resistance is a guaranteed right under all international laws," said al-Qanoua.

He added that "the occupation will not enjoy security and stability as long as it continues its aggression, siege, and deny the Palestinian rights to freedom and independence."

In the same context, Izz el-Deen al-Qassam brigades, the military wing of Hamas movement reduced the importance of building the wall around the Gaza Strip, saying that "resistance will find appropriate solutions."

"For several years, we tried solutions and many experiments and techniques, but the result is zero against the tunnels that are used for armed resistance," said the group in an emailed communique.

It went on saying that "the occupation (Israel) continues to thrive behind illusion until the arrival of a radical solution to eliminate the phenomenon that has long been plagued by a wall with electronic devices planted in the depths of the earth and above."

The group added "the aim is to reduce the infiltration of tunnels into the occupied home."

Al-Qassam announced that "all attempts to eliminate tunnels failed, since the beginning of Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 to this day and the occupation is still searching for a solution to eliminate the phenomenon of tunnels, which is no solution to end its existence, but the defeat of the occupier of Palestine."

General Eyal Zamir, commander of Israel's southern military zone, announced last month that the army would speed up the construction of the separation wall with the Gaza Strip for two years to prevent the infiltration of armed groups from the territory through tunnels to its territory.

Zamir stressed that the wall would be dug in Israeli territory in parallel to the security fence with the Gaza Strip, warning Hamas that "if it chooses to go to war because of the wall, that will be enough for Israel to go to war."

The Israeli army radio said the wall, built mainly of cement plates and pick-ups, would extend along the 64-kilometer border.

Israel focused its last military offensive on the Gaza Strip in July and August of the summer of 2014 on the destruction of tunnels from Hamas territory to Israel.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:26:22|Editor: Zhou Xin

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia's Southern regional state on Thursday granted 3,099 prisoners amnesty ahead of the upcoming Ethiopian New Year, which starts on September 11.

Desie Dalkie, chief administrator of Southern regional state said the prisoners were freed because they met the legal requirements for pardon.

Legal requirements for pardon include the prisoner's desire to live in peace in the future, the prisoner's confession and repentance, the prisoner's family and health status and the prisoner's good conduct during incarceration.

The Southern regional state's pardon for prisoners followed similar pardons granted by Amhara and Tigray regional states early this week.

Amhara and Tigray regional states early this week pardoned 1,981 and 957 prisoners respectively this week.

Ethiopia has a unique calendar deriving from the Ethiopian Orthodox Church traditions whereby the country counts its annual year seven to eight years, based on leap year, behind the internationally acclaimed Gregorian calendar.

Accordingly, the Ethiopian New Year that falls on September 11, 2017 will be 2010.

The East African country had declared 10-day long nationwide celebrations, which started from September 1, 2017, to usher in the upcoming Ethiopian New Year. The 10-day long nationwide celebrations include Love Day, Mothers' and Children's Day, Elders' Day, Peace Day, Reading Day, Green Development Day, Respect Day, National Feelings Day, Unity Day and Ethiopia Day.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:26:25|Editor: Zhou Xin

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel's President Reuven Rivlin warned Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday that Iranian attempts to create a Shiite foothold in Syria "will force Israel to react," his office said.

The remark came hours after Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed the al-Talai Scientific Studies and Research Center, killing two soldiers, according to the Syrian army.

During their meeting in Berlin, Rivlin told Merkel that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese militia, is building "weapons infrastructure" that "will force Israel to react," according to a statement released by the official President's Residence in Jerusalem.

Rivlin urged Merkel to acknowledge that Hezbollah "endangers local population and persistently violates UN Security Council resolutions."

The two leaders also talked about the need to bring the close ties between the two countries even closer, according to the statement.

Rivlin thanked Merkel for Germany's long-time support in Israel's security.

According to Israel's former national security adviser, Maj.-Gen (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, the strike on the military facility near Masyafthe followed a visit by Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah to Damascus last week.

Amidror told journalists on Thursday that there was a "strong probability" that the strike had been launched because of fears that Nasrallah asked Damascus to use the facility, where Western powers suspect chemical weapons are being manufactured.

Israel has long warned that the weapons from Iran and Syria reach to the hands of Hezbollah, Israel's arch enemy.

Iran rejects the allegations.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the six-year-long fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on convoys and arsenals in Syria which were allegedly directed to Hezbollah.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel (R) and Israeli President Reuven Rivlin pose for photographers at the chancellery in Berlin on September 7, 2017. (AFP Photo)

JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel's President Reuven Rivlin warned Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday that Iranian attempts to create a Shiite foothold in Syria "will force Israel to react," his office said.

The remark came hours after Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed the al-Talai Scientific Studies and Research Center, killing two soldiers, according to the Syrian army.

During their meeting in Berlin, Rivlin told Merkel that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese militia, is building "weapons infrastructure" that "will force Israel to react," according to a statement released by the official President's Residence in Jerusalem.

Rivlin urged Merkel to acknowledge that Hezbollah "endangers local population and persistently violates UN Security Council resolutions."

The two leaders also talked about the need to bring the close ties between the two countries even closer, according to the statement.

Rivlin thanked Merkel for Germany's long-time support in Israel's security.

According to Israel's former national security adviser, Maj.-Gen (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, the strike on the military facility near Masyafthe followed a visit by Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah to Damascus last week.

Amidror told journalists on Thursday that there was a "strong probability" that the strike had been launched because of fears that Nasrallah asked Damascus to use the facility, where Western powers suspect chemical weapons are being manufactured.

Israel has long warned that the weapons from Iran and Syria reach to the hands of Hezbollah, Israel's arch enemy.

Iran rejects the allegations.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the six-year-long fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on convoys and arsenals in Syria which were allegedly directed to Hezbollah.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:36:29|Editor: Yamei

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BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- It is necessary to learn lessons from the recent incident to safeguard peace in the border area, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said when asked to comment on China-India relations.

India has withdrawn personnel and equipment from Dong Lang (Doklam) after a military stand-off lasting from mid June to late August.

"The two sides should properly settle differences and issues on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence," Wang said.

The Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, namely mutual respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs, equality and mutual benefit, and peaceful coexistence, were endorsed by China and India in the 1950s, and have been widely accepted as norms for relations between countries.

Wang said that the two sides should implement consensus reached by leaders of the two countries to ensure healthy and stable development of China-India ties.

Wang said the two sides should strengthen mutual trust and treat each other as development opportunities and partners, not opponents and threats.

"Peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is an inevitable choice and correct direction of China-India ties," he said.

Indian army chief Bipin Rawat said on Wednesday that his country must be prepared for war and accused China of "testing our limits."

"I'm not sure if his remarks have been authorized, and whether the remarks were impromptu speech or representing the position of the Indian government," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, noting even the Indian media considered his remarks shocking.

Geng urged certain Indian military officials to clearly view the historical trend and make remarks and deeds conducive to China-India ties.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:36:36|Editor: Zhou Xin

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopia has attracted 3.8 billion U.S. dollars in foreign direct investment (FDI) in the Ethiopian Fiscal Year (EFY) 2016/17, that ended July 8, an official said Thursday.

Mekonen Hailu, Public Relations Director at Ethiopian Investment Commission (EIC), told Xinhua the flow of FDI in the country showed a 20 percent increase from EFY 2015/16.

"In the 2016/17 fiscal year 381 projects have become operational and the investment projects have created 71,000 temporary and permanent jobs to Ethiopians," he added.

Hailu further said some 28 companies with a combined capital of 1.48 billion U.S. dollars have made agreement with the Ethiopian government in eight industrial parks in the last fiscal year.

The investment projects are mainly engaged in agriculture, manufacturing, health, education, mining and construction.

"The Ethiopian government is giving tremendous incentives and necessary support for local and foreign investors, to make sure FDI inflows continue on a growth trajectory" said Hailu.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:46:38|Editor: Xiang Bo

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Zhang Dejiang (R), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), holds talks with Myanmar's Speaker of the House of Representatives (Lower House) U Win Myint in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua)-- China and Myanmar on Thursday agreed to further parliamentary exchanges and cooperation.

China's top legislator Zhang Dejiang held talks with Myanmar's Speaker of the House of Representatives (Lower House) U Win Myint in Beijing.

Zhang, chairman of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said relations between legislatures of the two countries are an important part of bilateral comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership.

He suggested the two legislative bodies cement political mutual trust, enhance experience-sharing in state governance, legislation and supervision, improve the legal environment for pragmatic cooperation, and boost exchanges in culture, education, media and youth.

U Win Myint praised the "paukphaw" (fraternal) friendship between the two nations, saying China has always helped Myanmar when it comes across difficulties.

Myanmar parliament is willing to work closely with the NPC and learn from China its experiences in the building of rule of law and state governance, he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 21:56:43|Editor: liuxin

Paramedics and locals carry the body of a civilian killed in a grenade blast outside a hospital in Srinagar, summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 7, 2017. At least one person was killed and 14 others were wounded Thursday in a grenade blast in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said. (Xinhua/Javed Dar)

SRINAGAR, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least one person was killed and 14 others were wounded Thursday in a grenade blast in restive Indian-controlled Kashmir, police said.

The blast took place in the evening at Jehangir Chowk in Srinagar city, the summer capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir.

"One person was brought dead and over 12 others were brought in wounded condition here this evening," Dr. Nazir Choudhary, superintendent of SMHS hospital told Xinhua. "The wounded are being provided medical aid."

The blast triggered panic as people were seen fleeing away from the spot.

"I heard the sound of blast and began to run towards safer place," said Lateef Ahmad, a bystander. "Immediately I saw injured being removed to hospital."

So far, no militant outfit has claimed responsibility for the attack.
File photo shows medical students attend lectures at the University of Somalia in Mogadishu, capital of Somalia, May 6, 2010. Despite decades of civil war in Somalia, education, which is highly valued in Somali society, continues and schools and Universities operate even in the midst of conflict zone like restive Somali capital, Mogadishu. (Xinhua/Ismail Warsameh)

MOGADISHU, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Forty-two Somali students drawn from different parts of the country were Wednesday awarded scholarships to study in various universities in China.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian said the students who completed their secondary education in Somalia will pursue both undergraduate and graduate studies in China and will be expected to come back and deploy their skills in building the country.

Qin said the award of scholarship was in line with China's commitment in supporting the Horn of Africa nation's recovery process and deepening diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"We have selected students from all Somali regions notably Somaliland, Puntland, Galmudug, South West, HirShabelle and Mogadishu. I am confident this scholarship programme will be of so much help to the students and the country at large," said Qin.

Somalia's Minister for High Education Abdirahman Dahir Osman hailed the scholarship offer as a major milestone in China's continued support to his country, adding that this was instrumental in affirming established relations between the two countries.

"Our relations with China have always remained very strong. This assistance is not new. China has extended support to us on many occasions over the years," said Osman.

Ahmed Hassan, one of the beneficiaries, expressed joy upon receiving the scholarship award letter.

"I thank the Chinese government for this scholarship award. I am very happy to have qualified for this scholarship," said Hassan, who will be studying for a master degree in China.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 22:16:55|Editor: Zhou Xin

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DAR ES SALAAM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Tanzanian police said on Thursday they have launched a manhunt for gunmen who shot outspoken opposition Member of Parliament, Tundu Lissu, in the east African nation's political capital Dodoma.

"We are appealing to the public to help police by giving information that will lead to the arrest of the gunmen," said Gilles Moroto, the Dodoma regional police commander.

Jordan Rugimbana, the Dodoma regional commissioner, said senior officials, including Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Tulia Ackson, visited the MP at the Dodoma General Hospital.

"We are appealing for calmness as the MP was receiving treatment," he told a joint news conference, also urging well-wishers not to flock the hospital because there is not enough space.

James Kiologwe, the Dodoma regional medical officer, said Lissu was admitted to the hospital's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) where he was being treated by a team of specialized doctors.

"I cannot say at the moment how many bullets lodged in his body but he was shot in the stomach and legs. He is alive and doctors are treating him," said Kiologwe, adding that the MP was sent to the hospital in the afternoon.

Freeman Mbowe, opposition party Chama Cha Demokrasia na Maendeleo (CHADEMA) chairman, said Lissu was shot several times at his home in Dodoma.

"He is in critical condition but doctors are fighting to save his life at the Dodoma General Hospital," Mbowe told a radio station, promising to give more details later.

Members of Parliament attending a National Assembly session in Dodoma rushed to the hospital to see their colleague.

Last month, Lissu, who is also the President of the Tanganyika Law Society (TLS), called on lawyers to boycott court proceedings in protest against an attack on a law firm headquarters.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 22:52:13|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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HANOI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- An elephant reserve was established in Vietnam's central Quang Nam province on Thursday, said the Vietnam Administration of Forestry.

Covering an area of nearly 19,000 hectares in Nong Son district, the reserve is to protect habitat for endangered Asian elephants in Vietnam, especially in its central region.

According to a recent survey by the administration under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, a group of at least seven wild elephants are living in the sanctuary.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 22:52:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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YINCHUAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Projects with total investment of 17 billion yuan (2.6 billion U.S. dollars) were signed at a forum on industrial capacity cooperation between China and Arab States.

The 22 projects, covering the infrastructure, mining, energy and chemical, textile, food, agriculture, Internet and tourism sectors, were inked during the capacity cooperation forum, which was held for the first time during the ongoing China-Arab States Expo in Yinchuan City, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

According to a report issued at the forum, China's direct investment in Arab countries grew to more than 2.2 billion U.S. dollars in 2015 from 788 million U.S. dollars in 2010.

By the end of 2015, the accumulated direct investment from China in Arab countries exceeded 14.6 billion U.S. dollars, up more than 27 percent year-on-year, the report said.

Following the establishment of an economic and trade cooperation zone between China and Egypt, China is building industrial parks with Saudi Arabia and Oman.

The four-day China-Arab States Expo will focus on trade in commodities and services, as well as cooperation in technology, investment and tourism. The Belt and Road will be highlighted during the expo, and forums on high-speed railways, logistics and credit will be held.

Executives from 1,080 companies and nearly 5,000 exhibitors covering 31 industries ranging from transportation to big data will attend.

Sponsored by the Ministry of Commerce, the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade and the regional government of Ningxia, the biennial expo has been held three times since 2013.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 22:57:20|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi holds talks with visiting Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Zhang Ling)

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China is willing to enhance high-level exchanges with Nepal and facilitate cooperation with the South Asian country in interconnectivity, reconstruction, trade and investment, energy and tourism, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

Wang made the announcement while holding talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is on an official visit to China from Sept. 6 to 11, invited by his Chinese counterpart.

"The two sides believe that development of China-Nepal relations is beneficial for the interests of the two countries and two peoples," Wang said at the press conference after the talks, saying that the two sides will develop bilateral ties from a strategic perspective and will push forward the comprehensive cooperative partnership.

During this process, China will adhere to the three basic principles of equal treatment, mutual support and joint development, Wang said.

"Large or small, countries should be treated equally," said Wang, adding that China never interferes in Nepal's domestic affairs, never attaches political conditions to economic cooperation, and never asks Nepal to pick sides in its foreign policy.

According to Wang, China will continue to firmly support Nepal's efforts to safeguard its national independence and sovereign and territorial integrity.

China highly appreciates Nepal's upholding of the one China policy and support of China's core interests on Tibet and Taiwan issues, Wang said.

Wang said that China is willing to cooperate with Nepal under the Belt and Road Initiative and to offer help for Nepal's economic and social development.

Wang said that the two sides will cooperate on the planning of a railway that runs across the China-Nepal border, repair two highways in Nepal, and will construct three ports along the border.

Mahara said that Nepal will firmly adhere to the one China policy and will never allow anyone to harm China's sovereignty and interests within Nepal's territory.

Mahara appreciates China's support of Nepal in its development and reconstruction after the 2015 earthquake, saying that Nepal is willing to cooperate with China under the framework of the Belt and Road initiative.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:02:24|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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KIEV, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A peaceful solution is a priority for Kiev to resolve the conflict in Ukraine's eastern region of Donbas, Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said here on Thursday.

"Why is a political and diplomatic solution a priority for us? First of all, because the enemy strengthened its positions in urban areas with large population," Poroshenko said in his annual address to the parliament.

The vast majority of Ukrainians, who live in peaceful areas, strongly support the diplomatic settlement of the conflict, Poroshenko said.

Only 13 percent of Ukrainian citizens stand for resorting to military means to regain control over Donbas territories.

The possible resumption of the full-scale hostilities in Donbas could be a heavy burden to the Ukrainian economy and block the implementation of reforms in the country, the president added.

An armed confrontation between government troops and pro-independence insurgents in eastern Ukraine has been underway since April 2014.

On Aug. 25, the conflicting sides declared a fresh cease-fire, which helped to ease hostilities.

According to official estimates, more than 10,000 people, including 2,700 civilians, have been killed and about 24,000 others wounded in the conflict.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:07:26|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (R) meets with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 7, 2017. (Xinhua/Li Tao)

BEIJING, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China will take the Belt and Road Initiative as an opportunity to strengthen connectivity, trade and investment with Nepal, Chinese Premier Li Keqiang said on Thursday.

Li made the remarks when meeting with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, who is on an official visit to China from Sept. 6 to 11.

"China will work with Nepal to speed up the feasibility study of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA) and the development of cross-border economic zones," Li said.

The premier suggested bilateral cooperation in energy, infrastructure, post-disaster reconstruction and tourism, assuring Nepal that China will do its best to support the Himalayan country's economic and social development.

"China hopes for unity among all factions in Nepal and smooth progress in their political agenda to usher in a new phase of lasting stability and prosperity for the country," Li said.

Li said China is ready to maintain high-level exchanges with Nepal to ensure bilateral cooperation benefits the two countries' development, their people as well as regional stability and prosperity.

Mahara said Nepal-China relationship is exemplary in following the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence.

Nepal will continue to adhere to the one-China policy, maintain high-level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation to achieve win-win results, Mahara said.

Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi also met with Mahara on Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:17:34|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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TEHRAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's foreign minister on Thursday criticized the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

"The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying.

Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "We must act now before it's too late."

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.

The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days, as people told of how they fled for their lives from Myanmar's army.

On Thursday, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said it has set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani.

Hamid Jamaloddini, the society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items are ready to be dispatched to Myanmar.

He also expressed the society's readiness to help relocate those in urgent need.

Earlier, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that Myanmar's violent crackdown of Rohingya Muslims is nothing short of an "ethnic cleansing."

Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:22:38|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LUSAKA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Zambian government has invested 16 million US dollars as equity finance in a palm oil production venture run by the country's largest agribusiness and food processing firm, the company said on Thursday.

The government has invested the funds in the Zampalm oil project through its investment arm, the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC), in a public-private partnership with Zambeef Products Plc, with the government now having a 90 percent stake in the project.

Jacob Mwanza, the company's chairman said a further 2 million dollars will be invested in the project over the next five years.

Under the agreement, the government-invested funds will result in the planting of an additional 900 hectares of palm and expand production with a modern 10 tons-per-hour self-powering palm oil mill to process fruit from the plantation situated in northern Zambia's Mpika district.

"Going forward, the aim is to develop the full potential of the 20,000 hectare plantation, of which 2,911 hectares is already planted, and build an out grower scheme for local farmers," he said in a statement.

Under the agreement, Zambeef will retain 10 percent shareholding in the project and will continue to supervise and develop it under a management contract.

Zampalm was incorporated in 2009 to provide a source of crude palm oil after the acquisition of another local edible oil processing firm.

According to the statement, the production and processing of crude palm oil was expected to drastically reduce the country's dependence on crude palm oil and edible oil imports, with current imports standing at 70 million dollars per year.

Currently, Zambia consumes about 120,000 tons of cooking oil but only produces 30-50 percent of total supply, with half of the country's oil consumption imported from the Far East, East Africa and South Africa.

Once at full capacity, the plantation will contribute to substituting 70,000 tons of cooking oil imported into Zambia.
Rohingya refugees are seen waiting for a boat to cross the border through the Naf river in Maungdaw, Myanmar, September 7, 2017. (REUTERS Photo)

TEHRAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Iran's foreign minister on Thursday criticized the international community for remaining silent on the violence towards Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

"The international community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims to continue in front of our eyes," Press TV quoted Mohammad Javad Zarif as saying.

Zarif urged prompt international action to address the plight of Rohingya Muslims, saying "We must act now before it's too late."

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.

The UN refugee agency said that more than 3,000 Rohingya Muslims had reached Bangladesh over the past days, as people told of how they fled for their lives from Myanmar's army.

On Thursday, the Iranian Red Crescent Society said it has set up a working group to help the Myanmar Muslims following an order by President Hassan Rouhani.

Hamid Jamaloddini, the society's spokesman, said consignments of vital relief aid and medical items are ready to be dispatched to Myanmar.

He also expressed the society's readiness to help relocate those in urgent need.

Earlier, Iran's President Hassan Rouhani said that Myanmar's violent crackdown of Rohingya Muslims is nothing short of an "ethnic cleansing."

Rouhani on Wednesday urged the Myanmar government to put an end to "vicious crimes" against Rohingya Muslims.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:37:46|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Egypt's vision for the vehicle industry until the year 2022 includes the production of 500,000 cars per year, with its auto exports hitting 100,000 cars, the Egyptian Trade and Industry Ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The ministry said that the vision has been highlighted in the remarks of Egypt's Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Kabil while addressing the China-Arab States Cooperation Forum on the sidelines of the third China-Arab States Expo, which is currently held in China's northwestern Yinchuan city.

"The vision is planned to provide up to 250,000 new job opportunities, maintain current auto investments, lure new investments of 5 billion U.S. dollars and increase Egypt's annual vehicle exports to 3 billion dollars," Kabil told the forum in China.

He added that Egypt has all necessary capabilities for the establishment of real auto manufacture instead of mere vehicle assembly.

Kabil noted that Egypt's 2017 auto exports registered 69 million dollars so far, while they reached 129 million in the whole year of 2016.

The ministry's statement said that Kabil and his delegation also joined a Sino-Egyptian conference on investment and trade promotion between the two countries, where the minister stressed his government's keenness on providing all kinds of support to Chinese investors in the Egyptian market.

He also noted that the volume of trade between Egypt and China reached about 11 billion dollars in 2016 and about 5.2 billion in the first half of 2017.

"The two sides signed eight cooperation agreements in the fields of agricultural exports, information technology, auto industry, air conditioned buses and fiber glass," said the ministry's statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:37:47|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PYONGYANG, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) on Thursday warned the United States, Japan and South Korea against seeking additional UN sanctions for its nuclear and missile programs.

A spokesman for the Korea Asia-Pacific Peace Committee, a semi-official organ of the DPRK, said in a statement that the United States was "going desperate to apply fresh sanctions and pressure on the DPRK" following its test of a hydrogen bomb on Sunday.

He also accused Japan and South Korea of showing "utterly disgusting" and "despicable behavior" by taking the lead in seeking new sanctions.

"The U.S. should stop its rash act and not run wild, with deep consideration of the position and weight of its rival Juche Korea (DPRK) that have undergone change after its access to an H-bomb," said the spokesman.

"If the U.S. adheres to sanctions and pressure ... it will face unprecedentedly resolute counteraction it cannot hold control of," he said.

The United States, Japan and South Korea are seeking additional sanctions at the United Nations Security Council against the DPRK in the wake of its H-bomb test. The Security Council already imposed more sanctions last month after Pyongyang test-fired two intercontinental ballistic missiles in July.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:47:54|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OSLO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Norway's capital city Oslo has implemented the country's most advanced surveillance system in order to prevent and stop illegal work and labor crime on construction sites, newspaper Aftenposten reported Thursday.

The system, known as HMSREG, has been developed in cooperation with the software and consulting company Omega AS and enables the authorities to check at any time everyone who is working on municipal construction projects.

The municipal management is constantly receiving updated information on PC, tablet or mobile, the report said.

The screens provide very detailed information about which companies and named employees located in Oslo municipality.

"Real-time information from the employees' access cards have become an important tool for cleaning up in illicit conditions in the construction industry," said Kathrine Steen Andersen, a project manager and senior consultant of Oslo city government.

With the help of the system, professional competence of each individual employee on site can be checked, as well as the language the person uses and how long the person has been in the profession.

Automatically sent text messages can alert the municipal management in case of suspicious circumstances, so that emergency team can immediately be sent to the spot.

According to Raymond Johansen, Governing Mayor of Oslo, this measure will help fighting against social dumping and other workplace crime at the highest level.

"Unhealthy relationships among suppliers are among the wicked ones who have the most power to weaken the Nordic society model," Johansen told Aftenposten.

According to Aftenposten, the Norwegian Tax Administration estimated that 40 billion kroner (5.15 billion U.S. dollars) are lost in tax revenue each year due to work crime.

Bergen municipality may be the next to introduce control measures that Oslo has taken into use, Aftenposten wrote.

"We are very aware of the good experiences Oslo has had and are now in the process of purchasing a similar system," said Birgitte Gullestad, Purchasing Manager in Bergen Municipality.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:47:57|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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QINGDAO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Chinese enterprises have great opportunities in international marine engineering, a U.S. oceanic engineer said on Thursday.

China should invest in developing new drilling machinery, said William Webster, member of the U.S. National Academy of Engineering, at the 2017 East Asia Marine Cooperation Platform Huangdao Forum held in Qingdao, in Shandong Province.

"Companies in China are building the drilling structure. But currently owners of these drilling platforms order a whole range of machinery that is needed to actually do the drilling from American and European manufacturers, not from Chinese manufacturers," he said.

China could "enter this market while the other manufacturers aren't doing anything," he said.

To break into the market, Webster suggested that Chinese enterprises pay more attention to the reliability of their drilling equipment.

"Equipment that is used today has been developed for only about a hundred years," he said. "There is a very difficult hill to climb to prove that your equipment is more reliable than others. Failure can cause a large loss in production."

Besides, opportunities require innovation, he said.

"China has good engineers, and wonderful institutions that teach engineering. I think you are up to the challenge," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:53:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ARUSHA, Tanzania, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- A Tanzanian minister on Thursday resigned, saying he holds no grudges and respects President John Magufuli's will for those implicated in two corruption reports to leave office.

Tanzania's Minister of State in the President's Office responsible for regional administration and local government, George Simbachawene, said he decided to take that action to protect the image of the government and the nation.

"I am innocent on the issued and I have decided to leave office to pave way for further investigations," said Simbachawene.

"I thank President John Magufuli for having faith in me and appointed me to ministerial position and I would wish to support the government in an effort to help build the nation," Simbachawene said when addressing reporters in the country's capital, Dodoma.

Magufuli on Thursday received two reports on an investigation of Tanzanite and Diamond mines from the Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa, which reveals massive corruption, tax evasion, among others, by officials.

Among others, the report mentioned former Deputy Minister for Energy and Minerals, George Simbachawene, former Permanent Secretary for the Ministry Energy and Minerals, Eliakim Maswi and senior officials in the ministry.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-07 23:58:12|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. aerospace company SpaceX on Thursday launched its Falcon 9 rocket for the U.S. military, carrying the mysterious X-37B space plane to orbit for its fifth secret mission.

The two-stage rocket took off at 10:00 a.m. EDT (1400 GMT) from Launch Complex 39A at the U.S. space agency NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida.

The X-37B program, run by the U.S. Air Force's Rapid Capabilities Office, began as a NASA project in 1999 but was later transferred to the Pentagon.

The U.S. Air Force did not say how long the reusable, unmanned X-37B would remain in orbit, but each of the four missions it has lasted longer than the previous one. Its fourth mission ended in May after 718 days in orbit, extending the program's total number of days spent in space to 2,085.

The X-37B, built by Boeing, looks much like NASA's retired space shuttles, only much smaller. It is boosted into orbit by a rocket and lands like an aircraft on a conventional runway.

The exact purpose of the X-37B was never revealed and the secrecy surrounding the project has led to speculation that the solar-powered X-37B can be used as a spy satellite or to deliver weapons from space.

The U.S. Air Force said in a statement that the fifth mission "continues to advance the X-37B's performance and flexibility as a space technology demonstrator and host platform for experimental payloads."

"This mission carries small satellite ride shares and will demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies," it said.

In addition, "this mission will host the Air Force Research Laboratory Advanced Structurally Embedded Thermal Spreader payload to test experimental electronics and oscillating heat pipe technologies in the long duration space environment."

This was the X-37B program's first launch on a SpaceX Falcon 9 launch vehicle. The first four missions were launched atop United Launch Alliance's Atlas V rocket.

According to the U.S. Air Force, this mission was also launched into, and will be landed from, "a higher inclination orbit than prior missions to further expand the X-37B's orbital envelope."

Randy Walden, director of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office, said the many firsts on this mission make Thursday's launch "a milestone" for the X-37B program.

About eight minutes after Thursday's takeoff, the Falcon 9 rocket's first stage successfully touched down on a landing pad at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, just south of the launch site, as part of the company's reusable rocket program.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:03:15|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CHENGDU, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Scores of enterprises from China and Israel are attending an expo in southwest China's Sichuan Province.

The 5th China (Mianyang) Science and Technology City International High-tech expo started Thursday in Mianyang, with Israel as the guest of honor.

On Thursday, the two sides announced a plan to strengthen cooperation in ten major areas, including information, artificial intelligence and green cars.

At the Mianyang expo center, Israel's booth covers 3,000 square meters, displaying a variety of products. A total of 104 Israeli enterprises are at the exhibition.

Amir Laty, consul-general of Israel's consulate general in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan, said that it was the biggest event Israel taken part in the province. He expected deep cooperation in innovation, science and technology.

Sichuan and Israel have seen frequent exchanges in recent years. More than 300 Sichuan companies trade with Israel.

The expo will conclude on Saturday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:08:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GABORONE, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The government of Botswana announced on Thursday that it has donated a vaccine for Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) to neighbouring Zimbabwe in order to assist the country to tackle the current disease outbreak.

In a statement released by the principal public relations officer of the Ministry of Agriculture, Boikhutso Rabasha said the donation of over 400, 000 doses is an important measure to avoid a possible risk of reversing the efforts invested in restoring FMD free status in Botswana zones that share a border with Zimbabwe.

Botswana, once an avid exporter of beef to the European Union (EU) faced serious challenges with several outbreaks of FMD over the last couple of years, greatly jeopardizing the growth of the country's beef sector.

The government invested heavily on prevention measures as well as on research to eliminate the disease and has been FMD free over the past five years.

The FMD vaccine donated to Zimbabwe is manufactured by the Botswana Vaccine Institute.

Most of the previous FMD outbreaks in Botswana started in the northern and northwestern regions of the country, where it shares a border with Zimbabwe.

Zimbabwe reported their current FMD outbreak to the World Organization for Animal Health mid-August.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:13:21|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ADDIS ABABA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Chairperson of the African Union (AU) Commission, Moussa Faki Mahamat, has condemned the killing of Lesotho's Army Commander, Lieut. Gen. Khoantle Motsomotso on Tuesday.

According to an AU statement on Thursday, the Chairperson has expressed "deep concern over the potential destabilizing consequences of this barbarous act on the peace that Lesotho enjoys, following a successful conduct of democratic elections."

The Chairperson has further expressed "great concern at the fact that this gruesome incident takes place hardly two years after the assassination of Lieutenant General Maaparankoe Mahao in June 2015."

He has called on the parties in Lesotho to resolve political differences through peaceful means, within the framework of the country's constitution.

Calling for calm and restraint, the chairperson has urged the government to institute an investigation into the matter.

He has extended his heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased, the government and the people of Lesotho.

The Chairperson urges the Southern African Development Community (SADC) to immediately engage the government of Lesotho to explore ways and means of resolving all outstanding issues, including, but not limited to the implementation of the recommendations of the SADC Commission of Inquiry to Lesotho that was established following the killing of Lt. General Maaparankoe Mahao in 2015, according to the statement.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:28:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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ULAN BATOR, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Mongolian lawmakers have voted Thursday night to dismiss Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat for alleged incompetence and corruption related to the signing of government contracts with companies tied to members of his Cabinet.

Out of 73 lawmakers present during voting, 31 lawmakers of ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) voted against dismissal and 42 lawmakers including 33 lawmakers from the MPP and 8 lawmakers from opposition Democratic party and 1 independent lawmaker voted for dismissal of Erdenebat and his cabinet. Erdenebat's cabinet was formed in July, 2016 and will be dismissed after 14 months in office.

A bloc of lawmakers from the ruling Mongolian People's Party joined with opposition Democratic Party lawmakers demanding that Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat resign for allegedly violating parliamentary procedures through the granting of contracts worth the equivalent of 328 million U.S. dollars to companies linked to three cabinet members.

Erdenebat said "in the past 25 years, Mongolia saw 13 governments. From these governments, only 2 governments finished its full four-year term and other 11 resigned in half-way or worked in 1-2 year period. Dismissal of the governments sets wrong practice that delays development of nation and harms economy rather than an exercise of accountability mechanism" and defended his cabinet actions during parliamentary discussion.

His cabinet members also refuted the allegations and said they have nothing to do with awarding of the government contracts to companies associated with their families.

Collapse of the Mongolian government who was in the midst of implementation of IMF bailout program poses risk for political and economic stability of the landlocked nation.

International investors and businesses always worry about political stability in Mongolia and hoped that under governance of MPP, Mongolian government will be stable. This is the first time, that ruling party lawmakers from MPP which controls 65 seats in the parliament dismissed its own government for incompetence and closed shadow dealing with special interest businesses.

Dale Choi, an analyst at Altan Bumba Financial Group said in a research note assured investors that "forced resignation of PM is internal party politics, clearing the decks after presidential (elections) defeat in July. I hope new PM will offer ex-finance miniter his job back as it would be comforting to investors. but even if not, there are plenty of technocrat MPs to continue IMF program adequately."

According to Mongolian law, new prime minister and cabinet are to be appointed by Parliament within 45 days. Nomination of new PM and his cabinet members have to be consulted and approved by the president. Until new PM and cabinet are approved by parliament, Erdenebat and his cabinet will serve as acting prime minister and cabinet members.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:38:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BERLIN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The election software used by German authorities to compile and count votes contains serious security flaws, making it susceptible to hacking, a group of information technology (IT) specialists have found.

German newspaper ZEIT asked the Chaos Computer Club (CCC) to investigate the election software and reported on the findings on Thursday. According to CCC spokesperson Linus Neumann, the program was so poorly encrypted that it "should have never been used."

Martin Tschirsich, a 29-year-old postgraduate IT student at the University of Darmstadt who found the flaws, noted that while votes are still counted by hand, they are subsequently summarized and transmitted electronically. "The election is not safe. It can be hacked," he warned.

In his personal research, he identified a 30-year-old program called "PC Wahl," which is described by its developer as "the most-widely used election organization program by German administrations." Although the program is officially only available for sale to government entities as a security measure, Tschirsich succeeded in downloading the software online.

Furthermore, the 29-year-old discovered several passwords needed to access restricted features and even its source code through simple internet searches. His investigation revealed that authorities had relied on facile encryption techniques, such as the use of easy-to-guess passwords like "test."

Confronted with the prospect of hacking attempting to sabotage the voting process, officials have insisted that Germany was protected by its use of hand-written ballots at the country's 70,000 polling stations.

"The prevention of possibilities for manipulation of preliminary voting results is of the utmost priority," a spokesperson of the Federal Office for Information Security said.

A recent report by the interior ministry had predicted that "cyber attacks could attempt to manipulate election results during their transmission, inserting false voting outcomes or technically preventing the transmission of preliminary results."

The German Federal Election Commissioner (Bundeswahlleiter) responded by publicly emphasizing that the federal election was "protected from all types of manipulation attempts."

Experimenting with a previous election in the state of Hesse, Tschirsich was able to manipulate the data transmitted between communes on PC Wahl, as well as information compiled with other software by regional election government authorities.

He claimed that by following his steps, hackers could easily falsify the preliminary election results on Sept. 24 throughout Germany.

When presented with the worrying findings by ZEIT, Communal Election Commissioner Gerhard Benneman agreed that the digital system in place was "inappropriate." When pressed further on the subject, Benneman was not convinced that the loopholes in PC Wahl did not constitute a problem. He said that all it would take would be for hackers to publish false preliminary results in order to sow doubts among German voters in the integrity of their electoral system. Nevertheless, he insisted that the election results could always be verified by recounting the original paper ballots. "The final result is safe regardless," Benneman said.

PC Wahl developer Volker Berninger argued similarly, defending the security of the election system. "In the worst-case scenario, somebody could cause confusion (by following Tschirsich's hacking procedure). Wrong results would appear on the internet, but the correct results would be preserved on paper. That would lead to anger and confusion, but has no relevance otherwise," he told ZEIT.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:43:39|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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LONDON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The British government gave its first official response Thursday to a European position paper on the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.

The future of the border is critical as once Britain leaves the European Union (EU) it will be the only land border between the UK and the bloc.

Addressing the issue in Brussels, the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier said Britain wanted to use Ireland as a test case for future UK-EU customs relationship, but Barnier added: "this will not happen."

As he unveiled the EU paper on the Irish issue, Barnier referred to the British government's own position on future cross-border arrangements.

Barnier said: "What I see in the UK's paper worries me. Creativity and flexibility cannot be at expense of integrity of the single market. This would not be fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union."

He has called on Britain to come up with a unique solution to the border question.

In response, the British government said unilateral flexibility by the UK would not be sufficient to meet the shared objectives.

The government spokesman in London said: "We welcome the Commission's position paper on Northern Ireland and Ireland, which continues to demonstrate that the UK and EU's objectives on this issue are closely aligned."

"In particular, the commitment to avoid any physical infrastructure at the border is a very important step forward. As the UK's position paper set out, this is a crucial objective for the government, given the importance of the Northern Ireland peace process," the statement said.

"We were clear in our position paper that the nature of the border means that an agreed, reciprocal solution must be found...we welcome the Commission's continued recognition of the need for flexible and imaginative solutions," it said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:48:40|Editor: Yang Yi

Senior officials attending the 7th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, the Republic of Korea) health ministers meeting pose for a group photo in Bandar Seri Begawan, capital of Brunei on Sept. 7, 2017. China has promised to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the health sector with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The pledge was made at the 6th ASEAN-China and the 7th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, the Republic of Korea) health ministers meetings held here on Thursday. (Xinhua/Jeffrey Wong)

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China has promised to strengthen pragmatic cooperation in the health sector with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN).

The pledge was made at the 6th ASEAN-China and the 7th ASEAN+3 (China, Japan, South Korea) health ministers meetings held here on Thursday.

Wang Hesheng, vice minister of China's National Health and Family Planning Commission, said at the meetings that China and ASEAN, its important partner in the public health sector, have carried out deepening cooperation in the health sector since 2003.

The cooperation has effectively safeguarded the region's health security, boosted the development of the health sector, as well as enhanced the friendship between the two sides, he added.

According to Wang, China will also conduct cooperation in such key areas as public health, telemedicine, and disaster health response, among others under the ASEAN+3 mechanism.

On the sidelines of the meetings, Dr Hj Zulkarnain, Brunei's health minister, told Xinhua that "we agreed to intensify cooperation in health development based on a whole-of-society approach with emphasis on strong and effective multi-sectoral collaboration."

Two joint statements were issued after the meetings, calling for addressing health challenges with a comprehensive approach while strengthening cooperation.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:48:41|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WARSAW, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo said on Thursday that "We want to see an internal reform of the European Union, in line with the treaties and in the interest of all member states.

She made the remarks at the annual conference of the country's ambassadors, which lasts from Monday to Friday.

Szydlo said Poland wanted a reform of the EU because it was concerned for the community's future, adding she opted for a stronger and increased role of national parliaments.

"In our view, under the current situation, at least some of the member states are being treated in a way which could disrupt the EU's core principles," Szydlo explained, "We want the EU to underline its character as a real community of sovereign states".

"I believe that a debate on the EU's future does not have to be reduced to choosing between a federalist vision of a European superstate and Euro-sceptical national egoisms," Szydlo said.

She also said that "although the EU needs flexibility, we are sceptical about the hard core concept, two speeds or small EUs. We believe such solutions would lead to the disintegration of the European Union."

However, according to the Polish prime minister, a "Polexit" was not an option as the Polish government would never allow for discussions on leaving the European Union by Poland.

Szydlo also said that Poland was going to increase its involvement in humanitarian aid in countries affected with conflicts, but would not agree to the solutions imposed by the EU that could threaten national security.

She emphasized that Poland saw an opportunity to solve the migration crisis with a "holistic approach that combines humanitarian and development aid as well as military involvement".

Szydlo expressed that sealing borders was required to stop the current wave of migration, in which, "the number of economic migrants is higher than the number of refugees", according to the Polish prime minister.

During the meeting, she also assessed the country's foreign policy, saying that it had to be "coherent to have a bigger impact".

The conference was also attended by foreign guests, including the foreign ministers of Estonia and Slovakia.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 00:53:43|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PARIS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China e-commece giant Alibaba will celebrate wine and spirits festival day on Saturday in partnership with Vinexpo, the world's leading international wine and spirits exhibition, the French wine expo organizer said on Thursday.

"Vinexpo's participation in the "09/09" marks a new stage in the strategic partnership aimed at promoting domestic wine brands and producers in the heart of the Chinese market," it said in a statement.

With 100 selected brands, Vinexpo targets "to bring the best of French wine-growing know-how to a market of more than 460 million consumers and offering many opportunities," it added.

"We are delighted to share our expertise by guiding Chinese buyers during 9/9 through a selection of wines divided into three categories: wines of current consumption, wines to be served at friendly moments and wines for exceptional experience," said Guillaume Deglise, Vinexpo CEO.

In 2016, Alibaba created its first on-line wine and spirits festival day. It was offering, via e-marketplaces Tmall and Tmall Global, 100,000 references of wines and spirits from more than 50 different countries to Chinese consumers.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:08:48|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Zhang Jiawei, Jin Jing

EDINBURGH, Britain, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- With China's growing investment in space science and technology and its increasing market demand for satellite applications, countries like Britain are looking to work more closely with China in the area.

"China is a huge country and satellites are perfect in providing the data unique for agriculture, for climate, for air quality," Chris Lee, head of International Space Partnerships at UK Space Agency, told Xinhua.

He made the remark on the sideline of the 12th UK-China Space Workshop on Space Science and Technology, which was held in Edinburgh this week.

"From China, we will then have an opportunity to take those capabilities out to the rest of the world. So if I were to pick a particular area. I think it would be the applications of satellites," said Lee. "And because the UK has some key strength in this area as well, I think we are natural partners in focusing on how you use satellite data rather than how you build satellites themselves."

The two sides have made efforts to promote satellite applications in some specific areas.

The STFC (Science and Technology Facilities Council) Newton Agri-Tech Fund was launched in 2015 under the auspices of the UK-China Space Science Joint Laboratory. This joint initiative looks to use the UK's expertise in remote sensing and modelling in the area of agricultural technology to work with and aid the Chinese farming community.

The 12-million-pound (15.68 million U.S. dollars) fund is spread over five years and will make use of the breakthroughs in satellite imaging, remote sensing and modelling to help provide facilities and technologies that will support research driven, decision making tools for farmers and policy makers.

It provides the chance for Chinese and UK researchers to work together to exchange ideas, and make closer ties across the cultural and social boundaries.

"I think......both the UK and China have a very strong belief that satellites can be used for governments around the world to improve the well being of their citizens," said Lee. "We both share a philosophy called space for smarter government, and I think we and China want to showcase how space is useful to support the UN's sustainable goals."

Satellite applications in agriculture is just one part of the two sides deepened cooperation in space science.

"Both China and the UK see space science and technology as one very important and interesting area, and have encouraged cooperation between the two sides' colleges and research institutions," said Lijun Xu, Dean of School of Instrument Science and Opto-electronic Engineering, Beijing-based Beihang University, in an interview with Xinhua. Xu also attended the Space Workshop.

One typical example is the SMILE (Solar wind Magnetosphere Ionosphere Link Explorer) space mission, which aims to measure Earth's global system responses to solar wind and geomagnetic variations.

The project was formally selected by the ESA (European Space Agency) Science Program Committee in 2015. The objective of SMILE is to reach mission adoption in early 2018 and launch is expected to take place at the end of 2021. Working with their colleagues from Canada, several European countries and the U.S., scientists and engineers from China and the UK will dedicate their expertise to making SMILE a reality.

The SMILE project is going forward with ESA providing capabilities on the satellite and China and the UK providing capabilities on the instrument, said Lee.

"We are certainly very excited that this will be our key mission in the future that showcases UK and Chinese academics," he also said.

With UK leaving the European Union, or Brexit, researchers in the UK have voiced their concern over Brexit's impact on internationally collaborated science projects. But to Lee, this will not affect UK and China's cooperation in space science.

"The fact that Brexit is happening does not really reflect or change the relationship we already have (with China)," said Lee.

The one opportunity Brexit provides is a refocus, according to Lee.

"So I do hope that perhaps with the Brexit activities going forward we will look very carefully and closely at the Belt and Road Initiative that China has been developing for several years, and see exactly how space can contribute to that particular process," Lee added.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:08:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Ejidiah Wangui

NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Kenya's Elius Magu has nurtured a passion for arts since childhood and his one-bedroom house located in a low-income Nairobi suburb attests to that fact.

At the center of his neatly arranged sitting room is a small coffee table where a huge pile of art pieces, with some having a Chinese touch, catch the attention of visitors.

Magu, a recovering alcoholic, is now soaking his soul in art to shake off memories of wasted youth in drinking dens that dot Kenya's rural villages and urban slums.

With no wife or children to take care of, Magu who turns 45 next month, now invests all his energy in art hoping to close a sad chapter in his life.

Two months into his recovery journey, Magu who is also a taekwondo fan, said his love for art, especially Chinese art, started in his primary school days when he watched his first film by Jet Li, a renowned Chinese action film actor.

Even though Magu does not expect to make any money from art, the therapy in it is more fulfilling.

Still learning the basics of creating a great piece of art, Magu has focused on paper quilling as materials needed for this type of art are not hard to get and are generally affordable.

"I watch YouTube videos to learn some of the basics of paper quilling. I hope I will soon create one of my pieces. I have a diploma in Graphic Design from Technical University of Kenya and I wish I had nurtured my love for art back when I was still a young man," he told Xinhua.

According to Fatema Qureishi, the founder of Amathus Arts, an art studio predominantly working in the realm of paper craft in Nairobi's Karen area, though not popular, paper quilling can be a great stress reliever and a great technique to help people like Magu trying to salvage their lives.

"As a professional artist, I would encourage people to learn paper quilling as rolling and scrolling of paper channels the unexpressed energies and releases anxiety and stress. In performing this art, the coordination of hands-eyes movements strengthens the motor-skills. Along with regular practice, one tends to develop a phenomenal creative expression in life," she added.

For Zawadi Robi, paper quilling saved her from the jaws of depression. Having lost her son and only child in a road accident three years ago, she slipped into depression and lost hope in life.

"During one of my counselling sessions, my therapist urged me to take up an activity that would keep my mind busy and creative and since I have a background in paper craft, I embarked on paper quilling. For the past one year since I started doing it, my situation has really improved. I no longer feel hopeless," she said.

In her early 40s, Zawadi said paper quilling has helped her survive anxiety attacks which mostly strike at night.

"Sometimes I get overly emotional but crafting has brought some balance in my life," she said.

Having been in the paper crafting industry for over 10 years now, Fatema said paper quilling still has some distance to cover before it becomes popular.

According to a report of the Kenya Bureau of National Statistics (KBNS), Kenya saw a growth of only 4 percent in the creative sector in 2016.

"There is abundant artistic potential in Kenya that waits to be tapped. Take paper quilling as an example, while it is a popular form of art in many parts of the world, it still remains to be relatively unknown in Kenya," Fatema said.

Paper quilling or paper filigree is the art of rolling thin strips of paper into circular shapes that are glued together to make decorative patterns, ornamental artwork and functional pieces.

The craft originated in Europe among religious communities during the Renaissance period where it was used to decorate books and sacred items.

It then became a popular pastime among upper class women before being employed as a decorative technique on furniture and high-value accessories.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:08:50|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Christine Lagat

NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The vocational and technical training programs supported by Chinese government and corporations in Kenya has addressed skills gap responsible for high youth unemployment in the country, officials said on Thursday.

Principal Secretary in the State Department of Vocational and Technical Training Dinah Mwinzi said China-funded skills upgrade and mentorship programs in Kenya's tertiary institutions have boosted employment opportunities for the youth.

"China has supported us with equipment to reclaim our technical training institutions and the impact has been felt as evidenced by the large number of youth with market relevant skills," said Mwinzi.

She spoke during a regional workshop attended by policymakers, employers and scholars to share knowledge on revamping vocational training in the light of high demand for highly skilled personnel in the workplace.

Mwinzi said that Kenya has forged enduring partnership with China to implement an ambitious program to refurbish existing technical training institutions that are popular with youth who fail university admissions.

She revealed that China has provided state of the art equipment to ten national polytechnics that train lower cadre industrial workers like masons, plumbers, fork lift drivers and welders.

"We are also partnering with China to implement the second phase of modernizing 134 technical training institutions at the constituency level. The aim is to prepare young people to service the industrial sector," Mwinzi told Xinhua.

Kenya has borrowed lessons from China's education system that encourages skills acquisition, innovation and entrepreneurship to drive growth.

Mwinzi noted that vocational training programs supported by Chinese corporations like Avic International have enhanced the employability and financial independence of Kenyan youth.

"The most outstanding feature of China-funded vocational training programs in our tertiary institutions is their ability to mould the youth to become self-reliant," said Mwinzi, adding that a vibrant technical and vocational training sector is key to achieve Kenya's industrialization goal.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:13:51|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Denis Elamu

JUBA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan on Thursday regretted the untimely decision by the United States to sanction three senior officials from the South Sudanese government, saying it could scuttle ongoing peace efforts in the war-torn country.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Mawien Makol told Xinhua that the Wednesday sanctions by the U.S. Department of the Treasury on two government officials and one former top army official, on ground of undermining security and peace in the country, will harm ongoing peace efforts.

"It means that the government is not being recognized by our (U.S.) allies. The U.S. has declared sanctions at the time we are doing utmost best to bring peace to the country," Makol revealed.

Among the sanctioned are the minister of information Michael Makuei, South Sudan army (SPLA) deputy chief of logistics General Reuben Riak, former SPLA chief Paul Malong, and three companies linked to one of the officials.

The decision came at the time the head of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) Mark Green revealed last week on visiting Juba that the United States was reviewing its policy toward South Sudan.

"Sanctions are not important. What's important is to support the government. It is actually crippling ongoing peace efforts," Makol added.

President Salva Kiir declared a national dialogue late last year to involve various insurgent groups in round table negotiations in Juba on condition they renounced violence.

The dialogue process is ongoing with some fringe militia groups joining, amid intermittent fighting with the main rebel group Sudan People's Liberation Army-in opposition (SPLA-IO) led by exiled former First Vice President Riek Machar.

The United States also urged South Sudan leaders to honor their declared ceasefire, stop harassment of aid workers and engage constructively and seriously in the peace deal revival roadmap declared in June by the East African bloc the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD).

Makol also called on the United States to provide more support to peace efforts than pursuing sanctions.

"We have still good relations with the U.S., contacts are still there. But we need their support in positive way," he said.

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

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

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighboring countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:13:53|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MOGADISHU, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Somalia has called for joint efforts by the international relief agencies to strengthen disaster response in Somalia.

Minister for Humanitarian Affairs and Disaster Management Maryam Qasim on Thursday called on foreign relief agencies to team up with local organizations to deliver assistance to the intended recipients.

"We need to work with local responders and ensure they are prepared to manage huge funding and that systems are in place to ensure that aid reaches its intended recipients," Qasim told a conference in Mogadishu.

She said the federal government was working to institutionalize national disaster management to promote effective disaster preparedness.

According to a statement from the UN mission in Somalia (UNSOM), the minister also called for greater involvement of local non-governmental organizations (NGOs) and the private sector in the funding and assistance to vulnerable groups in order to foster a culture of resilience and safety in communities

"We need to promote the growing role of local responders and the private sector. We need to see more local investment going through the local responders," the minister said.

The conference brought together local and international organizations engaged in delivering humanitarian aid to drought victims.

The Deputy Special Representative of the UN Secretary-General for Somalia and UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator for Somalia, Peter de Clercq, lauded Somali NGOs for their crucial role in averting famine thus far this year.

"We can again look at some of the positive aspects that are coming out of the drought in terms of empowering local actors and I want, in this respect, to mention the Somalia Humanitarian Fund that we have used where we continue to prioritize national NGOs," Clercq said.

He noted that of the 45 million U.S. dollars that was allocated under the humanitarian fund, 38 percent was channeled to national NGOs.

The meeting was a follow up to a similar conference held in May in Nairobi that examined the role of local humanitarian organizations in the overall drought response effort.

The head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Somalia, Justin Brady, praised local actors for their role in preventing the current drought afflicting the country from causing a famine.

"In order to prevent famine, it required a shift into more rural areas, and that by definition necessitated reliance on more Somali national actors. I think some of what we did in the area between 2011 and 2012 and the beginning of this crisis paid off," noted Brady.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:18:58|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Ben Ochieng

NAIROBI, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Humanitarian partners in Kenya on Thursday appealed for 106 million U.S. dollars to scale up their response to help lessen the dire effects of drought in northern Kenya.

The UN Resident Coordinator in Kenya Siddharth Chatterjee said the UN family and the humanitarian community stand with Kenyans to address the devastating effects of the drought on some of the country's most vulnerable communities.

"Today, we appeal to the international community to step up its support to Kenya by pledging additional resources to bolster our relief efforts in the critical months ahead. The previous Flash Appeal for Kenya launched in March has been only 43 percent funded," Chatterjee said in a statement issued in Nairobi.

There are an estimated 5.6 million people in the country who are affected as a result of the drought, including 3.4 million people who are food insecure.

Of particular concern are the 2.6 million people now facing severe food insecurity, including 500,000 who are experiencing 'emergency' levels of food insecurity, according to the Integrated Phase Classification (IPC) system.

According to the UN, over 300,000 children in the arid and semi-arid regions of Kenya now require urgent treatment for acute malnutrition, and in the worst-affected areas global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates are more than twice the emergency threshold of 15 percent.

"Since the launch of the original Kenya Flash Appeal in March, the food insecurity and malnutrition has escalated due to recurrent drought. Water shortage and disease outbreak have worsened the impact on those already facing hunger and malnutrition, and livelihoods have been further compromised by an infestation of fall army worm," Chaterjee said.

The Revised Flash Appeal, which covers September to December complements Nairobi's 13 month extended response plan.

Through the appeal, humanitarian partners aim to respond to the most life-threatening needs of 1.9 million people, prioritizing response in 11 regions that face the highest levels of malnutrition and food insecurity.

Since November 2016, the government has allocated 124.3 million dollars through the first and second phases of its response plan.

However, the third phase of the government's response is likely to be delayed due to political developments, making the response planned by humanitarian partners through the Flash Appeal all the more critical.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:24:01|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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SKOPJE, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Macedonia and Japan have a huge potential for closer cooperation and the newly established Japanese embassy in Macedonian capital will serve to expand and deepen such cooperation.

Such statement was made Thursday by Macedonian parliament speaker Talat Xhaferi after the meeting he had with Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane.

During the meeting, Xhaferi and Nakane agreed that bilateral cooperation between Macedonia and Japan should focus on economy, education and culture, Macedonian parliament said in a press release.

The two high officials also discussed about the formation of a parliamentary friendship group as a cooperation bridge between two countries.

The Embassy of Japan to Macedonia officially opened in Skopje on Wednesday, in the attendance of Japan's State Minister for Foreign Affairs Kazuyuki Nakane and Ambassador Keiko Haneda.

Japanese ambassador voiced commitment of his team to work hard in order to enhance bilateral relations in all fields.

Meanwhile, State Minister Nakane said the embassy's opening aimed at further development of friendly relations between the two countries.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:24:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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WARSAW, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Poland's security is more important than reckless decisions on refugees made by EU institutions, Polish Foreign Minister Witold Waszczykowski told on Thursday to a public radio broadcaster.

Waszczykowski referred to the decision made by the European Court of Justice (ECJ) on Wednesday, which, according to him, was "not good". Also the 2015 refugee relocation decision was against the law and the security situation in Europe, according to the Polish FM.

On Wednesday, the Court rejected challenges by Slovakia and Hungary with regard to relocation of refugees and migrant relocation plan.

In the same day, Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo also commented on the Court's decision, saying it would not change her government's policy. During television interview, Szydlo said that the Polish government was expecting such a decision and therefore was prepared for it. "The admission of refugees as well as the migration policy introduced by the EU [...] was, in our view, a mistake," said the PM, adding that this decision haven't had reached the expected effect.

On Wednesday, the ECJ dismissed the legal action launched by Slovakia and Hungary against a compulsory relocation scheme of migrants created to lift some of the burden from fellow European Union (EU) member states Italy and Greece, which were hit the strongest by the influx of migrants seeking a better life in the EU.

The decision was harshly criticized by the Hungarian Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Peter Szijjarto, who called it irresponsible and outrageous. Slovakian Foreign Minister Miroslav Lajcak, on the other hand, said that the country respected the ECJ decision.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 01:24:02|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAPE TOWN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Communication ministers from the Southern Development Community (SADC) countries vowed on Thursday to turn the region into an information and knowledge-based economy.

This emerged from a ICT (information and communication technology) meeting taking place in Durban, a coastal city in southeastern South Africa.

Communication ministers from 15 SADC countries have been meeting in Durban since Monday to discuss the region's ICT infrastructure.

The meeting, also attended by policy regulators, implementing agencies and ICT industry players, was designed to help create a more integrated region and help move its communication systems forward.

"An accessible, affordable and reliable telecommunications is essential for us to benefit from the Fourth Industrial Revolution which has the potential to leapfrog SADC region economically and socially as it brings with it new opportunities to our citizens," South African Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo told the delegates.

Dlodlo urged participants to seriously ponder on how they can make interconnectedness easier for the people of the SADC region.

Participants reviewed the progress that has been made in the communication field in the region.

But Dlodlo said communications infrastructure and services particularly in rural, peri-urban and township areas "is still not where we would like it to be".

"Unfortunately even today we live in a society where too many of our citizens are still denied access to information and the life changing benefits that it brings," the minister said.

Of SADC's population of 300 million people, only 16.3 percent of the population are using the internet compared to a penetration of 47 percent globally.

This is the threat but also an opportunity to do right by the SADC people, Dlodlo said.

The successful development of e-commerce and e-government require that business and government have efficient telecom links with consumers and citizens, said Dlodlo.

Many participants pointed to high telecommunications prices which they said have a negative effect on economic activity.

Figures revealed at the meeting show that cell phone operators in South Africa were charging as much as five rand (about 0.39 US dollars) a minute for cross border calls.

"If the majority of the population is either not connected, or cannot afford to use services, e-commerce and e-government initiatives will falter, economic growth will be restricted, and SADC's Information Society will be confined to an elite minority or it will continue to be a pipe dream," Dlodlo said.
Photo taken on Aug. 24, 2017 shows a flowerbed at the Xiamen International Conference and Exhibition Center in Xiamen, southeast China's Fujian Province. (Xinhua/Jiang Kehong)

NEW YORK, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The just-concluded BRICS summit in Xiamen, China, highlights the rising Asian power's concerted efforts for boosting global economic growth, said a leading U.S. expert.

The ninth summit of the leaders of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa, or BRICS, closed on Tuesday with a blueprint mapped out to chart the course of the emerging market group to achieve common development and play a bigger role in international affairs while opposing protectionism.

The summit shows the group, the combined economic share of which has almost doubled to 23 percent over the past decade, is committed to boosting global economic growth by strengthening cooperation among them as well as with other developing countries, said Stephen A. Orlins, president of the National Committee on U.S.-China Relations (NCUSR).

China's proposals such as "BRICS Plus" and the Belt and Road Initiative -- a global infrastructure project spanning dozens of countries -- are creating new impetus for an open economy, multilateral trade that benefit BRICS and other developing countries and the world as a whole, Orlins told Xinhua at a seminar in downtown New York City on Wednesday.

China has put forward the "BRICS Plus" approach by inviting leaders of Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea for a dialogue on the sidelines of the Xiamen summit held on Sept. 3-5.

"I think all the initiatives I just talked about, are exactly what (former U.S. Deputy Secretary of State) Robert Zoellick meant (in 2005).That is China being a 'responsible stakeholder' in the world," Orlins noted.

"It is not overthrowing the global institutions, as some Americans said. It's building global institutions that complement them (existing ones)," he said. "So AIIB (Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank) does not overthrow the World Bank, or the Asian Development Bank. It increases what these institutions can do, and in some ways, because we've learned from those institutions, they may be even better institutions."

"From a U.S. perspective, all of these things are good for two major reasons," Orlins said.

"One, as people's per capita income increases, it's actually good for America's economy because our ability to sell goods and services increase. So I think that benefits the United States," he said.

"Second, it benefits the United States in terms of increasing economic growth in places that may become fertile ground for recruiting terrorists. When there is economic growth, when people have opportunities to improve their lives, they generally don't become terrorists."

"If you look at the Belt and Road Initiative, you look at the economic development initiatives (proposed by China) at APEC, BRICS and others. It's positive in that regard, so I think America should welcome this," Orlins commented.

However, the coverage of the BRICS and the Belt and Road Initiative have remained very limited in the U.S. media, he added.

"Even though the term (of BRICS) was invented by an American (former Goldman Sachs economist Jim O' Neill in 2001), it's by and large not known (to Americans). I think if it were known, it will be portrayed positive," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:24:22|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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RIGA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Latvia has become the latest country hit by Europe's egg contamination scandal as several dozens kilograms of egg products from Germany have been found in the Baltic country, according to information from the European Commission's rapid alert system.

The Rapid Alert System for Food and Feed (RASFF) said that of the 143 kg of raw egg products of German origin, imported by Latvia and meant for making omelets, 32 kg contained the banned insecticide fipronil. Citing a RASFF notification, the Latvian Food and Veterinary Service informed that 7 kg of the egg products have been pulled from the market.

Lab tests showed, however, the level of fipronil found in the tainted egg products were almost 50 times lower than the level regarded as potentially harmful to human health, the Latvian food authority said.

Earlier this summer, the RASFF warned that 143 kg of possibly contaminated egg products from Germany had been delivered to Latvia through Estonia. Such raw products are not sold in retail but are used by catering businesses in cooking.

The Food and Veterinary Service established the recipient of the German-made egg products and suspended their distribution.

In August, the food authority also started testing eggs available on the local market to make sure they did not contain any fipronil. Nine of the egg samples examined by the Food and Veterinary Service have been tested negative for the insecticide, while the testing of the tenth sample is still in process.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:34:24|Editor: Liangyu

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 deaths have been reported by Thursday morning as Hurricane Irma slashed its way through the Caribbean towards the United States.

The latest deaths occurred in Puerto Rico, where its governor Ricardo Rossello reported Thursday morning the death of three people by the passage of the rare Category 5 hurricane with high winds and heavy rains.

Four bodies were recovered on the Caribbean French-Dutch island of Saint Martin, said French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, who lowered the death toll of eight deaths previously given by local rescue officials.

One person was killed on the island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory in the Caribbean, and roads there were blocked, with damage to the hospital and airport, power and phone service, Anguilla emergency service officials said.

The island of Barbuda, one of the first hit by the hurricane, was "totally destroyed," said Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, adding that one person was killed and hundreds of people had to live in shelters now with substantial damages caused by the storm on the tiny two-island nation.

In Barbuda, 90 percent of the buildings were destroyed and the losses were estimated at billions of dollars, said Gaston Browne.

It is reported that a surfer was also killed in Barbados.

According to the U.S. National Hurricane Center (NHC), the eye of the hurricane will move on to the northern coast of Caribbean Island Hispaniola and the southeast of the Bahamas later Thursday.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:54:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The strongest Atlantic hurricane in more than a decade may have battered an estimated 1.2 million people and it poses a serious threat to millions more, the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) said Thursday.

The IFRC said in a statement from Geneva that at least 10 people are believed to have been killed.

"Our worst fears have played out in Barbuda and elsewhere," said Walter Cotte, the IFRC's regional director for the Americas.

Category 5 Hurricane Irma has cut a swath of destruction through half a dozen Caribbean nations and foreign territories in the past 24 to 36 hours.

Reports from Barbuda suggest that nearly every building has been damaged or destroyed, while hundreds of thousands of people in Puerto Rico are left without power, according to the authorities.

"Our volunteers have been active for a number of days helping communities prepare. We can't yet assess the full extent of damage, but we expect that the Red Cross will be delivering extensive support to many thousands over the coming weeks and months," said Cotte.

Irma is now bearing down on the Dominican Republic, Haiti, and Cuba, where an estimated 26 million people could be exposed to destructive winds and torrential rain. In preparation for Irma's passage, IFRC said it had released just under 600,000 Swiss francs (630,000 U.S. dollars) from its Disaster Relief Emergency Fund (DREF) to bolster preparedness and early response efforts in the Dominican Republic and in Haiti. It said this added to earlier allocations of about 120,000 Swiss francs. (1 Swiss franc = 1.05 U.S. dollars)
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:59:35|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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BEIRUT, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- President of Central African Republic (CAR) Faustin-Archange Touadera said on Thursday that his country should learn from Lebanon to get through hard times.

Touadera made the remarks after his talks with Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri in the country's capital Beirut.

"The purpose of our visit as you already know is to share your experience. We know that Lebanon has been through hard times but you have managed to get through it. We also are in the process of getting through the hard time," he said.

The Central African president also expressed gratitude for Lebanon's hospitality toward his delegation to the Middle Eastern country.

For his part, Berri said the discussion was clear and frank by focusing on bilateral ties between the two countries.

Later in the day, Touadera held talks with Lebanese Prime Minister Saad Hariri at the Grand Serail.

Their closed-door meeting focused on the latest developments in Lebanon and the region as well as the bilateral relations between the two countries, according to a release by the Prime Minister's media office.

On Wednesday, Touadera arrived in Lebanon and met with Lebanese President Michel Aoun at Baabda Presidential Palace.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 02:59:36|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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JERUSALEM, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Israel will "do everything" within its power to avoid an Iranian stronghold in Syria, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Thursday, hours after Israel reportedly struck a Syrian military facility.

Lieberman declined to comment directly on the attack, as Israel rarely confirms its alleged attacks in Arab countries.

However, speaking in an interview with an Israeli radio station, Lieberman said Israel was not "looking for adventures, and we don't want to be dragged into this fight or another."

He stressed that the Jewish state "will do everything in order to prevent a Shi'ite corridor from Iran to Damascus."

He added Israel is ready to a change in the situation on the ground in Syria. "We always take into account every possibility, every option in the Middle East," he said.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel's President Reuven Rivlin warned Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel that Iranian attempts to create a Shiite foothold in Syria "will force Israel to react."

During their meeting in Berlin, Rivlin told Merkel that Hezbollah, an Iranian-backed Lebanese militia, is building "weapons infrastructure" that "will force Israel to react," according to a statement released by the official President's Residence in Jerusalem.

The remark came hours after Israeli fighter jets reportedly bombed the al-Talai Scientific Studies and Research Center, killing two soldiers, according to the Syrian army.

According to Israel's former national security adviser, Maj.-Gen (ret.) Yaakov Amidror, the strike on the military facility near Masyaf followed a visit by Hezbollah's leader, Hassan Nasrallah to Damascus last week.

Amidror told journalists that there was a "strong probability" that the strike had been launched because of fears that Nasrallah asked Damascus to use the facility, where western powers suspect chemical weapons are being manufactured.

Syria protested to the United Nations following the attack. The Syrian Foreign Ministry complaint to the UN Security Council and the Secretary General, saying "the Israeli aggression has become a norm."

According to the ministry, Israel is attempting to help terror groups such as Nusra Front and the Islamic State in the wake of the advances of the Syrian army.

Israel had repeatedly declared it would not intervene in the six-year-long fighting in Syria.

However, it is widely believed that Israel often carried out airstrikes on convoys and arsenals in Syria which were allegedly directed to Hezbollah.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 03:34:49|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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GENEVA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The World Health Organization (WHO) warned on Thursday of a rapidly rising burden of malaria in South Sudan, amid a widespread of displacement and a major food crisis as a result of years of conflict.

Though malaria season is underway across much of sub-Saharan Africa, a particularly heavy toll has been recorded in South Sudan, where the entire population is at high risk of contracting the illness because of a fractured health system.

The WHO estimated that 1.3 million people have fallen ill with malaria this year, while thousands are affected by cholera and measles, particularly along the Nile River and in camps for displaced people.

The deadly mosquito-borne disease accounts for 65 percent of all illnesses reported in health facilities across the country. Every week it infects more than 77,500 people and kills nearly 220, mostly children under the age of five, according to WHO statistics.

Across the country, malnutrition, severe pneumonia, malaria and perinatal complications remain the most common causes of death in children under five, the UN health agency said.

Though the WHO and partners are working to provide critical health services, including dispatching regular mobile medical teams to outbreak hotspots and training of frontline health workers, they are still undermined by a staggering 84 percent funding gap.

Meanwhile insecurity also poses a great challenge for aid workers to access the population needing health service, as fighting has resumed since last year between rival factions in the country.

South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 due to political disputes between President Salva Kiir and his former deputy Riek Machar, resulting in armed conflicts between ethnic groups loyal to the two.

Despite a peace agreement reached in 2015, violence erupted again in July 2016. Years of conflicts have already killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions, and also ravaged the country's health system while leaving a major food crisis.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 03:54:59|Editor: Mu Xuequan

Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras (L) shakes hands with French President Emmanuel Macron in Athens, Greece, Sept. 7, 2017. France will continue to stand by Greece's side in its efforts to achieve economic recovery, French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday at the start of a two-day official visit to Athens. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)

by Maria Spiliopoulou

ATHENS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua)-- The handing of the Greek debt crisis has been a European failure underlining the need for a revival of the European Union (EU), French President Emmanuel Macron said on Thursday during a two-day official visit to Athens.

"We need to find the strength to restart Europe," the French leader said when delivering a speech at Pnyx, the site where ancient Athenian citizens used to gather to host their assemblies and the seeds of democracy were planted 25 centuries ago.

Opposite Acropolis hill, Macron outlined his vision for the future of the European Union (EU), urging for "the rebirth of democracy in Europe."

During his address, which was broadcast live on Greek national broadcaster ERT, the French leader warned that the EU would face dissolution if it did not change.

He called for dialogue across the continent over the next months with the active participation of citizens.

Macron said he would soon submit France's proposal for a road map to rebuild Europe.

Meanwhile, Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras said his country was "determined" to promote discourse in Europe for a "new contract for democracy, equality and solidarity."

The financial crisis evolved into a political crisis and widened inequalities between states and citizens, the Greek leader said, calling for swift and radical changes to ensure the EU would have a future.

"We can achieve fiscal unification if we achieve political and economic integration," Tsipras said, adding that he supported Macron's proposal for a eurozone finance minister, but said the EU also needed a social justice minister.

During his visit to Athens in statements to the press before and after talks at the Presidential mansion and the Prime Minister's office earlier on Thursday, the French leader conveyed a message of support to Greece in its efforts to exit the seven-year debt crisis and achieve economic recovery.

"We would like to support growth which is returning to Greece, as we have showed solidarity so far," Macron said.

The French President urged Greece to continue on the reform path and that its international creditors would eventually take measures for the relief of the Greek debt load.

"France will continue to stand by your side...We owe it to you. Your resilience, courage and the reforms undertaken should not be forgotten," he told Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

On Friday, Macron and Tsipras will preside over a working round-table meeting between Greek and French business leaders to explore opportunities for investments and cooperation in many sectors.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:10:05|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DUBLIN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Irish government on Thursday welcomed a position paper published by the European Union (EU) on the future of the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland after Brexit.

"The paper clearly reflects the continuing close engagement between Ireland and the EU task force and builds on the European Council guidelines and subsequent negotiation mandate, in which Ireland's concerns and priorities were strongly acknowledged," a government statement said.

"Our priorities remain protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, including by avoiding a hard border, and maintaining the Common Travel Area," the statement said.

It urged Britain to make "substantive commitments and workable solutions" on the question of the Irish border.

"The principles reflected in this paper must underpin any arrangements and solutions to be proposed, developed and agreed in future negotiations," the government said.

On Thursday, the European Commission (EC), the EU's executive arm, published its first formal paper on the guiding principles for Ireland/Northern Ireland in the context of the Brexit negotiations.

In the four-page document, the EC warned a thorough understanding of the issues beyond customs rules was needed to move negotiations forward.

The paper called for the negotiations to secure a political commitment to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the peace process.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:10:06|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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PRAGUE, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka said Thursday that his country and Italy were preparing a joint project with which they could help migrants in the African country of Cote d'Ivoire.

Sobotka made the statement at a press conference after meeting his Italian counterpart Paolo Gentiloni. When it came to migration, Cote d'Ivoire was one of the source countries, Sobotka said.

He said that Czech Republic was to contribute roughly one million euros (1.2 million U.S. dollars) to the project which will help improve living conditions of the people who would return from other countries to Cote d'Ivoire.

In cooperation with Italy, the money was to help refugees gain accommodation, health care and drinking water, and to help integrate into society, according to Sobotka.

Sobotka and Gentiloni admitted that the two countries had different views on the migrant crisis. The Czech Republic was against the redistribution of refugees, and it rejected the quota as not functioning.

The Czech government also disagreed with the criticism that Prague and several other EU countries were inconsistent over migration, Sobotka said, adding that it primarily wanted to solve the problem in their countries of origin.

Gentiloni said that all EU member states must respect Wednesday's decision of the European Court of Justice to dismiss the lawsuit filed by Slovakia and Hungary, which challenged a European Council decision of obligatory relocation of asylum seekers by quota among the member countries.

He said that the future of European integration cannot lie in someone being integrated or forced out, and there was no interest in fostering the idea of a division into the West and East of Europe.

Gentiloni was the first Italian prime minister to visit the Czech Republic over the past ten years.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:35:17|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CARACAS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro called on the country's Supreme Court (TSJ) to act swiftly against corruption, according to TSJ president, Maikel Moreno, on Thursday.

Writing on Twitter, Moreno indicated that Maduro "has called on us to act swiftly in the fight against corruption."

"He has asked us to act swiftly and with efficiency in this fight, to bring the weight of the law against those responsible, whoever they be, or whatever the position they occupy," wrote Moreno.

In another message, Moreno said the executive, the TSJ and the prosecutor-general would form "an alliance to fight against corruption." He indicated that corruption networks "operating in the oil industry" would be particular targets.

"The goal and the objective are clear, we will pursue, arrest and try the people and organized crime groups who cause so much damage to public wealth," emphasized the TSJ president.

In a move related to this corruption crackdown, Venezuela's prosecutor-general Tarek William Saab on Thursday reopened investigations into the Odebrecht corruption ring.

Odebrecht is a Brazilian construction company that became an international giant over years of using bribery and corruption to secure around 100 projects in 12 countries, including Venezuela.

Speaking to the press, Saab said his predecessor, Luisa Ortega Diaz, now a fugitive, had shelved the investigation.

"There was no attempt to bring judicial action in the Odebrecht case. We have begun to make inquires, as the case has been reopened with new prosecutors," said Saab.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (L) meets with visiting Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang in Vladivostok, Russia, on Sept. 6, 2017. (Xinhua/Wu Zhuang)

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China is working for the establishment of an investment fund worth 100 billion yuan (15.3 billion U.S. dollars) to finance regional cooperation projects between China and Russia, Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang said here Thursday.

China is ready to increase the scale of the investment fund and suggest the Silk Road Fund finance China-Russia joint programs, Wang said in a speech at a commercial conversation on the sidelines of the Third Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, a major Pacific port city in Russia.

He said the Chinese government encourages enterprises to invest in Russia's Far East and expand cooperation in manufacturing, resources exploitation, infrastructure, agriculture and tourism.

China will work to further facilitate trade and ask its companies to abide by Russian laws and regulations, while it hopes the Russian side will implement its preferential policies and safeguard the lawful interests of Chinese enterprises, Wang said.

He said China is an ideal partner of Russia in its Far Eastern development and both sides can together explore vast opportunities.

According to the vice premier, the two countries have mutual political trust and the two economies are complementary and their development strategies dovetail with each other.

China is the biggest import source and second largest export destination for Russia's Far Eastern Federal District and Chinese enterprises have invested in 26 projects in this region so far.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:50:23|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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MEXICO CITY, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- China has created 1.8 million jobs across Latin America and the Caribbean through trade, investments and infrastructure projects over the last two decades, according to an International Labour Organization (ILO) report on Thursday.

The report, named "Effects of China on the quantity and quality of jobs in Latin America and the Caribbean," indicated that the number of jobs facilitated by the Chinese economy in the region between 1995 and 2016 represented four percent of the total created jobs.

Around 60 percent of these 1.8 million jobs were linked to growing trade with China, 20 percent to infrastructure projects and 15 percent to direct Chinese investment, said the co-author of the report, Enrique Dussel Peters, during the presentation.

"Until today, China in Latin America has generated almost 2 million jobs," commented Dussel Peters, coordinator of the China-Mexico Studies Center at the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM).

Jose Manuel Salazar, the ILO's director for Latin America and the Caribbean, highlighted that it was the first study concerning China's impact on employment in the region. He added this showed how China was increasing its importance and influence in global trade and investment at a time of a protectionist stance from the U.S. government.

The ILO, which has 187 member states, is a United Nations agency dealing with labour problems, particularly international labour standards, social protection, and work opportunities for all.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:50:25|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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by Burak Akinci

ANKARA, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Turkey has become a pillar in providing international support and humanitarian assistance on the plight of the Rohingya, the Muslim minority in Myanmar, forced to flee their land, a policy in line with president Recep Tayyip Erdogan's ambitions of asserting his country's position as a global player, said local experts.

Turkey's First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, first foreign dignitaries to meet thousands of refugees who have fled Myanmar's Rakhine state, visited camps in Bangladesh in the coastal district of Cox's Bazar, and delivered the first batch of a much needed aid.

During the visit, who had a large coverage in the Turkish press, Ms Erdogan called on the international community "not to stay silent to this humanitarian tragedy, unacceptable in this day and age," she said to reporters, quoted by news channels.

The visit follows the latest bloodshed in Rakhine state that resulted in the fresh influx of Rohingya's into Bangladesh in the last 10 days. Hundreds have been killed in the latest violence when Rohingya rebels attacked police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes have killed hundreds, nearly 400, according to several sources.

President Erdogan said on Wednesday that Turkey will provide 10,000 tones of aid to help some 160,000 Rohingya that have fled their land and endured very difficult conditions to cross over neighboring Bangladesh. "I spoke with Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi yesterday. They opened the doors after our call," he said in Ankara.

Turkey, who asked the Bangladesh government to open borders for the Rohingya, vowing to pay the cost, is expected to deliver humanitarian aid to some 100,000 Rohingya families.

Turkey's interest in the cause of this Muslim community is not new. Since Myanmar's democratic transition began in 2011, violence between the country's Buddhist and Muslim communities escalated, and the 2012 Rakhine State riots led to several deaths and mass displacement among Muslim minorities.

Having opened its embassy in Myanmar in March of the same year, Turkey adopted an active stance towards the Rohingya's plight, taking the issue to the United Nations and leading the formation of the Rohingya Contact Group under the Organization for Islamic Cooperation. In the meantime, Turkish aid organizations, such as the Turkish Red Crescent, Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA) and the Disaster and Emergency Management Authority (AFAD) got actively involved in Myanmar for the support of the Rohingya.

The indication of Turkey's involvement in the Rohingya crisis, way more than any other Muslim country, is clear and Erdogan also said that he would raise the issue at the United Nations General Assembly in New York this month. As current head of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation, Erdogan has discussed the violence with around 20 world leaders.

"Humanitarian assistance and mediation efforts in international conflicts has become a key point in Turkey's foreign policy. In this context, Turkey is playing a proactive stance in the Rohingya issue," said Dr. Altay Atli, a researcher on international politics and Economics in the Asian region in Istanbul's Sabanci University.

From a political perspective, President Erdogan uses every opportunity to assert that Turkey "has become a hope for the oppressed," and is "extending a helping hand to those in need," a position which is highly appreciated by the Turkish people and the conservative and pious electorate that have kept him in power since 2002, amid criticism of authoritarian rule.

"There is much sensibility in Turkey for the cause of this community. People appreciate that the Turkish government stays active there even though Turkey can not find a settlement on his own," explained Altay Atli.

The image of a strong Turkey reaching out to Muslims in need anywhere in the world is a key pillar of the Turkish government's foreign policy, should it be in the very conflictual Middle East or other parts of the world in this global age.

According to data released by the Global Humanitarian Assistance Initiative, Myanmar is the seventh largest recipient of Turkey's humanitarian assistance, after Syria, Somalia, West Bank and Gaza Strip, Iraq, Jordan, and Pakistan.

Turkey ranks second in the world after the United States for foreign assistance with 6 billion USD spend in 2016, half of this amount having been used for the 3.5 millions Syrian refugees that it hosts on its soil since the beginning of the civil war there in 2011.

Several humanitarian NGOs, like the Humanitarian Relief Foundation (IHH), one of Turkey's leading aid group also active in Somalia and Syria, have launched donation campaigns in Turkey and are currently active in Bangladesh to directly channel assistance for the Rohingya refugees.

The Turkish press reports daily of killing against Muslims in Myanmar amid growing popular interest for this issue that was totally unknown to a vast majority of Turkey until some years ago.

"Yes, I heard from the television that Muslim brothers and sisters are being killed there. I think that our president Erdogan is doing a great job," told Xinhua Ibrahim Kanat, a shopkeeper from downtown Kizilay, Ankara.

The Rohingya issue is also an opportunity to engage more with East Asia, and have stronger relations with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Altay Atli said.

"Turkey has close relations with Muslim-majority countries, such as Indonesia and Malaysia, and Ankara aims to support these linkages through humanitarian aid and intermediation efforts aimed at the Muslim minority groups elsewhere in the region."

"What makes Turkey's difference is that she listens to the Rohingya living thousands of kilometers from here, making of her a global actor," said the academic.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 04:55:27|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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CAIRO, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Egyptian naval forces saved Thursday eight Egyptians and nine Malaysians after their tourist motorboat broke down and almost drowned off the northern Red Sea coast due to bad weather, the Egyptian military spokesman said in a statement.

The forces responded to a distress call from the drowning tourist boat 35 nautical miles southeast of Safaga island of Red Sea Province and saved the 17 Egyptians and Malaysians, said Military Spokesman Tamer al-Refaay in the statement.

"Search is underway for an Egyptian who is still missing," said the spokesman.

He added that the rescued people have been taken to the Red Sea naval base and provided with necessary medical aid.
This picture provided by Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Aug. 23, 2017 shows Kim Jong Un, top leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), giving field guidance to the Chemical Material Institute of the Academy of Defense Science.

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Leaders of Japan and South Korea on Thursday reiterated their appeal on strengthening sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its aggressive nuclear program, as they met on a economic forum held here.

"The DPRK is becoming an unprecedentedly grave and imminent threat...It is escalating challenges to peace and prosperity to the northeast Asia and the entire world," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on the plenary session of the Third Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Abe said it is necessary to make the DPRK immediately and fully comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Echoing Abe's appeal, South Korea President Moon Jae-in also voiced the desire of keeping the pressure of sanctions on the DPRK.

"I thank Russia for its active participation in regards to sanctions against the DPRK and I hope Russia will continue its support on this matter," he said.

During a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump late Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation regime, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks.

The general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, Xi said, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution.

The DPRK on Sunday successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was the sixth nuclear test by the country so far, further worsening the hair-trigger confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

Differing with the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said whipping up hostility would not settle the Korean Peninsula issue, as the DPRK will not be frightened and give up on its nuclear program.

Instead, Russia prefers to involve the DPRK into the regional cooperation in a bid to ease the tension around the Korean Peninsula, and has already offered specific proposals which include building a joint railway connecting Russia and the Korean Peninsula through the DPRK and the development of pipeline transport, Putin said.

On Wednesday, Putin called for a "step-by-step settlement", saying it is pointless to push the DPRK into a corner as sanctions and pressure could be counterproductive.

"Now more than ever, everyone needs to be calm and avoid steps that lead to an escalation of tension," he said.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 05:05:30|Editor: Mu Xuequan

A man watches the TV duel between German Chancellor Angela Merkel and Martin Schulz, chancellor candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SPD), at a media center in Berlin, Germany, Sept. 3, 2017. German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Sunday night at the TV duel with Martin Schulz that although "radical Islamists" are perpetrating acts of terror in Europe, she still believed that "Islam belongs to Germany." (Xinhua/Shan Yuqi)

BERLIN, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- According to poll released on Thursday by survey institute Infratest dimap, support for the German Social Democrats (SPD) dropped by two percentage points to 21 percent, compared to last week.

Support for Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union (CDU) and the Christian Social Union (CSU) held steady at 37 percent.

The Left party (Linke) and Free Democratic Party (FDP) were the only parties to gain support, rising to 10 percent (Linke) and 9 percent (FDP). The right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) continues to be third strongest party with 11 percent and the Green party (Gruene) stagnated at eight percent.

Concerning the candidate for chancellorship, Merkel is seen as the stronger leader by a comfortable 75 percent of respondents in this week's survey. Although she is also seen as more competent by 63 percent, and more credible by 52 percent, her ratings have slightly fallen since July's survey.

A majority of all Germans would now choose Merkel over Schulz as chancellor. The share of those polled who favored the CDU-leader surged by five percentage points to 54 percent compared to the August 31 survey by Infratest dimap.

Support for an EU membership of Turkey fell to a historical low of 12 percent. Of 1,003 people interviewed, 84 percent think that Turkey should not be part of the EU as a "matter of principle" and 88 percent said that the German government should take a firmer stance on Turkey.

Despite this tough position, 80 percent think it is good that Merkel is signaling to Turkey that she is "ready to talk".

Concerning the diesel emission scandal in the German automotive industry, a huge majority thinks that carmakers must do more to compensate the owners of vehicles (83 percent) and that German politicians were much too forgiving and lax in their engagement with the automotive industry (79 percent).

Nevertheless, only 30 percent of respondents agree that only non-petrol and non-diesel vehicles can be registered from 2030 onwards. Support for an immediate driving ban of old diesel vehicles from cities with high air pollution has fallen by six percentage points to 42 percent.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 05:10:32|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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OAXACA, Mexico, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- Mexico's export sector is laboring under an atmosphere of "uncertainty" now that the 1994 North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is under scrutiny and revision, a business leader said on Thursday.

Valentin Diez, President of the Mexican Business Council for Foreign Trade, Investment and Technology (COMCE), said renegotiating the two-decade trade deal has thrown the future of Mexico's trade ties with the United States and Canada, its NAFTA partners, into doubt.

Diez, who is also president of the advisory board of Mexican beer giant Grupo Modelo, addressed the opening of the 24th Mexican Foreign Trade Congress, being held in the southern capital city of Oaxaca through Friday.

Despite the uncertainties introduced by the new U.S. administration and its push to amend the agreement, "Mexico has maintained great dynamism in its exports. However, the renegotiation of the North American Free Trade Agreement has introduced a certain uncertainty into our ties with our main NAFTA partners," said Diez.

Still, Diez said he doubted U.S. President Donald Trump will "unilaterally withdraw from the trade agreement."

The U.S. market accounts for some 80 percent of Mexico's exports, a reality that underscores the importance NAFTA holds for the Latin American nation.

Since Trump's campaign to negotiate a better deal for U.S. industry, Mexico has looked to diversify its export markets.

"One of the challenges the export sector faces is that of venturing into other countries and economic and geographic regions," said Diez.

Participants at the congress plan to take a detailed look at NAFTA and Mexico's trade ties with other parts, such as the European Union and the rest of Latin America, and also discuss e-commerce, alternative energies and other matters.

Diez said he also hoped to see proposals to boost Mexico's "competitiveness, our export capacity and consolidation as a very important player in international trade."
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 05:15:34|Editor: liuxin

U.S. President Donald Trump (L) waits to welcome visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah at the White House in Washington D.C., the United States , on Sept. 7, 2017. Trump said on Thursday that he would be willing to mediate an ongoing dispute between Qatar and other Middle East countries. (Xinhua/Yin Bogu)

WASHINGTON, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday that he would be willing to mediate an ongoing dispute between Qatar and other Middle East countries.

"If I can help mediate between Qatar and, in particular, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, I would be willing to do so and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," said Trump here during his joint press conference with visiting Kuwaiti Amir Sheikh Sabah Al-Ahmed Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

On June 5, the Saudi-led quartet severed diplomatic ties with Qatar and imposed a blockade on the rich tiny Gulf nation, citing Doha's support for terrorism and extremism, interference in their internal affairs, and seeking closer ties with Iran. Qatar has strongly denied these charges.

Tensions were renewed last month when Qatar announced it would send back its ambassador to Iran, a rival for most Gulf nations.

Qatar recalled its envoy in Tehran in early 2016 in a show of solidarity with Saudi Arabia after the attacks on two Saudi diplomatic missions in Iran.

Despite a flurry of diplomatic mediation efforts made by the United States, the European Union, and Kuwait in the past months, the Gulf standoff has shown no signs of abating.
Source: Xinhua| 2017-09-08 05:50:44|Editor: Mu Xuequan

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DAMASCUS, Sept. 7 (Xinhua) -- The Syrian Foreign Ministry on Thursday condemned the alleged recent Israeli missile attack on a military base in central Syria, accusing its archenemy Israel of protecting the terrorist groups in Syria.

In a statement, the ministry said the Israeli attacks have become "systematically repetitive," noting that it's no longer accepted that the UN Security Council hasn't taken any steps to put a halt to such aggressions.

Earlier on Thursday, Israel warplanes allegedly fired several missiles at a Syrian military base near the city of Masyaf in the central province of Hama, killing two soldiers and causing damage to the site.

The Syrian government maintained that Israel is attempting to lift the morales of the terrorist groups, while Israel's main concern is to prevent the powerful Hezbollah group from obtaining weapons from Syria.

Reports suggested that the targeted base is a factory manufacturing precision missiles for Hezbollah.

The Iranian-backed Shiite militia has become a nightmare for Israel, as it's the only power capable of threatening its interests.

The Israelis have made it clear in more than an occasion that they don't want to see an Iranian influence in Syria, given the fact that Iran has become Israel's number one enemy after the U.S. invaded Iraq in 2003 and obliterated the government of late President Saddam Hussein, which was also considered by Israel as a threat.

And Hezbollah, against all odds, has proven to be a powerful group, succeeding to recapture key Syrian areas in joint operations with the army.

Israel's President Reuven Rivlin warned Germany's Chancellor Angela Merkel Thursday that Iranian attempts to create a Shiite foothold in Syria "will force Israel to react," his office said.

Also, Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman said on Thursday that Israel will "do everything" within its power to avoid an Iranian stronghold in Syria.

The warmongering tone doesn't affect Hezbollah's influence in Syria, with its leaders saying they are more strong and capable of dealing blows to Israel.
THE BEAST

Irma was a virtual wrecking ball when she pushed her way through to the Leeward Islands bowling aside other islanders hotspot recreation, sparing nothing in her wake.

And despite the doom and gloom reports they were given, newsroom manager at the Antigua Observer Martina McDonald-Joseph said she expected much worse. She had been expecting the island to be flattened and even worse for the low-lying sister island, Barbuda.

In an interview with Newsday earlier yesterday, McDonald-Joseph said, We do not know how bad it is in Barbuda as yet. There has been no communication up to now. The National Office of the Disaster Services are trying to organise themselves to get across to Barbuda. Even before the serious effects of the storm, we were getting reports that roof tops were being blown off and that was just after two hours after Irma began rolling in. McDonald said they were not able to track Barbuda as all their internet went down during the hurricane.

Trinidad and Tobago and the world knew what was happening to us, but we didnt, and Barbuda is just 25 miles away. There were a couple of areas where there was flooding but nothing significant, not to say that peoples homes werent flooded out.

We were told we were going to be wiped out, that it was going to get something really severe, but all we had was a couple of downed trees, light poles and utility wires.

A couple of roofs may have been blown off, but we did not expect this and we are grateful. Prime Minister of Antigua/Barbuda Gaston Browne told Newsday yesterday, prior to being updated on Barbuda, the situation could have been catastrophic, but under the circumstances, felt they were doing quite fine. We had winds in excess of 120 miles per hour, Browne said. It speaks to the level of preparedness and the resilience of our country. I feel pleased with their level of preparedness and that they took the storm very seriously otherwise we would have lost so much more because I understand it was the most powerful hurricane in the Caribbean that did such minimum damage.

In the forecast they had predicted devastation and destruction. A report from a (cable news network) stated that we would become uninhabitable.

I was impressed about this being a test of resilience. The prime minister said while awaiting the hurricane, he saw his camera crew taking their television equipment inside. He was having none of that.

I said what kind of foolishness is that? You all should never give up hope. In Saint Maarten, homes, hotels and government buildings were decimated.

The French government said it was concerned that thousands of people had refused to go to the shelters on the island. Its world famous airport has been devastated with television footage showing the storm ripping through Princess Juliana International Airport, destroying safety fences and battering nearby Maho beach. Sand covered the runway and huge rocks smashed into planes. Large sections of the building were strewn across the runway and a jet bridge snapped in half.
Minister Cuffie hospitalised

There has been no specific announcement about what happened to the minister and MP of La Horquetta/Talparo. Health Minister Terrence Deyalsingh visited Cuffie yesterday. After seeing him, Deyalsingh spoke to media yesterday and said after Cuffie took in with a medical episode he was rushed to the Port-of-Spain General Hospital where he was stabilised. He said the family then took a decision to transfer him to the St Clair Medical Centre because they had a history of using the facility.

Deyalsingh said this episode required Cuffie to be warded in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU). He said when he saw him, Cuffie was in good spirits.

Cuffie suffered a mild stroke a few years ago while he was editor of the TnT Mirror. Asked if it was another stroke Deyalsingh said, at this particular point in time, I would let the doctors have that conversation with the family. In a release, the Office of the Prime Minister (OPM) also said it was a medical episode. The OPM said Cuffies doctors were pleased with his progress. Cuffies wife Hermia Tyson-Cuffie and family who rushed to his bedside during the course of Tuesday night have expressed their thanks for all the support and concern expressed by people at all levels from the moment they heard he had fallen ill.
He must pay for my hurt

The jilted woman from central Trinidad said she spent $30,000 on the function and invited 100 people. She says he must pay for the hurt he put her through and has been advised by her attorney Stephen Boodram that the Penal man may be in breach of the common law principle which governs the relationship between people planning to marry.

The woman requested anonymity because of, what she described as, the untold embarrassment caused on April 29. So depressed was she over the incident, she retreated to her bedroom and slit her left wrist. She had to be taken to the San Fernando General Hospital.

A pre-action protocol letter has been sent to the man who decided he was no longer interested in a continued relationship with the woman. In the letter, the woman said her parents purchased the food, drinks, the boyfriends gold and diamond engagement ring costing $5000, and her dress which cost $6000. The letter suggested to the man that he failed to show up without any valid reason.

As a result, my client was put through severe embarrassment, hurt, mental trauma and suffered loss and expenses. The case is a novel one that would engage a judge in the High Court who would try the issue of breach of contract. The last such case in which a judgement was delivered, was 17 years ago in which a Tableland woman won her claim against a Penal man for breach of promise to marry her.

He was ordered to pay compensation for the expenses she incurred, however the man died.

Boodrams letter calls on the man to pay compensation to the woman. In an interview with Newsday yesterday outside the Supreme Court, San Fernando, the woman said on the day of the engagement party, her parents had to turn away guests and closed the gates to their home.

Since then, I dont step outside my house, the woman said. I go to work and come back home.

People on work do not know, except for close friends. My father suffered a heart attack and has since had an operation. I was shamed and only now Im trying to pick up the pieces. Money cannot pay for the hurt I was put through, but it will help alleviate the pain knowing there is still justice.
Sister isle loses $25M due to ferry crisis

Saying TT nationals make up 80 per cent of the associations clientele, he said poor inter- island transport has hit domestic tourism by Trinidadians seeking to vacation in Tobago, and led to occupancy rates in guest houses of just 20 to 22 per cent. While bigger hotels have a 34 per cent occupancy rate, James bemoaned that their occupancy level must reach to 52 percent just to break-even and pay costs such as staff and utility bills. He said the regional average is 68 per cent, adding, We are way down. Saying the Tobago hotel sector had lost $25 million over four months of the ferry crisis, James said hoteliers now will no longer allow bookings unless the intended guest can state that he has an airplane or ferry ticket, as it has been too costly to the hotels to constantly have to refund hotel rents. He could not estimate the money lost by tourism operators such as hired cars, but said overall the sister isle has lost many millions and millions of dollars.

James said an even greater loss than the immediate financial losses was the loss of confidence in the Tobago destination by Trinidadians, especially the high-spenders who have gone elsewhere.

Endless restaurants and hotels have had to close down, he lamented.

Hoping to hold off the banks at an upcoming meeting, James however said, The problem is not now. The problem is that we didnt earn the money in July/August.

The problem is going to be next month and the month after and the month after. People have tried to keep the staff but what we have done is reduce the days. We have three-day weeks.

What weve had to do with utility companies is ask for payment plans. When you dont have the money coming in you cannot pay your taxes, your utility bills and your staff. James said the $30 million State subsidy on the airbridge may well be justified in terms of the job creation that tourism brings to Tobago, plus the savings in foreign exchange by Trinidadians who may have otherwise gone abroad. We have never assessed the domestic tourism value, he remarked.

He lamented a dire lack of information on domestic tourism such as the alleged inability of Caribbean Airlines Limited (CAL) to say how many of its tickets sold were for same-day returns, what is the average length of a vacation stay, and where the tickets are being sold (Trinidad or Tobago.) James said fallout from the ferry woes had come on the heels of a cessation of foreign investment in Tobago due to a land licensing registration.

We lost 12 large investors. He said this land licence is supposed to take 12 days to issue but in fact on average takes one year.

Trinidadians who had built villas to try to sell to foreigners had also been hit by this land licensing.

James said land licensing registration has in effect led to a 30 percent devaluation of Tobago properties whose equity value had been pledged to obtain bank loans.
Ag Prisons Commissioner: Zero tolerance on rogue officers

Alexander made his position clear yesterday as he addressed concerns surrounding a video clip of two inmates at the Golden Grove Prison fighting in one of the prisons corridors as other inmates recorded the incident on cellphones.

Alexander said the incident was being investigated and the two prisoners involved in the fracas have already been identified.

That video is being investigated as we speak. The inmates identified are being interviewed with a view to determining how they got the weapon and relative to their conduct, because there were some obscenities and some threats. Alexander said the Prison Service, though challenged, remains committed to ensuring the safety of both inmates and security personnel. He said the service will also be implementing more stringent security measures to combat the trafficking of weapons and other contraband from outside the prison.

Officers who do not display the right or appropriate behaviour also have a hand in moving contraband. We would also want to ask that the courts reduce the time for adjudicating these matters when we arrest these officers. Sometimes its ten to twelve years before these matters are dealt with. We want their matters to be expedited also so they can be dismissed from the Prison Service. Newsday also spoke to Prison Officers Association president Ceron Richards who is calling on the Prison Service and the Ministry of National Security to investigate the video.

Last month, Richards and members of the Oilfield Workers Trade Union staged a demonstration on the grounds of the Golden Grove facility to protest, what they described as, substandard working conditions. Richards says the video represents a major breach in security as it highlights a number of different safety concerns prison officers face while carrying out daily tasks.

The issues here are the cellphones, the weapon and the cell gates open and also the fact that there isnt an officer in sight during this incident. The Prison Officers Association looked in horror as that video unfolded with what appeared to be some serious security breaches in a division of the Maximum Security Prison.
Protest in Williamsville over bad roads

The residents are claiming that for the past 18 years, the roadway, which is now nearly impassable, has been in a deplorable condition as a result of potholes and landslips.

From as early as 4 am yesterday, the residents, armed with placards, burned tyres along the roadway shouting, Fix Our Roads Now. The protest was staged amidst heavy rainfall. The residents believe that they have been forgotten by Government and are now standing up for their rights.

This rain is nothing compared to what we have been going through, we are now completely fed up, said resident Vidal Sonilal.

He said there were numerous potholes along the roadway.

Member of Parliament for the area, Rodney Charles, in a media release, reiterated calls for Works and Transport Minister Rohan Sinanan to repair the roads.

The Minister needs to stop procrastinating and do the job for which he is paid by taxpayers and fix the bad roads in this constituency, Charles said. On August 5, he said the Works Minister visited the constituency and saw for himself the deplorable conditions of the roads, but to date very little has been done to bring relief to residents and commuters.
Floods, power outage, landslides hit South

The flooding along with several landslides and a major power outage in Cedros and Rancho Quemado and environs led to scores of families becoming marooned inside their homes yesterday morning.

Classes at the Cedros Secondary and Cedros Government Primary schools were suspended for the day because of the flood in Bonasse Village. Damages to household appliances and personal belongings could run into the thousands of dollars.

Affected residents have laid the blame for their dilemma squarely on the shoulders of the councillors at the Siparia Regional Corporation (SRC) who they accused of fighting inside the council instead of taking care of the needs of their burgesses.

According to the distressed residents in Rancho Quemado, all their complaints over the last few months have fallen on deaf ears.

At around 3 pm yesterday, councillor for the area Arlene Ramdeo toured the flooded region. She too blamed internal bickering in the SRC for the failure to complete dredging of rivers and drains in the area.

Among the families affected in Rancho Quemado were Laurencia Garcia, 30, her husband Darren Garcia, 32, their five-year-old daughter Delicia along with neighbour/ proprietor Sherry Mohammed, 36, and her family which includes her one-year-old daughter Abigail and husband Alban Coutou.

Mohammed told Newsday her mini-mart, on the ground floor of her home became flooded during the heavy rains.

There is nowhere for the water to run off and it keep backing up into peoples homes, the upset woman told Newsday. |The drains need dredging but nothing is being done about it.

This is not the first time and we are fed up. Rains had been pounding since eight oclock on Tuesday night.

According to Mohammed, the river overflowed its banks and water began entering her business place/home.

Everything in my cupboards just floating around, Mohammed said. She said her family was forced to stay in the water as their homes upstairs apartment was being renovated.

Ramdeo told Newsday: There is a lot of flooding in Rancho (Quemado) the rivers need to be dredged. We tried it with the small excavators in the regional corporation but they couldnt do the work.

We are now in the process of contracting big excavators to clean the rivers. Ramdeo said because of the high absenteeism of councillors, the corporation was unable to get monies passed to contract the excavators.

Up to 3 pm yesterday, crews from T&TEC along with equipment from the Ministry of Works and Siparia Regional Corporation were kept busy in Cedros and environs as they restored power and removed five mud slides from along the Southern Main Road, Cedros, which made the roadway impassable.

The clean-up was monitored by Cedros councillor Shankar Teelucksingh who expressed satisfaction with the work carried out by the authorities.
Badly beaten toddler makes rapid recovery

The girl was taken to hospital a few weeks ago after she complained of severe pain in her abdomen.

When doctors examined her, they discovered she had a ruptured colon as a result of a severe beating.

Members of the Western Division were called and a 39-year-old nurse was questioned in connection with the alleged beating.

Emergency surgeries were done on the toddler who was placed on a life support machine. Her parents were told she may not have made it, but she began showing signs of progress and was taken off the life support machine.

Her parents believe that prayers and the support from doctors and staff at the hospital are responsible for their daughter still being alive.

Thirty-nine-year-old nurse, Roxanne Oliver, who was charged with two offences connected to the beating of the child has already appeared in court for the offences.
Prof Watson  TTs oil days have ended

Watson made the comments as a panelist at a Thought Leadership breakfast meeting entitled, A 2017/2018 Budget Perspective: Will the Cooperative Sector Factor? held at the Hyatt Regency, Wrightson Road, Port of Spain by the Central Finance Facility, the coordinating agency for credit unions. He also said he had little faith in the continued attraction of fossil fuels and even such large oil companies as BP had recognised that. He quipped that BP did not mean British Petroleum but Beyond Petroleum. Because of all that, Watson said Government should support credit unions in introducing innovative products geared to the diversification of the economy since the Government is not in a position to finance anything itself given the state of the national economy. He said the credit union movement can do that but the Government must support the movement by granting tax concessions for new activity.

He said if the activity does not take place, the credit unions will not get anything from it but if it does happen then the government should give a tax break and allow it to develop.

He said the activities he has in mind should create goods and services which could be exported. He said Government should look at this in a serious way because the government is unable at this point in time to provide the financing of that kind of activity in the country as a whole. Citing a membership of about 500,000 persons suggested by one of the credit union presidents attending the meeting, Watson said this was a powerful force in the country which has a role to play.

I want to look at the credit union more as a mobiliser of funds that I want them to use to help finance the creation of ideas that will get us out of this mess that we are now in because I swear to you that this mess is not going to get better.
CAPE results change for some

She claims her Caribbean Advanced Proficiency Examination (CAPE) results were changed last week Wednesday. She said she was made aware of the situation when one of her friends advised her to recheck her online results as some students grades were being changed.

The results I received on August 18 had been changed because CXC had given me a grade three in Economics and now Im seeing a grade one, she said.

The student said she knows of an instance where a student received a grade four in Management of Business and subsequently had that changed to a grade one.

CXC is making mistakes and giving persons the wrong grade and no one knows what was the cause of their error. She said some students may have received a change and they are unaware of this. Some of my friends were depressed and had gotten into bad habits such as drinking. This is peoples lives CXC is jeopardising. She said her main concern is the results which schools and universities would have received. If CXC made a mistake and gave me the wrong grade, then that is what I would have submitted to universities, so it is now affecting my chances of getting in. She said the results on her preliminary results slip are now different from the online results. I was told by my school that the actual certificate will have the correct results. The student said some of them who had paid for queries are uncertain about the possibility of getting refunds.

An Arima student told Newsday, I was hearing rumours of results changing so I went to check mine as well, but it seems that CXC has locked the system off now. This change has left many students questioning the integrity of the results they received.

Minister of Education Anthony Garcia said an investigation is being conducted to determine whether there were technical changes to the region
Reforestation workers protest for salaries

Representatives from five groups within the programme gathered on Tuesday in front of the Ministry of Agriculture, St Clair to protest.

One contractor, Akilah Jaramogi from the Fondes Amandes community reforestation project told Newsday she was not responsible for paying salaries yet many of the workers came to her begging because they had bills to pay and children to send to school and she felt it was time they took action.

We tried to avoid protesting but you cant stay hungry. If you are owing people, you have to pay them, she said.

Jaramogi said the last time workers protested was three years ago and it occurred around the same time. They really should put systems in place, she said. During their protest, Jaramogi said Agriculture Minister Clarence Rambharat met them and gave them the assurance he would look into the matter.

When Newsday spoke with Rambharat he explained at the end of the financial year, they have to get additional funds to settle some of the wages and expenses.

He said he will take a proposal before Cabinet today.

I would know exactly how to go about settling the outstanding wages, he said.
ACS general sec: Harveys damage to Texas could affect Caribbean

She said that some 43 per cent of the people affected by the hurricane are Hispanics and there is a significant Caribbean diaspora in Houston made up of persons attracted by the energy sector.

She said the widespread devastation and shutdown of oil and gas installations has rendered those people unemployed and will mean a reduction of remittances to the region to support their families.

Soomer made the comments in an interview with Newsday after the official opening of the 25th meeting of the Special Committee for Disaster Risk Reduction held at the ACS Secretariat, Sweet Briar Road, St. Clair.

She said that before taking up the post at the ACS, she was St. Lucias ambassador to CARICOM and the Organisation of Eastern Caribbean States (OECS) and had responsibility for diaspora affairs and during that period a number of meetings were held in Houston which were attended by St. Lucian and other Caribbean populations.

And we have a number of people in the region who went to Houston through St. Croix and the oil industry and many of these people remit money to the Caribbean, so I am sure that there will be a major impact on the remittances because of the fact that there is unemployment right now in Houston and the focus is on disaster recovery.

Hopefully, there will be a return to normalcy very soon so that we will see our Greater Caribbean people employed again to help their people at home. During the meeting, the Director of Transport and Disaster Risk Reduction, Arturo Lopez-Portillo, presented a report on the various projects being undertaken by the ACS in Trinidad and Tobago and the region to improve the readiness of various institutions to deal with natural disasters as well as the organizations work programme for 2017- 2018 and beyond.

However, Soomer said that while the ACS is involved in several projects to help the region build capacity to prepare for storms and hurricanes, We think that we can do a little more because our aim is to help countries rebuild better and if we are able to move into these countries very quickly when they are rebuilding (after a disaster, we can) show them what standards they should use. She hastened to add that because of the number of hurricanes which have hit the region the countries have very good systems in place. But we want to see less lives lost. We have countries where people are still dying during a storm and one of the things we want to insure is that we give them the information, we help them to build the capacity to make sure that we have that impact on the ground during a storm. She said the ACS works very closely with the civil defence system in Cuba which she said was very good, reflecting that she could not remember the last time someone died in a storm in Cuba because of the methods that they use.

She said the ACS wanted to share some of those techniques with its member states.

In her opening remarks to delegates attending the meeting, Soomer said the ACS empathised with people around the world who are feeling the ravages of climate change. She added, In our own region, we recall the frantic search for hundreds of missing people after the southern city of Mocoa in Colombia was engulfed by a huge landslide of mud, rocks and gushing waters that swept away homes and cars and killed more than 200 people in April. She said that the people of the Greater Caribbean are right now living through the torrential rainfall brought by hurricanes, tropical storms and tropical depressions.

While the ACS has a number of projects in Trinidad and Tobago and in several countries of the region and wider region, Soomer said the organisation wanted to have more impact on the ground because while it finishes a project, sometimes it is very difficult to judge the impact on the ground because this is not built into the project.

So we are going to build that impact on the project because we want to ensure that our work will affect and better serve vulnerable populations especially such as women, young people, children, people with disabilities, people we forget.

We think that it is one size fits all when it comes to a disaster, but there are certain groups that are more affected and we have to be able to respond more quickly.
Fishermen want Tobago refuelling station

Vice president of the association, Curtis Douglas highlighted the issue during the Joint Select Committee on Land and Physical Infrastructures meeting at the Victor E Bruce Financial Complex in Scarborough.

Douglas said Tobago fishermen have been neglected for the past few years causing the fishing industry to suffer and their pleas to have a refuelling station were ignored. He said fishermen resorted to illegally transporting gas in a jug to refuel their fishing vessels.

Khan said he was unaware that there was never a refuelling station available for boat owners in Tobago but promised to address their concern.

Im going to do my own research and give a commitment outside of the Joint Select Committee that I will follow up personally on that matter, he said.

Khan said Tobago is in a crisis after listing over 15 local fruits, provisions and vegetables including tomatoes, lettuce, dasheen, potatoes and cucumbers being imported to Tobago. Khan said the situation with the air and sea bridges has shown how vulnerable Tobago is where the island is unable to feed itself.

I call upon the department of Food Production, Fisheries and Forestry (to understand) that you have a responsibility to this island.

You are the drives of government policy and you have a responsibility to come up with some plan that could take Tobago out of this state. It is critical.

I dont know what the solution is, but the seabridge issue has exposed, at a fundamental level, the structural weakness of Tobagos economy especially as it relates to agriculture and food production.

If the Caricom jetty doesnt work, Tobago would be in trouble.

Somewhere along the line you all dropped the ball and, if you dont pick up that ball quickly, you will hurt deeply for it. When you are unable to feed yourselves with basic commodity you are at a great risk.
Rambharat calls out poachers

We need to protect our activity called hunting, (since) it is very important for rural areas and it is important for (the) hunting fraternity that we continue to defend our interests and uplift what we do in pursuit of both economic gains and also enjoyment, employment, fun and good physical activity. Rambharat publicly acknowledged Dr Reeza Mohammed, former Minister of Agriculture; a current member of the Wildlife Conservation Committee, saying Mohammed is a man who continues to do excellent work, not only for the hunters, but also for agriculture on the whole. The minister thanked the Nariva/ Mayaro Hunters Group for their invitation to the annual show, which was judged by chief judge Tim Lum Kin and saw the participation of hundreds of dogs.
North Korea has issued a fresh statement threatening Japan and the United States for seeking a new UN Security Council sanctions resolution against Pyongyang for its latest nuclear test.

The North's state-run media reported the statement issued by the country's Asia-Pacific Peace Committee on Thursday.

The statement says the nation's 6th nuclear test on Sunday is based on the initiative of the ruling Korean Workers' Party to build a strategic nuclear force.

The statement says the US will face an unbearable and firm response if it fails to correctly judge the meaning and warning sent by the hydrogen bomb test and sticks to sanctions and pressure.

The statement says Japan must no longer work for the US hand and foot. It says North Korea is waiting for Japan to end its crime of willingly becoming complicit in applying sanctions.

North Korea marks its national foundation day on Saturday. Its leaders annually attend a convention to celebrate the occasion.

Analysts expect Pyongyang will hold this year's convention on Friday. They predict participants will demonstrate their confrontational stance toward the administration of US President Donald Trump.
Scientists say the disruptions in the Earth's magnetic field caused by charged particles from the sun have passed their peak. But they are calling for continued caution for few more days as there could be more explosions on the surface of the sun.

Solar flares -- large eruptions in dark spots on the sun -- have taken place several times this month.

A large-scale solar flare occurred shortly before 9:00 PM, Japan Time, on Wednesday, for the first time since 2006.

Japan's National Institute of Information and Communications Technology says charged particles and shock waves released by the latest eruption reached Earth from 8 to 9 AM on Friday.

The institute says disruptions in the magnetic field peaked from 9 to 12 AM on Friday, and will gradually recede.

The scientists say they confirmed a margin of error several meters longer than usual for GPS data at the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan.

The institute's Director Mamoru Ishii is calling for continued caution until Saturday or so. He is warning of another possible solar flare as well.

Scientists say the latest flares have no impact on human health.

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France and the three Maghreb countries, Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia, are bound by longstanding historic, cultural and economic ties that makes the three North African states a priority area in the French foreign policy.

A report recently published by the Paris-based think thank, Institut Montaigne, stresses that the Maghreb is a priority area for France in three fields: security, economic development and cultural influence.

The document, dubbed New Arab World, A New Arab Policy for France, argues that the Maghreb remains the most important Arab region in French foreign policy accounting for 80% of overall French-Arabs, 85% of Francophones in the Arab World, 80% of immigrants in France.

It added that 6 million French nationals originate from the Maghreb, while deploring that 100% of all individuals who perpetrated terrorist attacks in France are also from the North African region.

Counter-terrorism cooperation is a key area to which France attaches particular importance in its ties with the Maghreb. Both France and the Maghreb are threatened by terrorism, hence the need for sustained cooperation between the two sides security services to counter violent extremism and avert radicalization.

Migration is also an issue requiring close cooperation between Maghreb states and France. Demographic growth combined with political and economic instability in the Sahel are pushing thousands to seek better opportunities through illegal migration that puts pressure on transit Maghreb countries, notes the report. Immigration should be considered as a shared challenge requiring cooperation of countries north and south of the Mediterranean, the authors of the report note.

At the economic level, the report calls on France to follow Germanys strategy in Eastern and Central Europe. France should develop an ambitious and integrated economic strategy towards the three Maghreb countries. In this regard, the document advocates the setting up of EU-Maghreb free trade agreement coupled with an improvement of the legal, administrative and financial frameworks in the Maghreb countries.

Concerning cultural influence, the 200-page report underscores the shared destiny between France and the Maghreb and calls on France to develop a soft power based on promoting the French language and culture in addition to improving knowledge about the Maghreb in France.
Tunisian Prime Minister, Youssef Chahed on Wednesday, unveiled the lineup of a new government of national unity.

The government reshuffle, the 10th since 14 January 2011, comes after several weeks of consultations with political parties and organizations on the distribution of portfolios.

The key portfolios affected by the reshuffle are those of Finance, Interior and Defense, which are attributed respectively to Mohamed Ridha Chalghoum, Lotfi Braham and Abdelkrim Zbidi.

Six years after the beginning of the Jasmine Revolution, Tunisia has embraced a democratic rule of law, along with all of the swings and roundabouts that can entail.

However, the country, considered as a rare success story of the Arab Spring, has failed to resolve the issues of poverty, unemployment, regional disparities and corruption.

Chahed, 41, the youngest prime minister Tunisia has had since independence, vowed to press ahead with economic reforms sought by international lenders.

He has named one of his economic advisors, Taoufik Rajhi, who is a member of Islamist Ennahda party, to the new post of economic reforms minister.

Tunisias statistic agency (INS) has said it expected the countrys economy to grow by over 2 percent this year.

According to the INS, Tunisias economy grew 1.9 percent year-on-year in the first half of 2017 with contributions from the agricultural and service sectors.
Photo: Frederic J. Brown/AFP/Getty Images

Democratic attorneys general from 15 states (plus D.C.) are suing President Trump over his decision to end President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals policy. The lawsuit, which was filed in the Eastern District of New York on Wednesday, argues that racism was Trumps primary motive for the rollback:  Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President Trumps oft-stated commitments  whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof  to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots. The lawsuit also argues that the Trump administration isnt following proper procedure in shutting down DACA and that eliminating the program would hurt the attorneys states by impeding beneficiaries ability to contribute to the economy, among other things.

The attorneys hope that Trumps past offensive statements about Mexican immigrants will work against him in court, not unlike what happened with his anti-Muslim travel ban. However, as D.C. Attorney General Ken Racine acknowledged to the Washington Post, its a tough case. Thats in part because Obama used executive power to establish DACA, so it might be difficult to argue that Trump cant use the same power to kill it. Still, Racine added, We think there are enough references to his comments  both before he was president and while he was president  that illustrate a bias against Mexicans.

Earlier this week Tuesday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions claimed that DACA was unconstitutional and that it would not survive threatened legal challenges, which, as Cristian Farias has pointed out, isnt really true. Responding to the lawsuit on Wednesday, a spokesperson said that the Justice Department looks forward to defending this Administrations position.
Clintons election memoir is entitled What Happened. Photo: Jewel Samad/AFP/Getty Images

On September 18, Hillary Clinton will kick off the book tour for What Happened, her memoir about the 2016 presidential election, in Washington, D.C. The crowd at the Warner Theatre will, no doubt, be filled with many representatives of Pantsuit Nation and other pro-Clinton factions of the Democratic Party. But, as Politico found out by talking to Democratic lawmakers and other Clinton allies, there will be plenty members of the minority party staying home on the 18th, preferring to stick toothpicks in their eyes than relive the nightmare of the 2016 elections.

There is a collective groan whenever theres another news cycle about this, said California Democratic representative Jared Huffman, who added that Clintons tour comes at maybe at the worst possible time. Its not just the distraction the book will provide from a party fighting for issues such as DACA, Huffman said, but the party fissures that could be reopened by Clintons critiques.

Ive always been a looking-forward kind of a guy, Democratic senator Ron Wyden said when Politico asked about the tour. I think Ill leave it at that. His colleague from Missouri, Senator Claire McCaskill, was even less charitable.

Asked whether she was excited about Clintons book tour, Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-Mo.), one of Republicans top 2018 targets, responded first with, Beg your pardon?

Asked again, she started shaking her head, walking away.

Some Democrats asked for anonymity in order to say how they really feel.

I think she should just zip it, but shes not going to, one said. Former Clinton staffers, meanwhile, reacted to the tour by saying Oh, God, I cant handle it, and calling it the final torture. No wonder some Republicans are so happy to see her back in the news.
Cohn of silence. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

President Trump has reportedly broadened his search for the next Federal Reserve chairman, a job once expected to go to Gary Cohn, Trumps chief economic adviser. According to The Wall Street Journal, Cohns chances of getting the job diminished after the former Goldman Sachs president criticized Trumps response to Julys white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia.

In an August 25 interview with the Financial Times, Cohn said the administration can and must do better in consistently and unequivocally condemning these groups.

Citizens standing up for equality and freedom can never be equated with white supremacists, neo-Nazis, and the KKK, he added. As a Jewish American, I will not allow neo-Nazis ranting Jews will not replace us to cause this Jew to leave his job. I feel deep empathy for all who have been targeted by these hate groups. We must all unite together against them.

Trump, the WSJ says, did not anticipate those comments:

Mr. Trump wasnt aware such a blunt critique was coming, said one person familiar with the presidents thinking. One White House official said the president visibly bristles at the mention of his economic adviser.

A previous report in the Washington Post said that Trump was aware that Cohn was upset by Trump equating Nazis to those protesting them. But the president was especially upset that Cohn went public with his complains.

Trump is now considering other options to replace current fed chair Janet Yellen, including reappointing Yellen herself. While Trumps final campaign ad flashed a picture of Yellen as he spoke about global special interests and people who dont have your good interest in mind, he has praised her since taking office.

Cohn, meanwhile, is said to be preparing to join the long list of White House defectors.
An image grab taken from a video uploaded on YouTube by the Local Committee of Arbeen on August 21, 2013, allegedly shows Syrians covering a mass grave containing bodies of victims that Syrian rebels claim were killed in a toxic gas attack by pro-government forces in eastern Ghouta and Zamalka, on the outskirts of Damascus. Photo: Local Committee of Arbeen/DSK/AFP/Getty Images

As Daily Intelligencer noted yesterday, the U.S. Holocaust Museum is at the center of a burgeoning controversy over its decision to conduct a study, through its Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide, about whether the United States could have taken a more active role in the Syrian civil war for the sake of protecting civilians, hundreds of thousands of whom have died in the conflict  many as a result of the shelling, torture, gas attacks, and other atrocities committed by Bashar Al-Assad.

After the study concluded that there is little the U.S. could have done to improve matters, and that heightened involvement may have worsened conditions on the ground, there was an angry outcry from some who accused the museum of  as Leon Wieseltier (one of the louder critics) put it  embracing bystanderism. Its important to point out that the vast majority of these complaints were not substantive critiques of the study, but rather discomfort with its conclusion, which ran contrary to the desires of many who have long called for heightened U.S. involvement in Syria.

In the wake of these critiques, the museum effectively unpublished the study, which it had planned to officially unveil at a September 11th event at Washington, D.C.s U.S. Institute for Peace. Last week the United States Holocaust Memorial Museums Simon-Skjodt Center for the Prevention of Genocide released a research study that examined several decision points during the Syrian conflict, notes the webpage where the study used to live. Since its release, a number of people with whom we have worked closely on Syria since the conflicts outbreak have expressed concerns with the study. The Museum has decided to remove the study from its website as we evaluate this feedback.

Last night, a source outside the Holocaust Museum sent Daily Intel the study, which consists of six separate papers. Below are links to PDFs of the six, with the first being a brief summary of the entire effort by Lawrence Woocher, who is the Simon-Skjodt Centers research director.

1. Lawrence Woocher, Missed Opportunities for Prevention?: A Study of U.S. Policy and Atrocities in Syria since 2011.

2. Mona Yacoubian, Critical Junctures in US Policy toward Syria: An Assessment of the Counterfactuals

3. Andrew Kydd, Subsidizing Rebels, Taxing Atrocities: Saving Lives in Civil Wars

4. Ian Lustick, Miguel Garces, and Thomas McCauley, An Agent-Based Model of Counterfactual Opportunities for Reducing Atrocities in Syria, 2011  2014

5. Daniel Solomon, Evaluating Counterfactual US Policy Action in Syria, 2011  2016: A Review of Empirical Evidence from Related Cases

6. Lawrence Woocher, A Survey of Expert Judgments on the Effects of Counterfactual US Actions on Civilian Fatalities in Syria, 2011  2016
Paul Ryan has failed Donald Trump for the last time. Photo: Olivier Douliery

When he spoke with reporters on Wednesday, House Speaker Paul Ryan summoned every bit of his trademark smarm to dismiss the Democratic proposal to lift the debt ceiling for three months. I think thats ridiculous and disgraceful that they want to play politics with the debt ceiling at this moment when we have fellow citizens in need, he declared unctuously. Later that day, in a White House meeting, Ryan, McConnell, and Trumps own economic advisers all maintained their stance that a mere three-month debt-ceiling increase was unacceptable. Trump himself reportedly rejected a Republican compromise plan for a six-month increase. Indeed, Steve Mnuchin, Trumps own Treasury secretary, was in the middle of an explanation backing a longer-term increase when the president interrupted him and disagreed.

The Republican Party quickly formed a consensus that the deal was terrible for them. Its not entirely clear this is true. There are several moving parts in the bills set to pass Congress this fall. Since Republicans will need Democrats to pass at least some of them, they believe holding more votes gives Democrats more leverage to include items they want, like relief from deportation for Dreamers and payments for insurers on the Obamacare exchanges. How the scramble will end is hard to predict right now. But the important thing is that Republicans believe they made a bad deal.

This belief is not especially noteworthy. Conservatives tend to believe most deals in Congress are bad. What is truly crazy is what happened next: Conservative activists angry about the deal are taking out their rage on Paul Ryan.

Three ultraconservative House Republicans met with Ryan, and were frank about their mounting concerns and warned Ryan that they and others in the House Republican conference could desert him in the coming months if the leadership fails to enact conservative policies, the Washington Post reports.

Tarini Parti has more details about the rights sense of betrayal and rage:

We didnt work this hard just to let Congress enact liberal policies, said Jenny Beth Martin, president of Tea Party Patriots, who described the deal as fools play and a trap for Republicans.

Ken Cuccinelli of the Senate Conservatives Fund said the deal showed why ordinary Republicans of every stripe believe Republican leadership must be replaced. Pointing to McConnell specifically and the perceived lack of a conservative debt ceiling option for the president, he said, If thats going to be the habit in September, its going to be a very ugly September.

Again, this is the deal that Donald Trump made personally. And that Paul Ryan opposed all along. Theyre so angry Trump undermined Paul Ryan and made a deal they hate that theyre threatening Ryans job.
St. Martin, after Irma. Photo: Gerben Van Es/AFP/Getty Images

Hurricane Irma is now spinning past the Dominican Republic and Haiti. The storms center grazed Hispaniolas northern coast with strong winds and pounding rain as it heads toward Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas. Southern Florida is next in its sights.

NEW: NOAA's #GOES16 shows a close-up of the eye of Cat. 5 #HurricaneIrma, as it batters parts of the #Caribbean this morning, Sept. 7, 2017. pic.twitter.com/q8vmi78r37  NOAA Satellites PA (@NOAASatellitePA) September 7, 2017

Antigua and Barbuda

Irma remains a ferocious category 5 storm, with winds of 175 miles per hour. The most powerful hurricane ever to form in this region of the Atlantic Ocean, and the first to maintain 185-per-hour winds for more than 24 hours, has ravaged some of the tiny islands in the northern Caribbean and killed at least 12 people so far. It made landfall Wednesday in Barbuda, razing or damaging at least 90 percent of the islands structures. Prime Minister Gaston Browne said at least 50 percent of Barbudas population of about 1,600 was now homeless. Barbuda now is literally rubble, Browne said.

@abstvradio flying over #barbuda with PM Gaston Brown. Brown said country is rubble..60% of homes destroyed.

Pics courtesy of @abstvradio pic.twitter.com/PZSSPdtoI3  John Shull (@the_real_shull) September 6, 2017

Anguilla

The other Leeward Islands in Irmas path are surveying the damage after Irmas departure. At least one person died on the British territory of Anguilla, which suffered severe and in some places critical damage, according to the British government. The United Kingdom is dispatching humanitarian relief and a naval ship, though some in Anguilla have been critical of the British governments response to the storm. Homes have been destroyed, schools and the only hospital badly damaged, and already one death is being reported, and more is to come as there are two more hurricanes scheduled to hit Anguilla in the next few days, a former U.K. representative for Anguilla told the Guardian. Anguillans are all British nationals, as British as the Falklands or Gibraltar.

UPDATE: #HurricaneIrma is a direct hit. Eye of the storm approaching. Here's video from this morning in #Anguilla. pic.twitter.com/B180ztCFH7  Anguilla-Beaches.com (@anguillabeaches) September 6, 2017

St. Martin and St. Barts

Irma pounded Saint Martin and St. Barts on its march through the Caribbean. French President Emmanuel Macron called the storm harsh and cruel. Across Saint Martin, eight people died and at least 21 were injured. Both French and Dutch authorities are sending troops and racing to deliver aid to their respective sides of the island. The situation in Saint Martin and St. Barts is dramatic  there is no drinking water, electricity, public buildings are unusable, houses have been destroyed, Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire told France 24. We estimate that some 60, 70 percent of the houses have been destroyed in Saint Martin.

NEW IMAGE: This is what part of St. Martin in the Caribbean looked like in the lull of Hurricane #Irma's eye. Photo: Loren Mayo. #KOMOnews pic.twitter.com/JVJlFxXGnS  Cayle Thompson (@CayleThompson) September 6, 2017

[IRMA] Saint Martin dans le mur de l'oeil subit les effets de l'ouragan IRMA #iram #ouragan #SaintMartin (Source : Rinsy Xieng) pic.twitter.com/e2j7e9KtOu  RCI Guadeloupe (@RCI_GP) September 6, 2017

British Virgin Islands

The storm also slammed the British Virgin Islands, with the largest island, Tortola, suffering extensive damage.

Hurricane Irma Causes Destruction on British Virgin Island of Tortola https://t.co/ZJuz9RlSE4  David Clinch (@DavidClinchNews) September 7, 2017

U.S. Virgin Islands

At least three people died on St. Thomas and St. John as the U.S. Virgin Islands got knocked around by Irma. President Donald Trump had declared a state of emergency on the U.S. Virgin Islands ahead of landfall, and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price had issued a public-health emergency on Wednesday. As Irma pinwheeled through, roofs were ripped away by wind and floodwaters rose on St. Thomas and St. John. According to the St. Thomas Source, rising waters forced hospital staff at Schneider Regional Medical Center Hospital to relocate patients to the top floors, and floods inundated two emergency shelters. Much of the island remains without power, and communication is spotty.

Puerto Rico

Irma spared largely spared Puerto Rico, passing to the north of the island late Wednesday. About 70 percent of the islands residents  about 1 million people  are without power, and about 50,000 lack water. Puerto Rico saw downed trees and flooding. Worries still persisted about damage on Culebra, one of Puerto Ricos islands to the north, a popular tourist attraction, that saw 100 mile per hour winds. Still, it seemed as if the territory avoided a crippling blow. We would like to start out thanking the Almighty, Puerto Rico governor Ricardo Rossello said Thursday. Our prayers were answered.

First aerial pictures of devastation in Culebra, . #IrmaPR Photos by Jorge Gelpi. pic.twitter.com/RKOrNSFCvI  Edwin Jusino (@erjusinoa) September 7, 2017

Dominican Republic and Haiti

Irma is moving past Hispaniola, where the northern shores of the Dominican Republic were most at risk of being walloped by the hurricane with potential storm surges up to five feet. El Nacional reported heavy wind gusts and downpours in the Thursday-morning hours. The Hotel de Punta Cana was set up with 600 shelter beds, but Joel Santos, the head of the islands tourism and hotel association, said that, so far, there didnt appear to be any significant damage to major hotels.

Aeropuerto de Puerto Plata otra vez inundado pic.twitter.com/WGZiPx0SrZ  Milciades Pichardo (@MilciadesCotui) September 7, 2017

Where Irmas Headed Next

Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas are bracing for Irmas next punch, which is underway as of Thursday evening. Blinding winds and rain pummeled the island as the storm spiraled toward the British territory:

Current conditions in The outer Eyewall now affecting Providenciales, Turks And Caicos Islands! Thank you IG@daisyhadfield1 for sharing this pic.twitter.com/ekyf1KMQ3g  #eustorm (@EUStormMap) September 7, 2017

The National Hurricane Center warns of dangerous storm surges between 15 and 20 feet in Turks and Caicos and southeastern and central Bahamas.

Catastrophic hit from the worst of Irma expected later today in the Turks and Caicos Islands... pic.twitter.com/495gvOji4R  Tyler Jankoski (@TylerJankoski) September 7, 2017

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis has ordered mandatory evacuations, which are underway in six of the chains southern islands. Residents of those islands will be flown to Nassau, in what will be the largest-scale evacuation in the islands history.

Irma is expected to creep north-northwest, raking Cuba and potentially meeting the Florida coast Saturday or Sunday. A hurricane and storm-surge watch is already in effect for southern Florida and the Keys, parts of which could see tropical storm conditions as early as Friday. (For more about Floridas prep, check out Daily Intelligencers post here.)

Hurricane watches will likely be issued for parts of FL today. TS winds expected to arrive in south FL and the Keys on Saturday #Irma pic.twitter.com/l6WkxYet6P  National Hurricane Center (@NHC_Atlantic) September 7, 2017

And another threat looms as the islands in Hurricane Irmas wake begin to survey the destruction. Jose, a tropical system east of the Leeward Islands, has strengthened to a category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of at least 120 miles per hour. Jose is churning west-northwest, following in Irmas wake. A hurricane watch is now back in effect in Antigua and Barbuda, and a tropical-storm watch is in effect for Anguilla, Monserrat, and a handful of other islands that Irma battered just one day ago.

This post has been updated throughout.
Tom Price. Photo: Brendam Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images

A West Virginia prosecutors office has dropped its charges against journalist Dan Heyman, who was arrested in May for asking Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price a question. On Wednesday, the Kanawha County prosecutor and Heymans representatives released a joint statement announcing, The State has determined, after a careful review of the facts, that Mr. Heymans conduct, while it may have been aggressive journalism, was not unlawful and did not violate the law. Heyman, a longtime reporter who works as a correspondent for the Public News Service, had been charged with willful disruption of governmental processes, a misdemeanor punishable by a $100 fine and up to six months in jail.

Heymans arrest took place at the West Virginia State Capitol as he asked Price about the Republican health-care bill that had then just passed the House. Price refused to answer, so Heyman followed him through the building, repeating his question and reaching over staffers to record audio with his phone. As footage of the incident confirmed, someone told Heyman to back off Kellyanne Conway, who was traveling with Price, and he did so. Still, after about a minute, police pulled Heyman away and handcuffed him. After being released on $5,000 point, he was accused of aggressively breaching the Secret Service agents and causing a disturbance by yelling questions. The case was condemned by free-speech advocates, with the ACLU calling it a horrifying example of the Trump administrations disregard for the First Amendment. Meanwhile, Price commended the police for doing what they felt was appropriate, later saying that theyd done a stellar job.

Following Wednesdays announcement, Heyman said he was very relieved to see the charges dismissed. Facing six months of jail time for asking a question as a journalist was pretty troubling. I dont want my arrest to have a chilling effect on other reporters because we all need to keep asking the tough questions of elected officials. Somebody tell Representative Greg Gianforte.
Minority Leader Schumer negotiating with President Trump. Photo: Alex Wong/Getty Images

Yesterday, an impatient and irritable President Trump undermined his own partys negotiations and agreed to to a debt-ceiling increase on a timetable proposed by Democrats. At that point, all hell broke loose. The far-right wing of the Republican Party irrationally blamed Paul Ryan for the debacle. But just as irrational has been the response of the Republican Establishment, which has likewise used the deal as a pretext to unleash pent-up recriminations.

Democrats got more done in a single Oval Office visit in one afternoon than the congressional Republicans have achieved all year, complains one Republican operative. To conservatives who have distrusted Trump all along, this proved their suspicion that the president was not a true conservative. The deal is a glimpse of how the pivot to the center would work, warns the Federalists Ben Domenech. President Trump spent his first day as a Democratic president on Wednesday, says Ben Shapiro. At least we dont have to suffer through any more earnest liberal think pieces about how Trump is actually an arch conservative, argues Noah Rothman.

This point of view, which is close to the center of Establishment Republican thinking, has heavily inflected news coverage, which has amplified the intra-party backbiting. President Trump, a man of few allegiances who seized control of the Republican Party in a hostile takeover, suddenly aligned himself with Democrats on Wednesday on a series of key fiscal issues, blares the Washington Post.

These are not, in fact, key fiscal issues. Raising the debt ceiling is a pure mechanical operation that has happened with regularity under both parties. Trump may have submitted to the Democrats prematurely, but he was going to have to compromise with them eventually, since he needs their votes. (This is because a wing of the Republican Party refuses to vote for debt-ceiling increases.) Trump might have given them leverage to demand policy concessions down the road, but there is no reason to believe either that Democrats will actually win those concessions, or that Trump is aware that he might have enabled them. Trumps compromising on a key fiscal issue would be something like agreeing to write a 1986-style tax reform that did not give rich people a net tax cut, or to support bipartisan negotiations to patch up Obamacare. He has resolutely refused to do anything like that.

What made the debt-ceiling compromise so noteworthy is that it represents the first time Trump bargained with the opposing party in any meaningful way. He has governed almost exclusively as an orthodox movement conservative. Trump has done nothing on trade, has abandoned his plan to spend a trillion dollars on infrastructure, has thrown his support behind any repeal or rollback of Obamacare that Congress could pass (which turns out to be nothing), is trying to pass the largest regressive tax cut possible, and has diligently slashed regulations on business.

This has created a philosophical crisis of sorts for a certain brand of conservative, those who oppose Trump while trying to extricate conservatism from what they foresee as his failure. Proceeding from the premise that Trump is a hostile alien who landed on their party purely by accident, they have presented his failures as the result of personality flaws unrelated to substance. When Obamacare repeal collapsed in Congress, anti-Trump conservative John Podhoretz called it the necessary end result of seven months in which the president of the United States ate up all the oxygen in Washington with his ugly, petty, seething, resentful rages and foolishnesses as expressed in 140 illiterate characters. In truth, Trump did not help the cause, but the partys clear inability to agree on a plan that did not have horrific humanitarian consequences was an obvious, unacknowledged culprit.

From the perspective of these conservatives, Trumps fealty to right-wing orthodoxy was decidedly inconvenient. The debt ceiling presented a rare opportunity for them to present Trump as the figure they cast him as all along: the New York Democrat posing as a conservative Republican. The fact that they had to wait seven and a half months to find an example of his ideological heresy  and that the case they found was the picayune issue of a three-month debt-ceiling increase versus a six-month debt-ceiling increase  itself disproves their point.
September is the cruelest month. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call,Inc.

Donald Trump is very good at making Mitch McConnells job harder.

This fall was always going to be a tough slog for the Republican leadership. In September alone, they have just 12 legislative days to raise the debt ceiling; keep the government funded; pass an aid package for victims of Hurricane Harvey; renew the National Flood Insurance Program; and reauthorize the Federal Aviation Administration. By the end of December, the party has long planned to pass a 2018 budget resolution, renew the Child Health Insurance Program, and make significant progress on reforming the tax code.

But that to-do list looks like a breeze next to the one that Trump has now created for his congressional allies. In recent days, the president has manufactured an urgent need to:

1) Pass some form of amnesty for nearly 800,000 undocumented people who were brought to the U.S. as children, speak English, and are gainfully employed  a policy that boasts overwhelming support from the general public, but inspires intense hostility from the GOP base.

2) Execute a second debt-ceiling hike in December  or else enact legislation that permanently abolishes it.

3) Pass reforms that strengthen the health-care law Republicans have spent eight years condemning as an act of socialist tyranny  or else accept a double-digit spike in health-insurance premiums ahead of next years midterms.

That last task is the most urgent  and, perhaps, the most challenging.

Republicans cant blame Donald Trump for their failure to repeal Obamacare. The president didnt force the GOP to adopt heinously unpopular priorities for health-care policy, or spend years lying to their voters about what those priorities were; nor did the mogul force his party to attach draconian Medicaid cuts to their (sloppily drafted) Obamacare-replacement bills, or to reduce insurance subsidies in a manner that disproportionately harmed parts of the Republican base.

But Republicans can blame Trump for sabotaging the Affordable Care Act so shamelessly that their party must now pass legislation strengthening the law, by the end of this month, or else suffer political blowback from soaring premiums.

Under Obamacare, participating insurers are required to keep deductibles and co-payments affordable for low-income people. In practice, this means that insurers must underprice the risk of covering such individuals, and, thus, accept a financial loss. To make that proposition more appealing to these for-profit companies, Obamacare provides them with cost-sharing reductions  subsidies that defray the insurers losses.

But for complicated reasons relating to a lawsuit that House Republicans brought against the Obama administration, Donald Trump can cancel those subsidies at will. And he has threatened to do just that, over and over again, for months.

This was disconcerting to insurance providers. In mid-April, several of them descended on Washington, in hopes of securing the White Houses assurance that Trumps rhetoric about withholding the subsidies was just a bluff. Seema Verma, Trumps head of Medicare and Medicaid Services, informed the insurers that it could be a bluff  if they agreed to publicly support the presidents health-care bill. The insurers refused to play ball. And the president has kept a gun pointed at his hostage ever since.

So long as that remains the case, insurers will need to proceed on the assumption that Trump is going to pull the trigger. Which is to say: They will need to either pull out of the Obamacare exchanges, or else raise premiums high enough to offset the costs of covering low-income enrollees without Uncle Sams help.

This week, two insurers passed through door number No. 1, as Voxs Dylan Scott notes:

First, Optima Health announced it would stop selling Obamacare plans in some Virginia counties in 2018, citing in part uncertainty around the health care laws cost-sharing reduction paymentsOptimas exit is expected to leave tens of thousands of Obamacare customers without insurance options, unless a new carrier steps in.

Then on Thursday, it was reported that Anthem would leave Maines marketplaces if the cost-sharing reduction payments were not guaranteed for 2018. According to Voxs tally, that would not leave any counties bare, but it would reduce the number of plans that customers in the state could choose from.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration has decided to slash advertising for Obamacare open enrollment by 90 percent, and funding for navigators who help people sign up by 40 percent  even as Health and Human Services has spent public funds on advertisements effectively discouraging participation in the law.

These actions exacerbate the risk of a premium hike. Sick people will seek out health insurance, whether or not theyre exposed to advertising that encourages them to do so. But many healthy people will not  especially when the administration has publicly suggested that it will not enforce Obamacares individual mandate. And without a critical mass of healthy individuals purchasing coverage on the exchanges, insurers will need to raise premiums to offset the costs of covering a disproportionately sick population.

All of which is to say: If Congress doesnt at least take the gun out of Trumps hand  and pass legislation guaranteeing that the cost-sharing reductions will be paid  health care is going to become considerably more expensive next year. And all available polling suggests that swing voters will blame the ruling party for that development.

The good news for the congressional GOP is that Republican senator Lamar Alexander and Democratic senator Patty Murray have been working on a bill that appropriates those cost-sharing reductions. The bad news is that, in order to avoid a spike in premiums, theyre going to need to pass that bill by September 27  the deadline for insurers to commit to selling plans through Obamacare in 2018.

Considering all the other business that Republicans need to take care of in September, its hard to see Alexander-Murray making it across the finish line in time. Especially since passing such a bill would require Paul Ryan to betray his far-right flank for the third time in a single month, after already bucking their demands on the debt ceiling and government funding bills.

Then again, the Senate majority whip told Politico Thursday that his caucus had given up on repealing Obamacare  but remains committed to passing bipartisan health-care legislation in the near future.

Weve seen that we dont have 51 votes to do it, so were going to have to do it bipartisan, John Cornyn told the outlet. Im sure well vote on some Obamacare-related language at some point  I just dont know exactly what its going to be.
Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Facebook has confirmed to Congress that it did sell ads to a Russian government-affiliated internet operation, another step in the increased scrutiny Facebook has faced in the past year about its ability to be used to distort facts and as a tool for information warfare.

According to the Washington Post, Facebook told Congress that it sold $100,000 worth of ads to the Internet Research Agency, a Russian organization linked to the Kremlin but not a part of the Russian government. The IRA, as recounted in a 2015 New York Times article, is known for employing trolls to push pro-Kremlin talking points. Politico is reporting another $50,000 was found by Facebook from accounts that originated in Russia.

The proceeds of those ad sales are but a drop in Facebooks revenue bucket, and similarly tiny in the context of an overall campaign-ad budget, but they refute Facebooks initial dismissal of its own role in the spread of misinformation through ad targeting and algorithmic filtering focused on pumping politically divisive issues such as gun rights and immigration fears, as well as gay rights and racial discrimination, according to the Post.

Still unknown: who those ads targeted and where the knowledge of whom to target came from. The disclosures further muddy the waters of the looming investigation into collusion with foreign agents that plagues the Trump White House. Facebook says it has no method of determining any possible coordination. At the very least, there is no benefit for the company to do so voluntarily and again damage the integrity of its ad product.
The last selfie Parks Denton tweeted before deleting his account. Photo: Parks Denton/@ParksDenton/Twitter

If youve been anywhere near Gay Twitter today, you might have heard the name Parks Denton being murmured. If youve been to the heart of Gay Twitter, youve heard the name shouted, chanted, and sung in three-part harmony. Parks Denton. Parks Denton! PARKS DENTON! The person who catfished the gays of Twitter and almost, almost got away with it.

If youre still asking yourself, Whomst? heres the short of it. Several years back, a guy going by Parks Denton joined the platform and embedded himself within Gay Twitter, the loose network of gay men on Twitter. He faved. He retweeted. He acquired 2,500 followers. He slid into DMs to discuss drama. And he also slid into DMs for, well, exactly what sliding into DMs was invented for. Put another way, this guy wasnt just a ship passing through Gay Twitter in the night: His account was known by people in the know.

It helped that Denton appeared to be cute. Hes deleted his Twitter account, but cached versions of his profile show off pictures of a white man with blue eyes, reddish-blond hair, and varying degrees of facial hair. They look to all be the same guy  the same guy who also appeared in a shirtless bed selfie Denton posted a few days ago.

That guy, though? Is not Parks Denton. Neither is the dark-haired half-Asian guy who appeared in older photos on Parks Dentons account. Thats because Parks Denton doesnt exist.

After further investigation...I just found out that...I too...was messaged by this Parks Denton catfish  pic.twitter.com/3LcyhZdCeM  new year, same bottom (@EmilioEmm) September 6, 2017

Select All talked to one of Dentons victims, Alex, who was supposed to meet Denton for drinks at a New York bar in August. Denton, obviously, never showed. Alex said he thought Denton was cute and DMd him after flirty Twitter interactions. We started talking, very basic conversations. I didnt think anything of it. Ive met probably 200 people, at least, through Twitter, Alex said. It wasnt sketchy. We didnt exchange photos. Nothing like that. Sometime between their first DM and meeting IRL, Alex noticed that Denton had changed his profile picture. My recollection is that he was dark-haired; he had an ear piercing, chest hair  to me, he looked half-Asian  he looked different. I thought he was handsome, Alex explained. At some point the week we were going to have a drink, his photo changed to the one you can see now with the blue eyes and the hat.

Ok nvm found the real person, who called out the evil twin days before Parks Denton was destroyed. pic.twitter.com/GJ6tCdskie  Gabe Gonzalez (@gaybonez) September 6, 2017

When he asked Denton about the new photo, Denton said it was just a really good photo a friend had recently taken of him in the park. (Editors note: Alex would like to go on the record and emphasize that the guy he fell for looked very different from the more recent photos of Denton. I would not have messaged him, that whole blond, skinny thing is not my jam.) Still, the two planned to meet for a drink. Denton texted the day of their plans and asked to push the drink back by a day. Alex agreed, but wound up drinking a beer by himself the next night. I even posted a tweet that night that was like, I think I was catfished, he said. The whole thing was so weird for me because our messages werent sexual in any shape or form; it was just a friendly drink.

I think I was -ed tonight... Men are trash.



I ate (literal)  pudding tho and now I feel better.



Deciding if I should out his @ or not   LoriLaughlinVEVO (@thedealwithalex) August 25, 2017

Alex would turn out to be right. Last night, a group of Twitter users confronted Denton, who was apparently using photos of their friend, a real person who is very much not Parks Denton. I do know the real person in the photos. He was my roommate when I lived in Brooklyn  and he is not Parks Denton, Dara, one of his friends, told Select All. It seems that if youre going to successfully catfish people, you might want to avoid stealing your photos from someone who people on Twitter might recognize.

Wait WHAT DID I MISS RE: PARKS DENTON? The account was impersonating someone I actually know so I figured it would get taken down eventually  Gabe Gonzalez (@gaybonez) September 6, 2017

@ParksDenton your profile pic is actually my friend. That's hella creepy, stop. @Twitter this is why I reported this account  DI (@princessdi523) September 5, 2017

Sarah, the best friend of the real Parks Denton (that is, the guy in the photos) tweeted several now-deleted photos of her and real Denton. She told Select All that the photos Denton used were stolen from Instagram. She also tracked him down on LinkedIn. The Twitter account listed his past two places of work, so I just did a quick search on LinkedIn and found him, Sarah told Select All. We had mutual connections in the recruiting and advertising space, so I figured it was somewhat legitimate.

Parks Dentons LinkedIn profile. Maybe. Photo: LinkedIn

Sarah said after she messaged Denton on LinkedIn about stealing her friends photos, the account was deleted.

@ParksDenton get your fake ugly ass off my friend's accounts dnt be so stupid 2 take someones pictures who lives in the same city and is gay  Sarah (@Sakel) September 5, 2017

While the world may never know for sure just who was behind Parks Denton  and who, if you sent him nudes, now has your nudes  the whole thing has been very good Twitter on an otherwise downer of a Wednesday.

We're about to Babadook the fuck out of Parks Denton.  PJ Brennan (@peejaybrennan) September 6, 2017

Parks Denton is the new director of Episode IX   Mel Stone  (@melstonemusic) September 6, 2017

much like Kevin Spacey, Parks Denton showed no interest in me  mr pretzels (@mrzenitram) September 6, 2017

Gay Twitter Vs Parks Denton (2017) pic.twitter.com/OO5yvwvM6p  Dan the Dancer  (@DVruno) September 6, 2017

Who is Parks Denton? I was in church so I missed all this catfish drama. pic.twitter.com/4YTfiStS1O  Calvin (@calvinstowell) September 6, 2017

Our sincerest apologies to whomever is running social for the Parks Department in Denton, Texas, today.

Shout out to the social media interns at @dentonparks @dentonparksfdn. Hang in there, y'all.  LoriLaughlinVEVO (@thedealwithalex) September 6, 2017

Additional reporting by E. Alex Jung.
Looks like its nap time.

For the first month of my daughters life, I would sit on the couch with her happily snoozing on my chest as I stared at piles of dirty dishes in the sink. The moment Id put her down, she would cry. I soon learned that my most valuable tool as a new mom would be a baby carrier. But the one I owned (something a well-meaning friend added from my registry) just didnt feel right. My babys head felt unsupported, and I constantly worried about her breathing. I knew I needed to find a new carrier that was safe and cozy for us both. So I pored through dozens of Amazon reviews, baby-gear websites, and even went to a few local baby-wearing meet-ups on my quest for the perfect carrier  now Im passing the knowledge on.

Moby Wrap Baby Carrier for Newborns $45 $48 now 6% off $45 The general consensus among Amazon reviewers and postpartum doulas I spoke with was that the Moby Wrap is the most comfortable and supportive for a newborn baby. Unlike the Baby Ktan I was using before, which allowed my babys head to wobble around, the Moby Wrap hugged us both firmly in all the right places and supported my newborns head as I ran chores around the house. I never felt like it was anything but fully secure. Also key: The long fabric could easily be adjusted so that my husband and I could both use the same wrap. $45 at Amazon Buy $45 at Amazon Buy

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Beco Gemini Carrier $80 $140 now 43% off $80 As my baby reached the 6-month mark, though, she began insisting on facing outward to see the world. I experimented with a friends Beco Gemini carrier, and was instantly sold: The generous shoulder padding and easily adjustable snap seat means that I can seamlessly transition my kid between an outward-facing position for exploration and an inward-facing one for nap time. I have a petite frame, so the crisscross back straps sit nicely on my shoulders and never droop down the way they typically do with other soft-structured carriers. A total winner. $80 at Amazon Buy $80 at Amazon Buy

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Government has presented before parliament a list of the women who have been mysteriously killed in both Katabi Town Council and Nansana municipality in Wakiso district.



The Internal Affairs minister Jeje Odongo presented a list of 21 victims as part of his statement in regard to the wave of killings whose motive he attributed to ritual sacrifice purposes, domestic disputes as well as land conflicts.



The killings happened from 3rd May to 4th September 2017 in Wakiso district. The murders have a striking resemblance with the bodies bearing signs of manual strangulation while others having sticks inserted in the private parts.

Minister Jeje Odongo presented a list of the victims of the serial killings

According to the minister, three unidentified female adult bodies out of the list of the 21 victims have not been claimed to date. Those whose bodies have not been claimed were murdered on different days in the month of May 2017 in Nansana municipality.



Leader of Opposition Winnie Kiiza demanded that the pictures of the unclaimed women be published by police in the newspapers so that their families can pick the bodies. She also appealed to the government to avail one day for the public to mourn.



Odongo told parliament that while carrying out investigations into the murders, police has so far arrested 44 suspects with 22 charged in courts of law. The remaining suspects are to be arraigned in courts of law soon.



List of women Killed in Nansana municipality and surrounding areas

1.On 3rd May 2017, a body of unidentified female adult was found at Nansana west zone with signs of manual strangulation. This body has remained unclaimed to date.



2. On the 28th May 2017, a body of a female identified as Nampijja Juliet alias Jalia Nantabazi was found behind Kenjoy Supermarket in Nansana West I. The body bore signs of manual strangulation.



3. On 28th May 2017, a body of unidentified female adult was found at Nansana East 1 zone with signs of manual strangulation. This body has remained unclaimed to date.



4. On 31st May 2017, two bodies of female adults, one identified as that of Nansubuga Patricia alias Proscovia and another unidentified were found near Kenjoy Supermarket in Nansana West I, both with signs of manual strangulation. The body of the unidentified woman has not been claimed to date.



5. On 5th July 2017, a body of a female adult identified as Birungi Maria was found at Nansana East II zone with signs of manual strangulation.



6. On the 11th July 2017, a body of a female adult identified as Nakazibwe Josephine was found in her rented room at Ochieng Zone in Nansana municipality. The body exhibited signs of manual strangulation.



7. On 16th July 2017, a body of unidentified female adult was found in a trench at Nansana East zone Bujagali. The body also had signs of manual strangulation.



8. On 17th July 2017, a female adult body identified as that of Nakacwa Teddy was found lying in her rented room in Nansana West II zone. The body had signs of manual strangulation.



9. On 25th July 2017, a female adult body identified as that of Kyandali Juliet, a business woman in Ganda Nansana, was found in her home.



Katabi Town Council murders



10. On 7th June 2017, a female adult body identified as that of Nansubuga Gorreti was found along Kasenyi road in Abayita Ababiri with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in her private parts.



11. On 26th June 2017, a female adult body identified as that of Komugisha Faith alias Jamila was found at Katinda near Ssese Gateway beach with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in her private parts.



12. On 13th July 2017, a female adult body identified as that of Dona Zakanya alias Kasowole Aisha was found at Abayita Ababiri with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in her private parts.



13. On 21st July 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Norah Wanyama was found at Nkumba Central Zone with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in her private parts.



14. On 24th July 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Rose Nakimuli was found behind Keba Inn near Jantos Bar at Kitala, a few metres from her house with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in her private parts.



15. On 11th August 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Nakajjo Sarah was found behind Faith International nursery and primary school along Kasenyi road approximately 200 metres from a one Bwanika Jones' shrine. The body had a stick inserted in the private parts. Her left breast and other body parts were missing.



16. On 14th August 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Nakasinde Aisha was found at Kasenyi landing site with signs of strangulation, a stick inserted in her private parts and one leg missing.



17. On 27th August 2017, a body of unidentified female adult was found at Kitala village along Entebbe road with signs of strangulation with a stick inserted in her private parts.



18. On 28th August 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Nalule Jalia was recovered from Nkumba Central in Kayirira forest reserve with signs of strangulation and a stick inserted in the private parts.



19. On 4th September 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Nabilanda Mary alias Maria was found at Nyanama Trading Centre in Bunamwaya near a washing bay with signs of strangulation.



Elsewhere



20. On 15th August 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Zawedde Regina was found in Bulaga town.



21. On 16th August 2017, a body of a female adult identified as that of Namuwonge Jennifer was found in Bwaise, Kawempe.
Uranium prices continue to hover at multi-year lows, currently going for $20 per pound.

But some global buyers see an opportunity in the current market crisis. With one of the worlds largest investors this week making a leap into the sector.

Thats the sovereign wealth fund of Oman. Which agreed to invest up to $120 million to fund a uranium development project in Spain  and potentially take a significant chunk of the uranium supply from the operation.

The Oman fund said it will make the investment as a combination of debt and equity in project developer Berkeley Energy. Which is advancing the Salamanca project, currently under construction and expected to begin output in 2019.

The move is a big one for the Oman government. Representing the first entry by this major investment group into the uranium sector.

And the timing isnt a coincidence. With Omans first nuclear plant slated to come online next year  supplying baseload power to the nation.

That appears to be a major motivation for this weeks investment. With the Oman government also securing rights to uranium offtake from the Salamanca mine as part of the deal.

All of which is a major sign of life for the uranium market. Showing that end-use demand in the nuclear sector is staying strong as new reactors come online globally.

Related: Is This Country About To Revive Biofuels?

The investment also shows that uranium consumers are thinking down the road in securing supply. Which could prompt more deals like this one, as buyers watch future supply being tied up by offtake agreements.

The Oman deal will also be an interesting test case on uranium trade policy. With the offtake agreement requiring approval from European nuclear agency Euratom.

Watch to see how the regulator will react to the idea of uranium exports to the Middle East. And to see if this investment will spur more activity across the uranium space.

Heres to buying in.

By Dave Forest

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi announced on Thursday Beijings support for punitive action against North Korea for its recent ballistic missile tests over Japan.

The United States has proposed an oil embargo against North Korea enforced by the United Nations after Pyongyang authorized nuclear tests that violated several UN resolutions.

Yi encouraged the global community to reach a consensus on a strategy to deescalate the North Korean nuclear program and eventually invite Pyongyang into international diplomatic circles.

In additional to the oil embargo, the U.S. wants to see North Korean textiles exports banned and create a barrier to the hiring of North Korean workers abroad, Reuters said.

North Korea depends on China for 90 percent of its crude oil supply. Stopping shipments to its neighbor will wreak havoc on Kim Jong Uns dictatorship, which China has been trying to avoid. A regime collapse is likely to result in a massive influx of refugees. Beijing has also opposed President Donald Trumps push to penalize North Korea for the nuclear tests so far, but the mood is changing given Pyongyangs most recent tests.

Last week North Korea launched an intercontinental missile over Japan. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said in a statement that the United States is prepared for a massive military response to any attacks from North Korea to it or one of its allies. Mattis added that "We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so."

So far, the U.S. has targeted only minor Chinese banks and companies for trading or doing business with North Korea, which props up Kims economy. Trumps new approach will cast a wider net, which may include Chinas huge national oil companies.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
New Chinese investments are working to transform a small fishing village in Oman into the countrys new industrial center, according to a new report by Reuters.

The city receiving all of the industrial attention is located 345 miles south of Muscat. The project promises an overall surge in Chinese investment in the country if it shows any indications of a success.

Three years of low oil prices have pummeled the countrys revenues, making foreign direct investment a key source of new capital in a difficult time. Duqm, the city inundated with construction interest, is just one of the projects initiated by the central government.

The Belt and Road Initiatives route ties Oman to Chinas international trade narrative for the next few years. Even countries that are less popular in diplomatic circles due to ongoing rows, such as Qatar, remain tied to Beijing as the countrys grand economic scheme unfolds over the next few years.

Oil and gas resources in the gulf remain the irreplaceable element of success for any long-range trade strategy. The gulf can no longer send off a ship in the direction of a trade partner and expect it to return on time with the boon of its labor. Immediate capital transfers and related forms of instant gratification are the hallmarks of 21st century trade. These expectations cannot be fulfilled without regular and robust access to fossil fuels in large quantities.

Related: The Next Step In Mexicos Oil & Gas Privatization Push

The Chinese consortium that is building the fishing town to its height says it aims to pour in $10.7 billion by the time it is done with it.

Duqm isnt like Jeddah or like Dubai. Its still new, it needs time to develop. But we at Wanfang are thinking the future for Duqm will be better than those cities inside the Gulf, Wanfang CEO Ali Shah told Reuters for a recent article.

The $10.7 billion figure equals twice as much Omans usual foreign direct investment numbers. Duqms prime location  near trade routes but away from the Strait of Hormuz  make it an easily serviceable route even if tensions arise in the region.

Chinese money has poured into the Middle East since the Silk Road plan has begun taking shape. Before, less than one percent of FDI came from the Asian giant, according to the research firm ChinaMed, which operates out of Italy. Now that ratio is up to five percent, according to figure from 2015. It is hard to get up-to-date numbers from China because the central government keeps its development strategy so closely under wraps. But Beijing alone was the regions top investor in 2016, with $29.5 billion in promised funds to a range of players in the Arab World.

The Duqm investment represents a large chunk of that FDI total. The site has a port, a dry dock, and a refinery to keep the workers busy. But the citys first major facility, a storage house for construction materials, will not be completed for another 18 months. It costs $138 million and represents the first building block for Chinas so-called miracle project.

The other parts of the project will bring Duqm a $2.8 billon methanol plant, an $84 million vehicle assembly plant, and a $203 million hotel in the next five years.

Related: North Korean Sanctions May Hurt Chinas Oil Giants

Though the United States and Europe see the Chinese One Belt, One Road plan as a form of expansionism for the countrys sphere of influence, Russia sees it as an alternative take on free foreign policy. At a summit earlier this year, President Vladimir Putin warned that protectionism is becoming the new normal, adding that the ideas of openness and free trade are increasingly often being rejected (even) by those who until very recently expounded them.

Chinas slow creep into the Middle East is subtle, but it speaks to the larger agenda of fossil fuel hunger in the worlds largest oil and gas consumers. Despite the hype about green energy and nuclear power plants, carbon-based energy is here to stay for at least a couple more decades.

By Zainab Calcuttawala for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Sempra Energy can proceed with its US$9.45-billion acquisition of Oncor Electric Delivery Co. after a bankruptcy judge ruled in favor of the deal. The last hurdle that the suitor needs to clear is the approval of the Texas Public Utility Commission, which blocked two previous acquisition attempts on the grounds that they were lacking in guarantees to preserve the financial integrity of Texas largest regulated utility.

Oncor has been operating under bankruptcy protection for the last three years, with its parent, Energy Future Holdings Corp., having accumulated US$50 billion in debt that it is still in the process of restructuring.

Sempra emerged as a bidder for Energy Futures 80-percent stake in Oncor last month, rivaling Berkshire Hathaway and Elliott Management Corp. Berkshires bid valued Oncor at US$9 billion, and Elliott was prepared to offer US$9.3 billion, according to reports from the time.

Earlier bidders for the Dallas-based utility that serves 10 million customers and operates 106,000 miles of distribution lines included NextEra Energy and a group of companies led by Hunt Consolidated Inc. NextEra dropped its offer after the Texas regulator demanded that it protect Oncors credit, and Hunt Consolidated left the race after the Texas Public Utility Commission asked it to adhere to conditions it found unreasonable. The consortium even sued the regulator over these conditions.

Related: Is This Country About To Revive Biofuels?

Berkshire Hathaway had everything going for it, including approval from the staff of the state PUC, but it never got the chance to put its case to the bankruptcy court as the seller, Fox News reported, cut a deal with Sempra, which offered a more attractive price, including a lower breakup fee of US$190 million versus Berkshires US$270 million.

The winning bidder will likely file for approval with the Texas PUC in October and the commission will have 180 days to review the bid and reach a decision.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
The Kashiwasaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant, the worlds largest, may get clearance to resume operations after six years of dormancy following the Fukushima disaster. The Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) granted the plants operator, Tepco, a qualified approval of its safety plan, and it could grant it effective approval as early as next week.

While the watchdog could issue a formal approval for Kashiwasaki-Kariwas restart later this fall, according to the Nikkei Asian Review, the actual resumption of the reactors is questionable: there is strong local community opposition to nuclear power as fears of another meltdown still linger.

Regulators have conducted technical safety evaluations of the plant, whose reactors are of the same kind as those that melted down in Fukushima, but there are still some reservations regarding Tepcos safety efforts. The NRA has requested that Tepcos proposed safety measures for Kashiwasaki-Kariwa be made more legally binding, and has set up a panel to devise ways to guarantee the utility keeps its word.

Even if the NRA approves the restart of the plant, however, the Niigata prefecture is unlikely to support it with an approval of its own. The governor, Ryuchi Yoneyama, is an outspoken opponent of nuclear power, and following the news of NRAs pending approval said that the prefecture had "absolutely no intention of approving a restart" of the Kashiwasaki-Kariwa facility before an safety inspection of Fukushima was completed.



Related: The Single Most Important KPI For Oil & Gas Companies

Tepco first applied for approval to restart two of Kashiwasaki-Kariwas seven reactors back in 2013, and has since worked to fulfill all safety requirements that regulators imposed. The companys shares, however, jumped 3 percent on the news of NRAs approval despite the slim chance of Kashiwasaki-Kariwa actually returning to operation.

The Fukushima disaster, caused by a tsunami in 2011, displaced 160,000 people, many of them permanently, and led to the shut down of all 50 nuclear reactors in the country. The cost of the disaster is estimated at US$197 billion.

By Irina Slav for Oilprice.com

More Top Reads From Oilprice.com:
Regardless of how you feel about President Obamas 2012 policy Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, better known as DACA, it in all likelihood would be struck down by the Supreme Court as unconstitutional.

Earlier today President Trump Tweeted:

For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about  No action!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 7, 2017

Before that the President Tweeted:

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017

So while Republicans and Democrats have to do the WWE routine of putting up a fake fight for the audience, at the end of the day it doesnt appear that many actually disagree on the ultimate outcome, and the roll back of the program in its current form would likely have been inevitable regardless of actions taken by the Trump administration.

Prior to President Trump taking up the issue of DACA, Texas along with a number of other states were in the process of suing the federal government over the program. Because of the Trump administrations recent actions, the Attorney General of Texas announced that they would be dropping that lawsuit. Had that lawsuit been allowed to move forward, it is quite likely that DACA would have been struck down on constitutional grounds.

The main indicator of how the Supreme Court would vote on the issue of DACA is the ruling from the United States v. Texas case where The Court was asked to weigh in on DAPA or Deferred Action for Parents of Americans and Lawful Permanent Residents which was essentially a program designed to protect the parents of those folks covered under DACA. Lower courts issued preliminary injunctions blocking the DAPA program which went on to be affirmed by an equally divided Supreme Court. With Neil Gorsuch sitting on the bench and a Trump administration that would be unlikely to put up much of a fight defending the program in court, much like how the Obama Administration refused to put up a fight for the Defense of Marriage Act, I would have been very surprised to see DACA withstand a constitutional challenge at the Supreme Court.

Oregon with a number of other blue states have already filed lawsuits against the Trump administration for rescinding DACA, but this seems to be more of a political stunt than anything. The case seems to rely heavily on implying that President Trumps motivation for scaling back DACA is primarily driven by racial animus towards people from Mexico. The state AGs wrote:

As President Trumps statements about Mexico and those with Mexican roots show, the President has demonstrated a willingness to disparage Mexicans in a misguided attempt to secure support from his constituency, even when such impulses are impermissible motives for directing governmental policy,

All that being said, now it seems like the fate of DACA will be decided in the halls of congress. With the Presidents latest tweets it seems like he is signaling that he would be willing to sign some form of a bill that would enshrine DACA into law. Democrats support for the program seems to be almost monolithic and quite a few Republicans appear to be willing to support the program if it goes through the legislative process. So what are we all really fighting about here? With this latest compromise regarding the debt ceiling President Trump has shown a willingness to work across the aisle with Democrats at times, so why not on this?

At the end of the day, I dont believe a large portion of the American population, including President Trump, want to see the mass deportation of those protected under DACA. Maybe Jeff Session, Stephen Miller, and other immigration hardliners around Trump would be okay with that, but lately, President Trump has seemed more in step with the Jared and Ivanka faction of his White House than with the formerly named Steve Bannon Populist faction anyway. With a court decision looming over the future of the program kicking this fight to Congress where it belongs was not only inevitable but constitutionally proper. So lets all keep our fingers crossed and hope that congress does its job and finds a solution.

So in the words of President Trump:

Congress, get ready to do your job  DACA!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2017
After Motorola and Xiaomi, now Lenovo has announced the launch of its mid-budget smartphone with dual camera module, K8 Plus in India. The K8 Plus features dual camera at the rear and comes with stock Android Operating system.

Featuring a 13MP primary camera and a 5MP depth sensor, K8 Plus can be used to capture 'bokeh' images, also known as 'DSLR like images' where the subject is in focus and the background is blurred, using the depth mode. There is also an 8MP front facing camera with flash. Addressing the pain points of the users, Lenovo has opted for pure Android and done away with the custom UI it used to add to their smartphones. Running on Android Nougat out-of-the-box, it has Google Assistant on board and a multi-view window. Aiming to optimise the performance and battery, the phone is powered by 64-Bit Octa-core 2.6GHz processor paired with 3GB of RAM and a 4000 mAh battery, which the company claims can easily last two days. It has a 5. 434ppi display. Lenovo has added a dedicated shortcut music key on the side panel, which can be assigned to any other app as well.

K8 Plus with 3GB RAM and 32GB storage has been priced at Rs 10,999 and will go on sale exclusively on Flipkart, starting September 7. The company also plans to launch another variant with 4GB RAM and 64GB storage around Diwali. The company is also planning to launch the K8 which boast a 5.2inch display, which is powered by 2.3Ghz P20 16nm processor, runs stock Android Nougat and features a 13MP single camera at the rear, 8MP front camera with flash and 4000 mAh battery.

Lenovo launched the A6000 Plus, an affordable 4G smartphone and P1m in 2015, which sold 30 lakh units. In 2016, Lenovo launched K5, K5 Plus and K6 Power and sold 31 lakh units. However, other Chinese players such as Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo has been giving tough completion to the Lenovo Group. According to figures shared by IDC on the basis of shipments, in Q3, 2016, Lenovo and Motorola combined, were at number two with the market share of 9.6 per cent. But the recent numbers for the Q2, 2017 reveal that the Lenovo Group fell to number 5 with just 7 per cent market share.

Also watch:




From Greg Swank, 12-4-2 You are about to read a list of 45 goals that found their way down the halls of our great Capitol back in 1963. As...
We need shipments around 10kt-15kt on a monthly basis for certified FSC woodchips for pulp.



Do you do single species for pulp?

Please, send us specs through for pulp and also which port you use and pricing.
Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the American Authors Association

Douglas V. Gibbs is a proud member of the Military Writers Society of America.
HUDSON FALLS  The boyfriend of the 18-year-old woman who died in a house fire Wednesday has been charged with murder and arson in connection with a blaze that police believe was meant to be a murder-suicide.

Authorities said Derrick M. Guilder, 22, was charged with second-degree murder and first-degree arson for the blaze that killed Ashley E. Coltrain at their 11 North St. home.

He was arraigned Thursday afternoon and sent to Washington County Jail for lack of bail. Neither he nor his lawyer, Washington County Public Defender Michael Mercure, had any comment on the case after the proceeding.

Guilder was Coltrains live-in boyfriend, and the charges allege he intended to kill Coltrain, because he was upset that she planned to end their relationship. (He listed an address on Fourth Street in Glens Falls in court on Thursday).

Hudson Falls Police Chief Randy Diamond said Guilder allegedly set papers on fire on a couch, and then left afterward through a window after leaving Coltrain in their bedroom with the door closed.

He made admissions when questioned by police and confronted with inconsistencies in his initial version of events, the chief said.

His intent was to take his life and her life, Diamond said.

Guilder had closed both of them in the bedroom, but he panicked and escaped through a window by pushing out an air conditioner, leaving her behind, Diamond said.

He knew what was happening. She had no idea, the chief said.

Coltrain called 911 around 4:50 a.m. to report the fire, and was advised by Washington County dispatchers to evacuate the home.

State Fire Investigator Greg Amyot said Coltrain was probably disoriented by smoke and carbon monoxide when in the bedroom, likely hurting her ability to get out. She also had two pet ferrets she may have been trying to rescue. An autopsy performed Thursday found she died of smoke and heat inhalation.

We think she became very disoriented in that room, the smoke was very heavy, Diamond said.

There were also no working smoke-detectors found in the home, and they might have made a difference had Coltrain been aware of the fire sooner, Amyot added. It was a single-family rental home and the owner indicated they had been installed, but none could be found, Diamond said.

Amyot said the case should serve as a reminder to check smoke detectors as the heating season approaches.

Numerous police officers and firefighters rushed into the burning building to try to rescue her, and were beaten back by smoke and flames.

Washington County District Attorney Tony Jordan pointed out the homicide was the third in the region in recent weeks where a young person allegedly acted impulsively in taking the lives of others.

Jordan praised the efforts of Hudson Falls Police Detective Scott Gillis and State Police Investigator D.J. Mosher to get to the truth in the case.

Guilder was under Hudson Falls Police and State Police guard on the sixth floor of the hospital as of 8:30 a.m. Thursday, but had been released by 11 a.m. and was awaiting arraignment.

His mother and uncle had been with him in the hospital room at that point. They said they did not know what charges were being filed, and they were not with Guilder when he had been questioned by police.

Coltrain was trapped in a second-floor bedroom of the home when a fire broke out around 4:50 a.m. Wednesday.

Guilder got out and was rescued from a porch roof, but police and firefighter efforts to get to Coltrain were unsuccessful as the fire spread quickly and gutted the home. Her body was found in the bedroom after the fire was contained.

Guilder was admitted to Glens Falls Hospital after suffering smoke inhalation, but police said his injuries were considered minor.

Despite his condition, Hudson Falls Police and State Police investigators were able to question him at the hospital late Wednesday. He was conscious and talking to family, an oxygen tube in his nose, when a reporter visited his room Thursday morning.

Police began focusing on Guilder on Wednesday afternoon, after learning that he and Coltrain had been having trouble with their relationship in recent weeks, authorities said.

Amyot said the fact that she was able-bodied but unable to get out of the home when the other occupant did was a red flag to investigators. He said it was unusual.

State and Washington County fire investigators believe the fire started in a first-floor living room area, and that air being pumped in by a nearby air conditioner helped it grow quickly.

Guilder is a 2014 graduate of Glens Falls High School who worked in the housekeeping department of the hospital. Police said he had no prior criminal record, and there was no reported history of domestic strife involving the couple.

Coltrain had worked at The Great Escape amusement park, and Guilder had worked there with her before taking a job at the hospital.

Her mother died of a heart attack at the home on Aug. 27.

The house remained under police guard Thursday morning, but no fire investigators were evident.

Four firefighters suffered minor injuries fighting the blaze Wednesday, and were treated and released, Hudson Falls Fire Chief Mike Fitzgerald said.

Kingsbury Town Justice Michael Keenan scheduled a preliminary hearing in Guilders case on Monday at 3 p.m. Mercure said Guilder indicated he may hire private counsel.

Second-degree murder and first-degree arson are both punishable by up to 25-years-to-life in state prison. The latter charge alleges a person started a fire that claimed the life of another.
QUEENSBURY  A New York City woman who ripped off numerous local stores by using stolen credit cards to buy gift cards is headed to prison for up to 3 years.

Shantall Smith, 23, of Brooklyn, pleaded guilty to third-degree grand larceny, a felony, for a spree of credit card crimes at stores in Queensbury.

Smith was accused of purchasing an estimated $30,000 in gift cards using stolen credit cards last March. She has also been charged in Montgomery and Albany counties.

Warren County Judge John Hall sentenced her to 1 to 3 years in state prison, to run consecutively to any sentence imposed in Albany County.
One local county is ready to begin a new morning-and-night court program in the coming weeks, while another is trying to come up with a plan the state will accept.

Washington County will start a new arraignment program later this month, using space in the county jail lobby to create a court that will hold criminal case arraignments at 7 a.m. and 7 p.m., county Sheriff Jeff Murphy said.

The new program comes in response to a statewide class action lawsuit that requires counties to have defense counsel at any arraignment where a defendant could be jailed.

That has resulted in after-hours arraignments, so counties across the state have been responding with plans to streamline the new process so lawyers and police officers arent driving around the county for unscheduled, late-night court proceedings.

Washington and Warren counties have designated lockups at their jails where defendants can be held for up to 12 hours before arraignment, which will allow them to centralize after-hours arraignments.

Washington County has gotten approval from the state Office of Court Administration for its arraignment plan, while Warren County is still trying to put together a plan that OCA will accept.

Warren County has created court space in the booking area of the former county jail at the county Municipal Center, but Queensbury at-Large Supervisor Ron Montesi said the state agency and the county have been trying to reach an agreement on what level of security has to be provided for the proceedings.

Montesi said the county is trying to put together a plan using part-time security officers who staff county buildings during the workday, most of whom are retired police officers. Two will be needed, one to staff a metal detector since the proceedings will be open to the public.

The county will have to foot the bill, but some state reimbursement is possible, Montesi said.

This will never work if we have to pay full-time state officers time-and-a-half, he said.

He said Warren County officials hope to have a new plan in place by the winter, and the Office of Court Administration told them to try to mirror what Washington County was doing.

The Washington County system will save time and travel costs for police, the public defenders office and district attorneys office, Murphy said. The county Magistrates Association has signed off on it and agreed to a rotating schedule of judges to preside over the arraignments.

All we have to do is bring them to the jail lobby instead of driving them around the county, Murphy said. It also does away with the liability of (prisoner) transports.

Washington County Public Defender Michael Mercure said his staff was looking forward to the new system, after spending months driving all over the county for after-hours arraignments.

In 2017 we have appeared at 541 on-call arraignments to date, but we have learned through that experience that the present approach is not sustainable, he said. We continue to believe that it is imperative and essential that defendants be represented by counsel arraignments and we believe that the present plan to provide centralized arraignments twice a day at the county jail will continue to protect defendants rights.

Murphy said the state has pledged funding for Washington Countys program, potentially for new corrections officers positions if it is shown they are needed.
President Trump was right in forcing Congress to deal with the fate of children who came to this country illegally with their parents.

It is Congress job to address controversial issues such as this and follow the will of the people.

Of all the issues regarding illegal immigrants, this should be the least controversial and the easiest to fix.

What is of concern is that Congress has been trying to solve this problem for 16 years without success, so President Trump may be forced to revisit the issue in six months. The future of 800,000 immigrants who grew up in this country is at stake.

The DREAM Act  Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors Act  was first introduced in Congress in 2001 with sponsors from both parties lending support.

The concept and outline of that original bill still make sense today. Keep in mind that some of the details have changed back and forth over the years.

To obtain conditional resident status, individuals must:

Have proof they entered the United States before the age of 16 and must have continuously lived in the country for at least five years.

Have graduated from a United States high school or obtained a GED in the United States.

Demonstrated good moral character.

Pass a criminal background check and reviews.

It seems clear this law would not let just anyone into the country.

For permanent residency, an individual must:

Have attended an institution of higher learning or served in the United States military for at least two years and if discharged, have received an honorable discharge.

Pass another series of background checks.

Continue to demonstrate good moral character.

This is clearly not amnesty. It is clear that anyone hoping to stay in this country permanently is going to have to earn it.

Versions of the DREAM Act came and went over the years as it became increasingly politicized around the immigration issue. Several times the House of Representatives passed a version of the bill, only to see it come up short of the necessary 60 votes in the Senate.

At one point in 2010, the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the latest version of the DREAM Act would reduce federal deficits by about $1.4 billion (between 2011 and 2020) and increase federal revenues by $2.3 billion over 10 years.

Still, it was not passed.

In 2012, President Obama announced that the U.S. would stop deporting illegal immigrants who matched the criteria in the DREAM Act. Later that year, Obama ordered the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program to begin. Thousands of young illegal immigrants applied to the new program. It is estimated that some 800,000 are in the program that President Trump says will end if Congress does not act.

We hope Congress returns to the original promise of the legislation in 2001  supported by many in both parties  that would allow young people and current students who lived most of their lives in the United States to remain and contribute to our society.

As our recent immigration series showed, there are many local residents who will be affected.

The children should not be punished for the sins of the parents, especially if they have proved they belong.
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Luke Combs is the winner of the Country Music Association Awards' coveted entertainer of the year trophy. Combs thanked the country music community for making his dreams come true. It was the second time in a row he won the show's top honor, and he also won won album of the year for Growin' Up. Wednesday's show in Nashville, Tennessee, opened with Carrie Underwood, Miranda Lambert and Reba McEntire playing tribute to the late country queen Loretta Lynn. The superstar trio performed a medley of Lynns hits including You Aint Woman Enough, Dont Come Home A-Drinkin and Coal Miners Daughter. Leading nominee Lainey Wilson took home two trophies and Alan Jackson accepted the Lifetime Achievement Award.
One person is dead and another injured after a head-on crash on Iowa 22 in Muscatine County.

The crash occurred at 8:30 p.m., Wednesday, at mile marker 75.

A 2003 Toyota Corolla traveling westbound crossed the center line and struck an eastbound 2005 Buick LeSabre, according to an Iowa State Patrol crash report.

The driver of the Toyota died from injuries sustained in the crash. The driver of the Buick was transported by Aircare to University Hospitals in Iowa City with unknown injuries.

The names of the drivers are not being released at this time.

The Iowa State Patrol was assisted by the Muscatine County Sheriff's Office, Muscatine police and fire departments, and the Wilton Fire Department.
Name: Elliott Grier

Age: 32

Address: 3828 Kenwood Ave., Davenport

Family: Wife, Emily, children, Caroline, 3, and Ophelia, 1

Occupation: Mechanical engineering manager at R.A Jones

Q: What in your background aids you to be an effective school board member?

A: I am a product of public schools, graduating from Apple Valley High School in Minnesota. I feel my training as an engineer gives me a unique view of the school systems. Analyzing complex problems and searching for root causes is something that I am very good at. I would also like to bring the Lean Six Sigma toolbox, which is used a lot in manufacturing settings, to help solve some of the problems that the board faces. Lean Six Sigma focusing on making an organization run more efficiently and output a more consistent product. These goals are in line with the needs of the district as the budget is almost guaranteed to shrink, and we have a problem with a large number of students not meeting their achievement goals.

Q: What are your views on ways to encourage improved academic achievement among a diverse group of students?

A: One of my priorities is to increase the awareness and access to preschool education because the early years are by far the most formative. If we can provide a solid foundation at this point, it will reduce the need to play catch-up later on. For students that are currently on an IEP, we need to make sure that we are finding programs that are statistically proven to work and make sense on a fundamental level. We also need to make sure we are listening to our teachers on what is effective and working in classroom because they are the ones on the front lines.

Q: According to the Iowa Association of School Boards, the boards role on a district level is to work well with others who have views that differ from your own and also to take a big-picture look to the future. What can you offer to an effective school board in these two areas?

A: I think the first thing to do is set SMART (Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant and Timebound) goals for five years out as well as overall long-term goals that we should be striving for, but may not be realistic in the near term. Once the goals are well defined, the discussion about how to achieve those goals can begin. This is where the differing world views will lead to productive conversation about what the subgoals need to be, what programs need to be funded or how the policies should be written. My current role at R.A Jones has me consolidating our standards and procedures between two sites, each with their own history and habits. In order to effectively do this, I must understand why the original procedures were put in place, whether those reasons are still valid, then determine if they are the most efficient with our new systems or not. The other position I must take is that of my bosses, which I dont always agree with, but that I cant go against and must now promote going forward. I would equate this to the school board making a decision that I dont agree with, but accepting that position going forward and not dwelling on it or trying to sabotage it.

Q: A school board members position is not paid and requires an ongoing time commitment. What specific steps are you taking to ensure you have the time and energy for the board?

A: I have a very supportive wife and have had conversations with my employer about the occasional need to take time off in the middle of the day to attend hearings.

Q: One of the largest school districts in Iowa, it annually struggles with finances  current plans call for Davenport to close a school in two years and reduce the number of administrators, which has already started. It also plans to increase class sizes; Davenport has had the lowest elementary class sizes, on average, for years in this part of Iowa. What is your position on cutting costs in the district?

A: I do not think that increasing class sizes when we are already have such large achievement gaps. Our teachers are already over-stretched and can't provide the individual attention that some students need. My main goal would be to lobby our legislators to avoid the need to close schools and increase class sizes. If that fails we need to look at cutting positions that add the least value to the students. In other words, we need to put ourselves in the shoes of the students and ask whether or not we would be willing to pay for something. For example, a customer that is buying a widget is willing to pay for the machining of that widget (a value added service) but they are probably not willing to pay for the landscaping of the machine shop (a non-value added service).

Q: Board members have legal exposure to Superintendent Art Tates decision in 2016 to fund the Davenport district at levels not allowed by the Iowa Department of Education. All members of the current board have voiced public support for Tate and his position in the state. Your thoughts on this?

A: I support Dr. Tate's decision and will be fighting to get the Legislature to consider an equal funding bill. I will also be pushing to make this an issue in the upcoming gubernatorial race. I am also willing to face impeachment to stand up for our students.
The Davenport Police Department will soon be back to full capacity now that eight new police officers were sworn in Wednesday night.

Mayor Frank Klipsch swore in the officers at Wednesday's Davenport City Council committee-of-the-whole meeting before the officers completed the remaining portion of their training.

They are Kevin Carver, Robert Farra, Nicklaus Hunter, Jared Nimrick, Mason Roth, Murphy Simms, Dwight Swartz and Jordan Youngerman.

"These officers have spent the last 15 weeks at the Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and then after that, three weeks here for a police academy training for more specifics," Maj. Jeff Bladel said. "On Sunday, they start our field training program and that entails the meat and bones of the training program."

From start to finish, Bladel said the training process lasts 8 to 9 months.

Just as the newly sworn in officers head off to finish the last portion of their training, the police department will soon welcome back five officers who are in the midst of completing the same training.

In total, the department has sworn in 13 new officers since April 26.

"These officers are very committed to our department," Bladel said. "If you just look at us hiring eight, not very long ago we put five more on the police force, being a total of 13 in the year. That's a lot for an organization."

Bladel said the addition was attributed to general attrition, meaning retirements and officers leaving the department to take other positions.

Bladel also took the opportunity to welcome their families, all of whom were in attendance for the ceremony.

"It takes a lot to be a police officer in this day and age," Bladel said. "There's a lot thrown at you and we got introduced to a lot of wonderful families that we are not only introducing to the Davenport Police Department, but we are also introducing to the city of Davenport, as well as our community."

With the department will staffed at its maximum budgeted capacity, Klipsch affirmed the city's commitment to public safety.

"We're talking about 13 officers in a relatively short period of time, and we know we're going to be in good hands with these individuals we've sworn in," Klipsch said.
Orange safety cones and detour signs are about to multiply in downtown Moline, all a prelude to the next three-plus years of construction of the new Interstate 74 bridge.

At a news conference Wednesday at Moline City Hall, transportation officials and city of Moline representatives discussed changes that are about to affect Moline residents, workers and visitors to the downtown area.

Moline Mayor Stephanie Acri said drivers will have "to navigate some inconveniences." But the end result, she said is a $1.2 billion bridge that "is going to change the way we navigate across the river."

The biggest changes in the near future will come to 7th Avenue, one of the major gateways into downtown.

Ryan Hippen, a construction field engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, outlined these changes for motorists:

 Beginning Sept. 13: Crews will begin removing medians along 7th Avenue from 19th to 23rd streets, causing daily lane closures. Vehicles traveling west on 7th Avenue will be unable to make a left turn onto the I-74 on-ramp. A posted detour route will send westbound 7th Avenue traffic around the block to 18th Street, 6th Avenue, 19th Street and back to eastbound 7th Avenue to take the I-74 eastbound on-ramp. This detour is expected to last through mid-September.

 Beginning the week of Sept. 25: The intersection of 7th Avenue and 19th Street will be closed until early December. Detour routes will steer vehicles away from the intersection. Hippen said the work includes new pavement, curb and gutters.

 Additionally, 19th Street is closed for sewer work from 12th Avenue to 7th Avenue.

"The good news is the ramps (to I-74) are staying open, but the turning movements will be limited," he said. "We want to stress to motorists to please be patient."

Hippen called the work "a key milestone to get accomplished" ahead of other work related to the new span, especially more significant changes coming to the whole I-74 corridor in 2019.

Moline Public Works Director J.D. Schulte said the project team's goal is to provide safe, accessible routes into downtown Moline, which now is home to 5,600 downtown workers and 2,400 residents. Another 5,600 workers access the Rock Island Arsenal through downtown Moline, he said.

In addition, he said other pending projects, including two new hotels and other housing projects, will bring more visitors and residents to downtown.

"We want to make sure motorists, residents and people coming to downtown Moline know we are cognizant of their safety and convenience," Schulte added.

He applauded the construction team, including the Illinois and Iowa DOTs and construction consultants, with reducing the project's timeline by four years and its price tag by $70 million.

"This was going to be an eight-year project," he said.

Danielle Mulholland, the I-74 project manager for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said the project now has moved into phase two and faces another 3 years of construction.

But she and Hippen both stressed that it will be in 2019 when drivers see the most impact to Interstate 74.

In the spring of 2019, northbound I-74 (Iowa bound) will be closed at Avenue of the Cities, Mulholland said. Motorists will have to exit I-74 at Avenue of the Cities and be routed on 19th Street to reach downtown or to get back on the interstate. The only downtown access to the bridge will be at River Drive.

At that time, Iowa bound bridge traffic will be down to a single lane on the existing bridge and will have to exit at Grant Street, travel north on a detour through Bettendorf to Middle Road to return to I-74.

For southbound (Illinois bound) traffic in 2019, the first exit will be Avenue of the Cities. Detours will lead travelers downtown on 19th Street.

"This is all part of the staging to get the rest of the bridge done in 3 years," she said of the upcoming work.

The same year, all the through traffic will be detoured to Interstate 80 and 280 bridges, Hippen said.

Acri said the city and region are fortunate to have "one of the biggest infrastructure projects in the United States coming here."

But she said the city is concerned visitors will be apprehensive about traveling to downtown Moline during the construction.

"It looks complicated and confusing on paper, but there will be signs to help you navigate,'' Acri said. "But everybody is open ... Keep an open mind and find your way to downtown Moline."
A Davenport woman has claimed a $100,000 prize in an Iowa Lottery scratch game after stopping on the way home from a trip to the hospital.

Amy Conrad, 31, won the fifth of eight top prizes of $100,000 in the "Cash In" game, the lottery said in a news release. She claimed the prize Tuesday at the lottery's regional office in Cedar Rapids.

She told lottery employees that one of her sons had accidentally kicked sand into her other son's eyes on Sunday, so she took him to the hospital to be checked out. Her son was fine, and on their way home, they stopped at Casey's General Store, 3700 W. Locust St., Davenport.

To make up for all the pain he had to go through, we stopped at Caseys, Conrad told lottery employees. For some reason, I just decided, Hey, youre lucky today. Youre not going blind. Pick a number between one and 16.

The numbers corresponded to the 16 different scratch games that Caseys had for sale.

He picked a number, they didnt have it, she said. He picked another number, and that was the ticket I bought and that we won on.

Conrad said she will use the money to pay bills and for a family vacation. Cash In is a $10 scratch game.
A good Thursday to all. Another cool start for the Quad-Cities but things will warm up as the day progresses. Here are the weather details from the National Weather Service.

1. Mostly sunny with a high in the 70s

Today will be mostly sunny with a high near 71 degrees and a low around 50 degrees.

Friday will be sunny with a high near 75 degrees and a low around 52 degrees.

2. Florida keeps wary eye on Irma

Residents in parts of the Miami metro area are under mandatory orders to leave their homes today as Hurricane Irma barrels toward the region with potentially catastrophic winds. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has strongly urged people to evacuate if asked to do so by local officials. The governor waived tolls on all Florida highways and told people if they were thinking about leaving to "get out now." Scott warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew, the last Category 5 storm to hit the state. Read more.

Meanwhile Irma has killed at least 10 people as the dangerous Category 5 storm continued its destructive march across the Caribbean. At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories, France's interior minister said. The death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

"The reconnaissance will really start at daybreak," an official said.

3. Keys advances to U.S. Open semis

Madison Keys completed the clean sweep for American women, giving the host country all four U.S. Open semifinal spots for the first time in 36 years.

The 15th-seeded Keys, a Rock Island native, served impeccably, controlled groundstroke exchanges from the baseline and was never in trouble during a 6-3, 6-3 victory over 418th-ranked qualifier Kaia Kanepi of Estonia that lasted only 69 minutes Wednesday night.

Keys faces CoCo Vandeweghe today  with the winner reaching her first Grand Slam final  and No. 9 seed Venus Williams meets 83rd-ranked Sloane Stephens. Read more.

4. I-74 bridge work to alter downtown Moline traffic

Orange safety cones and detour signs are about to multiply in downtown Moline, all a prelude to the next three-plus years of construction of the new Interstate 74 bridge.

The biggest changes in the near future will come to 7th Avenue, one of the major gateways into downtown.

Ryan Hippen, a construction field engineer for the Illinois Department of Transportation, outlined these changes for motorists:

 Beginning Sept. 13: Crews will begin removing medians along 7th Avenue from 19th to 23rd streets, causing daily lane closures. Vehicles traveling west on 7th Avenue will be unable to make a left turn onto the I-74 on-ramp. A posted detour route will send westbound 7th Avenue traffic around the block to 18th Street, 6th Avenue, 19th Street and back to eastbound 7th Avenue to take the I-74 eastbound on-ramp. This detour is expected to last through mid-September.

 Beginning the week of Sept. 25: The intersection of 7th Avenue and 19th Street will be closed until early December. Detour routes will steer vehicles away from the intersection. Hippen said the work includes new pavement, curb and gutters.

 Additionally, 19th Street is closed for sewer work from 12th Avenue to 7th Avenue.

"The good news is the ramps (to I-74) are staying open, but the turning movements will be limited," he said. "We want to stress to motorists to please be patient." Read more.

5. Deere to acquire California tech company

Deere & Co. announced late Wednesday that it is acquiring Blue River Technology, a Silicon Valley startup considered a leader in applying machine learning to agriculture.

In a news release, the Moline-based Deere said it will invest $305 million to fully acquire the Sunnyvale, California-based Blue River Technology. Read more.

6. Davenport sewer lines smoke tested today

Smoke testing of Davenport's sanitary sewer lines will take place in two areas of the city today and Friday. The testing is being conducted as part of efforts to identify and develop plans to reduce storm water entry into the sanitary sewer system.

The smoke used in this process is non-toxic, non-staining, has no odor, is white to gray in color and creates no fire hazard.

When testing is being conducted, a dense grayish/white smoke is blown through the sanitary sewers from a manhole. The smoke travels the sanitary sewer line and may appear coming from the ground, roof drains, catch basins, house vent stacks or foundation drains connected to the system. Smoke coming from the ground, catch basins and other parts of the storm water system help to identify the location of defects in the sanitary sewer line. Residents should be aware that the appearance of smoke coming from house vent stacks is normal, or expected.

Residents in the testing area will receive a door hanger with additional information and instruction as testing is conducted.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Just days after returning to Washington following the August congressional state work session, Sen. Joni Ernst is pressuring her leadership to cancel the Senates October recess in order to address a laundry list of priorities.

In addition to immediate needs, such as a relief package for victims of Hurricane Harvey in Texas  and Ernst anticipates a similar package if Hurricane Irma damage predictions are accurate  the Iowa Republican said Congress needs to act on immigration, tax reform, the debt ceiling, health insurance, infrastructure and a new farm bill.

I would tell you everything needs to be on the plate right now, Ernst told reporters Thursday on her weekly conference call.

We have so many issues right now that we cant prioritize one over the other, Ernst said. All of these committees need to continue working on them simultaneously. We need to get these things done.

Ernst and her Iowa Republican colleague, Sen. Chuck Grassley, have written to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., to encourage him to keep the Senate in session during the scheduled October state work period.

They called it an opportunity to live up to the promises Congress has made to the American people, including rolling back burdensome regulations, repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, modernizing our infrastructure, and reforming our outdated and uncompetitive tax code.

Ernst joined a handful of senators earlier this summer to ask McConnell to keep senators in Washington during the August state work session. The 33 potential working days on the Senate calendar does not appear to give us enough time to adequately address the issues that demand immediate attention, they wrote.

McConnell did not take their advice.

Although she deferred when asked if McConnell was in good standing as the GOP caucus leader, Ernst seemed frustrated by his decision to proceed with the August recess.

Why we didnt stay in August to continue working on these issues is beyond me, she said. I dont see how we, as Congress, get work done if we arent physically in Washington going through the committee process, working on these issues and debating them on the floor.
CEDAR RAPIDS  President Donald Trumps decision to give Congress six months to find a legislative solution to an Obama-era policy protecting young immigrants from deportation seems appropriate to Sen. Joni Ernst, who called for compassion for those affected.

This is Congress job, she told reporters Thursday, adding that she supports Trumps decision not to continue the overreach of authority by the past administration.

Former President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order established a program that resulted in 800,000 young undocumented immigrants being allowed to remain in the United States. The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients  immigrants who had entered the U.S. without authorization before age 16 and had no serious criminal records  could apply for renewable two-year reprieves from deportation and work permits.

Even President Obama had stated that it was a temporary order, and he himself stated many times over that it is something that needs to be addressed by Congress, Ernst said.

Although she doesnt support giving DACA recipients citizenship, Ernst called for great compassion as Congress deals with the issue of the young immigrants who were brought to the United States by their parents through no fault of their own.

Congress should identify and pursue a measured approach that addresses their unique situation but also respects the importance of our immigration laws and discourages future illegal immigration.

As Congress takes up DACA, Ernst would like to see the conversation broadened to include securing the border and modernizing the legal immigration system.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined colleagues in 14 states and the District of Columbia in challenging the presidents action. Ernst doubted that effort would be fruitful.
CEDAR RAPIDS  Iowa state Sen. Tim Kapucian is honored to be among those mentioned as possible successors to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey, but the Benton County Republican is not actively pursuing an appointment to that office.

Whenever theres a situation like this, it creates fertile ground for a lot of speculation, said Kapucian, a grain and livestock farmer.

Gov. Kim Reynolds will appoint a successor to Northey if his nomination by President Donald Trump to be an undersecretary at the USDA is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Kapucian is among the names mentioned as possible replacements. Others include former Iowa House member Annette Sweeney of Alden, Sen. Dan Zumbach of Ryan and Rep. Pat Grassley of New Hartford.

Kapucian is in his second term in the Iowa Senate. He heads the Transportation Commission and sits on the Agriculture and Natural Resources committees.

Reynolds has well-qualified people to choose from, Kapucian said.

The main thing is to get someone who can carry on  try to carry on  in the same vein as Secretary Northey, he said. It will be tough to fill his shoes.

He hopes Reynolds appoints someone whose name is synonymous with agriculture. When you hear the persons name, you need to think agriculture.

Weve always had a farmer or someone farm-related in that office, and I hope it stays that way, Kapucian said.

Since the position was created 45 years ago, Iowa has had four secretaries of agriculture: Republican Robert Lounsberry for 24 years; Democrat Dale Cochran for 12 years; Democrat Patty Judge for eight years; and Northey since 2007.
As a retired employee of the Bettendorf Community School District of 19 years, I feel a strong need to address the issue of the upcoming school board election.

Working closely with board members over the years, I have seen the hard work and consideration given to the many issues that a governing board must take on. However, the past few years have been laced with dissension, distrust and personal agendas. There is a line between governing and micromanagement and a few of the current board members have crossed it.

Administrators and staff should be allowed to do the jobs for which they were hired, bringing years of experience and training to the task. There is also something very wrong with board governance when staff, parents and community members are asked for input, do research about issues like class size and facility planning, only to have that input disregarded.

Tutoring and helping needy students is a wonderful thing, but board members need to remember they are not being elected or re-elected for their good works as a volunteer. They are being asked to do their jobs as board members  to be fair-minded, represent all students, work collaboratively, trust and encourage their staff, and make forward-looking plans for the future of the children of this district.

To that end, I endorse candidates Adam Holland, Andrew Champion, and Richard Lynch in order to move the district past a period of discord into one of collaboration and excellence.

Nancy Herrin

Long Grove
As a father of three children and a husband of a para-educator in the Davenport Community School District system, it is important to me that we have school board members who are strong advocates for our schools and put our children first. That is why I am proud to support David Reke for Davenport Community School Board.

In Davenport, we receive up to $175 less per student from the state of Iowa compared to other school districts. It's as if the state is saying a student from Davenport is worth $175 less than a child in a different school district.

Every candidate in this race will support equal funding, but what sets David apart from other candidates is that he has already been advocating for our children. This past winter, when I ran for state Senate, David approached me to make sure I supported funding equality.

David has been pushing all our local state legislators to support funding equality. He even traveled to Des Moines during the last legislative session to lobby the Iowa Department of Education director and other political leaders on equal funding. Following the last legislative session, David has been meeting with gubernatorial candidates from both parties to get their support for equal funding.

David has the right combination of talent, energy, and passion to advocate for Davenport and improve the lives of our children. If you want equal funding for your children, I urge you to vote for David Reke on Sept. 12.

Michael Gonzales

Davenport
Starting in 2018, Rapid City will likely alter the way it distributes and spends the money it receives from its 2 percent sales tax collections.

The decision to increase funding to area infrastructure projects and decrease funding to the citys vision fund was made at Tuesdays Rapid City Council meeting after Mayor Steve Allender proposed the reallocation during his budget presentation last month.

Currently, of the 2 percent sales tax that Rapid City collects, 46 percent is allocated to the general fund, 23 percent to the capital improvement plan fund for infrastructure projects, 23 percent to the vision fund and 8 percent to the utility support fund.

The mayors proposal, which was approved 8-2 with Alderwoman Darla Drew and Alderman Chad Lewis voting against the ordinance, calls for 50 percent of collections to go to the general fund, 29 percent to the capital improvement plan and 21 percent to the vision fund. The utility support fund would be eliminated.

Based on last year's sales tax collects, the general fund increase would equate to about $2.2 million annually while the capital improvement plan would receive an additional $3.4 million in funds.

The vision fund, which has been proposed by the mayor as the primary funding source for any effort to build a new arena or renovate Barnett Arena in Rushmore Plaza Civic Center, would see a $1.1 million decrease in funding.

In past meetings, Lewis has made clear his opposition to the change, stating that he believes the public has clearly and loudly voiced their support for the vision fund.

As an ordinance, the reallocation change must still go before the legal and finance committee and council once more before the approval becomes official. The council's next meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. Sept. 18 in the council chambers within city hall.

In the first six months of 2017, Rapid City has collected $28,280,706 in sales tax, a 2 percent increase from the first six months of 2016. The general fund currently relies on sales tax revenues for 43 percent of its money and property taxes for 25 percent.
High School Big Idea competition launches statewide

Youth! Cash! Scholarships! Entrepreneurship!

These are the key ingredients in the BIG Idea Competition which is launching its 10th Anniversary competition this fall. High school students across South Dakota are invited to compete in this business idea competition where winners will receive nearly $5,000 in cash awards and scholarships.

Students may work individually or as a team and will be able to submit their business idea applications online from September 1 until October 31, 2017. The online application as well as various resources and examples can be accessed at the BIG Idea website: www.BIGIdeaSD.com. For the optional marketing design competition, students will create an ad to support their business idea. Again this year is an optional Wellness Category sponsored by Sanford Health. This category offers an additional cash prize to the best business idea addressing Wellness.

Coordinator Kelly Weaver of the Small Business Development Center said, The BIG Idea Competition is a great experience for students interested in learning about business. For students already seriously pursuing a business, we can connect them with resources and mentors to help further their entrepreneurial growth and business success. We are excited to be celebrating the 10th Anniversary of BIG Idea!

All applications submitted by the October 31, 2017 deadline will be reviewed and ranked by judges across the state. The eight (8) top scoring entries will be invited to the final competition and will make a presentation for the final judging component. The top three applications will receive cash awards of $1,000, $500 and $250, respectively. College scholarships to both Northern State University and Presentation College will be awarded as well. One winner will be chosen from among all the marketing design entries and be awarded $500. One winner will be chosen for the Wellness Category and will be awarded $500.

The final competition and awards event will be held on Thursday, December 7th at Northern State University in Aberdeen. Students will participate in various activities surrounding entrepreneurship. Prior to the awards presentation, all finalists will give an elevator pitch of their business idea.

Since inception in 2007, the BIG Idea Competition has received 1,881 entries involving nearly 2,654 students representing 83 schools. The competition is open to any high school student in the state. The winning entry in 2016 was MCH Design, by Mercedes Peterson, Hunter Matthaei, and Christian Westhoff of McCook Central High School. A complete listing of the 2016 finalists can be found on the BIG Idea website along with a video of their elevator pitches.

In celebration of our 10th Anniversary, we are also conducting a survey of the state of entrepreneurship in South Dakota. Please visit the BIG Idea website to find the survey link on the home page. Results will be shared at the conclusion of the competition!

Homegrown businesses are essential to the success of our rural communities. The primary goal of BIG Idea is to promote entrepreneurship, spur creative thinking, and encourage students to start a business.

The competition is organized by a broad based committee of economic development organizations, educational institutions, and private businesses and coordinated by the Small Business Development Center. Sponsors include Sanford Health, East River Electric, REED Fund, Dacotah Bank, First Premier Bank, Student Loan Finance Corporation, Northwestern Energy, Northern State University, Presentation College, McQuillen Creative Group, Aberdeen Development Corporation, Midcontinent Communications, and the Tom and Danielle Aman Foundation. Questions regarding the competition can be directed to Kelly Weaver of the Small Business Development Center at (605) 626-2565 or info@bigideasd.com.
Two days after the Rapid City Council voted to restore funding to the Retired Senior Volunteer Program's for the 2018 budget, Mayor Steve Allender vetoed that decision.

Allenders veto was officially filed to city Finance Director Pauline Sumption in a memo Thursday.

"There are many opportunities for seniors to volunteer, socialize and participate in activities through our two senior citizen centers as well as various other local organizations," Allender stated in the memo.

"There are many other avenues for volunteer coordination and participation. The cost of RSVP to the general fund is increasing every year and lastly, I do not believe it is a taxpayer responsibility or a core function of government to provide volunteer coordination."

South Dakota Codified Law provides mayors with authority to veto legislative actions as part of a mayor's official powers and duties.

In a Journal interview Thursday afternoon, Allender expanded on the reason behind his decision.

I think the emotional side of the RSVP cut has stirred an emotion-based lobbying campaign that has been very effective, Allender said. Its not that I dont have feelings. Its that I think that feelings should not take priority over facts and figures when it comes to using other peoples money to fund a program. The time has come for RSVP to end.

On Tuesday, the Rapid City Council voted 6-4 to restore $40,000 in funds and continue its sponsorship of the program, despite Allender's recommendation to cut funding.

Armstrong, Modrick, Lewis, Roberts, Nordstrom and Salamun voted to restore funding, and Laurenti, Drury, Scott and Drew voted in opposition. The vote also approved the second reading of the 2018 appropriations ordinance, meaning the 2018 budget is now finalized and formally approved.

The $40,000 would be taken from the citys undesignated cash reserves, of which about $1.4 million is being used to balance the 2018 budget.

Allender said he told council leadership of his intent to veto any decision they made that would return funding to the program, a decision he said he made before he even presented his budget proposal Aug. 7.

I didnt come into office to try and make everyone happy, he said Thursday. Everyone talks about the hard decisions needing to be made. Its just that there are very few people around when its time to make one.

Two other cuts proposed by Allender  $30,000 to the Journey Museum and Learning Center and $27,000 to the Allied Arts Fund  were also refunded by the council during an Aug. 23 budget hearing. Allender said he has no plans to veto either of those decisions.

Allender said Thursday that "sacred cows are the poison pills of government."

The RSVP is the most blatant and obvious example of a program that should be cut. The others, I believe there needs to be more dialogue and more work because were down to disagreeing about fine details on those other issues. I believe some public funding for the arts is important and justified but the question is how much? No one really wants to answer how much.

Allender opined that 1 percent of the general fund was a perfect level, which would equate to about $600,000. He later added that the city would conduct a survey in the coming months asking citizens what percentage of their tax dollars they would like to see devoted to things like street repairs and the arts.

Allender's veto will be formally considered by the city council at its Sept. 18 meeting. Seven of the 10 council members must vote in opposition to the veto for it to be overridden.

The last time a veto was issued by a Rapid City mayor was in September 2012 when former Mayor Sam Kooiker vetoed the councils decision to raise property taxes in relation to the consumer price index. At the subsequent council meeting, a motion to override the veto failed.

This is the first time Allender has issued a line item veto and its just the seventh such veto has been issued by a Rapid City mayor since 2001, according to city spokesman Darrell Shoemaker.
A judge has thrown out a lawsuit that challenged voting by absentee ballot in Detroit, saying a Republican candidate for secretary of state failed to produce any evidence of violations. Wayne County Judge Tim Kenny says critics have raised a red flag of election law wrongdoing. But Kenny says his ruling takes down that flag. Kristina Karamo and others sued to try to force Detroit voters to vote in person or go to the city clerks office to get an absentee ballot. They made a variety of allegations about how Detroit reviews signatures on absentee ballots and monitors ballot drop-off boxes. The judge says they failed dramatically to back up any of it.
HAMILTON  Alex Leone was standing in Lost Horse Creek wearing a bright red dry suit and goggles as he replaced the snorkel in his mouth before dunking his head back in the cold water. Lily Haines was a few feet away, wearing the leaking yellow dry suit. Both dragged themselves like seals through water between 6 inches and 3 feet deep to count fish.

Last week, the Clark Fork Coalition sent Leone, Haines and Jed Whiteley to conduct a census to see how the creeks new summer flow was affecting fish populations.

After 77 years of going dry in midsummer, Lost Horse Creek ran back to the Bitterroot River in 2015, thanks to a complex, $500,000 dollar project by the Clark Fork Coalition and the Ward Irrigation District.

"Were looking at the responses from the water and trout today, Whiteley said before crossing the old railroad bridge that sits unused over Lost Horse Creek, south of Hamilton.

The work that the Clark Fork Coalition and the Ward Irrigation District did on the creek sits under the bridge and under the creek itself. A section of the creek 200 feet long and 13 feet deep was dug up in order to place a 42-inch-wide plastic pipe inside, bringing Bitterroot River water across the creek.

In the years before the project, a bulldozer would move gravel and dam the creek in order to bring water across its banks. Now it flows underneath and lets Lost Horse Creek make its way back to the Bitterroot River.

***

Haines and Leone were counting fish in two 300-foot lengths of the creek. But first they had to do a clarity check.

To survey fish with some level of accuracy, they needed to be able to see more than 7 feet ahead in the water. Juvenile fish are devilishly hard to see in good conditions, and those 7 feet are necessary to pick them out with accuracy.

Seven [feet]-seven [inches]! Leone cried out triumphantly, and in a flurry of activity he and Haines were goggled and breathing through snorkels, beginning the count.

A few minutes later a mangled, watery shout came from Leone.

THWUMDREFSNHERE!

What was that Alex?

Alex yanked his head from the creek and pulled the snorkel from his mouth.

Theres a hundred fish at least in here!

Jed Whiteley looked at the rapidly filling sheet on his clipboard.

Ok, call them out Alex, Whiteley said. You have to learn how to speak snorkelese to do this.

***

Chris Clancy is a Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks fisheries biologist who has worked in the Bitterroot for years.

The Bitterroot is not unlike other heavily irrigated valleys, Clancy said. Creeks dry up during summer because no one irrigates in spring, then people start irrigating in May and June, summer progresses and irrigation demands remain high.

Fish in streams used for irrigation face three problems: When a stream dries up the fish die; fish that spawn when the stream is dry lose their eggs; and fish that spawn above the dried-up stream will go down irrigation ditches and then die in fields.

So adding water back to a creek previously used for irrigation is a big deal. Historically, fish didnt really have a vote in all of this, Clancy said. Jim Nave, Missoulas water rights regional manager at the Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, explained that water is allocated via the prior appropriation doctrine; whoever is first gets water first.

Clancy said that water rights didnt take the fisheries into account while they were being parceled out. The Bitterroot is not unlike other tributaries in a heavily irrigated valley, Clancy said. Creeks dry up during summer.

Ron Porter is a Ward Irrigation District commissioner who has lived in the Bitterroot Valley his entire life. Before 2015, Lost Horse Creek was dammed up with a backhoe to move Bitterroot River water across the stream to be used for agricultural irrigation.

We worked on the project in the past but couldnt do financing on it, Porter said. But after the Clark Fork Coalition approached the district about funding, they struck a deal. We guaranteed 10 cubic feet per second to run down Lost Horse, Porter said.

And that deal is running for 50 years, an agreement that Jed Whiteley said secures a legacy.

***

Whiteley's clipboard grouped fish by size and species. Brown trout, brook trout, suckers, mountain whitefish, redside shiner, rainbow trout, longnose dace, plus a column for other species ran down one side of the chart. Sizes broken up in increments of 100 millimeters ran along the top. Those 100 millimeters are about the size of your index finger, and because water magnifies objects, snorkelers have to be trained in order to correctly identify the size of a fish in order to call it out to the counter.

Lost Horse Creek requires this more intense census work because its so clear and shallow. Electroshocking, another method of fish counting, doesnt work here. Electrical current doesnt run in Lost Horse Creeks nearly sediment-free water, so fish wont be stunned and then float to the surface to be counted by a surveyor.

Electroshocking is much more dangerous for the fish. Its also much less accurate for the census.

Thats why Haines and Leone have to be belly-down in cold water calling out numbers and sizes of whitefish, dace, brown trout, sculpins, crawdads, rainbows, cutthroats, brook trout and maybe (Leone wants to check the GoPro footage), a rare bull trout.

Whiteley mentioned that the fish let you get right up next to them and dont spook unless you reach out to touch them.

A rule while snorkel-surveying is to only count the fish you pass. They might let you get close but they still get pushed forward by the instinct to move away from large objects getting in their space. This includes brightly colored human seals, which is why Leone got smacked in the face by a 6-inch trout near the end of the first stretch of creek.

And it was still hard to count all the fish in the 10-foot wide creek.

You cant believe the amount of fish that are in four inches of water, Haines said.

In less than an hour, Haines and Leone counted more than 200 fish.

These finger-sized fish are at the center of the Clark Fork Coalitions goals with this rewatered stream. Whiteley said the Bitterroot Valley brings in millions of dollars in angling business every year. And that means these little fish having a safe, cold stream to grow in without being pulled down irrigation ditches or drying up in the streambed are key to the success of the area.
Ravalli County Commissioners recently sent a strongly worded letter condemning the decision by the Montana Department of Labor to close Bitterroot Job Services and urging them to reconsider.

Citing a lack of communication between statewide office holders in Helena, and the county level administrations, the commissioners said the closure will place unrealistic expectations on unemployed workers in Ravalli County.

County Commissioner Jeff Burrows said that not only will the closure put an extra burden on workers seeking assistance, it also will decrease the personal touch of a local office.

If youre down in Ravalli, youve got a better feel for what the businesses do and who youre looking for, Burrows said. That personalization a local job service provides, versus what a hub can, wont be as understanding.

Scott Eychner, an administrator for the workforce services division of Montana Department of Labor, said there are many ways they plan to try to maintain the same level of services with fewer offices.

One a lot of what we offer can be done online, Eychner said. So we are hoping people with connectivity can become comfortable with that. Also over the course of the next few months, we will see what the in-person need is down in the Hamilton and Darby area. So that will probably mean a traveling employee from Missoula. And finally were looking at community partners to see what kind of partnership we can develop to provide some local services on our behalf.

Eychner said that two new positions will be added in Missoula for the employees of the closed office in Hamilton, but four people will lose their jobs.

Jake Troyer, the Department of Labors spokesman, noted that since 2002, the federal Workforce Services Divisions federal funding has plummeted 55 percent, from $33 million to $15 million. Closing the four offices will save an estimated $800,000.

Still, Burrows believes the rural counties once again will be under-served.

This isnt the first program where the state tries to consolidate and save money. But its at the expense of the small more rural counties, because when they do consolidate they always move to a hub like Missoula, or Helena, Burrows said.

In their letter, the commissioners said the decision to close Bitterroot Job Services was made without a request for any local input.

Troyer encourages members of the public to contact their elected officials if they're opposed to the closures.

When government services get cut this is what it looks like. Its an extremely difficult decision to make, he said.
Montana Tech sampled Berkeley Pit water successfully for the first time last week from its remote control boat, shown in this photo taken July 19. Tech professor Bryce Hill said there were not too many surprises but the pH balance of the water has improved slightly. For this trip the boat was also outfitted with a propane cannon that will enable Montana Resources and Atlantic Richfield Co. to chase snow geese from the water if the pit faces another massive migratory landing, like the one that killed 3,000 or more snow geese late last year.
America must return to conservative principles of less government,reduced taxes, less spending and a balanced budget! Cut,cap and balance!
Guwahati : Another corrupted government official was granted bail after Assam police failed to submit charge sheet before the court.

The special court in Guwahati on Wednesday had granted bail to Mahat Chandra Talukdar, who was arrested by the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption branch of Assam police after taking bribe from a river-sand laden truck in June last year.

Mahat Chandra Talukdar, then DFO of Dhemaji district was caught red-handed while taking a bribe of Rs 30,000.

During raids in his two residences later, the sleuths of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption had recovered over Rs 3 crore cash and many wildlife parts including a tiger skin, elephant tusks.

A top source said that, the corrupted official had been able to get bail after Assam police failed to submit charge sheet against him.

Earlier, Secretary of state Irrigation department Kujendra Doley, who was arrested while taking bribe from a contractor at Janata Bhawan in Dispur was granted bail only failure of Assam police.

In last week, the Gauhati High Court had granted bail to 10 accused persons including three Assam Civil Service (ACS) officials, who were arrested in connection with the cash-for-job scam of Assam Public Service Commission (APSC).

The court had granted bail petitions of the accused 10 persons including APSC's former member Basanta Doley, Samedur Rahman, employee Pabitra Koiborta, Musharaf Hussain, ACS officers Bhaskarjyoti Dev Sharma, Bhaskar Dutta and Amit Sharma, Engineer Nabakanta Patir after Assam police failed to submit charge sheet against them.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati, September 6 : After recruited 6172 TET qualified teachers a week before, the Assam government will again recruit over 13,000 teachers within a week.

Assam education minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Wednesday said that, the state government has already sanctioned 12800 teaching post under Sarva Siksha Abhiyan, Assam.

'Among the newly sanctioned posts, the state government will recruit 11749 TET qualified teachers on September 8 next. Apart from it, the state government will recruit 1472 TET qualified teachers on September 12, who had passed in the special TET examination,' Himanta Biswa Sarma said.

Addressing a press conference held at Central Hall of Assam assembly, the state education minister said that, the state government had earlier recruited 6172 TET qualified teachers on September 2.

'After completing the recruiting process, the single teacher school problem will be solved and we will have excess teachers,'A Sarma said.

The Assam government had recently disclosed in the Assam assembly that, a total of 1365 elementary schools in 8 districts of the state run by single teacher.

The Assam minister urged all TET qualified elementary school teachers to enrol themselves at the National Institute of Open Schooling (NIOS) website by September 15, 2017 for obtaining D.El.Ed. (Diploma in Elementary

Education) within March 2019.*

'Without the Diploma all those teachers working in the state would have to

lose their jobs as Right to Education (RTE) Act, 2009 has mandated teachers

to have D.El.Ed as minimum qualification for teaching from April 1, 2019,'A the Assam minister said.

On the other hand, the state government has decided to release the six months arrear under 7th Assam pay commission to the state government employees before the Durga Puja festival.

'The state finance department will release a notification regarding it. The state government had already released six months arrear to the state government employees and next six months arrear will be released before the Durga Puja festival and the government will bear Rs 1500 crore for it,'A Sarma said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
Guwahati : Spriritual guru Ravi Shankar, who was in the Assam capital city Guwahati for a mass meditation camp on Wednesday urged United Liberation Front of Asom Independent (ULFA-I)'s C-in-C Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom to come mainstream.

Ravi Shankar said that, Paresh Baruah is a good man and he knew the elusive leader of the banned outfit very well.

'I have been in touch with Paresh Baruah and trying to convince him to pursue peace,' the Spiritual guru said.

The Art of Living founder Ravi Shankar on Wednesday had took part in a brainstorming session joining hands with a pro-talk faction group of ULFA in Guwahati.

On the other hand, pro-talk ULFA leader Anup Chetia, who is known close with Paresh Baruah said that, we are trying to make a platform of all indigenous communities of north eastern region to raise their rights.

The founder of Art of Living Foundation had also interacted with the students of Royal Global University on today's youth and our ancient.

'Who is a youth? to many answers he received but to which he explained that a youth is adventurous, takes tough assignments, ready to take challenges, doesnot accept defeat. The biggest fear being fear of failure is indeed a step towards success. To awaken valour in the youth and be selfish which includes all within that selfishness,'A the spiritual guru said.

He went to explain India's contribution to the world as in Zero, Infinity, month's names and the concept behind the solar system.

'We should be present with time and not brood over lost milk. Glow the joy of enthusiasm, stop complaining in life and move ahead in enthusiasm,'A the spiritual guru said.

(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
ST. JOHNS, ANTIGUA, September 6: The most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history bore down on the islands of the northeast Caribbean late Tuesday, following a path predicted to then rake Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before possibly heading for Florida over the weekend.

At the far northeastern edge of the Caribbean, authorities on the Leeward Islands of Antigua and Barbuda cut power and urged residents to shelter indoors as they braced for Hurricane Irmas first contact with land early Wednesday.

Officials warned people to seek protection from Irmas onslaught in a statement that closed with: May God protect us all.

The Category 5 storm had maximum sustained winds of 185 mph (295 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center in Miami.

I hear its a Cat 5 now and Im terrified, Antigua resident Carol Joseph said as she finished her last trip to the supermarket before seeking shelter. I had to come back for more batteries because I dont know how long the current will be off.

Other islands in the path of the storm included the U.S. and British Virgin Islands and Anguilla, a small, low-lying British island territory of about 15,000 people.

U.S. President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate the residents of six islands at the southern end of the island chain.

Warm water is fuel for hurricanes and Irma is over water that is 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) warmer than normal. The 79 degree (26 Celsius) water that hurricanes need goes about 250 feet deep (80 meters), said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private forecasting service Weather Underground

Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which are usually home to warmer waters that fuel cyclones. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005s Wilma, 1988s Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Key storm all had 185 mph winds.

The storms eye was expected to pass about 50 miles (85 kilometers) from Puerto Rico late Wednesday. Hurricane-force winds extended outward up to 50 miles (85 kilometers) from Irmas center and tropical storm-force winds extended outward up to 175 miles (280 kilometers).

The northern Leeward Islands were expected to see waves as high as 11 feet, while the Turks and Caicos Islands and southeastern Bahamas could see towering 20-foot waves later in the week, forecasters said.

This is not an opportunity to go outside and try to have fun with a hurricane, U.S. Virgin Islands Gov. Kenneth Mapp warned. Its not time to get on a surfboard.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating the six islands in the south because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the potentially catastrophic wind, flooding and storm surge. People there would be flown to Nassau starting Wednesday in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the countrys history.

The price you may pay for not evacuating is your life or serious physical harm, Minnis said.

The National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irmas magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

The dangerousness of this event is like nothing weve ever seen, Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. A lot of infrastructure wont be able to withstand this kind of force.

The director of the islands power company has warned that storm damage could leave some areas without electricity for about a week and other, unspecified areas for four to six months. The utilitys infrastructure has deteriorated greatly during a decade-long recession, and Puerto Ricans experienced an island-wide outage last year.

Government officials began evacuations and urged people to finalize all preparations as store shelves emptied out around Puerto Rico.

The decisions that we make in the next couple of hours can make the difference between life and death, Rossello said. This is an extremely dangerous storm.

No directly storm-related deaths were reported by Tuesday evening but a 75-year-old man died in the central Puerto Rico mountain town of Orocovis after he fell from a ladder while preparing for the hurricane, police said.

The eye of the storm was expected to roar westward on a path taking it north of millions of people in Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, but meteorologists warned that it could still cause life-threating storm surges, rains and mudslides.

The northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could see 10 inches of rain, with as much as 20 inches in the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

The storm seemed almost certain to hit the United States by early next week.

Youd be hard pressed to find any model that doesnt have some impact on Florida. said University of Miami senior hurricane researcher Brian McNoldy.

In Florida, people also stocked up on drinking water and other supplies.

Gov. Rick Scott activated 100 members of the Florida National Guard to be deployed across the state, and 7,000 National Guard members were to report for duty Friday when the storm could be approaching the area. On Monday, Scott declared a state of emergency in all of Floridas 67 counties.

Officials in the Florida Keys geared up to get tourists and residents out of Irmas path, and the mayor of Miami-Dade county said people should be prepared to evacuate Miami Beach and most of the countys coastal areas.

Mayor Carlos Gimenez said the voluntary evacuations could begin as soon as Wednesday evening. He activated the emergency operation center and urged residents to have three days worth of food and water.

A new tropical storm also formed in the Atlantic on Tuesday, to the east of Irma. The hurricane center said Tropical Storm Jose was about 1,330 miles (2,140 kilometers) east of the Lesser Antilles late Tuesday and its maximum sustained winds had risen to 50 mph (85 kph). It was moving west-northwest at 14 mph (22 kph) and could become a hurricane by Wednesday night.

Meanwhile, a tropical depression formed in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico off the coast of Mexico. The hurricane center said the system could become a tropical storm while meandering in the Gulf for several days before making landfall in Mexico on Saturday.
Education Reporter

Mathew Burciaga is a Santa Maria Times reporter who covers education, agriculture and public safety. Prior to joining the Times, Mathew ran a 114-year-old community newspaper in Wyoming. He owns more than 40 pairs of crazy socks from across the globe.
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James Reston Jr.'s latest book is "A Rift in the Earth: Art, Memory, and the Fight for a Vietnam Memorial." Reston served in the U.S. Army from 1965 to 1968 and is a senior scholar at the Woodrow Wilson International Center. He wrote this for the Los Angeles Times.
The one through five scale was created when Robert H. Simpson was director of the National Hurricane Center in 1969 during the time Hurricane Camille blew through the Caribbean and into the warm waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Its winds were clocked at 190 miles (306 kilometers) per hour as it struck Mississippi. The official death toll from wind, storm surge and rain was 256.

"I wasn't able to communicate with people, like the Office of Emergency Planning, the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and all the state agencies that were preparing for the storm," Simpson lamented in the book Hurricane Watch: Forecasting the Deadliest Storms on Earth. "I couldn't get a handle on the storm to answer their question: 'what kind of resources must we put in this particular area to do our job?' I needed something to give them a handle on it, so they would need to know what resources they needed to deal with the storm."

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In 1971, Herbert S. Saffir was working as an engineer in Florida preparing a report for the United Nations on building codes that could withstand the onslaught of high speed winds. He eventually came up with a table that outlined the damage to buildings wind can cause at various speeds. He worked up five categories of hurricanes based on damage each could cause. In 1972, Simpson took Saffir's numbers and correlated them with storm surge estimates and barometric pressure. The result was the Saffir-Simpson scale. By 1975, the Saffir-Simpson scale was in widespread use. Local, state and federal officials, not to mention the public at large, now had an easy-to-read-and-understand chart that outlined a hurricane's impact.
 Two of the latest remarkable variations on sex offender panics | Main | "Drug War Reform: Criminal Justice, Recovery, and Holistic Community Alternatives" 

The question in the title of this post is prompted by this local article headlined "Prop 57: Debate rages on about which inmates should be released early." Here are excerpts:

Ten months after California voters approved a proposition allowing thousands of prison inmates to apply for early release, a debate is still raging over who ought to be freed.

Proposition 57 left it to prison officials to clearly identify which crimes deemed nonviolent would qualify and how an inmates criminal history would affect eligibility. The public could weigh in during a 45-day comment period this summer  and boy, did they. More than 8,500 people threw in their two cents, in writing and at a public hearing in Sacramento last week. Now, the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation is sorting through bulging email boxes and stacks of letters from crime victims, inmates, prosecutors and reformers.

Meanwhile, under emergency regulations, prison officials have already notified prosecutors across California of more than 1,800 inmates who have applied for early parole. No figures are available until later this month on the number of inmates whose applications have been denied, approved or have actually been released. But a snapshot of the situation in two urban counties in Northern California shows relatively few people are being granted early parole, though it is impossible to tell if the trend will continue....

Ken Scheidegger, legal director of the Sacramento-based Criminal Justice Foundation, ... opposed Proposition 57 and is concerned about the early releases. People got the idea a few years ago that prisons were full of harmless people, Scheidegger said. That is a widespread popular misconception.

But proponents note that Proposition 57 was the third time since 2012 that voters overwhelmingly opted to ease Californias tough-on-crime laws to enhance rehabilitation, stop the revolving door of crime and prevent federal courts from indiscriminately releasing inmates to reduce prison crowding. Prop. 57 is not a get out of jail free card, said Benee Vejar, an organizer with the civil rights group Silicon Valley De-Bug. Its asking for an early parole hearing and another chance....

The Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation has until Sept. 20th to develop the regulations, but it can ask for a 90-day extension. The debate over the Proposition 57 regulations is being fought along similar battle lines as the fight over the initiative itself.

Advocates, including Human Rights Watch, want prison officials to consider as many people as possible for early release. Law enforcement officials want to restrict who is eligible and change how the decisions are made. Both sides are calling for more rehabilitation programs. The state recently boosted the prison systems rehab budget by $137 million. We cannot repair the criminal justice system on the cheap, said Rosen, the Santa Clara County district attorney. If we want to improve the outcomes from prison, then we will need to change the experience of being in prison.

The ... opponents chief complaint is that the initiative promised voters that only nonviolent inmates would be eligible for release. But under the existing regulations, certain violent offenders are eligible once they have completed their prison term for the violent felony, but are still serving time for a nonviolent felony they were also convicted of. The Legislative Analysts Office also raised questions about the provision. On the other hand, Proponents want to expand the pool of inmates. Currently, about 4,000 inmates with third strikes whose last offense was nonviolent are barred from applying for early parole. Yet according to the CDCRs own public safety risk evaluations, nonviolent third-strikers are more than three times more likely to qualify as low risk than the currently eligible prisoners.

But opponents claim crime will rise under Proposition 57, a warning they have sounded since 2011 when Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature began scaling back the emphasis on incarceration in response to a federal court order about prison crowding and inhumane health care. Opponents point to the fact that violent crime in 2016 rose in the state  by 4.1 percent  unlike in the country as a whole. However, proponents note Californias violent crime rate remains comparable to levels seen in the late 1960s. And property crime was down 2.9 percent and remained lower than it was in 2010, before the reforms began....

Law enforcement officials also complain about the process. Among their concerns: Early parole applications are subject to a paper review, rather than a parole hearing; prosecutors only have 30 days to prepare a recommendation; only inmates may appeal the boards decision; and police are cut out entirely. My rank and file are on the front lines  theyre the ones who have to encounter these individuals once theyre on the streets, San Jose police Chief Eddie Garcia said.
The low-budget web series genre has spawned enduring and memorable TV comedies like Portlandia, Broad City, and Insecure, but the next great web series may be sprouting up locally in Oaktown. A new web comedy called The North Pole drops on Tuesday, and it's a seven-episode series that, according to its Facebook page, hits on our generation's most urgent social issues: Gentrification. Global warming. And gluten-free donuts.

Prior to the online release, there's a theatrical premiere happening tomorrow night at Oakland's Grand Lake Theater. Both screenings are already sold out for that, but you can just wait the entire seven-part web series will be available on the shows YouTube channel on September 12. The stars of the show are Donte Clark (Romeo Is Bleeding), Reyna Amaya, and Santiago Rosas, but the series also features cameos from W. Kamau Bell, Boots Riley, Mistah Fab, and former Black Panther Party leader Ericka Huggins.

The North Pole is a metaphor for the parallels between urban displacement and ecological disruption, writer and executive producer Josh Healey told KQED. Here in North Oakland and up in the Arctic, the climate is changing  and the native species (Oakland natives here, polar bears there) [are] going extinct. But for us making this show, its not just a metaphor. This is our home. This is our environment. One of the things we want to challenge with the show is this idea that climate activism is just about stopping greenhouse gases or saving the whales. Its really about changing the fundamental nature of this hyper-capitalist economy that is destroying environments across the globe. And that includes for poor people and people of color who are being pushed out of Oakland.

But how can a slapstick web comedy really make an impact on the lives of at-risk youth and displaced Oakland natives? Its a question that came up on social media when The North Pole trailer was released.

The show is produced by Movement Generation, a small social movement nonprofit based here in Oakland, the shows producers said. We're partnering with other groups here in the Bay and beyond who are fighting for affordable housing and climate justice.

The North Pole is going to be a Youtube web series, they said. No one's making any money off it. Unless someone wants to holler at Jay-Z and Beyonce for us? Oprah? Shiiit...what about Draymond?



The North Pole debuts Tuesday, September 12 on YouTube and at TheNorthPoleShow.com.

Related: Watch 'Dog Days,' A New Hal Hartley-Esque Web Series Set In SF




San Francisco's recent heat wave is now San Francisco's deadly heat wave, officials said Wednesday, tracing the demise of three residents to the city's record-breaking temperatures. Add to that a release Thursday from the San Mateo County Coroner saying that three more people died there as a result of the heat  and the death toll may rise as more reports come in from other counties.

The San Francisco Medical Examiner's Office announced that three elderly people died due to probable heat-related causes this weekend, the Ex reports.

All three were born in the 1920s or 1930s, lived alone, and died at home, the ME's office says.

None of the deaths were preceded by calls to 911, putting to rest worries that any of the dead were among the 28 life-threatening calls made over a weekend so short on EMTs that fire engine crews had to wait 20 minutes or more for an ambulance to arrive.

San Mateo County Coroner Robert Foucrault told the Chronicle that we can add to that list Patrick Henry of Pacifica, 90; Ernesto Demesa of Daly City, 79; and Loraine Christiansen of Millbrae, 95. Demesa and Henry both lived in homes without air conditioning, Demesa alone and Henry with his wife. Christiansen lived in an assisted living facility.

As noted by NBC Bay Area, "People of advanced ages living independently are the most vulnerable in extreme conditions," saying that the ME's office recommends "well checks and frequent contact to ensure friends, family, and neighbors are healthy and not in need of assistance."

When contacted by the Chron regarding the deaths, Department of Public Health spokeswoman Rachael Kagan said We will look deeply into these incidents and see what we can learn about improving outreach to elderly and vulnerable populations."

On Tuesday, Supervisors London Breed, Aaron Peskin and Jane Kim called for a hearing on the city's preparation for the heat wave, which the Chron described as "sluggish."

It is deeply concerning that in a city with San Franciscos resources, at least three preventable deaths happened as a result of the heat wave  and many more people were affected in non-fatal ways, Peskin says.

We will be asking the tough questions to make sure San Francisco is not caught flat-footed again."

And well he should: As previously reported, climate scientists are suggesting that the recent heat wave could be the first of many, as continued climate change makes for conditions leading to extreme temperatures like last weekend's.

"It makes more sense to ask whether global warming made an event more likely," UCLA climate scientist Dr. Daniel Swain says. "And in the case of an unprecedented extreme heat wave, the answer these days is usually yes."

Related: Record-Breaking Heat Could Be Ongoing Trend For SF Bay Area

ABC 7 Weatherman Drew Tuma Collapsed From Heat Exhaustion During Heatwave



*This post has been updated throughout.
A man turned a parking misstep into what police describe as an "attempted robbery" Wednesday, when he attacked a woman who tried to get him to depart a space he improperly occupied.

Police say that the incident occurred at 4:50 p.m. Wednesday, in front of a hotel near the intersection of Taylor and Post Streets.

According to the San Francisco Police Department, a man who looked to be in his 60s had parked his vehicle in a loading zone in front of the hotel. That's when a 53-year-old woman who worked at the hotel approached the vehicle, asking the driver to "move along."

Instead of hitting the road, the man exited his car and headed toward the woman, who used her cell phone to photograph the driver as he advanced toward her.

The man grabbed her cell phone, but couldn't wrest it from his victim's grasp, even when he punched her in the stomach, police say.

Cell phone-less, the suspect ran back to his car and fled east on Polk Street.

The woman wasn't seriously injured in the attack, police say. The suspect remains at large as of publication time, and the SFPD confirms that no arrests have been made in the case.

Related: Double Parking Spurs Road-Rage Attack In Marina
Down at China Live, in a cloistered spot upstairs from the six-month-old Market Restaurant, there now sits a fancy, semi-hidden cocktail bar with a menu centered on scotch  a spirit beloved by some and loathed by many, wrongly or not, and which has not yet formed the backbone of cocktail bar in San Francisco to date. We have the rum-centric Smuggler's Cove, its gin-focused cousin Whitechapel, the whiskey-focused bar at The Saratoga (and many others with a penchant for whiskey), the brandy-inclined Trou Normand, and a full complement of tequila and mezcal at Mosto, Mezcalito, and elsewhere. But not until owner George Chen and beverage consultant Duggan McDonnell decided to open Cold Drinks have we had a bar bold enough to build an entire menu around scotch.

In a piece about the bar in the Chronicle, McDonnell tells drinks writer Esther Mobley that he's been surprised by the reception for some of the drinks made with the more hard-to-like Islay scotches he has in stock, as opposed to the somewhat more palatable Highland varieties. "People want bold flavors, he says. Women want bold flavors. I think of it as parallel to this era of mezcal, and people drinking more spirit-forward cocktails."

McDonnell has played a significant role in the evolution of the SF cocktail scene over the last decade, beginning with work he did at the long-gone Frisson (anyone remember his squid-ink martini?), and then with his Latin-centric, fresh-fruit concoctions at Cantina (R.I.P.). More recently he's headed up an SF-based brand of pisco, Campo de Encanto, and written a book about San Francisco cocktails in which pisco and other spirits from the southern Pacific coast (which arrived here in early Gold Rush-era ships) play a big role.

Now he's created an easy-drinking, largely tap-based cocktail menu for China Live, and a more refined, nuanced, and expensive cocktail experience for Cold Drinks  the name, by the way, comes from a possibly mythic cocktail bar in Shanghai a century ago that got the name "because it had ice," as McDonnell tells the Chron.

And topping the menu, price-wise, is a $52 cocktail called the Royal Salute Rob Roy  a spin on the classic Rob Roy using the pricey Chivas Royal Salute 21-year, which can retail for upwards of $180 a bottle, and Glenlivet 12-year, along with Lustau and Chinato vermouths and bitters. It's an expense-account choice to be sure, or one for a baller type trying to impress a date, maybe, and as Mobley writes, "Would I order it again if I werent expensing it for a review? No."

http://www.sfchronicle.com/food/article/Cold-Drinks-mixes-it-up-to-bring-scotch-into-the-12177756.php&cmpid=twitter-premium A post shared by Duggan McDonnell (@dugganmcdonnell) on Sep 6, 2017 at 8:43pm PDT

Other drinks on the menu include the above-pictured, very pretty Long Islay Iced Tea ($22), which comes heavily garnished in a copper pineapple cup; and the Als Cut ($18)  which Mobley describes as "a vegetal take on the gimlet with black pepper, peat syrup, and teapot and mushroom bitters."

You'll note that these lower-priced drinks are still higher priced than at most SF bars that are not in fancy hotels  these are New York prices to be sure. But we always have a way of catching up to New York in these ways, and as McDonnell puts to the Chronicle "Luxury is play." And yes, this may be a reason why there haven't been more scotch cocktail bars: the price of admission to this luxe club is high.

There is a third bar/lounge space in the China Live complex called the Gold Mountain Lounge, which is sumptuously decorated like Cold Drinks but is currently only available for private events (with drinks likely arriving from downstairs). And these should be joined soon by Chen's promised fine dining venue Eight Tables, which the website says is still opening in "Summer 2017."

Related: China Live Gets A Hidden Cocktail Bar

All About China Live, Debuting Its Main Floor Food And Retail Complex On Wednesday


Dozens and dozens of wildfires are currently burning across California, Oregon, and other western states, confirming that this will go down as a terrible fire season in the historical record  despite record rains this past winter that had forecasters believing we might have a mild year for wildfires. One of those, the Railroad Fire just outside Yosemite National Park, was pushed by winds from a thunderstorm this week into a grove of 2,700-year-old giant sequoias known as the Nelder Grove  an area of about 1,500 acres in the Sierra National Forest.

As the LA Times reports, the fire is now 43 percent contained, and covers 11,600 acres.

Giant sequoias are resilient and known to withstand forest fires, and as ABC 30 reports, it's unclear yet whether any trees suffered any serious damage. Video from the are shows firefighters wrapping a giant trunk with protective foil, and another image shows part of a scorched trunk.

A large fire burning along the picturesque Columbia River Gorge in Oregon, which is now at 50 square miles, was allegedly started by a group of "giggling teens" who were tossing fireworks and smoke bombs into a dry canyon along some hiking trails on Saturday.

The Washington Post reports that police have interviewed one 15-year-old boy and some other teens were seen by multiple witnesses tossing the fireworks, with one of the teens shooting video on his phone while a couple of onlooking girls laughed.

The Oregonian spoke with witness Liz FitzGerald of Portland who said she saw "this shorter kid lob this smoke bomb down into the canyon. I was probably 4 feet away from him. I said, 'Do you realize how dangerous this is?'"

There was already smoke from could have been an existing wildfire, or one begun by a different firework, and FitzGerald says she encountered some other hikers who said they would "rat them out" to authorities. She then says she encountered the teens a second time on the trail as a fire was obviously emanating from the area along Eagle Creek where she'd seen them throwing fireworks. "My adrenaline is through the roof," FitzGerald said to the Oregonian. "I said, 'Do you realize you just started a forest fire?' And the kid who had been filming with his cellphone said, 'But what are we supposed to do about it now?' And I said, 'Call the fricking fire department!'"

Video below apparently shows state police questioning the teens shortly thereafter.

As of Wednesday night, the fire, called the Eagle Creek Fire, looked like this, and it is only 5 percent contained:

As the Associated Press reports, Oregonians are especially heartbroken over this fire, because this "federally protected scenic area holds North America's largest concentration of waterfalls and is home to 800 wildflower species," and is a popular summer tourist destination.

Meanwhile, this is just one of many fires currently raging across the West. As ABC News explains, in addition to twenty blazes currently burning in California, there's a 68-square-mile fire near Mount Rainier National Park in Washington, a fire threatening 200 homes in a Utah canyon, and a fire in Montana that's threatening the state's oldest Amish community.

The satellite image below from NASA shows smoke billowing from the dozens of fires across Oregon, Washington, Northern California, Idaho, and Montana on Tuesday.

As of today, a week-old fire burning in Trinity County in Northern California, near Junction City, has grown to almost 17,000 acres. It's called the Helena Fire, and as the Redding Record-Searchlight reports "weary" firefighters were pummeled with heavy rain and thunderstorms this morning, but the fire is still only 30 percent contained.



Related: Two Wildfires Burning In Yosemite, The South Fork Fire And Empire Fire, Caused By Lightning
The event is co-organized by the Ho Chi Minh Communist Youth Union and the Lao People Revolutionary Youth Union.



Speaking at the launching ceremony, Vietnamese National Assembly Vice Chairwoman Tong Thi Phong expressed the belief that the young generations of Laos and Vietnam will continue to strengthen and develop the bilateral relations.

The young people then joined hands to paint a 55 meter-long picture marking the 55th anniversary of Vietnam-Laos diplomatic relations.

An exhibition of 150 photos honoring the relationship between the two countries was also opened on the same day.

Leaders of both youth unions participated in a discussion on building a traditional museum on histories and national leaders of Laos and Vietnam, and publishing books on national revolutionary leaders of the two countries.





By BICH QUYEN  Translated by Kim Khanh
ARCHER, Iowa | The Archer Co-op Grain Company was fined by OSHA after an intern working on a truck got her hair caught in a power take-off shaft, resulting in severe damage to her head, in May.

Iowa Occupational Safety and Health Administration documents show the company was cited for 11 violations, nine of which are serious. The total amount fined was $6,300.

On May 17, the O'Brien County Sheriff's Office said Francesca Feekes, 21, was working on a tender truck and her hair became entangled in the PTO shaft, causing severe damage to her scalp.

Feekes, an intern at the business, was transported to Sheldon Sanford Medical Center and then to a hospital in Sioux Falls.

Feekes survived the accident and a benefit for her recovery was held last month.

The documents said the employer failed to ensure the safety of its employees when performing "maintenance, repairs and/or sanitation" on equipment.

The co-op is at 112 Cherokee Ave. in Archer -- which is about 10 miles southeast of Sheldon, Iowa.
DAKOTA CITY | Three people were sent to the hospital after a school bus carrying students collided with a van in Dakota City Wednesday.

The Dakota County Sheriff's Office said the accident took place around 3:45 p.m. at the intersection of 11th and Cedar streets.

A press release said the school bus, with 42 people on board, failed to yield to a right of way and hit a minivan.

Two of the minivan's passengers were transported to the hospital. One juvenile female on the school bus was transported to the hospital for a minor injury, the release said.

The school bus was driven by Rhonda Ross, 65, of South Sioux City, and she was cited for failing to yield to a right of way.

The minivan was driven by Ginger Armstrong, 37, of South Sioux City.

The Dakota County Sheriff's Office was assisted by the Nebraska State Patrol.
SPENCER, Iowa -- The 2017 Clay County Fair, which kicks off Saturday, marks the centennial founding of the private organization that built the annual autumn event in Spencer into "The World's Greatest County Fair."

The fair's origins date to July 2, 1917, when 180 area residents pledged $100 for an exposition featuring livestock, farm machinery, carnival rides and other attractions. The individual investment, made in the midst of World War I, would amount to about $1,800 in today's dollars.

The county's first modern fair unfolded a year later, Sept. 24-27, 1918. The largest county fair in Iowa that year, it drew more than 30,000 people and gate receipt of $16,000 over the four days.

The fair has since grown into one of the largest county fairs in the United States, attracting fair-goers from throughout Iowa, the neighboring states of Minnesota and South Dakota, and well beyond.

Today, people from places like Lakefield and Windom, Minnesota, might not know at first that this is the centennial year for the fair. But theyll come anyway because its their tradition," said Dave Simington, a 12-year president of the fair board.

Attendance passed 300,000 for the first time in 1995, when the schedule was expanded to the current nine days.

Some of the structures on the fairgrounds have been around for decades while others have been added in recent years.

In 1931, the same year that a massive fire, ignited by fireworks, destroyed much of downtown Spencer, a new grandstand was built to replace the original, which lacked sufficient seating for the thousands of fair-goers who daily flocked to see acts, stage shows, horse and car races. An all steel and concrete grandstand seating about 5,000 people was erected at a cost of $45,000.

The grandstand, which has hosted big-name acts ranging from Bob Hope to Johnny Cash to Alan Jackson to Rick Springfield, is the oldest building on the fairgrounds today, aside from the towers at Gate A, one of two ornamental entrances built in the shape of an arch with towers at each side.

New construction has continued almost every year at the fair, manager Jeremy Parsons noted.

Simington remembers the commercial exhibit building was one of two major buildings constructed in Spencer in 1954 -- the second being the original field house at the high school. Thats two major construction projects for the city in one year, he said.

In 2003, the Clay County Regional Events Center opened on the fairgrounds adding over 30,000 square feet of year-round meeting and exhibit space.

While many county fairs struggle with funding, Simington said the Clay County Fair is in "very good shape. Parsons concurred, noting that the organization spent more than $1 million last year to add attractions and renovate infrastructure.

The newest fairgrounds building, the 12,000-square-foot Tower Gate Pavilion, debuts on Saturday. The commercial exhibition building is located near the recently refurbished Gate A. Nearly century-old township signs line one wall of the pavilion.

When I was a kid, each township had a booth and each rural schoolhouse had a booth and the teachers brought down the kids stuff to display. That brought people to the fair, Simington said.

As much as the centennial fair is reviewing the past, Parsons noted there are several new aspects to the fair as well. Where homemade wines were a fairly recent addition fair competition, a craft beer category has been added. So if youre growing hops in your basement thats something new -- along with fried chicken and potato salad contests in the food department.

Operating as a private organization, Simington said, "has made the Clay County Fair a better fair.

"The shareholders elect us. Were not appointed like many other fairs' boards, where members are appointed to the board because they are buddies with some elected official. And there is no automatic succession plan for the officers of the board, he said.

Simington, whose great-grandfather homesteaded 160 acres in Clay County in 1870 after standing guard over President Abrahams Lincolns casket at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, sees the fair board as different than others he has served on, including the school board, church board, and elevator board.

Im not saying those were bad. But this board is just a fun board. Its fun to go to the zone meetings and the state and national and international conventions. When we go to the international convention each year in Las Vegas, there isnt anybody who doesnt know Jeremy (Parsons, the CEO and fair manager).
CASTANA, Iowa | A coffee pot doubling as a vase held a colorful assortment of flowers near Thelma Miller's casket on Thursday, fitting for a woman who connected friends around a cup of coffee for years.

Miller, 103, died on Saturday. Nearly 190 family members and friends turned out to celebrate her life in a funeral service at Castana Community Church.

I interviewed Miller a few times through the years, as she represented a vanishing breed of Iowa Caucus "pioneers" who hosted a Democratic caucus in her home.

That's largely the way Iowa's first-in-the-nation caucuses began in 1972; neighbors of like political persuasion gathered in kitchens and living rooms across Iowa, pledging their support for various candidates while sipping coffee and munching on brownies or cake.

Miller didn't just open her home on that night the nation turned its political attention to the Hawkeye state. She opened her kitchen and dining room every day for more than 21 years, making certain folks in Castana had a place to convene for conversation, cookies and a cup of joe.

I sat in on Miller's coffee klatch one March morning three years ago. Our session, which came to about 10 of us, occurred three weeks after Miller's 100th birthday open house.

"My husband (Marvin) and I stood outside the church for an hour and a half before we got into the church to greet Thelma at her 100th birthday open house," Beverly Struble, of nearby Onawa, Iowa, told me on Thursday.

By all accounts, the line of guests snaked through Castana for three blocks that day.

"Thelma personally greeted every guest," Struble said. The number of open house attendees that day came to 400, nearly tripling the size of the only community Thelma Miller ever called home.

"Her children were trying to move Thelma along, but she wanted to visit with every person who came through," said Kathy Hanson, who served as a vocalist at Thursday's funeral.

"Thelma was popular in the modern sense and in the sense that matters most," said the Rev. Linda Boggs. "She was loved and adored by all who met her. She had a graciousness and joy about her that came from a deep and quiet faith."

When a church group stopped by Miller's home on a caroling activity, Miller invited them inside to warm themselves. She then sent them away with buckets of fresh caramel popcorn.

"She told me she was lucky to have so many friends," Boggs continued before a pause. "We were the lucky ones."

Melba Struble spoke of her "Aunt Thelma" and the ways in which she "fed us, raised us, listened to us, cheered us on and cried and prayed for us."

In the end, Melba Struble said, Thelma "loved us unconditionally."

She loved her neighbors and community that way, too. There's no other way to explain how a woman, beyond age 100, continued to throw open her kitchen door every morning, a welcoming invitation for anyone who simply enjoyed the warmth of friendship.

And, of course, the warmth that comes with a fresh pot of coffee.

Leaving Thelma's funeral, I was pleased to hear her daily coffee klatch tradition continues in Castana. It is now hosted by Thelma's friends Kathy Hanson, Nancy Hanson, Dorothy Reed and Phyllis Dovrovolny.

"On Fridays, we rotate," Kathy Hanson said. "Anyone is welcome."

Thelma Miller wouldn't have it any other way.
DAKOTA CITY | A judge Thursday set a $1.25 million bond for a South Sioux City man charged with fatally shooting his wife.

Beisheng Chen, 41, declined to have Dakota County Judge Kurt Rager appoint an attorney to represent him as his case proceeds. Rager asked him twice if he was sure he did not want an attorney appointed, and both times Chen told him through an interpreter translating the judge's words into Mandarin that he did not.

Chen remains in custody in the Dakota County Jail.

Chen was arrested Wednesday on charges of first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and first-degree domestic assault for the shooting death of his wife, Mei Huang, 33, near the Law Enforcement Center at 701 W. 29th St. in South Sioux City.

Police officers inside the building rushed outside after hearing two gunshots at about 8:10 a.m. and found Huang lying on the ground with gunshot wounds. Chen was found in the vicinity, taken into custody for questioning and later arrested. A firearm was found at the scene.

Rager ordered Chen to have no contact, either by phone or electronically, with Huang's family or their children.
SIOUX CITY | A Sioux City man has been arrested after police say he led authorities on a pursuit in a stolen car.

Blake Nicholas Schoenherr, 24, was arrested early Thursday morning and charged with second-degree theft and two counts of probation violation.

According to court documents, Sioux City Police received a report Wednesday that a 2012 Chevrolet Cruze had been stolen. Around 2 a.m. Thursday, a North Sioux City Police officer located Schoenherr operating the vehicle and attempted to stop him.

Documents say Schoenherr led the officer on a pursuit that ended in the area of 500 Outer Drive in Sioux City. Schoenherr then fled on foot and was captured by Sioux City Police, according to documents.

Schoenherr is being held on $20,000 bond.
SOUTH SIOUX CITY | A 33-year-old woman died after being shot in the parking lot of the Law Enforcement Center in South Sioux City Wednesday. Police have arrested her husband and charged him with first-degree murder.

South Sioux City Police Chief Ed Mahon said officers inside the building, 701 W. 29th St., heard two gunshots fired at 8:10 a.m. and, upon investigation, found Mei Huang on the ground in the Law Enforcement Center's east parking lot with severe injuries.

Her husband, Beisheng Chen, 41, of South Sioux City, was found in the vicinity and taken into custody for questioning, a press release said.

Huang was transported to Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City via South Sioux City Fire & Rescue, Mahon said. She died around 11 a.m.

Mahon said the two arrived in the parking lot in separate vehicles. Police found a firearm at the scene.

Chen has been charged with first-degree murder, use of a firearm to commit a felony and first-degree domestic assault. He was booked into the Dakota County Jail, the release said.

Authorities taped off the area around the Law Enforcement Center following the incident Wednesday and blocked traffic for the length of the block on Willow Street, the road directly to the east, as investigators worked in the scene.

The South Sioux City Police Department, Dakota County Sheriff's Office, and Nebraska State Patrol were on scene to investigate the shooting.

Investigators reviewed surveillance footage from the parking lot and, around 10:30 a.m., brought in a drone from the South Sioux City Community School District to gather another aerial perspective.

Mahon said the South Sioux City Community Schools went on lockdown for a brief period Wednesday morning after the call came in, as is standard practice when there is a reported shots fired call.
STORM LAKE, Iowa | Two juvenile males, ages 16 and 17, have been charged with first-degree theft after police say they stole a car valued at more than $10,000.

A news release from the Storm Lake Police Department said police received the report around 5 p.m. Sunday that someone had stolen the reporting party's 2014 Dodge Avenger. Police put out an area broadcast to be on the lookout for the vehicle, and around 6:50 p.m. the Buena Vista County Sheriff's Office located the vehicle.

A pursuit ensued, and the two occupants were recovered following the chase, according to the release.

The two occupants of the stolen vehicle were identified as the 16- and 17-year-old males. According to police, further investigation showed they stole the vehicle, drove it to another location and removed the license plates from a second vehicle to place on the stolen vehicle. After they had departed that location, they had been located by authorities.

The juveniles, whose names are not being released, were charged with first-degree theft and possession of stolen property. They were processed and released to the custody of their parents.

The case has been forwarded to the Juvenile Court Authority.
SPENCER, Iowa | Clay County Sheriff's deputies tased a man who became uncooperative and fought with deputies and damaged a patrol car.

Deputies responding to a report of a truck in a ditch in the 3100 block of 125th Avenue in rural Clay County at 8:04 p.m. Wednesday, encountered Bradley Fuehrer trying to get his truck and gooseneck trailer, which had jackknifed out of the ditch.

According to a news release from the Clay County Sheriff's Office, deputies began an OWI investigation, and Fuehrer, 49, of Lincoln, Nebraska, became uncooperative and was tased. Bradley then fought with deputies and was arrested. Once inside the back of a squad car, Fuehrer began to kick the roof of the car and both rear doors, causing damage to the car.

Fuehrer was booked into the Clay County Jail on charges of OWI, open container, failure to maintain control, interference with official acts, fourth-degree criminal mischief and disarming a police officer.
UPDATE (5:47 p.m.) The woman who was shot to death outside the Law Enforcement Center in South Sioux City has been identified as Mei Huang, 33.

Her husband, Beisheng Chen, 41, has been charged with first-degree murder and other felonies, a press release said.

Officers inside the building who heard the gunshots ran outside and found Huang laying on the sidewalk with severe injuries. She was rushed to a Sioux City hospital, where she later died.

Chen was spotted leaving the scene and was placed under arrest. He is currently in the Dakota County Jail awaiting arraignment.

UPDATE (2:23 p.m.): The woman who sustained a gunshot wound in the parking lot of the Law Enforcement Center in South Sioux City Wednesday morning has died, police said.

South Sioux City Police Chief Ed Mahon said Wednesday afternoon that Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City has notified authorities the woman died shortly after 11 a.m.

Mahon said the investigation into the incident and into the male suspect who was detained this morning is still ongoing.

SOUTH SIOUX CITY | A woman was hospitalized with life-threatening injuries early Wednesday after she was shot near the Law Enforcement Center in South Sioux City, police said.

Police say the incident involved a "possible domestic situation."

Officers inside the building, 701 W. 29th St., heard gunshots fired at 8:10 a.m. and, upon exiting the building, found the female victim on the ground in the east parking lot at the Law Enforcement Center, according to South Sioux City Police Chief Ed Mahon.

Mahon said a male was found in the vicinity and taken into custody for questioning. No other suspects are being sought.

The victim had life-threatening injuries and was transported to Mercy Medical Center -- Sioux City via South Sioux City Fire & Rescue, he said.

The shooting is being investigated by the South Sioux City Police Department, Dakota County Sheriff's Office and Nebraska State Patrol.

A news release on the police department's Facebook page said the incident was a "possible domestic situation," but Mahon did not have any details Wednesday morning on what sort of relationship the male and female may have had.

Mahon said the male and female -- whom he estimates are in their early to mid-thirties -- arrived in the east parking lot in separate vehicles. Police located a handgun at the scene.

No officers were injured in the incident.

Authorities taped off the area around the Law Enforcement Center following the incident Wednesday and blocked traffic for the length of the block on Willow Street, the road directly to the east, as investigators worked in the scene.

Investigators were reviewing surveillance footage from the parking lot and, around 10:30 a.m., brought in a drone from the South Sioux City Community School District.

"We're using the drone to get another aerial perspective," Mahon said.

Mahon said the South Sioux City Community Schools went on lockdown for a brief period Wednesday morning after the call came in, as is standard practice when there is a reported shots fired call.
SIOUX CITY -- A wanted man turned himself in to a Sioux City police officer Wednesday.

Charles Ahuna, 23, called the police department and said he wanted to surrender on his warrants.

He was arrested at an address on the near north side of Sioux City, a press release from the U.S. Marshals Service Northern Iowa Fugitive Task Force said.

Ahuna was wanted by the Woodbury County Sheriff's Office for failing to appear for his sentencing hearing on two counts of third-degree sexual abuse.
WEST POINT, Neb. | An Oakland, Nebraska, woman pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges connected with the slaying of a man whose house was burned after he was killed.

Becky Weitzenkamp, 41, entered her plea in Cuming County District Court to single counts of first-degree arson and accessory to a felony. Her trial was scheduled for Nov. 21.

Weitzenkamp is accused of buying a can of lighter fluid and driving Derek Olson to the home of Ernest Warnock to set the house on fire. Olson and his father, Jody Olson, are charged with second-degree murder and other charges for the death of Warnock, 64, whose body was found inside the burned rubble of his rural Rosalie, Nebraska, home on March 11.

Derek Olson, 27, and Jody Olson, 47, both of Oakland, are accused of going to Warnock's home on March 10 to retrieve property belonging to Weitzenkamp. According to court documents, a fight broke out, and Warnock stabbed Jody Olson in the arm before Derek Olson stabbed Warnock several times in the neck and head and hit him in the head with a ball peen hammer.

An autopsy found that Warnock was dead before his home was set on fire. A dog trapped inside the house died in the fire.

Derek and Jody Olson had been scheduled to stand trial on Sept. 25, but their trials were continued on Thursday to Nov. 21.

Both men have pleaded not guilty to second-degree murder, accessory to a felony, use of a weapon to commit a felony and first-degree arson. Derek Olson is also charged with cruelty to an animal.
SIOUX CITY | Four of the five Sioux City School Board candidates have received endorsements from two local unions.

The Sioux City Education Association, which represents 1,000 teachers in the Sioux City School District, endorsed four candidates -- incumbent Perla Alarcon-Flory and challengers Ron Colling, Miyuki Nelson and Jeremy Saint.

The four endorsed candidates and challenger Shaun Broyhill are competing for three open seats on the seven-member board.

These candidates all believe educators need to be empowered to insure our students continue to thrive. They are committed to insuring both academic and financial accountability, SCEA Director Bruce Lear said in a news release.

The Northwest Chapter of the Western Iowa Labor Federation endorsed Colling, Alarcon-Flory and Saint. The federation reviewed candidate questionnaires and interviewed people, then delegates voted on endorsements.

The Siouxland Chamber of Commerce often endorses in local elections. Chamber officials said they did not have sufficient time to meet with all the school board candidates this year, so they passed on making endorsements.

Voting runs from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, and early voting has been underway since Aug. 21.

Incumbents John Meyers and Paul Gorski decided not to seek re-election to the board.
Editor's note: Third in a series of five stories on candidates seeking seats on the Sioux City School Board in the Sept. 12 election.

SIOUX CITY | In being raised in rural Alabama, Jeremy Saint had two choices for a fifth grade teacher in the low-enrollment school: one of his two parents.

"The only two fifth grade teachers were my Dad or my Mom," Saint summarized with a smile.

It turned out he spent the year with his father teaching. Having the upbringing by two teachers led Saint at an early age to get a deeper feel for the workings of schools.

Now, Saint, 39, after living in Sioux City since 2007, is running for the Sioux City School Board.

"Doing something with education has always been in my mind...There is always this pull toward the educational community, education issues," Saint said.

The school board election is set for Sept. 12, when three people will win four-year terms. The five candidates are Saint, Shaun Broyhill, Ron Colling, Miyuki Nelson, and incumbent Perla Alarcon-Flory.

Saint said people in his Alabama school always thought he would become a math teacher. He pondered journalism, then steered toward a legal career, which took him after his undergraduate degree from the University of Alabama-Huntsville to the University of Iowa.

He has lived in Iowa since 2004, and came to Sioux City while attending law school, for a 2006 summer position with the Crary Huff Law Firm.

"After spending three months here, we loved it. There was a full-time offer at the end of the summer," Saint said, so by 2007 he was an attorney for the Crary Huff firm and starting a family with his wife, Amelia.

The Saints have two children under age 10. Saint said he likes the school options Langston, 9, has had. Langston attended another elementary school initially, then at age 6 read a Journal article about Loess Hills Elementary, a specialty school focusing on computer programming.

"He just starts insisting that he must transfer," Saint said, adding his parents complied.

"From what I can see, we are turning out good students. I have no axes to grind with the school district...Our family personally has had good experiences," he said.

Saint said he waited to run for the school board until he had firm roots in Sioux City, and feels he's there, after a decade. He has previously served on the Budget Review Committee, which reports to the school board.

Saint said it is beneficial to have a wide variety of people on the school board, from retired teachers to business people. He said there are no attorneys on the board, so his expertise in that field would be a boon.

Saint added that his law practice in large part involves real estate matters, and he understands the necessity of keeping property taxes as low as possible, while still having enough money to adequately fund the Sioux City School District.

"I have skills, knowledge and experiences that I can contribute to the board," he said.
LINN GROVE, Iowa | Aaron Anderson set up a motion-sensor camera on his parents' farmstead east of Linn Grove late this summer, aiming to capture on film the movement of deer for upcoming youth and bow seasons.

Instead, he recorded a mountain lion, the third sighting of one in the area, he said.

"I've heard people have caught them on camera at Peterson (Iowa) and Cherokee (Iowa) recently," said Anderson, a truck driver. "This could be the same one. I don't know too much about them."

An Iowa Department of Natural Resources officer in late June killed a female mountain lion that climbed into a tree on a farm near Galva, Iowa, some 36 miles south of Linn Grove. That sighting proved significant as it was the first confirmed female found in Iowa in more than a century.

A DNR officer shot that mountain lion as officials believed it had recently killed cattle in the area.

Anderson said he's not sure the sex of the mountain lion that roamed his family's acreage. He's not sure of its weight, either. In truth, he'd rather not find out.

"I had a camera set up for deer. I wasn't looking for kitty-cats," he said. "I hope it goes away. I don't want to see it again."

Anderson's mother, Cheryl Anderson, recalled a time five decades ago when her family talked about mountain lion sightings in Buena Vista County. She wondered if they've been around periodically in years since.

"We have a lot of timber along the (Little Sioux) river," Cheryl Anderson said, adding that her family does not raise livestock, though their neighbors do. "I suppose it is following the river."

Both Cheryl and Aaron Anderson spoke of recent sightings of a big cat near Linn Grove this summer. One took place on a nearby gravel road, the other at Barnes Township Cemetery.

"A woman was throwing flowers over the fence at the cemetery after Memorial Day and she jumped it, scared it and it ran away," Aaron Anderson said.

"And, four to five weeks ago, a lady who lives out here was running on a gravel road one night and one jumped out at the end of a driveway and growled at her," he said. "She said it was a huge cat and it ran away."

DNR officials have cautioned the public to give wild animals their space in cases like this, as mountain lions often try to keep to themselves.

Aaron Anderson noted that his images of the mountain lion were recorded at 2:30 a.m. on the family farm one-half mile east of Linn Grove.

The Ida County mountain lion, shot on June 27, was the fourth killed in Iowa in recent years, and the most recent since one was killed in 2013 in Sioux County. Since 1995, there have been 21 confirmed mountain lions in Iowa.

The presence of a female could be a sign that others may be in the state and potentially reproducing here.

Anderson's brush with the animal has him thinking much more cautiously about hunting deer as a pair of season-openers approach. The first, a season for youth and disabled hunters, takes place next weekend. The second, a bow season, commences Oct. 1.

"I've never gone hunting when there's a critter out there that can hunt me," he said. "This year we'll have to be a little extra careful."
Todays top picks from our online calendar. Find more events at siouxcityjournal.com/calendar.

University of Iowa Mobile Museum

A free mobile museum featuring exhibits on Oneota archaeology, discoveries from Iowa's ancient seas, and oral histories on Iowa's changing workforce will be on display noon to 3 p.m. in parking lot 2 at Western Iowa Tech Community College, 4647 Stone Ave. The Sanford Museum and Planetarium from Cherokee, Iowa, will also be present with activities for attendees.

Loess Hills Audubon Society

Join the Loess Hills Audubon Society at their monthly meeting for a program entitled, "The Challenge of a Changing Landscape, by Kevin Pape, Park Ranger with Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The program will begin at 7:30 p.m. at Dorothy Pecaut Nature Center, 4500 Sioux River Road. Optional potluck supper available at 6:30 p.m. Bring a dish to share and your own table service.

Honoring Our Armed Services

Explore the military contributions of Siouxland residents past and present at the Sioux City Public Museum, 607 Fourth St. The exhibit will feature uniforms, weaponry and equipment from the Civil War to the post-9/11 wars. Call 712-279-6174 or visit siouxcitymuseum.org for more information.
OMAHA | The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has determined that winter releases from Gavins Point Dam near Yankton, South Dakota, will be at least 17,000 cubic feet per second.

The rate was set after the Sept. 1 Missouri River system storage check.

Drought conditions continue in the upper Missouri River basin, but August runoff above Sioux City was 1.8 million acre-feet, which is 129 percent of average. The 2017 runoff forecast is 28.7 MAF, or 113 percent of average.

With the planned winter releases, all water currently stored in the flood control zone in the system's six reservoirs will be released during the remainder of the year.
1) What are your priorities for building projects, including new schools?

We should continue the process of building new schools to replace the remaining elementary school buildings; it should be noted three existing elementary school buildings - Hunt, Riverside, and Sunnyside - are not air-conditioned. Our high schools are over 40 years old and probably require some attention to bring them online with current educational practices and to ensure they are as energy-efficient as possible. The three middle schools should also be evaluated to determine if classrooms are large enough for current class sizes.

2) On what education issues at the state level should the local Board of Education take a leadership position?

The board should aggressively lobby our legislative delegation to increase the rate of allowable growth; collaborate with other districts to coordinate our educational message in Des Moines; make sure our legislators have the information necessary to advocate for us; empower parents and other stakeholders to be education advocates by ensuring they have pertinent information to help make their views heard; address inequities in the school funding formula which disadvantage "property-poor" districts like Sioux City; and advocate that the Legislature addresses the funding formula early enough to allow districts to budget responsibly. Budgets should be able to be prepared with real figures and on time.

3) What steps do you advocate our school system take to meet the challenges of a student population growing in diversity?

The district should survey our students and parents to determine which languages are spoken in our students' households to facilitate the provision of interpreters for parent-teacher conferences and other parent meetings. Because of the large number of non-English speaking households, school publications should be printed in English and as many languages as feasible.

The district should encourage diverse representation on the District Advisory Committee and should use the committee to gather insights and concerns when formulating district policy and procedures.

We should also invite agencies which serve different student populations to attend parent-teacher conferences to connect with parents and to staff meetings to explain services available to students and their families in an effort to better address student needs.

4) What is your opinion on how the school board responded earlier this year to allegations made by John Chalstrom, former chief financial officer for the district, about Superintendent Paul Gausman? How would you seek to protect the publics right to know the business of the local school district?

Many of the details of Mr. Chalstrom's allegations will never be known by the public because his departure is considered a personnel matter and therefore confidential. I do feel that the investigation could have been conducted by an agent outside the school district rather than the internal investigation that was chosen. The impartiality of an external investigation might have given the public reassurance as well as serving to bring to the district's attention any shortcomings of or possible improvements needed in current practices and procedures.

While personnel matters are justifiably confidential, the public's right to know the business of the local school district is also imperative. School business deserves as much transparency and stakeholder input as possible.

5) What principles will guide your decisions when salaries and benefits for employees of the school district are discussed during budget deliberations? How, if at all, will changes made during the last legislative session to the states collective bargaining laws impact your approach?

The upcoming round of collective bargaining will be the first between the district and its employee groups since the changes made during the last state legislative session. The revised collective bargaining rules allow for a labor management committee to discuss employment conditions. A labor management committee similar to the current insurance committee would be a good place to start.

For many of the district's students, parents, and community members, our administrators, teachers, instructional aides, secretaries, bus drivers and food service workers are the "face" of the Sioux City Community School District. They are the people the public thinks of when the phrase "the school" is mentioned. Therefore, the district must treat its employees as professionals who are our partners in achieving student safety and success.

6) What steps will you support and do you believe the Board of Education should take if state budget challenges result in allowable growth of 1.1 percent (the figure approved by the Legislature this year) next year?

A 1.1 percent allowable growth rate is inadequate to ensure student success. School board members must lobby our local delegation and work with other groups to help our legislators support a reasonable allowable growth rate.

The board should empower parents as advocates for their children to state legislators. The board should direct the administration to identify parent and community groups who are advocates for each of our many student groups and provide these groups with background information and talking points so they feel more comfortable approaching legislators.

Whatever the amount funded by the Legislature, a hard look at the district budget will be necessary. I support a budgeting process that utilizes public input and puts everything on the table with student success as my guiding principle.
In January of this year, The Sioux City Journal reported that the Iowa Board of Education issued a report in which no Sioux City school received the highest rating of Exceptional, only one was High Performing, one Commendable, nine were acceptable, three Need Improvement, and three received the lowest rating of Priority. (Three of the schools couldnt be rated because they are too new.)

With this as background, the brain trust at The Journal came up with a list of six questions for this weeks series of school board candidate Q&As. None of the questions directly addresses the fundamental issue of teaching the kids.

If The Journal cant come up with one, heres a sample school board candidate question: What are you going to do to ensure that every child who attends one of our schools achieves at the highest academic level possible?

Come on. Lets get with the program. - Michael Welsh, Sioux City
We want to know what you think about the movies. You can Tweet us your reviews @scweekender or share them on Facebook, facebook.com/siouxcityweekender. We'll pick the best comments on Monday before the next Weekender. Here are this week's movies:

All Saints

Starring: John Corbett, Barry Corbin

Story: A salesman decides to change his career path to become a pastor and is unfortunately tasked to shutdown a church.

Rated: PG for thematic elements

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Leap!

Starring: Elle Fanning, Nat Wolff

Story: With dreams of becoming a ballerina, an orphan girl flees Paris and ends up a pupil at the Grand Opera House.

Rated: PG for some impolite humor, and action

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Logan Lucky

Starring: Channing Tatum, Daniel Craig

Story: Two brothers set out to reverse a family curse by pulling off a huge heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Hitman's Bodyguard

Starring: Samuel J. Jackson, Ryan Reynolds

Story: A hitman has to testify in court and is assigned a bodyguard to make sure he makes it to trial in time... and alive.

Rated: R for strong violence and language throughout

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Annabelle: Creation

Starring: A creepy doll that needs to stay far, far away from us

Story: A dollmaker and his wife coping with the tragic death of their daughter are visited by a nun and orphan girls. Spooky things occur.

Rated: R for horror violence and terror

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Nut Job 2: Nutty by Nature

Starring: CGI-animated squirrels

Story: Surly and friends must stop Oakton City's mayor from destroying their home to make way for a ridiculous amusement park.

Rated: PG for action and some rude humor

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Dark Tower

Starring: Idris Elba, Matthew "Alright, alright, alright" McConaughey

Story: The last Gunslinger must battle the Man in Black who seeks to destroy the Dark Tower, the vessel which holds the universe together.

Rated: PG-13 for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action

Verdict: Reluctant to embrace the book's dense mythology, #DarkTower manages to get by on strength of its action, Elba, & McConaughey. -@sizynski

Detroit

Starring: John Boyega, Will Poulter

Story: A look at the Algiers Motel incident during a 1967 Detroit riot where three teenage civilians were killed and many others injured by task forces.

Rated: R for strong violence and pervasive language

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

The Emoji Movie

Starring: T.J. Miller, James Corden

Story: Those expressive images we send through text have their own movie and one of them wants to become a "normal" emoji.

Rated: PG for rude humor

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Atomic Blonde

Starring: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy

Story: An undercover agent is sent to Berlin to investigate the murders of fellow spies and recover a list of double agents.

Rated: R for sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Dunkirk

Starring: Tom Hardy, Kenneth Branagh

Story: Allied armies from Belgium, the British Empire, Canada and France are evacuated during a battle with German forces in World War II.

Rated: PG-13 for intense war experience and some language

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne

Story: Special operatives are called upon the thwart the dark forces threatening a metropolis that holds species from a thousand planets.

Rated: PG-13 for sci-fi violence and action, suggestive material and brief language

Verdict: Your movie review could go here. Tweet us @scweekender
ANNAPOLIS

(Sept. 06, 2017)Lt. Governor Boyd K. Rutherford today presented a $3.3 million ceremonial check to Indian Head Mayor Brandon Paulin and representatives of the county and state delegations to begin a project in Southern Maryland to expand access to the Potomac River. The Maryland Department of Transportation State Highway Administration (MDOT SHA) is providing the funding to the Town of Indian Head in Charles County to construct a 1,200-foot boardwalk that will run parallel to the Potomac River."The great town of Indian Head has long been a hub for agriculture, economic development, and technology here in Charles County," said Lt. Governor Rutherford. "With this funding to establish a living shoreline and boardwalk along the Potomac River, we are moving forward on a project that will improve the quality of life of Indian Head residents and make this area an even better place to live, work, raise a family, and retire."The funding for the Indian Head Boardwalk Project comes through the Transportation Alternatives Program (TAP), a program that provides federal funds for transportation-related community projects. The $3,314,064 funds 80 percent of the project, while Charles County and the Town of Indian Head will provide 20 percent, or $828,516, with $500,000 from the Town of Indian Head and $328,516 from Charles County."Indian Head offers all the charm and amenities of a small town and is just a short drive from the Nation's Capital," said Mayor Paulin. "As a historic and growing town, we recognize that the Town of Indian Head is rich with opportunity. By also serving as home to the Naval Support Activity Indian Head and other thriving businesses, we see this improvement as another catalyst for growth, and are ready to begin construction."The Town of Indian Head first received approval for the project in 2005 under a previous federal program, but was delayed. Town officials recently requested reconsideration by MDOT SHA under the new TAP guidelines, which provides a greater percentage of funding. TAP was created in 2013 and funds a broad range of activities, including projects to provide safe routes for non-drivers, as well as community improvement and environmental mitigation activities. For more information about TAP and project guidelines, visit roads.maryland.gov/Index.aspx?PageId=144.
Russell Eugene Willett, Jr., 25, of Bryans Road.

LA PLATA, 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.

(Sept. 06, 2017)The Charles County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.TIPS TO CRIME SOLVERS HELP DETECTIVES IDENTIFY SUSPECT IN ATTEMPTED ROBBERY CASE: Detectives assigned to the Criminal Investigations Division say tips from the community and the Crime Solvers' tip line helped them identify the suspect in an attempted robbery that occurred last month. As a result of the tips, detectives obtained an arrest warrant for. On August 29 at 8:15 p.m., Willett entered Subway located at 2055 Marshall Hall Road in Bryans Road and walked directly to the cash register with both hands concealed in the front pocket of his hooded sweatshirt. He told the cashier to give him the money and no one would get hurt. The cashier refused. Willett continued to make demands, but left after a customer entered the store. Willett was arrested on Sept. 5 at his home and was charged with attempted robbery and other related charges. Det. C. Gregory is investigating.PEDESTRIAN-INVOLVED ACCIDENT: On Sept. 5 at 2:30 p.m., the driver of a Chevy Tahoe was traveling south on Piney Church Road near Tipperary Avenue in Waldorf when a 14-year-old girl, who was crossing the road outside of a crosswalk, stepped into the path of the vehicle and was struck by the passenger side door handle, causing injury. As a precaution, the girl was flown to a hospital, where it was later determined her injuries were not life threatening. Cpl. B. Saunders of the CCSO Traffic Operations Unit is investigating.BURGLARY: On Sept. 5 at 11:20 a.m., officers responded to the 8900 block of Twinbrook Court in Waldorf for the report of a theft in progress. Investigation showed a white male broke out a window to a garage and made entry. He stole a leaf blower and was in the process of loading it into a dark-colored 1990s Ford F-150 truck when the homeowner noticed him. The victim began to walk towards the suspect, at which time the suspect fled without the leaf blower. Officer S. Griffith is investigating.Sgt. Jon Burroughs, Cpl. Brad Saunders, and Pfc. Patrick McPherson, pictured with Chief of Staff Mr. Phil Hinkle, receive awards at the ADAPT luncheon.On August 29, four members of the Charles County Sheriff's Office Traffic Operations Unit were honored at the Maryland Department of Transportation's ADAPT (Aggressive Drivers Are Public Threats) Aggressive Driving Prevention Awards Luncheon.Sgt. Jon Burroughs, Cpl. Kris Syvertsen, Cpl. Brad Saunders, and Pfc. Patrick McPherson received awards for their efforts in reducing aggressive driving on our roadways in 2017. During the event, Tom Gianni, Chief of the Maryland Highway Safety Office, gave the welcome address. Speakers were Ms. Christine Nizer of the Maryland Department of Transportation Motor Vehicle Administration and Colonel Jerry Jones, Chief of the Maryland Transportation Authority Police. Dr. Elizabeth Baker of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave closing remarks."Our Traffic Operations Unit works tirelessly to curtail aggressive driving and speeding in Charles County," said Sheriff Troy Berry. "We are proud of these exemplary officers for doing their part to keep our roadways safe."The ADAPT campaign focuses on addressing motorists who commit a combination of moving traffic offenses that endanger other people or property. Aggressive driver behaviors include speeding, tailgating, running red lights and stop signs, improper passing, and weaving. Aggressive driving and speed contribute to one out of every 3 crashes. For more information about the campaign, please visit: towardzerodeathsmd.com/aggressive-driving/
Eric Butler, 36, of Lusby Katina Jenkins, 40, of Lexington Park Melvin Minor, 35, of Virginia Rashaun Peebles, 38, of Prince Frederick Richard Rhodes, 45, of Mechanicsville Robert Toye, 64, of Leonardtown Thomas Lewis, 46, of Crofton 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.

(Sept. 06, 2017)The Calvert County Sheriff's Office today released the following incident and arrest reports.WEEKLY SUMMARY: During the week of August 28 through September 3, deputies responded to 1,103 calls for service throughout the community.HANDGUN VIOLATION: On August 30, Deputy Williamson responded to an auto accident at Southern Maryland Blvd. and Brickhouse Rd. Dunkirk. While investigating the accident a handgun was located in a vehicle. The suspect was identified as. Mr. Minor was arrested and charged with the handgun violation.CDS POSSESSION: On August 31, Deputy Gott initiated a traffic stop on Rousby Hall Rd., Lusby. The driver of the vehicle was identified as. A prescription bottle was located inside the vehicle which contained various pills. Deputy Gott also located marijuana and paraphernalia. Jenkins was placed under arrest and charged with CDS possession not marijuana (oxycodone) and possession of paraphernalia.CDS POSSESSION: On August 31, Deputy R. Evans responded to St. Leonard Fastop in reference to a wanted subject. The subject was identified at. While searching Mr. Butler narcotics were found. Mr. Butler was arrested and charged with CDS possession not marijuana (cocaine).CDS POSSESSION: On September 2, a lookout was broadcasted for a vehicle driving at a high rate of speed and reckless driving. Deputy Beisel located the vehicle with the assistance of Deputy Yates. A traffic stop was conducted at Rt. 4 and Hallowing Point Rd. in Prince Frederick. The driver was identified as. A K9 scanned the vehicle and showed a positive alert for narcotics. A search of the vehicle was conducted. Mr. Toye was arrested and charged with CDS possession not marijuana (crack cocaine) and possession of paraphernalia.THEFT LESS THAN $1,000: On September 2, Deputy Yates responded to the Walmart in Prince Frederick for a theft complaint. The suspect fled on foot. Deputy Yates and Deputy Kreps canvassed the area locating the individual on Solomons Island Rd. in Prince Frederick. The suspect was identified as. Through the investigation it was determined several miscellaneous items had been stolen and were located. Mr. Peebles was arrested and charged with Theft less than $1,000.POSSESSION OF PARAPHERNALIA: On September 3, Deputy Durner initiated a traffic stop at Solomons Island Rd and HG Trueman Rd. The suspects were identified asand. Deputy Durner conducted field sobriety on the driver. Deputy Durner also located paraphernalia inside the vehicle. Both Lewis and Rhodes were arrested and charged with Possession of Paraphernalia.BURGLARY 17-45984: On August 28, Deputy Holt responded to the 800 block of Golden West Way, Lusby for a burglary report. The victim stated someone broke into their shed and stole various Harley Davidson motorcycle parts, an Echo backpack blower, an Echo 18 inch chainsaw, Dewalt tool set, Craftsman tool set, miscellaneous hand tools, Geissele trigger and a scope. The value of the stolen items was $7,330. The victim also stated that damage was done to their Harley Davidson motorcycle. Estimated damage is $600.BURGLARY/THEFT 17-46443: On August 31, Deputy Hardesty responded to Pale Face Ct. Lusby, for a burglary complaint. The victim stated the front door handle had been broken by a hammer. No items were taken from inside the residence. It was discovered that the Air Conditioning unit was stolen from the outside of the residence. Total value is $500.THEFT 17-46278: On August 30, Deputy R. Shrawder responded to Senora Lane, Lusby for a theft complaint. The victim stated on August 30th at approximately 3:30 a.m. he noticed someone rummaging through his vehicle. It was later discovered that his gold I-phone 5 was missing. The value of the property is $300.THEFT 17-45883: On August 28, Deputy Migliaccio responded to Sheckells Lane, Huntingtown for a theft report. The victim stated one of his gray and white pit bull puppies was taken from the kennel overnight. The value of the property is $200.
LEONARDTOWN, 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.

(Sept. 07, 2017)The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office released the following incident reports.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO MOTOR VEHICLE: During the overnight hours of 8/16 into 8/17, unknown suspect(s) entered two motor vehicles and stole property in the 21000 block of Barkentine Court in Great Mills. Corporal Foor is investigating the case. CASE# 43534-17.BURGLARY: Between 08/09 and 08/16, unknown suspect(s) entered a shed and stole property in the 22000 block of Valley Estates Drive in Lexington Park. Deputy M. Beyer is investigating the case. CASE# 43358-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle and stole property in the 21000 block of Tulagi Place in Lexington Park. Deputy Sidorowicz is investigating the case. CASE# 43379-17THEFT: During the overnight hours, unknown suspect(s) stole a driver's side door from a motor vehicle at Tom Hodges in Hollywood. Deputy Holdsworth is investigating the case. CASE# 43372-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 45000 block of Langley Park Way in Lexington Park. Deputy McClure is investigating the case. CASE# 43509-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence in the 46000 block of Pegg Lane in Lexington Park. Nothing appeared to be stolen from the residence. Deputy Payne is investigating the case. CASE# 43710-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 21000 block of Kearsarge Place in Lexington Park. Deputy Payne is investigating the case. CASE# 43771-17.ROBBERY: Unknown suspect(s) stole a victim's wallet in the 22000 block of MacArthur Boulevard in California. Deputy First Class Tirpak is investigating the case. CASE# 43804-17.ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) attempted to enter a residence in the 44000 block of Hunting Meadows in Callaway. Deputy First Class Tirpak is investigating the case. CASE# 43808-17.THEFT: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 23000 block of Sugar Maple Court in California. Corporal Worrey is investigating the case. CASE# 43882-17.RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: A bullet hole was found in a victim's residence in the 23000 block of Hollywood Road in Leonardtown. Corporal Knott is investigating the case. CASE# 43909-17.ATTEMPTED BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) attempted to force entry into a garage at the Church of the Ascension in the 21000 block of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park. Deputy Payne is investigating the case. CASE# 43923-17.ARSON: A burned motor vehicle was located in the 29000 block of Three Notch Road in Charlotte Hall. The Fire Marshal's Office responded to the scene and assumed the investigation.CASE# 43924-17.ARSON: The St. Mary's County Sheriff's Office assisted the Fire Marshal's Office with an arson investigation at the Southern States in Charlotte Hall. CASE# 43937-17.RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: Deputies responded to the IHOP on Three Notch Road in Lexington Park for the report of a fight when deputies heard approximately five to six shots nearby believed to have come from the area of FDR Boulevard. No shell casings were located, and Deputy First Class McCuen is continuing the investigation. CASE# 44058-17.RECKLESS ENDANGERMENT: A victim discovered damage to a window frame and a .45 caliber projectile in the victim's living room floor. Deputy Smith is continuing the investigation. CASE# 43985-1.SUSPICIOUS INCIDENT: While walking in the area of Lynn Drive in Lexington Park, a resident discovered pieces of paper containing news articles. Corporal Seyfried is continuing the investigation. CASE# 44111-17.BURGLARY: Sometime between 7/26/2017 and 7/30/2017, unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 22000 block of Cartwright Road in Leonardtown. Deputy Payne is investigating the case. CASE# 44115-17.BURGLARY: During the overnight hours of 8/20 into 8/21, unknown suspect(s) removed the lock from a shed and moved items around in the 39000 block of Emmart Lane in Mechanicsville. Nothing appeared to be stolen. Deputy Holdsworth is investigating the case. CASE# 44298-17.BURGLARY: During the overnight hours of 8/20 into 8/21, unknown suspect(s) removed the lock from a shed and moved items around in the 27000 block of Baptist Church Road in Mechanicsville. Nothing appeared to be stolen. Deputy Holdsworth is investigating the case. CASE# 44309-17.BURGLARY: During the overnight hours of 8/20 into 8/21, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a victim's shed and stole property in the 27000 block of Baptist Church Road in Mechanicsville. Corporal Somerville is investigating the case. CASE# 44326-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: During the overnight hours of 8/20 into 8/21, unknown suspect(s) entered two motor vehicles in the 22000 block of Three Notch Road in California. Nothing appeared to be stolen from the vehicles. Corporal Foor is investigating the case. CASE# 44287-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a cell tower site in the 29000 block of Point Lookout Road in Helen and stole property. Deputy Shelko is investigating the case. CASE# 44612-17.BURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle and stole property in the 22000 block of Three Notch Road in California. CASE# 44659-17.BURGLARY: Sometime during the past week, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a shed in the 27000 block of Stanton Way in Mechanicsville. Deputy First Class Schultz is investigating the case. CASE# 44671-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 47000 block of Jacksons Run Road in Lexington Park. Deputy First Class Lawrence is investigating the case. CASE# 44701-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a business in the 21000 block of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park and stole property. Deputy First Class Lawrence is investigating the case. CASE# 44837-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence in the 46000 block of Flower Drive in Lexington Park. Nothing appeared to be stolen from the residence and the suspect(s) were observed leaving the area in a white SUV. Deputy First Class Potter is investigating the case. CASE# 45025-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a residence in the 39000 block of Lady Baltimore Avenue in Leonardtown and stole property. Deputy First Class Flerlage is investigating the case. CASE# 45044-17.THEFT: Unknown suspect(s) removed a victim's wallet from their purse while they were shopping at BJ's Wholesale club in California. Corporal Reppel is investigating the case. CASE# 45053-17.BURGLARY: During the overnight hours of 8/25 into 8/26, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a victim's shed and stole property in the 40000 block of Grandview Street in Morganza. Deputy Holdsworth is investigating the case. CASE# 45141-17.MOTOR VEHICLE THEFT: During the overnight hours, unknown suspect(s) stole a motor vehicle from Take it Easy campground in Callaway. Deputy Bush is investigating the case. CASE# 45285-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a residence in the 46000 block of Columbus Drive in Lexington Park. Deputy Sidorowickz is investigating the case. CASE# 45315-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) stole clothes from a business in St. Mary's Square in Lexington Park. Deputy McClure is investigating the case. CASE# 45352-17.THEFT: Unknown suspect(s) stole a victim's wallet during a party in the 45000 block of Lord Baltimore Way in Lexington Park. Deputy Bush is investigating the case. CASE# 45362-17.THEFT: An unknown suspect stole liquor from the Hermanville Car Wash and Liquor Store in Lexington Park. Deputy Molitor is investigating the case. CASE# 45365-17.BURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLE: During the overnight hours of 8/27 into 8/28, unknown suspect(s) entered a victim's motor vehicle and stole property in the 21000 block of Liberty Street in Lexington Park. Deputy Shelko is investigating the case. CASE# 45428-17.THEFT: Unknown suspect(s) removed a camper from the 27000 block of Morganza Turner Road in Mechanicsville. Deputy Carl Ball is investigating the case. CASE# 45484-17.ASSAULT: Unknown suspect(s) assaulted a victim in the 40000 block of Kavanagh Road in Mechanicsville. Deputy D. Smith is investigating the case. The suspect fled the scene prior to police arrival. CASE# 45555-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle in the 44000 block of Maidens Court in Leonardtown. Nothing appeared to be stolen from the vehicle. Deputy Sidorowicz is investigating the case. CASE# 45748-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a residence and stole property in the 45000 block of Foxchase Drive in Lexington Park. Deputy Siciliano is investigating the case. CASE# 45859-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle in the 21000 block of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park and stole property. Deputy First Class Schultz is investigating the case. CASE# 46370-17.BURGLARY: Between 8/31/2017 and 9/2/2017, unknown suspect(s) forced entry into a victim's residence in the 46000 block of Lucca Way in Lexington Park; nothing appeared to be stolen. Deputy First Class Schultz is investigating the case. CASE# 46419-17.ASSAULT: A victim was assaulted by unknown suspect(s) at an establishment in the 28000 block of Point Lookout Road in Leonardtown. Deputy First Class McCuen is investigating the case. CASE# 46500-17.BURGLARY TO MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle in the 21000 block of Shangri-La Drive in Lexington Park. Deputy First Class Tirpak is investigating the case. CASE# 46629-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a shed and stole property in the 28000 block of Hancock Drive in Mechanicsville. Deputy D. Smith is investigating the case. CASE# 46649-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a shed and stole property in the 28000 block of Hancock Drive in Mechanicsville. Deputy D. Smith is investigating the case. CASE# 46669-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: During the overnight hours of 9/3 into 9/4, unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle and stole property in the 25000 block of Scenic View Street in Morganza. Deputy Holdsworth is investigating the case. CASE# 46751-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle in the 21000 block of Great Mills Road in Lexington Park and stole property. Deputy First Class Schultz is investigating the case. CASE# 47124-17.BREAKING AND ENTERING TO A MOTOR VEHICLE: Unknown suspect(s) entered a motor vehicle in the 45000 block of Hampton Boulevard in Leonardtown and stole property. Deputy Davis is investigating the case. CASE# 47139-17.BURGLARY: Unknown suspect(s) entered a camper and stole property in the 48000 block of Sea Side View Road in Ridge. Deputy Robinson is investigating the case. CASE# 47201-17.
SFGNs Speak OUT is a weekly feature giving a regular voice to South Florida LGBT community leaders, activists and business people.

Over the past month we've seen a new generation of emboldened Neo-Nazis and White Supremacists come out of the shadows to express their views. What can we do locally to combat this? And how much should the LGBT community be involved?

Below are some of their answers:



The distressing events that have occurred over the past many months have tested our emotional and spiritual vigor. We find ourselves questioning whose America this is. Some of us are wondering if our country is being stolen out from under us by our humanitys darkest of forces, determined to set us back decade, or further. Recently, Former Vice President Joe Biden poignantly cautioned we are living through a battle for the soul of our nation. What is especially challenging, is that we have a president who has deliberately inflamed the culture war that afflicts America. President Trump has publicly declared a moral equivalency between the malevolence and hatred of the KKK and neo-Nazis with the passions and courage of those who oppose them. Trump has emboldened the most depraved among us with his scornful rhetoric. The times ahead may appear bleak, but we should have faith that the good people of this land will hold this president and his sycophants accountable and that we will rise above our nations disunity.

 Jason King, Associate Director, South Florida Community Engagement & Legislative Affairs for AIDS Healthcare Foundation's southern region

We need to be very active in opposing fascism and white supremacy, through our donations to organizations of resistance as well as in our own personal lives. Many in our community are direct targets of this hatred, and we all have the potential to be targets at any time. None of us are free, or safe, until all of us are free and safe.

 Judy Ireland, Assistant organizer for BLAST Women of WPB

The LGBT Community leads the way to acceptance and equality in so many ways. We MUST be vigilant about ensuring no group suffers the way we do.

 Meredith L Ockman, community activist and a director of NOW

Younger LGBT people didn't grow up with the same cultural violence as we. It's essential that they be regularly educated, and encouraged to learn self-defense. Bigots today have as their leader the most powerful man in the world, and they feel free to express their hatred.

 Brian McNaught, noted columnist, author and LGBT activist

We cannot just idly sit by and allow this evil to gain momentum. I am reminded of Martin Niemoller, a prominent Protestant pastor who emerged as an outspoken public foe of Adolf Hitler during the early post WW2 period and spent the last seven years of Nazi rule in concentration camps. Niemoller is perhaps best remembered for the quotation: First they came for the Socialists, and I did not speak outBecause I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the Trade Unionists, and I did not speak out Because I was not a Trade Unionist I think you get my point.

This is a powerful reminder that we here in our safe little bubble of Wilton manors, cannot sit in silence. We must speak out vehemently against these evil forces if we are to survive as a democracy.

 Paul Smith, retired Army Lieutenant Colonel & retired Clinical Social Worker

Visit SFGN.com/SpeakOut to see all of this weeks responses. Email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. if you know of a LGBT community leader that you believe should be a part of this list.
The name and location have changed, but the tradition remains the same.

The 27th annual Southern Comfort Transgender Conference (formerly Southern Comfort Conference) is coming back to Fort Lauderdale, this time at the Riverside Hotel on Las Olas Blvd., for three days of talks, workshops, group socials, dinners out, and a pool party. Registration packages begin at $75 with group dinners ranging from $45 - $65.

Related: University of Miami Hospital Opens LGBTQ Wellness Center

From 1991 through 2014, Southern Comfort, one the countrys largest conferences for the trans community, was held in Atlanta, Georgia. In 2011, the SCC collaborated with the World Professional Association for Transgender Health (WPATH) to announce their standards of care for trans and gender nonconforming people.

The collaboration resulted in a peak of 1,000 conference guests, but after attendance dwindled board members started wondering if maybe they had exhausted the local market, Alexis Dee, SCTC Board President told SFGN. Dee has been Board President for five years, and involved with Southern Comfort for 10 years.

Although Atlanta had always been a welcoming home, it was thanks to the efforts of Richard Gray, managing director of the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureaus LGBT campaign, who reached out to Dee, that the SCC board made the decision to relocate to Fort Lauderdale in 2015.

Lexi Dee (left) and Richard Gray. Photo credit Steven Shires.

They liked our commitment of raising the bar for trans inclusion. Around the same time, I organized a round-table discussion with some national leaders and also met with the research firm Community Marketing & Insights to put a transgender travel study together, because there had never been one, Gray told the New York Times when the SCC made the switch.

The studys findings helped Gray and the visitors bureau put together their strategies for marketing to transgender travelers regarding security, and inclusion.

We found that 62 percent of transgender people travel alone, many because theyre stealth  often they have a partner who has no idea theyre transgender. The Southern Comfort Conference is mostly male to female and thats what weve looked at. Female to male blend easier; male to female often dont. By far their biggest concerns were physical and verbal violence and a lack of gender-neutral restrooms. Unlike the gay market, trans travelers are more in line with budget travelers, without a lot of disposable income, Gray said.

While last years conference was held at the Bonaventure Resort in Weston, this years conference has been downsized, with an expected 300  350 guests coming to the Riverside Las Olas.

As much as we loved working with everyone in Weston the location was so big we could barely find each other, this year will be much more intimate. And being right off Las Olas, the Rodeo of Fort Lauderdale we hope there will be more for everyone to do outside of the seminars too, Dee said.

Dee said she and Gray had recently visited the Riverside Hotel during sensitivity training with hotel staff, and that she was looking forward to working with them and welcoming guests at this years conference.

SCTC starts Thursday Sept. 14 with the Transgender Medical Conference, and continues Friday and Saturday with seminars and social events.

Amanda Simpson, one of the guest speakers. Photo courtesy of SCTC..

The focus of the conference has always been to educate attendees, provide them with information and connect them to qualified medical service providers, Dee said.

Below are some highlights from the conference.

Dr. Dana Bevan, biopsychologist will discuss some of the answers to the question Why are you and I transgender? The talk will cite casual observations, misinformation, and review scientific evidence in potential factors such as genetics, epigenetics, early learning, culture, and more. Dr. Bevan has written three books on being transgender and has given talks on transgender science at WPATH, USPATH, and the National Trans Health Conference among others.

Dr. David Rosow, Dr. Adam Loyd and Dr. Jennylee Diaz from the University of Miami School of Medicines Department of Otolaryngology will discuss medical surgical treatments and voice training for matching gender identity, including speech therapy for modulating pitch, intonation patterns, and resonance.

Dr. Sherman Leis, Professor, and Chairman of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery at the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine will discuss options for female to male surgeries including facial feminization, breast augmentation, and bottom surgery.

While the Southern Comfort conference has added a variety of social events and group outings to their lineup over the years, like Thursdays Princess Day outing, and dinner at Lips, and educational or transformational workshops including voice training sessions and hair and make-up tutorials, Dee said this year the SCTC has worked on including seminars focusing on empowerment as well.

Those workshops include:

Science educator and SCC alumna Michelle Cooper will talk to guests about Coping with Inability to Transition for those who cannot or do not physically transition for financial, familial, or health reasons. Michelle identifies as a male to female transsexual, not in transition. In addition to SCTC Michelle is a member of Tri-Ess, Tava, Pink Essence, and the former Southern Belle Society.

Markie Anna Parker will share her experience with Later-in-Life Transitions. Markie transitioned at the age of 63 with support from her wife of 30 years. Markie served as the Chief of the Investigations Section for Californias Department of Public Health, is a Vietnam veteran and mental health counselor among her many roles.

Ashley Brundage, Inclusion Consultant for PNC Bank and Tampa resident will speak on employment, sharing about her own transition, discussing workplace quality, diversity and inclusion. And attorney and activist Debra Soshoux from Korenberg Abramowitz & Feldun, Los Angeles will talk about Sex, Gender and the Law.

In addition to the seminars and workshops, the SCTC has announced special guest speakers for the weekend include former Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for Operational Energy, Amanda Simpson, National Press Secretary of the Human Rights Campaign, Sarah McBride, and movie producer and motivational speaker of adult film industry fame, Buck Angel. International guests include Lasia Casil founder of LGBT organization ISA Guam and Colombian human rights activist Matilda Gonzalez.

Despite the downsizing, Dee said the relationship between SCTC and the Greater Fort Lauderdale Convention and Visitors Bureau has been a great one so far, and doesnt anticipate relocating from the area anytime soon.

If You Go:

Southern Comfort Transgender Conference

Thurs. Sept. 14  Sat. Sept. 16

Riverside Hotel

620 E. Las Olas Blvd, Fort Lauderdale, FL. 33301

www.SCCFLA.org

For information on Fort Lauderdales transgender resources including groups, services clinics, gender neutral restrooms and more visit www.sunny.org/lgbt/transgender/
Le Collectif Cheikh Yassine a organise un certain nombre dactivites et de festivites pour les enfants de Gaza sous le theme  La joie des enfants de Gaza pour lAid . Ces activites ont commence le premier jour de lAid et continue jusquau 4eme jour de lAid dans la bande de Gaza.



Plusieurs activites, ont ete organisees parmi lesquelles : des competitions recompensees par des prix, des jeux, des animations et des chants presentes par un groupe ainsi que des distributions de cadeaux et daides financieres.




NASA Space Station On-Orbit Status 5 September 2017 NASA

Today  50 Soyuz (50S) Undock: 50S, with Peggy Whitson, Jack Fischer, and Fyodor Yurchikin onboard, undocked Saturday at 4:58 PM CDT and landed in Kazakhstan at 8:22 PM CDT. The ISS will be in 3-crew operations until the arrival of 52S on September 13.

Electro-static Levitation Furnace (ELF) Inspection: On Friday, the crew inspected the ELF chamber and removed Foreign Object Debris (FOD) located in the ELF chamber. The FOD will be returned to the ground for additional analysis. ELF activities will resume after SpX-12 unberthing.

Miniature Exercise Device (MED-2) Operation Session: Yesterday the crew was scheduled to exercise while using MED-2 body markers and multiple camcorders for ground evaluation. Because the loading strap was fully extended and could not be retracted, the crew completed only the ARED exercise portion of the experiment and ground teams are working on a forward plan to conduct the evaluation portion of the investigation. The ISSs exercise equipment is large and bulky, while the MED-2 aims to demonstrate small robotic actuators can provide motion and resistance for crew workout sessions, reducing the size and weight of exercise equipment for long-duration space missions. The MED-2 investigation is a system to test key technologies needed to develop space based exercise equipment that may provide appropriate countermeasures to the adverse effects of microgravity. This technology is critical for the initial design and development of second and third generation Counter Measure Systems (CMS) hardware that is an order of magnitude lighter and smaller than existing ISS class of CMS hardware and that has significantly greater reliability.

Multi-Omics-Mouse: On Friday, the crew collected blood samples from the mice. Saturday the crew refilled the mice water supply. Today the crew exchanged the waste collecting equipment and odor filter of the Mouse Habitat Cage Unit in glove box, and then transferred the Mouse Cage Units with mice from glove box to Cell Biology Experiment Facility (CBEF). Several studies have reported space flight effects on the human immune system, but the relationship between microbiota and immune dysfunction during flight remains unclear. In the Multi-Omics-Mouse investigation, food with and without fructooligosaccharides (FOS) will be used as prebiotics, to determine if they improve the gut environment and immune function. After the flight, researchers will analyze the gut environment (microbiota and metabolites) and immune system of the mice by multi-omics analysis.

Fine Motor Skills (FMS): The crew performed their FMS sessions this morning. The FMS experiment is executed on a touchscreen tablet, where the crew performs a series of interactive tasks. The investigation studies how fine motor skills are effected by long-term microgravity exposure, different phases of microgravity adaptation, and sensorimotor recovery after returning to Earth gravity. The goal of FMS is to answer how fine motor performance in microgravity trend/vary over the duration of a six-month and year-long space mission; how fine motor performance on orbit compare with that of a closely matched participant on Earth; and how performance trend/vary before and after gravitational transitions, including the periods of early flight adaptation, and very early/near immediate post-flight periods.

Materials Science Laboratory (MSL) Sample Cartridge Assembly (SCA) Removal: This morning the crew was scheduled to remove the SCA from MSL for return and analysis on the ground. However, during yesterdays Material Science Research Rack (MSRR) activation, the rack came up in an off-nominal configuration. Todays scheduled activity to remove the SCA was aborted until the issue is better understood.

Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) Circuit Card R&R Prep: This morning the crew reviewed an overview and procedures associated with the MBSU I-level maintenance planned for later this week to replacing a Common Controller Assembly circuit card. This afternoon the crew will have a conference with ground specialist to address any of the crews questions.

SpX-12 Dragon Cargo Operations: As of yesterday cargo transfer specialist estimated the crew will require 23 hours to complete packing the Dragon vehicle for return. The crew reported they performed approximately 2.5 hours of cargo operations off the task list today.

Todays Planned Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry  Subject

Reviewing the Results of Antivirus Scanning on Auxiliary Computer System [BKC] Laptops and Report

Multi-Omics-Mouse Item Gathering

Micropurification Unit (???) ?1 Absorbent Cartridge Regeneration (start)

Main Bus Switching Unit (MBSU) Maintenance Big Picture Word Review

Miniature Exercise Device Procedure Review

Tropical Cyclone Untended Operations

FS1 Laptop Routine Maintenance (Cleaning and Reboot)

Fine Motor Skills Experiment Test  Subject

Biannual BRI Cleaning (Includes Filter and Fan Unit Cleaning. Expedited Checkout of Nominal Network Config).

XF305 Camcorder Setup

Multi-Omics-Mouse Cage Cleaning and Maintenance for Food Micro-G part 1

MSL Sample Removal [Aborted]

NAPOR-mini PCA. Cleaning of Onboard Memory Device ???-? Ventilation Openings

Multi-Omics-Mouse Cage Cleaning and Maintenance for Food Micro-G part 2

Intermodule Network Connectivity Testing (After Biannual ??? Cleaning).

Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Water Recovery System (WRS) Sample Analysis

Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Setup

Monthly Routine Maintenance of Central Post Laptop. Downlink of Log Files from the Laptop.

Preparation for the Diagnostics of ??-2 Filter Unit and ???-2 Main Bus Switching Unit in the FGB Power Supply System.

Biolab Arthrospira Laptop Displays Update

Multi-Omics-Mouse Cage Cleaning and Maintenance for Food 1G

Biolab Laptop Settings and FTP Check

??? maintenance

Cleaning of Removable Gas-Liquid Heat Exchanger (???) Screens 1, 2 and 3 in the FGB

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain

Environmental Health System (EHS) Total Organic Carbon Analyzer (TOCA) Sample Data Record

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (ECLSS) Recycle Tank Drain Part 2

Delta file prep

Tropical Cyclone Hardware Closeout

Photo/TV Camcorder Setup Verification

Regenerative Environmental Control and Life Support System (RGN) Wastewater Storage Tank Assembly (WSTA) Fill

MELFI Tissue Containment Bag Retrieve

Photo/TV. Camcorder Settings Checkout

Lung Tissue MELFI Bubble Bag Insertion

Miniature Exercise Device Surface Pro 3 Charge

MBSU In Flight Maintenance (IFM)  Conference

Photo T/V (P/TV) Advanced Resistive Exercise Device (ARED) Exercise Video Stow

Micropurification Unit (???) ?1 Absorbent Cartridge Regeneration (end)

Lighting Effects Sleep Log Entry  Subject

Completed Task List Activities

Surface Tension Containment MWA Preperation

Dragon Cargo Operations [Completed GMT 247]

ESA PAO  MUSE [Completed GMT 246]

ESA PAO  PETROLIO [Completed GMT 246]

Manufacturing Device Bag Prep [Completed GMT 245]

Ground Activities

All activities were completed unless otherwise noted.

Solar Array Voltage Maximum Power Test

Solar Array Maximum Output Test

N3 MCA Zero Calibration

Three-Day Look Ahead:

Wednesday, 09/06: Miniature Exercise Device, Magvector, WOOV inspection.

Thursday, 09/07: MBSU I-level maintenance, LMM inspection

Friday, 09/08: Mouse TCU preparation, RR9 Habitat restock, ACME

QUICK ISS Status  Environmental Control Group:

Component  Status

Elektron  On

Vozdukh  Manual

[???] 1  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV1)  Off

[???] 2  SM Air Conditioner System (SKV2)  On

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Lab  Standby

Carbon Dioxide Removal Assembly (CDRA) Node 3  Operate

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Lab  Idle

Major Constituent Analyzer (MCA) Node 3  Operate

Oxygen Generation Assembly (OGA)  Process

Urine Processing Assembly (UPA)  Process

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Lab  Full up

Trace Contaminant Control System (TCCS) Node 3  Full up
If you regularly drink coffee but then dont drink coffee, youre going to be less good at stuff. I can attest to this. One time I was driving to work from my non-coffee-drinking-then-girlfriends house and I got in a wreck that was completely my fault. Now Im married and work from home and made her buy me a $12 coffeemaker, so problem solved. But still, coffee-less living is impaired living.

And a new study by University of Tasmania researchers suggests that it may not be the caffeine causing the drop in cognitive function but the coffee craving itself.

As reported by The Ladders, the researchers took 55 participants who regularly drink coffee and split them into two groups, one group that was allowed to drink coffee and the other that was subjected to a sick form of punishment to induce craving:

The researchers poured a cup of freshly brewed black coffee right in front of them. They asked these poor participants to imagine what it would be like to have a cup of your favorite coffee right at this moment, and they told them that under no circumstances would they be allowed to have the coffee right in their reach.

Each group would have to memorize a string of unrelated words, and unsurprisingly, the coffee-deprived craving group significantly underperformed when compared to the group that was allowed to have coffee.

Cravings on memory performance can be considered a special case of cognitive load, the study states. Cravings trigger consumption schemas and the inhibition of these schemas requires cognitive resources, leaving fewer resources available for other cognitive tasks.

Now, it could be the case that it was the lack of caffeine and not the craving that led to the drop in cognitive performance. But just to be safe, we all should go ahead and continue to drink coffee and stop worrying about how not drinking coffee will affect us. Because we should never stop drinking coffee.

Zac Cadwalader is the news editor at Sprudge Media Network.
Bonanza Coffee Roasters is well-known in Berlin. Pioneers in the citys third wave coffee community, Yumi Choi and Kiduk Reus opened the original location in Prenzlauer Berg in 2006. As one of the only shops in the area then serving specialty, light-roast coffee, they quickly became a destination. And Bonanza has expanded, with a second cafe opened in Kreuzberg last year.

The new Bonanza lies a bit off the beaten path. Situated on Adalbertstrae, next to a petting zoo, its easy to miss. But for the intrepid, or in-the-know, a short jaunt through an alley rewards you with one of the slickest new coffee spaces in Berlin. The cafe lies inside a brick factory building, complete with a courtyard and airy indoor seating.

Unlike their first shop, the Kreuzberg cafe is equipped with a Probat roaster on site, where big glass windows give visitors an inside look into Bonanzas roasting process. Choi says that the design of the cafe is a result of collaboration with Marick Baarss Modiste Furniture, also responsible for the redesign of Bonanzas packaging.

We wanted him to create something transparent, light, open, ingenious, and minimalistic, Choi says of Baars. Something that would reflect our approach to coffee and at the same time be harmonious with the building, which is a protected monument.

Kreuzberg isnt what it used to be. The former West Berlin home to immigrants, artists, and squatters is quickly giving way to upscale boutiques and bitcoinsit has the worlds highest density of businesses who accept the digital currency. Still, while change is in the air, the neighborhood formerly ensconced on three sides by the Berlin Wall is still here if you look for it.

I love the Oderberger Strae [in Prenzlauer Berg], Choi says. Its one of the most beautiful, most historic, and one of the best culinary streets in Berlin, but we wanted to go where you could still feel the rawness of Berlin. I am a Berliner, and lived many years in Kreuzberg and NeukollnI feel connected to this part of Berlin. For us as a company it was very important to move where things are maybe a little bit more difficult and contrasting, where cultures and scenes clash. Its an environment where new things emerge.

The cafe itself is a true coffee-lovers destination. Its raw, with no frills save maybe some of the menus non-coffee options like homemade cascara soda, hot chocolate, fair trade tea, and for summer months, a frappe. If youre lucky, you might even get a pastry.

We offer artisanal pastries from the best French pastry chef in town, Choi says. It is a super small productionit took us 10 years to convince him to sell his croissants to us. They are so limited that you can only find them at Bonanza a few days of the week.

Like its Prenzlauer Berg location, Bonanza Kreuzberg has a devout following, who acknowledge you really cant go wrong with a Berlin classic. We find it inspiring to be part of the Kreuzberg fabric, Choi says. And indeed, only a year since opening, it already seems as though theyre stitched in for the long haul.

Tatiana Ernst (@TatianaErnst) is a Sprudge staff writer based in Los Angeles. Read more Tatiana Ernst on Sprudge.
The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and Standardbred Canada are saddened to learn of the passing of H. Charles Armstrong, at age 96.

Charlie was inducted to the Hall in 2015 as a builder, joining his father, Elgin, who was inducted in the inaugural class of the CHRHF in 1976.

Armstrong was a true icon in the Ontario and North American Horse Industry for over 60 years. Throughout this time, he has represented and participated in multiple disciplines and has been integral in the shaping of Ontarios horse racing industry and horse industry. Armstrong Bros. Farm, the family-owned operation, was founded in the 1940s by Charlies father, Elgin, and uncle, Ted, who were construction magnates. After Elgins death, Charlie kept the Armstrong horse business strong.

Charlies love affair with horses began when he received his first pony, Playboy, from his uncle Ted in 1930 at the age of 11. The pony had been obtained as payment for a debt and was loaded into the back seat of the family car and taken to Brampton, Ontario.

Charlie continued building on the success of his father Elgin, who raced a young filly named Helicopter in the prestigious Hambletonian in the United States. Helicopter was victorious, becoming the first Canadian-owned horse to win the coveted title. Helicopters daughter, Armbro Flight, became one of North Americas greatest trotting mares and the foundation mare for the Armstrong Farms breeding and racing dynasty. In 1999, Canada Post issued a commemorative stamp with her likeness to celebrate her contributions.

As Chairman of Armstrong Holdings Brampton Limited, Charlie oversaw the growth of Armstrong Farms into the second largest Standardbred breeding operation in North America. Over 90 per cent of the most prestigious races in North America have had Armbro horses in the winners circle. Armbro performers have won nearly every classic event in the sport since Helicopter won the 1953 Hambletonian, and has also bred the winners of nearly every classic event, including the Hambletonian (Armbro Goal), the Little Brown Jug (Armbro Omaha, Armbro Operative) and the Adios (Armbro Omaha, Armbro Ranger, Armbro Animate) to name a few. They produced scores of trotting and pacing champions, including Armbro Omaha, Armbro Operative, Armbro Fling, Armbro Feather, Armbro Flight, Armbro Blush, and Armbro Fern. Armstrong Bros. also enjoyed considerable success in the Breeders Crown series, ranking second in the breeding standings and second in the owner standings (through to end of 2003)

The farm was one of the most progressive and profitable Standardbred operations and bred, raced and stood at stud a seemingly endless list of champions. Stallions that stood at the Inglewood Farm most recently included Island Fantasy, King Conch, Camotion, and Dexter Nukes. Other stallions over the years included Jade Prince, Dream Of Glory, Carlsbad Cam, Armbro Emerson, Village Jiffy and Adios Pick, who was sold and went on to become the foundation sire of western Canada.

The family company was dispersed in 2005, but Charlie continued to enjoy international success, as he raised and raced Standardbreds with his daughters under Village Acres Farms in Brampton, Ontario through 2010. They sent out a steady stream of top performers over the years, including Village Jig, Village Connection, Village Jove, Village Blues, Village Jiffy and Village Jericho.

The Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame and Standardbred Canada would like to extend their condolences to Charlies wife, Lenore; daughters, Jennifer, Caroline and Nancy; and Charlies extended family.

While the funeral service will be private, visitors will be received at the Ward Funeral Home on Main Street in Brampton, Ontario on Thursday, September 14 from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m., and on Friday, September 15 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and again from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Standardbred Racetrack Chaplaincy of Canada, P. O. Box 331, Campbellville, ON L0B 1P0, or the Alzheimer Society of Ontario.

(Canadian Horse Racing Hall of Fame)
The annual charity auction to benefit New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program and the Delaware County Fair will be held Wednesday September 20 in conjunction with the Pre-Jug Party immediately following the Jugette.

Over 100 items and services will be offered in a silent auction via mobile bidding followed by a live auction of ten premier items at 7:30 p.m. For the first time, people will be able to view the items in advance and bid remotely from their mobile devices. To see the items and register to bid, visit wedoauctions.net/prejugparty. New items will be added daily up to the event.

Featured offerings include a South African Photo Safari, Antigua Vacation, Louisiana Swamp Adventure, John Deere Lawn Tractor, Spyder race bike of choice, Barbie & Ken (real live Miniature paint filly and colt) and a set of New Nitro wheels. These items along with harnesses, jewelry, tickets to sporting events, home accessories, professional services and autographed colours donated by David Miller and Corey Callahan will all be up for grabs at this exciting fundraising event.

Come to the party or just support these two great organizations! Table sponsors and item donations are still being sought. All major contributors receive invitations. For more information, contact Dot Morgan (at 937-947-4020 or [email protected]) or Winnie Morgan Nemeth (734-320-7918, [email protected]).

The Beneficiaries

New Vocations Racehorse Adoption Program

New Vocations is the largest racehorse adoption program in the country. It was founded in 1992 to offer retiring Standardbreds and Thoroughbreds a safe-haven, rehabilitation, and vocational training prior to placement in carefully screened and monitored homes. New Vocations accepts horses from racetracks and farms throughout the eastern United States at locations in Ohio, Kentucky, Pennsylvania and New York. Horses are equipped with new skills and placed with experienced, caring individuals where once again, each can be a star. Over 6,500 retired racehorses have found new homes and careers through the efforts of New Vocations.

The Delaware County Agricultural Society

The Delaware County Agricultural Society has run its annual fair since 1834. The organization promotes agriculture through the operation of the fairgrounds and the many events held there throughout the year. The Delaware County Agricultural Society is celebrating its 72nd year conducting the greatest pacing race in the sport, the Little Brown Jug. The fairgrounds are home to a thriving community of harness horses and maintain one of the fastest racetracks in the world. The Delaware County Agricultural Society promotes harness racing and its lore to thousands of fans and strives to maintain the history while promoting the future of our sport.

(New Vocations)
It has been announced that the annual bus trip to the Little Brown Jug in Delaware, Ohio that departs from the Kingston, Ont. area will be taking place again this year.

Trot Insider has learned that space on the bus is still available.

The round trip will cover a four-day span.

The bus will leave Napanee, Ont. on Tuesday, September 19. It will arrive at the Delaware Ohio fairgrounds in time for the Jugette (which will be raced on Wednesday, September 20) and the Little Brown Jug (Thursday, September 21). The bus will then return on Friday, September 22.

For complete information, contact Mark Brown at 613-354-2767 or email [email protected].
Evangelism Explosion Transitions Capitol Hill Outreach, the Center for Christian Statesmanship, to Coral Ridge Ministries Media

Contact: Dr. Frank Wright, 954-334-4343, F.Wright@djkm.org



ARDEN, N.C., Sept. 7, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Evangelism Explosion International today announced the transfer of its Capitol Hill-based evangelism and Christian Statesmanship outreach, the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship (CCS), to its sister ministry, Coral Ridge Ministries Media (CRMM), the parent organization of D. James Kennedy Ministries.



The organizational realignment, jointly approved by the Boards of Evangelism Explosion and CRMMorganizations founded by the late D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.takes place after a detailed review into how best to preserve, expand and amplify the Center for Christian Statesmanship's historic mission of training future generations of Christian statesmen.



"We've always had the welfare of the Center for Christian Statesmanship at heart," said Dr. John B. Sorensen, President of EE. "Because the mission of CCS is so critically important to the welfare of our nation," he added, "we undertook an extensive examination of what leadership structure, what organizational structure, would best serve CCS's future ministry prospects on Capitol Hill. The boards of both EE and CRMM concurred that those prospects would be best served back under CRMM."



Established in 1995 by CRMM, the Center for Christian Statesmanship is a Capitol Hill-based Christian outreach engaged in training and equipping present and future political leaders in evangelism and statesmanship. It came under the organizational umbrella of EE in 2007.



Dr. Frank Wright, Chief Executive Officer of CRMM, who served as the founding Executive Director of the Center for Christian Statesmanship, endorsed the move and praised EE's stewardship of CCS since 2007:



"Each of the many ministries founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy have a profound sense of being part of a family of outreaches that were an expression of Dr. Kennedy's love for Christ and his love for America. Nowhere was that family understanding better expressed than when Evangelism Explosion, at a point of great need, assumed a leadership responsibility for the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship. For the last ten years, under its visionary president Dr. John Sorensen, EE has faithfully and diligently upheld Dr. Kennedy's vision of being a powerful witness for Christ and equipping present and future statesmen."



New CCS Outreach to Dramatically Expand Mission



The organizational transition comes at a time when the Center for Christian Statesmanship embarks on an ambitious new phase of ministry engagement. The forthcoming launch of the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Leadership (CCL), a new CCS outreach, will dramatically expand the historic mission of CCS to train the next generation of Christian statesmen. The new Center for Christian Leadership, Dr. Wright explained, seeks to train 300 leaders per year for each of the next 10 years.



"The Center for Christian Leadership will address the deficit of preparation for Biblical cultural engagementespecially for leadership service in government and the public policy arena," Wright said. "Its training programs will prepare and equip men and women who have a wholehearted commitment to serve Christ by engaging the influential institutions of culture with a well-grounded Biblical world and life view."



Looking to a new era of cultural engagement, the Center for Christian Leadership is led by its president Dr. Linda W. Smith, with the Honorable John Hostettler continuing as Senior Executive Director. Dr. Sorensen will have a continuing relationship with the Center for Christian Statesmanship, serving as a CCL faculty member and as Chairman of the CCS Board of Advisors.



"I am thrilled at God's providence in providing this new (old) home for CCS," said Dr. Sorensen. "I believe that under the wise and seasoned leadership of Dr. Wright and the CRMM Board, the impact of CCS in equipping leaders to share Jesus and bring the mind of Christ to American culture will only expand and grow. And for that I thank God."


Judicial Watch Files Lawsuit on Behalf of Daily Caller News Foundation for Comey Memos

Contact: Jill Farrell, Judicial Watch, 202-646-5172



WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /Standard Newswire/ -- Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit on behalf of the Daily Caller News Foundation against the U.S. Department of Justice seeking memoranda allegedly written by former FBI Director James Comey regarding his discussions with President Donald Trump and Trump's aides (Daily Caller Foundation v. U.S. Department Justice (No. 1:17-cv- 01830)).



The suit was filed after the Justice Department initially declined to respond to a June 9, 2017, FOIA request and then failed to respond to an administrative appeal. The request seeks: "All unclassified memoranda authored by former FBI Director James Comey that contemporaneously memorialized his discussions with President Donald Trump and his aides. The time frame for the request was from November 8, 2016 to May 9, 2017."



Four of the seven memos that Comey wrote following his interactions with President Trump reportedly contained classified information.



"Americans have a right know the full facts about former FBI Director James Comey's unclassified memos regarding his conversations with President Trump and his aides prior to his firing," said Daily Caller News Foundation co-founder Neil Patel. "And the FBI must be required to honor the Freedom of Information Act."



"Comey leaked information from these memos so that it could be picked up by the media. So it is a scandal that the FBI is hiding this information contrary to FOIA law," said Judicial Watch President Tom Fitton.



Judicial Watch is separately pursuing a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Justice for information about Comey's memorandum written after his meeting with President Trump regarding potential interference by the Russians in the 2016 presidential election (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-01189)).



In July, Judicial Watch filed a FOIA lawsuit against the Department of Justice for the metadata of the memoranda written by Comey memorializing his conversations with President Donald Trump as well as records about Comey's FBI-issued laptop computer or other electronic devices and records about how Comey managed his records while he was FBI Director (Judicial Watch, Inc., v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 17-cv-01520)). The metadata information may include details about when the memos were created or edited and by whom.



In August, Judicial Watch sued the Justice Department for all non-disclosure agreements pertaining to the handling, storage, protection, dissemination, and/or return of classified information that were signed by or on behalf of former FBI Director James Comey (Judicial Watch v. U.S. Department of Justice (No. 1:17-cv-01624)).



Such records would include:

All SF-312 (Classified Information Nondisclosure Agreement) forms



All FD-857 (Sensitive Information Nondisclosure Agreement) forms



All FD-597 (Receipt for Property Received/Returned/Released or Seized) forms



All FD-291 (FBI Employment Agreement) forms



All Case Briefing Acknowledgement forms

To see a video presentation based upon this press release, click here.



MORE: www.judicialwatch.org/press-room/press-releases/judicial-watch-files-lawsuit-behalf-daily-caller-news-foundation-comey-memos/
The essential component of totalitarian propaganda is artifice (het toepassen van kunstgrepen. svh) . The ruling elites, like celebritie...
This weekend, a stainless steel peace totem, a granite sea guardian and a bronze firefighter will join the ranks of formidable outdoor sculptures in downtown Longview.

On Saturday, the Longview Outdoor Gallery, with help from city staff, will install eight new sculptures along Commerce Avenue as part of a rotating exhibit that began in 2011.

Outdoor Gallery chair Laurel Murphy said the organization works on a two-year rotation.

They ask artists to temporarily loan out pieces of art and then an independent committee selects which pieces to put on display.

We see (the gallery) not as an art project but as a business design project, Murphy said. Its an economic development project designed to beautify (downtown). Our mission is to bring people to downtown to shop, to eat, to enjoy the art that is there.

Over the two-year display period, Outdoor Gallery surveys the community to find out which sculptures people like the best. Murphy said they usually get about 1,000 votes for the Peoples Voice. The nonprofit gallery then applies for grants and hosts fundraising events to purchase the sculpture and donate it to the city.

Its all local money, Murphy said.

The initial plan was to buy a single sculpture every two years, but Murphy said with community support and artist donations, the group has been able to acquire 12 sculptures for the city. Most are on permanent display on Commerce Avenue.

Other loaned sculptures installed on Saturday will include a fat tire bike, a bronze medallion called Summertime, a stainless steel sprout, a basalt structure of two otters playing and a representation of dinosaur and whale bones.

In just a short amount of time, the program has garnered widespread attention.

This year, the word has really gotten out in the artist community that our program, which is not unique, is very successful, Murphy said. We are getting bigger and more expensive sculptures from as far away as California.  Were coming into the big time. Were pleased as punch with this program.

She added that they received more submissions this year than they had places to install them.

In conjunction with the sculpture installations, the Longview Downtowners are planning a reception at 2 p.m. Saturday at Mill City Grill on Commerce Avenue to celebrate the completion of the city streetscaping project.

Downtowners Vice President Wendy Kosloski said the group wanted to recognize the work the city has done to improve downtown, including assisting during the sculpture installation.

Art helps inspire people, Kosloski said. The sculptures are a great foundation for a positive, inspiring image of downtown. They give people another reason to walk around downtown and find them. Its like an adventure.

She added that the Downtowners have heard many nice comments about the improvements to Commerce Avenue.

Murphy agreed, saying the gallery has been popular with residents and citizens alike.

Whats so wonderful about outdoor sculptures is its art with no barriers, she said. You dont have to pay anything to see it. You dont have to go at any special time to see it. You can go see it by yourself.  (Sculptures are) a wonderful artistic medium to be enjoyed by anyone at all times.

The eight new sculptures will be installed from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday on Commerce Avenue.
Woodland police investigated a case of extreme road rage Tuesday, arresting a Montana man for allegedly causing a deliberate car accident.

According to a Woodland officer, Edward Harrison Howard, 52, of Canyon Creek, Mont., was leaving the Walmart parking lot when he was cut off by another driver. Howard then reportedly jumped the curb at the nearby roundabout to get in front of the other car.

After going through a second roundabout near the Interstate 5 overpass, Howard slammed on his brakes, causing the other car to smack into him, Keller said.

Police said Howard attempted to drive off, but the other driver blocked him. Howard was arrested on suspicion of second-degree malicious mischief, hit-and-run, reckless driving and reckless endangerment.
For individuals who apparently got a thrill by stalking and illegally killing wild animals, William J. Haynes and Erik Christian Martin did a poor job of covering their own tracks.

The suspected poachers unwittingly provided law enforcement officers with a huge cache of evidence, allowing Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife investigators to build a massive case against them and five other members of an alleged poaching group.

Based on case reports reviewed by The Daily News, theres little sign the men ever thought about getting caught.

Instead, the 23-year-old Longview residents are suspects in an investigation into the killing of more than 50 animals including deer, elk, bears and bobcats in two different states. Along the way, they left a digital trail of shocking evidence for Fish and Wildlife investigators to follow.

The painstaking task required two Fish and Wildlife officers and a sergeant, who spent a majority of the past winter and early spring diligently retracing the suspects bloody steps.

Investigators were also assisted by more than 30 officers from multiple agencies, including the Cowlitz County Sheriffs Office.

Weve used a lot of our manpower in this region in Western Washington to accomplish this case, Fish and Wildlife Sergeant Brad Rhoden said in an interview.

Rhoden said he doesnt want intense interest in the case to lead to a negative perception of honest hunters.

I dont want anybody to view the majority of our hunters in Washington as these types of individuals, he said. I dont think theres a sportsman out there who would say this is OK.

Haynes is facing 61 separate charges in Skamania County District Court, including 26 charges of first-degree illegal hunting of big game. All of the charges are related to the use of dogs while hunting, which is illegal in Washington without a special permit thats only granted in specific instances. Haynes was previously convicted of second-degree unlawful hunting of big game in Cowlitz County on Oct. 3, 2013. As a result, all of Haynes big game charges could be considered Class C felonies, which are punishable by up to five years in jail and a $10,000 fine.

Martin, who does not have any previous violations, is facing 28 separate charges for gross misdemeanors.

In addition to Haynes and Martin, three other suspects have been named in the investigation.

They are Joseph Allen Dills, 30, of Longview; Eddy Alvin Dills, 57, of Longview; and Bryan Christopher Tretiak, 31, of Morton. All of the suspects are awaiting preliminary appearance hearings in Skamania County later this month. Two female suspects were named in the case reports but no charges have been filed against them yet.

Dills, who has bear claws and dog paws tattooed on his left arm, pleaded guilty in Wahkiakum County District Court in 2008 to second-degree unlawful hunting of big game and second-degree criminal trespassing. Hes now facing 64 separate charges, including four first-degree unlawful big game hunting charges for the illegal use of dogs.

Had Haynes and Martin known that the contents of their phones would result in so many charges, its possible they may have opted not to document such a staggering number of alleged illegal hunting activities.

A mountain of evidence

Based on case reports, its not clear if Haynes or Martin thought twice before agreeing to allow two Oregon State police officers to look through their devices on December 3, 2016.

According to reports, the troopers had stopped the men after recognizing Haynes Toyota pickup as the same vehicle that appeared in several images captured by Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife game cameras. The motion-activated cameras were set up in response to past illegal big game hunting activity in the Mount Hood National Forest during the months of November and December.

Upon questioning, Haynes and Martin confessed to illegally killing two buck deer and a silver gray squirrel, according to reports. The two men admitted to taking only the heads of the two deer and the entire squirrel back to a house in Longview, leaving the rest of the animals to rot.

At this point, Senior Trooper Craig Gunderson requested that Washington Fish and Wildlife Sergeant Brad Rhoden assist with recovering the illegally transported deer heads.

When Rhoden arrived, Gunderson informed him that Haynes and Martin had consented to having their cell phones searched. According to reports, it was at this point that the true scale of the ensuing investigation began to emerge.

An initial look through the devices revealed numerous photos of antlered deer skulls, dead bull elk, and  perhaps most disturbing  bear hunting with the use of dogs.

Gunderson seized the phones as evidence and obtained a search warrant to have a forensic analysis performed on the devices.

On Dec. 16, 2016, Rhoden met with Gunderson and several other officers to transfer evidence from the analysis.

The contents of Haynes phone provided hundreds of photos and videos documenting a pattern of brutal killings on more than 20 separate occasions.

In some cases, bears were still alive as Dills dogs gnawed on their flesh, Rhoden said.

Martins phone also held numerous photos and videos of the unlawful harvest of big game.

In addition to incriminating photos, videos and text messages, the evidence included crucial metadata which allowed investigators to pinpoint exactly where the illegal killings occurred using GPS coordinates.

Investigators could not have retraced the suspects steps if Haynes had not granted his phones camera permission to access its GPS location data.

What was most difficult about this case is that we had to pore through so many records, Rhoden said.
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Port of Woodlands plans to develop Austin Point into a multimillion-dollar, deep-water access terminal took a big step forward this week when a state board approved a $1.7 million land sale needed for the project.

The Board of Natural Resources Tuesday greenlighted the sale of 153.3 acres of agricultural land to the Port of Woodland after two years of negotiations.

The land will be used to build a rail line from the ports existing property at Austin Point to the main BNSF Railway line, making the property the ports first deep-water access site with rail access. That would enable the port to attract a large-scale industrial client that could generate millions of dollars in revenue and dozens of new jobs for the small Southwest Washington port.

Were looking forward to stepping up to the plate in the next step of growth for the port. This really does open up some opportunities for us, said Jennifer Keene, executive director of Port of Woodland.

The port has long wanted to develop Austin Point into a bulk commodity terminal on the Columbia River, but a proposal for a grain terminal fizzled out in the 1980s under the weight of legal challenges. Development planning hit a roadblock again two years ago when the port realized that a land easement it needed for the rail access to Austin Point had expired in the late 1980s.

The port first sought to renew the easement for just 40 acres needed for the rail access, but the Department of Natural Resources said the port had to purchase all 153.3 acres connected to what it calls the Kuhnis Road Property, Keene said.

At one point last November, the deal had appeared to be dead when the outgoing head of DNR, former lands commissioner Peter Goldmark, axed negotiations for unclear reasons. Yet the port, with the help of state Rep. Richard DeBolt (R-Centralia) and other state legislators, was able to revive talks and renegotiate a deal with the new lands commissioner, Hilary Franz, Keene said.

After the boards approval Tuesday, the sale of the Kuhnis Road Property is now pending and the port expects to have ownership by the end of the year barring any significant legal challenges, Keene said.

In July, the Port of Woodland commission passed a resolution banning fossil fuel projects from Austin Point, clarifying the ports existing comprehensive plan for the property. The resolution bars coal; petroleum products; liquefied natural gas; propane; dangerous waste; municipal waste; and toxic, reactive or hazardous substances from Austin Point.

Commodities that will be allowed include grains and other agricultural products; liquid edibles (cooking oil, vegetable oil, dairy products, fruit juices); rocks and aggregates; timber, lumber and wood products; cement, volcanic ash and potash; or steel and metal products.

The resolution helped the port earn the support of the Cowlitz Tribe, which had originally opposed the deal, Keene said.

Yet the anti-fossil fuels resolution wasnt enough to squash opposition from Columbia Riverkeeper. The Hood River-based group lobbied DNR to conduct a full environmental review of the Austin Point development, rather than just issuing a determination of non-significance on the Kuhnis Road Property purchase by itself.

The fact that the (Austin Point) project isnt being looked at cumulatively, its being looked it in a parcel-by-parcel manner, really denies the public an opportunity to understand and get involved in the process, said Jasmine Zimmer-Stucky, a Riverkeeper organizer.

Zimmer-Stucky also cautioned that the ports resolution could be undone if leadership on the commission changes, or if the commission gets desperate to pay back its large investment.

By the time the port gets around to meeting with a tenant and having open houses, the port will have invested millions of dollars into this project. Because they bought the land and will be expecting a return on investment, if that comes in the form of fossil fuels, thats puts them in a hard place, Zimmer-Stucky said.

Zimmer-Stucky said Columbia Riverkeeper is reviewing its legal options to see whether it will challenge the Board of Natural Resources approval of the land purchase.

However, Keene said it would be difficult for the port commission to go back on its fossil fuel stance because it would be required to rescind its resolution and modify the ports comprehensive plan, which would have to go through a public hearings process. Keene said the commissions resolution also sends a signal to prospective clients that it isnt interested in having a fossil fuel terminal there.

Billy Roberts, president of ILWU Local 21, said the union will hold off on supporting or opposing Austin Point developments until it knows whether a future prospective client is committed to using union labor. (Keene said the port commission does want to use union longshoremen on Austin Point.)

The port will issue bonds to pay for the land purchase. It also will raise some money by selling off some of the 153.3 acres it doesnt need for the rail line.

Although some opponents feared the agricultural land could be rezoned for industrial use, Keene said the agricultural zoning will remain intact for all of the 153.3 acres.
Editors note: Todays editorials originally appeared in The Columbian and The Seattle Times. Editorial content from other publications is provided to give readers a sampling of regional and national opinion and does not necessarily reflect positions endorsed by the Editorial Board of The Daily News.

With a legislative committee taking shape to consider the future of the Interstate 5 Bridge, numerous questions are begging to be answered. And while the minutiae of any eventual project will need to be addressed, two major issues could stall the effort before it even gets into gear: Will Oregon officials get involved? And what will be different this time around?

Last week, four Washington representatives were appointed to a task force designed to begin working toward replacement of the century-old bridge. Brandon Vick, R-Vancouver, and Sharon Wylie, D-Vancouver, have been tabbed as part of a 16-member committee created by passage of a bill during this years legislative session. Four Washington senators will be added to the group, but that represents the relatively easy part of the process.

The difficult portion, it appears, will be getting Oregon legislators to join the party. Eventually, I think they have to come to the table because its in the regions interest to do that, Wylie said. Ultimately, if it was easy, we would have already had a bridge.

Therein lies the problem. With then-Clark County Sens. Ann Rivers and Don Benton leading the opposition, Washington effectively scuttled the Columbia River Crossing proposal in 2013. More than a decade of work and nearly $200 million in expenditures went down the drain, and Oregon lawmakers have demonstrated little eagerness to engage in discussions since then. Fool me once, and all that.

Which brings up the question about approaching things differently. As Gov. Jay Inslee and local legislators have stressed, the key will be to demonstrate that there is local consensus regarding a replacement bridge, rather than leaving open the possibility of another last-minute collapse for the project. Consensus does not mean unanimity, but the inclusion of Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, on the committee will make consensus more difficult. Orcutt voted against formation of the task force and believes a third bridge should take priority over the I-5 span.

Editorially, The Columbian has recommended a provision allowing for the inclusion of light rail when Clark County reaches a designated level of population density. Including light rail at this time would be a fiscal albatross, but it would be nonsensical to ignore the eventual need for the system to extend into Washington.

In a similar vein, local residents must recognize that some tolls would be an equitable form for providing funding for a new bridge. User fees are a fair and necessary method of paying for large projects, and they fit in with conservative political philosophy. Tolls to help pay for a replacement bridge should not be confused with Oregon officials current effort to place tolls on I-5 and I-205 beginning at the state line. Those tolls would not go toward enhancing the bridges, but instead would have Washington residents contributing mightily to some projects that would not benefit those residents.

And finally, the committee should work to establish a process for additional bridges across the Columbia River. I-5 must remain the priority, but the work should not stop there. Multiple bridges will be essential for the regions economy in the coming decades.

Let DACA deadline kickstart reform

The Obama administrations program protecting young immigrants brought to this country illegally as children was meant to be a stopgap until Congress acted on immigration reform.

Now President Donald Trump has given Congress a deadline of six months to do what President Barack Obama wanted in the first place: Fix the nations broken immigration system.

The harsh, divisive rhetoric of Trump and U.S. attorney general Jeff Sessions regarding immigration is repellent, but the challenge is now before Congress to shake off its dysfunction and finally act on immigration reform. It must not fail.

The Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program has helped 800,000 young people avoid deportation, work legally in the United States and continue their education. Many already have made significant contributions as leaders, doctors, writers, soldiers and scientists.

Congress must create a path to citizenship for these young people. Those who were brought here illegally as children must be protected, not just the ones who have already signed up for the DACA program. Its incumbent that Congress deliberates with a sense of urgency to avoid creating more fear and uncertainty.

Americans who value the contributions immigrants make to this country will not tolerate mass deportations while Congress debates needed reform.

Fixing DACA is the first step. The bigger lift is long-needed reform addressing the immigrants who came here illegally but have built a new life here, pay taxes and are integral to our nations strong economy. As for immigrants who break the law, the U.S. has been deporting many and will continue to do so. That was the Obama administration policy and it continues, as it should.

The U.S. needs an immigration policy that provides a reasonable, predictable path to citizenship. Continue to improve border security, yes, but end the ridiculous distraction of a horrendously expensive, likely ineffective and darkly symbolic wall along the border with Mexico.

U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, D-Washington, already has vowed to work toward a solution for the so-called Dreamers, who have benefitted from the DACA program. As a leader in Congress who has demonstrated an ability to craft bipartisan solutions to tough challenges, Murray is up to the task.

Five years ago, Obama made a promise to the young people who were brought to this nation as children. He made that promise on behalf of the American people, a majority of whom support a path to citizenship for Dreamers. Congress needs to fulfill that promise.

Not only is that the right thing to do, the country needs these young people to become part of the permanent fabric of this nation of immigrants.
WASHINGTON  Did you hear the one about Jeff Sessions?

Id like to tell you, but I cant. You see, its illegal to laugh at the attorney general, the man who on Tuesday morning announced that the 800,000 dreamers  immigrants brought here illegally as children  could soon be deported. If you were to find my Sessions jest funny, I would be an accessory to mirth.

This is no joke, because liberal activist Desiree Fairooz is now being put on trial a second time by the Justice Department  Jeff Sessionss Justice Department  because she laughed at Sessions during his confirmation hearing. Specifically, she laughed at a line about Sessions treating all Americans equally under the law (which is, objectively, kind of funny).

Police asked her to leave the hearing because of her laugh. She protested and was charged. In May, a jury of her peers found her guilty of disorderly conduct and another offense (first-degree chuckling with intent to titter was Stephen Colberts sentence at the time). The judge threw out the verdict, objecting to prosecutors closing argument claiming that laughter alone was enough to convict her.

But at a hearing Friday, the Justice Department said it would continue to prosecute her. A new trial is scheduled for November. Maybe Sessions, repeatedly and publicly criticized by Trump, thinks Justices anti-laughing crackdown will protect whatever dignity he has left.

If Justice Department prosecutors are determined to go after those who laugh at Sessions, they are going to need an awfully big dragnet. Sessions mannerisms, the things he says and the way he says them dare you to laugh. Its practically entrapment!

Sessions is a wiry man whose eyebrows soar and eyes bug out when he speaks. He often pecks his head forward, like a pigeon. His Alabama twang causes snobbish elites from outside the Deep South to snigger (thereby risking 30 days in prison). And some of what he says is so absurd the comedy must be deliberate.

At Tuesdays announcement about the DACA program, Sessions explained that the protections would be rescinded after a delay (of six months) to create a time period for Congress to act on the dreamers. Congress acting on immigration in six months? Hilarious! You could give Congress six months to affirm that there are 13 stripes in the American flag, and Ted Cruz and the Freedom Caucus would insist on an amendment reducing the stripes to 11 to reduce the size of government. Nothing would pass.

Likewise, how do Trump and Sessions suppose they are going to deport 800,000 dreamers, many of whom have no memory of the lands they were brought from as children? Cull them in a big game of DACA, DACA, goose? Sorry, that wasnt funny. Please dont laugh, for your own protection.

I went to the Justice Department on Tuesday to watch the Sessions announcement, and it took strength not to commit misdemeanor mirth. Sessions had no fewer than five bodyguards  earpieces, lapel pins and menacing looks  to protect him from the credentialed press corps, more than the president uses in similar settings. He put his reading glasses on the tip of his nose, pecked his way through his written statement, mispronouncing various words, and turned to go.

NBCs Kristen Welker and Politicos Josh Gerstein shouted questions. Sessions didnt answer, instead giving an awkward wave to the cameras and hastily deporting himself from the room.

It was darkly funny that Sessions thought he could banish 800,000 people, Americans in all ways but on paper, and then refuse to answer questions  just as its funny that he thinks people who laugh at him should be prosecuted.

If the attorney general is going to continue doing laughable things and the Justice Department is going to keep making laughing at him a crime, we are going to need some new guidelines about which laughter is illegal (Fairooz claims her offense was involuntary, reflexive and at most a chortle of disdain, while others have described it as two snorts and a giggle) and a schedule of penalties.

A misdemeanor chuckle at the attorney generals expense, for example, could be punished with up to 30 days in prison for first-time offenders. An aggravated guffaw would get you a year, and if you were to confront Sessions with a premeditated ROFLMAO, youd be looking at 10 years, some of that in solitary listening to Sessionss old Senate speeches.

Of course, Sessions, as the victim of the crime, must recuse himself, and a special prosecutor for laughter must be appointed. I suggest James Comey, just for giggles.
And you were dead in your trespasses and sins in which you previously walked according to the ways of this world, according to the ruler who...
MARION  The Laborers International Union of North America Local 773, which has been the subject of scrutiny for its alleged involvement in events culminating in a housing crisis in Cairo, has been placed under "emergency trusteeship," according to a letter by LIUNAs Washington, D.C.-based president, Terry O'Sullivan.

The action amounts to the national union assuming operational control of the Local. The letter from O'Sullivan, dated Sept. 1, is taped to the door of the Local 773s administrative offices located in Marion on Ed Smith Way, a street named for the founders son, Edward Smith, originally of Cairo, who rose through the LIUNA ranks and became a Democratic Party player on the state and national scene.

The Local 773 represents about 4,200 workers nationally, including about 2,000 local government employees and private sector laborers, primarily in the construction industry, in Southern Illinois. In the public sphere, the Local 773 represents a variety of city, county, courthouse and housing authority employees across multiple counties regionally, according to information a union representative previously provided to the newspaper.

The housing crisis and related issues that union insiders say has led to chaos in the union hall is not discussed in the letter. Rather, O'Sullivan, who oversees a national union that represents half a million people through numerous local chapters, wrote in the letter that the trusteeship is necessary due to the breakdown in governance, leadership and democratic procedures brought upon by recent events.

O'Sullivan describes those five events as follows:

1. Multiple reports of the business manager carrying firearms and ammunition in a threatening manner at the local union hall and while on official union business, causing others to also carry firearms while attending union meetings;

2. Reports that the local union staff are fearful and intimidated;

3. The resignation by the business manager, under pressure, from his positions on multiple trust funds affiliated with the local union;

4. Improper financial conduct and/or reporting by more than one member of the executive board;

5. Disarray and lack of cooperation between members of the current executive board.

The letter states that the aim of the trusteeship is to restore democratic procedures, protect the local union as an institution, and correct any financial malpractice or other problems that may be impeding the local in its ability to properly function and serve the membership.

Though not mentioned by name in the letter, the business manager who was removed from his position by LIUNA's general president is Kevin Starr. Starr, who has been affiliated with the union for decades, declined comment to the newspaper when contacted Thursday. Starr also is, or was, the treasurer of the Southern and Central Illinois Laborers Political League, a political arm of the union. It was not immediately clear to the newspaper whether Starr was also removed from the campaign committee.

John F. Penn, LIUNAs vice president and Midwest regional manager, has been appointed as trustee of the Local 773, according to the letter. Robert Shroeder, special international representative and Ross Manuel, international representative, have been named deputy trustees. Per union rules, the trustees are authorized to take full charge of the affairs of the Local 773 and protect its membership.

O'Sullivans letter concludes by stating that all Local 773 members will be notified of a date, time and place for a hearing to be conducted by a special hearings panel of the General Executive Board to consider whether the trusteeship action was justified by an emergency in accordance with the International Union Constitution.

Starr is the only union officer whose removal from the Local 773 is mentioned in the letter. Though, other union officers are facing legal or administrative actions against them for alleged wrongdoing.

The Local 773s website listing its officers has not changed with the issuance of the letter. Matthew Smith, who is the son of Edward Smith, holds the position of president of the Local 773. Matthew Smith, of Tamms, has a pending felony domestic assault in the second degree case in Cape Girardeau County, Missouri. A pre-trial hearing is scheduled for Monday. Police allege Smith, on the evening of Aug. 10, 2016, threw a rock at the head of his then-financee while taking her phone and throwing it in a bush to keep her from calling for help as he drove away.

A probable cause statement says that the woman told police at the time of the August 2016 incident that about a year earlier, she suffered a broken neck from Smith kicking her in the head after an argument. The Aug. 10, 2016, arrest of Smith for alleged domestic violence was his second such arrest in roughly two years. Union County Police accused him on the night of July 18, 2014, of breaking into his then-girlfriends home near Anna, pulling her off her bed and tossing her into a wall. (The Aug. 10, 2016 case and the July 18, 2014, case involved two different women, according to the court records.) In the Union County case, Smith was charged with two felony charges of criminal trespass and criminal damage to property in excess of $300 and misdemeanor domestic battery.

A plea deal was negotiated in which the original charges were dropped and Smith pleaded guilty to only an added misdemeanor charge of criminal damage to property. Under the terms of his probation, which is being readdressed in light of his arrest in Cape Girardeau, Smith also was ordered to undergo counseling, including for substance abuse, and pay nearly $20,000 in restitution toward medical costs and repairs to the victim and her family. The court record associated with this case included a bill from the victims health insurer, Blue Cross, Blue Shield. It showed more than $13,000 in medical costs related to treatment of her injuries.

The special prosecutor who handled the case, Massac County States Attorney Patrick Windhorst, told the newspaper in late 2015 that, in his legal opinion, there was strong evidence to prosecute Smith for the domestic battery charge, and that he dismissed the charge only at the request of the victim. The woman later changed her mind and wanted to move forward with the charge, but Windhorst said the plea deal had already been offered and that it was too late to change course by time she made her intentions known. Windhorst was assigned as a special prosecutor in the case after Union County States Attorney Tyler Edmonds recused himself because of a conflict of interest. Edmonds is Smiths brother-in-law.

Additionally, Local 773 Treasurer John Price is facing federal debarment. Housing and Urban Development, which is administering the Alexander County Housing Authority in administrative receivership, sought the administrative action against Price in July.

Price was a member of the ACHAs board until January 2015, and for years also simultaneously acted as a union representative for the ACHA employees represented in collective bargaining by the Local 773. In seeking the three-year debarment, HUD claimed this represented a conflict of interest. HUD spokesman Jereon Brown said on Wednesday, in an emailed statement, that the administrative action is still pending and that there are no updates at this point.

A debarment is an administrative action that prevents an individual from participating in programs that involve federal funds. HUD also has the ability to apply fines if the debarment is successful. In addition to the action taken against Price, HUD is seeking the indefinite debarment of former ACHA executive directors James Wilson and Martha Franklin. Also, HUD has dismissed all union workers of the ACHA, saying the ACHA can not afford the pay and benefits that were previously negotiated. The positions were readvertised, though most part time and all non-union. In response, the Local 773 filed an unfair labor practice complaint, which is pending before the Illinois Labor Relations Board.

Also, The Local 773s in-house counsel, Paul Prendergast, left the union earlier this year after he pleaded guilty to felony aggravated drunken driving. Prendergast was arrested and charged in June 2016 with two felony counts of aggravated drunken driving, as well as possession of drug paraphernalia and possession of less than 2.5 grams of cannabis, both misdemeanor charges. All but the felony aggravated DUI charge were dismissed in the plea deal Prendergast accepted in April.

Prendergast told the newspaper in June, in an emailed statement, that he voluntarily left the union at that time because he did not want to give the local another black eye.

Local 773 has done so much good outside of their important work representing the men and women who have no other voice or redress with their employers, he said, noting the unions charity work in the region. He also said the Local 773, and specifically Starr, the outstated general manager, gave him a second chance when he needed one. I felt, and still feel that my resignation from the Executive Board, retirement from the Local, retirement from the practice of law and subsequent plea to the DUI charge was the right course of action, he wrote to the newspaper.

The newspaper has never been successful at reaching Matthew Smith or his attorneys, and several calls to his father, Edward Smith, also have gone unreturned. A representative of LIUNA in Washington did not immediately have further comment about the letter from O'Sullivan, the unions general manager. She directed the newspaper to send an email to the unions communication team.

This story will be updated if more information becomes available.
CARBONDALE  Carbondale police are offering a $1,000 reward to anyone who can provide information about the people responsible for a recent spate of masked armed robberies, information that leads to the arrest and conviction of the individual or individuals.

Meanwhile, they continue looking into similarities and modus operandi in the handful of local Halloween-mask robberies, but can not say whether or not they are connected.

Over the past few weeks, masked men have robbed a Dollar General on West Ramada Lane, Primos Pizza on Park Street and the Rolln Up store. Though suspects have been described of varying heights, Carbondale Lt. Mark Goddard said the people who reported the crimes were trying to recall information from a stressful, threatening experience.

Goddard said Carbondale Police are also collaborating with Williamson County investigators on similar robberies involving suspects wearing Halloween-style or other masks, including a mid-August masked robbery of another Dollar General store.

We dont rule out anything, Goddard said. Anythings possible at this point, but there are obvious similarities between many of them that we are looking into.

A year ago, one convenience store in town had a sign posted asking people to not wear Halloween masks into the store.

Goddard said he could not tell businesses what to do, but noted that people would be wise to not wear Halloween or other masks into a store.

What valid reason would you have walking into a store trying to hide your identity? he said. It would be a good rule not to walk in with a Halloween mask on or with any mask on."

He advised businesses owners, employees and the average citizen to be on the alert and aware of their surroundings, to lock their doors when leaving home and to report any suspicious activity to police.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to call the Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200 or Crime Stoppers at 618-549-2677.
CARBONDALE  Emergency crews found a Southern Illinois-based plane that went down near Wetzel and Harrison counties in West Virginia.

Deputy Chief Jim Copenhaver with the Harrison County Sheriff's Department said that at about 4:30 p.m. Thursday, the plane was located in Wetzel County by a search and rescue team.

When asked about any passengers on the plane, Wetzel responded, "We've not heard anything about the occupants."

Earlier Thursday, Harrison County Sheriff Robert Matheny said that not much new information has been learned since news of the missing plane went public Wednesday.

What we know right now is there is an aircraft that went missing off of radar Tuesday at about 11:30 a.m. near the Harrison and Wetzel County West Virginia line, he said.

Gary Schaefer, Southern Illinois Airport manager, said the plane originated from his airport, but said the missing aircraft actually took off from Delaware and was making the trip back to the region when it went off radar. Matheny also confirmed this, saying that information provided to him from the Federal Aviation Administration indicated that the plane was flying from Delaware to Flemingsburg, Kentucky.

Schaefer said he received information of a missing plane Wednesday morning, however could not confirm passenger count and declined to provide the name of the aircrafts owner.

Schaefer said beyond providing information to authorities, the airport did not have a real role in the rescue efforts.

Matheny said the emergency team is still treating the missions as a rescue.

What we understand is that that aircraft is equipped with some type of parachute device, Matheny said, adding that he hoped they were able to deploy the safety device.

This story will be updated.
An arrest warrant was issued after Carbondale Police responded Monday to a report of gunshots fired.

According to a news release from the department, at about 11:55 p.m. Monday, Carbondale Police responded to a report of gunshots being fired in the 700 block of South Lewis Lane.

Responding officers determined that occupants of a residence had been in an argument with acquaintance. During the course of that argument, a male brandished a firearm and shot in the direction of one of the occupants, then fled the area in a vehicle.

An arrest warrant for Dennis Higgins Jr., 30, of Carbondale, was issued, charging him with aggravated discharge of a firearm and felon in possession of a weapon. Higgins bond has been set at $250,000.

Police say Higgins should be considered armed and dangerous.

There have been no reported injuries as a result of this incident and the investigation is continuing.

Anyone with information about this incident is encouraged to contact Carbondale Police Department at 618-457-3200, Carbondale/SIU Crime Stoppers anonymous tip line at 618-549-2677 or Murphysboro/Jackson County anonymous tip line at 618-687-2677.

 The Southern
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"Tracy and I can't thank the people of Southern Illinois enough for their support and their prayers. Our victory tonight sends a powerful message to out-of-touch politicians everywhere that we're unified and unyielding in the fight for our conservative values. Joe Biden's going to be held accountable for destroying the economy, ignoring the border crisis, and taking us from America First to America Last in two years flat. But none of this would be possible without the trust of voters from across our vast 12th District. Serving you is truly the honor of a lifetime."
WILLIAMSON COUNTY  Williamson County States Attorney Brandon Zanotti has tried to become something of a problem solver in facing the opioid epidemic that faces the region.

Very soon after I started in my position as States Attorney, I realized we had a major problem on our hands. I was seeing people who had a good job, a good family and a good past in court for committing crimes they would normally have nothing to do with, Zanotti said.

The bottom line in many of these cases, Zanotti said, was addiction to opioids, either in the form of prescription drugs such as OxyContin, Percodan, Vicodin or Percocet, or in less regulated more dangerous street drugs like heroin.

Zanotti said that the bloom of heroin use in the region is directly related to opioid addiction.

Lets say a person injures their back and as part of the course of treatment gets a perfectly legal prescription for a painkiller from their doctor. Fast forward a few months and their back is healed but now they have an addiction, and no prescription, and so they begin to seek those pills by illegal means, Zanotti said.

Zanotti said the cost of those pills at street level can be as much as $20 per pill, and often people suffering from addiction will turn to theft to pay for their habit. Others choose not to steal, but revert to buying heroin, which costs a fraction of the cost per dose.

Zanotti said he saw the same thing was happening all across the country, so to combat the problem in our region, he developed two pilot programs which have seen some success in other arenas: a Pre-trial Diversion Program and a Veterans Court.

Pre-trial Diversion Programs

In Pre-trial Diversion Programs, people with pending felony opioid charges determined to be suffering from addiction are offered pathways to reduced or dismissed sentences by agreeing to counseling and medical treatment.

Our thought with this plan is to give those charged with a possession offense a chance to go through treatment before their case is called for trial. If they successfully complete treatment, then we will consider dismissing their case, Zanotti said.

Zanotti said these diversions would not apply to those charged with illegally selling opioids, or related to a violent crime.

Zannotti said the pathway through this process includes an initial diagnosis of addiction from a qualified medical professional, and treatment which might include psychological counseling, medical intervention in the form of Buprenorphine therapy, or both.

Dr. Rakesh Chandra, who runs Rassik Complete Recovery, Inc. in Carbondale has been working with Zanotti to map out what the evaluation and referral process might look like for the Pre-trial Diversion Program.

Chemical dependency is not a moral failing or a weakness of character. It is a chronic disease, much like diabetes or hypertension, Chandra said.

But, Chandra said, it is a chronic disease that drives people to do terrible things that have terrible social repercussions.

Is it a crime, or not a crime? Its not always that simple. But Brandon is really brilliant. He realized early on that of perhaps every 10 people arrested, only two might be involved in dealing drugs and continuing the problem, Chandra said.

Chandra said the other eight people in this scenario are victims, because addiction is an illness.

It makes more sense to offer someone a way to heal and make amends than to keep them in jail where they will do their time and leave the system with the same potential toward addiction they entered it with," Chandra said.

Veterans Court

Zanottis office has also developed a second program designed to handle cases involving veterans of the United States Armed Forces.

If a person is arrested for a non-violent opioid-related crime and we find out in the initial intake that that person is a veteran, then we dig a little deeper, Zanotti said.

Zanotti said if his office finds that the veteran has PTSD or another psychological issue that made them turn to alcohol or drugs, but for that the crime would not have been committed, they will refer them to Veterans Court.

Veterans court will be presided over by a single Judge, who will make decisions in each case and monitor each participants progress through the program.

Once admitted into the program, Zanotti said, a veteran will participate in counseling and physical addiction treatment programs with a specialized agent from the VA who understands combat related illnesses.

Upon successful completion of the program their sentence will be lessened or dismissed.

Zanotti said this program has been recently green lighted by Judges from the 1st Circuit Court of Illinois and will handle cases from Alexander, Jackson, Johnson, Massac, Pope, Pulaski, Saline, Union and Williamson counties.

Zanotti said he expects Veterans Court will soon be up and running.

We are working to determine who the presiding judge will be for Veterans Court, but our public defenders are on board and the VA is ready to step in at any time, Zanotti said.

Education

Zanotti said the most important thing the public can do to help in the face of this epidemic is to educate themselves.

Take time to read about it and to talk about it. Learn what the signs of addiction might be and help steer friend and family to recovery programs if a problem is identified, Zanotti said.

Additionally, Zanotti said, if someone has a doctors prescription for painkillers, it is important to keep track of how many there are and to store them out of the public eye.

Keep a count of how many you take and how many are left. Dont just leave them in the medicine cabinet or in an exposed area where anyone can handle them. And discard medicines no longer in use through a prescription disposal programs run by your town or county, Zanotti said.
"Research is formalized curiosity. It is poking and prying with a purpose."

That quote from African-American folklorist and author Zora Neale Hurston pretty much sums up the foundation upon which one veteran teacher and researcher has built a stellar career.

Dr. Gloria S. McCutcheon is a biology professor and interim chairperson of the biology department at Claflin University in Orangeburg. As an entomologist, she has enjoyed making sure that students see the connection between public health and the environment.

Having received the Endowed Faculty Award for Innovative Scientific Research, the university's highest research award, McCutcheon has made significant contributions in public health with a focus on research strategies to address health disparities and decrease pesticide usage.

She has mentored students at all educational levels. Even as an accomplished researcher, she still enjoys learning from her students.

McCutcheon's strong desire to know or learn something has led to her designation as the exemplification of curiosity as part of the Orangeburg County Community of Character initiative.

"I was curious and excited," she said of the designation. "It's certainly an honor to be labeled curious. It certainly does indicate that I enjoy learning. I just don't feel like my day is complete if I don't learn something."

McCutcheon was the first African-American to earn degrees in entomology from both Clemson University and the University of Georgia. She retired from Clemson as a professor emerita after 33 years of directing master of science- and doctorate-level students who are making their own contributions in environmental entomology.

She is in her second year as interim chairperson of Claflin's biology department.

"I've always thought that that was not something that I would want to do, but I was curious enough to give it a try when I was offered the opportunity. After I started with that, I went, 'Oh, what an impact I could possibly have on the lives of young faculty members and the students at large,' both biology majors and non-majors. It's just been an interesting journey both being a teacher in the classroom and an administrator .... . Education is so very important to all of us," McCutcheon said.

She credits her late mother, Hattie Mims Sanders, for helping hone her curious nature and love of learning.

"My mother used to always tell me that education is certainly one thing that no man can take away from you. So I've kind of lived with that principle in mind," McCutcheon said.

McCutcheon, whose research interests include community health, said curiosity has played a big role in her professional life.

"Curiosity is something that just drives me. I just enjoy learning about almost anything. That's why I like to travel. I learn more about people and their cultures, and it's just always so interesting to learn and be engaged with different topics," she said.

McCutcheon also gives back to her community, doing much of her work with Zeta Phi Beta Sorority Inc. and The Links Inc. She is chairperson of the sorority's Stork Nest inititiave for young mother and babies and works with The Links' Healthy Lifestyle Program in Orangeburg Consolidated School District Five.

"I also enjoy my work with the Faith and Nutrition Program at Camden First United Methodist Church, where I am extremely blessed and honored to be the First Lady," she said.

McCutcheon is the wife of the Rev. Larry McCutcheon, and they are the parents of two daughters: Dr. Priscilla McCutcheon, a professor at the University of Connecticut, and Carmen McCutcheon, an attorney with the S.C. Legislative Audit Council in Columbia.

"Both, of course, are very curious, and I know that because both of them have integrated research into their own professions," McCutcheon said.

The Community of Character honoree is a principal investigator of a Research Initiatives for Scientific Enhancement, or RISE, project at Claflin, which is funded by a five-year, $1.3 million grant from the National Institutes of Health. She is also leading a team of 12 researchers at Claflin to increase opportunities and career development for undergraduate students in STEM majors as well as the humanities.

"This year I'm honored to speak at the National Entomological Society of America conference in Denver on the issue of diversity in our discipline in November. We'll also be joining some other faculty as we take our students to the Annual Biomedical Research Conference for Minority Students in Phoenix in November," McCutcheon said.

She said she is delighted to expand her curious nature in her role at Claflin and to make more contributions in the area of public health.

"I've learned since I've been here that the students are really interested in public health as they learn more about how it can impact the lives of an entire community and how we might not have to spend so much time and energy on individual health care if the community is more aware of how to prevent disease," McCutcheon said.

"I also truly enjoy talking to the people in the community and being sure that they understand what's being said in the scientific journals and those types of things and how that impacts our lives."
The City of Orangeburg's municipal election will go on rain or shine, Hurricane Irma or not.

The election date cannot change, Orangeburg County Director of Voter Registration and Elections Aurora Smalls said Wednesday morning.

"We are looking at emergency plans now for the election, she said.

The municipal election, which includes the vote for mayor and two council seats, is scheduled for Tuesday, Sept. 12.

According to the National Weather Service, Hurricane Irma is forecast to begin affecting The T&D Region at about that time.

The National Weather Service is forecasting a 40 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms for Sept. 12, though the exact track and forward speed of Hurricane Irma was not exactly known Wednesday. It will not be known for at least a few days.

Smalls said the election commissions plans include finding alternative sites for precincts that are in low-lying areas that could potentially flood. Smalls said an assessment of the city's voting places are under review.

"We will make alternative plans for those people to vote at a different site," Smalls said.

Signs will be placed at precincts to alert voters of any changes. Media outlets will also be told of any changes so they can share the information.

Orangeburg Mayor Michael Butler is being challenged by former Mayor Paul Miller in the upcoming election.

Three candidates are seeking the District 3 seat on city council. Councilman Charles Buddy Barnwell is being challenged by Jerry Hannah and Gene Gartman.

Councilman Richard Stroman is being challenged by Jim Johnson for the District 1 council seat.
As Hurricane Irma roared through the Caribbean on Wednesday, emergency and utility officials closer to home began preparations for its potential impact in The T&D Region.

Residents are encouraged to do the same.

"The public needs to pay close attention and be prepared to handle the storm," Orangeburg County Emergency Services Director Billy Staley said.

"They need to have supply kits and have a hurricane plan that includes what your family is going to do during the storm, he said.

Staley spent Wednesday on conference calls with other emergency response partners as well as towns to discuss the forecast. The department is also checking with towns and cities to identify any particular needs they may have.

Its too early to say what the impact will be on the state, but now is the time to prepare, Staley said.

"We want everybody to stay aware over the weekend," he said. "The track keeps shifting and the track will continue to shift over the five-day window.

Orangeburg Department of Public Utilities spokesman Randy Etters said, We are very concerned about the path of the storm because of the direction and which side of the eyewall Orangeburg will be on.

"The eastern side sustains more damage with the wind."

Utility officials have been watching the forecast closely and conducting preliminary storm preparedness measures.

It is also making sure its reservation and lodging protocol is in place in case it needs outside crews.

Etters said the utility's maintenance department conducted clearing and vegetative maintenance after Hurricane Matthew last October.

City of Orangeburg officials met Wednesday to ensure employees are ready for the impact. City Administrator John Yow said meetings have stressed the importance of safety.

"We are making sure our engines are serviced and tanks are filled," Yow said. "We want to make sure we have safety barricades loaded onto correct trucks just in case we need to close down any roads."

Yow also noted the city's information technology infrastructure is up and operational.

"We lost our phone lines and our IT operations during Matthew," Yow said. "Those guys worked around the clock to restore it."

Yow said the city routinely checks drainage areas.

Calhoun County Emergency Services Director Bill Minikiewicz said Wednesday was spent in conference calls with the South Carolina Emergency Management Division. Hes planning for a meeting Thursday with all county firefighters, school and city administration officials to ensure all are kept abreast of plans.

If the storm continues to hug the Florida coast, it could weaken slightly due to the eyewall being slightly over land, Minikiewicz said.

"It is still early to know," Minikiewicz said. "We will know a lot by the weekend."

Bamberg County officials are reminding individuals to rely on trustworthy news services such as the National Weather Service.

Emergency Services Director Brittany Barnwell says individuals who evacuate need to make sure they have a copy of the evacuation route, which can be found at www.sctraffic.org.

People who are evacuating should fill their gas tanks in advance of the storm and confirm a destination prior to leaving: a relatives home, a hotel, or an evacuation shelter.

"Always avoid flood situations while walking or driving," Barnwell said. "It takes very little water to move a vehicle or person."

Barnwell says every family should have a disaster supply kit packed and ready for an extreme weather event.

Barnwell says she has a conference call planned for Thursday with the countys mayors and school superintendents.

She has also been in contact with code enforcement officials to ensure equipment and gas tanks are filled with fuel.

S.C. Department of Transportation District 7 Residence Maintenance Engineer Michelle Lambright said the department is ready.

"We are preparing our equipment and advising our personnel to make sure we have the proper traffic control devices in place," she said. "We are out in the field monitoring the areas and checking to see if all the drains are open."

She said crews are going to check all evacuation signs to make sure they are in place and visible.
Battle Menu: When you go into battle, you are told to pick an action. Actions are: Fight: Starts the battle right away. Command: Let...
By Amina Nazarli

Guba, an impressive corner of Azerbaijan known for its rich flora and fauna, became one of the most visited places in the country during the holidays.

The northern region, located in 168 km from Baku, has become a favorite destination for many travelers in early September, during the Eid al-Adha holidays.

The number of tourists visiting the resort centers in Guba has doubled, the Guba Tourism Information Center told Azertac.

Alongside local tourists, the region was also visited by foreigners. The region recorded more than 50 percent increase in the number of foreign travelers in the first week of autumn.

Only in August, the number of travelers coming to Guba was 17,300 people and 3,150 of them were citizens of foreign countries. Overall, the number of tourists visiting the region from the beginning of the year is about 100,000.

Guba is the closest mountainous region to Baku, located about three hours from the Baku International Bus Terminal.

Here you can easily find yourself on an affordable vacation surrounded by a sea of green, broken up only by majestic mountains. Its cold winters and cool summer nights make the region even more attractive for tourists.

One of Gubas most visited natural features is its unique waterfall in Pirbanovsha, where the flowing water creates graceful natural sculptures.

History enthusiasts will also find enticing places to visit, like settlements dating to the 12-13th centuries, a temple dating from the 9th century and several 19th-century buildings.

Guba is also known for its hydrogen sulfide sources, located near the Khashichay. Here, in the narrow gorge, hot water with healing properties flows from the rocks.

Nobody remembers exactly who constructed the sanatorium consisting of three bathrooms carved deep in the rock, but visitors gladly spend their time in these baths.

The region, famous for its apples, is a perfect place for lovers of fresh fruits. Considered as the motherland of Azerbaijani apples, Guba has more than 40 different varieties of apples. The smell of juicy and aromatic apple trees has spread into every stone and every house in this beautiful northern region.

The creation of modern tourist facilities and infrastructure attracts seekers of tranquil beauty to this beautiful land. The region has over 40 resort centers, all of which are trying to keep abreast with international standards on quality.

During their stay, tourists have the opportunity to enjoy four exciting routes including the Guba-Khinalig, Guba-Afurja, Guba-Laza and Guba-Khanagah routes.

Statistics show that the most popular destination for tourists is the Guba-Khinalig tourism route.

Located at the peak of the Caucasus Mountains, 2,350 meters above the sea in Guba region, Khinalig is an area that has preserved its ancient lifestyle to this day.

The Guba Tourism Information Center operates on holidays taking into account the numerous guests coming to the region. "Hot line" was created to ensure comfortable and safe rest of tourists in the region. Foreign and local tourists can get detailed information about recreation centers and tourism routes by calling (070) 530-76-70 . The Center also provides tourists with a vehicle and guide.




By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

The total net profit of banks operating in Azerbaijan was 216.8 million manat ($128.4 million) as of August 1, 2017, according to the data of the Financial Market Supervisory Body (FMSB).

In July 2017, interest income of banks amounted to 1.145 billion manat ($678 million), including 845.5 million manat for loans. The interest expenses of banks amounted to 559.1 million manats ($330 million).

During the reporting period banks directed 297.3 million manat ($175.7 million) to form reserves to cover possible losses on assets.

Currently, 31 banks are implementing their activities in Azerbaijan.

The licenses of 11 banks were withdrawn in 2016 due to the discrepancy of their total capital with the minimum requirements [50 million manats-$29.4 million] and default to the creditors.

Earlier, President of the Azerbaijan Bank Association (ABA) Zakir Nuriyev and Executive Director Yunus Abdulov met with Reto Weyermann Program Manager, State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) Macroeconomic Support Section, and Simone Haeberli, Deputy Regional Director Swiss Cooperation Office in the South Caucasus to discuss the current situation in bank sector.

The meeting discussed the role of the ABA in the formation of laws and regulations governing the banking sector and its cooperation with the relevant authorities. They also exchanged views on the newly established Auction Center, the Bank Ombudsman and their activity directions.

ABA was founded in 1990 by commercial banks. The main goal of the ABA was to protect the interests of member organizations, to help them meet the needs of different types of business services and to coordinate their activities.
By Azernews





By Amina Nazarli

The Iranian Presidential Administration has decreed to appoint Minister of Economic Affairs and Finance Masoud Karbasian as new co-chairman of the Azerbaijan-Iran Intergovernmental Commission on Economic Cooperation.

The decision followed the appointment of the former co-chairman of the commission, Mahmoud Vaezi, as the chief of staff of presidents office, Mohammadreza Najafi, the press officer of Irans Embassy to Azerbaijan, told Trend.

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani in August named Masoud Karbasian as the minister of economic affairs and finance of Iran.

Vaezi, the former minister of communications and information technologies, was the co-chairman of the intergovernmental commission from the Iranian side.

From the Azerbaijani side, the intergovernmental commission is headed by the Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev.



The two countries are eager to develop their non-oil economy, integrate regional transport networks and boost mutually advantageous business projects. Such spheres as agriculture, banking sector, pharmaceutics, as well as cooperation within the international North-South transport corridor are the main areas that the two states are focused on.

Iranian companies have so far invested some $1.2 billion, while some $145 million fell to a share of non-oil sector. Some 538 companies with Iranian capital are operating in Azerbaijan.

Azerbaijans trade turnover with Iran in January-July 2017 amounted to $148.9 million, of which $139.1 million accounted for import of Iranian products, according to the Azerbaijani State Customs Committee.
By Trend





Czech Senate delegation led by the vice-speaker will pay a visit to Azerbaijan in late October, ambassador of the Czech Republic to Azerbaijan Vitezslav Pivonka told Trend on September 7.

He noted that the delegation will consist of six senators. Cooperation between the two countries in the sphere of agriculture, as well as industry and transport will be discussed during the visit, added the ambassador.

Currently, the visit program is being prepared, said Pivonka.
By Sara Israfilbayova

A world-renowned Azerbaijani scientist, founder of fuzzy logic Lotfi Zadeh passed away on September 6 at 7:30 am California time aged 96.

The world-renowned scientist, Lotfi Zadeh, was a professor emeritus of computer science at the University of California, Berkeley, and the director of the Berkeley Initiative in Soft Computing.

Profesors son Norman Zadeh earlier stressed that Lotfi Zadeh's last will was to be buried in Azerbaijan.

The letter about the burial of Lotfi Zadeh in Azerbaijan was transferred to a close friend of the Zade's, professor of the Azerbaijan Technical University Shahnaz Shahbazova, Azertac reported.

Lotfi Zadeh, who is mentioned in the same breath as Aristotle and Albert Einstein, was born in Baku, Azerbaijan on February 4, l92l. The young Zadeh grew up in Iran. Graduating from the University of Tehran in 1942 with a degree in electrical engineering, he went on to pursue a MS degree in electrical engineering at MIT, which he obtained in 1946.

Parents of Zadeh at this time lived in New York, where he entered the Columbia University, and after defending his thesis in 1949 remained there as an assistant in the engineering department.

Lotfi Zadeh is best known for proposing the fuzzy mathematics in the 1960s.The theory of fuzzy logic caused a revolution worldwide and entirely changed the concept of cybernetics and played an important role in space satellites, cognition and the study of images, the Earth and the Universe, and in research into UFOs.

The essence of fuzzy logic is that the world is a variety of shades - from black to white. To put it scientifically, in this world nothing is absolute in mathematical terms, as everything varies to a certain degree on a scale of 0-1, thus, between zero and one there are dozens, hundreds, of other shades.The word "fuzzy" is used because the borders of white and whitish, scarlet and red are fuzzy; there is a continuous transition from one to the other.

The theory is widely applied in all areas of modern industry - robotics, mechanical engineering, electronics, fifth and sixth generation super computers and defense technology.

The theory of fuzzy logic forms the basis of fuzzy technology throughout the world. The theory plays an important role in the US space programme. In Japan, camera and video equipment are produced on the basis of fuzzy logic while in Europe a variety of smart systems operate on fuzzy logic.

Fuzzy logic is not Professor Zadehs only theory. He developed the theories of system and optimal filters. The theory of optimal filtration is a new step in modern mathematics, cybernetics and computerization, and is valued not only for its scientific originality, but also its practical results.

The theories of multiple valued optimization and impressions in dynamic systems were also developed by Zadeh.

Professor Lotfi Zadeh has received many honors worldwide.
The Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund (PIF) and Japans SoftBank Group are set to launch an initiative to explore how robots can be more effectively used in the daily tasks of the government and society, a report said.



Over the coming months, PIF and SoftBank will partner with major global institutions to create a platform for driving forward the robotics industry, reported Saudi Press Agency (SPA).



The project will explore the development of standardized measurements for robot power, performance and intelligence, it added.



HRH the Crown Prince Mohammad bin Salman Al-Saud, Deputy Premier and Minister of Defence and Chairman of the Council of Economic and Development Affairs and Chairman of PIF said: Technology forms an integral part of achieving Saudi Arabias Vision 2030, and this project reflects the Kingdoms ambition to play an important role in helping to shape the future of the robotics sector. We are delighted to be partnering with SoftBank, already a global leader in the robotics industry, on this initiative.



Masayoshi Son, chairman & CEO of SoftBank Group Corp., said: The real world applications of robotics industry are rapidly moving from theory to reality and this shift is creating a pressing need to improve, future-proof and standardize areas relating to regulation and measurement. By taking a leadership role, Saudi Arabia will undoubtedly support its own efforts to diversify and modernize its economy.



Robots now represent 0.7 per cent of the global industrial workforce with 69 robots per 10,000 employees, the report said, highlighting that there is currently no international agreement on the methodology for measuring growth of the global robotics population.
UAE President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan has issued the Federal Decree-Law for Value-Added Tax (VAT), which is planned to be implemented in the country from January 1, 2018.



The 5 per cent tax is set to be imposed on the import and supply of goods and services at each stage of production and distribution, including what is deemed to be a supply, a Wam news agency report said.



"The Federal Decree-Law issued by HH Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed is the bedrock of the UAEs planned tax system, which was designed to meet the most stringent of standards and best practices," said Sheikh Hamdan bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Deputy Ruler of Dubai, UAE Minister of Finance and chairman of the Federal Tax Authority.



"The Value-Added Tax, which is set to be implemented across all GCC countries over the next two years, will bring a new revenue stream for the national economy. This, in turn, will ensure consistency in the high quality of government services, to mirror the UAEs advanced position on several global competitiveness indexes.



"The new tax system will provide extra support for the government to implement the vision of the UAE leadership and build a diversified and productive knowledge economy," Sheikh Hamdan added.



What is 'supply of goods'?

The decree-law provides that all supplies of goods and services are subject to VAT at a standard rate of 5 per cent with the exception of specific supplies subject to the zero rate and what is exempted as specified in the decree-law. Tax imposed shall be the responsibility of a taxable person who makes taxable supplies or what is deemed to be a supply or on import.



According to the decree-law, a supply of goods includes the transfer of ownership of the goods or the right to use them as an owner from one person to another and an entry into a contract between two parties triggering the transfer of goods at a later time. A supply of service is any supply that is not considered a supply of goods.



The decree-law made two exceptions as to what constitutes a supply: the issuance or sale of any voucher unless the received consideration exceeds its declared monetary value; and the transfer of whole or an independent part of a business from a person to a taxable person for the purposes of continuing such business that was transferred.



What about government entities?

A government entity is regarded as making a supply if said entity was not performing activities in sovereign capacity or if its activities are in competition with the private sector. The cabinet  upon the suggestion of the minister  issues a decision determining specific government entities whose activities are considered as "activities in sovereign capacity" and instances where these activities are considered not in competition with the private sector.



A supply is considered "deemed" if the supply of goods or services was all or part of a taxable persons assets, but no longer considered to be as such (provided the supply was made without consideration).



Similarly, the supply is deemed if implemented through a transfer by a taxable person of goods forming part of his business assets from the UAE to another VAT-implementing GCC state, or from the taxable persons business in a VAT implementing GCC state to his business in the implementing state, unless, in either case, that transfer: is treated as temporary under the Customs Legislation; or is made as part of another taxable supply of these goods.



The same applies to the supply of goods or services for which Input Tax may be recovered but was used, in part or whole, for purposes other than business, but only to the extent of non-business use, as well as for goods in the ownership of the taxable person as at the date of tax deregistration.



Registration for VAT

Every person who has a place of residence in the UAE or in a VAT implementing GCC state must register for VAT according to the decree-law, if at the end of any month his taxable supplies for the previous 12 months exceeded the mandatory registration threshold or he expects to exceed the mandatory registration threshold in the next 30 days, the decree law said.



The decree-law stipulates that two or more persons conducting business may apply for tax registration as a tax group if all of the following conditions are met: Each person has a place of establishment or fixed establishment in the UAE; the relevant persons are related parties; and one or more persons are conducting business in a partnership that controls the others.



The legislation also includes provisions prohibiting any person conducting business from having more than one tax registration number (TRN), unless otherwise decided by the executive regulation. If related parties do not apply for tax registration as a tax group, the authority may assess their association based on their economic, financial and regulatory practices in business and register them as a tax group if the association has been proved according to the controls and conditions specified by the executive regulation. The authority has the right to make changes to the persons registered as a tax group by removing or adding persons based on the instances mentioned in the executive regulation or as requested by the taxable person.



Any person who is not obligated to apply for tax registration may apply if, at the end of any given month, the total value of taxable supplies or expenses which were subject to tax incurred during the previous 12-month period exceeded the voluntary registration threshold. The same applies in the event where it is anticipated that the total value of taxable supplies to be made or expenses which were subject to Tax to be incurred will exceed the voluntary registration threshold during the coming 30-day period.



A non-resident person may not take the value of goods and services imported into the UAE for the purpose of calculating whether they are entitled to apply for tax registration if the charging of tax for such goods or services is the duty of the Importer, as defined in the decree-law.



To determine whether a person has exceeded the mandatory registration threshold and the voluntary registration threshold, the total sum of the following is calculated: The value of taxable supplies made by the person; the value of concerned goods and concerned services received by the person; the value of the taxable supplies made by the acquired whole or part of the business, if a person acquires a whole or part of another business; and the value of taxable supplies made by related parties.



A registrant must apply to the authority for tax deregistration if he no longer makes taxable supplies; or if the value of the taxable supplies made over a period of 12 consecutive months is less than the voluntary registration threshold. They may also apply for tax deregistration if the value of taxable supplies during the past 12 months was less than the mandatory registration threshold.



Zero rating

Zero-rating applies when goods and services are being exported to outside a VAT-implementing GCC state, as well as to international transportation of passengers or goods including a transfer starting or ending in the UAE or passing through its territory. Air transfer of passengers in in the UAE also incurs zero rates if it is considered an "international carriage" as per article (1) of the Warsaw International Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules Relating to International Carriage by Air 1929.



Zero rating also applies to the supply of air, sea and land means of transport used to transport passengers and goods, as well as the supply of goods and services related to the supply of the means of transport, which are for operating, repairing, maintaining or converting them; the supply of aircrafts or vessels designated for use in the assistance or rescue by air or sea; the supply of goods and services related to the transfer of goods or passengers aboard land, air or sea means of transport, designated for consumption on board; or anything consumed by means of transportation, any installations or addition thereto or any other uses during transportation.



The supply or import of investment-precious metals, as well as the first supply of residential buildings within three years of its completion, either through sale or lease in whole or in part, is equally subject to a zero-rate. The first supply of buildings specifically designed to be used by charities and buildings converted from non-residential to residential shall also be taxable at the rate of zero.



Also subject to the zero rate is the supply of educational services and related goods and services for nurseries, preschool, elementary education, as well as higher educational institutions owned or funded by the Federal or local government, as specified in the Executive Regulation; and, finally, the supply of preventive and basic healthcare services and related goods and services, as specified in the Executive Regulation.



The Decree-Law outlines that certain supplies shall be exempt from tax, namely: the supply of certain financial services as specified in the Executive Regulation, the supply of residential (non-zero-rated) buildings either by sale or lease, the supply of bare land, and the supply of local passenger transport.



How to Calculate tax?

As per the decree-law, payable tax for any tax period is calculated as the total output tax (i.e. the tax that the taxable person has charged on his supplies) during the said period less the total input tax recoverable by that taxable person over the same tax period (i.e. the tax that he has paid on supplies to him or imports by him).



The taxable person must submit a tax return to the authority at the end of each tax period in accordance with the timeframes and procedures specified in the Executive Regulation of the decree-law declaring all supplies made and received during that tax period.



The Executive Regulation of the Decree-Law shall specify the timeframes and procedures of payment of tax declared in the tax return as payable.



If a taxable person acquires or imports a capital asset, the taxable person must assess the period of use of that asset and make the necessary adjustments to the input tax paid pursuant to the capital assets scheme.



Taxable persons are mandated by the law to retain the records relating to capital assets for at least 10 years. A registrant making a taxable or deemed supply shall issue an original tax invoice and deliver it to a recipient of goods or services or keep it in his records in the event of a lack of recipient. Any person who receives an amount as tax pursuant to any document issued by the person must pay this amount to the authority. A registrant shall issue a tax invoice within 14 days of the date of supply.



The decree-law specifies that the executive regulation shall include the information to be included in the tax invoice; conditions and procedures required to issue an electronic tax invoice; instances where the registrant is not required to issue a tax invoice to the recipient of goods or services; instances where other documents may be issued in place of the tax invoice, as well as their specifications and the information to be included therein; and instances where another person may issue a tax invoice on behalf of the registrant supplier.



Federal Decree-Law No. (8) of 2017 for VAT is available in full on: www.mof.gov.ae and www.tax.gov.ae.
The UAE government is offering housing loans worth Dh670 million ($182 million) to 1,080 beneficiaries in the northern emirate of Umm Al Qaiwain under the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme, said a report.



The loan was approved by the board of directors of the Sheikh Zayed Housing Programme at a key meeting headed by Dr Abdullah bin Mohammed Belhaif Al Nuaimi, Minister of Infrastructure Development and board chairman, reported state news agency Wam.



Addressing the board members, Dr Al Nuaimi said the housing aid was being approved under the directives of President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan in line with the plans to celebrate 2018 as the "Year of Zayed," as the Programme is part of the everlasting legacy of the late UAE founder Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who supported citizens, cared about their living conditions, and provided the elements of a dignified life and welfare to his children, the UAEs citizens.



He pointed out that Sheikh Zayed had placed significant importance on the housing of UAE citizens.



"Therefore, the Programme aims to achieve stability in the residential housing sector for local citizens and make them happy, and the wise leadership has continued Sheikh Zayeds vision of supporting and developing the housing sector, by providing housing support to citizens and constructing residential neighbourhoods with complete facilities," he added.
Dubai Properties, a leading Dubai-based real estate master developer celebrated the spectacular voyage of the UAEs first water home as it made its way along the citys newest attraction - the Dubai Water Canal - to berth at Marasi Business Bay.

Over the coming days, the city will see more homes float into Marasi as Dubai Properties marks the next milestone achievement in transforming the bustling commercial hub of Business Bay into a truly urban lifestyle destination  a spectacle that is undoubtedly Dubais most exceptional home delivery to date, a statement said.

Marasi Business Bay, once complete, will not only feature state-of-the-art water homes that come with pools and surrounded by floating restaurants, but also the Park, the Pier and the Marina that will eventually comprise 800 berths, stretch along the Dubai Water Canal, making it the regions first purpose-built yachting hub at the heart of the city.

Revealed by Dubai Properties Group, a member of Dubai Holding, at Cityscape Global 2016, the Dh1-billion ($272 million) mixed-use development is well on track to becoming the citys most sought-after waterfront destination, elevating the larger Business Bay district that was ranked amongst the fifth must-see neighbourhoods in the world by Lonely Planet last month.

The water homes are a considerable turnkey project for Dubai Properties as the developer introduces a real estate innovation that combines centuries of ship building heritage with cutting-edge design that will forever transform waterfront living in the emirate, the statement said.  TradeArabia News Service
Dubai Health Authority (DHA) hospitals received around 3,000 patients at its emergency departments and admitted around 400 patientsduring the Eid Al Adha break.



Dr Ahmad Bin Kalban, CEO of Hospital Services Sector at the DHA said that Dubai Hospital, Rashid Hospital, Latifa Hospital and Hatta Hospital functioned round-the-clock to cater to the patients needs during the Eid break.



He revealed that in Dubai Hospital 900 patients visited the emergency department while 114 were admitted to the hospital. In Rashid Hospital 1,298 patients visited the emergency department while 129 were admitted to the hospital.



In Latifa Hospital, 544 patients visited the emergency department while 154 were admitted to the hospital and in Hatta Hospital, 218 patients visited the emergency department while 16 were admitted.



At the DHA, our utmost priority is patient centric-care and we are continuing to expand our services as well as provide specialized and super-specialized care to meet our patients demands, said Dr Bin Kalban.  TradeArabia News Service
Glaston, a global leader in developing glass processing technology, has signed an agreement for the delivery of an FC series flat tempering machine to the Finnish insulating glass manufacturer Best Glass Oy.



The order is part of Glaston third-quarter expected order intake. The machine will be delivered to the customer in Nivala, Finland by the end of 2017, said a statement.



Best Glass aims to become Finlands leading insulating glass manufacturer. The company manufactures all the elements of modern glass construction, such as insulating glass and tempered as well as laminated safety glass, it said.



Best Glass invests in modern production and the high quality of its end products. In addition to Finland, the companys products are also sold in Sweden and Norway, it added.



Pekka Hytti, senior vice president  EMEA, Glaston, said: Finlands glass processing market is relatively small, and in recent years the market has been subdued.



Last year, Finland accounted for around one per cent of our companys turnover. As a Finnish company, we are particularly pleased to have been selected as the supplier of Best Glass new tempering line, he added.



Teemu Ohtamaa, managing director, Best Glass, said: Due to tightening safety glass regulations, demand for safety glass is increasing, and we are seeking to meet this demand in the growing markets of Sweden and Norway, in addition to Finland.



Quality and efficiency were key issues for us when making the investment decision. Thanks to the FC machine, our capacity will grow and we will be able to produce larger glass sizes efficiently without compromising quality, he added.



Glastons FC series machines are renowned for their high capacity, energy efficiency, in-built processing intelligence and ease of use, and particularly the high quality of the end product, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
UAE-headquartered Restrata, a situational awareness and telematics provider, has won a contract with logistics company Aramex to supply 500 vehicles with customized, portable in-vehicle monitoring devices.



Shadi Abuhijleh, freight operations manager, Aramex said: Through Restratas technology, we are able to have total asset visibility, a portable solution for leased subcontractor vehicles and operational efficiency.



Aramex installed Restrata Fleet Optimization technology on 500 vehicles operating in the UAE and cross border.



Implementation began in Q2 2017 and positive results have already been achieved, said Abuhijleh.



Restratas technology has exceeded our expectations, we are now able to quickly install hardware on vehicles as they arrive to collect consignments, dynamically route vehicles and engage with subcontracted drivers in real-time, as a direct result of this; we have seen substantial savings in operational costs and are able to work much more efficiently with our subcontractors, he added.





Aramex CEO Hussein Hachem was recently quoted in an interview with CEO Middle East explaining the importance of technology and the requirement for businesses to move into the digital space. He said: I dont see digital as a luxury; it is a necessity, and we are predominantly going down that route.



David Nicholls, VP Situational Awareness and Telematics at Restrata said: We have secured a 36-month contract with Aramex to supply a customised, portable in-vehicle monitoring kit that will enable total visibility and monitoring in real-time, of their mobile delivery assets.



Restrata are delighted to work with such a prestigious company who have a heritage deeply rooted in innovation, consistently challenging themselves to do things smarter and more efficiently for their customers. Restrata shares that same drive to innovate and disrupt.



Fleet technologies such as vehicle telematics can dramatically help organisations overcome the challenges facing the logistics and transportation sector, including not only improving efficiency but also safety.



Restrata have been successfully delivering fleet technology projects in the region for 10+ years with many of the worlds leading organizations. Through their recent partnership with Integral DMCC, Restrata technology can now be supported with a holistic approach to supply chain business process improvement, ensuring long term success for the business and an ROI on the technology investment.



Restrata is the official distribution partner of Teletrac Navman technology in the MEA region. Teletrac Navman has been at the forefront of developing technology that supports clients in the transport and logistics sector to lower operational costs and improve overall fleet management for more than 25 years.  TradeArabia News Service
Bahri, a global leader in transportation and logistics, has reached a new milestone by accepting delivery of Rimthan, a 300,000-dwt carrier built by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI) in South Korea.



The addition of Rimthan to its fast-growing fleet of multipurpose vessels, reinforces Bahris position as the worlds largest owner and operator of very large crude-oil carriers (VLCCs) with a 40-strong fleet, said a statement.



The new vessel, built to the latest environmental and fuel-efficient technical specifications, was handed over to Bahri during a delivery ceremony held at HSHIs Mokpo shipyard in South Jeolla Province, South Korea, it said.



Senior Bahri and HSHI officials who attended the ceremony included Saleh Al Debasi, Bahri board member; Dr Abdulmalik Al Hogail, Bahri board member; M K Yoon, president and CEO of HSHI; Hisham Al Nughaimish, acting president of Bahri Oil, among others, it added.



Rimthan is the fourth VLCC to join the Bahri fleet this year, following the delivery of Amjad, Maharah, and, more recently, Aslaf, said a statement.



Al Debasi said: We are very proud to have become the first and largest transportation and logistics company in the world to have a 40-strong VLCC fleet.



Rimthan is the fourth VLCC that our company has received from HHI Group this year with another six vessels on order and to be delivered over the next year and a half, he said.



We are committed proud to be one of the first companies to contributing to the realisation of the transportation and logistics goals set forth in Saudi Vision 2030, and our ongoing fleet expansion will allow us to increase our market share in crude oil transportation while boosting our ability to provide our customers with world-class transportation solutions and value-added customer service and strengthening the Kingdoms standing as a key player in the global shipping and logistics industry, he added.



Ali Al-Harbi, acting CEO, Bahri, said: The addition of Rimthan is yet another step toward strengthening our leadership in the global oil transportation industry.



Our partnership with HHI Group has been instrumental in enhancing our fleet competitiveness, operational efficiency and flexibility, helping us to achieve a high level of customer satisfaction, and with six more VLCCs currently on order, we look forward to further building on our alliance with HHI Group as we continue our pursuit of global excellence, he said.



Yoon said: HHI Group and Bahri have a long-standing relationship that dates several years and involves multiple collaborations. As key national companies, we are fully committed to playing a significant role in achieving our countries vision and global agenda.



Bahri provides us with the opportunity to contribute to the success of Saudi Arabia, he said.



As the worlds largest shipbuilding company, we are proud of this association, and we look forward to further strengthening ties with Bahri and supporting the growing demand for intercontinental and intra-regional transportation fuelled by a rise in global trade and investments, he added.





Bahri Oil, one of the companys six business units, will be responsible for the commercial operation of Rimthan.



Bahri is set to further expand its oil tanker fleet with the addition of Shaden, its 41st VLCC, towards the end of October, it stated.  TradeArabia News Service
Paladion, a global cyber security provider, has been recognized as the Best Managed Security Service Providers in the Middle East region for the year 2017 at the Security Advisor Middle East Magazine organized by Tahawul Tech.



Paladion was presented the prestigious Security Advisor Middle East Award Paladion at a gala ceremony held recently at the Habtoor Grand Hotel in Dubai, UAE.



The executive vice president and regional head for EMEA, Amit Roy and the country manager for UAE, Mohammad Abid Ali received the coveted award in the presence of 200 industry stalwarts and security experts gathered from various parts of the region.



Paladion bagged the honour by displaying its outstanding leadership in the MSSP space and also providing superior security services and products to the cybersecurity industry. The winners were chosen via online voting by the publications readers and a panel of esteemed judges.



We at Paladion would like to thank the judging panel and our customers for the recognition and the trust they have placed in us throughout the years. This award goes out to the every single member of our team who has contributed towards the success of Paladion, said Roy.





Paladion was chosen as the Best Managed Security Service Provider winner for its ability to meet the needs and even exceed the expectations of its customers, he added.



The expertise of our security analysts and consultants along with our Global Security Command Centers located across the globe provides unparalleled visibility into the threat landscape and the intelligence enables Paladion to keep its customers safe. We also intend to serve the region better with our Next Gen Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service. This fully managed offering brings you cost-effective results by leveraging our leading big data analytics and incident response platform, Roy concluded. - TradeArabia News Service
Nuvias has been appointed as a pan-EMEA distributor for Juniper Networks full range of high-performance networking, security, data centre and cloud solutions.



High-value distribution business Nuvias will support Junipers continued growth plans for EMEA, particularly in the mid-to-high end enterprise market, a statement said.



Nuvias has designed, together with Juniper, a full channel partner development and acceleration programme that complements Junipers existing channel programme. It will offer technical, sales and marketing training to help maximise the business opportunities in high growth markets such as cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Software Defined Networking (SDN) - areas where Juniper also invests.



Nuvias will work with Juniper to identify key vertical markets and geographies for partners and provide them with the skills to transform their customers data centres with Junipers next-generation networking and security platforms. Nuvias will focus on partner recruitment, accreditation and sales enablement, providing value-added services such as solution events, training, lead generation, and campaign materials.



Nuvias is excited by this new partnership with Juniper, a pioneer in networking innovation, performance and security. The strength of our commitment will be demonstrated through a dedication to partner enablement, services and solutions that can generate new opportunities and business, said Paul Eccleston, CEO of Nuvias.



We are equipping partners with the necessary skills to pursue opportunities independently, generate additional revenues, and deliver innovative services to their customers. Juniper invests in partners that bring in new business and this agreement presents a fantastic opportunity for the channel.



High-performance network automation, SDN and intelligent, software-defined security will play a key role in organisations Digital Transformation strategies, and together Juniper Networks and Nuvias will help partners take advantage of the burgeoning opportunity.



We are delighted to be working with Nuvias, whose strengths in value-added networking and security distribution perfectly complement our strategic focus and solutions portfolio, said Kristian Kerr, head of channel, alliances & commercial, EMEA, Juniper Networks.

Nuvias approach reflects the dynamic IT landscape, while being able to consistently deliver the highest levels of capability, accreditation, sales, marketing, services and operational excellence to Junipers partners across EMEA, Kerr said. - TradeArabia News Service
Aramco Asia has pledged to increase efforts to expand engagement in the downstream business with the Chinese provinces of Fujian and Yunnan, as part of the companys commitment to promote regional economic growth and ensure energy security.



The move is considered the latest endeavour under Aramco Asias business plan to support the flow of reciprocal investments between China and Saudi Arabia, in line with Saudi Vision 2030 and Chinas Belt and Road Initiative.



We plan to upgrade our downstream chemical business by building a chemical hub to distribute products from our operations in this region, said Aramco Asia president and CEO Nabil A Al-Nuaim. Xiamen is one of the prime candidates for this chemical hub as we can leverage the benefits from Chinas Free Trade Zone (FTZ) initiative.



Al-Nuaim made the remarks while meeting with Pei Jinjia, secretary of the Communist Party of the China Xiamen Municipal Committee, in Xiamen  a coastal city in southeast Chinas Fujian Province  where the companys chemical sales office is based. Xiamen is also in close proximity to FREP, the refining and petrochemical joint venture in which Aramco holds a 25 per cent share.



Considering the strong alignment between the Belt and Road initiative and Saudi Vision 2030, our two countries have made significant progress toward strategic partnerships, including the development of a special industrial park for Chinese investors in Jazan Economic City. Xiamen can play an important part in this development, given its role in the Maritime Silk Road, Al-Nuaim added.



From the Xiamen chemical sales office, Aramco has been successfully selling its offtake share of polyolefin products from FREP since 2013 to tap into Chinas chemical market, in line with Saudi Aramcos strategy to become global leader in refining and chemicals. Aramco markets around 400,000 tons of polyolefin per year to serve direct customers and distributors in Fujian, as well as the South, East and North regions of China.



Expanding Aramcos presence in Yunnan



Aramco is pursuing a partnership with CNPC to own a share in the Anning refinery, a key project for Yunnans economic development. The project scope includes a 260,000 barrels per day refinery, a network of 637 retail stations, and 10 terminals in Yunnan Province. The project has great potential to expand its basic chemical slate, which currently includes polypropylene, aromatics and benzene. Commercial production of refined products is expected to commence by this summer.



During recent discussions with Dong Hua, vice governor of Yunnan Province, in the capital city Kunming, Al-Nuaim conveyed the objectives Aramco is hoping to achieve in the downstream business and expressed the companys interests in collaborating with state owned enterprises to expand its petrochemicals production footprint in China.



We view the investment in the Anning refinery as a strategic investment and the company is constantly paying attention to the refinerys progress, as well as the status of our negotiations with the China National Petroleum Corporation (CNPC), Al-Nuaim said.



If Aramco enters into a joint venture agreement with the CNPC, it will see an annual increase of 60 to 65 retail stations to fuel Yunnans economic development, and to support transportation integration between Yunnan and Southeast Asia.



Bilateral Saudi-Yunnan trade totalled $107 million in 2016, highlighting the already important economic relationship with Yunnan. Al-Nuaim said economic cooperation can be expanded in many other areas such as renewable energy, agriculture, mining, and infrastructure development.



For both parties mutual benefit, the partnership will not only focus on the refining sector, but across the whole downstream value chain from refining, petrochemicals, and retail stations. Expanding the petrochemical facilities at the plant will support the provinces plan for industrial park development as well as integrating with Aramcos global chemical portfolio, acting as a production centre targeting Southeast Asia.  TradeArabia News Service
As more countries shift to renewable procurement through auctions and shift from reliance on subsidies, renewables will continue to transition from being a marginal supplement to a central focus of national energy policies, said Moodys Investor Service, a global credit rating agency.



Moody's has published two new reports, in advance of Climate Week NYC, on global renewable energy generation, focusing on cost declines driven primarily by low capital costs and improved operating efficiencies.



Falling costs of renewable energy also reduce risks for top carbon-emitting nations as they move toward compliance with the Paris Agreement. Along with declining capital costs, wind and solar power have benefitted from higher efficiencies, making both technologies more competitive with fossil fuels in many parts of the world.



Wind and solar are expected to see strong growth globally over the next few years as many countries move away from subsidies to incentivize new renewables.



"Emerging markets are a key market for growth in renewables, with countries such as China and India leading the charge as new renewables become competitive with other sources of power even in developing nations," said Swami Venkataraman, a senior vice president at Moody's and the lead author of one of the reports.



Moody's views a lower reliance on subsidies as positive for renewable energy generators, as over time it alleviates the cost on end consumers and relieves the political pressure on governments to address affordability concerns.



Additionally, auctions enable governments to respond more quickly to market developments, help push down costs for end consumers and provide a clear signpost for the future project pipeline.



"The number of countries procuring renewables capacity by competitive auctions has been increasing, as governments seek to limit the burden on consumers and respond more rapidly to evolving industry dynamics," says Christopher Bredholt, a vice president and senior analyst at Moody's and the lead author of one of the reports.



There are greater uncertainties in US emission trends beyond 2022, when the Clean Power Plan (the US plan to meet its NDC before withdrawal from the Paris Agreement) was supposed to go into effect.



However, Moodys expects that US greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions will continue to decline despite the US governments stated intention to withdraw from the Paris Agreement.



This will be driven by trends in the economics of renewable energy and gas-fired power generation, as well as efforts by private and sub-national entities to step in to compensate for any lack of federal carbon regulations.



Moodys doesnt expect the global pathway to lower emissions, as implied by the Paris NDCs, to be materially derailed through 2030 on account of a lack of federal carbon regulation in the US.  TradeArabia News Service
Travelport, a leading travel commerce platform, and Ethiopian Airlines have announced a new multiyear full content agreement which will see Ethiopias flag carrier promote its inventory across Travelports platform.



Under the agreement, Travelport's industry leading technology will support Ethiopian Airlines market and retail its offerings, in a more visual and effective way to a network of over 68,000 Travelport-connected travel agents in over 180 countries worldwide.



The two companies have also renewed their long-term operator agreement, which will continue to see Ethiopian Airlines distributing Travelports technology in the country. This means that the Ethiopian customer base will continue to take advantage of Ethiopian Airlines regional expertise, and Travelports revolutionary products and services, including the industry-leading point of sale solution for agencies, Travelport Smartpoint, which was recently upgraded to further boost agent efficiency.



Tewolde Gebremariam, chief executive officer, Ethiopian Airlines said: We are very happy to continue and expand our collaboration with Travelport. As travel technology advances, Travelport will support our business meeting and exceeding travellers personalized needs. Travelports innovative solutions and unrivalled choice of travel content provide many opportunities to make our business stronger and we are looking forward to continuing to support the travel industry in Africa."



Rabih Saab, Travelport's president and managing director for Europe, Middle East, Africa and South Asia, said: We are delighted to cement a successful 20 year relationship with Ethiopian Airlines, an airline that has established itself as a key component in the development of travel and tourism in the region , by signing both a full content and operator agreement. Travelport is committed to deliver a world of consumer ready content to the travel agent community and travellers, and support the countrys travel and tourism industry. As such, we are confident that Ethiopian Airlines will further reinforce and revitalise our successful operations and business partnerships in Africa. - TradeArabia News Service


Hyatt Hotels Corporation has announced the opening of the first Hyatt-branded hotel in Lucknow, capital of the northern state of Uttar Pradesh in India.



Hyatt Regency Lucknow is the 27th Hyatt-branded hotel in India and further expands the companys brand presence in South Asia by offering enriching, authentic and diversified brand experiences for guests.



The opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow marks a significant milestone for the Hyatt Regency brand as it continues to expand its footprint throughout India, said Kurt Straub, vice president, operations for India at Hyatt. Not only is the hotel strategically located for business travellers visiting Lucknow, it is also well positioned for leisure guests who are interested in enjoying a journey through the Uttar Pradesh Heritage Arc of Lucknow, Agra and Varanasi.



We are delighted to announce the opening of Hyatt Regency Lucknow in the dynamic capital of the largest and most populous state of India. Chartered Hotels Private Limited remains focused on developing full service hotels across tier one and tier two cities in India for the ever growing business and leisure traveler, said Varun Saraf, managing director, Chartered Hotels Private Limited. The hotel's strategic location along with the food and beverage offerings and large state-of-the-art meeting and banqueting facilities will provide guests with an unforgettable experience which Lucknow has not yet seen.



Conveniently located in the corporate hub of Vibhuti Khand, Hyatt Regency Lucknow is designed to connect business and leisure travellers to all Lucknow has to offer. The hotel is in close proximity to the citys High Court and multiple public sector head offices, and the Chaudhary Charan Singh International Airport is less than 16 miles (25 kilometers) away. Additionally, landmarks and tourist attractions include Bara Imambara, La Martiniere College and Hazratganj Market.



Our passionate, caring and well-trained team is ready to welcome guests to our contemporary and stylish hotel. At Hyatt Regency Lucknow, we set the stage for dynamic interactions  from a quick coffee meeting to shared culinary experiences, our guests can come together to socialise, collaborate or celebrate, said Kumar Shobhan, general manager of the hotel. We are confident that the hotels spacious accommodations, premier meeting facilities and superior service will provide an authentic experience and one-stop convenience to business and leisure travelers.



Guestrooms



With 206 guestrooms, including 19 suites, Hyatt Regency Lucknow offers elegantly decorated, bright and spacious accommodations. All guestrooms feature 43-inch LED HD televisions, a multi-functional workspace, a comfortable seating area, and a well-appointed bathroom. Guests staying in the Regency Club guestrooms and suites can enjoy access to the Regency Club that serves complimentary breakfast, evening cocktails and hors doeuvres. Other Regency Club benefits include private check-in and check-out and airport transfers.



Culinary Journey



The dining options at Hyatt Regency Lucknow focus on offering different local and international dishes. The all-day-dining restaurant Rocca offers Italian and Awadhi cuisine ideal for a family, a group of friends or work colleagues. The restaurant features a live kitchen and pizza oven and offers a variety of Italian and popular Indian vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes.



The hotels specialty restaurant LukJin, which will open later this year, will offer a selection of Thai and Chinese dishes, including dumplings, soups, noodles, aromatic curries, stir-fried dishes and desserts. Led by well-trained Thai and Chinese chefs, the restaurants authentic flavours will make it the most sought-after place for dinner.



UPs Lounge is a lounge during the day that transforms into a lively bar in the evening. This social venue offers innovative and creative cocktails inspired by local ingredients and spices, along with a fine selection of alcoholic beverages.



Wellness Experiences



Siddh Spa, which will be launched subsequently, will be an Urban Spa offering beauty and wellness therapies inspired by ancient Siddha practices. Guests can choose a wellness path based on their desired state of being  Vatham, Pitham or Kapham. The spa features a four-treatment rooms and separate male and female hydro areas equipped with steam room and showers for a rejuvenating experience.



Hyatt Regency Lucknow also features a pool and 24-hour fitness center so that guests can maintain their fitness routine while traveling.



Event Venues



Hyatt Regency Lucknow is the perfect venue for a variety of events such as weddings, social banquets, exhibitions, meetings, and conferences. With more than 18,000-sq-ft of flexible meeting and event facilities, including a 4,200-sq-ft ballroom, the hotel provides thoughtfully designed multi-functional spaces with high-tech audio-visual and lighting solutions. For corporate meeting requirements there are seven breakout rooms spread over one floor with different seating capacities. - TradeArabia News Service
Hotels in the Middle East & Africa (MEA) saw revenue per available room (RevPAR) figures drop to a five-year low in July, according to a survey.



Data collected by HotStats showed that July marked a low in recent top and bottom line performance as demand levels remained soft during the stifling summer months in the region.



While hotels in the Middle East & Africa recorded a 1.0 percentage point increase in room occupancy in July, to 60.4 per cent, it was at the expense of a 12.7 per cent drop in achieved average room rate, to $140.73, as low demand levels forced hoteliers to discount rates in an attempt to drive top line revenues.



However, as a result of the movement in volume and price, RevPAR at hotels in the region dropped to a monthly five-year low of $84.98, which surpasses the previous low of $93.57 recorded in June 2016.



Further woe was heaped on to hoteliers in the Middle East & Africa as declines in non-rooms revenues, including food and beverage (down 6.2 per cent) and conference and banqueting (down 1.0 per cent), contributed to the 9.1 per cent year-on-year drop in TrevPAR, to $149.31. Again, this represented a recent historic low in this metric for hotels in the region.



Although hotels in the Middle East & Africa did their utmost to arrest escalating costs, payroll levels increased by 3.2 percentage points, to 34.5 per cent of total revenue, punctuating a poor month of performance with gross operating profit per available room (GOPPAR) recorded at just $35.47.



Profit per room this month was at the lowest level recorded in recent years and was 51.8 per cent below the average for the 12-months to July 2017, at $73.63. As a result, profit conversion at hotels in the Middle East & Africa fell to a low of just 23.8 per cent of total revenue.



The poor profit conversion this month will be unfamiliar to hoteliers in the Middle East & Africa who have become accustomed to recording punchy bottom line performance.



"However, much to the disappointment of hotel owners and operators in the region, the challenging market conditions are likely to continue in the short term. This is not only due to the laboured recovery of the oil industry, but many of the new hotel developments which were either late in the planning stages or had already broken ground when the crisis hit, are now coming to fruition, said Pablo Alonso, CEO of HotStats.
Meet award-winning artisans and buy their products at Kerala Arts and Crafts Village
The two most powerful figures in the Wyoming Legislature said an education groups poll that showed a majority of residents would pay more in taxes to fund education was interesting but didnt believe it would change lawmakers thinking.

I dont think things like these sway anybody, House Speaker Steve Harshman said. I think its all part of this process. ... Its just one more thing to get more engaged and work on this problem because its a problem.

The poll  conducted by Public Opinion Strategies in mid-July at the behest of the Wyoming Education Association  showed that 78 percent of the 500 respondents said they would be willing to pay more in taxes if it went to fund education. Fifty-eight percent said they would accept an increase to the sales tax, while more than 60 percent said theyd accept a tax on various energy sources.

Public Opinion Strategies is one of the nations largest Republican polling firms. It contacted 500 registered voters across the state who were likely to cast ballots in 2018. Two-thirds were Republican.

Both Harshman and Sen. President Eli Bebout said their private conversations with friends and constituents suggested otherwise, that Wyomingites arent interested in tax hikes. Both said they personally didnt want to see any increases.

Bebout said when he talks to constituents, he tells them that were spending a third more than any other state and the outcomes were getting are marginally different. In that case, he said, the people he speaks to are more interested in responsible cuts to education.

He added that he would have liked to see a poll from the taxpayers perspective, rather than one conducted by a group of educators. Buck McVeigh, the executive director of the Wyoming Taxpayers Association, said last week that he didnt believe most Wyomingites want a tax increase.

In the past, Harshman and Bebout have backed opposing solutions to tackle the estimated $530 million shortfall facing schools in the coming years. While Bebout has repeatedly said he opposes raising taxes, Harshman supported a bill that included conditional increases on the state sales tax. That measure was heavily amended by Bebouts Senate; it eventually passed without tax increases but with a provision to tap state savings to help pay for schools.

The poll results didnt seem to change either mans way of thinking. Harshman said he still supported having all options on the table, including the potential of raising some tax. He said Wyoming is really the lowest in everything in terms of tax rates and that lawmakers should talk about that.

Bebout said the survey had an impact on him, but that he still had the same attitude of cuts first, tax increases as a last result.

Neither was surprised by the results.

The poll was a piece of information that lawmakers should use and consider as they move forward with a broad examination of the states funding system, Bebout and Harshman said.

Sometimes, with the legislative process, you cant solve all the problems, Harshman said. Sometimes it has to get a little worse or a little more of a crisis. ... I think itll be a process where youll have public input, a lot of people working at it, and eventually the best ideas will rise to the top and get approved. But I think its so important for people to be involved in this.

Before I make a decision, with all the issues we have, more information is better, absolutely, Bebout said.
A Wyoming woman sent to a Florida boot camp rather than prison is still being discriminated against on the basis of her gender, her attorneys argue.

Taylor Blanchard was placed in a boot camp in Ocala, Florida, after suing the state this summer alleging her civil rights were violated because Wyomings program is only open to men. Blanchard is the first woman to have been recommended to a boot camp program.

Blanchard will only spend four months in the Florida program, rather than the six to nine months men spend in Wyomings program, according to documents filed Tuesday by her attorneys in federal court. Her lawyers argue the shorter stint limits her chances at rehabilitation and constitute irreparable harm.

In Wyoming, offenders under the age of 25 can attend a boot camp program for rehabilitation if a judge recommends it. The inmates spend much of their 17-hour days in Newcastle focused on work and physical activity.

Inmates who successfully complete the program can then ask a judge to reduce their remaining prison sentence.

A judge had recommended Taylor Blanchard attend a boot camp program when sentencing her for a probation violation after she failed a required in-patient substance abuse program. Because Wyoming does not offer a womens boot camp, she faced spending six to 10 years in prison instead. Blanchard sued the Wyoming Department of Corrections director and the Womens Center warden in July, saying they violated her civil rights on the basis of her gender.

Blanchard filed a a class-action suit on behalf of any women who might be recommended for the program in the future and those that would have been eligible for the program if not for their gender.

As the suit was getting underway, the Wyoming Department of Corrections was looking for a similar program she could attend outside of Wyoming, according to court documents. The Department of Corrections found three programs willing to take her, eventually sending her to Florida.

Blanchards attorneys also argue that the Wyoming Department of Corrections should have created created a boot camp program or informed the courts that it would accept women into boot camps, and by not doing so, the DOC is responsible for discrimination that has resulted in women being sentenced to prison rather than placed in boot camps.

Blanchards attorneys have asked for expedited discovery in the case, a pre-trial stage of court proceedings in which the plaintiffs can request evidence.
Wyomings data trespass laws could violate First Amendment rights, the federal appeals court in Denver ruled Thursday.

The Wyoming statutes, first passed in 2015, made it a criminal and civil offense to trespass in order to collect research data, such as photographs, soil or water samples.

The laws were immediately criticized as prohibiting whistleblowers or citizen scientists that may cross private land to collect data on public lands and submit it to state and federal authorities. Lawmakers that supported the laws have said the laws were not intended to block lawful data collection, but to protect private property.

Both statutes carry penalties for convicted trespassers that are greater than the states existing trespass laws, and both laws then instruct agencies to expunge any collected data from the record.

The laws were updated in 2016 to address some concerns, but the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals still found them unconstitutional.

We conclude that the statutes regulate protected speech under the First amendment and that they are not shielded from constitutional scrutiny merely because they touch upon access to private property, the decision reads. Although trespassing does not enjoy First Amendment protection, the states at issue target the creation of speech by imposing heightened penalties on those who collect resource data.

The matter is not finished. The case has been remanded to district court where it will be reconsidered with the appeals court findings.

The statutes were originally meant to protect property owners and were updated in 2016 to address concerns that the laws went too far, proponents say.

They were in part instigated by a conflict between an environmental group and landowners in Fremont, Sublette and Uinta counties.

Fifteen Wyoming ranchers sued the Western Watersheds Project in 2014 for trespassing on their property to reach streams on public land.

The group claimed its sampling found that the streams were polluted with E. coli due to cattle ranching, and that trespassing to collect the data had been unintentional. Ranchers felt the groups were specifically targeting the agriculture industry with intent to put them out of business. Western Watersheds had been before the Bureau of Land Management multiple times about the issue of polluted streams.

The two sides reached a settlement in September of last year. As part of the deal the group was prohibited from crossing the ranchers land again, which is technically already the law.

The settlement was considered a win for the ranchers and private property rights, said their lawyer at the time, Karen Budd-Falen. The Cheyenne attorney has been floated as the next director of the Bureau of Land Management.

The state of Wyoming asked a federal court in Casper to dismiss the free speech suit against the 2015 versions of the statutes in January of last year. But U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl denied that request, saying there were serious concerns and questions regarding constitutionality.

During the 2016 legislative session, democratic lawmakers, including Sen. Chris Rothfuss, Laramie, tried and failed to repeal the controversial statutes.

Instead, legislators amended the original laws. Then Senate President Phil Nicholas, R-Laramie, told lawmakers at the time to be cautious in their choice of updated language, or risk legal conflict with the statute.

If your bill, in any form, criminalizes conduct which is legal, then its over-broad, the lawyer explained. And you run the risk that the bill will be stricken because youve criminalized what is noncriminal conduct.

Rep. Charles Pelkey, D-Laramie, said he was pleased by the courts decision, but had yet to read through their arguments. The statutes, even as amended, carried serious implications, he said.

It would prevent people from recording quite obvious violations of law on private land, he said. If you had a drilling rig that was spewing toxic materials, but those were leaching into the ground before they got to public land, you would be in violation by photographing it. Thats just not right.

Supporters of the statutes were disappointed by the ruling Thursday.

It is important to note this decision does not mean the statute is automatically unconstitutional, said Brett Moline, Wyoming Farm Bureau Federations director of public and government affairs in a statement Thursday.

Jim Magagna, executive vice president for the Wyoming Stock Growers Association, supports the statutes, but said he believes a solution can still be found that satisfies both sides.

The court indicated that they have a first amendment concern with it, and I respect that, he said. But thats a difficult thing. First amendment rights, while they are critical, they dont take precedence over private property rights. We have to deal with this in a way that balances those.

Though the final outcome on the Wyoming laws is unclear, the environmental and animal rights groups and the press association were celebrating their victory Thursday.

In this moment where science and the free press are under attack, the federal court upheld the essential role of public participation and free speech in our democracy, said Michael Wall, litigation director for the Natural Resources Defense Council, in a statement.

This decision will rightly put one of the most egregiously un-American laws I have seen in recent years on the scrapheap with other censorship laws, where it belongs.

The bills supporters, like Moline of the Farm Bureau, are holding out for a favorable decision in district court.

The Wyoming Farm Bureau felt this law was a step in the right direction as it would raise the bar of integrity for the data submitted to the government by ensuring the data will not be accepted if it is illegally collected through trespassing across private lands.
SANDPOINT, Idaho  A Blanchard man accused of shooting two deputies in northern Idaho pleaded not guilty to attempted first-degree murder.

31-year-old Adam Foster made the plea Tuesday in the 1st District Court, and a jury trial is scheduled for January 2018.

Foster is accused of shooting Bonner County Sheriff's deputies Michael Gagnon and Justin Penn who were attempting to arrest him on two misdemeanor warrants of battery in January. The deputies returned gunfire that wounded Foster, and Gagnon was shot three times during the exchange.

Gagnon says that Foster was the first to open fire.

Foster's attorney says the defendant was suffering from paranoid delusions. Foster is being held in jail in lieu of $2 million bail.
Some evacuation orders have been lifted in areas near Montana wildfires but many were still burning Wednesday and officials said residents should be prepared for some of the fires to last for at least another month.

Its probably going to get worse before it gets better, Lincoln Fire Chief Zach Muse told residents. Were just going to have to hunker down and get through it together.

Northeast of Lincoln, some evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday night. But mandatory evacuation orders remain in effect for residents of Elk Meadows due to a growing fire. Other people should be prepared to leave, said Lewis and Clark County Sheriff Leo Dutton. The fire could continue burning into October.

Meanwhile, the Missoula County sheriffs office downgraded a mandatory evacuation order for part of the western Montana town of Seeley Lake, which continues to deal with hazardous air quality due to nearby wildfires.

Residents of the 429 homes on the east side of Montana Highway 83, along with schools and businesses, still remain under an evacuation warning, said Sheriff T.J. McDermott, and are asked to be ready to leave again on short notice.

The Seeley Lake-area residents were evacuated on Aug. 28 because of a fire caused by lightning that has burned 187 square miles of forest land since it started on July 24.

Seeley-Swan High School students began the school year in an administrative building at a luxury resort on Tuesday. Seeley Lake Elementary School plans to start classes next Monday, Principal Chris Stout said.

After a weekend of significant fire growth across the state, cooler weather gave crews a bit of a break. However, the temperatures are expected to warm up over the rest of the week and fire officials say the fire season is far from over.

In Glacier National Park, heavy smoke from a wildfire caused poor air quality but also helped stifle the fires growth.

The fire destroyed the Sperry Chalet last week and fire crews were setting up a high capacity sprinkler system to create a fire break near the Lake McDonald Lodge complex. Some areas around Lake McDonald remain under an evacuation order. The fire is not expected to be contained until November.

In northwestern Montana, many members of an Amish community who were evacuated before 10 homes and 30 outbuildings were destroyed west of Eureka over the weekend are staying with families in or near Rexford, on the east shore of Lake Koocanusa.

Everyones kind of in shock. Were just kind of dazing around here, Darinda Yoder told the Missoulian.

Residents were able to get back in and retrieve schoolbooks and desks. Classes will resume in a barn for the schools 27 students, Yoder said.

In northcentral Montana, evacuation orders were lifted Tuesday on a fire in the Bears Paw Mountains as crews have it 85 percent contained.
Theres a saying they teach in law school: Hard cases make bad law. The current debacle over DACA demonstrates the inverse: Bad law makes hard cases.

And DACA is bad law.

President Obama, whose administration established the Deferred Action on Childhood Arrival program on June 15, 2012, had previously  and correctly  said (nearly two dozen times) that only Congress has the power to write immigration law. Obama then issued an executive order exempting hundreds of thousands of people from the law. This was an unconstitutional violation of the limits on presidential power, as Republican lawmakers, numerous commentators and even members of the federal judiciary stated thereafter.

That said, the real blame must be laid at the feet of Congress, which has done nothing about our immigration problems for decades.

In 1986, Congress passed the Immigration Reform and Control Act, granting amnesty to approximately 2.7 million people then in the United States illegally. But the Act imposed neither immigration reform nor control; we were promised that border enforcement would be ramped up.

It wasnt.

Today, more than four times that number  more than 11 million people  are estimated to live in the U.S. illegally.

One reason Congress has stalled on any immigration overhaul is because Democrats insist upon what they call comprehensive immigration reform, which translates to amnesty for everyone now; fix the border later. But Americans who remember 1986 wont fall for that again. Republican lawmakers know that they can kiss their seats goodbye unless immediate border enforcement happens in any law granting amnesty to those here illegally.

Under the Obama administration, the GOP whined that they couldnt pass immigration legislation because the president would veto it, and they didnt have the votes needed to override a veto. Now with a president hollering for legitimate immigration reform, the GOP reveals the squish where their spine should be. Oh, no! The left might call us nasty names!

Unsurprisingly, the left is up in arms about Trumps revocation of the Obama administrations DACA program. But millions of people who dont identify as Democrats or progressives are just as incensed. Public sympathy for Dreamers is understandable. Most truly have known no other country as home, had no part in the decision to migrate here, and were brought in as children. Many have siblings who were born here and thus are U.S. citizens. Deporting them looks like victimizing innocent people to score cheap political points. Its cruel and stupid. Its also a public relations nightmare for a party that has already shown little aptitude for countering deceitful media narratives about Nazis and white supremacists.

The good news is that Trumps announcement created a six-month window prior to enforcement. This gives the GOP its chance to remedy many of the problems that plague our immigration system, at minimal political cost.

Congress should immediately rewrite our immigration laws to (amongst other things) end chain migration, provide sufficient resources for border enforcement, deport everyone here illegally who has committed a serious crime, enforce prohibitions against receipt of welfare, deprive sanctuary cities of federal funds and make clear that anyone who crosses the border illegally from here on out will be subject to immediate deportation. They can then grandfather in those originally covered by DACA, exempting them and family members already here from deportation, and give them a clear path to legal status.

This option offers significant political advantages:

First, notwithstanding what Congress does, Trump can honestly tell his base that he lived up to his campaign promise.

Second, Congress can reassert its legitimate authority over immigration legislation.

Third, Trumps opponents among the GOP in Congress get to claim both constitutional integrity and the moral high ground. They can simultaneously oppose Obamas usurpation of Congressional power, condemn Trumps revocation of DACA, enact a DACA-esque policy legislatively and look like heroes.

Fourth, such an approach would make it much more difficult for the left to oppose the other aspects of immigration reform. Are they really going to argue to the American public that criminals, gang members, drug traffickers and multiple deportees like Juan Francisco Lopez-Sanchez (who killed Kate Steinle) deserve the same sympathetic treatment as a straight-A high school student headed to college, or a hardworking 30-something who has never had a run-in with the law in his or her life?

Fifth, even if Trump decides to veto such legislation, its a win. The GOP and Democrats can override the veto. And in that case, Trump sticks to his guns, Congress is magically bipartisan, DACA recipients can stay, criminals get deported, sanctuary cities are defunded and the border gets closed.

Neither side would get everything they want. But its far superior to the current state of affairs. And its probably a once-in-a-lifetime chance to fix our broken immigration system.

Now lets see if Republicans have what it takes to do it.
The University of Arizona has licensed a new, nonpenetrating sunscreen to a major Mexican company  perhaps reflecting a new formula for cross-border business development as well.

The new sunscreen, developed by UA professor Douglas Loy and graduate student Stephanie Tolbert, binds an active ingredient in most sunscreens so it doesnt seep into the skin.

MexiAloe Laboratorios, S.A. de C.V., a subsidiary of Mexican food-distribution giant Novamex, helped push along development before inking an exclusive licensing deal with the UAs Tech Launch Arizona commercialization arm last week.

The new, patent-pending technology addresses concerns over sunscreen chemicals leeching into the body while making the active ingredients last longer, said Loy, whose main UA appointment is in the College of Engineering.

Loy, who also is a professor of chemistry and biochemistry in the UA colleges of science and medicine, said the inspiration for the improved sunscreen came from Tolbert, who was interested in working in the cosmetics industry and wanted to develop sunscreens that wouldnt pass through the skin, Loy said.

The underlying nanotechnology behind sunscreens uses molecules that block ultraviolet light and encase them in microscopic capsules, including a type made of silica glass known as pearls.

Problem is, those chemical pearls break down, become even more photosensitive and then leach into the skin, Loy said.

The American Association of Dermatology says oxybenzone and other UV-blocking chemicals are safe, but public concerns have been raised about its effects when absorbed by users, the UA notes.

Loy and Tolbert hit upon a formula that binds the common sunscreen ingredient oxybenzone in a way so that they do not break down.

While typical sunscreens encase small-molecule UV blockers inside a shell, Loy said the new technology he developed with Tolbert makes the active ingredients part of a larger, macromolecule that cant be absorbed.

The entire particle would somehow have to get through your skin for it to get inside you, and theres no way for that to happen, said Loy.

The formula also makes the sunscreens last longer so they wouldnt have to be reapplied as frequently, said Loy, who was named Inventor of the Year in physical sciences at Tech Launch Arizonas fourth annual I-Squared Expo & Awards in April.

Tech Launch Arizona worked to patent the invention and license it to MexiAloe, one of the largest suppliers of aloe vera in North America.

The potential market for a nonpenetrating sunscreen is huge. In the U.S. alone, the market for sun-care products is expected to reach $11.1 billion by 2020, according to market research cited by the UA.

With these licensed patents from UA, we are looking forward to provide innovative solutions for consumers that now more than ever are looking for natural and functional sunscreens, Luis Fernandez, CEO of Novamex, said in prepared remarks as part of the UAs licensing announcement.

Tech Launch Arizona provided funds to develop the sunscreen technology beyond basic research through its Asset Development program. The agencys Commercialization Partners, a volunteer force of experienced entrepreneurs, helped provide advice and strategic direction.

The licensing deal was handled by Paul Eynott, a former Tech Launch licensing manager who recently left to head business development for the California-based veterinary drug startup Anivive Lifesciences.

MexiAloe was involved early on in the project to create a product for the company to test and validate the researchers findings.

MexiAloe found the UA technology in 2016 when a business-development consultant contacted Tech Launch looking for personal health-care technologies to license on behalf of MexiAloe Laboratorios, said Bob Logan, UA assistant dean for external and corporate relations.

Afterwards, UA College of Science Dean Joaquin Ruiz invited Novamexs Fernandez for a visit, ultimately leading to the licensing deal.

Such collaborations make sense, Logan said, noting that Ruiz has deep connections to Mexicos research community and already has visited south of the border with new UA President Robert Robbins.

The UA already collaborates with Mexican universities and research institutes on dozens of academic projects, according to the Consortium for North American Higher Education Collaboration, which is based at the UA.
Pielstick hasnt seen a lot of collaboration between the various Buddhist groups in town, though he and others are making efforts to change that.
Catalina United Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway, is inviting the community to a candlelight prayer vigil to support 'dreamers' 6:30 p.m. Sunday, Sept. 10, according to press materials.

The gathering will also include information about how the community can support recipients of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which Trump decided to end. Congress will now decide whether to pass legislation protecting those 'dreamers.'
St. Francis in the Foothills United Methodist Church, 4625 E. River Road, will host the two-session class "The Secret Life of Trees" 10:30 a.m. to noon Sundays, Sept. 10 and 17.

The class will use trees metaphorically to discuss practices that promote ways to "become more grounded and expansive," according to press materials.
We've collected a few front pages from newspapers.com to give you a look at some Sept. 7 papers in history. With a subscription to newspapers.com you can search the Arizona Daily Star and many other newspapers using keywords or dates, and download articles or pages.
Rigid Rules Set For Schmid Trial

Judge Restricts Press Conduct

By VINCE DAVIS

The most rigid restrictions ever imposed in Pima county have been order by Superior Court Judge Richard N. Roylston for the second murder trial of Charles H. Schmid Jr.

Schmid is slated to go to trial May 9 for the slaying of pretty teenager Alleen Rowe. He is already under two death sentences for the murders of Wendy and Gretchen Fritz.

Judge Roylston's order regulating trial-time conduct apparently stems from a United States Supreme Court decision which reversed the conviction of Dr. Samuel H. Sheppard, convicted in Ohio for murdering his wife.

The high tribunal held that press, radio and television coverage made a circus of the trial and thus prevented a fair trial.

Irinically, the lawyer who represented Sheppard at his second trial, at which Sheppard was found innocent, will be Schmid's attorney at his second trial. The attorney is F. Lee Bailey of Boston, who will team up with William Tinney of Tucson.
About 500 demonstrators supporting DACA arrived at Tucson City Hall Wednesday evening, says Police Chief Chris Magnus, who followed the marchers.

The crowd marched from De Anza Park in support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, and against President Trump's decision Tuesday to end the program.

The rally was peaceful. Marchers carried signs with sayings including "Immigrants Welcome"and "One race! Human!"

DACA, created by President Obama in 2012, protected immigrants who were brought into the United States illegally as children. Known as "dreamers" under the act, they are shielded from deportation if they meet certain other conditions.

Nationwide, nearly 800,000 young immigrants enrolled in DACA had a reprieve from deportation and were able to work and drive. Every two years, DACA immigrants had to renew their work permits.

In Arizona, nearly 28,000 people have been accepted into the program, to get the legal status they need to have a state-issued drivers license and to qualify to pay in-state tuition rates at colleges and universities.

President Trump urged Congress to pass a replacement to DACA before he begins phasing out its protections in six months. His attorney general, Jeff Sessions, announced the decision, saying it was needed to protect American citizens' jobs.

Protests against the decision were also held in Tucson on Tuesday.
PHOENIX  The states top health official wants to limit how many pills with opiates patients can get at once, outlaw paper prescriptions for those drugs, and ban doctors from giving out the drugs themselves.

Dr. Cara Christ also wants opioid bottles to have a red cap to help educate patients that this isnt just another drug.

Christ said Wednesday those steps are needed to combat a rising death rate from overdoses of the drug, both legal and otherwise. The director said she believes broad-based action is necessary and that the problem has reached epidemic proportions.

Its at its highest point ever, Christ said.

Opioid deaths in Arizona hit 790 last year, up from 638 the year before. That includes 482 people who died from prescription misuse and an additional 308 who overdosed on heroin.

Christs target is to drop the overall death rate to 592 by 2020.

One of the biggest changes Christ wants is to limit prescriptions for what she calls opioid naive patients  those who have not been taking opiates in the past three to six months  to a pill supply of no more than five days.

Were eliminating the risk of people becoming opioid-use dependent, while not taking the medication away from those who are currently on them and truly need them, she said.

Christ said some of the changes, such as limits on the number of pills prescribed, would require legislative action next year. Others may be enacted through agency rules under her purview, she said.

Using his power of executive order, Gov. Doug Ducey earlier this year limited doctors in both the states Medicaid program and the state employee health plan to giving out no more than seven days worth of opioid drugs. Ducey declared a state of emergency in June over deaths from opioid overdoses.

Christ said Wednesday more recent research by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention suggests even seven days worth of opioids may be too much.

The CDC released a paper that showed that the risk of long-term opioid use significantly increases after Day 5 of taking this medication, she said. So on Day 6, you have a significant increase of still being on an opioid a year later.

Christ said five days should be enough.

Most people, according to the CDC and Arizona prescribing guidelines, usually need about three days after an acute injury or surgery, she said. This gives an additional couple of days, with the opportunity for people to go back.

That limit also could result in fewer pills on the black market as patients wont have as much left over.

Christ is also proposing some other limits on such prescriptions. As she sees it, Arizona law should have a limit on dosages to less than 90 morphine milligram equivalents. The CDC reports that the risk of overdose doubles above 50 MME a day.

By way of comparison, that 90 MME figure is the same as 90 milligrams of hydrocodone or 60 milligrams of oxycodone.

Christ acknowledged there are probably some patients already getting a higher dosage. Her proposal would require that to be tapered off to the 90 MME figure, albeit over a period of years, with the law allowing for certain yet-to-be-specified exceptions.

The question of illegal opioid sales also fits into Christs recommendation to allow only electronic prescriptions for the drug.

Patients wouldnt be able to take a paper prescription off of a prescription pad to a pharmacy, she said. That has high risk for abuse as well as fraudulent prescriptions.

The restriction should not interfere with the ability of patients to get the drugs they need, Christ said, saying theres no reason an electronically written prescription could not be ready by the time someone gets to the pharmacy.

Along the same lines, Christ wants to overturn laws that now allow doctors to distribute opioids themselves.

What you dont want is the same person who is prescribing to be the same person who gives you the pills, she said. Christ said opioids should be distributed by pharmacies that can check electronic databases to see if patients are taking other drugs that might interact badly and create health problems.

Doctors also would have to have at least three hours a year of continuing medical education courses on the use of opiates.

She also wants to remove laws that now preclude the state pharmacy board, which keeps track of prescriptions for narcotics, from informing medical boards when it appears a doctor may be overprescribing. It would then be up to that medical board to review the doctors records and determine if proper medical standards are not being followed and discipline is appropriate.

Another change would be to amend the states Good Samaritan laws to cover those who report apparent drug overdoses.

Christ said situations arise where two people are both doing illegal drugs and one goes into convulsions.

Theyre afraid when law enforcement and first responders show up theyll be arrested for illegal activity, she said.

Christ said granting them immunity for their own acts in these situations ensures that the other person can get prompt medical attention.
Pima County students overall are scoring higher than many of their rural peers on the AzMERIT test, according to official test results released by the Department of Education Wednesday, but Southern Arizonas largest school district is dragging down the countys results.

Students in the Tucson Unified School District performed well below the state average on the standardized test and were also outperformed by students in eight of Pima Countys nine major school districts.

AzMERIT, which tests students from third grade up on English language arts and math, was designed to be more difficult and rigorous than the AIMS test it replaced, and the majority of Arizona students have not tested proficient in any subject at any grade level over the last three years it has been administered.

Statewide, 39 percent of students passed the English language arts portion of the AzMERIT test administered last spring, while 40 percent of students passed the math portion of the test. Pima Countys school scores were slightly lower, with 38 percent of Pima County students passing the reading and writing portion of the test, and 37 percent passing the math portion.

Scores for Pima County schools in Fiscal Year 2017.



Scores by county in Fiscal Year 2017.

That put Pima County students near the top of the test scores broken down by county. In math, Pima County students tied for third place among the states 15 counties, behind Maricopa and Greenlee counties. In the reading and writing portion of the test, Pima County placed fifth, behind Greenlee, Maricopa, Yavapai and Graham counties.

But Southern Arizonas largest school district, TUSD, fell way below those numbers.

Only 28 and 29 percent of TUSD students passed the math and English portions of the test, respectively.

TUSD Superintendent Gabriel Trujillo couldnt be immediately reached for comment, but said in August, after the district saw its unofficial scores, that the results were disappointing.

To turn the scores around, Trujillo said he will emphasize three major points: Teacher training; a focus on early education and increasing K-3 scores; and using intervention methods for middle and high school students who are falling behind.

To that end, he said TUSD will start requiring mandatory teacher training for the districts curriculum. Additionally, Trujillo wants to enact a rotation station-based approach for K-3 students that would allow teachers to break classes into smaller, more manageable groups and offer students who are falling behind in math or language arts special guided instruction, while other students who are already succeeding do more self-guided study. Finally, he wants to implement an intervention for high school students who are falling behind on math and language arts that would take students out of their normal classroom for special instruction until they catch up.

The test results were even worse for Sunnyside Unified School District, which scored the lowest of any of Pima Countys nine major districts, with only 27 and 23 percent of students passing the math and English language arts portions of the test, respectively.

Victor Mercado, Sunnyside spokesman, said the results show Tucsons second-largest district isnt where it wants to be  though he was happy with some of the improvements in subgroups of students over past years, such as an increase in third- and fifth-grade math scores.

But Mercado acknowledged that the district has a long way to go to compete with its neighboring districts, some of which have twice the percentage of students passing AzMERIT. To close that gap, he said the district last year made significant changes to its curriculum that officials hope will help boost student performance over time. And he noted that Sunnyside faces external factors that make it hard to compete with other districts  its one of the poorer districts in Pima County and has a large number of English language learners.

But Mercado said standardized tests arent everything, and other data points, such as graduation rates or parent satisfaction, offer a fuller analysis of the district.

Its just one data point we have. There are other ways to measure growth that might not be as obvious, he said.

The highest scoring district in Pima County, Catalina Foothills School District, had 68 percent of its students pass both the math and English portion of the test  a score that Assistant Superintendent Mary Jo Conery said reflects the districts commitment to rigorous curriculum in schools, ongoing evaluations for its students and professional development for teachers.

She noted that teachers and administrators spent the past two years collaboratively developing a curriculum that considers the end goal and works backwards from there to achieve that goal. And Catalina Foothills has developed its own performance assessments to measure student achievement and growth.

She said the district focuses on not just if the students can learn the standards, but can apply what theyve learned in real life.

Conery, too, said standardized tests arent everything, but that Catalina Foothills results reflect the hard work teachers, administrators and students put into the district.

The work that we do is not towards the end result of AzMERIT.... But we believe that this work is benefitting what students are being asked to do on AzMERIT, she said.

Arizona charter schools outperformed traditional district schools, with 48 and 47 percent of charter students passing language arts and math, respectively, compared to 37 and 39 percent of district students.

The passing rate for all schools statewide improved by 1 percentage point in English language arts and 2 percentage points in math, something Arizona schools chief Diane Douglas praised, saying students are modestly moving in the right direction.

Douglas, however, railed against overtesting, saying valuable instructional time is lost and schools should be able to choose from a menu of assessments, with one option allowing parents to opt out of AzMERIT altogether.

I believe Arizonas children and educational system are much better than the scores indicated by AzMERIT, she said.
The votes are in, and while the website, Best Things Arizona, usually shows Tucson plenty of love, this time is a little different.

Only one Tucson restaurants made it on the website's list of the 15 best dining spots in the state, despite Tucson's up-and-coming dining scene.

Core Kitchen & Wine Bar at Marana's Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain has received numerous kudos over the years, most recently making it onto Wine Spectator's 2017 list.

Coming in at number one on Best Things' list, the website says Core "offers a top quality dining experience to customers who want a quiet evening of luxurious eating."

The views of the Arizona desert are in contrast with the restaurant's "pampering interiors" and the menu contains "outstanding dishes," according to Best Things Arizona.

Check out the rest of the list here and gather some inspiration for the next time you're in Phoenix, Scottsdale or Sedona.
Marchers walking from De Anza Park north of downtown Wednesday to city hall united about 600 to rally in support of immigrant youth and their families.

The rally, which lasted about two hours outdoors at city hall, had protestors holding signs, including: "Immigrants Welcome" and "One Race! Human!"

Speakers called on demonstrators to defend DACA and end the separation of families. They also chanted "no border wall" and "sanctuary city now."

Speaker Najima Rainey strongly called for the city council to make Tucson a sanctuary city, saying council members did not deliver on making it so.

During the rally, Mayor Jonathan Rothschild thanked the crowd for voicing their concerns and said their voices must be heard by Congress.

Inside city hall prior to the demonstration, Rothschild offered support to those covered by DACA and said the city remains committed to making sure all residents receive full protection under the law as guaranteed by the constitution.

In an interview, Vice Mayor Regina Romero said she supports Tucson becoming a sanctuary city, but some council members fear that it would make Tucson a target in terms of retribution from the Trump administration.

Romero said what is more important than the label is the specific policies the council has adopted, including strong stances against the border wall and SB1070. She also noted changes in police policies that impact better relationships in working with immigrant communities.

Romero said she did not know whether the policy declaring Tucson a sanctuary city will be revisited after the November election.

Wednesday's march is the second day of demonstrations in Tucson by students and organizations in support of immigrants who fall under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

The federal policy began under President Barack Obama's administrtion in 2012 and protected immigrants who were brought into the United States illegally as children.

Nearly 800,000 young immigrants had a reprieve from deportation and were able to work and drive. Every two years, DACA immigrants had to renew their work permits.

President Donald Trump's administration announced Tuesday morning they would end DACA, and that Congress needed to act on revamping immigration laws.

Demonstrator Stephany Garcia, 21, said she came to the rally "to support my people, my community, mi raza (my race)". She said she has friends who are protected under the DACA program. "I feel sad about what has happened," said Garcia in regards to Trump rescinding the program.

Garcia said she also has "faith in God", and just maybe Congress will enact better immigration laws.

Before the rally, Rev. Dottie Escobedo-Frank, senior pastor at Catalina United Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway, said her grandmother wanted her children to have religious freedom. She was a Protestant in Mexico in the 1930s, and she left Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua and gave birth to a son in the back of a bar.

That baby boy grew up to be "my father and a Lutheran minister," said Escobedo-Frank. "I am a granddaughter of an immigrant who wanted the American dream. This is the land where immigration is ground zero. We live in a tight web that stretches along the U.S.-Mexico border, and we either know loved ones who are immigrants or loved ones who are going through he immigration process," Escobedo-Frank said.

She said "it is our Christian faith and tradition to stand with immigrants." Escobedo-Frank said Trump did not have to begin dismantling the DACA program while Congress begins to overhaul immigration laws.

"There is no need to create a fear factor for these young people. That is wrong. It is cruel and inhumane," Escobedo-Frank said.

On Thursday, Sept. 7, there will be an informational forum about DACA in the cafeteria at 5:30 p.m. at Pueblo Magnet High School, 3500 S. 12th Ave.

On Sunday, Sept. 10, there will be a candlelight and prayer vigil at 6:30 p.m. to support DACA and Dreamers at Catalina United Methodist Church, 2700 E. Speedway.
In the end, only one number really mattered when it came to Tucson stopping its policy of destroying guns in city possession  $57 million.

That is the amount in annual state-shared revenues the city would have to forgo if it defied a ruling by the Arizona State Supreme Court that the practice conflicted with state law. Specifically, the ruling affirmed that surplus property must be auctioned to the highest bidders.

The Tucson Police Department has destroyed 4,820 guns turned in by residents or seized from crime investigations since 2013, city records show. The firearms are typically seized in criminal cases, although city officials note some guns are surrendered by their owners to be destroyed.

The seven Democrats on the Tucson City Council, after meeting behind closed doors with their attorneys, said their hands were tied by the courts decision. The city will begin auctioning off guns in the next few months to licensed gun dealers.

The vote Wednesday was not unanimous, however. The reversal of the policy narrowly passed 4-3, with council members Steve Kozachik, Karin Uhlich and Regina Romero voting against ending the practice.

Romero said she simply couldnt stomach it.

I couldnt make myself vote yes. I think it is wrong in every way, shape and form, Romero said.

Councilman Paul Cunningham said he voted to end the practice not because he wanted to, but because a fight over this specific issue was futile.

The real issue, he said, is a state law known as Senate Bill 1487.

That law allows the state attorney general to pressure cities to change policies the AG believes contradict the wishes of Arizona lawmakers, and to withhold state-shared revenues if municipalities refuse to repeal the offending legislation.

Cunningham said he wants to see the state law challenged in federal court, saying he doesnt believe Tucson can get a fair hearing in Arizona on this issue.

Kozachik agreed that the real long-term issue is SB 1487, but said he believes the city could prevail in county Superior Court  just not with the state Supreme Court.

I think (Gov. Doug) Ducey has so fully staffed the court that it would be pretty difficult, Kozachik said of the Supreme Court.

But the city is withdrawing a legal challenge to the constitutionality of SB 1487 currently filed in Superior Court, holding off to fight that battle another day.

A legal fight is inevitable, Kozachik said, adding that he thinks there are groups that will challenge SB 1487 in other cities, but did not offer any examples.

Tucson has been destroying some seized firearms  specifically handguns, shotguns and semi-automatic rifles  for more than a decade but stopped the practice earlier this year after state Rep. Mark Finchem asked Attorney General Mark Brnovich to investigate whether the practice violated state law.

Finchem says that a collectible gun worth more than $10,000, which he identified in city-maintained records, was destroyed by the city.

His claim could not be independently verified.

A Star analysis estimates the retail value for the 4,820 destroyed guns could be roughly $600,000.

The city would get a fraction of that figure as it is required to sell the guns at auction, and only to those with federal firearms licenses.

City Attorney Mike Rankin estimated Tucson could bring in about $100,000 a year from gun sales.

Despite the court ruling, not all of the seized weapons are headed to the auction block.

Guns that are illegal to sell  like a sawed-off shotgun or one with the serial number filed off  will still be destroyed.

The city also has the authority to transfer some confiscated firearms to be used by police.

For example, the city maintains a large collection of guns it uses for forensic testing. At last count, there were 1,579 in its collection.

Also, not every gun held by the city is kept in perpetuity.

Between 2012 and 2016, the city returned 3,512 firearms to their legal owners.
The Tucson VA wants to hear from local veterans who rely on the VA for their health care.

The Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is hoping to improve health outcomes for its patients by soliciting feedback through the Veterans Voices Program.

Participating veterans must have received care from the Tucson VA in the past two years and must be able to attend one of several panels to be held during normal business hours in October and November.

Participants must also be comfortable speaking with fellow veterans in front of a group.

The panels will have limited spots available. Those who are interested can schedule an initial phone meeting by calling either Daniel Wallace at 792-1450, Ext. 2460, or Lorien Nelson at 792-1450, Ext. 2518, or by emailing daniel.wallace2@va.gov or lorien.nelson@va.gov.
My colleagues at Sunnyside and in the neighboring schools of this community are anxious to express their opinions, and protest this Presidents dreadful actions. I am just as anxious. Mr. Trump's decision to end the DACA program has sparked a desire to protest. In this case, many young people want to protest through walk-outs. The walk-out would occur during school hours. This form of protest completely defeats the purpose of DACA, which is to give an extended stay for undocumented people to get a job, or go to school. I believe, that we need to stay in school in order to create and promote a need for an educated mass to a create a world where there is no need for such protest.
Microsoft has officially announced Aung San Maung as the companys new country manager in Vietnam.

Maung entered the roll on September 5 as a replacement for former manager Vu Minh Tri, according to Microsoft News.

Microsoft assured the public that Tri had successfully led Microsofts operations in Vietnam and will leave his five-year term with many achievements under his belt.

Maung started working for Microsoft Australia in January 2000, and was moved to Microsoft Vietnam as a head of the Enterprise Product Group (EPG) three years later.

During his term as the head of EPG, Aung successfully rebuilt the department and achieved outstanding results in just six short months.

For four years in a row, Maungs department achieved results far beyond the companys expectations.

Before working for Microsoft in Asia for the last 20 years, Aung spent 10 years as a head of department at IBM.

As a country manager, Maung will be responsible for managing business strategy, operations, and development initiatives in the Vietnamese market.

Maung studied computer science at a university in Canberra, Australia and graduated in 1983.

He started working for IBM in 1987 as a salesman before becoming a technical consultant, and eventually a procurement manager until he left the company in 1999.

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Its well known in the expat community of Saigon that there are several members who have a passion for wandering around and taking pictures of things they love about the city.

Philip Genochio from the UK and Swede Tanya Olander are two of them.

Authentic, real Saigon

On a late July afternoon Philip Genochio sat down with a cafe sua a (Saigons iconic iced coffee with milk) at a small cafe in a tiny alley in Saigon, the former name of Ho Chi Minh City.

The Londoner excitedly shared with Tuoi Tre News his passion for discovering and capturing images that reflect the real and authentic Saigon, the one that Westerners are so fascinated about.

To most Westerners, it's very different from what were used to. The variety of life in Saigon doesn't exist in the West as we don't live our lives so openly on the street, he began of his first impressions of the city.

Moving to Saigon in 2011 to be an English teacher, over the past several years, Philip has put a lot of effort into his lifes passion: @saigonpix.

The Instagram account is where Genochio diligently shares photos of life in Saigon to those who love the city like him.

A photo of @saigonpix taken by Philip Genochio

Saigonpix started around four years ago as Genochios platform for posting interesting things he captures by chance, all shot and edited in-phone.

Over the last two years, he has tried to post photos more regularly, at a minimum frequency of at least 2 per day.

Looking at the Saigonpix account, its not hard to see the love that Genochio has dedicated to the alleys and markets of Saigon.

There are so many things in the small space of a hem [alley], Genochio explained. Its the sense of unknown, the feeling I get when enter a hem for the first time, wondering if I should turn left or right.

Once I went down a hem behind a market, and saw local people had making brooms with coconut leaves. It was just one of my very interesting experiences here, he added.

Although he has lived in Saigon for nearly 6 years, Genochio said this city has never failed to surprise him with new things.

Ive lived in District 4 most of the time but there are still new things for me to discover there, he laughed.

A photo of @saigonpix taken by Philip Genochio

During this time, Google Maps has become his friend.

Every time he has an appointment, Genochio researches the locations using the online mapping site, and tries to plot a walking trip in the surrounding area.

The founder of Saigonpix also marks spots in his map with different colors to distinguish where he has already visited and where he intends to explore.

Spending most of his spare time on wandering around Saigon, Genochio has provided people with images from downtown areas to non-touristy places like District 6 or Mien Tay Bus Station in Binh Tan District.

With more than 1,300 posts and 2,400 followers, Philip Genochios Saigonpix doesnt dream of being viral, but rather a place where he can share his feelings about Saigon with others.

Philip Genochio in a photo he provided Tuoi Tre News

Some of the most positive reactions he has received were from Viet Kieu (overseas Vietnamese) who said seeing his pictures has made them homesick. Other foreigners have told him they wanted to visit Vietnam thanks to his photos.

'Somewhere in Saigon'

To many expats in Saigon, Tanya Olanders @somewheresaigon Instagram account and Somewhere in Saigon Facebook page wont be familiar.

With more than 25,400 followers across the two platforms, Tanya Olander is one of the most-mentioned photographers when expats talk about street life photography in Saigon.

Its quite hard to find a common thread in Olanders pictures, as they sometimes depict people, sometimes capture places, food, pets or one of many other topics.

A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon

One of the feelings that Olanders photos bring to its viewers, is the sense of being connected to the photos subjects as captured through the lens of a photographer who loves Saigon in her heart.

The woman from Stockholm meticulously writes notes for every picture she posts, and describes herself a photographer telling stories of Saigon.

This cheerful quartet stopped mid cheer, interrupting their mot, hai, ba, dzo! to invite my friend and I to join them in celebrating the birthday of one of the men. We decline, but stop long enough to hear the birthday boy belt out a few verses. It's not a party if there's no karaoke, after all!, Olander writes under one of her photos, proving her understanding of the lifestyle of the people of Saigon.

A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon

Responding to an email from Tuoi Tre News, Tanya still remembers her first impressions of the intensity of the city.

I instantly fell in love with that intensity, and the feeling that life was being lived and expressed in every moment, she expressed. To me Saigon was like a vibrant colorful pot, boiling on an intensely hot burner.

Olander revealed that she is planning to make a book about Saigon, after many people  including local Vietnamese, Viet Kieu and foreigners - have told her that they have been touched by the stories of Somewhere in Saigon.

A photo taken by Tanya Olander for @somewheresaigon

Currently, as Olander and her family have moved to Shanghai for her husbands job, she maintains in her heart the memories of Saigon.

I have so many memories, so many instances of the Saigonese being so open and welcoming to me. Ive been invited to more coffees and street side beers than I can count. Ive been welcomed into homes to share a meal. My heart fills with love and happiness when I think of myself squeezing through a bustling market in District 10 at 6:30am in the morning and being met with smiles and offers to drink coffee with the local ladies. The chatter, the questions, the comments. Ive loved every minute of it, she recalled.

Olander said it was not an easy decision for her and family to leave Saigon, as they love Vietnam and have had so many amazing experiences during our 5 years in Saigon.

Tanya Olander laughing with two local vendors in a photo taken by photographer Maria Graven while the two were shooting in District 3  Photo provided by Tanya Olander

As I scroll through my Instagram library, each and every picture holds a special memory and I feel so lucky to have such a treasure chest from my time there. Vietnam, and Saigon in particular, will always hold a very special place in my heart, she expressed.

Writing this makes me miss Saigon even more, Olander said while chatting with Tuoi Tre News from Shanghai.
The artist behind two paintings on display at the Museum of Fine Arts had his grant revoked and work removed from an exhibition in Ho Chi Minh City after he was found to have plagiarized a famous wood carving.

Artist Nguyen Truong An was awarded a VND5 million (US$220) grant by the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association for his two-piece lacquer work An Lac (Serenity) as part of a creative initiative to encourage young talent.

However, as an exhibition of select works by artists involved in the initiative entered its third day on August 25 at the Museum of Fine Arts in the southern metropolis, its organizers made the difficult decision to remove the paintings from both physical and online displays.

On Tuesday, the Fine Arts Association continued its punishment by revoking Ans grant, citing blatant plagiarism of a famous wood carving by fellow artist Nguyen Khac Han.

The three-piece wood carving, titled A Di Da Phat (Amida Buddha), was awarded first prize at the prestigious 2015 National Fine Arts Exhibition, held once every five years to honor notable works by local artists.

He did not plagiarize my idea; he plagiarized my entire work, Han told Tuoi Tre (Youth) newspaper. Anyone who compares the two works side by side would agree that Nguyen Truong An has simply recreated my woodwork in his paintings. Its a breach of my copyright.

The 'An Lac' (Serenity) lacquer paintings by Nguyen Truong An. Courtesy of Le The Anh

This is far from the first time the Vietnamese art market has been hit by a plagiarism scandal.

Last year, prominent Vietnamese artist Nguyen Thanh Chuong sent the local art scene into a frenzy after discovering a portrait he did in the early 1970s was on exhibit at the Fine Arts Museum in Ho Chi Minh City from July 10 to 21, 2016 under the name of late painter Ta Ty, one of Vietnams most well-known artists.

An evaluation panel assembled by the museum later determined that none of the 17 paintings on display at the exhibition were created by the painters that had been credited, striking a blow to an event billed as a triumphant homecoming for artwork created by some of Vietnams most influential artists.

Vu Xuan Chung, owner of the collection, disputed the museums findings and maintained that the paintings were authentic, citing certification from French art expert Jean-Francois Hubert, a senior consultant for Vietnamese art at Christies.

In May, a work credited to renowned 20th-century Vietnamese artist To Ngoc Van was denounced as a forgery of The Young Beggar by 17th-century Spanish painter Bartolome Esteban Murillo only a week after it sold for US$350,000 at a Christies auction in Hong Kong.

Im not sad for him. Im not sad for myself. Im sad for an entire generation of Vietnamese artists, Han said. How can our art industry move forward if there are still such artists out there?

Meanwhile, deputy chairman of the Ho Chi Minh City Fine Arts Association Siu Quy tried to remind critics that the plagiarist is still only an art student and should therefore deserves a more forgiving response.

In the field of fine art, it is inevitable to be influenced by masterworks. Not every artist has the skills to develop their own ideas from a source of inspiration, Trung said. Young artists are particularly prone to making such mistakes.

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The Hanoi Opera House officially opened its doors on Wednesday to visitors willing to pay a VND400,000 (US$18) entrance fee.

The price includes a tour of the iconic building, a traditional Vietnamese music and dance performance inside the auditorium, and a free tour guide to lead visitors through the unique architecture and history of the century-old edifice.

School students and university undergraduates enjoy a 50-percent discount on admission.

Constructed between 1901 and 1911, the Hanoi Opera House is considered one of the capitals architectural landmarks, overlooking Trang Tien Street in downtown Hoan Kiem District.

On the buildings first floor, visitors enter into a main hall adorned with a staircase and mosaic floor kept intact since the structure first opened its doors in 1911.

On the second floor lies 'The Mirror Room,' where foreign heads of state are received during visits to the opera house, and a balcony overlooks Hanois bustling streets.

The third and highest floor houses an auditorium where visitors are treated to a feast of colors, sounds, and lights during a traditional Vietnamese music and dance performance.

Visitors enjoy a performance inside the auditorium at the Hanoi Opera House, September 6, 2017. Photo: Tuoi Tre

However, the first day of its public opening came with a few added surprises.

They made no mention of [the entrance fee] on TV, said Nguyen Van Thang, a resident in Hanois My Dinh District who said he only learned of the admission fee upon arrival at the opera house. I dont mind paying for the tour, but they only sell a package that includes the performance. We only want to see the opera house.

According to the buildings director Nguyen Thi Minh Nguyet, tour-only tickets are still pending approval from the Ministry of Finance.

The option is not expected to be launched until 2018, Nguyet said.

Currently, the Hanoi Opera House will open to visitors every Monday and Friday between 10:30 am and 12:00 pm.

Additional visiting hours may be added in October, according to an announcement on the opera houses website.
Over 43 hectares of forest in south-central Vietnam has disappeared for an unknown reason, and local authorities have yet to find out an explanation.

The mysterious disappearance of the forest patch was discovered on September 1, Pham Van Nam, chairman of the Peoples Committee in An Lao District, Binh Dinh Province, confirmed on Wednesday morning.

Officers from the districts forest protection office noticed the situation when they were patrolling a part of the woods in An Hung Commune, located in An Lao, Nam said.

Some sections of the destroyed woods were protection forest while the others were zoned for industrial activities, the official continued.

Most of the trees had the diameter between 10 and 15 centimeters, he stated, assuming that the culprits had wiped out the area with chainsaws.

Such a large area of forest must take a long time to be chopped down, leading to a question why local authorities and forest rangers were not aware of the destruction.

According to Chairman Nam, the road running to the part of the forest is quite rough, which might be one reason why the deforestation had not been detected.

There is a total of 3,000 hectares of forest in An Hung, whilst only one forest protection officer is in charge of the management, resulting in late detection and slow reaction, the official elaborated.

It is now urgent to stop the deforestation and hunt for the culprits, Nam asserted.

After that the oversight and responsibility of any competent agency or individual will be taken into account, he said.

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Someone is threatening to kill Doan Ngoc Hai and his family in retaliation for his ironclad determination to clear Ho Chi Minh Citys sidewalks of illegal eateries and motorbike parking.

Hai, the deputy chairman of District 1, Ho Chi Minh City, who recommenced his famous sidewalk clearing campaign last month after a four-month hiatus, has been receiving phone calls and text messages threatening that his efforts may cost him and his family their lives.

The city official also claims that strangers have followed him home from his office on several occasions, forcing him to take the threats seriously by filing an official complaint with city police.

District 1 police officials have met with Hai and are managing an investigation.

Despite the risk, Hai refuses to back down on the campaign, asserting that anyone illegal occupying sidewalks will be held accountable.

The sidewalk clearance campaign began earlier this year after Hai took it upon himself to enforce the districts often-ignored sidewalk occupancy laws.

Taking note of the campaigns positive reception by local citizens, other neighborhoods in Ho Chi Minh City began following suit until the initiative came to a sudden end in late March.

Hai marked the campaigns return with a surprise crackdown on August 9, issuing fines to multiple cars and taxis parked illegally on sidewalks and confiscating tables and chairs from eateries occupying the pavements.

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TV presenter and journalist Peter Luck, best known for This Fabulous Century, has died aged 73.

He died yesterday following a long and painful battle with Parkinsons disease, according to friend Mike Carlton.

Saddened beyond measure to report the death last night of Peter Luck. My dear friend, and great journalist and writer, Carlton wrote.

Peter was one of the great ABC television journalists, he was one of the pioneers of This Day Tonight, that trailblazing current affairs show.

He was immensely creative, he was funny, he was knowledgeable and he cared very deeply about public broadcast.

Luck presented This Fabulous Century for Seven which became a Sunday night hit in the late 1970s. His previous employer, ABC had declined the project believing that a series that relied so heavily on black-and-white film, when the country had only recently switched to colour television, would not be successful.

He also presented or produced This Day Tonight, Four Corners, Sunday, Today Tonight and Inside Edition and produced Bicentennial Minutes, A Time to Remember, The Australians and Where Are They Now? He was also summer host on Hinch.

Luck was also a columnist for The Sun-Herald in the late 1990s and wrote books including books on Australian history including This Fabulous Century and Australian Icons: Things That Make Us What We Are.

Updated: ABC Managing Director Michelle Guthrie said: Peter Luck was a trailblazing journalist who became a role model to generations of reporters and was also loved and respected by audiences.

He made a huge contribution to the ABC in his early career and remains forever part of the fabric of the national broadcaster. All ABC staff join me in paying our respects to Peter and passing on our deepest sympathies to his family.

Director News Gaven Morris paid tribute to Peters pioneering work, which included reporting for iconic ABC current affairs programs This Day Tonight and Four Corners.

Peter was an extremely talented broadcaster with a natural warmth and accessibility that Australians immediately responded to, he said. His wonderful conversational tone  actually a rare ability  made everyone feel like he was talking directly to us.

His legacy lives on at the ABC and he will not be forgotten.

Source: Fairfax
Help India!

By Siddhant Mohan, TwoCircles.net

In a rather strange move, authorities at Hussainabad Trust, the body which manages Bara and Chota Imambara, are trying to stop the ritual of Tabarrukh distribution during Muharram this year.

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The Tabarrukh includes Roti, Sheermal and potato curry which is distributed among the poor irrespective of their sect and beliefs.

The ritual was started when Nawab Mohammad Ali Shah formed Hussainabad and Allied Trust in 1858. Since then, according to the will of Mohammad Ali Shah, the Chota Imambara mosque has been distributing Tabarrukh on all the nine days of Muharram to the poor and needy.

Along with the distribution, the Tabarrukh would also be sent to the houses of Nawabs, a practice which various people objected upon.

But this year, Lucknow district administration which governs the Hussainabad and Allied Trust is planning to stop the Tabarrukh distribution.

According to sources, Lucknow district administration including District Magistrate Kaushal Raj Sharma, Additional District Magistrate Santosh Kumar Vaish, and Officer on Special Duty Nasir Husain Naqvi held a meeting during the last days of August to discuss this issue.

These officials along with Additional City Magistrate Chandan Kumar Patel are the governing body of Hussainabad and allied trust. The meeting used to be held in presence of the royal family members, but this year the royal family members were not made aware of the meeting.

In the meeting, allegedly, a decision was passed that the trust will not distribute Tabarrukh since this year. But as a gesture, it will only distribute Sheermal.

As a result of the meeting, the tenders for Wheat, Pulses, meat and other food items have not been issued yet, unlike earlier when this would be done several weeks before Muharram.

Rather, the governing authority of the trust has issued a tender only for Sheermal  the bread  and has claimed that tender will be provided to the one who could provide the bread at the lowest rate.

The family of the erstwhile Nawab is not happy with the decision and is planning an end-to-end fight with the administration. Farhana Maliki, the national president of Begumat Royal Family of Awadh, told TwoCircles.net, It is simply out of my understanding that on what ground DM, ADM and OSD took this decision? Do they have to bear the cost of Tabarrukh? No. Mohammad Ali Shah left enough for this Tabarrukh and it is the Nawabs who bear this cost.

ADM Santosh Kumar Vaish told TwoCircles.net, We are of the opinion that food should not go to the houses of wealthy and powerful people. And we want to stop that. But as far as the question of distribution is concerned, we are yet to take some decision on that.

Regarding the Sheermal tender, Vaish said, It is too much work to gather raw items and cook them. To avoid that, we issued tender directly for the bread. The lower rate bidder caterer will serve the Sheermal.

Maliki objected to the order and said, Why are they bothered as if are feeding people from their own pockets? They are creating differences among Shias and Sunnis. But they dont know that disturbing the community thread will come as a backlash to them.

Since Yogi Adityanath came as a Chief Minister in the state, there is a general trend among several Shia bodies and leaders extending support to BJPs core agenda. Be it the minister Mohsin Raza, or the Ram-temple-batting Shia Central Waqf Board chairman Waseem Rizvi, the Shia bodies seem to be favouring the BJP.

But the turmoil at Hussainabad and allied trust seem a step taken against Shia Muslims. But Maliki refuses it to connect with Yogi, as she said, This is not the government, but the administration. Even with this claim, the decision looks controversial as Kaushal Raj Sharma took this decision who stopped the camel sacrifice on Bakrid this year. Sharma was soon appointed in Lucknow as soon Yogi took charge in the state.

On September 5, a meeting took place in which Farhana Maliki, Nawab Qayam Mehandi, Maulana Aqeel Hassan and Prince Amir Nawab were present. The meeting was held to find a way to fight the decision. Farhana Maliki accused OSD Nasir Naqvi of steering this decision.

The royal family stresses that if the revenue of the trust is increasing by the Imambaras and mosques, why the authorities are taking the decision to divide the community.

Maliki said, If the decision is not pulled back soon, we will launch an agitation and no one will be able to take a penny from the trust.

For the locals, these steps imply towards no Tabarrukh this year.

Local resident Shakeel Rizvi said, If they are planning to stop the food delivery to houses of wealthy and Nawabi people, that is a fair argument. But they have not issued the tender for the rest at all. One can infer the intentions from it.
Help India!

TCN News

Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee, a human rights organization based in Hyderabad, has strongly condemned the assassination of renowned human rights activist and journalist Gauri Lankesh at her house in Bangalore terming it cowardly and despicable.

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Gauri Lankesh was a brave fighter against communal and fascist forces in Karnataka and through her consistent struggle she has exposed and derailed notorious aims of Hindutva fascist elements in the State of Karnataka.

As per the press statement issued by the organization, Gauri Lankesh was the constant target of fascist forces since long and on many occasions, she faced threats to her life and implication in false cases. But in spite of all the odds against her, she bravely stood her ground and fought tooth and nail against the nefarious campaigns of Hindutva fascist elements.

Assassinating a dissenting voice is the most cowardly act which can be done by the cowards who breeds on fear. In the recent past assassination of progressive writers, human rights activists, lawyers and journalists show a very unfortunate trend wherein any voice challenging the majoritarian fascism is silenced and put to rest, said the statement.

Committee said that Lankesh played an instrumental role in raising issues of the oppressed sections of society. She was always on the forefront to speak up against the subjugation of minorities in Karnataka.

It is high time for whole civil society to ponder on the underlying evils of our country which is increasing in far greater strength than ever and threatening the very existence of Constitutional democracy, urged the Committee through its press statement.

Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee has demanded a high-level probe in the assassination of Gauri Lankesh to bring the perpetrators of crime including their handlers to face justice.
Help India!

By Abhay Kumar for TwoCircles.net

Hundreds of students cheered and clapped when a senior activist of the Ambedkarite students organisation BAPSA (Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association) called upon Shabana Ali to address the gathering. PhD scholar at Arts and Aesthetics centre, 28-year old Shabana is BAPSAs presidential candidate and seen as one of the frontrunners in JNU Students Union (JNUSU) Elections 2017. The site of the gathering was JNUs Chandrabhaga Hostel where BAPSAs mashal juloos (torchlight procession) calledOppressed Unity March terminated on the late Sunday night. Taking out procession days before the polls is a routine event for all the major students organisations. The usual route of the march has been from the famous Ganga Dhaba to Chandrabhaga Hostel. Situated close to the north-gate, Ganga Dhaba is the oldest food stall on the campus and an inseparable part of JNUs political culture, which wakes up at the late afternoon and remains awake till the wee hours, serving students tea, samosa, paratha etc. By holding out procession amid slogans, students organisations attempt to animate their cadres and supporters, woo new voters but most importantly, exhibit their strength to opponents.

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Clad in black salwar and yellowish kurti with a blue scarf around her neck, Shabana came forward and began her speech. Her round face was calm and big eyes sparked in confidence. As she had raised slogans in the march earlier and spent the past few days talking to students about BAPSAs ideology and agendas, her voice had turned hoarse. Her left hand was on her back and the right hand was in front and moved as she spoke. We will give a strong reply to the ABVP [RSSs student-wing]. She came down heavily on the Right but she did not spare the Left either: I condemned feudal, patriarchal, and Brahminical attitude of an AISA activist and demand a public apology. In her speech, she referred to a recent incident in which a male-AISA activist allegedly misbehaved with a BAPSA female activist and poured hot tea over her. AISA, arguably the strongest Left organisation of the campus, is the student-wing of CPI-ML-Liberation, one of the largest factions of the original Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist) that mobilised peasants to lead an armed revolution in the early 1970s, better known as Naxalbari Movement. But with the passage of time, the CPI-ML (Liberation) diluted much of its revolutionary ideology and entered the electoral arena that they themselves had once dismissed.

In her speech too, she underscored the need to achieve such unity by going beyond the binary of the Left and the Right. However, she was careful to refute the charge of its detractors that BAPSA is a sectarian organisation and it is against people born in particular castes. While making an appeal to all the students to get associated with BAPSA, she said, Please come to us and do criticize us [when we go wrong]. Other key issues that she raised during her speech included waging struggles for social justice and dignity as well as removing institutional discrimination. Moreover, the issues of Rohith Vemula and Najeeb were also highlighted. Vemula was the PhD student of Hyderabad Central University and activist of the Ambedkar Students Association whose suicide on January 17, 2016 sparked a nation-wide protest against the institutional discrimination against the marginalized sections. Najeeb, on the other hand, post-graduate student of JNU, had gone missing a year ago after the ABVP students allegedly beat him up last year. The incident of assault on Najeeb has instilled a deep sense of fear among the minority students about their safety and security. The struggles around the issues of Vemula and Najeeb have left a profound impact on Shabana.

Since its inception on November 14, 2014, BAPSAs ideology is to forge a unity of the oppressed in order to establish a society based on the principles of equality, dignity, fraternity and justice. A recent BAPSAs pamphlet reiterates its ideology, BAPSA is an independent Ambedkarite student organisation which was formed by the students from the most marginalised and oppressed backgrounds (socially, economically, politically, culturally and historically) to fight against Brahminism and Capitalism with the objective of establishing a society based on EQUALITY, DIGNITY, LIBERTY, FRATERNITY, and JUSTICE, free from oppression on the basis of caste, class, race, gender, social position, religion, region, language and so on. BAPSA considers Brahminical Nationalism (created by Congress and RSS under Gandhi, Nehru, Golwalkar, Savarkar, Tilak and so on) as one among the various ways to perpetuate the old system of exploitation of the marginalised communities in India. We believe in the idea of Oppressed Bahujan Nationalism/Internationalism. The primary task of BAPSA is to UNITE all the socially deprived, marginalised, oppressed students in order to FIGHT against Brahminism or Hindutva Fascism.

Among other agendas, BAPSA is trying to break the the binary of the Left and the Right and create an alternative space for itself. Its slogan Lal bhawga ek hai, sare comrade fake hain[The red (standing for the Left) and the saffron (standing for the Right) are the same and all the comrades are fake]often leaves the Left activists embarrassed. Historically, the Ambedkarite organisations have both friendly and antagonistic relations with Leftist/Communist organisations. Ambedkar himself led several movements in alliance with the communists but he attacked them on several occasions for not talking caste question centrally. The Dalit Panthers manifesto of the early 1970s (which radically defined Dalits being members of Scheduled Castes and Tribes, Neo-Buddhists, the working people, the landless and poor peasants, women and all those who are being exploited politically, economically and in the name of religion) called true Left parties as their friends (Left parties that are Left in a true sense) but vehemently criticized the parliamentary Left for having grown bankrupt.

Left-organisations like AISF (CPIs student-wing), SFI (CPI-Ms student-wing), AISA and DSU (radical Left student organisation) and others have been traditionally very strong in JNU and the recent entry of BAPSA has eroded a considerable portion of their base, weaning away a large section of Dalits, Adivasis, OBCs and minority students to its fold. In a short span of time, BAPSA has grown quite strong and posed a serious challenge to the Left by mobilising oppressed students. This compelled AISA and SFIwhich were the arch-rivals for decades to team up last year in JNUSU polls. AISA and SFI, in their defence, argued said that they had forged unity in principle to defend JNU from the Hindutva forces. BAPSA, by contrast, argued that only the unity of the oppressed can uproot Brahmanism, politically, socially and culturally. This year, DSF, former breakaway group of SFI, has become the third ally of Left alliance, which, many argue, points to their shrinking social-base. In the Left circles, anxieties were seen in the wake of BAPSAs brilliant performance last year when its presidential candidate Rahul Sonpimple finished second and gave neck to neck fight to Mohit Pandey, the elected president and joint candidate of the Left alliance. This year too, Shabana looked confident during the Presidential debate on Wednesday night and is seen as a formidable presidential candidate to both Left alliance candidate Geeta Kumari and the Right-wing ABVPs Nidhi Tripathi. AISF has fielded Aparajitha Raja as its presidential candidate after its talks over seat-sharing had failed with AISA and SFI. The entry of Raja, the daughter of senior CPI leader D. Raja, to the electoral fray has further complicated the situation. Independent presidential candidate Farooque Alam, differently-abled, spoke well in the presidential debate and is likely to considerable secular votes.

BAPSAs criticism of the Left is due to several reasons. One of them is Lefts failure in addressing institutional discrimination faced by oppressed students- their failure in implementing reservation, particularly at faculty level, reducing the interview marks to 10, fighting the battle against UGC-Gazette and seat-cut. Look at how the Left has responded to the Right-wing assault around the discourse of national and anti-national after the February 9 incident. It has given series of lectures on nationalism but the real issues of institutional discrimination, caste question and social composition of students and teachers were not discussed. Moreover, the speakers from marginalised sections were ignored in those lecture-series, rued Shabana Ali.

Many people who have heard her speak, say that Shabana appeared confident and nowhere did she fumble or make mistakes. Nor was she found to have contradicted herself or organisations line. Her style was neither dull nor was it too much rhetorical, they added. She is self-assured, mature and theoretically-sharp, argues an activist from BAPSA. During my discussion with Shabana soon after her speech at Chandrabhaga the next morning, she heard my questions patiently and answered them with arguments and logic.

Shabana is a Bengali Muslim but her early life and schooling was done at Varanasi where as her family moved when she was just one-year old child. Her family was originally from Shantipur, famous for handloom saree and at the time of Partition, they had to migrate to Medinipur. The flames of Partition approached her family and her fathers close relative lost her finger in communal violence. Another negative impact of Partition was the loss of their traditional occupation that was dying threads (dhaga rangne ka kam). This all contributed to their woes and her family fell on hard times.

In spite of difficult times, her father managed to complete his Masters. He became the music teacher (vocal) at the prestigious Rajghat Besant School (Varanasi) where Shabana did her schooling and received good education. Established in 1927 next to the river Ganga, it is based on the vision of philosopher J. Krishnamurti. Recalling her schooling days, in a discussion with me at Tapti Hostel next morning where she is a resident, Shabana said thatSince my father was a teacher there, my fees were waived. Otherwise, I could never have afforded to study there.

The sprawling campus of JNU makes door-to-door campaign and addressing students in classes and Dhabas is a tough job within a short time. That is why she invited me to talk over breakfast at her hostel. While she talked with me, she was getting constant calls from her friends. She also made calls to wake up her friends, asking them to get ready. You can talk with me till my friends come here and we all begin our campaign today, she said and hinted that I should pose all the remaining questions as early as possible. She then held my cup and went into the hostel mess to bring another cup of tea.

Our conversation resumed and she said that at the Rajghat Besant School, there were not many Muslim students. This has to do with deprivation of Muslim community. As several scholars have shown, Partition had a very negative impact on Indian Muslims. A large number of the middle-class and well-off Muslims migrated to Pakistan and those who chose India as their home were treated with suspicion and made to face institutionalized discriminations at the hands of post-colonial state. Anti-Muslim communal violence with the collusion of police and administration has given them little time to think about their welfare.

Another influence on Shabanas life is her parents. Her father Siraj Ali, who learnt vocal music from the son of Bade Ghulam Ali, has recently retired from Rajghat Besant School. Her class 12th-pass mother Ashia Khatoon is still warden there. Shabana acknowledged that her father gave her freedom to explore her potential. He also gave her two elder sisters liberal education and one of her sister has studied fine arts. When I asked him over the phone if he had ever objected to the fact that Shabana was contesting election in JNU which recently courted controversy, her father Siraj Ali said, She is free (swatantra) to do whatever she wants. I should not put hurdle (rukawat) in her way. He also told me that he had never imposed any religious dogmas on her children and for him a true religious mind was free from all conditioning and religious dogmas. Her mother, on the other hand, inspired Shabana to fight against injustice. My mother has a big role in my life the way I think. Since my childhood, she used to say if there is any wrong thing (ghalat cheez), you should speak against this. Shabana owes her spirit to struggle against wrongs to her mother.

Since her childhood, Shabana got involved in social services. She used to teach poor students and distribute clothes among them, as her father said. That is why he did not feel surprised when he heard that Shabana was contesting JNU polls. Her candidature in JNU polls is the continuation of her journey from social service to active politics, his father added.

For higher education, Shabana went back to her native state and got enrolled in B.A. (Social Work) at Visva-Bharati University founded by Asias first Nobel laureate and poet-philosopher Tagore. It was at Visva-Bharati that the young Shabana experienced discrimination. I realised at Visva-Bharati that people there were patronizing Dalits, Muslims and lower castes instead of addressing their problems. The marginalized students were contemptuously called sonar tokdo (the piece of gold), which means that they should be handled gently because they come from the lower strata of the society. The elites there were willing to give us favour but they were reluctant to recognise our rights. She further said that the stigma attached with the subaltern identity was so powerful that no one wanted to disclose their identity of being SCs or STs.

Historically, Bengal was one of the first regions to launch movements for social reforms in the colonial period. But the discrimination faced by Shabana and other oppressed students points to their limitations. Since these reforms were led mostly by upper castes, they were reluctant to take up the caste question. In post-colonial India too, West Bengal saw three decades of political rule by progressive regimes but the question of caste and religion were not confronted.

The experience of Shabana brings to light the horrible life Dalits, OBCs, Muslims and others have to live at each and every moment. The Bengali elites used to call us chhote log and neech jaat when I speak colloquial Bengali and used to say pani (water) instead of jal. The way one cuts fish, one is singled out who is a Muslim and who is a Hindu,, said Shabana.

When asked about the role of the Left in addressing the Muslim issue, she did not appreciate the bearers of the red flag. Note that a controversy was generated in 2005 after the Prime Minister-constituted high-level inquiry headed by Justice Sachar on the state of Muslims revealed that the Muslims of West Bengal were in a bad situation. Following this, the credibility of the Left front government as a champion of secularism and minority rights was severely questioned. Sachar report and the state violence in Nandigram and Singur on people, many of them being Muslims, suddenly alienated Muslims from the Left parties and they shifted their support to Mamata Banerjees Trinamool Congress, voting her to power.

Shabanas mothers family also had staunch supporters and activists of the Left parties but they, too, felt alienated. Why did Muslims leave the Left parties? To this, Shabana replied The Left has a language of poverty but not the language of dignity. Moreover, the Left has failed to accept that Dalits do not get adequate dignity even if they become rich. Her major disquiet with the Left in Bengal is that they suppress Muslim identity. There is a pressure to underplay your identity. There is a pressure to be secular and one has to say that I am a Muslim but I do not look like a Muslim.

If the Left has failed to address cultural issues, is it not true that they have worked for the material uplift? To this, she replied in negative. She began to talk about her own experience as a researcher when she did field work in some villages of West Bengal. One could easily locate the Muslim areas because of poverty.

But, is the condition of all Muslims same? What about the divide between upper caste Muslims (Ashraf) and lower caste Muslims (Pasmanda)? Her background from the upper-caste Shaikh Muslim has also been made an issue in the ongoing campaign by BAPSAs detractors. To this, she said that diluting the question of caste in Muslim society would be hiding the reality. But at the same time, one should not forget that Muslims, both upper castes and lower castes, do face discrimination because of their religious identity. She gave an example from her own life to persuade me. When I travel in a train I find peoples behaviour suddenly changes once T.T.E. spells out my name and disclose my identity as a Muslim. She gave another example of a recent experience at JNU when she could not get rid of a sense of fear. I conducted a programme on the last August 15 in JNU and unlike other occasions I felt a lot of pressure. The pressure was not to say anything that sparked a new controversy. Since I am a Muslim I was extra-cautious.

The 15th August programme that she conducted drew a good number of Dalit and Muslim students. Her chances of winning the election will largely depend on how much she manages to get the support of Dalits and Muslims. When asked if her candidature is yet another attempt to forge a unity between Dalits and Muslims, she replied that both Dalits and Muslims share a lot as far as their social conditions are concerned. Once I did a field work in Bengal, I realised that both Dalits and Muslims have similar conditions and both shared the problem of poverty. One should not forget that a large number of Muslim converts were also Dalits. That is why the unity between two oppressed communities Dalits and Muslims is natural. Similarly, I have several friends in BAPSA who are Dalits and easily strike a chord with them.

Speaking more about her association with BAPSA activists, she said the activists of BAPSA are struggling as my father did for getting higher education. My father gave me good education and provided me better facilities but he himself had to struggle because he was the first among his family to strive for higher education. Whenever I interact with BAPSA activists, it reminds me of the struggle of my father and creates a bond with them. One of Shabanas friends in BAPSA from her TISS days is Rahul Sonpimple and like most of BAPSAs activists, he is the first from his family to reach out to university. Rahuls father used to pull rickshaw in Mumbai.

After Visva-Bharati she went to TISS (Tata School of Social Sciences, Mumbai) for her Masters (Social Work) and her MPhil (Social Sciences). It is at TISS that her understanding about caste developed both in the class-room and outside of it. TISS did provide me a great opportunity and I became aware and sensitive to the caste question. My specialization in Masters was in Dalit and Tribal studies and I became aware about their problems. Gradually, Shabanas interest in politics, particularly the politics for the marginalized communities, grew and she found herself involved in several anti-caste struggles. She was very active at TISS when the beef and Mahishasura festival controversy [depicted as a demon by Brahminical text while considered as a subaltern icon by a large section of lower castes and Adivasi] was in news. She was part of an intellectual campaign at TISS for the right to eat beef and reading the myths from Dalit-Bahujan perspective, recalls Joy Lakra, an Adivasi from West Bengal and class-mate of Shabana at TISS. But her deep interests in paintings and her commitment to anti-caste movements made her study the representation of Dalits in paintings in her MPhil dissertation at TISS. She remembered that caste stigma was so powerful that both non-Dalits and Dalits do not want to draw sketches, highlighting the caste questions. In her PhD at JNU, she is researching on a similar topic, the representation of Dalits in paintings and sculptures. When asked to discuss about her work, she said the oppressed communities are not only exploited and humiliated but their culture are appropriated and they are misrepresented in arts as well.Take the example of recent installation of B.R. Ambedkars statue in the JNU Central Library. The newly-installed Ambedkars statue is smaller in size than Nehrus.

Her activism further intensified after she joined JNU as a PhD scholar in 2016. Since her friends from TISS were already active in BAPSA, she joined it and found it to be a great platform. Rahul and Bhupali were my class-mates in TISS and we were involved in anti-caste movements there. Their association with BAPSA drew me closer to it as well as its anti-caste ideology, she said. Her admission to JNU happened at the time of the agitation for justice for Rohith Vemula and she was at the forefront of struggle. JNU, like Hyderabad Central University, was also at the forefront of struggles against institutional caste discrimination and this gave her an opportunity to get directly involved with political movements. BAPSA leadership, realising her potential, made her its co-convener. Who knew that she would become its presidential candidate in such a short time.

Since elections are a stressful time she listens to music, particularly A.R. Rahmans songs to de-stress herself. When she gets time from her activism, she goes back to her old hobby of drawing sketches. Reading books and watching movies are her favorites. The last movie she watched but did not like wasLipstick Under My Burkha (2017). This has stereotyped Muslim men, she said. Meanwhile her central-panel candidates Subodh Kunwer (vice-president), Karam Bidyanath Khuman (general secretary) and Vinod Kumar (joint secretary) came to Tapti Hostel and asked her to accompany them for the election campaign. Our discussion ended there and all four went off on a motorcycle and a scooty.

(The author is currently pursuing PhD at the Centre for Historical Studies, JNU)
According to a French Member of the European Parliament for the south-west of France, Alain Lamassoure, the EU's Chief Negotiator, Michel Barnier, wants a satisfactory Brexit deal to succeed the current President of the European Commission, Jean-Claude Juncker.

Mr. Lamassoure is a lifelong friend and colleague of Mr. Barnier's, so there is credibility behind his claim. However, if the EU's Chief Negotiator is serious about succeeding Mr. Juncker by securing a good deal with the UK, he has a funny way of showing it. If the talks collapse, then his dream of becoming President of the European Commission is over.

If the EU had its priorities sorted, trade would be the most crucial issue in these negotiations

The European Commission has purposefully constructed the Brexit timetable so that it fails. As discussed before, it is impossible to determine what the UK-Irish border will look like if there is no agreement on trade. If the EU had its priorities sorted, trade would be the most crucial issue in these negotiations. Businesses on both sides of the English Channel are anxious that they will not be able to exchange goods and services if there is no trade deal. Yet the European Commission is more interested in a divorce bill as opposed to trade.

If the EU's Chief Negotiator does not change his stance, the talks will fail.

The European Council is meeting next month to decide how much progress has been made in the Brexit discussions so far. Brexit Secretary David Davis has persuaded his EU counterpart to ask the Council to bring forward trade negotiations. If the latter is unsuccessful in persuading them to do so, it will be back to the same stalemate as before.

100 billion is a ridiculous fee

The exit bill figure that Mr. Barnier has demanded so far is inadequate. 100 billion is a ridiculous fee. There has been no legal justification for the figure and it is not clear what that sum will pay for. The Government has accepted that it will need to pay a fee to leave, but it is not fair to taxpayers that they have to fork out for such a substantial bill without any reason why.

There is a strong case for the UK to trade on World Trade Organization rules. This would mean both Britain and Brussels would have to pay a 3 per cent tariff to trade with each other, which is not a large amount. It would also mean the Government can leave the trading bloc quickly, restore sovereignty to Parliament and forge new trade agreements with developed countries. And with the EU showing no imagination or flexibility in these negotiations, this outcome is becoming increasingly likely.

If Mr. Barnier's bid to become President of the European Commission is dependent on Brexit, then he won't be replacing Mr. Juncker in the near future. These discussions are destined to fail.
What are we to make of Labour's about-face on its support for a Palestinian state mentioned in the manifesto. Where Labour, if it had been elected to government, would immediately recognise the state of Palestine, it would appear Jeremy and his leftist buddies have given in to pressure from pro-Israel Labour MPs.

Labour friends of Israel and other Zionist wings within the party were alarmed at the election of Corbyn as the leader. When Corbyn famously addressed a rally calling Hamas and Hezbollah "his friends" he said this was just an off the cuff remark.

Many of Jeremy Corbyn's followers known as Corbynistas are reportedly disappointed over this and cannot understand why this change has come about. Many on the left support the idea of a Palestinian state and boycott Israel over its occupation of the West Bank and the siege of the Gaza Strip

Labours support for a two state solution

According to the Middle East paper, Amin, Labour now supports a two state solution in accordance to what was agreed in Oslo some time ago. In other words two states living side by side (Israel and Palestine) in peace and security as clearly defined nations.

With Corbyn at the helm of the Labour party, there was worry Anti-Semitism was rife within the party. As if to prove this MP Naz Shah was suspended over an alleged Anti-Semitic picture posted on social media.

The poster basically said Israel should move lock stock and barrel to the US as there is plenty of room there and give back Palestine.

Jeremy Corbyn had to come out many times before the General Election to condemn racism of any kind including Anti-Semitism. Many though perhaps rightly so did not believe Corbyn and how genuine he was about condemning Anti-Semitism is best known only to him.

Labour's new policy is correct

For whatever reason, Labour has changed its policy on Palestine and it is only correct it has done so. Whether that change of policy was brought about by pro-Israel Labour MP's or not it is correct to have support for Israel but also for the rights of the Palestinians.

Whatever the rights and wrongs of setting up a Jewish state in the Middle East Israel is here to stay.

The Palestinians deserve a nation of their own too but when that day will arrive is anyone's guess. When people condemn Israel for its actions against the Palestinians that doesn't make them a rabid Anti-Semite although some may be.

The actions of Hamas should also be condemned and they are not doing the Palestinian people any favors in the long run. Of course, the military disparity between the rocket firing of Hamas and the high tech weaponry of Israel only has one thing in common it -brings death and destruction.

Every American President from Bush Senior to Obama and Trump talked about bringing the two sides together. Many plans including the much-vaunted Oslo agreement appear to have fallen by the way side.

Both Israelis and Palestinians need peace and security with clearly defined borders but when that day will come is anyone's guess.
When Jean-Claude Juncker applied to become President of the European Commission, David Cameron was one of the few European leaders to oppose his bid to rule the largest civil service in the world. In hindsight, it is likely all the other EU leaders of the time probably wish they listened to him. Mr. Cameron was right to veto his application because almost two years later, this is the man who sowed the seeds for Brexit and destroyed the trading bloc at the same time.

The main reason why the former Conservative leader opposed his bid to become the European Commission's President is because he is an arch-federalist.

If there is one conviction the former prime minister should maintain, then it is this one. When Mr. Cameron tried to renegotiate Britain's EU membership, Mr. Juncker failed to compromise. Instead, he offered the former prime minister a botched deal that was rejected by the British electorate. He showed no flexibility.

The proposed deal was pathetic

In theory, if he could have managed to persuade other EU member states to offer the UK terms of membership that reflected the original Common Market, then the outcome of last year's referendum would have been different. Of course, that would have meant other countries would have demanded the same. Equally, the proposed deal was so pathetic that not even master salesman David Cameron could sell it to the British people.

Since the Brexit result, the European Commission's President has used it as an excuse to call for further European integration. He recently said that borders are the worst invention ever created by politicians, expressing his desire for a global government. This is something a federal Europe would mimic. Mr. Juncker even behaves like a world leader.

This year, he attended the G20 summit alongside Angela Merkel and Donald Trump.

There is no appetite in Europe for a federal government

He has failed to learn the lessons that Brexit should have taught him. It is clear that there is no appetite in Europe for a federal government and it would never work. It is a pipe-dream for arch Europhiles like Ken Clarke, who once said he cannot wait for the day when Westminster is a regional assembly in a federal Europe.

Europe is not America. There are no cultural, historical or linguistic differences between the different states united under the United States of America. On this continent, there are. A Europe ruled centrally from Brussels is not even a federal government. Germany and France would dominate the political structure of a united Europe as it does already. Pleas for a European army and an integrated Eurozone are two of the main reasons why Brits should be glad they are leaving this corrupt project.

Mr. Juncker will not be missed when he leaves, but given how far removed from reality most European politicians are, the European Commission would probably replace him with another arch-federalist.
It is difficult to overstate the importance to the United Kingdom of the Brexit negotiations we are now embarked upon. It was clear from well before the referendum that this was a defining step in our nation's history. Contrary to what many of the die-hard Remainers are desperately trying to now make us believe, the possible hazards (far more so than the potential benefits) were pointed out clearly by Cameron, Osborne, Carney the Governor of the Bank of England, Obama, President of the USA, Donald Tusk, President of the European Council, Christine Lagarde from the International Monetary Fund, Jean Claude Junker the President of the European Commission and a host of others.

It was made absolutely clear that this was a one off vote that would be acted on. If we voted 'leave' we would regain sovereignty over our laws, borders, money, and trade, but we would face considerable financial challenges.

We voted to leave and we must leave!

We voted to leave! Over 17 million people, the largest popular vote in the nation's history voted to leave and now leave we must and on terms that hold true to regaining that sovereignty promised after a wait of so many decades. Anything less will be a betrayal of democracy that will lead to civil unrest and possibly worse. It is clear that it is the duty of everyone to get behind this project, stop talking the UK down and grasp the opportunities that can provide a better economic future than ever before.

For those who simply can't do this, at least they should have the grace to step back, keep quiet and allow those of us who want this opportunity the chance to make it work. They must stop working behind the scenes to undermine the well-being of the nation. During the first half of the last century, the behaviour of many of these prominent people would have seen them shot for treason.

Teresa May has been talking about leading the Conservatives into the next election. Sadly this can't be allowed to happen. Her inability to campaign, appear spontaneous or get people to warm to her was horribly exposed last time. The inability to adapt or think on her feet and her terror of going off script came close to allowing the unthinkable.

The worst ever leader of the Labour party, a man that had knocked together a shadow cabinet who's only ability appeared to be that they had not, in most cases, resigned after showing no confidence in him; getting into power and ruining any chances for the future prosperity of this country. She can never be allowed another chance to campaign as the head of the Tories.

Respect if we leave with our sovereignty intact

She can, however, leave politics with her head held high and with the gratitude of the country if she can negotiate an effective divorce from the EU. Mrs. May showed some true courage by not resigning after that catastrophic election. A resilient person, a patriot and a woman who understands she has a duty to people other than herself, she carried on as Prime Minister.

She knew failing to do so could mean another election and the horrors of a Corbyn government. She has so far managed to steady the ship and that is enormously to her credit.

She has been making sure her ministers have been doing their best to develop opportunities. David Davis is a tough, pro Brexit negotiator who is not easy to bully. Boris Johnson, Liam Fox, Davis and the PM herself, along with a host of other ministers have been meeting with Heads of State or senior ministers in the USA, Japan, China, New Zealand, Bogota, India and almost everywhere in between. Most of the wealthy and developing economies in the world really want a vibrant trade deal with the UK, we are the world's fifth largest economy why wouldn't they?

When this lot demand stay we know we were right to leave

Labour have been prevaricating and causing trouble at every opportunity, simply to gain Corbyn and the unions their chance to turn the UK into a new Venezuela. The Lib Dems remain determined to be anti-Liberal and certainly anti-Democratic. They want to remain under the control of the corrupt, restrictive and incompetent EU (when was the last time EU accounts were signed off as true and accurate? 22 years ago? I just forget) in perpetuity, as do the Scottish Nationals and Sinn Fein. What a horrible bunch of conspirators that lot make. When you add in the self-serving heads of the European organisations Lagarde, Junker, and Tusk, mentioned earlier and Tony Blair, Michael Heseltine, Peter Mandelson and Sadiq Khan, it becomes one of the most convincing arguments that could possibly be made.

It reinforces the belief that if this lot oppose it, then leaving must be the best thing we could ever do.

Let us honour the wishes of the people. Go now on our own terms and begin to seize the fantastic opportunities that our nation has been prevented from doing for generations.
An MEP has revealed Michel Barnier intends to secure a good Brexit deal in his bid to become President of the European Commission.

Alain Lamassoure, a French Member of the European Parliament for the south-west of France, told Politico that a satisfactory deal with the United Kingdom could be reached. He said this is because the EU's Chief Negotiator can use the Brexit negotiations to secure his attempt to replace Jean-Claude Juncker as the European Commission's President in 2019.

It has always been Mr. Barnier's dream to become President of the European Commission

He said that it has always been Mr. Barnier's dream to become President of the European Commission, but that his lack of prime ministerial experience was a key factor in his unsuccessful bid to beat Mr. Juncker in 2014. According to the French MEP, if Britain's withdrawal from the EU runs smoothly, this would boost his chances next time round.

Mr. Lamassoure said the negotiations will be finished in time for the next round of elections, which would provide him with a platform to contest other candidates for Mr. Juncker's position, especially if the discussions were concluded brilliantly.

The current President of the European Commission announced that he intends to resign once his term comes to an end in 2019.

With all the attention on Mr. Barnier due to Brexit, this could strengthen his electoral platform.

Mr. Barnier is interested in organising an adequate Brexit deal

The EU's Chief Negotiator has already had meetings with the leaders of the trading bloc's 27 member states in order to make them familiar with him. His portfolio means that he has direct dealings with the European Parliament, who elect the Commission President based on a nomination from the European Council.

This is why Mr. Barnier is interested in organising an adequate Brexit deal.

A joint press conference with Brexit Secretary David Davis suggested there had been no progress during the third round of discussions. The Chief Negotiator insisted that he was not angry, but determined, to see these negotiations through to the end.

He deeply regretted Britain's decision to leave the trading bloc

French Economy Minister Bruno Le Maire recently supported Mr. Barnier's calls for a British divorce bill, saying he deeply regretted Britain's decision to leave the trading bloc in June last year. He is worried that a large exit bill may jeopardise the entire European project as he called for increased Eurozone integration.

The En Marche! politician called for neither a soft nor hard Brexit, but a fair one. He said there should be no blackmail, but added they must pay the bill as they have decided to leave the hotel.

Yesterday in PMQs, the Prime Minister said that whilst immigration had been good for the economy, the free movement of people would end once the UK leaves the trading bloc.

On Tuesday, Mr. Davis reported his progress on the Brexit discussions to the House of Commons, but met an eruption of laughter as he said the Government had demonstrated more flexibility than the EU during their discussions. He said that he wants a deep and special partnership with Brussels in the future and that his Brexit papers provided clear guidance on what that would look like.

Many Conservative MPs cheered whilst opposition MPs jeered as the Brexit Secretary said he has urged the trading bloc to be more imaginative and flexible in their approach. He said he has a duty to taxpayers to interrogate why Brussels is demanding a large sum prior to Britain's EU exit.

Mr. Davis admitted there were still significant differences to be resolved, as he declared there would be new position papers being produced by the Department for Exiting the EU in the coming weeks.

Both sides of the Commons laughed as the Conservative minister admitted the process was never going to be easy.

He said that these negotiations were always going to be tough and confrontational, but the Government has not lost sight of its aim to create a global Britain which can create trade deals with some of the world's largest economies.
Both Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn returned to parliament today as Prime Minister May faced her first challenge of this year. Politics in the UK has never been so exciting and eventful, as we are undergoing a period of transition. With the Conservative's power waning, the Labour Party turned out in full force as they attacked the government on various issues, ranging from Brexit to zero hour contracts. Many expected the Leader of the Opposition to focus solely on Brexit, especially with the vote on the repeal bill coming up; however, in typical Corbyn fashion, he opted to focus on the plight of workers and stand up for the less fortunate.

May once again struggled to answer questions and strayed from the topic regularly, something that we are now used to seeing. It was truly a great start to the political season.

Analysis of the session

The session began with both leaders paying their respects to the victims of the vicious terrorist attack in Barcelona. May then faced her first question, from Anna Soubry, a Conservative MP who wished to remain in the European Union. She highlighted her concerns with regards to the new repeal bill, which she coined as an attempt of 'power grabbing,' by the government. The Prime Minister was surprisingly understanding of her concerns and even offered to discuss this issue with Anna Soubry later on.

One must have been shocked to see Theresa May changing her tactics, as she proceeded to listen and understand the opposing views. Could this be a new style she is preparing to adopt or is this just because she was facing her fellow party member?

It seems when it came to addressing Jeremy Corbyn, Mrs. May was far from understanding.

His first question was regarding the strike by McDonald's workers and May was quick to clarify that she had no position on this. With the boss of the chain earning more than 8 million and some workers earning approximately 5 an hour, Corbyn was quick to condemn this gargantuan level of inequality. Theresa May, on the other hand, was not.

The theme of workers continued, as Corbyn asked the Prime Minister about the amount of workers (almost a million) on zero hour contracts. He inquired whether her government would be tackling the issue of corporate greed.

Instead of answering his question, she proceeded to attack the previous Labour government. The two continued to face off, this time the NHS was bought up with Corbyn seeming infuriated that nurses were being forced to go to food banks. She once again refused to answer the question outright, instead opting to quote Conservative Party rhetoric in an attempt to seem strong, as she spoke of a 'stronger economy and a better future'. Corbyn did not waver as he brought up the 1 billion being given to the DUP, he was curious to know where these funds were procured from.

Their encounter was then brought to an end.

It seems the 'reincarnation of the Iron Lady', is nothing like Margaret Thatcher, something that is not at all surprising. She once again evaded answering questions and left many disappointed. The one ray of hope that was picked up on was that the government seems to be looking at plans to prevent children from going hungry in the holidays. These are plans that many have actually attributed to the Labour Party.

One thing that shocked many was the lack of questioning with regards to Brexit; it seems Corbyn was focused on attacking Conservative manifesto pledges instead. This is quite surprising, considering the leaked documents that seem to be placing EU migration at risk.

It was brought up, however not as much focus was placed on it as many had hoped. With Labour seeming to have reached an official position with regards to Brexit, it may become the focal point of their strategy in the near future.

What's next for British Politics?

We have a week until the next showdown and until then there is plenty more to come. We are still yet to witness the debate on the repeal bill, something that could inevitably shock us all. Be prepared for enthralling political debates and exchanges in the run up to this vote.

Moreover, with rumours circulating, claiming that the Tories are in turmoil, we could even potentially see a change in leadership if Brexit fails. However, with Jacob Rees Moggs comments this morning, could we see a new face entering the running for leadership of the party?

With him opposing gay marriage and even having backwards views with regards to abortion, he does not seem like a person that can lead the party in this modern era. It is truly an exciting and scary time to be involved in British politics.
President Donald Trump has a firm stance in his opposition to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals Process policy (DACA). Attorney General, Jeff Sessions, gave a speech on Tuesday regarding the opinion of the Trump Administration on the DACA policy, stating the policy was inconsistent with the Constitutional Separation Of Powers. However, there was no dialogue in Sessions speech regarding the economic implications of redacting a policy like DACA; a policy which has supplied the labor market within the United States with approximately 800,000 workers during a labor shortage.

According to Ike Brannon, an economist at the Cato Institute, rescinding former President Obamas DACA policy could cost the U.S. economy $280 billion over the next 10 years. This would be due to the loss in production of the workers using the H-1B visa (the visa given to workers under DACA) and their spending power. Having legalized immigrant workers means they are taxpayers and must pay into systems like Social Security. Because 91 percent of these workers are actually employed, that means there are approximately 780,000 added people paying into organizations that will benefit American citizens. These numbers only compliment the aid these people bring to the American labor force, which is in need of skilled workers.

The loss of these workers in the U.S. labor market would not be the only negative impact if Trump is successful in doing away with DACA; the cost of removing each of these workers would cost the government approximately $10,000 per person. This would add up to a loss of around $2.5 billion. A loss of this magnitude would certainly have an impact on the U.S.

economy, not to mention its effect will be immediately felt by the American general public.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions and DACA

Attorney General Jeff Sessions gave a speech on Tuesday detailing the reasons why DACA cannot be allowed to be a part of U.S. legislation; he outlined the unconstitutionality of its creation as well as its lack of foresight in addressing the issues of the American people. This critique was due to the former president's (Obama) use of executive power to pass the amnesty program being perceived as an "overreach" from the former president himself that is "inconsistent with the constitutional Separation of Powers." However, Sessions did not comment on any specific replacement policy for DACA, nor did he give any information on the potential economic impact.

Ignoring the economic implications of terminating a policy like DACA seems to be an oversight of great consequence from our government and the current administration, one that should not be possible from a president who consistently boasts of his economic success. Still, the current president continues to highlight the blame he places on Congress and its inability to prevent the passing of Obama's policy. In a recent post on Twitter, President Trump comments on his expectation for Congress to "address immigration reform" and put "citizens of our country 1st."

Trump offers no insight

Even taking into consideration the new RAISE Act proposed by President Trump, the fate of the nicknamed Dreamers  immigrants who are currently protected under the DACA policy  is questionable.

There is no guarantee that any of the immigrants currently belonging to the amnesty policy will be allowed to stay in the U.S. and the most Trump has offered for information are quick remarks about his big heart and his love for the Dreamers. In other words, he has not offered any insight into the plans his administration has for the immigrant laborers protected by DACA.

I look forward to working w/ D's + R's in Congress to address immigration reform in a way that puts hardworking citizens of our country 1st.  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 5, 2017

Although the creation of the DACA policy may have had a questionable upbringing, its impact may be greater than the trump administration would like to admit.

Before the final verdict is given on the amnesty policy, there must be a more careful deliberation as to whether or not rescinding this policy may harm the U.S. economy and, in turn, harm the citizens which President Trump wants to be the first concern in his administration.
Throughout the entire 2016 presidential election, Donald Trump was forced to push back at allegations that he was in cahoots with Russia. During the latest press briefing at the White House, Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders claimed that the president has actually been tough on the Kremlin, much to the chagrin of his critics on social media.

Sanders on Trump

Not long after Donald Trump announced that he was going to be running for president back in June 2015 on the floor of the world famous Trump Tower in New York City, he was already dealing with questions surrounding his alleged history with Russia.

While the former host of "The Apprentice" was quick to lash out and rip into his political opponents, the media, and many world leaders, he was also quiet, and often complimentary, of Russian President Vladimir Putin. As time moved on, several well-respected news outlets and even government agencies reported that Trump and many of his past and present associates were tied back to the Kremlin in various ways. In recent months, speculation has only increased around what role the president had or currently has with the rival nation, but the administration continues to deny any wrongdoing. As reported by NBC News on August 31, Sarah Huckabee Sanders continues to insist that the president has taken a strong stance against Russia.

Sarah Sanders: "We've taken a firm and measured action in response to Russia's unfortunate decision early this year" https://t.co/iqGz4OCpNK  NBC Politics (@NBCPolitics) August 31, 2017

On Thursday afternoon, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders addressed reporters to cover a wide range of topics. On area of interest came from CBS' John Roberts who pressed Sanders on the current situation with the Kremlin.

"We've taken a firm and measured action in response to Russia's unfortunate decision early this year," Sanders said.

"We want to halt the downward spiral and we want to move forward toward better relations" w/ Russia, @PressSec says https://t.co/Okz2bwUl4f pic.twitter.com/IUV9NZ6OlT  CBS News (@CBSNews) August 31, 2017

"We want to halt the downward spiral and we want to move forward toward better relations," the press secretary continued.

When asked if the current relationship between the United States and Russia was any worse than it was during the Cold War, Sanders replied, "I don't think so."

Twitter reacts

Not long after Sarah Huckabee Sanders made her remarks during the press briefing, she was ridiculed across social media. "Don't Blame Russia You All Played A Big Part in it Bunch Of Cons," one tweet read.

There's nothing like a Sarah Huckabee Sanders press briefing to remind you the Trump White House has absolutely no clue about the world  The Daily Edge (@TheDailyEdge) August 31, 2017

Don't Blame Russia You All Played A Big Part in it Bunch Of Cons  Rich Damo (@RichDamo1) August 31, 2017

Can I say I hate this woman w/o the secret service coming to my door?  citizen (@lindenwood1100) August 31, 2017

"Can I say I hate this woman w/o the secret service coming to my door?" a Twitter user wondered.

"Does Sarah ever smile or just sneer at everything?" an another tweet asked. "Funny how The Liar in Chief has not denounced Putin or Russia publicly.Instead he puts out a bullshit statement instead of saying it himself," a follow-up social media post pointed out.

Whenever there is a #PressBriefing, Sarah Huckabee Sanders acts like she Despises the press and Hates her job.

Exactly why is she there?  Sara Resists (@sarajtravels) August 31, 2017

Funny how The Liar in Chief has not denounced Putin or Russia publicly.Instead he puts out a bullshit statement instead of saying it himself  Felipe L. (@felipediego56) August 31, 2017

I envy the person that gets to fire @SarahHuckabee 's smarmy unprofessional tail  Trump Dumpster Fire (@MANX38) August 31, 2017

"Russia's unfortunate decision to hack our election and conspire with Trump to steal the presidency? Sarah Fu*kabee Slanders is a fat liar," another angry tweet added. The backlash continued as the controversy linking Donald Trump to Russia is showing no signs of slowing down.
This week, Bernie Sanders, New York native and standing Vermont Senator, spoke at the Riverside Church in New York City, sponsored by Harper's Magazine. An avid supporter of Sanders, I attended this event, ready to hear exactly what Bernie had to say in response to today's recent political events. Sanders, an independent who ran for the Democratic presidential nomination during the 2016 election cycle, is a self proclaimed "democratic-socialist," whose views have been celebrated by Millennial voters and sparked debate throughout the election and still today.

Bernie's policies focus on income inequality, and the classist separation of American society. He, along with many other liberal democrats, believes in the importance of raising the United States minimum wage.

Sanders discusses income inequality and the class divide in America

At his speech this week, Sanders continued to comment on income distribution, and the need to raise American wages in order to help end rigid class divides. "The way change takes place... is not when the people on top decides to make things happen, it's when the grass roots demands to make that change," Sanders said in response to the notion that a minimum wage increase could not occur. He continued on to discuss the need for at least $15 an hour for a minimum wage worker to survive.

Change will only occur when 'the people' create it from the ground up

Bernie then went on to say, "when you have an idea that makes sense and you have people that are willing to fight for that idea, that's when change occurs." His desire to inspire change is clearly marked by his words. Bernie's message is a cry for the American people to see their involvement in change, and to use their voices to inspire a new American way of life.

When commenting on Donald Trump and his win of the presidency, Bernie had one thing to say, "It wasn't that Trump won the election, it was that the Democratic party lost the election." Sanders' statement voices the sadness that many Democrats felt over the election's results, both in the primaries and the main presidential election.

Although his policies may not be what all American's agree on, Sanders' desire to truly help Americans is a concept that is missing from today's government. His ideas on income are something many politicians choose not to address, and yet it is these views that so deeply resonate with many voters today. In order to begin to fix inequality in America, income inequality must, too, be dismantled. Bernie Sanders is trying to bring light to just that.
After excerpts of Hillary Clinton's new book were released to public highlighting her thoughts about Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders, Presidential Counsel Kellyanne Conway did her best to use the remarks as a way to hit back at the Democrats. Despite this, Conway didn't get the best reception on social media.

Conway on Clinton

Heading into the 2016 presidential election, the consensus was that not only was Hillary Clinton going to steamroll through the Democratic primary election, but that she would also be the odds on favorite to become the new President of the United States.

Despite this, the former senator from New York was faced with a tough challenge in Independent Senator from Vermont, Bernie Sanders. The self-described Democratic socialist, Sanders was able to garner a large following, mostly with younger Americans who were engaged in the political process for the first time. However, Clinton was able to walk out the winner, though questions still remain about what happened during the primary that might have caused the scale to tip in the direction of the former Secretary of State. In the months that followed, Clinton would face backlash from strong supporters of Sanders, which many believe helped lead to her upset defeat at the hands of Donald Trump just months later.

As reported by Mediaite on September 5, Clinton made some interesting comments towards Sanders in her new book, which Kellyanne Conway was quick to comment on.

Hillary Throws Shade at Bernie: 'Fundamentally Wrong' About Democratic Party https://t.co/gcuVsZZuG5 pic.twitter.com/7uR9myEopV  Mediaite (@Mediaite) September 5, 2017

In her new book titled "What Happened," set to be released next week, Hillary Clinton addresses the entire 2016 election cycle, including the Democratic primary against Bernie Sanders.

In the book, Clinton gives her thoughts about Sanders, where she claims his attacks during the primary caused "lasting damage" which "pav(ed) the way for Trumps Crooked Hillary campaign." "I am proud to be a Democrat and wish Bernie were, too,' Clinton wrote, saying Sanders was "fundamentally wrong" about the Democratic Party.

So, Hillary blames Bernie 4 Trump's "Crooked Hillary", blames Obama 4 "lay off Bernie", blames Bernie Bros 4 sexism. https://t.co/6MjMmc3q8m  Kellyanne Conway (@KellyannePolls) September 5, 2017

In response, Kellyanne Conway used the opportunity to smear the Democrats. "So, Hillary blames Bernie 4 Trump's 'Crooked Hillary', blames Obama 4 'lay off Bernie', blames Bernie Bros 4 sexism," Conway tweeted out.

Twitter reacts

Not long after Kellyanne Conway posted her cheap-shot on Twitter towards Hillary Clinton and the Democrats, critics of the president lashed out on social media. "Hmmmm.... you haven't yet realized that the public is laughing at you? Sad," one Twitter user wrote.

While you obsess about Hillary (again), we will oppose your draconian and mean policy to deport innocent #Dreamers who help #MAGA.  Ellen Berlin (@ellenberlin) September 5, 2017

Hey @KellyannePolls this is so irrelevant to what is happening in the world #daca #northkorea #debtceiling  Becky Kern (@beckykern) September 5, 2017

Hmmmm.... you haven't yet realized that the public is laughing at you? Sad.  Mary (@MaryLJacobs) September 5, 2017

"Kellyanne & trump blame everyone but the current administration for everything.

#Sad," one tweet read. "Hey @KellyannePolls this is so irrelevant to what is happening in the world #daca #northkorea #debtceiling," an additional tweet noted. "And your obsession with Hillary continues! Unbelievable. Start governing and worry about your own stuff," another social media user added.

Ancient history! Your guy is the President. Focus on the present and the future!!  Dave Kestner (@Golfindad1) September 5, 2017

Oh my goodness. Do you have a JOB? Get to work!  64tangle (@64tangle) September 5, 2017

"Ancient history! Your guy is the President. Focus on the present and the future!!" another commented noted. As the negative responses continued to pour in, it showed that the aftermath of the 2016 election was far from being forgotten.
The United States Ambassador to the United Nations (Nikki Haley) said on Monday that the North Korean regime is begging for war, according to the Chicago Tribune. The statement was given at a U.N. Security Council emergency meeting following the latest missile launch by North Korea. The fired missile crossed the Japanese island of Hokkaido and fell into the sea broken into three parts. According to some military experts, the missile is likely to be capable of carrying a nuclear warhead.

The subterranean nuclear test carried out by the regime on Sunday heated up the discussions.

According to NPR, the strongest test ever in the country recorded a 6.3-magnitude earthquake. Still, the publication explains that the former tests were in the tens of kilotons range, what corresponds to the explosions in Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Now, the North Koreans claim to have developed state-of-the-art hydrogen nuclear weapons, putting the regime on equal terms with other nuclear powers. Such weapons can generate blasts in the range of hundreds of kilotons.

Objections from Russia and China

While the United States pushes for new sanctions against North Korea, Russia and China propose a different course of action. The two countries, as permanent members of the Security Council, hold the power of veto and would hardly be influenced by the U.S.

alone. Russia says that the sanctions are already tough and a further strengthening could be dangerous.

Russia and China share a border with North Korea and both have strategic reasons to avoid any conflict on the Korean Peninsula. At the meeting on Monday, according to the Chicago Tribune, the Chinese Ambassador to the United Nations (Liu Jieyi) said that his country will never allow chaos and war. In turn, his Russian counterpart Vassily Nebenzia said that the sanctions alone will not solve the crisis.

'Freeze for freeze' is not an option

The U.S. does not agree with a freeze for freeze commitment proposed by China and Russia. Such agreement would hinder the deployment of U.S. military assets in joint drills with the South Korean army on the peninsula. In exchange, North Korea would halt its nuclear and missile tests.

Ambassador Nikki Haley ruled out such proposal.

She alleges that the U.S. can't lower its guard while North Korea poses a threat to America and its allies. No one would do that. We certainly wont, she said. Instead, she also said that the U.S. may cut off trade with all countries that also trade with North Korea. China is the regimes largest trading partner, and had nearly $650 billion worth of trade with the United States in 2016, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Jon and Kate Gosselin are arguing over the kids once again and this time Jon is ready to try and get Custody of them. The thing is he can't afford it so now he is reaching out to the fans and asking them to help him pay for it. Jon is going to need $30,000 if he wants to take her to court. The Hollywood Gossip shared the details about what is going on.

Jon Gosselin is broke

Ever since Jon Gosselin left reality television he has been working odd jobs and of course, working as a DJ. He hasn't been making big bucks, so it isn't enough money to pay for a lawyer to fight with Kate for custody.

Colleen Conrad has been dating Jon Gosselin for a bit now. She actually set up a GoFund Me account to try and raise money for Jon. She is hoping to get fans to pay the $30,000 he needs to fight Kate for custody.

She explains that Jon spends his days and weekends working and just wants to spend quality time with his kids. She says that they have been battling for eight years and that she pits him against financial forces that far exceed his own. She also went on to say that Jon works a regular job and also works as a DJ on the weekends, but it just isn't enough.

He is hoping to get custody from Kate

Recently Kate and Jon had a very public fight where the police were called over who was going to take one of the girls home from the dentist.

Now Jon is hoping that he can get custody. This is going to be a huge fight, though. The page explains it saying, "It is a fight he did not seek. It is a fight he does not want. He remains focused on the welfare of his children." Jon has always made it clear that he wants what is best for them.

The page says that any money Jon Gosselin raises is going to go toward his legal battle with Kate for custody.

After that, any money raised will be donated to the Bethany Childrens Home in Pennsylvania. Jon has already raised almost $2,000 so it does look like there is a pretty good chance he will end up getting the money to fight Kate. So far, there is no word on if he wants to try for custody for all of the kids or just some of them.

The older girls haven't had much to do with Jon in years. Right now, Kate has custody of all of the kids.

Are you shocked to hear that Jon Gosselin is asking fans for money to help him? Who do you feel like should have custody? Sound off in the comments below, and don't miss "Kate Plus 8" on TLC. If Jon gets custody of the kids, that might make it where this show gets canceled for good. There is no show without the children.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced on Tuesday that President Donald Trump had decided to end the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) program, a proposal from the previous Obama administration that sought to protect children who were brought into the United States illegally by their parents. There is to be a wind-down process that seems to indicate that the effects of the decision will take some time to be enforced, thus giving those who fall under the DACA program time to adapt. Nevertheless, the Presidents decision could jeopardize the livelihoods of some 800,000 students and professionals living in the United States, who have had no other home for most of their lives.

But some in Canada see this as an opportunity.

Could Canada help?

Ontario Independent Senator Ratna Omidvar has suggested that this move could be used to Canadas advantage. In an interview with CBCs Rosie Barton, Senator Omidvar suggested that the beneficiaries of DACA, also called Dreamers after the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors Act, are precisely the kind of economic migrants Canada should be targeting, as they are already immersed in the North American culture; they have worked and studied in the United States, and can speak perfect English. In addition, these Dreamers have gone through a criminality test as part of DACA. The Senator believes this to be a perfect opportunity for Canada to take in economic migrants who are well-suited to the Canadian culture.

Senator Omidvars suggestion is for the Canadian government to give special consideration to roughly 10,000-30,000 of these people either allowing them in as international students or through an existing economic migration stream. The senator worries that if Canada does not seize this opportunity, other countries are likely to do so first; Canada must step up quickly if it is to reap the benefits of the American decision.

A win-win

The purpose of DACA was to allow children brought illegally to the United States to maintain a residence in the country provided they receive an education and have no criminal past. It had not yet become law, as it had been struggling through Congress for over a decade. The 800,000 young people under DACA now face possible deportation to countries unknown to them, as the United States has been their home for the majority of their lives.

If Canada could help these Dreamers, it could be a win-win for The Dreamers, seeking a home, and Canada, seeking willing immigrants who can integrate into society and benefit the economy. Only time will tell what the government of Canada will decide.
UNESCO World Heritage Site CEO Andrew Zaloumis has stepped down from the leadership of the 1st South African Wetland Park. iSimangaliso, the third largest conservation area in South Africa is situated on the East Coast of the country and covers huge tracts of land stretching from south of the fabulous St. Lucia Estuary in Northern Zululand to the Mozambican border 280km north. The conservation efforts of the iSimangaliso Authority covers nearly 3,280 km2 of natural ecosystems that are fast becoming recognized as a major travel destination.

iSimangaliso the first UNESCO Park in South Africa

UNESCO recognized the former Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park on 1 November 2007 after years of concept planning by conservation and environmental visionaries such as Nick Steel and the late Dr. Ian Player. Incorporating coastal wetlands and natural bushveld, the concept is considered one of Africa's successful ventures in embracing local communities in the management strategies of wildlife conservation.

Andrew Zaloumis dedicated 20 years to the environment

According to a statement issued on September 3 by the iSimangaliso Board, "After some 20 years of outstanding leadership and a career dedicated to people-centered conservation, Andrew Zaloumis has stepped down as CEO of the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

He will pursue his studies in sustainability at Cambridge University UK and continue to contribute to Southern African conservation and development."

Sustainable conservation key to Africa's wildlife heritage

Sustainable conservation is vital to the long-term future of environmental protection in Africa. His contribution has not gone unnoticed.

Minister of Environmental Affairs, Dr. Edna Molewa, said, Under his tenure, Mr. Zaloumis pioneered and institutionalised development-focused conservation at the Park."

His dedication to community conservation had far-reaching effects during his tenure as CEO at the UNESCO World Heritage Site. iSimangaliso, under the leadership of Andrew, explored and implemented a host of opportunities to conserve the wilderness while creating opportunities for access, equity and economic empowerment of local communities.

Chairman of the iSimangaliso Board, Buyane Zwane, describe Zaloumis as being "a legend in our lifetime. With great respect, he added that "[Zaloumis]..

is a walking encyclopedia on whom conservationists, researchers, media, conservation enthusiasts, amateurs, professionals, and others will continue to call on. We are privileged to have worked with him as a board over the past two years and are professionally richer and wiser for the association."

World heritage site myriad awards

During his conservation career, Andrew Zaloumis and the iSimangaliso UNESCO World Heritage Site were awarded the SAICA 2015/16 award for Public Sector Audit Excellence, the WWF Living Planet Award, Mail and Guardian Greening the Future Award for youth leadership and job creation, the National Heritage Council Golden Shield Award for World Heritage Site of the year, and the KFW Grizmek (for people-centric conservation practices).

At this time no announcement has been made as to who will step into his position at iSimangaliso, and at this time Zaloumis has not made any official announcement why he has chosen to study in the UK.
As Mark Twain famously said: History doesn't repeat itself, but it often rhymes.

Texas Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick estimated that 15,000 to 20,000 boaters sprung into action voluntarily in response to the flooding in Houston from Hurricane Harvey  private boaters, some of them with nothing more than Zodiac inflatable dinghies.

One of those answering the call was Captain Liao Yueqing, whose valor was covered ably by our own reporter May Zhou. Liao saw what needed to be done and didn't wait around to be asked. He just went for it. His zeal was contagious and soon he had a small fleet of 20 or so boats, piloted by Chinese speakers, responding first to Chinese and eventually to anyone who needed rescue.

The overall response echoed at least two recent reminders of the past: one a spectacular movie, the other a certain Chinese festival.

Christopher Nolan's Dunkirk tells of the 1940 battle that has British and French troops cornered with their backs to the sea and the German army closing in on all sides. Not a typical shoot-'em-up, face-to-face battle, the main point of Dunkirk was trying to get these hopelessly outnumbered soldiers across the English Channel safely back to England. It was more of an evacuation than a confrontation.

"The only question I was interested in was: Will they get out of it?" Nolan told a reporter.

Nolan spent time interviewing survivors of the battle. He heard stories of despairing soldiers walking into the sea in desperation, and put those images in the movie. The Royal Navy scrambles to dock at damaged piers and seawalls and load on as many troops as they can manage, all while exposed to strafing from Luftwaffe fighters and bombers.

But the stand-up-and-cheer moment of the film comes when the real heroes of the battle arrive on scene. A flotilla of more than 800 vessels from across the channel, private day yachts and fishing boats, a hodgepodge of anything that would float had answered the call and waded into the mayhem to bring their boys home.

British Army Colonel Winnant asks: "What's that?" And Royal Navy Commander Bolton, played by the inimitable Kenneth Branagh, says something like: "It's our country." More than 300,000 soldiers escaped thanks to the volunteer flotilla. I don't know how many of the responders in Houston had seen (or may have been inspired by) the movie, but I'll bet at least one did  Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick himself, because in describing the water-borne response in Houston, he proudly said on television, "This was our Dunkirk."

The other historical event evoked by the water rescue in Florida goes back a little further in history  to the Warring States Period (475-221 BC) to be exact. As the story goes, beloved poet and minister Qu Yuan, who has a sizeable statue in the city of Jingzhou today, lost all hope at a reversal of political fortunes and threw himself off a bridge into the Miluo River.

As the legend goes, his admirers raced out in their boats to save him, or at least retrieve his body before the fish devoured it (this part of the legend always gives me pause  did they have piranhas or something?). To distract the fish they banged drums and threw rice into the water.

As a result, the sport of dragon boat racing came into being (just about the same time the ancient Greeks were formulating the Olympic Games, interestingly enough).

Over the past 20 centuries, dragon boat racing has evolved into an international sport, one practiced even here in New York City, but its roots go back to that spirit of people spontaneously responding to a crisis.

I once spoke with survivors of a tornado in Tennessee who watched as the big black cloud ripped through their neighbors' properties leaving them unscathed. They said that no sooner had the twister passed than they heard chain saws and four-wheelers cranking up. People didn't wait to be told what had to be done. They knew and got to it.

As the US braces itself for the one-two punch of yet another monster hurricane, I guess we can all take at least some comfort knowing that the knee-jerk reflex to jump in and help is alive and well.

Contact the writer at chrisdavis@chinadailyusa.com.
A Home Depot store employee helps to load bags of sand for customers in the Little Havana neighborhood in Miami, Florida, Sept 5, 2017. Residents are preparing for the approach of Hurricane Irma. [Photo/Agencies]

WASHINGTON - Evacuation has started in parts of Florida, which is expected to feel the wrath of record breaking Hurricane Irma this weekend.

Miami-Dade County officials are advising residents living in low-lying areas to start evacuating Wednesday, as well as individuals with special needs in Miami, according to the Florida Division of Emergency Management.

Monroe County, which lies on the southern tip of the Florida Peninsula including the Florida Keys, issued a mandatory evacuation order for visitors starting Wednesday morning, and for residents starting Wednesday evening.

Broward County, to the North of Miami-Dade County, said all residents east of US Route One must evacuate starting at noon Thursday.

The orders of evacuation comes as the National Hurricane center modified the pathway of Hurricane Irma, the largest in history to form over the Atlantic Ocean, to cover the entire Florida peninsula after landing near Miami.

Rick Scott, Florida's Governor, warned in a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Monroe County that Floridians should take the hurricane seriously and not to take chances.

"The track now has a forecast of direct impact on the Florida Keys on Sunday as a devastating major hurricane. The Florida Keys should be prepared to start feeling the effects of this storm as early as Saturday," he said.

"A storm of this size could have effects statewide and everyone must be prepared... we all have to understand that this is serious and we cannot take chances," he said.

Scott said some 6,000 National Guards will be reporting to duty state wide.

"Storm surge and extreme winds are the biggest concern right now. This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew," Scott said.

"We can rebuild your home, but we cannot rebuild your life," Scott said.

Hurricane Irma is moving west at 26 km per hour, at 85 km to the Northeast of Puerto Rico, with maximum sustained wind speed of 295 km per hour, according to the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center.

The maximum sustained wind speed of Hurricane Irma as it approaches Florida is projected to be around 250 km per hour.
US Consul General in Shanghai Sean Stein speaks at the newly renovated waiting room in Shanghai, Sept 7, 2017. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]

The US Consulate in Shanghai has re-outfitted its waiting room with photos of many natural wonders in the United States in an attempt to woo Chinese travelers.

The project is a joint effort with Brand USA, an organization dedicated to marketing the US as a premier travel destination, and is aimed at promoting off-the-beaten-path destinations as well as emphasizing the importance of Chinese tourism in the US, according to Consular Chief Bill Weissman who presided over the ribbon cutting for the project's completion on Wednesday morning.

US Consul General in Shanghai Sean Stein pointed out that an increasing number of American tourists are visiting regions in China such as Yunnan, Heilongjiang, Tibet instead of just the major cities, and that he would like for Chinese tourists to do the same.

"What we hope is that when people come through the room, they'll look at the poster on the side and decide to go beyond usual destinations like San Francisco or New York to see the many other amazing things in the US, such as visiting Utah, the Grand Canyon, and other small towns," said Stein.

"As more and more Chinese travelers go to the US to experience America, they are helping the US economy and supporting many good US jobs."

China has become the number one market for US travel and tourism exports and is its largest market in terms of spending. Last year, almost three million Chinese nationals visited the US - a 15.5 percent year-on-year growth - and spent $33 billion on tourism expenses.

He Qi in Shanghai contributed to this story.

heqi@chinadaily.com.cn
Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois(left three) and Hong Lei, consul general of the Chinese General Consulate in Chicago(right three) take a photo. Photo provided to China Daily.

Governor Bruce Rauner of Illinois will visit China in mid-September, marking his first trip to China since he took office in January 2015.

The governor's mission will bring together leaders in business, education and government to focus on creating opportunities for Illinois businesses as well as strengthening trade ties with China, according to a news release by illinois.gov. The delegation will visit Shanghai and Hangzhou.

"I'm glad to learn that Governor Rauner will soon begin his first official visit to China, one of Illinois' important partners," said Hong Lei, consul general of the Chinese General Consulate in Chicago. "I highly appreciate Governor Rauner's efforts in strengthening economic cooperation as well as cultural, educational and people-to-people exchanges between China and Illinois. I sincerely wish Governor Rauner's visit a complete success and hope this visit can bring our friendship and cooperation to the next level."
Southern California is famous for its sandy beaches, beautiful views and a relaxed lifestyle. Get away to one of these stunning cottages, hotels and inns for a weekend of pampering and rejuvenation in a beautiful setting. Take romantic walks with ocean views, request a massage in the privacy of your room, go hiking, swimming, or play golf. End the day with a romantic dinner featuring delicious farm-to-table cuisine.

We recommend that you call the attractions and restaurants ahead of your visit to confirm current opening times.

1. Cal-a-Vie Health Spa, California  Cal-a-Vie Health Spa

Modeled after trips to France and encompassing approximately 450 acres, Cal-a-Vie Health Spa in Vista, California is a European-style wellness retreat and spa. Set between fields of lavender and grape vines, Cal-a-Vie combines the concept of nutrition, health, and fitness with the luxurious philosophies of a European spa. The award-winning health spa and fitness retreat offers customized 3, 4, or 7-night stays that provide a beautiful and intimate self-care hideaway. Couples can choose from 25 spa villas and 7 suites when planning their romantic spa getaway. 29402 Spa Havens Way, Vista, CA 92084, Phone: 866-772-4283

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2. Hotel Santa Barbara - 1 hour 50 minutes from LA  Hotel Santa Barbara

Located in the heart of downtown Santa Barbara, Hotel Santa Barbara carefully combines luxury, history and hospitality. The hotel is ideal for a romantic getaway weekend, offering couples a choice of serene and beautiful rooms and suites. You will have all the home-from-home luxuries at your fingertips, including Keurig Coffee Makers, mini fridge, microwave and comfortable robes. You can do as much or as little as you choose  the beach is just a short walk away down State Street or you can visit Steams Wharf and the famous Urban Wine Route. Hotel Santa Barbara is also steps away from excellent shopping and a variety of dining options. Hotel Santa Barbara, 533 State Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, Phone: 805 957 9390

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3. The Inn at Churon Winery, Temecula  The Inn at Churon Winery

A scenic winding road leads you through the Temecula vineyards as you approach the impressive Chateau and Winery at Churon. The Inn at Churon is a 24-room boutique hotel where you and your partner can surrender yourselves to a romantic and relaxing getaway, surrounded by luxury. The spacious French-inspired guest rooms and suites all offer oversize marble bathrooms with double tubs, in-room fireplaces and private terraces where you can admire the vineyard views as you sip some premium wines. Breakfast is included in your rate and you can enjoy lunch at Cafe Churon. While you are there you can enjoy a tasting of the wines in the Tasting Room. The Inn at Churon Winery, 33233 Rancho California Road, Temecula, CA 92591, 951-654-9070



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4. Bacara Resort & Spa, Goleta - 1 hour 50 minutes from LA  Bacara Resort & Spa



With incredible views over the Pacific Ocean, Bacara Resort & Spa is a luxurious Mediterranean-style resort and spa just outside of Santa Barbara. Exquisite Spanish colonial-style rooms are the picture of elegance and refinement, with flowing, open-plan living spaces, plush beds fitted with imported linens, and lovely en-suite bathrooms with walk-in showers and soaking tubs. Guests will definitely appreciate the private balconies that overlook magnificent ocean views. Some rooms offer fireplaces while suites have ample living rooms and pullout sofa beds for extra guests. Bacara Resort & Spa prides itself on its array of superior facilities, including two oceanfront swimming pools with private cabanas, a state-of-the-art fitness center and gymnasium, a full-service spa and wellness center, multiple dining options for both casual and fine dining, and a seasonal kids' club. Rooms start at $400 per night. Best Things to Do in Goleta 8301 Hollister Ave, Goleta, CA 93117, Phone: 855-968-0100

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5. Holiday House, Palm Springs  Holiday House



The name says it all  Holiday House is a 26-room boutique hotel in downtown Palm Springs which is dedicated to making holiday makers feel right at home. Old meets new in this 70-year old building which has been sympathetically re-imagined, retaining some mid-century elements while adding all the modern necessities you need for a romantic sojourn. The guestrooms now boast over-size showers, deluxe textiles, beautiful artwork and indulgent bath amenities. Guests are treated to a complimentary Continental breakfast each morning. Other amenities include an outdoor swimming pool with loungers, a restaurant/bar, rental bicycles and an expansive manicured garden where you can relax. Holiday House, 200 W. Arenas Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262, 760-320-8866

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6. Romantic Getaways in California: Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel - 30 minutes from Los Angeles  Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel



Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel is a stylish getaway with an eco-friendly spa, beautiful public spaces and a romantic restaurant with ocean views. There are 347 newly redesigned guest accommodation at the hotel, providing the ultimate comfort for every individual need. Each room has work stations, Wi-Fi, and a 48-inch flat screen TV in the living area. The 35 rooms and suites with personal fire pits on their outdoor patios are ideal for a romantic getaway. Guests can spoil themselves at Ocean Spa, which offers relaxing treatments such as deep ocean massages and seaside solutions facials. You can check out an array of classes at the fitness center, which has a pool and convenient access to the Santa Monica beach. Ocean & Vine Santa Monica serves California cuisine with fresh, locally sourced ingredients. For guests who would prefer a more casual setting, Papillon and Fireside Lounges are both excellent alternatives that offer appetizers, cocktails and wine, along with beautiful ocean views. Rooms start at $436 per night. Things to Do in Santa Monica 1700 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, CA 90401, Phone: 310-458-6700

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7. Weekend Getaways in Southern California: Inn Paradiso, Paso Robles - 3 hours 30 minutes from LA  Inn Paradiso

Nestled among old oak trees, Inn Paradiso is located just outside of Paso Robles halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Uniquely constructed from wood and hand-forged metal, the Inn Paradiso combines rustic elegance with eclectic modern design to create an exclusive and intimate boutique hotel. Three individually decorated suites and a spacious loft are furnished with mid-century furniture, antiques, artworks, and photography. King size beds are fitted with luxury linens and designer textiles, and guests will surely appreciate the gas fireplaces and private balconies with captivating views of the surrounding oak trees. A mini fridge, French coffee press, iPod docks and free Wi-Fi offer creature comforts and a complimentary organic breakfast is served each morning. The Inn is conveniently situated just half an hour from the beach in the heart of one of the best wine regions in the country. There are numerous wine farms, olive oil producers, and farmers markets to explore in the area, as well as great cycling roads, hiking and horse trails, and beautiful natural scenery to enjoy. Rooms start at $350 per night. Things to Do in Paso Robles 975 Mojave Lane Paso, Robles, CA 93446, Phone: 805-239-2800



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8. Weekend Getaways in California: Sycamore Mineral Springs Spa and Resort, San Luis Obispo - 3 hours from LA  Sycamore Mineral Springs Spa and Resort

Situated in the lush hills of the Avila Valley on Californias Central Coast, Sycamore Mineral Springs Resort and Spa offers a tranquil escape from the hustle and bustle of the city. Surrounded by verdant forests, meadows, and undulating hills and within walking distance to the beach, this historic property promises an unforgettable spa retreat experience. Well-furnished guestrooms and suites (including a 3-bedroom guesthouse for larger groups) feature spacious living areas, cozy bedrooms, elegant decor, and comfortable furnishings. Additional highlights include private balconies or patios and hot mineral spring tubs. Sumptuous seasonal cuisine is served in a casual, relaxed setting at the Gardens of Avila Restaurant while the Healing Arts Dome offers daily yoga, Pilates, and Tai Chi classes. Guests can relish in pampering treatments at the full-service day spa and soak in the Hillside Mineral Spring Tub or the Oasis Waterfall Lagoon. The outdoor swimming pool is the perfect place to unwind on sunny days, and a variety of nearby activities such as wine tasting, scenic drives, and world-class golf are available. Rooms start at $129 per night. Next read: CA Hot Springs, Things to Do in Santa Cruz 1215 Avila Beach Drive, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405, Phone: 805-595-7302



9. Southern California Vacations: Del Marcos Hotel, Palm Springs  Del Marcos Hotel

Built in 1947, Del Marcos Hotel in Palm Springs is an intimate, adults-only hotel in the Historic Tennis Club district and is located within walking distance of downtown Palm Springs. Bright and airy guestrooms boast unique decor with trendy midcentury-modern accents, sleek terrazzo flooring, en-suite bathrooms with showers and baths, and private balconies or patios with dazzling views. Guests have access to convenient modern amenities such as flat screen televisions, mini-fridges and free wireless Internet, while suites enjoy spacious living rooms and small kitchenettes. After savoring a delicious complimentary breakfast, relax in one of the private cabanas next to the heated saltwater swimming pool, indulge with luxurious in-room spa services, or grab a beach-cruiser bike and explore the area. Rooms start at $149 per night. 225 West Baristo Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262, Phone: 800-676-1214

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10. Weekend Getaways in Southern California: The Pearl Hotel, San Diego  The Pearl Hotel

Mid-century vintage meets modern chic in this sleek, boutique San Diego hotel. Conveniently located near the Gaslamp Quarter and some of the citys most popular tourist attractions, the Pearl Hotel offers guests an inviting and intimate retreat like no other. Twenty-three artistically furnished accommodations evoke the mid-century aesthetic of '60s Palms Springs, 70s Los Angeles glamor, and todays hip and contemporary downtown San Diego scene. Designer platform beds, vintage-modern decor, and en-suite bathrooms featuring freestanding showers and chrome fittings create comfortable abodes while LCD televisions, iHome, and free Wi-Fi add modern comforts. Dine on fresh, California coastal cuisine at the onsite restaurant or sip signature cocktails next to the oyster-shaped swimming pool, where you can relax in one of two poolside cabanas. Enjoy weekly movie screenings in the Dive-In movie theater, or explore the surrounding Point Loma, Harbor Island, and Shelter Island area, all of which offer excellent shopping and dining options. Rooms start at $188 per night. Best Things to Do in San Diego 1410 Rosecrans St, San Diego, CA 92106, Phone: 619-226-6100



11. Southern California Vacation Spots: The Inn on the Beach, Ventura  The Inn on the Beach

The Inn on the Beach in Ventura is a boutique hotel that looks out onto spectacular ocean views that give onlookers a profound sense of. All twenty-four of the rooms on all three floors are comfortably furnished. First floor rooms have enclosed patios, while second and third floor rooms feature balconies. Every room has a gas fireplace, a flat screen LCD TV, and free Wi-Fi. Guest can relax on their balcony and take in the views or catch up on a book, relax in the public areas, or they can go down and enjoy the beach. The hotel provides guests with a complimentary continental breakfast each morning. Other dining options can be found in town, and they range from fine dining to more casual settings. Rooms start at $155 per night. Things to Do in Ventura CA 1175 S. Seaward Ave, Ventura, CA 93001, Phone: 805-652-2000

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12. Romantic getaways in California: Shore Hotel, Santa Monica  Shore Hotel

Situated on the scenic Ocean Avenue in Santa Monica, the Shore Hotel is a sleek, eco-conscious boutique hotel with a beautiful beachfront setting. Perfect for environmentally conscious guests seeking a luxurious experience, this hotel caters to those looking for a variety of events and leisurely activities. Guests can stay in one of 164 efficiently designed guest rooms or one of 20 luxury suites. Both options feature sustainably sourced decor, and the luxury suites have imported linens and private balconies or patios with unobstructed ocean views. Modern amenities abound, including flat-screen televisions and wireless Internet, and the hotel offers guests use of a fitness center, swimming pool, and business center. Dine at the Blue Taco, which features a farm-to-table menu and serves cuisine made from locally sourced Santa Monica produce and organic meat products. The restaurant also has an impressive wine list and cocktail program. The hotel is conveniently located near some of the most exciting areas of the city  its just blocks away from Santa Monica Pier and downtown Santa Monica, and its within walking distance of the beach. Rooms start at $329 per night. 1515 Ocean Ave, Santa Monica, CA 90401, Phone: 800-599-1515



13. Romantic Getaways in California: Madonna Inn, San Luis Obispo  Madonna Inn

Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo offers guests a one-of-a-kind experience jut off the California coast. The inn has a total of 110 creatively decorated hotel rooms, all featuring their own unique theme complete with enchanting decor and private bathrooms. Every room has a flat screen TV with cable, free Wi-Fi, a coffee maker, and a refrigerator. Guests are also provided with cozy terry bathrobes. They can also relax and enjoy the Spa during their stay, indulging in services from massages, to waxing, to body scrubs. Guests have access to a fitness center, an outdoor pool, and tennis and basketball courts. Other activities include horseback riding or simply taking a nice stroll through the lush garden. In the morning, head down to the Copper Cafe & Coffee Bar, where you will be greeted by an old-world charm, freshly baked breads, and even gluten free and vegetarian menus. For those who would prefer pit barbequed steak, seafood, or chicken, the Silver Bar Cocktail Lounge offers wine and appetizers and sits right beside the Gold Rush Steak House. Rooms start at $199 per night. 100 Madonna Road, San Luis Obispo, CA 93405, Phone: 800-543-9666 Day trips in CA: 25 Best Romantic Things to Do in Los Angeles.



14. Weekend Getaways in Southern California: The Ballard Inn, Ballard  The Ballard Inn

The Ballard Inn and Restaurant bed and breakfast is an elegant locale that will delight visitors. The inn has fifteen uniquely decorated rooms, each with soft linens and cozy seating where guests can relax. All rooms have private bathrooms, antique furniture, and down duvets. Many also feature private balconies and wood burning fireplaces, features that will appeal to those looking for a slightly more luxurious experience. Guests can make themselves at home in the public sitting rooms or they can lounge in the deck and read or mingle with the other guests. The Inn can arrange for bike rentals and suggest activities and events of interest, including recommendations for local spas. A full breakfast is served in the dining room every morning with a buffet of fresh fruits, pastries, and hot entrees. The Restaurant opens in the evenings for a formal dinner, with tantalizing entrees such as buck breast with Thai coconut curry and grilled beef tenderloin with hush puppies. Rooms start at $265 per night. Keep reading for more romantic getaways in Southern California on a budget. 2436 Baseline Ave., Ballard, CA 93463, Phone: 800-638-2466



15. Weekend Getaways Near Me: Ojai Valley Inn and Spa, Ojai  Ojai Valley Inn and Spa



Dating back to 1934, Ojai Valley Inn & Spa is a luxury Southern California resort that features an award-winning on-site spa and championship golf course. Close to the Los Padres National Forest and just 18 miles from Ventura, this refined Spanish hacienda-style inn and spa promises an unforgettable stay. Well-appointed guestrooms and suites are contemporary and stylish, with large beds, plush linens, and separate bathrooms with beautiful bathtubs and ample rain showers. Many rooms have cozy fireplaces and private balconies with breathtaking views while suites incorporate attractive deluxe additions such as whirlpool baths, separate kitchens, and living areas. Luxury facilities include full-service Ojai Spa, a world-class golf course, tennis courts, fitness and business centers, several restaurants, bars, and event facilities. Rooms start at $329 per night. Best Things to Do in Ojai 905 Country Club Road, Ojai, CA 93023, Phone: 855-697-8780 Find more things to see & do in California.

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16. Romantic Getaways Near Me: Viceroy Santa Monica  Viceroy Santa Monica



Viceroy Santa Monica in Southern California is a sophisticated getaway with contemporary atmosphere in a coastal setting. Private cabanas make lounging by the pool comfortable and relaxing. The property has 163 guest rooms and suites, many with ocean views. Guest accommodations are equipped with custom beds with down comforters, Italian Designer linens and large showers. Cast restaurant has an outdoor patio where you can enjoy sunsets and internationally-inspired cuisine. The chic poolside cabanas can accommodate up to 10 guests for a private party. Third Street Promenade offers shopping and restaurants, and Main Street has art galleries, cafes and antique shops. The property has a fully equipped fitness center which lets you stay in shape while you travel. If you are traveling with children, visit the Santa Monica Pier which has a carousel and roller coaster. Room rates vary by season, starting at around $389 per night. 1819 Ocean Avenue, Santa Monica, California 90401, Phone: 310-260-7500



17. Korakia Pensione, Palm Springs - 1 hour 45 minutes from LA  Korakia Pensione



Korakia Pensione in Palm Springs offers an exclusive Mediterranean-style retreat in the heart of Palm Springs. Dating back to 1924, this luxurious villa combines the exoticism of North Africa with a touch of the Mediterranean to create an idyllic getaway like no other. Stylish, beautifully arranged suites are decorated with either Moroccan or Mediterranean themes complete with cool stone floors and wooden beamed ceilings, romantic four poster beds and fully stocked kitchenettes, spacious living areas, and private balconies or patios. Middle Eastern lanterns and ornate antique furnishings add a touch of glamor while high-speed Internet offers modern comforts. A delicious complimentary breakfast and afternoon tea is served next to the pool, and an intimate courtyard is furnished with inviting daybeds where guests can relax and read during the day while at night it flickers with fire pits and lanterns. Enjoy a game of bocce or a private yoga class during your stay, or take one of the villas bikes and explore the surrounding area. Rooms start at $169 per night. Things to Do in Palm Springs 257 S. Patencio Road, Palm Springs, CA 92262, Phone: 760-864-6411

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18. Santa Ynez Inn  Santa Ynez Inn



Santa Ynez Inn is a 20 room gem of a bed and breakfast in the beautiful hills of wine country. Each room is uniquely designed and decorated, and features such luxuries as steam showers, fireplaces and private balconies. The Inn is described as comfort plus sophistication in a dream location. A full, hot, chef-prepared breakfast is included daily and hors doeuvres and wine tastings of local offerings are provided in the afternoon. Guests end the evening with a selection of desserts fireside. The Santa Ynez Inn also offers a special Romantic Getaway package for extra-special occasions. Best Things to Do in Santa Ynez 3627 Sagunto Street, Santa Ynez, CA 93460, Phone: 805-688-5588



19. Couples Getaway Southern California: Cheshire Cat Inn  Cheshire Cat Inn



A collection of Victorian houses and cottages, The Cheshire Cat Inn offers 18 unique accommodations in the heart of Santa Barbara. Choices of rooms include King and Queen rooms, a suite, a studio and several cottages. Regardless of their choice, guests enjoy charming, spotless, quiet and spacious rooms that offer all the modern amenities of a five-star hotel. A sumptuous, extensive continental breakfast is served on the patio daily and wine and cheese are provided in the afternoon. Quality service and a location allowing easy access to shops and restaurants round out the picture of this superb bed and breakfast. 36 West Valerio Street, Santa Barbara, CA 93101, Phone: 805-569-1610

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20. Romantic Getaways in California: Redwood Hollow Cottages  Redwood Hollow Cottages



This collection of ten cabins harkens back to a bygone era in Southern California when beach front cottages were the norm. Located in the prosperous town of La Jolla, the property is surrounded by multi-million dollar condos yet retains the feel of a comfortable and cozy beach cottage community. Most of the cottages have multiple bedrooms and can accommodate families, and all have access to the beach. Other amenities include private patios, fully equipped kitchens, Internet and flat screen TVs. The location allows for access to the ocean, beach, posh shops and restaurants of La Jolla. Things to Do in La Jolla 256 Prospect Street, La Jolla, CA 92037, Phone: 858-459-8747



21. Places to Relax near Me: Solvang Gardens  Solvang Gardens



Solvang Gardens is located just steps from the shops and restaurants in quaint Danish-themed Solvang. This boutique oasis has 24 rooms and spacious, secluded gardens overlooking the surrounding rolling hills. An extensive continental breakfast is included with each booking. Other amenities include marble bathrooms, in-room fireplaces and free Internet throughout the property. This location offers you the opportunity to enjoy all of Solvangs old world, European-inspired charm while still feeling the tranquility of a retreat. Spa services are also offered on-site. Best Things to Do in Solvang 293 Alisal Road, Solvang, CA 93463, Phone: 805-688-4404



22. Getaway Places Near Me: Aurora Hotel & Spa  Aurora Hotel & Spa



A contemporary hotel with a bed and breakfast feel, The Aurora Hotel & Spa is a charming and peaceful place to stay on Catalina Island. The experience comes with many amenities one would expect, such as an extensive continental breakfast and in-room Internet access. However, the Aurora offers additional surprises including an ocean-view roof top deck, evening wine and cheese and complimentary beach bags and towels. The interior is decorated in a modern artistic style and provides a perfect complement to the beautiful views of Catalina and the bay. Spa treatments are available on-site, including a signature Mermaids Kiss massage. Things to Do in Avalon CA 137 Marilla Avenue, Avalon, CA 90704, Phone: 310-510-0454

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23. Southern California Honeymoon: Palm Springs Rendezvous  Palm Springs Rendezvous Take a step back in time in this quirky, retro hotel with all the modern conveniences. Palm Springs Rendezvous is a 10 room boutique hotel that offers guests the chance to experience Palm Springs as it once was. The hotel offers many extras to entice visitors including a 3-course breakfast, free happy hour appetizers and cocktails by the pool and complimentary bikes for exploring Palm Springs. An on-site massage studio caters to both individuals and couples. Fun, funky and friendly, this location is an adventure. 1420 North Indian Canyon Drive, Palm Springs, CA 92262, Phone: 760-320-1178



24. Romantic Getaways in California: Bissell House Bed and Breakfast  Bissell House Bed and Breakfast The Bissell House Bed and Breakfast is an eight-bedroom, three-story Victorian home in the heart of Pasadena is located on the famous Millionaires Row and in a highly walkable area. Each of the rooms is decorated in Victorian-style and provides romantic, old-world charm. Each morning features a special cooked dish for breakfast as well as traditional continental breakfast fare. A living room, dining room and library are all provided as common areas for relaxing or meeting fellow guests. Tea and cake are available in the afternoons. The Bissell House also has a secluded pool and patio for guests to use. 201 Orange Grove, Avenue, South Pasadena, CA 91030, Phone: 626-441-3535



25. Resorts in Southern California: Le Meridien Delfina  Le Meridien Delfina Le Meridien Delfina Santa Monica is a stylish hotel, offering guests an outdoor pool with cabanas and stylish accommodations. The property offers rooms with scenic ocean views, as well as suites with marble bathrooms and outdoor whirlpools. Club level guests receive free access to the fitness center, free breakfast, drinks and hors d'oeuvres. Poolside cabanas can be booked for a full day of relaxation in the Californian sun. Two dining options include the Lobby Lounge which is casual and serves light fare throughout the day. I-Cafe & Surf Bar serves Californian cuisine. Rates start at $245 per night. 530 Pico Boulevard, Santa Monica, CA 90405, Phone: 310-399-9344



25 Best Romantic Getaways in Southern California

More ideas:

La Casa del Camino, Laguna Beach - 1 hour from LA

Established in 1929, La Casa del Camino is a historic Mediterranean-style boutique hotel in the heart of Laguna Beach. Once a favorite escape for the Hollywood elite, this elegant seaside hotel is just a block from the beach and a short walk to downtown Laguna. European sized Spanish-style guest rooms make this hotel an excellent choice, and its individually decorated surf-themed rooms with hand carved furnishings, comfortable decor, and modern amenities, including flat screen televisions, air-conditioning, mini fridges, and free wireless Internet, are sure to impress.

La Casita is a cozy, fully equipped cottage available for weekly rentals. A stylish rooftop lounge is the perfect place for sundowners and cocktails. An inviting bistro/bar serves mouthwatering Mediterranean cuisine and guests have complimentary access to a nearby fitness center. Rooms start at $154 per night. More Weekend Getaways in California, Things to Do in Laguna Beach

1289 S Coast Hwy, Laguna Beach, CA 92651, Phone: 855-634-5736

Romantic Getaways in California: The Landsby

Located in the Danish inspired town of Solvang, The Landsby brings a little bit of Scandinavia to its guests. With 41 rooms, the modern hotel is larger than most in the area and is decorated in a combination of Danish and Western motifs.

The rooms are especially large and well-appointed with top of the line linens. Rooms include a complimentary continental breakfast. The hotels central location makes it a perfect place from which to explore the unique village and its shops and restaurants. Visitors to the Solvang Festival Theater will find a special theater package is offered at the Landsby. Things to Do in Solvang

1576 Mission Drive, Solvang, CA 93463, Phone: 805-688-3121

Driving Distances from Los Angeles

From Los Angeles To Driving Time Venice, CA 30 minutes Palm Springs, CA 1 hour 45 minutes Laguna Beach, CA 1 hour Goleta, CA 1 hour 50 minutes Santa Barbara, CA 1 hour 40 minutes Santa Monica, CA 30 minutes Robles, CA 3 hours 30 minutes San Luis Obispo, CA 3 hourss San Diego, CA 2 hours Ventura, CA 1 hour 15 minutes Ballard, CA 2 hours 20 minutes Ojai, CA 1 hour 35 minutes Solvang, CA 2 hours 25 minutes Santa Monica, CA 25 minutes Santa Ynez, CA 2 hours 20 minutes Santa Barbara, CA 1 hour 40 minutes La Jolla, CA 2 hours South Pasadena, CA 15 minutes

More Southern California Trip Ideas

Southern California is best known for its sun, sand, and surf, but this southwestern coastal area is also a cultural hub heavily influenced by the massive film industry in Hollywood. There is much to do in the major city of Los Angeles, with the spotlight on movie-centric stops like Universal Studios Hollywood and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour. Theme parks like Disneyland, Knotts Berry, Legoland California, and SeaWorld San Diego make for thrill rides galore throughout the region. And for something more focused on art and architecture, the many moguls of Southern California have bequeathed their beautiful estates and artistic collections for the public to enjoy today. In short, this part of the country is more than just movies and stars; it has a little something for everyone.

Getaway Places near Me: Disneyland Resort

Disneyland Resort is the overarching entertainment resort that houses the Disneyland Park and Disney California Adventure theme parks, as well as three hotels and Downtown Disney, a shopping and dining district. Disneyland is a 100% Disney-focused amusement park and the first built on the complex, as it dates back to 1955. Disney California Adventure came about much later in 2001, and this park is devoted entirely to celebrating the state of California, with elements of the Disney brand peppered in among famous California landmarks. The Downtown Disney area, which makes longer stays at the resort more convenient, is packed with Disney-themed and ordinary retail stores, as well as eateries ranging from fast food joints to sit-down restaurants.

1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802, Phone: 714-781-4636

Getty Center

The Getty Center is an entire educational campus area on a hill overlooking the city of Los Angeles. The campus houses a number of buildings, including one of the two locations of the J. Paul Getty Museum. To reach the center and its accompanying structures, visitors park their cars in a lot at a lower elevation and take a funicular cable car ride up to the hilltop. The museum houses a diverse, extensive collection of art that incorporates sculptures, drawings, manuscripts, photographs from three continents, and a set of pre-20th-century paintings. Perhaps the most famous of these paintings is Vincent Van Goghs Irises. Outside at the center, there is a large sculpture garden.

1200 Getty Center Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90049, Phone: 310-440-7300

Couples Getaway Southern California: The Gamble House

The Gamble House in Pasadena, California is a National Historic Landmark and architectural museum. The house was originally built between 1908 and 1909 for David B. Gamble, one of the company heads of Procter & Gamble. The beautiful wooden home is three stories high and provides an unparalleled example of the American Arts and Crafts architectural style. This movement in architecture highlighted natural materials and a focus on detailed craftsmanship. In keeping with this tradition, the Gamble House has interiors lined with features made from different types of wood, which are shown off by the natural light allowed in by large windows. The property offers group, docent-led, and specialty tours.

4 Westmoreland Place, Pasadena, CA 91103, Phone: 626-793-3334

Balboa Park

Balboa Park is a large public green space in the city of San Diego. Covering 1,200 acres, the park has a great number of attractions, including vegetation areas, open spaces, and walking paths, as well as more built-up structures such as museums, theaters, and the San Diego Zoo. Among the museums in the park are the San Diego Natural History Museum, the San Diego Air and Space Museum, and the Reuben H. Fleet Science Center. There are also a number of botanical gardens with different themes such as the desert and the California and Australia ecosystems, as well as Japanese-style and rose gardens. Additionally, visitors can enjoy theme park attractions while at the park.

1549 El Prado, Balboa Park, San Diego, California, 92101, Phone: 619-239-0512

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Southern California Destinations: SeaWorld San Diego

SeaWorld San Diego is a family-friendly, exciting theme park that specializes in marine life, with animal residents from many different species such as penguins, killer whales, walruses, polar bears, and otters, to name just a few. With over four million visitors each years, SeaWorld San Diego is a massive complex with all kinds of things to do. In addition to the famous shows featuring orcas, dolphins, and other sea creatures that have made the park famous, SeaWorld is also home to natural marine habitats, such as Dolphin Point and Turtle Reef. The park also has splash and play areas for the little ones and large thrill rides for adventure seekers.

500 Sea World Dr, San Diego, CA 92109

Legoland California Resort

Legoland California in Carlsbad, California is truly a Lego lovers fantasy. The resort is composed of an amusement park, a water park, an aquarium, and a hotel. Legoland is divided into several areas, including Imagination Zone, Miniland USA, Pirate Shores, and Fun Town. The activities in each area are targeted towards younger children, and they serve as the location for performances, rides, walk-through attractions, and other games such as mini golf. All are accompanied by various Lego creations, including miniatures of famous world monuments like the Eiffel Tower, Golden Gate Bridge, and Taj Mahal. Legoland features many of Legos individual collections in its attractions, including Lego Friends and Duplo.

1 Legoland Dr, Carlsbad, CA 92008, Phone: 877-376-5346

Getaway Places Near Me: USS Midway Museum

The USS Midway Museum is located just off Navy Pier in San Diego, California, where it presents the USS Midway aircraft carrier, the longest-serving ship of its kind in the 20th century and the only to operate during the entirety of the Cold War. The Midway was in operation from 1945 until 1992, and 200,000 soldiers have served on its decks. The ship museum has an extensive collection of US-made naval aircraft, which are located in its hangar deck. Visits to the USS Midway include a self-directed audio tour. During the tour, sailors who used to work on the ship talk about its history and describe different areas of the carrier, including its sleeping quarters, engine room, and galley.

910 N. Harbor Drive, San Diego, CA 92101, Phone: 619-544-9600

San Diego Zoo

The San Diego Zoo, which is located in San Diegos Balboa Park, is world famous as one of the first zoos to utilize an open-air, no-cage concept. Opened in 1916, the zoo prides itself on housing animals in large spaces that mimic their natural habitats. To navigate the complex, one can travel via the zoos own buses or on its Skyfari suspended gondolas. The exhibits are separated by habitat, and many of the animals thrive in San Diegos warm, temperate climate and do not need any artificial conditions. In addition to populations of elephants, tigers, gorillas, bonobos, and hundreds of other species, the zoo is also known as one of only four US zoos with giant pandas.

2920 Zoo Dr, San Diego, CA 92101, Phone: 619-231-1515

Palm Springs Aerial Tramway

The largest rotating tram in the world, the Palm Springs Aerial Tramway offers users fantastic views of Chino Canyon near Palm Springs, California. The tram runs between two stations: the lower Valley Station and the upper Mountain Station. It takes twelve minutes to get to the top, and during that journey, riders pass through five biomes, beginning in the desert and landing in an alpine forest. At the peak of the tramway, visitors can enjoy a range of outdoor activities to experience the Mount San Jacinto State Park and Wilderness Area. There are 54 miles of hiking trails, and guided nature walks and winter sports are available.

1 Tram Way, Palm Springs, CA 92262, Phone: 888-515-8726

The Huntington Library - Art Collections - Botanical Gardens

The Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens in San Marino, California bring together gems of nature, art, and architecture in a beautiful display for guests. The institution is home to a library, a botanical garden, and a large collection of art. The library building is a beautiful work of architecture created in the Mediterranean Revival style. It is home to a number of treasured items such as copies of the Gutenberg Bible, manuscripts by some of the founding fathers, and drafts of Henry David Thoreaus Walden. The botanical gardens, which cover 120 acres of land, are divided into several special areas, including Chinese and Japanese gardens. As for the collection of art on the territory, it focuses mostly on American art from the 17th to 20th centuries and 18th- and 19th-century European works.

1151 Oxford Rd, San Marino, CA 91108, Phone: 626-405-2100

Hearst Castle

The name William Randolph Hearst is synonymous with the development of the print journalism industry, and this newspaper tycoon certainly lived the high life at his California estate. At its peak in the 1920s and 30s, the Hearst Castle was a happening spot for Hollywood elite. It was located far from major cities, and guests were often flown or driven in via private vehicles. The estate borrows architectural styles from Europe, a fact most obvious in its famous Roman-inspired Neptune pool. While operational, the mansion had dozens of bedrooms and bathrooms, a movie theater, several swimming pools, and even a private zoo, some of the animals of which continue to live on the grounds today. Now part of a state park, the castles rooms and gardens are open for tours.

750 Hearst Castle Rd, San Simeon, CA 93452, Phone: 800-444-4445

Manzanar National Historic Site

Manzanar National Historic Site is the site of a former camp where hundreds of thousands of Japanese were forcibly held during World War II. The camp, which sits between the towns of Lone Pine and Independence, was in use as an internment facility from 1942 to 1945. Today, the area, which is considered a U.S. National Historic Landmark, has its own dedicated visitor center with 8,000 square feet of exhibits. The display here discusses the history of the site from 1885 to the present, but it focuses on the World War II-era period and Manzanars use as an internment camp. Guests can also get to know the outdoor areas of the territory on a self-guided tour.

Manzanar Reward Rd, CA, Phone: 760-878-2194

La Brea Tar Pits

The La Brea Tar Pits are a group of tar pits situated in Los Angeles Hancock Park. Despite their location in an urban center, the pits are a well-known attraction because of what they show about nature. The tar that has seeped up to the surface from underground here has trapped bones from different animal species over the course of centuries. Visits to the pits include excursions to a number of different areas. Guests can tour curated pits, learn about the fossilization process, see experts carrying out up-close research at the center, and even travel back in time to meet creatures from the Ice Age.

5801 Wilshire Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90036, Phone: 323-857-6300

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Disneyland

The original Disneyland Park is one of Southern Californias most famous destinations. Located in Anaheim, the park was built in 1955 with direct supervision by the creator of all things Disney, Walt Disney himself. The 85 acres of the theme park are broken down into eight fantastical lands, including Main Street, U.S.A., Mickeys Toontown, Frontierland, and others. Each area has a number of rides, games, shows, and shops, all of which adhere to their designated themes. Famous Disney characters roam the walkways to meet and greet guests during their visit, and visitors can ride through the park on its signature Disney Railroad or via the Disney Monorail System.

1313 Disneyland Dr, Anaheim, CA 92802, Phone: 714-781-4636

Universal Studios Hollywood

Universal Studios Hollywood in Los Angeles is both an operational film studio and a theme park tourist attraction. Patrons can tour one of the studios working back lots on a convenient tram or check out one of the many shows on topics like special effects and furry, four-legged stars of the big screen. The lots also have rides featuring characters from some of the most famous films of recent history, such as Jurassic Park, Transformers, and Despicable Me. An entire section dedicated to the Harry Potter series, known as The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, serves as its own separate area with live shows, thrill rides, and a gift shop.

100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, CA 91608, Phone: 800-864-8377

Griffith Observatory

Griffith Observatory is a popular Los Angeles tourist attraction sitting atop Mount Hollywood in Griffith Park. Because of its hillside position, the observatory looks out onto clear views of downtown Los Angeles, the Pacific Ocean, and the world-famous Hollywood sign. The domed observatory has its own planetarium and many science-related exhibits within its walls. The displays discuss space and our understanding of the cosmos, while the planetarium has showings of a number of films on the same theme. Outside, the facility has a set of telescopes for public use, and once a month, the observatory hosts a star party for astronomy enthusiasts.

2800 East Observatory Road, Los Angeles, CA 90027, Phone: 213-473-0800

Knotts Berry Farm

Despite what the name seems to suggest, Knotts Berry Farm is not a farm at all, but rather an amusement park with rides and games. Still, the park did grow out of a family berry farm, which expanded over time and added more and more attractions to draw in the crowds. Knotts Berry claims to be the first theme park in the United States, and over its almost 100 years of operation, it has grown to host 40 rides, including rollercoasters, childrens rides, and water rides. The park has a historical theme with pioneer-themed activities such as gold panning, a blacksmith shop, and a one-room schoolhouse on the premises. Since 1983, Knotts Berry has also maintained a connection with the Peanuts gang, and to this day, Snoopy and his friends roam around to meet guests.

8039 Beach Blvd, Buena Park, CA 90620, Phone: 714-220-5200

Norton Simon Museum

Situated in Pasadena along the famed Rose Parade route, the Norton Simon Museum brings together works of art from different countries, traditions, and time periods in a stunning and diverse collection. The museum began with founder Norton Simons personal collection of European art spanning the Renaissance to the present day, but it now includes permanent exhibits with over 12,000 pieces of Asian art, modern art, and prints and photographs as well. The Norton Simon Museum has works from several big-name artists such as Rembrandt, de Goya, and Picasso, and it also features an outdoor garden, which has a pond and a display of sculptural pieces.

411 W Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, CA 91105, Phone: 626-449-6840

California Science Center

California Science Center, a huge, interactive science museum, is ideally situated in Los Angeles near both the citys natural history museum and the University of Southern California. The science centers permanent exhibits are very diverse in nature, with themes including live animals and ecosystems, construction and engineering, the human body, and air and spacecraft. All of these areas encourage hands-on play with the items and activities on display. One of the most awe-inspiring exhibitions here is the Endeavour space shuttle, which sits just above eye level in a large hangar. The museum has an ever-changing schedule of special temporary programs and an IMAX theater that screens topical film presentations.

700 Exposition Park Dr, Los Angeles, CA 90037, Phone: 323-724-3623

Living Desert Zoo & Gardens

The Living Desert Zoo & Gardens in Palm Desert, California combines the experiences of botanical gardens and the zoo in one beautiful display of both flora and fauna. Living Desert itself is located in the Sonoran Desert, but it has exhibits with plants from other desert ecosystems as well, including the Mojave and Colorado deserts. Additionally, focused gardens home in on a single plant such as the palm or yucca with dozens or even hundreds of variations clustered in one area. The animals here live in the High and Low Deserts, and inhabitants of the Living Desert Zoo include bighorn sheep, striped hyenas, bobcats, frogs, salamanders, and many more.

47900 Portola Ave, Palm Desert, CA 92260, Phone: 760-346-5694

Warner Bros. Studio Tour Hollywood

A tour through Warner Bros. Studio in Hollywood is a unique opportunity to see how some of the worlds most iconic TV shows and movies have been made. Guides lead groups through some of the studios ten back lots and thirty soundstages, where Warner Bros. has produced some of the countrys most beloved television programs such as Gilmore Girls and Friends. The tour also includes several curated exhibits, such as DC Universe: The Exhibit, Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts, and Batmobiles. At these and other areas, you will find original movie and TV series props and interesting facts about these cinematic projects.

3400 W Riverside Dr, Burbank, CA 91522, Phone: 877-492-8687

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HA NOI  The Ministry of Finance has proposed to lower import tax on bio-fuel ethanol from 20 to 17 per cent so as to make E5 petrol cheaper.

Viet Nam will replace RON 92 petrol with E5 bio-fuel from the beginning of 2018, and with E10 after 2019. E5 petrol is a mix of A92 petrol (95 per cent) and bio-fuel ethanol (5 per cent).

The ministry has gathered suggestions on import tax imposed on bio-fuel ethanol to create E5 petrol as it is worried that the country will face ethanol shortage.

Statistics from the ministry show that the E5 demand in 2018 will be 6.2 million cu.m after the bio-fuel petrol replaces RON 92 petrol completely at the start of the year. The demand for E10 is expected to be 6.6 million cu.m in 2019, and 7.1 million cu.m in 2020.

Currently, the supply of bio-fuel ethanol for E5 petrol comes mainly from two plants owned by Tung Lam Joint Stock Company that have a total annual capacity of 200,000 cu.m, which can be used to produce 3.9 million cu.m of E5 a year. The two plants have been operating at 30 per cent of their designed capacity, while there are two other plants in Dung Quat and Binh Phuoc that have halted operations temporarily.

If the two ethanol production plants in Dung Quat and Binh Phuoc resume operations, the total ethanol supplies of the four plants would be sufficient to cater to the E5 petrol demand in 2018. However, it is expected that the country will fall short of 200,000 cu.m of ethanol in 2019 and 300,000 cu.m in 2020.

If the two plants dont resume operations by the beginning of 2018, the countrys ethanol supply will be a maximum of only 200,000 cu.m a year, making for a shortfall of 111,370 cu.m in 2018.

Local firms have not been importing ethanol because currently the demand for it is low as RON 92 petrol and E5 bio-fuel will co-exist until December 31 this year.

If Viet Nam needs to import ethanol from 2018 to produce E5 petrol, it will have to import the bio-fuel from the US and Brazil as the E5 supplies of Asian countries such as Thailand and China have been used up owing to local demand.

As per the ministrys calculations, if the proposed imported tax on ethanol is approved at 17 per cent, along with environmental protection tax, the selling price of E5 petrol will become lower than RON 92 petrol, from VN1,345 to VN1,495 per litre. RON 92 petrol costs VN18,180 to VN18,380 per litre.  VNS
Improving the investment and business environment and administrative reforms are among the measures needed to facilitate the development of businesses in HCM City, a seminar heard yesterday.  VNS Photo

HCM CITY  Improving the investment and business environment and administrative reforms are among the measures needed to facilitate the development of businesses in HCM City, a seminar heard yesterday.

Tran Thi Binh Minh, deputy director of the city Department of Planning and Investment, said as of May 25 the city had 309,138 businesses, 89.25 per cent of them very small, 4.3 per cent small, 5 per cent medium-sized and 1.37 per cent large.

In response to the Governments target of having one million businesses in the country by 2020, city authorities last year issued resolution 3907/Q-UBND to help expand the number in the city to 500,000, many of them large, she said.

The city has drafted specific measures to create favourable conditions for businesses, including simplifying administrative procedures, setting up hotlines to receive feedback from companies and help them resolve their difficulties in a timely manner and developing programmes to provide information about support policies, she said.

The city has also issued decisions to promote start-ups, especially by youths and students, and help household businesses develop into companies, she said.

Nguyen inh Tue, director of the Centre for Supporting Small and Medium sized Enterprises, said while administrative procedures have been streamlined somewhat, they are still slow and do not meet businesses expectations.

He called for continued reform and changing the approach towards it, otherwise it will be hard to change the situation, he said.

Businesses face difficulties, including the need to obtain a slew of sub-licences, inspections by multiple agencies, and problems related to funding, land, human resources, demand, and others, he said.

The number of businesses not functioning is very large at around 41 per cent, he said.

The city needs to hold discussions with businesses to resolve their difficulties, he said.

To encourage household businesses to become companies, the city needs to offer free support with incorporation and other procedures, he said.

Several delegates said new businesses should be offered legal, accounting and tax consultancy at subsidised rates.

District leaders said relevant agencies should have clear instructions on helping household businesses expand into companies.

Nguyen Van Dung, head of the city People Councils economic and budget board, said comprehensive measures are needed from the Government and local agencies to create a level playing field for businesses.

Besides, businesses themselves need to be more active in grasping opportunities and capitalising on their resources and the Governments support policies to develop, he said.

Many delegates said it is also necessary to focus on quality rather than solely on quantity.

They also called for building strong national trademarks to enhance competitiveness in the regional and global markets.  VNS
HA NOI  Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am called on all society to co-ordinate to create momentum for the so-called fourth industrial revolution, or Industry 4.0, using new digital technologies.

The politician was speaking at the Viet Nam ICT Summit 2017 yesterday in Ha Noi, with the event themed Viet Nam: Digital Transformation in the Industry 4.0.

The Deputy Prime Minister also asked the information and communication technology (ICT) industry to build a complete information technology infrastructure.

To take advantage of Industry 4.0, Viet Nam needs develop its broadband infrastructure, especially by popularising 4G technology and developing 5G technology, am said.

Viet Nam needs to step up information technology services outsourcing, while State agencies must be bolder in promoting the use of information technology.

Ministries, sectors, associations and enterprises must also review and implement six tasks assigned by Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc at the Viet Nam ICT Summit 2016, the Deputy PM emphasised.

Minister of Information and Communications Truong Minh Tuan affirmed the ministrys determination to strengthen capacity to make use of the fourth industrial revolution, citing his ministrys plan to implement policies to ensure the development of digital infrastructure and the security of the national information system, and issue standards in the field of information and technology.

Chairman of Viet Nam Software and IT Services Association Truong Gia Binh said that as the fourth industrial revolution was taking place at an accelerating pace, the ITC Summit organisers chose the theme and held forums focused on the development of digital transformation strategies in Viet Nam.

At the event, a list of Viet Nams technological potentials was presented, including three key strengths, with 77.7 per cent of survey firms agreeing human resources were strong, 70.4 per cent praising the Governments awareness and commitment, while 59.1 per cent agreed technological and telecommunication infrastructure was flourishing.

Several suggestions to make use of these advantages were given as well, in hope that improvements can be made towards a better labour force and highly trained workers, as well as pushing for the digitisation of the economy and increasing support for startups.

Tuan also suggested the Government and the Ministry of Education and Training promote education reform to develop high quality human resources ahead of Industry 4.0.

Representatives from 275 firms and other organisations present at this years summit also asked that the Government focus on several key economic sectors that would benefit greatly from the fourth industrial revolution, namely travel and tourism, agriculture, banking and finance, as well as technology and logistics.

Participants at the forum attended seminars on perceptions about Viet Nam in the fourth industrial revolution, Viet Nams economic strengths, smart city technology, the digital workforce, and innovation and start-ups.

Additionally, the CityNext solution by Microsoft, was presented by Nguyen Tuan Anh, Develop Experience Leader of Microsoft Corporation, as method of empowering cities and citizens by delivering innovative digital services to improve sustainability and prosperity.

According to Tuan Anh, the CityNext solution package if implemented correctly would help information flow between cities, departments and businesses in urban environments in Viet Nam.

This years ICT event was attended by more than 650 delegates, including ministerial leaders, representatives of 45 provinces and cities nationwide, ambassadors and trade counsellors from 14 countries, leaders of state management agencies, universities, research institutes and leading information and technology enterprises and corporations.  VNS
HA NOI  The State Bank of Viet Nam (SBV) has officially guided credit institutions on granting a legal confirmation in written document for vehicles used as bank collateral.

According to Document 7000/NHNN-PC, credit institutions and branches of foreign banks receiving the collateral of vehicles, or mortgagees, will have to grant a mortgage receipt for borrowers, or mortgagors.

In cases where the mortgagors violate the obligation to pay debts secured by vehicles, mortgagees and mortgagors will have to reach an agreement.

The validity term of the mortgage receipt must be agreed to by mortgagees and mortgagors, but must not be beyond the effective term of the mortgage contract.

The renewal issuance of a mortgage receipt is made in two cases, when the mortgage receipt is damaged, or when information on the mortgage receipt needs to be changed.

Credit institutions must co-operate with the traffic police in information exchange when required.

The move was made after the SBV received multiple complaints from credit institutions and companies recently, stating that the traffic police refused to accept copies of vehicle registration certificates in place of the originals, which had been submitted to secure loans.

Further confusion arose when a bank-issued confirmation of the vehicles use as collateral was also not accepted by the traffic police.

The situation has inconvenienced creditors, banks and other credit institutions, as not holding the original documents of collateral ownership increases risks to them, which may lead to them ceasing to accept automobiles as collateral.

This would make it harder for citizens and businesses to get loans, while at the same time not allowing credit institutions to hold either the collateral or its certificate of ownership incurs significant risk.

To deal with this, on August 15 this year, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh issued a decision, allowing drivers to use a certified copy of vehicle registration certificate and the original mortgage receipt granted by credit institution, in lieu of the original of the vehicle registration certificate for movement on the Vietnamese territory during the time the credit institutions hold the original.

The Deputy PM also entrusted the SBV to grant the above mortgage receipt.  VNS
A view of HCM City. Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed in principle to HCM Citys proposal on administrative decentralisation to the maximum possible extent during a working session in Ha Noi yesterday with the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee.  Photo ashui.com

HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc agreed in principle to HCM Citys proposal on administrative decentralisation to the maximum possible extent during a working session in Ha Noi yesterday with the Standing Board of the municipal Party Committee.

The meeting was to review the five-year implementation of Politburos Resolution No 16-NQ/TW dated August 10, 2012 and propose special policies and mechanisms for the citys rapid and sustainable development.

The PM said the Governments Party Civil Affairs Committee, supported administrative decentralisation in the direction of allowing the city to undertake certain tasks of the government, ministries and central agencies relating to the approval of some kinds of projects and adjustment of several types of planning.

At the same time, he asked ministries and municipal authorities to regularly inspect the process.

Phuc also approved in principle a proposal that allows the city to raise capital in the form of public-private partnership (PPP) or loans to implement projects fully or partially funded by the State budget which have yet to receive capital allocation.

He assigned the Ministry of Planning and Investment to work with the Finance Ministry, HCM City and agencies concerned to consider how to realise the proposal and report the results to him.

The leader allowed the city to decide on salary payments for public servants and those working for State-run agencies.

From 2011-15, HCM Citys economy grew 9.6 per cent on average per year, 1.63 times the national rate. Per capita income reached US$5,122. The city collected VN1.2 quadrillion ($54.8 billion) for the State coffers, contributing 27.8 per cent to the State budget.

However, Secretary of the municipal Party Committee, Nguyen Thien Nhan, said the citys growth has slowed in the past decade. While policies and mechanisms applied to the city are the same as those for other localities, the city managed to record high growth thanks to its specific advantages and unique conditions.

At the same time, those conditions also pose challenges for the city, Nhan said, citing as an example that a large population and rapidly growing economy require greater investment in transport and other social services such as water supply, waste water treatment, education and health care.

Deputy Prime Minister Trinh inh Dung said the rising population was exerting pressure on the citys infrastructure and housing while backward technologies used in industry, services and transport were also having a detrimental impact on the environment.

He suggested developing schemes to attract multinational corporations to invest in the city, develop emerging business sectors and consider developing the city following the model of a free economic zone.  VNS
HA NOI  South Korean Literary (KL) Management will introduce and popularise the Vietnamese novel Nhung Nga Tu Va Nhung Cot en (Crossroads and Lamposts) at Book Fair Frankfurt in October, according to Nha Nam Publishing House.

The novel was penned in 1966 by Tran Dan. It took decades, however, before the novel was finally published in 2011. It won the Ha Noi Writers Association Award for a novel that same year.

Nha Nam has been working to introduce the novel to international copyright companies, including KL Management and Barbara J.Zitwer Agency in New York.

"Crossroads and Lamposts is an amazing and unique literary work," said Joseph Lee, chairman of KL Management at a meeting with the late writers family. "Tran Dan is a great poet and novelist.

Through the KL Managements network, Nha Nam sent an English introduction and part of an English translation by Australian-born David Payne, to European and American copyright companies.

KL Management and the Barbara J.Zitwer Agency listed Crossroads and Lamposts among the outstanding literary works which they will introduce to publishers from all over the world at Book Fair Frankfurt.

Korean IWBooks Publishing House will publish the novel in Korean at the end of 2018.

"It is a rare phenomenon, but important for Vietnamese books to be translated into foreign languages and published abroad, because this can popularise Vietnamese culture and art," said Xuan Minh, a representative from Nha Nam publisher.

"It is also a good sign for the Vietnamese literary when a Korean publisher buys copyright for publishing. The novel meets market demand."

Born in the northern province of Nam inh, writer Dan was twenty years old when he joined the Vietnamese military in 1946. He returned to Ha Noi following the victory of the ien Bien Phu battle. He joined the Nhan Van - Giai Pham group, which included young writers, artists and intellectuals pushing for freedom of art and expression.

His works were banned from the late 1950s until 1988 but he continued to write novels and poems. Ten years after his death in 1997, he was posthumously awarded the State Prize for his contribution to literature.

Crossroads and Lamposts is widely considered a classic of Vietnamese contemporary literature.  VNS
HA NOI  The Vietnamese version of the book Napoleon: The Great, a New York Times bestseller written by veteran British historian and journalist Andrew Roberts, was presented to the Vietnamese public in Ha Noi on Wednesday.

The book was translated from English into Vietnamese by Le inh Chi and published by Omega Viet Nam Books. With more than 1,000 pages, it is believed to be the best-ever book about Napoleon published in Viet Nam.

I dreamt of publishing this book in Vietnamese because I have deep admiration for this great man and a great interest in French history, Nguyen Canh Binh, president of the book company, said.

To write this book with more than 1,000 pages about this fascinating and mysterious personality, Andrew Roberts conducted more than 1,000 interviews, he added.

The book is a definitive biography of the great soldier-statesman, written by Roberts, the New York Times bestselling author of The Storm of War -- winner of the Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Biography and the Grand Prix of Foundation Napoleon.

The launching ceremony of the Vietnamese version of the book Napoleon: The Great, was held at lEspace, the French Cultural Centre in Ha Noi, on Wednesday.

Following years of study, including visits to St Helena and 53 of Napoleons 56 battlefields, Andrew Roberts created a portrait of the mind, the life, the military and above all the political genius of a fundamentally constructive ruler.

The book is expected to satisfy the Vietnamese people, who are interested in history and in knowing more about the life of this emperor of France. Austerlitz, Borodino and the Waterloo battles are among the greatest in history, but Napoleon Bonaparte was far more than a military genius and an astute leader of men.

Like George Washington and his own hero Julius Caesar, he was one of the greatest soldier-statesmen of all times.

Andrew Robertss Napoleon is the first one-volume biography to make use of the recent publication of Napoleons thirty-three thousand letters, which radically transform our understanding of his character and motivation.

Through the book, readers see him for what he was: a protean multi-tasker, decisive and surprisingly willing to forgive his enemies and his errant wife Josephine. Like Churchill, he understood the strategic importance of telling his own story, and his memoirs, dictated from exile on St. Helena, became the single bestselling book of the nineteenth century.  VNS
Art lovers will have the chance to enjoy artworks by several prominent Vietnamese artists when an exhibition showcasing their pieces opens to the public on Saturday at Trang Tien Plaza. Entitled Chuot Mi or Mascara, the exhibition will present contemporary works by painters Nguyen Nghia Cuong, Nguyen Van Cuong, Vu inh Tuan, Bui Thanh Tam, Ngo Van Sac, Nguyen The Hung, Pham Tuan Tu and sculptor Luong uc Hung.
By Vuong Bach Lien

Though they both come from France, it was in Viet Nam that they met for the first time, as they worked to develop vocational training in the country.

After many trips from France to Viet Nam over the last two years, Jean-Jacques Diverchy and Francois Sanchez have many Vietnamese friends and a strong attachment to the S-shaped country.

The two experts first came in to the country in 2015. They arrived at Dung Quat College of Technology in central Quang Ngai province to train Vietnamese teachers and create a new training regime to help develop the vocational training programmes at the higher technician level.

The project is part of a signed agreement between Viet Nam and AFD (French Development Agency) to develop new national training programs in key occupations by transferring and adapting French programs in the fields of welding, metal cutting, automotive, industrial electricity, networks and communications.

Diverchy is in charge of training Vietnamese teachers in the automobile sector and Sanchez in electrotechnics.

Diverchy, coming from the north of France, is an international consultant in pedagogical engineering. He retired from Frances Ministry of National Education, where he spent his career on the education and training of young people.

Sanchez, is a training consultant after many years working as professor in electricity in southern France.

Together they transfer professional expertise to professors at the Dung Quat College of Technology, write course materials that have been applied in the training programme for the colleges students, give practical work and tutorials, and conduct student evaluations.

Investigate the needs of enterprises

According to these experts, teachers should provide vocational training in line with the needs of enterprises, to ensure that students easily find jobs after graduation.

When we first started the project with the college, in order to create a different training programme, we organised meetings between the college and enterprises to better understand the needs of enterprises. And from this, we compiled our course materials as appropriate to Viet Nam, said Diverchy.

When we first came, we asked to visit enterprises and meet the leaders of enterprises. This surprised our Vietnamese interlocutors, who were not familiar with this method, while it seems to us very natural, the expert recalls.

The French expert said that the biggest shortcoming in vocational training in Viet Nam is the absence of close links between schools and enterprises. For this reason, students often find it hard to find jobs right after graduation, as they must be trained again by employers before they can begin working.

Diverchy says that in France, the vocational training schools are encouraged by the government to create close relations between the school and relevant companies. Specialty teachers visit the companies to offer technical assistance; oversee visits by trainees; and provide continuing education for the companys employees. Business managers or employees regularly visit vocational training schools to share their own expertise, participate in examinations, and provide technical assistance.

These relationships have beneficial effects for teachers and their students. They can update technical knowledge and help students discover job offers, he said.

With this project, we try to encourage college leaders and their teachers to build this type of relationship, he said.

Sanchez shares this idea.

In order to better train the engineers of tomorrow, it is necessary to foster understanding between teachers and technicians of companies. We call them in France, the tutors. Strengthening the link between trainers and tutors could enable them to better complement each other in the common mission of training the personnel of the industrial world of tomorrow, he said.

Friends abroad: Jean-Jacques Diverchy poses with his two Vietnamese colleagues and friends in Quang Ngai. Photo Courtesy of Jean-Jacques Diverchy

A better future

2016- 2017 was the first school year that the Dung Quat college of Technology organised high quality vocational training with French curriculum.

Sixty top students at the college were chosen to take part in this training in two sectors: automobiles and electrotechnics.

These new diplomas were certified by the French authorities, indicating that these diplomas were drawn up in accordance with the same procedures and with the same professional qualification objectives as those of the French professional diplomas (BTS and DUT) of the corresponding courses. This attestation must thus facilitate students going abroad in the pursuit of their studies and in obtaining a first job abroad, Diverchy explains.

Nguyen Hong Tay, director of Dung Quat College of Technology, appreciates the work of the French experts.

Their new training programme is very interesting and suitable to our college. Thanks to their support, we find the shortest way for our students to get from school to enterprises. The graduate students will be employed by enterprises at once without any other training session. They also have opportunity to work in Europe, he says, adding that the 60 selected students have been offered job by different enterprises in the region.

International brews: Francois Sanchez enjoys beer with a Vietnamese colleague and friend in Ha Noi. Photo Courtesy of Francois Sanchez

Enjoying life in Viet Nam

The project will officially end in December. Sanchez admits that it will be very difficult for him not to come back to Viet Nam often.

I have friends everywhere in Viet Nam. I miss them already, he said.

Diverchy said that his total time in Viet Nam is 6 months, with 12 trips in total.

My working days in Viet Nam were almost entirely devoted to meeting with enterprises, and teachers. True friendship was then created.

When I am in France, we remain in almost permanent contact on social networks. I like my life in Viet Nam and find the same simplicity and kindness as the inhabitants in the north of France, confides Diverchy.

He will come back to Viet Nam in October for another project in HCM City.  VNS
HCM CITY  The remains of 758 Vietnamese experts and volunteers, only two of whom have been identified by name, were repatriated from Cambodia late last year and this year during the dry season, when searches for remains were conducted.

Vietnamese and Cambodian special task force committees in HCM City yesterday announced the figure during a meeting to review the outcomes of collaboration between the two countries in search and repatriation efforts in Cambodia.

The special task committee for Vietnamese has provided US$420,000 for a Cambodia special task force for the search and repatriation of Vietnamese martyrs remains during the 2017-18 dry season, according to Deputy Minister of Defence Lieutenant General Le Chiem.

Chiem, who is also head of Viet Nams special task committee, said the positive results were strongly attributed to the close cooperation between the two countries.

Viet Nam highly appreciates Cambodias special task committees guidance and efficient operation in the search and repatriation of the remains of Vietnamese soldiers who sacrificed their lives during wartime in Cambodia, Chiem told Viet Nam News.

Pol Sa-ruon, chairman of the Cambodian special task committee, said that sound coordination between the two countries would bring further positive results.

The retrieval of soldiers remains has been difficult because of a lack of information as most of the remains are in locations that are difficult to access.

In the future, the two countries will direct relevant authorities to carry out the search and repatriation of martyrs remains and, at the same time, seek more information from local residents.

Nearly 4,000 Vietnamese martyrs who died during wartime in Cambodia have not been found.

The two countries have targeted completion of the search, gathering and repatriation of martyrs remains by 2020.  VNS
LAM ONG  A man in uc Trong District was discovered in possession of two dead tigers, according to Phan Van Thong, head of the local police.

On Tuesday, the Environmental Crime Department under Lam ong Province Police worked with uc Trong District Police to discover the bodies of two tigers at Huy Hoang 2 furniture workshop, owned by 32-year-old Vo Anh Huy in Phu Hoi Wards Chi Rong Village.

During inspection, police found a tigers body infused in wine, while another was stored in a freezer. The bodies were subsequently transferred to uc Trong District Police.

Huy admitted that he bought the two tigers to present as gifts.

Thong said the district police would collaborate with the forest protection department to conduct forensic tests on the two bodies.

Tiger infused in wine is believed to treat bone, joint and muscle diseases, and is often seen as an invaluable gift in Viet Nam.

However, according to Nguyen Xuan Huong, former president of Viet Nam Orientally Traditional Medicine Association, the benefits of consuming tiger have not been proven.

Tigers are listed as endangered wild animals. According to Viet Nams Penal Code, the poaching, killing, and trading of endangered wild animals are illegal and offenders may face up to seven-year imprisonment.  VNS
by Thai Ha

HA NOI  It has been five years since our surgery, but I feel like it was recent. I remember the day when I was hospitalized. You, with your loving thick glasses, were the first person I met. And during my days of treatment, you always encouraged my mother and me. You bring hope to me and others and help sick hearts.

This is one part of a letter, among a number of letters from young patients to their loving doctor  Tran ac ai, head of the Childrens Heart Ward under the E Hospital in Ha Noi.

Many of the letters have spelling mistakes, but all of them are full of emotion and love for the doctor, who clearly plays the extra role of the childrens fairy godmother.

Childrens angel

ais Facebook page is full of hundreds of messages of gratitude from patients and their families. With the messages are photographs of children with beautiful smiles proving the marvelous thing that ai has brought to their families. To them, ai is an angel wearing a white blouse.

The children suffering from innate heart diseases may not have had the opportunity to write such thankful sayings if an unexpected incident had not happened several years ago.

When he was a student, ai was never interested in becoming a doctor. He dreamt of becoming an agronomist.

At the university entrance exam, ai, who came from the northern province of Bac Ninhs Que Vo District, was accepted by all four universities. He chose the Hai Phong Medical University, following advice from his relatives.

ai did not have any passion during his two first years at the university.

In his third year, during a period gaining practical experience at the Hai Phong Paediatrics Hospital, ai witnessed a boy suffering from serious diarrhoea and subsequently dying. The boys image made ai lose sleep all night, as the boy was as small as ais nephew. Since then, ai determined to become a passionate doctor to help limit loss of life.

After finishing his five years at the university, ai continued to study three more years to become a resident physician.

Once when ai was in his practical period at the National Paediatrics Hospital, the hospital received 28 patients in serious condition, but had only two doctors and six nurses. The hospital lost electricity one day, and some of the 28 patients were in critical condition, so doctors and nurses had to continuously give them manual ventilation.

ai remembered that at that time he was very afraidafraid that he could not fulfill the work and that the children might die. But three years of studying as a resident physician helped ai become a doctor with a strong spirit, able to handle serious cases.

Passion

ai remembers deeply the moment that he gave himself a heart ultrasound to distinguish a healthy heart from his pediatric patients sick hearts.

ai has often bought pigs hearts to give them ultrasounds, looking for the similarities and differences with human hearts.

After receiving the resident physician degree, ai received a scholarship to study for a year in France, learning about innate heart diseases.

Doctor ai gives heart ultrasound to a baby.  Photo tienphong.vn

Completing the course, ai returned to Viet Nam and met associate professor Nguyen Lan Hieu, an expert on innate heart disease, a member of the 14National Assembly and deputy director of the Ha Noi Medical University Hospital. He also met Professor Le Ngoc Thanh, director of the E Hospital, to express his hope to pursue a specialty in innate heart disease, which is considered to be very difficult.

Speaking about ai, associate professor Hieu cannot hide his pride.

The day I met him for the first time was a special day. A baby cried loudly before the surgery, and ai, very gentle, made the baby smile after only some minutes. I immediately realised that ai was born to do the work, which is miserably hard and difficult, said Hieu.

ai understands well the knowledge that associate professor Hieu taught him, and became Hieus honest colleague.

ai does well the work that I dream of doing but have not done, such as taking care of the children with innate heart diseases from the time they are in the womb until after they are born, said Hieu.

With ai, I believe in a bright future for Viet Nams innate heart sector, he said.

ai said that his biggest motivation is seeing the patients smiles after they recover. ai has tried his best to keep little angels alive, and he seems to be born to revive small hearts.  VNS
HA NOI  The Ministry of Health has issued a warning that the current season, which is when students gather for the new school year, is when cases of hand-foot and mouth disease in children are on the rise.

The possibility of an outbreak is high in this weather wen summer changes to autumn, accompanied by rainfall, unless authorities and health offices take prompt preventive measures, the Department of Preventive Medicine under the ministry warned.

In Ha Noi, over the last week, 12 children were hospitalised for treatment of hand-foot and mouth disease, while there were 121 cases reported in HCM City.

Associate Professor Tran ac Phu, general director of the Preventive Medicine Department, said hand-foot and mouth disease is an acute viral infection transmitted by the digestive tract. The disease is common in infants and likely to cause severe epidemics.

It is very contagious if hygiene measures are not followed. In Viet Nam, the number of cases tends to increase between March and May and from September to December.

The departments statistics showed that since the beginning of this year, there were 51,218 cases of hand-foot and mouth cases nationwide, of which 23,272 patients were hospitalised.

The number of hospitalisation cases increased by 3.4 per cent against the same period last year.

Interestingly, the number of cases tended to increase in recent weeks, and was predicted to continue to rise in the coming weeks when students returned to school, as this was also the time for a change of season.

According to health experts, the disease is most contagious in the first week after a patient is infected and may last for several weeks due to the virus focal in the waste. Signs of the disease are fever, sore throat, oral mucosal lesions and skin mainly in the form of scalds commonly found on the palms, soles of the feet, knees and buttocks.

Most cases are mild. However, in some cases, the disease can be severe and dangerous complications such as encephalitis, myocarditis and acute pulmonary edema that could lead to death should be detected early to ensure timely treatment

Hand-foot and mouth disease mainly occurs in children under the age of 10, and particularly in those under five. The smaller the child is, the more serious the symptoms are.

All those who have not suffered from the disease are at risk of infection when they come in contact with infected instruments or surfaces, but not everyone who is infected with the virus shows signs of the disease, Tran ac Phu, general director, said.

Pregnant women should especially avoid close contact with an infected person since the virus can be transmitted to the baby either before birth or during childbirth. It is notable that a person can be infected multiple times because every time he or she is infected, the body produces antibodies to a specific virus. Therefore, even if a person has been infected once, the disease can return if infected with another virus belonging to the Enterovirus group.  VNS
HCM CITY  HCM City has recorded 13,763 cases of dengue fever since the beginning of this year, an increase of 27 per cent compared to the same period last year, according to the citys Department of Health.

However, the increase in the last eight weeks was part of a slowing trend, a representative of the department said at a meeting with health centres and hospitals held yesterday.

From August 25-31, 466 patients with dengue fever were reported, a drop of 10 per cent compared to the last four weeks, according to the city Preventive Health Centre.

Many districts such as Binh Tan, Binh Chanh, Can Gio, and Hoc Mon have seen a decrease in the number of patients with dengue fever thanks to clearing away of water containers which could be home to mosquito larvae.

However, several other districts, including Binh Thanh, Cu Chi, Nha Be and 8, have seen an increase in the number of cases.

Dr Le Hong Nga, head of the centres division for the control of infectious diseases, said that local health officials and authorities should continue preventive methods for sustainably controlling mosquitoes which transmit the disease to humans, although the disease has seen a slow upward trend.

There still is a risk of an increase in cases, Nga said.

She instructed local health officials to continue to spray chemicals to destroy mosquitoes as scheduled and review their wards or communes with an increase in cases to ensure that preventive methods are done in a timely fashion.

The centre has provided training courses on prevention to teachers and health officials at schools, Nga said.

A department representative said that it would review the spraying of chemicals to check whether health officials are doing the job properly.

The proper method for spraying will be expanded throughout the city, he added.  VNS
HA NOI  Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc has requested the Government take another look at VN Pharmas licence to import seven drugs manufactured by Helix Pharmaceuticals Inc of Canada and the companys registration papers for drug circulation.

The Government inspectorates will report on the inspection of the pharmaceutical company to the PM before December 31.

The Government Office has just sent the PMs direction to relevant offices, also requesting inspection of the companys winning bid to supply drugs for hospitals nation-wide.

The Ministry of Health denied granting any favour to VN Pharma, but doubts are swirling over the ministrys involvement in the companys scandalous drug smuggling racket.

Deputy Health Minister Nguyen Viet Tien issued a press release on August 29, clarifying the ministrys responsibilities in connection with the licensing for VN Pharma to import 9,300 boxes of H-Capita 500mg in 2013.

H-Capita 500mg contained capecitabine, mainly used to treat breast, gastric and colorectal cancers.

VN Pharma had all the necessary papers. But an investigation later uncovered that the papers were expertly forged and the fraud could not be detected with the naked eye, according to the ministrys press release.

Recently, however, several press agencies reported that the case resulted from the loosening of the Ministry of Healths management in issuing licences to import drugs.

On August 30, at the regular Government meeting with the participation of the Supreme Peoples Court and the Supreme Peoples Procuracy, Deputy Prime Minister Vu uc am mentioned that VN Pharma imported fake cancer medicines.

According to the Deputy PM, the law enforcement agency handled the issue, but public opinion was of special concern, as the scandal affected peoples confidence in the entire health system.

Therefore, the case should be strictly punished in accordance with the provisions of the law.

"I have the idea to inspect the Ministry of Healths licensing for importing drugs and issuing registration papers. On the other hand, I suggest the relevant offices to clarify issues of public concern, the Deputy PM said.

The inspection was based on transparency and vigilance, he said.

According to sources from zing.vn online newspaper, the Government inspectorate will add the case of VN Pharma to the whole inspection plan at the Ministry of Health of 2017.

The HCM City Peoples Court sentenced Nguyen Minh Hung, VN Pharmas chairman of the Board of Directors cum general director, and Vo Manh Cuong, director of H&C International Marine Trade company, to 12 years behind bars for smuggling. Cuong bought the drugs from a source overseas and later sold them to VN Pharma.  VNS
POINTE-A-PITRE  The French part of the Caribbean island St Martin is "95 per cent destroyed" after Hurricane Irma tore through the region, top local official Daniel Gibbs said late Wednesday.

"Its an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five per cent of the island is destroyed. Im in shock. Its frightening," said Gibbs, a former French lawmaker, speaking on Radio Caribbean International.

The island is in need of emergency assistance, he said. "I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I dont know where I can shelter them," he said.

At least six people have been killed in the French part of St Martin, Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, cut a deadly swath through a string of small Caribbean islands on Wednesday.

The French minister for overseas affairs, Annick Girardin, was to fly to Guadeloupe late Wednesday with emergency teams and supplies to assess the situation, the ministry said.

"Its too soon for casualty figures (but) I can already tell you the toll will be harsh and cruel," French President Macron said, adding that he expected damage on St Barts and St Martin to be "considerable".

St Martin ("Sint Maarten" in Dutch), located south of the island of Anguilla, is divided between the Netherlands and France.

St Barts ("Saint Barthelemy" in French), which lies to the southeast of St Martin, is administered with the status of a French collectivity, as is the French part of St Martin.

Total devastation in Barbuda

Hurricane Irma also killed one person and left behind "total devastation" as the monster storm smashed into the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda on Wednesday, the prime minister said.

"It is just total devastation, Barbuda now is literally rubble," Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in the aftermath of the Category Five storm.

Speaking later on CNN, Browne said 95 percent of properties in Barbuda were damaged, with up to 30 percent demolished.

"It is absolutely heart-wrenching," he said.

One person is known to have died, Browne said, apparently to be child whose mother was taking him or her to safety after the building they were in was damaged.

The airport was damaged and flights were unable to land. Badly-needed aid will have to be flown in by helicopter from Antigua, he added.

"We have estimated the rebuilding efforts to be no less than US$100 million. That is conservative, because were talking about rebuilding everything, all of the institutions, the infrastructure, the telecommunications, the roads... Even the hotels on the island, those are totally demolished, as well. It is terrible."

Located east of Puerto Rico, Barbuda has 1,600 residents and is the sister island of Antigua, which was spared the worst of the storm.  AFP
GENEVA  United Nations war crimes investigators said on Wednesday that they had evidence Syrian government forces were behind a chemical attack which killed dozens of people in Khan Sheikhun in April.

In the first UN report to officially blame Damascus, the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) on Syria said it had gathered an "extensive body of information" showing that the Syrian airforce was behind the horrific sarin gas attack on April 4.

"All evidence available leads the commission to conclude that there are reasonable grounds to believe Syrian forces dropped an aerial bomb dispersing sarin in Khan Sheikhun," the report said.

At least 83 people, a third of them children, were killed and nearly 300 wounded in the attack on Khan Sheikhun, a town in the opposition-held northern province of Idlib, it said.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitor, has previously given a death toll of at least 87.

Syrias government has denied involvement and claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal.

A fact-finding mission by the UNs chemical watchdog, the OPCW, concluded earlier this year that sarin gas was used in the attack, but did not assign blame.

A joint UN-OPCW panel is currently working to determine whether Syrian government forces were behind the attack.

Significant evidence

But Wednesdays report is the first from the UN to officially lay the blame for the attack on Damascus.

The report also found the Syrian government responsible for at least 23 other chemical attacks in the war-ravaged country since March 2013.

The investigators, who were never granted access to Syria, said they based their findings on photographs of bomb remnants, satellite imagery and eyewitness testimony.

They determined that a Su-22 fighter bomber, which is operated only by the Syrian air force, conducted four airstrikes in Khan Sheikhun at around 6:45 am on April 4.

"The commission identified three of the bombs as likely OFAB-100-120 and one as a chemical bomb," the report said, adding that "photographs of weapon remnants depict a chemical aerial bomb of a type manufactured in the former Soviet Union."

The investigators said they had found no evidence supporting Syrian and Russian claims that the chemicals had been released when an air strike hit an opposition weapons depot in the area producing chemical munitions.

Their report, which covers the period from March 1 to July 7, also found that Syrian government forces had carried out chemical attacks on at least three other occasions since March -- in Idlib, Hamah and eastern Ghouta -- using weaponised chlorine.

Moscow, a main supporter of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, denounced the report as "amateurish, propagandistic, and not professional or impartial."

"Despite claiming depth and even some scientific expertise, it is very superficial and this becomes evident when you read it," the foreign ministrys weapons proliferation chief Mikhail Ulyanov told the Interfax news service.

Security Council permanent member Russia -- which supports Damascus militarily -- has consistently fended off accusations that the Syrian regime was responsible for a chemical weapons attack at Khan Sheikhun. AFP
WATERLOO  Two people have been arrested in connection with the slaying of a former Waterloo resident who was found dead in his Florida business.

Christopher E. Dykes, 54, had grown up in Waterloo and graduated from Waterloo Central High School in 1981 before relocating to St. Petersburg, Fla., where he operated a machinery business.

On Aug. 28, Florida authorities were called to Dykes business, Fabmaster D. Machinery on Oak Street Northeast in St. Petersburg, after an employee who arrived to open the businesses was unable to open the building. The worker was also unable to find Dykes, who lived at the business, according to deputies with the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office.

Deputies forced their way into the building because they were concerned for Dykes safety, and inside they found his body amid evidence of a struggle.

Following the investigation, authorities developed a Fabmaster employee, Jaritza Maribel Diaz, 24, and Christopher Lee Robertson II, 34, as suspects, and on Saturday the two were found in a hotel on South Dixie Highway in Homestead, Fla.

Diaz was initially detained on a vehicle theft warrant, and Robertson was arrested for assault on an officer in connection with Diaz's arrest, according to the Pinellas County Sheriffs Office.

During a search of their room, investigators found evidence connected to the slaying, deputies said, and Diaz and Robertson were charged with first-degree murder. Deputies said both knew Dykes.

A memorial service for Dykes will be Sept. 15 at Richardson Funeral Home.

Dykes lost an older brother in February 2017 to a workplace accident. Robert Leo Dykes, 55, of Joliet, Ill., died after being trapped between machinery at his business in Rockdale, Ill., on Feb. 16.
WATERLOO  A Waterloo woman has been arrested for allegedly stealing from the bedridden woman she was taking care of.

Anita Maxine Shannon, 35, of 1515 Lafayette St., was arrested Tuesday on a warrant for felony dependent adult exploitation. She was later release from the Black Hawk County Jail.

Police said Shannon had been looking after the 63-year-old woman and lived at the womans home on East Ridgeway Avenue beginning in 2016.

The residence  was often in deplorable conditions, and numerous arrests were occurring from there, a Waterloo officer who investigated the case wrote in a court affidavit.

Shannon also wrote checks belonging to the woman and used her credit and debit cards without authorization, taking thousands of dollars from the woman, according to police. On one occasion, Shannon cashed a $300 check after signing the womans name and used some of the money to buy meth along with household items, court records state.

The Iowa Department of Human Services investigated the situation and determined the exploitation allegations were founded, records state.

Court records show Shannon has several arrests for theft and drugs in recent months.

In March 24 she allegedly made authorized purchases with a Hudson residents debit card and was later arrested for unauthorized use of a credit card.

In April, Waterloo police were called about someone going through Dumpsters and looking in vehicles near a Flammang Drive business and found Shannon with prescription drugs issued to another person and a syringe.

She was arrested on drug charges. During the investigation, police found a hidden compartment in Shannons purse that contained a credit card in a Cedar Falls mans name.

The man and his relatives told police they didnt know the card existed until they started to receive the bills. Some $400 was charged to the cards over a two-day period, records state.

Also in April, Shannon and her boyfriend were arrested for the theft of a Chromebook computer and a Hewlett Packard laptop that were stolen from another person living at the Ridgeway Avenue address, court records state.
CEDAR FALLS  ACT scores dipped for Iowas class of 2017, a drop that was reflected in the Cedar Valleys two largest school districts.

Last springs graduates of Cedar Falls High School who took the college entrance exam earned an average composite score of 23.6. Thats a drop of 0.9 from 2016. For Waterloo East, Expo and West high schools, 2017 graduates had an average composite score of 20.1, a drop of 0.3.

Of the 10 other high schools across Black Hawk County and the surrounding area that took part in a survey of 2017 ACT results by The Courier, average composite scores went down for five, up for four and remained the same for one.

Decreases in the scores ranged from 0.1 to 1.8 and increases ranged from 0.8 to 5.3.

Iowa City-based ACT testing service released national and state data today for more than 2 million 2017 graduates across the country. There were 23,306 Iowans who took the ACT, or 67 percent of last springs graduating seniors. Iowas average composite dropped 0.2 to 21.9. The national average is 21 out of a possible 36.

For the past two years, Cedar Falls average score was the highest ever achieved by the district. Its pretty tough to have that bar up so high, said Dan Conrad, the districts secondary education director.

He added that average scores in just about every one of the tests were down, contributing to the decline in the composite. The four subject areas included on the ACT are English, math, reading and science. Compared to past years, Conrad said a smaller percentage of students reported taking higher level core subject classes and a larger percentage did not complete ACT prep courses, both of which could have affected scores.

Conrad saw some positives in the data, as well. He noted one student earned a 36 composite score and 32 students achieved a 30 or above. We had 81 percent (of the test-takers) who earned 20 or above, he said, the minimum composite score needed for admission to many colleges.

Overall, again, we have to be pleased that we continue to score considerably higher than the state and national average, Conrad noted.

Waterloos public high schools saw a 0.2 increase in the average math score, but everything else was down, said Charles McNulty, associate superintendent for educational services. Participations up from last year 5 percent, he added, which can result in a drop in scores. Ideally, he would like to see an increase in both participation and scores.

ACT staff members are working with Waterloo Community Schools middle school counselors next week, McNulty noted, on guiding students to classes that will better prepare them for college. Thats a central measure in ACT scores. Ensuring that the districts middle and high school curriculum will support college readiness is a large part of our five-year plan, he said.

Officials from several schools surveyed by The Courier noted some difficulties in comparing ACT scores between graduating classes. Jeff Dieken, principal of Hudson High School, said the tests are a snap shot of one day in one students life. They dont show the academic growth of the same student or group of students over multiple years.

In addition, a fluctuation in class sizes can affect the change in average scores from one year to the next. That can be more pronounced in smaller schools, like Hudson. Dieken noted Hudsons class of 2017 was the smallest in decades with 34 graduates compared to 58 the year before. The composite score rose by 2.3 for last springs graduates, to 23.8.

Waterloo Christian School experienced an even bigger swing with its seven-member class of 2017. Their average composite score increased 5.3 to 26.4.

We had a National Merit Scholar who just shot our scores through the roof, said Jennifer Neifer, the schools administrator.
IOWA CITY  The tuition task force report delivered to the Iowa Board of Regents on Thursday didnt offer any hints on what it plans to propose in October.

But it was clear throughout the presentation the regents and university heads are trying to keep costs low and be transparent in hopes of securing additional state funding.

Were going to keep working with them. Were trying to make the case of what will continue to help our universities to be here for the next generation and also try to work through the details in public of how we arrive at a decision on tuition, said regents President Mike Richards.

He continued, I think were thoughtfully putting our ideas and plans out here, and I hope to be talking to the legislators individually about what we think the priorities are.

UPDATE: Nook presents five-year outlook for UNI budget CEDAR FALLS  University of Northern Iowa President Mark Nook summed up the institutions bu

The tuition task force was established this spring to look at a long-term vision for the universities tuition rates, particularly after the regents had to come back for a second increase in two consecutive school years.

Richards, who was not on the task force, said three themes emerges during meetings on the three university campuses this summer.

They were that students want lower tuition increases; students and parents want more predictability; and theres support for differing tuition rates at the three public universities.

Thursdays the board took public comments for the second time, and both speakers drove home those points. They raised concerns about tuition and whether the board was doing enough to ensure higher education is affordable.

The board did not discuss proposed rates for next school year, which will have a first reading at the Oct. 18-19 regents meeting at University of Northern Iowa.

Tuition is topic at UNI meeting CEDAR FALLS  Iowa Regent Larry McKibben made clear from the outset of the tuition task forc

Regent Larry McKibben, who led the task force, said the groups report looked at national trends and summed up comments from university heads and the public. But the task force didnt have enough data yet to say what figure it would put forth for next year.

The question remains, What do we do next? McKibben said. It is clear that the Legislature and governor must make a long-term commitment to funding our public universities at a level that will maintain high-quality education, while not restricting student access.

Gov. Kim Reynolds' spokeswoman Brenna Smith said budget proposals are not finalized for the next session but higher education remains a priority. Smith said the governor has encouraged regents to look for ways to keep higher education costs down.

In the name of predictability, the board hopes to set just one tuition increase next year. Whether that leads it to err on the side of a higher increase Richards could not say.

Were going to come in with the right number, Richards said.

Regents adopt tuition increase, form task force to study rates CEDAR FALLS  The Iowa Board of Regents adopted a further tuition increase  bringing the to

The university heads explained the need for state funding and how theyve worked to keep costs down.

We have put together a budget thats extremely conservative; were going to have to do a great deal of work to meet that budget, said UNI President Mark Nook. What were asking for is the state to take on part of that, to increase our appropriation by about 2 percent each, in other words by about the (consumer price index).

Nook said the university could keep tuition increases to about the same 2 percent CPI if it had that state aid. Without it, he suggested the university would need to increase tuition by closer to 5 or 6 percent. University of Iowa and Iowa State University leaders have proposed closer to 7 percent annual increases without increased state aid.

Thats getting large. I think most people in the state say thats a significant increase. Its predictable. We know exactly what it is, but its right on the edge of whether or not thats reasonable, 5 percent per year, Nook said.
WATERLOO  A new wave of changes resulting from the passage of a state collective bargaining law will soon ripple across the Cedar Valley.

The law, enacted Feb. 17 after being passed by a Republican-led Legislature, set up a process for public labor unions to recertify their units by holding an election ahead of a new contract negotiation.

With the first contracts expiring June 30, 2018, the Iowa Public Employment Relations Board has set dates for two waves of elections this month and again in October.

The board, which only has authority to oversee the Chapter 20 code, held an informational meeting Wednesday in Waterloo to discuss what employers, employees and unions will need to do to prepare for those elections.

Weve never run this sort of election, said Jasmina Sarajlija, an administrative law judge with Iowa PERB.

PERB hears United Faculty complaint CEDAR FALLS  Challenges to the states new collective bargaining law are making their way t

She explained the elections using the example of Teamsters.

What were asking employees in these elections is Do you wish to keep Teamsters as your representative? And we have to run it every time theres a new contract negotiated, and its triggered by the expiration date, Sarajlija said.

An estimated 13 bargaining units, with 1,300 potential voters, will have an election beginning next week. Another 553 units, with 37,361 potential voters and representing nearly half of the states public units, will vote in October.

UNI faculty, administration forge alternative to bargaining agreement CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowas faculty and administration wasted no time af

Those voting in October have a contract expiration date of June 30; the ones voting in September have an expiration somewhere between July 1, 2018, and Aug. 31, 2018. Sarajlija said the reason for having the earlier expiring contracts vote later is simply due to the sheer number voting and needing more time to get the voting systems in place.

Voting in September will be by mail-in ballot during the period of Sept. 12-26. No local public employees unions will vote in September.

The October voting will take place through the phone and computer during the period of Oct. 10-24. Several area unions, including some from Waterloo and Cedar Falls schools, will vote during this period.

More information about who will vote and about recertification is at https://iowaperb.iowa.gov/recertifications.

Sarajlija stressed one of the changes is potential voters include all employees covered under the contract  not just members  and those who choose not to vote will be counted as opposing recertification.

Employers have an obligation to ensure their employees know about the upcoming elections, and unions also are allowed to inform them.

The about 50 people who attended the forum had several questions about how the process would work. Sarajlija answered most of them, but a few showed how new the law was for the board as well as public employees.

She said, for instance, she wasnt sure what would happen to those unions who lose recertification votes if lawsuits against the legislation prove to be successful.

Democratic candidates come down on labors side ALTOONA  Democrats running for governor told union members restoring public employee bargai

The questions, though, stayed mostly focused on the upcoming elections, rather than the substance of the law that has been heavily criticized by union members.

That was thanks in part to the explanation from Iowa Sen. Bill Dotzler, D-Waterloo, who opposed the law change but explained PERBs role in enforcing it.

In fairness to them, theyre stuck with the mess they got handed, Dotzler said.
CEDAR RAPIDS  President Donald Trumps decision to give Congress six months to find a legislative solution to an Obama-era policy protecting young immigrants from deportation seems appropriate to Sen. Joni Ernst, who called for compassion for the so-called Dreamers.

This is Congress job, she told reporters Thursday, adding that she supports Trumps decision not to continue the overreach of authority by the past administration.

Former President Barack Obamas 2012 executive order established a program allowing nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States. Dreamers  immigrants who had entered the U.S. without authorization before age 16, and had no serious criminal records  could apply for renewable two-year reprieves from deportation and work permits.

Even President Obama had stated that it was a temporary order and he himself stated many times over that it is something that needs to be addressed by Congress, Ernst said.

Although she doesnt support giving Dreamers citizenship, Ernst called for great compassion as Congress deals with the issue of the Dreamers who were brought to the United States by their parents through no fault of their own.

Congress should identify and pursue a measured approach that addresses their unique situation, but also respects the importance of our immigration laws and discourages future illegal immigration.

As Congress takes up DACA, Ernst would like to see the conversation broadened to include securing the border and modernizing the legal immigration system.

Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller has joined colleagues in 14 states and the District of Columbia in challenging the presidents action.

Ernst doubted that effort would be fruitful.
CEDAR RAPIDS  State Rep. Pat Grassley, R-New Hartford, is among those mentioned as a possible successor to Iowa Secretary of Agriculture Bill Northey.

Gov. Kim Reynolds will appoint a successor to Northey if his nomination by President Donald Trump to be an undersecretary at the USDA is confirmed by the U.S. Senate. Other names mentioned as possible replacements include Sen. Tim Kapucian, a Benton County Republican, former Iowa House member Annette Sweeney of Alden and Sen. Dan Zumbach of Ryan.
WATERLOO  The city has won a battle over unemployment benefits with a longtime sewage treatment plant employee fired for misconduct.

A ruling filed with Iowa Workforce Development this month stated Mark Brandes, a former Waterloo Waste Management Services employee who had worked 22 years for the city, was not entitled to unemployment benefits after being fired June 26.

Administrative law judge Jeremy Peterson also said Brandes was responsible for repaying $2,275 in unemployment benefits hed received since his termination.

The city had appealed an earlier decision granting unemployment insurance payments to Brandes because city officials said he was disqualified from the benefit after being discharged for job-related misconduct.

Peterson said the city presented substantial and credible evidence that on June 6, 2017, (Brandes) used profanity and made offensive statements to a supervisor about a co-worker and his department head.

The supervisor, Ryan Broadhead, testified Brandes referred to Waste Management Services Director Steve Hoambrecker as the fat little (expletive) Whinny Poo at the end of the hall and to a female co-worker as the (expletive) in her corner playboy office and the little boy.

The city also accused Brandes of actions that left some co-workers uncomfortable, walking around the office in a dunce cap and leaving a note on Hoambreckers desk calling him overpaid.

Brandes, in an Aug. 23 telephone hearing, denied leaving the note or making profane comments.

But Peterson noted security video appeared to show Brandes most likely left the note, while some of the comments were corroborated by several city employees.

The firing leaves the city with two vacancies in key positions related to the waste water treatment plants capacity, management, operation and maintenance program. The CMOM effort is required under a consent decree the city approved with the U.S. Department of Justice two years ago to settle claims brought by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

Broadhead, a key witness in the Brandes unemployment hearing, left his position Aug. 25 after working for the city less than four months. Broadhead pleaded guilty July 14 to felony misuse of public money based on actions with his previous employer in Salt Lake City, Utah, and was sentenced to probation.

The City Council, meeting as the human resources committee, voted 5-1 Tuesday to authorize city staff to start the process of filling both positions. Councilman Bruce Jacobs was absent and Councilman Tom Lind voted no.
WATERLOO  A stretch of U.S. Highway 63 is expected to be closed next week in preparation for next years major reconstruction project.

The Iowa Department of Transportation is planning to close U.S. 63 in both directions between Dane and Newell streets from 7 a.m. Monday and reopen it Sept. 18, weather permitting.

Contractors will be installing a groundwater suppression system at the Canadian National Railway underpass, which will help keep the construction site dry when the highway is reconstructed between Franklin and Newell streets starting next year.

Progress: Highway 63 project rebuilds road and economy WATERLOO  The U.S. Highway 63 project goes well beyond repairing a road.

Motorists next week will be detoured around the construction zone on an official detour using Airline Highway, Airport Boulevard and U.S. Highway 218.

The DOT urges motorists to drive with caution, obey the posted speed limit and other signs in the work area, and be aware traffic fines for moving violations are at least double in work zones.

State transportation officials approved a $26.4 million contract with Peterson Contractors Inc. of Reinbeck in June to rebuild the highway between Franklin and Newell streets and erect a bridge over the railroad tracks, replacing the often-flooded underpass.

Flooded underpass was caused by bird WATERLOO | A bird was responsible for flooding over the weekend at the U.S. Highway 63 railr

Traffic will be detoured around the overpass section starting next spring for the project, which is expected to wrap up in 2019.

The overpass is the final stage of an overall rebuilding of U.S. 63 from downtown Waterloo north to Donald Street, near UnityPoint Health-Allen Hospital.

Langman Construction Inc. of Rock Island, Ill., is currently working on a $19.4 million rebuilding of the one-way couplet of Mullan Avenue and East First Street from Jefferson Street to Franklin.
UNI rededicates Lawther Hall

CEDAR FALLS  The University of Northern Iowa will rededicate the newly renovated Lawther Hall at 1 p.m. Friday in the Lawther Hall South Courtyard.

A reception and tours will follow the program from 1:30 to 3 p.m.

The historically valued Lawther Hall closed during the 2015-16 and 2016-17 academic years to undergo renovations. The modernized hall now offers:

Housing for 401 students.

Three ADA entrances and an elevator.

Electronic card access.

Single and suite-style rooms with private and semi-private bathrooms.

Air conditioning and a fire suppression system.

New finishes and furnishings throughout the facility.

This event is open to the public. Parking is available in the Multimodal Transportation Center on 23rd Street.

Farmers market today in CF

CEDAR FALLS  The College Hill Farmers Market will have local meat and eggs for sale this week. The market is open from 4 to 6 p.m. today at the corner of West 22nd and College streets.

AEA plans open house Friday

CEDAR FALLS  Central Rivers Area Education Agency will host an open house at its new location, 1521 Technology Parkway, from 2 to 5 p.m. on Friday.

The public is invited to the open house. Tours and refreshments will be provided in addition to an informational program.

The agency, formerly known as AEA 267, purchased the former Pipac Center on the Lake in October and renovated the space to provide expanded professional learning capacity for the 5,000 educators it serves, increase efficiency by reducing long-term overhead costs and advance efforts to integrate fundamental services by housing them under one roof.

Humane society offers $10 cats

and kittens

WATERLOO  The adoption fee for all cats and kittens at Cedar Bend Humane Society is $10 now through Sunday; a spay or neuter deposit may apply.

The group needs to make space for the additional kittens arriving every day. Because of the unusual high volume of kittens, CBHS is asking the community to call ahead if they need to surrender a litter of kittens, as available kennel space is limited.

The adoption center, 1166 W. Airline Highway, is open Tuesday through Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Adoption applications may be filled out online at www.CedarBendHumane.org.

9/11 blood drive planned Monday

WATERLOO Waterloo Fire Rescue will host an American Red Cross blood drive in observance of the 9/11 anniversary 12:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. Monday in the main bay of the fire station at 425 E. Third St.

The event is sponsored by radio stations KFMW, KOKZ, KXEL and KPTY formerly KWLO.

Iowas Bravest asking for help

EVANSDALE  Iowas Bravest will be sending appreciation holiday boxes to the 35 soldiers in the Waterloo-based Iowa Army National Guards 2-211th unit, deploying as part of Operation Enduring Freedom.

The group needs monetary donations to cover postage and items for the boxes. Checks should be made out to Iowas Bravest and can be mailed to the Evansdale AMVETS, 706 Colleen Ave., Evansdale, 50707.

Donations of individually wrapped snack items, small gifts and letters of support will also be accepted.
WATERLOO -- Youth Art Team students ages 5-18 are accepting nominations from individuals, civic groups, churches, organizations, businesses, and others to honor 30 hardworking Cedar Valley people of any age, past and present who are unsung heroes. The first round of submissions is due Friday.

The young artists will create and install colorful silhouettes and a short video of 15 honorees later this year in the Waterloo Center for the Arts Urban Gallery, East Fourth and Sycamore streets. Submission information is online at www.youthartteam.com/submit.

"The students are looking for unsung local heroes who deserve recognition because they do small things to make a bigger impact, show compassion, influence other people, or change lives. Those are just some of the final criteria the students developed," explained Heidi Fuchtman, Youth Art Team director. Students will select honorees with some adult help.

A second round of submissions is due Dec. 31, to choose 15 more people for a spring installation.

Youth Art Team is a group of students ages 5-18 in Waterloo/Cedar Falls who believe art has the power to change people and places. Members show community leadership through large-scale art projects like the butterfly project and recent street murals at the College Hill Arts Festival and North End Arts & Music Festival.

Urban Gallery Project student partners include Waterloo Writing Project, Lowell Elementary, and the University of Northern Iowa's Department of Art and College of Education hip hop literacy program.

The new Youth Art Team Urban Gallery Installation project is supported, in part, by the Iowa Arts Council, a division of the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs, the National Endowment for the Arts, the R.J. McElroy Trust, Omega Cabinetry, and First Presbyterian Church in Waterloo.

For more information, visit www.youthartteam.com
With last weekends surprise nuclear test, North Korea has reached final stage of its crash course to develop thermonuclear weapons that can reach and destroy U.S. cities. So why are we not on a crash course to protect our cities from North Korean nuclear missiles?

Answer: Because for more than three decades, Democrats have done everything in their power to prevent, obstruct or delay the deployment of ballistic missile defense.

Opposition to missile defense has been an article of faith for Democrats since President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983. Sen. Edward Kennedy led the early opposition to what Democrats derisively labeled Star Wars, denouncing missile defense as a mirage and a certain prescription for an arms race in outer space. Running against Reagan in 1984, Walter Mondale called it a dangerously destabilizing and unworkable hoax.

Reagan nonetheless moved forward with research and development, and his successor, George H. W. Bush, put missile defense on track for deployment with the Global Protection Against Limited Strikes program. But as soon as President Bill Clinton took office in 1993, he terminated GPALS and cut national missile defense funding by 80 percent, while downgrading it from an acquisition program to a technology demonstration program. Clinton also signed an agreement to revive the moribund Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which banned deployment of missile defense and whose status had come into question with the 1991 collapse of our treaty partner, the Soviet Union.

Then Republicans took over Congress, and passed a defense authorization bill in 1996 that required deployment. Clinton vetoed it on the grounds there was no threat. Secretary of Defense William Perry declared we do not need a national missile defense system because ... no rogue nation has [intercontinental ballistic missiles] ... and if these powers should ever pose a threat, our ability to retaliate with an overwhelming nuclear response will serve as a deterrent. In other words, national missile defense would never be needed  even to protect against a regime such as North Korea.

When President George W. Bush came to office, he revitalized missile defense efforts and withdrew from the ABM Treaty. Democrats were more upset than the Russians. Sen. Joseph Biden declared The thing we remain the least vulnerable to is an ICBM attack from another nation adding This premise that one day Kim Jong Il or someone will wake up one morning and say, Aha, San Francisco is specious.

Bush deployed the first ground-based interceptors in California and Alaska, and put in place a plan to deploy 44 interceptors by 2009. He reached a historic agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic to deploy defenses. And he dramatically increased funding for three critical programs: The first twothe Airborne Laser and the Kinetic Energy Interceptorwould take out a ballistic missile in the boost phase of flight, the most vulnerable eight minutes when a missile is still over enemy territory and presents a large, slower-moving target because the small nuclear warhead at the top has not yet separated from the large rocket filled with highly explosive fuel. The thirdthe Multiple Kill Vehiclewould place multiple warheads on our ground-based interceptors, so that instead of hitting a bullet with a bullet we could fire five or 10 bullets at each target, dramatically increasing chances of success.

If we had continued the Bush program over the past eight years, we would now have a robust array of defenses against any North Korean ICBM. We would be able to target a North Korean missile in the boost phase, and if that failed we would have 44 ground-based interceptors armed with hundreds of warheads that could be fired to take it out in mid-course.

But we did not continue the Bush program. President Barack Obama slashed funding for ballistic missile defense by 25 percent. As part of his failed reset with Russia, he scrapped Bush agreements with Poland and the Czech Republic. He reduced Bushs plan from 44 ground-based interceptors to just 30. (He belatedly changed course in 2012 after North Korea tested the Taepodong missile, but the United States still has not recovered from the delay.) And he cancelled the Airborne Laser, Kinetic Energy Interceptor and Multiple Kill Vehicle programs. As a result, North Korean now has eight minutes of unchallenged flight during which their missiles are most vulnerable, and we have dramatically reduced the chances of hitting a North Korean missile as it descends on a U.S. city.

Amazingly, on taking office, President Donald Trumps budget continued Obamas missile defense cuts, reducing funding by another $300 million. Trump has since recognized his mistake, promising We are going to be increasing the anti-missiles by a substantial amount of billions of dollars. Time to do so is short. He should immediately deliver Congress an emergency supplemental spending bill to speed the deployment of ground-based interceptors, and he should revive the Multiple Kill Vehicle, the Airborne Laser and Kinetic Energy Interceptor  and then work with Congress on a long-term plan to build and deploy space-based interceptors.

In 1983, Reagan asked Isnt it worth every investment necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war? For the Democrats, the answer was no. No one is happier about that today than Kim Jong Un.
Richard Bolling, the scholarly congressman of an earlier generation, taught me as a young reporter politics is a seamless web: Every act affects other actions.

It's a shame the late Missouri lawmaker isn't around to counsel Donald Trump. In the past few days, the president displayed anew his ignorance of this reality by threatening to terminate a trade pact with South Korea, and by having his administration end a Barack Obama order to protect young immigrants who came here as children from deportation.

Even if you are a raging protectionist, taking on South Korea or China on trade at the same time the U.S. needs their cooperation in dealing with the North Korean nuclear threat, perhaps the most dangerous global situation since the Cuban missile crisis, is just dumb.

And even if you're a raging anti-immigrationist like Attorney General Jeff Sessions, cracking down on undocumented workers now when many will be desperately needed in the rebuilding necessitated by the ravages of Hurricane Harvey is just dumb.

These issues are connected, though the president doesn't get it. Governing is about more than pandering to your base.

At the same time the U.S. and South Korea face escalating tensions from the North Korean nuclear threat, Trump is attacking both South Korea and China on trade deals. That is causing internal dissension in Seoul, according to reports, and not making it any easier to get cooperation from a reticent China in the Korean Peninsula crisis. The renegade North Korean regime has steadily increased its nuclear testing and missiles, causing enormous anxiety.

Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, a political risk and consulting firm, has said if Trump follows through on his trade threats, the biggest impact will be to imperil U.S.-South Korean security arrangements and to strengthen China's hand in the region. A number of other experts agree. If Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un are bluffing, they still could exacerbate a dangerous situation.

On immigration, the administration's decision to terminate Obama's decision to protect the child migrants comes on top of increasing deportation of all undocumented workers. Congress has six months to pass legislation on the so-called Dreamers, while there are reports of considerable fear in immigrant communities, with people trying to hide out in the shadows.

This has a direct effect on a number of industries, especially construction, where undocumented workers do a disproportionate amount of the hardest and dirtiest work. The Pew Research Center has estimated 15 percent of construction workers are undocumented. Home builders and construction firms are reporting serious shortages in some trades.

By some estimates, the destruction from Hurricane Harvey will require as much as a $200 billion rebuilding project; now another storm, Irma, is barreling through the Caribbean and toward the U.S. mainland. Even though Congress is likely to expeditiously authorize the money for the Harvey disaster, an insufficient workforce will seriously impede the reconstruction efforts,

Immigrants played an important role in rebuilding New Orleans and Mississippi's Gulf Coast after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. The task in Houston and other Texas cities is expected to be considerably larger this time, and the environment for immigrants is far more hostile today under Trump than it was under President George W. Bush.

New Orleans Mayor Mitch Landrieu, a Democrat, was not in office during Katrina but was there for some of the rebuilding, said he's convinced the "New Orleans rebuilding would not have happened as quickly without the help of the immigrant community." He added, "Many immigrants, of course, stayed and have become part of this community."
President Donald Trump has called the North American Free Trade Agreement a defective agreement and the worst trade deal maybe ever.

He is pessimistic about recent talks to revise it, saying, I dont think we can make a deal because we have been so badly taken advantage of  so I think well end up probably terminating NAFTA at some point.

If he does so, struggling Iowa farmers will feel the impact. Trump nearly opted out of the agreement in April, but was dissuaded from doing so because of its impact on farm states. Agricultural exports to Mexico and Canada, which were $8.9 billion in 1993, now surpass $38 billion.

It has been a boon to Iowa corn, soybean, pork and poultry producers, but a mixed bag for others. Fruit and vegetable producers have complained about competing against Mexican subsidies. Cattle ranchers, wheat farmers and dairy producers have accused Canada of blocking imports.

NAFTA  the free trade pact involving the U.S., Mexico and Canada  was negotiated by President George H.W. Bush and signed by President Bill Clinton, taking effect in January 1994. Tariffs were eliminated on most products, notably involving agriculture, vehicles and textiles.

NAFTA does need to be fixed, leveling unfair playing fields and adding provisions for telecommunications, finance and digital and intellectual property.

Trump has strange bedfellows in opposing NAFTA, including Sen. Bernie Sanders I-Vt., and organized labor. It is blamed for the loss of U.S. manufacturing jobs and trade deficits  Mexico, $63 billion in goods, and Canada, $11 billion.

But a 2012 University of Chicago survey of 41 prominent economists found 85 percent agreed Americans were better off under NAFTA, 5 percent were uncertain and none disagreed.

There is almost no evidence that NAFTA was substantially harmful for U.S. workers. That myth has been promulgated by people from Ross Perot to Pat Buchanan to Donald Trump, but there is not any academic support for it, said Massachusetts Institute of Technology economist David Autor, who co-authored a NAFTA study.

Instead, economists blame China, which entered the World Trade Organization in 2001. China exports $347 billion more in goods to the U.S. than it imports (40 percent of the $750 billion trade deficit). Japan is at $69 billion and Germany, $67 billion.

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. manufacturing jobs declined long before NAFTA  from a high of 19.4 million in 1979 to 17.6 million in 1987. They plunged to 11.5 million in 2010 in the aftermath of the recession, but were up to 12.4 million in July.

The exodus of textile jobs predated NAFTA, but the U.S. trade deficit in auto and parts manufacturing has tripled since 1993 to $130 billion in 2013. Nearly 350,000 workers  a third of the industry  lost jobs, although 800,000 are employed today.

University of California at San Diego economist Gordon Hanson said it could be worse without NAFTA.

There was a concern 20 years ago that an auto industry production chain would develop across Asia, including China and Taiwan and Southeast Asia, he said. Maybe NAFTA saved us from that.

Agricultural interests are concerned about NAFTAs possible demise.

We have a vital interest in helping our negotiators make improvements, but also to do no harm to the gains that we have gained in NAFTA, said Zippy Duvall, the American Farm Bureau Federation president, who called it a success story for North America farmers and ranchers.

According to the National Corn Growers Association, 30 percent of farmers income is derived from corn and its byproducts. Mexico is their top export market. Canada leads in ethanol.

NAFTA has been incredibly successful for our industry, said Jennifer Myers, an NCGA spokesperson.

About 45 percent of U.S. soybeans are exported to Mexico. Canada is another major market.

If everybody decided to close their borders to U.S. products and protect their own farmers with high subsidies, wed have no place to get rid of our soybeans, said Rick Ostlie, former American Soybean Association president.

Trump already may have cost the cattle industry by pulling out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, which would have lowered Japans tariffs on beef from 38.5 percent to 9 percent over 16 years, the greatest market access ever negotiated  so far, said Kent Bacus of the National Cattlemens Beef Association.

The other 11 nations involved in the TPP  including Canada and Mexico  are seeking to revive it rather than join a Chinese-backed regional trade group, which would leave the U.S. outside looking in.

Ironically, the Washington Post reported Trumps proposed NAFTA revisions are largely lifted from the TPP, including rules on treatment of workers, the environment and state-owned enterprises.

Revising NAFTA would be good for the economy. Rescinding it while imposing protectionist tariffs would substantially boost prices of imported goods and cost jobs.
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I received an e-mail that was based on the latest suicide bombing in Turkey. This e-mail was rude, crude and socially unacceptable and it was all centered around how dumb I am to be going to Turkey on vacation, much less living in Russia

A suicide bomber blew himself up at a gendarmerie post near the Turkish resort city of Antalya on Friday.

Yes we are going to Antalya. Yes  I read about this bombing and treated it the same, as I do all suicide bombings. With sadness and wonderment about how mentally ill some people are that do such things. But it in no way makes any difference in what Sveta and I intend to do for a vacation. Even though it was within a long stone throw of where we are going to be staying

Sveta, like I, do not live our lives in fear. We do not live our lives in hiding. We take life as it comes. In fact life is a lot of fun when you are able to set aside the fear of something that is a tiny fraction of what can happen in life everyday

That seems to be something that more than a few Americans are unable to do. As to the number of e-mails I have received on the subject of traveling to Turkey. For every e-mail that says, Hey that would be fun! I get 10 more that say, You are crazy!

Then when I get an e-mail as vile as the one I got this morning. I think about what Yoda said in a Star Wars movie:

Fear is the path to the Dark Side. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to suffering. YODA

Now how true that is and then I think of this:



I used to think the reason Id like to stop letting fear run my life was that it felt so bad to be afraid, and also that it was pointlesspossibly wasted, if the feared thing never did materialize. But now that fear has packed its miserable bags and is running out the door, making slamming noises to call attention to itself, I begin to see how much room fear has occupied. What opportunity opens up! JAN FRAZIER

Today I realize that I feel sadness for people who are not able to explore the world and enjoy the sights and sounds of a society halfway around the world. I feel bad for people that have spent their whole lives in fear of something that might happen. I guess that I am lucky in the fact that my past gave me an opportunity to confront fear, along time ago

I cant wait for the e-mails that I get when we finally make our trip to Iran that we want to do 

Kyle Keeton

Windows to Russia!

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Sep 6, 2017 | By Benedict

Austrian 3D printing startup mything.com has raised 2.1 million ($2.5 million) in funding from Austrian venture capital firm KaPa Ventures. mything, based in Graz and Vienna, aims to become a competitive additive manufacturing platform, connecting customers with local manufacturers.

Its one of additive manufacturings biggest selling points: the promise of a future in which environmentally harmful global shipments are brought to a minimum, with small batches of products being manufactured locally, near where theyre supposed to end up.

It could really happen too. 3D printing allows designers to create a digital version of a part or product, send it anywhere in the world, and have it 3D printed in potentially millions of places at the same time. If major manufacturers and distributors made a push to make this system work, the whole world could change.

But setting up a global 3D printing infrastructure is a big challenge, and one that requires a lot of communication and coordination. Its a challenge that Belgian startup mything (my thing) thinks it is ready for.

With a team of 10 people and plans to launch its global 3D printing marketplace late this fall, mything is clearly in its infancy. But that hasnt stopped Austrian venture capital firm KaPa Ventures pouring $2.5 million into the fledgling company in the hope of bringing its vision to reality.

That vision involves providing a central, international platform for additive manufacturing products made by local manufacturers for end customers. Its ambitious, but both mything and, crucially, its new investor, think the startup has the right tools to make it happen.

3D printing is on the point of entering the mass market, said Frank Kappe, investor at KaPa Ventures. At precisely this sweet spot the moment appears to have arrived to set up a platform that can bring all the necessary partial aspects and players in additive manufacturing together. That is the reason for our considerable investment at this early stage.

Kappe may be right, but is mything the company to do it? Well, the company says it plans to build a central platform where designers, manufacturers, and customers can converge, simplifying the supply chain and (presumably) saving money for all parties. The platform will focus on the use of local 3D printing shops, which mything thinks will rise in number.

Many papers by acknowledged experts confirm that in future only 3D data will be sent around the world instead of physical commodities, explained mything co-founder Florian Mott. Production follows the principle Think globally, act locally and takes place in a local factory near the customer. This results in reduced coststhrough on-demand production, for instanceand significantly shorter delivery times.

This is all well and good, but what may set mything apart from other companies attempting distributed manufacturingUPS, for examplemay be its focus on a select few areas. The Belgian startup plans to start in three niche markets: jewelry, accessories, and seasonal productsareas identified as suitable because of their customizability. mything hopes this three-way focus will result in immediate market shares and visibility.

One of those target markets has already been the subjective a special mything competition called my precious plastics, which encourages jewelry designers to post original designs to mything. Winners will be chosen by an international jury and will receive both cash prizes and the opportunity to sell their designs through the new 3D printing platform.

mything will work with a range of materials, including plastics and metals, and will also explore the use of other manufacturing technologies like laser cutting. Final touches are being added to the platform, and designers and manufacturers being recruited.

mything is based on additive manufacturing as a globally relevant manufacturing technology, Mott added. Our aim is that in future many products and commodities for daily use are purchased via our platform and are manufactured digitally and locally near the customer.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Sep 6, 2017 | By David

The phase of mergers and acquisitions that signals the maturing of an industry has been underway for a while now in the 3D printing world, and French industrial 3D printing giant Prodways has been more active than most on this front. In the last year and a half it has announced a major strategic partnership with Nextteam Group to form an aerospace division, as well as a collaboration with Ohio plastics company A.Schulman to produce powders for laser sintering. The company has now announced that it will be acquiring Interson-Protac, a medical device manufacturer also based in France.

Interson-Protacs products are aimed at the audiology market, and the company has been a major player in this field for over 40 years. It supplies ear tips for manufacturers who make hearing aids and hearing protectors that are custom-made based on impressions of the wearers ear canal. The companys focus on customizability meant that its increased implementation of 3D printing was inevitable, as the technology is ideal for precisely creating items with unique shapes at no extra cost.

20 percent of Interson-Protacs production currently makes use of 3D printing technology, and the integration with market-leading Prodways means that its access to advanced additive technologies will now increase drastically, enabling it to extend this proportion considerably. Prodways Group is already backing a significant portfolio of other products in the field of medical devices, in the dental and podiatry sectors amongst others. 3D printing technology has completely revolutionized the way these kinds of devices are made in the last few years, and the same thing is now set to happen with audiology.

The senior executives of Interson-Protac are Remy Garrel and Francois Rey, and they will both be retaining their positions at the head of the company, as well as 25 percent of the share capital, with the other 75 percent going to Prodways. The profitable company, which has 47 employees, is expected to contribute at least 4 million Euros to Prodways Groups total revenues for 2018. It will be part of the Products division, where the French giant also offers a range of 3D printed plastic or metal prototypes or items on-demand, in small batches. Prodways' reputation in the 3D printing world was established in large part due to its proprietary MovingLight technology, a disruptive 3D printing technology that is part of the company's separate Systems division.

Prodways Group is banking on the medical 3D printing sector continuing its impressive growth rate in the coming years, and wed be inclined to agree with them, as awareness of the huge range of advantages offered by 3D printing increases almost at the same rate as the cost of the technology decreases. In future, personalized 3D printed medical devices for both serious conditions and everyday inconveniences are likely to become the norm, rather than the exception.

This high-profile acquisition by Prodways Group follows hot on the heels of another, which was announced back at the start of August. The business now has a major stake in AvenAo Industrie, a company that specializes in 3D printing design and development applications. This will add to the growth of the Systems division. AvenAo Industrie turned a profit in 2016, and the companys impressive range of solutions should see it contributing at least 10 million to Prodways Group's revenues in 2018. The transaction is expected to be finalised in October of this year.

Posted in 3D Printer Company

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Sep 7, 2017 | By David

3D printing technology is being adopted as a manufacturing technique by more and more industries, and it continues to improve in terms of reliability, but like any method, its still not without its flaws. Theres still much more detail to be discovered about how the 3D printing process can go wrong, and a group of researchers led by the U.S Department of Energy have recently been looking into this. The team, consisting of researchers from Missouri University of Science and Technology, Argonne National Laboratory, and Carnegie Mellon University, led an investigation into structural defects in 3D printed parts.

Metal 3D printing is the most commonly used form of additive manufacturing on a large-scale, and most techniques involve the use of automated lasers, programmed by a digital model to selectively melt areas of a bed of metal powder. The molten metal eventually re-solidifies, and layer-by-layer a specific 3D shape can be built up in this way. How exactly this molding happens remains something of a mystery, however, and the researchers hoped to shed some light on its inner workings in order to figure out what some common causes of structural defects in 3D printed metal parts might be.

The investigation is making use of one of the DoE Office of Sciences most high-tech user facilities, the Advanced Photon Source. A form of recording equipment based on intense synchrotron X-rays enables the whole laser melting process to be studied in real-time. According to Argonne physicist Tao Sun, The laser-metal interaction happens very quickly. Fortunately, we captured the process at 50,000 frames a second using the high-speed X-ray instrument at the Advanced Photon Source. We can study the resulting movie frame by frame to examine how the materials microstructure, especially defects and pores, forms.

The researchers observe and quantify characteristics such as the size or shape of the melt pool, the amount of powder ejection, solidification and porosity formation, and the various transformations between different phases. The details that this X-ray movie gives can be used to build elaborate predictive models, using various physical theories and calculations. These models are then used to re-design the 3D printing process, testing out ways that certain structural defects might be avoided. This process, in turn, is studied using the same X-ray technique. In this way the researchers can gain more and more information about metal 3D printing and how to improve its reliability.

Sharing their conclusions and predictive models with laboratories and research institutions all across the country, the team doesnt just hope to fine-tune the 3D printing techniques currently used, they are also aiming to discover new methods and explore new possibilities. Industries are currently limited to a certain set of metal alloys, said Aaron Greco, a principal materials scientist at Argonne and project co-leader for Argonnes additive manufacturing effort. But what about new ones? If you understand the physical properties related to how to print new alloys, you can adopt these into the process and speed up the reliability of printing.

In these high-speed x-ray images, the 3D printer is using a laser to melt metal powder, which causes a 'keyhole' defect within the cooled material. Researchers at Argonne are studying this process and developing guidelines to avoid such errors. (Image by Argonne National Laboratory.)

As well as improving and expanding the range of materials used for industrial 3D printing, the research could also help with the initial design phase of manufacturing more complex parts. Better understanding of how the 3D printing process works would mean that designers wouldnt have to spend as much time working out how to improve the quality and reliability of their structures. This would allow for digital models to be drastically simplified, with just the key factors being taken into account. According to Greco, Our work will not only help industries improve efficiency and performance, but increase the likelihood that metal additive manufacturing will be more widely adopted in other applications,

The results of the research were recently published in the Scientific Reports article, Real-time monitoring of laser powder bed fusion process using high-speed x-ray imaging and diffraction. The experiments were performed at the Advanced Photon Sources 32-ID-B beamline.

Posted in 3D Printing Technology

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Siddhartha Mukherjee in The New Yorker:

One evening this past June, as I walked along the shore of Lake Michigan in Chicago, I thought about mussels, knotweed, and cancer. Tens of thousands of people had descended on the city to attend the annual meeting of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, the worlds preeminent conference on cancer. Much of the meeting, I knew, would focus on the intrinsic properties of cancer cells, and on ways of targeting them. Yet those properties might be only part of the picture. We want to know which mollusk were dealing with; but we also need to know which lake.

A few weeks before the ASCO meeting, at Columbia Universitys hospital on 168th Street, I met a woman with breast cancer. Anna Guzello, a supermarket cashier from Brooklyn, had noticed a small lump in her left breast a few months earlier. (Ive changed some of her identifying details.) A mammogram then revealed a hazy, spidery mass, and a biopsy confirmed that the tumor was malignant. Guzello had a total mastectomy of the breasta simple lumpectomy would not have sufficed, given the size and the location of the massand planned to have surgical reconstruction. On an afternoon in May, she came to see Katherine Crew, a breast oncologist at Columbia, to discuss the next steps in her treatment. Crews office, on the tenth floor of the hospital, is a small, square, sparsely furnished room. The light from a fluorescent desk lamp was flickering, and Crew switched it off. She wanted no distractions. Guzello, her hair coiled into a tight bun, leaned forward, frowning intently, as Crew drew pictures and wrote notes on a sheet of paper. Can you read my writing? Crew asked. You can keep the notes and always come back with questions. Her tone was gentle, but it was as if the weight of every word were multiplied. Guzello nodded. She drummed her fingernails on the table, producing a staccato, military soundclick-click-clicka nervous tic that seemed to calm her.

First, the good news, Crew said. Theres no visible cancer left in your body. The surgeons had removed the tumor, with wide margins on all sides. The lymph nodes in the armpitsa frequent site of cancer metastasisalso contained no sign of cancer. In oncology parlance, Guzello would be classified as N.E.D.: no evidence of disease. But thats a squirrelly phrase: evidence refers to the state of our knowledge, not the state of the disease. Breast-cancer cells could have escaped and settled in Guzellos brain, spinal cord, or bones, where they might be invisible to scans and tests. Women with complete mastectomies and no evidence of disease can relapse with metastatic breast cancer months, years, or even decades after the removal of the primary cancerous mass. Patients who succumb to cancer generally die of these metastases, not of their primary tumors. (Notable exceptions are brain cancers, which can kill patients by occupying the skull, and blood cancers, in which the cancerous cells are inherently metastatic.)

More here.
Ban Panko in Smithsonian:

With their small furry bodies and large inquisitive eyes, gray mouse lemurs can seem like a cross between a pug and an alien. In fact, these Madagascar primates share much in common with us. For one, they feel mounting stress as their forest habitat is destroyedand new research shows how living under constant pressure can hurt their survival. Mouse lemurs are a subgroup of lemurs that boast the title of smallest primates on Earth. The gray mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus), which measures in at just under a foot from nose to tail and weighs around two ounces, is the largest species within that group. It's currently considered to be a species of "Least Concern" by the International Union for Conservation of Nature's "Red List," but the organization does note that the population of gray mouse lemurs is declining due largely to habitat loss.

Overall, Madagascar's dozens of lemur species have long faced threats from deforestation and hunting by humans. "It's well known that this species is under very high pressure from anthropogenic activities and habitat loss," Josue Rakotoniaina, an ecologist at Germany's Georg-August University of Gottingen, says of his choice to scrutinize these petite primates in particular. "But there was no study of how those human activities can affect these animals ecologically." Mouse lemurs are proving surprisingly useful to scientists studying human diseases, thanks to their conveniently small size (about double the size of a mouse, with a tail up to twice the length of their body) and genetic similarity to us (theyre primates, like us and unlike mice). In recent years, scientists have found that they make the perfect model for looking at obesity, eye disease and even neurological disorders like Alzheimers disease and dementia.

More here.
Tim Smith-Laing in The Telegraph:

With all the political focus on immigration to these shores, it is easy to forget that anyone ever leaves Britain. But they do. Last year the Office for National Statistics recorded the emigration of 128,000 British citizens. Of course, that needs to be seen in context: out of a total population of 65 million, 128,000 is not even a fifth of a per cent. Which goes some way to showing how much of a decision it is to leave ones country and live elsewhere; even in the 21st century it tends to take a certain kind of person and a certain kind of impetus to do so. The International Passenger Survey records reasons for leaving the UK under the four bland categories of work-related (50 per cent), accompanying others (just under 10 per cent), formal study (just under 5 per cent), and other/not stated (everyone else). A more imaginative officialdom might rename the same categories as money, love, knowledge and mystery. That would hardly fly as a set of boarding-card labels, but  having been in the first and third categories, and as a beneficiary of the second category  I think it gets closer to the truth of things. We are talking about human motives, after all.

It is worth bearing in mind what it takes to emigrate nowadays when reading Emigrants, James Evanss engaging account of English emigration to America in the 17th century. If so few people are willing to leave Britain when most of the world is a few hours flight away, what possessed them to risk it when a transatlantic voyage could take anything from five weeks up to eternity? They did leave, though, and in droves. As Evans points out, figures are harder to come by for the 17th century, as no one was keeping track, especially not of those who counted among the offals of our people, as one writer put it. But historians estimate that across the century an average of 38,000 people left England for America each year, from a population of around five and a half million. That is a smaller percentage than todays figures, but it is, Evans notes, a colossal number in a European context. The so-called swarming of the English was twice as large as contemporary emigration from Spain, and 40 times that from France. In an era when England had no significant means of competing on the imperial front with France or Spain, we became instead the pioneer of mass migration  a move that cemented the Anglo-Saxon character of North America.

More here.
After clinching Valley title, playoff seed, South Dakota State football prepares for two weeks off

Having two weeks off before the playoffs is unusual, but the Jackrabbits could use it to get healthy


Major Shareholder to Increase Stake to 10%

Perth, Sep 7, 2017 AEST (ABN Newswire) - Impact Minerals Limited ( ASX:IPT ) is pleased to announce that it has completed the placement of the remaining $0.9 million of shortfall from the Company's recent SPP (as defined below) to one of its major shareholders, who will consequently increase its relevant interest in the Company to 10%. The Company has now placed all of the shortfall from the SPP with total funds raised exceeding $2.9 million.



- Major shareholder takes Placement of final $0.9 million of Shortfall from the recent Share Purchase Plan to increase holding to 10%



- Placement completes full subscription of the SPP



- Funds to be primarily used for the ongoing drill programme and resource work at the Commonwealth gold-silver-base metals project in New South Wales



- Supplementary Prospectus attached



Impact Minerals' Managing Director, Dr Mike Jones, said "We are very pleased to have had strong support from one of our German shareholders, a Frankfurt-listed company that has progressively built its stake in Impact over the past few years. As a result we have now placed all of the shortfall from the recent Share Purchase Plan and so are very well funded to continue our on-going drill programme at the emerging Silica Hill gold-silver discovery 100 km north of Orange in New South Wales".



Background to additional placement



On 15 May 2017, Impact Minerals Limited ( ASX:IPT ) issued a prospectus seeking to raise up to $4,001,400 through the offer of 222,300,000 Shares together with 333,450,000 free attaching Quoted Options by way of a Share Purchase Plan to existing Shareholders, and a Shortfall Offer to the general public (together the SPP).



The Company raised $1,073,971 under the SPP through the issue of 59,665,051 Shares and 89,497,590 free attaching Quoted Options, which was approved by Shareholders at a general meeting of the Company on 20 June 2017.



As announced to ASX on 31 August 2017, the Company received firm commitments from sophisticated and professional investors to raise $2,000,000 by the issue of a portion of the shortfall from the recent SPP, being 111,111,111 Shares and 166,666,667 free attaching Quoted Options (Placement).



The Company is now pleased to announce that it has received a firm commitment covering the total of the remaining shortfall from the SPP. The aggregate amount raised is $2,927,429, comprising the issue of 162,634,949 Shares and 243,952,410 free attaching Quoted Options.



The Shares and free attaching Quoted Options will be issued on the same terms and conditions as those under the SPP, being $0.018 for each Share, with three free attaching Quoted Options exercisable at $0.04 on or before 15 June 2020 for every two New Shares subscribed for.



The Company lodged a prospectus (Prospectus) with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) for the Placement on 31 August 2017. The attached Supplementary Prospectus has been lodged with ASIC today in order to amend the Prospectus to address the placement of the remaining shortfall from the SPP.



The Prospectus and Supplementary Prospectus have been lodged with ASIC for the purposes of section 708A(11) of the Corporations Act to remove any trading restrictions on the Shares and free attaching Quoted Options issued.



To view Supplementary Prospectus, please visit:

http://abnnewswire.net/lnk/ZG16EN39





About Impact Minerals Limited





Impact Minerals Limited (ASX:IPT) is an exploration company listed on the ASX in November 2006. The Company manages extensive tenement holdings (>2,000 km2) within Australia featuring significant potential for high-grade mineral deposits of gold, silver, lead, zinc, copper, nickel and PGM's. The Directors of the Company have extensive experience in mineral exploration and a strong history of exploration success, business development and corporate management. Impact Minerals intends to build wealth for its shareholders through a vigorous campaign of project generation and evaluation with a view towards profitable mining operations.
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Even though 24 years have passed ever since the 1993 Mumbai blast incident has occurred but victims continue to wait for compensation. After the occurrence of the blast, the government had announced compensation for bomb blast victims but they still have to run from pillar to post for receiving the assistance. Thus government has merely paid lip service to victims and is not serious about resolving their issues. More than 257 people were killed and over 700 were injured in a series of blasts that occurred in Mumbai on March 12, 1993. There were 13 explosions at prominent locations of city within a span of 140 minutes.

According to reports, Dawood Ibrahim is known as the mastermind of the attacks. Many victims had to undergo surgeries after the bomb blast incident but they had to bear the cost of treatment themselves as government has turned a blind eye towards their problems. They had to bear mental agony and physical torture after the blast incident as nobody is coming forward to help them.

Kirti Ajmera, a victim of 1993 Mumbai bomb blast incident said, I had to undergo more than 40 operations after the bomb blast incident. I had to incur Rs 40 lakhs for my treatment but I have not received any single penny assistance from the government nor any politician has come forward to support me. The other culprits should have been awarded death sentence. The government should have come forward to provide financial assistance to bomb blast victims. When my family members had approached government officials for help they didnt cooperate with them. Tushar Deshmukh, is another victim of Mumbai 1993 blast incident and whose mother Priti Deshmukh died in the blast. He said, Victims had demanded life sentence for all the convicts. The manner in which Indian government has done a commendable job in bringing Abu Salem to India from Portugal, we expected that he will be awarded stringent punishment too. We believe court will rethink on this verdict. RTI activist Anil Galgali said, The government has never disclosed the expenses incurred by them for offering compensation to bomb blast victims. They should reveal details of all the expenses including trial, compensation granted to victims. Citizens should be aware of it. I have also filed an RTI with the government but failed to receive a proper response from them.

A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court on Thursday sentenced gangster Abu Salem to life imprisonment for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005. The court has also awarded life term for another convict Karimullah and slapped a fine of Rs 2 lakh on him.
British Prime Minister Theresa May called on parliament on Thursday to support legislation to sever political, financial and legal ties with the European Union, a step toward Brexit the opposition says it will challenge.

The repeal bill, or EU withdrawal bill, is central to the governments plan to exit the bloc in 2019; untangling Britain from more than 40 years of EU lawmaking and repealing the treaty that first made Britain a member in 1972.

Parliament will start debating the main principles of the bill, which seeks largely to copy and paste EU law into British legislation, later on Thursday. Lawmakers will vote on Monday on whether the bill can move on to the next part of its long legislative journey, when it could be amended.

Its safe passage through parliament is especially important for a government that has been criticized in Brussels over its Brexit strategy and after a series of leaks, including one of a letter to big companies asking them to endorse Britains plans.

The repeal bill helps deliver the outcome the British people voted for by ending the role of the EU in UK law, but its also the single most important step we can take to prevent a cliff-edge for people and businesses, because it provides legal certainty, May said in a statement.

Weve made time for proper parliamentary scrutiny of Brexit legislation, and I look forward to the contributions of MPs (lawmakers) from across the House (of Commons). But that contribution should fit with our shared aim: to help get the best Brexit for Britain.

Her Brexit minister, David Davis, also urged lawmakers to speak out if they felt that any rights were not carried forward into British law by the bill, a challenge to the main opposition Labour Party which has said it cannot support the legislation without it being amended to better protect workers rights.
Syria said Israeli air strikes hit a military facility in the country`s west on Thursday, killing two people at a site where the regime has been accused of developing chemical weapons.

The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, includes a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

The United States has accused the SSRC of helping to develop the sarin gas used in an attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April that killed dozens.

President Bashar al-Assad`s government has blasted such accusations as fabrications, and Syria`s army on Thursday did not mention the SSRC in its statement on the Israeli strikes.

Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site, the statement said.

Syria`s army warns of the serious repercussions of such acts of aggression on the security and stability of the region, it added.

Since Syria`s conflict erupted in 2011, Israel has conducted several air strikes on the war-ravaged country against government forces and allied fighters from Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military personnel were known to use the site at Masyaf.

There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hezbollah also uses the facility, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The research centre was definitely damaged in the strikes. There is huge fire emanating from a weapons warehouse where missiles were being stored, he added.Israel officials declined to comment on the raids on Thursday.

Former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin said the site targeted on Thursday produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

He stopped short of saying Israel had carried out the raids, but said that if it did, they would show Israel intends to enforce its redlines despite the fact that the great powers are ignoring them.
The authors Puliyel and Sathyamala note that ten years after the publication of a Center for Disease Control paper examining a relationship between MMR and autism, one of the authors William Thompson admitted that he and his co-authors had omitted statistically significant information - that African American males given the MMR vaccine before the age of 36 months, were at increased risk of autism. After the Thompson and his colleagues found evidence of this increased risk, they deleted data of children without Georgia birth certificates (and so disqualified a disproportionate number of black children) and they presented their data saying there was no increased risk of autism. It is not clear whether the authors of the PSUR 19 performed some similar retroactive disqualification of children documented to have died in the PSUR 16.

On analysis, the doctors found that the latest 19th safety report on 'Infanrix hexa' vaccine submitted by GSK (2015) has deleted deaths that were reported previously by the manufacturer in its 16th report (2012). They, however, note that it is not clear from the report how these deaths were deleted.

These confidential safety reports on this vaccine were received by Puliyel from Italian Dr. Loretta Bolgan who obtained them from EMA under the Freedom of Information Act  the Italian version of the Right to Information Act in India.

Puliyel and Sathyamala discovered the cover-up by analyzing data in the Periodic Safety Update Reports (PSUR) about the vaccine that its manufacturer GSK is required to regularly provide to the European Medicines Agency (EMA).

The vaccine in question, "Infanrix hexa," -- that combines diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis, hepatitis B, polio and influenza type B vaccines -- is manufactured by GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and was introduced in Europe in October 2000.

Jacob Puliyel, a pediatrician at the St. Stephen's hospital and C. Sathyamala, an epidemiologist, have reported their finding in the peer reviewed Indian Journal of Medical Ethics .

Two doctors in New Delhi have exposed an attempt by a multinational drug manufacturer to conceal sudden deaths in infants following the administration of its vaccine.

"If these deaths had not been deleted, the deaths after vaccination would have been significantly higher than what was expected by chance. The manufacturer would have had to admit to the EMA that their vaccine was the cause of these excess deaths," the authors report.

Puliyel and Sathyamala argue that the manufacturer "needs to explain the apparently faulty figures that it submitted to the regulatory authorities.

Until now the manufacturer has been claiming that the deaths reported after the vaccine are "coincidental" and that they would have taken place in these children even if they had not been vaccinated.

However, in their commentary in the journal, Puliyel and Sathyamala point out that their analysis has shown that 83 % of the reported deaths have taken place soon after vaccination in the first 10 days and only 17% happened in the next 10 days.

"If this were simply coincidental deaths then it would not all cluster immediately after vaccination but would have been distributed uniformly over the 20 day period."

Puliyel and Sathyamala write that any argument that the sudden deaths after vaccination is offset against the lives saved by the vaccine is not acceptable in the same way it would be considered unethical to kill one person to use his or her organs for saving five other persons.

"Glossing over of the deaths after vaccination can prevent or delay evaluation of the vaccines safety profile and this has potential to result in more, unnecessary deaths which are difficult to justify ethically," they say.

They point out that Hexavac  a similar vaccine manufactured by Sanofi Pasteur and introduced in the market also in 2000 was removed from the European market in 2005. It was found to have increased deaths of children within two days of vaccinating with it.

In the Indian context, the authors note that the Drug Controller General of India ( DCGI) should reconsider the current policy of automatically approving any drug licensed in the USA and Europe. "This reliance on due diligence by the EMA may be misplaced and needs to be re-evaluated."

"Pentavac", manufactured by Serum Institute of India and marketed in India, is similar to the now banned Hexavac and the Infanrix hexa reported here, except that the whole cell whooping cough vaccine is replaced by an acellular vaccine and it has a sixth component, the injectable polio vaccine."

In the light of their finding, Puliyel and Sathyamala suggest that "it is crucial for the DCGI to be aware of the PSUR reports provided to the EMA and the concerns raised through this commentary." (End)

Indian Journal of Medical Ethics Online First Published September 5, 2017

Infanrix hexa and sudden death: a review of the periodic safety update reports submitted to the European Medicines Agency

Jacob Puliyel, C Sathyamala








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The answer is simple. The worlds only super power USA and Israel - its secret global terror ally and West Asias self claiming super power on the strength of its illegal nukes, promote terrorism as a part of imperialism and now focusing on energy rich Arab world.

US led NATO terror war from Afghanistan to Syria has only been a phase of US-Israeli terrorism. In fact, that terrorism has been designed to be a permanent one, moving from one nation to another from one continent to another and now it s concentrated on Europe with various names. Each time a terror attack is executed quickly some terror organization claims for that achievement but such terror attacks continue and veto powers are incapable of ending the terror attacks and terror wars and provide security to the humanity.

Why do terror attacks take place routinely even though global intelligence cum surveillance agencies networks are surging in numbers and countries increase their defense capabilities by purchasing terror gods and technology from the top powers like USA?

Who needs terrorism and counter terrorism? Obviously, that is the Zionist-US tactics to confuse the humanity.

A Shia imam from California in the USA has claimed that the Islamic State group  also known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) or the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) etc  was created by Israel. Now, this statement could have been simply dismissed off hand, had a terrorist organisation in Pakistan not levelled similar allegations in May this year.

While Taliban and Al Qaeda that were launched by the USA with Israeli backing are targeting Pakistan and Afghanistan, ISIS is currently limited to its latest stronghold of Tal Afar in Iraq after it was driven out of Mosul. However, that has not stopped the terrorist group from claiming responsibility for terrorist attacks in Spain and Finland.

Of course this not the end of terrorist list. More such names are going to be launched in other parts of the world. .But Muslims do not have any role in the creation of such terrorist organizations as they only harm the Muslims and Muslim nations as millions of Muslims have been slaughtered b the enemies of Islam under various guises.

Then who is really behind all these terror organizations and terror attacks?

Is it not a civilizational war on permanent basis, targeting Islam and Muslims?

A Fox News report has quoted Imam Sayed Moustafa Al-Qazwini  who it describes as a "popular" Shia preacher  as saying at the Islamic Educational Centre in Orange County on June 23: "All of you know who established ISIS, al-Qaeda and all of those terrorist organisations."

According to the report, he went on to add: "You know very well. You know who paid for them, who financed them, who helped them, who purchased weapons for them, who even trained them, who protected them. This is not the production of Islam. Islam is not responsible for ISIS. Most of their officers were trained in Israel, including Abu Bakr al-Baghadi." He seemed to be echoing  at least in part  the statements of Mehmood Shah, the chief of proscribed terrorist organisation Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT).

Shah had, in late May, responded to allegations that the LeT pushes youths to display ISIS flags in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir: "The allegation is completely baseless. In Jammu and Kashmir, ISIS is a part of RAW's plot to sabotage the freedom movement. ISIS is a terrorist organisation founded and funded by India, America and Israel to disintegrate and kill Muslims in the world."

The RAW he was referring to is India's secretive spy agency Research and Analysis Wing.

While two people  each halfway across the world from another  giving similar statements on terrorism can be cause for concern for global intelligence agencies, this could be a simple case of conspiracy theory or misinformation.

One even doubts if some of the intelligence-spy agencies also are involved in the mushrooming of terrorist organizations globally and recurring terror attacks.

Elliot Zweig, executive director of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), told Fox News terrorism and Islamophobia are just propaganda being fed to Muslims across the world. MEMRI, it may be noted, is a non-profit organisation headquartered in Washington DC which monitors and analyses news reports for radical content pertaining to West Asia. Zweig, meanwhile, told Fox News about the Imam's statement: "These types of conspiracy theories have been prevalent in the Muslim world, especially the Middle East, for decades as MEMRI has revealed. One would hope that in America, all communities, including the Muslim community, would be immunized from such ludicrous propaganda, let alone propagate it."

But who and why are Islam and Muslims are targeted by the terrorist attacks?

Possibly, like Al-Qaeda, ISIS is also the brain child of US-Israeli strategists. The Islamic State group can still send funds to its supporters and motivate attacks in Europe and other countries despite military pressure and lack of revenue, experts at the United Nations said in a report. Also, terror outfit al-Qaeda remains strong in several areas especially West Africa, East Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, they added.

The UN experts, who are monitoring sanctions against the terrorist organisations, said that while the competition between ISIS and al-Qaeda continues, the "shifting alliances" among fighters "and cooperation on the tactical level in several regions also allow them to move between various groups," the Associated Press reported.

The report said that the threat from terrorist organisations continues to rise in Southeast Asia with ISIS trying to establish itself in the region. It cited the city of Marawi in the Philippines being under siege by militants linked to ISIS for over two months as evidence for the growing threat from extremist groups.

The experts added that the "core" of ISIS is to delegate decision-making responsibility to local commanders and switch to encrypted communications in an attempt to adapt to military pressure in Iraq and Syria. ISIS has been using drones to a large extent especially in Iraq and Syria, the report further added.

The experts said in the report that ISIS is trying to design and create larger drones to enable it "to weaponized the drones, thereby increasing its ability to strike at a distance." It said Isis "continues to send funds to its affiliates worldwide" and is likely to continue to do so as long as it can afford to. Isis terrorists have also sent money to places the group does not have affiliates in to prepare for its eventual defeat in Iraq and Syria, an unidentified UN member state was quoted as saying in the report.

However, the report said that ISIS has not carried out any attack since then in which the "core" group of the organisation is involved in the planning and decision-making process  sending militants and providing financial help.

The report quoted member states as saying that there has been "an increase in radicalization and violent extremism" in connection with Isis networks in Europe.

When it came to Iraq, several member states said that key ISIS leaders left Mosul before the Iraqi forces launched the attack in the region. However, it added that ISIS resistance in Mosul "indicates that its command and control structure has not broken down completely and that the group remains a significant military threat." The ISIS leaders in Syria also left Raqqa before the attack and air strikes took place.

The report said that the Arabian Peninsula faces "a significant threat" from both ISIS and al-Qaeda in Yemen. It quoted a member state as saying that more than 30 ISIS-linked "terrorist plots" were disrupted in the region, including one targeting the Grand Mosque in Mecca, and Jeddah in Saudi Arabia.

Who else can dare targeting the Holy Mosques of Islam other than USA and Israel?

Meanwhile, Hamza bin Laden, son of one superman Osama bin Laden who apparently was used by the CIA-Pentagon-Mossad to make Islam look a terrorist religion. , had earlier released a statement urging supporters to join al-Qaeda training camps in Yemen.

Sept-11 hoax was launched after a prolonged planning by the foes of Islam - by US-Israel duo - to do what has already been done to Islam and Muslims till today since the invasion of an Islamizing Afghanistan.

Interestingly, ISIS also warns Trump of murdering him in his dressing room.

Now the terrorism takes a form of comedy as well. Of course, Trump, incapable of thinking out of box and would quickly place entire blame on Islamic terrorist organization as a usual strategy to terrorize Muslims.

Why should some terrorist organizations claim for the attacks without fear?

Who then are the terrorists and originations planning a terror attacks?

USA and allies are keen to prolong occupation of Muslim nations permanently and continue the terror war also permanently. In doing so, they think they will not be required, as being demanded by Russia, among other nations, to diamante the NATO military- terror organization that terrorizes entire world with its pre emptive strikes.

If USA and Russia are fighting for military superiority why should they target Islam and Muslims? Why do the USA and allies invade and destabilize energy rich and oil route nations?

Why have they killed millions of Muslims in the name of war on terror? Global media is anti-Islam and it promotes Islamophobia in order to make the terror war a permanent feature. In fact, the GST (global anti-Islamic media) has done maximum danger and harm to Islam and Muslims with its global reach. Europe is with USA and Israel and so is Russia and China enjoying the western crimes being committed against Muslims and Islam. All of them work in coalition in Afghanistan and Syria, elsewhere.

One thing looks certain: terror wars are not going to end now or in the near future mainly bemuse USA and its anti-Islam allies that also deal win terror goods, do not want to end wars.








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When India celebrated its 70th anniversary of independence, unfortunately, it also indirectly celebrated the occupation of Jammu Kashmir and genocides of Muslims in Jammu Kashmir. One of the achievements of recent history of India in the negative sense is the genocides of Kashmiris- India murdered over 1000,000 Muslims Kashmir while using and protecting Hindus there.

Real protests

Kashmir today, even on Eid day, remains a nation in protest against Indian occupational crimes. Protests erupted on Saturday in Kupwara district of north Kashmir when a youth went missing while another was severely beaten and has been hospitalised in a critical condition with the locals alleging that were taken into custody by Indian Army. Police has registered two separate FIRs against army, one for attempt to murder and another for kidnapping and abducting in order to murder. Villagers of Kakarpati village of Devar Lolab told news agency GNS that Army picked up two local shepherds from forest area of Trimukh upper reaches of Lolab which is connected to Bandipora district.

The Indian/JK government, controlled by New Delhi, considers their prerogative to kill and deal with Kashmiris for seeking sovereignty back from a powerful military power called India. Two ailing Kashmiri women leaders rearrested despite release orders by Court

As Kashmiris are on agitational mold to regain sovereignty from Indian military yoke, India feels highly embarrassed before world powers while PM Modi feels the pinch in front of world leaders.

Interestingly, one of the Indian islets in Lakshadweep on Arabia Sea disappeared owing to climatic change nearly 20 years ago but Indian government has not yet recognized that it lost a small islet without any population. Indian official gazettes have made any change and as India still reasserts that every islet of India is intact. That is problem of India which refuses to accept the fact it has lost a small part of its territory in the natural process as it simply cannot accept or even imagine that Kashmir that decorates India as its multi-jewel crown on its head

India worried

Presumably, Indian strategists in New Delhi and abroad are with latest India maps looking at Kashmir and they cannot visualize India without that crown known as Kashmir on Indian head.

In fact, more than the land, India is concerned about the image of India on Indian map without Kashmir. Indian map without Kashmir looks like a wild animal  not exactly a cow - whose head has been severed. This of course Indian strategists and military experts cannot digest.

Indian strategy for China is one of appeasing that neighbor maybe because Beijing has withdrawn it stop badminton players (women) from the courts, thereby making Indian fight for tittles easier. India may have begun a dialogue with China over parts of Kashmir it occupies. Although China has not invaded Kashmir but got a part of Kashmir as a (paid) gift from Pakistan is not helping Beijing to convince New Delhi which seeks to take back that part of Kashmir from China as well.

That Kashmiris who fight for sovereignty, do not ask both Pakistan and China also surrender their lands makes Indian case difficult but makes India come closer to China easily. India would ask China not to worry about Kashmir as once occupied Jammu Kashmir is now lost for Kashmiris forever. However, the secret talks among India, Pakistan and China  the joint occupiers of Jammu Kashmir- are not revealed to public.

India continues to deal with the besieged Kashmiris the way the military feels best, or rather worst.

Brutality is the key expression that could be used to describe what the Indian solders do in occupied Kashmir day in and day out and at night. India has provided a perpetual blanket approval of every murder and all acts of genocides through fake encounters and all atrocities of making Kashmiris disappear from Kashmir valley once for all.

Obviously, India must have learnt all these murder techniques from its former masters in UK who continue to guide New Delhi in secret state terror operations. Now Israel seems to have accepted Indian appeal to offer terror tips on payment basis to deal with Kashmiris and others who seek sovereignty.

While their occupation masters in New Delhi celebrate 70 years of independence from Great Britain, Kashmiris who lost their sovereignty to then freed India have no choices but to cry loud over their loss of sovereignty under joint UK-India conspiracy with blessings from super power USA and other imperialist capitalist powers.

In fact, no power invades and occupies a weak alien nation to leave the occupation on its own. Invaders quit subject nations only under pressure or by force. Great Britain invaded many countries, including USA but had to leave most of them, if not all of them. Interestingly, not only Americans got independence from UK but also have become closest ally of USA today.

Indias easy invasion and quick occupation of Jammu Kashmir was possible because all big powers led by USA and UK supported the illegality behind the deal without the endorsement of the people of Jammu Kashmir and none, including China, opposed Indian military action. Neither USA nor UK can approve of invasion without popular consent as that goes against genuine democracy.

India bought problems

While its ruthless occupational crimes in Kashmir as it key policy, India may have good things to claim credit like its music which has made its mark on the world stage. Indian food is cultural given. Indian fashion now competes at the level of haute couture even as Indian fabrics are in demand in both the East and the West as much as the ever increasing Indian demands for western cloths and electronics and fashions. Indian professionalism in media to highlight Indian needs above others, engineering and information technology has formed a swathe and Indian business' know-how is cutting edge. Bollywood is interested in making big films to match the Hollywood productions. Last November, demonetization was welcomed by NRIs but there is still a lingering suspicion that the truly rich got away.

There are many issues Indians face. Among them, the killings over beef eating make us look savage and primitive. The refusal by the Parliament to revoke Article 377, a vicious law imposed on India by the same foreign yoke which ironically has no such law in its own country. Indian men still decide what women can do with their bodies. But fanatics Hindus only talk about Islam and Muslim religious rights. The Big Brother manifested itself by way of linking Aadhaar cards with PAN cards and no one quite knows why. For NRIs, it's another hill to climb. Just as there was confusion about demonetisation  rumours of another one are on the way  the public is unclear how GST will play out even as retailers pull back on several items till there is clarity.

With 29 states and seven union territories what are a few more if a sense of identity is assuaged. The seven sisters in the North East were hit by floods and we took far too long to react, an acid commentary on our levels of awareness of an integral part of India. A dangerous ignorance that China will exploit as it has spent the past two months trying to hector India on the borders of Bhutan and Sikkim. There are fears that a strong conflict is possible.

However, there's little to celebrate. Since India was ruled for 200 years by a foreign power, Britain, it takes revenge on Kashmiris by occupying their nation since Indian independence.

The tension in Jammu Kashmir does not seem to be lessening as Indian occupation forces keep targeting Kashmir youth.

Indian terror strategists argue that India should never budge and surrender Kashmir to Kashmiris. And, therefore, unless a hardcore decision to void Article 370 is made to bring that nation on par with Indians states of the country, the issue will never be resolved. All we will do is confront civilians with guns and widen the chasm. The incessant appeasement as a policy only breeds contempt. The call for Gorkhaland in the east needs to be resolved swiftly.

India believes military action can solve all problems of Kashmiris once for all. In 2016, India imposed terror at IOC by to surgical terror attacks in Uri. Yes, keeping Indian troops morale high should be of utmost importance.

Abrogation of Article 35A: Widespread agitation against BJP's 'Israel model?

Abrogation of Article 35A: Kashmiris prepare for widespread agitation against BJP's 'Israel model'.

From hawkers to grocers, manufacturers and dealers, everyone stands united in their view that abolishment of Article 35A will bring turmoil in the Valley

Article 35A of the Constitution empowers the Jammu and Kashmir legislature to define its








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Russia and China - allies of North Korea- have strongly defended the nuclear actions of North Korea. The latest Hydrogen Bomb test has sent tremors across the western world represented by the NATO. USA, Japan and South Korea have condemned the missile firing in the strongest possible ways.

China has once again urged diplomatic talks to address the crisis with an emerging nuclear power North Korea and warned at the UN Security Council that it will not allow chaos and war on the Korean peninsula.

Chinese Ambassador Liu Jieyi said that the situation on the peninsula is deteriorating constantly as we speak, falling into a vicious circle. "The peninsula issue must be resolved peacefully. China will never allow chaos and war on the peninsula." His appeal was echoed by Russia, which said that diplomatic negotiations were the only way to settle the crisis over North Korea's nuclear and missile programs.

Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said there was "an urgent need to maintain a cool head and refrain from any action that could further escalate tensions." Russia backs China's proposal for a freeze on North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korea military drills.

US Ambassador Nikki Haley however rejected the proposal as "insulting" and said it was time to ratchet up the pressure on North Korea by enacting the "strongest possible measures." "When a rogue regime has a nuclear weapon and an ICBM pointed at you, you do not take steps to lower your guard. No one would do that. We certainly won't," she declared.

Russia and China did not specify whether they would support additional sanctions on North Korea. The communist state has test-fired dozens of missiles and conducted three underground nuclear tests over the past year and a half in defiance of punishing UN Security Council sanctions and diplomatic pressure. It also has tens of thousands of soldiers and artillery positioned near the heavily fortified border that divides the peninsula.

The USA, Britain, France, Japan and South Korea requested the urgent meeting after North Korea detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile.

South Korea's defense ministry warned Monday that Pyongyang may be preparing another missile launch after two tests in July of intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) that apparently brought the US mainland into range.

Meanwhile, North Korea has been observed moving what appeared to be an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) towards its west coast, South Korea's Asia Business Daily reported, citing an unidentified intelligence source. The rocket started moving a day after North Korea's sixth nuclear (Hydrogen) test, and was spotted moving at night to avoid surveillance, the report said. North Korea has launch facilities for its missile program on its west coast. South Korea's defence ministry said they were unable to confirm the contents of the report. The ministry said in parliament that North Korea was considered ready to launch more missiles, including ICBMs, at any time.

South Korea is seen taking retaliatory steps to stop north from moving further with its nuclear blasts. Its defense minister said it was worth reviewing the redeployment of American tactical nuclear weapons to the Korean Peninsula to guard against the North, a step that analysts warn would sharply increase the risk of an accidental conflict.

And even as concern over Korea deepened following North Korea's huge nuclear test Sunday, South Korea's defense ministry said that Pyongyang might be preparing to launch another missile into the Pacific Ocean, perhaps an intercontinental ballistic missile theoretically capable of reaching the mainland USA.

USA also feels the heat. In New York, Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the United Nations, said the regime of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un was "begging for war." President Donald Trump and his South Korean counterpart, Moon Jae-in, spoke on the phone for 40 minutes, some 34 hours after the nuclear test and more than 24 hours after Trump took to twitter to criticize Moon's "talk of appeasement." The two agreed to remove the limit on allowed payloads for South Korean missiles -- something Seoul had been pushing for - as a way to increase deterrence against North Korea, according to a read-out of the phone call from South Korea's Blue House. They also agreed to work together to punish North Korea for Sunday's nuclear test, including by pushing for tougher sanctions through the United Nations. In a later phone call, Trump and German Chancellor Angela Merkel came to the same conclusion.

At a Security Council meeting, Haley pressed for the "strongest possible" sanctions against the North for openly challenging American power. . She did not spell out US proposals or how she would overcome the objections of veto-wielding permanent members China and Russia. But she cautioned, war is never something her country wants. We don't want it now. But our country's patience is not unlimited. We will defend our allies and our territory."

Haley ruled out the "freeze for freeze" proposal backed by China and Russia, which would suspend US joint military exercises with South Korea in return for suspension of North Korean nuclear and missile tests. "When a rogue regime has a nuclear weapon and an ICBM pointed at you, you do not take steps to lower your guard. No one would do that. We certainly won't," she said. Instead, she reiterated a White House threat to cut off trade with any countries that also trade with North Korea. That would presumably include China, with which the USA had nearly $650 billion worth of trade in goods and services last year. She said the USA will look at every country that does business with North Korea as a country that is giving aid to their reckless and dangerous nuclear intentions.

Haleys remarks appeared to be unpersuasive. Russia's UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said. China will never allow chaos and war" in Korea, said Liu Jieyi, the Chinese ambassador to the UN Sanctions alone will not solve the crisis.

Meanwhile, South Korea, under pressure from Washington masters, is ready to install four more launchers to complete the deployment of a controversial US missile-defense system to counter the growing threat from the North, the defense ministry said. The ministry made the announcement as tensions spiked following North Koreas sixth nuclear test, which raised fears of military confrontation as the United States warned all options are on the table in dealing with the communist state. It didnt give a date but suggested the remaining launchers would be installed soon.

US Forces Korea began deploying the anti-missile battery known as THAAD with two launchers and the radar in late April in an overnight operation that many saw as an effort to rush it into place before May 9 elections to replace ousted President Park Geun-hye. It made the THAAD agreement with Washington despite local protests and objections from China, which fears the systems powerful radar could be used against it as well.

New SK President Moon Jae-in suspended the THAAD deployment shortly after taking office but reversed that decision as the North conducted increasingly advanced missile tests and rebuffed his efforts to pursue dialogue. Moon said the installment could be completed at least on a temporary basis pending a full environmental assessment of the site. The final administrative hurdle was cleared when the environmental ministry said that it has given conditional consent after finding the adverse impact on the area from THAAD was limited. The Ministry of National Defense then said it is planning to deploy the four additional launchers temporarily sooner or later in order to cope with North Koreas growing nuclear and missile threats.

One thing is very clear. USA would not dare attack North Korea chiefly because Russia and China, tow veto powers, oppose any such American misadventures. Pentagon would not switch on its terror machinery towards Pyongyang chiefly because North Korea is not Afghanistan. True, North Korea is seen in Washington challenging the US military power, knowing full well it had terror attacked Japan with its newly invented atomic bombs several decades ago and destabilized a powerful Iraq under Saddam Hussein and assassinating him in the crudest manner. .

Moreover, USA cannot hate North Korea as much as it hates Islamic world which is its major civilizational foe.
Aiken, SC (29801)

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Clear skies. Low near 35F. Winds NE at 5 to 10 mph.
We Are Witnessing the Elimination of Christian Communities in Iraq and Syria

Assyrian attend mass at a church in Iraq. ( Anwar Amro/AFP/Getty Images) Do we want to be the generation that stood by as Christians disappeared almost entirely from the ancient homelands they have occupied since the days of the New Testament? Will the Trump administration and this Congress let this historic and preventable tragedy happen on their watch? We are on the precipice of catastrophe, and unless we act soon, within weeks, the tiny remnants of Christian communities in Iraq may be mostly eradicated by the genocide being committed against Christians in Iraq and Syria. Other global crises such as North Korea's nuclear adventurism may be dominating the headlines, but this tragedy has been unfolding in agonizing slow motion over the past decade, an unintended consequence of the turmoil and sectarian strife unleashed by the Iraq war of 2003. Saddam Hussein was hardly a protector of Christians, but the power vacuum that came after his fall made the plight of Christians in Iraq dramatically worse. The George W. Bush administration tried to help persecuted Christians and other religious minorities, but had its hands full avoiding defeat in the larger civil war. Whatever respite Bush's surge decision bought soon gave way under the Obama administration to an even more terrible extermination campaign launched by the Islamic State, leading to a charnel house of death and displacement for Christians. In turn, the Obama administration found itself making its own painful tradeoffs as it tried to fight the Islamic State while relying on local militias that had designs on Christian lands. The result was an accelerated Christian exodus and extermination of those who stayed behind. Bureaucrats in the Obama administration compounded the problem by blocking efforts to direct some funding to help local church groups and other religious organizations that were providing almost all of the humanitarian assistance to the suffering Christian communities. Their rationale stemmed from a benighted misinterpretation of humanitarian principles and a desire to avoid the appearance of favoritism when there were so many suffering groups. Such head-scratching punctiliousness prevailed despite the Obama administration's own public recognition that the Christian and other religious minorities like Yazidis were the victims of genocide and faced extinction unless they were helped. The counter-Islamic State campaign launched belatedly by Obama and intensified under Trump is reclaiming land, but the Christian minorities are benefiting little from U.S. and U.N. humanitarian and stabilization assistance. The other various factions in the anti-Islamic State coalition seem all too willing to entertain other plans for the newly freed territories. Some communities, such as the tiny Christian pockets in Mosul, are almost certainly lost forever. A few nascent Christian villages in the Nineveh Plains are clinging to viability, beginning the painful process of rebuilding with funds donated principally by a few international relief organizations like the Knights of Columbus and Aid to the Church in Need, and the Hungarian government, and kept alive by emergency aid from the local Catholic and Orthodox dioceses. Years of humanitarian assistance through the local Catholic and Orthodox churches have provided food, shelter, medical and educational assistance for Christian, Yazidi, and some Muslims internally displaced people and refugees, but those resources have been exhausted and now the eyes of the local communities have turned to Washington, where American political leaders are considering stepping up with significant humanitarian assistance from the U.S. government. The clearest, best path to rescue involves the bipartisan H.R. 390 -- "Iraq and Syria Genocide Emergency Relief and Accountability Act of 2017," co-authored by representatives Chris Smith and Anna Eshoo, which would explicitly authorize the Trump administration, and future administrations, to direct some existing funds for immediate assistance on the ground to religious and ethnic minority communities that have been victims of genocide. Its passage would also to signal to our local partners the priority the United States places on protecting these most vulnerable victims from extinction. Despite passing unanimously in the House, the legislation has languished in the Senate. Unless Senator Bob Corker, chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senate leadership recognizes the existential urgency for genocide survivors on the ground and therefore prioritize moving on H.R. 390 now -- or unless other entrepreneurial senators figure out a way to act regardless -- this bill may fall victim to the Senate's already overcrowded calendar (made even more crowded by the obvious and all-consuming-crisis of Hurricane Harvey relief). The White House should send an unequivocal message to Corker and Majority Leader Mitch McConnell urging them to act on H.R. 390 and ensure it is transmitted to the Senate floor as a top-level priority after reconvening this week. An additional path would be for the Trump administration to use existing congressional authorization for the fiscal year 2017 omnibus, along with executive prerogatives, to direct urgent aid and assistance to imperiled Middle Eastern Christians and Yazidis now. Their plight is a tragedy that many on the Trump team understand viscerally, and many senior officials have spoken of their concern for the issue, beginning with president himself (see also here, and here). But the administration has multiple other challenges vying for its attention, so dealing with this one will require focus and perseverance -- and perhaps some explicit guidance to overcome resistance at lower levels in the bureaucracy, especially at the State Department and U.S. Agency for International Development, about acting on behalf of endangered religious and ethnic minority communities in this way. Meanwhile, the Senate should confirm Kansas Governor Sam Brownback as ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom as soon as possible, so that he can join the State Department's capable Special Advisor for Religious Minorities in the Near East and South/Central Asia in serving as Foggy Bottom's lead advocates on this issue. The situation is bleak, but it is not yet beyond hope. Some refugees are returning, and if they receive adequate, targeted assistance immediately, this might be enough of a remnant to keep the Christianity alive in its New Testament birthplace for another generation. But that may require U.S. politicians taking a page out of the Old Testament. The Book of Esther tells the story of a well-placed favorite in the king of Persia's court. In those days, local political factions were conspiring to exterminate another religious minority, the Jews, and Queen Esther was challenged by her adopted father to use her political clout to intervene on their behalf. Mordecai's words ring down through the ages, "And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" The alternative is a bleak one that should sear the conscience of people of every faith and conviction. Unless we act soon, we may bear witness to the final chapter of a genocide that we could have prevented.
Violence Still Plagues Christians in Iraq

BAGHDAD -- Christian leaders say Iraq's monasteries and churches could soon become mere relics unless something is done to curb the violence against Christians. During an Aug. 26 press conference, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch Mar Ignatius Joseph III Younan described Christians as "the most targeted and most vulnerable" minority in the region -- and not just because of the Islamic State (IS). This comes as Iraqi Christians in general, and Armenians in particular, prepare for the post-IS phase. Many of those who were driven from their homes in the Ninevah Plains are deciding whether to return. On Aug. 9, Iraqi Minister of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities Farid Rwandzi received Armenian leaders to discuss promoting their community's cultural activity. In June, the head of the Armenian Apostolic Church in Iraq, Archbishop Avak Asadourian, and representatives of Armenian committees and groups visited some of the liberated villages and towns of Ninevah, including Aghajanian, one of the areas IS had occupied since 2014 after either killing or forcing out its residents. Now that IS is gone from the village, there's a possibility that Christian areas in the plains could be included in the controversial Kurdistan Regional Government independence referendum scheduled for Sept. 25. However, on Aug. 27, the Assyrian Democratic Movement, which is Christian, called for steering the Ninevah Plains clear from the conflicts and keeping the area out of the referendum. Read the full story here.
The UK government has called for further consultation on its selection of a new north-west runway at Londons Heathrow airport.

A statement today from the Secretary of State for Transport, Chris Grayling, on the extension came as the government published Sir Jeremy Sullivans interim report on consultation on the draft Airports National Policy Statement (NPS).

The draft NPS sets out the reasons for the choice of Heathrow rather than a rival runway proposal at Gatwick airport, a decision announced in October 2016 by the government . The draft also includes the "mitigation and compensation measures" the government expects the promoter to put in place if planning permission is granted.

Consultation closed on May 25 this year, with more than 70,000 responses, reflecting the scale of the regulatory obstacles that approval for a third runway at Heathrow has to overcome before construction can begin.

In his statement today, Grayling said: "In the consultation document, my department was clear that further work was underway to update the evidence base, including revised aviation demand forecasts and the governments final air quality plan. It was intended these documents would be presented for consideration during the initial consultation, but the timing of the general election meant this was not possible.

"I am therefore confirming that there is a need to conduct a short period of further consultation to allow this updated evidence to be taken into account. This further consultation will focus mainly on the specific elements of the NPS affected, and is expected to begin later this year."

The UK General Election on June 8 this year pushed the reset button on Parliaments Select Committee process, meaning that any final NPS would be delayed until the first half of 2018 for a vote in the House of Commons.

The minister said that the Conservatige government "remains committed to realising the benefits that airport expansion could bring, and I can confirm that we do not expect this additional period of consultation to impact on the timetable for parliamentary scrutiny of the NPS".

Immediate industry reaction described the announcement as unfortunate but not a surprise.

Duncan Field, UK head of planning, global law firm, Norton Rose Fulbright, said:The need for a short period of further consultation on the draft Airports NPS announced today by Chris Grayling, is unfortunate but does not come as a surprise.

"The importance of air quality to the future expansion of Heathrow made it almost inevitable that as soon as the Government published its Air Quality Plan, the draft NPS would have to be reviewed again.

"However, if it is to avoid a third round of consultation, the Government must not only allow sufficient time for responses but also take this opportunity to set out much more clearly the relevance of the draft NPS to other airports in the UK and whether, for example, we will see a separate overarching Airports NPS as a product of the governments ongoing review of the Aviation Policy Framework.

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August 29, 2017

CAIRO  An English literature professor who plans to run for president of Egypt is being disciplined for teaching John Milton's epic poem "Paradise Lost" and posting on Facebook videos of herself dancing.

Suez University instructor Mona Prince faces a hearing Sept. 12, a continuation of one held Aug. 28. Prince has been disciplined in the past and has been suspended since Aug. 6, when she was also referred to the public prosecutor for possible criminal charges. Accusations against her include contempt of religion, talking to students about religious beliefs and posting videos on social media that offended professors in the Faculty of Arts and the university. Her teaching of Paradise Lost, according to the school, amounted to "calling for the glorifying of Satan."

When Prince left the disciplinary boards room, she said, From my point of view, the whole issue was fabricated by the university to get rid of me for good. After reviewing the file  a very big file at that, [I found] testimonies of students that are mostly not true about me not working, wearing short [dresses] and not being suitable to teach. This is not a problem since these students are still young and dont know what it is to teach or what the teaching methods are. According to assessments, I am a failed teacher. In reality, I am not sure if these assessment forms were made for other teachers also, or just me.

On April 4, Prince sparked a major controversy on social networking websites after she posted on Facebook a video of herself on her rooftop courtyard dancing to the rhythm of Leh Bedari Keda, a song by Egyptian artist Ruby, whose music and dancing videos some people consider to be provocative. Her real problems began, she said, when a journalist published pictures of her drinking and wearing a bikini, along with a video of her belly dancing.

On Aug. 9, three days after the university's decision, Prince said on her Facebook page, Is belly dancing a crime by law? Is wearing a bikini punishable by law? Isnt it allowed for one to wear a bikini and take a video while dancing in it? Are debates in lecture halls a crime? Have you people gone nuts, or what?

Prince occasionally does things some people describe as abnormal because they break with the customs and traditions of Egyptian society. In May, Prince took to Facebook to announce she plans to run for president in the elections scheduled for 2018, and she launched an official page under the title Dr. Mona Prince, President of Egypt 2018.

On the page, Prince describes her campaign platform and the paramount role she believes it could play in fighting terrorism. It is through education, art and freedom that your golden sun shall return, Egypt, so that Egyptians can once again embrace productivity and contribute to human civilization.

She also said, I cannot promise you that I will solve all of the problems facing Egypt and the Egyptians in one, two or 10 years. Real change takes time, but I promise that I will work hard with the skilled youth to lay sound foundations for a modern Egyptian state. I will also work on restoring the Egyptian identity in the four years [to come]. I will surely not seek a second term, in order to ensure a power rotation, and because I will be yearning to do other things away from public work, which will have taken over almost all of my personal life. Also, I am a fun person who loves life. I will be a light-hearted president, and I will spoil the people."

In another post, she said, I have a dream that Egypt will become a modern and secular state for all Egyptians and will cease to be a third-world country. I have a dream that we will stop being [like] the US or Saudi Arabia. Egypt shall be Egyptian, and we shall restore our Egyptian civilization and culture. I will try to do so through the acts I carry out in my life and through my candidacy for the Egyptian presidency, and I will keep doing so no matter the circumstances.

As soon as Prince announced her candidacy, media figure Azmi Moujahed said May 10 on al-Assema TV that Prince's candidacy is an insult to Egypt: Egypt should not be offended like this. Prince needs mental therapy for announcing her intention to run for president.

Media figure Mohammed al-Ghaiti also criticized Prince, saying May 10 on his LTC TV program that she is just an attention-seeker who is not fit for the presidency because she is a dancer.

On June 25, Prince displayed a video clip of her on her roof courtyard in which she says, Start your day with music and dance, it will definitely make you feel better, work better and with love. Love yourselves. I send the same message to all people all over the world.

As soon as she posted that message, she received a lot of comments from supporters and opponents alike. Some said she was expressing her personal freedom and no one should fault her. Others deplored the message, saying Prince is unworthy to take over the presidency because of her anomalous acts.

The next day, she urged her followers to allocate an hour a day to reading about a variety of topics and to urge their children to read. It is only through education that civilizations can progress, she said.

However, Prince's Facebook page has no political proposals to solve Egypt's problems, nothing regarding solutions via education and health or the advancement of Egypt's struggling economy.

Prince recently told Al-Monitor she intends to confront all forms of extremism and terrorism that are threatening Arab societies. Education is the main drive of societal progress and the main tool through which we can confront terrorism. This is why I will seek to change the curriculum, to help children learn through innovative ways that [depart] from dictation or memorizing techniques.

Every person has the right to run for president as long as they meet the required conditions, and I do not care about anyones criticism, she said.
September 7, 2017

AbdolHamid Ismail Zahi, better known as Molavi AbdolHamid, the Friday prayer leader in Zahedan and perhaps Irans most prominent Sunni leader, thanked Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Sept. 6 for publicly addressing Zahi's open letter regarding concerns about discrimination. AbdolHamid called Khameneis response a historic, wise and final command. He said Khameneis command was a religious and legal duty for all of the officials to implement justice and equality between all the races and religions in Iran.

AbdolHamid has written a number of public letters addressed to Khamenei in recent years. His latest letter, which received a response by Khamenei, was written Aug. 2. The letter addressed the issue of discrimination and hiring of individuals across the country. In Iran, while many Sunnis are elected in local city council elections in Sunni majority cities, all provincial appointments come through the central government in Tehran. The second issue addressed in the letter by AbdolHamid was mosques in major cities in Iran, such as Tehran. While Sunnis have mosques in Tehran, the mosques  some refer to them as simply houses of worship rather than mosques  do not compare in size or stature to the mosques in Sunni majority areas in the border provinces.

What made the Aug. 2 letter by AbdolHamid noteworthy is that Khamenei gave a public response to it. In a letter published online by Ayatollah Mohammad Mohammadi Golpayegani, the head of Khameneis office, Khamenei responded that based on religious knowledge and the constitution, no kind of discrimination or inequality by the institutions of the Islamic Republic is allowed based on race, ethnicity or religion.

A number of Iranian websites published the contents of Khameneis response with headlines expressing approval of Khameneis position opposing discrimination against religious minorities. Iranian parliamentarian Mahmoud Sadeghi tweeted, Promising response from the leader of the revolution [Khamenei] to Molavi AbdolHamids letter regarding discrimination between races and religions.

While AbdolHamid appreciated Khameneis response, it will be up to the administration of President Hassan Rouhani to ensure that provincial political appointments are more inclusive. AbdolHamid last met with Rouhani in December. AbdolHamid has been critical of Rouhanis administration but has continued to support him.

Before the May presidential election, AbdolHamid and other Sunni leaders met with government officials, and he said the leaders would support Rouhanis re-election despite the presence of complaints. He said that the environment under Rouhanis administration is slightly more free when compared with Mahmoud Ahmadinejads administration. AbdolHamid spoke at the Interior Ministry in front of Rouhanis campaign staff after Rouhanis re-election. During that speech, AbdolHamid both praised Rouhani and offered criticisms. However, AbdolHamid was absent from Rouhanis August inauguration, leaving many to question why.

AbdolHamid met with Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif on Sept. 3. While many news websites shared pictures of the meeting, it is not clear what the topic of the conversation was. AbdolHamid last met with Khamenei in January 2015 for Unity Week.
September 7, 2017

TEHRAN, Iran  Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif is planning to implement some structural changes in the Iranian Foreign Ministry as he begins his second term in office  and it is not clear how successful these changes will be.

A great part of Zarifs first four years as foreign minister was spent resolving Irans nuclear file, a task that also engaged two of his key deputies, namely Majid Takht-Ravanchi, the deputy foreign minister for European and American affairs, and Abbas Araghchi, the deputy for legal and international affairs.

After several rounds of negotiations, Iran and the group of six countries known as the P5+1 ultimately reached a comprehensive nuclear agreement on July 14, 2015. However, because the talks diverted a great portion of the ministrys attention away from other issues, the negotiations were accompanied by some domestic criticism.

These days, Zarif is engaged in an additional major task, bringing about structural development in a ministry that is resistant to change. The scale of the task at hand means that there is no guarantee of its success.

News of these changes began circulating as parliament met to give votes of confidence to President Hassan Rouhanis proposed Cabinet ministers. While presenting his second-term plan to Iranian legislators, Zarif discussed the formation of a new economy department that would operate under his management, and on Aug. 16 he talked of pursuing an economy-oriented diplomacy in his new term, an idea that would require the cooperation of government and private organizations to achieve success.

The Iranian foreign minister elaborated on some dimensions of the changes he had in mind during a television interview Aug. 20. In order to increase the agility of the Foreign Ministrys activities, it has been decided that our embassies and the headquarters will pay more attention to aiding the expansion and improvement of the countrys economy. Based on this, we have decided to create a new [economy] department. Additionally, we will remove the three regional departments [handling American and European affairs, Arab and African affairs, and Asian and Oceania affairs] and establish a new political department instead. Our regional offices and embassies are obliged to work with all these departments.

However, these changes dont end with just the formation of an economy department. At present, Irans foreign minister has six deputies in different fields. These include the deputy for legal and international affairs, the deputy for administrative and executive affairs, the deputy for parliamentary and Iranian expatriate affairs and three regional deputies  the abovementioned deputy for Arab-African affairs, the deputy for European and American affairs and the deputy for Asia and Pacific affairs. Under the new Foreign Ministry charter, the three regional deputies will be replaced by an economy deputy and a political deputy. Thus, Irans foreign minister will have a total of five deputies.

Eliminating the regional deputies' posts will mean more responsibilities for the regional director generals. The number of these director generals, who are active in areas such as the Middle East, Northern Europe and Eastern Europe, will be raised from 24 to 32.

But can these changes be successful? A source in the Foreign Ministry who asked to remain anonymous told Al-Monitor, Of course this is not the first time that Zarif has tried to implement these changes. Previously, one year ago, he had a similar detailed plan in mind and had discussed it with his deputies. However, due to various reasons such as the enormity of the changes or the timing being too close to elections, [he] postponed it until after the [May 2017] presidential polls. Although in essence these changes can be positive, they may also create some problems. For instance, all 32 director generals will be placed under the supervision of two [economy and political] deputies as well as the minister. Thus each director general has to be accountable to three people at the same time and this can cause some problems in the implementation process.

Another structural change that is supposed to take place in the Foreign Ministry is the separation of the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) from the legal and international affairs department, which until now has been headed by Araghchi, and placing it under the watch of the political department.

This has led to growing speculations about the potential appointment of Araghchi as the new political deputy. However, Foreign Ministry spokesman Bahram Ghassemi told Al-Monitor, All the rumors regarding the presence of [certain] individuals in the new posts are media-driven and have no real substance. No new person has been introduced for any of the new positions and Mr. Zarif is still busy evaluating the situation and suitable candidates for the different deputy positions as well as the newly created posts in the Foreign Ministry.

However, one of the problems Zarif will face in implementing these changes is the absence of an expert and professional force to run the economy department. In an interview with Khabaronline on Sept. 5, Zarif said, Some in Iran criticize us as to why our ambassadors dont have a strong economics background. Our envoy to Australia is a former deputy commerce minister and a former head of customs. If someone in such a position is willing to help us, we will definitely welcome them as an ambassador. Therefore, Zarif will likely have no choice but to bring in individuals from outside the Foreign Ministry for the economy department.

Yet the problems dont end here. Among the other challenges Irans foreign minister will likely face are resistance to change in Irans Foreign Ministry; hardware capabilities; creating room or new physical space for the new posts; and coordinating with foreign counterparts.

Meanwhile, Zarif has ambitious ideas for implementing these changes. In an interview with ISNA news agency Aug. 26, he said, We plan to create an information bank in the economy department so that the private sector will also provide us with their data and we also provide the private sector with information about our embassies.

Now one must wait and see what is going through Zarifs head and if he will be able to get the body of the Foreign Ministry to go along with these structural changes. This trend, considering the conservative structure of the Foreign Ministry complex, seems difficult. However, Zarif may be able to do this given his personal abilities and strong charisma. This is not to mention that key diplomats Takht-Ravanchi and Mohammad Kazem Sajjadpour, who are both longtime Zarif allies in the Foreign Ministry, will help him in this process.
September 7, 2017

BAGHDAD  At a recent festival, the Iraqi National Troupe of Folk Art wanted to pay homage to the liberation of Mosul through a special dance in the presence of 1,600 people, but some politicians who thought dancing was incompatible with Islam simply got up and walked out.

The walkout happened while the troupe performed a dance representing the liberation of Mosul from the Islamic State during the ceremony on the 62nd anniversary of the founding of Iraqi cinema in Baghdad on Aug. 16. In July of this year the Iraqi forces liberated Mosul, which was held by IS since 2014.

Such snubbing toward dancing is not uncommon in Iraq. Fouad Zanoun, the director of the troupe, told Al-Monitor, Some prominent politicians and officials who attend festivals leave as soon as the troupe starts performing as they believe this is in direct conflict with religious and social norms.

In a country like Iraq, governed by strict religious customs and traditions and where conservative Islamist parties are influential, the work of the Iraqi National Troupe of Folk Art is seen as an important cultural step to break the taboo of dancing, which is regarded as haram, or immoral, on religious grounds. Many people who are educated and culturally aware praise and support the troupe as an artistic and cultural band, Zanoun said.

But the support is hardly enough to keep the troupe performing. There is limited support from the Ministry of Culture, which is not enough for the troupes needs. We need more material and moral support to be able to perform and convey a clear message in representing the Iraqi folklore and heritage at home and abroad, Zanoun said.

Yet it is becoming difficult to keep up the performances at home, let alone abroad. Since 2015, the Babylon Festival for International Cultures & Arts has not included any dance. But Undersecretary of the Ministry of Culture Fawzi Atrushi denied April 27 that this was due to religious conservatism. He said, Some are trying to establish a link between religion and the prohibition of singing, music and dancing.

The troupe was founded in 1971 by the Iraqi Culture Ministry's Cinema and Theater Department with the aim of spreading and promoting folk arts in a high artistic style inspired by Iraqi folklore, which represents all sects and ethnicities. Unlike what some conservative people believe, our choreographies are without a hint of indecency. Our dances are inspired by Iraqs heritage, music and folkloric clothes that are common for Iraqi sects and ethnic groups, Iyad Ahmad Abdel Rahman, a member of the band, told Al-Monitor.

Choreographer and designer Hanaa Abdalla, who has been with the troupe for five years, told Al-Monitor, The groups performance has declined since 2003 because of the security and political events that have gripped the country. Like any other cultural groups in Iraq and the area, our troupe fell victim to the rising influence of religious and conservative movements that see dancing and arts as taboo. The biggest threat to the troupe is the decline in awareness of the importance of art and creativity, which is reflected in the low turnout for our shows.

Conservatism, lack of financial support and lack of awareness about the significance of art makes it difficult to maintain the troupe, let alone enlarge it. Very few female dancers applied for the job when the troupe announced Aug. 3 that it is recruiting young female dancers.

Salaries are far from competitive, as both Zanoun and Abdalla pointed out. Abdalla believes that to progress, the troupe needs enough support from the Ministry of Culture, "mainly a raise in the salaries of the bands members and other attractive incentives for new dancers who would want to join.

She added, The low salaries of dancers  $400 a month  are not a good incentive for young men and women to join the group. Besides the financial problems, the Iraqi media outlets  especially the semiofficial Iraqi channels  do not cover any of the bands works and completely ignore their shows.

Both troupe members and cultural circles underline the role the troupe plays in maintaining Iraqs folkloric heritage and the dance traditions of different ethnic groups. Riyadh al-Gharib, a member of the Union of Writers and Authors in Iraq, told Al-Monitor, Since its foundation, the Iraqi National Troupe of Folk Art has represented Iraq culturally in many international festivals  to promote our culture, history and heritage.

Abdalla said, The communities who do not have national groups to represent their history and folklore lose greatly in introducing their culture to other peoples.

Another member in the band, Adel Luaibi, told Al-Monitor, The Iraqi National Troupe of Folk Art is not merely a dance group but a school for dance and body expression arts. Iraq lacks a national dance school or institute. The troupe offers dance lessons for new members.

Iraq is a country of rich heritage and culture. Not only is the troupe a school for dancing, but it keeps up the tradition of folk dancing, contributing at the same time to promote Iraqs diverse heritage, customs and traditions through its expressive choreographies.
September 7, 2017

How often can one incite against liberals and dump on the media to divert public attention? It seems that every so often, the repertoire of fear and hatred must be diversified to continue distracting the public from the tightening noose of criminal investigations against the Netanyahu family.

On Aug. 28, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was handed a golden opportunity to spread some hatred. Five Supreme Court justices, known among the populist right as elites, issued a ruling that showed consideration for asylum-seekers, or as the famously law-abiding Israeli premier calls them, illegal infiltrators. A petition had been submitted by human rights activists to limit detention of this population. To hear Netanyahu tell it, all these asylum-seekers had joined forces to make life miserable for the downtrodden residents of southern Tel Avivs disadvantaged neighborhoods so dearly cherished by the prime minister and his wife.

In response, the nations top court sinned by limiting to two months the incarceration of those among an estimated 40,000 asylum-seekers, the vast majority (92%) from Eritrea and Sudan, who refuse to leave Israel. Thats all it takes to stand with the good guys  the impoverished Jews living in depressed neighborhoods  against the bad guys  the unfortunate Africans dumped in the heart of those neighborhoods. Absent permission to make an honest living, some are mixed up in crime. Nonetheless, according to data compiled by the Knessets research center, the crime rate among asylum-seekers is significantly lower than that of Tel Avivs wider population. Actually, in 2010, the number of criminal files opened for asylum-seekers in Tel Aviv was less than a fifth of the number of criminal files opened for Tel Aviv Israeli residents (one criminal file for every 15.9, compared with one for every 84.7 asylum-seekers).

The prime ministers busy schedule was cleared after this ruling. His associates organized a high-profile visit to mark the opening of a new police station in a low-income southern Tel Aviv neighborhood where migrants have congregated. Ive heard the residents, and what I hear is pain and crisis, cried Netanyahu, who could have financed an elderly couple in an impoverished southern Tel Aviv neighborhood for a whole year for the price of the cigars, champagne and pistachio ice cream flowing to his home. We are here on a mission to give southern Tel Aviv back to the Israeli residents, the prime minister promised local residents, who had been riled up by targeted right-wing incitement against the liberal Supreme Court. Netanyahu failed to tell them that two among the five justices who ruled on the petition had proposed that the state consider easing the burden of southern Tel Avivs residents by spreading the asylum-seekers throughout other parts of the country.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked also missed no opportunity to portray the High Court and its proponents as enemies of Zionism. She vowed, Zionism should not continue, and I say here it will not continue, to bow down to the system of individual rights interpreted in a universal way that divorces them from the history of the Knesset and the history of legislation that we all know. Interior Minister Aryeh Deri rushed to threaten new sanctions against those who dare employ asylum-seekers who refuse to leave the country for Uganda or Rwanda. We cannot let an infiltrator who refuses to leave to be freed from detention and allowed to live a free and normative life, argued the convicted felon who served time for corruption. The poor of your own town have prior rights, the man with the Jacuzzi and vacation home wrote on Facebook, citing a famed Talmudic saying.

The prime minister pledged to form and head a special ministerial committee and involve the residents and relevant institutions to resolve the problem. But before he convenes a committee and conducts a round table, the prime minister should do some homework. As a first step, he would do well to read the Jan. 14, 2016, protocol of the Ministerial Committee on Legislation. He would find that the panel had rejected a proposed bill that would have eased the distress and suffering both of the asylum-seekers and of the southern Tel Aviv residents. The legislation proposed by the opposition Zionist Camp Knesset faction was based on a detailed plan prepared by then-Knesset member and former police commander Moshe Mizrahi. It contained the following provisions: granting economic incentives to communities and employers willing to house and employ asylum-seekers, designating southern Tel Aviv as a special priority zone entitled to various benefits, investing significant resources in upgrading the infrastructure of those distressed neighborhoods and strengthening law enforcement in those areas.

The most amazing thing is that this government wastes immense resources to really abuse the minuscule number of 39,000 Africans as well as the women and men of southern Tel Aviv, Knesset member Merav Michaeli, head of the Zionist Camp Knesset faction, told Al-Monitor this week. With half this effort the state could have investigated their status and allowed those who cannot be deported to work in a manner benefiting the country as much as them, Michaeli added. Instead, successive Netanyahu governments have taken the most vulnerable people, who were willing to do anything we told them, and are simply abusing them and the residents of southern Tel Aviv.

After perusing the discarded legislation proposal, the prime minister should ask for the July 2016 position paper compiled by the Institute for Immigration and Social Integration at the Ruppin Academic Center. The centers researchers found that vocational training of asylum-seekers in construction, hotel work and agriculture and their dispersal throughout the country in towns and villages desperate for such workers would contribute 3.3 billion shekels ($926 million) to Israel's gross national product. Tax revenues would grow by 119.6 shekels ($33.6) annually and social insurance payments would increase by 6.3 million shekels ($1.77 million). The annual deficits at hospitals unable to collect payment for the treatment of asylum-seekers would shrink by 10.3 shekels ($2.9 million).

These vast sums could then be invested in upgrading infrastructure, health care and education in the disadvantaged areas of southern Tel Aviv. But then Netanyahu will be forced to renew incitement against the liberals and the media. Have no fear, he is certain to find new enemies.
September 7, 2017

Over the past several months, only one politician has managed to goad Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into attacking him, and that was former Prime Minister Ehud Barak. In a video that Netanyahu posted on his Facebook page Sept. 4, he can be heard mocking and even imitating Barak. On another occasion, he called him, an old-fashioned man with a new-fashioned beard.

For some time now, Barak has exploited various social networks to become an effective, if brutal, one-man response team to Netanyahu. Barak regularly refers to him with a vast and creative array of insults, for instance, calling him a feeble lackey of a prime minister and deeming him paranoid.

Netanyahu's life would be absolutely miserable if Barak were head of the opposition. Barak, however, has no formal political position. The public abandoned him long ago, and he does not pose a political threat to Netanyahu. What is evident, however, is that Barak is demonstrating how the opposition should be reacting to a prime minister drowning in criminal investigations.

The clearest sign that Israel is experiencing the worst opposition ever is that Netanyahu can afford to ignore the very people who are supposed to be his political rivals. None of Netanyahu's dozens of Facebook posts, tweets or speeches in the past few months has referred to his rivals, among them Avi Gabbay, the new Labor Party chair and hope of the left, and Yesh Atid Chairman Yair Lapid. They may be the most prominent leaders of the opposition, but they simply don't exist as far as Netanyahu is concerned.

In a speech delivered during a formal Likud-sponsored Jewish New Year toast on Aug. 30, Netanyahu focused his attacks on the former caretaker of the prime minister's residence, Meni Naftali, who has become a leading figure in the public protests against him. Netanyahu spent several minutes railing against Naftali, as if he were the head of the opposition in the Knesset.

From every possible perspective, these days should be the opposition's moment of glory. The prime minister is entangled in a series of criminal investigations that have the people closest to him going in and out of police interrogation rooms through a revolving door. Meanwhile, the diplomatic process is gridlocked, and there is no initiative on the table to resolve the volatile situation in Gaza. A viable opposition would turn all this into a lethal public weapon against Netanyahu. It would convert the prevailing malaise into the kind of energy that leads to a change in government. Netanyahu should be breaking out in a sweat, and not because of the threat posed by the various criminal investigations against him.

Paradoxically, Netanyahu is actually quite powerful and growing stronger within the Likud and his coalition. He sits atop the polls, and there is no visible alternative to his leadership in the form of a political rival or a proposal to counter the diplomatic stalemate he has offered up for the past decade.

For the moment, Barak is the only person crafting an ideological alternative to Netanyahu and the Likud, through a combination of rhetorical skill and natural leadership ability. In the current arena, both Gabbay and Lapid are lightweights. They may compose the right Facebook posts, critique Netanyahu's performance, express their reservations about corruption in government and promise a better world, but when it comes to pumping energy into the opposition, they are clueless. There are several reasons for this.

Gabbay and Lapid are both competing for the same basic pool of center-left voters, and they both see themselves running against Netanyahu for the premiership. In a three-way race, Netanyahu benefits. In the 2000s, there has been a centrist party in almost every election taking a deep bite out of Labor. There has, therefore, been no single leader of the center-left.

Now, both Lapid and Gabbay want to attract Likud voters to break the stalemate between their two rival blocks. Lapid is actively distancing himself from the left, while Gabbay is using his coming from a Mizrahi family of Likud supporters to lure voters on the right. In practical terms, however, the result is that both leaders are making every effort to avoid alienating Likud supporters. Thus, in dealing with Netanyahu, they tend to stick to a mainstream line, which is hardly aggressive enough.

Their underlying assumption is that Likud supporters do not like it when their party and their leader come under attack, but this is the wrong way to look at the situation. The role of an opposition party is to attack the ruling party, its representatives and its leader as hard as it can, every day, all the time. With political consultants associated with the Likud being arrested by the police, an opposition campaign need not focus exclusively on Netanyahu's corruption. It should focus on corruption within the Likud as a whole. The Labor Party's 1992 campaign  led by Yitzhak Rabin under the banner We're sick of your corruption  succeeded because it presented the entire Likud as corrupt. It showed no mercy on Likud members.

Now more than ever, the role of the opposition is to provide the people with a sense that there is an alternative to the sitting government. It should focus on the idea that there is another candidate for prime minister with a well-formulated diplomatic and economic vision. That candidate should not be someone who chooses his words carefully because he wants to trap random Likud voters in his net. For example, at a Calcalist Conference on Sept. 4, Gabbay declared, My vision for the Labor is a party that is home to all Israelis: religious and secular, Arabs and Jews, men and women, Mizrahim and Ashkenazim, and people who are a little to the right and a little to the left. That is not how an alternative to the current right-wing government should sound.

The opposition is split between two main parties busy competing against each other, while Netanyahu practically dominates the agenda. It is hard to recall the last time Gabbay or Lapid made big headlines, sparked a discussion or forced Netanyahu to respond. Gabbay came close, if only for a moment, when he surprised everybody in July by winning the Labor's leadership election and a few days later when he joined demonstrators outside the home of State Attorney General Avichai Mandelblit. He brought with him the energy needed to replace the current government, but he chose the wrong demonstration. It was inappropriate for him to join demonstrators who claimed that the attorney general was protecting the prime minister. Furthermore, an effective opposition would have initiated its own demonstrations and street protests, rather than hitching a ride on one organized by Naftali.

The division on the center-left will become increasingly acute as the next election approaches. Gabbay and Lapid will be forced to fight for the same voters, while simultaneously waging a campaign against Netanyahu or whoever replaces him. Under these circumstances, the Likud could win the election even without Netanyahu if no clear alternative to it is in the running.
September 7, 2017

Six construction workers died last month in Israel, bringing the number of such fatalities to 23 so far this year. The number of fatalities in 2016 totaled 49, according to data compiled by attorney Hadas Tagari. Had Tagari not rallied to the cause, few in Israel would know about the extent of the country's workplace accident problem. Each case would have continued to merit at best a short item on the radio about a nameless worker killed on a construction site.

Few Israelis, if any, know that most workplace accidents occur in the construction sector and that most of those killed or injured are Israeli Arab citizens, Palestinians from the West Bank and Gaza, and a handful of migrant laborers from abroad. Almost two years ago, Tagari began collecting the names and identities of the dead, one by one, as well as the location of their fatal accidents. She documented the names of the construction companies involved and the reason for the accidents, whether negligence by employers or the systemic failure of all those tasked with supervising the construction sector and preventing workplace accidents.

Most of those killed are Arab Israelis and Palestinians from the territories, Tagari told Al-Monitor, adding that this is probably why no one had bothered to count them. According to the data she compiled for 2016, one-third of the dead were West Bank or Gaza Palestinians, one-third of them Arab Israelis and the remaining one-third almost equally divided between Jews and non-Jews, the majority of them immigrants from the former Soviet Union.

One day, in November 2015, I read that three workers had been killed in three separate accidents after falling from heights. I knew that we wouldnt find out anything more about who they were, where they were killed, how, what company was operating the site, and especially that no one would check, Tagari said. Its clearly linked to the fact that theyre Arabs, but theres also a whole system of powerful economic interests at play.

Israels construction safety legislation is adequate, Tagari asserted, but the resources of the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services for monitoring workplace safety are meager, the police fail to investigate, and the state does not prosecute. This makes for a comprehensive systemic failure, Tagari said. Were it not for her activity, the construction fatalities would have remained anonymous.

Tagari began collating data, mostly based on announcements issued by the Magen David Adom medical emergency and disaster services, and then got journalists interested in the information she gathered. She also established a Facebook group, The Battle Against Construction Accidents, to enable others to also document accidents.

On Sept. 3, Tagari posted the following: Four Muslims, and two Chinese, killed during the month of August on construction sites, will no longer celebrate with their families. Among them is Mohammed Amara, 16, whose young life was cut short on 17.8.2017 after the scaffolding on which he was banned by law from climbing due to his young age collapsed under his feet. On the same day, two additional construction workers, Israeli Arabs, died.

Tagari, a human rights lawyer, spent a decade working at the Association of Civil Rights in Israel and is currently completing her Ph.D. thesis. Her legal training has helped in guiding Facebook group members in how to publish the names of companies involved in safety infractions at construction sites without risking libel suits. There is essentially no problem, she said, because most of the information is in the public domain, and the building sites are highly visible, as are negligence and shoddy safety practices.

The pressure that Tagari has helped bring to bear through rights organizations, such as Kav LaOved (Workers Hotline) and Maan (a Palestinian workers advocacy group), has yielded results. Public interest in construction fatalities has grown. In August 2016, a legal amendment took effect mandating a work stoppage at any construction site where serious or fatal accidents occur. In addition, the government department tasked with overseeing workplace safety was transferred from the purview of the Ministry of Economy, where Tagari said it was out of place due to the economic focus of the office, to the Ministry of Labor, Social Affairs and Social Services.

In June 2016, the Occupational Safety Administration and the research department of the National Insurance Institute issued a comprehensive report on workplace accidents between 2011 and 2015. Its authors concede that construction work is the most hazardous occupation in Israel.

The chances of a construction worker being killed is five times greater than that of an industrial laborer, the report stated. The authors do not explain, however, whether the danger stems from the type of work involved or from lax enforcement of safety regulations due to most construction workers being Arabs. Furthermore, the report notes that given the nature of the work in the sectors where migrant labor and Palestinians are employed  mostly construction and agriculture, which are characterized by relatively high rates of injury  There is likely underreporting of workplace accidents among the population of foreign workers and workers from the territories.

The Palestinian workers are the most vulnerable to extortion, Tagari said, explaining that they are afraid to complain lest they lose their permit to work in Israel, which requires great effort to obtain. She underscores that all her data pertains to construction sites in Israel only, and not to construction work by Palestinians in the West Bank, which she described as a no-mans land.

Tagari explained that Israeli safety laws do not apply in the West Bank, and Magen David Adom, the main source of her information, does not operate there as a rule. The Palestinian Authority also does not document the number of workers who are killed or injured in the Israeli settlements. They conduct registration of Palestinian injuries and fatalities in work accidents within Israel, Tagari said, but the workers in the settlements are an unknown. Theyre not counted and no one cares about their fate.
September 6, 2017

RAMALLAH, West Bank  The family of first-grader Jalaluddin Abdul Hadi was still hunting for schools a week after the school year started on Aug. 23. They managed to find a place for him at a public primary school close to their home in central Ramallah, just a quarter of an hour away by car, though it would be hard for the little boy to get there by foot. It was not the first time the family has faced this challenge. In 2011, they had to register their older son in a private school so he could get there by bus.

Ramallah suffers from a lack of public schools, especially in residential areas, while private schools that offer bus transportation to the students abound in the city.

Jalaluddins father Mustafa bemoaned the expense of private education. He currently pays around 10,000 shekels ($2,800) in fees per year for his older son. These fees increase $100 every year. There are also registration fees, the cost of school uniforms and other expenses. He cannot afford to pay double now that his younger son has reached the first grade.

To solve the problem of transport, Mustafa reached a deal with a taxi driver to do the school run twice a day for 600 shekels ($175) per month, another cost for the family just to send their second son to a government school.

The Abdul Hadis are not alone. Many families rely on Ramallahs growing network of private schools. An average of one new private school opens every academic year, while government schools are not being built to meet the demand created by the citys rapidly growing population.

Ramallah now has around 120,000 residents, many of them transplants from elsewhere, but only eight government schools. There are 15 private schools, including the recently opened Lycee Francais de Ramallah.

The Teachers Creativity center is a nonprofit Palestinian institution based in Ramallah that focuses on educational development. Its head, Rafat Sabah, said the shortage of public schools threatens citizens' right to education. He said it is the governments duty to find solutions so people are not forced to send their children to private schools.

Sabah told Al-Monitor, The lack of government schools has encouraged people to use private schools, and the fact that Ramallah is where most wealthy Palestinians live has not helped. The large number of private schools has allowed the government to shift the responsibility of providing education onto the private sector. The situation, he said, does not make for a healthy educational environment.

We fear that public education will be neglected in favor of private schools, he said. Sabah accused the government of failing to fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals for 2015-2030 it signed on education. The goals stipulate that education should be free, compulsory, universal, equitable and lifelong. He said the sector needs a lot of improvement for free education to reach the level of that provided by private schools.

The Ministry of Educations head of public education, Ayoub Alyan, agreed that the lack of schools is a real problem in Ramallah. He blamed it on the city attracting many new residents from other areas of the West Bank controlled by the Palestinian Authority. The ministry has been unable to keep track of the rapid population growth, he said, and the lack of good data on the increase makes finding outside sources of funding to build schools more difficult.

The ministry relies on joint projects with the municipality to build schools, and they do not have the necessary budget to keep up with the citys population growth and demand for new schools, Alyan told Al-Monitor.

Ramallah Mayor Mousa Hadid agreed. There are ongoing efforts to meet these needs, but the plans come up against the municipalitys financial capacities, he told Al-Monitor. The growth in demand for education cant be met financially, especially given that the municipality is also maintaining and expanding existing schools, which takes up a large portion of its budget.

According to Alyan, a plan to solve the crisis involves the purchase of land to build two new schools, one of them a primary one, in the central Ayn Misbah district. It could go a long way toward solving the problem, he said. Meanwhile, an existing school, Ziyad Abu Ayn, in al-Tira district, is to be privatized and renovated for primary school students.

Alyan denied that the government was shifting responsibility to the private sector. The government is making moves to solve this problem by building new schools, redistributing students among the existing schools and changing the grade levels that some schools serve, he said.

Sabah said the best solution would be to allocate more funds to the education sector, raising its share of the budget from 20.1% to 24%. The solution lies in making education a priority, rather than waiting for external funding, he said. The fact is that 97% of spending on education comes from taxes the PA collects from the public.

The problem will remain as long as education is not made a priority for government spending, and for now residents must foot the bill of a decent education for their children.
September 7, 2017

WASHINGTON  Congress has moved one step closer to cutting off economic assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority (PA).

The powerful Senate Appropriations Committee voted overwhelmingly today in favor of a foreign aid bill that withholds certain economic assistance unless the PA stops paying stipends to the families of Palestinians imprisoned for terrorism or killed while attacking Israelis. The inclusion of the provision, named after slain US Army veteran Taylor Force, greatly increases the odds that it will become law.

Taylor Force was an American hero who was brutally murdered at the hands of terrorists, Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., said before todays vote. Yet instead of condemning this horrific attack  and so many others like it  the Palestinian Authority rewards terrorists. Today we are sending a strong message to the Palestinian Authority that this practice is wholly unacceptable and inconsistent with peace.

Graham, the chairman of the committees panel that oversees foreign assistance, first introduced the Taylor Force Act last year. Companion legislation in the House from Rep. Doug Lamborn, R-Colo., has attracted 111 co-sponsors, all of them Republicans.

Last month, the Senate Foreign Relations Committee voted 17-4 in favor of an amended version of the original bill that would create an escrow fund to temporarily set aside aid withheld to the PA until it stops its so-called martyr payments. Under the version of the legislation that passed today, the Treasury Department must set aside the withheld funds to the PA for one year, giving the Palestinians a window to change their practices before assistance is redistributed to other countries.

Ahead of today's vote, Graham further revised his bill by specifying that only funds "that directly benefit the Palestinian Authority" should be withheld. The changes would preserve US funding for NGOs and other independent organizations operating in the West Bank and Gaza.

According to Graham, the PA spent an estimated $144 million on martyr payments last year. The State Department has requested $215 million in economic aid to the West Bank and Gaza for 2018, some of which would likely be cut should the Taylor Force Act become law. Current US law only requires a dollar reduction in US assistance for every dollar the PA spends on "martyr" stipends.

Although four Democrats on the Foreign Relations Committee voted against the bill in August on the grounds that it did not contain enough amendments to provide humanitarian exceptions, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., immediately became a co-sponsor of the bill the next day. Schumers endorsement and support from other Democrats indicate that the bill, initially a solely Republican endeavor, is quickly gaining bipartisan traction.

Still, Graham's latest revisions still failed to convince at least one of the bill's earlier opponents on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.

While this version of the amendment represents a modest but important improvement to protect humanitarian aid in this very volatile region, I remain concerned that it still risks undermining regional stability -- and therefore our own national security -- at a time when we are already involved in a number of difficult conflicts around the world, Sen. Tom Udall, D-N.M., told Al-Monitor in a written statement following the vote.

Pro-Israel lobby groups, however, have started turning up the heat on Democratic holdouts.

The traditionally bipartisan American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) embraced last months committee vote despite initially staying silent. And just this week, a right-wing pro-Israel lobbying group, the Committee for Israel, launched ads attacking Sen. Cory Booker, D-N.J., one of the Democrats who voted against the bill last month.

Other pro-Israel lobbying groups have also weighed in.

Todays action signals just how serious our legislators are about ending US aid for Palestinian terrorism, Nathan Diament, the executive director for public policy at the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center, the lobbying arm of a coalition representing American Orthodox Jews, said in a statement. We applaud the Senate Appropriations subcommittee  and its chairman Sen. Graham  for placing so much attention on the need to stop using American taxpayer dollars to fund terrorism.

And Daniel Shapiro, a US ambassador to Israel under President Barack Obama, now supports the updated version of the bill after initially voicing his reservations about its original version in July.

"With the amendments from the Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, the bill now provides strong opposition to the PA's payments to terrorists and leverage to pressure the PA to stop them, while preserving the ability to provide assistance that supports other US and Israeli interests and helps innocent Palestinians, Shapiro told Al-Monitor. It is a good bill, with strong bipartisan support, and a fitting tribute to Taylor Force."

However, J Street, a liberal Jewish lobbying group, opposed the legislation that emerged from the Senate Foreign Relations Committee last month. It's unclear what the group's stance is on the latest revisions.

The bills language is vague in places, making it unclear as to whether this assistance would continue depending on how narrowly the language is interpreted by the current US administration or by future administrations, J Street said in an August statement.

The Trump administrations stance also remains unclear. Past administrations have balked at cuts to the PA because of worries they could destabilize a key Israeli security partner against Hamas and other Islamist groups. Stuart Jones, acting assistant secretary of state for Near Eastern affairs, testified in July that it was not clear that the bill as currently drafted, would help accomplish the objectives that are needed. The State Department did not respond to Al-Monitors repeated requests for updated comment.

Correction: Sept. 8, 2017. An earlier version of this article mistated the scope of the proposed cuts to Palestinian aid. The bill that cleared the Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday targets assistance that directly benefits the Palestinian Authority, but not all econnomic aid to Gaza and the West Bank.
September 7, 2017

Photographs of a celebrity kissing a bikini-clad woman other than his wife on a yacht off the resort town of Bodrum would normally be relegated to the back pages of Turkish newspapers. But when it emerged that the woman was his adult niece, Turkey was thrust into a painful debate about incest. Much of the ire has been directed at a journalist who wrote about the prevalence of incest within Turkish families.

In the mass-circulation daily Hurriyet, Melis Alphan cited research from the Federation of Womens Associations of Turkey (TKDF) showing that 40% of Turks were victims of incest. The figure was based on a broad definition that includes both physical and non-physical behavior for purposes of sexual arousal by family members.

Incest is a taboo and part of the problem is the lack of knowledge about it, Alphan, who regularly writes about violence against women and children, told Al-Monitor. I wrote about this because the issue goes beyond the tabloids, beyond merely judging the two people involved as if it has nothing to do with the rest of us.

But Alphans story sparked outrage and she has faced threats over Twitter, she said. Some readers said they would press charges against her under the penal codes notorious Article 301, which makes insulting the Turkish nation a prisonable offense.

A prominent columnist at Alphans own newspaper, Ahmet Hakan, questioned the statistic, saying it sounded more like a discount at a clothing store than a believable figure.

In 2015, the TKDF conducted research for its Turkey Incest Atlas in 56 provinces, but had opted not to publish all of the data at the time due to the sensitivity around the issue. We believe the reality of incest should be discussed mainly in terms of causes, preventive measures and victims rights, read an open letter it sent to Hakan.

Considering that objective data on incest and violence against women is impossible to obtain from state institutions, the systematic, reliable and verified statistics from the TKDF are used in research on violence against women and children, the group stated.

The controversy over the story obscures the reality of rampant violence against women and children in Turkey, where 86% of women said they face physical or psychological abuse by family members, the Ministry of Family and Social Policies reported in 2016.

Traditionally, violence against women and children is viewed as a private family matter in Turkey, making it difficult for activists and authorities to raise awareness about rights and ensure safeguards.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan's record of protection for women and girls has been mixed. He has called violence against women a bleeding wound in Turkey and vowed to wage a campaign to end it, but he has also deemed women unequal to men.

Last year, the countrys top imam had to retract an embarrassing fatwa on incest issued in response to a question about desiring ones daughter posted on the website of the Presidency of Religious Affairs, or Diyanet. An unidentified religious scholar had stated, According to some observances, a father kissing or caressing his daughter with lust has no effect on the mans marriage, adding that the girl should be older than 9.

Late last year, the government withdrew a bill from parliament at the last minute that would have pardoned men convicted of statutory rape if they married their victims, following opposition from within and without Erdogans ruling party.

Now, parliament is considering a bill to allow muftis to conduct legal weddings, setting off a backlash from womens rights groups concerned it could facilitate underage marriages and undermine Turkeys secular constitution. Currently, marriages in Turkey are civil ceremonies, and while those performed by clerics are allowed, they are not legally recognized.

In the meantime, most newspapers are still producing coverage of the celebrity scandal in lurid detail, while a prosecutor has reportedly begun an investigation into the man, a 49-year-old television presenter, and his brothers daughter, 35, for "immodest behavior," according to media reports.

For her part, Alphan said she would continue to report on child abuse, and today published another piece arguing that acknowledging the frequency of incest is a necessary step toward preventing it. She explained, My duty as a journalist is to inform the public by accurately reporting problems in society. My sole aim is to improve the situation. How does this amount to insulting the country and its people?
September 6, 2017

The latest scandal coming out of Turkey reads like a novel by Tom Clancy or John le Carre: spies, kidnapping, assassination attempts and terrorists. Given the seriousness of the allegations, the utter lack of reaction by Turkish officialdom and media is stunning.

Last week, Al-Monitor reported that militants in Iraqi Kurdistan claimed to have captured two high-level Turkish intelligence officials. Cemil Bayik, one of the top leaders of the outlawed Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), claimed the officials had been sent to assassinate him.

Although Turkish media outlets are strictly controlled by the Turkish government and subservient to President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the importance of the failed operation is extraordinary and unprecedented in the country's recent history, and there's no excuse for the silence of the Turkish mainstream media.

Under normal circumstances, the failure of such an intelligence operation would demand that a high price be paid  maybe not the resignations of myriad government officials, but at least the sacking of spy chief Hakan Fidan, head of Turkey's National Intelligence Organization (MIT). However, that hasn't happened.

Bayik had issued a statement Aug. 29 tacitly accusing the Kurdistan Democrat Party (KDP) of Iraq, led by Massoud Barzani (who is also president of the Turkey-friendly Kurdistan Regional Government, KRG), of being involved in MIT's supposed assassination plot against him.

Bayik also accused the colonialist fascist Turkish state," in particular the government of Erdogan and Devlet Bahceli, chairman of the Nationalist Movement Party (MHP, or Gray Wolves), of "constantly hatching conspiracies and plans to disband our movement."

"They want to include southern forces in this, namely forces like the KDP and the PUK [Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, in Iraq]. They even have their own special organizations outside of the KDP and the PUK," he said.

"Their special effort is to include the KDP and the PUK in their dangerous and sinister plans, Bayik's statement said. No Kurdistani force or individual can or should serve the genocidal policies of the colonialist fascist Turkish state against the Kurdish people. If they fulfill the Turkish states desires in this issue, they will be the ones to suffer the greatest from it. I am warning them on this issue because of this; they should never fall for such traps.

Bayik did say, however, that he doesn't believe the PUK was not involved.

ANF news agency, which is affiliated with the PKK, published some additional information Aug. 30 about the dramatic event.

The two Turkish intelligence MIT administrators being captured by PKK guerrillas is still hot on the agenda.  Both MIT administrators were the heads of MIT branches active against the PKK in the region. They work directly under Hakan Fidan. This is the only piece of information released about their identity for now, the news report said.

They were traveling in southern Kurdistan with diplomatic passports. They reported their preparations to Hakan Fidan. Fidan said to Erdogan, We can carry out abductions or assassinations against PKK administrators  we have this opportunity, and he got approved. With Erdogans and Fidans approval, the MIT officials in question sprung into action. But they ended up in the spot where they were captured due to a counterintelligence leak, the report added, stating it had gathered the information from the Union of Kurdistan Communities (KCK) and other sources.

ANF also claimed to have information that Turkey aimed to start a conflict among Kurds by carrying out the attack in PUK territory.

On Sept. 4, more detailed information and allegations were revealed by an anonymous author in the Kurdistan Post, a media outlet based in Europe. An article claimed that the two intelligence officials were MIT deputy undersecretaries. Allegedly, one was in charge of foreign operations; the other was the head of the PKK desk. Apart from those two, the article claimed that 16 other MIT operatives were trapped in Dukan, Sulaimaniyah, and the PKK had arrested all 18 on Aug. 3. According to the article, the Turkish government reportedly asked KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani to secure their release. When that effort failed, Ankara blamed KDP coalition partner PUK (former Iraqi President Jalal Talabanis organization) and deported the PUKs representative in Turkey.

The PUK office in Ankara had been operating since 1991, and its closure and the deportation of its representative added a diplomatic dimension to the already mysterious background. The PKK's friction with the KDP and the PUK has increased, and the situation has become even more annoying amid preparations for the controversial Kurdish independence referendum, which is set for Sept. 25 despite official objections from Turkey and Iran. The KDP is known to be a proxy of Turkey, while the PUK and the oppositionist Gorran movement have closer relations with Tehran. Turkeys intelligence blunder may exacerbate local tensions and could even reach to regional levels.

Pro-PKK media outlets are claiming that the issue has topped the agenda of recent talks between Erdogan and US Secretary of Defense James Mattis. There are diametrically opposed appraisals of how the matter is being tackled between Turkey and the United States, while the American cooperation with PKK-affiliated Kurdish forces is in full swing for the liberation of Raqqa from the Islamic State. The immediate future will either dispel the clouds of mystery surrounding the Turkish intelligence blunder or the clouds will become even denser to conceal what really took place.
The City of Birmingham is interested in becoming the home for a second corporate headquarters for Amazon.com, Mayor William Bell said today.

In a brief interview this morning with AL.com, Bell said today's announcement of Amazon scouting for a $5 billion second campus "did not come as a surprise." Birmingham is looking in the western area of town for possible locations.

"We are always interested in Birmingham as a home for corporate headquarters," Bell said. "We are very interested in Amazon, and we will be working with other organizations in making an effort to attract Amazon to this community."

"Of course, in any situation like this, we are usually bound by non-disclosure agreements to speak about any entities, so beyond that, I'm not at liberty to say. Just that we're making an effort."

Amazon's current corporate headquarters is in downtown Seattle, Wash., and has brought an estimated $38 billion in additional investments to the city. According to Amazon, this second headquarters will employ up to 50,000 full-time employees, with an average annual total compensation exceeding $100,000 over the next ten to fifteen years.

The Internet giant is already home to one big project. Amazon's $30 million "sortation center" in Mobile County is set to open in October in an industrial park off Interstate 10 in Theodore.

Amazon is looking at metro areas of more than 1 million residents, which would include Birmingham. The company says it also has a preference for:

A stable and business-friendly environment.

Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent.

Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options.

"We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," Jeff Bezos, founder and chief executive of Amazon, said in a statement. "Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home."

The announcement also attracted interest from Huntsville Mayor Tommy Battle, via his gubernatorial campaign Twitter account:

Nick Lough, communications director of Battle for Alabama, said Battle became aware of the announcement this morning.

"Landing any kind of project of that scope would be a gamechanger for the state of Alabama, no matter what community it landed in," Lough said. "We welcome any conversation that Amazon would like to have about any of the cities across Alabama. Landing a major jobs project in Birmingham is also a win for Huntsville, a win for Mobile, a win for Montgomery. Tommy Battle has a proven track record of recruiting jobs to our state and he would welcome any efforts in trying to land a big fish like Amazon."
Authorities have now released the name of a teen shot to death while walking to an Ensley recreation center Wednesday afternoon.

The Jefferson County Coroner's Office identified the victim as Terrius Hilliard. He was 15, and attended Jackson-Olin High School.

The high school is on lockdown as a precaution, school authorities confirmed. They also released this statement about Terrius' death:

"Birmingham City Schools is mourning the loss of a young Jackson-Olin High School student. As a school family, tragedies like this affect us all. As our school community processes this loss, we will provide counseling and support to any student and staff in need. We extend our heartfelt sympathy to the family."

The shooting happened at 5:14 p.m. Authorities said Terrius and another young man were walking along Ensley Avenue toward the recreation center when a white Dodge Charger drove by them at the intersection of Ensley Avenue and 15th Street and someone opened fire. Lt. Sean Edwards said police found multiple shell casings in the street.

Terrius was shot in the chest. He tried to flee and collapsed in the 1800 block of Ensley Avenue. He was taken to UAB Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at 5:44 p.m.

Police at the scene Wednesday said the initial evidence indicated Terrius was targeted, but did not elaborate. Several hours after the shooting - about 8 p.m. - three potential suspects were taken into custody. Police tried to stop a white Dodge Charger matching the suspect vehicle. The trio attempted to elude police and crashed their vehicle near Avenue I and 35th Street, also in Ensley.

Officers flooded the area and, with the help of tracking dogs, were able to capture all three. Their names have not been released, and no charges have been announced.

"This incident like so many others is senseless. This teenager lost his life and we're detaining three teenagers who were armed with guns and driving a stolen car,'' said Birmingham Police Chief A.C. Roper. "We're still trying to determine exactly what happened and why."

"I commend our officers and detectives for their quick response last night. We were on the second day of conducting a mini-operation and actually had ten detectives patrolling West Precinct in addition to the regular patrols,'' he said. "The extra manpower made a difference in our law enforcement response, but there are so many underlying issues that police can't resolve alone."

Terrius was the city's second homicide on Wednesday. Earlier in the day, 88-year-old Doris Gooden was found slain in the bedroom of her Ensley home on Avenue D.

Gooden's body was discovered about noon by her grandson after friends and family had been unable to reach her for at least 24 hours. The church deaconess was wrapped in bed coverings and pronounced dead on the scene at 12:17 p.m.

Her grandson was taken to police headquarters for questioning. No charges have been announced in the case.

The slayings of Terrius and Gooden brought the city's homicide tally for the year to 70. Of those, at least five have been ruled justifiable and therefore aren't deemed criminal. In all of Jefferson County, there have been 104 homicides in 2017, including the 70 in Birmingham.

Anyone with information on these killings, or any others, are asked to call Birmingham police homicide detectives at 205-254-1764 or Crime Stoppers at 205-254-7777.
A 26-year-old man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of a Birmingham mother who was killed outside of her apartment in July.

Quandarius Frazier was booked into the Jefferson County Jail at 7:45 p.m. Wednesday, jail records show. He was released at 11:22 p.m. after posting $120,000 bond.

Frazier is charged with murder in the July 30 slaying of Stephanie "Nikki" Loyde, 33. Loyde, the mother of an 11-year-old daughter, was found wounded at 9:30 p.m. that Sunday at Sunrise Pointe apartments off of Oporto-Madrid Boulevard. Officers responded to the complex on a report of someone possibly shot multiple times.

They arrived to find Loyde and a man, whose name has not been released, both wounded by gunfire. The man, shot in the face at the bottom of a stairwell, was taken to UAB Hospital with life-threatening injuries. Loyde was found in a nearby grassy area with a gunshot wound to the body. She was pronounced dead on the scene at 9:55 p.m.

Witnesses said the victim and another man were at their cars talking when another man approached them and said, "There you are. I got you. " There was an exchange of words and at least two shots rang out.

Birmingham police spokesman Lt. Sean Edwards has previously said detectives learned Loyde and several of her friends were hanging out at the male victim's apartment earlier during the evening. One of the friends left the apartment for a moment to go to the store and, when he returned, he found both victims shot outside the apartment. At this time, there is still no clear motive as to what led to the shooting.

Loyde worked as a certified nursing assistant until she had to go on disability for her rheumatoid arthritis. Her daughter, Destiny, said she was a devoted mother, who took her to school every day, went on every field trip and threw her great birthday parties at school with pizza and cake and bubbles. They often got their nails done together, and Loyde even took Destiny to a spa.

"I loved my mama so much,'' Destiny said shortly after her mother's death. "She did so much stuff for me. When she got some money, she'd go to Red Box to get me a movie. I loved her so much. I'm the only child she got and I miss her so much. I pray for her, and I wish she was here."

Loyde's mother, Priscillia Levins, said she found out Frazier was arrested by checking online records. She said she still doesn't know what happened and why her daughter is dead. "I am in the dark, and it is so pitiful,'' Levins said Thursday. "This 11-year-old child deserves to know something. Her hardest time is at night - that is when she hollers out for her mother."

In addition to the murder charge, Frazier is also charged with attempted murder in the wounding of the other victim. "It's just sad,'' Levins said, "that you can get a bond on those charges."
President Donald Trump has nominated U.S. Magistrate Judge Terry F. Moorer to serve a lifetime appointment as a federal judge for the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama in Mobile, according to a Thursday announcement from the White House.

Moorer currently serves as a Magistrate Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama, a position he assumed in 2007, according to a White House Press release today.

"He (Moorer) is one of very few African American Trump judicial nominees," said Carl Tobias, a professor at the University of Richmond School of Law who follows judicial nominations. Trump had previously announced in May that he intended to nominate Moorer for an unspecified seat on the bench, he said.

Before assuming the magistrate judgeship, Moorer served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Middle District of Alabama, as a Command Judge Advocate in Camp Arifjan, Kuwait, and as an attorney in the Office of Staff Judge Advocate in Fort Rucker, Alabama, according to the White House statement. Moorer earned his Associate of Arts from the Marion Military Institute, his B.A. from Huntington College, and his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law.

Moorer's nomination will have to be confirmed by the U.S. Senate.

His nomination was among 16 judicial nominations announced by the White House on Thursday. The three others nominated from Alabama to fill federal judgeship vacancies are:

- Jeffrey Uhlman Beaverstock is nominated to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Alabama. Beaverstock is a partner in the Mobile, Alabama, office of Burr & Forman, LLP, where his practice focuses on civil and commercial litigation in State and Federal courts. Before entering the practice of law, Beaverstock served on active duty for four years as an Airborne Ranger Infantry Officer in the U.S. Army, and has served in the U.S. Army Reserve since leaving active duty. Beaverstock currently holds the rank of Lieutenant Colonel in the Judge Advocate General's Corps of the U.S. Army (Reserve) and is the Chief of Contract and Administrative Law for the 377th Theater Sustainment Command. Beaverstock earned his B.A. from The Citadel, where he was selected as the Distinguished Military Graduate and as the Most Outstanding Army Cadet. He earned his J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where he served as managing editor of the Alabama Law Review.

- Emily Coody Marks is nominated to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Marks is a partner in the Montgomery, Alabama, office of Ball, Ball, Matthews & Novak, P.A., where she has practiced since joining the firm as an associate in 1998. Marks specializes in labor and employment law, civil rights law, and appellate practice, and routinely lectures on these topics before employers and other members of the bar. Marks earned her B.A., magna cum laude, from Spring Hill College, and her J.D. from the University of Alabama School of Law, where she served as chair of the John A. Campbell Moot Court Board and as a senior editor of the University of Alabama Law & Psychology Review.

- Brett Joseph Talley is nominated to serve as a District Judge on the U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Alabama. Talley serves as Deputy Assistant Attorney General in the Department of Justice's Office of Legal Policy. Before joining the Department of Justice, Talley served for two years as the Deputy Solicitor General in the Alabama Attorney General's Office. Prior to joining the Alabama Attorney General's Office, Talley served as a speechwriter for U.S. Senator Rob Portman and as a Senior Writer for Mitt Romney's Presidential campaign. Earlier in his career, Talley served as an associate in the Washington, D.C., office Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher, as law clerk to Judge Joel F. Dubina on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit, and as a law clerk to Judge L. Scott Coogler of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Alabama. Talley earned his B.A., in philosophy and history, summa cum laude, from the University of Alabama, where he was inducted into Phi Beta Kappa, and his J.D. from Harvard Law School, where he served as an articles editor of the Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy.
As the sound of bombs becomes a distant echo, many refugees from Syrias war face a new enemy: thirst. For some, the battle begins the moment they reach the border of water-scarce countries such as Jordan and Lebanon.

We didnt want to end up in a camp, said Fahid, who attempted to enter Jordan illegally with his wife and children and spoke to Al Jazeera under a pseudonym. My children asked for a drink, many times, but we had nothing left. We fled with very little.

Fahids family of seven, afraid of being resettled in isolation, endured several gruelling days without water in the barren border region connecting Syria and Jordan. They were later assisted by a humanitarian aid group and brought to al-Azraq refugee camp, where water is still in slim supply.

Water scarcity is a stark reality across the Middle East. According to Salman Zafar, founder of EcoMENA, the region is home to 6.3 percent of worlds population, but has access to only 1.4 percent of the worlds renewable fresh water.

Around 45 million people lack access to drinkable water in the Middle East, said Clint Borgen, president of The Borgen Project advocacy group. The most vulnerable are those without a permanent residence or who fall below the poverty line, including a high percentage of Syrian refugees.

Since the start of the conflict, more than five million Syrians have fled their war-torn country. Many have sought refuge in neighbouring countries whose water challenges predate the Syrian crisis.

EXPLAINER: Syrias civil war

Currently, 1.4 million Syrians live in Jordan, while another 1.5 million have resettled in Lebanon. Both countries have historically struggled with seasonal water shortages, low investment in infrastructure, and poor management of water resources. The dramatic population increases have added another layer of stress, with demand for water rising by 22 and 28 percent respectively in Jordan and Lebanon since the Syrian crisis started.

Population growth in Jordan has reduced the average amount of fresh water available for each person to less than 150 cubic metres annually, much lower than the 500 cubic metres that mark water scarcity by United Nations estimates. The average water availability for United States citizens, in comparison, is more than 9,000 cubic metres a year.

Lebanon had been considered one of the few countries in the region with a relatively adequate supply of water. But although the daily per capita share is estimated to be around 145 litres, more than double Jordans output, population pressure has degraded basic municipal services, leaving many without access to water and contaminating existing supplies.





For refugees living in camps, where all services are provided for, the average amount of water access per day is 35 litres, Soman Moodley, Oxfams policy adviser in Jordan, told Al Jazeera.

The UN estimates that only one in 10 Syrian refugees live in camps where humanitarian aid is available. Outside of the camps, 93 percent of Syrians in Jordan live under the poverty line. In Lebanon, which has no official refugee camps, more than 71 percent of Syrians live in poverty.

Families often establish makeshift camps or find shelter in derelict, abandoned buildings, without heat or running water. They cannot afford rent, let alone the cost of tanks and weekly refills. For the poorest, who sometimes siphon illegally from their neighbours, water shortages have reached emergency levels, as low as one litre a person per day in some areas.

In certain areas where Syrians gather, they are drinking unsafe water, Mohammad Shakir, a representative with Islamic Relief Worldwide, told Al Jazeera.

Some of Lebanons streams, typical sites where Syrian refugees set up informal camps, are heavily polluted with pesticides and sewage. One Syrian woman, living at Shatila refugee camp in Beiruts southern suburbs, described the water there as hell water, noting it was so contaminated that it began to degrade metal cutlery within minutes.

Another refugee living in the Bekaa Valley, who spoke to Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity, said that water from their 5,000-litre tank shared between three families is drinkable, but [we] cannot just use it to drink. We have to use it to clean, to wash, everything. [We] have this water for three families and it is not enough.

READ MORE: Syrian refugees in Lebanon struggling with health needs

Poverty-stricken and often living without legal status, some Syrian refugees have resorted to roaming the countryside, erecting tents near farms and moving with the start and end of harvest seasons. They obtain water from irrigation systems and wells.

You do have refugees who continuously move around. They stay in agricultural areas where they know water will be a bit easier for them to get, said Rita Zawaideh, founder of the Salaam Cultural Museum, which leads medical humanitarian missions for Syrian refugees.

There are even instances where Syrian refugees have been forced to relocate to other countries due to endemic water shortages: I recently heard a story of a young family who relocated to Jordan and was forced to relocate again to South America because of the conditions, specifically lack of water, Zafar said.

Moodley said there is a desperate need for governments around the world to step up and provide increased aid and development funding to meet the needs of both refugees and local communities, including adequate water supplies.
Lihue, Hawaii  The frequency of activity has increased but the pattern remains predictable: a defiant North Korean missile test followed by provocative war games, then another missile launch, more angry threats and warnings, followed by counter-threats and new sanctions, and now a sixth nuclear test and more severe warnings and accusations.

In this geopolitical tit-for-tat, Asia-Pacific communities that host US military bases watch cautiously as fiery rhetoric pushes the two nuclear-armed adversaries ever-closer to what would be a catastrophic war.

The island of Guam came into sharp focus in August when North Korea announced plans to fire four Hwasong-12 ballistic missiles near the US territory following President Donald Trumps threat to unleash fire and fury like the world has never seen against North Korea.

Guams Pacific Daily News reported that a missile launched from North Korea could reach Guam and its more than 160,000 US citizens in just 14 minutes.

As Guam residents were being advised how to prepare for a possible nuclear strike, President Trump cheerfully assured Guams governor that the extra media attention would boost the islands tourism industry.

Youve become extremely famous all over the world, Trump said, promising the US territorys governor that tourism would increase tenfold with the expenditure of no money.

Like a spear into battle

But on an island labelled with the tagline Where Americas Day Begins, many of its residents long for the day when American militarism ends.

The US military likes to couch their activities in solely defensive metaphors, says Michael Lujan Bevacqua, a Chamorro studies professor at the University of Guam. The reference to Guam as the tip of the spear, he says, offers a sliver of truth.

Bevacqua argues that like other empires, the US describes its foreign presence as a source of order and safety, never the destabilising force  even if it takes land and resources, even if it poisons the earth, even if it depresses or constricts the local economy.

The US military likes to couch their activities in solely defensive metaphors. by Michael Lujan Bevacqua, University of Guam

The US military presence can be characterised as a shield with a giant target on it, Bevacqua suggests. In Guam, it is really the source of the danger just as much as a source of defence.

As a US possession (non-self governing territory) without voting rights, Guam will be dragged along like a spear into battle, Bevacqua notes. Whether the spear loves battle or would prefer peace is irrelevant, as our purpose is to be something used in a fight and little more.

Vivian Dames, a retired faculty member of the University of Guam, says: All of these islands in Micronesia, regardless of political status, have some sort of political affiliation with the United States because of the US long-standing strategic interest in this region and they all serve the function of being the westernmost, forward defence for the United States.

Dames is referring to the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands around 200km north of Guam and the vast sweep of ocean where the military conducts year-round training and live-fire testing and which the military seeks to expand to an area larger than much of the western United States.

While these islands, especially the Marianas, are strategically very important to the US, Dames says, most Americans know very little about us and the ongoing effects of American militarism.

A short drive from the University of Guam, Andersen Air Force Base is the staging grounds for a continuous bomber presence that includes B1-B bombers and B2 Spirit bombers which are capable of carrying B61 tactical nuclear weapons and the B83, a thermonuclear weapon 60 times more destructive than the bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

Increasingly, bombers based at Andersen conduct precision strike exercises and in July the 37th Expeditionary Bomb Squadron deployed to Guam from South Dakota, arming the island with a pre-emptive attack force capable of an offensive attack.

Guam also has a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) antimissile battery, Naval Computer and Telecommunications Station and an 18,000 acre Naval Ordnance Annex. Naval Base Guam is the home port for fast attack nuclear and non-nuclear submarines.

Guam is not the only place

From the US militarys perspective, Guam is essential to maintaining a ready to fight tonight capability, but to North Korea, this much firepower from a hostile adversary represents a lethal threat.

In August, as tensions threatened to boil over, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson visited Guam where he said: The North Korean missile capability can point in many directions. So, Guam is not the only place that would be under threat.

This stark reality is all too well known across the Asia-Pacific region where many communities host US bases. Between Guam and North Korea, the US has over 180 military bases, installations and more than 90,000 troops who train alongside their allies Japan and South Korea which represent the eighth and 10th largest global military expenditures.

In South Korea, the US is consolidating its bases but will also soon claim the largest overseas US military base in Pyeongtaek, 64km south of Seoul. Although South Korea arguably faces the most imminent threat from North Korea, many South Koreans await the day when the US will finally leave. More than six decades after an armistice halted the 1950-53 Korean War, longtime peace activist retired Catholic priest Father Mun Jeong-hyeon asks: Why Korea was divided? Why is the USA stationed in this country for a long time?

Read more about US bases in South Korea and the fraught relations between locals and troops: Pyeongtaek  A US base, Americana in rural South Korea

Satoko Norimatsu, an editor at Asia-Pacific Journal: Japan Focus and co-author of Resistant Islands: Okinawa Confronts Japan and the United States, says: Of course, US bases in Japan pose a threat to people and the environment around them.

Shes referring to a nationwide network of more than 100 US bases that run the length of the country, with the greatest concentration in Okinawa. North Korea understandably declared US bases in Japan would be their target, she says.

Norimatsu stresses the importance of viewing local demilitarisation movements like those in Okinawa, Guam and elsewhere in a larger context and says theres a need for multinational, multilingual efforts against US militarism across the region.

Okinawa  Keystone of the Pacific

In a 1956 US Army propaganda film, the narrator states: To exploit Okinawas strategic location, major commands were moved here a few years ago from Japan. This has created a fluid force poised to move anywhere at a moments notice. The defence of the island is of primary concern. Tactical training never stops.

Seventy-two years after the Battle of Okinawa in which one-quarter to one-third of the civilian population was killed, roughly half of the 55,800 US forces in Japanremain stationed in Okinawa.

With the large concentration of US military bases, Okinawa is a perfect target for foreign military aggression. by Hideki Yoshikawa, director of Okinawa Environmental Justice Project

In 1972, the US relinquished direct military control of Okinawa to Japan but still operates over 30 military installations and continues to build more by force. Global sociology Professor Kosuzu Abe of the University of the Ryukyus describes the continued US presence in Okinawa as too large, too long and too dangerous.

Accepting a foreign military for such a long period ruins the health of the local economy and our community, says Abe, who teaches at a university campus where US military aircraft regularly fly overhead.

Besides the threat of living among dozens of military bases, Okinawans face the danger of external attack in the event of war. Hideki Yoshikawa, director of Okinawa Environmental Justice Project, insists US bases dont protect his home island.

With the large concentration of US military bases, Okinawa is a perfect target for foreign military aggression, he says. Yoshikawa points out that because US installations built surrounded by densely populated Okinawan cities, any aggression directed at US military bases in Okinawa would have spillover effects on our civilian population.

Yoshikawa imagines a future Okinawa free of US bases in which his people could pursue a UN-sanctioned international non-military zone, a concept backed by many base opponents.

Read about the Okinawans standing against a US military base

Living in a state of strategic denial

The danger of being used by the US military is tragically familiar to the people of the Marshall Islands where the US tested 67 nuclear bombs between 1946-1958, leaving behind a legacy of sickness, death and forced displacement. Today, the US continues to test offensive weapons in the Marshall Islands, using Kwajalein Atoll as a target for unarmed Minuteman III ICBMs.

In addition to missile and rocket testing from the Ronald Reagan Ballistic Missile Defense Test Site at Kwajalein, the US claims the right of strategic denial which gives it exclusive military control over more than half a million square miles of air, land and sea between Hawaii and Guam as provision of compacts of free association between the US and three Micronesian nations.

Desmond Doulatram, a representative of an NGO called Radiation Exposure Awareness Crusaders for Humanity  Marshall Islands (REACH-MI) says: One can rightfully argue that Kwajalein is also becoming a huge liability  the presence alone  puts the Marshall Islands at a huge disadvantage given its nuclear and environmental-related activism.

Doulatram quotes the first Marshallese President Amata Kabua who said: When you grow up with your brother and hes a lot bigger than you and he slaps you  what can you do?

Hosting the US base and weapons tests is part of a compromise that the Marshall Islands have accepted for better or worse. Currently, the US pays just over $21 million annually to local land owners for the lease of Kwajalein Atoll that runs through 2066 (with the option to extend until 2086).

Learn more about how Marshall Islanders took world nuclear powers to the International Court of Justice for health damage caused by nuclear tests conducted before 1958

Pearl Harbor is still armed

On the Hawaiian island of Oahu, a short drive from Pearl Harbor, Camp HM Smith is home to US Pacific Command which oversees all US military operations in East Asia and the Pacific within its self-proclaimed Area of Responsibility.

In July, Hawaiis Emergency Management Agency released a public message announcing preparations for the possibility of a nuclear attack. An ICBM launched from North Korea is believed to be able to reach Hawaii in just 20 minutes.

The notion that small island nations have no choice but to stay dependent on the US military for economic survival is the same logic of an abuser telling a woman she has no choice but to stay in a violent relationship. by Kim Compoc, University of Hawaii

Kim Compoc, a lecturer with the Departments of English and Ethnic Studies at the University of Hawaii, says Hawaiis large military presence makes the islands more vulnerable and, because of their proximity to Asia, a more plausible target than the continental US.

Compoc rejects the argument that Hawaii must rely on the military. The notion that small island nations have no choice but to stay dependent on the US military for economic survival is the same logic of an abuser telling a woman she has no choice but to stay in a violent relationship, she says.

In June, Compoc was part of a delegation from Hawaii which travelled to Okinawa for the ninth gathering of the International Womens Network Against Militarism to counter preparations for war and build solidarity. It was very moving to speak about Hawaiian sovereignty there and have Okinawans hold their fists up in solidarity, Compoc says.

Building this kind of solidarity across cultures, languages and national identities is at the heart of Kyle Kajihiros work as a board member of Hawaii Peace and Justice. The protection of our islands, whether Hawaii, Guam, or Okinawa, is not the primary purpose of US bases. The US uses our islands as military platforms and command centres to launch attacks and wage wars in other parts of the world, Kajihiro says.

Kajihiro points out that prior to the 1893 US overthrow of what had been the independent Kingdom of Hawaii, its leaders had anticipated the danger of being drawn into a war if Hawaii was allied with a large military power. The creation of an alliance of Pacific Island states that those leaders sought lives on today in the desire for a pan-Pacific alliance as the threat of war looms large across the region.

Recalling historical attacks and battles from Guam and Okinawa to Kwajalein and Pearl Harbor, Kajihiro says, when the US militarises our islands  we become targets.
Im not from here, Im not from there; I dont belong anywhere.

If exile is characterised by an endless feeling of estrangement, seeking political asylum is a perpetual state of anxiety.

When I started the process of claiming asylum in the United States, an apparently safe and democratic country, I assumed it would help seal off the trauma of my life in Eritrea, the country I had fled. I hoped it would open a new chapter.





But as I embarked on the journey of asylum, I realised that there is a comprehensive dehumanisation process at the heart of it all. The deeper you descend into the legal process of escape, the more you are required to prove who you are, prove the horrors of your experience, while all the time revisiting the very things that forced you to flee.

As part of my claim, I had to request testimonies, collect evidence, and continually delve back into the most traumatic moments of my past. I had to re-examine my life in intense detail, checking with friends and former colleagues the exactitude of my own memories.

So when, exactly, were we taken to the labour camp?

Do you remember the exact month the University of Asmara was closed?

Do you remember when they rounded us up in the  ?

All this, only to remain in a limbo state. It took me more than two years and four months to be interviewed by US Citizenship and Immigration Services. For the duration of that time, I was designated as a pending asylee. My rights to receive any state help or services, from either my home or host country, were on hold.

READ MORE: How does it feel to be a refugee?

I had a temporary work permit, but as a pending asylee, I did not fit into any clear bureaucratic category, which meant I couldnt apply for a permanent job, or officially pursue my studies. I was told applications are normally processed within a month when I submitted mine in San Francisco. Two years later, I was still waiting.

After a prolonged period with no news, I went to the asylum office in San Francisco to inquire about my case.

Speak English? asked a woman on the other side of the glass. I nodded, yes. Then, I started to explain the dire situation I was in. I told her how I had been waiting for months. I told her how this legal limbo was affecting me.

Neither am I present here, nor in my home. No matter how hard I try, I am forever an outsider who speaks with a heavy accent. by

Work permit? she interrupted.

Yes, I replied.

Go work then. We are here to help you.

I left the office, to return to my torment where insecurity, fear and uncertainty loomed. I was sure a bleak future awaited me.

In November 2015, I was finally elevated to asylee status. My first act as a legal US resident was to go to a bank to open a savings account. But after checking my immigration status and tapping on his keyboard for a while, the bank manager turned and told me: I am sorry, but you cant open an account with us as your immigration status does not fit into our categories. You either have to be a permanent resident or a citizen. We do not have a category called asylee or refugee.

In that moment, it became clear to me: Securing asylum was only the beginning of a life-long journey of a neither-nor state. Meanwhile, my idea of home was becoming increasingly romanticised and I became confused  perhaps I could just return?

READ MORE: An Afghan refugee in Europe: All I can do is pray

But home is no longer there. It is a surreal dream, a pastiche of images that cascade in my mind without reason. Neither am I present here, nor in my home. No matter how hard I try, I am forever an outsider who speaks with a heavy accent.

But maybe these places are not so different. I fled from a police state where freedom of movement is nearly nonexistent, where official papers and endless checkpoints restrict your travel. I used to think that securing political asylum would rescue me from this world for good.

But even once my place in the US was secure, it seemed I was once again frozen in place. My first attempt to journey abroad  for an international film festival and forum on human rights that was held in Geneva, Switzerland in March 2016  failed because I couldnt get my travel documents in time. I had to participate via Skype.

READ MORE: Refugee: Safe but lonely, seeking asylum in Germany

A similar thing happened when I tried to travel to Norway in March 2017 to participate in a congress hosted by my organisation, PEN Eritrea. Because of travel document delays, we were forced to postpone the congress. Meanwhile, I also had to cancel my plans to travel to the UK in June 2017. It was not only a matter of securing a valid travel document, but also dealing with the demanding entry visa applications, where most consular offices have their cautionary notices on their websites, You are advised to apply at least two months before your scheduled travel.

In July 2017, five years after arriving in the US, I was allowed to travel outside of US borders for the first time to attend PEN Eritreas congress in Norway. Expecting the inevitable hassles and delays by the immigration office at the airport, I arrived at check-in hours before the departure time.

I could clearly read the confusion on the immigration officers face as he leafed through the pages of my travel document. After finally making sure that I had secured a Schengen visa, he asked: Which countrys passport is this?

Its a travel document for a stateless, I replied.

OPINION: I listen to refugees and I hear my own story

He grabbed his phone and started to make calls. Each time he read the title of the document, my country of origin, my travel destination and the office that had issued the document.

In between the calls he would turn to me and politely say: I just want to make sure Im not missing anything. I have not seen this document before and dont want to make mistakes.

After around 30 minutes, I was cleared. I was on my way.

Where are you from? the lady over the counter asks me in a bar.

I take a deep breath before answering. Im not from here, Im not from there; I dont belong anywhere.

Abraham T Zere is a US-based Eritrean writer and journalist who is serving as the executive director of PEN Eritrea in exile. Among others, his articles  that mainly deal with Eritreas gross human rights abuses and lack of freedom of expression  have appeared in The Guardian, The Independent and the Index on Censorship Magazine.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
Rights groups say at least 169 Bahrainis at risk of severe abuse at the hands of security forces during crackdown.

Bahrain has brutally cracked down on opponents over the past year with security forces jailing, torturing, and sexually assaulting more than 160 government critics, rights groups said on Thursday.

Between June 2016 and June 2017, at least 169 Bahrainis have also been threatened, harassed, and banned from leaving the Gulf island nation, Amnesty International said in its report, No one can protect you: Bahrains year of crushing dissent.

We have heard horrific allegations of torture in Bahrain. They must be promptly and effectively investigated and those responsible brought to justice, said Philip Luther, Amnestys research and advocacy director for the Middle East and North Africa.

The government of Bahrain has managed to crush a formerly thriving civil society and reduced it to a few lone voices who still dare to speak out.





One of the victims, prominent human rights defender Ebtisam al-Sayegh, said she was blindfolded, beaten, and sexually assaulted while in the custody of the National Security Agency.

They took away my humanity, Sayegh told researchers.

An all-out campaign was launched to dismantle the main opposition Al-Wefaq party, Amnesty said. A prominent Shia scholar, Sheikh Isa Qassim, was stripped of his citizenship, and dozens of his followers were detained for demonstrating.

Bahrains Ministry of Interior was asked for comment, but none was received by publication time.

Michael Payne, international advocacy officer at the Washington-based Americans for Democracy and Human Rights in Bahrain, confirmed the 169 figure cited by Amnesty. He told Al Jazeera in total there are 3,500 to 4,000 political prisoners languishing in Bahraini prisons.

OPINION: Bahrain  The silent revolution

He also denounced the governments of the United States and the UK for increasing economic and military support for Bahrain, even though human rights abuses have intensified.

This narrow focus on defence cooperation has had severe repercussions for Bahrains human rights situation and its long-term stability and security, said Payne.

Just days after President Trump met with Bahrains king in Riyadh [Saudi Arabia] in May, for example, Bahraini authorities launched their deadliest raid on a peaceful protest since before 2011, killing five demonstrators and injuring hundred.

Bahrain has been in turmoil since a 2011 uprising backed by majority Shia Muslims demanding greater rights from the Sunni-led monarchy. The government crushed the protests with the help of its Sunni Arab Gulf allies suspicious of Iran and opposed to growing Shia influence in the region.
Indian social media users have launched an online campaign against Prime Minister Narendra Modi after it emerged that he is following via his Twitter account users who appeared to celebrate and justify the recent murder of a prominent journalist.

Gauri Lankesh, editor of the weekly Gauri Lankesh Patrike publication, was shot dead by unidentified attackers outside her house in Bangalore on Tuesday. Her death sparked shock and outrage across the country, with journalists, politicians and activists sharply denouncing the murder.

Modi has yet to condemn Lankeshs death.

When news reports surfaced that many of the trolls were followed by leaders of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), including several claiming Modi as their follower, many Indians decided to block the prime minister.

#BlockNarendraModi was the top trend in the country on Wednesday night through to Thursday, with users demanding that Modi un-follow the handles and apologise.

One of the tweets in question was sent by user Ashish Mishra, who wrote in response to a news story about Lankeshs death: jaisi karni vaisi bharni (you reap what you sow).

Another Twitter account followed by Modi, Nikhil Dadhich, equated Gauri, an outspoken critic of right-wing groups, to a bitch. His tweet, written in the Hindi language, was apparently deleted later. Its closest translation read as: It took a bitch to die a dogs death, for all pups to howl in the same tune.

https://twitter.com/deshbhakt_129/status/905666673889263616

Many Indians registered their anger by blocking Modi, who is one of the most popular world leaders on Twitter with 33.8 million followers.

An absentee PM who cant care about d country that voted him to power & follows venomous people on Twitter. #BlockNarendraModi is a good idea pic.twitter.com/MAjXNL1lbB  Akshay Bajaj (@villagerurbaine) September 6, 2017

I've never followed him or his ideology. And I'm ashamed he leads my nation, not my leader. #BlockNarendraModi , block filth.  Richa (@Riczb) September 6, 2017

Narendra Modi became First Prime Minster of India who was blocked on @Twitter by the Citizens for following abusive troll #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/CkBYKWToUA  Invincible (@i_me_my5elf) September 7, 2017

Thought about it a lot. Finally took the decision to #BlockNarendraModi as he follows too many handles that propagate violence and abuse!  Jay Ambadi (@jay_ambadi) September 7, 2017

**** BREAKING NEWS **** Just now UNESCO has certified PM as the most blocked PM In the World. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/XMNYyBOIWT  Citizen Kamran (@CitizenKamran) September 7, 2017

Several groups, including the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), have demanded a thorough investigation into the killing, while a Special Investigating Team has been tasked with probing the murder.

The comments against Lankesh drew the attention of Ravi Shankar Prasad, minister of law and justice and of information technology, who condemned the trolls, many of them ruling party supporters, for expressing happiness at the killing of the journalist.

Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), however, defended Modi for following trolls.

Amit Malviya, BJPs head of IT Cell, refused to comment on the issue but referred Al Jazeera to a party statement released on Thursday that dubbed the controversy as mischievous and contorted.

PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms, the statement said.

The PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in anyway a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself.

Modi supporters continued to defend him and criticise his opponents for politicising Lankeshs murder.

Congress is trying to #BlockNarendraModi on Twitter  while what it actually needs for its survival is to block Rahul Gandhi from Congress  The Bad Doctor (@DOCTORATLARGE) September 7, 2017

Other social media users disagreed with the Twitter campaign to block the prime minister, arguing in favour of open dialogue.

Don't agree with people who #BlockNarendraModi. Blocking just signals the end of dialogue. Criticise him but don't block.  Meghnad  (@Memeghnad) September 7, 2017

Ankit Lal, who manages the IT division of the AAP party, which governs Delhi, was among the people who advised against blocking Modi  although he added the line proud to be not followed by PM Modi! to his Twitter bio.
State commission says Islamophobia, discrimination and racism preventing Muslims from succeeding in UK jobs market.

Muslim men and women in the UK are less likely to succeed in the labour market than any other faith group due to rampant Islamophobia, discrimination and racism, a report by a government commission has warned.

The research, which was released by the Social Mobility Commission on Thursday, said that young Muslims living in Britain face an enormous social mobility challenge and are being held back from reaching their full potential at every stage of their lives.

The report uncovered some significant barriers to improved social mobility from school through university and into the workplace as Islamophobia, discrimination and racism are reported by many of the young Muslims.

READ MORE: UK police: Anti-Muslim crimes skyrocket in Manchester

As a result, young Muslims are more likely to be unemployed, underemployed, in insecure employment and/or in receipt of low pay, researchers said.





The findings were revealed after a team of academics at Sheffield Hallam University conducted interviews examining the perceptions and experiences of school-aged Muslims growing up and seeking work in Britain.

According to data quoted in the document, 20 percent of Muslims in England and Wales are in full-time work.

This compares with one in three of the overall population aged between 16 to 74 years.

The research also found that only six percent of Muslims are in higher managerial, administrative and professional occupations compared with 10 percent of the overall population.

Muslim women in the UK are three times more likely to be economically inactive, the report said.

Muslim women in the focus groups also felt that wearing the hijab at work was an additional visual marker of difference that was perceived and experienced as leading to further discrimination.

Disturbing picture

There are around three million Muslims living in the UK.

Islamophobia and discrimination have seen a dramatic spike in the country in the wake of attacks in London and Manchester earlier this year.

Anti-Muslim hate crime in London increased five-fold in June since Junes London Bridge car and stabbing attack, which killed at least seven people, according to figures released by Sadiq Khan, the UK capitals mayor.

OPINION: Brexit Britain  A United Kingdom of hate and denial

Meanwhile, local police reported a more than 500 percent rise in anti-Muslim hate crime in the northern city of Manchester following a deadly suicide bombing at a pop concert in May.

Muslims are excluded, discriminated against, or failed, at all stages of their transition from education to employment, Professor Jacqueline Stevenson, who led the research, said.

Alan Milburn, commission chair, added: This report paints a disturbing picture of the challenges they [young Muslims] face to making greater social progress.

Researchers recommended mentoring and other support programmes for school-aged Muslims for better inclusiveness.
Millions at risk as Category Five storm lashes northern Caribbean islands and heads towards Haiti and Florida.

Hurricane Irma has ploughed past the Dominican Republic towards Haiti after devastating a chain of Caribbean islands and killing at least 10 people.

With winds of around 290 kilometres per hour, the Category Five superstorm is one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century.

On Thursday, it lashed several small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, Saint Martin and the British Virgin Islands, tearing down trees, flattening homes and causing widespread damage.

The eye of the hurricane did not directly hit Puerto Rico, passing north early on Thursday, battering the US territory with high winds and heavy rains.

READ MORE: Irma causes devastation across the Caribbean

Three people were killed, and around two-thirds of the population lost their electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said.

Far out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose grew into a Category 2 storm, threatening some of the same islands ravaged by Irma. In the Gulf of Mexico, Hurricane Katia was virtually stationary on Thursday afternoon.

Al Jazeeras Andy Gallacher, reporting from Puerto Ricos capital, San Juan, said: As things stand, there are three hurricanes in the Atlantic  Irma, Jose and Katia  which hasnt happened since 2010. But, its Irma that poses the biggest threat, with the UN saying 37 million could be affected.

He added: In the coming hours and days Irmas course will be closely monitored but its track seems set and the impact could be catastrophic.

Barely habitable

The small island of Barbuda is said to be barely habitable after being hit by the storm, leaving about 60 percent of its 1,400-strong population homeless.

Either they [buildings on the island] were totally demolished, or they would have lost their roof, said Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda prime minister.

READ MORE: Hurricane Irma threatens more devastation

Irma has already battered 1.2 million people, the Red Cross said on Thursday, warning the storm could upend the lives of as many as 26 million in the coming days.





The eye of the storm was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, heading slightly north of Haiti, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The United Nations Childrens Fund (UNICEF) warned that millions of children could be at risk in the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola.

Impoverished Haiti has been particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and heavy rains.

Nearly 900 people were killed by Hurricane Matthew last year.

Mass evacuations

Haitis government has put the country on alert, closing schools and moving people to shelters.

There is a big preparation effort going ahead in Haiti, with more than 700 shelters in place ahead of the arrival of Irma, said Al Jazeeras John Holman, reporting from the capital, Port-au-Prince.

Ascension Martinez, Save the Childrens director of programme quality and advocacy in Haiti, said that health centres and schools had become emergency contact points.

This hurricane will mean heavy rains and floods for Haiti, where the poorest communities are still suffering from the consequences of the last hurricane to hit the country, just under a year ago, said Martinez.

Irma will likely hit the US state of Florida as a very powerful Category Four storm on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding beginning within the next 48 hours, according to the NHC.

Mass evacuations are under way in Florida as forecasters predict Irma has the potential to slam into the southern US state with high winds and huge tidal surges.

Every Floridian, every family should take this seriously and be aggressive, said Rick Scott, governor of Florida. This is serious, and we cannot take chances.

He added: It is life threatening. This is not a storm you can sit and wait through.

Meanwhile, Cuba started evacuating some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the picturesque northern coast, most of them Canadians.

The Bahamas also lie directly in the path of the storm. Its government says it will shut the main international airport in Nassau before the arrival of Irma.
The US and Kuwaiti leaders voice optimism for a diplomatic solution to ongoing dispute between Qatar and its neighbours.

US President Donald Trump has offered to mediate in the three-month diplomatic dispute between Qatar and its neighbours, saying we will be most successful [against terrorism] with a united Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

Speaking at a joint news conference with Kuwaits emir in Washington, DC, on Thursday, Trump said he supported Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabahs mediation efforts, but if that did not manage to resolve the Gulf crisis, he would be willing to be a mediator.





I think its something thats going to get solved fairly easily, he said.

We call on our GCC and Egyptian allies to focus on our commitments at that Saudi Arabia summit to continue our joint efforts to drive out and defeat terrorists.

Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt are all essential US partners in this effort. We have great relationships with all of them right now, maybe better than weve ever had.

We will be most successful with a united GCC.

Hope has not ended

The GCC is an alliance of six Middle Eastern countries: Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Bahrain, Kuwait and Oman.

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.

Qatar has strongly denied the allegations and denounced demands made by the blockading countries as attempts to infringe Qatars sovereignty.

On June 22, the Saudi-led group issued a 13-point list of demands, including the shutdown of Al Jazeera, limiting ties with Iran, and expelling Turkish troops stationed in the country as a prerequisite to lifting the blockade.

Doha rejected all the demands.

Speaking at the White House press conference, Sheikh Sabah said he had received a letter from Doha saying that Qatar was ready to discuss the list of demands with the quartet, without, however, negotiating anything that would undermine its sovereignty.

We know that not all of these 13 demands are acceptable, the emir said, referring specifically to issues that affected Qatari sovereignty.

A great part of them will be resolved, he said.

I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future. The hope has not ended yet.

READ MORE: Qatar-Gulf crisis  All the latest updates

The United States has given mixed signals on its policy to the Gulf crisis.

Trump immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia after the Arab states announced sanctions against Qatar, but some other US officials, including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, adopted a more measured tone.

Marwan Bishara, Al Jazeeras senior political analyst, described what was said by the two leaders at the press conference as a positive development in the diplomatic crisis.

The US president was quite restrained  he didnt use any inflammatory language and didnt escalate his declarations against any particular country, Bishara said.

The key thing is where Trump stands on this [GCC crisis].

Clearly, he didnt make single negative statement in this press conference, unlike previous conferences, which means he is either restraining himself under pressure from the Kuwaitis, or he has actually been convinced otherwise that they all need to sit down and figure it out because, at the end of the day, this is a political problem that requires a political solution.

Bishara said Trumps offer to act as a mediator also suggested a change in the US presidents approach to the crisis.

For Trump to say I support the Kuwaiti emir in his diplomacy and if it doesnt work I am ready to step in and bring them all to the White House, this is a different language than the language that we heard before.
Two others given life prison and one man is jailed for 10 years for bombings that killed 257 people.

An Indian court has sentenced to death two men convicted of involvement in a series of bombings that killed 257 people in Mumbai in 1993.

The court sentenced Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan and Taher Merchant to death, while two others, Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan, were jailed for life, Deepak Salvi, a lawyer for the federal police, said on Thursday.

A fifth man, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Salvi said.

The five men were convicted earlier of criminal conspiracy and murder in the planting of 12 powerful bombs in cars, scooters and suitcases around Indias financial capital.





A sixth man also found guilty at that time but died in prison before sentencing.

Lawyers for the convicted men did not answer their telephones, and it was not immediately known if they would appeal against the sentences.

Investigators said the bombs were ordered by Indias most wanted man, gangster Dawood Ibrahim, to avenge the demolition of the historic Babri mosque in north India by a Hindu mob in 1992, during a period of religious conflict.

Those blasts targeted a number of prominent sites in Mumbai, including the stock exchange, Air India building, hotels, a cinema and shopping bazaars.

The bombings prompted religious riots in parts of India, leaving more than 800 dead, both Hindus and Muslims.

India accuses Pakistan of sheltering Ibrahim, a charge Pakistan denies.

READ MORE: India executes plotter of deadly 1993 Mumbai bombings

India says he has been living in Karachi, Pakistans financial hub, after fleeing from Mumbai, and has asked Pakistan to hand him over to face trial in India.

Legal proceedings against those accused of being involved in the bombings have resulted in more than 100 convictions, most of which are still winding their way through the legal system because of appeals and commutations of sentences.

One suspect in the case, Yakub Memon, was hanged in 2015.

This sentencing ended a second trial related to the bombings.

An initial trial ended in 2007 with more than 100 people convicted, of whom 11 were sentenced to death and the rest to various terms in prison.
Storm leaves about 60 percent of Barbudas population homeless and 900,000 people without power in Puerto Rico.

Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda has been damaged and almost 900,000 people have been left without power in Puerto Rico as the Category 5 Hurricane Irma continues its journey towards mainland United States.

About 60 percent of Barbudas roughly 1,400 people were left homeless, Gaston Browne, Antigua and Barbuda prime minister, told the Associated Press news agency, when the eye of the storm passed almost directly overhead early on Wednesday.

Either they were totally demolished or they would have lost their roof, Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island.

It is just really a horrendous situation.

Browne said roads and telecommunications systems were destroyed and recovery will take months.

A two-year-old was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, he said.

Puerto Rico was buffeted by powerful winds and heavy rain as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the storm.

The US National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irmas magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

But as the storm moved west, it devastated the small islands in its path.

Significant effects were reported on Saint Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control.

Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded.

By late Wednesday, the centre of the storm was about 135km north-northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and heading west-northwest at 26 kph.

The US National Hurricane Center said Irmas winds would fluctuate, but the storm would probably remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it moves past just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks and Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and touches Cuba on Friday night.

It will then probably head north towards Florida, which rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area with potentially catastrophic 300kph winds.

There are now 3 hurricanes in the Atlantic. Get the latest forecast tracks from https://t.co/XZO7pOrOHA. Prepare. Plan. Stay informed.  pic.twitter.com/17Ue9V2CJh  National Weather Service (@NWS) September 6, 2017

Al Jazeeras Andy Gallacher, reporting from San Juan in Puerto Rico, said Irma was a hurricane of historic proportions.

On Wednesday, two tropical storms in the Atlantic basin were upgraded to hurricanes, he said.

This has become a storm season of the likes never seen before in the Caribbean.

For its part, the UN estimates as many as 37 million people could be affected by Hurricane Irma.

Stephane Dujarric, UN spokesman, said the UN has deployed a humanitarian team to Barbados to work with the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency to help hurricane victims and additional teams are on standby.
State-run news agency says two killed in air strike conducted from Lebanese airspace targeting facility in Hama.

Israeli fighter jets have struck a military facility in western Syria, killing two people, according to a Syrian commander quoted by the state-run news agency SANA.

The army statement said the air strike caused material damage near the town of Masyaf and warned against the dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region.

The air raid was carried out from Lebanese airspace and two people were killed at the site, SANA said, adding that it would embolden terrorists in Syria fighting the government.

Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese airspace, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site, the Syrian army said in a statement.

Al Jazeeras Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from Beirut in Lebanon, said that while the Israeli government had not commented, Lebanese local media outlets were reporting they saw Israeli warplanes breach Lebanese airspace and that the sound barrier was broken over Lebanon in the skies at around 2:30am local time (11:30 GMT).

Israeli perspective

An Israeli army spokesperson declined to discuss reports of the air raid, saying the army did not comment on operational matters.

However, Yaakov Amidror, a former head of the countrys National Security Council, told Israels Army Radio on Thursday that the air raid would be an effort to weaken Iran and Hezbollah, the Lebanese armed group, which operates in Syria.

We do not interfere in the question of who will rule in Damascus; we interfere with the question of how strong Iran and Hezbollah will be in the region, Amidror said.

Our correspondent said that while the Israeli government rarely discusses military activity regarding Syria, it has in the past got involved in worrying about the proliferation of chemical weapons.

More often, they have commented on the fact that they have tried to prevent weapon shipments going from Iran and getting to Hezbollah bases here inside Lebanon, or to Lebanese fighters who are fighting alongside the Syrian government and troops inside of Syria, he said.

Masyaf is a town in Hama province in western Syria, approximately 60km east of the coastal city of Tartus, where Russia maintains a naval base.

The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the site targeted by Israel is home to a research centre sanctioned by the US as part of Syrias non-conventional weapons agency.

Sarin-gas weapon

An AFP news agency report said Syrias army operates a military facility north of Masyaf that includes a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

The US has accused the SSRC of developing the sarin gas weapon allegedly used in a chemical attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhoun in April, which left dozens dead.

On Wednesday, UN war crimes investigators announced they had an extensive body of information indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the attack.

Syrias army did not mention the SSRC in its statement. The government has rejected accusations of chemical weapons use in Khan Sheikhoun as fabrications.
English-speaking population stage protests in the latest in a series of actions against their perceived marginalisation.

Thousands of students, shopkeepers and staff in Cameroon have protested this week against what they claim is the marginalisation of the countrys English-speaking minority population.

The so-called ghost-town protests in the Anglophone regions of Cameroon, including the city of Bamenda in the north and the town of Buea in the southwest, which led to the closure of schools, shops and market stalls, are the latest in a series of actions launched in November 2016.

Initiated by teachers and lawyers, the protests have revolved around encouraging people to use absenteeism to challenge what many English-speaking citizens claim is the dominance of French in society.

Thousands of students stayed away as schools resumed this week. Petrol stations and shops were also empty.

Many protesters called for full linguistic representation in schools, courts and in the government.

Cameroons English-speaking citizens make up around 20 percent of the nations total population of almost 24 million.

The rest of the country speaks French, which is the language of use for government business.

#Cameroon Biya propaganda celebrates school resumption. Citizens in NW/SW resist: riots in Kumbo, military reportedly kill teenager in Kifem pic.twitter.com/pJTNeoDfA9  Brett Carter (@brett_l_carter) September 4, 2017

Activists in the Southwest Region of Ambazonia told Al Jazeera that a mass skipping of the first day of school  Monday, September 4  was a success.

Some people think that parents are not sending their kids to school because of the militarisation of these two regions, but thats not the case, said a participant who wanted to remain anonymous.

How do you want kids to go back to a system that we are protesting against, the system that we want cleaned? Its a peaceful protest.

On Monday, pro-government newspapers, the Cameroon Tribune and Lessentiel du Cameroun, published front-page stories showing children attending school as normal.

Security forces were also deployed in the affected areas at the start of the week to ensure there was no repeat of last years violent protests which witnessed the use of live ammunition and tear gas by state security forces.

Since protests began last year, the government has frequently cracked down on disorder in the Anglophone regions of the country.

President Paul Biya, in power for 35 years, ordered a series of arrests and shut down internet access for three months.

Security forces have killed at least six people to date and arrested hundreds more.

Last Friday, President Biya ordered the release of dozens of political activists in a move seen as an attempt to ease tensions.

The UN has called for both sides to engage in constructive dialogue.
Presidents son Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio reject allegations of their involvement in drug shipment.

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes son has told a Senate inquiry he had no links to a seized shipment of $125m worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as baseless allegations of his involvement in the drug trade.

Opponents of Rodrigo Duterte, who has conducted a crackdown on a trade he says is destroying the country, say they believe his son Paolo may have helped ease the entry of the drug shipment at the port of Manila, the capital.

I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay, Paolo Duterte, vice mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the Senate on Thursday.

My presence here is for the Filipino people and for my fellow Davaoenos whom I serve.

READ MORE: Rodrigo Duterte interview  Death, drugs and diplomacy

On Tuesday Duterte said he had told Paolo to attend the Senate investigation if he had nothing to hide, besides advising him not to answer questions and invoke his right to keep silent.

He was referring to the people of Davao, where his father served as mayor for more than two decades before being elected president in 2016.

Duterte has repeatedly said he would resign if critics could prove any members of his family were involved in corruption.

Senator Antonio Trillanes, a staunch critic of Duterte, showed the Senate panel photographs of Paolo Duterte beside a businessman who was behind the shipment in which the alleged drugs were found.

Previous involvement

President Dutertes son-in-law, Manases Carpio, who has also been accused of links to the May drug shipment from China, told the hearing he had no involvement.

Al Jazeeras Jamila Alindogan, reporting from Manila on Thursday, said this was not the first time Dutertes son has been implicated in drug cases.

There is government documentation as far back as 2007 showing that Paolo Duterte had been implicated by the drug enforcement agency as one of the drug protectors in Davao city, in their hometown in the southern Philippines, she said.





She said many rights groups who oppose Dutertes bloody war on drugs are calling out Paolo Duterte and Carpio for their privilege.

Here at the Senate hearing, the presidents family members are given the chance to explain their side, to read their opening statements, have the best lawyers and basically have due process in court, our correspondent said, pointing out that those who were killed by police officers in impoverished communities were not afforded the same.

It remains to be seen how this will end and how this will affect the popularity of the president, she said.

Trillanes said he had intelligence information from an undisclosed foreign country that Paolo Duterte was a member of a criminal syndicate, citing as proof a dragon-like tattoo with secret digits on his back.

Asked about the tattoo, Duterte said he had one, but declined to describe it, invoking his right to privacy.

Asked by Trillanes if he would allow a photograph to be taken of the tattoo and sent to the US Drug Enforcement Agency to decode the secret digits, Duterte said: No way.

READ MORE: Philippine police dumping bodies of drug war victims

He refused to respond to questions about his bank accounts, calling them irrelevant.

Ernesto Abella, presidential spokesperson, said the attendance of Duterte and Carpio demonstrates that both gentlemen are willing and ready to face malicious allegations intended to impugn their character and credibility.

Duterte won last years elections after promising an unprecedented crackdown to eradicate drugs, which eventually led to tens of thousands of deaths.

Since then police have reported killing 3,800 people in anti-drug operations, with thousands of other people murdered in unexplained circumstances.

Happy to slaughter

Police reject activists allegations that they are executing suspected drug users and dealers and say officers shoot only in self-defence.

Duterte has said he would be happy to slaughter three million Filipino drug addicts, and that he would pardon police if they were found guilty of murder for killing as part of his drug war.

But he has denied ever inciting police or vigilantes to commit mass murder.
Members of Myanmars Muslim minority urge international community to stop a targeted military campaign against them.

The Rohingya are warning that unless the international community takes a firm stance against the violence in Myanmar, the country could witness ethnic cleansing on the scale of the Srebrenica massacre.

More than 22 years after 8,000 Muslim men and boys were slaughtered by Bosnian Serb troops in the UN safe haven of Srebrenica, separate Rohingya sources have told Al Jazeera that at least 1,000 of the persecuted Muslim minority, including scores of women and children, have been killed over the past two weeks.

Myanmars security forces say they have killed at least 370 Rohingya fighters since the latest round of violence in Rakhine state began on August 25.

The violence has sent more than 164,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh, according to UN estimates.





On Tuesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also warned of the risk of ethnic cleansing, appealing to Myanmars civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and the countrys security forces to end the violence.

Two sources told Al Jazeera on Thursday that several people had been shot dead near the Maungdow township in Rakhine, with thick plumes of smoke seen billowing from the village of Godu Thara after security forces burned down the homes of fleeing Rohingya.

The sources said that in other villages affected by the violence, community leaders had been unable to offer Islamic burials after imams had fled into the forest.

Access to the area has been blocked to foreign media so Al Jazeera cannot independently verify the sources accounts.

Speaking to Al Jazeera from Maungdow township under a pseudonym, Anwar, 25, said there was a sustained and targeted military campaign against Muslims.

The Myanmar army and Buddhist extremists are specifically targeting the Muslim population, he said.

Women, children, the elderly  no one has been spared. The situation is continuing to get worse, and Aung San Suu Kyis government is failing to raise its voice, Anwar added.

OPINION: Aung San Suu Kyi does not deserve the Nobel Peace Prize

Aung San Suu Kyi, a former political prisoner of Myanmars military rulers, has so far not spoken publicly about the plight of the fleeing Rohingya.

Speaking for the first time on the issue on Wednesday, she said her government is doing its best to protect everyone in Rakhine and blamed terrorists for a huge iceberg of misinformation on the strife in the state.

But her silence has drawn sharp criticism from rights groups, activists and some politicians.

Stop pretending Aung San Suu Kyi might be solution to violence against Rohingya Muslims. She's part of the problem. https://t.co/nbEbIY2jBb pic.twitter.com/vsV4anVhGw  Kenneth Roth (@KenRoth) September 7, 2017

Unless the international community acts, and stops giving our plight lip service, we will witness another genocide  our time is running out, Anwar said.

IN PICTURES: Myanmar  The perilous journey of Rohingya refugees

The latest bout of violence began when suspected Rohingya fighters attacked police posts and an army base in Rakhine.





The Myanmar government blamed the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) for the violence. Yet, fleeing Rohingya refugees accused the countrys security forces of responding with a campaign of arson and murder in a bid to force them out of Myanmar.

Myint Lwin, a resident of Buthidaung township, said photos being widely circulated on Twitter and Facebook exposed a systematic campaign against Muslims.

Our situation is no different to the massacres we witnessed in Bosnia, Lwin said.

Only Muslims are being targeted by the Myanmar army. Buddhists, Christians and other ethnic groups living in Rakhine have been spared from much of the violence. There is a clear plan to wipe out Rohingya Muslims.

WATCH: Exclusive  Strong evidence of genocide in Myanmar

The Rohingya, a Muslim-majority ethnic group who have lived in Myanmars Rakhine state for centuries, have suffered decades of repression under the countrys Buddhist majority.

Stripped of their citizenship by the military government in the 1980s, they have endured killings, torture and mass rape, according to the United Nations  between the 1970s and early 1990s, around one million were forced to leave the country.

We have been denied food, water, shelter, identity and now our very existence, said Ro Nay San Lwin, a 39-year-old Rohingya activist based in Europe.

Other minorities are also being persecuted by the army, but our situation is far worse. We dont have freedom, dignity and citizenship. We are surrounded and suffering on several fronts.

READ MORE: Persecution of all Muslims in Myanmar on the rise

The latest surge of refugees, many of them sick and wounded, has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities that are already helping hundreds of thousands displaced by previous waves of violence.

Many of the Rohingya are stranded in no-mans land  an area between the Myanmar-Bangladesh border  without shelter, with aid groups unable to provide clean water, sanitation and food, according to Joseph Tripura, a UN aid official in Coxs Bazaar.

Jamila Hanan, an independent human rights activist and director of the #WeAreAllRohingyaNow online campaign, said the current military operation was far greater than previous attacks.

The dehumanisation process has reached peak levels with the Rohingya no longer seen as human, rather as vermin and disease so that the military can kill them without any hesitation, she said

The governments communication office has effectively given the military a green light to perpetrate these atrocities, Hanan added.

And with the international community failing to condemn the violence and regional powers eyeing up Myanmars economic potential, its unlikely well see condemnation anytime soon.

Follow Faisal Edroos on Twitter: @FaisalEdroos
Members of Catalonias parliament who voted in favour of a referendum on independence set to face legal challenge.

Spains state prosecutors office says it will present criminal charges against members of the Catalan parliament who voted in favour of the region holding a referendum on independence.

The regional parliament, which is controlled by pro-independence parties, adopted the so-called referendum bill in an acrimonious session on Wednesday, with 72 votes in favour and 11 abstentions

Jose Manuel Maza, the state prosecutor general, said on Thursday that he had asked security forces to investigate any preparations by the Catalan government to hold the referendum in October.

OPINION: Why Catalonia should be given a say on its future

He said two different lawsuits are being prepared: one that seeks to punish the MPs who allowed the debate and vote on the legal framework of the planned referendum, and a separate one against the executive branch of the regional government, whose members officially called the October 1 vote.

Mariano Rajoy, the Spanish prime minister, called Wednesdays vote an intolerable act of disobedience on Thursday.

In a statement to reporters, Rajoy said he would ask Spains constitutional court to revoke the referendum law, and told Catalan civil servants: No one can make you do anything illegal.









Catalonia, an area of 7.5 million people with its own language and culture, accounts for about 20 percent of Spains economic output and has significant powers over matters such as education, healthcare and welfare.

Speaking earlier this week, Rajoy said his government would not allow the territory to become independent.

OPINION: The case against Catalan secession

The Catalonians cannot carry out this referendum as planned because they are not allowed to do so either by the Constitution or existing law, he said.

According to the Spanish constitution, referendums on sovereignty must be held nationally, not regionally.
Top opposition figure suffers multiple gunshot wounds by unknown attackers at his residence in Dodoma city.

A prominent opposition member of parliament in Tanzania has been shot and seriously wounded by unknown attackers at his residence in the administrative capital, Dodoma, according to officials.

Tundu Lissu, 49, underwent emergency surgery after being shot in the abdomen on Thursday. James Kiologwe, a doctor at Dodoma Regional Hospital, said he was in stable condition.

Lissu has suffered multiple gunshot wounds, Tumaini Makene, spokesman for the main opposition CHADEMA party, said shortly after the incident.

We strongly condemn this attack and are closely monitoring his condition.

Mwigulu Nchemba, Tanzanias home affairs minister, confirmed the incident and Lissus condition, adding that the government would issue a statement after receiving a medical report.

The motive for the shooting was unclear.

Gilles Muroto, regional police commander, said an investigation was under way.

We are asking fellow citizens with information to help us, he said, adding that initial enquiries were focusing on a car believed to have followed Lissu to his home.

Fierce critic

Human rights groups condemned the shooting as a cowardly attack.

This cowardly attack on one of Tanzanias most fearless and prominent politicians raises concerns about the safety of all dissident voices in the country, at a time when space for dissent is quickly shrinking, said Sarah Jackson of Amnesty International.

This heinous crime must not be swept under the carpet  The authorities must take steps to reassure Tanzanians and the world that his shooting was not politically motivated.

Lissu, a fierce critic of President John Magufuli and his government, is the president of the Tanganyika Law Society.

He has previously been arrested by police on several occasions and charged with incitement.

In July, he was arrested and later released after having called Magufuli a dictator over alleged attacks on the opposition and the media.
Washington, DC  As newly deployed American forces begin to arrive in Afghanistan on President Donald Trumps orders, a larger strategic question hangs over their purpose. Can the United States win enough cooperation from Pakistan and key powers in the region to forge a political settlement between the Afghan government in Kabul and Taliban insurgents?

The answer for Trump and his top advisers appears to be not yet, and seven months into his four-year term the president is reversing a campaign promise to withdraw from Afghanistan. Instead, Trump is sending about 3,900 more troops to bolster some 11,000 US forces already there  and has put Pakistan on notice.

If you want to put pressure on the Taliban and you want to do things that maximise the prospect of it coming to the peace table, you actually need to go into Pakistan and start targeting the Taliban leadership, said Michael Kugelman, senior associate for South Asia at the Wilson Center, an independent think-tank in Washington.

If you want to hit the Taliban where it hurts, you have got to go into their sanctuaries, and this is a very fraught, delicate matter because this gets into the very tricky US-Pakistan relationship, Kugelman told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Pakistan parliament condemns Trumps Afghan policy

Trump announced the shift in US posture in a nationally televised speech before a military audience at Ft Myer on August 21. Instead of adhering to a timeline for withdrawal, which former President Barack Obama had attempted, Trumps policy will be conditions-based, which effectively commits the US to remain in Afghanistan for four more years.





Trump is giving the American military more latitude to use air power and special forces to support the Afghan army. What had been largely a train-and-advise mission since 2014 is now shifting towards a more lethal posture.

Secretary of Defense James Mattis signed deployment orders on August 31 and will brief members of the US Congress on details this week. And the White House announced it would withhold $300m in security aid from Pakistan until the Trump administration is satisfied Pakistan is taking measures against the Taliban.

When the president talked about getting tough on Pakistan, we have heard that before from US governments that have taken certain actions in the past to try to pressure Pakistan, including withholding certain types of military aid, said Michael Fuchs, a senior fellow at the Center for American Progress and a former deputy assistant secretary of state in the Obama administration.

The United States has been fearful of Pakistan, of the relationship blowing up and Pakistan withdrawing its support for our efforts in Afghanistan and our access to Afghanistan, Fuchs told Al Jazeera. I dont see anything from this administration to date that would make me believe that they are willing or intending to try something significantly different from whats been tried in the past.

Obama administration relations with the Pakistan government deteriorated after the night-time US raid to kill Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad in 2011 but appeared to improve through a rapprochement until a US drone attack in May 2016 killed Taliban leader Mullah Akhtar Mansoor in Balochistan.

US analysts view Pakistans support for the Taliban and other groups, such as the Haqqani Network, as rooted in Pakistans larger strategic contest with India, over which the US has little leverage. India is providing training for the Afghan military and Trump has invited New Delhi to play a greater economic role.

READ MORE: Taliban letter to Trump urges US to leave Afghanistan

Reaction in Pakistan to Trumps new policy has been negative. Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi said the increased military presence in Afghanistan would be doomed to fail without a political settlement. Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif delayed a planned trip to Washington to meet Secretary of State Rex Tillerson and embarked on a trip to Moscow and Beijing. Politicians in Pakistan are calling for a rejection of US aid and closer ties with China, which has been investing in infrastructure projects.

Pakistan has cancelled all diplomatic interaction with the US around Afghanistan and is looking for support from China, said Barnett Rubin, an expert on Afghanistan and Pakistan at New York Universitys Center on International Cooperation.





Nobody, not Trump and not the US military, claims that these troops alone are enough to stabilise Afghanistan. That is why there is a need for a regional approach, though not necessarily the one Trump adopted, and a political settlement, Rubin told Al Jazeera.

Neither the Afghan government nor the Taliban appears ready to engage in serious peace talks. With the drawdown of US troops, the Taliban have been attacking more aggressively and have gained partial control over about 40 percent of the country, mostly in rural areas. The Taliban routinely re-take areas cleared by the Afghan army and conduct attacks designed to undercut public confidence in the US-backed Afghan government in Kabul.

The Taliban itself has no interest in the immediate term in launching a peace process, simply because it is on the offensive. There is not nearly enough pressure on the battlefield to justify a decision on the part of the Taliban to step off and start talking. The mindset of the Taliban is probably, why quit when you are ahead, Kugelman said.

In the US militarys semi-annual assessment to Congress in June, General John Nicholson Jr, commander of US Forces  Afghanistan, said the Talibans exploitation of ungoverned sanctuaries outside of Afghanistan  read Pakistan  is the single greatest external factor that could cause failure of the coalition campaign.

In addition to US troops, NATO and alliance partners have more than 6,500 troops in the theatre. The Afghan National Army numbers about 175,000, including the Afghan air force.

Afghan government forces suffer from poor leadership in some areas, a lack of care for those wounded or killed, inconsistent pay, bad training and inadequate living conditions, according to Defense Department reports.

READ MORE: Pakistan in the crosshairs of Trumps Afghan strategy

President Ashraf Ghani has agreed to a four-year plan to re-invent the Afghan military by expanding its special forces and air force with continued American help. The plan envisions large-scale manoeuvres in 2020 to break the stalemate with the Taliban.

Trump has calculated that as long as he keeps Afghanistan from blowing up or sliding into civil war like Iraq, he can afford to keep US troops engaged without paying too high a domestic political price, according to Shibley Telhami, a pollster and professor at the University of Maryland. The risk is that there could be a sharply higher rate of US casualties that would shape the American publics opinion of the nearly 17-year war and the president.

The real issue for Trump is whether there would be a mess that he would be blamed for, Telhami told Al Jazeera.

The rhetoric, particularly on Pakistan, has to be problematic for the president. It already has been. The question is whether it will backfire. Thats the thing to watch for now, is how the White House manages its relationship with the Pakistanis. That is much more likely to be problematic than the immediate policy in Afghanistan.
Refugee number could double with 146,000 of the persecuted Muslim minority already fleeing Myanmars security forces.

As many as 300,000 Rohingya Muslims could flee violence in northwestern Myanmar to neighbouring Bangladesh, UN officials say, warning of a funding shortfall for emergency food supplies for the desperate refugees.

According to estimates issued by UN workers in Bangladeshs border region of Coxs Bazar, arrivals since the latest bloodshed started two weeks ago have already reached 146,000.

Numbers are difficult to establish with any certainty because of the turmoil as Rohingya escape operations by Myanmars military.

However, UN officials have raised their estimate of the total expected refugees from 120,000 to 300,000, said Dipayan Bhattacharyya, who is Bangladesh spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP).

They are coming in nutritionally deprived, they have been cut off from a normal flow of food for possibly more than a month, he told Reuters news agency. They were definitely visibly hungry, traumatised.

READ MORE: Myanmar  Who are the Rohingya Muslims?

The surge of refugees, many sick or wounded, has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities that are already helping hundreds of thousands displaced by previous waves of violence in Myanmar. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food.





Bhattacharyya said the refugees were now arriving by boat as well as crossing the land border at numerous points.

Another UN worker in the area cautioned the estimates were not hard science given the chaos and lack of access to the area on the Myanmar side, where the military is still conducting its clearance operation.

The source added the 300,000 number was probably the worst-case scenario.

The latest violence began when Rohingya fighters attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive killed at least 400 people and triggered the mass exodus of villagers to Bangladesh.

An Al Jazeera producer  on a government-arranged visit in Rakhine state  has visited several villages belonging to both Rohingya and non-Muslims.

She says shes seen levels of destruction that are unimaginable. All the villages have been destroyed, reported Al Jazeeras Florence Looi from Myanmars capital, Naypyidaw. We are hearing reports that fighting is still going on.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday from New York that the WFP is appealing for $11.3m to support the influx of people and those already living in camps. Dujarric described women and children arriving there as hungry and malnourished.

The crisis in restive Rakhine state is the biggest to face Myanmars leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and her handling of it has been a source of disillusionment among the democracy champions former supporters in the West.

In a statement on Wednesday, she blamed terrorists for a huge iceberg of misinformation on the strife in Rakhine. She made no mention of the Rohingya who have fled.

In pictures: Myanmar  The perilous journey of Rohingya refugees

Myanmars National Security Adviser Thaung Tun said the group that attacked 30 police posts two weeks ago is trying to carve out a separate Muslim state from the Buddhist-majority nation, and the armed forces are using maximum restraint in their operations against them.

Based on the prediction that 300,000 could arrive in Bangladesh, the WFP calculated it would need $13.3m in additional funding to provide high-energy biscuits and basic rice rations for four months.

Bhattacharyya called for donors to meet the shortfall urgently.

If they dont come forward now, we may see that these people would be fighting for food among themselves, the crime rate would go up, violence against women and on children would go up, he said.
Abraham T Zere

Zere's work has been published in The Guardian, The Independent, Index on Censorship Magazine, Dissent Magazine, among others.
Five new bike repair stations will be installed across UFs campus to expand Student Governments bike repair program.

The Florida Department of Transportation donated the five stations as part of a new grant program, said Troy Roberts, the departments communications coordinator for District 2. The stations did not cost UF money. Each unit, called a Dero Fixit Service Station, includes essential tools to complete basic repairs and bike maintenance, Roberts said.

University Police Sgt. Tim Peck said he doesnt know when the new repair stations will be installed.

The new stations are similar to the ones that students can already find on campus at the Graham, Tolbert and Murphree areas, Peck said. One of the five new stations, located at Jennings Hall, has already been installed. The remaining 4 will be located at Lakeside Residential Complex, Infinity Hall, Newell Hall and Library West.

UF is one of two pilot schools with the stations. The department wanted to increase cyclist safety on campus, Roberts said.

Were always trying to look for new and innovative ways to make travel (safer), he said.

He says he expects the project will be well received given the large population of bicyclists in both of the college towns.

Brian Habing, a UF mechanical engineering senior, said although the stations on campus are convenient, the functionality of them doesnt compare to the Reitz Union bike shop. He said depending on the cost to UF, it may be worth repairing the existing stations.

In his experience, some have been missing as many as three hex wrenches, which he said almost defeats the purpose of having them. Habing said he used the stations in the summer when the Reitz bike repair shop was closed and he needed a hex wrench.

It was convenient because I didnt have the tool with me at the time, the 21-year-old said. It would have been dangerous to ride home with a loose steering bar.

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Five showers, 18 days, 40 interviews and 6,387 miles later, two UF students had created a podcast called Tuna Pasta.

Takashi Wickes and Nikhil Thota, 21-year-old UF computer science seniors, landed summer internships in San Francisco for Summer 2017. With plane tickets more expensive than driving Wickes Honda Element, the roommates saw an opportunity to embark on an adventure.

The friends decided, as they passed through Atlanta, to create a podcast series based off the people they met during their cross-country trip.

We knew we wanted to make some type of creative thing, and what we really wanted to make was a podcast, Wickes said.

The name of the podcast came from a health-conscious meal they prepared nearly daily  protein-enhanced pasta and tuna-in-a-pouch.

At first something like tuna and pasta sounds so gross but when you start adding spices, it can be surprisingly tasty, Thota said.

Thota said the name represents finding something special in something that might not seem so. Their favorite dinner meal and the people they met were better than first appearance.

With a lot of people we make these presumptions based on the things we hear or what we assume and where theyre from which doesnt give us a chance to hear their story, Wickes said.

Wickes and Thota have released eight free podcasts on iTunes from their trip and plan on releasing three more. The episodes come out Fridays.

Somewhere along the way, Wickes and Thota met a man with a dog in a coffee shop. The man was in charge of assigning grants from IBM to researchers.

This guy is living a life that I want to live when Im 50 or around his age, Thota said.

The man was one of 43 people Wickes and Thota interviewed and one of 40 included in the podcast.

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During the day, the pair drove and stopped along the way for food and sightseeing. They found their sources anywhere  from a Subway restaurant to University of Pennsylvanias campus.

At night, they slept in a tent in peoples backyards, on farms or in campsites. One time, they set up their tent at Joshua Tree National Park on a campsite infested by spiders.

The techies enjoyed the outdoors and the people they met during their trip. Thota said hes never done something like this before.

Its made me a lot more people-oriented in terms of how I want my impact on technology to be, Thota said. The podcast itself, having a platform for people to share their stories, thats technology.
Theres nothing like waking up in the morning and reading a column that makes your blood boil.

Following the recent news regarding the impending end of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), which granted deferred deportation and work permits to undocumented people who were brought to the U.S. as children, Ive seen a lot of tomfoolery.

This recently published column is riddled with problematic statements that are claims with neither warrants nor evidence and also loaded political language that decreases the authority of the author. This is not the way we should think and talk about the issue and instead feels more like some sort of ploy for self-satisfaction by means of soapbox; the author isnt changing anyones mind.

If you ignore all the ranting, mud-slinging, and unsubstantiated claims, you will soon find yourself at the paragraph where the author invokes the Constitution. Specifically, that The Constitution specifically grants Congress authority on issues dealing with immigration. Now allow me to provide a simple refutation:

Well, thats very specific of the Constitution to mention immigration, aint it?

I mean, like, I guess the Constitution does specifically talk about granting Congress authority on establishing uniform Rule of Naturalization, but naturalization and DACA are two separate things. Naturalization is the process of getting U.S. citizenship while DACA is not. Per U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, deferred action does not provide lawful status.

So no, the Constitution, in fact, does not convince me on this matter.

Next is the argument of, Why should we grant illegal immigrants greater privileges than citizens, or even legal immigrants for that matter? to which I say that we are not. We are simply giving people who were placed in a sticky situation peace of mind while they try to work things out.

To rebut we are essentially doing all of these things as a bad cover for a bad argument  two plus two is essentially five  but I sure wouldnt recommend writing a column arguing so.

The people who DACA covers generally did not come here on their own accord. As the story typically goes, they were brought here by their parents. The boy who crossed the border at the age of 5, holding the hand of his mother, cannot be expected to understand the implication of his actions. How can the author of the column expect children to understand immigration when he himself does not understand immigration? He mischaracterizes these people as people who willingly broke the law to pursue their dreams, and that signifies either gross misunderstanding of the program or deliberate antagonization of people who came here without a say in the matter.

Remember all the positive impacts that immigrants of all kinds and classifications have had on our country. Do not forget all the injustices our country has perpetuated and still perpetuates toward these same people. Documented or not, rich or not, educated or not, these people are still our co-workers, neighbors and friends.

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Its a messy situation. There is, I concede, an argument for executive overreach. Some students dont even know their immigration status until later in their life. Congress has a lot of work to do in order to save the program. Perhaps by President Donald Trump having Congress act, we can further solidify the status of this program.

But dont dehumanize innocent people amid of all this. Our dreams are not mutually exclusive.

Zachariah Chou is the Student Government senator (Independent) for Infinity Hall.

Editors note: Zachariah Chou formerly worked as a paid photographer for the Alligator.
The members of the Security Council condemned in the strongest terms the attack against the United Nations Multidimensional Integrated Stabilization Mission in Mali (MINUSMA) near Aguelhoc, Mali, on 5 September 2017, which caused the death of two Chadian peacekeepers and injured two others. The members of the Security Council expressed their deepest condolences and sympathy []http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Appa-sourceTheAfric...
Vietnam will once again start accepting imports of U.S. distillers dried grains (DDGS), after it had suspended these shipments in December 2016 due to a detection of quarantine pests.



Vietnam will once again start accepting imports of U.S. distillers dried grains (DDGS), after it had suspended these shipments in December 2016 due to a detection of quarantine pests.

Prior to the suspension, Vietnam was the third largest market for U.S. DDGS, with exports valued at more than $230 million in 2016, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The USDA also said the resolution of this issue opens the way for corn and wheat shipments, which were restricted due to previous treatment requirements.

From 2007 to 2016, U.S. DDGS exports grew from $392 million to $2.16 billion. DDGS, which are a by-product of ethanol production, are often used in animal feed.

The DDGS ban is one of several agricultural trade priorities raised during a visit by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phucs to Washington in May, where he met with President Trump, as well as Agriculture Secretary Sonny Perdue and U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer. After the meetings, the U.S. and Vietnamese governments released a joint statement pledging to resolve the DDGS issue.

Following the Vietnamese DDGS suspension, representatives from USDAs Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) engaged in technical discussions with Vietnams Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development regarding alternative treatment options that would allow U.S. exports to restart. APHIS and USDAs Foreign Agricultural Service (FAS) and Federal Grain Inspection Service also worked with the industry to host a delegation of Vietnamese officials to view the U.S. fumigation and export infrastructure for DDGS.

Meanwhile, the United States continues to work with Vietnam to address other agricultural trade issues, such as Vietnams adoption of Codex Maximum Residue Limits for veterinary drugs and removal of the countrys ban on white offal or variety meats which are made from animal organs.
Democrats claim that they have always supported equal rights for black Americans and that Republicans are racists who always oppose them.

Both claims are flat-out lies. From its founding in 1854, the Republican Party led the fight to end slavery and then eradicate the racist Jim Crow system that held blacks down right up to securing the passage of the 1964 Civil Rights Act. Democrats opposed the Republicans at every turn.

The spectacularly untruthful statement below was featured on Democrats.org until 2009. This actual screenshot is, to our knowledge, the only one in existence.

So, lets take an honest look at the history of civil rights in America. On the legislative level, congressional Republicans proposed, and Democrats opposed, a series of Reconstruction-era laws intended to elevate blacks, in particular to force Southern states to enforce the Constitutional amendments extending full civil rights and voting rights to blacks. These included the Civil Rights Act of 1866, the Reconstruction Act of 1867, the Enforcement Act of 1870, the Ku Klux Klan Act of 1871, and the Civil Rights Act of 1875.

In fact, Democrats consistently opposed legislative efforts to confer voting rights and other civil rights on blacks, including the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments to the Constitution, and even the 19th Amendment, which granted women the right to vote.

Here are the facts:

April 8, 1864

The 13th Amendment banning slavery passed the U.S. Senate 38 to 6, with 100% Republican support amid Democratic opposition.

January 31, 1865

The 13th Amendment banning slavery passed the U.S. House by a vote of 119 to 56 (with eight abstentions), with all 103 Republicans voting yes, along with 16 Democrats. Republican President Abraham Lincoln signed it, sent it on to the states, with final ratification on Dec. 18, 1865.

March 27, 1866

Democrat President Andrew Johnson vetoed a bill granting citizenship to blacks.

June 8, 1866

The U.S. Senate passed the Republicans' 14th Amendment guaranteeing due process and equal protection of the law to all citizens. Nearly all Republicans voted yes and 100% of Democrats voted no.

June 13, 1866

The U.S. House passed the U.S. Senates version of the Republican-sponsored 14th Amendment by a vote of 120 to 32. All Republicans voted yes.

January 10, 1878

U.S. Senator Aaron Sargent (R-CA) introduced the Susan B. Anthony amendment for women's suffrage. The Democrat-controlled Senate defeated it repeatedly before the election of a Republican House and Senate that guaranteed its approval in 1919.

February 8, 1894

The Democratic Congress and Democratic President Grover Cleveland joined to repeal the Republicans' Enforcement Act, which had enabled blacks to vote.

May 6, 1960

Republican President Eisenhower signed the Civil Rights Act of 1960, expanding protections for blacks in voting. In the House, the measure was approved by 89% of Republicans and 52% of Democrats. After a Democrat filibuster, the Senate approved it 71-18. No Republicans opposed. All 18 no votes were from Democrats.

A History of Shame

The Democratic Partys militant arm following the Civil War was the Ku Klux Klan, of which prominent Democratic West Virginia Sen. Robert Byrd was a high official, as was Hugo Black, a Democrat who became a U.S. Supreme Court justice.

For 88 years, Democrats in the South enforced a vicious Jim Crow system of outright discrimination against blacks, particularly measures aimed at preventing them from voting. They opposed Republican-sponsored civil rights legislation at the state and federal levels.

In 1964, a Republican U.S. Senate majority introduced and passed the Civil Rights Act despite a filibuster by Democratic senators.

Similarly, Republicans led the fight for the Voting Rights Act of 1965, when 94 % of GOP lawmakers in the House voted for it, while 27% of Democrat House members opposed it.

Today, Democrats would like us to forget that they were the party of Jim Crow, the Klan and racists such as Woodrow Wilson, the globally-thinking progressive who, upon taking office as president, promptly segregated the U.S. Civil Service and instituted policies designed to discriminate against blacks and other minorities.

Democrats defended, tooth and nail, a plantation-style racial spoils system right up until 1964, and then converted it into a federal version, with welfare policies that destroyed the black family and institutionalized dependence on government. To this day, the party promotes destructive, addictive welfare policies that keep its constituents dependent.

For a more extensive, documented history of the Democratic Partys historic opposition to civil rights for blacks, see "The Truth about Jim Crow."
After Hurricane Harvey devastated Texas, the floodgates of the Lefts self-righteous wrath have opened with similar fury. Among all the howling, President Trump requested Congress to approve a $7.85 billion down payment for disaster relief, most of which are meant to fill the coffers of the Federal Emergency Management Agencys (FEMA) disaster relief fund. The original plan to cut FEMAs budget by $876 million to free up resources for national security priorities such as the border wall was already on the verge of being repealed. But with the new funding request being pegged to raising the debt ceiling, Democrats have positioned themselves to stifle any debate about fiscal responsibility.

As it stands now, Democrats can hit two birds with one stone and push through two of their main agendas  a higher debt ceiling and the continued funding of a dysfunctional federal agency. With budget and debt ceilings approaching at the end of the month, the Left is willingly pushing the U.S. into financial ruin.

Trumps decision may be motivated by the desire to avoid a drawn-out congressional standoff over the upcoming budget and debt ceiling, for which he needs Democrat support. Unfortunately, it also set him on a collision course with the House Freedom Caucus, whose members have already made it clear they will not such support fiscal maneuvering. And rightfully so: with U.S. debt standing at almost $20 trillion, thanks in large part due to Obamas generous $836 billion giveaway in 2009, the U.S. needs fiscally responsible structural reforms more than anything else.

To no ones surprise, liberals are not concerned with such matters, willfully ignoring that the entire argument for greater government involvement in disaster relief stands on more than shaky feet. However, blinded by their gleeful I-told-you-so-attitude they fail to see the irony that FEMA itself is the best example of this. FEMA has been one of the main hooks for Trump-bashing from the big government crowd. Yet while projects relating to national security are worth their funding, throwing billions of dollars at an organization as underperforming as FEMA is not. Harveys estimated costs of more than $100 billion are drowning out FEMAs capabilities, and pouring government money into the sieve that is our current emergency relief infrastructure will not change that.

The fact that FEMA is extraordinarily bad at doing what it is supposed to should be reason enough for normal, rationally thinking people to upend its ability to wreak havoc on the budget. Originally designed to provide grants to uninsured homeowners for emergency repairs, the agency doesnt provide long-term recovery loans to those in need, and massive red tape has often hindered relief efforts rather than aid them. Now, the agency is already faltering under Harvey-induced pressure. It has begun referring the needy to the Small Business Administration to apply for loans in their search for long-term recovery assistance. Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner vented his frustration with FEMAs penchant for bureaucratic delays, calling on the organization to step up efforts as tens of thousands of people wallow in emergency shelters.

After Hurricane Katrina in 2005, FEMAs National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) had to be bailed out to reduce its debt load to just under $18 billion. Then, following Hurricane Sandy in 2012, the NFIP was $24 billion in debt, and had to be kept afloat with another payout package when losses were projected to reach $12 billion, far exceeding the NFIPs borrowing capacity of $2.9 billion. Such damage estimates were only a fraction of the projected cost of Hurricane Harvey, which begs the question: does FEMA expect a handout for every disaster, no matter what the price tag?

The worshippers of the god of big government would gladly respond with a resounding Yes, but one mustnt forget that Trumps budget proposal published in March still stands. Cutting 9% from public funds, its part of a long-term plan to make the government leaner and get the private sector to shoulder greater responsibility. In what can rightfully be regarded as a plea for help in handling the situation, FEMA chief William Long recently reiterated Trumps goal to form public-private partnerships (PPPs) in disaster relief efforts.

The private sector has already proved itself more effective in urgent situations than the federal government, especially when supplies are needed to alleviate suffering, or prevent and contain the spread of infectious diseases. With Harvey-related flooding increasing the risk of cholera infections, its worth remembering how, following Katrina, various enterprises stepped in to pick up the slack where federal authorities failed. Walmarts supply chain and distribution system delivered supplies to locations where the government had little to no reach. And by leveraging its expertise and resources, Walmart was able to prevent a cholera outbreak as the federal response floundered.

Other countries have been relying on PPPs for years to respond effectively to national catastrophes. In Guinea, a treatment and research center was built by mining operator Rusal to help the government fight the 2014 Ebola epidemic. Three years later, that same center is now running a vaccination program to test a new vaccine against the virus that will continue into 2018. In Thailands 2011 floods, Honda partnered with the Thai Department of Disaster Prevention and Mitigation (DDPM), in providing its vehicles for disaster management activities. The company also trained local communities on best practices in dealing with future natural disaster.

The left is short-sighted in its clamoring for greater funding for government agencies. Past emergency responses illustrate that Americas private sector is fully capable of coordinating with Texas policymakers to deliver a more efficient, cost-effective relief effort. Hurricane Harvey is an opportunity for America to implement a new private-sector driven system of emergency relief, one free of red tape and the trappings of government bureaucracy.
If the U.S. pre-emptively attacks North Korea, Seoul, the capital of South Korea, and other places in Asia might get blasted in retaliation, but America will have knocked out North Korea's nuclear capability. Right?

Wrong  at least in the opinion of a U.S. senior intelligence consultant who worked on a secret study of North Korea's nuclear program for the government and disagrees with widespread intelligence opinion, echoed by the press, that there are no viable options for dealing with North Korea's nuclear threat except negotiations.

Dwight R. Rider, 30 years a targeting specialist for the U.S. with a master's degree from the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), says the reason the U.S. intelligence community (I.C.) says negotiation is the only option is that the I.C. rejected the study his group made that identified hidden nuclear facilities and weapons in North Korea and now realizes they don't know where to target. Thus, in their minds, any pre-emptive attack might have only minimal effect on North Korea's capability and leave the rogue state with plenty of retaliation options.

Rider is so worried about the U.S. making wrong decisions regarding what to do about the North Korean threat that he's decided to go public, including writing a letter to President Trump and other officials he thinks might be able to influence Trump's actions.

"It is unlikely that long-standing issues between North Korea and the U.S. can be resolved through negotiation," Rider writes in the letter to the president. "Any effort to force North Korea" to bow to outside pressure "means regime change." That's not acceptable to North Korea, he says. Therefore, "some level of force may be necessary."

The problem is, he charges, that U.S. targeters don't have good information, and any strike deemed necessary might thus be impotent, inviting retaliation.

The only reason I'm privy to this is that Rider is a source for me in updating an early book of mine, Japan's Secret War, about Japan trying to make an atomic bomb in North Korea during World War II. As an expert in North Korean topography and nuclear signatures, he believes, as I do, that North Korea's nuclear program grew out of what the Japanese, who occupied the peninsula during the war, left there after the surrender. In my updating, we've become friends, and he's voiced the targeting problem more than once. With the current threat escalation and his fear that U.S. planners have bad information, Rider decided to try to correct the situation.

"I believe North Korea's uranium enrichment program long predates it's rather recent interest in plutonium and other nuclear weapons. I believe North Korea has far more capabilities than our intelligence community believes."

Beginning in 2002, Rider says, he participated in a Special Access Program ("Black") in response to 9/11 that, in time, transitioned "to an investigation of North Korea's weapons of mass destruction (WMD) program, also classified. "I was specifically charged to be the biggest pain in the ass possible to the intelligence community to force it to confront the most imminent issue facing the U.S: nuclear proliferation." Over the next five years, he says, "we identified much of Pyongyang's overt and clandestine" nuclear program, including its uranium enrichment facilities, plutonium production facilities, transit points where it shipped nuclear materials overseas, and reactors, among other aspects.

He says the study resulted in "overturning" parts about North Korea in the October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate, an overall look at the world guiding U.S. decision-makers. The outside government advisory group, JASON, made up of elite scientists, commended the study, he says, as did the Department of Energy, which went on record concurring with JASON. But the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), the country's top military intelligence agency, let the study languish. "It was noted and then we never heard about it again. There might have been a letter or something, but I didn't see it."

Basically, charges Rider in the letter, "[o]ur effort threatened the status quo." For years, he says, hoping to get North Korea to agree to treaties, such as that negotiated by former President Carter under the Clinton administration, and then appeasement under President Obama, the intelligence community, wanting to undergird the administrations, had been minimizing the threat and neglecting information. "Our effort revealed decades of poor performance and intellectual dishonesty within the I.C. They didn't want to hear it."

The North Korean "functions, facilities and installations identified" by the classified study were "cold-shouldered" by the I.C. community, writes Rider. Because of this "inaction" and "lack of [I.C.] competence," news reports suggest there are no options available for the U.S. in dealing with North Korea." Rider argues that there are many options, none of which has ever been explored by the I.C.

One obvious option, he says, is "preemption: a retaliatory attack as a crisis develops, or on ground that the U.S. chooses[.] ... I warn however that no successful outcome can be expected if the functions, facilities and installations" his group previously identified "are not confronted" as "Yongbyon and other do-nothing targets as currently proposed by the IC[.] ... To strike the targets ... as presently developed by the I.C. leaves the majority of Pyongyang's nuclear capabilities intact, [thus] inviting North Korean retaliation against China, Japan and Russia  and [with] America bearing all responsibility."

He believes that much of North Korea's production and capability are underground, first started by the Japanese who had built the peninsula into a Muscle Shoals of the East to supply its war-making in Asia. "There are people in North Korea who seldom ever see the sun. They live perpetually underground." This is one of the problems. Satellites and other information gatherers can't see there. "There is a lot that needs more expertise to identify, and they rejected it."

Rider continued to work with the Office of the Secretary of Defense (OSD) regarding the group's findings as well as other projects through 2015. They encouraged him about it, he says. But the study continued to gather dust. His recent attempts to sound an alarm through normal channels have been met with what to him has been alarming silence.

"Late last year [2016], I filed a complaint at the Department of Defense [DoD] Office of the Inspectors General [DoDIG]." The complaint, he said, was delegated to someone "then confronting accusations of Russian involvement in U.S. Elections[.] ... That agent laughed off the issue."

Recently, he said, congressmen he's contacted  "Barr, Gowdy, and Nunez"  advised him to talk with the House Committee on Intelligence. He left messages with the committee, but calls were not returned. "Since then I have attempted to work through informal channels," calling former "high-ranking intelligence officials" he knew. Same thing. "I was told 'the problem was too big' for them to correct without the assistance of Congress."

He believes that a confrontation with North Korea is "likely within the next few years." U.S. success depends on "definitively destroying North Korea's WMD." American "potential to counterstrike rests entirely upon the information received" from its intelligence-gatherers being "accurately assessed and converted into actionable targets. Anything less than 90 percent surety invites counterattack. The U.S. intelligence community has, to date, failed to accurately interpret and convert the information received into actionable intelligence. Initiating action with less than accurate intelligence of North Korea's nuclear weapons ... will result in the deaths of millions, primarily Chinese, Japanese and Koreans. Another Pearl Harbor or another 9-11 lies just around the corner."

Rider hopes his group's "J-39 special studies"  that's all he will label it, since it's classified  under the Joint Chiefs of Staff will be retrieved and incorporated into planning before any action against North Korea is taken. "J-39" is a generic name. "The study exists. We made at least five reports involving it. They can find it if they want, or they can talk to me. I'm available."
For todays radical Left, which now has virtually uncontested control of the Democratic Party, racism is the universal and unforgiveable sin. It is also considered a sin that so permeates society that it is ineradicable except by a societal revolution -- one that completely rearranges what is deemed an inherently oppressive hierarchy continually contaminated by microaggressions passed down from tyrannical generation to generation.

Its well to recall that every age has had a version of a universal and unforgiveable sin, a mark of Cain signifying an ineradicable stain condemning the offending race, ethnicity or class to perpetual ostracization from the rest of society.

For the thirteenth-century poet Dante, the worst sin was betrayal. Betrayers who like the biblical Cain betrayed and slew those closest to them, were consigned to the Ninth Circle of Hell, where they were eternally frozen in ice up to their necks. Julius Caesars assassin Brutus lived in that circle, remorsefully and eternally -- yet ineffectively -- shedding tears of ice.

J. Robert Nash notes that for many living in Englands Victorian era, The morality of the family, no matter what the class, was passionately clung to. To abandon the abiding concept of marriage and the family was to commit the unforgivable sin, the unpardonable betrayal. Those who broke the code were consigned to the status of outcasts, made eternal wanderers like Cain.

In modern times, the inequities of wealth and the classes seen as wrongfully possessing too much occupied the minds of communists, who sought to rearrange social hierarchy by redistribution of goods and status.

It is also well to remember that numbers of Christians in the American South believed the mark of Cain and the curse of Ham rested on blacks in perpetuity. While the biblical story of Cain never mentions race, even some of the earliest church fathers believed Cains skin turned black after he murdered his brother Abel. Later theologians would perpetrate the idea that the descendants of Noahs son Ham were perpetually doomed to be servants of others. This is to say nothing of the distortion of the New Testament admonitions to Roman slaves to obey their masters.

An entire theological edifice was erected to support the odious system of chattel slavery that once characterized the South. The idea that God intended blacks to remain subject to their owners, most but not all of whom were white, continued to be fixed in the minds and actions of many who considered themselves to be Christians. Thankfully, today virtually none who call themselves Christians continue to believe in the malignant dogmas that supported slavery.

The pernicious idea that a particular race or class of people bears the mark of Cain and so is inherently inferior and deserving of lower status than others has always been an inclination of the human race. That tendency has certainly not been confined to America, but historically has been and is found in all cultures and among all races. Every empire in history has deemed certain peoples as inferior beings who should be conquered.

The use of a single pejorative lens through which to view certain races and classes and through which to interpret all of humanity and its history always results in societal distortions and sometimes unmitigated disaster.

The Stalinist era considered the kulak class of Russia inherently wicked because of their supposedly undeserved prosperity and evil desire to keep what they had worked for. Millions of them starved to death when the Soviet government condemned them as a class, seizing their grain and livestock while collectivizing their land.

Though the genocide of Armenian Christians has never been acknowledged by the government of Turkey, hundreds of thousands were driven out of their homes into the wilderness, there to die exposure and starvation. Many were tortured; some were even crucified.

As most know, the targeting of Jews as an inherently evil race resulted in the near-extermination of European and Slavic Jewry.

Knowledge of the awful results when a particular class, ethnicity or race is deemed as leprous to society and therefore worthy of being diminished, set aside or even killed is a reason why any idea the white race alone is inherently and irretrievably -- in fact, almost genetically -- disposed to the evils of racism should be regarded with deep, deep suspicion.

The current trends in academia -- or what passes for academia -- in which whites are lectured about white privilege; where the separation of nonwhites into aggrieved groups which close the door to participation by whites; where whites contributions to literature and history are increasingly disdained; and where colonialism is viewed as a purely white phenomenon, are purely toxic and smack of deliberate racism. Every race has been guilty of colonization and oppression, not just white Europeans. Its well to recall the history of empires. Mongols, for instance, destroyed Kievan Rus and killed or enslaved Russian whites.

Add the medias and Hollywoods endless virtue signaling of their own sinlessness while eternally questing for microaggressions committed by whites -- all the while busily revising or openly destroying the memory of the past, and it is difficult if not impossible not to see the onus of the mark of Cain now is being stamped on whites by radicalized fringe groups.

It is now only too common to write and speak of white people as inherently guilty of racism -- born to it, so to speak. Such a theory is a new and revisionist theological version of the older and more accurate theological doctrine of original sin, which essentially acknowledges the truth that every human being ever born, regardless of race or class, will do wrong things. The doctrine of original sin notes that every human being bears a verisimilitude of the Mark of Cain, which mark is often characterized by anger and hatred toward ones fellow human being. Anger and resentment of the other is, as Christ pointed out, an indicator of murderous intent, be it killing outright or by degrees.

Singling out the white race as now bearing the mark of Cain will not rectify the sin of racism. Making whites bear eternal guilt and punishment for past and current offenses will not heal wounds and certainly will not expurgate the sins of the past -- which sins do need to be remembered, repented of and rejected.

What will be achieved is the corruption of the legal principle that every person is responsible for the sins he or she commits and that no one is to be held accountable for the sins of ones predecessors.

What will be achieved is a caste system characterized by race, some of which are considered untouchable because of the color of their skin; some of which are considered intrinsically more wicked than others; some of which must pay reparations for the sins of the fathers from generation to generation.

What will be achieved is a rigid stratification and hierarchical order that undoes the great, ongoing, and heroic effort of America to give every person a chance to make of ones self whatever one can. The permeability of the American classes will be vitiated, and a new version of apartheid will rise, accompanied by all the inequities inherent in such an abhorrent social system.

Benjamin Disraeli, once prime minister of England, noted in his novel Sybil what he saw as the three successive great influences in England: The influence of races in our early ages, of the Church in our middle, and of parties in our modern destiny are three great moving and modifying powers.

Though he did not mean race in quite the same way as we moderns, it is fair to say that for the better part of the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, the Churchs and political parties social modifying powers have given way to ideologies based on race, class, and ethnicity. Who among us can forget the odium of Nazi ideology based on hatred of so-called inferior races and peoples?

Such ideologies have been and are characterized by the untenable idea that one race (or class) is superior to another, and that one race or class deserves to be considered inherently unequal by reason of birth into their particular race or social class. The horrific results of such ideologies are recorded and incontestable history. Tens of millions have died because it was thought such tainted races and classes deserved to die.

A deliberate remembrance of the Jewish and Christian belief in the origin of mankind and its status as created in the image of God is the remedy to racism, not matter what form it takes.

As Dutch theologian and stateman Abraham Kuyper put it in his lectures on the influence of Calvinism on politics in the Western world, Man is created by man, and by virtue of his birth he is organically united with the whole human race. Together we form one humanity. All the human race is from one blood.

Martin Luther King, Jr. would echo Kuypers words in speech after speech. He would lose his life because of his bold proclamation of the universality of humanity and his reminder that all derive their value from their Creator. How often did King reprise the Hebrew prophet Malachis cry, Have we not all one Father? Hath not one God created us?

It is past time to recover the idea that every human being has his or her origin from the Creator. It is past time to recall that every one of us is inevitably sinful yet has access to redemption. It is past time to put aside the pernicious ideologies based on race and class -- whatever form they take.

It is past time to take on the responsibility for one another Cain rejected when he said, Am I my brothers keeper? in response to Gods question, Where is your brother Abel?

We are one anothers keepers.

Fay Voshell holds a M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, which awarded her its prize for excellence in systematic theology. She is a regular contributor to American Thinker. Her thoughts have appeared in many other online magazines, including CNS, Fox News, National Review, Barbwire, RealClearReligion and Russia Insider. She may be reached at fvoshell@yahoo.com
I recently saw a commentary on the Presidents new tax plan and, to no ones surprise, the speaker characterized it as trickle-down economics, a throwback to the bad old days of the Reagan Tax Cuts. Trickle-down economics in this context is a pejorative term the left uses to describe almost any policy that reduces taxes. Such policies are alleged to be favored by conservatives in order to help the wealthy, but rationalized by false claims that everyone will benefit. Letting the dogs eat the scraps that fall from the table, so to speak.

There is tremendous irony in this charge, but notwithstanding the irony, the actual reasons for cutting tax rates have nothing to do with helping one class at the expense of another. There are many sound reasons to reduce taxes, but lets start by at least refuting two of the primary talking points used by progressive opponents of tax cuts.

The first, and most emphatic, progressive talking point is that a tax cut equates to giving a benefit to The Rich. This odd use of language is peculiar to the left and much of the media. Most ordinary Americans (by that I mean those of us not among the political or media elite) would reject such a premise. In no way should a tax cut be considered giving something away, at least according to any reasonable understanding of the English language; that would be like meeting someone on the street and telling them that you are going to give them a benefit because you dont plan to rob them.

A second core principle of progressive thought, often unstated but implied, is that the Government will do better things with the money raised through taxes than the people who earned it in the first place. This may at first seem plausible to some, but let me cite the wisdom of two well-known experts on this subject: Milton Friedman once made the comment, If you put the federal government in charge of the Sahara Desert, in 5 years there'd be a shortage of sand. OK, so Milton Friedman is no advocate of progressive economics, but how about that paragon of progressive virtue, Warren Buffet? Here is an excerpt from a 2007 interview with CNBC's Becky Quick.

Becky: OK, there were a couple of emails that came in that people that said if you think the government should be able to tax more money, why don't you just give your money away to the government instead of charity. Buffett: Well, that's a choice and it's an option that... If I had to give it to a single individual, or make some young Buffett a multi-billionaire, or give it to the government, I'd absolutely give it to the government. I think that on balance the Gates Foundation, my daughter's foundation, my two sons' foundations, will do a better job with lower administrative costs and better selection of beneficiaries than the government.

English Translation: I know how to spend my money better than the Government does.

So the true bases for the so-called trickle-down policy (i.e., reducing taxes) are that a person has a presumptive right to keep his own property, and that the economy will benefit more from the allocation of resources by private individuals than by government bureaucrats. These assumptions are widely accepted and eminently reasonable. Proponent of tax reduction should do a much better job of explaining and defending them.

So, what is the irony here? It turns out that real trickle-down economics is actually alive and well. We are currently supporting a gigantic trickle-down scheme, which the advocates of higher taxes have seemingly failed to recognize. It is none other than (wait for it)  the US tax system. The current redistributive tax system is a textbook example of actual trickle-down economics at work. It actually does transfer tremendous amounts of money to the rich and powerful government bureaucracy, based on promises that there will be major benefits to the people. Unfortunately, as most of us understand, a great many of our tax dollars are wasted, go towards maintaining the bureaucracy (but I repeat myself) or are used to pay off the various political constituencies that support the bureaucracy. Thus, a relatively small proportion of the promised benefit actually trickles down, but the rich and powerful government is always well taken care of. I have to admit that this is where I agree with the critics about the flaws of trickle-down economics.

Of course, the polar opposite of the way government spends is how people spend their own money. As we all know, private individuals and organization spend money very judiciously. They recognize that they have limited resources so they carefully choose to spend or invest only where they expect a tangible benefit or reasonably return. Little or none of their hard-earned capital will be wasted. Instead it will flow into the economy to build new businesses, support other businesses through purchases of goods and services or will be lent out to others for similar purposes -- all of the presumed benefits of government spending minus the cost of the bureaucracy. The progressive opponents of trickle-down economics turn out to be somewhat correct after all, but unfortunately, they have identified the wrong villain.

Richard Goldfien is a managing partner with Auxilian Insurance Services in California and has spent over 25 years in finance and business management.
It's starting to look as though Imran Awan and his wife Hina Alvi are making plea deals and incriminating people above them in the food chain. Both of them were I.T. staffers for Democrats in the House of Representatives, earning substantial multiples of customary wages, raising intense suspicions of blackmail.

Ms. Alvi reportedly has already made a deal and will be returning to the U.S. from her native Pakistan, where she earlier fled. Her husband was arrested at Dulles Airport, attempting to do the same. Todd Shepherd reports in the Examiner:

A document filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia indicates that federal prosecutors have struck a deal with Alvi that would allow her to return to the U.S., but would also require her to surrender her passport and afterwards not book any international travel. The deal only surrounds how Alvi will turn herself in, and is structured so that she can avoid being arrested in front of her children when she returns to the U.S., "during the last week of September 2017." Alvi, and Awan in particular, are the focus of investigations by the FBI and Capitol Police regarding irregularities for purchases of some computers and other equipment which was later discovered to be missing. The pair, and their associates, could have had access to sensitive government information over the years.

We don't know if Awan has made a deal yet, but his wife would not be returning if that were unlikely. In fact, thanks to the work of Luke Rosiak of the Daily Caller, we have to consider the possibility that Awan has been playing a double- or triple-game since last April.

A laptop that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has frantically fought to keep prosecutors from examining may have been planted for police to find by her since-indicted staffer, Imran Awan, along with a letter to the U.S. Attorney. U.S. Capitol Police found the laptop after midnight April 6, 2017, in a tiny room that formerly served as a phone booth in the Rayburn House Office Building, according to a Capitol Police report reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundation's Investigative Group. Alongside the laptop were a Pakistani ID card, copies of Awan's driver's license and congressional ID badge, and letters to the U.S. attorney. Police also found notes in a composition notebook marked "attorney-client privilege."

This happened four months after Awan had been banned from the House I.T. network, so he had realized he was in trouble for quite some time, even if DWS kept paying him his salary and he was able to get access to the network via her office. It was enough time for him to plot and plan. And it does look as if the material was intended to be discovered, not somehow accidentally left behind:

The laptop was found on the second floor of the Rayburn building  a place Awan would have had no reason to go because Wasserman Schultz's office is in the Longworth building and the other members who employed him had fired him. (snip)

Leaving important items there accidentally would seem extremely unlikely, according to Rep. Louie Gohmert, a Texas Republican, former prosecutor, and member of the House Judiciary Committee.

"Imran Awan is a calculating person who made great efforts to cover his tracks, both electronically and physically," Gohmert told TheDCNF. "Placing that laptop with his personal documents, which may well incriminate him, those he worked for, or both, in the dead of night in a House office building, was a deliberate act by a cunning suspect, and it needs to be investigated." If Awan thought he was better off with his crimes documented, that suggests he feared something worse than prison, that this was a matter of life insurance.

There are signs that DWS is panicking. Wasserman Schultz first claimed that the laptop was hers and notoriously harangued the Capitol Police to return it to her on that basis.

Now she is claiming that it was Awan's and that she had never seen it. Yet:

Wasserman Schultz has hired an outside counsel, William Pittard, to argue that the laptop not be examined. Pittard argued that the speech and debate clause  which only protects a member's information directly related to legislative duties  should prevent prosecutors from examining the laptop's contents, TheDCNF has learned. Pittard did not respond to requests for comment. Pittard, a partner with KaiserDillon, is the former acting general counsel of the House. Hiring an outside counsel to argue the speech and debate clause on behalf of Wasserman Schultz is highly unusual, because the general counsel of the House offers opinions on speech and debate issues for free.

That can't be cheap. There must be material on that laptop that that is incriminating. Very incriminating. Perhaps of DWS, perhaps of some of the other House Democrats who hired the Awan gang.

Debbie is already distancing herself from Awan:
In Bill Clinton's 1995 State of the Union address, he said:

[I]llegal aliens are creating big problems for us, and we're going to put a lot more border patrol people to support us, and we're not going to have people able to work by coming in illegally, and we're going to cut off their welfare benefits, and we're going to deport people in record numbers.

Clinton was cheered, not called a xenophobe and racist.

My guess is that Democrats agreed when President Obama said 22 times he couldn't rewrite immigration law on his own. Yet in June 2012, Obama issued the executive order on DACA, doing exactly what he said he wouldn't be allowed to do. Democrats and the media were very supportive of his violation of his oath, the Constitution, and separation of powers.

No one should believe anyone who says he believes in the rule of law and constitutional separation of powers if he supports sanctuary cities and what Obama did with DACA.

Every Democrat who supports DACA should be asked if he favors "family reunification," bringing the parents and other siblings into the USA. If he does, he obviously favors blanket amnesty and chain immigration and should admit it. If he actually favors keeping families together, he should support sending all family members back to where they legally reside. No one should ever be rewarded for willingly violating our laws, or the lawlessness will never end.

President Obama left a nice long welcoming letter to President Trump talking about the importance of democracy, American leadership in the world, the rule of law, and separation of powers. I thought it was a parody from The Onion because Obama showed throughout eight years that he believed none of that. He believed in leading from behind. He continually ignored the rule of law on immigration. On Obamacare, if Congress didn't appropriate money, he just stole it from some other source, and he gave special benefits to Congress and staff as if taxpayer money were his to do with as he wanted.

President Obama unilaterally changed the rules on Cuban refugees on his way out in January 2017. The U.S. no longer accepts them if they make it to our shores. Was it compassionate for Obama to send the women and children back to the tyrants when they were only trying to make a better life for their families? There were outrage and protests when Trump wanted to vet Syrian and other refugees more thoroughly, but there was hardly a squeak when Obama sent these Cuban refugees back. Why were Democrats, reporters, immigrant advocates, and CEOs who were so loud about Trump so silent on Obama and Cuba?

Selective compassion and outrage are not compassion at all, any more than selective enforcement of laws means equal justice for all. Selective separation of powers does not make you a believer in the Constitution.

President Trump decides to follow the rule of law and enforce the immigration laws Congress passed, and he is called a xenophobe and a racist and is accused of not caring about families. It is very compassionate to follow the rule of law and to adhere to separation of powers. Our country became the greatest, most powerful country in the world because of the rule of law and the three coequal branches of government. We have been very welcoming to legal immigrants.

For the last eight years we have had a president who has usurped power for himself whenever he wanted, and we have had the Justice Department, Congress, and reporters look the other way since they agreed with his agenda. There is absolutely nothing progressive or passionate about giving people who entered the country illegally preference as to enforcing laws over those who came here legally, those who were born here, and those who have waited patiently in line to come here legally. The founding fathers did not want a king.

I doubt that if President Trump felt that Congress wasn't cooperating with him on Obamacare repeal and tax reform and he changed them on his own, the media would be as supportive of him as they were of Obama when he abused his powers.

On a side note, my senator, Durbin, is very subjective about when he cares about the rule of law and abuse of presidential power depending on who is president. That means he doesn't really care. When Durbin first ran, he was staunchly pro-life, but in order to move up the Democrat ranks, he became staunchly pro-abortion, including partial-birth abortion. He is obviously very flexible, depending on whatever it takes to move up the ladder in the Democratic Party. He should not be accused of having a core set of beliefs.
Well, it's a start...

Lucy Smith reports for the Townsville (Queensland), Australia Bulletin:

A RENOWNED climate scientist has been jailed for fraudulently claiming half a million dollars in reimbursements from his employer.

Over seven years, Australian Institute of Marine Science senior researcher Daniel Michael Alongi lodged 129 claims for fictitious purchases totalling $553,420.

When police caught up with him in 2015, he told them he had spent the money on rare and antique books.

One book, about Captain James Cook's journeys, cost $15,000.

Alongi, 60, pleaded guilty in Townsville District Court yesterday to defrauding the Federal Government agency.

Commonwealth prosecutor Chris Moore detailed Alongi's "carefully executed" offending, which saw him earn far more than his $4000 a fortnight salary.

"To support the claims he created or modified invoices, receipts and credit card statements, along with drafting fake analysis reports and email trails," he said.
White Christians now make up significantly less than one half  only 43%  of the U.S. population. Four decades ago, they represented 81% of the country's residents. These statistics pointing to the weakening of Christianity in American life are among the many contained in a new report released September 6 by PRRI  the Public Religion Research Institute, a polling organization in Washington, D.C. that describes itself as non-profit, independent, and non-partisan.

The 48-page report, "America's Changing Religious Identity," is based on "findings from PRRI's 2016 American Values Atlas, the single largest survey of American religious and denominational identity ever conducted." The first sentence of the report's executive summary highlights the findings: "The American religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation."



Sept. 6, 2017 PRRI report cover.

Among the report's main conclusions:

Today, only 43% of Americans identify as white and Christian, and only 30% as white and Protestant. In 1976, roughly eight in ten (81%) Americans identified as white and identified with a Christian denomination, and a majority (55%) were white Protestants. White evangelical Protestants are in decline  along with white mainline Protestants and white Catholics Fewer than one in five (17%) Americans are white evangelical Protestant, but they accounted for nearly one-quarter (23%) in 2006. Over the same period, white Catholics dropped five percentage points from 16% to 11%, as have white mainline Protestants, from 18% to 13%. Muslims, Hindus, and Buddhists are all far younger than white Christian groups. At least one-third of Muslims (42%), Hindus (36%), and Buddhists (35%) are under the age of 30. Roughly one-third (34%) of religiously unaffiliated Americans are also under 30. In contrast, white Christian groups are aging. Slightly more than one in ten white Catholics (11%), white evangelical Protestants (11%), and white mainline Protestants (14%) are under 30. Approximately six in ten white evangelical Protestants (62%), white Catholics (62%), and white mainline Protestants (59%) are at least 50 years old. Nearly half (46%) of Americans who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, or transgender (LGBT) are religiously unaffiliated. White Christians have become a minority in the Democratic Party. Fewer than one in three (29%) Democrats today are white Christian, compared to half (50%) one decade earlier. Only 14% of young Democrats (age 18 to 29) identify as white Christian.

The entire report is a fascinating read, replete with charts, graphs, and maps that illustrate the avalanche of data. It made quite a splash in the mainstream media, most of which appeared to celebrate PRRI's findings that confirm the diminished role of the Christian religion  particularly the prevalence of white Christians  in American life. A Washington Post article about the study on September 6, for example, was headlined "In D.C., white evangelicals are literally the 1 percent."

Nationally, according to the PRRI poll of more than 101,000 Americans, white evangelicals make up 17 percent of the population, compared with 7 percent in the D.C. region and just 1 percent in the nation's capital[.] ... Unaffiliated Americans  people who say they have no particular religious affiliation  make up 24 percent of Americans overall, compared with 28 percent in the D.C. area and 32 percent in the District.

The Post article quoted Terry Lynch, "the longtime head of the Downtown Cluster of Congregations, which tries to pull together the city's faith groups for social activism."

We're [residents of the Washington, D.C. area] the way the rest of the country will be looking in the future, to some extent. We're on the cutting edge in terms of diversity.

The age of survey respondents influenced their self-identification in terms of religion. As an example, for Americans identifying themselves as Jewish (1.5% according to the study), "the survey included a question to identify those who had a cultural rather than a religious connection to their Jewish identity. An additional 0.8% of Americans identify as culturally but not religiously Jewish."

The issue of Jewish cultural identity has become increasingly important as younger Jews are more likely to have a cultural affinity. Among Jews under the age of 30, fewer than half (47%) identify as religiously Jewish, while a majority (53%) identify as culturally Jewish. In sharp contrast, more than three-quarters (78%) of Jewish seniors (age 65 or older) are religiously Jewish, while 22% identify as culturally Jewish.

The report addresses political issues associated with religion and explores what it terms the "widening religious gap between Republicans and Democrats, 2006 vs. 2016."

Today, roughly three-quarters (73%) of the Republican Party is white Christian, but fewer than one-third (29%) of the Democratic Party identifies this way. The Democratic coalition is also shedding white Christian members, who are fast becoming a minor constituency within the party. . . white Christians make up only 14% of young Democrats.

In terms of the non-religious, "[a] whopping 40% of young Democrats are religiously unaffiliated."

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.
On Tuesday, President Trump made a thoughtful decision about DACA.

He could have let DACA die in the courts, especially if it went back to a Supreme Court with Justice Neil Gorsuch. We recall a 4-4 decision that kept the lower rulings intact.

He could have rescinded it and gone to play golf.

Or he could have rescinded it but kept open a window for Congress to visit the "DREAMers" story.

He chose the third option, and the left has gone "loco," or crazy in Spanish.

President Trump's critics have to be living in a fantasy over DACA.

As David Harsanyi wrote:

The Constitution makes no allowance for the president to write law "if Congress doesn't act."

Furthermore:

The reaction to DACA exposes much of the disingenuousness of the post-election "norms" crowd. How could those who took part in the national hissy fit over the "unconstitutional" short-term executive restriction on immigration from terrorist-ridden nations now act as if DACA is a proper way to govern? I mean, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has threaten[ed] to sue the president for rolling back the executive actions of another president, which were enacted ostensibly on the idea of prosecutorial discretion. Sue over what  following the law as written? By the way, DACA has already been through courts, and as with most of Obama's assault on process, it fared rather poorly. Now that Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton and others are threatening to sue, and the Supreme Court is back to nine justices, DACA would almost certainly lose there, as well. As it should.

See why I think the "D" in DACA has to stand for "derangement"?

President Trump sent the issue to Congress. I am hoping a congressional majority can write a law that legalizes some, not all, of these people based on some parameters. For example, we can look at education, behavior, and other character issues that warrant legalization.

My hope is that the Democrats do not engage in the kind of in-your-face "everybody's a racist" protests we saw in Texas over the sanctuary law. It will not help the DREAMers if people support them with Mexican flags or other irrational behavior. In fact, such behavior will make it easier for many Republicans to walk away from DACA.

Last, but not least, it was President Obama's lawlessness, not President Trump's decision, that put these youngsters in this situation.

Get angry with President Obama, for he's the one who gave you a check without funds.

P.S. You can listen to my show (Canto Talk) and follow me on Twitter.
With the White House facing deadlines for raising the debt limit and funding the government by the end of the month, Donald Trump surprised and angered Republicans by cutting a deal with the Democratic leadership on the Hill that would extend the debt ceiling and fund government operations through December 15.

Trump also attached a sweetener: aid to Texas for hurricane Harvey relief that few politicians are likely to vote against.

Politico:

Not 24 hours later, the president cut a deal with Democrats on a short-term debt ceiling increase opposed by McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. Just Wednesday morning, in fact, Ryan had scoffed at the Democratic offer that Trump accepted minutes later. In the aftermath, Republicans seethed privately and distanced themselves publicly from the deal. They were left to hope that Trump's collaboration with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was a temporary dalliance, and not the new MO for the president. "Obviously, it would have been better not to make us vote repeatedly on the debt ceiling. But I wasn't surprised," sighed Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.). "I think Mitch would rather have done it differently, but it's not worth having a big old fight over." "A three-month debt ceiling? Why not do a daily debt ceiling?" cracked Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho). "He's the best deal-maker ever. Don't you know? I mean, he's got a book out!" Trump's deal with Democrats doesn't appear to help Republicans at all. While it averts a fall government shutdown and a default on the nation's debt until at least December, it also emboldens Democrats to push for immigration changes or spending priorities without giving an inch to the right. Congress will likely have to strike a major bipartisan fiscal deal in December to raise the debt ceiling long term and keep the government open for the remainder of fiscal 2018. And Republican lawmakers on both sides of the Capitol complained Wednesday that Trump probably just undercut leadership in those future negotiations, making it even harder for them to secure legislative wins.

Trump's about-face and embrace of the Democrats is a matter of practical politics. Republicans were all set to play legislative games with the debt ceiling and government funding. To do that, they needed a separate funding measure for Harvey relief.

But with FEMA running out of money and Hurricane Irma bearing down on Florida, Trump must have realized that by temporarily getting the government funding and debt limit issues out of the way, the vital business of relief and recovery for the millions of citizens who have been and will be affected by these devastating storms can be addressed.

Republicans are making much more of Trump's dancing with the Dems.

"It's just a betrayal of everything we've been talking about for years as Republicans," said former Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), who headed the Heritage Foundation and is still an influential conservative leader. "What the president's going to find is  if they bet on Democratic votes they better plan on [giving up] a lot more than they think they're going to." Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, the Republican Study Committee Chairman, said he was "taken aback" by the deal and seemed blindsided by the president's decision. "It's unsettling," Walker said. "It's hard for the conference; I can only imagine what it is for leadership."

Trump's alliance with the Democrats is temporary. But his problems with Republicans in Congress are long-term. There is misunderstanding on both sides, even though there is general agreement about Trump's agenda.

This seems far more a personality conflict than a clash of ideologies. Trump sees McConnell and Ryan as weak and ineffective, as well as being part of the swamp that Trump has promised to drain. It remains to be seen whether there is any desire for the president or congressional leadership to work together.

Behind this effort to solve the debt ceiling and funding problems is the presence of John Kelly. How much influence did he exert on the president to get him to make this surprisingly practical political move? Republicans, who had already been grumbling about Kelly's influence, probably believe the worst.
 

 :      

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The Valley, Anguilla (September 7, 2017)  Statement by Government of Anguilla: Anguilla has begun the response and recovery effort for the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, an island wide process coordinated by the National Emergency Operations Centre. A complete assessment is still underway, overseen jointly by His Excellency, Governor Tim Foy, and the Chief Minister, The Hon Victor Banks.

The latest assessment reports indicate that critical infrastructure, such as the hospital, airport, fire station, police station, government buildings and utilities received moderate to severe damage. Repair and road clearance crews are working diligently in efforts to restore conditions to pre-Irma status, and as the clean-up begins the full extent of the damage is being revealed. There was one confirmed fatality and the Government and people of Anguilla extend their deepest condolences to the family.

The British Government has deployed three humanitarian aid experts from the UK to assist with needs assessments and coordination, in addition to FCO and DFID staff that are already in the region. The British naval ship Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay has arrived on island, with 40 Royal Marines and Army Engineers on board. The ship carries a range of equipment to support humanitarian responses including vehicles, tents and facilities to purify water.

Anguillians are a resilient people, particularly in the face of adversity, said the Hon. Victor Banks, Chief Minister. We are one family, and the government is committed to securing the resources necessary to ensure that we rebuild and recover in short order from this misfortune. We intend to be open for business before the Christmas season.
(ANSA) - Rome, September 7 - An autopsy will be performed later today on a four-year-old Italian girl who died of malaria in a northern Italian hospital earlier this week. It is already known that the girl had the same parasite as two Burkina Faso girls who had returned from their home country.

The girl may very well have contracted the illness in the northern Italian hospital where the African family were successfully treated.

If the strain of malaria that killed the Italian girl was the same as one that hit four members of a Burkina Faso family who recovered, then the fatal infection "must" have taken place in a Trento hospital, the vice-president of the Italian society for infectious and tropical diseases, Massimo Galli, said on Wednesday.

The mother and teen brother of two malaria-recovered Burkina Faso girls aged 4 and 11 have also been successfully treated for malaria and discharged from a hospital in Trento where 4-year-old Sofia Zago probably contracted the disease and later died of it in Brescia, Trento hospital paediatrics chief Nunzia Di Palma said.

The parasite that gave fatal malaria to Zago was the same as the one that infected the two children who had returned from Burkina Faso and were in the same hospital as her in Trento, Di Palma said.

A Trento probe into Zago's death is looking into possible culpable homicide by persons as yet unidentified, sources said Wednesday. Zago died in hospital in Brescia on Monday but she had previously been in hospital in Portogruaro near Venice and then in Trento in relation to diabetes.

In Trento, there were the two other children with malaria who were receiving treatment after their return form Africa.

The girl reportedly returned to the hospital in Trento a second time, when she was diagnosed with pharyngitis and then with malaria. The investigation will look at how the disease was contracted - by a contaminated medical instrument or through a mosquito bite - and whether the correct protocols were followed, the sources said.

The girl, the daughter of an Italian couple resident in Trento, had reportedly never been to a country where malaria is a problem.

Prosecutors have asked to receive Zago's medical records from Portogruaro hospital.

Several human rights organizations are assessing possible legal action against two Italian newspapers that ran front-page headlines on Wednesday accusing migrants of bringing disease to Italy.

Social networks are awash in criticism of Libero and Il Tempo, right-wing and conservative newspapers that used their front pages to accuse migrants of Zago's death.

Libero's front-page headline translates as "After Poverty, Now They Are Bringing Disease" and another article within it was entitled "Immigrants Suffering from Deadly Diseases Spread Infection...".

The Il Tempo headline translates as "Here is the Migrant's Disease". The Articolo 21, A Mano Disarmata, Progetto Diritto, Rete Nobavaglio rights groups and the Italian branch of Amnesty International have asked their legal teams to look into possibly reporting the publications to the judiciary for violation of a 1993 law that prohibits gestures, actions and slogans linked to neo-Fascism that intend to incite violence and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or nationality, as well as Article 658 of the Criminal Code on spreading alarm among the public. The abovementioned "headlines and summaries take their cue from a hypothesis that has not been proven in any way," the associations noted, "and cannot be considered 'opinions', since they report events that never happened as if they were fact. As citizens even before professionals in the field of information, we are for freedom of expression as protected by Article 21 of our constitution." "However, we are also compliance with the law," they added, "and above all we are for the free information that protects the main asset of democracy: the truth. We ask all citizens, associations and political parties to join us in this fight for civilization." Much lively discussion has been seen on Facebook on the issue, with many disputing the theory of how the disease was transmitted.

"I am against censorship and denunciations. My freedom is theirs," TgLa7 director Enrico Mentana said. "But this morning's headlines in Libero and Il Tempo are very far from the truth and incite readers to ugly thoughts".


(ANSA) - Rome, September 7 - An autopsy will be performed later today on a four-year-old Italian girl who died of malaria in a northern Italian hospital earlier this week.

The head of the health ministry's task force on the case, Raniero Guerra, said the girl may have been infected before she went to hospital, at a campsite at Bibione near Venice. It is already known that the girl had the same parasite as two Burkina Faso girls who had returned from their home country.

The girl may also have contracted the illness in the northern Italian hospital where the African family were successfully treated.

If the strain of malaria that killed the Italian girl was the same as one that hit four members of a Burkina Faso family who recovered, then the fatal infection "must" have taken place in a Trento hospital, the vice-president of the Italian society for infectious and tropical diseases, Massimo Galli, said on Wednesday.

The mother and teen brother of two malaria-recovered Burkina Faso girls aged 4 and 11 have also been successfully treated for malaria and discharged from a hospital in Trento where 4-year-old Sofia Zago probably contracted the disease and later died of it in Brescia, Trento hospital paediatrics chief Nunzia Di Palma said.

The parasite that gave fatal malaria to Zago was the same as the one that infected the two children who had returned from Burkina Faso and were in the same hospital as her in Trento, Di Palma said.

A Trento probe into Zago's death is looking into possible culpable homicide by persons as yet unidentified, sources said Wednesday. Zago died in hospital in Brescia on Monday but she had previously been in hospital in Portogruaro near Venice and then in Trento in relation to diabetes.

On Thursday medical authorities in Portogruaro said Zago had not presented any symptoms of malaria during her time there.

In Trento, there were the two other children with malaria who were receiving treatment after their return from Africa.

The girl reportedly returned to the hospital in Trento a second time, when she was diagnosed with pharyngitis and then with malaria. The investigation will look at how the disease was contracted - by a contaminated medical instrument or through a mosquito bite - and whether the correct protocols were followed, the sources said.

The girl, the daughter of an Italian couple resident in Trento, had reportedly never been to a country where malaria is a problem.

Prosecutors have asked to receive Zago's medical records from Portogruaro hospital.

Several human rights organizations are assessing possible legal action against two Italian newspapers that ran front-page headlines on Wednesday accusing migrants of bringing disease to Italy.

Social networks are awash in criticism of Libero and Il Tempo, right-wing and conservative newspapers that used their front pages to accuse migrants of Zago's death.

Libero's front-page headline translates as "After Poverty, Now They Are Bringing Disease" and another article within it was entitled "Immigrants Suffering from Deadly Diseases Spread Infection...".

The Il Tempo headline translates as "Here is the Migrant's Disease". The Articolo 21, A Mano Disarmata, Progetto Diritto, Rete Nobavaglio rights groups and the Italian branch of Amnesty International have asked their legal teams to look into possibly reporting the publications to the judiciary for violation of a 1993 law that prohibits gestures, actions and slogans linked to neo-Fascism that intend to incite violence and discrimination on the basis of race, ethnicity, religion or nationality, as well as Article 658 of the Criminal Code on spreading alarm among the public. The abovementioned "headlines and summaries take their cue from a hypothesis that has not been proven in any way," the associations noted, "and cannot be considered 'opinions', since they report events that never happened as if they were fact. As citizens even before professionals in the field of information, we are for freedom of expression as protected by Article 21 of our constitution." "However, we are also compliance with the law," they added, "and above all we are for the free information that protects the main asset of democracy: the truth. We ask all citizens, associations and political parties to join us in this fight for civilization." Much lively discussion has been seen on Facebook on the issue, with many disputing the theory of how the disease was transmitted.

"I am against censorship and denunciations. My freedom is theirs," TgLa7 director Enrico Mentana said. "But this morning's headlines in Libero and Il Tempo are very far from the truth and incite readers to ugly thoughts".


TUNIS - The Tunisian coast guard arrested 10 migrants in Cap Zbib (Biserta) on Tuesday as they were preparing to make the journey to Italy, the Tunisian interior ministry has said. The episode comes on the heels of the arrest of a further seven prospective irregular migrants off the coast of Sfax. Separately, on Wednesday the Tunisian authorities blocked 10 people aged 17-27 on the coast of Demna (Ras Jebel) as they were about to set said. The organiser was arrested and the boat confiscated, Tunisian news agency TAP reported.


Israel attacks military plant in Syria 2 soldiers killed, dangerous repercussions, Syrian army says

(ANSAmed) - ROME, SEPTEMBER 7 - Israel has carried out an air strike against a chemical weapons plant in Syria, Syrian and Lebanese media report.



The Syrian army has confirmed Wednesday night's attack, saying it was carried out against "a military plant near Masyaf" in the Hama region and that two soldiers were killed.



The army warned against the "dangerous repercussions of these hostile actions for security and stability in the region".



"The Israeli fighter planes fired several rockets from inside Lebanese airspace," it said.



The attack "follows the victories against ISIS and shows Israel's support for the terrorists". The Observatory for human rights in Syria reports that two military sites were attacked.



One was a scientific research centre and the other a neighbouring military base. (ANSAmed).




Tunisia arrests 10 migrants heading for Italy Other 10 blocked on the coast of Demna

(ANSAmed) - TUNIS, SEPTEMBER 7 - The Tunisian coast guard arrested 10 migrants in Cap Zbib (Biserta) on Tuesday as they were preparing to make the journey to Italy, the Tunisian interior ministry has said. The episode comes on the heels of the arrest of a further seven prospective irregular migrants off the coast of Sfax. Separately, on Wednesday the Tunisian authorities blocked 10 people aged 17-27 on the coast of Demna (Ras Jebel) as they were about to set said. The organiser was arrested and the boat confiscated, Tunisian news agency TAP reported. (ANSAmed).




MADRID - Spanish prime minister Mariano Rajoy announced Thursday that the government, meeting in a special session, had ordered the general attorney's office to submit an ''immediate appeal of unconstitutionality'' before the Constitutional Court against the calling of the October 1 referendum on Catalan independence. Rajoy called the law for the referendum - signed by the Catalan government and passed on Wednesday night by the Barcelona parliament - ''illegal''.



Spain's chief prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, has meanwhile announced that criminal charges will be brought against Catalan president Carles Puigdemont and the Catalan government.



The prosecutor's office said that it would be doing the same for all the members of the Catalan parliament who voted on the referendum law. Police have been ordered to investigate all actions ''for the holding of the illegal referendum''.
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The hit list is out. The Berkshire Museum, Pittsfield, MA, today identified all 40 works that it intends to sell through Sothebys to bankroll its $60-million reinvention plan.

Based on this report in the Berkshire Eagle, I had previously written that the museums Calder mobiles were not being sold. In fact, two landmark 1932 CaldersDancing Torpedo Shape and Double Arc and Sphereare headed for auction unless opposition derails them.

Other highlights leaving the building include Churchs Valley of the Santa Ysabel, 1875, and Bierstadts Connecticut River Valley, Claremont, New Hampshire, 1868:

The museum also plans to monetize its George Washington by Rembrandt Peale, notwithstanding its self-description as a history museum (one of its three focuses).

Deaccession opposition is mounting: The Eagle reported today that 22 artists, educators and arts professionals will send a letter to the museums board tomorrow (Tuesday) calling for it to rescind its deaccession decision. Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Rockwell Museum in nearby Stockbridge, weighed in last week in an Eagle op-ed that forcefully argued against the sales. Sale opponents have started a Facebook pageSAVE THE ART at the Berkshire Museum of Natural History AND Artto encourage the community to rally support for the art collection, invite the museum to pause its decision, and find a way to retain art as central to the mission of the museum.

Also likely to exert some pushback are the American Alliance of Museums and the Association of Art Museum Directors, which replied identically to my query last week about whether they intended to take any action regarding the museums defiance of their professional guidelines regarding the use of art-sale proceeds (as detailed in my previous post).

Both AAM and AAMD told me this:

Were in contact with the museums leadership to better understand their plans, before taking any further action.

This Eagle article suggests that money is needed for more than the vaunted reinvention. Carrie Saldo reports:

Over the past 10 years, the museums structural deficit, including depreciation, has averaged $1.15 million each year.

The museums attorney, Mark Gold, has argued that the sales are legal, notwithstanding their violation of professional guidelines: The board put its fiduciary duty ahead of these guidelines, which is frankly what [it] should do, Gold told Saldo.

Frankly, the fiduciary duty of the museums board and its administration is to raise funds and generate earned income sufficient to insure the preservation, study and display of the collection, not to exploit the art as a cash cow to compensate for their deficient leadership.
Could Williams College come to the rescue of the foundering Berkshire Museum and its endangered collection? The financially challenged Danforth Art Museum\School has shown how this might be done, with its directors announcement of a yet-to-be-finalized thoughtful and mutually beneficial merger agreement with Framingham State University (FSU). The Danforth solution is contingent on the Town of Framinghams allowing FSU to purchase the museums building. (The potential stumbling blocks are detailed in this Boston Globe article.)

Ive been pondering for a while whether a win-win collaboration could transform the Pittsfield pit stop into a well-functioning offshoot of the distinguished Williams College Museum of Art (WCMA) in Williamstown, MAabout a half-hours drive north. With the Danforth example as model, this notion doesnt seem too farfetched. That said, theres a difference in scale: Danforth owns some 3,500 American artworks, from the 19th century to the present; the Berkshire Museum has an eclectic collection of some 35,000-40,000 objects.

A merger of the Berkshire Museums and WCMAs collections under the oversight of Williams College, with its superior administrative know-how, could enhance exhibitions and education opportunities at both venues, while providing extra space for the colleges art-history students (many of whom go on to museum careers) to exercise their curatorial chops.

Importantly, this could prevent the deplorable dismantling of the Berkshire Museums collection, which is now being plannedthe disposal of 40 of its most important works through Sothebys, intended to bolster its finances and bankroll its reinvention, with the unintended effect of trashing its professional reputation.

Finding a non-sale solution has gained more urgency with the recent announcement (reported by Eileen Kinsella of artnet and JD Allen of public radio station WAMC) that Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey intends to scrutinize the Berkshire Museums controversial disposal plans. Its an eerie echo of the barely averted dismemberment of the Rose Art Museum at Brandeis University, Waltham, MA, which similarly caught the eye of then Attorney General Martha Coakley.

Once again, the AG will undoubtedly try to determine whether the sales would violate donor intent. That means examining the documents that formalized gifts or bequests of the works now targeted for disposala process that could take some time. A spokesperson for Healey would tell me only that her office is looking into whether the Berkshire Museums plans comply with charities law.

The museum clearly tried to anticipate and deflect this line of inquiry. In its July 24 press release that identified the 40 works it regarded as not essential, it stated: All of the deaccessioned works are unrestricted and unencumbered. Time (and Healey) will tell.

In the case of the Rose Art Museum, the endangered art collection was ultimately rescuednot by the intervention of the AG, but by the pressure brought to bear by three museum board members who had filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the museum from shutting down and/or selling its art. That delay gave the university a chance to shore up its finances (which had been hard hit by the Great Recession), after which a new university president struck an agreement with the litigious board members and reversed his predecessors deaccession decision.

Perhaps something similar to what happened in Waltham, MA, needs to happen in Pittsfielda change in leadership and a rededication to the principles of responsible stewardship of the collection. Although I have no knowledge that any legal challenges are in the works, members of Norman Rockwells family, as well as Laurie Norton Moffatt, director of the Norman Rockwell Museum, Stockbridge, have been vocal in opposition to the planned sale of two works that were donated to the Berkshire Museum by the artist himself. Whether they will seek standing to try to block those sales in court remains to be seen.

Blocking the sales wont solve the underlying problems that led the Berkshire Museum to concoct its misguided solution. A Berkshire Museum-Williams College alliance might. But as of now, its still a figment of my imagination: I have no idea whether both parties would be receptive to joining forces. The idea could gain traction, though, now that Danforth and FSU have arrived at an agreement (subject to as yet uncertain town approval) that mirrors the Berkshire deal I have envisioned.

These guidelines, as set forth in Danforths announcement, show how the collection could be protected:

In the merger agreement, the Permanent Collection is gifted to the FSU Foundation, protecting it from dissolution or sale, with numerous assurances that, should the relationship between the organizations fail for any of a myriad of reasons in the future, the Permanent Collection would be transferred in full, or to the greatest extent feasible, to a museum with a similar mission.

Danforth recently acquired the Maynard Building on the town green in Framingham, to which it is hoping to move.

Williams Colleges graduate program in art history, administered in collaboration with the Clark Art Institute, is renowned for preparing students for careers in the academy, museums, and associated fields, in the words of its website. Here are a few recent alumni who made good.

The museum always has an eclectic mix of engagingly installed, thought-provoking exhibitions:

Whats missing from WCMA at present is a permanent director: Effective yesterday, Lisa Dorin became WCMAs interim director and Sonnet Coggins became interim deputy director, following the departure of Christina Olsen to assume the directorship of the University of Michigan Museum of Art.

Under these unsettled circumstances, perhaps this is not an ideal time to undertake a bold new initiative. But theres no time to lose in saving the Berkshire Museum 40.




Scathing report exposes century-old, ongoing genocide by Canada, Great Britain and the Vatican; Calls for sanctions, arrests and war crimes trials

New York and Brussels 





A comprehensive report that details an historic and ongoing plan to exterminate indigenous people across Canada was released this morning to the United Nations and the European Union.





The report is entitled A Report on the Continuity of Genocidal Crimes in Canada: An Appeal to the People and Governments of the World. It was issued by the International Tribunal of Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS), a human rights coalition that has spearheaded the campaign for judicial action against the Vatican, the British Crown and their churches for genocide and child trafficking.





The ITCCS presented copies of its report today to UN and EU officials as well as to diplomatic representatives of twelve nations, including Russia, China and the United States. A special personal appeal is made in the report to Russian President Vladimir Putin.





Among its recommendations, the ITCCS report calls on the global community to enact economic and political sanctions against Canada, Great Britain and the Vatican, dispatch international peace keepers and forensic investigation teams to Canada, and aid in the prosecution of these regimes for crimes against humanity.





In addition, the report calls for citizens in Canada and all nations to commence their own community sanctions against these governments and their churches in accordance with the Nuremberg Principle that compels citizens to neither aid or nor cooperate with proven murderous regimes.





The ITCCS report documents meticulously the November, 1910 plan by Canadian church and state to exterminate non-Christian indigenous nations through special internment camps deceptively named Indian residential schools. It shows that at least 65,000 children died in these camps in less than a century because of deliberate policies of germ warfare, starvation and systemic violence.





The report also reveals that a continuity of crime continues to exist against Canadian aboriginal women and families through state-sponsored child trafficking and terror designed to secure indigenous lands for resource-hungry American and Chinese corporations.





(www.murderbydecree.com), the ITCCS report is the culmination of a grueling citizen-led truth campaign waged in the face of unending violence, intimidation, coverup and misinformation by the government and churches of Canada. Based on an exhaustive, twenty year investigation contained in a 400 page study known as Murder by Decree: The Crime of Genocide in Canadathe ITCCS report is the culmination of a grueling citizen-led truth campaign waged in the face of unending violence, intimidation, coverup and misinformation by the government and churches of Canada.





In the closing words of the report,









Those of us who have revealed and confronted these crimes within Canada have been assaulted, harassed, imprisoned and censored by every level of government, the police and the courts, and have been prevented from operating freely within our own country. Seven of our comrades have died from foul play at the hands of the police and others. We are therefore bringing this truth beyond Canadas borders for the sake of the army of innocents who have died and who will continue to die if justice is not done.





The ITCCS report will be followed by public forums and direct actions across North America and Europe throughout the fall, as well as the convening of a new common law court by jurists and ITCCS affiliates in Canada, Serbia, America and other nations.





The Report can be viewed online at www.itccs.org . A copy is appended to this news release. It is based on evidence contained in part at www.murderbydecree.com





For more information contact the ITCCS Central Office at itccsoffice@gmail.com or by leaving a message at 386-323-5774 (USA).





Issued 5 September, 2017 by the ITCCS Central Directorate









A Report on the Continuity of Genocidal Crimes in Canada: An Appeal to the People and Governments of the World





Issued by the Central Directorate of the International Tribunal of Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS) on September 5, 2017

With the endorsement of traditional Elders of the Anishinabe, Mohawk, Cree, Metis, Cowichan and Squamish indigenous nations across Canada

And by ITCCS affiliates in Canada, the United States, Ireland, England and Serbia





Issued to the United Nations and the European Union

and released globally on September 5, 2017





Published under the Common Cause Copyright Agreement

whereby this Report may be reproduced, copied, quoted or presented in whole or in part for any non-commercial purpose if its source and authors are cited

Based on evidence published at www.murderbydecree.com

The International Tribunal of Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS)

Preamble









This report is written with the blood of countless aboriginal children, and of those who have died to bring the truth of their fate to light. It is the culmination of a twenty year, citizen-led campaign to document, confront and prosecute the deliberate genocide of non-Christian aboriginal people in Canada by the Vatican, the British Crown, the government of Canada and the Roman Catholic, Anglican and United Church. The evidence in this report is based on the sworn testimony of 358 survivors of the murderous Indian residential schools where over 65,000 children died between 1889 and 1996; by exhaustive documentation found at www.murderbydecree.com ; and by the testimonies of eyewitnesses to ongoing crimes against humanity in Canada.





It is something more than a miracle that this report has survived the many years of official lies, misinformation, violence and intimidation waged by these churches and governments against their surviving victims and a handful of truth-seeking Canadians. Despite the enormous and unrelenting campaign of state terror waged against him since 1995, the former United Church clergyman Kevin Annett has been the mainstay and inspiration of this movement, at the cost of his family, his livelihood and his safety. If not for Kevins unflagging devotion and courage, and his heroic persistence against every imaginable odd, this report, as well as the limited compensation and acknowledgment offered by the Canadian government to Indian residential school survivors, would never have come about.





We must also acknowledge the seven aboriginal members of the ITCCS who have died at the hands of the police and others in the course of publicly surfacing this enormous crime and confronting the churches responsible: Chief Louis Daniels, Edna Philips, Harriett Nahanee, Harry Wilson, Johnny Bingo Dawson, William Combes and Ricky Lavallee. Their memory and witness, along with the lives of 65,000 children and those who continue to disappear and fall, will always be honored.





Lest We Forget

Six Martyrs of the campaign to expose and prosecute

Genocide in Canada:

Harriett Nahanee

William Combes

Johnny Bingo Dawson

Ricky Lavallee

Harry Wilson

Chief Louis Daniels

Posted by the International Tribunal of Crimes of Church and State (ITCCS)

MURDERED

These six aboriginal activists were all survivors of the murderous, church-run Indian residential schools and active members of the campaign to expose and prosecute these crimes by the Catholic, Anglican and United Church of Canada.





They were all organizers with the Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD), a forerunner to the ITCCS, and led or participated in protests and non-violent occupations of these churches.

They were all eyewitnesses to killings or burials of children at Indian residential schools.





All of them died of foul play at the hands of the Vancouver police, hospital staff, church agents or other unknown parties.









Harriett Nahanee, died of induced pneumonia in Surrey Remand prison, February 24, 2007; Genocide survivor. First eyewitness to a residential school murder to go public; Co-founder with Kevin Annett of the Friends and Relatives of the Disappeared (FRD), Vancouver; led occupations of the Catholic, Anglican and United churches shortly before her death.

William Combes, died of lethal injection, St. Pauls Catholic hospital, Vancouver, February 26, 2011; Genocide survivor. Eyewitness of killings and of the abduction of ten aboriginal children by Elizabeth Windsor on October 10, 1964 at the Kamloops Catholic residential school; public leader of the FRD and church occupations; died shortly before giving public testimony about the 1964 abductions.

Johnny Bingo Dawson, died of police beating, Vancouver, December 9, 2009. Genocide survivor. Eyewitness to killings and rapes at Anglican Alert Bay residential school. Prominent leader of FRD and Vancouver church occupations. Threatened with death by United Church minister Gary Paterson and a Vancouver police sergeant less than two weeks before he was killed.

Ricky Lavallee, eyewitness to killings at Catholic residential schools in Manitoba. Eyewitness to the fatal beating of Johnny Bingo Dawson. Died of blows to the head and chest, February 2, 2012. Genocide survivor and FRD member, participant in Vancouver church occupations.

Chief Louis Daniels, died suddenly of unknown causes in Victoria General Hospital, May 16, 2010 . Genocide survivor. Public opponent of state-funded, drug dealing native politicians in Manitoba. Eyewitness to mass killings at United Church and Catholic residential schools. Co-founder of FRD.

The Report

A master plan by

the Vatican and the Crown of England, acting through the government and churches of Canada,

to exterminate domestic indigenous nations has been in operation since November 25,

1910.

(1) This plan was set in motion and maintained by the Crown of England and its Privy Council Office and the Roman Catholic, Anglican and United Church of Canada, along with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), the judiciary and private corporations. As a plan of deliberate church-sponsored genocide it has been modeled on and tied to similar Crimes by the Vatican against non-Catholic peoples across the world.

This Canadian plan consisted of a state and church funded program of systemic inter-generational genocide based initially within the so-called Indian residential school system, modeled on a Jesuit program and established with state approval and by Order in Council on July 1, 1920. (2) That system killed more than half of the children incarcerated within it until it formally ended in 1996, or more than 65,000 children. (3) It also served as the launching pad for a general campaign of extermination of the non-assimilated aboriginal tribes; a campaign that continues to the present time. This genocide has accounted for the massive de-population of more than 95% of the original native nations, predominantly on Canadas west coast: a killing-off of between one and two million people since 1850.

While the general aim of this genocide was the elimination of all non-Christian native peoples, its associated purpose was the extirpation of traditional indigenous kinship networks and the matriarchal clan mother system of authority that ensured indigenous control of lands and resources. This was achieved by wiping out the native family system and specifically, traditional women and their children. That traditional system was in fact effectively destroyed by the Indian residential schools between 1889 and 1996 along with the majority of indigenous languages and traditional land bases.

Despite the phasing out of Indian residential schools after 1972, this genocidal plan intensified at the hands of different branches of the Canadian government and agencies like Catholic-run adoption and foster care agencies. Every level of government and church in Canada has continued the active destruction of indigenous families and their culture, including child welfare and family court systems and the state-funded aboriginal band councils themselves. The  chiefs  of these councils have played a key role in eradicating any lingering indigenous identity or authority and control over traditional lands and resources. They also routinely engage in the terrorizing and exploiting of their own people, including through the trafficking and sale of tribal children. These chiefs are doing these crimes at the behest and in the payment of the Canadian government and resource-extractive multinational corporations from America, Japan and China.

The expulsion of all remaining traditional native tribes from their west coast lands assumed greater urgency as the twentieth century closed and the world demand for hydro-electricity, timber, minerals and other British Columbia (B.C.) resources intensified. Consequently, the period since 1990 has witnessed a rapid escalation of violence against Indians and a return to the brutal methods of the early colonial period. By the 1990s, large numbers of aboriginal families in northern B.C. began disappearing at the hands of death squads manned by off-duty RCMP officers and local policemen, as well as third party contractors hired by the federal government, its aboriginal front men and foreign corporations. (4)

By 1995, when the incipient ITCCS campaign to expose residential school crimes began making headlines in the Canadian media, stories of these disappearances of native families were also proliferating. Together, these exposures provoked a public misinformation campaign by the RCMP designed to conceal the extent and the nature of the disappearances. This misinformation was only partly successful, and prompted the government of Canada to take firmer measures to erase any public awareness of the ongoing genocide of native families. It did so by means of a secret government Cabinet Directive dated April 3, 1998. (5)

This Directive by the Liberal government of Prime Minister Jean Chretien was launched barely one week before the opening of the first independent inquiry into residential school crimes in Canada: the United Nations- affiliated IHRAAM Tribunal held in Vancouver. (6) The Directive consisted of an official plan of state terror that was aimed at aboriginal activists, residential school survivors and the public campaign led by the future ITCCS North American Field Secretary Kevin Annett, who organized the IHRAAM Tribunal. The Chretien terror plan authorized the use of  black ops  methods of illegal monitoring, smears, disruptions and violence against Annett and these targeted groups, including the elimination of individuals who held knowledge or evidence of genocidal acts by Canadian church and state employees. This Cabinet Directive was never revoked, and has caused the death of at least seven native activists who have been assassinated by RCMP operatives since 1998, including members of the ITCCS network. (7)

The cabinet Directive in question was issued for implementation by the federal government to  E  Division of the RCMP in Vancouver in the first week of June, 1998, just prior to the convening of the IHRAAM Tribunal on June 12, 1998. In fact, the disruption of the IHRAAM Tribunal was the first and primary goal of this state terror campaign, according to statements made by RCMP  E  Division Inspector Peter Montague who led the disruption campaign. This disruption became especially active after the Tribunal gave a public airing to the first reports of organized murder and child trafficking among northern B.C. tribes by chiefs in the pay of the federal government. (8 ) Another target of this state terror plan were the Gustafson Lake natives in central B.C. who after defending the sacred burial lands of their people were subjected to a covertly-organized military assault and follow-up smear campaign by Montague and the RCMP during the same summer of 1998.

It is important to note that this Chretien



state terror



Directive of April 3, 1998 was aimed at anyone who threatened to expose the historic and ongoing genocide of native people. Between 2006 and 2012, seven key eyewitnesses and prominent indigenous activists of the ITCCS network in Vancouver and Winnipeg were murdered at the hands of this Directive: Harriett Nahanee, Johnny



Bingo



Dawson, Ricky Lavallee, Harry Wilson, William Combes, Edna Phillips and Chief Louis Daniels. In the process of its state terror campaign, the Chretien Directive disrupted and marginalized the movement to prosecute Canadian church and state for residential school crimes. But for many years it also concealed the killing or disappearance of aboriginal families across B.C. For example, after the June, 1998 Tribunal had been attacked and neutralized by RCMP operatives, the same agents



under the direction of RCMP Inspector Peter Montague



performed a similar destruction of the community effort to identify the growing numbers of missing native women across B.C. and in Vancouvers downtown east side.

This state-level attack on a genuine missing peoples inquiry was prompted by the fact that by this point, in early 1999, startling new evidence began to surface that tied the identity of some of the present-day killers of native people with men and women who worked in the Indian residential school system. In fact, our work has revealed that the present leadership of the Anglican, Roman Catholic and United Church of Canada is either directly implicated in residential school-era crimes or is actively protecting those who are; and that these same predators are still engaged in the systemic rape, trafficking and killing of children. It is therefore clear that a continuity of crime exists that spans decades and links the church-instigated residential school atrocities with the rape, torture and disappearance of present day natives, especially women and children. That is, the crime has never stopped and is being protected by the same unholy alliance of church, police and government. This no doubt explains that trios unrelenting hostility and sabotage efforts towards the ITCCS campaign and its chief public spokesman and symbol in North America, Kevin Annett.

Our continuing investigations reveal that many of the men and women who trafficked, tortured and killed children in the Indian residential schools and who are still preying on aboriginal women and children are also members or affiliates of the elite Vancouver Club at 915 West Hastings street. Their odious ranks include three Supreme Court judges, a battery of lawyers, church officials and corporate officers, a former Prime Minister, a Catholic Archbishop and senior members of the RCMP and the Canadian military. Virtually all of these individuals are practicing members of the Anglican, Catholic or United Church that ran the residential school death camps. Many of these men have also been identified by a former Canadian Security Intelligence Service (CSIS) operative as participants in the murderous



Piggys Palace



torture and snuff-film ring, including two politicians who now serve in the Canadian Senate: former Vancouver Mayor Larry Campbell and aboriginal puppet leader Patrick Brazeau. (9)

The general purpose and consequence of the Chretien state terror directive has been to protect these men and camouflage their links to the residential school era and present day corporate power brokers. But what cannot be concealed is the clear and direct connection between the highest levels of governmental, police, corporate, church and judicial power in Canada and these deliberate genocidal crimes, as well as their ties to similar crimes in other countries. There is, for example, a clear and direct link between the Thailand and China-based organ and human trafficking industry and the disappearance of aboriginal women in B.C. (10)

By 2007, once these connections had been firmly proven by our campaign and by the growing testimonies of many aboriginal eyewitnesses, the Conservative government of Stephen Harper relied on the still-operative Chretien Plan to put a final end to these exposures by placing a definitive  spin and containment  over the whole issue of past and present Genocide in Canada. It did so through its own controlled, in-house committee: an elaborate deception and obstruction of justice misnamed the  Truth and Reconciliation Commission  (TRC).

The TRC was modeled on a standard black-ops misdirection campaign to create a false narrative on a crime by burying evidence, silencing witnesses, discrediting truth tellers and exonerating the guilty. In partnership with the three churches responsible for the residential schools genocide and with the active compliance of the world media, the United Nations and every level of judicial and political power in Canada, the TRC buried the truth and the evidence of that genocide with remarkable ease and success. It did so in order to mask the continuance of that crime, especially among west coast native nations. (11) Accordingly, the TRC was followed closely by a second cover-up effort by the present Liberal government of Canada known as the  National Missing Women Inquiry  .

It is clear that this latest stage-managed I nquiry is a further enactment of the Chretien Plan to eliminate all witnesses and evidence to Canadas F inal Solution  of its indigenous population that began in 1910. The so-called M issing Women Inquiry is operating through the very police agencies, including the RCMP, that are responsible for the killing of targeted native women and their families and that have concealed these crimes for many years.

16. Like the TRC, the Missing Women Inquiry operates through hand-picked government loyalists who lack any judicial power or mandate to bring charges against the guilty or conduct any genuine investigation. The pseudo Inquiry is actually halting genuine efforts to reveal the crimes and who is responsible for them, and is silencing eyewitnesses who dispute the o fficial accounts of the disappearances. As a controlled stage show run by the very powers responsible for making native women go missing, the Inquiry is moribund, having released no report of any of its supposed findings in the over two years of its shadowy existence. We believe this is to ensure that the final destruction of indigenous peoples and their land base will proceed with maximum profit to the corporate and governmental interests behind that destruction.



17. As proof of this is the burial and obfuscation by the Inquiry of a key fact: namely, that the west coast disappearances are the result of specific racial and political targeting and are not random killings. This point was established by our own investigations as early as the spring of 2003. (12) That is, the vast majority of missing aboriginal women are from matrilineal clan led families that traditionally controlled the resources and land bases of the different Indian nations.

In short, their killing was in fact the deliberate political assassination of the remaining traditional leaders of west coast tribes whose resistance stands in the way of resource-hungry corporations.

In that sense, these latest murders are simply the continuation of Canadas long tradition of overt extermination when it comes to indigenous people and their leaders.

18.

These crimes have a darker aspect, involving Satanic ritualism that the IHRAAM Tribunal documented in June, 1998 during its inquiry into the Indian residential schools. The so-called



Ninth Circle



, a Catholic sacrificial cult formed in the 17

th

century by the Jesuits and still in operation under the directives of the highest level of the Vatican, functioned in the Canadian residential schools from their inception. (13) The routine trafficking, torture and murder of children was practiced in the Anglican, Catholic and United Church Indian schools and implicates senior members of the government and the British royal family and these churches. (14)

The same Ninth Circle continues to kill with impunity today including on west coast native lands heavily endowed with valuable resources.

It is evident that the same forces traditionally behind the theft of aboriginal lives and lands continue to ritually kill and traffic native children.

traditional

indigenous people within its borders. It is doing so according to its foundational genocidal program of 1910 and the 1998 Chretien black-ops Directive, and with the active collusion and in the interest of mostly Chinese and American resource corporations.

20. As a state-led campaign, this culmination of the Canadian genocide has judicial sanction, as is evident in not only the refusal of any  Crown  court to prosecute any person or agency for genocidal acts, but by the active victimization by the same courts of anyone who exposes these crimes. In short, there is no avenue for relief or justice for survivors of this genocide within Canada or in the agencies of the United Nations, which have turned their back on the reality of this ongoing crime by Christian and Corporate Canada. (15)

21. Accordingly, it falls on the global community to stand upon international law and bring political and economic sanctions against Canada, the Crown of England, the Vatican and their church and corporate associates for their proven Crimes against Humanity. Canada and these powers are rogue bodies whose actions threaten not only the innocent but the sovereignty and peace of all nations. This threat is evident in the continued standing policy known as Crimen Sollicitationas within the Roman Catholic church, that subverts child protection laws and the power of sovereign governments by requiring that every Catholic in the world protect in-house child abusers and conceal child abuse and trafficking from the police. The Anglican / Church of England is governed by the same policy, as will any non-Catholic church that reunifies with the Roman Papacy according to the one world church plan of the convicted war criminal Jorge Bergoglio, aka Pope Francis. (16) S ince its enactment in 1929, Crimen Sollicitationas has encouraged and caused the systematic murder of children in Canada, America, Ireland, Croatia, across Europe and around the world to continue unchecked. As long as such institutionalized criminality against children is allowed to legally operate, no country can claim to be protecting its own citizenry or its own lawful sovereignty.



There is a clear moral and legal obligation of sovereign nations to restrain and punish proven criminal regimes like Canada, the British Crown and the Vatican. We therefore call upon nations to do so, using their full police, military and legal machinery. We are especially directing this call to President Vladimir Putin, his government and the people of Russia, and all countries outside the western bloc.

23. Specifically, our ITCCS Directorate and the ITCCS affiliates in seven countries ask that these governments undertake the following actions:

Commence comprehensive economic and political sanctions against Canada, England and the Vatican as convicted genocidal regimes, including by seeking their formal censure and expulsion from the General Assembly of the United Nations, and by imposing a trade and tourism embargo on these powers

Dispatch Peace Keeping forces to Canada to protect aboriginal eyewitnesses, targeted families and ITCCS activists who are confronting these crimes, and to arrest convicted and suspected war criminals in Canada

Dispatch professionally trained forensic teams to assist us in the uncovering and analysis of crime scenes and mass graves at the site of former Indian residential schools and Indian hospitals across Canada

Convene domestic and international courts of justice to indict and prosecute those individuals and corporate institutions responsible for these and other Crimes against Humanity

We also call upon the citizens of the world and of Canada to commence their own direct community sanctions against these governments and their churches in accordance with the Nuremberg Principle that compels citizens to neither fund nor cooperate with proven murderous regimes or organizations. These sanctions include denying taxes and any funds to these governments and to the Roman Catholic, Anglican and United Church of Canada; performing citizens arrests against known or suspected child-raping clergy and their accomplices; and peacefully seizing the property and wealth of these churches as convicted transnational criminal organizations.

In the weeks ahead, our delegation will be bringing this appeal and our evidence to the people, governments, educators, jurists and media of the world. Those of us who have revealed and confronted these crimes within Canada have been assaulted, harassed, imprisoned and censored by every level of government, the police, and the courts, and have been prevented from operating freely within our own country. Seven of our comrades have died from foul play at the hands of the police and others. We are therefore bringing this truth beyond Canadas borders for the sake of the army of innocents who have died and who will continue to die if justice is not done.

Here we stand, we can do no other.

Issued September 5, 2017 by the ITCCS Central Directorate with the endorsement of elders of the Anishinabe, Mohawk, Cree, Metis, Cowichan and Squamish indigenous nations across Canada, and also by the ITCCS affiliates in Canada, USA, Ireland, England and Serbia

Notes

A contractual agreement dated November 25, 1910 between the government of Canada and the Roman Catholic, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist churches (the latter two were the predecessors to the United Church of Canada) established the jointly funded and administered Indian residential schools in which over half of the children died. ( http://itccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/communique-011.jpg .) A special Order in Council ratified on July 1, 1920 made it compulsory for every aboriginal child in Canada seven years or older to be incarcerated in the Indian residential school system. ( http://itccs.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/communique-004.jpg ) This approximate mortality figure is based on government and church statistics and is discussed and documented in detail on pp. 41 and following in Murder by Decree: The Crime of Genocide in Canada (Amazon, 2016). Found online at www.murderbydecree.com Some of the evidence of these death squads and their police involvement is found in the testimonies on this memo: http://itccs.org/2011/02/02/memorandum-on-the-organized-disappearance-torture-exploitation-and-murder-of-women-and-children-on-canada-s-west-coast-a-summary-from-eyewitnesses/ . See also Part 3 in www.murderbydecree.com . A copy of this Directive was issued in July 2016 to the ITCCS central office by an informant within the Canadian intelligence service. The Chretien Directive is described at http://itccs.org/2016/07/08/secret-black-ops-program-identified-by-canadian-government-source-2/ IHRAAM is The International Human Rights Association of American Minorities, a non-governmental organization at the United Nations. IHRAAM sponsored the Tribunal and its Director Dr. Yussuf Kly and field worker Rudy James were in attendance there along with fifteen aboriginal observers, from June 12-14, 1998 in Vancouver. See The Globe and Mail, June 20, 1998 & www.murderbydecree.com . These assassinations have claimed seven aboriginal activists with the ITCCS in Vancouver and Winnipeg, as well as native protestors across Canada. Especially targeted have been traditional west coast elders with knowledge of the spiritual and oral histories of their nations. These reports involved the naming of the top government-funded chief of the Carrier-Sekani Tribal Council, Ed John, as a drug and child trafficker and land speculator who was actively killing off his own people at the behest of Alcan and B.C. Hydro to secure their land. John was named as such by three former members of his Tribal Council, two of whom (Frank Martin and Helen Michel) gave their testimonies at the IHRAAM Tribunal into residential school crimes in Vancouver in June, 1998. ( www.murderbydecree.com ) Ed John has served as Canadas unofficial aboriginal representative at the United Nations and in other diplomatic capacities. The CSIS operative, Grant Wakefield, spoke in person to ITCCS Field Secretary Kevin Annett concerning these facts on two occasions, but was subsequently sued by the government into silence and blacklisted in the Canadian media. His statement is contained in part in Part Three of Murder by Decree: The Crime of Genocide in Canada. The names of the politicians, judges and other officials active in the snuff and trafficking ring are held by the ITCCS; they include former Prime Minister Paul Martin and Justices MacEachern, Esson and Grobberman of the British Columbia Supreme Court, as well as senior police officers involved in the Missing Women Inquiry, such as Constable Bruce Michelson of the Vancouver Police Department. See Part Three of Murder by Decree . Wendy Poole, for instance, was a prominent missing woman in Vancouver whose family had been heavily involved in public protests and road blockades to defend their traditional territories from logging and strip mining. Her uncle, Art Solomon, was a sovereign traditionalist very much at odds with the government and its puppet native chiefs. Murder by Decree: The Crime of Genocide in Canada details the TRC cover up and criminality, in Part One. ( www.murderbydecree.com ) This fact was established by RCMP Constable George Brown through his own independent Missing Persons Inquiry conducted in Vancouver from 2001-2003. Brown is quoted in the documentary film Unrepentant that is posted at www.murderbydecree.com and in Part Three of the same book. See not only Murder by Decree but Unrelenting: Between Sodom and Zion by Kevin Annett ( amazon.com ) for a discussion of the Ninth Circle cult. The testimony of two participants in Ninth Circle ceremonies in Europe, Toos Neijenhuis and Anne Marie van Blijenburgh, are found at these sites: http://itccs.org/2014/09/10/transcript-of-anne-marie-van-blijenburghs-testimony-about-child-murders-in-belgium/ and https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-peCsdhscSA&t=135s Ibid. See http://itccs.org/2016/04/01/expel-canada-united-kingdom-and-the-vatican-from-the-un-general-assembly-letter-of-demand-issued-to-secretary-general-ban-ki-moon/ and http://itccs.org/2016/05/02/united-nations-head-censured-as-itccs-activates-new-campaign-to-disestablish-criminal-powers/ In September, 2010 Elizabeth Windsor signed the Holyrood Agreement with Joseph Ratzinger aka Pope Benedict, laying out the terms for the reincorporation of the Church of England into the Church of Rome. One of these terms was the imposition of the conditions of Crimen Sollicitationas on all Anglican clergy, officials and members. See this site : http://itccs.org/2014/02/02/pope-francis-is-named-by-former-argentine-junta-insider-as-prime-mover-in-child-trafficking-network-francis-concealed-vatican-crown-of-england-holyrood-agreement/ . A complete copy of the Crimen policy is available at www.murderbydecree.com . Jorge Bergoglio was found guilty of committing crimes against humanity, specifically the trafficking and death of children in Argentina during the 1980s and in Belgium and Holland between 1998 and 2009, by the International Common Law Court of Justice in July of 2014. ( For more background see http://itccs.org/2014/07/24/sheriffs-move-to-arrest-convicted-church-leaders-bergoglio-pachon-and-welby-vatican-crown-plan-counter-attack/ )





For the general catalogue of evidence and testimonies regarding past and present Genocide in Canada see

www.murderbydecree.com

. This evidence is also available in hardcover as

Murder by Decree: The Crime of Genocide in Canada: A Counter Report to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission

, obtainable throughamazon.com and

itccsoffice@gmail.com

. The recent history of this campaign is found at

www.itccs.org

(left), died of unknown causes, April 6, 2012. Genocide survivor. Eyewitness to mass burials and murder of children at United Church Alberni residential school. FRD member.1.9.11.12.19. Behind its mask of beneficence, as epitomized by its fresh-faced, spin doctoring Prime Minister Trudeau, Canada is a closed and repressive society that is actively exterminating the remaining
In the first and second parts of this three-part series on Singapores start-up ecosystem, we discussed how the city-state has emerged as a preferred base for international entrepreneurs and the opportunities it offered young overseas talent. In this concluding part, we look at the role of venture capital (VC) funds in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation in Singapore.

Venture capital in Singapore

VC funds will soon be regulated under a slimmer framework, as regulators seek to ease start-up firms access to funding. Indeed, the Monetary Authority of Singapore (MAS) published in February 2017 a consultation paper lining out its proposals for a simplified authorisation process and regulatory framework for these VC managers, which are now subject to the same rules as other fund managers. MAS hopes the simplified regime will attract more VC managers to Singapore and spur them to play a greater role in supporting entrepreneurship and innovation.

Provided below are brief descriptions of some of the main VCs in Singapore:

500 Startups

500 Startups calls itself a new kind of seed fund and start-up accelerator. It believes successful internet start-ups are born from usable design, customer-focused metrics, and online distribution.

Latest investments: DayDayCook, KFit, Fabelio

Crystal Horse Investments

Crystal Horse Investments was founded in Singapore and is mainly involved in angel investments. It prefers to support founders who are passionate about their business ideas, realistic, hardworking, looking for an edge, thinking out of the box, and are ethical in their dealings. It has a team of full-time dedicated professionals who gives advice and support, such as providing funding, expertise, and networking to founders.

Latest investments: ProperHands Pte Ltd, Capital Match

East Ventures

East Ventures aims to bring success to ventures by providing early stage seed capital to promising start-ups. With a total of six offices in Jakarta, Tokyo, and San Francisco, its global team has invested in over 150 companies across Asia and the US. Its portfolio of companies focuses on commerce, social, game, SaaS, and mobile services. East Ventures runs incubation offices in Jakarta and Tokyo.

Latest investments: AlgoMerchant, Ruangguru, Sociolla

EDBI

EDBI is the corporate investment arm of the Singapore governments Economic Development Board. It invests to shape the future industries of Singapore in the knowledge and innovation-intensive sectors of biomedical sciences, information and communication technology, and select industry clusters. It has over 25 years of investment experience, and through its portfolio of globally competitive companies with high-growth potential, it aims to promote the development, expansion, and transformation of successful industries to enhance economic growth and create employment opportunities in Singapore.

Latest investments: Coursera, CounterTack

Far East Ventures

Far East Ventures is the venture capital arm of property group Far East Organization.

Latest investments: Redmart

Golden Gate Ventures

Golden Gate Ventures focuses on companies building out consumer internet products and services for Southeast Asia. It prefers companies with a launched product or that have established valuable distribution partnerships in the region.

Latest investments: MyMusicTaste, Xfers, Aptoide

Innosight Ventures

Innosight Ventures leverages more than 20 years of applied research by innovation of thought leaders like Clayton Christensen and fieldwork by the Innosight Consulting Team. It has distilled that work into a set of proprietary tools that allow it to spot, shape, and scale successful start-up companies. Its usual investment quantum is up to half a million Singapore dollars in each company. It is also open to co-investing with other venture capital firms, when more capital is required. It has led investment rounds where companies have raised in the range of S$1 to 2 million.

Latest investments: Capital Match

Jungle Ventures

Jungle Ventures is a Singapore-based, entrepreneur-backed venture firm that funds and helps start-ups scale across Asia Pacific. It invests in global start-ups that are solving problems relevant to Asia Pacific markets. It has investments in US, Singapore, India, Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines. Current portfolio companies include micro-lending platform Milaap, mobile commerce app ShopSpot, and vacations rental site Travelmob which was acquired by Homeaway.

Latest investments: SnapBizz Cloudtech , Moglix, CatchThatBus

KK Fund

KK Fund is a venture capital fund investing in seed stage internet and mobile start-ups across South East Asia, Hong Kong and Taiwan.

Latest investments: Bfab

Majuven

Majuven is an early and growth stage venture capital fund founded by experienced business leaders in Singapore in 2012. One of its founding partners is Lee Hsien Yang, the brother of Singapores Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Latest investments: Paktor, Paraplou, Vela Asia

Pix Vine Capital

Pix Vine Capital is a Singapore-based investment house providing early-stage venture capital to start-ups in info-tech, med-tech and fintech.

Latest investments: ElastiMed

Qualgro Asean Fund

Qualgro Asean Fund is a venture capital fund investing in Southeast Asia and Asia Pacific. The fund invests in technology and digital businesses (marketplaces, web services, p2p platforms, C2C platforms), in SaaS-based business models, as well as in education and healthcare.

Latest investments: Mobikon, Wavecell

Rakuten Ventures

Rakuten Ventures is an early stage corporate venture capital fund focused on empowering the start-up ecosystem to positively affect Internet services globally. The fund was originally launched in 2013 and counts Carousell, Visenze, Coda Payments, and Send Anywhere among its investment portfolio. In June 2014, Rakuten Ventures launched a US$100 million global fund to target start-ups and companies in Israel, Asia Pacific, and the US, with a focus on companies that can enable better user experience. It is a subsidiary of Rakuten, a major Japanese ecommerce firm.

Latest investments: Send Anywhere

Singtel Innov8

Singtel Innov8, the venture capital arm of regional telco group Singtel, invests in and partners with tech startups worldwide. It has a fund size of US$250 million. Beyond funding, Singtel Innov8 lets startups tap on the resources and expertise of the Singtel Group, while enabling the Group to gain access to emerging technologies. Singtel Innov8 focuses its investments on technologies and solutions that can lead to quantum changes in network capabilities, next generation devices, digital services and enablers to enhance customer experience. Headquartered in Singapore, Singtel Innov8 also has offices in San Francisco and Tel Aviv.

Latest investments: ShopSpot, Teridion, DataTorrent

Sirius Venture Capital

Sirius a boutique venture capital and entrepreneurial finance firm, focused on small and medium-sized companies in Singapore and overseas. It was founded in September 2002.

Latest investments: Lalamove

Sequoia Capital

Sequoia is one of the top venture capital firms in the world. In Asia, Sequoia primarily invests in China and India start-ups at the growth stage and above.

Latest investments: KFit, Go-Jek

UOB Venture Management

UOB Venture Management Private Limited (UOBVM) is a wholly owned subsidiary of United Overseas Bank (UOB) Limited, an international banking and financial group.

Latest investments: Appier , Touchten Games

Public Involvement

Extensive government efforts to develop the eco-system have clearly made an impact. Singapores National Research Foundation (NRF) undertook a holistic study to identify weaknesses and gaps in the local entrepreneurial landscape and came out with programmes to foster the pioneering spirit in the city-state. Programmes such as the University Innovation Fund (UIF), Proof-of-concept (POC) grants, Early Stage Venture Capital (ESVF) and Technology Incubation Scheme (TIS) have helped to create a virtuous cycle of entrepreneurial activity over the years, complemented by various other initiatives from the Media Development Authority (MDA), Infocomm Development Authority (IDA) and SPRING Singapore.

SPRING Singapore

SPRING Singapore is an agency under the Singapore Ministry of Trade and Industry responsible for helping Singapore enterprises grow and build trust in Singapore products and services. As an enterprise development agency, SPRING works with partners to help enterprises in financing, capability and management development, technology and innovation, and access to markets. As the national standards and accreditation body, SPRING develops and promotes an internationally-recognised standards and quality assurance infrastructure. SPRING also oversees the safety of general consumer goods in Singapore.

TIS Programme

TIS Programme Data from the NRF showed that the roughly S$100 million allocated to investment schemes such as ESVF and TIS (as of March 2016) enabled supported start-ups to attract follow-on funding from private capital of almost S$400 million, giving an impressive leverage of four times the governments outlay. An important outcome of TIS is that by providing the generous investment leverage and thereby greatly reducing investment risk, the government succeeded in drawing out a sizeable number of experienced local business executives as well as investors from the region to participate in TIS and become part of the start-up community. These high net worth individuals play a vital role as angel investors and mentors in various start-up programmes, significantly enriching the entire ecosystem.

University Innovation Fund

Similarly, the University Innovation Fund provided universities with substantial financial resources to aggressively step up their entrepreneurship efforts on campus. National University of Singapore (NUS), Nanyang Technological University (NTU) and Singapore Management University (SMU) all saw a surge in start-up activity in the last few years. The NUS Overseas College (NOC) programme has sent thousands of students to intern in start-ups in Silicon Valley and other start-up hotspots, creating a large pool of NOC alumni that have dominated the local start-up scene in recent years. The student start-up grant provided under UIF has spawned many innovation projects in the universities, greatly expanding the funnel for new start-ups, which subsequently feed into the TIS and other seed funding programs.
Doklam was Chinas way of telling India that they might be building ties with the US but really should remember who they are.

Dr Aparna Pandes From Chanakya to Modi: The Evolution of Indias Foreign Policy is that rare book. It is written by someone outside government, unencumbered by policy fatigue or being too close to the powers that be.

In fact, in its refreshingly honest retelling of the dictum that Panditji knows best, a reference to Indias first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehrus almost omnipotent influence on the conduct of Indias foreign policy, she paints a startling picture of how despite frequent changes in government, post the Indira-era, Indias external relations have shown remarkable continuity and consistency to this day.

Her critique doesnt stop with Mr Nehru crafting the policy that his successors have followed and which she believes continues to remain overly idealistic, and has a strong moralistic undertone. Dr Pande, extends the metaphor right down to our present times in this book which examines how Indias world view has evolved over the years, while laying out the institutions, ideas and attitudes that have shaped it.

Referring to PM Narendra Modis 2016 initiative that has seen the U.N. adopt World Yoga Day, she writes That Indians believe that the popularity of yoga is evidence of Indias importance in the world explains how India views itself from a very different perspective than other nations. Indian leaders often suggest that the more India participates in multilateral organisations, adopts principal stands on global issues, champions global peace and disarmament, and speaks out against military alliances, the higher the pedestal it occupies on the world stage. The reality of the world  and the role India plays in it  is more complex, she adds. Not mincing her words on how India fails to follow through on its big promises vis a vis aid to countries in its im-mediate periphery, Indias challenge, she writes, lies in wanting to be accepted as the dominant power in South Asia, its desire that neighbours look only to Delhi and not to outside powers, while expecting major powers like the US, China and the west to accept Indias dominance, keeping Indias interests in the region, in mind.

As she tells Neena Gopal in an interview, the influence of Chanakya in this context lies not just in naming the capital Delhis diplomatic enclave after him, but in the way in which India has sought a system of layered relations coupled with the mistrust of other nations  the core of Chanakyas mandala theory. Under the stewardship of PM Modi, who like the India of yore has skillfully asserted primacy but never forcefully taken territory, the new Modi Mandala expects its neighbours to consider India as the Chakravartin. Excerpts:

You say that India which sees itself, as the champion of anti-colonialism, founding member of NAM still unable to fulfill the requirements that qualify it for great power status? You quote Bharat Karnad as saying that India does not have a driving vision , a sense of national destiny  a definition of national interests, an imaginative use of hard and soft power? In essence, you are saying that even Narendra Modi, whos made such a big splash with International Yoga Day, we are essentially more about soft power than hard?

No. Not yet. I do agree largely with Bharat Karnad except on one point: We do have a sense of our destiny. Its not well-laid out, perhaps, like the United States or China, but we see our rise to power as something inevitable, a conviction that stems from our pride in our 5,000 year-old civilisation. But nobody seems to have an answer about how were going to achieve this. We feel, at some level that the world owes it to us.

Its wonderful that people across the world celebrate Yoga Day, although this does not establish us as a superpower! The term contains certain dimensions: Do we have the economic wherewithal from infrastructure to investment, to the economys size and the number of people below poverty line? Can we attract labour? That we are purchasing new military equipment is a point of pride but its such a slow process that complaints pour in from army, the Air Force and the Navy. Things have changed over the last three years but there is still a gap between who we are and how we see ourselves.

What are we today, have we shed the preachy, moralistic Nehruvian tone, and the tough Indira Doctrine, and Rajiv Doctrine for a Modi doctrine. What do you see that as evolving into? Is there a Modi Mandala? Has he broken with the past or in reaching out to everyone, are we simply doing more of the same  still non-aligned yet tilting towards one great power?

No, we have not shed our preachy, moralistic tone, because this is part of the Indian psyche. The National Movement, led by Gandhi, has made us believe that we are very special. So when youre unique, that moral dimension creeps in to your thinking. Contrary to popular belief, our foreign policy remains very Nehruvian. We seek independence in decision making and strategic autonomy or non alignment.

The PM may not go to a NAM summit but someone will. The decision is taken and made out to be representative of India as a whole. We decide to sign Paris treaty, on Gandhi Jayanti, because its important for India. Symbolism matter.

Our attitude has been one of entitlement, we see ourselves as very unique and special and that we should be treated as such accordingly: We are India, we are unique, you have to make an exception for us. We have 1.2 billion people and isnt it a moral responsibility to ensure that they are all fed? We say all the right things, but dont do very much more. The gap between what we are and what we could be is still there  its huge. As China reminded us and we responded by saying that the India of 1962 is not the India of 2017. China isnt the same China either and I believe Doklam is different because we have the advantage there. We also have the US which is more disposed towards us. Will they support us like they did in 1962? Its hard to say, for Kennedy was personally disposed towards us. Things are favourable but will Trump really go out of his way to help India when its not doing much for the Allies? Its fortunate, perhaps, that they have chosen Doklam, any other place might not have given us the same advantage. Now, our military is better equipped there. Where is the Henderson Brooks report? Its time we went public with that.

Have you had access to the report?

No. I have only seen the bits that Maxwell posted on his blog.

Can you chart the doctrines, from Nehru to Indira, Rajeev, Gujral and now, Modi?

The Nehru doctrine had a very strong messianic idealism, it was based on the belief that India is very special and we dont have to do anything about it. He said, We only have to wait for the world to recognise us. Independence in decision making was all important, even if that meant walking a lonely path. He was a realist s he was, for example, in Goa. With the neighbours, India has been more realistic  I call it a Curzonian mindset. Delhi knows best, so all our neighbours must understand our imperatives and keep our interests in mind. With the neighbours it was an imperialist thing.

Yes, India is a beacon, the main power along with China. Still, India wont send her troops out, doesnt want to be part of the world, we dont want to join alliances, Blocs. Lal Bahadur Shastri, who had a very short tenure handled it well.

Indira did have a very strong realist dimension, but that messianic idealism did creep in  this was evident in her speeches abroad, which would talk of peace, justice and the international order being against India. Nehru was more of an internationalist  he had travelled the world and had relations with countries that had gone through national movements of their own. Indira didnt have that kind of background. Her interest beyond South Asia was strictly limited to what was required. It was very nationalist and focused largely on the subcontinent. The imperialist legacy also continued and it was important to her, that neighbours kept the Indira doctrine, refusing the entry of foreign powers into the area. She expected India to be accepted as a paramount power. India believes that the United States recognises us as a regional power and they consult us on Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri Lanka. Of course, we want them to consult us on Pakistan as well.

On Pakistan, youve shown how the Gujral doctrine which in destroying our intelligence assets and removing our eyes and ears, handicapped the Vajpayee administration, with the two biggest blots on his handling of Pakistan  Kargil and Kandahar caught India napping. Do you think this government has been equally blind to the power that Pakistans army wields in inviting Nawaz Sharif to the Modi swearing in, and the impromptu visit to Lahore for Nawaz grand-daughters wedding without factoring in the blowback from the military-ISI that has led to the current standoff in Indo-Pak ties?

Every PM believes that his legacy is to resolve the India-Pakistan conflict, which unfortunately for all of them, will not happen unless the underlying reasons are looked at carefully. The Pakistani establishment looks at India as an existential enemy, their rhetoric comprises largely of Indias supposed wish to reverse the Partition as they seek parity with us in every aspect.

Vajpayee, like Nehru, believed that India will benefit from better relations with Pakistan and being the right of centre, Jan Sanghi politician he was, fancied himself to be just the man for the job. Modi inviting Nawaz Shariff to his swearing-in was a very Vajpayee move in that sense. However, civilian Pakistani PMs are afraid to exert their power, they simply want to survive their term.

The bottom line is that peace is not profitable to the Pakistani army. They dont want the ramifications of an all-out war, of course, but as far as theyre concerned, this uneasy status quo is ideal.

On China, and the recent controversy over Doklam and Bhutan, how do you analyse our handling of relations with Beijing? While we may not be as naive as Nehru was, do you think PM Modi has again started off on the wrong premise with the jhoola diplomacy only to be caught napping with the OBOR, where we overplayed our hand in boycotting it, and still played nice at G 20 and now the disengagement ahead of BRICS, despite the daily bashing from a China government mouthpiece?

The relationship between Mr Modi and President Xi goes back to the formers days as CMs. Both have a lot in common, theyre seen as economy-focused with a nationalist foreign policy. This might help China take him more seriously than other PMs. Unfortunately, China has views about what Indias place in the world should be and they want to ensure that we are kept in that place. Doklam was Chinas way of telling India that they might be building ties with the US but really should remember who they are.

Dr Aparna Pande is director of the Initiative on the Future of India and South Asia at the Hudson Institute in Washington, and author of From Chankaya to Modi as well as Explaining Pakistans Foreign Policy, and Escaping India
The refund process is being overseen by a Supreme Court-appointed committee.

Regulator Sebi on Thursday imposed Rs 2,423 crore fine on PACL Ltd and its four directors.

New Delhi: Regulator Sebi on Thursday imposed Rs 2,423 crore fine on PACL Ltd and its four directors for illegal fund mobilisation through various schemes that were used by the group to garner over Rs 49,000 crore from the public.

While the group, which had collected money in the name of real estate projects among other schemes, was asked by Sebi nearly three years ago to refund Rs 49,100 crore to the investors, the regulator has passed a fresh order to impose a monetary penalty for violation of Sebi's Prevention of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations.

The refund process is being overseen by a Supreme Court-appointed committee, which has been able to collect "only a few hundred crores", Sebi said, while noting that the case requires imposition of a much bigger penalty equivalent to three times of the illicit gains made by them.

However, "as the interest of investors is paramount", Sebi has decided to impose a monetary penalty equivalent to the profits made through the illegal mobilisation, the 47-page order said.

Sebi has asked PACL Ltd and its four directors -- Tarlochan Singh, Sukhdev Singh, Gurmeet Singh and Subrata Bhattacharya -- to "jointly and severally" deposit the penalty amount within 45 days.

The group was found by Sebi to have collected Rs 49,100 crore through unregistered collective investment schemes in violation of rules over a period of 15 years.

About the latest case, for which the order was passed on Thursday, Sebi said the magnitude of the violation can be assessed from the fact that huge illegal mobilisation of money was made leading to consequent profits to the tune of Rs 2,423 crore in a short span of less than one year.
He insists that the film is inspired by real events and the makers will not adhere to adding unnecessary masala elements to the story.

Mumbai: Box-office success of 'Raaz', 'Jannat' and 'Murder' film franchises catapulted Emraan Hashmi into fame, but he says he is not keen to be associated with them anymore as he wants to 'reinvent' himself as an actor.

Though he made his debut with Footpath, it was the erotic-thriller Murder in 2004 which brought him into the limelight. He came back to the franchise with Murder 2. With Jannat in 2008, he was a part of its sequel as well. Hashmi gained further recognition, and later went on to step into the second, third and fourth instalments of Raaz series.

The actor says with time, his taste has evolved and he is now willing to do something new.

In an interview to PTI, Hashmi says, "I will not go back to doing those films. They played an important part in my career and life. Those kind of characters and films have contributed immensely, but I am not the same person or the actor I was back then.

"My tastes have changed. The audience's tastes have changed and it's changing very rapidly. So, it's very important to give them something new and reinvent constantly. So, that is my aim with the upcoming films."

Though he may now not be open to feature in those films, all produced by his uncle Mahesh and Mukesh Bhatt, the actor says if anything interesting comes from their side, he might do it.

"Whenever there is an interesting script, yes, I won't rule that out," he says.

Currently, the actor is elated with the success of his latest Baadshaho, which saw him re-teaming with Once Upon a Time in Mumbaai director Milan Luthria and co-star Ajay Devgn.

"When you work hard in a film, acceptability is important. The trade part is important too, that the investors should get their money and everyone is happy. Creatively, we were satisfied and now the trade is gung-ho too, so everyone is extremely happy."

Produced by T-Series and Milan, Baadshaho since its release on September 1, has minted a business of Rs 56.24 crore in India.

The 38-year-old actor is now gearing up to start his first production, Captain Nawab, directed by Tony D'Souza, which goes on floor next month.

The actor insists that the film is inspired by real events and the makers will not adhere to adding unnecessary masala elements to the story to make it more commercial.

"It is inspired from a real event, but eventually it is a fictional piece of work. This has been sourced out from true happenings in our country, there is some element of fiction added. But it doesn't go into the masala zone. It is very gritty, very real. It in an entertaining war drama thriller," he says.

"It has a sense of realism and at the same time, it is entertaining. Bringing together these two things is a challenge, but I am sure we will be up for it.

Captain Nawab will be the first time when Emraan will be seen as an army man but the actor says he is always nervous before playing any role.

"I am nervous before playing any character. For me, that is what drives me. The day I become cocky about a character or a film, I think I will fail miserably. It is very important for me to have that positive nervous feeling, that I need to rise up and do my best."

Emraan says he needs to get into a proper shape to play an army man and concentrate on working on a certain dialect which is important for the character.

There were reports that he would be producing and starring in a film about the education system, to be directed by Soumik Sen, and the actor says there is still some time for that.

"It's too early to speak about that. Actually there are three more scripts that will be made post 'Captain...' but all these are in the nurturing process. Nothing is confirmed yet."
While 1.9 crore people enter military age every year in China, Indonesia ranks a distant third with 45 lakh followed by Pakistan with 43 lakh.

New Delhi: China may be the most populous country on Earth, but it is India, which has 2.29 crore men and women becoming old enough to serve in the military every year. The figures offer a glimpse into the countrys soldiers recruitment bowl for any given year which is not surprising as more than half of Indias current population is below 25 years of age even as the country continues to add more people than any other nation in the world.

While 1.9 crore people enter military age every year in China, Indonesia ranks a distant third with 45 lakh followed by Pakistan with 43 lakh.

But China leads the pack when it comes to active military personnel or the ready-to-fight elements with 2.26 crore followed by US with 1.37 crore and India with 1.36 crore active personnel.

These findings are part of the recently-released report by Global Firepower (GFP), a prestigious data analytics portal that ranks 133 countries of the world in terms of military strength.

In the latest report for 2017, India, like in the previous few years, has retained its fourth place in terms of military power, after United States, Russia and China but is ahead of traditional powers like France, UK and Japan.

The final GFP rankings are based on each nations potential conventional war-making capability across land, sea and air. The rankings incorporate values relating to resources, finances and geography with more than 50 different factors.

The rankings does not factor in the total number of weapons with any given country as much as on weapon diversity to draw out a better balance of available fire power. Nor are nuclear stockpiles taken into but recognised and suspected nuclear powers get a bonus.

In terms of air power assets which include fighters, bombers, helicopters, special missions platforms, trainers, transporters etc., US leads by a big margin with 13,762 air assets, followed by Russia with 3,794, China with 2,955 pieces while India is ranked fourth with 2,102 air power assets.

The naval assets list which includes aircraft carriers, frigates, destroyers, corvettes, torpedo boats, patrol boats, amphibious support craft and landing craft regardless of onboard technology employed, crew training, fleet quality etc, is led surprisingly by North Korea with 967 pieces. But it is understood that most of these pieces are light craft such as patrol boats although the reclusive country has a good number of submarines. It is followed by China and US with 714 and 415 pieces respectively.

The land army assets considered in the report include combat tanks, armoured fighting vehicles, self-propelled artillery, towed artillery, rocket projectors etc.
The rape-and-murder of the Class 10 student in Kotkhai area of Shimla district had spa-rked an outrage.

During the probe of the July 4 gangrape-and-murder case, the state police had taken custody of six suspects who were lodged at the local police station. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi: The CBI has got what it claims is clinching evidence to nail the arrested policemen of Himachal Pradesh in the custodial death case of an accused in the sensational gangrape and murder case of a schoolgirl in Shimla last month. The agency on August 29 arrested eight senior police officials, including inspector general of Police, Himachal Pradesh Zahoor H. Zaidi in connection with the case. The rape-and-murder of the Class 10 student in Kotkhai area of Shimla district had sparked an outrage. Her body was recovered from a nearby forest two days later.

Sources in the agency said, The fresh evidence that has been collected against the arrested policemen will strengthen CBIs investigation. The scientific analysis of fresh evidence is expected to uncover the truth, they said adding that the agency will soon inform the competent court in this regard. The agency sleuths also confronted the arrested policemen with each other during their custodial interrogation, they said.

During the probe of the July 4 gangrape-and-murder case, the state police had taken custody of six suspects who were lodged at the local police station.

Suraj Singh, a 29-year-old labourer from Nepal, was allegedly killed by a co-accused at the Kotkhai police station last month, triggering a massive public outrage.

Seven other policemen who were arrested by the CBI include: DSP Manoj Joshi, the then SHO of Kotkhai Rajinder Singh, ASI Deep Chand Sharma, two head constables and one constable.

The CBI, which was later handed over the probe into the case by the Himachal Pradesh high court questioned several people before arresting the 1994-batch IPS officer Zaidi, the then IGP (South) Manoj Joshi, the then deputy superintendent of Police, and six other police officials, sources said. The death of one of the accused Suraj in police custody had raised suspicion on the role of the police in the case, sources said adding that their (policemens) alleged role in the custody death is also being probed by the CBI.
He mentioned in a Facebook post how they took to the trill of questioning right from the teens.

New Delhi: She was my first love, my first friend and an epitome of Amazing Grace, Chidananda Rajaghatta remembered his ex-wife Gauri Lankesh, who was murdered outside her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, journalist Rajaghatta shared how they remained great friends despite separating after five years of marriage.

He mentioned how the two of them took to the trill of questioning right from the teens.

In the post he also allows the readers a peek into a few personal moments of Gauri, the noted journalist and activist.

Read the post below:

Gauri Lankesh: Amazing Grace

If Gauri Lankesh read all the tributes and accolades for her, particularly those that refer to soul and afterlife and heaven, shes have had a good laugh. Well maybe not a laugh, but at least a chuckle. We had decided in our teens that heaven and hell and afterlife were a lot of b.s. There was enough heaven and hell on earth, and we should just leave god alone  he has enough on his hands  instead of begging him for things like many people do.

But part of our compact was we would not be hurtful to others  including family  in our youthful irreverence even if we disagreed with their beliefs and practices. We didnt always succeed  ah, the impetuosity of youth!  but it was a good principle that served us well later. Which is how even when we divorced 27 years ago, after five years of courtship and five years of marriage, we remained friends, great friends. Part of the compact. Dont be hurtful. Even to each other.

We met at a school that was the birthplace of the Rationalist Movement of India  National College. Our principal, Dr H. Narasimaiah, and the Sri Lankan rationalist, Dr Abraham Kovoor, were pioneers of the movement, and right from our teens we took to the thrill of questioning and debunking a variety of godmen/women, charlatans, frauds, superstitions etc that abound in India.

More on this another time, but Im putting this out here early to provide context to the killing. Rationalists and agnostics are in the cross hairs of uber-religious bigots.

One of the first books we read together  before getting into the weeds (I mean metaphorically) of religion, politics, and life itself  was Will Durants Story of Philosophy. Neither of us was proficient in our mother tongue Kannada (at that time), so we regretfully forsook our own bounteous literature for everything from Wodehouse to Graham Greene, devouring anything that Premier Book Shops Mr Shanbhag could produce for us  at a matchless 20 per cent discount (others got 15 per cent). She returned to Kannada years later, but more that soon.

Meanwhile, we skinned our hearts and skinned our knees, learned of love the ABCs. Terry Jacks sappy, saccharine Seasons in the Sun has just been released a couple of years before, and we hummed it between Dylan and Beatles. Id return to Indian music years later; she was tone deaf. We read and laughed at Eric Segals Love Story, saw the movies Abba, Saturday Night Fever, and Gandhi on our first dates, and went to the boondocks on moonless nights to see billions and billions of stars and galaxies after reading and watching Carl Sagan.

Feisty wouldnt even begin to describe her. She hated the fact that I smoked in college. Years later, when I had given it up for a long time, she had begun to smoke. One time, she visited me in US (crazy innit? ex-wife visiting me? But she was more friend than ex!) I insisted that she not smoke in the apartment because it was carpeted and the stink wouldnt go away. It was winter.

What do you want me to do?

If you have to smoke at all, go to the rooftop and smoke.

But its cold and snowing!

Shrug

You tightass!...I started to smoke because of you!

Awwwsorry old girl. Im asking you to stop.

Yeah right. Youve become too *&^%$#@ American!

American has nothing to do with it. Being healthy.

Bollocks. Ill outlive you!

Liar.

Many friends were and continued to be bemused by our friendship. Separations and divorces are often messy, bitter and spiteful in India, or anywhere for that matter. We had our moments, but we transcended that quickly, bound by higher ideals. On our day in court, as we stood next to each other and our hands reached out and fingers interlaced. "If you want to go your own ways, better disengage," the lawyer hissed. After it was done and dusted, we went out for lunch at the Taj down MG Road. The restaurant was called Southern Comfort. We laughed and said goodbye as I moved first to Delhi, them Mumbai, then Washington DC. She visited me in each place.

My parents loved her despite her rebellious nature, and remarkably for traditional, orthodox Indian parents, kept in touch with her  and she with them -- even after we went our own ways. One time, when I told her about a budding dalliance, she drew herself to her full height (all of five feet and HALF INCH  she never failed to emphasize the half inch) and said: Ha! You can never take away the honour of being the first daughter-in-law of the family. When my mother passed away this past February, Gauri Lankesh was there, literally live casting me the final rites before I got home.

My ties with her family were as unusual. Through our separation and going our own ways, I continued to meet her dad P. Lankesh, a writer, playwright, film-maker  even after I began living in the U.S., when I visited India. Over a drink or two, wed debate and argue about politics, religion, literature, movies, farming distress, health, the world. Theyd tease me about abandoning the good fight, while Id argue that it was temporary, and a little time and distance is good for perspective. Where he passed away in 2000, she truly became her fathers daughter, taking over the newspaper he founded and continuing the good fight.

There was no doubt she was left of center, even extreme left of center and there was much we disagreed about. She chewed me up for being an early proponent of technology, saying one time in the 90s, "Stop yammering about cell phones. Our poor can't eat cell phones." I never let her forget it. But her heart was in the right place. Some eight years back, after I had built a new home in Bangalore, she determined that I needed a housekeeper to manage the place. I am sending someone over, she declared over the phone. Shes a widow with two young daughters. Make sure you take care of them and put them through school.

Ramakka, her gift to us, is still with us; her daughters Asha and Usha both graduated from school, earned degrees, and now work  Asha in Syndicate Bank and Usha in an NGO. There are hundreds of Ashas and Ushas because of Gauri Lankesh.

Right now, between writing this, I am scrambling to get on a plane again, my mind a cauldron of fragmented memories. One phrase keeps repeating and resonating in my mind: Amazing Grace. Forget all other labels: leftist, radical, anti-Hindutva, secular etc. For me, there is just this: My friend, my first love, she was the epitome of Amazing Grace.
According to Gauri's autopsy report she was fatally shot from the back, with two bullets showing clear entry and exit wounds.

Bengaluru: The forensics report on journalist, editor and activist Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead on Tuesday reveal that the killer used a country made firearm, raising the possibility that her killers could be Naxalites, although investigators refused to categorically blame the ultras this early in the probe.

Sources with access to the forensics report told this newspaper on Wednesday, that after a two hour post-mortem conducted on the slain journalist at the city's Victoria Hospital, the autopsy showed three bullet injuries to her body.

"The injuries do not match with injuries inflicted by a conventional or branded firearm," the autopsy report concluded. This raises "the possibility that the killers may not be from the same group as those who eliminated Prof M.M. Kalburgi, who was shot dead with a 7.65mm caliber pistol, an official source on condition of anonymity, said.

According to Gauri's autopsy report she was fatally shot from the back, with two bullets showing clear entry and exit wounds. It was however the third bullet that would claim her life as it entered the right side of her chest from the back.

The bullet pierced the upper portion of the lower lobe of the left lung. It then hit and lacerated the liver and pierced the left atrium and left ventricle of the heart before it exited through the sixth inter-costal space (between two ribs) of the left breast. There was a lot of blood clot in the left and right side of the chest cavity and the pericardial cavity. This fatal bullet injury is not a trademark of a conventional or branded weapon. It was caused by an unconventional weapon, the expert source added.
Sources said the autopsy report of Aditya confirmed that his vertebrae were found fractured and he died due to brain injury.

Accused Rocky Yadav at Gaya court after being convicted in Aditya Sachdeva murder case in Gaya. (Photo: PTI/File)

Patna: The Gaya district court on Wednesday sentenced Rocky Yadav and two others to life imprisonment for murdering a teenage student Aditya Sachdeva in the infamous road rage case.

According to the public prosecutor, all three have been convicted under Section 302 (murder) and 120-B (criminal conspiracy) of the IPC for the fatal murder of Aditya Sachdeva. Rockys father, Bindi Yadav, was convicted under Section 212 and 177 of the IPC for concealment of facts and misleading the court.

The entire family is satisfied, we are thankful to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar who had assured us justice in the case, Adityas mother, Chand Sachdeva, told reporters in Gaya.

The court had on August 31 pronounced Rocky Yadav and others guilty of murdering Aditya. Rocky Yadav, the son of suspended JD(U) MLC Manorama Devi, had killed Aditya for overtaking his SUV on the outskirts of Gaya on May 7 last year.

According to police reports, Aditya and four of his friends were returning home from Bodh Gaya when the incident occurred. He died on the spot after Rocky shot him in the head.

Sources said the autopsy report of Aditya confirmed that his vertebrae were found fractured and he died due to brain injury.

The police later found that the bullet which killed Aditya was fired from Rockys pistol. According to Gaya public prosecutor Sartaj Ali Khan, the probe in the case was carried out in a scientific manner.

Rocky Yadav had surrendered in the court on October 29, 2016, a day after the Supreme Court stayed the bail granted to him by the Patna high court. The Supreme Court had fixed September 5, 2017, as the deadline for the trial in the case.

The state government had set up a special investigating team to look into the case. Rocky Yadav was arrested on May 10 last year from his fathers factory situated near Bodh Gaya.

The police had also arrested his father and the bodyguard who was with him during the incident. His mother, Manorama Devi, was suspended from the JD(U) for misleading the police during the investigation.
The Army Chief said India cannot afford to let its guard down against China.

New Delhi: Army chief Gen. Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said the country should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting China has started flexing its muscles, while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Referring to the 73-day long Dokalam standoff, the Army Chief warned that the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict on the northern border.

He said there is a possibility that these conflicts could be limited in space and time or can expand into an all out war along the entire frontier, with Pakistan taking advantage of the situation.

We have to be prepared. In our context, therefore, warfare lies within the realm of reality, he said, adding the Armys supremacy among the three services must be maintained to successfully combat external security threats.

The comments by Gen. Rawat came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping agreed on a forward-looking approach to Sino-India ties, putting behind the Dokalam standoff.

The Army Chief said India cannot afford to let its guard down against China.

As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict, he said.

In military parlance salami slicing denotes divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies. The Army Chief also talked about China engaging in a psychological warfare by using the media and information technology against India during the Dokalam face-off. The Army Chief rejected the notion that credible deterrence could prevent war and pitched for adequate budgetary allocation for the armed forces.

Talking about Pakistan, Gen. Rawat said there was no scope for any reconciliation with that country.

As far as our western adversary is considered, we dont see any scope of reconciliation, because their military, the polity, and the people in that nation have been made to believe that there is an adversary, India, which is all out to break their nation into pieces, he said.

Gen. Rawat also wondered how long the country will continue to tolerate the proxy war by Pakistan and when it would conclude that Pakistan has crossed the threshold limit, adding the scope of a possible conflict is difficult to predict. He said it was for the political masters to take a call on the issue.
The NIA is reported to have seized Rs 2.2 crore in cash during the raids.

Srinagar: Key separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik will fly to Delhi on Saturday to court arrest before the National Investigating Agency (NIA).

Announcing this at a press conference held inside Srinagars historic Grand Mosque on Wednesday, the Mirwaiz and Mr Malik said the move was to counter NIAs harassment.

Incidentally, home minister Rajnath Singh will begin his three-day visit of Jammu and Kashmir on the same day. He will be holding a series of meetings to review the law and order situation.

The NIA has let loose terror across Jammu and Kashmir. Even our family members and relatives are being harassed. Those associated with us based on principles of political ideology, our activists, aides workers and others are being targeted too, said the Mirwaiz.

He announced, The Joint Resistance Leadership, including Geelani Sahib, Yasin Malik Sahib and myself will fly to Delhi and present ourselves for arrest at the NIA headquarters.

Mr Malik added, We will drive to the NIA headquarters straight from the airport to volunteer our arrest this is the only way out to end the terror that NIA has unleashed in nook and corner of Kashmir.

Mr Geelani could not turn up for the press conference because he continues to be under house arrest. He addressed the media via telephone.

Earlier in the day, NIA conducted raids at 27 locations in Srinagar, Delhi and Gurugram in a follow up to similar raids and arrests made during the past couple of weeks. DG NIA Sharad Kumar told reporters, The raids have been carried out in several places in Delhi, Srinagar and Gurugram in connection with terror funding. Links of hawala operators, funders and cross LoC traders have emerged, based on which raids are being conducted.

The NIA is reported to have seized Rs 2.2 crore in cash during the raids. But it is not clear if the money was confiscated in the fresh raids or earlier.

The agency had, during its initial 23 raids conducted in June in Srinagar, Delhi and Haryana, claimed seizing about Rs 2 crore cash, incriminating documents, letter-heads of some militant outfits, laptops and mobile phones. A large portion of that amount was seized from a Srinagar-based LPG dealer who is related to one of the separatist leaders arrested by the NIA.

Officials have said that the seizures have impacted terror funding and stone-pelting in the Valley which has reduced significantly in the past couple of months. There has also been a turnaround in the overall ground situation, they claim.



Some of the raids on Wednesday were conducted in the central Srinagar, the hotbed of stone-pelting campaign.

The Mirwaiz shrugged off the NIA raids, arrests and other action, saying these wont deter us from the path of right to self determination.

Our political struggle will continue come what may, he added.



A statement issued at the presser accused the Modi government of following a policy of coercion, defamation and intimidation in Kashmir as it does not want to address the actual issue. It said, The Government of India wants to change the whole narrative. Hence, diversionary tactics and propaganda is being used.



Elaborating, the Mirwaiz said, The narrative of the Kashmir dispute and our struggle for self-determination are being deliberately distorted and projected as a sponsored movement from across the border where money is the motivation and the end.



Talking about the NIAs actions, the separatist leaders said that their family members, friends, acquaintances and party cadres are being intimidated and harassed. Anyone and everyone associated with us and the movement is being targeted. The NIA is using fear as a tool of intimidation against these people and psychologically tormenting them to put pressure on us, they alleged.

The NIA has been probing alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley after a national TV channel had, in May, in a sting operation showed three separatist leaders admitting on camera that they had received funding from Pakistan and Hafiz Muhammad Saeed, a co-founder of Lashkar-e-Tayyaba, which has had sanctions placed against it as a terrorist organisation by the United States.
Sources said home minister Rajnath Singh directed home secretary Rajiv Gauba to seek a report on the murder from the Karnataka government.

Journalists hold placards during a protest against the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by motorcycle-borne assailants outside her residence last night, in Bengaluru. (Photo: PTI)

New Delhi/Bengaluru: As protests over the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh raged across the country, the home ministry on Wednesday stepped in and sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government.

Sources said home minister Rajnath Singh directed home secretary Rajiv Gauba to seek a report on the murder from the Karnataka government. Further action, officials added, will depend on the report. If required, the home ministry could issue an advisory to the state.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday morning announced that a Special Investigation Team (SIT), led by the IGP of the intelligence wing, B.K. Singh, will probe Lankeshs assassination. DCP M.N. Anucheth will be the chief investigation officer in the case. These two officers will oversee a team of 19 officers.

Read: Gauri Lankesh got CCTV just 15 days ago

The forensics report on Lankesh, who was shot dead on Tuesday night, reveal that a country-made firearm was used, raising the possibility that her killers could be Naxalites, although investigators refused to categorically blame the ultras this early in the probe.

Sources with access to the forensics report told this newspaper that after a two-hour long post-mortem at the citys Victoria Hospital, the autopsy showed three bullet injuries.

The injuries do not match injuries inflicted by a conventional or branded firearm, the autopsy report concluded. This raises the possibility that the killers may not be from the same group as those who eliminated Prof M.M. Kalburgi, who was shot dead with a 7.65mm caliber pistol, an official source said.

The police is looking into all possible theories  of her alleged involvement in any property dispute within the family or outside, whether Gauris involvement in the surrender of Naxalites had triggered any violent reaction from those who are still in the outlawed movement and felt threatened by their comrades, who have laid down arms with her assistance.

Read: Gauri Lankesh case: Another murder worrying Dharwad

The third possibility is that she may have been done in by an extremist Right wing ideologue for her openly aired views against Hindutva forces in her writings and on social media. She along with other writers had opposed the arrest of Kannada novelist Yogesh Master in 2013 for his controversial book Dhundi in which he had portrayed Lord Ganesha in poor light, said the officer.

Hundreds gathered to pay their respects to Lankesh, who was buried on Wednesday evening with full state honours at a cemetery in Bengalurus Chamarajpet. The police gave a gun salute to Lankesh. She was 55.

There were chants of Gauri Lankesh amar rahe (Long live Gauri Lankesh) as the journalists body was lowered into the grave. There were no religious rituals at the funeral. She was a rationalist and we do not want to go against her ideologies, said Lankeshs brother.

Karnataka CM, along with several ministers, was present at the cemetery. With the Assembly elections approaching, a lot hinges on the outcome of the probe. Till that happens, Lankeshs shocking murder is expected to be used by both the parties  the BJP and the Congress.

Read: Gauri Lankesh murder: Country-made firearm used to kill activist, says Forensics

While the BJP has already begun blaming the deteriorating law and order situation in Karnataka for the murder, the Congress has pinned the blame on saffronites for unleashing a reign of terror.

Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said that anyone speaking against BJP, RSS gets killed. Union minister Nitin Gadkari denied the involvement of any saffron activist in the murder of the senior journalist. Condemning the attack, both Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Mr Rahul Gandhi said that they have spoken with Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah and asked him to ensure that the guilty are apprehended immediately.

Mr Gandhi also attacked Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the prevailing atmosphere in the country.

When, sometimes, the Prime Minister feels there is too much pressure to speak, he says something. But the entire ideology is to crush dissent and this is resulting in a serious problem in India. The idea is there should be only one voice in this country that is just not the nature of this country, he said.

Read: Writing against RSS cost Gauri Lankesh her life: BJP MLA

The BJP hit back saying Mr Gandhi was trying to politicise the murder.

Bengaluru Lok Sabha MP and Union Minister Ananth Kumar hit out at the Karnataka chief minister for the deteriorating law and order situation in the state. There have been 18-19 political murders, including that of rationalist M. M. Kalburgi, in the state in the last two-and-a-half years. The state government should conduct a swift probe, he said.

Information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani, while condemning the attack, asked the state government to ensure a speedy investigation to deliver justice.

Apart from the Congress, the Left parties also blamed rightwing forces for the killing. The CPI questioned the Prime Ministers and the RSS chiefs silence. CPI MP D. Raja said, The right-wing fascist forces have become so aggressive that they are taking law into their hands. This attack is part of their sinister design.

There were protests and candlelight vigils in Bengaluru, Mumbai and Kolkata, where chief minister Mamata Banerjee participated.

Namma Gauri (I Am Gauri) said large posters in Bengaluru as protesters denounced intolerance and any threat to free speech.

The Press Council of India expressed concern and sought a detailed report from the state government, and the Delhi Press Club organised a meeting to protest the killing.
The Central Board of Direct Taxes had been taking action whenever it found there were unexplained known sources of income.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Wednesday asked the Centre to furnish details of the action taken against MLAs and members of Parliament whose assets had grown manifold during the intervening period between one election to another.

A bench of Justices J. Chelameswar and S.A. Abdul Nazeer passed this order while hearing a petition filed by Lok Prahari, an NGO, that the present practice of candidates filing an affidavit disclosing their income must also give information about the source of income of the candidate and his/her spouse and dependants.

Senior advocate K. Radhakrishan, appearing for the Centre, told the court the government believes in action and is not averse to reforms. The Central Board of Direct Taxes had been taking action whenever it found there were unexplained known sources of income.

He said while an investigation into the affairs of those contesting polls as a class was not undertaken, specific cases where there was reason to undertake verification were enquired into. These include those where specific references are received from the Election Commission.

Justice Chelameswar told the counsel the Association of Democratic Rights had filed an affidavit indicating the number of legislators whose income had grown hugely in the past five years when they filed the first affidavit of assets and the subsequent affidavit.

The judge said: If you say you (government) believe in action, you show your bona fides by filing an affidavit showing the action taken against those legislators whose income had grown manifold against known sources of income. You tell us (by September 12) what action you had taken on the representation by ADR and how such complaints are dealt with. Instead of making vague statements, provide us necessary information.

The petitioners submitted that candidates contesting Assembly and parliamentary elections must not only disclose the income, including that of family members, but also the source from where such income is derived. It also pleaded that candidates should declare whether they or their spouses/dependants have any contracts with the government or a public company, or any share or interest in a private company.

It was pointed out that 113 MPs had shown themselves as social activists or housewives or those without any adequate source of income. However, their assets seemed to have gone up by 5-10 times, the petitioner said. How is that possible? The source must be declared to enable voters to decide whether the wealth acquired by the candidate is legitimate or not. The arguments will continue on September 12.
Army Chiefs remarks contrary to views expressed by Xi, Modi

Beijing: China on Thursday reacted sharply to Army Chief Gen. Bipin Rawats assertion that Beijing was testing Indias limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Gen. Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started flexing its muscles, while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking.

Referring to the remarks expressed by Mr Xi and Mr Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Gen. Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian governments position.

As reported by Indian press...We dont know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government, Mr Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.

This is what the international community wishes to see, he said. Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each others development opportunities, not threats, Mr Geng said.
The BJP chief said the NDA government was quite decisive and focused on its foreign policy and stand against terrorists.

Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah on Thursday claimed the country had undergone massive administrative changes and witnessed rapid economic progress in the past three years under Prime Minister Narendra Modis government.

Mr Shah, who is on a three-day trip to Odisha to strengthen the party organisation, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi had walked the talk with regard the partys promise to bring economic prosperity, curb corruption and fighting terrorists. The government had promised action against corruption, fighting the anti-national forces, controlling the spiraling prices of essential commodities and bringing economic prosperity to the country. During the previous government, the economy had come to a standstill; the country battled price rises and there was no clear-cut foreign policy. Now, we are one of the fastest growing economies in the world. Prices have stabilised and India has made significant strides in all parameters of development, he said.

He informed that the Modi governments fight against black money had started paying results with countries like Cyprus, Singapore and Mauritius cooperating with the Indian agencies in locating illegal wealth parked there. The demonetisation move and detection of nearly two lakh shell companies were also part of the drive against black money, he added.

The BJP chief said the NDA government was quite decisive and focused on its foreign policy and stand against terrorists. The surgical strikes against terrorists in the enemys land, our diplomatic victory in the Doklam standoff with China and Prime Minister Narendra Modis forward-looking foreign policy have enhanced the countrys reputation at global level, he observed.

To a query if acche din (good days) had really dawned under the Narendra Modi regime, Mr Shah said the victories in states like Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Maharashtra, Assam and Jharkhand that went to polls post 2014 generals clearly proved that people had seen and experienced good governance under the Modi government.

Those who complain that achce din has not come, they appear to have grown old and hence cannot see the good days heralded by the Modi government. The youth and common people have already tasted the fruits of achhe din which resulted in our overwhelming success which went to the polls after 2014 general elections, Mr Shah said.
Buoyed by the support, Palaniswami on Wednesday rejected calls from Oppn and TTV camp for a floor test during his brief interaction with reporters.

Coimbatore: Rejecting demands from various quarters that he should prove his strength on the floor of the Tamil Nadu Assembly, chief minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Wednesday asserted that his government had full majority since all the 135 MLAs of the AIADMK were with the ruling party.

The EPS-OPS camp is all smiles since Tuesday when 109 MLAs turned up for the legislators meet and at least five MLAs expressing their support over phone to the faction, in contrast to just 80 of them attending a meeting early last week. Buoyed by the support, Palaniswami on Wednesday rejected calls from Opposition and TTV camp for a floor test during his brief interaction with reporters.

AIADMK has 134 MLAs in the Tamil Nadu Assembly and if we count the Speaker, the count comes to 135. All 135 MLAs are still with the AIADMK and they have not left the party. The government is strong and there is no threat to it, Mr Palaniswami told reporters at the Airport. He was speaking to reporters after arriving here on the way to Erode to participate in the Centenary Celebrations of late CM M.G. Ramachandran.

Mr Palaniswamis comments assume significance as it comes a day before the rival faction led by embattled T.T.V. Dhinakaran, which claims the support of 21 MLAs, meets governor C.H. Vidyasagar Rao seeking a direction to the chief minister to prove his majority.

109 MLAs attended the Legislature Party meeting (on Monday) and many MLAs could not attend the meeting due to various reasons. The Government enjoys full majority and there is no problem, the chief minister said. He also took a dig at Opposition leader M.K. Stalin, saying he has been leveling several allegations against me ever since I took over but none of them have any basis.

Mr Stalin has made it a practice (to level allegations) ever since the government assumed charge. All his charges are baseless and have no truth, he said.

Replying to volley of questions on Neet, the chief minister said his government tried its best to get exemption for the entrance test, but had to accept it after Supreme Court stepped in.

We did not want to implement Neet and we had tried our best to get exemption for the state. But the Supreme Court ruled against out stand and the Tamil Nadu government was forced to implement Neet. We implemented only because of the Supreme Court order. We had no other option, he said.
Kate Millett is described as the principal theoretician of the women's liberation movement and was known for her book 'Sexual Politics'.

Feminist icon and author Kate Millett, who came to be described as the principal theoretician of the womens liberation movement for her 1970 book titled Sexual Politics, died aged 82 on Wednesday in Paris. She was a notable voice for human rights and mental health.

Born Katherine Murray Millett in September 1934, Kate enrolled in the University of Minnesota and went on to attend Oxford. She briefly taught at University of North Carolina following which she moved on to pursue an art career in Japan and New York. She married Japanese sculptor Fumio Yoshimura in 1965 but later rejected traditional ideas of marriage and came out as a lesbian.

Millett passed away due to cardiac arrest according to her spouse Sophie Keir who also told The New York Times that the couple living in staying in New York had been visiting Paris every year to celebrate their birthdays. Kate became known after her dissertation at Columbia University was published when she was in her mid-30s.

Her premise was that the relationship between sexes is political in nature, something she described as arrangements where one group of people is controlled by another. Her work became central to the second wave of feminism.

Her other notable books were Flying in 1974 which talked about the effects of fame that followed Sexual Politics and Sita in 1977 where Kate wrote about her sexuality. She chronicled her 1979 trip to Iran during the revolution in a 1981 book titled Going to Iran.
But the BJP-run civic bodies are the not interested in setting up small waaste treatment plants, says Ajay Maken.

New Delhi: Delhi Pradesh Congress Committee president Ajay Maken said on Wednesday that the garbage generated in each area of the city should be treated at the local level instead of dumping it in Rani Khera or other places.

Mr Maken sought the cooperation of Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and state BJP president Manoj Tiwari, asking them to rise above petty politics in order to make Delhi a zero landfill city.

He said there was need to make compost at local level. We dont need landfills in Delhi. Around 9,000 tonnes of garbage is generated in Delhi daily, out of which 5,600 tonnes are organic waste. This can be treated at the local level to make compost, Mr Maken said, while addressing a protest held at Rani Khera village in outer Delhi.

He said that all over the world the garbage is segregated at the home level, organic waste is treated at street level to make composts and the remainder is used in various ways. He said the same method should be applied in Delhi to make it zero landfill city.

Delhi generates 9,000 tonnes of waste daily, which is dumped at landfills without treating it and that is the reason for the existing landfills overflowing with garbage, creating mishaps, spreading diseases, polluting ground water and other health problems, he said.

Mr Maken said the Centres push on Swachh Bharat Abhiyaan should have been an opportunity for the three MCDs to provide innovative solutions and facilities for the people of Delhi by segregating waste at home and treating them locally.

But the civic bodies, run by BJP are not interested in setting up small waste treatment plants. If the plants are set up, it will put a stop on corruption, Mr Maken added.
Referring to certain incidents in BJP-ruled states, she also urged the media to play an impartial role.

Kolkata: Hitting out at critics for accusing her of Muslim appeasement, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday said she believed in taking care of all the communities.

Referring to certain incidents in BJP-ruled states, she also urged the media to play an impartial role. Many say Mamata Banerjee is appeasing the minority community. They should know that Muslims constitute 30 per cent of the states population which is the highest in the country. We have Christians, Jains, Buddhists, Sikhs and several other communities in West Bengal. I do not work for any particular community. When I am in the chair (of CM), I have to take care of all, Ms Banerjee said at a programme here.

Alleging that the media was mum on the swine flu deaths in Gujarat, she said, Not only in Gujarat, but even in other BJP-ruled states, the media remains silent. But whenever there is a small matter in West Bengal, it starts creating a hue and cry.

In an obvious reference to the recent child deaths in Uttar Pradesh, the Trinamul Congress supremo said, A political party is trying to divide the people. If a government cannot supply oxygen and save the lives of babies and still talks big, I cannot agree with this.
Upon admission the girl went through various tests and several sessions of psychological counselling along with her parents.

Mumbai: A 13-year-old rape survivor who was allowed by the Supreme Court on Wednesday to terminate her 31-week pregnancy, was admitted to state-run JJ Hospital on Thursday evening. The apex court had asked JJ Hospital authorities to conduct the termination of pregnancy preferably on Friday. Doctors treating the girl said she and her foetus are not suffering from any serious condition.

Upon admission the girl went through various tests and several sessions of psychological counselling along with her parents. Meanwhile, gynaecologists suggested that in this particular case, the pregnancy has reached a stage where termination would mean a premature delivery so the patient needs a C-section. As the survivors vital internal organs, like the womb, are not developed, carrying a baby and delivering can lead to a lethal situation, they said.

Dr Ashok Anand, head of gynaecology at JJ, said, The teenage girl will require C- section and there are dense possibilities that the new-born will most probably require treatment in the neonatal intensive care unit.

At present, the foetus weighs 1.7 kg. With such conditions, the baby will have high chances of developing infections and complications like hypo-thermia and respiratory difficulties, he added.

Dr Anand also said there would be a counselling session for the survivor on Friday before taking her to the operation theatre to perform the C-section.

The girl resides in Charkop with her family.
The team spent more than three weeks in the western German city of Duisburg working on the 16.68 metre artwork.

The previous tallest sandcastle, a 14.84 metre world peace monument was built in India in February (Photo: Youtube screengrab/ ANI)

Duisburg: Using almost 4,000 metric tonnes of sand, 19 sculptors have built a 55ft tower featuring a number of famous landmarks to claim the world record for tallest sandcastle.

The team spent more than three weeks in the western German city of Duisburg working on the 16.68 metre (54.72 feet) artwork, which included a sandy replica of the Great Sphinx of Giza, Venices Rialto Bridge and the graveside of Elvis Presley.

A Guinness World Record official was on hand on Friday to approve the new mark for the German sculpture, which eclipsed the previous tallest sandcastle, a 14.84 metre world peace monument built in India in February.

The team of international sculptors failed with a world record attempt last year and decided to use a different sand, mainly very fine quartz which is less than one millimetre in grain size.

It did not collapse because the quality of the sand was better than previous attempts, the weather was good and very good planning, Ukrainian Eugenia Kolot told Reuters.
ARSA is a fairly recent creation and it is unfair to depict all members of any community as being a security threat.

The issue of Rohingya Muslims, who have lived in Burmas western Arakan province (now called Rakhine) that abutted Indias colonial-era Bengal for centuries but are now stateless and face apartheid-style indignities as they are officially denied Myanmar citizenship, was foregrounded during Prime Minister Narendra Modis just-ended visit to Myanmar. This was unfortunately done in a way that risks bringing India into controversy on the same count that raised doubts in international circles, including the United Nations, about Myanmars Nobel laureate leader Aung San Suu Kyis attitude toward the Rohingya population, of just over a million, due to their religion. In his talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, Mr Modi said he shared Myanmars concerns about extremist violence in Rakhine state, specially the violence against the security forces. It is true a group of Rohingyas have lately turned to extremist violence, and the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) recently attacked the Myanmarese security forces who routinely face the allegation of rape and murder and genocide-like activity against Rohingyas and from time to time drive them out. Routinely, the Rohingyas have crossed over into next-door Bangladesh, from where they have tricked into India where a few thousand lead a precarious existence. ARSAs activities can be a matter of legitimate security concern in both Myanmar and India in an era in which international terrorist groups like Al Qaeda and the Islamic State are active. Nevertheless, the official Indian articulation in Naypyitaw needed to be far more nuanced. Although Daw Aung San has recently claimed sympathy for the Rohingyas has built up internationally due to an iceberg of misunderstanding, her government is yet to tell the world the source of this misunderstanding. To begin with, it has not said why the Rohingyas have been permanently debarred from becoming Myanmar citizens under the countrys military dictatorship-era citizenship law of 1982.

ARSA is a fairly recent creation and it is unfair to depict all members of any community as being a security threat. India should be careful and ensure that this distinction is indeed made. It is regrettable that this nuancing was not done during the Prime Ministers trip, leaving the impression that India too is condemning all Rohingyas as a potential security threat. This is exactly what the Hindutva proponents say of all Muslims. Officially too, the Union home ministry has issued directions that all Rohingyas, many of whom are settled in Jammu, Japiur, Delhi, Haryana and Hyderabad, be deported even if they possess the UN refugee certificate. India supporting Daw Aung San on the Rohingya issue may not be the best way of competing with China for Myanmars attention, for Beijing can play the same game. The worlds biggest democracy should play the democracy card far more effectively.
The project will be taken up in the public-private- partnership mode with the funding coming primarily from private investors.

Having junked the proposed metro project from Vijaywada, the Andhra Pradesh government has joined hands with a US-based company to introduce the futuristic "Hyperloop" transportation system in the state capital region, Amrawati.

If everything goes well, this will be the first Hyperloop project to be implemented in India.

The concept of Hyperloop mode of transportation is notably backed by business magnate and inventor Elon Musk. But it has not been implemented for practical use anywhere in the world yet.

The AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) here. But an official release on the MoU did not disclose the probable cost of the project.

The project will be taken up in the public-private- partnership mode with the funding coming primarily from private investors, the release said.

Hyperloop envisages a 'tube modular transport system' that runs free of friction. It is still in trial stages in different countries.

Following his first interaction with HTT executives during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held another round of talks with them at the Secretariat here recently.

HTT chairman and co-founder Bibop Gresta and EDB CEO J Krishna Kishore signed the MoU.

Hyperloop is proposed to be introduced between the city centres of Vijayawada and Amaravati. It will supposedly cover the distance of over 35 km only in five minutes.

Under the MoU, the HTT will conduct a feasibility study from the next month to "analyse the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities".

"After the six-month feasibility study, we will construct and build the first Hyperloop in India," the HTT said.

"The AP-EDB, along with the state government, will assist HTT with all regulatory requirements and develop and implement Hyperloop in Amaravati," CEO Kishore was quoted as saying in the release.
Trump admin official Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

The official said that there was also a great meeting of the minds between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on the terrorism issue. (Photo: File)

Washington: The Trump administration has told US Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it "strongly supports" transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

"The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels - many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region," Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House foreign affairs subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget," on Thursday.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

"Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come," she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

"India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation," she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

"In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better," she said in the testimony.

"The President's first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade," she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship has largely been on a positive trajectory and America needs to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly USD 30 billion last year.

"We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market," Wells said.

"Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from $45 billion in 2006 to more than $114 billion in 2016. US exports to India support more than 260,000 American jobs across all 50 states," she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensure that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lie in India's civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet, a private Indian airline, announced an order+ of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

"...these transactions have an estimated value of USD 23 billion and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 130,000 jobs in the US," she said.

Another private Indian carrier, Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

"We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades," she added.

"India's state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas," said the top American diplomat.
Describing Trumps action as cruel, 5 Indian American lawmakers in separate statements said that they will fight the US presidents decision.

Washington: Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump for scrapping an amnesty programme that grant work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, saying the consequences of the decision will be "devastating".

Describing Trump's action as cruel and inhuman, five- Indian American lawmakers in separate statements announced that they will fight the US presidents decision.

"The consequences of this decision will be devastating. It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless," Democratic Senator Kamala Harris said.

Harris said recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme makes the US nation strong and represents the best of America.

"The Presidents decision undermines our nations values and is a cruel betrayal to the more than 800,000 young people, including more than 200,000 Californians, who have only ever known the United States of America as their home," Harris said.

Outraged by Trumps decision, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said by doing so he is destroying the future of nearly 800,000 young men and women who were brought here by their parents and know no other country but this one.

"After toying with their futures and raising their hopes with talk of his big heart, Donald Trump has shown exactly what his priorities are. He has once again sided with hate and xenophobia, putting in place a repeal that is cruel, inhumane and unjust," the Democratic lawmaker said.

Jayapal urged her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to immediately pass stand-alone legislation to protect dreamers (Those protected under DACA).

"Let me be clear: Our immigrant brothers and sisters are here to stay. Not only are they welcome in our communities -- they are essential to our communities. I will continue to fight alongside dreamers and the immigrant rights movement," she said.

"I ask my Republican colleagues to consider which side of justice they wish to be on, and join us in passing legislation to protect dreamers once and for all," she added.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also slammed Trumps decision, terming the move as "cruel".

"Through this announcement, the President has made clear that he refuses to protect dreamers and so now Congress must. The administrations cruel policy includes a six-month phase- out of the DACA programme, and Congress must pass legislation to extend this programme and protect dreamers," Krishnamoorthi said.

"This issue is personal for me because I too was brought to the United States by my parents as a child. The hope for a better a life which carried my parents here was no different from that of the parents of dreamers, and generations of immigrants before," he said.

This decision by the Trump administration goes against American values, said Congressman Dr Ami Bera.

"Children brought to the United States -- through no fault of their own -- deserve our compassion. These children have passed background checks and are already contributing to our economy as productive residents," Bera said.

"Detaining and deporting children is not only morally wrong, it doesnt make economic sense. I urge the administration to reverse this decision immediately," Bera said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the Trump administration has once again showed that it has no dignity for friends, neighbours and colleagues.

"We must safeguard the livelihood of dreamers and provide these inspiring young people and their courageous parents a pathway to citizenship," Khanna said.
Addressing the Indian diaspora at Yangon in Myanmar, Modi said his government considers the country above politics.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi talks to journalists after a Memorandum of Understanding ceremony at the President House in Naypyitaw, Myanmar on Wednesday, Sept 6, 2017. (Photo: AP)

Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday justified demonetisation which has come in for criticism, asserting that his government was not afraid of taking "big" and "tough" decisions in the interest of the country.

Addressing the Indian diaspora at Yangon in Myanmar, he said his government could take such decisions because it considers the country above politics.

Along with demonetisation announced on November 8, 2016, he named the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 2016 and the GST which was rolled out on July 1 as the "big" and "tough" decisions taken by his government.

"In the national interest, we are not afraid of taking big and tough decisions because for us, the country is above politics. Whether it be the surgical strikes, demonetisation or GST, all decisions were taken without any fear or hesitation," Modi told the gathering.

Referring to the note ban, the Prime Minister said the step was taken to curb black money and that it had helped identify lakhs of people who had crores of rupees in bank accounts but never paid income tax.

He also said registration of over two lakh companies had been cancelled in last three months as those had been found to be indulging in laundering of black money.

"To deal with corruption, we banned currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. A handful of corrupt people were making 125 crore people pay for their misdeeds. This was not acceptable to us," Modi said in 35-minute address.

"There used to be no clue as to from where black money was coming and where it was going," he said.

His justification of demonetisation came against the backdrop of criticism of the decision by the Opposition.

The Congress has dubbed the note ban as a "disaster" and said it had "utterly failed" while the "corrupt made windfall gains".

The Prime Minister also talked about GST, saying an "atmosphere of doing business with honesty" had been created in the country within a span of two months after its launch.

Modi said over the last three years, his government had initiated massive changes and rules were being eased to unshackle the potential of the country.

"Now, the people of the country have begun believing that India can move forward. The shackles can be broken," he said.

"We are not merely reforming India but transforming India. We are not changing India, but we are building a new India," he said, adding 2022 was the target year to achieve this as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the country's independence.

In the context of building a new India, he talked about the pledge to rid the country of problems like terrorism, communalism and corruption.

The Prime Minister also said that India believes in sharing the benefits of its development with its neighbours and also help them in the times of need.

He referred to the launch of South Asian satellite a few months back and said its benefits were being availed of by all the neighbouring countries which had joined it.

Pakistan had refused to associate with the project announced by Modi soon after he became the PM in 2014.

Talking about helping the neighbours, he said India was the "first responder" in the times of need and in this context, mentioned earthquake in Nepal, water crisis in Maldives and cyclone in Myanmar.

"We fulfilled the responsibility of a good neighbour," he said.

He also mentioned the evacuation undertaken by India in West Asian nations, including those of other countries, and said, "while doing so, we do not check the colour of their passports."

Underlining the need for enhanced cooperation with Myanmar and other East Asian nations, Modi, who is on a three-day visit here, said the Kaladan multi-modal transport project should become a "development corridor".

He told the gathering that the Indian government had already taken decisions to merge Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) cards and do away with police reporting for those having long-term visas among various measures for their benefit.

He also showered praise on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, saying she was always there, ready to help any Indian in trouble anywhere in the world.

"People facing problems anywhere in the world contact Sushmaji through tweets without any hesitation... I do not think there will be any foreign minister like Sushmaji anywhere in the world who actively helps the countrymen in trouble just on the basis of a tweet," Modi said.

The Prime Minister, who is on his first bilateral visit Yangon, talked about the historical importance of Myanmar in the context of India's freedom struggle.

Naming Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore and Bahadur Shah Zafar, he said Myanmar had become the "second home" for those who had to leave their own homes during the freedom struggle.

He said communication infrastructure between India and Myanmar was being upgraded to facilitate increased trade and people-to-people contacts.

He said a road between Imphal and Moreh, the border point with Myanmar, is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 1600 crore, as part of enabling greater trade and travel between the two countries.
Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military, from which she was released in 2010.

Oslo: Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's peace prize over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims.

But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account.

The Change.Org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of Thursday, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants.

"The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition says.

Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country's first credible elections since independence.

But her government has faced international condemnation for the army's response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers.

The United Nations said Thursday that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October.

Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called "a huge iceberg of misinformation" over the crisis, "with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists".

In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed.

"Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize -- whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace -- can be revoked," he told AFP.

"Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee," he said, and not any subsequent actions.
Putin denounced North Koreas sixth and largest nuclear bomb test on Sunday, saying Russia did not recognise its nuclear status.

Valdivostok (Russia) /Seoul: Resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis is impossible with sanctions and pressure alone, Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday after meeting his South Korean counterpart, adding that the impact of cutting oil would be worrying.

Mr Putin met South Korean President Moon Jae-in on the sidelines of an economic summit in the eastern Russian city of Vladivostok amid mounting international concern that their neighbor plans more weapons tests, possibly a long-range missile launch ahead of a weekend anniversary.

Mr Putin denounced North Koreas sixth and largest nuclear bomb test on Sunday, saying Russia did not recognise its nuclear status.

Pyongyangs missile and nuclear programme is a crude violation of UN Security Council resolutions, undermines the non-proliferation regime and creates a threat to the security of northeastern Asia, Mr Putin said at a joint news conference.

At the same time, it is clear that it is impossible to resolve the problem of the Korean peninsula only by sanctions and pressure, he said.

No headway could be made without political and diplomatic tools, Mr Putin said, later telling the TASS news agency that Russian and North Korean delegations might meet at the Vladivostok forum.

Mr Moon, who came to power this year advocating a policy of pursuing engagement with North Korea, has come under increasing pressure to take a harder line. He has asked the United Nations to consider tough new sanctions after North Koreas latest nuclear test.

Diplomats say the UN Security Council could consider banning North Korean textile exports, barring its airline or stopping supplies of oil to the government and military.

Other measures could include preventing North Koreans from working abroad and putting top officials on a blacklist aimed at imposing asset freezes and travel bans.

I ask Russia to actively cooperate as this time it is inevitable that North Koreas oil supply should be cut at the least, Moon told Putin, according to a readout from a South Korean official.

Putin said North Korea would not give up its nuclear program no matter how tough the sanctions.

We too, are against North Korea developing its nuclear capabilities and condemn it, but it is worrying cutting the oil pipeline will harm the regular people, like in hospitals, Putin said, according to the South Korean presidential official.

Russias exports of crude oil to North Korea were tiny at about 40,000 tonnes a year, Putin said. By comparison, China provides it with about 520,000 tonnes of crude a year, according to industry sources.

Last year, China shipped just over 96,000 tonnes of gasoline and almost 45,000 tonnes of diesel to North Korea, where it is used across the economy, from fishermen and farmers to truckers and the military.
Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorized to speak and if his comments represented the Indian governments position.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping shake hands before the group photo session at 2017 Brics Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province in China, on Monday. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China on Thursday reacted sharply to Army Chief General Bipin Rawats assertion that Beijing was testing Indias limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organized by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said that India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started flexing its muscles, while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan, whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking.

Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doklam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorized to speak and if his comments represented the Indian governments position.

As reported by Indian press... We dont know whether he was authorized to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government, Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and two large countries, Geng said that sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both countries. This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.

Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each others development opportunities, not threats, Geng said.

We hope India could view Chinas development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries, Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Brics summit. We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area, Xi had said.

Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said. We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, Geng said.

Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard, he said in response to Rawats remarks.

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict.
by Dario Salvi

Once an industrial hub that generated 60 per cent of Syrias output, Aleppo now only consumes. Security remains an issue, as does the presence of sleeper cells. A generation of children has been destroyed by the war. For every young man in the city there are 12 young women. Dialogue with islam continues over identity, charity and testimony.

Florence (AsiaNews)  Fr Ibrahim Alsabagh, a 44-year-old Franciscan, is the parish priest and custodian of the Aleppo Latin Parish. He is currently in Italy for a series of conferences, and spoke to AsiaNews about the city.

Before the war, Aleppo "was a metropolis that generated about 60 per cent of Syrias industrial output", serving as the countrys economic and commercial capital. Now instead it is "paralysed and does not produce even a kilo of tomatoes. It is "only a great consumer". The government is not in a position to start reconstruction projects and the issue of security remains "because of the presence of [terrorist] sleeper cells, ready to strike."

Still, he remains hopeful, and talks about some projects by the Christian community to rebuild a "future" of peace and coexistence in the city and country.

For Fr Ibrahim, one of the main problems is "a generation of children destroyed by the war. They are restless, agitated, and resist any educational project. They show signs of violence; their games often are like acts of war, not to mention their use of offensive words."

Unfortunately, "violence is part of the every day life that went from the street into the home. The main challenge is to rebuild the childrens personality. This issue is not just about schooling, but includes psychological support and involves the Church and the parish with targeted activities."

Even though the ceasefire reached last December marked the end of the open conflict and the division of the city into two areas, some neighbourhoods are still getting shelled.

In addition, some extremist groups are present with sleeper cells that are ready to strike. The possibility of terrorist attacks is "always present" even though "we have had no serious acts of violence".

"The fundamentalist ideology has put down roots in the minds of a part of the population thanks to ignorance, poverty, and a desire to vengeance, the clergyman explained.

We hope that terrorism will remain only a latent fear and not lead to actual actions against a civilian population that has begun living and hoping again.

Fr Ibrahim talks about the last three years of the war, cold in winter and heat in summer, rockets falling everywhere, one hitting the church during a celebration.

"Miraculously, the bomb did not explode, he said. It could have been a massacre with dozens of casualties, but we only got some people slightly injured.

One of the problems that remain is "the chronic shortage of water". Recently, he said, "I set a record: I showered with only a quarter of a bottle of water."

Water shortages are linked to periodic outbreaks of intestinal infections, but power supplies have improved recently, so we got a few hours of electricity for the Muslim celebration of id. After so long, families were able to iron clothes again, use the washing machine ... small things from a time long forgotten.

Aleppo faces many challenges in an "unstable society, where seniors are abandoned to their fate and die alone because no one takes care of them. Then there are the widows, young and lonely mothers with children because the men have disappeared; those who have not died in the war but have escaped abroad to avoid compulsory military service.

On the one hand, it is important to defend the family, the homeland, but it is also understandable that a young man may not want to die. Many are in Lebanon or Jordan, looking for any job to survive. For every young man, there are 12 young women, a huge disproportion."

Faced with ever growing needs, the local Church has started several successful projects in recent months, from street cleaning to helping young couples, from food parcels to power supplies, from summer camps for hundreds of children to help covering healthcare expenses and medicines, visits, examinations, and care. "All these are things that people cannot afford," Fr Ibrahim said.

"So far, we have given 250 people an opportunity to start a small business  carpentry, pastry, garments, small shops  to help support their family. Everyone, after coming up with a business plan, gets 1,000 to 1,500 euros to start a business. Another 300 people are waiting for an answer after submitting their plan."

One of the things that the priest feels strongly about is support for young couples who married in war time. "To date, we are talking about 940 Christian families of all denominations, he said. This project was hard but very satisfying. Even Muslim families got interested in it.

In fact, the challenge of interfaith dialogue and encounter with Islam plays out in the areas of charity and every day action, transcending speeches and superficial issues.

"The weight of fundamentalism has brought us closer together. We meet more often. There are not only compromises but also sincere talks.

We must look at the common good, at the education of a generation that must overcome extremist ideology, and rebuild a city, a nation, through identity, bearing witness, and charity that touch hearts."
by Kamran Chaudhry

Members of the Centre for Social Justice discussed the dangers of weapons proliferation. Pakistan was the tenth largest arms importer in the world in 2015. The "Kalashnikov culture" developed in the 1980s. In local textbooks, army men are our only heroes. Church security depends on youth-led security teams.

Lahore (AsiaNews)  Activists are holding public gatherings in support of Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasis statement calling for curtailing automatic weapons in the country.

In a press release issued on 31 August, the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) urged the government to adopt a comprehensive policy for the demilitarization of society as stated by the new prime minister in first speech to the National Assembly after taking the oath of office on 1 August.

For Mr Abbasi, only police and the Armed Forces should be in possession of such weapons and the federal government will seize all automatic weapons, compensating people in return.

He also set up a committee to collate the proposals of cabinet members after members of Balochistan and Khyber Pakhtunkhwa provinces, worst hit by the suicide bombings, opposed the ban on automatic weapons.

We support his efforts for peace building and non-violence. This is a new beginning, a paradigm shift, said Peter Jacob, a Catholic who is CSJ executive director.

For the activist, who spoke at the seminar in Lahore attended by lawyers, NGO workers and politicians, The free licensing of automatic weapons for citizens and the spread of illicit weapons have had serious repercussions on law and order.

This has led to the proliferation of violent crimes and the brutalisation of society, particularly violence against the weaker sections of society, including women, children, religious minorities and whosoever is considered other or a stranger.

Other speakers at the meeting expressed grave concerns about gun-related crimes, gun smuggling, the sale of weapons and the promotion of a war mind-set. The CSJ plans similar gatherings in other cities later this month.

Pakistan has been ravaged by terrorism for years. At the same time, the country is not signatory to 2014 Arms Trade Treaty that regulates the international trade in conventional weapons.

The nuclear power was the tenth largest arms importer in the world in 2015 with Serbia and China as the top countries weapons suppliers.

The weapons that are smuggled into the cities mainly come from Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, provinces bordering Afghanistan.

According to media reports, more than 352,000 Pakistanis possessed licenses to carry weapons as of June 2016.

Farooq Tariq, a Muslim and secretary general of the Labour Party of Pakistan claims that the culture of Kalashnikov (rifles) emerged after Islamiation of the legal system under military ruler Zia-ul-Haq in the 1980s.

[O]ur textbooks glorify wars, [and] army men are our only heroes. Toys guns are the most popular among male kids. The Islamic term of Jihad is exaggerated., Tariq told AsiaNews.

Each of our lawmakers possess at least 20 weapon licenses. Guns are synonymous with election campaigns; they have become a symbol of courage and masculinity. All this has damaged our moral and social fibre.

In his view, The federal and provincial governments must initiate dialogue to limit arms and ammunition as well as develop a road map for peace building in society to contribute to economic development and democratic stability.

After the 2014 Taliban massacre of 134 children at the Army Public School in Peshawar, minority places of worship and important buildings were fortified with barb wires, barricades, higher walls and security cameras.

Youth-led security teams, armed with weapons, have now become an essential feature of the countrys churches.

Media reports say more than 60,000 people (including 21,895 civilians) have died in terrorist violence in the country since 2003.
He is the founder of the "Lang Mai" community, which was expelled in 2009 for criticizing Vietnamese politics. It is the third time the religious returns to the country. The official press report his return, but Buddhist leaders ignore the master's intentions.

Hanoi (AsiaNews / EdA) - The reasons behind Buddhist monk Thich Nhat Hanhs return to Vietnam have not been made public. What is known is that the monk, famous in Europe and the United States, in particular thanks to his conferences and religious center of the "Village of Plums" (Lang Mai), in the southwest France, arrived in Danang on August 29, 2017. The community he founded was expelled from Vietnam in 2009 because of a conflictual relationship with local government.

Official media reported the arrival in detail. However, the official Buddhist leaders of the Danang Province have declared their total ignorance of the intentions of the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh. In 2014, the religious was hit by a serious illness. After his recovery last December, he went to stay at the Lang Mai Center in Thailand. The newspapers reported that on his arrival at Danang airport, the monk was transported in a wheelchair. The government-sponsored Buddhist newspaper Ciac Ngo said the religious should spend only a few days in Danang, his hometown, before heading to Hue.

The third trip to Vietnam after 39 years of exile

The current trip of the religious in Vietnam is his third since leaving his country for the West in 1966. He returned for the first time in 2005 after 39 years of exile. On that first visit he was welcomed by favorable comments from the official press, demonstrations and signs of openness from government leaders who had authorized him to create a religious center on the Lang Mai model. To this end, Buddhists in good relations with the state had made the Bat Nha monastery available to him located in the province of Lam Dong.

During his second trip in 2007, the monk proposed to the then state leader Nguyen Minh Triet to put an end to government control over religions, seen by authorities as a violation of the law. In fact, it provides that religious groups must register with the state before commencing any religious activity.

A religious community expelled for criticizing the religious policy of the Vietnamese government?

Shortly thereafter, in August 2008, the Public Security of the Province of Lam Dong issued an expulsion decree for the 400 religious and novices of the group residing at Bat Nha.

Subsequently, between the middle and the end of 2009, Thich Nhat Hanh's group of disciples has been repeatedly attacked by unknown assailants, apparently sponsored by the police. The government later stated that it was an internal struggle within Buddhism. After a short stay at a pagoda in Hue, the 400 disciples of Thich Nhat Hanh received asylum in France thanks to a special intervention by President Sarkozy.

After the unfortunate outcome of the attempt to establish monasticism in Vietnam and the return of the community to France, the venerable Thich Nhat Hanh published a text in which he affirmed the right of his community to conduct its religious life in any part of Vietnam and deplored the serious violence suffered by his community in the country. Many observers have argued that the reversal of the state's attitude towards the Lang Mai Buddhist group was due to the public criticism of Vietnamese politics.
by Nirmala Carvalho

Mercy and Rosaline guilty of distributing religious material. Hindu activists surrounded them and handed them over to the police. The police did not find the Christians in possession of religious materials. Article 25 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.

Mumbai (AsiaNews) - In Karnataka, two Pentecostal Christians were arrested by the police on charges of forced conversions. The women, Mercy and Roselina, are followers of the "New Life" community. The nationalist radicals claim they visited the houses of local Hindus to distribute the religious material of their organization and proselytize.

Speaking to AsiaNews Sajan K George, president of the Global Council of Indian Christians (Gcic), complains: "The Gcic condemns the detention of the two Christians, who are not involved in any criminal or illegal activity."

According to the Christian leader, the women "were doing only what the Constitution, Article 25, guarantees. The police did not find them in possession of prohibited or dangerous material, weapons, or anti-national texts. There were no complaints from those to whom the sermons were addressed. No hate speech or complaints of forced conversions ".

The arrest of the two women took place on September 5 in the village of Kavalapadoor, in Bantwal Taluk, in the Dakshina district of Kachada. According to Hindu activists, the Christians visited six Hindu houses, when men were not in the house. Then they distributed texts published by "New Life" and tried to convert those present. Having heard of the incident, some Hindu activists came to the scene and blocked the two women. In their view, they did not provide convincing reasons to justify their presence in the houses. At that point the activists "escorted" them to the police station.

The agents questioned the Pentecostal Christians. Later, after having found them without any religious material, the women were released. But with a warning: do not try to convert.

Sajan K George is complaining of a growing "intolerance towards the Christian faith. The renewed audacity of extreme right-wing groups is a serious threat to democratic India. Based on simple suspicions, nationalist activists capture, interrogate, and intimidate Pentecostal Christians. On the contrary, women were not doing anything illegal. Increasing religious intolerance is taking violent forms in India. I am proof of 'Gau Rakshas' (cow watchers, ndr) or vigilantes, who also question what people are eating. "
by Vladimir Rozanskij

The Chechen president counters Russian positions on the Islamic minority in Myanmar. Muslims protest in Moscow, while there is a law on unauthorized demonstrations. One million Muslims in Grozny.

Moscow (AsiaNews) - Chechen president Ramzan Kadyrov has sparked a heated debate with Vladimir Putin on the Rohingya issue. The controversy is testing the Russian President's recent expressions of appreciation to the Islamic community during the Kurban-Bayram Festival. These tensions also resulted in loud Muslim demonstrations against the government in Moscow (photo 1) and Grozny.

Kadyrov (Photo 2) had intervened in recent days against Putin's policy towards Myanmar, where a violent repression of the Rohingya minority is under way. The Chechen president, Putin's historic ally, published a video interview on Instagram, in which he says his positions are contrary to those of the Russian government. Vladimir Putin rebuked Kadyrov, reminding him that he has no official capacity to comment on foreign policy.

During the final press conference at the summit between the Brics countries in Xiamen, the Russian leader recalled that "regarding the views of Russian citizens on the foreign policy of the Russian state, every person has the right to have his own opinion. And this regardless of the role that he plays. Regional leaders are no exception to this rule. I assure you that there is no fringe represented by the leadership of Chechnya. "

Spurred on by the words of Kadyrov, hundreds of Muslims gathered in a spontaneous and unauthorized march in Moscow, protesting in front of the Myanmar embassy in oposition to the authorities and the Buddhist population of the country. On September 4, in the center of Chechnya Groznyj, about one million Muslims gathered to express their solidarity with the Rohingya Islamic minority (photo 3). It should be remembered that last March, Moscow had blocked a UN Security Council resolution in support of Muslims in Myanmar together with Beijing.

The Moscow protest made a deep impression on the population. To see groups of Muslims marching threateningly along the streets shouting "Allah Akbar!", seemed unpredictable given the recent peaceful celebrations of the feast of Eid-al-adha.

This year, public alert is particularly high in Russia in the face of unlicensed demonstrations, after the young peoples protest against opposition-inspired corruption, such as the Aleksej Naval'nyj movement. In recent months, the government has adopted a series of restrictive rules on public order and freedom of opinion, setting new limits, up to the law currently under discussion on the offense of "undesirable behavior against the state" to be punished with arrests and expulsions.

Kadyrov is capable of crushing the central government authority. He was imposed by Putin after the conflicts in the region, which marked the beginning of his first presidential mandate. His figure was a reflection of Moscows "iron fist " on every war and terrorist regurgitation in the hotbed of the Caucasuses. And Chechnya was indicated by Putin as the center of international terrorism, without the world's public opinion giving great credit to his words, only for them to later resurface after the events of 11 September 2001. With the demonstrations of these days, the Chechen republic again appears to be a dangerous shelter of radical Islam, to which Russia had hoped to be immune.

In addition, since the end of the Soviet Union, the myth of the "Pcus treasure" persists. These are tales of huge sums of party funds hidden in Chechnya and never found again. On the basis of this probable legend, the Chechen leaders (or the "Chechen Mafia", according to some), hold a strong influence over the Moscow government. Kadyrov's unexpected uprising could announce the beginning of Putin's decline.
Colombias bishops must be in the frontline to touch the wounded flesh of their country and people to help them overcome the violence and the inequality that underlie the weakness of so many families and young people threatened by spiritual emptiness and seeking to escape through drug use, frivolous lifestyles and a rebellious spirit.

Bogota (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis met on Thursday with Colombias bishops in Bogota cathedral in his second meeting of the day. In his address, he stressed their role as pastors. He cited the previous visits by Paul VI and John Paul II.

The Holy Father told the prelates that they must be in the frontlines to touch the wounded flesh of their own country and people to help them overcome the violence and inequalities that underlie the weakness of so many families and young people threatened by spiritual emptiness and seeking to escape through drug use, frivolous lifestyles and a rebellious spirit.

You are not mechanics or politicians, but pastors, he told them. As such they have to proclaim the work of reconciliation and mercy in freedom.

As he cited the theme of his visit  Lets take the first step  he noted that God is the Lord of the first step as the Bible shows. He approached Abraham and Moses until the irreversible step was fulfilled with the incarnation of Jesus who gives to those who accept him the gift of the freedom to take the first step without ever getting lost along the way. In light of this, Francis urged the bishops to never lose this freedom.

The pope told the prelates to see unity with Jesus through prayer, and not use the yardstick of those who would have you be mere functionaries, bowing to the dictatorship of the present. Instead, keep your gaze fixed on the eternity of the One who chose you, ever ready to accept his own decisive judgment.

Likewise, he pontiff urged the bishops to build a Church that can offer this country an eloquent witness of the progress that can be made when things are not left in the hands of a small group, whilst, at the same, Show[ing] particular sensitivity towards the Afro-Colombian roots of the country.

From your lips, as legitimate shepherds of Christ, Colombia has a right to be challenged by the truth of God, who never ceases to ask: Where is your brother? (cf. Gen 4:9). That question may not be silenced, even if those who hear it can do no more than lower their gaze in embarrassment and stammer in shame that they sold him, perhaps for the price of a fix of narcotics or for some misguided notion of reasons of state, or even for the false belief that the end justifies the means.

Urging the prelates to hold their gaze ever fixed on concrete men and women the pope, who said he had no recipes to offer, turned his thoughts to families in difficulty and the difficult task of defending life. Speaking of the scourge of violence and alcoholism, he bemoaned the weakening of the marriage bond and the absence of fathers, with the tragic effects of insecurity and a sense of abandonment.

Indeed, I think of young people threatened by spiritual emptiness and seeking to escape through drug use, frivolous lifestyles and a rebellious spirit.

Given this background, Francis urged the bishops to Be fearless in clearly and calmly reminding everyone that a society under the spell of drugs suffers a moral metastasis that peddles hellfire, sows rampant corruption and creates fiscal paradises.

Before entrusting Colombia to its patron, Our Lady of the Rosary of Chiquinquira, the pontiff dedicated his last thoughts to the Church of the Amazon. Amazonia, he said, is for all of us a decisive test whether our society, all too often prey to materialism and pragmatism, is capable of preserving what it freely received, not to exploit it but to make it bear fruit.

I am told that in some native Amazon languages the idea of friend is translated by the words, my other arm. May you be the other arm of Amazonia. Colombia cannot amputate that arm without disfiguring its face and its soul.
Lee shared Taiwan's "democratic experiences" with civil society groups in China. He was held in isolation by police for 170 days. His wife launches an international campaign for her release.

Beijing (AsiaNews / Agencies) - Lee Ming-cheh, a Taiwanese human rights activist, arrested in China, will soon be under trial. Lee Ching-yu told the media, explaining that she had received a phone call from a man who identified himself as "Lee's lawyer," confirming that the trial was "imminent."

Lee Ming-cheh, 42, is a member of an NGO working for democracy. Last March 19 he went missing on his way from Macau to China through Zhuhai. For over 170 days, China never wanted to say where he was and for a long time his wife thought he was missing.

Last April, Lee Ching-yu tried to enter China to find her husband, but the Chinese authorities revoked her permission to enter the country.

Ms. Lee has launched an international campaign for her husbands release. Last May, she testified to the US Congress on detaining activists in China and this month she is preparing to go to Geneva to the UN Human Rights Commission.

In all probability her husband will be imprisoned for some time, or will be released after "confessing" his "crimes".

Lee Ming-cheh has often been in contact with civil society groups in China and has shared with them the "democratic experiences" in Taiwan online, sending them several books.

Many Chinese people in the People's Republic consider the democracy in Taiwan the true heir to the revolutionary movements of the early 1900s, which called for "science and democracy", betrayed by the Chinese Communist Party and Mao Zedong.
According to experts, a government Su-22 jet dropped four bombs: three conventional ones and one with the Soviet chemical manufacturing agent. Damascus rejects accusations and speaks of fake news. De Mistura urges "political process": Damascus cannot declare victory and the rebels must accept their defeat.

Damascus (AsiaNews / Agencies)  Syrian government forces used chemical weapons during the April attack on Khan Sheikhoun , about 50km from Idlib in Syria's northwest, according to an investigation by an independent UN human rights commission. Their findings report that at least 83 people died when a government Su-22 jet dropped four bombs: three conventional ones and one with sarin gas.

The report also points to the United States, which hit a mosque complex in March during an air raid, killing 38 people. The attack, warns experts, is a violation of international law because "no measures were taken to minimize civilian casualties".

In June a report by the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPAC) stated that the people involved in the April 4 attack had been exposed to chemical agents, particularly sarin gas. However, the experts failed to determine the origins of the gas attack or the perpetrators.

Now the UN commission report points to Damascus. In response, the Syrian government continues to deny all charges, speaking of fake news and categorically denying the use of chemical agents.

The new Opac-UN joint study, is based on interviews with 43 eye witnesses, including victims and early rescuers on the site. From their words it emerges that a Su-22 fighter carried out four raids in the day; the jet is only available to the Syrian army and is easily identifiable.

Analysis of craters formed as a result of explosions and satellite imagery also shows that three conventional bombs and one containing sarin gas were used. Investigators also reject the hypothesis relaunched by Russia that a gas deposit was hit, which caused the gas to escape.

President Bashar al-Assad is claiming that Khan the Sheikhoun attack - which triggered a US response, with an air raid on a government air base - was "framed". The Damascus leader also added that his army destroyed its entire chemical arsenal as a result of the agreement between Russia and the United States in 2013.

Yesterday, the United Nations Special Envoy Staffan de Mistura spoke took a new position in the Syrian conflict. The United Nations High Representative has called on opposition leaders to be realistic and accept the fact that they have lost the war. However, members of the HNC, supported by the Saudis, continue to insist on Assad's expulsion as a precondition for any agreement.

De Mistura also addressed the Syrian government, pointing out that it cannot "declare victory" because such a position would in fact undermine the continuation of the negotiations and the end of a conflict that has been fought for over six years and has caused more than 330,000 casualties . "The only response - warns the UN diplomat in view of the new round of negotiations in Geneva, scheduled for next month - is the political process."
The nuclear test is "a provocative and destabilizing action", "dangerous to the world" and is not in Pyongyang's best interests. North Ambassador to the UN: The test is "a gift package to the US". Four more Thaad anti-missile launchers installed, angering Beijing and Moscow.

Seoul (AsiaNews) - Presidents Xi Jinping and Donald Trump have jointly condemned North Korea's nuclear experiment on September 3 last. In a telephone conversation last night, they promised to closely coordinate their efforts to free the Korean Peninsula from the nuclear threat. The two presidents have called the test "provocative and destabilizing action" and said that the path taken by Pyongyang is "dangerous to the world" and " is not in Pyongyang's best interests.

Xinhua also stressed that Xi is determined to resolve the crisis in a peaceful manner, and that Beijing attaches great importance to Trump's visit to China by the end of the year.

Trump, too, after the recent warlike threats, said that "the military option is not the first".

This unity of intent thus confirms for several analysts the idea that Pyongyang's goal is not just Washington, but also China and Xi Jinping. As noted by Zhang Lianghui, professor of international strategies at the Beijing Central Party School, in Kim Jong-un's moves there is also a "China factor" playing a role. "North Korea - he says  makes a heavy move every time China has a big event." The launch of September 3 took place on the eve of Xi's meeting with the BRICS Countries. Another missile test took place last April, just before Xi Jinping met with Donald Trump in Florida; another, last May, before China launched its "One Belt and One Road Initiative".

Meanwhile, North Korea's provocations continue. Two days ago, its UN ambassador to Geneva, Han Tae Song, speaking at a disarmament conference said the country's missile and nuclear tests, including the latest one with a hydrogen bomb "are a gift package " for the United States. "The US - he said - will receive even more parcels from my nation if they continue to rely on rudeness provocations and futile attempts to put pressure on North Korea."

The United States and South Korea are working to build support for an UN resolution that increases sanctions against the North, including cutting oil supplies. But Beijing and Moscow do not seem to share this road for now.

Meanwhile, at Seongju, about 300 km south of Seoul, four other rocket launchers of the Thaad anti-missile system were "temporarily" installed. Two other ramps were already in operation. The installation has sparked protests and demonstrations of the local population (see photo 2), fearful of the environmental impact of the system, due to the electromagnetic waves of powerful radars and polluting electric batteries. At least 400 residents and activists have tried to stop the convoy with the ramps, clashing with 8,000 soldiers.

Russia, and especially China, are opposed to the installation because the powerful Thaad radars would be able to detect military structures in China, endangering its security.
By Ian Warren, Senior Lecturer, Criminology, Deakin University

This article is part of a series on how law enforcement is fighting crime across digital borders. You can read the rest here.

Australian police are using poisoned watering holes to investigate crime on the dark web. By taking over illegal marketplaces that traffic in child pornography or drugs, law enforcement are collecting information about criminals all over the world.

Of course, crimes that occur on the internet often cross international borders, but this situation is creating troubling new standards in transnational policing.

Research, including our own, indicates that as police operations move into online environments, new rules for digital evidence collection and exchange must be developed to assist prosecutions while preserving due process and human rights.

Read More: Spyware merchants: the risks of outsourcing government hacking

Investigations on the dark web readily transcend geographic demarcations fundamental to the use of search warrants and the admissibility of evidence.

Some enforcement agencies have conducted online investigations and attempted to access or transfer information outside existing domestic and transnational legal frameworks. This is common in cases involving dark web sites that distribute child exploitation material (CEM).

Without proper checks, police could have significantly expanded scope to search homes and computers around the world, even in cases not involving CEM.

Watering holes and network investigative techniques

The techniques used in online investigations can have potentially problematic legal standing.

Playpen was a dark web site used to distribute CEM. The FBI seized the site in 2015, and obtained a warrant to continue its operation on a government server.

The FBI used a Network Investigative Technique (NIT), also known as Computer Network Exploitation, to identify Playpen users. This distributed malware onto any computer used to log into the site.

The NIT enabled the FBI to identify the IP addresses, log-in times, and operating systems of around 150 computers located in the United States and more than 8,000 computers located in 120 countries. Up to 215,000 registered Playpen users globally could be affected.









According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, Playpen is the largest known US government hacking operation. But it was authorised by a single warrant issued in Eastern Virginia.

Specialist online units in Australia, such as Task Force Argos in the Queensland Police Service, have also used poisoned watering hole tactics.

Australian convicted child sex offender Shannon Grant McCoole, who administered The Love Zone site, was apprehended after a tip from Danish police. Task Force Argos investigators then effectively ran the site while feeding information to international law enforcement colleagues.

The investigation identified many users located in other countries, including several who were prosecuted in the United States.

Details of the warrant used in this investigation are unclear, which is common in cases involving CEM that result in guilty pleas.

Darkweb investigations and the law

There are some established methods for law enforcement sharing information across borders.

Mutual Legal Assistance Treaties (MLATs) are similar to extradition treaties. States seeking access to digital evidence located offshore must first issue a formal request.

MLATs aim to protect the legal rights of people suspected of transnational or offshore offending. However, available US cases involving The Love Zone do not appear to mention MLAT procedures.

This has troubling implications for the right to a fair trial.

Its possible Task Force Argos informally communicated the IP addresses of US-based site users directly to US authorities. Queensland Police declined to comment on the warrant.

The geographic scope of the Playpen NIT warrant, on the other hand, is extremely unclear. Some US courts have declared the NIT warrant to be valid only within Eastern Virginia.

At least one US court has ruled that warrants to search homes and seize computers outside of this district produced evidence viewed as the fruit of the poisonous tree.

In other words, because the dark webs infrastructure could only enable law enforcement to uncover the locations and identities of suspects through the defective NIT warrant, any physical evidence seized from a subsequent warrant to search a home was inadmissible.

However, some US courts seem willing to admit evidence from the Playpen NIT because the FBI is regarded by the courts as acting in good faith in both seeking and executing it.

Legal geographies of online investigations

Law enforcement agencies are keen to maintain secrecy of dark web CEM investigations. But there is concern from legal experts that informal police networks routinely operate outside of established MLAT procedures.

The MLAT process is slow, technical and cumbersome. This may fuel the acceptance of questionable NITs and exchange of data between police to streamline transnational dark web investigations. But it could also undermine complex cyber-prosecutions and the fairness of criminal trials that rely on electronic evidence.

Read More: Inside the fight against malware attacks

The informal exchange of criminal intelligence and use of malware is understandable where child welfare is at stake. But these investigative methods undercut current attempts to preserve due process and digital security standards.

Success in these types of investigations cannot solely be measured by prosecution and conviction rates. It should also be measured by the legality, ethics and transparency of transnational investigative procedures and the rules that underpin them.

Read other stories in this series:

Ian Warren is affiliated with the Australian Privacy Foundation.

Adam Molnar is a Board Member of the Australian Privacy Foundation and is on the Advisory Council of Digital Rights Watch Australia.

Monique Mann is a Board Member of the Australian Privacy Foundation and is on the Advisory Council of Digital Rights Watch Australia. While at the Australian Institute of Criminology, she consulted for the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission on information systems and cybercrime. The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent the views of any Commonwealth agency.

Originally published in The Conversation.


(dolgachov/Bigstock.com) (dolgachov/Bigstock.com)

It is looking increasingly likely that the tough new English test that the Australian Government wants to introduce for citizenship applicants will be watered down.There has been a lot of opposition to the proposals from Immigration Minister Peter Dutton that the test should be of the same level as IELTS band six, which critics have said is university level and too hard for people for whom English is not their first language.This, along with longer lead in times relating to residence prompted further criticism that the new citizenship proposals would be discriminatory as migrants from many countries would struggle to pass.However, now the Parliamentary Senate Committee that is discussing the proposals has made a number of recommendations, including lowering the proposed English language requirements.In a report it said that a new English language test 'should not be so high as to disqualify from citizenship many Australians who, in the past, and with a more basic competency in the English language, have proven to be valuable members of the Australian community'.The committee also said that while a good understanding of the English language is essential to fulfil the obligations of Australian citizenship, there should not be 'the adoption of a standard that many current citizens could not reach'.The committee also recommended the Government reconsider plans to impose a ban on applications for people who fail the citizenship test three times and suggested additional tests should be allowed on a cost recovery basis instead, which it believes would still deter less genuine applicants.The proposal to increase the length of time an immigrant can wait before applying for citizenship from the current one to four years raised concerns because of it retrospective nature and the committee has recommended that migrants who were already permanent residents before the proposals were announcement should be allowed to apply for citizenship under the old rules instead of being forced to wait an extra three years.Dutton had confirmed that the changes, if approved by Parliament, would indeed apply from the date they were announced in April. Dutton told the committee that as of the middle of July this year there were 47,328 people who would be affected because they lodged their citizenship applications on or after April 20 when the plans were made public and it is estimated that more than half, some 25,788, would not meet the new residence requirement.Race discrimination commissioner, Tim Soutphommasane, has warned that the changes could deter people from applying for Australian citizenship. A number of politicians have publicly said that they will not support the changes.'We're a nation built on migration and the envy of the world when it comes to a harmonious multicultural society. The system isn't broken, there's no need for it to be repaired,' said NXT senator Stirling Griff. He added that his party, whose votes are needed by the Coalition Government to pass legislation, has serious concerns about the bill in its current form.


(bmstockphoto/Bigstock.com) (bmstockphoto/Bigstock.com)

It is known that more people than ever are visiting Australia and now official figures show that they are spending more than ever too, exceeding $40 billion for the first time.Spending by international tourists visiting Australia has reached a new record of $40.6 billion in the year to June 2017, an increase of 7% on the previous year, according to the data from the latest International Visitor Survey (IVS).The record spending is being driven by record numbers of international tourists who are staying longer and spending more while visiting Australia. According to the report international tourists are driving economic growth and creating jobs.All states and territories are sharing in the record growth, with spending up across the country and Chinese visitors continue to have the biggest impact on the economy with 1.2 million visitors spending $9.8 billion, up 10%.Along with the Chinese, Americans are also visiting Australia in record numbers. Australia welcomed a record 706,000 tourists from the United States, a 14% increase, and they spent $3.8 billion, an increase of 4%. Over the last four years visitors from the United States have increased by 54% and their spending by 53%.During the past three years spending by international visitors has increased by 34% as the Government continues to provide record funding to Tourism Australia. In addition to the record funding, the Government said it is working to attract more tourists through visa reform, investment in tourism infrastructure and more open aviation access.Indeed, new direct flights from Tokyo's Narita Airport to Melbourne have started with Japan Airlines as more people from the country visit Australia. The number of visitors increased by 22.7% in 2016 compared to 2014 and in the first half of 2017 they were up by 5.9%.Meanwhile, a new piece of research suggests that outdoor activities, adventure trips and beaches are what attract people to visit Australia. The survey by US travel network Virtuoso also found that family trips are extremely popular and Australia was among the top 10 most popular family travel destinations for North American travellers.
Satellite image of Manheim Fort Lauderdale via ThingLink.

Manheim has closed its Puerto Rico facility and will close four of its Florida auctions on Friday ahead of Hurricane Irma's expected landfall in Florida over the weekend, according to the company.

Prior to the arrival of the Category 5 storm, Manheim plans to close locations in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Palm Beach, and Lakeland. Manheim Caribbean will be closed until further notice. The Fort Lauderdale location offers about 2,500 units for sale each week.

The company is encouraging clients to retrieve purchased vehicles, and will shift auction sales to digital platforms.

"During severe weather conditions such as Hurricane Irma, Manheim proactively plans and prepares to protect the safety of our team members, clients and locations," said Mark Ford, vice president for the Southeast. "This includes encouraging clients to retrieve their purchased vehicles at our locations prior to Friday to avoid any possible damage and moving physical sales to digital channels such as OVE (Online Vehicle Exchange) for safety reasons."

KAR Auction Services doesn't maintain any auction facilities in South Florida. It's southernmost ADESA location is in Sarasota. A spokesman from the South Florida Auto Auction of Fort Lauderdale said he was too busy to discuss any precautions.

Hurricane Irma battered Puerto Rico on Wednesday after striking the northern Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands with 185-mile-per-hour winds. The storm is headed toward the Dominican Republic and Cuba. It's expected to reach the Florida Keys on Saturday, reports the Washington Post.

"We are proactively communicating with our clients about the status of our operations and their vehicles and are helping to direct them to other Manheim digital channels for their vehicle needs," said Tim Janego, vice president for Manheim's East region.

A week ago, Manheim closed three Houston-area auctions ahead of Hurricane Harvey.

Vehicles that have been sent to South Florida auctions will likely remain on lots through the weekend, and could suffer wind and water damage. When Irma swept through the U.S. Virgin Islands, vehicles were blown down streets and into buildings.

"We have to wait to see what kind of damage there is," said Toni Lee Sabatino, the office manager for Orlando-based consignor Courtney Leasing. "South Florida is going to get hit hard and they're going to have a lot of cleanup, as will a lot of other counties in the path of Irma. It could affect business for quite a while. It's just hard to tell with something like this.

Originally posted on Automotive Fleet
Bakersfield, CA (93308)

Today

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph..

Tonight

Mostly cloudy skies early, then partly cloudy after midnight. Low around 45F. Winds NW at 5 to 10 mph.
I hate to say it, but I dont have a lot of hope that Gerardo Gonzales will succeed in his quixotic fight to clear his name of a 30-year-old m
It was difficult to focus for many of the Puerto Ricans living in Florida on Sept. 6, 2017, as they worried about their families while Hurricane Irma neared the island.



Fortunately, the eye of the storm traveled just northeast of Puerto Rico, missing much of the island.



Yeiline De Jesus checked in with her family often during the afternoon. They live in Guayama, a town in Puerto Rico's southeast region.



Around 7:30 p.m., De Jesuss sister Jeniffer told her there still wasnt much damage in their town, not even their home, but the rain and wind had picked up. She also told her there wasnt any electricity or water.



It was good news for De Jesus, who was worried throughout the day.



Its very scary for everyone in Puerto Rico, said Yeiline De Jesus.



While her family was fine, De Jesus was concerned about the images she saw of whats happening north of her hometown, in Puerto Ricos outer islands such as Culebra and Vieques.



Its awful. The damage is very bad, said De Jesus.



She also fears what may happen to her brand new home when Hurricane Irma heads north to Florida.



Im worried because this is my new house, so yeah I am so nervous for that and people are going to be crazy because we dont have water and food in the stores," De Jesus said. "Yes, this is crazy."
Need to seek shelter and under a warrant? Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says he's got a nice safe shelter at the jail.

Polk sheriff: Anyone with a warrant at a shelter would be taken to jail

Sex offenders, predators will also not be allowed in

Sheriff's office says they just want people to deal with warrants now

The Polk County Sheriff posted on his official Twitter account that deputies will check identification at any county shelters that open because of Hurricane Irma.

"If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail," Judd said in one tweet.

If you have a warrant, turn yourself in to the jail - it's a secure shelter https://t.co/UFNGNafJh8  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

Sex offenders and predators will also not be allowed in.

We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders & predators. Period. https://t.co/DlhqjqFrkM  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

Sheriff's spokeswoman Carrie Horstman told the Associated Press they're trying to educate the public before the storm hits this weekend.

She says they're hoping people with warrants will turn themselves in and use the next few days to deal with their legal issues.

But not surprisingly, Judd's tweets sparked an uproar, which included a response from the ACLU.

Our response to the dangerous #HurricaneIrma tweets of @PolkCoSheriff Grady Judd, threatening arrests for people seeking shelter. pic.twitter.com/V4MKC9nfTw  ACLU of Florida (@ACLUFL) September 6, 2017

While Judd says the most important issue is safety, there is a question of whether the tweets will lead people to endanger themselves rather than turn themselves in.

Gov. Scott and Attorney General Pam Bondi both said they had not heard about the comments. However, Bondi said she would talk to the sheriff and see what she could do to make sure all Floridians were helped.

"I hope we're a compassionate state and country, and that we will take in anyone that needs shelter," Bondi said. "I don't know, I haven't talked to Sheriff Judd yet and I know he cares about our citizens and maybe he's doing it first for the citizens of Polk County, maybe he's prioritizing."

The Polk County Sheriff's Office put out a fuller statement on Facebook Wednesday night. The agency says the law requires them to take anyone with a warrant into custody -- regardless of the charge.
Although the St. Petersburg areas may be spared a direct hit from Hurricane Irma, city officials say a lot could still be damaged.

Pier construction crews pick up cranes, barges

Eyes on city's storm water, sewage system

Officials ask residents to limit dishwasher, washing machine use

Hurricane Irma latest updates Wednesday



Plans are underway to protect and in some cases relocate some of the city's major projects.

"Theres a lot of construction going on in the city of St. Petersburg right now," said Mayor Rick Kriseman. "And so, weve been in touch with all of our contractors. The generals, the subs, everyone, so that they can start putting their plan in place to make sure all of their equipment is secured."

Crews at the Pier construction site packed up the cranes and barges and moved them to the Port of Tampa Thursday to wait out the storm.

Meanwhile, construction crews at One St. Petersburg are clearing away loose debris for the soon-to-be tallest skyscraper in town.

But all eyes are on the city's storm water and sewage system. Over the last year, Public Works crews have been upgrading the aging system to handle storm water.

Public Works Administrator Claude Tankersley said it's ready.

"We have added approximately 30 million gallons per day peak capacity to our waste water system," Tankersley said, "as we had promised we would do last October.

"We have two new injection wells ready to be used," Tankersley said. "We have new filters online ready to be run."

City officials are asking residents to help reduce the waste water intake this weekend by not running dishwashers or washing machines.




At his talk, Golinkin will discuss the both heartbreaking and hilarious story of a Jewish family's escape from Soviet oppression.



Golinkin, Jewish by birth, spent his childhood in Kharkov (now Kharkiv), Ukraine, where he and his family suffered daily from anti-Semitic persecution under the Communist regime. In the autumn of 1989, shortly before the fall of the Berlin Wall, Golinkin's parents learned that the United States would soon restrict immigration by Soviet Jews. His book chronicles how this looming deadline prompted his family to begin the arduous journey that brought Lev, his parents, his older sister Lina and his grandmother initially to Vienna, Austria, and then to Lafayette, Ind.



The second alumnus to speak at First Year Academic Convocation, Golinkin joins a notable roster of previous speakers, including Barack Obama, John McCain, humanitarian Dr. Paul Farmer, and novelists Colum McCann, Ann Patchett and Dave Eggers.



His op-eds and essays on the Ukraine crisis have appeared in The New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Boston Globe and Time.com, among others, and he has been interviewed by "WSJ Live" and "HuffPost Live" A Backpack, A Bear, and Eight Crates of Vodka is his first book.



First Year Academic Convocation is coordinated by the Office of First Year Experience, part of the Division of University Mission and Ministry.





Phil Gloudemans | University Communications


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Hollywood's body-changing star Christian Bale is preparing to play former Vice President Dick Cheney in "Backseat."

The film will follow Bale as the so-called "most powerful Vice President in history" during his time with President George W. Bush.

The English actor is well-known for changing the appearance of his body to better play a role, whether it be a beefed out Batman or a bone-skinny Trevor Reznik in "The Machinist."

BRITISH TAKEOVER: America's favorite Hollywood stars that aren't from America

The in-development film is being directed by Adam McKay, the writer and director behind "The Big Short" and "Anchorman."

The film is also slated to cast Sam Rockwell as Bush, Amy Adams as Cheney's wife Lynne and possibly Steve Carell as defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

So far, little details are known about the film, but its unlikely to give a flattering look at the controversial vice president who once told reports he was "rather proud" of his nickname "Darth Vader."

See other actors above who have dramatically changed their bodies for Hollywood.
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After watching nonstop coverage of the hurricane and the incredible rescues that were taking place, I got in bed at 10:30 on Tuesday night. I had been glued to the TV for days. Every time I would change the channel in an attempt to get my mind on something else for a few minutes, I was drawn right back in.

I finally turned off the TV and picked up my phone to do a quick check of email and Facebook. I read an article about the Cajun Navy and the thousands of selfless volunteers who have shown up to this city en masse. The article explained they were using a walkie-talkie-type app called Zello to communicate with each other, locate victims, get directions, etc. I downloaded the app, found the Cajun Navy channel and started listening.

I was completely enthralled. Voice after voice after voice coming though my phone in the dark, some asking for help, some saying they were on their way. Most of the transmissions I was hearing when I first tuned in were from Houston, but within 30 minutes or so, calls started coming in from Port Arthur and Orange. Harvey had moved east from Houston and was pummeling East Texas.

ZELLO: Hurricane Irma just made a digital walkie-talkie the No. 1 app online

Call after call from citizens saying they were trapped in their houses and needed boat rescue. None of the volunteer rescuers had made it to that area from Houston, but as soon as the calls started coming in, they were moving out, driving as fast as they could into the middle of Harvey.

As I was listening, I quickly figured out that there were a few moderators on the app that were in charge and very experienced in using this method of communication during emergencies. One in particular, Brittney, was giving directions, taking rescue requests, and prioritizing calls and rescues. At one point, she said something that made me realize she's a nurse, so I immediately understood why she was so effective in this situation.

A couple of other women (who were working from other parts of the country, not Houston) who had been taking calls from victims and logging in the information came on the line around 12:30 and said they had to sign off so they could get to bed. They asked if there was anyone who could work through the night to keep taking rescue requests and log them.

I sat up and turned on my light. I timidly pushed the "talk" button and said, "I can."

READ ALSO: How to get around Houston's horrible traffic jams after Harvey

Barbara Pace Mumphrey

I GOT a two-minute "training" session and a "good luck!" One of the key suggestions of the training session was that when I received a rescue request, I needed to try to call the person making the request if possible to get more details and to ensure that it was a legitimate request. Unfortunately, there had been reports of people calling in fake rescue requests and then robbing the volunteers when they arrived. Despicable.

After I received each request and had called the person making the request, I was to log their information on a designated website, let the requester know the ID number they'd been assigned and move on to the next call.

Within minutes, I was on the phone with Karen. Karen was in a house in Port Arthur, sitting on her kitchen cabinet with seven other adults, two teenagers and a newborn. The water was almost to the counter tops. I assured here we would get someone to her as soon as we could and told her to stay safe.

READ ALSO: Flooding causes sinkhole on Beltway 8 frontage road

It was 1:15 a.m..

By this time, Cajun Navy rescuers had begun arriving in Port Arthur. They were begging to be let in the water, but the Coast Guard understandably wouldn't grant them permission because the storm was just too strong.

It was gut-wrenching to hear so many calls coming in and having to tell them there was nothing we could do until the storm calmed down a little. The local authorities were doing the best they could, but they were far outnumbered and also unable to get to everyone in the treacherous conditions.

I took several more calls and quickly realized there was no way I could call to verify every request. They were coming in faster than I could type them into the website data bank. I would listen to the request, write down their info and start typing it in. In the time I could enter one request, three more would come in.

I was originally just sitting up in bed with my laptop on my lap, phone in hand and a notepad on my nightstand. Pretty quickly, I moved to my dining room table, plugged in my computer and phone and poured a huge glass of iced tea.

I started out taking notes nice and neat on printer paper. That quickly turned into chaotic scribbles. I was having trouble reading my own handwriting at times.

I got a request from Chad. I had enough time to call him. Trapped in their house, he and his wife had water up to their chests. He told me they were about to go to their attic. I begged him not to do that and told him he had to go to his roof instead. He said there was no way for them to do that. I told him he didn't have a choice. I asked him to keep calling 911, over and over. When we hung up, I texted him other numbers to try  the Coast Guard, the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management, the Air Force.

It was 2:20 a.m..

I spoke to another woman whose name I can't even remember. I didn't call her directly but we had a few exchanges through the app. She told me she and her kids were sitting on their kitchen counter and needed rescuing, but she was scared to get off the counter when boats arrived because there were snakes in the water in their house.

I took request after request after request. Name...phone number...address...number of adults...number of children...number of elderly...medical conditions. I would then type this information in as fast I could so the dispatchers could send the rescuers out. After submitting the information, I received an ID number that I was supposed to relay to the person requesting the rescue. We asked them to remember the number so they could give it to their rescuers when they were finally picked up. We could then mark them safe in the system, avoiding the dilemma of rescuers looking for people who had already been saved by someone else.

It was around this time that I heard one of the dispatchers who goes by Goose ping in to our channel to let us know that the Cajun Navy still had no boats on the water. Conditions were still too dangerous. I had mistakenly assumed we had boats in the water by then.

No wonder we had so many people desperately begging for rescue. No one was coming for them.

All night long I had been telling them to "hang on, we'll be there soon." I didn't know I had been lying to them.

EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN/NYT

AROUND 3 a.m., I got a request from a teenage boy in Orange who was screaming so hysterically I couldn't even understand him. I got his phone number and told him I'd call him directly. The second he answered, he was screaming that his brother and cousin were laying in the backyard, unresponsive, possibly electrocuted.

I'm sad to say that I don't even remember this boy's name. I know I asked, but in the conversation that ensued, I forgot it. He told me that his brother and cousin had been near a shed in the backyard for over an hour, but they couldn't get to them because of the rising water and the storm.

I told him they needed to try to get to them and that I was getting help to them as soon as I could. I think he thought I was an official 911 dispatcher, as he kept asking me why the police weren't there. He said he'd called 911 "at least 100 times" and they never answered. He then told me he and another cousin were going to go outside to check on the young men in the yard. I told him I'd wait. He put the phone down. I listened. And waited.

I could hear panicked conversation and rain and sloshing water. After a very long seven or eight minutes, I suddenly heard the most blood-curdling, gut-wrenching screaming I've ever heard.

I heard a little girl screaming at the top of her lungs.

I heard a boy's voice screaming "no, no, no, noooooo" over and over.

I felt nauseated. And completely helpless. I started screaming into the phone..."Hello! Hello!"

He picked up the phone.

"Miss, I think my brother is dead! He's not breathing! Should we do CPR? What do we do?"

"Do you know CPR? Yes, try CPR!"

"What do I do?" he screamed.

Before I could answer, he dropped the phone again. More chaos. More screaming. Guttural. Desperate. He came back to the phone.

"He's not moving! I don't know what to do! I have to go get my cousin!"

I asked him to put his mom on the phone.

A woman's voice. Much calmer than I expected.

"Hello?"

"Hello, I'm Holly. I'm trying to get some help to you. Tell me what's going on. What's your name?"

"Margaret. My boy is gone! His lips are purple. He's gone."

I desperately searched for words.

Karen Warren/Houston Chronicle

"Margaret, I'm so very sorry. Where is your nephew?"

"He's in the yard. They're trying to get him now."

"Who else is with you?"

Margaret told me she was with her other kids  four or five people total, if I remember correctly  and that they were up to their waists in water.

"My boy is on the table." Her voice cracked. "They're out there trying to get my nephew now. Please get someone here, please," she begged.

I assured her we would. But I knew there were still no boats in the water.

I hung up and called the Coast Guard number we'd been given. They answered immediately, but the person I was talking to was actually in Houston. I quickly explained who I was and what I had just experienced and gave them Margaret's address. He assured me he would let the Coast Guard in Orange know about the family.

I hung up and called the Jefferson County Office of Emergency Management. Shockingly, he answered on the second ring.

"Address!" he barked.

"Hi, my name is Holly Har-"

"I know why you're calling! Where are you?"

"I don't need help. I'm working with the Cajun Navy dispatchers and need someone to get to a family I just spoke with."

I explained the situation and gave them the address

"Jesus Christ," he sighed. He sounded completely defeated.

"I know you're doing the best you can. Just please get to this family."

"We will. We're going to have a lot of deaths here tonight."

I got up from my table to take a break and try to process what had just happened. I had just interjected myself into a family's most horrible moment. As quickly as I had crossed paths with them, they were gone. A 15-minute interaction that will stay with me for a lifetime.

I went to the bathroom, refilled my tea, walked around a bit, thinking to myself, "What are you doing?? You're not qualified to do this!"

Then I sat back down and went back to it.

Karen Warren/Staff Photographer

AROUND 4:30, I got a request from a young woman in Beaumont who was trying to get her 87-year-old grandfather, Chester, rescued in Port Arthur. He lived alone and had water to his shins. I couldn't hear her well through the app, so I called her directly. She told me her grandfather couldn't get through to 911 and she was really scared for him. I assured her someone would get to him and that he would be okay.

There were still no Cajun Navy boats in the water.

At some point, I'd heard another volunteer mention that a woman who lived on Sassine Street and her three kids had retreated to their attic to escape rising waters. I pinged in and told the volunteer that she had to call the woman back and tell her to get out of the attic and go to her roof.

The volunteer came back on the line and said that she'd talked to the woman, but she refused to move because her kids couldn't swim. I asked if she had anything they could use to break through the attic roof. No.

We got word around 7:30 a.m. Wednesday  seven hours after the first calls stared coming in from Port Arthur  that the Cajun Navy had finally been let in the water. Reports of rescues started coming in. I was finally able to mark one of my cases "safe."

I kept taking calls all day Wednesday. Throughout the night and into Wednesday, I was texting with Chad and Shaundra, the young woman calling for her grandfather.

Chad told me the water was almost to their necks and they still hadn't gone to the roof.

Shaundra texted me repeatedly, asking why no one had gotten to her grandfather. The water had risen to his chest. I promised her someone would get there.

The rescues and the "safe" status reports were increasing by the hour. I turned on the TV at some point and started seeing scenes of the same people and situations I was listening to on the app.

Around 10:00, I heard one of the rescuers who uses the handle Cowboy ask about "the woman in the attic on Sassine Street." I immediately pinged in, and Cowboy asked me to call him. He wanted the address again and wanted to know when we had last heard from the lady in the attic. I told him I had no idea because the volunteer who originally took that call had signed off.

Cowboy said he was a few minutes away from Sassine St. and didn't know if he should request another boat with "breaching equipment" or a helicopter. I suggested helicopter, hoping the family had somehow made it to the roof.

The calls for rescue were slowing down but continued to come in at a steady pace. Every 20 to 30 minutes, I'd remind the rescuers that Chester, Shaundra's grandfather, still needed a rescue from 19th Street. And I kept telling Shaundra that they would get there.

EDMUND D. FOUNTAIN/NYT

She finally said she was just going to get in the car and drive from Beaumont to Port Arthur to get him herself. I told her to be careful and let me know she made it. 20 minutes later she texted me to say that they'd been stopped by flood waters and couldn't get there. She told she was afraid he was going to die.

Around 11:30, I realized I hadn't heard Cowboy on the line with a report about Sassine Street. I asked on the app if we had had any update.

My phone rang. It was Cowboy.

"We got to Sassine. It's confirmed."

"Confirmed?" I frantically asked. "Confirmed what? What does that mean? Does that mean they're dead?"

"Yes. Water past the roof. They never left the attic. We sent divers in."

I thanked him for letting me know and off he went to the next rescue.

Used by permission.

AT 3:02 p.m., I got a text from Shaundra that said "[Mam], I thank you so much. He is on his way to the bowling alley." A few minutes later: "Thank you [mam]. He was on a boat at first now he is on a truck."

I let out a huge sigh of relief. I think I may have actually said "Thank you, God" out loud.

I texted Chad at 5:30 p.m. to see if he was safe. I didn't hear back from him until 7:30 Thursday morning: "We are safe now."

I pinged Goose to ask him if he knew if Margaret, the mother who lost her son and her nephew, and her other kids had been rescued. He said they had.

I have texted Margaret to ask her how she was doing. I still haven't heard from her. I've been scanning reports from Orange to see if her family has been mentioned. I need to know the names of the two boys who died.

At 6 p.m. Wednesday, I closed my laptop. I'd been awake 34 hours and wasn't even tired. I was emotionally drained, but there was no way I could've slept right then. I thought back on the last day and half and couldn't believe what I had just heard and experienced.

Even as I type this, it seems surreal. I don't know how police officers and firefighters and 911 dispatchers and EMTs do this every day.

What I do know: I am grateful beyond measure that they do it.

And thank God for the Cajun Navy. How many more people would be dead today if not for our first responders and the thousands of volunteers here? What if a flood of this magnitude had happened 20 years ago, before cell phones and social media? The deaths would be in the hundreds.

I saw a meme on Facebook today that said, "Someone needs to erect a statue honoring the regular dude with a bass boat." It was meant to be funny, but it's actually spot-on.

On Thursday, I got another text from Shaundra. It was a picture of her and her grandfather. I sent a selfie back to her and told her I was going to find a way to meet them in person someday. I really hope I get to do that.

Used by permission

Holly Hartman has been a teacher for 22 years. She currently teaches journalism and is the yearbook and newspaper adviser at Memorial High School in Spring Branch ISD. This story originally appeared as a post on her Facebook page.

Bookmark Gray Matters. Then pour yourself a huge glass of iced tea.
Horse owners can visit Ford Park this week to find their missing horses, Jefferson County Sheriff's office said.

There are 40 healthy horses at Ford Park that were separated from their owners during Tropical Storm Harvey that were rescued in Jefferson and Orange County, a statement said.

Between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, owners can try to find their animals. They must bring a valid ID, their Coggins and a picture of their horse.

The entrance to the barn area at Ford Park is off Texas 124 and not off of the Interstate 10 service road, the statement said.

MGstalter@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/morgGstalt
As Tropical Storm Harvey dropped a torrent of rain on S. 9th Street last week, Beaumont's oldest resident, 107-year-old Callie Green, weathered the storm.

Green's great-niece, Marilyn Guillory, 64, said the flooding there had only ever reached ankle-deep during previous storms, but this time the water was waist-deep. Her main concern was keeping Green safe.

"We took all our bedding and put it on the floor with the towels and everything, trying to make sure (the flooding) didn't get to her," Guillory said. "It got to the foot of her bed. Her whole room was wet, but it wasn't like the rest of the house."

Six generations of Greens and Guillorys live in the house on S. 9th, including Guillory's 25-year-old granddaughter, Jamaica, and Jamaica's son, Benjamin, who turned 1 in June.

Guillory said most of the flooring in the house will need to be replaced, though she doesn't have any flood insurance or any help to replace it.

Green has a condition called "sundowning," in which older patients grow more confused as the day wears on. As a result, Green often sleeps during the day and is awake at night.

"We kept fighting," Guillory said, describing the flooding on Tuesday. "She's too fragile to move, now, so we did everything we could to keep her safe."

Guillory said Green took care of eight siblings during the Great Depression, married twice and regularly attended church at St. Peter Missionary Baptist until two years ago.

"She buried all her family," Guillory said. "She not only took care of them, she buried them. She's the last one."

Guillory said when Green was in her 80s, she bought a brand new bicycle and would visit patients at St. Elizabeth. Now, Green's great-niece is taking care of her.

"She took care of everybody," Guillory said. "And when I tell you everyone, I mean everyone. I kid you not. That's what's so amazing about her. She spent her whole life taking care of everybody. The least we could do is the same."

TCollins@BeaumontEnterprise.com

Twitter.com/tadamcollins
Here are seven hospitals and health systems that have opened or announced plans for ASCs in August.

Columbia, Md.-based MedStar Health opened an orthopedic "super center" with an ASC in Timonium, Md.

Duluth, Minn.-based Essentia Health held a groundbreaking ceremony to expand its clinic and ASC in Grand Rapids, Minn.

New York City-based NYU Langone is in the midst of planning an $84 million ASC to add to its Sunset Park campus.

Methodist McKinney (Texas) Hospital plans to open the Methodist Craig Ranch Surgery Center in McKinney in November.

Naples (Fla.) Community Hospital is seeking city approval to build a clinic with an ASC, despite officials rejecting the proposal in the past.

York, Pa.-based WellSpan Health has plans to build an outpatient center with an ASC in Penn Township, Pa.

Lake Charles-based Christus Health Southwestern Louisiana entered into a joint venture with Prien, La.-based Imperiale Calcasieu Surgical Center.
Here are eight practices with gastroenterology services making news.

Green Bay, Wis.-based Bellin Health acquired Green Bay-based Gastroenterology Associates.

U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., Brain Mast, R-Fla., and Andy Biggsm R-Ariz., visited ASCs in their districts including Mesa, Ariz.-based East Valley Endoscopy.

Columbus, Ohio-based Taylor Station Surgical Center joined the National Colorectal Cancer Roundtable's initiative to boost colorectal cancer screening rates.

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.

Brian Liem, DO, joined the staff of Maywood, Ill.-based Loyola Medicine.

Farmington, N.M.-based San Juan Regional Medical Center acquired San Juan Endoscopy.
U.S. Reps. Bobby Scott, D-Va., Brain Mast, R-Fla., and Andy Biggsm R-Ariz., visited ASCs in their districts including Mesa, Ariz.-based East Valley Endoscopy.

Here's what you should know:

1. ASC physicians and staff members discussed legislation pertaining to ASCs and showed how the centers delivered care.

2. East Valley Endoscopy is owned and operated by Mesa, Ariz.-based Digestive Disease Consultants.

3. The endoscopy center was recognized by the U.S. Census Bureau's National Survey of Ambulatory Surgery. The center was the third highest rated facility in the nation.
Chattanooga, Tenn.-based Erlanger Health System seeks $1 million every 90 days until debt Walker County, Ga., owes the system is paid, according to a Walker County Messenger report.

In July, the 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Walker County must pay $8.7 million in owed debt to Erlanger. The debt stems back to 2011, when Erlanger loaned $20 million to Walker County, the governing body of Fort Oglethorpe, Ga.-based Hutcheson Medical Center. At the time of the loan, which was part of Erlanger's agreement to run day-to-day operations at the Georgia hospital, Hutcheson was struggling financially. Hutcheson eventually filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in November 2014.

Both sides have been in negotiations regarding the debt. However, Shannon Whitfield, the county's commissioner, told Walker County Messenger Erlanger contacted him Aug. 30 and called off negotiations. Mr. Whitfield added Erlanger is set to take the commissioner to federal court over $180,000 it alleges the county owes the system in attorney fees and interest and penalties.

Erlanger did not immediately respond to Becker's Hospital Review request for comment. This article will be updated if information becomes available.

Kelly Gooch contributed to this article.
Amazon plans to invest more than $5 billion into a second company headquarters in North America that will include as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs, according to CNBC.

The online retailer began seeking bids Thursday from cities and states  prioritizing metropolitan areas with more than one million people  for what it is calling HQ2. The company is looking for a "stable and business-friendly environment," either in an urban or suburban location, that would attract top technical talent, according to CNBC, which noted the Associated Press also contributed to its report.

"We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO, said. "Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home."

Wall Street analyst MKM Partners predicts the company's value will more than triple in the next 7 to 8 years, reaching $1.6 trillion, according to a separate CNBC report. The firm also anticipates Amazon's retail spending market share in the U.S. will reach 15.5 percent by 2025, eventually surpassing Walmart.

On Wednesday, Amazon's market value hit $465 billion.

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Dallas-based Tenet Healthcare plans to divest eight hospitals in four U.S. markets, including Philadelphia, as well as nine facilities in the United Kingdom, according to a presentation from outgoing CEO Trevor Fetter at the Baird 2017 Global Healthcare Conference.

Mr. Fetter said in the presentation he projects the additional divestitures to yield between $900 million and $1 billion of proceeds, "including cash and the elimination of capital lease debt." Tenet, which declined to comment beyond the presentation, expects to announce definitive agreements by the end of 2017.

The for-profit hospital operator is divesting facilities as it aims to reduce debt by $680 million in the near term. Earlier this month, Tenet announced plans to sell two Philadelphia hospitals  Hahnemann University Hospital and St. Christopher's Hospital for Children  to El Segundo, Calif.-based Paladin Healthcare for $170 million. Those hospitals are included in the eight additional U.S. hospitals being sold. Tenet did not disclose the names of the remaining six facilities or the markets involved.

In addition to the divestitures, Tenet also announced Aug. 31 it is replacing Mr. Fetter and "refreshing" its board. That news came after the resignation of Tenet board members Randy Simpson and Matt Ripperger, who are employed by Glenview Capital Management, a hedge fund with stakes in Tenet Mr. Simpson and Mr. Ripperger cited "irreconcilable differences regarding significant matters impacting Tenet and its stakeholders."

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Denver Health placed five nurses on investigatory leave for inappropriately viewing and discussing a patient's body last April, the system confirmed in an emailed statement to Becker's Hospital Review.

Denver7, which affirmed incident details with the hospital, was told via a tip the nurses opened a body bag to view the deceased patient's body and checked the size of the individual's genitals.

Hospital officials said they learned of the incident from a concerned staff member who was working in the same area. The nurses were suspended for three weeks.

"Denver Health responded to this report immediately and the nurses in question were placed on investigatory leave," hospital officials said. "Their actions, which violated our policies and our code of conduct, were promptly reported to appropriate governmental authorities, including the Denver Police Department and the Colorado State Board of Nursing. An internal Denver Health investigation resulted in disciplinary action against all those responsible for the incident and the patient's next of kin was notified."

Denver Health spokesman Josh Rasmussen told Denver7 four of the suspended nurses eventually went back to their jobs, while the remaining suspended nurse left her position but was not fired.

Denver Health went on to apologize for the entire incident, saying, "It is not an appropriate representation of the high-quality care and compassion our clinical staff strive to provide to our patients."

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The first report produced by the opioid investigation spearheaded by Senator Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., highlights the lengths Chandler, Ariz.-based Insys Therapeutics went to garner approval for its fentanyl-based painkiller Subsys.

Here are five things to know.

1. Subsys is intended to treat breakthrough pain in cancer patients. However, the report details an audio recording of a 2015 phone call in which an Insys employee misled a pharmacy benefit manager when attempting to obtain prior authorization for a Subsys prescription for a patient named Sarah Fuller, who was being treated for neck and back pain. In March 2016, Ms. Fuller died of a Subsys overdose.

2. In the beginning of the call, the Insys employee tells the PBM representative she's with the "doctor's office" and never clarifies she's working for Insys.

"When questioned as to whether Ms. Fuller does, in fact, suffer from breakthrough cancer pain, the Insys employee avoids responding directly and instead explains 'there's no code for breakthrough cancer pain,'" wrote the report's authors. "She then states again that the Subsys prescription is 'for breakthrough pain, yeah,' and the [PBM] representative discontinues this line of questioning. Toward the end of the call, the Insys employee states that Ms. Fuller is anticipated to remain on Subsys indefinitely."

To download the audio recording of the call, click here.

3. The 2015 call took place during a period when Insys executives were allegedly pressuring employees to increase their approval ratios for Subsys, according to the report.

"There is extensive evidence that Insys aggressively pressured its employees and the entire medical system to increase the use of a fentanyl product during a national epidemic that was taking the lives of tens of thousands of Americans a year in order to make more money  it's hard to imagine anything more despicable," said Ms. McCaskill in an emailed release. "Their attempts to manipulate the prescription approval process for this drug appear to have been systemic, and anyone responsible for this manipulation deserves to be prosecuted."

4. Last month, Insys agreed to pay $4.45 million to resolve a 2016 lawsuit filed by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, alleging the company deceptively marketed its fentanyl-based painkiller Subsys, according to an Aug. 18 announcement.

5. In July, Ms. McCaskill expanded her investigation into the causes of the nation's ongoing opioid epidemic. Thus far, she has requested internal documents from McKesson Corp., AmerisourceBergen Corp., Cardinal Health, Mallinckrodt, Endo, Teva, Purdue Pharma, Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Insys, Depomed and Mylan.

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Baltimore-based Evergreen Health, one of 23 nonprofit health plans created under the ACA, will be liquidated by the end of September, The Baltimore Sun reports.

Here are five things to know.



1. Baltimore Circuit Judge Yolanda Tanner ruled Evergreen Health is insolvent. Regulators said no viable investors exist.

2. About 24,000 Evergreen Health policyholders will lose coverage at the end of the month.

3. Judge Tanner called for a 30-day special enrollment period beginning Sept. 1 for affected members. Four insurers  Aetna, CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield, Kaiser Permanente and UnitedHealthcare  agreed to sell products during the period for coverage retroactive to Sept. 1.



4. In July, a Baltimore circuit judge ordered Risk & Regulatory Consulting in Farmington, Conn., take over the financially strapped insurer for the Maryland Insurance Administration.



5. This followed a decision by three investors  Annapolis, Md.-based Anne Arundel Health System, Baltimore-based LifeBridge Health and JARS Health Investments  to abandon plans to acquire the payer.
Individual marketplace health plans with narrow hospital and physician networks offered premiums 16 percent less expensive than plans with broad networks, according to a recent study published in Health Affairs.

Researchers  led by Leemore Dafny, PhD, a professor of business administration at Boston-based Harvard Business School  examined Robert Wood Johnson Foundation HIX Compare data on silver-tier health plans on the individual marketplace. The 2014 and 2015 data comprised eight states: California, Colorado, Florida, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Texas and Washington.



The study authors also gathered data from insurers' websites, including names and addresses of all in-network acute care hospitals for each plan within the study period. Researchers then matched hospitals and discharge data sets for each state in the study.

The study estimates an increase in hospital network breadth from narrow to broad was linked with a premium increase of 5.7 percent in the study period. This equates to $191 per year for a 27-year-old person in 2014, the researchers estimate. Similarly, an increase in physician network breadth from small to broad was associated with a premium increase of 9.4 percent in the study period, or about $316 annually.



Expanding both hospital and physician network breadth was linked to a 15.7 percent premium increase, or $527 per year, the study found.



In addition, if all plans offered broader provider networks, researchers estimate average second-lowest-price silver plan premiums would increase 10.8 percent annually, or $330. Researchers projected narrow networks decreased premium subsidies by about $2.4 billion in 2014, the report states.

Researchers said factors limiting the study include a sample representing about 43 percent of the U.S. population, descriptive rather than causal statistics and the relative newness of the marketplace products.
As Texas addresses the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which struck the state's coast Aug. 25, Florida is working to prepare for the nation's next natural disaster: Hurricane Irma, a Category 5 storm expected to make landfall as early as Friday.

In the wake of Harvey  the Category 4 storm HHS Secretary Tom Price, MD, declared a public health emergency in Texas and Louisiana last month  a range of telemedicine vendors provided free services to victims in evacuation areas. MDLive, a Sunrise, Fla.-based provider of remote nonemergency general and behavioral care, offered individuals in cities along the Gulf Coast in Texas and Louisiana access to one telephone or video visit at no cost between Aug. 25 and Sept. 8. In advance of Irma, MDLive is planning a similar intervention, waiving visit fees for impacted individuals in Florida.

"It's just the right thing to do. There's nothing more complicated about it," explains Deborah Mulligan, MD, chief medical affairs officer at MDLive. "Did we have past experience? Not at this level. We did offer the opportunity during Hurricane Matthew [in 2016], but that wasn't near the magnitude of Harvey in this country."

Dr. Mulligan, who joined MDLive in January 2011, is a practicing physician, board-certified in pediatrics and emergency medicine. In one emergency medicine project, she led a national initiative to develop the Family Readiness Kit, an American Academy of Pediatrics-endorsed resource framework that helps parents prepare for natural and manmade disasters, from winter storms to terrorist attacks. She has also worked in emergency rooms during a slew of natural disasters, including Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

Dr. Mulligan spoke with Becker's Hospital Review about how telemedicine can help physicians prepare for and respond to incidents like Harvey.

Editor's note: Responses have been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Question: What challenges do patients face when attempting to reach medical care during a natural disaster, such as a hurricane?

Dr. Deborah Mulligan: One of the biggest problems that occurs with any natural disaster is the collapse of the healthcare infrastructure, particularly in those areas where there's an influx of demand. With Harvey, you're already seeing multiple hospitals cannot keep up with the surge. Why? There are all sorts of reasons. For example, do they have the resources? Or, many employees don't come into work because they're so fearful for their own families, homes or pets. Now you don't have enough people, you're running out of resources, and in other scenarios, you could triage patients out or you could send them to other hospitals to decompress, but there's nowhere to send anyone right now. That means we're a great partner in the community.

Q: What role can telemedicine play during a natural disaster?

DM: MDLive is bolstering the brick-and-mortar medical triage capabilities of our colleagues in emergency departments. We at MDLive provide nonemergency care; we should not be managing acute emergency care, which requires in-person management for critical injuries or illnesses. However, we were very well-positioned and well-prepared to help victims avoid the time it takes to be transported to any disadvantaged area. We're a high-level triage, because we're not nurses, we're physicians who are board-certified with five to 10 years of experience. We're able to answer concerns and questions for the public and to steer them where they need to go. Can you stay where you're sheltered, and can we help you get your medications? Do you need to see a physician? Does that have to be in an emergency department? Can you go to an urgent care center or a clinic set up in a local shelter?

Q: What nonemergency medical needs do you expect to increase after a natural disaster like Harvey?

DM: We're getting patients who are unable to get medications for underlying health conditions like diabetes, asthma and cardiovascular disease. For these patients, their physician's office may be closed or they may be displaced; they may not even be in Houston; they may be in another location in Texas, Oklahoma or wherever they were able to be transported. Their medications may have been lost or they may need refills. Another health complaint we're seeing is for emotional disturbances. Twenty percent of the population is on some form of medication for an ongoing mental health condition, but there are also people who are not on medications for those purposes who are now under such stress that they can't sleep; they have headaches; or they're feeling nervous, worried or anxious.

Then, what's going to happen the week after the hurricane? We've got an awful lot of water. That water's standing water, and although they're trying to clean it up, there's sewage spillover. I have a feeling we're going to run into problems with insect bites  mosquitoes, fire ants and bees. With mosquitoes, there's also the worry of Zika, dengue and West Nile, all of which have a presence, to some degree, in Texas.

Q: Are there any barriers to working with patients who have not used MDLive before, such as not having medical histories on file?

DM: I'll answer that question in two ways. One, we sometimes still get information about patients who have not already been part of our system, because they might not realize they have this as a benefit. For example, if they're a member of Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas, we might get a lot of medical information right when they register, as part of their benefit package with their employer or insurance company.

Two, for someone with no known benefit, it's the same as if you walked into the ER as one of the walking wounded. We ER docs know nothing about you beyond what you share with us. When they register we'll go through the entire medical history  including medications, allergies, past surgeries, anything that's going to be relevant to that consultation  just as we would if you walked into an urgent care or ER and were new to that facility. From my point of view, I don't consider that a problem, because that's what we do every day in the ER.

Q: How did MDLive prepare to offer free services in the wake of Hurricane Harvey?

DM: We knew, prior to landfall, Harvey was starting to look like it would require one of the largest disaster responses the community has ever faced. Because of my background, I contacted our founder, Randy Parker, on August 23 to ask if we could start preparing. He listened and agreed, and we contacted all our doctors who are licensed in Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana, because those are the places people will move if they're evacuated. We asked the physicians to stand ready 24/7 to manage patients that might come, so we had those physician soldiers teed up. We also contacted our partners and agencies, and I am so grateful to tell you Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas stepped up immediately. We were able to work with them in advance to start the ball rolling and to prevent critical problems, for example, by putting out that Family Readiness Kit and letting individuals know MDLive would be there to provide care.
Imagine the world where employers support and pay for medical innovation by directing employees to providers who use clinically and economically proven medical innovation. That future may not be far off; 150 million of 200 million commercially insured Americans receive health insurance via their employers, according to Kaiser Family Foundation, and many companies with self-funded health insurance incentivize employees to visit specific centers of excellence for elective procedures based on clinical quality and cost partnerships.

This content is sponsored by Paradigm Spine

These self-funded health insurance plans catapult employers into the value-based arena, and employers are active in identifying medical service economics, from overall disease management to making decisions for which medical services and procedures they cover.



"The self-funded employer sponsored health plan is most prevalent among commercial policies," says Vincent Zeringue, Paradigm Spine's vice president of business development West.



The self-funded health plan

In traditional fully funded plans, payers add a profit margin to premiums. Self-funded plans are attractive to large companies because employers contract directly with payers to cover employees. Within the self-funded plan model, employers pay payers a limited fee to help with administrative management of the plans. Self-funded and fully funded plans both engage larger payers in some capacity; economic-drivers are the main difference between the two plan models.



"[Self-funded] plans allow employers to recapture margins that would otherwise be ceded to an insurance company, when providing administrative services, in the context of a fully funded insurance plan," explains Ahmad El-Naggar, Paradigm Spine's director of corporate initiatives.



Employers take on full risk with self-funded health insurance plans, collecting premiums from their employers and putting the money into a collective account. As employees utilize healthcare services, employers debit the account.



Here are the essential characteristics of both health plan types:



Fully-funded health plans

 Company pays the payer a premium, which is valued at a fixed rate for a year based on the number of enrolled employees each month

 Monthly premium changes during the year if the number of enrolled employees shifts

 Payers collect premiums and pay healthcare claims based on coverage benefits

 Employees pay deductibles or co-payments mandated by the policy



Self-funded health plans

 Often large employers operate their own health plans

 Employers will self-insure to save the profit margin payers add to premiums in fully funded plans

 A self-funded plan consists of fixed costs, such as administrative expenses and stop-loss premiums

 Variable costs consist of healthcare claim payments

 Employers may opt to purchase a stop-loss policy to reduce liability and ease risk in cases of high loss

"Employers choose to self-insure for a couple of reasons. Financial risk or risk tolerance is a significant factor in whether a company self-insures or not. Self-funding healthcare is less expensive and provides employers the most options to customize benefit plans for employees," says Mr. Zeringue. "The difference between the two [plans] is there's an economic advantage with the self-funded."



Self-funded employers are much more aware of the economics surrounding covered medical procedures compared to employers offering fully funded plans, said Mr. El-Naggar. An employer's human relations director or benefits manager often oversees self-funded plans provisions and is permitted to provide "case-by-case policy approvals" for medical procedures. This decision to "approve" often correlates with a procedure's or innovation's demonstrated clinical outcomes, and more and more, the addition of proven economic outcomes, Mr. El-Naggar says. Employers are more aware of procedures and innovations that demonstrate clinical and economic advantages.



How medical innovation ties in

Transitioning away from a fee-for-service world, the healthcare environment is coming to demand higher quality at lower costs.



Medical innovation that demonstrates clinical and economic validity to improve a patient's condition is positioned to answer both of those needs. To achieve the proven innovation label, the service or technology must achieve positive long-term results, documented in peer-reviewed literature. However, with the transition to value-based care, cost matters now, too.



"In the last five years, to be defined as 'value' or 'proven innovation,' not only clinical validity, but economic validity related to those services has been brought to the forefront," Mr. Zeringue explains. Patients, employers, providers and insurers are now looking beyond the clinical superiority and expect the same economic proof as well.



"Increasingly, medical innovations are solving for those two variables with sharp specificity and efficiency, and accordingly, there are increasing innovative technologies, with data supporting favorable healthcare outcomes for patients and employees, and healthcare economics to reduce the financial burden on employers and health providers," explains Mr. El-Naggar.



Paradigm Spine's coflex meets the highest standard of "medical innovation" qualifications. The coflex technology has documented peer-reviewed data demonstrating safety, superior clinical efficacy and durability of outcomes over long-term with the addition of positive economic outcomes. Paradigm Spine has proven the use of coflex potentially decreasing "the overall financial burden of lumbar spinal stenosis on our healthcare system," Mr. El-Naggar adds.

Self-funded employers seek innovation that helps manage their financial risk while simultaneously satisfying their employees.



"The ability to empower or enable an employee to access and receive both clinical and economic proven innovation is key," says Mr. Zeringue. "Adopting innovation to meet both financial and quality outcomes need, allows the employer and employee to receive this degree of satisfaction."



Leveraging self-funded plans for medical innovations

Patients are increasingly speaking up with opinions and need about their healthcare, in seeking the best medical procedures. Both quality and cost factor into these decisions. Seventy percent of patients reported increased engagement with their healthcare during the last two years, according to a 2017 Patient Engagement Perspectives Study.



"Today patients/employees are more empowered and informed regarding their own healthcare than they have ever been," adds Mr. El-Naggar. "Patients (employees of self-funded employers) are empowered to influence or change the course of their medical care and treatments they receive."



The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act promotes increased patient engagement, as it burdened patients with increased out-of-pocket expenses.



"Medical consumerism, or patients engaging in healthcare decisions aligns both the parties paying for healthcare, the employer and patient. Proven medical innovations, is what both employers and patients desire and supports increasing medical consumerism," Mr. Zeringue notes.



If an employer's medical policy does not support proven innovation, there are actions for the patient to take. Employees should document a physician prescribed the innovation, and the innovation has been proven for the patient's condition. Examples of "proof" may include FDA approval of an innovation, long-term outcomes published in peer-reviewed journals and society guidelines. Employees should also provide, from their perspective, why they desire approval for the service/innovation. Often patients identify benefits of less invasive service, estimate quicker recovery and more often, ability to receive care in an ambulatory surgery center, avoiding the inpatient admission.



"Employees have a substantial opportunity that cannot be understated to seek out the medical procedures/innovations they and their medical care providers believe are best for them, regardless of the explicitly stated coverage policy of their insurance plan," says Mr. El-Naggar.



While providers work the authorization appeal process on the payer front, employees should seek approval with their HR departments. As HR directors and benefits managers focus on the satisfaction of their employees, healthcare options to include medical innovations are important. Employees active in obtaining approval for their care will allow employers to consider and provide access to optimal treatments.



"Already this year, we've seen a number of large employers with self-funded healthcare, including Wal-Mart, Albertson's, Boeing and many hospital systems, approve employee requests for coflex. These examples of coflex approval by the employers were made following provider receipt of a prior-authorization denial," adds Mr. El-Naggar.



Employers, HR departments and employees all play a role in advancing access to proven medical innovations. "Similar to patients, employers look to clinically and economically proven medical innovation to lower costs and provide high-quality patient outcomes along with increased employee/patient satisfaction. The combination of both employer and employee alignment is what allows for expaned medical innovation access," says Mr. Zeringue.



Conclusion

As demand for healthcare value continues, providers must deliver increased quality care and lower costs. Self-funded employers look to and rely upon clinical and economically proven services and medical innovations to offer employees where quality is improved and cost may be lowered.



Equipped with a better understanding of their care plans, benefits and ability to obtain approvals for care, employees will no longer fail to have a role and influence during decisions related to their healthcare. Providers, employers and payers must all align to ensure patient engagement and patient satisfaction is at the top of mind.



Via self-funded health plans, employers have the power to seek out and fight for medical innovations that offer patients the best outcomes. Medical innovation  supported by clinical and economic validity  will help all stakeholders satisfy the patient.



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A new branch of Marks & Spencer set to open in Craigavon next year will create 80 new jobs in the local area.

The British retailer made the announcement today as part of the 50-year anniversary celebrations of opening its Belfast Donegall Street branch - marking its entry into the Northern Irish market.

The 7,400 sq ft food hall will be located in the Marlborough Retail Park and will feature a 50-seat cafe.

Anniversary celebrations took place on Thursday at Marks & Spencer branches across the province, with customers able to avail of food tastings and styling sessions.

Marks & Spencer employs around 3,000 full-time and part-time staff in Northern Ireland across its 20 stores.

Speaking about the expansion, the company's chief executive Steve Rowe said: "Our success here is down to the mutual support of our customers, suppliers and dedicated colleagues over the last five decades. Each and every one of them deserves a huge thank you for the role they have played in making M&S Northern Ireland the fantastic business it is today."

Plans are in the pipeline to open two other stores, with one opening at Aldergrove near to Belfast International Airport in October, and another in Carrickfergus next year.

There are also plans to relocate the Newry branch to the Quays Shopping Complex in 2018.
David Davis promised to take action if MPs identified any right which would be lost as a result of the bill

Brexit Secretary David Davis has accused Labour of a "cynical political exercise" to undermine the "only viable plan" to deliver withdrawal from the European Union.

His attack came as MPs clashed in the House of Commons over the Government's flagship Brexit Bill, which Labour has denounced as an undemocratic "power grab" by ministers.

Meanwhile, it emerged in Brussels that European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker had questioned Mr Davis's "stability and accountability" and his political mandate to conduct talks.

In minutes of a July 12 meeting with the EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, Mr Juncker is recorded as expressing concern about Mr Davis's "apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations".

In an apparent reference to the Conservative Government's loss of its overall majority in the June general election, he urged Mr Barnier "not to accept discussions at the purely technical level with negotiators who had no political mandate, while fundamental political questions still remained".

Mr Barnier brushed off the comments at a Brussels press conference, insisting he had "cordial" relations with the Brexit Secretary and praising his "professionalism".

But the Commission official voiced anger over the decision of Mr Davis's negotiating team to mount an extensive line-by-line challenge at last week's talks in the Belgian capital to the legal basis for the EU's claim to a financial settlement expected to reach 50 billion or more.

Mr Barnier said he was "very disappointed" at the move, which appeared to be "backtracking" on London's previous pledge to honour international commitments.

Denying that the settlement was an "exit bill or punishment", Mr Barnier the UK was simply being asked to meet commitments to the EU's seven-year budget signed up to by David Cameron and approved by the Westminster Parliament.

"Every euro spent has a specific legal base," he told reporters. "There is a moral dilemma here. You can't have 27 paying for what was decided by 28. What was decided by the 28 member states has to be borne out by 28 member states, right up to the end. It's as simple as that."

He urged Theresa May's Government to "take a fresh look at the legal analysis they presented the other day, which for us is extremely negative in terms of the success of our negotiations".

And he said he was "worried" by London's approach to the future of the Northern Irish border, warning it could not be used as "a kind of test case for the future EU/UK customs relations" in a way which was unfair to the Republic.

Mr Barnier made clear that he was not yet in a position to declare that sufficient progress has been made on withdrawal issues to move on to the second phase of talks, involving future trade relations.

And senior European figures voiced scepticism that this stage will be reached by October, when London is hoping that leaders of the remaining 27 member states will give the green light to trade talks.

European Parliament president Antonio Tajani said he would advise the European Council to delay its assessment until December, while former Council president Herman van Rompuy said the chances of moving on to the second phase in October were "in the neighbourhood of zero".

Mr Barnier said he was "prepared to step up the pace" of negotiations if Britain asked to.

But he firmly rejected suggestions that Mrs May could break the deadlock by talking direct to the 27 national leaders.

"The heads of state and government have chosen a single negotiator, who stands before you at the moment," he told reporters.

"It is through that single negotiator that things must progress."

In the Commons, Mr Davis said he stood ready to listen to suggestions for improvements to the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, but said it was "vital in the national interest" that the legislation passes.

The Bill - also referred to by ministers as the Great Repeal Bill - overturns the 1972 Act which took Britain into the European Economic Community and incorporates relevant EU laws into the UK statute book to prevent black holes in the law at the point of Brexit.

Labour has denounced it as "completely unacceptable", because it hands wide-ranging authority to ministers to amend the law without securing parliamentary consent under so-called Henry VIII powers.

But some of Jeremy Corbyn's MPs are expected to defy his orders to vote against it at second reading on Monday. Former whip Graham Stringer said that opposing the Bill would be "an absolute breach of trust" with voters.

Tory opponents of a hard Brexit have indicated they will hold back on any challenge to the Bill until later in its passage through Parliament, though veteran Europhile Ken Clarke hinted he might be prepared to rebel unless he received "some assurances".

Mr Davis said he was ready to discuss possible amendments, but insisted that ministers must have the ability to "correct" EU legislation to make it fit with UK law.

"These corrections need to be made to ensure we have a functioning statute book," he said.

"As far as we can see, the power we have proposed is the only logical and feasible way to make those corrections. Our approach remains the only viable plan."

Responding to Mr Juncker's remarks, a spokesman for the Department for Exiting the EU said: "These are clearly out-of-date comments and it is abundantly clear that the Secretary of State has been fully engaged and involved throughout the negotiations, in the same way as Mr Barnier.

"The UK has also made its approach to the negotiations and what our deep and special relationship may look like through a series of detailed position and future partnership papers."

Conservative MP Charlie Elphicke said: 'It's clear the British Government seizing the initiative in the negotiations is causing frustration in Brussels. These bar room insults show how weak and defensive they have become."

And another Tory backbencher, Maria Caulfield, said: 'The British negotiators have entered the discussions in a spirit of respect, so it's disappointing that Juncker seems more interested in a public slagging match than he is in working pragmatically on Brexit.

"I can only hope that Barnier ignores the mutterings of this backseat driver and gets down to work on negotiating a future partnership that works for both sides."
London's blue chip index closed lower by 0.25%, or 18.79 points, at 7,354.13

The FTSE 100 was dragged into the red on Wednesday, weighed down by stocks including Barratt Developments following a tepid outlook by the UK housebuilder.

London's blue chip index closed lower by 0.25%, or 18.79 points, at 7,354.13, with Barratt emerging as its worst performer after falling 4.5%, or 28.5p, to end the day at 595.5p.

While the UK's biggest housebuilder booked a 12.1% increase in full-year pre-tax profit, it was not enough to charm investors.

David Madden, a market analyst at CMC Markets UK, said: "Barrett Developments posted a strong set of figures today but it wasn't enough to satisfy traders as the forecast was only lukewarm.

"The homebuilder expects 'modest' growth next year because higher stamp duty and slightly lower demand in the London market prompted the company to issue a cautious outlook.

"The healthy jump in dividend, record completions and record profits were over-shadowed by underwhelming forecast."

Sterling's strength against the US dollar also weighed on the FTSE 100, with the pound rising 0.2% to trade at 1.305. Versus the euro, the UK currency was flat at 1.093.

Across Europe, the French Cac 40 rose nearly 0.3% while the German Dax climbed 0.75%.

Brent crude prices jumped nearly 2% to 54.16 US dollars (41.48) per barrel as demand for oil continued to hold in the aftermath of tropical storm Harvey.

In UK stocks, Berkeley Group fell 95p to 3,657p after renewing its warning over the impact of Brexit uncertainty on London's property market.

The housebuilder was also dealt a blow after 16% of investors voted against pay plans for top bosses amid backlash over a 92 million windfall for six executives.

Sports Direct rose 5.4p to 389.6p as investors digest news from the company's annual general meeting.

Independent shareholders backed chairman Keith Hellawell to stay in post despite mounting criticism over his stewardship.

The former West Yorkshire Police chief constable and government drugs tsar saw 53.24% of shareholders vote in favour of his reappointment while a significant tranche - 46.76% - opposed the move

Fulham Shore shares tumbled 3p to 14.25p after the Franco Manca owner issued a profit warning following a summer slowdown at its restaurants.

While the company hit targets in the first quarter, Fulham Shore said it was hit by a "slowdown in trade" in July and August, particularly at its suburban London restaurants.

However, it stressed this was a "sector-wide trading pattern" and was "not unique" to its brands.

The biggest risers on the FTSE 100 were Micro Focus International up 136p to 2,343p, Next up 107p to 4,374p, ITV up 3.2p to 159.4p and Paddy Power Betfair up 100p to 7,210p.

The biggest fallers on the FTSE 100 were Barratt Developments down 28.5p to 595.5p, G4S down 8.3p to 276p, BAE Systems down 16.5p to 594p and Persimmon down 63p to 2,561p.
When it comes to property matters, leading local law firm Wilson Nesbitt Solicitors is right on top.

The company participates in one in every 12 local property transactions, and as a lead player in the industry, is delighted to be part of this year's Belfast Telegraph Property Awards.

Wilson Nesbitt will be proud sponsors of the Property Deal of the Year Award at our glittering event in November.

Partner Neil Logan said: "We wanted to be involved in the awards to recognise the hard work that goes into making these developments possible.

"Property transactions are fraught with uncertainty and pressure.

"It is no easy task to work under those conditions, day in and day out.

"We congratulate everyone who has been nominated for an award and recognise the achievement of standing out in such a competitive industry."

Wilson Nesbitt is an integral part of the industry in Northern Ireland - representing banks, building societies, developers, builders, investors and private clients in both commercial and residential transactions.

Mr Logan explained why his firm stands out from the crowd: "It's all about communication. We provide a one-to-one relationship service for our banking, corporate and commercial clients backed up with a serious level of technical expertise built up over a period of many years.

"When problems arise there is always someone in the team who has confronted the same problem in the past; the answer is quickly provided and the problem accurately solved."

The firm has a reputation for providing innovative solutions for major clients.

"This reputation has been earned by long-term investment in human resources, systems and processes.

Neil added: "We take a five-year view on our investment decisions. And that investment is always ongoing."

Technology plays a huge role in their work and ambitions. Wilson Nesbitt have made an over 1.5m investment in their IT personnel & systems over the last five years.

"We measure ourselves against the best efficiencies and client service levels in the UK.

"We have an in-house IT team consisting of three full-time employees who work with the different departments, including the property team, to continually enhance the firm's working practices, risk management and client experiences.

"The team is supported by external specialist consultants."

The 30-strong Wilson Nesbitt property team specialise solely in commercial and residential property financing or transactions.

Again, efficiency and communication are the under-riding principles of the team structure, and clients enjoy a smooth process underpinned by specialist knowledge and experienced risk and security management.
European Union Chief Negotiator in charge of Brexit negotiations with Britain Michel Barnier addresses the media on the publication of "Guiding Principles for the Dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland". / AFP PHOTO / EMMANUEL DUNANDEMMANUEL DUNAND/AFP/Getty Images

Chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier has said the UK's plans for the Irish border are worrying and unfair on Ireland.

The EU Article 50 talks chief was talking after the publication of the guideline position of the 27 countries on dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland.

Addressing the Press Mr Barnier said it was important to preserve peace on the island and uphold the principles in the Good Friday Agreement.

But he emphasised that political decisions needed to be made ahead of any technical decisions on how to cross what will be the UK's only land border with the EU post-Brexit.

What I see in the UK paper on Ireland and Northern Ireland worries me. Michel Barnier

"We need to avoid a return to a hard border, while respecting Ireland's place in the single market. North south cooperation will need to be preserved in all policy areas," he said.

"Irish citizens living in Northern Ireland must continue to enjoy rights as citizens of EU. It is the birth right of all born on the island of Ireland to be Irish, British or both."

Barnier committed the EU to honouring its financial commitments to peace-building projects in Northern Ireland but that he expected the UK to honour its financial commitments in any settlement.

"But we are not there yet," he said.

The talks negotiator said the solution to the border issues would need to be "unique" requiring both sides to be flexible and creative.

Creativity and flexibility can't be at the expense of the integrity of the single market and customs union. Michel Barnier

Mr Barnier said he was concerned over the UK Government's position on Ireland, which appeared to envisage the EU suspending the application of its laws, single market and customs union at a new external border.

"What I see in the UK paper on Ireland and Northern Ireland worries me," he told a Brussels press conference.

"The UK wants to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future EU/UK customs relations. This will not happen.

"Creativity and flexibility can't be at the expense of the integrity of the single market and customs union.

"This would be not fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union."

Mr Barnier said his side were ready to "accelerate" divorce talks with the UK. It comes as MPs debate a bill which will seek to repeal the 1972 European Communities Act and incorporate European Law into UK law.

Meanwhile new documents have revealed European Commission president Jean Claude Juncker has voiced concern about the "stability and accountability" of David Davis and his political mandate to conduct Brexit talks

In talks with chief EU negotiator Michel Barnier, Mr Juncker said the Brexit Secretary's "apparent lack of involvement" in talks "risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations", according to official minutes released in Brussels.

An official Commission spokeswoman declined to comment on the minutes, saying the situation had "moved on" since July 12, when Mr Barnier briefed Mr Juncker and other commissioners.

Mr Juncker's comments emerged as Mr Barnier released a raft of new papers setting out the EU's negotiating position on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, intellectual property rights, public procurement and data protection.

And they came as MPs prepared for a bruising House of Commons showdown over the Government's key Brexit legislation, with Labour threatening to vote down the Bill repealing Britain's EU membership and other parties tabling amendments to block it.

The minutes of the July 12 meeting at the Commission's Berlaymont HQ recorded that Mr Juncker "expressed his concern about the question of the stability and accountability of the UK negotiator and his apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations".

In an apparent reference to the Conservative Government's loss of its overall majority in the June general election, the minutes added that Mr Juncker urged Mr Barnier "not to accept discussions at the purely technical level with negotiators who had no political mandate, while fundamental political questions still remained".
A 12-year-old boy collapsed after the back of his neck was hit by a laser pen, it has been claimed.

The schoolboy and his friend, also 12, were walking towards a bus stop in west Belfast yesterday when they were attacked from behind.

The two boys were on the Glen Road when they were approached by a group of young men at around 4.30pm.

Both boys felt something on their neck and one fell to the ground.

He was rushed to hospital, but his injuries are not believed to be life-threatening.

Unconfirmed reports from local sources suggested laser pens were used in the incident.

Steven Corr, a Sinn Fein councillor in the area, said: "It is totally wrong for anyone to be attacked in this way. It's concerning that two young boys who are going about their business are viciously set upon.

"I hope the two young men make a speedy recovery and if anyone has any information please contact the police."

SDLP councillor Tim Attwood said: "This is an appalling assault. The two victims must have been very frightened.

"It's vital people pass on information and we find out who was involved in this incident."

Sergeant Tom Donnelly appealed to anyone who may have witnessed the incident or has information to contact the police.
A west Belfast MLA is joining forces with a Shankill Road peer to organise a rally in Belfast against the Tory Government.

The anti-austerity demonstration will be held at City Hall next month on the day the Conservative Party conference opens in Manchester.

In an open letter that will be sent to trade unions and community groups, People Before Profit MLA Gerry Carroll and Baroness May Blood appeal for support for their rally against planned cuts to health and education.

"On 1st October, to coincide with the Tory Party conference, we are calling for a mass demonstration to protest against this rotten government," they declare.

"We encourage people to attend in large numbers with their families, workmates, trade unions and community groups. We will stand up for the most vulnerable in our society to demand an alternative, more equal future."

Mr Carroll told the Belfast Telegraph: "This protest will be a long overdue manifestation of the anger that has built up in communities after nearly a decade of cutbacks.

"Our public sector and community groups have been decimated.

"We're facing a health crisis that threatens the lives of vulnerable people and a devastating housing crisis that has left single mothers and their children on the streets.

"Last week, we were told that we could see a further 70m cut from health, and schools getting even less for pupils. People are rightly furious.

"The most vulnerable in our society are being asked to pay the price for austerity yet again."

Mr Carroll said that he and Baroness Blood were calling on "community groups, trade unions, political parties and individuals" to join them in "calling out the Tory/DUP coalition of chaos" and to "stand in solidarity" with those bearing the brunt of cuts.

Baroness Blood added: "If you are angry about how your elected politicians are speaking for you, this is your opportunity to show the strength of people power and how wrong they are."

In their joint letter, the People Before Profit MLA and the Labour peer launch a hard-hitting attack on Theresa May's Government.

"Austerity is destroying the social fabric of our society and recently announced health cuts to the tune of 70 million will have unspeakable effects, hitting those in poverty the hardest," they state.

They also condemn the "DUP's disgraceful role in propping up the Tory party" and demand that Mrs May "properly fund public services, decent wages and homes for those who desperately need them".
A former employment minister who was forced to sign on the dole after losing his Assembly seat has described his experience of heading to the benefits office for the first time.

Danny Kennedy, who had been an Ulster Unionist MLA since 1998 and previously held the post of Minister for the Department of Employment and Learning, was one of several high-profile politicians not returned in March.

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Mr Kennedy was ousted from his Newry and Armagh constituency seat by Sinn Fein's Conor Murphy in a particularly divisive election campaign, later described as a battle between 'orange and green'.

Speaking to the Belfast Telegraph, Mr Kennedy said: "Once you lose your seat you're effectively unemployed, so I found myself in that position for the first time in 39 years.

"I have always been fortunate enough to have full employment over those years, even before I went into full-time politics.

"But that is the system, lots of people have been and are in that situation, this is not a 'feel sorry for Danny Kennedy' story, it's just the reality of life when you lose your job."

The former Ulster Unionist deputy leader registered for Jobseeker's Allowance (JSA) in July and said his visit to the Newry Jobs & Benefits office was the first time he had been there since his stint as Employment Minister.

He said: "The staff were very professional and cordial but I was given no special treatment. I was professionally dealt with and the system was explained.

"Having made contributions through my tax payments and National Insurance contributions for 39 years, I am entitled to apply for and receive JSA for a limited period."

He added: "Each experience (of unemployment) is unique to the individual, no one seeks to be unemployed. I had been very fortunate that it was an experience I have not had until now.

"I suppose there is a degree of humility involved but I'm not different to anyone else.

"I am seeking employment, this is not about money. This is not about how down I feel, I'm actively seeking further employment because I feel I still have a contribution to make."

Mr Kennedy, who is still a senior member of the UUP, would not be drawn on what sort of work he is looking for but admitted he would consider re-entering politics if an opportunity arose.

However, he expressed concern that the Stormont Assembly was not up and running at present.

He added: "The political situation is upside down at the moment and that is very frustrating as a citizen to observe. Whether or not there will be further opportunities in politics we will have to wait and see, but I can't sit around and do nothing until that situation emerges. I want to see if there are other options available.

"This is an experience that many people have, it shouldn't really be different for Danny Kennedy than anyone else because of the fact I have a public profile or the fact at one stage in my career I was Minister for Employment and Learning and in one of the few visits to Newry Jobs & Benefits, I went as minister.

"When unemployment comes to individuals we are all faced with the same challenges."

Mr Kennedy also served as Minister for Regional Development.

In May last year he was elected deputy speaker of the Northern Ireland Assembly.

Mr Kennedy said he has had no job offers since leaving the Assembly.

Employment opportunities had been few and far between, he added.

"At the age of 58, that in itself makes it a challenge to re-enter the workforce," he said.
A former member of Polish special forces has been remanded in custody, accused of breaking into his ex-partner's home and shooting her dog in the head

A former member of Polish special forces has been remanded in custody, accused of breaking into his ex-partner's home and shooting her dog in the head.

The woman returned to the property to find it covered in blood, with the dog in a gruesome state and barely alive.

Slawomir Marcim Pazera (36) of Knockmenagh, Craigavon, is accused of entering the home in Dungannon as a trespasser on September 4 with intent to do damage or cause injury while armed with a weapon.

He is further charged with causing unnecessary suffering to the dog.

A detective told Dungannon Magistrates' Court that the charges could be connected.

Objecting to bail, the detective explained the woman called police after returning to her home on the evening in question to find it covered in faeces and blood.

The animal had two wounds to its head, but was still alive. The victim called her vet, who said they believed the pet had been shot. The dog's injuries were so severe it had to be put to sleep.

The remains were removed for a specialist post-mortem to determine the cause of the injuries, but the report has yet to be filed.

The woman said she and Pazera had until recently been in a relationship, but he could not accept it was over.

After he was arrested, the defendant, who denies all charges, admitted going to the property, but said he could not get in so he went to his home in Craigavon.

The detective objected to bail, telling the court he feared Pazera could contact his former partner.

"He has expressed anger management issues and on a previous occasion, whilst in a hospital setting, disclosed thoughts of wanting to hurt his then partner," he said. "He also approached victims in another matter and threatened them not to attend court."

A defence barrister said that despite no weapon being found and no gunshot being heard, his client had been swabbed for firearms residue. The results have yet to be returned.

He also claimed the dog had been "sick and apparently dying", adding that, after serving in Iraq, Afghanistan and Kosovo, his client had developed post-traumatic stress disorder.

"This is causing him difficulty in a custodial setting," the barrister said. "He is willing to abide by any conditions including tagging, a curfew and exclusion from Dungannon."

But District Judge John Meehan rejected any question of release.

"This is a sinister, highly dangerous situation" the judge said.

"The relationship could only be described as toxic and there is an issue over the vulnerability of the victim. One must assure safety above all."

Pazera was remanded in custody to appear again at the same court by video-link later this month.
Northern Ireland medical professionals who refer women to hospitals in Great Britain for abortions will not face court action, Director of Public Prosecutions Barra McGrory has revealed.

The news was welcomed by Amnesty International, whose local campaigns manager Grainne Teggart said that lifting the threat of prosecution represented a significant breakthrough in the fight for abortion rights here.

Her comments come after Mr McGrory told the organisation that he cannot see any risk for NHS employees who refer women to NHS hospitals and clinics in the rest of the UK.

This latest development follows an announcement by the UK Government in which it said it was providing funding for Northern Irish women to access abortions for free in England. The administrations in Wales and Scotland have done likewise.

There remained, however, a legal question over whether anyone referring a woman in Northern Ireland for an abortion would face prosecution.

Ms Teggart said the question of possible prosecutions was central to the effectiveness of the new arrangements being put in place. She welcomed the clarity provided by the DPP.

The threat of prosecution has long loomed over medical professionals here, who previously felt unable to refer women to other parts of the UK for abortion services for fear of criminal prosecution, she said. This has acted as a significant barrier for women seeking to access abortion.

The Public Prosecution Service has now stated clearly they can see no risk of criminal prosecution in these circumstances.

This is hugely important and should relieve the profession of this chilling threat. This is a significant breakthrough in the fight for abortion rights here.

Northern Irelands abortion laws are much stricter than the rest of the UK.

Abortions are only allowed here if a womans life is at risk or there is a permanent or serious risk to her physical or mental health. Rape, incest and fatal foetal abnormalities are not circumstances in which they can be performed legally.

Hundreds of women travel to Great Britain annually to have an abortion done privately, but have not been allowed to have them free on the NHS.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service described the change in policy as a landmark moment for Northern Ireland women who, despite being UK citizens and taxpayers, had not been entitled to NHS-funded treatment.

The Public Prosecution Service has also told Amnesty that there is no offence in Northern Ireland criminal law of advocating and promoting abortion as suggested possible in the current guidance from the Department of Health on the termination of pregnancy, which was published in 2016.

Ms Teggart said: This is a matter of DHSS policy and raises the question why it is in the guidance in the first place.

We call on the Department of Health to urgently revise their guidance and work closely with the UK Equalities Office to ensure a clear pathway for women accessing abortion in the rest of the UK.

The Royal College of Midwives (RCM) also welcomed the clarification.

Northern Ireland director Breedagh Hughes said midwives had been operating in a climate of fear of prosecution since 2013.

She added that women here havent been getting the care and referrals to services in the UK that they really need because of this threat which we now know does not exist.

Healthcare professionals will now be able to refer women to the rest of the UK for abortion services, confident that they wont face criminal sanctions, she said.

This is a welcome development and will enable us to look after women who seek or need abortion services.
A 75-year-old Co Down man with a long history of drink-driving will not be allowed behind the wheel of a car again until he is 90, a judge has ordered

A Co Down man with a long history of drink-driving will not be allowed behind the wheel of a car again until he is 90, a judge has ordered.

Lawrence Murdock (75) from Moss Road in Drumbo would "have to win the lottery to get an insurance quote", District Judge Mark Hamill told Newtownards Magistrates Court.

Mr Hamill said it was "unbelievable" how the pensioner had managed to avoid going to jail despite having a series convictions for drink-driving and driving while banned.

Having heard that Murdock had not reoffended since he deferred passing sentence a year ago, Mr Hamill said he would do as promised and impose a five-month jail sentence, but suspend it for three years.

Murdock will have to reach 90 years of age before he can drive again, as Mr Hamill also banned him from driving for 15 years, after revealing the pensioner has eight previous convictions for driving while disqualified and nine convictions for drink-driving.

"Your driving career is over, get that into your head," declared the judge.

"I cannot quite grasp how you have avoided prison - but I can absolutely assure you that if you come back for driving offences you will not escape prison."

At an earlier hearing Murdock had pleaded guilty to driving while banned, driving without insurance and obstructing a constable on June 16 last year.

A prosecuting lawyer told the court how police stopped and spoke to the driver of a Mercedes car on the Upper Knockbreda Road. However, follow-up checks revealed the driver had given false details and that he was in fact Murdock, who was a disqualified driver.

When that was put to him the pensioner made full admissions.

Defence solicitor Mark Campbell confirmed that Murdock had been banned from the roads for 12 years in 2005 but since his last offence in 2011, "there's been nothing in the last six years".

He said the offending stemmed from an alcohol problem Murdock developed following the breakdown of his marriage.

Imposing the suspended sentence, driving ban and fining Murdock 250, Mr Hamill told the pensioner he had an "appalling" record which meant "you will have to win the lottery to get an insurance quote".
Sinn Fein's John O'Dowd has sidestepped a question on if the party's demand for Arlene Foster to step aside for the RHI inquiry is still in place.

The MLA was speaking on the BBC Stephen Nolan radio show. He said any deal would be made fully available to he public and if there was no deal, the people would know the reasons why.

He said it was possible a deal may not be made.

Before bringing down the Stormont institutions, Sinn Fein said the DUP leader could not be first minister while the inquiry into the botched green energy scheme was taking place.

The scheme, set up by the then Enterprise Minister Foster, was found to be seriously flawed with the potential for huge fraud due to a lack of tariff caps. Some participants could "burn to earn" from the London- and Stormont-backed 1bn scheme.

Ahead of Martin McGuinness resigning, Sinn Fein made a proposal that Arlene Foster could step aside to allow for an interim report on the handling of the scheme.

When asked if the demand for Arlene Foster to step aside remained, given the party has not repeated the call recently, Mr O'Dowd said it was important the talks were allowed to take their course and should not be carried out in public.

He said: "Let the negations take place.

"While I believe in accountable democracy and publicly accountable democracy, there are times when political leaders need space to engage with each other to resolve significant problems.

"If there is a deal, all the details of that deal will become public and if there is no deal the public will be aware of that."

On Wednesday Michelle O'Neill said progress in the talks was possible.

Mr O'Dowd was asked what had changed for the party's northern leader to make the statement.

"We have always said progress is possible and while talking is going on and as long as there is talking going on, there is hope.

"We are at the stage of negotiations where we do not believe it's right to do it over the airwaves."

On the Party's requirement for an Irish language act to be in place before it returns to the Executive, the former minister added: "The DUP and public know our position - we can speculate but it will bring no benefit.

"We have been quite careful to say to people there are still issues to resolved and they may not be resolved in the current process."

An inquiry has been established to investigate the RHI scandal. Arlene Foster pledged to cut any overspend in the scheme to zero, although it is expected to go over its budget by 3m this year.

The Department of Economy has introduced reduced tariffs in a bid to cut expenditure. It has said it must work to remove the "perverse incentive to generate more heat than required".
The DUP and Sinn Fein will today continue intensive talks at Stormont amidst a thawing of relations between the two parties.

Talks insiders last night said that while an Irish Language Act remained the major stumbling black to progress, the chances of a deal had risen from "zero to 50-50".

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Nationalist sources were the most upbeat about progress, with unionists stressing that while the mood may have improved, major differences remained between the DUP and Sinn Fein over the Irish language. It is understood equal marriage hasn't been raised during the discussions.

Talks insiders ruled out the possibility of an independent chair replacing NI Secretary James Brokenshire or moving the negotiations out of Northern Ireland to encourage progress.

One Stormont source said: "We are in a far better place than we were last week. We are still a long way off a deal but the chances of one have improved considerably."

But the DUP leader last night struck a cautious tone. Arlene Foster told the Belfast Telegraph: "We had useful discussions with Sinn Fein over a number of days. We will have intensive talks with all parties but ultimately we can only reach an agreement if Sinn Fein is prepared to negotiate.

"A preoccupation with red lines and shopping lists is not a foundation for agreement. We can only reach agreement if everyone comes to the table looking for solutions. If Sinn Fein continue blindly with their demands then there will be no agreement."

Sinn Fein's Stormont leader Michelle O'Neill yesterday insisted that her party was committed to reaching a deal and not to causing chaos in Northern Ireland.

In a keynote speech to her party in Co Meath, she revealed that her party was ready to restart formal talks to restore power-sharing after intensive dialogue with the DUP away from the spotlight over the past week.

Within minutes of Mrs O'Neill's speech, the DUP issued a statement on the talks revealing an element of behind the scenes choreography by the two sides. The Sinn Fein leader strongly denied her party didn't want the Executive restored because it was out to destabilise Northern Ireland and to maximize its electoral prospects in the Republic.

"These assertions are not only untrue, but are patently absurd, illogical and do not stack up," she said. "Our political strategy is premised on effective and functioning government. We are committed to these institutions because they provide the democratic vehicle for addressing the day-to-day issues, which confront the people of the North.

"We want the political institutions restored because they include critical all-Ireland structures, delivering important benefits for all the people of this island and underscoring the benefits of all-Ireland approaches and actions." Mrs O'Neill insisted that progress to restore the Executive was possible and she wanted a "short, sharp and focused negotiation".

Ulster Unionist MLA Steve Aiken welcomed the fact that the DUP and Sinn Fein seemed to be "co-ordinating activities and engaging", but warned that unless there was "genuine commitment to building trust and respect, then this is a charade". He said: "I hope that (the) statement by Michelle O`Neill is an indication that perhaps Sinn Fein have woken up to the fact that the people of Northern Ireland need a functioning government. However, I am not convinced, given the intransigence displayed by Gerry Adams only the previous day where he demonstrated belligerence and contempt for the opinions of others."

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister has dismissed the prospect of the British and Irish governments establishing joint authority over Northern Ireland. Theresa May said the focus should be on resolving the stalemate at Stormont and restoring power-sharing.

She was responding to concerns raised by DUP MP Nigel Dodds after comments by Irish Foreign Minister Simon Coveney on Dublin's role if the talks fail.

Speaking in the House of Commons, Mrs May said: "I am happy to confirm that we would not be looking at a joint authority.

"You will be aware that the Belfast Agreement does include within it certain responsibilities in relation to the government of the Republic of Ireland in North-South co-ordination.

"The focus for all of us should be on trying to ensure that we can resolve the current differences and we can see that devolved administration reasserted in Northern Ireland. I think that is what would be best for the people of Northern Ireland."

On Tuesday, Mr Coveney said: "There can be no British-only direct rule. That is the Irish government's position."

Welcoming Mrs May's reassurance, Mr Dodds said "joint authority is entirely inconsistent with the principle of consent".

However, Sinn Fein said both governments were "co-equal" and had "a joint and equal role in safeguarding and implementing the agreements".
DUP's Gregory Campbell has called for the BBC to do more to be accountable and transparent in how its uses public money.

The MP was speaking at a debate in the House of Commons concerning the public service broadcaster's transparency. He said that the BBC's standing over recent years had diminished.

"The BBC used to be considered reliable source of news and informative programming. It was the broadcaster to go to at times of crisis or turmoil - it was the dependable public funded broadcaster," he said.

"Given events over the last few years, the BBC's standing has diminished."

He said questions about use of public money were either ignored or had a "veil of secrecy pulled over them".

"I have come to the view BBC fat cats in Belfast are either arrogant or incredibly shifty. One thing they are not is transparant."

The East Londonderry representative covered issues around matters of BBC pay, how the broadcaster deals with complaints and how programmes are commissioned.

He said that while the BBC had made progress on transparency "more work was needed".

In closing, he said: "We want to see a BBC of which we can be rightly proud which is independent, fearless that questions and pursues issues - that is transparent, that is accountable so that people can defend the BBC locally, nationally and internationally."

The debate comes after the BBC published its lists of its top on-air earners. BBC Radio Ulster presenter Stephen Nolan was among the top 10 earners.
Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson has said that the Republic of Ireland should "urgently seek special status".

He made the comments as part of a statement on the European Commission's paper on the post-Brexit border in Northern Ireland.

"Some in Dublin and Brussels would like to see the border moved to the Irish Sea. Not only would this have serious negative consequences for Northern Irelands economy, placing an international border between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom, it would also be a clear breach of the principle of consent and the Belfast Agreement that EU negotiators have pledged to protect," he said.

"It is becoming increasingly clear that the Republic of Ireland needs to urgently seek special status."

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In July, Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said that his government "was not going to be helping" the UK design a border and that it was the UK's responsibility to "put forward their proposals as to how they think a border should operate".

There had also been reports that Taoiseach Varadkar was set to push for a sea border between the UK and Ireland, with customs checks being carried out at ports and airports.

He later ruled this out as a potential course of action.

Mr Nicholson was critical of the position laid out by the EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier.

Speaking on Thursday, Mr Barnier warned that plans by the UK were unfair on Ireland, and were looking at Northern Ireland as a "test case" for future customs relations with the EU.

After Britain's exit Northern Ireland will be only part of the UK that will share a land border with the EU.

Mr Nicholson added that "neither Brussels nor Dublin speaks for Northern Ireland" and urged Mr Barnier and his colleagues "to start listening and stop cherry-picking elements of the Belfast Agreement".

"It is bizarre that, on the one hand, this paper says there must be a flexible solution that avoids a physical border, but on the other hand insists that it is only up to the UK Government to provide such a solution.

"Michel Barnier and his colleagues are sitting on their hands, which is a pathetic position to take given the issues at stake."

'Exerting pressure on the UK'

DUP MLA Diane Dodds said the European Commission's insistence that "responsibility for ensuring an open and seamless border after Brexit lies with the UK is unhelpful".

"Although this change in tone is disappointing, it would be foolish to view it as anything other than an effort to exert pressure on the UK negotiators as talks continue on wider aspects of the negotiations," she said.

"It is wrong that border issues and the genuine concerns held by those living and working in affected communities can be exploited in this way."

Mrs Dodds said that the UK government had laid out two proposals for how a post-Brexit border would work and that it would be beneficial for Brussels to engage with these as a starting point.

She also said that it was positive the Commission had welcomed the UK's plan to maintain the Common Travel Area.

Special status for Northern Ireland

Sinn Fein MLA John O'Dowd welcomed confirmation in the Commission's paper that the EU would be seeking special status for Northern Ireland.

"The paper recognises: the fundamental requirement to safeguard the Good Friday Agreement in all its parts including rights and north-south working, involves protection of cross-border co-operation, the Good Friday Agreement, and Irish membership of the European Customs Union," he said.

The Irish Department for Foreign Affairs has been contacted for comment.
Prince Harry is making his first official visit to Northern Ireland

Prince Harry meets members of the public in Belfast during a visit to Northern Ireland

Prince Harry has urged an end to the stigma around mental health.

The prince is campaigning for change from the "bad habits" of the previous generation.

The 32-year-old said he was inspired and uplifted after meeting young people working to improve support and prevent suicide in Northern Ireland.

He added: "The older generation have had it one way and handed whatever you want to call it, the bad habits, down to all of us, as the younger generation.

"What we have been trying to do is remove the stigma around mental health, to encourage people to have a conversation."

The prince met young people aged 15 to 17 from the Northern Ireland National Citizen Service, whose motto is "Say yes", during a visit to the MAC arts centre in Belfast city centre.

He said: "It is easy to bury your head in the sand and not do anything about it, but much more inspiring and uplifting to go to a group like this with like-minded people.

"When you are together like this, you have an opportunity to start the change, to have an influence."

Harry revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph he spent nearly 20 years "not thinking'' about his mother Diana, Princess of Wales's death and eventually got help after two years of "total chaos''.

Earlier on Thursday, the prince put an ambulance worker in a spin after he used a harness to demonstrate some emergency equipment during the opening of a new 5 million ambulance centre in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Harry quipped "I am all right down here" and twirled him around as he hung by cables from the ceiling during a demonstration.

During his visit, Harry spoke with young people about empowerment, about standing up and doing something for peace-building.

The royal family have a history of working for reconciliation during trips across the Irish Sea and the prince's humanity while meeting community groups from nationalist and unionist backgrounds across the island was outstanding, his hosts said.

Co-operation Ireland, which organised the meeting, is a charity which has worked for almost 40 years to build a shared and cohesive society within Northern Ireland and across the Irish border.

Its chief executive Peter Sheridan said: "Today was about reaching to the next generation, to the next generation of the royal family, the next generation of young people across this island, whatever background they come from."

A total of ten schools were represented from across Northern Ireland. A group had travelled from just across the border in Belturbet, Co Cavan.

The prince was applauded as he left and schoolchildren from both sides of the divide sung his praises.

Aodhan Mackin, 16, from Ardoyne, a republican district of north Belfast which has been the scene of bitter conflict over past years and decades, said: "Not many people would think to meet the prince but we did meet him, so it was good, and he was down to earth."

Co-Operation Ireland helped arrange the Queen's first visit to Dublin, which was a groundbreaking moment for Anglo-Irish relations.

In 2012 it hosted a historic and highly symbolic handshake between late Sinn Fein deputy first minister and lifelong republican Martin McGuinness and the Queen.

Mr Sheridan said Harry's visit was about building on that legacy.

"Here was an opportunity for young people to say what they think about peace-building, about the issues of today and you could see the connection between them and Prince Harry, who is a young person himself.

"They sat down and had conversations, all of us have prejudices but to be able to sit down and have conversations about things which are of common interest, be it mental health or how we build peace in this place.

"I think it went incredibly well."
There are concerns that regional delicacies such as French Champagne are protected

Britain must ensure that European delicacies like Parmesan cheese, Parma ham and Champagne continue to have protected status after Brexit, a Brussels negotiating document states.

The European Union position paper on intellectual property rights said the Government should put in place the "necessary domestic legislation" so the products continue to enjoy protected status after the UK's expected exit in March 2019.

This should not result in financial costs for the producers of the goods and administrative burdens should be "kept to a strict minimum", the paper states.

The European Commission first acted in 1992 to establish a list of products which could only be described by their place of origin if they really were produced in that place.

The UK list includes Whitstable oysters, Orkney beef, Shetland lamb, Kentish ale, Cornish clotted cream, Dorset Blue cheese, and Jersey Royal potatoes.

The same legal protection is accorded to Italian Parma ham, French Champagne and other European goods.

The document was published alongside negotiating position papers on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, public procurement and data protection.

In the paper on the border between Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland, the EU called for a unique solution but said the onus was on the UK to come up with ideas to avoid a hard frontier, including checkpoints.

The document on data urges the UK to uphold EU data standards on classified Brussels information after Brexit or erase or destroy it.

The customs paper aims to set out plans an "orderly withdrawal" in relation to the movement of goods between the UK and EU, where the movement starts before and ends on or after the exit date.

A document on public procurement states that EU companies carrying out contracts in the UK or vice versa should be not be discriminated against.
Ian Gow arriving at Stormont. The MP was murdered by the IRA in 1990 when a bomb exploded underneath his car

Ian Gow arriving at Stormont. The MP was murdered by the IRA in 1990 when a bomb exploded underneath his car

The wife of a Conservative MP murdered by the IRA has hit out at plans for legacy inquests to question veteran soldiers over their actions during the Troubles.

Ian Gow, a father of two, was 53 when he was killed by a bomb that exploded under his car at his East Sussex home in 1990.

Dame Jane Whiteley (73), who had not spoken publicly about her first husband's murder, has now broken her silence.

"Every time I have read about soldiers being investigated, I quietly boil," she told the Daily Mail.

"I have always felt it, and I have always resisted the temptation to say it.

"Now, elderly veterans are being asked to give new witness statements for a fresh wave of new inquests into killings during the Troubles.

"These are likely to include killings of suspected IRA terrorists that have been repeatedly investigated. I am very sympathetic to soldiers and servicemen. They do a very difficult job. I think it's incredibly tough that they should be hounded."

Mr Gow, who was Margaret Thatcher's parliamentary private secretary, died in the blast on July 30, 1990.

The bomb was detonated in the driveway of his East Sussex home.

To date no one has been brought to justice. One of the two suspects received an "on-the-run letter", providing immunity against prosecution.

The on-the-run letters, also known as "comfort letters", were secretly agreed in a deal struck between Tony Blair and Sinn Fein following the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.

Their existence did not emerge until 2014, sparking controversy amongst senior military officials who argue that many of the veterans are aged now above 60 years old. Dame Jane added: "People who committed terrible crimes, like the two suspected of being responsible for the bomb that killed Ian, have been given a sort of 'amnesty'.

"But the poor soldiers haven't. It seems so unjust and unfair."

More than 300,000 soldiers served in Northern Ireland from 1969 to 2007 - 1,441 were killed while serving.

Dame Jane said she still finds it extremely painful to recall the fateful day her husband kissed her goodbye then seconds later was blown up.

"I can't bear to think about it really, but what happened to Ian was premeditated, cold-blooded murder," she added.

"To put soldiers, who were doing their duty in very difficult conditions, through the stress of further investigations, while allowing two known bombers to live without threat of arrest, seems like a nonsense.

"It's madness. It's standing the law on its head."

Dame Jane agrees with the former head of the Army, General Lord Dannatt, who said veteran soldiers should not be obliged to co-operate with the legacy inquests and recall events because they have previously given evidence on the assurance of no further action being taken.

An MOD spokesman said it played an "active role supporting coroners with legacy inquests and part of the process involves contacting and supporting veterans".
Madeleine McCann vanished from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007, aged three (Family handout/PA)

The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been offered fresh hope after police asked for more funds to keep the investigation alive.

More than 11 million has been spent on the probe to find the missing girl, who vanished from the familys holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007, aged three.

With funding for the investigation, known as Operation Grange, in place until the end of September, the Metropolitan Police have requested more money from the Government.

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The Home Office confirmed the application will be considered.

A spokesman said: The Home Office has provided funding to the Metropolitan Police for Operation Grange and the resources required are reviewed regularly with careful consideration given before any new funding is allocated.

Madeleines parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have vowed to never give up hope of finding their daughter.

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The family spokesman said: Naturally, Kate and Gerry hope the Met request is granted.

They are encouraged that there remains work to be done that requires extra funding and they remain very grateful to all Operation Grange officers who are continuing to look for their daughter.

Since 2011, the Met Police have been assisting with the search for clues about what happened to Madeleine, with officers visiting the holiday resort in 2014.

In March, the Home Office granted officers 85,000 to cover operational costs to continue with the investigation, between April and September this year.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: Funding is in place until the end of September. Any details about future funding will be released when appropriate.
Retired businessman Neil Dymott has been given a restraining order in a dispute over a "foreign" cockerel (Andrew Matthews/PA)

A retired businessman has been given a restraining order despite being acquitted of a campaign of harassment against his neighbours in a dispute over a noisy foreign cockerel.

Neil Dymott was found not guilty of two charges of harassment following a two-day trial at Southampton Magistrates Court.

The court heard allegations that the 56-year-old threatened to cut the cockerels head off and shouted homophobic abuse at Helen Richardson and Paula Holland who lived next to his home in Marchwood, Hampshire.

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He was also accused of playing music by Queen at a loud volume as well as the song When A Man Loves A Woman repeatedly for an hour-and-a-half.

Mr Dymott said he only played loud music on two occasions and said he did not swear at the complainants or insult their sexuality, but did admit calling Ms Richardson a psycho.

Colin Wyatt, chairman of the bench, said: Whilst we find some of the actions and behaviour were inappropriate we do not feel this constitutes the offence of harassment.

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Referring to the music, he added: We agree the course of action was childish, immature and petulant.

The magistrates imposed a restraining order on Mr Dymott prohibiting him from contacting the complainants directly or indirectly for two years.

He said: You have to live as neighbours, you need to behave and stop being stupid or petulant. Can you get on as neighbours, life is too short.

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The defendant told the trial that he had complained to police himself about the noise created by his neighbours cockerel and hens and blamed the volume on the type of chicken.

He said he had made audio and video recordings to gather evidence against his neighbours.

Mr Dymott said: I think its irresponsible and not a nice thing to do, to have cockerels crowing at that level, they were crowing all day.

Those cockerels go off as much as 60 to 70 times an hour. This is not a British bird, these are birds going all the time. When they started crowing they do not just crow once, they crow, crow, crow.

The retired replacement window firm boss added: Its the type of chicken, an ordinary chicken that lays eggs do not make screaming noises, its the type of chickens, these arent ordinary little reds, these are colourful, these are Rhode Island reds, these are Plymouth Rocks, these are American beds.

He continued: If these had been a British cockerel and going off at dawn and dusk we wouldnt be here.

Speaking outside court, Ms Richardson, said: We are pleased that we have a restraining order in place against him so there shouldnt be any more instances.

She added that they still kept chickens, but did not rule out have another cockerel in the future.
A man has been jailed for 'kill every Muslim' Facebook post after Manchester bombing (Lauren Hurley/PA)

A man has been jailed for a year after posting on Facebook lets kill every Muslim in the aftermath of the Manchester Arena bombing.

Keegan Jakovlevs, 22, from Wrexham, North Wales, was sentenced to 12 months behind bars at Mold Crown Court on Thursday after admitting publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred.

Jakovlevs posted the message, which was a public posting, shortly after the May 22 outrage by suicide bomber Salman Abedi, which killed 22 people and injured scores of others.

His message read: Thoughts with all the families in the horrible Manchester bombing (hands together in prayer symbol) but no lets not stop letting them in the country lets kill ever  Muslim  we see.. bet they would still send us down.

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The post was taken down shortly afterwards.

Outside court, Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), said: After the Manchester attack there were countless messages of support on social media for those affected but Keegan Jakovlevs chose to stir up religious hatred by calling for British Muslims to be indiscriminately killed.

No harmful consequences appear to have resulted but his intention was clear and he pleaded guilty once he saw the CPSs case against him.

People should not assume they can hide on social media when stirring up hatred and violence. Where there is evidence, the CPS will prosecute them and they will face imprisonment as a result.
The government is coming under mounting pressure to scrap the controversial 1% cap on public sector pay amid the threat of strikes by nurses and civil servants.

The issue was raised at Prime Minister's Questions in the Commons when Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn warned that "warm words do not pay food bills".

He told the Prime Minister to "see sense" by scrapping the cap, amid speculation that Theresa May is preparing to end the long-standing policy.

Thousands of nurses demonstrated in Westminster as part of a campaign by the Royal College of Nursing (RCN), which has warned of industrial action if the cap is now removed.

Rachael Labourne (46), who works as a nurse, midwife and social worker in Mid Wales, said she wanted "fair pay" for nurses who have felt increasing financial pressure in recent years. She said: "Both my husband and I are nurses and we're finding it difficult to support our family, but I'm passionate about what I do."

A poll for the RCN of 1,624 members of the public found 68% believe nurses are underpaid and 72% think there are too few nurses to provide safe care to patients.
Prince Charles with Michael D Higgins and his wife, Sabina Coyne in the Yellow Room at Dumfries House

Ireland president Michael D Higgins has joined the Prince of Wales in celebrating 10 years since the royal helped secure the future of an 18th-century stately home.

The president and the first lady were greeted by the prince on the steps of Dumfries House in East Ayrshire yesterday. Celebrations are being held to mark a decade since the house was opened to the public after being saved for the nation by the prince.

On entering the stately home, the president and Mrs Sabina Higgins were shown the grand orrery, a mechanical model of the solar system built around 1758.

It does not include Neptune, Uranus or Pluto, as they had not yet been discovered.

The president and first lady were also to meet privately with the Prince and Duchess of Cornwalll, before attending a live broadcast recital at a concert celebrating 20 years of Classic FM.
Prince George looked smart in his uniform as he walked nervously into school on his first day  without his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, by his side.

Kate had hoped to join the Duke of Cambridge on the school run but is suffering from severe morning sickness and was too ill to attend, Kensington Palace said.

The four-year-old prince was helped out of the car by William after being driven through the gates of Thomass Battersea, a fee-paying independent school in south London.

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The prince will be known as George Cambridge to his classmates, the palace said.

George looked tentative, clutching his fathers hand, as he was led towards the entrance of the school after arriving at around 8.45am.

The young prince shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, as the Duke held his school bag ready for his first day.

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Then, with William holding one hand and Ms Haslem the other, he walked inside.

The Duke told Ms Haslem that George had been eagerly watching and noticed the other boys going into school in their uniforms.

It is understood William and Kate will try to do the school run as often as possible.

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The prince, who was wearing a shirt, navy V-neck pullover, shorts and black shoes on his first day, is thought to be one of the youngest in his year.

He is expected to have a gentle introduction to what is likely to be a tiring first term at school.

Along with his classmates, he will spend the day getting to know teachers, adults and other children as well as completing the important task of finding his classroom peg.

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Kate was forced to pull out of two public engagements on Monday and Tuesday after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, as she did in her previous pregnancies.

On Tuesday, a day after it was announced they are expecting their third child, William said Kate was well but admitted: Theres not much sleep going on at the moment.

He said: We need Catherine to get over this first bit and then we can start celebrating. Its always a bit anxious to start with, but shes well.

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Georges new school, where fees cost from 17,604 a year, has been described by the Good Schools Guide as: 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.

The young prince and his classmates will be taught a range of subjects and activities from ballet and art to drama, French, music and physical education.

Kate has already said she is not sure her son has any idea whats going to hit him when he starts school.

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Ben Thomas, who is principal of Thomass London Day Schools and was headmaster of Thomass Battersea for 18 years, said he hoped future king George would learn to be himself.

He said: The whole aim of these precious early years of education is to give children that confidence in who they are.

So we are not going to try to mould him into any kind of particular person and we wouldnt do that with any of our pupils.

I hope he will have the confidence to be himself with all his quirks and his idiosyncrasies and characteristics.
Dolphins are thought of as a relatively playful species, but even by their standards this one had a particular spring in its step.

Filmed off the Welsh coast by Lizzie Hobbs of Gower Coast adventures on a trip to Worms Head, even Lizzie was surprised by just how much energy this mammal possessed.

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After riding close to the boat, our friend completed four huge jumps which Olympic champion long-jumper Greg Rutherford would have been proud of.

These are short-beaked common dolphins, said Lizzie. We see them every year on our boat trips from Oxwich Bay to Worms Head, Gower.

Whilst the dolphins often approach our boat, bow ride, and are generally very playful, we have never seen a dolphin jumping out of the water quite like this!

This particular dolphin was incredibly excitable. It circled the boat several times and each time was jumping up to three or four metres out of the water.

It was really cool to see. Our passengers, boat crew and skipper (Dave) were amazed!

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And while the video makes for very entertaining viewing, it might be of even more use to the professionals, as Lizzie explains.

We report all our dolphin sightings to the Sea Watch Foundation, a UK charity for the protection of whales and dolphins, said Lizzie.

The world awaits clarification  was this indeed the most chipper flipper of all time?
Fire engulfs homes in Gawdu Zara village after it was abandoned by Rohingya Muslims (AP)

About 164,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since violence erupted in Burma on August 25, the UN's refugee agency said.

The updated figure came as j ournalists reported new fires burning in a Burmese village abandoned by Rohingya, with pages ripped from Islamic texts left on the ground, intensifying doubts about government claims that members of the persecuted minority had been destroying their own homes.

About two dozen journalists saw the fires in Gawdu Zara village in northern Rakhine state on a government-controlled trip.

About 164,000 Rohingya Muslims from the area have fled across the border to Bangladesh in less than two weeks after Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts including in Gawdu Zara, the UNHCR said.

The Burmese military has said nearly 400 people, most they described as insurgents, had died in clashes and that troops were conducting "clearance operations". It has blamed insurgents for setting the villages on fire, without offering proof.

The Rohingya who have fled Burma described large-scale violence perpetrated by Burmese troops and Buddhist mobs - setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately, stabbing civilians and ordering them to abandon their homes or be killed.

On the Burmese side of the border, reporters saw no Rohingya in any of the five destroyed villages they were allowed to tour on Thursday, making it unlikely they could have been responsible for the fires.

One ethnic Rakhine villager who emerged from the smoke said police and Rakhine Buddhists had set the fires.

No police were seen in the village beyond those who were accompanying the journalists, but about 10 Rakhine men with machetes were seen.

Among the buildings on fire was a madrassa, an Islamic school. Copies of books with texts from the Koran, Islam's holy book, were torn up and thrown outside.

Another village the journalists visited, Ah Lel Than Kyaw, was blackened, obliterated and deserted.

Local police officer Aung Kyaw Moe said 18 people were killed in the village when the violence began last month. "From our side, there was one immigration officer dead, and we found 17 dead bodies from the enemy side," he said.

He said the fires were set on August 25, though some of them continued to burn. Virtually all buildings in the village seen by journalists had been burned, along with cars, motorbikes and bicycles that fleeing villagers left behind. A mosque was also damaged.

Burning Rohingya homes can make it less likely that they return. Tens of thousands were driven from their homes in another wave of violence in 2012. Many are now confined to camps, while the land they once held is either vacant or occupied by Buddhist squatters.

Burma refers to Rohingya as Bengalis, contending they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, though many Rohingya families have lived in Burma for generations.

Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign.

According to her office, she said such misinformation helps promote the interests of "terrorists", a reference to the Rohingya insurgents who attacked security posts on August 25.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Ms Suu Kyi's response "unconscionable."

On Thursday, Ms Suu Kyi told reporters her government was working to improve security and livelihoods for Rohingya, but that it is "a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months" since her administration took office.

With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more.

The International Organisation for Migration has pleaded for 18 million US dollars (13 million) in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders.

AP
President Donald Trump's eldest son has told politicians that he was open to receiving information about Hillary Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications" in a meeting with a Russian lawyer last year.

However, Donald Trump Jr insisted that neither he nor anyone else he knows colluded with any foreign government during the presidential campaign.

His description of a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, delivered in an opening statement at the outset of a closed-door Senate Judiciary Committee interview, provided his most detailed account of an encounter that has attracted the attention of congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Several congressional committees and Mr Mueller's team of prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the election.

A grand jury used by Mr Mueller as part of his investigation has already heard testimony about the meeting, which besides Mr Trump Jr, included the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

In Thursday's prepared remarks, Mr Trump Jr sought to explain emails he released two months ago that showed him agreeing to the meeting, which had been described as part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign.

In his new statement, he said he was sceptical of the arrangement by music publicist Rob Goldstone, who said he had information that could be damaging to Ms Clinton.

But Mr Trump Jr said he thought he "should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say".

"To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Mr Trump Jr said in the statement.

At one point during the email exchange, Mr Trump Jr had told Mr Goldstone, "If it's what you say I love it especially in the summer".

Mr Trump Jr sought to explain that remark by saying it was "simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Rob's gesture".

Mr Trump Jr agreed to the Senate interview after the committee chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, subpoenaed him and Mr Manafort.

The committee withdrew the subpoenas after the two agreed to be interviewed privately by staff.

Mr Grassley said they both would eventually be questioned by senators in a public hearing.

Mr Trump Jr is also expected to appear before the Senate intelligence committee at some point.

Sen Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel, said the senators want to speak with others who attended the June meeting before interviewing Mr Trump Jr.

"We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible," Sen Warner said.

Mr Manafort met privately with staff on that committee in July.

Mr Kushner has met with that staff, as well as members of the House Intelligence Committee.

AP
Donald Trump's administration says it is rescinding the Daca programme but is giving Congress six months to take action on it (AP)

Donald Trump has tweeted reassurances to the immigrants who benefit from a programme his administration is ending - after being prompted by senior Democrat Nancy Pelosi.

In the latest instance of the Republican president doing the bidding of leaders of the opposition, he tweeted: "For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!"

He was referring to Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (Daca), which Barack Obama created through administrative action in 2012.

Mr Trump's administration said on Tuesday it is rescinding the programme but is giving Congress six months to take action on it.

Despite his tweet, nearly 800,000 immigrants who obtained temporary work permits and deportation protections through Daca cannot rest entirely easy. Any of them whose protections expire within the next six months have until early October to reapply, and others must look ahead to an uncertain future.

It is not clear whether Congress will be able to solve their problem in six months - or what Mr Trump will do if legislators do not act.

Shortly after his tweet appeared on Thursday morning, House of Representatives minority leader Mr Pelosi told fellow Democrats at a closed-door meeting that she had spoken with the president and asked him to send it, to make clear to the so-called "Dreamers" that they would not be subject to deportation during the six-month window.

Ms Pelosi's comments were confirmed by a Democratic aide.

The development came a day after Mr Trump ignored the recommendations of Republican House and Senate leaders and sided with Ms Pelosi and Senate minority leader Chuck Schumer in favour of a three-month extension of the government's borrowing limit.

Republicans had wanted a much longer extension to protect conservative legislators from having to cast the politically toxic vote again ahead of next year's mid-term elections.

On immigration, Mr Trump is navigating politically tricky waters. Portions of his Republican voters want a hard line on illegal immigration, but others in his administration and a majority of Americans support protected status for children who were brought to the country illegally by their parents.

AP
Dozens of people have been injured in clashes between South Korean protesters and police as the US military added more launchers to the missile-defence system it installed in a southern town to handle North Korean threats.

Seoul has hardened its stance against Pyongyang after its torrent of arms tests, the latest on Sunday being a detonation of what North Korea said was a thermonuclear weapon built for missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

The clashes came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe met in Russia's Far East and repeated their calls for stronger punishment of North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, including denying the country oil supplies.

The demand contradicted the stance of their host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has dismissed sanctions as a solution.

Mr Putin said he believes US President Donald Trump's administration is willing to defuse tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Its sixth nuclear test on Sunday prompted the US to speak about a "military response" and South Korea to conduct major military exercises.

The Russian leader said there are "many reasonable people in the current (US) administration" who are experienced and who have dealt with similar crises.

He called on all North Korea's neighbours to show restraint, suggesting the bellicose rhetoric and military drills are "playing into their hands".

Mr Moon and Mr Abe agreed to co-operate on seeking tougher UN sanctions against North Korea and pledged to strengthen efforts to persuade Beijing and Moscow to cut off oil supplies to the North, said Mr Moon's press secretary.

Mr Putin expressed concern that cutting off oil supplies would hurt regular North Koreans, the official said.

"We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner," Mr Putin said in a news conference after meeting Mr Moon.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing supports further UN action against North Korea but also wants to see renewed efforts to begin dialogue involving all sides.

China hopes North Korea will "see the situation clearly and come to the right judgment and choice", Mr Wang said.

He said the UN should take "necessary measures", but added that sanctions and pressure should spur negotiation between the sides towards the goal of a peaceful solution on the Korean peninsula.

China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, as well as North Korea's main trading partner and source of food and fuel aid.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also reiterated Beijing's opposition to South Korea's deployment of the US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence System, also known as THAAD, which is intended to protect against North Korean missile attacks.

Beijing says the system's powerful radars will be able to monitor flights and missile launches deep inside north-eastern China.

In South Korea, thousands of police officers in riot gear swarmed 400 protesters who had been occupying a road leading to the site where THAAD is installed in the rural town of Seongju.

Six police officers and 32 other people were injured, none seriously, in the clashes, said a fire department official in Seongju.

Nato' s secretary-general said North Korean behaviour is a global threat and called for a united response.

Jens Stoltenberg said Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear and missile programmes and refrain from further testing.

The European Union's foreign policy chief said the world should not "enter this spiral of a military confrontation that could be extremely dangerous not only for the region but for the entire world".

Federica Mogherini said a demilitarisation of the Korean peninsula should be achieved peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy.

AP
Spain's top court has preventively suspended the call for a referendum on Catalonia's independence after accepting an appeal by central authorities in Madrid, according to media reports.

The move was widely expected after Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy announced the government was challenging both a controversial bill meant to legitimise the independence vote and a decree by the regional Catalan government summoning voters for the October 1 ballot.

According to court regulations, the suspension lasts for five months while judges come up with a ruling.

The pro-independence coalition ruling in Catalonia, a prosperous region in north-eastern Spain, claims the universal right to self-determination overrules Spain's laws.

AP
Rapid Action Battalion officers stand guard in front of fire trucks and ambulances following a counter terror raid in Dhakas Mirpur area, Sept. 6, 2017.

Bangladesh police reported finding the remains of seven people inside a building on Wednesday, a day after a series of explosions and a fire ripped through the hideout occupied by a top Islamic extremist in Dhakas Mirpur area.

Members of Bangladeshs elite Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) raided the building early Tuesday after receiving a tip that a Jamaat-ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) member identified as Abdullah and others were inside.

I guess those dead bodies include Abdullah, his two wives, Nasrin and Fatema, two sons, Omar and Osama, ages 3 and 9, and two anonymous employees, RAB Director General Benazir Ahmed told reporters on Wednesday.

Human body parts are scattered throughout Abdullahs house, we are predicting seven dead bodies based on seven skulls that we found there.

RAB media officer Maj. Mizan Mehdi said police cordoned off the building around 1 a.m. Tuesday. Electricity and gas were disconnected and 65 residents living in 23 apartments in the building were moved to safety.

Throughout the day, RAB officers contacted Abdullah to convince him to surrender. During an afternoon briefing, officials said he had agreed to leave the building later that day.

Hours after the time for his surrender passed, gunfire and four explosions from inside the building shook the neighborhood, followed by a fire.

It seems they have died because of last nights explosions, RAB official Mufti Mahmud Khan told BenarNews. We could manage to finish searching only one room and found three bodies there. As those bodies are badly burned, we could not identify whether they are men or women.

Flames rise from a Dhaka building following a series of explosions inside a suspected militant den, Sept. 5, 2017. (Newsroom Photo)

Khan told Bangladesh media that DNA samples were collected to identify the victims.

New JMB faction

Benazir told reporters Abdullah, who police linked to terrorist activities since 2005, belonged to a new JMB faction called the Sarwar-Tamim group.

Before breaking from the Sarwar-Tamim group, a senior leader I dont want to name told us about Abdullah after we arrested him, Benazir said.

Neighbors told BenarNews that Abdullah had lived in the apartment for about 15 years.

We knew this person as Titu. He used to sit in tea stalls, though he used to always avoid political discussions, said a neighbor who asked to remain anonymous. But we did not realize that he is involved with terrorism.

RAB officers along with Bangladesh police and military conducted a series of raids earlier this year that resulted in the deaths of militants and police officers alike.

In March, three police officers were killed in the northeastern Sylhet district when two bombs were set off in a crowd of police and onlookers as officers raided a militant den. Among those killed was the chief of RABs intelligence wing who suffered a head injury in the bombings.
Members of the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency special forces, joined by Director General Adm. Zulkifli Abu Bakar, guard 10 Indonesians who allegedly hijacked an oil tanker, Sept. 7, 2017.

Malaysian special forces foiled the hijacking of an oil tanker off the east coast state of Terengganu on Thursday by arresting 10 suspected Indonesian pirates on board, the countrys maritime enforcement agency said.

The alleged mastermind was arrested at a Malaysian hotel a few hours later while other suspects escaped from the ship on a speedboat, according to reports.

The MT MGT1, a Thai-registered tanker with a crew of 14, went missing Wednesday evening in the South China Sea, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) said following the recovery of the ship on Thursday. A surveillance plane had spotted it near Tenggol Island.

The special forces team boarded the tanker using a fast roping technique, MMEA Director General Adm. Zulkifli Abu Bakar said in a statement, adding that the 14-member Thai crew and the Malaysian troops were not injured.

Ten suspected pirates, identified as Indonesian nationals, were taken into custody on the tanker, but three others escaped, according to Malaysian officials.

Several warning shots were fired from the aircraft when the runaway boat attempted to escape, Zulkifli said.

Efforts to stop the speedboat had to be called off because a helicopter chasing it ran low on fuel. Malaysia then deployed the KM Segantang, a fast-interceptor boat, to track down the fleeing suspects.

The tanker was escorted to Kuala Terengganu, where police will investigate the hijacking.

The tanker was carrying 2.2 million liters of diesel fuel valued at 7 million ringgit (U.S. $1.66 million), Malaysian officials said.

The leader of the hijacking crew was captured later on Thursday, the New Straits Times reported.

Following the arrest of the pirates and their subsequent interrogation, we arrested the mastermind, an Indonesian in his 50s, at a hotel in Johor Baru at noon today, Zulkifli said, according to the report.

Malaysias efforts drew praise from the director of a regional group combatting piracy.

The rapid apprehension of the perpetrators and successful rescue of the crew and vessel within hours from reporting is a testament to the effectiveness of timely reporting by the ship and effective enforcement by the relevant authorities, said Masafumi Kuroki, executive director of the Regional Cooperation Agreement on Combating Piracy and Armed Robbery against Ships in Asia (ReCAAP).

ReCAAP said the attempted hijacking was the second incident involving a tanker carrying an oil cargo in Asia in 2017. Pirates siphoned about 1.5 million gallons of diesel fuel from a Thai tanker traveling from Singapore to southern Thailand on June 23.

Fadzil Aziz in Kuala Lumpur contributed to this report.
A witness to the death of 17-year-old student Kian Delos Santos, allegedly killed by police during an anti-drug raid, takes an oath before speaking at a Senate hearing in Manila, Sept. 5, 2017.

The brutal deaths of three teens in the Philippines war on drugs has forced a rethinking of how the police have been enforcing the policy, President Rodrigo Dutertes spokesman admitted Thursday.

The announcement, made by presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella, came a day after police announced that they had recovered the remains of a 14-year-old boy who had been reported missing for two weeks.

While Duterte was entirely committed to the drug war, he was however open to making some adjustments, Abella said.

The manner in which these things are carried out needs to really be re-examined, Abella told reporters.

He emphasized that the president had ordered a speedy investigation into the deaths, and had also met with victims families. These moves, he stressed, indicated that the whole nation is in the process of rethinking the way we do things.

A major rethinking is going on, Abella said, admitting for the first time that the murders were not just one isolated event.

Reynaldo de Guzmans body was found dumped in a river in the northern Philippines, his face wrapped in packing tape and his body bearing multiple stab wounds.

The boys friend, Carl Arnaiz, 19, was found lifeless in Manila last week after police said they were forced to gun him down because he was allegedly robbing a taxicab.

Both boys, however, were not known to use drugs, with Arnaiz a student at the countrys main state university. They went missing after telling their relatives they were going out to buy food.

An autopsy revealed that Arnaiz was killed in a strikingly similar fashion as Kian Loyd delos Santos, 17, another teenager taken by police and shot at close range. Police also claimed he shot it out with them, but a closed-circuit television camera showed he was led away by two plainclothes policemen.

The deaths came in the middle of the polices one time, big time anti-drug operations across Manila and several suburbs carried out last month.

An earlier raid in the south left 15 people dead, including a mayor on Dutertes own list of 150 public officials, judges and members of the military and police forces allegedly involved with drugs.

The presidential palace was now open to all significant and actually workable solutions to investigate the deaths, Abella said, when asked if Duterte was willing to put up a special commission to investigate extrajudicial killings as a result of his drug war.

Abella, however, cautioned the public against speculating at this stage, noting that the cases must be properly investigated.

He said the government was assuring the public that there would be no whitewash.

Nightly police raids

Since Duterte came to power last year, more than 8,000 suspected drug dealers and addicts have been slain by police and by unknown vigilantes, who leave cardboard messages on the suspects claiming they were pushers or addicts.

The violence has come to define Dutertes young government, and the president has appeared to relish the gore, observers and analysts say.

He has often cracked jokes in his speeches that the police should make sure that their enemies are shot dead rather than be shot themselves.

In March, New York-based Human Rights Watch said its own investigation had found that Philippine policemen had repeatedly carried out extrajudicial killings of drug suspects, and then falsely claimed self-defense.

They plant guns, spent ammunition, and drug packets on their victims bodies to implicate them in drug activities, HRW said in its report,

And in some cases HRW investigated, it found out that suspects already in custody were later found dead and classified by police as found bodies or deaths under investigation.

Duterte has ignored the HRW report, and praised police for the number of deaths last month.
A Philippine soldier is seen through a hole in the wall of a damaged building in Marawi, Aug. 30, 2017.

Singaporean authorities on Thursday announced they arrested a man who allegedly sought to travel to the Philippines to join militants linked to the Islamic State (IS) in Marawi who have been battling government forces since May 23.

Singapores Ministry of Home Affairs announced the July arrest and detention of Imran Kassim, 34, after people close to him reported his radical and pro-militant views to the government. It also announced the arrest of a 23-year-old woman who was not detained but placed on a restriction order for allegedly initiating online contact with foreign terrorist fighters.

In July 2014, Imran took the baiah (pledge of allegiance) to ISs self-declared caliph Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the ministry said in a news release.

Imran sought to join the Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters (BIFF) in the Philippines in their battles with the Philippine government, and, following the Marawi siege, planned to join the pro-IS militants, according to the government.

An investigation by Singapores Internal Security Department revealed Imran previously tried to join IS forces in Syria. In February 2014, after traveling to Syria to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to a refugee camp arranged by the logistics company he worked for, he was not able to slip away and join militant forces.

In March 2015, he contacted someone tied to IS to gain entry into Syria, but did not receive a reply, the ministry said.

Woman cannot contact terrorists

Singapore alleges that administrative assistant Shakirah Begam binte Abdul Wahab contacted IS fighters online in 2013.

The investigation showed that Shakirah maintained contact with the foreign fighters mainly because she enjoyed their attention, and not because she had been deeply radicalized by the violent propaganda of IS, the ministry said.

She ceased her contacts with the IS foreign fighters in early 2016, but has nonetheless continued to keep herself apprised of developments in Syria.

Shakirah was placed under a restriction order that prevents her from resuming contacts with IS members and allows her to undergo counseling and rehabilitation.

It is always disheartening to hear of news of Singaporeans being radicalized. The Islamic Religious Council of Singapore and our community partners, with the support of the Singapore government, must and will continue to build the communitys resilience against the allure of foreign extremist doctrines or misguided motivations for participating in a foreign conflict, Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs Yaacob Ibrahim wrote on Facebook.

Yaacob added that the incident involving Imran underscores the importance of friends and loved ones staying vigilant and seeking help from the authorities for anyone showing signs of radicalization.

At least 14 people have been detained or placed under restriction orders in Singapore since 2015, Reuters news service reported.
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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Translations on this website are prepared by a third-party provider. Some portions may be incorrect. Some itemsincluding downloadable files or imagescannot be translated at all. No liability is assumed by Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center for any errors or omissions. Any user who relies on translated content does so at his/her own risk.
For Immediate Release, September 7, 2017 Contact: Summer Kupau-Odo, Earthjustice, (808) 599-2436, skupau@earthjustice.org

Rene Umberger, (808) 283-7225

Marjorie Ziegler, Conservation Council for Hawaii, (808) 284-3071, mz@conservehi.org

Miyoko Sakashita, Center for Biological Diversity, (510) 844-7108, miyoko@biologicaldiversity.org Hawaii High Court Orders Halt to Commercial Aquarium Fishery State Must Study Environmental Impacts Before Permitting Unlimited Extraction of Reef Fish HONOLULU The Hawaii Supreme Court has sided with citizens and conservation groups in their fight to protect the states coral reefs from the aquarium industrys unlimited collection and sale of reef fish and other wildlife. In a unanimous decision issued Wednesday, the Supreme Court ordered a lower court to grant an injunction halting commercial aquarium collection. In 2012 plaintiffs Rene Umberger, Mike Nakachi, Kaimi Kaupiko, Willie Kaupiko, Conservation Council for Hawaii, The Humane Society of the United States, and the Center for Biological Diversity  all represented by Earthjustice  sued the Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources for failing to comply with Hawaiis Environmental Policy Act and undertake environmental review before issuing dozens of aquarium collection permits annually. In Wednesdays decision the Supreme Court agreed with plaintiffs, reversed the decisions of the Circuit Court and Intermediate Court of Appeals denying the plaintiffs claims, and ordered the Circuit Court to grant an injunction prohibiting commercial aquarium collection pending compliance with the law. The justices unanimously agree DLNRs practice of blindly doling out aquarium collection permits without studying environmental impacts is illegal, said Earthjustice attorney Summer Kupau-Odo. The law demands and Hawaiis people have every right to expect more from the agency charged with conserving our natural resources. The aquarium industry strips vast numbers of fish and other marine animals from Hawaiis reefs and sells them outside the state; the catch may be in the millions of animals every year. Most of the wild fish captured for aquariums are herbivorous reef-dwellers that coral reef ecosystems depend upon because they control algae growth that smothers corals. Studies have shown that reducing reef fish and shellfish diversity impairs a reefs ability to respond to stresses or disturbances. Minimizing such impacts is vitally important as climate change and ocean warming and acidification threaten reefs. The courts ruling requires analysis of the industrys impacts before any commercial permits can be issued and collection allowed. Hawaiis nearshore reefs and fish populations have been massively altered by commercial fish capture for the mainland household aquarium hobby, said plaintiff Rene Umberger, who has done thousands of scuba dives on reefs around the Hawaiian Islands over the years. We are ecstatic these reef ecosystems will finally get some reprieve. Taking tropical fish from Hawaiian reefs harms that fragile ecosystem, said Miyoko Sakashita, ocean program director with the Center for Biological Diversity. Were happy to see the court recognize that its time to disclose the impacts of the aquarium trade. Maybe now people will begin to realize that we are loving these beautiful fish to death. The fish weve traditionally caught for generations to feed our families are disappearing, said plaintiff Kaimi Kaupiko. Collectors take fish we eat  like pakuikui (Achilles tang) and kole  and by taking yellow tang, they disrupt the ecosystem so that other fish, like uhu, wont come in. We mahalo the Hawaii Supreme Court for putting the brakes on commercial collection before theres no fish left for future generations. Throughout the five-year legal battle, the states land and resources department refused to acknowledge the trades impacts or even seriously study it. Instead, it argued the activity was not subject to Hawaiian environmental law because the agency hands out permits to anyone who applies and pays a nominal fee  that is, that the land department lacked any discretion to prevent the reefs from being stripped by unlimited commercial extraction. The Supreme Court rejected this argument, pointing out that the state agencys failure to exercise the authority the legislature expressly gave it does not excuse noncompliance with Hawaiis Environmental Policy Act. Thanks to the Hawaii Supreme Court, our reefs now have a chance to heal, said Marjorie Ziegler, executive director of the Conservation Council for Hawaii.
For Immediate Release, September 7, 2017 Contact: Michael Saul, (303) 915-8308, msaul@biologicaldiversity.org Trump Administration OKs Climate-destroying Coal Development in Roadless Colorado Forest DENVER, Colo. The Trump administration issued its final environmental review today proposing to approve Arch Coals application to expand West Elks coal mine leases into 1,700 acres of roadless wildlands in the Gunnison National Forest, about 40 miles southwest of Aspen, Colo. The plan would green-light exploratory drilling and miles of road construction in order to mine 17 million tons of coal within pristine roadless forest that is habitat to black bear, elk, beaver and lynx. The mining and combustion of the coal would generate more than 49 million tons of equivalent carbon dioxide pollution. The Trump administration is doubling down on coal at the expense of our climate and Colorados spectacular, irreplaceable high country forest, said Michael Saul, a senior attorney at the Center for Biological Diversity. Colorado communities recognize that clean energy is the future. Well fight to block this outrageous Forest Service decision and preserve these pristine public lands for future generations. The Trump administrations rubber-stamping of Arch Coals mine expansion displays its utter contempt for our national forests, our public health and public opinion. More than 100,000 people signed petitions and letters opposing this project for the damage it would cause to wild forests and our climate, said Matt Reed, public lands director with High Country Conservation Advocates. Trump ignored them all to benefit a mine that already has nearly a decade of dirty coal already under lease. This will allow Colorados single worst methane polluter to continue fouling the air and our climate for years to come without even seriously considering limiting that pollution. We will keep fighting to protect Colorados forests from this damaging proposal. The Forest Services draft record of decision starts a 45-day period in which the public may file formal objections challenging the legal basis for the mine expansion. The groups expect to file objections. The Forest Service will have 45 days after objections are filed to rule on them and issue a final decision. If the lease expansion is approved, construction could begin in the spring of 2018. More information on the West Elk mines expansion proposal and its impact, as well as photos, can be found at https://earthjustice.org/features/sunset-roadless-area-climate. Groups joining the Center in pledging to continue opposing the plan include High Country Conservation Advocates in Crested Butte, Colo., Wilderness Workshop in Carbondale, Colo., Grand Canyon Trust, Sierra Club and WildEarth Guardians. The Forest Services final environmental impact statement on the mine expansion, released today, is at: http://a123.g.akamai.net/7/123/11558/abc123/forestservic.download.akamai.com/11558/www/nepa/68608_FSPLT3_4051445.pdf (28 megs).
For Immediate Release, September 7, 2017 Contact: Blake Kopcho, (805) 708-3435, bkopcho@biologicaldiversity.org Arcata City Council Passes Resolution Against Offshore Fracking, Drilling Trump Order to Expand Offshore Leasing Meeting Resistance in California ARCATA, Calif. The Arcata City Council approved a resolution Wednesday night opposing new drilling off the California coast and fracking in existing offshore oil and gas wells. The vote follows President Trumps April 28 executive order urging federal agencies to expand oil and gas leasing in federal waters. Trumps order could expose the Pacific Ocean to new oil leasing for the first time in more than 30 years. This weeks resolution was sponsored by Arcatas Environmental Services Department and supported by the Center for Biological Diversity, which has been organizing a series of California city resolutions opposing offshore drilling and fracking, starting with the Santa Barbara City Councils vote on July 25. The last thing Californians want is more drilling and fracking off our coast. Arcata and other California cities are forming a wall of opposition to Trumps reckless agenda, said Blake Kopcho, an organizer with the Center. Californians wont stand aside and let him endanger wildlife and our communities with oil spills and toxic fracking chemicals. The Arcata resolution calls for: A ban on new offshore oil and gas drilling, fracking, and other well stimulation in federal and state waters along the West Coast;

A phaseout of all offshore oil and gas extraction off Californias coast;

A framework for responsible renewable energy development. The last offshore lease in federal waters off California was in 1984, but Trumps order seeks to renew the leasing program. There are more than 30 offshore drilling platforms and hundreds of miles of underwater oil and gas pipelines off Californias coast. Operators want permits to frack offshore wells, using chemicals that are toxic to wildlife. Separate lawsuits filed by the state of California and the Center, challenging the federal governments approval of offshore fracking, are pending in federal district court.
Suit Fights Waiver of Environmental Laws for Border Wall We're expanding our lawsuit against Trump's border wall. This week the Center challenged the Trump administration's authority to waive dozens of environmental laws so it can rush construction of the wall and prototypes in Southern California.



A study by the Center identified more than 90 imperiled species threatened by proposed wall construction along the 2,000-mile U.S.-Mexico border. The 30-foot-high prototypes near San Diego would be built on land that's critical habitat for several endangered species.



"Trump is willing to throw environmental protections out the window to fulfill his divisive and destructive campaign promise," said the Center's Brian Segee. "What's to stop him from using this lawless approach to wreck wildlife refuges and beautiful public lands all along the border? We need to halt these unconstitutional waivers once and for all, here in San Diego."



Read more in our press release.
Starting your day with a cup of mushroom coffee can give a much-needed twist to your daily regimen. Many speak of its benefits, and some even prefer it to regular coffee. But given its unique
The chairman/CEO of the Nigeria Police Broadcasting Service (NPBS), Ediri Jerry Wesley, revealed during an interview with journalists in Abuja, on 2 September 2017, that the proposed NPBS would be hitting Nigerian airwaves 28 November 2017, according to a report by Today NG.

Wesley also revealed that transmission will be done in both Pidgin English and other Nigerian Languages.

According to a report by Telecompaper, the CEO highlighted the NPBSs launch strategy during the interview, by revealing that the station would kick off with a fund-raising ceremony at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, and that they would be poaching workers from international broadcast organisations, including the Cable News Network (CNN).

Wesley said that, The NPBS will focus on four areas of operations (TV, Radio, Online and Emergency Control Centre). The project, which is a Public Private Partnership with the Nigeria Police, will help to curb insecurity by providing a prompt response to emergency situations.

Unlike most broadcast organisations, the NPBS will not source for commercial adverts for sustainability, rather its survival will depend largely on sponsorship from corporate organisations and well-meaning Nigerians.

About 5,000 young Nigerians will be engaged and trained by 50 expatriates (professionals from CNN, BBC and other foreign media organisations) for three years.

In order to reach all Nigerians, irrespective of their educational background, the transmission will also be done in both Pidgin English and other Nigerian Languages, the NPBS CEO concluded.
The Louvre Abu Dhabi - a universal museum with a focus on shared human stories across civilisations and cultures - will open its doors on 11 November 2017, the first of its kind in the Arab world. Located in Abu Dhabi, the opening celebrations will include a range of public programmes including symposiums, performances, concerts, dance, and visual arts by renowned contemporary and classical artists.

Pritzker Prize winning French architect Jean Nouvel has designed a museum city (Arab medina) under a vast silvery dome. Visitors can walk through the promenades overlooking the sea beneath the museums 180-metre dome, comprised of almost 8,000 unique metal stars set in a complex geometric pattern. When sunlight filters through, it creates a moving rain of light beneath the dome, reminiscent of the overlapping palm trees in the UAEs oases.

Louvre Abu Dhabi. Photo Courtesy Mohamed Somji (Image Supplied)

On display will be the museums important collection of artworks, artefacts and loans from Frances top museums. These span the entirety of human existence - from prehistorical objects to commissioned contemporary artworks - highlighting universal themes and ideas and marking a departure from traditional museography that often separates according to origin. In addition to the galleries, the museum will include exhibitions, a Childrens Museum, a restaurant, a boutique and a cafe.

His Excellency Mohamed Khalifa Al Mubarak, Chairman of Abu Dhabi Tourism and Culture Authority (TCA Abu Dhabi) and Tourism Development and Investment Company (TDIC), said: "Louvre Abu Dhabi embodies our belief that nations thrive on diversity and acceptance, with a curatorial narrative that emphasises how interconnected the world has always been. The museum represents the latest innovation in a long-standing tradition of cultural preservation nurtured by the founding leaders of the UAE.

Louvre Abu Dhabi forms one element of Abu Dhabis cultural strategy, which safeguards our rich heritage and catalyses creativity. Investment in a vibrant cultural ecosystem supports the UAEs economic diversification and development as a modern, dynamic society. Louvre Abu Dhabi will inspire a new generation of cultural leaders and creative thinkers to contribute to our rapidly-changing and tolerant nation.

From the earliest empires to modernity

Highlighting similarities between canons: Louvre Abu Dhabis story will begin in the Great Vestibule, where visitors are introduced to important themes such as maternity and funerary rituals. The dialogue between works from different geographical territories, sometimes far apart, highlights similarities between the canons despite each having its own mode of expression. The galleries will be both chronological and thematic, and subdivided into 12 chapters. Displays include works from the earliest empires, including the first figurative representations, such as the Bactrian Princess created in Central Asia at the end of the third millennium BCE, funerary practices of ancient Egypt illustrated by a set sarcophagi of Princess Henuttawy, and the creation of new economies with a Decadrachm coin of Syracuse signed by the artist Euainetos.

Universal religions: A gallery dedicated to universal religions will feature sacred texts: a Leaf from the Blue Quran, a Gothic Bible, a Pentateuch and texts from Buddhism and Taoism.

Artistic exchanges on the trading routes: The artistic exchanges on the trading routes during the Medieval and Modern periods are brought to the fore through an important number of ceramic works. Between Asia and the Mediterranean and then between Europe and America, guests will appreciate how the worlds horizon gradually expanded. A set of screens from the Japanese Namban demonstrate the dialogue between the Far East and Europe. From the image of the Prince throughout the world, illustrated by an important Ottoman Turban Helmet to a more intimate vision of a new art of living, the museum presents an exceptional chest of drawers made in Red Chinese lacquer by Bernard II Van Risenburgh (BVRB, 16961766), created in France. In a section about Modernity are Edouard Manets (18321883) the Gypsy, Paul Gauguins (18481903) Children Wrestling, Piet Mondrians (18721944) Composition with Blue, Red, Yellow and Black. On show will be a monumental work by the artist Ai Weiwei (1957) and his questioning of globalisation.

For Louvre Abu Dhabi - site-specific contemporary works: Louvre Abu Dhabis first site-specific works installed in the outdoor areas by renowned contemporary artists, interact with the spirit of the museum and the fabric of the architecture. American artist Jenny Holzer (1950) has created three engraved stone walls named For Louvre Abu Dhabi (2017). These cite important historical texts from Ibn Khaldun's Muqaddimah, the Mesopotamian bilingual (Akkadian/Sumerian) Creation Myth tablet, and the 1588 annotated edition of Michel de Montaigne's Les Essais.

Italian artist Giuseppe Penone (1947) has produced several works specifically for Louvre Abu Dhabi. Leaves of Light (2017) is a vast bronze tree with mirrors placed in its branches to reflect the rain of light. Propagation (2017) is a wall of porcelain tiles that depict hand-drawn concentric circles originating from the fingerprint of Sheikh Zayed, the UAEs founding father. It was produced in collaboration with the workshops of Sevres  Cite de la ceramique in France.

A revelatory meeting place

Her Excellency Francoise Nyssen, the French Minister of Culture said: The opening of the Louvre Abu Dhabi on 11 November 2017 will be a milestone in the development of the cooperation between the United Arab Emirates and France, ten years after the signature of the intergovernmental agreement. This museum is one of the most ambitious cultural projects in the world, brought to light by Nouvels exceptional architectural masterpiece. With the expertise of its cultural institutions and loans from its national collections, France is particularly proud to play a significant role in the completion and the life of the Louvre Abu Dhabi, and so for several decades to come.

Louvre Abu Dhabi. Photo Courtesy Mohamed Somji (Image Supplied)

Endowed with an innovative scientific and cultural project combining the expertise of 13 French museums and institutions steered by the Agence France-Museums, the Louvre Abu Dhabi will indeed offer visitors a unique experience: a brand new journey through major works of art from different civilisations, mirrored to reveal our common humanity. The Louvre Abu Dhabi, therefore, carries a message of tolerance and peace and stresses the unwavering commitment of our two countries to promote culture and education as a shield against extremism.

Nouvel, the architect of the Louvre Abu Dhabi: Louvre Abu Dhabi will open in two months. After several years of studies and construction, guests will be able to enter this place of light, this revelatory meeting place of a number of planetary cultures beyond the seas and centuries. It is an architecture that is protective of its treasures, it is a homage to the Arab city, to its poetry in geometry and light, and, under the large cupola, it is an evocation of the temporalities which inexorably punctuate the hours, days, and the passing of our lives.

On loan from France

In the galleries, important artworks on loan from 13 leading museums in France will be presented. Highlights include Leonardo da Vincis (14521519) La Belle Ferronniere (on loan from musee du Louvre); Vincent van Goghs (18531890) self-portrait (musee d'Orsay et de l'Orangerie); a rare ivory saltcellar from the Benin Empire (musee du quai Branly - Jacques Chirac); a Globe by Vincenzo Coronelli (16501718) of Bibliotheque nationale de France; a pair of gui vessels (Musee national des arts asiatiques Guimet); Jacques-Louis Davids (17481825) Napoleon Crossing the Alps (Chateau de Versailles); Auguste Rodins (18401917) Jean dAire from the group the Burghers of Calais (Musee Rodin); a 13th century reliquary chest (Musee de Cluny - Musee national du Moyen Age); a Chinese ewer of Persian shape (Musee des Arts Decoratifs); a Breastplate of Marmesse (Musee d'archeologie nationale - Saint Germain en Laye); the Apollo Belvedere statue by Primatice (15041570) from Chateau de Fontainebleau; and Standing Woman II by Alberto Giacometti (19011966) from Centre Pompidou.

The inaugural special exhibition, From One Louvre to Another: opening a museum for everyone, opens on 21 December 2017, and traces the history of Musee du Louvre in Paris. Divided into three sections, the exhibition will look at the royal collections at Versailles under King Louis XIV, followed by the residency of the Academy and Salons in this palace for artists, and conclude with the creation of the modern Musee du Louvre. It will feature aproximately 145 significant paintings, sculptures, decorative arts and other pieces from the collections of Musee du Louvre and Chateau de Versailles. The exhibition is curated by Jean-Luc Martinez, President-Director, Musee du Louvre, and Juliette Trey, Curator, Prints and Drawings Department, Musee du Louvre.

The intergovernmental agreement includes the loan of the Musee du Louvres name for 30 years and six months, temporary exhibitions for 15 years, and loans of artworks for 10 years.

For more information, visit Louvre Abu Dhabi.
SABC former COO Hlaudi Motsoeneng is not responsible for the costs incurred by the corporation in firing of eight of its journalists last year, according to his lawyer.

Advocate Thabani Masuku has contended in the Labour Court that Motsoeneng was not the decision-maker. He said former acting group CEO Jimi Matthews had ordered former acting group executive for news and current affairs Simon Tebele to fire the journalists.

Trade union Solidarity had argued that Motsoeneng made the decision that led to the journalists being fired.

Solidarity wants Motsoeneng to be held liable for the legal costs because he introduced the 90% local-content policy and banned the airing of violent protests on the public broadcaster's television channels.

The respondents are the SABC, Motsoeneng and Tebele.

"The court had not identified Mr Motsoeneng as the decision-maker responsible for terminating the employment contracts of the applicants. [The] SABC itself had not identified Mr Motsoeneng as the decision-maker [and] the applicants themselves did not identify Mr Motsoeneng as the decision-maker," he said.

Earlier on Wednesday Hans van der Riet SC, representing the Broadcast Electronic Media and Allied Workers' Union, told Judge David Gush that all three respondents should be held personally liable for the costs.

"It's clear [Motsoeneng] took the decision," he said, adding that the SABC was guilty of "unacceptable conduct".

Ntuli, Calata, Gqubule, Vuyo Mvoko, Jacques Steenkamp, Foeta Krige, Krivani Pillay and Suna Venter, who has since died, were fired by the public broadcaster in July 2016 for speaking out against Motsoeneng's policy of stopping the airing of footage of violent protests.
The latest population research and pressing global and regional population issues will take centre stage when South Africa hosts the International Population Conference in October.

Research on South Africa and the continents challenges of poverty, population, health, economic growth and policy interventions to advance development in the region are some of the issues to be discussed at the International Population Conference (IPC), said Stats SA on Wednesday, 6 September.

Other issues on the agenda include population and policy challenges in Africa, HIV and Aids and sexually transmitted diseases, non-communicable diseases, health and mortality, the challenge of producing skills for a 21st century African labour force, and challenges in overcoming poverty, inequality and vulnerability.

Experts will converge in Cape Town, for the week-long conference, the first in the 88-year history of the conference to be held in sub-Saharan Africa. The conference will run from 29 October to 4 November.

Statistician-general Dr Pali Lehohla said the conference will help refocus the attention of political leaders on the continent to population and development issues.

Hosting the conference on sub-Saharan African soil will be an opportunity to re-energise the discourse of the role and integration of the population variables in national development agendas in the region, said Lehohla.

The IPC, said Lehohla, will strengthen demographic training in South Africa and offer international population scientists the opportunity to assess the results of the 2010 Round of Censuses, in which more than 40 African countries participated, and make recommendations that will benefit these countries.

Addressing population dynamics and harnessing the demographic dividend are high on the development agenda in Africa, said Dr Julita Onabanjo, director of the UN Population Fund in East and Southern Africa, adding that the conference will help improve demographic outcomes of development efforts on the continent.

It is expected that 2,000 population scientists, policymakers, civic organisations and government leaders from around the world will hold talks on the latest population research and debate pressing global and regional population issues.

Stats SA said the approximately 4,572 submissions received from 131 countries were indicative of the wealth of knowledge that will be shared among the experts from different parts of the world.

Stats SA will host the conference on behalf of South Africa.
A survey of Pacific corals has found many severely bleached, some near-dead, according to marine researchers who warned Wednesday, 6 September, that global warming threatened the precious ecosystem's very survival.

An in-depth probe along a 50,000km stretch of the Pacific found that up to 90% of some coral colonies around the Samoan islands had been bleached. Around the Tuamotu archipelago, up to half of colonies are bleached, according to researchers on board the French research schooner Tara. Around the islands of Tuvalu and Kiribati, sections of reef were dead by the time the team got there. Even in more temperate waters to the north, reefs did not escape bleaching, said the team, with up to 70% of corals damaged around Okinawa, Japan.

"All along Tara's Pacific route, we observed coral deaths and very serious bleaching," Tara scientific director Serge Planes of the French CNRS research institute told AFP in Paris, where the report was released.

Corals make up less than one percent of Earth's marine environment, but are home to an estimated 25% of marine life. They act as nurseries for many species of fish. Corals are tiny, invertebrate marine creatures that live in colonies and require algae to survive. The algae live on the corals, providing them with food and the bold colours that reefs are known for. Corals "bleach" when they are stressed by environmental changes - due to ocean warming or pollution. They expel the algae and turn bone-white. If the harm is not too severe, reefs can recover from a bleaching event, although this can take many years.

Tara departed on its mission from the port of Lorient in northwest France in May last year. It is about halfway through its mission, having visited 15 countries from east to west. Wednesday's report was based on analysis of some 15,000 coral samples collected in 2,000 dives, and concluded that global warming is the main culprit. The data revealed that bleaching events happen much more frequently than in the past, giving reefs less time to recover between bouts, said Planes.

"Clearly, these events are no longer associated with exceptional climate events," as in the past, when there were typically 20-25-year breaks between bleachings caused by such warming phenomena as El Nino. Also, in sparsely populated areas like Polynesia, with comparatively little ocean pollution, warming is the only explanation for the coral damage, the team said. "It is worrying," said Planes, adding that the data "throws into question the future of these coral reefs".

Corals are under pressure worldwide. Earlier this year, researchers said Australia's Great Barrier Reef was experiencing an unprecedented second straight year of bleaching.

Meeting the warming limit set in the 2015 climate-rescue Paris Agreement may not be enough to protect Earth's coral ecosystem, warned the Tara researchers. Nearly 200 nations agreed under the pact to limit average warming to 2C over pre-industrial levels. A level of about 1C has already been reached.

Source: AFP
Entrepreneurship is a difficult, yet rewarding path to follow. Some challenges you might face as a small business owner include cash flow problems, difficulty in attracting top talent and finding time to innovate.

The good news is that digital tools  and the impact they are having on the workplace  give you access to the audience, information and resources that you need to overcome common challenges and tip the scales in your favour.

Attracting customers

Challenge: As a small business owner, you are competing for customers with businesses that have more money to spend on sales and marketing than you do. Print and radio advertising can be expensive and it is difficult to be sure whether they are successfully attracting new customers to your business.

Hack: Social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter and search engines such as Google, offer you an affordable cost of entry for advertising. You can set strict budgets so that you do not overspend, and you can target people by factors such as their location, interests and demographics. You can also easily track how people share and interact with your content so that you can optimise for better results. While social media can be useful, do not forget about your connections offline. Networking is still a great tool to gain the trust of others and gather some referrals.

Mastering the art of paperwork

Challenge: You are not ready to invest in a proper accounting package, perhaps because you are not familiar with accounting solutions or because you do not want to spend the money. Yet you also realise that doing your invoicing and quoting on Excel spreadsheets is time-consuming and it can be a nuisance to track unpaid amounts.

Hack: Simple and affordable online software, such as Sage One Invoicing, enables business owners to quote and invoice on-the-go from a PC or mobile device, as long as they have access to an Internet connection. It takes seconds to generate a quote while you are sitting with a client, or to send an invoice once the job is finished. It is also easy to track unpaid invoices and to see how business is doing. In addition, it will also generate the quote and invoice on your companys branding, for a professional look.

Hiring the right people

Challenge: When you are ready to grow from one-person or two-person company, you need to find the right people to take your business to the right level. You probably will not be able to pay them as much as a bigger company; what is more, you need to hire carefully to ensure that they fit with your company culture and your management style.

Hack: Let your business network know that you are hiring and look carefully at the people your contacts refer to you. This is a great way of tapping into talent that will be a fit for your business without publishing an ad or turning to an external recruiter. Do not look at qualifications alone  hire people for their attitude and their willingness to grow with your company.

Mastering multiple roles

Challenge: Every small business owner needs to be a jack-of-all-trades, managing everything from the printer and the coffee machine to finance, sales and operations. As your company grows, you will need access to more specialised skills to run an effective business. At the same time, you might not have budget to pay for a full-time accountant, IT manager, HR manager and marketing director.

Hack: Selectively outsource your business needs to freelancers and agencies who know your industry and who work with other small businesses. This will free your time up for innovation, product development, sales and other aspects of your business you consider your real strengths. It will also give you access to fresh perspectives and helpful advice.

Sage supports the growth of South African businesses through the 2017 702 and Cape Talk Small Business Awards with Sage, an annual search for small South African businesses that have potential for the future. For more information, go to www.sba.702.co.za or www.sba.capetalk.co.za for more information.
On 6 July 2017, the International Criminal Court (ICC) handed down its judgment in the case concerning South Africa's failure to arrest Omar al-Bashir, the current President of Sudan. The dispute has its genesis in President al-Bashir's presence in South Africa in June 2015 to attend the African Union Summit.

The ICC was asked to answer two questions:

was South Africas failure to comply with the request for arrest and surrender of President al-Bashir contrary to the provisions of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court (Rome Statute); and

If so, does the matter warrant referral to the Assembly of States Parties (Assembly) or the United Nations Security Council (UNSC)?



South African legal ruling

Previously, the South African High Court ruled that South Africas failure to arrest President al-Bashir was inconsistent with the Constitution, the Rome Statute and South Africas Implementation of the Rome Statute of the Criminal Court Act, No 27 of 2002. The Supreme Court of Appeal subsequently confirmed this ruling.

Before the ICC, South Africa primarily argued that President al-Bashir enjoys immunity from criminal proceedings under customary international law and, given that such immunity had not been waived by Sudan, the ICC could not request South Africa to arrest and surrender the President. Consequently, South Africa was not obliged to do so.

ICC has jurisdiction

The ICC found that customary international law prevents a state from exercising criminal jurisdiction against a different head of state. However, article 27(2) of the Rome Statute provides that diplomatic immunity does not bar the ICC from exercising its jurisdiction over such a person. This in turn means that these heads of state are not immune to arrest. The irrelevance of diplomatic immunity in relation to proceedings before the ICC is thus incorporated in the Rome Statute as a basic principle to which states parties subscribe by voluntarily ratifying the statute. There is, as such, no immunity to be waived.

As a result, a states party cannot refuse to comply with a request by the ICC for the arrest and surrender of the head of state of another states party as any possible immunity vis-a-vis the ICC has been rendered inapplicable by the ratification of the Rome Statute.

In this particular case, although Sudan is not a party to the Rome Statute, the referral of the matter to the ICC by the UNSC brings the matter within the ICCs jurisdiction. By triggering the ICCs jurisdiction, the UNSC has imposed an obligation on Sudan to cooperate fully with the Court in terms of the Rome Statute. By imposing this obligation on Sudan, the effect is that in respect of the situation in Darfur, Sudan has rights and duties analogous to those of a states party.

Consequently, article 27(2) of the Rome Statute applies equally to Sudan, which renders any diplomatic immunity belonging to Sudan inapplicable. As such, Sudan cannot claim immunity for President al-Bashir as a sitting head of state, nor may President al-Bashir claim it for himself. There is no immunity that needs to be waived before a states party can arrest him.

Therefore, states parties, including South Africa, have an obligation in international law to arrest and surrender President al-Bashir to the ICC.

ICC not to refer case to UNSC

Turning to the second question of what to do in relation to South Africas non-compliance, South Africa argued that a referral to the Assembly or the UNSC is not warranted as it would cast South Africa in a bad light and would not encourage future cooperation.

The ICC attributed great weight to South Africas engagement with it prior to the hearing in an attempt to seek a final legal determination on the obligation to arrest and surrender. This proactive conduct set it apart from previous instances of non-compliance in this matter by other states.

Another important consideration in the exercise of this discretion is whether an external referral would be an effective way of ensuring cooperation in the future. At this point, the ICC relied on the fact that South Africa appears to have accepted that it has a legal obligation to cooperate with the ICC under its domestic legal framework by virtue of it withdrawing its appeal against the previous ruling of the SCA.

The ICC found that both it and the South African courts have now laid any doubt in relation to the issue of South Africas obligation to arrest President al-Bashir to rest. A referral to the Assembly or the UNSC would achieve no further cooperation. Therefore, the ICC declined to refer the matter to the Assembly or the UNSC.

The South African courts and the ICC itself have now clarified that South Africa was under an obligation to arrest President al-Bashir in June 2015 and, should he enter South African territory again, South Africa shall remain so obliged. It remains to be seen whether South Africa will appeal the ICCs decision.
Disgraced former attorney and education rights warrior Mike Randell made another bid yesterday, 6 September 2017, to stay out of jail when he appealed against his effective four-year prison sentence for defrauding a Port Elizabeth school.

It was argued in the Grahamstown High Court yesterday that Randell's fraud and theft trial was unfair.

Famous for heading a class action against the education department, which culminated in an order that the department fill more than 6,000 vacant teacher posts, Randell, 64, was struck from the roll of attorneys in 2015 after being exposed for his part in defrauding a Port Elizabeth school, Greenwood Primary, of some R2.4-million.

He wept in court when he was convicted last year for his role in the Greenwood saga.

He was subsequently sentenced by magistrate Khamdilizine Nqadala to six years' imprisonment, of which two were suspended.

However, his legal representative argued yesterday that the earlier harsh high court judgment in terms of which Randell was struck from the roll of attorneys had tainted his subsequent criminal trial.

That particular judgment had followed legal proceedings brought by the Law Society of the Cape of Good Hope.

His counsel, Laurence Hodes SC, argued that the magistrate in the criminal trial had been influenced by Judge Sytze Alkema's judgment - in the law society case in 2015 - in which he had found on a balance of probabilities that Randell was inherently dishonest and fraudulent.

Alkema found Randell's "sustained dishonest, deceitful and disgraceful conduct" was premeditated, carefully planned and executed over eight years.

Hodes said this had tainted the magistrate's questioning of Randell during the subsequent criminal trial and had permeated his own judgment in terms of which he found Randell criminally guilty.

Not once during his trial had Randell been asked directly to comment on Alkema's findings against him and yet these findings had influenced the magistrate.

"An accused is entitled to know the case he has to meet," Hodes said.

"That did not happen in this trial."

He said the findings on a balance of probabilities in the matter brought by the law society had been used to prop up the same findings on the tougher beyond-reasonable-doubt measure of a criminal trial.

The fraud perpetrated had involved the school's former principal, Patrick Shelver, former school governing body chairman Michel Lascot and Randell, who colluded to defraud the school of R2.4-million.

Randell drew up a trust for the school so that it could buy and own land and buildings adjacent to the school.

The school was the sole beneficiary and Shelver, Lascot and Randell were registered as the trustees.

The woman who sold the land did so at a discounted price on condition that the school would benefit. Without the knowledge of the school, the trust deed was later amended to include Randell, Lascot and Shelver as beneficiaries.

They later sold the valuable property to developers, scoring a massive R3.5-million out of the deal.

The school benefited to the tune of just more than R1-million. Shelver pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 10 years in prison, suspended for five years, while Lascot died before the matter went to trial.

Senior state advocate Wilhelm de Villiers argued yesterday that even if the magistrate had read Alkema's judgment, he had clearly made his own judgment based solely on Randell's poor showing as a witness and the evidence which had proved beyond reasonable doubt that he had deceived the school and acted fraudulently.

Randell has fought hard to stay out of jail, with clinical psychologist Sarel Steyn brought to testify on his behalf prior to sentencing last year.

Steyn said if kept out of prison, Randell would still be able to do much good in the community.

He said he had interviewed Federation of Governing Bodies for South African Schools chief executive Paul Colditz, who said he had been privileged to have seen and experienced the relief Randell brought to the lives of thousands of children and school staff.

A letter written by Randell was also read out in court and his daughter, Julie Robertson, told the court that on one occasion her father had literally taken the shirt off his back and given it to someone less fortunate.

Judges Mandela Makaula and Thami Beshe reserved judgment.

Source: Herald
A unique tertiary institution, where there are no lecturers on campus and students attend classes after work with a lecturer who is more than 1,000km away, will open its doors in Nelson Mandela Bay next year.

Registration is open for Akademia Studiesentrum Port Elizabeth, which is the 12th fully Afrikaans centre of its kind in the country.

The institution is located in Broadway Avenue, Fernglen, and will open in January.

Currently Akademia has 720 registered pupils.

Unlike most tertiary institutions, it only provides late classes - between 5pm and 10pm - with classes for postgraduate diplomas taking place on Saturdays.

In contrast to other institutions, Akademia lecturers are not physically present in lecture rooms - instead they are live-streamed across all campuses simultaneously.

Akademia operational manager Paul Vogel said the live-streaming opened the respective topics up to a wider scope of questioning and understanding, with pupils interacting with one another from all corners of the country.

"Most people would love to continue their studies but don't have the time to attend classes.

"At Akademia, we operate with those individuals in mind, providing daily late lectures and with all of the classes and courses being completed via the internet," Vogel said.

"With the electronic format, pupils are able to download lectures, books and notes. So even if they are unable to attend a class they won't miss out on anything.

"However, there are attendance requirements."

The degrees on offer include BCom Management Accounting, Economics and Law, Financial Planning and Enterprise Management.

The institution also provides postgraduate diplomas and a number of short courses.

"Because pupils from all around the country are interacting in the lectures, questions might be asked by a Western Cape student that someone in PE would never have thought of because it might not apply in their region," Vogel said.

"So students are given a broader understanding, instead of simply referring to textbook scenarios and questions.

"They are able to introduce real-life scenarios and theory application," he said.

The lectures are conducted by lecturers based at the Akademia head office in Pretoria.

In the classrooms around the country, there are two screens, one displaying the class notes and the other streaming the lecture.

Tablet computers for students to receive their work were included in their study fees, Vogel said.

"Akademia is focused on providing accessible and affordable education in Afrikaans, to enable students of all ages to obtain quality education and training and make a difference in their communities."

Source: Herald
Members of the Association of Southern African Travel Agents (ASATA) confirmed that, despite reports this week that South African travellers are taking fewer local trips and spending less when they travel domestically, there is still a healthy appetite for international travel. South Africans, however, are shopping around for the best international travel deals and are opting for destinations that are visa free as visas can be a significant expense and a time-consuming task.

IppikiOokami via pixabay

Travel trends: More bang for buck

Clients are certainly looking for more bang for their buck, but still have a great appetite for travel, says Vtravels Vanessa Frankal. We find that although South African travellers are tightening their belt in some respects, they are prepared to pay more when presented with an option that gives them better value.

Theres definitely an appetite for travel among South Africans, but weve seen a change in the type of holiday that clients are choosing. Three- and four-star hotel requests are on the rise, all-inclusive is trending and added value is expected, says Flora Fubbs, senior manager marketing at The Holiday Factory.

Increasingly South Africans are comparing the cost of local travel to regional and international travel destinations that offer competitive pricing and value for money, explains Luana Visagie, marketing manager, Club Travel. Value for money and destinations offering all-inclusive packages continue to grow in appeal.

Thompsons Holidays agrees local travel has declined because when it is compared to seven-night packages to Zanzibar and Thailand, it is often more expensive. The Indian Ocean Islands are booming, as is the Far East where the most popular destinations remain Thailand and Bali. The current trend seems to be shorter trips, but more frequently, explains media and PR manager John Ridler.

Popular destinations

Popular destinations for South Africans, in addition to Thailand and Bali, include Greece, India, the USA and Disney World, adds Annemarie Lexow, Travel Vision Sales and Marketing Manager. The average length of these tailor-made packages is about seven days at the moment.

Portugal and Spain have also been on the radar for South Africans, explains Theresa Szejwallo, Managing Director Trafalgar South Africa. These destinations offer South Africans great value and the depth of experiences on offer make them extremely popular among our guided holiday destinations. Weve also seen that Christmas Markets in Europe are a popular choice for December holidays.

There are some very good specials out in the market to encourage South Africans to travel globally, from early bird to book now, pay later deals, and even rand guarantees so that South Africans are not penalised when the rand exchange rate dips. Important for South Africans is to check all the inclusions on their package so that they know upfront what is included and the value that theyll get from their experience.

Cruise and guided holidays popular

Also important for South Africans, is knowing as much as possible in advance what theyre going to be paying for their holiday, which is why resort, cruise and guided holidays remain popular this season.

Many cruise lines offer all-inclusive sailings, the option to buy drinks and Wi-Fi packages or special discount packages with drinks included so you know upfront what your holiday is going to cost you. Its important to understand what these inclusions are up front so that you dont end up paying extra when youre on the ship, explains Jane Davidson, director, Development Promotions.

Sounds too good to be true?

As travellers gear up to plan and book their December holidays, ASATA CEO Otto de Vries warns against booking something that sounds too good to be true. We find this time of year that fraudsters tend to target unsuspecting travellers with incredible holiday deals that are simply not viable. Once youve booked your holiday, youll have no recourse, and in most cases no holiday.

If youre looking to book your holiday, first and foremost ensure that you are dealing with a bona fide company and secondly, check on the ASATA website if they are an ASATA member so that you can travel with peace of mind this December.
The 2017 Jozi Film Festival (JFF) will be held at the Rosebank Mall Cinema Nouveau and The Bioscope in Maboneng from 21-24 September 2017.

Showcasing African stories in film

This sixth annual JFF will open with the top 10 films selected in the Discovery Channel Dont Stop Wondering competition. The competition called for African filmmakers to submit a two to five-minute film that showcased and celebrated unique African stories whilst capturing Discoverys ethos of sparking curiosity.

The 10 shortlisted films were broadcast on Discovery Channel, after which the general public was asked to vote for their favourite film via Discoverys website.

Were so proud to have been a part of this competition, says JFFs founder and organiser Lisa Henry. Discovery Channel offered African filmmakers a remarkable opportunity with this competitive category and they have been a wonderful group of people to work alongside on this.

The Dont Stop Wondering award carries a cash prize of $5,000 (approximately R64,478) from Discovery Channel. The winning filmmaker will be announced on Sunday, 24 September 2017 at the Jozi Film Festival Awards. The awards will be hosted by comedian John Vlismas at The Sheds, 1 Fox Precinct in the Johannesburg CBD.

Screenings and workshops

Marc Serena and Pablo Garcia Perez de Laras multi award-winning documentary film Tchindas will be making its South African premiere at the Rosebank Mall Cinema Nouveau on Saturday, 23 September 2017. Serena and De Lara will be in attendance at the films South African premiere.

It's very special to premiere the film in South Africa with Jozi Film Festival. It gives another perspective of the continent and we hope people from Jozi will love it, said Serena. The Spanish directors travelled to Cape Verde to explore the lives of the transsexual community in the city of Mindelo in the run up to its annual carnival.

The film centres on Cape Verde's most famous transgender activist, Tchinda Andrade. "She was the first to open the way for others to express themselves," says Serena. "Tchinda is a natural leader. She has been so influential that the trans community in Cape Verde is referred to as 'Tchindas' by locals.

In partnership with the African Academy of Cinematic Arts (AACA), the 2017 JFF will also be running film workshops on Saturday, 23 September 2017 at AACAs Maboneng premises (10 Van Beek Street). These workshops are free and open to any aspiring or emerging filmmakers.

Maumela Mahuwa from SABC 2s Muvhango will be speaking about her 12-year history in film and television. No booking is required and the programme of events can be found on AACAs website.

Bookings for the 2017 JFF can be made online through Ster-Kinekor from Wednesday, 12 September 2017.
SABC radio stations have lined up numerous of activities in celebration of Heritage Month, which celebrates the nation's diversity and calls on South Africans to unite despite their cultural differences.

The Hamman Time Heritage Tour

5FM's Nick Hamman of Hamman Time (Mondays-Fridays, 09:00  12:00) will take listeners on a true South African journey as he visits all nine provinces which started on Friday, 1 September. The show will take its listeners on a month-long excursion as Nick Hamman and producer "Mad Money Mike" travel through the nine provinces, spending at least two days in each, as they learn more about the vibrant heritage in the cities and small towns.

Hamman Time will broadcast live every day of the tour and encourage listeners to promote their province by engaging with the show and sharing their stories. The tour is sure to deliver a unique experience as it takes a deeper look at the culture, history and sheer beauty South Africa has to offer. In conjunction with the live broadcasts, listeners can follow the tour on the stations various social media platforms for interviews, video and images.

The Hamman Time Heritage Tour, which kicked off on 1 September and will move on to Limpopo, Mpumalanga, Gauteng, Kwa-Zulu Natal, Free State, Eastern Cape and Northern Cape before reaching the Western Cape just before Heritage Day. Listeners can join in by tuning in or following the @5FM and @HammanTime social media feeds using the hashtag #HammanTour and #LoveSA.

African Heritage Day and Traditional Dance Competion

Radio 2000 will host an African Heritage Day event at the SABC offices in Auckland Park on Thursday, 21 September between 09:00  15:00. The station has invited representatives from 27 African State Embassies to exhibit their rich African Cultural Heritage.

Phalaphala FM in partnership with Radzambo Cultural Foundation will be hosting a Phalaphala FM Traditional Dance Competition. The traditional dance and music will feature the following categories: Tshikona, Malende, Tshigombela, Visa, Kiba, Makgakgasi, Xigubu, Muchongolo and Xibelani covering the entire Vhembe District Municipality. The finals are preceded by the eliminations that are being held around the district a month prior September, with the finals being held during Heritage Month. Traditional dance competition finals will be held on Saturday, 30 September, at Rabali Stadium in Nzhelele within the Makhado Local Municipality.

Umkhosi woMhlanga and Umkhosi weLembe

Ukhozi FM will celebrate Heritage Month by partaking in two annual events that are the pinnacle of the Zulu nation cultural heritage celebrations. Umkhosi woMhlanga (Reed Dance)  Umkhosi woMhlanga is an annual Zulu ceremony that has become popular on the cultural tourism calendar and takes place at Enyokeni Royal Residence in Nongoma.

Umkhosi weLembe  Umkhosi weLembe celebrates the life and reign of Shaka kaSenzangakhona, King of the Zulus. Last year (2016) marked 200 years since King Shaka founded the Zulu kingdom and 45 years since King Goodwill Zwelithini reigning King of the Zulu nation ascended to the throne. The celebration will take place in kwaDukuza on the North Coast, where King Shaka was buried in 1828 at the age of 41.

Spring Shutdown and other activities

Munghana Lonene FM is planning a Spring Shutdown to celebrate Heritage Month. The shutdown will be hosted at the The Rest Lodge in Malamulele from 8 to 10 September. Two shows will broadcast from the lodge on Friday, 8 September followed by DJs mixes from 7pm till late. On Saturday, 9 September the station will host Xiseveseve and Makhwaya groups as well as local artists performances with a live recording of the stations soapy Mina Hi Mina during performance breaks. The weekend will close with a live jazz session which will have a picnic element of a bring and braai on Sunday, 10 September.

Other activities planned by Munghana Lonene are as follows:

Valoyi Traditional Authority for Nwa Mitwa Heritage & Culture Day on 2nd September

Shiviti Traditional Authority for Thomo Heritage & Culture Day on 22nd September

Homu Traditional Council for Homu Heritage & Culture Day, date TBC

Mnisi Traditional Council for Mnisi Heritage & Culture celebration, date TBC

Nghunghunyani Day, date TBC

Rainbow cultures event, Steve Biko and focussing on heritage and tourism

Lotus FM is planning to host its listeners and key stakeholders as part of Heritage Month. The event will celebrate the various rainbow cultures that South Africa is home to. All guests will dress in their cultural attire and will indulge in traditional meals. Lotus FM OAPs and key members of management will be in attendance to interact with guest. The event will also have key note speakers to address both attendees and the listeners tuning into the station.

trufm in partnership with the Steve Biko Centre, based in Ginsberg, Eastern Cape, will be celebrating Heritage Month and commemorating the 40-year anniversary of Steve Bikos passing. The Heritage Day celebrations will include dialogues, fashion, a traditional culinary experience while the Steve Biko anniversary will include a lecture. Both celebrations/commemorations will be hosted at the Steve Biko Centre.

RSG will cover a wide variety of topics, snippets and promos that focus on heritage and tourism during the month of September. A special emphasis is placed on Farming and Sustainable Food Production in partnership with Syngenta, with daily crossings for discussions about farming technology and excellence. Various archive material will be packaged and broadcasted in celebration of Afrikaans historical heritage as well 80 years of Afrikaans radio in line with the stations birthday.

The official hashtag for Heritage Month is #LiveYourHeritage.
NAIROBI, Kenya - Africa's population continues to grow, putting intense pressure on available land for agricultural purposes and life-supporting ecosystem services even as the scenario is compounded by the adverse impacts of climate change. But the adoption of land degradation neutrality (LDN) measures is helping ensure food and water security and contributing to sustainable socioeconomic development and well-being, especially for Eastern African countries that face immense challenges.

Land degradation and desertification among the world's greatest environmental challenges

With over half of sub-Saharan Africa consisting of arid and semi-arid lands, the livelihoods of over 400 million people who inhabit these areas are at risk.

LDN will also help to achieve some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and Africa's Vision 2063, launched in 2013 a strategic framework for the socio-economic transformation of the continent over the next 50 years.

According to Economics of Land Degradation Initiative, a report by the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) and others, land degradation and desertification are among the world's greatest environmental challenges. It is estimated that desertification affects approximately 33 percent of the global land surface. Over the past 40 years, erosion has rendered close to one-third of the world's arable land unproductive.

Africa is the most exposed, with desertification affecting around 45 percent of the continent's land area, out of which 55 percent is at high or very high risk of further degradation. Dry lands are particularly affected by land degradation and with over 50 percent of sub-Saharan Africa being arid and semi-arid lands, the livelihoods of over 400 million who inhabit these areas are at risk.

Change in land use a major cause of land degradation

In an interview with IPS, Ermias Betemariam, a land health scientist at the World Agroforestry Centre (ICRAF) with research interest in land degradation, landscape ecology, restoration ecology, soil carbon dynamics and spatial science, said that increasing population is an important driver of the rising demand for natural resources and the ecosystem services they provide, including food and energy.

"Africa, in particular, faces the critical challenge of its population continuing to grow at a rapid rate while natural resources, arable, grazing, forest lands, and water resources become increasingly scarce and degraded," he said.

Betemariam noted that food is mostly produced by small-scale farmers who may not have the resources, or be in an enabling economic and policy environment, to close the "yield gap" between current and potential yields. Hence the increase in food needs of the rising population in Africa has been met by expanding agriculture into new lands which are often marginal, semi-arid zones that are climatically risky for agriculture - changing the local landscape, economy, and society.

Such change in land use has been recorded as a major cause of land degradation in Africa.

Investing in sustainable land management

Betemariam explained that achieving SDG 15.3 (a land degradation neutral world by 2030) is critical for Sub-Saharan African countries. LDN is about maintaining and improving the productivity of land resources by sustainably managing and restoring soil, water and biodiversity assets, while at the same time contributing to poverty reduction, food and water security, and climate change adaptation and mitigation.

UNCCD says that so far 110 countries have committed to set LDN targets. The Secretariat and the Global Mechanism of the UNCCD are supporting governments in this process, including the definition of national baselines, targets and associated measures to achieve LDN by 2030 through the LDN Target Setting Programme (TSP). "LDN is a target that can be implemented at local, national and even regional scales," Betemariam told IPS. "At the heart of LDN are Sustainable Land Management (SLM) practices that help close yield gaps and enhance the resilience of land resources and communities that directly depend on them while avoiding further degradation." For example, he cited the farmer-managed natural resources in Niger and livestock enclosure management and soil conservation at the Konso Cultural Landscape in Ethiopia which is registered by UNESCO.

Oliver Wasonga, a dryland ecology and pastoral livelihoods specialist at the University of Nairobi, Kenya, says there is little investment in sustainable land management, especially in the drylands, and yet many communities living in rural Africa increasingly lose their livelihoods due to loss of land productivity resulting from land degradation. Wasonga told IPS that land degradation costs Africa about $65bn dollars annually, around five percent of its gross domestic product. Globally, the cost of land degradation is estimated at about $295bn dollars annually.

Investment in restoration of degraded land is critical in enhancing household food and income security, he said, especially for the majority of Africa's rural populace that relies almost entirely on natural resources for their livelihoods. "This is more so for the millions of pastoralists and agro-pastoralists who inhabit the dry lands of Africa that form more than 40 percent of the continent's land surface. Any attempt to attain LDN is, therefore, key to achieving both poverty reduction and development goals," said Wasonga.

He said there is a need to create a platform to showcase success stories that may motivate land users, decision makers, development agencies, and private investors to act better. And also to reward individuals, communities, and institutions for their outstanding efforts towards a LDN continent as an incentive to engage and invest in sustainable land management (SLM) practices.

Investment in SLM provides opportunities for not only enhancing the current productivity of land, but also offers solutions that go beyond technological approaches by including aspects of social participation and policy dialogue.

Success of SLM programmes dependent on the governance system

Levis Kavagi, Africa Coordinator, Ecosystems and Biodiversity at the United Nations Environment Programme, said SLM ensures that maximisation of benefits from land resources do not cause ecological damage, economic risks and social disparity. The approach combines maintaining and enhancing the condition of land which is still in good health, as well as restoration of the already degraded land.

However, the success of any SLM programmes is dependent upon the governance system. A governance system that recognises and integrates customary institutions and practices is shown to yield better results than statutory interventions.

"African governments need to develop policies that promote SLM and specifically those aimed at restoration of degraded lands. There is need for 'win-win' approaches with multiple short- and long-term benefits in combating land degradation, as well as restoring or maintaining ecosystem functions and services, thereby contributing to sustainable livelihoods and rural development," said Kavagi.

Involvement of land users and communities is key to the success of any attempt to promote SLM and restoration of degraded lands, he stressed. Such approaches should seek integration of low-cost customary institutions and practices that are familiar to the communities as a way of decentralising governance. There is also a need to sensitise and motivate the private sector to invest in SLM. Payment for ecosystem services should be promoted as a way of giving incentive to the communities to use land in a sustainable manner, he concluded.
Cross-border money transfer services have been given the go ahead from South Africa to mobile wallets in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique and Uganda.

Ambar Sur

TerraPay, the worlds first mobile payments switch, announced this week that it has successfully obtained regulatory approval from the South African Reserve Bank to launch cross-border money transfer services in South Africa.

This makes TerraPay the fifth company to be licensed as a category three Authorised Dealer in Foreign Exchange with limited authority, also known as ADLA 3, to conduct low value international money transfers in the country.

TerraPay is building global payments infrastructure for low-value cross-border transactions. The service interconnects mobile wallet service providers, financial institutions and money transfer operators in key send and receive markets. The license enables the company to enter into cross-border low value person-to-person payments in South Africa.

The South Africa market is highly complementary to TerraPay's international money transfer network in Africa, Europe and Middle-East countries. In the Initial roll-out, TerraPay will enable cross border money transfers from South Africa to mobile wallets in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique and Uganda.

According to the World Bank, the global average cost of sending remittances was 7.43% of the amount sent by remitting customers. For remittances sent from South Africa, the average cost was 16.71%; more than double of the global average.

TerraPay will enable cross border money transfers from South Africa to mobile wallets in Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Mozambique and Uganda.



Ambar Sur, founder & CEO of TerraPay said, As per a report from FinMark trust, the bulk of remittance flows from South Africa are destined for Zimbabwe, Mozambique and Lesotho, with 85% of all migrants originating from these countries. Moreover, almost 70% of transfers to these countries are conducted informally, since the high cost of formal money transfers is a major barrier to accessing formal remittance channels.

TerraPay is taking an aim to solve this problem of the migrants, by facilitating instant and cost-effective low value money transfers to mobile wallets. We are now open for business in South Africa and are actively looking to build strategic partnerships to further expand our footprint in the Southern Africa region.

South Africa is a major send, as well as a receive market. Apart from sending remittances to all neighbouring Southern African countries, the country also receives remittances from UK, Australia and US. TerraPays global network is expected to support the growing demand for instant transfers in the region.

TerraPay, the worlds first mobile payments switch is a global transaction processing, clearing and settlement service for mobile wallets. It provides the interoperability engine that enables customers to send and receive real-time transactions across diverse payment instruments, platforms, and regions.
Kayin (Karen) State health officials this week completed the third and final round of vaccines for children living at an internally displaced persons camp, but were unable to inoculate everyone due to uncooperative parents, health officials said.

Around 400 children under five at the Myaing Gyi Ngu Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp were inoculated against tuberculosis, tetanus, chickenpox, diphtheria, pertussis, hepatitis B, pneumococcal disease, German measles and polio, according to the Kayin State Department of Health.

The vaccine drive was jointly undertaken by the Kawthoolei Department of Health and Welfare and the Kayin State Department of Health.

The displaced children had never been vaccinated before. This is the third time we cooperated with the KDHW to administer vaccines to protect [the children] against ten diseases, Dr Naing Naing Tun, deputy director of Kayin States Expanded Program on Immunization, said on September 6.

The two health departments started the vaccine drive in July.

But according to Dr Naing Naing Tun, the project did not achieve 100 percent coverage as some parents did not cooperate.

Over 100 children are left without vaccines. The health workers visited the homes to persuade [the parents]. They drove around to invite [the parents]. But they still did not accept vaccines as they are afraid their children will become sick if they get vaccinated, she said.

In addition to vaccinations, the two health departments gave the IDPs rice, and in conjunction with Save the Children and the International Committee of the Red Cross, provided medicine and nutritional supplements to children and mothers. Around 5,000 displaced people live in the Myaing Gyi Ngu camp.

After the Karen National Union signed the nationwide ceasefire agreement n 2015, the KDHW has been cooperating with the governments Department of Health on vaccinations and anti-tuberculosis and anti-malaria programs.

The joint vaccine program began in 2016 and has covered 93 village in Hpa-an, Hlaingbwe and Kya-in Seikkyi townships. It will be extended to cover Myawady and Kawkareik townships next, according to the Kayin State Department of Health.
Members of the former Independent Mon National Restoration Force, a small militia, say they were given the Ah Baw Village plot to settle on. (Photo  Nai Thet)

A plot of land in Mon State has sparked contention between township officials who want to use it as a location for an electricity substation, and members of a former militia who say they were given the parcel after turning over their arms.

The Ye Township Electricity Engineering Office escalated the dispute on September 4 by lodging a formal request with the Tatmadaw to evict the former militia members.

Around 20 ex-members of the Independent Mon National Restoration Force (IMNRF) say they have been living on the land near Ah Baw Village since surrendering in 2016. The Ministry of Electricity and Energy however, claims to own the land.

We have obtained Land Form 105 [a land plot map] and 106 [land history]. We have requested funding from the upcoming state budget be allocated to build a fence for the 230kv power substation in this project area. Thats why we have submitted a request to [the Tatmadaw] to remove the homes of the militia group, said U Nay Myo Aung, an official from the township electrical engineering office.

He added that the 63.5 acres are already slated for the substation project, which will distribute electricity the west of Ye township, an area that is not currently connected to the national power grid. He said that around K80 million in compensation was paid to farmers who he contends trespassed on the property starting in 2014.

However, the Independent Mon National Restoration Force, led by Nai Lwe, said the Tatmadaw gave them the property to settle on after they returned to the legal fold in June 2016.

We are facing difficulties in making a living, but this place is peaceful. I want the authorities to have consideration [for us]. We want to settle here. We dont want to move to another place. We have already spent money [to build homes] to settle here. We are assisting the Tatmadaw and the police in carrying out rule of law, said Nai Lwe, the 70-year-old former militia leader.

U Aung Nai Win, a retired Tatmadaw major, said the authorities should help arrange accommodation and long-term livelihoods for the former militias to ensure they can successfully reintegrate into society under the Disarmament, Demobilization, and Reintegration (DDR) program.

If they cant arrange it, it will be difficult for [the former militia members] to survive in the long-run after giving up their arms. I worry about deviations from DDR and SSR [security sector reform] processes due to weaknesses in cooperation between the Tatmadaw and township and state-level officials, said U Aung Nai Win.
Mon State Chief Minister U Aye Zan (Photo  MNA)

Mon State Hluttaw approved a motion on September 6 to take action against a cement factory for generating electricity without permission.

According to the state hluttaws Project and Economic Affairs Committee, Mawlamyine Cement Limited (MCL) has been generating electricity at a Kyaikmaraw township factory without the approval of the Ministry of Electricity and Energy.

Despite objections from the state chief minister, the hluttaw voted in favor  17 for, 7 against  of cracking down on MCLs coal-fired cement factory.

If [a company] wants to invest in Myanmar, it must follow the laws enacted by the country, said Daw Khine Khine Lei, State Hluttaw MP from Thaton township 1.

The MCL cement factory started commercial production on April 1 this year.

Last month, the Ministry of Electricity and Energy told the Mon State Hluttaw that the cement factory had not obtained permission for generating power off the grid, but added that the company had entered into negotiations with the Union government.

The US$400 million cement factory is a joint venture between Thailands Siam Cement and Pacific Link Cement. MCLs managing director Wijit Terasarun told The Myanmar Times last year that the company had received approval from the Myanmar Investment Commission for an integrated cement plant consisting of a small self-use electricity utility that generates 40-megawatt energy power from coal and biomass and a 9-megawatt Waste Heat Generator to assist in producing power.

MCLs executive officer, U Zaw Lwin Oo, told a public meeting on August 17 that the company holds a temporary license from the Mon State Directorate of Industrial Supervision and Inspection for a 20-megawatt generator. The license is valid from January 16, 2017 to January 15, 2018.

Following the September 6 hluttaw vote, Mon State Chief Minister U Aye Zan said he would inform the company of the need to get additional approval for its power generation.

Since the proposal has been approved, I will inform MCL. You [the MPs] should inform the Union Electricity Department. Theres no problem if we inform in line with the law, he said.

Local residents have repeatedly raised objections to the factorys use of coal. In February, about 7,000 local residents staged a protest against the coal-fired factory and the perceived lack of local consultation before the project launched operations.
PR Newswire

DEER PARK, Ill., Sept. 7, 2017

DEER PARK, Ill., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc. today announced it has appointed Dr. Norbert Riedel, President and CEO of Aptinyx, to its Board of Directors.

"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Riedel to Eton's board and look forward to his scientific expertise in supporting Eton's pipeline," said Sean Brynjelsen, CEO of Eton Pharmaceuticals. "His corporate leadership experience and success as an industry innovator will enhance our current board membership, supporting our mission to deliver novel and impactful branded medicines that are both cost effective and available to all patients."

Prior to joining Aptinyx, Dr. Riedel was president and CEO of Naurex, the predecessor company acquired by Allergan and from which Aptinyx and its technology were spun out. Prior to Naurex, Dr. Riedel served various roles at Baxter International including corporate vice president and chief science and innovation officer. Previously, he was head of worldwide biotechnology and held a number of scientific management positions at Hoechst Marion Roussel (now Sanofi). Dr. Riedel serves on the boards of Jazz Pharmaceuticals and the Illinois Biotechnology Innovation Organization. He served on the board of directors of Ariad Pharmaceuticals until the company was acquired in February 2017. Dr. Riedel is a member of the Austrian Academy of Sciences and served on Governor Pat Quinn's Illinois Innovation Council. He is an adjunct professor at Boston University School of Medicine and Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine and, prior to moving into industry, was an associate professor of medicine at Boston University School of Medicine and a visiting professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dr. Riedel received a Diploma and Ph.D. from the University of Frankfurt and was a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University.

About Eton:

Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc., a privately held company, is focused on the development and commercialization of innovative sterile product candidates utilizing the FDA 505(b)(2) regulatory pathway. The Eton leadership team has a history of success in developing and commercializing sterile injectable pharmaceutical products. Eton is currently developing a broad portfolio of essential branded products and expects to file products within the US during 2018. For more information about Eton, please visit the corporate website at www.etonpharma.com.

Company Contact:David [email protected] 847-805-1077

View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/eton-pharmaceuticals-appoints-dr-norbert-riedel-to-its-board-of-directors-300515845.html

SOURCE Eton Pharmaceuticals, Inc.
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ABC/Fred LeeFall Out Boy's new album Mania was originally supposed to be released next week. It's been delayed until 2018, but the band is hoping to fill the FOB-shaped hole in your heart with a new song.

On their Twitter feed, Fall Out Boy has announced that they'll be releasing a new track "in your short future" titled "The Last of the Real Ones."

"The Last of the Real Ones" will be the third Mania track to be released, following "Young and Menace" and "Champion." The album will finally arrive on January 19.

Despite the album delay, Fall Out Boy's fall tour, beginning October 20 in Cleveland, will go on as scheduled. The band will also still be playing what was supposed to be a record release show September 16 in their hometown of Chicago.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
The European Investment Bank is launching a 300m lending initiative for Irish companies.

It is the first such scheme to operate here and the EIB says it is committed to strengthening private sector lending in the wake of Brexit.
Ireland will repay 5.5bn of bailout loans early to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), Denmark and Sweden.

The amount owed to the IMF is around 4.5bn, while the loans from both Sweden and Denmark amount to 600m and 400m respectively.

The Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe says he spoke to IMF chief Christine LeGarde this morning who approved the deal.

The Government estimates the interest saved from the early repayment is 150m.

Minister Donohoe says it will not affect next year's budget but will save huge money into the future.

He said: "This will not affect where we will be for 2018, but it is crucial part ofhow Ireland in the future can reduce its debt serviccing costs.

"For this year alone, I expect we wil pay between 6.7bn and 6.8bn in servicing and paying our debts.

"Movements in our interest rates in the future have a significant effect on that payment in the future. That's why we are making this decision."

"Ireland greatly appreciates the support and assistance from the IMF and our European partners, which was provided at a time of great uncertainty for our country and which was key to our path to recovery."

He said their "support, friendship and solidarity" will not be forgotten.

His statement continued: "Actions taken in recent years, and the sacrifices made by our citizens, have laid the foundations for a solid and sustained economic recovery in Ireland.

"This has resulted in Ireland becoming the fastest growing economy in the Euro Area and our sovereign funding position now regarded as comfortable and in a healthy funding position at present.

"These early repayments  in particular the early IMF repayment - will mark another very significant milestone for Ireland as we move forward, signalling the strength of our economy and sovereign funding position generally."

National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) Director of Funding and Debt Management, Frank OConnor said: "Replacing Irelands loans from the IMF, Sweden and Denmark further reduces our debt service costs, which have declined considerably in recent years.

"This is not the first time Ireland has made an early repayment of programme loans. The NTMA has previously implemented arrangements to repay over 18bn in IMF facilities to take advantage of reduced market borrowing costs and create savings for the Exchequer.

"The Exchequer is in a healthy funding position. At the end of August we had 20bn in cash and liquid assets."
Survivors of Dublin's Bethany Care Home are calling for immediate redress.

Hundreds of children died in the Protestant institution while others were abused, mistreated and malnourished.

Survivors are holding a remembrance service in Mount Jerome Cemetery today, where at least 220 children were buried in unmarked graves.

They claim they have been wrongly prevented from seeking redress under the State scheme despite submitting extensive documentation to prove they qualify.

Derek Linster says they are not giving up the fight.

He said: "We want to make sure that we get justice and that we get the respect that they have given other people, and I won't stop until they give it to us.

"There is a lot of us that have died and are dying as I speak, a lot of them have dementia, but if the last person that is standing gets justice, then we have won."
A former senator will go on trial in January in connection with his arrest after he walked into a crime scene in Dublins Temple Bar, writes Tom Tuite.

Ex-Social Democrats and previously Labour party member James Heffernan from Limerick appeared at Dublin District Court on Thursday to enter a plea to public order charges.

The 37-year-old had been arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station following his arrest on the night of March 10 last year in Temple Bar square where gardai had to set up a perimeter in relation to another unrelated incident, a serious assault which had occurred in the area.

Mr Heffernan, who was still a senator at the time, was released without charge later that night, however, gardai at Pearse Street station subsequently had a summons issued for him in connection with his arrest.

The ex-senator, with an address at Main Street, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, faced his second appearance at Dublin District Court on Thursday accused of two offences under the Public Order Act.

One charge is for failing to leave the Temple Bar square area on March 10, 2016 in a peaceful and orderly fashion after being directed by a garda, an offence which can result in a fine and a sentence of up to six months in jail.

The second charge is breach of the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour, which can also lead to a fine as well a three-month sentence. The case was listed today for him to formally enter a plea or have a trial date set.

At an earlier stage the court had heard the charges would be fully contested.

When it was called, defence solicitor Brian Keenan told Judge Alan Mitchell that his client was parking outside the building at that moment.

However, he had instructions from Mr Heffernan to seek a hearing date and Judge Mitchell noted that a not guilty plea was being entered.

Dressed in jeans and a black jacket Mr Heffernan arrived as the judge ordered that the hearing would take place in January.

Legal aid had been granted at his previous court appearance in June.

The former primary school teacher and ex-member of Limerick Co. Council was elected for Labour to the 24th Seanad in 2011 but lost the party whip the following year when he voted against budget cuts. He joined the Social Democrats in 2015 and was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in last years general election.
Europe has called for a unique solution for the Irish border in the wake of Brexit.

In a four-page document on the critical issue for Ireland, negotiators in Brussels have warned that it is more than just a customs problem.

Michel Barnier's team said they were not offering solutions on how cross-border trade and travel will be protected on the island of Ireland.

They said the onus was on the UK to come up with ideas to avoid a hard border, including checkpoints.

#Brexit: The EU Commission today published guiding principles on #Ireland and Northern Ireland. Read more: https://t.co/hLCtpgZjxW pic.twitter.com/q1LajTDSFU  EU Commission in Ireland (@eurireland) September 7, 2017

The long-awaited paper said: "It is the responsibility of the United Kingdom to ensure that its approach to the challenges of the Irish border in the context of its withdrawal from the European Union takes into account and protects the very specific and interwoven political, economic, security, societal and agricultural context and frameworks on the island of Ireland.

"These challenges will require a unique solution which cannot serve to preconfigure solutions in the context of the wider discussions on the future relationship between the European Union and the United Kingdom."

Reports in Ireland suggested the document was drawn up with deep influence from Dublin.

The Irish border is effectively invisible. It is 500km long, with 260 road crossings, a Dublin-Belfast rail link, tourist waterways and 2 million cars moving back and forth every month.

The Brussels document warned that a thorough understanding of the issues beyond customs rules is needed to move negotiations forward.

The paper called for the negotiations to secure a political commitment to protect the Good Friday Agreement and the gains of the peace process.

It said these gains need to be strengthened, including the societal benefits and the normalisation of community relations in Northern Ireland and north-south.

"Flexible and imaginative solutions will be required to avoid a hard border, including any physical border infrastructure," the paper states.

"This must be achieved in a way which ensures that Ireland's place within the internal market and Customs Union is unaffected."

The Government said: "Our priorities remain protecting the Good Friday Agreement and the peace process, including by avoiding a hard border, and maintaining the Common Travel Area."

It called on the UK Government to make "substantive commitments and workable solutions" to the question of the Irish border.

"The principles reflected in this paper must underpin any arrangements and solutions to be proposed, developed and agreed in future negotiations," the Government said.

The Brussels paper warned that the UK and Europe will have to assess how north-south cooperation could be impacted if and when EU law ceases to apply in Northern Ireland and whether specific provisions need to be made for this.

Mr Barnier's team called on London to make sure people's rights under the Good Friday Agreement are not affected, including by protecting against discrimination.

They said Irish citizens living in the North must keep their rights as EU citizens.

They called for both London and Brussels to commit to paying what is due under peace dividend funding programmes.

The Brussels paper also described the Common Travel Area, which dates back to the 1920s, as a fundamental right which should be maintained. It said it underpins the peace process.
Prince George looked smart in his uniform as he walked nervously into school on his first day - without his mother, the Duchess of Cambridge, by his side.

Kate had hoped to join the Duke of Cambridge on the school run but is suffering from severe morning sickness and was too ill to attend, Kensington Palace said.

The four-year-old prince was helped out of the car by William after being driven through the gates of Thomas's Battersea, a fee-paying independent school in south London.

Prince George arrives for his first day of school at Thomas's Battersea with his father The Duke of Cambridge. pic.twitter.com/B7TgcRA3Ve  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

The prince will be known as George Cambridge to his classmates, the palace said.

George looked tentative, clutching his father's hand, as he was led towards the entrance of the school after arriving at around 8.45am.

The young prince shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, as the Duke held his school bag ready for his first day.

Then, with William holding one hand and Ms Haslem the other, he walked inside.

The Duke told Ms Haslem that George had been eagerly watching and "noticed" the other boys going into school in their uniforms.

It is understood William and Kate will try to do the school run as often as possible.

The prince, who was wearing a shirt, navy V-neck pullover, shorts and black shoes on his first day, is thought to be one of the youngest in his year.

He is expected to have a gentle introduction to what is likely to be a tiring first term at school.

Along with his classmates, he will spend the day getting to know teachers, adults and other children as well as completing the important task of finding his classroom peg.

Kate was forced to pull out of two public engagements on Monday and Tuesday after suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, as she did in her previous pregnancies.

On Tuesday, a day after it was announced they are expecting their third child, William said Kate was well but admitted: "There's not much sleep going on at the moment."

He said: "We need Catherine to get over this first bit and then we can start celebrating. It's always a bit anxious to start with, but she's well."

Take a look at The Duke and Prince Harry on their first days of school  pic.twitter.com/RkL1MUbC4Q  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

George's new school, where fees cost from 17,604 a year, has been described by the Good Schools Guide as: "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."

The young prince and his classmates will be taught a range of subjects and activities from ballet and art to drama, French, music and physical education.

Kate has already said she is not sure her son "has any idea what's going to hit him'' when he starts school.
The parents of missing Madeleine McCann have been offered fresh hope after police asked for more funds to keep the investigation alive.

More than 11 million has been spent on the probe to find the missing girl, who vanished from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal in May 2007, aged three.

With funding for the investigation, known as Operation Grange, in place until the end of September, the Metropolitan Police have requested more money from the Government.

The Home Office confirmed the application will be considered.

A spokesman said: "The Home Office has provided funding to the Metropolitan Police for Operation Grange and the resources required are reviewed regularly with careful consideration given before any new funding is allocated."

Madeleine's parents, Kate and Gerry McCann, of Rothley, Leicestershire, have vowed to never give up hope of finding their daughter.

The family spokesman said: "Naturally, Kate and Gerry hope the Met request is granted.

"They are encouraged that there remains work to be done that requires extra funding and they remain very grateful to all Operation Grange officers who are continuing to look for their daughter."

Since 2011, the Met Police have been assisting with the search for clues about what happened to Madeleine, with officers visiting the holiday resort in 2014.

In March, the Home Office granted officers 85,000 to cover "operational costs" to continue with the investigation, between April and September this year.

A Scotland Yard spokesman said: "Funding is in place until the end of September. Any details about future funding will be released when appropriate."
Dozens of people have been injured in clashes between South Korean protesters and police as the US military added more launchers to the missile-defence system it installed in a southern town to handle North Korean threats.

Thousands of police officers in riot gear swarmed 400 protesters who had been occupying a road in the rural town of Seongju, South Korea.

Six police officers and 32 other people were injured, none seriously, in the clashes, said a fire department official in Seongju.

Seoul has hardened its stance against Pyongyang after its torrent of arms tests, the latest on Sunday being a detonation of what North Korea said was a thermonuclear weapon built for missiles capable of reaching the US mainland.

The clashes came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe met in Russia's Far East and repeated their calls for stronger punishment of North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, including denying the country oil supplies.

The demand contradicted the stance of their host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has dismissed sanctions as a solution.

Mr Putin said he believes US President Donald Trump's administration is willing to defuse tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Its sixth nuclear test on Sunday prompted the US to speak about a "military response" and South Korea to conduct major military exercises.

The Russian leader said there are "many reasonable people in the current (US) administration" who are experienced and who have dealt with similar crises.

He called on all North Korea's neighbours to show restraint, suggesting the bellicose rhetoric and military drills are "playing into their hands".

Mr Moon and Mr Abe agreed to co-operate on seeking tougher UN sanctions against North Korea and pledged to strengthen efforts to persuade Beijing and Moscow to cut off oil supplies to the North, said Mr Moon's press secretary.

Moon Jae-in

Mr Putin expressed concern that cutting off oil supplies would hurt regular North Koreans, the official said.

"We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner," Mr Putin said in a news conference after meeting Mr Moon.

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said Beijing supports further UN action against North Korea but also wants to see renewed efforts to begin dialogue involving all sides.

China hopes North Korea will "see the situation clearly and come to the right judgment and choice", Mr Wang said.

He said the UN should take "necessary measures", but added that sanctions and pressure should spur negotiation between the sides towards the goal of a peaceful solution on the Korean peninsula.

China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the UN Security Council, as well as North Korea's main trading partner and source of food and fuel aid.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang also reiterated Beijing's opposition to South Korea's deployment of the US Terminal High-Altitude Area Defence System, also known as THAAD, which is intended to protect against North Korean missile attacks.

Beijing says the system's powerful radars will be able to monitor flights and missile launches deep inside north-eastern China.

Nato's secretary-general said North Korean behaviour is a global threat and called for a united response.

Jens Stoltenberg said Pyongyang must abandon its nuclear and missile programmes and refrain from further testing.

The European Union's foreign policy chief said the world should not "enter this spiral of a military confrontation that could be extremely dangerous not only for the region but for the entire world".

Federica Mogherini said a demilitarisation of the Korean peninsula should be achieved peacefully through dialogue and diplomacy.
The youngest of Charles Manson's murderous followers has been recommended for parole by a California state panel that concluded she has radically changed her life.

Leslie Van Houten has been in prison for more than 40 years for two brutal murders she helped commit 48 years ago, but is no longer a threat to society, the two-member panel ruled.

The ruling must still be approved by the state Parole Board and governor Jerry Brown, who reversed another panel's ruling last year.

In blocking her release then, Mr Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by the age of 19.

On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns.

"I've had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself," she said.

"To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened," added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her grey hair pulled back in a bun.

She said she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her school's outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia.

She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District during San Francisco's summer of love.

When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her foetus in their back garden.

Soon after, she was travelling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of LA where he had recruited what he called a "family" to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders.

His disaffected, youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him.

As she did at her parole hearing last year, the soft-spoken Van Houten candidly described how she joined several other members of the "Manson Family" in killing LA grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife Rosemary in their home on August 9 1969, carving up Mr La Bianca's body and smearing the couple's blood on the walls.

She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage.

On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to "do something", she picked up a butcher's knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

"I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it," she added quietly.

Relatives of the La Biancas did not believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid.

"No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever," nephew Louis Smaldino said. "She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done."

Family members left before the panel announced its decision.

In reaching it, parole commissioners said they took into account Van Houten's entire time of incarceration, during which she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counselling, been certified as a counsellor and headed numerous programmes to help inmates.

AP
Update 9.37pm: Georgia has become the latest U.S state to be placed on hurricane alert.

The governor Nathan Deal has already ordered a mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas as Irma approaches.

Queues for petrol have been forming across Florida as people prepare to leave before Hurricane Irma hits at the weekend.

State governor Rick Scott has warned people not to defy mandatory evacuations - saying "we can't save you once the storm hits."

He has told people in those areas "if you're still at home, LEAVE!"

Hurricane Irma is surging through the Caribbean, leaving a path of destruction in its wake. pic.twitter.com/07UWtYoTJ0  HuffPost (@HuffPost) September 7, 2017

One million people across the Caribbean are said to be without power after the hurricane swept through islands, leaving 10 people dead.

The killer storm has already caused devastating damage to Barbuda, St Martin and the British Virgin Islands and now it is due to make landfull on the islands of Turks and Caicos home to more than 30,000 people.

Earlier: Hurricane Irma has killed at least 10 people on a number of Caribbean islands, which have suffered extensive damage from the category five storm.

Airports, hospitals, and schools have been badly affected on the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla.

60 percent of residents on Barbuda are homeless, and France's Interior Minister Gerard Collomb says they'll need to rebuild both St Martin and St Barts.

I liked a @YouTube video https://t.co/ymu0kwVodj SSL 204 ~ First Images from HURRICANE IRMA in ST Martin  RK Harm24 (@RKHarm24) September 7, 2017

Update 7pm: The Government has bolstered the funds available to deal with the aftermath of Hurricane Irma to 32 million, the British Prime Minister has said.

Theresa May announced the cash injection to the relief effort following a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday afternoon.

The deadly storm continues to lay waste to swathes of the Caribbean, including British overseas territories.

Mrs May said her "thoughts and prayers" were with all those affected.

Hundreds of British military personnel have been deployed to the Caribbean to help clear roads and restore power after Hurricane Irma.

There are no reports of any injuries or deaths of Irish citizens in the affected areas but the Department of Foreign Affairs says if you have concerns about Irish people in the region you can contact the Department in Dublin on 01 408 2000.

Watch aerial footage of the DEVASTATED famous St. Maarten Airport caused by #Hurricane #Irma pic.twitter.com/flAIaYu5OT  RT (@RT_com) September 7, 2017

Earlier: At least 10 people have died as Hurricane Irma continues to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean, with Florida on high alert.

The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts.

A man drives through rain and strong winds during the passage of hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Picture: AP Photo/Carlos Giusti

At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories, while one death was reported in the nearby island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Update 8.40am: Emergency attempts to reach Caribbean island communities devastated by Hurricane Irma could be affected by a second major storm threatening the region.

According to the United Nations up to 37 million people could be affected by the historic hurricane that has left at least seven dead and thousands homeless.

High winds and rain sweep through the streets of the Matelnillo community during the passage of hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico. Picture: AP Photo/Carlos Giusti

Irma, a category five hurricane, is expected to have passed over the Caribbean by Friday, however Hurricane Jose is expected to follow a similar path when it arrives over the weekend.

The category one storm is currently building in intensity in the north Atlantic, around 900 miles east of the Lesser Antilles where the island of Barbuda saw catastrophic damage on Wednesday.

It is feared the storm may strengthen to a potentially devastating category three hurricane, which can bring winds of up to 129mph.

UK Met Office meteorologist Greg Dewhurst said: "Jose is currently forecast to follow a similar track initially to Irma, moving westwards in the Atlantic and to the north and east of the Caribbean where the hurricane was on Wednesday.

Hurricane Irma is continuing its devastating path over the Caribbean.



Take a look at these facts  pic.twitter.com/iDvFfPB5cd  BBC Radio 5 Live (@bbc5live) September 7, 2017

"Jose's a couple of days away and the track may change, but it's forecast to come close to those islands over the weekend."

While Irma has followed a path expected to take it toward the US state of Florida, Jose is expected to swing back out into the Atlantic after grazing Puerto Rico on Saturday night.

Mr Dewhurst said: "Jose is currently a category one hurricane and it is expected to be a category three by Friday and drop back down to a category two by Saturday.

"It may not make landfall and its outer edge may only reach land. Either way there may be a risk of strong winds and rain for the north east of the Caribbean.

"Obviously Jose coming in could hamper the clearing-up process. It's one they will be keeping a very close eye on."

Hurricane Irma reaches Puerto Rico. Picture: NASA/NOAA GOES Project via AP

While the Caribbean faces the possibility of being affected by a second major hurricane, Mexico is braced for the arrival of Hurricane Katia.

The category one hurricane was headed for coast of Veracruz state where it expected to make landfall on Friday evening.

[media-gns]GN35775[/media]

Earlier: Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean as the scale of devastation in its wake begins to emerge.

The historic storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least seven dead.

Tourists in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

Meanwhile Sir Richard Branson was counting the cost of widespread damage at his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands after the category five hurricane pounded the archipelago.

A massive operation is underway to evacuate people away from coastal areas on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where aid workers are moving residents into temporary shelters before the storm hits.

On Thursday morning Irma's eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power.

There were fears that the eye could come within 35 miles of the capital San Juan, bringing gusts of up to 100mph.

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

Why you never touch down live power lines. This was the scene earlier in Puerto Rico. #HurricaneIrma #Irma pic.twitter.com/98YZKaQneY  Al Bree (@nlitenmebabe) September 7, 2017

An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide.

Some US government personnel have been ordered to leave the Bahamas before the hurricane's arrival, expected on Thursday night local time.

On the US mainland authorities fear the hurricane may slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after storm Harvey devastated Texas.

Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been given in the Florida Keys.

Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach could be affected by the storm, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely.

"It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good," the US president said.

With sustained winds of 185mph, the category five hurricane is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record.

It is only the second time anywhere in the world a storm has been recorded maintaining such windspeeds for more than 24 hours, after typhoon Haiyan in 2013, according to an expert at the University of Colorado.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press that nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60% of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless.

Barbuda had been left "barely habitable", he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, known as St Barts.

Briton Alex Woolfall hid in a concrete stairwell as the hurricane hit while he was on holiday in St Maarten, the Dutch area of the island.

He tweeted: "My god this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine! Constant booms & bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving."

Anguilla's tourist board said its major resorts had survived the storm, although many private homes had been damaged. There were no reports of any deaths.

A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands.

British Foreign Secretary Boris Mr Johnson said in a statement: "I've just spoken to the Chief Minister of Anguilla to discuss the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma. My thoughts are with all those affected and the UK is taking swift action to respond.

Hurricane Irma destroyed government buildings, tore roofs off houses and left islands without power in the Caribbean https://t.co/LsROgVJiC5 pic.twitter.com/HaiV1uJNKm  CNN (@CNN) September 7, 2017

"We have staff and a British naval ship ready to help those in need. Brits should follow our travel advice which will be regularly updated."

Before the hurricane's arrival Sir Richard refused to his Necker Island retreat and said he would be seeking shelter in the wine cellar with his staff.

His son, Sam, later wrote on Instagram: "Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed. Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path. Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way."

Christian Aid is helping to orchestrate the mass evacuation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The charity's country manager, Prospery Raymond, said: "People are being moved to schools and churches for safety but in some areas, especially in the north west of Haiti, these buildings will not withstand the force of the storm."
An Irish woman in Puerto Rico has said the effects of Hurricane Irma have not been as bad as expected.

Rebecca Mooney from Blackrock in Dublin and her boyfriend were warned it was hurricane season, but decided to book their holiday anyway.

The 25-year-old said they took shelter in their hotel in San Juan.

"It doesn't seem to have been as bad as they thought, probably," Ms Mooney said.

"We had kind of a room with almost two rooms in it. We moved all of our stuff into the back room closer to the hallway. The glass was in the original room we were sleeping in and that was shaking quite a good bit," she added.

On Thursday morning Hurricane Irma's eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power.

NOAA's #GOES16 gives a late-night look at the record-breaking #HurricaneIrma, barreling through the #Caribbean at 11 p.m. ET, Sept. 6, 2017. pic.twitter.com/hMSORngO9D  NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) September 7, 2017

Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean as the scale of devastation in its wake begins to emerge.

The historic storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least seven dead.

Tourists in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

According to the United Nations up to 37 million people could be affected by the historic hurricane that has left at least ten dead and thousands homeless.

UPDATE: At 11 p.m. ET on Sept. 6, 2017, NOAA's #GOES16 shows three hurricanes -- #Irma, #Jose and #Katia -- in the Atlantic, Gulf of Mexico pic.twitter.com/3gp5oNCRgZ  NOAA Satellites - Public Affairs (@NOAASatellitePA) September 7, 2017

Irma, a category five hurricane, is expected to have passed over the Caribbean by Friday, however Hurricane Jose is expected to follow a similar path when it arrives over the weekend.

It is feared that storm may strengthen to a potentially devastating category three hurricane, which can bring winds of up to 129mph.
A man has been injured by a small power explosion on one of the country's busiest shopping streets, police said.

A section of Oxford Street in central London was cordoned off after the "power network" blast at around 7pm, Scotland Yard said.
A part-time nanny has admitted making dozens of indecent images of children, a prosecutor said.

Elliana Ede-Borrett pleaded guilty to three counts of making indecent photographs of a child, 12 of which were category A, the most serious type.

The victims involved were thought to be girls aged between one and six.

The 22-year-old, of Sumner Road in Croydon, admitted the offences on Thursday, a prosecutor at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court confirmed after the hearing.

The defendant was charged with making 12 category A images, 18 category B images and 17 category C images between September 23 2015 and May 3 2016.

It is understood there was no link between the content of the images concerned and the children in Ede-Borrett's care.

She was released on bail and ordered not to contact any child under the age of 16 unless their parents or guardians are aware of the convictions.

She will be sentenced at Inner London Crown Court on a date to be set.
The Spanish government is asking the country's constitutional court to suspend a bid by leaders in Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence.

Prime minister Mariano Rajoy made the announcement after an urgent meeting with members of his cabinet.

He said the vote, planned for October 1, is illegal and an attack on Spain's and Catalonia's institutional order.

Mariano Rajoy

In a televised appearance, the conservative leader said the vote does not have the democratic protections needed to be considered a referendum and promised it would not take place.

He also branded a parliamentary showdown on Wednesday to approve the referendum's legal framework a "political perversion" by the leaders of the Catalan government.

Earlier, Spain's leading prosecutor said criminal suits are being lodged to prosecute Catalan officials responsible for scheduling the vote on independence.

Chief state prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said two different lawsuits are in the works, one that seeks to punish members of Catalonia's parliament who allowed the debate and vote on the legal framework of the referendum, and a separate one against the executive branch of the regional government, whose members officially called the referendum.

He said the officials could be charged with disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement.

The state prosecutor's office has also instructed officials and police forces in Catalonia - the north-eastern region whose capital is Barcelona - to investigate and stop any actions taken towards the celebration of the referendum.
British citizens risk being reduced to a second-class status by controversial Brexit legislation, the Bar Council has said.

The organisation, which represents barristers in England and Wales, insists that rather than bringing rights home from Brussels, the EU (Withdrawal) Bill will abolish rights.

The Bill, which transfers European law into UK law, will leave British citizens and businesses with less protection against the power of the state, the Bar Council said.

The body's chairman, Andrew Langdon QC, said: "After exit day, UK citizens will find that domestic courts enforce the same laws as they do now, except that they may not be able to apply the underlying treaty provision.

"This could mean that where the rights of EU and UK citizens are interfered with by the same law, EU citizens would be able to challenge that law, but UK citizens would not.

"It is a recipe for confusion. Rights are not being brought home, they are being abolished. This Bill sets up UK citizens for second-class status.

"The Bill will also give UK citizens less protection against the power of the state as they will no longer be able to challenge EU law brought into UK law on the basis of non-discrimination, proportionality, legal certainty or the right of defence. Instead, legal challenges will be limited to more restrictive English law grounds such as rationality.

"For example, in 2014 the Welsh government tried to give ten times as much farming aid to lowland farmers as hill farmers, but the move was abandoned when the hill farmers pointed out that the decision was discriminatory. That argument will not work after exit day."

Mr Langdon said the move could have a detrimental impact on environmental law.

He said: "By taking a 'snap-shot' of EU law and adopting it into UK statute, the Bill offers no mechanism for the UK to keep pace with international conventions and agreements. Our laws may quickly become out-of-date and that could put the UK in non-compliance with its international obligations.

"Without clarity as to how courts should approach future judgments of the Court of Justice of the European Union there is a risk that different case law will emerge on the same legislation as European and UK courts may interpret them in different ways. This would inevitably create uncertainty and confusion for businesses which operate in both the UK and Europe."

The Bar Council chairman also said the Bill could impact on Welsh devolution.

"The Bill will give UK ministers the power to amend adopted legislation that falls within the devolved competence of the National Assembly, without being answerable to the Assembly or requiring that the Assembly pass a legislative consent motion."

Prime Minister Theresa May's spokesman told a Westminster briefing: "The whole point of the repeal Bill, and the whole Brexit process, is, obviously, bringing laws and protections back so they are decided by our own parliament, and in the UK.

"And we have been very clear that in terms of protections on things like workers' rights we will ensure that they are at least the same as at present."
About 164,000 Rohingya have flooded into Bangladesh since violence erupted in Burma on August 25, the UN's refugee agency said.

The updated figure came as journalists reported new fires burning in a Burmese village abandoned by Rohingya, with pages ripped from Islamic texts left on the ground, intensifying doubts about government claims that members of the persecuted minority had been destroying their own homes.

About two dozen journalists saw the fires in Gawdu Zara village in northern Rakhine state on a government-controlled trip.

It comes after Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts including in Gawdu Zara, the UNHCR said.

The Burmese military has said nearly 400 people, most they described as insurgents, had died in clashes and that troops were conducting "clearance operations". It has blamed insurgents for setting the villages on fire, without offering proof.

The Rohingya who have fled Burma described large-scale violence perpetrated by Burmese troops and Buddhist mobs - setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately, stabbing civilians and ordering them to abandon their homes or be killed.

On the Burmese side of the border, reporters saw no Rohingya in any of the five destroyed villages they were allowed to tour on Thursday, making it unlikely they could have been responsible for the fires.

One ethnic Rakhine villager who emerged from the smoke said police and Rakhine Buddhists had set the fires.

No police were seen in the village beyond those who were accompanying the journalists, but about 10 Rakhine men with machetes were seen.

Among the buildings on fire was a madrassa, an Islamic school. Copies of books with texts from the Koran, Islam's holy book, were torn up and thrown outside.

Another village the journalists visited, Ah Lel Than Kyaw, was blackened, obliterated and deserted.

Local police officer Aung Kyaw Moe said 18 people were killed in the village when the violence began last month. "From our side, there was one immigration officer dead, and we found 17 dead bodies from the enemy side," he said.

He said the fires were set on August 25, though some of them continued to burn. Virtually all buildings in the village seen by journalists had been burned, along with cars, motorbikes and bicycles that fleeing villagers left behind. A mosque was also damaged.

Burning Rohingya homes can make it less likely that they return. Tens of thousands were driven from their homes in another wave of violence in 2012. Many are now confined to camps, while the land they once held is either vacant or occupied by Buddhist squatters.

Burma refers to Rohingya as Bengalis, contending they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, though many Rohingya families have lived in Burma for generations.

Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign.

According to her office, she said such misinformation helps promote the interests of "terrorists", a reference to the Rohingya insurgents who attacked security posts on August 25.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Ms Suu Kyi's response "unconscionable."

On Thursday, Ms Suu Kyi told reporters her government was working to improve security and livelihoods for Rohingya, but that it is "a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months" since her administration took office.

With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more.

The International Organisation for Migration has pleaded for 18 million US dollars (13 million) in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders.

AP
United Airlines will not be punished over an infamous incident in which a passenger was dragged off an overcrowded plane, officials have said.

The Transportation Department said it had found no evidence the airline violated David Dao's civil rights following the incident at O'Hare International airport in Chicago on April 9.

Mr Dao was filmed in a video which went viral online being pulled from his seat and dragged down the aisle of the jet.

There was also not enough evidence the airline violated rules regarding bumping passengers to take the case further, the department said.

United were informed of the decision more than four months ago but opted not to make the news public. The letter was released this week after a request by campaign group Flyers Rights.

Paul Hudson, the president of the group, criticised the lack of penalties against United and questioned how the Transportation Department could conduct an investigation so quickly.

He called the manhandling of 69-year-old Mr Dao "egregious in every sense of the word".

Mr Dao was waiting to fly to Louisville, Kentucky, when the airline decided it needed four seats for Republic Airline crew members who needed to travel to work on another United Express flight in Louisville the next morning.

@united @FoxNews @CNN not a good way to treat a Doctor trying to get to work because they overbooked pic.twitter.com/sj9oHk94Ik  Tyler Bridges (@Tyler_Bridges) April 9, 2017

When Mr Dao and his wife were selected for bumping, he refused to leave and video of the incident was viewed millions of times.

In the two-page letter to United, Transportation Department Assistant General Counsel Blane Workie said the agency takes action when an airline repeatedly or egregiously violates consumer-protection laws.

She said United fixed one mistake in calculating compensation for another passenger, and failed to give Mr Dao and his wife a required written notice of their rights only because they had left the airport to seek medical help.

"Therefore, we conclude that enforcement action is not warranted in this matter," Workie concluded.

She said the agency found no evidence that United discriminated against Mr Dao, who is Asian-American, on the basis of race.

United avoided a lawsuit by reaching a settlement with Mr Dao a few weeks after the incident and terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

The CEO of United Continental Holdings Inc., Oscar Munoz, apologised for initially defending the airline's handling of the incident and blaming Mr Dao, who lost teeth, suffered a broken nose and was left concussed.

The airline apologised for the incident again on Wednesday and said it has made changes to reduce overbooking.

"This incident should never have happened and we are implementing all of the improvements we announced in April," spokeswoman Megan McCarthy said in a statement.

The company said it had made "meaningful strides" and reduced the bumping of passengers by nearly 90 percent since May 1, compared with the same period last year.

AP
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Cops are searching for a perv who pleasured himself in front of a woman on a Manhattan-bound A train on Aug. 30.

The 27-year-old victim told police she was riding the blue bullet when the creep masturbated over his clothes as the train approached the Hoyt-Shermerhorn station at 11:15 am. She then got off at Jay Street-Metrotech station and the jerk stayed on, authorities said.

She managed to snap a photo of the man, who is approximately 55-years-old, 5-foot-6, and 230 pounds, cops said.

Anyone with information regarding the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers at (800) 5778477. The public can also submit tips by logging onto the Crime Stoppers website at www.nypdcrimestoppers.com or by texting tips to 274637 (CRIMES) then entering TIP577. All tips are strictly confidential.
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Its less of an election guide and more of a selection guide.

The four candidates vying to replace former state Sen. Daniel Squadron as the Democratic Partys standard-bearer on the November ballot wont be facing the voters in a primary, but potential constituents should still probably know who they are.

Because Squadrons surprise resignation, which was delivered via an Albany-damning New York Daily News op-ed, came after the filing deadline for candidate petitions, the Democratic contender for his seat  and almost certainly his successor  will be chosen by members of county committees in Brooklyn and Manhattan, the two boroughs the 26th Senate District straddles.

The campaign  or what there is of it  for the Democratic ballot line will not play out on the stump, but in the political clubs of party activists and the back rooms of county committee meetings. Good relationships with party bosses will count more than any appeal to actual voters. And because of arcane regulations, the county committees votes are weighted heavily in favor of Manhattan members, meaning the seat that has been held by a Brooklynite for nearly four decades will likely go to a pol from the distant isle.

The decision is expected later this month, after the Sept. 12 primary gives voters a voice in most other races. The active contenders, in alphabetical order, are:

Eileen Naples Eileen Naples

Alan Gerson

 A resident of Manhattan and Columbia Law School graduate.

 Served as a councilman from Manhattan from 2002 to 2009, when he was unseated in an ill-fated reelection campaign during which he contracted swine flu, his campaign manager got busted for child pornography, and his campaign treasurer, special counsel, and campaign secretary  who was also his mother  died.

Brian Kavanagh

 A Manhattan resident and 11-year Albany veteran, he currently serves as the assemblyman for New Yorks 74th District.

 Declared his candidacy hours after Squadron announced his resignation, which led some to suggest he got a heads up from the former senator and thus his support as a successor.

 A progressive member of the Democrat-controlled Assembly, his legislative efforts have focused on strengthening tenant rights, pushing green energy projects, and promoting equality for the LGBT community.

Assemblymember Brian Kavanagh Photo by Lincoln Anderson

Eileen Naples

 A Cobble Hill resident, she worked in the Brooklyn district attorneys office as a prosecutor representing domestic abuse victims until 2015, when she retired to raise her son.

 Advocates for ethics and criminal-justice reform, including closing a state loophole that allows special-interest groups to donate millions to politicians campaigns and the institution of a cashless-bail system.

 As a Brooklynite and political novice, she faces an uphill battle to court Manhattan county committee members votes.

Paul Newell

 A Manhattan resident who has served as a district leader there since 2009.

 Made his name as the underdog that challenged Sheldon Silver for his Assembly seat in 2008, and ran a second unsuccessful campaign for the Assembly last year.

Former Councilman Alan Gerson The Villager file photo

An active advocate for tenants rights.

Diego Segalini

 A Brooklyn native who resides in Manhattan, the political newcomer is currently the executive vice president of the Lower Manhattan Cultural Council, which he joined in 2007.

 Serves on the community board that represents his neighborhood on the distant isle.

Reach reporter Colin Mixson at cmixs on@cn gloca l.com or by calling (718) 260-4505.
This star kept Kelce from retiring; have Philly fans seen last of Wentz?
Roswell Records/RCA Records

Foo Fighters have premiered another cut from their forthcoming album Concrete and Gold. The new track is called "The Line," and it's available for download now via digital platforms.

In a statement, frontman Dave Grohl describes "The Line" as "a search for hope in this day and age where you feel as if youre fighting for your life with every passing moment, and everything is on the line."

"The Line" is the third song the Foos have released from Concrete and Gold, following "Run" and "The Sky Is a Neighborhood." If you caught the band on their summer European tour, though, you might've seen them play some additional new tunes: "Arrows," "Sunday Rain," "La Dee Da" and "Dirty Water."

Concrete and Gold, which features guest spots from Paul McCartney, The Kills' Alison Mosshart and Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman, plus Justin Timberlake as the mystery "biggest pop star in the world," will be released September 15. That same day, the Foos will premiere an animated documentary detailing the making of the album.

Foo Fighters will kick off a North American tour in support of Concrete and Gold October 7 in San Bernardino, California with their Cal Jam 17 festival, which also features Queens of the Stone Age, Cage the Elephant, Royal Blood, Wolf Alice, The Struts and Liam Gallagher. They're also touring Australia with Weezer in 2018.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
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...
Alpha Heating Innovation has welcomed back Neil Saunders to a new role as Regional Sales Manager for the south.

Neil brings with him extensive industry experience including national roles within merchant organisations.

Having started his career with the family heating and plumbing business, Neil first joined Alpha in 1998 as a Service Engineer before moving into a sales role within the business. After 11 years Neil joined Plumbing Trade Supplies as an Area Sales Manager for the South West and later worked as the General Sales Manager for the City Plumbing brand.

The circumstances at the time meant I needed to move on from Alpha, but it was a difficult decision to make  I was very reluctant to leave, explained Neil. Since then I have kept an eye out for an opportunity to rejoin the team.

Neil has now returned to Alpha as Regional Sales Manager for the South and will oversee a team of six Technical Sales Managers. His team will focus on promoting Alphas domestic range through both national and independent merchants.

Commenting on his new role, Neil added: I have learnt a great deal over the last seven years and gained an in-depth knowledge and appreciation of how merchants operate. This gives me a valuable perspective which I hope to share with my team as we look to build on what has already been achieved.

Despite Alphas substantial growth, the great culture and family feel has not been lost. Some of the people may have changed but in many ways it is like I never left.

Picture caption: Neil Saunders has rejoined Alpha Heating Innovation as Regional Sales Manager for the south.
Families need help: Donate and Give a Christmas

During the holiday season, in partnership with NJ 211, we are pleased to offer the Give a Christmas program to Burlington County residents.
A Jet Airways plane on the runway. File et Airways is hiring senior executives in commercial and operations roles as it plans to expand. The move, seen as a part of wider organisational restructuring, comes ahead of its proposed joint venture with Air France-KLM.
American e-commerce company on Thursday opened its largest fulfilment centre (FC) in the country at the GMR-led Rajiv Gandhi International Airport in Hyderabad, even as the country prepares for the upcoming festive season.
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Vistara will soon finalise plans for international operations, its chief Phee Teik Yeoh said on Thursday as it announced plan to jointly explore "commercial opportunities", including code share partnership, with Japan Airlines.

A joint venture between the Tatas and Singapore Airlines, the full-service carrier Vistara began commercial operations in January 2015 and has a fleet of 16 aircraft. The number of planes is expected to increase to 20 by March and 22 by June next year.

Under Indian regulations, an airline can fly overseas once it has a fleet of 20 aircraft -- a criterion that would be fulfilled by Vistara by March 2018.

Yeoh said the airline is very close to unveiling plans for international operations, adding that Japan is on the radar.

"Japan is on our radar. The question is how, and how many frequencies we start with, what type of aircraft... These are work in progress and we are very close to finalising," the CEO of Vistara told reporters here.

Seeking to expand its collaboration with Japan Airlines, both carriers today entered into a memorandum of understanding (MoU).

"We will jointly pursue commercial opportunities... And leverage the strength of both airlines," Yeoh said.

With the MoU, both carriers would pursue significant cooperation code share and frequent flyer partnerships as well as other operational arrangements.

The code share partnership -- which would help provide seamless connectivity for passengers of both airlines -- is expected to be in place next year.

Already, Vistara and Japan Airlines have an 'Inter- Airline Through Check-In' partnership. This allows passengers to have a seamless through check-in facility while connecting to or from a Vistara flight in India and over 50 countries across Japan Airlines' network, using a single ticket.

"We continue to expand brand and market presence in Japan even though Japan is not on our map yet but soon to come... It could not have come at an opportune time. India and Japan are set to ratify the open sky agreement some time this month," Yeoh said.

An open sky air service agreement allows airlines from the two countries to have an unlimited number of flights as well as seats to each other's jurisdictions.

Japan Airline's Executive Vice-President Tadashi Fujita said the strengthened partnership with Vistara represents a significant milestone for the two carriers to provide customers better access to destinations between and in Japan and India.

To a query, he said there are no plans now to invest in Vistara.

Japan Airlines has a daily non-stop service between Tokyo (Narita) and Delhi. It has plans of strengthening its presence in the country through a suitable partner to help boost connectivity between Japan and India, connecting through Delhi, a joint press release said.
The fledgling proxy advisory sector is facing its first major challenge with consumer goods major slapping a Rs 1,000-crore defamation suit on Institutional Investor Advisory Services (IiAS). But, individual firms and their consumers -- largely institutional investors -- are confident that the industry would emerge stronger after this episode. There are also calls for the regulators and large institutional investors to support these advisory firms.
Global pharmaceutical major Tevas arm Watson Pharma had rented 105,000 sq ft of office space in L&T Realtys office complex in Navi Mumbai, said sources in the know. Watson Pharma would pay over Rs 12 crore annual rent, or Rs 95 per sq ft per month on built-up area or Rs 140 on carpet area, said sources.
A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court would pronounce the quantum of sentence against all the convicts of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts Case on Thursday.

Abu Salem and 4 other convicts have reached court for the quantum of sentence hearing in 1993 blast case.



The court had convicted six people, including the mastermind of the attack Mustafa Dosa and Abu Salem on June 16 this year.

Arguments over the degree of sentences continued after the conviction in June and concluded on August 10.

All the accused were facing multiple charges like criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government and murder of people.

This was the second leg of the trial - in the first leg that concluded in 2007, the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted.

The Mumbai blast of March 12, 1993, resulted in 257 fatalities and over 700 were injured. The attacks were planned by Dawood Ibrahim, India's 'most wanted' fugitive who also has his name prominently figuring on the 'most wanted' lists of the US and the Interpol.
A Special TADA Court on Thursday awarded the death penalty to two convicts, life sentences to two others, including gangster Abu Salem, while giving 10 years jail to one accused in the case.





Besides Salem, the Special Court awarded life sentence to Karimullah Khan and 10 years rigorous imprisonment to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.
Nandakumar Nair, the Superintendent of Police with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) investigating the murder of Narendra Dabholkar, a renowned rationalist from Maharashtra is being closely watched by the right wing, reports Indian Express.
India should resolve the Kashmir issue through "political and diplomatic" means rather than "abusing" Pakistan, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has said.

Bajwa, while addressing a Defence Day gathering in Rawalpindi last night, said people of South Asia need peace for prosperity.

Accusing India of "killing" innocent people on the LoC, he said the country should give peace a chance.

"It is in interest of India that for a durable solution to the issues (in Kashmir), it should prefer political and diplomatic process instead of abusing Pakistan and using bullets against Kashmiris," the Chief of Army Staff said.

Bajwa said Pakistan wants to address the Kashmir issue through dialogue.

"Welfare of millions of people of these two countries is linked with permanent peace. But for it to happen, it is necessary that innocent and unarmed people on the LoC are not targeted through a planned way," he said.

Pakistan will continue to extend "political, moral, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris for their right to self- determination in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

He accused India of trying to destabilise Pakistan through "militancy and usurping its share of water".

The army chief also claimed that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear state.

"Our nuclear programme is just a deterrent against the enemy that introduced this unconventional war in the region," he said.

Bajwa said that Pakistan was against terrorism.

"We are against war and terrorism. We want relationship with all countries based on mutual respect and equality," he said.

Pakistan celebrates the Defence Day to mark the 1965 war with India.
Pakistani Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif warned that the country would continue to face "embarrassment" if terrorist groups like the LeT and JeM were not reined in. Asif's statement came even as he is scheduled to visit China on Friday in the aftermath of the BRICS declaration on terror and US President Donald Trump's new Afghanistan policy.
Senior Kannada journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh was laid to rest with state honours here on Wednesday, a day after she was shot dead by three unidentified assailants, evoking widespread protests and condemnation across the country.

Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said that a Special Investigation Team (SIT) has been formed to probe the killing.

"A SIT has been formed, headed by an Inspector-General-level officer, to investigate the journalist's killing," the Chief Minister told the media here after meeting top police officers at the state Assembly Vidhan Soudha.





ALSO READ: Gauri Lankesh: A firebrand journalist vocal on secularism and Dalit rights

The Congress leader said that if the family members insist on a CBI investigation, the state could think about it. "I have an open mind," he said.

CCTV footage from around the residence has been recovered by police.





ALSO READ: Slain journalist Gauri Lankesh laid to rest with State honours

The Union Home Ministry has sought a detailed report from the Karnataka government on the killing of the senior Kannada journalist.

The media fraternity and activists gathered across the country in cities, including New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad, among others, condemning her murder.





ALSO READ: Journalist Gauri Lankesh silenced: Amnesty flags concern over free speech

Lankesh, 55, was buried at a cemetery in Chamarajpet in central Bengaluru. Her eyes were donated to be used for the needy, the family said.

She hailed from the Lingayat community that does not cremate its dead.

Her brother Indrajit Lankesh had earlier told reporters that the family would not be following any religious customs at the funeral.





ALSO READ: Karnataka govt orders SIT probe on Gauri Lankesh's murder

"She was a rationalist and we do not want to go against her ideologies," he had said.

Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday night by three unidentified men who fired seven bullets at her as she returned home from her office in the city. Two bullets hit her in the chest and one in the forehead.

"She was shot dead from a close range at her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar (in the suburbs) around 8 pm as she was entering the house," Bengaluru Police Commissioner T Suneel Kumar had told reporters here on Tuesday.

Four of the bullets hit the wall of the house.

"Similar weapons were used in M M Kalburgi, Govind Pansare, and Narendra Dabholkar's killings, but we can't link anything yet," Siddaramaiah said.

Earlier during the day, Deputy Commissioner of Police, West, M N Anucheth had told IANS that three special teams had been set up to crack the case. "They are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are tracking the movement of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders."

"We have alerted our counterparts in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, and Tamil Nadu as well," he said.

Tributes poured in for the popular editor of Kannada tabloid "Gauri Lankesh Patrike" from across the country.

People had gathered at the Town Hall in Bengaluru for a silent protest, holding placards. "You can kill a person but not their ideas," read one placard. A silent demonstration was also staged by journalist groups at the Victoria Hospital grounds, where the autopsy was being conducted.

Journalists gathered at the Press Club in Bengaluru were seen holding placards that said "I am Gauri", implying that the attack could have been possible on anyone of them.

Across the state, protests were witnessed in Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, and Koppal, among other regions, where citizens took to the streets.

Journalists in Mysuru, wearing black ribbons around their shoulders, also held a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's Office.

Kannada film actors, writers, activists, state leaders, general public, friends and family of Lankesh's were seen at Ravindra Kalakshetra in the city, paying their homage to the popular Kannada journalist.

The killing also gave way to political parties in the country blaming one another for it.

While the Congress said "muzzling the voices of ordinary citizens and silencing dissent" was the slogan of "new India" under the Modi government, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) denied any links between BJP and its allied organisations in Lankesh's killing.

A prominent Left thinker and a staunch critic of Hindutva politics, Lankesh was convicted in November 2016 in a defamation case filed by BJP lawmaker Pralhad Joshi. She was out on bail pending appeal.

She was the daughter of renowned Kannada journalist P Lankesh, who had started the publication "Lankesh Patrike". Her siblings Indrajit and Kavitha are both filmmakers in the Kannada film industry.

The manner in which Lankesh was shot dead was reminiscent of the way Kannada progressive thinker and researcher M M Kalburgi was killed in August 2015 at his residence in Dharwad in the state's northwest region, about 400 km from Bengaluru.
A 14-year-old Indian-origin schoolboy in the has become one of the youngest pilots to fly a single-engine aircraft, according to a media report.

Mansour Anis, a class IXth student at Delhi Private School in Sharjah, received a certificate for his first solo flight from an aviation academy in Canada last week, Gulf News reported.

His solo flight was about 10-minute-long during which he taxied the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, took off for a flight of about five minutes and landed back, the report said.

Mansour, who flew a Cessna 152 aircraft during his solo flight, now has a student pilot permit. Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test and scored 96 per cent in the PSTAR Test, an eligibility test for Transport Canada.

"Let it be known throughout the aviation world that Mansour Anis at the age of 14 years successfully took off and landed from Langley Regional Airport thereby accomplishing his first solo flight," the solo flight certificate issued by AAA Aviation Flight Academy on August 30 stated.

Mansour claimed that he had also set a record of being the youngest pilot to fly solo with the least number of training hours, the report said.

"He broke the previous record of a 15-year-old German pilot and a 14-year-old US pilot who took 34 hours of training. Mansour flew solo just after 25 hours of training," his father Ali Asgar Anis said.

Ali, a civil engineer in Sharjah, said he had sent his son along with his wife Munira, a chemistry teacher, to Canada for the training session during the summer holidays.

In some countries, like the US and the UK, a person has to be at least 16 years old before taking to the air on their own. In the and India, the pilot has to be at least 18 to be eligible to fly. However, in Canada, 14 is the minimum age for student pilots to join the course and try flying after meeting the requirements, he said.

Munira said that her brother Qaid Faizy, a pilot with Jet Airways in India, has been an inspiration for Mansour since his childhood.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrapped up his Myanmar trip with visits to the 'mazar' of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon pagoda, besides performing puja at the Kalibari Temple here.

Modi, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country, visited the pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi performing puja at Kalibari Temple in Yangon city of Myanmar on Thursday. PTI Photo

Modi also visited the Bogyoke Aung San Museum where he was accompanied by Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.

He also visited the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar and paid floral tributes.

The prime minister also tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal ruler's grave.

Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the revolt of 1857.

Modi also paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.

"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

Yesterday, Modi had visited the famous early 12th-century Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan. The temple is being renovated with India's assistance after it was damaged in a tremor last year.

In the afternoon, Modi left for home after concluding his visit during which he held wide-ranging talks with Suu Kyi.

After Modi-Suu Kyi talks, 11 agreements were signed between the two sides in areas like maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.

Modi arrived here on the second leg of his two-nation trip after his visit to the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen where he attended the 9th BRICS Summit.
Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh's supporters clashed with CISF personnel at the Patna airport on Thursday, a police officer said.

"The clash took place following heated exchange of words between the supporters and the Central Industrial Security Force personnel, who objected an attempt by them to create trouble at the airport," the official said.

Some supporters tried to enter the airport raising slogans following which they were stopped.

Dozens of supporters gathered at the airport to receive Singh, a BJP MP from Bihar's Nawada constituency, who was returning from Delhi.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief and top separatist Yasin Malik, was arrested in Srinagar on Thursday by the Investigative Agency (NIA). While Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was put under house arrest, a day ahead of the planned sit-in by the separatists outside the NIA headquarter in Delhi

Malik who had warned to launch a protest against the NIA in Delhi was nabbed from his Abi Guzar office in Srinagar.

Malik has been taken to the central jail in the valley.

Yesterday, separatists Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and had said that they will protest outside the NIA headquarters on September 9 against, what they termed as, 'vilification of Kashmiri' people by the investigation agency.

Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) and Kashmiri seperatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq (R) speak inside Jamia Masjid ahead of a press conference in downtown Srinagar. Photo: PTI

Malik had alleged that the Centre was foisting one issue or the other every month on the people of Kashmir.

Earlier in the day, NIA also raided the house of Separatist leader Shabir Shah's Personal Assistant Zameer Thakur, in connection with the J-K terror-funding case.

The NIA has recently been conducting raids and arresting people associated with the separatist leaders in connection with matter.
The composition scheme, which is applicable to specific categories of small businesses whose turnover is Rs 75 lakh and below and had been closed on August 16, may return soon.
A week after gross domestic product growth touched a three-year low of 5.7 per cent in June, the lowest in the Narendra Modi governments tenure, former Reserve Bank of India governor said the Centre should focus on the levers it has control over  namely infrastructure, power, and exports  to boost growth.
West Bengals revenue collections have increased by 14-15 per cent in the month of July following the implementation of the goods and services tax (GST), according to government officials.
The Staff Selection Commission (SSC) has shared the details of candidates qualified in Paper I for appearing in PET/PST Paper II for the post of Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police, CAPFs and Assistant Sub-Inspectors in the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF)



The Commission conducted Computer based Examination for recruitment of Sub-Inspectors in Delhi Police, CAPFs and Assistant Sub-Inspectors in CISF Examination, 2017(Paper-I) from 01.07.2017 to 07.07.2017. Representations received from the candidates regarding Answer Keys were carefully examined. Modified Answer Keys, wherever required, were used for evaluation. Based on the cut-off fixed by the Commission in Paper-I, the following are details of candidates qualified in Paper-I for appearing in PET/PST/ Paper-II:



Male Candidates:



Category Cut-Off No. Candidates SC 90.25 7383 ST 90 3605 OBC 102 21284 Ex.S 43 3135 UR 117.25 11457 Total 46864

In addition to number of UR candidates shown in the table, 10237 - OBC, 1478 -SC, 666-ST candidates are also provisionally qualifying at UR cut-off subject to fulfillment of all eligibility criteria of UR category.
This story has been modified to rectify an error in the earlier version.



Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Deputy Governor Viral Acharya on Thursday said while there were several options on the table to recapitalise and address the resolution process, they were moving at a glacial pace and there was a lack of a clear and concrete plan to restore the health of (RBI).


Commerce & Industry Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu's Message to startup community in India

Commerce and Industry Minister Shri Suresh Prabhu went live on social media to address the startup community in India.

He appreciated the role of startups in building economy and society and congratulated the startup community. He said that world around is changing fast and startups are poised not only to take advantage of change but also trigger change. He expressed that future is bright for people who are willing to take risks.

Mr.

Prabhu conveyed to the startup community that he considers himself responsible towards the startups family. He expressed his commitment to promote startups. Talking about the role of Government, he said that this Government under the able leadership of Honorable Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is working on to remove obstacles and promote startups. He said that the "Power of the State" will push the startup ecosystem towards greater success.

He wished the startup community well and exhorted them to shine, succeed and excel
Nirmala Sitharaman takes over as Defence Minister

Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman took over charge as Defence Minister, here today. On her arrival at the Ministry of Defence in South Block, Smt. Sitharaman was received by outgoing Defence Minister Shri Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Defence Dr.

Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary Shri Sanjay Mitra, Defence Secretary (Defence Production) Shri AK Gupta, Chairman DRDO & Secretary Department of Defence R&D Dr. S Christopher and other senior officials. Smt Sitharaman is the first full time Woman Defence Minister of India. Immediately after assuming office, the Defence Minister approved a grant of over Rs 13 crore which will be released for 8685 ex-servicemen, widows and dependants out of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. She also approved financial assistance out of Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Fund. NW/NAo/Nampi/Rajib
Iran will never breach the nuclear deal it signed with major powers, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani vowed.

Rouhani made the remarks in a meeting with Japanese Prime Minister's Special Envoy Masahiko Koumura on Wednesday, the official Islamic Republic News Agency reported.

The Iranian leader said the nuclear deal, also known as Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA) signed in 2015 by Iran with the US, Russia, Britain, China and France plus Germany, was an important accord.

"Today after the implementation of the JCPOA, we should not allow violating the deal," Rouhani said.

He pointed out that the Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has verified Iran's commitment to JCPOA for several times, while the US has not been fully committed to the deal.

"The US is trying to make a media campaign against cooperation," Rouhani said.

Iran spares no efforts in establishing stability and security in the region, he added.

In the wake of the economic sanctions imposed recently by the US government led by President Donald Trump, there have been worries about possible US termination of the nuclear deal with Iran.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the US government to block President Donald Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants who New York's attorney general labeled the "best of America."



The lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn yesterday asked a judge to strike down as unconstitutional the president's action involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.

It called the move "a culmination of President Trump's oft-stated commitments ... To punish and disparage people with Mexican roots."



Also Read: Trump ends DACA: All you need to know about it and how Indians are impacted



The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit all Democrats represent states where the population of DACA participants known as "dreamers" ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Trump's plan is "cruel, shortsighted, inhumane" and driven by a personal bias against Mexicans and Latinos, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said.

He said the 42,000 New Yorkers with protected status under the program are largely model citizens.

"They are the best of America," Schneiderman said.

"Dreamers play by the rules. Dreamers work hard. Dreamers pay taxes. For most of them, America is the only home they've ever known. And they deserve to stay here," he added, using the term that came from a failed piece of legislation called the DREAM Act.

Also Read: US tech giants pledge to fight for 'Dreamers' hit by DACA



Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum called the government's action "indefensible" and said Trump was "playing chicken" by giving Congress six months to improve DACA or cancel it.

Devin M. O'Malley, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency looks forward to defending the administration's position.

Under former President Barack Obama, Justice Department lawyers concluded in 2014 that DACA is lawful.

The lawsuit filed says rescinding DACA will injure state-run colleges and universities, upset workplaces and damage companies and economies that include immigrants covered under the program.

The lawsuit noted that Harvard University has over 50 DACA students while Tufts University has more than 25. Both schools are in Massachusetts.

"The consequence of the president's animus-driven decision is that approximately 800,000 persons who have availed themselves of the program will ultimately lose its protections" and be exposed to deportation, the lawsuit says. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

California, one of the most solid Democratic states, was noticeably absent.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra plans to file a separate lawsuit because a quarter of DACA recipients are California residents, his spokeswoman Bethany Lesser said. Under Trump's plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by Oct. 5. But the program isn't accepting new applications.

Opponents of the program said they are pleased with the Trump administration's decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power.

Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, called Trump's action cruel and outrageous, given that the decision was announced by Sessions rather than the president himself.

A half-dozen beneficiaries of DACA young adults from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and elsewhere, including some now working at law firms or for the state Legislature - flanked Inslee and Ferguson at a news conference in Seattle announcing the lawsuit.

"It's outrageous, it's not right," an emotional Ferguson said. "As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, it's the law."



Inslee said, "This is one more of a long train of abuses that this president has attempted to foist on this great nation."



Earlier this year, Ferguson sued Trump over his travel ban, prompting a federal judge to block nationwide enforcement.US tech giants pledge to fight for 'Dreamers' hit by DACA
US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that military action was not the "first choice" of his administration on the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue.
For years, Bollywood has been the best brand ambassador for Swiss Tourism in India, with several hundred heaving themselves up the snowy Alps every year, just for a glimpse of the spots that their stars cavorted in, in their movies. Now Tourism Australia is hoping to emulate the model, using prime time soaps on Indian television to inveigle its way into the burgeoning Indian travel market. It has stitched up alliances with Star TV, Balaji Telefilms among to present the country as a series of adventures in food, sport and leisure and at the same is pushing fares down for the deal-hungry Indian traveller.
said on Wednesday it had found that an operation likely based in Russia spent $100,000 on thousands of US ads promoting divisive social and political messages in a two-year-period through May.
The United States has asked the UN Security Council to slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-Un, in response to Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test.

A US-drafted resolution obtained by AFP also called for banning textile exports and ending payments made to North Korean labourers sent abroad, further depriving the regime of revenue to pursue its military programs.

The United States circulated the proposed resolution to the 14 other council members two days after Ambassador Nikki Haley called for the "strongest possible measures" to be imposed on North Korea.

ALSO READ: Sensex drops 148 pts on North Korea tension

Haley said on Monday that the United States was seeking a vote on the new sanctions on September 11.

The draft text takes aim directly at North Korea's leadership with a freeze on leader Kim's assets as well as those of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea and the government of North Korea.

Kim would be added to a UN sanctions blacklist that would subject him to a global travel ban, along with four other senior North Korean officials, according to the draft.

The state-owned Air Koryo airline would also be hit with an assets freeze, as would the Korean People's Army, the ruling party's central military commission and seven other government or party departments.

North Korea on Sunday triggered a global alarm when it detonated what it described as a hydrogen bomb designed for a long-range missile, which was followed by signs that Pyongyang was preparing a new missile launch.

The United States presented the new raft of measures after President Donald Trump spoke by phone with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping and told him that military action against North Korea was not his "first choice".

China, North Korea's main ally and trading partner, and Russia argue that sanctions alone will not resolve the North Korea crisis and are calling for talks with Pyongyang.
The U. S.

Department of Commerce on Wednesday said it began an investigation into possible dumping and subsidization of stainless steel flanges from China and India.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the trade action in a statement, saying: "The Department will act swiftly, while assuring a full and fair assessment of the facts, to ensure that everyone trades on a level playing field."

In 2016 imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India were valued at an estimated $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively, the statement said.

The probe followed petitions by two privately held companies, Core Pipe Products Inc of Illinois and Maass Flange Corp of Texas.

They alleged dumping margins, or the discount to fair value, on products from China of 99.23 percent to 257.11 percent and from India of 78.49 percent to 145.25 percent. They also estimated that products from both countries were subsidized at undetermined rates, the statement said.

The International Trade Commission is due to make a preliminary decision about whether the imports injure U. S. producers by Oct. 2, which would ensure the Commerce Department continues its investigation, the statement said.

It said that from Jan. 20 through Sept. 6 this year, the department had begun 62 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, up 41 percent from the previous year.
hit a new high of Rs 1,950, up 5%, extending its previous days 4% gain on the BSE, after the company launched a qualified institutional placement (QIP) offering up to Rs 4,500 crore from institutional investors.
have declined by around 50 per cent over the past four weeks, due to consumers deferring of orders amid fear of future action against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).
The US, the largest importer of Indian shrimps, has reduced the on the perishable item to 0.84 per cent for Indian exporters.
At least three militants, including their commander, were found mysteriously dead on Thursday in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The local security officials said that the killings took place late on Wednesday night in the vicinity of Shirzad district of Nangarhar, the Khaama Press reported.

The provincial police commandment confirmed that a local leader was among killed militants mysteriously in the area.

The insurgents loyal to Taliban and ISIS are active in some remote districts of Nangarhar province.

However, it is not clear as to the dead militants belonged to which group.

No individual or group has claimed the responsibility so far.

There are numerous incidents have been reported of such mysterious killing of militants from Nangarhar and other parts of the country.

Earlier, at least 11 Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khorasan (ISIS-K) insurgents were killed in an airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The provincial government media office had said in a statement that the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Haska Mina district.

"The airstrike on Tuesday targeted militants operating under command of ISIS leader Tariq Afridi," the statement further read.

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Hollywood actress Anna Faris does not believe that husbands should be their wives' best friends.

In Cosmopolitan's latest 'On My Mind' column, that was adapted from her new book Unqualified, the 40-year-old actress admitted that being a "guys' girl" is totally overrated, noting that having a group of close girlfriends is extremely valuable, reports E! Online.

She wrote, "In my 20s, I thought it was cool to say I was a guys' girl. I didn't realize until later how lame I sounded, bragging as though having a lot of girlfriends was a bad thing. I touted my male friends as if my association with them spoke to how cool I really was. I was selling my own gender down the river, and I wasn't even getting any fulfillment from the relationships with those dudes."

Faris admitted that she often hung out around guys due to her jealousy over other women and her lack of trust stemming from high school bullying.

"Back then, I thought that having the approval of my stoner guy friends was of greater value than having the approval of beautiful blonde sorority girls. I was selling my own gender down the river, and I wasn't even getting any fulfillment from the relationships with those dudes," she noted.

The author and actress goes on to state that she feels lucky today to have "a handful of women I count as confidantes" these days, but understands that it took her longer to appreciate the importance of these relationships because of negative experiences with groups of girls when she was younger.

"Today, I'm lucky to have a handful of women I count as confidantes. To be honest, I think the notion of best friends in general is messed up though. t puts so much pressure on any one person, when I truly believe it's okay to have intimacy with different people in different ways," she concluded.

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Seems like the pen is under sever attack in the nation, as two days after senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was murdered, yet another attack on a scribe has been reported from Bihar's Arwal.

Pankaj Mishra a journalist, who works for a hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara, was shot by two bike-borne assailants.

The incident took place when Mishra was leaving the bank after withdrawing Rupees one Lakh.

The condition of Mishra is said to be critical.

The police have arrested one of the accused, while the other is absconding.

Prima facie, according to the police the untoward incident seems to be an outcome of personal enmity.

"Mishra was shot dead by two people from his village while he was leaving the bank with Rs. 1 lakh cash which was robbed by them. One accused has been arrested. It is a case of personal enmity," Arwal's SP Dilip Kumar said.

More details are awaited.

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August 22, 2022, Monday

Chief Minister Basavaraja Bommai said that there will be pro and anti-beliefs and arguments on noted personalities, but it must ...
The newly-appointed defence minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, is only the second woman after late Indira Gandhi to hold the responsibility, and the first one to take full time charge.

On the day of her taking charge as the defence minister, two other women achievers talked to ANI about how they brought the shackles of patriarchy down.

Padmavathy Bandopadhyay, the first woman Air Marshal of the Indian Air Force, is all praises for Nirmala Sitharaman.

"I became the air marshal and the director general of the medical services as the first lady a decade back. But in spite of that there still is a lot of evolution that has to take place, wherein the women also have to perform to reach the top," Air Marshal P. Bandopadhyay, who is also the second woman in the Indian armed forces to be promoted to a three-star rank, told ANI.

Air Marshal Bandopadhyay also said that whether it is a male or a female, everyone has to perform well.

"Being a woman is not a negative point for reaching anywhere in any sphere, for any of us. It is a simple hard work, you have to know the facts that you are trying for," said Air Marshal P. Bandopadhyay.

She also said that the mindset is changing and a lot of work has to be done.

"But those people who have reached at a level, they should infuse confidence in the females to do better, especially the young generation," Air Marshal Bandopadhyay said.

Air marshal P. Bandopadhyay further said that there are so many schemes for girls, adding, "We should monitor how they are progressing ahead and once we reach this level then there is no difference between a boy and a girl. But the most important point is that the mindset of the people has to change."

Another woman achiever, Seema Dhundia, an expert at defusing explosive situations, was the commander of first all women UN Police unit. She is the Deputy Inspector General, Rapid Action Force, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF).

Initially posted at Liberia in West Africa DIG Dhundia said that it was initially a "tough task" when she was selected as a contingent commander for the first form female unit which was deployed in Liberia.

"I could the feel vibes and apprehensions amongst my colleagues as to how this contingent is going to perform. But I was sure of our training and was confident," DIG Seema Dhundia said.

She also said that a lady is always a good communicator and in a conflict-ridden area where most of the victims are women and small children, if a woman is deployed, she becomes an inspiration for other girls.

"A woman in uniform becomes a role model for the people who are downtrodden, and are not able to come forward to explain their position. Most of the girls became a role model for the local Liberian women," DIG Seema said.

Sitharaman, one of the four ministers in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's team at the Centre to be elevated to the Cabinet rank, represents Karnataka in the Rajya Sabha.

A Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) alumnus, Sitharaman joined the BJP in 2006 as its spokesperson and Prime Minister Modi's ministry in 2014.

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Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif on Tuesday acknowledged the existence of terrorist organisations, naming Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) among the internationally banned outfits operating from within the country.

This came after the Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) nations showed "regional security concern" over such militant groups operating from Pakistan, the Dawn reported.

Asif said, "For the first time, the Foreign Ministry published an advertisement, requesting people to avoid donating hides of sacrificial animals to proscribed organisations, including the two mentioned."

"Despite all these efforts, in some isolated instances, the organisations were allowed [to collect hides] at some places," he added.

However, Asif rejecting the claim that Pakistani soil is being used for terrorism, adding that "we will have to convince the that Pakistan has nothing to do with the terrorism."

Recently, Pakistan was severely criticized for keeping double standards in the war against terrorism.

Last month, United States President Donald Trump had lambasted Pakistan for being a "safe haven" for terrorists groups while rolling out the new strategy for South Asian countries.

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Three Pakistan fishermen were arrested and 14 fishing boats were seized from the Gujarat coast today.

DG PIB K.S. Dhatwalia has informed ANI that the troops of 79 Bn BSF BOP TJP (Trijunction Post), u/PS - Dayapar of Bhuj apprehended these fishermen at around 3 a.m. on Thursday.

The party also fired two RDS with 5.56 MM INSAS LMG.

Further details are awaited.

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The Pakistan Army on Thursday again resorted to unprovoked ceasefire violation across Line of Control (LoC) in the Poonch sector of Jammu and Kashmir.

The firing which was reported around 11.45 a.m. led to injuring two porters.

Prompting to the continuous firing, the Indian Army retaliated strong after which the firing halted at around 11.55 a.m.

Significantly the incident has come just four days after the Pakistan troops violated ceasefire in the the Mankot sector of Poonch.

Earlier, Pakistan violated the ceasefire in the Naushera sector of Rajouri on August 31.

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Khosla Ventures-backed AliveCor, a leader in digital healthcare announced partnership with Kumaar Bagrodia's LeapVault to bring the world's first US FDA approved medical grade portable single lead ECG device to India.

As the prevalence of cardiovascular diseases grows, the need for easy to use heart monitoring is vital in detecting serious heart conditions before potentially life threating conditions, like stroke, occur. The incidence of atrial fibrillation (AFib) continues to grow with the ageing population, and according to global research, one in every five people aged 65 years and above will develop AFib in their lifetime. One major problem with AFib is that it is often asymptomatic, and as a result, many patients are not diagnosed until a cardiac event occurs.

"Access to quality and timely cardiac care in India is a challenge for millions and we're excited to be on the forefront of medical innovation and bring the latest generation of the Kardia Mobile ECG solution to India. In addition to helping doctors and individual patients, this can really change corporate health and wellness programs" said Kumaar Bagrodia, CEO, LeapVault.

The Kardia Mobile is one of the smallest ECGs in the world and can be carried in a clinician's or patient's pocket or even stuck to the mobile phone. The solution not only records a medical grade ECG in 30 seconds but also confirms whether or not the recording is normal. In addition to selling the device itself to doctors, individual patients and corporates, LeapVault shall also provide a service where the patient can email the recording from the app to a doctor for further consultation.

"We're happy to be partnering with LeapVault and coming to India where so many people can benefit from the cutting-edge FDA approved technology in our latest devices and apps. Our solution also enables patients in remote locations to look after their heart in a timely manner using global standard technology" said Francis White, VP Sales and Development, AliveCor Inc.

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One of the accused in the Malayalam actress's assault and abduction case, director Nadirsha (actor Dileep's friend) approached the Kerala High Court on Thursday, seeking anticipatory bail.

Owing to his health issues, Nadirsha was admitted to a Kochi hospital last night. His bail plea will be considered by the Kerala High Court tomorrow.

Another accused and Nadirsha's friend, actor Dileep was arrested on July 10, under the charge of various IPC sections, including criminal conspiracy.

His bail plea has been rejected thrice.

Two of the key accused -- Pulsar Suni and his accomplice involved in the actual abduction -- were arrested a week after the abduction.

The incident reportedly took place when the actress was returning from a shoot, on February 17.

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United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that military action is not his "first choice" against North Korea.

After a phone call with Chinese President Xi Jinping on North Korea's ongoing moves to develop its nuclear and ballistic missile programs, said Trump, when asked if he was still considering military action. "Certainly that's not a first choice," CNN reported.

However, he did not rule out the military action, saying, "We'll see what happens."

Describing the call with Xi as a "very, very frank and very strong phone call," Trump said that he and Xi are on the same page.

"We will not be putting up with what's happening in North Korea. I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100%," Trump added.

Earlier, United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres had urged big powers to come up with a political solution to stop Kim Jong-un from advancing in the development of nuclear weapons and inter-continental ballistic missiles (ICBM) and warned against adopting military action, saying the "potential consequences to military action are too horrific."

"A confrontational rhetoric may lead to unintended consequences. The solution must be political. The potential consequences of a military action are too horrific," the Secretary General said, referring to the rhetoric being used by U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un.

The Secretary General stressed that a dialogue and communication is necessary to avoid miscalculation or misunderstanding.

Guterres said, "As the Secretary General, I am ready to support any efforts towards a peaceful solution of this alarming situation, and as I said, to the denuclearisation of the Korean peninsula."

Guterres's comments came hours after a top North Korean diplomat warned that his country is ready to send "more gift packages" to the United States.

The United Nations has "unequivocally" condemned the latest nuclear and missile tests by the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), denouncing them as "profoundly destabilising for regional and international security."

"The DPRK has broken the global norm against nuclear test explosions," Guterres said at the U.N. Headquarters in New York.

Han Tae Song, Ambassador to the United Nations in Geneva, confirmed that North Korea, officially known as the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK), had successfully conducted its sixth and largest nuclear bomb test on Sunday.

"Yet again, the country has defied the Security Council and the international community."

"Yet again, the DPRK has needlessly and recklessly put millions of people at risk - including its own citizens already suffering drought, hunger and serious violations of their human rights," he added.

The U.N.S.C. reiterated that North Korea should fully comply with its international obligations, including the Security Council Resolution 2371, which was adopted last month.

The Council has adopted Resolution 2356 designating high-ranking North Korean government officials and the military's Strategic Rocket Forces Command for individual sanctions.

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Minister of State (MoS) for Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday said the crackdown on separatists by the Investigation Agency (NIA) will churn out positive results.

Crediting the government for instigating the NIA to intensify its stint in connection with the terror-funding case, Singh said the separatist will not be allowed to be at peace anymore.

"With these raids, one thing is clear that the process of investigation which has been started by the government will bring a decisive end to the J-K terror-funding case. All these years, no action had been taken upon the separatists but not anymore," Singh told media.

Further accusing the separatists for cheating the people of Kashmir, Singh said the funds which were used to brew tension in the valley should have been exercised for welfare of the state.

"Following this raid, a message has been sent out that the manner in which the people in the valley were cheated for 25 years in the name of Independence will now know the truth. These funds should have been used for the development of the state rather than accumulating their wealth."

Earlier in the day, the NIA raided the house of Separatist Shabir Shah's Personal Assistant Zameer Thakur, in connection with the J-K terror-funding case.

The raid is still underway.

The NIA has recently been conducting raids and arresting people associated with the separatist leaders in connection with matter.

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South Korea Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon has said that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is likely to "launch another Intercontinental Ballistic Missile (ICBM) on September 9."

"The situation is very grave. It doesn't seem much time is left before North Korea achieves its complete nuclear armament," the prime minister told a meeting of defence ministers in Seoul on Thursday.

"A special measure is urgently needed to stop their recklessness," he added.

In another development, dozens were injured when protests broke out in Seoul over U.S. military adding more launchers to the high-tech missile-defence system THAAD in a southern town to counter North Korean threats.

Protesters tried to block the road where U.S. Forces were transporting four additional THAAD missile interceptor launchers to a base in Seongju and in the process entered into a scuffle with armoured riot police and that left many injured, CNN reported.

That rollout was "temporarily" completed on Thursday, a spokesman for South Korea's defence ministry said, adding it was necessary to counter increased threats from North Korea.

South Korea President Moon Jae-in held discussions on North Korea with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the meeting, Abe and Moon issued a statement saying "now is the time to further increase sanctions and pressures against the North as much as possible rather than seeking dialogue," according to Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan.

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Conveying a strong message to Pakistan on its acts of harbouring terrorism across borders, the Indian Army's Northern Command head has warned the neighbouring country of taking an action similar to surgical strikes against its acts.

Speaking at a Press Conference here today, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC), Northern Command, said, "The surgical strike was a point we wanted to drive home across. The Line of Control (LoC) is not a line that cannot be breached. When we want to, we will be able to breach it (LoC), go across and strike them when we need."

Taking about the recent border disputes with China, the GOC said the border distress with China arises as there is a difference in perception of the demarcation.

"Issues have been raised and we are dealing with them in the manner that is available to us. At ground level, the issues get resolved immediately and amicably by taking up with the PLA," he said.

He assured peace and tranquility in east Ladakh and said there will be no Doklam-type situation arising there.

Talking about the infrastructural development in Eastern Ladakh, he said, "I am sure that in a couple of years we will be very well off. We are looking at the infrastructure form all point of view.

Commenting on the misadventures across the LoC, he said the situation is fairly under control.

"We are very firm in dealing with any infiltration. And it is complemented by many other activities, you would know," he hinted.

He said that the terrorist camps and terrorist launch pads in the south and the north of Pir Panjal and have not decreased. But the strong counter infiltration grid on the LoC has prevented them from foiling and entering into the borders of either Kashmir Valley or Jammu region.

Talking about the ongoing NIA raids to choke the funds of the separatists, he said, "It has got direct links to the terrorist activities in the hinterland of the Kashmir Valley and the actions have led to a deterring affect on the youth and the stone-pelting has come down drastically as compared to November-December."

The elimination of terrorist leadership, which recruits youth has also helped in the decline of these activities, he added.

He also sought the help of the state and the central government to control the terrorist activities in the state, adding that the youth should be engaged in talks with the government.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi landed in the capital on Thursday noon, after concluding his two-nation tour of China and Myanmar.

Prime Minister Modi began his tour on Sunday (September 3) and attended the plenary session of the ninth BRICS summit in China's Xiamen, where he called for a greater cooperation between the BRICS member-nations for ensuring global stability and peace.

The Prime Minister also pitched for the creation of the BRICS rating agency to cater to the financing needs of the sovereign and corporate entities of the developing countries.

The BRICS leaders adopted the Xiamen declaration at the ninth edition of the BRICS Summit on Monday. The leaders condemned terrorism and, for the first time ever, named Pakistan-based terror outfits like the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), Haqqani and the JeM, among other terror groups in the declaration.

Prime Minister Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping for bilateral talks on Tuesday, the last day of the BRICS summit.

Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi affirmed that the maintenance of peace and tranquility along the border was a pre-requisite for the further development of relationship between the two countries.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, later Tuesday, departed for Nay Pyi Taw for his three-day bilateral visit to Myanmar for forging close cooperation between the two countries on security and counter-terrorism.

India and Myanmar agreed that terrorism remains one of the major threats to peace and stability in the region.

Prime Minister Modi and Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi discussed the security situation prevailing along the long land border and maritime boundary.

The Prime Minister also said that India shares Myanmar's concern on extremist violence in the Rakhine state and that he hopes that all stakeholders can find a solution, in which the unity and the territorial integrity of the country is maintained, together.

Suu Kyi thanked Prime Minister for taking a strong stand on the terror threat that Myanmar faced and assured India that 'terror would not be allowed to take roots in her country.'

"Together both countries will ensure that terror is not allowed to take roots in our country," de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said.

"We would like to thank India for the strong stand that it has taken with regard to the terrorist threat that came to our country," said Aung San Suu Kyi, to which Prime Minister Modi responded that "India completely understands the challenges."

Prime Minister said his government has always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare as for them nation is above everything else.

"For us, the nation is above everything else. That is why we have always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare," Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing the Indian community in Yangoon at Thuwunna Stadium in Yangon.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday departed for India from the Yangon International Airport after concluding his two-day bilateral visit to Myanmar.

Before the departure, the Prime Minister visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum in Yangon with Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi .

Prime Minister Modi on Thursday paid a visit to the reverred Shwedagon Pagoda and Kali Bari Temple in Yangon and offered prayers.

The Prime Minister signed the guest book at the Shwedagon Pagoda. With a gold-plated, 99-meter tall (325 feet) spire encrusted with diamonds and rubies, the pagoda towers over Yangon and is the spiritual center of the Burmese Buddhism.

Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in central Myanmar.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited the famous Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city, Bagan, which was damaged in a tremor in 2016 and is being renovated with India's assistance.

India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements in a range of sectors, including one on maritime security cooperation, to further strengthen their multifaceted partnership

The Archaeological Survey of India has carried out structural conservation and chemical preservation work of this temple. The restoration work is being carried out after the damage due to an earthquake last year.

The temple, one of the surviving masterpieces of the Mon architecture, is believed to have been built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha, one of the greatest Burmese monarchs.

India and Myanmar have agreed that terrorism remains one of the major threats to peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar's State Counsellor Suu Kyi discussed the security situation prevailing along the long land border and maritime boundary.

The Prime Minister said his government has always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare as for them, the nation is above everything else.

"For us, the nation is above everything else. That is why we have always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare," Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing the Indian community in Yangon at the Thuwunna Stadium.

Emphasising Myanmar's value in India's freedom struggle, Prime Minister Modi said that this is the sacred land from where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose gave the slogan of 'give me blood and I will give you freedom'.

He appreciated the role of the Indian diaspora in contributing towards to the development of wherever they have settled, adding that they also kept in touch with their roots.

The Prime Minister also said Yoga was globally recognised due to efforts of the Indians living in different parts of the .

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday arrived at the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar, on the second day of his two-day visit to the country.

The Prime Minister signed the guest book at the Shwedagon Pagoda. With a gold-plated, 99-meter tall (325 feet) spire encrusted with diamonds and rubies, the pagoda towers over Yangon and is the spiritual center of the Burmese Buddhism.

Prime Minister will next visit the Kalibari Temple, where the security has been beefed up.

Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in central Myanmar.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited the famous Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city, Bagan, which was damaged in a tremor in 2016 and is being renovated with India's assistance.

The Archaeological Survey of India has carried out structural conservation and chemical preservation work of this temple. The restoration work is being carried out after the damage due to an earthquake last year.

The temple, one of the surviving masterpieces of the Mon architecture, is believed to have been built around 1105 by King Kyanzittha, one of the greatest Burmese monarchs.

India and Myanmar have agreed that terrorism remains one of the major threats to peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi discussed the security situation prevailing along the long land border and maritime boundary.

The Prime Minister said his government has always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare as for them, the nation is above everything else.

"For us, the nation is above everything else. That is why we have always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at people's welfare," Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing the Indian community in Yangon at the Thuwunna Stadium.

Emphasising Myanmar's value in India's freedom struggle, Prime Minister Modi said that this is the sacred land from where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose gave the slogan of 'give me blood and I will give you freedom'.

He appreciated the role of the Indian diaspora in contributing towards to the development of wherever they have settled, adding that they also kept in touch with their roots.

The Prime Minister also said Yoga was globally recognised due to efforts of the Indians living in different parts of the .

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Pakistan Peoples Party's (PPP) senior leadership on Thursday decided to file an appeal against the Anti-Terrorism Court's (ATC) verdict in the former prime minister Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The decision was made during a party advisory meeting in Bilawal House, chaired by PPP Chairperson Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, and Co-Chairperson Asif Ali Zardari, Geo TV reports.

As per the decision, the appeal will be filed by Latif Khosa, on behalf of Asif Ali Zardari.

Earlier, Latif Khosa and Aitzaz Ahsan had briefed the party leaders over the Benazir Bhutto murder case.

The meeting was attended by prominent PPP leaders, including Khursheed Shah, Faryal Talpur, Yousaf Raza Gilani, Qamar Zaman Qaira, Farhatullah Babar, and Nayyar Hussain Bukhari among others.

In an earlier verdict, the ATC stated that the assassination of Benazir Bhutto "could have been prevented if the Rawalpindi District Police had taken adequate security measures," the Dawn reported.

The ATC, in its 46-page long order, concluded, "Bhutto was killed in an attack as a result of firing, followed by a bomb blast caused by an unknown suicide bomber on her way back from addressing a political gathering at Liaquat Bagh."

The court order also said, it is unbelievable that a 15-year-old boy all alone detonated the explosives near Bhutto's car, as she left the rally.

"A range of government officials failed profoundly in their efforts first to protect Bhutto and second to investigate with vigour all those responsible for her murder, not only in the execution of the attack, but also in its conception, planning and financing," it said.

However, the court admitted of not knowing the exact cause of her death as the post-mortem examination was not conducted during the course of the investigation.

Judge Asghar Khan of the ATC has acquitted all the five accused in the Benazir Bhutto murder case and declared former president Pervez Musharraf an absconder.

The court has also sentenced 7 years of imprisonment each for former Rawalpindi CPO Saud Aziz and former Rawal Town SP Khurram Shahzad.

Benazir Bhutto, the Pakistan People's Party (PPP) chief and two-time prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated in a suicide attack, during an election campaign rally at the Liaquat Bagh in Rawalpindi on December 27, 2007.

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U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday assured all the immigrants covered by the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme that they have nothing to worry about as no action will be taken against them until it expires in March.

"For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!" Trump tweeted.

Earlier in the day, as many as 15 U.S. states and the District of Columbia had filed a lawsuit in New York to block President Trump's plan to end the programme protecting young immigrants from deportation - Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA).

The suit was first announced by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who called Trump's act "a dark time for our country".

The groups laid out five different constitutional arguments against Trump's move, saying it was motivated by discriminatory reasons, that it violated due process by being "fundamentally unfair," and that it violated laws that dictate procedures for federal regulations.

The lawyers noted that most DACA recipients are of the Mexican origin and devote a whole section to inflammatory statements Trump has made about Mexicans, including his attacks on a federal judge of Mexican descent, CNN reported.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA will end in six months to give the Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants.

"As President Trump's statements about Mexico and those with Mexican roots show, the President has demonstrated a willingness to disparage Mexicans in a misguided attempt to secure support from his constituency, even when such impulses are impermissible motives for directing governmental policy," the Attorney General wrote.

Trump's statements as a candidate and President have been used against him in previous lawsuits, most notably challenges against his travel ban earlier this year.

The lawsuit also devotes a section to Texas, the state that pushed Trump to end the programme, using a section to describe Texas as "a state found to have discriminated against Latinos/Hispanics nine times since 2012.

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The death of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh has shaken the entire journalistic fraternity and has opened questions about the safety of "firebrand" journalists.

Lankesh's family, on its part, has said that all they want is justice and will fully cooperate with the Special Investigation team (SIT).

Talking about his sister's "fight of ideologies" that probably led to her death, Indrajit Lankesh said, "She had strong ideological views, be it about Naxals or the right wing. We are all together and ensuring justice for her."

Indrajit Lankesh further said that what she did with the Naxals was "admirable", and he respects that.

"She was trying to bring them to mainstream," said Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh.

Addressing the media today, he further said that the SIT has formed three different teams and they are working on the case.

"It's not about going to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), it's not about a special judge or SIT, it's about getting justice. And for that we are ready to do anything for that," Indrajit Lankesh said.

He also added that they saw the suffering of Kalburgi's family. "We don't want it to happen like that. I am just requesting the government and am requesting the investigating team to give justice to my family and to give justice to Gauri," he said.

Indrajit added that Gauri Lankesh was friends with Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who has said that the Chief Minister had assured the family that if they want then he will give the case to CBI.

He further requested the media to not politicise the issue and said, "Please don't give this incident political or ideological colour."

Gauri Lankesh's sister, who was also present at the press conference said that Gauri had come to her mother's house and talked about "some kind of guy who was suspiciously walking around her house."

"There are brave people, but Gauri was 'foolishly brave'," said Gauri's sister.

Indrajit Lankesh also said that for fourteen years, Gauri ran the publication without any advertising and from her savings.

"She continued father's legacy, and I am proud of her," said Indrajit Lankesh and added that Gauri was like her father, who too was very "aggressive" in his writing and so was she.

"She had no personal enmities, only ideological adversaries," said Indrajit Lankesh, brother of Gauri Lankesh.

He also said that the Home Minister had told that all angles had to be probed, adding, "We agree that every angle has to be and should be probed."

Speaking to ANI, Indrajit Lankesh said that Gauri was rehabilitating the Naxalites, and so if there are any differences they have to be probed.

"But that is not the only reason. She was a firebrand journalist, and she was the critic of the right wing. If that is the reason then it has to be probed," Indrajit Lankesh said.

Directing a statement to the journalists present, Indrajit said, "If you say that somebody, who writes about the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) is killed, then I don't have an answer to that. Because you know it better and I don't even have to say it."

"First the right wing extremists were considered to be involved because Gauri was a strong critic of theirs," said Indrajit Lankesh.

He has requested all the media organisations to look at all the angles and try to come to a conclusion.

"We have still not been able to find M.M. Kalburgi's killers," he said.

Senior journalist Lankesh was shot dead on Tuesday at her residence in Bengaluru's Rajarajeshwari Nagar by some unidentified assailants at around 8-8:30 p.m.

As per the reports, three bullets were pumped in her body.

Her last rites were held at Bengaluru's Chamrajpet Cemetery earlier in the day.

Lankesh was the editor of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a tabloid described as an "anti-establishment" publication.

An SIT comprising of 19 officers, headed by IGP Intelligence B.K. Singh, has been formed to probe Gauri Lankesh's murder.

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Myanmar State Councillor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that the issue of the Rohingya Muslims is one of the biggest challenges, dating back to pre-colonial times and hence, will take time to be resolved.

"The issue [Rohingya Muslims] is one of the biggest challenges Myanmar has to face, because you know that the situation in Rakhine has been difficult for many decades and infact it goes right back to pre-colonial times," Suu Kyi told ANI.

She added, "It is a little unreasonable to expect that the issue can be resolved in 18 months as you know that our administration has been in power for the last 18 months."

The state councillor said that her government is trying to progess on the development front, which is one of the 'biggest problems' as the matter is "we have very limited resources".

Suu Kyi said, "We are implementing recommendations given by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan as quickly as possible to create harmony and peace in the Rakhine state. Our recommendation is harmony and we shall be addressing it quickly."

A commission led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan has recommended economic development and social justice to counter the deadly violence between Buddhists and Muslims in the Rakhine state.

Elaborating about the difficulties her government is facing, Suu Kyi said, "We have to think about how to differentiate between terrorists and innocent people, you in India are well-versed with this, because India has a large Muslim community and in place like Kashmir, where you face terrorism, the trouble of sorting or differentiating between the terrorists and the innocent people, who are not involved in the terror activities, comes up."

"Thus, we are facing the same problem and we have to take care of innocent citizens as our resources are not as adequate as required, but we try our best and make ensure that every citizen is entitled to the protection of law," the State Councillor added.

Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had earlier said that India shares Myanmar's concern on extremist violence in the Rakhine state and that he hopes that all stakeholders can find a solution, in which the unity and the territorial integrity of the country is maintained, together.

Suu Kyi thanked Prime Minister for taking a strong stand on the terror threat that Myanmar faced and assured India that 'terror would not be allowed to take roots in her country.'

"Together both countries will ensure that terror is not allowed to take roots in our country," de-facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi said.

"We would like to thank India for the strong stand that it has taken with regard to the terrorist threat that came to our country," said Aung San Suu Kyi, to which Prime Minister Modi responded that "India completely understands the challenges.

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Spanish and Moroccan police on Wednesday arrested six suspected terrorists from Morocco and a Spanish North African city in a joint operation to dismantle a terrorist cell.

Five of the suspects were arrested in Morocco and one was arrested in Melilla, an autonomous Spanish city on the North African coast bordering Morocco, the Anadolu Agency reported.

A 39-year-old Spaniard, who was a teaching assistant at juvenile rehabilitation center in Melilla, was using his position to recruit vulnerable minors, the police said.

He was following the ISIS global terrorism strategy to recruit minors.

The investigation revealed that the terror cell "had planned massive terrorist attacks" and routinely held nightly meetings "where they would carry out physical training and simulate decapitations."

The arrests came just weeks after terrorist attacks in Catalonia killed 16. Spain has officially been on high alert for terrorist attacks since June 2015, and since then Spanish police have arrested 199 suspected terrorists.

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Afghanistan's insurgent group Taliban has claimed the responsibility for the explosion that took place near Bagram airfield, saying it was a retaliation for the United States distributing propaganda material that insulted Islam.

Local officials said that at least six people got injured after a suicide bomber on a motorcycle detonated his explosives outside an entry checkpoint to the base, The Guardian reported.

Earlier, the U.S. military in Afghanistan had apologised for "highly offensive" leaflets that were distributed by them in northern Parwan province of Afghanistan.

The military had distributed anti-Taliban leaflets among the people that contained offensive material desecrating the Islam religion, the Khaama Press reported.

The leaflets, which sparked furor among the people, contained an image of a dog along with Islamic verses-containing Taliban flag.

Meanwhile, a U.S. military official General James Linder, in a statement, said, "The design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam."

"I sincerely apologize. We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide," he added.

Linder also said that an investigation would be held "to determine the cause of this incident and to hold the responsible party accountable.

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Just a day after Teachers' Day, Delhi saw the basic education department staging a protest at Jantar Mantar, Delhi to demand the right of basic education for all the children aged between 6 to 14 years.

The protest was lead by the chairman of Uttar Pradesh Basic Teachers' Association, Durga Charan Sinha. He expressed his concern about the deplorable condition of Indian education system where a right as basic as learning to read and write is being snatched from children and the government is least bothered.

A press conference at Press club of India was also organised, where Sinha demanded a real implementation of the right which at present is nothing more than another law printed in the Constitution. He is amazed at the nonchalance shown by the government of the country where the tradition of education actually began.

He gave a vivid account of how revolutionary a role was played by education in India's struggle to freedom.

This group of teachers demands equal privileges for the children of the specified age group irrespective of their caste, religion or economic background. It's really ironical when almost all government officials proudly exhibit their private education thus posting a big question mark at the quality of education in government schools.

The Constitution clearly mentions the Right to Education along with a clause of free education to children from the economically weaker sections of the society. But our government is failing big time at ensuring even this.

This initiative taken by the teachers and Tej Bahadur Singh, Bankey Bihari Yadav, Ugr Sen Singh, Jai Karan Yadav just aims at making education as accessible and essential as air.

They want the Central and State Governments to jointly fund the basic education of children.

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A tripartite agreement has been signed between the Andhra Pradesh government, the Government of India and the IFAD (International Fund for Agricultural Development) in connection with the drought mitigation project.

The IFAD will be providing USD 75 Million for five years to improve incomes of 1,65,000 poor households and strengthen their resilience to drought.

The signatories who penned the agreement are Rasha Omar, Country Program Officer, IFAD and DEA Joint Secretary Sameer Kumar Khare IAS.

IFAD is an international financial institution and a specialised agency of the United Nations dedicated to eradicate poverty and hunger in rural areas of developing countries.

It was established as an international financial institution in 1977 as one of the major outcomes of the 1974 World Food Conference.

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The United States has imposed sanctions on three close associates of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir Mayardit, saying they had personally profited themselves amid civil war and famine conditions.

At least 100,000 people have been affected by famine, with one million more at immediate risk. More than five million could be affected by the crisis over the next few weeks.

State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said in a statement that the Trump administration will increasingly scrutinize South Sudanese officials, who have benefitted from a climate of corruption in a government that has been called a kleptocracy.

The Treasury Department imposed sanctions on Gen. Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the army's deputy chief of staff in charge of military procurement; and Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan's information minister.

"This is a man-made crisis, and one the Government of South Sudan can stop," she said.

Abiriu, in Bahr el Ghazal, the area in north-western South Sudan that the UN has warned, is likely to be the next place where famine is declared. Last year's lack of rain is one reason for the food shortages, but the descent into armed conflict and chaos is the real cause of the crisis in South Sudan, where it has become too dangerous to farm the fields.

In addition, sanctions were placed on Paul Malong Awan, who was chief of staff of the South Sudan People's Liberation Army until President Salva Kiir fired him in May. Three companies owned or controlled by Riak also were sanctioned, CNN reported.

The sanctions come days after Kiir met with a senior U.S. official in the capital of Juba. U.S. official raised concerns about the violence sweeping South Sudan and the dangers posed to humanitarian workers trying to reach starving people amid a civil war.

The U.S Treasury Department, according to the statement, also issued a notice to banks warning that doing business with these South Sudanese officials and companies who are suspected of laundering money obtained through corruption may bring penalties.

"Treasury will forcefully respond to the atrocities ongoing in South Sudan by targeting those who abuse human rights, seek to derail the peace process, and obstruct reconciliation in South Sudan," it added.

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At least eleven Islamic State of Iraq and Syria Khorasan (ISIS-K) insurgents have been killed in an airstrike in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

The provincial government media office said in a statement that the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Haska Mina district, the Khaama Press reported.

"The airstrike on Tuesday targeted militants operating under command of ISIS leader Tariq Afridi," the statement further read.

ISIS-K has not commented on the deaths so far.

Earlier, airstrikes conducted by the U.S. forces in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province had killed at least fourteen militants affiliated with the ISIS-K.

Anti-ISIS as well as anti- Taliban operation is underway to eliminate the presence of ISIS affiliates in Nangarhar province and the U.S. forces are providing airstrikes support to the Afghan forces during the operations.

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Key equity benchmarks were hovering a tad above the flat line in mid-afternoon trade. At 14:27 IST, the barometer index, the S&P BSE Sensex, was up 7.94 points or 0.03% at 31,669.91. The Nifty 50 index was up 17.90 points or 0.18% at 9,934.10. Stocks from aviation and FMCG sectors were in demand. Shares of index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC dropped.

Domestic stocks nudged higher in early trade on positive Asian stocks. Key benchmark indices gradually trimmed intraday gains till early afternoon trade. Stocks swung between gains and losses around the flat line in afternoon trade.

The S&P BSE Mid-Cap index was up 0.83%. The S&P BSE Small-Cap index was up 0.71%. Both these indices outperformed the Sensex.

The breadth indicating the overall health of the market was positive. On BSE, 1,432 shares gained and 1,059 shares fell. A total of 160 shares were unchanged.

Index heavyweight and cigarette major ITC lost 1.67% to Rs 270.95. The stock hit a high of Rs 277.55 and low of Rs 270.15 so far during the day.

FMCG stocks gained. Colgate-Palmolive (India) (up 2.43%), Godrej Consumer Products (up 2.27%), Hindustan Unilever (up 0.12%), Marico (up 0.79%), Nestle India (up 1.36%), Tata Global Beverages (up 0.66%), Procter & Gamble Hygiene and Health Care (up 0.13%), Britannia Industries (up 0.49%) and GlaxoSmithkline Consumer Healthcare (up 0.27%) rose. Jyothy Laboratories (down 0.04%), Bajaj Corp (down 0.11%) and Dabur India (down 0.27%) fell.

Aviation stocks gained. SpiceJet (up 1.76%), Jet Airways (India) (up 1.9%) and InterGlobe Aviation (up 0.5%) rose.

Cadila Healthcare rose 3.16% after the company announced that the US Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) inspected the company's Moraiya facility in Gujarat from 31 August 2017 to 7 September 2017. At the end of the inspection, no observation (483) was issued, the company said. The announcement was made during trading hours today, 7 September 2017.

Indiabulls Housing Finance rose 4% to Rs 1,313.50 on reports that a foreign brokerage house has maintained its 'buy' rating on the stock and raised its target price. According to reports, the brokerage hiked its target price on the Indiabulls Housing Finance stock to Rs 1,500 from Rs 1,380 earlier. The brokerage cited that the company's growth will be driven by its ability to scale up housing loans. The company has strong presence in fast-growing markets (distant suburbs of Mumbai), it reportedly added.

I G Petrochemicals lost 1.12% to Rs 522, with the stock sliding on profit booking after recent sharp rally. Shares of I G Petrochemicals had spurted 21.62% in the preceding six trading sessions to settle at Rs 527.90 yesterday, 6 September 2017, from its close of Rs 434.05 on 29 August 2017.

Overseas, European stocks were trading higher before a much-awaited European Central Bank policy meeting. The European Central Bank holds a policy meeting today, 7 September 2017 and investors are keen to see whether it will send a message regarding the timing of an exit from its ultra-loose monetary policy.

German industrial production remained flat in July as slightly increased output in manufacturing and construction was not enough to compensate for a plunge in the energy sector, data showed. France's current-account deficit widened significantly in July, with a significant increase in imports outpacing a slight increase in exports, the French government said. The eurozone's second-largest economy recorded a 4.2 billion-euro ($5.01 billion) current-account deficit in July, compared with EUR2.4 billion in June.

Asian stocks rose, tracking overnight gains in the US stocks, following a deal to extend the federal government's borrowing limit for three months. US stock benchmarks closed slightly higher yesterday, 6 September 2017, after congressional leaders and President Donald Trump agreed to extend the debt limit deadline and fund the government through mid-December.

In US economic data, the trade deficit rose slightly in July, keeping the US on track to post a larger gap in 2017 than in 2016. The deficit edged up to $43.7 billion in July from $43.5 billion in June. A reading on services activity, meanwhile, came in better than expected, providing an added lift to the outlook for the health of the US economy. ISM services were at 55.3 in August, compared with 53.9 in the prior period. A reading of at least 50 indicates expansion.

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Trading of Nifty 50 index futures on the Singapore stock exchange indicates that the Nifty could rise 18 points at the opening bell.

Overseas, Asian stocks were trading higher, tracking overnight US gains following a deal to extend the federal government's borrowing limit for three months. US stock benchmarks closed slightly higher yesterday, 6 September 2017 after congressional leaders and President Donald Trump agreed to extend the debt limit deadline and fund the government through mid-December.

In US economic data, the trade deficit rose slightly in July, keeping the US on track to post a larger gap in 2017 than in 2016. The deficit edged up to $43.7 billion in July from $43.5 billion in June. A reading on services activity, meanwhile, came in better than expected, providing an added lift to the outlook for the health of the US economy. ISM services were at 55.3 in August, compared with 53.9 in the prior period. A reading of at least 50 indicates expansion.

Back home,key benchmark indices registered modest losses yesterday, 6 September 2017 in line with drop in global peers as rising geopolitical tensions between the US and North Korea dampened sentiment. The Sensex fell 147.58 points or 0.46% to settle at 31,661.97, its lowest closing level since 30 August 2017.

The trading activity on that day showed that the foreign portfolio investors (FPIs) sold shares worth a net Rs 1353.02 crore yesterday, 6 September 2017, as per provisional data released by the stock exchanges. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) bought shares worth a net Rs 51.57 crore yesterday, 6 September 2017, as per provisional data.

Among corporate news,Reliance Industries (RIL) said that it had participated in an on-line e-bidding process held recently by Allahabad Bank being leader of the consortium of eleven banks to sell/dispose off assets of Kemrock Industries & Exports of Vadodara, Gujarat and has been declared as the winner in the bid.

This participation is a part of Reliance's efforts to enter the composites business and establish a leadership position in this large and growing market in India. Composites are used in a variety of applications and industries such as renewable energy, mass transportation, infrastructure and a host of other industrial products.

The assets will pave the way for Reliance to foray into new materials (composites and carbon fibre) and further strengthen its petrochemicals business portfolio. The company is in the process of complying with the necessary formalities for acquisition of assets. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 September 2017.

Infosys announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art office space in Amsterdam. The company currently has more than 20 clients in the country and employs over 1,100 people including those working at client locations in The Netherlands. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 September 2017.

HCL Technologies announced a new strategic partnership with Alpha Insight, an intelligent products and solutions company headquartered in London, UK, with industry leading expertise in Business Flow Monitoring and Operational Intelligence. The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 September 2017.

The transaction, which includes purchase of select assets, bolsters HCL's DRYiCE Platform and its positioning as an Enterprise A.I Foundation. Integration of Alpha Insight's iControl product into the DRYiCE suite of products, provides deep visibility into end-to-end horizontal business flows and robust operational intelligence to Digital Enterprises, HCL Technologies said in a statement.

Wipro announced that it has won a five-year IT applications management contract from Outokumpu, a global leader in stainless steel, headquartered in Finland. As part of the five-year contract, Wipro will provide applications management services for Outokumpu's SAP landscape along with legacy applications support to cover Outokumpu locations, globally. The announcement was made before market hours today, 7 September 2017.

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Sicagen India rose 5.01% to Rs 40.90 at 10:10 IST on BSE after the company said it will acquire the remaining 40% stake in Danish Steel.

The announcement was made after market hours yesterday, 6 September 2017.

Meanwhile, the S&P BSE Sensex was up 66.26 points, or 0.21% to 31,728.23.

On the BSE, 89,000 shares were traded in the counter so far, compared with average daily volumes of 51,438 shares in the past one quarter. The stock had hit a high of Rs 41.25 and a low of Rs 39.30 so far during the day. The stock hit a 52-week high of Rs 47.25 on 9 May 2017. The stock hit a 52-week low of Rs 19 on 12 September 2016.

The stock had outperformed the market over the past one month till 6 September 2017, rising 7.15% compared with 1.10% decline in the Sensex. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one quarter, rising 4.99% as against Sensex's 1.44% rise. The scrip had also outperformed the market in past one year, rising 88.62% as against Sensex's 9.46% rise.

The small-cap company has equity capital of Rs 39.57 crore. Face value per share is Rs 10.

In continuation of the proposal to acquire 100% equity capital of Danish Steel Cluster (Danish Steel) in three tranches, of which the company has already completed acquisition of 60%, Sicagen India has now proposed to acquire the remaining 40% of the equity capital of Danish Steel and complete the entire transaction on or before 31 December 2017. In order to complete the proposed 40% acquisition, the board at its meeting held on 6 September 2017 has approved the proposed transaction.

Sicagen India reported net profit of Rs 0.10 crore in Q1 June 2017. No net profit was reported in Q1 June 2016. Net sales rose 29% to Rs 169.61 crore in Q1 June 2017 over Q1 June 2016.

Sicagen India's core business is trading of building materials such as steel pipes and fittings, construction and structural steel, stainless steel sheets, pipes and fittings, cables, PVC/HDPE pipes and fittings and cement.

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On 06 September 2017

Vippy Spinpro announced that there was a fire accident in first floor of one godown in the plant of the Company situated at Dewas, Madhya Pradesh on 06 September 2017. The fire was controlled but significant packing material, spare parts and records of the Company kept there were burnt in the fire.

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The Uttar Pradesh government's anti-land mafia task force has freed over 8,038 hectares of government land from encroachment and land grabbers, an official said on Thursday.

Principal Secretary (Revenue) Rajneesh Dubey said that a total of 20,236.42 hectares of land was identified as belonging to the gram sabhas but was encroached upon.

He added that 8,038.38 hectares of land has been cleared of encroachments and the rest was also being vacated by the authorities.

Dubey said that 1,434 land mafias' had been identified in the state having grabbed 1,989 hectares of government land, adding 717 hectares has been vacated by now.

The formation of an anti-land mafia task force was one of the major poll promises of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the state assembly elections.

BJP President Amit Shah had even publicized an e-mail address in the run-up to the polls, seeking information from the people of their land that has been grabbed by the land mafias.

Meanwhile, Chief Secretary Rajiv Kumar has asked the revenue department officials to expedite the process of clearing the encroachments on government lands and also to make a detailed list of such people who have grabbed government land per district and follow it up with legal action within the next fortnight.

--IANS

md/amit/vm

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The BJP and the Congress continued to spar over the gunning down of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh on Thursday as her family and the journalist fraternity demanded a swift and transparent probe into the murder.

Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge said he would not go into assumptions, but it must be "anti-progressive" people who killed Lankesh.

"I don't want to say now that this party has killed her or that party has killed. But I am sure that anti-progressive people and those who are opposed to Gauri Lankesh might have taken advantage of this situation," Kharge said.

Hitting back at the Congress for attempting to pin the blame on it for the killing, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said the Congress was trying to give a clean cheat to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah.

"The onus is on Siddaramaiah to ensure proper investigation. Law and order in the state is in his hands," BJP General Secretary P. Muralidhar Rao said.

He also described Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi as an "irresponsible leader" for blaming the BJP on the issue.

"We have seen, if there is any irresponsible leader in this world, he is Rahul Gandhi...if there is a party which is in the hands of an irresponsible leader, it is in the hands of Rahul Gandhi," Rao told India Today TV channel.

Rao's remarks came in the wake of Rahul Gandhi's accusation that silencing dissent was part of the BJP's ideology.

Bahujan Samaj Party leader Mayawati on Thursday said there was "a deep conspiracy" behind Lankesh's murder and demanded a probe by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) not only in Lankesh's case but also that in the killings of Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and M.M. Kalburgi.

"The way independent journalists, intellectuals and writers are being eliminated, prima facie this looks like part of a larger conspiracy. The central government should order NIA probe into these matters," Mayawati said in a statement.

She also linked these killings with cow vigilantism, "love jihad" and "Ghar Wapsi" campaigns, and asked the state governments to get serious on these issues, which she lamented "has not happened yet".

Meanwhile, a group of editors, writers and professionals from South Asia, the United Kingdom and Australia on Thursday joined together to demand swift action in the incident.

The South Asia Defenders Network, an informal association of editors and practitioners, which stands for the rights of journalists under pressure, expressed sadness and anger at the gunning down of Lankesh.

The network includes names of Siddharth Varadarajan, Nidhi Razdan, Pradip Phanjoubam, Tarun Basu, Vijay Naik, Kavita Bajeli-Datt, Mahendra Ved, Rita Payne, John Zubrzycki, David Brewer and William Horsley.

These journalists, along with others in the association, said that they stood in solidarity with Lankesh's family and her colleagues in and outside the state, and demanded a full, impartial investigation into her death and the circumstances leding to it. They sought that the killers and conspirators be brought to justice.

The network urged the media and civil society organisations to robustly pursue a campaign to ensure that there was no let-up in the investigation, so that the killers, their backers and conspirators were brought to book.

Another journalists' body, the Commonwealth Journalists Association (CJA), also condemned the killing and sought speedy probe into the matter.

Lankesh's family, meanwhile, said they would wait for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find the culprits and would only approach the court if it failed.

"We will give all the cooperation the SIT needs," Lankesh's brother Indrajit Lankesh told reporters in Bengaluru at a press conference. "We will wait for the SIT to give us information and clues on the killers."

Lankesh, 55, editor of popular Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead outside her Bengaluru home by three unidentified assailants on Tuesday night.

--IANS

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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president Amit Shah on Thursday said his party would fight the 2019 assembly polls in Odisha alone and get over 120 of the 147 seats.

"The BJP will have no alliance for the assembly elections but come to power in Odisha with two third majority," Shah told reporters in Bhubaneswar.

He said it was yet to be decided on who would lead the state BJP in the next assembly elections.

"Some think it is impossible to get 120 seats and form the government in Odisha. But, let me tell you they (political rivals) have grown old whereas the BJP has young leadership," Shah said.

"A BJP wave is blowing across the country and it will come to Odisha very soon," the BJP chief said while pointing out that the party formed a government in Manipur in 2017 while it did not win a single seat in the last assembly elections in the north-eastern state.

Criticising Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for celebrating an award given by a news magazine to him, Shah said an award cannot take the state forward when the government was involved in corruption.

He accused the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) government in Odisha of not cooperating and thus grounding several projects even though the Centre had allocated over Rs 4 lakh crore.

"Works of around Rs 4 lakh crore have been declared by the Centre for Odisha. But, we are not getting the state's required support to take up the developmental projects. In comparison to other states, Odisha is far behind despite central support," Shah said.

He said the people associated closely with the government were involved in multi-crore chit fund and mining scams.

On the Mahanadi water dispute between Odisha and Chhattisgarh, he said the process was on to constitute a tribunal to resolve the issue and assured that the Centre would not allow Odisha to be deprived of the river water.

"The Modi government has made several provisions for the uplift of poor Dalits and backward classes. Free cooking gas connections and bank accounts for all are some of the reformative steps taken by the Narendra Modi government, which the previous government never thought of. Development was halted during the Congress rule," the BJP president added.

Shah is on a three-day visit to Odisha to galvanise party workers for the 2019 assembly polls. The BJP has just 10 MLAs in the assembly.
Minister of Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises Anant Geete said on Thursday that the government was considering the extension of a scheme to promote electric and hybrid vehicles by another six months.

"Most likley, we will extend it for another six months after the end of September. Earlier, the phase one of the Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric Vehicles (FAME)-India scheme was extended by six months," Geete said at the 57th SIAM Annual Convention 2017.

The scheme's phase-I was introduced from April 1, 2015, to March 31, 2017.

The phase was subsequently extended by six months till September end.

The scheme extends incentives for purchase of electric and hybrid vehicles in particular areas.

Under the scheme, a total of 150,550 electric and hybrid vehicles were extended the incentive till July 26, 2017.

--IANS

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Delhi Police on Thursday registered an FIR against a man who openly threatened to eliminate four eminent women and a noted journalist, all of whom he termed "anti-national", a senior police officer said.

The FIR was registered following a complaint from journalist Sagarika Ghose whose name appears in the list of women which include authors Shobha De and Arundhati Roy, and activists Kavitha Krishnan and Shehla Rashid.

"We have registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from Sagarika Ghose under the Information Technology (IT) Act. She, in her complaint, stated that she saw a open threat posts from a man who had two different accounts on the names of 'Vikram Aditya Rana and Vikramjb Rana' at social networking site Facebook. He is a native of Shillong," Deputy Commissioner of Police Anyesh Roy told IANS.

"She said that Rana on Tuesday posted and shared his posts openly on his Facebook account, calling her and four other women activists including journalists as anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists and activists," Roy said.

"We received some screen shots copies along with the complaint by Ghose and have asked Facebook officials about the details of Rana, related to his accounts and email ids to track him. His IP address is being traced," the officer added.

On the day, noted Kannada woman journalist Gauri Lankesh gunned down by unknown assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru, Rana had written a vituperative post on his Facebook wall, praising her killers, he said. ".... Serves her & her kind right for d damages these so called journos have caused our nation.Sagarkia Ghose & Arundhati Roy ,Kavitha Krishnan ,Shiela Rashid ,Umar Khalid ,Kanhaiyya should be at d top of d list now," Rana had posted, said Roy.

In another post, he wrote: 'Let d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those antinationals who masquerade as journalists & activists. I hope this is not d last in a should be episode of serial assassinations of all anti nationals . Shobha De ;Arundhati Roy ;Sagarika Ghose ;Kavitha Krishnan ;Shiela Rashid etc at d end of a list that should start with antinational & treacherous politicians . A hit list be prepared & eliminate all those on d list .At last a ray of hope."

--IANS

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Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday that the Doklam dispute had "affected and undermined" India-China ties but the consensus reached between their leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit was key to improving bilateral ties.

He recalled the "positive meeting" between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of BRICS summit in Xiamen this week.

"For past few months for clear reasons, China-India relations were affected and undermined," Wang said in an obvious reference to the stand-off between the armies of the two nations at Doklam.

"Going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations will stay on track," he said, stressing that bilateral ties should not be derailed and there should be no confrontation.

He said harmonious relations and win-win cooperation was "the natural choice right choice" for both countries.

The first top Chinese figure to speak on the issue after the resolution of the over two-month military stand-off between India and China in the Sikkim sector, Wang said: "We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats."

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquility in border areas."

--IANS

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The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, accused of money laundering.

Public Prosecutors Navin Kumar Matta and Rajeev Awasthi told Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma that there are serious allegations against Wani.

"If accused will be released on bail at this juncture, the entire effort of the ED to unearth the large conspiracy would be a futile exercise," the ED pleaded.

The prosecutor also submitted that the investigation is at a very crucial stage, since call records and emails leading to Pakistan, London, Dubai are to be scrutinised and the donors who have paid money to the accused are to be identified and examined.

Wani is involved in generation of huge money from various countries, including Pakistan, to fuel and foment unrest in Kashmir, the ED told the court.

The ED arrested Wani, currently in judicial custody till September 13, on August 6.

Wani had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah. The ED had registered a criminal case against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 when the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Wani.

In the 2005 case lodged by the Special Cell, the court had acquitted co-accused Wani of the charges of dealing with criminal conspiracy and other offences but convicted him under the Arms Act, his defence counsel told the court.

The ED submitted that conviction under the Arms Act is a triggering point to take action under the PMLA.

It said that if Wani is released on bail, he can try to influence evidences. The agency also said that Wani had not joined investigation in the case and ignored summons.

The court has listed the matter for September 14 for further hearing.

--IANS

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The ED on Thursday questioned Bikrajeet Singh Ahluwalia of Ahluwalia Constructions Pvt. Ltd. in connection with the alleged irregularities when two Railway hotels were leased out for maintenance in 2006 during then Railway Minister Lalu Prasad's tenure.

An Enforcement Directorate official, requesting anonymity, told IANS: "We questioned Ahluwalia today (Thursday) in connection with the hotel tender case."

The official said the agency had also summoned Sujatha Hotels owners Vijay and Vinay Kochhar for questioning.

The ED had, on July 27, registered a separate case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act after a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) lodged an FIR against Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and his family members.

The ED is investigating the case against the former Bihar Chief Minister and others for alleged transaction of money through shell companies.

On July 5, the CBI had registered a case against Lalu Prasad and his family members.

As the then Railway Minister in 2006, Lalu Prasad allegedly handed over maintenance contract for two Indian Railways Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels at Ranchi in Jharkhand and Puri in Odisha to Sujata Hotels company of the Kochhars after receiving a bribe in the form of a plot of prime land in Patna in Bihar.

The CBI claimed that the kickback was paid through a "benami" company owned by Sarala Gupta, wife of RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta.

The CBI FIR alleged that Vinay Kochhar sold a commercial three-acre plot of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds on February 25, 2005, for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing Company, in which Sarla Gupta was a Director.

The FIR alleged that the land was sold at a price below circle and market rates and was falsely shown as agricultural land to evade substantial stamp duty.

During the CBI preliminary inquiry, the agency allegedly found that the said land was sold by the Kochhars to Delight Marketing and payment was arranged through Ahluwalia Contractors and its promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia.

Earlier in the day, the CBI summoned Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi for questioning on September 11 and 12.

--IANS

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The Enforcement Directorate is likely to register a money laundering case against some separatist leaders facing investigation by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) under charges of receiving terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Thursday.

An ED official, requesting anonymity, told IANS that the financial probe agency would file a case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and also Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against these separatist leaders taking cognizance of the FIR filed by the NIA in the case.

"We are analysing the documents collected from the NIA and planning to register a PMLA and FEMA case against the separatist leaders," the ED official said.

The ED had on June 23 registered money laundering case against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) and members of Hurriyat Conference in connection with the alleged terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in the Kashmir Valley.

Following a Home Ministry order, the NIA on May 30 filed FIR in the case under charges of criminal conspiracy and waging war against the Government of the Indian Penal Code and sections of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

In its FIR, the NIA mentioned that Hafiz Saeed and separatist leaders, including members of the Hurriyat Conference, have been acting in connivance with active militants of proscribed terrorist organisations Let, HM, Dukhtaran-e-Millat and other terrorist organisations for raising, receiving and collecting funds domestically and abroad through various illegal channels for funding terrorist activities in Jammu and Kashmir.

The NIA so far has arrested 11 persons in the case.

--IANS

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Cairo, Sep 6 (IANS/AKI) Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi on Wednesday began a two-day visit to Vietnam - the first ever made by an Egyptian head of state - aimed at boosting bilateral ties.

Vietnamese President Tran Dai Quang met Sisi on his arrival in Hanoi, and the Egyptian leader was expected to meet the Vietnamese Communist Party's Secretary General Nguyen Phu Trong during his trip, according to Egyptian press reports.

Egypt and Vietnam on Wednesday reportedly signed nine memorandums of understanding, including on port and maritime sectors, state-run daily Al-Ahram Online said, citing presidential spokesman Alaa Youssef.

Sisi stressed on Egypt's eagerness strengthen cooperation with Vietnam in different fields, contributing to the historical ties between the two countries, al-Ahram reported.

Egypt and Vietnam established diplomatic relations in 1963 and the value of bilateral trade reached $350 million last year.

Earlier this week, Sisi attended the BRICS summit in China, where he met various world leaders.--IANS/AKI

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The Gujarat High Court on Thursday sternly rebuked Vadodara Municipal Commissioner Vinod Rao for sending a sitting judge a WhatsApp message about a case and sought an unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit.

The case relates to a petition moved by 10 shopowners at a commercial complex 'Pathik Bhawan' in Vadodara city who had challenged the proposed demolition by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Hearings in the plea have been continuing before the single judge bench of Justice R.H. Shukla since January.

The court had first issued a stay order on the demolition till January 10 and had subsequently extended it till Thursday when the matter was to come up for hearing.

A few days ago, Rao had sent a WhatsApp message directly to Justice Shukla in relation to the case which had infuriated the judge.

When Rao appeared in person, following the high court's order on Thursday, Justice Shukla reprimanded him: "Do you know that no one is supposed to approach the judge directly or indirectly when his/her petition is pending before the court. Being an IAS officer are you unaware about the judiciary's functioning?

"Don't you know your jurisdiction? How dare you send a direct WhatsApp message to a judge? Being a government officer, stop behaving like dictator. If you don't understand your duty, the court can initiate legal action against you."

"Your irresponsible behaviour and attempt to hurt the pride of the judiciary is a fit case to initiate contempt of court proceedings against you," the judge added.

The IAS official immediately tendered an apology before the court, which issued a written order directing him to submit an affidavit in apology and also include his text message in it. He was asked to remain present in the court on Monday with the affidavit.

Rao declined comments to media persons trying to contact him.

--IANS

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The Israeli army declined to confirm responsibility for a missile attack on a Syrian military facility that killed two people, after Syrian military sources attributed the assault to Israeli aircraft.

An Israeli military spokeswoman on Thursday refused to comment on the attack, and neither confirmed nor denied a connection to the bombing that took place near Massyaf, southwest of the central Syrian province of Hama, Efe news reported.

The official Syrian news agency SANA had said that Israeli aircraft launched missiles from Lebanese airspace that targeted a Syrian military facility and killed two people, according to a statement from the Syrian General Command of the Army earlier on Thursday.

In addition to the killing of two army personnel, the attack also caused material damage to the military facility, the source said.

The Army warned in a statement of the dangerous consequences of violent acts on the security and stability of the region.

It said that this act emphasized Israel's direct support to the Islamic State terror group.

The event came after weeks of an intense Israeli campaign against what it considers an increase of the Iranian influence and presence in the south of Syria, as well as Lebanon, and the denunciations of the supposed manufacture of advanced missiles with the help of Tehran.

Last week, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who was visiting the region, that Iran was building precision-guided missile production centres in the two Arab countries, and warned that Israel would not just let this happen.

Israel bombed Syrian positions in late June and early July in response to Syrian missiles that hit the northern Golan Heights, which have been occupied by Israel since 1967.

--IANS

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Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday invited designs for convocation gowns from the students across the country for the universities to choose from.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Manipal University Jaipur, he said one can do many things with the Indian designs, including the customary throwing of hat, if that is replaced with a 'pagdi' (Indian headgear).

"Many universities where I have been, happened to have designed Indian costumes for their convocation... Today, I appeal to the Manipal University, and tomorrow we will invite students on our website as well, to design good Indian gowns for convocation and post it on our website," he said.

The Minister said recently when he went to the convocation at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar University in Bhubaneswar, the students there wore Indian costumes and flung their 'pagdi' instead of the hats as is the case with the western custom.

--IANS

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Working to crack the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police on Thursday sought information from the public for clues to arrest her killers.

"The general public is requested to share any information on this case on phone number 9480800202 and on email:Asit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in," an official statement from the office of the Commissioner of Police said.

The SIT headed by Inspector General of Police B.K. Singh was constituted on Wednesday after the Chief Minister met with top police officials.

After looking for clues on the basis of closed-circuit television footage, statements from neighbours and eyewitnesses, the SIT decided to approach the public after its first meeting held earlier during the day.

"The assassins planned and executed their plan meticulously, leaving no trail," an SIT source told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

By the time Lankesh's neighbours heard the gunshots around 8 p.m. on Tuesday and rushed out to see what had happened, the culprits fled the spot, the source said.

"Precious time was lost by the time cops from Rajarajeshwari Nagar police station rushed to her home in a not-so-well lit and less crowded locality after her neighbours alerted the police control room around 8.10 p.m.," the source added.

Lankesh was living alone in the house she built over a decade ago.

"It is clear the assailants had not only monitored her movements, kept a watch on when she leaves home and returns, but also appeared to have done a recce to ensure they could kill her and get away in no time," the source pointed out.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead in front of her home in the city's south-west suburb by three unidentified men.

--IANS

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A minor girl kidnapped by two residents of Najafgarh area in west Delhi, including a woman, for trafficking has been rescued and the culprits arrested, police said on Thursday.

Sanjay, 29, and his neighbour Phoolwati, 55, were arrested on Wednesday night from Najafgarh after police rescued the girl, about whom a missing complaint was lodged on March 31.

The girl was under treatment at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi.

"The girl called up her father on September 5 that she was held hostage somewhere in Aligarh but could not disclose her exact location. Police scrutinised call details records and launched surveillance and finally tracked her location between Shamaspur and Lohgarh villages in Uttar Pradesh," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.

The police with the help of Khediya village head raided a house and rescued the girl. Sukhbir, who had confined the girl in his house and married her against her will, fled the house before the raid was conducted.

Phoolwati had met the girl on March 30 in Tilak Nagar area and convinced her to go along with her. She later handed the girl over to Sanjay.

"Sanjay told police during questioning that he was contacted by Sukhbir from his native village to look for a girl for marriage. Sukhbir offered him Rs 50,000. He then asked Phoolwati to look for the girl and gave Rs 30,000 to her," the officer added.

--IANS

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Actor Liev Schreiber has adopted two puppies, both of which were in need of homes after their shelter in Houston was flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Schreiber came to "Live With Kelly and Ryan" on Wednesday. He was waiting backstage before the show when he encountered some dogs from Texas who had been displaced by Hurricane Harvey and brought to the show by members of the Home For Good Dog Rescue, to raise awareness about the plight of animals in the areas devastated by the natural disaster.

Schreiber called former partner Naomi Watts on Facetime and showed her the dogs before getting their young sons, Sasha and Kai, on the line to see which ones they liked the most. Finally, they settled on a pair of two canines, reports etonline.com

When the 49-year-old star came out to chat with hosts Kelly Ripa and Ryan Seacrest, however, he seemed a little frustrated. It turned out that one of the show's producers had their eye on the same puppies.

"I just had a dust up with one of your producers," Schreiber told the hosts as he sat down.

"I don't think it's fair or appropriate that your producers get to take all of the dogs that came from Houston."

"My sons want a dog and I found the perfect dog, but one of your producers already wants my dog," he said. "Think of my poor 10-year-old son sitting at home right now, looking at the television, weeping for his beloved (puppy)," he added.

--IANS

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A group of editors, writers and professionals from South Asia, the UK and Australia have joined demands seeking swift action in the murder of prominent journalist Gauri Lankesh.

The South Asia Defenders Network, an informal association of editors and practitioners, which has been formed to stand up for the rights of journalists under pressure, expressed sadness and anger at the gunning down of the leading Karnataka editor and journalist Gauri Lankesh outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5.

The network includes names of Siddharth Varadarajan, Nidhi Razdan, Pradip Phanjoubam, Tarun Basu, Vijay Naik, Kavita Bajeli-Datt, Mahendra Ved, Rita Payne, John Zubrzycki, David Brewer, and William Horsley.

These journalists along with others in the association said that they stand in solidarity with Lankesh's family and her colleagues in and outside the state and demanded a full, impartial investigation into her death and the circumstances which led to it, and seek the killers and conspirators be brought to justice.

"At a time when freedom of expression space is shrinking everywhere, this is another reminder of the fragility of life, the risk that media professionals face when they take a stand in any part of the world," the association said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is especially tragic that such a situation should have come to pass in a city that has been hyped as India's Silicon Valley and hence a space for safe investment and a stable and safe life," it said.

The group has demanded that the Karnataka government, the state police and the Centre take clear and effective steps to deal with the murder and circumstances leading to it, institute a swift, impartial and effective investigation.

It urged the media and civil society organisations to robustly pursue a campaign to ensure that there is no let-up in the investigation so that the killers, their backers and conspirators are brought to book.

"Justice for Gauri Lankesh must be accompanied by opposition to impunity and criminality -- combined with a renewed commitment to freedom of expression and speaking truth to power and compassion in reflecting the conditions of the poor and vulnerable," the statement said.

"These, we believe, are the benchmarks of journalists, journalism and professional media," it said.

--IANS

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BJP's head of Information and Technology Amit Malviya on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi following someone on Twitter is not a character certificate to that person and termed as "mischievous and contorted" the controversy over this.

"The controversy over Prime Minister following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted. PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms," Malviya said in a statement.

"He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues. He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter," he added.

Replying to the statement, Congress party's Social and Digital Media head Divya Spandana said: "Malviya's rabid and sinister response justifying Narendra Modi following trolls celebrating the murder of Gauri Lankesh has exposed the fanatical and dangerous agenda of the BJP government and the party."

Malviya said: "We have multiple examples of leaders curbing free speech on social media including the previous PMO handle."

"PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in any way a gurantee of how a person would conduct himself. However, PM also follows Rahul Gandhi (Congress Vice President), who is an accused in loot and fraud. PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister), who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'settle kar lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her."

"PM still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and abused PM in the worst possible language," Malviya added.

He also said: "Rahul is never questioned for the abuse by Tehseen Poonawala, who also happens to be his relative. Kejriwal is never questioned for the abuse and rape threats his supporters shower on others."

"Thus this debate is not only farcical and fake, but also an exhibit of selective right to freedom of expression," he added.

Divya Spandana furhter said: "May we remind PM Modi and BJP that it is this very thought that led to assassination of Mahatama Gandhi by Godse with RSS distributing sweets and celebrating the murder of 'father of the Nation'? "

"And don't forget that it is for this very reason that Sardar Patel, India's Home Minister, banned the RSS," she added.

She said: "Same culture of hate, abuse, division and murder is being propagated today. On behalf of all our countrymen, we assure the hate-mongers that they failed yesterday and they will fail today. We will determinedly continue this fight despite PM Modi's conspiratorial silence."

--IANS

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the famed Shwegadon Pagoda, the grave of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar here and also prayed at a Kali temple on the third and last day of his visit to Myanmar, before leaving for home.

"After fruitful and constructive bilateral engagements in Myanmar, PM @narendramodi departs for Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi planted a sapling at the Shwegadon Pagoda, the most sacred of the Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar and which contains strands of hair from the head of Buddha.

The Prime Minister then paid tributes at the Martyrs' Mausoleum dedicated to Aung San, father of Nobel Peace Laureate and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders of the pre-independence interim government of Myanmar who were assassinated in July 1947.

In a special gesture, Suu Kyi, who came down to Yangon from Nay Pyi Taw, showed Modi around the Bogoyoke Aung San Museum, the last residence of Aung San. It was here that Suu Kyi grew up as a child.

The Prime Minister then offered prayers at the Shri Kali Temple that was built by Tamil migrants in 1871 when Burma province was a part of British India.

"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," the Prime Minister tweeted, with photographs tagged of the temple.

In his final engagement prior to his departure, Modi paid floral tributes at the grave of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

On Wednesday, Modi held bilateral discussion with Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw following which India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements.

Modi said India shared Myanmar's concerns over the violence in Rakhine state that has claimed the lives of Myanmarese security personnel and innocent people and has triggered a mass exodus of the minority Rohingya Muslims.

Later on Wednesday, he went to the ancient city of Bagan and visited the Ananda Temple, where the Archaeological Society of India is involved in restoration.

In the evening, he addressed the Indian diaspora at Thuwunna Stadium here.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Muslim organisations in Manipur have demanded the resignation of Deputy Chief Minister Yumnam Joykumar on moral grounds after his son posted a message on Facebook on Eid-ul-Adha ridiculing the 'qurbani' (sacrifice).

Political sources said Chief Minister N. Biren Singh, who arrived here on Thursday, may take some concrete steps since "it is a very serious matter".

A demonstration was also held in Imphal on Wednesday demanding action against Y. Debajit who wrote "the killings of animals in the name of qurbani is nothing but a practice to kill human beings".

Debajit's post has hurt the religious sentiments of the Muslims, the activists said.

Abdullah Pathan, President of the Manipur Muslim Welfare Organisation, said: "We had demanded arrest of Debajit within 48 hours."

Mohammad Jalal, President of the All Manipur Muslim Organisations Coordinating Committee, said: "Joykumar should resign on moral grounds. We have submitted a memorandum to the Chief Minister and lodged a complaint with the cyber crime unit."

"If the government fails to take suitable action it should shoulder all consequences," he said, adding that all communities have been living in harmony in Manipur for generations.

Debajit is yet to react to the massive protests.

Joykumar belongs to the National People's Party. All four NPP MLAs who supported the Bharatiya Janata Party got ministerial berths.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Actor Rana Daggubati, who plays the lead in upcoming web series "Social" which was launched here on Thursday, believes the digital medium allows a creator to tell his story the way he desires.

"Social", produced by video-on-demand platform Viu, is a Hindi-Telugu bilingual thriller that will shine the spotlight on the impact of social media in people's lives.

Directed by Shashi Sudigala, the show goes on air on Friday. It also stars Naveen Kasturia, Priya Banerjee, Aradhana Uppal, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan and Preeti Asrani.

On signing the project, Rana told IANS: "Every story has a place where it deserves to be told. Not all stories are meant for the big screen."

"Working on this show has helped me understand the medium better. It made me realise that it gives one the freedom to say a story the way he wants and write without restrictions," he said.

Asked why he chose to venture into the digital space, Rana said it caters to different audiences.

"When I started acting, there were around 2,500 theatres in Andhra Pradesh (before bifurcation) but today the number has come down. Audiences have become busier and they want to invest their time and money on different mediums. I want to engage those people who want content on their phones," he said.

Rana, who plays a powerful businessman in the show, is interested in exploring more opportunities in this medium.

Talking about the show, Rana said: "It's about the darker side of social media. It's a different world altogether."

He clarified that the show doesn't set out to prove social media is bad.

"Social media is just a platform. What some people decide to do with it results in something good or bad. The show is embedded with a message which I'm sure audiences will understand when they watch," Rana added.

This is Rana's second outing with Viu, with which he has already worked on the chat show "No 1 Yaari".

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Preparednes of the armed forces, push to indigenous defence production and welfare of soldiers are priority areas, said Nirmala Sitharaman after assuming charge as India's first full-time woman Defence Minister on Thursday.

"My priority will definitely be the preparedness of the armed forces. It is important that the armed forces receive all the attention in terms of getting necessary endowment and equipment to perform their duties with the best of equipment available," Sitharaman said.

"I will attend to all long-pending issues (related to defence), and in consultation with the Prime Minister and the cabinet... the Cabinet Committee on Security... and ensure that those issues get resolved," Sitharaman said.

"I shall ensure that all defence priorities are well attended to. I will be available round the clock."

"... Make in India in defence production is very important for India's defence capabilities... it is something that will be of great importance to us," she added.

Pointing out that India was one of the biggest defence equipment buyers in the world, Sitharaman said domestic defence production will receive a boost due to technology transfer to the country.

She said the welfare of soldiers and their families was also one of her top priorities. "Although I am saying this at the end, certainly not least in importance is the armed forces' families and their welfare."

"Soldiers (deployed) on the toughest border, challenging situations, should remain absolutely assured that their interests are being watched."

Sitharaman, a former Commerce and Industry Minister, was elevated to the Cabinet Minister rank and given charge of the crucial defence portfolio in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, she could not take charge as Arun Jaitley, who was holding the additional charge of defence, was on a visit to Japan for a bilateral dialogue.

Sitharaman is the first woman to hold full-time charge of the defence portfolio. In the past, the then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held the portfolio twice -- from December 1 to December 21, 1975, and January 14, 1980, to January 15, 1982.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi will arrive here on a day's visit on Friday, an official said here on Thursday.

He will visit Nanded and Parbhani districts of the Marathwada region and take up farmer issues among other topics. "Looking forward to visiting Nanded and Parbhani in Maharashtra tomorrow," Gandhi tweeted.

Soon after his arrival, he will meet party workers and local body leaders at 11 a.m. as Nanded -- considered a Congress bastion -- will go to the civic polls in mid-October.

Gandhi is expected to focus on the failures of the state's Bharatiya Janata Party-Shiv Sena government in tackling issues like farmers suicides, implementation of the loan waiver scheme announced in June and demonetisation.

Later, he is scheduled to travel by road to neighbouring Parbhani district, around two hours' drive from Nanded and interact with farmers and villagers en route.

In Parbhani, he will interact with civil society members in a guest house and later address a meeting of Sangharsh Sabha at a school ground to draw attention to the agrarian crises gripping the state.

The drought-prone Marathwada region has seen more than 100 farmer suicides this year.

Top Congress leaders in the state, including Maharashtra unit chief Ashok Chavan, former Chief Ministers, legislators, parliamentarians and other senior party office-bearers are slated to be present at Gandhi's meetings.

After his visit to Maharashtra, Gandhi will be travelling from September 10 to the US to attend various events in San Francisco, Los Angeles, Washington and New York.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Republican Party leaders were "shell-shocked" and "visibly annoyed" after President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders announced a mutual agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government until December, the media reported.

Trump's stunning agreement to endorse a plan proposed by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi came during a Wednesday morning meeting with leaders from both parties in the Oval Office, the first such meeting of his presidency, reports CNN.

"We essentially came to a deal and I think the deal will be very good," Trump told the media.

Several Republicans briefed on the meeting said that Trump, who has been absent a major legislative achievement for his first seven months in office, was "hungry" for a deal.

"The President was in deal-cutting mode," a Republican familiar with the meeting told CNN. "He was sick of this fight."

In Wednesday's session, Republican leaders, including House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, first pushed lifting the debt ceiling for 18 months.

With no agreement at hand, they decreased the time-frame to a year, before finally proposing a six-month extension.

Democratic leaders, however, dismissed all of their proposals, standing firm by their three-month extension plan, which they had publicly endorsed in a joint statement before the meeting.

A senior Republican source described Trump as being in "Apprentice" mode, a reference to the reality show that made the President a TV star.

"Trump just decided to listen and then make a decision on the spot," the source told CNN.

McConnell and Ryan were "blindsided by this", another party official said.

In fact, hours before Trump agreed to Democrats' proposal, Ryan had publicly called such a plan "ridiculous" during a news conference.

The Republican leaders had no heads up or warning over Trump's decision.

The US debt currently stands at around $20 trillion.

The agreement reached between Trump and Democrats also includes an assistance package for people affected by Harvey, which has killed more than 60 people and displaced thousands in the states of Texas and Louisiana.

The House on Wednesday in a 419-3 vote approved a federal aid package worth $7.9 billion for the victims of Harvey which now passes to the Senate for ratification.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Veteran actor Rishi Kapoor has praised actor Randeep Hooda's dedication towards his work and says the perseverance of looking and playing a certain character should be learnt from him.

Randeep had earlier shared a photograph of himself along with Rishi, where he described the 65-year-old as the "real rockstar".

To that, Rishi replied: "Thank you Randeep. One must learn perseverance to look and play a character from you. Keep it up! You are inspiring!"

Randeep has always gone an extra mile for his roles -- be it the title character of "Sarabjit" or his upcoming film "Battle of Saragarhi".

"Battle of Saragarhi" is directed by Rajkumar Santoshi. The films are based on the Battle of Saragarhi, that took place in 1897 between British Indian Army and Afghan Orakzai tribesmen, in the North-West Frontier Province.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday assumed charge as India's first full-time woman Defence Minister, and asserted she would be a "round-the-clock" Minister, with focus on preparedness of the armed forces, welfare of soldiers and indigenous defence production.

Sitharaman was received at South Block, which houses the Defence Ministry, by predecessor Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Secretary Defence Production A.K. Gupta, Chairman DRDO S. Christopher and other senior officials.

Two priests were present at her office to offer prayers as she took over the new charge.

"I shall ensure that all defence priorities are well attended to. I will be available round the clock," Sitharaman said after taking charge.

"My priority will definitely be the preparedness of the armed forces. It is important that the armed forces receive all the attention in terms of getting necessary endowment and equipment to perform their duties with the best of equipment available," she said.

"I will attend to all long-pending issues (related to defence), and in consultation with the Prime Minister and the cabinet... the Cabinet Committee on Security... and ensure that those issues get resolved," Sitharaman said.

The Minister said indigenous manufacturing in defence will be one of the key areas for her, as envisioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Make in India programme.

"Make in India in defence production is very important for India's defence capabilities... It is something that will be of great importance to us," she said.

Pointing out that India was one of the biggest defence equipment buyers in the world, Sitharaman said domestic defence production will receive a boost due to technology transfer to the country.

She said the welfare of soldiers and their families was also one of her top priorities. "Although I am saying this at the end, certainly not least in importance is the armed forces' families and their welfare."

"Soldiers (deployed) on the toughest border, challenging situations, should remain absolutely assured that their interests are being watched."

The new Defence Minister approved a grant of around Rs 13 crore for 8,685 ex-servicemen, widows and dependants from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. She also approved financial assistance out of the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Fund, a statement said.

Sitharaman, a former Commerce and Industry Minister, was elevated to Cabinet Minister rank and given charge of the crucial defence portfolio in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She could not take charge until Thursday as Arun Jaitley, who was holding additional charge of Defence, was on a visit to Japan for a bilateral dialogue.

Sitharaman is the first woman to hold full-time charge of the defence portfolio. In the past, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held the portfolio twice -- from December 1 to December 21, 1975, and January 14, 1980, to January 15, 1982.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Countries that punish rapists with long punitive sentences are less likely to have a civil war and strife, new research has found.

"The transmission of rape laws across countries correlates with democratization and a general trend toward progressive laws. It proceeds then that countries are more likely to adopt gender-neutral laws and stricter laws against rape," said the study's lead author Nazli Avdan, Assistant Professor of Political Science at University of Kansas in the US.

The researchers paired a statistical analysis of data on rape legislation for 194 countries across the world from 1965 to 2005 with the number of civil wars over that time span.

The study, published in the journal Dynamics of Asymmetric Conflict, addresses an expanding body of research that argues that gender inequality heightens the probability of intrastate conflict by creating a structure of violence.

The researchers argued that nations that have laws that are gender neutral in how they protect citizens, especially in granting equal protection and rights to women, increase the chance that the state's society would embody liberal and progressive norms.

"These norms cohere with ideas about peaceful conflict resolution," Avdan said.

"These ideas in turn mitigate civil conflict," she added.

The researchers found that countries that did little to punish perpetrators of rape likely include exemptions for the crime of rape if the perpetrator and victim are married, or possibly they treat genders differently under the law.

In other cases, some penal systems exonerate the assailant if he agrees to marry the rape victim.

"A so-called marriage loophole is a situation with a perpetrator is married to a victim would exonerate the assailant," Avdan said.

"That is at its core a misogynistic policy. Countries with these policies - for example, Middle Eastern countries like Jordan and Lebanon but also other countries such as the Philippines -- have received condemnation for not reforming these laws," Avdan added.

The findings support research that has identified political liberalism and progressive, individualistic and emancipatory ideas, including gay rights, for example, tend to correlate with reduced propensities of armed conflicts.

"Rape law showcases an angle about gender norms," Avdan said.

"And we know that masculine norms tend to support militarism and militant nationalism as well. Rape law can be another proxy to look at gender equality in society," she added.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Syrian regime used chemical weapons on at least four occasions this year, including in a sarin gas attack that left dozens of civilians dead, the UN unveiled in a report.

In a report on human rights violations in the Syrian conflict published on Wednesday, the UN's Independent International Commission of Inquiry said violence throughout the Syrian Arab Republic was maintained in violation of international humanitarian and human rights law principles, primarily affecting civilians, Xinhua news agency reported.

"Government forces continued the pattern of using chemical weapons against civilians in opposition-held areas," the UN-mandated report said.

Interviews and early warning reports showed a Sukhoi 22 (Su-22) aircraft had carried out four aerial attacks on the opposition-held town of Khan Sheikhoun on April 4, the report concluded.

The IICI said only Syrian forces had access to these types of planes, which were used in three bombings and a chemical attack left at least 83 people dead, including 28 children, and injured 293 others.

"On the basis of samples obtained during autopsies and from individuals undergoing treatment in a neighboring country, those who undertook the fact-finding mission of the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons concluded that the victims had been exposed to sarin or a sarin-like substance," read the report.

Investigators were able to find pieces of the bomb used in the area that was hit, and though the IICI said it was unable to determine exactly what kind of weapon it was, the report insisted that the parts were consistent with sarin gas bombs produced by the Soviet Union.

The document also pointed to three other chemical attacks between March and July by the Syrian armed forces, several of which involved the use of chlorine gas.

The attack on Khan Sheikhoun, said the report, could thus be understood by the Commission as "constituting the war crimes of using chemical weapons and indiscriminate attacks in a civilian inhabited area".

It also meant Syria had violated several international treaties on the use of chemical weapons and UN Security Council resolution 2118, passed in 2013, that gave the country until mid-2014 to destroy its chemical arsenal.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
As expected, notorious mafia gangster Abu Salem A. Ansari, 50, was spared the death penalty and sentenced to life imprisonment by Special TADA court Judge G.A. Sanap on Thursday for his role in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

"As per the Extradition Treaty between India-Portugal, the maximum sentence permissible to him is 25 years, since the life imprisonment and death penalty are banned in Portugal where he was first arrested," Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve said after the verdict.

"The government will take a decision on this matter now, whether to commute the life sentence to 25 years, in accordance with the extradition treaty provisions," Salve told IANS.

One of the important clauses in the treaty between India and Portugal for extradition of Salem was an assurance by New Delhi that he would not be sentenced to death.

Following this, Salem and his former actress girlfriend Monica Bedi - both arrested by the InterPol in Lisbon on September 20, 2002 - were finally cleared in February 2004 for extradition to India. The two were handed over to the Indian agencies in November 11, 2005.

He was wanted in India to face trial in the March 1993 blasts case which killed 257 and injured 700 plus, besides several other cases filed against him all over the country.

Nearly two years after he landed in India, the special TADA court in Mumbai filed eight charges against him and his accomplice Riyaz Siddiqui for their role in the Mumbai blasts case, including procuring the arms and ammunition from Pakistan and later dispatching them to Maharashtra's Raigad.

In September 2011, after Indian authorities slapped fresh charges on Salem that could attract the death sentence, Portugal accused India of violating the extradition treaty conditions and revoked his deportation.

After the Lisbon High Court cancelled the deportation order, Portugal's Supreme Court of Justice questioned the legal rights of the Indian authorities to challenge the cancellation of the extradition order.

In 2015, Salem had moved the Administrative Court in Portugal seeking direction to the Portuguese government to execute the order of that country's apex court cancelling his extradition.

Inside the jails in Maharashtra, Salem barely remained out of the limelight, once when he was shot at by an inmate inside the Taloja Central Jail in Raigad on June 27, 2013, and on another occasion, when he was attacked by an inmate with a metal spoon inside the Arthur Road Central Jail, Mumbai in July 2010.

He survived both incidents with minor injuries, but left the jail authorities shaken.

There were reports that he lived a lavish lifestyle inside the jail. In 2015, a 26-year-old woman approached the special TADA court in Mumbai seeking permission to marry Salem. The two had reportedly met on a train while he was being taken to Uttar Pradesh in connection with a case.

Incidentally, shortly after Thursday's verdict, through his lawyer, Salem moved an application before the Special TADA Court asking that he should be shifted to New Delhi as he apprehended threat to his life in Maharashtra jails.

Besides the March 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Salem has already been sentenced to life in February 2015, in the builder Pradeep Jain's murder case of March 7, 1995 at Juhu.

Earlier on Thursday, Special TADA Court Judge Sanap sentenced to death penalty two convicts, pronounced life sentences to two others, including Salem and 10 years jail to one accused in the Mumbai 1993 blasts case.

Mohammed Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan were sentenced to death for their role in the blasts.

Salem and Karimullah Khan were awarded lifers while fifth convict Riyaz Siddiqui was given 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

All the six accused, including Mustafa Dossa, were pronounced guilty by the Special Court on June 16. Dossa, however died on June 28.

The much-awaited verdict on the quantum of sentencing came 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts and nearly 80 days after they were found guilty by the Special Court.

On a quiet afternoon of March 12, 1993, the country's commercial capital was shattered by a series of 13 blasts in quick succession at various locations in the city and suburbs, creating the worst unprecedented mayhem in the country, killing 257 and injuring 700 others.

The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs 27 crore.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
US President Donald Trump and Democratic congressional leaders announced a mutual agreement to raise the debt ceiling and fund the federal government until December, including almost $8 billion in aid for those people affected by Hurricane Harvey.

"We essentially came to a deal and I think the deal will be very good," Trump told reporters on Wednesday en route to North Dakota, where later he will promote his tax reform plan.

Trump met at the White House with top Democratic and Republican leaders from the House of Representatives and the Senate, and the short-term agreement on the debt and government funding for the next financial year emerged from there, Efe news reported.

Trump said he thought he and Democratic lawmakers had reached a "very good" deal, adding that they had had a very cordial and professional meeting.

Meanwhile, Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer called the agreement a very good moment for bipartisanship in Congress.

The period within which to approve a new debt ceiling and funding for the government for financial year 2018, which begins on October 1, expires at the end of this month, but after Wednesday's announcement lawmakers will have until December to craft a longer-term and more far-reaching accord.

The lack of agreement on raising the debt ceiling in 2011, when the government was on the verge of declaring a suspension of its payments, led the Standard & Poor's credit rating agency for the first time in history to lower the country's credit-worthiness rating.

The US debt currently stands at around $20 trillion.

The agreement reached between Trump and Democrats includes an assistance package for people affected by Harvey, which has killed more than 60 people and displaced thousands in the states of Texas and Louisiana.

The House on Wednesday in a 419-3 vote approved a federal aid package worth $7.9 billion for the victims of Harvey which now passes to the Senate for ratification.
Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu arrived in Bangladesh on Thursday to meet members of Rohingya Muslim community who have fled from ongoing violence in Myanmar's Rakhine.

Erdogan and Cavusoglu, who arrived separately, are set to visit refugee camps in Cox's Bazaar district, close to the border with Myanmar, Efe news quoted the Foreign Ministry as saying.

Bangladeshi Foreign Minister A.H. Mahmood Ali and State Minister of Foreign Affairs Shahriar Alam will accompany the Turkish delegation.

Thousands of the Rohingyas have been reaching Bangladesh by sea, river and land routes, to escape an aggressive army offensive in the Rakhine state, following an insurgent attack on security posts on August 25.

At least 146,000 Rohingyas have crossed into Bangladesh in the last 13 days, according to latest UN figures.

Over 400 people were killed in the violence in Myanmar.

Between 300,000 and 500,000 Rohingyas live in Bangladesh, out of whom only about 32,000 enjoy refugee status.

--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 House of Representatives has passed a bill with unanimous support that could accelerate the rollout of self-driving technology, a media report said.

The Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research In Vehicle Evolution Act, or the "Self Drive Act" now moves to the Senate. If it passes there, it could become the first national law for self-driving cars in the US, The Verge reported on Wednesday.

The goal of the "Self Drive Act" is to establish a federal framework for the regulation of self-driving cars.

Currently, automakers and companies who test self-driving technology have to apply for exemptions to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA) federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Meanwhile, the Self Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a group that includes Google, Ford, Uber, Lyft, Volvo, and others, released a statement praising the House for passing the act.

"Self-driving vehicles offer an opportunity to significantly increase safety, improve transportation access for underserved communities and transform how people, goods and services get from point A to B," they wrote.

However, the "Self Drive Act" will not give these companies free rein to test whatever they want on public roads, though.

In its current form, the act requires automakers to prove that the self-driving car in question is at least as safe as its human-piloted equivalent in order to be granted an exemption, the report said.

Companies applying for exemptions would also be required to report any crashes involving exempted vehicles.

--IANS

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(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama is slated to arrive in Patna on Thursday to give Bihar Chief Minister a cheque of Rs 5 crore as

towards flood relief. The move has given Janata Dal-Uniteds (JD-U) ally-turned-rival Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) more ammunition to run down Kumar and his party. The RJD cites a 2010 incident when Kumar returned a cheque of the same amount that then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi had offered him; Kumar had also

a dinner

for the Bharatiya Janata Party brass. Pointing out that circumstances are different in 2017, JD-U leaders insisted that the Gujarat government had been sensitive towards Bihar and that some other states were also thinking of offering aid to Bihar in its flood relief work.
After it was pointed out that among the people Prime Minister follows on Twitter are those who use abusive language and even issue threats, the Bharatiya Janata Partys (BJP) national head of information and technology, Amit Malviya came to his defence on Thursday. He said that the PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and not a guarantee of how a person would conduct himself. Malviya added that the PM also follows Rahul Gandhi, who is an accused in loot and fraud. The PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal, who abused him on Twitter.

The head of BJPs IT cell said Modi was a rare leader, who believed in freedom of speech and had never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter. For good measure, he pointed out how the debate was a one-way street where the Congress vice-president was never questioned for the abuse spewed by some of his followers.
The Madhya Pradesh governments new scheme of compensating farmers in cash for their failure to get the minimum support prices (MSP) is a welcome measure. Under this plan, the state will work out a model price by looking at past market rates in MP and other states. Subsequently, the farmers will be paid either the MSP or the model price, whichever is higher. This is being done to ensure that farmers do not lose out because it is quite possible that a single all-India MSP may not do justice to the farmers of one region. Though, initially, the scheme will cover some selected pulses and oilseeds, where the official procurement is typically low, unlike in rice and wheat, subsequently it may be expanded to ensure remunerative returns for all major crops.
The University Grants Commission (UGC) is planning to celebrate with gusto Deendayal Upadhyayas birth centenary and the 125th anniversary of Swami Vivekanandas address at the Chicago Parliament of the Worlds Religions. The UGC has asked all vice-chancellors and heads of higher education institutions in the country to make arrangements so that students can watch Prime Minister Narendra Modis address to the nation on September 11. A UGC circular has instructed that the event

propagated effectively and interested students obtain the facility to view such a significant

that could be life-changing.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) is headed for a showdown between party chief Sitaram Yechury and the faction that former party chief Prakash Karat leads. The flashpoint is likely to be reached in the coming months when the party central committee sits to discuss its draft political resolution for the next Party Congress in Hyderabad from April 18 to 22.
A Mumbai court today awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life imprisonment to extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case.

Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in the case while awarding 10 years' sentence to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

A special TADA court had in June convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem, in the serial blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead in the country's financial capital.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum, for want of evidence. This was the second leg of the trial.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder.

The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles, ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under the Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial).

Salem, who was close to (absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court had said.

This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.

The trial of Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested subsequently.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.

The court had held that Tahir Merchant was amongst the main conspirators.

He worked with (absconding conspirator) Tiger Memon, participated in several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co-accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

"The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the court said in its ruling on June 16.

The court had rejected Firoz's defence that he was not Firoz Khan but one 'Hamza.'



The prosecution proved that he was a prominent and "trusted" member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the "landings" of weapons effected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district, the court had held.

Firoz was present for negotiations with customs officers for smooth landing of arms and ammunition. He, with "vengeful perseverance in his sinew with a view to carry the blueprint of the plan into reality spearheaded the pre-landing arrangements," said the verdict of June 16,



The prosecution proved that he was one of the main conspirators, the court had held.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Over 2,000 personnel of a "dying" paramilitary cadre will be "transferred" to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to boost the on-ground presence of the agency on the eastern borders, where India is bolstering its defences by building roads and other military infrastructure.

A total of 2,765 posts in the civilian cadre of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be shifted to the IB command over the next year. Of these posts, 2,039 are operational.

"The civil wing of the SSB should be transferred to the IB lock, stock and barrel, including land, physical infrastructure, equipment among others," a government blueprint, accessed by PTI, said.

A top security official privy to the "ambitious" plan said a 300-page proposal for the transfer of the assets  both manpower and infrastructure  had been prepared at the SSB headquarters here and had been vetted by the home ministry and the office of the security advisor (NSA) for final implementation.

He added that the manpower of the civil wing of the SSB, which is termed as "dying" as it does not have promotional and work avenues, would be deployed to bolster the IB's presence in the eastern border areas, where these officials have worked for long.

The average age of the cadre, the official said, was above 50 years and the personnel had done a lot of work with the people living along the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

They not only helped them integrate with the mainstream but also acted as the "eyes and ears" of the SSB, the designated lead intelligence agency on the two borders.

The cadre was first raised in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of the previous year, to work in the border areas and promote a sense of belonging and pro-India feelings among the local population.

It worked under the external intelligence agency  Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)  till 2001, under the name Special Service Bureau.

The name of the force was changed to Sashastra Seema Bal in 2003, following the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was then tasked with guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders on the country's eastern flank.

"The transfer of the civilian SSB cadre will begin once the long-awaited cadre restructuring of the force is approved and implemented. All this will take about a year to take shape," the official said.

The blueprint envisages that once these officials are transferred to the IB, they will be "utilised for different activities related to intelligence, keeping in view the expertise and proficiency of the incumbents".

"These personnel have only been doing civic action work and publicity of government schemes in the far-flung border areas and anti-Naxal operation zones for close to two decades now.

"After the SSB was declared an armed force of the Union in 2001, they became a dying cadre as they were not uniformed personnel. Now, their experience and knowledge of the locals, languages and natural features of the border areas will be used to aid the hardcore intelligence work of the IB," the official said.

He added that as per the blueprint, the cadre, after the proposed transfer, "will be treated at par with the IB employees" and some of them might even be retained post retirement considering their expertise and knowledge of the field areas.

The cadre, for the last over 50 years, has been working in insurgency-hit areas along the border and Naxal-hit states, undertaking civic welfare programmes such as teaching children in schools, conducting medical camps and organising vocational training courses.

The men and women of this cadre were seen as fast losing their sheen as they were not getting timely promotions and could not opt for combat posts as their physical fitness did not allow them to perform arduous tasks and their recruitment rules were different from those of the uniformed staffers.

The SSB, with a strength of about 70,000 personnel, has been guarding the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal border since 2001 and the 699-km Indo-Bhutan border since 2004.

It is deployed along the international border in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with many of its posts located close to the Sino-India border.

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Two persons, including a Nepalese man, have been arrested in connection with the killing of a labourer in old Delhi's Chandni Chowk area, the police said today.

The body of the labourer, Ravi, with stab injuries and his head crushed with a stone, was found in a park near Town Hall in Chandhi Chowk on August 4, DCP (North) Jatin Narwal said.

Based on an eyewitness account and other inputs, Rajender Kancha (26) was arrested on Monday. He led police to the recovery of the stone and knife used in killing the labourer, the officer said.

He also provided information about his accomplice, following which Gaurav (25) was arrested from Fatehpuri the next day, the DCP said, adding the Aadhaar card of the victim was recovered from him.

During interrogation, the accused told police that they had some dispute with Ravi and wanted to take revenge. On the intervening night of August 3 and 4, the two accused along with their another accomplice, Ajay, saw Ravi sitting in a park and overpowered him, Narwal said.

They stabbed him and then crushed his head with a stone, he said.

Further investigation is underway and a hunt is on to nab Ajay, the officer said.

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The 35th Annual Film Festival conducted by Puducherry government under the banner 'Indian Panorama 2017' begins here tomorrow.

The 5-day festival is being held in association with the Navadarshan Film Society here and the Alliance Francaise, an official release said today.

Chief Minister V Narayanasamy is scheduled to inaugurate the festival.

On the occasion, he will also hand over a cash award of Rs 1 lakh to Sudha Kongara the Director of the Tamil film 'Irudhi Suttru'.

This is under the category of 'Award for best film' instituted in memory of Sri Sankaradoss Swamigal' by the Puducherry government.

The objective of the film festival was to "project the myriad aspects of cultural unity through screening of films of varied languages with a thrust on national integration and cultural unity", it said.

Admission to the film festival is free, the release added.

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All the 63 villages of Uttarakhand which do not have access to electricity will be electrified before Diwali this year.

Energy Secretary Radhika Jha issued an order to this effect to the Uttarakhand Electricity Corporation, the Rural Electrification Corporation and other institutions concerned at a meeting here today.

The target of electrifying all the 63 villages of the state must be achieved before Diwali this year, an official release quoted her as saying.

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A 70-year-old woman was stabbed to death multiple times with an ice-pick at her house in west Delhi's Khyala, police said today.

Police has ruled out robbery as a motive. It has, however, not been able to ascertain the reason behind the brutal attack on the elderly woman.

One Shiv Bhagwan had informed the police that his aunt Laxmi Devi had been killed, said a senior police officer.

When Bhagwan came to check on his aunt today, he found her lying in a pool of blood with head injuries, said a senior police officer.

He informed the police and the spot was inspected by a crime and forensic teams.

There were eight stab wounds inflicted with an ice pick on her back, breasts and face, the police said.

The woman used to stay alone at her house near Shani Shiv Mandir. The neighbouring houses belonged to her brothers and their families. She had five daughters, all of whom were married, they added.

The septuagenarian woman was living in a poor condition and was working as a maid in a couple of houses in the area to make ends meet.

The entry to her house was friendly and it is suspected that she knew the accused. Police are questioning her relatives and neighbours to gather clues, the police said.

"It is suspected that the woman's killing was a fallout of personal enmity or property dispute.

"Nothing was found missing from the house, so robbery does not appear to be a motive," said Vijay Kumar, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West).

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The problems of Kashmir cannot be resolved only by the Army, a top Army commander said here today, underlining the importance of political and administrative measures for betterment of the situation.

"Apart from the Army, the state government will have to do its work and it will be easy to wipe out terrorism sooner," said Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), while addressing a press conference here.

Asked whether the Army needs political encouragement and empowerment for undertaking operations in Kashmir, he said, "certainly, it is there. Anything the military does, it has got half the political will and direction. Military does not do anything its own.

"To that extent, whatever the political steps the government in power takes, reflects on the operations of the armed forces. And yes, there have been positive steps on all the fronts as far as operations are concerned and it does really benefit."



When referred to some recent cases where people of Kashmir extended a helping hand to the Army personnel after meeting with accidents, Gen Anbu said it is happening.

"If you walk on the streets of Kashmir Valley, you will see swell in the support for the Army because armed forces do not do the kinetic operations but also indulge in the soft relations including activities for education, employment generation and using Sadhbhavana for youth and preparation them for various examination and providing them full exposure and many more," he said.

"They (people) are there to appreciate what Army does. It is definitely rebuff to the separatists," the commander said.

He said when separatists called 'bandh' in Kashmir in protest against the NIA raids, the life was "much normal".

He said militants seek to raise the pitch of violence whenever pressure of the security forces goes up.

"We keep on looking at how things are developing and formulate our own strategy so that it does not happen. When we control the situation, they come and again try to vitiate the atmosphere and increase the strength of terrorists. But it is our own strategy to ensure that it does not happen," Gen Anbu said.

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Army Chief General Bipin Rawat today called on newly-appointed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and apprised her of the overall security preparedness of the Army and the situation along the borders with China and Pakistan.

The Army chief met the defence minister hours after she assumed charge.

Sources said issues related to the security challenges the country was facing on the northern and western borders figured at the meeting between the two.

The Army chief had yesterday said the country should be prepared for a two-front war, noting that China had started "flexing its muscles" and there seemed no scope for any reconciliation with Pakistan.

Chief of the Naval Staff and Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee Admiral Sunil Lanba also called on Sitharaman and briefed her on various key issues, including the security challenges at the high seas.

A number of senior officials, including DRDO chief S Christopher and Defence Production Secretary A K Gupta, also briefed the defence minister on key issues.

Sitharaman also called on former president Pranab Mukherjee at his residence.

Mukherjee had held the defence portfolio from May, 2004 to October, 2006 in the UPA-I government.

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A 21-year-old woman from Bangladesh was allegedly sold for Rs 1 lakh to an agent in Thane's Mira Road by a Bangladeshi national and was trafficked into prostitution, following which two persons have been arrested, police said.

Senior inspector of Palghar police station, Kiran Kabadi said the woman was brought to Mira Road 10 months ago and was held captive at the house of the accused, a married couple.

According to the complaint lodged by the victim, from Mira Road, she was taken to Palghar by two other men and was again held captive and raped by them, the officer said.

The Bangladeshi national, who allegedly sold her, has also been made an accused in the case and hunt was on to nab the trio. The two accused were apprehended on Tuesday.

A case has been registered under IPC sections 370-A (exploitation of a trafficked person), 376 (rape), 328 (causing hurt by means of poison), 341 (wrongful restraint), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of the peace) and 506 (criminal intimidation), against the five persons.

They were also booked under relevant sections of Immoral Traffic (Prevention) Act.

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Biopharmaceutical firm today said its Malaysian arm Sdn Bhd has received EU GMP compliance certificate from the Health Products Regulatory Authority of Ireland for its insulin manufacturing facility.

"Biocon's subsidiary in Malaysia, Sdn Bhd, has been issued a certificate of 'GMP compliance' for its insulins manufacturing facility by HPRA (Ireland) as the representative European inspection authority," Biocon spokesperson said in a statement.

The certificate reflects that the agency considered the plant to be in compliance with principles and guidelines of good manufacturing practices for active substances, sterile drug products and quality control testing operations, the statement added.

Biocon's Malaysia facility was inspected by the European Medicines Agency (EMA) in April 2017.

"The facility is designed to manufacture recombinant human insulin and insulin analogs to cater to the needs of people with diabetes in global markets", the statement said.

Stock of Biocon today closed at Rs 335.15 on the BSE, up 0.48 per cent from its previous close.
The Biju Janata Dal today attacked the BJP and its national president Amit Shah for his remarks accusing the BJD of being driven by dynasty politics.

Shah at a meeting last evening had said that dynasty politics, like in the Congress, also prevailed in BJD. He had also alleged that though there were talented leaders in the party, they could not lead it because they were not from former chief minister Biju Patnaik's family.

BJD spokesman Pratap Deb, party general secretary Arun Sahu and Sanjay Dasburma at a press meet said that Naveen Patnaik entered politics after the death of Biju Patnaik.

"Naveen Patnaik entered politics because people wanted him to serve the state and put their faith on him which he has been able to retain for 18 long years through good governance," said Sahu.

"Chief Minister Patnaik never speaks against anyone and does his job quietly. Shah's statement against a person of such stature is condemnable," he said.

Mocking the BJP president, Sahu said political courtesy is something which could be found only in Naveen.

Rejecting Shah's 'non-performing' tag to the Odisha government, Deb said, "BJP must come out with an answer why the Central government went on to bestow awards on the BJD government for its contribution towards sports, rural schemes and others."



On Shah's statement that the Centre was giving enough funds to the state but the government was not cooperating in developmental works, Deb said the centre was not doing any favour to the state.

"Under the federal system, the Centre is duty bound to give assistance as they (Centre) too take tax from the state. Not just BJP, anyone is bound to meet the federal obligation. They are not doing any charity."



Deb also took aim at the Centre's 'Ujjwala' scheme saying that BJP is trying to fool the people of Odisha by changing the names of several of its schemes.

During a press conference held in the city earlier in the day, Amit Shah had said the cooperation of the Odisha government with the Centre was completely missing for the state's development.

"Simply being awarded by a magazine does not realise the dream of development," Shah had said.

Meanwhile, Odisha IT Minister C S Behera at a rally demanded an apology from Shah for making "objectionable" remarks against the chief minister and the Odisha government.

Shah had yesterday dubbed Patnaik as a "defunct transformer" while describing Modi as the "power house."



Senior BJP leader and Union Petroleum Minister Dharmendra Pradhan addressed a hurriedly convened press conference after BJD leaders criticised Shah.

"I am ready for an open debate with Chief Minister on all issues raised by BJD leaders," Pradhan said.

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The BJP will move the court against the alleged cancellation of booking at a state-owned facility for a party event in Kolkata, its president Amit Shah said today.

The BJP had yesterday alleged in Kolkata that the Netaji Indoor Stadium, where Shah was scheduled to attend a programme next week, had cancelled the booking for the event. West Bengal's ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC) has claimed it had nothing to do with the alleged cancellation.

"We will go to the court. They (Mamata Banerjee government) have tried several times to stop me and every time the court has granted permission. We hope the court will allow us this time too," he told reporters here.

"The question of democratic values can be expected only from those who believe it," he said.

Shah is scheduled to undertake a three-day visit to West Bengal from September 11 to 13.

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BJP chief Amit Shah today announced that his party would fight the next Odisha assembly polls alone.

He also slammed the Naveen Patnaik government for its "incompetence", saying benefits of over Rs 4 lakh crore given by the Centre to the state had not reached the masses.

The BJP president, who is on a three-day tour of Odisha, pitched for a younger leadership to run the state and came down heavily on Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik, saying backwardness and poverty continued due to his government's "misrule, inefficiency and corruption".

Shah, however, parried a query on who would be the BJP's face in the state, saying the party had not decided on it.

"BJP will fight the next elections in Odisha alone. There will be no alliance with any other political party," Shah said at a press conference here.

He also claimed that his party would win over 120 seats in the 147-member assembly.

Asked how his party planned to go to 120 from the 10 it bagged in 2014, Shah said his party won over three-fourths of the seats in Uttar Pradesh after getting only 15 per cent votes in the previous poll. He added that the BJP had won 18 per cent votes in the eastern state.

The BJP had received huge support from people in the last panchayat elections held earlier this year, he noted.

The BJD government was in its fourth consecutive term in the state, which lagged behind other states in development, he pointed out.

Shah evaded a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would contest the next Lok Sabha poll from Puri after having fought from Varanasi last time and said the parliamentary election was "far away".

Sharpening his attack on the state government, he alleged that people associated closely with the government were involved in scandals, including the multi-crore chit-fund scam and the mining scam.

A BJP government in the state will ensure that no one involved in scams goes free, he said.

Shah slammed the BJD government over malnutrition deaths of tribal children in Nagada in Jajpur district and the lives claimed by Japanese encephalitis in Malkangiri. All these showed that healthcare services and welfare schemes had collapsed in the state, he said.

Shah also referred to the incident of a tribal man, Dana Majhi, who walked over 12 km carrying the body of his wife on his shoulder from a government hospital in Kalahandi district after being denied a hearse a year ago.

Taking a dig at Patnaik, the BJP chief said celebrations on winning the best administrator award given by a magazine alone was not going to remove backwardness. Odisha lags far behind other states despite substantial central assistance and support.

Shah said Odisha would be no exception to the BJP's rise across the country as both the BJD and the Congress are on a decline.

The BJP wave is sweeping all over the country and the same trend will be witnessed in Odisha, he said.

"Funds to the tune Rs 3,94,994 lakh crore, almost Rs 4 lakh crore, have been announced by the Centre for Odisha for various works. But required support from the state to implement developmental projects is lacking and people have not received due benefits," he said.

The state received Rs 68,196 crore as its share of central taxes under the 13th Finance Commission when the UPA was in power and it had gone to Rs 1,84,070 crore under the 14th Finance Commission report implemented by the Modi government.

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British lawmakers today began debating a crucial Bill that will end the supremacy of European Union (EU) law and replace them with domestic statute on the day Britain leaves the economic bloc.

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will convert all existing EU laws, dating back over 40 years, into UK law in time for Brexit by March 2019.

Opening the debate in the House of Commons alongside Prime Minister Theresa May, the UK's minister for exiting the EU - David Davis - said the bill was "the next step in the historic process of honouring that decision" made in the EU referendum and will ensure that "on the day we leave, businesses know where they stand".

He told MPs: "I stand ready to listen to those who offer improvements to the bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union."



He urged all parties to work with the government "in the spirit of collaboration", rejecting Opposition claims that he was attempting to change laws without proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

"It is only what is necessary for a smooth exit and to provide stability," he said.

However, the passage of the Bill is expected to prove a tumultuous task for May as she faces a cross-party rebellion.

The Opposition Labour party has refused to vote for the Bill in its current form, describing it as a "power grab" on the part of the Conservative party-led government by using so-called Henry VIII powers to make laws by "decree".

May's own Tory MPs have been unifying behind a plan for a cross-party committee of peers and MPs to monitor such powers going forward.

But with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Tories are expected to get the Bill through its parliamentary hurdle, with some Conservative backbenchers claiming they reserve the right to amend and improve it at a later stage.

While overturning the 1972 European Communities Act, which took the UK into the then European Economic Community, the new legislation will ensure all direct EU laws applying to the UK will be transferred onto the statute book and continue to have legal force after the UK's withdrawal.

MPs are considering the general principles of the bill at its Second Reading which started today, with the first votes expected by Monday.

A Labour party spokesperson said: "In this bill, the government is making a power grab to change a whole set of legislation and rules without recourse to Parliament.

"That ranges from the date of Brexit to the amount of money paid to the EU to employment and social legislation and environmental legislation. Under the proposals, the Brexit secretary can make these changes at the stroke of a pen. That is completely undemocratic."



The UK government has claimed up to 1,000 statutory instruments will be needed to modify EU laws that become obsolete or do not operate as they should after Brexit and any corrections will be largely technical in nature.

The debate in Parliament came as Britain came under fresh criticism from the EU side on the ongoing negotiation process for Brexit.

EU's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the UK appears to be going backwards on agreeing a Brexit financial settlement.

"It seems to be backtracking on the original commitment to honour its past commitments. There is a problem of confidence here," he said.

On the continued disagreement over the so-called divorce bill, he said: "You cannot have 27 countries paying for commitments made by 28."



European leaders will be asked to determine if the UK has made sufficient progress on the Brexit divorce issues at a European Council summit scheduled for October to be able to move the talks on to the future trade relationship between the UK and the EU.

The process is set on a two-year countdown since Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty relating to leaving the EU was invoked by Prime Minister May in March following a referendum in favour of Brexit in June 2016.

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Drug firm on Thursday said the US health regulator has issued no observations after completion of inspection of its Moraiya plant in Gujarat.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has inspected the company's Moraiya facility from August 31-September 7, 2017, said in a statement.

"At the end of the inspection, no observation (483) is issued", it added.

As per the USFDA, observations are made in Form 483 when investigators feel that conditions or practices in the facility are such that products may become adulterated or render injurious to health.

The FDA Form 483 notifies the company's management of objectionable conditions.

Shares of on Thursday closed 3.41% higher at Rs 512.60 per scrip on BSE.

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The Delhi Police have registered a case on a complaint by journalist Sagarika Ghose after a Facebook post called her "anti-national" and said she should be assassinated like Gauri Lankesh.

The police have sought details of the IP address from which the post was written. It was posted by a user, Vikramaditya Rana, and the details of his profile are being probed.

The post read, "Let d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists & activists."



"I hope this is not d last...Should be episode of serial assassinations of all anti-nationals. Shobha De; Arundhati Roy; Sagarika Ghose; Kavitha Krishnan; Shiela Rashid etc at d end of a list that should start with anti-national & treacherous politicians. A hit list be prepared & eliminate all those on d list. At last a ray of hope (sic)..." it said.

After Ghose posted on Twitter about the post, the Delhi Police swung into action and registered a case under the relevant sections of the IPC and IT Act, the police said.

Fifty-five-year-old Lankesh known as an anti- establishment voice with anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Bengaluru on September 5.

Lankesh, a writer, publisher and editor, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets, of which two hit her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials had said.

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The Union Territory of Chandigarh administration has asked pubs and bars to install breathalyser to ensure alcohol intake "within legal limits", as part of measures to check rising cases of drunken driving.

The excise and taxation department has also asked restaurants and hotels serving liquor to ensure that the customers' alcohol intake was "within legal limits".

"In order to make people aware about the ill-effects of consumption of alcohol more than the legally prescribed limit and to restrict them to intake alcohol within the legal limits, you are hereby directed to install alcohol breath analysers in your licenced premises within seven days from the issuance of this letter," according to an order issued by the Chandigarh excise and taxation department yesterday.

They have also been asked "to ensure that the consumption of alcoholic products by customers is within the legal limits" and submit compliance report to the department by September 13.

For driving purpose, the permissible limit of alcohol in blood is 30 mg per 100 ml.

Owners of restaurants and bars have welcomed the move, saying this step would help check drunken driving.

However, some of the shop owners asked how could they ensure their customers take alcohol within the permissible limits?



"Installing breathalyser is a positive move. But we cannot do policing. How can we stop a customer from drinking more than the permissible limit for driving purpose?" asked a city-based restaurant owner.

"We can just guide them to hire a taxi for home if they are drunk beyond permissible limits, but in no way we can force them to drink within limits. We can only intervene if a customer is creating nuisance, but it is up to him to decide about the intake of his drink," said another owner.

There are more than 100 pubs, bars, hotels and restaurants which serve liquor in Chandigarh.

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China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today.

In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Wang said bilateral relations were "affected and undermined" during the past few months "for clear reasons".

Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Wang said, "going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track."



Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the Sino-India relationship "should not be derailed".

"Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice" for both, Wang said.

"There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said.

Both the countries should also "make sure that differences do not go out of control", Wang said.

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said.

After the end of the Dokalam standoff, Modi and Xi had a positive meeting at Xiamen.

Putting behind the standoff, India and China had agreed to move forward in their ties with President Xi telling Prime Minister Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the "right track".

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China's fifth-largest state-owned bank has had its credit rating downgraded to junk status by Moody's, the latest sign of fragility in the country's financial system.

The decision to downgrade Bank of Communications was based on the lender's lack of customer deposits and over- reliance on expensive and volatile alternative sources of funding, Moody's said today.

It follows a Chinese government crackdown on banks using excessive leveraging, including unregulated "shadow banking".

"Moody's review on BoCom was triggered by the bank's increasing reliance on wholesale funds in recent years and declining profitability," said the credit ratings agency in a statement today.

The downgrade was driven by BoCom's "weaker funding profile when compared to other state-owned Chinese banks", particularly weaker deposit holdings, it said.

BoCom's baseline credit assessment was moved from baa3 to ba1 - crossing the "junk status" threshold.

Chinese officials fear domestic banks' growing dependence on less stable funding sources such as the sale of financial products and interbank lending, rather than traditional deposits, could imperil economic growth and stability in the world's second-largest economy.

In March, the newly appointed head of China's banking watchdog pledged to end regulatory "chaos" in the country's banking system and cracked down on these instruments, limiting the availability and increasing the cost of financing sources on which BoCom depends.

The increase in funding costs was expected to put pressure on BoCom's profits, Moody's said.

Much of China's growth over the past decade has been underpinned by debt-fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate, but has slowed in recent years.

BoCom is 41.26 per cent owned by the Chinese central government. It is the country's fifth-largest lender by assets, although its holdings are considerably smaller than those of nation's famous "Big Four", which hold proportionately more deposits.

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A colonial-era 130-year-old building that once housed Odisha's 2nd oldest educational institution for girl students, was today razed to the ground leading to protest from heritage lovers.

The Fraser girls' school located at Old Bus stand locality of the township was a heritage building. With demolition of the of the building, a rich and glorious history is erased, said Mohammad Mustaque.

The Fraser school had come up in 1887 during colonial rule. The institution had played a pivotal role in spreading women's education in these parts of the state.

"I studied there in 1948. I still cherish the memory of school days. It really gives me a lot of pain to know that school building has been bulldozed. Authorities should have been sensitive to protect the heritage building instead of pulling it down," said an alumnus, Harapriya Devi, a retired school teacher.

The district administration, however, justified the bulldozing of colonial building by saying that it had been declared unsafe.

"We had planned to conserve the school building as it dated back to British Raj. But it was in highly endangered state," Kendrapara district collector Reghu G said.

Engineers were consulted in a last ditch effort to protect it. But the 19th century building had gone beyond conservation measures, he said.

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The Congress today claimed to have "defused" the situation in its Bihar unit after several MLAs were reportedly gravitating towards the JD(U) following the disintegration of the Grand Alliance last month.

Party vice president Rahul Gandhi met over 20 of the 27 party MLAs over the last two days and sought their individual views on strengthening the party, sources said, denying a rebellion was brewing in the Bihar unit.

The sources added that the Congress might initiate some changes in the party soon, though no official confirmation was available.

The party vice chief met around 10 MLAs yesterday and is learnt to have met another 10 today. Among them was the CLP leader Sadanand Singh who made some suggestions for strengthening the organisation under the changed circumstances.

Congress' state unit chief Ashok Chaudhary, however, did not come to Delhi for the meeting despite being summoned by the party leadership.

Chaudhary, in fact, launched a counteroffensive against the party leaders in Delhi without taking any names.

"The party MLAs met Rahul Gandhi individually. He sought suggestions from each one of them to strengthen the party in under the changed circumstances," Congress general secretary incharge of Bihar C P Joshi said.

He also rejected suggestions about a rebellion in the party, saying it was only a "media creation".

A rebellion has been reportedly brewing in the party's Bihar unit ever since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar broke the grand alliance which included the RJD and the Congress and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in the state.

Sadanand Singh, when contacted, said he met Gandhi and discussed ways to strengthen the party.

Sources said the legislators aired their views frankly to Gandhi during their meeting and suggested changes in the party apparatus to fight the JD(U) and the BJP.

The sources say that Gandhi had called senior Congress legislators to Delhi in a damage-control exercise to prevent a section of MLAs from deserting the party.

Reports from Bihar suggest that a sizeable number of the 27 Congress MLAs in Bihar Assembly were keen on joining hands with Nitish Kumar's JD(U).

In Patna, Chaudhary accused "some" AICC leaders of fuelling a rebellion against him with the "false propaganda" that he was making attempts to split the party.

"Some AICC leaders are behind the crisis in the Congress in Bihar...They are fuelling rebellion against me by alleging that I'm making attempts to break the party in favour of the JD(U) so they can replace me with their favourite," Chaudhary said.

Without identifying anyone, he said, "They would be unmasked very soon.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Odisha government today urged the Centre to facilitate opening of a hub of Tata Memorial Centre for cancer treatment in Bhubaneswar.

"I shall be grateful, if the Department of Atomic Energy could set up a hub of the Tata Memorial Centre at Bhubaneswar. We shall provide all necessary support from the state government for this purpose," Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Stating that Odisha has been receiving a good number of patients requiring various types of medical interventions from neighbouring states, Patnaik said: "It would be helpful to have a hub of the Tata Memorial Centre in Odisha. This will be of invaluable service to the poor patients of Odisha as well as from our neighbouring states."



Patnaik said, apart from a branch of AIIMS and hospitals of the state government, the state now has good participation of private hospitals in and around Bhubaneswar. However, the need for an advanced cancer hospital and research centre in public sector is immensely felt to provide affordable care, the chief minister mentioned in the letter.

"I understand that Department of Atomic Energy gives grant-in-aid and manages the Tata Memorial Centre. It is learnt that the Centre has been setting up its hubs at different locations, for example, Sangur, Vishakhapatanam and BHU, Varanasi," Patnaik pointed out.

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BJP president Amit Shah today said India had made substantial progress in different sectors and carved a separate identity for itself in the international arena during three years of the NDA regime.

Citing an instance, Shah said surgical strikes had enhanced the image of India across the globe and there was recognition that the country was capable of defending its frontiers.

"The surgical strike speaks of the strong political will of the Modi government. This government can do everything to defend the country," he told reporters.

India became a global leader in space technologies after the launch of at least four satellites during the NDA rule, he said.

Stating that there was overall transformation since the NDA had come to power, Shah said India now had one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

In some quarters, India's growth had been higher than that recorded by China, he added.

The BJP president said the party would fight the next elections in Odisha alone.

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All eight police officials, including IG ZH Zaidi and DSP Manoj Joshi, arrested in connection with the custodial death of an accused in the "Gudia" rape and murder case, were today remanded to judicial custody till September20 by a court here.

Senior Civil Judge-cum-Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) Ranjeet Singh Thakur rejected the CBI demand to extend the police remand of the accused by four days and sent them to judicial custody.

The accused -- Inspector General of Police Zaidi, Deputy Superintendent of Police Joshi, Station House Officer Rajender Singh, Assistant Sub-Inspector Deep Chand, head constables Surat Singh, Mohan Singh and Rafiq and Constable Ranjit Singh -- were arrested by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on July 29 and remanded to police custody till September 4.

The police remand was subsequently extended till today (September 7) on a plea that certain recoveries were to be made.

The CBI had told the high court yesterday that the probe into the custodial death case of Suraj, one of the accused in the Kotkhai rape and murder case, was almost complete and the challan would be submitted in the competent court shortly.

The CBI had sought a four-day extension of the police custody of the accused, stating that the Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, which is related to forensic investigation, of deceased Suraj was yet to be recovered and investigations into financial transactions were underway.

The plea was opposed by the defense lawyer, who maintained that no recovery was being made by the probe agency as the arrested policemen were being taken to Delhi every time and that the physical presence of the accused was not required to inquire into the financial transactions.

The court said the physical presence of the accused would not be required at the next hearing and ordered the proceedings to be conducted through video-conferencing.

Initially, the police had claimed that Suraj was killed by one of his co-accused in the case, Raju, but after the CBI recorded the statement of the sentry before the magistrate, it found "vital clues" and placed the eight policemen under arrest.

Meanwhile, the five accused in the "Gudia" rape and murder case were taken to Ahmedabad for a narco (lie- detection) test, CBI sources said.

The high court had handed over the investigations into the rape and murder case of a minor girl at Kotkhai and the custodial death case to the CBI on July 19.

The central probe agency had filed two separate FIRs in connection with the cases on July 22 and constituted a special investigation team (SIT).

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Dehradun mayor and BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli staged a sit-in at the collectorate here and engaged in a public spat with the district magistrate demanding closure of a liquor shop which was allegedly opened against the wishes of the people in his Dhampur constituency.

There was high drama at the collectorate with District Magistrate S A Murugesan and Chamoli getting into a heated exchange and Chief Minster Trivendra Singh Rawat apparently stepping in to resolve the issue.

The liquor shop was opened in Mothrowala yesterday despite opposition by locals on the grounds that it was a residential area.

When locals protested, some of them, including a former village head, were allegedly taken into custody, even as some others informed the mayor, who represents the area in the state assembly.

Accompanied by his supporters, Chamoli went to the collectorate to meet DM Murugesan, who happened to be away on an official engagement.

When the DM returned after two hours, Chamoli complained about having to wait to meet him for "so long". The DM responded by saying there was no prior appointment for their meeting.

Enraged by this, the MLA accused the DM of breaching protocol and sat on a dharna along with his supporters at the collectorate to protest the "high handedness of bureaucrats" and demand closure of the liquor shop.

The mayor also called up chief minister Rawat from the collectorate to lodge a complaint against the DM and the "domineering attitude of the bureaucracy in general".

Chamoli ended the dharna only after the DM came out of his chamber to apologise to him, apparently at the intervention of the chief minister. The DM also assured Chamoli that the liquor shop will be shifted somewhere else.

Many liquor shops in recent months have got shifted from ghihways to residential areas in and around the city, sparking protests by locals.

The shifting of these shops began after the Supreme Court banned them within 500 of highways in December last year.

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A proposal for providing land to the North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) to set up a waste to energy plant at Tikri Khampur is being considered by the Delhi government, an official said today.

The Development Department of the Delhi government has a land at Tikri Khampur where a vegetable wholesale market is proposed to be developed.

The department is considering to hand over a portion of that land to the municipal corporation where a waste to energy plant can be built, a senior government official said.

According to sources, a meeting was called by Development Minister Gopal Rai in the matter today.

If the proposal is accepted and the land is provided to the civic body, the waste to energy plant will also be used to treat garbage from the vegetable wholesale market.

Areas under three municipal corporations in Delhi generate around 10,000 MT of garbage daily that is dumped on three landfill sites that have already crossed their permissible heights.

On September 1, a day after torrential rains lashed Delhi, a portion of the waste dump in Ghazipur, estimated to be as high as a 15-storey building, slumped over a car and three two-wheelers, pushing the vehicles off the road and into a canal. Two persons were killed in the incident.

Following the incident, the Delhi Lt Governor's office said garbage dumping in east Delhi's Ghazipur landfill site has been banned with immediate effect and it is likely to be cleared within two years.

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A Taiwanese rights activist being held in China will soon face trial after being held incommunicado for more than 170 days, according to his wife, in a case that has deepened cross-strait tensions.

NGO worker Lee Ming-cheh went missing during a visit to the mainland in March and Chinese authorities later confirmed he was being investigated for suspected activities "endangering national security".

Lee's wife Lee Ching-yu said she had received a call from a man claiming to be her husband's lawyer yesterday telling her his trial was imminent.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office confirmed there would be a trial in Yueyang city in China's southern Hunan province, without specifying a date, according to local media.

Beijing has repeatedly ignored Taipei's requests for an explanation of Lee's whereabouts and specifics of the allegations against him.

Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May last year and Beijing has cut off all official communication with Taipei.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified and wants Tsai to acknowledge the island is part of "One China", which she has refused to do.

Lee Ching-yu said in a statement that the man who called her asked her to go to China immediately because her husband's trial was about to start.

She added that until she spoke to her husband she would not accept he had made any confession to Chinese authorities.

Despite the likelihood he would soon be jailed, Lee said she considered the possibility of seeing her husband "a ray of hope" and would apply for travel documents Thursday.

She attempted to fly to Beijing in April in a bid to "rescue" her husband, but Chinese authorities revoked her travel permit, preventing her from making the trip.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council yesterday urged China to give Lee the necessary travel documents and to guarantee her personal safety.

"The actions so far by the mainland have only continued to deepen the suspicion Taiwanese people have towards China," it said in a statement.

Lee's campaign for support for her husband has gained international attention.

She was planning to meet with the United Nations Human Rights Commission this month in Geneva.

In May she also testified at a congressional hearing in the United States on detained activists in China.

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Vehicular traffic between Dhanbad and Ranchi was suspended following a massive subsidence on NH 32 and emission of poisonous gas near Godhar in Kenduadih area of Dhanbad this morning.

The official said subsidence occurred in around 300 feet area and was around 40 metre deep. A pit of around 15 feet circumference also appeared on the side of NH-32 and damaged over a dozen houses.

Dhanbad sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Rakesh Kumar and deputy superintendent of police Naval Sharma reached the spot and suspended vehicular traffic movement on the highway immediately as a precaution.

"Subsidence has damaged the road, which crosses thorough affected by underground mines fire. So traffic has been suspended till it is repaired as there is danger of road subsidence due to movement of heavy vehicle," Kumar said.

The SDM along with the general manager of Kaunda area of Bharat Coking Coal Limited (BCCL), J P Gupta launched the operation to evacuate 11 families of Kurmidih Basti who were affected by the subsidence.

A man and his son were buried alive in subsidence at Indira Chawk at Jharia on May 24.

Kurmidih Basti is already declared dangerous due to underground fire. Last year BCCL had served the residents evacuation notice but residents had refused to abide by it.

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Sidelined AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief T T V Dhinakaran today urged Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to act on the plea of his loyalist MLAs seeking ouster of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and their demand for a floor test in the Assembly.

On a day of fast-paced developments, Dhinakaran's loyalist MLA S K T Jakkaiyan switched to the Palaniswami camp which was dubbed by the deputy chief as being due to the "intimidation and lure" of the ruling camp.

However, in what is considered a shot in the arm for the sidelined camp, legislator S Karunas of Mukkulathor Pulipadai, pledged his support to Dhinakaran.

With this two developments, the total number of MLAs supporting Dhinakaran remained at 21.

While indicating that he does not want the government to be toppled, Dhinakaran demanded removal of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam.

"It is evident that he (Palaniswami) has no majority. Therefore he should be asked (by the Governor) to prove majority," he said.

Speaking to reporters outside his residence after meeting the governor at the Raj Bhavan along with his loyalist MPs, and MLAs, he said they urged Rao to direct Palaniswami to prove his majority.

They also sought action on the MLAs' representation to the governor, seeking the chief minister's ouster, Dhinakaran said, adding, "For us the chief minister and his deputy should be removed. The governor has assured us that he will take a good decision."



To a question on Jakkaiyan switching camps, he said, "Horse trading is on and this should not be allowed to continue,"



Dhinakaran said it was only due to such situations that his loyalist MLAs were staying at neighbouring Puducherry.

He said that he has apprised the governor that what was now happening was not an "intra-party affair" and that a recent legislators' meet chaired by Palaniswami had showed he "does not have" the requisite majority.

Dhinakaran claimed that the Palaniswami camp themselves had accepted that they do not have a majority and as such the governor should not delay a floor test.

On Jakkaiyan issue, he said the MLA had contacted him this morning and suggested he was being intimidated, and asked him what should be done.

"I told him that you go (to CM camp) if you want and we will take a decision at the right time. It is natural that some will be bogged down by such intimidation, but not all," Dhinakaran said and claimed that even yesterday Jakkaiyan had sought posts like party headquarters secretary and presidium chairman.

Jakkaiayan, later told reporters that there was no pressure on him to join the Palaniswami camp and that he did so of his own free will.

Harping on his "sleeper cell MLAs" usage (a claim to refer his loyalist MLAs with Palaniswami camp), Dhinakaran said bringing down Palaniswami and Panneerselvam from the reigns of power was his camp's sole idea.

"If one MLA goes, two more will come to us, our sleeper cell legislators will come out," he said, adding that three MLAs (Karunas, Rathinasabapathy, Kalaiselvan) have pledged their support to him.

Asked about the perception that the BJP was calling the shots in the entire episode, Dhinakaran refused to blame the saffron party and quipped, "When our men have turned betrayers, how can I blame others?"



He said whoever supported the Palaniswami rule cannot go to the people for votes.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told mediapersons here that Palaniswami should tender his resignation in view of Dhinakaran loyalists withdrawing their support.

Jakkaiyan, on his part, said "I desire that Palaniswami should continue as the chief minister".

Asserting that Jayalalithaa had ushered in the government through sheer hard work, he said his contribution should also be there for the continuance of the government.

Jakkaiyan said the "differences was only an intra-party affair," and added that the situation should not be allowed to turn in favour of the DMK.

Rajya Sabha MP A Navaneethakrishnan, who was a part of the delegation who met the governor, told PTI that they have apprised Rao of those who moved the Supreme Court against the February 18 trust vote.

He said, the governor was informed that they were now a part of the government and that it was a 'constitutional impropriety'.

The parliamentarian was apparently referring to K Pandiarajan, a loyalist of Panneerselvam and now a minister moving the apex court against the trust vote won by Palaniswami.

The chief minister and Dhinakaran have been at loggerheads as ever since the merger the unified AIADMK had declared that the latter had been removed from the deputy general secretary post on August 10 and questioned his authority to make changes in the party set up.

In the 234-member house, the AIADMK has a strength of 135, including the Speaker. The opposition has a total strength of 98, including 89 of the DMK, eight of Congress and an IUML member.

The R K Nagar constituency, wich was represented by Jayalalithaa, is vacant since her death.

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German Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to end Turkey's EU membership talks met resistance today from many of her European partners, who warned against hasty action against a crucial ally.

Merkel said during an election debate on Sunday that she would ask the EU to terminate Turkey's accession talks, in a sharp escalation of an already bitter diplomatic spat.

A crackdown in Turkey in the wake of a failed coup last year has soured relations with the EU, and last week European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker warned Ankara was "withdrawing from Europe by giant steps".

But today, Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, whose country holds the bloc's rotating presidency, said no decision would be made on the matter before a commission assessment of Turkey's bid, expected early next year.

"I do not expect the European Union to make any decisions in that regard during this year," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn, Estonia's capital.

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pursued a purge of opponents since the coup in which which more than 50,000 people have been arrested and almost three times that number have lost their jobs, including teachers, judges, soldiers and police officers.

A dozen German journalists and activists have also been arrested, fraying relations with Berlin yet further.

In December, EU member states agreed that no new accession chapters would be opened until Ankara reversed course, but Turkey remains an important player for Europe on a number of key issues, not least the migrant crisis.

French President Emmanuel Macron told the Greek newspaper Kathimerini today he wanted to "avoid a rupture" with Turkey, which he called an "essential partner".

Echoing this measured tone, Mikser said the EU should "tread very carefully" with Turkey, which is also an important member of NATO.

Most EU member states are also part of NATO.

"While discussing Turkey's status as a candidate country we should also discuss the future relationship in all its aspects, and not make any hasty decisions without looking at these things comprehensively," Mikser said.

Lithuania's Linas Linkevicius gave an even more emphatic response, barking "No! No! No!" when asked if accession talks should be ended.

And Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini added his voice to the calls for calm, saying dialogue was more useful than cutting ties.

"We know that there is problems with human rights in Turkey, but I am not in favour to cut the negotiations, because I think if we don't talk with each other this is not a very constructive way to go forward," he said.

The EU and Turkey last year signed a deal which has helped stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Greece.

Ankara has threatened to rescind the pact at times when tensions have flared with Brussels over concerns of human rights abuses.

Turkey began formal membership talks in 2005 after years of resistance from some EU members such as France, which were wary of admitting a largely Muslim country.

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A major cyberattack targets European Union military structures, with hackers using social media and "fake news" to spread confusion, and governments are left scrambling to respond as the crisis escalates.

This was the scenario facing a gathering of EU defence ministers in Tallinn today as they undertook a exercise simulating a cyber assault on the bloc -- the first mock drill of its kind at such a senior level in Europe.

With countries around the world heavily reliant on computers for everything from defence systems to hospital equipment to critical infrastructure such as power stations, the cybersphere is seen as the next major theatre for conflict.

NATO now considers cyberspace to be a conflict domain alongside that of air, sea and land.

Alliance chief Jens Stoltenberg, who attended the exercise in Tallinn, said NATO had seen a 60 percent increase in cyber attacks on its networks over the last year.

In Tuesday's exercise, the 28 EU defence ministers were presented with an escalating crisis during an operation in the Mediterranean Sea similar to the current Sophia naval mission against people-smuggling networks.

"First a drone went down after a problem with the server at the military headquarters, then another drone was intercepted and then a more serious threat with a worm (computer virus)... And then more serious still with the loss of communications with our ships in the Mediterranean," Belgian Defence Minister Steven Vandeput explained.

The ministers were given tablet computers to answer multiple choice questions about how to respond to each fresh development.

"We are not creating programmers from the ministers but we want them to understand that these quickly developing situations could demand quick political decisions -- that's the idea of the exercise," Estonian Defence Minister Juri Luik said.

Estonian officials said the aim was to improve ministers' understanding of the kinds of target that could be hit by a cyberattack, the effects such an attack could have and how they could respond -- as well as the need for clear, coordinated communication with the public on what can be a complex issue.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said the two-hour exercise was "extremely exciting".

"The adversary is very, very difficult to identify. The attack is silent, invisible... It is cost-effective for the adversary because he does not need an army, but only a computer with internet connection," she said.

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The special flights carrying Haj pilgrims from Jeddah to Srinagar were cancelled this evening after getting delayed at New Delhi, leading to protests by their families.

The flights, operated by Air India, were cancelled after the first one was denied permission by the DGCA to land at the Srinagar airport, officials at the airport said.

The flights were scheduled to arrive with two batches of pilgrims from Jeddah as the arrival of pilgrims after the culmination of annual holy pilgrimage started today.

However, both were delayed at the New Delhi airport. When one flight finally took off from the capital, it was asked to return mid-air from over Kulgam in south Kashmir, the officials said.

An official of the airline said the flight returned to New Delhi because "the DGCA denied permission to land".

He said the airline is making arrangements for the pilgrims to reach Srinagar tomorrow.

When the waiting family members of the pilgrims at the airport were told that the flights were cancelled, they started protesting. The police had to resort to lathi-charge to disperse them, airport officials said.

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The country's rapidly growing food processing sector can reduce crops wastage and help farmers to get right price for their produce, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said today.

Besides, this sector provides immense business opportunities to the countries that are looking to invest in India, the food processing minister said.

Our aim is to save our crops from wastage. In case of over-production of crops, sometimes farmers are compelled to throw it if better prices are not offered. During over- production they can process it and keep it or come out with a product of their own. For example, they can process tomatoes and pack it and sell later on, she told reporters on the sidelines of FICCI event here.

Similarly, onion can be processed and packed and sold later on. In this way, our crops can be saved from getting wasted and farmers will get better prices for their produce, she added.

The minister further said this is also good from consumers point of view as processing of crops can check the price rise.

The sector provides immense opportunities and investors from all over the world are welcome to invest in the country, Badal said.

To promote this industry the prime minister had approved Rs 6,000 crore central scheme 'SAMPADA'. Under the scheme, she said, the money will be used to create infrastructure which will help in generating an investment of Rs 31,400 crore and is expected to benefit 20 lakh farmers and create about 5 lakh direct and indirect employment.

"We are sanctioning funds so that if a farmer wants to set up a cold storage or process crop...The person can do so. This way, he can get himself linked with market," she said.

"We are the fastest growing economy, so no country can ignore us. The economy is growing rapidly anyone related with retail industry is welcome to invest in the sector," Badal said.

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Union Minister of State for Food Processing Industries, Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti today said that the food processing industry will have to grow if we want to achieve the aim to increase the farmers' income.

"If we have to increase farmers' income, we will have to work in the area of food processing. Otherwise we cannot double farmers' income," said Sadhvi Jyoti, who was here to inaugurate a food processing summit organised by the industry body ASSOCHAM.

She said her ministry has worked extensively in the direction of encouraging food processing industry including providing subsidies for setting up cold chains and food parks.

Her government also encouraged small investors to come forward to set up food parks in smaller areas, she said.

Hundred per cent FDI in food processing was also in the direction to ensure that farmers get right price for their produce, she said.

The minister, however, spoke against the use of excessive fertilisers to increase farmers' output.

She said excessive use of fertilisers has adversely affected the quality of soil, with some farmers in Punjab turning to traditional mode of using cow dung for fertilisers.

"To increase farmers' income, agricultural output should be good...In the past we used excessive fertiliser to increase output, without considering its (adverse) affect on agricultural land. I can see many land turned infertile due to excessive use of fertilisers," she said.

"Today a host of diseases like cancer, blood pressure, sugar are caused due to the use of fertilisers. In Punjab, which was the first to use fertilisers, farmers are using cow dung," she said.

"We should keep our land quality in mind. Our government, agriculture ministry are working in this direction. Which is why our agriculture ministry is working towards testing soil for its optimum use," she said.

She said her ministry is hosting an international food processing summit between November 3 and 5, which will be the first international summit of its kind in India.

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French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said today that four people were confirmed dead on the Caribbean island of St Martin, lowering a previous toll of eight deaths given by local rescue officials.

Philippe said around 50 people were injured, including two seriously, on St Martin and the nearby smaller island of St Barthelemy.

He said officials were in the process of identifying the four dead, adding that no deaths were reported from St Barthelemy.

On St Martin, 60 percent of homes have been damaged so badly that they are uninhabitable, said Philippe, describing the disaster as "unimaginable and unprecedented".

Power is cut across St Martin as well as supplies of potable water and petrol, he said. Roads are either partly or totally impassable, he added.

However, the harbour and airport are back in use.

"The work will be long, emotions will run deep and the sadness will be great," he said.

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the rare Category 5 hurricane started its deadly rampage on Wednesday when it made landfall in Barbuda to the southeast.

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French defence minister Florence Parly today condemned a major upcoming Russian military exercise on the borders of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".

The "Zapad 2017" exercise which Russia will hold from next week in Belarus and its western exclave of Kaliningrad has caused alarm in the Baltic states and Poland and drawn criticism from the US and NATO for a lack of transparency.

Parly, speaking at a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn, said it was clear Moscow was pursuing a "deliberate, intentional" strategy of showing off its military might.

"It is particularly important in this context that we reaffirm our presence in the face of this expression and this demonstration the Russians are making which is a strategy of intimidation -- we must not hide that fact," she said.

Russia has said the exercises will involve about 12,700 Russian and Belarusian troops and are "purely defensive" in nature -- an assessment rejected by many Western observers.

German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said it was clear that Zapad was in fact about showing off Russian force.

"It is undisputed that we see a demonstration of capabilities and power of the Russians. Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the high numbers of the participating forces in the Zapad exercise: more than 100,000."



To counter growing Russian assertiveness in recent years, particularly since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO has stationed about 4,000 troops in the three Baltic countries and Poland.

Parly said the deployment sent a clear signal that the Baltic states and Poland were covered by the NATO alliance.

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Investigators from the IG-headed SIT on Thursday pored over the CCTV footage of the scene of murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh for clues in the hunt for the killers even as her family spoke against giving "political colour" to the incident.

The brother and sister of 55-year-old Gauri, who was gunned down at her home on Bengaluru on Tuesday night, also appeared divided on the probe with the former saying he would approach the CBI or a court if they don't get justice from investigations by the SIT.

As outrage across the country over the murder grew, Union minister Ramdas Athawale demanded that the killers be immediately arrested and hanged. He also said there was no need for levelling political allegations over the incident.

The Karnataka government on its part said it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible."



Protest rallies and candlelight vigils were also held for the second day today in several cities. "We need a CBI probe into the murder," said a student protester in Kolkata.

The Karnataka government yesterday announced the formation of a 21-member Special Investigation Team(SIT) headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh to probe the killing that has led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum. "SIT members have started their investigation into the case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here.

Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "the duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public."



He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV fixed at the location where Lankesh was gunned down. The SIT personnel also searched for clues at the murder scene. Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe, Reddy said, "who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it."



Gauri, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borneassailants sprayed bullets at close range with two hitting her in the chestand one on her forehead, police had said.

As a political slugfest erupted on the killing, her family today made a plea against giving political colour. The family also said the probe should look into all angles behind Gauri's killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about possible Naxal hand other than suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life. "I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice for a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his other sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters here.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it. "What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said.

"Please don't take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please don't colour this with political angle."



While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time.

Indrajit said, "we don't know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we don't get justice I will give memorandum to CBI or retired judge (for inquiry), because we want justice."



On whether they will ask for a CBI probe only on not getting justice from SIT or immediately demand for probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI."



Immediately intervening, Indrajit said "according to me it's not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we don't get justice, I personally- I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it- I will go to CBI." When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to SIT before going to CBI independently, Indrajit said, "what we want is justice for our sister and family."



He said "at the end of it, it is not about going to CBI or special judge or SIT, it is about getting justice, for that I'm ready to anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister."



He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed.

Indrajit said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone. Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies.

"Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites or any other angle, it has to be probed," he said, adding that because she was rehabilitating them (Naxals), if there was any differences, it has to be probed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the government had an "open mind" on a CBI probe.

He said he had met Gauri's mother, brother and sister and that they had not insisted on CBI probe.
The government, which wants to ban e-cigarettes, is in a dilemma over the legal provisions it will have to use to stub out the electronic smoking alternative, known to have health risks.

The government is faced with a conundrum: whether to ban e-cigarettes under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, or the Poisons Act 1919.

"COTPA doesn't have a provision to ban. Under various sections of the Act, tobacco products can only be regulated. However, there is a provision under the Act to prohibit any item which imitates cigarettes," said a senior health ministry official.

Some states including Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Karnataka, and Jammu and Kashmir have already banned e-cigarettes as an unapproved drug.

While all of them have banned it under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, some have added the Poisons Act, 1919.

"Nicotine has been declared as a lethal and hazardous substance under the Environment (Protection) Act and Insecticide Act.

"Its only permitted use for human consumption is upto the level of 2 mg in the form of chewing gum or lozenges under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act," said Arun Kumar Jha, Economic Advisor to the Union health ministry.

Earlier, three sub-committees formed to examine the legal, advocacy and health aspects of e-cigarettes had strongly recommended ban on them stating they have cancer- causing properties.

"The sub-committee to examine the legal aspects of the issue held another round of meeting on Tuesday and discussed the various modalities for taking stern action against electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)," Jha said.

An e-cigarette or an ENDS is a smoking battery-powered device that uses liquid nicotine, propylene glycol, water, glycerin and flavour to produce a sense of smoking a real cigarette for the user.

"Though companies claim that e-cigarettes help give up smoking, but in reality they help initiate cigarette smoking as they deliver nicotine in an attractive way and attract youth," Jha said.

According to a WHO report, e-cigarettes emit nicotine, the addictive component in tobacco products.

Experts say e-cigarettes contain liquid nicotine, which is not a registered drug in India.

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The government is making concerted effort to improve farmers' situation and has launched several programmes to double their income by 2022, Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said today.

He said the farmers have made the country self-sufficient in foodgrain production but their situation is bad even today.

Speaking at commodity exchange NCDEX's award function, Paswan thanked farmers for record production of pulses in the 2016-17 crop year but said farmers were not getting the right price for their produce.

"Farmers are the backbone of the country. Manufacturers can decide price for their products, but farmers cannot. Farmers are not able to recover cost of production. Therefore, our government is making full effort to improve the lives of farmers," Paswan said.

He said the government had launched number of programmes like crop insurance scheme, soil health card, irrigation schemes and linking to mandis on electronic platform to double farmers' income by 2022.

Farmers in many states including Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra are in distress because of low sales realisation on bumper production. Tamil Nadu farmers are affected due to deficient rains.

Paswan also drew attention towards uproar over increase in prices of farm items and said there is no hue and cry when rates of non-food products rise.

The minister said the government is providing highly subsidised foodgrains to 81 crore people in the country under the National Food Security Act.

Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Arjun Ram Meghwal said there was a need for intervention from sowing to marketing to achieve the target of doubling farmers' income.

He said the government would use smart technologies to assess the crop damage and provide claims to farmers on time.

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Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today accepted a cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government for flood relief, bringing back the memories of 2010 when he had returned a donation from the then chief minister Narendra Modi, creating a deep divide between the two leaders.

Kumar had also cancelled a dinner for top BJP leaders, who were in the Bihar capital for a meeting of the party's national executive, as he felt slighted by posters that were plastered across the city thanking Modi for the assistance. The posters showed Modi and him together.

Today, when Kumar is back in the NDA after a hiatus of little over four year, Gujarat Revenue, Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama handed over the cheque to him for relief work in the flood-ravaged state.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi accompanied the Gujarat minister to Kumar's 1, Anne Marg, residence where the cheque was handed over to him.

An official statement said the Bihar chief minister thanked and appreciated the Gujarat government for its donation to the chief minister's relief fund.

"In the time of calamity everybody should display sensitivity and extend a helping hand to the victims," Kumar was quoted as having said.

Today's event rekindled the 2010 fiasco when Kumar had returned the Rs 5 crore cheque from Modi, taking umbrage at the posters, which he felt slighted Bihar.

The incident created a rift in the relationship between the two leaders though their parties together ran a coalition government in Bihar for three more years before Kumar goaded the JD(U) leadership to break the alliance with BJP on June 16, 2013, after Modi was appointed the saffron party's campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The two estranged leaders forged a friendship once again in July this year when Kumar resigned as chief minister and walked out of the 3-party JD(U)-RJD-Congress 'Grand Alliance' over corruption charges against his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and BJP decided to extend support to him.

Chudasama tried to downplay the past controversy.

"Time is mighty and changes very fast...That was 2010 and today it is 2017," he told reporters after handing over the cheque.

Asked why the Gujarat government had contributed identical amount it had extended for flood relief in 2010, Chudasama said all BJP state governments were contributing Rs 5 crore for Bihar floods.

Sushil Kumar Modi, who was the deputy chief minister also in 2010, tried to play down the controversy, saying "Much water has flown down the Ganges."



He said the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has already donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief and cheques from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana were likely to arrive soon.

Rival RJD attacked Kumar on the issue.

"Listening to which internal voice (antaratma ki awaaz), Nitish Kumar had returned the cheque for Rs 5 crore in 2010," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, son of party chief Lalu Prasad, tweeted in Hindi.

"Today, when he received another cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government, how helpless, weak and broken Nitishji must be feeling," Tejashwi, now the leader of the opposition, said in another tweet.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar joined issue with Tejashwi, saying the party had 80 MLAs who should come out and help the flood victims.

"You have abundant wealth which the Enforcement Directorate is seizing. Donate some of it to the victims of floods," he said.

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The Madras High Court today directed the Tamil Nadu Assembly's privileges committee not to pass orders on notices issued to 21 DMK MLAs, including Leader of the Opposition M K Stalin, for carrying banned gutkha packets into the House in July, until a further directive from it.

Justice M Duraiswamy gave the order after recording the submission of Advocate General Vijay Narayan that no orders would be passed on the committee's notices to the MLAs.

The judge adjourned the matter to September 14 for arguments on maintainability of petitions by the MLAs.

Stalin and 20 other DMK MLAs had moved the court after the committee issued notices to them for bringing the banned gutkha (a mix of chewable tobacco and betel nut) sachets into the House.

While referring to the letter sent by the DMK legislators seeking time to submit their reply, the AG said, "Let them first file their reply as sought for by them" and also submitted that he would advise the committee to adjourn the proceedings till the maintainability of their petitions was decided by the court.

The MLAs had sent a request seeking additional time till September 12 to file a reply to the notices.

Senior counsel Kapil Sibal, who appeared on behalf of Stalin, submitted that there was no ban on possessing and consuming gutkha



"The notification issued on March 23, 2017bans only manufacturing, storage, transport and sale of gutkha but not possession and consumption of the same."



"Bringing gutkha to the House cannot be treated as a privilege issue. Even if there is rule it never amounts to breach of privilege," he said.

Sibal also made a reference to the gutkha scam, in which he alleged that ministers, secretaries, DGP and other top officials were involved.

"Gutkha was brought to the House to show that even after the ban, it was still available," he said.

Further, Sibal alleged though the gutkha scam came to light in 2016, no action was taken on the issue. But a privilege notice was issued to the DMK MLAs when a letter was addressed to the Governor seeking a floor test in the House.

He contended that this was malafide.

He submitted that the circumstance and the time of issuance of the notice was only to prevent DMK members from participating in a floor test that was likely to be conducted in the Assembly.

The privileges committee, headed by Deputy Speaker Pollachi V Jayaraman, had on August 28 issued notice to Stalin and 20 other DMK MLAs for having brought gutkha packets to the House in July.

On July 19,DMK MLAs led by Stalin had created a furore in the Assembly when they held up gutkha sachets, prompting Speaker P Dhanapal to refer their action to the Privileges Committee.

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The Bombay High Court today came down heavily on the Maharashtra government and the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) for dragging feet on finalising a site to set up a second Doppler radar in the city for more accurate weather prediction.

A bench of Chief Justice Manjula Chellur and Justice N M Jamdar summoned the Advocate General and the Additional Solicitor General on the next date of hearing to explain the delay.

Referring to the flooding in the city on August 29 following torrential rains, the bench said the authorities must take "immediate steps" to avoid similar incidents in the future.

"This is a serious issue. Every year the city faces flooding in the monsoons. We had warned you in the previous hearings that something like this would happen if you don't take any action," the bench said.

The observations came after the BMC's counsel Anil Sakhre told the court that while a site had been identified for the Doppler radar, lack of agreement on the lease amount for the land was causing delay.

"We have agreed to hand over the site to the Indian Meteorological Department. Now it is for the state and IMD to sort out the issue of rent for the land, allotment premium, etc," Sakhre said.

The court was hearing a Public Interest Litigation filed in 2015 by advocate Atal Dubey after heavy rains on a day in June that year led to the city being inundated and the rail services getting paralysed.

The PIL led to several court orders, including a direction to install a second Doppler radar in Mumbai.

Dopplers are modern weather radars that help predict potentially severe weather conditions more accurately.

Mumbai currently has one Doppler radar installed in the Navy Nagar area in Colaba.

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A leading human rights organisation has called for prompt investigation into the killing of outspoken Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying the "possibility" that it is a "politically motivated" shooting needs to be fully probed.

Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The Human Rights Watch said Indian authorities should promptly act on the announced investigation into the killing by unidentified gunmen of Lankesh, an "outspoken journalist" who "campaigned for democracy, secularism, and civil liberties" and was a vocal critic of the Hindu nationalism.

"The motives for Gauri Lankesh's killing are not yet known, but the possibility of a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly investigated," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"Authorities in India need both to bring Lankesh's killers to justice and to protect media freedom and the right to free expression," she added.

Lankesh was the publisher and editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly.

Witnesses reported that she was fatally shot outside her home. Police said that the gunmen on motorbikes fired seven bullets at Lankesh as she was walking into her home from the front gate after returning from work. The gunmen escaped.

"Indian artists and writers have previously launched powerful campaigns to protest assaults on free expression, including by returning their national awards, leading to a country-wide conversation on intolerance," Ganguly said.

"People have the right to pursue their own brand of faith and patriotism, but the government should ensure that these are not forced upon others through threats and violence," she added.

Karnataka's state government has announced that a Special Investigative Team headed by an inspector general of police would investigate the killing.

It added that the police have secured footage from closed circuit television installed in Lankesh's home. The state government should ensure that the investigation is carried out in an impartial, time-bound manner, Human Rights Watch said.

In a May 2016 report, Human Rights Watch documented ways in which overbroad or vaguely worded criminal laws, including criminal defamation, are used to stifle political dissent and harass journalists.

The group voiced concern that Indian authorities have yet to properly prosecute those responsible for the killings of other writers and activists Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and M M Kalburgi.

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The French part of the Caribbean island St Martin is "95 percent destroyed" after Hurricane Irma tore through the region, top local official Daniel Gibbs has said.

"It's an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I'm in shock. It's frightening," said Gibbs, a former French lawmaker, speaking on Radio Caribbean International yesterday.

The island is in need of emergency assistance, he said. "I have sick people to evacuate, I have a population to evacuate because I don't know where I can shelter them," he said.

At least six people have been killed in the French part of St Martin, Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire said.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, cut a deadly swath through a string of small Caribbean islands yesterday.

The French minister for overseas affairs, Annick Girardin, was to fly to Guadeloupe late yesterday with emergency teams and supplies to assess the situation, the ministry said.

"It's too soon for casualty figures (but) I can already tell you the toll will be harsh and cruel," French President Macron said, adding that he expected damage on St Barts and St Martin to be "considerable".

St Martin ("Sint Maarten" in Dutch), located south of the island of Anguilla, is divided between the Netherlands and France.

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Fearsome Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track today that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.

The most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever, Irma weakened only slightly today morning and remained a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the US National Hurricane Center.

The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said it could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina.

"This could easily be the most costly storm in US history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, alluding to the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told France Info radio that eight had died and 23 injured in the country's Caribbean island territories, and he said the toll on Saint- Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands. "The reconnaissance will really start at daybreak," Collomb said.

At a conference, Collomb also said 100,000 food rations have been sent to the islands, the equivalent of four days of supplies.

"It's a tragedy, we'll need to rebuild both islands," he said. "Most of the schools have been destroyed."



French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he will go to the islands has soon as weather conditions permit.

In the United Kingdom, the government said Irma inflicted "severe and in places critical" damage to the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said the Caribbean island took the full force of the hurricane.

He told lawmakers today that the British Virgin islands have also suffered "severe damage."



Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, raking the US territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea, and it headed early today toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

To the east, authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands devastated by the storm's record 185 mph (298 kph) winds. Communications were difficult with areas hit by Irma, and information on damage trickled out.

Nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early yesterday and about 60 per cent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press.

"It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP.

One death also was reported in the nearby island of Anguilla, where officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and school and said 90 percent of roads are impassible, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

The agency also reported "major damage" to houses and commercial buildings in the British Virgin Islands.

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The Gujarat High Court today pulled up Vadodara Municipal Corporation (VMC) Commissioner Vinod Rao over a message sent on WhatsApp to Justice R H Shukla, saying judiciary is not a social circle.

The court of Justice R H Shukla, hearing a petition filed by a group of traders after the VMC demolished a building in which they had their shops, took a strong exception to the message that Rao sent to him, and asked why contempt proceedings should not be initiated against him.

The court observed that the action of Rao, who was today present before it on its order, was unbecoming a senior officer as it hurt the sanctity of judiciary.

It said that Rao, being a senior government officer and a public servant, should not behave like a dictator as his action amounts to intervention in judiciary proceedings.

Rao apologised before the court for his action. The court then sought an unconditional apology from him in writing. It directed Rao to again appear before it on Monday and submit it in writing.

The court, however, did not reveal the content of the message sent by Rao.

A group of around ten traders had moved the high court against the VMC for initiating demolition of buildings near Vadodara railway station on the ground that they were in dilapidated condition.

The court had stayed the demolition and further hearing was underway.

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The Gorkhaland Liberation Army (GLA) today claimed responsibility for the IED explosion which occurred near the gate of the PWD bungalow in Darjeeling's Mirik sub-division last night.

GLA posters too surfaced for the first time today in the hills since the indefinite shutdown was announced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

The shutdown over the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland entered its 85th day today.

The blast occurred last night, two days after shops and markets opened in the Mirik and Kurseong sub-divisions. A few shops in Mirik were opened in the morning, but they downed shutters by afternoon.

Subsequently, the GLA claimed responsibility for the blast and warned of an "armed struggle" if the political parties settled for "anything less than Gorkhaland".

Posters of GLA saying "Gorkhaland Birodhi Hoshiyar" (Those opposed to Gorkhaland, be careful) were pasted on houses and shops at Mirik.

The GLA, the posters said, could go to "any extent" to achieve its "dream" of a separate state and claimed that the outfit was not affiliated to any political party.

"We will spare no traitors, be it the GNLF, JAP, TMC or GJM. We will be forced to bomb the house of any politician who attempts to compromise on Gorkhaland," the posters said.

"The posters were hand-written in Nepalese. They claimed that the GLA was responsible for last night's blast in Mirik. We are looking into the matter," Inspector General of Police, Darjeeling range, Manoj Verma, told PTI.

Meanwhile, absconding GJM supremo Bimal Gurung today released an audio clip from an undisclosed location.

"The GJM will not take part in the September 12 talks with the state government if the issue of Gorkhaland is not discussed. We have already sent a delegation to Delhi to talk to the Union home minister regarding our demands," he said in the audio clip.

The search operation to trace Gurung, against whom cases have been lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), continued in the Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas.

An arrest warrant was yesterday issued by the Darjeeling chief judicial magistrate against the GJM chief and seven others for their alleged involvement in violence and arson in Darjeeling on June 8.

Peace rallies were taken out at certain parts of the hills during the day, but they failed to convince the shopkeepers to open their shops and business establishments.

Picketing by GJM supporters was strengthened in some areas and posters and leaflets were distributed in support of the strike.

Internet services remained suspended in the hills since June 18.

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The United Nations' body on food and agriculture IFAD said it will invest over USD 75 million to mitigate drought in Andhra Pradesh.

The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of India have signed an agreement today to improve incomes and strengthen drought resilience for 1,65,000 farming households in five driest districts in Andhra Pradesh, the IFAD said in a statement.

Total cost of the project is USD 148.8 million and IFAD will invest USD 75.5 million into this.

"The project aims to build small-holder farmers' adaptive capacity to drought. It will also help farmers shift to more diversified yet profitable cropping systems which require less water," IFAD Country Director and Representative Rasha Omar said.

It will also help to diversify income and food sources of farmers by integrating small ruminants into farm production systems, Omar added.

Southern region of Andhra Pradesh is one of most vulnerable areas in India due to changes in climate patterns.

Rainfall here is low and unreliable coupled with frequent droughts, soil have low water-holding capacity and groundwater is depleted.

"In the past, farmers have not had access to the information and techniques that would help them adapt to changing weather conditions and secure food for their households throughout the year," the IFAD said.

The UN body said this project will help farmers in the region in producing drought-tolerant crop varieties, as well as help them manage soil fertility and moisture and access weather information.

Farmers will also be taught about harvesting and storing rainwater, rangelands management to prevent overgrazing, and backyard poultry-raising.

The project area will include Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool (in the Rayalaseema region) and Prakasam.

IFAD has financed 28 rural development programmes and projects in India since 1979, with a total IFAD investment of USD 1 billion or USD 2.75 billion with co-funding from the Indian government and others are included.

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Indian Institute of Management Calcutta has signed MoUs with Florida International University and Paris School of Business for student exchange programme.

"We have recently signed MoUs with Florida International University from USA and Paris School of Business from France as part of STEP (student exchange programme) to enable our students learn how to work in teams composed of people from different nationalities and also pick up the nuances of different cultures," an IIM-C spokesperson said today.

The orientation session for STEP for the academic year 2017- 2018 was held at the campus recently,



"In today's world, it is essential that managers adjust and adapt quickly to diverse situations and be flexible enough to work with teams spread across the globe. A reasonable familiarity with foreign culture and etiquette gains considerable importance in such an environment," Professor Biju Paul Abraham, Dean (Academic), IIM Calcutta, said.

"We aim to make each one of our graduating students adept at dealing with an increasingly globalised world," he said.

The IIM-C already have exchange programme with four partner schools including Frankfurt School of Finance & Management.

The number of incoming students for STEP for the academic year 2017-2018 has been 71, from last 64 in the last academic year.

The number of outgoing students from the institute for the academic year 2017-2018 is 115 while the figure was 92 in the academic year 2016-2017.

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The IMF should show "good faith" and avoid making excessive demands of Greece should it choose to participate in the Greek rescue programme's remaining 11 months, French President Emmanuel Macron said today.

"The IMF's position should be in good faith and without added requirements," Macron said at the start of a two-day official visit to Greece.

Greece's third rescue programme, currently financially supported by EU states alone, runs to August 2018.

The IMF has said it will only contribute funds to the programme if EU creditors take further steps to lighten Greece's debt load, which has yet to happen over strenuous objections by Germany.

Macron on Wednesday bemoaned that the EU had to turn to outside assistance in the first place to rescue Greece in 2010, noting that this reflected a "lack of confidence" between European member states and institutions.

"I don't think that having the IMF supervise European programmes is a good method... The credibility and sovereignty of Europe justified doing things differently," Macron said.

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The Telangana Congress today demanded that 'Rs 4,000 per acre' scheme should be implemented through district administration and not by ruling TRS workers.

The Telangana government had recently announced a scheme under which Rs 4,000 per acre as input subsidy would be provided to farmers.

Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) President N Uttam Kumar Reddy also demanded that the state government immediately withdraw Government Order pertaining to formation of farmers' committees (Rythu Samanvaya Samithis) at various levels.

Addressing a press conference at Gandhi Bhavan, here, Reddy alleged that Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao intends to accommodate TRS workers in the proposed committees through backdoor so as to enable them misuse public funds for political gains in the next elections.

He said the scheme announced recently by KCR under which Rs 4,000 per acre as input subsidy would be provided to farmers, was an election gimmick which KCR wants to implement through TRS workers.

"This is completely unacceptable and Congress will oppose it tooth and nail," he said.

However, he clarified that the Congress party was not against giving Rs 4,000 input subsidy to farmers. But he said it should be distributed through district administration.

According to him, the government order lacks required sanctity and the proposed committees are being granted financial and judicial powers to settle land disputes among farmers in villages.

"This is completely unconstitutional and should not be allowed," he said.

The TPCC chief further said that the chief minister was trying to nullify the importance and presence of entire revenue and land administration system in the state.

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The Congress's student wing NSUI today said Alka, a student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, would contest as its candidate for the presidential post in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election, after the nomination of Rocky Tuseed was rejected.

Rest of its candidates -- Kunal Sehrawat for the post of vice-president, Meenakshi Meena (secretary) and Avinash Yadav (joint secretary) -- remained the same.

Alka had filed nomination as an Independent candidate.

The NSUI had yesterday urged the DUSU poll authorities to accept its candidate Rocky Tuseed's nomination, claiming it was declined on grounds of "disciplinary action" which were not clearly defined.

Calling it "arbitrary" and "mala fide", the National Students Union of India (NSUI) said there was no clear definition for application of rules.

"Without clear definition, there is bound to be arbitrary application of standards which is bad in law. Will a fine of Rs 300 for breaking a chair also constitute disciplinary action?" the NSUI asked, in a letter to the poll panel.

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India dissociated itself today from a declaration adopted at an international conference as it carried a reference to violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar, from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh.

An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, refused to be a part of the Bali Declaration adoped at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held here in Indonesia.

"This was in view of the fact that the declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of 'sustainable development'," said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The delegation took the stance on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Myanmar where he expressed solidarity with the government there against the "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state.

Modi yesterday urged all stakeholders to find a solution that respects the country's unity.

"The country-specific amendment to the draft declaration was proposed at the eleventh hour by selective countries which referred to the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

"India argued that specifying a particular country is unjustified as this Forum is focussed on SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and inclusive development for all countries based on cooperative and collaborative approach to achieve the 2030 Agenda for the world," the press release said.

India said, "Never before 'country-specific' issues have been included in the declaration as these dilute the objective of these Forums which require unity and focussed efforts of all the countries," the release said.

India reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the Parliamentary Forum is to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs which requires inclusive and broad- based development processes, it said.

"Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate," the release said.

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In a show of solidarity with Myanmar, India today refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference here as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh.

An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the 'Bali Declaration' adoped at the 'World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development' held here in Indonesia.

"This was in view of the fact that the declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of 'sustainable development'," said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

India reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the Parliamentary forum was to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which requires inclusive and broad-based development processes, it said.

"Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate," the release said.

The part of the declaration to which India objected spoke of the forum expressing "deep concern on ongoing violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, amongst others..."



The declaration went on to "call on all parties to contribute to the restoration of stability and security, exercise maximum self-restraint from using violent means, respect the human rights of all people in Rakhine State regardless of their faith and ethnicity, as well as facilitate and guarantee safe access for humanitarian assistance."



The Indian delegation took the stance on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Myanmar where he expressed solidarity with the government there against the "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state.

Modi yesterday urged all stakeholders to find a solution that respects the country's unity.

"The country-specific amendment to the draft declaration was proposed at the eleventh hour by selective countries which referred to the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

"India argued that specifying a particular country is unjustified as this Forum is focussed on SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and inclusive development for all countries based on cooperative and collaborative approach to achieve the 2030 Agenda for the world," the press release said.

India said, "Never before 'country-specific' issues have been included in the declaration as these dilute the objective of these Forums which require unity and focussed efforts of all the countries," the release said.

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Armies of India and the US will carry out a two-week long mega military exercise in Washington from September 14 at a time when tensions are rising in the Asia Pacific region.

The aim of the annual exercise "Yudh Abhyas" is to further strengthen 'jointmanship' and facilitate interoperability between the two armies to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe, the Indian Army said.

It said the exercise, to be held at the Joint Base Lewis McChord in Washington, will be one of the largest joint military training and defence corporation endeavours between the two countries.

The exercise assumes significance due to increasing tension in the Asia Pacific region following the nuclear test by North Korea and China's growing assertiveness in the South China sea.

"Multiple scenarios will be rehearsed during the exercise with a view to understand each-other's organisational structure and battle procedures... That would further facilitate interoperability between the armed forces of both countries to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe," the Army said.

It is the 13th edition of the joint military exercise.

It said both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed operations for "neutralisation of threats of varied nature".

"In the end a joint exercise will be undertaken by both countries in an operational setting under a UN mandate," said the Army.

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Ten Indonesian pirates who seized an oil tanker off the east coast of the Malay peninsula were arrested by Malaysia's coast guard today, officials said.

Commando units were rushed by helicopter to the Thai- flagged tanker, which was carrying RM7 million (USD 1.7 million) worth of diesel, after it vanished off tracking systems yesterday afternoon, Malaysian maritime officials said.

They found the ship and a smaller boat 37 nautical miles northeast of Pulau Tenggol island at 2:05am (1805 GMT), the coast guard said in a statement.

Commandos boarded the tanker while warning shots were fired from the helicopter at the smaller boat when it tried to escape.

Ten Indonesians were arrested on board the tanker, known as the MT MGT1, which was escorted to Kuala Terengganu in the state of Terengganu.

An attempt by the coast guard to stop the smaller boat from fleeing failed as the helicopter was running low on fuel and had to return to the mainland.

Three pirates escaped in the smaller boat, and the coast guard is continuing the search for them.

The tanker's crew of 14 Thai citizens and the coast guard commandos were unharmed, the statement added.

A report by the International Maritime Bureau said there were three attacks by pirates in Malaysian waters in the first half of this year.

Although the number of attacks off islands in the South China Sea has dropped significantly in recent years, ships were still advised to remain vigilant especially at night, it said.

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Kerala Tourism will organise the second edition of the International Homestay and Rural Tourism Meet in Kochi from September 15. The three-day event, scheduled to be held at Bolghatty Palace, is expected to be attended by 1500 participants.

State Tourism Minister Kadakampally Surendran will inaugurate the second edition of the meet and welcome the participants from India and overseas market, Tourism director, P Bala Kiran told reporters here today.

Organised jointly by the Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society (HATS), the Travel Meet is envisaged to enhance the business opportunities in the state for home stay providers and serviced villas providing a platform to network with industry players.

International Homestay and Rural Tourism Travel Meet is one of the largest B2B event for homestays and rural tourism in the country which will also be attended by national and international tour operators, entrepreneurs and destination management companies.

"Homestays are inevitable part of Kerala Tourism and help the industry to connect with the travel enthusiasts. The B2B meet is expected to discuss recommendations to boost the rural tourism sector", he said.

The general travel trend of tourists these days is not just a visist to the place but also to experience and live the experience, he said.

Once the sector grows with its potential, there would be a huge job opportunity in homestay business there by enhancing opportunities equally in Tourism sector, Sivadathan, Director, HATS said.

The trends these days also show that most foreign tourists prefer such homestay facilities for a better living experience of the habitat, he added.

During the B2B meet, seminars and discussions on the potential and challenges of the sector would also be organised.

Business partners from Malaysia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Thailand and Saudi Arabia are expected to join the domestic players from Jammu Kashmir, Tamil Nadu Coimbatore, Jaipur , Delhi and many more.

The International Homestay and Rural Tourism meet is supported by the Department of Kerala Tourism with a financial aid of Rs 10 lakhs to conduct the event.

The central government is also expected to provide some financial aid for the event, the officials said.

Kerala HATS had successfully conducted the first homestay and rural tourism travel meet in 2015 in Kochi which was attended by 80 sellers, more than 200 buyers from travel industry across India, according to an official release.

Last year, the event registered a footfall of 4000 people.

Kerala HATS is the first NGO ever to conduct a B2B meet in homestay category in India and has around 500 registered members as well as 800 approved homestays across Kerala.

The Kerala Homestay and Tourism Society has been promoting rural tourism and responsible tourism in Kerala for last nine years.

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Eight persons, including an alleged inter-state drug peddler, and four labourers from Chhattisgarh were arrested in separate operations against menace of drugs and illicit liquor here, police said today.

Four Chhattisgarh residents, working as painters here, were arrested by police after a chase and 8.5 kg of Ganja like substance was seized from their possession during patrolling near science college here, a police spokesman said.

A case has been registered against them, he said.

In a separate police action, an interstate drug peddler, hailing from Hoshiarpur area of Punjab, was arrested along with 10 kg of poppy straw at Kanjwani chowk in the outskirts of Jammu city this morning, the spokesman said.

Two people were arrested along with 25 liters of illicit liquor during a raid at Nandpur Tibba village in the RS Pura area of Jammu, the spokesman said, adding 100 litres of 'lahan' (raw material used of manufacturing illicit liquor) was also destroyed during the operation.

He said a woman was also nabbed during a raid at Joujan village and two litres of country liquor was seized from her possession.

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Israeli warplanes struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria today, killing two soldiers, the Syrian army said, in a stronghold of President Bashar Assad that is also heavily protected by the Russians and Iranians.

The airstrike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf, in Hama province, described by some as a missile producing factory, amid Israeli outrage over Iran's growing influence in the war-torn country.

Other reports suggested the facility was tied to Syria's chemical weapons program.

In a statement, the Syrian army said the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles from Lebanese air space, and warned of the "dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region."



"We will do everything to prevent the existence of a Shiite corridor from Iran to Damascus," said Israeli Defense Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who declined commenting directly on the strike in an interview with Israel's 100FM Radio today.

He said Israel isn't "looking for adventures, and we don't want to be dragged into this fight or another."



"We are determined to prevent our enemies from harming or even creating the possibility of harming the security of Israeli citizens."



Israel has carried out several airstrikes against suspected arms shipments it believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces, over the course of Syria's civil war, now in its seventh year.

Israel has also struck several Syrian military facilities since the conflict began, mostly near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights. Assad, not wanting to draw Israel into his country's war, has never retaliated.

The airstrike comes amid heightened tensions over Iran's growing reach in Syria. Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed recently that Iran is building sites in Syria and Lebanon for the manufacture of "precision-guided missiles" with the aim of deploying them against Israel.

Today's air raid was seen as a message to both Russia and Iran that Israel can strike anywhere in Syria.

This week, Israel is conducting a massive drill along its border with Lebanon simulating war with the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.

It was not immediately clear if the facility struck today was used for the production or storage of chemical arms. Syria denies having or using such weapons.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said two facilities were hit in today's airstrike, a scientific research center and a nearby military base where short-range surface-to-surface missiles are stored.

"Many explosions were heard in the area after the air raid," said Abdurrahman, whose group relies on a network of activists across the country.

He said Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military officials often visit the site, adding that those killed and wounded were Syrians.

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An Israeli company says it has developed a no-spray, environment-friendly solution that can protect Indian farmers from the deadly Oriental fruit fly which has destroyed 300 fruit species in India.

The Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)is considered to be the most destructive, invasive and widespread of all fruit flies and is also a menace in65 other countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

The agri-tech company Biofeed's "lures" hung on trees, contain an organic customised mix of food and feeding stimulants and control or therapeutic agents delivered by a patented gravity-controlled fluid release platform.

Attracted by the odour, the fruit fly takes a sip and soon dies, without any chemicals reaching the fruit, air or soil.

"We were hoping to bring a solution that will replace spraying and increase productivity by 50 per cent. I am excited by the results, demonstrating the future potential for some farmers to bring about 900 times more marketable produce to market," said the company's CEO Nimrod Israely.

"We don't have the Oriental fruit fly in Israel. However, until now there was no solution for this problem. So we took the challenge and chose to focus on India," Israely told Israel21c, an online magazine.

Biofeed was one of the six innovative Israeli companies invited to give a demonstration in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during the Indian leader's visit to here in July.

The launch of the company's attractant for female Oriental fruit flies is a result of 15 years of development of the core platform and more than a year of development and testing in Israel and Karnataka.

Mango farmers on four Indian orchards saw an overall decrease of fruit-fly infestation from 95 per cent to less than 5 per cent, the report said.

The company worked with Kempmann Bio-organics in Bangalore to carry out the trial, it said.

"Bactrocera zonatais the number 2 pest in India. There are three main pests in India, so now we've given, within two years, a solution for the two most devastating fruit flies in India and in other parts of the world," Israely said.

"We estimate the annual market potential of these two pest segments to be well over a billion US dollars," he said.

"We want to bring something that is extremely easy to use; you don't need tractors, you don't need to remember to spray once a week, you don't need to put yourself in danger with sprays, there's no safety equipment. This is something that can make a dramatic change in agriculture and human health," Israely added.

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Traffic on the 300-km Jammu-Srinagar national highway was plying smoothly today after authorities cleared the landslide which blocked the arterial road in Ramban area for over five hours yesterday, officials said.

The road was thrown open for traffic last evening after it was cleared of big boulders which rolled down the hillock overlooking the highway near Peerah, a spokesman of the traffic department said.

He said while light motor vehicles are plying smoothly from both sides, no heavy vehicle was allowed on the highway, including convoys of security forces from Jammu side, due to ongoing widening and repair work at Panthyal.

"Keeping in view the overall condition of the road, allowing the two-way movement of traffic was not feasible. While the light motor vehicles are plying from both sides, heavy vehicles were allowed from Srinagar to Jammu as per the already notified traffic plan, under which heavy vehicles ply alternatively on the highway from either side," the spokesman said.

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Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and his South Korean counterpart today struggled to grind down Russian resistance to new sanctions on Pyongyang over its nuclear test as Vladimir Putin appeared to give little ground.

The United States on Wednesday demanded that the United Nations slap an oil embargo on North Korea and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off.

"The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea," Abe said in a speech alongside Putin and South Korea's Moon Jae-in at an economic forum in Vladivostok.

"We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe said.

The call came just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date on Sunday, claiming a "perfect success" in testing a hydrogen bomb.

South Korea has pushed for more punishment and Moon in Vladivostok said that "perhaps the time has come for stronger sanctions" on Pyongyang.

China today signalled it would support the United Nations taking further measures against North Korea following the test.

"Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a press conference in Beijing.

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation," Wang added.

Putin has repeatedly insisted that further economic pressure on Pyongyang will not work and insisted that the only route is diplomacy.

"It is impossible to intimidate them," Putin said in Vladivostok, calling for "common sense" to prevail in the US.

After Putin and Abe finished talks, there was little sign that the two leaders had drawn closer.

Abe said they had agreed to cooperate at the UN, and Putin once again reiterated his line that "only diplomacy and political means" can resolve the crisis.

US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said the United States would be seeking a vote at the council on new sanctions on September 11.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said "discussions are continuing" over the US proposal and it was "too early to express any conclusions".

"Let's wait for the results," Peskov told journalists.

Meanwhile the EU said it is preparing to boost its own sanctions against North Korea, as part of international efforts to punish the rogue state.

"I will put forward to ministers to work in the coming days to increase EU autonomous sanctions," diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn.

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The nomination of Ken Juster as the next US Ambassador to India has been welcomed by a new trade body here which said the move sends the right message that Americans value this partnership.

Trump yesterday sent to the Senate his nomination of Juster as the next US Ambassador to India. The position has been laying vacant since January 20.

"Ken is an inspired choice. He has a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience in the relations between our two countries. For example, he played a major role in developing the US-India- civil nuclear agreement," John Chambers, chairman of the US India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF), said.

Chambers said Juster also had the vision to put in place the High Technology Cooperation Group (HTCG), which was the need of the hour back then.

"I have no doubt that Ken will seize this opportunity to make a lasting impact in further strengthening the relations between the two countries. We look forward to working with him and his team to tap into the immense strategic partnership opportunities between the US and India," Chambers said.

"President Donald Trump's nomination of Kenneth Juster as the new Ambassador to India sends the right message that the United States values this partnership. Having served President Trump and worked closely with members of his White House team, Ken will have the ability to work at the highest levels of both the governments," said Mukesh Aghi, president of USISPF.

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South superstar Kamal Haasan today condemned the killing of senior journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, saying violence is the "worst way to win a debate".

The 62-year-old actor, who has been vocal about his views on the current political and social scenario, took to Twitter to express his condolences.

"Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those who are grieving Gauri Lankesh's demise," Haasan tweeted.

The Kannada journalist-activist, known for her left- leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence on Tuesday night.

Lankesh, 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately, with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said.

She died instantaneously.

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The Congress high command has directed the party-led Karnataka government to conduct a "strong" probe into the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka K C Venugopal said today.

"The party high command has directed the state government to conduct a strong probe into the incident, book the guilty and ensure them stringent punishment as per law.. Strong steps have to be taken in this direction," Venugopal told PTI.

The Congress leader said he had conveyed this message of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and state Home Minister during his talks with them.

Venugopal, who is also a senior Lok Sabha MP, alleged that not a single senior BJP leader in the state had attended the funeral of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Her body was buried yesterday in Bengaluru.

"Gauri Lankesh was murdered as she dissented against prevailing atmosphere of hate and intolerance in the country.. Those who resist the move by the communal forces to divide the country in the name of religion are being targeted, he said.

"The aim of such forces is to weaken our country by demolishing its democratic set up," he alleged.

The Karnataka government had yesterday decided to form a Special Investigation Team to probe the killing of Gauri Lankesh, which has sparked nationwide outrage and protests.

Siddaramaiah has announced the SIT probe headed by a Inspector General level officer, saying his government had an "open mind" to an investigation by the CBI, a demand made by the slain journalist's family.

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Fox has cancelled the New York premiere for the spy sequel "Kingsman: The Golden Circle" in light of Hurricane Harvey.

The studio said it does not want to detract attention from a multi-network telethon slated for the same night, September 12, to raise funds for Hurricane Harvey victims, The Hollywood Reporter said.

"Given the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey and the important fund-raising efforts happening on September 12, we have canceled that evening's planned New York film premiere event for Kingsman: The Golden Circle," a Twentieth Century Fox Film spokesperson said.

"To that end, Twentieth Century Fox Film will be donating the money budgeted for the premiere to several of the non- profit groups associated with the telethon."



The film, a follow-up to 2014's hit "Kingsman: The Secret Service", is still scheduled to have its global premiere later this month in London.

Meanwhile, the Hurricane Harvey telethon is set to broadcast across ABC, CBS, Fox, NBC and CMT on September 12 and will feature stars such as George Clooney, Beyonce, Oprah Winfrey, Barbra Streisand and Reese Witherspoon.

"Kingsman: The Golden Circle" opens in theaters on September 22.

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Karnataka Minister R V Deshpande today rebutted Opposition Leader in the Assembly Jagadish Shettar's charge that he had fudged figures to present a rosy picture of employment and industries in the state.

"When I say something I say it with some information coming from reliable and transparent source. I request media to inform the honourable leader of opposition to go through the Government of India's MSME Udyog Aadhar website and check for himself," he told reporters here.

"If Shettar accepts those figures, it is okay. If he doesn't, I will once again come back to you for clarification," the industries minister said.

Deshpande also said, "The leader of opposition's job is only to accuse. If he doesn't, he will be accused of being friendly with me."



Shettar had yesterday alleged Deshpande was fudging figures to present a rosy picture of employment and industries in Karnataka.

He had alleged that in last four years of the Congress rule, the government had claimed to have received Rs 3.34 lakh crore as industrial investments, whereas as per the department's record, it was only Rs 2.41 lakh crore.

To a query, Deshpande said the government would not be conducting the Global Investors' Meet (GIM) this year. Insteadit would hold Vendor Development and Investor Summit 2017 toprovide opportunities to Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises(MSMEs) to showcase their capabilities to various original equipment manufacturers.

"GIM cannot be a regular feature every year. It requires two years to sweat it out. So, we are holding vendor development and investor summit. This is a national event," he added.

The summit would be held on November 23 and 24.

Deshpande also unveiled the micro website and logo of thesummit.

The summit would showcase strengths of MSME sector to OEMs of the country and abroad and provide them an opportunity to have business level meetings during the event, he said.

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To improve law and order situation, the Uttar Pradesh government today directed the police to undertake night patrolling, an official said.

State Chief Secretary Rajive Kumar also directed the state police to deploy of women personnel in adequate numbers at the police station level to promptly look into women related complaints, an official spokesman said.

The chief secretary, who was reviewing the working of police department, also called for launching a special drive to ensure proper traffic arrangements from October 3 to 18, he said.

Directives were issued to prepare a work plan for completing the selection process to fill vacant posts in the department by December in a transparent manner, according to the spokesperson.

Stressing on strict compliance of the directive on lodging FIRs after an incident, the chief secretary said that proper publicity of 'E-FIR' should be ensured.

Law and order is a major issue in Uttar Pradesh and opposition parties have been attacking the state government over it.

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The Lahore High Court today directed the Punjab government to take a decision by September 11 on the plea of Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed who challenged the order to extend his detention for 60 more days.

The Punjab Home Department issued an order on July 28 under which the detention of Mumbai terror attack mastermind Saeed and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain -- was extended for another 60 days.

Apparently frustrated with not getting a decision from the Lahore High Court that had on June 7 reserved his petition against his first detention order on January 30, Saeed last week filed a fresh petition challenging the detention order.

LHC Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi issued direction to Punjab Home Department on the petition of Saeed and his four close aides to decide by September 11 after which the court will conduct a hearing on September 12.

A law officer told the court that the home secretary would hear the petitioners on the case involving their house arrest on September 11 and decide the matter.

Saeed's counsel advocate A K Dogar told the court that a representation against his detention was submitted to the home secretary on August 3 against its July 28 order but no action has been taken so far.

He said the government in the impugned detention order has only shown apprehension against the petitioners.

"Imprisonment without trial and conviction is prima facie unlawful and unconstitutional. The government detained the petitioners to please India and America. Courts in past declared detention of JuD leaders illegal as the government failed to prove its charges," it said.

On April 30, detention of Saeed and his four aides was extended by the Punjab government for another 90 days under Anti-Terrorism Act 1997.

The Punjab government on January 30 had put them under house arrest in Lahore under the Second Schedule of Anti- Terrorism Act 1997.

The JuD is the front for the banned Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT). It was declared as a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in 2014.

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Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy vowed today to take legal action to block an independence referendum in Catalonia which he branded an "intolerable act of disobedience".

Rajoy gathered his cabinet for an emergency meeting to formally ask Spain's Constitutional Court to once again rule against the plebiscite called for October 1.

He also said all municipalities in Catalonia would be warned over their "obligation to impede or paralyse" efforts to carry out the vote which he said is unconstitutional.

Catalonia's regional parliament, which is controlled by separatists, voted late yesterday to push ahead with the referendum in the wealthy northeastern region which includes Barcelona, sparking the country's deepest political crisis in 40 years.

The Catalan parliament will also meet again later today to examine a "transition law" laying out how the region would function if the majority of its 7.5 million inhabitants vote in favour of seceding from Spain.

Spain's top prosecutor meanwhile said "criminal charges are being prepared" against the leaders of the Catalan parliament as well as officials in the regional government who prepared the referendum decree and that voting materials would be seized.

General prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza told reporters the officials could be charged, among other things, with disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement.

Maza added that regional prosecutors, assisted by police, had been told to investigate any actions taken to organise the vote.

The warnings were brushed aside by a Catalan government spokesman, who insisted the referendum would take place despite a "covert state of siege" being imposed by the central government in Madrid.

"Whether it's snowy or windy, we will do it because we have a contract with the citizens of Catalonia," Jordi Turull said.

"This does nothing to alter the government's project," he added. "Faced with this covert state of siege, we now feel obliged to defend our most fundamental rights."



Catalonia's president Carles Puigdemont, a lifelong proponent on independence, is hoping to mobilise supporters in a show of legitimacy in the face of Madrid's threats to halt the vote by any means possible.

Tens of thousands of Catalans are expected to take to the streets of Barcelona on Monday, Catalonia's national day, to push for independence as they have in previous years on this date.

The looming showdown was set up late yesterday after lawmakers approved the referendum with 72 votes in favour and 11 abstentions after 12 hours of often stormy debate in the regional assembly.

After the law was passed, separatist lawmakers sang the Catalan anthem, "Els Segadors", which recalls a 1640 revolt in the region against the Spanish monarchy.

In a tweet yesterday, Catalan parliament president Carme Forcadell said she had requested that the 12 judges at the Constitutional Court be disqualified, calling them "another extension of the state which has lost all legitimacy".

Most of the court's judges have been nominated by lawmakers from Rajoy's Popular Party. The court today dismissed her request.

Catalonia accounts for about one-fifth of Spain's economic output, and already has significant powers over matters such as education and healthcare.

But Spain's economic worries, coupled with a perception that the region pays more in taxes than it receives in investments and transfers from Madrid, have helped push the cause of secession from the fringes of Catalan politics to centre stage.

Adding to the rise in separatist sentiment was a 2010 ruling by the Constitutional Court striking down parts of a 2006 autonomy charter which granted new powers to Catalonia and recognised it as "a nation".

Opinion polls show that Catalans are evenly divided on independence. But over 70 per cent want a referendum to take place to settle the matter, similar to the plebiscite held in Scotland in 2014.

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Maharashtra is on the top position among other states in the country when it comes to migration of existing traders and fresh registrations under the Goods and Service Tax (GST) network.

"Out of 9.16 lakh existing taxpaying traders in Maharashtra who had registered themselves under central excise, service tax and value added tax (VAT), around 8 lakh have migrated to the GST network as on August-end," Subhash Varshney, principal chief commissioner, GST and central excise, Mumbai zone told PTI.



"So far, 2.86 lakh traders have already gone for fresh registrations in Maharashtra," he said.

Thus, Maharashtra is on top among other states in terms of migration of existing traders and fresh registrations under GST Network, Varshney said.

Uttar Pradesh (5.93 lakh) has secured second position whereas Tamil Nadu (5.23 lakh) is on the third position in terms of migration of traders through GST network so far, he added.

At the national level, he said, 58.53 lakh traders out of a total of 72.4 lakh traders have got migrated to GST network so far.

When it comes to fresh registration of traders under GST network, Uttar Pradesh (2.54 lakh) and Gujarat (1.16 lakh) have secured second and third positions respectively.

Thus, a significant increase in taxpayers base is expected in the Maharashtra, he said.

The date of filing of the first regular return GSTR-1 under the new GST law was recently extended to September 10 from September 5, to facilitate taxpayers who could not file the returns in time.

To educate and assist taxpayers in filing their returns, the central GST authorities had launched a program of 'live demo' at multiple locations across the city a fortnight ago.

Now, with the extended date of September 10 approaching, the central tax authorities have extended the reach of this program across Maharashtra in co-ordination with state GST authorities.
All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU), the apex body of Manipur-based journalists, today joined the nation-wide protest against the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

During a sit-in protest held today afternoon at Manipur Press Club, AMWJU President W Shyamjai while strongly condemning the killing said the attack is tantamount to breach of freedom of expression guaranteed in the Constitution.

He maintained that in a democratic country, the fourth estate plays an important role in discharging unbiased information to the public and works to bring a transparent government adding such unfortunate incidents is not limited to a particular state but the whole country.

Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot multiple times from close range in front of her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday by unidentified assailants who then fled on a bike.

Media body Editors' Guild Manipur too condemned the incident. The Guild, in a press statement, expressed shock over the murder and recalled the scribe as a fearless journalist for her views in her daily.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Shillong Press Club and the Meghalaya Electronic Media Association today joined the nation-wide protest against the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

They observed a candle-lit vigil at the heart of the city here to protest the killing of Lankesh. Hundreds of citizens joined in and lighted candles in solidarity with the slain journalist.

The National People's Party MP Conrad K Sangma said the Karnataka government should ensure speedy justice in the murder of the outspoken journalist and the guilty must be found and brought to book.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the grave of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar here and paid his respects.

Modi visited the 'Mazar' of the emperor here and paid floral tributes.

The prime minister also tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal ruler's grave.

Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the revolt of 1857.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The Madhya Pradesh government today said it has recovered Rs 23 crore from contractors in connection with an alleged scam worth Rs 41.40 crore related to liquor contracts.

The state exchequer has incurred a loss of Rs 41.40 crore as some liquor contractors forged the challans through which the contract amount was deposited in the banks, an official said.

"We have recovered Rs 23 crore from the contractors. Process has been started to attach and auction the property of the accused contractors to realise the remaining amount of the (recent) scam," state Finance and Commercial Tax Minister Jayant Malaiya told reporters.

Six excise department officials from Indore including an assistant commissioner were suspended for their gross negligence in the matter, he said on the sidelines of a function here.

Besides, Excise deputy commissioner and 19 other staffers of the department have been transferred as they were posted for over three years in Indore district, Malaiya said.

Employees of the excise department are transferred after working for three years at a place, an official said.

Malaiya said he had directed the excise department's top officials (in state capital Bhopal) to visit Indore to get to the bottom of the scam and take action.

Additional Superintendent of Police (ASP) Sampat Upadhyay had said criminal cases have been registered against 10 contractors and their six associates in connection with the alleged fraud.

The accused have gone missing after lodging of the FIR and Rs 10,000 reward has been announced on their head, excise officials said.

However, before the FIR was registered, the excise department managed to recover Rs 23 crore of the amount from the accused, the minister said.

A lookout circular has also been issued against the accused to prevent them from fleeing the country, police said.

"As per the process, the liquor contractors need to deposit the contract amount to the government exchequer within the given period to purchase the liquor quota from the excise department. This amount is deposited through bank challans," police said.

The police found that in the last two years, the accused contractors deposited amounts lesser than what they were supposed to pay. They forged the challans and informed the department that they have deposited the contract amount.

This forgery of challans had resulted in loss of Rs 41.40 crore to the exchequer, the ASP said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Welcoming the death sentence awarded today by a Mumbai court to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life imprisonment to Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case, BJP MLA Ashish Shelar today said it establishes Pakistan's role in the blasts case.

"The Mumbai police's commendable efforts and hard work took the case to the logical conclusion. The verdict establishes the involvement of Pakistan in the Mumbai bomb blasts," Shelar, who is the city unit chief of BJP, told PTI.

The lawyer-turned-politician added that the verdict also conveyed a strong message that the country is acting tough against terrorism.

"We have been a victim of terrorist activities and with our legal system, we can take strong steps," Shelar said.

Besides Salem, the court today also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in the case while awarding 10 years' sentence to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

The court had held that Tahir Merchant was amongst the main conspirators. He worked with (absconding conspirator) Tiger Memon, participated in several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co-accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Nuclear-armed North Korea's testing of long-range missiles that could possibly reach US soil has kindled debate in Japan and South Korea about developing their own nuclear deterrent, prompting fears of a North East Asian arms race.

In the event of all-out war with North Korea, would US President Donald Trump risk American cities being targeted to protect traditional allies in Seoul and Tokyo?



That is the question causing jitters in South Korea and in Japan, where the topic of deploying or developing atomic weapons is especially taboo as the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack.

As a presidential candidate, Trump ruffled feathers when he suggested that Japan and South Korea should take more responsibility for their own defence.

And concerns that an "America First" policy might mean less military protection for allies many thousands of kilometres away have prompted some to suggest that they need to look after themselves.

In Japan, a series of missile launches from its unpredictable and nuclear-armed neighbour across the sea -- including one that crossed Japanese soil -- has caused some prominent figures to wonder aloud whether to reconsider the taboo.

Shigeru Ishiba, a hawkish former defence minister and veteran in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative LDP party, asked on a TV debate show on Wednesday: "Is it really ok not to talk about it any more?"



"Is it right to say that we want to be protected by US nuclear weapons but we don't want them on our soil?" asked the former minister, while acknowledging it was an "emotional" issue in pacifist Japan, still scarred by the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Similar noises are emerging from South Korea, which is banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with the US.

"As nuclear weapons are being churned out above our heads, we can't always rely on the US nuclear umbrella and extended deterrence," the mass-circulation Donga Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Monday.

And there appears to be popular support, with a Moonhwa Daily poll last month showing nearly two thirds of respondents in favour of Seoul developing its own independent nuclear deterrent.

For decades, Japanese policy has been guided by the so- called "three principles": not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

And officials were quick to slap down Ishiba, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying: "Until now, we haven't discussed calling these three principles into question and we are not planning to do so."



South Korea has a similar official position, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha stressing Seoul is still sticking to its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.
Two men were arrested in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra for allegedly raping and killing their woman friend in Thane district and dumping her body near Kolhapur, police said today.

The accused, identified as Niklesh Patil (24, from Nagpur) and Akshay Walode (25, from Ambernath), were arrested yesterday by Ratnagiri police for the incident that took place in the early hours on September 4, police said.

The 20-year-old victim's father, a policeman from Nagpur, has lodged a complaint with Shivaji Nagar police station in Ambernath in Thane district.

According to police, the victim, who hailed from Nagpur, was doing internship with a firm in Mumbai. On Sunday night, Patil decided to drive her to Mumbai from Pashan in Pune, where she had gone for some work. On the way to Mumbai, they decided to stay at Valode's place in Ambernath.

Police said that Patil and Valode allegedly took turns to rape the victim. But when she tried to raise an alarm, they gagged her to death.

Thereafter, they stuffed her body into a suitcase and transported it to Kolhapur and dumped it by roadside.

However, the duo later surrendered before Ratnagiri police, after which they were arrested.

An official release by the Thane city police said that the duo have been booked under IPC sections 376 (2)(g) (gangrape), 302 (murder), 201 (destroying evidence) and others, police said.

Further details in the case are awaited.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
artolympic/iStock/Thinkstock(HOUSTON) -- Authorities in Texas are searching for Houston realtor Crystal McDowell who disappeared as Hurricane Harvey was barreling down on the area.



Were chasing a lot of leads, Chambers County Sheriff Brian Hawthorne told ABC News. But no, Hurricane Harvey is not the reason Crystal McDowell is missing.



The 37-year-old mother of two was last seen on home surveillance video footage walking through the living room of her boyfriends home and then getting into her car  a black Mercedes Benz sedan  parked in the driveway on Aug. 25.



That morning, we woke up about around 6:30, we got ready, I jumped in the shower and she got dressed and I remember her coming in and saying, Alright, Im taking off, McDowells boyfriend Paul Hargrave told ABC News.



According to Hargrave, McDowell left his house, got into her car and left to go pick up her two children, ages 5 and 8, from her ex-husband, Steve McDowell, who lived 12 minutes away.



She did send me some text messages  a little after that, Hargrave said. She had mentioned that she was going to stay at the house, the ex-husbands house, with the kids or, depending on traffic and how weather conditions were, she was going to take them out.



McDowells uncle Jeff Walters also heard from her that morning.



I received a message from her  about a billboard her boyfriend had put up for her, Walters told ABC News.



Hargrave had put up a billboard advertisement showcasing McDowell as a real estate broker. Hargrave showed ABC News text messages from McDowell showing that she had taken a picture of the billboard and then texted him, And you are so sweet. He replied, I love and Ill always support you.



With Hurricane Harvey approaching, Hargrave said he grew concerned when he realized he hadnt heard from McDowell in a few hours.



Its not like Crystal not to reply back very quickly, so I thought that was kind of weird, [thinking] maybe she was with family getting things ready, he said.



The next day, Aug. 26, Hurricane Harvey slammed into Houston and three days later, on Aug. 29, McDowells Mercedes was found in the flooded parking lot of a Motel 6, seven miles from her home. McDowell was nowhere to be found.



We dont believe she parked it there, Sheriff Brian Hawthorne said. We believe that whoever parked it there had hoped that somebody would take it. They left the car unlocked and they left the keys in the console.



Hargrave said hes convinced foul play was involved.



She wouldnt just get up and leave her kids, he said. She wouldnt do that so I think something is horribly wrong.



Former FBI agent and ABC News consultant Brad Garrett said in dealing with missing persons cases, authorities will look at a few different things.



One is the immediate circle of people around them, an ex-husband, former employee, Garrett said. Then you have to come up with a timeline. She apparently was at her boyfriends house, and then what can you timeline from the time she left his residence, where did she stop? Do they have video footage of her at a 7-Eleven? Or a drug store or some other location. You then take that and you overlay it with her cell phone records, because typically, real estate agents are on the phone all the time, and so where was she, where did her phone ping, what towers can you put her near?



According to McDowells uncle, she had recently started working with him as a real estate agent and everything was falling into place for her.



She said herself that she was the happiest she had ever been in her life, Walters said.



After losing her parents at a young age, Walters said family was the thing most important to McDowell and she very much loved her children.



Theres no apparent reason why she should have disappeared, Garrett said. When you look at someones backgroundhave they been depressed, had they talked about harming themselves, had they talked about leaving? I havent heard one thing that would suggest any of the above.



In June, McDowell finalized her divorce with her ex-husband, with whom she had shared custody of their children. Her uncle said McDowell never talked about them fighting, only that they had their disagreements.



But, according to Hargrave, McDowell and her ex-husband had been arguing frequently.



The week that she went missing, there were a lot of arguments, a lot of heated arguments, about various situations going on, Hargrave said.



ABC News requests for comment from Steve McDowell were not responded to.



Now her family is searching for answers and has even hired a private investigator, asking anyone who may have information to come forward.



We need to solve it, Walters said. We need to find out who has done this and they need to be punished.

Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday lamented the "delay" in supply of weapons and critical equipment to the CRPF by the defence ministry and said there was a need to develop a framework involving defence PSUs to address the issue.

Singh also called upon all defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to focus on 100 per cent indigenisation of military equipment and platforms and effectively implement the Make in India initiative in defence production to bring down import dependence.

Welcoming the appointment of Nirmala Sitharaman as defence minister, Singh exuded confidence that the key ministry will get "new energy and strength" under her as women symbolise "shakti" (strength).

Speaking at an event in DRDO, where equipment built by several DPSUs were handed over to the paramilitary CRPF, the home minister said procurement of weapons and other systems for paramilitary forces is largely handled by the defence ministry and delays in their supplies often affect them.

Sitharaman was also present on the occasion, the first event she attended as the defence minister.

"For the CRPF, I have seen that the procurement of equipment is done by the defence ministry. The CRPF does not get the priority it should.

"There has been a delay in supply of equipment and weapons to them.
Ahead of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh's visit to Jammu and Kashmir, an NGO working among people of the state has supported the effort and hoped it will break fresh ground to usher in peace in the restive state.

Home Minister Singh will pay a four-day visit to Jammu and Kashmir from September 9-12.

Former prime minister Manmohan Singh, who heads the Congress' policy planning group on Kashmir, will also lead a team of party leaders to J&K for discussions on the current situation in the state with party workers.

Members of the NGO 'Lehar', including former external affairs minister and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, hoped that the "visits will go beyond standard formalities to break fresh ground for bringing peace to our troubled compatriots".

Ex-PM Singh, who is likely to be accompanied by Congress leaders Ghulam Nabi Azad and Ambika Soni, will visit Jammu on September 10 and Kashmir on September 16.

"It is sincerely hoped that the visits will go beyond standard formalities to break fresh ground for bringing peace to our troubled compatriots.

"Lehar commits itself to follow in these footsteps to ensure that Kashmiriyat and Insaniyat prevail over cynical efforts to disrupt peace and divide the people," a statement from the NGO said.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Green Tribunal today appointed a court commissioner to inspect stormwater drains in Vasundhara township of Ghaziabad and inform it if waste and sewage was blocking them.

A bench headed by Justice Jawad Rahim appointed advocate Kush Sharma as court commissioner in the case while directing him to submit the inspection report within a week.

The fees of the court commissioner would be borne by the applicants in the case, the NGT said.

Advocate Sharma told the tribunal that the petitioner be directed to submit his fees of Rs 30,000 as court commissioner to the National Green Tribunal Bar Association.

"We appoint advocate Kush Sharma as a court commissioner for conducting the local inspection of the Prahlad Garhi village adjoining sector 16 Vasundhara to ascertain whether the sewer drain is discharging sewage into the stormwater drain maintained by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam.

"Inspect other rainwater drains and report whether any sewage pipeline was connected to the storm water drain," the bench said.

The green panel also directed the court commissioner to prepare a sketch of the inspected area for depicting the findings, with the assistance of an engineer from the pollution control board.

It also directed the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam to provide all assistance to the court commissioner and videograph the entire inspection. The matter was fixed for hearing on September 21.

The tribunal had earlier directed the civic authorities to clean the rain water drains in sector 16 of Vasundhara colony and free them from all waste coming from the sewers in the nearby Prahlad Garhi village.

The order had come after the counsel for the petitioners contended that the monsoon would flood the entire area with the sewage due to the blockage of the rainwater drain, causing hardship and adversely affecting the environment and the health of the local residents.

The plea filed by Vasundhara residents K P Singh and other had alleged that the rainwater drain has been converted into an open sewer in Ghaziabad and sought its maintenance and a direction to clean all the drains in the area.

It had alleged that the drains remain choked throughout the year and hazardous sewer waste overflows on the streets, releasing "highly poisonous" gases which make the lives of the residents miserable.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
The National Green Tribunal has directed the Uttarakhand government to immediately shut down illegal hot mix plants for causing environmental degradation.

A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar ordered the Trivendra Singh Rawat government and Uttarakhand state pollution control board to take action against 35 such plants.

"The State shall take appropriate action in accordance with law including the closure of those non-compliant hot mix plants. We also direct the state government and Uttarakhand pollution control board to issue general directions to all district authorities to prepare a list of hot-mix plants which are operating under their jurisdiction.

"That list will be circulated to Uttarakhand pollution control board for appropriate action as above recoded in accordance with law, expeditiously," the bench said.

The counsel appearing for the Uttarakhand government told the tribunal that there were 91 hot mix plants out of which some are functional while some were lying closed.

Out of this, nearly 35 hot mix plants have already been served notices for closure and the Board has already passed closure orders and would ensure its implementation.

The tribunal directed the state government to submit compliance report within four weeks and asked its registry to put the matter for hearing after submission of the report.

Hot mix plants are self-contained bitumen and aggregate mixing plants which are extremely compact in size.

The tribunal was hearing a plea filed by NGO Friends seeking action against illegal hot mix plants in the state which were operating without consent from the state pollution control board.

The plea alleged that hot mix operators were illegally felling trees and using the wood for fire resulting in air pollution.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
Madhya Pradesh minister Narottam Mishra, who was disqualified by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on charges of paid news, today argued before the Delhi High Court that there was no evidence against him.

Commencing arguments before a bench of S Ravindra Bhat and Sunil Gaur, Mishra's counsel submitted that ECI had relied on the report of a paid committee which could only be taken as a suggestion and not binding because he had not been issued a notice or was summoned.

"It was done behind my back. It's failure of justice. The error was relying on the committee's report which was not binding. On face of the record, there was no evidence which showed he had authorised paid articles," senior advocate C A Sundaram, who appeared for Mishra, argued.

He claimed there was no finding that Mishra had paid for the .

The bench was hearing an appeal by the BJP leader challening the July 14 order of a single judge of the high court which had upheld ECI's decision disqualifying Mishra.

The court listed the matter for September 13 to hear further arguments of Mishra's counsel.

During the hearing, the advocate said the single judge's order was also based on the committee's report.

He took the ground of "inordinate delay" in the matter and said a show cause notice was issued to him by the ECI on January 15, 2013 for an occurance which took place in 2008 when the assembly elections were held in Madhya Pradesh.

The matter had reached the Delhi High Court after the Supreme Court on July 12 transferred the case to it to be decided expeditiously before the July 17 presidential polls.

Mishra had sought an interim stay on the single judge's order upholding the ECI order as a last ditch attempt to vote in the July 17 presidential election. He could not cast his ballot in the election.

Pursuant to the apex court's decision, the high court had the same day constituted a special single-judge bench.

The ECI's order had held him guilty of filing wrong accounts of election expense relating to articles and advertorials in the media during the 2008 assembly polls.

The ECI order had come on a complaint by Congress leader Rajendra Bharti, who had contested the polls against Mishra in the 2008 assembly elections.

Mishra had contested the ECI decision on the grounds of delay in proceedings and that no evidence showed he had authorised paid news articles.

While disqualifying Mishra from contesting elections for three years, the poll panel had used some strong words against paid news, calling it a "cancerous menace" that is assuming "alarming proportions" in the electoral landscape. His election from Datia assembly constituency also stood void.

Mishra was the minister for water resources and public relations and the chief spokesperson of the Shivraj Singh Chouhan government.

Bharti, the main complainant in the case, had first sent complaint to the ECI about eight years back in 2009. The poll panel order had said that all the 42 news items that had appeared in five Hindi dailies were "extremely biased in favour of" Mishra.

It had said that its findings had also strengthened the conclusion that he had "knowingly participated or took advantage of the expenditure on such advertisements" that had appeared as news in the publication.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
In a boost to the Congress, its student wing, the National Students Union of India, won three key posts out of four of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) polls, the results of which were declared here tonight.

Jashan Kamboj of the NSUI won the post of president of the PUCSC by defeating his nearest rival, Students for Society (SFS) candidate Hassanpreet Kaur by a huge margin of 611 votes. Jashan polled 2801 votes.

The post of vice president and office secretary went to Karanvir Singh and Vani Sood of the NSUI, an official said here. The fourth post of joint secretary went to PUSU alliance candidate Karanbir Singh.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala congratulated the NSUI over the victory.

"I congratulate team @nsui for their huge victory in the Punjab University polls. #PUpolls2017," Amarinder said in a tweet.

"Congrats @nsui for a resounding victory in Punjab Univ as ABVP/INSO fail to open their account. Youth for Congress!" Surjewala tweeted.

Ajay Chikkara, the national general secretary of the NSUI, also congratulated the student leaders for putting up an impressive performance. The NSUI made a comeback with a resounding victory at the PUCSC polls after two years.

The PUSU-led alliance had swept the polls in 2016.

As many as 28 candidates were in the fray. This time, 15,602 students on campus were eligible to vote.

In the multi-cornered contest, seven students vied for the post of president, four for vice president, eight for secretary and nine for joint secretary.

Newly elected president, Jashan, who belongs to Ferozepur, said he dedicated his win to the students and the NSUI.

"We were hopeful that we will make a comeback this time after about two years," he said.

After the results, celebrations broke out in the campus, with many students offering 'ladoos' to the winning candidates.

Tight security arrangements were made by the police to prevent any untoward incident on the campus. No outsider was allowed to enter the campus on the polling day today.

The polling began at 10 am and ended at 12 pm.

NSUI alliance fielded Jashan, ABVP Avinash Pandey, SFS Hassanpreet and PUSU alliance Kuldeep Samagh for the post of president.

The NSUI fought polls in an alliance with Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU), Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), Hindustan Students Association (HSA) and factions of PUSU for Students (PFS).

The Akhil Bhartiya Viyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, fielded one candidate only for the post of president.

The left-leaning the Students for Society (SFS) put up candidates on the all the four seats.

Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) had an alliance with Pal Pehalwan Students Organsiation, National Students Organisation (NSO) and the Indian Students Association.

Another student's outfit the Students Organisation of India (SOI), the youth wing of Shiromani Akali Dal, entered into an alliance with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Panjab University Helping Hand (PUHH).

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The number of terror camps and launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir have gone up and around 475 militants are waiting to sneak into the Indian side, northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said today.

Internally, he said the NIA raids on separatists and the killing of top militant leaders by security forces have helped in improving security situation in Kashmir.

He said 144 militants have been killed in the state so far this year and the situation is "well under control".

Gen Anbu said there have been a large number of infiltration attempts along the LoC in J&K this year but "very less" have been successful.

"We cannot tell you the exact number of the militants. But the militants, who are waiting to cross over to this side (via the LoC from PoK) are nearly 250 in north Kashmir and around 225 in south of Pir Panjal (Jammu region)," said the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) of Northern Command.

He was responding to questions from journalists after presenting gallantry and distinguished services medals to 103 army officers and jawans and certificates of appreciation to 31 units apart from 31 civilians at an investiture ceremony at the Northern Command headquarters here.

Gen Anbu said the security situation along the LoC and in the hinterland in well under control.

"We are firmly in control of the situation along the LoC... (the number of) launching pads and terrorist camps along LoC has increased as compared to the previous years," he said.

"While infiltration attempts have increased, the success to infiltrate has been much less than previous years despite large number of infiltration attempts. That is because of our robust counter-infiltration grid that we have on LoC," he said.

"The (number of) militants coming to this side have decreased to a large extent this year," Gen Anbu said.

According to Multi Agency Centre (MAC) of intelligence gathering, the number of militants who have managed to infiltrate is 75 during the last eight months, he said, adding, "But according to our assessment, it is 45 to 50."



He said the Army has created a "strong deterrence" at the LoC so that militants do not enter the Indian side.

"While attempts are more, we are preventing them from entering this side, whether in Kashmir valley or Jammu region," the Army commander said.

About the input of a group of militants having sneaked in via Samba, he said all agencies are closely watching that. "If it manifests somewhere, we will get to know," he added.

"The situation along the LoC and in hinterland is under control," he said.

He said the NIA raids aimed at choking funding to separatists, "which has got direct link to terrorism in Kashmir, compliments the security operations" of forces.

"Administration (in J&K) is good. We have been able to eliminate terrorist leaders and it is complimented by the choking of funds by NIA raids. All this will have a deterring effect on the youth who are likely to become part of agitation dynamics. It has come down drastically," he said.

"What was in November-December last year and what is now - there are very few incidents that take place. There is now a token number of persons who are on the ground as they have realized (futility of terrorism). It is only now handful people who are into this," he added.

Regarding the issue of protests, he said, "Agitational dynamics does not mean that each and every person comes to streets and their heart and soul is into it. There is an upward curve. The government in power and security forces get to top of it."



The Army commander said elimination of the leadership of terrorists has brought down incidents and recruitment of the local terrorists.

"It (local recruitment) happens when the terrorists have an upper hand. The youngsters in the age group of 16 to 18 get moulded by the terrorists and separatists to join the ranks," he added.

"This is what we need to look at. The number of the locals militants joining ranks have been constant in last year years including this year," he said.

About the militancy situation in the hinterland, Gen Anbu said, "It is improving. Those (militants) who are operating in the hinterland are foreign terrorists in north Kashmir and south Kashmir has presence of local terrorists more and foreign terrorists are lesser."



He said the security forces are trying to dominate the south Kashmir region.

"We conduct searches keeping in mind that we do not cause any inconvenience to local people. That is where we get information from and warn them in advance. We conduct operations and they (operations) are clean. After the operation, we keep interacting with people so that they are on our side. This has had very good effect in south Kashmir," Gen Anbu said.

"We have killed 100 militants in the past four months. A total of 144 militants have been killed so far (in Kashmir this year)," he said.

"The effect of what is happening now will menifest in a couple of months from now. But there is decrease in local youth getting recruited," he added.

The Army commander strongly batted for reaching out to the youth of Kashmir.

"The issue that needs attention is that you need to engage the youth and the state government and everybody has to play a part in ensuring employment generation and positive security environment is created by the security forces and it will get controlled," Gen Anbu said.

Army commander said no footprint of militants has been seen in the Jammu region.

"There is no militant presence in Jammu region. May be there will one odd such report and that too due to any infiltration. But there is no resident terrorist or presence of foreign terrorist in Jammu region," he said in reply to a question with regard to presence of the militants in the region.
Pakistan's cabinet today passed a resolution, condemning the killing of innocent Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar.

The resolution also called upon Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to take immediate steps to stop the atrocities being committed in Myanmar where her party is in power.

The cabinet meeting was chaired by Prime Minister Shahid Khaqan Abbasi, according to an official statement.

"The brutal and barbaric acts perpetrated against the unarmed civilian population not only constitute state terrorism, but also question the collective human conscience across nations and societies," the resolution said.

It also demanded the UN to take the lead under its mandate to immediately stop the violence in Myanmar.

The resolution was adopted as religious and student groups took to streets in different cities to condemn the killing of Rohingya Muslims. In Islamabad, police stopped the protestors from moving towards the embassy of Myanmar.

The latest spate of violence erupted in Myanmar's Rakhine state on August 25 after alleged Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts, triggering a counter-offensive by the military that resulted in the death of at least 400 people.

Rakhine, the poorest region in Myanmar, is home to more than a million Rohingya. They have faced decades of persecution in the Buddhist-majority country, where they are not considered citizens.

Soldiers and armed residents have been accused of carrying out a killing spree against Rohingya Muslim men, women, and children.

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The geopolitical situation in the world is undergoing a "seismic shift" and Pakistan has to review it pragmatically and quickly adjust its direction, Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said today.

Speaking after the conclusion of a three-day meeting of the Pakistani envoys here, Asif referred to the "altering" regional and international situation, saying the geopolitical changes taking place in the world were unprecedented.

"Perhaps, such changes were not even witnessed after the World War II. New allignments have been made, strategic policies are dictating nations' interests," he said.

"We are undergoing a seismic shift," Asif said, adding that Pakistan has to review these situations pragmatically and take the right direction.

"We have to quickly adjust our direction," he asserted.

During the meeting, the diplomats discussed the US policy on South Asia and Afghanistan and Pakistan's envoy to the US, Aizaz Ahmad Chaudhry, provided a briefing on the situation following US President Donald Trump's statements.

Trump last month issued the sternest warning yet by an American leader to Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists and sought an enhanced role for India in bringing peace in the war-ravaged country.

Asif said that there is a 50 to 60-year-long history behind the Washington policy and the regional situation "which is gradually unfolding".

"In my personal view, (in the course of this history), we have only incurred losses and haven't gained much," he was quoted as saying by Dawn.

"We don't have a lot of time - the developing regional situations do not allow us to take our time," the minister reiterated, stressing on the urgency of the matter.

Asif said that in the coming days "there will be a policy shift in the country."



The new policy will be formulated with the army and the country's institutions and will keep Pakistan's interests in view.

Asif said that recommendations in this regard will be made to the National Assembly based on the advice given by the envoys during the meetings.

The powerful army, which enjoys considerable influence over policy decisions in Pakistan, has ruled Pakistan for much of its life since it gained independence 70 years ago.

Asif said, "there is a difference - a distance - between the world's perception and Pakistan's perception [of the war," apparently referring to the US remark a day earlier that Pakistan "must change its approach" to terrorism.

His remarks came days after the BRICS nations in their Xiamen declaration expressed "concern" over the violence caused by the Taliban, ISIS, al-Qaeda and its affiliates including Eastern Turkistan Islamic Movement, Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, the Haqqani network, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e- Mohammad, Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Hizb ut-Tahrir.

"The groups named are already banned in Pakistan," Asif said during the presser.

He said that Pakistan's dependency on US has been greatly reduced. He, however, said Pakistan's relationship with the US has not ended and future communications will be made keeping in view Pakistan's interests.

"Pakistan will cooperate with countries who recognise its sacrifices," the minister said.

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The two former senior Pakistani police officers convicted in Benazir Bhutto assassination case and sentenced to 17 years in prison today challenged their conviction in a higher court, saying they have been made "scapegoats".

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi last week convicted additional inspector general Saud Aziz and Senior Superintendent of police Khurram Shehzad for negligence and security lapses and sentenced them to 17 years in prison.

The two have challenged the judgement in the Rawalpindi bench of the Lahore High Court, a court official said.

Both the officers contented in the appeal that they had provided adequate security to Bhutto who was killed in Rawalpindi, the official added.

Bhutto, the Pakistan Peoples Party chief and a two-time prime minister, was killed along with more than 20 people in a gun and bomb attack in Rawalpindi's Liaquat Bagh during an election campaign rally on December 27, 2007. She was 54.

The officers asked the court to overturn the verdict, saying the decision was full of contradictions as the court set free the five prime suspects who were kept in jail since 2008 when they were arrested.

Their lawyers said the officers who were providing security services have been made "scapegoats", Dawn reported.

They said the prosecution did not have any solid evidence against the accused.

Earlier, the ATC freed the five suspects allegedly linked with the banned Tehreek-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) for lack of evidence.

It, however, declared former dictator Pervez Musharraf a fugitive and ordered authorities to seize his properties.

A joint investigation team had implicated Musharraf in the case, saying his government did not provide adequate security to Bhutto during the rally despite her repeated requests.

It is not known when the high court will take up the appeal for hearing.

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India has laid the foundation stone for the proposed Pension Paying Office (PPO) to serve some 45,000 Indian Army Gorkha pensioners and their families.

Indian Ambassador to Nepal Manjeev Singh Puri laid the foundation stone for the proposed office at Butwal, 250 km west of Kathmandu, according to a statement by Indian Embassy, Kathmandu.

This bond with the Ex-Servicemen contributes immensely to the bonhomie and strength of India-Nepal relationships, Puri said.

The proposed PPO is being established in the present District Soldiers Board (DSB), which was established in 1995.

The PPO will benefit some 45,000 Indian Army Gorkha pensioners and family pensioners in the region, in addition to the already existing PPOs at Pokhara, Dharan and MPB, Kathmandu, the statement said.

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage, and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple here.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

"Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people. From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Modi later paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.

"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

He also visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.

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Pope Francis flew in to Colombia to try to help heal the wounds of Latin America's longest-running armed conflict, bolstered by a new cease-fire with a holdout rebel group but fully aware of the fragility of the country's peace process.

During his deeply symbolic five-day visit yesterday, Francis is expected to press Colombian leaders to address the social and economic disparities that fueled five decades of armed rebellion, while encouraging ordinary Colombians to balance their need for justice with forgiveness.

In a video message on the eve of his departure, Francis urged all Colombians to take a "first step" and reach out to one another for the sake of peace and the future.

"Peace is what Colombia has been looking for and working for for such a long time," he said. "A stable and lasting peace, so that we can see one another and treat one another as brothers, not as enemies."



Arriving at Bogota's military air base on a flight from Rome, Francis was being greeted by President Juan Manuel Santos and Colombia's national symphonic orchestra playing classics by Vivaldi and Beethoven as well as traditional cumbia music.

A year after the Colombian government signed the peace accord with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the nation remains bitterly divided over the terms of the deal even as guerrillas have laid down their arms and begun returning to civilian life. Even the Catholic Church hierarchy, which was instrumental in facilitating the peace talks and is now spearheading the process of reconciliation, was divided over what many Colombians saw as the overly generous terms offered to rebels behind atrocities.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of the peace deal, wrote a letter to the pope Tuesday expressing concern that the deal with the rebels had fueled a rise in drug trafficking and created economic uncertainties with the potential to destroy Colombia's social fabric.

Meanwhile, the nation's top drug fugitive, the target of a $5 million manhunt by US authorities, appealed to the Pope to pray that he and his fellow combatants be allowed to lay down their weapons as part of the peace process a proposal the Colombian government has rejected out of hand.

"I'm convinced that the only way out of the conflict is dialogue," said Dairo Usuga, appearing publicly for the first time, in a video published on social media. "The Catholic Church is a moral reference and we believe that with its prayers we can move forward in our goal of abandoning our weapons."



The plane flying Pope Francis to Colombia left Rome Wednesday morning and had to change its flight path to avoid Category 5 Hurricane Irma. A half-hour into the flight, he told journalists he wanted to "help Colombia in its path of peace."



He also asked for prayers for Colombia's neighbor Venezuela, whose problems are likely to demand some of his attention, hoping it finds "a good stability and dialogue with everyone."



The Vatican last year sponsored dialogue between President Nicolas Maduro's government and the opposition and bishops from the country are slated to meet with Francis in Colombia as pressure builds on the embattled socialist to yield power.

In Bogota, city workers were busy scrubbing downtown monuments, erecting the stage for a giant outdoor Mass and putting the final touches on a security perimeter surrounding the Nunciature where the pope will sleep every night. While many Colombians hail the pope's humility as a model to emulate, they have questioned the hefty cost of the visit.

"It's great what's happening, the pope is a modest person," Aristobulo Fonseca said as he hung two images of Catholic saints from the rearview mirror of his taxi. "What's not good is how they're making a carnival of this visit and spending so much money."



The highlight of Francis' trip comes tomorrow, with a meeting and prayer of reconciliation between victims of the conflict and former guerrillas in Villavicencio, a city south of Bogota surrounded by territory long held by the FARC.

The event will be packed with symbolism.

Francis will beatify two Colombian priests killed during decades of guerrilla warfare, declaring them martyrs who were killed out of hatred for the Catholic faith.

And the meeting will be framed by one of the most poignant symbols of the conflict: the mutilated Christ statue that was rescued from a church in the western town of Bojaya after a FARC mortar attack in 2012. Some 300 people were sheltering in the church when it was hit during a three-way firefight between FARC rebels, right-wing militias and the army. At least 79 people died and 100 were injured.

In total, the conflict left more than 250,000 people dead, 60,000 missing and millions more displaced.

Ahead of Francis' arrival, the government of President Juan Manuel Santos and the last remaining major rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, signed a bilateral cease-fire agreement, a significant step toward negotiating a permanent peace deal.

The Vatican No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the key message of the trip is "the capacity to forgive: to forgive, and receive forgiveness."



Francis is the third pope to visit Colombia, following Pope Paul VI in 1968 and St. John Paul II in 1986. Both used their visits to show solidarity with victims of violence, discrimination and poverty and to urge government authorities to fix the structural and societal problems that have made Colombia one of the most unequal countries in Latin America.

Monsignor Octavio Ruiz Arenas, the first archbishop of Villavicencio and now a Vatican official, said a key point that Francis will press is for Colombia to avoid repeating the mistakes of peace processes in Central America, where demobilized guerrilla fighters did not re-integrate into society and instead joined criminal gangs. Colombia's well- entrenched drug traffickers will be a strong draw for rebels who haven't known anything other than jungle warfare for decades, he said.

"When Paul VI went, he spoke about all these problems, but unfortunately all they talk about now are his pretty speeches," Ruiz said. "The same thing happened with John Paul II."



"But if the authorities aren't able to say, 'The pope is right; we have to change' - if there's no goodwill on the part of everyone the words will just remain like a nice memory," he said.

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President Ram Nath Kovind is expected to visit Kanpur on September 15, the first time after assuming office, an official said here today.

According to the official, the president is likely to attend some events, including a swachchta (cleanliness) mission programme, during his stay in the industrial town.

"The president is likely to visit the city on September 15, but the official itinerary is yet to be received," District Magistrate of Kanpur Surendra Singh said, adding the date of his visit may change by a day or two.

Kovind is a resident of Maharishi Dayanand Vihar colony in Kalyanpur area of Kanpur. His ancestral house is in Paraukh village in neighbouring Kanpur Dehat district.

The District Magistrate of Kanpur Dehat, Rakesh Kumar Singh, is, however, unaware of any visit by the president to his native village.

BJP's district unit chief Surendra Maithani said a delegation had met Kovind after his election as the president and had requested him to visit Kanpur.

The president had accepted it and he is likely to come on September 15, the BJP leader said, adding the party has invited him to participate in a swachchta (cleanliness) mission programme and an event on education of girls in slum areas.

The BJP will also honour Kovind during his visit. The party will leave no stone unturned to ensure a befitting welcome to the president who is the pride of the district Maithani said.

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St Teresa's birth place Skopje came closer to her place of work Kolkata today with the Republic of Macedonia opening its Consulate in this city to boost economic and cultural ties.

The Republic of Macedonia's capital city Skopje is the birth place of St Teresa, better known as Mother Teresa.

Namit Bajoria, Director of kitchen appliances brand Kutchina, has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.

The Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia Dr Toni Atanasovski today formally inaugurated the Consulate bureau in Kolkata on the eve of the 26th National Day in the presence of Ambassadors from Bosnia, Ecuador, Jordan, Libya and two women entrepreneurs from the United Arab Emirates.

The Republic of Macedonia is a small Balkan nation with one fourth the size of Kolkata's population.

"The two cities of Skopje and Kolkata are like two soulmates, as they mutually share the heritage of Mother Teresa. The opening of our Honorary Consulate Bureau in Kolkata is expected to boost cultural exchanges, tourism and trade between Skopje and Kolkata.

"Our mission is to initiate, promote and assist in any possible way to these initiatives and projects," said Dr Toni Atanasovski, Ambassador of The Republic of Macedonia in India.

The Republic of Macedonia would approach the West Bengal government with a proposal to mutually promote and support foreign direct investments in trade between India and Macedonia.

Besides cultural and social linkages, the Kolkata Consulate would work towards expanding trade and business opportunities between West Bengal and the Republic of Macedonia," said Namit Bajoria, Honorary Consul, The Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.

According to a World Bank report for 2017, the Republic of Macedonia has been ranked the 10th best country in the world in terms of Ease of Doing Business.

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Russia's military chief today brushed off NATO concerns about Moscow's war games with Belarus next week at a rare meeting with a senior commander from the US-led alliance.

The Russian defence ministry said Chief of the General Staff Valery Gerasimov told Petr Pavel, chairman of NATO's Military Committee that the joint exercises with Belarus were "long-planned and defensive" and "not aimed against any third country."



"Gerasimov focused attention on the main aim of the training -- the defence" of Russia and Belarus, a statement carried by Russian agencies said after the meeting in Azerbaijan.

NATO said the meeting "demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication", but did not give any details on what was discussed.

The joint "Zapad-2017" Russian exercises with Belarus next week have stirred unease in Poland and the Baltic States.

Moscow says the event will involve about 12,700 troops, but Lithuania and Estonia have said as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part.

French defence minister Florence Parly today condemned the coming drills on the border of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said yesterday that he saw no "imminent threat", but that the alliance would "monitor the activity closely".

Western officials have said the preparations for Zapad suggest it could be much bigger than Moscow has suggested, and Stoltenberg said the degree of openness about the drills did not meet international standards.

Three NATO experts have been invited to attend as observers, but Stoltenberg said this "fell short of the transparency required by the OSCE".

Suspicions are high between NATO and Russia, with the alliance's eastern members worried about Moscow's increasing assertiveness after it seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Moscow has long railed against NATO expansion in its former sphere of influence.

NATO has deployed four battle groups -- around 4,000 troops -- to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years.

The meeting in Baku came after Pavel and Gerasimov spoke by phone in March, the first talks between military chiefs of both sides since ties collapsed over the crisis in Ukraine.

NATO severed military contacts with Moscow over its meddling in its ex-Soviet neighbour but diplomats and civilian leaders from the two sides continued to meet.

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Senior BJP leader Kailash Vijaywargiya today criticised Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi for his statement on "RSS ideology" in connection with the killing of Karnataka journalist Gauri Lankesh.

In his comments, Rahul had said anybody who spoke against the ideology of the BJP and RSS was "pressured, beaten, attacked and even killed".

Vijaywargiya said the Congress-led Karnataka government was "directly answerable" for the incident which was the fallout of the "poor" law and order situation in the southern state and not Prime Minister Narendra Modi or the RSS ideology.

Terming the killing "unfortunate", the BJP general secretary said the incident should not be politicised.

"The killing of the woman journalist is unfortunate. But it should not be given any political colour," he told reporters after holding a meeting with BJP workers at the local party office.

"Merely 12 hours after the incident, he (Rahul) gave a statement that there is no freedom of speech in the country. There is a Congress government in Karnataka and it has its own chief minister. If a journalist is murdered in Karnataka, then how can Modi ji or Sangh's ideology be answerable," he asked.

Vijaywargiya questionned why Rahul and members of the opposition were refusing to admit that law and order situation in Karnataka was poor.

"The Siddaramaiah government is answerable for Lankesh's killing. But the opposition people are criticising Centre over the incident. However, it will not affect health of the BJP in anyway," he said.

When asked about the August 30 convention held here under JD(U) rebel Sharad Yadav, Vijaywargiya took a dig, saying "the number of people who gathered for that meeting is similar to that of attendees of a corner meeting of a colony".

On the charge by opposition that demonetisation was a failure, he said the opposition leaders need to understand Economics.

"Return of crores of rupees in banks does not mean that black money got converted into white. Thousands of suspected persons are being questioned on how their accounts received the money," the BJP leader said.

He also criticised the opposition for alleging that the BJP-headed Haryana government had failed to maintain law and order after the conviction of controversial Dera head Gurmit Ram Rahim in rape cases.

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A Singaporean woman was among two persons arrested for Islamic State terror-related activities under the tough Internal Security Act, a media report said today.

Imran Kassim, 34, was issued a detention order in July for intending to undertake armed violence overseas, while Shakirah Begam Abdul Wahab, 23, was issued a restriction order in the same month for initiating and maintaining contact with foreign terrorist fighters.

The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) here said Imran, a managing director of a logistics company, was said to be radicalised by the Islamic State's (ISIS) propaganda.

He had also admitted that he was prepared to attack Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel deployed in the global coalition to fight ISIS or hold them hostages to demand ransom from the Singapore government and use the money to boost the militant group's finances.

According to MHA, Imran had tried to join the ISIS in Syria on at least two occasions, Channel NewsAsia reported, quoting the government report.

In February 2014, he travelled to Syria to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to a refugee camp that was arranged by the logistics company he worked for.

He tried to slip away from his hosts at the refugee camp but was unsuccessful.

In July that year, he also took a pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Ministry said.

In March 2015, Imran had contacted a pro-IS foreign contact to facilitate his entry into Syria to join the militant group but did not receive any reply.

The ministry said Imran had not only been actively galvanising support for IS online - using several social media accounts with different names to post pro-IS materials - but also tried, unsuccessfully, to influence his friends with radical views.

"His radical and pro-militant views attracted the attention of people close to him, who then reported him to the authorities," said the ministry.

It added that apart from wanting to join ISIS in Syria, Imran harboured intentions since May this year to join pro- ISIS groups that have laid siege to Marawi City in the southern Philippines.

The ministry said other suspect Shakirah had "actively initiated" online contact with ISIS foreign fighters operating in the conflict zone.

"She came across social media details of a foreign terrorist fighter and decided to initiate contact with him. Over time, she expanded her online contacts to several other foreign fighters," it said.

Shakirah, an administrative assistant, did so mainly because she enjoyed their attention, it added.

The ministry, however, also said that the duo, considered to be ISIS influenced, have been released from detention when their detention orders expired in August.

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Taking charge of the Defence Ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman today vowed to enhance the country's military preparedness and ensure the welfare of soldiers.

Sitharaman, 58, India's first full-time woman defence minister, also listed defence indigenisation and resolving long-pending issues among her priorities.

She took charge of the key ministry in the presence of her predecessor Arun Jaitley. Indira Gandhi was the only other woman to hold the charge of the ministry, when she was the prime minister.

A priest conducted prayers in the defence minister's chamber before Sitharaman assumed charge. Her parents were present on the occasion.

In a brief statement, Sitharaman resolved to work hard, saying she will be available round-the-clock to ensure that defence related issues are well attended to.

Immediately after assuming office, Sitharaman approved a grant of over Rs 13 crore which will be released to 8,685 ex- servicemen, widows and dependants out of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. She also approved financial assistance out of Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Fund.

"My priority will definitely be armed forces' preparedness. It is important that Indian armed forces receive all attention in terms of giving them every necessary endowment and equipment," Sitharaman, who was commerce minister earlier, told reporters.

The armed forces have been pressing for enhancing overall capabilities in the face of aggressive posturing by China on the borders and the unhindered proxy war by Pakistan.

The minister said resolving long-pending issues in consultation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet and ensuring defence indigenisation would also be a major focus area.

A number of issues including appointing a tri-Service chief were pending for a long time.

The defence minister said there was a need for "big play" of the Make in India initiative in overall defence capability and noted that it was very important for the government.

"We shall ensure that the important characters of what makes 'Make in India' an important flagship programme of the Prime Minister are given full play for defence production because India as you know is a very big defence equipment procurer."



Reaching out to armed forces personnel, Sitharaman said another priority area for her would be welfare of families of the armed forces personnel.

She said her endeavour would be to ensure that "the soldiers at the very toughest borders, challenging zones in which they are protecting this country remain absolutely assured that their interests are being taken care of."



Providing the soldiers with the best equipment available would be another focus area, she added.

Sitharaman has now become member of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security. Its members include the prime minister, home minister, external affairs minister and the finance minister.

As defence minister, Sitharaman faces several challenges, including strengthening combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to the changing regional security matrix and geo-political dynamics.

Besides, military modernisation programmes have been delayed due to administrative hurdles among other reasons.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Sitharaman will also have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Finance Minister Jaitley was handling the defence ministry after Manohar Parrikar quit to become the Goa's chief minister in March.

In his capacity as defence minister, Jaitley went to Japan on Sunday, the day Modi effected the reshuffle of his cabinet, to represent India at a bilateral defence dialogue.

Jaitley had said he was going to Japan as there were logistical issues for Sitharaman to travel to Japan. Officials had said Sitharaman would take charge of the ministry after Jaitley returned from Japan.

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Newly-appointed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman today said her priority areas would be military preparedness, defence indigenisation, resolving long-pending issues and the welfare of soldiers.

Sitharaman, 55, India's first full-time woman defence minister, took charge of the key ministry in the presence of her predecessor Arun Jaitley. Indira Gandhi, as prime minister, had also held the portfolio.

A priest conducted prayers in the defence minister's chamber before Sitharaman assumed charge. Her parents were present on the occasion.

"My priority will definitely be armed forces' preparedness. It is important that Indian armed forces receive all attention in terms of giving them every necessary endowment and equipment," Sitharaman, who was commerce minister earlier, told reporters.

The armed forces have been pressing for enhancing overall capabilities in the face of aggressive posturing by China on the borders and the unhindered proxy war by Pakistan.

She said resolving long-pending issues in consultation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet and ensuring effective implementation of the 'Make in India' initiative would also be a focus area.

The defence minister said there was need for "big play" of the Make in India initiative in overall defence capability and noted that it was very important for the government.

"We will ensure that it's given full play for defence production," she said.

Reaching out to armed forces personnel, Sitharaman said soldiers perform their duties at the "toughest borders" and it would be her endeavour to ensure their welfare as well as of their families.

They should remain absolutely sure that their interests will be protected, Sitharaman said. Providing the soldiers with the best equipment available would be another priority.

Sitharaman has now become member of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security -- the members include the prime minister, home minister, external affairs minister and the finance minister.

As defence minister, Sitharaman faces several challenges, including strengthening combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to the changing regional security matrix and geo-political dynamics.

Besides, military modernisation programmes have been delayed due to administrative hurdles amongst other reasons.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Sitharaman will also have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Finance Minister Jaitley was handling the defence ministry after Manohar Parrikar quit to become the Goa's chief minister in March.

In his capacity as defence minister, Jaitley went to Japan on Sunday, the day Modi effected the reshuffle of his cabinet, to represent India at a bilateral defence dialogue.

Jaitley had said he was going to Japan as there were logistical issues for Sitharaman to travel to Japan. Officials had said Sitharaman would take charge of the ministry after Jaitley returned from Japan.

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JNU, PricewaterhouseCoopers, think tanks and even a short stint with BBC in London, Nirmala Sitharaman has travelled the long and winding road to become India's first full-time woman defence minister.

The former commerce minister, 58, who took charge of her new assignment today, has been the cynosure of much attention since Prime Minister Narendra Modi rejigged his council of ministers on Sunday.

The ex-PricewaterhouseCoopers executive from Jawaharlal Nehru University will have to deal with critical challenges in the defence ministry, including enhancing combat prowess of the armed forces to deal with an aggressive China along the northen border and Pakistan's continuous proxy war, say defence watchers.

As commerce minister, Sitharaman was involved in trade negotiations with several countries to lift barriers for free flow of trade. Now she will now have to shift her attention to protecting the country's borders, said defence expert V K Chaturvedi.

He said Sitharaman will have to take steps to keep the morale of the armed forces high and ensure speedy military modernisation so that the country can effectively deal with various challenges.

"It is a very good move. She comes with fresh ideas and I am confident she will justify her appointment to the post," Chaturvedi, who is involved with the defence think-tank IDSA, added.

Defence experts also feel that the frequency of incidents of incursions by the Chinese Army may go up in the coming months and years after the Dokalam face-off, and Sitharaman may face a challenge in handling such complex issues.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Sitharaman will have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Sitharaman has now become part of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security -- the members include the prime minister, home minister, external affairs minister and the finance minister.

The Rajya Sabha member is only the second woman to take charge of the crucial defence ministry. Indira Gandhi, as prime minister, had also held the portfolio but Sitharaman is the first full-time woman minister.

Sitharaman was born on August 18, 1959 in the temple town of Madurai, Tamil Nadu. She did her graduation in economics from Seethalakshmi Ramaswamy College in Tiruchirapalli.

She did her masters in economics from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi. The focus of her draft PH.D thesis was Indo-European textile trade.

Sitharaman did a stint with the Agricultural Engineers Association in London and also worked as senior manager (Research and Analysis) with PriceWaterhouseCoopers in the city.

During this time she also briefly worked with BBC World Service.

On her return to India, she served as deputy director of the Centre for Public Policy Studies at Hyderabad. She was also a member of the National Commission for Women from 2003- 2005.

Politics beckoned soon after and she joined the BJP in 2008. In 2010, she was made party's national spokesperson in Delhi and became a familiar figure articulating the BJP's position on various issues.

Sitharaman was inducted into the council of ministers on 26 May 2014 as Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Commerce and Industry.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out searches at 11 places in Jammu and Kashmir and the national capital region in connection with its probe into the funding of terror activities and channelling of ill-gotten money through cross-LoC trade.

NIA sleuths found three arms -- a pistol, a double-barrel gun and a .315 rifle -- in possession of Razzaq Choudhary, a close aide of separatist leader Shabir Shah, officials said.

The arms were not seized as Choudhary produced licence for the weapons, they added.

An NIA spokesman said nine places in Kashmir and one each in Jammu and Gurugram (Haryana) were searched in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case and channelling of funds through trade across the Line of Control (LoC).

Prominent among those searched include Hurriyat leaders Ghulam Nabi Sumji and Syed Aga Hassan Budgami, and close aides of Shabbir Shah -- Zameer Sheikh and Razzaq Choudhary, the spokesman said.

Badgami, a prominent separatist Shia leader, and Sumji are part of the pro-Pakistan, Syed Ali Shah Geelani-headed faction of the Hurriyat Conference.

Shabir Shah is at present in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him last month in connection with an earlier case of money laundering.

He said the offices of the Chartered Accountants of Hawala operator Zahoor Watali and residences of suspect cross-LoC traders were also searched as they were suspected of fuelling secessionist and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley.

"During searches, fixed deposits worth over Rs 1 crore, and lots of incriminating material, suspect financial records, property-related documents and electronic devices have been seized," the spokesman said.

Watali, who is considered as a political broker, was arrested by the NIA last month.

The NIA registered a case on May 30 in which the leader of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa and banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed, was named as an accused.

The NIA has arrested nine people in the case of alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest there.

The case was registered for raising, receiving and collecting funds through illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding activities such as causing disruption in the valley by stone pelting, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India.

This is for the first time since the rise of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s that a central probe agency has conducted raids in connection with the funding of terrorist and separatist groups.

The searches were also part of the NIA's probe into alleged irregularities in the cross-LoC trade. In this connection, the NIA had carried out searches on traders at trade facilitation centres at Salamabad in North Kashmir's Baramulla district and Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch district of the Jammu region.

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The following are the top stories of the Northern region at 1930 hrs:



DEL39 PB-LD FIRE



Bathinda: A fire broke out at the Army's ammunition depot here, officials say adding that there is no report of any casualty.

DEL41 JK-ARMY



Udhampur (J&K): The number of terror camps and launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir have gone up and around 475 militants are waiting to sneak into the Indian side, northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu says.

DES19 HR-DERA-SANITISATION



Sirsa/Chandigarh: The mammoth exercise of the "sanitisation" of the sprawling Dera Sacha Sauda sect headquarters will begin at Sirsa tomorrow involving a coordinated effort by security forces and various government departments.

DES18 UKD-MAYOR-DM SPAT



Dehradun: Dehradun mayor and BJP MLA Vinod Chamoli stages a sit-in at the collectorate here and engages in a public spat with the district magistrate demanding closure of a liquor shop which was allegedly opened against the wishes of the people in his Dhampur constituency.

DES16 DL-TRILE-TALAQ-LAW



New Delhi: A petitioner in the triple talaq case, Bharatiya Muslim Mahila Andolan (BMMA), comes out with a proposal for a Muslim Family Law to govern marriages and divorces in the community on the lines of the Hindu and Indian Christian marriage acts.

DES14 JK-JUVENILE



Srinagar: Juvenile offenders, including stone-pelters, will no longer be lodged in police lock-ups in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid says.

DES11 CH-LIQUOR-BREATHALYSER



Chandigarh: The Union Territory of Chandigarh administration asks pubs and bars to install breathalyser to ensure alcohol intake "within legal limits", as part of measures to check rising cases of drunken driving.

DES10 HEALTH-E-CIGARETTES



New Delhi: The government, which wants to ban e- cigarettes, is in a dilemma over the legal provisions it will have to use to stub out the electronic smoking alternative, known to have health risks.

LGD14 DL-HC-JAMA MASJID



New Delhi: The Delhi High Court asks the Centre to place before it documents regarding its decision that the historic Mughal-era Jama Masjid here should not be declared a protected monument.

LGD12 DL-HC-PATANJALI



New Delhi: The Delhi High Court orders Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Ayurved Ltd to stop airing advertisements to promote its brand of Chyawanprash, after its rival brand Dabur said the commercials disparaged its product.

NRG11 UP-MADRASAS-TEACHERS



Lucknow: The Uttar Pradesh government asks madrasas to recommend names for the State Teachers' Award 2016-17.

NRG10 JK-SEARCH-BRAID CUTTING



Jammu: The police conducts a three-hour-long search operation in several villages of Reasi district in Jammu and Kashmir after several braid-cutting incident were reported in many parts of the state.

DES3 NHRC-RAJ-HOSPITAL



New Delhi: The NHRC issues a notice to the Rajasthan government over the death of 90 children at a state-run hospital in Banswara district in the last two months seeking a report within four weeks.

LGD5 DL-COURT-UNITECH



New Delhi: The promoters of real estate firm Unitech Ltd, Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, are sent to police custody for four days by a Delhi court in an alleged cheating case relating to a housing project in Greater Noida.

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President Donald Trump's oldest son was expected to meet privately today with a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, several senators said.

Donald Trump Jr.'s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee will probably focus on a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer and others during the final stretches of last year's campaign.

Emails released in July show that Trump Jr. Was told the session at Trump Tower in New York was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father, the Republican nominee.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating that meeting, also attended by Trump's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. A grand jury has heard testimony about it.

Trump Jr. Has also agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, said that the panel wants to speak with others in the room during the meeting before they interview Trump Jr.

"We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible," Warner said.

Separately, former President Barack Obama's national security adviser, Susan Rice, was meeting yesterday with the House Intelligence Committee, according to a person familiar with the interview. This person wasn't authorized to discuss the committee's confidential work and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

That committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the FBI for documents related to a dossier of salacious allegations involving Trump and possible ties to Russia.

As for Donald Trump Jr., some Democratic senators said they planned to attend his session though tradition dictates that senators cannot ask questions at such interviews conducted by committee staff.

Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D- Conn., said they would be there. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., was considering it.

"I go in with an open mind," Durbin said. "I want to hear his answers to questions there are plenty of questions - about the involvement of the Trump corporation as well as the Trump campaign with the Russians and other foreigners, and I just want to hear what Mr. Trump has to say."



Durbin said he would be "shocked" if questions weren't asked about whether the elder Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting.

"The critical part of his testimony will be following the financial dealing," Blumenthal said. He said he also wants to find out what Trump Jr. May know about potential obstruction of justice, adding there may have been conversations between the two about the firing of FBI Director James Comey and other matters.

Blumenthal and Coons said the private interview is no substitute for a public hearing, which the committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has promised will happen.

"This meeting is far less important than his public testimony, under oath, before the American people," Blumenthal said.

Grassley would not say yesterday whether he would issue a subpoena for Trump Jr. If he refuses to testify publicly.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is reviewing subpoenas from the House intelligence committee.

In a letter on Friday that was obtained by the AP, the committee wrote that it had served subpoenas on Aug. 24 to the department and the FBI for documents related to the committee's investigation of Russian meddling. The Justice Department and FBI had missed the original Sept. 1 deadline, so the committee extended the deadline to Sept. 14.

The letter was signed by the committee chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who stepped back from the Russia investigation this year after he was criticized for being too close to the White House. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, took over the leading role, but his name does not appear on the letter.

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President Donald Trump briskly overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise America's debt limit.

The immediate goal was ensuring money for hurricane relief, but in the process the president brazenly rolled his own party's leaders.

In deal-making mode, Trump sided with the Democratic leaders "Chuck and Nancy," as he amiably referred later to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi as they pushed for the three-month deal.

The deal had the effect of brushing aside the urgings of Republican leaders and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin for a much longer extension to the debt limit.

Republicans want that longer allowance to avoid having to take another vote on the politically toxic issue before the 2018 congressional elections.

The White House session painted a vivid portrait of discord at the highest ranks of the Republican Party. After an angry August that Trump spent lobbing attacks at fellow Republicans, specifically targeting Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell for the failure of health care legislation, the president wasted little time once Congress came back this week in demonstrating his disdain for the House and Senate leaders charged with shepherding his agenda into law.

At first, in yesterday's Oval Office meeting, the Republicans lobbied for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six, but Trump waved them off. As Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favor of a longer term, Trump tired of it and cut him off mid-sentence.

At another point, the meeting totally lost focus when Ivanka Trump entered to raise an unrelated issue on child care tax credits. Details of the meeting were disclosed by several people briefed on the proceedings who spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk publicly.

One photo taken through the window of the Oval Office showed an animated Schumer pointing his finger in Trump's face as the president smiles with his hands on his fellow New Yorker's arms.

After the meeting, Trump boarded a plane to North Dakota with Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp in an effort to garner bipartisan support for tax legislation that Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are crafting on a purely partisan basis. That continued the day of bizarre disconnects between the president and the leaders of his party.

Trump called Heitkamp to the stage at his Dakota event and praised her as a "good woman." She will be running for re-election against a Republican in November 2018.

Heitkamp later issued a statement saying she needs to know more about Trump's tax plan before offering her support. "I know the devil is in the details of any reform plan as tax codes are complex, and we need to know what those details are," she said.

Aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, "We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer." He didn't mention Republicans McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan, who also had been present. "We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred, very important."



"I think the deal will be very good," Trump added. Barely an hour earlier, Ryan had slammed the Democrats' demand for a three-month extension as "ridiculous and disgraceful." He issued no public statement on the final deal.

McConnell, in his own reserved fashion, did not sugar- coat what happened when he addressed reporters a short time later.

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A 22-year-old Welsh man was today jailed for a year over posting a "let's kill every Muslim" message on Facebook and stirring up "religious hatred" in the aftermath of the suicide bombing at the Manchester Arena which killed 22 people in May.

Keegan Jakovlevs from Wrexham in north Wales had pleaded guilty to publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred.

He was sentenced at Mold Crown Court in Wales today under the UK's Public Order Act 1986.

"After the Manchester attack there were countless messages of support on social media for those affected but Keegan Jakovlevs chose to stir up religious hatred by calling for British Muslims to be indiscriminately killed," said Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division at the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS), after the court hearing.

"No harmful consequences appear to have resulted but his intention was clear and he pleaded guilty once he saw the CPS's case against him. People should not assume they can hide on social media when stirring up hatred and violence. Where there is evidence, the CPS will prosecute them and they will face imprisonment as a result," she noted.

Though Jakovlevs' post was taken down shortly after it appeared on social media, the CPS told the court that the message was accessible to his 2,154 Facebook friends "at the very least" and to other members of the public.

"Overall, there was potential for it to have been seen by a very large number of people and for serious harm to have occurred in addition to the obvious fear and distress suffered by any member of the Muslim community who may have seen it," the CPS said.

Islamic State (ISIS) supporter Salman Abedi had killed 22 people, including a number of young children, and injured 250 others when he detonated a homemade bomb as fans poured out of an Ariana Grande concert at Manchester Arena on May 22.

The prosecution had argued that Jakovlevs' single message was particularly serious because it was posted so soon after the bombing, when public emotions were running high.

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More than a quarter of a million mostly Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh since fresh violence erupted in Myanmar last October, the United Nations said on Thursday, as more bodies washed up a day after boats sank attempting to cross the river that divides the two countries.

In the last two weeks alone 164,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams and triggering warnings of a humanitarian crisis.

Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.

Police in Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when at least three boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river that runs along the border.

Bangladesh border guards say desperate Rohingya are attempting to cross the river using small fishing trawlers that are dangerously overcrowded.

At least five have capsized leaving more than 60 people dead, police and border guards say.

Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat to take them to Bangladesh after fleeing her township in Rakhine.

"People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink," she told AFP.

"Most managed to swim ashore but the children were missing."

Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson by Myanmar's army.

Most have walked for days to reach Bangladesh and the United Nations says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food and water.

Existing camps which hosted around 400,000 refugees before the latest influx are now completely overwhelmed, leaving tens of thousands of new arrivals with nowhere to shelter from the monsoon rains.

Mazor Mustafa, a Bangladeshi businessman handing out food and rehydration fluids, said the situation was getting worse as more people arrived.

"It is not at all enough food," he told AFP of the ration kits being distributed.

"These people are hungry, starving to death together."

The latest figures mean that nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 1.1 million have fled since fighting first broke out last October.

Impoverished Bangladesh initially tried to block them from entering, but has now given up attempting to stem the tide.

On Wednesday, its foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar ambassador to demand immediate measures to curb the violence.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, which is under growing pressure over its apartheid-like treatment of the stateless minority.

UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year may amount to ethnic cleansing.

The recent fighting is the fiercest in Rakhine, Myanmar's poorest state, in years.

Cattle rancher Mohammad Shaker, 27, crossed into Bangladesh today suffering a gunshot wound to his chest that he said was inflicted by Myanmar soldiers.

"I tried to flee with our stock near the river when the military started shooting at us," he told AFP, nursing his untreated wound.

"I fell on the ground and later my relatives found me. We hid in the hills for days, and this morning managed to come here."

Scores of refugees have arrived in Bangladesh needing treatment for serious bullet wounds, while have lost limbs after apparently setting off landmines along the border.

On Thursday, a mass funeral was held at a mosque near the border for five men whose relatives said they had been shot dead by the Myanmar military. The relatives carried their bodies over the border so they could be buried in Bangladesh.

Myanmar says some 27,000 mainly ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have also fled in the opposite direction since August 25, accusing Rohingya militants of targeting their communities.

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

It has placed the blame for the violence squarely on the militants, saying they are setting fire to their own homes.

Myanmar said today that 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25.

They added some 30 civilians had been killed  seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists  in the fighting.

Myanmar's army has previously said around 430 people had been killed in the fighting, including militants and soldiers.
The promoters of real estate firm Unitech Ltd, Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, have been sent to police custody for four days by a Delhi court in an alleged cheating case relating to a housing project in Greater Noida.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Garg remanded them custody for interrogation into an FIR lodged by an 85-year-old woman alleging fraud by the firm and its Directors for not handing over an apartment booked by her in 2006.

The FIR, lodged in 2016, said that in March 2006, Unitech Ltd had floated a residential project in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh called 'Unitech Cascades' which was booked by her the same year for an amount of Rs 43 lakh.

Out of this amount, she had already paid Rs 41 lakh for the flat, which was to be given to her by April 2008 as per he flat buyer cum allottment letter, it claimed.

However, as the delivery date approached, the company officials told them they were running behind schedule and the flat would be allotted by the last quarter of 2008.

Soon, the company officials stopped responding to the complainant's queries and did not update her about the progress of the construction, the FIR alleged, adding that till date, the construction was not complete.

The Chandras have been accused of offences under sections 120B(criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and 406(criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.

In the same housing project, another buyer had lodged an alleged cheating complaint against the promoters in which a sessions judge had last year ordered initiation of proceedings against Chandras saying they had "guilty intention to cheat from the beginning".

In the last few years, several FIRs have been lodged against the Unitech top brass for allegedly cheating homebuyers by not delivering them properties purchased from their firm's housing projects.

Sanjay and his brother Ajay Chandra, both managing directors of Unitech, were sent to jail last month in connection with a cheating case registered against them by flat-owners in a Gurgaon project. A trial court had granted them interim bail for three months in April and declined to extend it.

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The US is concerned over the status of rule of law and democracy in Maldives, saying lack of higher educational opportunities and weak institutions contribute to the growth of Islamist extremism in the strategically situated country in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives has been hit by political unrest since Mohamed Nasheed, the country's first democratically elected leader, was ousted in 2012. Nasheed has accused President Abdulla Yameen of widespread corruption and gathering wealth through illegal means.

Describing Maldives as a strategically situated nation in Indian Ocean, which sits astride key shipping lanes, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells has expressed concerns about the status of rule of law and democracy in the country.

Maldives is a small, but strategically situated nation of some 1,000 coral islands spread across 35,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean. It sits astride key shipping lanes and counts India, Saudi Arabia, and China among its benefactors, Wells told a Congressional sub-committee in a written submission.

"We have real concerns about the status of rule of law and democracy in the country. Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on 'Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget'.

"Lack of higher educational opportunities, high youth unemployment, rise of social media, and weak institutions all contribute to an environment in which Islamist violent extremism is on the rise," she said.

"Our work with the government to combat violent extremism remains critically important, in a country with a grim distinction: per capita, it has produced more terrorists who have fought in Iraq and Syria than any other country in the world," Wells said.

US has requested USD 440,000 in foreign assistance for Maldives which will continue limited support for maritime security cooperation.

"Maritime security is of great concern due to threats posed by narcotics trafficking, piracy in the Indian Ocean, and seaborne trade in illicit materials of potential use for terrorist activity. Maldives abuts the same sea lanes that pass by Sri Lanka and account for two-thirds of the world;s oil and half of its container shipments," Wells said.

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An Uzbek woman, allegedly involved in human trafficking, was today denied bail by a Delhi court on the ground that the charges against her were serious.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pooja Talwar dismissed the bail plea of Khakimova Lola Farmonova, who was detained at Goa airport on August 9 on a request of provisional detention by Republic of Uzbekistan.

"The charges levelled against the accused are serious in nature. She is allegedly involved in human trafficking. Formal request is still awaited from Uzbekistan. Hence, the bail application is dismissed," the court said.

Union of India, through its advocate N K Matta, opposed Farmonova's bail plea on the ground that she was been charged with serious offences and a formal request from Uzbekistan for her extradition was awaited.

The counsel appearing for Farmonova had told the court that she had been falsely implicated and there was no criminal record against her.

The defence advocate contended that her husband was an Indian national and she would abide by all the conditions imposed by the court.

Farmonova was produced before the court on August 16 after she was detained at Goa airport as she was wanted in Uzbekistan for the offence of human trafficking and a request of her provisional detention was received from Republic of Uzbekistan, for which she was remanded to judicial custody.

The accused was on her way to Dubai via Muscat by an Oman Airlines flight when the Immigration officials stopped her as she was wanted as per the look out circular and the red corner notice issued against her. She was then handed over to the Goa Police.

The woman, who was living in Mumbai, had come to Goa to board the international flight, the police had said.

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Viveck Goenka, Chairman and Managing Director of the Express Group, and N. Ravi, a former Editor-in-Chief of The Hindu daily, were today unanimously elected Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of Press Trust of India, the country's largest agency.

Goenka, 60, succeeds Riyad Mathew, who is Senior Assistant Editor and a member of the Manorama management. Ravi, 69, succeeds Goenka as Vice Chairman.

The election took place at a meeting of the Board of Directors following the Company's 69th Annual General Meeting here today.

Goenka, an engineer by qualification and a publisher by profession, runs one of the most widespread newspaper publishing groups in India, which includes The Indian Express, Financial Express, Marathi daily Loksatta, Hindi daily Jansatta and a host of online websites.

Goenka is also a director of the Indian Newspaper Society (INS) besides being a member of the Advertising Association, India Chapter. He also served as Chairman of United of India news agency, as a Council Member of the Audit Bureau of Circulation and was one of the youngest past Presidents of the Indian Newspaper Society.

As head of the non-profit Ramnath Goenka Foundation, Goenka launched the Ramnath Goenka Excellence in Journalism Awards which are now in their 12th year, for the finest work in the media in English and vernacular languages, print, TV and digital.

Goenka is a wildlife photographer and an avid student of conservation.

Ravi, an award-winning former journalist with an illustrious career in India and the United States, is a Director at Kasturi & Sons Ltd, which publishes The Hindu.

Ravi joined The Hindu in 1972, and served as reporter, leader writer and Washington Correspondent until 1980 when he became a Deputy Editor. He was Editor from 1991 to 2011 and Editor-in-Chief from October 2013 until January 2015.

During his 42-year journalism career, Ravi covered several international conferences and travelled with prime ministers and presidents to cover international summits. His writings and interests include India-U.S. Relations, constitutional and political issues, economy, free speech and human rights.

He has a Master's degree in economics and a bachelor's degree in law. He has previously been Chairman of the Press Trust of India, and President of the Editors' Guild of India. He was a member of the Indian government's National Security Advisory Board from 2006 to 2008.

Ravi is the recipient of several professional awards, including the G. K. Reddy Memorial Award and BREAD Role Model Award, and was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Sri Venkateswara University, Tirupati.

Besides Goenka, Ravi and Mathew, members of the PTI Board are Mahendra Mohan Gupta (Dainik Jagran), K.N. Shanth Kumar (Deccan Herald), Vineet Jain (Times of India), Aveek Kumar Sarkar (Anand Bazar Patrika), M.P. Veerendra Kumar (Mathrubhumi), R. Lakshmipathy (Dinamalar), Vijay Kumar Chopra (The Hind Samachar Ltd), Rajiv Verma (Hindustan Times), Hormusji N. Cama (Bombay Samachar), Justice R.C. Lahoti, Prof. Deepak Nayyar, Shyam Saran and J.F. Pochkhanawalla.

Addressing shareholders during the Annual General Meeting, outgoing Chairman Mathew noted that the Company posted a revenue of Rs. 172.76 crore during 2016-17 as against Rs.166.36 crore in the preceding year, an increase of Rs. 6.4 crore.

"PTI once again proved to be the pre-eminent news service in India with its fact-based and balanced reportage, fulfilling the news cooperative's core commitment to its diverse subscribers," Mathew said.

The PTI Board took a major decision last year to split the roles of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) and Editor-in-Chief (EIC), which were traditionally held by one person, to meet growing challenges resulting from the changing media landscape.

The editorial team is now led by a new Editor-in-Chief, Vijay Joshi, a veteran journalist with more than three decades experience in the profession. The CEO is Venky Venkatesh, who also has more than three decades experience in sales, marketing, corporate affairs and media.

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Jharkhand Chief Minister Raghubar Das today said work was on to make digital Jharkhand and provide better facilities to the people.

He also called for a time line to make villages digital, adding there are more than 3000 bank branches and every month 1000 villages should be made digital.

Talking to senior bank officials here, Das said making new Jharkhand would assist in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's dream of new India and the role of banks would become important.

If banks desire then no work would be difficult, an official release said quoting the chief minister.

There are small villages in Jharkhand and goal is not difficult, he added.

Stating that the state is observing 'Garib Kalyan Varsh' this year, Das said the government is running several schemes for the welfare of the poor and called upon the bank to participate in it.

The government is giving subsidy for purchase of bus services, he said and asked to speed up disposal of loan applications.

He also asked them to dispose of applications under Pradhan Mantri Rozgar Yojana.

He also said to dispose off application for small industries, adding that those deserving be given loan.

Besides this, the chief minister asked to take early decision on loans for women self-help groups, Mudra Loan.

He said the government is with the bankers at every step.

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The belief that China is emerging as a new global hegemon and the world is hurtling towards Chinese unipolarity is misplaced as it lacks the wherewithal of the US which remains a pre-eminent power, says former foreign secretary .

According to Saran, whose new book "How India Sees The World-Kautilya to the 21st Century" was launched here last night by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, longstanding narratives of China as a pre-eminent Asian and global power and its projection at the centre of global trade through history are mostly "contrived" and "imagined".

"It is interesting how successful China has been in convincing the world that a China-centric world is inevitable. Many people say it is better to acknowledge it rather than trying to confront it because it is not worth trying to confront it," Saran told former Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon during a discussion on the book.

He said this notion had gained credence due to "manufactured" history of Chinese dominance over the centuries.

Saran rejected outright the possibility of a hegemonic world order, saying challenges like climate change and international terrorism were global in nature and required "collaborative responses".

"Hegemonic world order is simply not possible," he said, adding that there was no one dominant power but a cluster of major powers in the current world order.

"If there is an inevitability, it is the inevitability of a multipolar world order," he said at the event.

The 71-year-old former diplomat argues in the book, published by Juggernaut Books, that such narratives are useful in mobilising pride and in creating a "sense of awe" among the countries of Asia and beyond.

"The US remains a pre-eminent power against any metric of economic and military might. Its status as the chief source of technological innovation and creativity remains undiminished," Saran writes.

"We are, in reality, neither in a China-centric Asia nor in a world destined to become China-centric," he adds.

While China's presence in Central Asia has been expanding, its military capabilities on both the Western as well as on the Eastern flanks of Asia are nowhere near that of the US which continues to be the "most formidable" military power in Asia, he notes.

"Chinese economy is slowing down...A simple linear projection of China's current growth rate into the future may not be realistic. China remains a brittle polity and the rising insecurity within its political leadership sits uneasily with the overweening arrogance of power.

"It's historical insularity is at odds with the cosmopolitanism that the densely interconnected contemporary world demands of any aspiring global power," Saran affirms.

The 292-page book, which has a foreword by Manmohan Singh, is a riveting account of critical events and shifts in Indian foreign policy in the post-Independence period, including the landmark India-US nuclear deal.

With a strong focus on China, the book, which is part memoir and part thesis on India's international relations, also has a section dedicated to the country's complex and troubled ties with Pakistan and Nepal.

The book has four sections, each representing a seminal theme. It takes the reader behind the closed doors of the most nail-biting negotiations and top-level interactions - from Barack Obama stopping by a tense developing-country strategy meeting at the Copenhagen climate change summit to the private celebratory dinner thrown by George W Bush for Manmohan Singh on the success of the nuclear deal.

"I believe the Indo-US nuclear deal was significant precisely because it expanded India's foreign policy options...The deal is an example of how India enhanced its energy security and expanded its strategic space," Saran observes.

Noting that India-Pakistan relations remain a "prisoner of Partition", Saran asserts that Pakistan has nurtured its quest for parity with India through its large and powerful army, and now through an expanding nuclear arsenal.

He argues that Pakistan's willingness to become a client-state of the US, and now of China, arises from its obsession with constraining India.

"There is a fond belief in Pakistan that China's proposed $46 billion investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and in Gwadar port on the Balochistan coast will be a game changer for Pakistan and buttress its ambitions to become equal to India," Saran writes.

The book is also an attempt to trigger greater interest in China, which Saran says is a "fascinating" country but remains poorly understood in India.

"This lack of familiarity can be costly when it comes to safeguarding India's interests...Without an understanding of China's worldview and how it influences the country's association with other nations, it would be difficult for India to confront the China challenge," Saran warns.

(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 third edition of Young Entrepreneurs Summit will be held at Kochi on September 12, state Industries Minister A C Moideen said here today.

YES 2017, organised by the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation (KSIDC) has the theme 'Disrupt, Discover and Develop', encouraging young entrepreneurs to disrupt an existing process, discover an alternate technology, and develop a better product, the minister told reporters.

The event would be inaugurated by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he said.

YES 2017 will also witness serious discussions on the various facets of entrepreneurship in sectors like Agro -Food Processing, Sustainable Technologies, Biotechnology/Bio Medical and Future Technologies.

Successful start-ups from outside the state, venture capitalists and industry leaders will interact with the young innovators of the state.

A much-needed session on Start Up India initiatives and schemes is also being planned in which senior officials from the Start Up India team will interact with the start-up aspirants in the state.

(This story has not been edited by Business Standard staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)
BEIJING (Reuters) - China's Guangzhou port, the largest coal transport hub in southern China, said on Thursday that its storage facilities are currently unable to accept new coal cargoes.

Bad weather in recent weeks has led to a backlog of cargoes, a Guangzhou Port Co official told Reuters, with storage facilities almost full. "We've had three typhoons since the end of August and lots of rains in recent weeks," said the official, who declined to be identified by name pending a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.

reported on Wednesday that Guangzhou, with 14 coal berths and capacity to handle 60 million tonnes of shipments per year, had halted operations, including foreign coal imports. The move surprised traders who said they hadn't received official information on why operations had been halted, and feared a ban on imports was being implemented in the wake of similar curbs at other China ports.

"Guangzhou port has not received any notices from customs regarding any curb on coal imports," the official said. "Neither did the port send out any notices to its clients ... As of this week, we still have foreign coal cargo ships coming into the port."

The port is "working actively" to resolve coal shipment backlog problems, the official said, without giving a timetable for a full resumption of operations.

The latest port filing showed August's cargo throughput volumes at 35.5 million tonnes, up 3.8 percent from a year ago, but down from 38.45 million tonnes in July.

of the halt on new cargoes will rekindle worries about tightness in the market amid declining domestic production and more stringent port checks on coal cargoes.

Mining caps and closures last year resulted in huge rises in coal prices which took many in the market by surprise.

The Guangzhou port official said some traders have been holding their stocks at port, anticipating a hike in prices in winter, aggravating congestion.

China's coal production in July fell to its lowest level since October 2016 due to a flurry of environmental checks at coal mines. Coal imports also touched a five-month low in July.

(Reporting by Meng Meng and Beijing Monotoring Desk; Editing by Kenneth Maxwell and Richard Pullin)

(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.)
By Nate Raymond

(Reuters) - New Mexico on Thursday sued eight opioid manufacturers and wholesale distributors, becoming the latest state or local government to file a lawsuit seeking to hold corporations accountable for a national drug addiction epidemic.

New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas accused Purdue Pharma LP, Johnson & Johnson , Allergan Plc , Endo International Plc and Teva Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd of pushing addictive painkillers through deceptive marketing.

The lawsuit also accused wholesale distributors McKesson Corp , Cardinal Health Inc and AmerisourceBergen Corp of breaching their legal duties to monitor, detect and report suspicious orders of prescription opioids.

"New Mexico continues to endure the most catastrophic effects of the opioid crisis, all while major out of state corporations make billions in profits at the expense of our families and communities," Balderas said in a statement.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, opioids were involved in over 33,000 deaths in 2015, the latest year for which data is available. The death rate has continued rising, according to estimates.

The lawsuit followed a wave of cases against drugmakers by Oklahoma, Mississippi, Ohio, Missouri, New Hampshire and South Carolina, as well as several cities and counties in states including California, Illinois and New York.

The drug wholesalers have likewise faced litigation, particularly in West Virginia, where several county commissions and cities have the three main ones, following lawsuits filed by the state's attorney general.

New Mexico's lawsuit, filed in the First Judicial District Court in Santa Fe County, contended that the drugmakers downplayed the risks of addiction to prescription opioids and falsely touted the benefits of their long-term use.

It also accused the wholesale distributors of violating their duties by selling large amounts of painkillers that were then diverted for illicit uses, helping to contribute to the opioid epidemic.

The lawsuit seeks damages, including for the costs New Mexico has incurred responding to the epidemic.

The companies have in similar cases denied wrongdoing. The drugmakers have said they acted responsibly in connection with marketing the drugs, which carry U.S. Food and Drug Administration-approved labels warning about their risks.

"While we vigorously deny the allegations, we share public officials' concerns about the opioid crisis and we are committed to working collaboratively to find solutions," Purdue, the maker of OxyContin, said in a statement.

Cardinal Health in a statement called the lawsuit "misguided," saying it was "launched in haste and without any factual investigation to support it."

(Reporting by Nate Raymond in Boston; Editing by Dan Grebler)

(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.)
A five-judge Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court on Wednesday directed social media service providers WhatsApp and Facebook to file an affidavit in four weeks stating what data they were gathering about millions of users and whether they were sharing it with any third-party entity.
The graph above was created using Google Trends. It shows interest in cybersecurity from a news standpoint over the course of a year, viz. how often people searched for the term 'cybersecurity'. Evidently, the baseline has elevated. Suffice to say, with or without this graph, cybersecurity is on all our minds.

Clearly, cybersecurity has become increasingly popular over the past year. The next step is deciphering what this popularity means. Little can be achieved through further dissection of the debit card hack of 2016, in which a hack hit major Indian banks, compromising 3.2 million debit cards, in one of the biggest ever financial data breaches in India. It, however, does gives rise to a point worth deliberating - that of 'collaboration'.

A popular phrase is, "hindsight is 20/20", and the loopholes that led to the debit card hack now seem preventable. What would be worth ascertaining is if collaboration could have solved the problem? And what kind of collaboration - between individual corporates and governments? Should it be between government agencies? Should businesses collaborate? Should governments be the only ones who collaborate with businesses? What is an acceptable way out in a competitive global business environment?

It's important to first understand what cybersecurity entails. The Information Systems Audit and Control Association, ISACA, goes a step ahead - to understand the term cybersecurity, we must first define the term cyber-risk. Cyber-risk is not one specific risk. It is a group of risks, which differ in technology, attack vectors, means, etc. Cybersecurity is the sum of efforts invested in addressing cyber-risk.

The risk aspect that ISACA stresses on is crucial and worth the time to break down. The Internet is a medium we all transact, collaborate, and connect on. A report titled 'Internet in India 2016' by the Internet and Mobile Association of India (IAMAI) jointly published by the IMRB, mentions that the number of internet users in India is expected to reach between 450-465 million by June 2017. It adds that the country had 432 million mobile internet users in December 2016, of which 269 million, or 62.3 per cent were from urban India and 163 million, or 37.7 per cent were from the rural India. And a report by the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) and IAMAI found that India's internet economy will grow to $200 billion by 2020 and will contribute 5 per cent to the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country. Given the number of users and amount of users and sheer monetary value the medium generates, it's important to understand that ensuring the security of the medium determines how much users will transact over it.

The Internet is a set of interconnected networks allowing users to connect with each other across the globe. Therein lies the crux of the matter - cybersecurity can't be a measure developed in isolation when you're examining how to defend threats that appear over a global network. What does that imply? A hack bringing a server down in Japan can affect a user sitting in South Africa. Localizing the problem - India's internet hub in Mumbai faced a DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack in 2016. This slowed down connectivity for users across the country. When problems aren't isolated, neither should the approach we take to handling and developing effective cybersecurity measures.

Japan's Information Security Policy Council has a paper on International Strategy on Cybersecurity Cooperation which lays out region specific initiatives the country has. Another body is the European Union Agency for Network and Information Security which is a center of network and information security expertise for the EU, its member states, the private sector and Europe's citizens. ENISA works with these groups to develop advice and recommendations on good practice in information security. Another very good example comes from Canada. The Cyber Security Cooperation Program (CSCP) is a five-year $1.5M initiative developed to improve the security of Canada's vital cyber systems by working with owners and operators, industrial and trade associations, academics and research organizations.

The government organizations above look at involving private organizations in arriving at and implementing good frameworks for cybersecurity. It's a prudent step given the context we set - cybersecurity isn't an issue to be addressed in isolation. India has also taken several impressive strides here - be it collaborating with the US-CERT (Computer Emergency Response Team) or setting up CERT-Fin; a Computer Emergency Response Team for the Financial Sector. What'll bolster these initiatives is when organizations coalesce and work in conjunction with the government to take on challenges that affect all of us, not just organizations in isolation. The Debit Card Hack proved that cybersecurity is a problem that doesn't affect individual businesses and their customers, but the industry as a whole. The wiser course of action would be to come together in establishing frameworks, best practices, procedures, possible Emergency Response Teams, and research groups that make consumers more confident in the organizations they conduct business with.

(The writer is - Regional Director, Web Division, Akamai Technologies, India)
Nissan Motor Co Ltd launched a revamped Leaf electric vehicle (EV) on Wednesday, going head-to-head with Tesla Inc's Model 3 and hoping to blunt criticism of limited driving ranges undermining EVs' mass-market appeal. The automaker said it aims to "double, even triple" annual sales of the previous incarnation, jump-starting demand in major markets such as the United States, and packing new technologies to make up for a shorter driving range than rival offerings.

"If it's successful, the Leaf will be a major part of the portfolio of Nissan," Chief Executive Hiroto Saikawa said at a launch for the new version of the world's bestselling battery-powered car. "EVs will no longer be a niche product." The car, on sale in Japan from Oct. 2 and elsewhere in early 2018, can run for 150 miles (241 kilometers) on a single charge according to U.S. regulator estimates, up from its predecessor's 107 miles due to a bigger, 40 kilowatt hour (kWh) battery.

Prices in Japan will start from 3.15 million yen ($28,992). The launch comes after luxury electric car maker Tesla made its first foray into the Leaf's more affordable price band in July with its $35,000, 220-mile Model 3. Tesla has said it has received half a million orders for the Model 3, indicating the challenge Nissan has in preserving the Leaf's number-one rank.

Nissan, whose first Leaf was among the first mass-market EVs, has given its marquee model a sporty facelift drawing on its more mainstream designs including the Micra and Rogue, in an effort to dispel the image of EVs being only for the affluent and environment-conscious.

The mid-sized car comes equipped with Nissan's latest automated functions including single-lane highway driving and self-parking, along with its combined accelerate and brake "e-pedal".

"The pricing is flat, (yet) we have a full model change... You have autonomous drive technology, a new battery, new powertrain. How can this be unattractive to a young customer?" said Ivan Espinosa, vice president of global product planning. But for all the improvements, analysts said current EV driving ranges are too short to lure a meaningful number of drivers away from conventional cars, particularly in the U.S. where gasoline prices are historically low.

"Until we see a significant improvement in range and/or economics that feed through to a rise in gasoline prices, EV buyers will be buying for environmental or altruistic reasons," said Janet Lewis, head of Asia transportation research at Macquarie Securities. "It's still a very, very niche market."

Industry experts said a range over 250 miles and price around $30,000 would be needed to see a significant shift to massmarket EVs. Worldwide EV registrations numbered just 2 million as of 2016, showed data from the International Energy Agency.

That compared with the 80 million non-commercial vehicles sold last year alone. To date, Nissan has sold 280,000 Leafs. Saikawa said a longer-range Leaf for launch next year would carry a bigger, 60 kWh battery, yielding a range of roughly "more than 300 miles", without specifying which standards Nissan used for the estimate.

The Leaf will continue to use lithium-ion batteries from Automotive Energy Supply Corp, which Nissan began as a joint venture with NEC Corp and sold to Chinese investor GSR Capital last month.


The government of Andhra Pradesh has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with California-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) to develop India's first Hyperloop route in the state.

In a blog post, HTT announced its first agreement in India for the new transportation system. The futuristic transport company said the project is expected to create over 2,500 jobs.

The proposed route for the Hyperloop between the city centers of Vijaywada and Amaravati could potentially turn a trip of more than one hour into a 6 minute ride. The project will use a Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding primarily from private investors, HTT said in the post.

"We are extremely delighted to have entered into a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India," said Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. "In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation," HTT said.

HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility test that will begin in October during the Phase 1 of the project. The study will help HTT in identifying the best route between the two cities.

"HTT's transportation platform will enrich the IT infrastructure and ecosystem of Andhra Pradesh to a large extent," said Nara Lokesh, Cabinet Minister for Information Technology, Panchayati Raj and Rural Development for the State of Andhra Pradesh. "The Hyperloop will give rise to development of various state-of-the-art technology parks and software clusters in Amaravati, helping to fortify the city's image as a world class leader in science and technology."

"Amaravati is a state-of-the-art city being developed in Andhra Pradesh as its de facto capital. In order to boost its image and emerge as the frontier city in future technology, Amaravati is looking forward to collaborating with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies. Hyperloop is a cutting-edge technological disruption in the transportation industry," said Krishna Kishore, Chief Executive Officer, APEDB.

Discussing the added benefits of establishing an ultra-high speed connection between the cities, Kishore added, "Like most of the world-changing technological advancements, HTT aims at collaborating with Government of Andhra Pradesh to foster research and development, in order to bring affordable and low-cost technologies for the masses. This will eventually lead to improved standards of living in the region. The EDB along with Government of Andhra Pradesh will assist Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. (HTT) with all regulatory requirements to develop and implement Hyperloop."
It was announced this week that Wikipedia founder Jimmy Wales will visit Dublin in October to discuss the fight against fake news, the launch of his recent news website WikiTRIBUNE, and how threats to online knowledge-sharing can be combatted with evidence-based journalism as part of Irelands Internet Day.

Now in its third year, Irelands Internet Day, which coincides with international Internet Day, aims to promote awareness, knowledge, use and understanding of the internet in Ireland by its citizens, businesses and communities. It highlights the achievements of Irish and international internet entrepreneurs and the impact on society of the internet innovations and technologies.

The event will be hosted by the IE Domain Registry (IEDR), the company that manages and maintains Irelands country domain name, .ie. It will take place in Trinity College Dublin on Thursday, 26 October.

Mr Wales, previously ranked as one of TIME Magazines most influential people in the world, founded the free encyclopaedia, Wikipedia, in 2001. Wikipedia is the fifth most visited website globally and counts half a billion unique visitors each month.

Mr Wales is also the president of Wikia, a for-profit wiki hosting company that allows users to build their own specialised wikis typically relating to a specific interest or fandom.

Speaking this week, Chief Executive of IEDR, David Curtin said, "Alongside the founders of Google, Facebook and Twitter, Jimmy Wales has been one of the most important contributors to the modern internet age. Through Wikipedia, the sum of human knowledge is available to us in hundreds of different languages from the convenience of our smartphones and computers, for free and in real time."

He added, "Mr Waless vision of a more open internet, accessible to everyone, is something that aligns with IEDRs objectives for the internet in Ireland and the overarching theme of Internet Day. We want to make the internet more accessible to individuals and to businesses the length and breadth of the country, be they in the centre of Dublin or rural Roscommon."

Source: www.businessworld.ie
NORTH LOGAN  InTech Collegiate High School has announced that the school is looking to expand its enrollment by adding 7th and 8th grades in the 2018-19 school year. The school has been anticipating this expansion since 2015 when the Cache County School Board approved an amendment to the InTech Collegiate High School Charter Agreement. The decision allowed InTech to add grades and expand its headcount. The Cache County School Board authorizes InTechs charter.

According to Executive Director of InTech Collegiate High School Jason Stanger in a press release, increasing the number of students and grade levels will improve the schools economies of scale and will allow InTech to enhance its award-winning STEM offerings and better prepare its students for its early college programs.

We really see this as a major part of our outreach effort, Stanger explains. Too often, students decide in middle school that they cant do math or science.

Because of that, some dont even consider InTech as a high school option, and those that do enroll, may struggle in our STEM and advanced curriculum. We would like to help these students at an earlier point so that they have a solid middle school experience in science and math, rather than to have students need to remediate those skills in high school.

InTech is currently looking at adding additional facilities to handle the growth and gauging interest from the community about the proposed expansion. The InTech Collegiate High School Governing Board will make a final decision about the expansion within the next several weeks.

According to Stanger, If we have identified a workable facility solution and have generated enough enrollment interest by early this fall to justify the expansion in 2018-19, then it is likely we will move forward. Stanger adds, Weve conducted some initial interest surveys and that looks promising, but now it is time for people to actually sign up for the 2018-19 enrollment lottery.

Parents or guardians of students who wish to enter their students into the schools 7th and 8th grade enrollment lottery for 2018-19 should do so on the InTech Collegiate High School website: <a href=http://www.intechchs.org target=_blank>www.intechchs.org</a>.

Additionally, the school recently announced the average ACT scores from its most recent graduating class. The class of 2017 scored an average of 26.0 which, according to InTech Collegiate High School, continues a seven-year trend of the schools ACT scores being 2.0 to 5.0 points higher than state and national averages.

The average composite ACT score in Utah was 20.3 while the national composite score was 21.0.

Not only does the ACT measure a students skills and knowledge needed for success at college, it also marks college readiness benchmarks in English, Math, Reading and Science. The percentage of InTech students who met all four benchmarks was more than double the state average. Fifty-seven percent of InTech graduating students meet all four benchmarks, while 23% of Utah students meet the same readiness benchmarks.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit admitted India and Pakistan as full members on June 9; and now represents 40 percent of the human population and 20 percent of the global GDP. Russia and China have traditionally used the forum to promote a collective approach to countering NATO policies and advances. Though originally instituted to address separatism, terrorism and drug trafficking, the admission of India and Pakistan may drastically change the character of the grouping. China and Pakistan differ with India on key issues that the SCO aims to achieve. The trio has bitter geographical disputes while differing over the definition of terrorism. Against this backdrop, what kind of challenge can the SCO pose to NATO?

BACKGROUND: With the signing on April 26, 1996 in Shanghai of the Treaty on Deepening Military Trust in Border Regions, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan formed the Shanghai Five. Both Moscow and Beijing viewed the then newly independent Central Asian republics not only as a cause of concern but also as an opportunity.

Within a year of its formation, the bloc signed the Treaty on Reduction of Military Forces in Border Regions, yet the world paid little attention until 2001 when Uzbekistan joined the grouping, whereby it was renamed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization. The June 2005 summit in Astana, Kazakhstan, caught international attention as Mongolia, Pakistan, Iran and India were granted observer status.

Ever since, the member states have interacted trough focused groups on transportation, energy, telecommunications, military and commerce. Though the organizations prime focus is combating threats from non-state actors, including terrorism, separatism and drug trafficking, Chinas increasing business interest is transforming the SCOs outlook.

Initially, the member states largely shared views on regional and global politics. With the new entrants, the SCO will become less a marriage of convenience amongst ideologically harmonious neighbors and more a hotchpotch of bitter competitors and rivals. Besides geographical disputes, India disagrees with China and Pakistan on policy towards Afghanistan and vice versa. Now that the UN sanctions are lifted, Iran will soon be upgraded from its observer status to the ninth full member.

Though Belarus and Turkey are dialogue partners, Ankara has repeatedly expressed the desire to become a full member of the bloc, which may require it to quit membership in NATO.

IMPLICATIONS: The SCO has earned the reputation of a forum intended to demonstrate steady progress as a message to the West. Yet even given strong political will, it will take the SCO years to assume a role similar to that of NATO. Although separatist tendencies are on the decline and programs related to border security have borne fruit, the bloc needs to invest more in curbing drug trafficking and extremism originating mainly in Afghanistan. Additionally, Central Asian states and marginalized regions of Russia have been rich sources of recruits for the terrorist organization known as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). The Kremlins heavy-handed support for the Syrian regime as well as brutal rulers in federal regions like Chechnya also serve as a provocation for Islamic extremists across Eurasia. Once ISIS is deprived of its territory, Russia might become more vulnerable to terrorist attacks than it has ever been. China, whose Uygur-populated Xinjiang region has withstood harsh religious and social subjugation, may face an increased risk in this regard, too.

After Iraq and Syria, Afghanistan offers enabling conditions for ISIS in its attempt to create a state, and its conflict with the Taliban serves this existential aim. Much is already at stake in Afghanistan for China, Tajikistan, Pakistan and Iran due to their shared borders. Russias support for the Taliban aims to increase the U.S. cost for bringing stability. Thus, the emerging situation of competing interests in the war-torn Central Asian country is a litmus test for the SCO itself. Ironically, the resumption of the stalled Pakistan-Afghanistan quadrilateral talks, including China and the U.S. while excluding Russia, is a step in the right direction. The breakthrough occurred in Astana where Afghan President Ghani attended the 2017 SCO summit. The four-nation talks had previously broken down after the Taliban supreme leader was killed on his way from Iran to Pakistan in February 2016. Meanwhile, China has cobbled together tripartite negotiations with Pakistan and Afghanistan.

A decade after its creation, the SCOs military posture remains obscure since the status of its affiliates ranges from members to observers and dialogue partners. On the contrary, NATO has a uniform status for all members. At the same time, New Delhis strategic partnership with the U.S. as a regional ally in South Asia has continually marred the ambition of creating an alternative political and security bloc.

Along the way, the SCO has weakened its unified approach on core issues with the extension of full membership to Pakistan, India and Iran. For instance, India and Pakistan as well as Iran and Pakistan disagree on the definition of terrorism in a broader context. For India, Kashmirs militants are terrorists, the Houthis of Yemen are heroes for Iran, while Pakistan disagrees with both. Yet, the members are obliged to participate in the Tashkent-based Regional Anti-Terrorism Structure, which has evolved as a forum for exchanging information and working out a common strategy for combating terrorism. Moreover, the memorandum of obligations also requires joint military exercises, which will create a unique military-to-military interface if India and Pakistan participate alongside China. So far, the two rival armed forces have rarely served side by side under UN peacekeeping missions.

Pragmatically, the consequences of two nuclear-armed rivals sitting under one roof debating global and regional security may lead the organization to nowhere. Some Chinese analysts believe that Indias push for entry aims to prevent the emergence of a military and economic bloc with Beijing in the center seat.

Russias interest in exploiting the energy hub along with reclaiming geographic depth in Eurasia, and Chinas drive to access new markets and creating a free-trade area may well define the future shape of the organization.

Besides a strong military alliance, Iran expects the birth of a new banking and economic system independent of the existing international monetary setup. The BRICS bank is already operating, and the SCO is working to establish an interbank consortium on the Basis of Partnership with the Silk Road Fund. The consortium is composed of the financial institutions of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, Russia, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan under the Agreement on Interbank Cooperation (Consortium) within the SCO framework of October 26, 2005.

Pakistan and India will also be required to join the consortium as members to forward the blocs bid to support regional economic cooperation and provide financial support and services to its investment projects. India, which opted out of the Belt and Road Forum due to objections on the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, may only have ceremonial participation.

In June 2009, China pledged to extend a hefty US$ 10 billion loan to SCO member states as the world economy suffered the ramifications of the financial crisis. Such a bilateral soft loan hardly comes without easier market access and an improved image in the recipient nation. In the future, the SCO may offer a larger similar loan to Afghanistan for reconstruction, which could have deeper and longer-term implications for the U.S. and its allies including India.

For Moscow, an alignment and functional relationship between SCO and BRICS (comprising Brazil, Russia, India and China) remains a hope for the future despite the fact that the blocs economy is anything but promising, with the exception of China. The marriage of these two economic blocs would quell the Russian quest for a bi- or multi-polar global political order. For Beijing, a similar arrangement between SCO and OBOR is an ambition in sight.

CONCLUSIONS: As China maintains its policy of anchoring the status quo, Russia has increasingly strived to undermine it. While Beijing has vetoed Western resolutions against the Assad regime in Syria, it has not sent troops in his support like the Kremlin. Over the years, China has pursued the goal of establishing itself as a global power by developing its own military wherewithal with minimal dependence on Moscow. Given little policy overlap and varied ambitions, the SCO does not pose a significant challenge to NATO. The group can succeed with its political and economic mandate at a pace less ambitious than expected, while President Putin may remain content if strategic states like Armenia, Azerbaijan, Syria, Egypt, Nepal and Sri Lanka gain observer status in due course. The SCOs geographical spread is more likely to move it towards the non-alignment movement than anything more muscular and imposing.

AUTHORS BIO: Naveed Ahmad is a strategic analyst and academic with extensive research experience in South-Central Asia and the MENA region. Based in Doha and Istanbul, he specializes in matters concerning security, diplomacy and governance. He has been a contributing author for the CACI Analyst since 2004. Tweets @naveed360.

Image source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:SCO_Summit_Ekaterinburg_2009.jpg#filelinks accessed on 18.07. 2017
The recent visit of Turkmenistans President to Azerbaijan opens a new chapter in bilateral relations and creates a solid foundation for the expansive development of energy and transport projects in the Caspian region. The two countries play a key role in the East-West transport corridor in the greater Eurasia. Both countries hold significant carbohydrate resources. Political dialogue and strong partnership between these Turkic countries can transform the economic and geopolitical map of the region.

BACKGROUND: On August 8-9, Turkmenistans President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedow made an official visit to Azerbaijans capital Baku to meet his counterpart, President Ilham Aliyev. This was a rare event in bilateral relations: the last such visit took place in 2008. Turkmenistans President has shown a preference to visit Baku on the occasion of multilateral events, such as the European Games or summits of heads of states around the Caspian Sea. This visit, which included a broad delegation of high-ranking officials, aimed to boost bilateral relations as well as regional trade and development.

The Azerbaijani and Turkmen leaders and their government officials signed several agreements, indicating the start of a new phase in the relations of these two Caspian neighbors. The agreements covered a broad range of areas, such as agriculture, tourism, emergency operations, economic issues, port development, trade, energy and transport. A declaration on strategic partnership was the most important part of the signed documents.

Commenting on the visit during the press conference, President Aliyev noted: This visit plays a very important role in Turkmen-Azerbaijani relations and the signed documents show that the relations are at the highest level. The basis for such strong relations is the historic friendship and brotherhood that exists between our nations. The signed declaration on strategic partnership outlines major directions for bilateral cooperation and covers all important sectors.

Specifically, President Aliyev pointed out the construction of sea ports on both sides of the Caspian, which will significantly increase regional trade and commerce via transport corridors. He also indicated that the completion of the Baku-Kars railway would open new opportunities for both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan.

Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan have enjoyed relatively positive relations for the past 25 years, although during the presidency of Saparmurat Niyazov Turkmenistan challenged Azerbaijans activities in the Caspian Sea regarding oil and gas fields. Turkmenistan contested some of the oil fields, most notably the Kapaz (Sardar) field, and disagreed with Azerbaijan regarding the legal status of the Caspian Sea and the delimitation of borders. At the same time, the military build-up in the Caspian caused concerns over the possible escalation of tensions into a hot conflict. The late Niyazov never visited Baku and maintained cold relations with Azerbaijans then-President Heydar Aliyev. Berdimuhamedows visit to Baku in 2008 and Aliyevs subsequent visit to Ashgabat broke the ice and turned a new page in bilateral relations.

IMPLICATIONS: Both Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have gone through economic turmoil in the last few years due to the decrease in oil and gas revenues. While both governments enjoyed huge incomes from energy exports in the last decade, resulting in rapid infrastructure development, little has been done to develop the non-oil sector. Thus, facing a severe drop in budgetary revenues, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan are eager to put aside old disagreements and focus on the development of mutually beneficial economic linkages and investment opportunities.

For decades, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan have discussed the possibility of building a Trans-Caspian pipeline to export Turkmen gas to European markets. This project is supported both by the EU and the U.S. and is disputed by Russia and Iran. The latter two nations cite ecological reasons to prevent this pipeline from materializing. Although Berdimuhamedows visit did not aim to find an immediate solution to the pipeline issue, it could pave the way for more pragmatic dialogue between the two countries in the field of energy. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan could trade in energy products, consider joint exploration of the previously contested fields and even ship Turkmen gas via the Southern corridor (from Azerbaijan and on to Europe via the TANAP and TAP pipelines) via Iran or with the help of LNG terminals. Azerbaijan is already buying certain oil and gas products from Turkmenistan, such as airplane fuel.

Transport and logistics could become an even bigger pillar of bilateral economic relations than oil and gas. Both nations are actively investing in sea ports and railway systems. Baku International Port is even building a Dubai-style Free Economic Zone, which will serve not only to facilitate trade and logistical support but also a site for value-added production of goods and services. The vision of both countries match the Chinese government-led One Belt, One Road initiative to redevelop the transport linkages in Central Asia and revive the ancient Silk Road. One of the signed documents during the Turkmen Presidents visit to Baku was the agreement on common work on unified tariffs, custom duties and other trans-border operations.

Both shores of the Caspian Sea enjoy warm climatic conditions. Turkmenistan and Azerbaijan also have huge potential in the development of tourism. The Turkmen seaside resort of Avaza already boasts modern tourism infrastructure. Should both countries develop passenger cruises and eliminate visa barriers, regional tourism could skyrocket. Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan can also significantly improve cooperation in the social and humanitarian fields, education, culture and sports.

Changed and improved relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan can significantly alter the regional political and geopolitical map. Both countries proudly enjoy their Turkic heritage. Strong relations between Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan can increase Turkeys influence in the region and strengthen pan-Turkic unity between these states. The foreign ministers of the three countries regularly meet in a trilateral format and most recently discussed cooperation in Baku in July, just days before Berdimuhammedovs visit. Turkmen-Azerbaijani cooperation can also create more diversified energy policies in the region, with multiple stakeholders aside from Russia and Iran. Eventually such close cooperation can also reconcile the differences over the legal status of the Caspian Sea and solve the delimitation problem, in a process similar to that between Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan.

CONCLUSIONS: A decade ago, Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan were locked in cold relations and legal disputes. Rich oil and gas revenues encouraged both countries to take an uncompromising stance on these issues. Today, the decreasing revenues have changed the attitude of both nations, pushing them closer in an effort to seek political and economic support from each other, develop creative solutions to regional problems, and to jointly come up with economic investment and trade projects, transport and logistics opportunities. This, in turn, affects the political language between the two capitals.

Aliyev cited strong political support from Turkmenistan on the issue of Azerbaijans territorial integrity and sovereignty. Azerbaijan similarly provides strong support to Turkmenistan in various international forums, such as OSCE, OIC and UN. This visit will likely open new opportunities for Azerbaijan and Turkmenistan to further cement their mutual political support.

AUTHORS BIO: Fariz Ismailzade is a frequent commentator on regional affairs, based in Baku.

Image source:kremlin.ru accessed on 02.06. 2017
Women motorcyclists conquering Europe

Published on September 7, 2017

Story by Linda Lefebvre Translation by: Sacha Sibade

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Theyve been riding motorbikes for over ten years and aren't afraid of any terrain. Defying cliches, they travel across Europe to discover new landscapes and populations. Portrait of a woman who can't be stopped.

Light on her feet, her gesture is slow and affectionate. She slides her hand across the seat of her black 12,100 R that she bought 13 years ago. "I can't get rid of it, I lived through too many things with it," says Sophie, a sporty, middle-aged woman who manages her time between her thesis on women in the Camargue's herds, her job as a researcher in a big media company and her passion for motorbikes. After three inexplicable breakdowns on the highway, Sophie's BMW which is counting 130,000 km is going to go into service. Unfortunately, the researcher cannot count on the ride that has accompanied her throughout Europe. Replaced but not forgotten, the 12,100 R now shares Sophie with another bike: a Triumph.

"With the oral examination of my thesis coming up in ten days, I had to prepare my trip in advance," she explains, as she looks at the metal boxes lying around her living room in Paris' 14th arrondissement. Small nets for clothes, laundry detergent, crockery and a tent are spilling out of her bags. On the 7th of July, Sophie and her friend Caroline mounted their bikes for a month-long trip across Europe. "Since 2003, I've been discovering a new European country every year. It's become a necessity, I wait impatiently for that moment [every year]," Sophie explains. This year, the duo travelled for a week to Tallinn in Estonia to meet up with the girls for the WIMA (Womens International Motorcycle Association), an organisation created in the United States in 1950.

These girls are on fire

Sophie's passion for motorbikes began in her early teenage years. "I started thanks to my older sister and my uncle. Bicycle, moped... as far as I can remember, I've always been on two wheels," she recounts. At 20 years old, with her motorcycle license in her pocket, she went from her native Camargue to Paris: "It was a real nightmare. From 1991 to 2003, I only used my bike as a way to commute, not to travel." Everything started to make sense when she travelled to Ireland alone. She stumbled upon the girls from WIMA, who invited her to join them for weeks of travelling through Europe. "I followed them as if they were friends, not family," she writes on her blog, "Some women came alone, others even travalled with their husbands and children. It's a space with no limits, where differences are erased, where masks are dropped and where tolerance rules."

For this researcher, whose thesis title is "Do it like a man while keeping your femininity," being a biker is not a feminist act. Of course, riding a motorbike is 'manly' but it's mostly just unusual for a women, Sophie thinks, underlining the physical dangers of this masculine activity. Laurie, a young biker who also travels around Europe, considers motobiking not "as a statement, but a passion. It's a great way of experiencing things the way they are: in direct contact with the rain, the wind, people..."

European travel journals

Like a trophy above her bed, Sophie has pinned The Motorcycle Diaries movie poster  which tells the story of how Che Guevara and Alberto Granado crossed Latin America in 1952. The poster inspires Sophie. The most memorable of her trips in Europe are Croatia and the Scandinavian countries: "We were dying of heat in Dubrovnik, but the crystalline water was beautiful. If I were to go back somewhere it would be the Nordic countries. There are so few people, it's hostile, cold, spacious and far away." Still, trips across Europe are not the most unfamiliar ground the biker can imagine crossing. "We're still in the Western world, it's rare to drive on unpaved roads like in other parts of the world," she explains.

On the wall of her living room, a blue web of yarn stretches across a map of Europe. Since the age of 17, Sophie has been tracing new roads. "A month on a motorbike is not that easy. We're super exhausted at the end, we just want to sleep on a mattress. It has happened before that I cross over the French border and start crying from relief," she admits. She recalls a particular moment in Norway, three years ago, when she had to face storms and icy winds. "I couldn't even hold my 240 kg bike. Those are very hard but very powerful moments," she concludes. Next year, Sophie and her bike might leave Europe for the first time. "Why not Mongolia..." she whispers to herself.

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Story by Linda Lefebvre

Translated from Ces motardes qui conquierent l'Europe
Cameroun: Le conseil juridique et avocat du CL2P Stephane B. ENGUELEGUELE s'exprime sur la crise anglophone :: CAMEROON

Dr. Barrister Stephane BoBE ENGUELEGUELE is an International Lawyer, Revered University Professor & a Political Analyst.This renowned Legal Pundit has dedicated over 17 years fighting for the Respect of Human Rights and the Rule of Law in Africa. He has also worked with International Organizations and African Commissions to draft and propose mechanisms for evaluating policies to combat corruption, money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. In the framework of expert missions carried out for the United Nations, he assessed the state of the rule of law in several countries, particularly in West Africa. He is also the Lead Counsel of the Committee for the Liberation of Political Prisoners (CL2P), and the Advocate of several families of victims of the railway disaster of Eseka.

In this exclusive and explosive interview he granted The Advocate hours after the release of some Anglophones leaders, opined that; now is the time to change our governance adding that, Cameroon cannot move forward without a new leadership. The venerated academician told The Advocate amongst other issues that, the decision of the Head of State might have come a little bit late, says "too much water has passed under the bridge. He concluded our chart by insisting that, there is need for a meaningful and frank dialogue involving all stakeholders. No work can be undertaken in a human group without any concord.

It is a compelling read. Stay on

Thanks for accepting to speak to the Advocate. Let's begin by asking you; 17 years defending the Human Rights of persons across Africa, Europe and the Americas, what is the Human Rights situation in Cameroon?

Our political system is schizophrenical, meaning we have a network of institutions, well adorned with actors within and also coupled with high valued principles and statutes, but unfortunately the reality on ground is different. Human rights are only theoretically protected in Cameroon, regardless that we are a member of the United Nations System. Please, be informed that Cameroon has ratified the major conventions on the protection of Human Rights, even at that; the situation deteriorates on a daily basis.

Allow me respond to your question by other questions in a bid to highlight the situation of Human Rights in Cameroon. Are the entire Cameroonians equal in rights and duties? Do we have an effective freedom of speech and can we express our political opinions without any fear? Do all the children of this country have the same right to education? Is the process of law due and equitable? Is the person deprived of his liberty and incarcerated certain that he will not be ill-treated? Are the delays of justice reasonable? Do women have the same rights as men? Do we have the same dignity in front of the State? Can Human Rights defenders work freely without risking their integrity and even their lives? I could go on with that litany of questions, but I'll stop here for I strongly believe that the Human Rights situation is extremely disturbing and calls for concern.

Meanwhile, it is the duty of the Cameroonian authorities to work and aim at modernizing the national system on Human Rights, Strengthening the Rule of Law, spreading the culture of Human Rights in educating the Citizens of this country on the ways to defend their own inalienable Rights with which they were born, also by protecting the Fundamental Rights of every Human Rights defender, activist or stake-holder and giving to the National Commission on Human rights investigative powers and the right to introduce judicial actions against perpetrators of the violation of same. Sincerely, these are the major issues on the Cameroonian Human Rights situation and state as we speak.

Anglophone Cameroonians have not been to school for over 9 months, what is the Human Rights implications of this?

This problem is an emblematic demonstration of the fact that Cameroonians do not have the same rights. Anglophone Cameroonians deserve the same right to education like their francophone brothers and sisters. By depriving young Anglophones of going to school for nine months, their Fundamental and Constitutional Rights to education has of course been violated. Let us remember that more than 65% of our population is made up of young people under the age of 25, and that the school crisis following the Anglophone crisis is likely to have considerable repercussions on the future of this generation. In our developing context, the right to an effective education is the guarantee of citizenship, social political and economic integration. We lose 9 months for the reasons known by all, and this is risky for the future of our country.

There are allegations of a series of lives at stake. The Right to life is also a Fundamental Human Right. What is your take?

Every Human Being has a Fundamental Right to Life. It is the first Right of a person at birth, a natural right before anything and of course, this Right must be protected by the State. This explains why the Right to life is the first Right against the State. The State is responsible for the protection of this Fundamental Right. Please note today that, any allegation of harm or mere attempt on the life of a person must be met with serious and prompt investigations and in such a situation, the National Commission on Human Rights should take up the case and file a complaint by bringing a due process. NO LIFE SHOULD EVER BE LOST IN VAIN without the culprit(s) duly prosecuted as prescribed by the law.

The Head of State's decree/decision to release the leaders of the Outlawed Consortium and Co. was received with mixed feelings. How did you receive it?

The leaders of the consortium should never have been deprived of their freedom in the first place, looking at the whole legal procedure and events which unfolded from the time when they were arbitrarily arrested, detained, charged and trial under a law which was voted very recently to combat terrorism. They should never have been deprived of their freedom, looking also to the excessive abuse of power on them by the none respect of procedural prescriptions and also prolonged and meaningless time in detention, all in a bid to identify prosecoto's witnesses. It was about time the Head of State commenced a first step towards meaningful Dialogue. So why I can say I received the news with great and immeasurable contentment?

From the Head of State's Decision to Free the Leaders of the Outlawed Consortium and others, three aspects can be highlighted.

Firstly, the decree of the Head of State shows that Cameroon is still under a decree system.  The decree demotes or elevates a person, in the present case the decree substitutes itself for the work of justice which seizes to function and thereby fails to do its work and render justice quickly and impartially. The decree demonstrates the true face of justice and politics: a link that will have to be completely broken in the context of a credible reform of justice.

- Secondly, the decision of the Head of State might be able to calm the situation in the short term, and I sincerely do hope that pupils, students and Co of the North and South Western Regions can return to school and to a state of normalcy and that my very learned colleagues of the Common Law Practice can definitely resume work and business at the Praetorium. Although at this point in time where the crises has been unnecessarily prolonged, I fear the decision of the Head of State might have come a little bit late; my daughter at home says "too much water has passed under the bridge", as we all have witnessed much damage in lives and properties; both private and public, too much radicalization, too many economic disasters, deep emotional and mental scars in the minds, hearts and souls of many.

- Thirdly, the call for a totally different approach to the way out of this crisis and the solutions adopted must carry positive and the intended impact must be achieved. By impact, I imagine the effect of measures like the creation of a common law branch in the Supreme Court, the creation and implementation of tangible reforms at the National School of Magistracy and Administration (ENAM), the creation of a Law School, the recruitment of judges among lawyers, and many others reforms. Regarding the type of state to be adopted and the way forward for our country, I recommend a national dialogue in the presence of a 3rd party like the United Nations, because as far as am concerned, the stakes are already beyond multiculturalism and bilingualism commissions. We cannot, in my opinion, avoid a national debate on the future of our living together.

You are a Cameroonian of the French Expression. Is there an Anglophone problem in Cameroon?

I love the expression that says you have to believe the one who tells you that the shoes he wears are hurting him. And I have a lot of trouble when I hear some people questioning the existence of an Anglophone problem in Cameroon, or feel that since some Francophone children are in fact Anglophones today because their parents have opted for Anglophone education, the problem would not exist. Yet this problem is a reality: was the legal culture of the common law entitled to quote? No. Was the style of relationship with the authority that singles the Anglophone culture respected? No, it has even been so often despised. Are the modes of political expression and the styles of collective action that distinguish the Anglophone world respected? No. We have always responded with violence and contempt, and the culminating point was reached at the beginning of the crisis when we saw students martyred by the police forces in Buea and Bamenda. So there is an Anglophone problem, and I think the decisions made by the central political authority shows that the problem is real. Anglophones want to be respected in their dignity and to deploy their potential within this country. Each Anglophone only asks to exercise his or her path, respecting what is most dear to him: attachment to a Culture that has historical origins, attachment to Education, attachment to the Rule of Law, and respect for Habeas corpus. Until then, these fundamental Rights have been poorly respected.

What is the way forward from your perspective?

We must build a real bridge over the Mungo. This is an image but more than that, it is the condition of the exit from this crisis. We must work to ensure that all Cameroonians consider themselves to be part of the same whole. I have often said that the most important issue is to make Fraternity a political project. Now, I do not yet see the first fruits. It will be necessary to bring together the hearts and the spirits, but above all to appease all affected. We will have to speak the Truth, and ensure Reconciliation. The exercise of authority is not enough, but truly inclusive policies will be needed to ensure that national wealth is shared. The educational system must be reformed so that children are better equipped to embrace the challenges of a changing world: I believe that the specificities of each educational sub-system must be preserved and that the resources devolved must be tenfold. Each then choose where he puts his children. It is clear that the issue of governance is central, as is the reform of the business environment. Anglophones are hard workers, they believe in good faith in business and have a high level of responsibility: they will not emerge from the crisis by not cleaning up the way of doing business, securing rights and among them the right of ownership. The agenda for the end of the crisis is much broader than what we have seen so far. And then there is the question of how we reform the State and its form to make it better. If the unity of Cameroon is an achievement which no one disputes, the question of the modernization of the State and its form is more urgent than ever, and it cannot be economized, within the framework of the institutions which organize the democratic debate.

Elections are planned in Cameroon in.2018. Yet pundits say it may. Not hold. What's your take on this?

Our country is suffocating. We need a real democratic debate on the future of our country. I hope 2018 will be the time of this debate like it is in most emerging states of the world and even the less developed world here in Africa; we must thrive for the furtherance of democracy, probity and transparency.

You are lead Counsel to the Committee for the liberation of political prisoners? What are some of the cases you have handled and what are your successes?

I am the lead counsel of the CL2P (Comite de liberation des prisonniers politiques). We supported the case of the Minister MARAFA on the Workshop of the UN on arbitrary detention. And it is now well known that the detention of Mr MARAFA is arbitrary and wrongful, also citing the cases of Mrs Yen EYOUM Lydienne, Atangana MEBARA, and Many Others.

Let's talk the Eseka matter.

Are you ok with the handling of the matter by the state? Why or why not?

After the infamous and tragic Eseka accident, the State should have taken several measures in the Interest of our country. The concession between CAMRAIL and the State had to be terminated first, the accident shows that CAMRAIL has committed heavy misconducts in the management of the public passenger rail services.

The rail has never been modernized and is still at metric gauge. Moreover, the wagons had no brakes and were bought as tells. By the time these wagons departed from Yaounde to Douala on 21 October 2016, the managing company knew fully well that wagons did not have functional breaks devices; this is criminal for crying out loud! It was also necessary to evaluate the emergency equipment in the event of a major disaster, as it is now well known that several hours after the accident there was no medical assistance on site. Nothing is done to date for the disappeared, and I know several families who are still waiting for the situation of their disappeared to be clarified. Nothing has been done to my knowledge to compel the insurer of CAMRAIL and CAMRAIL itself, to offer decent compensation to families. Almost a year after the accident several victims are still not compensated.

The State must assume its responsibilities and give full play to national solidarity. It is also necessary to audit all companies that were privatized in the 1990s, as the Eseka matter marks the failure of privatization. In contrast to all this the Government has just conceived the port of Kribi to the Bollore Group which is the majority shareholder of CAMRAIL. We need change.

Cameroon is in a critical situation right now

What is the way forward?

Now is the time to change our governance. Cameroon cannot move forward without a new leadership, an effective implementation of Rule of Law and good governance, we must sign new bilateral agreement with more states favoring investment possibilities of our countrymen in those countries and vice versa, we must create our own industries and plants to boost employment and discourage the outflow of our working population in the search for greener pastures, just like Ghana, Tanzania, Kenya and even our Neighbors Nigeria; we must transform our country in to a beautiful hub which will favor tourism, we must each of us have it as a duty to boost and rebuild the reputation of Cameroon to the rest of the world, we must detest corruption in any form, no matter how small, people who are civil servants must desire to serve the people without expecting rewards and tips, taxes must be reduced to encourage foreign and local investors. We have to change as soon as possible our economic route, and to build a new fiscal and economic policy to fasten the economic growth. The private sector is the natural actor of the growth; we then need to facilitate the business climate. We have to build a new deal, and of course ensure peace and security.

If you had a chance to address the President of the Republic of Cameroon, What will you tell him?

I will tell him that Cameroonians are asking a new Republic and a political transition. Citizens suffer from corruption of elites. The image of the country has never been as damaged as it is today.

Your last words if any

There is need for a meaningful and frank dialogue involving all stakeholders. No work can be undertaken in a human group without any concord.

Thank you.

https://m.facebook.com/theadvocatecameroon/posts/1746645045629460

Stephane B. ENGUELEGUELE

Docteur des Universites en Science Politique

Avocat/Barrister at Law

Specialiste en droit Public/Public Law

Qualification Droit Public Economique/Public Economy

3, rue Vincent Auriol

80.000 Amiens - France

Tel ++(333) 60.123.300 Telecopie ++(333) 60.123.301

stephane.engueleguele@dike-avocats.fr
| BY Ricki Green |

Bohemia has been appointed by newly formed Steinhoff Asia Pacific Group Holdings (SAPGH).

Bohemia will take the lead on communications strategy, media planning and media buying for several brands in the group including: Freedom Furniture, Fantastic Furniture, Harris Scarfe and Best & Less.

Part of Steinhoff International, a German international retail holding company, Steinhoff Asia Pacific Group Holdings is a vertically integrated group owning a number of leading Australian retail brands in furniture, apparel and household goods across the region.

The appointment will see Bohemia take a lead role in unlocking the next phase of growth for the retail brands.

The account was won in a competitive pitch that saw a number of agencies compete in a review managed by TrinityP3. Bohemia was the incumbent on Best & Less heading into the review.
| BY Lynchy |

McCann Worldgroup Greater China has today announced the promotion of two executives to the position of joint CEOs, uniting the creative, strategy and digital leadership expertise of McCann China and MRM//McCann China.

The leadership change elevates Ronald Sun, current Vice President, McCann China, and Mike Zeng, current Managing Director of MRM//McCann China and Vice President of McCann China, to the position of joint CEOs. Together they will lead McCann Worldgroup China. The agency includes more than 800 people working across multiple communications disciplines in Shanghai, Beijing and Guangzhou.

Sun (pictured left) and Zeng (right) will succeed Jesse Lin, current CEO, who will be leaving the network after five years at the helm, to spend more time with his family. He departs at the end of the year, to ensure a smooth transition period.

Harris Diamond, Chairman and CEO of McCann Worldgroup, said, Jesse approached us several months ago and indicated that he would be leaving McCann at the end of 2017 in order to spend more time with his family. I would like to personally thank Jesse and his team in China for the phenomenal job they have done in building our creative and multidiscipline capabilities that have attracted both leading clients and top talent to our agency. I am confident that Ronald and Mike will continue Jesses initiatives in ensuring that we continue to deliver multiplatform strategic creativity to help drive our clients growth.

Prior to joining McCann, Sun held senior positions both on the client and agency side. In addition to having worked at creative agencies such as Bates, DDB, FCB and Ogilvy, he also served as National Marketing Director of Heineken in China for three years, where his leadership propelled the brands success to the top two position in the super premium category. He joined McCann Worldgroup to lead the General Motors business in China, and was promoted to VP of McCann China this year.

Zeng has a long history within McCann Worldgroup, having previously been head of digital at UM China, McCann Worldgroups media capability, before joining MRM//McCann in 2012. He has been recognized several times in Campaigns China Digital A-List ranking, and also previously worked at the digital agency Tribal DDB in Shanghai.

Jesse has led the network in China from strength to strength, and we thank him for his contributions and wish him all the best, said Charles Cadell, President, McCann Worldgroup Asia Pacific. Both Ronald and Mike are very talented Chinese leaders, with many years experience in the industry. With the strong digital credentials of Mike, combined with the creative and strategic experience of Ronald, they will be able to drive an agency that is at once creatively and strategically led, but has digital at its core.
Here's the biggest news you missed this weekend

Sen. Cortez Masto's win means Democrats keep control of the U.S. Senate. And Customs and Border Protection chief Chris Magnus resigns. It's the weekend's biggest news.
Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 11:27AM

According to the sign-up page for Korean for English speakers on Duolingo, there areat the time this was written216,343 people interested in taking Korean lessons on the language learning app. And it seems that time is almost here. Android Police reports that the course is finally launching. While we dont see it in our app just yet, its best to keep your eye out for it. As expected, it follows the same style as other Duolingo courses with the use of associations, listening skills, and fun cards. There is a gamification aspect to the app to keep you coming back to polish your language skills.

On top of that, Trekkies better keep your eyes out for the launch of Klingon on the app as well. You can sign up to get notified here. The Klingon course is expected to on September 15th.
"In [Landscape With Monsters] there are no traditional circus apparatus - there's no trapezes, or handstand canes or that sort of stuff. It's really based around really simple objects - some boxes, ladders, planks and basically out of this we kind of create a duet between people and their world. It's kind of the landscape we find ourselves in; what happens when our soft edges encounter the hard form of the world around it?"
She called on the government to be more vocal in its condemnation of attacks on Copts, saying many people didn't realise who the Coptic people were or why they were in danger.
Robyn Beck/AFP/Getty Images(LOS ANGELES) -- Multiple wildfires continue to rage out west, prompting National Weather Service warnings, alerts and evacuations across multiple states.



There are currently 78 large wildfires burning in eight western states, including Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington and California.



The La Tuna fire that began last Friday in Los Angeles has scorched over 7,000 acres across Burbank and Glendale, making it the largest fire in the history of Los Angeles, fire department officials said. Firefighters have contained the flames to 80 percent and are actively investigating the cause.



This summer, 7.5 million acres were torched in the U.S. from wildfires, ABC News meteorologists said.



Oregon and Washington have felt intense record heat throughout the summer.



The National Weather Service has issued fire weather watches, red flag warnings and air quality hazards from Seattle to Spokane as smoke and ash continually filled the sky as a result of the wildfires.



With continued concern of critical fire weather conditions in the forecast, residents across the affected areas have been urged to take precautionary actions.



Copyright  2017, ABC Radio. All rights reserved.
"It might well be, in some views of the world, a very profitable plant in future if you extended its life ... if a clean energy target was implemented you might be able to justify extending the life of the power station, for example," he said.
Ms Hartland was the first woman to serve as deputy director-general of security agency ASIO and is a former deputy secretary of the departments of Human Services and Finance. She remains the only ASIO officer to be publicly named other than the director-general.
Interestingly  and even more so in light of Tony Abbott's comment about marriage equality being "a war against our way of life"  Trudeau was a Catholic and a regular attendee at mass, which he had been all his life. While mostly private about his beliefs, he made it clear that he was a believer, stating, in an interview with the United Church Observer in 1971: "I believe in life after death, I believe in God and I'm a Christian." Trudeau maintained, however, that he preferred to impose constraints on himself rather than have them imposed from the outside. In this sense, he believed he was more like a Protestant than a Catholic of the era in which he was schooled. In other words, it was very much a personal, not a state, matter.
THIS WEEK IN CAPE BRETON: Raising the peace flag, reviewing future plans for Centre 200 and more

SYDNEY  During a time of conflict around the world and with racial tensions on the rise in many parts, its clear there are those who want to find a bright, positive light wherever they can. Over the next several days, the YMCA of Cape Breton will ...
Our Promise: Welcome to Care2, the world's largest community for good. Here, you'll find over 45 million like-minded people working towards progress, kindness, and lasting impact.

Care2 Stands Against: bigots, racists, bullies, science deniers, misogynists, gun lobbyists, xenophobes, the willfully ignorant, animal abusers, frackers, and other mean people. If you find yourself aligning with any of those folks, you can move along, nothing to see here.

Care2 Stands With: humanitarians, animal lovers, feminists, rabble-rousers, nature-buffs, creatives, the naturally curious, and people who really love to do the right thing.

You are our people. You Care. We Care2.
Just as Toyota Motor Philippines updated the specs of the Hilux pickup truck , theyve done the same for the Fortuner as well.
An auto shop owner from Tennessee was dragged by a pickup, suffering a bruised hip and other scrapes and bruises after attempting to stop a thief from getting away with someone elses property.



Tim Rodifer, is the owner of Mr Transmission in Johnson City, Tennessee. Last month, after seeing a man trying to steal a car waiting to be serviced, he ran towards the vehicle, grabbing the thief through the open window.

Unfortunately for him, the suspect managed to put the car in gear and dragged Mr Rodifer out of the parking lot, to the point where he could no longer hang on to the side of the truck.

Of course I sprinted as fast as I could to the vehicle, dove through the window, said the owner of the shop. I knew that he had no intensions of stopping at any costs, whether it was my life or somebody elses.

One Cody Smith was later identified as the suspect who stole the car. Smith was later arrested and charged with car theft, aggravated assault, as well as driving on a revoked license, according to WCYB.

In the end, the perpetrator was caught thanks to Rodifers daughter, who posted the surveillance video on Facebook, where it got over 100,000 views.

VIDEO
Fords new Mustang, EcoSport SUV, Ranger Black Edition pickup and Tourneo Custom will all be making their European motor show debut next week in Frankfurt.



Joining the 2018 Mustang, more capable EcoSport and more versatile Tourneo Custom in Frankfurt will be the limited production Ranger Black Edition, available only as a Double Cab, with a maximum 2,500 units being built.

Also on display will be the Ford GT 67 Heritage Edition, with its unique red and white stripe livery, celebrating the 1967 Le Mans-winning GT 40 Mark IV race car.

As for the all-new Fiesta line-up, it will include both the Fiesta Active crossover, as well as the Fiesta ST. Both models are scheduled to go on sale in Europe next year.

In terms of what the automaker is planning for the future, Ford Europe, Middle East and Africa president, Steven Armstrong, will deliver a keynote address on his companys vision, announcing a new Smart Mobility initiative.

Frankfurt visitors looking to plan ahead should note that Fords stand at the Frankfurt Motor Show will be located in Hall 9, Messe Frankfurt.

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The much-loved Japanese kei car is facing an uphill battle on the back of high taxes for the compact cars.



Short for Kei Jidoasha (light cars), keis have been a staple in Japans thriving automotive sector ever since World War II but their popularity is diminishing on the back of government taxes on petrol and sales.

The National reports that a kei-car tax of 50 per cent was introduced in 2014 when the industry reached its annual peak of 2.27 million units. In 2016, sales plummeted to 1.72 million.

Despite the governments efforts to promote more fuel-efficient vehicles, millions of Japanese remain devoted to kei cars, as do many of the nations leading automakers. In fact, many still believe the kei car will continue to play an important part in Japans car industry.

They wont disappear from the landscape, said Nissans domestic vehicle market vice president Asako Hoshino.

According to Hoshino, kei cars could actually thrive in the years to come thanks to recent downsizing trends in Japan.

Twenty years ago, cars were a symbol of success, but that is not necessarily the case today. The trend now is to reduce the size, he said.

Current restrictions on kei cars force them to use motors smaller than 660 cc and to be less than 1.48 meters wide. They may look strange but on average, theyre $6,000 USD cheaper than a conventional car.

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Back in January, rumors of a V12-powered Ferrari 458 Italia surfaced online, and now we have received a few more pieces of the puzzle.



The first one reveals the rear end of the car, as posted by a Ferrari collector that goes by the name Greg23 on Instagram, and which shows the massive V12 lump fitted behind the seats, accompanied by a few words: Thoughts on the Ferrari 458 with the LaFerrari V12?

The other shows a picture of the interior of his 458,

which appears to be unchanged with Alcantara and carbon fiber used

throughout, until you take a closer look at the center console that has

been significantly modified and features a few weirdly shaped buttons.

Greg23 confirmed the use of the LaFerraris V12, albeit without the hybrid system. Heres what he wrote in a posting on Ferrarichat: LaFerrari prototype used to develop the engine. No hybrid system. Drives like a normal car. Not possible to register for road use and track only for the first 24 months.

In other words, this 458 prototype was originally a Ferrari mule used for the development of the LaFerraris V12 powertrain. Could it be that the Italians sold the car to Greg23 to use exclusively on track for the first two years in which its in his possession? Were not sure.

Either way, well have to closely watch the supercar collectors social media accounts in the near future, hoping that hell shed more light on the V12-powered 458, or better yet, that Ferrari will detail it with official images and info.

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The Frankfurt Motor Show will play host to a number of important concept and production cars that will change and shape the future of the industry. However, it is a hypercar for the rich from Mercedes-AMG that is likely to steal all the headlines.



Dubbed the Mercedes-AMG Project One and talked about ad nauseam for the last year, the creation will be unlike any other road car before it. This is our very first glimpse at its interior.

Snapped by AMG boss Tobiers Moers, the picture reveals the hypercar will have a fully digital display behind the steering wheel and a large central infotainment screen in the dashboard. Additionally, the picture reveals the hypercar will have a Formula One-inspired steering wheel made from carbon fiber and complete with numerous buttons and switches. Shift lights can also be seen at the top of the wheel.

Elsewhere, the picture reveals that the Project One may not have a rear-view mirror, a move which would make sense considering the vehicles lack of a rear window.

As you probably know by now, the Project One will be powered by largely the same 1.6-liter turbocharged V6 as the Mercedes Formula One car. Itll also feature the F1 cars energy recovery systems and deliver around 1,000 hp.

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The U.S. House has approved a nationwide overhaul of autonomous vehicle legislation.



The bill, which we have reported on before, would allow automakers to deploy up to 25,000 semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles in the first year without complying to current safety standards. That number would then rise to 100,000 vehicles annually over the next three years.

The bill would also be enacted across the entirety of the U.S. meaning car manufacturers wouldnt have to worry about complying with different laws in different states. Instead, companies would only need to submit safety assessment reports to regulators while states would continue to handle registration, licensing, liability, insurance and safety inspections.

Before the bill can be passed into law it needs to go through the Senate.

In a statement, the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers trade group expressed its support saying Congress can bring a host of benefits to Americans by helping to bring self-driving vehicles to our roads as quickly as possible.

However, the Consumer Watchdog isnt so fond of the changes, telling Reuters The autonomous vehicle bill just passed by the House leaves a wild west without adequate safety protections for consumers. It pre-empts any state safety standards, but there are none at the national level.

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Honda enthusiasts cover your eyes now as another Civic Type R has been destroyed following a crash in the U.S.



No details have been provided about what happened to the punchy hot hatch to leave it in such a disastrous predicament but the folks at Jalopnik say its heading to sale via Insurance Auto Auctions.

Based on the images available, it seems all of the damage is concentrated at the front end and oh boy does it look bad. Excluding the fact that the front bumper, grille and headlights are missing, images show the hood crushed, windshield shattered and parts of the engine bay hanging off in tatters. Its pretty safe to say it isnt going anywhere under its own power.

However, apart from the front-end damage, the car appears to be as good as new (take that with a pinch of salt) and could prove to be a gold mine of spare parts. Not only are the sides and rear unscathed but the interior also looks to be in good shape.

So, to any Honda dealers, tuners or owners out there looking to sell some parts or make a track-toy, this could be your chance.

PHOTO GALLERY
Photo: Castanet Staff Andre Blanleil seen here in council.

Kelowna City Councillor Andre Blanleil has announced he will not run for re-election in the upcoming civic election.

Blanleil has seen Kelowna through significant change during his twenty-one years on council, working with four different mayors.

"These have been important years for the City as we faced some complex issues that came with growth. I'm pleased to have been part of the conversation and played some small part in resolving those issues," he said.

Blanleil also believes the City is poised for significant growth.

"The future for Kelowna is bright and full of opportunity. As the economy strengthens and as investment in key infrastructure grows, our city and region will continue to attract investors and people from across the country and beyond," he said.

"I have always thought that welcoming investment, encouraging business and keeping property taxes in line is the foundation upon which every great city must grow. By that measure Kelowna's best days are ahead."

Blanleil says he is thankful for the ongoing support from Kelowna voters, "Kelowna is the envy of many Canadians and it is each Council's responsibility to make it a better place to live. 21 years later Kelowna is envied nationally for our abundance of nature and opportunity; it is a great place to live and I've been proud to have a seat at council."

Blanleil doesn't discount a return to politics some time in the future but for now will turn his undivided attention to strengthening his privately owned business as it grows throughout British Columbia and perhaps carve out some time just for himself.

"I leave thankful for the experience and humbled by the long term support I've enjoyed as a City Councillor for this great city we are all blessed to live in."
Photo: United Way.

The Penticton Lakeside Resort entrance will once again transform into a drive-thru breakfast station in support of the community.

On Tuesday, September 12, starting at 6:30 a.m. the 6th Annual United Way CSO Drive Thru Breakfast, will feature grand prizes and fully loaded breakfast bags, with the proceeds helping over 26,500 people in need in the South Okanagan.

"We are hoping to raise $20,000 this year and all of the funds raised stay in the South Okanagan and they go towards, I believe it's upwards of 23 different community charities and agencies in the region," Marianne Dahl, marketing and events manager.

Each bag contains a hot breakfast sandwich, apples, Sun Rype juice and snack bars plus cash saving coupons and over 30 grand prizes hidden among the bags.

To try and better accommodate everyones health requirements the United Way has added gluten-free, allergy friendly food items.

"The purchase of the bag helps support kids, families, youth and seniors living in either poverty or below the poverty line to support them and help them lead more productive and healthy lives," Dahl said.

By pre-ordering breakfast bags companies can save time.

Download the pre-order form: Breakfast Bag Pre-Order Info 2017.
Photo: Contributed

Mr. Prime Minister,



I would like welcome you and the Liberal caucus to Kelowna.



I trust your caucus retreat will be constructive and I hope you have some time to visit some of our nearby amenities and attractions.



I also hope you will have the opportunity to meet with local small business owners and I will explain why.



During my time as a member of Parliament, I have not encountered any single issue that has more angered small business owners than the current tax proposals you are contemplating.



I believe it is important you understand why this anger exists.



You might recall during the last election, your Liberal platform promised to, and I quote directly; reduce the small business tax rate to nine per cent from 11 per cent."



Flash forward to today and not only have you reneged on this promise, but many small business owners feel that you have labelled them as tax cheats.



Your Liberal government is implying that the amount of tax they pay is unfair and paying more tax to Ottawa will create fairness for those who are not self-employed.



Many small business owners find this offensive from a government who promised something very different during election time.



Throughout this discussion, I have repeatedly heard your finance minister talk about misinformation as if to imply that somehow small business owners do not understand what paying more in taxes really means.



This also offends many small business owners.



On the topic of misinformation, it is also very important to explain that when a small business owner pays themselves a wage, they do so at the exact same income tax rates that any other Canadian citizen does.



That is an important distinction.



In essence, the small business owner pays taxes twice.



The first time is when the small business owner pays tax on any profit, assuming there is some. All small businesses pay lower taxes on business income than personal income taxes.

However, don't overlook that all net income, once paid out in wages, is taxed again at the same personal income rates as all other Canadians.



It is also important to keep in mind that a small business owner has no:

Employment Insurance

Canada Pension Plan

taxpayer financed public sector pension or related benefits

maternity leave benefits

formal vacation pay system.



All of these expenses must be covered by the small business profits, again assuming there are some.



I mention all of these things to hopefully better illustrate why so many small business owners are taking such strong opposition to your proposed changes.



As I believe it is important to propose and not just oppose, I would like to offer a few observations.



Canadians understand we must live within our means.



Likewise, Canadians also understand your Liberal government is running significantly larger deficits than promised and currently has no plan to return to the promised 2019 date for balanced budgets.



Canadians further understand either spending has to be reduced or taxes increased to pay for all of your spending.



Your Liberal government has clearly decided increasing taxes is the solution. Rather than demonize small business owners under the guise of tax fairness, why not at least admit that your Liberal proposal is a tax increase? Recognize that small business owners are being asked to pay for this heavy burden.



Mr. Prime Minister, you often talk of recognition and respect and in my view, it is time for you to show some for Canadas small business owners.



Here's my question for Canadians:

What are your thoughts on raising small business taxes?

I can be reached at [email protected] or by calling 1-800-665-8711.

This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.
Photo: The Canadian Press

An Illinois police officer has delivered his son in a hotel parking lot.

The Rockford Register Star reports Rockford officer James Nachampassack was on duty early Sunday morning when his girlfriend called to say she was going to give birth. Nachampassack rushed home to find Phenh Thammavong screaming. He says her water had broken and she was going into labour.

During the 20-minute drive to the hospital, Nachampassack says Thammavong told him the baby wouldn't wait. He pulled into a hotel parking lot and told police dispatch he needed an ambulance. Nachampassack delivered the baby moments before a group of fellow officers showed up. An ambulance arrived soon after.

While he wasn't trained to deliver babies, Nachampassack says police have to perform under pressure.

The couple named the healthy 7-pound, 12-ounce boy Leo.
Photo: Jane Eamon Kelowna dealt with extensive flooding this spring.

During a 2017 that has involved extensive flooding and unprecedented wildfires, weather extremes are at the forefront of Okanagan residents' minds.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board's annual meeting this Friday will focus on how to deal with a future where these extreme events occur more frequently.

Keynote speaker Maximilian Kniewasser, director of the Pembina Institutes B.C. climate policy program, will give an address titled The State of Climate Action and Clean Growth Opportunities for B.C.

Additionally, Shaun Reimer with the Ministry of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development will give a review of the province's response to this year's floods.

Anna Warwick Sears, executive director for the water board, will present the group's annual report as well.

The AGM takes place at the Westbank Lions Community Centre in West Kelowna from 8:30 a.m. to noon. Admission is open to the public and free, although seating is limited.
Photo: The Canadian Press

President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are donating $1 million to 12 charities involved in Harvey relief efforts.

The White House says the American Red Cross, Salvation Army, Samaritan's Purse and Reachout America will share $800,000 of the donation.

The Trumps are giving $25,000 each to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Catholic Charities, Direct Relief, Habitat for Humanity, Houston Humane Society, Operation Blessing, Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies and Team Rubicon.

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters says the Trumps saw the work that some of these groups are doing during their trips to the region.

The White House first said last week that Trump wanted to make a donation and asked journalists for suggestions on where the president should direct his contributions.
Photo: The Canadian Press

Hurricane Irma could deal a crippling blow to Haiti while it's still recovering from hurricane Matthew, which struck less than a year ago, says a Canadian aid worker in the impoverished country.

Preparations were underway Wednesday in the beleaguered Caribbean nation to deal with the potential aftermath of the latest storm.

Haiti is less able to handle the effects of a Category 5 storm than other countries in the region, said Laura Sewell of Ottawa, assistant country director in Haiti for CARE.

"The level of poverty in Haiti is not even comparable to some of the other countries," said Sewell.

"Haiti has less developed tourist industries and agricultural export industries, so it means there's sort of a chronic level of vulnerability."

Aid agencies are preparing for the worst from Irma, which has already caused major flooding and destroyed buildings on several Caribbean islands.

The U.S. National Hurricane Centre said sustained wind speeds reached 295 kilometres per hour.

Haiti's government issued a warning to residents along the north coast late Wednesday to seek shelter.

The World Food Programme said it had moved a convoy of contingency food supplies to the north of Haiti, where Irma was forecast to pass over or nearby on Thursday night and Friday morning.

CARE said it dispatched teams of aid workers to at least seven of Haiti's 10 departments, or provinces, with stockpiles of emergency supplies including water purification tablets and tarps that can be used for shelter.

Oxfam Canada said it was also mobilizing its people in northern Haiti, as well as the Dominican Republic and Cuba, to quickly assess humanitarian needs once Irma has passed through the area.
Photo: The Canadian Press Federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau.

Kelowna's mayor won't get a chance for an extended audience with the prime minister while he's in Kelowna this week.

But, that doesn't mean Colin Basran hasn't had a chance to bend the ear of the Liberal caucus.

All 184 Liberal MPs are in the city over the next few days, planning their agenda for the upcoming fall session of parliament.

Prior to the start of today's meetings, Basran said he has taken the opportunity to meet with several MPs and cabinet ministers to lay out some of Kelowna's priorities.

One of these is social issues, particularly the federal government's plans around supportive housing.

"We know Housing First is a model that has seen great success in other communities and around the world," said Basran. "What is the federal government going to do to help us find homes for people on the street so they can make further decisions to positively change their lives?"

Basran also met with federal Transportation Minister Marc Garneau and helped facilitate a roundtable discussion with the minister and several aviation-related businesses in the city.

He said it was an opportunity for those in the industry to share concerns about what may be holding them back.

"It was an opportunity to let the minister know we have a thriving aerospace industry in our community. If that leads to future funding for projects or various regulation changes to allow it to flourish, we would certainly welcome that."
Photo: Contributed

There is a new addition to the 17th Annual Harvest Pumpkin Festival.

The Pumpkin Pop UP! Art Market is the first initiative in the Armstrong Spallumcheen Chamber of Commerce's planned Pop Up! series designed to connect local businesses with artists.

We invite everyone to experience Armstrong Spallumcheens vibrant art community in this new format, said Peter Rotzetter, second vice president. The series is designed to showcase talented local artists occupying and working in select venues and retail spaces throughout the downtown core of Armstrong.

Opening at 10 a.m. Saturday Oct. 7 in the Horticulture Building on the Armstrong fairgrounds, artists will be utilizing the space to sell works of art, demonstrate and produce creative projects.

We hope this will be the first of many in the Pop-Up events in our community, including one planned for the holiday shopping season in December, said Rotzetter,

The Pumpkin Festival began in 2000 as another way to celebrate the area's agricultural roots.
Madison Erhardt

From severe flooding to B.C.'s worst wildfire season ever, 2017 has been a challenging year for first responders.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau stopped by Kelowna's Enterprise firehall on Tuesday to thank crews for their countless hours of hard work.

"It's pretty surreal, I would say. It's awesome seeing him here. I never thought I would be meeting the prime minister of Canada," said B.C. Wildfire crew Leader Joel Rudky.

Trudeau stopped and shook hands with everyone in a long line of firefighters, and posed for pictures with each group.

Kelowna Fire Chief Travis Whiting said it was an encounter he will never forget.

"I got to shake hands with him, and he was kind enough to take a video for my kids. He said hi to my kids and thanked me for the work I'm doing. It's a great treat for my kids to be able to bring this home to them and show them how my day went," Whiting said.
Photo: Smokejumpers Canada Firefighters prepare to drop in on a fire in 2013

The unseasonably warm weather in the southern part of the province, which has prolonged the historic wildfire season, resulted in smokejumpers being sent in to help battle the Finlay Creek wildfire and Greyback Mountain wildfire this week.

The smokejumpers, who are based in Fort St. John as well as Mackenzie during the peak summer period, are often deployed to fires in northern B.C. that would take a long time for fire crews to get to on the ground.

These crews of firefighters are parachuted out of fixed-wing aircraft with supplies to last multiple days.

"Up north here where we are, there's very few towns from which to access fires from. So the speed and the range and the pay load of the fixed-wing aircraft make it the perfect tool for the north," Tom Reinboldt said, BC Wildfire Service protection officer, who added that the aircraft can get from Fort St. John to Kelowna in two hours.

Reinboldt said that his crew had 46 members and two aircrafts deployed during the peak summer months, but now it consists of one aircraft with 25-30 smokejumpers still fighting fires, as "some have gone back to school".

He added that it's unusual for the smokejumpers to work in the southern half of B.C.

"Generally there's just so much of a workload in the north that we don't get south."

In a fire season like this where extra resources are needed from the north, Reinboldt said in the past the smokejumpers have covered the additional area, while fire crews on the ground head south to support other crews.

"But this year's so intense that they're emptying the north of everything," Reinboldt said. "So we're actually still covering the north, but we're doing so from the south, because the aircraft can fly anywhere in the province and attack a fire directly.

"You have to risk-manage and put the resource where it's most likely to get the fire."

Reinboldt said that by Thursday, all of the smokejumpers who aren't on rest days will be based out of Kelowna.

Currently, two smokejumpers are helping fight the Finlay Creek wildfire; five personnel were sent there but three have returned home for reset days.

For the Greyback Mountain fire, which is being held, there will only be one smokejumper there as of Thursday, working as the incident commander.

The rest of the smokejumpers, according to Reinboldt, will be freed up to be re-deployed to other high-priority targets.
In a July 25 interview BC Education Minister Rob Fleming said: "I think our government just has a completely different and fresh attitude towards public education. John Horgan made it clear his priority as premier is to make sustained investments in the school system, because it pays enormous social and economic dividends.

If our new government really wants to move to the forefront of public education in Canada it needs to look to Finland, where all children have access to free, full day daycare (up to age 5). Full day kindergarten begins at age 6, and grade 1 begins at age 7.

According to world-renowned family therapist and parenting author Steve Biddulph, full day kindergarten for 5 year old's is too long and any younger is a big mistake developmentally. Decades of research has shown that most boys and some girls are slower to develop fine motor and language skills.

Ive asked a number of kindergarten teachers: "When reviewing your class in June, are there any children you feel are not developmentally ready for Grade 1?" Responses from teachers typically range from zero to four children depending on the class. But in the current educational climate it's extremely rare for a child in Canada or the U.S. to repeat kindergarten.

In his web article, We Can Do Better By Boys, Biddulph writes: "In English-speaking countries, boys make up more than 80% of all remedial classes. In Germany, Belgium, Switzerland and many other countries where school (grade 1) does not begin until age seven, this gender gap in literacy does not exist. Professor Kathy Sylva at Oxford University recently reported findings that starting school too soon creates a failure mentality, while kindergarten  which used to be a year of play, activity, and social learning has succumbed more and more to pressure for skills learning. This compounds the problem."

Why is Finland's school system the envy of the western world? Finland has consistently been among the highest scorers worldwide in the international assessment for student performance.

Carl Honore writes in "Under Pressure: Putting the Child Back in Childhood: "Their (Finnish children) early childhood is spent at home or in nursery programs where play is king. When they finally do reach school, they enjoy short days, long vacations and plenty of music, art and sports. Apart from final exams at the end of high school, Finnish kids face no standardized tests. Teachers use quizzes, and individual schools use tests to track their pupils progress, but the idea of cramming for SATs is as alien to Finland as a heat wave in winter. This presents a delicious irony: the nation that puts the least stress on competition and testing, that shows the least appetite for cram schools and private tutoring, routinely tops the world in PISAs competitive exams."

I believe if we adopted the Finland model in B.C., enrolling kids in kindergarten at age 6 by the time they enter grade 7 or 8, at least 70% of learning assistance time (and money) in an elementary school could be eliminated simply because most children wouldnt require any. Most of the learning assistance teachers, who spend their day working with individual students and small groups, could transition back into the classroom and assigned an entire class of students.

If a Canada-wide survey was done of parents who "red-shirted" their own kids and waited to enrol them in kindergarten at age 6. I'm certain the vast majority would say it was one of the best decisions they ever made as parents.

David Buckna
I just wanted to send in a sincere thank you for posting the "Missing - Emily Robertson " story on Sept 3.

The family and I are so grateful that she was found within a couple hours of notifying the public.

This story had a happy ending, thankfully.

Natasha Lovell
Photo: CTV Keith Koponyas

A Penticton man reported missing in the Lower Mainland has been identified as one of the victims in a strange kidnapping case in Northern B.C.

Keith Koponyas, 21, was visiting friends in Langley in late August when he disappeared. CTV Vancouver is reporting police have confirmed he was found alive Saturday with two other people being held captive near Dawson Creek.

The motive for the kidnapping remains unknown, but RCMP have stated that there is no reason to believe there is any risk to the general public.

Police learned of the kidnapping after two people claimed to have escaped from a rural home after being held against their will for several days. They told RCMP a third person was still being held.

Cpl. Madonna Saunderson said an RCMP emergency response team raided the home and rescued the third person. All three alleged victims had non-life-threatening injuries.

Police believe that there were multiple captors involved.

Koponyas was raised in Penticton but had recently been working in Dawson Creek, according to CTV Vancouver. He has no criminal record and it is unclear whether he was taken captive in Langley or somewhere else.

with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: Contributed

A water quality advisory has been issued for users of the Lakeview water system in West Kelowna.

The advisory has been put in place due to increased turbidity in the Rose Valley reservoir and Lakeview water supply system.

The city and Interior Health recommend children, the elderly and people with compromised immune systems use water brought to a rolling boil for at least a minute, or use a safe, alternative supply.

The city is making free bulk water available at a filling station at the corner of Asquith and Shannon Lake roads during the duration of the advisory. Bring your own containers.

The advisory affects about 4,000 connections and 11,000 people, including schools, daycares, care homes and restaurants in Lakeview Heights, Rose Valley, Boucherie Centre, Shannon Woods, Tallus Ridge, Shannon Lake and the West Kelowna Business Park.

The city is currently in the process of designing an advanced, $49.4-million treatment plant for the Lakeview system. Construction is expected to start in the spring.

The government of Canada and the province of British Columbia are contributing 83 per cent of the funding, or $41 million via the Clean Water and Wastewater Fund.
If you have just started your journey in an online casino or are looking for a new site to play,...
saxlerb/iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) -- U.S. forces violated international humanitarian law when they failed to take all possible precautions to avoid civilian deaths in an attack on a mosque complex in Syria, U.N. investigators said Wednesday.



A series of U.S. airstrikes on a religious compound in the Syrian village of al-Jinah on March 16 killed 38 people, including one woman and five children, the U.N. Commission of Inquiry on Syria said in a new report, in which they also concluded that Syrian President Bashar Assad's air force conducted a sarin-gas attack that killed at least 83 civilians in April.



Three days before striking the mosque compound, the U.S. team knew about the target, but it didnt do enough to verify it, the report said of the March 16 attack in al-Jinah.



The Commission therefore concludes that United States forces failed to take all feasible precautions to avoid or minimize incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians and damage to civilian objects, in violation of international humanitarian law, the report says.



After the attack, the U.S Central Command (CENTCOM) said that the strikes targeted al-Qaida militants gathering in a building across the street from the mosque, but eyewitnesses reported that the victims of the strikes were civilians gathered in a religious building. Following an investigation, CENTCOM later said they identified the building as a valid military target without fully knowing its religious nature.



When asked for comment about the U.N. report, a CENTCOM spokesman referred to the findings of its investigation on the incident that were made public in June.



A CENTCOM spokesperson said in a June briefing to journalists that F-15 aircraft struck the building near the prayer hall with 10 bombs and that a drone fired two missiles at a target coming out from the building. One civilian, "small in stature", was killed in the attack, CENTCOM concluded after its investigation.



CENTCOM acknowledged that it had failed to identify the religious nature of the buildings, but said it found that the attack was legal and appropriate as al-Qaida regional leaders were meeting in the building and two dozen of the terror group's leaders were likely to have been killed.



Eyewitnesses who spoke to ABC News in the days following the attack said that the targeted building was part of the mosque compound and that no militants were inside.



Ziad Mohammad Ali, a schoolteacher, was in the mosque around 6:45 p.m. local time, before the nightly prayer, on the day of the attack. He said he usually prays in the service building, which was the one that was targeted that day. After the first attack on the service building, Ali said dust and an intense smell of smoke filled the mosque that he was in, which is part of the same religious compound as the service building.



I wanted to leave the mosque because I was afraid a new attack would hit the part of the mosque that I was in, he told ABC News in Arabic.



When he left he saw that the wall of the building was completely destroyed and the doors had been blown away. He walked away, but then realized that worshippers were probably buried under the rubble in need of help. He decided to go back, but as he approached the damaged building, two rockets struck again.



Thats when I was hit by shrapnel in my face and nose, he said. So the blood was pouring and I walked away barefoot, covered in dust.



He said that people who were in the bathrooms of the mosque were killed in the attack, while many died outside in the second strike after fleeing the building. The next day, he asked about his friend and colleague who was at the mosque that day. He had been displaced from Aleppo, and Ali regarded him as a brother, he said.



They told me that his decapitated body had been found with no legs, Ali said. "That affected me a lot. He was very dear to my heart.



He said that those killed were all civilian worshipers, mostly from al-Jinah itself or neighboring villages. Some people came from other areas for Islam lectures, but they have nothing to do with politics, he said, adding that he didnt see anyone dressed in military clothes or carrying weapons.



Ahmad Qawwaf, a resident of al-Jinah and an English teacher, said he was having dinner at a friends house when he heard the sound of planes and then a loud explosion about five minutes before the call to nighttime prayer was set to begin on March 16. When he left, he said, he saw that the religious building affiliated with the mosque was hit.



I saw ambulances and people covered in dust. And there were four bodies lying in the street, Qawwaf told ABC News in Arabic via a messaging app following the attack. The bodies were maimed ... burns on the faces and the limbs.



In addition to those killed, the U.N. said that 26 people were wounded. Their injuries included crushed limbs, head trauma and suffocation.



The investigation found the strike complied with operational and legal requirements (2/3)  U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 7, 2017

The U.N. commission said its findings do not support the U.S. claim that an al-Qaida meeting was taking place there and the U.S. has not released evidence that such a meeting took place. CENTCOM said that the task force responsible for carrying out this strike had a "high level of confidence" of who was in this building.

The strike hit an al-Qaeda meeting, not a civilian gathering (3/3)  U.S. Central Command (@CENTCOM) June 7, 2017

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Archer Daniels Midlands wheat mill in Chicagos Fulton Market district is seen in June 2017. The company has hired brokers to find a buyer for the 2.2-acre mill site, which takes up a full block of Carroll Avenue between Ada and Elizabeth streets. ( Phil Velasquez/Chicago Tribune )

Archer Daniels Midland doesn't plan to shutter a wheat mill in the Fulton Market district until 2019. But with real estate values soaring in the area, the agribusiness giant isn't waiting to cash in with a sale of the 2.2-acre property.

Chicago-based ADM and Larry Goldwasser, one of the Cushman & Wakefield brokers representing the company, declined to name an expected price for the brick structure, which ranges from three to six stories tall and includes several silos. Based on comparable land sales in the area, the property may now be worth several times the $14 million ADM paid for it in 1990.

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The site, which Cushman says could allow for 457,000 square feet of redevelopment, takes up a full block of Carroll between Ada and Elizabeth streets. It's one of the largest potential development sites remaining in the fast-changing area west of the Kennedy Expressway.

"Based on the strength of the market, it's a good time in the cycle to sell," Goldwasser said. "There are a lot of developers looking for sites in Fulton Market."

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The value of the property could hinge on whether buyers believe they can negotiate new zoning with the city to repurpose or replace the existing structure. The site is in a planned manufacturing district, meaning uses such as apartments, hotels and some types of retail are prohibited.

ADM's property is just north of Sterling Bay's under-construction Fulton West office development on Fulton, where tenants including vacuum cleaner-maker Dyson and job site Glassdoor have leased space.

Google is the largest office tenant in the area, and McDonald's future headquarters is under construction. The district was once known for meatpackers and food wholesalers, but new uses such as hotels, boutique shops, chef-driven restaurants and loft offices have poured in.

In June, ADM confirmed plans to close down on Carroll Avenue and move its operations to a new facility in Mendota, about 90 miles west of Chicago.

ADM plans to open the new LaSalle County facility in the second half of 2019, at which time the Chicago operations will be transferred there, ADM spokesman Colin McBean said. ADM will likely lease back the Chicago property from the buyer until the new facility is ready, McBean said.

There are about 60 employees in the Fulton Market facility, according to ADM. It's unclear how many of those workers may move to the new facility.

"When we get closer to transferring production, we'll be talking to employees about that process," McBean said.

rori@chicagotribune.com

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Chicago is chasing one of the country's largest corporate headquarters deals in years, joining what is sure to be a fierce competition to land Amazon's second headquarters.

The city plans to respond to Amazon's request for proposals for the new 50,000-employee campus, said a spokesman for Mayor Rahm Emanuel.

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Emanuel "has spoken with (Amazon founder and CEO Jeff) Bezos several times about picking Chicago," said the spokesman, Grant Klinzman, in an email.

The Seattle-based e-commerce giant on Thursday said it plans to invest more than $5 billion to create a second headquarters in another North American city, with buildings potentially totaling more than 8 million square feet and creating 50,000 jobs over the next 10 to 15 years. The positions will pay an average of more than $100,000 annually, Amazon said.

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Amazon said "HQ2" will serve as a second headquarters of equal importance to its current 33-building, 8.1 million-square-foot Seattle campus.

"This is the Cadillac of corporate headquarters," said John H. Boyd, principal of The Boyd Co., a Princeton, N.J.-based corporate site selection consultancy. "This is the white-collar project of the decade," Boyd added.

One advantage for Chicago is the availability of viable development sites. Within North America's most densely populated cities, there are relatively few big, well-located sites that could accommodate Amazon's vision.

Chicago candidates could include almost 60 acres of riverfront land developer Sterling Bay has been assembling on the North Side  which includes the former A. Finkl & Sons steel plant site  and Related Midwest's vacant, 62-acre parcel along the river in the South Loop. Both developers already are drawing up multibillion-dollar developments of those sites.

Another large, mostly vacant site is the 49-acre former Michael Reese Hospital property in Bronzeville, which had once been proposed as the Olympic village as part of Chicago's bid for the 2016 Summer Games. A group of developers, including Draper & Kramer and Farpoint Development, has been chosen by the city to redevelop the site south of McCormick Place.

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 8 A view looking north in May 2017 shows the South Branch of the Chicago River south of Roosevelt Road at the 62-acre site of a proposed development by Related Midwest. It's one of only a few centrally located sites in Chicago large enough to accommodate Amazon's proposed second headquarters. (Chris Walker / Chicago Tribune)

One existing building that could be proposed is the former old main post office along the river and Congress Parkway. The long-vacant, hulking structure is only about one-third the size of Amazon's eventual requirement, but the property includes land that could be developed with additional buildings. New York-based developer 601W Cos. already has begun extensive construction work as it seeks office and retail tenants.

In pursuing Amazon, Emanuel is trying to build momentum of recent years in which the city has lured headquarters from the suburbs and from out of state. Chicago's list of recent or planned relocations includes McDonald's, Kraft Heinz, Conagra Brands, Archer Daniels Midland, Motorola Mobility, Hillshire Brands, Beam Suntory, Gogo and Motorola Solutions.

HQ2 is in an entirely different realm, though, because of the combination of the sheer size of the deal and Amazon's standing as one of the world's most ubiquitous brands.

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Consider, by comparison, Motorola Mobility's move to more than 600,000 square feet in the Merchandise Mart in 2014. Then-parent company Google's decision to move Motorola Mobility downtown from Libertyville remains among the largest new office leases in downtown Chicago of the 21st century, and one of the largest shifts of jobs within the area in decades. That deal brought about 2,000 jobs to Chicago, about 4 percent of Amazon's eventual HQ2 total.

Amazon's list of suitors is likely to be long, and other cities and states are likely to offer generous incentive packages that will be difficult for fiscally challenged Chicago and Illinois to match. "The initial cost and ongoing cost of doing business are critical decision drivers," the company said in a description of the search process.

The highly public manner in which Amazon announced its search for a second headquarters suggests the company will place a high value on the incentive packages, said Ron Starner, executive vice president at Atlanta-based Conway, a corporate expansion and relocation consultancy that publishes Site Selection Magazine.

"They've grabbed a giant bullhorn and announced to the world, 'We want to maximize incentives,'" he said.

Illinois Gov. Bruce Rauner recently said he plans to sign a bill to extend the state's corporate tax incentive program, EDGE  short for Economic Development for a Growing Economy  after it expired in May.

Sarah Schwartz, marketing and communications manager at Intersect Illinois, the state's nonprofit economic development arm, declined to comment on the Amazon project, but said the state "has a wonderful relationship with Amazon" and "plans to pursue any project that could benefit Illinois and its people."

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Experts cite the state's political dysfunction, pension liabilities and taxes as key shortcomings in attracting big employers.

Chicago is bidding for Amazon's second corporate headquarters in North America, a project that could bring as many as 50,000 high-paying jobs. The Seattle company's Sunnyvale, Calif., offices are pictured here. (Lisa Werner / Moment Editorial/Getty Images)

Yet Chicago remains a low-cost alternative to many coastal cities when it comes to expenses such as wages and real estate costs.

Amazon "is going to follow the money," said James Shein, professor of strategy at Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management.

But incentives aren't the only factor. Corporations tend to relocate where their top executives want to live, Shein said. "The living style is excellent here, and that's critical," he said.

The company didn't name any potential locations, saying only that it will consider urban or suburban locations in metropolitan areas of at least 1 million people in a "stable and business-friendly environment."

Amazon said it will consider sites in and around urban areas with access to international airports, major highways and public transportation. The description matches technology centers such as San Francisco and Silicon Valley, major cities such as New York, Chicago, Los Angeles, Toronto and a large number of other metro areas in North America.

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"We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters," Bezos said in a news release. "Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars of up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs. We're excited to find a second home."

Once the new campus is created, executives can choose to have their teams located in Seattle, the new headquarters, or both, the company said.

Through its investments in Seattle from 2010 through 2016, Amazon said it has added $38 billion to Seattle's economy.

The company said it is asking cities and metropolitan areas to turn in requests for proposals by Oct. 19, and plans to choose a location next year. Municipalities can propose multiple potential sites, which could include existing buildings, vacant land or a combination.

Bidders should "think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options," the company said.

In the first phase, Amazon would move into at least 500,000 square feet of space in 2019. The campus' footprint would expand to as much as 8 million-plus square feet in several construction phases extending "beyond 2027," according to Amazon.

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Amazon has more than 380,000 worldwide employees, including more than 40,000 at its Seattle headquarters.

Amazon has more than 200 employees in a downtown Chicago office, and recently enlarged the space to make room for another 200. The company also has distribution centers throughout the Chicago area and the state. Amazon recently said it expects to have more than 8,000 workers in Illinois by the end of 2018.

rori@chicagotribune.com

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Twitter @Ryan_Ori

Twitter @laurenzumbach
A rendering shows plans for the redevelopment of a 7-acre site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street in Chicago. (Goettsch Partners)

A 310-unit apartment tower and more than 1.2 million square feet of office space are part of a four-building redevelopment planned along the Chicago River near Chicago Avenue.

Broadcast company Tribune Media and its partner on the project, Riverside Investment & Development, on Wednesday unveiled detailed plans for the 7-acre site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street, which has been in the works since the development venture was formed in 2015.

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The zoning application filed with the city is the first public look at one of the most highly anticipated real estate developments within the North Branch Industrial Corridor, a 760-acre stretch along and near the river, where the city recently made large-scale zoning changes.

New zoning is expected to unleash a wave of developments in the area long dominated by manufacturing, including Sterling Bay's yet-to-be-revealed plans for the former A. Finkl & Sons steel plant and nearby properties.

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Riverside's development is across the river from 600 West Chicago, a sprawling office building whose tenants include Groupon's headquarters. The site is near several densely populated areas, including River North, Fulton Market, Lincoln Park and Bucktown.

"Ultimately, this is going to fill in rapidly," said John O'Donnell, Riverside's CEO. "If you just look at a density map, this is the hole in the doughnut."

Riverside plans to demolish the vacant industrial building on the site, formerly used as a Chicago Tribune distribution facility, as soon as next year, O'Donnell said. The development will not affect operations of the nearby Freedom Center, where the Chicago Tribune and other newspapers are printed.

Riverside's plan includes more than 1.5 million square feet of space combined.

A rendering shows plans for the redevelopment of a 7-acre site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street in Chicago. (Goettsch Partners )

The tallest structure, a 610-foot apartment tower, would have 310 units, according to plans filed with the city. Three shorter buildings would have more than 1.2 million square feet of offices. The plan includes 540 parking spaces and another 50 spots for bikes.

Construction would likely kick off with the signing of an office lease of at least 100,000 square feet, O'Donnell said. The initial phase is expected to include the first office building, with about 450,000 square feet, and the apartment tower. The pace of future office construction is tied to additional pre-leasing by office tenants, O'Donnell said.

"We're after tech-type tenants, companies that are interested in a millennial-age workforce," O'Donnell said. "This site is central to the emerging neighborhoods."

Roads are along the west and south sides of the site, with the river on the north and east edges. The site includes more than 1,000 feet of river access, O'Donnell said.

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Architect Goettsch Partners' design conceives structures accessible from street level. Renderings show stairs and walkways descending toward open, publicly accessible space and a riverwalk.

About 4.5 acres of the site will be open space, O'Donnell said.

Riverside's zoning application with the city was first reported by Curbed Chicago.

A rendering shows plans for the redevelopment of a 7-acre site at Chicago Avenue and Halsted Street in Chicago. The site would include an apartment tower and office buildings. (Goettsch Partners )

The site at Chicago and Halsted is among several throughout the country that Tribune Media has sold or formed joint ventures to redevelop, as it cashes in on the value of its real estate. The broadcast company kept control of the real estate portfolio when it spun off its publishing division in 2014 and renamed itself Tribune Media. Newspapers including the Chicago Tribune became the broadcast company's tenants.

Last year, Tribune Media sold Tribune Tower on Michigan Avenue to Los Angeles-based CIM Group and Chicago's Golub & Co., which plan to redevelop the landmark building.

Riverside's other projects include a recently completed 53-story office tower along the river downtown, and a planned 51-story office tower on Wacker Drive anchored by Bank of America. In its largest project, Riverside is leading a more than $1 billion redevelopment of Union Station.

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Twitter @Ryan_Ori
Carlos Esteban of Woodbridge, Va., a nursing student and recipient of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, known as DACA, rallies with others in support of DACA outside of the White House, in Washington, Tuesday. (Jacquelyn Martin / Associated Press)

Christopher Plascencia won a promotion last month to personal banker at Wells Fargo & Co.; now he's worried the career advancement might become a hollow gain.

The Compton, Calif., resident has the job because of DACA, the program that protects from deportation nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who arrived as children and allows them to work and attend school. But the Trump administration plans to wind down the program over the next six months.

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"I obviously couldn't have done any of this without the work permit we were issued," said Plascencia, 22, who called President Trump's decision "heartbreaking."

"Being able to have that income definitely helped me to provide for myself and to help out my family as well," Plascencia said.

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DACA workers and the firms that employ them are faced with uncertainty after the White House said it would end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program initiated in 2012 by President Obama.

Under the program, participants (so-called Dreamers) who were brought to the United States as children could receive a renewable two-year deportation deferral and work permits if they met certain requirements.

The Trump administration argued that the program was unconstitutional, was never intended to be permanent and that Congress now has six months to change the immigration laws and find a DACA replacement, if it chooses.

No new DACA applications are being considered, and those with permits expiring between now and March 5 have until Oct. 5 to apply for renewal.

A wide swath of the business community, led by major technology firms, is opposed to Trump's move. Even before his decision, more than 300 business leaders  including the chief executives at Apple Inc., Facebook Inc. and Amazon.com  signed a letter urging Trump not to rescind the program.

Wells Fargo Chief Executive Timothy Sloan also signed the letter, which cheered Plascencia. "It gave me a little sense of comfort knowing the company I work for has people like me in mind," Plascencia said.

Denying work authorization to people who grew up and were educated in the United States would have a significant negative impact on employers.  Mike Aitken, Society for Human Resource Management

Now that Trump has acted, his decision faces court challenges, which could delay or block DACA's termination. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed suit Wednesday in New York challenging Trump's plan.

There also is the possibility that Congress could pass new immigration legislation in the next six months that would include some type of program to replace DACA.

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As a result, employment lawyer Michelle Lee Flores of the law firm Cozen O'Connor said her advice to both businesses and DACA employees would be to "sit tight. Let's just take a pause and see what happens."

"Let's see if this goes through, let's see if something else comes about to replace it," Flores said. "I think we'll know a lot more in a month or two."

She also urged firms and DACA workers to ensure that the paperwork for any work permits still eligible to be renewed is completed by the Oct. 5 deadline.

If the program ends, "denying work authorization to people who grew up and were educated in the United States would have a significant negative impact on employers," Mike Aitken, vice president of government affairs for the Society for Human Resource Management, a trade group for business human-resources managers, said in a statement Tuesday.

San Diego City Unified School Board President Richard Barrera agreed.

Ending the DACA program "absolutely limits our ability to get the best and most committed people into the teaching professions," Barrera said.

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Joe Eustice, general manager of the Wyndham San Diego Bayside hotel, said he expects the hospitality industry to feel the effects of the DACA pullback as it tries to fill entry-level jobs such as front-desk clerks and banquet servers.

"We would certainly encourage our national legislators to take a close look at how we can continue to educate these kids," Eustice said.

Siona Vartanian, 30, came to the United States from Denmark with her family when she was 14. Born in Iran, Vartanian graduated from Cal State Northridge in 2011 with a psychology degree. But without the proper documents, she couldn't work.

One year later, Obama introduced the DACA program and Vartanian, a Glendale resident, was accepted. She has worked as a claims manager at a large health insurance company for the last 2 years.

Vartanian said she hasn't talked to her employer about her work situation since Trump's decision, but said she didn't know where she would be without the DACA program.

"If they were to take this away from me, I think that would be the worst thing ever," Vartanian said.

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"It was impossible to find any job" without DACA, she said. "Even if I were to find a job that was under the table, it wouldn't pay me enough to live."

Lori Weisberg and Jennifer Van Grove of the San Diego Union-Tribune contributed to this report.

james.peltz@latimes.com

samantha.masunaga@latimes.com

For more Business news on Twitter: @PeltzLATimes @smasunaga
But JetBlue Airways and American Airlines are offering travelers some respite from the pricey fares. Additionally, American said it will shut down operations in Florida Friday afternoon. Already it has canceled 2,000 flights.

A JetBlue spokesman said Thursday that the airline sold out flights leaving Florida through next Wednesday. JetBlue had capped fares on those flights at $99 to $159 each way.

A spokesman for United says the airline is sold out in Florida through Friday and added six flights. United expects to cancel most flights to and from southern Florida from Saturday through Monday.

American Airlines has limited seats left before Irma hits, according to an airline spokesman. He says American has capped those prices at $99 in economy and $199 for premium one-way through Sept. 17.

On Wednesday, JetBlue began capping one-way direct flights out of Florida through Sept. 13 at $99. Connecting flights from Florida were capped at $159. Both price points include government taxes.

American Airlines , too, decided to introduce a cap. At 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, the airline announced it would cap pre-tax fares at $99 for main cabin seats on direct flights out of Florida for tickets sold through Sept. 10, for travel until Sept. 13.

We want those trying to leave ahead of the hurricane to focus on their safe evacuation rather than worry about the cost of flights, said JetBlue spokesman Philip Stewart in a statement.

JetBlue is also was offering $99 one-way flights through Sept. 13 for flights out of Savannah, Charleston, Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Providenciales, Turks and Caicos; Puerto Plata, Santo Domingo, Santiago, La Romana and Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; Havana, Santa Clara, Camaguey and Holguin, Cuba; and Nassau, Bahamas.

JetBlue operates flights out of Fort Lauderdale, Daytona Beach, Jacksonville, Fort Myers, Orlando, Sarasota, Tampa and West Palm Beach in Florida. American has a hub at Miami International.

Please note that inventory is running low now as the seats are selling very quickly, Stewart cautioned.

The airline is also waiving cancellation and change fees, as well as differences in airfare when rebooking, and adding flights out of select cities. American Airlines , too, is waiving rebooking fees for flights to dozens of destinations as a result of Hurricane Irma .

Both airlines , as well as others, came under fire earlier in the week when prices rose into the several thousands for last-minute flights out of South Florida. Most of the price hikes were the usual increases passengers see for last-minute tickets. But the frenzy to flee Florida had exacerbated the situation.

Some people vented on Twitter  including at American, before it announced its reduction similar to JetBlues.

Escape #HurricaneIrma in style on Friday aboard [American Airlines ] flight from Miami to Newark, NJ (only one stop!) for just $1,747 round trip, sarcastically tweeted user @johndelsignore.

American officials said in a news release that the airline will cease operations at its Miami hub as well as in Fort Lauderdale, West Palm Beach and Fort Myers on Friday afternoon.

The final flight to leave Miami International Airport is scheduled to take off for Dallas at 3:49 p.m. Friday.

Operations will cease at Orlando International Airport at 2 p.m. on Saturday and airline officials said they will continue to monitor conditions at other airports in Florida.

Resumption of service will depend upon airport and roadway conditions and the ability of crew members to get to work.

The Associated Press contributed
Sally Blount, Dean of the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, will step down at the end of the school year. (Northwestern University)

Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Management is on the hunt for a new dean.

Sally Blount, who has held the post since 2010, plans to step down at the end of this school year, she announced Wednesday in a video uploaded to YouTube.

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"We're at an exciting inflection point," Blount said in the video. "It's an ideal moment for a new leader to be selected and to take the reins."

When she came on board, Blount launched a plan called Envision Kellogg, aimed at raising $350 million, according to the school's website. The plan involved repositioning Kellogg's brand, redefining management education and opening the school's new Global Hub in Evanston, which came online in March.

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Now that seven-year plan is complete.

"I still pinch myself every time I walk in the Global Hub, our new home," Blount said in the video.

Next summer marks 30 years since Blount started at Kellogg as a pregnant graduate student, she said. She's spent half of her life since then as a business school dean.

Blount, 56, was the first woman to lead a top business school, according to Northwestern's website. After earning her master's degree and doctorate at Kellogg, she became a faculty member at the University of Chicago Booth School of Business, where she stayed for about a decade.

She also served as dean of New York University's Stern Undergraduate College of Business.

Provost Jonathan Holloway plans to oversee an international search for Blount's successor, according to the university's website.

After a yearlong sabbatical, Blount plans to return to Kellogg and her post as the Nemmers professor of management and organizations.

"I've long dreamed of taking a sabbatical year to travel and to write," she said in the video. "As my daughter once said to me long ago, 'This is what the person I want to become would do.'"

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Two restaurants and an employment agency charged with mistreating and underpaying immigrant workers who are in the country without authorization were ordered to pay back wages and penalties in a consent decree issued this week in federal court.

The decree issued by Judge John Zee called for a total $212,500 in back wages and penalties to be paid out to several employees of Hibachi Sushi Buffet in Cicero, Hibachi Grill Buffet in Elk Grove Village and Jiao's Employment Agency in Chinatown.

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In addition, the consent decree  in which the judge oversees and monitors the execution of the settlement  requires the businesses to change their employment practices. The decree calls for the employers to keep records of employees' hours and wages, provide training on employment discrimination laws, develop and implement an anti-discrimination policy, and provide training. In addition, if the employers provide lodging, they are to ensure it is free of cockroaches and other vermin, includes utilities, such as heat and running water, and contains a working bathroom, among other conditions.

The employers also must not "compel" workers to pay for food as a condition of their employment or deduct the cost of food from their paychecks.

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The terms of the consent degree will be in effect for four to five years.

"These employment agencies and restaurants exploited workers through inhumane working conditions and discrimination, violating both the state's wage laws and their civil rights," Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who filed the original lawsuit, said in an e-mailed statement. "These court-enforceable settlements will ensure that the restaurants and employment agencies comply with the law by changing their practices, treating all employees equally, and paying them what they have earned."

The original lawsuit, filed in 2015 by Madigan, alleged that the owners of three agencies in Chicago's Chinatown, including Jiao's, Xing Ying Employment Agency and Chinatown Agencia De Empleo, and the two restaurants took advantage of "desperately poor" immigrants from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America.

The agencies, according to the suit, charged the workers up to $220 in referral fees to take jobs in which they worked up to 84 hours per week without proper breaks and were paid less than half of the state's minimum wage of $8.25 an hour.

The restaurants hid the workers in kitchen jobs where customers couldn't see them, and charged them rent to live in "overcrowded, squalid conditions," according to the suit.

Hibachi Grill will shell out a total of $100,000, including seven monthly payments of at least $8,679.09, for back wages for four employees and penalties to the state. The restaurant allegedly housed 15 workers in a three-bedroom apartment that had just one bathroom and "no furniture aside from soiled mattresses, which employees had resorted to finding themselves from a nearby garage dumpster," the lawsuit said. Xi Chen, the restaurant's owner, could not be reached for comment.

Royal Cicero Inc., which operates Hibachi Sushi Buffet, will pay $96,000 in back wages and penalties, including 16 quarterly payments of at least $6,000. In this instance, seven employees will be compensated. The owner, Ke Ju Zheng, could not immediately be reached for comment.

Jiao's Employment agency will pay penalties to the state totaling $16,500. The owner of Jiao's Employment could not immediately be reached for comment.

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Two employment agencies named in the original lawsuit were not included in the consent decree.

Chinatown Agencia De Empleo is no longer in business. The other, Xing Ying Employment Agency, which ran discriminatory advertisements, remains in business but is awaiting a summary judgment in which the judge makes a decision based upon the law alone.

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Protesters gather for a May Day rally in Daley Plaza on May 1, 2017 in downtown Chicago. The city is now taking applications for those interested in hosting private events in the sprawling public space. (Armando L. Sanchez/Chicago Tribune )

Fifty years after Pablo Picasso's 50-foot-tall sculpture was unveiled there, the city's sprawling Daley Plaza is ushering in another big change: renting out the space for private events.

The city is taking applications for weddings, corporate outings, marketing promotions and other private events at one of Chicago's most popular public spaces, at a cost of $5,000 per day, according to the Public Building Commission of Chicago and MB Real Estate.

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The property is owned by the city and managed by MB, a Chicago-based commercial real estate brokerage.

Opening the space to private gatherings is a way to cover operational costs of the property, and is also in response to increased inquiries to rent the space, said Carina Sanchez, the commission's executive director.

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"There's been a recent surge in interest in the plaza as more people are looking for unique wedding locations," Sanchez said.

Daley Plaza won't be the first publicly owned space used for private and commercial purposes. Chicagoans can already book events at Lincoln Park Zoo, for example, or pay hundreds of dollars for tickets to Lollapalooza in Grant Park.

Yet it remains to be seen how Chicagoans will react to seeing one of the Loop's best-known gathering spaces roped off for a bar mitzvah, fundraiser or cocktail reception.

The 88,000-square-foot plaza is widely known as home to the Picasso, which was dedicated amid much excitement  and head-scratching over what the sculpture was  on Aug. 15, 1967. The plaza, which also has a fountain, is along Clark, Washington, Dearborn and Randolph streets. It is known for public events such as the Christkindlmarket each winter, a farmers market on Thursdays during warm weather and other cultural events.

The plaza is available to private groups for $5,000 a full day, or $2,500 for the four-hour minimum, according to a property brochure. Nonprofit groups can rent it for $1,500 a day or $750 for four hours. Events can run from 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Sanchez said, with setup starting as early as 5 a.m.

The plaza currently generates $25,000 to $30,000 annually, and opening it up to private events is expected to increase revenue by 25 percent, Sanchez said.

The commission's board in December approved a resolution authorizing it to allow private and corporate uses of the plaza, Sanchez said.

Daley Plaza already had one trial run for private events, Time Out Chicago's Battle of the Burger event on July 19. The event included food from 14 restaurants and was attended by more than 800 people, according to MB Real Estate and the commission.

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Sanchez said no one complained about closing off the plaza that night, or for other events.

"It's something we want to share with everybody," Sanchez said. "Imagine getting married in front of the Picasso, with the fountain in the background."

rori@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @Ryan_Ori
A six-bedroom, 6,900-square-foot mansion in Lincoln Park sold Tuesday for $5.85 million, which is one of the highest prices paid this year for a single-family house inside Chicago's city limits.

The seller was a land trust whose beneficiaries are former ApolloMD CEO Christopher Krubert and his wife, Tiffany. The couple paid $5.5 million for the then-newly built mansion in late 2015.

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Constructed by Hibernian Development, the limestone and brick mansion sits on an oversized, 33-foot-wide lot and has 7 baths, an elevator, three fireplaces, a custom De Giulio kitchen with an adjacent great room, a penthouse-level media room, a green roof terrace, a roof deck with skyline views, a lower level rec space, a mudroom with reclaimed wood paneling and an attached garage with space for three cars.

Listing agent Emily Sachs Wong of @properties said she could not comment.

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Public records do not yet identify the buyers.

The mansion's $5.85 million sale price is one of the highest sale prices for a house this year, after the $7.2 million sale of a five-bedroom, 9,200-square-foot mansion in Lincoln Park in January.

Bob Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.







Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 16 (VHT Studios)

Expand Autoplay Image 1 of 5 Billionaire Ken Griffin, Illinois richest man, paid $58.75 million in November for the top four floors in the Near North condominium building at 9 W. Walton St., known as No. 9 Walton. This photo shows a rendering of the lobby. (JDL Development / E. Jason Wambsgans/Chicago Tribune (inset))
For School District U46 officials, several concerns remain about an Elgin area charter school proposal that will now undergo state vetting.

As a Thursday evening public hearing on the Elgin Math and Science Academy looms, the district laid out its argument against the school group's proposal.

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On Wednesday, the charter group's president, Kerry Kelly confirmed her group would no longer hand out about 50 backpacks and snacks to families attending Thursday's hearing after U46 and state commission officials questioned the ethics of it. On Wednesday, attorneys for all sides teleconferenced to discuss the tactic, which U46 objected to earlier in the day. CEO Tony Sanders updated his social media followers on the matter early Wednesday evening.

Kelly said the giveaway was intended for good, saying it would motivate parents to attend a two-hour meeting during dinner hours, and also benefit the children in attendance.

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"We thought the backpacks with a snack could help them stay occupied while the meeting takes place," said Kelly.

Earlier, U46 officials posted several documents on the charter school page on its district website, including its response to the EMSA appeal to the Illinois State Charter School Commission. Members of the state commission could make a decision on the proposal at an Elgin meeting next month.

In the response, district officials listed items of concern for EMSA, such as economic soundness, the school site, curriculum, transportation, enrollment, at-risk students and student achievement.

District U46 officials noted as the two sides worked on a contract in the late spring and early summer, the Elgin Charter School Initiative lacked adequate cash flow. The group planned to secure a $500,000 line of credit, but had not done so as contract negotiations neared the end. In the response, U46 officials reminded state commissioners of the group having forgotten to place funding in the budget for school meals, which was of "grave concern" to U46 given EMSA would target a mostly at-risk student population.

Finances for the charter proposal tied in to practically all the other concerns U46 listed. The charter budget had been cut to only include two buses for picking up students from certain pick-up/drop-off points. The low number of buses will limit the number of at-risk students capable of making it to EMSA for school, according to U46's response. The former Fox River Country Day School site proposed for EMSA is not in reach for many of the families charter supporters intend to target, as its location is just outside the district's boundaries off Interstate 90.

When it came to the group's selection of the Fox River Country Day School site, U46 questioned the costs associated with bringing it back to occupancy after years of being closed and abandoned. In the response, EMSA officials cited a $102,000 cost estimate for superficial improvements to the first building. According to EMSA officials, they budgeted $200,000 for repairs to the Neil Building  but that is not enough, U46 officials countered.

"The District's Plant Operations team conducted a walk-through of the facility in April and identified a list of over 20 improvements that may be needed and that would almost certainly drive the cost well beyond $200,000," they wrote.

The repairs officials said needed to be addressed included providing a viable bus and emergency access, mold removal, drywall repair and maintenance and HVAC.

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Kelly, defended their appeal to the state commission, as she acknowledged the "friendly, collaborative" start to charter talks with U46 had now turned contentious. She said their transportation solution would immediately solve busing issues for downtown Elgin students and families. She did add the group still had to address the issue of students outside of downtown Elgin, but her group has been looking at solutions to this problem, such as using vans to transport children to EMSA.

"But it's impossible to know our needs right now," Kelly said, regarding potential transportation and where students would come from.

She said Neil Building repairs would not require as drastic of renovations as the U46 appeal response recommended. As for special education and bilingual services, Kelly said their proposals on the subjects are "correct by law."

The hearing on the Elgin Math and Science Academy is scheduled for 5 p.m. Thursday at the Centre of Elgin's Heritage Ballroom. Those interested to speak can begin to sign up at 4 p.m.

raguerrero@tribpub.com
Tocino poutine from Hapa Chicago. The pop-up concept will return this year to Kultura Festival, a daylong celebration of Filipino cuisine and culture. (Joseph Hernandez / Chicago Tribune)

Food prognosticators have been claiming Filipino food as the next "it" cuisine for the past two years, but Sarahlynn Pablo and Natalia Roxas would rather tell you the story themselves.

The organizers of Kultura Festival (now in its third year), the duo want to talk about more than ube and lumpia. "With the expansion of interest in food and food media," says Pablo, "this is the time to tell our own stories. Each of the businesses we've invited have their own narratives, and we want to center on the people making the food, not just dishes."

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According to Pablo and Roxas, Filipino food gets a lot of play on the East and West coasts, so this year, Kultura is focusing particularly on the Midwest. "We're spread out in the Midwest, so we wanted to invite other Filipinx (a gender-neutral term for those identifying as Filipino) makers to Kultura," says Roxas.

Participating chefs and concepts include Hapa Chicago, Meat on the Street (Milwaukee), Sarap: A Filipino Pop-Up (Detroit), and Skip to Malou and Guerrilla Street Food, both from St. Louis. Additional chefs include Sharwin Tee, host of the show "Curiousity Got the Chef," which airs on Lifestyle TV in the Philippines.

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"None of these Midwestern cities have a 'Manilatown' or a central community, unlike New York City, Los Angeles or San Francisco," says Pablo. "This year, we wanted Kultura to be a physical space that brings us together. Personally, it's exciting - having grown up in a mostly white American space, being in the Midwest and Filipino absolutely informs who we are. It's a unique time to assert ourselves culturally."

Kultura will return to Emporium Arcade Bar in Logan Square on Sept. 24.

Like last year, Kultura will include other programming that explores Filipinx culture and the diaspora. Filipino DJs will perform throughout the day, while a series of panels, dubbed the Lechon Lectures, will spill over into Emporium's Upside Down pop-up space next door. Speakers include Hugo award-winning Michi Trota, editor of Uncanny magazine, who will lead a panel on the role of food in science fiction and fantasy storytelling. Martin Manalansan, head of the department of Asian American Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, will be on hand leading a session called "This is not my mother's adobo," a discussion of culinary authenticity, hipsters, entrepreneurs and cultural heritage, with Filipino food (the "cuisine of the moment") as a prime example.

Additionally, vendors include more than food, with clothing, artwork and books also on sale throughout Emporium.

"It's a day to express our culture and feed our souls through food, but also trigger memories and celebrate as a community," says Roxas.

Details: General admission is $20 ($15 ticket plus 5 Kultura dollars); discounts available for students and seniors. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sept. 24, 2363 N. Milwaukee Ave. at Emporium Arcade Bar. ti.to/filipino-kitchen/kultura-2017.

jbhernandez@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @joeybear85
A wine label is more than a pretty marketing device. Most of the information printed there is highly regulated and can tell you a lot about what to expect. (Handout)

Trumping whatever aesthetic value a wine label may have, its main function is to impart legal information to the consumer. As such, the bottler, winery or winemaker, as well as the legal authority in the country where the wine is sold, have an interest in shaping that information.

For their part, the people who put the wine in the bottle want the consumer to buy it. Consequently, wine labels may contain visually attractive or eye-catching graphics or art; descriptions of how the wine tastes, how it was made and what foods it best accompanies; technical information (wood aging regimen, for example); and marketing terms such as "reserve" or "special selection."

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In the U.S., no federal or state government regulates a wine label's aesthetics (although hullabaloo always awaits attempts at drawings of naked bodies). For example, the word "reserve" has no legal standing and can mean anything from special treatment given to it by the winemaker, to something as thin as the ink with which the word is printed. (Contrariwise, foreign governments may prohibit such language on U.S. wines exported to their countries. The European Union, for example, forbids the word "reserve" on labels of American wines.)

Wine labels also contain a substantial amount of legal content that is regulated by the federal government, under the auspices of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.

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The TTB not only oversees the label's legal language on wine produced in the U.S., but also wine imported into the U.S. and sold here. For example, the TTB requires that the so-called Government Warning ("(1) According to the Surgeon General ") be affixed to all bottles of wine sold in the U.S. Consequently, French and Italian wine bottlers, for example, must add strip labels with the Government Warning to bottles of wine that they hope to sell in this country.

Taken as a whole, the TTB regulations can provide helpful information to purchasers of wine.

The TTB mandates that the following information appear on all bottles of wine sold in the U.S. (Parentheses contain one or two examples.)

Brand name: The wine's identity, which may be a person's name (Robert Mondavi) or a proprietary name (Big House Red).

Wine type: The wine's style (sparkling wine. red wine, table wine) or grape variety (chardonnay, merlot). If grape variety, the wine must be made of at least 75 percent of the grape named (51 percent in the case of grapes grown on Vitis labrusca vines, such as Concord). Generic or proprietary names (Long Flat White) imply no specific blend of grapes, but the producer voluntarily may state a blend.

Alcohol content: Any wine with more than 14 percent alcohol by volume must state the alcohol content (because the government taxes these wines at a rate four times higher than wines less than 14 percent). For wines less than 14 percent alcohol by volume, the label may state either the actual alcohol content or a designation such as "table wine" which implies an alcohol content between 7 and 14 percent. Something not widely known by the consumer is that the TTB allows a leeway of 1.5 percent under or over the actual alcohol content for wines under 14 percent. Altogether, that's a 3 percent window.

Bottled by: The name and address of the bottler must appear, preceded by the words "Bottled by." Either the term "Produced and bottled by" or "Made and bottled by" indicate that the bottler also fermented at least 75 percent of the wine. Terms such as "Cellared by," "Vinted by," "Prepared by" or "Blended by" indicate, by law, various treatments.

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Volume: The label must also state the net contents of the bottle in liquid form of wine, in metric measurement (750 ml).

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Sulfites: "Contains Sulfites" must be printed on labels of wines containing 10 parts per million of sulfur dioxide. That's about every wine made, either because sulfate was used during winemaking or because sulfite is a natural by-product of fermentation.

Regulations also govern even optional information that a winery may print on its labels.

Vintage: If a label states a "vintage," or the year in which the grapes that made the wine were harvested, then 95 percent of the wine must come from that year. (The 5 percent leeway allows for "topping off" with wines from other vintages, especially of red wines that evaporate as they age.)

Appellation: California state law stipulates that the appellation "California" mean that 100 percent of the wine comes from California. Federal and nearly all other state laws require that use of a state's name means at least 75 percent of the wine comes from that state. If a label states an officially designated American viticultural area (AVA), the TTB requires that at least 85 percent of the wine comes from that AVA (Napa Valley, Paso Robles). If a vineyard is named, at least 95 percent (To Kalon Vineyard).

"Estate bottled" is regulated to mean that the winery on the label grew 100 percent of the grapes on land that it owns or controls, and that it crushed, fermented, finished, aged and bottled the wine in a continuous process.

Bill St. John has been writing and teaching about wine for more than 40 years.
The Chicago Architecture Foundation, best known for its architecture tours that ply the Chicago River, plans to move to new and larger quarters next year  a riverfront office building that soars above the dock for its tour boats.

The nonprofit group last week signed a 20-year lease for a high-profile headquarters at 111 E. Wacker Drive , just east of Michigan Avenue, and expects to move there in summer 2018.

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The new home, called the Chicago Architecture Center, will be almost twice at big as the foundation's current one and will include such features as a two-story "Skyscape Gallery" that showcases innovations in tall building design in Chicago and around the world.

There also will be room for an expansion of the foundation's Chicago Model, which currently represents 400 blocks of the city and more than 1,000 buildings.

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"We're going to the next phase of our growth where we become a destination for the discovery of architecture and design in Chicago," said Lynn Osmond, the foundation's president.

Located since 1992 in a D.H. Burnham & Co.-designed office building at 224 S. Michigan Ave., the foundation still will have a home with a distinguished architectural pedigree. Completed in 1970, 111 E. Wacker was designed by the Office of Mies van der Rohe, named for the master modernist who died in 1969.

111 E. Wacker's lower floors are currently being remodeled, turning former outdoor plazas into glass-sheathed interiors. A rendering shows that the architecture center will occupy a ground-floor welcome and tour center and, above it, a two-story exhibition area that overlooks the Chicago River and the Michigan Avenue bridge. The group's logo, which features the letter "C" wrapped around a circle, will appear on a glass wall fronting the river.

"When you walk in, you will be greeted by this monumental stair that will take you up to the Skyscape Gallery," Osmond said.

The Chicago firm of Adrian Smith + Gordon Gill Architecture, whose projects include the soon-to-open expansion of the Chicago Shakespeare Theater at Navy Pier, will design the architecture center's interior. The New York firm Local Projects will handle exhibition spaces, which will comprise 9,000 square feet of the 20,000-square-foot center. The center will have five times more exhibition space than the CAF's current home.

The foundation also will move its offices from 224 S. Michigan to 111 E. Wacker, occupying about 10,000 square feet of office space. And the starting point for many of the foundation's tours will shift to the riverfront high-rise.

But the architecture center won't provide a home for several architecture organizations under one roof.

In 2005, when the CAF announced it had received a $50,000 grant from the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity to study the feasibility of expanding or moving, Osmond discussed the possibility that the offices of the Chicago chapter of the American Institute of Architects could be folded into the complex. Offices of the building trades also might be included, she said then, as they are in architecture centers in some European cities.

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But such opportunities for cross-fertilization did not come to fruition.

"There is not enough space, and (the) timing of our lease and other like-minded organizations did not coincide," Osmond wrote in an email.

Founded in 1966, the CAF draws 672,000 visitors annually, Osmond said, a figure that accounts for attendance at education programs, exhibitions and docent-led tours.

The group is seeking contributions of $10 million for the new space and an expansion of its public programs. It has raised "a couple of million dollars so far," Osmond said.

The foundation's current location at 224 S. Michigan Ave., near the Art Institute of Chicago and Millennium Park, has helped it draw visitors. Asked if the move to 111 E. Wacker would depress attendance, Osmond pointed to the soon-to-be-completed Apple store at 401 N. Michigan Ave., expected to open later this year.

"I think it's going to be easier," she said of drawing crowds. "With the Apple store, the new nucleus of Michigan Avenue will move farther south."

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Blair Kamin is a Tribune critic.

bkamin@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @BlairKamin

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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)
Illinois' graduating Class of 2017 posted a 21.4 score across all four subjects on the ACT college entrance exam  the highest in the last five years  and made gains in the percent of kids considered ready for key college classes.

Illinois also topped the national average of 21.

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But there's a catch: The number of Illinois test takers dropped by about 21,500 students compared to the Class of 2016, as the state began a transition to provide the rival SAT college entrance exam to high school juniors.

That decline in test takers probably boosted the Class of 2017 results because students who seek out the test and plan to attend college are more likely to be high achievers than students who do not.

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Both private and public school students in Illinois are included in ACT results for graduating classes, which include 2017 graduates who took the ACT as sophomores, juniors or seniors. In the past, it was the pivotal group of public high school juniors in Illinois that drove the scores. That's because the state for years gave a state-paid ACT exam to all eligible high school juniors as part of required state testing, and kids of all academic levels had to take the college entrance exam.

But by 2015, the ACT was no longer mandated  though it was still a state-paid exam for juniors that year  and because of budget woes, there was no statewide college entrance exam for juniors in 2016. That means the large statewide group of public school juniors was not melded into the ACT's graduating Class of 2017. The first statewide SAT exam was launched in the spring.

For the ACT Class of 2017 in Illinois, "The results likely include fewer students who were not preparing for college than previous years, when the test was required for all students in all districts," said ACT spokesman Ed Colby.

Colby also said, "I believe it is very possible that the number of ACT-tested students in Illinois will drop for the 2018 grad class, since the state actually administered the SAT to all students in that grad class. But we won't know until next year."

Michigan was in a similar position, switching to the SAT and seeing a drop of nearly 85,500 test takers in the Class of 2017.

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Illinois also lost its standing as the state with the highest number of ACT test takers. For the Class of 2017, Texas had the most participants, 146,608, while Illinois tested 134,901. Five years ago, Illinois tested 160,066 students. Nationwide, 2.03 million students took the ACT, a drop of about 60,000 students compared to the Class of 2016.

Illinois would have lost more students in the ACT testing but for individual school districts that paid for their juniors to take the exam at school. ACT data show that 156 school districts in Illinois, close to 20 percent of all districts, paid for 88,289 juniors to take the spring 2016 ACT at school.

Lake County's Adlai E. Stevenson High School was one of the districts that paid for juniors to take the ACT at school  for both 2016 and 2017. For the Class of 2017, the school earned a composite score of 26.9, which matched a school record of 2016 the year before, said spokesman Jim Conrey. The top score on the ACT is 36.

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Statewide, Illinois posted an English score of 21 for the Class of 2017, up from 20.5 the year before; a math score of 21.2, up from 20.6; a reading score of 21.6, up from 21; and a science score of 21.3, up from 20.6. The composite score of 21.4 is higher than 20.8 the year before and is also higher than the national average of 21.

Illinois' Class of 2017 also exceeded national averages on the percentage of students considered college-ready by ACT in the key areas of English, math, reading and science. Those figures have typically been considered low both in Illinois and nationwide.

In English, 66 percent of Illinois students were considered college-ready based on ACT's analysis, up from 64 percent in 2016. In math, 44 percent were prepared, up from 41 percent; in reading, 48 percent were college-ready, up from 42 percent; and in science, 39 percent were prepared, compared with 36 percent. Thirty percent of test takers were considered college-ready in all four subjects, up from 26 percent the year before.

drado@chicagotribune.com
Amy Corradi plays with her 10-month-old daughter, Breelynn, at her parents' home on Sept. 6, 2017, in Downers Grove. Corradi gave birth to Breelynn while she was still a senior at Downers Grove South High School and although she was committed to breastfeeding, faced many challenges finding time and space to pump breast milk at school. (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune) (Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune)

After giving birth to a baby girl last year, 18-year-old Amy Corradi juggled the responsibilities of motherhood with the typical demands of high school, making for a hectic senior year. One of the biggest challenges, she said, was breast-feeding.

Corradi, who graduated from Downers Grove South High School last spring, said it was a struggle to find the time and a private place to to pump milk at school. She would pump in an empty office during her lunch period and would sometimes skip class to fit in a meal for herself. She'd store her milk in a cooler bag in her locker and rush home at the end of the day to breast-feed her baby before engorgement set in.

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"I kind of just did what I had to do," said Corradi, who continues to breast-feed daughter Breelynn, now 10 months old.

As the school year begins, districts around the state face a new mandate: to reduce barriers for breast-feeding students like Corradi and protect them from academic consequences for time spent during the school day pumping or breast-feeding.

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A new state law, which was signed by Gov. Bruce Rauner last month and takes effect Jan. 1, requires public schools to provide a room  other than a bathroom  with an electrical outlet for nursing mothers. Students must also have access to a refrigerator to store their milk, and cannot be penalized for time away from academics because they were pumping.

Some school districts said they're already making accommodations for nursing mothers but will solidify policies to comply with the new law. The statute doesn't specify whether others, including teachers or staff, can use the nursing room available to students.

Amy Corradi, with daughter Breelynn, said it was difficult to find time and a private place to to pump milk when she was in high school. ( Erin Hooley/Chicago Tribune )

Although advocates who work with pregnant and parenting teens support the law, they note that breast-feeding struggles are just one of many obstacles teen mothers face when trying to complete their education.

State data show that breast-feeding remains an unpopular choice among young mothers, compared with women who have children well after high school. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breast-feeding exclusively for the first six months, then continuing to do so with the introduction of solid foods until at least 12 months old.

While most teenage mothers at least try breast-feeding, they switch to formula in the first few weeks more often than older mothers do, according to an annual survey conducted by the CDC and the Illinois Department of Public Health.

In 2014, the most recent year available, about 53 percent of teenage mothers in Illinois were still breast-feeding one month after their babies were born, the survey shows. When their infants were 12 weeks old, just 18.6 percent of teen mothers were breast-feeding exclusively without using any formula, according to the survey. Mothers in their 20s and 30s, however, breast-fed more even as their babies grew, the data show.

That concerns state Rep. Sonya Harper, a Chicago Democrat, who proposed the new law. She said she hopes to see more young mothers make the choice to breast-feed and wants to make it easier to do so.

"We just want to make sure we have healthy babies and a supportive environment for young mothers," she said. "They have so much to worry about already."

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Pat Mosena, president of Options for Youth, a Chicago nonprofit that works with pregnant and parenting teens, said support from teachers and administrators is important in promoting breast-feeding in young mothers.

But even more vital is a supportive family. A young mom isn't likely "to go against what her mother is saying," Mosena said.

Even with all the necessary support, breast-feeding as a high school student is difficult, she said. It's also just one of multiple hurdles many young mothers must face as they strive to stay in school, she said, including poverty and homelessness, coupled with with the daily grind of high school and finding child care.

"They have to overcome a lot of barriers," she said. "They have to really want to breast-feed."

Sherry Sims, who works at Options for Youth, said she can usually persuade teen mothers to breast-feed for six weeks. "Then they come back to school and they stop," she said.

A few years ago, with the support of the principal at Bogan Computer Technical High School in Chicago's Ashburn neighborhood, where Sims works three days a week as a resource for young mothers, Sims said she hung shades on her office windows and gave students access to her room to pump and store milk. That eased the process for the teens, she said, and helped as she encouraged them to breast-feed.

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Ashley Anderson, the perinatal education coordinator at Teen Parent Connection in Glen Ellyn, said she consistently hears from teens that returning to school is the reason why "they've cut their breast-feeding journey short."

Becky Beilfuss, executive director of Teen Parent Connection in Glen Ellyn, said the organization's programs promote breast-feeding for reasons beyond its nutritional benefits. Breast-feeding "improves bonding between parent and child, especially with at-risk groups like teenage parents," she said.

The Illinois Association of School Boards supports the new law, said Deanna Sullivan, director of governmental relations. Schools already should be accommodating nursing mothers because it's required by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights, she said.

Jill Browning, spokeswoman at Community High School District 99, where Corradi attended high school, said staff is preparing to meet the requirements of the new law at both of its high schools. She said it's "not a huge change" from the schools' current practice.

At Elgin-based School District U-46, the state's second-largest district, the new law is prompting a formal policy for the school's five high schools and eight middle schools, said Terri Lozier, assistant superintendent for secondary schools.

The schools already have a place for students to pump and refrigerate milk, and they aren't penalized for leaving class. Now, a school board policy will formally spell that out, Lozier said. "To me, the bill is common sense. I would like to think that this is the way it's done (everywhere)."

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kthayer@chicagotribune.com

Twitter @knthayer
Former Naperville resident Lee Gallerano kayaks down a flooded Houston street in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey. After living in Naperville for 10 years, Gallerano and his family moved back to Houston this summer to be closer to family there. ( Lee Gallerano/Naperville Sun )

During Curriculum Night last week at our younger son's elementary school, his teacher told parents of a surprise question she planned to ask on a social studies quiz the next day. Unbeknownst to the children, she would ask them to list advantages and disadvantages of living in Naperville as opposed to other locations, so wink-wink if we wanted to prepare the kids for the question.

The intent was to get the children thinking about geographical differences from one part of the country to the next, with perhaps also at least a basic understanding of some simple socioeconomic differences as well.

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While the advantages are clearly plentiful  the Riverwalk, fantastic schools, a Starbucks mere feet away in any direction  many of us might put one advantage in particular atop our list these days: No matter where you live in Naperville, you don't have any hurricanes.

Sadly, we likely don't have to think hard to find someone we know directly impacted by Hurricane Harvey's assault on Texas last month and/or Hurricane Irma's approach on Florida and the Southeast this weekend. Whether it be friends, relatives, acquaintances, investment property or a favorite vacation destination, odds are you have some connection to the devastation wrought by one or both of these monster storms.

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For us, that most immediate tie is Lee and Gabby Gallerano, friends from our neighborhood who recently moved back to their native Houston. After living here 10 years, making countless friends in and around Naperville, they decided to return to Texas this summer to be closer to their families. Little could they have known at the time what a fateful decision that would be, for better and for worse.

For days as Harvey approached and then churned out up to 50 inches rain over Houston and the surrounding area, we worried for our friends and looked forward to the next text message, Facebook post or phone call informing the outside world that they were still OK. Round-the-clock news coverage showed the unimaginable horrors of the devastation, thousands of people forced from their homes with entire neighborhoods under water in some cases. Were the Galleranos somewhere in all of that?

Stop and think about that for a second. Imagine that the streets you drive home on each night, the corner where your children board the school bus, the lots where you park your car at the store to run in for a gallon of milk all completely under water, navigable now only by boat. And you don't have a boat.

But it gets worse. Home offers no respite from those horrors as the floodwaters creep in, sending your belongs floating about the house and ruining everything in their path. The power is out and you've likely lost running water by now as well. Your cell phone becomes your chief communication device, requiring you to pace its use and preserve its precious remaining battery charge like never before.

For us watching from afar, news reports talked about the now infamous Buffalo Bayou, a slow-moving river that flows through Houston, into Galveston Bay and out into the Gulf of Mexico. As The Weather Channel, CNN and others provided on-the-scene news coverage, we heard how the overflowing bayou and raging water from dams and levees threatened even more homes beyond those already affected. As we monitored the news, our friends explained that their neighborhood backs up to the bayou.

"It is a damn nightmare," Gabby Gallerano texted. "The dams have overflowed and are heading our way. We found roads to get my mom to my brothers, the kids are at Lee's dad's right now, and then we have packed up to leave to go to my Dad's.

"We lost power yesterday and they are expecting an increase of 2-3 feet of flooding," she typed. "Rain has stopped for now until the storm comes back in off the coast. Lee had to help rescue people yesterday, it has been absolutely horrible. I'm too stressed to drink or eat, and didn't sleep at all. (Rant) over, sorry! Love y'all and thanks for checking on us."

About a week before Harvey made landfall, my wife and I had bought airline tickets to go down and visit our friends. We had no idea how quickly the excitement over that planned trip to visit their new home later this month would turn to thoughts of not only canceling but also very real fears of whether that home would even still be there.

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In the end, our friends' house was spared, the water creeping only up the yard and driveway but never reaching the house. Though they'd evacuated, they returned home to find their belongings intact. Unfortunately, Gabby's mother wasn't as lucky, with a couple feet of water inundating her house. Luckily enough, because they'd moved back to Texas, they were there to help her and other family members to safety.

Most importantly, they're all OK, escaping injury or far worse from Harvey, whose death toll now stands at 70.

Back here in Naperville, a scene that played out last week will likely repeat itself again soon, with schools, businesses and other groups taking donations and supplies to help aid relief efforts, this time for Hurricane Irma victims in Florida. As events require from time to time, we can all do what we can to help.

Yes, there are many advantages of living in Naperville.

RobManker@gmail.com

Twitter: @RobManker

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Rob Manker is a freelance writer who lives and parents in Naperville.
Ben Benedict stood near the edge of the Washington Street subway platform, waiting for a late-night train home, when he felt a hard jab to the back and tumbled to the tracks five feet below.



He stopped a foot short of the third rail and immediately looked down the tracks, but didn't see the train yet, according to Benedict. Then he looked up and saw the guy who pushed him. He was staring at Benedict and not saying a word.



Benedict tried to scramble back up but the man kept blocking his way, pointing his finger at him and pacing back and forth. Benedict said he screamed at people on the other side of the platform, but the man tried to push them away until they formed a circle and helped Benedict onto the Blue Line platform.



The man ran off.



The attack happened more than a month ago but neither police nor the CTA have issued public alerts about it. Key details from Benedict have been confirmed by surveillance video, according to the CTA. Photos of the suspect, pulled from the video, have been circulated among CTA security and Chicago police officers but have not been released to the public.



The Tribune learned of the incident Wednesday from sources.



Chicago police spokesman Anthony Guglielmi said authorities chose not to alert the public after Benedict went to police because "this appears to be an isolated incident." He noted that Benedict "did not sustain serious injury and was assisted off the tracks."



He said detectives are working to identify the attacker from CTA surveillance video. "CTA and CPD do not believe there is any risk to the traveling public," Guglielmi said in an email to the Tribune.



CTA spokeswoman Tammy Chase said the transit agency did not send out an alert on its own because they leave it to police.

That guy is probably still out there. And he might want to do it again. And if he needs help, we need to get him off the street.  Ben Benedict

"Police make that determination about investigations," Chase said. "They have a public transit unit that is devoted to law enforcement on transit. They would do all investigations. We have a very small security team who provide information, video, to help."



Benedict, 46, told the Tribune he was disappointed the public wasn't warned.



"It was kind of surprising that nobody mentioned anything,'' he said. "That guy is probably still out there. And he might want to do it again. And if he needs help, we need to get him off the street."



Benedict, a bluegrass guitarist, said he hasn't heard from police since talking to officers the day after attack. His last contact with the CTA was about a week later, after he had sent an email describing the attack.



"It was pretty intense," he recalled Wednesday.



Benedict said he had attended a Cubs game on Aug. 1 and got to the station around 11:30 p.m. to catch a Blue Line train. As he walked down the stairs, he saw one other man standing on the platform.



"The guy was standing there for two or three minutes," Benedict said. "I'm four to five feet from him and there was one of those metal support beams between us."

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Ben Benedict, 46, stands in the Washington Street Blue Line station on Sept. 6, 2017. Early in August, Benedict was pushed by a man onto the CTA subway tracks. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Neither of them said anything. The other man kept walking back and forth behind him. "I didn't think anything of it and then, probably 30 seconds later, I felt his hands on my back and he just pushed me. It wasn't like a bump or a shove. It was a full-on running push,'' Benedict said.

He fell hard onto the tracks. "I went over the side,'' he said. "I kept thinking, don't worry about the train, it wasn't there the last time you looked. Just don't hit the third rail. I realized I didn't hit the rail. It was a foot away. OK, I didn't hit that.''



He said he looked up at the man. "He never said one word. There was a sort of empty, glossy look in his eye.''



Benedict said he was able to stand up and thought he'd broken his right arm. "I couldn't reach in my pocket to get my phone. There was not much I could do. I looked up and he's just standing there, staring at me. So I yelled up at him using an expletive. 'What's your problem?'"



The man pointed at him and, when Benedict tried to get onto the platform, the man started pushing Benedict's hands away. "I can't really fight back," he said. "I got to lift myself up and he starts shooing me back.



"Then he does the weirdest thing. He has this blank look on his face and he starts pacing back and forth," Benedict said. "It was like a lion looking at his prey, that's kinda what it looked like to me."



Benedict said he yelled, ''Dude, what the (expletive)."

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Fearing a train could be coming any moment, Benedict said he started screaming. There were a few people who had come down into the station by then and they heard him and came to help.



"They were saying, 'Why are you on the track?'"



"Because this guy is trying to kill me," he said he told them.



They crowded around Benedict and pulled him onto the platform as the man ran away. "The last time I saw him, he was bolting up the stairs," Benedict said.



The other people soon left for their train, he said. "They pulled me off and nobody stuck around."



Benedict said he didn't contact police or the CTA immediately because he was afraid the attacker was still around. In his email to the CTA, he described the man as white, around 30 years old, 5-foot-8 to 5-foot-10, medium build, sandy brown beard, mustache and hair.



Benedict said he was worried he would not be able to play guitar after the attack. "I fell on my right hand," he said. "I'm 205 or 210, it hit right on the ulnar nerve. It bruised the tendons behind it."



But the wrist is mending and Benedict is starting to put the attack behind him. He is scheduled to play downtown on Saturday.



Benedict said he is willing to help police and the CTA. "Anything I can do. If he needs help, we need to get him off the street. I'm happy to help."
A 16-year-old boy was shot by Chicago police in the 1100 block of South Sacramento Boulevard late on Sept. 7, 2017. A gun was recovered, police said. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune) (Chicago Tribune)

Updated Sept. 11, 2017 12:15 p.m.  About four blocks west of an officer-involved shooting late Thursday, a man was fatally shot in a car parked on a Lawndale street early Friday, Chicago police said.

Patrick Thompson, 30, was shot in the head and found unresponsive in a car in the 1100 block of South Troy Street just before 2:30 a.m. Friday, police said.

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He had lived in the 2200 block of West Adams Street, according to the medical examiner.

About 10 p.m., the officer-involved shooting sent a 16-year-old boy to the hospital with a gunshot wound to the arm, police said. The boy was shot following a chase and armed encounter with an Ogden District tactical officer who was responding to calls of shots fired in the 1100 block of South Sacramento Boulevard in the Lawndale neighborhood.

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The two shootings were among eight shootings that happened across the city from Thursday morning to early Friday. Two people were killed and seven others were injured in the attacks.

In the other homicide, 18-year-old Terrence Johnson was fatally shot on the West Side about 7:25 a.m. Thursday, police said. Johnson was in the 3800 block of West Flournoy Street in the Lawndale neighborhood when someone came up and fired shots, striking him in the right arm and neck.

He was taken to Stroger Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, police said. Police earlier said he was 17. He lived in the 1000 block of North Leclaire Avenue, according to the medical examiner.

Police evidence technicians document a crime scene in the 1100 block of South Troy Street in Chicago on Sept. 8, 2017. A 30-year-old man was found fatally shot in the head inside a vehicle. (John J. Kim / Chicago Tribune)

In other shootings:
As a heroin epidemic gripped Minnesota two years ago, Chicago-based drug dealer Michael Clark bragged on social media that the fentanyl-laced narcotics he was selling around Duluth were so potent his customers were literally dropping dead.

"It's real good," Clark said in an October 2015 Facebook conversation with an associate, according to court records. "They been overdosing on it too much i need to hit it bro we killed like 4ppl."

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That callousness defines Clark, who for most of his adult life has terrorized communities from the South Side of Chicago to small towns in the upper Midwest through violence and drug dealing, federal prosecutors say.

On Thursday, Clark, 32, was sentenced to nearly six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy to distribute about 50 grams of fentanyl, a powerful painkiller that drug dealers often mix with heroin to make a more potent  and addictive  product.

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In handing down the sentence, U.S. District Judge John Lee noted that narcotics overdoses, particularly those involving fentanyl, are on the rise across the nation and have had a "devastating impact on our communities, both the users and their families."

The judge also noted the cruel casualness in which Clark discussed customers dying from using his product  conversations the judge said showed a "complete disdain for the lives of others."

The 71-month sentence imposed by Lee could be just the beginning for Clark, who at the time of his arrest in Chicago last year was still on supervised release after serving a five-year sentence for drug distribution in Minnesota, court records show.

He's since been charged in Cook County criminal court with attempted murder and aggravated battery for the high-profile shooting of 4-year-old Jacele Johnson on Chicago's South Side on Memorial Day weekend in 2015.

He's also facing other drug counts in Wisconsin and Cook County, records show.

"Michael Clark is a lifelong, sophisticated drug dealer who cares only about making money, regardless of the death and destruction he causes," Assistant U.S. Attorney Vikas Didwania wrote in a recent court filing. "He knows about these consequences, yet it causes him no hesitation."

Jacele was shot on May 22, 2015, in what authorities have called a gang-related attack. Family members said the girl was in her mother's car outside a prom party in Chicago's Englewood neighborhood when someone in a passing vehicle opened fire, striking her in the head.

Jacele was critically wounded but survived. Her 17-year-old cousin and a 15-year-old girl were also wounded, police said.

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Prosecutors did not mention Jacele by name in court Thursday, but in asking Lee for a sentence of nine years in prison, they made passing reference to the pending charges against him.

Clark's attorney, J. Clifford Greene Jr., objected, calling it a "miscarriage of justice" for Clark to be punished for cases in which he is presumed innocent.

The judge later said he did not consider any of Clark's pending charges in fashioning his sentence.

In asking for a term of about 31/2 years behind bars, Greene said Clark was the product of a "horrible" upbringing in violence-torn Englewood, with a drug-addicted father who was in and out of prison and the "terrorism" of gang violence "on an hourly basis."

"You can't run away from your past just like that," Greene said. "It's gonna take a while for this man to get Englewood out of his DNA."

Before the sentence was announced, Clark stood in court dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit and apologized for his actions, saying that having a son recently has made him see the error of his ways.

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"I could've been anything I wanted to be, no lie," Clark said. "But yeah, I chose the wrong path plenty of times."

The federal investigation began after police in Superior, Wis., across the river from Duluth, arrested a man on drug charges who agreed to cooperate against Clark, his alleged supplier, court records show.

The investigation centered on dozens of text messages, social media posts and other electronic surveillance documenting Clark's drug operation, court records show.

Several of the communications showed Clark was proud of his business. When a friend asked him on Facebook why he was still dealing drugs despite his previous conviction, Clark responded, "'Cause I'm making money," according to court records.

"Only thing come to a sleeper is a dream," Clark said.

jmeisner@chicagotribune.com

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A sailboat is pushed up between two buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (Chris O'Meara / AP)

After owning a vacation home in Florida for five years, Jill Nolan was looking forward to spending her first entire winter there after recently retiring.

"I hope I have a house to go to now," said Nolan, a Bridgeport resident who owns a townhouse minutes from Fort Myers Beach.

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Nolan, like other snowbirds in the Chicago area, is keeping close watch on weather reports, hoping Hurricane Irma  which is expected to make landfall in Florida over the weekend  spares her property.

"It's out of my hands now," she said. "Just say your prayers and keep your fingers crossed."

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Hurricane Irma, the most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history, weakened only slightly Thursday and remained a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 175 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center.

It was on a track that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida, after cutting a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean that left several people dead and thousands homeless.

The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said the storm could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina. The Keys and parts of South Florida were placed under a hurricane watch Thursday.

Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, raking the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain, while staying just out to sea as it headed early Thursday toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti. At least one person was reported killed in Puerto Rico.

In Chicago, the Puerto Rican community expressed concern about the storm's long-term impact on the island and whether it would exacerbate economic problems. Although Puerto Rico was spared a direct hit from the storm, roughly 1 million people were without power Thursday and 50,000 were without drinking water, officials reported. Isabel Dieppa, spokeswoman for the Puerto Rican Cultural Center in Humboldt Park, said the worst may be yet to come  the storm's aftermath.

"A lot of the fear is this could be a perfect storm  that could destroy the economy," Dieppa said, adding that activists are working to connect with relief organizations to raise money and find out how they can help. Those efforts were at an early stage.

Chicago resident Samuel J. Vega said he received a text message from his mother, who lives in Camuy on the northern part of the island, on Thursday, after the storm. She said the streetlights were mostly out, and school and government offices were closed. But their lives were saved "one more time from a bad hurricane," she said.

"Unbelievable but true," Vega's mother, Leila Vega, wrote in the text. "I slept with my front door open just locked my screen door. (N)o wind no rain. (W)oke up to a normal day."

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In Illinois, some residents with homes or relatives in Florida anxiously waited as the storm cut a path toward the U.S. mainland.

Nolan, of Chicago, said her husband changed plans he had made to fly to Florida on Monday, delaying his trip a few days to make sure he's out of harm's way.

Although their townhouse has permanent hurricane shutters on the back of the home, the couple scrambled to find someone to install more on the front, Nolan said. They were expected to be up by Friday, she said.

Bill Jerpe, of Naperville, also has a home in Fort Myers. Jerpe, who is retired, typically lives at his second home from October through May or June, except for Christmastime, he said.

"It's a little unsettling," said Jerpe, adding that he was frantically calling companies Thursday to install his hurricane shutters. "It's difficult. You're here, it's there."

Jerpe and his wife have owned a home in Fort Myers for 20 years and have been through big storms, he said, but none this serious. He said Irma now makes him concerned about being a Florida homeowner, fearing the potential cost of repairs. He plans to visit his Florida home after the storm subsides to assess any damage.

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Just over a year ago, Graeme Jack, of Chicago, bought a house in Naples, Fla., where his extended family could vacation and for his parents to live in during the winter.

On Thursday, Jack was waiting to see if his house-checking service could put up shutters on his home, but he was doubtful the swamped business would have time.

If it can't, Jack said he and his father were planning to fly to the Florida home early Friday, put up shutters, then immediately drive home to Chicago. Still, Jack said he worried about traffic and gasoline.

While he has flood insurance, Jack said the family has "fallen in love" with the home as it is and is hoping damage is minimal.

"This is a fun thing for the family," he said. "It's something Mom and Dad deserve after 50 years of hard work."

Still, he noted he has less to worry about than Floridians whose lives may be in danger fleeing or riding out the storm.

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"At the end of the day, it's only a house," Jack added. "We'll get it fixed up."

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Others in the Chicago area with connections to locations in Irma's path also are on edge, waiting for information from the islands it has already struck.

Jacques Leblanc, president of the Haitian American Community Association on Chicago's North Side, said he and other members of the organization have been monitoring the storm, and exchanging text messages and videos with friends and loved ones in Haiti. He did not have any details yet about lives that may have been lost.

Leblanc said another concern is flooding. "Whenever there is rain, there will be a lot of flood. We saw that in Houston. It doesn't matter what kind of infrastructure you have  if you have too much rain, the ground can't absorb it."

Associated Press contributed.

kthayer@chicagotribune.com

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mwalberg@chicagotribune.com

gpratt@chicagotribune.com
A woman who was reported missing in the Pilsen neighborhood has been found, police said Friday.

Taylor Randolph, 21, was last seen Sept. 5 in the area of the 1300 block of West 18th Street.

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Police said she may be in need of medical help, and her family is concerned for her well being.

Randolph was located Friday.
With a giant poster of an immigrant and a Chicagoan, Alpana Singh, looming behind him, Mayor Rahm Emanuel speaks to the media after the City Council meeting on Sept. 6, 2017. Emanuel co-sponsored a resolution calling on President Donald Trump and Congress not to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. (Nancy Stone / Chicago Tribune)

Welcome to Clout Street: Morning Spin, our weekday feature to catch you up with what's going on in government and politics from Chicago to Springfield. Subscribe here.

Topspin

Mayor Rahm Emanuel wanted to project an image of a unified Chicago City Council on Wednesday as he joined City Clerk Anna Valencia and 16 aldermen in sponsoring a resolution calling on President Donald Trump and Congress not to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

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Protecting undocumented immigrants from the president has been at the forefront of Emanuel's agenda in the months since Trump's election, and this was another opportunity to show public leadership on the issue.

But when the council debated the resolution, the fraught aspects of the situation were on display.

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None of the council's 18 African-American aldermen sponsored the resolution. And as Northwest Side Ald. Proco "Joe" Moreno, 1st, spoke in favor of the measure, he drew parallels between people crossing the southern border into America today from Mexico and other parts of Latin America and those who once entered the country through Ellis Island.

"We need to set up Ellis Island southwest, because that's where the flow is now," he said. "The Irish went through, Ald. Burke. The Polish went through, Ald. Zalewski. The Italians went through, Ald. Napolitano. The Jewish people went through, Mr. Mayor. Africans came through. There's nothing different than people from Mexico and other Latin Americans coming through."

Moreno's inclusion of Africans in the Ellis Island roll call drew a rumble of dissent from several African-American aldermen given that most Africans came to the U.S. as prisoners on slave ships.

Minutes later, North Side Ald. Harry Osterman, 48th, revisited Moreno's characterization.

"My good friend and colleague from the 1st Ward got his history a little bit wrong talking about how many African-Americans come," Osterman said. "He didn't do it out of spite. You get caught up when you talk. But the reality is that most of them came on slave boats. But today, we have immigrants and refugees that come from war-torn African countries." (John Byrne)

What's on tap

*Mayor Rahm Emanuel will introduce Chicago Public Schools CEO Forrest Claypool and Chief Education Officer Janice Jackson at a City Club of Chicago breakfast event. Also in the morning, he'll appear at the Merchandise Mart to release a study about the Chicago health care industry. Then in the late morning, he'll speak at the reopening of the Theater on the Lake.

*Gov. Bruce Rauner will be in Chicago to chair the Governor's Cabinet on Children and Youth quarterly meeting.

*Cook Cook Board President Toni Preckwinkle will appear at Jorge Prieto Family Health Center in Chicago in the morning to talk about the county's partnership with the Greater Chicago Food Depository. In the afternoon, she'll honor Vietnam-era veterans at an event at Brookfield Zoo.

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*Illinois Department of Employment Security Director Jeff Mays will speak at a City Club lunch.

From the notebook

*Duckworth unveils pre-registration plan for youths: Building upon Illinois' new automatic voter registration law, U.S. Sen. Tammy Duckworth is expected to unveil national legislation Thursday to allow the pre-registration of 16- and 17-year-olds for federal elections so they would automatically be on voter rolls when they turn 18.

The measure is known as the PROVE Act, for Pre-Registration Of Voters Everywhere. It's being co-sponsored in the Senate by Maryland Democratic Sen. Chris Van Hollen. Companion legislation is being introduced in the House by Democratic Reps. Don Beyer of Virginia and Keith Ellison of Minnesota.

"We should be doing everything we can to make it easier  not harder  for Americans to access the ballot box," Duckworth said in a statement. "I'm proud to join my colleagues in introducing this bill to help young Americans become more civically engaged. By allowing Americans to pre-register at 16 years old, we have a chance to increase voter participation and strengthen voting rights for Americans across the country."

Duckworth has been a vocal critic of efforts she contends are aimed at voter suppression. She introduced legislation to repeal Trump's election integrity commission, which is seeking voter data information from election officials across the country.

Duckworth said the voter pre-registration legislation, introduced during National Voter Registration Month, is endorsed by Common Cause, Fair Vote Action, Head Count, Project Vote and Rock the Vote. (Rick Pearson)

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*Schneider challenger gets Bolton backing: Jeremy Wynes, the announced Republican challenger to Democratic U.S. Rep. Brad Schneider in the North Shore 10th District, is getting the backing of former U.N. Ambassador John Bolton and his political action committee.

The announcement comes as Bolton is keynoting a Wynes fundraiser in Chicago on Thursday. Bolton's PAC will drop $10,000 into Wynes's campaign.

"For more than a decade Jeremy has advocated for thoughtful foreign policy solutions and for strengthening the relationship between the U.S. and Israel," Bolton said in a statement.

"His valuable experience at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee and the Republican Jewish Coalition are much needed in Congress at a time when foreign threats facing our nation, and facing Israel, are higher than ever," Bolton said.

Bolton has endorsed 12 candidates for Congress and contributed a collective $120,000 in 2018, the Wynes campaign said. (Rick Pearson)

*Rauner to go overseas: Gov. Rauner will start an eight-day trade mission to Japan and China on Saturday, with his first stop set for Tokyo.

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"With an increasingly connected global economy, international trade missions such as this one allow Illinois companies to enhance their competitiveness and create more jobs," Rauner said in a statement.

His office said the trip will include stops in Shanghai and Hangzhou, China.

*Getting ratio'd: Democratic state Sen. Daniel Biss had been courting progressives as he runs for Illinois governor, looking for a different path to the nomination than the one being traveled by establishment candidates like J.B. Pritzker and Chris Kennedy. On Wednesday, Biss dumped Chicago Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa as his running mate as the two disagreed over Israel. And boy, did Biss pay the price on Twitter.

The reaction GIFs telling Biss he made the wrong decision included appearances by Adam Sandler (in "Billy Madison"), Julia Roberts (in "Pretty Woman") and even Yoda. Also weighing in was Matt Christman, one of the hosts of "Chapo Trap House," a podcast popular among supporters of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders.

As of 6 p.m., however, no one had used the troll tactic we expected to be in full effect: Biss' social media ad last year where he juggled flaming sticks.

Biss, as the kids say, got ratio'd (the number of replies to his tweet were dwarfed by the number of favs and retweets).

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What we're writing

*Rauner says immigration reform up to Congress; Emanuel wants state bill of rights for immigrants.

*Our City Council meeting roundup: Aldermen want a ban on weapons at Chicago rallies after Charlottesville violence.

*Dem gov hopeful Biss drops running mate Ramirez-Rosa over Israel views.

*Cubs' one-time Friday night game is approved by City Council.

*City Council approves law boosting pay, easing unionization for airport workers.

*Home health care workers sue Rauner for withholding 48-cent-an-hour pay hike.

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*Ex-Downers Grove library official to argue for reinstatement after alleged homophobic comments.

What we're reading

*United Airlines won't be fined for passenger-dragging incident, feds say.

*Giant internet company to sell things in Kohl's.

*Lincoln Park Zoo hunts small urban mammals, but that's only the beginning of an elaborate process.

*"Zombie" coyotes reportedly seen in suburbs, and residents warned to keep away.

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Follow the money

*Track Illinois campaign contributions in real time here and here.

Beyond Chicago



*Trump sides with Democrats over Harvey relief and debt ceiling.

*Hurricane Irma heads toward southeastern U.S.

*How border security could be key to saving DACA.

*Tump, Xi talk North Korea.
Cook County Board President Toni Preckwinkle on Thursday said public opposition to the county's controversial beverage tax is being driven by a repeal campaign orchestrated by Big Soda.

She compared the situation to the tobacco industry, saying there's been an overall drop in pop consumption as consumers turn to healthier alternatives.

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"Big Soda knows that, and they are fighting in the same way the cigarette companies fought against taxation, against public-education campaigns to try to reduce the amount of smoking," Preckwinkle said.

Her comments came amid a local multimillion-dollar ad war between the beverage industry and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a longtime critic of the negative health effects of consuming sugary drinks.

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That battle has ramped up in recent weeks, as each side purchased additional TV commercials in the run-up to Wednesday's County Board meeting. Commissioners who oppose the tax are expected to formally introduce a repeal ordinance then.

Preckwinkle indicated the repeal measure likely would be referred to the Finance Committee, which would schedule it for a hearing and vote in October. So the TV ads probably won't fade away anytime soon, keeping the controversy alive.

"President Preckwinkle misreads the public on this," said Commissioner Richard Boykin, an Oak Park Democrat who last November voted against the tax. "This is not the beverage industry. This is the people of Cook County saying we don't want government telling us what to do."

The first-term commissioner, who backs a repeal, is mulling a run for board president in the March Democratic primary. He is expected to announce his decision by the end of the month.

Meanwhile, a new political action committee calling itself Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County on Thursday announced its formation and intent to back County Board candidates "who will make the county more affordable for working families and easier for small businesses to thrive."

The group's treasurer is well-known Democratic attorney Michael Kasper, who counts among his clients the American Beverage Association. The group filed its initial paperwork with the Illinois State Board of Elections last month but has yet to report receiving any contributions or spending any money.

"Citizens for a More Affordable Cook County is a community PAC that receives support from businesses, their customers and residents and will be a voice for the millions of Cook County citizens devastated by unfair, regressive and skyrocketing taxes," the announcement states. "Beginning in August, Cook County consumers were slammed with a beverage tax that sent prices of popular beverages skyrocketing  hitting them hard in the pocketbook and causing an immediate drop in sales for many businesses."

The penny-an-ounce tax on sugar- and artificially sweetened beverages went into effect in early August, after a one-month delay resulting from a court challenge brought by retailers.

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Preckwinkle's comments Thursday came after a Little Village event to promote a 2-year-old county partnership with the Greater Chicagoland Food Depository to provide fresh fruits and vegetables to public health patients who are "food insecure." During that event, she noted that the county Health and Hospitals System "spends at least $200 million a year treating sugar-linked diseases, like obesity, diabetes and heart disease."

Preckwinkle maintains the hoped-for revenue of more than $200 million a year will avoid layoffs of doctors, nurses, state's attorneys, public defenders and jail guards.

It also will have "a positive health impact," she reiterated Thursday, saying that sweetened beverages "are terrible for you. They lead to obesity, they lead to diabetes, they lead to heard disease, they lead to tooth decay."

She noted that Berkeley, Calif., Philadelphia and Seattle have approved similar taxes, calling it a "movement" around the country. Cook County, with more than 5.2 million residents, is the largest of those locales.

"Big Soda is spending a fortune (on ads and other anti-soda pop tax efforts), because they know this is ground zero," Preckwinkle said.

The Can the Tax Coalition, a group of beverage sellers backed by the beverage industry that is driving the ad campaign against the tax, disagrees.

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"The suggestion Cook County's beverage tax has anything to do with public health is laughable," a response from the group's spokesman stated. "Cook County residents aren't confused  they know exactly what President Preckwinkle and Michael Bloomberg are pushing: a misguided, unfair tax designed solely to raise revenue to fuel more county spending. That's why nearly 90% of the public opposes the tax."

That's a reference to a poll conducted by We Ask America, a group affiliated with the Illinois Manufacturers' Association that often is aligned with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association  the lead plaintiff in the effort to overturn the tax in court.

Preckwinkle, who last year broke a rare tie vote to approve the tax, also pushed back against the idea that the county was spending more money than it needed to. She said she's cut the number of people on the county payroll, reduced overall indebtedness and put county worker pension funds on a path to full funding. "We're meaner, leaner, and I think we're doing a great job," she said.

And Preckwinkle also dismissed an effort by some state lawmakers to remove the county's authority to impose the beverage tax, noting it recently passed its first budget in more than two years, during which it racked up billions of dollars in additional debt.

"If I were them, I would stick to their business and let us stick to ours," she said.

hdardick@chicagotribune.com

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The viral hoaxes targeting those looking for information about Irma online began early, with a viral map last week that showed the hurricane following Hurricane Harvey's path, headed straight toward Houston.

The map, of course, was fake. On the internet, fake news and viral hoaxes are inevitable ahead of a natural disaster. As people search for real-time information and images about storms such as Irma, it's very easy to make a shareable, but fictional, post go massively viral. Some examples:

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A viral map claiming that Irma would hit Houston is fake

Last week, the National Weather Service sent out a warning to be on the lookout for fake forecasts, impersonating those that come from experts:

"Keep your eyes out for fake forecasts. THIS is what an official NOAA advisory looks like. Note: forecast only goes out 5 days."

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- NWS (@NWS) September 1, 2017

Keep your eyes out for fake forecasts. THIS is what an official NOAA advisory looks like. Note: forecast only goes out 5 days. #Irma pic.twitter.com/9k87y7jkMz  National Weather Service (@NWS) September 1, 2017

And as it turns out, they had a very good reason to warn about this. A fake map showing Irma making a beeline for Houston had tens of thousands of shares on Facebook. The now-deleted post claimed, "Everyone needs to pay attention to Hurricane Irma. She's predicted to come through Mexico, hit us and everything in between up to Houston. She's already a Category 2 and hasn't even got into warm water yet."

Nearly 40,000 shares on this fake Irma forecast on Facebook. There is no actual threat to any land in next 5 days. pic.twitter.com/hwmuE5UwKn  Jon Passantino (@passantino) September 1, 2017

Irma became a Category 3 hurricane last Thursday, and was strengthening. But it was still too early to tell much about where  or whether  it would hit the U.S. mainland.

Irma is not a "Category 6" hurricane, and it won't become one.

Irma is a massive storm. As of early Wednesday, it was tied for the second strongest storm ever observed in the Atlantic. Irma is a life-threatening monster of a hurricane.

But Irma is not a "Category 6 hurricane, and it won't become one. There's no such thing as a "Category 6 hurricane.

The origin of this myth seems to be a blog post by Michel Snyder, whom Snopes describes as an "end-time enthusiast." Snyder's article, on The Economic Collapse, was headlined "Category 6? If Hurricane Irma Becomes The Strongest Hurricane In History, It Could Wipe Entire Cities Off The Map." It didn't explicitly say that Irma was a Category 6 hurricane, but the headline and article implied that it could - or should - be. The article has been shared on Facebook more than 55,000 times.

That article was then reposted at the Freedom Outpost, with the same headline, and shared on Facebook 40,000 more times. The Clarion-Ledger spotted a good, old-fashioned fake news post from a CNN spoof site claiming that "HURRICANE IRMA could be a category 6 by the time it hits east coast."

Although meteorologists have discussed adding a Category 6 to the Saffir-Simpson Hurricane Wind Scale over the years, such an addition isn't imminent, or being newly considered in any significant way. The scale currently measures storms from 1 to 5, based on wind speed. Irma is a Category 5, which already means that it is capable of inflicting "catastrophic" damage.

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To put this in viral headline terminology, Irma isn't such a monster storm that scientists are scrambling to create a new category to describe it. Category 5 already means that Irma is extremely serious.

The danger of Irma isn't being intentionally exaggerated by a liberal forecaster conspiracy in order to push a pro-climate change agenda.

On Tuesday, Rush Limbaugh weighed in on Hurricane Irma - specifically, forecasts predicting potentially catastrophic damage in Florida. His remarks prompted a bunch of headlines implying that Limbaugh had suggested Irma itself was a "liberal hoax." And although that's a bit of an exaggeration of what Limbaugh said, his remarks do still propagate a myth about Irma forecasts that's being picked up in some conservative circles.

Limbaugh's core accusation is that, essentially, weather forecasters have a liberal bias, and that they intentionally exaggerate major weather events such as Irma to scare people into believing in climate change. Here's part of what he said in some pretty lengthy remarks about Irma:

"Now, my theory - and it's only a theory - is that because of the biases, because of the politicization of everything, because you have people in all of these government areas who believe man is causing climate change, and they're hellbent on proving it, they're hellbent on demonstrating it, they're hellbent on persuading people of it. So here comes a hurricane that's 10 to 12 days out and here come the initial model runs, and if it's close - sometimes it's not close, sometimes the hurricane will turn to the north out in the Mid-Atlantic and there's no way you can fake that. But if, if they are going to approach a hit on the U.S., you will note that early tracks always have them impacting a major population center."

This is not what's happening. Irma is a Category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever witnessed in the Atlantic. It is already life-threatening for those who live on the islands in its immediate path over the next couple of days, and current predictions show that it is possible that the storm is on a path toward Florida. Although Florida officials and media outlets are warning residents of its potential danger - and advising preparations - forecasters are still speaking of its impact on the U.S. mainland in tentative terms.

And if it seems as though the entire state of Florida is panicking as Irma approaches, that's probably because of the uncertainty of what the storm will do as it nears the mainland, and not despite it, as Limbaugh seems to think. Here's what my colleagues at The Washington Post had to say on Wednesday:

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"But it was still not clear Wednesday how much of the state could be imperiled by Irma. The uncertainty of Irma's track and the geography of the Florida peninsula combined to create an unusually broad, essentially statewide sense of emergency in a place where most of the population lives along the coasts. Irma could potentially ride up either side of Florida or track further west into the Gulf of Mexico and endanger the state's panhandle."

The shark pic is still probably fake.

This is a warning. If you see a picture of a shark swimming down a highway in the wake of Irma, be wary. It's one of the most popular fake photo genres to emerge after major flooding, and the photo you're seeing is almost certainly photoshopped.
While his daughter Alicia Menendez looks on, Sen. Bob Menendez talk to reporters as he arrives to court for his federal corruption trial in Newark, N.J., Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. The trial will examine whether he lobbied for Florida ophthalmologist Dr. Salomon Melgen's business interests in exchange for political donations and gifts. Both have pleaded not guilty. (Seth Wenig / AP)

NEWARK, N.J.  The trial of U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez and a wealthy doctor charged with bribing him lurched forward in fits and starts Thursday, as the judge twice sent the jury out of the courtroom and chided prosecutors for focusing on "irrelevant" details about swanky hotels, limestone baths and rain showers.

U.S. District Judge William Walls' admonitions came during the questioning of the prosecution's first witness, an FBI agent summoned to authenticate emails between Menendez and Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen about a trip to Paris taken by the New Jersey Democrat in 2010.

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Melgen paid for Menendez's $4,900, three-night stay with his American Express points  part of a scheme, prosecutors claim, in which Melgen showered gifts on Menendez to get Menendez to pressure government officials on behalf of Melgen's business interests.

The government's questioning sought to show that Menendez initially inquired about cheaper rooms, then asked Melgen to get him the more expensive room with the luxury features.

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"I said before I'm not going to let this be a tabloid trial," Walls said with the jury out, adding, "Who cares whether the senator opted for a more expensive room? What is the point to be made? I don't think it's a sin for him to want a limestone bath, per se, and if anyone's ever been in a rain shower, he or she would appreciate one."

Prosecutor J.P. Cooney told Walls the price of the room was "extraordinarily important to the defendant's intent."

Another issue arose at the end of the day that could play an important role in the trial: What is the definition of "constituent"?

Prosecutor Peter Koski mentioned several times during his opening statement Wednesday that Melgen lives in Florida while Menendez represents New Jersey, which he implied bolsters the government's theory that Menendez went outside his normal duties to help someone who had bribed him.

In contrast, Melgen's attorney, Kirk Ogrosky, told jurors in his opening statement Thursday that the actions of a U.S. senator can affect people across the country and that his constituents could live anywhere.

Walls asked both sides to submit written arguments on the matter.

Ogrosky also noted that Melgen and Menendez had bonded over their Hispanic heritage and were part of a "brotherhood" that sought to promote economic opportunity for Hispanics.

"This case is not only an attack on these two men, it's an attack on that whole group," he said.

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The trial is recessed Friday and will resume with testimony Monday.

Melgen and Menendez spent time frequently at Melgen's homes in Florida and the Dominican Republic, Ogrosky said in his opening statement, and Menendez often paid for his own flights to visit Melgen with family members.

"That's a heck of a bribe," Ogrosky told jurors. "'I'll bribe you, pay your own way.' That's baloney."

Menendez and Melgen were indicted in 2015 and face multiple fraud and bribery charges in a case that could threaten Menendez's political career and potentially alter the makeup of a deeply divided U.S. Senate if he's convicted.

If he is expelled or steps down before Republican Gov. Chris Christie leaves office Jan. 16, Christie would pick Menendez's successor. A Democrat has a large polling and financial advantage in November's election to replace Christie.

The most serious charge Menendez and Melgen each face, honest services fraud, carries a maximum 20-year sentence.
President Donald Trump speaks during a press conference with Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in the East Room of the White House in Washington, D.C. (Olivier Douliery / TNS)

WASHINGTON  Frustrated with his own party's leaders in Congress, President Donald Trump talked up his suddenly cozier relationship with Democrats on Thursday, raising the prospect of new deals on government spending and even posting one of his tweets at their behest.

"I think that's a great thing for our country," Trump said, describing his new and "different relationship" with Democrats.

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In public, Republican leaders glossed over the striking turn of events, but lawmakers in both parties were privately puzzling over how Trump's approach might affect the fate of the party's agenda. And some conservatives openly criticized the deal-making, ideologically flexible president who defied GOP leaders in striking an agreement Wednesday to keep the government operating and raise the nation's debt limit for just three months.

Democrats, privately leery about how long this new Trump might last, were upbeat in public.

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As for Trump, after a series of legislative failures he has fumed to associates for months about Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell and House Speaker Paul Ryan. On Thursday, he predicted a "much stronger coming together" of the two parties and pronounced himself ready to work with Democrats.

"I think that's what the people of the United States want to see: They want to see some dialogue, they want to see coming together to an extent at least," he told reporters.

Trump, a longtime Democrat who lived most of his life in deep blue New York City, has never closely adhered to Republican orthodoxy and has routinely shown a willingness to shift positions to seal deals. But his embrace of Democrats in recent days has been startling.

He overruled Republican leaders and his own treasury secretary on a debt ceiling agreement. He courted a Democratic senator with a flight to her home state on Air Force One. He offered reassurances on Thursday to young immigrants at the request of House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, tweeting that those covered by the federal program he has promised to end "have nothing to worry about" over the next six months.

Trump also signaled a willingness to permanently do away with debt ceiling votes and move ahead on a stand-alone measure on the young immigrants, two suggestions opposed by most Republicans.

Trump's unhappiness with GOP leaders has been building for months.

He has harshly criticized both McConnell and Ryan for failing to pass legislation to repeal the Obama health care law and for not doing more to shield him from the ongoing Russia investigations.

Then, wasting no time after Congress returned from summer break this week, Trump waved off Republicans who lobbied during a Wednesday Oval Office meeting for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six. When Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favor of a longer-term deal, Trump cut him off mid-sentence.

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Instead, Trump sided with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer and Pelosi  "Chuck and Nancy," as he referred to them later. That deal was underscored by a photo taken through the window of the Oval Office showing an animated Schumer pointing his finger in Trump's face as the president smiled with his hands on Schumer's arms.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer speaks to President Donald Trump in the Oval Office shortly before departing the White House on Sept. 6, 2017. (Alex Wong / Getty Images)

Schumer, said Pelosi, "could speak New York to the president."

Trump's budget director, Mick Mulvaney, asked if the president was annoyed with the GOP leadership, said, "He probably is."

"And believe me, as a Republican, so am I. As a citizen, I am too. I was promised that they would have repealed and replaced Obamacare by now," Mulvaney told Fox Business Network.

House Speaker Ryan played down the tensions, saying the deal that Trump cut with Democrats on spending, the debt and Hurricane Harvey made sense as the nation deals with two major storms.

Ryan said the president didn't want to have "some partisan fight in the middle of the response."

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While Ryan grimaced through his answers, Democrat Pelosi beamed as she told reporters that Trump had been acting at her request when he tweeted assurances Thursday that young immigrants won't be targeted for deportation during the six-month phase-out period for a program that shields them from deportation. The administration announced this week that it is rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA), though giving Congress six months to address the issue.

Trump also spoke by phone Thursday with McConnell, Ryan and Schumer. And Schumer was to meet with him again, this time about possible federal involvement in a rail link between New York and New Jersey.

"The president is committed to working across the aisle and doing what is needed to best serve the American people," said spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders. She noted that Trump was having dinner with Ryan Thursday night.

Trump told associates he was delighted with the positive news coverage of his foray into bipartisanship and boasted of the good press in calls to Pelosi and Schumer. But some Republicans were anything but pleased.

"Yesterday we saw Washington's swamp continue to rise: Chuck Schumer wrote the art of the steal by taking hurricane relief hostage to guarantee a December showdown that favors Democratic spending priorities," said Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska.

Republican Rep. Bill Flores of Texas suggested that Trump would come to regret working with the Democratic leaders.

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"There may be a feeling of euphoria today, but then there is always the hangover that comes the next day," he said.

And the No. 2 Senate GOP leader, John Cornyn of Texas, poured cold water on any idea that Trump's split with his party this week would affect his campaigning in 2018.

"He can count," Cornyn said. "And he'd much rather have (Republican Arizona Sen.) Jeff Flake, despite their disagreements, than he would have a Democrat and have us be in the minority."

Lemire reported from New York. Associated Press writers Julie Bykowicz, Ken Thomas, Alan Fram, Marcy Gordon and Kevin Freking contributed to this report.
U.S. intelligence agencies said Russia was responsible for hacking Democratic National Committee email accounts, leading to the publication of about 20,000 stolen emails on WikiLeaks.

But that finding was reportedly based largely on the DNC's strange outsourcing of the investigation to a private cybersecurity firm. Rarely does the victim of a crime first hire a private investigator whose findings later form the basis of government conclusions.

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WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange is many things. But so far he has not been caught lying about the origin of the leaked documents that came into his hands. He has insisted for well over a year that the Russians did not provide him with the DNC emails.

When it was discovered that the emails had been compromised, then-DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz weirdly refused to allow forensic detectives from the FBI to examine the DNC server to probe the evidence of the theft. Why did the FBI accept that refusal?

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That strange behavior was not as bizarre as Wasserman Schultz's later frenzied efforts to protect her information technology specialist, Imran Awan, from Capitol Police and FBI investigations. Both agencies were hot on Awan's trail for allegedly unlawfully transferring secure data from government computers, and also for bank and federal procurement fraud.

So far, the story of the DNC hack is not fully known, but it may eventually be revealed that it involves other actors beyond just the Russians.

There is not much left to the media myth of James Comey as dutiful FBI director, unjustly fired by a partisan and vindictive President Donald Trump. A closer look suggests Comey may have been the most politicized, duplicitous and out of control FBI director since J. Edgar Hoover.

During the 2016 election, Comey, quite improperly, was put into the role of prosecutor, judge and jury in the investigation of Hillary Clinton's use of a private email server while she was secretary of state. That proved a disaster. Comey has admitted under oath to deliberately leaking his own notes  which were likely government property  to the media to prompt the appointment of a special counsel. That ploy worked like clockwork, and by a strange coincidence it soon resulted in the selection of his friend, former FBI Director Robert Mueller.

Comey earlier had assured the public that his investigation of Clinton had shown no prosecutable wrongdoing (a judgment that in normal times would not be the FBI's to make). It has since been disclosed that Comey offered that conclusion before he had even interviewed Clinton.

That inversion suggests that Comey had assumed that whatever he found out about Clinton would not change the reality that the Obama administration would probably drop the inquiry anyway  so Comey made the necessary ethical adjustments.

Comey was also less than truthful when he testified that there had been no internal FBI communications concerning the infamous meeting between Hillary Clinton's husband, former President Bill Clinton, and former Attorney General Loretta Lynch on an airport tarmac. In fact, there was a trail of FBI discussion about that supposedly secret rendezvous.

Before he fired Comey, Trump drafted a letter outlining the source of his anger. But it seemed to have little to do with the obstruction of justice.

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Instead, Trump's anguished letter complained about Comey's private assurances that the president was not under FBI investigation, which were offered at about the same time a winking-and-nodding Comey would not confirm that reality to the press, thus leaving the apparently deliberate impression that a compromised president was in legal jeopardy.

There is also a media fantasy about the antifa street protesters. Few have criticized their systematic use of violence. But when in history have youths running through the streets decked out in black with masks, clubs and shields acted nonviolently?

Antifa rioters in Charlottesville, Va., were praised by progressives for violently confronting a few dozen creepy white supremacists, Klansmen and neo-Nazis. The supremacists were pathetic losers without any public or political support for their odious views, and they were condemned by both political parties. Yet anifa's use of violence was compared perversely by some progressives to American soldiers storming the beaches on D-Day.

Later, antifa thuggery in Boston and in Berkeley, Calif., against free speech and against conservative groups without ties to white supremacists confirmed that the movement was fascistic in nature.

It was recently disclosed that the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security had warned the Obama administration in 2016 that antifa was a domestic terrorist organization that aimed to incite violence during street protests. That stark assessment and antifa's subsequent violence make the recent nonchalance of local police departments with regard to antifa thuggery seem like an abject dereliction of duty.

Doubts about official narratives of the DNC leaks and the errant behavior of James Comey, and misinformation about the violent extremists of antifa, illustrate media bias  not to mention entrenched government bureaucracies that are either incompetent, ethically compromised or completely politicized.

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Tribune Content Agency

Victor Davis Hanson is a classicist and historian at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and the author of "The Father of Us All: War and History, Ancient and Modern."
This undated file photo released by North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency (KCNA) on Sept. 3, 2017, shows North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) looking at a metal casing with two bulges at an undisclosed location. (STR / AFP/Getty Images)

With last weekend's surprise nuclear test, North Korea has reached the final stage of its crash course to develop thermonuclear weapons that can reach and destroy U.S. cities. So why are we not on a crash course to protect our cities from North Korean nuclear missiles?

Answer: Because for more than three decades, Democrats have done everything in their power to prevent, obstruct or delay the deployment of ballistic missile defense.

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Opposition to missile defense has been an article of faith for Democrats since President Ronald Reagan announced the Strategic Defense Initiative in 1983. Sen. Edward Kennedy led the early opposition to what Democrats derisively labeled "Star Wars," denouncing missile defense as a "mirage" and "a certain prescription for an arms race in outer space." Running against Reagan in 1984, Walter Mondale called it a "dangerously destabilizing" and unworkable "hoax."

Reagan nonetheless moved forward with research and development, and his successor, George H.W. Bush, put missile defense on track for deployment with the Global Protection Against Limited Strikes program. But as soon as President Bill Clinton took office in 1993, he terminated GPALS and cut national missile defense funding by 80 percent, while downgrading it from an acquisition program to a technology demonstration program. Clinton also signed an agreement to revive the moribund Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty, which banned deployment of missile defense and whose status had come into question with the 1991 collapse of our treaty partner, the Soviet Union.

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Then Republicans took over Congress, and passed a defense authorization bill in 1996 that required deployment. Clinton vetoed it on the grounds that there was no threat. Secretary of Defense William Perry declared "we do not need a national missile defense system because ... no rogue nation has (intercontinental ballistic missiles) ... and if these powers should ever pose a threat, our ability to retaliate with an overwhelming nuclear response will serve as a deterrent." In other words, national missile defense would never be needed  even to protect against a regime such as North Korea.

When President George W. Bush came to office, he revitalized missile defense efforts and withdrew from the ABM Treaty. Democrats were more upset than the Russians. Sen. Joe Biden declared, "The thing we remain the least vulnerable to is an ICBM attack from another nation," adding: "This premise that one day Kim Jong Il or someone will wake up one morning and say, 'Aha, San Francisco,' is specious."

Bush deployed the first ground-based interceptors in California and Alaska, and put in place a plan to deploy 44 interceptors by 2009. He reached a historic agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic to deploy defenses. And he dramatically increased funding for three critical programs: The first two  the Airborne Laser and the Kinetic Energy Interceptor would take out a ballistic missile in the "boost phase" of flight, the most vulnerable eight minutes when a missile is still over enemy territory and presents a large, slower-moving target because the small nuclear warhead at the top has not yet separated from the large rocket filled with highly explosive fuel. The third  the Multiple Kill Vehicle  would place multiple warheads on our ground-based interceptors, so that instead of hitting a "bullet with a bullet" we could fire five or 10 bullets at each target, dramatically increasing chances of success.

If we had continued the Bush program over the past eight years, we would now have a robust array of defenses against any North Korean ICBM. We would be able to target a North Korean missile in the boost phase, and if that failed we would have 44 ground-based interceptors armed with hundreds of warheads that could be fired to take it out in midcourse.

But we did not continue the Bush program. President Barack Obama slashed funding for ballistic missile defense by 25 percent. As part of his failed "reset" with Russia, he scrapped Bush's agreement with Poland and the Czech Republic. He reduced Bush's plan from 44 ground-based interceptors to just 30. He belatedly changed course in 2012 after North Korea tested the Taepodong missile, but the United States still has not recovered from the delay. And Obama canceled the Airborne Laser, Kinetic Energy Interceptor and Multiple Kill Vehicle programs. As a result, North Korea now has eight minutes of unchallenged flight during which its missiles are most vulnerable, and we have dramatically reduced the chances of hitting a North Korean missile as it descends on a U.S. city.

Amazingly, President Trump's initial budget continued Obama's missile defense cuts, reducing funding by another $300 million. Trump has since recognized his mistake, promising, "We are going to be increasing the anti-missiles by a substantial amount of billions of dollars."

Time to do so is short. He should immediately deliver to Congress an emergency supplemental spending bill to speed the deployment of ground-based interceptors, and he should revive the Multiple Kill Vehicle, the Airborne Laser and Kinetic Energy Interceptor  and then work with Congress on a long-term plan to build and deploy space-based interceptors.

In 1983, Reagan asked, "Isn't it worth every investment necessary to free the world from the threat of nuclear war?"

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For the Democrats, the answer was no. No one is happier about that today than Kim Jong Un.

The Washington Post

Marc A. Thiessen is a fellow with the American Enterprise Institute and former chief speechwriter to President George W. Bush.
House Speaker Paul Ryan could not have been more clear.

After meeting with his Republican caucus Wednesday morning on the first day back from their long summer break, he declared at a news conference that Democrats' call for a three-month extension of the government's borrowing limit was "ridiculous."

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"That's ridiculous and disgraceful, that they want to play politics with the debt ceiling at this moment," he repeated. He called it "unworkable," said it would jeopardize hurricane response and called out Democratic leaders by name for promoting what "I don't think is a good idea."

About an hour later, Ryan and other GOP leaders sat in the White House with President Donald Trump, who told them he wants ... a three-month increase of the debt ceiling, just as Democrats proposed.

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Such chaos and confusion at the highest level of American government hadn't been seen since, well, the day before.

On Tuesday, even as the administration announced that it was ending protection from deportation for the 800,000 "Dreamers"  mostly young people who know no country but America  there were signs that Trump had no idea what he was doing. "As late as one hour before the decision was to be announced, administration officials privately expressed concern that Mr. Trump might not fully grasp the details of the steps he was about to take, and when he discovered their full impact, would change his mind," Michael Shear and Julie Hirschfeld Davis of The New York Times reported, citing an anonymous source.

Sure enough, Trump fired off a tweet Tuesday night that revised his position. He called on Congress to "legalize" the dreamers program and vowed to "revisit this issue" if Congress can't.

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 6, 2017

Even Trump's close advisers seem to have little knowledge of, much less control over, what he says and does.

Trump has signaled that he wants to end a free-trade deal with South Korea, even though his national security adviser, his defense secretary and the director of the National Economic Council all object. He and Defense Secretary James Mattis have contradicted each other about whether to talk with North Korea. Chief of Staff John Kelly's attempts to tone down Trump's antics have reportedly led Trump to escalate his attacks  on Kelly. Trump has publicly criticized Attorney General Jeff Sessions and repeatedly contradicted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson. Ivanka Trump and husband Jared Kushner have let it leak that Trump ignored their advice on Charlottesville and other matters.

One imagines a future scene in the Situation Room:

The president: Why don't we bomb Guam so the North Koreans can't?

The secretary of state: That's part of our country, sir.

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The secretary of defense: We have thousands of troops there.

The national security adviser: And 150,000 innocent civilians.

The chief of staff: It would be a humanitarian and strategic catastrophe.

Ivanka Trump: Please don't do this, Dad.

Jared Kushner: [Silence.]

The president: It's settled. We begin bombing in five minutes. Let's hit Hawaii, too. But not my hotel in Waikiki.

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The unreliability of Trump has put an unusual burden on Congress, which is ill equipped to bear it.

Outside the House caucus gathering the morning after Trump's immigration announcement, Rep. Steve King (R-Iowa), an immigration hard-liner, angrily opposed legislative action for the dreamers, saying they can "live in the shadows" and demanding GOP leaders not "divide our conference over an amnesty act."

Minutes later, Rep. Mike Coffman (R-Colo.), took the opposite view, threatening to use a "discharge petition" with Democrats to force a vote on protecting the dreamers if the House doesn't act.

Ryan put the responsibility right back on Trump for the DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) legislation. "We will not be advancing legislation that does not have the support of President Trump, because we're going to work with the president on how to do this legislation," he said. Sens. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) urged Trump to lead.

But what does Trump support?

"We love the dreamers. ... We think the dreamers are terrific," Trump said last week, four days before putting them in jeopardy of deportation.

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"I have a great heart for the folks we are talking about, a great love for them," Trump said on the same day his administration announced the end of protection for the dreamers.

What does the president want? Nobody knows  not his advisers, not his fellow Republicans in Congress, and probably not Trump himself.

Dana Milbank is a Washington Post columnist.

Twitter @Milbank

What to read next:

Donald Trump governs the way any white racist would

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How Democrats have left us vulnerable to North Korea's nukes

Trump is turning America the beautiful into America the cruel
Did I understand correctly that Chicago's Mayor Rahm Emanuel is pressing for state legislation to give young people protected under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program state financial aid and scholarships?

Meanwhile, can it be true that Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan has filed a lawsuit alleging the dissolution of the DACA executive order violates DACA beneficiaries' rights?

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And, oh yes, an Illinois "Dreamers Bill of Rights" and legal defense fund is being co-sponsored by Chicago City Clerk Anna Valencia and 16 aldermen.

Shouldn't these public employees let the U.S. Congress determine the status of DACA before they spend their time and our money on yet more entitlement programs?

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 Sue Bergeron, Gurnee
Illinois governor candidate J.B. Pritzker holds a press conference outside the James R. Thompson Center Tuesday Sept. 5, 2017, calling Donald Trump out for his unconscionable decision to end DACA. (Phil Velasquez / Chicago Tribune)

It was 11 days before Illinois' 2006 general election and incumbent Democratic Gov. Rod Blagojevich had his re-election well in hand.

A mid-October Tribune/WGN-TV poll showed him with a 14 percentage point lead over Republican challenger Judy Baar Topinka, and the latest poll, released four days earlier by SurveyUSA, had him up by 10 points. Blagojevich was outspending Topinka roughly 3-to-1 in his $27 million bid to stay in office.

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The Friends of Blagojevich, his campaign fund, was flush  not in any need of last-minute donations to pay for commercials, mailers or billboards to help put the candidate over the top.

So why did J.B. Pritzker and his wife choose that date, Oct. 27, to drop $100,000 into Blago's political war chest?

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A story in Wednesday's Tribune noted that, four days later, the governor announced a $1 million construction grant for the Illinois Holocaust Museum and Education Center, a project in which the Pritzkers were deeply involved.

The timing is raising eyebrows now that Pritzker himself is running for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination. But absent any documentation or recordings proving a quid pro quo, we can't say there was even an indirect connection between the donation and the grant.

I don't mean to feign naivete here. Substantial donations, even when technically unnecessary, buy a certain level of access, influence and goodwill that may later come in handy for a variety of purposes. You don't raise $27 million merely by appealing to donors' selfless desire for good government.

Some refer to our campaign finance system as a legal form of bribery. Blagojevich, to judge from the evidence that came out at his subsequent federal corruption trial, certainly saw it that way. And his failure to keep the proper distance between the quid and the quo has him in prison to this day.

What was another million dollars to Pritzker anyway? Forbes estimated his net worth at $1.7 billion in 2006, and he'd already given $12 million to the museum, according to his spokeswoman. Both his campaign donation and Blagojevich's subsequent largesse were minor transactions by Pritzker's standards.

And the transactions might have been purely coincidental in the whirl of other donations and Blagojevich's announcements of other state-supported initiatives in the final days as he sprinted toward what would be an 11 percentage point victory over Topinka.

Who can prove otherwise?

But, again, why did Pritzker give money to a candidate who plainly didn't need it?

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"This contribution was one of over 700 made in the final days of an active re-election campaign that spent over $16 million in the final month to reach voters across the state," wrote spokeswoman Galia Slayen when I put that question to her.

For no good reason, in other words. But not necessarily for a bad reason either.

Elsewhere in the race ...

It felt like a desperate move last week when Daniel Biss, a Democratic state senator from Evanston who is running for governor, announced that his running mate would be a gay, socialist, Hispanic, 28-year-old rookie Chicago alderman.

Don't get me wrong. I like what little I've seen from Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa, 35th, and I understand his appeal to the progressive wing of the party  the Bernie Sanders voters and others who are not impressed by Pritzker and businessman Chris Kennedy, wealthy front-runners in the Democratic field.

And I like Biss, whose wonky seriousness and realistic political vision are refreshing.

But his pick seemed to pander to a too-narrow slice of the electorate. I simply didn't see Ramirez-Rosa as generating a lot of enthusiasm among downstate voters or as being ready to step in as governor should Biss win and then become unable to serve.

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Now Biss has compounded the error by severing ties with Ramirez-Rosa over his position on Israel, and angering the very constituency to which Biss was hoping to appeal.

Biss said he was surprised to learn of Ramirez-Rosa's support for the pro-Palestinian Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement, a stance that was already starting to alienate some of his key Jewish supporters.

A cynical pick unsupported by vigorous vetting. Biss' first big decision as a would-be governor went from desperate to disastrous in less than a week.

ericzorn@gmail.com

Twitter @EricZorn
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An 18-year-old Aurora man died after he shot himself following an exchange of gunfire with a police officer in Aurora in October 2016. (Hannah Leone/The Beacon-News)

The city of Aurora improperly withheld video of the police traffic stop that preceded the death of an Aurora teen who exchanged gunfire with police and shot himself in the head, according to the Public Access Bureau for the Illinois Attorney General.

Aurora partially denied a Freedom of Information request submitted by The Beacon-News, arguing that, because the city lacked the technology to redact private information contained in the video, it should not be released.

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The state's determination, signed Aug. 29 by Deputy Public Access Counselor Neil P. Olson, is not binding. It concludes the Freedom of Information Act requires the city to treat videos like other types of records and furnish all portions of video recordings that aren't specifically exempt from disclosure.

"Those recordings are public records," Olson wrote. "To construe FOIA as permitting the city to withhold portions of records that are otherwise subject to disclosure simply because it has not obtained technology or equipment to make necessary redactions would be inconsistent with the purposes of the Act."

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The city has not yet provided the newspaper with the video.

Attorney Mallory Milluzzi said in an email she had not yet reviewed the opinion with city staff to determine their response and couldn't comment.

Police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said a software upgrade with redactive technology had been purchased and related training for officers was ongoing. The installation and switchover should happen in the next four months, he said.

The city also wrongly withheld other videos and information responsive to the request, according to the determination.

Submitted in March, the Beacon-News' request sought police reports, videos and other records related to an Oct. 4 traffic stop of the car in which Anthony Martell, 18, was a passenger; the ensuing foot chase and shooting between Martell and Officer Jason Woolsey; and Martell's death.

The city denied the request in part, releasing some reports and nine videos from other cars that later responded but redacting or withholding other records, including video from the squad car involved in the initial traffic stop.

The Beacon-News appealed the denial to the Public Access Counselor, which asked the city for un-redacted copies of records it withheld or censored along with detailed explanations of cited exemptions.

In its response, the city claimed the videos did not advance any matter of legitimate public interest.

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"The sole purpose of the video is click bait," states the city's response letter, signed by Milluzzi.

However, the Public Access Counselor determined required costs extend to "equipment," stating the Freedom of Information Act is supposed to ensure public access to full and complete information regarding the affairs of government.

An Illinois State Police investigation reviewed by the Kane County State's Attorney found Woolsey was justified in firing his gun in Martell's direction after the teen first shot at the officer.

However, Woolsey was disciplined internally for failing to notify dispatch when he initiated the stop and neglecting to activate the microphone for his in-squad video system, according to a performance complaint obtained through a public records request.

Filed Oct. 13 with the Office of Professional Standards, the allegations were sustained in February. Woolsey was suspended for one date for not notifying telecom of the traffic stop and issued a written reprimand for violating orders on in-car video and audio recording, according to copies of the reprimand and suspension letter.

Since 2013, the police department has used an in-car video system called Watch Guard.

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In July, the city council approved spending $26,660 on system upgrades, including a web-based evidence library and software that can be used to redact exempt information such as facial identity, license plates and audio.

Money for the upgrades is available through a fund specifically created for maintaining and upgrading the Watch Guard system, according to a resolution approving the spending, which states the upgrade "will improve the efficiency to provide timely FOIA responses to the general public, members of the media, and other requesting parties."

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
It appears Mayor Richard Irvin and Aurora aldermen have reached a compromise on the mayor's plan to reorganize City Hall.

The vote on the mayor's reorganization plan  which includes three new city departments and a requirement that department heads live in the city  is planned for the Sept. 12 regular City Council meeting.

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The final document came after hours of discussion through two meetings Tuesday. Ald. Robert O'Connor, at large, praised the mayor for waiting two weeks to allow aldermen to study the plan further. He said he thought the council was "ready to proceed to put this on the floor."

"I appreciate that we did take the pause," he said. "We've seen your receptivity to some of our concerns."

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Deputy Mayor Chuck Nelson, along with Alex Alexandrou, chief management officer, and Alex Voigt, assistant chief of staff, presented the plan and represented the mayor's office during discussions.

Nelson said the compromise would form "the framework in which to create the team to implement One Aurora"  the mayor's plan for moving the city forward.

The new organization chart would show the city with nine departments, three of them new. The three new departments would combine some current departments and divisions in new areas.

The six departments that remain basically the same would be: Finance; Police; Fire; Human Resources; Law; and the City Clerk's office, which is somewhat independent. The new departments are: Development Services; Public Works; and Innovation and Core Services.

The Development Services Department, under the auspices of the Chief Development Services Officer, would oversee the Aurora Airport, Building and Permits, Economic Development and Planning and Zoning. It also would take in Property Standards, which was its own department but will now be a division, and Animal Control.

The Public Works Department would continue to oversee Electrical Maintenance, Engineering, Water and Sewer Maintenance and Water Production, as it has, but also add overseeing Street Maintenance and Fleet and Facilities Maintenance.

The Innovation and Core Services Department would be headed by the Chief Innovation Officer, and oversee Information Technology and Community Services. Part of the mission of the department would be four areas that citizens said were important during the mayor's transition public forums  goal setting, strategic planning, customer service and resident engagement.

This department prompted most of the discussion, in part because Irvin already appointed, with approval from the council, an Innovation Officer in the mayor's office, Adrienne Holloway. Since that time, Irvin and his team decided Innovation should be its own department. Irvin next week will put forward Holloway to be approved as head of the new Innovation and Core Services Department.

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Rick Mervine, Aurora 8th Ward alderman. (City of Aurora)

Ald. Richard Mervine, 8th Ward, said he would rather see the Innovation Office stay in the mayor's office, because innovation should be part of every operation in the city. He said goal setting and strategic planning "need to be resident in the mayor's office."

"No amount of setting that out in a separate department is going to change that," Mervine said.

Irvin said he appreciated Mervine's viewpoint, but said he would "respectfully disagree" with him. He and Nelson said the Innovation and Core Services Department is a natural segue from the former Organizational Development Department the city had, which was the result of a study done by a consultant about 10 years ago suggesting the very things that are in the new department  innovation and engagement.

"I see as important these new initiatives," Irvin said. "Every mayor has them, I'm no different. My job is to be mayor, you have got to allow me to run the city."

The reorganization also spells out that the mayor would make the appointments of department heads, assistant department heads, division heads, and assistant division heads. The council now would have approval power over all of them.

The mayor will develop and provide job descriptions for each of those jobs too, which the council will get to see.

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The mayor's office also suggested a new requirement that going forward, all department heads must live in the city of Aurora. Current department heads would be "grandfathered." But new department heads appointed from the time the reorganization is adopted must either live in the city, or move in within 12 months.

slord@tribpub.com
A developer wants to put 80 apartments into the historic Campana Building on the border of Batavia and Geneva. (Linda Girardi / The Beacon-News )

The Batavia Plan Commission Wednesday night approved plans to put apartments into the historic Campana Building on the border of Batavia and Geneva.

The proposal will now go before the Batavia City Council Committee of the Whole Sept. 19.

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Evergreen Real Estate Group has submitted a zoning application with Batavia to put 80 market-rate and income-restricted apartments into the 131,000-square-foot building, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and received a local historic landmark designation in 2003.

After a series of meetings involving public testimony from opponents and proponents of the project, the commission voted 6-to-0 to recommend the planned development, preliminary and final plat of subdivision and design.

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"We are aware that there are many folks in the community who do not like this project. We think on balance what the project offers to the community far exceeds any downside to the project," said David Block, Evergreen Real Estate Group director of development.

Block said the group does care what neighbors think about the proposal.

"We are going to do our best as we go forward with the project to be as respectful as we can of what we have heard from the community. We like to be good neighbors wherever we go. We hope that over time those who initially do not like this project will come to see that it is something that contributes to the community," Block said.

Evergreen's proposal to convert the 1936 Campana Building for apartments has been the subject of mounting opposition from residents surrounding the property.

Opponents raised a variety of concerns, from the suitability of a former factory being converted into residential units to the traffic it would generate at the Fabyan Parkway and Route 31 intersection.

Geneva residents in the subdivision off of Fabyan Parkway expressed concerns the project would negatively impact property values and burden Geneva School District 304 with new students.

Proponents said affordable housing is needed in the area and the project was a viable way to preserve the historic building.

The 12.2-acre Campana site is at the northwest corner of Route 31 and Fabyan Parkway on the border of Batavia and Geneva.

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Block said the "sustained" opposition and the lengthy process to reach this point was more than he had expected. There were four meetings before the plan commission on the plan.

"The most legitimate concern the plan commission heard that they took to heart was public safety," Block said.

Block said they were pleased that the group acknowledged that solving the Fabyan Parkway and Route 31 intersection traffic issues is a regional matter that should be approached by the two municipalities and Illinois Department of Transportation.

"It's a regional challenge that goes beyond any one developer," Block said.

The developer has offered to donate frontage property along Route 31 and Fabyan Parkway for any potential intersection improvements, Block said.

Joel Strassman, Batavia Planning and Zoning Officer, said the way the building looks and how the building will change under the proposal is being reviewed by the Batavia Historic Preservation Commission. He said the group will meet at 7 p.m. Monday. The group will eventually have to consider whether to approve a Certificate of Appropriateness for changes to the building's facade.

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Linda Girardi is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
Kane County sheriff's Lt. Pat Gengler leaves after a news conference to discuss the conclusion of a hostage situation at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva on May 13, 2017. (Chris Sweda / Chicago Tribune)

Kane County, one of its corrections officers and a private security company are asking a federal judge to dismiss a lawsuit faulting them in the May 13 hostage incident at Northwestern Medicine Delnor Hospital in Geneva.

An inmate from the county jail receiving inpatient medical treatment at the hospital took two nurses captive and allegedly raped one of them during an hours-long standoff that ended when a regional SWAT officer fatally shot the inmate, according to the lawsuit.

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Through civil litigation, those two nurses and their husbands, along with two other nurses affected by what they experienced that day, are seeking relief including compensatory and punitive damages, court costs and attorney fees.

The latest iteration of the lawsuit, originally filed in May in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, includes 18 counts: Six each making allegations against the county, corrections officer Shawn Loomis, and Apex3, a private security company contracted by the hospital.

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In motions filed this week, teams of lawyers representing each defendant asked the court to dismiss parts of the lawsuit specific to their clients. Kane County made the first dismissal request Tuesday, followed by Loomis and Apex3, on Wednesday, the deadline Judge Samuel Der-Yeghiayan had given each defendant to respond.

Loomis, through his attorneys Michael Bersani, Michael Condon and David Mathues, is asking for the dismissal of all counts against him, "for failure to state a claim on which relief may be granted."

In the motion and an accompanying memorandum, Loomis states allegations that he was negligent and failed to act after inmate Tywon Salters got a hold of the officer's gun are not sufficient to state a claim that he violated each plaintiff's right to be free from state-created danger.

Loomis argues the complaint doesn't establish proximate cause  a requirement in all constitutional torts  because the nurses suing him can't show they faced any danger distinct from the general public.

Even if the nurses could establish their constitutional rights had been violated, Loomis claims he's entitled to qualified immunity, "because no controlling case would have given him fair warning that his action of unshackling a detainee so that the detainee could use the toilet would give rise to liability."

On behalf of Kane County, attorneys Michael J. Atkus and William W. Kurnic similarly focus on refuting the complaint's theory that Loomis put the nurses in "state-created" danger.

Allegations against the county stem from its employment of Loomis, so if the complaint fails to state a valid claim against Loomis, then it follows that claims against the county should be dismissed, the county's motion argues.

In defense of Apex3, attorney Adam Jagadich, working with Anastasios Foukas and Dan Alexander, said the sheriff's office, not the security company, had custody and control over Salters while he was a patient at Delnor.

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An August court entry states if any defendant moved to dismiss, the plaintiffs would be given until Nov. 6 to respond and the defendants would get until Nov. 27 to reply.

In August, a separate lawsuit was filed against the same three parties, plus the hospital, on behalf of a woman who said she was a patient in a room down the hall from Salters. The woman's lawsuit states that experience has caused her to suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder and made her afraid to return to any medical facility.

hleone@tribpub.com

Twitter @hannahmleone
Protestors gathered Wednesday outside Barrington Village Hall to show their opposition for Rep. Peter Roskam and President Donald Trump's decision to end Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. (Todd Shields / Pioneer Press) (Videolicious - Chicago Tribune)

More than 50 political activists critical of U.S. Rep. Peter Roskam demonstrated Wednesday during rush hour in front of Barrington Village Hall, where Roskam has an office.

The demonstrators denounced President Donald Trump's recent decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  also known as DACA  in six months.

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Barrington Hills resident Sharron Andresen said they publicly gathered to protest the president's decision to rescind protection from deportation for nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants brought to the U.S. as children by their parents because Roskam does not hold town hall meetings to hear constituents' concerns.

"There's no other way to get our message to him. Today, our message is to vote for the Dream Act," she said.

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Roskam's office issued a statement on the subject Wednesday: "Our immigration system is clearly broken, and it's long past time to fix it. We need immigration policies that make our country safer, stronger and more economically prosperous."

Carolynne Funk, a co-chairwoman of Resist the 6th, a group of 6th Congressional District residents, said Roskam is not providing solutions.

"His statement is meaningless. His job is to fix it," she said.

Other protestors said Trump and Attorney General Jeff Sessions were wrong for attempting to undue Obama's work on DACA.

"I was hoping against hope that (Trump) would not cancel it. I was heartbroken when he rescinded Obama's DACA," said Linda Oden, of Cary.

Protestors rallied Wednesday, Sept. 6, against President Donald Trumps decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program  also called DACA  outside Barrington Village Hall. (Todd Shields / Pioneer Press )

tshields@pioneerlocal.com

Twitter @tshields19
Students and staff at Shepard High School in Palos Heights collected a variety of supplies and food to assist with relief efforts in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey in Texas. From left, students Veronica Janik, Christen Johnsten, Rachel Guzman, Tesa Gashi, Tyler Harvey and Brandon Zaker display the items that were shipped Saturday to Texas. (School District 218 photo)

Oak Lawn students sending aid to Houston

Oak Lawn Community High School's National Honor Society members, along with the entire school community, are collecting bottled water to assist the victims of Hurricane Harvey in Houston. Bottled water can be dropped off at the school's Little Theater between 7:45 and 8:30 a.m. through Sept. 18. The doors at the end of that hallway will also be open for members of the Oak Lawn community to drop off bottled water as well.

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Chamber music event set at Thorn Creek Nature Center

Cellist Ingrid Krizan and pianist Dan Surma will perform a concert featuring Dvorak's Cello Concerto in b minor at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at Thorn Creek Nature Center, 247 Monee Road, Park Forest. Tickets are $10 and must be purchased by Sept. 13. The evening featuring music echoing through the autumn woods is for those older than 12. More information and registration are at 708-747-6320 or email thorn_creek@att.net.

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Financial aid help for college students at library

The Evergreen Park Public Library, 9400 S. Troy Ave., presents a program on financial aid assistance for college students at 6:30 p.m. Sept. 21. The program is presented by Christine Lopez, a former director of financial aid and financial aid expediter. Registration is at www.evergreenparklibrary.org or 708-422-8522.

Governors State exhibit focuses on Chicago icons

Governors State University presents a free art exhibit, Vera Klement/Dan Ramirez: Body and Spirit, which showcases the selection of works by both artists whose contributions and reputations are firmly established in the history of art in Chicago. The exhibit of paintings will be on display through Sept. 30 at the Visual Arts Gallery at the university, 1 University Parkway, University Park. More information is at www.govst.edu/gallery.

Orland Park offers Citizens' Police Academy

The Orland Park Police Department's Citizens' Police Academy will be Oct. 14. The one-day class runs from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Orland Park Police Department, 15100 S. Ravinia Ave. There is no charge for the class and lunch will be provided. The class is limited in size and is open to adults age 18 and older. A criminal history review will be conducted on each registrant prior to acceptance into the academy. Registration forms are available at http://orlandpark.org/DocumentCenter/View/28431. More information is with Sgt. Wayne Lee at 708-349-4111.

Send news to communitynews@southtownstar.com.
The Orland Fire Protection District on Aug. 23., 2016, rescues an Orland Park public works employee who became ill while inside a water tower about 75 feet above the ground. Mayors are protesting state plans to cut local funding that helps pay for police and fire protection, water and other essential services. (Mike Nolan / Daily Southtown)

The Orland Fire Protection District is in line to receive the highest fire protection rating from a firm whose data property insurers rely on to set premiums.

The Class 1 rating from the Insurance Services Office is set to take effect Dec. 1, and the district will join just a handful of departments and districts in Illinois with a similar rating.

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The higher rating could translate into lower insurance premiums for owners of homes and businesses in the district.

In setting the Public Protection Classification ratings, the ISO, a unit of Verisk Analytics, examines a fire department's operations, a community's or district's water supply and its emergency communications system. Examination of the department includes areas such as response times, the type and extent of training that personnel received, and the maintenance and testing processes for equipment, according to the ISO.

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Also studied is a department's or district's fire prevention efforts and public fire safety education, according to the ISO.

ISO ranks departments and fire protection districts on a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 indicating superior fire prevention and suppression capacity and 10 being the poorest level, and it notes that virtually all property insurers use the Public Protection Classification to calculate premiums.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

According to the ISO, in general, the price of insurance for property owners is "substantially lower" in communities with a good Public Protection Classification rating compared with those with a poor rating.

Just 14 of Illinois' 2,162 fire-fighting organizations have the Class 1 rating, according to the Orland district. ISO does not supply PPC ratings to the general public. Locally, the Oak Lawn Fire Department has a top rating.

Nationally, 270 of the country's 47,000 fire organizations have the highest ISO rating, according to the district.

In a news release, Orland Fire Chief Michael Schofield said the district achieved a Class 2 rating 25 years ago under then-chief Robert Buhs, who served from 1988 to 2002. Schofield said it "has always been our goal to reach ISO Class 1."

The district said that lieutenants David Piper and Randy Reeder supervised and coordinated the district's efforts with the ISO.

mnolan@tribpub.com

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Twitter @mnolan_J
Joe La Margo has been named village manager for Orland Park, a job he had held on an interim basis since April. (Orland Park)

Orland Park trustees on Tuesday approved the appointment of Joe La Margo as village manager, a job he had held on an interim basis since April.

The appointment is effective immediately.

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The village had been searching for a new village manager since former manager Paul Grimes left in July 2016 to take the job of city manager in McKinney, Texas.

Orland Park Police Chief Tim McCarthy was tapped to serve as interim manager after Grimes left, then the job went to La Margo.

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The employment agreement approved by trustees expires in early September 2020 but could be renewed, and La Margo will receive a salary of $165,000 annually and a monthly vehicle allowance of $600.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

According to the current village budget, La Margo, as assistant village manager, received a salary of about $126,600 and total compensation, including insurance and pension, of about $180,200.

The current village budget included total compensation for the village manager's position of nearly $240,000, including a salary of $169,000.

La Margo joined Orland Park more than a dozen years ago, taking the job of deputy village clerk. In 2012, he was given the additional responsibility of serving as the village's public information officer, and he was named assistant village manager in 2015.

Prior to coming to Orland Park, La Margo served as chief deputy director for the department of accounting review in the Illinois Secretary of State's office, and previously worked as a budget analyst for Cook County.

La Margo previously served on the school board of Orland School District 135, including serving as board president. La Margo and his wife, Melissa, have four children.

mnolan@tribpub.com

Twitter @mnolan_J
17th District Commissioner Sean Morrison, shown at a Cook County board committee meeting in 2015, says public outcry over the countys sweetened beverage tax is unprecedented. (Gary Middendorf-Daily Southtown) (Gary Middendorf/Daily Southtown )

I like lean government that efficiently provides essential services. Fewer people on the payroll means lower costs for salaries, benefits and pensions.

I don't mind paying my fair share in taxes for things like public safety, roads and education. But I hear the cries of southern Cook County residents who say the cumulative effect of high taxes is too much.

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Homeowners are squeezed by perennially high residential property taxes. Chicago's sales taxes are higher than any other city in the nation, according to the Tax Foundation. When the state increased the personal income tax rate this year to 4.95 percent from 3.75 percent, working people immediately noticed the extra bite taken out of their paychecks.

The final straw  no pun intended  was when Cook County's penny-an-ounce sweetened beverage tax took effect Aug. 2.

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"It's a horrible policy and a very burdensome tax," Cook County Commissioner Sean Morrison (R-17th) of Palos Park told me by phone Wednesday.

I believe Cook County commissioners who voted for the soda tax when it squeaked by on a 9-8 vote last November could pay the price at polls when they seek re-election next year. That is, unless they support Morrison's repeal measure when the county board considers it Sept. 13.

Anti-tax revolt has decided previous county elections. After former county board President Todd Stroger pushed through a sales tax hike, he lost to Toni Preckwinkle in the 2010 Democratic primary.

"I think we're witnessing something completely unprecedented in Cook County," Morrison said. "Even the Todd Stroger sales tax wasn't this unpopular."

For five years, Preckwinkle seemed to champion austerity. She trimmed the county's budget and held the line on tax increases. Then in 2015, she persuaded the county board to restore the sales tax hike that cost Stroger the election.

I think Preckwinkle hoped many voters with short memories would forget about the sales tax hike by the time she had to run again in 2018. But the soda tax is fresh in everyone's minds. I've talked with several Southland residents who are really upset about the tax.

"There's absolute outrage," Morrison said. He represents the county's largest district, he said. Many mayors of the 32 communities in his district have told him sales are down dramatically at grocery stores, restaurants, convenience stores, gas stations and other businesses in their towns.

"Commissioners have received 2,000 emails on this one issue alone," Morrison said. "We've had 700 to 800 phone calls. It's unprecedented."

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Many shoppers are refusing to pay the soda tax. People are shopping in Will County, in Indiana, or in other collar counties. They're buying all their groceries elsewhere, not just sweetened beverages. Many store owners and managers say their beverage sales are down 35 percent or more in the month since the tax took effect.

Maybe some commissioners aren't worried about losing their seats over the soda tax. Some incumbents are likely confident they've got the backing of their party and the financial and ground support that goes with it.

But I believe people are really fired up about the soda tax and ready to channel their anger into political action. I would not want to be a Cook County commissioner who voted in favor of the tax and have to face the wrath of voters next year.

At an event organized by tax opponents in Hazel Crest last week, merchants urged three commissioners to change their votes and repeal the soda tax: Deborah Sims (D-5th) of Posen, Edward Moody (D-6th) of Crestwood and Stanley Moore (D-4th) of Chicago.

Recent polls say voters are far less likely to re-elect commissioners who supported the soda tax. The polls were conducted Aug. 30 by We Ask America, which is backed by such tax opponents as the Illinois Manufacturers Association and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association.

"Some polls say it's not looking too good for them," Morrison said.

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People were asked, "Does the fact that Deborah Sims voted for the Cook County beverage tax, and that it only passed by one vote, make you more likely or less likely to vote to re-elect her?"

Just 21.7 percent of respondents said they were more likely to vote for Sims while 54.5 percent said they were less likely to re-elect her.

The numbers were worse for Moore: just 17 percent said they were more likely to vote for him, while 65 percent said they were less likely to vote for Moore.

Moody, Moore and Sims did not immediately respond to requests for comment about how they planned to vote next week on Morrison's proposed repeal.

Preckwinkle had hoped the soda tax would raise $225 million annually in new revenue for the county's nearly $5 billion budget. She's said the tax is about reducing soda consumption, which will produce health benefits.

Preckwinkle has said the tax is needed to offset expenses the county's health system incurs related to treating sugar consumption-related illnesses. Spokesman Frank Shuftan told me in an email late Wednesday opponents are offering "no realistic alternatives" to fulfilling the county's revenue needs.

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"We proposed the tax last year to close a budget gap and avoid making dramatic cuts in critical public health and public safety programs, which together comprise 87 percent of the county's budget," Shuftan said. "Those core reasons have not changed, despite the well-funded propaganda campaign waged for more than a year by Big Soda and its surrogates."

Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has spent $5 million on TV ads promoting that message.

"When you have to beg a billionaire from New York to run TV commercials, that tells you something," Morrison said. "People get upset when they see those commercials because they're reminded about the tax."

Members of the Can the Tax Coalition are spending $1.4 million on TV ads criticizing the tax.

Morrison and other commissioners believe the county could find fat to trim from the budget instead of raising taxes.

Daily Southtown Twice-weekly News updates from the south suburbs delivered every Monday and Wednesday >

Commissioner Richard Boykin (D-1st), of Oak Park, wrote in an op-ed piece published July 24 in the Chicago Tribune. He said the soda tax "was never about health  it was always about revenue."

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Boykin, who reportedly is considering a run against Preckwinkle, said the county could cut costs by eliminating 1,500 vacant positions, instituting a hiring freeze and reducing other areas of wasteful spending.

"We know from previous budget hearings where the fat is," Boykin wrote. "It's long past time that we trim it. Immediate areas of opportunity include procurement, litigation and overtime."

Morrison refused to say if he knows of any of the eight commissioners who initially supported the soda tax have flipped their votes. But he said he was "cautiously optimistic" his repeal measure would succeed next week.

"I think commissioners have a chance to listen to the residents of Cook County and do the right thing," he said.

tslowik@tronc.com

Twitter @tedslowik
Three Republican House members voted against giving federal funds to those adversely affected by Hurricane Harvey. Back in 2012, 179 Republican House members voted against appropriating money to help those devastated by Hurricane Sandy  many of those were Texas politicians who now are asking for assistance in their own state. Once again, proof positive that the party that really cares about the poor and middle class is the Democratic Party. Why anyone ever votes for a conservative is absolutely incomprehensible to me.

Wes, Orland Park

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A few days ago, President Donald Trump promised to donate $1 million dollars to the Harvey Relief Fund, but so far has not been able to decide which one. Really. With all his staff, they can't figure out who to give it to. Just more diversion and fake news.

Chicago

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I hear so many people say was so great of a president Barack Obama was. If Obama was so great, why then under him did the Democrats lose so many seats?

What's Speak Out?

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Kirsten Powers told Elmhurst City Council members about her safety concerns regarding a planned concealed carry class in town. (Graydon Megan / Pioneer Press )

Safety concerns raised over a planned firearms class qualifying people to carry concealed weapons in Illinois are baseless, according to Elmhurst police chief Michael Ruth.

"It's strictly a classroom environment," Ruth said Wednesday. "There's no weapons, there's no firearms, there's no ammunition. There's none of those things."

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Social media activity on a couple of Elmhurst Facebook pages had raised the specter of armed students coming to the Sept. 23 and 24 classes being offered in the Knights of Columbus Hall at 537 S. York St.

Brad Carey, who manages hall rentals, was as emphatic as Ruth about the rental by Illinois Concealed Carry, LLC, the organization putting on the classes.

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"In the contract I had them sign, there's no ammunition allowed in the hall," Carey said. "There's no shooting going on."

Carey said during the rental the Knights bar will be closed and locked up.

The issue may have been fueled on social media, but it got to the Elmhurst City Council meeting Tuesday when resident Kirsten Powers told council members about her concerns. Powers cited what she said were written statements by previous class attendees that they were "required to bring a firearm" and were "required to shoot on the last day of class."

Ruth and Carey were clear that no firearms would be brought to the class and certainly none would be fired in Elmhurst. Both said after a full class day on Saturday, the Sunday classroom work would end at 1 p.m. Participants are expected then to leave Elmhurst for hands-on gun work at an approved firing range outside the city.

Ruth said those intending to fire weapons outside Elmhurst after the class must possess a valid Illinois Firearms Owners Identification card issued by the Illinois State Police. Weapons to be transported must be broken down and not easily accessible from within the vehicle.

A representative of Illinois Concealed Carry declined to comment.

Ruth said the classes don't violate any local laws and that city officials had no reason to intervene.

"It's a freedom of speech issue and a freedom of assembly issue," he said.

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Carey was also clear that for the Knights, it was simply a hall rental.

"If there was any danger to anybody in Elmhurst, we wouldn't be doing it," he said.
Holy Hill is one of the prime spots to see natures annual fall colors floor show. Credit: Journal Sentinel files

Note: This is part of an occasional series of seasonal Green Sheet essays.

"We all do fade as a leaf," said the prophet Isaiah. Would that we all could fade so well.

The time is near when the broad leaves of Wisconsin will be sacrificed for the sake of the trees.

Instead of slowly withering and drifting away, as they would in milder climates, our leaves depart with haste before winter, bursting into a blaze of beauty tinged with decay. Thanks to a mild summer with plenty of moisture, the leaves are entering autumn robust and saturated with pigments.

Foremost among those pigments is chlorophyll  the green catalyst that helps transform light from the sun, carbon from the air and hydrogen from water into the fuel that propels life on earth.

Some poor souls believe money makes the world go round; actually, it is the color green.

Tiny pools of chlorophyll float in leaf cells moistened by an intricate network of veins. Columns of water molecules, bonded by surface tension, rise through those veins from the tree's roots. As water molecules evaporate from leaf surface into the air, the entire column below is pulled upward, drawing a continuous stream of moisture through the plant.

Each morning, as light reaches out to touch the leaves, their pores open to admit carbon dioxide from the air. Meanwhile, the pools of chlorophyll absorb the light's energy, which splits H2 from O in water molecules. Liberated hydrogen molecules then hook up with carbon dioxide to make sugar.

Sugar is whisked through the veins from leaves to other cell factories in the plant. Some of the tree cells fuel growth by burning sugar. Others store energy by converting the sugar into fats and starches. Still others combine sugar with minerals that have been absorbed along with water through the roots, to manufacture proteins, vitamins and other nutrients.

Unable to generate energy out of sunlight, animals take what they need from plants  or by eating other animals that have tapped into the greenery.

Finishing their work

Green is not the only pigment present in the leaves. Pools of yellow and orange act as a sun screen of sorts for the chlorophyll, absorbing overflows of energized oxygen  a byproduct of photosynthesis that would otherwise pollute cell chemistry. Our eyes can't see the yellows and oranges through the overwhelming greens of the growing season.

The background pigments finally get their time in the sun when day lengths shorten, letting the tree know its leaves have finished their work.

Broad leaves, in winter, would do more harm than good to a tree. Snow caught by the leaves would be a heavy burden for branches to bear. Even worse, cold weather shuts down sap flow, making it impossible to move water to the leaves, or sugar from them. Water evaporating from winter leaf surfaces could not be replenished through roots locked in frozen soil.

Leaves continue absorbing sunlight and producing sugar on sunny days well into September. But cool nights will freeze up sap lines, shutting down the sugar flow out of the leaves. In maple leaves, among others, this oversupply of sugar can yield pinks, reds and purples, the colors affected by the pH of the sap.

At the same time, decreasing sunlight triggers a ring of corky cells to develop at the base of each leaf, shutting off its water supply. Chlorophyll quickly breaks down and the green fades, while yellow, orange, red and purple remain.

The result is an impressionist artist's dream, as tiny dots of pigment paint the landscape with brilliant, scattered light.

What rises, falls

Unfortunately, the pretty picture can last no longer than the delicate fibers binding leaf to tree. Withering from lack of moisture, the strands unravel and disintegrate as cold fronts pelt the leaf with rain, sleet and wind. Finally, the last fibers break and the leaf flutters down.

Grouse hunters walk on the brightly colored forest floor, now able to see that their shots are not connecting. Farmers look out at the stark, black maple trunks and head to their fields to fetch the last of the corn. Kids crunch down the street on their way home from school, looking for gritty piles of raked leaves to leap into.

Of value to the end, the grounded leaves become food for tiny organisms in the soil. Broken down, the leaf components once again become available to tree roots.

What rises, falls. What falls, rises.

"The universe unfolds in God, who fills it completely. Hence, there is mystical meaning to be found in a leaf," exalts Pope Francis in "Laudato Si."

Where each leaf hung, the tree bears a scar. Near the scars lie buds, wrapped in scaly coats that protect from winter's cold. New leaves wait inside the buds to unfold in the sun.

With them rests the hope of autumn, the joy of spring.

George Stanley is the editor of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. He can be reached via gstanley@journalsentinel.com and followed on Twitter @geostanley.
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One of PNGs foremost journalists Scott Waide recently wrote about the excess of stories highlighting violence against Papua New Guinean women and the millions in foreign aid being poured into the country to address this pandemic: the emphasis always on the problem rather than solutions.

Since being published its 7,000 print run has been distributed widely throughout PNG, Australia, the Pacific Islands and other parts of the world including the US and UK.

COOLUM  My Walk to Equality is a collaboration of 45 women writers from Papua New Guinea, the first all-womens anthology to be produced from our country.

Tomorrow, at the Brisbane Writers Festival, before a sell-out audience, a panel of Papua New Guinean women writers will discuss the landmark anthology, My Walk to Equality, its impacts and repercussions. To mark this occasion, we reproduce here extracts from a presentation Rashmii Bell made to the recent Sunshine Coast Writers Festival.

The launch of the anthology in Brisbane earlier this year

There has been a related absence of reporting on the proactive steps being taken by Papua New Guineans, particularly women.

The article was a familiar expression of the exasperation Ive often experienced: the dedication to portraying PNG women as helpless, incapable and lacking initiative  a portrayal not only seen within our nation but also in the international media.

At around this time last year, I presented as part of a panel of PNG writers at the Brisbane Writers Festival. At the end of our discussion, audience members expressed sentiments along the lines of we want to hear more positive stories from Papua New Guinea.

So today we have My Walk to Equality - a volume of essays, stories and poetry recording the voices of PNG women, naming the injustices they face each day.

But the writers go further by highlighting the individual, proactive and positive contributions each is making to reduce the barriers to which PNG women have been subjected.

Yes, the writers speak of gender-based violence, limited access to education, workplace harassment and cases of exploitation often associated with PNG. But the focus of the anthology shows how each writer associated herself with actively contributing to change.

The act of Papua New Guinean women writing and being published is an undervalued yet crucial mechanism for increasing our visibility and conveying and strengthening our voice.

We must be heard both domestically and internationally as part of the conversation around PNGs progress as an independent nation, particularly how PNG women are portrayed as agents of change.

Papua New Guinean women writers must take the lead in changing the present narrative.

PNG has just completed a general election. It is a country with a very poor record of womens political representation. Of 111 seats, only three were occupied by PNG women during the last parliament.

But in this new parliament (2017-2022), no women occupy seats.

Now is the time that our women writers must partner with writing and publishing literature to ensure our voices are heard and addressed to bringing change within Papua New Guinea.
Adam Frisch keeps calm waiting for all ballots to be counted in CD-3
I'm going to look at the structural drivers of PNG's electoral problems. I'm not here to level accusations at individuals. If people have committed crimes they should be tried.

The first step in making sure improvements occur is diagnosing the issues. That's what I'm going to do in this post.

The 2017 elections in Papua New Guinea were not good enough. There were major roll issues, there were likely cases of fraud, and electoral violence is ongoing. Voters deserve better.

CANBERRA - There are still reports to be written, official verdicts to be made, and electoral petitions to be heard. But media reporting alone is enough for the most important point to be clear.

Yet many electoral officials worked hard during the 2017 elections. And most of the country's citizens wanted nothing more than to exercise their democratic rights. But the elections went awry regardless. And 2017 isn't the first time PNG has had major problems with its elections. So I'm not going to get personal.

Instead, I'm going to provide a social scientist's answer to the question, 'what's the matter with elections in PNG?'

The central problem is political. And simple. Most of Papua New Guinea's members of parliament don't care how well elections are run. Because of this, no political pressure is placed on the Electoral Commission to perform.

It isn't given the resources it needs either. In 2016, it was reported that the PNG government had only budgeted half as much for the running of the 2017 elections as had been spent on the previous ones.

Savings are always good, but half price elections are impossible. No government concerned about good elections would have budgeted so little.

Why aren't most politicians in PNG concerned about electoral quality? The answer lies in the voter-politician relationship. In Papua New Guinea, most voters vote for the candidate who they think is most likely to help them, their family, or their community. They don't vote on the basis of national issues.

Voting this way isn't unique to PNG. It happens all over the developing world. You can find it in the recent histories of many OECD countries too. PNG's voters aren't doing anything wrong when they vote in search of localised or personalised assistance. Most have acute and immediate needs. And most have never seen those needs met by national policy.

Under these circumstances, voting in search of direct assistance is perfectly reasonable. It's what I would do. Unfortunately, however, because candidates want to be elected, and MPs re-elected, voting for personal or local benefits has a harmful side-effect. It causes MPs to focus on channelling state resources directly to their supporters. They do this at the expense of national governance and national issues.

Elections are a national issue. Politicians have no political reason for caring about well-run elections. They're not going to get punished at the ballot box if they mess up. Indeed, if anything sitting MPs -- as powerful political actors -- are likely to benefit from poorly run elections; they're much easier to subvert locally.

And so most of PNG's politicians proactively ignore the task of strengthening the country's electoral infrastructure. Which is why the Electoral Commission ended up starved of resources during the same political term that the District Services Improvement Program (government money which MPs can effectively lavish on their supporters) increased substantially.

It's true that some politicians in Papua New Guinea have, at times, worked hard to improve the country's electoral infrastructure. And others have tried particularly hard to make it worse. PNG's politicians have some agency and so deserve to be credited or blamed for their actions. But the broader dynamic I have described is always present; it has a broad effect on political actions and -- at a national level -- it is a strong force working against well-run elections.

Amidst the overarching effects of this national dynamic there is important variation. Some parts of the electoral process work better than others. And some parts of the country have better elections than others.

Nothing is perfect, but counting is better than roll compilation, for example. And elections are worse in the Highlands than in other parts of the country. I've written about this in depth in this discussion paper. For now I want to highlight two important lessons from the variation.

Generally, the best aspects of elections are the most transparent aspects. Counting is usually OK (albeit slow) because all candidates have scrutineers in counting places. This transparency makes it harder, although not impossible, to cheat.

Also, elections are usually better in places where power is diffuse. In electorates where candidates can muster the power to capture polling stations, polling is -- unsurprisingly -- worse. But in other parts of the country it's simply not possible for candidates to do this. When it isn't, most candidates will have scrutineers watching polling, and brazen cheating is less likely.

Even in the best parts of the electoral process, in the best parts of the country, matters aren't perfect. But they are good enough.

Overall, PNG's 2017 elections weren't good enough. The question now is how to take what we know of the dynamics of the country's electoral problems to improve elections in the future. This will be the subject future posts.

Terence Wood is a Research Fellow at the Development Policy Centre of the Australian National University


Forty-three years ago today, I was getting acclimated to my new temporary home in the Bahamas. I would be living there for the 1974-75 academic year, while teaching at Saint Augustines College in Nassau. We were just a week or so into the new school year when many of my colleagues began discussing the possibility that Hurricane Fifi might pay a visit to the island nation. Projections of the path of Fifi indicated that Nassau would take a serious hit. I wondered to myself who would ever name a hurricane Fifi? Well, someone did, and, harmless as the name might sound, it turned out to be the fourth most powerful Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.

Initial news reports showed that Fifi would come dangerously close to Nassau, the capital city of the Bahamas, and home to the majority of the Bahamian population. Since Fifis arrival was still several days away, people remained relatively calm about the situation, but it was clear to me that the locals were concerned. In my youthful ignorance, I did not share their concern. In fact, I was excited. My temporary residence for the year was in one of the guest rooms of Saint Augustines Monastery, which was perched at the top of the hill, just above the school campus. The building had three-foot-thick concrete walls. I knew I would be out of harms way up there, and I hoped to have a birds-eye view of the hurricane.

By the grace of God, Fifis path changed. She turned to the west, passed to the south of Jamaica, and churned across the Gulf of Mexico before smashing into the tiny country of Belize. Only when I saw the news reports of the total devastation there did I realize how fortunate we were to escape Fifis wrath. I may have been safe in my guest room at the top of the hill, but most of my students and colleagues, and their families, would have been significantly affected by the hurricane.

Again this year, Bahamians are bracing for the arrival of a powerful hurricane. Irma is currently a category five hurricane. If she continues on the projected course, shell pass over the southern islands of the Bahamas during the day on Saturday. Having seen video reports of the extensive damage already inflicted by Irma in Antigua, St. Maarten, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, I can only hope and pray that, as Fifi did in 1974, Irma decides to change her course away from my friends in Nassau and away from the state of Florida.

Sadly, wherever Irma makes landfall, the situation is certain to be dire. Irma may well be the largest Atlantic hurricane in recorded history.

I am grateful to have missed the opportunity to experience Fifi first-hand forty-three years ago. With preparations for Irmas arrival in Nassau well underway, hope remains that, again this year, my friends in Nassau will be spared natures wrath. Unfortunately, the chances of that look slim.




By Moliang Jiang

Lively debate has exploded in recent weeks among economists, commentators, and netizens over how to revitalize Chinas struggling Northeast. The region, often compared to the Rust Belt in the US thanks to its industrial focus and decline, has encountered obstacles in reinvigorating its economy and retaining talent. Although several startups and innovative industries have emerged in the Northeast, the economic situation still does not look promising.

The Northeast region, known as Dongbei in Chinese, consists of three provinces: Liaoning, Jilin, and Heilongjiang, which neighbor Russia and North Korea. The region has rich natural resources, vast forest areas, and fertile soil for agriculture. However, it is experiencing an exodus of young talent and professionals, an economic slowdown, a decline in investment, and an aging population.

Despite the economic problems, pockets of optimism remain. Chinas State Council has pledged to revive the Northeasts economy by 2020, according to the 13th Five Year Plan that came out last year. Provincial and municipal governments in the Northeast have also laid out plans to attract talent back and develop innovative industries.

Foreign companies that are interested in doing business in the Northeast or foreigners who are seeking job opportunities in China should be aware of business and work incentives in Chinas Rust Belt. Those who make best use of government incentives might capture unexpected opportunities.

Pre-Investment, Market Entry Strategy Advisory Services from Dezan Shira & Associates

Economic problems in Chinas Rust Belt

The Rust Belts economy depends heavily on old manufacturing. In the 1980s, the Northeast was Chinas old industrial heartland, where the government established large state-owned heavy industries, such as steel, energy, and automobile.

As Chinas economy opened up in the 1990s and became increasingly market-oriented, state-owned enterprises (SOEs) in the Northeast fell behind new enterprises in the south that benefited from preferential government policies and trade. Most of these SOEs now incur huge debt and struggle to restructure, thus becoming zombie companies.

The exodus of talent also started in the 1990s when jobs in the Northeast lost competitiveness to those along the eastern coastal lines and in the south. Numerous management-level employees and skilled talent migrated to the south for job and business opportunities. Later, less-skilled migrant workers also began to leave the Northeast to find jobs in other regions.

Over the past decade, around one million people have left the Northeast for work elsewhere. The reasons are manifold. Cumbersome manufacturing SOEs have cut back on recruitment, while inefficient bureaucracy and lack of innovation in the Northeast continues to create a bad business environment and a weak market that hinder private company growth.

Many college graduates in the Northeast look for jobs elsewhere, and this trend has only become more pronounced. In 2016, 50.8 percent of college graduates in the Northeast left to work elsewhere. The number rose to 52.5 percent in 2016. The situation looks bleak compared to the national average  one out of four college students decide to work in other regions.

The Rust Belt presents a difficult task for the government. Talent and business environment rely on each other. Without talent, new industries lack human capital to succeed. On the other hand, talent would be reluctant to seek jobs in a bleak business environment.

However, the Chinese government has not lost hope on the Northeast. Governments on all levels have unfolded a variety of policies to save the Rust Belt, though the effect has yet to been felt in the region..

Government incentives for businesses and talent

To develop a more diverse and innovative industrial portfolio for Chinas Rust Belt, the Chinese government has laid out ambitious blueprints that aim to create a better business environment and attract talent. National and local governments have issued various work incentive policies for talent at home and abroad as several economists have highlighted the important role of human resources for the economic transformation of the Northeast.

In an announcement on foreign direct investment last month, the State Council specifically called attention to the Northeast region. It highlighted that China will encourage foreigners to invest in the Northeast and will support development of infrastructure and platforms to attract new capital to the region.

Liaoning is attempting to lead the three Rust Belt provinces in developing a business environment that meets international standards. The government of Liaoning has opened several modern manufacturing industrial parks in Shenyang, the capital city of Liaoning.

In late 2015, the government opened the China-Germany Equipment Manufacturing Industrial Park in Shenyang to attract production of robotics and other high-end equipment. The industrial park falls under the central governments broader plan of Made in China 2025, which aims to develop a more efficient, innovative, and environmentally friendly manufacturing industry by 2025.

Governments also hope to boost the startup scene in the Northeast. The municipal government of Shenyang offered US$70,000 subsidies in cash to startup incubator Phoenix Valley. In Heilongjiang, college graduates who start their own companies, depending on the type of business, can enjoy tax breaks up to three years.

The three Northeast provinces issued various work incentives to show how much they value talent, especially those with desired technical expertise. Liaoning province announced in August this year that it would develop a special talent zone in Shenyang to attract expats to work in the region.

Professionals in the Northeast can also enjoy low rent and government subsidies for housing. In Dalian, the municipal government offers professionals rent subsidies and purchase subsidies, in addition to 965 free talent apartments arranged for domestic and foreign talent.

Heilongjiang and Jilin province have also developed talent zones along the same line. In its talent policies released in 2015, the government of Heilongjiang encourages companies to offer rent subsidies to their employees or provide a five-year pass for free apartment in the talent zone.

RELATED: Investing in Inland China: Assessing Chongqings Industrial Zones

Implications for foreign investors and expats

Although Chinas Rust Belt suffers from economic decline and loss of talent, the region is trying its best to bring talent back, improve the business environment, and transform the economic structure. Led by Liaoning, governments on all levels have rolled out plans aiming to incentivize talent to work and start their business in the Northeast.

Foreign companies that specialize in manufacturing of automobile or other equipment can keep the Northeast as an option when setting up factories in China. Companies should look into government initiatives and incentives, which might differ from location to location, and evaluate their impact. In addition, small startups or companies in high-tech industries will likely receive subsidies and support.

Foreign professionals who want to start a career in China or are interested in different job opportunities within China should have the northeast region on their radar. The overall economic climate should not hinder talent from assessing the work benefits available in the Northeast. Talent with technical skills, such as expertise in information technology, biotechnology, and green technology, will be an asset to the region and might receive special rewards.

Although some of the policies are still vague, investors and professionals can expect more details and guidelines on implementation coming out in the future. The recent policy debate should inspire a greater degree of urgency.

Foreign companies and professionals should keep their options open and consider both the economic situation and governments policies in the Northeast when they want to choose a location for businesses or careers.



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In Marvel comic books, Peter Parker is a New Yorker. But should the famed character, also known as Spider-Man, not have a New York accent? The answer is complicated.

Spider-Man actor Tom Holland meets fans in Beijing at a promotional event for the new film Spider-Man: Homecoming, which will release across Chinese mainland theaters on Friday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Thanks to globalization, an English actor is the latest Spider-Man on the silver screen. And, he was recently in Beijing to visit the Great Wall.

There is more. The wall-crawling hero also traveled to other landmarks, which are featured in an anthology of posters titled Beautiful China.

In the posters, released by the Chinese promoters, he is seen surrounded by pandas, standing with the Terracotta Warriors, ornamented guards buried with China's first emperor more than 2,000 years ago.

When Spider-Man actor Tom Holland alongside director Jon Watts showed up at a promotional event in Beijing on Monday, the display of the posters tailored for the Chinese mainland market sparked excitement.

Spider-Man: Homecoming, the sixth Spider-Man movie in history, will open across the Chinese mainland in multiple formats, including Imax 3-D, on Friday, about two months after many other parts of the world.

So far, the movie, with Holland reprising his Spider-Man role from Captain America: Civil War, has raked in $740 million across the world.

The 133-minute movie also features Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role of Iron Man, and Jon Favreau, director of two Iron Man movies, playing an assistant of Iron Man, in the new movie.

The latest movie is more like a coming-of-age story about the superhero in high school.
The 5th China-ASEAN Drama Week will stage 40 classic plays performed by 24 groups at Nanning from Sept 6 to 12, bringing a feast of enjoyment for people there.

Philippines' classic play Mindanao, Ode to Life. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Vietnamese drama Lopburi, Burmese dance feast Folk Drama Dance, Philippines classic play Mindanao, Ode to Life and newly adapted Guangdong opera Legend of the White SnakeLove are all on the list.

The 2017 China-ASEAN Drama Week (Nanning) will be jointly held by Guangxi Provincial Department of Cultural and the Nanning Municipal government.

"Since its launch in 2003, the China-ASEAN Drama Week aims to be a multicultural art festival, which displays the charm of art, develops friendship and facilitates cultural exchange," said Fang Ning, dean of the Culture and Art Research Institute of Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region.

The festival has become an important brand of cultural exchanges in Nanning, and has gradually become an art ceremony in China and Southeast Asia. Many first-class foreign troupes from ASEAN countries, including Cambodia, Indonesia and Vietnam will cooperate with Chinese drama groups to reinterpret classic dramas.

The event will adopt the 4+1 model (performance, research, exhibition, competition plus big get-together). Various forms of drama activities will be added to the event. The newly added Summit for Heads of China-ASEAN Art Institutions and Groups and joint performances by outstanding artists of China and ASEAN countries will expand the depth and scope of our cooperation. Nanning will play a more important role as a front and hub city for opening to ASEAN countries.
China's ban on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), a digital coin fundraising scheme, was only part of a broader campaign to curb the country's financial risks.

In an announcement Monday, China's central bank ordered a complete halt on new ICO offerings, in which technology start-ups issue their own digital coins, or "tokens," to investors to access funds.

"ICOs, in essence, are a type of unauthorized and illegal public fundraising that is suspected of being related to criminal activities such as financial fraud and pyramid schemes," the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said.

It was "normal" for the rapid development of ICOs to draw the attention of regulators, and when retail investors, many of whom are amateurs, have become investors, it's time for regulators to step in, Sheng Songcheng, an advisor to the PBOC, told financial magazine Yicai.

China's regulators have been responding in a timely manner to address risks arising from technology-based finance while maintaining a delicate balance to encourage real innovation.

While the boom of ICOs has helped tech companies access much-needed funds for development, it has also created fertile ground for scammers.

"Deceitful projects will not only bring many risks to investors, but lead to complaints by serious startups in the blockchain business. As a result, bad money drives out good," Sheng said.

To keep the "good money" on the table, China launched what analysts called a "regulatory windstorm" starting from the end of last year, with major financial regulatory bodies rolling out policies to identify and punish all kinds of illegal activities.

In April, amid complaints about reckless speculations on financial markets, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) outlined 10 detailed fields for strengthened risk control, including traditional sectors such as credit, liquidity, real estate and local government debt as well as non-traditional areas such as Internet finance.

Similar to ICOs, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending served as an Internet-based alternative for companies and individuals to borrow money. As the P2P industry took off in recent years, it also made room for high-profile fraud, which prompted regulators to act fast.

In a report released in August, the PBOC said it will explore methods to include "relatively large Internet finance businesses of systemic importance" in its macro prudential assessment (MPA), a risk review framework covering checks of loans and other assets.

Other regulatory upgrades included the introduction of a new committee on financial stability and development, announced during a two-day National Financial Work Conference in July.

With responsibilities such as coordinating financial policies and drafting rules to fill regulatory gaps, the committee is expected to address the regulation challenges brought by increasingly complicated financial services, analysts said.

There seems to be no sign that regulators will loosen their stance on financial violations. Recent data compiled by news site The Paper showed that the CBRC had handed out more fines in terms of value in August compared with July, mainly targeting unauthorized loan issues.

The China Insurance Regulatory Commission recently asked insurance firms to report typical cases and data on new types of fraud in order to further contain risks.

In terms of digital currency, the regulators should implement stricter rules punishing those that conduct illegal activities using virtual currencies, Sheng said.

Even if financial innovations finally lead to a world with digital currencies or even a "cashless society," the central bank should dominate the change, Sheng said.
China will keep streamlining administrative approvals and cutting red tape to improve business environment, a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang on Wednesday decided.

The government will expand a pilot reform already in trial in the Shanghai Pudong New Area on separating operation permits with business licenses and clearing 116 approval items, to 10 free trade zones across the country, including those in Tianjin, Chongqing, Liaoning and Zhejiang. Provincial governments are authorized to extend the measures to eligible national-level new areas, innovation demonstration zones, high-tech industry zones and economic and technology development zones.

A priority of the reform is to standardize various administrative approvals. Many of them will be canceled, while some others will be switched to simpler approaches.

The government will improve transparency and predictability of policies and provide standardized services, and make sure enterprises conduct the filings and fulfill their promises in accord with industry standards.

"Streamlining approvals, delegating power to lower levels and improving regulation and services are major measures to transform government functions and advance supply-side structural reform. This term of government has prioritized the reform of the approval system and institutional reform in the business sector, which in essence aim to develop a fair and just market environment. Facts showed that our efforts are paying off," Li said.

The meeting on Wednesday also decided to step up regular oversight during the pilot reform process, with more efforts going to spot checks, self-inspection inside industrial associations and credit rating practices to enhance compliance oversight.

The sharing of basic information of residents, enterprises and social organizations among government departments will be boosted to avoid unnecessary submissions, inspections and certifications.

"Government departments must be open-minded. Due approval procedures are necessary, but they are not a panacea, especially in terms of compliance oversight. We should continue to follow and improve the principle that the responsibility of oversight goes to those who give the approval and who take charge," Li said.

To further spur market vitality and encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, the meeting decided that the government will cancel 52 administrative approvals by central government departments.

The approvals are mostly related to employment and entrepreneurship, investment and doing business. Some of them are no longer necessary because of maturing market conditions. Canceling approvals enables the government departments to transform their functions to developing industry standards and performing oversight.

The meeting also decided to cancel 22 administrative approvals delegated by central government departments to lower-level governments, most of which are related to enterprise operation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"We need to take concrete measures to ensure the full implementation of reform measures, create a fair and just environment, and bring convenience to people's lives and entrepreneurship endeavors, as well as the operations of businesses," Li said.

Taking into account the latest measures, this term of government has cut administrative approvals by 697 items. Statistics show that the country had 2.91 million new businesses registered in the first half of 2017, up by 11.1 percent year on year.
Chinese airlines are predicted to purchase 7,240 airplanes valued at US$1.1 trillion over the next 20 years, according to Boeing's annual China Current Market Outlook released in Beijing on Wednesday.

Total airplane demand rose 6.3 percent over last year's forecast, the plane manufacturer revealed at a media briefing.

"China's continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook," said Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

"China's fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well in excess of the global average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China."

Boeing said the single-aisle airplanes are likely to continue to be the foundation of domestic and regional fleets in China, forecasting the need for 5,420 new single-aisle airplanes through 2036, accounting for 75 percent of total new deliveries.

The prediction arose from last year's prediction of demand for 5,110 new single-aisle airplanes through 2035.

Full-service airlines and low-cost carriers have been adding new single-aisle airplanes and expanding new point-to-point services to cater for both leisure and business travel demand in China and throughout Asia, it said.

Boeing also forecast that the nation's wide body fleet will require 1,670 new airplanes over the next 20 years and airlines will continue to shift to small and medium-wide body airplanes for long-haul expansion and flexibility.

The continuing growth of China's middle class, together with relaxed visa policies offered by some foreign countries, and a wide range of wide body airplanes with new technologies, capabilities and efficiencies, makes Boeing optimistic about the future of China's long-haul market, Tinseth said.

"China's outbound travel market continues its rapid growth toward 200 million passengers annually," he said.

"With new technologies, superior capabilities and advanced efficiency, the 787 and 777X families will play a key role in supporting the growth of China's long-haul market."
As Hurricane Irma barrels through the Caribbean and takes aim at Florida, Gov. Andrew Cuomo is offering New York's assistance to areas affected by the natural disaster.

Cuomo said the state has communicated with Gov. Rick Scott of Florida and Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello and informed that the state is ready to help. The New York Air National Guard's 106th Rescue Wing is on standby.

"Just as New York stood shoulder to shoulder with Texas and Louisiana during Hurricane Harvey, we will provide any support and assistance we can for the people of Puerto Rico, Florida, the Dominican Republican and other Caribbean islands in the path of Hurricane Irma," he said.

After Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, Cuomo deployed the New York Air National Guard to assist with the response. In addition to the personnel, two HC-130 rescue airplanes, three HH-60 rescue helicopters and several boats were sent to Texas.

The Air National Guard's rescue team rescued 546 people in the Houston area after the hurricane made landfall. The airmen returned to New York Saturday.

Hurricane Irma could pose more problems for the southeastern United States. The category 5 hurricane with winds of 180 mph has caused damage and power outages in Puerto Rico and other Caribbean islands.

As the storm approaches the U.S., hurricane and storm surge watches have been issued for South Florida. The hurricane is expected to hit Florida this weekend.

"We, unfortunately, have much first-hand experience with extreme weather and its aftermath," Cuomo said. "Just as others have helped New York recover from Sandy, Irene, Lee and other severe, and increasingly common, '100-year-storms,' we will be there for those who need our help."
Investment in ecological restoration and protection along a 96-kilometer stretch of the Lhasa-Nyingchi highway has hit 440 million yuan (US$67.2 million), almost nine times the originally planned amount, an official said.

A 1,086-meter bridge near Nyingchipart of the Lhasa-Nyingchi highwayhas been open to traffic since September 2015. [Photo / China Daily]

While the construction company invested 170 million yuan, the majority of the work was outsourced to special environmental protection companies, according to Song Xiancai, head of the planning and contract section of Nyingchi prefecture in the Tibet autonomous region.

The highway section, along with another 63 kilometers near Lhasa, opened to traffic in September 2015 after 28 months of construction.

All 15 camps for construction workers, as well as all ground disturbed by stockpiles of construction materials, along the Nyingchi section have been restored and planted with grass and trees, Song said.

Nyingchi, which sits at an altitude of about 3,000 meters in southwestern Tibet, is the first stop for many tourists to the region. Many consider it a perfect transfer station where they can adapt to the altitude before heading to Lhasa's even thinner air.

More than 28 local varieties of trees, covering 194 hectares, have been planted along the highway, so that tourists can enjoy diverse plant species, said Zhao Qing, a Nyingchi forestry official.

Among the trees planted were Paeonia ludlowiiliterally translated as big yellow-flowered peonyand Tibetan cypress, both of which are State-protected plants, he added.

"We also took local people's interests into consideration and planted a lot of fruit trees. They will be able to pick the fruit when it's ready," Zhao said.

The government encouraged local people to work on the project, or to supply construction materials such as sand or stone.

The total length of the four-lane Lhasa-Nyingchi highway is 409 kilometers. Its total cost is estimated at 32.9 billion yuan. In addition to two tunnels, all the other sections of the toll-free highway were completed in June.

The finished project, which is expected to open to traffic in April, will shorten the journey between Nyingchi and Lhasa to five hours from the current eight.
After more than 30 years turning deserts green, Yin Yuzhen, a farmer in Ordos, Inner Mongolia autonomous region, can see the miracle.

She and her family have planted approximately 60,000 trees in recent years across more than 4,000 hectares of what was once barren land deep in the heart of the Maowusu Desert, among the largest of its kind in the country.

"There has been a dramatic change in my home from decades ago," the 52-year-old told Chinese media.

In 1985, reassured by her father, she left her hometown in neighboring Shaanxi province and married Bai Wanxiang in Uxin Banner, an administrative unit under Ordos. But, she was depressed about what she had to face - a wilderness of wind, sandstorms and seemingly endless deserts.

A sandstorm might last for more than a month in the desert area. Sand blanketed everything and darkened Yin's life. Anyone caught in the storm was coated with sand. Even mouths and noses didn't escape, she recalled.

At that time "the area was bleak and desolate, and no visitors would be seen for weeks", Yin said, adding that the nearest neighbor lived 20 kilometers away.

An occasional stranger passing by would excite her, she said. To keep the visitor's footprint in the sand, she put an upside-down basin on it. "When I had spare time, I liked to look at it, as if it were my family," she said.

To survive the misery, Yin decided to plant trees.

"I'd rather die of exhaustion from planting than be bullied by sand," she said.

In 1986, she and her husband spent their extra money - earned by doing odd jobs - on 600 new saplings. They planted the trees around their house and tended them daily.

Fewer than 10 of the trees survived the droughts and winds. But, this didn't defeat the couple. They held on tight to a glimmer of hope. If even one tree could withstand the environment, it would mean that a larger group could also succeed, she said.

Later, the couple purchased thousands of small poplar saplings from a faraway nursery and carried them home on the backs of three cows. After the saplings were planted, most were swept away by yet another sandstorm.

Yin learned a lesson from the failure, concluding that brush needed to grown before the saplings were planted to shield them from the wind.

To date, the plantation has expanded to thousands of hectares and has drawn various birds and animals.

Inspired by her story, neighbors joined in the environmental effort. Currently, more than 240 families have tree plantations of at least 20 hectares each in Uxin Banner. The green coverage in the region has increased to 85 percent today from 45 percent 10 years ago.

Acclaimed as heroes for their afforestation efforts, Yin and her husband are thronged annually by visitors, despite being tucked away deep in the desert.

Volunteers from China and other countries, including the United States, Germany, France and Republic of Korea, have helped them to plant their trees.

Her persistent fight against desertification has won her a series of honors, including the Gaia Prize, which was granted in the ROK. She has received awards or given lectures in more than 10 countries and regions as she has campaigned for environmental protection.
Beijing will ban the new addition of shared bikes in the city, local authorities announced Thursday.

There are 2.35 million shared bikes from 15 companies on the streets of the national capital, according to a spokesperson with the Beijing Municipal Commission of Transport.

Shared bikes, the number of which surged in Beijing in the past year, have led to haphazard parking and obstructions in crowded areas such as subway entrances and shopping malls, the spokesperson said, while acknowledging their role in promoting low-carbon transportation and alleviating congestion.

The commission plans to formulate a guideline to better regulate shared bikes, requiring district-level transport authorities to enhance supervision of bicycle parking.

In addition, the city will ban shared electric bikes for parking and safety reasons and violators will be punished, said the spokesperson.

For the same reasons, some big cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Wuhan have also banned new shared bikes from being stationed in the cities.

Shanghai, which issued the ban in mid-August, will launch a month-long campaign to crack down on parking chaos and new bikes, its transport commission said Thursday.

According to BigData-Research, 19 million people used shared bikes last year, and the number is expected to rise to 50 million this year.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras in Beijing, capital of China, July 5, 2016. [Ma Zhancheng / Xinhua]

For approximately eight years Greece has been continuously stigmatized in the international media discourse. The outbreak of its economic crisis in 2009 has led journalists from all over the world to focus on its pathogeneses and illustrate them as the main reason for its own problems almost leading the country to a disorderly default.

Unsurprisingly, Greeces public image has been tarnished. Part of the reporting is accurate indeed. Nevertheless, some stories tend to exaggerate and therefore construct  deliberately or not deliberately  a different reality.

A relatively new frame in the international coverage of the Greek crisis is that of geopolitics. Being under extreme pressure to reduce the budget deficit and comply with the terms of the European rescue mechanism providing loans to eurozone bankrupted economies, all Greek governments since 2009 have been obliged to take austerity measures.

These austerity measures include cuts in the military and foreign policy sector. Furthermore, Greek governments have lost  to a large extent  their ability to act independently as the majority of their decisions need to be approved by its partners.

Under these conditions, some international media believe that Greece can be vulnerable to economic interests of non-Western countries in its attempt to escape from the nightmare of its supervision and return to growth as soon as possible.

At first it was Russia coming under scrutiny and recently it is China. The implementation of the Belt and Road Initiative has generated an intense debate in Europe and the U.S.  reflected in the media discourse  on what Chinas motivations are or could be in the future.

The simplistic argumentation goes as such: With its liquidity China is able  through its state own enterprises  to participate in international tenders and make investments in exchange for support for its policies. This theory perfectly fits in the case of Greece for the reasons already analyzed and because the country needs to carry out privatizations in order to meet its bailout requirements.

A recent veto exerted by the Greek government, which prevented the European Union from condemning China for its human rights record, was the best pretext for advocates of the theory to feel supposedly vindicated.

A closer and inside look at the evolution of Sino-Greek relations leads to a different conclusion though. The win-win character of Chinese investments in Greece is not a firework but a fair assessment. While Beijing is implementing its Belt and Road Initiative, Athens can count on some cash and more importantly on additional business deals which are following the initial investments themselves.

Here, companies from other countries benefit. Hewlett-Packard (HP), for instance, cooperates with COSCO Shipping and the Greek Railways from the moment the Piraeus port started to become a trade hub in the Mediterranean.

In parallel with this approach, China is negotiating no secret deals with the Greek government to construct infrastructure works. Its companies sign contracts only when they make the highest bids in public competitions. This is how COSCO entered the Piraeus port in 2008 and 2016 and this is how Chinas State Grid completed the purchase of Greeces power grid operator, ADMIE, last June.

Also, on the occasion of Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras attendance of the May Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation, Copelouzos Group and Shenhua Group reached an agreement, which will be the beginning of their energy cooperation, if they win a relevant tender in the future. Companies from all over the world can also submit offers. Competitions are free and there are no obstacles to the process imposed by either Greece or China.

From another perspective, to link Chinas business presence in Greece with the alleged exerting of diplomatic pressure from the former to the latter fails to take into account the course of developments.

It is rather Beijing which is interested in investing more than Greece pushing towards this direction and needing to bargain. The current Greek government is ideologically opposed to privatizations and almost led the Sino-Greek partnership to the brink of collapse in the first months of 2015 when it was targeting all foreign investors by focusing on the public nature of state owned enterprises in the country.

Certainly, an allergic to privatizations government has no will or reason to embrace Chinas interests in order to receive its cash.

Additionally, it is not fair for Chinese companies  mainly COSCO  to be blamed for offering low salaries to port workers. People familiar with the matter very well know that numerous port workers used to enjoy unbelievable privileges by the Greek state for many years and that COSCO only adjusted salaries to private sector standards in Greece.

Further to this, some data often omitted in the Western media discourse is that after the privatization of the Piraeus Port Authority in 2016, the new management only appointed 8 Chinese employees while all 1,087 Greek employees kept their positions. Last but not least, a recent poll demonstrates that 70 percent of respondents in Greece are positively disposed towards China and 71 percent vis-a-vis Chinese people.

All in all, Greece and China are on the same Belt and Road. Harmonic cooperation cannot be interrupted or blocked by some negative media stereotypes. What matters more is not what some journalists report but how stable are the foundations of the partnership.

George N. Tzogopoulos is a columnist with China.org.cn. For more information please visit:

http://www.china.org.cn/opinion/GeorgeNTzogopoulos.htm

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
BRICS to enter 2nd Golden Decade with 'BRICS Plus' [By Zhai Haijun / China.org.cn]

It is a beautiful season now in Xiamen, and that is reflected in the encouraging discussions taking place there at the 9th BRICS summit.

President Xi Jinping and the leaders of the other four member states have discussed issues related to deepening their partnership and building a brighter future. The five emerging economies are committed to further strengthening their cooperation mechanism and making greater efforts to improve global governance.

Rome was not built in one day. What the BRICS spirit denotes is the pursuit of common values among the five member states since they joined together 10 years ago. This is resonated with and benefited not only the people of the five countries but also the wider world.

President Xi once described the BRICS spirit as "equality, innovation, win-win cooperation in seeking common ground while reserving differences," which has become a major modality of cooperation.

In the past 10 years, the areas of cooperation have gradually expanded. BRICS has undergone a transformation from an investment theory to international practice, and has become a vibrant force in global economic governance.

During this period, members combined GDP has grown by 179 percent, and the trade volume 94 percent, with their proportion in the world economy rising from 12 percent to 23 percent. Foreign investment has grown from 7 percent to 12 percent; and the contribution to the world economy now exceeds 50 percent; 3 billion peoples living condition has been improved.

The data is the best proof of the effectiveness and significance of the BRICS cooperative mechanism, and also highlights the rising of international status of the five countries. They represent the rapid development of emerging markets and developing countries, which is transforming the global political and economic structure.

During the past decade, BRICS countries have chosen to put pragmatic cooperation first, and thus promoted mutual development. The five member states display their complementary advantages, have strengthened their ties of interest, and constructed an all-round, multi-layer cooperative framework.

During the period, the group has established a series of developing strategies and cooperative projects, in particular the establishment of development banks and contingency storage, which provide the financing support for BRICS infrastructure construction and sustainable development, as well as being conducive to improving global economic governance and constructing an international financial safety net.

Todays world is still under the shadow of the global financial crisis. Western countries claim to support the "trade liberalization" policy, but are stuck into the political trap. Under such circumstances, China has learnt from the past experience and is now promoting the "BRICS Plus" model.

During this meeting in Xiamen, discussions have been held on South-South cooperation, international development and cooperation plans. This will surely help to increase the number of BRICS partners.

The BRICS cooperative mechanism marks a departure from the West-led international relations system, and offers a possible way for the developing countries to engage in economic cooperation and mutual development.

Zhang Shenglei, PhD candidate at the Social and Cultural Institution, Macao University of Science and Technology, Guest Fellow of the CCG, columnist for China Economy.

Opinion articles reflect the views of their authors, not necessarily those of China.org.cn.
 Flash

Leading space scientists from Britain and China signed a partnership agreement on Wednesday which aims to promote and strengthen both sides' space education and space culture activities.

Under the memorandum of understanding, a new virtual center will be established to lead space education and space culture activities between the two countries.

The center will be led by Britain's National Space Academy and a consortium of Chinese laboratories. In the areas of culture and education programs, it will be supported by the University of Nottingham.

The new virtual center partnership will serve as a platform for China-Britain space educational and cultural leadership which could then be expanded to include participation from other space agencies and new space programs or agencies in the developing world.

"We hope to accelerate the development in this area and in the future expand the program into other developing countries, so as to nurture more talents in space science," said Professor Yu Junsheng from Beijing University of Posts and Telecommunications, and leading scientist of the consortium.

For the first stage of this partnership, the team aims to select 100 primary and middle schools in China, Britain, and countries along the Belt and Road to carry out a trial run of the education program, according to Yu.

While the center will help spread space education across China, British students and teachers will be offered the chance to participate in summer school programs including visits to China astronaut training and launch centers, and Britain-China education experiments will be developed to fly in China's space program, according to the UK National Space Academy.

This new center will give British teachers, students and researchers new opportunities to work in partnership with one of the world's most ambitious space programs, said Professor Anu Ojha, director of the Academy.
 Flash

Leaders of Japan and South Korea on Thursday reiterated their appeal on strengthening sanctions on the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) for its aggressive nuclear program, as they met on a economic forum held in Vladivostok, Russia.

"The DPRK is becoming an unprecedentedly grave and imminent threat...It is escalating challenges to peace and prosperity to the northeast Asia and the entire world," Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said on the plenary session of the Third Eastern Economic Forum (EEF).

Abe said it is necessary to make the DPRK immediately and fully comply with all relevant United Nations Security Council resolutions and abandon its nuclear and ballistic missile programs "in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner."

Echoing Abe's appeal, South Korea President Moon Jae-in also voiced the desire of keeping the pressure of sanctions on the DPRK.

"I thank Russia for its active participation in regards to sanctions against the DPRK and I hope Russia will continue its support on this matter," he said.

During a phone conversation with his U.S. counterpart Donald Trump late Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China has been adamant in preserving international nuclear non-proliferation regime, maintaining peace and stability on the peninsula, and resolving the nuclear issue through talks.

The general direction should head toward a peaceful settlement of the issue, Xi said, adding that dialogue combined with a set of comprehensive measures is best for seeking a long-term solution.

The DPRK on Sunday successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), which was the sixth nuclear test by the country so far, further worsening the hair-trigger confrontation on the Korean Peninsula.

Differing with the Japanese and South Korean leaders, Russian President Vladimir Putin said whipping up hostility would not settle the Korean Peninsula issue, as the DPRK will not be frightened and give up on its nuclear program.

Instead, Russia prefers to involve the DPRK into the regional cooperation in a bid to ease the tension around the Korean Peninsula, and has already offered specific proposals which include building a joint railway connecting Russia and the Korean Peninsula through the DPRK and the development of pipeline transport, Putin said.

On Wednesday, Putin called for a "step-by-step settlement", saying it is pointless to push the DPRK into a corner as sanctions and pressure could be counterproductive.

"Now more than ever, everyone needs to be calm and avoid steps that lead to an escalation of tension," he said.
 Flash

For 23-year-old Zuleima Dominguez, the Trump administration's decision to rescind a program that shields young immigrants brought into the United States illegally as children from deportation, means she might relive the fear that had once haunted her for more than a decade.

Born in Mexico, Dominguez arrived in the United States when she was seven years old. Her parents pinned hope on her opportunity to receive higher education and find a good job that they had never had in Mexico.

For more than a decade, Dominguez was living in the fear that she might be exposed as an undocumented immigrant and had to struggle to pay for her college.

It was the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, that lifted her out of despair and inferiority.

Under the program implemented in 2012, recipients receive a renewable two-year period of deferred action from deportation and eligibility for a work permit by applying to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS).

Approximately 800,000 people have participated in the program across the United States and they are often referred to as Dreamers.

Dominguez was able to apply for a scholarship, become a full-time student, travel outside the United States, and most importantly, feel like a U.S. citizen.

"I thought I was never going to graduate (from college), and then DACA happened. DACA changed my life," Dominguez told media on Wednesday.

However, the White House announced on Tuesday that the DACA is being rescinded. President Donald Trump said in a written statement that he is looking forward to working with the Congress to finally address all of these issues "in a manner that puts the hardworking citizens of our country first."

The move met strong protest from many attorneys general, mayors, business leaders, labor unions and immigration advocates, among whom, 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit on Wednesday.

The lawsuit details how the Trump administration has violated the Equal Protection clause of the Constitution by discriminating against Dreamers of Mexican origin, who make up 78 percent of DACA recipients, violated Due Process rights, and harmed states' residents, institutions, and economies.

New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said in a news conference that there is no good reason to end the program because the Dreamers play by the rules, work hard, pay taxes, and have a clean record.

"For most (of the Dreamers), the United States is the only home they have ever known. They deserve to stay here," he said, adding that the Dreamers are making America great.

"Immigration is the lifeblood of New York State. The Trump administration's decision to end DACA is cruel, inhumane, and devastating to the 42,000 New Yorkers who have been able to come out of the shadows and live a full life as a result of the program," said Schneiderman.

He added that the DACA repeal would not only affect life of Dreamers and their families, but also cause huge economic harm to New York.

New York city mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted Wednesday, "To the 30,000 Dreamers in this city and the 800,000 across the country: New York has your back."

Also on Wednesday, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg hosted three Dreamers at home, and live-streamed their personal stories. The video was watched by more than 1.8 million people.

In the video, Zuckerberg expressed concern about White House's latest move. He said it is important to find a solution and give those in the DACA program a guarantee of work status and "a full pathway to citizenship," which is a fundamental and humane thing to have.

Yet, not all people are against Trump administration's decision. Some have voiced concerns that the DACA has amounted to an amnesty for illegal immigrants.

Lee Cheng, co-founder and director of the Asian American Legal Foundation, said he supports immigration standards focused on national security only "because it is clear to me that immigrants have always been and remain a huge net positive to America."

The problem and challenge with "broad amnesty of almost any kind" can be seen in the aftermath of the amnesty granted to illegal immigrants under former President Ronald Reagan, he said.

"No one can dispute that the amnesty absolutely encouraged even more illegal immigration in the following two decades and is the driver of many of the immigration issues facing America today," Cheng told Xinhua.

The Trump administration is simply asking the Congress to take appropriate action on immigration law rather than extending DACA -- the Congress has the power and also the authority, as well as the duty, to do so, he said.
The message was clear. As President Xi Jinping told his US counterpart Donald Trump on the phone on Wednesday, China remains "unswervingly committed to denuclearizing the Korean Peninsula, and preserving the international nuclear nonproliferation regime".

The message was crucial, too, because it came at a time when the international community is racking its brain over how to respond to Pyongyang's latest, and most serious, nuclear provocation.

The last thing Beijing wants to see is a war  and the subsequent chaos and refugee exodus  which, besides raising security and humanitarian concerns, would exact an unbearable cost on China's Northeast, which is already struggling economically.

That Xi reiterated the belief that a long-term solution lies in dialogue and a "comprehensive" approach was only logical. And by highlighting Beijing's commitment to denuclearization and nonproliferation, Xi made it clear a nuclear-armed, saber-rattling Democratic People's Republic of Korea is as unacceptable as a war.

Since the almost unavoidable heavy civilian toll a military approach is widely believed to result in has made forcefully disarming Pyongyang a non-option, non-military means remains the only agreeable way to reason with the DPRK, and draw all the parties to the negotiation table.

China and Russia have proposed an ideal short-term tension-defusing solution: "dual suspension", meaning the United States and the Republic of Korea suspend their joint military drills in exchange for the DPRK halting its nuclear and missile adventure. The proposal is important because the concerned parties' deep-rooted mutual distrust, especially Pyongyang's belief in nuclear deterrence, could escalate tensions leading to the catastrophic, yet avoidable, worst-case scenario  a military conflict.

Strong protests from Beijing and Moscow failed to stop Seoul and Washington from deploying the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense anti-missile system in the ROK. Four more launchers were installed in the wee hours of Thursday. Now, Seoul and Tokyo are considering introducing more powerful US "strategic assets", tactical nuclear weapons included. Should this pattern of escalation perpetuate, the resultant arms race in Northeast Asia could spiral out of control.

Of course, more efforts should be made to discourage Pyongyang from making fresh trouble. But, as China said on Thursday, while the United Nations should take more action against the DPRK, it should also push for dialogue, even the revival of the Six-Party Talks.

Perhaps the failure of even the severest sanctions to force Pyongyang to abandon its nuclear program suggests something the world seems to have missed: until the DPRK is assured there is no threat to its security, it will continue its, at times desperate, attempts to possess nuclear weapons as deterrence against the US. If the Six-Party Talks is the means to a long-term solution to the peninsula crisis, addressing the DPRK's security concern could be the start of that process.
KIEV - About 2,000 representatives of Ukrainian business will attend the 122nd Canton Fair, which will open next month in Guangzhou, capital of South China's Guangdong province, a senior Ukrainian official said on Wednesday.

"Canton fair is well-known in Ukraine and it enjoys a great popularity. According to various calculations, each exhibition is visited by about 2,000 representatives from Ukraine. I believe the upcoming fair will be visited by the equal or greater number of participants," Gennady Chizhikov, the president of the Ukrainian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said in an exclusive interview with Xinhua.

He made the remarks during the presentation of the 122nd Canton Fair in Kiev, which was attended by representatives of about 90 companies from all over Ukraine.

Chizhikov said that the Canton Fair is a trading platform, which attracts the attention of the Ukrainian businessmen working in various sectors -- from agriculture to innovative industries.

"According to our information, the exhibition is frequently visited by the companies that work in the field of high technologies, which mostly purchase equipment at the fair. The event is also an opportunity for the companies to promote their own goods," Chizhikov said.

The upcoming Canton Fair will be special for Ukraine as many Ukrainian food-making companies will attend the fair, he added.

Launched in 1957 by the Chinese government, the Canton Fair is held in the spring and autumn seasons each year. Being China's largest trade fair, the exhibition is widely seen as a barometer of China's trade.

During its 121st session from April 15 to May 5, 2017, a total of 196,500 buyers from 213 countries and regions attended the Canton Fair, up by 5.9 percent from last year.

According to Ukrainian experts, the popularity of the Canton Fair among Ukrainian businessmen is also rising with each coming year due to the wide information campaign carried out by the fair's organizers and the increased interest of Ukrainian entrepreneurs in doing business with China.

Georgy Gubskiy, deputy director of Fialan Company, which since 2004 provides logistics and information assistance for Ukrainian entrepreneurs visiting the Canton Fair, said that the number of his clients has increased in the recent years as the trade show constantly improves and innovates.

"The main positive side of the Canton Fair is that the Ukrainian businessmen can find newly-designed products at the fair, thus expanding the assortment of goods they sell," Gubskiy told Xinhua.

Ruslan Osypenko, the executive director of Chinese Commerce Association in Ukraine, described the Canton Fair as a good instrument to promote global trade. He also hailed the role of the Chinese government in combating protectionism.

"China is working to develop the multilateral trade system. At the time, when some countries close their markets or turn to bilateral trade relations, China has introduced its famous One Belt One Road Initiative, which is advancing global free trade," Osypenko said.

The 122nd Canton Fair will be held from Oct 15 to Nov 4, and about 25,000 vendors and some 200,000 buyers are expected to attend it.
Nicole and Christian McDonald entered their boys' hospital room for a final time.

In a corner room of Blythedale Children's Hospital in Valhalla, New York, Jadon and Anias had recovered for the past nine months of extensive rehabilitation after the surgery to separate the formerly conjoined twins.

The two boys captivated millions around the world when they underwent a 27-hour separation surgery in October. The twins, who were 13 months old at the time, had shared 5 centimeters by 7 centimeters of brain tissue, making the complicated surgery that much more difficult.

Jadon and Anias had known the world only from lying on their backs, and the surgery set them back to infancy in terms of speech and gross motor skills. In recovery, they learned how to use muscles they never knew they had. Just sitting up was a monumental task.

Doctors feared that Anias might never be able to use his right side. Yet in rehab, he's begun using his right hand almost as much as his left.

Their final day at Blythedale is one Nicole and Christian had dreamed of since before the surgery. The family transported their lives from small-town Illinois to New York in February 2016 to prepare for the procedure.

The boys had been in the hospital almost constantly since then, first at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore Medical Center, where the surgery took place, and then Blythedale. They turn 2 years old on Saturday.

Gone are the fears of the surgery itself. The hour-long trips to the hospital. The longing to have their family under one roof.

Nicole lifted Anias from his hospital crib. "Are you ready to go?" she asked, cradling him close to her heart.

Across the room, Christian picked up Jadon and told him that he'll soon "get to hang out at home."

"You get to ride in a minivan," he said. "You get to be a normal little boy."

The boys were placed in a double umbrella stroller. Jadon sported a white helmet with a red Velcro strap; Anias wore a helmet with a blue stripe.

Dad pushed their stroller down the hall. Mom and their 4-year-old brother, Aza, accompanied them.

It was time to go home. Finally.

'God works through people'

The McDonald home teems with activity. Nicole and Christian purchased the home in foreclosure in the spring. Nestled in New York's Orange County, with views of the Catskill Mountains, it was in need of extensive renovation.

Christian worked almost around the clock to get it ready for his boys, ripping off siding and tearing up old carpet. A few weeks ago, four guys from Texas who are affiliated with their church showed up to help. In just 2 days, they built front stairs, installed siding, replaced windows, refurbished the laundry room and renovated a bathroom.

Most important, they ran an electrical circuit to the boys' room to handle all of their specialized medical equipment. Anias will need a feeding tube, as well as a breathing machine and a suction machine to aid in his care. The family will eventually have home nurses for 16 hours a day.

Less than 24 hours before the boys' return, the split-level ranch home seemed more like the site of a renovation reality show, with Christian burning the midnight oil to complete the work. Aided by his minister and two church members, he pulled up carpet in the basement playroom and laid tiles.

On the wall, a quote from American philosopher and psychologist William James: "The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitude."

Upstairs, Nicole prepared a chili feast. She traveled back and forth between the hospital and home so much, it's rare to be able to cook dinner.

She had to fight back to tears while slicing onions. The tears, she said with a laugh, are "not from the onions." They're for the overwhelming excitement at the idea of bringing Jadon and Anias home. Earlier, she'd walked through their room. Their newly assembled cribs waited to be occupied.

"My kids have never been home separate," she said. "I'm so excited, I can hardly stand it. It feels like it's not even real. We've never been home and each held a kid. It's going to be awesome."

Christian joined her in the kitchen to reflect on the monumental journey the family has been on for the past year. He said the boys have been in hospitals for so long -- nearly 1 years, counting the months before the surgery -- that feels like, in a weird way, Jadon and Anias have been wards of the hospital and less his own children. "It's almost like I get to be a dad to them for the first time," he said.

That's not to say he's not appreciative of everything the hospitals have done, from the surgeons at Montefiore who operated on them to the staff at Blythedale who worked tirelessly to get Jadon and Anias to this point.

"I'm feeling pretty excited getting to hold my kids sitting on my couch and actually just hold one at a time," he said. "It's like I have my sons now, you know?"

The last time the boys were home, Jadon and Anias were still connected at the head. Any time their parents needed to move them, they had to carry them together in a carefully choreographed way.

The family lived in a rental home in the Bronx. Now, they have their own home. They want to push the boys in strollers to the park. They want to take them to the local pizza joint. Simply put, they just want to be a family.

"I can't wait to show them the world," Nicole said.

More than anything else, Christian said, "I'm just so excited for them. I'm sure they just want to come home and be with their family, and we want them to come home."

Both parents express gratitude for everyone who has reached out to them and prayed for their boys. Devout Christians, the parents say their faith has sustained them during this arduous journey.

"Times like this really shows us that it is God's help," Christian said. "God works through people."

Added Nicole, "This strengthened my faith. If I didn't have God in my life, I would not have made it."

A member of their church donated their minivan. Strangers generously gave more than $340,000 to the family's GoFundMe account -- money that has supported the family the past year, aided in the purchase of their home and helped pay off huge medical bills.

The journey has in no way been easy. The months since the surgery have seen both boys stave off seizures and serious infections that resulted in trips to the intensive care unit.

But the parents say they are prepared to handle whatever comes next.

"We had miracle upon miracle upon miracle happen with these children to get them to where they are now," Nicole said. "We have our children coming home."

'Motivated' boys ready to tackle the world

The boys' road to recovery was made possible thanks to the dedicated staff at Blythedale Children's Hospital. In additional to physical therapy, they received speech and occupational therapy five days a week. The boys will still return for three days of therapy a week for the foreseeable future.

Mara Abrams has worked with Jadon as his physical therapist and says his tenacity has been awe-inspiring. He loves books, he loves toys, and he loves life. She said he's learning to pull himself up on furniture and walking sideways along the furniture with a bit of help. He's nearly crawling, too.

"The first step in a wonderful life is about to happen," Abrams said. "It's just so great that the hospitalization is over."

Jadon's progression is nothing short of amazing, she said. It was difficult and intimidating when he first arrived because he'd only known life from lying on his back.

"All of a sudden, the whole world changed for him," she said. "I know it took so much time for him to visually accept that the world wasn't meant for him to lie down, that he had to come into a vertical position and figure out this is what the world looks like."

But with help, Jadon took off. "Every day, he's always been a cheerful, happy guy. He throws his arms out; he squeals with delight. He loves going to therapy. I'm just so happy they're going to have real-life experiences."

Her favorite moments are many, like the time he took a few steps toward his occupational therapist and grinned from ear to ear. Or the time he was on a tricycle working on reciprocal leg motion, and he suddenly saw his mom. "We started to go towards her. She squealed with delight, and he did. It was really wonderful."

Anias has struggled the most, both before and after the surgery. With twins joined at the head, one tends to be more dominant. In this case, Jadon was the dominant one, whose body worked overtime to keep both of them alive. Anias has struggled with breathing and other issues, compared with his brother. Anias's body also rejected the skull cap that had been placed under his skin to protect his brain, and it had to be surgically removed. He will probably undergo another surgery for a new skull cap when he is 7 years old. Until then, he will wear a protective helmet.

But Anias' gains have been tremendous too, according to his physical therapist, Maureen Carroll. Although he is a few months behind Jadon's progression, he has made giant leaps.

When Anias first came to physical therapy, Carroll said, he was scared of people and using only his left side. Now, he's kicking both feet and routinely using his right hand to stick his foot in his mouth. He's become social with his twin and older brother.

Anias, who eats via a feeding tube, is 4 pounds heavier than Jadon now, weighing in at 28 pounds.

"He wants to play. He wants to move -- and that's amazing," Carroll said. "The child who was afraid of people at first now wants to interact with the world. He's motivated, and that's huge."

What excites her the most about Anias, she said, is that "he's excited to be here, and he's excited to move."

"That's what makes my job so easy," she said. "I'm just going along for the ride. He's the one who is the hero and the miracle."

Making the family whole

The silver minivan pulled up to their home early Friday evening. Mom and Dad got out and prepared for the big moment. On the hourlong ride home, Jadon played with a ball while big brother Aza jabbered for much of the time. Both boys laughed and laughed. Anias was oblivious, asleep in his seat.

The family dogs, Taz and Tyson, greeted the minivan to inspect the new arrivals. Taz, a tiny Maltese/toy poodle mix, leaped into the back of the minivan and sniffed around. His tail wagged at the sight of the two boys.

Nicole gingerly carried Anias up the front stairs. Christian fetched Jadon and, on their way up the steps, pointed out his renovation handiwork to his son: new siding, stairs and windows.

"I put you in a new window, Jadon, so you can have a clear view," he said. "This is it. This is your home."

Soon, the home buzzed with the hectic life of raising three boys under the age of 5. Aza ran about. Taz began barking. The environment was completely new to the twins.

Jadon trembled and cried every time Taz barked. The night before, the parents had talked of how they longed to sit with the boys on the couch.

With Jadon screaming, Nicole took a seat on the living room couch and held him. "This is your home," she whispered. "Don't be scared."

His tears abated.

A few hours later, Anias fell asleep first. Jadon soon followed. Both boys were asleep in their home.

As much as Nicole and Christian dreamed of the moment, they said, it was even better than they imagined.

Their family was whole again.
A worker walks past s Boeing 737 MAX-9 under construction at its production facility in Renton, Washington. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinese airlines are predicted to purchase 7,240 airplanes valued at $1.1 trillion over the next 20 years, according to Boeing's annual China Current Market Outlook released in Beijing on Wednesday.

Total airplane demand rose 6.3 percent over last year's forecast, the plane manufacturer revealed at a media briefing.

"China's continuous economic growth, significant investment in infrastructure, growing middle class and evolving airline business models support this long-term outlook," said Randy Tinseth, vice-president of marketing at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

"China's fleet size is expected to grow at a pace well in excess of the global average, and almost 20 percent of global new airplane demand will be from airlines based in China."

Boeing said the single-aisle airplanes are likely to continue to be the foundation of domestic and regional fleets in China, forecasting the need for 5,420 new single-aisle airplanes through 2036, accounting for 75 percent of total new deliveries.

The prediction arose from last year's prediction of demand for 5,110 new single-aisle airplanes through 2035.

Full-service airlines and low-cost carriers have been adding new single-aisle airplanes and expanding new point-to-point services to cater for both leisure and business travel demand in China and throughout Asia, it said.

Boeing also forecast that the nation's wide body fleet will require 1,670 new airplanes over the next 20 years and airlines will continue to shift to small and medium-wide body airplanes for long-haul expansion and flexibility.

The continuing growth of China's middle class, together with relaxed visa policies offered by some foreign countries, and a wide range of wide body airplanes with new technologies, capabilities and efficiencies, makes Boeing optimistic about the future of China's long-haul market, Tinseth said.

"China's outbound travel market continues its rapid growth toward 200 million passengers annually," he said.

"With new technologies, superior capabilities and advanced efficiency, the 787 and 777X families will play a key role in supporting the growth of China's long-haul market."
A China Telecom stand at an information industry expo in Nanjing, Jiangsu province. [Photo/China Daily]

China Telecommunications Corp, the country's third-largest telecom carrier by mobile subscribers, said on Wednesday that it would open its user account resources by enabling internet companies to tap into its vast user base.

The move is part of the State-owned company's broad effort to seek closer cooperation with internet players, after its rival China United Network Communications Group Co Ltd attracted private investors in its $11.7 billion ownership reform plan.

China Telecom said users currently need to go through a number of steps such as inputting passwords or receiving a verification code in short messages before they log into internet companies' apps. Such methods are inconvenient and expose users to cyber theft or phone fraud.

Lyu Pin, deputy general manager of the marketing department at China Telecom, said to solve the problem, the company has opened its account resources to dozens of internet companies, including Jinri Toutiao, a leading news aggregator app, Sina Weibo, a popular microblog platform, Alipay, the mobile payment app, and smartphone vendor Xiaomi Corp.

When China Telecom mobile subscribers log into the apps owned by the above internet companies, their identities will be automatically recognized, reducing the trouble of typing in passwords and other steps.

As of June, China Telecom had 230 million mobile subscribers. It is locked in fierce competitions with China Unicom and China Mobile Ltd.

In August, China Unicom said it would raise funds from more than a dozen major investors with 35.19 percent of its shares, including Tencent Holdings Ltd, Baidu Inc, and Alibaba, in the hope of revitalizing its business with private money.

Xiang Ligang, chief executive of telecom industry website Cctime, said telecom carriers are facing big pressure in the mobile internet age as internet companies see robust growth.

"The move to open its user base will not only bring convenience to consumers, but also help internet players reduce operating costs. Moreover, it will enable China Telecom to develop more internet services such as binding its account resources to mobile payment options," Xiang said.

In May, China Telecom signed a deal with Xiaomi to cooperate in fields such as smart home, e-commerce, internet finance and sales of consumer electronics.

Fu Liang, an independent telecom expert, said telecom carriers and internet companies will have closer cooperation in the future, as their businesses are highly complementary, with the former owning core network resources, such as servers and bandwidth, and the latter being known for their innovative capabilities.
Fans of rock band Black Panther hold vacuum insulated bottles, the same product used by Zhao Mingyi, the drummer with the iconic band, during its performance on Saturday in Beijing. [Lan Jing/for China Daily]

A picture showing Zhao Mingyi, the drummer with the iconic Chinese rock band Black Panther, holding a vacuum insulated bottle has not only been widely spread online but also unexpectedly aroused consumers' interest in the bottle.

The picture, which first appeared on Zhao's personal Twitter-like Sina Weibo account on Aug 17, showing him looking into a black vacuum insulated bottle, received over 10 million views within 24 hours. Netizens felt nostalgic because the once skinny, rebellious and pioneering idol has become a grey-haired, fat middle-aged man who loves to drink warm jasmine tea.

Vacuum insulated bottles are extremely popular among Chinese consumers, especially the elderly, as they need to drink warm water wherever they go. It is widely believed by the Chinese that warm water is better for the health and that cold drinks are harmful.

Wang Li, sales manager of Yong Kang Jinfa Bottles, said that Zhao's vacuum insulated bottle is the most heatedly discussed topic among the industry's practitioners in the city.

"Middle aged and senior people have traditionally been the main consumers. But now the younger generation has emerged as the most promising group, and has even bigger market potential," said Wang, whose company has been producing vacuum bottles for 10 years.

Consumers have shown a great interest in the bottle. According to Tmall, a major online outlet of e-commerce juggernaut Alibaba, search traffic for vacuum insulation bottles jumped instantly after Zhao's picture became a hit online. Young consumers under the age of 30 accounted for 63 percent of the people searching for vacuum bottles on Tmall.

Vacuum bottle maker Tiger even sought cooperation with Black Panther by launching Black Panther branded bottles on Tmall, with a panther on the bottle. Each bottle is priced at 299 yuan ($45). The bottles will start delivery on Nov 5.

Zhao Mingyi, the drummer with the iconic Chinese rock band Black Panther, holds a vacuum insulated bottle. [Photo from Zhao Mingyi's Sina Weibo]

Another leading e-commerce platform Suning said that the search traffic and sales jumped 50 percent and 30 percent respectively since the spread of Zhao's picture. People born after 1985 and even those born in the 1990s were the major consumers.

Amazon China said that the sales of imported vacuum bottles increased 30 percent year-on-year in the past few months. The surge has been even more noticeable since April, with sales of Japanese brands jumping ten-fold.

Wang, from Jinfa, said that younger consumers have demonstrated a similar interest in vacuum insulations as the senior ones, although the younger generation might use the bottle to store cold beverages.

"Therefore, we have started this year to distribute on major e-commerce platforms to attract more younger consumers," she said.

Yongkang in East China's Zhejiang province, where Jinfa is headquartered, is a major vacuum bottle production base in the country. It is home to 200 bottle manufacturing companies, providing jobs to 100,000 people, according to the local statistics bureau. A total of 450 million vacuum bottles were produced last year, taking up 70 percent of the total production volume in China.

The output of the vacuum bottle industry amounted to 15 billion yuan in 2016. Apart from some local brands, a large number of the firms are original equipment manufacturer for world leading brands such as Tiger, Thermos and Zojirushi.

Yongkang-based Haers has also introduced new product lines to attract younger consumers. The Nonoo series is one such example.

"The younger generation have a greater interest in the bottles' design," said Yu Renfang, brand manager of Nonoo. "So we have to make them more fashionable and even add some elements of technology to the bottles."

Inspired by the social network craze, the flyer for Black Panther's concert held on Sept 2 in Beijing pictured the five middle-aged musicians peeking into a small vacuum bottle. Japanese vacuum bottle maker Tiger sponsored the concert, as Zhao was holding their product in the picture which went viral.
A passenger waits for his flight at Beijing Capital International Airport. [Photo/Xinhua]

Beijing Capital International Airport reports earnings rose by 40 percent

Beijing Capital International Airport Co Ltd has seen significant revenue growth from its non-aviation income, thanks to the booming business of duty-free stores, driven by a constantly growing number of international travelers and their strong spending power.

In the first half of this year, the airport netted sales revenues of 4.61 billion yuan ($700 million), an 8.8 percent increase year-on-year. Of that total, non-aviation income reached 2.16 billion yuan, jumping 13.5 percent over the previous period, according to its latest earnings report.

The airport said in its report that income growth of the non-aviation sector mainly comes from the growth of duty-free retailing business. In addition, income from advertising and catering has also helped to boost the airport's revenue growth. The increasing number of international travelers has resulted in the launch of more brands and stores, it said.

This year, the Chinese government started to allow airports to run open tenders for duty-free concessions. By June 30, the tender result released and showed that China Duty Free Group won the bid of running duty-free stores at the airport's Terminal 2, and Sunrise Duty Free won the bid of Terminal 3. Both companies will get the management rights for eight years.

Under the new agreements, duty-free operators at Beijing airport will share about half of their sales revenues with the airport operator, compared with 20 percent earlier.

"With the constant increase of Chinese tourists who travel abroad, it's very necessary to launch more duty-free stores at those airports in major and second-tier cities," said Zhu Weilong, an analyst at Kent Ridge Consulting.

"Those consumers who fly abroad and fly back have the shopping demand and abilities. There is a significant growth potential of the duty-free business at the airports in China."

By 2020, the number of outbound travelers is expected to exceed 200 million, surging 63.9 percent over 2016, according to the forecast of China National Tourism Administration.

Meanwhile, the Hong Kong-listed Beijing Capital International Airport achieved net profits of 1.26 billion yuan in the first half, surging 39.6 percent year-on-year.

Japan's Daiwa Institute of Research Group said in its report that Beijing Capital International Airport performed outstandingly in the first half year. For the full year, it has raised its forecast of the earnings per share for 12 to 13 percent.

For 2019, Daiwa cut its forecast of the earnings per share for 8 percent, as it expects the new Beijing airport facility is likely to have an impact on the performance of the old capital airport.

In the first half of 2017, 291,431 flights took off and landed at Beijing Capital International Airport, a 2.11 percent dip year-on-year. During the period, the passenger throughput reached 46,626,794, edging up 2.28 percent over the previous period.
[Photo/VCG]

Red tape cut by State Council meeting led by Premier Li Keqiang

China will keep streamlining administration approvals and reducing red tape to improve its business environment, a State Council executive meeting chaired by Premier Li Keqiang decided on Wednesday.

The government will expand a pilot reform in Shanghai's Pudong New Area to simplify obtaining a business license by separating it from administrative approvals involving 116 approval items. The reform will be expanded to 10 free trade zones across the country. Provincial governments are authorized to extend the measures to eligible national-level new areas.

A priority is to consolidate or standardize the applications for various approvals, with many of them canceled outright, while some others were turned into record-keeping duties or agreements to fulfill commitments.

The government will improve transparency and predictability of policies, and provide standardized services, and make sure enterprises file records and fulfill their promises in accord with industry standards.

"Cutting red tape, enhancing compliance supervision and improving government services are major measures to transform the government function and advance supply-side structural reform. This government has prioritized reform on approvals and the business registration system, which in essence is to develop a fair and unprejudiced market environment. Facts show that our efforts are paying off," Li said.

Along with the latest measures, the government has cut administrative approvals by 697 items since 2013.

The country had 2.91 million newly registered businesses in the first half of 2017, up by 11.1 percent year-on-year, according to the State Administration for Industry and Commerce.

The meeting participants also decided to step up oversight during the pilot reform process, including more spot checks, self-inspection by associations and use of credit ratings to enhance compliance oversight. Sharing of basic information by government departments on residents, enterprises and social organizations will be boosted to avoid unnecessary submissions and screening redundancies.

"Government departments must be open-minded. Approval procedures are necessary, but they are not a panacea, especially in terms of compliance oversight. We should keep working on the application of the principle, which is that the responsibility for oversight rests with those who issue the approval and those who are in charge," Li said.

To further spur market vitality and boost entrepreneurship and innovation, participants decided on the cancellation of 52 administrative approvals by central government departments. The approvals are mostly about employment, entrepreneurship, investment and doing business.

Some are unnecessary, given the mature market, which can self-regulate. This enables government departments to concentrate on developing standards and doing compliance oversight. Some approvals overlap.

The meeting also decided to cancel 22 administrative approvals, delegated by central government departments to lower levels of government, most of which pertain to enterprise operation, innovation and entrepreneurship.

"We need to take concrete measures to ensure the reform measures are implemented in full, create a fair and unprejudiced environment, and benefit the life of the public, their entrepreneurship endeavors and the operations of businesses," Li said.
BEIJING - China's ban on Initial Coin Offerings (ICOs), a digital coin fundraising scheme, was only part of a broader campaign to curb the country's financial risks.

In an announcement Monday, China's central bank ordered a complete halt on new ICO offerings, in which technology start-ups issue their own digital coins, or "tokens," to investors to access funds.

"ICOs, in essence, are a type of unauthorized and illegal public fundraising that is suspected of being related to criminal activities such as financial fraud and pyramid schemes," the People's Bank of China (PBOC) said.

It was "normal" for the rapid development of ICOs to draw the attention of regulators, and when retail investors, many of whom are amateurs, have become investors, it's time for regulators to step in, Sheng Songcheng, an advisor to the PBOC, told financial magazine Yicai.

China's regulators have been responding in a timely manner to address risks arising from technology-based finance while maintaining a delicate balance to encourage real innovation.

While the boom of ICOs has helped tech companies access much-needed funds for development, it has also created fertile ground for scammers.

"Deceitful projects will not only bring many risks to investors, but lead to complaints by serious startups in the blockchain business. As a result, bad money drives out good," Sheng said.

To keep the "good money" on the table, China launched what analysts called a "regulatory windstorm" starting from the end of last year, with major financial regulatory bodies rolling out policies to identify and punish all kinds of illegal activities.

In April, amid complaints about reckless speculations on financial markets, the China Banking Regulatory Commission (CBRC) outlined 10 detailed fields for strengthened risk control, including traditional sectors such as credit, liquidity, real estate and local government debt as well as non-traditional areas such as Internet finance.

Similar to ICOs, peer-to-peer (P2P) lending served as an Internet-based alternative for companies and individuals to borrow money. As the P2P industry took off in recent years, it also made room for high-profile fraud, which prompted regulators to act fast.

In a report released in August, the PBOC said it will explore methods to include "relatively large Internet finance businesses of systemic importance" in its macro prudential assessment (MPA), a risk review framework covering checks of loans and other assets.

Other regulatory upgrades included the introduction of a new committee on financial stability and development, announced during a two-day National Financial Work Conference in July.

With responsibilities such as coordinating financial policies and drafting rules to fill regulatory gaps, the committee is expected to address the regulation challenges brought by increasingly complicated financial services, analysts said.

There seems to be no sign that regulators will loosen their stance on financial violations. Recent data compiled by news site The Paper showed that the CBRC had handed out more fines in terms of value in August compared with July, mainly targeting unauthorized loan issues.

The China Insurance Regulatory Commission recently asked insurance firms to report typical cases and data on new types of fraud in order to further contain risks.

In terms of digital currency, the regulators should implement stricter rules punishing those that conduct illegal activities using virtual currencies, Sheng said.

Even if financial innovations finally lead to a world with digital currencies or even a "cashless society," the central bank should dominate the change, Sheng said.
YINCHUAN - According to Abdulrahman Al-Basri, very few Chinese companies worked on contract in Saudi Arabia 10 years ago. Today, Chinese workers are everywhere.

From skyscrapers to oil rigs, Chinese companies in Saudi Arabia work swiftly and cost-effectively.

"We would welcome more engineering companies from China, as well as IT and others," Al-Basri, vice president of SABIC, a Riyadh-based chemical company, said Wednesday at the business session of the ongoing China-Arab States Expo in northwest China.

The corporate executive is far from the only one encouraged by closer China-Arab ties at the gathering in Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.

Running till Saturday, the four-day expo has assembled executives from over 1,000 companies and nearly 5,000 exhibitors from 31 industries ranging from transportation to big data, along with government representatives and academics. The event has been held three times since 2013, the year the Belt and Road Initiative was proposed.

Economic ties between the two sides were steady, but the Belt and Road Initiative shifted cooperation into another gear.

The expo is important to expanding cooperation, Kamal Hassan Ali, assistant secretary general for economic affairs of the Arab League, told the opening gathering.

A total of 321 deals in science and technology, finance, energy, agriculture, health, tourism, culture and education were made during previous events, with total contract worth $10 billions.

China-Arab trade reached $171 billion in 2016, and agreements on projects worth $40 billion were signed between the two sides, up 40.8 percent from 2015. China's non-financial direct investment in Arab countries surged 74.9 percent.

At the junction of the Belt and Road that spans across Eurasia, Arab countries are eager to revitalize ancient trade routes, Egyptian Trade and Industry Minister Tarek Kabil said.

Six Arab states signed agreements with China on the Belt and Road and seven are founding members of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank. Joint infrastructure projects were worth $46 billion last year.

"The Belt and Road has created new opportunities and offers a better business environment for both Chinese and Arab companies," said Ding Hongxiang, vice president of China National Machinery Industry Corporation (Sinomach), a Fortune 500 company.

Entering Arab markets more than 30 years ago, Sinomach has a solid presence there, with infrastructure projects ranging from power plants to schools and hospitals. Projects valued at $3.8 billion are still in progress.

Chinese firms have channeled investment and production capacity that is badly needed for the industrialization of Middle East, Kabil said.

"We hope to attract Chinese businesses to build industrial parks... to help the development of textile, furniture, electronics and chemical industries," Kabil said, promising favorable measures including tax breaks and shortened approval procedures.
HANGZHOU - China and Mexico have tremendous cooperation potential in the e-commerce sector, said Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto during his first visit to Alibaba headquarters in Hangzhou in East China's Zhejiang province Wednesday.

Pena Nieto came to Hangzhou from Xiamen, where he attended the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries. He said many small and medium-sized firms have benefited from Alibaba's e-commerce platform and he hoped more companies in Mexico can cooperate with Chinese e-commerce companies in the future.

"The digital economy has made it possible for small and medium-sized enterprises to participate in global trade. As an open country, Mexico believes in globalization and hopes to strengthen our competitiveness and productivity by opening our windows wider," he said.

More than 200,000 Mexican companies have registered on Alibaba's various platforms, according to Jack Ma, Alibaba's founder and chairman.

Ma said his company will help small businesses and young entrepreneurs in the near future.

"We should pay more attention to young people under 30 and companies with less than 30 employees," he said.

Trade between Mexico and China has grown rapidly in recent years. China is Mexico's second-biggest trade partner, while Mexico has been expanding its exports of agricultural products to China. The country currently exports more than 20 kinds of produce to China, including avocados, pork, beef, berries, and tequila.

During this visit of Pena Nieto, Mexico signed a memorandum of understanding with Alibaba, which expects the Chinese Internet giant to create more business opportunities for Mexican companies.

"We are pushing forward a nationwide technological upgrading so that most Mexicans can have access to high-speed broadband services by 2024," said Pena Nieto. "And we hope Alibaba can bring Mexican products to more places."

Guo Cunhai, a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said help from Alibaba will greatly boost the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises in Mexico to tap the international market.
Aircraft parked at Changsha Huanghua International Airport in Central China's Hunan province, April 2, 2016 [Photo/VCG]

SYDNEY - One of China's leading airlines, China Eastern Airlines, announced Thursday it will begin a daily flight from Shanghai to the Australian city of Brisbane in the state of Queensland.

The new service is expected to see 120,000 additional visitors over the next four years coming to Australia, and Premier of Queensland Annastacia Palaszczuk said it will allow even more Chinese tourists to have "access to our best destinations."

"China is Queensland's most valuable and fastest growing international market," Palaszczuk told state parliament on Thursday.

"We know that securing additional international flights to Queensland is the best way to grow tourism."

Queensland Tourism Minister Kate Jones was excited about the new flights, and said in a statement obtained by Xinhua that this was part of an Australia-wide collaboration between stakeholders to further welcome guests from China.

"It will offer Chinese travellers easier access to many of our iconic destinations known for their world-class beauty, natural environments, unique experiences and world-class events," Jones said.

With nearly 120 million outbound Chinese travellers in 2016, Tian Liuwen, executive vice president of China Eastern Airlines, said that these new flights will be able to further serve these tourists, with more seeking to come to Australia than ever before.

"We also believe that China Eastern Airlines will open up new opportunities for economic and cultural exchange not only between Shanghai and Queensland, but also between China and Australia," Tian said.
China has completed the construction of the hull of the world's first deep ocean mining vessel, according to a report by The Times.

The 227-meter boat, upon completion, will be capable of working at depths of 2.5 km, carrying 45,000 tons of ore and staying at sea for more than five years at a time.

The Times said officials at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding confirmed that the boat was on schedule to be completed and handed over to Canada-based Nautilus Minerals by 2018 to be used for mining operations off Papua New Guinea.

The company would not provide further details, the Times said, citing a news report in the local Fujian Evening News that the ship would be equipped with mining equipment, underwater robots, deck cranes and helicopter pads.

China has abundant mineral resources in the ocean, requiring deep sea technologies to excavate. The Times cited a report from the Ministry of Land and Resources that there are 88 billion tons of rare earth materials, a billion tons of cobalt, and three trillion tons of polymetallic nodules under the sea floor.
Elbridge Supervisor's Ken Bush Jr.'s bid for a seat on the Onondaga County Legislature got a boost Wednesday when he was added back to the Republican primary ballot.

The state Appellate Division's Fourth Department reversed a lower court ruling that had ordered Bush to be removed from the Sept. 12 GOP primary ballot for the District 13 seat against incumbent Derek Shepard Jr. of Baldwinsville.

Shepard had challenged Bush's designating petition signatures, arguing that a number of them were invalid in part because, on one page of the petition, a woman had signed on behalf of her ailing husband.

The appeals court determined that even if the signature by the woman, who had power of attorney to sign for husband, was deemed invalid, that should not have invalidated other signatures on the same page, as the lower court had determined.

The decision clears the way for Tuesday's primary. Bush is also on the Conservative Party primary ballot, with an opportunity to ballot petition allowing for write-in votes against him.

District 13 includes the towns of Camillus, Elbridge and Van Buren.

Voting takes place from noon to 9 p.m., with Elbridge voters casting ballots at the Elbridge Fire House in Elbridge and the Jordan-Elbridge Community Center in Jordan.
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Britain's only indigenous bespoke trombone manufacturer has enlisted an overseas trade company to advise on entering the Chinese market.

Rath Trombones produces around 500 of its handmade instruments a year.

Customers have included the London Philharmonic Orchestra, the Royal Military School of Music, the Count Basie Orchestra, the Berlin Opera and the US and Norwegian armed forces.

The company, founded in 1992 by Mick Rath in the West Yorkshire village of Honley, is looking to boost its export business and has set its sights on China.

"The trombone market is fairly small and we need to export to keep growing," Rath said. "We cannot rely on the UK alone to sustain business. Exporting enables us to take advantage of fluctuating economies and exchange rates."

The company currently generates around 60 percent of sales from overseas orders. It has sold instruments in 25 countries, and works with dealers in the US, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and across Europe.

"We've been trying to get into Chinaa large and increasingly wealthy market with good arts fundingfor some time," Rath said.

China's musical instrument market surpassed the US in 2012 to become the largest in the world, with domestic production and sales totaling $6.2 billion and imports worth $300 million.

"A lack of understanding of Chinese business culture, which is very different to ours, is holding us back," Rath said.

Rath estimates that orders from the Chinese market could boost sales by as much as 25 percent. He has enlisted the help of Bradford-based export-import service Chamber International to help gain a better understanding of Chinese business culture.

"Every country has its own culture when it comes to purchasing, and China is no exception,'' said Matthew Grandage, China affairs associate at Chamber International. "Understanding this is often the difference between success and disappointment in overseas markets."

Rath, who started playing the tuba when he was 11, works with his wife Nikki and nine other makers.

They build the trombones by hand, employing traditional techniques rarely used today.

"Visiting Rath Trombones' factory is a privilege," Grandage said. "You know you're meeting top craftsmen in their field. Professional musicians will recognize and value that quality as it transcends international boundaries."

"Ours are high-quality instruments made by British craftspeople," Rath said."The fact that a modular design enables customers to interchange components to ensure a perfect instrument for most trombone players gives us wide appeal to players and dealers overseas."
FRANKFURTLilium has raised a second $90 million round of financing from top tech investors as it moves ahead to develop a five-seater "flying taxi".

The German start-up has Silicon Valley-scale ambitions and is one of the best-funded electric aircraft projects to date after attracting the attention of Tencent Holdings Ltd.

Last year, Lilium received $11.4 million in funding and has emerged as one of Europe's hottest startups for attempting to solve hard physics problems for a new category of small vertical takeoff jets.

The company announced a new funding round on Tuesday, led by Chinese internet giant Tencent.

Other key investors are LGT Group, the largest family-owned investment firm in Europe; Atomico, a top European venture capital firm; and Obvious Ventures, whose co-founder, Evan Williams, was also involved in Twitter.

In April, Lilium revealed it was developing a five-seater "flying taxi" after mounting successful test flights of a twos-eater jet.

The version was capable of a mid-air transition from hover mode, like drones, to wing-borne flight, like conventional aircraft.

Wing-borne, electric-powered flight allows commuter aircraft to travel five or six times the distance of drones, Lilium stated.

A 20-kilometer trip from Manhattan to JFK Airport in New York would take as little as five minutes, the company estimated.

"The concept goes far beyond what you typically see from German startups," said Remo Gerber, the former European managing director of online taxi firm Gett, who was named Lilium's chief commercial officer last month.

Its ambitions put it more in line with companies such as Tesla Inc or Google than the e-commerce apps, which currently dominate the startup scene in Berlin.

Lilium plans to use the fresh funding to dramatically expand hiring to carry it through the next development stages of its five-seater electric jet.

This will buy it time to meet stringent regulatory approvals.

With a staff of 70, the company has roughly as many openings as current employees, and plans to scale up hiring, Gerber pointed out.

REUTERS
A hostess in a live streaming broadcast. [Photo/VCG]

China's online live streaming platforms raised more than 10 billion yuan ($1.5b) in the first half of this year, with most of the financing flowing into top players, according to a report by 21st Century Business Herald.

The report, citing data released by China Academy of Information and Communications Technology (CAICT), said an estimated 17 deals of financing, mergers and acquisitions were made by 16 online live streaming platforms in H1.

Eight of the 16 platforms finished their A round of financing in H1, raising more than 10 billion yuan in total.

Live.me, a live streaming app operated by Beijing-based Cheetah Mobile Inc, and Huya.com, a live stream platform based on the gaming community YY.com, raised $60 million and $75 million respectively in their A-round financing.

In addition, both the series B financing rounds of leading live streaming sites huajiao.com and PandaTV reached one billion yuan.

As most of the capital has flowed to the leading platforms, China's live streaming sector, which just took off at the start of last year, is becoming polarized, the report said.

The amount of live streaming platforms that operate normally plummeted by 60 percent to 116 from last year to this May.

Moreover, 97.5 percent of the total user duration was partitioned by the top 10 platforms, according to a report released by TrustData.

Huajiao.com, Inke and Yizhibo captured more than 80 percent of the time users spent on live streaming platforms.

"Investors will not inject money in small live streaming platforms, they favor mature platforms. At present, as the opportunities of overtaking have become slimmer in the sector, competitions among top players in products, operations and contents will be the next focus," an official of huajiao.com told 21st Century Business Herald.

The sector, although spurred by venture capital investment in the past, has to show its profitability to investors now.

Selling virtual gifts, membership, advertising, online retailing and cooperating with online games have become platforms' ways of cashing in.

As an example, a total of 490,000 performers working at huajiao.com earned 850 million yuan from viewers' rewards in H1, the highest in the sector, according to a report released by zhaihehe.com.

Besides commercial revenue, the live streaming platforms can also take a cut from performers' incomes.

After obtaining financing, major platforms have invested heavily in content.

"In gaming live streaming field, we plan to invest 100 million yuan in the introduction of games and supporting live streaming hosts of online games. And we will vigorously develop professional generated content," an official of huajiao.com said, 21st Century Business Herald reported.

In addition to building content, some platforms such as China's Momo and foreign market's Tinder and Houseparty, have found combining social networking with live streaming more lucrative, the report said.

However, even if they feel optimistic about the niche markets such as social networking and gaming, platforms still believe they need to build a one-stop platform to maximize the traffic and revenue.

"Currently, a one-stop comprehensive live streaming platform has yet to emerge in China's market, but it is necessarily the right path as long as you want to achieve success in internet industry," the official said.

According to a report by Huachuang Securities, China's live streaming sector is expected to be worth $15.9 billion by 2020.
A child with congenital heart disease from Afghanistan is prepared for an operation at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University in northwestern China on Saturday. The program is part of the Red Cross Society of China's humanitarian activities in countries involved in the Belt and Road Initiative. WANG JING/CHINA DAILY

Youngsters with heart conditions flown to Xinjiang for crucial treatment. Mao Weihua in Urumqi and Cui Jia in Beijing report.

Doctors in northwestern China have performed lifesaving surgeries on 17 Afghan children with congenital heart disease, the first of many expected to receive help through an ongoing Red Cross program.

It comes after a Chinese medical team visited Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, late last month to prepare desperately ill youngsters to be flown to China for free advanced treatment.

The first group of 21 children, aged 2 to 14, arrived at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xinjiang Medical University on Aug 30. As of Monday, 17 had undergone successful operations and were recovering well, according to Zhang Haibo, head surgeon for the program.

"The first day of operations (on Friday) all went well," he said. "Doctors from across China have become a great team in the operating room."

Angiza, 2, was among four children who received surgery on Friday. It took seven doctors three hours to fix an atrial septal defect, a serious condition that can affect oxygen levels in the blood.

Other children, like Marwa, have been receiving nonsurgical treatment. The 3-year-old has an abnormal heart structure, which means she is weaker and thinner than an average child of her age. Due to complications, doctors decided that surgery was too risky.
A court in Beijing has agreed to file a case brought by a non-governmental organization against China's three major takeout meal-delivery platforms.

The Green Volunteer League of Chongqing is suing Beijing Xiaodu Information Technology (operator of Baidu's food delivery app Baidu Takeout ), Shanghai Rajax Information Technology (operator of Alibaba-backed delivery platform ele.me), and Beijing Sankuai Technology (operator of Meituan), for causing environmental pollution.

The organization claims that disposable packaging used by the three delivery companies created a huge amount of waste and was damaging to ecological systems.

The companies didn't require customers to specify the type of dishware their meals were packaged in and disposable options were the default system, which the NGO considered to be a defect in their business practices.

The lawsuit has been accepted by the No 4 Intermediate People's Court of Beijing. The case notifications have also been sent to the Beijing Municipal Bureau of Environmental Protection and the Beijing Administration of Industry and Commerce, the court said.

The Chongqing-based NGO said on its official website that it aims to protect the environment and promote the sustainable development of society. One of its major projects included the "Yangtze River Health Action" to protect the water resources, environment and biodiversity of the Yangtze and the Three Gorges Reservoir Area.
Pregnant woman's suicide sparks calls for information and availability

The suicide of a pregnant woman after her plea for a C-section was rejected has sparked a public outcry across China, with people calling for the promotion of pain-free delivery options.

Ma Rongrong, 26, who was a week from her due date, jumped from the fifth floor of an inpatient building at First Hospital of Yulin in Shaanxi province, because she was in unbearable pain and died on Thursday evening, according to a statement from the hospital.

The hospital and Yan Zhuangzhuang, Ma's husband, are now blaming each other for rejecting Ma's repeated pleas for a C-section instead of a natural birth after she was moved to a delivery room on Thursday.

Before Ma was admitted, she and her husband had insisted on a natural birth, the hospital said.

Li Ruiqin, Ma's doctor, was suspended after the woman's death and is cooperating with the police in their investigation, an unnamed official at the hospital was quoted as saying by ThePaper.cn on Tuesday.

On Wednesday, the incident became one of the hottest topics on Sina Weibo, with more than 56 million views.

A netizen who gave birth a month ago said in a comment that she, too, felt unbearable pain in the delivery room and asked for a pain-free vaginal deliverywith primary anesthesia delivered via the spinal cordbut was rejected by her doctor. She had to settle for an injection to stop the pain.

Song Xingrong, director of the anesthesia department at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center, said natural childbirth may bring the most acute pain a Chinese woman will experience in life.

Most births in China are naturalwith no pain interventionor C-sections, which are generally painless because of techniques such as epidural and spinal anesthesia.

Pain-free vaginal deliveries, which may rely on a combination of spinal and local anesthesia, account for less than 5 percent of all deliveries in China. In Guangdong province they account for about 10 percent of deliveries, Song said.

Painless labora vaginal delivery aided by an epidural or spinal painkilleris safe for both mother and child, he said.

"A major factor that discourages hospitals from providing painless labor is that it is not covered by basic medical insurance programs in China," he said.

"Many people in China have not heard of painless vaginal labor because of lack of promotion. Only 20 percent of pregnant women who come to our hospital are aware of it," he said.

In the United States, 85 percent of vaginal births are painfree, Song said. In Beijing, it's less than 30 percent, he said.

Yue Hongli, an anesthesiologist at Beijing Tiantan Hospital, said not all pregnant women are good candidates for pain-free labor, including those with serious lung or heart disease, or who cannot give birth naturallyin which case a C-section is required.
A middle school teacher from Hefei, Anhui province, was suspended and given an administrative warning after being videotaped slapping 38 students in the face, according to the local education authority.

The teacher has apologized to the victims and their families, but the local education bureau and the provincial education department are still investigating.

On Sept 1, a student in a Grade 8 class in suburban Changfeng county secretly filmed the scene where his teacher, Zhang Haitao, stood at the front of the class and slapped the students in the face one by one when they failed to recite some ancient poems as required. The video went viral online soon after.

Most students' parents refused to accept the teacher's apology.

"My granddaughter, who was slapped by the teacher, is too young to dare tell me about her terrifying experience," said Sun Suying, a grandmother of one of the students. "When I heard about it and asked her to open her mouth, I saw her teeth bleeding."

One student in Zhang's class said he was frightened that day and was ashamed to be slapped in front of the class.

Zhang once taught in a middle school in a rural area and was known for his good teaching performance. He started teaching at the middle school in Changfeng this fall.

Sun Tao, the school's principal, said he was shocked to learn about the slapping.

"Zhang has many years of teaching experience. He should have known this was unacceptable," Sun said.

Gao Yucun, a teacher from Changfeng county, said the county's education bureau stresses every year that such punishments are prohibited.

"In any case, the personality of adolescents is significantly impacted by their teachers' behavior," said Yan Wansen, associate professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences' Institute of Psychology.

"Any impetuous action or violence may harm students' mental health. Being slapped in public is definitely an abuse and may even lead to melancholia, which may need counseling and psychotherapy to relieve the psychic trauma."

Cao Chen and Zhu Lixin contributed to this story.
China's success in fighting desertification, or soil loss, is a model that can be replicated in other parts of the world, delegates to a United Nations conference said on Wednesday.

"The achievements of China are very encouraging because many of the successful projects are launched in the country's poorest areas with low technology," said Monique Barbut, secretary-general of the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification.

"China's examples are comparable to other situations in the world, and we could introduce them somewhere else."

The UNCCD opened a conference in Ordos, the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, on Wednesday, which is expected to establish a strategic framework on land degradation for 2018-30.

Erik Solheim, deputy secretary-general of the UN and executive director of the UN Environment Programme, also spoke highly of Ordos' commitment to the greening of the vast Kubuqi Desert, saying its experience in developing ecological economies in desert conditions is invaluable for other regions and countries facing desertification.

He encouraged other regions and countries that are ravaged by sand and dust - Africa, the Middle East and Latin America - to adopt Ordos' Kubuqi model.

In 2002, China became the first country to issue a law on the prevention and control of desertification. It has also carried out projects to curb desertification, including the Three-North Shelter Forest Program and the Beijing-Tianjin Sand Source Control Project.

According to the State Forestry Administration, the area of desertified land in the country shrank by an average 1,980 square kilometers annually from 2010 to 2014.

Inner Mongolia, which is covered by large areas of sand, accounts for 23 percent of China's desertified land. However, forest coverage increased by more than a percentage point to 21 percent last year, according a national forest resources survey.

The region now tops the country with 248,667 sq km of forests, an increase of 12,015 sq km since the previous national survey was released in 2014. By 2020, about 40 percent of the region's sandy land will be improved, and wetlands are expected to exceed 60,000 sq km, according to the administration.

"We have always given top priority to the prevention and control of desertification and the improvement of the environment, because they are the key to sustainable development," said Bu Xiaolin, chairwoman of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region.

She said that the local government has established 182 natural reserves, three global geoparks, along with 100 national-level forest parks, wetland parks and geoparks. It also has been optimizing ecological forestry development by planting Scots pine trees in Hulunbuir, Horqin and the Maowusu Desert.
Medical personnel at Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, treat a boy for food poisoning on Wednesday. [Photo by WANG JIAN/CHINA DAILY]

Tainted food sickened 120 children in three kindergartens in Nanchang, Jiangxi province, on Tuesday, and the causewhich some believe was cakeis under investigation, the city's education authority said on Wednesday.

As of 11:30 pm Tuesday, 120 children had been diagnosed with food poisoning at Jiangxi Provincial Children's Hospital. Of those, 36 were hospitalized, 62 were held for observation and 22 who had mild symptoms were sent home after treatment.

Symptoms included vomiting, dizziness and abdominal pain, but no fever.

Feng Shengzhe, a 3-year-old boy, was among the sick children. His father, who declined to give his name, said the boy ate a cake on Tuesday afternoon at the kindergarten and started vomiting at around 5 pm before dinner.

"More than 40 children in my son's kindergarten ate the cake, and 10 began vomiting," the father said.

Lian Qinchen, another hospitalized 3-year-old boy, who came from another kindergarten, also started vomiting at around 5 pm on Tuesday after eating a cake at the kindergarten, his mother said.

By 4 pm Tuesday, no new cases had showed up, but 32 children remained hospitalized for treatment, according to a statement released by the provincial health authorities.

The city's health and education departments said they are working with the police as well as local food and drug authorities to investigate the incident. Parents suspected the problem was tainted cakes from the same producer.

"The kindergarten has been buying cakes from a shop which they think are very good," Feng Shengzhe's father said. "I really worry about it, and I will take my son out of the kindergarten when he recovers."

He added that the family will seek compensation from the kindergarten, including medical fees and his loss of income incurred by missing work.

Lian's mother said the kindergarten should increase its awareness of food safety.

Zhang Yi contributed to this story.
JORDAN  The Jordan-Elbridge school board approved a tentative agreement between the district superintendent and the Jordan-Elbridge Teachers' Association Wednesday night.

The board green-lit the agreement at its meeting at Jordan-Elbridge Middle School. The motion passed 6-1; board member Michael Jorolemon cast the dissenting vote.

Salaries for returning unit staff members will increase by 2.8 percent each year for the next three years, according to the agreement.

Starting salaries for teachers will see 1.4 percent boosts each year from the 2017-2018 school year to 2019-20. Superintendent Jim Froio said, however, that since starting salaries are given to teachers without a master's degree and no teaching experience, the district rarely has teachers with those salaries. He said he believes only one teacher this year will have a starting salary.

Froio said the teachers' association voted on and approved the agreement Tuesday, and the agreement is set to last for three years. The previous agreement expired at the end of the last school year, he said.

The superintendent also said he is pleased by the rise in returning salaries for the district's registered nurses for the next three years. The growth will be 5.25 percent for 2017-2018, then 5.50 percent for 2018-2019 and 5.75 percent for 2019-2020.

He said the district has three registered nurses, one for each school. He said the nurses don't command the kind of salary the teachers do and that while it's less than what a nurse would make in a hospital, he believes it's a step in the right direction.

Froio said the teachers' association proposed the increase for nurses and that he was happy to see that included.

He also said there have been no changes to teachers' contribution to health insurance.

Jorolemon said he voted against the agreement because he wanted to serve as a voice for community members who are on fixed incomes, who haven't received raises, who are on Social Security and otherwise won't receive those kinds of salary increases. He said he has tremendous respect for the district's teachers and their work.
Shen Yiqin, former deputy Party chief of Guizhou province, was appointed vice-governor and acting governor of the southwestern province on Wednesday.

The decision was announced during a meeting of the 12th Standing Committee of the Guizhou provincial People's Congress in Guiyang. The meeting also accepted the resignation of former governor Sun Zhigang.

Sun was appointed as the province's Party chief in July. His predecessor, Chen Miner, was moved to Chongqing as Party chief.

Shen, 57, was born in Zhijin county, Guizhou province. She graduated from Guizhou University in 1982. She majored in history.

A member of the Bai ethnic group, Shen had spent most of her career in Guizhou.

In December 2001, she was named deputy Party chief of Qiannan prefecture in Guizhou, and in 2003 became deputy Party chief of Tongren city.

In 2007, she was named publicity chief of Guizhou and a member of the Standing Committee of the Guizhou Committee of the CPC. She was named vice-governor in 2012 and deputy Party chief in 2015.

Guizhou, one of the least-developed provinces in China, has been developing quickly in the last three years. GDP reached 1 trillion yuan ($153 billion) in 2015 and has kept growing since.

Shen is expected to be appointed governor by the plenary session provincial People's Congress.
The luxury cars including Maserati, Ferrari and Porsche.[Photo/VCG]

Twenty luxury cars, including Maserati, Ferrari and Porsche, were parked at the campus of Wuchang Polytechnic College in Hubei province to welcome its freshmen, Changjiang Daily reported on Wednesday.

The cars, worth more than 10 million yuan ($1.53 million), were bought by the college for field training of the students enrolled in vehicle detection and auto maintenance major, nicknamed "luxury cars class", this year.

Liu Yuanjin, in charge of the class, said, "Students can have in-depth knowledge of the engine and installed devices by dismantling and assembling the vehicle parts".

"Vehicle detection and breakdown services do require strong knowledge, so the college has built a 4,600-square-meter training center for high-end car brands to enhance their skills," added Liu.

It is the second year of the "luxury cars class" with 80 students admitted this year. Sixty students enrolled last year have received offers from top car services suppliers in Zhejiang, Jiangsu and Hubei provinces.
China's top health authority has called for a thorough investigation into the suicide a pregnant woman who was denied a Caesarean section in Yulin, Shaanxi province.

Ma Rongrong, 26, jumped to her death from the fifth floor of the First Hospital of Yulin on Aug 31. She had visited the hospital to give birth and was complaining of unbearable labor pains.

"We are highly concerned with the incident and have ordered local health authorities to carefully investigate the case," Song Shuli, a spokeswoman for the National Health and Family Planning Commission, said on Thursday.

She also expressed her deep condolences to the woman's family for their loss, and indicated that anyone found guilty of malpractice will be severely punished.

The family and hospital have clashed over what led to Ma's death.

The hospital said its doctors suggested Ma have a C-section three times, but her family refused. It has offered to release the consent form for a natural birth, the nurses' records, and screenshots from surveillance cameras.

However, a cousin of Ma's husband, surnamed Yan, was quoted by Beijing Youth Daily as saying two doctors said after examining the pregnant woman that there was no need for a C-section.

Two doctors have been suspended pending an investigation.

Wang Keju contributed to this story.
NANNING - Three people died and 24 others were injured in a bus-truck crash in southern China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region Wednesday night, local fire brigade said.

The accident occurred on a highway in Qinzhou city when a bus crashed into the rear of a truck and three people, including the bus driver and two passengers, died at the scene.

Four people are critically injured, with 20 suffering more minor injuries. All of them are treated at local hospitals.

The bus departed the China-Vietnam border county of Dongxing and was heading to the regional capital Nanning, about two hours away. It carried 27 people.

An investigation is underway.
Police have busted a criminal network of more than 410 people from a dozen gangs involved in the production and trafficking of firearms in Guangdong province, the provincial public security department announced on Thursday.

The bust was part of a special operation to crack down on a group of gun smugglers using online and express delivery networks. Police also seized various kinds of firearms, ammunition and accessories.

At the start of this year, police in Zhuhai, Foshan and Dongguan identified suspects selling powder guns, air guns and controlled knives through social networking sites based on evidence uncovered in Guangzhou and Shenzhen.

After months of investigation, police uncovered a criminal network spanning more than 20 provinces, involving the manufacture and sale of guns through a sophisticated organized system.

According to Chinese gun control laws, owning, manufacturing, selling, transporting and renting guns are all forbidden.

The Ministry of Public Security initiated a national special operation to crack down on gun-related crimes in July this year.

Xin Wen contributed to this story.
Liang Yijian (center) with two young patients. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Doctor Liang Yijian returned to his office on Thursday afternoon after operating on a patient with a bent spine, only to find two other patients waiting for him.

They wanted to take a photograph with him.

"Doctor Liang is famous but very nice to patients. We believe he will improve our condition," said Feng Cheng, 24, from Anhui province, who also has a bent spine, or scoliosis.

Liang, head of the orthopedics department at Third People's Hospital of Chengdu in Sichuan province, achieved national fame in February when he was honored during CCTV's annual "Touching China" awards.

His department is recognized nationwide for its unique methods that have helped almost 1,000 scoliosis patients to walk tall again.

Scoliosis is a medical condition in which a patient's spine has a sideways curve. It can damage the heart and lungs if the curvature exceeds 100 degrees, and a bend of that much or more is difficult to treat. Three-fourths of the patients who come to see Liang suffer from a curvature of at least 130 degrees.

China has 5 million scoliosis patients.

In Liang's department, corrective measures involve inserting four metal rods into a patents torso to help straighten the back before a surgeon removes the most protruding bone without touching the spinal cord.

A scoliosis patient's height may increase dramatically after the procedure.

Wu Cailin, a farmer in Yanyuan county in Sichuan's Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture, was less than 1.3 meters tall because his spine curved nearly 120 degrees. His chest almost touched his thighs and he could only look down while walking.

After the operation, he is 1.78 meters tall and owns a rural resort in his home county. Following media reports on his life-changing story, more patients have come to Chengdu to seek help.

Another patient was a taxi driver in Wuhan, Hubei province, who was 37 years old in 2010 when he sought Liang's help.

He was embarrassed when collecting his nine-year-old son from school and would not go to the gate, instead staying in a lane near the school to prevent the boy's schoolmates from seeing him and then teasing his son.

Juveniles are ideal subjects for treatment, but many patients in the department are 20 to 30 because they live in remote, rural areas with little access to medical information.

There are 90 beds in the department that are always full.

"Some 600 patients are waiting for beds," Liang said.

Only four surgeons, including Liang, are qualified to operate. Surgery can last up to seven hours. An individual surgeon may operate on 40 patients a month.

In addition to treating those who visit the department, surgeons visit remote areas where patients lack the means to search them out.

In June, Liang stayed at the Red Cross Hospital in Xining, Qinghai province, for two days, operating on six patients. One of them suffered from a curvature of 180 degrees.

A year earlier, Liang and a colleague visited Dafang, a poverty-stricken county in Guizhou province, for two days, consulting with more than 100 scoliosis patients whose primary desire is simple: to lead a decent life.

Liang said that's what inspires him.
As the number of Chinese tourists to Antarctica soared to the No 2 ranking, experts urged the country to speed up legislation on Antarctic travel to protect the environment there as well as tourists' safety and interests.

Last year, 5,286 Chinese tourists visited the frozen continent, amounting to 12 percent of worldwide visitors there, second only to the United States with 14,566 tourists, according to the International Association of Antarctica Tour Operators.

Fewer than 800 Chinese tourists made the trip in 2010, when China was ranked behind countries such as Australia, Canada and Germany in visitor numbers.

"The size of the market for Antarctic tourism grew dramatically with people's rising interest in natural wonders, but the legislation in this respect lags behind," said Qin Weijia, director of the China Arctic and Antarctic Administration.

He said the number of Chinese tourists to Antarctica last year alone was equal to the total visits by team members participating in the country's expeditions to the Antarctic since 1984.

"Among the 29 countries that are consultative parties of the Antarctic Treaty, China, together with India, Poland and Ecuador, are the only four that have not yet made laws to specify their citizens' behavior and protect their safety when they travel to the most remote place on Earth," he said.

Yang Huigen, director of the Polar Research Institute of China, said, "The legislation may also put what President Xi Jinping said into practice  to pursue a community of shared future for mankind and to be a responsible great power."

In April, Lin Shanqing, deputy director of the State Oceanic Administration, told Xinhua News Agency that the country's legislative body had started to pay attention to the legislation on issues regarding traveling to Antarctica.

Ponant, a French cruise company, started to offer polar excursions to Chinese three years ago. Prices range from $400 to $1,250 per person per night based on different cabins for a journey ranging from 11 to 16 days.

Jean-Philippe Lemaire, a captain of a Ponant cruise liner, said the staff vacuum all the tourists' garments before they go on shore each time to minimize dust pollution.

But Wang Wenlong from Guangzhou, Guangdong province, who has taken the cruises to both poles, said tourists still need guidance on dos and don'ts and the corresponding legal liability and punishment.

"We had plenty of opportunities to encounter a large number of rarely seen animals but didn't have rules of how to interact with them without interrupting them," Wang, 41, said.

The legislation will come in handy in case of accidents or trouble happening to Chinese tourists, Qin said.

"It may stipulate a fixed coordinating mechanism after an accident occurs and give clear requirements regarding the purchase of travel insurance," he said.
A screenshot shows the documentary of Sharp Sword of Inspection.[Photo/IC]

Documentary over 5 days details cases against many key figures

A five-episode political documentary focusing on an effective anti-graft measure taken by the Communist Party of China began airing on Thursday, with many details of corrupt officials revealed for the first time.

The documentary, named Sharp Sword of Inspection, highlighted President Xi Jinping's strategy of using inspections as tools to boost clean governance amid the country's unprecedented campaign of fighting corruption.

It was jointly filmed by the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection, the country's top anti-corruption watchdog, and China Central Television. It is being aired by CCTV with one episode each day.

According to the documentary, Yu Haiyan, former vice-governor of Gansu province, cut up all his photos taken with bosses who bribed him and flushed the pieces down the toilet to destroy evidence for graft charges. It said he also dipped his cellphone in vinegar and then threw it into the Yellow River to erase his phone records with the bosses.

Nearly 20 corrupt senior officials, including Wu Changshun, former police chief of Tianjin, and Wang Min, former Party chief of Liaoning province, were interviewed in the TV series. They expressed their regrets and confessions over their misdeeds. All of the corrupt officials who appeared in the documentary were investigated after they were inspected.

"I was afraid of the inspection team, and I drained my brains to learn the activities of the inspection team," Wang said in the documentary. He was sentenced to life imprisonment last month for receiving 146 million yuan ($22.5 million) in bribes.

Inspection, or xunshi, proves to be an effective tool for fighting corruption. Among the corruption cases probed by the top anti-graft watchdog, about 60 percent of the indicators of corruption were collected by the inspection teams.

The discipline inspection commission has launched 12 rounds of inspections at 277 Party and government departments, State-owned enterprises, institutes and universities since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012.

On Aug 30, 17 organizations inspected in the 12th round, including the government of the Inner Mongolia autonomous region, Peking University and the Cyberspace Administration of China, publicized their measures for correcting problems found by the inspection team.

The inspection team found that the promotion of some officials at Peking University had violated rules. The university said in its rectification report that it had removed the posts of those officials as a measure to implement the inspection report.

Xi has highlighted the importance of inspections numerous times in the five years since he initiated the anti-graft campaign.

In May, Xi presided over a meeting of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, during which senior officials were asked to set themselves as examples by exercising self-restraint in the use of their power, accepting supervision and acting in line with rules.

The inspection work should focus on sticking to the Party's leadership, strengthening the Party's buildup and comprehensively enhancing Party discipline, according to a statement released after the meeting.

Yang Xiaodu, minister of supervision and deputy head of the discipline inspection commission, said last month that 256,000 graft cases were filed for probe from January to June, compared with 193,000 during the same period a year earlier.
Chinese President Xi Jinping discussed bilateral ties and the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK)'s nuclear issue over the phone with German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Thursday.

The cooperation between the two countries plays an increasingly significant role in safeguarding world peace, stability and promoting joint development, Xi told Merkel.

China is willing to work together with Germany in multilateral frameworks, he added.

Merkel also said that Germany is willing to keep communicating and coordinating with China on major international and regional issues.

Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, July 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

On DPRK issue

In the phone call, the two leaders exchanged views about the situation on the Korean Peninsula.

Xi stressed that China is committed to the denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.

The facts have shown that the issue can be resolved only through dialogue and consultation in a peaceful way, Xi said, adding that concerted efforts by the international community are needed to solve the Korean Peninsula issue.

Germany supports solving the issue by political means and is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in order to find a solution as soon as possible, Merkel said.
A Moravia woman is facing a felony driving while intoxicated charge following a traffic stop in the town of Scipio, according to the state police.

Catherine F. Gumtow, 39, was pulled over on Hicks Road Sept. 1 after she failed to dim her vehicle's lights, police said. She was arrested after failing multiple field sobriety tests.

Gumtow was transported to the state police headquarters in Moravia. She refused to submit a breath sample numerous times, according to a news release.

She was charged with felony driving while intoxicated because she has two previous convictions within a 10-year period, police said. She also was charged with refusal to submit to a breath test, drinking alcohol in a motor vehicle on a highway and failure to dim lights.

Gumtow was arraigned in Owasco town court and remanded to the Cayuga County Jail in lieu of $500 cash or $1,000 bond. She was scheduled to reappear in court Wednesday.
LUXEMBOURG - The European Union's top court roundly dismissed complaints on Wednesday by Slovakia and Hungary about EU migration policy, upholding Brussels' right to force member states to take in asylum-seekers.

In the latest twist to a divisive dispute that broke out two years ago when more than a million migrants poured across the Mediterranean, the European Court of Justice found that the EU was entitled to order national governments to take in quotas of mainly Syrian refugees relocated from Italy and Greece.

"The court dismisses the actions brought by Slovakia and Hungary against the provisional mechanism for the mandatory relocation of asylum-seekers," the Luxembourg-based court said, adding it rejected the complaints "in their entirety".

"The mechanism actually contributes to enabling Greece and Italy to deal with the impact of the 2015 migration crisis and is proportionate."

The program set up by the executive European Commission was approved by majority vote of member states in the face of opposition from formerly communist countries in the east who said their societies could not absorb mainly Muslim immigrants.

It provided for the relocation of up to 120,000 people, but only some 25,000 have so far been moved. A further program for resettling people directly from outside the EU has also struggled to hit targets for taking in asylum-seekers.

Diplomats had expected the ruling and said it may lead to resuming EU talks over an emergency mechanism for exceptionally high arrivals of refugees and migrants. The issue has been stalled for more than two years and divided the bloc at a time when it faces Brexit, security threats and international challenges.

The challengers from the EU's east say the obligatory relocation of asylum-seekers arriving in frontline countries like Greece and Italy via the Mediterranean undermines their sovereignty and endangers their homogeneous societies.

Reuters - Afp

A coast guard carries a refuge child after disembarking from a vessel on the island of Crete, Greece, on Tuesday.Costas Metaxakis / Agence Francepresse

(China Daily 09/07/2017 page12)
Spider-Man actor Tom Holland meets fans in Beijing at a promotional event for the new film Spider-Man: Homecoming, which will release across Chinese mainland theaters on Friday. [Photo provided to China Daily]

In Marvel comic books, Peter Parker is a New Yorker. But should the famed character, also known as Spider-Man, not have a New York accent? The answer is complicated.

Thanks to globalization, an English actor is the latest Spider-Man on the silver screen. And, he was recently in Beijing to visit the Great Wall.

There is more. The wall-crawling hero also traveled to other landmarks, which are featured in an anthology of posters titled Beautiful China.

In the posters, released by the Chinese promoters, he is seen surrounded by pandas, standing with the Terracotta Warriors, ornamented guards buried with China's first emperor more than 2,000 years ago.

When Spider-Man actor Tom Holland alongside director Jon Watts showed up at a promotional event in Beijing on Monday, the display of the posters tailored for the Chinese mainland market sparked excitement.

Spider-Man: Homecoming, the sixth Spider-Man movie in history, will open across the Chinese mainland in multiple formats, including Imax 3-D, on Friday, about two months after many other parts of the world.

So far, the movie, with Holland reprising his Spider-Man role from Captain America: Civil War, has raked in $740 million across the world.

The 133-minute movie also features Michael Keaton, Robert Downey Jr., reprising his role of Iron Man, and Jon Favreau, director of two Iron Man movies, playing an assistant of Iron Man, in the new movie.

The latest movie is more like a coming-of-age story about the superhero in high school.
Performers sing Song of the Triple Gem, a famous Buddhist song, at the Chinese Filial Piety Cultural Festival in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, Sept 6, 2017. The festival is aimed at promoting filial piety, a Chinese term used to show respect and care for one's parents and ancestors. An old Chinese saying, "Filial piety tops all virtues", shows the significance of the time-honored cultural value. [Photo/VCG]
Eclipse of the Aerocene Explorer, a performance in Salar de Uyuni, Bolivia in 2016 [Photo provided to China Daily]

A large space in a three-storey red-brick building, located in southeast Berlin near the river Spree, is home to nearly 100 spiders. Each of them comfortably rests in its own tiny framed cube  including some that live underwater in small tanks. They work hard as they weave their webs in various shapes and forms. But they're not intended to catch bugs for food; rather, they're to produce artworks that question the way humans live.

Welcome to the "spider lab" inside the studio of Argentinian artist Tomas Saraceno, who's renowned for taking inspiration from spiders and their habitat in creating unique artworks. His works allow audiences to reflect on the environment and the possibility of finding a sustainable way of living in and beyond our planet, where scientists have recently warned that humans only have another 30 years to take effective action in saving ourselves from the "sixth mass extinction".

"We [humans] are small in relation to other species living on Planet Earth, but we are part of this cosmic web  something that is bigger than our planet," says Saraceno during our meeting in his Berlin studio. "The idea of these complex spiderwebs helps us understand that we are part of this cosmic web." That philosophy is at the heart of Saraceno's art practices, which involve ongoing research that draws from the natural sciences, astrophysics and engineering. He describes himself as an artist who "lives and works in and beyond Planet Earth" in his biography  and he's not exaggerating.
South China Sea by Fang Jianping / China Daily

Whether the Donald Trump administration will order the US Navy to conduct more "freedom of navigation operations in the South China Sea in the next few months will serve as a barometer for the international community to gauge the sincerity of the United States in not only continuing its good relations with China but also in maintaining peace and stability in the Asia-Pacific region.

US media reports say the Pentagon is mulling more regular patrols in the South China Sea, perhaps two to three a month as proposed by the US Pacific Command, to emphasize the importance of "freedom of navigation" in the waters claimed by China.

Although the US Navy had been sailing freely around the world for decades, the Barack Obama administration started the controversial practice in the disputed waters of the South China Sea with the specific purpose of confronting China. The Obama administration approved four "freedom of navigation" operations in the disputed waters in the last year of his term, fueling tensions between the two countries. After Trump took office, the US has conducted three such operations.

China has condemned the operations as blatant provocation.

Considering that Trump is yet to explicitly explain his Asia-Pacific policy, by continuing the patrols he will also continue the confrontational policy of Obama. So before he does so, he should be advised to rethink the US practice, also because it appears increasingly untenable.

The US military maneuverings seem to be at odds with the trend of US global strategic contraction, which is deemed as a natural outcome of Trump's "America First" policy. It should also be mentioned that, thanks to efforts of China and some Southeast Asian countries, the South China Sea disputes have markedly de-escalated, which means the US will lose its high moral ground if it continues to act as a self-appointed referee in the region.

Last month, the foreign ministers of China and the Association of Southeast Asian Nations member states endorsed the framework for a Code of Conduct in the South China Sea in Manila, marking a significant step forward in building peace in and stabilizing the region.

The document should make the US realize that the time for it to use the maritime disputes to interfere in regional affairs is over. Yet by mulling more regular navy patrols in the South China Sea, Pentagon is sending a signal that it is not ready to accept the new reality in the waters and change its behaviors accordingly.

If Trump gives the green light to more US patrols in the South China Sea, he will cast a shadow on China-US ties, which would go against the two countries' efforts to improve ties and deepen cooperation at bilateral and multilateral levels. Stronger US military presence in the region, widely perceived as a US strategy to contain China's rise, will trigger rising regional concerns over a China-US confrontation, and thus disrupt the current good atmosphere created by regional efforts to resolve the maritime disputes.

Besides, the US does not have any legal ground for conducting "freedom of navigation" operations in the South China Sea, as the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea allows foreign vessels to enjoy the right of innocent passage through territorial waters, but military vessels are not endowed with the same right.

Against such a backdrop, China is justified in interpreting the muscle-flexing by the US military in the name of "freedom of navigation" as a threat to regional peace and stability. A series of accidents involving US military vessels in the Pacific this yearthe US Navy lost 17 sailors in two of these accidentsprovides ready proof that the US move can be a threat to its own military personnel as well.

Instead of following Obama's policy, Trump should be advised to come up with a better Asia-Pacific policy that would help deepen cooperation, not trigger a confrontation, in the region.

The author is a senior writer with China Daily.

wanghui@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

That US President Donald Trump and his supporters have ruled out the most apparent solution to ease the tensions on the Korean Peninsula is regretful, and his continuous injection of "fire and fury" into millions of souls a mistake.

Following the nuclear test on Sunday, which the Democratic People's Republic of Korea claimed was a hydrogen bomb, US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley told the UN Security Council that DPRK leader Kim Jong-un is "begging for war". The solution she offered was "we must adopt the strongest possible measures", reflecting Trump's hint at military strikes when he said "all options are on the table".

Yet they have ruled out the one diplomatic option considered the most viable first step to resolve the Korean Peninsula nuclear issuethe Chinese and Russian proposal for a "freeze" on the DPRK's nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a "freeze" on large-scale military exercises by the United States and the Republic of Korea. DPRK media have singled out the Aug 21-31 Ulchi Freedom Guardian military drills as the reason for the latest missile and nuclear tests.

Haley's argument that it would be "unwise to trim back training with allies" at a time when the DRPK is threatening the US is poor. The US could have easily chosen another time to exercise its military strength, which would not weaken one bit if it suspends a drill or two.

Trump went on to call the DPRK "a rogue nation", reminding people of former US president George W. Bush's remarks before he ordered the invasion of Iraq that led to the hanging of Saddam Hussein, once a US ally. And the US' role in the removal of Libyan leader Muammar Gadhafi in 2011 long after he had abandoned his nuclear pursuit has given the DPRK one more reason to expedite its nuclear program.

By drumming up war rhetoric, Trump and Haley might provoke the DPRK into conducting more nuclear tests and injecting more uncertainty into Northeast Asian security and economy.

Added to these provocations is Trump's Twitter threat of severing trade ties with countries that carry on trade with the DPRK, a hint at China, which could cripple the regional and global economies leading to an outflow of capital to the "haven" of corporate America and into the hands of some military-financial complex that in turn will use the money to make and sell more killing machines and provide Trump with the luxury of wrestling out "fairer" deals with US allies, even with China.

The excuse of protecting its allies from perceived dangers cannot justify the need for those same allies contributing billions of dollars for more sophisticated weapons and military equipment, not least because fast rising military spending will hike US debts putting its fiscal health at risk, and even pushing it down the abyss of economic dilemma.

Worse, a conflict will set Northeast Asia back by decades, and disrupt China's growth and compromise its role as a global economic driver.

Given their blind faith in the US' eternal supremacy, some Americans have been supporting, if not instigating, the countries that have disputes with China. Yet the South China Sea has calmed down, India has withdrawn its troops from the border, and Central Asia is gradually becoming an integral part of China-proposed Belt and Road Initiative. Only the Korean Peninsula remains a trouble spot thanks to the US' military brinkmanship, which sees China the only challenge it could face. No wonder China has been the target of US accusations.

By delaying the solution to the peninsula issue, the US may find some reason for its military bases in the region and continue to keep the ROK and Japan under its so-called security umbrella. But if it wants peace, it eventually has to hold talks with the DPRK, not trigger a war.

The sad truth is, by threatening preventive strikes against the DPRK, the US is risking the lives of millions of people. For the sake of these millions of people, the US should consider suspending its large-scale military drills in the region and give diplomacy a decent chance to succeed and denuclearize the Korean Peninsula and restore peace across the 38th Parallel.

The author is a senior editor with China Daily. wen@chinadailyhk.com
President Xi Jinping (C) and other leaders of BRICS countries pose for a group photo before the 2017 BRICS Summit in Xiamen, Fujian province, Sept 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The 9th BRICS Summit that concluded in Xiamen, East China's Fujian province, on Tuesday has drawn the world's attention to the member nations' tremendous accomplishments and promises. The five BRICS economiesBrazil, Russia, India, China and South Africahave experienced a combined growth of nearly 180 percent in the past 10 years. They look set to usher in another "golden decade" that will benefit people in BRICS states and beyond.

But while their GDP growth is cause for celebration, there is a glaring health problem that needs to be a priority for the emerging economies that are home to about 44 percent of the world's population: The people in the five countries are among the most vulnerable to tuberculosis, according to the World Health Organization.

The BRICS nations combined account for about 50 percent of all cases of TB in the world, according to the WHO's latest Global Tuberculosis Report. The BRICS nations also account for 40 percent of all TB-related deaths, according to a previous report by WHO, which estimated that 1.4 million people died of TB globally in 2015.

As TB is widely known as a disease of poverty, the threat, if not addressed, could push individuals, families and communities into destitution, suffering and debt, denting that dream for a BRICS "golden decade".

It is reassuring to note that at both the 6th BRICS health ministers' meeting in New Delhi last year and the seventh such gathering in China's Tianjin in July, officials agreed to set up a BRICS-wide network on TB research and create an R&D consortium on TB, HIV and malaria. These efforts mean the BRICS health authorities have realized the importance of pooling resources to address their common malady. The challenge is how to make the plan successful.

WHO has urged each of the BRICS countries to continue to innovate and to ensure that future global tuberculosis strategies set ambitious but achievable targets. International fundraising should be listed among the priorities, as WHO has pointed out that BRICS countries, except India, rely mostly or exclusively on domestic funding. Yet India's spending per TB patient is the least among BRICS countries, The Hindu reported on March 18.

It's laudable that Jim O'Neill, former Goldman Sachs economist who coined the term "BRIC" in 2001, proposed that BRICS collaborate on health issues, particularly infectious-disease prevention, and with that, funding for new TB drugs. O'Neill said that by 2050 about 10 million people could be dying of antimicrobial resistance-related illnesses each year.

"Approximately one-third of these would be TB-related, and all five BRICS countries have a significant TB challenge. What better policy initiative could there be to finance the search for new TB drugs?" he wrote on huffingtonpost.com just before the BRICS summit.

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention forecast in July that the proportion of TB cases that don't respond to one or more antibiotics will become far more common in Russia, India, the Philippines and South Africa by 2040. In addition to funding for new drugs, there also should be concerted efforts to close the diagnostic and treatment gaps that exist among the five countries.

President Xi Jinping, speaking at the BRICS Business Forum on Sunday, said, "BRICS is not a talking shop, but a task force that gets things done." He noted that the five countries are engaged in practical cooperation across the board, covering several dozen areas, including health.

For the well-being of the people and BRICS' prosperity, let's hope we get the TB threat done with as soon as possible.

The author is deputy editor-in-chief of China Daily USA. huanxinzhao@chinadailyusa.com
Supporters wearing cowboy hats listen as US President Donald Trump speaks about tax reform during a visit to Loren Cook Company in Springfield, Missouri, US, August 30, 2017. [Photo/Agencies]

US President Donald Trump has raised a major political storm in both the United States and the Republic of Korea, its long-time ally, by threatening to terminate the bilateral free trade agreement. While making the statement, Trump, it appears, was not thinking about narrowing the $17 billion trade deficit the US has with the ROK. Rather, his is a desperate bid to rewrite existing global trade rules in favor of the US.

Ever earlier, Trump has threatened to withdraw from bilateral or multilateral free trade agreements. He has repeatedly threatened to terminate the North American Free Trade Agreement and clamored to use trade remedy measures to impose punitive tariffs on imports from major trade partners. He has ordered the Department of Commerce to investigate steel imports under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962, which allows the imposition of tariffs on imports for national security reasons. And he has directed the US Trade Representative to launch an investigation under Section 301 of the Trade Act of 1974 into China's laws, policies and practices related to technology transfer, intellectual property and innovation.

The US' huge trade deficits are certainly behind Trump's threats to withdraw from free trade agreements. For example, the US had a trade deficit of $17 billion in goods and services combined with the ROK last year despite having a $10.7 billion trade surplus in services.

By issuing such threats, Trump can cater to those white industrial workers in the US who formed a bulk of his electorate in last year's presidential election, but by carrying out such isolationist ideas in practice, the Trump administration could drag the entire world into a trade war. It could even ruin the chances of increasing jobs and incomes in the US, a promise that in all probability won Trump the presidency, because other economies are set to fight back.

The plain economic truth is that global trade improves the wellbeing of peoplenot necessarily all groups of people, thoughin all countries. In the case of the US, globalization might not have been good for the low-end industries, but it has greatly benefited the advanced manufacturing and services sectors.

This should prompt the US administration to make some policy changes so that it can help those traditionally weak industries to improve their competitiveness and flourish in the globalized world. By pursuing the "America First" policy and coercing other countries to help the US to rewrite the trade rules in its favor, the Trump administration will only evoke firm opposition from countries, even its allies, which would not be conducive to global trade.
An advertisement for online shopping site Taobao.com of Alibaba Group is seen at a metro station in Shanghai, Nov 12, 2014. [Photo/IC ]

A SHANGHAI RESIDENT SURNAMED ZHAO operates an online store on Taobao that she registered under her mother's name several years ago. After her mother died last year, Zhao decided to transfer the ownership of the store to her father. Taobao, an e-commerce platform owned by Alibaba, requires her to notarize her statement that she has given up her share in the online store before making her father its sole owner. But the office of notary public in Shanghai refused to notarize her statement because her online property is virtual, not real. Yanzhao Metropolis Daily comments:

The notary public office in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, where Alibaba is headquartered, however, has agreed to notarize Zhao's statement without differentiating between virtual property and other kinds of property.

Apparently, the notary public offices across the country don't have a unified rule for websites, domains, e-commerce and online stores.

The judicial authorities should issue detailed explanations about the laws related to cyberspace so that not only notary public offices but also public security departments adapt to the changes brought about by the internet in social and legal fields, and attach due value to online property in cases of inheritance, transfer and theft.

It is equally important that lawmakers define the meaning of online property and treat it accordingly.

Until that is done, the legal procedures for transferring and inheriting online properties will remain complicated, as Zhao's case shows, and hinder the development of internet-related sectors such as e-commerce.

Online properties deserves the same legal status that tangible properties get, because it takes only a few clicks of the mouse to transform "virtual" property into real wealth.

The General Rules of the Civil Law says judicial departments should abide by the law when it comes to the protection of digital and network virtual property. In other words, the protection of people's online property is recognized by the law as civil rights, even though there is no specific law on it.
A worker feeds forage to Zika deer at a farm in Yanbian, Northeast China's Jilin province, on February 6, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

GUANGZHOU ZOO recently announced its decision to end its 24-year-long circus performance. Yet the manager of the circus company contracted to present the show said his troupe would continue to perform because circus has been listed on the national "intangible cultural heritage" list. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

According to local media reports, Guangzhou Zoo said its contract with the circus company ended on Aug 31, after which it required the company to withdraw its troupe, animals and equipment from the rented venue. The circus company objected to it by citing the "heritage list" in its defense.

If the case drags on, the two sides might end up in court, and the result is predictable. By ending its contract with the circus company, Guangzhou Zoo has heeded the nationwide call to end all shows that include animal performances. Some animal rights activists have already praised Guangzhou Zoo for its decision and vowed to seek an end to all animal shows nationwide.

The amendment to the Wildlife Protection Law last year for the first time put the principle of "protection" before "exploitation". And the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development issued a document in 2010 calling for an end to animal shows. These legal and social moves are in accordance with the general trend of animal protection.

That circus has been included in the intangible heritage list is no excuse for continuing to stage animal shows. According to the law, intangible heritage can be protected in various ways, including making video records, publishing books, and training more people to learn them. When an intangible heritage no longer suits modern values, its performance has to stop.
SENNETT  It takes just one Asian clam to make 16,000 baby Asian clams a year.

Small and brown and somewhat inconspicuous, the invasive species likes the sandy parts of Owasco Lake, and Michele Wunderlich, associate planner for the Cayuga County Department of Planning and Economic Development, shared on Thursday the latest results of a survey conducted in July. Members of the Cayuga County Water Quality Management Agency listening to her presentation gasped at the reproduction numbers.

But Wunderlich did have some good news.

The number of clams per square meter has dropped from about 2,600 last year to about 1,000 this year. Wunderlich added that most of the clams she and other researchers observed were juveniles.

"The adults are not surviving," she said. "Very few are surviving more than a year."

The clams were first discovered in Owasco Lake in September 2010 and are native to Asia, Africa and Australia. Surveys have been done since 2011, focusing mostly off of Deauville Island in Emerson Park, by a task force made up of members of the agency, the planning department and the Owasco Lake Watershed Inspection Program.

Part of the reason the clams may not be surviving is the change in lake levels. The young, which as larvae can be smaller than a pencil tip, are tossed towards the shore by wind and waves. They typically don't survive when exposed to winter weather.

Those that are surviving, Wunderlich said, are in deeper parts of the lake that would never be exposed on the Deauville Island side of the pier. The clams do not appear to be thriving on the eastern side. Only two were found there this year.

Bob Brower, president of the Owasco Watershed Lake Association, asked if drawing down the lake was a good strategy for getting rid of the clams.

Wunderlich said yes, but hesitated. Cayuga County Environmental Engineer Bruce Natale said drawing the lake down to levels lower than about 708 or 709 could pose problems. In the past, he said, water plant operators had trouble pulling water from the lake when the levels were at 708. Both the town of Owasco and the city of Auburn draw from the lake to serve drinking water to more than half of Cayuga County's residents.

The Darrin Freshwater Institute, Wunderlich said, is investigating one potential solution. An Asian clam parasite called Chaetogaster limnaei, is native to the area. It eats the clam's offspring while they're still inside the adult, Wunderlich said. Though Owasco Lake's clams did not show evidence of the parasite in the past, Wunderlich said they may send samples to the institute in the future.
A guest erected a collapsible desk in a capsule hotel in Chongqing in 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

AN INSPECTION by a nongovernment appraisal agency found that many a time five-star hotels in Beijing, including Hilton and Intercontinental, fail to change the bedding and toiletries of used rooms. Yanzhao Metropolis Daily commented on Wednesday:

The online post exposing the unclean hotel rooms in Beijing came shortly before the capital's health and family planning authorities announced punishments for a slew of budget hotels. Forty-six budget inns have been handed down administrative penalties and 35 are likely to be fined 69,000 yuan ($10,760) each because of poor hygiene conditions in their rooms.

Unchanged bed sheets, bed covers and pillow cases are no doubt a bummer to hotel guests. But even if they are ostensibly cleaned, there is still a risk that caustic sodamostly used as a strong chemical base in the manufacture of pulp and paper, textiles, drinking water, soaps and detergents, and as a drain cleanerhas been used by some budget hotels as a cheaper "detergent" to clean the used bedding.

If luxury hotel rooms are not immune to compromised hygiene conditions, there would be fairly limited options left for travelers who want a clean bed and a tidy bathroom. Changing bedding is arguably the least every hotel should do to serve guests and stay in the business. Dirty bedding, on the other hand, could deal a major blow to customers' confidence in the overall management of hotels, five-star or not.

Urging customers to keep a sharp eye on the hotel rooms they book is too much to ask. Without designed detective equipment, one is not likely to notice unchanged bedding and not properly cleaned toilet seats. The supervisory gray area merits extra vigilance by the health and family planning authorities at all levels.

That established hotel operators have been accused of putting profit before proper service came as a shock to many, adding to the fact that even streamlined hotel managements have loopholes.
The house where Xi had snacks during his visit. [Photo:Nanda Lal Tiwari ] Going by every day news reports in the media an impression is made- that Chinese President Xi Jinping is much focused on reform, opening up, innovation and supply side...with regard to domestic affairs while in relation to the international affairs he has gained global prominence for emphasizing on fairer and more equitable global governance, trade liberalization, practical as well as win-win cooperation and community of shared destiny. These are only a few terms that directly refer to President Xi. No doubt, his emphasis on open market and against protectionism in his address to the World Economic Forum in Davos of Switzerland last year, the Belt and Road Initiative he projected some four years ago and the way he involved some 60 countries in the first conference of the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation held in May this year in Beijing, his stance in solution to the Korean peninsula crisis and other conflict-hit regions in the world and the way he highlighted on giving voice to all the developing countries in the global governance issues in the recently held 9th BRICS Summit has injected a huge optimism around the world. And these all give an impression that the head of the state of the second largest economy has only the hot-spot economic and political policies of either global or national importance in his mind. This scribe was no exception to such an impression.

But a recent visit to a rural village in Jingangshan city of Jiangxi province of China changed my faulty or piecemeal impression about the Chines President.

Shen Shan hamlet [Photo:Nanda Lal Tiwari ] Shen Shan hamlet of Mao Ping village lies some 30 kilometers away from, and to the north of, Ciping town of Jingangshan city. The hamlet has 55 households and 331 people. Surrounded by forests, the settlement is situated in the middle of a high hill slope. Although the village looks like a settlement in the new clearing of the jungle, people have lived here for centuries. Many people in this village were under the poverty line until last year although poverty alleviation program was launched in the village and it was making a good progress.On a cold day, on February 2 last year, President Xi visited this impoverished village. In his three hours stay, he visited poor households, talking with the people about their life and challenges, eating the snacks the villagers provided and joining his hands in some of their everyday works such as beating of rice to make Da Gao, a small cake-sized sweet snack item made up of rice flour. Most probably the President reached there by road, at least 10 kilometers away in the mountainous narrow, one-way looking road from the provincial two-way road as no large area could be seen there for a helicopter to land. Peng Dong Lian, a shopkeeper in Shen Shang village, keeps the photo of the moment he talked with Xi. [Photo:Nanda Lal Tiwari ]

I asked a villager, Zuo Xiufu, 67, who had a chance to talk with his President Xi, about what he told President Xi during the meeting. He replied that he said to President Xi that he was happy and that villagers were working hard to get rid of poverty and the support of the government was good enough.

I looked around the village. Although it has all modern facilities such as electricity, mobile and internet and the road and running drinking water, it is a remote rural and poor village. And President Xi had spared time to come here and talk to people perhaps to gain first-hand knowledge of poverty alleviation program such as government support for education, health, interest-free loan, perhaps to experience the life of grass-roots rural people and perhaps to keep afresh his revolutionary spirit because Jingganshan is known for being the first base of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) during the initial revolutionary year of 1927.

After much reflection I concluded President Xi is determined, sincerely focused to eradicate poverty by 2020 in China. He attaches as much importance to the challenges of rural people in his country as much he does about the global issues. He has kept alive the revolutionary spirit, the struggle of the people and wants to live in the heart of the people, taking good care of them. And this conclusion I made there, I hope, has improved my impression of one of the most powerful leaders in the world, President Xi Jinping.
Leaders of BRICS countries pose for group photos after the ninth BRICS summit in the eastern city of Xiamen, Fujian province, Sept 4, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

The BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) Forum was established in 2011, with the intention to support and encourage cooperation between the BRICS nations in commercial, political and cultural dimensions. The five member states of BRICS are nations across the globe, each with unique culture, different economic sizes, and social and economic developments. However, one thing the BRICS nations have in common is that each plays significant roles in their regional affairs.

The Xiamen BRICS Forum deepened and extended the cooperation among the BRICS nations by removing some of the trading barriers, and developing blueprints and mechanisms for fostering eased service trading, faster currency swap and currency settlement. The organization also introduced joint ventures supported by both government capital and social capital. With the New Development Bank, formerly known as the "BRICS Development Bank", in place since 2014, these inked proposals and signed agreements will further strengthen the economic and financial cooperation among the BRICS nations in supporting public and private projects by providing more options in working capital, and speedier handling of currency swap and currency settlement.

The total foreign investment made during the past decade, by the BRICS nations, amounted to 197 billion US dollar, while only 7 percent of those investments were devoted in the BRICS nations. There are huge potentials in strengthened economic, financial and technological cooperation waiting to be explored and fully utilized for the mutual benefits of the BRICS nations. It is noteworthy to mention that the five nations represent approximately 40 percent of the world population, contributing around 50 percent to the world economic growth during the past decade. The prosperity of the BRICS can and will contribute to the economic and financial stability of the world economy, as well as to the wellbeing of the world populations  for example, by providing more job opportunities to the general public of the five nations through expanded economic and financial cooperation. The BRICS nations are seeking more innovative ways to work together to benefit their people directly and people living their surrounding countries indirectly.

The Xiamen BRICS forum has also invited leaders from emerging market economies and developing countries  including Egypt, Mexico, Thailand, Tajikistan and Guinea  to participate in the forum. With gradual cooperation from more developing countries and emerging market economies, the BRICS Forum can build inclusive cooperation with more developing economies or emerging market economies who share similar concerns: ranging from deep-seated economic and social structural problems to underdeveloped infrastructures, which are required to support continuous and sustainable economic and social developments. Hence, those successful experiences from the BRICS nations can and will provide some of the answers to help these nations to address some of the challenges they are facing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized, multiple times in his keynote speech to the BRICS heads, as well as to the business and industrial leaders from the participation nations, that the BRICS highly value mutual respect, openness and tolerance, as well as mutual benefit which, President Xi said he believes, is the cornerstone to the success of the cooperation among the BRICS nations in the past decade and will continue to be so in the foreseeable future cooperation among the BRICS nations, and cooperation between BRICS and other emerging market economies and developing economies.

The author is Assistant Professor in economics at Nottingham University Business School China.
Alibaba signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mexico at Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province, on Wednesday. From left to right: Mexicos Undersecretary of Industry and Commerce of the Ministry of the Economy of Mexico Jose Rogelio Garza, Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto, Alibaba Groups Executive Chairman Jack Ma and President Mike Evans. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China's e-commerce giant Alibaba signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Mexico on Wednesday, in order to get Mexican products and services, especially from small-and mid-sized enterprises, to its marketplaces.

Mexican President Pena Nieto visited Hangzhou, from Xiamen, to attend the Dialogue of Emerging Market and Developing Countries and witness the signing of the MoU with Alibaba Group Executive Chairman Jack Ma.

"Alibaba is one of the worlds largest technology companies, with a sophisticated e-commerce ecosystem and a remarkable reach of more than 500 million active annual consumers globally," he said.

"By partnering with Alibaba, we can expand Mexicos export options in China and in Asia more broadly, while enhancing Mexican SMEs knowledge of e-commerce and cross-border trade."

According to the MoU, Alibaba will create a special program for Mexico to benefit from the companys business-to-business trading platform, Alibaba.com. Moreover, Alibaba will also share practices in the operation of its logistics and payment platforms, in order for the chance Mexican companies might bolster their cross-border e-commerce operations, as well as attract Chinese tourism to Mexico.

"Alibaba is committed to inspiring, motivating and enabling SMEs from around the world to grow and thrive through e-commerce and the use of technology," the Alibaba Groups Executive Chairman, Jack Ma, said. "We are delighted to help promote cross-border trade with Mexico through this MoU. We view our cooperation as a way to energize economic development in both countries."

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto and First Lady Angelica Rivera visit Alibabas headquarters in Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

China is Mexico's second-biggest trade partner, while Mexico has been expanding its exports of agricultural products to China. The country currently exports more than 20 kinds of produce to China, including avocados, pork, beef, berries, and tequila.

Guo Cunhai, a scholar from the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said help from Alibaba will greatly boost the ability of small and medium-sized enterprises in Mexico to tap the international market.

This is the third MoU Alibaba has signed with Latin America marked Alibabas another move of its globalization drive. In May, the company agreed to help bring food and wine from Argentina to China, while a partnership with Brazils national postal service, Correios, was signed in 2014.
Cooks cut US beef during a promotional event in Beijing over the weekend. Fred Dufour / AFP

The booming US exports to China are vital to the US economy and nearly all Congressional districts, according to a report released on Wednesday by the US-China Business Council (USCBC).

The report was released at a time of serious concern about the bilateral trade after the US announced two weeks ago a Section 301 investigation into China's intellectual property policies and practices and a threat by US President Donald Trump this week to cut trade with any country doing business with the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.

The USCBC report shows that 432 out of 435 Congressional districts have seen triple-digit growth in exports of goods and services to China since 2006.

The value of US goods and services exports to China is significant for congressional districts, the report said. China was a top three goods export market for 263 districts in 2016, and among the top five for 358 districts. China was the top services export market in 2015 for 93 congressional districts and a top five market for 399 districts.

The 448-page report, titled Congressional District Export Report, includes detail figures for each district and concludes that US exports to China are vital to US economic growth.

According to the report, China was the third largest export market for the US in 2016, trailing Canada and Mexico. Total US good exports to China stood at $113 billion in 2016.

The exports of US services to China are becoming significant. In 2015, the most recent complete year of available data, US services exports to China reached $47 billion, making China also the third-largest services export market. From 2006 to 2015, US services exports to China shot up more than 400 percent, compared with 76 percent to the rest of the world.

The services sector accounts for an increasing part of China's GDP as the country moves toward a consumption-based economy.

Despite of slowing global trade, US exports of goods services to China continue to outpace exports to other major markets, according to the report.

On average, US goods exports to China grew by 8 percent annually over the past 10 years, despite the modest decline over the past two years versus 2014. Of US' top 10 goods export markets, only Japan had positive export growth in 2016.

US services exports to China also grew more rapidly than all other major trading partners, averaging nearly 19 percent annually over the last decade. Only Brazil came close over the same period, with 17 percent average annual growth, according to the report.

China's maturing economy is undergoing important changes that have resulted in a slowdown in GDP and trade growth. Even so, US exports of goods and services to China have grown faster than exports to any other major US trading partner over the past decade, the report said.

From 2006 to 2016, US goods exports to China increased 114 percent. That is greater than the growth to any of the other top 10 US goods export markets.

The report said exports continue to play an essential role in the US economy and job growth. US goods exports to China come from a wide range of industries including transportation equipment, agriculture, computers and electronics, and chemicals. These exports also sustain logistics jobs in US ports and throughout the country. US services exports to China in 2015 included travel and education, royalties, transportation, business and professional services, and financial services.

The report noted that the huge potential given that US goods accounted for only about 8.4 percent of Chinese mainland's total imports in 2015, trailing European Union, Republic of Korea, Japan and Taiwan. The US had a 10-percent share in 2000.

While the report called on the Trump administration to pursue results-oriented engagement with China designed to address some of the trade and no-trade barriers, it said the US should push forward negotiations with China on a high-standard bilateral investment treaty (BIT).

Bilateral BIT talks advanced rapidly under the later years of the Obama administration. But there is no sign that the Trump administration will continue the talk anytime soon.

chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
The phone conversation between President Xi Jinping and US President Donald Trump on Wednesday amid growing tensions on the Korean Peninsula was a timely and necessary one for the international community.

The situation had further deteriorated after the Democratic People's Republic of Korea proclaimed on Sunday a successful test of a hydrogen bomb. The DPRK has conducted several missile tests in the past months in violation of United Nations Security Council resolutions. The DPRK and the US also have engaged in a war of words.

The US and the Republic of Korea on Aug 31 concluded their annual military drill, known as the Ulchi Freedom Guardian, which involved 50,000 ROK soldiers and 17,500 US soldiers.

Xi reiterated China's long-standing and unswerving resolve to achieving the denuclearization of the peninsula; maintaining its peace and stability; and solving the issue through dialogue and negotiations. Both leaders expressed their commitment to strengthening coordination on the issue.

While China and the US agreed on the goal of denuclearization of the peninsula, their approaches are not the same.

There should be no doubt that China is keen on the denuclearization, given that China abuts the Korean Peninsula. China has repeatedly stressed the importance of talks and negotiations, a view shared by many other leaders and experts.

It is true that past talks have not been smooth and even failed. But the avenue of talks is far from exhausted. It is hard to believe that a solution could be found if relevant parties, in particular the US and the DPRK, are not engaged in direct and sufficient talks to understand and address each other's key concerns.

The continuing nuclear and missile tests by the DPRK are a grave concern for the region and the world, but the US should seriously address the DPRK's legitimate security concerns, such as signing a peace treaty to end the 1953 armistice and assuring the DPRK that the US will not pursue regime change in the DPRK as it did in Libya and Iraq.

The DPRK has long regarded the joint military drill by the US and ROK as a provocative act. This means that the US should heed China's proposal of dual suspension as a means to ease the tension  the DPRK halts its nuclear and missile tests, and the US and ROK halt their large military drills.

When Nikki Haley, the US ambassador to the UN, said on Monday that the DPRK "is begging for war", many experts would not agree with such an assessment. The DPRK wants a security assurance.

It was both narrow-minded and undiplomatic when Haley described the "freeze-for-freeze" proposal as "insulting". Why not give it a try if it could help ease tension and lead to denuclearization?

The US has been calling for stronger sanctions on the DPRK after sanctions have repeatedly proved a failure.

Speaking at the American Enterprise Institute on Tuesday, Haley herself questioned the effectiveness of sanctions. "Do we think more sanctions are going to work on North Korea?" she asked. "Not necessarily. But what does it do? It cuts off the revenue that allows them to build ballistic missiles."

What Haley could not dare admit is that the sanctions she hopes for could lead to an enormous humanitarian disaster in the DPRK, hurting millions of women and children and innocent people. Besides, she has provided no convincing argument that sanctions will lead to a solution rather than further raising tensions.

It's quite disturbing when Haley said that, "We should always let every country know, whether it's North Korea or Iran or anyone else, that we will always look out for our interests, our security and make sure that it's working for us, not making sure that it works for everyone else. That's very important."

If the US cares only about its own interests and ignores others', then it will be hard to seek others' support.

The author is deputy editor of China Daily USA. chenweihua@chinadailyusa.com
President Xi Jinping called the Arab states "good friends" and important partners in constructing the Belt and Road in his letter of congratulations to the 2017 China-Arab States Expo.

The expo, which brings together Chinese and Arab business leaders to cooperate on science, finance, energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and culture, opened on Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The president also hailed the cooperation and achievements between the two sides.

Xi said the Arab world actively responded to and widely supported his proposal that the Belt and Road should be built as a road of peace, prosperity, opening-up as well as innovation, and one that connects different civilizations, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May.

The expo is an important platform for China and Arab countries to expand cooperation, he said. During construction of the Belt and Road, China is open to promote shared opportunities with other nations, including Arab states, and to promote peace, Xi added.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has made landlocked Ningxia the frontier for opening-up and taking the lead in economic cooperation with Arab countries, said Shi Taifeng, Party chief of Ningxia.

So far, at least 1,080 company representatives are participating in the four-day 2017 CAS Expo.

Liu Zhenfang, deputy general manager of China Railway Corp, said rail cooperation has development prospects between China and Arab nations.

"Today, a new page is opened here for the economic cooperation between China and Arab countries, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping," Kamal Hassan Ali, assistant secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said during the China-Arab Railway Conference of the 2017 CAS Expo.

Contact the writers at wuyunhe@chinadaily.com.cn

(China Daily 09/07/2017 page1)
GAZA, Middle East - Ibrahim Ghunaim, or MC Gaza as he likes to be called, raps to a different beat in a Palestinian enclave rocked by internal conflict and three wars with Israel over the past decade.

The 25-year-old, who grew up listening to US rapper Eminem, began rapping when he was 13 and hopes for an international career one day.

"I believe I was born to become a rapper," Ghunaim said.

It took years to change the public perception of hip-hop in the conservative Gaza Strip, which the Hamas movement seized in 2007 from forces loyal to Western-backed Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.

Rappers in Gaza did not have an easy start, and their first performance in 2005 - to celebrate Israel's withdrawal of troops and settlers - did not go down well.

At the show, a pioneer rap band had to flee the stage after a crowd was angered by what it viewed as offensive hand gestures by the performers.

Ghunaim's songs focus on Gaza's high unemployment, women's rights, young Palestinians jailed by Israel for alleged security offenses and the absence of peace. This year alone, he has written 25 songs.

"He sings mostly nationalist songs, about social issues and about our life," Ghunaim's mother Adeeba, 64, said as he helped her prepare lunch.

But while social and political tensions and violence provide ample material for his lyrics, Gaza itself is far from fertile ground for nourishing hip-hop careers.

Hemmed in

It is tough enough for ordinary Palestinians to make a living in the tiny coastal territory hemmed in by Israel and Egypt. Citing security concerns, the two countries have contributed to Gaza's woes by keeping tight restrictions on the movement of people and goods across its borders.

Many local hip-hop performers have either migrated or stopped performing because they cannot find sponsorship, Ghunaim said, adding that he was also looking to leave, though not before he makes his mark at home.

He is working on a new album that he says will be his final one in Gaza.

"I am making it the best of all of my works. I am using 10 kinds of music merged together, and that is the first time in the rap art here and abroad," he said.

"I want to become famous before I quit Gaza."

Reuters

Palestinian rapper Ibrahim Ghunaim, also known as MC Gaza, is filmed as he performs in front of destroyed buildings in Gaza City on Aug 18. His songs focus on the social issues and lives of young Palestinians.Mohammed Salem / Reuters

(China Daily 09/07/2017 page10)
Russian President Vladimir Putin and his ROK counterpart Moon Jae-in shake hands during a meeting at the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia, on Wednesday.Mikhail Klimentyev / Kremlin Via Reuters

Putin urges talks with Pyongyang, saying sanctions are not working

VLADIVOSTOK, Russia - President Vladimir Putin said on Wednesday that Moscow does not recognize the nuclear status of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, as its missile program threatens the security in Northeast Asia.

During the news conference following a meeting with his Republic of Korea's counterpart, Moon Jae-in, on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, Putin reiterated Moscow's stance of opposing the DPRK's missile program, saying it extensively violates UN Security Council resolutions, undermines the global nonproliferation mechanism and threatens regional stability.

Putin also said hostility will not help solve the Korean Peninsula issue.

"Clearly, it is impossible to solve the Korean Peninsula issue by sanctions and pressure ... We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner," he said.

"As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions."

He said Moscow and Beijing have come up with proposals on solving the issue under the framework of a joint "road map". Therefore, Russia called upon all parties to take a closer look at the initiative which "offers a real way of reducing tensions and step-by-step settlement".

Moon also condemned the DPRK's missile tests, warning of bigger threat in the future. He also said he and Putin had agreed on the urgency of easing tensions on the peninsula.

"Mr Putin and I agreed that nuclear and missile tests are the wrong way, and that the urgent task is to reduce tensions on the Korean Peninsula," he said.

On Sunday, the DPRK successfully detonated a hydrogen bomb capable of being carried by an intercontinental ballistic missile, which was the sixth nuclear test by the country so far, further worsening the hair-trigger confrontation on the peninsula.

THAAD deployment

Meanwhile, the remaining mobile launchers of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense system will be deployed to a military site in the ROK on Thursday, Yonhap news agency reported on Wednesday.

Two THAAD batteries have already been installed.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said China is seriously concerned, adding the deployment could only severely undermine regional security and raise tensions and antagonism.

"We demand that the US and the ROK respect the security interests and concerns of China and other regional countries, with an immediate stop to the deployment and removal of the equipment," he said.

On Tuesday, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson on a phone conversation that Russia resolutely opposes the escalation of military tension in Northeast Asia.

According to a ministry statement, Lavrov said any choice should be made in favor of political and diplomatic means to find peaceful solutions.

While the United States and its allies are preparing a draft resolution on Pyongyang for the United Nations Security Council to vote on, Lavrov said Russia is ready to consider the document if it reflects his country's position.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres reiterated on Tuesday that the solution to the DPRK nuclear issue must be "political", stressing that "the potential consequences of military action are too horrific".

Xinhua - China Daily
ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates - The Louvre Abu Dhabi will finally open its doors to the public in November, bringing to the Gulf artifacts and post-impressionist masterpieces in the first Louvre-branded museum outside of Paris.

Housing 600 works of art, including 300 loaned by 13 French museums for the inaugural year, the Louvre Abu Dhabi is described as the "first universal museum" in the Arab world.

"At a time when culture is under attack ... this is our joint response," French Culture Minister Francoise Nyssen said at a news conference on Wednesday in Abu Dhabi to announce the Nov 11 opening date.

The museum has been a decade in the making and is opening five years behind schedule.

Among the works on loan to Abu Dhabi are Leonardo da Vinci's La Belle Ferronniere from the Louvre - which houses the world's largest collection of art - and Vincent van Gogh's self-portrait from the Musee d'Orsay.

Designed by Pritzker Prize-winning architect Jean Nouvel of France, the "museum city" is reminiscent of an Arab medina, enveloped by a part arabesque, part futuristic silvery dome that lets in the light in patterns mimicking leaves of the palm trees of the Gulf.

While the Louvre Abu Dhabi will not lack its Rodins and Gaugins, for some, the real heart of the museum is in its narration of ancient civilizations through artifacts acquired by the United Arab Emirates.

The planned opening comes a decade after France and the UAE agreed a 30-year partnership worth $1.1 billion under which many top French museums will loan art to Abu Dhabi.

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to attend the inauguration of the museum, which had originally been scheduled to open in 2012.

The "complex, ambitious project", in the words of museum director Manuel Rabate, has faced delays in funding and construction.

The decision to grant Abu Dhabi the rights to the Louvre name sparked heated debate in France with critics accusing the Louvre of "selling its soul" and questioning the emirate's record on labor rights.

"Yes, it's exceptional. Yes, this is the first time a project like this launches in the Middle East. But that's what's unique to this project," Rabate said in response to the critiques.

The Louvre Abu Dhabi is part of "a major cultural strategy" to promote the city as a patron of the arts.

About 5 percent of the overall museum will be dedicated to contemporary and modern art. The rest focuses on telling the story of world histories and religions.

Agence France-presse

(China Daily 09/07/2017 page11)
During this season of gratitude, we are reminded of the many reasons we can be thankful for the freedom and opportunity to travel.
Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian speaks at the Farewell Ceremony for Somali Students Awarded Scholarship of China in Mogadishu, Sept 6, 2017. [Photo/Embassy of the People's Republic of China in the Federal Republic of Somalia]

MOGADISHU - Forty-two Somali students drawn from different parts of the country were Wednesday awarded scholarships to study in various universities in China.

Chinese Ambassador to Somalia Qin Jian said the students who completed their secondary education in Somalia will pursue both undergraduate and graduate studies in China and will be expected to come back and deploy their skills in building the country.

Qin said the award of scholarship was in line with China's commitment in supporting the Horn of Africa nation's recovery process and deepening diplomatic ties between the two countries.

"We have selected students from all Somali regions notably Somaliland, Puntland, Galmudug, South West, HirShabelle and Mogadishu. I am confident this scholarship programme will be of so much help to the students and the country at large," said Qin.

Somalia's Minister for High Education Abdirahman Dahir Osman hailed the scholarship offer as a major milestone in China's continued support to his country, adding that this was instrumental in affirming established relations between the two countries.

"Our relations with China have always remained very strong. This assistance is not new. China has extended support to us on many occasions over the years," said Osman.

Ahmed Hassan, one of the beneficiaries, expressed joy upon receiving the scholarship award letter.

"I thank the Chinese government for this scholarship award. I am very happy to have qualified for this scholarship," said Hassan, who will be studying for a master degree in China.
Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) holds talks with German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Berlin, July 5, 2017. [Photo/Xinhua]

President Xi Jinping and German Chancellor Angela Merkel agreed in a phone conversation on Thursday that the Korean Peninsula issue should be solved peacefully through talks.

Xi said facts have proved time and again that eventually, the Korean Peninsula issue can only be solved through peaceful means, such as dialogue and consultation.

The international community needs to make joint efforts to achieve a peaceful solution of the issue, Xi said.

The president emphasized that China maintains its goal of the peninsula's denuclearization.

Merkel said Germany supports peaceful resolution of the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through political means and agrees to push all relevant parties back to dialogue and negotiation.

Germany hopes to strengthen communication and coordination with China to find a way to solve the issue peacefully as soon as possible, Merkel said.

Xi said the significance of China-Germany cooperation has long transcended a bilateral scope and is playing an increasingly important role in maintaining world peace and stability as well as promoting common development.

A day earlier, Xi and US President Donald Trump exchanged views on the situation.

In a news conference in Beijing on Thursday, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said China supports the UN Security Council in responding further to the Korean Peninsula's nuclear issue.

"Given the new development (a DPRK nuclear test) in the situation in the peninsula, China agrees with the Security Council to make further response and take necessary steps," Wang said.

"China will keep close communication with all parties in a manner that is objective, just and responsible," Wang added.

The foreign minister said China is "resolutely opposed to" the nuclear test the Democratic People's Republic of Korea conducted on Sunday, and urged the DPRK to "make the right decision" and "stop challenging the consensus and limit of the international community".

The Sunday test drew condemnation from the Security Council on Monday.

The United States has proposed a draft resolution to seek UN sanctions that would ban all oil and natural gas exports to the DPRK, according to the Associated Press.

Wang said any new actions the international community would take should not only deter the DPRK's nuclear and missile programs but also help talks resume as soon as possible.

Gao Feng, spokesman of the Ministry of Commerce said on Thursday that China will continue to handle its trade with DPRK based on principles that are conducive to the peninusla's denuclearization and its peace and stability.
Rakul Preet Singh was in Romania recently along with Mahesh Babu and the unit of SPYder for shooting a song. The team came back from Romania with a lot of memories of shooting places where the Dracula was born.



Rakul Preet was so intrigued by the place, architecture and horror tales related to different cities in Romania. She has decided to explore the place further, very soon. That means she might be planning to go to Romania for her next holiday as soon as she gets time from her busy schedules.

A song was shot at Draculas castle and if we dont get the chance to visit Romania for Draculas castle, we can get to see it in AR Murugadosss directorial SPYder. With all these stories of vampires and Dracula, audiences might feel interested to watch how the song is shot in such locations.
AMMAN - Chinese companies taking part in the 14th China Trade Fair in Jordan expressed on Wednesday keenness to build partnerships with local firms.

The three-day trade fair, starting on Sept 6 in the capital Amman, has attracted more than 200 exhibitors from China.

"It is the first time for my company to take part in the exhibition and I think we will participate again," Sandy Yang, general manager of Luoyang Runcheng Petrochemical Equipment Company Ltd, told Xinhua.

"It is a good venue to be at for networking and I am looking forward to having more cooperations with traders in the region, especially those working in the field of oil, energy and petrochemicals," Yang added.

Yang also hailed the exhibition as an opportunity to find new partners from markets such as Iraq, Libya and Syria and other countries.

"Jordan is a good gateway into the regional markets like Syria and Iraq," he explained.

Iris Chen, manager of export department at Nanjing Huale Machinery Company Ltd, voiced similar opinions.

"Jordan is famous for its pharmaceutical industries and we work in the field of packaging of pharmaceuticals and we are looking forward to having cooperation with Jordanian and Arab partners," Chen told Xinhua.

"I think by taking part in this exhibition, the private sector from both countries can help boost trade exchange and build new partnerships," he added.

The exhibition displays more than 8,000 products in multiple industrial sectors including textile, food, electronics and petrochemicals.

In 2016, the trade exchange between Jordan and China stood at $3.17 billion, 75 times larger than 40 years ago when diplomatic ties were established.

China is the second largest commercial partner of Jordan and its biggest exporter.
Sabrina: When winter grips the high snowy north, hikers seeking warmer trails look to the desert climate of southern Arizona. My recommended hike features stunning views, Sonoran Desert flora and a lush riparian corridor along the Gila River Canyons Passage of the Arizona Trail.

The passage begins at Kelvin Bridge over the Gila River before rising to high ridges with views of The Spine, Walnut Canyon Narrows, Copper Butte, and The Rincon, and then dipping into the canyon where the turbid waters of the Gila provide nourishment to the desert landscape.

One marvels at the hardiness of the early settlers who staked out a life in this desert, depending on rare water sources running out from the distant mountains.

Bark scorpions frequent the tall grasses of the lower, wetter areas. Watch for them when taking a snack.

Gila River Canyons (Passage No. 16, ESE of Phoenix)

Access: Kelvin Bridge Trailhead. From Superior, go south on AZ-177 for 15.2 miles. Turn south on Florence-Kelvin Hwy for 1.2 miles. At Kelvin Bridge, turn onto Centurion Rd to trailhead.

Notes: This is a lengthy passage (25.2 miles), without easy access on the northern end. Out-and-back dayhikes work well. Backpackers can continue through Alamo Canyon (Passage 17) to Pickpost Trailhead (36.7 miles total).

Wendy: I, too, have a special passion for the Sonoran Desert. The unique plants and animals that survive in this extreme environment deserve respect for their resilience and inspire awe for their beauty.

Hiking on Passage No. 8 in the Rincon Valley highlights the incredible biodiversity and geological beauty of this region, and makes for a fantastic day on the trail.

From the trailhead, the trail north drops into Cienega Creek, a perennial water source bordered by towering cottonwoods. Then the trail climbs the rolling hills of the Rincon Valley, with jaw-dropping views of the southwestern flanks of the Rincon Mountains.

Its a land of saguaros, ocotillos and barrel cacti. Hike into Colossal Cave park at mile 4.7 and visit the historic La Posta Quemada ranch. At mile 7.2 lies La Sevilla campground;, stay overnight and explore the cave the following day.

Rincon Valley (Passage No. 8, SE of Tucson)

Access: Gabe Zimmerman Trailhead. From Tucson, take I-10 east to Exit 279. Go left 0.2 miles to Frontage Road; go south (right) on Frontage Road for 5.2 miles to trailhead.

Notes: Hiking with a car shuttle or doing an out-and-back are equally satisfying here. There are numerous access points and loop hikes from Colossal Cave and Saguaro National parks. The passage is 13.9 miles to the boundary of Saguaro National Park  but 3 miles more to Hope Camp, the nearest trailhead.

Matthew: Or consider heading to Oracle. This small community one hour north of Tucson has four nearby Arizona Trail trailheads. Passage No. 13's singletrack wends through sublime oak groves and past granite boulders, with wide vistas of the San Pedro River Valley, Galiuro Wilderness and Santa Catalina Mountains. It's a premier wintertime hiking destination.

The southern Trailhead sits adjacent to American Flag Ranch, oldest standing territorial post office in Arizona. The adobe building doubles as Visitor Center; corrals and other historic features lie nearby.

On the Trail, you can head south toward High Jinks Ranch or north toward Oracle State Park. The former is mostly uphill; the latter crosses rolling terrain. High Jinks Ranch  site of an historic gold mine owned by Buffalo Bill Cody  makes an excellent day hike destination.

Or from Oracle State Park, the Trail northward is a recently-built singletrack through oak grassland biome, where the views get better and better, encompassing the Superstition Mountains east of Phoenix down to the snow-capped Pinal Mountains near Globe.

Happy Trails 'til 2018!

Oracle (Passages No. 12 & 13, N of Tucson)

Access: American Flag Ranch Trailhead (south end of Passage). From east side of Oracle, take Mt Lemmon Rd 3.1 miles to American Flag Ranch Rd. Turn right a short distance to trailhead.

Notes: Dayhikes and car shuttles both work here. Other access points lie within Oracle State Park (connector trails from Kannally Ranchhouse and Visitor Center), American Ave (AZ-77) and Tiger Mine Trailhead at Passage No. 13's northern end.
Just over 100 years ago, churches and labor unions had a close relationship. From a Christian History piece:

Some labor unions gathered members in their halls and marched together to church to hear the special messages. Newspapers reprinted the sermons the next day, and ministers were invited to address workers at their shops. These events brought together people who did not often mingle. "Both sides discovered that each had been misunderstanding the other," [Presbyterian minister Charles] Stelzle wrote. "Many a preacher, in his study, preparatory to the service, got a new vision of what the labor movement stands for; and many a workingman, listening to his Labor Day address, caught a glimpse of the purpose of the Church, which he had never dreamed of."

Despite this once close relationship with labor, most current thinking around theology and work focuses on white-collar Christians and leaves out the majority of Christian workers.

When we begin to think of faith/work integration, who has more time to think about that? said Kent Duncan, who wrote his masters thesis on blue-collar work and vocation. Who is it thats more likely to ponder abstract concepts about faith and work?

Duncan, who pastors a church that is predominantly blue collar, says that this population has often not given a lot of thought to their vocational choices.

Regardless of type of work, however, everyone needs more than just showing up on Sunday singing hymns, declaring truth, offering up prayers, he said.

[We need to know that] what we do on Monday through Friday all matters to God.

Duncan joined assistant editor Morgan Lee and editor in chief Mark Galli to discuss the limitations of the current theology of work conversation, the spiritual needs of blue-collar workers, and how pastors can best lead professionally diverse congregations.

What is Quick to Listen? Read more.

Subscribe to Quick to Listen on Apple Podcasts

Follow the podcast on Facebook and Twitter

Read The Blue-Collar Challenge

Follow our host on Twitter: Morgan Lee

Subscribe to Marks newsletter: The Galli Report

Quick to Listen is produced by Morgan Lee, Richard Clark, and Cray Allred
1. If you are not currently using social media platforms, you are missing out on the wave of new evangelism

When my wife and I planted our church in Hollywood, we saw brand new visitors every week. When we asked them how they heard about our church, a majority of them would say, through social media. What?! You mean to tell me that all of those filters and selfies were bringing people to church? Absolutely!

Social Media is a powerful tool that if utilized correctly, can help boost your churchs visitors/ attendance.

2. You get what you pay for

Many times, we set aside budgets for outreach and evangelism, but we never include social media marketing, because it doesnt seem like a wise investment. What if we began looking at social media through the lens of evangelism and outreach and actually budgeted for it in our churches? What happens is that you broaden your reach and have access to people that your church wouldnt have access to otherwise. You want to display excellence, and there are several affordable companies that will do this type of marketing for you.

Why pay? Because there is nothing worse than a bad social media account. Especially if it belongs to a church. Social media tells the world who you are. If you have pixelated images, low-quality photos, and no consistency, people will associate that lack of excellence with your church. The greater the reach, the greater the harvest. If you cant afford someone, I guarantee you theres someone in the church who is a selfie pro!

3. Determine your audience

In order to market, you must know who you are marketing to. For example: If you are looking to reach an older crowd, you might want to refrain from using slang vocabulary that will not be understood.

Your audience helps contextualize the message to fit those you are trying to reach. You also need to know the median age for each social media platform because that differs. The average active user on Facebook is 41 years old, but 90 percent of Instagrams audience is under 35 years old.

4. You must be consistent

You cant afford to lack consistency with your posting. You must make it a priority to post daily and determine how many daily posts youre going to put out there. At the same time, you dont want to over post. Consistency creates a strong online presence.

5. Come up with a plan

If youre running social media in-house, then come up with a plan. A plan that will outline your posting schedule according to peak times for social media users, and a plan that will help tell the story of your church. This will ensure that youre not posting just to post, but to communicate that theres intentionality behind every post.

6. Put a team together

Wait, you just told us in number 2 to pay a company to do it? Thats right, its always a good idea to pay a company to help get you started and maintain it if youre limited on social media servants. But if you have the people who are knowledgeable in your church, then put a team together. It takes work, creativity, and time to maintain and keep up with all of the latest features, apps, and so forth, so a team is much needed. They will help alleviate the pressure from you having to do it all.

7. Make sure that you have a website and keep it updated

Social media is great to get instant stories and messages out, but you always want to point your social media accounts to your website. Thats where the meat and potatoes are. Your website will be able to say what social media cant say, but social media will be the window to your website. Keep your website up to date, clean, appealing to the eye, and always include new content to keep people coming back.

Alberto Bello is the marketing director for the NHCLC. He is also campus pastor for New Season Church-Sacramento under the leadership of Pastor Sam Rodriguez. His wife, Ashley, and he have 3 beautiful children ages 8, 5, and 2. He has a passion to see young, Latino, leaders walk in their God-given purpose and maximize their potential in the areas of Leadership and the Creative Arts.

[ This article is also available in espanol. ]
I had the privilege or reading a pre-release version of "God Shines Forth: How the Nature of God Shapes and Drives the Mission of the Church." Here are 20 quotes from the book, which you should pick up.
Robert Jenson, one of the top American theologians of the 20th century, died this week at 87.

Jenson made lasting contributions to Lutheran, ecumenical, systematic, and Trinitarian theology, and was known for the breadth and originality of his scholarship.

Tributes call him the greatest American theologian since Jonathan Edwards, one of Americas most important theologians, Americas  most creative systematic theologian, and a theologians theologian. [CTs tribute tells the story of a human being who infected those around him with a love for Jesus Christ.]

His work contributed to the revival of systematic theology in the English speaking world, Scott Swain, president of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, told CT.

Robert P. George considered him among the most brilliant and creative Christian theologians of the post-World War II period.

His understanding ...

1
Author Josh Ross Shares His Journey to the Arctic and What It Taught Him in His Newest Book, Re\entry



ABILENE, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 /



"In Re\entry, Josh Ross leverages his own life experiences to help us see God's grace as the focal point of life. When our world crashes and despair attempts to steal the little hope we have left, it's refreshing to know that God's grace means we're never hopeless." -- Caleb Kaltenbach, Lead Pastor, Discovery Church, author, Messy Grace and God of Tomorrow



"Re\entry" will be released September 17 by Leafwood Publishers and will be available at Lifeway and independent Christian bookstores around the country, and will be distributed by all major distributors.



THE BOOK

As vital as the message of entry is to the Christian faith, many Christians are also desperate for a message of reentry after many seasons of doubt, confusion, bondage to the past, severed relationships, loss, depression, and stress. From places of darkness and shadows, God comes and reveals himself as the one who enters into our pain both as a companion who walks with us through our trials and as the one who is eager to eventually lead us into a healthier place.



Chapters include: "Eleven Days above the Arctic Circle," "Walking in the Dark," "Captured Alive," "When Grief Walks," "Jesus on Repeat," "Establishing Roots," "Navigating Life's Transitions," "Healthy Roots Produce Joy," "Reimagining Solitude," "Reimagining Community," "Reimaging Justice," "Reentry Matters for You," and "Reentry Matters for the World."



ISBN 978-0-89112-485-6

$14.99 // 192 pages



ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Josh Ross is the Lead Minister at Sycamore View Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He is married to his best friend, Kayci, and they have two boys, Truitt and Noah. He is the author of "Scarred Faith" and coauthor of "Bringing Heaven to Earth." He loves playing and watching sports, vacationing with his wife, and eating authentic Mexican food. He is a recovering Texan who is learning to thrive in Memphis with a church committed to restoring justice, opportunity, and dignity in Memphis and beyond.



ABOUT THE PUBLISHER

Leafwood Publishers is an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press, a publisher located in Abilene, Texas, that has published titles exploring Scripture, spiritual formation, and theology for over thirty years. The press is delighted to be adding Re\entry to its list of books exploring issues of Christian living and thought. You can visit their website at



Share Tweet Contact: Seth Shaver, 325-674-4978ABILENE, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 / Christian Newswire / -- How do you survive lengthy seasons of darkness? In January of 2014, Josh Ross traveled to Barrow, Alaska, to interact with a community that experiences over sixty-five days of darkness every winter. His time there revealed how essential the principles of reentry, roots, and rhythm are to our survival and health far beyond the Arctic Circle. Josh shares these insights in his newest book, "Re\entry: How Pain, Roots, and Rhythm Guide Us from Darkness to Light.""In Re\entry, Josh Ross leverages his own life experiences to help us see God's grace as the focal point of life. When our world crashes and despair attempts to steal the little hope we have left, it's refreshing to know that God's grace means we're never hopeless." -- Caleb Kaltenbach, Lead Pastor, Discovery Church, author, Messy Grace and God of Tomorrow"Re\entry" will be released September 17 by Leafwood Publishers and will be available at Lifeway and independent Christian bookstores around the country, and will be distributed by all major distributors.THE BOOKAs vital as the message of entry is to the Christian faith, many Christians are also desperate for a message of reentry after many seasons of doubt, confusion, bondage to the past, severed relationships, loss, depression, and stress. From places of darkness and shadows, God comes and reveals himself as the one who enters into our pain both as a companion who walks with us through our trials and as the one who is eager to eventually lead us into a healthier place.Chapters include: "Eleven Days above the Arctic Circle," "Walking in the Dark," "Captured Alive," "When Grief Walks," "Jesus on Repeat," "Establishing Roots," "Navigating Life's Transitions," "Healthy Roots Produce Joy," "Reimagining Solitude," "Reimagining Community," "Reimaging Justice," "Reentry Matters for You," and "Reentry Matters for the World."ISBN 978-0-89112-485-6$14.99 // 192 pagesABOUT THE AUTHORJosh Ross is the Lead Minister at Sycamore View Church in Memphis, Tennessee. He is married to his best friend, Kayci, and they have two boys, Truitt and Noah. He is the author of "Scarred Faith" and coauthor of "Bringing Heaven to Earth." He loves playing and watching sports, vacationing with his wife, and eating authentic Mexican food. He is a recovering Texan who is learning to thrive in Memphis with a church committed to restoring justice, opportunity, and dignity in Memphis and beyond.ABOUT THE PUBLISHERLeafwood Publishers is an imprint of Abilene Christian University Press, a publisher located in Abilene, Texas, that has published titles exploring Scripture, spiritual formation, and theology for over thirty years. The press is delighted to be adding Re\entry to its list of books exploring issues of Christian living and thought. You can visit their website at www.leafwoodpublishers.com
Evangelism Explosion Transitions Capitol Hill Outreach, the Center for Christian Statesmanship, to Coral Ridge Ministries Media Contact: Dr. Frank Wright, 954-334-4343, F.Wright@djkm.org



ARDEN, N.C., Sept. 7, 2017 /Christian Newswire/ -- Evangelism Explosion International today announced the transfer of its Capitol Hill-based evangelism and Christian Statesmanship outreach, the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship (CCS), to its sister ministry, Coral Ridge Ministries Media (CRMM), the parent organization of D. James Kennedy Ministries.



The organizational realignment, jointly approved by the Boards of Evangelism Explosion and CRMMorganizations founded by the late D. James Kennedy, Ph.D.takes place after a detailed review into how best to preserve, expand and amplify the Center for Christian Statesmanship's historic mission of training future generations of Christian statesmen.



"We've always had the welfare of the Center for Christian Statesmanship at heart," said Dr. John B. Sorensen, President of EE. "Because the mission of CCS is so critically important to the welfare of our nation," he added, "we undertook an extensive examination of what leadership structure, what organizational structure, would best serve CCS's future ministry prospects on Capitol Hill. The boards of both EE and CRMM concurred that those prospects would be best served back under CRMM."



Established in 1995 by CRMM, the Center for Christian Statesmanship is a Capitol Hill-based Christian outreach engaged in training and equipping present and future political leaders in evangelism and statesmanship. It came under the organizational umbrella of EE in 2007.



Dr. Frank Wright, Chief Executive Officer of CRMM, who served as the founding Executive Director of the Center for Christian Statesmanship, endorsed the move and praised EE's stewardship of CCS since 2007:



"Each of the many ministries founded by Dr. D. James Kennedy have a profound sense of being part of a family of outreaches that were an expression of Dr. Kennedy's love for Christ and his love for America. Nowhere was that family understanding better expressed than when Evangelism Explosion, at a point of great need, assumed a leadership responsibility for the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Statesmanship. For the last ten years, under its visionary president Dr. John Sorensen, EE has faithfully and diligently upheld Dr. Kennedy's vision of being a powerful witness for Christ and equipping present and future statesmen."



New CCS Outreach to Dramatically Expand Mission



The organizational transition comes at a time when the Center for Christian Statesmanship embarks on an ambitious new phase of ministry engagement. The forthcoming launch of the D. James Kennedy Center for Christian Leadership (CCL), a new CCS outreach, will dramatically expand the historic mission of CCS to train the next generation of Christian statesmen. The new Center for Christian Leadership, Dr. Wright explained, seeks to train 300 leaders per year for each of the next 10 years.



"The Center for Christian Leadership will address the deficit of preparation for Biblical cultural engagementespecially for leadership service in government and the public policy arena," Wright said. "Its training programs will prepare and equip men and women who have a wholehearted commitment to serve Christ by engaging the influential institutions of culture with a well-grounded Biblical world and life view."



Looking to a new era of cultural engagement, the Center for Christian Leadership is led by its president Dr. Linda W. Smith, with the Honorable John Hostettler continuing as Senior Executive Director. Dr. Sorensen will have a continuing relationship with the Center for Christian Statesmanship, serving as a CCL faculty member and as Chairman of the CCS Board of Advisors.



"I am thrilled at God's providence in providing this new (old) home for CCS," said Dr. Sorensen. "I believe that under the wise and seasoned leadership of Dr. Wright and the CRMM Board, the impact of CCS in equipping leaders to share Jesus and bring the mind of Christ to American culture will only expand and grow. And for that I thank God."



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home World Amnesty report: 381 civilians have been killed by Boko Haram since April

At least 381 civilians have been killed in attacks carried out by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria and Cameroon since April, according to a report by Amnesty International.

Although the Nigerian military has repeatedly declared that Boko Haram has been "defeated," the insurgent group has carried out a series of deadly attacks in Nigeria and Cameroon in recent months.

According to Amnesty International, the number of casualties resulting from the resurgence of attacks has more than doubled compared to the previous five months.

"Boko Haram is once again committing war crimes on a huge scale, exemplified by the depravity of forcing young girls to carry explosives with the sole intention of killing as many people as they possibly can," said Alioune Tine, Amnesty's director for West and Central Africa.

At least 223 civilians have been killed in Nigeria since April, but the human rights group said that the real toll could be higher.

In July, Boko Haram reportedly abducted an oil exploration team with staff of the state oil firm and of a university while they were traveling in a military convoy. Forty people were killed by the militants and three others were kidnapped.

"Between May and August, seven times more civilians were killed than in the preceding four months, while 100 civilians were killed in August alone," the NGO said in its report, according to Al Jazeera.

In neighboring Cameroon, as many as 158 civilians have died in attacks carried out by Boko Haram since April.

"The recent spike in casualties has been driven by increased suicide attacks, with 30 - more than one per week - carried out since the beginning of April," the report noted.

The deadliest attack in Cameroon took place in the town of Waza on July 12, when a young girl detonated a bomb in a crowded video game center, killing 16 civilians and injuring 34 others.

In late August, UNICEF reported that at least 83 children have been used by the terror group as "human bombs." As many as 55 children were girls, often under 15 years old. Twenty-seven of the child bombers were boys, and one was a baby strapped to a girl.

The UN agency expressed concerns that children who escaped or were released by Boko Haram come to be viewed with suspicion and rejected by their communities.

Boko Haram has killed over 20,000 people since the insurgency began in 2009. Amnesty International noted that at least 2.3 million people in the region have been displaced and 7 million are facing serious food shortages.
home World New report details mass persecution of Kurds and Christians in Turkey

A U.S.-based non-profit international policy council and think tank has recently published a report detailing the mass persecution of Christians and Kurds in Turkey.

According to the report released by the Gatestone Institute on Monday, Christians in Turkey are persecuted by government officials and are severely abused by the public on social media.

The article pointed to several other reports, including one published in August 2017 by the Armenian-Turkish weekly Agos, which noted that Armenian, Syriac and Chaldean Christians have been prevented from worshipping in their churches for the last three years because their places of worship have been included in the government's expropriation plan.

The plan, adopted by the Turkish cabinet in March 2016, expropriated Christian properties belonging to the indigenous Armenian, Assyrian (Syriac), Chaldean and Protestant communities, including the Armenian Catholic, the Chaldean Mor Petyun and the Armenian Surp Giragos churches.

Members of the Surp Giragos church have claimed that there is new damage to the building each time they visit. The church has since filed a lawsuit against the Turkish State Council and other Christian foundations have also filed cases in an effort to stop the expropriation.

Ahmet GAvener, a pastor and the spiritual leader of the DiyarbakAr Protestant Church, said that the persecution of Christians in Turkey is not new. "We have been exposed to ethnic and religious discrimination for years," he said, adding that not a single church has been erected since the Turkish Republic was established in 1923.

"The state, which spends billions [of Turkish liras] and builds gigantic mosques, has not built a church so far," he added.

Moreover, even Muslims who refuse to shun Christians and Kurds experience harassment from the authorities.

Gatestone reported that in DiyarbakAr, a 76-year-old Muslim woman, who is active in a Kurdish political movement has been harassed by Turkish police for being a "hidden Armenian," simply because she reads both the Bible and the Quran.

Kurds have also been experiencing persecution from the Turkish government for decades. Last October, GAltan KAAYanak and FArat AnlA, the co-mayors of DiyarbakAr, were arrested and jailed for "being members of a terrorist organization."

The institute noted that there are currently 13 Kurdish MPs, including the leaders of the pro-Kurdish Peoples' Democratic Party (HDP), held in Turkish prisons.

Apart from the imprisonment of the 13 Kurdish MPs, the Turkish government had also imprisoned 89 Kurdish mayors and had appointed custodians to govern 83 Kurdish-run municipalities in April, according to the pro-Kurdish Democratic Regions Party (DBP).

The think tank explained that the persecution of Christians and Kurds "is not restricted to government officials. It is widespread among the public, as well, and expressed extensively on social media."

The report cited Twitter posts, where Armenians and grandchildren of survivors of the 1914 Armenian Christian genocide were described as "infidels," "vile and treacherous," with some saying that all Armenians "must die."

"The situation of minorities in Turkey and their persecution by Turkey a a member of NATO and perpetual candidate for EU membership a must be told as often and as loudly as possible," the report concluded.

Amnesty International has recently accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of having a "human rights meltdown" following the arrest of the group's Turkey director Idil Eser.

"This is not a legitimate prosecution. This is a politically motivated persecution that charts a frightening future for rights in Turkey," Salil Shetty, Amnesty's secretary general, said in a statement in July following Eser's arrest.
home World Pope Francis travels to Colombia to encourage peace process between government and rebels

Pope Francis is expected to arrive in Colombia on Wednesday to urge reconciliation in a country deeply divided over the terms of a peace deal that ended 52 years of civil war between the government and the leftist Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

The pontiff, who himself was instrumental in bringing the peace deal to fruition, will be spending five days in Colombia, to visit the capital Bogota and the cities of Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena, Reuters reported.

The pope had reportedly delayed accepting a government and Church invitation to visit the country until a viable peace process was underway. "He had wanted to go for a long time. Now the moment has come," said Vatican spokesman Greg Burke.

Francis had closely followed the peace negotiations and had made at least two phone calls to Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who had been awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his efforts in brokering a peace pact with FARC.

The peace deal allowed FARC to introduce its new political party last week and granted amnesty to most of its fighters.

The agreement faced considerable opposition from many Colombians who oppose provisions that guarantee the former rebels representation in congress and billions of dollars in aid. The accord was rejected by voters last fall but the president pushed it through Congress anyway.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, who is currently serving as a senator, expressed concerns that the deal was too lenient on the rebels who were believed to have committed horrendous crimes including killings, kidnappings and extortion.

The country's Catholic bishops are also divided on their support of the deal, but the pope is expected to urge them to put aside their differences during his trip on Sept. 6a10.

"The greatest task of the Church in Colombia now is to help stem the polarization around the peace process between the government and the guerrillas," said Archbishop Octavio Ruiz, a Vatican official and Colombian.

"This is a time for us to accept the grandeur of forgiveness, to leave behind us this dark period of war and blood," he added.

The main theme of the pope's visit will be reconciliation, and it will be the emphasis for the events on Friday in the city of Villavicencio, where the pontiff is expected to listen to testimonials from people who were affected by the violence and then deliver a homily.

Apart from the victims of violence, the prayer meeting will also be attended by former guerrillas who have been integrated into Colombian society for some time and are not part of the recent peace process with FARC.

Burke said that there will be no formal meeting with opposition politicians, FARC, or the National Liberation Army (ELN), the country's second largest insurgent group founded by radical Roman Catholic priests in 1964.
This is a carousel. Use Next and Previous buttons to navigate 3 1 of 3 Damian Dovarganes/STF Show More Show Less 2 of 3 Kroll Ontrack Show More Show Less 3 of 3





Kroll Ontrack is setting up a task force in Houston to donate $500,000 in data recovery services to individuals and businesses impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

The company is in the process of establishing locations in downtown, Texas City, Conroe and near Bush Intercontinental Airport. Free data recovery services are being offered to residents, while businesses can get a discounted flat fee for recovery of any single desktop, laptop or hard drive.
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United Airlines will begin offering daily, nonstop service between Houston and Sydney on Jan. 18.

At 8,596 miles, it will be United's second-longest flight. Its Los Angeles-Singapore flight remains the longest.

Patrick Quayle, vice president of international network, said the new international flight is possible because United is rearranging flights at Bush intercontinental Airport this fall to make connections more efficient.

MORE: United hopes to improve flight connections at Bush airport

The new route will provide more than 70 cities across North America with one-stop service to Sydney. For example, United customers originating in Charlotte, N.C., currently have to fly to Chicago to connect to San Francisco to get to Sydney. With United's new flight from Houston, customers would have just one stop.

"We're not just going after the Houston traffic," Quayle said.

The flight will be operated with the Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner aircraft with 252 seats  48 flat-bed seats in Polaris business class, 63 economy plus seats and 141 seats in economy.

Quayle said rearranging flights to boost efficiency, which the industry calls rebanking, will allow United to connect more passengers through Houston and, therefore, add more international service. He said the airline is always examining new opportunities.

"Stay tuned," he said, "we are very much committed to the city."
WASHINGTON - When floodwaters come up, seeping into industrial areas that turn out fuel or chemicals, public health officials look to a federal database known simply as IRIS.

Short for Integrated Risk Information System, the EPA maintains the program both to assess the health risks of various chemical compounds and as a go-to encyclopedia for state agencies of their impacts on human populations.

"These are the folks that are there when Corpus Christi, Texas has a question about an inadvertent contamination of their water supply," Thomas Burke, a public health professor at Johns Hopkins University, testified to Congress Wednesday. "IRIS is an importation database that doesn't just look at cancer and rats."

Now in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey's flooding of the Texas Gulf Coast, the future of that program is falling into question as Congress looks to cut EPA's budget.

Under President Donald Trump's original budget released earlier this year the agency would have seen its budget slashed more than 30 percent and IRIS eliminated all together. But under a House appropriations bill released this summer the EPA's budget saw a far smaller cut of $528 million - about 6 percent of its 2017 budget - leaving IRIS intact but financially weakened.

The program has long been controversial within the chemical industry, which has criticized the EPA's scientific methods and questioned IRIS's priorities.

"Everybody has a difference of opinion of what degree it needs to change," said Ed Krenik, a lobbyist for the chemical industry.

At a hearing before the House Science, Space and Technology Committee, Republicans echoed those concerns, calling for an overhaul in how IRIS goes about assessing the risk of chemicals that support an industry worth hundreds of billions of dollars a year.

"IRIS assessments are not based on sound science. There are multiple instances of the IRIS program relying on outdated or flawed studies," said Rep. Darin LaHood, R-Ill..

Republicans pointed to a series of reports by both the Government Accountability Office and the National Academy of Sciences that recommended changes in IRIS's scientific method, following a controversial 2010 assessment that the chemical formaldehyde caused cancer when inhaled.

Advocates for the program, like Burke, maintain that IRIS is addressing those areas of concern and improving its methods.

But James Bus, a toxicologist with the consulting firm Exponent, whose work is supported by the American Chemistry Council, a trade group representing the chemical industry, testified the EPA had a history of reliance of health findings that could not be reproduced and rushing peer reviews of its scientific work.

"IRIS might be going to down the right road but they still have a lot of work ahead of them," Bus said.
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DIMOCK, Pa.  The well water at Ken Morcom and Kim Grosso's house is laced with so much explosive methane that a Pennsylvania environmental regulator who went there to collect samples this summer decided it would be safer to coast her SUV down the driveway.

Morcom and Grosso want to leave but doubt they could sell a house with tainted water. So, a few weeks ago, they asked the gas driller they blame for polluting their well to buy them out.

"I was hoping they'd fix it. But I've given up hope," said Morcom, 49, who supports drilling but has become disillusioned with Houston-based Cabot Oil & Gas Corp. "Just let us out of the box."

"The box" is the couple's 8-acre spread in rural Dimock Township. But Morcom could have been talking about Dimock itself.

A patchwork of homes and farms about 150 miles north of Philadelphia, the community became a battleground for pro- and anti-drilling forces after state regulators found that Cabot  one of the biggest drillers in the vast Marcellus Shale gas field  had contaminated 18 residential wells with methane. Homeowners sued, accusing the company of polluting their water with toxic chemicals and methane. Activists and celebrities descended.

It's a much quieter place these days. But the questions surrounding Dimock's groundwater have yet to be resolved  and the federal government is back for the first time in more than five years to investigate ongoing claims of contamination. Public health experts visited 25 homes last month to test for bacteria, gases and chemicals.

The testing has resurrected an old debate about the groundwater in Dimock, whose plight was the focus of the Emmy Award-winning documentary "Gasland."

State regulators say Cabot still hasn't fixed the water. Cabot says the methane was there long before it began drilling. It's an argument that's been going on for eight years.

Bill Ely, whose house was tested, said his methane-laced well water looks like milk. He now pipes spring water to his house.

"My place that I've worked for all my life is worth nothing," said Ely, 66.

Dimock was the highest-profile case of contamination linked to Pennsylvania's huge gas drilling industry, but it's far from the only one. State regulators have identified 289 cases since December 2007 in which a private water supply was affected by gas drilling, including seven so far this year.

In Dimock, the dispute centers on the extent to which methane was present in the water before Cabot showed up to drill in 2008.

The odorless, colorless gas is common in Pennsylvania groundwater. It can emanate from swamps, landfills, coal mines and gas wells. Methane is not toxic to humans, but at high concentrations it can lead to asphyxiation or cause an explosion. It was an exploding water well on New Year's Day 2009 that first aroused public attention in Dimock.

Cabot has long insisted the gas in Dimock's aquifer is naturally occurring, saying its pre-drill testing of thousands of private water wells in the area show a high percentage with methane. Company spokesman George Stark said he views the new testing by the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry as a waste of time and taxpayer money, pointing out that another federal agency, the Environmental Protection Agency, tested 64 homes in 2012 and concluded the well water didn't pose a health hazard.

Critics have said the EPA buckled to industry pressure. The Agency for Toxic Substances analyzed the same data and concluded that 27 of the wells had unsafe levels of contamination. Its 2016 report drew no conclusion about whether gas drilling caused the water to become tainted.

Some residents agree with Cabot.

Lloyd Conrad, 80, said "swamp gas" has always been an issue in Dimock, including at his own house. "Bunch of yahoos," Conrad said of residents who sued the company in 2009. "They were after this," he added, rubbing his fingers together.

Still, Conrad wonders whether Cabot's drilling might have made things worse. The driller pays to refill a large plastic tank on his property, called a water buffalo, that supplies Conrad's home with water for bathing and washing clothes. Government scientists tested his well in early August.

The Department of Environmental Protection said Cabot has not yet fixed all affected water supplies, nor has it shown that all its gas wells have stopped leaking natural gas into the aquifer. As a result, the agency has refused Cabot's requests to lift a moratorium on drilling in a 9-square-mile area of Dimock.

Though Cabot hasn't been able to drill new wells, state regulators did permit the company to begin producing gas from six existing wells in 2012. The state agency has since held Cabot responsible for three additional cases of contamination, though Stark said two of the cases involve homeowners who have long reported gas in their water.

The third case involves Grosso and Morcom, who reported their well water went bad three months after Cabot "fracked" a nearby gas well. Fracking is a method that uses huge amounts of pressurized water, along with sand and chemicals, to extract oil and natural gas from shale.

State regulators held Cabot responsible, though they cited problems with the cementing of the gas wells and said there is no evidence that fracking itself polluted the water.

Cabot installed a third water buffalo on the couple's property this summer, this one to water their cows.

"After five years of putting up with this," Morcom said, "we just want out."
Spring Branch students will return to classes Monday, September 11, said school officials Wednesday afternoon. They said campuses sustained no major damage from hurricane Harvey and after thorough inspections, settled on the date that many other districts have chosen to open their doors.

In an emergency meeting of Spring Branch Independent School District board members that evening, the board voted on a number of Harvey-related measures they feel will help staff, students and the surrounding community get back to normal after what Spring Branch ISD Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Scott Muri, called "an incredibly emotional situation for our community."

One district official confirmed that every exterior door on every district-owned building was sealed with a special water-resistant tape in preparation for the storm that kept flood waters from infiltrating interior spaces. Although some structures did sustain leaky ceilings or small areas of carpet that got wet, it was nothing that facility managers could not manage on their own, said Muri.

"Our facilities not only survived hurricane Harvey," he said. "But our facilities did extremely well."

An action approved in a 7-0 vote allowed for SBISD to continue offering free breakfast and lunch to students till September 10 at three elementary campuses. The meal service began August 25 at Meadow Wood, Edgewood and Westwood Elementary schools from 7 a.m.- 9 a.m., and 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

Muri said he had already received word that the cost to the district for the extended nutrition services would be reimbursed by the federal government.

Other key measures passed at the meeting included approval by the board to request a special waiver from the Texas Education Agency to allow students and teachers to not have to make up the 10 school days missed due to the storm. The current district calendar is still correct and will remain in place due the decision passed 7-0.

Two other items that were unanimously passed are intended to help staff of the district recover post-Harvey.

One will pay teachers and other staff for work days missed while Spring Branch ISD was closed because of Harvey. Board members said to penalize staff for acting in the interest of their own safety by not paying them would be detrimental to employee moral, and potentially cause future disregard for shelter-in-place orders from city and county officials in other emergency situations.

Additionally, they voted to offer extra leave days to exempt employees (those not eligible for overtime pay) who came into work on September 7 and 8 to prepare for students' return while the district is still closed.

They did not require staff return to work on those days, said Muri, as many Spring Branch ISD employees are still dealing with their own personal loss of property, or much worse.

He said there have been at least 10 employees who have filed for disaster relief pay.

"It's impacted all 4,600 members of our staff," said Muri. "We've had staff members who've lost family members in this. I've never experienced anything like this in my life and it will be with us for years to come."
Huffman Independent School District is working to realize and document the scope of Harvey's effects on its students by reaching out to its student families in Harvey's aftermath.

So far, more than 100 students are estimated to have been affected by severe damage to homes and properties. However, more affected students are being found daily, so that number is expected to slightly increase.

"We are grateful, however, that most of the parents in our community that have students that will experience long-term effects from Hurricane Harvey have reached out to us and informed us of their circumstances and let us know how we can help their children," said Shirley Dupree, executive director of human resources and communications for Huffman ISD.

Huffman ISD welcomed Ben Bowen, Copeland Elementary and Hargrave High School students back to school Wednesday, Sept. 6, and announced its intention of opening Huffman Middle School's doors to students Monday, Sept. 11.

The school district has, and continues to receive, donations of clothes, backpacks and school supplies for students in need. Other school districts and entities are also coordinating with Huffman ISD to learn and meet the needs of its students and staff.

"The Huffman Education Foundation has established a Harvey Relief Fund," said Dupree, who also serves as the executive director of the Huffman Education Foundation. "The purpose is to collect monetary donations that will be used to purchase items needed to help our students with school and personal needs and to help teachers (who may have been affected by Harvey) with instructional and personal needs as well."

The Huffman Education Foundation will work with school counselors to prioritize needs and create a plan to address the needs of students and their families.

"Through social media, we are continually asking parents to email us or contact us with needs," Dupree said. "We had also set up a phone bank that was open 8-4 each day last Saturday, Sunday, and Monday for parents to call with needs and to let us know transportation needs if they had relocated."

Huffman ISD plans to make accommodations to transport students of families that have been displaced, with a student pick-up point from Grand Parkway in Baytown.

In its first two days back, the school district did not have an influx of out-of-district students. However, Dupree said some may arrive next week. She does not anticipate a significant number will be added.

"We will be ready for them if they arrive, and we will welcome them and provide for them if we need to," Dupree said.

She said missing the school days will impact instructional schedules, but Huffman ISD is confident teachers will be able to adjust accordingly.

"We do not see this event impacting our enrollment or attendance in the long-term," Dupree said. "We are confident that although we have students that have been significantly impacted by Hurricane Harvey, our parents and students want to remain a part of the Huffman ISD community and they will make efforts to stay with us."

The school district's facilities sustained some rainwater getting into Huffman Middle School, and a middle school chiller unit was impacted. During an emergency school board meeting Friday, Sept. 1, Huffman ISD approved an amount not to exceed $500,000 for facility repairs and treatments, including sanitation treatments to disinfect the school, and repair work on the chiller unit. The district will seek reimbursement for any expenses from these projects.

For more information about Huffman ISD, visit www.huffmanisd.net.
Holiday Lakes Mayor Norman Schroeder hasn't been able to reach his residence for about a week.

Schroeder has heard that his 1,800-square-foot home on one of the city's highest points has 6 inches of water in it. But with several feet of water still idling in Holiday Lakes, he can't get to it yet.

"I'm going to have to tear all the stuff in the house out when I get there," Schroeder said. "I don't think it's going to take too long to rebuild, but it depends on what the mold does."

As floodwaters recede in large swaths of Greater Houston, thousands of residents in Brazoria County and neighboring Fort Bend County are still dealing with lingering water and infrastructure issues, local officials said this week. The slow rise of the Brazos and San Bernard rivers, combined with large amounts of rainfall that flooded nearby creeks and bayous, has extended the recovery timeline in the two counties west and south of Houston.

More Information Fort Bend County by the numbers Rainfall: 20 to 36 inches Percent of county flooded: 22% Number of people who left home: 200,000 County population: 741,000 Roads flooded: 464 Shelters opened: 29 Max. people in shelter: 5,000 See More Collapse

"We're still dealing with the flooding, but parts of the county are in the recovery stage right now," said Sharon Trower, a spokeswoman for Brazoria County.

Trower said thousands of homes remain inaccessible due to floodwaters, particularly in the Bar X, Holiday Lakes and Rosharon regions. Residents in several other corners of the county - Danbury, Liverpool, Richwood and northern Lake Jackson - are also dealing with pockets of flooding.

To the west, the cities of Brazoria and West Columbia were both attempting to fix wastewater treatment plant issues that left thousands of residents with out sewer services.

In addition, 15 subdivisions served by Undine LLC remained under boil-water notices Wednesday due to concerns about water contamination. The neighborhoods are spread throughout the county, from Alvin to Freeport and the city of Brazoria.

However, the damage could have been more extensive if earlier forecasts for the Brazos River had panned out. Originally projected to crest at 34.5 feet, the river instead peaked Monday at 30.8 feet, just short of "major" flood status as defined by the National Weather Service. The lower crest helped spare the downtown areas of West Columbia and Brazoria from widespread flooding.

"We're just glad that the river didn't reach that high, because it could have been even more devastating to the area, and to areas down south of (West Columbia)," Trower said.In Fort Bend County, which likewise didn't see the Brazos River rise as high as once projected, water already had drained from most roadways. A daunting process of rebuilding remained.

Mandatory evacuation orders had largely been lifted and the curfew was over, but debris pick-up alone could take months, County Judge Bob Hebert said.

"This is the frustrating period in these floods," Hebert said, speaking at a commissioners court meeting Tuesday. "It always has been."

Still, the county is making progress. Officials on Wednesday cleared the Jodie Stavinoha Bridge - part of the Grand Parkway that runs over the Brazos River near Sugar Land - to reopen. It had been under construction before the storm hit, closing temporarily when the base became no longer visible under river waters.

Residents were also allowed, with law-enforcement supervision, into the last of closed-off areas of the county near the Barker Reservoir, where water appeared to have receded from homes even as it remained on some roadways.

"So far, so good," Precinct 3 Constable Wayne Thompson said of the process, which he has been helping to oversee. "The community has really come out to help."

Fort Bend officials said about 22 percent of the county was flooded after some areas received up to three feet of rain. An estimated 200,000 people left their homes, slightly more than a quarter of the county's population.

As of Wednesday, fewer than 40 people remained in shelters in the county and 45 roads remained closed.

The following day, Gov. Greg Abbott and John Sharp, who is leading his recovery efforts, stopped in Richmond to meet with county leaders and vow to work together.

"We don't want to just rebuild," Abbott said, explaining they were considering many options. "We want to rebuild smarter."
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A 16-year-old accused of having an "active role" in the murder of two young Tamina residents in July might be tried as an adult.

The juvenile, whose name was not released, is one of four people accused in the July 20 shooting that left Jaquise Williams, 23, and Akeem Russell, 24, dead. He and Conroe residents Roman Pray, 18, Tomas Lizcano, 17, and Roddrick Jordan, 30, were all charged in the shooting.

The teenager, Pray and Lizcano are charged with capital murder while Jordan is charged with aggravated robbery. Montgomery County Attorney J D Lambright told The Courier his office filed a motion to have the juvenile tried as an adult, meaning he could spend the rest of his life in prison if convicted.

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In Texas, suspects are considered juveniles until they turn 17. The teenage murder suspect was weeks away from his birthday at the time of the shooting, Lambright said.

"Based on our information from the investigation, that's how we're proceeding thus far," Lambright said. "His role in the case seems to be a very active role."

The teenager has been in trouble for theft and assaulting a public servant, Lambright said. He will undergo a full psychological evaluation before County Court-at-Law 1 Judge Dennis Watson determines whether or not the juvenile will be tried as an adult.

The hearing should happen in the next four weeks, Lambright said. If he is not tried as an adult, he could ultimately be in prison for up to 40 years if convicted.

Court documents on Pray's case claim Pray and two others entered the home in the 9600 block of Bimms Drive where Williams and Russell were staying on July 20. Jordan, who was outside in a red car, told detectives he heard gun shots and saw the three others inside the house flee back to the car.

Jordan also told detectives that Pray said the shooting "wasn't supposed to go down like that" and claimed one of the victims "pulled a gun on us," according to court documents. Russell and Williams, along with Williams' 3-year-old daughter who was uninjured, were discovered by family members who had not heard from them that morning.

If convicted of capital murder, Pray could face the death penalty, while Lizcano could face life without parole. In Texas, defendants must be 18 years old to receive the death penalty.

If Jordan is convicted, he could face 25 years to life in prison. Normal punishment for aggravated robbery is five years to life; but due to Jordan's criminal history, the range is enhanced to 25 years to life.

Jordan's criminal history in Montgomery County stretches back to 2006 when he was arrested for possessing cocaine. He ultimately spent two years in prison for that charge after breaking the rules of his community supervision.

He was again arrested in 2010 for possessing cocaine and was handed a 90-day jail sentence after pleading guilty.

In 2012, he was arrested for aggravated robbery but pleaded guilty for a 180-day jail sentence. That same year, he was arrested for illegally possessing a firearm as a felon and pleaded to another 180-day sentence.

He most recently was handed a six-year prison sentence in 2013 for possessing cocaine with the intent to distribute. A spokesperson with the Texas Board of Pardons and Paroles could not be reached.

Lizcano and Pray have no criminal history in Montgomery County, records indicate.
Two women were charged Tuesday in connection with gunfire that happened Monday in the Bellaire area, during which seven Houston police officers fired in self-defense.

Katrina Bendslev, 32, faces a felony charge of aggravated assault against a public servant.

Raeanna McFadden, 28, was charged with tampering with evidence, also a felony.

Both women were shot and injured by the officers and taken to Ben Taub General Hospital.

Bendslev was being held Wednesday afternoon in the Harris County Jail with a bail of $75,000. McFadden made her bail of $2,500 Wednesday.

A bystander inside her home in the 4500 block of Sunburst was also injured during Monday's gunfire. She was hit by a stray bullet that entered through the front window, according to a Houston Police Department news release. The bystander was taken to Ben Taub Hospital and had been released by Wednesday morning.

The gunfire began about 11:45 p.m. The women, who were in a Cadillac Escalade, are believed to have refused to stop after Houston Police officers tried to pull them over at Interstate 69 and Bissonnet for a traffic violation.

The pair are accused of leading police on a chase to the intersection of Sunburst and Newcastle. Officers said they threw syringes and a small bag of methamphetamine out of the car window along the way, according to the news release.

When the women reached a dead end in the 4500 block of Sunburst, Bendslev is accused of reversing the Cadillac into two marked patrol cars.

Officers said she then accelerated toward them, prompting gunfire from the seven officers, according to the news release.

The officers involved in the shooting included L. Maldonado, J. Rivera, S. Brannon, K. Smith and C. Dulin.

Maldonado has been on the force for two years, Rivera for one-and-a-half years, Brannon for three-and-a-half years, and Smith for one year, according to the release.

The amount of time Dulin has worked for HPD was not included in the release.

Two undercover officers in HPD's narcotics division also fired. Their names were not released Wednesday.

Bendslev was sentenced to four years behind bars after pleading guilty in 2014 to the felony charges of possession of less than 1 gram of methamphetamine, unauthorized use of a motor vehicle and evading arrest and detention with a vehicle.

She also pleaded guilty in 2013 to prostitution, which is a misdemeanor.

McFadden does not have a criminal record in Harris County.

Per protocol, the case is being investigated by HPD's homicide division, the agency's internal affairs division and the Harris County District Attorney's Office.
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Students at nine Houston ISD schools will be temporarily shifted to different campuses due to flood damage from Hurricane Harvey, and those attending about 80 schools likely won't return to classes next week as originally planned, Superintendent Richard Carranza announced Thursday.

The district had already delayed the return of students for the fall by two weeks in response to Harvey, which drenched the Houston region with historic rainfall amounts after making landfall on Aug. 25.

Carranza said he expects 202 of the district's roughly 280 campuses to open Monday, as planned. Under the revised start dates, though, students at the hardest-hit campuses will begin classes as late as Sept. 25, giving workers additional time to complete building repairs.

District officials said start dates for campuses remain fluid, making it difficult to project how many campuses will open on specific dates. Some schools could open mid-week and on a few days' notice.

"Our goal is to get them in school as quickly as we can, as safely as possible," said Carranza, who is starting his second year as superintendent of the nation's seventh-largest school district.

The projected start date for each school can be viewed here.

The breadth of the fast-changing plan reflects the havoc wreaked by Harvey, which dumped 52 inches of rain on the Houston area, triggering massive neighborhood flooding and causing billions in property damage.

Harvey touched virtually all corners of the district, with more than 75 campuses sustaining "major" or "extensive" damage, administrators said. Early estimates put the hurricane's cost to the district at about $700 million, Carranza said.

The superintendent's announcement follows several days of uncertainty about start dates and building damage at the Houston ISD, expected to serve about 218,000 students this year.

Employees have now surveyed all of the district's campuses, several of which were heavily damaged by floodwaters, Carranza said.

District officials are working to relocate students attending nine campuses that sustained the heaviest flood damage. They are Askew, Braeburn, Hilliard, Kolter, Mitchell, Robinson and Scarborough elementary schools; Burbank Middle School; and Liberty High School. Combined they served about 6,500 students last year.

Carranza said three of those campuses likely won't reopen this year, though he didn't specify which. Students in those schools are expected to be relocated to now-vacant buildings.

The remaining six schools could be closed for a few weeks or months, Carranza said.

Students attending those six will be temporarily sent to existing Houston ISD schools, where they will share space, or other vacant facilities.

"I'm excited that we're getting some normalcy back to our kids. I think it's important for them to have a consistent place for them to be every day," said Houston ISD board vice chair Rhonda Skillern-Jones, whose district includes Hilliard and Scarborough elementary schools.

"I don't think it will go perfect. This is our first time doing it, and there will be some kinks that we'll have to work through. But I think, overall, it's the best thing."

Carranza said he does not anticipate any "split shifts" at campuses, with one group of students attending class at a building in the morning and another group arriving at the same building in the afternoon. Humble ISD has used that tactic to accommodate the 2,800 displaced students from Kingwood High School, which could be closed for the year due to flood damage.

As the financial costs to Houston ISD come into view, administrators are beginning to assess how to pay the estimated $700 million repair bill.

The district's insurers have been on-site in recent days, and funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency are expected to help defray the costs of repairs. Carranza called on state officials to dip into Texas' $10 billion "rainy day" fund to help cover expenses, but Gov. Greg Abbott has said he doesn't intend to call a special session for legislators to authorize "rainy day" funds on Harvey recovery.

District officials don't yet know how much, if any, of Harvey's cost will come out of the district's budget. Board members passed a budget in June that tapped the district's "rainy day" fund to plug a $106 million shortfall. Projections showed the district fund would have about $246 million at the end of fiscal 2017-18, below the state-recommended total of $275 million.

"We were already in a precarious financial position," Skillern-Jones said. "I know the insurance company definitely has to do their part. I don't think there's a way, without philanthropic giving and the state opening their coffers, that the district will be whole."

In addition to making extensive repairs, district administrators have been coordinating to address the needs of students in shelters, children living in temporary housing and teachers affected by the flooding.

Carranza said staffers are working with authorities at shelters to identify Houston ISD students and transport them to schools once they re-open. In some cases, Carranza said, the students might be transported to a school that isn't their home school but is close to them.

Displaced students now living in different parts of the city will be allowed to attend nearby campuses under relaxed enrollment policies, administrators said.

The Houston Federation of Teachers reported that about 300 Houston ISD educators were affected by flooding, some of whom aren't expected to be ready to return for the first day of classes. Zeph Capo, the teachers' union president, said the district has been accommodating as teachers work through personal challenges stemming from Harvey.

As he coordinated a volunteer cleanup effort involving more than 150 students and faculty Thursday, Sharpstown High School Principal Dan De Leon said it's important for his community for school to resume.

Now Playing: Sharpstown High School students and staff join forces to clean up the neighborhood around the high school Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Houston. Sharpstown High School organized the "Sharpstown HS Cares Harvey Restoration and Clean Up Event" for which faculty, students, and community members assisted in the cleanup efforts. ( Steve Gonzales / Houston Chronicle ) Video: Houston Chronicle

"It's going to be a struggle for a lot of people," De Leon said. "For teachers, a 30-minute commute is now taking an hour and a half, and going home is even longer. It's a real commitment for them, but they've all committed to be here and to start school."

Several districts across the Houston area have had to make accommodations after flooding caused significant damage to school buildings.

Humble ISD officials have temporarily closed Kingwood High School and chosen to send students to Summer Creek High School, which will share its building. Students at Creech Elementary in Katy ISD will be attending class in a vacant University of Houston satellite campus building about a mile from the school.

Students returned to class Thursday in several local school districts, including Aldine, Channelview, Crosby and Humble.
California Condors will be released to the wild in Vermilion Cliffs National Monument in northern Arizona at 11 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 30. The public is welcome to observe the release from a viewing area where spotting scopes will be set up and project personnel will be available to answer questions.
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For a week, Annabelle had the house to herself.

First, she lay claim to the main bedroom, where she lounged uninterrupted. Then her food began to run out and brown water flooded into the first floor below.

By Day 7, she was hungry, restless and scared.

By Day 8, when rescuers arrived by boat at the west Houston home to scoop her up, Annabelle was one angry cat.

That was all Chris McClurkin, 65, needed to hear to identify her pet of 14 years.

"Oh! That's definitely her  that's Annabelle!" she said, after learning about the rescue. "She's persnickety. Spoiled, probably."

Annabelle was among hundreds of animals arriving at the Houston SPCA shelter on Portway Drive this week as waters from Hurricane Harvey began receding. Some were left behind by owners who thought evacuation orders would last only a few days. Others escaped during the storms and were taken in by neighbors.

"We have everything but alligators," said Lisa Tynan, community outreach manager.

A few suffered from serious heat exhaustion, or were feared sick from the rancid floodwaters. But most were in good health, SPCA officials said. They will be held at the shelter or in foster care until they can be reunited with their owners.

SPCA officials expect the flow of animals to increase in coming days.

Joseph Cox arrived at the shelter with four dogs he took in after the storm. A week with the animals was enough, he said.

"We're not dog people," he said.

He kept a tight grip on leashes with two long-haired, brown dogs, while two tiny, chocolate-colored puppies lay on the floor next to him.

Cox and his wife wanted to get rid of them before their kids came back home and pleaded otherwise.

Nearby, Cheyenne Vickers, 9, was falling fast for one of the little ones.

"He just looks like a Rex," she said with a smirk, as her parents dropped off a pregnant cat they had found near their home.

Rex rolled onto her lap. Her smile widened, but her family couldn't take another dog.

In Fort Bend County last week, pets were also on the minds of residents evacuated from the flooded Cinco Ranch neighborhood, where dozens pleaded with emergency personnel to be allowed back in to save their animals.

The empty pet carriers and tears weighed on officers.

"We've been answering the same question a million times," said Patrick Douglas, an investigator with the sheriff's office. "It sucks. It's not easy to tell them. ... But it's flooded. It's life or death."

By Thursday, however, the water and mood had calmed, and officials escorted overjoyed residents by boat to their stranded pets.

Kristofer Swanson, 37, emerged from the water with a grin and white rabbits. He was flanked by three officers carrying snakes.

"I'm happy," he said. "The bunnies and snakes are happy. The house? Screwed. But all the things with hearts got out."

Back at the SPCA shelter, Annabelle arrived after being evacuated Tuesday from her home near Memorial Drive.

When her owner, McClurkin, left her three days into the storm, water was barely topping the curb.

When McClurkin came back a day later, the water was too high to go inside. Annabelle was stranded in a home that would eventually take on about three feet of water.

McClurkin was distraught.

"I was so scared what we'd find when we came back," she said, just after SPCA crews pulled Annabelle from the home.

Chris Kendrick, with the Harris County Precinct 1 constable's office, was among those who swept in to save the white, long-haired feline.

She spent the week trudging through floodwaters looking for leftover pets before arriving in a dinghy with two SPCA investigators.

Annabelle was OK when Kendrick arrived. Persnickety, but fine.
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Houston officials are considering leasing a warehouse in east downtown to provide a year of housing for up to 300 Harvey flood victims still sheltered at the George R. Brown Convention Center a few blocks away.

Mayor Sylvester Turner said he hopes to end emergency shelter operations at the convention center sometime next week, about the same time City Council may vote on whether to lease a vacant 53,600-square-foot facility in EaDo that until recently served as a Star of Hope shelter.

Houston would use $500,000 in local housing dollars to pay the first month's rent and operating costs to local nonprofit New Hope Housing, which would run the facility.

"This is dealing with transitioning people out of the shelters, providing them with temporary housing once they leave the shelter and trying to work with all of our partners, Star of Hope, New Hope Housing, the Red Cross," Turner said.

The proposal is the first formal step the city has taken to seek housing beyond the evacuation shelter for Harvey's victims, many of whom are awaiting Federal Emergency Management Agency assistance.

New Hope Housing President Joy Horak-Brown said she was excited to be offered the chance to help the city, and the flood victims in its charge, under "absolutely unprecedented circumstances."

"We haven't waited for the ink to be dry," she said. "We have already been at that building for a week getting it ready. We've painted, we've cleaned, we've assembled welcome kits, we have towels and sheets and toiletries. We're awaiting the final details as to how this mobilization will result in my standing and shaking the hands of people walking into that building. I'm looking forward to doing that."

Upward of 1,500 Harvey evacuees remain at the convention center, along with about 3,300 at NRG Park.

Turner said officials now are conducting interviews with those remaining at the George R. Brown to determine whether they had housing before the storm and to identify a suitable next step for them.

"The goal is not to add to the homeless population on the street," Turner said. "And we certainly do not want to just force people out and say, 'Time's up.'"

Those running the shelter said the last guests at the facility - which held more than 10,000 evacuees immediately following the storm - would be the hardest to place in housing, and some storm victims who have left local shelters for FEMA-funded hotel rooms may struggle to find more lasting housing when their up to 30-day hotel stays end.

With those challenges in mind, Turner and the Houston Apartment Association are preparing to distribute a letter to area landlords this week asking them to make units available for publicly-funded interim housing with terms of at least six months, said HAA's Jeff Hall.

"I think the city wants to get this going and not wait for FEMA to send payments," Hall said. "They want to jump-start this."

A similar program set up after Hurricane Katrina hit bumps in part because it was unclear who would pay for property damage. This time, HAA wants landlords to get an up-front fee and have a case worker assigned to each building to help evacuees get their lives back in order.

"Some who went through the Katrina experience 12 years ago may be reluctant to do this again," Hall said. "But these are our own Houstonians here, so, hopefully, we'll have a lot of companies participate in this program."

Lydia DePillis contributed to this report.
Two men from Michigan have been arrested after police said they were caught on camera attempting to steal from a home they were hired to restore.

The suspects, Brandon Bonesteel and Richard Edwards, are charged with burglary of a habitation and have a $40,000 bond each, according to Harris County court records. The pair were arrested on Tuesday.
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A Houston resident is nursing a gunshot wound after a fight at a home in West Houston early Thursday.

Officers were called about midnight to the house in the 11000 block of Seashore, after two of the home's four occupants got into a dispute, said Robert Montalvo with the Houston Police Department's major assault squad 13.

When police arrived, they found one of the occupants had been shot in the stomach.

All four of the home's residents - three men and one woman - were at the house at the time of the gunfire, Montalvo said.

The injured person was taken to an area hospital in an unknown condition. Police did not release the name of the injured person.

No one was immediately taken into custody in connection with the gunfire.
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Police are investigating whether a former Central Texas principal has any sexual assault victims in the Lone Star State after he allegedly tried to lure teenage girls to his home in Arizona through online ads.

Karl Waggoner, 59, was arrested by the Pinal County Sheriff's Office near Four Peaks Elementary School on Tuesday. He is charged with luring a minor for sex. Waggoner was the principal of Hopewell Middle School in Round Rock for the past three years before moving to Arizona.
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Robert E. Lee will stand to fight another day in Dallas.

An injunction has been filed against Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings and the city council preventing them from removing the statue of the Confederate general from Lee Park Wednesday, Dallas' WFAA reported.

The restraining order was filed in federal court by Hiram Patterson, of Dallas, after the council voted Wednesday 13-1 in favor of taking down the monument. The injunction was filed while cranes circled the monument Wednesday afternoon in preparation for its removal.

GIVE IT UP: Texas lawmaker wants University of Texas to give him the statue of former governor

Now Playing: The Confederate statue that overlooked a downtown San Antonio park for more than 100 years was removed Aug. 30, 2017. Video: San Antonio Express-News





Patterson and the city are due in Dallas federal court Thursday at 1:30 p.m. for the first hearing on the motion for the temporary restraining order, WFAA added.

If recent Texas history is any indication, the Lee statue will likely come down. The University of Texas at Austin removed its Lee statue from campus in late August along with those of Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnston and politician John Reagan.

The renewed interest in removing Confederate monuments from public spaces gained momentum following the deadly protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, over the proposed removal of another Lee statue.
Earlier this week, a new law went into effect outlining what schools must do if they discover a child with head lice.

According to the school-focused Senate Bill 1566, schools are required to notify a parent within five days if their child is in the same classroom with a student diagnosed with head lice.
AUSTIN  Texas A&M University System Chancellor John Sharp was appointed Thursday to head a new blue-ribbon state commission that will oversee the rebuilding of Houston and Texas' coastal areas devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

Republican Gov. Greg Abbott said Sharp, 67, a former Democratic officeholder known in recent years for his special appointments from Republican governors, will lead the Governor's Commission to Rebuild Texas that will focus on restoring destroyed and damaged public infrastructure such as roads, bridges, schools and government buildings -- and to "future-proof" the Texas coast from similar storm damage in coming years.

"I have a simple charge for Commissioner Sharp, and that is to rebuild Texas ahead of schedule, under budget and with a friendly smile of constant consumer service," Abbott in announcing the new commission with Sharp at the governor's office.

"Although the storm is over, the recovery process is just beginning, and it will require a Texas-sized response. This new commission ... will ensure victims get everything they need, and seamlessly provide resources to these devastated communities."

As Abbott's recovery czar, Sharp will coordinate with mayors and county officials in the 350-mile stretch of the coast hammered by Harvey. And he'll have the authority to tap the resources of all state agencies to ensure fast action.

"The road to recovery will be long, but Texans are a tough breed," Sharp said. "We will rebuild Texas, even better than before."

The huge challenge facing Sharp and his new commission was evident Thursday in new public-sector damage totals compiled by state officials: 135 jurisdictions reported a total of more than $432.9 million in damage to public facilities, including $101.6 million in Harris County -- with the tallies expected to increase by the day as inspections continue.

Sharp, 67, who has served as the A&M chancellor since 2011, said his commission will serve as "a one-stop shop for access to state and federal resources," with personnel located in each of the 58 counties covered by disaster declarations. He said the Federal Emergency Management Agency will oversee the repair and replacement of private homes and buildings, as well as housing and business-recovery programs.

Sharp will work from his College Station headquarters, using his government, academic and private-sector expertise to speed Texas' recovery efforts. Perhaps the most controversial aspect of the job: Exploring limiting development in Houston and other areas to mitigate the damage from future storms.

Abbott has said he expects the damage tally from Harvey to exceed $150 billion, more than from Hurricane Katrina that struck New Orleans in 2005, or Hurricane Sandy that devastated New Jersey and New York in 2014. The U.S. House on Friday is expected to give final approval to a $15.25 billion down payment on restoration.

Harvey has been labeled the most damaging storm in U.S. history, even as Hurricane Irma -- at Category 5, a stronger storm that Category 4 Harvey -- was headed on Thursday to Florida. Federal officials said the damage from Irma could exceed Harvey's destruction.

Abbott said one of Sharp's goals will be to "cut red tape and speed the rebuilding process" -- a process that state officials have said will take years.

Sharp's new job is unpaid, and he will keep his job as chancellor, which pays $900,000 annually.

Both Abbott and Sharp said the new task force will coordinate state, federal and local rebuilding initiatives to ensure there is no duplication or delay. "We're going to treat this (recovery) money as if it were our own money," Sharp said.

Sharp, a highly regarded former Democratic state legislator who served on the Texas Railroad Commission, as state comptroller and was a twice-unsuccessful candidate for lieutenant governor in an era when Republicans cinched their hold on all statewide elective offices, has been a go-to helper in recent years for Republican governors in Texas.Rick Perry named him to head a tax-reform task force that recommended improved education funding, and again in 2007 to help gain voter approval of a cutting-edge cancer research program.

As state comptroller from 1991-1999, the affable Sharp oversaw the successful startup of the Texas lottery. He became known for his scrubbing reviews of state spending that resulted in new efficiencies.

Sharp, who was born in Placedo, a coastal community not far from Victoria, starting work immediately after Thursday's announcement. He joined Abbott and other top state officials in a tour of at least five hard-hit communities along the coast, including Richmond and Corpus Christi. The entourage is to meet with Houston officials on Friday.

In announcing the Rebuild Texas initiative, Abbott also said that a transition housing plan for the Houston area is being put together to allow evacuees whose homes were destroyed to soon transition from shelters and into more stable living accommodations  including hotels and apartments.

Tony Robinson, regional administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said he expects that plan to be firmed up in the next few days in consultation with state and local officials.

As those plans moved ahead, the Texas House Urban Affairs Committee on Thursday indicated that more than $16 million from state housing programs has already been redirected to help people pushed from their homes because of Harvey, in addition to $88.8 million in housing assistance approved statewide through Wednesday.

Tim Irvine, the executive director of the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs, said his agency has focused on three programs to provide relief for Harvey victims -- the largest share being $11.5 million to help with rental assistance for low-income families that run out of short-term options for temporary housing.

In addition, he said $3.5 million has been moved from the state's community-services block grant program to help people with costs of housing, bedding, clothing and medicines. More than $1 million of that total will go to Houston to help families with incomes less than $30,000 a year, he said.

Another $1 million will come from the low income housing energy assistance program to help people with utility bills.

State Rep. Diego Bernal, D-San Antonio, said, "the availability of aid versus the need is woefully insufficient."

Committee Chair Carol Alvarado, D-Houston, said while the amounts of aid available now are small, she is confident that federal assistance will soon grow the number of people helped. "I feel good with where we are," she said.

In Houston, city inspectors fanned out across Houston using maps of 311 and 911 calls to gather preliminary assessments of flood damage to help guide detailed FEMA inspections and the amount of disaster recovery funding the city will receive -- a key to more accurate damage estimates that could increase those aid amounts.

Inspectors had eyeballed the water line on 13,000 homes as of Wednesday evening, and officials expected their 35 pairs of inspectors to carry out these "windshield assessments" on a little more than 4,000 homes each day.
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An east Texas sheriff is making round trips to the gulf coast this week to help farmers hurt by Hurricane Harvey.

Earlier this week, Harrison County Sheriff Tom McCool organized with several law enforcement agencies and volunteers to kick-start a hay donation drive.

On Thursday, a fleet of big rigs delivered its first load to Winnie, Texas, a small town southwest of Beaumont.

HARVEY: How massive trucks from all over the U.S. came to rescue Houstonians

While shipping dried grass may seem like an odd form of relief, ranchers know that as floodwaters recede, it leaves a muddy tint on the grass that cows dislike. Even more problematic, hay and grazing areas seeped in salty floodwaters are ruined.

McCool, a part-time farmer, spoke to KLTV about the drive:

"They need it right now, we just couldn't put it off," McCool said. "This is just Texans helping Texans, that's all it's about."

Although the devastation caused by Harvey is still being measured, more than 1.2 million cows inhabit the 54 counties that were declared disaster zones during the storm, government statistics show.

LOOKING AHEAD: The life lessons we've learned so far from Hurricane Harvey in Houston

If Texas' last major hurricane is any indication of the hard times ahead for ranchers and farmers, Southeast Texas is going to need all the hay it can get.

Before Hurricane Ike made landfall in 2008, Southeast Texas had more than 30,000 head of cattle. Of those, a FEMA report estimated at least 4,000 died during the storm.

When a cattle headcount occurred a few years later, the number of cows in the region had plummeted to 7,000 due to a loss of fencing and an increase in salty soil, according to a Texas A&M study. In total, Ike caused $433 million in agriculture damages.

See a by the numbers look at how Harvey has impacted Texas above.
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Harris County officials are already fighting against the wave of blood suckers brought on by Harvey's flooding.

Mosquito-control officials are monitoring 1,800 square miles of the Houston area, with some experts recording 30 or more bug landings per minute, according to Fox News.

One nifty tool to help Houstonians stay ahead of the bugs is a map by Harris County Public Health showing where county officials have sampled and confirmed disease-carrying mosquitos.

HISTORY REPEATS: From the beginning, Houston has battled floods, mud and mosquitoes

In the map above, areas where West Nile Virus-carrying mosquitos have been sampled in 2017 are shown in red.

Thankfully, in the past three days no mosquitos have been confirmed with any diseases, including West Nile Virus or Zika.

In fact, the only disease that mosquitos have been tested and confirmed for in 2017 is West Nile Virus.

DETAILS: Officials moving against storm of Houston mosquitoes

That's unlikely to change as the Centers for Disease Control said no viruses like Zika or dengue were detected in local mosquito populations prior to Harvey, so even with more bugs, the "CDC does not expect to see cases of Zika appear in the area because of flooding."

Still, with Houston mosquitos capable of carrying West Nile, its best to leave nothing to chance for a city recovering from devastating flooding.

See tips to battle and stay safe from mosquitos above.
PHOENIX -- The state's top health official wants to limit how many pills with opiates patients can get at once, outlaw paper prescriptions for those drugs and outlaw doctors from giving out the drugs themselves.

And Dr. Cara Christ even wants opioid bottles to have a red cap to help educate patients that this isn't just another drug.

Christ said Wednesday those steps are needed to combat a rising death rate from overdoses of the drug, both legal and otherwise. The director said she believes broad-based action is necessary, saying the problem has reached epidemic proportions.

She acknowledged under questioning that more people actually die each year in Arizona from other preventable causes, including automobile accidents and smoking-related diseases.

"We actually take all of those issues very seriously,'' she said, with her agency also trying to address many of those. But she said it is the sharp rise the number of opioid-related deaths that, in her opinion, requires the label of an "epidemic.''

"It's at its highest point ever,'' Christ said.

Opioid deaths hit 790 last year, up from 638 the year before. That includes 482 people who died from prescription misuse and another 308 who overdosed on heroin.

And there's another reason she thinks the epidemic label will help.

"It also is a preventable issue that we feel by putting in certain recommendations and providing resources that public health can have the ability to impact and turn this epidemic around,'' Christ said. Her target is to drop the overall death rate to 592 by 2020.

Daniel Scarpinato, press aide to Gov. Doug Ducey, also said there is a greater awareness of the problem now than even a year ago, albeit some of that generated by Ducey himself with his emergency declaration earlier this year and the publicity that generated.

Anyway, Scarpinato said, it's not like focusing on this problem means less attention for everything else. He pointed to the governor's directive to the state Department of Transportation to do more to keep motorists from driving the wrong way on freeways.

One of the biggest changes Christ wants is to limit prescriptions for what she calls "opioid naive'' patients -- those who have not been taking opiates in the past three to six months -- to a pill supply of no more than five days.

"We're eliminating the risk of people becoming opioid-use dependent while not taking the medication away from those who are currently on them and truly need them,'' she said.

There is some basis for what she wants lawmakers to enact.

Using his power of executive order, Ducey earlier this year limited doctors in both the state's Medicaid program and the state employee health plan to giving out no more than seven days' worth of drugs. But Christ said Wednesday more recent research by the Centers for Disease Control suggests even that may be too much.

"The CDC released a paper that showed that the risk of long-term opioid use significantly increases after Day 5 of taking this medication,'' she said. "So on Day 6, you have a significant increase of still being on an opioid a year later.''

Christ said that should be enough.

"Most people, according to the CDC and Arizona prescribing guidelines usually need about three days after an acute injury or surgery,'' she said. "This gives an additional couple of days, with the opportunity for people to go back.''

That limit also could result in fewer pills on the black market as patients won't have as much left over.

Christ is also proposing some limits on exactly how powerful doctors could prescribe drugs to patients who need them.

As she sees it, Arizona law should have a limit on dosages to less than 90 "morphine milligram equivalents.'' The CDC reports that the risk of overdose doubles above 50 MME a day.

By way of comparison, that 90 MME figure is the same as 90 milligrams of hydrocodone or 60 milligrams of oxycodone.

Christ acknowledged there are probably some patients who already are getting a higher dosage. Her proposal would require that to be tapered off to that 90 MME figure, albeit over a period of years, with the law allowing for certain as-of-yet-to-be-specified exceptions.

The question of illegal opioid sales also fits into Christ's recommendation to allow only electronic prescriptions for the drug.

"Patients wouldn't be able to take a paper prescription off of a prescription pad to a pharmacy,'' she said. "That has high risk for abuse as well as fraudulent prescriptions.''

And Christ said it should not interfere with the ability for patients to get the drugs they need, saying there's no reason an electronically written prescription could not be ready by the time someone gets to the pharmacy.

Along the same lines, Christ wants to overturn laws that now allow doctors to distribute opioids themselves.

"What you don't wan is the same person who is prescribing to be the same person who gives you the pills,'' she said. If nothing else, Christ said opioids should be distributed by pharmacies who can check electronic databases to see if patients are taking other drugs that might interact badly and create health problems.

Doctors also would have to have at least three hours a year of continuing medical education courses on the use of opiates.

She also wants to remove laws that now preclude the state pharmacy board, which keeps track of prescriptions for narcotics, from informing medical boards when it appears a doctor may be overprescribing. It would then be up to that medical board to review the doctor's records and determine if proper medical standards are not being followed and discipline is appropriate.

Another change would be to amend the state's "Good Samaritan'' laws to cover those who report apparent drug overdoses. Christ said situations arise where two people are both doing illegal drugs and one goes into convulsions.

"They're afraid of when law enforcement and first responders show up they'll be arrested for illegal activity,'' she said. Christ said granting them immunity for their own acts in these situations ensures that the other person can get prompt medical attention.
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After seeing the devastation Hurricane Harvey created for Houston families, one Missouri mom donated 1,040 ounces of extra breast milk in an effort provide for those moms who may have lost their own milk supply or pumps during Harvey.

When Danielle Palmer, an Owensville mother of three, heard of Houstons catastrophic flooding, she wanted to do anything to help those who were being affected.

I cant imagine what these families must be going through," Palmer told Chron.com Thursday. "All I could do was pray. I saw the devastation and it broke my heart."

HARVEY AFTERMATH: Photos show how terrible traffic has been since Harvey

Palmers youngest child, Truett, was born with a congenital heart defect that doesn't allow him to take her milk. Truett consumed his food from an IV so when Palmer began pumping, all of her milk had to be stored in a freezer.

Over the course of six months, while Truett was going through eight different surgeries, Palmers milk supply quickly built up to more than 1,000 ounces. Palmer started donating some of the milk to a local mom. Her sons speech therapist, Nicole Edwin, knew about her excess supply and proposed Palmer send it to Harvey victims.

RELATED: The life lessons we've learned from Hurricane Harvey

Through the non-profit, Guiding Star Organization, Palmer and other local moms, donated stored breast milk to a breast milk bank. Together they came up with almost a 15-gallon supply, which is estimated to exceed well over 400 feedings.

But even if this helps only one mom, my job has been done, Palmer said.

The supply of milk was driven to Dallas in a trailer, in good condition, and is to be tested before its distributed out to families.

I dont know what these families are going through but as a mom of a child with a heart condition, I can remember those that were there to encourage me," Palmer said. "Focus on the positive, because there is always a silver lining. Beauty can come from this."
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Arlington police are asking the public to help them find a murder suspect who they believe beheaded one man and possibly killed his girlfriend too.

On Saturday afternoon, police were called about human remains discovered in a wooded area near the 400 block of Truman Street, according to an affidavit.

Officers discovered a human head at the scene with a sign written in Spanish that read "La Raza Se Respeta y Faltan 4" which roughly translates to "respect the race and four are left."

RELATED: Woman found slain in South Side alley had accused former BCSO deputy of sexual assault

Police said they later found additional human remains belonging to a second person at the home of Hector Acosta-Ojeda. The person was not identified as of Wednesday.

An arrest warrant was issued for Acosta-Ojeda, 28, for murder. He remains at-large.

Police also charged a second person, Mariano Sanchez, 18, with murder in connection to the killing. Sanchez was booked into Arlington jail with a bail of $51,000, according to jail records.

Sanchez and other witnesses gave police two different accounts of what had happened.

Sanchez was initially arrested on an unrelated warrant and asked to speak with detectives about the killing, according to an arrest affidavit. He told police he was tied up by Acosta-Ojeda and others and was forced to watch them kill the man, who has not yet been identified.

Sanchez reportedly told police that the day before the head was discovered, Acosta-Ojeda, who he knew as "Cholo," and the victim paid him a visit. Acosta-Ojeda accused Sanchez of stealing money from him and threatened to kill him, Sanchez told police.

Sanchez told police that after more threats he went to Acosta-Ojeda's home and said he saw Acosta-Ojeda digging a hole in the backyard and the man, who was now dead with a jacket covering his head, authorities said.

Sanchez told police he initially left the home but returned again after another threat from Acosta-Ojeda, who allegedly told him he wanted him "to see how they handled things." Sanchez later told police he believe the man may have stolen money from Acosta-Ojeda.

RELATED: North Side Walmart evacuated after man allegedly tosses backpack in store, says it's a bomb

Other witnesses provided accounts that contradict Sanchez'.

One witness, who captured video of the exchange, told police he observed Sanchez and another person talking about the victim previously burglarizing Sanchez's apartment. Sanchez told the witness he had to leave soon because the "unknown subject" captured in the video was going to kill somebody and Sanchez was going to record it.

Another witness told police Sanchez visited her on her dinner break the day of the incident. She told police Sanchez appeared upset and told her he was taken by several people to Acosta-Ojeda's home and forced to cut off the arms of the victim, according to the affidavit.

She also gave police Sanchez's cell phone, which he had given her, the affidavit states.

Other tips came in linking Acosta-Ojeda to the crime, the affidavit states.

Acosta-Ojeda is approximately 5 feet 8 inches tall, roughly 190 pounds and has a tattoo on his arm that reads "el mas odiado," which translates to "most hated."

Police say he's armed and extremely dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone with information on his location can call the department's tip line at 817-575-8823 or the Tarran County Crime Stoppers at 817-469-TIPS.

Text "NEWS" to 77453 for breaking news alerts from mySA.com

fsabawi@mysa.com

Twitter: @FaresInSA
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AUSTIN -- As passions continue to flare over a Trump Administration decision to end an Obama-era program providing legal status to young immigrants who are in the country illegally, state Republican leaders are quickly pushing away from the issue.

They prefer to portray it as a problem for Congress to fix in Washington.

But if Congress' decision leads to thousands of deportations and sparks a backlash, Texas Democrats will do all they can to use it against Republicans who support ending the program in next year's elections, political consultants and party leaders said Thursday.

"That's not only possible, it's probable," said Matt Angle, a longtime Democratic Party strategist who has been critical of top Republican leaders over their longstanding support of ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

"The Republican leaders have pursued a policy to repeal DACA, and now that it's coming to a head they're trying to pass the buck to Washington," Angle said. "Their policies have been directly hostile to Latino voters, but this issue extends beyond Latino voters. What they're afraid of is fair-minded Anglo voters who think the repeal of DACA is unfair, wrong and stupid."

No so, contends state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, chairman of the GOP caucus in the Senate where support for repealing DACA has been strong. "Congress has to fix this. No one else can," said Bettencourt of Houston. "If they don't then they may be labeled a do-nothing Congress, but people realize the difference between Washington and Austin.

"I don't see any effect in Texas from this."

On Wednesday, President Trump gave Congress six months to pass a law on the incendiary immigration issue that would likely be some variation of the current program launched with an executive order issued by Barack Obama, allowing more than 800,000 people to stay in the United States under a two-year renewable visa that allows them to work or study without fear of deportation.

On Thursday, 15 states and the District of Columbia sued the federal government to block Trump's plan to end the protection against deportation. Filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the suit seeks to strike down Trump's action as unconstitutional.

The suit calls the move "a culmination of President Trump's oft-stated commitments ... to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots."

The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit  all Democrats  represent states where the population of DACA participants  known as "dreamers"  ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Texas Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Paxton, have called for the repeal of DACA.

Following Trump's announcement Wednesday, Abbott said it was a federal decision that needed to be made by Congress -- and was nothing that state officials have a role in determining.

Jamie Bennett, press secretary for the Republican Party of Texas, said the issue GOP leaders have with DACA has been "federal overreach and its abuse of the rule of law." He said the state party is optimistic that Congress will move quickly to replace DACA with a sound and legal immigration policy.

But how that is defined remains an open question.

In the past, Texas Republicans have been split on the issue -- with conservative-right GOP members favoring a tougher policy against immigrants in the country illegally while moderates favor a more conciliatory approach to dealing with the so-called "dreamers" who came to the United States with their parents and have become solid taxpaying Texans.

Even former Gov. Rick Perry, who is now opposed to DACA, for years famously gave voice to a more compassionate point of view, supporting in-state tuition program for young immigrants -- arguing in presidential debates that people who don't support that kind of assistance don't have a heart.

Nationally, more than 800,000 immigrants are covered by DACA, officials have said.

Despite the Republicans' differing stances, Democrats and pro-DACA activists have vowed to continue their frequent protests as Congress prepares to tackle the issue.

Crystal Zermeno,the director of electoral strategy with the Texas Organizing Project, a Democratic-leaning non-profit that advocates for Hispanic and black communities in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, said the organization is targeting three congressmen -- Pete Sessions of Dallas, John Culberson of Houston and Will Hurd of Helotes -- who they hope will work to give DACA recipients permanent legal status.

Their constituents are more likely to favor immigration reform, Zermeno said. So the organization is optimistic that the three GOP House members will vote in favor of protecting DACA recipients.

"We are going to keep the pressure up, so when it comes time to voting, they are all voting the right way," she said. "We cannot let our guard down because there is going to be immense pressure on every Republican member in Congress to vote in line with the party."

If the three representatives do not vote in favor of extending protections to young immigrants, then Zermeno said TOP and other organizations will target their seats come election time.

"It'll be clear where people fell on the issue, and we will be mobilizing and letting people know how members of Congress stood on immigration issues," she said.

At the state level, Paxton is a "huge target," Zermeno said. In June, Paxton and Republican officials from other states demanded that the Trump administration rescind DACA or face legal action if it was not rescinded by Sept. 5.

"We are constantly beating a drum around him," Zermeno said. "We want to keep remind people who is to blame."
Michael Ciaglo/Houston Chronicle

AUSTIN  A band of Texas lawmakers plans to meet Thursday to begin figuring out what the state is doing -- and can do -- for people displaced by Hurricane Harvey.

Nearly 800 homes were completely destroyed in Harris County and over 119,000 were damaged in the hurricane. Meanwhile, tens of thousands of people have sought refuge in emergency shelters, state parks and hotels. Some 16,000 people were still staying in shelters Wednesday, down from a high of 42,000 Sept. 1.
Call me unromantic, but I disliked a lot of the fabled "Sixties" the first time around. Some of the music was good, but otherwise 1968 was among the worst years in American life. The center nearly failed to hold.

As if the Vietnam War were not bad enough, the assassinations of Martin Luther King and Robert F. Kennedy made it feel as if America's democratic institutions might not survive. Eager for "revolution," hothouse warriors in the SDS and Weather Underground did everything possible to promote anarchy -- from rioting to setting off bombs. During the 1968 Democratic National Convention, pitched battles between street fighters and Chicago police brought chaos and a massive voter backlash.

The most immediate result, brilliantly chronicled in historian Rick Perlstein's book "Nixonland," was the criminal presidency of Richard M. Nixon.

So I found it heartening to see Perlstein take to Facebook to scold the latter-day anarchists of "Antifa." There was nothing subtle or scholarly about it.

"Stop destroying the left, you infantile (bleeps)," Perlstein wrote.

Can I get an amen?

In a subsequent post, the historian quoted an eyewitness account of Antifa goons assaulting KKK-style marchers at a "white power" demonstration in Berkeley, California, of all places.

"Yesterday, at the anti-Alt-Right rally in Berkeley," Leighton Woodhouse wrote, "I watched groups of masked Antifa members in Black Bloc formation swarm individuals who were apparently antagonizing them, and pummel them with their fists, feet and flagpoles. When the victims tried to escape, they were run down, and in at least one case, cut off by the Antifa mob and beaten down some more."

A similarly vivid account of Antifa bullying by photojournalist Mike Kessler appeared in The New Republic. The irony was that until the masked, black-clad social justice warriors appeared, the Berkeley crowd had decisively outnumbered, ridiculed and shamed "alt-right" marchers as the pathetic goobers that they are.

Much as thousands of peaceful citizens on Boston Common had so outnumbered white supremacists a week earlier that they took off their little bedsheets and went home without even trying to harangue the crowd.

That's all that ever needs to happen.

But I don't even need to turn on Fox News to know that Sean Hannity and the rest of the merry band of Trump apologists on right-wing media are playing up Antifa as the moral equivalent of Bolshevik revolutionaries.

Well-meaning journalists such as the Washington Post's Margaret Sullivan and The Atlantic's Peter Beinart are certainly correct to argue that there's no real comparison between left- and right-wing political violence in the United States. The "alt-left" Trump described scarcely exists, and had almost no role in the Charlottesville tragedy.

Beinart cites Anti-Defamation League statistics showing that 74 percent of politically motivated murders in the U.S. since 2007 were committed by right-wing extremists, versus 2 percent by leftists.

The news media's tendency to soft-pedal the far-right motives of killers from Timothy McVeigh to Dylan Roof has long been an instance of willful blindness.

Journalists on the left correctly fear that won't be the case with Antifa.

Also on Facebook, journalist Lindsay Beyerstein explains that she's covered many protests halfway sabotaged by Antifa antics: "I always thought of them as self-indulgent parasites because they'd show up at demonstrations organized by other people and capture the news cycle with petty property destruction."

But when masked intruders quit breaking windows and start carrying weapons, things can change fast. "Paramilitaries facing off in the streets is god's gift to fascism," Beyerstein adds. "Not everyone likes racism and militarism, but everyone likes safety and order. If we've already got safety and order, fascists have nothing to offer casual supporters."

But she predicts that if real "violence comes, the backlash is going to come down as hard against the entire left as it did against the alt-right after Charlottesville."

That's certainly what happened during the Sixties.

My late father taught me an oft-repeated expression I always took as the essence of Americanism. "You're no better than anybody else," he'd growl, "and NOBODY'S BETTER THAN YOU." There was more than a little Irish nationalism in what he said, but he definitely meant it. So do I.

Most Americans do, too. Even under Donald Trump, the great majority remains deeply attached to the fundamental premises of democratic citizenship. They want to believe that we're all in it together -- America, that is -- and they react against anybody threatening that belief.

So that when Alabama segregationists attacked peaceful civil rights demonstrators with clubs, tear gas and dogs, the majority sympathized with the victims -- and brought about the end of Jim Crow. But after rioting tore Chicago apart in 1968, they went the other way. Hard.

Nobody needs the help of Antifa militants and the idiot professors making excuses for them to reject the KKK.

But let them start real trouble, and we'll all end up wishing we'd never heard of them.
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.
Opinions about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program are mixed.

Some dont like the unilateral executive action that it represents, regardless of the party or the program. Executive orders should be extremely limited in scope, they say, to avoid the potential disruption that comes with a new president from a different party.

Others say DACA was the only avenue available to President Obama in the face of a Republican-controlled House in 2011 that would not even hold hearings.

But on one thing there is agreement, even among opponents of DACA as executive overreach: Dreamers dont deserve to be penalized for the actions of their parents. And after five years, the program has shown its worth in enrolling 800,000 people, all of whom are either working or students, per the rules. With much of the country at statistical full employment, it cant be argued that they are taking low-wage jobs from Americans  in fact, as legal residents they must be paid minimum wage instead of under-the-table sub-minimums that do compete with Americans. And they must pay all applicable payroll taxes, including Social Security and Medicare. And many have become entrepreneurs, owning their own businesses and employing others, including legal citizens  its an example of a government incentive program, not taxpayer subsidies, spurring economic growth.

They also dont take up spots in college that would go to U.S. citizens  at NAU there are fewer than a dozen Dreamers, and there are no caps on overall enrollment. Any Arizona high school student who meets minimum standards is admitted, and there is plenty of room for Dreamers.

And DACA hasnt encouraged more illegal entries by parents or children  the cutoff for illegal entry to qualify is 2007, so the only new Dreamers are those turning the minimum age of 16 if they arrived before 2007. Keeping them in the legal shadows doesnt make the border any more secure or the country safer, and it doesnt address major problems with the system such as visa overstays while it does log all of them into the national immigration database and subjects them to a thorough background check. As a result, the violent crime rate among qualified Dreamers is far, far lower than in the general population for that age group of 16 to 31.

The debate, then, should be over how to enable Dreamers to pursue school and work while comprehensive immigration reform is either worked out or rejected by Congress once and for all (if there is such an outcome possible). The first order of business should be to hold current Dreamers harmless if DACA is killed in six months by the president and not replaced by Congress. They shouldnt be penalized for participating in a government program that essentially offered them legal amnesty  once they came out of the shadows, they should be at least allowed to return to the shadows and not face the risk of deportation any greater than the other 11 million undocumented U.S. immigrants. They will have suffered enough if their ability to get a legal job or enroll in college is rescinded.

The most ethical course would be to allow current Dreamers to have permits renewed indefinitely even if the program expires for new applicants. The concept of grandfathering is applied to other government programs that expire, including land leases and some tax exemptions, and current adults brought here illegally as minors deserve some consideration.

But the best solution is for Congress to enact a new and similar DACA program outright based on the overwhelmingly positive results to date -- and with a straight up or down vote on its merits. But the bill is likely to be larded with other pet projects, such as the border wall, or with must-pass items like raising the debt ceiling and reauthorizing federal flood insurance. Democrats wont like the former and the Freedom Caucus the last two, so theres a risk of stalemate that voters of all stripes should condemn as unacceptable.

Wed urge Congress to put aside the partisan gamesmanship and do the right thing by Dreamers in their own right. If a Dreamer bill must contain other items, make them related to immigration reform even if it isnt comprehensive. Visa overstays and hiring enforcement would be good places to start. After all Congress has six months  what can go wrong?
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Copiii cu nevoi speciale din Stefan Voda au conditii de reabilitare mai bune, datorita UE si Fundatiei Soros Moldova
Subrogation professionals must become familiar with an increasingly used defense in the litigation of auto insurance subrogation cases. Even if the insured is totally free from fault in the operation of the insureds auto, not wearing a seat belt could result in a reduction of the damages the insured and/or subrogated auto carrier will be allowed to recover. In some states, through the interplay of the Made Whole Doctrine or other state statutes, this defense could have an affect on a carriers rights of subrogation or reimbursement.

Every state except New Hampshire requires adults to wear seat belts while traveling in a motor vehicle. Lap belts have been mandated on new vehicles since 1968. Rear outboard lap belts have been required since 1989, and shoulder harnesses since 2008. Subrogation professionals, like trial lawyers, must come face to face with an increasingly used defense within the civil justice system. In cases involving auto accidents, even if the plaintiff/insured is totally free from negligence, not wearing a seat belt could result in a reduction of the damages the plaintiff will be allowed to recover. And with increasing frequency, it is being used by liability adjusters as an argument for significantly reducing offers of settlement. Trial lawyers are also using the argument offensively and with some success.

Seat Belt Defense Generally

The seat belt defense has been integrated into the comparative fault system of many states to distribute equitably the costs of first and second collision injuries on the basis of their respective causes. First collision injuries, of course, are the injuries resulting directly from an insured being rear-ended by a tortfeasor. Second collision injuries are those injuries which result inside the plaintiffs vehicle which would not have occurred had the insured been properly wearing his or her seat belt. With a growing number of state mandatory seat belt use laws, we will see a proliferation of the seat belt defense in the coming years.

Thirty (30) states currently have no seat belt defense in place: Alabama, Arkansas, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, New Hampshire, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming. Twenty six (26) of these states actually have laws prohibiting evidence of non-use of a seat belt  all except Idaho, Indiana, and Tennessee. In most of these states, comparative fault or contributory negligence laws are in places that allow the jury to compare the negligence of a plaintiff as compared to a defendant. However, for example, in Maryland, state law requires that occupants of motor vehicles wear seat belts. Md. Code Transportation  22-412.3. Nonetheless, Maryland does not consider failure to use a seat belt as contributory negligence. The accident, they feel, was caused by the negligence of the drivers operation of the motor vehicle  NOT the failure of the plaintiff to wear a seat belt.

On the other hand, fifteen (15) states do have some mechanism in place which could result in reduction of plaintiffs damages for not having a seat belt on at the time of an accident: Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Iowa, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oregon, West Virginia, and Wisconsin. These states rationalize that while the accident itself may have been caused by the drivers negligence, the actual injury for which damages are sought is often exacerbated the second collision which occurs within the plaintiffs vehicle as a result of his/her not wearing a seat belt.

These 15 states have adopted the seat belt defense, some by common law with no statutory approval, some by case decision, and some specifically by statute. These states have provisions for allowing the introduction of evidence that the plaintiff was not wearing a seat belt in order to affect the allocation of fault by the jury or have a more structured statutory scheme that assesses fault or limits the percentage of fault that can be attributed to the failure to wear a seat belt. Clearly, a driver not wearing a seat belt and injured when his car is rear-ended by an inattentive driver cant conceivably be 100 percent at fault for his injuries, but that could be the result in some states.

Two (2) states, Hawaii and North Dakota, do not have a specific statute addressing the seat belt defense, but have considered it and indicated they might move toward one. The North Dakota Supreme Court, for example, has indicated that it would probably be inclined to accept the seat belt defense. Halvorson v. Voeller, 336 N.W.2d 118 (N.D. 1983).

Three (3) states, Indiana, Mississippi, and Nevada, do not have fully developed seat belt defense laws, because no statute or case specifically prohibits application of the seat belt defense based on a comparative negligence or failure to mitigate damages theory. State v. Ingram, 427 N.E.2d 444 (Ind. 1981); Rhinebarger v. Mummert, 362 N.E.2d 184 (Ind. Ct. App. 1977); M.C.A.  63-2-3 (1997); Roberts v. Grafe Auto Co., Inc., 701 So.2d 1093 (Miss. 1997).

There are a number of ways the seat belt defense comes into play  depending on the state. Usually, it arises under a comparative negligence or a failure to mitigate damages theory. Florida is an example of the former. F.S.A.  316.614(9) (West 1997); N.Y. Vehicle and Traffic Law  1229-c(8) (McKinney 1997). New York is an example of the latter. Spier v. Barker, 323 N.E.2d 164 (N.Y. 1974). In New York, as in most states which allow it, the seat belt defense can be submitted to the jury only if the defendant can demonstrate, by competent evidence, a causal connection between the plaintiffs non-use of an available seat belt and the injuries and damages sustained. In Oregon, if there is evidence from which the jury might conclude that the plaintiffs injuries were exclusively or primarily the result of his/her failure to wear a safety belt, the jury can find that such failure to do so is not reasonable under the circumstances. Little guidance beyond this is given. Dahl v. BMW, 748 P.2d 77 (Or. 1987).

The seat belt defense is controversial and is not always fair. To ameliorate its potential harshness, some jurisdictions affirmatively limit the percentage of fault which can be attributed to an otherwise-blameless driver who wasnt wearing a seat belt. In Missouri, only one (1%) percent can be attributed to the person who failed to use a seat belt. Mo. Rev. Stat.  307.178(4). In Iowa, Michigan, and Oregon, the maximum percentage is five (5%) percent. I.C.A.  321.445(4) (West 1997); Mich. Comp. Laws Ann.  257.710(e)(6) (West 1997); O.R.S.  18.590 (1996). But, perhaps the state with the most-litigated and most clearly defined seat belt laws is Wisconsin, where the percentage is a statutory fifteen (15%) percent. Wis. Stat.  347.48(2m)(g) provides as follows:

(g) Evidence of compliance or failure to comply with par. (b), (c), or (d) is admissible in any civil action for personal injuries or property damage resulting from the use or operation of a motor vehicle. Notwithstanding s. 895.045, with respect to injuries or damages determined to have been caused by a failure to comply with par. (b), (c), or (d), such a failure shall not reduce the recovery for those injuries or damages by more than 15%. This paragraph does not affect the determination of causal negligence in the action. The fact that jurisdictions have dealt with the seat belt defense in such varying ways is testament to the defenses controversial nature. This paper will outline some of the ways to combat the questionable and damage-reducing seat belt defense. Part I of the paper will discuss how to legally combat the defense in jurisdictions where the law may still not be completely settled on the issue. Part II will discuss how to factually combat the seat belt defense in jurisdictions where it does exist.

In California, juries are allowed to hear evidence of seat belt non-use to prove comparative fault. California Vehicle Code  27315(i), provides that In a civil action, a violation of [the seat belt use law] does not establish negligence as a matter of law or negligence per se for comparative fault purposes, but negligence may be proven as fact without regard to the violation. Although a violation of the California seat belt statute does not constitute negligence as a matter of law or negligence per se, the statute does not totally ban use of the seatbelt statute as a factor in determining negligence. Housley v. Godinez, 4 Cal. App.4th 737, 746 (1992). In California, for purposes of determining comparative fault, not only may the jury learn of a plaintiffs failure to use his or her seat belt, the jury may also decide what weight, if any, to give the seat belt use statute in determining the plaintiffs standard of reasonable care.

The applicability of a seat belt defense is not completely settled in many jurisdictions including Hawaii, Indiana, Mississippi, Nevada, and North Dakota. Some states seemingly cannot make up their mind on the issue. In Kentucky,  189.125(5) overruled Wemyss v. Coleman, 729 S.W.2d 174 (Ky. 1987) so that now Kentucky does not employ the seat belt defense. In Ohio,  4513.263(f) overruled Vogel v. Wells, 566 N.E.2d 154 (Ohio 1991) so that now Ohio does not allow for application of the seat belt defense. Furthermore, the following states have adopted the seat belt defense, but only by common law with no statutory approval: Alaska, Arizona, Georgia, and New Jersey. If you are practicing in a jurisdiction where seat belt defense law is not completely settled, or where it is settled only by common law, the following arguments may help you avoid a damaging seat belt subrogation reduction:

Use of a seat belt is not technically the proximate cause of the accident in question and cant be considered comparative negligence because your insureds failure to wear his or her seat belt did not help to actually cause the accident itself in any way. The traditional application of comparative negligence is that it applies only when the plaintiffs misconduct is the but for cause the accident, not the but for cause of the damages. Failing to wear a seat belt may have made the plaintiffs injuries worse, but it certainly did not help to cause the accident itself. Stress that the failure to wear a seat belt cannot logically be considered comparative negligence. Use of a seat belt does not have a bearing on the doctrine of mitigation of damages. The traditional mitigation of damages rule states that a plaintiff has a duty to mitigate his or her damages after an accident has already occurred. Obviously, it would do a plaintiff no good to secure his or her seat belt after a car accident. Thus, failure to wear a seat belt cannot accurately be described as a plaintiffs failure to mitigate damages either. The seat belt defense runs counter to the traditional tort doctrine that defendants take their plaintiffs as they find them, also known as the egg-shell plaintiffs doctrine. The plaintiff would not be assessed a percentage of fault if he or she had exceptionally brittle bones that allowed fractures to occur from a minor impact  why should it be any different with the seat-beltless condition of the insured in which the defendant found the insured? The insured should not have to anticipate other peoples negligence. A jury will have trouble speculating about what kind of damages to award a plaintiff if the seat belt defense is allowed and speculation should not play a role in causation. In other words, if the seat belt defense is asserted, juries will essentially have to guess what damages a plaintiff would have sustained with seat belt use as compared to what they actually sustained. Even with the help of experts, this kind of calculation could become nothing more than mere guesswork.

Subrogation and the Seat Belt Defense

The seat belt defense can be used to thwart legitimate subrogation interests in a number of ways. Obviously, a defense attorney or third-party liability adjuster can claim he or she is entitled to a significant reduction in your subrogation damages due to the failure to use a seat belt. They can also claim that they were not made whole due to the defenses application.

If you are subrogating in one of the 15 states that allow seat belt evidence to reduce a plaintiffs damages, it is important to know whether the insured was actually wearing a seat belt. It should be one of the first questions you ask. It is also relevant what kind of seat belt was being worn. To minimize the effect of the seat belt defense, consider the following:

Contrary to the assertion that government tests verify the efficacy and injury-reducing benefits of wearing a seat belt, those tests are generally flawed and cannot universally be applied to everybody. Many of those tests are performed using anatomical dummies which represent only 50 percent of the population and are generally only valid as to 57, 165-pound males. Also, note that the government tests are performed with the seat belts snugly secured around the dummies waists so as to get the maximum benefit out of the belts. Since the average person does not use a seat belt in this way, the tests cannot be representative of how seat belt use would have affected the average person, including your client, who wears his or her seat belt less formally. There is no seat belt defense if the insured was wearing a seat belt, but wearing it loosely. If the insured is shorter, he or she may sit closer than the average person to the steering wheel. A shorter plaintiff, even if they wore a seat belt, might have sustained damages that an average person would not have sustained. Also consider that if the insured is physically heavier than normal, even if they wore a seat belt, it may have pushed the seat belt system past its maximum limits thereby making it less effective, or even ineffective. If the insured was wearing a seat belt, but suffered injuries consistent with not wearing a seat belt, consider the possibility of a seat belt defect. Some seat belts have a Window Shade Device which can make seat belts less effective. In some cases, even if a seat belt was worn, the aftermath of an accident may appear as though no seat belt was used. The Window Shade Device allows the wearer of the seat belt to introduce slack into the belt. Slack can occur either intentionally or accidentally by pulling on the belt. If the insured leans forward to adjust the radio, the Window Shade Device may introduce slack into the belt that never re-tightens. Slack in a seat belt system reduces the effectiveness of the seat belt. Quite often, only lap belts are available in the back seats of vehicles. If the insured was only wearing a lap belt, it is possible that the insured was more severely injured because of the seat belt use. This is often indicated by the existence of internal injuries.

Conclusion

The applicability of the seat belt defense remains a controversial issue among lawyers and lawmakers. This controversy presents opportunities to argue around the application of the doctrine. The very fact that you are familiar with the seat belt defense, its applicability in a particular jurisdiction, and some rather cutting-edge arguments with which to diffuse it, will go a long way in bolstering your negotiating strength and your overall subrogation recovery. To see a chart that discusses and details the applicability and/or existence of the seat belt defense in all 50 states, click HERE.

Jacob Coz, co-author and summer legal intern at Matthiesen, Wickert & Lehrer, S.C.
As a parade of motorists rolled down their windows on the edges of a Houston Home Depot parking lot offering cash, the crowd of day laborers had slowly thinned to about a dozen by mid-morning.

The workers who were already gone were off to tear out soggy carpeting, carry ruined sofas to the curb and saw apart mold-infested drywall. Those who still remained knew they were hot commodities and werent going to settle for low offers.

The owner of a car dealership shook his head and drove off after his $10-an-hour proposal to clean flooded vehicles drew no takers. A pickup driver who promised $50 for two hours to rip out wet carpeting and move furniture was told the job was too short to be worthwhile.

Day laborers  many of them immigrants and many of them in the country illegally  will continue to be in high demand as workers who clear debris make way for plumbers, electricians, drywall installers and carpenters. Employers are generally small, unregulated contractors or individual homeowners, resulting in a lack of oversight that creates potential for workers to be unpaid or work in dangerous conditions.

Houstons day laborers are generally settling for $120 to $150 to clear homes of Harveys debris for eight hours. As noon struck Friday, three workers took a job for $100 for up to five hours rather than let the whole day slip. It didnt hurt that the contractor provided tools, distributed bottles of cold water and dangled the prospect of more steady work clearing other houses.

Now well be busy for the rest of the year, said the contractor, Nicolas Garcia, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Mexico who has had his own business for 15 years. Now that this disaster happened, we have to step it up.

Garcia, 55, is working about 20 miles southeast of downtown Houston in the Southbelt/Ellington area, a middle-class residential neighborhood whose main streets are lined with fast-food restaurants, strip malls and churches. Waters reached 5 feet in some streets on Aug. 27, forcing families with young children to escape on neighbors boats and inflatable swimming pool toys.

The contractor led a caravan of workers to a four-bedroom house that was in better shape than others. Sharon Eldridge, a 63-year-old renter who lives alone, landed in about a foot of water when she stepped out of bed Sunday. Her furniture and clothes were ruined, but she didnt have to evacuate.

Armando Rivera, a 36-year-old Honduran who is living in the country illegally and raising four children with his wife, said it was painful to see so many people die and lose their home, but the storm would jolt the local construction economy.

When there is work, you can live a good life, he said as he took a break from knifing Eldridges water-logged beige carpeting into pieces small enough to carry outside.

Construction workers were scarce even before Harvey struck. The Associated General Contractors of America, a trade group, said Tuesday that a survey of 1,608 members showed 58 percent struggled to fill carpentry jobs and 53 percent were having trouble finding electricians and bricklayers. Texas shortages were more acute.

Nationwide unemployment in construction was 4.7 percent in August, down from 5.1 percent a year earlier. Ken Simonson, chief economist for the contractor trade group, said the latest indicator was the lowest for any August since the government began keeping track in 2000.

From what Im reading, weve never seen so many homes either destroyed or at least rendered uninhabitable at once, Simonson said. I doubt there is enough labor with the skills.

A sharp increase in immigration arrests under President Donald Trump may further limit the labor pool. The Houston office of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has made about 10,000 arrests this year, second-highest in the country after Dallas. The region has about 600,000 immigrants in the country illegally, third-largest behind New York and Los Angeles.

Laborers who gathered at Home Depot stores for Harvey work  some on their fourth of fifth major storm  swapped stories about exploitation that either they or someone they knew had suffered. Jose Pineda, a Nicaraguan who entered the country illegally in 2005 through the Arizona desert, said he had injured his arm with a saw and was shorted $380 but decided not to complain. Arturo Garcia, a legal resident from Mexico, knows three people who got hernias on the job and had to pay for surgery out of pocket because they were uninsured.

Storm recoveries pose heightened danger. A 2009 study by researchers at University of California, Los Angeles and the National Day Laborer Organizing Network found that day laborers working on storm recovery during Hurricane Katrina were commonly exposed to mold, worked on roofs without safeguards against falling and were exposed to chemicals and asbestos.

Pineda, 40, joined three other laborers at a three-bedroom house with soaked red carpet, moldy leather chairs, a television and other furniture strewn about as if a tornado hit. The owner balked in the Home Deport parking lot when workers asked for $120 each to clear the house and bargained them down to $100.

When Pineda saw the home and experienced its overwhelming stench, he realized it would take much longer than the owner promised and insisted on $150. The workers left when the owner refused.

They didnt realize that everything in the house was ruined, said the owner, who identified himself only by his first name, Guy. We just dont have the money to pay them.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Nar Pradhan is no stranger to entrepreneurship. His parents used to own a restaurant and grocery business in Bhutan, in southern Asia, long before the period of political turmoil in the late 1980s. That's when life changed, and his family fled to Nepal seeking refuge.

After spending 17 years in a refugee camp, they came to Cleveland looking for a new life in 2008. And in their new life here, the family is making a positive impact on the local economy.

"It was a very difficult life," Pradhan, 35, said of his past. "We didn't have any rights ... Some people held peaceful rally's fighting for democracy and the government forced a lot of innocent people out of the country. It was a monarchy."

Pradhan spent more than half of his life in a refugee camp, but he was still able to get permission from the Nepal government and a refugee camp management committee to get a college education in a nearby city. He taught high school in camp for a year and four years outside camp in Dharan and Kathmandu Nepal. And when he came to Cleveland, a series of odd jobs ranging from dishwasher to selling burgers at the IX Center helped him save money to go in with family members to buy a small wireless cellphone business on the West Side of Cleveland.

Now, five years after becoming an entrepreneur, cellphone plans and accessories account for just 10 percent of the family business at 13712 Lorain Road. South Asian Groceries is a rather unorthodox grocery store, selling everything from groceries that range from to fresh meats, vegetables, rice and hard-to-find spices preferred by their culture, to clothing, beer and wine, and cellphone plans.

Pradhan is just one of about 1,000 refugees who resettle in Cleveland every year.

A new study of refugee resettlement in Cleveland released today suggests a total economic impact of $88.2 million in 2016 alone. The study focused on Cuyahoga County and included multiple sources of economic impact: refugee service organizations' expenditures, federal funds that support resettlement in the area, refugee household spending and taxes, and refugee-owned businesses.

Brian Upton, executive director of Building Hope in the City, said the Pradhan family was among the first families his nonprofit organization assisted, after resettlement agencies like Catholic Charities helped them with all of the basics.

Upton's West Park organization supports the resettlement of refugees at the next stage through the Hope Center. It's a drop-in center where people come to learn.

"We help them to marry the natural talents and assets that they come up with and how to apply it in a new culture and a different context. Thats the value we add to the resettlement community," he said.

While Building Hope in the City was founded in 2003, the organization did not start mentoring refugees until 2008, and members of the Pradhan family were among the first to take advantage of the services.

"It's important to understand that refugees come from a variety of skills and backgrounds. Not all are farmers. Some are educated and were white-collar business owners, and they had to leave all of that because they were facing persecution," Upton said. "Some of them sold or left their businesses behind in order to get their families out of dire situations."

Refugees differ from immigrants because they've left their home countries not by choice. They leave because of fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion, as described by the United Nations, which resettles refugees.

Today, more than 2,000 Nepali-speaking Bhutanese live in the Cleveland area, with another 2,000 in Akron. While it is not easy to move to a new country and a new city full of different cultures, languages and traditions, people like the Pradhans make it work. Actually they take it a step further, by becoming successful entrepreneurs.

A year after resettling to Cleveland, Pradhan said he was finally hired as a case worker in 2009 by Asian Services in Action. A few years later, he and other family members founded their business on Lorain Road. It didn't take long for them to transform it.



The business was only a wireless service for about a year before it started selling spices that were hard to find in Cleveland. Then little by little, they added more groceries. Two years ago, they expanded to about 2,400 square-feet, when they took over a restaurant space next door.

Bhupati Pradhan, Nar's brother-in-law, is among the family members who co-owns South Asian Groceries.

He said one of the driving forces for becoming an entrepreneur, while working other jobs and volunteering in the community, is because he wants to contribute to this country.



"The main reason for becoming an entrepreneur, we don't want to become, what do you call it, a liability to this country," Pradhan said. "And we want to contribute something to this country, and we want to be an asset. We want to pay our taxes, so that we can have a better living in this country, peacefully."
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- A chemist accused by federal authorities of being a middle man for large shipments of fentanyl and synthetic opioids from China made his first appearance in a Cleveland federal court Thursday morning.

Bin Wang, 42, clad in an orange jail jumpsuit, said little more than "yes, your honor" and "no, your honor" during his brief hearing. Magistrate Judge Thomas Parker bound over Wang's case to a grand jury. Federal prosecutors now have 30 days to indict him.

Wang, a chemist who lived in the Boston suburbs, was arrested in July before boarding a plane to Toronto. Federal prosecutors say Wang worked with a man in China named Gordon Jin to bring drugs into the United States.

A Drug Enforcement Administration investigation showed that Jin would ship fentanyl and other drugs to Wang's warehouse in Massachusetts, and that Wang would then ship orders throughout the United States. The investigation showed that the fentanyl and other drugs Wang and Jin shipped were linked to overdose deaths in Northeast Ohio.

Local and federal investigators pursued Wang and Jin after prosecutors charged Akron couple Leroy Steele and Sabrina Robinson in relation to the death of Thomas Rauh, according to a story published Aug. 31 by cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer. Steele, who is serving a 20-year prison sentence, purchased the fentanyl he sold from China and later showed authorities how he purchased the drugs online, according to federal officials.

From there, authorities were able to find Jin, who communicated online with undercover federal investigators inquiring about buying synthetic opioids, and Wang, officials said.

Wang is a Canadian citizen and native of China, according to statements made in court Thursday and court filings. He remains in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service.

Jin appears to be a target of the federal government's investigation but is believed to still be in China.

Mark DeVan, Wang's attorney, declined comment after the hearing.

If you would like to comment on this story, please visit Thursday's crime and courts comments section.
Cleveland, Ohio -- Raise a glass to Dom Pedro I. Raise a glass to good food and music. Viva Brazil.

Today marks Brazilian Independence Day, which celebrates "Pedro the Liberator" and the founding of Brazil free from Portuguese rule.

On Sunday, you will have the chance to celebrate the day the Brazilian way at Batuqui, 12706 Larchmere Blvd, Cleveland. The Brazilian bistro-bar and TropicalCleveland are joining together to throw Brazilian Independence Day 2017.

There isn't a place more fitting than Batuqui for such a bash, and not just because it rolls out a killer Caiporoska - that vodka-based form of the Brazilian Caipirinha. Or that it boasts a stellar menu of Brazilian dishes, from a delicious fish stew called moqueca to the traditional pork-and-black-been-and-rice stew feijoada to the salgadinhos appetizers.

There's also the spirit and down-home hospitality of the cozy spot, located in a renovated house in Cleveland's Larchmere neighborhood. Expect a full house come Sunday, along with a buzzing patio - one of the area's finest - and a side lot that will be open for the party.

The bash will roll out live music, a Brazilian martial arts dance troupe, Brazilian street foods, party favors and Brazilian drinks. There will also be games for kids - it's family friendly - dance lessons for newbies.

Brazilians aren't necessarily known for their independence day parties - even though they are among the most party-hearty people in the world. "We are doing this more as a sentimental celebration of Brazil," says Adriana Matos, co-founder of TropicalCleveland.

The party starts at 3 p.m. There is no end time indicated: Brazilians, you see, prefer to keep that part flexible. Maybe 10 p.m., maybe midnight, maybe later...

Tickets, $10, are available at Batuqui or by calling 216-801-0227. For more info, go to facebook.com/events/1408144192584902 or facebook.com/Tropical.Cleveland.
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio

Voyeurism, Mayfield Road:

A woman, 35, reported Aug. 30 she believed an employee of Anytime Fitness was filming her or taking photos of her while she was naked in a tanning room at the business. She said she saw what she believed was a cell phone between the bottom of the door and floor. Officers spoke to the suspect and he said it was a misunderstanding and he had dropped some towels on the floor and one of them must have slid under the door and she thought it was a phone. Surveillance video was reviewed and showed the Canton man, 34, holding a cell phone under the door on three separate occasions. He then threw towels near the door in an apparent attempt to cover up his actions. The company terminated the man's employment and charges of voyeurism have been filed. Reports indicate the man has a criminal history involving a similar incident in Florida.

Theft, Mayfield Road:

A woman, 84, reported Aug. 30 her wallet was stolen out of her purse from a shopping cart at Giant Eagle. She suspected a man and woman, who separately started a conversation with her, were responsible for the theft. Officers reviewed surveillance video, but could only confirm the couple left the store together without making any purchases after they spoke to the woman.

Impaired driving, Sunningdale Road:

A man reported at 3:21 a.m. Aug. 27 his vehicle had crashed while being driven by a man he met at the Harry Buffalo in Mentor. He said the man had left the scene and he did not know where he went. Responding officers located the vehicle and the Mayfield Heights man, 21, who had filed the report. They found evidence no proof there was any other man in the vehicle. The man was subsequently arrested for OVI and reasonable control.

Theft, Mayfield Road:

A Giuseppe's Pizza employee reported Aug. 29 her bicycle was stolen from in front of the business while she was working. She had left it unlocked. An officer noted seeing someone in the area at the time of theft that was riding a bike similar to the one that was stolen. The suspect was described as a man between 18-20 years-old.

Found property, Mayfield Road:

A woman located four antique spoons behind the business of Allstate Insurance Aug. 28. They were turned over to police to be kept in case someone reported them stolen.

Disturbance, Marsol Road:

Officers responded to the Drake apartments around 9:30 a.m. Aug. 27 for a report of a fight in a hallway between a mother and her 19-year-old daughter. They found the woman holding her daughter to the ground and learned the incident began when the woman questioned her daughter about a broken tail light on her vehicle, which the daughter had driven the previous night. Officers received conflicting stories about how the incident. The two agreed to separate for the day.

Harassment, SOM Center Road:

A woman reported she was harassed through five text messages Aug. 26. She said the messages came from an unknown person and were in reference to her biological mother and that woman's ex-husband. She said the messages also made suggestions for her to commit suicide. The woman said she had just been discharged from the hospital for a suicide attempt and her mother had recently divorced so the sender must have been aware of those matters. She believed the sender of the messages was trying to jeopardize her rehabilitation. Officers advised her to report any further contact from the sender of the messages.

Theft, Golden Gate Plaza:

A Cleveland man, 53, was suspected of stealing a bottle of champagne, valued at $39.98, from World Market Aug. 25. A store vendor alerted the staff to the theft after seeing the man place the bottle in his pants. The man was identified by the license plate number of his vehicle and a warrant was issued for his arrest.

Impaired driving, Interstate-271:

A Cleveland man, 24, was charged with OVI, possession of marijuana, driving under suspension and no operator's license after his vehicle was pulled over around 1 a.m. Aug. 25 for erratic driving. He was also in possession of two wallets, which included a driver's license and two credit cards belonging to other people. He claimed one of those persons was a cousin.

See more Mayfield Heights news at Cleveland.com/hillcrest.

If you would like to discuss the police blotter, please visit our crime and courts comments page.
SOUTH EUCLID, Ohio

Theft, Mayfield Road:

A man, 55, was suspected of a $76.58 theft of merchandise at Giant Eagle Aug. 28. He told officers he had never been stopped for theft and that someone had told him the store was a good place to steal. He also said he would not appear in court because he was from Pennsylvania. He was arrested after making that comment and returned to the station to post bond. He was also charged with possession of drug paraphernalia after a suspected crack pipe was located in his pockets.

Burglary, Winston Road:

Officers responded at 11:29 p.m. Aug. 30 to a report of a possible break-in at a residence. Witnesses reported seeing a vehicle leave the home after hearing several bangs coming from the area. Officers determined the suspects had forced open a rear door to the home, which was unoccupied and being renovated. The two male suspects were not located.

Violation of temporary protection order, Merrymound Road:

A Cleveland Heights woman, 19, has been issued an arrest warrant for violating a protection order against her ex-boyfriend Aug. 30. The man said she had sent several text and picture messages making disparaging remarks about his new girlfriend and telling him she would always love him. The woman was also arrested in the city Aug. 15 for violating the same protection order.

Theft, Warrendale Road:

Two unknown boys stole two back packs from Famous Footwear Aug. 30 and ran from the store. They were not located. The total value of the theft was $190.98.

Theft, Warrensville Center Road:

Two women were suspected of changing price tags on items at Walmart Aug. 28 and scanning the items with the switched labels at a self-checkout register. The Cleveland Heights women, both 28, were cited for theft and one was also cited for trespassing and arrested on an active warrant in the city. The true value of the ten scanned items was $121.73.

Theft, Stonehaven Road:

A resident reported Aug. 28 two packages, containing two laptop computers, were stolen from his front porch. He said he had received an email confirmation that the packages were delivered to his home Aug. 24. He needed a police report to receive a refund or replacement for the items.

Theft, Bexley Road:

A resident reported Aug. 28 a large painted stone eagle statue was stolen from his yard. It was suspected someone drove a vehicle to the location of the statue because the statue was believed to weigh 500-600 pounds. The resident suggested it would have taken multiple people to move the statue.

There were no suspects identified.

Criminal mischief, Warrensville Center Road:

Officers responded to Walmart Aug. 25 for a report of a girl, 16, destroying merchandise. They learned a child protective services specialist was returning to the girl to her mother, who was working at the store. The girl had run away from her Cleveland home the previous week. Her mother refused to give the girl a key to her home and had wanted her to stay in the store until she finished working. This lead to the girl's destructive behavior. She was subsequently returned to the specialist to remain in custody and she will be charged in juvenile court with criminal mischief.

Theft, Colony Road:

A purse was located on a sidewalk Aug. 28 and found to have been stolen out of a vehicle while the owner of it was working at a home the previous night. The owner said the only thing missing from it was $27 cash and her wallet, which she had already located a few houses from where she was working. There were no suspects identified.

Theft of vehicle, East Antisdale Road:

A resident reported Aug. 29 her vehicle was missing from her driveway. She said her daughter had woken her during the night because she had thought she heard the vehicle start. She said the keys were hung next to the side door and they were missing. No suspects were identified.

Theft, Warrensville Center Road:

A woman said Aug. 22 she believed her cell phone was stolen while she was shopping at TJ Maxx. After she purchased a new phone and was able to access her photos, she found one that she did not take. It was a photo taken around the time of the suspected theft and showed a woman seated in a home and showed a GPS location near Petsmart on Cedar Road. The incident is under investigation.

Impaired driving, Winston Road:

A vehicle ran off the roadway around 1:45 p.m. Aug. 27 and struck a utility pole. Officers found the driver unconscious and administered Narcan to revive her. She said she had snorted two lines of heroin. The Florida woman, 27, was taken to the hospital and subsequently charged with OVI, driving under suspension and failure to control.

See more South Euclid news at Cleveland.com/south-euclid.

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Baytown students love their schools! Elementary, middle and high school students told San Jacinto Mall Why My School is the Best in Texas fo
Carnegie Mellon Qatar Alumni Explore Emerging Fields of Medical Technology

September 07, 2017

When Hashim Moosavi started university as a freshman in computer science, he never imagined he would build a career improving the patient experience in a pediatric hospital.

"I was very involved with the tech community in Qatar," said Moosavi, who completed his degree in computer science at Carnegie Mellon University in Qatar (CMU-Q) in 2014. "I participated in hackathons and built a very good network of tech developers."

After graduation, Moosavi was working at IBM in Bangalore when he learned that Sidra Medical and Research Center, a new pediatric and maternal health care facility in Doha, was creating an in-house innovation technology team. Moosavi jumped at the chance.

"Med-tech is a special field, it's still in its infancy, but it is growing," he said.

The Center for Medical Imaging Science and Technology at Sidra serves a clinical support role, as well as creating innovative tools like printing of 3-D radiological scans to help surgeons visualize organs before they are in the operating room.

"The future of medicine and patient care is intertwined with technology, and we are finding some exciting new ways to help doctors. It can be tricky, for instance, for patients and their families to conceptualize what a surgeon will do during an operation, but technology can help them visualize and understand," said Deepak Kaura, executive chair of Foundation Medical Services at Sidra.

"Not many hospitals around the world support technology this way. Sidra is one of the few hospitals that is driving innovation and embracing new technologies," Kaura said. "Patient experience is a key aspect of the work we do."

Aya Abd Elaal, a 2016 graduate who studied biological sciences, works in the Clinical Chemistry Division of the Sidra lab. Sidra is preparing to open the in-patient portion of the hospital in early 2018, and Elaal is part of the team working in the laboratory to complete intensive validation processes to ensure the equipment is producing valid and reliable results.

"We're building something new, not many people have had a chance to build a lab from the ground up," she said.

Biological sciences students at CMU-Q complete coursework in all of the foundational sciences, including computer science. With the level of technology and automation in Sidra's laboratory, this education helps prepare alumni to handle the technical, precise validation processes.

"At Sidra, we use an apprenticeship model with new graduates  all part of an extensive development program aimed at continuous learning and upskilling," said Jason Ford, vice chair of the Department of Pathology at Sidra. "In a short amount of time, the CMU graduates have become an important part of our team: they have the scientific knowledge to make them invaluable during this extensive validation phase."

Ford said the hospital is working with recent alumni to help them build careers in pediatric and laboratory medicine.

"It is our responsibility  to the future of medicine, and the future of Qatar specifically  to train young professionals to provide the very best patient care," Ford said.

Hasan Al Mana, who graduated with a bachelor's degree in biological sciences in 2015, works in the Molecular Microbiology Division. He will begin studying for his master's degree in biomedical sciences this year.

"Sidra has exposed me to many different aspects of laboratory science, and I have found a direction where I can make a difference," Al Mana said.

Rayan Hashim, also a graduate of the Class of 2016, is planning to continue her career in laboratory medicine.

"CMU doesn't just teach knowledge, it gave us the tools we need to think outside the box," Hashim said.
CLIFTON PARK, N.Y. >> As the 16th memorial observance of 9/11, approaches many people will pause to remember where they were on that sunny, cloudless, crisp morning.

Like most Americans, Clifton Park resident Annie Friedman remembers exactly where she was when news of the events took over the air waves. As a district sales manager with American Airlines the attacks affected Friedman professionally as well as emotionally.

Audrey Ades remembers where she was too that morning. Ades lost her 45-year-old husband on American Airlines Flight 11, the one that crashed into the north tower of the World Trade Center in New York City. Through a unique set of circumstances, Friedman and Ades met shortly after the tragedy and have remained friends through the years. The two women have co-written a short piece describing that day, as well as the weeks, months, and years afterward. The five page essay has been published in the book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: My Kind of America. The book contains 101 stories about the True Spirit of Our Country. In their essay the two women take turns alternating paragraphs every so often allowing the reader to get a sense of the impact the days events had on two individuals with connections to the tragedy.

Friedman had many years of experience in the airline industry prior going to work for American Airlines. Once there, she volunteered for the companys CARE (Customer Assistance Relief Effort) team. CARE team members help families through American Airline incidents. She had helped four different families before the events of 9/11.

American Airlines is wonderful in that regard, she said. We get a lot of training on how to deal with emotional situations. They want us to take care of the family, whatever is needed. Its not easy. Ive gone to wakes and sat in the back of the room and then gone back to my hotel room and cried my eyes out. Its very emotional for us too.

Now retired, Friedman said the emotional toll on some of the volunteer CARE team members was so great they left the company after their first assignment.

Im not sure all of the airlines have something like a CARE teams, she said. I volunteered because I felt that I was helping. The helpfulness outweighed the pain.

After turning on her TV set in her home office on 9/11 and seeing news of the attacks Friedman immediately went to her computer screen and saw that American Airlines Flight 11 was blacked out. Realizing the plane had been involved in the attacks, she started packing a bag immediately.

Friedman chose Ades as her family to care for after she saw the familys name on the passenger list when the CARE team gathered in a Boston hotel. Ades went by her maiden name, but her husbands name was Friedman (no relation).

Seeing their name I realized they were Jewish and since I was Jewish too I understood that there were certain things that have to be done as part of the religious culture, Friedman said.

In the essay, Friedman writes: I called Audrey. She took the call but clearly was in no frame of mind to talk to some stranger from the airline.

In turn, Ades wrote: A woman from American Airlines called. Her name was Annie. She assured me they would do everything they could to help. Did we need money? Childcare? Food? I was numb. No thank you. None of those things was what we needed.

After an extensive briefing on how to approach Ades in person, Friedman went to her home and found a houseful of people. She focused on Ades, her small child, and their little Yorkshire, Hercules.

Ades writes that she felt on display with all the people in the house, but upon meeting Friedman she felt an immediate connection. She wanted her to stay. With Friedman, Ades wrote in the essay, she could crumble.

Friedman felt the same.

As soon as I saw her it was an instant bond, she said. As soon as I saw her, there was never a doubt shed always be in my mind and my heart. I was helping myself by helping Audrey. I knew I was where I was meant to be.

Over a 10 day period the two got to know each other well. When it came time for Friedman to return to her home in Clifton Park, Ades invited her back to her home, this time for dinner. A dinner she would cook herself, a sign she was returning to her pre-9/11 life. Ades and Friedman have stayed in contact ever since.

I feel wonderful when I can help somebody and I wanted her to get through this and she helped me to get through this, Friedman said. I lost a friend on 9/11. I was helping myself by helping Audrey.
China has completed the construction of the hull of the worlds first deep ocean mining vessel, according to a report by The Times.

The 227-meter boat, upon completion, will be capable of working at depths of 2.5 km, carrying 45,000 tons of ore and staying at sea for more than five years at a time.

The Times said officials at Fujian Mawei Shipbuilding confirmed that the boat was on schedule to be completed and handed over to Canada-based Nautilus Minerals by 2018 to be used for mining operations off Papua New Guinea.

The company would not provide further details, the Times said, citing a news report in the local Fujian Evening News that the ship would be equipped with mining equipment, underwater robots, deck cranes and helicopter pads.

China has abundant mineral resources in the ocean, requiring deep sea technologies to excavate. The Times cited a report from the Ministry of Land and Resources that there are 88 billion tons of rare earth materials, a billion tons of cobalt, and three trillion tons of polymetallic nodules under the sea floor.

In 2014 China unveiled its first underwater mining vessel, Taixin No 1, to mine for zirconium and titanium sand off Hainan, an island in Chinas southernmost province.

The boatbuilder, Chonghe Marine Industry in Shanghai, said at the time most seafloor mining was limited to depths of less than 40m and the new technology would allow mining companies to operate between 80m and 100m.

China's manned deep-sea research submersible, Jiaolong, in service since 2010, can dive to more than 7 km.
Labor Day was barely a few hours gone and already the sugar beets were piled high outside Randall Jobmans office at Western Sugar Cooperative.

From Hardin to Sidney, farmers are expecting bumper sugar beet crops, and factories are firing up early to take on extra tonnage. In Billings, the Western Sugar refinery began operating Aug. 30, more than a week ahead of normal.

The sugar beet crop in the Billings area is expected to come in around 34 tons an acre with an above average sugar content, said Jobman, Westerns vice president of agriculture, Northern Region.

The sugar industry pumps about $100 million into the Montana economy annually.

Last winter, factories in Billings and Sidney worked into March turning beets into sugar, a month longer than normal. Factories are getting an early start to avoid another late run.

Were going early basically because the last couple years weve noticed a big increase in the size of the crop, said Duane Peters, agricultural manager at Sidney Sugars. Its better to get the beets earlier than to drag out the processing until March."

Sidney Sugars farmers are expecting to dig slightly less than 32 tons of beets an acre, Peters said. The factory in Sidney will begin making sugar by mid-month, two weeks ahead of schedule.

Last year, Eastern Montana sugar beet farmers delivered a record 1.124 million tons to the factory, with a yield of about 31 tons an acre. But fall moisture had a lot to with the size of the crop. Late rains kept the beets growing for an extra month.

Western Sugar farmers harvested a record 36.5 tons of beets per acre last year.

Statewide, sugar beet farmers rate 30 percent of their crops condition as good to excellent, according to the National Agricultural Statistics Service. The quality is much lower than the five-year average. Extreme drought in Eastern Montana is probably a factor.

Peters said his farmers have been pouring on the water this summer to achieve a good crop. One farmer reported using four times as much water as he did a year ago and not seeing significant moisture a few inches beneath the surface.

Eastern Montana is in the worst drought in the nation, with dryland crop-killing conditions not seen in 30 years. But river flows have held up through the dry summer and irrigated crops like sugar beets, barley and corn have done well.

Harvesting sugar beets in early September has its risks. A late surge in summer temperatures can cause beets to rot as they wait piled up to be shipped to the factory. The challenge is keeping the piles core temperature no warmer than the mid-50s, Peters said.

Western is no stranger to early starts. In recent years, the harvest has started right after Labor Day on more than one occasion to accommodate large crops. There have also been fall campaigns that stalled in October because of heavy rain or freezing temperatures. But those harvests started out hot, just like this year.

Due to the warm temperatures, we schedule harvest to have just enough beets on hand to stay ahead of the factorys needs, Jobman said.
CORNWALL, Ontario  Forty of the top Curling teams from across the globe will converge on Cornwalls Curling Centre from Sept. 14  17, 2017 to participate in the 21st Annual AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Curling Classic, a World Curling Tour event presented by WFG Financial Group.

This event, the longest running event on the World Curling Tour will feature a whos who of the Curling world and will be a chance for everyone in Cornwall to meet and see the greatest curlers in the world in a very personal setting.

The field includes 2014 Olympic gold medalist Brad Jacobs from Canada, the bronze medalist, Niklas Edin from Sweden, and the current Tim Hortons Brier Champion Brad Gushue. Additionally, the field will have other world champs and Brier champions such as Ontarios Glenn Howard, Manitobas Mike McEwen, 2014 World Champion Thomas Ulsrud from Norway, as well as other teams from Canada, Scotland, Korea, Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands and the United States. The Mens and Ladies event has a combined purse of $90,000, which is proudly the largest purse during the World Curling Tour season, outside of the Grand Slam Events. In, fact the Shorty Jenkins Classic is now been nicknamed the Mini-Slam.

Locally, Cornwall is very proud that one of its own will be competing in this years event. Matt Camm, former Jacques Richard Memorial Trophy, plays third for John Eppings rink.

Cornwall is fortunate to have an event like this  the strength of the field is a testament to the legacy that this event has created over the past 20 years. Shorty Jenkins was a pioneer in the curling world and through hard work and dedication over the years has grown this event to a level that is recognized throughout the curling world. This event is an opportunity for Cornwall to show off our City to competitors from around the world. The players are very accessible and enjoy meeting and talking to people from the area.

This is the 21st year for the event. The AMJ Campbell Shorty Jenkins Classic will take place at the Cornwall Curling Centre beginning on Thursday, Sept. 14th at 12:30 p.m. and will continue through to Sunday, September 20th with the final match at 3:00 p.m. Everyone is welcome.

Information regarding schedule, teams and events will be available at shortyjenkinsclassic.com.
SOUTH STORMONT, Ontario  On September 5, 2017 at approximately 12:59am SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a Break and Enter at a Business on Highway 138, South Stormont Township.

Investigation indicated that on September 5, 2017 culprit(s) forcibly entered the business but did not remove any items

On September 5, 2017 at approximately 9:48am SD&G OPP officers responded to a report of a Break and Enter at a Business on Highway 138, South Stormont Township. Investigation indicated that overnight on September 4-5, 2017 culprit(s) forcibly entered the business and removed Canadian currency and electronics.

An investigation continues.
The Awakening Hope for the Homeless concert featuring John Roberts Y Pan Blanco is set for Saturday, Sept. 9 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Pioneer Park.

The concert is free, but there will be opportunities at the event to help raise money for the Montana Rescue Mission Women and Children's Shelter remodel project.

The project will provide a more secure entry to the shelter and space where residents can meet with social service agencies, according to Denise Smith, public relations director the MRM.

Volunteer Glenda Quintana, a teacher at West High School, has been working with residents at the shelter since January. She got behind the idea of a concert to help raise awareness about the needs of the shelter because she believes the shelter helps change lives.

Their circumstances do not define who they are, Quintana said. The shelter is building a foundation for these women and there is growth and change.

Quintana collaborated with local dancers for event, Beauty for Ashes, raising $250 for the shelter. When she discovered there was a need for volunteers to help lead worship programs, she began spending one evening a week using art and music to teach the residents lessons about faith.
WASHINGTON  A group of Republican and Democratic governors became the latest voices Thursday to endorse a bipartisan Senate drive to control health insurance costs in defiance of President Donald Trump.

Trump has threatened several times to block federal subsidies to insurers for lowering deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for millions of lower-earning customers.

Analysts and the insurance industry say halting the payments would lead to new premium increases, and leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are trying to quickly write legislation that would continue those payments for a year or more.

The support from the governors seemed to further isolate Trump on the issue. But with partisan feelings heightened by the failed Republican effort to dismantle former President Barack Obama's health law, the prospects for a modest effort to shore up the Affordable Care Act are uncertain.

In testimony Thursday, three Republicans and two Democrats backed continuing those payments. Most governors said they should be extended for at least two years.

Montana Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, called for bipartisan cooperation to avoid "sabotaging the overall health care system."

I believe we can find common ground in driving down costs and stabilizing the marketplace, and the time to act is now," he said.

Bullock called for cost-sharing reduction payments to be continued to keep the market stable, as well as for the creation of a temporary stability fund.

Gov. Gary Herbert, R-Utah, said abruptly ending those subsidies would "destabilize" his state's markets where individual coverage is sold. Bullock said extending the payments for at least two years would be "the most important step" lawmakers could take to curb premiums and keep insurers from abandoning some markets.

Trump has called those payments bailouts for insurers and has threatened to halt them.

The governors also backed more state flexibility to decide coverage requirements and federal aid to help insurers afford high-cost customers with serious conditions.

The committee chairman, Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., and the top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, have turned to a narrow bill aimed at strengthening the individual insurance market, where 18 million people who don't get coverage at work or through government programs purchase policies. Those markets are expected to see premium increases averaging at least 25 percent next year.
I remember when I was shopping around for a Canada Goose last year I was scouring the internets for reviews and explanations of the dif...

Taking a break from fashion to share a fun family activity we did over Thanksgiving and how you can recreate and do the same!

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1 A Gang Of One-Legged Men Terrorized Australia

Everything in Australia is deadlier than it should be, and that extends to their old-fashioned gangs. Around the turn of the last century, the scourge roaming (or rather, hobbling around) the streets of Melbourne was a gang called Crutchie Push, and it consisted almost entirely of one-legged men.

They might not have been fast, but death was certain if you were caught by the Crutchie Push ("push" being so hilariously appropriate Australian slang for "gang"). It was a requirement to be one limb short of a set to join the gang, meaning most of them went into battle already on crutches -- except for one berserker who still had both legs and ran into fights swinging a brick stuffed inside his sweater sleeve like a low-rent Mr. Fantastic. From there, everyone else (hopefully in choreographed synchronicity) balanced on one leg and used their crutches as weapons. Their signature move was to jab an opponent in the stomach with the tip of the crutch, then swing it around and beat him with it while he was doubled over. It was a surprisingly effective way to force compliance from shop owners and random people of whom they demanded money, food, and booze. Still more reliable than Social Security.

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But for a bunch of people who were physically unable to run, the Crutchie Push were bizarrely hard to catch. You'd think you could just lead them to a staircase and be done with it, but when an officer became involved in a brawl with leader Valentine Keating, the one-legged man actually outran the officer before he could be arrested. That's either Olympic-level crutch skills or a hilariously unfit cop. Eventually, the police became so frustrated with the gang that they assembled a task force made up by the ten most violent police officers in Australia. These "Terrible Ten" were sent out to track the Crutchie Push down and beat them with hoses, because there is apparently a very fine line between legitimate Australian history and the fever dream of a wealthy conservative business owner looking to build a casino atop an Army veterans clinic.

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Keating was eventually imprisoned for beating a cop to death with his crutches, after which he ... um, went on to a nice, quiet life as a barkeep until his death from tuberculosis. In all of his days tending bar, he never called the police to break up a fight. Why use them as a crutch if you can beat a man to death with your own?

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In regard to Jeff Essmanns Voice of the Reader comments in the Friday, Sept. 1 Billings Gazette, I want to correct his claim that in 2005 he sponsored the bill to allow counties to establish and fund veterans cemeteries. As verified per Senate Bill 21 records search of the Montana Legislature archives, this was sponsored and carried by me, Sen. Lane Larson SD22, in the 2007 legislative session.
Managed services News

Hurricane Irma: Florida Solution Providers Batten Down The Hatches As Massive Storm Approaches

Joseph F. Kovar

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Florida solution providers are working with clients on helping them avoid IT disasters as a new massive hurricane rips through the Caribbean and could hit landfall in U.S. this weekend.

While Hurricane Irma, which is responsible for three deaths so far in St. Bartholomew and St. Martin, could veer northward in time to save Florida from what will likely be a Category 4 hurricane, but solution providers are not taking chances with IT infrastructure.

Hurricane Irma is following closely on the heels of Hurricane Harvey which in the last couple weeks has devastated the Houston area with up to 50 inches of rain and a huge storm surge. Combined, the rain and storm surge resulted in massive flooding that damaged hundreds of thousands of homes and businesses in Texas and triggered disaster preparation and disaster recovery plans throughout the area.

[Related: Hurricane Harvey: Solution Providers Aid Customers With Proactive Services]

It's already starting to get crazy in Florida with all the attention being paid to Hurricane Irma, said Hugo Perez, managing director of cloud at United Data Technologies, a Doral, Fla.-based managed services provider and cloud services provider.

"Florida, like the other 49 states, put our energy behind helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey," Perez told CRN. "Now Irma is coming, and we're looking to how it will impact Florida. We're short of water, gas, and propane."

United Data Technologies made a good living from selling on-premises IT infrastructure, but is now heavily focused on using the Microsoft Azure cloud for disaster recovery and business continuity, especially for smaller businesses that have trouble managing their own IT environments, he said.

The company, one of only 100 Tier 1 Microsoft cloud solution providers in the U.S., has been busy providing customers with hotlines and hurricane alerts to help prepare for the storm, as well as making sure customers are ready when it comes to disaster recovery, Perez said.

Preparation work is of particular importance for smaller businesses like law firms, accounting firms, non-profits and anyone with less than 200 people, he said.

"For these small companies, people probably won't show up to work because of the hurricane," he said. "So we make sure they are safe. The most important thing to these companies outside of their people is their data. A loss of data can completely close one of these businesses."

Communication with clients during the run up to Hurricane Irma has been the top priority for LAN Infotech, a Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.-based solution provider, wrote company President Michael Goldstein in an email to CRN.

LAN Infotech has also had many discussions with its clients to ensure they know how to contact the solution provider, understand local closing issues, and understand the importance of making sure the solution provider has proper shutdown times so backups can be completed, Goldstein wrote.

"Many information documents have also been sent to clients so they know local emergency [number]s, evacuation areas and basically how to call and when. We encourage that clients distribute [this information] to employees," he wrote.

LAN Infotech has moved most of its infrastructure to the Microsoft cloud over the last couple of years, and it has invested in cellular routers across multiple mobile providers to ensure the company can stay online, Goldstein wrote.

"Lastly VoIP has been a big advance for us. As the storm approaches employees will be working from home so we can prepare their own homes but also be in touch with our company and clients," he wrote.



Focal Point Solution Solutions Group is already working with Florida customers to prepare for Hurricane Irma, said Ron Venzin, a partner in the Ellenton, Fla.-based solution provider in an emailed response to CRN.

Focal Point is helping clients with scheduling their high-availability disaster recovery switch-over and planning when and how to shut down vulnerable IT infrastructures, Venzin wrote.

"We are emphasizing to all customers they need to schedule whatever actions they are going to execute, create a plan and don't wait until the storm hits. Communications to systems may not be available, and more importantly people (theirs or ours) may not be available to shut systems down in an orderly fashion," he wrote.

Focal Point is also working to ensure that its people are ready to provide aid to customers, including making engineers located in Arizona and California ready to help out the company's Florida customers, Venzin wrote.

"We have a couple of engineers in areas that could possibly be affected by the storm. We booked hotels room for them and their families that are near our data center in Atlanta. That will ensure our resources are available at all times," he wrote.

Chris Pyle, president of Champion Solutions Group, a Boca Raton, Fla.-based solution provider, told CRN via email that his company has sent all of its Florida clients tips and tricks on how to ensure that they are protected from an IT disaster during Hurricane Irma, and offered to help them in any way possible.

The businesses best able to ride out Hurricane Irma with a minimum of damage to their IT infrastructures are those who have embraced the cloud as much as possible, Pyle wrote.

Over the past couple of years, Champion has migrated many clients to Office 365 which eliminates the need to use and protect as many servers traditionally required for such tasks as email, Pyle wrote.

"We have also seen many more of our clients using SharePoint, One Drive, [and] Box for file shares and collaboration, once again in the cloud. Many of our customers' client data resides in CRM systems like Salesforce, Dynamics, and Sugar once again in the cloud ... The on-premises financial data systems and storage in most cases have been replicated to off-premises data centers."

Champion also holds leadership team meetings on a daily basis to protect its own employees, Pyle wrote.

"Anyone that needs to take care of their homes and property can take off and do what they need to. We have remote help desks set up for our managed service clients, and we rely on our distributors to help with orders and movements. By the way, we run almost all of our business in the Microsoft Cloud so not much on-premises," he wrote.
Networking News

HPE And HP Throw Support Behind Arista In Vicious Legal Battle With Cisco

Mark Haranas

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Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Hewlett Packard are publicly supporting Arista Networks in its contentious legal battle with Cisco. The nearly three-year long legal saga between the networking rivals has resulted in the ban of importation and sale of some of Arista's network products, including switches, into the United States.

"Don't be fooled, [HPE] has a big investment in Arista and these lawsuits could hurt them down the line if Cisco ultimately wins in one way or another," said one top executive from a solution provider and longtime HPE partner, who declined to be identified.

Arista has filed an emergency appeal with the Federal Circuit to repeal the sales and import ban, citing a decision by the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) that found Cisco's patents in the case invalid.

[Related: CRN Exclusive: 'Clarity' Comes To Cisco's Cloud Strategy With New Hybrid Cloud Blueprint For Partners]

On Sept. 1, the Unified Patents organization officially filed an amici brief joined by HPE, HP and several other companies, including consumer electronics vendor Vizio and Cable Technology Laboratories, to the Federal Circuit saying it was in the public's best interest to promote "fair and free competition."

Although the PTAB found Cisco's patents invalid, the International Trade Commission (ITC) left the ban in place pending a full review.

"The public interest is disserved by enforcement of invalid patent claims," said the brief. "The ITC's obligation to consider the impact of its powerful remedies on the public interest, limited exclusion orders should be suspended, rescinded." The failure to consider PTAB's decision is "inequitable and improper," according to the brief.

In a statement to CRN, Cisco said it's a "strong champion" of the PTAB's work, "but the ITC got it right keeping the import and sales bans in place based on the unique facts."

"Not only did the ITC find Cisco's patents valid and infringed after a full trial, but Arista prevented the PTAB from considering a complete record, including what the ITC characterized as Arista's 'culture of copying Cisco.'"

Both HPE and Arista declined to comment on the matter.

In September 2016, HPE and Arista formed a strategic software-defined infrastructure partnership and sales pact with Arista. Under the terms of the pact, Arista will be HPE's preferred networking partner in data center networking as an infrastructure foundation for HPE's software-defined infrastructure offerings. HPE, which already had a converged architecture agreement with Arista, allowed solution providers and customers the ability to buy the Arista network switching products directly from HPE.

"If this ban continues and Cisco in some form wins this  Who knows what that will mean for the HP-Arista partnership?" said the solution provider executive.

The legal dispute dates back to December 2014, when Cisco filed several lawsuits against Arista alleging the vendor infringed on multiple Cisco patents.

Arista has been creating new versions of products, such as its flagship EOS software, that have technology workarounds in the areas highlighted in the patent litigation. Several of Arista's leaders, including CEO Jayshree Ullal and co-founder Andy Bechtolsheim, were previously top Cisco executives before joining Arista.
Security News

Optiv Security Expands Board Of Directors, Adds Former FireEye CEO DeWalt And Retired General David Petraeus

Sarah Kuranda

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Optiv Security has added two new top security advisers to its board of directors, the solution provider said Thursday.

The Denver-based security solution provider said former FireEye and McAfee CEO Dave DeWalt had joined the company as vice chairman. The company also announced the addition of retired U.S. Army General David Petraeus to the board.

The Optiv board of directors now includes DeWalt, General Petraeus, and CEO Dan Burns, as well as members of current and previous private equity owners. Those members include former owner Blackstone's Private Equity Group principal Anushka Sunder and current private equity owner KKR's head of the Technology investment team Herald Chen and Technology industry team member John Park. Chen serves as chairman of the board.

[Related: Symantec Warns Of Hackers Gaining 'Operational Access' To North American Power Grids]

In a statement about the appointments, Burns said DeWalt and General Petraeus add a new type of expertise to the board of directors. He said DeWalt brings a long technology background, including sitting as CEO of two major security companies and now sitting on boards of directors of many up-and-coming startups, and General Petraeus brings expertise around global threat intelligence and the public sector.

Dave and General Petraeus are experts in their respective domains and we are really excited to welcome them to Optivs board of directors, Burns said in a statement.

In an interview with CRN about the appointment, DeWalt said he was drawn to the opportunity to join Optiv as vice chairman because he thinks the solution provider solves a growing challenge in cybersecurity. As the number of vendors in security explodes and complexity increases, he said customers will more and more turn to companies like Optiv to vet vendors and help them integrate solutions.

"The complexity for clients is off the charts. What I really like about Optiv is I think someone is going to have to take the stage in terms of being an independent, large, focused cybersecurity integrator.  Optiv to me looks like the one that probably has the best opportunity to do that," DeWalt said.

DeWalt said he plans to be "pretty active" in Optiv's day-to-day operations and strategy. He said he will look to help Optiv build up its front-end services and consulting -- like Mandiant from FireEye  as well as its managed services. He said he will also look to help Optiv expand internationally and into the federal market, with the help of General Petraeus. Finally, DeWalt said he will look to strengthen the Optiv brand.

DeWalt said he hopes to help Optiv continue to scale, including potentially through acquisition. He said he hopes to help the company grow to "create a massive platform for cyber," ultimately potentially going for an IPO.

DeWalt said he brings 17 years of experience to his new role as vice chairman, particularly around scaling companies, industry knowledge, and long-standing relationships with product vendors across the market. He said he also hopes to learn from Optiv, as he has only worked for vendors to date.

"I've always been a product guy. Seeing it from the value-added reseller side will be a very unique and different view to learn. I'm excited to learn and bring my experience to bear and hopefully make one plus one equals three," DeWalt said.

The additions come after a year of drastic change for Optiv. The company closed its acquisition by new private equity owners KKR in February. The KKR acquisition came little more than a year after Optiv was formed from the merger of security solution providers Accuvant and FishNet Security, a merger that closed in August 2015.

Optiv has also seen significant executive changes, including the departure of many vice president-level executives since the beginning of the year.

Optiv has also added new executives, including former RSA top sales executive Dave Castignola as executive vice president of worldwide sales; former Symantec global head of strategic partners Anirban Chakravartti as senior vice president, worldwide partner solutions; former Equifax CISO and Dell SecureWorks CSO Doug Steelman as vice president, managed security services; and former D&H CISO Michael Lines as vice president, strategy, risk and compliance advisory services.

Optiv said it plans to continue building its executive team and board of directors. The company said it will look to fill those spots with security experts, as well as build out the set of technologies it can offer to customers.
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A Croydon head teacher used the schools credit card to pay a 1,365 bill for the staff Christmas meal at an Italian restaurant.

Kerry Targett, the head teacher at St Andrews CofE High School, in Waddon, used the schools procurement card, which is only supposed to be used for official school business, to settle the bill at a branch of Zizzi on December 16 last year.

The use of the card to pay for the staff jolly was revealed in a Croydon Council audit report into the schools finances, which shows the school is facing a 392,000 estimated budget deficit by the end of this financial year.

In response to auditors concern over the credit card payment, the schools management said staff had reimbursed the school.

But, according to their report, council auditors could not find any evidence the money had been repaid by January 16, and when they requested evidence of the reimbursement from the school no response was received.

(Image: Danny Fitzpatrick)

The schools management stated that 1,000 of the 1,365 bill was paid by staff and the balance by the school. The school says the 1,000 was collected ahead of the meal.

The Advertiser has asked St Andrew's to clarify whether the outstanding 365 was paid by the staff or from school funds but has not yet received a response.

The auditors said that the way the balance of the bill was paid was unlawful.

The report said: The balance being paid by the school is unlawful, as this is not for the purposes of the school.

In a statement sent to the Advertiser, a spokeswoman for the school school said the card was used for convenience only and that money from staff is collected ahead of staff events.

She added that all recommendations in the audit report have been addressed, and Croydon Council has been provided with all the necessary information and assurances.

Strict rules under the School Standards and Framework Act 1998 require that the schools budget is only spent for school purposes.

In the report, the auditors said: It was identified that the head teacher had used the schools procurement card to pay 1,365.14 for the staff Christmas meal at [a] Zizzi restaurant in two separate transactions on December 16, 2016.

We were informed that the use of the procurement card was for convenience and that the staff had reimbursed the school for all expenditure. Examination of the bank history account up to January 16, 2017 did not identify any reimbursement of this expenditure.

Evidence of the reimbursement was requested from the school by email on February 3, 2017, however, no response has been received.

Where the school procurement card is used for personal expenditure, the Croydon Scheme of Delegation is breached and less funds are available for educational purposes.

The Scheme of Delegation sets out the rules by which schools must abide by when making financial decisions.

The audit report also raised concerns that an action plan to eliminate the schools 392,000 budget deficit, which has been blamed on low pupil numbers, had not been agreed with the council.

A total of 592 pupils attended the school at the time of the audit, which was published in July.

The schools management said that the matter had been discussed between Croydon Council and the schools head teacher and governors on several occasions.

Their response to the auditors said: The only solution is to increase the number of pupils attending the school which will then increase the funding available.

They added that the school had restructured its staff last year, and that staff numbers are continually being reviewed after a drop in the number of pupils in Years 7, 8 and 9.

We are unable to reduce the deficit to zero, the management response admitted, though it added that the school was not overspending in comparison with other similar schools.

The report also revealed that criminal record background checks on the schools governors were not being carried out quickly enough.

Schools are supposed to ask for Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks on all newly appointed governors within 21 days, but the report states that the school took more than five months to ask for one last year, while the 21-day rule was breached on two other occasions.

The schools management told auditors that the delay was down to governors not providing documents soon enough.

The full statement provided to the Advertiser by St Andrew's said: The school has worked with Croydon Council to apply best practice and strengthen our procedures.

All monies from staff are collected ahead of staff events and in this instance the procurement card was used for convenience only. All the recommendations in the audit report have been addressed and the council has been provided with all the necessary information and assurances.

All governors have DBS clearance. New governors, while waiting for the checking process to be completed, had access to the school only outside school hours and had no contact with students.
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An emergency meeting for all of Croydon Council's cabinet members will be to discuss the fact that Ofsted has rated its children's services as "inadequate".

Conservative councillors called for the emergency meeting after it was revealed that the report, which was published on Monday morning (September 4), said that there have been "widespread and serious failures" in the authority's children's services.

It added that some children are left at risk of "significant harm" because of the failures.

The work which falls under children's services includes ensuring the well-being of children in the care of the council, living in the likes of care homes or with foster parents.

The report reveals: "Inspectors identified a legacy of poor practice characterised by drift and delay in the provision of key services.

(Image: Dave Cook)

"Weak managerial oversight at all levels has not ensured that basic social work practice is of a good enough standard.

"Children do not receive robust and timely responses to ensure that risk is reduced and their needs are met.

"The local authority was required to take immediate action in a small number of cases identified by inspectors during the inspection."

Five Tory councillors sent a letter to Croydon Mayor Toni Letts to request the meeting and an apology on the day the report was published.

The letter states that the item posed for debate is: "The council regrets the failure of this Labour administration to operate safe and effective children's and family services and apologises to the people of Croydon for running a service found by Ofsted in 2017 to be inadequate across the board."

(Image: Dave Cook)

The meeting, which was given the go-ahead today (September 7) will take place in the council's chamber at Croydon Town Hall, in Katharine Street, on September 18 from 6.30pm. It will also be live-streamed on the local authority's website.

In light of the report's findings, Ofsted made 21 recommendations to the council telling it how to improve and the Government then stepped in and appointed a Children's Services Commissioner, Eleanor Brazil, who was previously appointed in Haringey in 2007 following the death of Baby P.

In a direction to the council, the Government says the local authority has "systemically failed" and is satisfied the council is "failing to perform to an adequate standard".

Part of the commissioner's work will be to bring together evidence to assess whether the council can improve itself or whether it will take children's social care away from the council for a period of time.
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Hundreds of people have signed a petition calling for more CCTV and a greater police presence near where a schoolboy was fatally stabbed in Thornton Heath last month.

Jermaine Goupall, 15, died in Georgia Road, just off Green Lane, after being stabbed in the thigh on August 8.

An online petition, appearing to have been set up by his dad, Stanley, is calling on Croydon North MP Steve Reed and Croydon Council to "protect our community in Thornton Heath".

So far the petition has been signed by nearly 800 people.

Stanley says the 2.8 million secured by the council to transform Thornton Heath district centre, focused on High Street and Brigstock Road, should have been extended to Green Lane.

After the fatal stabbing, some residents said there was often anti-social and intimidating behaviour from people loitering around the parade of shops.

Earlier this year, a man suffered "life-changing" injuries to his hand after a double-shooting on the same stretch of road in July.

A separate campaign was launched by councillors, residents and business owners to demand permanent CCTV on the parade, by Costcutter near where Jermaine died.

However, the council has said it has bought additional temporary cameras for the borough as a whole.

In the recent petition, Mr Goupall says his son's death "shocked the neighbourhood".

He added: "Too many young lives have been taken away due to violent, senseless crimes.

"We ask that there is a greater visible police presence in the local areas and permanent CCTV cameras along Green lane, the parade and surrounding side streets."

Paying tribute to his son, a former St Joseph's College student, Mr Goupall told the Evening Standard: "He was special he was adored by his family, friends and the community."

His family also set up a crowdfunder to pay for the teenager's funeral.

Police presence was stepped up in the days after the stabbing.

Commenting on whether or not this is still the case Chief Superintendent Jeff Boothe, who is the borough commander for Croydon, said: "Under Operation Sceptre - the Met's response to prevent the killing and serious injury of young people by knives - officers regularly carry out pro-active operations across London."

He added that the choice of young people to carry knives can not be solely addressed by the police.

Croydon Council said in response to the petition: "The council has limited CCTV resources however, the safety department recently submitted a successful bid to purchase some additional temporary cameras to be redeployed to crime and anti-social behaviour hotspots borough wide.

"Decisions on where to deploy the cameras will be made by the Joint Action Group (JAG), which is formed of the police, the council and their partners. Local Safer Neighbourhood Teams will be able to make an application to the JAG, which will be considered on priority basis and suitability. "

Mr Reed had pledged his "full support" to the petition, saying he has been calling on the Government for more funding for extra police officers.

Five teenagers were arrested on suspicion of murder in the weeks after Jermaine's death.

Four, including two boys aged 17 and 16, were charged with murder.

Alongside the children, who cannot be named because of their age, 18-year-old Daniel Luke, of Donald Road, Croydon and 18-year-old Saskia Haye-Elliot, of North Downs Crescent, New Addington, will appear before the Old Bailey for a pre-trial hearing on November 1.

A provisional trial date has been set for January 8.

A 16-year-old boy, who cannot be named for legal reasons, was bailed pending further enquiries to a date in mid-September.

To sign the petition click here.


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Smoke was seen "pouring" out of a kitchen window at a block of flats in Purley after egges were left cooking unattended.

The fire in the fourth floor flat at West Purley Gate, in London Road, led to 16 firefighters from Addington, Purley and Wandsworth fire stations attending the incident on Tuesday morning.

Fire crews were called to the scene at 11am and remained at the flat for more than an hour.

A London Fire Brigade firefighter who attended the scene but preferred not to be named, said: "There was loads of smoke, it was pouring out of the window when we arrived. There was no one in so we had to break in but the fire was contained to the pan and the smoke to the kitchen; it didn't spread.

"Someone had left some eggs cooking by accident and went out. We waited for an hour until they had arrived back and gave some fire safety advice before leaving."
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ANSONIA  A city man was sentenced to probation and community service hours for his involvement in a distribution conspiracy, the Department of Justice said.

Jeffrey Gentile, 35, of Ansonia, was sentenced to three years of probation for his role in a prescription pill and steroid distribution conspiracy, according to a release from the DOJ. Gentile is also required to complete in 150 hours of community service.
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Connecticut may be spared Hurricane Irmas wrath, but with a large Puerto Rican community and strong ties to Florida, residents are feeling the storms effects nonetheless.

As Floridians vigorously prepared for the onslaught, some Puerto Ricans exhaled.

Karen Luneburg splits her time between Greenwich and Coral Gables, FL. She is in Greenwich now, having gotten a flight home on Wednesday, but her husband and son stayed in Florida to tend to the family business.

The airport was a mob scene, she said. People were getting premium prices for tickets, which is a shame. It was absolute chaos.

The harrowing images of Harvey contributed to the chaos, she said.

Its a nightmare down there," she said, describing growing urgency as the monster storm drew closer. "Gas lines were bumping into main roads causing traffic jams. Everyone was panicking at super markets. There was no parking. Staples like peanut butter and canned tuna were gone."

Luneburg's Florida home is right on the water so she and her family boarded it up and brought the furniture to the highest floor. Her husband left to stay in a hotel and her son moved inland.

I have a lot of anxiety, she said. The storm frightens me and I don't know if it's after seeing pictures of Houston. We've gone through Andrew and some others but this is the most frightening, I have to say.

Luneberg said its lucky her palm trees are already pruned because coconuts can be a danger in high winds.

Could have been worse

Gladys Ramos, 68, the head of the Stratford Hispanic Heritage Committee, remembers living through hurricanes as a girl in Puerto Rico. Technology helped her get by as she waited to see how Irma would affect her brothers, sisters and nieces living in Puerto Rico.

The news was right up-to-date and everyone has their phone and Internet, she said. I'm old fashioned so I just used the phone and called family members to make sure everything was ok.

Ramos brothers told her of awful winds and rain and fruit trees falling over, but everyone made it through the night.

"We are blessed and thank God that storm hasn't hit them as hard as we thought," she said.

Iris Cordero Taylor, 70, the Director of Family Services for Habitat for Humanity of Coastal Fairfield County has been waiting on updates from her two sisters in Puerto Rico who are without power.

Since news of Irma broke, she has been anxious about the safety of her sisters.

It was horrible, she said. "I was so scared so nervous especially because they said its a category 5, and I kept thinking about the damage that Harvey did and that was only a 4.

Finally she heard, second-hand, that they are ok.

"There is one man who has a generator and that's how we've been keeping in touch," she said.

Luis Vega-Ramirez, 22, came to Danbury from Puerto Rico in July for a co-op program at UTC Aerospace. Not being able to help his parents prepare for the storm, cutting down trees that would present any threat to electrical lines behind the house, was difficult for him.

When I talked to my mother, my dad was getting everything set up, he said. I felt kind of helpless that I couldn't give a hand to him. I didn't feel good at all event though I was safe from the storm.

Enid Rivera Osbourn, a New Canaan resident who used to live in Puerto Rico has been most worried for her 84-year-old father living on the island. But she said she knows he is in good hands.

"Puerto Rico is a very close and united group of people and everybody has been looking after each other," she said.

Stuck in the storm

Ramos and Taylor are both members of the group that organizes the Puerto Rican Day Parade of Fairfield County. On Wednesday night, the group met to organize an event, but first they all sat in prayer for their families and friends in Puerto Rico.

We were all very nervous and very, very scared that it would be so catastrophic that we would lose lives, said Taylor. It helps when people say they were praying for the island. Everyone has been very nice about that.

We are a community of faith, Ramos said. So praying seems to have helped a lot of us

Osbourn said the hardest day for her was when it was announced that Irma had become a category 5 hurricane.

Just to think if they had the brunt of the eyeI just prayed, she said. I really feel like a miracle happened. It shifted north in the nick of time, and I feel like God answered our prayers. It's truly a miracle.
Nearly 50 North Dakotans will be on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., next week to focus attention on the 2018 farm bill. They will join family farmers and ranchers from across the country as participants in National Farmers Unions Legislative Fly-in held Sunday through Wednesday.

The poor farm economy, drought and need for a stronger safety net will be emphasized, as well as rising health care costs and the need to expand ethanol production, according to Mark Watne, president of the North Dakota Farmers Union.

Were struggling in farm country, Watne said. Low commodity prices and rising input costs continue to impact our bottom lines. There are a lot of economic factors out of our control, too, everything from currency fluctuations to global trade uncertainty to corporate ag consolidations.

Watne said he will be delivering comments to North Dakotas congressional delegation that were gathered at farm bill listening sessions held across the state in July.
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 ...
Pa. Dems could flip the House of Reps. Here's what that might mean
President Donald Trump pledged Wednesday to restore Americas competitive edge through tax cuts and reform, a message he delivered to an enthusiastic crowd at the Andeavor Mandan Refinery.

Trump, speaking to about 700 energy workers, agriculture and business leaders and state officials invited to the event, said North Dakota is an inspiring example for the rest of the country.

North Dakota chose to embrace American industry and the American worker even when many in Washington wanted to tax and regulate your industries totally out of existence, Trump said.

Trump was accompanied to North Dakota by daughter Ivanka Trump, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, National Economic Council Director Gary Cohn and North Dakotas Congressional delegation.

We love this state, so its always a pleasure to be back here, Ivanka told the crowd. And you treated us very, very well in November and have continued to, so we like sharing the love back.

Trump invited Gov. Doug Burgum, Lt. Gov. Brent Sanford and North Dakotas congressional delegation to join him on stage, calling special attention to the lone Democrat on stage, Sen. Heidi Heitkamp.

Everyone is saying, What's she doing up here? Trump said. But I'll tell you what  good woman, and I think we'll have your support.

Trump emphasized the need for a simple, fair tax code that is easy to understand and called for tax cuts for middle-class families.

The pipefitters and plumbers, and nurses, and police officers  all the people like you who pour their hearts into every penny earned in both the offices and oilfields of America  you're the ones who carry this nation on your back, and it's time for you to get the relief that you deserve, Trump said.

The president also called for tax cuts for businesses of all sizes, saying ideally hed like the business tax rate around 15 percent.

Trump used examples of North Dakotans who would benefit from tax reform, including Nick Hacker, president of North Dakota Guaranty and Title Company, who says he spends a fortune on accountants to navigate a complicated tax system.

Trump highlighted the need for bipartisan support for tax reform, asking Heitkamp if she was listening and urging people to contact their leaders and demand tax relief.

If Democrats don't want to bring back your jobs, cut your taxes, raise your pay and help America win, voters should deliver a clear message: Do your job to deliver for America, or find a new job, Trump said.

Heitkamp, who traveled on Air Force One with Trump and other members of the delegation, said in a statement after the speech that shes committed to fixing our broken tax code.

Today, President Trump spoke about his priorities for tax reform, and its encouraging he committed to promoting American workers as key to any tax reform policy, she said. But, as North Dakotas former tax commissioner, I know the devil is in the details of any reform plan as tax codes are complex, and we need to know what those details are.

Trump acknowledged the drought facing North Dakota and other western states, saying we are with you 100 percent.

Burgum, who was invited to ride with Trump to the refinery, said he mentioned to Trump his request for a presidential drought declaration.

Several representatives of North Dakotas tribal nations attended the speech, including Councilman Chad Harrison of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe, which opposed the Dakota Access Pipeline.

Harrison said, while he may not agree with Trump on that singular issue, there are other issues where they have common ground, such as economic development.

More than 100 employees of the Andeavor oil refinery, known until recently as Tesoro, attended the speech, while other workers continued to keep the refinery running.

Randy Binegar, an environmental superintendent and 28-year employee of the refinery, said employees were honored to host the president.

Its not every day that the president of the United States comes to your workplace, so its very exciting, Binegar said.

Trump briefly brought Harold Hamm, CEO of Continental Resources, on stage, calling Hamm a great American success story.

Energy Secretary Rick Perry, Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke and Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt were scheduled to travel to North Dakota but did not attend.

Kelly Armstrong, chairman of North Dakotas Republican Party, said hes impressed that Trump made a return trip to North Dakota after visiting as a candidate in May 2016.

I think it shows how important North Dakota energy is to the United States economy, Armstrong said.

A handful of people briefly greeted Trump backstage before he spoke, including the Andeavor CEO, members of the North Dakota Petroleum Council and North Dakota Tax Commissioner Ryan Rauschenberger.

I told the president that I feel that his ideas on tax reform are long overdue, Rauschenberger said.

Trump supporters and protesters gathered along the road at the entrance of the refinery.

Elizabeth Anderson traveled from Washburn to protest the president, holding a sign that said "Trump: Unstable, unethical, unfit, un-American." She said she's troubled by North Dakotans' support of Trump.

Im a fifth-generation North Dakotan and I dont feel I belong here anymore," Anderson said.

Jack Dura contributed to this report.
We all know the notion of public service is almost dead, and that many members of our new administrative elite expect to be paid astronomical sums out of the public purse.

But I do not think I have ever heard such a shameless defence of these excesses by a member of this new oligarchy as I did from Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford University, on BBC radio yesterday.

Professor Richardson has rightly come in for lots of brickbats because of the salary and perks she receives in her job. She gets 350,000 a year, plus 60,000 in pension payments.

She also lives rent-free in a delightful house in North Oxford which is worth about 3.5 million. Before she moved in last year, the university spent more than 100,000 tarting it up.

So public servant and former academic Ms Richardson, though not quite in the league of a City fat-cat, is being looked after very well indeed. To be fair to her, she is far from the only vice-chancellor in Britain being paid an amount of money that would have been unimaginable only a few years ago.

Professor Louise Richardson, vice-chancellor of Oxford University, has rightly come in for lots of brickbats because of the salary and perks she receives in her job. She gets 350,000 a year, plus 60,000 in pension payments. She also lives rent-free in a delightful house in North Oxford which is worth about 3.5m. Before she moved in last year, the university spent more than 100,000 tarting it up

The average salary of the head of a university in this country is 280,000. The best paid is Dame Glynis Breakwell at Bath University, who pockets 451,000 a year and enjoys a grace-and-favour Georgian mansion.

Other handsomely paid vice-chancellors include Sir David Eastwood (Birmingham, 426,000), Sir Keith Burnett (Sheffield, 422,706), Sir Steve Smith (Exeter, 424,000) and Sir David Greenaway (Nottingham, 381,000).

But Louise Richardson is especially worthy of our attention because she has mounted such a wild rear-guard action against her critics. She has referred to the media as mendacious (without specifying why) and politicians as tawdry (evidently they have a political agenda, whereas she, of course, does not).

Perhaps I may be forgiven for pointing out that, by her own account, Irish-born Professor Richardson has written that she was so brainwashed at school that she would have joined the IRA in a heartbeat but changed her mind after learning a different version of Irish history at university.

Lets just say that she fights in a remarkably dirty fashion and, for an academic, shows an alarming absence of rigour when she starts throwing insults around.

Yesterday on Radio 4s Today programme, Ms Richardson recklessly suggested that politicians who have taken on vice-chancellors over their inflated pay were trying to bring down the great universities of Britain.

This was an apparent over-the-top dig at the former Labour minister, Lord Adonis, and Jo Johnson, the Universities Minister, who have been arguing in the public interest, not for their own benefit, that these university nabobs are paying themselves far too much.

No less contemptibly, she also played the feminist card by saying she wouldnt expect the BBC to suggest she should be paid less than her male predecessor. Well, of course not. The argument is that both of them should be much less generously remunerated.

How is it that in so many walks of public life  hospitals, the BBC and now universities  the people who actually do the work, and are not particularly well paid, have accepted the diktats of a new super-class of overpaid administrators?

And why is it that the students of Oxford, some of whom can get very worked up by a statue of the supposedly evil colonialist Cecil Rhodes, are not more exercised by Professor Richardsons huge salary, and the 450 other staff who receive more than 100,000 a year?

After all, it is their fees (now 9,250 a year) which contribute towards these stratospheric wages. Some of Oxfords colleges may have huge private endowments, but the university largely depends on income from student fees to function.

I find this deference to the new administrative class utterly mystifying. Until the day before yesterday we got on perfectly well without most of them. Oxford itself is a case in point.

Before 2004, the vice-chancellor of the university was a head of college who served for several years in return for a salary that was about a quarter of what Louise Richardson receives. Most of them did a perfectly adequate job.

Has the running of the university improved since the professional administrators took over? I very much doubt it. To judge by the hideous new buildings which these people have sanctioned  one brutalist student hostel might have been transported from communist East Germany  things have got worse.

The average salary of the head of a university in this country is 280,000. The best paid is Dame Glynis Breakwell (above) at Bath University, who pockets 451,000 a year and enjoys a grace-and-favour Georgian mansion

And what does Professor Richardson do? She presides over an extremely decentralised university created by thousands of people over hundreds of years. This week, Oxford was rated by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings as the best in the world (though I personally doubt the validity of such surveys), but that is not attributable to Ms Richardsons efforts as she took over last year.

Had she turned around a failing former polytechnic with abysmal standards and a shortage of students who can read and write, one might at least appreciate the utility of paying her almost three times as much as the Prime Minister and twice as much as the head of the Civil Service.

As it is, she has a dream job at one of the worlds most successful universities, meeting interesting and clever people, and occasionally applying judicious pressure on the tiller as the magnificent ship sails on. Why is that worth more than 400,000 a year, and why should she expect it?

Ah, the global marketplace I can hear her say. She used the very phrase yesterday on Radio 4. But there is no global market in vice-chancellorships. Such people are not crossing the Atlantic both ways in droves. What she says is self-interested twaddle.

In any case, a person genuinely committed to public service would not invoke the global marketplace. He or she would do the job primarily for love, not money, concerned to put something in rather than take so much out. Isnt that supposed to be what education is about?

Alas, I dont imagine Louise Richardson and her ilk will ever see the point. Theyre not going to hand back willingly what they have obtained with such stunning legerdemain.

Believe it or not, more than two-thirds of university heads sit on committees that decide their own pay (admittedly not the case in Oxford), according to a recent authoritative study. Even City fat-cats wouldnt dare to behave like that.

Of course theyll go on yelping  Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of Liverpool University, who struggles by on 340,000 a year, has described recent media coverage of the issue as hysterical. Yet I believe public opinion is moving against them.

In the end, they will stop awarding themselves vast pay increases if enough people complain. I hope Lord Adonis and Jo Johnson turn up the volume, and that they are joined by more tawdry politicians and yes, dare I say it, the mendacious media. University lecturers, students, and everyone who cares for our universities should make more fuss.

If a sense of public service is almost extinguished, the only way to deal with these smug, self-satisfied panjandrums, whose gigantic sense of entitlement is seldom, if ever, matched by talent, is to demand they take their snouts out of the trough.
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Miss Texas Margana Wood won the first night of preliminary competition in her quest to become the next Miss America on Wednesday night, after sending her love to flood victims in her hometown of Houston.

The 22-year-old, who triumphed in the swimsuit competition, saw her own home spared by the floodwaters, but has many friends whose houses have been wrecked and whose lives have been upended.

'I send my love to all of them,' she said during the contest in Atlantic City, New Jersey. 'We're taking it day by day.'

Pageant queen: Miss Texas Margana Wood (pictured) won the first night of preliminary competition in her quest to become the next Miss America on Wednesday night in Atlantic City, New Jersey

Competition: The contestants are vying to succeed Savvy Shields, last year's Miss Arkansas who won the title a year ago

Showing off: The various contestants showcased their talents during the first segment of the competition. Pictured is Miss Washington Nicole Renard doing jazz dance

High level: Miss South Carolina Suzi Roberts (left) and Miss New Jersey Kaitlyn Schoeffel (right) also took to the stage to demonstrate their skills, both doing dance

Musician: Miss Utah JessiKate Riley won the talent competition by playing a solo on a 115-year-old violin from Austria

Duo: Riley (pictured right next o Wood) got a huge ovation from the crowd in Boardwalk Hall by playing a violin piece

Contest: Miss Arkansas Maggie Benton (left) and Miss North Dakota Cara Mund (right) defended their spot in the competition

Flying high: Miss South Carolina Suzi Roberts (pictured) danced during the talent portion of the national competition

Glamorous: Wood (pictured) also walked in a floor-length gown as contestants took to the stage in evening wear

After winning the preliminary contest, Wood explained she was happy to be in the competition, but kept her home State in her thoughts.

'I'm so excited to be here in Atlantic City, but my heart is absolutely with the people of Houston,' she told reporters. 'That's my home.'

Woods was joined by 20-year-old Miss Utah, JessiKate Riley, who won the talent competition by playing a violin solo on a 115-year-old instrument from Austria.

Riley got a huge ovation from the crowd in Boardwalk Hall playing a violin piece she arranged herself on a vintage instrument. She has been playing the violin for 17 years, ever since she was three, and named that particular instrument Sam.

'Every little girl dreams of becoming Miss America,' she said. 'My dream is to portray my heart through my music.'

In it to win it: Contestants (pictured on Wednesday) will show off their state-specific footwear on Saturday in the annual 'Show Us Your Shoes' parade along the Boardwalk

Stage: Miss Hawaii Kathryn Teruya (pictured left doing jazz dance) and Miss West Virginia Tamia Hardy (pictured right doing hip hop) were among Wednesday's contestants

Walk, walk: Miss Delaware Chelsea Bruce proudly represented her home State during the swimsuit competition

Style: Miss Missouri Jennifer Davis (left) and Miss California Jillian Smith (right) defended their spot during the bikini segment

Melody: Miss Pennsylvania Katie Schreckengast (pictured) played the saxophone during the talent portion

Dancing for the crown: Miss Wisconsin McKenna Collins performed ballet during the talent segment won by Miss Utah

Voices: Miss New York Gabrielle Walter (left) and Miss Maine Katie Elliott (right) both sang during the talent competition

Bright: Miss Indiana Haley Begay was all smiles as she walked in front of the judges in a yellow bikini

Accessories: Like their fellow contestants, Miss Mississippi Anne Buys (left) and Miss Rhode Island Nicolette Peloquin (right) paired their swimsuits with beige pumps

Journey: Miss Nevada Andrea Martinez represented her home State in Atlantic City during the competition

In onstage interviews, contestants described their pageant causes, including curing diabetes, protecting and expanding arts education in schools, supporting military families and increasing understanding among different cultures.

During the talent segment, they showed off a variety of skills, including ballet dancing, opera and vocal performances.

The next Miss America will be crowned in Sunday night's nationally televised finale.

Contestants will show off their state-specific footwear on Saturday in the annual 'Show Us Your Shoes' parade along the Boardwalk.

The contestants are vying to succeed Savvy Shields, last year's Miss Arkansas who won the title a year ago.
An 11-year-old girl has penned an inspiring poem about her cancer battle, detailing everything from endoscopies to being 'prodded' by doctors.

Lucy Callow, from Tunbridge Wells in Kent, had a rare gastrointestinal stromal tumour and described her ordeal in a poem called 'I can do anything' when she was asked to write about change as part of her homework.

After finishing 10 weeks of treatment, Lucy returned to school and was set a piece of homework to write about 'change'.

Having spent the previous months experiencing the biggest change of her life, she wanted to use the opportunity to talk about her diagnosis and the reality of having cancer to help other children going through a similar ordeal.

Lucy, pictured in hospital, had a rare gastrointestinal stromal tumour and described her ordeal in a poem called 'I can do anything' when she was asked to write about change at school

Lucy's mother Cathy and partner Chris started to notice the youngster had been regularly feeling unwell over a two-year period but to begin with, doctors couldn't figure out what was wrong.

'At first, Lucy would be sick after exercise,' Cathy recalled. 'The very first time was when she was throwing snowballs with our neighbours and she had to run in to be sick.

'We thought it was a bug and then it started happening more intermittently, maybe two or three times a month, and then eventually almost every day.

'We took her to the doctor, who referred her to a consultant paediatrician. The paediatrician carried out various tests, but couldn't work out what was wrong with her.

'She was then eventually sent to hospital for an endoscopy which showed there was something there. They initially thought it was a polyp, but when they did an MRI scan six months later, they realised it wasn't a polyp but a tumour.

'They also found some stomach ulcers which were causing her pain.'

Lucy's mother Cathy and partner Chris started to notice the youngster had been regularly feeling unwell over a two-year period but to begin with, doctors didn't know what was wrong

Lucy's concerned mother Cathy (pictured) took her to the doctor, who referred her to a consultant paediatrician. The paediatrician carried out various tests, but initially couldn't work out what was wrong with her before her cancer diagnosis

Lucy underwent surgery at King's College London in February 2017 and was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour, a rare type of sarcoma which was located close to her oesophagus (food pipe).

Cathy said: 'She was in hospital for ten days and then was off school for seven weeks. She then went back to school after Easter and has thankfully just been getting better and better.

'She's in remission now but she's having MRI and chest X-rays every four months at the Royal Marsden to keep an eye on things.'

Speaking about the youngster's recovery, Cathy added: 'Lucy is now back to a healthy weight again after being very thin and pale.

Recovery: Lucy underwent surgery at King's College London in February 2017 and was diagnosed with a gastrointestinal stromal tumour, a rare type of sarcoma which was located close to her oesophagus (food pipe)

Lucy in hospital. Her mother said: 'She was in hospital for ten days and then was off school for seven weeks. She then went back to school after Easter and has thankfully just been getting better and better'

Speaking about Lucy's recovery, Cathy added: 'Lucy is now back to a healthy weight again after being very thin and pale.' The youngster is pictured here with a member of hospital staff during her treatment

'She used to have lots of food intolerances but now she is making the most of eating what she wants and being able to eat with her friends without everyone worrying about what she can have.

'Next week she'll start senior school and is very excited to do PE again. She's just enjoying being a normal 11-year-old, riding her bike, swimming and jumping on her trampoline.

'I think what she's looking forward to the most is not being the poorly child everyone feels sorry for anymore. We hope Lucy's poem can help other children who have cancer. Everyone needs support during these tough times.'

Proud mum Cathy said of Lucy, who is now on the mend: 'Next week she'll start senior school and is very excited to do PE again. She's just enjoying being a normal 11-year-old, riding her bike, swimming and jumping on her trampoline'

Lucy in hospital with mum Cathy (left) and having a cuddle with Chris (right). Cathy said: We hope Lucy's poem can help other children who have cancer. Everyone needs support during these tough times'

Lucy is currently in remission now but she's having MRI and chest X-rays every four months at the Royal Marsden to keep an eye on things

Brave: After finishing 10 weeks of treatment, Lucy returned to school and was set a piece of homework to write about 'change'

In her poem, Lucy jokes that she 'really didn't have much luck' as she fell repeatedly sick over a two-year period before her devastating cancer diagnosis earlier this year

Lucy says she is 'proud' to be able to say she can do anything following her cancer battle - and is glad to turn her back on 'pills and potions, consultations'

Martin Ledwick, head information nurse at Cancer Research UK, told MailOnline: 'Each year, around 4,200 young people under 25 years old are diagnosed with cancer in the UK.

'Gastro Intestinal Stromal Tumours or GIST, the cancer Lucy had, is quite rare and when they do occur it's most commonly in adults between the ages of 50 and 70. In children it's very rare.

'The good news is that today, more children are surviving cancer than ever before, and Cancer Research UK's work has been at the heart of this progress.

'But there are still around 540 cancer deaths in young people in the UK each year, meaning there is still more to be done to bring forward the day when every child survives cancer.'

Cathy and Lucy are supporting Cancer Research UK Kids & Teens, in partnership with TK Maxx, during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month this September. Find out how to support research to help find new, better and kinder treatments for children and young people with cancer at cruk.org/kidsandteens
The startling rise of terrifying acid attacks has shocked the nation.

It was recently revealed that two acid attacks are carried out every day in Britain alone - including cases of schoolchildren using corrosive liquids as weapons in the playground - and police have warned of an emerging link between the devastating strikes and gang violence.

Aside from inflicting extreme pain, being doused in acid leave victims with life-altering scarring and even permanent blindness.

Now MailOnline has created a step by step guide revealing exactly what to do should you witness an attack to help minimise the damage - including how to protect yourself.



The St John Ambulance Service advises flooding the victim's burns with water, and removing clothing to get the chemicals away from the skin.

First aid trainer Lisa Pascoulis explains that powder acid and liquid acid should be treated differently.

'Keep yourself safe, ask the casualty to treat themselves. If it's powder brush it off with their hands, if it's liquid give them access to water,' she said.

'Anywhere like a coffee shop, an ice cream van and outside tap - copious amounts of water for the minimum of twenty minutes.'

The charity also advise to remove jewelry like watches and rings to get rid of anything that could hold onto the chemicals.

If the victim has been doused with powder acid they can brush it off with their own hands

Victims should be doused in water for a minimum of 20 minutes if they have been attacked with liquid acid

Left over chemicals could burn through the victim's clothes and then burn their skin, which leaves a risk of scarring.

After removing clothes and jewelry contact the emergency services by calling 999 or 112, and tell the operator 'acid attack'.

While waiting for an ambulance to arrive continue to help the victim splash themselves with lots of water.

Acid attacks cause severe pain and can lead to permanent scarring and in some cases blindness

The number of acid attacks have dramatically risen in the UK, with figures in London alone doubling in just a year

Left over chemicals could burn through the victim's clothes and then burn their skin, which leaves a risk of scarring.

After removing clothes and jewelry contact the emergency services by calling 999 or 112, and tell the operator 'acid attack'.

What to do in an acid attack 1. Check what kind of acid it is: The victim can brush powder acid off with their hands 2. Lots of water: If the acid is liquid pour copious amounts of water on the victim for a minimum of 20 minutes 3. Call an ambulance: Dial 999/112 and tell the operator 'acid attack' 4. More water: Continue to douse the victim in water until the ambulance arrives Advertisement

While waiting for an ambulance to arrive continue to help the victim splash themselves with lots of water.

Acid attacks are a global problem, with incidents particularly rife in India, where women are typically the target, but crime figures also show a stark rise here in the UK.

There has been a huge spate in thugs using corrosive materials to threaten and maim victims.

Metropolitan Police has reported that in London alone acid attacks have more than doubled since 2014, with more than 400 incident taking place across the country between April 2016 and March this year.

Areas such as the West Midlands and Essex have also seen large rises in acid attacks in recent years as reports have soared from 340 in 2014 to 843.

Professor Chris Moran, of NHS England, previously said: 'While this type of criminal assault remains rare, the NHS is caring for an increasing number of people who have fallen victim to these cowardly attacks.

'One moment of thoughtless violence can result in serious physical pain and mental trauma, which can involve months if not years of costly and specialist NHS treatment.

'So-called acid attacks are medical emergencies and people should immediately dial 999.'

Those found to be carrying acid face up to four years in jail, while those who actually throw a corrosive substance could get life behind bars.
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Prince George arrived at Thomas's Battersea for his first day at primary school this morning - just over 30 years since his father's first day at Wetherby.

The third-in-line to the throne was dropped off at the gates of the 3,000-a-term co-ed school in south-west London by his father the Duke of Cambridge in a heartwarming echo of Harry and William's first day at 'big school'.

And as George made his big entrance, Kensington Palace posted a series of archive images on Twitter showing his uncle and father at the gates of Wetherby Pre-Preparatory School in Notting Hill with the Princess of Wales in 1989.

The images, which have been shared and liked thousands of times, prompted a flurry of tweets from royal fans who branded the little prince 'precious' with one writing: 'Harry's face he was so excited to be at school with William I remember it well, bless their hearts.'

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Like father, like son! George, three, makes an adorable entrance at Thomas's Battersea today (far right) - 30 years after William started at Wetherby (far left). Prince Harry had his first day at primary school two years later, in 1989 (centre)

Throwback: Kensington Palace posted a series of archive images on Twitter on Thursday morning, showing his uncle Harry (main and bottom right) and father William (top right) being dropped off at the school gates by the Princess of Wales

Diana was often pictured dropping her sons off at Wetherby, going to great lengths to fit the school run in around her royal duties.

Sadly the Duchess of Cambridge, who is battling severe morning sickness during her third pregnancy, was unable to accompany her son for his big day.

On arrival this morning, William and George were met by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem, who escorted them to Prince George's reception classroom where he will meet his classmates for the first time.

Kensington Palace confirmed George's place at Thomas's in March, surprising royal experts who had expected the youngster to follow in his father's footsteps by going to Wetherby.

The palace said in a statement: 'The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge will send their son, George, to Thomas's Battersea from September 2017 this year.

'Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to have found a school where they are confident George will have a happy and successful start to his education.'

This morning, William and George were met by the Head of Lower School, Helen Haslem (right), who then escorted them to Prince George's reception classroom where he will meet his classmates for the first time

Set up 40 years ago, the school, a short drive from Kensington Palace, describes itself as being happy, dynamic and vibrant and priding itself on its excellent academic results.

Its website describes it as a busy, thriving purposeful school which has 540 boys and girls between the ages of four and 13, and its alumni include Cara Delevingne and Florence Welch.

In a letter sent out to parents at the time of the announcement, the schools head masters, Ben Thomas and Tobyn Thomas, said they were 'delighted' to welcome the little prince.

They wrote: The Duke and Duchess have made it clear that they do not wish Prince George's attendance at Thomas's to change its aims, values or ethos in any way.

The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge chose Thomas's Battersea for the young royal, which is one of four family-run schools dotted around London - and not even its Kensington branch, a stone's throw from their royal residence

Royal experts had expected the youngster to follow in his father's footsteps by going to Wetherby Pre-preparatory in Notting Hill (pictured with mother Diana and brother William in October 1989, left, and April 1990, right)

The youngster previously attended Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham, Norfolk - and sent sales of his John Lewis quilted jacket soaring

'They would like, as far as is possible, for him to enjoy the same education that all of our pupils receive and for them to join the school community as all of our new parents do.

George's first day at Thomas's comes as the Cambridges move from Amner Hall in Norfolk to make Kensington Palace their permanent home, with both the Duke and Duchess set to take on more royal duties.

The young royal, who celebrated his third birthday in July after flying back from Germany with his parents, previously attended Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham, Norfolk.

Since Kensington Palace announced the news of his school choice, housing enquiries in the area are reported to have soared.

Estate agent Knight Frank revealed there's been a 'resurgence' in interest in the south-west London area, as parents rush to buy a home in the royal-approved district, where the average house costs 1,605,632.
Fragments of the bullets Oscar Pistorius used to kill his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp are seen for the first time in a chilling new documentary.

The South African double-amputee sprinter, 30, was found guilty of Steenkamp's murder in July 2016 after shooting her four times on Valentine's Day 2013.

It was the bullets retrieved from the murder scene that allowed ballistics expert Captain Chris Mangena to form the crucial evidence that saw Pistorius' initial conviction for culpable homicide later overturned and replaced by one of murder.

Four years after Steenkamp's death Mangena claims it was clear Pistorius 'knew what he was doing' as he fired the shots that killed his 29-year-old model girlfriend.

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The bullets that killed at Reeva Steenkamp after she was shot by her boyfriend Oscar Pistorius on Valentine's Day 2013 have been revealed for the first time

Ballistics expert Captain Chris Mangena (pictured) who was a crucial part of the prosecution reveals the deadly bullets in a new epsiode of Faking It: Tears of a Crime

Speaking on new documentary Investigation Discovery's Faking It: Tears of a Crime, the expert tells the camera how the fragments were a vital part in proving Pistorious was guilty.

Reeva Steenkamp was shot dead in the early hours of Valentine's Day in 2013, with Pistorius claiming he mistook her for a burglar when he fired four times through the door of his bedroom toilet.

Pistorius, who pleaded not guilty at his trial in 2014, has always denied killing Steenkamp in a rage, claiming that he was trying to protect her.

In the documentary it is revealed that more than 600 photographs were taken of the crime scene, and programme-makers claim Mangena was able to deduce the exact position the shooter was standing. He tells the camera the now 30-year-old 'knew what he was doing'.

Pistorius was jailed for the murder of his girlfriend in July 2016 after initially claiming that he had mistaken Steenkamp for an intruder. Pictured: Pistorius and Steenkamp less than a month before her death on January 26 2013

'She [Reeva] was standing behind the door, she was not in a seated position,' Mangena says.

'So, it could be that she ran into the toilet and she locked herself in the toilet, she was waiting, facing the door, inside the toilet.

'The first shot was on the hip and after this shot, she fell down. Most likely she could have screamed. She could have screamed and fell down.'

Mangena used graphics to demonstrate the trajectory of the bullets in court, showing the standing position Reeva would have been in when the first shot was fired through the bathroom door that landed at her hip.

Captain Chris Mangena provided the crucial evidence needed for Pistorius' initial conviction. Pictured: Mangena speaking in court

More than 600 photographs were taken of the crime scene, and Mangena claims he was able to deduce the exact position the shooter was standing in. Pictured: A reconstruction of the scene

Mangena believes that, based on the bullet holes fired through the door (pictured), Pistorius was aware of Steenkamp's position in the bathroom when shooting

He then goes on to describe how he believes she fell into a seated position on top of a magazine rack - the location of which Pistorius knew - prompting him to change direction, firing three more shots, including the fatal wound to her head.

'He fired towards the position of the magazine rack. So, to me, it shows that he knew what he was doing,' Mangena says.

During his trial Pistorius denied any suggestion that he knew Reeva was behind the door, often breaking down in tears weeping, wailing and praying whenever details of her injuries were heard.

But body language specialist Cliff Lansley claims on the Investigation Discovery show that this was a 'useful tactic' employed by the defendant and his legal team to curry favour with the judge.

During his trial Pistorius denied any suggestion that he knew Reeva was behind the door, often breaking down in tears weeping, wailing and praying when details of her injuries were heard

However, body language expert Cliff Lansley believes that Pistorius was using the emotional display in a hope to gain sympathy

Lansley believes that when Pistorius 'realised he was going to be found guilty' he used the emotional display to 'gain sympathy'.

Pistorius initially escaped a murder conviction for shooting his girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp through a locked bathroom door three years ago.

An appeal by prosecutors saw his manslaughter conviction upgraded to murder, and in July he was sentenced to a six-year jail term.

But prosecutors have said they would push for a longer sentence, saying six years was 'shockingly lenient'.

Faking It: Tears of a Crime airs Friday 8 September, 10pm on Investigation Discovery
A high school in Illinois has completely modified their dress code to promote body-positivity and self expression, making it 100 per cent gender-neutral and allowing clothing that was previously banned, like leggings and tank tops.

Evanston Township High School's new dress code, which will be implemented starting this fall semester, now allows hoodies, hats and spaghetti straps as permitted clothing, and specifically points out that 'fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants and skinny jeans' are fine to be worn by students of any gender.

In addition, staff members are being trained to explain the rules with a body-positive tone and are explicitly no longer allowed to shame students by measuring their straps or skirt lengths, or accusing them of distracting others with their clothing.

Changing the rules: Evanston Township High School (pictured) has reformed their dress code, now allowing leggings and tank tops and banning staff from 'shaming' students

A progressive district: The Illinois high school now allows previously banned clothing like 'fitted pants, including opaque leggings, yoga pants and skinny jeans'

The school said on its website the reformed dress code 'supports equitable educational access and is written in a manner that does not reinforce stereotypes and that does not reinforce or increase marginalization or oppression of any group based on race, sex, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, ethnicity, religion, cultural observance, household income or body type/size.'

New rules: Students should be able to manage their own distractions Students are encouraged to wear clothes that align with their self-identified gender Dress-code enforcement should not interfere with attendance or learning All students should be able to dress comfortably without fear of being disciplined or body-shamed Staff should be trained and able to use body-positive language to explain the code and address violations Source: Evanston Township High School Advertisement

It adds that the administration is leaving the 'primary decisions around student clothing and style' to them and their parents or guardians, and that 'all students and staff should understand that they are responsible for managing their own personal "distractions" without regulating individual students' clothing/self expression.'

As recently as last year, female students were not allowed to wear tank tops, shorts, or short skirts, even under 90-degree weather.

Marjie Erickson, a former student at the school, spent her senior year lobbying administrators to change the rules that she believe unfairly targeted female students of color, and with more mature bodies, after conducting a survey where she asked peers how they felt when they received dress code violations.

The eighteen-year-old, now a college freshman, worked with the assistant principal, Marcus Campbell, to figure out a better policy, but is surprised the school was willing to implement such a dramatic change.

'They didn't pick and choose pieces of what we said we wanted. It really stuck to new policies and the new enforcement.' Marjie, now a freshman in college, told TODAY.

Fighting shaming: Staff members are being trained to address dress code violations in a body-positive tone and are banned from 'shaming' students by measuring their clothes (file photo)

Equity: The district's superintendent Eric Witherspoon said that in an effort to enforce the previous dress code, adults were accidentally body shaming students

'Our new dress code supports our students so they can express their individuality and personal identity when making decisions about how they dress for school,' said the district's Superintendent Eric Witherspoon, adding that in an effort to enforce the previous rules, adults were inadvertently body shaming students.

The progressive school borrowed language from guidelines created by the Oregon chapter of the National Organization for Women to write the new code, which still bans clothing with violent or drug-related language or images, as well as any clothing with pornography, profanity, or hostility towards minorities.

'Like most dress codes in schools across the U.S., our code contained language that reinforced the gender binary and racial profiling, among other inequitable practices. The previous dress code and enforcement philosophy did not align with our equity goals and purpose, and it had to be changed,' said Witherspoon.
Australian actress and model, Pia Miller, 33, has shared the secrets behind the beauty routine that leaves her looking so glamorous.

The radiant mother-of-two leads a busy life where she juggles lots of responsibilities, so she likes to keep things as simple as possible with fuss-free beauty hacks.

'Heat your eyelash curler using your hairdryer - it makes the bend on your eyelashes quite pronounced,' she told Nine Honey.

Australian actress and model, Pia Miller, 33, has shared the secrets behind her beauty routine that leaves her looking so glamorous

The radiant mother-of-two leads a busy life where she juggles lots of responsibilities

'I love my sleep and need a coffee to wake up in the morning, but for some reason curling my eyelashes makes me feel like the curtains have been lifted and Im ready to face the day.'

The Chilean-born Australian actress is a firm believer in a less-is-more approach.

The 33-year-old explained that she believes beauty shines through when you're confident and happy in your own skin which is what she aspires to do in her day to day life.

She reiterated that she likes to keep things simple and believes that the main things you need are 'a positive attitude, a healthy all-over glow and smooth skin'.

The Chilean and Australian actress is a firm believer in a less-is-more approach, and allows her natural beauty to shine through

PIA'S BEAUTY PRODUCTS Bronzer with SPF

Dewy lip balm

MAC eyeliner in Coffee

Tinted moisturiser with SPF Advertisement

When asked what one of the beauty things she definitely wouldn't do would be she said, 'Get a fake tan ever!'

Spending most of her days filming for Home and Away, raising her two boys Isaiah and Lennox and fitting in modelling, staying on top of her beauty routine is important to her.

'Being a mum of two boys with crazy work hours means Im constantly on the go, so I like to use products that make life and my beauty routine seamless,' she said.

She believes that the main things you need are 'a positive attitude, a healthy all-over glow and smooth skin'

'I like to keep my face as natural as possible with a light tinted SPF bronzer and dewy lip balm. This applies to my hair too so I keep it loose with a soft wave through it.

'If Im heading out for the night, which isnt that often anymore, Ill pop on my MAC eyeliner in Coffee to define my eyes and for my hair, I use the GHD Platinum Styler to create a little more polish for the evening.'

When the warmer seasons arrive Pia likes to ensure her skin is in tip top condition.

'If Im heading out for the night, which isnt that often anymore, Ill pop on my MAC eyeliner in Coffee to define my eyes,' she said

'For me its all about smooth and radiant skin and I try to keep it simple by hydrating and moisturising regularly.

'In Summer I like to prep my body by doing a gentle exfoliation and then shave.'

On top of this she uses a hydrating and conditioning hair mask once a week to keep her envious locks smooth and sleek.

'[I also] swap lipstick for a hydrating lip balm and apply a light tinted moisturiser with SPF to keep my look fresh faced and dewy.'

She uses a hydrating and conditioning hair mask once a week to keep her envious locks smooth and sleek

Pia spends most of her days filming for Home and Away, raising her two boys Isaiah and Lennox and fitting in modelling

Pia also revealed to Be that she is lucky enough to have a strong support system, which includes her partner of two years, Tyson Mullane, which makes everything easier.

'Its always a constant juggle like with all mothers but I rely on communication and patience because these things can always be tricky.

'I think the most important thing is ensuring that my kids know that Im here and will drop anything, anytime for them.'

Pia revealed that she is lucky enough to have a strong support system, which includes her partner of two years

Pia said that yoga is one tool she uses to remain positive and relaxed.

'Its so important to keep bringing yourself back to the present moment and reminding yourself of all of the blessings you have been graced with.

'Ive got beautiful, happy and healthy children, a loving family, strong friendship groups and a job I love. Life is really wonderful.
Kendall Jenner is the new face of Ippolita's Fall 2017 campaign, but did more than just strike a pose for the fine jewelry label.

For her latest gig, the 21-year-old reality star shot and styled her own self-portrait while modeling Ippolita's collection of rings on all five of her fingers.

The stunning selfie sees Kendall posed with her ring-covered hand over her face while she stares straight into the camera.

Stunning: Kendall Jenner shot and styled this portrait for Ippolita's Fall 2017 fine jewelry campaign

Her fingers are covered with delicate gold rings, including two midi rings, and her raven hair is loosely pulled back.

And while it may be a fine jewelry campaign, Kendall looks cozy grey sweater, which highlights the elegant rings she is showing off.

Kendall proudly shared the image on her Instagram page on Wednesday as part of her paid partnership, writing: 'My latest ring obsession. Shot and Styled by me for @ippolitajewelry.'

In addition to her own self-portrait, the rest of the campaign was shot over two days by photographer and artist Ryan McGinley.

Bohemian vibes: The rest of the campaign was shot over two days by photographer and artist Ryan McGinley

Bling: Ippolita's new Cherish collection comes in either sterling silver or 18K gold and starts at $95. The sterling silver ring with diamonds retails for $995 while a gold version costs $5,200

Kendall was first photographed at St. Josaphats Monastery, a 74-room Tudor Revival mansion in Long Island, New York, before finishing the shoot at Highline Stages in New York City.

One image from the campaign sees Kendall donning a fur coat over a delicate black slip dress while posing in front of a bonfire on a beach.

Her hair is loose and blowing in the breeze, and in addition to her luxurious outfit, she is decked out in gold baubles.

Kendall has gold chain necklaces hanging from her neck and gold rings on her fingers, which add to the bohemian vibe of the shoot.

Working girl: Kendall is in Manhattan right now for New York Fashion Week, and on Wednesday she was seen leaving a fitting at Alexander Wang

Fashionista: The off-duty model rocked a cream blazer over a royal blue body suit that was tucked into ripped jeans while walking around the city

Ippolita's new Cherish collection comes in either sterling silver or 18K gold and starts at $95 for a set of two silver rings.

Kendall has a busy few months ahead of her now that the start of New York Fashion Week has kicked off runway season.

The brunette beauty was photographed walking around Manhattan on Wednesday after leaving an Alexander Wang fitting.

The off-duty model looked like the epitome of cool while rocking a sleek bob and a cream blazer over a royal blue body suit that was tucked into ripped jeans.

Kendall accessorized the look with oval sunglasses, pointed toe boots, a thick black belt cinched around her waist, and a Balenciaga handbag, which she carried in her right hand.
A woman who was forced to remove breast implants after eight years when they became contaminated has warned against others rushing into plastic surgery.

Simone McKenzie Slaven, 39, went under the knife in 2009 to increase her A cup breasts into a C cup in a bid to raise her self esteem after having three kids.

The Sydney mother soon developed inflammatory symptoms akin to a cluster of auto-immune diseases - but was told time and time again her implants were not to blame.

'I felt like I was dying, but all of my scans were clear. I was getting brain fogs, anxiety and rashes,' she told Daily Mail Australia about that time.

Simone McKenzie Slaven, 39, went under the knife in 2009 to increase her A-cup breasts into a C-cup, but soon suffered worrying symptoms

'I felt like I was dying': Simone told Daily Mail Australia she suffered a range of symptoms, including brain fogs and rashes

'I went to the doctors but they had no idea,' she continued. 'I even suggested it could be the implants I just had put in, but I was told there was no link.'

As the months and years went on, Simone's health radically deteriorated with absolutely no answers.

'Six weeks after getting the implants I started to develop some weird symptoms, like swelling in my toes that made its way up and around my body,' she said.

'My friends said I was the healthiest looking sick person in the world. My body felt like it was shutting down but on paperwork nothing was wrong with me.'

It was only three months ago that doctors finally made the correlation between Simone's ill health and her breast implants.

But as the months and years went on, Simone's health radically deteriorated with absolutely no answers (Pictured before removal operation and after)

The mother-of-three felt as if her auto-immune system was shutting down, and was covered in swelling and rashes

'My friends said I was the healthiest looking sick person in the world. My body felt like it was shutting down but on paperwork nothing was wrong with me,' she said

It appeared Simone's body had rejected the contaminated silicone as microorganisms found their way into her body tissue, causing her auto-immune system to fail.

'That was when I realised I needed to get rid of the implants,' she said.

'It was a bit of a hard decision to make, but I knew I had to get these foreign objects out of my body and my health outweighed how I looked.'

The mother-of-three finally went back under the knife eight weeks ago to have her implants taken out - almost eight years after her first surgery.

To Simone's enormous relief, almost all of her symptoms have now disappeared - but she is still battling the arthritis which emerged around the same time as her surgery.

It was only three months ago that doctors finally made the correlation between Simone's ill health and her breast implants

Eight weeks ago Simone finally had her implants removed - nearly eight years after first getting the surgery

The former stylist has now warned other women looking at getting implants to check their bodies won't reject implants before the operation, and says doctors must accept more accountability before and after surgery.

'I want doctors to acknowledge the negative effect implants can have on some women. Far more research and tests are needed pre-surgery to ensure they won't do any harm,' she added.

Tasked with the difficult process of removing contaminated silicone from Simone's breasts was Dr Louis Wessler, a Sydney-based plastic and cosmetic surgeon.

Dr Wessler told Daily Mail Australia he was faced with treating a breast implant illness he had never seen before.

'It was really a one-in-a-million chance that Simone's auto-immune system would be affected by contamination after breast implant surgery,' he said.

'It was a hard decision to make': Simone removed her implants two months ago

Dr Wessler (pictured) told Daily Mail Australia he was faced with treating a breast implant illness he had never seen before

'Every woman who gets implants risk microorganisms sneaking in through the incisions but it is very rare to have the sort of complications Simone suffered.'

According to Dr Wessler, some of the biggest problems post-surgery are suffered by patients who travel overseas for cheaper operations.

'I definitely warn against people who want to go to other countries for implants, because a lot of the time they get on a plane almost immediately after when they need at least two weeks of rest,' he said.

He is now working alongside other medical professionals to provide advice and treatment for women with implants at saferbreastimplants.org.
Holding a whiteboard sign under swaying Gadsden flags, Robert Tweeten sat on the east side of Mandan Avenue, awaiting President Donald Trump's arrival at the Mandan Refinery.

The Hensler farmer and rancher was there Wednesday to advocate proactive local political action and Trump's speech on tax reform. About 300 people supporting or opposing Trump turned out along the refinery road to await the president's arrival; however, they were disappointed when the motorcade entered from elsewhere.

"We need somebody like Trump that changes the whole format of our thinking. I don't care if its our county commissions to our township boards," Tweeten said. "The more we let other people lead us, that is the direction you're going to go. You have to get involved a little bit or be satisfied with the direction from your county to your township to your state."

Down the road, Brad Olson offered similar thoughts. He came from Detroit Lakes, Minn., to advocate his "America Works When Americans Work" movement.

"The only way were going to save and keep our country is to get up off our duffs and do something, and thats what I'm doing," the military veteran said, adding he supports tax reform.

"Im not a believer in high taxes but Im a believer in paying my taxes," he said. "It costs you something to live, no matter where you are."

Up the street from Olson, Sharon Ulmer stood with protesters holding signs. She said the president cares only about wealthy people rather than middle- and lower-class residents, though she opposes Trump overall.

"I dont like a thing about him, such as his racism, his womanizing, his cheating people who work for him. I could go on and on," the rural Edgeley woman said.

Elizabeth Anderson came by herself from Washburn to protest Trump as well. She held a sign which read "Trump: Unstable, unethical, unfit, un-American."

"I really don't understand how anyone could think this man's fit to lead a gas station, let alone a country," Anderson said, adding she voted for Democrat Hillary Clinton last year and is troubled by North Dakota's deep support for Trump.

"I'm a fifth-generation North Dakotan, and I don't feel I belong here anymore," she said.

Protesters and supporters clashed verbally several times at the time for Trump's mid-afternoon arrival. When the crowds realized his motorcade would not enter via Mandan Avenue, they walked down the Old Red Trail to another gate. Police eventually closed that gate and ordered people off the road into ditches.

One supporter did push a couple protesters at one point. Both sides' signs and shouts varied, including opinions about immigration, Dakota Access Pipeline, Clinton and Trump. One sign read "Without diversity, we'd only have lutefisk."

Strolling on the supporters' side was Craig Cobb, the white supremacist who in 2013 sought to turn the small town of Leith into a community for like-minded people.

"I wanted to join the other 63 million Nazis," he said, referencing those who voted for Trump in 2016. "I know all 63 million can't be here today."

"Mr. Trump has done a lot for the country," he added.

Kay LaCoe said Trump has helped the coal industry as president. She wore a hat with "Make Coal Great Again" as well as held a sign with a similar message. She said she didn't turn out for tax reform but to show support for local coal. Just down from her, Doug Hanna said he drove from Minot simply to try and glimpse the president.

"He ain't a politician," Hanna said. "He tells it like it is."

While those gathered outside the refinery were disappointed at not seeing Trump's entrance, people lined along University Drive near Airport Road saw the outgoing motorcade carry the president back to Air Force One.

Bismarck Expressway

"Dump Trump" and "Make America not hate again" were just a few of the signs demonstrators waved Wednesday on the Bismarck Expressway Bridge before law enforcement asked them to move their protest to either end of the bridge.

Protestors who parked nearest the west side of the bridge exited west, those who parked nearest the east side of the bridge exited east and many left to protest at the Andeavor Mandan Refinery, the site of President Donald Trump's speech touting tax reform.

Of the 40 initial protesters, about 10 remained on the east side of the bridge when the presidential motorcade crossed the Missouri River around 3 p.m., en route to the refinery.

"I'm very much against Trump," said Bismarck resident Steve Mayer. "I think he's very unqualified, very unfit. I don't think he has the character for the job. The guy has no virtues."

"Hopefully, he'll resign before they impeach him," he said, waving a sign that read,:"Resign now."

By 3:10 p.m., all of the protesters were gone, though police officers remained in place until 4:20 p.m. when the motorcade drove by a second time, en route to the airport for the president's departure.

Pedestrians and bikers were not allowed to cross the bridge from 2:25 to 4:20 p.m. and a portion of the Bismarck Expressway was shut down twice to allow the motorcade to travel with ease, which caused minor traffic congestion.

Bismarck Police Sgt. Mike Bolme and Officer Dave Johnson were present on the east side of the bridge and both agreed that everything went "very smoothly."
At just two years old, little Scarlett Whitmore struggles to sit up or lift her head.

The Perth toddler has been battling a genetic disorder - and the condition is so rare, it's thought only 30 people in the world suffer from it.

After undergoing months of therapy, her mother Kate Whitmore said her daughter still cannot walk, crawl, sit, or roll - but she has showed little signs of improvement.

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Perth toddler Scarlett Whitmore with a rare genetic disorder cannot sit up or lift her head

'Without our help, Scarlett can't sit up, she can't walk, she can't do those things,' Ms Whitmore told 7 News.

'To us, it's not a sad story, it's a love story. We love her. But really, we're like any other parents, we just want the best for our little girl.'

Her only became familiar with the disease after sending a sample of her saliva to researchers in the United States.

Physiotherapist Shannen King has been helping little Scarlett strengthen her muscles and teaching her how to sit up without support.

'From when I first met her, she was a very floppy young baby. But now you can see, she's able to sit with much less support,' Ms King said.

The parents have set up a Facebook page called Scarlett's Smile where they document their daughter's journey.

The Perth toddler has been battling a genetic disorder - and the condition is so rare, it's thought only 30 people in the world suffer from it

After her birth, the parents met with a pediatrician for their daughter's reflux but were told she has hypotonia - a condition that causes her to have little strength.

'Hypotonia seemed terrifying to us. Not only did it refer to a floppy and low muscle tone baby, but quite often indicated a serious underlying medical condition, be it viral, metabolic or genetic,' her mother said.

'Scarlett was also born with a cleft palate, club foot, and a level of vision similar to legal blindness, as well as being at high risk of seizures.'

Earlier this year, they learned Scarlett was unable to hold her head up, maintain eye contact, grab or seem interested in toys or showing any signs of milestone.

'It was very hard to admit that, although 100 per cent perfect to us in every single way, Scarlett was different and we had to help her,' Ms Whitmore said.

'Six months on and unfortunately Scarlett still can't do most of those things, but she has definitely shown a lot of progress and promise towards them.'

After undergoing gruelling therapy, Ms Whitmore said her daughter still cannot walk, crawl, sit, or roll - but she has showed little signs of improvement

Her parents said they remain hopeful her diagnosis will lead to new treatment.

'I must admit it's been hard not having a centralised diagnosis - as to what is causing all of Scarlett's challenges,' Ms Whitmore said.

'And even though we are currently undergoing genetic testing, we have accepted the fact that we might never know.

'Scarlett may never be able hold up her head, sit, roll, crawl, walk or any of those simple things we all take for granted.

'And our only hope is that we can give Scarlett every therapy and assistance so that she can blow us all away with her progress.'

Her parents will be hosting a gala event at Perth's Crown Towers Ballroom in February next year to raise awareness and money for her medical expenses.

To more information or to follow her journey, please visit Scarlett's Smile.
At a glance of any social media feed, it's likely you will see an influencer or salon sharing snaps of their flawless cosmetic tattoo procedures.

And while many swear by it, others have had unpleasant experiences.

One of those is Australian YouTuber and beauty guru, Stephanie Lange, who recently opened up about her own cosmetic tattoo 'horror story' to warn women what can happen if they don't do enough research beforehand.

Stephanie, who is now based in Ireland, said she had her eyebrows and lips tattooed a few years ago after seeing some before and after photos on Instagram.

Stephanie Lange recently opened up about her own cosmetic tattoo 'horror story' to warn women what can happen if they don't do enough research beforehand

Stephanie said she had over-plucked her brows as a teen so the procedure seemed like a wonderful idea - despite it being quite expensive to have done

'A lot of people that I know have gone to the same place and they've had really good results so maybe it's just me,' Stephanie, 29, said in her video.

'I'm making this video as a word of caution so you know what to look out for and maybe make you think twice about getting it done or to give you a heads up - this is how mine turned out so it doesn't always look how they advertise it.'

Stephanie said she had over-plucked her brows as a teen so the procedure seemed like a wonderful idea - despite it being quite expensive to have done.

'It used to take me so long to put my make up on and I saw on Instagram that there was this new thing coming out that was eyebrow tattooing but it was feather stroke eyebrows,' she said.

Pictured is Stephanie's brow after the 'black' look had faded after two weeks and left a ginger, faded ink behind her brows

Stephanie's lips tattoo also faded and left an unusual colour and thick red over-drawn lines behind

'I started Googling where I could get it done and I found a salon that looked amazing. All their eyebrows looked so good and natural and fluffy and the colours looked amazing - they looked so real and lifelike.

'I came across a picture of someone who had their lips tattooed on as well and I naturally have super super pale pink lips.'

Stephanie thought it was a great idea so she saved for six months for the $2,000 worth of tattoos and was excited when the day finally came around.

'They said [what I wanted] could be done and she said she could do over-drawing as well. I think I must have mentioned to her that I over-draw my lips and they said they could do it with the tattoo,' Stephanie said.

'I could see the part where they had over-drawn my lips too. It left this weird outline around my lips that kind of looked like a rash,' she said

'I was under the impression that I was going to get the feather stroke tattoo but I found out later that the reason they didn't do that for me was because I've got oily skin and it apparently didn't work on oily skin types so they used the tattoo gun.

'I discussed at length the colour - an ashy brown - and I got the lips done on the same day. With my lips I was more precise with her with what I wanted.'

Stephanie said when she looked in the mirror afterwards she regretted it instantly.

'My eyebrows were black and my lips were so swollen and so huge, they looked like I'd gotten really really bad lip injections and they were bright red,' she said.

'My eyebrows were like massive black bricks on my eyes.'

Pictured top left are Stephanie's brows now after being fixed up and bottom left after the first lot of tattooing and fading

But despite this, within just two weeks her brows faded to being almost 'non-existent' and her lips were an unusual red colour with thick lines where they'd been over-drawn.

'After the scabs had fallen off there was almost no ink on my brows and the ink that was there was pale orange so it was definitely not what I wanted. And my lips had faded to an odd looking red so it still wasn't the colour I had asked for,' she said.

'I could see the part where they had over-drawn my lips too. It left this weird outline around my lips that kind of looked like a rash.'

Stephanie went back for a touch up and was told what she had experienced was normal, but ended up with the exact same results.

'After two weeks the ink faded to a ginger, orange pinky colour. If I had seen on their page a picture of their work which showed a tattooed eyebrow with sparse hairs and an orange pinky shading underneath I would never pay them almost $2,000 to do that to my face,' she said.

After speaking out about it, Steph was contacted by another beauty expert who invited her into the salon to have the previous work fixed up but after moving to Ireland wasn't able to complete her sessions

'A couple of years on and I'm stuck with the tattoo exactly the same and it doesn't seem to be fading. I hate it,' she said of her lips, adding that here brows now look much better since having them fixed up by another expert

'I ended up having to put concealer or foundation over it every day and then go right back to square one and pencil my eyebrows in.

'Then my lips went back to how they looked after the first time so instead of a thick full luscious lip my lips looked like they were permanently chapped - this horrible red tattoo around the edge of my lips looked like I had permanently chapped, rashy lips.'

She tried to have them fixed up a third time, but experienced no change.

After speaking out about it, Steph was contacted by another beauty expert who invited her into the salon to have the previous work fixed up but after moving to Ireland wasn't able to complete her sessions.

'If you are thinking about it, be very very careful about where you go, do very thorough research and if you can, look at people in real life that have had work done at the same place before you do it to your own face,' she said

'A couple of years on and I'm stuck with the tattoo exactly the same and it doesn't seem to be fading. I hate it,' she said of her lips, adding that here brows now look much better since having them fixed up by another expert.

'I just want everybody to be aware that the before and after pictures that these cosmetic tattooist show they are usually taken right after the procedure has been done so it looks fresh and nothing is faded.

'Don't take those pictures at their word.

'If you are thinking about it, be very very careful about where you go, do very thorough research and if you can, look at people in real life that have had work done at the same place before you do it to your own face.'
A young woman who opened up about her career as a cam girl has hit back at trolls who labelled her 'uneducated'.

Rosie Renee, a 22-year-old from Queensland, quit her job as a personal trainer to enter the lucrative 'camming' industry and decided to share her story to break down sex industry stereotypes.

But after reading comments from critics claiming she needed to 'go to school' and that she 'can't possibly be proud', Ms Renee took to her Facebook page to address them directly.

'I've worked harder and have done more than just about any other 22-year-old I know,' Ms Renee wrote.

Rosie Renee, a 22-year-old from Queensland, quit her job as a personal trainer to enter the lucrative 'camming' industry and decided to share her story to break down sex industry stereotypes

But after reading comments from critics claiming she needed to 'go to school' and that she 'can't possibly be proud', Ms Renee took to her Facebook page to address them directly

'I built, owned and operated a gym, I've managed restaurants, I ran my own cleaning business, I PAID out of pocket to get an education after high school and yes I am proud of what I do because I've worked damn hard (I've worked harder as a cam girl than I have in even the most hands on vanilla job I ever had).

Sex work should not overshadow someone's accomplishments.

'Sex work doesn't change who someone is. I'm the LAST person anyone would have expected to do this.. and that right there has proven to me (and many others in my life) that sex workers ARE NORMAL PEOPLE!

'We are driven and work hard, we can have goals and degrees and families and passion for what we do beyond the good money we can sometimes make and so much more.'

Ms Renee concluded by questioning why it is people felt the need to comment on her life.

'I've worked harder and have done more than just about any other 22-year-old I know,' Ms Renee wrote

'We are driven and work hard, we can have goals and degrees and families and passion for what we do beyond the good money we can sometimes make and so much more,' she said

'You don't know someone's history, where they have come from, what motivates them, so I don't know why some people act like they do.'

Speaking to Be, Ms Renee said she had never 'hit back' before but 'wanted to make it crystal clear for anyone who doesn't quite understand'.

'I can't tell you how many intelligent, genuine, hard working, and kind people I have met in this industry,' she said.

'Sex work should not overshadow someone's accomplishments or good characteristics, and Im hoping more people will begin to realise that.

'Thankfully the majority of people I've ever come across have been completely supportive.'

'Sex work should not overshadow someone's accomplishments or good characteristics, and Im hoping more people will begin to realise that,' she said

Speaking to FEMAIL on Wednesday, Ms Renee said she decided to try out being a cam girl after seeing documentary on the topic

What is a cam girl? * A Webcam model, also known as a camgirl or camboy, is a model who performs on the Internet through live footage. * A webcam model often performs sexual services in exchange for money, goods, or attention. * Individuals in this profession often charge a fixed fee per minute, however many encourage viewers to purchase items on online wish lists or to add money to online accounts. Source: Wikipedia Advertisement

Speaking to FEMAIL on Wednesday, Ms Renee said she decided to try out being a cam girl after seeing documentary on the topic.

And a year and a half on, she is doing everything from bathing in a kilogram of beetroot to covering herself in pancake batter and setting her nipples on fire - all in front of a live camera. She can also earn up to AUD $12,000 a month.

In her own words, 'it's not just getting naked and going online'.

Ms Renee first went on camera after she watched a British documentary about cam girls on the Internet:

Among her strangest requests is covering herself in a kilo of beetroot (pictured)

Ms Renee shops for her outfits all over - including sex shops, Gumtree and the High Street (pictured in costume)

'I didn't know much about cam girls then,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'At the time, I thought they were all pre-recorded videos done way ahead of time.'

After 'some extensive Googling', the 22-year-old discovered that the industry was in fact alive and well in Australia:

'At that stage, I still thought it would be a scam, but I decided to give it a try,' she said.

Just one month later, Ms Renee received her first pay cheque - upon which point she explained her 'mind was blown'.

'I was nervous, of course, at the start, but I also found it exciting,' she recalled. 'It took me a while to find and create my niche, but once I did, I felt comfortable, natural and had a lot of fun.

'These days, I want to laugh and have a good time. You've got to do what comes naturally. In my time, I've covered myself in pancake batter and lit my nipples on fire.'

The 22-year-old explained that, in her line of work, many of the girls have a 'tip list' which includes what they will do for 'tokens'

'I always have the permission to say no, however, it's very easy to do so. All you need to do is block someone and you don't see them,' she said of declining requests

The 22-year-old explained that, in her line of work, many of the girls have a 'tip list' which includes what they will do for 'tokens':

'For instance, it can be 1,000 tokens for something and 50 for something else,' she said.

'I always have the permission to say no, however, it's very easy to do so. All you need to do is block someone and you don't see them.'

Ms Renee said that while many people might assume that being a cam girl is 'easy money', she said she has to work very hard

Ms Renee said that while many people might assume that being a cam girl is 'easy money', she also has to work 'very hard' to earn the $12,000 she did in one recent month.

'It's a full time job,' she said. 'I put in up to 70 hours a week on cam doing all sorts of things.'

But not only this, but the 22-year-old also said there are different aspects to being part of brand Rosie Renee - including all day spent talking to people, prepping graphics and videos, marketing and social media.

'Recently, I made a cardboard lighting system for my room,' she said - 'which took a lot of work'.

'The marketing is a huge part of it - and the travelling to expos. I travel around Australia to expos all the time, you find the most bizarre things at expos - including costumes.'

Ms Renee said she also sources her outfits from places including Gumtree, Bras'n'Things and sex shops.

Speaking about her finances, Ms Renee said that working as a cam girl requires her to have a huge grip on what she's pulling in - because if she doesn't work, she doesn't earn

'I'm lucky because my family supports me 100 per cent,' Ms Renee added - saying she wants people to start seeing camming 'as not this underground seedy thing'

Speaking about her finances, Ms Renee said that working as a cam girl requires her to have a huge grip on what she's pulling in.

'If I don't work, I don't earn,' she said.

'There was one month recently where I only worked one day. While I did earn $1,300 that day, that is obviously considerably less than if I work for a full month - so you obviously have to be prepared for that instability.'

Among the strangest things she's done for people include dumping 'a kilo of beetroot over myself' and conducting a 'private Skype session with someone where I wrote my name in Vegemite across my chest'.

'I'm lucky because my family supports me 100 per cent,' Ms Renee added.

'I'm not ashamed of what I do - it's really important to me that people are starting to see camming as not this underground seedy thing.

'Sex workers are normal people, too,' she concluded.
A man who came face to face with the half brother he'd never met at 72 with the help of ITV's Long Lost Family died the night before the episode he starred in aired.

It was a bittersweet moment for viewers as they witnessed Derek Berg, 73, and Julian De Lange, 72, finally find each other - knowing that the two men would be unable to make up any further for lost time.

Presenter Nicky Campbell had posted a message on Twitter just minutes before the programme aired on Wednesday evening informing his followers that Julian had died, but said that his family had given their blessing for the episode to air in tribute.

Julian had been located by the Long Lost Family team in Philadephia, and had flown to the UK to meet with Derek in the emotional scenes aired.

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Derek Berg (left) was reunited with his half brother Julian De Lange (formerly Barry, right) after 70 years apart

Long Lost Family presenter Nicky Campbell tweeted before the show aired that Julian had sadly passed away the night before

As viewers watched the episode it was a bittersweet moment for them knowing that Julian wouldn't be able to relive the moment

Nicky shared: 'Final Long Lost Family tonight. Sad news. Julian Delange passed away last night. He and his brother found each other after more than 70 years and became very close.

'The family have requested the programme goes ahead. We dedicate it to Julian who was a sweet man and a gentleman. I am proud to have known him.'

In the episode Derek revealed he was in a race against time searching for his brother, who he knew only as Barry, and was desperate to get to know him before it was too late.

'I know there's someone there, I don't know who he is. I'm 73, Barry would be 72 now, I don't want to go to my death not ever meeting my brother.'

Derek explained that his brother was the product of his mother's wartime affair with a Canadian soldier and the child had been given up for adoption.

Julian had flown thousands of miles from Philadelphia to meet with Derek (right) in an East London pub

Many viewers of the ITV show tweeted how sad the programme was but were glad that the brothers had been able to develop a close bond

Derek grew up in a Jewish family in East London, the only son of Freda and Kenneth Bergbaum.

When Derek was 21 he married his childhood sweetheart Jackie but in 1965, when the couple were expecting their first child, Freda revealed to Jackie a closely guarded family secret.

Freda explained that just 18 months after Derek was born, she'd had a second son, Barry, who she'd given up for adoption.

Derek said: 'Being an only child you can be lonely at times. I had nobody, I would have loved to have a brother or a sister.'

Freda, then 21, had fallen pregnant with Barry in 1944, towards the end of the Second World War.

She had been swept up in an affair with an Allied soldier, one of millions of American and Canadian servicemen who passed through Britain on their way to the front line.

Derek had been searching for Julian, who he knew previously as Barry, but hit a stumbling block when it came to locating him

With the help of the Long Lost Family team they were able to find Julian in Philadelphia living with his daughter

But after he left, she discovered she was pregnant and then Derek's father returned home. Like many illegitimate war babies, he was put up for adoption and Kenneth ordered Freda never to speak of him again.

Derek promised his mother he would not search for his brother while his father was alive - less than a week after his father passed away, in 2014 , Derek threw himself into searching for his brother.

Derek's stumbling block was that he didn't know Barry's new name - so the Long Lost Family team worked with a specialist intermediary legally allowed to access adoption records and found Barry was now called Julian De Lange.

However, there was no trace of Julian living anywhere in the UK, but Long Lost Family eventually found that Julian had moved to Toronto, Canada.

Juilan had been the product of a wartime affair their mother had with a Canadian soldier - she had banned Derek from looking for Julian until his father had died

Sadly, Julian was involved in a car accident many years ago which seriously injured his back. As his health has suffered, he lived half the year with his daughter and her family, on the outskirts of Philadelphia.

Despite his poor health Julian made the three and a half thousand-mile journey from America to see his brother and the pair met at a pub in east London, close to where their mother lived during the war.

The pair were thrilled to see each other, as Julian said: 'I feel really fulfilled and I'm going to enjoy my final years, I'm a happy man.'

Derek added: 'I've found the brother I always wanted. He's already part of the family. Now that I've found him I'm not going to lose him.'

Long Lost Family is available to watch on ITV Hub now
Lara Trump, who is expecting a baby any day, has shared a photograph on Instagram of her and her dog Charlie.

The 34-year-old, who has 266,000 followers on Instagram claimed: 'I think Charlie has figured out that there is something cooking in my belly.'

Herself and her husband Eric are expecting their first baby any day.

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Lara Trump posted this image of her and her dog Charlie while she awaits the birth of her child

Working up a sweat: Lara Trump shared an Instagram video of herself working out this week while nearly ten months pregnant

Earlier, Mrs Trump had posted several photographs of an intensive gym session on her Instagram account.

She wrote: 'Hoping the workout inspires this baby to make an appearance!' she wrote, thanking her trainer Michael Maloney for his help.

Although she is nearly ten-months pregnant, Lara looks trim and toned aside from her growing baby bump.

The video sees President Donald Trump's daughter-in-law wearing a Pink Floyd, black cropped leggings, and Nike sneakers for her workout.

Lara's blonde hair is up in a messy bun, and she looks focused as she alternates between lunging and lifting a weight above her head.

'Week 39 still kicking a**,' Michael says in the background. 'This girl's in sick shape.'

The trainer also shared the video on his own Instagram page while offering tips on how his followers can replicate Lara's workout.

High intensity: The video sees the 34-year-old, who is 39 weeks pregnant, alternating between overhead tricep extensions and lunges

Impressive: 'This girl's in sick shape,' her trainer Michael Maloney say in the background

Lara Trump, pictured, had previously announced that the incoming arrival will be a boy

'Baby training week 39 with my client @laraleatrump,' he wrote. 'Do 15 reps each side for 4 sets.

'This move is great for glutes, hamstrings, quads and triceps,' he added.

Lara and her husband Eric Trump are expecting a baby boy this month, and the mom-to-be told Daily Mail Online in August that she has been 'blessed with an incredibly easy pregnancy' that has allowed her to remain fit and active throughout.

'I was always a little worried, because I had heard different things from different people about their pregnancies; some people have to stay in bed for months... you never know what you're going to get,' she said.

'I knew I needed to workout for my sanity, and I try and make it a daily habit if I can, so I count myself very lucky that I have been able to keep doing that while pregnant.'

Powering through: The mom-to-be told Daily Mail Online in August that she has been 'blessed with an incredibly easy pregnancy' that has allowed her to remain fit and active throughout

Missing her horses: Over Labor Day weekend, Lara shared a throwback photo of herself horseback riding last year, writing: 'Countdown is on until I can ride again!'

Lara also admitted that she had heard staying fit and active can make delivering a baby easier  and helps to ensure that the recovery time after birth is as speedy as possible.

'I know it can make the delivery easier, which would be great,' Lara said of her efforts to stay fit and healthy. 'And it means that the recovery time after birth is often shorter.'

The animal lover and equestrian is also looking forward to being able to go horseback riding again.

Over Labor Day weekend Lara shared a throwback photo of her and a friend riding together at stable in Westchester, New York, and she admitted she can't wait to get back in the saddle.

'Laughing at this photo from a year ago today where neither of these rascals were being at all cooperative,' she wrote. 'Countdown is on until I can ride again! Come on baby!'

Staying active: A few weeks ago, Lara escaped the city and enjoyed a walk with friends and her dogs

Strollin': Lara and Eric were also seen walking around New York City in August

Busy as can be: The two appeared to be picking up a baby gift for someone

For the past month, Lara has been waiting out the remainder of her pregnancy in New York, splitting her time between Westchester and Manhattan. However, that doesn't mean she has been laying low.

A few weeks ago, she and Eric were photographed doing some shopping in Manhattan, walking down 5th Avenue with what appeared to be a baby gift in tow.

They then nipped back home to grab their dogs and take a car north of the city, likely to their home in Westchester.

Lara wore a pair of distressed white jeans, a striped long-sleeve tee, and white loafers, leaving behind the supportive ankle wrap she was seen wearing earlier this week.

Whoops! Lara' secret birth plan became very public after it was accidentally left on the dashboard of a black SUV parked outside of Trump Tower last month

Posed: Lara has been updating followers with pictures of her baby bump, like this one by Dawn Sela Photography

Growing family: Lara and Eric, pictured in July, are expecting their first child together in September

Meanwhile, Eric wore slacks and a blue button-down, as well as a matching pair of dark loafers.

The Trumps were followed by three Secret Service agents on foot, plus another three driving nearby in cars.

A detail has followed Eric when he conducted Trump Organization business to destinations including Uruguay  where the Secret Service spent $100,000 just on hotel rooms  along with the United Kingdom, the Dominican Republic, Canada and the United Arab Emirates, all in 2017.

That detail has also been with Lara, offering protection and  as was the case earlier this month  revealing details of her birth plan to the public after a handwritten note, titled 'Baby hospital info', was left on the dashboard of a black SUV parked outside of Trump Tower.

The note revealed exactly which New York hospital the first-time mother is is planning to give birth at next month, as well as the address of the emergency entrance and the phone number for security.
A mother-of-three who had to have both breasts removed during treatment for cancer has had a sexy black bra tattooed on her chest to celebrate her recovery.

Michelle Cole, 42, of Leeds, got the tattoo of a lacy dotted black bra on her now-reconstructed breasts - and she says it looks so realistic that she shows it off to strangers by flashing them in the pub.

She got the 720 inking this year to mark the fifth anniversary of her successful double mastectomy, which helped her to beat breast cancer.

Michelle Cole had a sexy black bra tattooed across her chest, after losing both breasts to cancer

The bra is detailed with curling leaves and dots and looks very much like a real bra from afar

The full-time carer for her daughter Ellie, who has Cerebral Palsy, said: 'I've become a right flasher. At parties, down the pub everyone wants to see my boobs now.

'I just started taking my top off and people are amazed when they discover I've got a tattoo, not a bra.'

The tattoo took four months of three-hourly sessions every three weeks, between February and July this year at South Of Heaven Tattoo Studio in Wakefield.

The inking is of a strapless bra, with lacy leaves curling off it.

Michelle loves the tattoo so much that she often takes off her top in public to show it off to strangers

Michelle (left) with friend Claire King during chemotherapy. It has been five years since she had her double mastectomy

She explained: 'I'd been considering having another tattoo for a while, so I started to look online.

'That's when I came across the idea of a mastectomy tattoo, like a permanent inked bra. It's a bit different and a really great way to celebrate my breasts, five years on from the cancer.'

Michelle, who has three children  Ellie Cole, 11, Anthony Thompson, 24, and Brett Thompson, 22  was diagnosed with cancer after finding a lump in her right breast in bed one morning.

She was also told she carried the mutated BRCA1 gene, significantly increasing her risk of ovarian and breast cancer.

Both her mother and sister died of breast cancer, aged just 49 and 39 respectively.

It took several scans at Leeds General Infirmary, before medics told Michelle and her plumber husband Paul Sephton, 58, that she had an aggressive form of breast cancer.

The tattoo took four month to complete, with the finishing touches being added in July

Michelle with daughter Ellie, who has Cerebral Palsy, in 2008 before she was diagnosed with cancer

'They said I'd need chemotherapy straight away, but I should think about having a mastectomy in case the genetic testing came back showing my cancer was hereditary,' she recalled.

'My sister had the mutated BRCA1 gene, so it was likely that I was a carrier too.'

Devastated, Michelle had eight sessions of chemotherapy, between February and May 2012. She then opted for a double mastectomy and reconstructive surgery that July  taking 10 hours - after discovering she had BRCA1.

She said: 'I had a young daughter to think about. I couldn't leave her without a mum.'

In June 2015 Michelle decided to have a hysterectomy to reduce her risk of getting ovarian cancer.

Michelle and her partner Paul in the pub, where she now enjoys taking off her top to flash her tattooed breasts at strangers

The tattoo bra has a intricate black leaf design and covers Michelle's reconstructed breasts

Michelle's partner Paul loves her tattoo - and says he doesn't even mind her flashing it at strangers

A biopsy revealed she in fact had a cancerous tumour on her ovaries, but it was removed during the surgery and she was finally cancer free.

So this year, left with breast scarring and without nipples, after Michelle decided against having them tattooed on following surgery, she started thinking of ways to celebrate her survival.

This February, she marked it being five years since she had the double mastectomy, with the astonishing tattoo  first displaying it at a hen party in Benidorm, Spain, this June, by sunbathing topless.

She laughed: 'I went topless by the hotel pool and other holidaymakers mistook my tattoo for a bikini top.'

She added: 'It made me feel really proud of everything I'd been through.'

Michelle  who worries her little girl will have the BRCA1 gene  says her husband Paul, who she met 10 years ago DJing in a pub, loves her tattoo.

'Paul thinks my tattoo is great. I've been positive about everything as I have to be. I will encourage Ellie to get tested for the gene and support her if it comes back positive.'

Meanwhile, Paul remains his wife's biggest fan.

He said: 'We have an amazing relationship. I'm so proud of her and everything she's been through. And I don't mind the flashing at all  it's a part of her now.'
All eyes were on Thomas's Battersea as the heir to the British throne arrived for his first day at school.

And there to meet Prince George and the Duke of Cambridge at the gates was the lower schools headmistress Helen Haslem  and her appearance turned a few heads.

From a 250 dress to perfectly manicured nails, the teacher looked impeccable as she welcomed the young royal to Thomass by crouching down to his level for a warm handshake, and then holding his hand as she accompanied him inside.

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George's new teacher Helen Haslem wore a pink L.K. Bennett dress (right) that bore a striking resemblance to the Duchess of Cambridge's Alexander McQueen wool dress (left)

But what really caught the attention of onlookers was that there was something undeniably familiar about her look... For Miss Haslem seemed to have taken some inspiration from the Duchess of Cambridge herself.

The teacher would have known all the eyes of the world would be on her and yet she absolutely could not steal the show  a situation Kate must often find herself in too. So Miss Haslem headed straight for one of the duchesss favourite high street shops, LK Bennett.

Her 250 rose-coloured Amana dress from the retailer is very similar to the sorts of outfits Kate likes to wear, including an Alexander McQueen frock she donned on the Royal tour of Australia in 2014.

Leading stylist Nicole Kerr thinks Miss Haslem got it just right. My first impression was that she had made a real effort, not least because at 250 this is a very expensive dress for a teacher to wear to work, she says.

Choosing LK Bennett was her way of offering a subtle compliment to the duchess. She clearly knew that this was her moment to shine but in a very understated way so as not to detract from Prince George.

Equally its an unusual style and colour for a teacher of young children to wear  all it would have taken to spoil her efforts was one set of sticky fingers on the pale colour, or a gust of wind whipping up the fit and flare skirt.

Miss Haslem seemed to have taken some inspiration from the Duchess of Cambridge herself

Clearly covetous of Kates style, Miss Haslem also chose 129 Simone scalloped pump shoes from another of the duchesss go-to high street brands, Hobbs, to go with her dress. After all, topple-inducing heels would have been a risky strategy for her moment in front of the worlds media.

And, as Miss Kerr points out, they are stylish but practical for running around after young children and being on her feet all day and also meant she didnt have to stoop lower than needed to greet Prince George.

Meanwhile Miss Haslems highlighted blonde up-do is probably part DIY, part professional, according to hair and make-up artist Amanda Clarke. She explains: It looks as though she may have had her hair washed and blow-dried the day before, then on the big day it was slightly back-combed and twisted into a low bun.

Its a great shape at the crown and the back, but I cant spot any hair pins and the sides look very natural, which makes me think she may have put it up herself as its a style thats very easy to achieve at home.

Make-up artist Virna Baillie says Miss Haslems cosmetics make her look soft and approachable to the children in her charge.

Clearly covetous of Kates style, Miss Haslem also chose 129 Simone scalloped pump shoes from another of the duchesss go-to high street brands, Hobbs, to go with her dress

Their most famous fan: L.K. Bennett is beloved by the Duchess of Cambridge (pictured here in a royal blue jacket dress by the British label at the Tower of London in 2014)

The teacher would have known all the eyes of the world would be on her and yet she absolutely could not steal the show  a situation Kate must often find herself in too

Everything about her look is natural and fresh, she says. She has complemented her features with pastel eye shadow and a soft rose pink lip colour. Although the look is understated, I wouldnt be at all surprised if she was professionally groomed for her big day in front of the cameras.

There were also no ink-stained fingers for this teacher. Instead, her nails, like everything else, were perfectly prepped and a vital detail of her appearance.

Her French manicure is almost certainly a professional job and makes her nails look pretty and neat, says Miss Baillie. They add to her professional look.

Completing her simple yet stylish look, Miss Haslems watch appears to be a basic Rolex design, according to Tamara Hamed, a director at luxury Mayfair retailers Watch Collectors.

Its difficult to tell without seeing the face of the watch but it looks like a stainless steel Rolex on an oyster-style bracelet, she says.

The price would depend on the year the watch was made, but Id expect it to have cost 3,000 to 4,000, maybe a bit less. Its a very popular Rolex design as its more affordable and not too bling or crazy.

Its stylish and simple, which is what a lot of professional women, particularly teachers, are looking for in a luxury watch.
Having crafted her own business from scratch Baroness Michelle Mone is not opposed to an early start.

The lingerie tycoon was pictured grabbing a coffee outside the BBC studios in London as she prepared for an early morning appearance on BBC Breakfast.

The founder of Ultimo, 45, cut an elegant figure stepping out in a monochrome ensemble ahead of her TV appearance.

Michelle Mone looked chic in black trousers and a white cape style jacket at the BBC Breakfast studio in Manchester

The mother-of-three showcased her curves in a pair of black flared pants and a fitted black top on Thursday.

She added a touch of glamour in a cream coloured cape-jacket and showcased newly pedicured nails in a pair of suede sandals.

Her famous blonde tresses were coiffed to perfection as she entered the BBC studios this morning.

The beaming blonde, who was toting an Hermes Birkin bag, clutched a cup of coffee

She paused to take pictures with two fans who awaited her arrival outside the BBC studios

The friendly business owner took time to pose for photos with fans who had gathered outside the studios.

Michelle's joined presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on BBC Breakfast as part of their series looking at some of the UK's most successful businesswomen.

Speaking on the show Michelle wanted to make it clear that business success should not be limited to anyone.

She said: 'I don't think it matters where you're from I don't think it matters your education, I don't think it matters the colour of your skin as long as you have that sheer determination and can-do attitude you can achieve anything.

She added 'I've always been exceptionally determined my whole life, it's never been put on a plate for me.'

Lady Mone's famous blonde tresses were coiffed to perfection as she entered the BBC studios this morning

Michelle's joined presenters Naga Munchetty and Charlie Stayt on BBC Breakfast as part of their series looking at some of the UK's most successful businesswomen

Glasgow-born Lady Mone, 45, is currently dating billionaire Douglas Barrowman, 52. They have been recently holidaying aboard his luxury yacht in Italy, with Michelle sharing plenty of snaps from the trip online.

Mr Barrowman, from Rutherglen near Glasgow, made his fortune in private equity and property development, and lives in a multi-million pound home on the Isle of Man.

Lady Mone, who made her name with the Ultimo underwear brand, split from her husband Michael, with whom she has three children, in 2011 after 19 years of marriage.

Former prime minister David Cameron made her a peer in October 2015 and appointed her an adviser to the Government on business start-ups in disadvantaged communities.
Selfie Queen Karen Danczuk has revealed that the path to romance with her new toyboy fiance wasn't quite so smooth.

In fact, 26-year-old Spanish waiter David turned the mother-of-two down the first time she plucked up the courage to ask him out.

'I was devastated,' she told the Loose Women panel during an appearance on the ITV daytime show.

Karen and David met in Spain last year and now live together in Rochdale, but it wasn't until she sent him a romantic love letter that he decided to reconsider her offer.

Newly engaged Karen Danczuk and he fiance David appeared on Loose Women to talk about their relationship

Spanish waiter David, 26, proposed to the mother-of-two, 34, in July - but she revealed that the path to romance wasn't quite as smooth

Explaining the moment she saw him she attempted to send him flirty signals but they failed, so she walked over to him and asked him out on a date but he said 'no'.

Instead of giving up she persisted in her pursuit: 'I came back to England and thought I can't stop thinking about this boy, it was so strange.

'Everyday I was thinking about him so I thought "I will just try it once more", and went back to Spain a few weeks later.

'I said: "I know you've already said no once but just in case and to make me feel better I will give you my number and you might just change your mind".

'I gave him the letter and at that point he said: "I haven't stopped thinking about you since you left would you like to go out for dinner?".'

The rest she says is history, as David proposed to Karen on a beach in Spain this July.

Karen revealed how David took her down on the beach and proposed saying she kept getting splashed by the waves

Karen explained that she didn't tell David who she really was when they first began dating, and it was only when a neighbour called the paparazzi did she reveal the truth

The couple were coy when answering Saira Khan's (far right) questions on whether they would have any children

He got down on one knee on a bed of rocks while they were on holiday and Karen has said she is looking towards her wedding dance, but they are yet to confirm a date for the nuptials.

The newly-engaged couple were coy when presenter Saira Khan asked them if they would have children.

'We might have children in the future possibly, but we just thought lets enjoy the wedding,' Karen, who has two sons with her ex-husband Simon Danczuk, explained.

The couple haven't set a date for the wedding yet but the bride-to-be is looking forward to her first dance with David

It will be the second time down the aisle for Karen, whose four-year marriage to the former Labour MP ended last year.

She gushed to the Loose Women panel about David, and admitted she didn't tell him exactly who she was when they began dating - only when paparazzi turned up on their doorstep did she reveal the truth.

The social media lover said that this was the first time she felt she had truly been in love, adding that her past history of abuse as a child had hindered her relationships.

'This is the first time I am in love. Obviously I have loved people in the past, but I have not been crazily in love.

'It was all part of my problem, psychological issues and I wouldn't open up and get myself too deep into anything, because I didnt want anyone else to have control.

'This time it's like "wow".'

Loose Women is on weekdays, ITV at 12.30pm
Horrified shoppers have taken to social media to complain after Argos announced plans to pull catalogues from some of its stores.

The retail giant revealed this week it would remove the famous product catalogues from a 'small number' of branches as part of a digital trial to 'test demand' for the booklets.

But Argos customers have taken to Twitter to express their horror at the move - with many saying the catalogues were a huge part of their childhood.

The catalogues have been a mainstay of the stores since they were rebranded from Green Shield Stamps to Argos by entrepreneur Richard Tompkins in 1973.

Argos has announced plans to remove its famous product catalogues from a 'small number' of branches as part of a digital trial to 'test demand' for the booklet

They allow customers to browse products in store, before noting down the product number and ordering the item from a stock room.

But the rise of online shopping has called their existence into question, according to Argos bosses who announced the change after a shopper in Inverness complained on Facebook.

On Thursday, one person started a #savetheargoscatalogue hashtag while another complained: 'Wah! The release of the Argos catalogue is the only book launch I ever attend.'

Twitter user Craig W said he hoped they were not 'phasing out' the catalogue, adding that he remembered fondly using them to make his annual Christmas list as a child.M

Many Argos customers have taken to Twitter to express their horror at the move - however one person joked that the move could save them a fortune when it comes to Christmas presents

Another wrote: 'Please say it isn't true... No more catalogues? How will I sit and circle things on a screen?'

However not everybody was worried about the potential change, with Darren Ratcliffe writing: 'Good - ban it! Worst thing as a parent in the run up to Christmas is a child with the Argos catalogue.

A spokesperson for Argos told the BBC: 'As increasing numbers of customers choose to shop with us online, for a limited period we are testing demand for the take-home catalogues in a small number of stores.'

MailOnline has contacted Argos for further comment.
Gov. Doug Burgum emphasized the need for federal drought relief Thursday during a meeting in Washington, D.C., with U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Sonny Perdue.

Burgum, who a month ago requested a presidential major disaster declaration for the severe drought affecting much of North Dakota, said Thursday the state may need to pursue a different avenue for federal funding.

The request for a disaster declaration was sent to President Donald Trump through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is now responding to people affected by Hurricane Irma and Hurricane Harvey.

Theres a very high probability that through the current path that were on with FEMA that there may not be money available, Burgum said.

Burgum said he and Perdue discussed there may be another avenue for drought relief funding through an appropriation from Congress that could be administered by the USDA.

Hes very clear that he wants to continue to help, Burgum said. With his agriculture background and personal experiences with drought in his home state, he really understands how devastating it can be to farm and ranch operations.

Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who spoke separately with Perdue on Thursday, said getting a presidential disaster declaration for drought has historically been more difficult than for flooding.

Hoeven said he is working through the executive side and the legislative side to seek drought relief.

Were pursuing both avenues to see what we can do, Hoeven said.

The U.S. Drought Monitor released Thursday shows nearly half of North Dakota is still experiencing severe, extreme or exceptional drought conditions.

Its one of those things that we cant make a full assessment of the impact at this point because its still ongoing, Burgum said.

Trump acknowledged the drought while speaking Wednesday in Mandan, mentioning that Perdue is working with Burgum and North Dakotas Congressional delegation to provide relief.

And we're doing everything we can, but you have a pretty serious drought, Trump said.

Burgum said he also talked to Perdue about the importance of a strong crop insurance program in the next federal farm bill, raising concerns he heard from agriculture producers this summer.

In a separate meeting, Burgum also spoke Thursday with Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke. During the meeting, Burgum advocated for approval of the Red River Valley Water Supply Project intake permit from the Garrison Diversions McClusky Canal.
A computer addict from Avon Lake, Ohio, who ballooned to 384lbs after playing games for 50 hours a week lost almost half his body weight after taking up metal detecting.

Jeff Nemeth, 27, shed 187lbs by trekking up to 10 miles a day to remote sites in search of old relics- The hobby has helped him ditch his gaming habit, drop four sizes, slim down to 197lbs, and find dozens of fascinating relics in the process.

Before taking up metal detecting, the school security guard gorged on pizza, hot dogs and burgers as he played computer games every night. By the age of 26 he was morbidly obese, wearing size 44 pants and XXXL shirts and spending eight hours a day staring at screens.

A fun workout: Jeff Nemeth, 27, has lost 187lbs since he took up metal detecting (pictured)

Before and after: The Avon Lake, Ohio, native went from 384lbs to 197lbs after doctors told him his obesity was causing health issues

What a change: Jeff used to spend his nights in front of a computer screen and had a diet made up of fast food and sugar

A new life: 'I can look in the mirror without feeling as though I look like crap so that's nice, and I'm getting a lot of responses on Tinder,' Jeff shared

When doctors said pain in his knees and breathing difficulties were linked to his weight, he realized he needed to change and slashed his calorie intake from 5,000 a day to 2,000 in April, 2016; but it wasn't until December, when he saw a YouTube video about metal detecting and took up the hobby, that his weight loss really took off.

History buff: Jeff said metal detecting is a 'win-win' because it helps him lose weight and there's history involved

One of the first things Jeff unearthed was a half dime from 1844 which ended up being worth $300 - and he said the discovery had him hooked. Ever since, he has spent 12 hours a day on weekends trekking to remote sites, where he uses old maps to locate treasures.

'Metal detecting has totally changed my life. I thought it was something nerdy old guys did but it turned out to be the first thing I enjoy doing more than lying in bed,' said history buff Jeff.

'It got me outside and distracted me from the fact that I was doing exercise. Plus, there is cool history involved so it is a win-win situation.'

While he was chubby as a child, his weight really went out of control after he turned 18, and, until the age of 25, would gorge on McDonald's or Burger King with hash browns washed down with sugary orange juice virtually every morning. For lunch he would eat cheap gas station food like hot dogs and dinner would be burgers and chips, pizza or other fast food at the computer desk.

'I didn't do any exercise - I couldn't run. Instead I just sat around and played video games, mainly Second Life and ArcheAge.

'When I got off school or work I would sit to my computer and do nothing else for eight hours a night,' said Jeff, who couldn't find clothes anywhere because of his large size.

No longer staring at a computer screen: The school security guard now spends 12 hours a day on weekends trekking to remote sites

The old Jeff: Until the age of 25, he would gorge on McDonald's or Burger King with hash browns washed down with sugary orange juice virtually every morning

Cool souvenirs: The 17-year-old had unearthed many treasures like coins from the 1800s, religious pendants and gold rings (pictured left to right)

Jeff has not only lost an impressive amount of weight thanks to his hobby, but has also found valuable relics like gold rings, religious pendants, coins from the 1800s and a 1816 half penny from the Bank of Montreal.

He still plays video games, but said he left 'that life' behind when he started metal detecting, which he now does every weekend, and is now happier in every aspect of his life.

'I can look in the mirror without feeling as though I look like crap so that's nice, and I'm getting a lot of responses on Tinder,' Jeff shared.

'If I hadn't started doing it I wouldn't be where I am today. It helped me lose 100lbs and I feel and look a lot better'.
Royal fans across the country will be cooing over photos of Prince George as he begins his first day at primary school.

However, he wasn't the only royal entering reception with Maud Windsor joining her distant cousin at Thomas's School in Battersea.

And not only will the eldest child of Lord Frederick Windsor be in the same school as the heir to the throne the youngsters are thought to be sharing a classroom too.

Prince George was not the only royal to join Thomas's Battersea today with his distant cousin Maud Windsor starting on the same day

Maud, four, was accompanied by her father to the gates of the school on Thursday morning for the first day of term.

Frederick, 38, had made sure that his daughter was looking her smartest in the school's navy and scarlet uniform.

The parents of the four-year-old had even fastened a red velvet ribbon into her curly red hair for the occasion.

Maud is the eldest daughter of Lord Frederick and Lady Sophie of Windsor who are also parents to one-year-old Isabella.

Maude, four, was accompanied by her father Lord Frederick Windsor to the gates of the school on Thursday morning for the first day of term

Prince George was accompanied by his father the Duke of Cambridge to his first day, while his mother the Duchess of Cambridge remained bed-bound

Frederick is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, with his father being cousin to the Queen.

This makes Maud and George distant cousins who will have plenty of time to bond as they enter the school year.

Prince George was accompanied by his father the Duke of Cambridge to his first day, while his mother the Duchess of Cambridge remained bed-bound due to her severe morning sickness.

George shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, before the third in line to the throne, was shown to his new reception year classroom where his father stayed for around 40 minutes.

Frederick is the son of Prince and Princess Michael of Kent, with his father being cousin to the Queen which makes Maud and George distant cousins

George shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, he was shown to his new reception year classroom

His proud mother Kate, 35, had hoped to be there but was simply too poorly, as she is suffering from Hyperemesis Gravidarum, which can cause sufferers to vomit up to 50 times a day.

The prince will be known as George Cambridge to his classmates and while he is attending one of London's top schools it is less formal than Wetherby prep in Notting Hill, which was attended by his father, and uncle Harry.

Along with his classmates, including Maud, he will spend the day getting to know teachers, adults and other children as well as completing the important task of finding his classroom peg.
She is known for her good-humoured nature and Queen Maxima of the Netherlands appeared to be in typically high spirits on Thursday.

The Dutch Queen dazzled in a bright blue number as she arrived at the opening ceremony of the Third International Forum for Financial Inclusion in Mexico City on Thursday.

Maxima, 46, could be seen beaming with delight as she spoke with Mexico's President Enrique Pena Nieto at the National Palace this afternoon.

Queen Maxima was in typically good spirits as she arrived at the opening ceremony of the Third International Forum for Financial Inclusion in Mexico City on Thursday

The Argentinian-born royal showcased her flair for statement fashion in her eye-catching Cobalt dress with flared sleeves.

The mother-of-three added a little flair to ensemble in the form of a chic floral brooch which she attached to the waist of her dress.

Maxima wore her signature golden tresses in loose waves for her engagement today with a pair of amethyst earrings dangling from each ear.

The Dutch Queen looked elegant in a Colbalt dress which she accessorised with an elegant floral brooch

The Queen of the Netherlands attended the ceremony in capacity of her role as the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development

Despite being one Europe's taller royals Maxima is never one to shun high heels, today opting for an elegant pair of nude stilettos.

The studious royal could also be seen carrying a small pink notebook alongside her stylish nude clutch bag.

The Queen of the Netherlands attended the ceremony in capacity of her role as the U.N. Secretary-General's Special Advocate for Inclusive Finance for Development.

Appointed the role in 2009, she advises the Secretary-General, and works worldwide to make financial services accessible to all, including low-income groups.

She joined President Enrique Pena Nieto at the National Palace for this afternoon's ceremony
French First Lady Brigitte Macron ensured all eyes were on her at a state dinner in Athens on Thursday.

Brigitte, 64, joined her husband President Emmanuel Macron to dine at the presidential palace in the Greek capital.

The couple have been on a two-day state visit to Greece and tonight dined with Greek president Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

Brigitte looked glamorous in a red dress as she mingled with state officials at the dinner.

Brigitte Macron, 64, dazzled in red at a state dinner at the Presidential Palace in Athens, Greece

Mrs Macron looked happy and relaxed as she mingled with the other guests at the dinner at the The Presidential Mansion, which is the official residence of the President of the Hellenic Republic.

The mother-of-three wore a red dress that featured a cape detailing, which flaunted her arms.

She tied the look together with a black patent waist-cinching belt.

Brigitte wore her famous blonde locks in curls that sat on her shoulders, opting for a glamorous style for the formal occasion.

Brigitte appeared in deep conversation with Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during the toasts

The mother-of-three wore a red dress that featured a cape detailing, which flaunted her arms

She kept her accessories very minimal, with a simple red bracelet worn on her left wrist.

Brigitte spent much of the dinner mingling with President Prokopis Pavlopoulos, who was seated on her right.

The First Lady and Greek President looked to be in deep conversation as they shared a joke over drinks.

They were surrounded by refined guests and dignitaries and the group shared glasses of wine in their plush surroundings.

Brigitte's famous blonde locks were coiffed to perfection in preparation of this evening's dinner

The palace was filled with refined guests and dignitaries and the group shared glasses of wine in their plush surroundings

Last month Brigitte, who had been her husband's high school teacher, opened up about the age difference between the couple.

'The only problem is that he's younger than me,' she said of their marriage.

In a brutally honest interview, she admitted that she was reminded of the age gap every morning when she looked at the boyish Mr Macron.

'Of course, we have breakfast, me with my wrinkles, him with freshness, but that's how it is,' said Mrs Macron.

She also spoke out after public pressure forced the Macrons to abandon their plans to give Mrs Macron the official title of First Lady  claiming she was not too bothered.

Earlier today French President Emmanuel Macron called on members of the European Union to reboot the 60-year-old bloc with sweeping political reforms at the palace

'I don't feel like a First Lady,' said Mrs Macron. 'That's the translation of an American expression, and I don't like anything about it.'

Earlier today French President Emmanuel Macron called on members of the European Union to reboot the 60-year-old bloc with sweeping political reforms or risk a 'slow disintegration.'

Elected by a landslide in May, the 39-year-old Macron has vowed to back efforts for closer integration in the EU, which has been rattled by a financial crisis, migration issues, a populist backlash and Britain's decision to leave.

Thursday's visit came hours after Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record, battered French, British and Dutch territories in the Caribbean.

Brigitte looked refined in a monochrome ensemble as she listened to her husband's speech

'All of France is grief-stricken by the many victims yesterday from the hurricane,' Macron said. He promised to visit the region when the weather lets up and put climate change 'at the heart' of policymaking.

His evening speech was given in front of the ancient Acropolis on Pnyx Hill, where popular assemblies were held in Athens 2,500 years ago and the idea of democracy was developed.

The French president delivered his opening remarks in Greek, delighting an audience that included most of the Greek Cabinet.
Fashion Week's not all work for the biggest supermodels in the business  there's also some time to unwind and have some fun.

Bella Hadid and Hailey Baldwin both took some time to kick back at the beginning of NYFW on Wednesday night, attending an epic dance party for footwear brand Schutz.

While Hailey was spotted living it up on the dance floor, though, Bella decided to hang back behind the decks, sipping on a drink while Virgil Abloh manned the DJ booth.

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Dance par-tay! Bella Hadid was seen living it up at a New York Fashion Week party on Wednesday night

Celebrating style: It was a launch event for Schutz's Fall 2017 collection

Model friends: Hailey Baldwin, wearing a tight satin dress, was also in attendance

The two models were on hand for the Schutz Fall/Winter 2017 launch party in New York on the first evening of NYFW.

Hailey wore a super tight off-white satin dress by Meshki, which showed plenty of leg and cleavage. She posed for pictures with her signature pout and then took to the dance floor in a pair of comfy sneakers.

Bella, meanwhile, set up shop behind the DJ booth, wearing a wide smile on her face as well as a sexy back-baring black top and jeans.

The 20-year-old was spotted holding a glass with clear liquid inside as she laughed with friends, examined the rings on her fingers, and stuck out her tongue.

Assisting... Bella hung behind the DJ booth while Virgil Abloh played music

Woo woo! The model seemed to be laughing and having a great time

Don't I look fab? She admired some of her jewelry as the party raged on

The party was held at the brand's Madison Avenue store and was initially open to the public, who could stop in and check out the new collection.

The VIP event went on in pack, and also counted Leigh Lezark, Jordyn Woods, and a long list of influencers among guests.

But it's Bella and Hailey who no doubt have the busiest Fashion Weeks ahead of them, and they're wasting no time showing their faces at fashion goings-on around the city.

In fact, Bella was on double duty last night, also attending the launch of Bulgari's Goldea: The Roman Night fragrance in Brooklyn.

Fancy: Hailey stepped out for a NYFW Kickoff Party while rocking a plaid suit with a blue bralette on Wednesday, before heading to the Schutz party

Wow factor: Bella hit the black carpet for the launch of Bulgari's Goldea: The Roman Night fragrance in Brooklyn on the same day

Center stage: She's the face of Bulgari's new fragrance - Goldea: The Roman Night

Hailey had an even busier day, having already attended a Fashion Week kick-off event  A Celebration Of Personal Style, hosted by E!, Elle and IMG and sponsored by TRESemme  earlier that afternoon.

After the Schutz party, she headed back out meeting up with Sofia Richie and Chantel Jeffries to party some more.

Neither model, however, has yet to walk in a runway show yet  though Fashion Week only officially kicked off last night.
On March 28, 2014, just under three and a half years ago, I gave birth to my daughter, Rose. And it was March 25, the day before my labour started, that was the very last time I felt properly myself.

I don't mean that in a casual, 'Oh, life changes so much after having children' way. I mean it in a profound, heartbreaking, so-hard-to-write-down-it-brings-me-to-tears way.

My very hazy 33 hours of labour passed in what I can only describe as 'a darkness'. From the moment my waters broke while I was at home at 10pm on a Wednesday, to the 18-plus hours in hospital where I was refused a bed (and left to sit in a side room with only a chair) while contractions came every two minutes, to the two morphine injections I was given after finding a doctor on the ward and literally getting down on both knees in a corridor and begging for help, to finally being allowed onto a labour ward after my mum irritated the nurses enough for them to send me, to the two epidurals (the first one mis-sited) and then pushing unsuccessfully for an hour, I existed in a blackness.

Two whole nights and a day had gone and yet I could not tell you anything about them. There must have been light. I just can't remember it.

Everything went white in those final five minutes. The bright lights of the white operating theatre. Doctors in white gowns. The c-section I was prepped for never happened. But what did changed me  psychologically and physically  completely.

Grazia editor Natasha Pearlman went through a natural birthing process with her daughter, Rose, on March 28, 2014. Now she reveals why she would never go natural again

Rose, now three years old, was born on March 28, 2014, after Natasha went through 33 hours of labour

Rose was stuck. Too big to come out  me too small.

This is pretty normal in the scheme of birthing hitches. But it's not one that you're ever really talked through in detail beforehand.

The doctors, as they must do in thousands of births every week, went for the forceps.

My husband, whom I insisted stayed right up by my head the entire time (there are some things nobody needs to see), told me that it was the only time he had the urge to intervene. A doctor was sitting on a chair, pulling with all her weight, yanking Rose out of me with a pair of giant metal tongs. One go wasn't enough. It took three.

Just imagine what that does physically to someone. I tore. I was cut. I was stitched up. I couldn't sit down without a rubber ring supporting me (so utterly humiliating) for at least four weeks. I had haemorrhoids. I bled. I hurt for months. Physically and emotionally. I wasn't depressed. I was in shock.

I had to go out and live a 'normal life', because I had another life to care for. And I had a baby who had allergies and needed help. Which seemed to take up so much of my time and brain space, I stopped really thinking about myself.

To be absolutely honest, I didn't know how to speak about it. And nobody asked. Not a doctor. Or a midwife. And, for a long time, I only shared sparing details with my husband (I felt too ashamed).

I felt, I suppose, like a failure. I also felt I had been failed.

It's these feelings of failure that the Royal College of Midwives wants to end, with the announcement last month that it is going to suspend its 12-year campaign for 'normal births' (ie, births without any drug or medical intervention) and redefine 'assisted' births as 'physiological'. The RCM's chief executive, Professor Cathy Warwick, told The Times, 'There is a danger that if you just talk about normal births  and particularly if you call it a campaign  it kind of sounds as if you're only interested in women who have a vaginal birth without intervention. What we don't want to do is in any way contribute to any sense that a woman has failed because she hasn't had a normal birth. Unfortunately, that seems to be how some women feel.'

It is. And yes, the ending of this campaign will hopefully help remove the current stigma attached to not 'doing it naturally'. (What is so wrong with wanting pain relief? We take paracetamol for headaches, for goodness' sake.) But what it won't end, for me, is the overwhelming sense that women today are being failed, not just by a choice of words, but by the system, too.

Why was I so obsessed with having a natural birth? I have asked myself this a million times in the three years that have passed.

Natasha, pictured above with her daughter, Rose, describes how she felt as though it was 'assumed' she would give birth naturally, and she says no other options were discussed when she met with a midwife on the NHS

Childbirth is presented in a number of ways to women. As a challenge: are you real or tough enough to do it the 'proper' way? A holistic wonder: 'The joy of passing through the pain'. A terror: although not, ironically, of what could happen during natural labour, but of c-sections and epidurals.

And the way most women encounter this information is via their midwives and NCT (National Childbirth Trust) classes.

Standing back from it now, I feel such immense heartbreak at the way birth was presented to me, but also my complicity in it.

From my first appointment with a midwife on the NHS there was a blanket assumption that I wanted to do it naturally. No conversations were initiated about birthing options. I saw a different midwife every appointment.

From my first appointment with a midwife on the NHS there was a blanket assumption that I wanted to do it naturally. No conversations were initiated about birthing options. I saw a different midwife every appointment. When I asked to whom I should give my birthing plan once I'd written it down (in the bulging file you are required to carry around with you from your first scan), I was told dismissively that births vary anyway and whatever was best for the baby would be done regardless. (I still find this so difficult because it effectively dismisses the human who then has to piece together their body to take care of the child, although of course I understand that preserving life is of the utmost importance.)

At twenty-something weeks I made, as many pregnant women do, the transition to NCT  six weeks of 'lessons' at a cost of 300, thank you very much.

The teachers, trained by the organisation, are passionate advocates of natural birthing. From my experience, I'd go as far as to venture that, if you are planning to have a c-section from the off, it's a particularly unwelcoming atmosphere. And the very reason a couple of my friends who were having c-sections chose not to participate.

I had actually gone into NCT classes believing I wanted an epidural. I left fearing all intervention.

The once-a-week sessions taught me how to breathe. But I was also told that epidurals carried risks, potentially delayed labour, made it hard to know when to push. One of the dads in my group was the obstetric anaesthetist at the local hospital. He stopped the NCT teacher to angrily remonstrate with her; regardless, the seeds of doubt had been planted in our minds.

Morphine or the equivalent wouldn't help anyway. And with breathing, you could be in control. A water birth? The dream  C-sections? I can't even remember it being on the syllabus, other than yet more fear-inducing over a six-week recovery, not being able to walk, not being able to hold your baby  which, while it may be true for emergency C-sections, did not appear to apply to some of my friends who'd had them selectively and started off parenthood without the mind-shattering trauma that I did. Although so much is never talked about that it's impossible to really know.

At one point, our teacher passed round a faded 20-year-old picture of a woman 'birthing' her placenta. I turned the picture over and refused to look. Who needed to see that? I wanted to know what could happen  real scenarios, real options. Over and again I was reassured that I could do it naturally, that was it. I was made to feel that if it didn't work out like that, somehow it would be my fault. I just needed to go with it.

Natasha, 35, admits that she is still traumatised by the birth of her daughter Rose, now three (pictured together)

I'm an educated woman. I should have been more inquiring. I wasn't. I made my decision to go 'natural' in part because of fear. Also because my sister had had a successful  although accidental, due to the speed of her labour  intervention-free water birth.

And, at the fittest I've ever been, I believed my body was up to the challenge that had been presented to me. But mainly I trusted that my 'educators' had my best interests at heart. As shown by the RCM climbdown, I don't think they did. And NCT? While I'm aware many people have a positive experience with these groups  and some have wonderful teachers  for me, for the reasons above, they are fundamentally no longer fit for purpose.

For a long time after, I played back the birth in my head to try to process it. At other times, it came in distressing flashbacks.

I was well aware that what happened to me wasn't unique. But that was almost more upsetting. I felt like my wellbeing and my body had been completely disregarded. Surely I wasn't alone?

There were moments when I blamed myself. When my waters broke at home on the Wednesday night and the contractions started coming every one to two minutes (the time at which I was told by my NCT teacher to come in), we drove to hospital. When I had asked my teacher what to do if your waters broke before full labour had started, she replied, 'That only happens in the movies,' and moved on. So right from the start I felt unsure, unprepared. The midwife who examined me in the admissions ward told me to go home. I wasn't dilated enough (only 2cm, not the required 4cm) to be deemed admissible.

The midwives did nothing. It seemed as if they had made the decision, without consulting me, to push me to the absolute limit to deliver the baby naturally. There was no option for me to change my mind. I was in a system out of my control.

But I was scared. I also had no idea how I was supposed to know when to come back, when I was already experiencing nonstop contractions. I did not want to have my baby at home. Did everything else bad that followed stem from what I did next?

I refused to leave. They refused to give me a bed. If I was insisting on staying, then my 'punishment' was a windowless side room, with only a chair. To add insult to injury, the entire maternity ward was empty. Not a single bedroom occupied.

At first I remember feeling OK. It was my decision to stay. I was mentally coping. But when, after about eight hours, they finally discovered that Rose had turned back to back (which, I only found out after I'd given birth, halts labour), I still wasn't assessed properly.

Given that there is a limited time to deliver a baby after your waters break (within 24 hours, to limit the risk of infection), looking back I would have expected to have been talked through some options: to be given a room, offered an induction, even just some simple advice on how to turn the baby.

The midwives did nothing. It seemed as if they had made the decision, without consulting me, to push me to the absolute limit to deliver the baby naturally. There was no option for me to change my mind. I was in a system out of my control. I also didn't know how to ask for anything else  I didn't even really know what to ask for.

Even when I was finally dilated enough to be admitted, I wasn't. The windowless room remained my home. My spirit was broken.

She described how she had to beg a doctor for morphine while having contractions and said 'she hurt for months' after her daughter was delivered using forceps. Natasha (left) is pictured with former Vogue editor Alexandra Shulman and Glamour editor Jo Elvin

I hadn't eaten for I couldn't remember how long. I didn't know what day it was. I was high as a kite after the morphine I'd had to beg for. And then, at some point late on Thursday, 19 hours after I had first arrived, when the doctors were insisting that I needed antibiotics to prevent Rose being at risk of infection, I was allowed onto the medical labour ward to be induced. Being under the care of doctors rather than nurses changed everything. I literally wept with happiness when the epidural and its huge needle threaded up my back.

It would have been about 5.15 on the Friday morning when I was asked to find the energy to push a child out of me. I tried so hard, I could feel my body breaking things I just knew could never heal. And when Rose didn't come, I was sent to the operating theatre.

I was so relieved I was going to have my baby that I no longer cared what was happening. But I should have.

Because if I had not been so ill-informed, I might have been able to protect myself better. To prevent the long-term damage I still suffer from today. I paid good money to learn about birth. I came out so uninformed that I wasn't able to insist on what was right for me. No forceps. Quick, fast pain relief. And a c-section.

The biggest shock of my difficult birth was the aftermath. It seems stupid to say but, by the end of my labour, I was so numbed with shock and pain relief that I hadn't really expected what would happen to my body in those first hours, days and weeks after. I cannot begin to describe the horror of realising that I could barely walk because every centimetre of my pelvis was swollen, bleeding or stitched up. The pain of going to the toilet for the first time. The complete fear of what my body was going to do next, coupled with a tiredness that was unlike anything else.

I paid good money to learn about birth. I came out so uninformed that I wasn't able to insist on what was right for me. No forceps. Quick, fast pain relief. And a c-section.

I had to wear incontinence pads just to walk about, because maternity ones didn't cut it. I shook constantly. The first time I got on the Tube, when Rose was six weeks, I had a panic attack. It sounds bonkers, but it was like climbing Everest. I couldn't believe I used to do it every day without thinking.

I also hated my body. How can you find the confidence to love your body again, and to even imagine feeling sexy, when it doesn't work as it used to? I remember my husband trying to initiate sex for the first time after about six weeks. I literally recoiled in fear.

Sex  that is the one thing no one ever prepared me for post-birth. The pain. Thankfully it got easier after a few months and pretty much back to normal after six. But for a while I just had to grit my teeth and get through it. You can see why so many marriages come under strain after a baby. It takes an enormous understanding on both sides that the thing you have loved, and made your child, can feel so violating for a woman after.

When I went back to work after six months it was a relief. I wasn't cut out for maternity leave, but then I suppose my maternity leave was also a reminder of the bad times. My blind focus was on trying to restore as much of my old life as possible, and in many ways that has totally saved me. I filled hours with work and Rose. There was no time to think about it any more.

For a long time, I was aware that other friends had been through traumatic births, too. But apart from comparing a few surface horror stories, we never spoke about the long-term damage. How many of us sitting there over lunch felt like I did inside? Did any of them also weep silently alone at night? How many of them still find what happened difficult to talk about? I never hated my friends who'd had a better time of it. Maybe it wasn't as simple as they said anyway. Who knows the real truth? We still don't talk much about it through shame.

Natasha said the National Childbirth Trust (NCT) antenatal classes left her fearing all medical intervention, including an epidural

Three and a half years have passed since that day. In many ways, my life is more than I could ever want it to be. I'm the editor of Grazia magazine. I have Rose. A marriage I'm incredibly proud of.

Underneath it all is a trauma that defines me. I still can't run, walk at a fast pace, get on a trampoline or even sneeze without suffering incontinence. (How's that for front-row fashion-week chat?) And I am utterly terrified of getting pregnant again, while knowing that my husband would really love another child.

I carry my shameful little secret around with me constantly. One that isn't actually my fault.

This is no pity party. My experience is by no means the worst. It's also by no means the most traumatic (I am incredibly lucky never to have experienced loss). I don't take huge pleasure in reliving what happened, and it's unashamedly self-indulgent and selfish.

Underneath it all is a trauma that defines me. I still can't run, walk at a fast pace, get on a trampoline or even sneeze without suffering incontinence. (How's that for front-row fashion-week chat?) And I am utterly terrified of getting pregnant again, while knowing that my husband would really love another child.

But it is the truth. About what can happen to a female body during birth and the psychological and physical consequences of the obsession with natural birth (no drugs, no epidurals, no inductions, no c-sections) at any cost. And, the reason I feel so passionate about talking about it, is that it is a truth that has been hidden for far too long.

There is growing evidence that I am not alone in feeling this way. The Birth Trauma Association, a peer-to-peer support group, estimates that as many as 200,000 women may feel traumatised by childbirth and develop untreated symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder. Another 10,000 seek treatment every year. It is estimated that perinatal mental health problems carry a total long-term cost to the UK of about 8.1 billion for each one-year cohort of births, with 1.2 billion falling on the NHS and social services.

More than 90 per cent of women who have vaginal births tear or need an episiotomy (a cut). Up to half of all women who have children suffer some form of prolapse and, according to a 2015 study in the British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, 24 per cent of women suffered pain during sex for 18 months after birth.

How is it that childbirth  the one thing our bodies do that male bodies can't  can feel so anti-feminist? How is it that while feminism has advanced our careers, it hasn't advanced the one thing that can cause us the most trauma and most lifelong physical changes? And why has it taken so long for us to speak openly about it?

For many years, I think that giving birth was a badge we were meant to earn. When you have the entire Royal College of Midwives set fundamentally against the feminist founders of Spare Rib magazine, who were lambasted for their belief that every woman deserved a pain-free birth, how were we meant to move forward? Similarly, women who opted for c-sections were labelled 'too posh to push'.

The magazine editor says she was left feeling like a 'failure' following the birth of Rose (picture). However, she says she also feels that she was failed

Then, more recently, the trend for natural birthing ramped up  with the explosion of hypnobirthing, 'orgasmic birthing' and the RCM's 'normal' campaign. Yet all this is set against a 20 per cent rise over the past 30 years in women having 'assisted' births. (They now account for 60 per cent of all babies delivered in the UK  attributed to the rising average age of mothers and the increase in baby birth weights. Although figures in a 2016 RCM study suggest it's even higher  nearing 80 per cent.)

But now we are on the cusp of another huge generational shift. Generation X and the millennials have become mothers in the age of social media. We share our lives on it. We use it to advance our careers. We are empowered in so many respects by it. And we are tentatively beginning to share the real birthing stories that have, in many cases, irrevocably changed us.

Would I have wanted a baby despite knowing everything that could happen? Of course. Would I still have tried to have a natural birth? Probably. I just would have gone into it eyes wide open.

We have grown up expecting careers. And we take care of ourselves. We want to return to work after having a baby, and we don't want to do that physically altered. We want to exercise, to run  not to have to wear sanitary towels just in case we sneeze. We want to have the information beforehand so we can make the choices that are right for us. We want, as much as possible, to be in control. We are aware that no man would ever accept this level of injury or lasting damage if they gave birth. We also don't want Generation Z not to know this.

I'm certainly not advocating a switch to c-sections. Why shouldn't women want, and have, a natural birth? But armed with knowledge, wouldn't we know far better what to ask for when things stop going to plan? How differently would we feel about birth if it were placed more in our control?

In the three years since I gave birth I've often wondered what has stopped us telling women in advance what childbirth is really like, and I can't help but think it's a form of control  do we fear somehow that if we tell a woman what it's really like, she might not want a baby? Are we being kept in the dark so that we continue to procreate?

Would I have wanted a baby despite knowing everything that could happen? Of course. Would I still have tried to have a natural birth? Probably. I just would have gone into it eyes wide open. And I truly believe that, at the very point I realised it was going to go horribly wrong for my body, I would have insisted on medical intervention.

If I were ever to do it again, though, I would never go natural. Just last week, at a doctor's appointment, I joked to my amazing GP, 'If I ever have another child, I'll tell you right now it's not coming out of my vagina.' She laughed and replied, 'Why do you think I had a caesarean for all three?'

She knew. She chose. Now it's time the rest of us got told.

The Times Magazine / News Syndication
The father of an eight-year-old boy with a terminal copper deficiency has created a heart-wrenching documentary to shed light on the painful, rare condition - and the agony of raising a child with an incurable disease.

After Daniel DeFabio's son Lucas was diagnosed with a fatal disease called Menkes, which doctors know very little about, DeFabio and his wife Tina felt their world fall apart.

Menkes affects only one in 100,000 children in the US, and it causes them to have copper deficiencies, which means their brains and muscles do not develop properly. And Menkes patients typically die before the age of 10.

Once his family had processed the weight of Lucas's diagnosis, DeFabio decided to make a movie to highlight the isolation that the few parents who have children with Menkes feel.

DeFabio speaks about the heartbreak that his and other families - who have been been united by DeFabio's project - have gone through because their children have been given what he describes as a 'death sentence'.

He also talks about his never-ending mission to convince researchers to find a cure for Menkes and the difficulties of caring for a disabled child who requires round-the-clock medical attention and supervision.

DeFabio's hope is that his 11-minute film reminds families with children with Menkes that they are not alone and that it moves the medical community to find a cure for Lucas's disease.

WHAT IS MENKES DISEASE?

Menkes Disease is caused by a gene mutation that messes up the body's process of making a protein that regulates copper levels.

It causes children's hair, brain and muscle growth to be impaired. Because of this, children with the disease typically have sparse, brittle hair, so the disease is also known as Kinky Hair Syndrome.

Symptoms of the disease include seizures, low body weight, sagging facial features, kinky hair and intellectual disability. Children who have the disease are typically diagnosed as infants and many die before their tenth birthday.

There is no cure for Menkes, but there is a treatment, which consists of daily copper injections, that helps some children.

However, if children with the disease do not receive the treatment before they are 10 days old, the treatment is ineffective most of the time. And because the disease is so rare, nurses and doctors rarely know to check for it in newborns.

Lucas DeFabio (left) is pictured here with his father Daniel DeFabio (right) in 2015. Lucas has a rare, terminal illness called Menkes Disease. This photo is from a film that his father made about the illness called Menkes Disease: Finding Help & Hope

In the film, parents spoke about the hardships that come with caring for a disabled child. One such parent was Lucas's mother, Tina DeFabio, pictured here with her son

LUCAS DEFABIO'S DIAGNOSIS

Children with Menkes Disease usually die before the age of 10. Lucas will turn nine this coming December

DeFabio and Tina did not know about Menkes Disease before Lucas was diagnosed with it as a one year old.

'We'd never heard of it before,' he said. But, like many parents who have a child with a rare disease, he learned much about it very quickly. He added: 'You suddenly become experts.'

The New York father-of-two was heartbroken when he was told about Lucas's terminal diagnosis. 'It sounds like a death sentence for your child,' he said.

'You're grieving for a loss that hasn't happened yet.'

After processing his son's fate, though, DeFabio, who works in movie marketing and film making, turned the isolation that his family initially felt as a result of Lucas's diagnosis into action.

His family joined an online support group and got to know other families who were caring for a loved one with the disease.

This is how he came to know David Perry and Tamara Murdoch, two parents featured in his short film, which he created in 2015.

WHAT IS MENKES DISEASE? Lucass disease is caused by a mutation to his ATP7A gene, which is responsible for giving the body instructions on how to make a specific protein that regulates its copper levels. On a cellular level, copper is crucial for bodily functions, but too much of it can be toxic. Menkes disease causes childrens brains to have low levels of copper, but their intestines and kidneys receive it. Copper deficiencies cause problems with various bodily functions. They affect ones bone, hair, blood vessels, skin and nervous system. Other names for Menkes include: Copper transport disease

Kinky Hair Syndrome

Steely Hair Syndrome

X-linked copper deficiency Advertisement

DeFabio made the film with the hopes of spreading awareness of Menkes, since, had he known about the treatment his son should have received in his first ten days, his family's life would look drastically different today.

'There's a very tight time table. [But] it can save their life and give them a more typical developmental path,' DeFabio said. 'People need to be more aware.'

'While we don't have a cure, we do have a treatment, if you're aware in time,' he added.

His goal is to 'get more information out there to more people' so that early detection of the disease can be more commonplace.

And he hopes his film making efforts will encourage people and institutions to raise funds for a cure for Menkes.

The film has been used by the Menkes Foundation, which promotes Menkes research, and it has helped them convince institutions of the need for a cure.

'They've been able to push the science,' DeFabio said about the Menkes Foundation.

And their push for a cure has made headway: a neonatal screening for the disease has recently been approved. 'A year ago we didn't have that,' DeFabio said.

Another reason that he created the film was to spread a message of hope to families whose children are diagnosed with Menkes.

DeFabio said that when Lucas was diagnosed, he did not fully process what this meant for his family because of the constant stream of dire statistics and facts that were thrown at him.

'When you get the diagnosis and Google it, all of the information is very bad news,' he explained. 'Your child is headed down a path that no one wants.'

He hoped that his film, which tells the stories of three families who have kids with Menkes Disease, would inspire other families who might be dealing with 'isolation or loneliness' because of a similar diagnosis.

Lucas's parents were initially overwhelmed when they learned about their son's rare illness, but they have since adapted to the lifestyle that comes with it, which includes frequent doctors appointments

Daniel DeFabio (left), pictured here with his wife Tina and two sons Lucas (left) and Alex (right), said that Lucas's illness has taught his family much about what it means to be happy and that he has learned to focus on being present since he does not know how much time he will have with Lucas

COPING WITH LUCAS'S ILLNESS TODAY

Since Lucas's diagnosis, the DeFabios have adapted to the lifestyle that being a parent of a disabled child requires.

Lucas's mother, Tina, talked about this process in her husband's documentary.

She said: 'When we first received the diagnosis, I thought: "I don't know how we can ever be happy again." But after a tough period of adjusting expectations, I can honestly say now that he brings us so much more joy than pain.'

Her husband echoed this feeling and said that Lucas's illness eventually taught him the meaning of cliche sayings, such as 'live for today' and 'stay in the moment'.

'All of a sudden, those things matter more to us,' DeFabio said. 'We don't get to plan the next year.'

DeFabio added that Lucas's life is 'very full of joy and happiness'. Lucas is happiest when his mother, father and younger brother Alex are all paying attention to him and showing him affection, his father said.

'He has simple needs. It refocuses each of us on what it takes to be happy.'

HOW DEFABIO'S FILM BROUGHT TOGETHER FAMILIES WITH CHILDREN WHO HAVE RARE, TERMINAL DISEASES

Tamara Murdoch, whose son, Miles, has Menkes Disease, was interviewed for DeFabio's documentary. She talked about the shock that came with her son's diagnosis and her frustration with doctors who did not seem to care

The two other families featured in DeFabio's film spoke about the difficulties of caring for children with rare, demanding diseases.

Tamara Murdoch, a mother from Australia whose son Miles has Menkes, talked about how it is frustrating when some doctors are of no help to her and her family in DeFabio's film.

'The doctors I respect are the ones that say: "Look, we don't know, but we'll find out,' Murdoch said.

DeFabio hired another film crew to work with Tamara and Miles since they were so far away and he described Tamara as a 'vocal advocate for Menkes Disease'.

The other father featured in his documentary, David Perry, was located much more conveniently: in the same state as DeFabio. 'It was easy for me to get to them,' DeFabio said.

Graydon Perry, who lives in New York State, also has Menkes Disease and was featured in DeFabio's film

Perry also said that dealing with doctors has proven challenging since his son Graydon's Menkes diagnosis.

'They don't know what to do basically,' Perry said in the film.

After DeFabio created Menkes Disease: Finding Help & Hope, he met another father of a child with a rare disease, named Bo Bigelow, at an advocacy conference.

Bigelow's daughter, Tess, has an extremely rare developmental disease that is caused by a genetic mutation.

Tess Bigelow has a rare gene mutation that has not been named

'It happens to be so rare that it doesn't have a name yet,' DeFabio said about Tess's disease, which affects the USP7 gene.

Little is known about Tess's genetic mutation, but, after Bigelow found out which gene of Tess's was mutated, he did his research and became connected to a handful of other families around the world whose children have USP7 mutations.

Bigelow has made a film called 'Tess Is Not Alone' because when Tess's parents originally learned of her rare diagnosis they were worried she was the only one in the world that had it.

Bigelow and DeFabio began working together to find ways to spread awareness of and raise funds for their children's diseases.

The pair wanted to create an event that was inexpensive and mainstream but that attracted the attention of medical researchers and doctors.

DeFabio said that the pair asked: 'Is there a way to have the best of both?'

They decided on a film festival that features only movies about rare diseases because it would attract their target audience but would not break the bank the way medical conferences can.

The festival is called Disorder: The Rare Diseases Film Festival, and will take place on October 2-3 in Boston. It will also feature talks by patient advocates and rare disease researchers.

Disorder has 11 sponsors, more than half of which are pharmaceutical companies that have an interest in finding a cure for diseases that plague children such as Lucas, Graydon, Miles and Tess.
The rise of cyberchrondriac patients who self-diagnose from online searches has caused a surge in unnecessary health fears, experts have warned.

The problem is becoming remarkably common, with many visiting hospitals with exaggerated concerns after researching their condition via Dr Google or reading about a celebritys health problems.

Experts yesterday revealed they estimate that up to one in five outpatients in hospitals across the country could have a condition called health anxiety, which leads them to excessively analyse their health.

The rise of cyberchrondriac patients who self-diagnose from online searches has caused a surge in unnecessary health fears, experts have warned

Sufferers are costing the NHS at least 420million a year, estimated Dr Barbara Barrett, a senior lecturer in health economics at Kings College London.

But she warned the total cost, including follow-up tests such as an MRI scan  which costs the NHS 200  was likely to be much higher.

Although some with health anxiety may have a genuine physical ailment, sufferers will often believe their condition is far more severe than it really is, despite all medical evidence to the contrary.

Researchers are now calling for health anxiety to be widely recognised as a condition and for the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence to produce guidelines on managing it.

Sufferers are costing the NHS at least 420million a year, estimated Dr Barbara Barrett, a senior lecturer in health economics at Kings College London

The team, from Kings and Imperial College London, believe treating the illness could save the health service millions. Yesterday Peter Tyrer, emeritus professor in community psychiatry at Imperial said: Health anxiety is remarkably common, we think its getting more common.

People now go to their GP with a whole list of things they looked up on the internet and say: What do you make of this? Unfortunately, Dr Google ... is very informative but he doesnt put things in the right proportioning. [Google] mentions ... a serious disease which is very rare, but unfortunately the health anxious patient ... thinks: Im the one in the 1,000.

He said recent trends for monitoring our own health are legitimising the behaviour, adding: That plus cyberchondria is reinforcing the frequency of this condition. The researchers said health anxiety is often triggered by an event such as a death or an illness seen in a celebrity. Sufferers will repeatedly seek medical reassurance but this only affords temporary relief.

The team claimed that if just 5 per cent of the cost of outpatient appointments were linked to health anxiety, this would cost the NHS a conservative estimate of more than 420million a year.

But a study led by Professor Tyrer found cognitive behavioural therapy could help to treat sufferers and prevent thousands of wasted trips to GPs and hospitals.
Stroke survivors are at double the risk of developing cancer, new research suggests.

Spanish scientists believe that the potentially deadly blood clots may be triggered by tumours which have yet to cause symptoms.

They said this would help explain why they are diagnosed with cancer after having already suffered a life-changing stroke - giving tumours time to develop.

In two thirds of the cases recorded in a small study, the disease had already spread around the body, known as metastasis - making the cancer deadlier.

Survivors should thus be closely monitored for cancer in the 18 months after they suffered a stroke, the doctors said.

The early results, dubbed 'interesting', by researchers at the Hospital de La Princesa, Madrid, were based on medical records of 381 patients.

Researchers believe strokes are triggered by tumours which have yet to spark any symptoms, hence the diagnosis is made later

Lead author Dr Jacobo Rogado said: 'We found that the incidence of cancer in stroke survivors was almost twice that of the general population.

'When cancer was diagnosed it was usually at an advanced stage, and the diagnosis was made within six months after a stroke.'

He added: 'Stroke survivors should be followed clinically for the development of cancer in the 18 months after the diagnosis of stroke.'

All the participants involved in the research had been treated in the stroke unit of the hospital over a period of 24 months.

The scientists found that 7.6 per cent (29) of survivors developed cancer, most frequently in the colon, lung and prostate.

This was higher than the expected incidence of 4.5 per cent (17), based on statistics for the general population, they said.

Nearly half of the cancer diagnoses occurred within the first six months after the patient suffered a stroke.

An analysis showed that the patients had higher levels of fibrinogen in their blood - a protein that helps to form blood clots.

But experts greeted the preliminary findings, presented at the European Society for Medical Oncology congress in Madrid, with caution.

A TELL-TALE SIGN OF STROKE? Having diagonal creases across your ear lobes may mean you are at increased risk of suffering a stroke, according to research in May. Scientists who examined 241 people who had experienced a stroke found more than three-quarters of them had the mark, known as Franks sign, on their ears. Its thought that clogging of the arteries, which increases the risk of a stroke, also leads to poor blood supply to the ear lobes. This would cause a loss of elasticity and, in turn, the visible creasing. The Israeli researchers who uncovered the findings said doctors should consider adding the ear lobe crease to the list of classic risk factors for the development of stroke. Advertisement

Dr Fausto Roila, director of medical oncology, at the Santa Maria della Misericordia Hospital, Perugia, Italy, said the study had its limitations.

He added: 'The link between stroke and cancer is an interesting issue that has been previously studied.

'The design of this study has an important limitation, which is the lack of a matched control group; a case-control study would have been more suitable.

'Moreover, comparing the detected number of incident cases with those observed in a general population, the difference is only 12 patients.

'This could be due to differences in age between the two groups. The general population includes people of all ages, while the case population is primarily older.'

It comes after Weill Cornell Medical College in New York City researchers found newly diagnosed cancer patients face a higher risk of stroke.

In 2015 they revealed that the risk of the deadly blood clots was highest among those with more aggressive forms of the disease.

Around 150,000 Britons and 800,000 Americans have a stroke each year, a third of whom die within 12 months.

Half the survivors have paralysis, speech problems, personality changes and other disabilities.
Experts have warned about the dangers of having oral sex when pregnant.

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in pregnancy can cause serious problems for a baby, and can even be deadly, depending on the type of infection.

Getting gonorrhea and chlamydia when pregnant raises the risk of miscarriage. Passing on syphilis can cause organ damage in newborns while hepatitis B can cause liver disease.

The health risks from contracting a STI are greatest when a woman is in her third trimester, says a sexual health nurse.

Genital herpes is a major concern as getting it at this stage means there's a 50 per cent chance your baby will get it at delivery.

The warning has come from Terri Warren, author of The Good News About The Bad News: Herpes: Everything You Need to Know.

Experts have warned about the danger of oral sex to pregnant women, especially in the third trimester, when a woman's immune system is compromised (stock photo)

'The biggest risk is when a woman contracts herpes in the third trimester,' she told Vice.

'If you get herpes in your third trimester, there's a 50 percent chance your baby will get it at delivery.'

She explains that in the third trimester, a woman's immune system is compromised, placing them at greater risk of contracting STIs.

Compromised immune system

Peter Leone, professor of medicine at the University of North Carolina's School of Medicine told Vice that genital herpes is often contracted via oral sex.

Therefore, cunnilingus late in pregnancy could lead to severe complications since the first outbreak usually occurs when the host's immune response is compromised (such as during pregnancy).

However, the risks are reduced with babies born by cesarean, obstetrician Natalie Greenwold explained.

'If they are born through vaginal delivery and the mother has contracted herpes, it is far more dangerous for the unborn child, who will likely enter the world with an STI,' she told The Independent.

STIs can be transmitted even if a condom is worn. It can act as a barrier for fluids but it does not eliminate all skin-to-skin contact. As a result, transmission of STIs such as HPV, herpes, syphilis, pubic lice, or scabies can occur even if a condom is used.

But semen is good for morning sickness

However, experts have also said that giving oral sex is the best way to cure morning sickness.

A psychologist at the University at Albany-SUNY claimed that women who consume sperm from the male who impregnated them are likely to counteract the common side effect during pregnancy.

Gordon Gallup, who works within the university's psychology department, believes that morning sickness is simply caused by the introduction of semen, a foreign substance, in order to impregnate her.

He believes that women are able to build up a tolerance to the semen that impregnated them by simply digesting more of it.
FARGO -- A federal judge has dismissed a civil lawsuit against the city of Fargo, its former police chief and two officers that claimed police wrongfully accused a woman of possessing drug paraphernalia during her arrest for drunken driving.

The judgment from U.S. District Judge Ralph Erickson throws out the suit brought in early 2016 by Sarah Rhodes of Moorhead, Minn., naming officers Jamey Gahner and David Cochran, and former Chief Keith Ternes.

Rhodes attorney, Timothy Lamb of Grand Forks, said a pipe used for smoking drugs was discarded by a different person driven in the same squad car just before Rhodes arrest.

Fargo Police Chief David Todd, who became chief in late 2015 after the incident, said he strongly disagrees with the attorneys assertions.

The case was dismissed for a reason, Todd said.

Lamb referenced the doctrine of qualified immunity, which protects government officials from liability for civil damages.

If they do wrong, tough beans, he said. Theyre immune from any civil prosecution, unless its malicious or so way out of bounds.

Lamb said his client is considering an appeal to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

He said a judge in a conservative state like North Dakota will almost always rule in favor of law enforcement in this situation.

You almost have to go to appeals court to get a fair shake, Lamb said.

The case could end up being under Ericksons purview again because hes been nominated by President Donald Trump to serve on the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.

Rhodes, a single mother in her late 20s who works for a local bank, was stopped by police in June 2013 after they saw her car change lanes improperly and swerving.

She was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving, and police later found a broken glass pipe on the floor of the police car she was transported in.

Lamb said the officer thought the pipe smelled of meth, so Rhodes was charged with felony possession of drug paraphernalia.

Forensic tests showed the pipe was positive for marijuana, not meth, prompting prosecutors to reduce the charge to a Class A misdemeanor.

Lamb said a private investigator learned a man charged with meth possession had been in back of the same squad car two days prior to Rhodes arrest, and that squad car video he obtained showed the man taking a pipe from his front shirt pocket and dropping it to the floor.

Rhodes was convicted of DUI, but prosecutors determined they couldnt prove she had possession of the drug pipe and the charge was dismissed.

Rhodes sued for mental anguish and a lost job promotion. She sought more than $100,000 in damages.

Lamb said an expert on squad car videos determined Fargo police didnt have a standard policy then for inspecting squad cars before and after an officers shift.

Todd said while there wasnt written policy previously, officers were trained to inspect squad cars before their shift and the passenger area after a suspect is transported.

After Todd became police chief, he put such a policy in place, though he said it wasnt a direct result of the Rhodes case.

Todd said the officers named in the lawsuit remain on the force. Gahner is an intelligence detective and Cochran is a K-9 officer.
They are the bane of many parents' lives.

Not only do headlice cause incessant itching, but treating them is an ordeal in itself, with tears, tantrums and products often potent enough to knock you out.

And as the schools go back - and we hit peak nit season  hundreds of thousands of youngsters will be affected.

Why? Because the small insects are highly adapted to one type of environment: hair on a human's head - especially primary school-aged children.

Infuriatingly, in the battle of human's vs headlice, it's the parasite that's winning.

Scientists have warned that lice are becoming increasingly resistant to products  leaving parents with fewer options than ever.

The small insects are highly adapted to hair on school-aged children's heads, experts warn

And last year, it was reported that a strain of 'super lice' was now affecting half of the states in the US.

These so-called 'super lice' are resistant to 98 per cent of over-the-counter remedies'  containing pyrethrins and permethrins - the active ingredients in most popular treatments.

This is because they carry genetic mutations which make them immune to the pesticide.

In the UK, this resistance figure is 87 per cent, according to research published in the Journal of Medical Entomology.

Yet two-thirds of parents with school-age children have dealt with an infestation, a poll by Puressentiel, a company that makes clinically proven essential oil products, found.

On average, families face three or four encounters with the itch-inducing insects while their children are at school, one in 10 parents has been forced to deal with 10 or more infestations.

DESPERATE MEASURES Many parents, desperate for a natural treatment, employ some bizarre methods in a bid to banish nits. The new research from Puressentiel, which quizzed 1,000 parents around the UK, also found that: One in six have been advised to comb vinegar through their child's hair

One in ten have been told to apply mayonnaise or olive oil and leave it in the hair for a few hours in the hope that it will kill the lice.

A staggering 8 per cent had tried vodka

A quarter said they'd had to do more than one treatment to kill the lice

81 per cent had attempted wet-combing their child's hair to eliminate lice, but admitted their child hated it  especially if their hair was thick and curly.

Two-thirds said they would opt for a natural treatment  as long as it was as effective as other options. Advertisement

And while lice are becoming resistant to many popular treatments, a big part of the problem is parents not letting on their children have nits  enabling them to spread to other members of their child's class, says Dr Gill Jenkins, a GP in Bristol.

'Usually it's because they are embarrassed, but there are some parents who unfortunately don't  or can't  deal with lice effectively, causing other kids to become infested,' she explains.

Getting the the root of the problem

In recent years, the appetite for chemical treatments has plummeted  not only because they are because they are becoming less effective, but because parents are reluctant to smother their children's scalps in such potent substances  sometimes for several hours at a time.

In fact, the NHS has advised against the use of pesticide-based chemical treatments for some time, explains Dr Chris Etheridge, a practicing medical herbalist and plant medicine expert.

Earlier this year, French academics warned chemicals in head lice treatments could lead to behavioural problems in young children.

Pregnant women exposed to pyrethroids - a group of synthetic chemicals used in common pesticides - were more likely to have children who develop social behaviour problems by the age of six, their study found.

The chemicals were developed by British scientists in 1960s as a safe alternative to organophosphates  the basis of many insecticides, herbicides, and nerve agents.

And as the schools go back - and we hit peak nit season  hundreds of thousands of youngsters will be affected, they say

But the researchers, from the University of Rennes, suggested pyrethroids may not be as safe as previously thought.

They suspect the chemicals might alter neurochemical signalling in the brain, altering a child's development.

Now, there is a second generation of treatments which use a physical action to kill lice  and these are recommended by the NHS, explains Dr Etheridge.

'Some coat lice in a greasy film of dimeticone, a type of silicone which works by coating the lice, stopping them from getting the supply of water they need to stay alive,' he explains.

HEADLICE: THE NITTY GRITTY Head lice are small grey-brown insects that live only on human scalps. They cannot fly or jump; neither can they burrow into the scalp. They can affect anyone, with long or short hair, no matter how clean the hair is. They are usually contracted by head-to-head contact; it takes about 30 seconds for a single louse to transfer from one scalp to another. Head lice can affect anyone, but are: Most common in children between the ages of 4 and 11, particularly girls, and are most common at the start of the school year Female lice live for up to 40 days, during which time they can lay more than 100 eggs. They attach their eggs (known as nits) to hairs close to the scalp surface. Lice make the head itch because their bites cause an allergic reaction. An affected scalp carries a mixture of the following:  Eggs containing developing lice  firmly stuck to the hair shafts near to the scalp  Empty egg cases  also firmly stuck to the hairs, but further from the scalp surface  Immature lice  An average of 10 adult lice, though some scalps carry many more  Louse droppings  most easily seen as dark specks on pillows or clothing Source: British Association of Dermatologists Advertisement

The problem, he says, is that dimeticone treatments must be left in the hair for eight hours.

And with their pungent smell and oily consistency, they are widely loathed by parents and children alike.

'As a parent myself, I used to worry about putting such strong chemicals on my children's heads  especially for periods of several hours,' says Dr Jenkins.

'Some of the chemicals are so strong that their fumes can cause breathing difficulties, especially in people suffering with conditions such as asthma.

'Such products are also clearly not advisable for people with sensitive skin or eczema.'

Not only that, the preparations can be so greasy that they carry warnings about slipping and it can be difficult to rinse them out with normal shampoo.

Indeed, 'anecdotal reports of washing-up liquid being required to remove it are common,' a report published in the journal Prescriber warned.

A new way to fight nits

Research is increasingly showing that essential oils have potent pesticidal properties  and are a natural, chemical free weapon in the war on headlice.

'Although they are often lumped together, there is a huge range of different herbal treatments on the market,' explains Dr Etheridge.

'Most use one or more essential oils, but their effectiveness  or lack of efficacy  is dependent on the combination, concentration and quality of the oils used.

'There is compelling evidence that tea tree, lavender and eucalyptus all have some anti-lice activity, and plant oils which block the louse's respiratory system, in much the same way as dimeticone, have also been shown to be effective.

'But it is very much buyer beware. Just because a product contains some of these ingredients, it does not guarantee it will work.

'And whatever product is used, it's important to comb the hair thoroughly with a fine-toothed comb afterwards, to remove dead lice and dislodge any which might have avoided coming into contact with the treatment, or have had minimal exposure.'

A study published in the journal Parasitology Research reported a 100 per cent kill rate using a 1 per cent solution of tea tree oil.

And an Australian study published in BMC Dermatology found a combination of tea tree and lavender oils was as effective as a 'suffocation' product, with both delivering 97.6 per cent clearance, compared to just 33.3 per cent from a pyrethrin based treatment.

Researchers commented that the tea tree and lavender oil combination 'exceeded the efficacy of another essential oil product'.

Meanwhile an evidence review, reported in BMJ Best Practice, found: 'Herbal and essential oil treatment containing eucalyptol [the active agent in eucalyptus oil] may be more effective at eradicating lice compared with [a traditionally used chemical called] malathion.'
A woman with a genetic facial defect has spoken out against bullies who presume she has learning disabilities because of how she looks.

Katie Whicker says she's tired of people regularly accusing her of being 'stupid', speaking slowly to her and insulting her because of her appearance.

The 21-year-old was born with Treacher Collins syndrome, which stopped the bones growing and developing properly in her face when she was in the womb.

Over the years, she's had 56 surgeries to repair her face, including building her jaw from her own hip and rib bones.

The ski resort worker says people are regularly rude to her, calling her 'dumb' and doubting her mental capabilities. She was once even asked if she was involved a car accident.

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Katie Whicker, from Salt Lake Valley in Utah, US, was born with Treacher Collins syndrome

The 21-year-old has called on people to not make assumptions about her mental capabilities based on her looks

Now, Katie, from Salt Lake Valley in Utah, US, has called on people not to be prejudiced against those with facial differences in a video.

Katie said: 'Because I have a physical difference people think I have a mental difference too, so I feel like I'm always explaining or proving people wrong.

'There are a few cruel people out there who I have to ignore and others who just don't realise what they say can be hurtful.

'I've had a person come up and say to my face "You shouldn't work here, because you're stupid" which was unbelievable. That really hurt.'

Katie had surgery which involved having her jaw broken and screws turned to create new bone

WHAT IS TREACHER COLLINS SYNDROME Treacher Collins syndrome affects the development of bones and other tissues in the face. The signs and symptoms vary greatly, ranging from almost unnoticeable to the severe. Most sufferers will have underdeveloped facial bones, most notably the cheekbones, and a very small jaw and chin. Some people born with the condition are also born with a cleft palate. In severe cases, underdevelopment of the facial bones may restrict an affected infant's airway, causing potentially life-threatening respiratory problems. People with TC often have eyes that slant downwards, sparse eyelashes, and notch in the lower eyelid, known as an eyelid coloboma. Some affected individuals can lose their vision. The syndrome is characterised by absent, small or unusually formed ears. And hearing loss occurs in around half of all sufferers. It is usually caused by defects of the three small bones in the middle ear, which transmit sound, or by the underdevelopment of the ear canal. The condition affects one in 50,000 people and is caused by mutations of a specific gene. Advertisement

Tracheotomy saved my life

Katie was diagnosed with the syndrome  which affects one in 50,000 people  at birth and immediately had a tracheotomy fitted to help her breathe.

The problems with her airways affected her ability to communicate and her parents used sign language with her as an infant.

Katie said: 'When I was born I couldn't breathe through my nose, turning a blueish colour, due to my condition so had to have a tracheotomy put in to save my life.

'When I cried as a baby the noise was so airy that no one could hear me, so my parents had to watch my face to see if I was laughing or crying.'

Having a one-way valve for her tracheostomy tube allowed her to produce sounds and defy speech therapists predictions.

'I mainly used sign language to communicate up until the age of three, when I used both signing and speech,' she added.

'Then around the age of five, my parents tell me I couldn't stop talking.'

School bullies

Katie said bullying made her time at school very difficult.

But she says she defied the bullies who didn't believe she was intelligent by beating them in exams.

She added: 'There were a few bullies who would ask what's wrong with me.

'Then there were others who thought I must be stupid, until I beat them in the spelling bee and other tests.

'Overall, I surround myself with good people and try not to let people's negative words affect me, the people who matter don't judge me.'

The ski resort worker says school bullies made her childhood a tough one

Katie, pictured graduating from school, defied the bullies who presumed she is stupid because of how she looks by studying hard

Endless operations

Katie has also had operations to open her nasal passage and a feeding fitted to help her receive enough nutrients.

During her most recent surgery in May, Katie had part of her hip bone implanted into her face requiring her to have her mouth wired shut for eight weeks.

Katie said: 'I didn't have all the bones in my face necessary to create a proper jaw, so they did a jaw distraction where they place pins in there, break the jaw and turn screws to create new bone.

'But even now I have to be careful not to break my jaw or chew on anything that could cause damage like an apple, steak or anything tough.

'My goal is to be able to eat whatever I want and over time I want to live a more normal life but if I can breathe, eat and talk I'll consider myself lucky.'

She says she would prefer people approach her and ask questions about her condition, rather than just stare or assume she's slow

Over the years, Katie has had 56 surgeries

Ask questions, don't presume

Now Katie is encouraging the public to ask questions rather than make assumptions.

She said: 'Because I have facial difference some people believe my mental capabilities are impaired also, they don't ask questions they just assume and are most definitely mistaken.

'Maybe I'm not perfect looking but I'm mentally capable and not a bad person whatsoever.

'This is how I was born  my bones are deformed but I can talk, see, smell and taste; it's just my bones that didn't grow properly in the womb.

'I'd much rather people come up to me and ask questions, rather than just staring or assuming I'm stupid.

'Some parents try to stop their kids from asking questions but in honesty I much prefer it to people staring and wondering.

'I want to raise awareness of this issue and help others to realise that no matter what their problems are they can get through them.'

You can follow Katie's blog here.
Eating mangos each day could prevent heart disease and diabetes, if controversial new research is to be believed.

The study, funded by suppliers of the exotic fruit, found they can control blood sugar levels and slash cholesterol.

Funded by the US-based National Mango Board, the 'comprehensive' review also showed benefits for brain, skin and gut health.

But critics have hit back at the findings and lambasted the supposed evidence as being an 'obvious agenda' to sell more mangos.

The study, funded by suppliers of the exotic fruit, found mangos can control blood sugar levels and slash cholesterol

Researchers at the Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, looked at seven studies into mangos and type 2 diabetes across the last two decades.

They found that consumption of the fruit appeared to control blood sugar levels in both humans and animal sufferers. Uncontrolled levels can be deadly.

Trials on rodents also showed of similar benefits for those without the preventable condition by controlling blood glucose.

Type 2 diabetes, which can lead to blindness and amputations, is caused when the body doesn't produce enough insulin - causing glucose to stay in the blood.

The same experiments also showed a reduction in cholesterol and triglycerides. High levels of these can lead to heart disease - the world's leading killer.

Lead author Dr Britt Burton-Freeman, based at the university's Center for Nutrition Research, said: 'Mangos are one of the popular fruits in the world.

'They contain a variety of essential nutrients and bioactive components that may play a role in supporting key metabolic functions.'

MANGO COULD WELL BE A 'SUPERFOOD' Dieters have long sworn that grapefruit and even pineapple can magically help people lose weight. Now scientists have added another fruit to the mix, claiming mangoes may also help to stop obesity and type 2 diabetes, research claimed last year. The superfood was found to boost gut bacteria which can ward off the conditions by Oklahoma State University scientists. The study found eating the fruit can prevent the loss of beneficial gut bacteria which can be caused by a high-fat diet. Researchers said the specific bacteria in the intestinal tract may play a role in obesity and obesity-related complications, such as type 2 diabetes. Advertisement

Commenting on the research published in the Food & Function journal, Oliver Jelley, editor of The Diabetes Times, slammed the results.

He said: 'We have come across research before which promotes the benefits of eating mangos, but this appears to be a relatively small body of work.

'This study is linked to the US-based National Mango Board so there is an obvious agenda. Our verdict is to treat the findings with caution.' There is no suggestion of any impropriety on behalf of any of the scientists or universities involved.

Findings from studies in laboratory cells and animals earlier this year suggest that mangos could reduce the severity of inflammatory bowel disease.

The condition, which blights the lives of millions across the world, is caused by inflammation in the intestines.

But Texas A&M University research has highlighted gallic acid and mengiferin, found in low quantities in the fruit, to have positive effects on such a mechanism.

In 2013, Korean scientists also found that mangos may have the ability to fight off wrinkles by protecting collagen.

Collagen production declines naturally as adults grow older, causing skin to lose its elasticity. Hair is also affected.

Preliminary trials, conducted by Iranian researchers two years ago, even imply that eating mangos could stave off dementia.

The fruit prevents build-ups of toxic clumps in the brain - which are believed to be the signature hallmark of the disease, experiments on rats showed.

However, the US researchers behind the mango analysis stressed further studies are needed to dig into the true health benefits of the fruit.

The National Mango Board says it is a 'promotion and research organization, which is supported by assessments from domestic and imported mangos'.
Quorn will have to carry prominent labels in the US identifying it as a 'mold' with a risk of causing allergic reactions.

The change follows legal action and pressure from an American campaign group which alleges the death of two children may have been the result of eating the meat substitute product.

In the past, its marketing has suggested Quorn has similarities to mushrooms, truffles, and morels.

However, the product has been at the center of a long-running controversy in the US where the Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) has tried and failed to get it banned.

An American campaign group has been pushing for a change since 2012, alleging the death of two children may have been the result of eating a Quorn product (file image)

The group claims to have received approximately 2,500 reports from consumers of adverse reactions to Quorn products.

These include nausea, violent vomiting, diarrhea, and even life-threatening anaphylactic reactions after eating the Quorn products, which include substitutes for burgers, mince, sausages, steak, chicken and ready meals.

The CSPI claims the death of a 16-year-old girl in Sweden 'may' have been the result of eating a Quorn product. Both victims were known to suffer from asthma.

A wrongful death suit has also been filed by the parents of 11-year-old Miles Bengco, from Long Beach, California, who had a mold allergy and allegedly died of anaphylactic shock in 2013 after eating a Quorn product.

The company has dismissed the attacks on the product as 'nonsense' and says Quorn is as 'benign as a potato'.

It has accused the CSPI of 'deceiving the public' and of being in league with manufacturers or rival meat alternatives made from soy.

It said the lawyers representing the Bengco family have made 'false and unfounded allegations'.

The company says the teenager died as the result of an unrelated asthma attack.

And it said the death in Sweden was triggered be a peanut allergy and therefore the CSPI's allegations were 'irresponsible and dishonest'.

Quorn was first produced in the United Kingdom in 1985 by Marlow Foods, and sales have grown rapidly in recent years as people turn away from eating meat on health and ethical grounds.

The company has also run TV campaigns featuring endorsements from British Olympic athletes stars including long-distance runner Sir Mo Farah and swimmer Adam Peaty.

It is now owned by a food conglomerate, Monde Nissin Corporation, which is based in the Philippines.

It is described by the company as a mycoprotein. It is derived from the fungus or mould called Fusarium venenatum fungus and is grown in vats using a fermentation process which is similar to the production of beer or yogurt.

A long running court case in California over allegations the company was guilty of deceptive labelling has been resolved after the company agreed to use a new label.

The new label, which will only be used in America, will read: 'Mycoprotein is a mold (member of the fungi family). There have been rare cases of allergic reactions to products that contain mycoprotein.'

The CSPI claims the change to the label represents a victory. Its litigation director, Maia Kats, said: 'Consumers deserve to know that Quorn comes from mould, which sometimes causes serious gastrointestinal and breathing problems.

'The labelling improvements we've negotiated with Quorn will help consumers understand what 'mycoprotein' is and that it sometimes does trigger adverse reactions.'

The manufacturer insists that Quorn is considerably safer and less likely to cause an adverse reaction than a product like soy.

As part of the settlement of the court case in California, the company will have to pay up to $1.35 million in legal fees to a customer who brought the initial legal case alleging deceptive labeling.

It must also refund customers who were misled by product labels and has initially set aside $2.5 million to cover these costs. Americans who swear under oath that they bought the items over a five year period will be able to claim up to $200.

Quorn chief executive, Kevin Brennan, said the company agreed to change the label to avoid expensive litigation. He described the new label and a decision to give it more prominence on packs as a technical change.

He said the labels on British packs have made clear Quorn is based on a fungi or mold with a small risk of an allergic reaction for some years.

'We have sold about four billion Quorn products over 30 years and we know the safety record of the product is exceptional. Any form of reaction is exceptionally rare, perhaps one in 150,000,' he said.

'We give our data to allergy experts and they have described Quorn as benign as a potato. People can react to any food, but Quorn is exceptionally well tolerated.'

Mr Brennan said Quorn has an advantage over rival products in that the texture is particularly close to meat and appeals to the growing number of people who are cutting down on red meat and chicken.
Bars, pubs and nightclubs should put up safe-sex posters to curb the rise of super-gonorrhoea, experts say.

Such messages, which often encourage the use of condoms, make drunken adults think less about sex.

As such, adults exposed to the posters are less likely to partake in boozed-up one night stands that could spread STIs, researchers said.

The findings, by psychologists at the University of West London, come after the emergence of an untreatable strain of gonorrhoea.

Adults exposed to safe-sex posters are less likely to partake in boozed-up one night stands that could spread STIs, researchers said

Its rapid spread across the world triggered the World Health Organization (WHO) to issue a warning in July. It said millions of lives are at risk.

Lead author Dr Henry Johnson said: 'With the introduction of a safe-sex message, the sexual perceptions of participants became less risky.

'Such messages could play an important part in reducing risky sexual behaviour that is related to alcohol consumption.'

He said environments where alcohol is served and consumed are 'traditionally risky' areas that promote unsafe sex.

Under the influence of alcohol, adults are known to make risky decisions, including ones about sexual behaviours.

A host of previous studies have shown that just one tipple can influence and impact cognitive function and judgement, such as choosing to not wear a condom.

The new research was presented at the British Psychological Societys Division of Health Psychology annual conference in Cardiff.

How was the study carried out?

AN ANTIBIOTIC FOR SUPER-GONORRHOEA A new antibiotic has been found in the arms race against incurable superbugs. The drug is a new weapon in the fight against a strain of super-gonorrhoea similar to that which swept across London, the South East and Midlands last year. But the bug, some strains of which are now resistant to every hospital antibiotic, was defeated by British scientists using the antibiotic closthioamide. While still at least five years away from being available to patients, closthioamide cured 98 per cent of gonorrhoea samples taken from British patients. The antibiotic, only discovered seven years ago, has also been found to tackle hospital superbug MRSA and deadly E.coli and could go on to be tested against other bacteria, including drug-resistant TB. Advertisement

Some 80 students, an age group prone to risky sexual behaviour, were studied in two different laboratory settings.

In one experiment, they were placed in a bar environment without any safe-sex messages. In another, subtle posters were put up around the room.

The researchers found participants, of whom none had consumed alcohol, viewed potential partners to be more sexual and less inhibited in the first setting.

When safe-sex messages were introduced, the effects were weakened, helping to put them off instigating a romantic pursuit.

But researchers said that more studies are needed, specifically ones that involve drinking alcohol, to determine the effects.

Dr Justine Shuey, a sexual health expert based in Pennsylvania and ONE Condoms ambassador, said: 'Not everyone plans ahead for sex.

'Yes, they might want it but it doesn't mean they have a partner lined up or have thought far enough ahead to purchase and/or bring condoms and other safer sex supplies.'

The rise of super-gonorrhoea

More than 35,000 people a year are infected with gonorrhoea in England, including record numbers of baby boomers, it was warned recently.

But last year saw a super version of the sexually transmitted infection sweep across across London, the South East and Midlands.

Globally, the infection strikes around 78 million people each year due to a rise in oral sex and a decline in condom use.

Certain strains have developed resistance to all but one treatment, which involves an injection of a specific antibiotic class.

But in August, the WHO confirmed three people worldwide have developed 'super gonorrhoea', which is resistant to all forms of treatment.
A family are desperate for their conjoined twins attached at the forehead to be separated despite the risk of them dying in the operation.

Joy and Joyce Magsino, 10, from the Philippines, were born with angular frontal partial craniopagus.

Doctors told their family it is possible to separate the sisters but involves a risky operation, which caused a local charity to withdraw its earlier financial support.

The procedure costs 75,000, which the family cannot afford on the twins' father's salary of 6 a day. His wife has even emigrated to work abroad in an effort to save up, leaving the girls in the care of their relatives.

A family spokesperson said: 'The doctors said the operation would be quite risky as one nerve connects the girls and it would have to be connected within seconds or else one of them would die. That is when the foundation withdrew their support.'

A family are desperate for their conjoined twins attached at the forehead to be separated

Joy and Joyce Magsino, 10, were born with angular frontal partial craniopagus

WHAT ARE ANGULAR FRONTAL PARTIAL CRANIOPAGUS TWINS? Angular frontal partial craniopagus is a form of conjoined twins where the siblings are attached at the head. It affects around 10 to 20 in every one million births in the US. Each sibling has their own chest, abdomen and limbs. The condition may affect the entire head or just part of it. Whether angular frontal partial craniopagus twins are eligible for separation depends on the extent of their physical attachment, if they are healthy enough to survive the surgery and the possibility of rehabilitation after the procedure. Advertisement

'I will never be able to afford the treatment'

The twins' father Patrick Magsino, 30, earns just 6 a day as a market assistant porter, while his wife Jomarie emigrated to Qatar to work as a maid in order to save up for the separation procedure.

Mr Magsino said: 'We have been trying hard to organised the funds for the past five years after the doctors confirmed that the girls can be separated, but we haven't been able to garner even one third of it so far.

'I am seeking help from hospitals in countries such as the UK, the US and India.

'I'd be open to any procedure where the safety of both my girls will be ensured.

'Also, expenses should be covered as well, because on my own I would never be able to afford their treatment.'

The family claim at the time of the twins' birth a local charity offered to help pay for medical treatment of the girls.

Yet they apparently withdrew this offer in 2014 when doctors said the operation was risky.

Despite their risk of death in the procedure, the family are seeking 75,000 for the operation

Their father only earns 6 a day, while their mother emigrated in order to work to save money

The family claim a charity offered to help pay for treatment but withdrew when it was 'risky'

Their father says it is hard to control the girls as they want to be separated but are still 'playful'

'They are playful'

Mr Magsino added: 'When the girls were born they were fed through a plastic tube but today they are playful.

'It has become hard to control them especially because they now want to be separated.

'The twins have developed a great sense of understanding, but they occasionally fight over doing their preferred activities.

'Joyce has a cleft lip and is dominant of the two twins and usually manages to get her way in most situations.'
A woman died after a senior consultant overruled the doctor who raised concerns during a fairly routine operation, an inquest heard.

At the close of a hearing at Ruthin, Nicola Jones, assistant coroner for North Wales East and Central, said she was considering issuing a warning to all health boards in England and Wales about Peter Sullivan, but after hearing that he had now relinquished his registration to practice in the UK she said she need not issue a Regulation 28 letter to prevent future deaths.

Mr Sullivan, a consultant obstetrician and gynaecologist, is inFrance and had been summoned to give evidence at the inquest into the death of 69-year-old Barbara Annette Aldridge, of Flint.

He was not present and Mrs Jones told Mrs Aldridge's son Ian: 'I cannot compel him to attend.'

Mr Alridge described the consultant's non-appearance as 'cowardly'.

The inquest heard that Mrs Aldridge, of Third Avenue, Flint, - the wife of Flintshire County councillor Alex Aldridge - was admitted to Glan Clwyd Hospital in March, 2016, and underwent surgery for the removal of two polyps on her uterus.

After one polyp had been removed the hysteroscope, an illuminated camera used to assist, came apart and though Dr Arumugam Jayanthi, a locum at the hospital, suggested that it be removed from inside Mrs Aldridge for it to be reconnected, he insisted that it be done in situ.

Former lady mayoress Annette Aldridge, 69, died after surgeon Peter Sullivan tried to fix a medical instrument that broke during an operation - while it was still inside her body

'Cause of death was multiple organ failure due to internal trauma'

Before the second polyp was removed Dr Jayanthi told him 'something is not right here' but he carried on.

The doctor told the inquest she was aware of the risk involved and it later transpired that the uterus was perforated and damage was also caused to her bowel.

When Dr Jayanthi subsequently raised concerns about Mrs Aldridge's recovery Mr Sullivan dismissed them too.

Mrs Aldridge's condition deteriorated and she suffered further bleeding later in the year before she died in hospital in January this year. Home Office pathologist Dr Brian Rodgers said the cause of death was multiple organ failure due to internal trauma.

He said: 'She would not have died when she did had she not had the hysteroscopy which went wrong.'

Dr Jayanthi told the inquest that Mr Sullivan had overruled her once before and done the same with other colleagues. On one occasion he told a nurse to ignore Dr Jayanthi, adding: 'I'm the boss'.

She said other consultants would probably have listened to her concerns but she felt unable to challenge him.

Ms Aldridge later died of multiple organ failure due to internal trauma (stock)

'It's too little, too late'

Mrs Heledd Jones, head of women's in-patient services, said independent experts had been called in to investigate the case before Mrs Aldridge died and had identified several issues including a failure to recognise the way her condition had deteriorated.

She said an action plan had been introduced under which anyone, including nurses and doctors, who had ongoing concerns had to take them higher than their own direct superiors. Failure to do so could now lead to disciplinary action.

Monitoring and record-keeping is also to be tightened up. Ian Aldridge said he accepted Dr Janynthi's apology and welcomed the changes, but added: 'It's too little, too late so far as I am concerned.'

The Assistant Coroner recorded a narrative conclusion in which she stated that the uterus was perforated during surgery.

'This was not appropriately and effectively diagnosed and caused her death,'she added.

She said it would be very unusual to issue a Regulation 28 letter naming an individual but she had a responsibility to prevent future deaths.

After initially agreeing to postpone a decision on the matter to ascertain whether Mr Sullivan could return to work in the UK she learned that his registration had been relinquished.

After the hearing a spokesman for the Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board said: 'This is a rare and tragic case and we would like to apologise to the family of Mrs Aldridge for the failings in the care she received. We fully accept the Coroner's verdict and have already made improvements to minimise the risk of this happening again.'
Loneliness can bring on a slew of health problems, which can eventually lead to an early death, a new report has revealed.

And these problems can begin as early as infancy, the report from the American Psychological Association (ASA) said.

The analysis features a collection of studies from different establishments, all of which conclude that if a person does not have meaningful relationships, their chances of being diagnosed with fatal diseases are higher.

Specific ailments that affect lonely people more are obesity, coronary heart disease, high blood pressure and heart attacks.

For this reason, psychologists are urging public health officials to recognize the 'loneliness epidemic' as a priority, as government agencies are doing little to address the issue.

A new report from the American Psychological Association claims that loneliness can negatively impact a person's health, beginning as early as infancy (file photo)

Dr Julianne Holt-Lunstad, a researcher who contributed to the report, said that up to 43 percent of adults in the US over 60 years old have reported experiencing 'intense loneliness'.

This could be due to the fact that more than one-fourth of the US population lives alone, and over half of the population is not married, Dr Holt-Lunstad said.

She added that the divorce rate of first marriages in the US is 40 percent.

One study that the new report looks at, from Brigham Young University, highlights the fact that people in high-quality relationships who feel socially stable have a decreased risk of mortality.

'Social isolation, loneliness and relationship discord are well-established risk factors for poor health,' the report said.

WHO IS AFFECTED BY THE 'LONELINESS EPIDEMIC'? A report from the US National Library of Medicine has found that one of the leading causes fueling the loneliness epidemic is the increasing population of elderly Americans. The study shows that 40 percent of older adults have experienced loneliness. The feeling of loneliness is otherwise described as 'emptiness' or as having a 'hollow feeling', according to the report. And this feeling can create a vicious cycle, as it can lead people to become more isolated than they already are. 'Loneliness can threaten ones feelings of personal worth and decrease confidence in the ability to develop and maintain interpersonal relationships,' the report says. Advertisement

Additionally, the BYU study claimed that government agencies, groups that fund health care and health care providers have not little if anything to categorize loneliness as a public health concern that needs to be prioritized.

This is despite the swell of evidence that has come out in recent years, which suggests that companionship positively affects one's health.

But the World Health Organization now lists 'social support networks' as a factor that can contribute to one's health, Dr Holt-Lunstad said.

She emphasized that nobody is safe from the 'loneliness epidemic', saying: 'Regardless of one's sex, country or culture of origin or economic background, social connection is crucial to human development, health and survival.'

Other studies presented in the ASA's report echoed this. An example is a study by Northwestern University that looked at the effects relationships have on a child's health.

The study found that 'emotionally significant' relationships that provide a child with comfort are associated with better overall health, beginning in infancy and continuing until adulthood.

And children aren't the only ones who benefit. A University of Utah study concluded that marriage can reduce one's chances of coronary heart disease.

But simply having a partner will not provide the benefits: the quality of the partnership is crucial, as strained relationships will actually increase one's risk of having the disease.

The ASA report's editor, Dr Christine Dunkel Schetter, said that the point of the collected research was to make clear the relationship between good health and strong social connections.

She said: '[The studies] draw from relationship science and health psychology, two areas of scientific inquiry with independent histories and distinct domains.

'The challenge remains to translate existing and future knowledge into interventions to improve social relationships for the benefit of physical and mental health.'
Older borrowers may soon be offered mortgages that last a lifetime and do not have to be repaid until they die or go into care.

These so-called 'mortgages for life' could be available next year after the City watchdog revealed plans to give the loans the green light.

A number of smaller banks and building societies have already committed to offering this new type of loan, with bigger lenders expected to follow suit.

The move is expected to throw a lifeline to the thousands of older borrowers trapped on interest-only mortgages that they cannot repay.

These homeowners would be able to continue to pay only the interest on their loan and not have to worry about selling their house to repay the debt.

Older borrowers may soon be offered mortgages that last a lifetime and do not have to be repaid until they die or go into care

The City regulator said last week that it is prepared to abolish red tape that currently prevents retired homeowners from taking out mortgages that last until death.

Last night OneSavings Bank and a host of building societies pledged to offer these loans if the City watchdog pressed ahead with its plans.

A new lender, Mortgages4Life, also plans to offer these mortgages when it launches in the middle of next year.

High Street giants Santander and HSBC welcomed the announcement but said they would wait to see the Financial conduct Authority's (FCA) final rules next year before deciding their own plans.

John Eastgate, sales director of OneSavings Bank, said: 'We would absolutely look at considering this type of loan borrowers.

'Lending into retirement has been a major issue for the past couple of years, so now the Financial Conduct Authority has come out with this proposal I think it will open the gates to allow lenders to begin to offer these mortgages.

'And I don't think it will be small lenders wanting to offer them; major lenders will want to offer them as well.'

Simon Little, of Mortgages4Life, said: 'The way we see it, most people in retirement now have pensions that are guaranteed for the rest of their lives. That makes them a safer person to lend to than someone in work who could lose their job at any moment. This is good news for borrowers.'

The regulator is currently consulting on the proposals, meaning the earliest banks could offer these loans is the middle of next year

At present, the regulator's rules make it nearly impossible to offer mortgages for life.

Borrowers are required to have a clear plan in place to repay the debt when their loan ends, such as savings, investments or the sale of a buy-to-let or holiday property.

Under the new proposals, borrowers will be able to put forward the sale of their own property as a means of repaying their loan.

At the moment, lenders can only accept this repayment method if they believe the borrower has enough equity in their property to downsize.

But if the rules change borrowers would be able to use the sale of their home as their plan to repay their mortgage, and continue paying only the interest until they die or move into care.

The regulator is currently consulting on the proposals, meaning the earliest banks could offer these loans is the middle of next year.

The move will provide a boost to thousands of borrowers with interest-only mortgages that are struggling to repay because they have no means of paying back their debts.

An estimated 1.9 million people have interest-only mortgages. Of these, 30,000 are predicted to owe more than 75 pc of the value of their property when their loans end.

Ray Boulger, of broker John Charcol, said: 'This is really good news for the thousands of people trapped on interest-only mortgages. Lenders have been nervous about offering options to these borrowers because they have been worried about how the regulator will react in the future.

'So this is very welcome and will allow more lenders to offer help to these borrowers.'

Paul Broadhead, of trade body Building Societies Association, said: 'There is clearly a demand out there for more options among retirees.

'Some building societies already have interest-only options for retired borrowers and a number of our other members say they are looking at it too.'
The owner of Southern Rail, Go-Ahead Group has posted a a 5.7 per cent drop in pre-tax profits after a series of industrial disputes and falling passenger numbers.

Profits were down to 136.8 million, as rail earnings dropped 16 per cent.

Go-ahead runs Southern with French company Keolis through the joint owned Govia Thameslink Railway.

Costly: Poor service has led to drops in passenger numbers, rail revenue and profits

Woes across the service and industrial action has seen Southern rail repeatedly in the news. Passenger journeys have dropped 3.9 per cent resulting in a 4.1 per cent drop in revenues.

Separate drops in passengers on the South-Eastern line and the loss of the London Midland Rail contract has led to the company issuing a warning over profits.

Shares in Go-Ahead fell 8 per cent in morning training.

David Brown, chief executive of transport giant Go Ahead said: 'We apologise to our Southern passengers who have been inconvenienced for many months by disruption caused by industrial relations issues.

'Service levels are beginning to improve but there is still a lot of work to be done to provide the level of service we and our customers expect.'

Industrial relations have been at a low for more than 16 months, with RMT organising over 30 days of strike action. Aslef has organised a 6 days of strike action during the same period.

Earnings from bus travel were also under pressure in the year to July, at 90.7m down half a per cent.

Profits were also hit by a coach crash in Oxford in December. Seventeen people were hurt after the vehicle veered off a motorway slip road and overturned while driving in heavy fog.

Occupants suffered cuts, bruises and broken bones.
North Dakota state officials are unable to provide requested voter information to a controversial committee studying alleged voter fraud, Secretary of State Al Jaeger told the commission this week.

In a letter to the Presidential Advisory Commission on Election Integrity dated Tuesday, Jaeger said North Dakota doesn't register voters and state law doesn't allow information maintained in its Central Voter File to be shared "except with certain individuals and groups and for a specific limited purpose." He said information in the CVF is only available to candidates, political parties and political committees and may only be used for election-related purposes.

"The commission does not qualify as an eligible recipient," Jaeger, a Republican, wrote.

Deputy Secretary of State Jim Silrum said last month they may provide some information after Kansas Secretary of State Kris Kobach, the commission's vice chairman, provided assurances that the commission wouldn't release voters' "personally identifiable information" and would dispose of the data "as permitted by federal law."

But Jaeger said in an interview that "after review, and looking at exactly what the law says, the commission ... doesn't meet the qualifications."

"We can't distribute it to someone where the law doesn't allow us to distribute it to," he added.

In his letter, Jaeger said concerned citizens have asked his office to not share information on their taxes or voting record. But the CVF doesn't include tax information, Social Security numbers or records on how people voted "since voting is conducted by secret ballot," he said.

"The integrity of the election process is essential and it is my sincere hope that the commission will abide by its stated goal of improving the voting process," Jaeger wrote.

President Donald Trump created the commission through an executive order in May. Its request for voter information drew criticism, with many states refusing to comply. Some have argued that the commission is based on a false premise that voter fraud is rampant.

Kylie Oversen, chairwoman of the North Dakota Democratic-NPL Party, said she was pleased by Jaegers decision. She raised concerns over privacy and how the information would be used.

It doesnt seem like (the commission is) necessary, Oversen said, citing a need for more solid information that we have a concern that needs to be addressed.

Rare fraud case

Jaeger did respond to the commissions questions about recommended changes to election law and instances of voter fraud. He said he was pleased that at least one states attorney is pursuing what he called the first case that this office is aware of to be prosecuted since the 2000 election.

Dale Monte Larsen, whose address is listed as Stanley in court records, was charged earlier this year with voter fraud, a Class A misdemeanor, for allegedly voting in Burke and Ward counties in the 2016 election.

In an interview with Burke County Deputy Sheriff Samuel Mueller, Larsen said he started filling out paperwork in Bowbells quite a bit before the election but it took too long and he left. He said he didnt turn in a ballot and denied voting twice, according to an Muellers affidavit.

But information from auditors in Ward and Burke counties showed Larsen was allowed to vote in Burke County by absentee ballot and voted in person in Kenmare, which is in Ward County, according to Muellers affidavit.

A pretrial conference in Larsens case is scheduled next week.

Jaeger said there were nine suspected instances of double voting during the 2012 general election, prompting the Legislature to amend voter ID requirements in 2013. Those changes, along with amendments made two years later, were challenged in federal court.

While Jaeger said his office doesnt have information regarding voter fraud in North Dakota before the 2012 general election, it is important to remember that each vote is important and that even a single fraudulent vote can impact the results of an election.
One of the UK's leading financial services comparison websites, Money.co.uk, has been bought for 140million by the owners of property portal Zoopla.

As part of the deal Money.co.uk is expected to be acquired by ZPG Plc for 80million, on a 'cash-free, debt-free basis' and for an additional performance-based earn-out of up to 60 million.

Money.co.uk has over 2million visits to its website per month and generated 24.7million in revenues and 8million through earnings, during the year ending October 2016.

CEO Chris Morling pictured at the HQ of Money.co.uk

Discussing ZPG's purchase Alex Chesterman, founder & CEO of the company, said: 'We are delighted to announce this transaction. Adding Money, one of the UK's leading financial services comparison websites, to our existing brand portfolio will further enhance our product capabilities and consumer engagement across both our comparison and property platforms.'

Chesterman added:'Broadening our financial services offering has long been a key part of our strategy and I look forward to welcoming Chris and his team to the ZPG family.'

Shares in ZPG rose by 14.3p to 368.90, during morning trading.

Other companies within ZPG's portfolio include uSwitch, PrimeLocation and Hometrack.

Money.co.uk enables consumers to compare thousands of deals from over 600 providers, across more than 60 product categories including mortgages, loans, credit cards, bank accounts and insurance.

Money has 50 staff who will continue to operate from offices in Cirencester, Gloucestershire and operate as a standalone brand and platform.

Chris Morling, founder of Money, commenting on the purchase said: 'I am very proud of what we have achieved over the last nine years. We have developed a strong brand and loyal following and are looking forward to the next phase of our growth.

'ZPG has led the way as an innovative digital consumer champion and we are looking forward to helping even more consumers make better-informed decisions as part of ZPG.'

Anthony Codling , equity analyst at Jefferies International Ltd said of the purchase: 'In our view, this is a logical addition to Zoopla's comparison services offering and one perhaps closer to the core property services business.

'On Zoopla you can find your home and through Money you can finance your home. Money has a comprehensive offering across more than 60 financial services products including mortgages, loans, credit cards, savings accounts and current accounts.'
Revealing text messages sent between Mel B and estranged husband Stephen Belafonte in the days after their split have shown the bitter fall out between the married couple.

The exchange, which emerged in newly released court papers obtained by DailyMail.com, saw the pair row over Belafonte's access to see daughter Madison, six, and step-daughter Angel, ten.

The texts show the former Spice Girl cut Belafonte off once she realized he wasn't going to comply with her divorce demands.

Last week, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed that Mel had battled cocaine and alcohol addiction after a shocking declaration by Belafonte was filed in court.

Explosive text messages reveal Mel B and Stephen Belafonte argued over his access to see daughter Madison, six, and step-daughter Angel, ten, at the height of their split (Pictured: Mel and her daughter Madison at Disneyland on Monday)

The messages make clear that Belafonte, 42, feared for the 'safety' of Mel's three children due to her drug and alcohol abuse, but also shows the pair had planned to resolve the divorce peacefully

According to the declaration, the America's Got Talent judge was said to have a 'habitual and consistent' addiction to the party drug and alcohol.

The declaration was accompanied by exhibit evidence of dozens of text messages between Beverly Hills marriage therapist Dr Charles Sophy, Mel, and Belafonte.

The revealing three-way exchanges - seen here in full for the first time - came at the height of the former couple's troubles shortly after they had separated in March 2017.

And the messages make clear that Belafonte, 42, feared for the 'safety' of Mel's three children due to her drug and alcohol abuse.

But interestingly, the texts also seem to contradict Mel's legal request for a temporary restraining order against her ex accusing him of physically and emotionally abusing her during their ten year marriage.

She had alleged that she was 'in fear' for her life after a series of beatings and that Belafonte's alleged abuse ramped up when her career was on an upswing.

But in the texts, sent before Mel, 42, made the bombshell claims, the star seems to want to resolve the divorce peacefully.

In the exchange, Belafonte asks for his children who he says were 'taken' from him, before accusing Mel of reneging on their alleged agreement in which he would have access to see his kids

The pair amicably discuss releasing a joint press statement about their split and Mel even asks her ex if she can pick up a child's car seat from him for daughter Madison.

And in one convivial exchange on March 21 Mel even texted Belafonte about him spending time with his step-daughter Angel saying the ten-year-old was 'excited' to see him.

She wrote: 'Angel is sleepy but ver (sic) excited to see you jut (sic) filling out extra paperwork at Madison's school so I'm down the street.'

In another text involving the kids Mel asked Belafonte to 'greet me at the car at 9am so it's all nice ok stephen.'

Yet just weeks later, Mel filed legal paperwork slapping her ex with a domestic violence restraining order stopping him from seeing Angel and only granting him supervised visits with Madison, his biological daughter.

In his declaration, Belafonte hit out at his ex for her 'unilateral and calculated' decision to try to restrict his relationship with Angel.

The movie producer says a prior agreement that he could see his step-daughter Angel as well as Madison wasn't maintained.

In the text messages, released as part of a filing at LA Superior Court, Dr Sophy is seen as 'Dr Sofey', Belafonte is 'baby' and Mel B is 'Mother 2014'.

In a heated conversation, Belafonte tells the couple's therapist, Dr Charles Sophy, that the two had agreed on sharing custody of their children

Mel responds by offering him a chance to Face Time her daughter Angel, who she was given full custody of since her split with Eddie Murphy in 2006

A source told DailyMail.com that all the messages submitted to the court have been authenticated by a smartphone forensic examiner.

After asking for his children, Belafonte accuses Mel of reneging on their agreement after she offers him a chance to FaceTime with daughter Angel and a scheduled visit to see Madison.

'Dr Sofey we agreed on shared custody Of both of my children I will not be forced into visitation with my daughter for five hours!!!' he says.

'Dr Sophy that is not what we agreed upon Melanie now is coming up with her own thing where I don't know where they are living for some strange reason as I've never been a threat to her or the children....

'Also we agreed-upon equal visitation I'm not sure why Melanie is doing something so different than what we've discussed from the very beginning I'm not sure what result she's trying to get out of this.'

Mel responds by saying she's always had full custody of Angel, her daughter with ex Eddie Murphy, since the two split in 2006.

The former Spice Girl was seen picking up Stephen Belafonte's daughter Giselle earlier this week

She then continues to suggest Belafonte video-call the ten-year-old and to visit the children during a six-hour window.

Belafonte responds: 'I will respond to you regarding the children after I talk to Dr Sofey after church Melanie you're not just happy with breaking my heart you want to stomp on it and pulverize it into the ground!!!'

During the conversations psychiatrist Dr Sophy, who was acting as an 'intermediary' between the couple, offers support and sends them an article about how best to explain divorce to children.

The former couple also discuss a press statement they had compiled to announce to the world that they were splitting but they remained 'united' as a family.

Belafonte was keen to see the statement released because he was being hammered in the press at the time.

The statement was to read: 'After 10 years of marriage, we have mutually decided to make a change. We remain friends committed to loving and raising our children.'

The pair even discussed which happy family snap to issue with the statement.

Belafonte even admits he would continue wearing his ring 'for a while.'

He later apologizes to Dr Sophy for his 'attitude' admitting the divorce is 'ripping' him apart.

'[...]I'm trying to be the best I can because I never want to be my father,' he says.

However, Belafonte quickly became frustrated after Mel put off the release of the statement until he agreed to sign the divorce papers.

At the time Belafonte was being slammed in the press over allegations he had beat up Mel around the time of the X Factor UK final in 2014.

The former couple also discuss a press statement they had compiled to announce to the world that they were splitting but they remained 'united' as a family

After the two agree on a joint statement announcing their split, Belafonte admits he'll continue wearing his ring 'for a while'

In messages on the afternoon of March 21, Belafonte responds to the news reports by asking his estranged wife to recall an incident in New York.

He wrote: 'Mel do you remember in New York City when That guy shoved you and I mediately (sic) jumped out to defend you I would never let anyone ever hurt you still now but I am getting beat up this stuff is causing a lot of drama and problems in the media and is not good for the kids to hear about it this way we have not told the kids yet plus everyone thinks that we are in a big fight.'

Sounding increasingly frustrated that the children were still unaware of the split, Belafonte texts the group over and over again to ask when the press statement will be released.

He told the two that the kids would be 'devastated' if they found out about the split on the internet first, adding that everything that had been discussed with Mel at the beginning was going the 'opposite way'.

He wrote: 'I haven't said anything negative I haven't fought with Melanie I haven't fought with anyone I have a said (sic) anything to the kids I've just been sitting here trying to give Mel exactly what she wanted was A peaceful divorce with no drama so can you please tell me what is happening?'

In a follow up message directed at Mel he wrote: 'I didn't divorce you you divorced me,' adding that she wanted to 'remain friends' and didn't want to have any 'animosity'.

He added: 'I've been treating it that way since you told me as I don't have any other reason to think that you would be planning to try to screw me over.'

Text messages also revealed Mel had discussed her addiction with drugs and alcohol with marriage therapist Dr Charles Sophy, who acting as a chaperone for her daughter Madison (pictured) during scheduled visitation with her father

He later apologizes to Dr Sophy for his 'attitude' admitting the divorce is 'ripping' him apart and says 'I'm trying to be the best I can because I never want to be my father,'

'I thought we were all on the same page this morning but now I feel as there is something that is not being told to me. Melanie the reason you filed immediately it's because you told me you wanted to have all of this divorce done and signed off by the time you go to your fathers (sic) funeral which is at the end of the week in the meantime the kids have not even been told yet and I know they were going to take this very hard.'

Belafonte says he's worried the kids will find out about the divorce 'without us telling them', adding: 'All we wanted to do was have a peaceful divorce remember I didn't divorce you you divorced me and said you want to do it and remain friends that we didn't have any animosity and I've been treating that way since you told me as I didn't have any reason to think that you would be planning to try to screw me over.'

Ultimately Mel did have other plans.

Mel asks Belafonte to sign the divorce papers in order to release the public statement, but he points out that signing the documents would entitle him to 'nothing'

In a separate stream of messages included in the court filing Belafonte shows heartbreaking texts received from his step-daughter Angel, whose biological father is Eddie Murphy

The joint press statement was never released because the couple didn't come to a final agreement over the divorce settlement.

Belafonte had agreed to $15,000 a month in spousal support and a share of their Hollywood Hills home and Mel seemed happy.

But then Mel's communication in the text exchanges suddenly dropped.

A source told DailyMail.com: 'Everything was agreed, it got to the point where financial documents were about to be sent over and then Melanie just cut off all contact. Then days later she slapped Stephen with the domestic abuse claims, it was a real sucker punch, Belafonte was keen for it to all play out behind the scenes and amicably.'

Belafonte has fervently denied the abuse allegations and maintains that his primary concern is the children.

In a separate stream of messages included in the court filing Belafonte shows heartbreaking texts received from his step-daughter Angel, whose biological father is Eddie Murphy.

The messages state:

'Hello Daddy.'

'I love you.

'Daddy??'

And a follow up message read:

'Daddy.

'Where are you,' followed by a crying emoji.

In his declaration Belafonte accuses Mel of going back on her word regarding custody and working in 'concert' with Dr Sophy.

Belafonte said: 'Petitioner and Dr. Sophy, apparently acting in concert, ignored my requests to see Angel, and instead, Petitioner stated, "The kids are so happy here at the house no drama at all," implying that there was no trauma to the children as a result of the divorce.'

He added: 'I was entirely shocked and disturbed that Petitioner had unilaterally decided to drastically change out agreed-upon custody plan...particularly during this difficult transition period.'

Dr Sophy is still involved with Mel, and was photographed acting as a chaperone for her daughter Madison during a scheduled visitation with her father Belafonte last month.

The TV doctor, who has appeared on a string of shows including on Dr Phil, Today, The View and CNN, is also the Medical Director for the County of Los Angeles Department of Children and Family Services.

Yesterday yet more court papers dropped with Belafonte accusing Mel of wreaking 'unimaginable havoc and damage' on him and the kids in their bitter divorce battle.

Belafonte is trying to block the former Spice Girl's bid to keep their upcoming domestic violence trial secret, the paperwork reveals.

Mel was granted a temporary restraining order against her ex after accusing him of physically and emotionally abusing her - and a trial, which she wants to ban the press from, is set to decide whether to make the order permanent.

Lawyers for Belafonte now claim she is using her celebrity to try and keep the trial secret because she doesn't want people to know that she 'lied and misrepresented facts to the court'.

His reps argue that it is unfair for Mel to 'falsely accuse' her estranged husband of abuse in a public court then have the case made secret before he has a chance to defend himself.
A Massachusetts man allegedly stabbed his older brother to death during an argument over internet bandwidth.

Twenty-year-old Timothy Record, of Leominster, Massachusetts is being held without bail following his arraignment Wednesday on a murder charge in the killing of 23-year-old Nathan Record.

Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. says police responded to the family home Tuesday at 7.30pm in response to a 911 call from their mother.

Timothy Record reportedly stabbed his brother following a fight about the number of devices using the internet

Police found Nathan Record bloodied at the top of his stairs. His brother is accused of stabbing him in the chest following an argument

Court documents show the brothers were arguing about the number of devices hogging the internet.

The police report read: 'A verbal argument escalated into a physical confrontation over the use of digital devices which overwhelmed the internet bandwidth.'

Then, Nathan started punching Timothy in the face and head before going to this room. Timothy went to the kitchen, grabbed multiple knives then stabbed his brother in the chest.

Police found Nathan at the top of the stairs covered in blood. He was taken by ambulance to HealthAlliance Hospital where he died.

Leominster interim Police Chief Michael Goldman tells The Sentinel & Enterprise there was a history of violence between the brothers.

Timothy Record's attorney said his client is upset about the brother's death. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder.

The stabbing is still under investigation.
Fifteen US states and the District of Columbia have filed a lawsuit in New York challenging President Donald Trump's plan to end a programme protecting young immigrants from deportation.

The suit was first announced by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson on Wednesday, who called Trump's act 'a dark time for our country'.

Plaintiffs include New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Immigration activists protest the Trump administration's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program on September 6 in Newark, New Jersey

Genevieve Ramirez, who is being deported to Mexico on September 26 for a traffic stop violation, holds her seven-year-old grandson Mariano at a rally to protest President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) outside the Justice Department in Washington, DC on September 6

The suit was first announced by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson (seen above Wednesday), who called Trump's act 'a dark time for our country'

It comes as protesters took to the streets to demonstrate against Tuesday's decision.

US Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced then that the programme, known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals or DACA, will end in six months to give Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants.

The participants were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Those already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire.

If their permits expire before March 5 2018, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by October 5.

However, the programme is not accepting new applications.

Opponents of the programme said they are pleased with the Trump administration's decision.

They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power, but proponents of the programme said the move by Mr Trump was cruel.

Mr Ferguson said the action violates the due process rights of the immigrants.

People at the Intermodal Center in Erie, Pa., protest President Donald Trump's decision to rescind former President Barack Obama's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy

Trump waves during his arrival at Bismarck Municipal Airport on Wednesday. He was in North Dakota to promote his tax overhaul plan

He said he fears the information the immigrants provided to the government to participate in DACA could be used against them.

'It's outrageous, it's not right,' an emotional Mr Ferguson said at a news conference in Seattle.

'As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, it's the law.'

Dreamer Faride Cuevas also spoke at the press conference saying 'we are just as American as your children'.

Dreamer Faride Cuevas spoke at the press conference announcing the lawsuit on Wednesday saying 'we are just as American as your children'

Washington Governor Jay Inslee joined Mr Ferguson at the news conference and said 'this is one more of a long train of abuses that this president has attempted to foist on this great nation'.

Earlier this year, Mr Ferguson sued Mr Trump over the initial travel ban, which resulted in a federal judge blocking nationwide enforcement.

Meanwhile, California's attorney general says a separate lawsuit he plans to file over the Trump administration's plan to end protections for young immigrants will mirror the legal arguments made in the suit already filed by the 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Demonstrators pull a statue of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, derisively dubbed as 'a living monument to the confederacy,' down Pennsylvania Avenue towards the Justice Department during a rally to protest President Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) in Washington, DC on September 6, 2017

The head of a statue of Attorney General Jeff Sessions, derisively dubbed as 'a living monument to the confederacy,' lies in front of the Justice Department after demonstrations

Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, said Wednesday he is going ahead with his own lawsuit because one in four participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program lives in California and the state will suffer the greatest harm from its termination. He says he'll file the suit soon.

Becerra says he's been talking with fellow attorneys general for months about what to do if DACA is terminated and that the legal grounds of his case will be similar to the one filed earlier in the day by the other states.

That lawsuit calls the move by Trump an unconstitutional culmination of his commitments to punish people with Mexican roots.

Becerra says ending DACA will harm the people it protects along with California's economy and higher education system.
As authorities in Florida warn many of those in the potential path of Hurricane Irma to leave their homes, a county sheriff is offering a warm bed to anyone wanted by law enforcement: in the county jail.

Sheriff Grady Judd also stirred up controversy by saying sex offenders would not be allowed into hurricane shelters.

'If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail,' the Polk County Sheriff's Office wrote on Twitter on Wednesday.

Florida Governor Rick Scott has warned that Irma could be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, which hit the state in 1992. Thousands of National Guard troops will be deployed ahead of Irma's expected arrival at the weekend.

Sheriff Grady Judd tweeted that people with a warrant out for their arrest were welcome to stay in the jail during Irma. He also mentioned that sex offenders would not be allowed in the shelters

In a series of tweets, the office of Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd urged people to prepare for the storm, and said that if they did go to a shelter they would find deputies there checking IDs.

Grady Judd received criticism for saying pedophiles and predators were banned from using the shelters

'Sex offenders/predators will not be allowed,' the office tweeted. 'We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders & predators. Period.'

Some Twitter users responded with shock, saying it was inhumane to deny anyone shelter during dangerous conditions.

The sheriff's office did not immediately respond to a message seeking more details, but a spokeswoman told the Orlando Sentinel newspaper the ID checks will allow residents to feel the shelters are safe and encourage higher turnout.

'We hope it actually leads to more people turning themselves in,' the spokeswoman, Carrie Horstman, told the paper.

Polk County, between Orlando and Tampa, is home to about 600,000 people. Being landlocked is no protection against hurricanes, the sheriff's office noted, tweeting the hashtag: #goawayIrma.

According to Business Insider, Judd is popular in Polk County and has made a name for himself by combating pedophilia. He has also been criticized for not dismissing minor cases.
The youngest member of Charles Manson's murder cult, Leslie Van Houten, has appeared before a California parole board for the 21st time and was granted parole.

Van Houten, 68, who was 19 when she killed for Manson in 1969, appeared before the panel Wednesday when she attempted to convince members she has reformed and deserves to be released from prison after spending 47 years behind bars.

California governor Jerry Brown now has a 120-day period to affirm, reverse or take no action on the panel's decision.

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Leslie Van Houten has been granted parole after appearing before a California board for the 21st time. She is pictured above after the hearing on Wednesday

Van Houten was 19 when she killed for Manson in 1969. She is now 68. Pictured on Wednesday

Van Houten enters with her attorney Rich Pfeiffer before her parole board hearing at the California Institution for Women in Corona, California on Wednesday, September 6, 2017

Last year, a similar panel granted her parole but was overruled by Brown.

In blocking her release then, Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19.

Over two nights in August 1969, Manson's ragtag band of followers killed seven people, including actress Sharon Tate.

Van Houten didn't take part in the first night's killings of Tate and four others, but she helped kill grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, on the second night.

Since her incarceration more than 40 years ago, she has been a model prisoner.

On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address the concerns Brown had expressed last year.

'I've had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself,' she said.

'To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened,' added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her gray hair pulled back in a bun.

Manson family members and murder suspects Susan Atkins, Patricia Krenwinkle, and Leslie van Houton (right) shortly after their arrest

She went on to say that she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her school's outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia.

She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District during San Francisco's summer of love.

When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her fetus in their backyard.

Soon after, she was traveling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a 'family' to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders.

His disaffected youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him.

As she did at her parole hearing last year, the soft-spoken Van Houten went on to candidly describe how she joined several other members of the 'Manson Family' in killing Los Angeles grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, in their home on Aug. 9, 1969, carving up La Bianca's body and smearing the couple's blood on the walls.

She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage.

On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to 'do something,' she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

California governor Jerry Brown has a 120-day period to affirm, reverse or take no action on the parole panel's decision

'I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it,' she added quietly.

Relatives of the La Biancas didn't believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid.

'No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever,' nephew Louis Smaldino said. 'She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done.'

The voice of the La Biancas' oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne, broke as he noted he's about to turn 44, the same age his grandfather was when he was killed.

'Please see to it that this fight doesn't have to happen every year for the rest of our lives,' he said of Van Houten's nearly two dozen parole hearings.

Family members left before the panel announced its decision.

In reaching it, Parole Commissioner Brian Roberts and Deputy Commissioner Dale Pomantz said they took into account Van Houten's entire time of incarceration. During those years she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

'You've been a facilitator, you've been a tutor and you've been giving back for quite a number of years,' Roberts said.

Over two nights in August 1969, Manson's ragtag band of followers killed seven people, including actress Sharon Tate. Manson is seen left in a recent mugshot in August and, right, in 1970

Still, he warned her that if she is released that living in society again will not be easy. He noted parole officials have heard from 'tens of thousands' of people who don't want her released. But others, he added, including many who have known her since childhood, spoke up for her, saying they've seen her mature in prison and become a different person.

'So with that we'd like to wish you good luck,' he said.

'Thank you very much, I really appreciate it,' replied Van Houten, who attended on crutches because of a knee injury suffered in a recent fall. She said her health is otherwise fine.

Afterward, her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, said he believes Van Houten addressed the concerns the governor had when he denied her parole last year.

'My hope is he's going to follow the law and let his commissioners do their job,' he said.

He added his client was relieved by Wednesday's ruling, adding he believes she will be released eventually.

'I'm getting her out of here. That's not an issue. The question is when,' he said.

No one who took part in the Tate-La Bianca murders has been released from prison so far.

Manson, 82, and other cult members are still jailed.

Manson will serve a life term for the notorious killings.

He was pictured last month in a most recent mugshot from the Corcoran State Prison in Northern California.
A New Zealand man returned from a weekend getaway to find his car 'thrashed' by airport staff.

Lance Wallen was flying to visit his son in Brisbane and left his 2009 BMW X5 M with the Park n' Fly service at Auckland Airport, but upon returning he found it was not in the same condition.

Mr Wallen said his car was dirty when he returned Monday morning and was shocked by what he saw captured on his car's dash-cam, reported the New Zealand Herald.

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New Zealander Lance Wallen returned from Australia to find his BMW X5 had been 'thrashed'

Footage shows the BMW being driven down the airport roads with speed limits of 50km/h.

The car can be seen being driven through a roundabout before turning left onto another road.

The luxury four-wheel drive appears to be driven fast along the straight road lined with cars and trucks before slowing right down to turn left into the Park n' Fly car park.

The Auckland man claims the airport staff member was driving at speeds of up to 74km/h.

Lance's luxury four-wheel drive had been driven at speeds of up to 74km/h by airport staff

'One driver was thrashing it around there,' he told the publication.

'What he was doing was thrashing it from basically a standing start to about 70km/h, then slowing down again.

'I can't understand how they can do that to a customer ... he was driving it roughly, not how you and I would treat our pride and joy.'

Daily Mail Australia contacted Park n' Fly for comment.
Made up with blue eye shadow, Kathleen Folbigg appeared at court by video link

When serial baby killer Kathleen Folbigg needed character references after a prison assault she turned to another mother who murdered her daughter and a woman who filmed herself raping her own children.

Both fellow inmates described Folbigg, who killed her four children between 1989 and 1999, as a role model.

One fellow inmate, jailed for murdering her daughter, wrote of Folbigg's nurturing qualities and how much she had learnt from the killer during the years they spent together at Silverwater women's prison.

'I have had the opportunity to understand Ms Folbigg's behaviour and the amazing changes she has made throughout this journey,' the inmate wrote.

'Ms Folbigg has shown her vunerable (sic) side and her strong side. Kathleen has helped women adapt to their new surroundings and help them achieve their goals for their future!

'Ms Folbigg has always given the women words of wisdom and knowledge to help them progress.'

Kathleen Folbigg, who was found guilty of killing her four children, was 'embarrassed' over the toaster-related assault

Baby killer Kathleen Folbigg (right) with Major Joyce Harmer of the Salvation Army leaving the NSW Supreme Court in 2003

Kathleen Folbigg (right) is supported by the Salvation Army's Major Joyce Harmer outside the NSW Supreme Court in 2003

The women's references were tendered in court on Wednesday when Folbigg lost an appeal against a conviction for assaulting another inmate in a fight over a toaster.

Folbigg had 'blossomed' into a confident and self-reliant woman 'who will achieve anything put in front of her', the child killer wrote.

'Ms Folbigg is known to be a positive role model towards others, and I am honoured to have met and know Ms Folbigg on a personal level. I wish her all the best for her future.'

A second referee is in jail for filming herself sexually assaulting her own children and uploading the videos to a paedophilia website.

'I have known Kathleen Folbigg for approximately 15 months and during this time Kathleen has shared her knowledge regarding the rules and life skills required while I am here,' that inmate wrote.

'Kathleen has had a huge [effect] on me and taught me to come out of my comfort zone and made me feel like an important and wanted woman.

Laura Folbigg (pictured) was one of four children Kathleen Folbigg was convicted of killing

'I suffered self-esteem issuse (sic) but after many conversations with Kathleen, my thoughts and feelings have changed for the better.

'Thanks to Ms Folbigg she allowed me to improve my life and I am a stronger woman today and that will better my future. Ms Folbigg has been a role modle (sic) for me and for others, I wish her all the best.'

Folbigg was reacting to taunts about her crimes when she 'snapped' at inmate Tara Mammen at Silverwater women's prison on April 21.

The pair had been in the jail's Willet East protection wing when they fought over a communal toaster.

About 8.30am Mammen walked out of her cell for muster, returned, then walked out again carrying a toaster.

Patrick Folbigg (pictured) was eight months old when killed by her mother Kathleen Folbigg

Folbigg snatched the toaster out of her hands, telling Mammen: 'You're not allowed to take the f***ing toaster in the room.'

Mammen replied: 'Well I didn't know that. Don't tell me what to do.'

Mammen then asked 'What are you going to do about it then?' and Folbigg punched her in the stomach.

Slightly winded, Mammen punched back at Folbigg, clipping her ear.

Mammen then said 'We all know why you are here'.

Sentenced to four months in prison for assault, Folbigg appealed against that decision in the NSW District Court, sitting in Newcastle, on Wednesday.

Barrister Isabel Reed told the court Folbigg had an 'exemplary record' in prison and the assault had been completely out of character.

Laura Folbigg (pictured) was 19 months old when she died at the hands of her mother Kathleen

Ms Reed asked Judge Tanya Bright to conclude the two inmates' references showed Folbigg had been assisting other prisoners during her time in custody.

'Each of them speak of the impact of the appellant's support upon them while they have been in custody,' Judge Bright said.

'It is clear to me that the appellant has been of significant assistance to each of the inmates.'

Judge Bright accepted Folbigg had previously been a model inmate but said assaults could not be tolerated in jail.

'I accept this conduct was out of character,' she said.

'And I accept that she is genuinely remorseful for her conduct which could perhaps be described as somewhat an overreaction to the situation with respect to the toaster.

Kathleen Folbigg's husband Craig (left of centre) at the Supreme Court trial of his former wife Kathleen

Caleb Folbigg (pictured) was 19 days old when his mother killed him in the family's Hunter Valley home

Judge Bright dismissed the appeal and upheld the original magistrate's sentence.

Folbigg is 14 years into a 25-year minimum term for the killing of her four children.

She was found guilty in 2003 of murdering Patrick, eight months old, Sarah, 10 months old and Laura, 18 months old, between 1991 and 1999.

Folbigg was found guilty of the manslaughter of son Caleb when he was 19 days old in 1989.

All the children died in homes Folbigg shared with husband Craig in the New South Wales Hunter Valley: Caleb and Patrick at Mayfield, Sarah at Thornton and Laura at Singleton.

The NSW Supreme Court heard Folbigg killed her children because she could not cope with the stress of raising them. She resented their intrusion on her life.

Sarah Folbigg (pictured) was eight months old when killed by his mother Kathleen Megan Folbigg

Patrick Folbigg (pictured), the second of the Folbigg children to be killed, was eight months old when he died

Folbigg had a troubled childhood. When she was about 18 months old her biological father Thomas Britton stabbed her mother Kathleen to death.

The young Kathleen was made a ward of the state after her mother's murder and placed into foster care.

She left school at 15 and was about 20 when she married Craig Folbigg.

At Folbigg's trial the Crown suggested she had murdered her babies by smothering them. Folbigg maintained the children died of natural causes including cot death.

There was no physical evidence against Folbigg in what was a circumstantial case which relied heavily upon journal entries she had made.

Kathleen Folbigg's journal which made up a significant part of the circumstantial evidence against her when she faced trial

Kathleen Folbigg's journal and other evidence tendered in the case against her in the NSW Supreme Court

Of Laura she wrote: 'Scared she'll leave me now, like Sarah did.'

Of Sarah: 'All I wanted her to do was shut up. And one say she did ... I knew I was short tempered and cruel sometimes to her and she left - with a bit of help.'

Again of Laura: 'She's a fairly good natured baby, thank goodness - it saved her from the fate of her siblings.'

Folbigg also wrote: 'Obviously I'm my father's daughter.'

Her defence team relied on other parts of the journals to show her caring nature and concern for her children's welfare. The incriminating passages were said to be the writings of a grieving mother.

Folbigg made no direct admissions and has always maintained her innocence.

She was originally sentenced to a minimum 30-year minimum term which was cut to 25 years upon appeal in 2005.

Supporters have been attempting to have the case re-examined, citing a lack of evidence against Folbigg and the existence of international examples of multiple cot deaths in the same family.
Mrs May said ministers had a duty to curb immigration after last years EU referendum, and restated her pledge to slash net immigration to the tens of thousands

Business leaders clashed with the Government over Brexit yesterday after Theresa May pledged to curb the flow of cheap, low-skilled labour from Europe.

Business lobby groups reacted with fury to leaked Government proposals outlining a tough new immigration system after Britain leaves the EU.

Downing Street hit back, saying business needs to end its reliance on cheap migrant labour and do more to train British workers. Mrs May said ministers had a duty to curb immigration after last years EU referendum, and restated her pledge to slash net immigration to the tens of thousands.

But the Government was in disarray as Cabinet ministers, including Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clark are understood to have concerns about slashing immigration from the EU too quickly.

Damian Green, the First Secretary of State and one of Mrs Mays closest allies, is also thought to have misgivings, and believes the plans can be toned down.

It also emerged some FTSE 100 leaders have refused to sign a letter backing the Governments Brexit strategy. Downing Street quietly asked executives to sign an open letter saying they wanted to make a success of Brexit, and welcoming the Governments push for a transitional deal.

But this was not welcomed by some, with one executive reportedly saying: There is no way we could sign this given the current state of chaos surrounding the talks.

It is understood the letter, obtained by Sky News, was drafted by No 10 and was due to be made public as Mrs May tries to create support for the legislation going through Parliament about our EU withdrawal.

The row followed the leak of a Home Office document setting out plans to curb immigration from the EU after Brexit.

Mrs May said: Immigration has been good for the UK, but people want to see it controlled as a result of our leaving the EU.

The Government was in disarray as Cabinet ministers, including Home Secretary Amber Rudd, Chancellor Philip Hammond and Business Secretary Greg Clark are understood to have concerns about slashing immigration from the EU too quickly

The Government continues to believe it is important to have net migration at sustainable levels, particularly given the impact it has on people at the lower end of the income scale in depressing their wages.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said: We have always welcomed to this country those who can make a contribution to our economy, people with high skills.

On the other hand we want British companies to do more to train up British workers, to do more to improve skills of those who leave our colleges. So theres always a balance to be struck. Were not closing the door on all future immigration but it has to be managed properly and people do expect to see the numbers coming down.

The document, which has caused uneasiness among some ministers, suggests low-skilled workers from the EU would only be allowed to stay for a year or two, and EU citizens would be barred from moving to the UK to look for a job. Ministers are also considering a direct numerical cap on the numbers who come here from Europe after the UK leaves in March 2019.

Big business reacted angrily to the proposals. Ufi Ibrahim, chief executive of the British Hospitality Association, said the proposals would be catastrophic for her industry, which relies heavily on cheap EU labour.

She said: We understand the wish to reduce immigration but we need to tread carefully and be aware of the unintended consequences  some businesses will fail, taking UK jobs with them.

Neil Carberry, of the Confederation of British Industry, said: An open approach to our closest trading partners is vital for business, as it attracts investment to the UK. It also helps keep our economy moving by addressing key labour shortages.

The Institute of Directors said business leaders would not welcome the proposals and its members would be hoping for changes in the Governments final position.

The National Farmers Union said a cut in migrant workers could cause massive disruption for the industry. Deputy president Minette Batters said 80,000 seasonal workers a year are needed to plant, pick, grade and pack over 9 million tonnes of fruit, vegetable and flower crops.

But Alp Mehmet, of the Migration Watch think-tank, said ministers were right to pressure businesses to wean themselves off cheap foreign labour. He said: We want to encourage employers to train local people and make more of an effort to prepare for a time when there wont be all these people coming in with ready-made skills prepared to work for lower wages.

The leaked document was a draft of proposals due to be published this autumn.

Sources said a further six drafts have since been produced and it has not yet gone to ministers for approval. Senior figures in Brussels raised concerns about the document. Gianni Pittella, leader of a large group within the European Parliament, said it revealed the nasty side of Theresa Mays Government, adding: Should the British Government follow the position outlined, it will certainly not help the negotiations. It adds uncertainty and confusion.

German MEP Elmar Brok, an ally of Angela Merkel, said he was shocked by the language and content of this paper, adding: I think we are in a situation that EU citizens are seen as an enemy for the UK. This is not an atmosphere where you can find solutions.

Britain is not legally obliged to pay Brussels a penny when we leave the EU, according to analysis. Brussels is demanding up to 90billion, but the report, by the European Research Group of Tory MPs, suggests the EU may even owe Britain 9billion.

Mrs May offered the olive branch to Anna Soubry yesterday after the former minister warned the Great Repeal Bill could result in an unprecedented Government power grab

PM sweet-talks Tory remainers

Theresa May is to hold talks with Tory Remainers in a bid to prevent them wrecking her Brexit legislation.

She offered the olive branch to Anna Soubry yesterday after the former minister warned the Great Repeal Bill could result in an unprecedented Government power grab.

Dominic Grieve also warned he could rebel against the legislation, now known as the EU Withdrawal Bill.

The former attorney general claimed it could result in ministerial rule by decree.

The legislation repeals the European Communities Act 1972, directly transferring thousands of EU regulations into British law. Ministers insist the huge scale of the operation requires them to use so-called Henry VIII powers.
Universities will be fined if they are unable to provide justification for paying their bosses more than the Prime Minister, Jo Johnson will say today.

The universities minister is due to announce the crackdown in response to a growing outcry over the lavish salaries enjoyed by many vice chancellors.

Last year, they earned on average 277,834 including benefits, although the highest paid, Dame Glynis Breakwell, made 450,000 in her role at Bath University.

Many also live in luxurious grace-and-favour homes, travel business class and some even have their household bills paid.

Universities minister Jo Johnson is today expected to announce measures to stop remuneration boards awarding generous pay rises unless they are genuinely deserved

Critics have said it is inappropriate for vice chancellors to be paid so generously when student fees are rising again this month from 9,000 to 9,250.

Mr Johnson has previously repeatedly called for an end to the 'upwards ratchet' of senior pay, but many universities have taken no notice.

So today, he is expected to announce measures to stop remuneration boards awarding generous pay rises unless they are genuinely deserved.

He will tell the Universities UK annual conference: 'The debate over student finance has, rightly, increased public scrutiny of how universities spend the money they receive from fees.

'When students and taxpayers invest so heavily in our higher education system, excessive vice chancellor salaries send a powerful signal to the outside world.

'Exceptional pay can only be justified by exceptional performance.'

He said a newly formed regulator, the Office for Students (OfS), will insist all universities justify any vice chancellor pay over 150,000  the salary of Theresa May  as part of their condition of registration.

If an institution fails to do so, the OfS will take action  which may include imposing a fine.

The OfS will issue new guidance on senior staff pay, and will require universities to publish details of all senior staff earning over 100,000 per year.

Mr Johnson is also calling on universities to publish the pay ratio of top to median staff pay, and explanations for any top pay increases that are greater than increases in average pay across the institution.

The announcement comes after Oxford's vice chancellor Louise Richardson had to defend her 350,000 salary

The chief executive of the OfS, Nicola Dandridge, and the chairman, Sir Michael Barber, have announced they will voluntarily cut their own annual salaries to set an example to the sector.

Their pay packets have been reduced by 18 and 10 per cent, respectively, and equates to a combined reduction of more than 65,000.

Mr Johnson said: 'Greater restraint is required and, by independently volunteering big pay cuts themselves, Sir Michael Barber and Nicola Dandridge have shown true leadership.'

Robert Halfon, Conservative chair of the education select committee, said of the crackdown on pay: 'This is an important step forward.

'Vice chancellors' pay must be fair to students and fair to the taxpayer.

'Rises should be based on the performance of universities.'

The announcement comes after Oxford's vice chancellor Louise Richardson sought to fend off criticism of her 350,000 salary by claiming it is about maintaining gender equality.

When challenged over her pay live on BBC Radio 4's Today Programme, she said: 'The vice chancellor of Oxford's salary has not changed in the past few years, and so I wouldn't have thought the BBC would want to argue that I should be paid less than my male predecessor.'

Oxford's previous vice chancellor, Andrew Hamilton, had a salary of 346,000.

But Lord Adonis, former Labour education minister, said: 'The issue isn't sexism but greed.

'The fact that her predecessor was wildly overpaid is no reason for her to be so too.

'I think male vice chancellors are just as overpaid as the female ones.

'They should both take a pay cut and return the money to students in the form of lower fees.'

Mr Halfon added of the row: 'This has nothing to do with sexism  just fairness and value for money given the significant loan burden on students.

'Taxpayers rightly want to know that these huge salaries are fair and in proportion.'

Professor Richardson's pay package was recently criticised by one of her own bursars for being 'grossly excessive'.
Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg faced a furious backlash yesterday after he said he was completely opposed to abortion, even after rape or incest

Tory MP Jacob Rees-Mogg faced a furious backlash yesterday after he said he was completely opposed to abortion, even after rape or incest.

The practising Catholic and father of six, who has been tipped as a future Conservative leadership contender, said all terminations were morally indefensible.

The North East Somerset MP, who also opposes gay marriage, came under fire for his traditional views, which were branded out of touch by critics.

Appearing on Good Morning Britain yesterday, Mr Rees-Mogg distanced himself from rumours that he could run for the Tory leadership before being asked for his views on abortion.

Im completely opposed to abortion. Life begins at the point of conception, he said.

Asked if that meant he was opposed to abortion in all circumstances, including rape and incest, he said: Yes I am. Im afraid so. Life is sacrosanct and begins at the point of conception and I think it is wrong.

Giving his views on gay marriage, he added: I am a Catholic and I take the teachings of the Catholic Church seriously.

Marriage is a sacrament and the decision of what is a sacrament lies with the Church not with Parliament.

With same-sex marriage, that is something that people are doing for themselves. With abortion, it is something that is done to the unborn child. That is different.

But Mr Rees-Mogg said he was not calling for a shift in the law, adding that womens abortion rights were not going to change. The Churchs teachings on faith and morals were authoritative, he said, but he added it was not for him to judge others. He added that it was wrong that Christian views were not accepted in Britain.

Its all very well to say we live in a multicultural country... until youre a Christian, until you hold the traditional views of the Catholic Church, and that seems to me fundamentally wrong, he said. He added that the democratic majority were equally entitled to laws that do not follow the Catholic Churchs teaching.

But his words triggered fury, with Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairman of the Home Affairs Select Committee, saying it was shocking that someone with such views could be considered a future Tory leader.

The shocking thing is not really Jacob Rees-Moggs personal views  hes entitled to them, she said. The shocking thing is so many people in the Conservative Party seem to think he should be their next leader. I think thats an appalling thought.

The British Pregnancy Advisory Service, which provides abortions, said Mr Rees-Moggs extreme views were wildly at odds with public opinion. Katherine OBrien, its head of policy research, said: We are a pro-choice country, we have a pro-choice Parliament. Every politician is entitled to hold their own opinion on abortion. But what matters is whether they would let their own personal convictions stand in the way of womens ability to act on their own.

Family man: Mr Rees-Mogg with his family and nanny at the christening of his son Sixtus

But Catholic former Tory MP Ann Widdecombe said: I agree with Jacob  a child is a child.

Doctrine that hasnt changed for 2,000 years By Steve Doughty Social Affairs Correspondent The teaching of the Roman Catholic Church on abortion has been consistent for nearly 2,000 years. It has always maintained that abortion is a grave sin comparable to murder. Catholic doctrine says that a foetus has life and a soul from the moment of conception, and that no one has the right to take that life away. This applies even when the pregnancy is a result of rape. The Church regards rape as an evil crime inflicted on an innocent victim. However, in Catholic eyes, to follow rape with an abortion is to perpetrate a second crime against another innocent victim: the unborn child. Roman Catholic loathing of abortion has been the guiding force behind much of the pro-life movement which has resisted the spread of legalised abortion and euthanasia over the past 50 years. The Second Vatican Council in the mid-1960s declared: Life must be protected with the utmost care from the moment of conception: abortion and infanticide are abominable crimes. Those who undergo or procure abortion suffer excommunication  a ban from attending church and receiving sacraments. In 1996, the Catholic bishops of England and Wales reminded Catholic politicians of the importance of a firm line in an election letter to the faithful. The document, the Common Good, was particularly aimed at Tony Blair, a regular attender at Catholic worship who was shortly to sweep to power in the 1997 Labour landslide. While a majority of English Catholics leaned to Labour, Church leader Cardinal Hume was no admirer of Mr Blair and the verdict on the future prime ministers pro-abortion views was sharp. The election of Pope Francis in 2013 raised hopes among Catholic liberals that the Vatican might shift to a less restrictive position. Francis corrected this in 2014, calling abortion a horrific symptom of a throwaway culture. Advertisement

Those are his views, and if hes asked about them he must answer honestly. If theres going to be a storm every time a politician gives their honest views, there shouldnt be criticism when they dodge questions.

Last night, Mr Rees-Mogg unapologetically tweeted a Latin phrase from the Nicene Creed recited during mass which means: And I believe in One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.

This week he topped polls among grassroots Tories as the favourite to take over from Theresa May. He has played down rumours about his leadership ambitions and suggestions that he may be given a ministerial brief in a future reshuffle. During yesterdays interview, Mr Rees-Mogg said his party was more tolerant than the Liberal Democrats, whose former leader Tim Farron has faced repeated questions about his views on gay sex.

When he quit after the election, Mr Farron described the struggles of reconciling his religious views and politics. Explaining his decision to step down, he said he had found it impossible to lead a liberal party and be a faithful Christian. The row over Mr Rees-Moggs comments came as Northern Irelands Director of Public Prosecutions, Barra McGrory, announced that medical staff in the province who refer women to hospitals in the rest of the UK for abortions will not face prosecution.

Abortion is legal in England up to 24 weeks under the Abortion Act 1967. However, if there is a substantial risk to the womans life or foetal abnormalities, there is no limit.

Mr Rees-Mogg recently topped a ConservativeHome poll of Conservative Party members as their favoured next prime minister.

The MP said he would not be a candidate if there was a leadership election, adding: I fully support Mrs May; I want her to remain leader of the Tory Party. But he stopped short of ruling out a bid in the future, saying: I am a backbench MP. In the history of the prime ministership [it] has never gone to a backbench MP.

A spokesman for the PM made clear that she did not agree with Mr Rees-Mogg on abortion, but stressed that it was an issue for individual MPs consciences.

Its a long-standing principle that abortion is for Parliament and, for individual MPs, it is a matter of conscience, said the spokesman. The Prime Minister doesnt happen to agree, but it is a matter of conscience.

In July, Eton and Oxford-educated Mr Rees-Mogg announced the birth of his sixth child, Sixtus Dominic Boniface Christopher, The politician has also featured pictures of his other children  Peter, Mary, Thomas, Anselm and Alfred  on his Twitter feed.
Killers, rapists, drug lords and other EU criminals will be easier to deport after Brexit, according to a leaked Home Office paper.

Under the proposals ministers would ditch Brussels rules exploited by offenders.

Citizens from elsewhere in the world who are jailed for more than 12 months face automatic deportation. They can also be stopped at the border or thrown out if they are a persistent offender.

But an EU citizen can be excluded from the UK only if they pose a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat to society and the public  a much higher threshold.

British judges have taken this to mean that anyone who does not pose an immediate threat should not normally be sent home.

Tightening up the rules would ensure the authorities were notified about EU convicts before they set foot on our shores. In a notorious case, Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns (l) was allowed into the UK despite having served seven years in jail in his home country for killing his wife. He moved here in 2007 and went on to murder 14-year-old Alice Gross (r) in August 2014

EU citizens who have lived in the UK for more than five years may be removed only on serious grounds of public policy and public security. More than ten years of residency requires imperative grounds of public security.

The Home Office paper suggests that  after Brexit  all foreign citizens would be treated in the same way. And the new rules would make it simpler to deny visas to EU criminals, extremists or other troublemakers.

It says EU rules are less strict, certain and predictable than ministers would like and changing them would improve the safety and security of the UK.

Politicians welcomed the proposals, citing the critical terror threat.

Tory MP Charlie Elphicke said: With recent events across Europe its more vital than ever that we have strong borders. That means stopping criminals from EU nations coming to Britain. And any foreign offenders that pose a threat should be deported. Deportation for foreign criminals should mean out of prison, out of the country.

Tightening up the rules would ensure the authorities were notified about EU convicts before they set foot on our shores.

In a notorious case, Latvian builder Arnis Zalkalns was allowed into the UK despite having served seven years in jail in his home country for killing his wife.

He moved here in 2007 and went on to murder 14-year-old Alice Gross in August 2014.

It would also allow the deportation of Learco Chindamo, who came from Italy aged six with his mother and two brothers.

In 1995 he murdered headmaster Philip Lawrence, stabbing him when he went to help a pupil.

In 2007, the High Court ruled he could not be booted out because he no longer posed a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat.

It would also allow the deportation of Learco Chindamo (l), who came from Italy aged six with his mother and two brothers. In 1995 he murdered headmaster Philip Lawrence (r), stabbing him when he went to help a pupil

Measures outlined in the leaked 82-page document would aim to prevent thousands of European offenders from coming into the country. Ministers will set out in domestic legislation that it is in Britains interests to treat EU and non-EU criminals in the same way.

The paper says: Leaving the EU allows us to create a single, consistent approach to criminality across the immigration system. EU rules require that a persons conduct must represent a genuine, present and sufficiently serious threat before he or she can be deported.

They do not specify the length of imprisonment or specific behaviour which may result in the refusal of entry, exclusion or deportation of an EU citizen from the UK. UK rules for non-EU nationals are both more specific and stricter.

The document adds: The application of the EU public policy is less certain and predictable in practice than we would like.

Latest figures showed there were 9,756 foreign inmates in prisons in England and Wales  around one in nine of the total.
Australian Conservatives MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins has named her ex-husband as a paedophile in a stunning speech in Victoria's parliament.

Dr Carling-Jenkins' former husband Gary Jenkins has been convicted and jailed for possessing child exploitation images in the family home, she said.

She said that she and her son Terrence discovered Jenkins had an 'extensive collection of child pornography' in the family home in February 2016.

Dr Carling-Jenkins said her marriage ended in that moment and she immediately left the family home.

But she added that he has refused to sign divorce papers and is still in touch with their son.

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Australian Conservatives MP Rachel Carling-Jenkins has named her ex-husband as a paedophile in a stunning speech in Victoria's parliament

In the heartbreaking speech on Thursday, she admitted she is haunted by the images of the little girls she saw - and does not regret reporting Jenkins to the police.

She added: 'I have been silent on this topic until now only because I would not do anything to interfere with police investigations or judicial proceedings, but these are completely over.

'And so it is time to speak out on behalf of the voiceless and the vulnerable in this story: the victims.'

Dr Carling-Jenkins said 'the faces of many [victims] are etched in my memory for eternity.

'I pray that the police were able to identify and rescue as many of these poor helpless and vulnerable victims as possible

'I find myself now unconsciously searching the faces of little girls that I see on the streets distressed when a face triggers a memory of a photo or a video of a little girl that I glimpsed in his collection.

'These little girls have lost their innocence, their childhood and their control. These little girls would not have been abused if people like my ex-husband did not provide a market for that abuse.'

She also expressed her view that a 'few months in jail' and being on the child sex offender list was not enough of a punishment given the seriousness of the crimes committed.

'I have no regrets as a mother or a wife in reporting and exposing this dreadful crime, which occurred in the privacy of my home.

'My son Terrence has no regrets either, but make no mistake, our lives were turned upside down the day of the discovery.

A picture shared on Twitter by a 7News reporter shows other MPs consoling MP Rachel Carling Jenkins after the speech

'We were gutted. My marriage ended instantly and I left home the day I made that discovery and I have not returned to the family home since, except to pick up belongings.

'I have no intention of returning to the house which now holds such haunting memories or to the marriage.

'I ceased all support the day I discovered that Gary had perpetrated such a horrendous crime.

'Unfortunately, in true felonious style, he has used our time apart to abuse me, financially, emotionally and psychologically.

'He has refused to give me a property settlement or access to any assets, leaving me with continued unstable accommodation

'He has contacted my son repeatedly, who he had little interest in or investment in previously and he has resisted signing divorce papers.'

Dr Carling-Jenkins' former husband Gary has been convicted and jailed for possessing child exploitation images in the family home, she said

Dr Carling-Jenkins said her marriage ended the moment she and her son discovered her ex-husband's child porn collection

She added: 'In this discovery, I personally viewed deeply distressing images which have caused me immediate and ongoing anguish.

'Gary was initially picked up based on witness statements my son and I provided to the police, these statements were recorded shortly after our discovery.

'I want to make one thing clear, I had no idea prior to February 2016 that my husband was addicted to child pornography.

'I had believed for a long time that he was suffering from a mental illness and I had attempted on numerous occasions to get him help.

'However, Gary had consistently rebuffed or sabotaged these attempts and I thought at the time that was another symptom of a mental illness.'

She continued: 'Gary does not have a mental illness, his behaviours stem from something much more sinister.'

A picture shared on Twitter by a 7News reporter shows other MPs consoling her after the speech.

After being elected to parliament in the 2014 election, Dr Carling-Jenkins said she 'refused to be a bystander' in her maiden speech.

'I am no William Wilberforce, but he inspires me to value conviction over comfort, tenacity over temporary gain and devotion over indifference,' she said.

'Like Wilberforce, I am a non-conformist. I am not a bystander; I refuse to be a bystander.

'Under my watch there will not be silence... And so I stand here today and for the next four years as a voice for the vulnerable, a voice for the enslaved and a voice for the voiceless.'
White British children are much less likely than ethnic minority pupils to be tutored privately outside school hours, a study has found.

The results show that 25 per cent of white pupils had been tutored compared with 56 per cent of Asian pupils and 42 per cent of black youngsters  and may go some way towards explaining why white British children are, on average, falling behind their peers.

Experts have long warned that many white working-class families are not as aspirational as those from immigrant backgrounds, and many lack the motivation to help their child succeed in school.

Just 25 per cent of white pupils had been tutored compared with 56 per cent of Asian pupils and 42 per cent of black youngsters

The latest study, carried out by the educational charity Sutton Trust, suggests white families are less willing to pay for extra tuition to boost their children's grades than those from other ethnic backgrounds.

Research published last year by the Centre Forum think-tank found that, by the age of 16, only 37 per cent of white British pupils in English schools achieved eight good GCSEs in key academic subjects.

This compared with 73 per cent of Chinese pupils and 58 per cent of Indian pupils.

The Sutton Trust study revealed that the most common reason for tutoring was general help with school work, while smaller proportions said that they had been given tuition for specific GCSEs or a school entrance exam.

Children from wealthier families are twice as likely to have received additional help compared to classmates from less-affluent families.

A spokesman for the Sutton Trust said: 'High rates of private tuition among ethnic groups may reflect a strong cultural appreciation of education.

'But it's important that all young people have access to the same educational opportunities. We want to see targeted improvement programmes aimed at pupils at particular risk of falling behind as well as means-tested vouchers to supplement lessons for those who can't afford it.'

Experts have long warned that many white working-class families are not as aspirational as those from immigrant backgrounds, and many lack the motivation to help their child succeed in school

The poll of 2,600 11 to 16-year-olds in England and Wales found that, overall, 30 per cent had been given private lessons.

This is up from 25 per cent of youngsters who said the same last year and nearly double the 18 per cent who said they had received extra help in 2005.

The study also used international data published by the OECD, based on tests taken by 15-year-olds in more than 70 countries, to examine how private tuition varies between nations.

It revealed that out of 22 countries, teenagers in England spent significantly less time getting extra help than peers in 12 other countries.

Sutton Trust chairman Sir Peter Lampl said: 'Private tuition is the hidden secret of British education.

Within an educational arms race that entrenches advantage for those who can afford private school fees or homes close to good comprehensives and grammars, it has remained largely in the shadows.'

Earlier this year, former education secretary Nicky Morgan caused a stir by suggesting British parents were not as interested in their child's education as those from other cultures.

She said: 'Around the world, young people and their families fight for education, and in this country parents fight to take children to Disneyland.'
The federal government is considering how to evacuate the 200,000 Australians in north Asia should tensions with North Korea escalate into war.

Australians on holidays or working in Asia have been told to monitor the crisis closely as the rogue nation ups its nuclear and ballistic missile activity.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull urged Australians in or heading to China, Japan or South Korea, to register with the government's Smart Traveller website.

Mr Turnbull said the risk of war was the greatest since the end of the Korean War and the government was developing emergency plans for Australians in the area.

'Greatest threat since Korea War': Australian PM Malcolm Turnbull is considering how to evacuate the 200,000 Australians in north Asia as North Korea war threats escalate

The government has updated its travel advice for South Korea and Japan in response to North Korea's nuclear and ballistic missile tests (North Korea dictator Kim Jong-un centre, observing hydrogen bomb)

If North Korea were able to design a missile capable of carrying a nuclear bomb similar in power to the one detonated on Sunday, it would kill an estimated 126,000 people if dropped over Sydney

The government has updated its travel advice for South Korea and Japan in response to the escalating tensions in North Korea.

The advice says further provocations by Pyongyang or reactions by other countries cannot be ruled out, and tensions could escalate with little warning.

'That way we can do our job of helping you if there are problems overseas,' he told the Nine Network on Thursday.

Registered travellers would be able to receive phone alerts if the government needed to contact them urgently.

'We always consider these evacuation contingencies,' he said.

It comes as experts predict hundreds of thousands of people would be instantly killed if North Korea targeted one of Australia's capital cities with a nuclear missile.

The rogue nation detonated a 100 kiloton bomb under a mountain on Sunday, their sixth nuclear test, just days after launching a missile over Japan's main islands.

North Korea has also threatened to send a salvo of missiles towards the US territory of Guam, escalating tensions between the regime and much of the Western world.

If the country was able to design a missile capable of carrying a similar-strength nuclear bomb to the one recently detonated, it would kill an estimated 126,000 people if dropped over Sydney.

'The threatening conduct of Kim Jong-un (centre) is becoming more intense all the time,' Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.

If North Korea dropped a 100 kiloton bomb at Melbourne's Town Hall, it would destroy everything from Flinders Street Station to Little Bourke Street

The hypothetical estimations, calculated using a simulator designed by US academic Alex Wellerstein, predicted a large part of Sydney's city would be flattened if the bomb landed on Pitt Street Mall.

St Mary's Cathedral, Wynyard Station and Town Hall would all be destroyed, along with 126,000 lives.

Even more people would be killed from radiation poisoning - which could affect up to 90 percent of people from Kirribilli to Balmain and the University of Sydney.

North Korea has conventional missiles permanently trained on the South Korean capital Seoul, as well as what the regime says is a sophisticated hydrogen bomb that can be fitted to an intercontinental missile that can reach the US.

Mr Turnbull had a 30-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with North Korea (military parade pictured) dominating the conversation

Mr Turnbull had a 30-minute phone call with US President Donald Trump on Wednesday, with North Korea dominating the conversation.

Mr Turnbull described the discussion as 'warm and constructive', saying the pair agreed it was time for the international community to exert maximum diplomatic and economic pressure on the rogue nation.

'The threatening conduct of Kim Jong-un is becoming more intense all the time,' Mr Turnbull said on Thursday.

If the dictator carried out his threats, there would be an 'overwhelming and massive military response'.

'It would be a suicide note on the part of Kim Jong-un but it would be a complete catastrophe,' Mr Turnbull said.

'Having said that, I remain confident the global community will put more economic pressure on North Korea and that will bring ... the regime to its senses.'

Defence Minister Marise Payne is in Seoul for high-level security talks on Thursday including a meeting with US commander General Vincent Brooks.
T-Mobile will offer current and new T-Mobile One family plan customers free Netflix subscriptions starting September 12.

CEO of T-Mobile John Legere said the 'Netflix On Us' program includes a complimentary Netflix Standard subscription to T-Mobile users who have two or more voice lines.

The monthly fee with stay at $40 per line while the operator will 'cover the cost of Netflix for those who already subscribe to the streaming service,' according to GeekWire.

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T-Mobile will offer current and new T-Mobile One family plan customers free Netflix subscriptions

The offer stems from a new exclusive partnership with streaming giant Netflix

T-Mobile Chief Operating Officer Mike Sievert explains the latest industry changing move where T-Mobile ONE family plans now include a Netflix subscription during a T-Mobile Un-Carrier event on Wednesday

Specific details on the exclusive partnership between the two major companies have not been disclosed, but its rumored to be a pricey one.

'This is a big investment on our part. Netflix is not providing us with a giant discount, and they don't have to. They're Netflix,' T-Mobile's chief operating officer, Michael Sievert said in a statement.

T-Mobile explained the offer further in a FAQ statement.

'If you're an existing customer, use the T-Mobile app, visit MyT-Mobile.com, a retail store, or call Customer Care to activate. If you are a new customer, simply visit a T-Mobile store, go to T-Mobile.com or call 1-800-TMobile.

The new offer will release at the end of September

Netflix has also partnered with numerous cable providers in recent months

'You will be given a URL to link your T-Mobile account with your Netflix account. T-Mobile pays Netflix directly for you. For existing Netflix customers, it may take 1-2 Netflix billing cycles for your billing to transfer to T-Mobile,' the statement read.

Netflix has also announced its partnership with numerous cable providers in recent months, according to a Reuters report.

No. 3 distributor Charter Communications Inc CHTR.O and Altice NV ATCA.AS are said to have incorporated the streaming services into their plans.

'Our whole model is about cooperation with many of the (streaming) providers,' Altice USA ATUS.N Chief Executive Dexter Goei told Reuters earlier this year.

'We're now looking at proposals for including Netflix in some services and beginning to learn the bundling part of the business,' Netflix CEO Reed Hastings said.

'We're interested in expanding that.'
A party at the prestigious Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) got a little out of hand over the weekend when police discovered a man-made staircase waterfall, underage drinking and an unlicensed nightclub inside a frat house.

Authorities on Sunday broke up the Phi Delta Theta party, located near Kenmore Square, saying the dormitory was turned into a 'nightclub,' fixed with strobe lights and a DJ, according to The Boston Herald.

Organizers of the collegiate bash failed to get prior approval from the City of Boston License Division, and were issued a citation after a minor was discovered being in possession of alcohol.

The collegiate bash featured a man-made staircase waterfall, underage drinking and a DJ

Police say detectives observed an 18-year-old Harvard student drinking from a can of beer

The underage drinker was an 18-year-old student from Harvard and was found holding a can of Bud Light.

Police also said that overcrowding became a an issue when the dorm, which has a maximum occupancy of 39, flowed with over 116 people, creating a fire safety hazard.

The party, held near Kenmore Square, was described as a 'nightclub' by police, and issued a citation to the frat's president

'Our goal is not to put a damper on students fun, but when we see conditions that put these students safety at risk  underage drinking, waterfalls down marble staircases, fire hazards and overcrowding  we are obligated to step in and shut it down,' Boston Police Commissioner William B. Evans said in a statement.

'Students should be advised that my officers are out there checking and making sure they do the right thing and the safe thing,' he said.

The police report also said: 'The occupants... installed a waterfall on an interior upper floor that allowed water to fall through the central stairwell, soaking the marble staircase and adding to the hazardous conditions presented by the excessive occupancy.'
Acclaimed Australian broadcaster and author Peter Luck has died, aged 73.

In a tribute on Twitter, his friend and former radio broadcaster Mike Carlton said the respected television journalist had died on Wednesday night.

'Saddened beyond measure to report the death last night of Peter Luck. My dear friend, and great journalist and writer,' Carlton tweeted on Thursday.

Acclaimed Australian broadcaster and author Peter Luck has died, aged 73

'He died after a long and courageous battle with Parkinson's disease.'

Mr Luck appeared on several current affair shows including Today Tonight, Four Corners and Inside Edition.

He also authored a number of books on Australian history including This Fabulous Century.

His death has been met with an out poring of grief on social media.

'Peter was a great journalist, we enjoyed great many of his ABC & other stories, he'll be sadly missed, a legend of Australian broadcasting,' wrote one Twitter user.
Security agencies are monitoring the rise of extreme right wing groups over fears they will commit terrorist acts in Australia.

An ASIO report has warned that while Islamic extremists are the biggest terrorist threat facing the nation, there are also a number of extreme right-wing and left-wing groups 'willing to use violence to further their own interests'.

'Members of these groups are diverse and have differing agendas, including extreme right-wing and extreme left-wing ideologies,' ASIO's 'Security Environment and Outlook' report revealed.

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A group of white Australian men who identify as National Socialists, or Nazis, have joined the anti-gay marriage campaign

'A few small subsets of these groups are willing to use violence to further their own interests.

'Social discourse around anti-Islam and anti-migration issues has increased, and public protests for and against have become more frequent; these provide an opportunity for ideological adversaries to converge and sporadic violence can result.

'Over the past 12 months, violence at protests has mostly comprised small-scale clashes between right-wing and left-wing opponents at anti-Islam protests or protesters targeting police maintaining public order.

'A further concern is the increased communal violence between opposing groups in Australia. We have already seen violence between anti-Islam and left-wing groups and protests and rallies, especially in Victoria,' the report said.

Another terrorist group linked to the Nazis, Antipodean Resistance has also raised the concerns of government officials when it recently plastered a number of swastikas and racist murals around Sydney.

The group recently vandalised the Macquarie Graduate School of Management in Sydneys north-west with several Nazi posters.

ASIO report says Islamic extremist (pictured) are the biggest threats facing the nation

In April, the University of Sydney was also targeted by the group who have hosted 'radicalisation camps' in Queensland and in Melbourne in the past.

Video produced by the group and shared to social media shows small groups of men, dressed in camouflage gear, walking through scenic areas carrying swastika flag.s

On the trips, pictures show them using Socialist Alliance posters to fuel their campfire.

At the end of the video, a logo appears with text reading 'This could be you!' and encourages viewers to 'join your local Nazis'.

'The prime minister needs to be condemning neo-Nazi groups,' Shadow Attorney General Mark Dreyfus told reporters in Canberra on Tuesday, reports AAP.

'It's an extraordinary thing that he's just remained silent in the face of ugly statements that have been made in relation to the marriage equality survey.'

Labor MP Matt Thistlethwaite said the opposition had warned such activity from far-right groups would occur if a plebiscite or postal survey went ahead.

'It appears that these organisations are now coming out of the woodwork because we've got this debate going on regarding marriage equality in Australia,' he said.

Members of Antipodean Resistance plastered posters around Melbourne claiming same sex marriage 'enables pedophilia'

The responsibility for the increasing vocalisation of far-right groups lay with Malcolm Turnbull due to his inability to get a free vote through his party room, Mr Thistlethwaite said.

'Because of that, gay and lesbian Australians have to face this vitriol, this divisive campaign that really they don't deserve,' he said.

Two challenges to the postal survey will be heard by the High Court on Tuesday and Wednesday with a ruling expected before postal surveys are sent out on September 12.




An angry tradie has punched a fellow motorist in the face in the latest shocking road- rage attack to involve someone wearing a hi-vis shirt.

Stepping out of his car in the middle of peak hour traffic, the man walks over to the window of the unsuspecting driver and hurls abuse before hitting him in the face.

But while Facebook users were shocked by the incident, it was nothing new, with an ever increasing number of road rage attacks uploaded onto social media recently.

And now after countless videos showing men and women stepping out of their cars and getting into fights in the middle of Australian roads commenters have noticed a common theme among them all - 'angry hi-vis drivers'.

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An angry tradie has punched a fellow motorist in the face in another shocking road rage attack involving someone wearing a hi-vis shirt (pictured)

Facebook was outraged after footage of the incident was posted online, asking why tradesmen seemed to be so commonly involved in similar shocking incidents

The decision of the tradie to hit the man and then scurry back to his own car proved unpopular with Facebook users who slammed the aggressor's 'cowardly' actions.

But the incident didn't come as a surprise to many on the popular Dash Cam Owners Australia page, with a number saying they'd seen too many similar incidents before.

'An angry driver in a high-vis shirt? Get outta town!' one person commented.

'Seems to be a direct correlation between road rage incidences and hi vis shirts,' a man wrote.

'I'm wearing a bright fluro shirt so that makes me important... slap!' one commented sarcastically.

'I reckon Hi-Vis is causing brain damage. Walking around with the fluro on does it for the old brain cells, I mean look at people riding bikes - same thing,' another said.

It comes after countless similar tradie-instigated road rage attacks in recent months, including this massive four-man brawl in the Sydney's west (pictured)

It comes after countless similar tradie-instigated road rage attacks in recent months, including a massive four-man brawl in the Sydney's west.

The dramatic brawl began after a man in a hoodie threatened a driver in Merrylands, before two tradies in fluro orange shirts got out and began throwing punches.

During the brawl one of the tradesman launches a dramatic flying kick into the man's chest, while another took off his shirt in a bizarre display of bravado.

Last year, footage of a two-car collision on the Anzac Bridge went viral online after a man, again in hi-vis wear, jumped out of his car and launched a tired of verbal abuse.

Last year, footage of a two-car collision on the Anzac Bridge went viral online after a man, again in a hi-vis shirt, jumped out of his car and launched a tired of verbal abuse (pictured)

Calling his fellow driver a 'Class-A f***wit', the visibly angry tradie emerged from the car and approached a Lexus which he claimed had caused the incident.

But reverse footage released a few days later showed the tradie to have also played a role in the crash.

The seemingly increasing number of road rage attacks has led experts to dub it a 'crisis' and call for stricter penalties for shocking incidents.
WASHINGTON  The U.S. Air Force "sniffer plane" was collecting air samples off Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula on Sept. 3, 1949, when it gathered evidence of radioactivity, confirming that the war-shattered Soviet Union had tested a nuclear device. The Soviets' Aug. 29, 1949, test had come faster than expected.

Dating from the detonation at Alamogordo, N.M., on July 16, 1945, the basic science of nuclear explosions is more than 72 years old  three years older than the North Korean nation. Ballistic missile technology is more than 60 years old. The problems of miniaturizing warheads for mounting on missiles, and of ensuring the warheads' survival en route to targets, are not sufficient to stymie a nation  consider Pakistan, whose annual per capita income is less than $2,000  that is determined to have a nuclear arsenal.

North Korea has one and is developing ICBMs faster than expected and with ostentatious indifference to U.S. proclamations. On Jan. 2, President-elect Donald Trump scampered up the rhetorical escalation ladder, unlimbering his heavy artillery  an exclamation point  to tweet about North Korea's promised ICBM test: "It won't happen!" It did. North Korea's most audacious act, firing a missile over Japan, came seven days after Secretary of State Rex Tillerson praised North Korea's "restraint."

Pyongyang's "signaling" does not involve abstruse semiotics: It wants a nuclear arsenal, and as The Economist magazine says, the world's unpalatable options are the improbable (productive negotiations), the feeble (more sanctions) and the terrifying (military pre-emption). Concerning the latter, there is no bright line, but there is a distinction to be drawn, however imprecisely, between pre-emptive war and preventive war. The former constitutes self-defense in response to a clear and present danger  repelling an act of aggression presumed with reasonable certainty to be imminent. The latter is an act of anticipation  and, to be candid, of aggression  to forestall the emergence of a clear and present danger.

When Trump threatened North Korea with "fire and fury like the world has never seen," was he threatening to cross the nuclear weapons threshold? This has been contemplated before regarding North Korea. Former Gen. Douglas MacArthur, who had been fired by President Harry Truman for insubordination, handed President-elect Dwight Eisenhower a memorandum on how "to clear North Korea of enemy forces": "This could be accomplished through the atomic bombing of enemy military concentrations and installations in North Korea and the sowing of fields of suitable radio-active materials, the by-product of atomic manufacture, to close major lines of enemy supply and communication. ... "

MacArthur badly misjudged Eisenhower, whose biographer Jean Edward Smith says that during the Potsdam Conference (July 17-Aug. 2, 1945), when Eisenhower was told of the Alamogordo test  his first knowledge of the new weapon  "he was appalled" and "was the only one at Potsdam who opposed using the bomb." Smith says:

"As president, Eisenhower would twice be presented with recommendations from his National Security Council and the Joint Chiefs of Staff that the bomb be used; first, in Vietnam to protect the French at Dien Bien Phu, then against China at the time of the Formosa Strait crisis. Both times Eisenhower rejected the recommendations. As a former supreme commander, Eisenhower had the confidence to do so, where other presidents might not have. And by rejecting the use of the bomb, there is no question that Eisenhower raised the threshold at which atomic weaponry could be employed  a legacy we continue to enjoy."

But for how long? The non-proliferation regime has been remarkably successful. During the 1960 presidential campaign, John Kennedy cited "indications" that by 1964 there would be "10, 15 or 20" nuclear powers. As president, he said that by 1975 there might be 20. Now, however, North Korea, the ninth, might be joined by Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, among others, unless U.S. leadership produces, regarding North Korea, conspicuously credible deterrence. The reservoir of presidential credibility is not brimful.

On Aug. 1, Sen. Lindsey Graham said that Trump had told him that "there will be a war with North Korea" if it continues to develop ICBMs capable of reaching the United States. "We'll see," said Trump on Sunday, responding to this shouted question: "Will you attack North Korea?" You?

Are Congress' constitutional powers regarding war so atrophied that it supinely hopes for mere post facto notification? Ten months after Nov. 8, that day's costs, until now largely aesthetic, are suddenly, although not altogether unpredictably, more serious than were perhaps contemplated by his 62,984,825 voters.
A terminally ill grandmother has listed her two furry 'babies' up for adoption in an emotional advert.

Kim Girbin, 39, is living with terminal colon cancer and was given 18 months to live in June 2016.

Ms Girbin listed her two dogs, TJ and Bella, up for adoption in an advert to TradeMe, calling it the 'hardest decision' she's ever had to make.

Terminally ill New Zealand woman listed her two dogs, TJ (left) and Bella (right), up for adoption in an advert to TradeMe, calling it the 'hardest decision' she's ever had to make

Kim Girbin, 39, (pictured) is living with terminal colon cancer and was given 18 months to live in June 2016 and wanted to give her dogs a better life

'I have terminal cancer and am having trouble looking after myself let alone my two babies,' Ms Girbin posted.

'They are my babies so not having them around will be difficult.'

The mother and grandmother said TJ, a ten-year-old fox terrier and Bella, a six-year-old pomeranian cross silky terrier, needed to be adopted out together because they are 'like sisters'.

'They love cuddles, TJ likes to get under the blanket and spoon with you, where Bella lies tummy up at the end of the couch or bed,' Ms Girbin said.

'They are part of the family and love to be next to you.'

Ms Girbin said she wanted to find them the perfect home now instead of when she is even sicker, but it would be hard because they have both been with her since they were puppies.

'Cancer is bad, but it's nothing compared to giving up my dogs,' she told Stuff.

The New Zealand woman visited doctors complaining of stomach pains for three years before she was diagnosed with having a large bowel tumour deemed too large to operate.

With months left to live, Ms Girbin said she wanted to visit the potential new homes for her two pups to ensure they will be given the best life.
An airport in Las Vegas banned marijuana possession and advertising on Tuesday, although recreational marijuana is legal in Nevada.

McCarran International Airport in Las Vegas joined casinos on the list of places in the state where weed is still banned.

The decision keeps airport rules consistent with Federal Aviation Administration rules that consider marijuana an illegal substance.

One official called the ban 'a victory for common sense' because of the obvious problem of passengers traveling to states where marijuana is not legal.

Marijuana possession and advertising have been banned at McCarran International Airport in southeast Las Vegas

Recreational marijuana use was legalized in Nevada beginning January 1 of this year

The Nevada Gaming Commission said marijuana won't be allowed in Nevada casinos as long as it remains illegal at a federal level

If federal Transportation Security Administration officials find pot at security checkpoints, they can alert Las Vegas police

The federal Drug Enforcement Administration classifies marijuana as an illegal Schedule 1 controlled substance.

The Nevada Gaming Commission recently made clear that marijuana won't be allowed in Nevada casinos as long as it remains illegal at a federal level.

Travelers leaving Las Vegas with less than an ounce could get a ticket and have their marijuana confiscated.

If federal Transportation Security Administration officials find pot at security checkpoints, they can alert Las Vegas police. Violators could face a misdemeanor charge or civil fines.

McCarran is the nation's eighth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, seeing more than 47million travelers annually.

Violators could face a misdemeanor charge or civil fines for any amount in possession

McCarran is the nation's eighth-busiest airport by passenger traffic, seeing more than 47million travelers annually

Questions about marijuana advertising at the airport have been raised by commissioners who oversee the Las Vegas Strip and other county airports.

The new ordinance applies to fixed signs and electronic screen displays in the bustling baggage claim area at McCarran.

It also applies to mobile billboards, which must obtain permits to operate on airport property.

The ad ban will not apply to the advertising vinyl-wrapped taxis and personal vehicles picking up or dropping off airport passengers.

Recreational marijuana use became legal in Nevada on January 1, and retail sales started on July 1.
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Georgia's governor has ordered a mandatory evacuation starting on Saturday from the state's Atlantic coast ahead of Hurricane Irma. That includes the city of Savannah, home to nearly 150,000 people.

Gov. Nathan Deal issued the evacuation Thursday for all areas east of Interstate 95, all of Chatham County and some areas west of the interstate. He also expanded a state of emergency to 30 counties.

It comes as mandatory evacuations in Florida continue to multiply.

Deal's order authorizes about 5,000 Georgia National Guard members to be on active duty to help people respond and recover.

Georgia hasn't been hit by a hurricane with winds Category 3 or higher since 1898.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster, also declared a state of emergency. A major strike there would be the first in nearly 28 years.

The head of FEMA said on Thursday that Hurricane Irma will have a 'truly devastating' impact when it slams into southern coastal areas of the United States this weekend.

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Employees board up Aloha Gifts ahead of Hurricane Irma's possible impact on coastal Georgia, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in Tybee Island

Firefighters and other city workers cover the windows of Savannah's City Hall Thursday ahead of Irma

Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered the emergency evacuation of Miami's coastal zones as Hurricane Irma approaches the United States mainland. Pictured is traffic out of Florida creeping along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia

Grocery store shelves appear empty at the Winn Dixie on September 7, 2017 in Tavernier, Florida on Thursday

This satellite image obtained from NASA's GOES Project shows Hurricane Irma at 7:30am ET on Thursday

This satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Category 1 Hurricane Katia (left, in the Gulf of Mexico); Category 5 Hurricane Irma (center, over the Dominican Republic) and Category 1 Hurricane Jose (right, in the Atlantic Ocean) at 9am ET on Thursday

A map shows the projection that Hurricane Irma is expected to take over the next few days

FEMA chief Brock Long said people in Florida and other states must heed evacuation orders as the Category Five hurricane surges towards the US after causing death and destruction in the Caribbean.

The FEMA chief said Irma would be only the fourth Category Five hurricane to hit the United States and the first since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

'Bottom line is the majority of people along the coast have never experienced a major hurricane like this. It will be truly devastating,' he told CNN.

'The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention,' he added.

The map on the left shows the evacuation zone on the Georgia coast. The map on the right shows evacuation zones in Miami. Only Zone A and parts of Zone B are under evacuation currently

Above, evacuation maps for Palm Beach County (left) and Broward County (right)

This Aug. 25, 1992 file photo shows the water tower, a landmark in Florida City, still standing over the ruins of the Florida coastal community that was hit by the force of Hurricane Andrew, which was previously the worst storm to ever hit Florida

Evacuations have already started in the Florida Keys and parts of Miami, and officials say residents should be ready for more in the coming days.

Meanwhile, the location of two nuclear plants in the line of the storm are raising fears of a fallout similar to the Fukushima disaster. While the Turkey Point and St. Lucie power plants are right on the water, officials say they are designed to withstand hurricane-force winds and flooding.

By Thursday morning, the center of the storm was about 110 miles (180 kilometers) north of Punta Cana, Dominican Republic, and was moving west-northwest near 17 mph (28 kph).

The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it passes just to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and skirts Cuba on Friday night into Saturday.

Workers board the windows of the Telfair Academy in Savannah on Thursday. Georgia's governor on Thursday ordered nearly 540,000 coastal residents to evacuate inland ahead of Hurricane Irma

Bill Levitt, left, helps a customer at Home Depot on East Victory Drive, Thursday in Savannah ahead of Irma hitting the US

Workers board up the Mango's Restaurant and Night Club in Miami Beach, Florida as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma on Thursday

Edward Pastrana installs wood shutters at the Miami City Ballet in Miami Beach, Floruda on Thursday

A business is prepared for Hurricane Irma with boarded up windows on September 7, 2017 in Miami, Florida

A high-rise building under construction is shown next to a high-rise condominium building, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in downtown Miami. As Hurricane Irma threatens to pound Miami with winds of mind-boggling power, a heavyweight hazard looms over the city's skyline: two dozen enormous construction cranes. Because those cranes weren't designed to withstand a storm of Irmais ferocity, city officials are telling people who live in the shadows of the giant lifting devices to leave

A women does her shopping to prepare for the approaching Hurricane Irma on September 7, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida

A woman stocks sandbags at Kissimmee, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma making landfall, in Florida, U.S. on Thursday

Shelves that once held bottled water are empty as the city prepares for the approaching Hurricane Irma on September 7, 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida

Florida Gov. Rick Scott makes a public update on Hurricane Irma on Thursday, three days before the storm is expected to make landfall

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for all of zone A and the zone B barrier islands in Miami-Dade County. Traffic is seen heading North along the Florida turnpike leaving the Keys on Wednesday

It will then likely head north toward Florida, where people were rushing to board up homes, fill cars with gasoline and find a route to safety.

Mayors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued mandatory evacuation orders starting Thursday morning for barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas in the metro area of 6 million, where forecasters predict the hurricane with winds of 180 mph could strike by early Sunday.

Miami-Dade Mayor Philip Levine called Irma a 'nuclear hurricane' as he said once again that everyone in the mandatory evacuation zones 'must leave'.

'I'll do anything in my power to convince [people] this is a very serious storm. This is a nuclear hurricane. They should leave the beach, they must leave the beach,' he said.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott has strongly urged his citizens to evacuate if they are asked to do so by local officials, but said the evacuations will not be enforced. That means they won't be going door to door and arresting people who fail to evacuate.

The mandatory evacuation is the first for Miami since Hurricane Wilma in 2005.

The above graph shows the possible track that Irma will take as it approaches the U.S. and turns northward

Destruction ahead: This European operational model shows the likely landfall location for Hurricane Irma when it hits Florida

Tracking the storm: This model from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast shows the projected path of Irma. The red shows where it will hit land and cause serious damage

A woman at the Founders Park Marina continues to prepare for Hurricane Irma in Islamorada, Florida on September 7, 2017. The marina is all but empty now except for a few main stays who refuse to leave

A sign at Harry's Banana Farm bar in Lake Worth makes a humorous reference to Hurricane Irma on Thursday

Nuclear power bosses are ready to shut down the reactors of two plants which lie in the path of Hurricane Irma. Pictured: Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor

The order, which went into effect Thursday morning, applies to all of Zone A and parts of Zone B evacuation areas, which include barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas where about 100,000 people live.

The order includes the areas of Bal Harbour, Bay Harbour Islands, Golden Beach, Indian Creek Village, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside.

Mainland areas of Zone B were not included, but Giminez said they could be told to evacuate in the near future.

Those areas are considered to be particularly vulnerable to storm surge, according to the county's Mayor Carlos Giminez.

Gimenez also ordered the evacuation of residents in mobile homes across the county, about 150,000 people.

The county evacuated 2,200 special needs residents, such as hospital patients, on Wednesday.

Broward County's order remains voluntary for mobile homes and low-lying areas. Collier County issued a voluntary evacuation order for Marco Island.

Also being asked to evacuate are some residents in downtown Miami, near construction cranes that could fall down in the storm.

City of Miami officials said there are 20 to 25 construction cranes up right now and they are only designed to withstand Category 4 hurricanes. Currently, Irma is a Category 5 and it's unclear how the cranes will hold up in the wind.

Gov. Scott said they are taking such strong precautions because Irma is shaping up to be a stronger storm than Hurricane Andrew, which was the most destructive storm to ever hit the state in 1992.

'Let's all remember, we can rebuild your home, but we can't rebuild your life,' Scott said.

Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, said Irma 'could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago'.

'This is the kind of storm that you read about in the history books,' the Weather Channel's Bryan Norcross told USA Today.

Two men pull a jet ski out of the water on Wednesday in Miami in anticipation of Hurricane Irma hitting the coast

Pictured a woman walks past empty shelves of water at a target in Florida. People flocked to grocery stores to stock-pile on necessities like water and canned goods in anticipation of the hurricane hitting the mainland United States

This was the first evacuation in 12 years and saw 100,000 residents of mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas ordered to leave the city starting 9am on Thursday. Cars are pictured lining up for gas before heading out of the city

A woman walks out with water and necessities in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 in North Miami

Thursday morning's order applies to the county's Zone A, which covers Key Biscane, and the coast-line along Southeast Miami-Dade and just north of Miami - but only to the barrier islands of Zone B

Left motorists evacuate the Florida Keys ahead of the storm, and right a business in Miami prepares for the hurricane to hit by putting storm shutters on its windows

Scheriff Scott Israel told the Herald that, though it is a mandatory evacuation, nobody will be arrested or forced to leave

Further south in the Florida Keys, mandatory evacuations have already begun.

Monroe County, which is made up of the Florida Keys, began requiring all visitors to leave Wednesday morning. All residents were ordered to leave Wednesday evening. It's estimated that about 25,000 people were under the order.

DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE ANDREW IN 1992 Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida, and the costliest to the United States until Katrina in 2005. The storm sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph and passed directly through Miami-Dade County. It stripped many homes of all but their foundations, and destroyed more than 63,500 homes. The storm cost a total of $26.5 billion in damages and left 65 people dead. Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. Pictured is the devastation it left Advertisement

All highway tolls were suspended throughout the state on Tuesday afternoon, and South Florida Schools have been preemptively closed Thursday and Friday.

Meanwhile, the location of two nuclear power plants in the storm's path are raising concerns.

Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point and St. Lucie plants, which can supply power to almost two million homes, are under threat.

Spokesman Peter Robbins said: 'Based on the current track, we would expect severe weather in Florida starting Saturday, meaning we would potentially shut down before that point.'

The company, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc, is watching the weather and would adjust any plans as necessary, Robbins said.

It can take more than 24 hours to shut down a reactor, so the decision will have to be made well in advance.

But bosses are confident the power plants can weather the 185mph storm, as they both have a track record of surviving hurricanes.

Turkey Point, on Biscayne Bay about 24 miles south of Miami, saw off a Category 5 strike from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, sustaining $90million of damage in the process.

St. Lucie on Hutchinson Island about 55 miles north of West Palm Beach, weathered Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2005 and Wilma the year after.

Robbins said the plants were designed to withstand extreme natural events including hurricanes and serious floods. The reactors are encased in six feet of steel-reinforced concrete and sit 20 feet above sea level.

When nuclear reactors get shut down they have to be cooled. If they are not, as in the case of the Fukushima disaster in 2011 when a tsunami disabled emergency generators, there can be nuclear meltdowns, hydrogen-air explosions and the release of radioactive material. FPL says it has backup generators and extra fuel at the ready.

All highway tolls were suspended throughout the state on Tuesday afternoon, and South Florida Schools have been preemptively closed Thursday and Friday. Pictured a man fills up his car in Miami at a store where all of the windows are boarded up

The hurricane is expected to bring strong winds and heavy rains to much of the southeastern U.S. - even those areas out of the eye of the storm

Even the northeastern U.S. could get some poor weather from Irma, depending on which way the storm turns

It's still unclear what direction the storm will take as it inches closer to the U.S. Most models show it hitting Florida though

Amazon is being accused of price gouging by selling bottles of water at nearly ten times its normal cost to Floridians eager to stock up in anticipation of Hurricane Irma. Shoppers are seen above waiting for a shipment of water Wednesday in Altamonte Springs, Florida

One Twitter user wondered aloud whether charging $21.95 for a gallon of distilled water constituted price gouging

This Twitter user based in Tampa wanted to buy a case of water that sold on Amazon for $22.20

Diana Moskovitz posted this screenshot of an Amazon page which offered expedited shipping of a case of water for $179.25

Stores throughout the state, which has been under a state of emergency since Monday, have been struggling to keep their shelves stocked as Floridians have been buying up necessities like bottled water and gas.

On Wednesday, lines stretched at grocery stores, gas stations and home improvement stores as Floridians stocked up for the storm and readied their houses to face the gale-force winds.

Lines stretched around 50 cars deep at one gas station in Cooper City, which is southwest of Fort Lauderdale, by 5:30am Wednesday. The station had been out of fuel on Tuesday night, but received an overnight delivery.

Gov. Scott said during a press conference Wednesday morning that gas and more supplies are on the way, after stores and service stations across the state started reporting shortages.

Scott asked the governors of Alabama and Georgia to waive trucking regulations so tankers can get fuel into communities in need.

When stores sold out, some Floridians got crafty and tried to get essentials delivered to them by Amazon, only to find that prices were higher than normal.

'I'm in Tampa trying to buy water online because stores are out of water and this is crazy price gouging!' one Twitter user tweeted, attaching a photo of a 24-bottle case of Dasani water that sells online for $22.20.

Amazon was selling 24-packs of Aquafina water for $20, even though it usually sells for less than $6.

Another Twitter user, Diana Moskovitz, said that she looked into using Amazon Prime to ship more water to her family in South Florida.

'Check out the price they quoted me,' Moskovitz tweeted.

The photo attached to her tweet shows a screenshot of Amazon's page in which a 24-bottle case of Nestle water is sold for $18.48  which does not include an expedited shipping and handling charge of $179.25.

One possible explanation for the higher prices is an algorithm Amazon uses known as 'dynamic pricing.'

Similar to a practice employed by ride-sharing app Uber, Amazon uses an algorithm which automatically adjusts pricing based on demand.

Whenever demand for a certain product spikes, the price is bumped up as well, according to CBS Moneywatch.

Dynamic pricing is legal, though experts say that whenever it is noticed during times of crisis like a major storm or a terrorist attack, it inevitably leads to accusations of price gouging.

Amazon denied that it uses a 'surge pricing' or that its practices amount to gouging.

'We do not engage in surge pricing,' a spokesperson for the company said.

'Amazon prices do not fluctuate by region or delivery location. Prices on bottled water from Amazon, and third-party sellers that are doing their own fulfillment to customers, have not widely fluctuated in the last month.'

The Florida Attorney General's Office told the Miami Herald that even though Amazon is not based in Florida, it could be in danger of running afoul of state price gouging laws.

'If a business is selling an essential commodity to persons who are using it in Florida as a result of the emergency, the business may be subject to Florida's price gouging law,' the office said in a statement.

Leigh Dow says she saw this dramatic jump, but later said Delta assisted her after she vented about the price jump on Twitter

John Lyons was shocked to see the price of a ticket jump after he booked his daughter's flight for $800 less the day before

People also shared outrage on Wednesday after the price for flights out of Miami skyrocketed.

Airline customers took to social media after trying to book tickets for themselves and family members and finding astronomically high prices.

One woman, Leigh Dow, tweeted a screengrab of a Delta ticket price changing from $547.50 to $3,258.50.

Two hours later she tweeted she had spoke to Delta and they were able to assist her.

She took to the social media network to say: 'Delta reached out & helped tremendously. Note to travelers, always call airline directly if something doesn't look right.'

John Lyons, whose daughter goes to school at the University of Miami bought his daughter a ticket home to Boston at a reasonable rate on Monday evening at around $160.00, according to Yahoo.

But the next day when he went back to buy his daughter's roommate a ticket he saw that the price had been risen from $160 to $1,020.

'I logged in and expected to see $160, and frankly if I had seen $260 I wouldn't have reacted. And I logged in and saw, $1,020, and I about had a heart attack,' Lyons said.

Gas stations are empty has people prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Sunny Isles, Florida

From left, Denise Cabrera, Veronica Vicente, Alejandra Sanchez and Carolina Rodriguez, prep for hurricane Irma and shop for non-perishable food in Gainesville, Fla

However, other companies stepped up to help those in Florida either to prepare their homes or to attempt to evacuate.

About 800 truckloads of supplies including water, flashlights, batteries, ready-to-eat foods and other supplies were dispatched from Walmart headquarters in Arkansas to Florida on Tuesday.

Home Depot's Rapid Response Team send truckloads of supplies from Atlanta to Florida Tuesday night.

A Target spokesman said Florida stores would be getting additional supplies ahead of the storm, expected to hit Florida as early as Sunday.

'We're providing stores with additional supplies that we know our guests need to stock up, including water, batteries, flashlights, toiletries, camping supplies, cleaning supplies and nonperishable food,'Target spokeswoman Jenna Reck said. 'We'll continue to push as many products to our stores as we safely can before the hurricane hits.'

Additionally, a number of airline companies have said they will cap the prices on their flights out of Florida and out of the Caribbean so that people don't have to chose between spending an outrageous amount of money and being safe.

People make Hurricane Irma preparations at a Winn Dixie store in South Florida on September 6, 2017 in Hallandale, Florida

Drivers wait in line for gasoline in Altamonte Springs, Fla., ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, September 6, 2017
A driver caught on camera launching a vicious tirade against a cyclist he mowed down has insisted that he's 'not a violent person.'

The shocking clip caught the moment the driver of a Toyota HiLux lashed out at the 23-year-old cyclist during a road rage incident in Sydney's Inner West on Wednesday morning.

An NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that the driver allegedly punched the cyclist during the incident.

But in an interview on the Today show on Thursday, the 45-year-old man insisted that he was provoked and it wasn't his fault that the cyclist was knocked to the ground.

The driver (pictured) appeared on the Today show on Thursday to defend his actions

'He was sticking his finger up, carrying on, I didn't hit him,' he told the morning program.

'Then he got in front of me and started driving slowly, sticking his finger up and then he took off, braked, and I was rolling in traffic and I hit his back tyre.'

He added: 'I mean, it's not right, like I said, I don't provoke it. I'm not a violent person.'

However, the clip of the incident showed him unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade against the cyclist and threatening him repeatedly after the incident on Grosvenor Street in Summer Hill.

'I'm Lebanese mate, I'm going to f*** you,' the driver, wearing a blue shirt and sunglasses, is heard shouting at the cyclist.

The clip shows the moment the driver of a Toyota Hilux launched into a vicious rant at a cyclist

The driver is heard saying: 'I'm Lebanese mate, I'm going to f*** you,' before appearing to hit the cyclist

'I'm going to f*** your life, you son of a b****. I'm going to follow you, I am going to f*** your life,' he adds, before he appears to hit the cyclist.

The clip ends with a shot of the cyclist's crumpled bike on the ground and the driver returning to his 4WD.

An NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that officers attended the scene shortly after the altercation between the two men occurred at around 7.50am.

'We have been told the driver of the Toyota punched the cyclist,' the spokesman said.

'Police were called to the scene and spoke to both parties and investigations are continuing.'

'I'm going to follow you. I am going to f*** your life,' the driver adds while the cyclist appears to remain on the ground
The bomb squad has been called to search a bus in Melbourne's south-west after a report of a suspicious package onboard.

Police were called to the area at around 10.30am. They have since secured the area and are currently conducting a 'safety check' on the bus.

Point Cook Road in Seabrook has been closed off between Dunnings Road and Seabrook Boulevard, a Victoria Police spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia.

More to come
A teenage girl has reportedly been stabbed at school after a knife fight between her and another female student allegedly broke out.

The high-school student from Trinity College North Campus, in Evaston South in Adelaide's north, was taken to the Lyell McEwin Hospital in an ambulance shortly after 9am on Thursday.

She reportedly sustained serious cuts and stab wounds to her upper leg and wrist.

The high-school student was from Trinity College North Campus, in Evaston South in Adelaide's north (pictured)

South Australia Police told Daily Mail Australia officers were investigating the incident.

Trinity College principal Nick Hately issued a letter to parents and students on Thursday after the fight.

'I have the distressing task of informing you a serious incident occurred between two year 10 girls at Trinity College North earlier today,' the letter, seen by Adelaide Now, said.

'The altercation was serious enough to require an ambulance being called.

'Acts of violence are incredibly rare so this incident is very confronting for our community.'

Principal Hately said counselling and support services would be made available to all students.
North Korea has held a mass celebration in honour of the nuclear scientists involved in developing the bomb used in its latest test.

Tens of thousands gathered in the capital Pyongyang to cheer a convoy of buses carrying the specialists into the city and attend a celebratory mass rally, complete with fireworks and threats of nuclear war.

Military officials who spoke to the crowds in the capital's Kim Il-Sung Square swore that North Korea would 'put an end' to the U.S. and its allies.

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Explosive: Korean People's Army (KPA) soldiers cheer during a mass celebration in Pyongyang for scientists involved in carrying out North Korea's largest nuclear blast to date

Applause: Military leaders told the crowds that North Korea would destroy the United States

Approval: The crowd applauded as officials swore to'put and end' to Western nations in front of a banner reading 'no-one can stop us on our road to the future'

The celebration began with a parade, where the scientists behind the new nuclear bomb tested, allegedly a H-bomb, were cheered on by Pyongyang citizens waving pompoms.

The crowds then gathered in Kim Il-Sung square, named after dictator Kim Jong-Un'sa grandfather who 'founded' the totalitarian regime.

'We offer the greatest honour to Comrade Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader who brought us the greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people,' read one banner in the plaza, where tens of thousands of people were gathered.

Another, with a picture of a missile on a caterpillar-tracked transporter, proclaimed: 'No-one can stop us on our road to the future.'

Great party: Dancers take part in the parade before the mass rally on Tuesday

Cheering on: Pyongyang citizens dressed in traditional and more modern clothing wave flags and cheer a during the parade

Grand gathering: After the convoy, Kim Il-Sung square was filled to the brim with people celebrating the country's 'achievement'

Brainwashing: Banners in the square called the H-bomb test 'the greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people'

The blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North.

The official Korean Central News Agency described it as a 'successful ICBM-ready H-bomb test'.

Speakers at the rally said the North's military 'will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like US imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war', KCNA reported.

Sunday's blast was the North's sixth nuclear detonation and by far its biggest to date.

It's all going off: The evening ended with a firework display over the square

Soldiers watching fireworks in awe during a mass celebration in Pyongyang

No holding back: No expense was spared during the grand explosives display on Tuesday

'IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO SCARE NORTH KOREA', SAYD PUTIN Russian President Vladimir Putin said hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive, adding that Pyongyang would not end its nuclear programme because it views them as its only means for self-defence. 'It's impossible to scare them,' Putin said. Speaking at an economic forum in Vladivostok, he said that for North Korea, the benefits of sanctions being lifted are outweighed by the security risks. 'We are telling them that we will not impose sanctions, which means you will live better, you will have more good and tasty food on the table, you will dress better, but the next step, they think, is an invitation to the cemetery. And they will never agree with this.' Advertisement

Hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.

Foreign governments have yet to confirm whether Sunday's blast was a full two-stage thermonuclear weapon, or an enhanced fission device.

Working out its size depends on factors including the magnitude of the earthquake generated, the depth at which it was buried, and the type of rock surrounding it.

Estimates vary from South Korea's 50 kilotons to Japan's 160. But all of them are far larger than the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

North Korea in July carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range.

Seoul and Washington early Thursday deployed four more launchers in the South for the THAAD missile defence system, whose presence has infuriated Beijing.

The move was part of measures to defend the South from the North, Seoul's defence ministry said.

Their heroes: As soldiers march into the square, civilians wave and applause

Pyongyang citizens lined the streets to wave pom-poms and cheer a convoy of buses carrying the scientists involved in carrying out North Korea's largest nuclear blast to date

A fisheye view shows the many thousands of people who joined in the celebrations, all perfectly lined up in the square
A police appeal for a wanted man named William Wallace has backfired, with the internet responding with hilarious Braveheart jokes.

He may have his freedom for now, but a warrant is out for Victorian man William Wallace.

Victoria police posted an image of the 50-year-old to Facebook on Wednesday and asked the question: 'Do you know Wallace?'

He may have his freedom for now, but a warrant is out for Victorian man William Wallace

Internet users are responding to the appeal with hilarious Braveheart jokes

But a man by the same name was also a Scottish Knight who became a leader for the county during the Wars of Scottish Independence

But a man by the same name was also a Scottish Knight who became a leader for the county during the Wars of Scottish Independence.

The Knight was made famous when his character was played by Mel Gibson in the 1995 film Braveheart.

So it's not surprising the internet had a field day.

'They can never take his freedom,' one Facebook user wrote.

'He was last seen fighting the English, wanted by the king,' another said.

Jokes aside Wallace is described as 175 centimetres tall with a medium build, blue eyes and blonde hair.

He is known to frequent Oakleigh, Hughesdale, South Yarra and Croydon.

The Knight was made famous when his character was played by Mel Gibson in the 1995 film Braveheart
Gina Rinehart may be Australia's richest woman but she still has to deal with airport security.

The mining magnate from Perth, who is worth an estimated $10 billion, was spotted opening up one of her suitcases as she waited for a flight at Los Angeles airport.

The 63-year-old was flanked by a smartly-dressed personal assistants, who carted her eight maroon suitcase and a number of luxury designer shopping bags.

Ms Rinehart used a small handheld mirror to reapply her lipstick and mascara as she waited at the airline counter, sipping from a bottle of water to pass the time.

Just like the rest of us: Perth billionaire Gina Rinehart was spotted casually waiting at a check-in counter at Los Angeles airport

The billionaire mining magnate, who was worth almost $30 billion in 2012, carried a Gucci shopping bag into the airport

I'll need that for the flight: At one point Ms Rinehart stooped down to find something in one of her eight suitcases

The 63-year-old's assistant stood by her side at an airline counter, carting eight maroon luggage bags (pictured)

Ms Rinehart, who was surrounded by a small army of security guards, was due to fly from the United States to Switzerland.

The billionaire looked carefree inside the airport, dressed in a casual cream shirt and pant outfit paired with low-heeled sandals.

Her outfit was accessorised with an expensive pearl bracelet and wide-brimmed hat.

Ms Rinehart used a small handheld mirror to reapply her lipstick and mascara

The billionaire looked casual and carefree inside the airport, dressed in a casual cream shirt and pant outfit complete with low-heeled sandals

Travelling light? Airport staff helped move Ms Rinehart's enormous collection of luggage

Thankyou sir: A man wearing a suit was spotted opening Ms Rinehart's car door open

Ms Rinehart inherited her father's mineral exploration company when he died in 1992, and transformed his bankrupt estate into a billion-dollar success story.

Under her guidance, Hancock Prospecting capitalised on the iron ore boom of the early 2000s and became one of Australia's most profitable companies in history.

Ms Rinehart also has considerable investments in agriculture and the Ten Network.

Ms Rinehart inherited her father's mineral exploration company when he died in 1992, and transformed his bankrupt estate into a billion-dollar success story

The mining magnate kept herself hydrated, drinking from a bottle of water as security watched on

Ms Rinehart looked carefree and relaxed at the airport, carrying a small makeup bag
All impacted passengers have been shifted to other areas of the ship

The ship was disembarking from Brisbane Port and bound for Airlie Beach

A pipe has burst on board a luxury cruise liner causing the locker deck to flood

A passenger on board a cruise ship has claimed sewage seeped into people's rooms after burst water pipes caused mass flooding in the lower deck.

The Sun Princess cruise liner was disembarking from the Brisbane Port and bound for Airlie Beach on Wednesday evening when the disaster struck.

Rob Hart told Nine News a honeymooning couple had 'sewage leaking into their room' as a result of the plumbing problem.

'It took three or so days for them to be moved so they had to sleep with the door open to stop the smell,' Mr Hart said.

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, Carnival Cruiselines rejected these claims saying they are 'absolutely incorrect'.

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A burst pipe on Sun Princess bound for Airlie Beach caused water to spurt through ceilings and one of the decks to flood

The drama occurred minutes after the ship left the Brisbane Port, prompting one passenger to ask to get off

'In a few minutes the cabin's floor is absolutely saturated with about three, maybe two, inches of water,' passenger Lorraine told 4BC

Footage shared to Facebook from another passenger shows a hallway becoming increasingly inundated with water while streams of liquid pour from the roof.

Passengers can be heard exclaiming 'Oh my god, it's getting worse,' and 'The power's going to go out,' in the background.

The dramatic footage was captioned 'Wow - haven't left Port yet in Brisbane on Sun Princess and already Flooding on deck 11.'

The busted pipe is reportedly only affecting deck 11 and all impacted passengers have been shifted to other areas of the ship.

Footage shared to Facebook shows a hallway becoming increasingly inundated with water while streams of liquid pour from the roof

The busted pipe is reportedly only affecting deck 11 and all impacted passengers have been shifted to other areas of the ship

The water left 10 of its cabins on the locker deck inhabitable.

Despite the drama, the ship is continuing on its journey to Queensland's Whitsunday Coast.

For one social media user, the incident was one too many, with them commenting: 'Typical sun princess, just one problem to another,' on the startling footage.

Another said it would take more than a flooded deck to stop them hopping aboard: 'It's amazing how quickly they can fix problems, doesn't stop me cruising.'

In a statement to Daily Mail Australia, a Princess Cruises spokesman said 'repairs were made quickly' and the leaking was contained.

'It was a strictly localised problem that was detected, immediately shut off and repaired in less than 40 minutes affecting 16 of the 1000 cabins onboard. We looked after the comfort of those guests who were affected with alterative accommodation overnight while their cabins were fully restored. Sun Princess departed Brisbane yesterday on a 4-night round trip cruise to Airlie Beach,' the spokesman said.

Princess Cruises is an award winning cruise line for a reason due in large measure to its care of passengers and responsiveness to their needs. The earlier cruise referred to was very successful and any isolated guest concerns would have been addressed in a timely and responsive fashion.'
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The Turks and Caicos are bracing for impact today as Hurricane Irma powers on after laying waste to the Caribbean and killing at least 13 people on her deadly path to the U.S.

The powerful category five storm is expected to make landfall in the British oversees territory Thursday night, into Friday morning.

Eight people have been killed in the storm so far: Eight on the French/Dutch island of St. Martin, three in Puerto Rico and the islands of Anguilla and Barbuda recorded a death each.

By early Thursday afternoon, the hurricane was north of the Dominican Republic, where authorities reported some flooding and the evacuation of several thousand locals and tourists but no serious damage or casualties.

Skies over the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, were still clear just after noon local time. About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island, but the damage was nothing compared to the smaller islands that were first hit by the storm.

More than 90 per cent of all properties on the islands and Barbuda and St Martin were destroyed in the storm, leaving thousands homeless.

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View of wreckage in the vicinity of the Santurce neighborhood in the aftermath of the hurricane Irma, in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday

This Wednesday photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin

Washed up: Cars on the beach in Marigot near the Bay of Nettle on the French Collectivity of St Martin after the hurricane battered the coast last night

Destruction: Dozens of cars were thrown around the hotel car park by the 185mph winds which tore through St Martin

A map shows the projection that Hurricane Irma is expected to take over the next few days

It's still unclear what direction the storm will take as it inches closer to the U.S. Most models show it hitting Florida though

On Barbuda, more than 90 per cent of buildings were damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday - resulting in the death of a child. About 60 per cent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press.

'It is just really a horrendous situation,' Browne said.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne said.

In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 per cent of roads were impassable.

Photos and video of St. Martin circulating on social media showed major damage to the Philipsburg airport and heavy flooding in the coastal village of Marigot.

While the storm passed just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday, the U.S. territory island suffered three deaths in the storm.

More than half the island is still without power as well, leaving more than 900,000 in the dark and 50,000 without water.

Fourteen hospitals on the island have resorted to backup generators thanks to the winds which knocked power lines down.

Puerto Rico's public power company warned before the storm hit that some areas could be left without power from four to six months because its staff has been reduced and its infrastructure weakened by the island's financial crisis.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing federal agencies to step in and provide aid.

Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach, in Cap-Haitien on Thursday as Hurricane Irma approached

An employee from an electrical company works to remove a tree felled by Hurricane Irma, in Sanchez, Dominican Republic, on Thursday

This Wedesday photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees

Marines of the Dutch Defence of the Armed forces load humanitarian aid for victims of the hurricane Irma on the island of Saint Martin at the Air force base in Eindhoven, the Netherlands on Thursday

Chaos: One home-owner on St Martin had put up boards outside his house to protect the windows but they offered little help

Violent: The winds battered the St. Martin coast, tearing trees from their roots and snapping the weaker vegetation clean in half

Force: The winds, which are as fast as 185mph, were so strong that they upturned cars on the Caribbean island of St Martin

Bird's eye view: This image was taken on a flight above Saint Martin to determine the damage caused to the Caribbean island by Hurricane Irma

Broken palm trees on the beach of the Hotel Mercure in Marigot on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma

Chaos on the beach: Some of the damage at Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana in the Dominican Republic after hurricane Irma

Holidaymakers return to their rooms after spending the night in the Theatre taking refuge from Hurricane Irma at the Dreams Hotel in Punta Cana, Dominican Republic

Hurricane Irma destroyed 90 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda (above) when it made landfall early on Wednesday. The Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Browne

An aerial photo taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Maarten

Devastation: This was the scene on Saint-Barth after the hurricane hit. French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on the island

This was the bizarre scene along the coast of Saint Martin after roofs were torn off houses and blown off in to the streets

Dramatic pictures have emerged on social media showing the scale of the flooding on the island St Martin in the immediate aftermath of the storm passing

This morning, the United Nations said up to 49 million people are in the hurricane's path as aid agencies prepare for a 'major humanitarian response'. France, the Netherlands and Britain have sent water, emergency rations and rescue teams to their stricken territories.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies.

'It's a tragedy, we'll need to rebuild both islands,' he said. 'Most of the schools have been destroyed.'

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm 'caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses.'

'There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark, in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world,' he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron's office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was 'grief-stricken,' Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters.

A Dutch navy ship arrived in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order.

Meanwhile, residents on the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla said the island was 'utterly devastated' and looked as though it had 'suffered nuclear bomb devastation' while shocking videos have emerged showing the scale of the devastation in the British Virgin Islands.

Irma passed to the north of Puerto Rico late on Wednesday night lashing it with heavy rain and powerful winds. Rescue crews are pictured above investigating a flooded car in Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Boats piled up as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Tortola in the British Virgin Islands on Wednesday

Luxury homes and hotels were destroyed, roads submerged in water and sturdy palm trees ripped out of the ground on the Dutch Caribbean island of Sint Marteen

Shipping containers were left strewn around a port area at Sint Marteen while homes and hotels were left in ruins

Hurricane Irma has ripped through Caribbean islands on a path towards the US. A second hurricane, Jose, is developing in the Atlantic

Tracking the storm: This model from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast shows the projected path of Irma. The red shows where it will hit land and cause serious damage

Destruction ahead: This European operational model shows the likely landfall location for Hurricane Irma when it hits Florida

The above graph shows the possible track that Irma will take as it approaches the U.S. and turns northward

The U.K. government says Irma has inflicted 'severe and in places critical' damage to the British overseas territory of Anguilla. Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan says the Caribbean island took the full force of the category 5 hurricane.

He told lawmakers on Thursday that the British Virgin islands have also suffered 'severe damage.' On another British territory, Monsterrat, the damage is 'not as severe as first thought.'

Duncan said the hurricane is expected to hit another British overseas territory, Turks and Caicos, later today.

Britain was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands.

A man walks past damaged buildings and debris in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French Collectivity of Saint Martin

Carnage: An iron railing fence was shattered into pieces in St Martin by the hurricane which is the most powerful ever recorder in the Atlantic

Aftermath: A woman walks across a road littered with debris and smashed cars in St Martin outside a battered house

Destroyed: This house in St Martin was so damaged by the winds that the inside looked unrecognizable with furniture scattered around

Path of destruction: This map shows the projected path of the hurricane which will hit the US this weekend

The majority of Barbuda's buildings were flattened when Hurricane Irma battered the tiny island with a population of 1,600 on Wednesday

St Martin also suffered the storm's full fury (above) with roughly 95 percent of properties damaged. At least six people died on the French part of St Martin - a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife

The devastating hurricane pulverised the island of Saint Martin, ripping roofs off buildings, flipping cars over and flooding roads

Roads were swamped underwater, buildings left in ruins and cars tossed upside down in Saint Martin by the devastating force of the hurricane

Damage: The storm laid waste to coastal resorts in Saint Martin as it ripped across the island yesterday

Cars were crushed by flying debris and roofs were torn off houses on Saint Martin as the storms hit yesterday

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the hurricane had destroyed about 90 percent of structures and vehicles in Barbuda. A resident is pictured above examining his damaged home in in St. John's, Antigua and Barbuda

Powerful: This home in St Martin was completely ruined by the hurricane which battered the island last night

Devastation: A picture taken outside this home in St. Martin showed a car upturned on the drive alongside fallen drainpipes

Windswept: A large pile of debris was washed up on the beach in St. Martin by the storm which overturned a boat and destroyed trees

A photo taken on September 6 shows cars piled on top of one another in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle in St Martin

Abandoned: A book lies sodden and torn on a sandy road lined with torn trees and plastic debris after the hurricane hit St. Martin

Uninhabitable: The winds were so violent that they tore down the outside of wooden houses, depositing debris all around. Above, a picture of the devastation in St. Martin

A photo taken on September 6, 2017 shows debris outside the damaged Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on St. Martin

Life goes on: People walk through damage on September 7 in a sand-covered street of Marigot in St Martin

Two residents survey the destruction in the wake of hurricane Irma which tore through St Martin on Wednesday night

Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said earlier Thursday that he could not confirm news reports of looting in Saint Maarten, where a curfew is in force in the aftermath of Wednesday's storm.

The ministry says a KDC-10 and a C-130 Hercules are to fly to Curacao from a military air base in the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven. The Hercules will then be used to ferry supplies to St. Maarten because it should be able to land at the badly damaged Princess Juliana Airport

The planes will carry enough food and water to supply the 40,000-strong population for five days.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told ABS TV Radio in Antigua that the island was in 'total devastation' and has been reduced to 'literally rubble.'

He added that the island, which is home to 1,800 people, was left 'barely habitable'.

'The entire housing stock was damaged... Some have lost whole roofs. Some properties have been totally demolished,' he said.

STARK BEFORE AND AFTER PICTURES REVEAL HOW IRMA LEFT ISLANDS IN RUINS IN A MATTER OF HOURS These starkly contrasting photos show how 185mph Hurricane Irma laid waste to Caribbean islands in a matter of hours. Before and after pictures from some of the worst affected islands reveal how airports, luxury hotels, beach front bars and entire marinas have been destroyed by furious winds since the early hours of Wednesday morning. The images emerged as Irma continued its path of destruction after slamming into Anguilla, Barbuda, Saint-Barthelemy, St Martin and the British Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands have also been hit as the UN predicted 49 million people lie in the hurricane's path. The before and after pictures show the extent of damage on holiday hotspots St Martin, where at least eight are confirmed dead, and the British Virgin Islands where Richard Branson's home was destroyed. A composite image shows how the Dolphin Discovery attraction on Tortola in the Virgin Islands was ravaged by Irma's force Before: This was the plush atrium in the 144-room, waterfront Beach Plaza Hotel in St Martin before Irma struck on Wednesday After: But by Wednesday night the same hotel had been badly damaged with water cascading through its atrium amid 185mph winds Footage taken during the storm shows waves crashing underneath rooms at the hotel as Irma whipped the coastline of St Martin Another composite image shows how Irma's power wrecked the popular Honky Tonk bar in Philipsburg St Martin Before: The luxury Eden Rock hotel on St Barts, owned by the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews, is a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez After: Pictures on social media show how it looks after being ravaged by Hurricane Irma on Wednesday when the storm swept over St Barts Before: This was the scene at Paraquita Bay as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed Tortola in the British Virgin Islands Before: Pictures show how the marina was laid to waste as boats were driven onto the shoreline by the force of the storm Before: The popular Ivan's Stress Free Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the British Virgin Islands was a hit with tourists and locals alike After: But by the end of Wednesday, the area had been laid to waste by Hurrican Irma it swept north west over the British Virgin Islands Before: Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side of St Martin was famed for its proximity to the beach with tourists gathering to watch planes land just over their heads After: But this was the scene after it was ravaged by howling winds as Irma crashed into the island on Wednesday Advertisement

Ruins: A house reduced to rubble on the French administered territory of Saint Barthelemy, after the passage of Hurricane Irma

Raging water: Waves crash against a boat near the shore as Hurricane Irma passes over Samana, Dominican Republic

Damage outside the Mecure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin in the northeast Caribbean, after the passage of Hurricane Irma

Cars remain outside a destroyed building with debris that was flow on to the ground below by the high winds of Irma in St Martin

'We have estimated the rebuilding efforts to be no less than $150 million. That is conservative, because we're talking about rebuilding everything, all of the institutions, the infrastructure, the telecommunications, the roads... Even the hotels on the island, those are totally demolished, as well. It is terrible.'

Aerial footage of Barbuda after Irma passed through showed a flattened, flooded landscape.

The child who was killed, aged two, was trying to escape a damaged building with its mother at the time.

Irma passed to the north of Puerto Rico just before 10.30pm on Wednesday lashing it with heavy rain and powerful winds.

'The winds that we are experiencing right now are like nothing we have experienced before,' Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told CNN. 'We expect a lot of damage, perhaps not as much as was seen in Barbuda.'

More than half of Puerto Rico's population of three million was left without power and at least 50,000 were without water, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island.

Governor Ricardo Rossello had activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient to house up to 62,000 people. Fourteen hospitals were relying on emergency generators.

Desolation: One of the videos shows a blanket of debris on the island of Tortola. Right: A car left wrecked by the devastating hurricane

Luxury yachts were destroyed and sunk as huge waves battered the coast of St Martin overnight

Wooden structures were obliterated by ferocious winds that battered St Martin on Wednesday

Even shipping containers were thrown around like Lego bricks as the wind battered the coastline of St Martin on Wednesday

Entire communities were laid to waste as the wind levelled homes and businesses in St Martin yesterday

Massive waves continued to crash into the coastline of the Dutch side of St Martin last night in the aftermath of the storm

IRMA'S PATH OF DESTRUCTION: 185MPH HURRICANE'S DEADLY MARCH ACROSS THE CARIBBEAN Hurricane Irma has killed at least ten people and caused devastation on Caribbean islands as it heads towards the south coast of America. It first hit land in the early hours of Wednesday morning before heading north west on a deadly path of destruction. These are the islands affected so far: Antigua and Barbuda Barbuda was the first land to be hit by 185mph Irma with the storm destroying nearly all buildings on the island and killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape. Officials described 'total carnage' with 95 per cent of Barbuda destroyed by the force of the wind and left 'barely habitable'. A two-year-old child was reportedly killed in the storm. St Kitts & Nevis Prime Minister minister Timothy Harris said the island was 'spared the full brunt' of Irma, but warned of 'significant damage' to buildings. Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy At least eight were left dead on Saint Martin as the storm wreaks havoc on the two islands. Speaking on French radio France Info, Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands. Some 95 per cent of St Martin has been destroyed. 'It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed, I am in shock,' Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. Anguilla The tourist board says the major resorts on the island survived a hit from Hurricane Irma but many private homes have been damaged. However, Josephine Gumbs-Conner, a lawyer from the British Overseas Territory, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme today: Anguilla is utterly devastated. We are very familiar with hurricanes, but this particular one, Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. It has certain cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces. 'Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position. 'When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation. We are in such a compromised position at the moment.' Hurricane Irma started hammering Puerto Rico with 185mph winds late on Wednesday as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday British Virgin Islands The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over the British Virgin Islands with wind gust of up to 110 mph to the west at Buck Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands. Significant damage has been reported with critical facilities, homes, businesses and supermarkets destroyed. Among the people hunkered down was Richard Branson, the head of the Virgin Group, whose home on Necker Island was destroyed. US president Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the US Virgin Islands. Puerto Rico At 1 p.m. local time, the storm was centered about 35 miles east of St. Thomas and 105 miles east of San Juan. Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico as the dangerous Category 5 storm raked the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea. Irma is the worst hurricane to hit the island since 1928. Most have been left without power and 50,000 without water. Advertisement

The storm is expected to close in on Turks and Caicos and south-eastern Bahamas tonight before veering north for Florida.



NOAA Hurricane Hunters flight director Richard Henning told CNN Wednesday night that Irma is 'getting stronger'.

He said hurricane aircrafts were measuring winds over 189 mph at the eye of the storm.

'You really can't over-hype this storm. We haven't really seen a storm like Irma.'

The US National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

'The dangerousness of this event is like nothing we've ever seen,' Puerto Rico Gov. Ricardo Rossello said. 'A lot of infrastructure won't be able to withstand this kind of force.'

Waste land: Luxury yachts and power boats were tossed on top of each other as the hurricane blasted through Saint Martin

Locals walk through the ruins of a harbour area on the island of Saint Martin after the hurricane left it in ruins

Fallen trees block a street in Fajardo, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma howled past after thrashing several Caribbean islands

A rescue team from the local emergency management agency inspects flooded areas after Hurricane Irma wreaked havoc on Wednesday night in Fajardo, Puerto Rico

Members of the civil defense run as Hurricane Irma howls past Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon

Even before the storm hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday, it churned up winds strong enough to down trees, like the one above

Yanina Lopez took cover at an emergency center as Hurricane Irma approached Puerto Rico in Fajardo on Wednesday

Hotels were flooded and cars submerged as floods hit coastal areas during hurricane-force winds on St Martin overnight

Flooding and strong winds on the island of St Martin in the Caribbean destroyed about 95 per cent of the buildings

This was the scene of devastation on St Martin after fierce winds and flooding destroyed buildings and swamped roads

DELTA AIRLINES PLANE FILES INTO HURRICANE IRMA A daring Delta Airlines pilot dodged Hurricane Irma to land in Puerto Rico - before dropping off all the passengers and heading back to JFK in just 51 minutes. Hundreds of flights were cancelled due to the storm, but the crew for Delta flight 431 decided they were up for the challenge. The plane, in order to get in one last flight to and from the island before the storm hit, flew directly from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then quickly turned around and came back. Delta had a scheduled flight from New York to San Juan, which was scheduled to leave at 8.05am. The flight ended up leaving just a few minutes after when it was meant to, and remarkable landed seven minutes earlier than scheduled. Delta flight 431 had a scheduled flight from New York to San Juan, which was scheduled to leave at 8.05am, and managed to leave just a few minutes late and land seven minutes early A photo shows Delta Flight 431 as it heads towards Puerto Rico, which looked to be covered in torrential clouds and rain. Though the plane flew directly into the storm, no one was hurt and the plane landed safely Jason Rabinowitz monitored the flight on Flightradar24 and tweeted updates about the entire journey. Photos show the tricky path that the plane had to take to avoid the worst bits of turbulence. In the flight path it's clear that the pilots made a point to weave in between the outer bands of the storm to get to and from San Juan. Though flight deplaning is a largely long and frustrating process, Delta said that in this case it was a walk in the park. The crew on this plane was able to get all passengers to the gate, deplaned, boarded for a return flight, and then off the ground in just 51 minutes. As Rabinowitz pointed out, it was most likely a quick turnaround once it was down on the ground so that the crew could get out of the way of the storm as quickly as possible. The flight, Delta 303, was the last one out of the San Juan Airport on Wednesday. It landed in New York at 4.22pm, more than 30 minutes early. People watching Rabinowitz's live-updates shared their nerves for the two flights, and then their relief and how impressed they were with the pilot and crew when both landed. The plane was then able to get the flight deplaned, boarded, and back in the air in just 51 minutes so they could get everyone back to America quickly and safely One twitter user jokingly tweeted a photo of Jon Stewart anxiously eating popcorn to describe how watching the play-by-play about the flights made him feel. Another man, Tom Gutting wrote: 'This is seriously one of the most tense, dramatic things I've seen on Twitter. Thanks for documenting. Unreal.' The intensity of the storm makes the Delta pilot's ability to navigate in the storm and get to and from Puerto Rico safely all the more remarkable. Patrick Smith, a pilot who runs a blog about planes told the Huffington Post that there isn't much that is subjective regarding winds on the ground and the ability of a flight to land. 'There are maximum tailwind and crosswind limits that have to be observed,' he explained. 'Above and beyond any hard-and-fast limits, you've got powerful gusts, severe turbulence, extreme precipitation or other clearly unstable conditions, no airline is going to sanction flight in those conditions.' However, a Delta news release assured people that the weather conditions in San Juan were safe enough for the flights. The release said the flight faced 'nine miles of visibility and light rain,' and that ll rain was 'well below operating limits' for the type of plane that was being flown. Advertisement

On St. Thomas, in the US Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and 1-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside.

They emerged to find the lush island in tatters, with many of their neighbors' homes damaged and the once-dense vegetation largely gone.

'There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone,' said Strickling, who moved to the island with her husband three years ago from Washington, D.C. 'It will take years for this community to get back on its feet.'

Significant effects were also reported on St Martin. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded.

Destruction: A building can be seen with its roof almost completely torn off after the British Virgin Islands was battered by Hurricane Irma

Catastrophe: In Everton Powell's 'traumatic' video, the remnants of houses can be seen lying next to uprooted trees in the streets of Tortola

Uprooted: Trees have been enormously damaged in the monster storm. The above picture appears to show a bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke that has been devastated

The full force of the hurricane was released on the British Virgin Islands

EXCLUSIVE HOTEL OWNED BY PIPPA MIDDLETON'S IN-LAWS LIES IN RUINS A luxury hotel owned by the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews has been left in ruins after being ravaged by Hurricane Irma. Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today strewn with rubble after a devastating encounter with the storm, which has left ten people dead. The shocking photos were taken by Kevin Barrallon and posted online under the caption, 'St Barts after the passage of Irma'. Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today in ruins after it was struck by Hurricane Irma Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night and which is pictured before the devastation, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock' Eden Rock became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions. Pictured is David and James Matthews, left, and James with Pippa Middleton, right Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock'. David and Jane Matthews moved to St Barts in September 1995 after purchasing Eden Rock from local adventurer Remy de Haenen. It quickly became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions. Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews is also a fan of the resort, and has been seen visiting it with friends and girlfriends. Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic and devastated the hotel, pictured Made in Chelsea star's Ollie Proudlock and Spencer Matthews at the Eden Rock hotel Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock' Hurricane Irma left a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean when it struck on Wednesday. Pictured: The scene at Eden Rock The hotel was the first to be built on St Barts, in 1950. It quickly pulled in celebrities, and was visited in the 50s and 60s by guests including the Rothschild and Rockefeller families. Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic. Advertisement

France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St. Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity.

In Cuba, a state of alert was declared in several eastern and central provinces, with at-risk residents advised to move in with relatives or reach government shelters.

Haiti's northern coast was on hurricane alert, although in the town of Cap-Haitien residents appeared mostly unaware of the impending storm.

The US National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds would fluctuate, but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it roared past the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas.

Evacuations from high-risk areas were ordered throughout the path of the storm.

By early Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Governor Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday and warned that Irma is 'bigger, faster and stronger' than Hurricane Andrew.

Andrew pummeled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighborhoods with ferocious winds.

Huge metal objects were flipped over, buildings were flooded and people were left trapped in buildings as the hurricane struck on St Martin

Brute force: Hurricane Irma has wreaked havoc after pummeling exotic Caribbean islands with 185mph winds on its devastating march towards the US east coast. This was the scene on St Martin on Wednesday

US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico as well as the US Virgin Islands and Florida where he said the outlook was 'not good.'

Trump spoke by telephone with the governors of all three areas to assure them of the federal government's support. It means that the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies can remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the US government.

A mandatory evacuation is under way in the Florida Keys, Miami's coastal zones and the Georgia coast as Hurricane Irma approaches.

Experts are worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

'This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago,' said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

Because of the uncertainty in any forecast this far out, authorities in Miami held off for the time being on ordering any widespread evacuations. The mayor of Miami-Dade County activated the emergency operation center and urged residents to have three days' worth of food and water.

Social media videos show how the hurricane lashed the coastline of Saint Martin overnight with cars submerged in water. This picture is believed to have been taken at the Beach Plaza hotel on the island

The windows of a migrations office are covered with wooden planks due to the imminent arrival of Hurricane Irma in the Dominican Republic, on September 6, 2017 in Santo Doming

Children in a low-income neighborhood carry containers for water as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic September 6, 2017

Members of the Civil Defense make preparations in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean, September 6, 2017

Fishermen remove their wooden boat from the sea as a precaution against Hurricane Irma, in the seaside slum of Port-au-Prince, Haiti on Wednesday

People buy groceries at a local supermarket in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, as Hurricane Irma takes aim at the Caribbean island

Billionaire Sir Richard Branson bunkered down with staff at his private island in the British Virgin Islands to ride out the storm on Wednesday night. His son revealed on social media that the home had been completely destroyed by Hurricane Irma.

British holidaymakers on Caribbean islands have described barricading themselves into hotels and villas as authorities in other areas order mass evacuations.

Alex Woolfall, who is staying on the island of St Maarten, told how he and other holidaymakers huddled in the concrete stairwell of their hotel as the 'apocalyptic' noise of the winds roared outside.

A handout picture released on September 6, 2017 on the twitter account of RCI Guadeloupe shows damage on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin

Police patrol the area as Hurricane Irma slams across islands in the northern Caribbean on Wednesday, in San Juan, Puerto Rico

This was the scene at Port de Gustavia on the island of Saint Barthelemy overnight as the storm started to lash the coastline

He tweeted: 'Still thunderous sonic boom noises outside & boiling in stairwell. Can feel scream of things being hurled against building.'

Experts said Irma was so powerful it was registering on devices designed to detect earthquakes. Scientists picked up the background noise of winds causing trees to move and crashing ocean waves on their earthquake-detecting seismometers.

In addition to Irma, Tropical Storm Jose has now formed behind it in the open Atlantic and is expected to develop into a hurricane. A third tropical storm - Katia - has also formed in the Gulf of Mexico with winds but is expected to stay offshore until Friday morning.

Hurricane Irma roared into the Caribbean with record-setting force early Wednesday, shaking homes and flooding buildings on a chain of small islands along a path to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and eventually south Florida.

Warm water is fuel for hurricanes and Irma was moving over water that was 1.8 degrees warmer than normal. The 79 degree water that hurricanes need went about 250 feet deep, said Jeff Masters, meteorology director of the private forecasting service Weather Underground.

Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region, but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which usually have warmer waters. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005's Wilma, 1988's Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Keys storm all had 185 mph winds.

Eduardo Soriano of Miami, waits in a line since dawn to purchase plywood sheets at a Home Depot store in North Miami, Florida on Wednesday

Motorists wait in line to fill their vehicles with gas as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Wednesday in Key Largo, Florida. The Florida Keys are currently under mandatory evacuation

In preparation of Hurricane Irma, residents of Boca Raton line up for propane on Wednesday

Miami residents shopping on Wednesday made sure to load their carts with bottled water and other supplies to last through the storm

An employee restocks bottled water on bare shelves as customers look on at a Publix grocery store on Tuesday in Surfside, Florida

Stocking up: Residents purchase water at BJ Wholesale in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Tuesday in Miami, Florida

Jesse Dewey fills sandbags at a public works site as he prepares for Hurricane Irma, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Casselberry, Florida

Alex, left, and Cynthia Stone, of Maitland, Fla. load plywood on the roof of their vehicle as they prepare for Hurricane Irma, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Orlando, Florida

SURFER, 16, IS KILLED CATCHING WAVE IN BARBADOS A promising young professional surfer has died at the age of 16 while catching a wave in Barbados during Hurricane Irma, the World Surf League said. Zander Venezia, a native of Barbados, reportedly fell off his board and hit a shallow reef at a beach called Box by Box, it said. He and other surfers were riding a swell generated by the Category Five hurricane on Tuesday. An autopsy revealed that the Olympic surfing hopeful was knocked unconscious by the fall from his board and then drowned. Speaking to the magazine Surfline, pro-turned-surf instructor Alan Burke said that Zander was knocked over by a 'closeout set' - a wave that closes in from both sides - and 'likely hit bottom'. Nathan Florence, who was among the group of pro surfers who had flown into Barbados to surf Irma's swell, was the first to get to him and start performing CPR. Sixteen-year-old surfer Zander Venezia was killed surfing in Barbados during Hurricane Irma on Tuesday (pictured above after winning a surf competition last month) 'Zander was bleeding, and he wasn't moving. They tried to get him to the beach quickly, which was very difficult,' Burke said. 'Box by Box is a tough place to get in and out of, even if you have the ability. There's lots of big rocks around, and some stick out of the water.' Burke says Venezia's last words were to fellow surfer Dylan Graves, who he spoke to before catching his final fatal wave. 'He told Dylan, 'I just got the best wave of my life!'' Burke said. 'Dylan was the last person to speak to Zander. Then that next closeout set came through.' Veteran surfer Mark Holder says even he doesn't surf Box by Box during storms. 'That wave only breaks when you have hurricane swells and it breaks in a different direction, so that swell breaks like once in a blue moon. When it is breaking guys go there because it is a beautiful wave, but it is pretty dangerous,' Holder told Barbados TODAY. He added: 'In my 45 years I have never surfed that break, I surf at Soup Bowl and other places around the island but I never surf that break because it is pretty dangerous. The way the waves are coming in today even at Soup Bowl, you have to be on your 'A' game. You must know what you are doing because out here is not easy. If you are not a professional, today is a day you should sit down and watch.' Venezia was surfing a beach on the east coast of Barbados, his home country, on Tuesday when he was knocked over by a wave, lost consciousness and then drowned. Pictured above on a different surfing outing The son of a surfer, Venezia won the Rip Curl Grom Search in the Outer Banks in North Carolina in mid-August, and in April he won the National Scholastic Surfing Association regional championships. He was expected to represent his home country in the 2020 Olympics, the first Olympics to feature surfing as a sport. The Barbados newspaper Nation News called Venezia one of the island's most promising junior surfers. While Barbados wasn't in the eye of Irma's storm, it was left littered with debris on Wednesday after the storm brought high winds and rain to the small island country. The storm blew the roof off of one home, but the inhabitants of that home were not hurt. At least 10 people have died in Irma so far. Advertisement

Hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel of MIT calculates that Irma holds about 7 trillion watts - about twice the energy of all bombs used in World War II.

Floridians seem to be taking hurricane prep seriously.

Stores throughout the state, which has been under a state of emergency since Monday, have already started running out of bottled water and other necessities and gas stations are struggling to keep up with the never ending lines of cars.

Gov. Scott advised his citizens to stock up on what they need but not to go overboard, so that everyone can get the supplies necessary to wait out the storm.

'I'm asking everybody as you get prepared: three days of water per person, three days of food. Take enough, but only take what you need. Don't take more, so we can make sure we take care of all our neighbors,' he said

Several big box stores have activated emergency response protocols, sending truck loads of hurricane preparation items to areas with the greatest need.
A mother who bashed her eight-month-old daughter with a kitchen utensil has walked free from court with a good behaviour bond after a judge found the baby's injuries were 'likely to resolve'.

Lorien Norman, 26, pleaded guilty to causing harm with intent after beating her toddler daughter with a slotted spoon.

Although the offence carries a maximum sentence of 13 years, Norman did not spend a day behind bars.

She was instead given a two-year good behaviour bond and ordered to pay $500.

Pictured: Eight-month-old Evie after she was bashed by her mother with a slotted spoon and her hand

Evie's mother initially told police the youngster had fallen at a playground, but later pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent

Mother Lorien Norman (pictured) could have been sentenced to up to 13 years behind bars

District Court Judge Jack Costello told Norman If she followed Community Corrections orders and did not reoffend in any way for two years she would not spend the minimum non parole period of 10 months behind bars.

The court heard Norman called police on October 1 last year, threatening to throw her daughter Evie off a balcony in Adelaide.

When police arrived, they found bruising to the girl's face and took both mother and child to hospital.

A paediatrician found the toddler had 'at least eight separate blows to the face and body', with bruising on her forehead, cheeks, ears, neck and arm - caused by a slotted spoon and a hand.

Pictures of Evie after the attack show the young girl sporting a black eye with a small cut and dark bruises on her face.

Instead, Norman was allowed to walk free on a two year good behaviour bond following her sentencing last week

Initially, her mother attempted to persuade police the youngster had become bruised following a fall in a playground, the court heard.

Afterwards, Norman pleaded guilty to aggravated causing harm with intent - which carries a maximum sentence of 13 years.

Judge Costello told the Adelaide District Court last week: 'Whilst any assault of a child, particularly one of such a tender age and vulnerability, by a parent stands as a gross breach of trust, your offending is nevertheless far from the most serious of offending of this type in terms of the degree of force involved and the duration of the offending'.

'In this respect I particularly note the opinion of the treating paediatrician to the effect that there was no evidence of bony or intracranial injury and that your daughter's physical injuries were likely to completely resolve,' he continued.

Part of Judge Costello's justification for not imprisoning Norman was that Evie's injuries 'were likely to completely resolve'

If Norman were to break the good behaviour bond, she would be sentenced to a minimum of 10 months behind bars

For Evie's father, Shane McMahon, the sentence is beyond belief.

'I'm disgusted - I'm truly speechless,' he told Daily Mail Australia.

'I've raised both these girls [Evie and India, the second child he had with Norman] single handedly, and she gets 10 months of a sentence that carries a maximum of 13 years!

'Where is Evie's justice?'

Instead of heading to jail, Norman will be under the supervision of a community corrections officer.

She will be required to attend and complete any counselling, assessment or therapy programs deemed appropriate by the officer, and must not possess a firearm.

Daily Mail Australia have attempted to contact Ms Norman for comment.

Evie's father Shane McMahon (pictured) says he has raised the youngster and her sister India 'singlehandedly'
Brenden Bennetts' mother cried in court recalling the moment she found out her son was being questioned for the disappearance of Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall.

Bennetts, 21, has admitted to killing the 16-year-old and dumping her body in August 2015 but denied he intended to cause her death.

Wanda Bennetts told the Brisbane Supreme Court on Thursday her son told her he had dropped Jayde off at a train station but lied about it because 'he was scared'.

Brenden Bennetts has admitted to killing Jayde Kendall (pictured) on August 2015

Jayde Kendall pictured here in an undated photo provided by the Queensland police

Earlier, Bennetts claimed the Gatton schoolgirl asked for help to runaway and made him promise not to talk to police.

The court heard on Thursday Bennetts originally told police he last saw Jayde at McDonalds where she worked the evening before the teenager disappeared.

But when police showed he had been captured on CCTV withdrawing $70 from Jayde's bank account, Bennetts claimed he had helped her runaway.

'She proceeded to ask me for a favour to pick her up after school to give her a lift or just be there as a friend,' Bennetts told police on August 18.

'She was emotional, crying.

'I didn't know she would runaway for a long period of time, I thought she would be back by now to be honest.

Bennetts (pictured in court sketch) has admitted to killing Ms Kendall and dumping her body

Ms Kendall pictured here with Brenden Bennetts (right) in an undated photo before her murder

'She stopped crying, looking dead in the eye and made me promise to give her as much time as possible before I would talk to you guys (police).'

In a recorded interview played to the jury, Bennetts said Jayde hid in his back seat to avoid the cameras and gave him her pin to take the money out.

Bennetts remains in custody and has pleaded not guilty to murder but guilty to the lesser charge of manslaughter.
The mother of a schoolgirl who killed herself after she was gang raped has urged the boy who acted as a lookout during the assault to come forward.

Cassidy Trevan was 13 when a school bully planned for her to be raped by two boys at a house in Melbourne's south east in February 2014.

After continuing to be tormented by bullies and suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder and panic attacks, Cassidy committed suicide in December the following year.

Her mother Linda has campaigned for police to reopen the case and get justice for the death of her only daughter.

Now, she is calling on a teenage boy, who she told Nine News was watching the door of the Springvale home while the attack took place.

The mother of schoolgirl Cassidy Trevan (above) who killed herself after she was gang raped has urged the boy who acted as a lookout during the assault to come forward

Linda Trevan (left, with Cassidy) wants the case into her daughter's alleged rape to be reopened

'He didn't partake in it, he was less involved, but he was part of it and he should come forward to relieve his conscience,' Ms Trevan told Nine.

She said there were five kids in the house  as well as her daughter  when the attack occurred.

In March, Ms Trevan said all she wanted was for her daughter's alleged rapists to be questioned  and had met with detectives asking for the case to be reopened.

'All I want is for them to be questioned. For them to not think they got away completely scot-free, no consequences,' she said.

'I want them to feel the fear that Cass felt.'

A Victoria Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia: 'The investigation is ongoing. There are no updates.'

Cassidy was gang raped at 13 while at school in Melbourne as part of a lengthy campaign of bullying that saw her suffer from PTSD, separation anxiety, and insomnia

In a statement provided to Daily Mail Australia in March, a police spokesman said: 'Detectives work hard to build rapport and trust with victims of sexual offences and to ensure their welfare is looked after as a priority.

'Breaching a victim's trust and proceeding with some investigative leads can, in some cases, be a severe detriment to the investigation and the victim's wellbeing.

'In this case, SOCIT detectives are confident that they followed all appropriate investigative leads.'

The Melbourne schoolgirl had been led to the house by the leader of a group of girls, who tormented Cassidy so much that she had missed her fourth term of Year 7.

When she returned for two days per week, the girls seemed to be keen to make amends, asking her to be their friend and inviting her to a festival.

But instead of taking her to the music event, the girls took her to a nearby house where Cassidy was raped by two boys who took turns while the other girls sat in an adjacent room.

The boys timed each other while attacking her, Ms Trevan said at the time, while another one stood guard at the door.

Linda is calling on a teenage boy, who she says was watching the door of the Springvale home while the attack took place

The attack left Cassidy suffering nightmares, insomnia, separation anxiety, panic attacks and PTSD.

Ms Trevan said the family met with Victoria Police's Sexual Offence and Child Abuse Investigation Team more than 20 times.

But Cassidy could not bring herself to give them a statement, fearing that reliving the experience would push her over the edge.

Plagued by mental health issues, Cassidy eventually took her own life in 2015.

And because no official crime report was lodged before she died, the alleged attackers were never questioned over the incident.

Ms Trevan believes the boys, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the attack, may still confess if confronted.

She has said that evidence, including a text conversation with one of the bullies in which she acknowledges the rape, could help the case.

Ms Trevan also said one of the boys also confessed the attack to a male friend of Cassidy's when confronted  and tried to excuse his actions by saying he was drunk and stoned at the time.

For confidential support, call the Lifeline 24-hour crisis support on 13 11 14
Tragedy has struck a Queensland family after an 11-month-old girl drowned inside their family home.

Emergency services were called to the Cooya Beach home just after 5pm on Thursday.

The toddler was pronounced dead after ambulance crews were not able to revive her.

Tragedy has struck a Queensland family after an 11-month-old girl drowned inside their family home

The incident is believed to have taken place inside the house, not in a pool.

Police say there were are no suspicious circumstances and will not be making a further comment.

A report is being prepared for the coroner.
Hillary Clinton admitted in her wide-ranging memoir, 'What Happened,' she feared Trump's proposition to 'lock her up' following her infamous private email scandal.

'In my head, I heard the vicious 'Lock her up!' chants that had echoed through Trump's rallies,' Clinton writes in her new book. 'In our second debate, Trump had said that if he won, he'd send me to prison. Now he had won. I had no idea what to expect.'

But the President hasn't followed through with the fiery threats he issued during the second presidential debate  and revealed since his victory the statement was 'all for show,' adding that Clinton suffered enough from the controversy.

'The joke, it turned out, was on us,' Clinton said, when speaking of her attendance to Trump's inauguration in January. 'There was a decent chance I'd get booed or be met with 'Lock her up!' chants.'

Clinton included several other names to her long list of grievances about those who cost her the election, and singled out energized anti-Trump women marchers for failing to deliver before her historic loss.

Clinton referenced the throngs of protesters who took the streets of Washington and other cities in a Women's march shortly after his election. But her thoughts moved from the calls to resistance to the Trump agenda to why they hadn't summoned that same passion for her own campaign.

'I couldn't help but ask where those feelings of solidarity, outrage and passion had been during the election,' Clinton writes in her book, expected for release September 12.

Hillary Clinton admitted she feared Trump's proposition to 'lock her up' following her infamous private email controversy

Hillary Clinton pointed the finger at passionate anti-Trump supporters who attended a women's march after her historic loss

While Clinton was able to attract considerable support at the polls  she beat Trump in the popular vote  there were signs of an enthusiasm gap throughout the campaign among base supporters. She also took swipes at primary rival Bernie Sanders, whose attacks on her finances, speeches, and fundraising helped feed Trump's attacks on her.

Clinton also goes after NBC's 'Today Show' host Matt Lauer for his handling of a presidential forum, conducted on the U.S.S. Intrepid in New York last September.

She writes that she was 'ticked off' and 'almost physically sick' by Lauer's persistent focus on her email scandal.

'Lauer had turned what should have been a serious discussion into a pointless ambush,' she vented.

Lauer took flack after the fact for failing to provide effective push-back against Trump's claims during his own, separate interview. Trump claimed 'I was totally against the war in Iraq,' and didn't have to answer for past statements providing grudging support for the invasion.

Clinton charges she got hit by an 'ambush' by NBC host Matt Lauer during a candidates' forum

Clinton also vented about 'Today Show' host Matt Lauer for conducting an 'ambush' at a televised forum with Trump

Clinton's swipe at Lauer and protesters was contained in excerpts reported by the National Enquirer, which bought a copy.

Clinton also reveals how she got an election-eve assurance from President Barack that turned out to be historically fake news when he told her the election was in hand.

The nation's first black president gave a hug to the woman he believed would break another historical barrier and carry on his legacy during their last night campaigning together at a packed outdoor evening rally in Philadelphia.

'You've got this. I'm so proud of you,' Obama told her, Clinton writes in her new memoir.

Just hours later, Obama was counseling Clinton to concede on election night, Clinton writes, in a portion of the book reported by CNN. He didn't want her to drag out the angry and prolonged campaign.

'I couldn't help but ask where those feelings of solidarity, outrage and passion had been during the election,' Clinton writes in reference to a post-election women's march

IN THE BAG: According to Hillary Clinton's new memoir, President Barack Obama told her on election ever, 'You've got this'

An estimated 500.000 have gathered in Washington DC, on Jan. 21, 2017, to participate in the Womens March on Washington, a day after the inauguration of Donald Trump as President of the United States

EVERYONE CLINTON HAS BLAMED SINCE SHE LOST The Silicon Valley question and answer adds a whole new list of culprits to those who Hillary Clinton says prevented her from being in the White House. So far those include: The FBI

James Comey, then FBI director

The Russians

Vladimir Putin

'Anti-American forces'

Low information voters

Everyone who assumed she'd win

Bad polling numbers

Obama for winning two terms

People wanting change

Misogynists

Suburban women

The New York Times

Television executives

Cable news

Netflix

Democrats not making the right documentaries

Facebook

Twitter

Wikileaks

Fake news

'Content farms in Macedonia'

The Republican Party

The Democratic Party

Women post-election protesters

Matt Lauer

Joe Biden Advertisement

Clinton ended up holding off and sending out her campaign chair John Podesta to address her shell-shocked election night crowd.

When she finally made the concession call to Trump, Clinton says it was 'without a doubt one of the strangest moments of my life.'

'I congratulated Trump and offered to do anything I could to make sure the transition was smooth,' Clinton writes. 'It was all perfectly nice and weirdly ordinary, like calling a neighbor to say you can't make it to his barbecue. It was mercifully brief.'

Of her own emotional state at the time, she writes: 'I was numb. It was all so shocking.'

On Election Day, Clinton decided to take a nap even as her husband was 'chomping on an unlit cigar' as returns came in.

She might have gotten better advice from her husband, who told her 'You might lose,' according to an excerpt reported by the National Enquirer.

Clinton owns up to some errors, but also takes a dig at former Vice President Joe Biden for putting out a critique of her campaign.

'Joe Biden said the Democratic Party in 2016 'did not talk about what it always stood for  and that was how to maintain a burgeoning middle class,'' Clinton wrote. 'I find this fairly remarkable, considering that Joe himself campaigned for me all over the Midwest and talked plenty about the middle class.'

Biden, 74, still gets mentioned on the long list of possible Democratic challengers in 2020.

AND WHO CLINTON HASN'T BLAMED SINCE SHE LOST Hillary Clinton Bill and Chelsea Clinton * Note: Clinton wrote generally: 'I go back over my own shortcomings and the mistakes we made. I take responsibility for all of them.' Advertisement

Defeat threw Clinton into 'pain and shock,' according to the Enquirer excerpt. 'Friends advised on me the power of Xanax and raved about their amazing therapists,' she writes  without revealing whether she took the guidance.

She admits trying to drink away her troubles at times.

'I drank my share of chardonnay. Taking a page from the pre-heart attack version of her husband, Clinton says she was 'splurging on burgers and fries' and 'enjoying every bite.'

Clinton makes efforts to understand her loss, accepting some blame even while pointing the finger at others including rival Bernie Sanders and going after former FBI Director James Comey for 'shivving' her.

Clinton writes about the shock of her loss in her new memoir. Here she walks the stage greeting the crowd with by her side (l-r), President Barack Obama, Chelsea Clinton, and former President Bill Clinton, after speaking at a GOTV Rally on Independence Mall on November 7, 2016 in Philadelphia

'I drank my share of chardonnay,' Clinton writes in another passage in the book

'What makes me such a lightning rod for fury? I'm really asking. I'm at a loss,' she wonders in one conversational passage: 'I think it's partly because I'm a woman.'

She also delves into her marriage to Bill Clinton  following a campaign where Trump brought a host of former accusers from his past to a presidential debate.

She said her marriage has 'many, many more happy days than sad or angry ones.'

'I heard it again on the 2016 campaign ... it's just a marriage on paper now,' Clinton writes. Then she cracks a joke in her multi-million memoir. '(He is reading this over my shoulder in our kitchen with our dogs underfoot and in a minute he will reorganize our bookshelves for the millionth time ... but I don't mind because he really loves to organize those bookshelves).'

Clinton also takes aim at Anthony Weiner in her new memoir, detailing how the disgraced politician's relationship with a minor female derailed her campaign and left his estranged wife emotionally shattered after a search of his computer led to a new investigation into her private email server.

Bill Clinton told his wife 'You might lose,' Clinton writes

In a section of 'What Happened' that was obtained by Radar Online, Clinton reportedly reveals that Huma Abedin sobbed on her shoulder after learning that the FBI would be launching a new probe into the presidential hopeful's emails less than two weeks before the election.

'This man is going to be the death of me!' a 'stricken' Abedin said to Clinton before 'bursting into tears' in front of her boss.

'Anthony had already caused so much heartache, and now this,' writes Clinton, who was cleared by the FBI two days before the election.

She goes on to reveal that she never once blamed Abedin for the incident, saying: 'She had done nothing wrong and was an invaluable member of my team. I stuck by her the same way she has always stuck by me.'

Clinton makes that claim despite the fact that Abedin was immediately taken off the campaign trail after news of the investigation broke and kept away from her boss until Election Day.

Difficult time: Hillary Clinton reportedly reveals in her memoir that Huma Abedin broke down after emails found on husband Anthony Weiner's computer led to FBI probe (Clinton and Abedin on October 28, 2016, the day they learned of the FBI probe)

Cursed: Anthony had already caused so much heartache, and now this,' writes Clinton in 'What Happened,' which will be released next week

'What Happened' will hit bookshelves on September 12, and is Clinton's seventh book.

It follows her 2014 release 'Hard Choices,' in which she detailed her time as Secretary of State under Barack Obama, who appointed her to the post just a few months after defeating her in the Democratic primary en route to his White House win.

That book debuted to underwhelming sales for published Simon & Schuster, who were reportedly unable to make back the $14 million advance they gave Clinton.

This latest memoir promises to be Clinton's most candid as she details her failed campaign against millionaire businessman Donald Trump.

Clinton already said earlier this year that the second FBI probe into her email server cost her the presidency, stating: 'If the election had been on October 27, I would be your president.'

Former FBI Director James Comey made the decision to reopen the bureau's investigation into Clinton's private server after agents discovered emails between the Democratic nominee for president and her top aide Abedin on Weiner's computer.

The new probe was opened by the FBI on October 28, and two days later a warrant was obtained to look at emails sent from Abedin's account that were found on her husband's laptop.

In their request for a warrant, an FBI agent wrote that thousands of emails between Clinton and Abedin had been discovered on the computer.

At the time, investigators had yet to look at the content of those emails, but based on previous work in the case the agent wrote they had reason to suspect they might contain classified material, possibly including top-secret information that could cause 'grave damage to national security' if disclosed to the any member of the public.

The FBI initially launched a probe in Clinton's email server after learning she had switched to a personal account for work correspondence soon after she was sworn in as Secretary of State back in 2009.

That domain was hosted on her own private email server and set up by her aide Bryan Pagliano, who asserted his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination when called testify about the server in front of a House committee one month after the FBI launched their probe in August of 2015.

Comey ultimately announced in July of 2016 that the FBI would not prosecute Clinton, a conclusion they again reached 10 days after the bureau launched its second probe and eight days after they were granted a warrant for Weiner's computer.

All good: Clinton also claims she never blamed Abedin for the emails discovered on Weiner's computer, despite immediately taking her off the campaign trail (Abedin above in 2013)

Weiner had his laptop and all other electronics seized as evidence by federal officials after DailyMail.com revealed in September of last year that he had been sexting a 15-year-old high school student from North Carolina for months.

Abedin officially filed for divorce from Weiner in May.

She submitted her papers on the same day he appeared in court to enter a plea of guilty to a single charge of transferring obscene material to a minor.

Weiner has agreed to accept any prison sentence of less than 27 months and register as a sex offender as part of his plea deal.

Prosecutors are recommending that Weiner serve a two-year sentence as part of the deal, with the charge carrying a maximum prison term of 10 years and maximum fine of $250,000.

He was released on bail and will be sentenced next month, four weeks after his 53rd birthday.

The high school student he corresponded with said the online relationship began in January of 2015 while she was a sophomore and lasted for several months.

Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders listen to singer Pharrell Williams during a campaign rally in Raleigh, North Carolina, on November 3, 2016

At one point during a Skype chat Weiner asked her to undress and touch herself according to the girl.

In another message, Weiner told the teen: 'I would bust that tight p***y so hard and so often that you would leak and limp for a week.'

Weiner did not deny exchanging 'flirtatious' messages with the girl.

'I have repeatedly demonstrated terrible judgement about the people I have communicated with online and the things I have sent,' he told the DailyMail.com in a statement.

Clinton writes that she took a nap as the votes came in with the campaign over

'I am filled with regret and heartbroken for those I have hurt.

'While I have provided the Daily Mail with information showing that I have likely been the subject of a hoax, I have no one to blame but me for putting myself in this position. I am sorry.'

Weiner, a Democrat, resigned from Congress in 2011 amid a previous sexting scandal.

He then made an attempt to run for mayor of New York City in 2013, but that too was derailed by a sexting scandal.

Stronger together: Abedin, 41, filed for divorce from Weiner, 53, in May, the same day he pleaded guilty to transferring obscene material to a minor(Abedin and Clinton in March)

Abedin meanwhile remains one of a handful of Clinton employees still on the payroll according to the forms submitted by the campaign to the Federal Election Commission filings.

The check she is receiving however has been decreasing over time however, with the aide being paid on the first and fifteenth of every month.

She was receiving a check for $4,929.58 twice a month in November and December, but that decreased to $4,764.69 for January, February and March.

In April, her checks were for $3,927.85 and this past May and June she has received $1,094.68 from the campaign.

It is unclear if this is her only payment from Clinton or if the former Secretary of State is paying her out-of-pocket in the wake of the election.
A 16-year-old schoolgirl has been arrested after she allegedly stabbed another girl, 15, in the groin at an Adelaide private school on Thursday.

The 15-year-old female student was allegedly stabbed when a fight broke out at Trinity College North Campus in Evaston South, Adelaide's north, shortly after 9am.

She was taken to Lyell McEwin Hospital in an ambulance with cuts and stab wounds to her groin, wrist and arm.

A 16-year-old schoolgirl has been arrested after she allegedly stabbed another girl, 15, in the groin at an Adelaide private school (pictured) on Thursday

The 15-year-old female student (pictured being tended by paramedics) was allegedly stabbed when a fight broke out at Trinity College North Campus in Evaston South, Adelaide's north, shortly after 9am

The high-school students were from Trinity College North Campus, in Evaston South in Adelaide's north (pictured)

'Police believe that the incident was not random and was a targeted attack,' South Australia Police said on Thursday.

The 16-year-old Blakeview girl allegedly responsible for the attack was arrested and is expected to be charged later on Thursday.

Trinity College principal Nick Hately issued a letter to parents and students on Thursday to address the incident.

'I have the distressing task of informing you a serious incident occurred between two year 10 girls at Trinity College North earlier today,' the letter, seen by Adelaide Now, said.

'Police believe that the incident was not random and was a targeted attack,' South Australia Police (pictured) said on Thursday

The 16-year-old Blakeview girl allegedly responsible for the attack was arrested by police (pictured) and is expected to be charged later on Thursday

'The altercation was serious enough to require an ambulance being called.

'Acts of violence are incredibly rare so this incident is very confronting for our community.'

Principal Hately said counselling and support services would be made available to all students.
Concerns are growing among friends and family for the welfare of a woman who went missing from a supermarket in New South Wales a month ago.

The last possible sighting of Allecha Suzette Boyd, 27, was at a Woolworths supermarket in Wagga Wagga, 200km west of Canberra, about 9.15am on August 10.

Detectives have stepped up their search with a special strike force in their bid to find the woman after her disappearance was said to be 'out of character'.

Concerns are growing among friends and family for the welfare of a woman who went missing from a NSW supermarket a month ago

The last possible sighting of Allecha Suzette Boyd, 27, was at a Woolworths supermarket in Wagga Wagga, 200km west of Canberra, about 9.15am on August 10

Police revealed the woman has previously worked as a chef and before her disappearance was in regular contact with her friends and family.

Her phone and bank account have not been used since August 10.

She is believed to have travelled to Coolamon following her supermarket visit but the reason why is unknown.

'She may have been driven there, certainly nothing has been heard from her since,' Wagga Crime Manager Detective Inspector Darren Cloake told The Daily Telegraph.

'We're hoping for the best but preparing for the worst.'

Police have revealed a CCTV image from within Woolworths on August 10 that shows her purchasing a number of items while wearing a white jumper.

Over the last two years, Ms Boyd has failed to hold down a permanent residence and has been staying with various friends across NSW, South Australia and Victoria.

Her family have since taken to Facebook to plead for any information on her whereabouts.

Police have revealed a CCTV image from within Woolworths on August 10 that shows her purchasing a number of items while wearing a white jumper

'I'm in disbelief and I just want to know she's okay. It makes me feel sick to think something has happened to her,' her sister Rhiannon wrote.

She also revealed Ms Boyd had been 'really troubled' and disagreed with several of her life choices.

Her Victoria-based cousin revealed her dismay being unable to help with the search.

'She has left her phone, her purse and her car which she loves behind. None of her accounts have been touched,' Hayley Elizabeth Hoskin-Elliott wrote.

'We all live in Melbourne and all feel so helpless!'

Ms Boyd is said to have broken up her same-sex relationship two months ago and her previous partner shares the deep concern for her welfare.

She is described as Caucasian and about 170cm tall with a medium build.

She has long, brown hair and has hazel eyes.

Anyone with any information regarding her whereabouts is urged to call 000 or Crime Stoppers.
A mother has told of her fears that her husband and two daughters could have been sucked out of their home on the hurricane-hit island of Barbuda like a 'scene from the Wizard of Oz'.

Claire Frank has not heard anything from her husband Mackenzie and daughters Asha, 29, and Afiya, 27, for more than 36 hours since the Caribbean island was flattened by the 185mph winds of Hurricane Irma.

Afiya who works as a beauty therapist and as an assistant manager at a hotel on the island is currently seven months pregnant and had been due to fly back to the UK next week to give birth to her first child.

Former beauty queen Asha Frank (left), 29, and her pregnant sister Afiya Frank (right), 27, have not been heard from since Hurricane Irma crashed through Barbuda

Asha last texted family back home in Suffolk and London at 10.30pm on Tuesday night, leaving Mr and Mrs Frank desperate for good news from the island, which has been cut off from the outside world.

Mrs Frank, from Suffolk, who is currently in the UK on holiday, said she could only desperately hope that her family's new brick-built house on Barbuda had been able to withstand the full force of the hurricane.

Claire Frank said she could only desperately hope that her family's new brick-built house had been able to withstand the hurricane

But she said she was tormented by thoughts of famous scene in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz when the heroine Dorothy and her dog Toto are sucked into the sky by a tornado.

She said: 'I keeping thinking of the scene from the Wizard of Oz when people were blown out of their house in fiction.

'I have heard reports online of people saying they had to hold on to the walls inside their houses to avoid being pulled out of by the pressure inside the hurricane.

'The winds are so strong and there is such extreme low pressure that houses can implode. I just don't think the world has seen a hurricane like this before. It is just so difficult to imagine.'

Mrs Frank said she remained hopeful that her daughters and husband would survive and would be in touch as soon as communications were restored with the island.

She said: 'It is the same for everyone with relatives on Barbuda. There are 1,700 people on the island and nobody has been able to communicate to establish what has happened.

'We don't know because we haven't heard anything and there has not been an individual head count  but I feel they are OK.'

Barbuda's prime minister said this morning that most of the island's buildings are no longer standing and some including two-year-old boy are confirmed dead

Mrs Frank who has lived for most of the last 25 years on Barbuda said her daughters had previous experience of a hurricane as children when the island was hit by the 140mph winds of Hurricane Luis in 1995.

Speaking from the home of her sister Ruth Bolton in Badwell Ash, Suffolk, she said her family had been building a new brick house in the island's main village of Corrington.

She said she expected the house to have been seriously damaged by the winds.

Mrs Frank added: 'People on Barbuda usually have strong brick houses, but this was a storm that not even those houses could withstand

'The house was nearly complete. It was structurally finished and we just had to complete the inside.

Afiya (left) and Asha Frank (right) with their cousin Caitlin Corrigan (centre) on the beach

'Who knows how strong it will have turned out to be? It depends on who built it. I trust the builder, but this hurricane has been so devastating.

Asha is a former beauty queen on Barbuda

'The Barbudans build quite strong houses because they own all the land in common together.

'The girls are very resilient. They are Barbudans. It is not as if they are on holiday and do not know what to do, but I think the experience will have been extremely traumatic for them.

'I am hopeful they are OK, but none of us can estimate the experience of being in a hurricane like this.'

Mrs Frank said her daughters had grown up in the UK, attending school in Thurston, Suffolk, before returning to live on Barbuda several years ago.

Her oldest daughter Asha who is a former teacher was crowned Miss Antigua and Barbuda two-years-ago and currently sits on the island's council.

Mrs Frank said: 'It is the same for all Barbudans. There are more Barbudans in the UK, America and Canada than there are in Barbuda. People leave as there is not much infrastructure.

'People send their children abroad for schooling, but you encourage your children to return to the island so they can give something back because otherwise it's a bit of a brain drain.

'I lived there for 25 years and it is just a coincidence that I am in the UK. They stay over there, but they come backwards and forwards. I am married to a Barbudan and he is there.'

Mrs Frank said she last spoke to her family on WhatsApp at around 10.30pm on Tuesday night as they were preparing to board up their home as the hurricane approached.

But then the island's power was cut off as a precaution and she has not heard from them since. She has since been told that phone masts are down on the island, cutting off all communications.

Mrs Frank said: 'We were discussing what they needed to do to keep safe because we knew it was going to be a massive hurricane.

'Then the island turned the electricity off as part of the safety measures so they couldn't tweet or communicate any more.

'They probably wanted to save their mobile charge and be ready to communicate when the power came back on in the morning, but then the communication masts came down.

'It is a small island and there is only one boat a week from Antigua, so if everyone wants to buy phone cards at the same time there is sometimes not enough to go round.

Asha is a former beauty queen and Miss Antigua (left) who has been working on Barbuda

'They didn't anticipate these amount of damage and they would have expected to come out of it the next day with just a bit of cleaning up. The eye of the storm was due to reach them at 3am yesterday.'

Mrs Frank said she was angry about the response to the disaster by Antigua and Barbuda's prime minister Gaston Browne who at first declared that his citizens had escaped serious harm in the hurricane.

She said that the people of Barbuda had been having 'a problematic relationship with their larger twin-island of Antigua for many years.

Mrs Frank said: 'The real story is how the prime minister went on television and said to the world, 'Thank the lord that everyone here is safe' while people still haven't heard from their families Barbuda.

'Then he went to Barbuda on a helicopter and saw 90 per cent devastation. It didn't affect Antigua.

'The problem is that he would like to see everyone off Barbuda so they can develop the land for tourism.

'A mass destruction of the island could be turned into a mass evacuation with him then declaring it uninhabitable so he can build on it.

'It's like the people were removed from the island of Diego Garcia so it could be developed as an American base.

Afiya is due to give birth in November and was booked to fly back to the UK next week

'What the prime minister needs to be doing is having a head count so he can say for sure that there is only one death because he doesn't know.

'Yet the prime minister there said there was only minimum damage when the whole world knew that would not be the case. In this kind of situation you expect a more robust leader with integrity. He is a fool.

'Everything is down and it is symptomatic of the lack of interest in the island that we have no information. In this day and age it shouldn't happen. The police on the island still don't have satellite phones.'

Mrs Frank met her husband in Leicester, and they have lived on the Caribbean island for 30 years.

Their two daughters were born in the UK and moved to Barbuda when they were young, while the couple's son was born on the island but now works in England.

Afiya is a hotel worker while Asha is a former teacher and 2015 beauty queen who was recently elected as a member of the Barbuda council.

The women's aunt Ruth Bolton said that the sisters have not been heard from since the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic in its history ploughed through the area.

'After 18 hours of no news from the island we are starting to worry that they will be forgotten. My family the Franks - sister and nieces - live there alongside 1,600 other Barbudans.

A dramatic Nasa Modis image from the Terra, Aqua and Nuomi NPP satellites shows the most powerful and devastating Category 5+++ Hurricane Irma over the Caribbean Sea last night

'It is the sister island to Antigua but very much left to its own devices. We don't know what they need at the moment as we have had no news, but a satellite phone would be a start. If we can just help them be able to communicate with the outside world then that would be great.

'They will surely need other help, but this is a start and any money raised will be sent to Barbuda Council to spend on restoring the infrastructure of the island.'

Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean as the scale of devastation in its wake begins to emerge.

Anna Baltimore Thompson, who was rescued with her family from Barbuda, wants it to be evacuated before another hurricane, Jose, is forecast to hit at the weekend.

She told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: 'This has been horrific, terrifying, a terrible experience. Me and my family of seven, including an infant of two months, had to shelter in a closet.

'Before the hurricane-force winds began the roof had already gone from our premises and we had to go for shelter. The fireman and police officers came to our rescue and took us to a shelter.

'My main concern is how we are going to survive after this. Every house, every infrastructure, every utility is completely damaged and gone.

'All my family members don't even have a home no more. And possibility of another hurricane heading in our direction is terrifying. I think we should evacuate.'

Asha has not been heard from since the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic in its history

The historic storm destroyed nearly all buildings on Barbuda yesterday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape - before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least seven dead.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK is 'taking swift action to respond' to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida - amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands.

Destruction in St John's on the nearby island of Antigua following the passing of the hurricane

Meanwhile Sir Richard Branson was counting the cost of widespread damage at his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands after the category five hurricane pounded the archipelago.

A massive operation is underway to evacuate people away from coastal areas on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where aid workers are moving residents into temporary shelters before the storm hits.

This morning Irma's eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power.

There were fears that the eye could come within 35 miles of the capital San Juan, bringing gusts of up to 100mph.

People recover broken parts of the dock after the passing of Hurricane Irma in St. John's

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide.

Some US government personnel have been ordered to leave the Bahamas before the hurricane's arrival, expected tonight local time.

On the US mainland authorities fear the hurricane may slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after storm Harvey devastated Texas.

A flooded street in Gustavia on the French overseas collectivity of Saint-Barthelemy today

Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been given in the Florida Keys.

Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach could be affected by the storm, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely.

'It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good,' the US president said.

With sustained winds of 185mph, the category five hurricane is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record.

Ripped off trees in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy,after Irma sowed a trail of deadly devastation

It is only the second time anywhere in the world a storm has been recorded maintaining such windspeeds for more than 24 hours, after typhoon Haiyan in 2013, according to an expert at the University of Colorado.

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press that nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60 per cent of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless. Barbuda had been left 'barely habitable', he said.

French President Emmanuel Macron said he expects that victims and heavy damage will be discovered on islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, known as St Barts.

Briton Alex Woolfall hid in a concrete stairwell as the hurricane hit while he was on holiday in St Maarten, the Dutch area of the island.

Irma has reduced the islands of Barbuda and St Martin to rubble. Saint-Barthelemy is pictured

He tweeted: 'My god this noise! It's like standing behind a jet engine! Constant booms and bangs. At least concrete stairwell not moving.'

Anguilla's tourist board said its major resorts had survived the storm, although many private homes had been damaged. There were no reports of any deaths.

Mr Johnson said in a statement: 'I've just spoken to the Chief Minister of Anguilla to discuss the devastating impact of Hurricane Irma. My thoughts are with all those affected and the UK is taking swift action to respond.

'We have staff and a British naval ship ready to help those in need. Brits should follow our travel advice which will be regularly updated.'

Flooded houses on Saint-Barthelemy as Hurricane Irma continues to hit the Caribbean

Before the hurricane's arrival Sir Richard refused to his Necker Island retreat and said he would be seeking shelter in the wine cellar with his staff.

His son, Sam, later wrote on Instagram: 'Glad to say that all humans on Necker are ok although a lot of buildings destroyed. Very concerned for our friends and everyone on the neighbouring islands and people in its path. Please don't take this hurricane lightly if it is heading your way.'

Christian Aid is helping to orchestrate the mass evacuation of Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

The charity's country manager, Prospery Raymond, said: 'People are being moved to schools and churches for safety but in some areas, especially in the north west of Haiti, these buildings will not withstand the force of the storm.'

Dozens of British families 'abandoned' in the path of Irma

Dozens of British families say they have been 'abandoned' in a hotel in the path of Hurricane Irma - despite foreign tourists being taken to safety.

Around 40 English tourists - including children - claim they have been forced to sleep in the foyer of a boarded up hotel in Cuba.

The tourists claim staff at beachside hotel Melia Cayo Guillermo have placed the hotel on lockdown and are no longer providing any food or water.

Debris outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint Martin

They claim they have been left to fend for themselves despite officials taking Canadian, French and German tourists to safety two days ago.

Families claim their pleas to Thomas Cook and the Foreign Office have been ignored - despite the hotel being just a few metres above sea level.

The storm is due to hit the nation tomorrow and families claim they have no idea where to go or how to get there.

Among the abandoned tourists is accountant Gemma Doyle, 36, her husband Vincent Schofield, 45, a builder, and their son Marc, ten.

Ms Doyle's mother Andrea Rawlinson from Southport, Merseyside, said she hasn't been able to get through on the phone since yesterday.

Speaking from the UK, office worker Ms Rawlinson said: 'There is absolutely no plan in place and their families - including my daughter - are at their wits' end.

People look down on a flooded street from a roof in Santiago de los Caballeros, Dominican Republic

'Nobody is there to help the English families. I understand things are difficult but a plan was in place from the families from other countries.

'The families from Germany, Canada and France were taken to a place of safety two days ago.

'Someone - whether it be their government or travel companies - has intervened on their behalf. They have been taken to a place of safety.

'Why hasn't the same been done for the British families? Communication and signal is very patchy but the last I heard from her she was really, really upset.

'Along with around 40 other English people, she had been staying in the foyer for two days. They are terrified they will miss the evacuation, but it hasn't happened.

'I believe Boris Johnson was on the news today saying they will do all they could for the English people out there.

A man photographs the waves as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Nagua

'Nobody seems to be doing anything for my family of the other English people in this resort.'

The family flew out to Cuba for the all-inclusive Thomas Cook holiday in Cayo Coco on August 26, and were due to come home this Saturday.

Ms Doyle and her family spoke to hotel staff at the start of the week and were reportedly told to stay put.

They were told by the Foreign Office to follow the advice of the hotel, it is claimed.

'The hotel manager told her not to worry because 'Cuba is used to hurricanes',' said Ms Rawlinson.

But two days ago all the other families - from Canada, France and German - were moved out. It is not clear who organised the move.

The Britons gathered in the foyer - frightened they would miss their evacuation - but nobody turned up.

A woman walks on a street as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic

The claim they phoned Thomas Cook who said a rep would arrive at the hotel yesterday, but failed to show.

Hotel staff apparently boarded up the hotel, leaving tourists to survive on crisps, bread rolls and butter, and fizzy drinks they have been able to buy.

'They don't know what to do and nobody has given them any advice,' said Andrea.

'Last night the hotel was packed up and the staff told guests they need to evacuate, but no protestations have been made. Gemma doesn't know where to go that will avoid the storm.

'Last time I spoke to Gemma she was talking about getting a taxi to Havana but she has no idea if that is a good idea. She only thought there might be help there as it is a big city.

'The hotel is only a few metres above sea level - with a long ocean causeway leading to it - and it won't stand a chance it the storm hits.

'All the British families have no idea what to do, have been abandoned by everyone, and nobody is offering any advice.

The Hotel Mercure in Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the French collectivity of Saint Martin

'Last I heard from her the wind was picking up, the skies had changed colour, and there was lightening.'

A spokesman for Thomas Cook said evacuations had not yet taken place in the Cayo Coco resort.

She said: 'We are looking out for our customers and doing everything we can do help them. The Cuban authorities do issue a notice of precautionary evacuation.

'Our special assistance team has been sent out and people will be evacuated to Varadero or Havana. People will either be in their hotel room or in an alternative shelter.'

She added it was normal for Canadian tourists to be evacuated first due to their proximity to the country and it was more difficult to get British tourists home.

She said the evacuation warning hadn't yet been issued to the Cayo Coco resort and they were shocked to hear about the mother and her 10-year-old son being stranded in the hotel lobby.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.
Young businessman Tyson Vacher has boasted about paying a $7,000 fine in cash

A young entrepreneur who ripped off customers on their wedding day by not turning up after being paid has been hit with a fine of just $7,500 - which he's smugly vowed to pay in cash.

Tyson John Vacher founded 'Black Tie Waiters' from home at age 14 in 2011, providing services and wait staff for private functions across Australia.

But the 20-year-old's business has since been deregistered, after last year ripping off four customers by taking payment for jobs but failing to ensure his staff turned up.

And after the prosectution's attempts to reportedly have Vacher fined $144,000 were rejected, he took to Facebook to gloat about his escape by flaunting a fist full of $50 notes.

Seemingly unapologetic about ripping off numerous clients, Vacher gloated to his social media followers on Thursday after the decision was handed down.

'Prosecution sought $144,000 in fines. I got fined $7,000. On my way to court now to pay my fines in CASH. Peace,' he captioned the smug photo.

In four incidents in 2016 Vacher's business left customers shattered and out of pocket to the tune of thousands of dollars when he didn't turn up to engagements and private functions

In the first of the four incidents in 2016, a woman paid $252 for two waiters to work at her engagement party in January but no one showed and she received no refund.

Another woman paid $712 to have three waiters on her special day in March, but just two turned up and her request for a refund for the missing employee was ignored.

In November another woman was let down at her engagement party when no staff arrived, but after threatening to make a formal complaint she was refunded $288.

An engaged couple were also shattered after being left $270 out of pocket when all three waiters they booked didn't turn up to their party. They later received a refund.

During sentencing, Magistrate Greg Smith said told Vacher his business had 'ruined some big nights for their clients'.

But in a statement made to his Facebook page just minutes after posing with a hand full of yellow $50 notes, the young businessman refused to accept full responsibility.

After the prosectution's attempts to have Vacher fined $144,000 were rejected this week, he took to Facebook to gloat about his escape by flaunting (pictured) that he would pay in cash

During sentencing, Magistrate Greg Smith said told Vacher (pictured) his business had 'ruined some big nights for their clients'

But in a statement made to his Facebook page just minutes after posing with a hand full of yellow notes, vacher (pictured with his mother) blamed 'unreliable staff' for the incidents

Vacher instead blamed 'unreliable' staff and refuted the claims made by customers that they were not offered a refund.

'Since starting... Black Tie Waiters when I was still in highschool, I have had hundreds - if not thousands - of satisfied clients,' Vacher said.

'Unfortunately, due to a number of unreliable temp staff and technical difficulties with my company's online, automated booking system, four of my clients were not delivered services they paid for and were promised.'

Despite Vacher's business being deregistered, a website advertising opportunities to work for him as wait staff in Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and Brisbane remains online.
As Americans enjoyed a long Labor Day weekend, Prince William and Princess Kate announced they will soon welcome their third child into the world. Aside from its historical importance for the lineage of the House of Windsor, their pregnancy provides a hopeful contrast with much of Europe facing the economic consequences of a demographically barren and graying future.

Jon Miltimore, senior editor at Intellectual Takeout, addresses the aging face of Europe in a new essay for Religion & Liberty Transatlantic. He writes:

Are Europes demographics truly this apocalyptic? A third child would put William and Kate at double the average birthrate in the European Union, which stood at 1.55 in 2013. Government statistics show that in the United Kingdom, one of the most fertile nations in Europe, just 14 percent of families have three or more children.

That is well below replacement level of 2.1 children per woman nationally.

Demographic decline leads to a host of intertwined economic maladies. Fewer younger workers decreases productivity precisely as state-funded pensions strain national budgets, among other dangers raised in the article. Miltimore got exclusive comments from Meg Tuszynski, an economist and researcher at the ONeil Center at Southern Methodist University, on the cascade of fiscal troubles that constitute what economists call the grey peril. And as he makes clear, the grey peril is stalking Europe from the Andes to the Urals.

Rather than merely assess the results, Miltimore probes the inner psychological and cultural reasons behind Europeans decision not to have more children. Along the way, he shares insights from Tom Wolfe and the German philosopher Rudiger Safranski on seeing children as a burden, and how that mindset transforms a generations views of their nations financial environment, stability, even its survival.

Thus, the importance of a young, popular, dynamic couple having a third child in the way the royals must endure everything  in public. The British social scientist Michael Billig, who has written extensively on the monarchys impact on culture, once observed:

Over and above being a symbol of privilege and nationhood, the Royal Family overtly represents the family. In [journalist Walter] Bagehots phrase, it is the family on the throne.  As families talk about the Royal Family, they will be talking about family; and as they talk about family, so will they be talking about themselves.

Today, their eldest child, Prince George, had his first day at school, prompting families across the UK to share their own stories of school days. If the royal familys example causes more young people to consider having a third child  or a second  their influence will be a most salutary one.

You can read Jon Miltimores full article here.

(Photo credit: Christopher Neve. This photo has been cropped. CC BY-SA 2.0.)
A student who punched four Muslim women in the face as they walked near Sydney's inner-city University of Technology has had assault charges dismissed.

Maria Claudia Gimenez Dami Wilson, whose Facebook page is filled with anti-Muslim and extreme right-wing posts, was originally charged with crimes police considered 'bias-motivated'.

The 39-year-old allegedly told police she was motivated by a hatred of Muslims when she attacked four hijab-wearing women aged 18 to 23 at Ultimo on May 10.

Maria Claudia Gimenez Dami Wilson outside Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday

Journalism student Maria Wilson (left) successfully sought five assault charges be dealt with under mental health provisions

Maria Wilson uses her Facebook page to post anti-Muslim and extreme right wing statements

She was still posting violent anti-Muslim statements and images to Facebook only hours before fronting court on Thursday.

Wilson, who describes herself as a journalism student from Paraguay, was charged with two counts of assault occasioning actual bodily harm and two counts of common assault.

One of Wilson's victims, Hanan Merheb, posted on Facebook that she had been walking along the street listening to music when she was punched for no reason.

'I crossed the light off Harris Street, walked past the UTS Loft, staring absentmindedly ahead of me when some lady came up to me and punched me in the face,' Ms Merheb wrote.

'She didn't speak to me, didn't run away, she just punched me and walked off, as casually as if she had just come to say hello.'

At her first court appearance Wilson said 'the only thing I did was to take a bull cut to a Muslim lady.'

Maria Wilson (left) outside Downing Centre Local Court on Thursday

Maria Wilson has had five assault charges dealt with under mental health legal provisions

Journalism student Maria Wilson (right) has to undergo a mental health treatment plan

'I don't see any problem with that.'

When the matter went to hearing at Downing Centre Local Court in June all charges were dismissed under Section 32 of the Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act.

That decision was revealed on Thursday when Wilson was back in the same court charged with another assault on a man at Botany, south of Sydney, two months before the attacks on the Muslim women.

The earlier assault had merely been a 'slap', the court heard.

Magistrate Jennifer Atkinson said Wilson had been diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder.

Maria wilson allegedly told police she punched four hijab-wearing women because she hated Muslims

Journalism student Maria Wilson

'The behaviour was so erratic it really does support the findings of the various doctors in relation to the diagnosis,' Ms Atkinson said.

'As I understand it this is something that doesn't come and go.'

Ms Atkinson was concerned that Wilson had already had several matters handled under mental health provisions. She also noted the earlier assault should have been dealt with before the attacks on the Muslim women.

'She clearly has very significant health issues,' Ms Atkinson said.

'Nevertheless when I weigh up all of the matters I am satisfied it is appropriate to deal with it under Section 32.'

Wilson was ordered to continue a treatment plan under which she is required to maintain contact with a mental health case manager, take monthly anti-psychotic injections and consult a psychiatrist.
A driver caught on camera launching a vicious tirade against a cyclist he mowed down has been charged.

Police said a 44-year-old man was arrested after his Toyota Hilux smashed into a 23-year-old cyclist on Grovenor Crescent in Cronulla, Sydney on Wednesday.

The driver of the Hilux then got out of his car and threatened the man on the bicycle.

Scroll down for video

The driver (pictured) appeared on the Today show on Thursday to defend his actions

The 44-year-old has been charged with negligent driving, common assault and stalk/intimidate intent fear physical harm.

He has been given bail and will appear at Burwood Local Court on September 25.

A shocking video clip caught the moment the driver of the Toyota Hilux lashed out at a 23-year-old cyclist during a road rage incident in Sydney's Inner West on Wednesday morning.

A NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that the driver allegedly punched the cyclist during the incident.

But in an interview on the Today show on Thursday, the 44-year-old man insisted that he was provoked and it wasn't his fault that the cyclist was knocked to the ground.

'He was sticking his finger up, carrying on, I didn't hit him,' he told the morning program.

'Then he got in front of me and started driving slowly, sticking his finger up and then he took off, braked, and I was rolling in traffic and I hit his back tyre.'

He added: 'I mean, it's not right, like I said, I don't provoke it. I'm not a violent person.'

However, the clip of the incident showed him unleashing a foul-mouthed tirade against the cyclist and threatening him repeatedly after the incident on Grosvenor Street in Summer Hill.

'I'm Lebanese mate, I'm going to f*** you,' the driver, wearing a blue shirt and sunglasses, is heard shouting at the cyclist.

The clip shows the moment the driver of a Toyota Hilux launched into a vicious rant at a cyclist

The driver is heard saying: 'I'm Lebanese mate, I'm going to f*** you,' before appearing to hit the cyclist

'I'm going to f*** your life, you son of a b****. I'm going to follow you, I am going to f*** your life,' he adds, before he appears to hit the cyclist.

The clip ends with a shot of the cyclist's crumpled bike on the ground and the driver returning to his 4WD.

An NSW Police spokesman told Daily Mail Australia that officers attended the scene shortly after the altercation between the two men occurred at around 7.50am.

'We have been told the driver of the Toyota punched the cyclist,' the spokesman said.

'Police were called to the scene and spoke to both parties and investigations are continuing.'

'I'm going to follow you. I am going to f*** your life,' the driver adds while the cyclist appears to remain on the ground
A New Zealand MP who has been routinely told off for parking in a disabled space says she has every right to use it - and her permit is always on display.

Katrina Bungard, a National Party MP, lost half her leg to bone cancer at the young age of 11, and now gets around on a prosthetic.

Four emails have been addressed to her, some with National Party leader Bill English copied in, and one person has verbally reprimanded her for parking her car - which is adorned with her face and name - in the spaces.

Pictured: MP Katrina Bungard's car parked in a disabled space - what is not pictured is the disability sticker displayed prominently in her front windscreen

Ms Bungard told the New Zealand Herald she feels 'a bit bullied' by the actions of passers-by, and wants people to be more open-minded when it comes to who could be disabled.

Her prosthetic limb isn't visible under her clothing, though the politician does walk with a limp because of it.

She said her own experience with disability made her want to stand up and be a voice for others like her.

Katrina Bungard says she has every right to use it disabled parking spaces - and her permit is always on display

'It's really important disabled people are represented in caucus. We don't have enough,' she said.

The MP explained a lot could improve for disabled New Zealanders just by including them in the conversation.

'We need to make sure we're engaging with the disabled community because isolation is a huge issue, which can lead to all sorts of other issues, including depression, family violence and other anti-social behaviour,' she explained.

Her prosthetic limb isn't visible under her clothing, though the politician does walk with a limp because of it

Ms Bungard's National Party colleague, Judith Collins, took to Facebook to praise the woman as a university qualified teacher and mother of three.

'She walks with a limp as when she was a young girl, she was a victim of bone cancer and she had half a leg removed,' she said.

'Katrina works hard and she has resilience and drive to a level that inspires.'


Cars exploded when a runaway lorry ploughed into three lanes of stationary traffic in a fiery motorway pile-up.

Dashcam footage caught the moment 33 vehicles were damaged and four completely destroyed in the blaze caused by the HGV, which failed to stop as it approached the traffic jam.

Five people, including a five-year-old girl, were injured in the crash on the M4 near the village of Shestakovo in western Russia - and, incredibly, no one was killed.

Pile-up: Dashcam footage (above) caught the moment five people were injured and 37 vehicles were damaged or completely destroyed in the blaze caused by the HGV in western Russia

The vehicle's brakes failed on a downhill section of the motorway and the 35-year-old driver was unable to stop the lorry before it hit the standing cars, according to local media reports.

Police are investigating but have not yet confirmed why the HGV did not stop.

In the video, the lorry can be seen ploughing through the lanes of cars, totally destroying some while others are shunted out of its way and into roadside barriers.

Police are investigating why the HGV (pictured beneath the plume of dark smoke) did not stop

Shocked drivers and their passengers clambered out of their cars to see the motorway looking more like a scrapyard than a road.

Police and firefighters called in reinforcements - including seven vehicles - to clear the motorway of debris.

Witnesses said the accident created a huge backlog of traffic, with one social media user saying it took her three hours to drive just 24 kilometres (15 miles).

Chaos: Shocked drivers and their passengers clambered out of their cars (pictured) to see the motorway looking more like a scrapyard than a road
Prosecutors are considering charging the suspected fantasist who triggered Scotland Yard's disastrous VIP child sex abuse inquiry with attempting to pervert the course of justice and fraud.

Following a ten-month investigation into the man known as Nick, detectives have submitted an evidence file to the Crown Prosecution Service which will decide whether he should stand trial.

The 2.5million Operation Midland inquiry prompted by his wild claims led to raids on the homes of ex Defence chief Lord Bramall, the late former home secretary Leon Brittan and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor.

The 2.5million Operation Midland inquiry prompted by the claims of Nick led to raids on the homes of ex Defence chief Lord Bramall (left) and ex-Tory MP Harvey Proctor (right)

As well as probing Nick for perverting the course of justice, police have also examined allegations he committed fraud.

It has previously been reported that the middle-aged man may have received up to 50,000 after lodging an application with the Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority for a payout for his alleged child sex abuse hell.

He could be prosecuted for fraud if the application was shown to have been made under false pretences.

Last night a source with knowledge of the Northumbria Police probe into Nick, whose real identity cannot be revealed for legal reasons, described the decision to send a file to the CPS as highly significant.

If Nick is charged and convicted over his alleged lies, he faces losing his anonymity and being named for the first time.

As part of their inquiries, Northumbria Police have sought to establish whether anyone - including journalists - encouraged Nick to make bogus allegations of child sex abuse and serial murder to Scotland Yard.

Of particular interest to detectives is how he came to 'identify' those who allegedly assaulted him and murdered three boys.

The role of a controversial news website, Exaro - which publicised Nick's wild claims - has come under close scrutiny. Exaro has now closed.

Lord Brittan's (pictured) widow has received compensation, thought to be around 100,000, from police in out of court settlements over the inquiry shambles

Prosecutors will have to decide whether there is sufficient evidence to charge Nick and any conspirators - and whether it is in the public interest to put them on trial.

A former senior prosecution lawyer has told the Mail that the CPS should authorise charges if there is sufficient evidence against Nick.

It naturally follows that he should stand trial if the case reaches the evidential test for prosecutions, he said. A trial has to be in the public interest.

In March, the Mail revealed that Nick is facing financial ruin after Mr Proctor launched a six-figure compensation claim against him over his 'lies' to officers on Scotland Yard's Operation Midland.

The ex-politician's claim is part of a 1million-plus action against Nick and the police, who took his far-fetched accusations seriously.

Lord Bramall and Lord Brittans widow Diana have each received compensation, thought to be around 100,000, from Scotland Yard in out of court settlements over the Operation Midland shambles.

In November a report by a retired High Court judge savaged the Metropolitan Police for giving credence to Nick's wild allegations.

Sir Richard Henriques identified no fewer than 43 separate blunders and said it was time for police to stop automatically believing the accounts of alleged victims.

The suspected fantasist had claimed that a string of politicians and military figures murdered three children and abused others at depraved sex parties. The claims were initially described by senior officers as 'credible and true'.

Operation Midland began to unravel after the Daily Mail revealed in September 2015 that a number of detectives had 'grave doubts' about Nick's story and the inquiry.

At the request of Northumbria detectives a judge has ordered several media organisations - including the BBC and a TV production company - to hand over material relating to their various dealings with Nick.

As well as claiming to have been abused by VIPs, the alleged fantasist also said he was a victim of Jimmy Savile and to have been flown to Paris in a private jet and raped by a Saudi prince.

A CPS spokesperson said: 'On 4 September we received a file of evidence from Northumbria Police into allegations against one person of perverting the course of justice and fraud.

'Our prosecutors will consider the evidence with a view to making a charging decision in line with the Code for Crown Prosecutors.'
Japan has declared North Korea a threat to the entire world and has called upon every nation to put pressure on Kim Jong-un to abandon his nuclear weapon bid.

Four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has spoken out against the dictator.

Urging every country in the world to put 'the greatest possible pressure' on Kim, he said: 'North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world.'

From second left to right, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Mongolia's President Khaltmaagiin Battulga, and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a plenary session titled 'The Russian Far East: Creating a New Reality' at the 2017 Eastern Economic Forum at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island, Vladivostok

South Korean President Moon Jae-in, U.S. President Donald Trump and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe pose for photographs prior to their meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in July. Abe has called for a united approach to North Korea

The North Korean leader described his most recent missile test a 'perfect success' while his Japanese counterpart called for the world to pull together.

Abe said: 'The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea.

'We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner.'

Putin warns 'it's impossible to scare' North Korea with sanctions because they believe giving up their nukes 'is an invitation to the cemetery' Russian President Vladimir Putin has accused Trump administration of showing no desire to defuse tensions over North Korea and that it was impossible to scare Kim Jong-un. Putin said that whipping up military hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive, adding that Pyongyang would not end its nuclear and missile programmes because it views them as its only means for self-defence. 'It's impossible to scare them,' Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. He said North Korea was being offered the prospect of an end to sanctions as an incentive to freeze its weapons programmes. But Pyongyang will conclude the economic benefits of a deal are outweighed by security risks. Putin said: 'We are telling them that we will not impose sanctions, which means you will live better, you will have more good and tasty food on the table, you will dress better, but the next step, they think, is an invitation to the cemetery. And they will never agree with this.' Advertisement

His remarks were made on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok which is also being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea's Moon Jae-In.

On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off.

South Korea has also pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia has dismissed such a call, while China is also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.

But experts have warned an oil embargo would not hit the leader, but rather cripple the country's residents, reducing them to having to push buses around in order to get places.

According to a report by the World Trade Organisation, a ban on supplies would be devastating for ordinary North Koreans.

'People will be forced to walk or not move at all, and to push buses instead of riding in them,' said the document by Peter Hayes and David von Hippel.

'There will be less light in households due to less kerosene.'

The ban will lead to 'more deforestation', they warned, as North Koreans will be forced to cut down trees to produce charcoal, leading to 'more erosion, floods and more famine' in the already impoverished country.

Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to increase its own sanctions against North Korea, the bloc's diplomatic chief said Thursday, as part of international efforts to punish the rogue state for its latest nuclear test.

'I will put forward to ministers to work in the coming days to increase EU autonomous sanctions,' Federica Mogherini said as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn.
Frustrated Texans who were stuck in Houston traffic for hours as the city recovers from Hurricane Harvey turned to social media yesterday to vent their anger.

There were huge tailbacks in the city as major roads remained closed due to flooding.

This meant that commuters had to use alternative routes, clogging up the roads that remained open.

Frustrated Texans who were stuck in Houston traffic for hours as the city recovers from hurricane Harvey turned to social media yesterday to vent their anger

Gridlock: There were huge tailbacks in the city as major roads remained closed due to flooding

Fury: commuters had to use alternative routes, clogging up the roads that remained open

Traffic backs up on a freeway on September 5 in Houston, Texas

Hundreds of frustrated drivers expressed their anger on social media, sharing memes and maps of the gridlock.

One wrote: 'Pre-hurricane traffic was horrible... but THIS'.

Another added: 'This Houston traffic is horrible right now, taking twice as long to get anywhere, barely moving, people being a-holes #houstonTraffic'.

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted yesterday morning: 'This will be a rough week for traffic as we get back on our feet. Streets blocks in the west and signals out in many places. Patience required.'

Hundreds of frustrated drivers expressed their anger on social media, sharing memes and maps of the gridlock

Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted yesterday morning: 'This will be a rough week for traffic'

Photos taken just a eight days apart show Houston beginning to recover after the devastation of Harvey's floods that left homes and roads under several feet of water.

The first set of images, taken on August 28, reveal a city underwater as roads turned into rivers, homes were surrounded by five foot high floodwater and desperate residents loaded their belongings onto boats and sailed or waded through the rising waters to safety.

Yet, the second set of pictures, taken on September 5, could be of a different place altogether.

 Slide me  During floods, left: Volunteers pilot their rescue boats into a flooded neighborhood in Spring, Texas, to help rescue stranded residents from rising floodwaters following Hurricane Harvey on August 28. Just over one week later, right: Cars drive down the same street on September 5 after the floodwaters receded

 Slide me  During the flood, August 28, left: Five-foot-high floodwater surround homes in Spring, Texas. After, September 5: Damaged goods are piled up around the same homes after the water receded

Roads in Houston that a week ago were swamped with waist-deep water packed with boats ferrying drenched and terrified residents to safety, are now dry and busy with regular traffic - cars and trucks.

Meanwhile, huge piles of trash are left outside a formerly flooded home as families are forced to throw out their ruined possessions.

Houston area residents have picked up the pace of their recovery from Hurricane Harvey, jamming roads as they returned to offices and schools to help get the nation's fourth largest city and its vital shipping and oil industries back on track.

The region is getting a boost from Mexico, which sent volunteers to shelters and is preparing to send relief supplies in the next few day. Mexican Red Cross workers were staffing shelters in three Texas cities. 'We are more than glad to be helpful,' said Gustavo Santillan.

 Slide me  During the floods, on August 28, left: Dozens of people flee their homes in rescue boats along the flooded street in Houston. On September 5: Traffic returns down the same street after the floodwaters receded

 Slide me  During the floods, on August 28, left: Evacuees wade down Tidwell Road in Houston as floodwaters from Harvey rise. After, on September 5, right: A car drives down the now dry and empty street

Large employers, universities and transit services reopened or began full schedules yesterday, with floodwaters receded and the Labor Day weekend behind them. But not all of the Houston-area's 6.6 million residents were in position to go back to work and were dealing with home repairs and waterlogged possessions.

'It feels surreal to be back at work,' said Hannah Smith, 31, who spent part of her day putting office furniture moved ahead of the storm back in place 'It is one step in the direction of whatever the new normal is.' Harvey tore through Corpus Christi in southern Texas on August 25 before churning up the coast and hitting the Houston area especially hard.

The storm killed as many as 60 people, dumped more than 50 inches of rain and caused damages estimated as high as $180 billion, including to 203,000 homes.

Oil refineries, pipelines and shipping channels in the nation's energy center have begun a gradual return to operations. Exxon Mobil on Tuesday said its fuel terminals in the Houston area were supplying gasoline and it continues to work on reopening a shuttered Baytown oil refinery.

Rene Ramirez helps move debris from a home damaged by floodwaters in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey on Wednesday

Members of the Texas National Guard distribute emergency meals and water as Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey on September 5, 2017 in Orange, Texas

Almost a week after Hurricane Harvey, downtown Houston is returning to business, as roads begin to dry out, and floodwater recede

Members of the Texas National Guard walk the streets of Orange as Texas. Some neighborhoods still remained flooded and without electricity after the flooding last week

While downtown Houston is returning to business, thousands continue to live in shelters, hotels and other accommodations as they contemplate their future. Pictured: Members of the Texas National Guard drive through the still flooded streets of Orange

Motiva Enterprises, operator of the nation's largest refinery, said it is in the process of restarting operations at its Port Arthur, Texas, plant.

Some industry stalwarts were still out of commission though. ConocoPhillips closed its Houston headquarters through September 11. BP's Houston campus suffered severe flooding and remained closed. Portions may be out of use until December, Chief Executive Bob Dudley told Reuters.

About 650 of BP's more than 5,000 Houston area full-time staff reported damage to their homes.

'Ive got to get work done but I dont think itll be a productive day,' said Daniel Semetko, 60, a Houston energy company worker, citing the number of people who were out of their homes due to storm damage.

Matt Murray, a volunteer with an animal rescue organization, carries a small dog he found abandoned beside a flooded home on September 5 in Orange, Texas. Thousands of pets and livestock have either run away or been left to fend for themselves after Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of the state of Texas

Discarded items sit outside of a flooded home in Orange as Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey on September 6, 2017 in Orange, Texas

Discarded items sit outside of a flooded home in Orange as Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey

Members of the Texas National Guard prepare to distribute water and emergency mealsas Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey on September 6

Almost a week after Hurricane Harvey ravaged parts of the state, some neighborhoods still remained flooded and without electricity. While downtown Houston is returning to business, thousands continue to live in shelters, hotels and other accommodations as they contemplate their future

Members of the Texas National Guard prepare to distribute water and emergency mealsas Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey

A truck drives through high water along a street in Orange as Texas slowly moves toward recovery from the devastation of Hurricane Harvey

Harold Fergenson grabs a ride through high water along a street in Orange as Texas slowly moves toward recovery

An abandoned car sits in high water along a street in Orange as Texas slowly moves toward recovery

With extensive property damage across the region, local and federal prosecutors formed a task force to investigate reports of home repair fraud and people posing as police to facilitate theft and other crimes, officials said. About 80 investigations into complaints were underway, said David Green, a Department of Homeland Security special agent.

Houston's school district, the nation's seventh largest, remains closed this week to repair flooded schools. The district has said about 75 of its 275 schools suffered major or extensive flood damage, but other school districts in the area and major universities were open for class.

The U.S. House of Representatives on Wednesday approved roughly $8 billion in initial emergency aid for Harvey relief and rebuilding. A Senate vote is expected later this week.

As Houston picked up the pieces from the devastation of Harvey, a new and even more powerful hurricane Irma, which has been upgraded to a 'potentially catastrophic' Category 5 storm, hit the US today.
Michel Barnier today rejected Britain's proposal for how the Irish border should operate after Brexit.

The EU's chief negotiator said he had 'worries' about the UK's position because it required Brussels to suspend its normal rules.

Mr Barnier said he could not allow the border to be used as a 'test case' for how those rules could be watered down in a future UK-EU trade deal.

Britain's position paper, published over the summer, proposed a series of local exemptions on cross-border trade and regulations to police the border without checkpoints.

Brussels responded today with a long-awaited paper of its own drafted with significant input from Dublin.

Michel Barnier (pictured today in Brussels) has rejected Britain's proposal for how the Irish border should operate after Brexit

The EU's chief negotiator (pictured giving a press conference today) said he had 'worries' about the UK's position because it required Brussels to suspend its normal rules

At a press conference, Mr Barnier said: 'The solution for the border issue will need to be unique.

'It cannot preconfigure the future relationship between the European Union and the UK. It will require both sides to be flexible and creative.'

He added: 'Creativity and flexibility cannot be at the expense of the integrity of the Single Market and the Customs Union.

This would not be fair for Ireland and it would not be fair for the European Union.'

The new paper from Brussels will raise fears the EU, with support from Dublin, want the UK-EU border effectively in the middle of the Irish Sea - leaving Northern Ireland on the wrong side of the line.

A Government spokesman welcomed the EU commitment to ensuring an open border with no physical infrastructure.,

He said: 'We were clear on our position paper that the nature of the border means that an agreed, reciprocal solution must be found.

'Unilateral UK flexibility will not be sufficient to meet our shared objectives, which is why we welcome the Commission's continued recognition of the need for flexible and imaginative solutions.

'The UK looks forward to further engagement through the negotiating dialogue we have established with the Commission.

'The UK position paper and this Commission position paper clearly provide a good basis on which to continue to make swift progress.'

Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar (pictured in Belfast last month) has demanded a Brexit solution that does not create a hard border inside Ireland

Among the documents are also demands for European delicacies like Parmesan cheese and Champagne to be given a protected status in British law after Brexit.

To make safeguards for geographic food and drink specialities that have protections, such as parma ham, enforceable 'specific domestic legislation' may be needed

The UK has warned it is EU single market rules that could force the re-creation of border posts and not British law.

Mr Davis said it was crucial to negotiate customs rules for trade between Britain and the EU after Brexit before nailing down how the Irish border will work.

Ireland fears a breakdown of the Good Friday Agreement were a physical border re-built between the Republic and Northern Ireland.

David Davis (pictured in Parliament today) said it was crucial to negotiate customs rules for trade between Britain and the EU after Brexit before nailing down how the Irish border will work

Today's paper from Mr Barnier does 'not put forward solutions' for resolving travel between the north and south of the island of Ireland after 2019.

Instead the papers say the onus to sort out the problem 'remains on the UK', according to documents seen by the Financial Times.

'The present paper does not put forward solutions for the Irish border,' the papers state.

'The onus to propose solutions which overcame the challenges created on the island of Ireland by the UK's withdrawal and its decision to leave the customs union and the internal market remains on the UK.'

Brexit Secretary Mr Davis has insisted discussions with Brussels on border plans have been 'good' but the EU's chief negotiator Mr Barnier, said 'a lot more substantial work' needs to be done.

The EU paper calls for 'unique solutions' and floats the possibility of 'specific provisions' being included in the exit agreement to address the fact the peace process was underpinned by common EU law.
Senior members of the Cabinet including Home Secretary Amber Rudd and even Theresa May's deputy Damian Green have refused to back immigration curbs, it was claimed today.

The Cabinet revolt - also thought to include Chancellor Philip Hammond - comes after an incendiary leak of a draft white paper on post-Brexit immigration rules.

Proposals for an outright cap on low-skilled migrants, an immediate end to EU free movement in March 2019 and strict rules on even skilled migrants have provoked an angry reaction from business.

And it was claimed today the Cabinet is split amid fears the proposals would create an 'economic cliff edge' if implemented.

Mr Green used media interviews today to dismiss the reports as 'nonsense' but he refused to comment on the leaked policy paper directly.

First Secretary of State Damian Green and Home Secretary Amber Rudd (both seen arriving for Cabinet on Tuesday) are said to oppose draft immigration plans leaked this week

Chancellor Philip Hammond (pictured leaving No 11 yesterday) has warned publicly about the dangers of a rapid cut to immigration

Mr Green told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme: 'It suggests that I have misgivings about a document I have never seen.'

Ms Rudd announced an independent review of immigration just two weeks ago and Mr Hammond has warned publicly about the dangers of a rapid cut to immigration.

The Telegraph said Ms Rudd has 'reservations' about the blueprint drawn up in her department and would prefer to wait for her review.

Mr Green is said to fear the backlash from Brussels if Britain takes a hard line on EU migration from the moment of Brexit.

Mrs May has not commented directly on the leaked report but used PMQs yesterday to make the case for lower immigration.

She said: 'What people want to see is control of that immigration.

'We're already able to exercise controls in relation to those who come to this country from outside the EU and we continue to believe it's important to have net migration at sustainable levels... because of the impact particularly it has on people on the lower end of the income scale in depressing their wages.'

Theresa May has not commented directly on the leaked report but used PMQs yesterday (pictured) to make the case for lower immigration

The proposals in the leaked report included action to slash the number of low-skilled EU workers and force bosses to put British workers first.

A 'direct numerical cap' on immigration could be imposed when the UK leaves the 28-nation EU in March 2019, according to the Home Office report.

The radical proposals also include:

An immediate end to free movement after Brexit;

Jobseekers will not be given residence permits;

The rights of EU nationals to bring in family members will be dramatically curtailed;

Transitional controls will last around two years before a new system is imposed;

EU citizens will need passports to enter the UK, not just identity cards.

An 82-page document leaked on Tuesday (pictured) revealed plans to make all EU citizens show a passport when they visit Britain after Brexit

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan criticised the document, calling it 'an example of an extreme hard Brexit and a blueprint for strangling the London economy'.

He added: 'If the Government's policy is what's set out in this leaked document it would be catastrophic for London's economy, and the country needs London to do well.'
President Donald Trump's oldest son told a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday that he attended a meeting last year that included a Russian lawyer because he hoped it would yield information about Democrat Hillary Clinton's 'fitness, character or qualifications' to be president.

Trump Jr. made his first appearance on Capitol Hill as part of a Senate investigation into Russian meddling in the presidential election, sitting for a five-hour grilling.

Senate Judiciary Committee staff heard Trump Jr. read a prepared statement, which described a June 2016 meeting he attended at Trump Tower which included publicist Rob Goldstone, Russian-Azerbaijani singer-songwriter Emin Agalarov, Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya, then-Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort and Jared Kushner, the future president's son-in-law.

In an email, Trump recalled, Goldstone 'suggested that someone had 'official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia' and that the information would be 'very useful' to the campaign.'

'I was somewhat skeptical of his outreach,' he said Thursday, since he knew Goldstone only as a pop music promoter.

'As it later turned out, my skepticism was justified. The meeting provided no meaningful information and turned out not to be about what had been represented.'

SCROLL DOWN TO READ TRUMP JR.'S FULL STATEMENT

President Donald Trump's oldest son, Donald Trump Jr., told a U.S. Senate panel on Thursday that he attended a meeting last year that included a Russian lawyer because he hoped it would yield information about Democrat Hillary Clinton's 'fitness, character or qualifications' to be president.

Trump Jr. met privately Thursday with a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election

Senate Judiciary Chairman Charles Grassley has said he wants both Paul Manafort and Donald Trump Jr. to testify publicly at some point

Trump Jr. said after his grilling that he was 'thankful' for the Senate Judiciary Committee staff's 'professionalism and courtesy'

Instead, Trump said, the meeting quickly detoured into a discussion of the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law targeting Russian officials thought to be behind the 2009 death of Russian tax accountant Sergei Magnitsky in a Moscow prison. In retaliation for the law, Vladimir Putin's regime discontinued a program that had allowed Americans to adopt Russian children.

Trump maintained on Thursday that the June 2016 meeting quickly disintegrated after 'Ms. Veselnitskaya pivoted and began talking about the adoption of Russian children by U.S. citizens.'

That parallels his first statements on the matter, which he made publicly two months ago.

'It was clear to me that her real purpose in asking for the meeting all along was to discuss Russian adoptions and the Magnitsky Act,' he said Thursday of Veselnitskaya.

'At this point, Jared excused himself from the meeting to take a phone call. I proceeded to quickly and politely end the meeting by telling Ms. Veselnitskaya that because my father was a private citizen there did not seem to be any point to having this discussion. She thanked us for our time and everyone left the conference room.'

'As we walked out, I recall Rob coming over to me to apologize,' Trump Jr. said.

Special counsel Robert Mueller has spoken with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee about their probe into Russian meddling in the election and possible connection to the Trump campaign

Trump Jr. released a series of emails in July that detailed preparations for the June 2016 meeting. The emails show he took the meeting expecting that he would be receiving damaging information about Clinton.

They also establish that his initial response to Goldstone's idea of an opposition research dump about his father's Democratic opponent was: 'I love it.'

'As much as some have made of my using the phrase "I love it",' Trump Jr. said Thursday, 'it was simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Rob's gesture.'

DONALD TRUMP JR'S STATEMENT AFTER HIS SENATE GRILLING 'Earlier today, I met for more than 5 hours with members of the Senate Judiciary Committee and their staffs as part of the Committees ongoing investigation into potential violations of the Foreign Agents Registration Act. I answered every question posed by the Committee related to this topic, as well as all of their questions on other topics, until both sides had exhausted their lines of questioning. I trust this interview fully satisfied their inquiry. 'I very much appreciate the opportunity to assist the Committee in its efforts. I thank Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein, as well as other members of the Committee and their staff for their courtesy and professionalism.' Advertisement

Despite the chaos of a whirlwind political campaign, he said, 'I thought I should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say.'

'To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out. Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration.'

'I also note,' he added, 'that at this time there was not the focus on Russian activities that there is today.'

After the marathon session, Trump Jr. said in a statement to DailyMail.com that he 'answered every question posed by the Committee' on a range of topics, 'until both sides had exhausted their lines of questioning. I trust this interview fully satisfied their inquiry.'

'I very much appreciate the opportunity to assist the Committee in its efforts. I thank Chairman Grassley and Ranking Member Feinstein, as well as other members of the Committee and their staff for their courtesy and professionalism.'

Special counsel Robert Mueller and the House and Senate intelligence committees are also investigating the meeting. A grand jury has heard testimony about it.

Senate staffers could also probe any other possible connections Trump's family had with Russia. Trump Jr. agreed to the interview in July after Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, subpoenaed him and Manafort.

The committee withdrew the subpoenas after the two agreed to be interviewed privately by staff; Grassley has said they both will eventually be questioned by senators in a public hearing.

Democratic Sens. Richard Durbin of Illinois and Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut attended the interview but, according to tradition, only professional staffers asked questions.

Donald Trump Jr. is one Trump family member who has been dragged into the larger investigation due to a meeting he attended which also involved a Russian lawyer with Kremlin ties

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the committee's top Democrat, said she and Grassley have agreed that they will subpoena Trump Jr. and Manafort again if they don't agree to attend a public hearing. None has been scheduled at this point.

Trump Jr. is also expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, said Wednesday that the panel wants to speak with others who attended the June 2016 meeting before they interview Trump Jr.

'We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible,' Warner said.

Manafort met privately with staff on the Senate intelligence panel in July, and Kushner met with Senate intelligence staff and members of the House Intelligence Committee.

The House intelligence panel has also sought to talk to Trump Jr., but Rep. Eric Swallwell, a Democrat on that committee, said Wednesday that the panel is still negotiating the interview and a date hasn't yet been set.
The jailed father whose four children and grandparents drowned in a van in Hurricane Harvey has told of his heartbreak.

Jason Saldivar, 36, will be released from Beaumont federal prison today with no children to return home to.

Devy, 16, Dominic, 15, and Xavier, eight, and Daisey, six, drowned with their great-grandparents in east Houston on August 27.

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 six members of a family - including Xavier Saldivar (left), eight, and his six-year-old sister Daisy (right) - were found in their white van on Wednesday

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

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

Speaking from prison, Saldivar recalled the moment he found out when he saw his family on TV.

'I was shocked. I thought it was a cruel a** joke,' Saldivar told Chron.com.

'I really was in shock. I didn't think it was real. Those kids on TV, that's got to be somebody else. That's not my family.'

Saldivar has been serving six months in jail for parole violation. He was charged in 2010 over a case involving majijuana dealing.

His uncle Sammy, who was driving the van, was the only survivor of the tragedy. Jason said: 'If I was out, I could've prevented this.'

It comes after Jason's father Ric Saldivar, 53, described getting a horrific phone call from cops saying the vehicle had been swept off a road and plunged into the floodwaters.

In an emotional interview with CNN, Saldivar described how he got hold of his brother Sammy, who was behind the wheel of the van at when it crashed, and heard his voice shake.

Ric Saldivar recounts how he found out that six of his family members died after their van was swept away in the floods by Hurricane Harvey

His brother Sammy was the sole survivor, while his two parents and four grandchildren died

Saldivar revealed in the interview he overheard his father tell Sammy it was safe 'to go' when he yelled out, 'You can make it! I can see the guardrail. Go!'

Saldivar added, 'I can't see myself doing anything different ... (If) dad told me to go, I would have tried to make it of course, like anybody else.'

Sammy successfully crossed the bridge, but once he got to the other side  there was a dip in the roadway. It wasn't long until the entire family found themselves submerged under water.

'(Sammy) got out of the van. He didn't even take off his seat belt, the window was have way open. He just slid out. He grabbed a branch or a twig (while he heard) the kids screaming and crying,' Saldivar recalled.

'He kept yelling at them, 'climb out the back, get out the back door!'' he added.

Unfortunately, Sammy was the sole survivor from the nightmare event.

'I can already imagine Dad holding Mom's hand real tight as the water rushed in ... I know they went to heaven holding hands,' Saldivar said.

Police previously released a heartbreaking photo of the van after it was found below 10 feet of water Wednesday in Green's Bayou in northeast Houston.

The bodies of Devy Saldivar, 16, Dominic, 14, Xavier, eight, and Daisy, six, were all found in the back of the van when it was pulled from the water.

Their great-grandparents were also found dead in the front seat of the van they were inside at the time of the tragedy.

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

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

Manuel and Belia and their four great-grandchildren drowned while trying to escape the van in the rising floodwaters.

Sammy 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.

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.

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.

'(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.
Putin said Pyongyang viewed freezing its weapons programmes as 'an invitation to the cemetery'

North Korea will never freeze its weapons programmes because it views them as its only means of self defence, according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Speaking on Thursday, Putin said the administration of US President Donald Trump had indicated it wanted to defuse tensions over North Korea.

His comments followed Washington's demand of an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off, on Wednesday.

However, Putin said whipping up military hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive, adding Pyongyang considered ending its nuclear and missile programmes as suicidal.

'It's impossible to scare them,' Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok.



'We are telling them we will not impose sanctions, which means you will live better, you will have more good and tasty food on the table, you will dress better, but the next step, they think, is an invitation to the cemetery. And they will never agree with this.'

Japan PM urges 'greatest possible pressure' on N. Korea Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged the world to 'unite and apply the greatest possible pressure on North Korea' to abandon its nuclear missile programme. 'The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea,' he said just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, which it described as a 'perfect success,' Abe said on Thursday on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok. 'We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner. 'North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world.' On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off. South Korea has also pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia has dismissed such a call, while China is also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier. Advertisement

Meanwhile, the EU is preparing to increase its own sanctions against North Korea, the bloc's diplomatic chief said, as part of international efforts to punish the rogue state for its latest nuclear test.

'I will put forward to ministers to work in the coming days to increase EU autonomous sanctions,' said Federica Mogherini as she arrived for a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn.

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe urged the international community to 'unite and apply the greatest possible pressure on North Korea' to abandon its nuclear missile programme.

'North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world,' said Shinzo.

His remarks were made on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok which is also being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea's Moon Jae-In.

South Korea has also pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia has dismissed such a call, while China is also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.

On Wednesday Pyongyang hosted a huge celebration for the scientists involved in carrying out its largest nuclear blast to date - even letting off fireworks.

Citizens of the capital lined the streets to wave pink and purple pom-poms while cheering a convoy of buses carrying the specialists into the city and tossing confetti over them as they walked into Kim Il-Sung Square.

'We offer the greatest honour to Comrade Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader who brought us the greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people,' read one banner in the plaza, where tens of thousands of people were gathered.

Another, which had a picture of a missile on a caterpillar-tracked transporter, proclaimed: 'No-one can stop us on our road to the future.'

Speakers at the rally said the North's military 'will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like US imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war', KCNA reported.

From second left to right, South Korea's President Moon Jae-in, Russia's President Vladimir Putin, Mongolia's President Khaltmaagiin Battulga and Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe at a plenary session titled 'The Russian Far East: Creating a New Reality' at the 2017 Eastern Economic Forum at Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island, Russia

Washington had demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off, but has since indicated it wants to defuse tensions

North Korea celebrates H-bomb blast Pyongyang hosted a huge celebration for the scientists involved in carrying out its largest nuclear blast to date, even letting off fireworks, on Wednesday. Citizens of the capital lined the streets to wave pink and purple pom-poms while cheering a convoy of buses carrying the specialists into the city and tossing confetti over them as they walked into Kim Il-Sung Square. 'We offer the greatest honour to Comrade Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader who brought us the greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people,' read one banner in the plaza, where tens of thousands of people were gathered. The blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North. The official Korean Central News Agency described it as a 'successful ICBM-ready H-bomb test'. Speakers at the rally said the North's military 'will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like US imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war', KCNA reported. Advertisement

Sunday's blast was the North's sixth nuclear detonation and by far its biggest to date.

The official Korean Central News Agency described it as a 'successful ICBM-ready H-bomb test'.

It triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North.

Hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.

Foreign governments have yet to confirm whether Sunday's blast was a full two-stage thermonuclear weapon, or an enhanced fission device.

Working out its size depends on factors including the magnitude of the earthquake generated, the depth at which it was buried, and the type of rock surrounding it.

Estimates vary from South Korea's 50 kilotons to Japan's 160. But all of them are far larger than the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

North Korea in July carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range.

Sunday's blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North.

On Thursday, Seoul and Washington deployed four more launchers in the South for the THAAD missile defence system, whose presence has infuriated Beijing.

The move was part of measures to defend the South from the North, Seoul's defence ministry said.
A 31-year-old man who engaged in sexually-explicit conversations online with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, was arrested in Parramatta on Thursday.

He was charged with online child exploitation offences as part of an ongoing investigation by detectives from the State Crime Commands Sex Crimes Squad.

He was expected to appear before a magistrate in court on Friday.

Strike Force Trawler officers initially made contact with the man, from the Hunter Region, in July.

Police alleged the man believed he was speaking to a young female and made arrangements to meet up with her.

The arrest was carried out about 10.20am on Church Street.

The man was carrying a backpack containing a mobile phone and a large knife which appeared to be wrapped in a bright coloured beach towel.

A 31-year-old man who engaged in sexually-explicit conversations online with who he thought was a 14-year-old girl, was arrested in Parramatta on Thursday

He was charged with online child exploitation offences as part of an ongoing investigation by detectives from the State Crime Commands Sex Crimes Squad

A search of the man's backpack revealed he was carrying a pair of sunglasses, a large knife and a torch

Photos of the bag's contents also revealed it contained a pair of Australian flag sunglasses and a torch.

He was hand cuffed and taken to Parramatta Police Station where he was detained and charged with use carriage service to procure persons under 16.

He was refused bail to appear at Parramatta Local Court today.

Strike Force Trawler officers initially made contact with the man, from the Hunter Region, in July

Police alleged the man believed he was speaking to a young female and made arrangements to meet up with her

The arrest was carried out about 10.20am on Church Street in Parramatta

Police said inquiries into the case were continuing.

Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children facilitated through the internet and related telecommunications devices.

Regular covert online investigations are conducted by the CEIU and police in NSW work closely with their law-enforcement colleagues interstate and overseas.

Strike Force Trawler is an ongoing investigation by the CEIU into the sexual abuse and exploitation of children
A furious Dick Smith has slammed the ABC for what he claims is a 'treasonous' attempt to shut down debate about population growth.

The entrepreneur was the subject of a segment on the panel show The Drum on Wednesday night which he claims was 'full of lies'.

Mr Smith says the program portrayed him as anti-immigration when he is in fact in favour of immigration, and Australia's national broadcaster is 'verging on being traitorous' by stifling discussion.

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A furious Dick Smith (pictured at the ABC asking to speak to someone about the segment)) has slammed the ABC for what he claims is a 'treasonous' attempt to shut down debate about population growth

At one point during the panel discussion Toby Ralph, a marketing strategist, suggested Mr Smith (pictured outside the ABC asking to speak to someone about the segment) was planning to donate money to One Nation

The entrepreneur was the subject of a segment on the panel show The Drum (pictured is presenter Julia Baird) on Wednesday night which he claims was 'full of lies'

At one point during the panel discussion Toby Ralph, a marketing strategist, suggested Mr Smith was planning to donate money to One Nation.

'I'm very concerned he's [Dick Smith] a guy who won't vote for a party [One Nation] he is about to give $2million to.'

Mr Smith said he will not be donating money to any political party, but will instead run an ad campaign to support any party with a population policy.

Later in the episode the same panellist said: 'It says on my ABC briefing right here that it is a stunt,' after another panelist said Mr Smith's comments accusing the ABC of bias were a publicity stunt.

Mr Smith (pictured) went to the ABC's offices in Sydney at 4:30pm on Thursday asking to speak to a producer, but says no one would come down to see him

Mr Smith (pictured) says the program portrayed him as anti-immigration when he is in fact in favour of immigration, and the national broadcaster is 'verging on traitors to Australia' by stifling discussion

Mr Smith says this shows participants on ABC discussion panels receive biased briefing notes from the national broadcaster and succumb to groupthink.

The outspoken businessman told Daily Mail Australia population growth is a taboo topic on the ABC, and after raising it on a panel he has never been invited back.

Mr Smith went to the ABC's offices in Sydney at 4:30pm on Thursday asking to speak to a producer, but says no one would come down to see him.

'I don't know if they are scared, they are so biased but I'm prepared to stand up to them,' he said.

'I don't know if they are scared, they are so biased but I'm prepared to stand up to them,' Mr Smith (pictured at the ABC on Thrusday) said

Mr Smith travelled to the ABC after being discussed on a segment of The Drum (pictured is panellist Alan Kirkland)

Mr Smith claims the panel was an example of ABC bias and accused the broadcaster of misreprenting him (pictured is panellist Mark Kenny)

The ABC segment began with a clip of Mr Smith speaking to Channel Nine with 'Anti-immigration Ad' in large capital letters.

Mr Smith says this is an example the of ABC's methods of distorting his views and shutting down free and open debate on the subject.

He says he has spoken to politicians who agree with his views on population growth but if they mention population 'the ABC will call them racist'.

'It's bad for democracy,' he said.

Mr Smith (pictured) says he has spoken to politicians who agree with his views on population growth but if they mention population 'the ABC will call them racist'

Mr Smith says his ad campaign (pictured) warns of uncontrolled population growth, and he would like to see Australia's population level off at about 30 million

'It's intentionally done to intimidate and stop people from talking about the issue as they should.'

Mr Smith says he is a fan of ABC shows like Utopia, it is his favourite channel, and he likes ABC radio, but TV news and current affairs programs are 'very biased'.

His manifesto for the Dick Smith Fair Go group calls for immigration numbers to return 'to the long-term average of 70,000 per annum (it is now 200,000) and increase our humanitarian program to 20,000 per annum (from an average of about 14,800 over the last 10 years).'

Mr Smith says this was the norm under the Paul Keating government, and wanting immigration capped at 70,000 does not make him anti-immigration.

Mr Smith (pictured, right, outside the ABC on Thursday) says he is a fan of ABC shows like Utopia, it is his favourite channel, and he likes ABC radio but TV news and current affairs programs are 'very biased'

Mr Smith (pictured) says he believes eight out of 10 Australians are in favour of a population policy, but their elected representatives refuse to deliver, partly because they fear being called racist by the ABC

He says his ad campaign warns of uncontrolled population growth, and he would like to see Australia's population level off at about 30 million.

The entrepreneur also took exception to what he called a 'distortion' of his plans to run an advertising campaign in marginal seats before the next election.

Mr Smith says he believes eight out of 10 Australians are in favour of a population policy, but their elected representatives refuse to deliver, partly because they fear being called racist by the ABC.

He pointed to a poll conducted during an appearance on Today Tonight where 99% of respondents supported his position.

'Normally politicians reflect what the public wants, but in this case politicians tell me they can't mention it because they will be crucified, especially by the ABC,' said Mr Smith (pictured, right, outside the ABC)

Mr Smith said he will not be donating money to One Nation (pictured is leader Pauline Hanson) as suggested on the panel

'Normally politicians reflect what the public wants, but in this case politicians tell me they can't mention it because they will be crucified, especially by the ABC,' he said.

An ABC spokesperson said: 'The Drum panellists are invited on to talk about a variety of topics, their opinions are their own and we dont control what they say.'

'The panellists last night  Georgina Downer from the Institute of Public Affairs,marketing strategist Toby Ralph, CHOICE CEO Alan Kirkland and Fairfax Media national affairs editor Mark Kenny  expressed a range of views on Dick Smith's campaign on population and other topics. Mr Smith's campaign on population was fully covered.'

'It was a Nine Network graphic that used the term "anti-immigration". The discussion around Mr Smith donating money to One Nation was based on Mr Smith's comments, which have been widely reported on.'

An ABC spokesperson said: 'The Drum panellists (pictured_ are invited on to talk about a variety of topics, their opinions are their own and we dont control what they say'

'The ABC did not distort Mr Smiths comments. There was no such briefing note. The claims by Mr Smith concerning ABC News are untrue and not supported by any evidence.'

'The ABC has no position on the issue of population growth, has no ban on reporting on this subject, and has issued no decrees or any other type of instruction to staff about reporting on this issue.'

'The ABC regularly reports on Mr Smith's views, including in long-form interviews, news stories and a documentary.'

'In 2010 the ABC aired an entire documentary plus related online content on this issue, called "Dick Smith's Population Puzzle".'
A transgender woman is selling her virginity to the highest bidder - if they pay 30,000 for her sex change surgery and boob job operation.

Lila Rose, 25, has told potential bidders that the sex 'will be mind blowing' if a buyer comes up with the cash.

The video blogger, from Shepherd's Bush, west London, needs 15,000 to pay for her operation, but also wants an extra 15,000 to buy a larger bottom and bigger breasts.

Ms Rose, who is originally from France, revealed she will be a 'new and fresh woman' after the operation - which she admits she cannot afford by herself.

Lila Rose (pictured) has said she is going to sell her virginity to the highest bidder - they just have to pay for her sex change surgery first

The 25-year-old has told potential bidders that the sex after the operation will be 'mind blowing'

Speaking to the Sun Online, she said: 'I have decided to put my virginity on sale to pay for my surgery.

'I will be a brand new and fresh woman and am willing to sell myself to the highest bidder.

'Whoever wins will pay for my surgery and then have sex with me after. I hope it will be good sex - it'll certainly be interesting.'

On her Twitter page, Ms Rose describes herself as a 'transgender girl who just try to be herself/beauty advice on YouTube'.

She added that she is 'very pretty' with 'babydoll looks' and said that the sex 'will be mind blowing'.

She always wanted to be a woman but only started wearing women's clothing and make-up when she moved to London in 2014.

Ms Rose (pictured) said that she always wanted to be a woman and started wearing women's clothes when she moved to London three years ago

Lila's breasts have already grown to a 34C after she started taking hormones in the last 12 months.

It comes after a desperate 18-year-old Ukranian student offered to sell her virginity in her local newspaper because she urgently needed 1,500.

The teenager named Yulia told the paper in Melitopol, south east Ukraine: 'Sooner or later I will have to say goodbye to it. So it is better to do it this way than at some drunken party.'

Her advertisement headed 'Virginity for Sale' appeared alongside notices seeking buyers for alarm clocks, antiques and businesses.
TV presenter Richard Hammond has been told to get on his bike after he was banned from jogging following his 120mph crash in the Swiss Alps.

The Grand Tour host fractured his knee when he veered off a mountain road in a Rimac Concept One sportscar in June.

He's has now revealed how doctors overseeing his recovery have told him not to run - and instead to ride a bike for exercise.

But the notorious petrolhead rejected the idea of getting about on two wheels, insisting he 'hates cyclists'.

Richard Hammond (pictured with wife Mindy at Tuesday's GQ Awards) has been banned from jogging as he recovers from injuries sustained in a high-speed crash

Hammond crashed a 2million Rimac Concept One sportscar in Switzerland in June

Hammond told the Daily Mirror: 'I can't run for 18 months and that's how I keep fit. I'm 47 - it's hard to keep the weight off so it will hit me hard if I can't run.

'They've told me I have to cycle - but I hate cyclists. We all hate cyclists.'

Explaining the running ban, Dr Sarah Brewer, a GP and Medical Director of Healthspan, told MailOnline: 'The most likely reason why someone would be banned from jogging after a road traffic accident is if they fractured a bone, especially if it was pinned into place with metalwork, or if they tore a ligament.

'It takes time for the body to heal, and jogging can disrupt this through mechanical stress on the bones and joints.'

The father-of-two suffered a fractured knee in the crash near St Gallen

It's a been a tricky summer for the former Top Gear team, with Jeremy Clarkson also being hospitalised with pneumonia.

Clarkson and James May feared Hammond had died when he flipped his 2million electric supercar near St Gallen.

Hammond thanked his doctors after getting back behind the wheel for the first time since the crash last month.

He has since posted two videos of himself driving cars to his three million followers on Twitter.
The Goodfellas and Taxi Driver star, who is planning to open a luxury resort on the Caribbean island, said he will work with the Barbuda Council to rebuild 'what nature has taken away from us'

Robert De Niro has promised to help rebuild Barbuda after it was devastated by the lethal Hurricane Irma.

The Goodfellas and Taxi Driver star, who is planning to open a luxury resort on the Caribbean island, said he will work with the Barbuda Council to rebuild 'what nature has taken away from us'.

It comes after Irma wreaked 'absolute devastation' on Barbuda, leaving it 'barely habitable' and destroying 90 per cent of homes on the island, according to officials.

But De Niro's Paradise Found Nobu Resort - which he is developing with the billionaire James Packer - is set to help with repairs, according to TMZ.

The island was a favourite of Princess Diana's, who particularly loved visiting the luxury K Club resort during holidays with William and Harry.

After her death, however, it became a sore subject for locals.

It was derelict for 12 years despite being based on a stunning stretch of white sand at Coco Point.

But in November 2014 plans for a 204 million mega-resort on the idyllic spot were unveiled by De Niro and Australian billionaire Packer.

In 2015, locals voted to support the plans and the project went ahead. Under Barbudan law, the island's land is owned in common by the people - giving them the right to decide.

The island was a favourite of Princess Diana's, who particularly loved visiting the luxury K Club resort during holidays with William and Harry

Princess Diana and her personal assistant Victoria Mendham on a Caribbean holiday in Barbuda. Robert De Niro's resort was developed on top of Diana's beloved K Club

At a press conference in Barbuda last year, Robert De Niro said: 'I have been coming to Antigua and Barbuda since I was in my early twenties. It's about the location and the people.'

Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, suffered 'absolute devastation' with more than 90 per cent of dwellings completely destroyed, a child killed and 60 per cent of the population left homeless.

'It is just a total devastation. Barbuda is literally rubble,' Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told ABS TV Radio in Antigua.

He added that the island, which is home to 1,800 people, was left 'barely habitable'.

'The entire housing stock was damaged... Some have lost whole roofs. Some properties have been totally demolished,' he said.

The majority of Barbuda's buildings were flattened when Hurricane Irma battered the tiny island with a population of 1,600 on Wednesday

Hurricane Irma destroyed 90 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda (above) when it made landfall early on Wednesday. The Caribbean island was reduced to rubble, according to its Prime Minister Gaston Browne

'We have estimated the rebuilding efforts to be no less than $150 million. That is conservative, because we're talking about rebuilding everything, all of the institutions, the infrastructure, the telecommunications, the roads... Even the hotels on the island, those are totally demolished, as well. It is terrible.'

Barbuda was the first land to be hit by 185mph Irma, with the storm destroying nearly all buildings on the island and killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape.

The hurricane has left at least 10 dead and thousands homeless amid a swathe of smashed buildings and uprooted trees, cutting a path of devastation across the Caribbean on a track that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.
A British family of seven claim they were left stranded in Spain after being conned out of 750 for holiday villa they booked on Facebook which did not exist.

Sheeba Gharda, 29, of Chelmsford, Essex, said she was searching for a last-minute holiday with her family when she came across an advert online.

The family decided to book a week long break at a holiday villa in Malaga and received confirmation from the owner, claiming to be called Christina Lori.

At the airport: Sheeba Gharda, pictured with her family, fell victim to an alleged holiday scam

Ms Gharda's mother-in-law Saieda, father-in-law Aftab and sons Aydin and Mouris on holiday

Ms Gharda's father-in-law allegedly made a payment of 750 three days before they were due to fly  but they could not find the property upon arriving at the address.

The family said they frantically tried to contact the owner but soon realised she had deactivated her Facebook account and then ignored their calls or emails.

Ms Gharda had to pay an additional 600 for another villa so she and her children Mouris, five, and Aydin, two, and four other relatives had somewhere to stay.

She said: 'When we turned up at the address and realisation sunk in we were all devastated, our family holiday was ruined.

'Originally we couldn't locate the address we had been given, and when we eventually did a different villa stood in its place.

Ms Gharda with her sons Mouris, five, and Aydin (left), two, and Ms Gharda's sister-in-law Yasmin with Ms Gharda's niece Laylaa and her sons Mouris and Aydin (right)

Ms Gharda, pictured with her two-year-old son Aydin, frantically tried to contact the owner

'I was in regular contact with the person I booked the villa through, Christina. We discussed the general details and everything seemed professional and above board.

'She even sent me a picture of the street next to the villa the day before we flew out, and there was a selection of images of the villa online.

'The person explained that normally a 500 deposit is required but as it was short notice, she requested the full payment to secure the booking.

'But when we realised it was a scam we were all devastated. We were stranded with three children in a foreign county - it was a nightmare.'

Ms Gharda saw an advert for the villa, 'El Caprichio', on a Facebook group and made a last minute booking on August 8 for a seven-night break starting on August 12.

A screen grab of the advert on Facebook for the villa in Marbella, Spain, from a 'Christina Lori'

The property was priced at up 950 per week and said to be about 40 minutes from the airport

She was accompanied by her father-in-law, Aftab, mother-in-law, Saieda, sister-in-law, Yasmin, niece, Laylaa, nine, and her two children.

Ms Gharda with her sons Mouris and Aydin

She added: 'Just under an hour before our flight Christina called to inform us that the cooker in the kitchen at the villa was faulty and presented a fire hazard which meant we wouldn't be able to check in until the following day.

'As we were about to fly she reluctantly agreed to book us a replacement accommodation and she provided me with a one-night booking for two rooms at a hostel in the centre of Malaga.

'However after arriving at the hostel we were told that there was a problem with the credit card she had used and they hadn't been able to secure the booking.

'It was around 4.30am and so we began to panic, the children were extremely uncomfortable and tired and we were very distressed.

'With nowhere else to go we decided that we would at least visit the villa that we had booked, we knew that there might not be any power but at least we could put the children to bed.

'We then spent several hours wondering around the area, following the satnav's directions, seeking information from local people living in the area only to find that no one could tell us exactly where the villa was.

Emails with the request for payment (left) and the booking confirmation that followed (right)

A rental agreement which contacts terms and conditions along with check in and out times

'We eventually found a villa that matched the address we were given. However, the pictures sent to us via Facebook did not match the architecture of this building.'

Ms Gharda with Mouris, five and Aydin, two

Hugely frustrated, and realising that they had been victims of a scam, the family found a restaurant on the marina at Puerto Cabopino for refuge.

Luckily, one of the waitresses was English and after noticing that the family were in distress offered a solution to their problem.

Ms Gharda said: 'She knew a woman who lived in the area and managed over 20 apartments for various owners.

'We were offered a two-bedroom apartment in Torrenova with a shared pool that was next to the beach.

'We agreed to visit the apartment and even thought it need a little refurb, we couldn't believe our luck and decided to take it for one night, which cost us 160 (147).

'At this point we doubted whether our original villa even existed but agreed to give it until the following morning until we called Christina again.

'We waited until after midday, but we still had no response from Christina and so decided to book the apartment where we had stayed the night before for the remainder of the holiday.

Ms Gharda's mother-in-law Saieda, father-in-law Aftab and sons Aydin and Mouris on holiday

'It cost us an additional 660 euros, but after everything we had been through we were just grateful for a place to stay.

Ms Gharda's mother-in-law Saieda with her niece Laylaa and her sons Mouris and Aydin

'On the Tuesday, I went with my father-in-law to the Villa El Caprichio to find out who was living there.

'We found that it was a Spanish family from Madrid who owned the villa as their holiday home, they were shocked and appalled to hear that the location was being used as part of a scam.'

Ms Gharda accompanied the family to Marbella Police Station where they reported what had happened.

Since returning home, Ms Gharda has also submitted full details to ActionFraud in the hope that they will be able to stop other families from falling victim to the scam.

She added: 'After posting about it online I discovered a number of families in Essex and Surrey that had also been victims to Christina's scam.

'But it's been really frustrating as nothing seems to have been done so far, and of course we haven't been given a refund.

'So far we haven't received any help from the police, I understand that this is a common occurrence and that the police are very busy, but we can't let people like Christina get away with this.

'After hearing our story people have been really supportive, and a kind lady called Paula Brown who deals with scammers has been a huge help, we are so grateful for her support.

'I know that Christina Lori may not be her real name, but hopefully by sharing our story others will be more vigilant when booking holidays online, hopefully no one else will fall victim to her scams.'

An ActionFraud spokesman has been contacted for comment by MailOnline, while the Facebook account under the name of Christina Lori has also been contacted.

** Suffered a holiday scam? Please email: mark.duell@mailonline.co.uk **
The extraordinary level of destruction on the British Virgin Islands in the wake of Hurricane Irma has been documented by residents who stayed put as their homes were battered.

In one video - thought to be of the the east side of the island of Tortola - flattened buildings and piles of debris can be seen in every direction.

Nothing appears to have been spared on the island - with homes, trees and cars all damaged by the category 5 mega storm.

The video was also mentioned by Sam Branson, son of Virgin billionaire Richard, who is currently in the British Virgin Islands.

Desolation: One of the videos shows a blanket of debris on the island of Tortola. Right: A car left wrecked by the devastating hurricane

Destruction: A building can be seen with its roof almost completely torn off after the British Virgin Islands was battered by Hurricane Irma

Tortola - the largest of the British Virgin Islands - was directly in the path of Hurricane Irma. It remains to be seen how much damage Hurricane Jose, which is following Irma, will unleash on the territory

Catastrophe: In Everton Powell's 'traumatic' video, the remnants of houses can be seen lying next to uprooted trees in the streets of Tortola

Uprooted: Trees have been enormously damaged in the monster storm. The above picture appears to show a bar on the island of Jost Van Dyke that has been devastated

Boats piled up as the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over Tortola in British Virgin Islands on Wednesday

The full force of the hurricane has been unleashed on the British overseas territory. But some islanders have criticized the government's response

He branded the footage 'traumatic' and reported that one person has died on Tortola while 'most buildings' were 'completely destroyed'.

The obliteration of the UK overseas territory was 'beyond tragic', he wrote, adding: 'My deepest wishes go to all those affected.'

On the Facebook page 'BVI Abroad - Hurricane Irma', residents have been posting desperate appeals for the whereabouts of loved ones and pointing out videos of the catastrophe.

In a 'heart wrenching' video uploaded by a woman left 'at a loss for words', buildings are shown torn up in Road Town, Tortola while trees and debris - including even boats - are strewn across the streets.

One poster, Nicola Rawlings, has asked that 'nervous, worried energy' be turned into 'something positive' for the British Virgin Islands.

She suggested people living off the islands could host an event to raise money for the territory, adding: 'It will help spread word of the devastation before the world moves on to the next problem'.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said the eye of Hurricane Irma passed over the British Virgin Islands with wind gust of up to 110 mph to the west at Buck Island in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Significant damage has been reported with critical facilities, homes, businesses and supermarkets destroyed.

Among the people hunkered down was Richard Branson, the head of the Virgin Group, whose home on Necker Island was destroyed.

His son Sam took to Instagram to tell his followers that his father and his staff were 'OK' - but stressed there had been 'lots of damage' to Necker and said one person was dead on the island of Tortola.

He wrote: 'No cell, power of wifi coverage in VG [The British Virgin Islands]', adding that the islands' capital Road Town is 'flooded with many roofs ripped off'.

US president Donald Trump has declared a state of emergency in the US Virgin Islands.

'Privilege': Branson said his whole staff slept together in two rooms, but the Virgin boss was happy to weather 'possibly the strongest storm ever' with a 'great group of young people'

It comes amid criticism of the government's response to the carnage unleashed on British overseas territories in the Caribbean.

Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, told BBC Radio 4 earlier today that the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking'.

She said Anguilla is 'utterly devastated' and has been left 'in absolute pieces'.

Gumbs-Connor explained: 'We are very familiar with hurricanes, but this particular one, Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength. It has certainly cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces.'

She added: 'Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital. Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position.

'When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation.'

Discussing the British response, she said: 'While we understand that these things take time, I personally am very disappointed. We are supposed to be the same status as Gibraltar or the Falkland Island.

'Im am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.'

Commenting on the Hurricane yesterday, international development secretary Priti Patel said Britain has taken 'swift action' to respond to the crisis.

She added: 'We have deployed three UK aid humanitarian experts to the region to help coordinate the response, and positioned a British naval ship with 40 Royal Marines, Army Engineers, and vehicles, tents and facilities to purify water on board.

'Our staff are on standby, both in the UK and at post, to support any British people affected. We urge British Nationals in the affected area to closely monitor and follow Foreign Office and local travel advice.'

The director of the BVI London Office, Benito Wheatley, said the full extent of the damage to the islands remains unknown but said they have been 'severely impacted'.

He added: 'At present most communications remain down, including mobile phone service and internet access.

For the time being, this will make it difficult for those trying to reach the territory in order to connect with family and friends.'

Mr Wheatley also said he spoke with Premier Orlando Smith, who explained the Government has begun to undertake relief efforts and a clean-up operation.
A student who received a staggering 850,000 instead of her usual 85 monthly grant, was today forced to flee an outraged mob that disrupted a press conference she was holding to 'explain herself'.

Sibongile Mani, 27, managed to spend 50,000 on clothes, drink and expensive hairdressers appointments, and is now facing arrest and being charged with theft.

Today, she was mobbed by fellow students at Walter Sisulu University in Mthatha, Eastern Cape jeering at her, shouting 'pay back the money' and 'we want the money'.

Scroll down for video

Anger: Sibongile Mani, 27, was mobbed by fellow students at at Walter Sisulu University, Mthatha, Eastern Cape as she was explaining how she justified spending the money

The angry crowd chased out of the building and had to flee between cars and find safety in a police station.

Last night she was in hiding and awaiting official arrest. If she is convicted of such a large scale theft, legal sources say she will almost certainly be sent to jail and made to repay it.

Mani, who was on benefits to allow her to study, was said to have undergone a Cinderella like transformation overnight after the cash blunder.

She gets 85 (1,400 Rand) each month put into her bank account in food and book allowances.

But instead the company that administers the financial aid allowances at the university called Intellimali fouled up and sent 850,000 (14million Rand) in cash to the hard up student.

Caught: The accountancy student had gone from 'run-of-the-mill' to leading a lavish lifestyle, after accidentally receiving a grant of 850,000 instead of 85

Mob: Fellow students followed her out of the building, jeering at her, shouting 'pay back the money' and 'we want the money'.

Mob: Fellow students followed her out of the building, jeering at her, shouting 'pay back the money' and 'we want the money'.

At risk: Ms Mani is now facing jail for theft after spending 50,000 of the money

Eyebrows were raised initially when her neat corn-row hairstyle was replaced with 180-a-time Peruvian weaves and she began wearing designer outfits and bought a brand new iPhone 7.

She began flashing the cash kitting out her closest friends with new outfits and drinking 50-a-time bottles of whisky and jetting herself and her pals round the country to wild parties.

Suspicions grew when a till receipt from a local SPAR shop was leaked showing that she he had more than 800,000 in her account and her wild spending became more lavish and talked about.

She was finally outed by Samkelo Mqhayi, deputy branch secretary of the South African Students Congress (SASCO), who reported her to the National Students' Financial Aids Scheme.

Sibongile Mani, 27, poses with a new bag on her arm after receiving the bonus funds

He told Herald Live: 'She threw surprise birthday parties for her friends and showered them with expensive gifts and flew them to events where she bought the best seats.

'When the SPAR receipt was leaked showing a balance of R13.6-million in her account I called NSFAS and they checked their records and confirmed that the initial amount was R14-million'.

By the time they reigned her in after her two-and-a-half-month spending spree they discovered she had been blowing 666 a day which is a staggering amount in South Africa.

The total missing from the account is 50,000.

A fellow student said: 'She went from a hard up, humdrum run-of-the-mill student to one who was leading a lavish lifestyle and seemed to have no bottom to her purse and lived the high life.

'She became very glamorous in beautiful dresses with all the accessories and we thought she must have won the Lottery.

'She must have thought she had won it too when she got that cash.'

SASCO branch chairman Zolile Zamisa told Herald Live: 'We are shocked. Not so long ago we were protesting for thousands of students who were left without funding due to fund shortages.

'Yet she was living a lavish lifestyle hosting birthday parties for her friends at up-market champagne clubs and other expensive hangouts. This cannot be allowed to happen again'.

Student leader Sibongile who is at the Walter Sisulu University (pictured in artist's impression) in Mthatha, Eastern Cape, South Africa, is meant to get 85 each month put into her bank account in food and book allowances

In a Facebook post Miss Mani claimed she had reported the error to the authorities.

She said: 'Today my personal life has become a social media scandal. I have been named and shamed in public.

'Today, I am a bad person, a person who stole the money of students.

'With that being said, and being named a thief, but as we all know in every story there is truth and there are lies with the very same story'.

She said she was not denying anything but would tell her side later but she has fled the campus and gone into hiding and shut down her Facebook page.

Miss Mani told the Daily Daily Dispatch: 'It is very clear that I didn't make the error.'

Walter Sisulu University spokeswoman Yonela Tukwayo said the payment did not affect other students saying: 'All students who were due to receive NSFAS payments got them.

'She will have to repay the money'.

Intellimali chief executive Michael Ansell said: 'Legal action will be taken against the student. A forensic investigator had been appointed.'

The university has 30,500 students of whom 18,000 are funded by the NSFAS who are meant to spend their monthly grants on food and books.

Legal experts have said Miss Mani could face a charge of theft.
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These dramatic aerial pictures show scenes of devastation on a Caribbean island after it was ravaged by the most powerful hurricane the Atlantic has ever seen.

Astonishing images show the scale of the destruction on the island of St. Martin in the aftermath of a direct hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma.

Video, shot from a Dutch Defense Ministry navy helicopter sent to assess damage Wednesday evening, shows seafront hotels - a mainstay of the Caribbean island's economy - with their roofs badly damaged, palm trees stripped of fronds and poolside terraces covered in sand.

Streets were largely deserted and littered with debris. At a port area, shipping containers were strewn like children's building blocks. Elsewhere, yachts were shown jumbled together in a small harbor, some overturned or dumped, upside down, onto the shore.

Dramatic aerial pictures show scenes of devastation on a Caribbean island after it was ravaged by the most powerful hurricane the Atlantic has ever seen. At a port area, shipping containers were strewn like children's building blocks (pictured)

Astonishing images show the scale of the destruction on the island of St. Maarten in the aftermath of a direct hit by Category 5 Hurricane Irma

Video, shot from a Dutch Defense Ministry navy helicopter sent to assess damage Wednesday evening, shows seafront hotels - a mainstay of the Caribbean island's economy - with their roofs badly damaged, palm trees stripped of fronds and poolside terraces covered in sand

Hurricane Irma has caused "enormous damage" to the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin, the Dutch Royal Navy said on Thursday. The navy, which has two ships stationed off the coast of the island, tweeted images gathered by helicopter showing damaged houses, hotels and boats.

Dutch Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk said he briefly had contact with Saint Martin's prime minister but communications are sporadic. He said nine patients at a hospital in the country had been evacuated by Dutch military helicopter.

Irma has caused 'huge damage' to St Martin, devastating its airport and port and leaving the Dutch part of the Caribbean island unreachable, Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said.

'Alas, the island is not reachable at this point because of the huge damage to the airport and the harbour,' Rutte told reporters, though he added there were no reports of deaths on the Dutch side so far. French authorities say at least nine lives have been lost on the French side.

The island's airport, Princess Juliana, also was hit hard, with what appeared to be sand washed up to parts of the main terminal and the building's roof extensively damaged.

No aircraft were visible on the tarmac. The airport is famous around the world because its runway ends very close to a beach, where tourists can stand and watch landing aircraft skim low overhead.

Even shipping containers were thrown around like Lego bricks as the wind battered the coastline of St Martin on Wednesday

Entire communities were laid to waste as the wind levelled homes and businesses in St Martin yesterday

Massive waves continued to crash into the coastline of the Dutch side of St Martin last night in the aftermath of the storm

Boats were tossed onto the shoreline at upmarket marinas on the island while sea fronts were also destroyed by Irma's power

The island's airport was ravaged by the powerful winds with aerial pictures showing how infrastructure had been damaged

Vehicles were overturned, boats driven on to shore and buildings destroyed as Irma smacked into St Martin yesterday

The aerial pictures were taken from a Dutch Navy aircraft as it surveyed the damage in the aftermath of the onslaught

Marinas were destroyed as yachts piled up on the shoreline during the hurricane as it swept across St Martin yesterday

Huge rocks smashed into planes, and boarding walkways were slammed to the ground by the downpour of rain and gusts of wind, which also brought mounds of sand on to the runway.

Inside the airport, the check-in lounge was flooded and walkways were damaged by the storm.

Parts of the building broke off during the storm and were seen lying on the runway after the storm passed.

Photos of the damage were documented by a hurricane rescue team, who went in after the storm passed.

St Martin ('Sint Maarten' in Dutch), located south of the island of Anguilla, is divided between the Netherlands and France.

Overhead shows showed the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten, the Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Carribean

Sand was blown up on the runway of the island's airport after huge waves crashed into St Martin on Wednesday

The roofs of properties were torn off amid 185mph winds on Wednesday with cars thrown together and debris strewn across the street

Luxury yachts were destroyed and sunk as huge waves battered the coast of St Martin overnight

Wooden structures were obliterated by ferocious winds that battered St Martin on Wednesday

Inside the airport, which lies on the Dutch side of Saint Martin island, the check-in lounge was flooded and walkways were damaged by the storm

Hurricane rescue teams evaluated the damage at Juliana Airport in St Martin after the storm passed on Wednesday

Huge rocks smashed into planes, and boarding walkways were slammed to the ground by the downpour of rain and gusts of wind, which also brought loads of sand on to the runway

This was the bizarre scene along the coast of Saint Martin after roofs were torn off houses and blown off in to the streets

Dramatic pictures have emerged on social media showing the scale of the flooding on the island St Martin in the immediate aftermath of the storm passing

Hurricane Irma has ripped through Caribbean islands on a path towards the US. A second hurricane, Jose, is developing in the Atlantic

The Dutch government is holding a crisis meeting about the damage to its part, St. Maarten. Its navy has two ships stationed off the coast of the Island.

Andre van der Kamp, commander of the Dutch ship Zeeland, tweeted that the Zeeland and Pelikaan would be trying to moor on Sint Maarten to deliver emergency aid on Thursday, but they needed to complete a safety check of the port first.

Meanwhile, French President Emmanuel Macron will go to the islands hit by Hurricane Irma as soon as weather conditions permit, after authorities announced at least eight people died on Saint-Martin.

Macron's office said Thursday that the president will travel to France's Caribbean territories 'as soon as possible' once immediate rescue operations are complete.

The president of the territorial council, Daniel Gibbs, said on Radio Caraibes International that Saint-Martin is '95 percent destroyed.'

Damages and casualties were also reported on the nearby French island of Saint-Barthelemy.
A judge has ruled it is not in the public interest to prosecute a child porn hoarder for taking pictures of his female colleague's bottoms at work.

Paul David Stuckey, 27, admitted six child porn charges after police officers found 296 indecent images of children on his computer - including six of the most serious nature.

But when he appeared at Chester Crown Court yesterday he denied outraging public decency by 'taking numerous photographs and videos of females' bottoms for the purpose of sexual gratification'.

Judge Roger Dutton agreed with prosecutors that it was 'not in the public interest' to pursue the 'bottom pictures' charge and said it should lie on file.

Paul David Stuckey, 27, (pictured) admitted six child porn charges at Chester Crown Court but pleaded not guilty to outraging public decency by photographing his female colleague's bottoms at work

Judge Roger Dutton (pictured) agreed with prosecutors it was not in the public interest to charge Stuckey with the women's bottoms charges, saying they should lie on file. He also ruled on the Gayle Newland case

Judge Dutton ruled over Gayle Newland case where she duped a female partner into having sex with her by using a fake penis.

Despite not wishing to prosecute, he did take issue with Stuckey's claim his motive for taking pictures of his colleagues was not sexual.

He asked his defence solicitor Chris Hunt: 'You're saying he had a legitimate anatomical interest in women's bottoms?'

Mr Hunt argued that taking pictures of people in public who are 'not engaged in a private act' is not a criminal offence.

Stuckey, of Ellesmere Port, Cheshire took the photos of the woman's bottoms between June 2014 and February this year before police got hold of his computer.

Gina Martin (pictured right) launched a petition to get 'upskirting' included in the Sexual Offences Act after she became a victim to it at British Summer Time Festival

But Mr Hunt maintained he was not acting against law, referring to the case of journalist Gina Martin who is campaigning to make taking pictures up women's skirts a sexual offence  a step beyond his client's actions at work.

The 25-year-old launched a petition that has gathered nearly 65,000 signatures in her bid to get 'upskirting' covered by the Sexual Offences Act 2003.

She launched her social media fight after she was 'upskirted' by two men at British Summer Time Festival in London's Hyde Park.

Currently such offences are only classified as outraging public decency and do not carry the same hefty sentences as sexual crimes.

Sentences handed out by Judge Roger Dutton for sex crimes Judge Roger Dutton gave Gayle Newland an eight-year sentence in November, which is longer than the terms he gave to people who sexually abused children in the past. He once handed a teacher who abused 24 boys aged between eight and 13 to just six and a half years in prison. In 2010, the judge jailed Michael Farrell for four years and eight months after he had sex with four 13-year-old girls - one became pregnant, suffered a miscarriage and then attempted suicide. And in 2014, he locked up a former French teacher who was accused of abusing 24 boys in the 1970s to only six years and nine months in prison. Keith Cavendish-Coulson, 71, preyed on boys aged between eight and 13 at a boarding school. Advertisement

The petition site reads: 'The existing offence is Outraging Public Decency - to commit an act of a lewd, obscene and disgusting nature, which is capable of outraging public decency, in a public place where at least two members of the public who were actually present at the time could have witnessed it.

'But we want the law to specify clearly that this is a sexual offence with a victim, by adding this offence to the Sexual Offences Act 2003.'

The law could be set to change after Secretary of State for Justice David Lidington noted the petition.

He told the Commons: 'I have taken very seriously the representations made by Gina Martin and from some of the police and crime commissioners.

'I have asked for detailed advice on this. Before proceeding to a commitment to new legislation, I want to be absolutely certain that this would be the right course to take.'

Ms Martin also recently revealed the Metropolitan Police have reopened her case, after dismissing it and saying there was 'not much we can could do'.

Stuckey was due to appear in court with his brother Steven, who was found with 453 child sex images, including 12 of the most serious category A nature, but he failed to show.

The court how they brothers downloaded the images when they shared a 'small room' in their house.

Paul Stuckey will be sentenced on September 29 after a pre-sentence report is prepared.
Convicted robber Kane Oye worked as a lettings manager for Haart estate agents before a homeowner stumbled upon his criminal past

A homeowner was left shocked after discovering an estate agent who came to value his property was a robber who took part in a 300,000 jewellery heist.

The landlord had called Haart estate agents in Harrow, north-west London, and allowed lettings worker Kane Oye into his home to determine how much the house could be rented for.

But the homeowner then lost Mr Oye's business card and, when he looked him up online, was shocked to discover Oye had recently been jailed for robbery.

It has since emerged that Oye failed to declare his previous conviction when applying for the job and is no longer working for the firm.

Oye was jailed for three years in 2014 following a raid on Bailey & Sons jewellers in Berkhamsted.

During the robbery in May that year, he and another man stole 300,000 of jewellery after using an axe to smash through the shop's displays and causing smoke to billow out of a security device.

Police arrested Oye three days later and later welcomed his jail term for the raid which caused terror in the Hertfordshire town's high street.

But, shortly after his release from jail, Oye landed a job as a 'lettings negotiator' with nationwide estate agency Haart.

Oye was jailed in 2014 for his part in a 300,000 heist on a jewellers in Berkhamsted

He got a job at Haart estate agents in nearby Harrow where bosses were unaware of his past

Despite a report of his sentencing appearing on a local newspaper website along with his police custody shot, he managed to hoodwink bosses over his past.

The homeowner who uncovered his identity told MailOnline: 'He didn't seem like the usual estate agent, he was very cocky and aggressive and confident. I also saw that he was wearing a Rolex, which most estate agents don't wear, and drove a Mercedes.

'He gave me his card, which I lost, but remembered his name so I thought if typed online it would come up. Then I saw he had been jailed for three years over a 300,000 robbery.

'How can a criminal ex prisoner this be allowed to go into people's homes? Especially after the crime he has committed.

'Haart estate agent is one of the biggest estate agencies in UK and they allow people like this to work for them? It's beyond a joke.'

Oye won a number of positive appraisals from tenants during his time at the firm, which still appear on the estates agent's website.

A spokesman for Haart said: 'We try very hard to vet all prospective employees and ask all of them to declare any previous convictions during the application process - Mr Oye was untruthful about his previous conviction.'
A secondary school has opened hotel-style gender neutral toilets which it says were designed to make them accessible to everyone.

The facilities, revealed to parents and the public on Twitter this week, have been installed at Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School in Cardiff, which has pupils aged 11 to 18.

A photograph of the toilets shows seven toilets inside cubicles and a sink in the centre, which has been designed in the style of a water fountain.

A photograph of the gender neutral toilets shows seven toilets inside cubicles and a sink in the centre, which has been designed in the style of a water fountain

The facilites have been installed at Bishop of Llandaff Church in Wales High School in Cardiff

In the tweet, the school wrote: 'Welcome to our new 'open plan' gender neutral toilet facilities in A block. These are in addition to existing boys/girls toilets...we intend to upgrade the boys/girls/staff facilities to same standard (remaining separate) over coming 12-18 months. Thanks for support.'

Head teacher Marc Belli said: 'We put gender neutral in our tweet but it's not meant to be a gender issue, it is for practical reasons.

'Our toilet facilities have not had any significant investment for a number of years. We decided for open plan facilities which is in line with virtually all new existing buildings for the positive reasons associated with this.

'The facilities were made specifically for us, with floor to ceiling doors, and we felt it more appropriate to say that each cubicle should be available to all as opposed to separating them by gender.'

The toilets have already sparked some criticism on social media.

Richard Morgan tweeted: 'Oh dear, oh dear. Whoever made the decision to install these toilets needs to be held accountable when the inevitable backlash starts.'

The new toilets have already sparked some criticism on social media. David Porter was concerned about the amount of money spent while Another user, called @_thatduck, said: 'Surely it would make more sense to make all the toilets gender neutral? Might avoid some social issues'

He later added: 'Are the teachers are specially (sic) trained and willing to give up their break times for the necessary supervision that is going to be required?'

David Porter tweeted: 'Is it me? There is a shortage of books, equipment, teachers...so spend the  on this. Why, why, why??? I thought better of @Bishop_Llandaff.'

Another user, called @_thatduck, said: 'Surely it would make more sense to make all the toilets gender neutral? Might avoid some social issues.

'Like you know people will be stigmatized for using the neutral toilet rather than the gendered toilets right?'

However, other people praised the new toilets.

Twitter user Eleanor said: 'Swish! Well done, nicer than when I was at school. And choice to use gender specific ones too. What's not to like?'

Kirstie Evans wrote: 'Brilliant such a practical use of space and time!'

Mr Belli said pupils had been told about the new facilities at assemblies.

'Boys and girls have already divided each side of the open-plan toilets. The boys have already gravitated to the left side of the corridor and girls to the right.

'This was as we anticipated as the original toilets were based in these areas but in an enclosed space.

'But we didn't want to create a situation where children would have to wait to use any specific section if there were cubicles free. If this is how the children use them this is fine as we are only concerned about students having access to high quality toilet facilities.'

Head teacher Marc Belli said: 'We put gender neutral in our tweet but it's not meant to be a gender or politcal issue, it is for practical reasons'

'The decision on this area was purely practical and not designed to be political.

'The primary aim is to ensure all students have access to the best possible facilities. For us, this has not been about gender.

'We have explained the rationale to all students in their assemblies this morning and the feedback from them and families to date has been excellent.

'The students appreciate the investment made on improving a key area of the school which impacts positively on their wellbeing and safety at school.

'Naturally, this helps each child thrive at school.'

Mr Belli said there are other toilets at the school which are gender specific. He declined to say how much the new toilets cost.

He said they hope to upgrade these to a similar standard in the next 12 to 18 months but that there are no plans to make these gender neutral.

The Department of Education has no specific requirements or policies when it comes to gender, and state that it is up to schools to decide what facilities they provide, including whether to provide unisex or gender neutral toilets.
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Stunning photographs show life inside one of the biggest electronics market in the world.

The Huaqiangbei market in Shenzhen is filled with small alleyways each filled with booths selling hi-tech equipment.

It's thought that for those wishing to create the latest tech, Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei Road is the place to go.

The Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei District in China which is decked with neon lights as far as the eye can see

After dark, the lights remain but the customers and workers disappear until the cycle starts the following morning

Bright lights: These stunning photographs shed a neon light on one of the biggest electronics market in the world

The cyberpunk-themed pictures of China's answer to Silicon Valley capture futuristic Blade Runner-like scenes

This photo taken on April 22, 2015 shows people selling goods at a shop in the Huaqiangbei electronics market

These stunning photographs show scenes from Shenzhen's Huaqiangbei market dubbed China's Silicon Valley.

The market is located on Huaqiangbei Road and is made up of smaller buildings and markets. The largest on the street is Yuanwang which houses some 3.2 million square feet of retail space. It's thought that over 100,000 people visit the site every day, according to engadget.

Southern metropolis: Shenzhen is located just across the border from Hong Kong and is known for its hi-tech goods

Impressive pictures: According to the photographer, a lot of the images were shot from hard to reach destinations

A busy shopping area: People walk along Huaqiangbei Commercial Street in the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen

Shopping heaven: The market is also the place to find cheaper versions of items such as GoPros and iPhones

Those wishing to get the best tech products can find hoverboards, and electric instruments to mobile phone parts.

It's also the place to find cheaper versions of items such as GoPros and iPhones.

Bright lights: These stunning photographs shed a neon light on one of the biggest electronics market in the world

Rows and rows of businesses operate inside the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen, China

London-based graphic designer Marcus Wendt, 34, said: "A lot of these were shot in difficult to access locations'

This photo taken on April 22, 2015 shows people selling goods at a shop in the Huaqiangbei electronics market in Shenzhen

While the market is often associated with copycats, it's also a place where entrepreneurs look to build the next big gadget

Richard Windsor, founder of independent research company Radio Free Mobile told the FT: 'It makes much cheaper cameras that are just as good and drones that are better.'

While the market is often associated with copycats, it's also a place where entrepreneurs look to build the next big gadget that will attract the attention of the globe's tech scene.

Electronic products as far as the eye can see: People can be seen fixing gadgets and selling products in one section

Major transformation: Shenzhen, once a fishing village is now the tech hub known as China's Silicon Valley

Shenzhen has drastically changed from a small fishing village to a giant southern metropolis dubbed Silicon Valley

Customers wander and people sell goods inside the electronics market in Shenzhen, China

According to Wired , the market is largely made up of 80s office towers and in most cases the first three storeys of the buildings are a shopping mall

London-based graphic designer Marcus Wendt,34, took the images and said: 'A lot of these were shot in difficult to access locations, for example semi-private car parks and back alleys.'

Shenzhen, once a fishing village is now the tech hub known as China's Silicon Valley.

According to Wired, the market is largely made up of 80s office towers and in most cases the first three storeys of the buildings are a shopping mall. While the ground floor is made up of hundreds of tiny booths crammed with semiconductors, capacitors, microchips and fuses.'
A Highland calf who was raised inside was rejected by his herd when he started acting like the household dogs he spent so much time with.

Cattle owners Adam and Emily Hopson looked after four-month-old calf James inside their farmhouse with their dogs near Asheville, North Carolina, for the first two weeks of his life after he was unable to drink his mother's milk.

But after James, who Mr and Mrs Hopson believe suffered brain damage at birth, tried to rejoin his herd, he was bullied or ignored by the rest of the cattle who 'knew he wasn't normal'.

Moo-ving in: This Highland calf who was raised inside was rejected by his herd when he started acting like the household dogs he spent so much time with

The young bull is now convinced he is part of the canine pack, and enjoys running around, licking his pals and being stroked.

But James is growing fast and will soon have to face reality.

Mrs Hopson, whose family have owned the farm since the 18th century, said: 'He tried to play with the dogs but he is getting so large that his headbutting, which was cute as a baby, was getting too rough for them.

'They won't play with him as much as they used to.'

Canine or bovine? Cattle owners Adam and Emily Hopson looked after four-month-old calf James inside their farmhouse with their dogs (pictured) near Asheville, North Carolina, for the first two weeks of his life after he was unable to drink his mother's milk

Misfit: After James (pictured left, and right with Mr Hopson), who his owners believe suffered brain damage at birth, tried to rejoin his herd, he was bullied or ignored by the rest of the cattle

Luckily for James, his owners realised he was becoming a misfit in both the canine and bovine worlds - so they bought some more orphaned calves to keep him company.

Mrs Hopson, 32, said: 'He was such a large baby we think he was brain damaged at birth from being oxygen deprived which is called dummy calf syndrome.

'His mother's nipples were huge and long and he didn't know how to nurse them.

'After hours of observing and trying to help him nurse to no avail, we finally brought him inside.'

Speaking about the calf, Mrs Hopson (left, with her husband, dog and James) said: 'He tried to play with the dogs but he is getting so large that his headbutting, which was cute as a baby, was getting too rough for them. 'They won't play with him as much as they used to'

James lived in the farmhouse for his first two weeks of life. Once he got too big the couple put him in a fenced in area in the backyard with their chickens.

Mrs Hopson said: 'Most of the other babies who had been raised by their mother wanted nothing to do with James because they knew he wasn't normal.

James has won over thousands of Instagram followers with his dressing up (here he is shown in his Ewok costume)

'They would either bully him or ignore him. So we bought two more orphan babies to keep him company. Since they are orphans they are the perfect buddies for James.

'We have moved them into a larger pasture with other cows but they all three hang out in their own little group and now the other calves think they are the cool crowd and want to join and hang out with them.'

She added: 'He is the sweetest creature. He loves to lick us and the dogs, and to just lay beside us and be scratched and petted.

'He gets a little rambunctious around feeding time and will buck you wanting food or nibble your hands, ears, or elbow trying to get milk.'

James has won over thousands of followers on the couple's business Instagram, Happy Hens and Highlands Farm, dressing up as an Ewok and a superhero as he runs around with his canine pals.
A father who shot his two-year-old daughter in the face with a sawn-off shotgun has been sentenced to four years in prison.

Gustav Otto Sanft, 26, was sentenced at the Auckland High Court on Thursday after being found guilty of his daughter Amokura Daniels-Sanft's manslaughter, according to the New Zealand Herald.

Amokura was shot in the face in the familys South Auckland home as they were moving house on June 2, 2016.

Gustav Otto Sanft was sentenced to four years four months in prison for shooting his daughter

Amokura Daniels-Sanft was shot in the face by her father while she was playing on a couch

She was playing on a couch before she was shot by her father just above her left eye at close range.

Her skull fractured in what was described as a significant and unsurvivable head wound.

Justice Geoffrey Venning sentenced Sanft to four years and four months in prison, guilty of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a pistol.

Sanft claimed he didnt realise the gun was loaded and that it exploded, but the judge disputed that claim.

He said Sanft was much more familiar with the weapon than he made out.

The gun was modified and faulty, but firearms expects found the trigger would still have to be pulled for the gun to fire.

Amokuras mother Julia Daniels said her daughters life was cut short at the hands of daddy, calling it an unforgettable day.

After police arrived at the scene, Sanft told Detective James Ralph that he didnt know the gun was loaded.

Sanft, 26, was found guilty of manslaughter and unlawful possession of a pistol

Ah f**k. The gun doesnt work. It never does,' he said.

The injuries to Amokura were described as catastrophic.

Senior Constable Jackie Fyfe was one of the first police officers to arrive at the scene, and gave harrowing testimony as to what she saw.

My job was to check if that child was alive I didnt know it was a little girl, I looked she wasnt moving and she didnt have half of her head.
Theresa May (pictured in Downing Street today) piled pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to distance himself from the regime in Venezuela today after she met the leader of a democratic revolt in No 10

Theresa May piled pressure on Jeremy Corbyn to distance himself from the regime in Venezuela today after she met the leader of a democratic revolt in No 10.

The Prime Minster held talks with National Assembly leader Julio Borges and Antonieta Lopez, the mother of imprisoned opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

Mr Borges is resisting efforts by President Nicolas Maduro to rewrite the constitution and sideline the parliament.

Venezuela has descended into violence that has left scores dead and Mr Corbyn has faced calls to denounce a leader he once held up as an example of socialist rule.

But despite the violence, close allies of the Labour leader are due to share a platform with Venezuela's ambassador to Britain at party conference in Brighton.

Rocio Maneiro is due to speak at an event on the fringes of the conference in Brighton that is scheduled to be chaired by Karen Lee, an aide to shadow chancellor John McDonnell.

Chris Williamson, a close ally of Mr Corbyn, is also on the speaking list.

After today's meeting, Mrs May said: 'We have been consistent in our condemnation of the actions of the Venezuelan government and in our unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution.

'Today's meeting is an unambiguous signal that the UK will continue to work with our international partners to put pressure on the authorities to decrease tension in Venezuela and prevent the country from being taken further away from democracy.'

Mrs May said she was 'deeply troubled' by the detention of political prisoners and highlighted the case of Mr Lopez.

The Premier added: 'I once again urge the Venezuelan government to ensure that human rights, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the integrity of democratic institutions are respected.'

Close allies of Jeremy Corbyn (pictured during PMQs yesterday) will share a platform with Venezuela's ambassador at the Labour Party Conference later this month

Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro (pictured last month) has attempted to re-write the constitution to side line the National Assembly

Venezuela has descended into a spiral of violence as the socialist government attempts to halt protests.

President Nicolas Maduro has attempted to re-write the constitution to side line the National Assembly.

Mr Corbyn has faced repeated calls to condemn the actions of the Venezuelan government, which he has in the past held up as an example of a successful left-wing administration.

Conservative MP Simon Clarke told MailOnline: 'It defies belief that Labour MPs are inviting the ambassador of a regime that has bankrupted its country and murdered scores of its people to their conference.

'Despite all the evidence, like his leader the likes of Chris Williamson can't hide their admiration for Maduro's dictatorship - it tells us all we need to know about how warped their moral compass is.'

Sir Vince Cable, the Liberal Democrat leader, told The Times the event underlined Labour's 'unhealthy obsession with supporting an authoritarian regime'.

The line up for the event on September 26 reveals Ms Manerio on the bill alongside Labour MPs Chris Williamson and Karen Lee

Karen Lee, an aide to shadow chancellor John McDonnell, and Chris Williamson are both due to speak at the event with the Venezuelan ambassador

In a Westminster Hall debate on Tuesday, Foreign Office minister Sir Alan Duncan said the UK had made its views very clear both to the Venezuelan government and to the Opposition: 'We condemned the violence earlier this year and called on all sides to resolve their differences through dialogue.'

He added: 'Far from doing nothing ... I'm now being personally criticised by the Venezuelan Government for having been critical of them.

'Now we believe strongly that the only solution to the crisis is for the Government to restart talks with the Opposition and we encourage them to do this without causing further suffering to ordinary Venezuelans.'
ISIS is said to be planning a new wave of attacks against Western targets in an attempt to boost morale following crushing defeats in Syria and Iraq.

An intelligence official has warned the terror group's leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi is said to be alive and plotting his next evil move.

After US-backed offensives in Mosul and Raqqa have seen Islamic State fighters all but wiped out, the expert warned a new generation of terror groups could emerge from the ashes.

In the meantime, al-Baghdadi is thought to be pulling together ideas for 'sophisticated attacks' on countries such as Britain as an EU chief warned ISIS was moving funds out of the Middle East and pumping cash into European operations.

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Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi - pictured here in 2014, the last time he was seen in public - is said to be alive and plotting his next evil move

Police officers walk in a line in Borough Market, London, where eight people were killed by ISIS militants in June

An Iraqi policeman stands guard outside a mosque during prayers marking the beginning of Eid al-Adha in Mosul, northern Iraq, as ISIS' stranglehold loosened on the city

With morale of ISIS militants at an all-time low, the attacks would give the evil group a boost, the head of Kurdish intelligence Lahur Talabany told the Telegraph.

He said: 'We are going to see a lot more attacks on the West that are designed to boost the morale of the fighters who have suffered heavy losses.

'They are trying to do attacks that will get them publicity.

'The more sophisticated attacks are being organised by the leadership around the al-Baghdadi camp.'

Mr Talabany believes the ISIS leader is hiding out in the desert somewhere near the border between Syria and Iraq.

At the group's height, there were said to be 500 British jihadis fighting with ISIS.

The majority have been killed, but there are fears some surviving terrorists could be picked to carry out the attacks in their home countries by al-Baghdadi.

France is still on high alert for terror after a string of Islamic-related incidents since the atrocities in Paris back in November 2015 as is Britain following the Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge attacks.

Wounded people are evacuated outside the scene of a hostage situation at the Bataclan theatre in Paris, France, November 14, 2015. 130 people were killed and hundreds injured in the terror attacks which targeted the Bataclan concert hall, the Stade de France national sports stadium, and several restaurants and bars in the French capital

People pay their respects on the end of London Bridge with flowers and post-it notes after the terror attack

Smoke rises after a tank shell hits a house in village of Al-Qasar during fighting between Iraqi soldiers and Islamic State fighters South-East of Mosul (file photo)

Civilians return to their village after it was liberated from Islamic State militants, south of Mosul, Iraq, last year

It comes as the EU's security chief Julian King warned of a 'real risk' of increased funding for attacks in Europe as ISIS loses ground in Iraq and Syria.

Islamic State has lost an estimated 90 percent of its territory in Iraq and 85 percent in Syria as a result of military campaigns, some of them backed by Western forces.

At one time, the group held around half of Syria, much of it uninhabited desert, but today it controls just 15 percent, according to Syria specialist Mr King.

British diplomat Julian King told the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament: 'As we squeeze Daesh on the ground in Iraq and Syria, they're moving quite large amounts of funding out.

'We need to continue our efforts to try and stop that but there will be some funding that gets out. And we have to be conscious of that.

'That there could be a risk of new sources of funding for terrorism and we have to prepare for that and see what we need to do to strengthen measures to combat it.'

Last month, a UN report said that IS was continuing to send remittances abroad - often small sums, making them difficult to detect - as part of a bid to step up its international efforts 'as demonstrated by the higher pace of attacks in Europe.'

The report said funding sources were still based on oil profits and the imposition of taxes on local populations in the areas under its control.

However, it said the financial situation of the IS 'core continues to deteriorate,' mainly due to military pressure on the group.

In the last two or three years, EU member states have been hit by an increasing number of attacks claimed by IS which have taken place in Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany.
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Nuclear power bosses are ready to shut down the reactors of two plants which lie in the path of Hurricane Irma.

Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point and St. Lucie plants, which can supply power to almost two million homes, are under threat.

Spokesman Peter Robbins said: 'Based on the current track, we would expect severe weather in Florida starting Saturday, meaning we would potentially shut down before that point.'

Nuclear power bosses are ready to shut down the reactors of two plants which lie in the path of Hurricane Irma. Pictured: Turkey Point Nuclear Reactor

The company, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc, is watching the weather and would adjust any plans as necessary, Robbins said.

It can take more than 24 hours to shut down a reactor, so the decision will have to be made well in advance.

But bosses are confident the power plants can weather the 185mph storm, as they both have a track record of surviving hurricanes.

Turkey Point, on Biscayne Bay about 24 miles south of Miami, saw off a Category 5 strike from Hurricane Andrew in 1992, sustaining $90million of damage in the process.

St. Lucie on Hutchinson Island about 55 miles north of West Palm Beach, weathered Hurricanes Frances and Jeanne in 2005 and Wilma the year after.

Florida Power & Light's Turkey Point (pictured) and St Lucie plants, which supply power to more than a million homes, are under threat

The company, a subsidiary of NextEra Energy Inc, is watching the weather and would adjust any plans as necessary

Robbins said the plants were designed to withstand extreme natural events including hurricanes and serious floods. The reactors are encased in six feet of steel-reinforced concrete and sit 20 feet above sea level.

When nuclear reactors get shut down they have to be cooled. If they are not, as in the case of the Fukushima disaster in 2011 when a tsunami disabled emergency generators, there can be nuclear meltdowns, hydrogen-air explosions and the release of radioactive material. FPL says it has backup generators and extra fuel at the ready.

It comes after the mayor of Miami Beach last night urged tourists and residents to 'get out' of the area as the devastating Hurricane Irma heads for Florida.

Mayor Philip Levine called Irma a 'nuclear hurricane' and stressed that anyone left on the beach after last night's mandatory evacuation 'must leave'.

Florida Governor Rick Scott ordered the emergency evacuation of Miami's coastal zones as the monster storm approaches the United States mainland.

'This storm will envelope us whether it is off shore or on shore. It won't make a difference,' Mayor Levine told CBS4.

He added: 'I'll do anything in my power to convince [people] this is a very serious storm. This is a nuclear hurricane. They should leave the beach, they must leave the beach.'

Florida Governor Rick Scott has ordered the emergency evacuation of Miami's coastal zones as Hurricane Irma approaches the United States mainland. Pictured is traffic out of Florida creeping along northbound Interstate 75 after a vehicle accident in Lake Park, Georgia

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for all of zone A and the zone B barrier islands in Miami-Dade County. Traffic is seen heading North along the Florida turnpike leaving the Keys

Hurricane Irma, a record Category 5 storm, is seen approaching Puerto Rico in this NOAA National Weather Service National Hurricane Center satellite image. It is expected to hit Florida Thursday or Friday

A map shows the projection that Hurricane Irma is expected to take over the next few days

Two men pull a jet ski out of the water on Wednesday in Miami in anticipation of Hurricane Irma hitting the coast

A woman walks past empty shelves of water at a target in Florida. People flocked to grocery stores to stock-pile on necessities like water and canned goods in anticipation of the hurricane hitting the mainland United States

This Aug. 25, 1992 file photo shows the water tower, a landmark in Florida City, still standing over the ruins of the Florida coastal community that was hit by the force of Hurricane Andrew, which was previously the worst storm to ever hit Florida

Mandatory evacuation orders were issued for all of zone A and the zone B barrier islands in Miami-Dade County.

This is the first evacuation in 12 years and saw 100,000 residents of mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas ordered to leave the city starting 9am on Thursday.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said they are taking such strong caution because Irma is looking to be a stronger storm than Hurricane Andrew, which was the most destructive storm to ever hit the state.

'Let's all remember, we can rebuild your home, but we can't rebuild your life,' Scott said.

Those areas are considered to be particularly vulnerable to storm surge, according to the county's Mayor Carlos Giminez.

'Irma remains a strong Category five hurricane,' Giminez said in a news briefing. 'Significant weakening is not expected.'

Special needs residents in Miami have already started to be evacuated out of the city.

So far about 2,200 of those individuals have been evacuated, and that will continue until everyone is out, Giminez said.

Thursday morning's order applies to the county's zone A, which covers Key Biscane, and the coast-line along Southeast Miami-Dade and just north of Miami - but only to the barrier islands of zone B.

That includes Bal Harbour, Bay Harbour Islands, Golden Beach, Indian Creek Village, Miami Beach, North Bay Village, Sunny Isles Beach and Surfside.

Mainland areas of Zone B were not included, by Giminez said they could be told to evacuate in the near future, the Miami Herald reported.

Scheriff Scott Israel told the Herald that, though it is a mandatory evacuation, nobody will be arrested or forced to leave.

'We're not going to knock on doors. We're asking you to leave so you don't become a victim,' he explained.

This was the first evacuation in 12 years and saw 100,000 residents of mobile homes, barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas ordered to leave the city starting 9am on Thursday. Cars are pictured lining up for gas before heading out of the city

A woman walks out with water and necessities in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 in North Miami

Thursday morning's order applies to the county's Zone A, which covers Key Biscane, and the coast-line along Southeast Miami-Dade and just north of Miami - but only to the barrier islands of Zone B

Left motorists evacuate the Florida Keys ahead of the storm, and right a business in Miami prepares for the hurricane to hit by putting storm shutters on its windows

Scheriff Scott Israel told the Herald that, though it is a mandatory evacuation, nobody will be arrested or forced to leave

Further south in the Florida Keys mandatory evacuations have already begun.

Monroe County, which is made up of the Florida Keys, began requiring all visitors to leave on Wednesday. All residents have been ordered to leave on Thursday.

DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE ANDREW IN 1992 Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida, and the costliest to the United States until Katrina in 2005. The storm sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph and passed directly through Miami-Dade County. It stripped many homes of all but their foundations, and destroyed more than 63,500 homes. The storm cost a total of $26.5 billion in damages and left 65 people dead. Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. Pictured is the devastation it left Advertisement

All highway tolls were suspended throughout the state on Tuesday afternoon, and South Florida Schools have been preemptively closed Thursday and Friday.

There are some fears that Disney World will be forced to close if the storm heads to North Florida.

Stores throughout the state, which has been under a state of emergency since Monday, have already started running out of bottled water and other necessities and gas stations are struggling to keep up with the never ending lines of cars.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said during a press conference Wednesday morning that gas and more supplies are on the way, after stores and service stations across the state started reporting shortages.

He also said that the state is going to start the evacuations starting with the Keys, and move north depending on where the storm turns.

Scott announced in Miami that he's asked the governors of Alabama and Georgia to waive trucking regulations so tankers can get fuel into communities in need.

On Wednesday afternoon Amazon was accused of price gouging in the state - by selling bottles of water at nearly four times its normal cost to Floridians eager to stock up.

Because people have essentially cleaned out grocery stores of key necessities and supplies, some turned to the e-commerce site and were angered to see what they say is an attempt by Amazon to profit off an impending disaster.

'I'm in Tampa trying to buy water online because stores are out of water and this is crazy price gouging!' one Twitter user tweeted, attaching a photo of a 24-bottle case of Dasani water that sells online for $22.20.

Amazon was selling 24-packs of Aquafina water for $20, even though it usually sells for less than $6.

All highway tolls were suspended throughout the state on Tuesday afternoon, and South Florida Schools have been preemptively closed Thursday and Friday. Pictured a man fills up his car in Miami at a store where all of the windows are boarded up

The hurricane could potentially hit most of the US's southeast coast

Amazon is being accused of price gouging by selling bottles of water at nearly ten times its normal cost to Floridians eager to stock up in anticipation of Hurricane Irma. Shoppers are seen above waiting for a shipment of water Wednesday in Altamonte Springs, Florida

One Twitter user wondered aloud whether charging $21.95 for a gallon of distilled water constituted price gouging

This Twitter user based in Tampa wanted to buy a case of water that sold on Amazon for $22.20

Diana Moskovitz posted this screenshot of an Amazon page which offered expedited shipping of a case of water for $179.25

Another Twitter user, Diana Moskovitz, said that she looked into using Amazon Prime to ship more water to her family in South Florida.

'Check out the price they quoted me,' Moskovitz tweeted.

The photo attached to her tweet shows a screenshot of Amazon's page in which a 24-bottle case of Nestle water is sold for $18.48  which does not include an expedited shipping and handling charge of $179.25.

One possible explanation for the higher prices is an algorithm Amazon uses known as 'dynamic pricing.'

Similar to a practice employed by ride-sharing app Uber, Amazon uses an algorithm which automatically adjusts pricing based on demand.

Whenever demand for a certain product spikes, the price is bumped up as well, according to CBS Moneywatch.

Dynamic pricing is legal, though experts say that whenever it is noticed during times of crisis like a major storm or a terrorist attack, it inevitably leads to accusations of price gouging.

Amazon denied that it uses a 'surge pricing' or that its practices amount to gouging.

'We do not engage in surge pricing,' a spokesperson for the company said.

'Amazon prices do not fluctuate by region or delivery location. Prices on bottled water from Amazon, and third-party sellers that are doing their own fulfillment to customers, have not widely fluctuated in the last month.'

The Florida Attorney General's Office told the Miami Herald that even though Amazon is not based in Florida, it could be in danger of running afoul of state price gouging laws.

'If a business is selling an essential commodity to persons who are using it in Florida as a result of the emergency, the business may be subject to Florida's price gouging law,' the office said in a statement.

Leigh Dow says she saw this dramatic jump, but later said Delta assisted her after she vented about the price jump on Twitter

John Lyons was shocked to see the price of a ticket jump after he booked his daughter's flight for $800 less the day before

People also shared outrage on Wednesday after the price for flights out of Miami skyrocketed.

Airline customers took to social media after trying to book tickets for themselves and family members and finding astronomically high prices.

One woman, Leigh Dow, tweeted a screengrab of a Delta ticket price changing from $547.50 to $3,258.50.

Two hours later she tweeted she had spoke to Delta and they were able to assist her.

She took to the social media network to say: 'Delta reached out & helped tremendously. Note to travelers, always call airline directly if something doesn't look right.'

John Lyons, whose daughter goes to school at the University of Miami bought his daughter a ticket home to Boston at a reasonable rate on Monday evening at around $160.00, according to Yahoo.

But the next day when he went back to buy his daughter's roommate a ticket he saw that the price had been risen from $160 to $1,020.

'I logged in and expected to see $160, and frankly if I had seen $260 I wouldn't have reacted. And I logged in and saw, $1,020, and I about had a heart attack,' Lyons said.

Hurricane Irma is estimated to be one of the largest storms ever emanating from the Atlantic

Gas stations are empty has people prepare for Hurricane Irma on September 6, 2017 in Sunny Isles, Florida

Florida Governor Rick Scott speaks to the media about Hurricane Irma while flanked by Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL)

From left, Denise Cabrera, Veronica Vicente, Alejandra Sanchez and Carolina Rodriguez, prep for hurricane Irma and shop for non-perishable food in Gainesville, Fla

However, other companies stepped up to help those in Florida either to prepare their homes or to attempt to evacuate.

About 800 truckloads of supplies including water, flashlights, batteries, ready-to-eat foods and other supplies were dispatched from Walmart headquarters in Arkansas to Florida on Tuesday.

Home Depot's Rapid Response Team send truckloads of supplies from Atlanta to Florida Tuesday night.

A Target spokesman said Florida stores would be getting additional supplies ahead of the storm, expected to hit Florida as early as Sunday.

'We're providing stores with additional supplies that we know our guests need to stock up, including water, batteries, flashlights, toiletries, camping supplies, cleaning supplies and nonperishable food,'Target spokeswoman Jenna Reck said. 'We'll continue to push as many products to our stores as we safely can before the hurricane hits.'

Additionally, a number of airline companies have said they will cap the prices on their flights out of Florida and out of the Caribbean so that people don't have to chose between spending an outrageous amount of money and being safe.

On Wednesday, lines stretched at grocery stores, gas stations and home improvement stores as Floridians stocked up for the storm and readied their houses to face the gale-force winds.

Lines stretched around 50 cars deep at one gas station in Cooper City, which is southwest of Fort Lauderdale, by 5:30am Wednesday. The station had been out of fuel on Tuesday night, but received an overnight delivery.

Workers at a station in Doral, near Miami, put yellow caution tape around pumps Wednesday morning after running out of gasoline. Local news outlets reported both long lines and stations that had no gas across South Florida.

The Hurricane Center in Miami said hurricane-force winds extended 50 miles from Irma's center and tropical storm-force winds extended 175 miles.

President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate six southern islands.

Trump says his administration is closely watching Hurricane Irma.

People make Hurricane Irma preparations at a Winn Dixie store in South Florida on September 6, 2017 in Hallandale, Florida

Drivers wait in line for gasoline in Altamonte Springs, Fla., ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017
A luxury hotel owned by the parents of Pippa Middleton's husband James Matthews has been left in ruins after being ravaged by Hurricane Irma.

Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today strewn with rubble after a devastating encounter with the storm, which has left ten people dead.

The shocking photos were taken by Kevin Barrallon and posted online under the caption, 'St Barts after the passage of Irma'.

Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock'.

Eden Rock Hotel on St Barthelemy - a hotspot for celebrities including Tom Hanks, Jessica Alba and Jennifer Lopez - was pictured today in ruins after it was struck by Hurricane Irma

Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night and which is pictured before the devastation, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock'

David and Jane Matthews moved to St Barts in September 1995 after purchasing Eden Rock from local adventurer Remy de Haenen.

It quickly became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions.

Made in Chelsea star Spencer Matthews is also a fan of the resort, and has been seen visiting it with friends and girlfriends.

The hotel was the first to be built on St Barts, in 1950.

It quickly pulled in celebrities, and was visited in the 50s and 60s by guests including the Rothschild and Rockefeller families.

Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Eden Rock became one of the Middleton family's favourite holiday spots, with Pippa and James spotted relaxing there on numerous occasions. Pictured is David and James Matthews, left, and James with Pippa Middleton, right

Made in Chelsea star's Ollie Proudlock and Spencer Matthews at the Eden Rock hotel

Hurricane Irma, at category 5, is the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic and devastated the hotel, pictured

It left a trail of deadly devastation through the Caribbean when it struck on Wednesday

Barbuda and St Martin, next to St Barts, suffered the storm's full fury with roughly 95 per cent of properties destroyed on both islands.

Officials said at least ten people died on the French part of St Martin - a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife.

Speaking on French radio France Info, Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

Some 95 per cent of St Martin has been destroyed. 'It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed, I am in shock,' Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

Describing the scene at the hotel, where rooms start at 777 a night, one witness wrote on Twitter, 'all that's left is rock'
This is the moment nine people emerged from a lorry that had been stopped at a petrol station on suspicion of being used for people smuggling.

The driver of the HGV vehicle, which was carrying polystyrene crystal and had entered the UK from France, pulled over at the Shell petrol station in Bagshot Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, after being flagged down by a motorist who heard a noise inside the lorry.

Police climbed on top of the HGV and discovered the would-be immigrants, one of who was a 14-year-old boy, inside.

This is the moment nine people emerged from a lorry that had been stopped at a petrol station on suspicion of being used for people smuggling

Footage shows police officers climbing on top of the HGV and reaching inside before pulling out several men

The group was then arrested.

The lorry driver, a middle-aged Latvian man wearing a red t-shirt and brown shorts, was arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry by facilitation to the UK.

The 57-year-old has been released on bail pending further inquiries, the Home Office revealed today.

Speaking yesterday, Sergeant Andy Fordyce, of Thames Valley Police, said the men were 'totally cooperative' when they were caught as he and other officers waited for Border Force officials to arrive.

'There's a week-long operation on catching clandestines at the moment,' he said.

A total of ten people were arrested, including the driver, after the incident at the Shell petrol station in Bagshot Road, Bracknell, Berkshire, yesterday

Sergeant Andy Fordyce, of Thames Valley Police, said the men were 'totally cooperative' when they were caught as he and other officers waited for Border Force officials to arrive

'The operation is called Aident but this was just a coincidence. We got the call at 9.25am and officers got here shortly after that.

'A noise was heard by someone when the lorry was just up the road and they flagged him down. There were nine clandestines, they were from Afghanistan, the youngest was 14 and they were all males. They're in custody now.

'The lorry came from France but I don't know any more specific than that yet. I don't know where it was travelling to.'

Pictures show police on the roof of the lorry as they searched it and the officers found nine males with the youngest just 14-years-old in Bracknell, Berkshire

The lorry driver, a middle-aged Latvian man wearing a red t-shirt and brown shorts, was arrested on suspicion of assisting illegal entry by facilitation to the UK

A police officer speaks to the driver of the lorry after the nine migrants were arrested

Police officers were climbing on the Broekema Bulk lorry with torches to try to find the people hidden inside.

Micheal Quaife, who worked at a KFC next door to the petrol station where they were found, said: 'They pulled men out, it looked like about 10 of them.

'I don't know where it came from, it was parked in the petrol station then they were up on the top shining torches in and looking around.

'I was just opening up the tills and saw police and then they pulled people out.'

An officer inspects the top of the container lorry after the migrants were found inside

The lorry driver was pulled over by a Shell petrol station in Bracknell, Berkshire

A spokesman for Thames Valley Police said yesterday: 'We were called at 9.25am this morning to a report of noise coming from inside a lorry at a petrol station on Bagshot Road, Bracknell.

'Officers attended and found nine men inside suspected of illegally entering the country. They were seen by paramedics.

'They were then arrested and are currently in custody prior to being dealt with by the immigration service.'
The FBI have launched an investigation after an explosion at an Indiana post office that has left a pregnant woman injured and in hospital.

At least one bomb detonated at the building on 901 East Chicago Avenue at around 6pm Wednesday, injuring the woman, who had only just started working there.

'At this early stage in the investigation it has yet to be determined if this is an act of domestic or international terrorism, but at this time there is no ongoing public safety concern,' the FBI told the Chicago Sun-Times in a statement.

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The FBI is investigating an explosion at an East Chicago post office (pictured center, rear of image) that occurred at around 6pm Wednesday, injuring a pregnant worker

There were only two people in the post office, which is closed to the public. The woman's injuries are minor. The FBI says it's unclear whether this is international or domestic terrorism

The injured employee was transported to St Catherine Hospital in East Chicago; a friend told ABC 7 Chicago that she was pregnant and had only just started working there.

Details of the wounds she sustained were not released, but officials said that she had only minor injuries.

She and another employee were the only ones in the post office at the time of the explosion. It is closed to the public.

Officials on the scene confirmed that one pipe bomb was triggered, and told NBC Chicago that 'possibly two' devices had exploded.

It's believed that the bomb or bombs had been placed in a package prior to the detonation.

An explosive disposal agent is seen here being suited up; officials say there may have been two devices in the post office

Patricia Sims, a local, told ABC7: 'It's scary, 'cuz we're already going through it with lead and now we hear about the bomb.'

Sims was referring to ongoing concerns about lead in Chicago's drinking water.

The FBI were joined on scene by the ATF, fire fighters and local police specialists.

A bomb disposal robot from the Porter County bomb squad was dispatched, as were at least two K-9 units from the Lake County Sheriff's Department.

A roadway near the post office was blocked off as authorities investigated.
Chinese-Australian campaigners against gay marriage claim people will lose their jobs and businesses sued if the 'yes' case for redefining matrimony succeeds.

Sydney doctor Pansy Lai is behind a pamphlet from the Australian Chinese for Families Association arguing in favour of keeping marriage between a man and a woman.

So far, more than 10,000 flyers have circulated throughout Australia's Chinese-speaking community.

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Dr Pansy Lai, a 'no' case campaigner' is behind a Chinese language flyer against gay marriage

They were posted out before the High Court on Thursday unanimously dismissed two legal challenges against the Turnbull Government's $122 million postal vote on same-sex marriage.

The six-page Chinese-language pamphlet warns of 'real consequences' if gay marriage is legalised.

'Redefining marriage will leave our society bearing severe consequences,' it says.

It also warns of people losing their jobs in the public service or a major company if marriage if redefined.

The Australian Chinese for Families Association has distributed 10,000 flyers against change

'In countries where same sex marriage is legalised, employees could be fired by the government and big corporations after they expressed their personal belief that marriage is only between a man and a woman,' it said.

The pamphlet also warns of businesses being sued, following legal suits in the United States against shops that refused to bake a cake for a same-sex wedding.

'Small businesses will be hit with lawsuits and struggle if they choose not to cater to same-sex weddings because of their personal religion,' it said.

The flyer also makes an emotive appeal to Chinese families to think about 'future generations'.

'It will change the foundation of human society for thousands of years,' it reads.

Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich regrets GetUp! campaign against Dr Lai

Left-wing activist group GetUp! this week launched a petition to have Dr Lai struck off the medical register for appearing in a 'No' case ad on behalf of the Coalition for Marriage.

However, it has withdrawn that petition following a public outcry.

Australian Marriage Equality convener Alex Greenwich said Dr Lai should not have been targeted for appearing in a television campaign ad.

'Well let me make this very clear: Dr Lai should certainly not be struck off the register for appearing in an ad,' he told the ABC's 7.30 program.

Mr Greenwich, who is also an independent MP in New South Wales, had launched a failed legal challenge to the Turnbull Government's million postal vote.

With ballots to be posted out to Australian voters from September 12, Dr Lai accused 'yes' case campaigners of trying to silence people like her opposed to gay marriage.

Chinese 'no' case campaigners fear people being sacked for opposing gay marriages

'It seems to me that some of the same-sex activists tried very hard to stop people from having a say on marriage,' she told SBS.

'Many in the Chinese community have told me that they are very alarmed by what happened to me,' says Dr Lai. 'And they are fearful of what it means if the law changes.'

'They can see that there are indeed people determined to silence those who hold traditional family values.'

The Chinese community's 'no' case against gay marriage points out how the Rudd Labor government in 2008 changed 85 laws to give same-sex couples equal rights in areas like superannuation, death benefits and aged care.

'Supporters of same-sex marriage choose to term it as 'marriage equality' to make same-sex couple looks like victims, but in fact they are not,' their pamphlet said.

A result on the gay marriage postal vote is expected to be announced by November 15.
Video footage has captured the rare sight of endangered leopard cubs waiting in a cave for their mother to return.

The video footage was taken on September 3 in Shiqu, China's Sichuan province, reports the People's Daily Online.

They were found in a nature reserve where its thought that around 30 of the animals live.

Video footage has captured the rare sight of endangered leopard cubs waiting in a cave

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep

The footage shows the litter of three snow leopards inside the cave in southwest China.

One of the cubs can be seen growling at the camera.

A villager found the cubs after spotting a dead bharal, known as a Himalayan Blue Sheep. It's thought that the cubs are around three to four months old.

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the area

Found in cave: The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve

A forest ranger was dispatched to film the leopards in the afternoon and monitor the surrounding areas for the mother leopard, reports Xinhua.

The area the leopards were found in belong to a nature reserve. The animals have only been caught on camera 20 times since 2013.

According to local herders, around 30 snow leopards are thought to be living in the mountains.

Snow leopards are a Class A protected animal in China and are classed as 'endangered' by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. They have been spotted in China's Gansu, Qinghai, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan and Xinjiang.
Elderly jihadis are teaching young orphans to be suicide bombers according to a horrifying new video released by the terror group.

Islamic State's stream of sick videos has dried up in recent weeks as the beleaguered militants desperately try to cling onto pockets of power in Iraq and Syria.

But while the fighters continue to lose ground in cities such as Mosul and Raqqa, once strongholds for the group, a clip has emerged showing an old man grooming impressionable youngsters.

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The elderly jihadi pushes two young boys on a swing in a playground thought to be in the city of Deir ez-Zor

A boy, who only looks around three or four-years-old, sits in front of the elderly Islamic preacher

The 13-minute long video starts with two old men preaching with a child between them as they sit in the desert.

A haunting section of the clip shows children wrapping suicide vests around themselves before chanting with one of the elderly jihadis.

The trainer is then seen sat in a circle with a boy as young as three or four in front of him as he talks to the boys.

He then drives them to a market place to get fitted for loose clothing which could conceal a suicide vest and on the way there in the truck - modified for suicide bombing - the boys and the old man chant back and forth.

The old terrorist tasked with training the next generation of Islamic State suicide bombers

The video also features the orphans shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as their leader performs a ceremonial slaughter on a sheep

Carrying toy guns and wearing their new garments, they are then seen walking to a temple before being taken to a training area where the smiling boys are told to run and try to jump up and grab a real, loaded gun.

When one child manages to get his hands on it, he fires rounds into the air with a big grin on his face.

All dressed in white, the boys are seen frolicking in some water after the man seemingly charged with brainwashing them continues to preach to the camera.

The video also features the orphans shouting 'Allahu Akbar' as their leader performs a ceremonial slaughter on a sheep.
EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis for lacking 'stability and accountability' at an official Brussels meeting, it emerged today.

The EU Commission President claimed the Brexit Secretary was threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an 'apparent lack of involvement'.

The official record was published as Mr Davis opened the first day of a crucial debate in Parliament on passing Brexit laws.

The records revealed Mr Juncker, who has been forced to publicly deny claims he is an alcoholic, slammed Britain's chief negotiator at a meeting in July with Michel Barnier, the EU's representative in the talks.

Mr Barnier today tried to play down the reports at a press conference minutes after the shocking comments were made public for the first time.

Mr Davis has faced criticism for not attending every day of the face-to-face negotiating sessions. Last week he returned to London on Monday night following a brief welcome and returned on Thursday for a press conference.

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EU chief Jean-Claude Juncker mocked David Davis (pictured in Parliament today) for lacking 'stability and accountability' at an official Brussels meeting, it emerged today

Mr Juncker (file picture in Brussels) claimed the Brexit Secretary was threatening the success of the exit negotiations with an 'apparent lack of involvement'

An official Commission spokeswoman declined to comment on the minutes, saying the situation had 'moved on' since July 12, when Mr Barnier briefed Mr Juncker and other commissioners.

Mr Juncker's comments emerged as Mr Barnier released a raft of new papers setting out the EU's negotiating position on sensitive issues including the future of the Irish border, customs arrangements, intellectual property rights, public procurement and data protection.

And they came as MPs entered into a bruising House of Commons showdown over the Government's key Brexit legislation.

The minutes of the July 12 meeting at the Commission's Berlaymont HQ recorded that Mr Juncker 'expressed his concern about the question of the stability and accountability of the UK negotiator and his apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations'.

In an apparent reference to the Conservative Government's loss of its overall majority in the June general election, the minutes added that Mr Juncker urged Mr Barnier 'not to accept discussions at the purely technical level with negotiators who had no political mandate, while fundamental political questions still remained'.

At the same meeting, Mr Barnier voiced his anger over the UK negotiators' challenge to the legal basis of Brussels's demand for a financial settlement at the point of Brexit, which has been estimated at 50 billion or more.

Mr Barnier insisted that the Brussels was seeking only that Britain deliver on commitments in the multi-year EU budget which had been signed up to by David Cameron and approved by the Westminster Parliament.

'I have been very disappointed by the UK position as expressed last week, because it seems to be backtracking on the original commitment of the UK to honour its international commitments, including the commitments post-Brexit,' he said.

Asked about the inflammatory comments at a press conference today (pictured) Mr Barnier lavished praise on Mr Davis - despite the pair's frosty relations

Asked about the inflammatory comments at today's press conference, Mr Barnier lavished praise on Mr Davis - despite the pair's frosty relations.

He said: 'Seven days ago exactly we arrived at the end of the third round of negotiations and David Davis was standing here, and I paid tribute to his professionalism and the competence of the whole of the UK team.

'I have nothing further to add to this point - I don't want people to get emotional.'

Ashley Fox, leader of the Conservative MEPs, said: It is disappointing if senior figures in the Brexit process are resorting to character attacks.

Tory MP Maria Caulfield said Mr Juncker seems more interested in a public slagging match than working on Brexit.

Her colleague Jacob Rees-Mogg said: It shows the weakness of the commissions position that Mr Barnier feels it necessary to minute his personal frustrations. It says more about him than the refreshingly robust David Davis.

Mr Barnier was giving a press conference to mark the publication of a new raft of policy papers, including on the EU's view about Northern Ireland.

In Parliament today, Mr Davis today told MPs that without new Brexit laws a smooth exit from the EU was 'impossible' as he urged Labour not to try and vote them down.

The Brexit Secretary insisted the legislation was necessary to stop 'significant and serious' gaps appearing in British law on the day we quit Europe.

Mr Davis said the 'electorate will draw their own judgement' about whether Labour was using the legislation for a 'cynical political exercise'.

He said: 'Without this legislation, a smooth and orderly exit is impossible.'

Brussels claims the UKs plan for the Irish border after Brexit could unravel the peace process.

Talks centre on how to avoid a hard border while respecting EU customs arrangements.

Mr Barnier said the UKs plan worries me, adding: The UK wants to use Ireland as a kind of test case for the future EU-UK customs relations. This will not happen.
This incredible timelapse video shows a devastating forest fire sweep though woodland destroying everything in its path.

The raging wildfire took hold in the Columbia River Gorge area of Washington state, 52 miles east of Portland, Oregon.

The video was shot from Monday night to Tuesday morning as the fire and smoke terrified residents.

The raging wildfire took hold in the Columbia River Gorge area of Washington state, 52 miles east of Portland, Oregon

Blaze: Officials expect the fire near Brookings to burn for at least another month

One resident Maryjane Carlson has been unable to relax for weeks.

The artist lives in Brookings, a small city along the southern Oregon coast that's threatened by one of the nation's largest wildfires. Carlson and her neighbors never know when the blaze is going to move closer to the wooded town.

'It's overwhelming,' she said Wednesday. 'It's kind of like living in a war zone.'

In addition to the fear of the flames, smoke never leaves. An asthmatic, Carlson had to buy an air purifier and sometimes covers her face with a mask.

Thousands of residents have evacuated as firefighters battle blazes statewide, including one devastating hiking trails and waterfalls in the scenic Columbia River Gorge.

Officials expect the fire near Brookings to burn for at least another month. The weather is a wild card in a region accustomed to rain and fog. If it's hot and dry, it will be a scary September.

'We don't know what the weather's going to do, and half the problem is that uncertainty,' Carlson said.

The video was shot from Monday night to Tuesday morning as the fire terrified residents

Carnage: Thousands of residents have evacuated as firefighters battle blazes statewide
A former receptionist who says she was betrayed by a playboy tycoon after he promised to marry her is now fighting for a slice of his multi-million pound property empire.

Gillian Turner says she sold her house and plunged her 200,000 life savings into setting up home with nightclub-loving property developer, Michael Durant, after he promised they would be 'together forever.'

Miss Turner, who had a child with Mr Durant, 61, says her investment allowed him to free up funds to grow his business and buy a 'valuable' string of buy-to-let properties, stretching from the home counties to Leicester and Darlington.

The couple split in 2014 and she has now taken him to court, claiming he reneged on a promise made in the kitchen of their 1.1 million family home in Hertfordshire to 'give her' half of a business which she says may have been worth millions at the time.

Gillian Turner is suing her ex-boyfriend Michael Durant (right), who she says promised her half of his business during their stormy relationship. He insists he made no such promise

At Central London County Court, Judge Alan Johns QC heard Miss Turner say that she was working as a receptionist for a timber firm in 1989 when she met the businessman and the 'stormy relationship' between the pair began, with him making a series of late night visits to her home.

'He would turn up at 2.30 in the early morning after the nightclubs had shut, knocking at my door and asking to be let in,' she told the court.

'He would stay with me a day here and a day there but it never worked. He just kept wanting to go nightclubbing every weekend.

'The relationship was always on the rocks. He would stay for a few days and I would live in hope that it would be good this time,' she said.

'But as soon as another friend wanted to go on holiday or clubbing he would be off again,' she added.

'Then around Christmas Eve 1998 he turned up, telling me how much he loved me and how he wanted to start a relationship and how he really meant it this time,' she said, telling the judge that the couple's son was born soon after in 1999.

'But the pattern didn't change after our son was born. He was just never there. He would turn up from time to time saying he wanted to see his son,' she said.

Then, in 2004, Miss Turner said, Mr Durant persuaded her to put up the 200,000 deposit for them to buy a family home together in Herfordshire, now worth about 1.1 million.

The legal wrangle centres on a home the former couple bought together in Hertfordshire

'I asked him to match what I put in and he said he couldn't because he was putting it into the business for our future.

'He said he needed his money to buy more property and he couldn't put any of his money into [the home] at all because he needed it to develop his business.

'He was saying how this was a new start for us and how much he loved me.

'He also said we are going to get married - he said this was our life, this was our future,' she told the judge.

It was at this stage, Miss Turner said, that Mr Durant promised to give her a half share of his company - Lodge House Ltd.

'I remember it as clear as day. The discussion took place in my kitchen

'He kept saying it was our future and we would build up the companies together and, when we retired, he would train up our son to take over so we would have no worries.

'He said he would give me a 50% share in his business. He said it was for our future and I would be given half the business.

'I kept saying I'm not sure. He kept saying the same thing - this is our future, I know I've done wrong in the past, but you've got to trust me now.

'He was so convincing and he wanted to convince me and he did convince me. I always lived in hope that we would stay together. I thought it was forever,' she said.

The legal battle has gone all the way to the Central London County Court at the Royal Courts of Justice, where a senior judge is set to rule on Ms Turner's claim

But Miss Turner told the judge that, after the couple split for good in 2014, he had refused to give her half of Lodge House Ltd, and that she had instead been 'fobbed off with 50% of the shares in another company which was not as valuable.'

She told Judge Johns she was 'not sure' how much the business was worth in 2004, but from what Mr Durant had told her it could have been worth millions.

'I'm not sure as to the company's value, but he said things were doing very well, he had lots of rental property, he was buying lots of land, and building seven bungalows, and they were going to sell for 250,000 each,' she told the judge.

'You don't know if its 10 or 1million, all you can tell me is that your claim is a valuable one, but you are not sure how much,' the judge noted.

Judge Alan Johns QC will rule on whether Ms Turner is entitled to any of her ex's fortune

Gary Cowen, Mr Durant's barrister, told the judge that there had been no agreement to share Lodge House Ltd with Miss Turner, and that he owed her nothing, having in effect matched her contribution to buying the family home by paying the mortgage.

'You were putting in 200,000 and he was effectively putting in 250,000 by agreeing to pay the mortgage. That was his contribution to the purchase price,' he said.

'He wasn't putting in anything. The mortgage has never been paid off,' she retorted.

In evidence, Mr Durant said that he has forked out about 180,000 in mortgage payments on the family home, and that 165,000 remains outstanding on the property, which the former couple still own jointly.

He added that the 'frequently stormy' love affair between himself and Miss Turner 'was a relationship that had its ups and downs,' but denied making any promise to cut her in on Lodge House Ltd.

Mr Durant said he was 'the sole breadwinner' in the relationship and he was 'quite sure' that the alleged 2004 conversation in her kitchen 'never took place.'

He added that, although Lodge House Ltd - which he then ran with a business partner - turned over 1.75 million in 2006, it had been hard hit by the financial crisis and made a loss in 2008.

It was, he told the judge, 'simply untrue' that he had promised to give Miss Turner half his company. 'I never did as the discussion never arose', he added.

Mr Durant's accountant also gave evidence, saying that in the 20 years he had worked for the property tycoon he had never heard mentioned any plan to share the company with Miss Turner.

Judge Johns has now reserved his judgement on the case and will give his ruling at a later date.
A father of two filmed the moment an unbelievably cute baby rescue owl played 'peek-a-boo' from inside her flowerpot home.

Michael Stephenson was at Bridlington Birds of Prey and Animal Park, in East Yorkshire, when he spotted the nine-week-old rescue bird, Athena, playing 'now you see me, now you don't'.

The 51-year-old captured the bird's antics on camera last Saturday and said it was the 'cutest thing' he'd ever seen.

Larking about: A father of two filmed the moment this unbelievably cute baby rescue owl, nine-week-old Athena, played 'peek-a-boo' by popping up from inside her flowerpot home

He shared the video on social media where it went viral, racking up more than 115,000 views.

Mr Stephenson, from Sheffield, South Yorkshire, said: 'I'm a grown man but that's the cutest thing I've ever seen. I thought I was going to explode in a pink puff of smoke. It was just so unbelievably cute.

'People of a certain age will remember Bill and Ben the flower pot men - it reminded me of that.

'She's what's called a "little owl". She doesn't come out often for the public but the team brought her out.

Michael Stephenson (pictured), 51, said Athena's antics were the 'cutest thing' he'd ever seen

'She was in a little plant pot. It's sort of a comfort bowl while she's growing. They brought her out to feed her and get her some fresh air. She bobbed her head up and down and took a peek at us as if to say "what are all you people doing here?"

'If you looked at the full picture you can see she's barely the size of the keeper's hand. That's just a regular medium-sized plant pot too - she's tiny.'

The computer engineer and amateur wildlife videographer added: 'She was bobbing up and down for about five minutes - that video was only a small part of it. She was doing all sorts. She was doing a Beatle walk at one point and showing off for the cameras.

'She came out in the pot, had a look at us all, had some photos taken and went back inside.'
LAFAYETTE, Louisiana -- Nicky Johns, the Tennessee man wanted for the murder of another man in the parking lot of an Ocean Springs motel, has been captured by U.S. Marshals after vehicle and foot pursuits.

Marshals made contact with Johns' Ford Taurus traveling westbound on Interstate 10 near Lafayette, La. Upon reaching Lafayette, Johns bailed out of the vehicle and led the Marshals and local law enforcement on foot pursuit, according to Ocean Springs Police Capt. Chuck Jackson.

Ultimately, Johns was found hiding in a garbage can and taken into custody. A female passenger in Johns' vehicle was also taken into custody. Johns was taken to a Lafayette-area hospital for treatment of injuries to his foot.

Ocean Springs police were informed of Johns' capture just after 3 p.m. Thursday.

Johns, of Columbia, Tenn., is accused of murdering another Columbia man, 37-year-old Christopher B. Rochelle, in the parking lot of the Travelodge motel off U.S. 90 near the western end of Ocean Springs Monday afternoon.

A witness located by Jackson County deputies told Ocean Springs investigators Johns, who has a lengthy criminal record, was the suspect.

Jackson expressed gratitude to the U.S. Marshals, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force, the George County Sheriff's Department and the Mississippi Highway Patrol for their assistance in apprehending Johns, along with witnesses who have provided information.

He said Ocean Springs police are currently coordinating Johns' extradition back to Ocean Springs.
Prime Minister Theresa May has upped Britain's Hurricane Irma aid package to 32million.

The category five storm is continuing to tear a deadly trail through the Caribbean. It has already left thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees.

Mrs May's response came after the UK Government was slammed over its 'pathetic' response.

Britain has sent hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to its overseas islands battered by Hurricane Irma.

Debris is strewn across the Caribbean island of Sint Maarten today after being hit by the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in history

Mrs May's aid increase came after the UK Government was slammed over its 'pathetic' response to Hurricane Irma damage

The Queen, pictured earlier this week, said she and Prince Philip were 'shocked and saddened' by the devastation caused by the hurricane

The UK has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, which took the full force of the storm.

Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said on Thursday he had ordered HMS Ocean to head to the Caribbean from the Mediterranean.

Fallon also said the UK was sending 'a task group of several hundred troops, marines, engineers and additional helicopters.'

British authorities are being criticized for being slow to send aid to territories in the storm's path, but Fallon said 'we are going to make sure the islands get the help they need.'

Mrs May, meanwhile, said her 'thoughts and prayers' were with all those affected.

At least 10 people have died, including one in Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Queen Elizabeth voiced her shock and sadness over the devastating storm on Thursday.

Britain has sent hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to its overseas islands battered by Hurricane Irma

The UK has already sent one ship, RFA Mount Bay, to Anguilla, which took the full force of the storm

The Queen said: 'Prince Philip and I have been shocked and saddened by the reports of the devastation caused by Hurricane Irma.

'Our thoughts and prayers are with all those whose homes and livelihoods have been destroyed or adversely affected by this terrible storm.

'Please convey my gratitude and good wishes to members of the emergency services and to those who are working on the rescue effort at this very difficult time for you all.'

Elizabeth is the constitutional monarch of Antigua and Barbuda - a ceremonial role.

The Foreign Office today insisted Britain was doing its 'utmost' to bring urgent assistance after the category five storm caused devastation in the Caribbean.

A meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee to coordinate the response is being chaired today by Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon after Prime Minister Theresa May spoke about it with French President Emmanuel Macron.

But the money towards the relief effort came after Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful'.

Hurricane Irma slams into Sint Maarten as Caribbean islands were hit by the weather system

She said the UK should follow France in committing to an emergency fund and a reconstruction plan after the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in history.

Ms Hodge told the Guardian: 'It's absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s.

Dorothea Hodge, the former UK representative to Anguilla, criticised Britain's response as 'absolutely disgraceful'

'In comparison to the French president who has set up an emergency fund, an emergency hotline and a reconstruction fund her response after the storm has passed is absolutely pathetic.'

Yesterday, international development secretary Ms Patel said three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval ship would be sent to the region.

But Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, told BBC Radio 4 today that the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking'.

She said Anguilla was 'utterly devastated' and has been left 'in absolute pieces', adding: 'Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength.

'It has certainly cut a swathe through Anguilla that has left us in absolute pieces. Our police service has suffered roof damage, so has our court house, so has our prisons, so has the hospital.

'Just in terms of essential services alone we are clearly in limping position. When you look at our island at the moment you would think that it just suffered nuclear bomb devastation.'

The shocking aftermath of the Category 5 hurricane on Sint Maarten in the Caribbean today

Discussing the British response, she said: 'While we understand that these things take time, I personally am very disappointed. We are supposed to be the same status as Gibraltar or the Falkland Island.

'I'm am truly disappointed. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership then it should work far more effectively than it is doing now.'

Josephine Gumbs-Connor, who is a lawyer on British-owned Anguilla, said the response from the UK has been 'sorely lacking'

Today, delivering an urgent statement on the disaster, Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan told MPs that 12 million had been made immediately through its 'rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery'.

Sir Alan said the Government's focus was on 'everybody', not just tourists in the Caribbean.

'We really have complete overall concern particularly for our overseas territories which are affected and to that end we have 12 million immediately available through our rapid response mechanism for disaster relief and recovery.'

He said the Department for International Development (Dfid) and the Foreign Office were on 'full alert' and doing their 'utmost' with a 'great wealth of expertise to deploy on this'.

'We are pulling out all the stops to make sure that we can do our utmost to bring urgent assistance, once we, with the professionalism Dfid has, does the assessment to make sure we know who are in greatest need and then we can use our adeptness and flexibility urgently to address those who most need our help.'

Asked if the Government was expecting any British fatalities, the PM's spokesman said: 'We are working urgently to assess the damage and precisely what has happened. But you wouldn't expect me to speculate on whether or not there are British fatalities.'

A man surveys the wreckage on his property after the passing of Irma in St. John's, Antigua

Downing Street said that the Royal Navy's RFA Mounts Bay is also in the region.

Mrs May and Mr Macron today agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane, and Mrs May told the president that advisers from the Department for International Development (DfID) have been sent to impacted areas.

Foreign Office Minister Sir Alan Duncan talks about Irma in the House of Commons today

The PM's spokesman told a Westminster briefing: 'The Prime Minister called the French President Emmanuel Macron this morning to discuss our response to Hurricane Irma.

'They agreed the devastation it had wreaked was terrible, with unconfirmed reports emerging of a number of fatalities.

'The Prime Minister updated the French President on our response, noting that DFID humanitarian advisers had already deployed to the region to conduct damage assessments and provide humanitarian support, and RFA Mounts Bay was also in the area.

'They agreed to cooperate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate our relief efforts.

'They also discussed North Korea, agreeing on the importance of China using its leverage and taking further action to put more pressure on the North Korean regime to change its dangerous course.

Sir Alan said the Government's focus was on 'everybody', not just tourists in the Caribbean

'They agreed we should work together at the United Nations to agree a new package of sanctions measures.

International development secretary Priti Patel said three UK humanitarian experts and a British navy ship would be sent to the region

'They also agreed to explore additional measures the EU could take to pressure the North Korean regime.

'Finally on Brexit, the Prime Minister noted that some good progress had been made in the negotiations and that the UK and EU negotiating teams would continue to work together intensively over the coming weeks.'

Yesterday, Ms Patel said Britain has taken 'swift action' to respond to the crisis.

She added: 'We have deployed three UK aid humanitarian experts to the region to help coordinate the response, and positioned a British naval ship with 40 Royal Marines, Army Engineers, and vehicles, tents and facilities to purify water on board.

'Our staff are on standby, both in the UK and at post, to support any British people affected. We urge British Nationals in the affected area to closely monitor and follow Foreign Office and local travel advice.'
A hijab-wearing Muslim academic says she never walks behind her high-profile husband Waleed Aly when they are out together in public.

Dr Susan Carland, an Islamic-convert who is married to The Project host, says she is constantly worried about how she is perceived.

'When walking along the street with my husband, I know to never dawdle in his wake while window shopping or daydreaming, as falling a step behind is perceived by onlookers not as accidental but an active embodiment of my inferiority to him,' she wrote on a column for the ABC.

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Dr Susan Carland says she never walks behind her husband Waleed Aly out in public spaces

Islam convert Susan Carland gets worried when she's near shop windows next to her husband

Dr Carland, who converted to Islam when she was 19, is also tired of non-Muslims assuming the hijab is a form of female oppression.

'Muslim women are aware, particularly if we wear the hijab, that we are never anonymous, and our existences are never benign,' she said.

'Every action is interpreted as pregnant with patriarchal meaning.'

The married mother-of-two has also criticised her friends for praising one of her Network Ten spouse's Gold Logie acceptance speeches.

Susan Carland was upset with her non-Muslim friends for praising her husband Waleed Aly

'When my husband spoke adoringly of me in an acceptance speech for an award he was given, non-Muslim friends later contacted me saying how great it was to hear a Muslim man speaking respectfully about his wife,' she said.

'It was seen as remarkable only because it was not assumed to be the default.'

The Melbourne-based academic at Monash University argues the idea of women being oppression under Islam is a western concept.

Her column on the ABC's taxpayer-funded Religion and Ethics website doesn't address the issues of female genital mutilation or how a woman's word is worth half that of a man in a sharia law court.

'The idea that Muslim women need rescuing from their woefully sexist predicament is therefore alive and well, if only because there is a complete lack of belief that any woman would be Muslim if given another option,' she said.

Being a Muslim woman doesn't put Susan Carland in the shadow of her high-profile husband

In May, she told a Sydney launch for her book, 'Fighting Hislam: Women, Faith and Sexism', that sharia law could be used to promote women's rights.

'For those of you that don't know, if a woman is raped she can be punished for adultery,' Dr Carland said during a question and answer session.

'The woman I interviewed said, 'I could go to them with these human rights justifications for why it's wrong but I know that if I do that, they will double down on this law because they will feel it's an insult to their culture and their tradition and their religion', so she said, 'Why would I just not use the sharia to make the argument this is wrong?'.'
A mother has signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro for the hospice her sister died in after she thought the 19,340 foot mountain was in Wales.

Nikki Barnett assumed Africa's tallest summit was in Wales because she could not understand the name, but has agreed to raise money for the Myton Hospice in Coventry, where her sister Jill died from breast cancer.

The 51-year-old originally thought she would be climbing Snowdon, which is 15,780 foot smaller than Kilimanjaro, and only realised her error when a neighbour pointed out she had agreed to climb a summit at least 4,000 miles away.

Nikki Barnett has signed up to climb Mount Kilimanjaro after initially thinking the mountain was in Wales

But Ms Barnett and her daughter Leanne Cope, 24, are determined to tackle Africa's tallest mountain in honour of their Ms Barnett's sister Jill, who herself climbed Kilimanjaro as part of her training for West Midlands Police.

Ms Barnett, who works as an energy consultant, said: 'A fundraising email came through with a picture of a mountain and advertised as an adventure of a lifetime.

'I thought "Jill would have loved that" so I signed right up. Then my daughter said that she fancied it as well, so we decided to do it together.

'I just thought it was a mountain. It had Kilimanjaro underneath and I could not pronounce it.

Nikki Barnett and her daughter Leanne Cope have been training for their climb (left) and hope to raise money in for the Myton Hospice in Coventry

Ms Barnett and her daughter will attempt to tackle Kilimanjaro, which is a staggering 15,779 foot smaller than Snowdon in Wales and is at least 4,000 miles away

'I'm not being funny, but I've always struggled with the pronunciation of names in Wales, so I thought that's where it was.'

She added: 'I did some research and found out it is the world's tallest freestanding mountain.

'But in the end we thought it was fine. It's just a bit more of an adventure. But we will have Jill with is telling us we can do it.'

The mother and daughter duo have put themselves through a grueling training regime ahead of their six-day hike up and down Kilimanjaro - even completing a three peaks challenge ahead of flying out to Tanzania on September 23.

Ms Barnett said that she 'hated ever minute' of their three peaks challenge but is 'confident the actual trip will go better'.

She added: 'My daughter and my sister will be a real source of strength when I'm taking on the challenge. The idea of the it is getting more surreal the closer it gets.

Ms Barnett (left) is hoping to raise 10,000 for the hospice where her sister Jill (right) passed away

Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, Africa is a staggering

'I freaked out a little bit when I got an email saying there would be a doctor going with us, but it can be quite dangerous. Altitude sickness could be a major issue.'

Ms Barnett's sister Jill spent her entire career serving the West Midlands Police and was diagnosed with breast cancer in March 2013. After a long month battle with the disease, she passed away on December 11 2014, aged 41.

So far, Ms Barnett and her daughter have raised 9,000 but hope to collect 10,000 by the time they return from Africa. The pair are self-funding the trip, with all the money raised going straight to the hospice.

The 51-year-old said: 'My sister was an inspiration. She was a real family lady and she never complained about anything.

'She was always positive and never gave up on anything. She took her sergeant's exams four times until she passed.

Ms Barnett has raised 9,000 but hopes to raise 10,000 by the time she returns from the climb later this month. Jill (right) died in December 2014 after a 22 month battle with cancer

'The diagnosis hit us all really hard, and it was a tough time when she died. We lost another sister Julie, only a couple of months later. But Jill's memory helps us to stay positive.

'She was so well cared for by Myton's. I want to do this trip to break the stigma around hospices. A lot of people think like I did, that you just go there at the end of your life.

'But they do so much more for you. They were wonderful, and if I can give something back and change just one other person's life then that would be fantastic.'

Kilimanjaro Highest point - 19,341 foot Distance from Nuneaton - 6,398 miles Famous people who climbed Kilimanjaro - Alesha Dixon, Gary Barlow, Ben Shepard, Denise Van Outen, Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton and Kimberley Walsh First climbed by - Hans Meyer and Ludwig Purtscheller in 1889 Advertisement
Neil Dymott (pictured), 56, was acquitted of two charges of harassment but given a restraining order not to contact Helen Richardson and Paula Holland

A millionaire who blasted Queen hits at his New Forest neighbours to drown out the sound of their cockerel crowing has been cleared of harassment.

Neil Dymott, 56, was acquitted of two charges but given a restraining order not to contact lesbian couple Helen Richardson and Paula Holland.

The court heard allegations that Dymott threatened to cut the cockerel's head off and shouted homophobic abuse at his neighbours, who lived next to his home in Marchwood, Hampshire.

He was also accused of playing music by Queen at a loud volume as well as the song When A Man Loves A Woman repeatedly for an hour-and-a-half.

Mr Dymott said he only played loud music on two occasions and said he did not swear at the complainants or insult their sexuality, but did admit calling Ms Richardson 'a psycho'.

Speaking outside court, Ms Richardson, said: 'We are pleased that we have a restraining order in place against him so there shouldn't be any more instances.'

She added that they still kept chickens, but did not rule out have another cockerel in the future.

She said: 'We may have in the future if one of our chicks is a cockerel, we may keep him. From our point of view, it's been ruled as not a statutory noise nuisance on at least three occasions.'

She added that the hen which Mr Dymott claimed was an American breed was actually a gold-pencilled fayoumi hen which originates in Ancient Egypt.

Ms Holland added: 'I feel it's really quite sad that we live in such a beautiful rural area and people complain about countryside noises like a cockerel.'

Colin Wyatt, chairman of the bench, said: 'Whilst we find some of the actions and behaviour were inappropriate we do not feel this constitutes the offence of harassment.'

Referring to the music, he added: 'We agree the course of action was childish, immature and petulant.'

Pictured, Helen Richardson (left) and Paula Holland (right) at Southampton Magistrates' Court

The magistrates imposed a restraining order on Mr Dymott prohibiting him from contacting the complainants directly or indirectly for two years.

He said: 'You have to live as neighbours, you need to behave and stop being stupid or petulant.

'Can you get on as neighbours, life is too short.'

The defendant told the trial that he had complained to police himself about the noise created by his neighbours' cockerel and hens and blamed the volume on the type of chicken.

He said he had made audio and video recordings to gather evidence against his neighbours.

Mr Dymott said: 'I think it's irresponsible and not a nice thing to do, to have cockerels crowing at that level, they were crowing all day.

Helen Richardson and Paula Holland said the trouble with their neighbour across the road started when the couple, who had hens, hatched a cockerel

'Those cockerels go off as much as 60 to 70 times an hour. This is not a British bird, these are birds going all the time.

'When they started crowing they do not just crown once, they crow, crow, crow.'

The retired replacement window firm boss added: 'It's the type of chicken, an ordinary chicken that lays eggs do not make screaming noises, it's the type of chickens, these aren't ordinary little reds, these are colourful, these are Rhode Island reds, these are Plymouth Rocks, these are American beds.'

He added: 'If these had been a British cockerel and going off at dawn and dusk we wouldn't be here.'

The court has heard Ms Richardson and Ms Holland had arranged for the cockerel to be killed in August 2015 but the dispute still continued afterwards when Mr Dymott alleged they were hiding a cockerel from him.

The trial also heard that Mr Dymott and Ms Richardson clashed in her front garden which she said caused her an injury to her arm while the defendant said he suffered a cut lip.

Mr Dymott also denied he was angry because the noise devalued his property or telling them: 'Don't mess with a multi-millionaire. I am going to take you for 50,000, I have a barrister.'
This is the scene at the world-famous St Maarten airport after giant waves driven by Hurricane Irma lashed the beach where planes land just over tourists' heads.

Dramatic aerial pictures show sand heaped up at the end of the international Princess Juliana terminal which has been ravaged by the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

The storm ripped through the airport on Wednesday, with 185mph winds blowing over safety fences and battering nearby Maho beach.

Huge rocks smashed into planes, and boarding walkways were slammed to the ground by the downpour of rain and gusts of wind, which also brought mounds of sand on to the runway.

The storm, which has been dubbed one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a decade, has reportedly killed at least eight people on St Martin so far.

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Dramatic aerial pictures show sand heaped up at the end of the international Princess Juliana terminal which has been ravaged by the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic

This was the scene last night after the hurricane had lashed the airport with ferocious winds

The island's airport was ravaged by the powerful winds with aerial pictures showing how infrastructure had been damaged

Princess Juliana airport on the Dutch side of St Martin was famed for its proximity to the beach with tourists gathering to watch planes land just over their heads. But this was the scene after it was ravaged by howling winds as Irma crashed into the island on Wednesday

Inside the airport, which lies on the Dutch side of Saint Martin island, the check-in lounge was flooded and walkways were damaged by the storm.

Parts of the building broke off during the storm and were seen lying on the runway after the storm passed.

Photos of the damage were documented by a hurricane rescue team, who went in after the storm passed.

Princess Juliana Airport suspended all operations at the airport on Tuesday as a precaution before Hurricane Irma hit.

Michel Hyman, COO/Acting CEO of the airport, said in a statement: 'We regret any inconvenience this will cause, but must stress that the safety and security of all is priority number one at SXM Airport.'

'We will continue to closely monitor the developments of Hurricane Irma as it passes over our area and keep all our personnel, users and stakeholders informed of any further developments as these occur, via the various media outlets,' stated Hyman.

Winair cancelled its services on Tuesday and Wednesday, saying it would work to re-book customers' flights at no additional cost.

Video footage shows the moment the storm ripped through Princess Juliana International Airport in St Maarten's, with 185mph winds blowing over safety fences and battering nearby Maho beach

Huge rocks smashed into planes, and boarding walkways were slammed to the ground by the downpour of rain and gusts of wind, which also brought loads of sand on to the runway

Princess Juliana Airport, pictured in the midst of the storm, suspended all operations at the airport on Tuesday as a precaution before Hurricane Irma hit

Video from the live Maho Beach camera showed fences being blown over as the storm passed

Hurricane Irma has caused torn off rooftops and knocked out all electricity across Saint Martin, as well as on the French island of Saint Barthelemy.

So far the hurricane has killed at least two people and left two others seriously injured on St Barts and St Martin, French Overseas Minister Annick Giradin told CNN.

'The urgency is to provide aid, to treat, to evacuate if necessary, but above all to make an assessment of the situation, which we do not have today since the communications are just beginning to return,' she said.

Banks on St Martin closed on Tuesday ahead of the storm, while WTN-Cable management dismantled its sites to avoid irreparable damage.

Inside the airport, which lies on the Dutch side of Saint Martin island, the check-in lounge was flooded and walkways were damaged by the storm

Tourists have flocked to the beach for years to watch as planes fly shockingly low before landing at Princess Juliana International Airport

When landing at Princess Juliana International Airport, planes fly directly over beach goers at Maho Beach (pictured above)

All sites will return to normal after the storm passes and authorities give the go-ahead for people to move around the island.

France has requisitioned planes and sent in emergency food and water rations.

So far emergency crews have not surveyed the damage from overhead because the winds are still considered to be too strong for an attempt.

President Donald Trump owns a property in St Martin - Le Chateau des Palmiers, which is currently up for sale.

It is unknown if his property was damaged by the storm.

The Category 5 storm made a direct hit Wednesday on Saint Martin, the island where the Dutch territory of St Maarten is located. Some 100 Dutch marines flew to the islands on Monday to prepare for the hurricane.

Pictured is Maho beach in front of Princess Juliana Airport that tourists normally flock to to watch the low-flying planes which is now completely flooded and washed out

Hurricane rescue teams evaluated the damage at the airport after the storm passed on Wednesday

Photo shows the wind and rain ripping apart fencing at Princess Juliana on Wednesday afternoon

A photo of inside Princess Juliana airport in St Martin only partially show the extent of the flooding and damage that Irma has done

Parts of the building had broken off during the storm and were seen lying on the runway after the storm passed

Hurricane Irma has caused torn off rooftops and knocked out all electricity across Saint Martin (pictured), as well as on the French island of Saint Barthelemy

Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said his twin-island nation appears to have weathered its brush with Hurricane Irma.

He said there were no deaths in Antigua and preliminary reports indicated there were no deaths in Barbuda despite widespread reports of damaged buildings and downed trees. He said he plans to visit as soon as possible.

Hurricane Irma is roaring along a path pointing to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba before possibly heading for Florida over the weekend.

President Donald Trump declared emergencies in Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate the residents of six islands at the southern end of the island chain amid fears the hurricane is hurtling towards the US east coast.

A mandatory evacuation is under way in the Florida Keys.

Puerto Rico is currently preparing for landfall of the storm, which is expected to happen late Wednesday night or early Thursday.

It is expected to downgrade to a Category four hurricane on Friday, and a Category three in the weekend when it nears Florida.

National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said that Hurricane Irma is so record-breaking strong it's impossible to hype.

Uccellini said on Wednesday that he's concerned about Florida up the east coast to North Carolina, starting with the Florida Keys.

He warns that 'all the hazards associated with this storm' are going to be dangerous.

Hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel of MIT calculates that Irma holds about 7 trillion watts - about twice the energy of all bombs used in World War II.
Three Taco Bell employees who were all carrying guns during a shift put them to use on Wednesday to shoot and kill an attempted armed robber.

None of the male workers at the fast food restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio, have been named. All were armed when two masked robbers stormed the restaurant at 2.45am on Wednesday to demand cash.

The employees, two of whom are 19 and one is 23, opened fire, shooting one of them in the ribs. The other ran away.

When police arrived at the restaurant, they found the attempted robber unconscious with a loaded gun in his hand. He had been shot six times in total and was later pronounced dead at hospital.

In Ohio, business owners can prohibit guns in the work place and many do but it is not a legal requirement.

It is not known whether Arthur Giles, the franchise owner of the Taco Bell where the shooting occurred on Wednesday, allows employees to bring their weapons to work or if the men have concealed-carry licenses.

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A staff member reels in disbelief outside the Taco Bell in Cleveland, Ohio, where three employees shot and killed an armed robber on Wednesday. It is not clear if this man was one of those involving in the shooting but he is pictured giving a statement to police

So far none of the employees are facing charges. Giles said they acted in self-defense and is cooperating with police.

Footage obtained by Fox 8 Cleveland immediately after the shooting shows one employee dressed in a Taco Bell uniform sitting on the ground outside the restaurant, holding his hands up to his mouth in disbelief.

It is not clear how many customers were inside the restaurant at the time of the shooting. The Taco Bell workers called 911. They told operators that shots had been fired and that someone was on the ground.

They would not elaborate on the details and said they would wait until police officers arrived to discuss it.

'Everyone at the store is okay, from my understanding. All the employees and all the customers are safe,' Giles told Cleveland.com.

Taco Bell has issued a statement to say it is cooperating with authorities and that it had offered counselling to the three employees.

Under Ohio state law, business owners can prohibit gun owners with concealed carry licenses from bringing their firearms onto premises if they wish but it is not a legal requirement.

Many do and enforce the law with proper signage in the workplace which indicates that guns are not allowed on the premises.

Police arrived at the fast food restaurant to find the armed robber unconscious on the ground with a loaded gun in his hand. He was taken to hospital where he was later pronounced dead

A new law that was introduced in March made it legal for employees at gun-free businesses to bring their firearms into company parking lots so long as they were contained within their own private vehicle.

On Taco Bell's website, its code of conduct makes no mention of its rules on the topic.

It instructs that local, state and federal laws must be honored at each location but says it is the responsibility of franchisees to enforce these laws at its different restaurants.

When contacted by DailyMail.com on Thursday morning, Taco Bell did not respond to questions surrounding its gun policy for employees.

The shooting took place at this Taco Bell in Cleveland, Ohio, in the early hours of Wednesday morning

Police are seen inside the fast food restaurant immediately after the shooting on Wednesday

It is a common theme with large fast food companies that individual franchise owners are responsible for choosing and enforcing policies on the ground.

Both McDonald's and Dunkin Donuts take a similar approach, leaving it up to local owners to decide whether customers are able to bring their firearms into restaurants and stores.

In 2013, Starbucks CEO Howard Schulz sparked controversy when he said guns were not welcome in his stores.

Others business including Whataburger, Chipotle, Panera Bread, Sonic, Chilis and Target ban customers from openly carrying their weapons while on their premises.

There is no federal law banning employees of any business from bringing concealed weapons to work.

In some states, teachers are allowed to bring concealed weapons to work so long as they have been permitted to do so by school board officials.

Hospitals across the country also set the rules for whether doctors, nurses or other employees can bring weapons to work. Most prohibit it, mandating that only on-shift security personnel are able to be armed.

The issue is a source of hot debate, with some claiming in the past that employees at the scene of mass shootings could have saved lives had they been allowed to bring their own guns.

Few mass shootings have taken place in fast food restaurants in recent years.
An 86-year-old dementia patient has been beaten to death by his roommate, authorities claim.

James Schappell, a resident of the CareOne facility's dementia ward in Randolph, a suburb of Boston, Massachusetts, was attacked on Tuesday and died Wednesday evening in hospital.

Authorities believe he was killed by his roommate, Walter Rice Jr.

James Schappell, 86, was beaten to death at the CareOne nursing home (pictured here) in Randolph, Massachusetts

Norfolk District Attorney Michael Morrissey said in a statement that the elderly man was beaten Tuesday morning with an item in the room.

Prosecutors were vague about the weapon used in the attack but according to The Patriot Ledger it was an unidentified piece of furniture.

He was then taken to a hospital where he died Wednesday night.

His 58-year-old roommate has been charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon and was taken to Quincy District Court for arraignment.

After the suspect was evaluated by a court clinician, Judge Mark Coven sent him to Bridgewater State Hospital for a competency evaluation.

The judge did not arraign Rice Jr. but he is due back in court September 21.

Randolph and State Police detectives are looking into the death of Schappell whilst State Police Crime Services are on hand to help investigate the matter.
Dr Sumit Basu is accused of sexually assaulting his patients. He is seen arriving at court on Tuesday

A married heart specialist told a 16-year-old girl to drop her knickers so he could examine her 'down below' after she complained of chest pains, a court heard.

Dr Sumit Basu, 59, allegedly abused his position of trust to fondle three victims between November 2006 and June 2014 at the Lewisham Hospital, south east London.

The consultant cardiologist sexually assaulted two of the women with his fingers and asked one of them about her sex life and if she was 'sore', Woolwich Crown Court heard.

In a police interview one of his alleged victims, now 29, explained how she did not know if his actions were 'right or wrong' as she was only 16.

'He would examine my chest area with his hands at every appointment,' she said.

After being referred to him by her GP with chest pains he allegedly told her: 'Take off your bottoms and I will examine down below because it all could be connected.'

Dr Basu wore gloves to examine her back passage, but took them off when he moved his hands in a circular motion on her breasts, jurors heard.

His alleged victim returned to see him when her chest pains returned after she became pregnant.

After examining her again he told her that she had nothing to worry about, she said.

Describing each of her appointments, she explained her mother always waited behind a screen.

One woman said she was told to 'take all her clothes off' after going to see Dr Basu at Lewisham Hospital, south east London

Explaining one of his alleged assaults, she said: 'He told me to take all my clothes off, sit on the table and wait for him.

'His face was quite next to mine - quite close.

'I did not look at him as I was quite young.

'I felt a bit uncomfortable when he examined me down below.

'I thought this could be deemed as sexual. You do not forget that sort of thing. He just kept asking me if I was sore.

'I was quite young and embarrassed and I did not know if it was right or wrong.

'I was quite young and I did not want to falsely accuse someone because he was a man with a profession.'

After the examination, her father became aware of his court hearing and spoke to his daughter about what happened when she visited him.

Unbeknown to her, the conversation was recorded, the court heard.

Fighting back tears, she told the jury: 'It was roughly 10 o'clock at night.

'He asked me about my appointments. He asked me if anything stood out.'

The prosecutor asked: 'Were you aware at that time he was recording you?'

She replied: 'He just came in in a normal way. It was a normal father to daughter hello.

Woolwich Crown Court heard that the woman's father saw Dr Basu was appearing in court in a newspaper and insisted she go to the police

'He said he was going to to have to ask me about my appointments. I thought I was in trouble.

'Afterwards he said I have got to that on record and you are going to have to call the police.'

Jurors heard the short audio clip in which the woman's father tells her to sit down and asks her what the name of her doctor was.

She replied: 'Mr Basu.'

Her father said: 'What did he do to you? I am being f**king serious.'

She said Dr Basu touched her vagina and breasts, the court heard.

The father continued: 'You know what he is in court for?'

She asked: 'Paedophile?'

'Sexual assault,' her father replied.

'I just found out. I have got that on record. You have got to go to the police.'

Basu, of Ringmore Rise, Lewisham, southeast London, denies seven counts of sexual assault and three counts of assault by penetration.

The trial continues.
A western New York librarian has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of a World War I veteran more than three decades ago.

Erie County District Attorney John Flynn says 51-year-old Saundra Adams, of Buffalo, entered the plea Wednesday in state Supreme Court, just a day into jury selection for her murder trial.

Adams admitted that she and an accomplice broke into a Buffalo home in June 1983 and caused the death of 92-year-old Edmund Schreiber.

The original indictment accused the two of tying up Schreiber and strangling the decorated war veteran with his own neckties.

Adams' plea comes almost a year to the day that she was arrested and charged.

Saundra Adams, 51, of Buffalo, New York, has pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the death of Edmund Schreiber, a World War I veteran, more than three decades ago

She faces a maximum of 25 years in prison when she's sentenced in November.

Even though the crime was committed 34 years ago, there is no statute of limitations on Class A felonies in the State of New York, including murder, manslaughter, rape, sexual abuse, and kidnapping.

Authorities arrested Adams last year after her DNA was found on the neckties used to strangle the victim, according to The Buffalo News.

When police uncovered the new evidence tying Adams to the crime, it asked prosecutors to re-open the case.

Adams, who was 17 years old at the time she committed the crime, enrolled at Bryant & Stratton College and worked in its library before she was charged a year ago, according to the News.

At the time of his death, Schreiber was a 92-year-old veteran of World War I who was awarded the Purple Heart for his actions during service.

On the day he was killed, Schreiber did not show up for lunch at a nearby senior citizens' center as he normally did.

Concerned friends went to Schreiber's home, where they discovered his body on his bed covered with blankets and pillows.

Schreiber's hands were tied up and eight neckties which were used to strangle him were found around his neck.

Authorities arrested Adams last year after her DNA was found on the neckties used to strangle the victim

At Adams's arraignment last September, Assistant District Attorney Thomas M. Finnerty said that the ransacked house indicated that the initial intent was to burglarize Schreiber's home.

Finnerty said that fingerprints lifted from Schreiber's bedroom dresser matches those of Adams.

'The defendant has falsely denied being in the bedroom and being inside the home on multiple occasions,' Finnerty said.

'She has never offered an explanation for how her DNA wound up on his ties.'

Adams's father, Ernest Adams, told The Buffalo News that his daughter used to run errands for Schreiber, who was a neighbor.

'They got her fingerprints because theyre all over the house,' Ernest Adams said last year.

'My daughter cleaned the house for him. Shed go get groceries for him. She ran errands for him.'
A six-month-old boy who was left inside a hot car in Georgia, Atlanta, died on Tuesday morning.

Middle Georgia police are investigating the death of the baby, Cyrus Gray, who tragically died eight days after he was found inside vehicle.

Milledgeville Police were summoned to 2400 block of Brantley Way on August 28 where they discovered the boy, department spokeswoman Felicia Cummings said, according to AJC.com.

Milledgeville police were summoned to 2400 block of Brantley Way (pictured here) on August 28 where they discovered the infant in a parked vehicle

On his way to the location, Police officer David Descoteaux was informed that the babys grandmother, whose name was not released, was rushing the boy to Oconee Regional Medical Center in Milledgeville.

Descoteaux went to the hospital to speak with the babys grandmother.

The boy was transferred to Navicent Health in Macon, police said.

Milledgeville police are the ones investigating the case (headquarters pictured here)

Police are still investigating.

On Wednesday, Milledgeville police issued a press release, however there was no mention of anyone being arrested in connection to the incident.

The department did reveal the baby had been left alone in the car for more than five hours.

According to the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, Mondays high in the Milledgeville area was in the lower 80s with a heat index around 82 degrees.
OCEAN SPRINGS, Mississippi -- A recent study shows that students graduating from Ocean Springs schools are far more likely to enjoy success on the collegiate level than the average Mississippi student.

The study, compiled by American College Test (ACT), examined students' scores on the ACT in the subject areas of English, mathematics, social sciences and biology.

According to the report, students achieving certain benchmark scores on four subject area components on the ACT indicate a 50 percent chance of obtaining a B or higher or about a 75 percent chance of obtaining a C or higher in corresponding credit-bearing college courses, thus showing college readiness.

The following benchmarks have been set by ACT through collaborative research with postsecondary institutions nationwide:

A score of at least 18 on the ACT English test, which corresponds with success in English Composition

A score of 22 or higher on the ACT mathematics test, which corresponds with success in College Algebra

A score of 22 or higher on the ACT reading test, which corresponds with success in Social Sciences courses.

A score of 23 or more on the ACT science test, which corresponds with Biology

While the news was good for Ocean Springs schools, the study indicates Mississippi students overall struggle on the college entrance test.

Of all 2017 graduates taking the ACT in Mississippi, only 12 percent of test takers reached these benchmarks on all four tests. Students linked to Ocean Springs High School did much better than this average, with 31 percent of last year's test takers reaching the benchmark in all four areas.

Students fared best on the English ACT Test with 47 percent of students statewide and 68 percent of OSHS students meeting the college readiness benchmark.

OSHS students fared well on the other areas of the ACT test, as well: 53 percent met the benchmark on the ACT Reading test; 45 percent met the benchmark on the ACT Science test; and 40 percet met the benchmark on the ACT Math test.

Statewide, students checked in at 29 percent on the ACT Reading test, and 20 percent on on both the ACT sciences and math tests.

"Our ACT data reflects that Ocean Springs High School fosters an environment that produces college ready students," said OSHS Principal Vickie Tiblier. "However, our work does not stop with this report. From here, we will work to put more students on a path towards college success."

In January 2017, the Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning Board Policy 608 established a score of 17 as the minimum ACT subject area score requirements for mathematics, English, and reading. However, each IHL institution has the authority to require a higher ACT subject area score.

Students not reaching these benchmarks are required to take intermediate courses, which do not count toward graduation, unless they have met additional requirements.

Since 2013, OSHS has shown slight growth in its overall ACT composite score among graduates, going from a score of 21.4 in 2013 to 21.5 in 2017. At the same time, the state composite average has dropped, going from 18.9 to 18.6.

Currently, OSHS has 38 members in its 30+ Club, which recognizes students who have reached a composite score of 30 or better on the ACT.

Student success on the ACT benefits high schools as well as the students taking the ACT as the Mississippi Department of Education factors in student scores on the ACT English, math and reading tests as part of the college and career readiness component of the high school accreditation model.
Terror suspects arrested in Paris allegedly planned to blow up banks with explosives favoured by jihadists dubbed Mother of Satan bombs.

French police investigating a suspected bomb factory near the capital believe three arrested men were preparing attacks and had made calls to Syria.

Ingredients to make an explosive called TATP, commonly used by Islamic State, were discovered in an empty flat in the Paris suburb of Villejuif on Wednesday, as well as gas canisters and electrical wiring.

The men have denied they were preparing attacks, claiming they were planning a string of robberies in which the explosives would be used to blow up bank cash machines.

Local TV images of French police officers standing outside a building in Villejuif, south of Paris

French police officers stand outside a building in Villejuif, south of Paris on Wednesday. The Paris prosecutor's office says two people have been detained after a possible explosives laboratory was discovered in a suburb south of Paris

Police inspect the contents of a van during an counter-terrorism operation the suburb of Villejuif. Bomb-making components were found in an apartment after police were tipped off by a plumber

French Police officers intervene at the site where they discovered explosives and bomb components

More potential TATP ingredients were found Thursday during a search of an enclosed parking space belonging to the main suspect, the apartment's owner, a source close to the case said.

Anti-terror police launched raids following a tip-off from a worker at the building who has been praised for his 'citizen's reflex' for reporting suspicious activity.

The Paris daily Le Parisien reported that the workman was a plumber working to fix a recurrent leak.

TATP: The 'Mother of Satan' explosives used by ISIS fanatics in their attacks on the West Triacetone triperoxide (TATP), an unstable explosive, has been used by militants in several attacks in western Europe in recent years, including Manchester in May, Brussels in 2016 and Paris in 2015. The peroxide-based explosive is often nicknamed the 'Mother of Satan' and is a white powder which is deemed to be highly dangerous when 'cooked'. TATP belongs to the few high explosives that do not contain nitrogen, and so can pass undetected through scanners designed to detect nitrogenous explosives. Advertisement

He was outside the building when he spotted chemicals on a balcony of the flat, then saw a soldering iron and a hot plate through the window, the paper reported, quoting a source close to the probe.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the men in custody - two were arrested on Wednesday and a third overnight - 'were involved in terrorism'.

'We've seen that there were calls exchanged' with someone in the war zone in Syria, Collomb saiod on Franceinfo radio.

The arrests raised questions about whether the suspects might be linked to a jihadist cell in Spain which carried out two vehicle attacks in Barcelona and Cambrils last month.

Some of the extremists behind the violence in Spain - mostly Moroccan nationals who were also preparing bombs made with TATP - visited Paris on August 11 and 12, about a week before their deadly rampage.

'It is possible there were links but honestly I don't know,' Collomb said.

The Spain attackers stayed in a hotel in the Parisian suburb of Malakoff a short drive from where the suspected bomb factory was discovered on Wednesday in Villejuif.

After buying a camera and leaving their hotel, Collomb said the Spain jihadists 'spent a long time in front of the Eiffel Tower... We have it all from their phone data'.

France has been under a state of emergency since IS gunmen launched a series of simultaneous raids on bars, the national stadium and the Bataclan concert hall in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead.

Since those atrocities and a truck attack in Nice in July 2016 that killed 86 people, France has suffered a string of smaller assaults mainly targeting security forces.

Police officers gather outside a flat near Paris where TATP explosives, known as Mother of Satan, were found

A French police officer stands outside a police cordon set up near the flat where explosives were found

The jihadis behind the Brussels terror attacks used a highly-volatile explosive nicknamed the 'Mother of Satan'.

In the aftermath, anti-terror police swooped on their safehouse in the Schaerbeek district of Brussels and discovered 33 pounds of triacetone triperoxide (TATP).

The peroxide-based explosive is often nicknamed the 'Mother of Satan' and is a white powder which is deemed to be highly dangerous when 'cooked'.
A British cameraman suffering severe dehydration fell off his motorbike and died while filming a bicycle race in America, an inquest heard.

Robert Llewelyn looked disorientated moments before he collapsed and suddenly died on the back of his bike, which was parked on the sidelines of the Amgen Tour of California, a Tour de France-style bicycle road race which he was filming.

A post-mortem revealed that the 51-year-old had been severely dehydrated at the time of his death.

Robert Llewelyn (pictured with his wife in their last photograph together before his death 18 days later) fell off his motorbike and died while filming a bike race in America, an inquest heard

However, evidence presented by witnesses and family members at the inquest in the UK showed that Mr Llewelyn had exhibited little or no symptoms of dehydration, such as nausea and fatigue, in the days that followed his arrival in Monterey.

His widow Lucy, who still lives at their home in Reading, Berkshire, told the inquest that he had been on a number of jobs in warm countries, including one in Delhi the same year and had not shown any such symptoms despite the warm temperatures.

She told the coroner Peter Bedford: 'It really does not make any sense. We were told that Robert's face had gone blank and that it looked like he was not breathing but not struggling to breathe.

'At first they thought he was just choking but soon realised it must be something more serious than that.

'I struggled to understand Dr Azar's verdict of dehydration. There was nothing in the report that indicated he was prone to collapse.

'There is no way he would have gotten up on his motorbike if he was feeling nauseous and dehydrated. As a family we assumed that Robert must have suffered some kind of heart failure.'

Mr Llewelyn (pictured) looked disorientated moments before he collapsed and suddenly died on the back of his bike, which was parked on the sidelines of the Amgen Tour of California

Following Mr Llewelyn's death at Hurricane Point, Monterey on May 18 last year, Detective Alfred Martinez told the inquest: 'Mr Llewelyn was involved in the media support for the bicycle race. He stopped and was not looking well and was acting disorientated.

'He started to slump and fell to the ground. CPR and a defibrillator were administered but his life could not be saved and he was pronounced dead by paramedics.

'I examined Mr Llewelyn from top to toe and I found no remarkable injuries.'

Despite the report given by Dr Azar, coroner Mr Bedford said he would not record Mr Llewelyn's death as an accident due to severe dehydration, but instead as a natural death caused by a cardiac arrhythmia, which would not leave a trace in the man's body after his death.

A coroner recorded the cause of death as natural causes sparked by cardiac arrhythmia. Mr Llewelyn is pictured with his wife Lucy

He did, however, believe the severe dehydration could have had a contributory effect to his death.

'I reviewed all the documents which clearly indicate that Robert Llewelyn suffered a sudden collapse without any warning symptoms. The dehydration could have resulted in a sudden cardiac arrhythmia.

'These do occur in patients with no history of cardiac arrhythmia, however usually in those at a younger age. However much we analyse it, there are still some gaps which we will never be able to fill.

'The conclusion is a cardiac arrhythmia with a background of possible dehydration and electrolyte imbalance.

'That is a natural cause of death.'
A Missouri man has landed in jail on a weapons charge after police say he pulled a gun on a local Democratic activist because he disliked her bumper stickers supporting liberal causes.

Edward Burns, 48, of Ozark, was arrested in late August in connection to a suspected road-rage incident, according to court documents.

The confrontation began unfolding on the morning of August 24 when police in Ozark got a call about a two-vehicle crash that occurred as part of a confrontation between two drivers, one of whom was possibly armed.

Deep divide: Edward Burns (left), 48, of Missouri, was charged with unlawful use of a weapon for pointing a gun at Democratic activist Laura Umphenour, 62 (right) over her decals

Sticky situation: These are the bumper stickers pictured on the back of Umphenour's van, which apparently sparked the armed road-rage incident on August 24

When Burns allegedly pointed a gun at Umphenour, she lost control of her Nissan Sienna and crashed into his SUV

Umphenour then careened across the road and smashed into a guardrail, causing her front bumper to fall off (pictured)

According to a probable cause statement obtained by Springfield News Leader, one of the drivers was Burns and the other was the locally known Democratic activist Laura Umphenour.

Both Umphenour and Burns 'exchanged offensive hand gestures,' and according to the court papers, at one point Umphenour, 62, pulled up beside Burns' car and showed him the middle finger.

That is when the 48-year-old married father took out his Smith & Wesson .380 handgun and pointed it at the woman, according to police.

Fearing for her life, Umphenour sharply turned the steering wheel of her Nissan Sienna, lost control and smashed into the front of Burns' SUV, then careened across the road and crashed into a guardrail.

When interviewed by police, Burns admitted that he made a 'bad decision' by pulling the gun on Umphenour, but he also defended his actions by saying that he wanted to get the woman to 'back off.'

During his confession he noted several political decals, which expressed a different political view than his own, on the rear of [Umphenour's] van, which he thought were stupid, read the statement.

Burn, a 48-year-old married father (pictured left with his wife on Halloween), told police he reached for his gun because he was angry at Umphenour for flipping him off

Vocal critic: Umphenour, pictured above posing with an unflattering Donald Trump effigy, has been a fierce critic of the president

Umphenour has long been a fixture in local protests opposing the Republican agenda and supporting liberal causes. Here, she is seen holding a sign mocking Trump

The 48-year-old American Cancer Society volunteer also said that he got very angry when Umphenour flipped him off.

According to police, Burns told them he pulled the gun on the woman so that she would know 'not to mess with him.'

Burns was arrested on a charge of unlawful use of a weapon, to which he pleaded not guilty the next day. After spending a few days in jail, he was released on $5,000 bond.

Umphenour wrote on her Facebook page after the incident that she was left feeling sore as a result of the collision and had to get a CT scan.

She also revealed that one of the rude hand gestures that Burns had allegedly flashed at her during the initial road-rage confrontation was the 'L' sign, presumably standing for 'loser,' which Umphenour has attributed to her anti-Trump, pro-Democratic decals plastered all over her trunk.

Burns, an American Cancer Society volunteer (pictured left and right), has pleaded not guilty to the weapons charge. Umphenour plans to sue him in civil court

A photo of the womans Nissan van posted on her Facebook page shows a collection of more than a dozen bumper stickers, including 'Hillary 2016'; 'Resist'; Not my president or yours either'; Do you keep hearing crazy voices? Turn off Fox News,' and 'Because of my faith I vote for Democrats,' among others.

Umphenour, a married mother and grandmother, is a local animal rights activist who has emerged as a vocal critic of President Donald Trump's policies.

In July, Umphenour took part in a 'die-in' outside the office of a Republican US senator from Missouri to protest against the American Health Care Act.

After the deadly clashes in Charlottesville, Virginia, between white nationalists and antifascist protesters last month, Umphenour participated in a rally outside the Springfield City Hall to show solidarity with those who oppose white nationalism.

In the wake of the armed road-rage clash, Umphenour has retained an attorney and now plans to file a civil lawsuit agaisnt Burns.
An Alabama school teacher was arrested last month after being accused of having a sexual relationship with a student.

Sonya Bailey, 51, was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center on August 28 for allegedly engaging in sexual acts and sending the teenager explicit photos while working at West End High School.

She has now been charged with one count of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student, one count of second degree sodomy and one count of second degree rape.

Sonya Bailey (mugshot above) has been charged with three felonies after allegedly engaging in sexual acts with a student

Bailey, who has two children and two young grandsons, was released the following day after posting a $60,000 property bond for the three felony counts.

'I enjoy working with the students of WEHS and trust that they will leave my class having learned something beneficial toward their future,' wrote Bailey in her teacher profile, which has been taken off school's site but can still be found through an online search.

The age ad sex of the victim has not been released at this time.

Shortly after her release on Monday, Bailey submitted her resignation from her post as the commerce and information technology teacher at West End High School during an emergency school board meeting.

Allegations: She is also accused of sending nude photos to the teenager while employed at West End High School

Etowah County Superintendent Dr. Alan Cosby said in a statement shortly after: 'Mrs. Bailey resignation was accepted by the Etowah County Board of Education on August 28th. Her resignation was accepted after these allegations came to light.'

He then noted: 'We are fully cooperating with the Sheriffs Office and District Attorneys Office in this case.

Bailey was ordered to report to Etowah County Community Corrections after her release as well, and is to have no contact with the victim or the victim's family.

'This type of ridiculous behavior is completely uncalled for by someone who was trusted by the community to teach our kids,' said Sheriff Todd Entrekin.

Brandi Fuller is investigating the allegations for the Etowah County Sheriff's Office.
Sailing Yacht A is owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, who also owns the 240million masterpiece 'Motor Yacht A'.

The ginormous Sailing Yacht A is said to have been named thusly as Melnichenko likes his vessels to be listed first in shipping registers.

From the harbour in Menorca, the current stop on a tour of the Balearic Islands, viewers were treated to a view of the yacht's luxury dining room, lounging decks and could even see into several balcony decks that opens up on the side of the hull.

Another hatch in the side revealed the small craft used to take passengers to shore.

It is powered by a 'hybrid diesel-electric package with controllable pitch propellers,' and is designed to accommodate 20 guests and a crew of 54.
Shocking dash cam footage has emerged of a police cruiser rolling over a female suspect after I high-speed car chase in Albuquerque when a cop forgot to brake.

A 20 minute car chase ended in June last year when three people in a stolen truck made their way out.

The video shows the driver, notorious New Mexico car thief Majestic Howard, going over a median to try and evade police.

He later drove the truck in the wrong lane and weaved dangerously.

Police sent Howard's passenger to the hospital. She was not seriously injured nor was she charged with any crime.

Dash cam footage shows police engaged in a 20 minute car chase

The video shows a police cruiser slowly rolling toward a woman and an officer while he was handcuffing her

Dash cam video shows a State Police officer take a passenger down as another officers car rolls toward them.

An officer jumped out of his patrol car without putting it in park, State Police Chief Pete Kassetas told KRQUE News.

A police officer tells the woman: 'Get on the f*****g ground' and then begins to handcuff her.

The officer dove out of the way, but the car rolled over the woman and pinned her underneath

Dash cam footage from the rolling cruiser was also released

The video then shows another vehicle slowly rolling toward the woman and the officer.

The cop sees the car coming and dives out of the way. The cruiser then rolls over the woman and pins her underneath it.

State police reviewed the incident and 'handled it internally.' Charges against Howard were dropped in this case because he was found incompetent to stand trial.

This is not the first time Howard has been involved in dangerous car thefts. He has previously been involved in a stolen truck chase which ended in a crash.

In 2015, Howard was shot in the head by a man who spot him breaking into his car, according to a criminal complaint.

He was hospitalized for 10 days, and then a month later attempted to break into a bait car left by police.
An 83-year-old mother accused with her son in the murder-for-hire plot of her former daughter-in-law has pleaded not guilty.

Pauline Chase and her son Maurice Temple, 63, appeared at a bail hearing at Sullivan Superior Court Wednesday in relation to the plot to kill Temple's ex-wife.

The mother-and-son duo from New Hampshire remain held on $1 million bail ordered by Judge Brian Tucker.

Both are charged with criminal solicitation of murder, conspiracy to commit murder and attempt to commit murder.

Pauline Chase, 83, (left) and her son Maurice Temple, 63, (right) who have been charged in a murder-for-hire plot involving her former daughter-in-law, have pleaded not guilty

Prosecutors have played recordings of the two defendants with a man, identified as Mark Horne, who was asked to kill the ex-wife. He eventually went to the police.

Tucker's ruling Wednesday comes after Chase's attorney raised several questions about her client's competency, saying Chase is confused, forgetful, and disconnected from reality.

Tucker said: 'I think the evidence that Mrs. Chase was fully invested in this endeavor is substantial.'

According to court documents obtained by Valley News, Maurice and his mother had 'multiple conversations' with a man, Horne, about killing a woman named Jean Temple, who is Temple's ex-wife.

The mother-and-son duo from New Hampshire remain held on $1 million bail ordered by Judge Brian Tucker

Pauline Chase (L) and her son Maurice Temple (R) along with legal representation during their arraignments in Sullivan County Superior Court on Wednesday by Eagle Times

Authorities said Maurice was in the room when Chase gave the man roughly $5,000 cash as a 'down payment' for killing Jean.

The mother-and-son duo are also accused of offering Horne additional incentives, including property, to carry out Jean's murder, and Maurice repeatedly checking Horne to make sure he wasn't recording their discussions, according to the Boston Globe.

WMUR reports that Maurice and Jean have been fighting over a debt he owes her, stemming from their divorce. In early July, Maurice was arrested and put in jail after he failed to make court-ordered payments to Jean.

The murder-for-hire discussions allegedly took place between June 20 and July 27.
A pair of Adolf Hitler's initialed underpants are up for auction in the US.

They have been kept since the Nazi dictator forgot them when he left a hotel in Graz, Austria in 1938.

The auction in Maryland will also feature a rare copy of Mein Kampf from August 18, 1930 in which Hitler wrote: 'Only in battle will the noble man survive'.

Left behind: A pair of Adolf Hitler's initialed underpants are up for auction in the US

Initialed: They have been kept since the Nazi dictator forgot them when he left a hotel in Graz, Austria in 1938

Also on offer is a US flag (pictured) from Pearl Harbor and a rare D-day flag flown by a landing craft at Omaha Beach

The signed book is expected to fetch many thousands of dollars, with the bidding starting at $7,500.

Also on offer is a US flag from Pearl Harbor and a rare D-day flag flown by a landing craft at Omaha Beach, which is expected to fetch at least $250,000. Similar items have sold for more than $400,000 in the past.

More of Hitler's possessions are up for grabs, including his globe from Berchtesgaden, a pair of socks and a white collared shirt.

Also for sale are the eyeglasses that SS leader Heinrich Himmler was wearing when he committed suicide.

The glasses were saved by a doctor from the British forces, who was attending the post mortem examination after Himmler, Hitler's henchman, killed himself.

The sale is in Chesapeake City on September 13 and 14 via Alexander Historical Auctions.

The auction in Maryland will also feature a rare copy of Mein Kampf from August 18, 1930 in which Hitler wrote: 'Only in battle will the noble man survive'

More of Hitler possessions are up for grabs, including his globe from Berchtesgaden, a pair of socks (pictured)

The sale is in Chesapeake City on September 13 and 14 via Alexander Historical Auctions. Pictured: The signed copy of Mein Kampf

This image shows a winged collar which was worn by Adolf Hitler in the 1930s

Hitler's wardrobe: Also on sale at the action on 13 September is a white collared shirt
Historic mugshots taken nearly a century and a half ago are now on display in a new exhibition named Captured: Portraits of Crime.

The photos, taken in jails across New South Wales between 1870 and 1930, show portraits of prisoners from all walks of life.

Newly digitised, the images are a snapshot of a bygone era, and provide an insight into the types of criminals that passed through the prison doors of their time.

Ellen Hogan (pictured) was photographed at Long Bay Gaol in 1919 after being convicted of misappropriating public monies

Harold Collins (pictured) was found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife in 1925 and was photographed at Long Bay Gaol the next day. He was a Gallipoli veteran who was disfigured when a bullet hit him in the jaw, destroyed his nose and came out by his ear.

Mitchell Ryan (pictured) was easily recognisable due to a missing eye and phosphorus burns on his face, neck and left arm

One set of portraits features crew members of the Carl, a ship that sailed from Melbourne to Fiji in 1871.

Six men from the ship were photographed at Darlinghurst Gaol after being charged with murder and assault.

Another set was taken from 1872 to 1910, and features Sarah Clifford, a Jamaica born pickpocket and former convict.

She was imprisoned for multiple theft offences over a four decade period in both Tasmania and New South Wales, and died in Newington State Hospital and Asylum.

Eileen Mulholland (pictured under an alias) was a notorious housebreaker who was jailed in 1919 after moving from Melbourne to Sydney

One set of portraits features crew members (pictured) of the Carl, a ship that sailed from Melbourne to Fiji in 1871

Sarah Clifford (pictured) was a Jamaica born pickpocket and former convict who was jailed multiple times

Harold Collins was found guilty of the manslaughter of his wife in 1925 and was photographed at Long Bay Gaol the next day.

He was a Gallipoli veteran who was disfigured when a bullet hit him in the jaw, destroyed his nose and came out by his ear.

Pier McDhoon was another repeated offender, photographed at least six times at Darlinghurst and Parramatta jails between 1895 and 1913.

Pier McDhoon (pictured) was another repeated offender, photographed at least six times at Darlinghurst and Parramatta jails between 1895 and 1913

Arthur Riley (pictured) was a well-known larrikin and violent criminal with a 30-year history of crime

McDhoon was a habitual horse thief and horse whisperer whose body was covered in tattoos of his favourite animal.

Arthur Riley was a well-known larrikin and violent criminal with a 30-year history of crime.

He was pictured at six different jails and allowed his body to be used as a canvas for tattoists while behind bars.

Thomas Maguire, also known as John Nathan, James Coady, Jame Roley, Donald Foley and Thomas James, committed crimes of almost every type.

Jacky Bullyell (pictured) appears in a photograph titled 'Aboriginal Jacky', taken at Albury Gaol in 1894 after he was locked up for murder

A photograph of his record of convictions shows offences spanning a 20-year period.

William Deakin spent 15 years in Albury Gaol for murder after shooting a fisherman while on a rabbit-hunting trip with his brother while still a teenager.

Jacky Bullyell appears in a photograph titled 'Aboriginal Jacky', taken at Albury Gaol in 1894 after he was locked up for murder.

Jacky and fellow tracker Willie Kenambury were convicted for spearing a Polish man in 1891.

Thomas Maguire (pictured), also known as John Nathan, James Coady, Jame Roley, Donald Foley and Thomas James, committed crimes of almost every type

A photograph of Thomas Maguire's record of convictions (pictured) shows offences spanning a 20-year period

Chinese-born Ah Lee was known as a burglar - but he only stole from fellow Chinese.

Lee was photographed at Darlinghurst Goal and had multiple aliases. Police described him as a blackmailer and a pimp.

Mitchell Ryan was easily recognisable due to a missing eye and phosphorus burns on his face, neck and left arm.

He served time in four different jail for false pretenses, stealing and assault.

Cecil Pierpont (pictured) was a conman jailed for false pretenses over a 13-year period. Born in England, he travelled to the Blue Mountains where he claimed to be a baron and passed false cheques

Chinese-born Ah Lee (pictured) was known as a burglar - but he only stole from fellow Chinese

Cecil Pierpont was a conman jailed for false pretenses over a 13-year period.

Born in England, he travelled to the Blue Mountains where he claimed to be a baron and passed false cheques.

Ellen Hogan was photographed at Long Bay Gaol in 1919 after being convicted of misappropriating public monies.

A mother-of-four, she supplemented a salary she described as insufficient by committing fraud while working at a Queanbeyan Post Office.

Walter Mansfield (pictured) was first convicted at age 12, and was repeatedly incarcerated. In 1928 his wife filed for divorce due to his predilection for crime

Eileen Mulholland was a notorious housebreaker who was jailed in 1919 after moving from Melbourne to Sydney.

After returning to Melbourne she resumed her life of crime under two assumed names and was soon back behind bars.

Walter Mansfield was first convicted at age 12, and was repeatedly incarcerated.

In 1928 his wife filed for divorce due to his predilection for crime.
A Taiwanese man has arranged a wedding ceremony between him and his girlfriend who was tragically killed during a road accident along with their unborn child.

Tsai Shangzhen, 30, put a bridal veil and a wedding ring on his late partner in front of family and friends during the funeral of Chen Yichi, who died in August at the age of 24, according to Taiwan media.

Mr Tsai, a truck driver, told Taiwan-based Apple Daily that he wanted to keep his promise and give a long-dreamt wedding to Ms Chen, even if she had passed away.

Tsai Shangzhen, from Changhua, Taiwan, arranged a wedding ceremony between him and his late girlfriend on September 5 as he sent off his partner of five years

Ms Chen, a nurse, was said to be killed during a crash in late August as she rode her motorbike back home from work.

She had dated Mr Tsai for five years and was five months pregnant when the accident occurred.

According to Apple Daily Taiwan, Ms Chen's funeral took place on September 6 in Changhua county, near Taichung city.

In a TV interview after the emotional ceremony, Mr Tsai told a reporter that he and his girlfriend had planned to have their engagement ceremony soon.

Mr Tsai stated on his Facebook page that the couple had scheduled to have their ceremony next month.

Footage of the ceremony has been televised by various media outlets in Taiwan, including CTV News and EBC.

Mr Tsai and his girlfriend had dated for five years and she was five months pregnant

He put flowers, a bridal veil and a wedding ring on his late partner in front of friends and family

Friends and family weep as they bid farewell to Mr Tsai's girlfriend during the special ceremony

According to the footage, Mr Tsai decorated the mourning hall in pink with heart-shaped balloons and pre-wedding photos of him and Ms Chen.

Friends and families attended the ceremony with mixed feelings, stated the media.

Mr Tsai put on a wedding ring onto Ms Chen's hand to complete the ceremony.

Speaking in an interview with CTV News, Mr Tsai recalled the day of the fatal accident.

'I called [her] a few times and she didn't pick up the phone. She had never been like this before. Then I ran out and found her crashed scooter.'

The TV stations also released news footage of the car crash, which took place on August 26. The footage shows Ms Chen being put onto an ambulance by a stretcher.

One paramedic said: 'She has cracks on her skull and she lost her consciousness.'

The pregnant woman died later on the day along with the unborn child.

Mr Tsai said he considered the ceremony as a way to honour his dead girlfriend, whose pictures continue to appear on his social media page.

Ms Chen's family were apparently moved by Mr Tsai's devotion. Ms Chen's sister told a reporter she was 'very touched' by the special ceremony.
According to Speaker of the House, Paul Ryan, people are using smartphones to apply for FEMA assistance at unprecedented levels and as a result it is nearly out of funds.

This wasnt possible in past disasters because people needed PCs, electricity and homes which werent flooded or destroyed to connect to the internet.

Hurricane Harvey and its immense amount of flooding has destroyed a large number of homes (above) while Hurricane Irma has already hit land in the US territory of Puerto Rico and will hit the US mainland soon. Even worse, hurricane Jose isnt far behind Irma.

Smartphones have made the pace of everything happen more quickly and asking for assistance from FEMA is no different and while this is great for those in need, it will put inordinate strain on government budgets to ensure the emergency fund stays solvent.
Steve Bannon told '60 Minutes' on Wednesday that the Roman Catholic Church has been supportive of the Obama-era 'Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals' program protecting young illegal immigrants from deportation  because it needs children of border-jumpers to fill both pews and collection plates.

Bannon, a thrice-married Catholic himself, criticized New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan for opposing President Donald Trump's decision to rescind DACA.

Dolan called the move 'not Christian' and 'not American' on Tuesday, saying Catholics provide 'special solicitude' for immigrants because 'they come to us first. The highest percentage of immigrants are, guess what? Catholic.'

The first published clips from Bannon's extended CBS News sitdown hit the Internet Thursday morning, including the excerpt that will have mainstream Catholics wincing.

Steve Bannon claims in a '60 Minutes' interview that the Roman Catholic Church, of which he is himself a member, embraces illegal immigrants because its leaders want their money in collection plates

Pope Francis has emerged as a staunch defender of immigrants in general, and has complained about the use of the word 'illegal' to describe some of them in North America

President Donald Trump tweeted Thursday that he would take 'no action' to deport DACA beneficiaries during the six-month period he has given Congress to craft a permanent replacement for the program

'The bishops have been terrible about this by the way,' Bannon tells co-host Charlie Rose in one excerpt. 'You know why? You know why? Because, unable to really come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens.'

'They need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's  it's obvious on the face of it.'

He added that the reason 'the entire Catholic [conference of] bishops condemn him,' Trump, is that 'they have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.'

DACA, which President Trump has placed on a 6-month countdown to termination if Congress doesn't act to codify it into law, guarantees protection against deportation for nearly 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Trump tweeted Thursday morning that his administration would take 'no action' to deport the policy's beneficiaries 'during the 6 month period,' telling them: '[Y]ou have nothing to worry about.'

Pope Francis has emerged as a champion for migrants of all kinds, including refugees and those who slip across borders unlawfully for purely economic reasons.

The Pontiff said in an April interview that the news media should focus on human rights, natural disasters and poverty as drivers of mass-migration, without paying as much attention to legalities.

'How many times do you hear them speak of "illegal" as a synonym for migrant?' Francis asked the Italian magazine LibertaCivili. 'This is incorrect ... and that pushes the public to develop a negative opinion.'

'The defense of human beings knows no barriers,' he added. 'We are all united in wanting to ensure a dignified life for every man, woman, child forced to abandon their land.'

Bannon describes himself as a 'street fighter' and has no qualms about attacking his own church  whose official view on immigration he belittled as 'just another guy with an opinion'

'60 Minutes' co-host Charlie Rose (right) interviewed Bannon Wednesday at the Washington, D.C. row house that serves as Breitbart News's headquarters

Bannon is a self-described 'street fighter' whose famed view on making controversial statements refers to an Internet meme about a skunk-like creature known for its tenacious hunting: 'Honey badger don't give a s**t.'

That cavalier back-of-the-hand approach to his church was on full view in the '60 Minutes' interview, which will air Sunday night in full.

'I totally respect the Pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine,' he said. 'This is not about doctrine.'

'This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion.'

The interview took place at a Capitol Hill row house that serves as headquarters for Breitbart News, a conservative website that Bannon helmed before and after his brief White House tenure.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan strenuously objected this week when President Donald Trump reversed his predecessor Barack Obama's 'DACA' policy

Bannon famously upbraided the news media in January, a week after Donald Trump became president, for misreading America's political and electoral landscape.

'The media should be embarrassed and humiliated and keep its mouth shut and just listen for a while,' he told The New York Times in one feisty interview back then.

'I want you to quote this,' he added then. 'The media here is the opposition party. They dont understand this country. They still do not understand why Donald Trump is the president of the United States.'

On Wednesday as word filtered through Washington that Bannon would take his populist message to CBS, tongues wagged in the West Wing.

'Steve should take his own advice and shut up for awhile,' one White House official told DailyMail.com as news of the '60 Minute' interview broke on Wednesday.

'Now that he's gone he can showboat all he wants, I guess, but it's just going to underscore what a lousy, lousy team player he always was.'

Reached for comment on Thursday morning, that same official said: 'Mamma mia! It's a bad idea to try and out-Pope the Pope.'
Christina Aguilera was forced to perform a Russian couple's first dance indoors after their dream 7.3million beach wedding was halted by protests over local turtles.

Environmentalists protesting over a turtle nesting site forced the wealthy couple to cancel a glitzy beach wedding party featuring the superstar on the holiday island of Cyprus.

Organisers had to tear up their plans for an outdoor party on the sand after a planning row, and eventually Aguilera performed The Voice Within indoors after a long delay.

Campaigners argued the beach party would have disturbed the turtles' nesting sites.

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Ain't No Other Man: The bride finally gets her first dance with her husband to the sound of The Voice Within

Can't Hold Us Down: Eventually, after a long delay as a grumble over turtles played out, Christina Aguilera came to the stage

A shellfish call? The environmental campaigners were protesting because of these turtles' nesting patterns on the beach

Dirrty protest: The couple forked out 7.3million for their wedding but were forced to delay proceedings due to environmentalists rallying over the nesting patterns of local turtles

The wedding eventually went ahead on Wednesday at the Anassa luxury hotel in Latchi on the northwestern coast of the Mediterranean island.

Aguilera had inadvertently got caught up in a storm after pictures emerged of bulldozers ploughing through a sandy beach used by protected turtles for nesting.

A permit had initially been granted for an outdoor performance - 'but on the understanding that nothing would change on the beach', Paphos district official Mary Lambrou told state radio.

'When we saw what they did, then we intervened and told them to take the structure down and the event took place indoors,' she added.

Local authorities stepped in after eco activists complained that a tractor was used to flatten the sand to set up a stage on a beach in front of the hotel.

'With our action we prevented an environmental disaster that has exposed Cyprus worldwide,' Green MP George Perdikis said.

Community leader Andreas Christodoulou branded the move a 'disgrace' and told local press: 'For Gods sake the deck was there since Tuesday and it hasnt moved an inch since the order.

'Were not barbarians were not trying to harm the environment. This is a shame and a disgrace.'

Justin Bieber had also been booked to perform at the wedding, it has been claimed by the Cyprus Mail.

Lady Marm-delayed! Christina Aguilera eventually performs The Voice Within at the wedding of the Russian couple

After the fallout, the wedding was confined to the hotel itself.

The initial permit, obtained by the venue's management, had cost 500 but was revoked by the country's interior minister on ecological grounds.

In 2002, British business magnate Sir Philip Green forked out millions for a 50th birthday bash at the same Cyprus hotel, flying in hundreds of guests to be entertained by performers Rod Stewart and Tom Jones among others.
Two women incarcerated at a minimum-security prison in California escaped on Monday and are being actively sought by federal and state authorities, it was reported on Thursday.

Anna Armstrong, 34, and Irene Mitchell, 37, walked out of the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California, on Monday evening, The Mercury News reported.

The Alameda County Sheriffs Office shared an image Wednesday of Mitchell, who was spotted near Manning Road and North Livermore Avenue in nearby Livermore.

It shows Mitchell in a white tank top, jeans, and sunglasses. She is seen hauling a bag and holding a cell phone in one hand and what appears to be a bottle of water in the other hand.

The two women were serving sentences for drug-related crimes.

Mitchell was sentenced to just over nine years in prison beginning in May 2014.

Anna Armstrong (left), 34, and Irene Mitchell, 37, walked out of the Federal Correctional Institution in Dublin, California

The Alameda County Sheriffs Office shared this image Wednesday of Mitchell, spotted today near Manning Road and North Livermore Avenue in nearby Livermore, California

The Federal Correction Institution in Dublin, California is a minimum-security facility whose inmates are all female

She has a lengthy criminal record in Montana and Washington that includes convictions for theft, assault, fraud, identity theft, and possession of stolen property.

Mitchell has been described as a 5-foot-8 Native American weighing approximately 180 pounds.

She has brown hair, brown eyes, and a tattoo on her neck that reads Adan.

In March of this year, Armstrong was sentenced to five years and three months in prison.

She is a white woman with a height listed at 5-foot-5. She weighs approximately 175 pounds and she has brown hair and hazel eyes.

Anyone with information on their whereabouts is asked to contact the fugitive tip line of the United States Marshals Service at 1-877-926-8332. Anonymous tips can also be sent to http://northerncaliforniamostwanted.org.
Doctors opposed to gay marriage are being likened to racists and stand accused of pushing same-sex attracted people to the brink of suicide by their medical colleagues.

Chris Middleton, who resigned as the Australian Medical Association's Tasmanian president over the issue of redefining marriage, has spoken out against a petition signed by 2000 doctors.

This petition likens opponents of gay marriage to racists and says doctors with socially conservative views are making homosexuals suffer 'increased depression, anxiety, self harm and suicidal behaviour', The Australian reports.

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Tasmanian doctor Chris Middleton says he has been 'smeared' and 'abused' by the petition

'To speak out against one sector of the community for wanting to access what everyone else can claim freely is discrimination in line with that historically practised against non-white people through the western world,' this open letter says.

Dr Middleton, who quit the AMA over its support for gay marriage, told the newspaper this letter had 'smeared' and 'abused' him as a racist in an 'astonishing and intemperate attack'.

'May we suggest that such ad hominem attacks on any who question the LGBT orthodoxy is precisely what the public is repulsed by,' he said.

'We have made no such attacks, and we advise the authors and signatories of the rival document to reconsider their words.'

Sydney GP Dr Pansy Lai has been targeted by left-wing activists for being in a 'no' case ad

Dr Middleton is one of 400 doctors opposed to the AMA's endorsement of gay marriage, including Sydney GP Pansy Lai who appeared in an ad for the 'no' case.

The new pro-gay marriage letter was written by third-year Perth medical student Carolyn O'Neil, whose petition is squarely aimed at doctors with conservative values.

'As a body of medical professionals we are concerned at the move by some of our colleagues to speak out against marriage equality,' it said, adding the term 'same-sex marriage' was a hurdle that had to be overcome.

The latest campaign against conservative doctors comes after left-wing activist group GetUp! dropped a petition calling for Dr Lai to be deregistered for appearing in an ad for the Coalition for Marriage, which opposes redefining matrimony.

The petition signed by 2000 doctors is clearly aimed at doctors with conservative values

Greens leader Richard Di Natale, a former GP, declined to denounce that campaign against Dr Lai at a media conference this week.

He instead voiced concern about 'conservative doctors' treating homosexual patients.

The petition was released on Wednesday, the day before the High Court unanimously rejected two legal challenges to the Turnbull Government's postal vote on gay marriage.

Ballots are being sent out to Australian voters from September 12 with the results of the voluntary survey to be announced by mid-November.
The number of New York firefighters who have died as a result of 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center has topped 500.

On September 11, 2001, 343 members of FDNY died when the twin towers collapsed following the Al Qaeda attacks.

However, in the 16 years since the atrocity, a further 159 of those who served in the aftermath of the attacks have died of illnesses.

Father and son Raymond Alexander, left, and his son Robert, right, were both first responders on 9/11 and the pair have died of cancer linked to the atrocity within a year of each other

The 9/11 attacks claimed the lives of 343 FDNY personnel on the day of the atrocity, but over the next 16 years, illnesses caused by the collapse have claimed a further 159 officers

Among those are father and son Robert Alexander, 43, and Raymond Alexander, 76. Both were first responders and spent days attempting to rescue their stricken comrades from the rubble.

Raymond Alexander died on November 21, 2016 having battled seven different cancers in 13 years.

His son Robert died last month aged 43 of a 9/11 related brain tumor. He was suffering from headaches which were caused by a peanut-sized lump in his brain.

Both men were off on 9/11 but as soon as they saw the footage, they raced to the scene. At the time, Robert was an NYPD officer who later joined the fire department.

The scene was contaminated by toxic fumes, mercury, asbestos, and jet fuel.

As of last year, Mount Sinai's World Trade Center Health Program had counted more than 5,400 people with 9/11-related cancers.

Also among those claimed by 9/11 illnesses was Raymond Pfeifer who died in May. He spent a week sleeping at night in his fire truck at the scene so he could work as long as possible in the effort to find survivors.

Another name added to the list was Raymond Pfeifer, pictured with his friend, comedian Jon Stewart, who died in May following a long battle with cancer

The 32 names will be added to the memorial wall inside the FDNY headquarters in Brooklyn

Comedian Jon Stewart spoke at Pfeifer's funeral. The pair had lobbied Congress for a renewal of the Zadroga Act which guarantees health care for 9/11 first responders.

Pfeifer served over 27 years in the fire department before retiring in 2014.

Stewart told mourners: 'Make no mistake, Ray Pfeifer died in the line of duty, because of illness in the terrible terrorist attacks of 9/11.

'But more importantly Ray Pfeifer lived in the line of duty. Now and forever. That's what I remember most about him.'

According to the New York Daily News, the names of 32 additional firefighters, most of whom died of a 9/11 related cancer over the past year, will be engraved on brass plaques inside the FDNY headquarters at MetroTech, Brooklyn.

Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro said: 'The 32 members we remember this year were without question brave  they were dedicated and compassionate  and they performed their duties, selflessly and courageously.'

The FDNY lost the greatest number of personnel on 9/11 with 343 confirmed deaths. A further 23 NYPD Officers and 37 from the Port Authority police also died.
A South LA street was ruined on Wednesday afternoon when an electrical vault exploded beneath it.

The vault - which carries enough electricity to power a thousand homes, according to experts - detonated at around 3:30pm, creating a 'big boom like a car exploded,' as one witness told NBC Los Angeles.

The explosion was powerful enough to rip up concrete sheets, scatter seven-inch-thick chunks of asphalt and toss manhole covers weighing 250lbs into the air.

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Shattered: Concrete and asphalt was shattered and tossed into the air on Wednesday afternoon when a transmission line underneath a South LA street failed, causing an explosion

Inches-thick chunks of asphalt were torn up and 250lb manhole covers tossed into the air. No-one was hurt in the explosion, which is a rare occurrence, officials said

Aerial photos show the intersection of Brynhurst Avenue and 63rd Street cracked and shattered, and the pieces tossed around like breadcrumbs.

Some of the debris landed on cars, shattering windshields and denting roofs in the Hyde Park neighborhood.

Miraculously - given the location, devastation and time of day - no injuries were reported.

'They haven't seen anything like this and we haven't seen anything like this before,' said Kris Larson, Los Angeles Fire Department Battalion Chief.

'We heard a loud boom. We didn't know if it was a gas explosion; we've never heard anything like that,' Sheri Timmons, a resident, told KTLA 5.

'We could just smell some sort of gas,' she added.

But after Los Angeles Department of Water and Power and SoCal Gas were called to the scene, officials realized the problem was electrical in nature.

The transmission line carried 138,000 volts - enough to power a thousand homes. Vaults are concrete-lined spaces that allow workers to access underground cables and pipes

A transmission line in the electrical vault beneath the road had stopped working.

And as it carried 138,000 volts - enough to power a thousand houses - that meant trouble for residents.

'Electrical vaults from time to time will overheat and explode just because they get so hot,' LAFD battalion chief Kris Larson told CBS Los Angeles.

'Theres energy running through them and there's heat behind it. It's just unusual that it happened on a day that's not extremely hot.'

The vaults are concrete-lined spaces designed to provide workers with access to the cables and pipes that supply neighborhoods.

There's no word on when the road will be reopened to traffic.
Impressive timelapse video shows an 11-year-old boy effortlessly painting TV host Steve Harvey in just 22 minutes.

Tyler is from San Jose, California and clearly has artistic chops as he uses only black and grey to paint the portrait of famed Steve Harvey.

Tyler is so good, he's even seen taking breaks to watch TV as he paints.

Tyler, 11, is a talented painter from San Jose, California. He starts by painting the eyes with great detail

The artist begins by painting Harvey's eyes and does so with precise detail.

He then moves on to the rest of the face and tuxedo jacket, highlighting the entire piece with gray to finally finish it off.

Tyler appears to be holding the photo of what he's painting in his hand and glances at it periodically.

And this clearly isn't the first time he has done one of these portraits. Behind Tyler are four other paintings in a similar style using brown to highlight the facial features.

The video was originally posted by Tyler's mother, who must be very proud she may have a future Picasso on her hands.

He only uses two colors for the entire piece-black for the base and gray to highlight the facial features. Tyler is so good he even pausing to watch TV a few times as he paints

Tyler has clearly done this before. Behind him are four portraits in a similar style using brown as the highlighting color
A 57-year-old California man who worked as an airline pilot has been convicted of traveling to the Philippines to have sex with minors.

Michael Carey Clemans was found guilty on Tuesday by a federal jury in Sacramento of attempted travel and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and buying of children, according to a U.S. Attorney's Office news release.

He pleaded guilty to three additional counts on his first day of the trial including conspiracy to produce child pornography, attempted production and production of child pornography, and receipt of child pornography.

Clemans conspired with a woman in the Philippines to produce child pornography beginning in 2014, according to court documents.

Michael Clemans, a 57-year-old California man who worked as an airline pilot, has been convicted of traveling to the Philippines to have sex with minors (file above)

At the time he was temporarily living in Bangkok where he worked as an airline pilot.

Clemans returned to his Sacramento home in April 2015 and continued the overseas conspiracy using his online Yahoo email account to communicat with the Filipino woman.

Authorities say he discussed numerous strategies to obtain minor girls who he could rape and told the woman how to find vulnerable youth - directing her towards orphans and typhoon victims who were young as seven years old.

Clemans paid the Filipino woman roughly $6,000 for her to purchase photographic equipment and find locations where they could shoot sexually explicit photos of the victims.

The pilot gave the woman specific instructions on how to photograph the children so he could then determine which victim he would travel to the country to rape, authorities say.

He was found guilty by in Sacramento of attempted travel and travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct, conspiracy to travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct and buying of children. He also conspired from his Sacramento home (above) to commit crimes

Clemans also paid a co-conspirator to obtain temporary custody of the children and produce pornography for him in the Philippines on some occasions.

During the trial prosecutors presented evidence showing that Clemans participated in another scheme with other individuals in November 2013 where he traveled from the U.S. to Manila to engage in sexual conduct with minors after requesting pornographic images of them.

Clemans will be sentenced on December 12 by U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez.

He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years in prison for the charge of 'buying children,' a maximum statutory penalty of life in prison and a $250,000 fine, authorities say.

It's unclear what airline company he flew planes for.

The case was brought as part of the Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched by the by the Department of Justice in 2006 to combat child exploitation and abuse.

Two Filipino women, Lyan Tandeg and Shellina Atad, were arrested back in November 2015 and charged with certified trafficking and syndicated little one pornography, Philippine News Now reported.

The two women supplied children from eight to 11 years old for sex with foreigners for 3,000 pesos an evening.

They were busted by an undercover broker during a sting operation at an Angeles City espresso store.
A young couple struggling to care for their baby with a serious health condition are celebrating a 'miracle' after winning 1million on the Euromillions.

Amy and Adam Pryor feared for their future together after believing Amy would have to give up her job to look after their daughter Charlotte, who has serious health problems and requires trips to London hospitals.

But the couple from Maidstone, Kent have now won the cash after winning the lucky dip which gives their child a fighting chance for a bright future.

Mr Pryor, 33, was working around the clock after it was decided his wife would not return to work following the birth of their child.

Amy and Adam Pryor feared for their future together after believing Amy would have to give up her job to look after their daughter Charlotte

The couple, from Maidstone, originally thought they had won just 2.70 on the lottery but later found out they had won the lucky dip

He said: 'I don't really believe in fate but on this occasion I think I might, the timing of our win really couldn't have been better as until last Tuesday the future was looking a bit grim.

'Charlotte needs almost constant one-to-one care and has frequent hospital appointments so we had decided that Amy would not return to work at the end of the month as originally planned.

'While it was absolutely a decision we were happy with for Charlotte, it meant I was taking all the overtime I could - 60 hours last month - and then barely saw my little family.

'And now, when we needed it most, Lady Luck has stepped in and we couldn't be more relieved.'

The 29-year-old mother added: 'Charlotte's condition is not life-threatening but it is life changing. Long term it means we will be invested in her care.

'Winning this means we have the peace of mind to know we can afford the best care for her.'

She added: 'It goes without saying we would give it all back in a heartbeat if it meant that Charlotte's health problems would vanish but that's not possible so instead this money will mean that we can do our absolute best for her, now and for the future.

The pair now plan to take their seriously ill daughter Charlotte to Disney World and buy new cars with their winnings

'We can buy a family home that will meet all our needs and new cars for us both, but it's the little things that this win will help with. The endless trips to London for hospital appointments were an expensive exercise. '

Mr Pryor originally thought he had only won 2.70 when he received an email, and couldn't believe his luck when he realised he had actually won the lucky dip.

He said: 'Eventually I logged on and thought it was 1,000, then I saw the other zeros and thought this can't be real.'

'I turned to Amy saying "we've won a million" but she just told me to shut up and stop being so silly.'

The pair are to splash out on a new set of cars, a cordless vacuum cleaner and a dream holiday to Disney World.

'We want to take her as soon as she is old enough,' added Amy. 'Also because I really want to do the Harry Potter bit.'
As the deadly Hurricane Irma continues its progress through the Caribbean, some of the plush celebrity homes in the area have been seriously battered.

US President Donald Trump's five-acre Le Chateau des Palmiers estate is thought to have been heavily damaged after the island of St Martin was struck by the storm.

Eight people have been reported dead after St Martin took a direct hit from Irma, with 95 per cent of the French side of the island destroyed.

The exact fate of Trump's beachfront mansion, which recently had its price dropped to $16.9 million, is unknown but a Trump organization spokeswoman said company officials had been monitoring the situation.

Hits and misses: Some celebrities, like Mick Jagger and Oprah Winfrey, dodged the worst of the storm. Others, like Roman Abramovich and Richard Branson, have been less fortunate

Richard Branson's Necker Island tourist resort, meanwhile, sustained massive damage as the most powerful storm in Atlantic history smashed into the British Virgin Islands.

His son Sam said 'most' of the buildings on the island were destroyed, but that his dad and Virgin staff managed to survive by taking shelter in a wine cellar.

The status of the other celebrity abode already hit by the storm - Roman Abramovich's multi-million dollar mansion on the island of St Barts in Guadeloupe - is unknown.

St Barts, however, was rattled by Irma as roofs were ripped off and all electricity was knocked out.

Mick Jagger - who is believed to own property on Mustique in St Vincent and the Grenadines - has dodged the worst of the hurricane.

The same is true of Oprah Winfrey, understood to have a home on Antigua - the island twin of Barbuda, which was almost completely destroyed.

But as Irma pushes towards Turks and Caicos tonight, it could put homes owned by Keith Richards and Bruce Willis at risk.

Island retreat: Johnny Depp's Little Hall's Pond Cay in the Bahamas, which could be imperiled by Hurricane Irma

Bargain: Depp bought the island in 2004 for close to $3.6million

Alert: Authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate the residents of six islands at the southern end of the island chain. Pictured: Johnny Depp

When the storm reaches the Bahamas this weekend, Pirates of the Caribbean star Johnny Depp's private Little Hall's Pond Cay could be under serious threat.

Illusionist David Copperfield and Shrek star Eddie Murphy also have islands in the archipelago that could be at risk in the coming days.

Richard Branson refused to leave his 74-acre Necker Island complex in the British Virgin Islands despite the lethal hurricane crashing right into his home.

The British billionaire retreated to his concrete bunker as the storm hit his Caribbean complex yesterday.

Trump's mega mansion on the French island of St Martin was hit by the storm

Invested: Trump will be concerned about his own property as well the Americans at risk in the Caribbean and southern US

Trump is thought to value the property at about $50 million but it has recently been listed for $16.9 million

His son Sam Branson took to Instagram to tell his followers that his father and his staff were 'OK' - but stressed there had been 'lots of damage' to Necker and said one person was dead on the island of Tortola.

He wrote: 'No cell, power of wifi coverage in VG [The British Virgin Islands]', adding that the islands' capital Road Town is 'flooded with many roofs ripped off'.

Referring to his father, he wrote: 'Branson is ok on Necker, but lots of damage to the island'.

Johnny Depp's 45-acre private island in the Bahamas, Little Hall's Pond Cay, could be at serious risk as authorities announce the beginning of evacuations.

Hurricane Irma has ripped through Caribbean islands on a path towards the US. A second hurricane, Jose, is developing in the Atlantic

Eddie Murphy, meanwhile, could see his Rooster Cay home damaged in the storm

Beautiful: Murphy's island as seen from above

He bought the island in 2004 for close to $3.6million.

Fellow actor and Bahamas island owner Eddie Murphy, meanwhile, could see his Rooster Cay home damaged.

Illusionist David Copperfield also owns Musha Cay in the Bahamas and could be fearing Irma's wrath.

Bruce Willis and Keith Richards, meanwhile, have property on Parrot Cay in Turks and Caicos.

Tracking the storm: This model from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast shows the projected path of Irma. The red shows where it will hit land and cause serious damage

Illusionist David Copperfield owns an island in the Bahamas that could be struck by Irma

A general view of Villa Guru Resort at Musha Cay

Sir Richard Branson's Necker Island in the British Virgin Islands has been devastated by the storm

Paradise: Necker Island, which Richard Branson bought when he was just 28

Branson said: 'On Necker Island we have constructed really strong buildings (with hurricane blinds) that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well, though with a Category 5 hurricane almost nothing can withstand it'

The businessman also took the opportunity to discuss the need to support the Paris agreement on clean energy. Pictured: Necker Island

Explaining his reasoning for staying on Necker, Branson fully acknowledged the danger of Hurricane Irma, stressing that the 'devastation' they can cause 'cannot be overstated', but said he will stay on his island regardless.

He wrote in a blog post: 'On Necker Island we have constructed really strong buildings (with hurricane blinds) that should be able to handle extreme weather pretty well, though with a Category 5 hurricane almost nothing can withstand it.

'We had some lovely guests staying on Necker Island who have cut their trip short for safety reasons, and another group of guests have also postponed.

Abramovich is not thought to be on the island but Hurricane Irma severely damaged St Barts

Roman Abramovich has a $50m home near Gouverneur Beach on St Barts (pictured). Two years ago the billionaire flew in the Black Eyed Peas for a lavish New Year's Eve party on the island

'I will be on Necker alongside our team, as I have been on the three times we have had hurricanes over the past 30 years.'

His main concern, he added, was for the locals on the British Virgin Islands - as well as the island's fauna.

He explained: 'I am also concerned for the wonderful wildlife of the BVI, not least on Necker and Moskito, where many flamingos, lemurs, scarlet ibis and other stunning species live.
Arizona is the 14th state to get the U.S. Department of Educations seal of approval on its plan to implement the Every Student Succeeds Act, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos announced Wednesday.

In its feedback to the state, the Education Department had told Arizona that it needed to move science testing to a different part of its accountability system. (Thats something a lot of states were told, more on that issue here .) And it said Arizona needed to better explain how it would penalize schools where fewer than 95 percent of students take standardized tests.

Former Rep. John Kline, R-Minn., questioned in a commentary for Education Week whether a new Arizona law, which would give schools a choice of tests to use from grade 3 on, beginning in the 2019-20 school year, was consistent with ESSA. He called on the department to make sure that Arizona and other states test every child in grades 3 through 8, and once in high school using the same test. The new state testing law isnt mentioned in Arizonas ESSA plan.

And an independent review by the Collaborative for Student Success and Bellwether Education Partners found that Arizonas plan lacked key details, including when it comes to how historically overlooked subgroups of students will figure into its accountability system.

For those keeping score at home: Sixteen states and the District of Columbia have submitted their ESSA plans. All of those states have gotten initial feedback from the department. And 12 other statesConnecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Maine, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Dakota, Oregon, Tennessee, and Vermontplus the District of Columbia have gotten the thumbs up on their plans.

The remaining 34 states will submit their plans by Sept. 18.

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
Trump Education Secretary Betsy DeVos tore up Obama's rules on investigating campus sex assault claims Thursday, saying they had been 'weaponized' and had led to people being wrongly accused.

DeVos said there would now be months of consultation on new rules which she said had to offer protection to the 'falsely accused' and respect 'due process'.

There were protests outside as she spoke at George Mason University in Arlington, VA, in an indication that her moves are likely to prove controversial.

Dev Vos offered a lengthy critique of how the Obama administration had ordered campuses to enforce Title IX legislation, saying it had failed to offer justice.

Pointed: Betsy DeVos made her address at the law school named for conservative Supreme Court justice Antonin Scalia

Protest: A group of women outside who included those claiming to have been assaulted on campus offered some indication of the controversy likely to follow the end of the Title IX rules

'Schools have been compelled by Washington to enforce ambiguous and incredibly broad definitions of assault and harassment,' she said.

' Too many cases have involved students or faculty who have been punished for speaking their minds or teaching their classes.

'Any perceived offense can become a fully-blown Title IX investigation - but if everything is harassment thing nothing is.'

Speaking at the Atonin Scalia Law School, named for the late conservative Supreme Court justice, she

DeVos said Thursday, 'The era of 'rule by letter' is over,' as she announced plans to review and replace the way colleges and university handle investigations.

The Obama administration guidance was originally delivered in a letter to schools. She says it has failed many students and done a 'disservice to everyone involved.'

The letter details what schools must do to investigate allegations of sexual violence.

DeVos made clear that 'acts of sexual misconduct are reprehensible, disgusting, and unacceptable.'

'One rape is one too many,' she said. 'One assault is one assault too many. One person denied due process is one too many.'

But she added: 'Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students.'

Victims: The protests at George Mason University in Arlington, Virginia, included a mother who said her daughter had been assaulted

She said her department will seek public comment and university expertise to develop rules to replace the current policy.

About two dozen protesters had gathered outside the auditorium where Education Secretary Betsy DeVos was speaking.

The protesters include women who said they were assaulted on campus and victims' advocates.

One sign said: 'Donald Trump supports Betsy DeVos supports perpetrators.'

Some victim advocates and legal experts said they expected colleges to stay the course regardless of what DeVos said.

Central to the debate is a 2011 memo from the Education Department that laid out rules colleges must follow when responding to complaints of sexual assault from their students.

Title IX is a federal law that forbids discrimination in education based on sex. In recent years, it's been associated with efforts to address sexual assault and harassment at college campuses.
The Met Police has applied for more funding for the investigation into the disappearance of Madeleine McCann.

The three-year-old disappeared from a holiday apartment in Portugal on May 3, 2007 sparking one of the largest missing person searches in history.

It emerged today that Scotland Yard wants to extend Operation Grange, its own probe into the case, which has so far cost more than 11million.

The Metropolitan Police has applied for extra money to continue the investigation into the 2007 disappearance of Madeleine McCann, it emerged today

The Home Office, which funds the police, will now consider whether to grant the extra funding.

A spokesman for the government department said: 'The Home Office has provided funding to the Metropolitan Police for Operation Grange and the resources required are reviewed regularly with careful consideration given before any new funding is allocated.'

It is unclear how much extra cash police chiefs are applying for, although Scotland Yard Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley insisted earlier this year that there are still 'critical' leads, which are of 'great interest' to detectives.

He said Madeleine could still be alive and described the possibility of a 'burglary gone wrong' as a 'sensible hypothesis' which has not been 'entirely ruled out'.

Madeleine's parents Kate and Gerry McCann said they were 'very grateful' for an 85,000 cash injection from the Home Office into the investigation in March this year.

A freedom of information request also showed that, in 2014, Operation Grange officers spent almost 16,000 on 67 return flights to Portugal.

British police officers vistited the area where Madeleine went missing in 2014, but failed to find any evidence on a patch of land which was searched

But it emerged earlier this year that officers on the operation made just two flights to Portugal last year, prompting claims the investigation was being scaled down.

In an interview in April this year, nearly a decade on from Madeleine's disappearance, Mr Rowley ruled out Madeleine's parents as possible suspects.

He said: 'The parents' involvement: that was dealt with at the time by the original investigation by the Portuguese.

'Were happy thats completely dealt with and there is no reason whatsoever to re-open that or start rumours thats a line of investigation.

'The McCanns are the parents of a missing girl and were trying to get to the bottom of what happened.

The McCanns are reportedly prepared to bring in private detectives if the Met ends its probe

Mr Rowley said there was no 'definitive evidence' as to whether Madeleine is alive or dead.

He added: 'That's why we describe it as a missing person inquiry. We understand why, after this many years, people will be pessimistic, but it's important we keep an open mind.'

The officer added that however Madeleine left the apartment, she was abducted.

'She wasn't old enough to make a decision to set off and start her own life,' he said.

The McCanns are not commenting on the latest move at this stage.
n a separate legal action, DailyMail.com learned the Trump World Tower itself is also chasing her for $81,332 in unpaid common charges

Cash-strapped Jocelyn Wildenstein is playing cat and mouse with her exasperated creditors who say they can't slap foreclosure papers on the famed socialite because she's dodging their envoys.

Court documents obtained by DailyMail.com show Wildenstein has defaulted on a $4,500,000 mortgage she took out ten years ago on her sprawling Manhattan apartment.

But every time reps for Modern Bank turn up at her Trump World Tower residence to serve the summons they say the feline-featured debtor fails to answer.

Concierge and security staff at the glitzy high rise have also refused to help and threatened to call police on anyone who tries to drop off the paperwork.

The bank's surveillance operatives have even resorted to staking out the premises but on both occasions failed to spot Wildenstein, who turns 72 on Thursday.

'Catwoman' Jocelyn Wildenstein, 72, has been allegedly dodging court envoys after she defaulted on her $4.5M mortgage on her sprawling Manhattan apartment (Pictured with fiance Lloyd Klein)

Attempts to serve the socialite with foreclosure papers have failed as concierge and security staff at the glitzy high rise have also refused to help and threatened to call police on anyone who tries to drop off the paperwork

Reps for Modern Bank have turned up at her Trump World Tower residence to serve the summons but they say the feline-featured debtor fails to answer (Pictured, fiance Lloyd Klein reclining in the lavish apartment)

Wildenstein paid around $6 million for three apartments, but borrowed millions more to turn it into the eight-bedroom, six-bathroom residence and deck it out in an opulent art deco interior

The mother-of-two snapped up adjoining apartments in 2001 before buying a third and knocking them into one giant pad that takes up nearly the entire 51st floor.

She paid around $6 million for all three but borrowed millions more to upgrade the eight-bedroom, six-bathroom residence and deck it out in an opulent art deco interior.

In a separate legal action, DailyMail.com can also reveal the Trump World Tower itself is also chasing her for $81,332 in unpaid common charges dating back to November 2014.

Wildenstein became the world's most infamous divorcee in 1999 when she landed a then-record $2.5 billion settlement from her late ex-husband, the art dealer Alec Wildenstein.

But she's been candid about her depleted finances in recent interviews, accusing her ex-husband's family of cutting off her multi-million dollar annual maintenance.

'Jocelyn has made no secret of her precarious financial situation and she's confident this will all be resolved very soon,' dished a confidante.

The giant pad with 360 degree views of the Manhattan skyline takes up nearly the entire 51st floor of the luxurious apartment building

Her posh pad was put on the market earlier this year for $12,950,000 but has gone unsold despite the building boasting a spa, pool, and private wine cellar

'She's been photographed and given interviews in recent months so it's a little far-fetched to say she's in hiding.

'And it's understandable that staff are protective of her, she's been in the building for years and she's one of the more high-profile residents living there.'

Wildenstein announced she was getting engaged to her 50-year-old fashion designer partner Lloyd Klein in an exclusive interview last month with DailyMail.com.

She splits her time between New York and Miami were the couple have been house-hunting in recent months for a seafront marital home.

Her Trump World Tower pad was put on the market earlier this year for $12,950,000 but has gone unsold despite the building boasting a spa, pool, private wine cellar and access to famed Trump haunt, the World Bar.

The lavish condo was also the scene of the now infamous December 2016 catfight between Wildenstein and Klein, who she scratched and jabbed with scissors before being arrested on assault charges that were later dropped when the pair reconciled.

The papers filed by Modern Bank say they filed for foreclosure in February and their representative Wesley Moise tried to serve a summons and complaint on Wildenstein on February 28.

The lavish condo was also the scene of the now infamous December 2016 catfight between Wildenstein and Klein, who she scratched and jabbed with scissors before being arrested on assault charges that were later dropped when the pair reconciled

Wildenstein announced her engagement to her 50-year-old fashion designer partner Lloyd Klein in an exclusive interview last month with DailyMail.com. Klein bought her a 32-carat diamond ring (pictured)

Wildenstein didn't answer when staff rang her apartment and neither the concierge nor security would take possession of the papers.

There was no answer when Moise tried again on March 3 and when he attempted one week later to leave the paperwork at the front desk, staff threatened to have him arrested.

'The concierge objected and called security, who appeared almost instantly,' the filing says.

She became the world's most infamous divorcee in 1999 when she landed a then-record $2.5 billion settlement from her late ex-husband, art dealer Alec Wildenstein

'They immediately had the doors to the building locked and advised him that he would be detained and not allowed to leave the building unless he removed the Complaint and Summons from the concierges' desk and left with them.

'In addition, they also threatened to call the police and have him arrested for trespassing.'

The documents go on to say that Moise and another operative mounted a 'surveillance' operation on the building on April 4 and April 6.

But despite being stationed on both entrances for four hours at a time they came away from both stake-outs without having seen Wildenstein.

Modern Bank's attorneys asked David Hryck, a lawyer representing Wildenstein, to accept the writ but when he failed to do so they filed documents asking a judge to grant more time and decide on a new method to serve the paperwork.

'Plaintiff suggests that serving Wildenstein by regular mail sent to the Premises and/or by regular mail and electronic mail to Mr David Hryck, Esq. would be reasonably calculated to inform Wildenstein and give her appropriate notice of the proceedings,' the filing reads.

In the separate legal motion for unpaid communal charges, the board of management for Trump world Towers says Wildenstein owes $35,877.22 for apartment 51-A, $23,109.29 for 51-D and $21,749.12 for 51-E.

She owes a further $596.37 for charges relating to a storage cupboard, they allege in papers filed last week in New York Supreme Court.
In the run up to its important party meeting, China has issued new rules on instant chat groups that tighten control over chat groups.

Beijing has been ramping up its control on the internet in the run up to the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party which falls next month.

The new rules enforce a credit rating system for internet users and those found breaking the rules such as 'spreading rumours' will see their credit scores lowered.

Soldiers of China's People's Liberation Army hoist the Chinese national flag to half-mast in Tiananmen Square

Once a user has a low enough credit rating, their rights to manage group chats could then be revoked or suspended and they would then be reported to the relevant government department.

Group chats on instant messaging apps and online commenting threads have seen a surge in popularity in China in recent years. Discussion forums are popular as they are thought to be private for members and so should technically are subject to less censorship.

The rules take effect on October 8 just before the congress is due to begin. All major platforms will be affected including WeChat and Alibaba's Alipay chat.

Chinese soldiers stand guard during the flag raising ceremony at Tiananmen square in Beijing

These providers must now verify the identities of their users and keep a log of group chats for no less than six months, according to the Cyberspace Administration of China.

Authorities have already taken down popular celebrity gossip social media accounts and extended restrictions on what news can be produced and distributed by online platforms.

In June this year, China passed a cybersecurity bill that tightened restrictions on online freedom of speech. It has been branded a 'draconian' measure by Amnesty International.

It bans internet users from publishing a wide variety of information including anything that damages 'national honour', 'disturbs economic or social order' or is aimed at 'overthrowing the socialist system.'
Italian prosecutors have opened a manslaughter inquiry into the death of a four-year-old girl who was killed by malaria amid fears she may have contracted the disease from a reused needle at a hospital.

Sofia Zago had not travelled to any at-risk countries having spent her summer with her family in Italy's Veneto region, which like all of Europe is typically malaria-free.

When she got home, she was admitted for diabetes treatment to the paediatric department of the Santa Chiara hospital, which was also treating a family that had contracted malaria during a trip to Burkina Faso.

Experts are exploring whether the disease was passed from the family to Sofia via a mosquito bite, while prosecutors in Trento are investigating whether the girl could have caught it from a re-used needle at the hospital.

The death of Sofia Zago, pictured here with her family, has baffled doctors as she had never travelled to a risk-prone country

Sofia developed a fever after returning home from the family holiday in Bibione, a seaside resort on the Adriatic coast near Venice.

As her condition deteriorated, she was taken to a hospital in the northern city of Trento.

Within an hour, she had slipped into a coma and was diagnosed with malaria.

The child was then then transferred to intensive care at a hospital in Brescia which treats tropical diseases, but they were unable to save her and she died on Sunday night.

The girl had never travelled to a country classified as at-risk, raising questions about how she contracted the disease.

An expert suspects climate change may be to blame for the first-home grown case in 55 years.

The hospital has said it uses only disposable, single-use needles.

Both the family and Sofia were suffering from the same type of malaria - plasmodium falciparum - but experts were trying to determine whether they were affected by the same strain.

The tragic youngster's autopsy is scheduled for today and different strains would rule out contamination in the hospital.

Only some types of mosquito, called anopheline, are able to transmit the disease from person to person.

Sofia came into contact with two children at the Trento hospital who had caught malaria during a trip to Africa.

Only certain species of mosquitoes of the Anopheles genus  and only females of those species  can transmit malaria

Her death has puzzled doctors because, while some types of mosquito are able to transmit the disease from person to person, they are not native to Italy.

'I've never seen a case like it, it's a mystery. It shouldn't have been possible for her to get malaria,' said Claudio Paternoster, head of the infectious diseases department at the Trento's Santa Chiara Hospital, where Sofia was first treated.

'But only some types of mosquito are able to transmit the disease from person to person, and they don't exist in Italy,' she said.

While there are a few cases of malaria in Italy a year, 'they are so-called 'suitcase' cases, where someone has brought an infected mosquito back with them from Africa,' he explained.

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Colin Sutherland, a professor of Parasitology at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, said: 'There are still anopheline mosquitoes in parts of Italy that can transmit malaria, but these would be unlikely to be found as far north as Trentino.

'There are also recorded cases of mosquitoes from malaria-endemic countries making it to Europe and transmitting the disease during a hot summer. This could reach Europe in either in the body of an aircraft, or items of luggage.'

But Massimo Galli, vice-president of the Italian Society of Infectious Diseases, said a so-called suitcase mosquito was unlikely in this case as the family did not travel directly from Africa to the hospital with their luggage.

He admitted that the case was a mystery, saying 'we need to consider the improbable, the almost-impossible'.

Trento's health service said traps laid in the hospital after Sofia's death found no anopheline mosquitos - though as the disease has an incubation period of up to 20 days, the offending mosquito could have come and gone.

Sofia was initially thought to have pharyngitis before doctors realised Saturday that it was malaria and she was transferred to intensive care, but her condition deteriorated rapidly and she died early on Monday.

The family which had travelled to Burkina Faso - a mother, a teenage son and two small children - recovered.

Malaria was rife in Italy in the 19th century, particularly in the centre, south and islands.

But after mass draining of marshlands and the widespread use of the medicine quinine, the country was declared malaria-free in 1962.

With global climate change, the potential for the reappearance of malaria in countries where it was previously eradicated exists, but is relatively small.

According to the World Health Organization, there were 212 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2015, and 429,000 deaths. Ninety percent of malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa, with children under five most at risk.

Climate change could be to blame for the tragic four-year-old's death in Italy

Malaria was rife in Italy in the 19th century, particularly in the centre, south and islands.

But after mass draining of marshlands and the widespread use of the medicine quinine, by 1962 the country was declared malaria-free.

Since then, most recorded cases have been linked to tourists who returned from countries where it is common.

Dr Paternoster said he had not seen a single case of 'indigenous malaria' during his 30-year career.

He speculated that climate change may be to blame.

'It was a very hot summer and with climate change we cannot rule out the adaptation of some species [of mosquito] or the re-introduction of others which could transmit the disease,' the Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera quoted him as saying.

The country's Ministry of Health confirmed that it has dispatched a team of experts to investigate how the girl contracted the disease.

And on Tuesday, the World Health Organization (WHO) hosted a meeting in Moscow to discuss how to keep Europe free of the disease. No cases of home-grown malaria were reported in Europe in 2015.

The United Nations agency says Italy could be vulnerable to a return of malaria if mosquitoes are not properly controlled.

According to WHO, there were 212 million cases of malaria worldwide in 2015, and 429,000 deaths.

Ninety per cent of malaria cases and deaths occur in Africa. Children under five are most at risk.
Police in Pennsylvania are hunting those responsible for abandoning two dogs used for fighting in a city park.

Upper Darby police have released photographs of the dogs, Gracie and Layla, after they were abandoned in the Penn Pines Park in Upper Darby, Philadelphia.

Officer responding to the incident feared one of the dogs was dead.

The two dogs were abandoned in Penn Pines Park in Upper Darby in Pennsylvania

Officers feared the dog named Gracie, pictured, had died as a result of the horrific abuse

Police are seeking the public's help in order to bring the people responsible to justice

According to the Upper Darby Police Department twitter feed: ' I'm sorry that I have to post this. Don't mean to ruin your day. These dogs were abandoned in Penn Pines Park. They were obviously neglected and abused.

'We are looking to identify the owner and/or the person responsible for this. If you recognize these dogs or know who is responsible I urge you to call us at 610-734-7693 or message me.

'I would ask everyone to share this so we can bring those to justice.'

Russell Harper of Justice Rescue told CBS News: 'When I picked her up she was as cold as an ice cube. She was on the brink of death right here. Ive investigated thousands of cruelty cases and I thought she was dead. Gracie, the one, I thought she was dead'

Superintendent Michael Chitwood of the Upper Darby Police Department added: 'Its difficult to come up with a name for someone who would do something like this. I called them dirt balls I mean they really are dirt balls.

'These animals were starved, they got very bad scars from physical abuse, not just the fighting, they were beat. So this is the life they have had for them.'
Donald Trump tweeted a reassuring message to 800,000 'DREAMers' on Thursday, but only after a leading Democrat prodded him into it.

'For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!' the president wrote on Twitter.

House Minority Leader Nany Pelosi told her colleagues shortly afterward that she had asked Trump to tell people protected by the Obama-era guarantee against deportation that they would be safe while Congress considers codifying the policy in law.

The president revoked the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program on Tuesday, subject to a six-month delay. The policy applied to people who are in the U.S. illegally because they were brought across the border as children.

President Donald Trump sent this tweet Thursday morning reassuring people brought to the U.S. illegally as children that they wouldn't be deported in the next 6 months, but only after House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi asked him to

Trump has teamed up with Democrats on a series of unlikely policy moves this week

Pelosi told her fellow Democrats that she had asked Trump for a public reassurance that 'DREAMers' wouldn't face deportation while Congress works on a fix: 'This is what I asked the president to do and boom, the tweet appeared!'

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said the president is 'committed to working across the aisle and doing what is needed to best serve the American people.'

She wouldn't immediately confirm that Trump tweeted to his audience of tens of millions in response to a request from Pelosi.

But the top House Democrat said, according to Bloomberg, that she had told Trump, 'People really need a reassurance from you, Mr. President, that the six-month period is not a roundup, that DACA is frozen and these people will not be vulnerable.'

'This is what I asked the president to do and boom, the tweet appeared,' she said.

Trump has executed a series of political high-wire acts during the last 48 hours, challenging the Republican Party's sense that it controls its unconventional president.

Pelosi (right) is pictured Wednesday in the Oval office with Trump (center) along with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (L) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (2nd R)

On Wednesday he bucked House Republican leaders by agreeing to a Democrat-urged compromise on raising the federal debt ceiling, quickly dispatching a potential crisis by packaging the issue with a budget extension and Hurricane Harvey relief funding.

Hours later in North Dakota he pulled Democratic Senator Heidi Heitkamp on stage as he began a speech  openly lobbying for her support in an upcoming tax reform vote.

On Tuesday the president announced what would ordinarily be a sop to his right wing, ending the DACA program, only to please liberals with an acknowledgment that he wants Congress to make it 'permanent.'

Trump spoke to the press before departing for North Dakota, saying he wants the controversial DACA program written into law  along with 'border security' funding

Protesters were out in force at the White House and New York City's Trump Tower on Tuesday and Wednesday, screaming in defense of a program the president says he wants to preserve  as long as it's part of a more ambitious approach to immigration reform

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Deputy Commissioner Ronald Vitiello showed off a concept illustration of a U.S.-Mexico border enforcement zone  including Trump's wall  during a news conference last Thursday

Trump insisted Wednesday that he had sent no mixed signal' about his desire for DACA's survival.

But he hinted Wednesday that he wants the program to live on as part of a broader immigration reform that includes funding for 'border security'  Washington's current euphemism for the wall the president has promised to erect between the U.S. and Mexico.

'I'd like to see something where we have good border security, and we have a great DACA transaction where everybody is happy, and now they dont have to worry about it anymore,' he said.

Trump tweeted Tuesday night that he would 'revisit this issue' if Congress couldn't act

'I'd like to see a permanent deal, and I think it's going to happen,' Trump added.

The administration announced Tuesday that it has rescinded the order that created DACA, with a six-month 'wind-down' period to give Congress a chance to write it into law.

'Congress, I really believe, wants to take care of this situation. I really believe it  even very conservative members of Congress. I've seen it firsthand,' Trump told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One as it taxied for takeoff to North Dakota.

He said the subject of DACA came up during a Wednesday morning meeting at the White House that included Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate.

'Chuck and Nancy would like to see something happen, and so do I,' he said, referring to minority leaders Sen. Chuck Schumer and Rep. Nancy Pelosi.

Trump deflected a question about providing a pathway to citizenship for the so-called 'DREAMers,' saying he's focused first on finding a way for them to maintain 'legal' status.

The president inspired a Tuesday evening of head-scratching in Washington when, after a half-day of scathing news coverage, he tweeted that he was prepared to 'revisit' DACA on his own if Congress should fall short.

'Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they can't, I will revisit this issue!' he wrote on Twitter.

A day later, he was noncommittal.

'Well, we're going to see what happens. I want to see what happens in Congress,' Trump said. 'I have a feeling that's not going to be necessary. I think they're going to make a deal. I think Congress really wants to do this.'
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An epic 8,400 mile railway route will link London to Tokyo in an ambitious project proposed by the Russian government.

Vladimir Putin's officials are currently in serious talks with Japan about constructing a 28-mile bridge to enable trains to cross the sea.

The blueprint for the project, once mooted by Stalin, would see passengers travel on a remarkable journey beginning in England's capital before crossing the Channel into Europe.

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An epic 8,400 mile railway route will link London to Tokyo in an ambitious project proposed by the Russian government

Vladimir Putin's officials are currently in serious talks with Japan about constructing a 28-mile ridge to enable trains to cross the sea.

The proposed link has been described as a 'bridge across history' because Moscow and Tokyo have failed to sign a treaty formally ending the hostilities of WWII. Pictured above, an artist's impression of the bridge

The blueprint for the project, once mooted by Stalin, would see passengers travel on a remarkable journey beginning in England's capital before crossing the Channel into Europe

The trains would run through Germany and Poland before entering Eastern Europe and into Russia

The trains would run through Germany and Poland before entering Eastern Europe and into Russia.

Passengers would be able to marvel at the snow-capped mountains in Siberia before discovering the stark and deserted countryside of Russia for bulk of the trip.

In its final stretch, it is proposed the transits will travel over the East Sea/Sea of Japan on a purpose-built 28-mile long bridge.

Russian's vice premier Igor Shuvalov said: 'We are seriously offering our Japanese partners to consider the construction of a mixed road and railway passage from Hokkaido to southern part of Sakhalin.'

Sakhalin is Russia's largest island - and it would take a 28-mile bridge or tunnel to link to Hokkaido in northern Japan, which is connected to the country's super-efficient rail network.

Shivalov said: 'We are close to starting our part of the job.'

Passengers would be able to marvel at the snow-capped mountains in Siberia before discovering the stark and deserted countryside of Russia for bulk of the trip

In its final stretch, it is proposed the transits will travel over the East Sea/Sea of Japan on a purpose-built 28-mile long bridge. Pictured above, a Trans-Siberia train

The proposed link to Japan has been described as a 'bridge across history' because Moscow and Tokyo have failed to sign a treaty formally ending the hostilities of the Second World War.

This is due to Stalin's grab of the Kuril Islands in 1945, the subject of a long running territorial dispute.

But with Putin keen to boost investment in the Russian Far East, relations are warming and the Japanese are looking at pouring money into the disputed islands.

Shuvalov said Japan would become a 'continental state' if the rail links become reality.

Putin's environment guru Sergei Ivanov said a link to oil and gas rich Sakhalin - half of which was controlled by Tokyo before the Second World War - was a 'long held dream -- even Comrade Stalin planned to do it.'

A bridge between the Russian mainland and Sakhalin has been costed at around 4 billion, while a link to Japan is likely to be more expensive.

The scheme was unveiled at Russia's Eastern Economic Forum hosted in Vladivostok by Putin.

Japan does not claim its former territory on Sakhalin but does seek to restore the southernmost Kuril Islands to Tokyo's rule.

Putin's environment guru Sergei Ivanov said a link to oil and gas rich Sakhalin - half of which was controlled by Tokyo before the Second World War - was a 'long held dream -- even Comrade Stalin planned to do it'
A Minnesota woman who hung herself and her five-year-old son in a murder-suicide on Monday left behind a typed note lamenting her lengthy custody battle with the boy's father.

Gina Summers, 47, and her son, Jude, were found hanged in the basement inside of their home on Bayview Place in Orono after police were called to the property for a second time to conduct a welfare check around 8pm on Monday.

Authorities say her typed and signed note was discovered nearby. In the note, she 'talked about prior domestic abuse and issues with the system and allowing a child to be ripped from his mother,' and it ended with, 'Don't let this happen to another child and mother,' the Star Tribune reported.

Police say the child's father, Jeffry Sandberg, aged, 51, called 911 on Monday when he couldn't reach his son or Summers when he was supposed to pick the boy up as part of a scheduled custody arrangement around 4pm.

Authorities told Sandberg, who lives in Minnetonka, there was nothing they could do since no one answered the door at the home when they first went to check, but said to call again if the situation remained the same.

Tragic: Gina Summers, 47, and her son, Jude (above together), were found hanged in the basement inside of their home in Orono, Minnesota on Monday. She left a suicide note talking about the custody rift with the boy's father, Jeffry Sandberg

Police say Sandberg (above with Jude), called 911 when he couldn't reach his son or the mother when he was supposed to pick the boy up as part of a scheduled custody arrangement around 4pm

Police were called to the home (above) for a second time to conduct a welfare check around 8pm and made the tragic discovery inside the basement

Sandberg then called again when he still couldn't get in contact with Summers.

One of her relatives who lived nearby came to the home with keys to give to police who then discovered the mother and son dead.

'It wouldn't have mattered if we would have [entered] at that 4 o'clock time or that 8 o'clock time,' Police Chief Correy Farniok said. '[The deaths] occurred prior to that time.'

Sandberg and Summers were never married, but began a romantic relationship in 2008.

The next year they discussed having a child together through in vitro fertilization and their son was born in 2012 after several failed pregnancy attempts.

Sandberg and Summers were never married, but began a romantic relationship in 2008. The next year they discussed having a child together through in vitro fertilization. Their son was born in 2012 after several failed pregnancy attempts

In July 2015, the relationship soured and the woman filed an order for protection against Sandberg after saying he had been physically abusing her since 2009.

Court records show Summers shared custody of the five-year-old boy with Sandberg and that she also had filed a civil case against him.

She was suing him to fulfill an alleged agreement to cover 50 per cent of their fertility treatments she underwent before having their son, WCCO reported.

Summers, who worked as a realtor for Fazendin Realty, claimed in one document that Sandberg refused to pay child support for nine months and that she and her son were living in poverty.

In July 2015, the relationship soured and the woman filed an order for protection against Sandberg (above) after saying he had been physically abusing her. She was suing him to fulfill an alleged agreement to cover 50 per cent of the fertility treatments she underwent

They both have previously accused each other of harming the boy.

They filed court motions against one another over which school district Jude should attend, and on Friday, Hennepin County District Judge Edward Wahl ruled in Sandberg's favor.

Of his son's death, Sandberg released a statement saying how they enjoyed a family fishing trip a week ago to the Boundary Waters and now he's 'planning the funeral for Jude, murdered by his mother, Gina Summers, when he was getting ready for his first day of Ready Start Kindergarten,' the Tribune reported.

He also challenged Summers' allegations and wrote, 'since the onset of the case in January 2015 when she falsely accused the father of domestic abuse, never missed an opportunity to disrupt the established father-son relationship, both inside and outside of the Family Court paternity proceedings.'

Sandberg added that Summers traumatized him and his family over the past two-and-a-half years with 'her actions and inactions, including her scheduling of multiple motions before the court, not only before but also after the trial, and subsequently to the Court of Appeals, and her absolute refusal to participate in ordered mediation.'
The federal office in charge of background checks is so backlogged that it is giving temporary top-secret clearances to people with criminal backgrounds, it has emerged.

Daniel E Payne, head of the Defense Security Service, said that at least 100,000 people have been given interim security clearances as they await a deep background check - and not all of them can be trusted.

'I've got murderers who have access to classified information,' he told McClatchy's DC Bureau.

'I have rapists. I have pedophiles. I have people involved in child porn. This is the risk we are taking.'

The Department of Defense has handed out interim top security clearance to 100,000 people awaiting a full review - including murders and pedophiles, its top brass said. Pictured are Marines with the Maritime Raid Force, 26th Marine Expeditionary Unit

A full background check for top-secret clearance can take up to a year, due to a massive backlog of applications - some 700,000, in fact.

I have rapists. I have pedophiles. I have people involved in child porn. This is the risk we are taking Daniel E Payne, head of the Defense Security Service

Many of those are existing government employees renewing their clearance after five or 10 years, but 300,000 are applying for the first time.

Even when the check is underway, it takes some time, as investigators run financial checks, examine travel logs and perform interviews with friends, family and neighbors.

But waiting that long for someone to start work is impractical, so interim clearances can be handed out after filling in a form and undergoing financial and basic FBI checks.

'If we did not give these individuals interim clearances, the production of these programs would shut down,' Payne said. 'It would have a horrific impact.'

Daniel Payne, head of the Defense Security Service, said he has no choice as refusing to hand out the interim passes would result in massive government shutdowns. He said it didn't affect intelligence services

Unfortunately, that means clearance has been handed out to people who should likely be kept away from such information.

Payne says that 'more than several, less than a dozen' cases have emerged of interim clearance being given to people with murder in their backgrounds alone.

And a dubious background can be an indicators of further problems in the future, Payne says.

He gave an example of one interim clearance-carrier who got into an argument in a bar last month: 'He pulls out a gun and shoots them in the face and kills them.'

Payne adds that these backlogs do not apply to people in the intelligence agencies, where interim clearance is never granted.

Instead, it affects employees of Department of Defense contractors or workers at the 13,000 plants and facilities that have been cleared across the US.

The interim passes are given out while investigators work through a backlog of 700,000 people. Pictured are Marines and Sailors of the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit and Bonhomme Richard Expeditionary Strike Group

The issue was exacerbated in 2014 when one of the background check companies used by the government, US Investigations Services LLC, lost its contract after allegations that it had falsified results.

The backlog then grew to near-record levels over the next two years, not helped by the inability to include social media in the checks.

And that's not likely to change soon, thanks to massive levels of bureaucracy that means changing one question on a clearance request form can take eight years to complete.

However, there is hope on the horizon: An increasing number of government employees are being switched to a constant monitoring system that dispenses with the need for a renewal application.

That should diminish the backlog; around one million government employees are expected to be under constant monitoring by the end of the year.
Lawmakers overseeing education spending dealt a big blow to the Trump administrations K-12 budget asks in a spending bill approved by a bipartisan vote Wednesday.

The legislation would leave intact the main federal programs aimed at teacher training and after-school funding. And it would seek to bar the U.S. Department of Education from moving forward with two school choice initiatives it pitched in its request for fiscal year 2018, which begins Oct. 1.



The bill, which was approved unanimously by the Senate appropriations subcommittee that oversees health, education and labor spending, would provide $2.05 billion for Title II, the federal program thats used to hire and train educators. Both the House spending committee and the Trump administration have proposed scrapping the program , so it remains in jeopardy despite the Senates support.

The measure rejects another high-profile cut pitched by the Trump administration, $1.2 billion for the 21st Century Community Learning Center program, which helps school districts cover the cost of after-school and summer-learning programs. The House also refused to sign off on the Trump administrations pitch to eliminate the program. Instead, it voted to provide $1 billion for 21st Century, meaning the program would almost certainly see some funding in the 2018-19 school year.



The panel also dealt a blow to the administrations school choice ambitions. And the bill seeks to stop the Education Department from moving forward on a pair of school choice programs it proposed in its budget request.

The administration had sought a $1 billion boost for the nearly $15 billion Title I program, the largest federal K-12 program, which is aimed at covering the cost of educating disadvantaged students. The Trump administration had wanted to use that increase to help districts create or expand public school choice programs. And it had hoped to use the Education Innovation and Research program to nurture private school choice.

The Senate bill essentially rejects both of those pitches. It instead would provide a $25 million boost for Title I, and $95 million for the research program, a slight cut from the current level of $100 million.

But importantly, the legislation wouldnt give U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos and her team the authority to use that money for school choice. In fact, the committee said in language accompanying the bill that the secretary of Education Betsy DeVos must get permission from Congress to create a school choice initiative with the funds.

A House appropriations panel also rejected the school choice initiatives in a budget bill approved earlier this year. Taken together, thats a major setback for DeVos number one priority.

But the Senate bill does include a $25 million increase for charter school grants, which would bring them to $367 million. Thats not as high as the $167 million boost the administration asked for, or even as high as the $28 million the House is seeking.

Compromise Measure

Overall, the legislation would provide $68.3 billion for the U.S. Department of Education, a slight increase of $29 million over the current level for fiscal year 2017, which ends on Sept. 30 and generally impacts the 2017-18 school year. Thats in contrast to the House proposal, which would provide $66 billion for the department, down $2.4 billion from the current budget.

And its a lot more than the Trump adminstration asked for. The president wanted a $9.2 billion cut to the agencys bottom-line, down to $59 billion.

Both Republicans and Democrats on the committee acknowledged that the bipartisan agreement isnt the bill either side would have written on its own.

Both sides approached this bill differently. Its important to reach agreement and present a bipartisan bill, Sen. Roy Blunt, R-Mo., the chairman of the panel, said during debate. He thanked Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., the top Democrat on the committee, for her help in determining the priorities and determining how to best use limited resources.

In a statement released after the markup, Murray said: After millions of students, parents, and teachers stood up and rejected Secretary DeVos extreme privatization agenda, Im pleased that Republicans and Democrats in Congress ignored her requests to gut programs that help students from preschool to college and beyond, and instead continued to invest in the overwhelming majority of students who attend public schools.

Murray also said that while this budget is not what I would have proposed on my own, I am pleased we are continuing to invest in our students and educators and I will continue to hold Secretary DeVos accountable if she tries to undermine our public schools.

Block Grant Funding

The committee is proposing $450 million for another program that the administration sought to scrap, the Student Support and Academic Enrichment grants, the new block grant program created under the Every Student Succeeds Act. The program, which can be used for everything from computer science programs to band instruments and Advanced Placement test fees, is currently receiving $400 million, and would get $500 million under a bill approved by the House appropriations committee earlier this year.

The bill also would increase the maximum Pell Grant for the first time in over a decade, from $5,920 to $6,020. The grants help low-income students cover the cost of postsecondary education, and advocates say they havent kept up with rising college costs. The bill would allow students to use the grants year-round, not just during the academic year.

But there may be more bad news than good for Pell Grants in the bill. The Pell Grant program currently has a surplus of funds. This bill would take $2.6 billion out of a surplus in Pell Grant funding and divert to other priorities, to the chagrin of advocates for college access.

The bill would provide level funding for special education state grants, keeping them at about $12.2 billon. And it would allocate $1.1 billion for Career and Technical Education grants, the same level as last year. The Trump administration had pitched a $165 million cut to the program.

And it includes small increases for other programs, including $953 million for TRIO, a college preparation program, a $3 million hike over current funding, and $1.3 billion for impact aid, an $11.5 million increase. Impact aid helps school districts make up for tax revenue lost because of a federal presence, such as a military base or native American reservation.

The bill seeks a slight cut for the Teacher and Leader Incentive Fund, which provides grants to help school districts create pay-for-performance programs. The program would get $190 million, about $10 million less than it currently receives.

The measure would provide $9.3 billion for Head Start program, an early childhood education program for low-income children. Thats the same as current levels.

The full Senate appropriations committee will consider the measure Thursday.

The U.S. Capitol building in Washington.

-- J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Follow us on Twitter at @PoliticsK12 .
A digital walkie talkie app has become the top downloaded app as Hurrican Irma threatens Florida and the southern Atlantic seaboard.

Zello was the top free download in both Apple's App Store and the Google Play store on Thursday, after gaining fame as the top communications tool of the 'Cajun Navy' Harvey rescuers in Houston.

'Over 1 million people have joined in the last day, with most coming from Puerto Rico and Florida,' Zello CTO Alexey Gavrilov said in a statement.

Gavrilov warned users that Zello is not designed for disaster communications though, and will not work without either a WiFi or cellular data link, dispelling online rumors to the contrary.

The walkie talkie app zello (pictured) has seen a surge in downloads in Florida and Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma threatens the region

The app gained fame as the communications tool of Cajun Navy volunteer rescuers during Harvey. Pictured: Members of the Louisiana Cajun Navy during rescue operations in Texas

As Texas recovers from Harvey and Florida braces for Irma, other hurricane-related apps dominated the two main app stores.

The NOAA weather radar app was the number five free download in Google Play Thursday, with the Hurricane Tracker app taking the store's number five paid slot.

Meanwhile, NOAA Radar Pro and Hurricane Tracker were the top two paid downloads on Apple's App Store.

Zello differs from other messaging or voice apps by allowing the user to hold down a button and broadcast to other users logged into a specific channel - just like a traditional walkie talkie.

Floridians are hoping to keep in contact using the app if Hurricane Irma hits. The current storm track forecast as of Thursday morning is shown

False rumors circulating on Facebook have implied that Zello works even when internet and cell service are out, which the company has said is not true.

'If there is no WiFi and no cellular data service, communication apps (including Zello) WON'T WORK,' Gavrilov said in the statement.

However, he added: 'Text messaging apps and Zello use a fraction of bandwidth of phone calls and will often work when phone calls wont get through.'

The Zello app entered the spotlight as Hurricane Harvey pounded Texas, when volunteer rescuers from the Cajun Navy used it as their main communications tool.
An baby boy who was dumped in a hospital trash can by his mother last year is now a happy and healthy toddler being cared for by his doting father.

One-year-old Matthew James Addison was left for dead in a restroom trash can at the John Colloton Pavillion of University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics in Iowa City by his 24-year-old mother Ashley Hautzenrader on May 8, 2016.

She did not know she was pregnant until she gave birth to him and claims to have thought he was dead after delivering him in secret.

Ashley was spared jail this week and given a five-year probation sentence for abandoning the boy.

Before she was sentenced, Matthew's father Brandon Addison identified himself online.

One-year-old Matthew James Addison is now being cared for by his father Brandon. Matthew was dumped in a trash can minutes after being born in secret in a hospital restroom in 2016

He is now not only looking after Matthew but is also the primary carer for he and Hautzenrader's little girl Ahnna who was being treated in the hospital for a heart condition when her little brother was born in the toilet.

The boy's mother Ashley Hautzenrader, 24, is serving five years probation for abandoning him

Revealing his identity on a GoFundMe page, Brandon, 27, said: 'I wanted finally introduce myself and my children.

'My name is Brandon and I am the father of the baby boy who was left for dead by his Biological mother in a trash can at the University of Iowa Hospital. He has been in my care since the incident as well as my daughter Ahnna.'

He later added that Matthew is a 'very healthy little man despite his traumatic entry to life'.

Brandon and Ashley are no longer together but they were still a couple when she gave birth to Matthew in 2016.

Then 22, the young mother was at the hospital because their first child, Ahnna, had been admitted to intensive care.

Ahnna, who is now two, underwent a heart transplant when she was three-months-old and has since needed round-the-clock care.

Ashley gave birth in the restrooms and claims that this was the first she knew of the pregnancy.

Matthew (above with his older sister Ahnna) is a 'happy and healthy' toddler, his father said

Brandon is now caring for both children. He did not know Ashley was pregnant when she gave birth to Matthew in secret

Matthew is seen above celebrating his first birthday. He has been identified for the first time since his mother's sentencing

When he did not scream or make any noise after being delivered, she thought her son was dead and tried to flush him down the toilet. When that didn't work, she wrapped him in a pillow case and put him in a trash can.

After cleaning up the bathroom, Ashley left and returned to her family, saying nothing about what had just happened.

A hospital worker discovered Matthew shortly afterwards. It is not clear how they came to link the young mother to the nameless newborn but police were notified and Ashley was arrested for child abandonment.

A day later, Brandon was contacted by authorities. He took both of the children in to his care and has been raising them ever since.

During her trial, the identities of both of her children and their father were concealed.

Ashley was in the hospital with their older child Ahnna (right when she was a baby) who was born with a heart condition when she gave birth to Matthew unexpectedly

A previously used image before Ahnna was identified by her father shows her in hospital as a baby with her mother

She delivered Matthew herself in the restrooms at the UIHC hospital (above) and then tried to flush him down the toilet

Brandon (above with his daughter) was still in a relationship with the children's mother when Matthew was born. He no longer is and is now fighting her for custody of them

On September 5, she was spared jail after pleading with a court to believe her side of the story.

'Try to understand what I've been through,' she said.

Brandon said 'no one' should have to go through what his son did

Speaking to DailyMail.com on Thursday, Brandon said he no longer had feelings towards the woman.

'She is nothing more then the biological mother of my children.

'I honestly don't know why she did what she did, and I don't think I'll ever learn the truth behind why. She may very well have PTSD but regardless that is no reason to leave her child in a trash can.'

He said he was 'disappointed' with the judge's decision to spare her jail, a decision he believes 'sends a message' to other struggling parents.

'To other parents out there, your only job as a parent is to make sure your kids are always safe and protected, if you are unable to do that task to contact DHS or local hospitals and learn about safe havens or adoptions.

'No child should ever go through what my son had to,' he said.

Brandon has been forced to stop his job as a furniture delivery driver. He is asking for donations on his GoFundMe page to help pay for a new home and furniture.

He and Ashley are now battling over custody of the children in juvenile court.
A Spitfire pilot who wore his wife's knickers round his neck in the Battle of Britain has been laid to rest.

Ken Wilkinson, who once jokingly told Prince William off for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes', died on July 31 at the age of 99.

He was honoured at his funeral today with a stunning flypast of the iconic plane after more than 1,000 mourners crammed into a church and hundreds more lined the streets of his home town of Solihull.

A Spitfire pilot who wore his wife's knickers round his neck in the Battle of Britain has been laid to rest

Ken Wilkinson, who once jokingly told Prince William off for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes', died on July 31 at the age of 99

Before Mr Wilkinson (picturedr left in his Flyinf Officer uniform) died, he told how he didn't believe in lucky charms, adding: 'But I did wear a pair of my wife's knickers around my neck'

Before he died, he told how he didn't believe in lucky charms, adding: 'But I did wear a pair of my wife's knickers around my neck.'

Describing his wartime exploits, he said: 'I was one of the lucky ones. I saw friends fall out of the sky, aircraft go up in flames... terrible things.'

The son of an aircraft manufacturer, Ken discovered his love for flying while watching aircraft tests at Farnborough, Hampshire.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Ken, who was born in Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria was selected for the Royal Air Force and chosen to fly a Spitfire.

He was honoured at his funeral today with a stunning flypast of the iconic plane after more than 1,000 mourners crammed into a church and hundreds more lined the streets of his home town of Solihull

Describing his wartime exploits, he said: 'I was one of the lucky ones. I saw friends fall out of the sky, aircraft go up in flames... terrible things.' Pictured, the hearse carrying the Spitfire pilot's coffin

The son of an aircraft manufacturer, Ken discovered his love for flying while watching aircraft tests at Farnborough, Hampshire. Pictured, mourners at Mr Wilkinson's funeral

Flying Officer Ken was assigned to the 616 and 19 Squadrons in East Anglia, and was among those whose role was to protect industrial targets in the Midlands from the Luftwaffe.

In June 2015, he also left Prince William in stitches after telling the Duke of Cambridge off for 'flying choppers instead of proper aeroplanes' during an event to mark the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain in 2015.

His coffin, which was draped in a Union Jack, was carried into St Alphege's Church by soldiers from the RAF regiment and placed in a black Mercedes.

Mourners broke into spontaneous applause as a silver Spitfire BBMF circled the church on three occasions, with the sound of the engine roaring in the background.

The service was conducted by The Venerable R.J. Pentland CB BA MtH RAF, the Honorary Chaplain to the Battle of Britain Fighter Association.

Mourners broke into spontaneous applause as a silver Spitfire BBMF circled the church on three occasions, with the sound of the engine roaring in the background

His coffin, which was draped in a Union Jack, was carried into St Alphege's Church by soldiers from the RAF regiment and placed in a black Mercedes

Flying Officer Ken was assigned to the 616 and 19 Squadrons in East Anglia, and was among those whose role was to protect industrial targets in the Midlands from the Luftwaffe

The service was conducted by The Venerable R.J. Pentland CB BA MtH RAF, the Honorary Chaplain to the Battle of Britain Fighter Association

Prince William was represented by Air Chief Marshal Sir Michael Graydon GCB CBE FRAeS.

Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Hillier, the Chief of the Air Staff, said: 'Ken, as one of The Few, he represented an extraordinary generation to whom we owe a great debt that should never be forgotten, our freedom being won by their sacrifices.

'Ken will be sadly missed by us all.'

There are now just 12 survivors from the 2,940 people that took part in the Battle of Britain - including three Spitfire pilots.

He flew under the command of legendary RAF ace Sir Douglas Bader.

Speaking to the Mail On Sunday seven years ago, he said: ''He was a leader. I was very junior at the time, so apart from gawping a little bit and calling him 'Sir', naturally I didn't speak to him much. Even with my own legs I couldn't fly like him.'

He added: 'We were cocky. Stupidly cocky, if you like. We just didn't envisage defeat. Some people may have been killed, but we knew we were going to win.'
Police in Norfolk have apologised for the way they responded to a weekend of rape, assault and theft that left a seaside town on 'lawless lockdown' last month.

Over the weekend of August 18, reports of disorder, which residents blamed on a group of travellers, left pubs, shops and restaurants closed in the town of Cromer.

Norfolk police initially called the incidents 'low-level disturbance' and would not blame the 'travelling community as a whole'.

But they apologised for how the weekend handled at a town meeting this week and said they 'misjudged' the disorder.

Over the weekend of August 18, reports rape, assault and theft blamed on a group of more than 50 travellers left pubs, shops and restaurants closed in the town of Cromer, Norfolk

A total of 37 crimes were recorded in Cromer between August 18 and August 20.

Residents alleged that trouble erupted after more than 50 travellers in a convoy of about 20 vehicles illegally rolled on to Runton Road car park in the town on the afternoon of August 18.

'There were a number of incidences of theft, of antisocial behaviour, of criminal damage, and we misjudged our message, and I'm sorry that we got that message wrong. We got it wrong. We'll learn the lessons. It won't happen again,' Chief Constable Simon Bailey told the meeting.

The police force is reviewing its response to the disorder, which residents of Cromer said had 'caused them harm', BBC reported.

'Part of our review will look at our media messages. I'm genuinely sorry that we created the impression that this was a low-level disorder,' Bailey said at the meeting.

He added: 'We had a rape which, whilst at the time we didn't connect to the group, we are now absolutely connecting.'

Residents alleged that trouble erupted after more than 50 travellers in a convoy of about 20 vehicles illegally rolled on to Runton Road car park in the town on the afternoon of August 18

Police had initially downplayed the crimes in a press release about the weekend, but received backlash from residents.

Previously, deputy chief constable Nick Dean said that it would be 'totally disproportionate' to blame the 'travelling community as a whole', but Norfolk Police later said it supported the view that members of the Travelling community were involved.

A number of shops and pubs were forced to close for the weekend amid anti-social-behaviour reports, including stealing and people refusing to pay.

One young woman reported a sexual assault - two men were arrested in connection to the attack and were released on bail on August 30.

Bailey's apology was met with applause by residents at the meeting this week, though some said police didn't do enough to protect the town.

Norfolk police initially called the incidents 'low-level disturbance' and would not blame the 'travelling community as a whole'. But but they apologised for how the weekend handled at a town meeting this week and said they 'misjudged' the disorder

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb visited Cromer after the weekend of incidents and said he was 'very concerned' about what he had heard

Resident Aryun Nessa Uddin, who claimed the group caused chaos in her popular Indian restaurant Masala Twist, told BBC that police 'watched the whole ordeal and didn't come to my help'.

She said she's now on anti-depressants and has lost all faith in the police force.

Her husband, Nashim, said last month that about 40 travellers stormed in to join their noisy pals already in his busy restaurant.

The businessman tried to get the gang to leave after they 'frightened and intimidated' other guests.

Mr Uddin says he began pushing the thugs out backed up by his nephew Jamil Ahmed and wife Ayrun Nessa-Uddin.

But he accused police, who also had a dog, of standing back and watching as the astonishing drama unfolded just feet away.

North Norfolk MP Norman Lamb visited the restaurant after the weekend of disorder.

When he news of the disorder, he tweeted: 'Very concerned by what I've read online tonight. Of course happy to support people in Cromer in any way I can.'
Plans to remove a statue of Confederate General Robert E Lee from Dallas' Lee Park have been halted by a newly filed restraining order.

The Dallas City Council passed a motion to remove the statue on Wednesday morning. Hours later a judge passed the motion filed by Hiram Patterson and members of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans.

'It's a historical figure,' Patterson told NBC Dallas Fort Worth. 'I don't believe in taking down historical figures, right or wrong, for what they did.'

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On the march: This statue of Confederate general Robert E Lee and a soldier was to be removed Wednesday after a 13-1 vote by the city council - but the decision was blocked

Delivered: Sons of Confederate Veterans member Gary Bray (left) delivered the court order to police at the statue. The suit was filed by Hiram Patterson (right)

After US District Judge Sidney Fitzwater granted the temporary restraining order (TRO), Gary Bray, the Texas Division's former commander, raced to stop the removal.

'The monument means a lot to me,' said Bray. 'Had to hit that first line of police and tell them I had an order from the judge.'

The group said that the city had not followed proper procedure in its vote.

The statue was already strapped up to a crane intended to remove the statue when the judge's order reached police.

That night police surrounded the statue to ensure that it was not damaged or removed by anti-Confederate-statue protesters.

A hearing on the TRO is scheduled for this afternoon.

The removal resolution - which also told the Mayor's Task Force to look for other statues and streets dedicated to Confederate figures - was made in a 13-1 vote after a proposal by four black council members.

Sandy Greyson was the only one to vote against it, saying 'I'd like to give the Task Force time to do its work as the original charge to it was made by the mayor'.

'We do not need a Task Force to tell us right from wrong,' countered Philip Kingston. 'We are capable moral leaders.'

Halted: The local chapter of the Sons of Confederate Veterans obtained a temporary halt order just as it was to be lifted away by crane. The order is to be discussed in court today

The resolution said that further action may be taken against the other Confederate monuments in the city in November.

Before the resolution was passed, the Lee Park and the Arlington Hall Conservancy said it supported removing the statue.

It noted that the statue was owned by the city, not the conservancy, and said it would 'address' the space left by the statue at a later date.

It also said it hoped to rename itself sooner rather than later.

'We are hoping that process can be expedited, and the Council will simply return the parks moniker to Oak Lawn Park which was the original designation of the property when the park was established in the early 1900s,' it said.

Ex-councilwoman Diane Ragsdale supported the resolution, saying: 'The confederacy was about racism and white supremacy and so are the monuments dedicated to this cause.

'These monuments are not just stone and metal. They are not public art. They are symbols of a hateful past.'

But ex-State Rep Will Hartnett was less pleased. 'I doubt that you have any idea how much money this purge will cost taxpayers,' he said.

'If you carry through with this resolution, the cost will be in the many millions of dollars.'

Dallas representatives say that if the statue is removed it will be kept in a city-owned storage facility until the Mayor's Task Force decides what will be done with it in the long term.

Damaged: The moves come amid much controversy over statues of Confederate leaders. In August a statue of Lee (pictured) in North Carolina was damaged.

The move comes amid mounting pressure around the country to remove statues to Confederate soldiers in the wake of the violence seen in Charlottesville, Virginia last month.

That saw one die and dozens injured in clashes between white supremacists protesting the removal of a Lee statue and counter-protesters.

Since then a number of statues have been damaged, including one of Robert E Lee at Duke University's Duke Chapel in Durham, North Carolina, on August 19 which was subsequently removed.

Also today, New Jersey senator Cory Booker and California representative Barbara Lee introduced versions of the Confederate Monument Removal Act to their respective houses.

It would demand the removal from the National Statuary Hall Collection of statues of people who voluntarily served the Confederacy.

Some 12 Confederate generals are included in the collection, including Lee and Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson.

That came a day after the Washington National Cathedral in DC announced it would remove stained glass windows honoring Lee and Jackson.

The controversy has also spread to other figures, such as Christopher Columbus, whose involvement in genocide and rape led to a bust of his head being smashed up in Yonkers, New York, at the end of August.
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Dramatic photographs show engineers desperately trying to fix a US Osprey aircraft as smoke billows from the engine.

It has since been revealed the U.S. Marine Corps Osprey is the same one which made an emergency landing at Oita Airport in Japan in August.

The beleaguered aircrafts have been blighted by problems, having been pictured emitting smoke on a number of occasions.

The Osprey belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture.

In August, a Japan-based Marine MV-22 Osprey crashed during an exercise off the Australian coast, killing three US servicemen.

The doomed Okinawa-based aircraft which crashed was in Australia as part of a joint military exercise called Talisman Sabre, which has just ended in Queensland state.

In December last year, a 'controlled landing' of an Osprey just off the Okinawan coast during a training flight sparked local anger. The aircraft broke into pieces but no one was killed.

Dramatic photographs show engineers desperately trying to fix a US Osprey aircraft as smoke billows from the engine

It has since been revealed the U.S. Marine Corps Osprey pictured is the same one which made an emergency landing at Oita Airport in Japan in August

The beleaguered aircrafts have been blighted by problems, having been pictured emitting smoke on a number of occasions. The Osprey belongs to the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in Ginowan in Japan's Okinawa Prefecture

Smoke rising near the left engine covers the troubled U.S. Osprey aircraft at Oita Airport

U.S. military workers have been examining the aircraft since it made an emergency landing on August 29
How The Foam Works A fire starts when there are four elements present: heat, fuel, air (oxygen) and a chemical chain reaction Under normal circumstances if any one of the elements is removed/interfered with, the fire is extinguished. In the case of using foam as a fire-suppressant: The foam blankets the fuel surface smothering the fire. The foam blanket then separates the flames/ignition source from the fuel surface. The foam then cools the fuel and any adjacent metal surfaces. Lastly, the foam blanket suppresses the release of flammable vapors that can mix with air. Source: Chemguard Advertisement

This is the impressive moment a helicopter hangar nearly fills to the ceiling in fire-suppressant foam.

The Fort Indiantown Gap Army Reserve in Annville, Pennsylvania, just got a brand new helicopter training facility including a hangar that holds eight new helicopters.

And because having that many aircraft indoors poses a risk, the Army base decided to test their new fire-suppression system to make sure it was working properly.

To test it out, safety personnel at the Army base performed a full scale test of the emergency equipment by standing on an elevated platform inside the hangar.

And as its not everyday a hangar fills with foam, the event was filmed as the warehouse filled up with the white froth.

The foam is typically used in facilities where there are highly flammable liquids, as it helps to smother mixtures like fuels so that oxygen cant reach and feed a fire, according to Sploid.

Last month a fire-suppression system at the Auburn-Lewiston Municipal airport in Maine caused a hangar to be filled with foam and trapped four people inside.

Fire Chief Geoff Low said crew was working on the system when an error caused the foam to discharge.

The people trapped inside managed to make their way to the upper level and avoid being trapped in the foam itself.

The Fort Indiantown Gap Army Reserve decided to test their fire-suppressant foam system in their new helicopter hanger

The tubes spat out blankets of foam onto the hangar floors to ensure the system was working properly

Safety personnel at the Army base performed a full scale test of the equipment by standing on an elevated platform

By the time the foam stopped spewing, the foam nearly reached the ceiling of the hangar
The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly backed a $15.3 billion aid package for victims of Harvey, nearly doubling President Donald Trump's emergency request, and adding a deal between Trump and Democrats to increase America's borrowing authority and fund the government into December.

The 80-17 vote sends the package to the House for a vote on Friday, though conservatives are chafing at the inside-Washington maneuvering and painful debt limit vote.

But with emergency accounts running out of money and Hurricane Irma barreling toward the East Coast, the measure appears set to easily pass. Trump will sign it.

The must-do legislation would also provide money to government agencies through Dec. 8, eliminating the threat of a government shutdown when the new fiscal year starts next month.

The Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly backed a $15.3 billion aid package for victims of Harvey, nearly doubling President Donald Trump's emergency request, and adding a deal between Trump and Democrats to increase America's borrowing authority and fund the government into December

Thursday's vote came a day after Trump stunned GOP leaders by siding with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, by backing a short-term extension to the debt limit increase and the spending bill.

The need to raise the debt limit to ease a looming cash crunch that is worsening because of unanticipated Harvey spending was a major headache for GOP leaders like House Speaker Paul Ryan, who had urged a longer extension to spare Republicans multiple votes ahead of next year's midterm elections.

GOP leaders are fuming, but Ryan backed the idea on Thursday, telling reporters that the president didn't want to have 'some partisan fight in the middle of the response.'

The aid money comes as Harvey recovery efforts are draining federal disaster aid coffers and Irma is taking aim at Florida.

It's just the first installment on a recovery and rebuilding package for the twin hurricanes that could eclipse the more than $110 billion cost to taxpayers of Hurricane Katrina.

In a surprise move late Wednesday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell added $7.4 billion in rebuilding funding to Trump's $7.9 billion request to deal with the immediate emergency in Texas and parts of Louisiana.

'It will provide certainty and stability for first responders, state officials, and the many others involved in preparing for and recovering from these storms, with critically needed emergency resources that will not be interrupted by the prospect of a shutdown or default,' McConnell said Thursday. 'The recovery effort for a record-setting storm like Harvey has strained resources to the limit already.'

President Donald Trump agreed to the deal during a meeting with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi and other Congressional leaders yesterday in the Oval Office of the White House

McConnell also added a temporary extension of the federal flood insurance program.

The additional community block grant money is to jump-start rebuilding efforts. The money can cover costs the Federal Emergency Management Agency can't.

'This funding will serve as an initial first step toward helping Texans begin the process of rebuilding,' said Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, who requested the additional funding be adding to the measure.

The $15 billion-plus aid package is also crafted in such a way to free up another $7 billion in Federal Emergency Management Agency disaster relief funds.

Adding the debt ceiling increase to the measure is upsetting many GOP conservatives, who want to accompany that politically toxic measure with cuts to spending.

'Not that the relief package is bad but the debt ceiling vote, attached to the relief package, is Washington like most people wish it wasn't,' said Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas. 'It's like the Washington that Trump campaigned against. So, as much as I want to help Texas, I can't vote for something that just is a blank check on the debt.'

And the perception that Pelosi came away with a victory has Republicans grinding their molars.

Pelosi used a Thursday news conference to take a victory lap, telling reporters that her deal with Trump ensured that Democrats would have leverage during upcoming Washington debates this fall on health care, government spending, and immigration.

Just before the final vote, the Senate easily voted 87-10 to kill a move by Sen. Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican, to pay for the aid package by cutting foreign aid accounts.

'Why don't we pay for this? Why don't we simply take some money that we were going to spend somewhere else for something not as valuable in another country, and why don't we spend it here?' Paul said.

A military vehicle pass flood damaged belongings piled on a homeowners front lawn in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey today. Clean up from the storm could eclipse the more than $110 billion cost to taxpayers of Hurricane Katrina

Sen. Ben Sasse fared only slightly better in losing a 72-25 vote to kill a bid to remove the debt limit language and all spending above Trump's request.

'Yesterday we saw Washington's swamp continue to rise: Chuck Schumer wrote the art of the steal by taking hurricane relief hostage to guarantee a December showdown that favors Democratic spending priorities,' the Nebraska Republican said.

Other GOP lawmakers, however, acknowledged that Republicans were more upset with the narrative that Schumer and Pelosi had won a victory than they were about any loss of leverage in battles later this fall.

In the meeting with Republican and Democratic leaders on Wednesday, Trump also suggested doing away with the debt ceiling entirely.

'It complicates things. It's really not necessary because you're talking about budget, so it's really not necessary,' Trump said Thursday.

Pelosi and Schumer indicated that it was an issue they would discuss with their respective rank and file.
Police in Minnesota are hailing a 15-year-old girl for her bravery after they say she survived a harrowing month-long ordeal during which she was repeatedly raped and beaten by her captors, until she finally escaped by swimming across a lake to safety.

Authorities in Alexandria shared details of the victim's kidnapping and rescue on Wednesday, also revealing that the girl played a key role in helping police capture her suspected kidnappers, one of whom was a family acquaintance.

DailyMail.com is not naming the 15-year-old girl or showing her face because she is now believed to be the victim of multiple sexual assaults.

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Brave: A 15-year-old Minnesota girl is pictured with her mother on Tuesday, shortly after she escaped from three men who had been keeping her captive for a month

Thomas Barker, 32 (left), Steven Powers, 20 (center) and Joshua Holby, 31 (right) are expected to be charged with kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault in the abduction

The high-schooler was found on Tuesday injured but alive in rural Grant County, where she ended up after running away from her suspected abductors.

The Alexandria Police Department announced on its Facebook page that the girl, who had been missing since August 8, had been located about 40 miles from her home in Alexandria.

During a press conference held Wednesday afternoon, police revealed that they have arrested 32-year-old Thomas Barker; Steven Powers, 20, and Joshua Holby, 31, suspected of abducting, raping and torturing the girl for 29 days.

Following her rescue, the 15-year-old was taken to Douglas County Hospital to be treated for minor injuries and has since been reunited with her family.

Safe return: The Missing Minnesota teen was found alive on September 5, after she swam across a lake to freedom

Speaking to reporters, Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels said suspect Thomas Barker was a family acquaintance of the victim's and lured her into his car on the night of August 8 by approaching her outside her home and asking her to help with a family situation.

The girl agreed to assist him, got into his car and the two headed to the man's home in Carlos, police said.

Upon arrival, Wyffels said Barker restrained the girls hands with zip ties, repeatedly assaulted her and threatened her with weapons.

It is claimed Holby also assaulted the 15-year-old, as did Powers about two weeks into what the chief described as the victim's 'nightmare'.

In response to a reporter's question, the police chief clarified that the girl 'was both physically assaulted and sexually assaulted.'

Some of the attacks took place inside a closet, Wyffels said, adding that the three suspects fed the girl Taco Bell meals and other fast food.

Last week, the trio of suspects allegedly drove the girl from one location to another, including a cornfield and a foreclosed property in Grant County.

Then on Tuesday, the men headed to a nearby town for lunch, leaving her unattended for the first time since her abduction.

The 15-year-old used the opportunity to escape. She tried knocking on several doors before swimming across a section of Thompson Lake, then continued on foot to a nearby community, where she flagged down a farmer and asked him to call 911.

While she was sitting in the Good Samaritan's car, awaiting police to arrive, she spotted Steven Powers drive by and alerted the man, who helped police track down that suspect, reported Voice of Alexandria.

The girl had been taken to this home in Carlos, Minnesota, after her abduction a month ago

Swimming for her life: After the girl escaped on Tuesday, she swam across a portion of Thompson Lake (pictured)

She was found by a farmer hiding in the grass (pictured) without pants or shoes

The teen later assisted police in locating the other two men, and all three were taken into custody. Barker, Powers and Holby are currently being held in the county jail on probable cause for kidnapping to terrorize or commit great bodily harm, criminal sexual conduct and false imprisonment.

According to Chief Wyffels, none of the suspects said why they targeted the 15-year-old.

The farmer who helped the teenage girl spoke to the station WCCO on the condition of anonymity, saying that he happened to be next to his house in Grant County on Tuesday because he forgot something at home and left work to retrieve it.

He was getting ready to head back to work when he spotted something in the grass behind the property, which turned out to be a girl. He says he recognized her at once as the missing teen from news reports and offered to take her to safety.

'It was just a great feeling,' said the Good Samaritan, who has three daughters of his own. '[I told her] "just get in the pickup, were going to help you now.'

He added, 'It was like somebody shined a big beam of light on me yesterday for some reason and, I dont know, I was kind of on a high all day long yesterday.'

Good Samaritan: This Grant County farmer encountered the missing teen near his home Tuesday and offered to drive her to safety

The girl's safe return came a day after an anonymous donor added $5,000 to a $2,000 reward for information leading to her safe return.

On Tuesday evening, her mother shared a photo taken after she was reunited with her daughter.

It shows the 15-year-old wrapped in a blue blanket, standing next to her mother with a slight smile on her face.

The mom also posted an update on a Facebook group dedicated to finding her daughter, saying that the 15-year-old has been found and is safe.

Please be respectful I will not be answering any messages or calls and do not post rumors (the girl) and I will not tolerate that, she wrote.

In a follow-up post, the parent thanked law enforcement officials for staying on top of the missing person case and even working on their days off to help bring her daughter home.

The mother reiterated her request for privacy, writing that their family had been apart for four weeks and need their space.

God answers prayers! she said. I am so damn proud of her [victim] and so happy to have her home safe with us. Thank you all so much.

The teen was last seen at her home in the 200 block of McKay Avenue North in Alexandria on August 8 at around 10.30pm.

The 5-foot-1, 110-pound girl had spent the day boating with neighbors, but returned home with a migraine headache, reported NBC News.

Her mother told Dateline last month that she saw her daughter laying on the couch in their mobile home before she went out that night. When she returned, the girl was no where to be found, but her cellphone was left behind.

Police are now trying to identify the specific cornfields through which the suspects drove with the kidnapped girl. They are also hoping to locate her missing shoes and pants, which were lost as she swam across the lake for help.
An Army veteran with a history of filing long-shot lawsuits is suing the state of Alabama for not recognizing his marriage to his computer, according to court records.

Chris Sevier filed a federal lawsuit on August 31 in Alabama's Northern District alleging his rights along with three other plaintiffs were violated by Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Blount County Probate Judge Chris Green.

In the past, Sevier, who describes his sexual orientation as 'machinist', has filed several lawsuits in Texas and Utah along with a suit in Colorado seeking to force a baker to make a wedding cake for him and his computer 'bride'.

In the Alabama filing, Sevier claimed that he 'married an object in New Mexico with female like features'. He claims that he asked Green to either recognize the union between him and his Macbook or issue him a new marriage license.

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Chris Sevier (above), an Army veteran with a history of filing long-shot lawsuits, is suing the state of Alabama for not recognizing his marriage to his computer, according to court records

Sevier (above) filed a federal lawsuit on August 31 in Alabama's Northern District alleging his rights along with three other plaintiffs were violated by Gov. Kay Ivey, Attorney General Steve Marshall and Blount County Probate Judge Chris Green.

In the Alabama filing, Sevier claimed that he 'married an object in New Mexico with female like features'. He claims that he asked Green to either recognize the union between him and his Macbook (file above) or issue him a new marriage license.

'Defendant Green issues marriage licenses to individuals who self-identify as homosexual, but he refuses to issue marriage licenses to zoophiles, machinists, and polygamists license on a basis that can only be described as procedurally arbitrary,' the complaint states.

The other plaintiffs involved in the suit are John Gunter Jr., Whitney Kohl and Joan Grace Harley.

They are described as polygamists and claim they were denied a license to marry each other, according to the suit.

Green told Alabama.com that the plaintiffs involved in the lawsuit did not request to marry each other in person, but only called to inquire about getting licenses.

'I just said I wouldn't do that in Blount County. No way, no how,' Green said.

Sevier (above) is also a former attorney from Tennessee who was charged previously with stalking and harassing both country star John Rich and a 17-year-old girl

State law does not grant Green the authority to issue polygamist licenses or marriage licenses for people trying to wed an 'inanimate object', he added.

The complaint states Marshall and Ivey allegedly violated the plaintiff's constitutional rights by giving 'special treatment' to gays and lesbians but not 'machinists' or polygamists.

The lawsuit argues that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling that legalized same-sex marriage across the country was the work of 'moral relativist (sic) who have infiltrated the bench like a cancer (and) cannot be permitted to monkey with the Fourteenth Amendment just because they believe that 'the ends justify the means.''

Sevier is a former attorney from Tennessee who was charged previously with stalking and harassing both country star John Rich and a 17-year-old girl.

Earlier this year, Sevier (above) pushed for pornography taxes in 13 states

Earlier this year, he pushed for pornography taxes in 13 states, according to The Daily Beast.

In 2014, he filed a motion to the 10th US Circuit Court of Appeal arguing that if same-sex couples were allowed to wed, he should be able to tie the knot with his laptop.

The amateur model claimed computers were his 'preferred sexual object' and enjoyed sex with the devices more than with 'real women'.

He tried to marry the device, which he said was laden with porn, but the licence was rejected by Utah officials on the grounds of 'sexual orientation'.

His actions bear similarities to Her, a Spike Jonze film in which the protagonist, played by Joaquin Phoenix, falls in love with his operating system (voiced by Scarlett Johansson). Jonze picked up the Oscar for Best Original Screenplay.

Sevier has previously sued Apple claiming the tech giant should have blocked him from accessing porn when he, apparently by accident, typed 'F***book.com instead of Facebook into Google.

Sevier went on in the complaint to allege 'unfair competition' between the porn stars and his wife, brought about by his use of the Apple product, and thus 'interference of the marital contract'.
The junta forces are said to have burned down the homes of local people in a clash with the Peoples Defense Forces in Tanintharyi Regions Palaw...
President Donald Trump said Thursday that war with North Korea is not 'inevitable' but it's 'something certainly that could happen.'

'I would prefer not going the route of the military,' Trump said during an East Room news conference, 'but it's something certainly that could happen,'

Trump boasted that the U.S. has 'new and beautiful military equipment' that it could deploy in a conflict with Kim Jong-un. 'Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea,' he quickly added.

'If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea,' Trump said.

President Donald Trump said Thursday that war with North Korea is not 'inevitable' but it's something that 'could happen'

Trump boasted that the U.S. has 'new and beautiful military equipment' that it could deploy in a conflict with Kim Jong-un. 'Hopefully we're not going to have to use it on North Korea,' he quickly added

This image distributed on Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, by the North Korean government, shows Kim at an undisclosed location during a test of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb that's ready to be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile

Trump gave new life to the conversation about a war with North Korea if Pyongyang doesn't behave after a call with China's Xi Jinping on Wednesday.

He told reporters as he was leaving the White House for a tax speech outside Washington, 'We will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea.'

'Certainly, that's not our first choice,' he said then in response to a shouted question, 'but we will see what happens.'

The Trump administration has repeatedly said it is keeping every option on the table as it grapples with the threat from a nuclear North Korea. The president's remarks have stirred new worries, however, that Trump is actually mulling military action.

Defense Secretary James Mattis said Sunday after a briefing with Trump that the president wanted to know what his 'many military options' are to deal with Kim and his government.

Standing in front of the White House, the United States' top general warned Pyongyang that threats to America or its allies would be met with a 'massive military response.'

'We are not looking to the total annihilation of a country, namely North Korea, but as I said, we have many options to do so,' Mattis stated.

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said last month that war with the country will become 'inevitable' if Kim refuses to halt his nuclear weapons program.

'If theres going to be a war to stop him, it will be over there. If thousands die, theyre going to die over there. Theyre not going to die here. And he has told me that to my face,' Graham said of his conversations with Trump on NBC's 'Today.'

Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham said last month that war with the country will become 'inevitable' if Kim refuses to halt his nuclear weapons program. A reporter asked Trump to comment on that. Graham is seen today on Capitol Hill

Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said that the U.S. 'would like to sit and have a dialogue about the future' with North Korea.

In a break with his Cabinet secretary, Trump has said the time for talking is over.

'We've had presidents for 25 years now, they've been talking, talking, talking,' Trump said Thursday. 'And the day after an agreement is reached, new work begins in North Korea, continuation on nuclear.'

It was at that point in his answer to a question posed by CBS' Major Garrett that Trump said he would 'prefer' not to take military action against Pyongyang but would if the circumstances warranted.

'Our military has never been stronger. We are in a position now, and you know the new orders. You see the numbers just like I see the new numbers. It's been tens of billions of dollars more in investment,' Trump said. 'And each day new equipment is delivered. New and beautiful equipment, the best in the world, the best anywhere in the world by far.'

Garrett had initially asked Trump if he believes, like Graham, that war with Kim is inevitable. Garrett also asked Trump whether he would accept a nuclear North Korea so long as its program was kept in check. He brought up military action as a deterrence tool.

'Military action would certainly be an option. Is it inevitable? Nothing's inevitable. It would be great if something else could be worked out. We would have to look at all of the details, all of the facts,' Trump responded.

Pressed on whether he would settle for containment, Trump got testy.

'I'm not negotiating with you. Maybe we'll have a chance to negotiate with somebody else. But I don't put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations,' the Republican, who ran a global business before he became president, said. 'I don't talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea's behaving badly, and it's got to stop, okay?'

Trump sparked new fears about war with Pyongyang if it doesn't behave after a call with China's Xi Jinping on Wednesday

The United Nations Security Council is discussing another round of sanctions for North Korea as punishment for a nuclear test it conducted on Sunday.

China gave the effort a boost this afternoon when it said it was in favor of a new package.

'Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the U.N. Security Council should make a further response and take necessary measures,' Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told reporters, according to Reuters.

Trump has spoken to several world leaders this week about North Korea's illicit test of what it claims was a hydrogen bomb.

Britain's Theresa May and Australia's Malcolm Turnbull were first on Trump's call list.

Yesterday, Trump spoke to China's Xi.

'We had a very good phone call. It lasted for a long time,' Trump told reporters waiting for him outside the White House ahead of his departure for North Dakota. 'President Xi would like to do something. Well see whether or not he can do it.'

China indicated this afternoon that it is prepared to come through.

The U.S. wants the U.N to impose an oil embargo on North Korea. China delivers more than 500,000 tonnes of crude oil annually to the increasingly isolated nation.

North Korea get some of its crude oil from other countries, including Russia, which also sits on the U.N. Security Council, but the sanctions would mostly impact Beijing.

China has resisted efforts throughout the conflict to cut North Korea off completely.

Xi's government is in favor of a denuclearized North Korea. It's said to have rejected harsher punishments on Kim because it is concerned about destabilization of the country's ruling government.

China has further noted that it will take an economic hit if it commerce with North Korea.

Four-fifths of North Korea's economy comes from trade with China. The trade relationship was worth $5.2 billion to China in 2015, before more aggressive sanctions kicked in, data from the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency shows.

Comparatively, China and the U.S. had a nearly $650 billion trade relationship in 2016, according to the U.S. government.

Trump has toggled between praise for the Chinese leader, who he met for the first time this year shortly after taking office, and contempt for the Communist Party's posturing on North Korea.

The U.S. leader threatened Sunday to sanction any country that does business with North Korea in a drastic move to cut off Kim's funds.

'The United States is considering, in addition to other options, stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea,' he tweeted.

Trump told reporters as he was leaving the White House for a tax speech outside Washington, 'We will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea.' He's seen boarding Marine One just after on Wednesday

Trump is unlikely to move forward with the proposal that would affect not only China but Mexico, Brazil and Germany, according to the New York Times.

He could try to exact pressure on China through targeted sanctions, though, experts have said. State-run banks and large corporations with close ties to the government could show up next on the Treasury Department's list.

Trump did not say in brief comments to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday whether the topic came up during his call with Xi.

'We will not be putting up with whats happening in North Korea,' the president declared after he was asked to comment on the conversation. 'I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesnt want to see whats happening there, either.'

Trump added, 'We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call.'

Before he turned to leave, a reporter asked Trump if he was considering military action in North Korea.

'Were going to see what happens. Well see what happens. Certainly, thats not our first choice, but we will see what happens. Thank you very much,' the president stated.

He told a second set of reporters later, as he was about to take off for North Dakota on Air Force One, 'We had a very good conversation with President Xi of China. It lasted for about 45 minutes.

'Hes very much in favor of the denuke of North Korea, and were talking about different things. We have some things -- were going to be talking again soon, and well see how that works out,' he said.

Trump and Xi are likely to sit down for a bilateral talk later this month at the United Nations. World leaders are scheduled to be in New York for the summit the third week in September.
Shocking video footage posted online shows shoppers fleeing in panic following an explosion on London's Oxford Street this evening.

The blast on one of the country's busiest shopping streets has left at least one man injured.

The explosion sent smoke billowing through the busy thoroughfare and people ran into shops as police cordoned off the area.

Speculation on social media that it was a terror attack have since been dispelled as rumour by the Metropolitan Police, who said it was a 'power network' blast.

The explosion sent smoke billowing through the busy thoroughfare and people ran into shops as police cordoned off the area

Photographs posted on Twitter show the blackened pavement outside the EE store on Oxford Street

One man suffered minor injuries when a box containing electric cables overloaded close to John Lewis' flagship store, Scotland Yard said

Images posted on social media show the pavement apparently blackened by the explosion, which sparked panic among terrified shoppers.

Adam Jogee wrote on Twitter: 'Terrifying few moments in John Lewis on Oxford Street. Explosion and lots of screaming, crying and shouting. All told to hide or get out.'

Another Twitter user added: 'Something's happened on Oxford Street. People running away quickly and panicking.'

Both police and fire crews were sent to the scene, where the man was said to have suffered minor injuries.

Scotland Yard said one man suffered minor injuries when a box containing electric cables overloaded close to John Lewis' flagship store.

Both police and fire crews were sent to the scene, where the man was said to have suffered minor injuries

Labour member for Hornsey on Haringey Council, Adam Jogee, told The Evening Standard he was trying on a suit in John Lewis when staff members ordered people to 'hide'.

He said: 'It was super scary. People were running and screaming and crying, and when you see that, you do assume the worst.

'Not to belittle these horrible atrocities were so many people have been killed but you do hear these stories of attacks in cinemas and shopping centres, when you're in a department store on Oxford Street and people are screaming and running down the escalators, you do panic.'

Emergency services raced to the busy street as police placed a cordon around the area

Speculation on social media that it was a terror attack have since been dispelled as rumour by the Metropolitan Police, who said it was a 'power network' blast

A Met Police spokesperson said: 'We were called to the scene at 1903 to reports of an explosion.

'Officers are on the scene with London Fire Brigade. Cordons and road closures are in place.

'We believe that one person has suffered minor injuries. Our information is that it's some kind of an electrical fault.'
A jealous love rival has admitted causing criminal damage to a 450,000 motor yacht after he caught his girlfriend in a compromising position with its married millionaire owner.

Dave Taylor, 54, went to Michael Hays boat Coco and found his girlfriend Hannah Brookes, 26, sitting in front of him performing a sex act, the court heard.

Taylor was furious and cut the mooring ropes attaching the twin-engine boat to Newcastle quayside.

The jealous lover also cut away another motorboat belonging to Mr Hay which was moored nearby.

The larger vessel went spinning down the Tyne in the pitch black on the high tide current, with Miss Brookes, 26, and Mr Hay, 58, aboard.

The incident took place after David Taylor, pictured right, had a row with his young girlfriend Hannah Brookes, pictured left - who is believed to be in her 20s

Taylor caused damage to Mr Hay's 450,000 Fairline Squadron, pictured, called Coco

Taylor claims he saw his girlfriend performing a sex act on millionaire Michael Hay, pictured, through the porthole of his yacht

As the owner tried to control the 60ft yacht he saw his other boat, called Vortex, was also floating away unmanned.

It hit the quay repeatedly until it got caught by a metal pontoon half a mile downstream.

The fire brigade, coastguard, police and boats from the Port of Tyne were called out to retrieve it.

The incident caused more than 10,000 worth of damage and has left Vortex, a Sealine 38, worth 100,000, out of action for a year.

Sarah ONeill, prosecuting at Newcastle magistrates court, told Taylor: You have been going out with this Hannah, you are jealous and youre wondering where shes going.

You were jealous and thats why you decided to cut the cables. It was clearly your intention in anger to cause this to happen.

Speaking of his girlfriend, pictured, Taylor said in court: 'I looked through the porthole. Hannah was sitting on the chair and he was standing up in front of her'

As the boat drifted away, Hannah Brookes (pictured, is said to have been screaming and crying

Yesterday Mr Hay, a married father of two daughters, denied that he had had an affair with the former dancer, who is less than half his age.

The retired car dealer, who lives in a 600,000 house in Durham, said: He believes I was having an affair with his ex-girlfriend. I would be so lucky.

The pair had known each other for some years as they both owned boats in Newcastle and had socialised with each other on a number of occasions.

Giving evidence, Mr Hay said: I was aware of him crouching on the pontoon looking into my boat. I thought that he was spying on Hannah - I said to her dont look.

Then she said Mike were moving and it was then that I realised that he had cut the rope.

The engine was not switched on and with a boat you have to switch everything on to get it to go.

Taylor, pictured, had known Mr Hay for some years as they both owned boats in Newcastle and had socialised with each other on a number of occasions.

But Taylor, an electrician, told the court: I looked through the porthole, Hannah was sitting down on the couch and Mike was standing in front of her, adding in a police statement read out in court that he saw her performing a sex act.

The incident had started when Taylor, who lives on a boat at St Peters Marina, Newcastle, had been on a date at the Pitcher and Piano pub with Miss Brookes, as it was his birthday.

But the pair had a raging row after Miss Brookess phone ended up in the Tyne.

She drove off, saying she was going to the casino, but 15 minutes later her car was spotted on the quayside where Mr Hays boat was moored.

The former dancer had run in floods of tears down to the quayside and jumped on board Coco.

Taylor, describing what happened before the incident, said: Me and Hannah had a drink.She handed me her phone and I went through it and saw texts between her and Mike.

The incident had started when Taylor, pictured right, who lives on a boat at St Peters Marina, Newcastle, had been on a date at the Pitcher and Piano pub with Miss Brookes, pictured left, as it was his birthday

She wasnt happy about me reading her texts. We discussed where shed been for the last couple of nights as prior to that she had spent the night on my boat.

There was a bit of confusion as to where she was going that night.

She jumped in her car and drove off. Id arranged to meet some friends. I walked along the quayside and as I was approaching the boat on the quayside I noticed Hannahs car parked up.

She ran across the road and down the gangplank. I saw her run on to Coco, I was a little surprised and I went to see if she was okay.

I looked through the porthole, Hannah was sitting down on the couch and Mike was standing in front of her.

Taylor was adamant that he had seen his girlfriend performing a sex act on Mr Hay, who is married to wife Erika, 56, and has two daughters aged 32 and 28.

Taylor, pictured, describing what happened before the incident, said: Me and Hannah had a drink. She handed me her phone and I went through it and saw texts between her and Mike'

He cut the lines to the boat and it drifted off down the river, which had a current of around 6mph.

But as Mr Hay started the engine to bring it back to its berth he saw his second boat drift past him.

Mr Hay said: Hannah was screaming, shouting Whats happening, am I going to die?.

We were going to hit the Millennium Bridge but I got it started and we came back.

Ruth Forster, defending, said: It was part of a jealous love triangle, if you will.

'Youve had a falling out over a young woman and rightly or wrongly youve assumed hes come to cause trouble, and youve presumed hes cut the rope.

Taylor pleaded guilty to two counts of criminal damage.

Her solicitor said: The bench are of the opinion that the criminal damage was intentional, and we also agree the cost of the estimated damage to the boats themselves.

Weve decided to accept the costings. It does go over the 10,000 damage mark.

The case was adjourned for a sentencing hearing at Newcastle Crown Court on October 5.

A charge of theft of a Samsung Galaxy S7 phone worth 800 was dropped by the Crown.
Harry arrived in Northern Ireland for his first official visit to the country to meet peace-building charity, Co-operation Ireland, which has been running for almost 40 years

Prince Harry has urged an end to the stigma around mental health and is campaigning for change from the 'bad habits' of the previous generation.

The 32-year-old said the older generation relying on the stiff upper lip means Britons bottle up mental health problems.

He was inspired and uplifted after meeting young people working to improve support and prevent suicide in Northern Ireland.

The prince met teenagers, aged 15 to 17, from the Northern Ireland National Citizen Service, whose motto is 'Say yes', during a visit to the MAC arts centre in Belfast city centre.

He added: 'The older generation have had it one way and handed whatever you want to call it, the bad habits, down to all of us, as the younger generation.

'What we have been trying to do is remove the stigma around mental health, to encourage people to have a conversation.

'It is easy to bury your head in the sand and not do anything about it, but much more inspiring and uplifting to go to a group like this with like-minded people.

'When you are together like this, you have an opportunity to start the change, to have an influence.'

Harry revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph he spent nearly 20 years 'not thinking' about his mother Diana, Princess of Wales's death and eventually got help after two years of 'total chaos'.

Earlier on Thursday, the prince put an ambulance worker in a spin after he used a harness to demonstrate some emergency equipment during the opening of a new 5million ambulance centre in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Harry quipped 'I am all right down here' and twirled him around as he hung by cables from the ceiling during a demonstration.

During his visit, Harry spoke with young people about empowerment, about standing up and doing something for peace-building.

It's Harry-mania! The 32-year-old's trip to the Emerald Isle comes just days after his girlfriend Meghan Markle spoke publicly about their romance in a tell-all Vanity Fair interview

Popular in Ireland: Dozens of female fans gathered to catch a glimpse of Prince Harry after he touched down in Northern Ireland for his first official visit to the country

The royal family have a history of working for reconciliation during trips across the Irish Sea and the prince's humanity while meeting community groups from nationalist and unionist backgrounds across the island was outstanding, his hosts said.

Co-operation Ireland, which organised the meeting, is a charity which has worked for almost 40 years to build a shared and cohesive society within Northern Ireland and across the Irish border.

Its chief executive Peter Sheridan said: 'Today was about reaching to the next generation, to the next generation of the royal family, the next generation of young people across this island, whatever background they come from.'

Hundreds of fans gathered in Belfast's St Anne's Square in a bid to catch a glimpse of Harry on Thursday, with some demanding photos and selfies with the redheaded royal

On an action-packed day for the prince, Harry will conclude his visit with a garden party at the Queen's official residence in Northern Ireland, Hillsborough Castle

Harry meets some of the staff and crews, to learn about their work in the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service. He later unveiled a plaque to officially open the station and commemorate his visit

A total of ten schools were represented from across Northern Ireland. A group had travelled from just across the border in Belturbet, Co Cavan.

The prince was applauded as he left and schoolchildren from both sides of the divide sung his praises.

Aodhan Mackin, 16, from Ardoyne, a republican district of north Belfast which has been the scene of bitter conflict over past years and decades, said: 'Not many people would think to meet the prince but we did meet him, so it was good, and he was down to earth.'

Co-Operation Ireland helped arrange the Queen's first visit to Dublin, which was a groundbreaking moment for Anglo-Irish relations.

Prince Harry meets ambulance crews during a visit to Ballymena Northern Division HQ and Ambulance Station during his visit to Northern Ireland on Thursday

The royal is photographed with an excitable group of school children in St Anne's Square, Belfast, during his visit today

In 2012 it hosted a historic and highly symbolic handshake between late Sinn Fein deputy first minister and lifelong republican Martin McGuinness and the Queen.

Mr Sheridan said Harry's visit was about building on that legacy.

'Here was an opportunity for young people to say what they think about peace-building, about the issues of today and you could see the connection between them and Prince Harry, who is a young person himself.

'They sat down and had conversations, all of us have prejudices but to be able to sit down and have conversations about things which are of common interest, be it mental health or how we build peace in this place.

'I think it went incredibly well.'
A Kansas nurse has spoken out to warn others after she fell violently ill from suspected tainted alcohol while vacationing with her husband in Mexico.

Cindy Otte and her husband Jeff were staying at an all-inclusive resort in Playa del Carmen, Mexico in May when she became suddenly sick after drinking part of a margarita at a Senor Frog's.

The nurse, who lives with her husband in Overland Park, Kansas, said she drank about a quarter of a margarita at the beachfront restaurant about an hour after taking two shots of tequila elsewhere for a friend's birthday.

'I went to the bathroom, came back, and all of sudden, I had like a personality change, I started laughing and laughing and laughing, and then I got really paranoid for a second, then I had this zoom tunnel vision, and I grabbed my husband,' Cindy told Fox4KC.

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Cindy and Jeff Otte are seen outside the Senior Frog's in Playa del Carmen, shortly before their vacation took a turn for the worse with some suspected tainted alcohol

Cindy and Jeff are seen in the back row, far right, in this souvenir photo from the restaurant. Cindy said she began laughing uncontrollably before collapsing suddenly

The hospital demanded $2,000 up front before they would treat Cindy. The doctors diagnosed her with 'dehydration' and asked for another $2,000 to keep her overnight

The US State Department warned travelers over tainted alcohol in Mexico in July, a few months after Jeff and Cindy's vacation.

Shortly after the warning, the Mexican government seized more than 10,000 gallons of illicit alcohol at restaurants and nightclubs, including some in Playa del Carmen. It is unknown whether Senor Frog's was targeted in the raids.

After Cindy fell unconscious at Senor Frog's, Jeff bundled her into a cab back to their resort and he desperately tried to find help.

'She kept getting worse, so I tried pouring water on her thinking shed come out of it any minute, maybe shes just sick, then she said "hospital,"' he told the Fox affiliate.

Cindy had taken a few shots of tequila and began sipping a margarita when she fell ill

The couple recalled their ordeal in an interview with a Kansas City Fox affiliate

'I called probably three or four times screaming at these guys, "hey, I need a doctor!" of course I didnt know the hospital number, there was no 911, it was a very hopeless situation,' the doting husband recalls.

When they made it to the hospital, the first thing Jeff was told was to pay $2,000 up front before Cindy could receive any treatment.

'Had I not been able to come up with the money, they wouldnt have seen her, and if she went into cardiac arrest, she would have died,' Jeff said.

Cindy came to after about six hours of unconsciousness, and doctors at the hospital diagnosed her with 'dehydration'.

They recommended she stay overnight for observation for an additional $2,000. Jeff declined.

Cindy said she was wearing this flashy, expensive watch at the time of the incident, which she suspects may have led to her being targeted

Cindy said she was wearing a flashy, expensive watch at the time of the incident, which she suspects may have led to her being targeted.

As of September, the State Department has removed the warning about tainted alcohol from its Mexico Travel Warning.

The warning does advise that the state of Quintana Roo, where Playa del Carmen is located, has seen an increase in homicides this year, driven by criminal gang rivalries.

'Shooting incidents, in which innocent bystanders have been injured or killed, have occurred,' the warning advises.
Aimee Chevalier, 40, was arrested on August 8 for engaging in 'sexual activities' with the boy whose age has not been revealed

A cafeteria worker at a Christian Academy in Florida has been arrested for having a sexual relationship with a male student.

Aimee Chevalier, 40, admitted to her illicit relationship with the boy when questioned by police officers.

They struck up an inappropriate affair at the Hernando Christian Academy, a $7,000-a-year private school in Brooksville, Florida.

Between September and November 2016, the pair met up in the school kitchen where he touched her bare vagina and where she 'rubbed' his genitals over his clothes, police say.

They exchanged 100 explicit text messages which included nude photographs of the woman and messages in which she described her 'twitchy p****'.

Some of the photographs were of her masturbating naked.

On more than one occasion, they met up in the school kitchen where the boy touched her vagina and where she touched his genitals over his clothes.

He also touched her breasts and nipples and, during one encounter, she rubbed herself against him. The report does not reveal the boy's age.

Chevalier, who was once previously charged with petty theft, was arrested on August 8.

The illicit affair began in September 2016 after they developed a 'friendly' rapport at the school, her arrest report states.

They then progressed to 'sexting'. In one message, she told the boy: 'All day my p**** has been twitchy. I knew if you touched me for a second I would.'

Chevalier is a cafeteria worker at the Hernando Christian Academy, a $7,000-a-year school in Brooksville, Florida

In other messages, they made plans to have sex at another student's home while their parents were away and also described the lewd acts they wanted to perform on one another.

Chevalier, who is believed to be unmarried, now faces charges including unlawful sexual activity with a child and transmission of harmful material to a child.

She has not yet entered a plea and is awaiting her next court date.

It is the second child sex abuse scandal to hit the religious school this year.

In May, the former principal's husband Bruce McAllister was accused of molesting foreign exchange students who were visiting the academy.

Chevalier admitted the affair to police when questioned. The 40-year-old is not thought to be married

A lawyer for the academy said it was cooperating with police and prosecutors on both investigations but declined to give any further comment.

'HCA is committed to helping ensure a proper resolution in these matters and doing so in line with the strong values that have shaped the school since its founding in 1981.

'Given the ongoing nature of the investigation of these matters, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time,' lawyer Matt Foreman said.

Assistant State Attorney Erin Daly, who is prosecuting both cases, said: 'When these things happen in schools, it is very unfortunate.

'We will do everything we can to go forward in making sure these actions are reprimanded.'
President Donald Trump navigated his way through a low-key press conference by shunning U.S. reporters and domestic topics at a joint appearance with the Amir of Kuwait, then cracked that his counterpart has 'problems with the media also.'

Trump acted as a sort of emcee in a joint appearance with the Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait, picking out questioners from a group of media gathered in the East room of the White House both for himself and for the 88-year-old leader of the Gulf country.

His granting the first question to correspondent Major Garrett, who he referred to as 'CBS,' Trump called on a series of questioners for the Amir.

Trump called on just one other U.S.-based reporter, Nadia Bilbassy, the D.C. based correspondent for Al Arabiya, who solicited comments about Syria and the Middle East.

After that, with Trump calling on questioners and urging them to direct inquiries to his counterpart, the president managed to avoid hot domestic topics of the day.

'I am very, very honored and happy to know that you have problems with the media also,' Trump told the Amir.

Trump pointed to a female correspondent, without calling on her by name, saying only: 'Yes. For the Amir first please.

'My question is for you, Mr. President, first,' the Kuwait News Agency Correspondent replied, asking whether he backed Kuwait's role mediating a dispute involving nearby Qatar.

'I would be willing to be the mediator,' Trump responded, addign that he had a 'long conversation' with the king of Saudi Arabia on 'unrelated subjects,' and that he was 'a friend of mine.'

Trump pointed to the audience again, at which point another man asked a question in Arabic about the U.S. security commitment to Kuwait.

Then, Trump turned to the Amir, asking: 'You have a question?'

'Your people have a question, yes,' Trump said, before pointing to the audience to call on another questioner, from the Qatar-based Al Jazeera.

Trump managed to get through the event without having to talk about his plan to end DACA, his deal with Democrats to raise the debt ceiling and pay for hurricane relief, or his eldest son Donald Trump Jr.'s Thursday testimony before Senate Judiciary Committee staff.
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As Florida prepares for the onslaught of Hurricane Irma, hundreds of thousands have already been caught in its devastation - including American tourists stranded by the oncoming storm.

Among their number is Jonathan Falwell - brother of Reverend Jerry Falwell - on the island of St Martin, and a Milwaukee wedding party now bunkering down amid Irma's strike on the Dominican Republic.

They and many like them can only wait until it's safe enough to fly back to the US, while tourists in Florida scramble for their planes home before they, too, are stranded.

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Decimated: The Rev. Jonathan Falwell posted this photo after surviving Hurricane Irma's passage over the Caribbean island of St Martin. He asked his followers to pray for it

Devastated streets: Damage in Orient Bay on the French Carribbean island of Saint Martin is seen above

A photo taken on September 7 shows damage on the French Carribean island of Saint-Martin, after the passage of Hurricane Irma

Near miss: Falwell and his wife (both seen left) had gone to the island to celebrate their anniversary. Their first shelter (right) was shredded by winds just after they moved to another

Shaken: Another American, Kerman Haynes, posted about his 'entire building shaking' as Irma passed over his hotel in Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

Irma is currently passing across the Caribbean in a continuing north-westerly curve towards Florida and the rest of the US mainland.

The hurricane - ranked a Category 5, the highest level, with wind speeds of up to 180mph - is moving over the north side of the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

In the midst of the storm are Nate Dooley, his girlfriend and her family, who were in the popular resort town of Punta Cana for a wedding, WISN reported.

With their flights home cancelled due to the hurricane - and the remaining flights priced too high at $1,700 - all the group can do is wait in their rooms at The Now Larimar Resort and pray.

'They gave us a sheet under the door saying from 8pm tonight through Thursday don't leave the room,' Dooley said.

'They're going to bring us food and water. We've already kind of stockpiled what we can.'

He said that the first floor of the hotel had been evacuated due to the potential flooding. 'My biggest concern is this is going to change direction and hit us head-on,' he added.

Trapped: Nate Dooley (pictured left and right) and his girlfriend Keely Raye (right) were stuck in the Dominican Republic along with a wedding party including her family

Wreckage: Buildings were demolished in the Dominican Republic by the Category 5 hurricane, while Dooley - who couldn't afford the $1,700 flights home - hid out

Damage in Orient Bay on the French Caribbean island of Saint-Martin is seen on Thursday in this picture above

Irma is currently passing across the Caribbean in a continuing north-westerly curve towards Florida and the rest of the US mainland. Devastation is seen above Thursday

French Overseas Minister Annick Girardin (R) and President of the Saint-Martin French collectivity Daniel Gibbes (L) look at damage on September 7, 2017 in Orient Bay

France, the Netherlands and Britain on September 7 rushed to provide water, emergency rations and rescue teams to territories in the Caribbean hit by Hurricane Irma. French Overseas Minister Annick Girardin (C) and President of the Saint-Martin French collectivity Daniel Gibbes (L) look at damage on September 7, 2017 in Orient Bay

Tracking the storm: This model from European Center for Medium-Range Weather Forecast shows the projected path of Irma - including landfall in Florida

Smashed: View of wreckage in the vicinity of the Santurce neighborhood in the aftermath of the hurricane Irma, in San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday

One man who has been through the devastation of the hurricane is the Reverend Jonathan Falwell, brother of Jerry Falwell and pastor at Thomas Road Baptist Church in Virginia.

He had taken his wife for a wedding anniversary trip to the Caribbean island of St Martin when the arrival of Irma left them stranded.

The couple and others were evacuated from one shelter to another as the winds buffeted them at 5am - and minutes later their previous shelter's roof was ripped off.

The following morning, Falwell posted a photo of the ruined building on Twitter. It had been completely gutted.

He emerged Wednesday afternoon to a scene of utter destruction. 'We are safe. No power, no water, everything destroyed,' he tweeted. 'Buildings gone. Please pray as this island is decimated.'

Ruined: This photo from Rev. Falwell on Wednesday shows the massive damage inflicted on St Martin by the devastating hurricane

Delta confirmed on Thursday that the St Thomas and St Martin airports were closed for damage, and that it had canceled its flights for Thursday and Friday, AJC.com reported.

On Thursday he posted more photographs showing buildings battered, detritus piled high and palm trees torn down. 'Sun is out but devastation remains,' he wrote.

These are just some of hundreds of thousands of groups left stranded in the area as Irma continues to lay waste to island after island.

On Wednesday afternoon, Irma hit the British Virgin islands, followed by Puerto Rico. In both instances American tourists were left hiding for their lives.

South Carolina couple Emily and Thomas Moss were left stranded on the British Virgin Island of St Thomas; they had tried to call time on their vacation but all of the planes out were booked up, Fox Carolina reported.

She was able to get a message on Facebook saying that she was all right just before the storm hit and the wifi and internet connections went down.

Also hiding on the same island are Alicia Ping and her husband Dave, who are in a local shelter, WXYZ reported.

Costly: Alicia Ping and her husband Dave (right) couldn't afford the $25,000 it would take to rent a private jet to escape St Thomas when all the commercial planes were booked up

Emotional: Ping said it was 'emotional' to imagine the water reaching the third floor of their holiday condo, as expected. Instead they hid in this nearby evacuation shelter

They sought out the shelter to avoid being stuck on top of two stories of water in the condo they had rented.

'It's pretty emotional. We're on the 3rd floor of this condo, but the way the water is supposed to come up, it could get close to the bottom of the third level,' she said prior to the storm's arrival.

Elsewhere in the British Virgin Islands, Andrew Burruss and friend Kerman Haynes were left hiding under a mattress in a room with blown-out windows, according to a Facebook post made by Haynes Wednesday.

The Atlanta men had filled the bathroom of their Tortola hotel with food, first aid and buckets of water on Tuesday, and told AJC.com they planned to stay awake throughout the storm.

Neither man had posted publicly as of Thursday. Kernan's sister posted on Facebook at 9am that she hadn't heard from him.

Also Wednesday WDRB.com spoke to three men from Louisville, Kentucky, who were stuck in Puerto Rico after their flight was canceled.

Stephen Smith filmed footage of the seas churning and palm trees blowing as the hurricane approached their hotel in San Juan.

He said the earliest they would be able to fly is Thursday - if planes are available.

Also stranded in San Juan were Dr Sanjay Kumar and his wife Frani, who had flown from Lowcountry South Carolina to celebrate their daughter's graduation.

Hiding: Kerman Haynes and Andrew Burruss were left hiding under a mattress in a room with blown-out windows after getting trapped on the island of Tortola in the British Virgin Islands

Update: The pair had to turn their phones off for extended periods to save their batteries - but made sporadic updates. However, they hadn't been heard from as of Thursday morning

The last plane for the foreseeable future flew on Tuesday and had no more seats available - leaving the family stuck on the island, WJCL reported.

'We tried Monday morning to switch our flights, because our flight is going out [Thursday],' Frani said.

'So we couldn't get out, and nobody could get out. So we thought let's see what a jet type thing might be and they wanted $25,000.

'So most of the people are just kinds getting in their homes and doing what everybody else does in a hurricane. A couple of them said they had never seen anything this high.'

DEVASTATION CAUSED BY HURRICANE ANDREW IN 1992 Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. It was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit Florida, and the costliest to the United States until Katrina in 2005. The storm sustained wind speeds as high as 165 mph and passed directly through Miami-Dade County. It stripped many homes of all but their foundations, and destroyed more than 63,500 homes. The storm cost a total of $26.5 billion in damages and left 65 people dead. Hurricane Andrew was a Category Five hurricane that struck the Bahamas and Florida in mid-August 1992. Pictured is the devastation it left Advertisement

They were left hiding in a makeshift shelter in the hotel's basement, WJCL reported. But once they are able to fly, Irma may be on course to hit their home on the coast of South Carolina - leaving them unsure about what to do.

Worries about planes aren't restricted to the Caribbean.

Tourists and residents of Florida are also worrying about their flights as they try to escape the arrival of Hurricane Irma, which is expected to reach Miami on Sunday.

On Thursday Delta Air Lines canceled its Saturday flights for Ft Lauderdale, Miami and West Palm Beach, AJC.com reported.

It was also considering canceling flights for Sunday, and said flights in North and South Carolina could also face cancellations as Irma heads northwards.

The airlines serving Florida's three main airports began canceling or delaying flights to the state on Wednesday, leading to panic among those there, theSun-Sentinel reported.

US state destinations affected by the cancellations on Wednesday included Newark, New Jersey, and Key West.

A handful of destinations further afield also had cancellations: San Juan and Aguadilla, Puerto Rico, Providenciales, Turks & Caicos, St Thomas, US Virgin Islands and St Kitts.

Those who find themselves stranded in airports in Florida have also been warned that they should go elsewhere for shelter as the buildings are not designed to serve that purpose.

'Resources like food and water may also not be readily available in the airport during or after the storm,' Miami International Airport spokesman Greg Chin said.
A 12-year-old girl died along with her cousin after jumping in to save him and his twin brother from a Georgia lake.

A'Jada McGuire was able to lift her 12-year-old cousin Carson Woodall out of the water before being pulled under the current along with his twin brother Carlton at West Point Lake near La Grange on Sunday.

The three cousins were with other relatives who had taken them to the lake for a Labor Day excursion.

The adults were unable to save A'Jada or Carlton from the strong currents.

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A'Jada McGuire, 12, drowned trying to save her cousins in a lake in Georgia on Labor Day weekend

Three hours after they went under, their bodies were found by a dive team.

A'Jada, whose parents say she was a strong swimmer, had just become a cheerleader and was looking forward to a new school year.

Her mother Tara, who was not at the lake the day she died, described her as her 'little angel'.

She and her husband Isaiah had left their daughter in the care of other relatives for the day.

They were not surprised to hear she died trying to save her cousins.

A'Jada (left) was able to save one of her cousins but could not save 12-year-old Carlton Woodall (right) who drowned along with her

The children were in West Point Lake in Georgia when they ran into trouble in the water (file image)

'That was the kind of person she was. She loved helping everybody,' she told WSBTV through tears.

The girl's father said she was the 'perfect child'.

'Never had a complaint. Anything you asked her to do, shed do it,' he said.

Relatives are now fundraising to pay for funeral expenses on behalf of both sets of parents.

Neither Carlton's mother nor father has yet spoken publicly of the boy's death. The family's fundraising pages can be found here and here.
A 28-year-old teacher was indicted on Thursday for allegedly soliciting an eighth grade student at her all-boys' school in Texas.

Rebecca Goerdel, a special education teacher at the Young Men's Leadership Academy of Kennedy Middle School in Grand Prairie in Texas, was arrested on March 11 after officials reported her to the police.

Administrators accused Goerdel of engaging in an 'inappropriate relationship' with a student at the school, which is less than ten miles from Dallas, WFAA-TV reported.

An arrest warrant alleges that Goerdel 'sat on his lap in her car and they made out,' but never had sex.

The relationship was said to have started in January, when Goerdel allegedly sent the student a photo of her as she was lying naked in a tanning bed.

Goerdel allegedly asked the boy to draw a portrait of her.

Rebecca Goerdel, left, was arrested in March, right, after school authorities in Texas were alerted to allegations of an 'inappropriate relationship' between the teacher and a student

Goerdel, pictured, who specialized in Special Education Inclusion, was immediately suspended from the Young Men's Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School

Authorities are also said to have discovered sexually explicit text messages between Goerdel and the student, some of which were found on 'third party apps that have since been deleted.'

The school said they were alerted to 'an alleged improper relationship' between Goerdel and a student on the afternoon of March 10 after school was dismissed.

Authorities said Goerdel was immediately 'relieved of all duties' and has not returned to the classroom since.

The school said they also alerted police that same afternoon, who began an investigation resulting in Goerdel's arrest.

On March 11, a police officer sent a text message to Goerdel from the student's phone.

She is alleged to have responded with an invitation to spend the night with her.

Goerdel taught at the Young Men's Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School in Grand Prairie in Texas, pictured, until the allegations surfaced on March 10 when she was suspended

Grand Prairie Independent School District released a statement on Wednesday, saying: 'We are pleased that law enforcement has doggedly pursued this matter and that Goerdel is being held responsible for her conduct.

'The safety of our students is among the highest priorities of the Grand Prairie Independent School District and that starts in the classroom.

'We believe the teacher-student relationship is sacred. It reflects a vow from teachers to parents that their children are safe - as safe as they would be at home.

'When a teacher in Grand Prairie ISD breaks that vow, he or she will be dealt with quickly and aggressively.'

According to the Dallas News, Goerdel previously pleaded guilty to driving while intoxicated.
Nineteen new auxiliary midwives have completed their training and will bolster rural health teams in an aim to reduce maternal mortality in Kayin (Karen) State.

The 19 trainees were presented certificates at an inaugural ceremony on September 6. These auxiliary midwives are the sixth batch to complete the seven-month training held by the Backpack Health Worker Team (BPHWT), the Phalon Education Development Unit (PEDU).

Complications from childbirth and pregnancy are a leading cause of death for women in Myanmar. The country has the second-high maternal mortality rate in the region, behind Laos.

Countrywide, an average of 282 women die per 100,000 births, according to data from the 2014 census. One in three births in Myanmar is not attended by a healthcare professional, and access to emergency services, especially in more remote areas, remains low to nonexistent.

The BPHWT and PEDU are trying to fill the gap with midwives. Since 2012, 110 trainees have completed their program.

The training covers neonatal, antenatal and delivery healthcare services. The most recent training was held from November 1 to August 31, with three months of theory lessons and four months of practical training.

The theory was taught by members of the BPHWT, retired government health trainers and members of the states Department of Health, while the practical lessons were taught at the Mae Tao Clinic in Mae Sot, Thailand.

During the practical training, a trainee must successfully deliver at least five babies. She must care for 15 pregnant women. The areas where we work are very remote. Its difficult to send people to hospitals and clinics. We expect [the midwives] to provide [comprehensive] care, said Saw Win Kyaw, director of the BPHWT.

The training completion ceremony was held at the Taung Kalay Monastic School in Hpa-an township, Kayin State.
The remains of Natalee Holloway were mixed with a dog's to make it tougher to identify her, according to new information revealed in a mini-series on the Alabama teen's disappearance more than 12-years-ago.

Holloway's father Dave Holloway, and investigator T.J. Ward revealed secret recordings with Joran van der Sloot's best friend John Ludwick during the series 'The Disappearance of Natalee Holloway,' on Oxygen in which Ludwick tells them about the remains, and what happened to them.

'I can take you where I I got the remains,' the friend, Ludwick said, according to the NY Post. The admission was caught by an informant wearing a mic so that Natalee's father Dave and private investigator Ward could hear it for themselves.

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Missing: Natalee Holloway, 18, vanished while on a trip with friends to the Caribbean getaway destination in Aruba to celebrate her high school graduation on May 30, 2005 (Pictured right on a night out on the island)

A tip from from an informant named Gabriel, a former roommate of Joran van der Sloot's best friend John Ludwick alleged van der Sloot killed Natalee and his father Paulus helped him dispose of the body (Paulus and Joran in December 2007 after the young man was released from custody)

Source: An informant called Gabriel (right) met Dave Holloway (left) after making secret recordings of John Luwdick in which he apparently confessed to helping dispose of Natalee's body. The information led to the trip to Aruba and a discovery of the bone fragments

Involvement: Dave Holloway and private detective TJ Ward have been to Aruba and are now waiting for the tests on the remains

According to Ludwick's claims during the secret recordings, Van der Sloot buried Natalee up a hill in the desert and threw dog bones on top of her to throw authorities off.

Ludwick then claimed in the recordings he was later paid to take the remains to a crematorium and scatter the ashes.

'It didn't happen to my kid,' Ludwig said. 'Could have thrown it into the ocean, could have flushed it down the toilet. I don't give a st.'

Van der Sloot, the longtime suspect in Natalee's disappearance, allegedly had a sexual relationship with Ludwick, who says he accepted $1,500 from Van der Sloot to dig up the teen's remains and take them to be cremated.

The recordings of Ludwick transpired after information from an informant named Gabriel told Dave and Ward that he knew the man who claimed to have carried out Van der Sloot's request to move Natalee's buried remains.

However since the episode aired, Dave has said while promoting the series, that they have discovered what is human remains in Aruba and they are in the process of DNA testing them to see if they are in fact Natalee's.

Human remains found at a site in Aruba where Holloway may have been buried belong to a young woman of eastern European descent, according to preliminary tests, DailyMail.com can reveal.

Suspect: Joran van der Sloot (pictured left with John Ludwick) is now in prison in Peru for murdering another young woman, but the evidence of informant 'Gabriel' (right) could bring new hope of solving the mystery of Natalee Holloway

A saliva sample of Natalee's mother Beth Holloway is undergoing tests to see if the remains have a mitochondrial match

The breakthrough, made during the early stages of DNA testing, means the Holloway family - which has eastern European heritage- may be one step closer to finding out the agonizing truth behind their daughter's disappearance.

The initial finding is still to be confirmed by further testing.

Natalee, 18, from Mountain Brook, Alabama vanished on Aruba on May 30, 2005 while on a trip to celebrate her high school graduation.

She was last seen by her classmates leaving a nightclub with Van der Sloot - a then 17-year-old Dutch honors student living on the tropical island. No trace of her body has ever been found.

Now her father believes the discovery of human remains - the result of a tip-off investigated by his private investigator TJ Ward - could be the lead they have been waiting for this past 12 years.

The full DNA test results will determine whether the bone fragments belong to Natalee or not.

A source told DailyMail.com: 'The nature of these remains means further testing is required before anything can be confirmed.'

DailyMail.com has also learned that Natalee's mother Beth Holloway provided a saliva sample to assist in the testing.

A source with knowledge of the testing said: 'So far all the indicators are that these bone fragments are the human remains of a young female, consistent with someone of eastern European descent.

'This is in line with what the investigators would expect when it comes to Natalee's family's lineage.

'It will be agonizing if Dave and Beth are told this is their daughter, but after 12 years of searching for answers it will be a huge deal for them - it might finally bring them closure.'

The source says experts are conducting a mitochondrial DNA test (mtDNA test) on the remains at a reputable, undisclosed lab in the US.

The mtDNA test traces a person's matrilineal or mother-line ancestry using the DNA in his or her mitochondria - a structure that sits inside the human cell.

Reconstruction: The new Oxygen documentary follows Dave Holloway's trip to Aruba, which included a dig at a spot on the island where bone fragments were found. It showed footage reconstructing what Van der Sloot and Ludwick were alleged to have done

Previous effort: In 2005 Joran van der Sloot was taken in handcuffs to locations near where Natalee Holloway was last known to have been seen, but was not charged due to lack of evidence

This poster which was prepared and released by the Holloway family after their daughter Natalee went missing in 2005

This type of DNA is passed down by the mother unchanged, to all her children, both male and female.

If the mtDNA inside the bone fragments matches that in the saliva provided by Beth Holloway, that will be conclusive evidence that Natalee's remains have been found.

The information that led investigators to these remains came from the informant Gabriel, a former roommate of Ludwick.

Van der Sloot - who is currently in prison in Peru serving a 28-year sentence for the 2010 murder of 21-year-old business student Stephany Flores Ramirez - has long been a suspect in Natalee's disappearance.

Gabriel told Dave that Ludwick had previously told him that Natalee was buried in a park near her hotel on the island - a sequence of events that marked one of the biggest breaks in the 12-year history of the case.

Ludwick apparently told Gabriel that Van der Sloot disposed of Natalee's body with help from his father Paulus, a judge on the island, after the teen choked to death on her own vomit soon after she was given a drink that had been spiked with GHB. Paulus has since died.

It is claimed Van der Sloot revealed his actions to Ludwick, who then repeated the information to Gabriel while the two were living together in recent years.

The information Ludwick previously told Gabriel did not match up with what Ludwick told Gabriel during the taped conversations about Van der Sloot mixing Natalee's remains with dog bones.

Dave announced while appearing on Today that he followed up on the original information Ludwick gave Gabriel, and soon after remains were found.

'We did an 18-month undercover investigation with an informant who was friends with an individual who had personal knowledge from Joran van der Sloot,' said Dave.

'We had information that took us to a spot where remains were found. And we took those remains and had those remains tested. They are human remains.'

Dave said he is being careful however to not rush to any conclusions.

According to Aruba Public Prosecutor Dorean Kardol, the discovery never happened.

He told the Huffington Post that 'no human remains were found' in the area Dave pointed out.

'During an investigation by police in an area indicated by Mr. Holloway, we found remains, but they were found to be from animals,' Kardol said.

Dave has long been a critic of the investigation into the disappearance of his daughter conducted by the Aruban authorities and slammed the prosecutor's comments as 'misleading'.
A college freshman filmed the terrifying moment she woke up in a train car in a desolate rail yard hundreds of miles from her home on Wednesday night.

Claire Connelly, from Highlands, New Jersey, was horrified when she woke up in an abandoned train car in Raritan after an exhausting day of traveling.

The 18-year-old had been evacuated from her college in Fort Meyers, Florida earlier this week ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma.

Claire Connelly, from Highlands, New Jersey, was horrified when she woke up in an abandoned train car in Raritan after an exhausting day of traveling

After finding herself stranded in an empty train, she went online to live Tweet the incident, from the moment she woke up to the moment she finally made it home

She told Nj.Com that she spent nearly $1,000 on a plane ticket home from an airport six hours away and had a long layover in Detroit all before landing in Newark.

Then, after landing, she had to get on an hour-long train to her hometown, where her parents would pick her up from the station.

'I fell asleep reading biology note cards,' Connelly said.

'I was just exhausted from all the chaos.'

The train took her all the way to Raritan, which is more than two hours away from her home in Highlands.

Connelly, pictured, told Nj.Com that she spent nearly $1,000 on a plane ticket home from an airport six hours away and had a long layover in Detroit all before landing in Newark

When she woke up she immediately began filming her shocked reaction at realizing where she was, and said she had just called the cops and was waiting for them to get there.

'I literally just fell asleep on my train,' she said into the video, which she later posted on Twitter.

'I'm on a train. There is no one on. I was screaming at the top of my lungs for help. No one answered, the train was completely empty and shut down for the night.'

She also said that she only had five percent battery on her phone, so she was relieved it didn't die while she was trying to reach the police and her parents.

After calling 911 the Raritan Borough police came and released her from the train, then waited with her until her parents came to pick her up.

And the cops were less than sympathetic.

Connelly said on Twitter that they said it was her fault, because she should have been more responsible.

When she woke up she immediately began filming her shocked reaction at realizing where she was, and said she had just called the cops and was waiting for them to get there

And after all of that, Connelly realized she wasn't even on the right train in the first place

She said the incident was the icing on the cake after being evacuated from her college, Florida Gulf Coast University, due to the impending threat of Hurricane Irma, and that she probably won't take the train again

Other commuters stood up for her though and said the train crew should have checked the cars before leaving for the night.

She said the incident was the icing on the cake after being evacuated from her college, Florida Gulf Coast University, due to the impending threat of Hurricane Irma.

'Honestly, I probably own't take the train again, I'm pretty horrified,' she tweeted.

And after all of that, Connelly realized she wasn't even on the right train in the first place.

'I was on the wrong train in general. I found out after I got saved,' she wrote in a Tweet.

'The guy who checks tickets didn't even notice mine said Middletown.'

Officials at NJ Transit told Nj.com that they are investigating the incident, and that this kind of thing is 'extremely rare.'

'It's the conductor's responsibility to check the train,' spokeswoman Nancy Snyder said.
British triplets are among the youngest survivors of the hurricane, it emerged last night.

The six-month-old girls were being nursed in the safest part of the house as 185mph winds turned it mostly it rubble.

British citizens Kate Jackson, 33, her fiance Alex Ashman, 31, were with her sister Christine Jackson, 31, when the storm struck the British Virgin Islands.

Back home in Manchester, Kates other sister Claire Jackson, 29, heard her six-month-old nieces Beatrice, Charlotte and Isabella were safe in a seconds-long phone call.

Kate Jackson, 33 with six-month-old triplets Beatrice, Charlotte and Isabella

Miss Jackson said Mr Ashman had brifely managed to get through to ensure the family in England that the party was safe  but that the family home in Tortola was destroyed.

She added: Its a huge relief to know theyre ok but theres another storm coming and I can tell you there are hundreds of other people that are trying to find out if their families are ok. Theres no phone lines, internet nothing. Its been like that since Wednesday.

She said she was worried because another storm, Hurricane Jose, was due to hit the island  and as far as she knew, the party had no shelter.

I havent slept. These girls are so young. Its probably the two worst days of my life.

Miss Jackson, who was with her mother Anne, 58, added: I assume they were calling on an emergency number because Alex couldnt speak for very long, said

Im guessing the roof went. The balcony would all have been torn up.

They would have gone into the back room of the house because its the most secure room. They will have hunkered down there.

We lost contact with them [Wednesday] at 4pm. They said it was the first part of the storm before the eye and they were doing ok.

The six-month-old girls were being nursed in the safest part of the house as 185mph winds turned it mostly it rubble

Meanwhile, the family of a pregnant British woman and her sister missing in Barbuda said last night that the silence is unbearable.

Seven-months pregnant Afiya Frank, 27, and former Miss Antigua Asha Frank, 29, were both on the island of Barbuda when it was hit by hurricane Irma on Wednesday.

Around 90 per cent of the tiny Caribbean islands structures have been reduced to rubble.

The Frank family last heard from the girls at 10.30pm on Wednesday as the island was being lashed by 185mph winds.

They have since mounted a frantic campaign to try to find the two women, even fundraising for a satellite phone to be taken by boat to the island from Antigua, but have so far heard nothing.

The womens aunt Ruth Bolton, 48, said: The silence is unbearable- no contact with our family and no formal of communication- not knowing if they are ok.

Seven-months pregnant Afiya Frank, 27, (left) and former Miss Antigua Asha Frank, 29, (right) were both on the island of Barbuda when it was hit by hurricane Irma. Both are missing

Last night the girls grandmother Sandra Jones, 72, told the Mail that there had been no consular assistance or help from the government in either the UK or Barbuda.

Speaking from her daughters home in Bury St Edmonds, Suffolk, she said: We still dont know whos injured or safe, including our own family.

Once we get an official statement that there are no deaths and its come from a reliable source then we will stop worrying and look forward to them coming home.

Elsewhere in the Virgin Islands Caroline Whitlock-Henry, 50, and her husband Marcus Henry, 40, have been missing on Virgin Gorda Island since Irma struck on Wednesday.

Mrs Whitlock, a hotel manager on the remote luxury island hadnt been heard from in 30 hours, her distraught sister said last night.

The couple had tried to evacuate days before Hurricane Irma struck, but were unable to find transportation away.

Mrs Whitlock-Henrys sister Amanda Whitlock, 49, said yesterday that the last shed heard from the couple was when they were sheltering in a stairwell in an apartment building waiting for the storm to hit.

Miss Whitlock said she was in a social media group with other relatives of some of the 3,000 people on Virgin Gorda - but not a single person had received any contact.

Breaking down in tears, she said: There has literally been no word from anyone on the island  and Ive spoken to a lot of people who know someone there.

Miss Whitlock said shed contacted her MP, Greg Hands, who directed her to the Foreign Office website - which hadnt been updated.

She said she was angry at the lack of government response, adding: My sister is a British citizen.

Originally from Fulham, South-West London, Mrs Whitlock-Henry has lived on Virgin Gorda for 12 years and works as a general manager of the five-star Rosewood Little Hix Bay hotel on the island, which neighbours Richard Bransons Necker Island.
The three teens accused in the killing of mixed martial arts fighter Aaron 'The Matzoh Brawler' Rajman, reportedly rummaged his home for marijuana, narcotics, money and swords.

Roberto Ortiz, 18, Jace Swinton, 18 and Summer Church, 17, entered the 25-year-old's Boca Raton, Florida home the night of July 3 with a firearm or other deadly weapon which they used to kill Rajman after a group of unknown men entered his front door.

A brawl then broke out and at least one shot was fired before the suspects drove off, the sheriff's office said.

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From left to right: Roberto Ortiz, 18, Jace Swinton, 18, and Summer Church, 17, were accused in the killing of MMA fighter Aaron Rajman

Rajman, 25, was shot dead after a group of men entered his home and a fight broke out

Palm Beach County State Attorney, Dave Aronberg said the act of violence was not random

Video from WPTV

The trio poached several of Rajman's belongings as well as a cellphone from a female visitor inside the home, according to the Palm Beach Post.

It's unclear whether or not the woman was a victim of the violence.

Palm Beach County State Attorney Dave Aronberg said in a statement Tuesday the killing is not believed to be a random act of violence.

'Mr. Rajman was targeted by these defendants, and we intend to seek justice for the victim and his family,' Aronberg said.

'I'm grateful they were caught,' Emily Imber, Rajman's ex-girlfriend, told the local newspaper Friday. 'I hope they get all of them. This has been devastating.'

The murder happened inside Rajman's Boca Raton home on the evening of July 3rd

The suspects became acquainted with the victim after they met in the neighborhood earlier this year

Mother to the youngest suspect, Church, said her daughter and Swinton met Rajman earlier this year at a local convenience store in Boca Raton. The group since hung out together from time to time.

Church claimed in the interview with The Post her daughter was ordered by Ortiz to contact Rajman to determine his whereabouts before the intrusion.

Church said her daughter did not play an active role in the alleged shooting.

The trio was booked to the Palm Beach County Jail last week on charges of first-degree murder and home invasion with a firearm or deadly weapon.

'(My daughter) wasn't there. To charge her with first-degree murder doesn't make sense,' Church added.

Rajman was remembered by those who knew him as a hard-working and kind person

'As nice as he was outside the cage, he was just as tough inside it,' Lamar Brown, a 27-year-old lightweight who trained with Rajma, said

'She worked with them and gave them as much information as possible.'

Ortiz, the suspect said to have orchestrated the murder, was also arrested back in January after he pointed a gun at a 16-year-old boy in Lake Wort. He was not charged.

Rajman, a devoted Orthodox Jewish MMA boxer, was remembered by those who knew him as a hard-working and kind individual.

'As nice as he was outside the cage, he was just as tough inside it,' Lamar Brown, a 27-year-old lightweight who trained with Rajma said.

'He was always smiling, never had a bad day.'
Malcolm Turnbull has swapped his Hermes ties for a hibiscus shirt as he touches down in Samoa to break bread with Pacific leaders.

He was greeted at the airport by the Samoan deputy prime minister on Friday morning before being whisked away to a beachside resort for a day of talks.

The prime minister is in Apia to take part in the 48th Pacific Islands Forum, which brings together the heads of 16 states and two territories each year.

Turnbull (right) seen at Faleolo Airport in Samoa ahead of a day of talks at the forum on Friday

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) shakes hands with Prime Minister of Vanuatu Charlot Salawi during a bilateral meeting at the Taumeasina Resort in Apia, Samoa on Friday

Turnbull poses with his bright blue hibiscus shirt ahead of the bilateral meeting in Samoa

Turnbull is in Apia to take part in the 48th Pacific Islands Forum, which brings together the heads of 16 states and two territories each year

It is Mr Turnbull's first official trip to Samoa, but not his first time to the annual forum.

He is back to announce a range of initiatives aimed at boosting Australia's engagement in the region.

The prime minister's first one-on-one meeting was with the prime minister of Vanuatu, where he offered condolences for the death of the country's late president.

He will also sit down with the prime minister's of Papua New Guinea and Samoa, as well as the forum's secretary general.

Mr Turnbull is expected to sign nine agreements with four Pacific neighbours - Nauru, Tuvalu, Kiribati and Tonga.

A large chunk of the day will be taken up by a unique 'lock in' known as the forum leaders retreat.

Turnbull (centre) and the Australian High Commissioner to Samoa Sue Langford (right) speak to the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa Fiame Naomi Mata'afa as they arrive at Faleolo Airport in Apia, Samoa on Friday

The event sees all leaders locked inside a room for roughly six hours to hammer out their goals and grievances.

Heads of tiny, sparsely populated island nations take their seats alongside much larger and more powerful neighbours including Australia and New Zealand.

Personal aides and policy boffins are left outside as politicians vent their spleens and strive to reach consensus on various regional issues in private.

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull (right) speaks with Prime Minister of Vanuatu Charlot Salawi during a bilateral meeting at the Taumeasina Resort in Apia, Samoa on Friday

The North Korean crisis will loom large over the meeting, as leaders discuss global conflict, power and international relations.

Maximising incomes from fisheries, tourism, deep-sea mining and labour mobility will be also central to these talks, along with governing how the money is spent.

So too will tackling climate change and rising sea levels as politicians discuss food security, sustainable development and the depletion of natural resources.




A defense attorney for a co-defendant of Sen. Bob Menendez claimed Thursday that bribery and fraud charges against the New Jersey Democrat are an 'attack' on Hispanic Americans.

And the lawyer, Kirk Ogrosky, told jurors in a Newark courtroom that lavish gifts of private-jet travel and five-star vacations Menendez received from longtime friend Salomon Melgen weren't attempts to buy government favors but a sign of 'hospitality' rooted in the culture of his native Dominican Republic.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Ogrosky argued Menendez and Melgen, a former Florida eye doctor, should be viewed as 'part of a fellowship of Hispanic-Americans' that includes entrepreneurs, businessmen, doctors and politicians  not as a privileged millionaire and a politician on the take.

Hispanics in the U.S., he said in an opening statement on Melgen's behalf, are a group that aims to 'pay it forward, help young Hispanic-Americans improve their lives' and 'play a larger role in American society.'

'This case is not only an attack on these two men, it's an attack on that whole group,' he said, defined by their race and nationality.

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Democratic New Jersey Sen. Bob Menendez (left) and former Florida eye doctor Salomon Melgen (right) are facing federal bribery charges, and one defense attorney says the prosecution is an attack on all Hispanic-Americans

Menendez left the trial's first day on Wednesday and attended a rally in support of people who benefit from DACA, a deportation shield for people  mostly Hispanics  brought to the U.S. illegally as children

Melgen flew Menendez and his 'guests' around on a CL-600 Challenger jet like this one, crisscrossing between New Jersey, Washington, Palm Beach and the Dominican Republic

Menendez anda female guest stayed at the Tortuga Bay Hotel Puntacana Resort and Club for three nights in 2010, courtesy of Dr. Melgen's checkbook

The argument is part of the opening salvo in the first bribery trial to hit a sitting Senator in a decade.

Prosecutors say Menendez intervened on Melgen's behalf with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in an attempt to scuttle a Medicare fraud investigation that later brought a criminal conviction, helped his girlfriends get tourist visas after they were denied, and tried to influence the Dominican government to change its port security system in a way that would benefit a business Melgen partially owned.

In exchange, the U.S. Department of Justice claims, Melgen gave Menendez trips on his private jet, a high-end Paris hotel room, vacations at his private Cominican villa at the tony Casa de Campo resort, and other gifts.

Ogrosky said Menendez sometimes paid his own way, but Menendez failed to report the freebies on his government financial disclosure reports at the time.

Melgen also donated at least $750,000 to Democratic election committees overseen by Menendez, directly benefiting his re-election campaigns, records show.

That may bolster the government's claim that Menendez wasn't performing his expected duties in merely helping a constituent.

Melgen cashed in nearly 650,000 American Express points to lodge Menendez and an unnamed woman at the luxury Park Hyatt Paris-Vendome for three nights

Casa de Campo in the La Romana region of the Dominican Republic is a self-enclosed paradise where Melgen owns a private villa like this one  where he entertained Menendez and his guests on at least a half-dozen occasions

Menendez faces 20 years in prison for the most serious charge, known as honest services fraud

Ogrosky insisted that a U.S. senator's actions can impact people in all 50 states, meaning his 'constituents' could live anywhere in the country.

Judge William Walls asked both sides to submit written arguments on the matter of who Menendez's constituents are.

Menendez, 63, is standing trial for bribery, honest services fraud, conspiracy, and other related charges.

He could face 20 years in prison on the fraud charge if he is convicted. The trial is expected to last between six and eight weeks.

Prosecutor Peter Koski pointed out several times in his opening statement that Melgen lived in Florida, a state Menendez was not elected to represent.
Major stores have withheld millions of pounds from the 5p charge on plastic bags instead of giving the money to good causes.

High street chains such as Tesco, WH Smith, Poundland and Halfords deducted a fee from the charge for administration costs.

The 5p charge, which was introduced in England in October 2015, is meant to stop shoppers asking for disposable plastic bags at tills.

High street chains such as Tesco, WH Smith, Poundland and Halfords deducted a fee from the charge for administration costs

Ministers said the money raised from the sale of bags should be donated to charitable groups.

Even though the Government ban allowed retailers to make deductions to cover admin costs, most firms opted to give away the full amount.

This provided a lifeline to hundreds of charities and community groups.

The scheme proved enormously successful in tackling litter and waste by cutting the number of bags handed out by more than 70 per cent.

The introduction of the 5p charge was a victory for the Mails Banish The Bags campaign, launched in 2008, which won the backing of MPs from all parties and environmental and anti-litter campaigners.

It went ahead even though all major supermarkets other than Marks & Spencer opposed it. Tesco led the opposition and bosses lobbied the Government to kill it off.

Tesco, which is Britains biggest retailer, has kept a large slice of the cash to cover the cost of running its Bags Of Help scheme for good causes.

Figures covering the 12 months to April show Tesco sold just over 637million bags, raising more than 31.8million from the 5p charge.

Some 5.3million was handed to the Treasury as VAT, and the firm took 3.4million for administration costs, leaving 23.14million for good causes.

But Tesco donated more to good causes than the other supermarkets put together.

The 5p charge, which was introduced in England in October 2015, is meant to stop shoppers asking for disposable plastic bags at tills

The figure was 8.2million for Morrisons, 6.9million for Asda, and 2.1million for Sainsburys, which sells far fewer 5p carriers because it encourages customers to buy its durable bags for life.

The only other major retailers to take a slice of the money were WH Smith, Poundland, Wilko, HMV, One Stop, Halfords and parts of the Co-op.

Tescos bag donations scheme is administered by the charity Groundwork. A decision on which groups get the money is based on a vote by customers at each store.

But rivals have questioned why Tesco and Groundwork needed more than 3million to run the scheme.

Morrisons said all the money from its bag sales went into the Morrison Foundation  its charity. It said running costs were just 60,000 a year.

A Tesco spokesman said: Our Bags Of Help scheme ensures customers get a say in how money they spend on bags is spent in their community. A small proportion of the money raised is used to run and administer the scheme.

Louise Edge, from Greenpeace UK, said: Most people expect retailers to give the proceeds to good causes. So its a cheap move from Tesco to pocket some of the cash.
A high-ranking Roman Catholic official blasted former White House strategist Steve Bannon on Thursday, hours after CBS published footage of him claiming the Church supports illegal immigrants as a way of filling its pews and collection plates.

Bannon, a thrice-married Catholic , told '60 Minutes' that Catholic leaders including New York's Cardinal Timothy Dolan are supportive of the Obama-era 'Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals' program protecting young illegal immigrants from deportation for economic reasons.

Dolan called the move 'not Christian' and 'not American' on Tuesday, saying Catholics provide 'special solicitude' for immigrants because 'they come to us first. The highest percentage of immigrants are, guess what? Catholic.'

On Thursday he broadsided Bannon on the SiriusXM Catholic Channel, calling the Breitbart news mogul's pronouncement 'a preposterous and rather insulting statement, that the only reason we bishops care for immigrants is for the economic  because we want to fill our churches and get more money.'

'That's insulting and thats just so ridiculous that it doesnt merit a comment,' Dolan said.

Cardinal Timothy Dolan blasted Steve Bannon Thursday for making the 'preposterous' and 'insulting' claim that the Catholic Church supports illegal immigrants because it wants their money in collection plates

Bannon claimed in a '60 Minutes' interview that the Church, of which he is himself a member, has an economic motive for standing against the dismantling of the Obama-era DACA policy

The first published clips from Bannon's extended CBS News sitdown hit the Internet Thursday morning, including the excerpt that will had Dolan wincing.

'The bishops have been terrible about this by the way,' Bannon tells co-host Charlie Rose in one excerpt. 'You know why? You know why? Because, unable to really come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens.'

'They need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's  it's obvious on the face of it.'

He added that the reason 'the entire Catholic [conference of] bishops condemn him,' Trump, is that 'they have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration.'

Bannon's unexpected star turn on CBS brought complainers out of the West Wing woodwork on Wednesday, with one White House aide telling DailyMail.com that 'he can showboat all he wants, I guess, but it's just going to underscore what a lousy, lousy team player he always was.'

Reached for comment on Thursday morning, that same official said: 'Mamma mia! It's a bad idea to try and out-Pope the Pope.'

DACA, which President Trump has placed on a 6-month countdown to termination if Congress doesn't act to codify it into law, guarantees protection against deportation for nearly 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children.

Pope Francis has emerged as a staunch defender of immigrants in general, and has complained about the use of the word 'illegal' to describe some of them in North America

Trump tweeted Thursday morning that his administration would take 'no action' to deport the policy's beneficiaries 'during the 6 month period,' telling them: '[Y]ou have nothing to worry about.'

Pope Francis has emerged as a champion for migrants of all kinds, including refugees and those who slip across borders unlawfully for purely economic reasons.

The Pontiff said in an April interview that the news media should focus on human rights, natural disasters and poverty as drivers of mass-migration, without paying as much attention to legalities.

'How many times do you hear them speak of "illegal" as a synonym for migrant?' Francis asked the Italian magazine LibertaCivili. 'This is incorrect ... and that pushes the public to develop a negative opinion.'

'The defense of human beings knows no barriers,' he added.

Bannon describes himself as a 'street fighter' and has no qualms about attacking his own church  whose official view on immigration he belittled as 'just another guy with an opinion'

Bannon is a self-described 'street fighter' whose famed view on making controversial statements refers to an Internet meme about a skunk-like creature known for its tenacious hunting: 'Honey badger don't give a s**t.'

That cavalier back-of-the-hand approach to his church was on full view in the '60 Minutes' interview, which will air Sunday night in full.

'I totally respect the Pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine,' he said. 'This is not about doctrine.'

'This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion.'
A graduate nurse was depicted on CCTV footage administering anaesthetic to a Sydney beauty clinic owner who died following a botched breast procedure, a court has been told.

Yueqiong Fu, 29, was refused bail in Burwood Local Court on Friday after becoming the second Chinese woman to be charged over the death of 35-year-old Jean Huang following the procedure on August 30 at the Medi Beauty Laser and Contour Clinic in inner Sydney.

Ms Huang suffered cardiac arrest during the procedure and was rushed to hospital in a critical condition but died two days later.

Yueqiong Fu was caught on CCTV administering anaesthetic to a woman who later died

Fu, 29. was refused bail in Burwood Local Court on Friday after becoming the second Chinese woman to be charged over the death of 35-year-old Jean Huang

Fu's barrister Neville Parsons said she had believed her co-accused, Jie Shao, was a qualified doctor and 'she was trained to obey what doctors say'.

Fu's barrister Neville Parsons said she had believed her co-accused, Jie Shao, was a qualified doctor and 'she was trained to obey what doctors say'.

But magistrate Susan Horan, who concluded Fu had a strong incentive to flee the country, said police had CCTV footage showing Fu wearing a surgical mask and gloves, inserting a cannula into Ms Huang and administering anaesthetic, as well as going in and out of the treatment room.

It could not be said Fu was on the peripheral of the scene, she added.

Shau, who was on a tourist visa, has also been refused bail and another court previously heard she does not have an Australian medical licence.

Court documents allege Shao 'injected Jean Huang with varying amounts of anaesthetic in the form of Tramadol and Lidocaine and the restricted substance Hyaluronic acid' before injecting breast fillers.

Fu, who is on a student's visa, was supported in court by her piano teacher husband and father-in-law.

Jean Huang, 35, (pictured) died in hospital on Friday after she was allegedly administered a local anaesthetic and breast fillers in Chippendale two days prior

The procedure took place on August 30 at the Medi Beauty Laser and Contour Clinic in inner Sydney

She's charged with manslaughter, using poison to endanger life and hindering the police investigation.

Mr Parsons said Ms Huang asked Fu to help a qualified doctor carry out the procedure and she 'simply followed the directions' not knowing 'she was not a qualified doctor'.

Fu had just graduated with a nursing degree from UTS, while she previously qualified as a nurse in China and worked in a hospital clinic there for three-and-a-half years.

Jie Shao (pictured), a Chinese tourist, has been charged with manslaughter over the death of a Sydney beauty clinic owner following a botched breast procedure

In opposing bail, Sergeant Liam McKibbin referred to concerns she would flee, interfere with evidence and witnesses, and pose a danger to the community.

'It is alleged she was engaging in unlicensed, highly dangerous medical procedures in an unqualified capacity,' he said.

He also said she initially lied to police and only admitted being involved after being shown the CCTV footage.

Ms Huang (pictured) suffered cardiac arrest during the procedure and was rushed to hospital in critical condition

Both women are due back in Central Local Court on October 31.

The 29-year-old - who was one of four people present during the botched surgery -will face Burwood Local Court on Friday.

Arrested on Thursday, Fu was charged her with manslaughter, using a poison to endanger life, and hindering an investigation into a serious indictable offence

Court documents allege Shao 'injected Jean Huang (pictured) with varying amounts of anaesthetic in the form of Tramadol and Lidocaine and the restricted substance Hyaluronic acid'

Fu was allegedly working as a nurse at the medical clinic, despite not having any qualifications.

Her counterpart Shao, who also doesn't have an Australian medical licence, was initially charged with causing reckless grievous bodily harm and using poison to endanger life.

But on Tuesday the Central Local Court heard she now faces an additional charge of manslaughter.

Shao (left), who doesn't have an Australian medical licence, was initially charged with causing reckless grievous bodily harm and using poison to endanger life

Court documents allege Shao 'injected Jean Huang with varying amounts of anaesthetic in the form of Tramadol and Lidocaine and the restricted substance Hyaluronic acid.'

The court previously heard Shao was a graduate of a Canton medical university and a specialist in dermatology who had practised in China and Great Britain.

She had arrived in Australia four or five days before the alleged offences with two Chinese passports because her tourist visa - which expires in November - was attached to her old passport.

Shao will remain behind bars and is due to return to court on October 31.
A federal appeals court has rejected the Trump administration's limited view of who is allowed into the U.S. under the president's travel ban.

A three-judge panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that grandparents, cousins and similarly close relations of people in the U.S. shouldn't be prevented from coming to the country.

The court also said refugees accepted by a resettlement agency shouldn't be banned.

In June, the U.S. Supreme Court said the 90-day ban could be enforced pending arguments set for October and it went into force in its latest state at the end of June.

But the justices said it shouldn't apply to visitors who have a 'bona fide relationship' with people or organizations in the U.S., such as close family ties or a job offer.

The government interpreted such relations to include immediate family members and in-laws, but not grandparents, cousins, aunts and uncles.

Another blow: The travel ban is set for a full hearing in the Supreme Court in October. Trump's administration was appealing against a ruling on how 'close relatives' was defined in the wake of the Supreme Court allowing it to go into effect in a restricted form at the end of June

The State Department had already expanded its definition of 'close family' to include grandparents and other relatives that constitute a bona fide U.S. relationship for visa applicants and refugees from six mainly Muslim nations.

In response to a federal judge's order in July, the department instructed U.S. diplomats to consider grandparents, grandchildren, brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, aunts and uncles, nephews and nieces and first cousins to meet the criteria for applicants from the six countries to receive a U.S. visa.

Those had been omitted by the department after the Supreme Court partially upheld the Trump administration's travel ban in June.

Under the rules applicants from the six countries have to prove a bona fide relationship with a person or entity in the U.S. to be exempt from the ban.

The move followed a ruling by a federal in Honolulu that grandparents and other relatives should not be barred under the temporary travel ban.

The order, by U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson in Honolulu, dealt a fresh courtroom defeat for Trump as the Republican president seeks to toughen U.S. immigration policy.

The state of Hawaii had asked Watson to narrowly interpret a U.S. Supreme Court ruling that revived parts of Trump's March 6 executive order banning people from the six countries for 90 days.

Watson declined to put on hold his ruling exempting grandparents and other relatives from the ban.

The administration had appealed his ruling although it had fallen in line with it.

Watson harshly criticized the government's definition of close family relations as 'the antithesis of common sense,' in his ruling.

'Common sense, for instance, dictates that close family members be defined to include grandparents. Indeed, grandparents are the epitome of close family members,' he wrote.

A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment. Neal Katyal, an attorney for the state of Hawaii, called the ruling a 'sweeping victory' on social network Twitter.

Watson (above) harshly criticized the government's definition of close family relations as 'the antithesis of common sense,' in his ruling

The U.S. Supreme Court last month let the ban on travel from the six countries go forward with a limited scope, saying it could not apply to anyone with a credible 'bona fide relationship' with a U.S. person or entity.

The Trump administration then decided that spouses, parents, children, fiances and siblings would be exempt from the ban, while grandparents and other family members traveling from Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen would be barred.

The Trump administration also said that all refugees without a close family tie would be blocked from the country for four months.

Trump said the measure was necessary to prevent attacks. However, the state of Hawaii sued to stop it, disputing its security rationale and saying it discriminated against Muslims.

Hawaii's attorney general Douglas Chin asked Watson to issue an injunction allowing grandparents and other family members to travel to the United States. Hawaii and refugee groups argue that resettlement agencies have a 'bona fide' relationship with the refugees they help, sometimes over the course of years.

The Justice Department said its rules were properly grounded in immigration law.

The roll-out of the narrowed version of the ban was more subdued than in January, when Trump first signed a more expansive version of the order. That sparked protests and chaos at airports around the country and the world.
Looking at the world through the eyes of the Web
Researchers in Australia have found a new way to build quantum computers using a 'flip flop' chip design.

They say the chip will make them dramatically easier and cheaper to produce at scale.

Quantum computers promise to harness the strange ability of subatomic particles to exist in more than one state at a time.

This could allow them to solve problems that are too complex or time-consuming for existing computers.

It could also pave the way for machines that are completely impenetrable to hackers using conventional methods of attack.

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Researchers in Australia have found a new way to build quantum computers which they say would make them dramatically easier and cheaper to produce at scale. Artist's impression of flip-flop qubit embedded in the silicon matrix of a chip

WHAT IS A QUANTUM COMPUTER? The key to a quantum computer is its ability to operate on the basis of a circuit not only being 'on' or 'off' but occupying a state that is both 'on' and 'off' at the same time. This is in accordance with the laws of quantum mechanics, which allow very small particles to exist in multiple 'superposition' states until they are observed or disturbed. In a similar way, a coin spun in the air cannot be said to occupy a 'heads' or 'tails' state until it is caught. While a classical computer has 'bits' made up of zeros and ones, a quantum computer has 'qubits' which can take on the value of zero or one or both simultaneously. Advertisement

The team from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) in Sydney say they have invented a chip design based on a new type of quantum bit.

This is the basic unit of information in a quantum computer, known as a qubit.

The new design would allow for a silicon quantum processor to overcome two limitations of existing designs.

These are the need for atoms to be placed precisely, and allowing them to be placed further apart and still be coupled, or 'entangled'.

Crucially the UNSW's so-called 'flip-flop qubit' means the chips can be produced using the same device technology as existing computer chips.

That would allow chips for quantum computers to be mass-manufactured, a goal that has so far eluded other researchers.

The project has been lead by Andrea Morello and lead author Guilherme Tosi.

Dr Morello said: 'It's a brilliant design, and like many such conceptual leaps, it's amazing no-one had thought of it before.

'It makes the building of a quantum computer much more feasible, since it is based on the same manufacturing technology as today's computer industry.

'What Guilherme and the team have invented is a new way to define a 'spin qubit' that uses both the electron and the nucleus of the atom.

'Crucially, this new qubit can be controlled using electric signals, instead of magnetic ones.

'Electric signals are significantly easier to distribute and localise within an electronic chip.'

IBM's quantum computer in the United States has 16 qubits, meaning it can only perform basic calculations.

Quantum computers promise to harness the strange ability of subatomic particles to exist in more than one state at a time. An artist's impression of a 'flip flop' qubit in an entangled quantum state

Guilherme Tosi (left) and Professor Andrea Morello (right) at the UNSW quantum computing labs with a dilution refrigerator, which cools silicon chips down to 0.01 degrees above absolute zero

Google's version has nine qubits. A desktop computer runs at gigaflops.

The worlds fastest supercomputer, Chinas Sunway TaihuLight, runs at 93 petaflops, but relies on 10 million processing cores and uses massive amounts of energy.

In theory, even a small 30-qubit universal quantum computer could run at the equivalent of a classic computer operating at 10 teraflops.

The full findings of the study were published today in the journal Nature Communications.

Laszlo Kish, a professor at Texas A&M University, said it was too early to say if the research was a breakthrough 'but it may be a step in the proper direction' in solving some of the key obstacles to quantum computing.

The university has set up a company, Silicon Quantum Computing Pty with investments from Telstra, Australias Commonwealth Bank and the Australian and New South Wales governments.

The A$83 million (51 million / $67 million) company plans to build a 10-qubit prototype silicon quantum integrated circuit, the first step in building the worlds first quantum computer in silicon, by 2022.
A facial recognition system can identify someone even if their face is covered up.

The Disguised Face Identification (DFI) system uses an AI network to map facial points and reveal the identity of people.

It could eventually help to pick out criminals, protesters, or anyone who hides their identity by covering themselves with masks, scarves or sunglasses.

The software could also see the end of public anonymity, sparking privacy concerns from one academic, who has labelled it 'authoritarian'.

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A facial recognition system can identify someone even if their face is covered up. The Disguised Face Identification (DFI) system (pictured) identifies people by measuring a number of facial points that can be read even if the wearer is disguised

HOW DOES IT WORK? The Disguised Face Identification (DFI) system uses a deep-learning AI neural network to identify covered faces. The team trained the network by feeding it images of people using a variety of disguises to cover their faces. The AI identifies people by measuring the distances and angles between 14 facial points - ten for the eyes, three for the lips, and one for the nose. It uses these readings to estimate the hidden facial structure, and then compares this with learned images to unveil the person's true identity. In early tests, the algorithm correctly identified people whose faces were covered by hats or scarves 56 per cent of the time. This accuracy dropped to 43 per cent when the faces were also wearing glasses. Advertisement

'This is very interesting for law enforcement and other organisations that want to capture criminals,' Amarjot Singh, a researcher at the University of Cambridge who worked on DIF, told Inverse.

'The potential applications are beyond imagination.'

Led by Mr Singh, the international team of scientists published their research on the pre-print serverarXiv.

DFI uses a deep-learning AI neural network that the team trained by feeding it images of people using a variety of disguises to cover their faces.

The images had a mixture of complex and simple backgrounds to challenge the AI in a variety of scenarios.

The AI identifies people by measuring the distances and angles between 14 facial points - ten for the eyes, three for the lips, and one for the nose.

It uses these readings to estimate the hidden facial structure, and then compares this with learned images to unveil the person's true identity.

In early tests, the algorithm correctly identified people whose faces were covered by hats or scarves 56 per cent of the time.

This accuracy dropped to 43 per cent when the faces were also wearing glasses.

The work is still in its early stages, and the algorithm needs to be fed more data before it can be brought into the field.

DFI uses an AI network trained using images of face to map facial points and reveal the identity of people. It measures the distances and angles between 14 facial points (pictured) - ten for the eyes, three for the lips, and one for the nose

DFI uses the facial point readings to estimate the hidden facial structure (bottom), and then compares this with learned images (top) to unveil the person's true identity

Despite these hurdles, Mr Singh told Inverse: 'We're close to implementing it practically.'

The DFI team have called on other researchers to help develop the technology using their datasets of covered and uncovered faces.

The research, which has not yet been peer reviewed and is still awaiting publication, has sparked controversy after some raised concerns over privacy rights.

Dr Zeynep Tufekci, a sociologist at the University of North Carolina, posted the research to Twitter, claiming that the AI is 'authoritarian'.

In early tests, the algorithm correctly identified people whose faces were covered by hats or scarves 56 per cent of the time. This accuracy dropped to 43 per cent when the faces were also wearing glasses

He tweeted: 'The authors claim the system works about half the time even when people wear glasses. And this is just the beginning; first paper.

'And this is maybe the third or fourth most worrying ML paper I've seen recently re: AI and emergent authoritarianism. Historical crossroads.

'Yes, we can & should nitpick this and all papers but the trend is clear. Ever-increasing new capability that will serve authoritarians well.'

The DFI team will present their research at the IEEE International Conference on Computer Vision Workshop in Venice, Italy, next month.

The work is still in its early stages, and the algorithm needs to be fed more data before it can be brought into the field. The research, which has not yet been peer reviewed and is still awaiting publication, has sparked controversy after some raised concerns over privacy rights
For more than a century, researchers have been trying to decipher ancient texts found in the Voynich manuscript.

The 600-year-old document is described as 'the world's most mysterious medieval text.'

It full of illustrations of exotic plants, stars, and mysterious human figures, as well as many pages written in an unknown text.

Now, one British academic claims the document is in fact a health manual for a 'well-to-do' lady looking to treat gynaecological conditions.

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Now a British academic claims the mysterious medieval document identifies herbal remedies and is just a health manual for a wealthy woman looking to treat gynaecological conditions

A 600-YEAR-OLD MYSTERY The world-renowned 600-year-old manuscript is full of illustrations of exotic plants, stars, and mysterious human figures, as well as many pages written in an unknown text. Up until now the 15th century cryptic work has baffled scholars, cryptographers and codebreakers who have failed to read a single letter of the script or any word of the text. According to academic Nicholas Gibbs, Voynich pretended it had been written by Roger Bacon. Bacon was a friar and philosopher from the 13th century who concealed his works with code so the church would not be able to decipher what he had written. But that theory was discarded when the manuscript was carbon dated and found to have originated between 1404 and 1438. Over time it has attained an infamous reputation, even featuring in the latest hit computer game Assassin's Creed, as well as in the Indiana Jones novels, when Indiana decoded the Voynich and used it to find the 'Philosopher's Stone'. Some suggest it was the work of Leonardo da Vinci as a boy, or secret Cathars, or the lost tribe of Israel, or most recently Aztecs  some have even proclaimed it was done by aliens. Advertisement

Nicholas Gibbs, who is an expert on medieval medical manuscripts, said he came to the conclusion after discovering the text is written in Latin ligatures that outline remedies from standard medical information.

Latin ligatures were 'developed as scriptorial short cuts' and have been used since Greek and Roman times.

For example the common ampersand (&) is developed from a ligature when the Latin letters e and t (spelt 'et' meaning 'and') are combined.

Mr Gibbs, who claims to be a professional history researcher, wrote about his work for the Times Literary Supplement.

He wrote by studying medieval Latin 'it became obvious that each character in the Voynich manuscript represented an abbreviated word, and not a letter'.

He found the same 'dominant words' appeared in these medical documents and the Voynich.

Many of the shortcuts appeared to have been 'lifted' from other medical treatises, he said.

The images of nude women and healing plants also suggested it referred to aromatherapy, practised by the Greek healer Hippocrates and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder.

He believes the illustrations of plant remedies, Zodiac charts and instructions on thermal baths indicate that whoever wrote the document had a good understanding of medieval medicine.

Bathing was practised by Greeks and Romans and throughout the Middle Ages as a form of health and healing.

Curing gynaecological complains and other female diseases often involved 'taking the waters' - either by bathing or ingesting.

Mr Gibbs also noted the cylinder-churns - medieval cooking stoves with inverted boiling vessels which was used for infusions.

This image matched with that of a stove in a manual written by surgeon and botanist Hieronyus Brunschwygk (14501512).

The book's intriguing mix of elegant writing and drawings of strange plants and naked women has some believing it holds magical powers

HOW DID HE WORK IT OUT? Looking into medieval Latin, Mr Gibbs said 'it became obvious that each character in the Voynich manuscript represented an abbreviated word, and not a letter'. He found the same 'dominant words' appeared in these medical documents and the Voynich. Many of the shortcuts appeared to have been 'lifted' from other medical treatises, he said. The images of nude women and healing plants also suggested it referred to aromatherapy, practised by the Greek healer Hippocrates and Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder. He believes the illustrations of plant remedies, Zodiac charts and instructions on thermal baths indicate that whoever wrote the document had a good understanding of medieval medicine. Bathing was practised by Greeks and Romans and throughout the Middle Ages as a form of health and healing. Advertisement

However, he is still unable to fully translate the recipes.

The main issue, he says, is that the manuscript is missing its indexes.

'For the sake of brevity,' Mr Gibbs wrote, 'the name of both plant and malaise were superfluous in the text so long as they could be found in the indexes matched with a page number'.

The manuscript is widely celebrated among cryptographers and radiocarbon dating suggested it had between written early in the 15th century.

The text, which is now held in the Beinecke Library at Yale University, was passed through various owners before it ended up in the hands of a London bookseller called Wilfrid Voynich in 1912.

Mr Gibbs spent three years studying the manuscript and claims Voynich was a 'crooked book dealer' who encouraged the 'crackpots and conspiracy theories' that followed.

The book's intriguing mix of elegant writing and drawings of strange plants and naked women has some believing it holds magical powers.

The manuscript, which is now held at Yale University, passed through various owners before it ended up in the hands of a London bookseller called Wilfrid Voynich in 1912

It has even featured in the latest hit computer game Assassin's Creed, as well as in the Indiana Jones novels, when Indiana decoded the Voynich and used it to find the 'Philosopher's Stone'.

According to Mr Gibbs, Voynich pretended it had been written by Roger Bacon.

Bacon was a friar and philosopher from the 13th century who concealed his works with code so the church would not be able to decipher what he had written.

The text ended up in the hands of a bookseller called Wilfrid Voynich (pictured) in 1912

But that theory was discarded when the manuscript was carbon dated and found to have originated between 1404 and 1438.

Mr Gibbs says because no one recognised the writing they assumed it was code.

'The problem was that none of the cryptographers were historians; none knew medieval manuscripts', he said.

He believes the manuscript shows a series of ingredients for recipes with the required amounts.

'Human beings are not naturally complicated. They look for short cuts all over the place', he said, but added that the manuscript was still proving 'resistant to interpretation'.

In August last year, Siloe, a small publishing house nestled deep in northern Spain, secured the right to clone the document.

'Touching the Voynich is an experience,' said Juan Jose Garcia, director of Siloe, which is based in Burgos, in the north of Spain.

'It's a book that has such an aura of mystery that when you see it for the first time... it fills you with an emotion that is very hard to describe.'

Nicholas Gibbs who is an expert on medieval medical manuscripts, said the text is written in Latin ligatures that outline remedies from standard medical information

It was widely celebrated among cryptographers and radiocarbon dating suggested it had between written early in the 15th century

Siloe, which specialises in making facsimiles of old manuscripts, has bought the rights to make 898 exact replicas of the Voynich.

The copies will be so faithful that every stain, hole, sewn-up tear in the parchment will be reproduced.

The company always publishes 898 replicas of each work it clones - a number which is a palindrome, or a figure that reads the same backwards or forwards.

The publishing house plans to sell the clones, also known as facsimiles, for 7,000 to 8,000 euros (6,030 to 6,891 or $7,800 to $8,900) apiece once completed - and close to 300 people have already put in pre-orders.
Automation seems to be the future, with top tech firms racing to dominate drone delivery by land, sea and air.

The world's first unmanned ghost ships could take to the seas by the end of the decade, but they also pose unique problems that will need to be overcome.

In an article for The Conversation, Christian Matthews, head of maritime technology at Liverpool John Moores University, explains the challenges ahead.

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Norway-based Yara has revealed its plans to develop the world's first all-electric and autonomous container ship that is predicted to remove 747 tons (678 tonnes) of carbon dioxide from the air by reducing diesel-powered truck haulage by 40,000 journeys a year

THE YARA BIRKELAND Researchers have developed the world's first autonomous, zero-emissions cargo ship, The Yara Birkeland. Developed by agriculture company Yara International ASA and high-technology systems firm Kongsberg Gruppen, will be capable of autonomous mooring and route planning. The fully battery-powered vessel will be loaded and unloaded automatically using electric cranes. The vessel will have a GPS system allowing it to navigate itself and around other boats autonomously, with the aid of a radar, cameras and sensors. Three control centers are set to handle the ship's operation. Advertisement

The Yara Birkeland isn't an ordinary cargo ship.

If all goes well then the vessel, currently being built for a Norwegian agricultural fertiliser company, will become the world's first fully autonomous cargo ship when it launches in 2020.

Current international shipping law states that ocean-going vessels must be properly crewed, so fully autonomous, unmanned ships aren't allowed in international waters.

As such, the Yara Birkeland will have to operate close to the Norwegian coast at all times, carrying out regular short journeys between three ports in the south of the country.

But change is afoot in the maritime sector, and earlier this year the UN's International Maritime Organisation (IMO) began discussions that could allow unmanned ships to operate across oceans.

This raises the prospect of crewless 'ghost' ships crisscrossing the ocean, with the potential for cheaper shipping with fewer accidents.

Several Japanese shipping firms, for example, are reportedly investing hundreds of millions of dollars in the technology.

And British firm Rolls-Royce demonstrated the world's first remote-controlled unmanned commercial ship earlier this year.

However, removing experienced crew from ships means that any accidents that do occur could be far more severe.

Three control centres are set to handle the Yara Birkeland's operation. These centers will handle emergency and exception handling, condition monitoring, operational monitoring, decision support and surveillance of the ship and its surroundings and other safety aspects

On top of this, many practical, regulatory and technological barriers remain in turning the world's cargo ships into a fully autonomous fleet.

And that could mean it's a long time before it's actually profitable to invest in the technology.

The IMO's Maritime Safety Committee sat for the 98th time in June 2017, starting discussions that may well lead to a change in the rules set by the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea.

But indications are that it is likely to be a long and complex process.

The issues relating to the safety and economics of unmanned ships have barely started to be considered.

A lot of work will need to be done before solutions are found, or agreements are reached.

Fewer accidents?

One of the biggest issues is the safety of solely relying on computers to operate ships over vast ocean distances.

Some think that autonomous ships would have fewer accidents because the majority of maritime accidents involve collisions or groundings, caused by humans.

In its 2016 annual overview, the European Maritime Safety Agency found that 62 per cent of the 880 accidents occurring globally (2011 to 2015) were caused by 'human erroneous action'.

If we accept that autonomous vessels might be navigated without making the same mistakes as a human crew then the statistics do seem to stack up.

Rolls-Royce demonstrated the world's first remote-controlled, unmanned commercial ship earlier this year

Rolls Royce has revealed planed for fleets of 'drone ships' to ferry carry around the world - all controlled from a central 'holodeck'

ROLLS ROYCE ROBOSHIPS Rolls Royce has revealed planed for fleets of 'drone ships' to ferry carry around the world - all controlled from a central 'holodeck'. It believes an entirely unmanned ship could take to the seas by 2020. Cameras would beam 360-degree views from the drone ship back to operators based in a virtual bridge. Rolls Royce is already testing a VR system in Norway for navigating the vessel remotely to steer them to their destinations. The firm eventually hopes it would be able to remove all crew from the ship. Advertisement

But things are actually much more complex than that.

A study from March 2017 analysed 100 accidents that occurred from 1999 to 2015.

The researchers attempted to assess whether the accidents would have been more or less likely to happen if the vessel had been unmanned.

They found that the likelihood of groundings or collisions might have been decreased significantly if those vessels had been unmanned.

But they also identified that where accidents do happen, the consequences may become more severe without a crew to intervene.

In particular, accidents involving fires may be more serious if there is no crew to act as firefighters.

This means it's far from clear that the overall risk from accidents would decrease significantly if ships were unmanned, although there is certainly a case to be made that there will be fewer.

Rolls Royce said it has already begun testing the technology needed to make the ships a reality, and expected them to take to the sea by the end of the decade

Fleets of the robot boats could be controlled by a single operator using holographic displays (artist's impression pictured)

The operators of cargo ships will also only adopt unmanned ships if they offer economic benefits.

If profit margins can be increased, then the return on investment of buying and operating a ship may be attractive.

The full picture is, again, complex.

A recent study reviewing the potential economic benefits of unmanned ships found that there are indeed savings to be made, mainly related to crew pay, accommodation and utilities.

Unexpected costs

But some new costs will also be introduced, with a new workforce needed to do more family friendly shore-based jobs in operations centres.

The cost of the new sensors and control systems required will also offset any potential savings.

The study found that if potentially improved fuel efficiency is factored in then an unmanned bulk cargo carrier may be able to reduce the cost of carrying freight by around just 3.4 per cent.

There is also a practical problem.

The majority of ships operate on heavy fuel oil that is so thick and dirty that it must be heated and purified on board before use.

The study found that it would be impractical to automate this process.

If that is the case, then unmanned ships would need to operate using a more refined fuel such as marine-grade diesel oil.

This would reverse the economic argument substantially, increasing the cost of transporting freight by as much as 14.8 per cent.

As the Yara Birkeland starts her journey towards the status of the first fully autonomous ship, there will be lots of interest in how she fares.

It feels inevitable that unmanned ships will come of age.

But there are still plenty of problems that need to be solved before they become a mainstream choice for carriers.
While you might think your smartphones habits are private, a new study may urge you to think twice about which websites you visit.

Researchers have discovered that watching mobile porn on your smartphone puts you at much higher risk of having your data leaked than watching it on your PC.

The team hopes their findings will urge users to be more wary about watching adult content on their smartphones.

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Researchers have discovered that watching mobile porn on your smartphone puts you at much higher risk of having your data leaked than watching it on your PC (stock image)

PORN-WATCHING HABITS The researchers looked at the content viewed on 10,000 mobile devices across the US and UK. They discovered that 34 out of every 10,000 devices are accessing inappropriate content on a daily basis. A further analysis of the results showed that inappropriate mobile activity was highest on Fridays, followed by Thursdays, while Monday was the least popular day for inappropriate mobile activity. In terms of time of day, inappropriate usage was found to increase from 8pm, peaking at around 2-3am, and remaining low throughout the working day. Advertisement

Researchers from Wandera, a London-based mobile phone consultancy, looked at the websites that are most likely to contain malware, and found that the adult apps were also the most likely to have malicious bugs.

In a blog about the study, Liana La Porta, editor at Wandera, wrote: 'Smartphone operating systems, especially Android, are not as secure as desktops, there are many vulnerabilities that can be easily exploited by hackers.'

Gambling, cam, adult and ad networks were found to be by far the biggest risks for mobile users.

The researchers looked at the content viewed on 10,000 mobile devices across the US and UK.

Ms La Porta said: 'We discovered 34 out of every 10,000 devices are accessing inappropriate content on a daily basis.'

A further analysis of the results showed that inappropriate mobile activity was highest on Fridays, followed by Thursdays, while Monday was the least popular day for inappropriate mobile activity.

The study revealed that gambling, cam, adult and ad networks were by far the biggest risks for mobile users

In terms of time of day, inappropriate usage was also found to increase from 8pm, peaking at around 2-3am, and remaining low throughout the working day.

The researchers warn that watching inappropriate content on mobiles also leaves people more vulnerable to having their data leaked.

Ms La Porta said: 'Adult, extreme and illegal content categories are far more likely to leak data, employ unencrypted technologies and otherwise expose organizations to risk.'

A further analysis of the results showed that inappropriate mobile activity was highest on Fridays, followed by Thursdays, while Monday was the least popular day for inappropriate mobile activity

In terms of time of day, inappropriate usage was also found to increase from 8pm, peaking at around 2-3am, and remaining low throughout the working day

The warning comes just months after the details of 180,000 users of a porn site that posts 'upskirt' photos were leaked.

Personal details belonging to users of The Candid Board were uploaded to the internet after a security breach, along with details of their time of last login.

Among the details were 68 military accounts and 19 government email addresses, suggesting that UK civil servants had been visiting the porn site.
Microsoft is set to announce a new Surface device at a keynote speech in London next month.

The software giant confirmed yesterday that devices executive Panos Panay will speak at the firm's upcoming annual Future Decoded event in London.

Microsoft typically launches Surface devices in October, and sources close to the firm have revealed the company plans to reveal 'at least one' new gadget at the event.

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Microsoft is set to announce at least one new Surface device at a keynote speech in London next month. The software giant confirmed yesterday that devices executive Panos Panay (pictured in 2013) will speak at the firm's upcoming annual Future Decoded event in London

THE SURFACE REVEAL Sources close to Microsoft have revealed that the firm will announce 'at least one' new Surface device at the firm's annual Future Decoded event next month. Future Decoded, which will run from October 31 until November 1, will see top Microsoft bosses discuss technology and software for use in digital business. Microsoft typically releases new Surface devices in October. Advertisement

Future Decoded, which will run from October 31 until November 1, will see top Microsoft bosses discuss technology and software for use in digital business, the Verge reports.

Microsoft has previously promised to release one of its 2-in-1 'Surface Pro' tablets with 4G capabilities.

The company is expected to unveil this hardware at the event.

Microsoft may also reveal a new Surface Book laptop, which come with detachable keyboards.

It could also announce an update to its Surface Hub digital whiteboard range.

The most recent upgrade to the Surface line was the new Surface Pro, the fifth generation of Microsoft's tablet convertible, which was released in June.

It included extended battery life, and was made thinner and lighter than previous models.

The most recent update to the Surface line was the new Surface Pro (pictured), the fifth generation of Microsoft's tablet convertible, which was released in June. It included extended battery life, and was made thinner and lighter than previous models

The device, which can also be used as a touchscreen tablet, costs 799 ($799).

Microsoft devices boss Panos Panay said at the time: 'People's expectations for what their devices should help them accomplish are high - and the Surface team works to exceed those expectations.

'People want beautiful and powerful devices, with all-day battery life and amazing digital inking experiences.

'They want to better express their ideas creatively while being able to work whenever, wherever and however they choose.

'The new Surface Pro delivers all that and more, building on our heritage of pushing the idea of a 'computer' forward while harnessing all the innovation of Windows 10 and Microsoft Office 365 to empower people to do their best creative work.'
When you're in a coffee shop, it can be tempting to treat yourself to a muffin along with your drink.

And a new study suggests that this temptation is sparked more by seeing someone else enjoying a treat, than by a lack of willpower.

The researchers hope their findings will help to develop more effective plans to prevent people from overeating.

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Researchers found that momentary cues, such as seeing someone else enjoying a treat, were more strongly associated with how much people snacked than their own psychological traits and intentions (stock image)

THE STUDY 61 participants were asked to complete baseline psychological measures, including how much they think about the benefits of health eating. They also rated their intentions to eat more healthily, how often they eat their five-a-day, and their levels of willpower. Over the course of two weeks, the participants used an app to record any times they ate food, and whether it was a snack or main meal. They were prompted to record any situational cues, such as whether snacks were available, whether they could see anyone else snacking, and whether they were near a shop. The app also beeped at random times through the day and asked the participants to record the presence of any of these same situational cues. Results showed that participants reported the presence of other people snacking more often when they had just logged their own snacking than when they were prompted randomly by the app. This indicates that seeing other people snack could cause you to snack Advertisement

Researchers from the University of Tasmania looked at what influences people to snack, based on the fact that around 30 to 41 per cent of people's daily energy intake comes from snacking, rather than from proper meals.

They found that momentary cues, such as seeing someone else enjoying a treat, were more strongly associated with how much people snacked than their own psychological traits and intentions.

In their study, published in the British Journal of Health Psychology, the researchers, led by Katherine Elliston, wrote: 'Discretionary food intake is largely guided by momentary cues, and motivational-level factors, such as intention and self-regulation, are less important in the initiation of discretionary food intake.'

The study involved 61 participants, who were asked to complete a range of baseline psychological measures, including how much they think about the benefits of health eating.

They also rated their intentions to eat more healthily, how often they eat their five-a-day, and their levels of willpower.

Over the course of two weeks, the participants used an app to record any times they ate food, and whether it was a snack or main meal.

They were prompted to record any situational cues, such as whether snacks were available, whether they could see anyone else snacking, and whether they were near a fast food shop.

The app also beeped at random times through the day and asked the participants to record the presence of any of these same situational cues.

When you're in a coffee shop, it can be tempting to treat yourself to a muffin along with your drink. And a new study suggests that this temptation is sparked more by seeing someone else enjoying a treat, than by a lack of willpower (stock image)

Results showed that the participants recorded an average of 1.5 snacks per day over the two-week period.

Interestingly, the participants reported the presence of other people snacking more often when they had just logged their own snacking than when they were prompted randomly by the app.

This indicates that seeing other people snack could cause you to snack, although the researchers stress that further research is needed to prove this.

MEMORY INFLUENCES WEIGHT Obesity increases the risk of physical health problems, such as diabetes and heart disease, as well as psychological health problems, such as depression and anxiety. The researchers said that, to some extent, hunger and satiety are driven by the balance of hormones in our bodies and brains. However, psychological factors also play an important role. For example, we tend to eat more when distracted by television or working, and perhaps 'comfort eat' when we are sad. How vividly a person remembers a recent meal, using their episodic memory, can make a difference to how hungry they feel and how much they are likely to eat later on. 'In other words, it is possible that becoming overweight may make it harder to keep track of what and how much you have eaten, potentially making you more likely to overeat' said the researchers. Advertisement

Being close to food outlets didn't appear to be a relevant factor.

The researchers hope their findings will help to develop more effective plans to prevent people from overeating.

They added: 'Working with individuals to increase their self-regulatory skills may enable them to better control their snacking and be less influenced by momentary cues.'
Strange purple spots on a huge 13th century scroll have puzzled scientists for nearly four decades, but experts have finally solved the mystery.

Stains on the ancient scroll, which tells the story of a killer who ended up in line for sainthood, have made it almost impossible to decipher.

Microbial studies of the five-metre-long (16.4 ft) parchment baffled researchers in 1976 when the purple spots would not colonise other parchments.

But now scientists have found that the patches are caused by warring bacteria triggering pigments in the parchment, producing unusual purple stains.

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Strange purple spots on a 13th century scroll (pictured) have puzzled scientists for over four decades, but experts have finally solved the mystery. Stains on the ancient scroll, which tells the story of of a killer who ended up in line for sainthood, were caused by marine microbes

LAURENTIUS LORICATUS The scroll, named A.A. Arm. I-XVIII 3328, was written in 1244 AD and is made of goat skin. It was crafted for the potential canonisation of devout Catholic Laurentius Loricatus - the act of declaring that a person who has died was a Saint. As a young soldier, Laurentius had slain a man by accident. Overcome with remorse, he put aside his arms and made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostella in Spain. Then he became a Benedictine monk at Subiaco, outside Rome, living for 34 years as a hermit in a cave lying in the ruins of a mountain monastery. Here he self flagellated and wore a coat of chain mail next to his skin as penance for his crimes. Long after his death in 1243, Loricatus was eventually beatified or 'blessed', one rung down from being made a saint, in 1778 by Pope Pius VI. Advertisement

The scroll, named A.A. Arm. I-XVIII 3328, was written in 1244 AD and belongs to the oldest collection of the Archives at the Vatican.

It was crafted for the potential canonisation - the act of declaring that a person who has died was a Saint - of devout Catholic Laurentius Loricatus.

The precious 773-year-old goatskin document is covered in dark spots, with damage to the collagen protein significantly affecting its readability.

Ancient parchments are commonly attacked by microbes, leaving purple marks and the detaching the superficial layer of the document, making them difficult to read.

The authors hope their findings, published in Scientific Reports, may help in the restoration and conservation of ancient parchments.

The damage is believed to have occurred before the scroll was moved to the Vatican Secret Archive at the end of the 18th century.

It is now kept under controlled environmental conditions in a secure vault.

Now a team at Tor Vergata University, Rome, has carried out a genetic analysis of the microbial communities colonising the scroll.

They found 957 types of bacteria on the purple spots, and 407 kinds of bacteria on the undamaged spots.

But only 140 of the 1224 total species were spotted in both damaged and undamaged areas.

The scroll, named A.A. Arm. I-XVIII 3328, was written in 1244 AD and belongs to the oldest collection of the Archives at the Vatican. The precious goatskin document is covered in dark spots (pictured), with damage to the collagen protein significantly affecting its readability

The most common bacteria on the purple areas were Gammaproteobacteria, in particular, a type of microbe normally found in the sea that colonises salt-rich areas.

The researchers suggest that the microbes colonised these areas because the document was made of goatskin, which was commonly preserved in salt brine.

Outside of the purple spots these bacteria were almost entirely absent.

The team suggest that once Gammaproteobacteria had colonised the scroll, it attacked other microbes, eventually replacing a type of bacteria called Halobacteria.

These bacteria produce pigmented rhodopsin molecules, and as colonies of Halobacteria were wiped out, they left behind nothing but a purple stain.

Now a team at Tor Vergata University, Rome, has carried out a genetic analysis of the microbial communities colonising the scroll. They found 957 types of bacteria on the purple spots, and 407 kinds of bacteria on the undamaged spots

Professor Migliore said: 'This multidisciplinary approach yielded a great amount of interesting information, useful to decipher what the parchment suffered during its 800 years long story.

'A better understanding of the possible role of Halobacteria could be useful, as they can survive for huge times, being a possible "time bomb" in the ancient undamaged parchments.'

The researchers suggest further studies could help identify the exact sequence of microbes that produced the rhodopsins responsible for the spots.

This may also reveal new approaches to aid in the restoration of documents damaged in a similar manner.

WHAT CAUSED THE STAINS? A team at Tor Vergata University, Rome, carried out a genetic analysis of the microbial communities colonising the scroll. The most common bacteria on the purple areas were Gammaproteobacteria - in particular, a type of microbe normally found in the sea that colonises salt-rich areas. The researchers suggest that the microbes colonised these areas because the document was made of goatskin, which was commonly preserved in salt brine. Outside of the purple spots these bacteria were almost entirely absent. The team suggest that once Gammaproteobacteria had colonised the scroll, it attacked other microbes on the scroll, replacing another type of bacteria called Halobacteria. These bacteria produce pigmented rhodopsin molecules, and as colonies of Halobacteria were wiped out, they left behind nothing but a purple stain. Advertisement

Study lead author Professor Luciana Migliore said Laurentius Loricatus, also known as Lorenzo da Fanella, was a young soldier who in around 1205 at the age of 15 or 16 accidentally killed a man.

Professor Migliore said: 'To expiate he retired in a cave, self-flagellating and wearing instruments of penance.

'His story was written in 1244 A.D. on a five metres long parchment roll, reporting the investigations for his possible canonisation.'

Known for his austerity Loricatus, meaning 'armoured rider', gave offerings left by visitors to the poor.

An orginal manuscript of his prayer book and his armour breastplate are enshrined at Saint Benedict's Cave at Subiaco.

Long after his death in 1243, Loricatus was eventually beatified or 'blessed', one rung down from being made a saint, in 1778 by Pope Pius VI.
Google is planning to buy HTC's mobile division in a move that could see its go head to head with Apple and Samsung, it has been claimed.

HTC already makes Google's Pixel phones, and according to claims from the Commercial Times, the firm is now 'in the final stages' of acquiring the entire division.

It would allow Google to build on the success of the Pixel handset, while allowing HTC to concentrate on more successful areas, such as its Vive VR headset.

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HTC's latest handset, the U, has a radical 'squeezable' case that can be used to trigger commands. The feature had been rumoured to appear in the next version of Google's Pixel - and now it appears the firm may buy HTC's mobile division outright.

According to the reports, the deal could be announced by the end of this year.

In 2012 Google made a $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola.

However, the firm chose to treat Motorola just like any other Android device maker, and ended up selling Motorola to Lenovo two years later for less than $3 billion.

It comes as Google is expected to reveal its latest Pixel handset next month.

Rumours have been swirling for months about Google's next Pixel smartphones, and the latest report suggests we may finally have a release date.

Evan Blass, a well-known tech leaker, has tweeted that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will be revealed on October 2.

The move would allow Google to build on the success of the Pixel handset, while allowing HTC to concentrate on more successful areas, such as its Vive VR headset (pictured)

Google is yet to confirm this date, and told MailOnline that it 'doesn't comment on rumours or speculation.'

Evan Blass, a tech-leaker from Philadelphia, tweeted this morning: 'Google's second-generation Pixel handsets, powered by Snapdragon 836 SoC's, will be unveiled on October 5th.'

HTC U Ultra smartphone has a 5.70-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 1440 pixels by 2560 pixels

This also suggests that the Pixel 2 and Pixel 2 XL will feature more sophisticated processers than the original Pixel phones, which have Snapdragon 835 processors.

Mr Blass has a strong track record for predicting when new technology will be launched, as well as features on devices.

Evan Blass, a tech-leaker from Philadelphia, tweeted this morning: 'Google's second-generation Pixel handsets, powered by Snapdragon 836 SoC's, will be unveiled on October 5th'

GOOGLE PIXEL 2 RUMOURS Leaked photos allegedly of the Google Pixel 2 give truth to some of the rumoured features. Via the photos or per the tipster, we know: The phone will have a curved screen. It has two LEDs in the camera flash. The back will be made of a glass panel. Google is ditching the headphone jack for the device. The source also reported a better in-hand feel than the original Pixel phone, The source said the device is 'sleek' and 'elegant.' It is also expected to feature a Snapdragon 836 processor. Advertisement

The rumours follow leaked images earlier this month, which claim to show Google's Pixel 2 handset.

According to the photos, it appears the upcoming device will, as previously predicted, have a curved screen and a glass back.

However, one thing is missing - Google is planning to follow Apple and dump the headphone jack for the new device.

Also shown in the leaked images is the presence of two LEDs in the flash and a glass panel on the back, which is smaller this time around.

While previous leaks have suggested the phone will also be equipped with a Laser autofocus feature, that can't be seen here - although it may just be too difficult to spot.

The photos, sent to Gsmarena by an unnamed tipster, show the front and back of what is clearly an early developer unit of the phone, as is indicated by the stickers on the back.

While the lack of headphone jack isn't seen in the photo, the source told Gsmarena the device doesn't include one.

The source also reported a better in-hand feel than the original Pixel phone, saying it is 'sleek' and 'elegant.'

The original Google Pixel phone was launched in October 2016, and the Pixel 2 is set to launch this autumn, which would make it in direct competition with Apple's iPhone 8 and the Samsung Galaxy Note 8.

As the company prepares for the release, it's dropping the price on the original Pixel phone.

As part of a back to school promotion, the Pixel's starting price is currently down to $524 (408) instead of $649 (506), while the Pixel XL is now priced at $569 (443) rather than $769 (600) - the company is also throwing in free Daydream View headsets for consumers who take advantage of the promotion.

Reports suggest Google is investing $880 million (709 million) in LG's flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens for their Pixel 2 handset (pictured is first-generation Pixel handsets)

Insiders have long been suggesting the Google Pixel 2 could have a curved screen display like the Samsung Galaxy S8.

Reports suggest Google is investing $880 million (709 million) in LG's flexible organic light emitting diode (OLED) screens.

Increasingly curved screen are being adopted by smartphones and it seems Google want to move in this direction too, according to South Korea's Electronic Times.

The report suggests that LG is yet to sign the massive investment offer proposed by Google.

In March, the head of hardware at Google first confirmed that the firm is developing a second-generation Pixel for the 'premium smartphone market'.

The confirmation came from Rick Osterloh during an interview with AndroidPT.

'There is an annual rhythm in the industry,' Osterloh said in the interview.

'So, you can count on us to follow it. You can count on a successor this year, even if you don't hear a date from me now.'

Google debuted the first smartphones in its Pixel line during a conference in October 2016, a Pixel and the 5.5-inch Pixel XL.

Although the Pixel 2 release would fall around the same time as the iPhone 8, Google is focusing on the upper price segment of the market.

This may be tougher than imagined, if as speculated, the iPhone 8 turns out to cost over $1,000 (780).

Osterloh stated that 'Pixel stays premium' and the firm will 'leave lower price segments to other manufacturers'.

'We believe the next big thing will be at the intersection of hardware and software,' Mr Osterloh said in October.

He also took aim at Apple, saying the phone has 'no unsightly phone bump.'

Brian Rakowski of Google said the phone was 'designed inside and out to be smart'.

He said the Pixel's camera was better than the iPhone 7.

'It's the best smartphone camera anyone has made,' he said.
Facebook users may soon begin seeing Instagram Stories on their newsfeeds.

Instagram is testing a feature that will let users upload their Stories to Facebook as well.

The move appears to be part of Facebook's larger attempt to bring the success its had with Stories features on other platforms to company's flagship social network.

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Instagram is testing a feature that will let users upload their Stories to Facebook as well. When posting a story to Instagram, users have reported seeing the option to post it to Facebook as well

THE STORIES TEST Facebook users may soon begin seeing Instagram Stories on their newsfeeds. Instagram is testing a feature that will let users upload their Stories to Facebook as well. When posting a story to Instagram, users have reported seeing the option to post it to Facebook as well. While Instagram confirmed the test, it's unclear how widespread the test is and if/when the feature will roll out to everyone. Advertisement

When posting a story to Instagram, users have reported seeing the option to post it to Facebook as well.

It's unclear how widespread the test is and if/when the feature will roll out to everyone.

Instagram confirmed the its testing the feature to Mashable but didn't share any other information.

'We are always testing ways to improve the experience on Instagram and make it easier to share any moment with the people who matter to you,' the spokesperson said.

'We have no other plans to share at this time.'

It's unclear how widespread the test is and if/when the feature will roll out to everyone. Instagram confirmed the its testing the feature but didn't share any other information

Facebook has been aggressively pushing Stories onto all of its platforms.

Just last month, Facebook announced it's bringing Stories to the desktop.

The company has previously added stories to Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and the Facebook mobile app, but this marked the first time the feature will be on the desktop site.

While it's still in test mode and only appearing for a small percentage of users, Facebook confirmed to TechCrunch a wider roll out of stories for desktop is expected soon.

While Stories were on the top on the app, on desktop feature is located on the top right of the page below notifications and above the trending news links

FACEBOOK STORIES ON DESKTOP Facebook's testing Stories for desktop. While only appearing for a small percentage of users, Facebook confirmed a wider roll out of stories for desktop is expected soon. The company has previously added stories to Instagram, Messenger, WhatsApp and the Facebook mobile app, but this is the first time the feature will be on the desktop site. Many are calling the move a last-ditch effort to get the feature to catch on with Facebook users. Advertisement

For those who have it already, the feature is located on the top right of the page below notifications and above the trending news links.

Facebook Stories were introduced globally in March 2017 after testing the feature in Ireland.

Initially, users could only share to friends or groups of friends.

The feature was eventually updated to include public sharing - a move that some reviewers said caused their engagement to skyrocket higher than engagement on typical newsfeed posts.

Yet Stories hasn't been a huge success for the company.

Facebook users have taken to social media to point out that they wouldn't see a single Story posted despite having hundreds or thousands of people on their friends list.

Critics have largely called it a failure, and user ship has been so low that in April the company began displaying grayed-out icons in the Stories section of the app to make it seem less empty.

Many called the introduction of Stories to the newsfeed a last-ditch effort to get the feature to catch on with Facebook users.

Critics are saying the same about the move to cross post Instagram Stories to Facebook.

Critics have largely called Facebook Stories a failure, and user ship has been so low that in April the company began displaying grayed-out icons on the Stories section of the app to make it seem less empty

While Stories hasn't been an extremely popular feature on the company's flagship platform, the shameless Snapchat clone has been a big success for the company's other entity, Instagram.

Recently, the company released new stats to celebrate the one year anniversary of Instagram Stories and take aim at the claims in Snap's IPO filing.

It revealed users under 25 are on the app for 32 minutes on average daily, while older users spend 25 minutes each day using it.

That's three percent of younger users' waking hours.

The announcement is designed to show off the success of the Stories feature, which Instagram has been widely accused of - and admitted to - stealing from Snapchat.

'Stories has also helped increase the amount of time people spend on Instagram,' reads the blog post.

While Instagram has stolen several features - from disappearing messages to face filters, including the famed puppy face and flower crown - from Snapchat, stories was the big one.

Yesterday, the company released new stats to celebrate the one year anniversary of Instagram Stories and take aim at the claims in Snap 's IPO filing

Instagram Stories now has 250 million daily users compared to Snapchat's 166 million.

That means that after just one year, Instagram Stories has 84 million more users than Snapchat, which launched almost five years ago on the disappearing content feature alone.

The tension over this feature has been the biggest battle between the two social networks.

In one breath, Instagram has admitted to lifting the feature from its competitor - CEO Kevin Systrom once said Snapchat deserves all the credit.

While Instagram has stolen several features - from disappearing messages to face filters, including the famed puppy face and flower crown - from Snapchat, stories was the big one

TOP 5 FACE FILTERS ON INSTAGRAM 1. Puppy ears 2. Sleep mask 3. Bunny ears 4. Love with heart-shaped darts 5. Koala ears Advertisement

Yet in another, head of product Kevin Weil chopped it up to the classic ways of the tech industry in which 'good ideas spread.'

'I think if we're being honest with ourselves, this is how the tech industry works,' Weil said in May at TechCrunch Disrupt New York.

'And frankly it's how all industries work.'

'Good ideas start in one place and spread across the entire industry.'

'We've said multiple times, kudos to Snapchat for being the first to stories, but it's a format and it's going to be adopted widely across platforms.'

'In the same way hashtags started on Twitter and now you see them everywhere because they're just useful for categorizing information.'

Instagram head of product Kevin Weil defended the company's move to steal Snapchat features when grilled about if employees felt guilty, if it's moral and if he sees any disadvantages to 'copying instead of building something original'

The introduction of Stories has had a clear impact on Instagram's recent growth and Snapchat's recent decline.

The monthly active user growth rate of the latter has plummeted from 17.2 percent per quarter to just 5 percent.

The company's share price has also fallen from its $17 at it IPO to $13.

Instagram has also seen massive success with businesses on the platform due to the stories feature.

In the recent report, the company said in the last month, over 50 percent of businesses posted on Stories.
Czech beer roasted pork knuckle [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The Embassy of the Czech Republic in China and the Hilton Beijing will showcase the unique and rich heritage of Czech cuisine until September 10.

For many, the first thoughts of the Czech Republic naturally lead to Prague, its historical and architecturally rich capital city. Its cuisine, however, is as equally attractive.

One can expect a Czech beer, roasted pork knuckle, duck confit, famous Prague ham and delicious Carlsbad dumplings, served with sour cream. This Czech food festival will be showcased and prepared by three visiting chefs from the Hilton Prague, including Jan Striz, Tomas Koberec and Petr Jan, and supported also by the Embassy Chef Petr Kolarik.

The food festival includes a set-menu and a la carte options at One East restaurant, along with a designated buffet selection at Makan Kitchen.

If you fancy discovering Czech food, do not miss them!
News / Africa

by online

THE ANC Secretary General Gwede Mantashe this week moved to call on the Zimbabwean leader to stop attacking Nelson Mandela's legacy.Mantashe on Tuesday told the media in Johannesburg that he had lodged a formal complaint in a telephonic conversation with his counterpart in Zanu-PF for Mugabe to stop making "unwarranted and unfortunate attacks" on Mandela.Mantashe accused Mugabe of destroying his country's economy."The reality of the matter is that you have destroyed the economy of your country," Mantashe said during a press conference at the ANC headquarters at Luthuli House.
Dutch farms also lead in seed production - seeds accounted for $1.7 billion worth of exports in 2016.

For example, Rijk Zwaan, a Dutch seed breeder, sells high-yield seed varieties in more than 25 groups of vegetables, many of which can defend themselves naturally against pests.

Heleen Bos, who runs the company's organic accounts and international development projects, has worked in some of the world's poorest countries including Mozambique, Nicaragua and Bangladesh, and has become aware of the threat of famine.

She admits that while they cannot immediately implement the same level of high-tech agriculture seen in the Netherlands, medium-tech solutions such as plastic greenhouses, which have tripled some crop yields compared to crops in open fields, which are more susceptible to pests and drought.

While the Netherlands faces its own famine and the end of World War II, WURs Rudy Rabbinge, professor emeritus of sustainable development and food security, helped devise extensive changes to transform the Dutch research institution into what he calls 'a university for the world, and not simply for the Dutch.'

This is reflected in the institution's student body - 45 per cent of its graduate students are recruited abroad, and WUR alumni work in agricultural ministries across Africa, Latin American and Asia.

Students at the institution, for example Leah Nandudu from Uganda, who obtained a scholarship to attend the school, wants to help change the perception of people in her country and about the crisis they face, and what they must do to address it.

Alongside WUR's role in educating people from around the world, private Dutch firms are also helping to empower farmers outside of Europe.

For example, SoilCares, a Dutch agricultural tech firm, has been working with a family-owned bean field in Africa's Eastern Rift Valley to explain how to use a small device that, alongside a cell phone app, analyzes soil properties and sends the results to a database in the Netherlands, returning a detailed report on what fertilizers and nutrients the crop needs.

This process, which takes less than ten minutes, costs just a few dollars and can help farmers who have never had access to soil sampling reduce their crop losses.
Apple's new iPhone, which is expected to be unveiled on Tuesday, was 'plagued by production glitches early in the manufacturing process' that could lead to major shortages when it goes on sale, it has been claimed.

The claims, made by The Wall Street Journal, say the delays led to a setback of a month in the start of manufacturing.

It blames problems with the new OLED screen in the technology, and Apple's attempt to put a fingerprint sensor under the screen - which were eventually abandoned.

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Apple has finally confirmed that the new iPhone will be revealed at the new Steve Jobs theatre inside the 'Spaceship' HQ on September 12  at which point the various rumours that have been swirling will finally be confirmed or put to rest

'If shortfalls of the new phone extend beyond the initial sales period, which is expected to begin September 22, they could weaken analysts and investors projections for sales in the crucial holiday period,' the Journal says.

It says Apple was forced to abandon its initial plan to embed an 'invisible' fingerprint scanner under the screen.

Instead, users will use a passcode or a new facial recognition system, it is believed.

Earlier this week a video emerged on Reddit that claims to show the device in operation.

It comes after months of rumours about Apple's next smartphone, ranging from an all-screen display to a 3D facial recognition sensor.

The short clip appears to confirm several rumours, including a near-edgeless display and virtual home button.

RUMOURED FEATURES BY DATE FEATURE DATE REVEALED Name 'iPhoneX' 04 September Name 'iPhone Edition' 01 September Name 'iPhone Pro' 19 July Invisible fingerprint sensor 29 August Facial recognition 03 July Gesture controls 30 August Cost of $999 24 August 4K video recording 04 August SmartCam feature 02 August 3D vertical dual-lens camera 21 June Edgeless display 31 July Tap to wake' feature 31 July Four colour options 10 July Wireless charging 10 July

The video of the alleged device was posted on Reddit this week by a user called horryshiet, along with the caption 'Alleged working iPhone 8.'

It shows small bezels and a cutout space at the top that will feature the front-facing camera and speaker.

Techradar notes the cutout at the top of the display doesn't look to be symmetrical suggesting it may be a fake

Several people in the Reddit thread have also questioned the video.

Randolm replied: 'I don't know, I just don't trust a video that is...1. Filmed in the dark...2. Where you can't see anything but the screen. Half of the screen shots are blurred... if you're 'leaking' it why blur.'

And DreadnaughtHamster suggested the clip could be CGI, commenting: 'Blurring a CG composite makes it easier to hide mistakes.

'That's why so many large wide shot battle scenes in movies have all this CG dust everywhere. Blurring does something similar.'

Apple finally confirmed that the new iPhone will be revealed at the new Steve Jobs theatre inside the 'Spaceship' HQ on September 12  at which point the various rumours that have been swirling will finally be confirmed or put to rest.

It is believed the snaps were taken at Foxconn's Zhengzhou Technology Park  one of the company's manufacturing 'cities' in the Henan province, where over 100,000 staff work on assembling devices like the iPhone

Here are the rumours so far.

What will the device be called?

There have been several rumours about what Apple will name its 10th anniversary device.

Yesterday, sources speaking to iCulture claimed that Apple will be naming the device 'iPhone X' to mark its 10th anniversary milestone.

Apple's tenth anniversary iPhone will be called the iPhone X according to Dutch tech site iCulture. Pictured is a mock up of the case posted on Twitter by Senior Editor of The iPhone Insider Aaron Mason

FEATURES REVEALED IN THE HOMEPOD CODE Because the HomePod speaker will have to work with Apple's new phone, it contains references to some of the upcoming features in its code. These include: - Removal of the home button - A 'tap to wake' feature - Facial expression detection, which may be used for Apple Pay - An edgeless display - An infrared camera - A 'SmartCam' - 4K video at 60 fps Advertisement

The source also suggested it will be launched alongside two phones, which will be called the iPhone 8 and iPhone 8 Plus - and, this could mean Apple is skipping an 's' generation for the first time since it was introduced.

But at the end of last week, 9to5Mac said that case manufacturers it spoke to at the IFA trade show in Germany has been advised that the top of the range handset will instead be known as the iPhone Edition.

'One casemaker has updated their internal SKUs based on the information and is actively printing packaging which I was able to see in the form of preliminary artwork,' 9to5mac's Seth Weintraub claims.

'The other had made sticker labels which they were showing to their retail partners behind closed doors. Both makers requested anonymity for obvious reasons.'

But J.P. Morgan Apple analyst Rod Hall believes the new handset will be called the 'iPhone Pro', according to 9to5Mac.

New pictures revealing what Apple's next iPhone could look like have been posted to Twitter by a usually trusted source

How will it be unlocked?

The next iPhone could have an 'invisible' fingerprint sensor, according to a new patent.

At the end of August, Apple was granted a patent for acoustic fingerprint imaging technology that would be invisible and live under the device's screen.

It would recognise a fingerprint by acoustic output and be accurate enough to replace the current Touch ID system.

However, it is believed Apple could not make the system work consistently in the new OLED screens, so abandoned the plans.

Apple has patented acoustic fingerprint imaging technology that would be invisible and live under a phone's screen. It would be accurate enough to replace the current Touch ID system. Pictured, an example of an iPhone that can include the acoustic fingerprint imaging technology

Other reports have said Apple is scrapping the fingerprint-sensing technology all together in favour of facial recognition; however, it's possible both could be included.

Another leak from Bloomberg has also suggested Apple's next iPhone will see the replacement of the smartphone's classic home button with gesture controls.

Users will simply swipe their hands above the device for tasks such as going to the main app grid and opening multitasking.

How much will it cost?

Apple's next iPhone will cost $999 when it goes on sale in September, a report has claimed.

The New York Times says Apple will keep the iPhone under $1,000 at its launch.

It says the launch will see 'a premium model priced at around $999, according to people briefed on the product, who asked to remain anonymous because they were not authorised to speak publicly.'

'For $999, expect to get an iPhone 8 with 64 GB storage  the new base storage capacity for the 2017 iPhone lineup.

According to 9to5Mac, the $999 will be for the base model.

'Apple will then offer a 256 GB upgrade (and maybe a 512 GB model) if you want to spend more; the company typically charges $100 more for every storage increment,' it says.

Which photo and video features will it have?

Several details about the next iPhone were spotted in the source code for Apple's HomePod speaker - including video and photo features.

Brazilian website iHelp BR revealed that the next iPhone will record 4K video at 60 frames per second (fps) - twice the speed of the rear camera on the iPhone 7.

Flags for 'isBack4k60VideoSupported' and 'isFront4k60VideoSupported' were found under CAMCaptureCapabilities.

The iPhone 8 camera may introduce support for a new 'SmartCam' scene selection feature that would be used to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like fireworks and sunsets, according to one engineer

A 3D vertical dual-lens camera is also expected for the next iPhone, as shown in images leaked in June (pictured is an idea of what the device could look like)

If this leak is correct, a faster frame rate could help augmented reality applications on the iOS 11.

Another leak in August suggested a new 'SmartCam' scene selection feature would be used to intelligently capture the best photos when shooting specific scenes like fireworks and sunsets, according to one engineer.

Guilherme Rambo, an engineer, found code suggesting the new photography feature in the leaked HomePod software.

Flags for 'isBack4k60VideoSupported' and 'isFront4k60VideoSupported' were found under CAMCaptureCapabilities. This suggests the device will record 4K video at 60 fps

The code for the SmartCam suggests an array of scenes including Fireworks, Baby, Bright Stage, Document, Foliage.

It's assumed the camera would detect objects in the scene to automatically apply the best setting - Apple already uses this type of image recognition to automatically sort photos in Memories and locate photos in Search.

A 3D vertical dual-lens camera is also expected for the next iPhone, as shown in images leaked in June.

What will the display look like?

The source code for the HomePod also revealed that the iPhone is likely to have an edgeless display.

Steve Troughton-Smith, a developer based in County Limerick, revealed that the iPhone 8 could have an edgeless display, having been tipped off about another section of the code by a developer called Guilherme Rambo.

Leaked images appear to show parts taken from the upcoming iPhone 8 in unprecedented detail. This image seems to show the display of the upcoming handset

Mr Troughton-Smith tweeted an image of the outline of the new iPhone, saying: 'But wait, there's more: images of the new iPhone form-factor are also present. A lot of people at Apple are going to have a nasty Monday.'

Leaked images posted to Twitter by leaker Benjamin Geskin, also claim to show the iPhone's OLED display cover.

Mr Troughton-Smith also discovered a 'tap to wake' feature, that would allow users to double-tap their screen to wake their device.

Steve Troughton-Smith, a developer based in County Limerick, revealed that the iPhone 8 could have an edgeless display, having been tipped off about another section of the code by a developer called Guilherme Rambo

He tweeted: 'It looks like the new iPhones might support 'tap to wake', much like Windows Phones/Lumias.'

What colours will it come in?

Rumours suggest that there will be a choice of four colours for the next iPhone.

A photo of what the device could look like was revealed by a respected Apple leaker, who says that a source inside the company tipped him off.

Rumours suggest that there will be a choice of four colours for the next iPhone. A photo of what the device could look like was revealed by a respected Apple leaker, who says that a source inside the company tipped him off

HOW WIRELESS CHARGING WORKS Apple's new system would use electromagnetic frequencies at the higher range, which are usually reserved for data transmission. By directing a 'beam' of energy over such frequencies, for example those used by Wi-Fi connections, a strong and stable signal could extend the range of existing wireless charging capabilities. Apple's new patent suggest a number of techniques to extend that range, according to reports in Apple Insider. But it doesn't delve into the specifics of how this might be achieved in practice. Advertisement

Benjamin Geskin from Latvia, tweeted the rumours, saying: '2017 OLED iPhone - four colours. New one - mirror like.'

According to Mr Geskin, the iPhone will be available in four colours, with the other three expected to be white, black and rose gold.

Other rumours have suggested that the iPhone 8 could come in six colours, with red, gold and grey options.

How will it be charged?

Several rumours suggest the device will feature wireless charging - but blogger John Gruber, an Apple information analyst, says that the feature might not be available when the phone is launched.

Mr Gruber also suggests that the inductive charging technology will be sold separately, and not included with the purchase of the new iPhone.
If you've ever fantasised about living as royalty, your dreams could soon become a reality.

Disney is recruiting for the roles of its famous princes and princesses such as Aladdin or Snow White, but there are strict conditions.

Successful candidates must be prepared to move to Disneyland Paris, look similar to the original movie character they want to portray and be a competent dancer.

Successful candidates for any of the prince or princess roles must be prepared to move to Disneyland Paris (pictured)

To be in with a chance of portraying one of Disney's iconic characters, such as Tiana (pictured), candidates must be enthusiastic and energetic

In its call out advertisement the company says: 'We are looking for enthusiastic and energetic people to animate the famous Disney characters. If you have a good level of dance, you can participate in our parade and our cavalcades!'

Disney goes on to explain that those who play their iconic heroes are expected to meet and chat to guests, in character, on a daily basis.

Not only will candidates be required to hold a 'distinctive criteria of resemblance' to a character, but there are also height restrictions - no prince or princess must be shorter than 4ft 5 or taller than 6ft 3.

This recruitment drive, as reported in the Mirror, comes after a mother recently slammed Disneyland Paris for refusing to let her son take part in a Princess For A Day experience - because he's a boy.

Hayley McLean, from Devon, explained how she wanted to book the makeover package at the Disneyland Hotel for her three-year-old son Noah, as an early Christmas present.

Those who play their iconic Disney heroes at Disneyland Paris are expected to meet and chat to guests, in character, on a daily basis

The toddler is obsessed with the Disney film Frozen and loves wearing his Elsa dress around the house all day.

But when his mother tried to get him the special experience, which also includes a photoshoot, Disneyland Paris responded by saying that 'at this time it is not possible to book Princess For A Day for a boy'.

A spokesperson for Disneyland Paris has now apologised to the family and says the experience is available to all children aged between three and 12.
They've shared the look of love for nearly 13 years.

Neil Patrick Harris gave a very public display affection to his husband on their wedding anniversary through his Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon.

The 44-year-old actor shared a photo to more than six million followers on social media celebrating his three-year anniversary with David Burtka, 42.

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Lucky in love: Neil Patrick Harris gave a very public display affection to his husband on their wedding anniversary through his Instagram account on Wednesday afternoon.

The How I Met Your Mother actor started the caption of the photo with supreme gratitude for his husband.

'I got married three years ago today,' Neil captioned the adorable photo of his husband kissing his cheek during their September 2014 wedding in Italy.

'Thanks, David, for choosing me, he continued. For challenging me. For creating a family with me. For being a safe space that I can call home. And for your bountiful love. Happy Anniversary.'

Sweethearts: The 44-year-old actor shared a photo to more than six million followers on social media celebrating his three-year anniversary with David Burtka, 42

The couple initially met at a mutual friends house and then again on the streets in New York City before deciding on dating and eventually, falling in love.

'I initially fell for David harder than he fell for me,' Neil recalled in a 2012 interview with Out magazine. 'I was in love with him before he was comfortable saying it, and I think that speaks to our past experiences.

'I remember saying, I think I love you, and he was like, Thats really nice, which is not necessarily what you want to hear.

'I initially fell for David harder than he fell for me,' Neil recalled in a 2012 interview with Out magazine; seen in April at the Daryl Roth Theatre

'But I appreciated his honesty in not jumping the gun and saying something because he felt obliged to.'

After the passage of New York's Marriage Equality Act on June 24, 2011, the couple announced their engagement via Twitter.

David and Neil also announced they had been engaged for more than five years but kept the news secret until same-sex marriage was legal.

The happy couple shares fraternal twins Harper Grace and Gideon Scott, who will turn 7 in October.
A defiant act of solidarity alongside those affected by the contentious Dakota Access Pipeline resulted in confrontation, arrest and subsequent charges for criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot.

Hardly treatment befitting your everyday Hollywood actress, and Shailene Woodley still bristles while recalling the arrest at North Dakotas Standing Rock, where more than 200 protesters had gathered to oppose the divisive 1,172-mile-long underground oil pipeline in October 2016.

Speaking to the October issue of Marie Claire as she poses for a glossy new cover shoot, the actress, 25  best known for leading roles in The Fault in Our Stars and the hugely popular Divergent film series  admits her Hollywood status curried no favour after she was taken into custody with 27 others.

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Outrage: Shailene Woodley still bristles while recalling the arrest at North Dakotas Standing Rock, where more than 200 protesters had gathered to oppose the divisive 1,172-mile-long underground oil pipeline in October 2016

I was strip-searched. Like get naked, turn over, spread your butt cheeks, bend over, she said. They were looking for drugs in my a**... When youre in a jail cell and they shut that door, you realise no one can save you.

If theres a fire and they decide not to open the door, youll die. You are a caged animal.

Shailene's decision to join protesters for the gathering, symbolically held on Indigenous Peoples Day, was hardly a surprise, even if her treatment was unexpected.

Looking back: Speaking to the October issue of Marie Claire , the actress, 25  best known for leading roles in The Fault in Our Stars and the hugely popular Divergent film series  admits her Hollywood status curried no favour after she was taken into custody with 27 others

The actress had already expressed a desire to enter politics after working for former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, and she maintains a keen interest in environmental issues.

This world isnt something to take for granted,' she said. 'The only way to address climate change and these radical, detrimental policies is for us, as citizens, to shift our lifestyles.

'People are too comfortable. Were complacent in many ways. We need to be willing to get uncomfortable.'

Glamorous: The actress was speaking to the magazine as she posed for a glossy new photo shoot on behalf of their latest publication

She added: Theres nothing worth fighting for more than each other. The planet is going to be fine. Its humans who arent going to be OK. Were broken.

'Thats why the world is where it is. The way you heal is with love and empathy and compassion. Take politics out of it. Vote with your money.

To read the feature in full, see the October issue of Marie Claire, out today.

World views: The actress has expressed a desire to enter politics after working for former Democratic candidate Bernie Sanders, and she maintains a keen interest in environmental issues

Read all about it: To read the feature in full, see the October issue of Marie Claire, out today




Last week, she showed off her new chakras tattoo down her chest.

And days later, Paris Jackson covered up her inking after arriving to JFK airport in New York City.

The 19-year-old model left the airport hand in hand with her manager.

Staying close: Paris Jackson covered up her inking after arriving to JFK airport in New York City

The model cut a colorful figure in her boho style ensemble, complete with a rainbow hued shawl.

Paris sported polka dot patterned loose trousers, which featured gold feathered detailing along the legs.

The daughter of the late Michael Jackson styled the bottoms with a black and white graphic top featuring a low neckline.

Paris stayed warm in a red, blue, green and orange cover up, which she draped over her shoulders.

Natural beauty: The 19-year-old model cut a colorful figure in her boho style ensemble, complete with a rainbow hued shawl

The teenager layered several bracelets while hitting the pavement in navy sandals.

Paris styled her ombre tresses pulled back in a braid with a heavy fringe grazing her forehead.

The blonde star showed off her natural beauty by opting to go makeup free.

She's a beauty: Paris styled her ombre tresses pulled back in a braid with a heavy fringe grazing her forehead

After landing, Paris shared a close up pictured of her new tattoo.

The actress revealed the unique spiritual ink in an Instagram story post while in a car on the way to her hotel.

She later took to social media while attending the NYFW Kickoff Party, A Celebration Of Style, hosted by E!, Elle & IMG and sponsored by Tresemme and Ruffino Wines.

Views: After landing, Paris shared a close up pictured of her new tattoo
She is yet to confirm speculation she has split from Alexander Skarsgaard.

And Alexa Chung ensured she was dressed to impress when she stopped off at the UZwei store in Hamburg, Germany to launch the second collection from her namesake brand ALEXCHUNG, which debuted back in May 2017.

The British model, 33, was channelling Judy Garland in classic film The Wizard Of Oz, sporting a quirky gingham dress.

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Checking out the wares! Alexa Chung ensured she was dressed to impress when she attended the UZwei Store Opening in Hamburg, Germany on Wednesday

Alexa's blue and white number boasted puffball sleeves and a ruffled bodice, taking inspiration from Kansas girl Dorothy herself.

The brunette beauty accessorised with layered necklaces from her own range and wore her hair down loose in soft waves.

Alexa beamed as she presented her new collection, called PROM GONE WRONG, which includes RTW, shoes and jewellery.

Judy Garland chic: Alexa's blue and white number boasted puffball sleeves and a ruffled bodice, taking inspiration from Kansas girl Dorothy herself (right)

Peace out: Alexa beamed as she presented her new collection, called PROM GONE WRONG, which includes RTW, shoes and jewellery

Alexa is rumoured to have split from her beau of two years Alexander Skarsgard earlier this summer.

They had been notoriously private about their romance ever since they first began dating two years ago.

The high profile couple had chosen to keep their relationship away from the spotlight and had avoided publicly confirming their romance when they were first linked in June 2015.

Splite: Alexa is rumoured to have split from her beau of two years Alexander Skarsgard earlier this summer

Flying under the radar: Alexander, 40, and Alexa, 33, were last seen together in May earlier this year, and had made a rare appearance together at the Met Gala in New York

Alexander, 40, and Alexa, 33, were last seen together in May earlier this year, and had made a rare appearance together at the Met Gala in New York.

Speaking to The Daily Telegraph three months ago, the fashionista confessed she has a 'pathological fear' of dating and likes a potential suitor to downplay their first meeting.

She said: 'If someone says, "Do you want to meet for dinner?" I'm like, "Is that a date?" and then usually, if they're funny and get it they say no.'

Shunning the spotlight: The high profile couple had chosen to keep their relationship away from the spotlight and had avoided publicly confirming their romance when they were first linked in June 2015

The fashion designer then told Harper's Bazaar that she believes she is a 'nightmare' to date. She said: 'I don't like being told what to do and I don't want to be penned in. I don't want to feel I have to be anywhere.

'I am quite restless. It makes me a nightmare to date, I think.'

Alexa has previously dated fashion photographer David Titlow and Arctic Monkeys star Alex Turner.

She and Alex were together for four years between 2007 until 2011. She had stressed following their split that the pair had remained 'best friends'.
She didn't win Matty J's heart on The Bachelor.

But Natalie Holmberg certainly appears to be enjoying herself since being eliminated from the show, and has been sporting an extremely puffy pair of lips.

The 26-year-old has in the past admitted to getting a boob job and her 'lips done twice' and in an Instagram snap shared on Wednesday, she was sporting a very prominent pout.

Pout: Natalie Holmberg was sporting an extremely puffy pair of lips as she posed alongside fellow Bachelor reject Cobie Frost

The bisexual midwife poses alongside fellow Bachelor reject Cobie Frost in the image, and the pair appear to be sitting in a park.

She captioned the image: 'Finally I get to hustle with this hustler' and tagged her formal rival for Matty's affections.

In images posted to her Instagram story the same day, Natalie treats herself to a coffee scrub in a bath, again showcasing her extreme lips.

As she lays nude in the water in the revealing image, the beauty's pout appears inflated.

Before and after: The 26-year-old has in the past admitted to getting a boob job and her 'lips done twice' and in an Instagram snap shared on Wednesday, she was sporting a very prominent pout

Lippy: In images posted to her Instagram story the same day, Natalie treats herself to a coffee scrub in a bath, again showcasing her extreme lips

The beauty's pucker appears far more swollen that it did in earlier images posted to her Instagram in the past.

The reality star is open about her past work, telling OK Magazine: 'I always liked big boobs.'

Racy: As she lays nude in the water in the revealing image, the beauty's pout appears inflated

Change: The beauty's pucker appears far more swollen that it did in earlier images posted to her Instagram in the past

The reality star is open about her past work, telling OK Magazine : 'I always liked big boobs'

'I mean, look, it's shallow, but we wake up every day and we put makeup on, and that's our culture... plastic surgery is just an extreme version of that.'

She added that people considering getting work done should have 'realistic' expectations.

'It's not going to change who you are as a person,' she explained.
She's faced rumours her marriage to Dan Single is 'on the rocks' over the last few months.

And model Bambi Northwood-Blyth is doing little to quell speculation about her marriage, stepping out without her wedding band at a New York Fashion Week event on Wednesday.

The 26-year-old posed for photos with her left hand on her hip, her ring noticeably absent from her wedding finger.

Where's the ring? Bambi Northwood-Blyth steps out at New York Fashion Week without her wedding band amid rumours she has split with husband Dan Single

The Australia born beauty looked every bit the fashionista at the NYFW Kickoff Party, wearing a plunging leather dress.

Bambi paired the look with chic sock boots and statement hoop earrings, but her wedding finger was without her ring.

The brunette stunner wore her hair back from her face in a bun, going for a bronzed makeup look.

Missing: Bambi paired the look with chic sock boots and statement hoop earrings, but her wedding finger was bare

Natural beauty: The brunette stunner wore her hair back from her face in a bun, going for a bronzed makeup look

Bambi's marriage to Dan, 39, has been rumoured to have been on the rocks since his controversial Go Fund Me campaign in March.

The model hasn't been spotted with her husband in months and Bambi was previously photographed on multiple occasions without her wedding ring.

The Ksubi founder suffered a horrific fall from a Paris hotel balcony earlier this year, but came under fire after asking fans to help pay $250,000 for flights home and medical bills.

Speculation: Bambi's marriage to Dan, 39, has been rumoured to have been on the rocks since his controversial Go Fund Me campaign in March

No ring: The model has been photographed on multiple occasions without her wedding ring

The backlash centred around Dan's plea for cash, despite documenting his lavish jetsetting lifestyle on social media.

A News Corp report in May alleged Bambi, who married Dan in 2014, had been left 'mortified' by his Go Fund Me page and the pair were now living apart.

'Bambi was mortified Dan would ask his friends and the wider community for money, particularly given their somewhat ostentatious lifestyle over the past decade,' an insider told the publication.

Report: News Corp alleged Bambi, who married Dan in 2014, had been left 'mortified' by his Go Fund Me page. Pictured wearing her wedding ring in July 2016

However a conflicting report was published by Fairfax Media in July, claiming rumours the couple had split were 'crap'.

'Bambi and Dan are still together,' an associate of Dan's told Private Sydney.

'All her ''gallivanting'' trips have been for work and, while Dan would love to be with her, his current circumstances means that he obviously can't travel.'

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Bambi's representatives for comment.
He's the the funnyman who's known for making people laugh with his hilarious stand-up routines.

But on Thursday, Dave Hughes revealed how the joke was once on him as he shared an embarrassing anecdote on the Today show.

Speaking about his prolific use of his smart phone, the 46-year-old confessed his addiction once had grim consequences in the past as he was left 'soaked in urine'.

'I walked out of the urinal soaked in urine': On the Today show on Thursday, Dave Hughes (pictured) revealed that his addiction to his phone distracted him so much that he didn't notice when urine splashed back on to him after using the bathroom facilities

'I am addicted to my screen so much so it's ridiculous. The other day I was going for a wee I was looking at my phone at the same time,' the Hughesy & Kate radio host explained.

Dave told hosts Karl Stefanovic and Lisa Wilkinson that he didn't realise the upright urinal had an environmental filter protection feature.

'After looking at my phone and going for a wee and my jeans were covered in wee because the wee had gone into the protector and bounced back on my jeans,' he continued.

'Because I was looking at my phone I didn't know that. I walked out of the urinal soaked in urine. I was drunk on technology basically.'

'Because I was looking at my phone I didn't know that': Dave told hosts Karl Stefanovic (left) and Lisa Wilkinson (centre) that he didn't realise the upright urinal had an environmental filter protection feature

'I was drunk on technology basically' The radio host laughed off the mishap

It's not the only struggle with technology the former Project co-host has faced recently.

The star added that his kids often trick him into believing products like iPads have absurd, futuristic qualities that they actually don't.

'Young people prank older people and make them look like fools,' he said.

Prank patrol: Dave also added that his kids often tricked him when it came to technology, making him look like a fool

Earlier this week, Dave also opened about being involved in a hit and run incident while driving with wife Holly and children Rafferty, eight, Sadie, six, and Tess, four, in Los Angeles.

Speaking to YahooBe, the comedian said he sideswiped a parked car and fled the scene.

'I hadn't slept for three days and I'm trying to navigate the car on the wrong side of the road and the kids are going nuts in the back,' Dave told the online publication.

'[My wife] wanted us to go back to this LA street and leave a note for this car whose side mirror I'd knocked off. 'I said: "I'm not going back, that could be a gang member's car."'
News / National

by Staff reporter

HOLDERS of the Zimbabwean Special Permit (ZSP) in South Africa will tomorrow learn about new conditions that have been set for their continued stay in that country .Close to 200 000 Zimbabweans living in South Africa benefited under the ZSP scheme, which is scheduled to expire on December 31 this year. But last month, the South African government gave a green light for its Ministry of Home Affairs to extend the permits for ZSP holders. The announcement came at a time when the ZSP holders had become anxious over their continued stay in the neighbouring country.In a statement on Tuesday, South Africa's government announced that tomorrow it will spell out the new conditions to be used by permit holders in their reapplications."The Minister of Home Affairs, Prof Hlengiwe Mkhize, will on Friday September 8, 2017, announce the conditions and processes to be followed for the reapplication of the Zimbabwean Special Permit," reads the statement."On August 1, 2017, Cabinet approved that the Department of Home Affairs could reopen the reapplication process for the current Zimbabwean Special Permit holders, under certain conditions. This process follows the initial Special Dispensation for Zimbabweans that was approved in April 2009 to document Zimbabwean nationals, who were in South Africa illegally. The current Zimbabwean Special Permit expires on December 31 2017."Zimbabwe's Consul General in South Africa Mr Batiraishe Mukonoweshuro last month told The Chronicle that the Zimbabwean Embassy was also patiently waiting to hear about the terms of the new conditions.He hailed the South African government's stance of renewing the permits saying the neighbouring country understood the concerns of the beneficiaries.
She is a fan of kundalini yoga...so much so she tattooed energy centers down the front of her chest.

And Paris Jackson proved she had found her balance as she flashed her new chakras tattoo while attending a New York Fashion Week party on Wednesday night.

The 19-year-old wore a wrap bandeau top to the event, which nicely displayed her new inkings as well her toned tummy.

Feeling balanced: Paris Jackson proved she had found her balance as she flashed her new chakras tattoo while attending a New York Fashion Week party on Wednesday night

Completing her hippie chic vibe, the star styled her locks in a messy do while rocking a pair of red rudra beads around her neck.

Proving she can go with the flow, Paris sported baggy white yoga-style pants and a white knit shawl over her shoulders.

Meanwhile Paris unveiled her latest tattoo on Instagram on Saturday.

Revealing her true self: The 19-year-old wore a wrap bandeau top to the event, which nicely displayed her new inkings as well her toned tumm

Keeping it spiritual: Completing her hippie chic vibe, the star styled her locks in a messy do while rocking a pair of red rudra beads around her neck

The 19-year-old, who is the daughter of the late Michael Jackson, showed off her new chakra tattoos in a filtered topless snap.

Paris also showed off the tattoos, covered up in bandages, before she unveiled the final product.

'Secreting blood n plasma everywhere,' she captioned the messy snap.

The chakras are said to be energy centers placed in seven points of the body.

Paris was spotted at Tattoo Mania in West Hollywood on Saturday, taking a cigarette break.

Free spirit: Paris Jackson unveiled her latest tattoo on Instagram on Saturday

Messy: Paris also showed off the tattoos, covered up in bandages, before she unveiled the final product

Stepping out: Paris was spotted at Tattoo Mania in West Hollywood on Saturday, taking a cigarette break

She was spotted catching up alongside a pal, in stitches, as they sat outside the parlor on a bench.

As fans of Paris know by now, the starlet has an extensive collection of tattoos.

She recently received a matching tattoo with her godfather Macaulay Culkin.

Paris has also paid tribute to her father Michael by receiving several tattoos in his memory.
She's the bubbly socialite who announced her engagement to comedian Brett Hunter in June.

But just three months later, Brynne Edelsten, 34, has called off the nuptials and started a lesbian relationship with 25-year-old blonde beauty Coby Boatman.

The ex wife of flamboyant medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten was seen locking lips with new flame Coby at swanky Melbourne eatery Sash on Wednesday.

Whirlwind: Just three months after announcing her engagement to Brett Hunter, Brynne Edelsten, 34, has called off the nuptials and started a same sex relationship with 25-year-old Coby Boatman

Loved-up: The ex wife of flamboyant medical entrepreneur Geoffrey Edelsten was seen canoodling with new flame Coby at swanky Melbourne eatery Sash on Wednesday

Brynne and Coby were seen to be getting very up close and personal at the Japanese pizza bar, looking smitten as they shared passionate kisses at the table.

Brynne wore a form fitting and revealing black mini skirt that finished at the thigh and a pair of black peep toe heels.

She matched this with a bright yellow top and a black leather jacket while she carried a large black leather handbag.

That's amore: Brynne and Coby were seen to be getting very up close and personal at the Japanese pizza bar, looking smitten as they shared passionate kisses at the table

New flame: Brynne wore a form fitting and revealing black mini skirt that finished at the thigh and a pair of black peep toe heels

A bra-less Coby meanwhile, could barely contain her 'assets' in her cleavage flaunting playsuit that she also paired with a black leather jacket.

She also wore a pair of black suede boots and she carried a brown leather handbag.

As the smitten duo made their way to the restaurant, they could barely contain their affection for one another, walking hand in hand and staring lovingly into each other's eyes.

At one point, Coby even fed her new flame, lovingly sliding a food filled fork into Brynne's smiling mouth.

Racy! A bra-less Coby meanwhile, could barely contain her 'assets' in her cleavage flaunting play suit that she also paired with a black leather jacket

Whirlwind; As the smitten duo made their way to the restaurant, they could barely contain their amour, walking hand in hand and staring lovingly into each other's eyes

Only have eyes for you: At one point, Coby even fed her new flame, lovingly sliding a food filled fork into Brynne's smiling mouth

It was a similar situation once inside the restaurant with the pair continuing their loved-up display.

It appeared that both Brynne and Coby were more interested in each other than their meals as they huddled close and shared more than one passionate embraces.

A source told Daily Mail Australia that Brynne was already friends with Coby and the romance was something that came completely out of the blue.

Shock: A source told Daily Mail Australia that Brynne was already friends with Coby and the romance was something that came completely out of the blue

Firt time: 'She said she's never been in a same sex relationship before, the source revealed. 'She's known Coby for a couple of years but she never saw this coming.'

'She said she's never been in a same sex relationship before, the source revealed. 'She's known Coby for a couple of years but she never saw this coming.'

In a case of whirlwind romance, the source added that Brynne and Coby have already started house hunting and were looking to star co-habitating as soon as possible.

'They've been inspecting apartments and by this weekend the'll be moving in together,' the source revealed.

The source added that Brynne called off her engagement to Brett as the pair 'weren't getting along' but insisted that it was amicable.

After announcing the engagement in June, Brynne featured in a recent edition of Stellar alongside her fiance and admitted that she was a lot happier now than she had been.

'As much as things may have been a lot easier during my marriage, as far as life in general, it was very lonely. Id rather have to struggle a bit and be happy,' she said.

Love birds: In a case of whirlwind romance, the source added that Brynne and Coby have already started house hunting and were looking to star co-habitating as soon as possible
She's taking a fashion leap by wearing leg warmers on her arms.

And Kate Bosworth still managed to stun despite the odd choice as she attended the NYFW Kickoff Party, A Celebration Of Personal Style hosted by ELLE.

The actress, 34, who stars in the BBC drama SS-GB, looked pretty in a light pink floral frock with a sheer silver cover at the TRESemme-sponsored soiree.

Pretty in pink: Kate Bosworth stunned in a light pink floral frock with a sheer silver cover and arm warmers as she attended the NYFW Kickoff Party, A Celebration Of Personal Style hosted by ELLE

The dress also featured silver flowers on the left side of the dress, which showed off Kate's gorgeous decolletage with thin spaghetti straps.

She paired the dress with bright fuchsia arm warmers that sat boldly on her arms without covering any of the back of her dress.

The back also featured the sheer panel that covered the backless dress, save for another flower imprinted onto it.

The back of the actual dress revealed the actresses slender back.

Off cover up: She paired the dress with bright fuchsia arm warmers that sat boldly on her arms without covering any of the back of her dress

The Blue Crush actress wore mismatched shoes with one featuring diamonds across her toes and the other around her ankle.

Kate wore her blonde hair up in a severe bun, slicked back tight against her face.

She wore makeup that allowed her pretty features to pop, with long lashes and bright pink lipstick that complimented her ensemble.

The stunning blonde posed alongside her husband, actor Michael Polish, who looked distinguished in a dark grey suit and copper colored tie.

Gorgeous features: She wore makeup that allowed her pretty features to pop, with long lashes and bright pink lipstick that complimented her ensemble

The stunning blonde posed alongside her husband, actor Michael Polish, who looked distinguished in a dark grey suit and copper colored tie

She also opted to pose alongside Tracee Ellis Ross and Ashley Graham who also both attended the event.

Kate recently appeared in the BBC drama SS-GB, where she played an American journalist who comes over to London in an alternative reality where the Nazis have won World War Two,

Starring opposite Sam Riley, the series was based on the 1976 novel of the same name by Len Deighton.

Friends? Kate looked happy alongside Ashley Graham who wore a blue suit jacket for the prestigious event

Both in florals: She also said hello to Tracee Ellis Ross inside the event as the two ladies turned to take a quick photo together

The actress, who also played Lois Lane in Superman Returns, has been married to director Michael Polish since 2013.

The couple recently celebrated their fourth wedding anniversary with an Italian getaway.

They appeared happily loved up as they were photographed at the Venice Film Festival ahead of the premiere of short film series Women's Tales.
Emmy Rossum led the way as the cast of Shameless was feted at a special event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night.

The actress, 30, looked lovely in a pretty floral-themed sleeveless frock.

The black dress had spaghetti straps and a flounce skirt and the detailing featured pink, white and blue flowers.

Flower power: Emmy Rossum led the way in a pretty floral frock as the cast of Shameless was feted at a special event in Los Angeles on Wednesday night

Emmy showed off her toned limbs as she went bare-legged in stiletto heels.

She wore her long brunette hair with a center parting and tucked back behind her ears, falling down her back.

Her brows were arched and penciled in and she sported plenty of black mascara.

Rosy blush dusted her cheeks and she completed her look with dark pink lip color.

Fresh as a daisy: The actress, 30, looked lovely in the black dress that had spaghetti straps and a flounce skirt. The detailing featured pink, white and blue flowers.

Sleek: Emmy showed off her toned limbs as she went bare-legged in stiletto heels and wore her long brunette hair tucked back behind her ears, falling down her back

Emmy stars as Fiona Gallagher in the Showtime series that's going into its ninth season.

The star famously held out and won a pay raise giving her equal salary with her co-star William H. Macy before signing on for more episodes.

She is also set to direct more episodes of the show after helming two last season.

According to Variety, season eight is set to premiere on the premium cable channel on November 5 with Emmy's character facing hard decisions over her success as a landlord.

Macy's Frank Gallagher is reported to come out of his drug-induced haze and decide to try and finally be a contributing member of society.

Tie-less: William H. Macy who stars as partriarch Frank Gallagher in the series paired gray suede shoes with a dark two-piece suit and blue shirt

Co-stars: Macy posed for pics with Emma Kenney, 18, who plays his on-screen daughter Debbie Gallagher in the hit show that's going into its eighth season

Joining the two leads at the celebration held as part of the Paley Center Fall TV Preview was actress Emma Kenney, 18.

The teen plays single mom Debbie Gallagher who juggles parenthood with welding school

Emma wore a purple short-sleeved dress with a full knee-length skirt.

She added a pair of nude embellished sandal heels with platform soles and accessorized with gold hoop earrings.

On hand, too, were Jeremy Allen White who plays Lip Gallagher and series writer, director and executive producer John Wells.

Stylish: Emma, whose character juggles being a single mom with welding school, wore a purple short-sleeved dress with a full knee-length skirt

Poised: The teen added a pair of nude embellished sandal heels with platform soles and accessorized with gold hoop earrings

Snap: Emma had fun showing off her outfit that almost matched the carpet at the Paley Center event
Reese Witherspoon was a vision in yellow at a New York screening of her latest movie, Home Again on Wednesday night.

The 41-year-old actress looked stunning in a knee-length shift dress from Michael Kors' Resort 2018 Collection, which perfectly complimented her famous yellow locks.

Featuring a shimmery gold underlay, the dress was covered in bright yellow lace flowers.

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All bright now: Reese Witherspoon was a vision in yellow at a New York screening of her latest movie, Home Again on Wednesday night

The Wild actress completed her look with a pair of pointy-toe gold stilettos, which featured an ankle strap.

Her long blonde hair was swept to one side and worn in a chic updo.

Joining the actress at the screening were several of her co-stars, including Jon Rudnitsky, 27, Pico Alexander, 26, and Candice Bergen, 71.

The film's writer and director, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, 30, was also in attendance.

Blonde ambition: The 41-year-old actress looked stunning in a knee-length shift dress from Michael Kors' Resort 2018 Collection, which perfectly complimented her famous yellow locks

Reel-life family: Other stars in attendance included Candice Bergen, who plays Reese's mom in the new movie

Incredible: Featuring a shimmery gold underlay, her dress was covered in bright yellow lace flowers

Gorgeous: Reese sported a chic updo and put focus on her blue peepers with autumnal shadow and mascara

In an essay penned for Glamour magazine this week, Reese heaped praise on the first-time movie director and her mom, renowned filmmaker Nancy Meyers, 67, who produced the film.

'On Home Again I was lucky enough to work with Nancy Meyers - one of the most successful female writers, directors, and producers of our time, who has made some of my favorite movies - and her daughter, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, the 30-year-old first-time filmmaker who wrote and directed the movie,' she wrote.

'It was amazing to watch a mother-daughter creative team be in charge of every department, keeping all the trains running on time.'

Group outing: Joining the actress at the screening were several of her co-stars, including (L-R) Jon Rudnitsky, Pico Alexander and Candice, along with the film's writer and director, Hallie Meyers-Shyer (center)

Handsome: Pico Alexander proved to be suited and booted for the perfection for the event

Pops of colour: Candice Bergen showed off her sartorial flair in a funky purple coat and unique pointed shoes

Talented: The film's writer and director, Hallie Meyers-Shyer, 30, was also in attendance

Home Again tells the story of a 40-year-old single mom, played by Reese, who allows the 20-something-year-old guy she's fallen for and two of his friends to move in with her.

Things get complicated though when her ex-husband, played by Michael Sheen, shows up again asking for a second chance.

Home Again is in cinemas from Friday.
She made headlines for her bizarre meltdown on The Bachelor, staging a dramatic exit after failing to be noticed by Matty J during a cocktail party.

But Sian Kelly appeared more relaxed on Thursday, as she shared an Instagram snap soaking up the sun in a skimpy bikini.

The 24-year-old tattooed beauty posed seductively on the back of a boat as she showed off her taut stomach and cleavage.

'Time for bikini weather': The Bachelor's Sian Kelly sizzles in sexy bikini... after confirming she is in a relationship with a WOMAN after being rejected by Matty J

The reality star lifted her leg as she arched her back over a cushioned seat.

Sian's tanned complexion glistened in the sunshine, as she wore black sunglasses to protect her eyes from the glare.

The leopard-print triangle bikini top put her ample assets on display.

Shock exit: She made headlines for her bizarre meltdown of The Bachelor, staging a dramatic exit after failing to be noticed by Matty J during a cocktail party

She captioned the photo: 'Spring is in the air! Meaning time for bikini weather. Luckily I work in the swimwear industry so I'll never go without! Check out @bakuswimwear or come see me at the perth store. pm for details.'

Fellow Bachelor rival Florence commented on the image: 'Holy f-ing shit.'

In August, Sian appeared to confirm via social media she was in a relationship with another woman since leaving the Channel 10 dating show.

She teased on Instagram her romance with stunning brunette Gabrielle Crilly.

She found love! The Bachelor's Sian Kelly reveals she is in a relationship with a WOMAN

In photos shared to both their Instagram accounts the two women pose for pictures in their bikinis.

'She had me at ''we'll make it look like an accident'',' the retail assistant captioned a selfie of the pair last week, also adding the hashtag 'makegaymarriagelegal.'

Sian also hinted at the seriousness of her and Gabrielle's relationship on Tuesday, sharing a snap of the pair holding hands.

New romance: The 24-year-old tattooed beauty has found love with stunning brunette Gabrielle Crilly

Close: Sian also hinted at the seriousness of her and Gabrielle's relationship on Tuesday, sharing a snap of the pair holding hands

'Introducing to you, Mrs and Mrs flog,' she wrote in the caption.

It is unclear how long the pair have been dating and whether this is Sian's first same-sex relationship.

Daily Mail Australia previously contacted Sian for comment.

Sian joins ex-contestants Megan Marx, Tiffany Scanlon and Alex Nation, who have all gone on to have relationships with women since leaving the show.

Meanwhile, fellow 2017 contestants Natalie Holmberg and Elora Murger were previously in relationships with women.

During her time on The Bachelor, Sian made headlines thanks to her friendship with 'villains' Leah Costa and Jennifer Hawke.

Unknown: It is unclear how long the pair have been dating for and whether this is Sian's first same-sex relationship

Insta ready: The genetically-blessed pair have been documenting their romance online

The Perth-based retail worker left the show in episode six, staging a dramatic exit after failing to be noticed by Matty during a cocktail party.

Locking herself in a bathroom, a sobbing Sian could be heard saying: 'I'm leaving. I don't like him! I'm better than him. I'm better than this. I don't like him!'

Later she told Matty: 'I'd prefer to exit. It's got absolutely nothing to do with you. It's just me and my energy. And just everything today it's like, 'Get the f**k out'.'

But after changing her mind again and deciding to stay, Matty took things into his own hands, dramatically stopping the rose ceremony to talk to Sian and persuade her to leave.

'If I'm gonna be completely honest, I think the kind of doubt you've got at the moment ... I can't really see that anything between us is going to come to fruition here,' he explained.
She recently spent the weekend kicking back in Rhode Island.

But it was back to the city for Olivia Culpo, 25, on Wednesday to attend the ELLE NYFW opening night where she looked gorgeous in a black and pink polka-dot mini dress.

The dress featured tulle accents along the bust line and down the front to give it an elegant finish.

Fashionable night out: Olivia Culpo looked gorgeous in a black and pink polka-dot mini dress on Wednesday to attend the ELLE NYFW opening night

The tight dress showed off her incredible figure and a small glimpse of cleavage along the straight neckline.

She matched the theme of her ensemble with black polka-dot tights to give the the black outfit an even darker feel.

The one light pop of color came with her stark white pumps that were a striking contrast to the rest of the look.

The brunette beauty wore her short lock in loose waves around her face.

Polka-dot theme: She matched the theme of her ensemble with black polka-dot tights to give the the black outfit an even darker fee

She's has a short hairdo for a while, but it seems she recently cut it even shorter.

The former Miss Rhode Island wore very natural makeup on her pretty face, keeping things light in contrast to her dark ensemble.

She recently spent labor day in Rhode Island where her family is opening a restaurant in the Providence metropolitan area.

Chic bob: She's has a short hairdo for a while, but it seems she recently cut it even shorter

She and her family have just started up a restaurant in North Kingstown area called Back 40, which celebrated its grand opening Tuesday evening last week.

Posing on the joint's porch for Instagram last Monday, she'd gushed in her caption that she was celebrating 'Opening night of the @back40ri right now!!!!'

The model went on to explain that 'This is the restaurant I'm opening with my family in RI. Tonight is the soft opening for friends and family (basically where everyone tells us what they like/don't like on the menu) but tomorrow will be the official public opening so if you're in RI/South County make sure you check it out :)'.
Kristen Stewart and her girlfriend Stella Maxwell enjoyed a date night on Wednesday in the Big Apple.

The couple looked cosy as they stepped out to take in the premiere screening of Rebel In The Rye at the Metrograph in Manhattan.

Kristen, 27, wore a racy outfit of tight black leather mini skirt with a zipper down the front and flashed a matching black bra under a charcoal gray check jacket.

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Out on the town: Kristen Stewart and Stella Maxwell showed up together for the New York premiere of the film Rebel In The Rye on Wednesday night

The former Twilight star paired her skin-baring ensemble with several neck chains.

Sticking to her trademark grungy look, she rimmed her eyes with lashings of black kohl and added dark red lip color.

Model girlfriend Stella, 27, kept the leather theme going with a biker's jacket over a cropped black tee.

She added a diamond necklace and wore her long blonde hair blown out in frizzy waves.

Low key: The former Twilight star and the model skipped the red carpet, making their way straight into the theatre

Dared to bare: Kristen, 27, wore a racy outfit of tight black leather mini skirt with a zipper down the front and a matching black bra under a charcoal gray check jacket

Looking good: She wore minimal make-up and styled her blonde crop in a tousled 'do

Kristen and Stella opted not to walk the official arrivals line for the event.

But the movie's stars Nicholas Hoult and Zoey Deutch happily obliged the waiting photographers.

Hoult stars in the film as a young J. D. Salinger who wrote the cult classic The Catcher in The Rye and Deutch plays his love interest Oona O'Neill.

Their night: The movie's stars Nicholas Hoult and Zoey Deutch happily obliged the waiting photographers, posing together as they arrived for the screening

Looking good: British actor Hoult, 27, who stars as a young J.D.Salinger with Deutch as love interest Oona O'Neill, was dapper in a dark two-piece suit with a white shirt and patterned tie

British actor Hoult, 27, was dapper in a dark gray two-piece suit with a white shirt and patterned tie.

Deutch, 22, looked lovely in a multi-colored floral-patterned frock that featured half sleeves, a collar and a thigh-skimming hem.

The pretty actress added a pair of very pointed toe silver heels.

Her brown hair was tied back in a ponytail and she accessorized with diamond earrings.

Stylish: Deutch, 22, looked lovely in a multi-colored floral-patterned frock that featured half sleeves, a collar and a thigh-skimming hem. She added very pointed toe silver heels

Almost royalty: Riley Keogh, the actress granddaughter of Elvis Presley, attended the premiere in a patterned mini dress paired with gold sandal heels and stunning gold chandelier earrings

Party hopper! The actress then headed over to the Tiffany and Co. launch at Highline stages and met up with Zoey Deutch

What a trio! Riley and a chic Zoey then posed for pictures with actress Ana de Armas

Girls just wanna have fun! The pals looked like they were having a whale of a time on the red carpet

Hoult had the support of female pals Riley Keough and Abbey Lee Kershaw.

Keogh, the actress granddaughter of Elvis Presley, has previously been linked to the actor following his split from Jennifer Lawrence.

The star of The Girlfriend Experience wore a patterned mini dress that she paired with gold sandal heels and sported stunning gold chandelier earrings.

She later headed over the stylish Tiffany and Co. party to celebrate the jewellery brand's new fragrance.

Australian model and actress Kershaw, 30, shimmered in a shiny silver blouse paired with a matching mini skirt.

She wore her long tresses loose and went bare-legged in white ankle boots that completed her retro look.

Striking: Australian model and actress Abbey Lee Kershaw, 30, shimmered in a shiny silver blouse paired with a matching mini skirt, white ankle boots, and Alexis Bittar earrings

Pals: Kershaw and Hoult who are friends posed together for pictures

Once Upon A Star star Jennifer Morrison showed up in a bold burgundy number with a slit skirt and black and white bands at the waist.

The blonde actress, 38, flashed some leg in her sleeveless dress that she paired with perspex sandal heels.

She accessorized with a small white clutch and wore her shoulder-length hair blown out with a center parting.

Other VIP guests included Harry Connick Jr., Broadway producer Christina Papagjika and Daphne Oz.

Stripy: Once Upon A Star star Jennifer Morrison showed up in a bold burgundy number with a slit skirt and black and white bands at the waist

Look who's here: The blonde actress, 38, posed for pics with Broadway producer Christina Papagjika, who wore a navy jumpsuit

Singing for his supper: Harry Connick Jr. also showed up for the premiere in a dark bespoke suit with black shoes and a charcoal gray shirt
He rose to fame playing a teenage heart throb on Puberty Blues.

And it appears actor Tyler Atkins has achieved his own real life love story, taking to Facebook on Thursday to reveal he was engaged.

The 31-year-old shared a close up of the lucky lady's sparkler, however, is yet to share his new fiancee's identity.

'She said YASSSSSSSSSSS!' Puberty Blues star Tyler Atkins reveals he is engaged ... but who is the mystery woman?

In the photo posted to Facebook, Tyler holds a mystery woman's hand, her wedding finger clad with a sparking sapphire and diamond engagement bling.

'She said YASSSSSSSSSSS,' the Puberty Blues star captioned the social media picture.

The actor's friends were quick to congratulate Tyler, with several inquiring after the identity of the lucky lady.

Who's the girl? In the photo posted to Facebook, Tyler holds a mystery woman's hand, her wedding finger clad with a sparking sapphire and diamond engagement ring

Daily Mail Australia has reached out to the actor for further comment.

Tyler is a former model-turned-actor who has been linked to a string of beautiful women over the years including Paris Hilton and Home And Away alum Samara Weaving and Demi Harman - who he split from in 2014.

He starred on popular TV drama Puberty Blues in 2012, playing surfer Darren Peters in the 1970s coming of age story based on the book of the same name.

Previously dated: Tyler is a former model-turned-actor who has been linked to a string of beautiful women over the years including Paris Hilton

Now living in Los Angeles, Tyler is a devotee of Sikh-based yoga and previously described himself as 'Drug, Meat and Alcohol free' on his Instagram bio.

He revealed last year he had been suffering from a rare kidney disease and was seeking medical treatment.

'I had quite a crazy few years in and out of hospital with a rare kidney disease in my left kidney that I was born with and only found it when I was 25,' Tyler posted on Facebook.
She's the multitasking WAG who juggles being a mother of four with 10 other jobs.

But on Thursday Rebecca 'Bec' Judd made time for her only daughter, dropping three-year-old Billie off at pre-school.

In a video shared to her Instagram story, the radio host can be seen holding her daughter's hand as they make their way to the school.

'Walking to school with my girl': Bec Judd holds hands with daughter Billie as she drops the three-year-old off at pre-school

In the social media post, the 34-year-old wears a stylish faux fur coat as she walks hand in hand with daughter Billie.

The little girl, who bears a striking resemblance to Bec, looks up at her mother adoringly as they walk along the street.

'Walking to school w my girl xxx,' Bec captions the sweet video to her 650,000 Instagram followers.

Cute! The little girl, who bears a striking resemblance to Bec, looks up at her mother adoringly as they walk to school

Busy! Besides holding 10 different jobs, Bec also spends 15 hours a week creating content for Instagram

Walking her daughter to school is no easy feat for the multi-tasking mum, who last month revealed she juggles four kids with 10 different jobs.

She also spends 15 hours a week making carefully curated content for her Instagram account.

Bec shares daughter Billie, six-year-old son Oscar and 11-month-old twin boys Darcy and Tom with husband Chris Judd, a former AFL player.

Hands full! Last September Bec added twins Tom and Darcy to her young family

Power couple: Model Bec is married to former AFL star and Carlton Football captain Chris Judd

But raising a daughter has its own unique challenges, with Bec telling her radio co-hosts in July Billie had become self-conscious about her appearance.

The toddler had previously complained about her curly hair, telling Bec she wanted it to be straight like hers.

'We were going out in Port Douglas, we were going out for dinner. And I had these cool studded flats on and she had little flats with a pussy cat on them,' she told KIIS FM's The 3pm Pick-Up.

'We were just about to walk out the door, she goes, 'Mum, I can't go out for dinner; you look far more beautiful than me.' She's three!'

Self-conscious: Bec told her radio co-hosts in July Billie had become worried about her appearance
News / National

by Staff reporter

Musician Clive Malunga yesterday appeared in court accused of destroying and stealing his tenant's property while evicting her in her absence.Malunga (57) pleaded not guilty to malicious damage to property and theft charges.His trial opened before Harare magistrate Mr Gideon Kuvetsa. In his defence, Malunga denied destroying or stealing the property."On May 8, I went to my residence with two workers to help a tenant vacate the premises because I had found a new tenant who was waiting to move in," said Malunga."The complainant, Sharon Chinoputsa's security guard opened the gate for me and helped me and my workmates to move the property outside the gate."Nothing was broken or stolen. When the complainant's husband heard what happened he came with a truck loaded with six youths. My daughter was assaulted by the security guard and a police constabulary came to the house and witnessed how rowdy the youths were. They placed the property back into the house to block the new tenant from moving in."The first State witness was Chinoputsa's security guard, James Chamisa, who is employed by MDC-T. He said Malunga came wielding a hammer and broke the tenant's door."I rushed to Rhodesville police station to report the matter and when I returned I saw Malunga throwing property outside along Harare Drive," said Chamisa."He was with his two workers and a huge man. I did not participate in removing the property. They threw out a washing machine and the top lid broke. The coffee table and television stand were also thrown out and they broke."The complainant had gone to Mabvuku. When she came she asked Malunga why he was removing her property and he started talking about war."Chamisa said Malunga's daughter lied that he assaulted her. Trial continues on September 13.The prosecutor Mrs Devoted Nyagano alleged that on May 8 this year at around 4pm, Malunga went to No. 63 Harare Drive where Chinoputsa was renting. Chinoputsa was not home and Malunga allegedly started moving the property out of the yard.Malunga allegedly damaged a Defy washing machine, a food processor, eight water glasses, four bowels and six dinner plates. It is alleged that while checking her property, Chinoputsa noticed that two Samsung Galaxy tables, a Vodaphone and car keys were missing.The value of damaged and stolen property is worth $1 781 and nothing was recovered.
The highest grossing movie franchise in the world has fallen in love with Australia.

A top Marvel exec has revealed the company's 'amazing' experience shooting Thor: Ragnarok Down Under has the company destined to return for more.

'I would shoot another movie out here in a heartbeat,' Marvel's VP of production & development Brad Winderbaum told The Daily Telegraph this week.

'I would shoot another movie out here in a heartbeat': Australian Thor: Ragnarok star Chris Hemsworth, and Marvel VP of production believe an influx of super hero movies may now be filmed Down Under

Thor star and Australian local Chris Hemsworth, quickly cosigned the idea.

The 34-year-old insisted the way fans and the entire city of Brisbane accommodated Ragnarok shooting 'doesn't happen anywhere in the world.'

'Weve shot in Central Park in New York and people are pretty jaded by film crews there, theyre like, "get out of the way!" he told the publication.

'Whereas here, the whole city felt like it stopped. There were more people there than Id seen at any premiere Id done, so that was pretty special.'

Marvel loves Australia! Speaking to reporters after filming Thor: Ragnarok in Brisbane, Marvel's Brad Winderbaum was enthusiastic about shooting more films in the country

Chris agrees! Chris, 34, quickly cosigned the idea, insisting the way fans and the entire city of Brisbane accommodated shooting 'doesn't happen anywhere in the world'

Winderbaum was equally impressed with the quality of the country's studio facilities, untapped locations and fan reception.

So much so, that when asked by the publication, he reportedly couldn't think of any downsides to returning to shoot more films in the country.

Creatively, the high-profile Marvel staffer said the upsides were plentiful, gushing over the country's natural beauty.

His happy place! He added: 'The whole city felt like it stopped. There were more people there than Id seen at any premiere Id done, so that was pretty special'

'I would shoot another movie out here in a heartbeat,' he said'Its a great place to work, its a great place to live for months and months. I would recommend shooting here to anyone.'

It appears he's on the same page with Hemsworth, who promised to push the idea of expanding the company's already impressive Australian filming schedule.

The studio's rival, DC Comics has also clearly cottoned-on to the possibilities of shooting Down Under.

The company wrapped up filming on the Jason Momoa-fronted superhero epic Aquaman on the Gold Coast last week.

'I would recommend shooting here to anyone': Winderbaum was equally impressed with the quality of the country's studio facilities, untapped locations and fan reception
Many of her rivals would surely love to be filling her seat on the America's Got Talent panel.

But Heidi Klum looked overcome with joy as she jetted out of Los Angeles after filming the show on Wednesday.

The German stunner was grinning like a Cheshire cat as she got ready to catch her flight at the bustling LAX Airport,

Grand departure: Heidi Klum looked thrilled as she got ready to jet out of LA on Wednesday

The 44-year-old was looking great for her age in her suede biker jacket, matching boots and extremely tight jeans.

However, she perhaps lost a few bonus style points after wearing admittedly trendy tinted aviator sunglasses in the dark.

Meanwhile, the former Victorias Secret model has raised eyebrows after telling a magazine she battles with her children over their online presence as they often want to post unwise pictures on the web to try to make themselves more popular.

The mother-of-four's advice is in stark contrast to her own behaviour, with the blonde beauty frequently getting fans hot under the collar by posting risque snaps.

Shady lady: The grinning German lost a few style points for wearing sunglasses in the dark

Smooth operator: She looked in fine form indeed in her brown suede jacket

Not glum Klum: She could hardly stop grinning as she prepared to catch her flight

In an interview with Stylist magazine, she said pictures arent important, adding: Im teaching my children its more important to be respected.

They want to post certain images on social media and they say to me, it would get so many more likes.

I explain to them that people can like you for wrong reasons and a picture is not important.

Some of her recent Instagram posts include one of her promoting her brand by lounging in a bed of flowers in her lingerie, a flashback of her posing nude in the 2003 Pirelli calendar, and a promotional photo for a new photography book, Heidi Klum by Rankin  for which she appeared naked on the cover.

Grand arrival: The former Victoria's Secret beauty caused a stir when she turned up

Loving it: She seemed thrilled when she saw the gathered throng of photographers

Mother's wisdom: Heidi has revealed she counsels her children against sharing unwise pictures on social media
She is a doting mom to two kids.

And Charlize Theron was seen on Wednesday taking her daughter August on a playdate in Los Angeles.

The 42-year-old kept cool in a skimpy maxi dress, that offered a glimpse of her bra, during the sweltering day.

Doting mom: Charlize Theron was seen on Wednesday taking her daughter August on a playdate in Los Angeles

The Atomic Blonde star wore leather sandals and sunglasses as she carried her trendily dressed child.

Having adopted her son Jackson in 2012, Charlize also adopted a daughter called August in 2015, and the film star's gushed on The Ellen DeGeneres Show this April that her children are 'so in love with each other. It's really beautiful.'

July 18 saw the American theatrical release of her new movie Atomic Blonde, which wound up being released to British cinemas on August 9.

Hot day: The 42-year-old kept cool in a skimpy maxi dress, that offered a glimpse of her bra, during the sweltering day

Directed by David Leitch, Atomic Blonde is an action-packed Cold War thriller starring Charlize as a ruthless and talented British spy on a mission in Berlin.

Covering a recent issue of W, Charlize has said of her Atomic Blonde character Lorraine: 'I didnt just want to play a girly spy who depends on her flirty ways.'

She's explained: 'It would be so boring to just be "the girl" and wait for the guys to come in when theres a fight. Instead, I thought about Atomic Blonde the way I imagine men think about parts in action films. I was intrigued and challenged.'

Charlize also said of her character: 'Lorraine is a little bit like Bond. He drinks a lot of martinis, doesnt he? Shaken or not stirred, or whatever they are,' she recalled.

'Yeah, Lorraine and James are equally messed up. Maybe they should marry! Maybe they should have a baby! That would be an interesting baby,' the actress quipped.
Days after his release in June, Oliver Curtis had already ditched his prison greens for a business suit.

And the husband of Roxy Jacenko has well and truly settled back into working life, seen out for lunch at Australia Square food court in Sydney on Thursday.

Sporting a sharp, slim-fitting black suit, the disgraced former banker blended-in with the working crowd at the off-George Street establishment.

From the Supreme Court to the food court! Oliver Curtis was seen sporting a sharp suit as he enjoyed a quick lunch at Australia Square food court in the Sydney CBD on Thursday

He was seen perched at one of the outdoor seating area's tables, meters away from popular after-work drinks destination Ryan's Bar.

A scrunched up brown paper lunch bag and a near-empty bottle of water were situated next to one of Oliver's hands.

The 32-year-old, flaunted the buff frame he honed in prison with an open check shirt and was spotted in an animated conversation with an apparent co-worker.

At one point, he raised his eyebrows and communicated a point with his hands, while his lunch guest looked to be concentrating heavily.

Looking sharp! Sporting a sharp, slim-fitting black suit, the disgraced former banker blended-in with the working crowd at the off-George Street establishment

The food court, popular with Sydney CBD's working crowd, is just a short stroll away from the offices of E-Nome in Kent street.

Owned by his father Nick, Oliver was reported to join the medical technology start-up just days after he was released from Cooma Correctional Facility on June 24.

After serving a one-year sentence for conspiracy to commit insider trading, he was greeted in a nearby private jet by Roxy, 37, and their kids Pixie, 6 and Hunter, 3.

Down to business! The husband of PR maven Roxy Jacenko flaunted the buff frame he honed in prison with an open shirt, spotted in an animated conversation with an apparent co-worker

Work lunch! The food court, popular with Sydney CBD's working crowd, is just a short stroll away from the offices of E-Nome in Kent street, where the 32-year-old works for his father, Nick

Less than two months before his release, Sweaty Betty PR founder Roxy was photographed kissing her ex-boyfriend Nabil Gazal on his apartment balcony.

Concern grew in the days after his release, when both Roxy and Oliver were pictured out without their wedding rings on multiple occasions.

But that all changed in late July, when Oliver surprised his wife with an extremely romantic proposal, with the pair agreeing to renew their wedding vows.

In recent snaps, the couple have looked the happiest they've been in a long time, with the drama clearly behind them.

Keeping it in the family! Oliver was reported to join the start-up just days after he was released from Cooma Correctional Facility on June 24
She was ousted as the reported new flame of quirky socialite Brynne Edelsten on Wednesday night.

And fellow busty blonde Coby Boatman bears more than a passing resemblance to accused drug smuggler 'Cocaine' Cassie Sainsbury.

A quick comparison of images of the pair reveals that they both share similar styled blonde locks.

Doppelganger: Coby Boatman, the woman revealed to be the ew flame of Brynne Edelsten, bears more than a striking resemblance to accused drug smuggler Cassie Sainsbury

Although they look almost the same, that is where the similarity between the two ends, with Coby having nothing else in common with Sainsbury.

The doppelganger duo also share almost identical jawlines and noses that suggest that they could very easily pass as sisters.

While Cassie appears to have slightly fuller lips than Coby's, a comparable shape could lead people to mistake a familial connection.

Coby's new flame Brynne dropped jaws on Wednesday when the pair were seen canoodling at swanky Melbourne restaurant Sash.

While Cassie (pictured) appears to have slightly fuller lips than Coby's, a comparable shape could lead people to mistake a familial connection.

New romance: Brynne and Coby put on a loved-up display in Melbourne on Wednesday

The pair put on a loved up display as they walked the Melbourne streets hand in hand before getting up-close-and-personal at the eatery, sharing a string of passionate kisses.

A source told Daily Mail Australia that the pair had known each other for a couple of years, having been introduced by mutual friends.

The source also claimed the pair were already looking to move in together, as early as this weekend.

Cassie has spent more than three months in Columbia's El Buen Pastor prison after she was caught with 5.9 kilograms of cocaine at Bogata Airport hidden inside 18 separate packages of headphones.

She 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.

Pals: A source told Daily Mail Australia that Brynne had known Coby (pictured) for a couple of years, having been introduced by mutual friends
Meghan Markle's character in Suits kept it in the family during Wednesday's episode by working on a highly personal case with her lawyer father.

Robert Zane, played by The Wire's Wendell Pierce, surprised Meghan's character Rachel at her office after she had given evidence that hurt his case. 'I wanna work with you,' he told her to her obvious shock.

The episode aired shortly after Meghan spoke for the very first time about her romance with Prince Harry, as she told Vanity Fair: 'We're two people who are really happy and in love'.

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Family affair: Meghan Markle's character Rachel Zane worked with her lawyer father Robert on a personal case during Wednesday's episode of Suits

Meghan and Harry have gone to great lengths to keep their burgeoning romance under wraps for over a year. But in the strongest indication yet that their relationship is growing more serious by the day, she spoke about Prince Harry for the first time.

The US actress, who graces the cover of the society magazine's October issue, has never spoken publicly about her love affair with the fifth-in-line to the throne - until now.

But she has finally admitted the pair are very much 'in love' and confirmed that the royal is indeed her 'boyfriend'.

Meghan also appeared to hint that while an engagement could soon be on the cards, the couple will continue to keep their 'love story' private and will stay firmly away from the spotlight for the time being.

Her love: The episode aired shortly after Meghan spoke for the very first time about her romance with Prince Harry, as she told Vanity Fair: 'We're two people who are really happy and in love'

Recurring role: Wendell Pierce portray's Rachel father Robert on the USA Network show

In the episode of Suits, her character Rachel previously defended her decision to work against him by stressing she was 'not just your daughter, I'm a lawyer.'

He then referred to a client who had 'wanted to connect with his daughter and waited until it was too late,' telling Rachel: 'I don't want to make the same mistake.'

Meghan's character initially assumed that meant her dad was trying to get her on board at his own firm, telling her dad: 'I appreciate that dad. But I've also made it clear I want to make my own way.'

However, he then asked for help with a pro bono case against a bank 'taking advantage of people of color' and forcing them into paying higher loan rates.

Teaming up: Rachel teamed up with her father to take on a bank accused of predatory lending

When Rachel said she would first have to run it by her boss Harvey Specter, her dad insisted: 'No you don't. Told the man I wanted to work with my family and he said, ''Of course, Robert. How can I stand in the way of that?''

Rachel then proudly smiled at her dad as she said: 'In that case I think we should head to your office and get ready to show those bastards what the team of Zane and Zane can do.'

Rachel was seen working closely with her dad, confronting the legal boss at the bank and also in court together making a failed bid to force the CEO into a deposition.

In court: Robert sought to depose the CEO of the bank but was challenged in court

Small steps: The judge told Robert and Rachel to get more evidence before deposing the CEO

The experience clearly brought them closer together, with Rachel fondly recalling a childhood memory, saying: 'You know, the last time we worked together on something like this was when you helped me with Model UN. I was Switzerland.'

'As I recall, Switzerland's never kicked so much ass,' her dad replied, leaving Rachel with a huge smile at the praise from her father.

Robert again surprised his daughter when he said that he was 'glad you put off that wedding'.

Top student: Rachel smiled after her father praised work with Model United Nations

'What? I thought you liked Mike,' Rachel asked with clear concern.

'I do. But you put it off to spend time on your career, and because of that I'm spending time with you right now,' he told her warmly.

It was only when they started a videotaped deposition of a loan officer from the bank that Rachel started to realize her father was not being completely honest with her about their case.

Videotaped deposition: Robert and Rachel recorded a loan officer about the bank's policy

The officer insisted it was impossible for them to discriminate because the computer system they used hid race, gender and photos before being considered for approval.

Robert then flipped out, calling her boss a 'predatory piece of s***' and telling the loan officer: 'He's using fools like you to cover his own ass. How can you work for a man like that?'

Rachel later went to see her dad in his office, asking him to tell her the truth and stressing: 'Dad you said that you wanted to be closer to me. Now's your chance.'

Not possible: A loan officer named Lisa denied discriminating against minorities

He then admitted that 'the case isn't about race or money' but was in fact an attempt to get back at the CEO for ruining his sister's life.

Calling the CEO a 'predator through-and-through,' he said when he was a bank branch manager 25 years earlier 'your aunt worked for him and he made her life a living hell.'

When Rachel asked if it was because she was black, Robert stressed: 'Because she was beautiful. He wouldn't leave her alone.

Personal case: Robert explained to his daughter that the case against the CEO was personal

'Finally she threatened to do something  and he fired her.'

Clearly pained at the memory, he added: 'I was a young attorney. Taking on a case like that was only going to get me fired, too, so I told her there was nothing we could do.

'And after that her life fell apart.'

Sad story: Rachel listened as her dad told how his sister's life was ruined by the CEO years ago

He said he was 'ashamed' when his sister died that he had not helped, and said Rachel's fiance's recent pro bono case helping prisoners had inspired him.

He also made it clear that his daughter reminded him of his sister, too, telling Rachel: 'You only knew her later. But if you had seen her before  smart, beautiful, full of life  she could have been anything she wanted. Just like you.'

'I wish I had known her then,' Rachel replied. 'But Dad, I know that whenever you set your mind to something there isn't anything that can stop you.'

Pep talk: Robert after being honest with Rachel received a pep talk from his daughter

Elsewhere in the episode, Rachel once again offered a shoulder to cry on for close friend and colleague Donna Paulsen, played by Sarah Rafferty, who had nearly hooked up with an ex even though he was married.

When Rachel asked why she had hid it from her when they first spoke, Donna told her: 'Sometimes it's just easier to push away the people who care about you than tell them the real story.

'Well, you can push me away as much as you want. I'll still be here,' Rachel replied.

Good friend: Rachel again offered a shoulder to cry on for friend Donna

The episode also saw the team from Pearson Specter Litt clash with a new foe, assistant attorney general Andrew Malik, played by Veep's Usman Ally.

He soon made it clear the fight was personal  because he had worked with company boss Harvey before but the hotshot lawyer had no recollection of him.

'You may not remember me then, but you're sure as hell gonna remember me now,' he warned.

Former colleague: Assistant attorney general Andrew Malik was ready to take on Harvey Specter

Donna  who had also worked with both men before  agreed with Mike that they should back down from the fight, telling Harvey: 'You acted like he didn't exist for three years, he is sneaky, he is conniving, and now he's got the power of the AG's office behind him.'

Harvey replied: 'The only reason you remember him and not me is he sucked and I was awesome.'

Their legal fight ended with Andrew calling Donna to be a witness against Harvey, forcing them to once again ask Louis Litt to prepare her with a mock trial despite the last attempt at doing so ending disastrously.

Series flashback: Donna was shown in a flashback with Andrew

Louis was battling his own demons from the guilt of sleeping with his ex, Sheila, just before she was due to get married, even imagining everyone was chanting 'shame' at him as he entered the office.

At one point in the episode titled Shame he was on the phone with a man he was suing and imagined he said: 'I'm Sheila's fiance and I know you slept with her. And even now you're thinking about sleeping around.

'You could have ruined my life you selfish son of a b****. I love Sheila, so if you think this is going to stop us getting married, it's not.'

Head games: Louis Litt was feeling shame for sleeping with his ex Sheila

His guilt was also clearly on his mind when he screamed at underling Brian for messing up court papers in the case, telling him: 'Our clients trusted you with something special, with something they love, and then you snuck around behind their back and you did something stupid and reckless and you ruined their life!

'You worthless, selfish son of a b****!'

He saw his psychiatrist, telling him his problems were 'Sheila  it's always been Sheila' and that he only ended it 'because I wanted to have a baby, and she didn't. And now I'm not going to have anything.'

Nasty confrontation: Bryan was chewed out by Louis after messing up a temporary restraining order petition

On the couch: Louis talked to his therapist about his outbursts

Brian initially planned to resign but, after some tough love from Louis's secretary Gretchen Bodinski, instead stayed up all night to turn around the case he had jeopardized.

The one-hour episode ended with a tender moment as Louis made a surprise call on Brian's home, knowing he would be up on the 'night shift' looking after his newborn even though he had been up the previous night working their case.

Louis had to be shown how to even hold a baby, but looked thrilled when told he was a natural.

But he panicked when the baby started crying, asking 'what can I do?' as Brian just replied: 'I don't care. I'm going to sleep!'

The Suits summer finale will air next week on the USA Network.

Tough talk: Gretchen Bodinski got Louis and Bryan both in line

Tender moment: Louis went over to Bryan's and offered to babysit
They're some of Australia's most famous names.

And despite being easily recognisable nowadays, back in high school they looked a little different.

From having curly blonde locks and freckles, to being a fresh-faced teen with a different name, the likes of Liam Hemsworth and Iggy Azalea look completely different in their adorable yearbook photos.

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From curly blonde locks and freckles to a fresh-faced teen with a different name: Australia's biggest stars look barely recognisable in high school photos (pictured: Liam Hemsworth)

Familiar face! The Hunger Games star Liam, 27, is known for his brooding good looks and dark hair (Pictured in 2016)

The Hunger Games star Liam, 27, is known for his brooding good looks and dark hair and beard, but in high school had a curly blonde mane and light freckles.

He and his famous brothers, Chris Hemsworth and Luke Hemsworth, grew up in Melbourne before their family moved to Phillip Island.

Rapper Iggy - who grew up in Byron Bay - had long blonde locks and pale skin, and went by the name of Amethyst Kelly.

So young! Rapper Iggy Azalea (pictured) - who grew up in Byron Bay - had long blonde locks and pale skin, and went by the name of Amethyst Kelly

She's gone places: Iggy attended Mullumbimby High Shool, and she dropped out of school at 16 to head to the US to chase her career

'Denying it is lame!' The US-based star, 27, has been open about changing her appearance and has admitted to having a nose job and a breast enlargement (seen L in 2012 and R in 2017)

Iggy attended Mullumbimby High Shool, and she dropped out of school at 16 to head to the US to chase her career.

She has since gone on to produce hits including Fancy and Work.

The US-based star, 27, has been open about changing her appearance and has admitted to having a nose job and a breast enlargement.

She previously told Seventeen magazine: 'Denying it is lame!'

Iggy did say she did not plan to completely change herself, adding: 'It's important to remember you can't change everything. You can never be perfect.'

The curvaceous musician has also had to deny getting butt implants.

Curvy! The curvaceous musician has also had to deny getting butt implants

Sweet: Another star, former Neighbours actress Margot Robbie, 27, had dark hair in high school (pictured top R in a school play)

Another star, former Neighbours actress Margot Robbie, 27, had dark hair in high school, and attended Somerset College in Queensland, where she appeared in plays.

The late Heath Ledger meanwhile, has dark blonde hair in a sweet high school snap, from his time at Perth's Guildford Grammar School.

The actor - who is known for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and The Dark Knight - tragically died in January 2008 at his home in New York, from accidental intoxication from prescription drugs.

Golden girl! Margot is pictured in 2016 and now has blonde hair

Looking back: The late Heath Ledger meanwhile, has dark blonde hair in a sweet high school snap, from his time at Perth's Guildford Grammar School

Meanwhile, local reality star Matty 'J' Johnson, 30, looks barely recognisable in high school photos, and can be seen as a lanky school boy with curly hair and acne.

The Bachelor recently told The Daily Telegraph: 'I was pretty skinny and weedy in high school - I had really bad acne as well,' he said.

'I had to go to a lady to see my skin. I also had a growth spurt really quickly and so I was kind of gangly and with pimples.

The self-described 'slow boomer' added that he once lacked confidence when it came to dating.

Fan-favourite: The actor - who is known for roles in 10 Things I Hate About You and The Dark Knight - tragically died in January 2008
She's not afraid to push fashion boundaries.

And on Thursday night, Jesinta Campbell made a style statement as she lead celebrity arrivals at the Vogue American Express Fashion's Night Out.

Wearing flared trousers, the 26-year-old made sure all eyes were on her.

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She's got a flare for fashion! Jesinta Campbell makes a style statement in wide leg trousers as she leads celebrities at Vogue American Express Fashion's Night Out

Going for it: She's not afraid to push fashion boundaries

The model and WAG - who is married to Swans star Buddy Franklin and took on his surname - teamed her dark trousers with her black Vogue T-shirt and a baggy navy puffer jacket.

The former pageant queen added height to her statuesque frame in black pointed heels.

Jesinta pulled her long locks back off her face and into a high ponytail, and completed her look with dewy foundation and a smokey eye.

Stylish: The model and WAG - who is married to Swans star Buddy Franklin - teamed her dark trousers with her black Vogue T-shirt and a baggy navy puffer jacket

Long and lean! The former pageant queen added height to her statuesque frame in black pointed heels

In good company: On the night, the David Jones ambassador joined the likes of model Jessica Gomes, 32, R (seen with Vogue's Edwina McCann)

At one point, Jesinta was seen talking to crowds with Vogue's Edwina McCann.

On the night, the David Jones ambassador joined the likes of model Jessica Gomes, 32.

Jessica showed off her trim figure in light-washed denim jeans and her Vogue T-shirt, which she teamed with a checkered blazer and brown suede boots.

Doing her thing: At one point, Jesinta was seen talking to crowds with Vogue's Edwina McCann

Dolled up: Jesinta pulled her long locks back off her face and into a high ponytail, and completed her look with dewy foundation and a smokey eye

Going solo! Jesinta enjoyed a girl's night, with husband Lance 'Buddy' Franklin nowhere to be seen

Her long and dark locks were out and over her shoulders, and her makeup included a sultry bronzed eye.

Also in attendance was Home and Away star Pia Miller, 33.

She looked stylish in a black blazer and baggy trouser pants, with her black Vogue T-shirt.

Her hair was out in loose tousled curls and completed the look with a smokey eye and nude lip.

Fancy seeing you here! Also in attendance was Home and Away star Pia Miller, 33

Power dressing: She looked stylish in a black blazer and baggy trouser pants, with her black Vogue T-shirt

Glamorous: Her hair was out in loose tousled curls and completed the look with a smokey eye and nude lip

This week, Pia told Nine Honey about her fuss-free beauty hacks.

She said she heats her eyelash curler with a hairdryer to give her lashes extra definition.

'I love my sleep and need a coffee to wake up in the morning, but for some reason curling my eyelashes makes me feel like the curtains have been lifted and Im ready to face the day.'

Opening up: This week, Pia told Nine Honey about her fuss-free beauty hacks

The Chilean-born Australian actress is a firm believer in a less-is-more approach.

The 33-year-old explained that she believes beauty shines through when you're confident and happy in your own skin which is what she aspires to do in her day to day life.

She reiterated that she likes to keep things simple and believes that the main things you need are 'a positive attitude, a healthy all-over glow and smooth skin'.

That's how she does it! The Chilean-born Australian actress is a firm believer in a less-is-more approach
She is known for her ageless glamour and sexy red carpet looks.

Yet Jennifer Aniston swapped her chic gowns and dazzling ensembles for a wholly more minimal look as she arrived on set for her upcoming movie Dumplin', while sporting a prim mumsy ensemble.

The 48-year-old Friends star was barely recognisable as she appeared on-set in Jonesboro, Georgia to shoot the film in which she stars as the protagonist's mother - with her pencil skirt and shirt combo nailing the parental look.

Is that you Jen? Jennifer Aniston swapped her glamorous gowns and dazzling red carpet looks for a wholly more minimal look as she arrived on set for her upcoming movie Dumplin, while sporting a prim mumsy ensemble

Jennifer has scooped her latest movie role in the film, tipped for a 2018 release, that centres around a teenage girl who is cruelly branded Dumplin' by her class mates but soon enters a beauty pageant to help win over boys and hit back at her bullies.

Playing Willowdean Dickson's mother, Rosie Dickson, the star looked wholly different in her ensemble which was nothing like glam Jen's typical ensemble.

She slipped into a yellow shirt with a sleeveless detail while tucking the top into a garish patterned skirt with a huge brown belt cinching in her slim waist.

While she was famed for her sleek locks during her turn as Rachel Green in the beloved sitcom Friends, with the hot haircut of the Nineties being dubbed The Rachel, her hair for the movie was totally different.

Glam to drab: The 48-year-old Friends star was barely recognisable as she appeared on set in Jonesboro, Georgia to shoot the film in which she stars as the protagonist's mother - with her pencil skirt and shirt combo nailing the parental look

Working away: With a heavy fringe tickling her lashes in length, she wore the rest of her hair half up-half down while also sporting large pearl studded earrings

With a heavy fringe tickling her lashes in length, she wore the rest of her hair half up-half down while also sporting large pearl studded earrings.

Michael Costigan is producing the movie for young adults which tells the inspirational tale of Dumplin'.

The story is around a confident teen who takes a job at a fast-food restaurant where she meets a jock who she likes and appears to reciprocate before she starts to doubt herself and enters the pageant to win her mum's respect.

The look of the decade: While she was famed for her sleek locks during her turn as Rachel Green in the beloved sitcom Friends, with the hot haircut of the Nineties being dubbed The Rachel, her hair for the movie was totally different

Dumplin' is based on a 2015 novel of the same name, with Disney making the relike and Australian actress Danielle Macdonald taking the title role.

Prior to shooting scenes, Jennifer spoke to People magazine about her style and how she and husband Justin Theroux match each other in their looks.

She said: 'I dont think we have a collective style, I think he has a very specific style. I think its just luck?... Theres definitely, we, I think its from the inside. It all comes from the inside.'
Daniel Day-Lewis was spotted 'wincing in pain' on Wednesday after allegedly breaking his arm in a recent motorbike accident.

The Irish star, who rocketed to fame in Last of the Mohicans, was pictured hobbling down the street near his New York home wearing what appeared to be a hospital bracelet and with his left arm in a cast while wincing in pain.

The 60-year-old actor appeared to be in pain as he clutched his limb following the accident which sources insist 'was not his fault'.

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Better days: Daniel Day-Lewis was spotted 'wincing in pain' after allegedly breaking his arm in a motorbike accident

Dishevelled: The actor sported a painful-looking broken arm wrapped in a bandage and winced in pain

Wearing striped PJ bottoms and a purple T-shirt, the Oscar-winner also seemed to have his IV drip still intact.

A source exclusively told Page Six: 'He was in a motorbike accident and broke his arm. But he's fine, and no one else was hurt. He was well-protected - he was wearing a helmet. But it was a bummer.'

The source added that the accident was not the star's fault. When contacted by MailOnline a rep for Daniel Day-Lewis declined to comment.

News of the alleged accident comes just months after the star retired from acting. In a statement issued in June, his spokeswoman, Leslee Dart, said he 'will no longer be working as an actor,' trade magazine Variety reported.

Painful: The Irish star, who rocketed to fame in Last of the Mohicans, was pictured hobbling down the street near his New York home wearing what appeared to be a hospital bracelet and with his left arm in a cast while wincing in pain

Ouch: The 60-year-old actor appeared to be in pain as he clutched his arm following the accident which sources insist 'was not his fault' and led to his broken limb

Agony: Wearing striped PJ bottoms and a purple T-shirt, the Oscar-winner also seemed to have his IV drip still intact

A source exclusively told Page Six: 'He was in a motorbike accident and broke his arm. But he's fine, and no one else was hurt. He was well-protected - he was wearing a helmet. But it was a bummer'

Worse for wear: The source added that the accident was not the star's fault

'He is immensely grateful to all of his collaborators and audiences over the many years,' Dart said, 'This is a private decision and neither he nor his representatives will make any further comment on this subject.'

Daniel, a master of method acting known for being extremely selective about his roles, is the only performer to have ever won three best actor Oscars.

He earned a golden statuette for 'My Left Foot' (1989), in which he plays writer and artist Christy Brown, who was confined to a wheelchair because of cerebral palsy; a second one for 'There Will Be Blood' (2008), in which he plays a fierce oil man; and a third for the lead role in Steven Spielberg's 'Lincoln' (2013).

He also earned Oscar nods for 'Gangs of New York' and 'In the Name of the Father.'

No comment: When contacted by MailOnline a rep for Daniel Day-Lewis declined to comment

In the wars: News of the alleged accident comes just months after the star retired from acting

Born in London, Day-Lewis is the son of British poet Cecil Day-Lewis and actress Jill Balcon.

He made his film debut in 1971 in 'Sunday Bloody Sunday' but then turned to the stage. He appeared on screen again more than a decade later in 1982, when he landed his first adult role.

His strong on-screen presence and remarkable range quickly set him apart, earning him praise from critics and audiences alike.

He was said to be so deeply invested in his roles that he would stay in character even when not shooting - as was the case with 'Gangs of New York,' when he kept the New York accent and would be seen sharpening his knives at lunch.

He also reportedly listened to rapper Eminem to get into an angry mood for the role.

Pictured accepting his Oscar for Best Actor for 2013 hit Lincoln: Daniel is the only person to win three Best Actor Oscars

Star quality: Actor Daniel Day-Lewis and wife Rebecca Miller arrive at the Oscars in 2013

Apart from his Oscar performances, some of his most memorable other roles were in 'My Beautiful Laundrette' (1985), 'A Room With a View' (1985), 'The Unbearable Lightness of Being' (1988) and 'The Last of the Mohicans' (1992).

But despite his stardom the actor shied away from the limelight, remaining throughout his career notoriously reclusive. He took long stretches of time away from the glitz and glamour of Hollywood to be with his family in Ireland and to learn 'rural skills.'

During one such period in the late 1990s, while learning to be a cobbler in Florence, Italy, he was reportedly lured back to the US by producer Harvey Weinstein, director Martin Scorcese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio to take on the lead role in 'Gangs of New York.'

Starring role: Day-Lewis as Christy Brown, a man with cerebral palsy born into a working-class Irish family

Tough times: During one such period in the late 1990s, while learning to be a cobbler in Florence, Italy, he was reportedly lured back to the US by producer Harvey Weinstein, director Martin Scorcese and actor Leonardo DiCaprio to take on the lead role in 'Gangs of New York'

'I was very happily out of the world of filmmaking,' Day-Lewis said at the time. 'I was just happily working away at other things.'

In a sign that acting would not be his lifelong passion, he told a magazine in 2005: 'In every actor's life, there is a moment when they ask themselves, 'Is it really seemly for me to still be doing this?''

The actor is married to Rebecca Miller -- the daughter of playwright Arthur Miller -- a US actress and writer with whom he has two children.

From 1989 to 1994 he had a tumultuous relationship with French actress Isabelle Adjani, with whom he has one son.
News / Press Release

by PDP Communications

ZANU-PF has been exposed for its attempt to amend the constitution through uncouth means against the procedures set in the constitution and Sections 95 (2); 96; 97; 98 of the Standing Orders.Biti acting on behalf of Innocent Gonese, Jessie Majome yesterday filed a constitutional court application seeking to nullify the third reading of Constitutional Bill seeking to remove the role of the Judiciary Service Commission to conduct public interviews on senior judges that is the Chief Justice, Deputy Chief Justice and the Judge President.The applicants submitted, "respectful contention that Parliament failed in its duty in protecting the Constitution and in ensuring that the provisions of the Constitution, when it approved, the 3rd Reading of Constitutional Amendment Bill (No.1) of 2017."Parliament allowed persons who were not present to be counted as having approved the vote, ZANU-PF had failed to reach the required two-thirds for the amendment to pass.The People's Democratic Party said it is wary of the appetite of ZANU-PF to rig any voting process which has seen them attempt to manipulate a vote which involves less than 300 people.The party said it is therefore fully behind Tendai Biti's bid to reverse the injustice which is a highlight of what to expect in the 2018 elections.The PDP also commends the applicants for taking a bold stand in defence of the constitution of Zimbabwe.As a constitutional democracy the supreme law of the land becomes the most important document which all progressive Zimbabweans must defend with their lives.Mr Biti has been involved in high impact, creative litigation on public interest matters bringing to the constitutional court arguably the highest number of cases and also winning arguably the highest number of landmark constitutional cases since the effective date of the constitution.The cases include the Mudzuru case which abolished child marriages, the Obadiah Makoni case which declared life imprisonment without parole unconstitutional, the Michael Nyika case which abolished the concept of special treatment when suing the police and the abolishment of corporal punishment among other cases.His commitment to public interest litigation has earned him international recognition, he has been invited to present at various global platforms including on the rights of prisoners in South Africa, and was also a resource person at a seminar of lawyers against death penalty convened by Cornell University in June 2017.The behaviour by ZANU-PF is a clear indication that ZANU-PF in all its forms have no respect for the rule of law, it is an enemy of the current constitution and will use all the resources at its disposal to shred it.The PDP restates that the amendment in itself is a regression from progressive constitutional provisions providing some kind of checks and balance in the appointment of senior members of the judiciary.We are of the view that the Vice President as the Minister of Justice must rather invest his time in aligning the laws of the land to the progressive provisions of the constitution.
She has been acclaimed for drama flicks such as Silver Linings Playbook, American Hustle and Joy.

And Jennifer Lawrence has admitted that she felt 'severely miscast' when she began shooting for her beau Darren Aronofsky's horror movie, Mother!.

Speaking at the dazzling UK premiere at London's Leicester Square on Wednesday night, the mega-star, 27, admitted that she was 'scared' at the prospect of working on the flick and to add insult to injury, 'tore her diaphragm' after hyperventilating for a scene.

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Movie star confession: Jennifer Lawrence, 27, has admitted that she felt 'severely miscast' when she began shooting for her beau Darren Aronofsky's horror, Mother!

Jennifer truly stole the limelight as she arrived on the red carpet in the British capital in a head-turning, sophisticated sheer gown - complete with intricate cobweb detail.

And while she has been met with an impressive batch of early reviews, the American beauty admitted that she felt unsure about being cast in the film alongside Michelle Pfeiffer, Kristen Wiig and Domhnall Gleeson.

She confessed: 'That's what scared me and I thought I was severely miscast. I found time to find who she was while working with Darren and I was able to pull out this personality that I didn't know existed.'

And once she found the role within her, Jennifer mentioned that she hyperventilated excessively to the point of a serious injury for a dramatic scene.

Ouch! Speaking at the dazzling UK premiere at London's Leicester Square on Wednesday night, the mega-star admitted that she was 'scared' at the prospect of working on the flick and to add insult to injury, 'tore her diaphragm' after hyperventilating for a scene

Glamorous: Jennifer truly stole the limelight as she arrived on the red carpet in the British capital in a head-turning, sophisticated sheer gown - complete with intricate cobweb detail

Horror confessions: ' I thought I was severely miscast. I found time to find who she was while working with Darren and I was able to pull out this personality that I didn't know existed'

'I tore my diaphragm for hyperventilating. People thought I was beaten up so want to clear it up that I did it to myself. It was my own doing,' she hilariously admitted.

The movie had been written and directed by Aronofsky, who is now dating Jennifer, with the glamorous couple embarking on a relationship privately in September 2016 after filming for Mother! had wrapped.

Proving to be shy when asked about her flame in terms of their professional relationship, Jennifer admitted that Darren was 'lovely.'

The blonde also revealed: Michelle Pfeiffer and Javier Bardem and everyone was great and super nice.'

'I tore my diaphragm for hyperventilating': Jennifer also mentioned that she hyperventilated excessively for a dramatic scene - causing quite a serious injury

'I didn't know if she would or could do it': Darren also proved to be unsure about casting Jennifer in the role

Meanwhile, Darren also proved to be unsure about casting Jennifer in the role, revealing at the premiere: 'It was so interesting because people talked about how great, talented and gifted she was.

'I had never seen her do anything like this before and I didn't know if she would or could do it.

'She taught herself to act and she is a very technical actor. She just absorbed all the material we gave her and unleashed it and it exploded.' he concluded.

rence also teased the plot of the flick: 'The secret title before we decided on 'mother!' was called 'Six Days'. It's almost like watching the universe begin and end in six days.'

Together: The movie had been written and directed by Aronofsky, (L) who is now dating Jennifer, with the glamorous couple embarking on a relationship privately in September 2016 after filming for Mother! had wrapped

Smitten: Proving to be shy when asked about her flame in terms of their professional relationship, Jennifer admitted that Darren was 'lovely'

Michelle stars as 'Woman' in the horror flick, alongside her onscreen partner Ed Harris known as 'Man'. The duo are taken in by Jennifer's character Mother and Bardem's Him, after they mysteriously turn up at their house, leaving Mother uneasy.

She agrees to let the guests stay when urged by her poet beau, who is convinced that their arrival will help to cure his writer's block, and falls pregnant before the movie's drama then ensues.

Despite the film's billing as an edge of the seat psychological thriller, and has a number of impressive reviews under its belt, The Hollywood Reporter claim it was met with a chorus of 'large boos' after launching in Venice.

Taking its frosty reception within their stride however, Aronofsky hit back at the negative response, suggesting he knew it wouldn't suit to everyone's tastes.

Speaking of the film, he explained: 'I think its a very, very strong cocktail. Of course there are going to be people who are not going to want that type of experience. And thats fine.

Plot: Michelle Pfieffer stars as 'Woman' in the horror flick, alongside her onscreen partner Ed Harris known as 'Man'. The duo are taken in by Jennifer's character Mother (pictured) and Bardem's Him, after they mysteriously turn up at their house, leaving Mother uneasy

Mixed reviews: Despite the film's billing as an edge of the seat psychological thriller, and has a number of impressive reviews under its belt, The Hollywood Reporter claim it was met with a chorus of 'large boos' after launching in Venice L-R: Director Darren Aronofsky, Domhnall Gleeson, Jennifer Lawrence and producer Scott Franklin

'Ive been very clear that this is a roller coaster, and only come on it if youre prepared to loop the loop a few times.'

While she is famously tight-lipped about her romantic life, Jennifer recently opened up about her romance with the director in an interview with US Vogue.

Speaking about their new horror film to the magazine, the actress admitted she could not believe his 'brilliance' on set, before referring to him as a boyfriend.

She said: 'When I saw the movie, I was reminded all over again how brilliant he is. For the past year, Ive been dealing with him as just a human.

Ive been in relationships before where I am just confused. And Im never confused with him. We had energy. I had energy for him. I dont know how he felt about me.'

Aronofsky was previously in a relationship with actress Rachel Weisz, 47 - who is now married to Bond actor Daniel Craig, 49 - for nine years.
She has seen an incredible career in the public eye - first soaring to fame in the girl group Mis-Teeq in the nineties.

And along with a successful career, Alesha Dixon, 38, has also displayed her multi-tasking talents as a family woman and a keen gym enthusiast over the years - which is evident in her new partnership with technology brand's Garmin.

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline, the songstress has spoken in-depth about how her figure has improved after giving birth to her daughter Azura, now 3 - but still admits to having days where she 'picks herself apart.'

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Sensational: Alesha Dixon, 38, has also displayed her multi-tasking talents as a family woman and keen gym enthusiast over the years - which is evident in her new partnership with technology brand's Garmin

In an exclusive interview with MailOnline: The songstress has spoken in-depth about how her figure has improved after giving birth to her daughter Azura, now 3 - but still admits to having days where she 'picks herself apart'

After Mis.Teeq dismembered in 2005, Alesha has gone on to carve out a successful TV career for herself - but admits that she doesn't feel pressure to look good and stay in shape for the screen.

'Honestly, were all human and were all flawed. We have to do things on our own pace and do things that work for us,' she stated.

Knowing full well that there are other priorities in her life, Alesha continued: 'I try not to worry about what other people think of me. The most important things is how Im feeling. I want to wake up and feel energised. I have a three-year-old to run after!

Finding the right balance between her duties as a mother and having her own space, Alesha, who has been with Azuka Ononye since 2012, stated: 'I want to be an active mother. It makes me feel alive. I have one hour every day which I call my 'selfish hour.'

'Were all human and were all flawed': After Mis.Teeq dismembered in 2005, Alesha has gone on to carve out a successful TV career for herself - but admits that she doesn't feel pressure to look good and stay in shape for the screen

'I have a three-year-old to run after!' Knowing full well that there are other priorities in her life, Alesha continued that her main focus was being an 'active mum'

But keen on relaying that it was impossible to keep up with the gym life every day, she offered insight: 'Its all about balance. Im not obsessive and I dont workout every single day. You do what you can to fit in schedule.'

Alesha also credited her sweet daughter Azura for the acceptance of her figure: 'I like my body now - after having a baby to before. I have more respect for my body. I feel more comfortable and more accepting now that I'm in my thirties.

'The older you get the more accepting you become of who you are. Thats where confidence comes in experience.'

Her positive demeanour during her chat with MailOnline comes after tragic news that her younger brother John Lonergan, 30, was involved in a horrific car crash that killed his friend.

Lonergan was a passenger in James Bartell's Ford Ka when it smashed into trees in Welwyn, Hertfordshire - and is now said to be in stable condition in hospital.

However, still proving she's like everyone else, the multi-talented star continued to MailOnline: 'I'm OK with not being perfect. Allowing yourself to be human in a society obsessed with the visual, its a challenge! Of course, every girl has bad days.

'I can do that thing where you pick yourself apart. It's not healthy, but you have to look at bigger picture,' she confessed.

'I like my body now - after having a baby to before': Alesha also credited her sweet daughter Azura, 3, for the acceptance of her figure

'Its all about balance. Im not obsessive': She did reveal that it was impossible to keep up with the gym life every day

Alesha also credited her health and fitness inspirations to the likes of Kate Hudson and Jennifer Aniston- claiming that they 'look alive' and 'go with the flow of life.'

And while she is frequently seen looking flawless on screen for the likes of BGT, and most recently as a guest judge on The X Factor, she admitted: 'I feel like I look my best after a workout.

'You have that glow and you dont need make-up. Sometimes you wake up on a cold day and you look grey, then you go exercise and your like "Im alive!"

'I'm so lucky I get to go to work and get glammed up, but I prefer being stripped back. Thats the real me. Getting glamorous is like putting on a uniform and I cant wait to go home and take my make-up off and just chill.

Speaking of her partnership with Garmin, she revealed: 'Its a match made in heaven. Having the wellness watch, it has really made me think more about my heart rate, stress level and also tracking my steps.'

'Ive never used one before and having used one now, there are so many benefits! You dont have to be a sporty person to get benefits from it. Its for everyone.'

'You have that glow!' While she is frequently seen looking flawless on screen for the likes of BGT, and most recently as a guest judge on The X Factor, she admitted she prefers the stripped back look

She also hoped that her daughter Azure would find exercise normal, rather than something she's pressurised into: 'She's so young that she doesnt understand fitness and exercise. What I love is when my trainer comes around, she wants to join in. As a new parent youre learning on job. They learn more by seeing than what you tell them.'

'I hope she sees my partner and I are very active in dance and in the gym and it becomes her normality.

'Today, she was asking for chips and toast, I was like "you can have grapes and strawberries, and then mummy will let you have biscuit later,"' she confided giggling.

And with her daughter growing up in the day and age of heightened social media, Alesha revealed: 'Weve all become more self-conscious. I think Im still learning more about social media and how we all live our lives. Its fascinating. With anything in life, social media has pros and cons. But I male sure to take it with a pinch of salt.

'The good thing is the sharing side, we are communicating like never before. It gives us the opportunity to show world what we stand for.

Speaking of her partnership with Garmin, she revealed: 'Its a match made in heaven'

'They learn more by seeing than what you tell them': Alesha also hoped that her daughter Azure would find exercise normal, rather than something she's pressurised into

'Looking good is great but taking care of who you are as person is what it should be about. It's about drilling into young people that beauty is in eye of the beholder.

Meanwhile, while Alesha revealed she considered herself a 'feminist', she was for 'all people': 'I believe in supporting men and women. It's so easy to forget the needs of men when you trying to champion women.

'Men should be considered too. When I do these campaigns, I get messages from men that say "what about the guys?" I dont like them to feel left out. I will always speak out on what is right and wrong.

And as a successful judge on Britain's Got Talent since 2012, Alesha revealed it was quite difficult to keep in contact with contestants: 'From time to time you bump into the them. Were quite separate as we dont mentor them. But I get lovely messages from previous contestants.

'And I will check in on my golden buzzer acts. You do build up rapport with certain people. Diversity are so successful, its hard to imagine that they started on a talent show.

'From time to time you bump into the them': As a successful judge on Britain's Got Talent since 2012, Alesha revealed it was quite difficult to keep in contact with contestants

'We went for coffee at the beginning': Alesha reminisced of the time her and Amanda decided they weren't going to let anyone come between them

And keen on keeping the harmony between the female judges on the talent show, Alesha reminisced: 'In the beginning when I joined the show, Amanda called up and was like "lets go for coffee!" We made decision that we were not going to let anybody get between us.

'Amanda has two daughters and wants to set example about how women should stick together.

'Our friendship in natural. We love working together. It's refreshing to see women on a talent show that get along as there's so much rivalry between female judges on other shows.

'We all have such a good time and it's very authentic. But you cant predict who youre going to have chemistry with.

Speaking wishfully on whose career she would like to emulate, Alesha confessed: 'Beyonce, because shes the queen. In terms of telly, Oprah Winfrey. Shes came from nothing and is now most powerful women in the world.'
Their romance blossomed on the set of Hotel Mumbai, last year.

And it seems Dev Patel and Tilda Cobham-Hervey's, 22, relationship is still going strong as they were seen walking hand-in-hand during a shopping trip in Los Angeles, shortly before enjoying a low-key lunch on Wednesday.

The 27-year-old Slumdog Millionaire star kept things low-key in a simple white T-shirt while his stunning girlfriend was showing off her endless legs in a sweet shirt dress.

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Happy days: It seems Dev Patel and Tilda Cobham-Hervey's, 22, relationship is still going strong as they were seen walking hand-in-hand during a shopping trip in Los Angeles, shortly before enjoying a low-key lunch on Wednesday

Dev previously dated Freida Pinto however they split amicably in 2014, leading to his romance with Tilda, with whom he is looking truly loved up.

As they enjoyed the spoils of new love while strolling the streets, the happy couple looked incredibly stylish in their equally trendy ensembles.

Tilda showed off her endless legs in her pretty shirt dress which had vintage style vibes with a pretty pleated skirt at the base.

She was wearing a pair of trendy loafers with a tassled front, with the oxblood hue complementing her across the body bag.

Legs eleven: The 27-year-old Slumdog Millionaire star kept things low-key in a simple white T-shirt while his stunning girlfriend was showing off her endless legs in a sweet shirt dress

Way back when: Dev previously dated Freida Pinto however they split amicably in 2014, leading to his romance with Tilda, with whom he is looking truly loved up

Loved-up: As they enjoyed the spoils of new love while strolling the streets, the happy couple looked incredibly stylish in their equally trendy ensembles

Trendy pair: Tilda showed off her endless legs in her pretty shirt dress which had vintage style vibes with a pretty pleated skirt at the base

Having a giggle: She was wearing a pair of trendy loafers with a tassled front, with the oxblood hue complementing her across the body bag

Showing off her natural beauty, she went nearly entirely make-up free while wearing her brunette tresses in loose lengths falling from a centre parting.

Dev meanwhile looked trendy in a white crewneck T-shirt with dark wash jeans all brought together with a pair of boxfresh white trainers.

Last month, Australia's Daily Telegraph reported that Dev spent some time with Tilda and her family in Adelaide, before jetting into Sydney on Saturday.

The Lion star broke the hearts of his female fans after confirming his relationship with fellow actor, Tilda, in March.

Happy days: Showing off her natural beauty, she went nearly entirely make-up free while wearing her brunette tresses in loose lengths falling from a centre parting

Stylish: Dev meanwhile looked trendy in a white crewneck T-shirt with dark wash jeans all brought together with a pair of boxfresh white trainers

Meeting the family! Last month, Australia's Daily Telegraph reported that Dev spent some time with Tilda and her family in Adelaide, before jetting into Sydney on Saturday

The couple first set tongues wagging over Oscars weekend when Tilda accompanied Dev and his mother to the Weinstein Company's pre-Academy Awards bash at Montage Beverly Hills.

They were then spotted holding hands in Los Angeles the day after the prestigious event. Hotel Mumbai, slated for release later this year, will be Tilda's first major film debut.

Fast-becoming Hollywood's new leading man, the former Skins actor plays main character Arjun in the flick.

Tilda has also starred in Australian television series like The Kettering Incident and Barracuda as well as local films like Girl Asleep and 52 Tuesdays The brunette will also star in the highly-anticipated mini-series F*****g Adelaide.

Hold on: They were then spotted holding hands in Los Angeles the day after the prestigious event. Hotel Mumbai, slated for release later this year, will be Tilda's first major film debut
The were forced to deny engagement rumours last week, before jetting off to Israel together to go on a pilgrimage, exploring her Jewish roots.

And it looks as though Chloe Green, who is the British daughter of billionaire businessman Phillip Green, is more loved up than ever with her boyfriend of just a few months Jeremy Meeks.

The Topshop heiress, 26, shared a besotted snap as she cosied up to the 33-year-old American felon turned model during their sun-soaked holiday abroad- but made sure she kept her ring finger hidden.

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Moving fast: Chloe Green, who is the British daughter of billionaire businessman Phillip Green, hid her wedding finger after sparking engagement rumours with Jeremy Meeks

Dressed in a plunging satin black dress, Chloe, whose romance went public when pictures of her canoodling on a yacht with the married model in May emerged, could be seen nestling into Jeremy, her diamond-embellished fingers intertwined with his.

Pouting at the camera, she leaned into the father-of-one, who cut a suave appearance in a distressed white sweater and cap, his famously icy blue eyes standing out.

'My everything', she captioned the snap, along with a heart and lip emoji, tagging Jeremy and his manager in the snap.

Notably her wedding hand was hidden behind her Chanel bag, after the huge rock on it sparked engagement rumours.

Blinging: Chloe, 26, has denied she is engaged to Jeremy, 33, despite waving a huge faux engagement ring at the camera last week

Chloe and Jeremy sent tongues wagging after appearing to hint at a proposal in a series of loved-up videos last week.

But Chloe has since denied she is engaged to Jeremy Meeks, despite waving a huge faux engagement ring at the camera.

'Chloe is not engaged,' her representative said in a statement to MailOnline.

The news came after Jeremy shared a number of confusing videos to his social media.

Hiding something? Beaming at the camera, Chloe brandished a huge square cushion-cut diamond on her ring finger, set on a diamond band- before snatching her hand out of the shot

In one video Chloe beamed at the camera, brandishubg a huge square cushion-cut diamond on her ring finger, set on a diamond band.

As she giggled at the camera, she appeared to snatch her hand out of the shot quickly, before the duo smirked at the camera together.

But the couple soon backtracked, denying rumours of wedding bells through their agent.

The heiress only recently made her Instagram account public, after being forced to go public following the backlash over their relationship.

Romantic vacation: The Topshop heiress and the American felon turned model jetted off to Israel together to go on a pilgrimage this week, exploring her Jewish roots

And despite opening her account back up, Chloe ensured she could ignore any comments about the married felon, by turning off her Instagram comments.

Having made his modelling debut at New York Fashion Week earlier this year, before appearing at Cannes where he met Chloe, Jeremy recently opened up about his tough upbringing in Man About Town, admitting his early life consisted of his 'dad doing life in prison and a heroin-addict mother.'

'Im scared of failure and of disappointing my kids. I have a lot of people riding on me and rooting for me. My son looks up to me. So thats what scares me the most is disappointing him,' he admitted at the time.

Mixing business with pleasure: It has also been reported that the duo are in Israel to shoot Jeremy's latest commercial

'I just want to do my best, be the best Jeremy Meeks and the best father I can be. Thats what keeps me awake,' the model spoke candidly on what keeps him awake at night.'

Despite the shockwaves their romance caused after the couple were spotted canoodling on a yacht in Turkey while Jeremy was still married to mother-of-three Melissa Meeks, the duo's relationship appears to be going from strength to strength.

Jeremy began last month by publicly parading his romance with heiress Chloe as they enjoyed carnival during a sunny Barbados holiday, his estranged wife Melissa Meeks appeared to take their continuous insensitivity in her stride as she took to Instagram to show off her sizzling physique soon after.

The brave nurse, 38, appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make-over, posing in her underwear as she showed off her already enviable figure.

Moving on: Meanwhile Jeremy's estranged wife Melissa took to Instagram to show off her sizzling physique last week as she appeared to be beginning a post break-up body make over

Official: This comes two weeks after Jeremy posted his first public snap with new girlfriend Chloe, heiress to billionaire father Sir Phillip Green's retail fortune at the Barbados carnival

Dressed in a black thong, the nurse proudly displayed her toned derriere and flat stomach, teasing a glimpse of her red lace bra.

'Day 1. Week 1. #letsseehowthisgoes', she captioned the racy snap.

And Melissa garnered an influx of supportive messages from followers, who slammed the actions of Jeremy- who Melissa stayed with during his lengthy prison stint.

This comes two weeks after Jeremy posted his first public snap with new girlfriend Chloe, heiress to billionaire father Sir Phillip Green's retail fortune.

Turning off the comments to the snap, Jeremy tagged girlfriend Chloe, who was forced to turn her profile private after facing a barrage of backlash when their relationship was exposed while he was still married to Melissa.

The duo enjoyed the extended sun-soaked vacation in Barbados, attending the carnival in skimpy ensembles, as they put their controversial relationship on display for cameras.

Their public parading came after a string of outings, including one which saw Jeremy pose for his girlfriend's Topshop retail line in LA, around the same time his heartbroken wife celebrated her birthday.

Supportive: Melissa garnered an influx of supportive messages from followers, who slammed the actions of Jeremy- who Melissa stayed with during his lengthy prison stint

No holding back: Last month Melissa Meeks gave a rare insight into her life post-Jeremy Meeks, as she took to Instagram in a lengthy tirade

And despite staying maintaining a largely dignified silence over her estranged husband's actions, in July Melissa gave a rare insight into her life post-Jeremy Meeks, as she took to Instagram in a lengthy tirade.

The mother-of-three, who shares a seven-year-old son with the 33-year-old felon turned model, let rip just days after he continued to parade his romance with British Topshop heiress Chloe Green, 26.

Taking to Instagram, the nurse shared a snapchot which read: 'I fed mouths that talked sh** about me. I wiped tears from the same people that caused mine. Picked up people that tried to knock me down. Did favours for those who couldn't do sh** for me. Been there for the ones that left me. Crazy? Maybe.'

Insensitive? The mother-of-three, 38, who shares a 7-year-old son with the 33-year-old felon turned model, let rip just days after he continued to parade his romance with Chloe Green, 26

Proving she was taking the high road, the brave beauty concluded: 'But I don't lose myself in the hatred of others. I continue to be me because I can't change who I am. Life ain't easy but through the bullsh** I remain solid. Because I know god got big plans for me.'

'Saw this and felt how REAL it was, so I wanted to share it... #haveablessedday #remember #keepitsolid', she captioned the picture.

And as Chloe and Jeremy engaged in another public round of PDA, wife Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio.

Previously describing herself as 'Wife to Jeremy Meeks' along with a ring emoji, the pretty nurse removed reference to him, keeping the remainder of the bio as 'Blessed beyond belief.. Dedicated to everything I do... Me and my Fam'.

Jeremy sent shock waves across the internet when pictures emerged of him kissing Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey in June.

Mingling with the A list: The model mingled with the likes of superstar rapper Nicki Minaj in Cannes in May- when he reportedly met Chloe

Famous friends: Jeremy mingled with socialite Paris Hilton as he modelled for Philip Plein

The duo reportedly met during the Cannes Film Festival in May, where Jeremy was modelling for Phillip Plein.

And in July Jeremy filed for legal separation from mother-of-three Melissa, who he shares her youngest son with.

He was married to the nurse, who stayed with him throughout his stint in prison, for eight years.

Former flames: One of the few remaining pictures left on Melissa's Instagram of the duo shows them kissing just weeks before pictures of him with Chloe surfaced

No longer 'Wife of Jeremy Meeks': After they filed for separation, Melissa finally removed reference to Jeremy on her Instagram bio

She later told the Mail of her devastation, admitting that her husband had been seduced by the glamour of his newfound modelling career.

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.

Life of luxury: Meeks sent tongues wagging after pictures emerged of him kissing British Topshop heiress Chloe Green on a yacht in Turkey in June

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.

Meeks and Chloe, who is heir to her father Sir Philip's billions, were pictured sharing the intimate kiss aboard a 112,000-a-week yacht in Bodrum.

Family: 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

At the time he was still with his wife of eight years, who was seemingly unaware of his new romance until pictures surfaced.

And fans quickly turned on the duo, accusing Chloe of breaking up a marriage.

Chloe was soon forced to delete her Instagram, after followers trolled a gloating post she shared as she snuggled up to married Jeremy.

However she since returned to the social media site, changing her settings to private.

Meeks too has edited his account, deleting all photographs of him and Melissa, which has not gone down with the fans who fell in love with his good looks after his California mugshot went viral in 2014.

Meeks, whose looks have earned him a huge fan base, made his first official modelling appearance at New York fashion week this year, and has certainly turned his life around in an impressive way since his release from prison.

However his journey to stardom hasn't been all smooth-sailing, after he was recently barred from entry to the UK after arriving at London's Heathrow airport from New York.

The California native shot to fame in 2014 when the Stockton Police Department posted his mugshot on their website, following his arrest for gang activity and a misdemeanour charge of resisting/obstructing justice.

The photo promptly went viral, with internet users dubbing him 'the hottest convict ever'.
Sophia Bush has hit out at cruel online trolls who 'endlessly attack' her on social media.

The One Tree Hill star, 35, slammed 'groups of "fans"' who berate her lifestyle choices and said the the hurtful comments she is regularly subjected to leave her feeling 'like s**t'.

Writing an impassioned post on Twitter on Wednesday, Sophia said: 'Being alerted to groups of "fans" ripping your life, choices, and happiness apart in private chats feels like s*** y'all. Truly.

Standing up for herself: Sophia Bush has hit out at cruel online trolls who 'endlessly attack' her on social media in an impassioned post on Wednesday (pictured in June)

'2. Being endlessly attached by trolls and b****ed at for every single thing you do, also feels like s***. You can't please everyone?

'3. Well you sure can be ripped by everyone. Every day. Endlessly. You think I'm too private? That I owe you something? What does it need to,' she wrote, before heading into another tweet.

'4. be for kindness to be practice, and for something you don't like to not get "A Beautiful Mind" level, INSANE plot and dissertation?

'5. You don't know me. You don't know anyone that you don't know personally, in fact. Remember that we're all human. And try to be better.

Painful: The One Tree Hill star, 35, slammed 'groups of "fans"' who berate her lifestyle choices and said the the hurtful comments she is regularly subjected to leave her feeling 'like s**t'

'6. At, you know, being a HUMAN too. (sic).'

The actress revealed this is not the first time the 'haters' have insulted her and she admitted she is used to the spiteful remarks as she doesnt consider their comments to be 'original'.

After a one-tweet #DefendDACA interlude, she added: '7. And yes, for those asking. It's literally EVERY GD second of EVERY GD day. So haters? You're not even original. I've heard it all!'

And Sophias One Tree Hill co-star Hilarie Burton  who portrayed Peyton Sawyer in the series  has supported her colleague.

Cruel: The actress revealed this is not the first time the 'haters' have insulted her and she admitted she is used to the spiteful remarks (pictured in June)

'I've heard it all!': Sophia has pointed out the trolls are 'not even original'

She replied to Sophias rant saying: 'PREACH Sis!!!! You're a GD diamond!'

The actress shot to fame portraying Brooke Davis in One Tree Hill from 2003 to 2012.

The popular show followed the lives of high school students living in North Carolina.

One Tree Hill boasted a cast that included Bethany Joy Lenz, James Lafferty, Lee Norris, and it made it's star Chad Michael Murray a household name.

In happier times: The actress shot to fame portraying Brooke Davis in One Tree Hill from 2003 to 2012 (pictured in New York in June)

Sophia's gone on to star on Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Chicago P.D., while Hilarie has appeared in Lethal Weapon, Extant, and Hostages.

The actress tied the knot with her screen love interest Chad Michael Murray, 32, in Santa Monica, California, in April 2005, announcing their separation just five months later.

The former couple were granted a divorce in December 2006, with Sophia later saying: 'It devastates me now that I have been reduced to a Hollywood statistic  another joke marriage.

'I never expected to be married more than once... because I knew what I was getting into and will always believe in love.'
Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce is said to be moving forward despite persistent reports that the couple may be reconciling.

But sources revealed to MailOnline that 'nothing has changed' with the couple, as they continue towards divorce following their bitter split in September 2016.

Close insiders divulged: 'Nothing has changed, they are both focused on the kids and the divorce has continued to move forward'.

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Moving on: Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie's divorce is said to be moving forward despite persistent reports that the couple may be reconciling

The rumour mill went into overdrive when Brad's car was pictured parked at Angelina's house last week, but sources have told MailOnline that it's no big deal and he's probably just storing it there.

The property is located half a mile from the couple's old family home in Los Feliz, Los Angeles - where Brad still lives after Angelina's departure.

In September it was reported that Brad had redeveloped the original home to make the location more family friendly with trampolines and play areas outside.

Thus far there has been no evidence that Maddox, 16, Pax, 13, Zahara, 11, Shiloh, 12, and twins Vivienne and Knox, nine have visited their father at the family home.

Happier times: Sources revealed to MailOnline that 'nothing has changed' with the couple as they continue towards divorce following their bitter split in September 2016

Breadwinner: Angelina says she's returning to acting to star in Maleficent 2 after taking a year off because she is now the provider for her family of six children, pictured September 2

MailOnline has contacted representatives for Angelina and Brad for comment.

Earlier this week, Angelina revealed she is going back in front of the camera because she needs to provide for her children. She joked to Deadline.com that since splitting from Brad, it's up to her to step up.

'I am now the breadwinner for the family so its time,' the mother-of-six laughed as she spoke about returning to acting after a hiatus.

The industry site caught up with Angelina at the Telluride Film Festival over the weekend where she was showing her directorial debut and passion project First They Killed My Father.

The actress confirmed she will star in a follow-up to Disney's Maleficent released in 2014. 'We have been working on the script and this is going to be a really strong sequel,' she said.

Happy days: Angelina pictured with daughter Vivienne at the Telluride Film Festival this past weekend, has been separated from husband Brad for a year and has primary custody of the kids

Back to wicked: The actress said of returning to the Disney role she first played in 2014: 'We have been working on the script and this is going to be a really strong sequel'

Angelina and Brad separated in September 2016 and Angelina took a year off from acting to concentrate on her personal situation and 'to take care' of her kids, she told THR.com during the festival in Colorado.

She also revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that she might also star in Cleopatra.

'There is a script,' she said. 'There's a lot of different things floating around. But I haven't committed.'

Ready to get back to work: Angelina told The Hollywood Reporter during the festival that her one-year-break from the movies is over

While promoting First They Killed My Father, the Oscar winner admitted that filing for divorce after a 12 year relationship has been difficult.

'Sometimes maybe it appears I am pulling it all together. But really I am just trying to get through my days,' said the Tomb Raider vet.

'I dont enjoy being single. Its not something I wanted,' she continued in an interview with the Sunday Telegraph.

'There are no upsides, there's nothing nice about it. It's just hard,' she added.

Better times: Angelina split from Brad in September 2016. 'I dont enjoy being single. Its not something I wanted,' she told the Sunday Telegraph, (pictured 2015)

Now a single mother, the Girl Interrupted star has endured a few years of physical pain as well as emotional.

In 2013, she underwent a preventive double mastectomy after it was revealed she carried the BRCA1 gene, which gave her an estimated 87 per cent risk of breast cancer and 50 per cent of ovarian cancer. She had her ovaries removed in 2015 as another preventative measure.

And last year - in addition to hypertension - the superstar developed Bells Palsy.

'Emotionally its been a very difficult year. And I have some other health issues. So my health is something I have to monitor,' she relayed.

'I feel sometimes that my body has taken a hit, but I try to laugh as much as possible. Even if you are going through chemo, you need to find the ability to love and laugh.'
They joyfully welcomed their twins, son Chase and daughter Phoebe Rae, into the world via a surrogate mother in May.

And Kieron Richardson and his actor husband Carl Hyland seemed to be relishing fatherhood as they took their beloved tots for a stroll around Manchester.

The Hollyoaks star, 31, looked exhausted but happy as he cooed over their children, while Carl looked on lovingly during the relaxed outing on Wednesday

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Proud parents: Kieron Richardson and his actor husband Carl Hyland seemed to be relishing fatherhood as they took their beloved tots for a stroll around Manchester

Kieron looked casual for the day out in a black hoodie, while Carl mirrored his relaxed vibe in a white T-shirt and trainers.

The pair have been settling into fatherhood well, with Kieron sharing several sweet snaps of their twins.

One snap captured the bundles of joy wearing matching babygros as they lay on the sofa watching Hollyoaks.

He captioned the heartwarming snap: 'My little babies watching Hollyoaks before bed.'

Loving life: The Hollyoaks star, 31, looked exhausted but happy as he cooed over their children, while Carl looked on lovingly during the relaxed outing on Wednesday

Cute: The pair have been settling into fatherhood well, with Kieron sharing several sweet snaps of their twins

Kieron had announced last December that he and husband Carl were set to welcome twins into the world via a surrogate.

And he revealed that he and his beau have become fathers to son Chase and daughter Phoebe Rae in a cute Twitter post in May.

The Hollyoaks star made the announcement by posting a snap of the babies' hospital bands, alongside the caption: 'Welcome Chase and phoebe rae x'.

'My little babies watching Hollyoaks before bed:' One snap captured the bundles of joy wearing matching babygros as they lay on the sofa watching Hollyoaks

New parents: Kieron revealed that he and his beau have become fathers to son Chase and daughter Phoebe Rae in a cute Twitter post back in May

The sweet snap revealed that the twins were born on Monday, at 6.11pm and 6.34pm respectively.

The actor had revealed over Christmas that he and Carl were expecting twins, making the announcement in an adorable festive-themed video.

The clip showed two 'Baby on board' signs hung up on a Christmas tree, before revealing Kieron and Carl sat on the floor opening a present.

Sweet announcement: The Hollyoaks star made the announcement by posting a snap of the babies' hospital bands, alongside the caption: 'Welcome Chase and phoebe rae x

When they removed the wrapping, the gift was a large piece of card which read: 'Twins coming 2017'

The caption on the video read: 'Merry christmas to us thanks to the British surrogacy centre (sic)'

Kieron then revealed the gender of the babies - a boy and a girl - in January, gushing that he and Karl were set to welcome their 'very own Prince and Princess'.

Confirming the news to the Digital Spy, the actor explained: 'Our mums have done most of the buying [for the babies] so far.

Baby joy: The couple revealed they would become proud fathers to twins in a sweet Instagram video, which they shared last December

'We wanted to wait to see whether we needed to buy pink or blue, but now we know we can buy both colours, as we're having our very own Prince and Princess.'

Kieron's Hollyoaks alter-ego, Ste Hay, is a father to little Leah and Lucas, but admitted he does not plan to name the twins after his on-screen children.



He joked: 'I've had the best training ever with little Leah and Lucas, although we won't be calling the twins Leah and Lucas - that would be weird'.

The greatest gift: The couple shared the news in a festive-themed video, which showed two 'Baby on board' signs hung up on a Christmas tree

The couple's baby joy comes just 10 months after Kieron revealed they had been struggling to conceive a baby through IVF and were concerned they weren't going to ever have a family of their own.

Speaking at the time, he told The Mirror: 'We were hoping to have a baby this year. Unfortunately, like anyone who is trying for a baby through IVF - whether they are gay couples or not - it is a lottery.

'We have tried it four times, with the same surrogate mum, and we have fallen into that 30% bracket of it not working.

'But we have not given up the fight and are still continuing. We are going to keep trying until it is successful.'

Past, future, present: The caption on the video read: 'Merry Christmas to us thanks to the British surrogacy centre (sic)'

Relief: The happy news came after the actor revealed that the pair had been struggling to conceive a baby through IVF after four failed attempts

The couple married in April 2015 in front of Kieron's co-stars at a romantic ceremony in the the Peak District.

The loved-up pair posed for photographs in front of Devonshire Dome in Buxton Derbyshire, with as many as 12 bridesmaids, including Stephanie Davis, Jennifer Metcalfe and Gemma Merna.

The pair announced their engagement in 2014 after seven years together.

Kieron came out in 2010 when he revealed on television that he was gay like his on-screen character Ste.

Big day: The couple married in the Peak District in April 2015 alongside 12 bridesmaids, including Stephanie Davis (left)
She was recently spotted partying up a storm with her ex 'Muggy' Mike Thalassitis.

But Chloe Crowhurst stuck to an all-girl gang on Wednesday night, as she headed for dinner at Sheesh restaurant in Essex with fellow Love Island star Georgia Harrison.

The laughing 22-year-old flashed her cleavage in a plunging lacy bodysuit as she held hands with her reality star pal.

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Double trouble: Chloe Crowhurst stuck to an all-girl gang on Wednesday night, as she hit the town with fellow Love Island star Georgia Harrison

Chloe balanced out her racy top with a chic pair of white nautical-inspired wide-leg trousers and a metallic oversized clutch.

Meanwhile Georgia - who enjoyed a fleeting stint on The Only Way Is Essex - rocked a 90s-inspired cowl neck silver slip dress and dazzling heels.

The pair seemed to be in high spirits on the night, as they chatted and laughed away while leaving the restaurant.

She's got a lot of front: The laughing 22-year-old flashed her cleavage in a plunging lacy bodysuit as she held hands with her reality star pal

Chic: Chloe balanced out her racy top with a chic pair of white nautical-inspired wide-leg trousers and a metallic oversized clutch

Meanwhile Chloe appeared to be getting closer to ex Mike Thalassitis on Thurday night when they partied up a storm in London.

Dressed to impress, the Essex beauty showed off her eye-popping cleavage when she went braless in a deeply plunging playsuit.

In good company, Mike and Chloe were in high spirits as they were reunited at the club.

The pair were also joined on the scene by Ex On The Beach pal Dean Ralph.

In good company: Mike and Chloe were in high spirits as they were reunited last week, alongside Ex On The Beach pal Dean Ralph

Rekindling their flame? The pair explored a brief romance inside the Love Island villa

It appears the blonde bombshell kept her word that she would like to stay in contact with 'Muggy' Mike.

Chloe told The Sun: 'I was a bit stupid in the villa because I kind of made out that I didn't fancy Mike.

'Obviously too little too late, he had five minutes to leave and we shared our first snog. I sort of grabbed the opportunity when I could.

'At the end of the day, everything does happen for a reason. Mike is an amazing guy. Im sure well stay in contact in the outside world.'

Former flames: It comes as the stunner brushed off her recent failed romance with former flame and TOWIE star Jon Clark, 27

Their reunion comes as the stunner brushed off her recent failed romance with former flame and TOWIE star Jon Clark, 27.

Chloe and Jon put an end to their relationship when she burst onto the Love Island scene in a bid to win the heart of a new man - and scoop the 50,000 prize fund.

After failing to find love on the steamy show, she enjoyed a brief reconciliation with the TOWIE hunk before they called it quits for a second time.
Their union came to an end in 2013 after three years of marriage.

Now supermodel Miranda Kerr has revealed her divorce from Orlando Bloom was 'the right thing to do', but insists: 'We'll always be friends.'

In a chic new cover shoot for Net-A-Porter's The EDIT magazine, she reveals: 'It was the right thing to do; we werent bringing out the best in each other.

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'Right thing to do': Miranda Kerr has revealed her divorce from Orlando Bloom was 'the right thing to do', but insists: 'We'll always be friends'

'Theres no hostility there, well always be friends.'

The British actor and the Aussie beauty began dating in 2007 and walked down the aisle in 2010. They share a son, Flynn. Miranda is now married to Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel.

While she has wowed the modelling world for 20 years, she is now focused on building her own empire, starting with her passion project, Kora.

The organic cosmetic line has been financed by the stunning brunette - and plays a part in her every day beauty routine.

Grown up: In a chic new cover shoot for Net-A-Porter's The EDIT magazine, she reveals: 'It was the right thing to do; we werent bringing out the best in each other

Moving on: The British actor and the Aussie beauty began dating in 2007 and walked down the aisle in 2010. They share a son, Flynn. Miranda is now married to Snapchat CEO Evan Spiegel

Back to business: While she has wowed the modelling world for 20 years, she is now focused on building her own empire, starting with her passion project, Kora

That's sucks! However, Miranda admits she does indulges in some more out-there practises, even undergoing a leech facial

However, Miranda admits she does indulges in some more out-there practises, even undergoing a leech facial.

She quips: 'You can feel their little teeth. Yeah, its a little out there. (The beauty therapist) also does magnet treatment.

'Oh, its great, I basically have a power nap. Its a deep meditative state. You feel really energized after.'

And when it comes down to feeling good and her well-being, the star is adamant that it's all worth it.

She adds: 'I never feel bad about spending money on health.'

To see The EDIT's full interview with Miranda Kerr go the website or download the free EDIT app at the App Store and Google Play
She recently announced her return to the Victoria's Secret catwalk for the lingerie brand's forthcoming show in Shanghai, China, in November.

But Karlie Kloss kept her supermodel figure under wraps as she was dressed in a bizarre ensemble for a shoot in New York's Central Park on Thursday.

The runway queen, 25, looked ready for fall in the quirky outfit, bundling up in an oversized bold multicolored striped cardigan

Karlie, is that you? Karlie Kloss kept her supermodel figure under wraps as she was dressed in a bizarre ensemble for a shoot in New York's Central Park on Thursday

Clashing colors and prints, Karlie teamed her bold knitwear with a white and purple floral midi-dress for the shoot.

The model teamed her outfit with yellow socks and white leather lace-up boots, while accessorizing with a matching striped beanie hat.

Karlie wore her long platinum blonde locks in cute pigtails, as she carried around a coffee on set.

Lounging around on the grass with a couple of fellow models, Karlie looked in excellent spirits as she posed up a storm for the shoot.

Model behavior: The runway queen, 25, looked ready for fall in the quirky outfit, bundling up in an oversized bold multicolored striped cardigan as she larked around with her fellow models

Last week, Karlie delighted fans when she announced her return to Victoria's Secret ahead of this year's fashion show in Shanghai, China.

The model posed up a storm in a gold bustier, with underwear and her Angel wings in a throwback show from the 2014 Victoria's Secret Fashion Show in London.

This year will be the first time Karlie has appeared in the show since 2014.

Karlie sparked speculation she would be appearing in the iconic fashion show last month, after she was seen leaving the company's headquarters in New York City.

Hat's the way to do it: Karlie teamed her bold knitwear with a white and purple floral midi-dress for the shoot, completing her look with a matching striped wool hat

Glamorous: Karlie's look was worlds away from the high-glamour ensemble she wore to Tom Ford's New York Fashion Week showcase on Wednesday night

The model had been working with the company since 2011, but in 2015, the lingerie giant's senior creative director Ed Razek revealed Karlie would be leaving when her contract ran out at the end of the year.

'I was waiting for the mail to arrive every single day,' she told Vogue in 2015 of receiving the Victoria's Secret acceptance letter.

'I'm incredibly ambitious and have lots of goals within my career that Im not slowing down on anytime soon.'

Karlie is now getting ready to take New York Fashion Week by storm; on Wednesday night she joined a star-studded crowd at Tom Ford's showcase.
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Katie Holmes confirmed to the world that she was indeed dating Jamie Foxx when photos surfaced on Wednesday of her holding hands with the Oscar winner on the beach in Malibu.

Letting the cat out of the bag appears to be good for the actress' looks as the 38-year-old glowed when she attended the Adam Dalton Blake, Tiffany Huang, Ghazaleh Khalifeh fashion show in New York City the very next day.

The ex-wife of Tom Cruise was toned and tanned in a feminine black halter dress with a red and yellow floral pattern.

Showstopper: Katie Holmes glowed when she attended the Adam Dalton Blake, Tiffany Huang, Ghazaleh Khalifeh fashion show in New York City on Thursday

On top of the world: The Batman Begins star looked confident in her lovely dress that came in at the waist and had an A line skirt

The Batman Begins star looked confident in her lovely dress that came in at the waist and had an A line skirt.

She put her hands on her hips and also shot the camera a radiant look as shutterbugs snapped away.

The 5ft9in star added six inches to her frame with pointy black pumps.

Look at her now! The ex-wife of Tom Cruise was toned and tanned in a feminine black halter dress with a red and yellow floral pattern

Tall: The 5ft9in star added six inches to her frame with pointy black pumps. In the background were models on the runway

The Gift actress was also seen smiling as she arrived in a black SUV with her publicist Leslie Sloane.

Katie and Jamie looked very in love in the new photos that were taken in Malibu on Monday.

They held hands as they strolled on the beach, looking blissed out as they talked and giggled.

Good times: The Gift actress was also seen smiling as she arrived in a black SUV with her publicist Leslie Sloane

The lady is happy: Holmes stopped to smile for a photographer in the middle of the street

Flawless female: The Ice Storm actress showed off her toned arms and lean legs

The former Dawson's Creek star looked lovely in a summery blue patterned frock, while the Oscar-winning actor sported sweatpants and a T-shirt.

For years, the pair have dodged rumors that they were an item.

It has now been suggested that the pair have been keeping a lid on things as a clause in her Tom Cruise divorce settlement sees her receive 7million.

It's confirmed: Foxx and Holmes, who are believed to have been dating since 2013, finally appeared in public together as they enjoyed a day at the beach on Monday

Radar Online reported that Katie 'agreed not to publicly date another man for five years in exchange for 3.8million in child support and a 3.8million payment for herself' [writes The Sun].

An insider claimed: 'Katie signed a clause in her quickie divorce settlement that prevents her from embarrassing Tom in various ways, like talking about him or Scientology, or publicly dating another man for five years after the divorce.

'Shes allowed to date, but she cannot do so in a public fashion, and shes not supposed to let any boyfriend near their daughter, Suri.

'My sweetie': Holmes shared a photo with daughter Suri on Wednesday

'[She] got $4.8 million in child support, plus another $5 million for herself.'

It's thought that Katie had agreed with former husband Cruise not to publicly date anyone for five years as part of their 2012 divorce settlement.

They were first linked romantically in August 2013, a little over a year after Katie divorced the Hollywood star after almost six years of marriage.

The actress split from the Top Gun superstar in 2012 after six years. Their romance was one the Hollywood's biggest headline makers after they got engaged in 2005 after just seven weeks of dating.

A year after the split, Katie and Jamie were photographed flirting and dancing together at a charity bash in The Hamptons.

So close: Katie and her little one together on Sunday at the Malibu Chili Cook-Off

On Wednesday Foxx refused to comment on his relationship with Katie as he was spotted out in Los Angeles.

However, the actor was all smiles and flashed a thumbs up when he was asked about the romance.

In a video obtained by Dailymail.com Jamie was asked if he and Katie were an item but chose to keep quiet on the matter.

The smile that says everything? Foxx refused to comment on his relationship with Holmes as he was spotted out in Los Angeles on Wednesday

Running errands: Wearing a white sweater and jeans the actor looked relaxed as he headed back to his car in the parking lot of his children's school

Grinning from ear to ear, Jamie greeted a fan who excitedly approached him to shake his hand in the video of him crossing the parking lot.

Wearing a white sweater and jeans the actor looked relaxed as he headed back to his car in the parking lot of his children's school.

'Dropping the kids off at school man' the Collateral star told reporters in the clip.

Normal dad: 'Dropping the kids off at school man' the Collateral star told reporters in the clip

He didn't want to say too much: Jamie is known for being private about his private life

On Wednesday afternoon Katie shared a photo where she was having a cute mommy and me lunch with Suri.

The Ray Donovan actress and the child, aged 11, she had with ex-husband Cruise laughed as they sat at an outdoor table in a restaurant.

The former Holmes & Yang fashion designer captioned her image: 'My sweetie.'

There appeared to be another person at the table who stepped away, leaving their glass of white wine and cell phone. That person could be Jamie Foxx.
Unassuming patrons at a New York pizzeria got rather more than extra cheese with their orders after Irish band U2 called in for a takeaway on Wednesday evening.

Band-members Bono, The Edge and Adam Clayton ventured into legendary Midtown restaurant Famous Rays Pizza, where they attracted a crowd of fans while ordering their food.

With star-struck onlookers gathered on the sidewalk, the three musicians threw hungry looks at the eaterys display pizzas as they patiently waited for their order.

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Deep dish of the day: Unassuming patrons at New York restaurant Famous Ray's Pizza got rather more than extra cheese with their orders after Irish band U2 called in for a takeaway on Wednesday evening

The group, who were without fourth band-member Larry Mullen Jr, were drawn into Famous Rays while shooting a forthcoming fly-on-wall documentary on the streets of downtown Manhattan.

Cameras were still rolling as the band collected their pizzas before venturing outside, where fans promptly took pictures as they made their way towards a waiting car.

The group's appearance comes shortly after they announced plans to release their 14th studio album.

Big cheese: Singer Bono later departed the legendary pizzeria with his takeaway in hand

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.

Coming soon: The group's appearance comes shortly after they announced plans to release their 14th studio album, Song's of Experience

'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.
She's detailing every tidbit of her life on her latest solo adventure in the reality television realm.

And Kylie Jenner gets even more honest about her famous family in a newly-released clip of Sunday's upcoming episode of Life of Kylie.

The entrepreneur, 20, explained that she used to have an extreme fear of her 'scary' mother and manager Kris Jenner, 61, while she was growing up.

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Fear the momager: Kylie Jenner gets even more honest about her famous family in a newly-released clip of Sunday's upcoming episode of Life Of Kylie

Mommy and me: Kylie explained that she still fears her 'scary' mom Kris after being terrified of her while growing up (pictured together in September 2012)

'I was scared of my mom growing up,' Kylie said. 'She was really scary. She still is scary, but now we have more of a friendship.'

In the exclusive clip, Kylie and her assistant Victoria Villaroel are trying to coordinate Kylie's travel itinerary for a trip to South America.

'So the plan was that we were all gonna fly together to Peru,' Victoria explained before the conversation was derailed.

'It was going to be a one-way easy flight and then I get a text from Kylie saying, Actually, Im gonna fly to Miami. Can you ask my mom if the plane can pick me up?'

Primping: The entrepreneur, 20, explained that she used to have an extreme fear of her mother and manager Kris Jenner, 61

No way! Kylie's assistant Victoria Villaroel kept her composure as she decided to confront the beauty mogul and have her call her own mother regarding the drastic change in plans

The startled assistant kept her composure as she decided to confront the beauty mogul and have her call her own mother regarding the drastic change in plans.

'This adds five hours of travel time to Kris Jenners flight,' Villarroel says. 'No way. No way am I gonna ask your mom. Are you kidding? I was terrified of asking Kris.'

During last week's episode of the show, the reality television star admitted that her relationship with older supermodel sister Kendall, 21, is at times very distant.

'I dont think wed be friends if we werent sisters,' Kylie said.

But when someone asked her if they get along when they are together, Kylie admitted: 'Most of the time.'

'She still is scary, but now we have more of a friendship': The youngest Jenner has formed a new kind of relationship with her mom Kris (pictured in July 2016)

The youngest member of the Kardashian-Jenner family pledged a generous half million dollar donation to the Teen Cancer America charity on Wednesday.

Kylie announced on Instagram that she will be donating the cash from the sales of her Kylie Cosmetics birthday collection to the charity.

She wrote: 'Hi guys, I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for helping me raise money for Teen Cancer America.

'I am donating $500,000 from sales of my birthday collection and this donation will help improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer.

'Thank you all for helping me make a difference.'
The cast of Cold Feet reunited on Wednesday afternoon as she hugely popular show prepares to return with a seventh series.

Co-stars James Nesbitt, Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley, Hermione Norris, John Thomson and Leanne Best were on hand to celebrate the launch with a special screening, held at London's Mondrian Hotel.

Posing for a series of promotional photos ahead of the event, the cast were in high spirits as they readied themselves for a welcome return to British television.

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Old friends: (L-R) Cold Feet cast-members Robert Bathurst, Fay Ripley, James Nesbitt, Hermione Norris, John Thomson and Leanne Best reunited on Wednesday afternoon as the hugely popular show prepares to return with a seventh series

The show, about the trials and tribulations of five close friends, was originally revived in 2016 following a 13-year hiatus, and the overwhelmingly positive response from fans has prompted a new series.

The new Cold Feet, which found Adam - played by Nesbitt - remarrying, then regretting it and opening up a whole new chapter of romantic angst, was described as the triumph of the year.

Show creator Mike Bullen also tackled the topic of male depression, and had John Thomsons character Pete struggling with suicidal thoughts.

Popular: James Nesbitt plays Adam Williams in the hit show, which is returning to ITV1

Pals: Fay Ripley (L) and Hermione Norris (R) play Jenny Gifford and Karen Marsden respectively

Troubled: John Thomsons character Pete struggling with depression and suicidal thoughts during the last series of Cold Feet

The new series kicks off with Adam landing a new job with a trendy dotcom company, while finding his feet in his new relationship with Tina, his landlady, who turns out to be something of a commitment-phobe.

The big question when Cold Feet returned last year was always how the cast would handle the absence of Adams true love, Rachel, played by Helen Baxendale, such a key character from the original line-up.

Her death brought the first run of the show to a shuddering, devastating end. The idea of bringing her back  even in ghost form  had been mooted, but ultimately dismissed when Helen decided not to return.

Licence to thrill: Elsewhere Nesbitt admitted he would be open to the idea of playing Jams Bond when present incumbent Daniel Craig finally steps down

Elsewhere Nesbitt admitted he would be open to the idea of playing Jams Bond when present incumbent Daniel Craig finally steps down.

Speaking to Magic Radio, the Irish actor revealed he would jump at the chance, telling hosts Ronan Keating and Harriet Scott: 'Id love to. No Id love to be in the movies. Ive always loved Bond, all my life you know.

'I was saying earlier I was never really into comic books, I was never into kind of like fantasy but I loved Bond all my life and I think I have to say I think Daniel Craig has been incredible.'
She's trying to find love on the brand new series of Celebs Go Dating.

And Charlotte Dawson was spotted flaunting her fantastic figure during a photoshoot in Tenerife, Spain earlier this month, showing any prospective suitors what was in store for them.

The 23-year-old redhead displayed her enviable physique in a figure-hugging red swimsuit with asymmetric ruffle detailing adding some extra drama to her poolside attire.

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Red hot: Charlotte Dawson was spotted flaunting her fantastic figure during a recent photoshoot in Tenerife, Spain

Charlotte - who gained prominence while on MTV's Ex On The Beach - sipped on a glass of bubbly strutted around in her one-piece.

The reality star's statement swimwear featured white bands running around her waist, highlighting her hourglass figure.

Charlotte accessorised with giant hoop earrings and a pair of glitzy sunglasses, carrying a red leather handbag in one hand.

Cheeky: The bubbly beauty ensured onlookers got a glimpse of her peachy posterior in the slinky swimsuit

Cheers! Charlotte - who gained prominence while on MTV's Ex On The Beach - sipped on a glass of bubbly strutted around in her one-piece

Hourglass: The reality star's statement swimwear featured white bands running around her waist, highlighting her hourglass figure

The bubbly beauty ensured onlookers got a glimpse of her peachy posterior in the slinky swimsuit.

Charlotte has been making waves on E4 in one of the most hotly-anticipated shows of the year, Celebs Go Dating, but things didn't get off to a good start since fans watched her get dumped by a Pete Wicks lookalike.

Ex On the Beach star Charlotte showed she was getting in the flirty mood by downing Prosecco from a bottle in a taxi en-route to the mixer.

Strike a pose: Charlotte accessorised with giant hoop earrings and a pair of glitzy sunglasses, carrying a red leather handbag in one hand

Search for love: Charlotte has been making waves on E4 in one of the most hotly-anticipated shows of the year, Celebs Go Dating

Ouch: Things didn't get off to a good start since fans watched her get dumped by a Pete Wicks lookalike

She quickly got talking to pirate Pete doppelganger Jordan from Wolverhampton and gushed 'He is fit as f*** I just want to eat him' before passionately kissing him.

She confessed: 'I fancy the f*** out of him'.

But Lady Nadia Essex who match-makes the celebs on the E4 show was fuming, saying 'Charlotte has ignored everything we've said to her and if she carries on like this it's going to be impossible to find her a date.'

'I fancy the f*** out of him': Sadly for Charlotte, the feeling wasn't mutual

Pied: Charlotte's date told her he was trying to get back with his ex

Charlotte then asked Jordan to meet for a drink and checked out his body before asking him to flash his derriere .

But it wasn't to be a fairytale ending for the pair, with the long-haired hunk saying 'I don't know how to tell you this but I recently split up with someone and I'm trying to get her back'.

A furious Charlotte then said 'He's blown it now.'

Sky-high: Charlotte added some extra height to her look with a pair of sky-high heels
She spent Wednesday night rocking the runway at Tom Ford's star-studded New York Fashion Week showcase.

And Gigi Hadid certainly looked catwalk-ready as she the Calvin Klein studios in Manhattan after a fitting on Thursday.

The supermodel, 22, looked incredible as she flashed her cleavage - and a hint of white lace bra - in a plunging hot pink jumpsuit by designer MARCH11.

Pretty in pink! Gigi Hadid flashed her cleavage in a slinky pink jumpsuit by designer MARCH11 as she kicked off New York Fashion Week festivities on Thursday

The girlfriend of Zayn Malik wore her blonde tresses loosely as she marched into the NYC office in a pair of Olgana Paris' AW17 L'Amazone jeweled satin emerald heels.

Gigi, whose full name is Jelena Noura Hadid, was practical and pretty in a patterned silk jumpsuit which dipped low to reveal a hint of the model's lacey nude bra.

The cover girl carried an green velvet clutch into the office which she matched with a delicate jade necklace.

Green with envy! The girlfriend of Zayn Malik wore her blonde tresses loosely as she marched into the NYC office in a pair of emerald colored heels

Bra-vo! The 22-year-old's patterned silk jumpsuit dipped low to reveal her lacey nude bra

Hot commodity: A delicate jade necklace and loose golden locks rounded out the IMG stunner's look

Gigi kicked off Fashion Week with a gig on Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2018 runway on Wednesday night.

Fellow model Kendall Jenner also walked the 80s inspired catwalk, which offered audiences big hair, dramatic shoulder pads and formfitting silhouettes.

Come November, fashion darling will grace the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the third time.

Can you keep a secret? Come November, the fashion darling will grace the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show for the third time

Flashback: Gigi kicked off NYFW with pal Kendall Jenner on Tom Ford's Spring/Summer 2018 collection runway in New York on Wednesday night

Backlash: The cover girl has been facing backlash from Chinese fashion fans since the model was booked for Victoria Secret's Shanghai fashion show last month

Since the model was booked for the Shanghai, China show, the cover girl has been facing backlash from Chinese fashion fans who took offense to a February video posted and later deleted by sister Bella Hadid in February.

In the clip, Gigi is seen holding up a cookie that appears to be in the shape of Buddha during a birthday party - before smiling and squinting her eyes.

She apparently issued a bilingual apology statement on Weibo from what appears to be her account.

Not cool: Chinese fashion fans who took offense to a February video posted and later deleted by sister Bella Hadid in February

Deleted but not forgotten! In the now deleted clip, Gigi was seen holding up a cookie that appears to be in the shape of Buddha while smiling and squinting her eyes

It said: 'It hurts me to hurt anyone, and I want you all to know that it was never my intent to offend anyone through my actions and I sincerely apologize to those who were hurt or felt let down by me.

'I have the utmost respect and love for the people of China and cherish the incredible memories I have made while visiting in the past.

I have learned to be very careful of how my actions can come off or be portrayed, and Im hopeful youll accept my apology.'

Gigi and 57 other Angels will take Shanghai for the Victoria's Secret Fashion Show November 28 2017.

Saying sorry: Since the Shanghai backlash, the blonde beauty issued a bilingual apology statement on Weibo
Wherever you turn on Monday night, another major crime serial from the creators of The Missing is commanding the TV schedules.

In an unprecedented head-to-head, both ITV and BBC1 are launching new dramas by brothers Jack and Harry Williams at 9pm.

On ITV, Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd are thrown into life-or-death conflict after a one-night stand spins out of control, in Liar.

And on the BBC, its Rellik, starring Richard Dormer as a detective left scarred inside and out by the toughest investigation of his life. The series traces the crime in reverse, from its conclusion to the very start, uncovering the mesh of motives.

In an unprecedented head-to-head, both ITV and BBC1 are launching new dramas by brothers Jack and Harry Williams at 9pm

This promises to be a battle royal. The Missing proved one of the TV phenomena of the decade, with audiences of up to nine million wrestling with the fiendish clues, the details hidden in dialogue and even in the title sequences. Both series featured outstanding casts including James Nesbitt, Keeley Hawes and David Morrissey.

When we heard our two new drama serials were to be broadcast simultaneously on the same day and at the same time on BBC1 and ITV, we were astounded, says Harry Williams.

The brothers grew up in Putney, South-West London. Their father is writer Nigel Williams, who had global success with the award-winning 2005 TV mini-series Elizabeth I, starring Helen Mirren.

Their mother, Suzan Harrison, is a TV producer who has worked on Inspector George Gently and Wild At Heart, and their older brother Ned, 40, is a TV director on Grand Designs.

In our house everyone talked about books and stories the whole time, says Jack, at 38 two years older than Harry. It made the idea of writing feel like it was something anyone could do.

On ITV, Joanne Froggatt and Ioan Gruffudd are thrown into life-or-death conflict after a one-night stand spins out of control, in Liar

And on the BBC, its Rellik, starring Richard Dormer as a detective left scarred inside and out by the toughest investigation of his life

Jack originally worked at a TV production company as a script editor. I decided maybe writing TV would be better than the novels I couldnt sell, he says. When I was 25 I wrote a comedy drama which was turned into a BBC sitcom. It wasnt good but its how I started.

Harry was an actor before turning to comedy. As Jack and I worked on sitcoms separately, we increasingly found ourselves asking each others opinion and advice and ended up writing drama together.

They say being brothers is an advantage when it comes to writing because they understand each other so well  and its easier to be blunt about one anothers ideas.

Jack is married to lawyer Jenna and they have two children, while Harry lives with girlfriend Antigone.

One of their greatest pleasures is to read all the viewers theories as they try to guess the plot.

But which show to watch? Here, exclusively, Jack and Harry Williams help you decide. Be sure to record the other side, though...

LIAR

WHATS THE STORY?

Two single people go on a date. They share dinner and drinks, and end up in bed. In the morning, the woman wakes up quite certain the man sexually assaulted her... but the man insists it was consensual.

As the police investigation gets under way, the facts seem to swing back and forth like a pendulum. We want the audience to feel they cant be sure, that they dont know where their sympathies lie.

At first, viewers will want to side with Laura, a teacher who has recently left a long-term relationship. But her date, Andrew, is extremely convincing  and not just because hes a top surgeon.

Two single people go on a date. They share dinner and drinks, and end up in bed. In the morning, the woman wakes up quite certain the man sexually assaulted her... but the man insists it was consensual

Its a psychological thriller, and the drama comes from the fact that both Laura and Andrew are alpha personalities, stuck in this battle

Its all about how our perceptions can change, influenced by nothing more than one new fact or the way somebody phrases a sentence.

We also wanted to explore what happens when two people tell conflicting stories, perhaps because they have genuinely different memories of what happened.

WHO ARE THE STARS?

Joanne Froggatt plays Laura

Joanne Froggatt plays Laura, and she was absolutely our first choice. Shes fantastic. She played Anna Bates, the ladys maid in Downton, a character who was the victim of a sexual assault.

Because of her work on Downton, Joanne had already done a lot of research into the psychological effects of these kinds of incidents. She didnt want to tread over old ground. But we were quickly able to convince her that Liar is a very different narrative: its about consent, and how two people can have opposite perspectives.

We were also very lucky to get Ioan Gruffudd, a Hollywood star from films such as Fantastic Four, who is ideal for the role because he has the surgeons glamour and charisma.

Because the style of Liar is very visual, driven by the way people look and react rather than by dialogue, we had to do a lot of rehearsals.

The cast went through all the scripts before shooting began, so they all knew how the story would end. That was important because it affected the way their characters behaved: they knew exactly when they were lying. That transmits itself to the viewers, and it was interesting to watch how the slightest nuance could shift your opinion as to whether someone was lying.

WHERE ITS SET

Liar was filmed along the Kent coast, especially in Deal.

But the recurring image is of the marshland along the Tollesbury estuary in Essex. The waterways there fill up in just a few minutes, and as the tide rises they create a complex pathway of islands that, shot from above by a camera drone, looks like the neural network of a human brain.

We sent Laura kayaking through those streamlets, which created a great visual image.

Liar was filmed along the Kent coast, especially in Deal. But the recurring image is of the marshland along the Tollesbury estuary in Essex

The clues are just hints. This is about intuition, not DNA and forensics. Its one persons word against anothers

WHY WERE EXCITED

This is something new for us  a straightforward linear plot (well, mostly). There is virtually no evidence and viewers will have to decide whether a crime has even been committed.

The clues are just hints. This is about intuition, not DNA and forensics. Its one persons word against anothers.

But its not an issue-led drama. Its a psychological thriller, and the drama comes from the fact that both Laura and Andrew are alpha personalities, stuck in this battle. Right from the opening scene, we see shes a driven character. She gets up at 5am to go kayaking alone  and when a man speaks to her in a patronising way, she immediately takes him up on it.

At first, viewers will want to side with Laura, a teacher who has recently left a long-term relationship

But her date, Andrew, is extremely convincing  and not just because hes a top surgeon

Andrew, too, has a high-status job and hes an achiever. After he was widowed, he brought up his son alone, and its obvious he has a great relationship with the boy. All this and hes a surgeon, too.

So both of them are passionate, determined people with complete confidence in their own viewpoint and memories. Neither is about to back down and apologise: instead, the repercussions spiral higher.

RELLIK

WHATS THE STORY?

Rellik is Killer, spelt backwards. And thats the clue to decoding this show  everything is in reverse, including the sequence of events.

This is the story of a man whose life was ripped apart by the hunt for a serial killer. What Rellik asks is: how did he get to this point?

As it begins, we can hear the sound of a 24-hour news channel  all the talk is of a man shot dead by police. Its the middle of the night and the whole scene is heavy with foreboding.

Before the camera even focuses properly, viewers will know something is very wrong.

Rellik is Killer, spelt backwards. And thats the clue to decoding this show  everything is in reverse, including the sequence of events

This is the story of a man whose life was ripped apart by the hunt for a serial killer. What Rellik asks is: how did he get to this point?

Then the film starts to flow backwards, leaping ten-and-a-half hours to the previous afternoon. Theres a man walking his dog in the park, and another guy who seems extremely agitated. Thats when things start to unravel.

In the meantime, we have glimpsed the face of the hero  and it is painfully scarred. His name is Gabriel Markham, a detective chief inspector, the victim of a recent acid attack. He is trying to find the person who did this to him and it quickly becomes likely that it was the serial killer.

In the first episode there are four or five rewinds, which take us from the morning of the arrest back to the discovery of the most recent body. As the series continues, we go further back, exploring everything that happened and why. In a key scene, Gabriel (Richard Dormer) explains that nothing in life makes sense until you know the motives for what people do.

This isnt really a whodunnit, its a whydunnit. In going back in time we aim to find the motive  the things that shaped the events to come, and get to the heart of the mystery.

WHO ARE THE STARS?

Richard Dormer was our preferred choice for the part of detective Gabriel Markham.

Markham is a complex, intense person. Hes a loner, though there are aspects of his private life that will surprise people. And his injuries have left him uncomfortable in society as people openly stare at or recoil from him.

We see him early on in moments of pain  he hides it from the world, but alone in front of a mirror all his vulnerabilities are laid bare.

Richard Dormer plays detective Gabriel Markham - a complex, intense person

Jodi Balfour as DI Elaine Shepard. Her character is embroiled with Markham but its hard to tell at first what their relationship is

To portray all that was going to take a special kind of actor. We wanted to use someone who isnt known only for one particular role  a character actor, in other words. And Richard is the essence of a character actor, because he completely inhabits a role. He was Sheriff Dan Anderssen in Fortitude, and Beric Dondarrion, the warrior with the flaming sword, in Game Of Thrones.

Our director, Sam Miller, had worked with him on Fortitude and, like us, was very keen to hire him. At first Richard said he was too tired to do it, and its true this would be an exhausting challenge for any actor: when we meet DCI Markham he is badly traumatised, and we trace that damage back to its origins. Thats daunting.

Opposite him we cast Jodi Balfour as DI Elaine Shepard. Shes known for her role in the series Quarry, as the wife of a Vietnam vet, and will soon be Jackie Kennedy in the new series of The Crown on Netflix. Her character is embroiled with Markham but its hard to tell at first what their relationship is.

The other characters include Paterson Joseph as a creepy psychologist who cant sit down without wiping the chair with disinfectant first, and Michael Shaeffer as a family man who is wanted by police for murder.

WHERE ITS SET

The show is set on the eastern outskirts of London and the backdrop feels industrial: garages, train depots, concrete spaces, high-rise flats and neon-lit corridors. Its a man-made environment that feels claustrophobic and stressful.

Richard Dormer plays the role with his native Northern Irish accent, which subtly plays into his role as outsider.

WHY WERE EXCITED

We came up with the idea for Rellik  of tracing a crime from the end to the beginning  when we were working on the first series of The Missing in 2014.

It took a long time to figure out how to tell a story in this way, but eventually we found a way to make it work. We havent been working on it feverishly for three whole years: wed write a bit, put it away and come back to it.

Because its a story thats told backwards, it dispenses with all the usual requirements, such as consequences. People dont learn from their actions because we keep going back in time. But that doesnt mean we dont learn about our characters as the show unfolds  or that there arent plenty of twists and turns along the way.

The show is set on the eastern outskirts of London and the backdrop feels industrial: garages, train depots, concrete spaces, high-rise flats and neon-lit corridors

Because its a story thats told backwards, it dispenses with all the usual requirements, such as consequences

WHATS NEXT

Were shooting an eight-part drama early next year in South Africa, set in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Its the first time weve worked in Africa.

Although there are no plans for a third series of The Missing, we really do want to return to the character of Julien Baptiste. The last time we saw him, he was about to undergo life-or-death surgery.

We love working with Tcheky Karyo (Baptiste) and weve got a few ideas. Now all we have to do is turn them into a TV script  and persuade them to make it.
She's a firm favourite on the London party circuit.

And Thursday night was no exception for Daisy Lowe when she attended the Yo Sushi 20th anniversary celebrations in London in style, joining a motley crowd of celebrities including Love Island's Georgia Harrison at the event.

Daisy, 28, was looking lovely in a midnight blue silk slip which skimmed her hourglass figure and highlighted her cleavage.

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Beautiful in blue: Daisy Lowe attended the Yo Sushi 20th anniversary celebrations in London in style on Thursday night

Putting in an appearance: She joined a motley crowd of celebrities including Love Island's Georgia Harrison

She dressed down her glamorous dress with a star spangled jacket and a pair of chunky ankle boots.

The beaming beauty looked like she was having a blast at the bash, sampling a selection of Japanese treats.

Also in attendance was Love Island star Georgia, who highlighted her slender figure in a red jumpsuit.

Elegant attire: Daisy, 28, was looking lovely in a midnight blue silk slip which skimmed her hourglass figure and highlighted her cleavage

Funky: She dressed down her glamorous dress with a star spangled jacket and a pair of chunky ankle boots

Beaming: As ever, Daisy's best accessory was her smile

The blonde, who previously enjoyed a brief stint on TOWIE, pulled her low cut ensemble together with a simple leather handbag and black heels.

Daisy's outing comes after she appeared to defend her friendship with Louise Redknapp recently.

She's said to have been a much-needed shoulder to cry on for her Louise, 42, following the 'breakdown' of her twenty year marriage.

Coordinating: The model matched her statement blue suede boots to her dress

Lace-up look: The chunky boots perfectly set off her slinky midi number

Red hot: Georgia opted for a red jumpsuit with button-down detailing on the legs

Making a statement: The blonde set off her low-cut ensemble with silver jewellery

Keeping it simple: The one-time TOWIE star swept her hair off her face in a high ponytail

And after being 'blamed' in part for her split from husband Jamie, Daisy has defended her close relationship with her Strictly pal, and all her female friends, by sharing a strong female empowerment message.

The model reportedly wrote online: 'The best kind of friendships are fierce lady friendships where you aggressively believe in each other, defend each other and think the other deserves the world,' The Sun reported.

And days later Daisy then retweeted a message which read: 'Surround yourself by good people, and watch the good come out in you.'

Hand-in-hand: Georgia arrived at the restaurant bash with a female friend

Loving life: Daisy was in high spirits as she tucked into an array of tasty treats

Chowing down: The star looked thrilled with her delicious dinner

Going solo: Jamie Jewitt attended the event without his Love Island flame

Putting in appearances: Shanie Ryan (left) and Gemma Styles (right) partied in style

Daisy and Louise forged a close bond when they starred alongside each other in last year's Strictly Come Dancing.

Meanwhile, Georgia has been making the most of her single status since splitting from her short-lived Love Island fling Sam Gowland.

Georgia met Capital DJ Roman Kemp at V Festival and immediately hit it off with him, according to reports.

A source told The Sun: 'She thinks Roman is great fun. After meeting at V Festival they got on so well, he really makes her laugh.

'It's been a horrible few days for her so watching her have a laugh with someone who'll treat her well is great to see.

'They've swapped numbers and want to go out again soon.'

Bit of all-white: Former MIC star Nicola Hughes donned white flares and a matching top

Sipping bubbly: Georgia was spotted enjoying a glass of fizz
Jay Z revealed his mom Gloria Carter was a lesbian in late June with a track from his album 4:44.

And this week, the New York native got the chance to talk about her sexuality and personal journey in her own words for the first time since her unofficial coming-out via song.

The rap mogul's mother recounted how she made her street-hardened son 'tear up' when she first told him she was a lesbian during her candid chat with on the D'USSE Podcast that aired Tuesday.

In her words: Jay Z's mom Gloria Carter opened up about coming to terms with her sexuality and her identity for the first time since her unofficial coming out on her son's 4:44 record

'Me and my son, we share a lot of information,' Gloria explained during her intimate hour-plus interview.

'I was sitting there and I was telling him one day, I just finally started telling him who I was.'

'Besides your mother, this is the person that I am, you know?' she said, 'This is the life that I live.

'He actually started tearing, because he was like, "That had to be a horrible life, Ma". And I was like, "My life was never horrible, it was just different". So that made him want to do a song about it.'

Emotional: The rap mogul's mother (pictured in April) recounted how her street-hardened son 'tear[ed] up' after she first came out to him, dishing to the D'USSE Podcast that aired Tuesday

Inspirational: Gloria said her confession inspired the 99 Problems rapper to 'want to do a song about' her struggles

The matriarch went on to explain: 'I dont hide who I am Im tired of all the mystery,' adding 'Now its time for me to be live my life and be happy, be free.'

That exchange inspired the 99 Problems rapper to 'want to do a song about' her struggles, eventually leading to the track Smile off his latest LP.

The superstar revealed mom Gloria Carter's truth in the lyrics to the soulful track.

'Mama had four kids but she's a lesbian' he rhymes with passion.

No secrets: The rapper, government name Sean Corey Carter, and his song was the first official confirmation of his mom's sexuality after years of hushed rumors

'Had to pretend so long, that she's a thespian,' raps Jay-Z, 'Don't matter to me if it's a him or her / I just want to see you smile through all the hate.'.

In doing so the husband of Beyonce confirmed for the first time hushed rumors about his mother's sexuality.

He also explained how she turned to substances to cope with the stigma.

Smile opens with a snippet from Stevie Wonder and closes with a poem by Gloria herself, who recites: 'The world is changing and they say it's time to be free / But you live with the fear of just being me.'

Jay-Z, like many rappers of his generation, employed homophobic slurs in his early music but was also one of the first prominent voices in hip-hop to speak out in favor of gay rights.

The musician also throws veiled barbs at other rappers on the album, including onetime protege Kanye West, who last year ranted against Jay-Z and in support of then president-elect Donald Trump before entering a hospital.

The rapper has especially harsh words for the estate of pop icon Prince, a longtime rebel in the music industry who had signed a deal with Tidal shortly before his death.

Family matters: Jay also refers to wife and mother of his three children Beyonce in his music (pictured while pregnant with twins in February)

He denounces the 'greedy bastards' who have commercialized Prince with moves such as bringing his catalog onto leading streaming service Spotify.

'I'm surprised you ain't auctioned off the casket,' Jay-Z inveighs.

But Jay-Z's mind on 4:44 is more on his own 'legacy' - which is the title of the last song in which the 47-year-old addresses his children, vowing that the family's fortune and philanthropy will outlive him.

'I'd like to see a nice peace fund / Ideas for people who look like we / We going to start a society within a society.'
This image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows Hurricane Irma at it approached the Caribbean

Tourists in Key West are packing their bags on a mandatory evacuation order as Hurricane Irma, a potent Category 5 storm, churns toward the island chain off south Florida, officials said Tuesday.

Visitors are expected to begin leaving at sunrise Wednesday, and an order for residents will soon follow, said a statement from Monroe County, which includes the popular resort island of Key West.

"We're emphatically telling people you must evacuate, you cannot afford to stay on an island with a Category 5 hurricane coming at you," said Monroe County emergency operations center director Martin Senterfitt.

Most of the island chain, known as the Keys, is just three to five feet (0.9-1.5 meters) above sea level, he added.

Hurricane Irma is expected to bring storm surges of seven to 11 feet above normal in the Leeward Islands and British and US Virgin Islands, according to the National Hurricane Center.

The "extremely dangerous" storm is forecast to reach the Leeward Islands later Tuesday and early Wednesday.

It is moving westward, packing maximum wind speeds of near 185 miles (295 kilometers) per hour with higher gusts, the Miami-based hurricane center said.

Local weather forecasters say the outer edge of the storm's winds and rain could reach south Florida by late Friday.

A couple walks on a beach as hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico in San Juan

Three hospitals in the Keys have begun plans to evacuate their patients, and schools on the islands are closed from Wednesday to Friday, the county said.

Further north, schools across Miami-Dade County will be closed Thursday and Friday, and more evacuation orders could follow, officials said.
Boeing said it is "skeptical" whether the deal between two major suppliers to the aerospace industry "would be in the best interest of -- or add value to -- our customers and industry"

Aerospace giant Boeing raised concerns Tuesday about the merger of US-based industrial conglomerate United Technologies and aviation equipment supplier Rockwell Collins, saying it could use its weight with regulators to scrutinize the deal.

Boeing said it was concerned the deal announced Monday would not be in the best interests of the company.

"We intend to take a hard look at the proposed combination of United Technologies and Rockwell Collins," Boeing said in a statement.

The company said it was "skeptical" about whether the deal between two major suppliers to the aerospace industry "would be in the best interest of -- or add value to -- our customers and industry."

If Boeing decides the merger is "inconsistent with those interests, we would intend to exercise our contractual rights and pursue the appropriate regulatory options to protect our interests."

In the $30 billion deal, including debt, United Technologies (UTC) will offer $140 per share to Rockwell Collins, or $23 billion in addition to debt recovery.

A UTC spokeswoman declined to comment directly on Boeing's statement, pointing to comments from executives on a conference call Tuesday in which they characterized the transaction as a win for customers.

UTC Chairman and CEO Greg Hayes said any concessions to customers on existing contracts would not be significant and that the deal on the whole would in fact be a winner for these companies.

"Imagine the ability to combine these systems, architecture to reduce weight, to reduce cost for the airlines, those are the things that I think they're going to be interested in as opposed to simply the scale of these combined businesses," Hayes told analysts.

- 'Not eliminating competition' -

Hayes said the Rockwell deal involved much less overlap between the two companies compared with a proposed $90 billion takeover of Honeywell that fizzled in 2016 and was reportedly opposed by Boeing and Airbus.

"You'll recall with Honeywell, they were somewhere between $8 billion and $10 billion of product overlap on the aerospace side. For this combination, we're talking only a couple of hundred million dollars overlap, so there is not big divestiture risk," Hayes said.

"This is not like we're eliminating any competition anywhere across the business."

United Technologies, headquartered in Farmington, Connecticut, employs more than 200,000 people and had 2016 revenues of $57.2 billion.

Rockwell Collins, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, manufactures electronic equipment for cockpits and cabins. It had 2016 revenues of $5.3 billion and employs 19,000 people. Last year, it acquired the American group B/E Aerospace for $6.4 billion.

The deal comes as aircraft manufacturers are pressuring subcontractors to lower prices on equipment.
Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed addresses parliament in Tunis on July 20, 2017

Tunisian Prime Minister Youssef Chahed on Wednesday announced a major cabinet reshuffle, replacing the key ministers of interior and defence.

"I've decided on a government reshuffle," Chahed told reporters, announcing the new line-up after talks with President Beji Caid Essebsi.

A former defence minister, Abdelkrim Zbidi, returns to the post in place of academic Farhat Horchani, while Lotfi Brahem, an ex-head of the national guard, replaces Hedi Majdoub at the interior ministry.

Cabinet head Ridha Chalghoum, a former economic advisor to the president, takes over the key position of finance minister.

Speculation has been rife for several weeks over new faces in Chahed's government following his consultations with political parties and organisations such as the powerful labour union UGTT.

Three of 11 new faces in the 27-member government served as ministers under the rule of president Zine El Abidine Ben Ali, who was overthrown in Tunisia's 2011 revolution.

Chahed said his new government would do battle on three fronts: "the war on terrorism, the war on corruption, the war for growth, against unemployment and regional inequality".

"All necessary decisions and measures will be taken to win on all fronts," vowed Chahed, who became Tunisia's youngest premier since independence from France in 1956 when he was tasked last year to form a "national unity" government.

The economy in Tunisia, rocked by political turmoil in the aftermath of the revolution and by deadly jihadist attacks, especially in 2015, has yet to recover and youth unemployment remains high.
Stained glass window at The Washington National Cathedral in Washington, DC, depicts the life of US Civil War General Robert E. Lee, Commander of the Army of Northern Virginia

The Washington National Cathedral is to remove two stained glass windows honoring Confederate generals following last month's deadly violence at a white supremacists' rally, church leaders said on Wednesday.

Installed in 1953, the windows at the US capital's cathedral feature Generals Robert E. Lee and Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, the two most senior officers in the pro-slavery Confederate Army during the American Civil War.

The decision comes after two years of debate, according to a public letter signed by church leaders including the Bishop of Washington Mariann Budde and Randolph Hollerith, the dean of the cathedral.

They added they chose to remove the windows from the Gothic-style cathedral as they are "more than benign historical markers".

"For many of God's children they are an obstacle to worship in a sacred space; for some, these and other Confederate memorials serve as lampposts along a path that leads back to racial subjugation and oppression," said the letter.

It is not yet clear what will replace the windows, which will be deconsecrated and placed in storage.

The announcement follows last month's clashes between extreme right demonstrators and counter-protestors in Charlottesville, Virginia, sparked by a white nationalist rally opposing the removal of a statue of General Lee.

Heather Heyer, 32, was killed and 19 others were injured when 20-year-old James Fields allegedly drove into a crowd of protestors.

President Donald Trump has since condemned the removal of Confederate statues as "ripping apart" the United States' culture and history.
This satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows Hurricane Irma (L) and Hurricane Jose (R)

Hurricane Irma killed one person and left behind "total devastation" as the monster storm smashed into the tiny Caribbean island of Barbuda on Wednesday, the prime minister said.

"It is just total devastation, Barbuda now is literally rubble," Prime Minister Gaston Browne said in the aftermath of the Category Five storm.

Speaking later on CNN, Browne said 95 percent of properties in Barbuda were damaged, with up to 30 percent demolished.

"It is absolutely heart-wrenching," he said.

One person is known to have died, Browne said, apparently to be child whose mother was taking him or her to safety after the building they were in was damaged.

The airport was damaged and flights were unable to land. Badly-needed aid will have to be flown in by helicopter from Antigua, he added.

"We have estimated the rebuilding efforts to be no less than $100 million. That is conservative, because we're talking about rebuilding everything, all of the institutions, the infrastructure, the telecommunications, the roads... Even the hotels on the island, those are totally demolished, as well. It is terrible."

Located east of Puerto Rico, Barbuda has 1,600 residents and is the sister island of Antigua, which was spared the worst of the storm.
Authorities in Bahrain launched a crackdown after an Arab Spring-inspired movement of largely Shiite protesters hit the streets in 2011 to demand an elected government

Bahrain has retreated from promised reforms and "dramatically" escalated a clampdown on political dissent over the past year, rights watchdog Amnesty International said Thursday.

"Despite repeated claims... to the contrary, Bahrain has been steadily backtracking on the promises of reform it made following its heavy-handed response to the uprising in 2011," Amnesty said.

"Since June 2016, the Bahraini authorities have dramatically stepped up their crackdown on dissent."

The rights group called on Manama to "immediately and unconditionally" release prisoners of conscience and halt reprisals against "peaceful critics and their relatives".

It also urged the government to reverse decisions to dissolve Bahrain's two main opposition movements, Waad and Al-Wefaq -- the largest bloc in parliament before 2011.

Authorities in the tiny Sunni-ruled Gulf kingdom launched a crackdown after an Arab Spring-inspired movement of largely Shiite protesters hit the streets in 2011 to demand an elected government.

Hundreds of demonstrators have since been jailed and a number of high-profile activists and clerics stripped of their citizenship.

The king this year approved a constitutional amendment allowing military courts to try citizens on charges linked to terrorism.

Manama has accused Tehran of provoking unrest in Bahrain, which lies between Shiite Iran and regional Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia.

Iran has denied involvement.

Bahrain, an ally of the United States and home to its Fifth Fleet, has faced frequent criticism over its rights record.

Amnesty has urged the United States and Britain, Bahrain's key allies, to condemn the intensified crackdown.
Young immigrants, activists and supporters of the DACA program march through downtown Los Angeles on Tuesday after the Trump administration announced it will end the program

Donald Trump's move to scrap an amnesty for hundreds of thousands of young immigrants risks costing the US economy dearly, experts warn, and nowhere is this truer than in California which has promised a fierce fight to protect its "Dreamers."

The Golden State is home to more than a quarter of the 800,000 recipients of the Obama-era program that shielded from deportation migrants brought illegally to the US as children, many of whom know no other home.

Gabriel Chin, a law professor at the UC Davis School of Law, says the program's phase-out, announced on Tuesday, promises to be "devastating" for the country's most populous state.

"The uncertainty of their status, and the possibility of their removal, will put a pall over many parts of the state, and threaten serious economic and human consequences," he warned.

According to a January study by the Center for American Progress, California alone would lose $11.3 billion per year with the ending of the program known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA -- more than any other US state.

Officials in the state made their position clearly known, as Trump's repeal of the program implemented by president Barack Obama threw the future of its recipients into serious doubt.

"California will sue the Trump Administration over its termination of the DACA program for one simple reason," Xavier Becerra, the state's attorney general who is himself of Mexican descent, said in a statement.

"Our state has become the world's 6th largest economy due in part to the success of over 200,000 Dreamers whose livelihoods have been put at risk by President Trump's wrong-headed decision on DACA."

The so-called "Dreamers" -- many Hispanic, now in their twenties and having known no other country but the United States -- will have somewhere between six and 24 months before they lose their protected status and become subject to potential deportation.

In scrapping DACA, Trump urged Congress to settle the Dreamers' legal status -- but the chances of divided lawmakers reaching a long-elusive agreement within months appear dim.

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti likewise vowed his city would defend DACA recipients from a "cruel" decision.

"They belong here. And we'll fight for them to stay."

- 'Considerable investment' -

In California -- the US state with the largest immigrant population and where Hispanics outnumber whites -- tens of thousands of young Dreamers live and work in the agricultural Central Valley, but an even greater number live in Los Angeles.

One-third are students, and could find themselves forced back into the shadows, abandoning their education and career plans.

"Dreamers have earned diplomas, been able to open a bank account, get a mortgage, bought cars," said California's state Senate leader Kevin de Leon, who is of Guatemalan descent.

"They represent a bright future for our state."

Louis Desipio, professor of political science at UC Irvine, notes that the state of California has made a "considerable investment" in educating many of these young people.

"If they can't work up to the levels that their skills dictate, this investment is not going to pay off as well as it has in the past," he argued.

Thousands of DACA supporters have marched in Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego in recent days, while California schools and universities pledged to protect students from the threat of deportation, offering legal advice and counseling.

Silicon Valley titans including Apple, Facebook and Google have loudly condemned the dismantling of the amnesty program.

- What can be done? -

Major Californian cities San Francisco, Los Angeles and Berkeley have already clashed with the Trump administration by declaring themselves "sanctuaries" for undocumented migrants, and refusing to fully cooperate with immigration authorities.

Experts note however that state authorities have limited room for maneuver, considering that US immigration policy is set at the federal level.

So what can be done?

California's government and police could limit their cooperation with immigration police, said UC Irvine's Desipio, or for instance craft legislation allowing Dreamers to attend university classes for free in exchange for working on campus.

But that will not prevent them from losing their official work permits, granted on a renewable two-year basis under the DACA scheme, he said.

Karen Tumlin, the legal director for the National Immigration Law Center, suggested the group may challenge the constitutionality of Trump's repeal in court.

"Rule of law also means keeping your promises to DACA recipients and not pulling the rug out from under them," she tweeted.

"See you in court, Mr. President, again."

And then there are the politics, pure and simple.

With mid-term congressional elections looming in 2018, Republican lawmakers risk angering their Californian constituents by doing away with the popular DACA program -- something sure to give pause to party strategists in Washington.
A graduate of China's prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sun Shiqian worked as an engineer before deciding to devote himself full-time to what he calls 'robot arts'

In the suburbs of China's capital, a 32-year-old engineer creates the kind of larger-than-life, shapeshifting robots that most have only seen in "Transformers" movies.

Sun Shiqian's roomy warehouse on the outskirts of Beijing houses a hulking menagerie, from a sleepy cow to a fiery metal dragon that stands 4.9 metres (16 feet) tall at the flip of a switch.

A graduate of China's prestigious Central Academy of Fine Arts, Sun worked as an engineer before deciding to devote himself full-time to what he calls "robot arts".

"As a child, I loved watching cartoons with robots," Sun told AFP.

"But I noticed that they were all from either Japan or the United States. There were no Chinese robots."

At the World Robot Conference in Beijing last month, the sculptor showcased an ox with the mechanical ability to transform into a robot 'gladiator', equipped with steel abs and all

At the World Robot Conference in Beijing last month, the sculptor showcased an ox with the mechanical ability to transform into a robot "gladiator," equipped with steel abs and all.

The android is part of his series based on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac.

This June, Sun unveiled a 5-metre tall "Monkey King" inspired by the simian protagonist of China's famed "Journey to the West". Like his model, the 5-tonne robot holds a golden cudgel -- except his is 6.3 metres (21 feet) long.

The next model of "Monkey King" is slated to challenge an American giant robot to a duel next year.

- Robots with Chinese characteristics -

Sun grew up on an island off the coast of Dalian in northeast China. His family could not afford many toys, but his father, a former soldier, would often show him simple blueprints of weapons that were used in combat.

Sun Shiqian has built a series of androids based on the 12 animals of the Chinese zodiac

Using these blueprints and sheets of cardboard, Sun fashioned miniature fighting dragons and other creatures.

"I began to like art more and more, and I made increasingly complex robots in my spare time," he said.

After leaving his engineering post in 2011, Sun focused his energy on designing robots -- some costing upwards of one million yuan ($150,000) -- and making his visions a reality.

In 2014, he was commissioned by Paramount Movies to make robot sculptures to promote "Transformers: Age of Extinction", which broke box-office records in China.

Sun Shiqian ridies an electric 'dewback' from 'Star Wars' at his studio in Beijing

One model was exhibited at the historic Qianmen Gate, which formerly guarded the entrance to the Imperial City in Beijing.

"People asked me, why are they putting foreign art in front of Qianmen?" Sun recalled.

"This had a big impact on me, because they recognised that this robot did not have Chinese origins. From then on, my dream has been to create robot art that is distinctly Chinese."

-- This story accompanies a photo essay by Wang Zhao --
Pacific island such as the Marshall Islands face huge costs building seawalls to protect their coastlines from climate change, with rising waters set to swamp large areas of habitable land in the low-lying nations

Climate change will hit the Pacific harder than anywhere else on Earth and the region's tiny island nations need major international aid to deal with the challenge, the World Bank said Thursday.

A World Bank report, "Pacific Possible", draws on research from numerous sources to back the long-held view of regional leaders that they are on the frontline of global warming.

"(It) could have more dire impacts on the Pacific islands than any other country in the world," warned the report, released Thursday at the Pacific Islands Forum in Samoa.

The World Bank has warned that Kiribati, which is only a few metres above sea level, may need to consider wholesale migration due to rising sea levels caused by climate change

The study said that even under a best-case scenario -- with oceans rising 40 centimetres (16 inches) by 2100 -- island nations would face huge costs building seawalls to protect their coastlines.

The worst-case outcome -- waters up 126 centimetres by 2100 -- would swamp large areas of habitable land in low-lying nations such as Kiribati, the Marshall Islands and Tuvalu.

"There is little prospect that the high costs of building sea walls could be financed by the countries themselves," the report said.

"Accordingly, the international community will have to assess the trade-off between large initial expenditures on construction... versus emergency relief and recovery programmes when disasters occur."

It said climate change's impact was already being seen through coastal erosion, saltwater contamination of farmland and drinking water, as well as unpredictable rainfall causing more droughts and floods.

The Pacific has always been lashed by cyclones but the report said the most destructive category five storms were set to become more frequent, straining the region's already scarce economic resources.

It said Cyclone Pam, which hit Vanuatu in 2015, wiped out the equivalent of 64 percent of the country's GDP.

The report said Kiribati and Tuvalu, which are both only a few metres above sea level, may need to consider wholesale migration and that Australia and New Zealand, the region's richest and most developed nations, could help by giving islanders open access to their labour markets.

"It would allow for gradual migration from the atoll nations and be less costly and preferable to a last-minute abandonment, which would require significant emergency assistance and be difficult to manage," it said.

While the World Bank acknowledged the problem climate change poses, it also said there were a number of economic opportunities Pacific nations could pursue to increase prosperity in coming decades.

It said tourism, particularly from China, had the potential to deliver an extra one million visitors a year by 2040, generating additional income of US$1.6 billion and 110,000 jobs.

Improved internet access could also help counter the remoteness that has hindered economic growth in the islands, providing scope for employment opportunities such as call centres.
A member of Iranian Kurdish rebel group PJAK (Party of Free Life of Kurdistan) at a rear base in the mountains of northern Iraq

Plans for an independence referendum in Iraqi Kurdistan have angered Ankara and Tehran, but little has changed for Iranian Kurdish rebels at rear bases in the mountains of northern Iraq.

A spokesman for the Democratic Party of Iranian Kurdistan (PDKI) said reports of a joint Turkish-Iranian military operation against Kurdish rebels in Iraq were mainly intended to unsettle Iraqi Kurds.

Speaking in Koysinjaq, 60 kilometres (35 miles) east of the autonomous region's capital Arbil, Aso Hassan Zada said Iran and Turkey had only one shared interest -- their opposition to the September 25 referendum.

Both countries fear it could stir separatist aspirations among their own sizeable Kurdish minorities.

"Neither country will help the other without something in return," he said as armed, uniformed men and women trained outside in a courtyard plastered with portraits of their rebel movement's founders.

The central government in Baghdad has said the non-binding referendum violates Iraq's constitution.

Coming as Iraqi forces backed by an international coalition battle Islamic State group jihadists in Iraq and Syria, it has also stoked opposition from Washington and Western countries.

Zelan Vajen, a leader of the Iranian Kurdish rebel group PJAK, at a rear base in the mountains of Iraqi Kurdistan

Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said last month that a joint Turkish-Iranian operation against Iraq-based Kurdish rebels from the two countries was "always on the agenda".

Turkey has battled the outlawed Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK) for decades, while Iranian security forces have fought the PDKI and a PKK affiliate, the Party of Free Life of Kurdistan (PJAK).

Iran, while equally opposed to the referendum, swiftly denied Erdogan's claim of any planned operation inside Iraqi Kurdistan.

But its elite Revolutionary Guards warned: "As always we will strongly confront any group, team or person who wants to penetrate into Iran's territory for anti-security or terrorist operations."

- 'Impossible' co-operation -

From another mountain base, Zelan Vejin, a leader of the PJAK whose fighters also operate along the border with Iran, shrugged off the threat of any joint operation.

"It's impossible that Iran and Turkey operate together" because of their divergent political aims, she said.

Besides, she added, "Iran always undertakes military actions in secret, never disclosing its intentions, whereas Turkey pre-announces its campaigns."

The PDKI's Zada said Ankara prioritises fighting the PKK inside Turkey and on Iraqi and Syrian territory, while Tehran's goal is to clear its Iraqi border of PDKI and PJAK militants.

Ankara and Tehran have carried out a string of separate military operations against Kurdish rebel bases in the mountains of northern Iraq.

Uninformed members of the Iranian Kurdish rebel group PJAK drink tea at a mountain base inside Iraqi Kurdistan

"Our fighters have observed repeated incursions into Iraqi territory by Iranian forces," Zada said, adding that Iran had deployed artillery units right along the border.

If Iran and Turkey do launch operations, "we will step up our fight inside Iranian territory", Vejin said.

"Iran has forever occupied our land but it has never managed to defeat us through military means. War does not frighten us," she said.
Japanese officials have begun an investigation into Tuesday's 'serious incident' at Tokyo's Haneda Airport where a JAL jet carrying 233 passengers and 18 crew was forced into an emergency landing

Japan Airlines said Thursday a probe into a flight from Tokyo to New York that was forced to turn back after one of its engines caught fire showed it had sustained damage to many of its turbine blades.

Japanese officials have begun an investigation into Tuesday's "serious incident" at Tokyo's Haneda Airport where the jet carrying 233 passengers and 18 crew was forced into an emergency landing.

TV footage and photos showed flames shooting out of one of the engines shortly after take-off and a bird strike was initially suspected as the cause.

But a JAL spokesman told AFP on Thursday that many of the 220 turbine blades inside the left engine were "either broken or bent".

"There was also a scratch on the primary wing," he added.

Public broadcaster NHK said more than 200 blades were damaged, although the JAL spokesman said it was not immediately clear whether the damage occurred as a result of the fire or whether they were damaged before take-off.

Officials from the Japanese transport ministry are scouring the plane for clues as to what caused the incident.

The experts will examine the engine damage, conduct interviews with crew members and collect weather information from the day of the departure, according to a spokeswoman.

The plane returned to land safely an hour later and no injuries were reported.
United States Court of Appeals, Fifth Circuit. MATT BANKS, Petitioner - Appellant v. DARREL VANNOY, WARDEN, LOUISIANA STATE PENITENTIARY, Respondent - Appellee No. 15-30258 Decided: September 05, 2017

Before STEWART, Chief Judge, and KING and JONES, Circuit Judges.

Defendant-Appellant Matt Banks, Louisiana prisoner #116002, was convicted by a jury of two counts of second degree murder and was sentenced to two consecutive life terms of imprisonment. His convictions and sentences were affirmed on appeal. State v. Banks, 86 So. 3d 56 (La. App. 2d 1/25/12). After failing to obtain state habeas relief, Banks filed a 28 U.S.C.  2254 petition challenging his convictions and sentences. The district court denied Banks's petition and denied a certificate of appealability (COA). This court granted Banks a COA on the sole issue of whether the district court erred in denying relief on Banks's claim that his trial counsel rendered ineffective assistance by failing to inform him of two plea deals offered by the district attorney. This appeal ensued. For the following reasons, we VACATE and REMAND for further proceedings.

I. Background

In the state habeas proceedings, Banks argued that his trial counsel never informed him of two plea offers made by the district attorney and never discussed the possibility of a conditional plea agreement. The district attorney communicated the first offer in a letter dated March 23, 2010:

I am willing to allow Matt Banks to plea to 2 counts of manslaughter with a 15 year cap. Both sentences can run concurrent. This offer will remain open until April 15. If I have to go through the process of exhuming the bodies in order to present this matter for trial, then all offers are off.

The following year, in a second letter dated January 21, 2011, the district attorney again contacted defense counsel and warned,

In preparation for the trial, I am arranging for the bodies to be exhumed next week  [Once] the bodies are exhumed, I will no longer offer Mr. Banks the original plea offer of manslaughter with a 10 year cap. He might want to consider the offer carefully before it is gone.

A week later, on January 28, 2011, the bodies of the two victims were exhumed and the record contains nothing further with respect to these two plea offers in terms of communication between the district attorney and Banks's trial counsel. According to Banks, after he was convicted and sentenced, he requested a copy of his file from his trial attorney. Banks's attorney sent him a copy of his entire file on June 4, 2012. Banks claims that it was at this time that he first discovered the two letters from the district attorney containing the plea offers.

Banks contended in the state habeas proceedings that although he was actually innocent of the crimes charged, when faced with the possibility of two consecutive life sentences  counsel should have at least met with [him] to discuss the possibility of avoiding a trial. No affidavit was submitted by trial counsel in response to Banks's claims, no evidentiary hearing was held, and no finding was made by the state court regarding whether trial counsel in fact informed Banks of the plea offers evidenced by the letters from the district attorney to defense counsel. Instead, in its 2013 Ruling on Application for Post-Conviction Relief and Related Motions, the state court explained:

[Banks] claims he only recently learned of the offers but does not specify when or how he obtained the letters. Throughout these proceedings [Banks] has asserted his innocence of the murders. Thus, there is no reason to believe he would have agreed to plead guilty, even to a reduced charge. His trial counsel is an experienced and well-respected trial attorney with a reputation in the legal community for zealously fighting for his clients, and he did so in this case. He had no reason to withhold these offers from [Banks].

The state court then summarily denied all of Banks's ineffective assistance of counsel claims on the ground that he could not establish that his counsel's performance was deficient or that he was prejudiced by any alleged deficient performance. See Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668, 687 (1984).

The magistrate judge (MJ) considered on the record Banks's ineffective assistance claim involving his counsel's purported failure to communicate the two plea offers, also without holding an evidentiary hearing. See Cullen v. Pinholster, 563 U.S. 170, 181 (2011) (noting that a federal district court's review of a  2254 petition is limited to the record that was before the state court that adjudicated the claim on the merits). The MJ noted that the state court record did not indicate whether counsel communicated the offers to Banks but declined to predict whether Banks would have pleaded guilty if he had been aware of the offers. The MJ further observed that, when review is governed by the Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act (AEDPA), review of the state court's resolution of the ineffective assistance of counsel claim is doubly deferential  since the question is whether the state court's application of the Strickland standard was unreasonable.  See Pinholster, 563 U.S. at 190; Harrington v. Richter, 562 U.S. 86, 105 (2011). Under this analysis the MJ reasoned that the issue on review was not whether Banks could show prejudice but whether the state court's determination that Banks suffered no prejudice was unreasonable. The MJ ultimately concluded, Considering [Banks's] resolute proclamations of innocence at sentencing, throughout the state court proceedings, and in the instant proceeding, the trial court's decision to reject [Banks's] claim on the basis that he did not suffer prejudice was not unreasonable. Agreeing with the Report and Recommendation of the MJ, the district court denied Banks's  2254 petition. Concluding that reasonable jurists could debate the correctness of that determination, we granted Banks a COA on the issue of ineffective assistance of counsel with respect to the failure to communicate the two plea offers, and this appeal followed. See Slack v. McDaniel, 529 U.S. 473, 484 (2000).

II. Discussion

On appeal, proceeding pro se and in forma pauperis, Banks argues that the state habeas court's adjudication of his claim was an unreasonable application of Strickland in light of Missouri v. Frye, 566 U.S. 133 (2012). Banks does not refute that he maintained his innocence during the proceedings below but contends that the trial court should not have assumed that he would not have accepted either of the deals, given that they were for far less than the two consecutive life sentences he received. The State's brief does not contain a substantive discussion of the district court's resolution of Banks's  2254 claim and does not address Banks's argument on appeal.

Here, the issue before us is whether the state court's adjudication of Banks's ineffective assistance of counsel claim was contrary to, or involved an unreasonable application of, clearly established Federal law, as determined by the Supreme Court of the United States, or was based on an unreasonable determination of the facts in light of the evidence presented in the State court proceeding. 28 U.S.C.  2254(d)(1) & (2); see Harrington, 562 U.S. at 103 (holding that under AEDPA, a claim that a state court has denied on the merits is barred in federal court unless one of the exceptions to  2254(d) set out in  2254(d)(1) and (2) applies). To prevail on an ineffective assistance claim under Strickland, a petitioner (1) must show that counsel's performance was deficient, and (2) that the deficient performance prejudiced [him]. 466 U.S. at 687. A failure to establish either prong is fatal to the claim. Id. When Strickland and  2254(d) are applied in tandem, the standard of review is doubly deferential. Pinholster, 563 U.S. at 190 (We take a highly deferential look at counsel's performance, Strickland, supra,  through the deferential lens of  2254(d) [.] [The defendant here] must demonstrate that it was necessarily unreasonable for the [State] Supreme Court to conclude: (1) that [the defendant's attorney] had not overcome the strong presumption of competence; and (2) that he had failed to undermine confidence in the jury's sentence of death. (internal citations omitted)). It is pertinent to note that, under Pinholster, an unreasonable application of federal law is different from an incorrect application of federal law. Id. at 202. The question is not whether the court of appeals might have reached a different conclusion but whether the courts below unreasonably applied Supreme Court precedent in declining to conclude that counsel's performance established prejudice. Id. at 20203.

It is well established that a criminal defendant's right to effective assistance of counsel under the Sixth Amendment extends not just to trial or sentencing but to the negotiation of a plea bargain, as it is a critical phase of litigation for the purposes of the Sixth Amendment right to effective assistance of counsel.  United States v. Scribner, 832 F.3d 252, 25758 (5th Cir. 2016) (quoting Padilla v. Kentucky, 559 U.S. 356, 373 (2010)). Accordingly, the Strickland test applies to Banks's claim that his counsel was ineffective in failing to communicate the two plea offers. See Frye, 566 U.S. at 145 ([A]s a general rule, defense counsel has the duty to communicate formal offers from the prosecution to accept a plea on terms and conditions that may be favorable to the accused.). To establish that prejudice resulted from counsel's failure to communicate an offer, which is at issue here, a habeas petitioner must demonstrate a reasonable probability that, but for counsel's ineffective advice, a plea would actually have been presented to the court; the court would have accepted the terms of the plea; and the conviction or sentence, or both, under the offer's terms would have been less severe than under the judgment and sentence that in fact were imposed. Lafler v. Cooper, 566 U.S. 156, 164 (2012).

Under this circuit's precedent, a defendant can make a showing of the denial of a constitutional right regarding his claim that counsel was ineffective for failing to communicate a plea offer. Teague v. Scott, 60 F.3d 1167, 1171 (5th Cir. 1995) (agreeing that failing to inform the defendant of a plea offer could amount to ineffective assistance of counsel). The state court's factual finding that Banks would not have taken a plea deal if one had been conveyed to him rested only on the court's observation that Banks had persisted in his claims of innocence throughout the proceedings.

The Supreme Court, however, has held that a defendant's repeated declarations of innocence do not prove that he would not have accepted a guilty plea because (r)easons other than the fact that he is guilty may induce a defendant to so plead. North Carolina v. Alford, 400 U.S. 25, 33 (1970). In Alford, the Supreme Court noted the inherent conflict when a defendant claims he is innocent yet nevertheless desires to accept a plea deal but went on to observe that [a]n individual accused of crime may voluntarily, knowingly, and understandingly consent to the imposition of a prison sentence even if he is unwilling or unable to admit his participation in the acts constituting the crime. Id. at 32. Significantly, the Supreme Court pointed out that it could not perceive any material difference between a plea that refuses to admit commission of the criminal act and a plea containing a protestation of innocence when  the record before the judge contains strong evidence of actual guilt. Id.

Here, although Banks continued to attest to his innocence during the state court proceedings, he urges that it would have been in his best interests to accept either of the district attorney's plea deals, given that they were for far less prison time than the two consecutive life sentences he received. The record reflects that, had Banks accepted the plea offer with the 10-year capped sentence, he would be released in less than four years from now, in the spring of 2021.

Nevertheless, the record before us does not conclusively indicate whether Banks's trial counsel actually communicated either of the two plea offers to Banks. The record is devoid of any further information past the initial two plea offers from the district attorney. There are no written correspondences, memos, or affidavits from defense counsel or any state agent attesting that the plea deals were communicated orally or in writing to Banks. See United States v. Gonzales, 493 F. App'x 541, 544 (5th Cir. 2012) (per curiam) (unpublished) (holding that [the defendant's] unsworn allegations cannot overcome the DEA Agent's sworn affidavit and other evidence proffered by the government that counsel informed him of the plea offer). Moreover, neither the state court, nor the district court, concluded that an evidentiary hearing was warranted to determine whether Banks's trial counsel had in fact communicated either of the plea offers to Banks. See Schriro v. Landrigan, 550 U.S. 465, 474 (2007) ([I]f the record refutes the applicant's factual allegations or otherwise precludes habeas relief, a district court is not required to hold an evidentiary hearing.). Additionally, the lower courts' proffered reasons for denying habeas relief, i.e., Banks's continued claims of innocence, even when viewed through the doubly deferential lens afforded under Strickland and AEDPA, appear to be in conflict with the Supreme Court's analysis in Alford. 400 U.S. at 33 (noting that (r)easons other than the fact that he is guilty may induce a defendant to so plead).

Accordingly, given the underdeveloped record before us, and the state and district courts' reasons for denying relief without a hearing, we conclude that an evidentiary hearing on the issue is warranted. See Rapelje v. McClellan, 134 S. Ct. 399, 400 (2013) (A federal evidentiary hearing is permissible for a particular claim only if, among other requirements, the claim was not adjudicated on the merits by a state court. (internal quotation marks omitted)); see also Arvelo v. Sec'y, Fla. Dep't of Corrs., 788 F.3d 1345, 1348 (11th Cir. 2015) (If the state court decision was contrary to clearly established federal law, the federal courts are not necessarily limited to the state court record; instead, we may hold an evidentiary hearing and consider new evidence.).

In light of the lack of adequate record evidence before us, however, we can offer no opinion on the merits of Banks's ineffective assistance of counsel claim.

III. Conclusion

For the foregoing reasons, we VACATE and REMAND for further proceedings consistent with this opinion.

FOOTNOTES

. Banks brought several other ineffective assistance of counsel claims before the state court, none of which are at issue on appeal.

. Other courts have also held that a defendant's declarations of innocence do not establish that he would have not have accepted a guilty plea and do not prevent a defendant from proving Strickland prejudice. See, e.g., Griffin v. United States, 330 F.3d 733, 738 (6th Cir. 2003) ( [The defendant's] repeated declarations of innocence do not prove, as the government claims, that he would not have accepted a guilty plea. Defendants must claim innocence right up to the point of accepting a guilty plea, or they would lose their ability to make any deal with the government  [.] It therefore does not make sense to say that a defendant's protestations of innocence belie his later claim that he would have accepted a guilty plea. Furthermore, a defendant must be entitled to maintain his innocence throughout trial under the Fifth Amendment. (internal citations omitted)); see also Lalani v. United States, 315 F. App'x 858, 861 (11th Cir. 2009) (per curiam) (unpublished) (agreeing with the Sixth Circuit's analysis in Griffin).

PER CURIAM:*
The leader of a South Korean opposition party which split from president Park Geun-Hye's grouping as she was engulfed in a corruption scandal last year has herself stepped down over graft allegations

A South Korean opposition party which split from president Park Geun-Hye's grouping as she was engulfed in a corruption scandal last year saw its own leader step down Thursday over graft allegations.

Dozens of members of the Bareun party splintered from the main conservative group, then known as Saenuri, as accusations mounted against Park and joined forces with then opposition lawmakers to vote for her impeachment.

The ousted president is now on trial for corruption and other offences.

But the Bareun party's own leader Lee Hye-Hoon has been under increasing pressure since prosecutors last month opened an investigation into allegations a businesswoman gave her cash and gifts worth about 60 million won ($50,000) over nearly a dozen occasions.

She denies the accusations but stepped down Thursday, telling her party lawmakers: "I apologise for causing concern because of my lack of virtue."

She insisted she would clear her name and "the truth will come out sooner or later".

Lee took the helm of Bareun -- or "Justice" -- in June, after the government changed hands with the election of liberal president Moon Jae-In.

She vowed to make Bareun the "main base" of conservatism rather than Park's party, now renamed Liberty Korea, but the allegations undermined those efforts.

Yonhap news agency said the scandal dealt a "major blow" to the party's drive for "new, transparent and warm" conservatism.
Asia's population is ageing faster than anywhere else in the world

The chief of the International Monetary Fund warned Thursday that ageing populations in key Asian economies will drag on their growth, urging policymakers to step up their response to shifting demographics.

Studies show that Asia's population is ageing faster than anywhere else in the world, with Japan forecast to become the first "ultra-aged" country, meaning 28 percent of the population is 65 or over, while a fifth of the people in South Korea are expected to be 65 by 2030.

Rapidly ageing countries including China, Japan, Korea and Thailand "will have smaller workforces in the future and potentially lower productivity growth", IMF managing director Christine Lagarde told a conference in Seoul.

"We estimate that these countries could face lower annual GDP growth... by up to a percentage point," the IMF chief said.

China and Japan are the world's second- and third-largest economies respectively, and slower growth in them risks having significant knock-on effects around the world.

Lagarde urged governments to "boost the proportion of women in the workforce" by better accommodating working mothers with more childcare benefits and incentives for part-time work.

In emerging countries such as India -- where populations are still growing -- better education for girls and wider access to finance for women should be prioritised, she said.

According to some estimates, she added, closing the gender gap in the employment market could raise Japanese GDP by 9 percent, South Korea's by 10 percent, and India's by 27 percent.

At Thursday's conference, Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju-Yeol also called for steps to tackle low birth rates and create more jobs for women and older people.

"A failure in responding to population ageing will make the escape from possible structural low growth difficult," Lee said.

An IMF report issued earlier this year projected population growth falling to zero in Asia by 2050 and the share of working-age people -- now at its peak -- declining over the coming decades.

Urging policymakers to act early to respond to the ageing population, the report warned: "Parts of Asia risk becoming old before becoming rich."
Lee Ching-yu's campaign for support for her rights activist husband being held in China has gained international attention

A Taiwanese rights activist being held in China will soon face trial after being held incommunicado for more than 170 days, according to his wife, in a case that has deepened cross-strait tensions.

NGO worker Lee Ming-cheh went missing during a visit to the mainland in March and Chinese authorities later confirmed he was being investigated for suspected activities "endangering national security".

Lee's wife Lee Ching-yu said she had received a call from a man claiming to be her husband's lawyer Wednesday telling her his trial was imminent.

China's Taiwan Affairs Office confirmed there would be a trial in Yueyang city in China's southern Hunan province, without specifying a date, according to local media.

Beijing has repeatedly ignored Taipei's requests for an explanation of Lee's whereabouts and specifics of the allegations against him.

Relations between the two sides have deteriorated since President Tsai Ing-wen took office in May last year and Beijing has cut off all official communication with Taipei.

China sees self-ruled Taiwan as part of its territory to be reunified and wants Tsai to acknowledge the island is part of "One China", which she has refused to do.

Lee Ching-yu said in a statement that the man who called her asked her to go to China immediately because her husband's trial was about to start.

She added that until she spoke to her husband she would not accept he had made any confession to Chinese authorities.

Despite the likelihood he would soon be jailed, Lee said she considered the possibility of seeing her husband "a ray of hope" and would apply for travel documents Thursday.

She attempted to fly to Beijing in April in a bid to "rescue" her husband, but Chinese authorities revoked her travel permit, preventing her from making the trip.

Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council on Wednesday urged China to give Lee the necessary travel documents and to guarantee her personal safety.

"The actions so far by the mainland have only continued to deepen the suspicion Taiwanese people have towards China," it said in a statement.

Lee's campaign for support for her husband has gained international attention.

She was planning to meet with the United Nations Human Rights Commission this month in Geneva.

In May she also testified at a congressional hearing in the United States on detained activists in China.

Lee Ming-cheh, who works for an NGO at a community college in Taipei, has long supported civil society organisations and activists in China, according to Amnesty International.

He had shared "Taiwan's democratic experiences" with his Chinese friends online for many years and often mailed books to them, the Taiwan Association for Human Rights said.

Beijing deeply distrusts Tsai's traditionally pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) and is ratcheting up the pressure on her government.

Although it is a fully fledged democracy, Taiwan has never declared formal independence from the mainland and Beijing has threatened a military response if it ever did.
Coroners at a funeral parlour look at the remains of German hostage Jurgen Kantner in Jolo, the Philippines, after he was beheaded in February by the Abu Sayyaf

Two Indonesian sailors abducted by Islamist militants off the southern Philippines walked free on Thursday after a firefight that left five kidnappers dead, the military said.

The sailors were kidnapped nine months ago in Malaysian waters and taken to the remote southern Philippine island of Jolo, a stronghold of the suspects from the Abu Sayyaf group, Islamist militants engaged mainly in kidnappings for ransom.

Their ordeal ended when they turned up at a military checkpoint on Jolo shortly after Philippine troops clashed with their suspected kidnappers in a nearby town, the local military chief said.

Police named the sailors as Sarapuddin Koni and Sawal Maryam Ivo. Both are natives of Indonesia's Sulawesi island, south of the Philippines.

"Our soldiers spotted them at a checkpoint where they were on board a public utility vehicle," Brigadier General Cirilito Sobejana, task force commander for the region, told AFP.

"It appears they were able to flee their captors after the encounter that occurred 30 minutes prior to that," he said, adding all were unharmed but showing the effects of poor nutrition.

Five Abu Sayyaf members were killed and five soldiers were wounded in that firefight, he added.

The two were abducted in November off the Malaysian state of Sabah that had for years suffered from repeated kidnappings by the Abu Sayyaf.

The kidnappers still hold 15 other hostages, all but two of them foreigners, the general said.

One Vietnamese sailor was rescued last month after nine months in captivity.

The Abu Sayyaf is known to behead its hostages unless ransom payments are made, but Sobejana said he was unaware of any ransom being paid for the two Indonesians.

Elderly German yachtsman Jurgen Kantner, was beheaded in February after the kidnappers' demand for 30 million pesos ($600,000) was not met.

The kidnappers had also murdered his female partner and compatriot during his kidnapping at sea four months earlier.

Last year, the group beheaded two Canadian hostages.

Abu Sayyaf, originally a loose network of militants formed in the 1990s with seed money from Osama bin Laden's Al-Qaeda network, has splintered into factions, with some continuing to engage in banditry and kidnappings.

One faction has pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group, and joined militants battling security forces since May in the southern city of Marawi, the largely Catholic nation's most important population centre.

The militants continue to occupy parts of the southern city despite a US-backed military offensive there that has claimed more than 800 lives and displaced nearly 400,000 people.
Boeing revise fortement a la hausse ses previsions pour la demande aeronautique chinoise, misant sur l'essor de la classe moyenne et l'expansion des infrastructures

Boeing says China will need more than a trillion dollars-worth of new airplanes over the next two decades as the cash-rich middle class grows and infrastructure projects pick up.

The US aircraft giant also outlined plans to open its first factory in the country as it looks to reinforce its position in the face of competition from European rival Airbus.

In its annual forecast Wednesday, Boeing predicted China would need 7,240 new commercial jets by 2036 with a market value of nearly $1.1 trillion, adding almost a fifth of all global orders would come from Chinese companies.

"Chinas strong economy, the growing middle class and the significant investment in infrastructure support our long-term outlook" with the proliferation of secondary airports expected to add to this growth, said Randy Tinseth, Boeings vice-president of marketing.

The firm last year predicted China would order 6,810 planes in the next two decades and cited an improving economy, expansion of local airlines and a recovering cargo market for its increased outlook.

Air traffic in China has increased as new low-cost carriers pop up and Boeing expects the middle class to double in ten years to reach 600 million people.

This prosperous group, who want to travel to increasingly long-haul destinations, are predicted to fuel a rise in sales of high-capacity planes.

But the single-aisle jets used for regional flights are forecast to stay at the heart of the Chinas demand for new planes, comprising an estimated 75 percent of orders.

Chinese companies now operate more than half the international flights in and out of China, challenging the previous domination of long-haul routes by foreign businesses, said Tinseth.

- Turbulent tie-up? -

Home-grown Hainan Airlines announced in May it would buy 19 Boeing aircraft for an estimated $4.2 billion, including 13 long-haul B787-9 "Dreamliners".

The explosion of e-commerce and the need for air freight will be the main driver of demand for larger planes, Boeing said, and forecast the Chinese cargo sector to develop rapidly over the next 20 years.

The Chinese aerospace market is split almost equally between Boeing and its European rival Airbus.

Unlike Airbus, which since 2008 has boasted an assembly line for the A320 passenger jet in Tianjin, Boeing does not yet have a factory in China.

But it is working with state-owned manufacturer Comac to open a "completions centre" next year in Zhoushan, with the capacity to fit interiors in more than 100 of its popular mid-range B737 each year, Tinseth confirmed.

However, that partnership could prove turbulent. The Chinese firm this year oversaw the test flight of its first home-built mid-range carrier, the C919 -- ostensibly a rival to the B737, with the aim of breaking the US-European duopoly.

"Its about balance but if youre going to be in a market like this, you have to have partners," said Tinseth.

He also played up the importance of China to Boeing in light of President Donald Trump's threats to slam tariffs on Chinese exports, which many fear could spark a damaging trade war.

"We work very hard with the US government, (China is) a critical market for us, this is a market that we believe in," he added.
Donald Trump's plan to build and operate Sydney's first casino were killed off due to police concerns over his consortium's 'mafia connections', according to documents made public after 30 years

Donald Trump's plan to build and operate Sydney's first casino were killed off due to his consortium's "mafia connections", according to documents made public Thursday after 30 years.

The now US president was in the running for the contract in 1987 with joint venture partner the Kern Corporation, but Australian police were so concerned they recommended it be excluded.

At the time, Trump operated two casinos in Atlantic City -- Trump Plaza and Trump's Castle, and was close to owning a third.

"Atlantic City would be a dubious model for Sydney and in our judgement, the Trump Mafia connections should exclude the Kern/Trump consortium," the New South Wales Police Board said in report dated April 3, 1987.

A summary of the board's position was contained in cabinet minutes from the then-NSW Labor government on May 4 that year, released Thursday after being declassified and confirming revelations in The Australian newspaper last month.

No further details on the alleged mafia links were provided.

The documents said the consortium's plans were "rich and attractive" and it had the capacity to operate a casino, but warned that its revenue estimates were "not soundly based".

Of the four tenderers for the project, the police board cautioned against three of them, including the Hong Kong Macau Sydney consortium due to its "Chinese Triad association".

The project was later abandoned.

In its report before the documents were declassified, The Australian recounted how Trump boasted about his plans to the newspaper.

"If our design is chosen, it will not only be the largest, but one of the most magnificent, one of the most beautiful hotels anywhere in the world," he said in February 1987.

The newspaper cited a retired businessman involved in the Trump bid as saying he was unaware of the police board recommendation.

"All of us had to undergo police investigation; we were told that everyone had to be cleared from a police perspective," he said, declining to be named.

"The plan was for the Kern Corporation to build the casino, and for Trump to run it because he had the licence and experience in Atlantic City.

"I was not aware of the police report; it is the first I've heard of any mafia connections."
Kim Jong-Un's regime said its sixth nuclear test was a hydrogen bomb that could be fitted onto a missile

The EU is preparing to boost its own sanctions against North Korea, the bloc's diplomatic chief said Thursday, as part of international efforts to punish the rogue state for its latest nuclear test.

The blast on Sunday, North Korea's sixth nuclear test and most powerful to date, triggered global condemnation and calls by the United States, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger UN Security Council sanctions against the North.

EU diplomatic chief Federica Mogherini said she would urge the bloc's foreign ministers meeting in Tallinn to support a new Security Council resolution and adopt tougher economic measures.

"Today we are facing a different level of threat that is clearly a threat to global peace and security and the entire non-proliferation regime," she said.

"I will put forward to ministers to work in the coming days to increase EU autonomous sanctions."

The EU already has a broad range of sanctions in place against the North, and while work on new measures will begin on Thursday, Mogherini said no formal decision was expected immediately.

"Our European line is very clear on this: more economic pressure, more diplomatic pressure, unity with the regional and international partners we have," she said.

After talks with the bloc's 28 foreign ministers, Mogherini said work would now begin on preparing new EU measures.

Fresh EU sanctions would likely target sectors of the North Korean economy that bring in the cash that funds the regime's nuclear programme -- ports, fishing and a possible oil embargo, a diplomat told AFP.

But Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser said there was limited scope for the EU to increase its sanctions.

"The EU measures on North Korea are the toughest, the strictest measures or sanctions that the EU is applying to any third country," he said.

"The trade relations between EU and North Korea are not massive by any measure. So there is only so far we can go further before hitting absolute zero."

Another option would be to blacklist Kim Jong-Un himself, a move that would freeze his assets in the EU and ban him from flying to or through its territory, the source said.

Washington has asked the UN to put an oil embargo on the North, but faces resistance from Russia and Pyongyang's chief ally China, which has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border.

A draft Security Council resolution seen by AFP takes aim directly at the North Korean leadership, proposing adding Kim to the UN's own sanctions blacklist.
(From L) Indian Army Chief Lieutenant General Bipin Rawat, Navy Chief Admiral Sunil Lanba and Air Force Chief Air Marshal Birender Singh Dhanoa pay homage at Rajghat, the memorial of India's founding father Mahatma Gandhi, in New Delhi

India's army chief has said his country must be prepared for war and accused China of "testing our limits", days after the nuclear-armed neighbours ended one of their worst border stand-offs in decades.

General Bipin Rawat said India could not afford to be complacent and should be prepared for the possibility of an all-out war.

"As far as our northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started," Rawat said late Wednesday at a Delhi-based think-tank, in reference to China.

"The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner... testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations which could gradually emerge into conflict."

"Whether these conflicts will be confined or limited in space and time or whether these can expand into an all-out war along the entire front (remains to be seen)," the Army chief said.

India and China went to war in 1962 over the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Last month, the two nations withdrew their troops to resolve a tense deadlock over part of a Himalayan plateau claimed by both China and Bhutan, an ally of India.

Rawat also said India's arch rival Pakistan -- an ally of China -- was likely to take advantage of the tensions.

"The western adversary taking advantage of the situation developing along the northern border is very much likely," he said.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence, two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, which both claim in full.
Israeli jets have frequently targeted government-hold positions in Syria, including on the Golan Heights as pictured here on June 25, 2017

Syria's army said Israeli air strikes on Thursday killed two people at a military facility in the country's west, a zone where the regime has been accused of developing chemical weapons.

"Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," the army said in a statement.

Masyaf is a town in western Syria, approximately 60 kilometres (40 miles) east of the coastal city of Tartus, where regime ally Russia maintains a naval base.

Syria's army operates a military facility north of Masyaf that includes a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

The United States has accused the SSRC of developing the sarin gas weapon allegedly used in a chemical attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April, which left dozens dead.

On Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators announced they had an "extensive body of information" indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the attack.

Syria's army did not mention the SSRC in its statement. The government has blasted accusations of chemical weapons use in Khan Sheikhun as "fabrications".

Since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, Israel has conducted several air strikes on the war-ravaged country.
While polls have indicated there is popular support in Australia for marriage equality, the issue has dragged on for more than a decade amid political wrangling

Australians are set to vote on legalising same-sex marriage, potentially ending years of political stalemate, after the nation's highest court Thursday threw out two challenges to a voluntary postal ballot.

There is popular support for changes to the marriage laws, but the issue has dragged on for more than a decade amid political wrangling.

In the latest effort to resolve the issue, the conservative government opted for a postal survey after an election pledge to hold a national referendum was twice rejected by the upper house Senate.

But it was challenged by two gay marriage advocacy groups, who said the government had exceeded its powers in funding the ballot without parliamentary approval.

On Tuesday, their challenges were thrown out by the High Court, paving the way for ballot papers to be sent out as scheduled next week, with results known in November.

"We encourage every Australian to vote in this survey, to have their say," Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, a supporter of same-sex rights, told parliament in Canberra after the court ruling.

"As I have said in this House and in many other places, Lucy (wife) and I will be voting 'yes' and I will be encouraging others to vote 'yes'."

If the majority of Australians vote "yes", the government will hold a free vote in parliament on the issue, with MPs not bound by party policy or the postal ballot's result.

If there is a "no" outcome, there will be no parliamentary vote.

"We are disappointed with the outcome," said Jonathon Hunyor, the head of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre, one of the groups that mounted the challenge.

"But we now need to focus on ending discrimination against same-sex couples and making marriage equality a reality."

- Courtesy and respect -

The voluntary postal vote was strongly opposed by many gay marriage supporters, who said it would be expensive and divisive, subjecting gay people and their families to hate speech.

Ahead of the court's decision, there were early signs the debate could turn toxic, with a poster emblazoned "stop the fags" put up in central Melbourne.

There were also flyers describing homosexuality as "a curse of death" distributed in suburban Sydney, sparking calls by the government for a respectful debate.

The government said safeguards would now be introduced via legislation to "support the fair and proper conduct" of the survey, which could include tighter advertising restrictions.

Australia's highest-profile gay politician, Labor opposition Senator Penny Wong, opposed the ballot along with her party but said it was time to make marriage equality a reality.

"We didn't want to be here but now we are here, let's win it. Let's get it done," Wong told reporters.

A leading group behind the "yes" vote, The Equality Campaign, said it would be "hitting the ground running with hundreds of thousands of supporters talking about why marriage equality matters".

Meanwhile, a key voice backing the "no" vote, the Australian Christian Lobby (ACL), said it would continue its campaign to inform Australians about the "consequences of changing the Marriage Act for them and their family".

This would include what ACL's managing director Lyle Shelton said would be the impact of the reforms on religious freedom and the rights of parents on whether their children would be taught "radical" gay programmes in schools.

Archbishop of Sydney Anthony Fisher said in a post on his archdiocese's website that the push for marriage reforms raised key questions for Australian Catholics.

"If the law is changed, will Catholic parishes, schools, hospitals and welfare agencies still be free to employ lay people who profess our values?," he asked.

The government has allocated Aus$122 million (US$96 million) for the postal ballot, with voting to close on November 7.
United States Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit. MICHAEL ALLAN CLARK, Petitioner - Appellant, v. DWIGHT NEVEN, Warden and ATTORNEY GENERAL OF THE STATE OF NEVADA Respondents - Appellees. No. 16-15612 Decided: September 05, 2017

Before: CALLAHAN and OWENS, Circuit Judges, and GILLIAM,*** District Judge.

MEMORANDUM*

Michael Allan Clark appeals from the denial of his petition for a writ of habeas corpus under 28 U.S.C.  2254(d). Clark challenges his state convictions for sexual assault of a minor under the age of 16 and preventing or dissuading a person from testifying or producing evidence. We have jurisdiction pursuant to 28 U.S.C.  1291, and we affirm the district court's denial.

1. The district court issued a certificate of appealability on the issue of whether the trial court erred in not allowing Clark himself (rather than his attorneys) to use his last peremptory challenge to remove a prospective juror, later known as Juror 9, because that person said that he would need to hear Clark's testimony. Clark does not address this issue on appeal, but instead reframes this issue as a challenge to the trial court's failure to dismiss the juror for cause. Clark's challenge to the trial court's failure to dismiss the juror for cause is outside the scope of the certificate of appealability, and was not raised before the trial court. Nor has Clark made a substantial showing of the denial of a constitutional right that warrants expanding the certificate of appealability. Andrews v. Davis,  F.3d , No. 09-99012, 2017 WL 3255161, at *28 (9th Cir. Aug. 1, 2017). Accordingly, we lack jurisdiction to consider the for-cause challenge. Id.

Even reviewing the claim actually certified for appeal, we find that the Nevada Supreme Court reasonably denied Clark's claim that the trial court violated his Sixth Amendment right to an impartial jury by refusing to allow him to challenge Juror 9. Clark had no right to sua sponte challenge a prospective juror for bias or otherwise override his counsel's trial strategy during voir dire. See McKaskle v. Wiggins, 465 U.S. 168, 183 (1984) (A defendant does not have a constitutional right to choreograph special appearances by counsel.); see also Jones v. Barnes, 463 U.S. 745, 751 (1983) (represented defendants retain ultimate authority over discrete, fundamental decisions such as whether to plead guilty, waive a jury, testify in his or her own behalf, or take an appeal) (citing Wainwright v. Sykes, 433 U.S. 72, 93 & n.1 (1977) (Burger, C.J., concurring)).

2. Clark contends that the Nevada Supreme Court unreasonably applied clearly established federal law and unreasonably determined the facts in denying his ineffective assistance of counsel claim based on his trial counsel's decision not to challenge Juror 9. Clark points out that the Nevada Supreme Court inaccurately stated that trial counsel used the last peremptory to challenge a prospective juror whose family member was the victim of a crime, when counsel actually declined to use the last peremptory to challenge Juror 9 because the next prospective juror had such a family member. But even if we assume this factual error formed the basis of the state court's opinion and apply de novo review, cf. Maxwell v. Roe, 628 F.3d 486, 506 (9th Cir. 2010), Clark still fails to establish that his counsel's performance was deficient under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984). The voir dire transcript confirms that Juror 9 had been properly rehabilitated when he stated that he would not penalize Clark should he not testify at trial. Moreover, had counsel used the last peremptory to challenge the juror, the next prospective jurorwhose family member was a victim of sexual assaultlikely would have been empaneled. Counsel's decision was therefore a reasonable tactical choice. See United States v. Mayo, 646 F.2d 369, 375 (9th Cir. 1981) (finding that a difference of opinion in trial strategy does not constitute ineffective assistance of counsel). Accordingly, Clark fails to establish, even under de novo review, that his counsel's performance was deficient under Strickland v. Washington, 466 U.S. 668 (1984).

3. The Nevada Supreme Court's denial of Clark's ineffective assistance claim based on his appellate counsel's decision not to raise the biased juror issue on direct appeal also was not contrary to or an unreasonable application of Strickland. Such decisions are virtually unchallengeable since counsel must make strategic determinations about the strength of myriad appellate arguments. Strickland, 466 U.S. at 690; see also Jones, 463 U.S. at 75054.

4. The record establishes that the trial court adequately inquired into any potential conflicts between Clark and his trial counsel. See Plumlee v. Masto, 512 F.3d 1204, 1211 (9th Cir. 2008) (en banc) (holding that a court has a duty to inquire into the problems with counsel when they were first raised). Clark never raised more than disagreements over strategy. The Nevada Supreme Court's denial, therefore, was neither contrary to nor an unreasonable application of federal law. See id.

5. The Nevada Supreme Court's denial of Clark's ineffective assistance claim against his trial counsel for failing to call a defense witness also was not contrary to or an unreasonable application of Strickland. Clark's trial counsel made a strategic decision not to introduce the testimony of Peggy Morris, and that choice was reasonable based on counsel's determination that she had difficulty communicating and understanding. See Jones, 463 U.S. at 751.

6. Similarly, the Nevada Supreme Court did not err in concluding that Clark's due process rights were not violated when the trial court refused to hold an evidentiary hearing as to Ms. Morris's competency, and excluded her out-of-court statements. Because Clark's counsel had conceded that Ms. Morris had difficulty communicating and understanding, the trial court reasonably concluded that any out-of-court statement from her would be unreliable, and therefore inadmissible hearsay. Montana v. Egelhoff, 518 U.S. 37, 4243 (1996) (holding that the exclusion of even relevant evidence does not violate due process unless it implicates a fundamental principle of justice); Taylor v. Illinois, 484 U.S. 400, 410 (1988) (defendant does not have an unfettered right to offer testimony that is incompetent, privileged, or otherwise inadmissible under the standard rules of evidence).

7. Viewing the evidence in the light most favorable to the prosecution, the Nevada Supreme Court did not unreasonably determine that there was sufficient evidence to establish Clark's guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. See Nev. Rev. Stat.  200.364, 200.366. The government introduced testimony from the victim that Clark grabbed her wrists, threw her on the bed, performed oral sex on her, and had intercourse with her without her consent. DNA consistent with Clark's was also found on her neck and breasts. To the extent there was any conflicting evidence, it is within the province of the jury to resolve conflicts in the testimony, to weigh the evidence, and to draw reasonable inferences from basic facts to ultimate facts. Jackson v. Virginia, 443 U.S. 307, 319 (1979).

8. In some cases, although no single trial error examined in isolation is sufficiently prejudicial to warrant reversal, the cumulative effect of multiple errors may still prejudice a defendant. United States v. Frederick, 78 F.3d 1370, 1381 (9th Cir. 1996) (citation omitted). Here, however, we find that the Nevada Supreme Court did not err in determining that no error, considered either individually or cumulatively, required reversal.

Accordingly, we affirm the district court's denial of Clark's 28 U.S.C.  2254 petition for a writ of habeas corpus.

AFFIRMED.

FOOTNOTES

. We assume, without deciding, that we may review the trial transcript despite the Nevada Supreme Court's explanation that Clark failed to include a transcript of the jury selection proceeding on appeal, requiring it to rely instead on other parts of the trial transcript. See Cullen v. Pinholster, 563 U.S. 170, 18087 (2011) (limiting habeas review to the record before the state court). But see McDaniels v. Kirkland, 813 F.3d 770, 780 (9th Cir. 2015) (en banc) (Federal courts sitting in habeas may consider the entire state-court record, not merely those materials that were presented to state appellate courts.).
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe (L) and Russian President Vladimir Putin pictured prior to a meeting at the 2017 Eastern Economic Forum hosted by the Far Eastern Federal University at Russky Island outside Vladivostok on September 7, 2017

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Thursday for the world to put the "greatest possible pressure" on North Korea to abandon its nuclear missile programme.

However Russian President Vladimir Putin said Pyongyang couldn't be intimidated and brushed off a renewed call for tighter sanctions by his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In as the three were in the Russian port city of Vladivostok for an economic forum.

"The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea," Abe said just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, which it described as a "perfect success".

"We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe insisted.

"North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said that imposing tighter sanctions on Pyongyang was not the way forward

Meanwhile the South Korean president said that "perhaps the time has come for stronger sanctions" on Pyongyang.

South Korea has pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia dismissed such a call, while China has also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.

On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off.

However, Putin once again said that imposing tighter sanctions was not the way forward.

"It is impossible to intimidate them," said the Russian leader.

"But I am convinced that we can avoid a large-scale conflict involving weapons of mass destruction and that we can resolve the problem by diplomatic means," said Putin.

"I hope that common sense prevails and the quicker that happens, the better."
Around 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the UN says

Some 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have now crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting between militants and Myanmar's military, the United Nations said on Thursday.

The latest figures means more than a quarter of a million Rohingya Muslims have fled Myanmar since fighting first broke out last October, plunging neighbouring Bangladesh into the middle of a major humanitarian catastrophe.

The most recent exodus was sparked by a military crackdown following a series of deadly raids by Rohingya militants on August 25.

A further 87,000 refugees had already fled to Bangladesh between October and August 25.

Myanmar's more than one million Rohingya are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions in the majority Buddhist country, which has come under increased criticism over its apartheid-like treatment of the Muslim minority.

Despite many living there for generations, they are viewed in Myanmar as illegal immigrants from Bangladesh.

Yet Bangladesh, which by last October already hosted some 400,000 Rohingya who had fled previous episodes of violence, also does not view them as its citizens making them the largest stateless community in the world.

The fighting is the most fierce Myanmar's western Rakhine state has witnessed in years.

The region, Myanmar's poorest state, has been a crucible of communal tensions between Buddhists and Muslims for years.

Myanmar says some 27,000 mainly ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have also fled in the opposite direction since August 25, accusing Rohingya militants of targeting their communities.

Earlier this year United Nations investigators said the Myanmar military's response to the ambushes had unleashed "devastating cruelty" on Rohingya civilians which may amount to ethnic cleansing.

Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson at the hands of Myanmar's army.

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

On Wednesday Suu Kyi said global sympathy for the Rohingyas was being generated by a "huge iceberg of misinformation".

Myanmar's government has placed the blame for the violence squarely on the militants, saying they are setting fire to their own homes.

In updated figures released by the authorities on Thursday, Myanmar said 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25.

They added some 30 civilians had been killed -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists -- in the fighting.

Myanmar's army has previously said it has killed around 430 Rohingya militants.
Indian people are seen wading through a flooded street last month during heavy rain showers in Mumbai

When Surekha Chiplunkar's home started to flood during recent heavy rains in Mumbai she knew exactly what to do -- she had to; catastrophe comes every year and no one else was going to help.

Her family's tiny ground floor apartment in central Mumbai is one of hundreds of thousands of homes in India's financial capital that regularly flood during the monsoon months of June to September.

"We grab all of our possessions and move to one of our neighbours on a higher floor until the water subsides," explains the 60-year-old.

Last week, as floods wreaked unaccustomed havoc across parts of Texas, global news coverage was dominated by scenes of Americans being winched to safety.

People in Houston, America's fourth biggest city, told reporters of their anguish at being forced from their homes by the unusually fierce Hurricane Harvey, as a sophisticated rescue and recovery operation revved into high gear.

President Donald Trump visited the affected area twice, while his vice president, Mike Pence, also went to assure Texans that the might of the US government was behind them, and would help them pick up the pieces in the wake of a storm that caused tens of billions of dollars' damage and killed around 60 people.

At the same time, half a world away, monsoon rains were dumping millions of gallons of water on India.

Mumbai, a city of around 20 million inhabitants where at least ten people died, was brought to a virtual standstill for two days.

But there were no prime ministerial visits; no pledges of national unity; no promises to help the slum dwellers rebuild their washed-away homes.

India largely shrugged and carried on, almost inured to a near-annual tragedy.

Surekha Chiplunkar, 60, stands in her house that has recently flooded, during an interview with AFP in Mumbai

"No one from the government comes to check to see if we have managed to survive the floods or not," said Chiplunker.

"People from top floors provide us with food during flooding as we cannot cook for ourselves."

The help provided by members of the community during a disaster is often referred to, usually by local newspapers and leaders, as the "spirit of Mumbai".

- 'Financial loss' -

Many of the homes that flood in Mumbai are shanties packed tightly into narrow dark alleyways lining the city's sprawling slums.

Jadhav, 21, an Indian engineering student looks out from the window of his house that had earlier flooded in Mumbai

The slums, where over 50 percent of Mumbai's population live, become covered in a sea of blue tarpaulin every monsoon as residents try to keep out whatever rain they can.

But sturdily-built houses flood as well. Chiplunkar, her three sons, one daughter-in-law and two grandchildren, live in a basic flat built in an old chawl, or tenement, which used to house Mumbai's mill workers.

"We prepare for every monsoon by packing our belongings in plastic covers and keeping buckets ready," Aditya Jadhav, who lives in the one-room apartment opposite, tells AFP.

The speed with which the rain fell -- more than 315 millimetres (12 inches) in just a few hours -- caught both families by surprise this year though.

"We were shocked. A lot of our valuables were damaged this time including a refrigerator and washing machine, causing us a lot of financial loss," says Chiplunkar.

- British-era drains -

Activists claim Mumbai's susceptibility to floods has worsened in recent years due to a rapid construction boom that is trying to keep up with the city's swelling population.

They blame many in power as well as property developers for an insatiable desire to make money from luxury residential tower developments built on reclaimed land.

People wade through a flooded street during heavy rain showers in Mumbai, India last month

An estimated 40 percent of Mumbai's mangrove cover, which is extremely effective in helping to drain water, has been destroyed over the past decade to make way for glitzy high-rises.

"Mumbai's estuaries have been tampered with and there is no space for water to flow out," Stalin D, a director of the environmental non-profit organisation Vanashakti, told AFP.

Mumbai's drainage system was built by the British in the 1860s when the population was a tenth of what it is now. Many drains are full of rubbish and desilting operations are often inadequate, activists say.

While Chiplunkar and her neighbours are used to fleeing the floods at short notice, there's one aspect they can never get used to -- cleaning up on their return.

"All of us fall sick as the water is very dirty and sometimes we find dead rats in it. The children are particularly prone to getting diseases," she says.
Myanmar's de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been criticised for her administration's dismissal of concerns about rights abuses against the Rohingya and its refusal to grant visas to UN officials tasked with investigating the claims

Rohingya Muslims are once more fleeing in droves into Bangladesh, trying to escape the latest surge in violence in Rakhine state between a shadowy militant group and Myanmar's military.

It is the newest chapter in the grim recent history of the Rohingya, a people of about one million reviled in Myanmar as illegal immigrants and denied citizenship.

This is a fact box on them:

- Who are they? -

The Rohingya are the world's largest stateless community and of one of its most persecuted minorities.

Using a dialect similar to that spoken in Chittagong in southeast Bangladesh, the Sunni Muslims are loathed by many in majority-Buddhist Myanmar who see them as illegal immigrants and call them "Bengali" -- even though many have lived in Myanmar for generations.

They are not officially recognised as an ethnic group, partly due to a 1982 law stipulating that minorities must prove they lived in Myanmar prior to 1823 -- before the first Anglo-Burmese war -- to obtain nationality.

Most live in the impoverished western state of Rakhine but are denied citizenship and harassed by restrictions on movement and work.

More than half a million also live in Bangladeshi camps, although Dhaka only recognises a small portion as refugees.

Sectarian violence between the Rohingya and local Buddhist communities broke out in 2012, leaving more than 100 dead and the state segregated along religious lines.

More than 120,000 Rohingya fled over the following five years to Bangladesh and Southeast Asia, often braving perilous sea journeys controlled by brutal trafficking gangs.

Then last October things got much worse.

- What happened in October? -

Despite decades of persecution, the Rohingya largely eschewed violence.

But in October a small and previously unknown militant group -- the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) -- staged a series of well coordinated and deadly attacks on security forces.

More than half a million Rohingya live in Bangladeshi camps, although Dhaka only recognises a small portion as refugees

Myanmar's military responded with a massive security crackdown that UN investigators said unleashed "devastating cruelty" on the Rohingya that may amount to ethnic cleansing.

More than 250,000 new refugees have since flooded into Bangladesh bringing with them harrowing stories of murder, rape and burned villages.

A majority of those arrivals -- 164,000 -- have come in the past 12 days in the aftermath of a new series of ARSA ambushes and a subsequent Myanmar army crackdown.

Some 27,000 ethnic Rakhine Buddhists have also fled in the opposite direction saying Rohingya militants have murdered members of their community.

- Why is Suu Kyi being criticised? -

De facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi has faced widespread criticism for her stance on the Rohingya.

Her administration has dismissed concerns about rights abuses and refused to grant visas to UN officials tasked with investigating such allegations.

On Wednesday she said sympathy for the Rohingya was being generated by a "huge iceberg of misinformation".

Analysts say Suu Kyi is hampered by the politically incendiary nature of the issue in Myanmar and the fact she has little control over the military.

Hatred towards the Rohingya is profound, particularly among Myanmar's Bamar majority, making speaking up for them a potentially politically suicidal move.

But detractors say Suu Kyi is one of the few people with the mass appeal and moral authority in Myanmar to swim against the tide on the issue.

- What can be done? -

In the short term aid agencies say they need a major international drive to provide for the huge influx of arrivals in Bangladesh's already overstretched camps.

They have also been unable to distribute food aid in northern Rakhine since the fighting began.

After a year-long review on how to return peace to Rakhine state, former UN Secretary General Kofi Annan recommended an end to the state-sanctioned persecution of the Rohingya and an investment drive to alleviate poverty among Muslims and Buddhists

Longer term solutions are even more problematic.

Suu Kyi's government commissioned former UN chief Kofi Annan to lead a year-long review on how peace can be brought back to Rakhine.

It published its findings last month.

Among its recommendations was an end to the state-sanctioned persecution of the Rohingya and a path to citizenship for them, as well as an investment drive to alleviate poverty among both Muslims and Buddhists in Rakhine.

The report was widely welcomed internationally with calls for Myanmar's government to swiftly implement its findings, which they have previously vowed to do.

But within hours of the report's release, renewed fighting broke out sparking the latest exodus.
Israeli jets have frequently targeted government-held positions in Syria, including on the Golan Heights as pictured here on June 25, 2017

Syria's army accused Israeli warplanes of hitting one of its positions Thursday, killing two people in an attack that a monitor said targeted a site where the regime allegedly produces chemical weapons.

Israel, without confirming it was behind the attack, indirectly warned Syria and its Shiite allies, which have gained the upper hand militarily in the country's war, that the Jewish state would do everything to prevent any "Shiite corridor from Tehran to Damascus".

The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, is reportedly used by forces from Syria's allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Israel has previously carried out strikes believed to be targeting the transfer of weapons to its archfoe Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with the Jewish state in 2006.

Thursday's strike hit a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), an institution that Washington has accused of helping develop the sarin gas used in a deadly attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April.

President Bashar al-Assad's government has blasted such accusations as "fabrications," and Syria's army on Thursday did not mention the SSRC in its statement on the Israeli strikes.

"Israeli warplanes at 2:42 am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," the statement said.

"Syria's army warns of the serious repercussions of such acts of aggression on the security and stability of the region," it added.

- No 'Shiite corridor' -

A poster bearing an image of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (R) and Hassan Nasrallah, head of Lebanese Shiite movement Hezbollah, is seen in Damascus on September 7, 2017

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said the strikes hit the SSRC, though it could not confirm what weaponry is produced there.

"There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hezbollah also uses the facility," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

"The research centre was definitely damaged in the strikes. There is a huge fire emanating from a weapons warehouse where missiles were being stored," he added.

Israel's Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman issued a stern warning just hours after the air strike.

"We are determined to prevent our enemies harming, or even creating an opportunity to harm, the security of Israeli citizens," he said.

"We shall do everything in order not to allow the existence of a Shiite corridor from Tehran to Damascus."

And the head of Israeli military intelligence, Major General Herzl Halevi, issued a warning to the Jewish state's enemies "near and far".

"Our enemies in every arena know very well the combination of (our) precise intelligence and operational capabilities," Halevi said, also without directly referring to Syria.

Syria's foreign ministry in messages to the United Nations secretary general and the Security Council accused Israel of "protecting terrorists" by carrying out the strikes, state media reported.

"It is unacceptable that the Security Council has not yet taken any action to end these attacks," it added.

Earlier in Israel, former national security advisor Yaakov Amidror described the facility struck as a key centre for the research and development of arms including chemical weapons.

- Chemical attack -

A Syrian child receives treatment following a chemical attack in Khan Sheikhun on April 4, 2017

He said Israel had made it clear that "we will not allow Iran and Hezbollah to build the capabilities which allow them to attack Israel from Syria."

"And we will not allow them to build the capabilities of Hezbollah under the chaotic umbrella of Syria."

Earlier this week, Israel's military began a massive exercise simulating conflict with Hezbollah, the largest drill in nearly two decades.

Hezbollah is a key ally of Assad's regime, and its fighters battle alongside the Syrian army.

Syria's government claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal, following a chemical weapons attack outside the capital.

But in 2016, a UN-led investigative body said the Syrian government was behind at least three chemical attacks in northern Syria in the previous two years.

And on Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators announced they had an "extensive body of information" indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the deadly April 4 attack on Khan Sheikhun.

A fact-finding mission by the UN's chemical watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), concluded earlier this year that sarin gas was used in the attack but did not assign blame.

The attack killed at least 87 people, according to the Observatory, and prompted the United States to launch a cruise missile strike on a Syrian military airport where it said the attack had originated.

Weeks later, the US sanctioned 271 Syrian chemists and other officials affiliated with the SSRC, which it said was behind the Syrian government's efforts to develop chemical weapons.
Posters for and against Hong Kong's independence from China at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Students in the city have accused universities of supressing freedom of speech after banners calling for independence were taken down

Hong Kong students have accused their universities of suppressing freedom of speech after banners and signs calling for the city's independence from China were taken down from campuses.

The move has fuelled fears that freedoms are being squeezed in the semi-autonomous city and that Beijing is tightening its grip in a range of areas, from politics to media and education.

Since the failure of mass Umbrella Movement rallies to win democratic reform in 2014, some young campaigners say they want to see Hong Kong split completely from the mainland, a concept that infuriates Beijing.

The latest row began on Monday when a large black banner reading "HK Independence" appeared at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. It is not clear who put it up.

The student union there said it was taken down the same day.

A letter from the university's office of student affairs Tuesday, which was posted on the student union's Facebook page, warned pro-independence views violated Hong Kong law and said any more "improper" items would be removed.

"The related opinions have violated relevant Hong Kong legislation, and violate the school's consistent and absolute opposition of Hong Kong independence," the letter said.

The student union questioned how putting a political opinion went against Hong Kong's mini-constitution, the Basic Law, which guarantees freedom of speech.

In a statement it said it felt "deep regret" at the move.

"The union will do its utmost to safeguard students' autonomy and freedom of speech," the statement added.

Another large black banner and over 200 small posters calling for independence were still up at the university's campus Thursday.

Multiple university unions said pro-independence signs had been taken down from their "Democracy Walls" -- areas managed by students and used to express political opinions.

A statement from the student union at the Education University of Hong Kong strongly condemned the school for "intervening in students' autonomy and suppressing freedom of speech".

The Open University student union said the removal of signs showed institutions had "overstepped their authority" in a statement.

But mainland Chinese students at CUHK said they agreed with the move.

"These comments make me feel uncomfortable and isolated from Hong Kong," one 22-year-old who gave his name as Horan told AFP.

Another mainland Chinese student who did not want to be identified put up anti-independence signs at the university Thursday.

"Hong Kong cannot be taken away from China, it's a part of China," he said.

A video posted on Facebook by citizen journalist platform Socrec Tuesday showed a woman speaking English and Mandarin Chinese -- the dominant language in mainland China -- angrily ripping down posters at CUHK depicting Hong Kong's skyline on fire with the words: "Fight for our homeland, fight for Hong Kong independence".

The city was handed back to China by Britain in 1997 under a "one country, two systems" deal that allows it rights unseen on the mainland, but there are growing fears those liberties are disappearing.
A bride poses for a photo at a hotel the night before taking part in a mass wedding ceremony held by the Unification Church in Gapyeong

Thousands of Unification Church couples took part in a mass wedding Thursday to mark the fifth anniversary of the death of its founder Sun Myung Moon, revered as a messiah by his followers.

Around 4,000 couples from 64 countries crowded the hall in Gapyeong, organisers said, just over half of them getting married and the rest blessing existing unions.

The grooms and brides sat in rows of white plastic chairs, some fidgeting nervously while others took selfies showing off their wedding rings before giant posters of Moon.

"I feel so nervous," said Davison Zulu, a 20-year-old from Zambia, adding it was a moment he and his bride had waited for "for so long".

"Reverend Moon to me, he simply means the messiah and the sign of good," he said.

Moon died of complications from pneumonia in 2012 at the age of 92, leaving behind a church noted for its mass weddings and diverse business interests.

At first the ceremonies involved just a few dozen couples but numbers mushroomed over the years. In 1997, 30,000 couples tied the knot in Washington, and two years later around 21,000 filled the Olympic Stadium in Seoul.

At first the ceremonies involved just a few dozen couples but numbers mushroomed over the years. In 1997, 30,000 couples tied the knot in Washington, and two years later around 21,000 filled the Olympic Stadium in Seoul

In addition to those getting married in Gapyeong, 20,000 more couples took part in Thursday's ceremony remotely by internet.

During his lifetime, they were often personally matched by Moon, who taught that romantic love led to sexual promiscuity, mismatched couples and dysfunctional societies.

He often preferred cross-cultural marriages, arguing that in God's eyes there were no such things as nationality or skin colour, and that such unions were a way to promote peace.

They also meant that couples sometimes shared no common language.

- 'Heavenly parents' -

Moon was born in what is now North Korea and was sentenced to five years hard labour in 1948 by Communist authorities for preaching in public. Escaping during the Korean War, he founded the church in the South in 1954, proclaiming himself a messiah.

Its followers -- who refer to him as True Father and his widow as True Mother -- were dubbed "Moonies" and critics accused it of being a cult.

Around 4,000 couples from 64 countries attended the ceremony in Gapyeong, just over half of them getting married and the rest blessing existing unions

Moon later served nearly 12 months in prison for tax evasion in a US federal penitentiary.

But the church now claims around three million members worldwide.

"We pray that your sun will rise and the light of truth will evaporate all suffering from this earth," his daughter Sun Jin Moon told the event.

Some followers lined up outside and bowed in formation while laying flowers on a long table.

In recent years, matchmaking responsibilities have largely shifted towards parents and the emergence of social media has made it easier for the bride and groom to "connect" before their wedding.

Vanessa from Singapore was introduced to her groom Ewald Schenkermayr, a 30-year-old from Austria, by her parents and kept in touch through emails and Skype conversations.

"We felt really close from the first Skype session," Vanessa said, adding that going through her prospective husband's Facebook page also helped getting to know him better.

Moon often preferred cross-cultural marriages, arguing that in God's eyes there were no such things as nationality or skin colour, and that such unions were a way to promote peace

"I just know more things about him, that he likes to travel and he likes coffee and heavy metal music."

Tying the knot in the mass wedding was more meaningful as everyone in the hall was family to them, she added.

"Everyone is also brother and sister," she said. It "makes everything more memorable and precious because all of us are sharing this precious moment together centering upon our heavenly parents".
Paolo Duterte (L) and Manases Carpio (R) denied accusations that they helped facilitate the shipment of crystal methamphetamine worth 6.4 billion pesos ($125.4 million) into the Philippines from China in exchange for payment

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's son and son-in-law denied allegations Thursday that they belonged to a drug trafficking gang, with the explosive claims raising questions about the government's bloody anti-narcotics crackdown.

Duterte came to power last year promising to wage a brutal and unprecedented war on drugs. Since then, police have killed around 3,800 suspects in anti-narcotics operations, while thousands of other people have been murdered in unexplained circumstances.

His son Paolo Duterte and son-in-law Manases Carpio appeared at a Senate inquiry Thursday to answer accusations that they helped facilitate the shipment of crystal methamphetamine worth 6.4 billion pesos ($125.4 million) into the Philippines from China in exchange for payment.

The allegations emerged last month when a customs broker told the Senate panel that he had heard the names of Duterte's son and son-in-law mentioned while seeking to expedite the shipment.

The broker later issued a statement clearing the two men of involvement.

But opposition senator Antonio Trillanes at the inquiry accused Duterte's son of belonging to a drug trafficking gang, saying the 42-year-old had a tattoo on his back, resembling a dragon, that was "proof... of his membership" in the gang.

Paolo Duterte, vice-mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the panel that he had a tattoo but said he could not answer allegations based on hearsay.

"The law of karma will operate especially to those with evil intent," he added in a apparent swipe at Trillanes, an arch-critic of the president.

Carpio, who is married to Davao city mayor Sara Duterte, also rejected allegations against their family.

"Me and my brother-in-law have been publicly crucified based on rumours and gossip," said Carpio, a lawyer.

"I have no knowledge of or involvement in the illegal drugs shipment."

The sensational allegations have captured the attention of Filipinos, many of whom back the president's vow to pursue an unrelenting war against drug traffickers.

Duterte, 72, has said he would be "happy to slaughter" three million Filipino drug addicts, even as critics warn the deaths of thousands of people killed in the crackdown may amount to a crime against humanity.

Duterte has denied ever inciting police or vigilantes to commit mass murder.

In speeches, he had encouraged his son to attend the hearing but advised him to invoke his "right of silence".

Detained opposition senator Leila De Lima last month accused the president of hypocrisy over his son's case.

"Let us look at the issue involving the 6.4 billion pesos worth of (illegal drugs) in the Bureau of Customs where the presidential son Paolo Duterte is being implicated," she said.

"(Rodrigo) Duterte has said a mouthful about killing the poor caught with small grams of shabu but his silence on the tonnes of illegal drugs that slipped past customs is deafening."
Aung San Suu Kyi was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991

Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's peace prize over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims.

But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account.

The Change.Org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of Thursday, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants.

"The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition says.

Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country's first credible elections since independence.

But her government has faced international condemnation for the army's response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers.

The United Nations said Thursday that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October.

Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called "a huge iceberg of misinformation" over the crisis, "with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists".

In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed.

"Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize -- whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace -- can be revoked," he told AFP.

"Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee," he said, and not any subsequent actions.
Researchers at Chiang Mai university said they had identified two brand new species and confirmed that tuber magnatum -- the same species as Italy's much sought after white truffle -- had been found in a national park in northwestern Thailand

Gastronomes of the world delight. Two new types of truffle have been unearthed in Thailand's far north, scientists announced Thursday in what they called a first for Southeast Asia.

Researchers at Chiang Mai university said they had identified two brand new species and confirmed that tuber magnatum -- the same species as Italy's much sought after white truffle -- had been found in a national park surrounding Mount Suthep in northwestern Thailand.

"We confirmed that they are truffles both from their DNA and their physical look," Jaturong Khamla, one of the researchers, told AFP following the publication of their paper.

The first species, a white-coloured truffle, was discovered in 2014 and has been given the name tuber thailanddicum.

The second one, brown on the outside but with a white interior, was found in 2015 and has been named tuber lannaense.

Then in 2017 the team found another type of white truffle which DNA tests confirmed is the already known species tuber magnatum.

While foodies may be salivating at the new discovery, Jaturong said his team were more preoccupied with confirming whether the truffles were new species than whether they tasted delicious.

"The white truffle (thailanddicum) is similar to the Italian white truffle but they have a mild smell and are smaller," he said.

Jaturong said his team specialised in fungi and had discovered around 60 types of new mushroom species in the last 18 years.

But this was the first time they had identified truffles.

"These are first truffles found in a tropical climate," a press release announcing the discovery said.

Thailand's mountainous north often experiences cooler and wetter weather than the kind of year-round tropical heat experienced in the rest of the country -- conditions more suitable for growing truffles.
This file picture from April 5, 2016 shows Bahraini protesters clashing with riot police in the Shiite village of Shahrakkan, south of Manama

Bahrain announced Thursday it has pressed charges against 25 men over an attack on police in the Gulf kingdom, where a crackdown on dissent has drawn criticism from rights groups.

Lawyers for the defendants said all of them were Shiite Muslims, who form the majority of the population in the Sunni-ruled country.

The public prosecutor's office said the 25 -- including 14 already in detention -- stand accused of a February 26 bombing that wounded four officers in a bus near Jaw village, southeast of the capital Manama.

They are charged with receiving military training in Iraq and Shiite-dominated Iran, which Bahrain has accused of inciting 2011 protests demanding an elected government that continue to this day. Iran has denied involvement.

The charges also include alleged weapons smuggling and manufacturing, establishing or joining a terrorist group and attempted murder.

The first hearing is scheduled for October 19.

Jaw is home to a prison where Bahraini Shiites convicted over anti-government protests are frequently held.

The facility in January was the site of a prison break that saw 10 inmates escape.

Tiny but strategic Bahrain, home to the US Fifth Fleet, has been rocked by unrest since the authorities crushed Shiite-led protests in 2011 demanding a constitutional monarchy and an elected prime minister.

Hundreds of protestors, mainly but not exclusively Shiites, have been arrested and many face trials over their role in the demonstrations.

Bahrain's parliament this year approved a constitutional amendment granting military courts the right to try civilians charged with terrorism, a vaguely defined legal term in the archipelago.

Human rights watchdog Amnesty International on Thursday accused Bahrain of retreating from promised reforms and "dramatically" escalating a clampdown on political dissent over the past year.
Sri Lankan aide to former president Mahinda Rajapakse, Lalith Weeratunga (3L), and former director-general of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission Anusha Palpita (R) have been jailed for corruption

Sri Lanka's High Court jailed a top civil servant for three years Thursday in the first corruption sanction against a member of former president Mahinda Rajapakse's government.

Lalith Weeratunga was also fined two million rupees and ordered to pay 50 million in damages for spending 600 million rupees ($4 million) of state cash on Rajapakse's failed re-election bid in 2015.

Weeratunga, then head of the civil service and Rajapakse's most senior aide, was found guilty of misappropriating money belongining to the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), which he chaired.

The TRC director-general of the time Anusha Palpita was also jailed for three years for allowing its cash to be diverted to promote Rajapakse's election bid.

The court was told that 600 million rupees in gifts of textiles was given to Buddhist devotees along with Rajapakse's election propoganda material.

Election officials told the court they were aware of the distribution of parcels of cloth to voters and ruled it a violation of election laws.

"The charges against the two accused have been proved beyond reasonable doubt," High Court judge Gihan Kulatunga said.

The ex-president and his relatives controlled nearly 70 percent of Sri Lanka's national budget during his rule that ended in January 2015, when he was defeated at the polls by former ally Maithripala Sirisena.

The new president has vowed to investigate allegations that members of Rajapakse's family and officials siphoned off billions of dollars from the country during his nearly 10-year rule.

Two of Rajapakse's three sons, including legislator Namal, have been charged with money laundering. Those cases are still pending.

The former president himself is not under investigation.

But Finance Minister Mangala Samaraweera announced recently that five billion rupees ($33 million) in bank deposits belonging to members of the last government have been frozen pending money laundering investigations.
Officials inspect bomb damage in the basement of the Air India building, one of a series of bombs that rocked Mumbai in March 1993

An Indian court sentenced two convicts to death Thursday in connection with the country's deadliest bombings, a series of blasts that rocked Mumbai two decades ago and claimed more than 250 lives.

Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and Taher Merchand were convicted of conspiracy and murder in the 1993 blasts and handed the death penalty in the case's final sentencing on Thursday.

"It was a historic judgement and its impact will reverberate for years," public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam told AFP.

A key figure in the attacks, Abu Salem, was sentenced to life imprisonment, along with Karimullah Khan, for their roles in the 12 bomb blasts that killed 257 people and injured hundreds more.

India had to agree that Salem would not receive the death penalty when he was extradited from Portugal.

A fifth man, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to 10 years in prison, Nikam said.

The sentences come after a special court in Mumbai convicted the men in June on a range of offences in the attacks. Another accused, Mustafa Dossa, died of a heart attack shortly after the convictions.

The court had acquitted a seventh man, Abdul Quayyum, for lack of evidence.

The men were found guilty of involvement in coordinated bomb attacks on the Mumbai stock exchange, the headquarters of Air India and a shopping centre in March 1993.

The attacks were believed to have been staged by Mumbai's Muslim-dominated underworld in retaliation for anti-Muslim violence that had killed more than 1,000 people a few months earlier.

Salem went on the run after the 1993 attacks and was only extradited from Portugal in 2005.

Salem is a former associate of Dawood Ibrahim, India's most wanted criminal, who allegedly masterminded the 1993 blasts.

Thursday's hearing concluded the long-running case that at its outset involved 189 defendants.

The culprits sentenced Thursday were detained and tried separately from other suspects in the case as they were arrested towards the end of a previous trial, in which 11 people were sentenced to hang for perpetrating the deadly blasts.

Ten of those earlier sentences were later commuted to life in prison while one, Yakub Memon, was executed in 2015 -- a decade after he was convicted under controversial anti-terror legislation that is no longer on the statute books.

"Some defendants have absconded from India and others are serving their sentences in jail. Only three convicts have received death penalty so far," Nikam said.

The attack also embroiled Bollywood star Sanjay Dutt, who served time for buying weapons from gangsters accused of orchestrating the bombings before walking free last year.
The bodies of Rohingya refugees are brought to the shore of the Naf river in Ukhiya, Bangladesh by fellow Rohingyas on September 6, 2017

Five Rohingya villagers whose distraught relatives say they were shot dead by the Myanmar military were buried Thursday in Bangladesh at a mass funeral attended by hundreds of people after their bodies were carried across the border.

The relatives said the victims had been killed by the Myanmar military on Wednesday, a claim that could not be independently confirmed but tallies with multiple accounts of killings in Rohingya villages.

Their bodies were brought across the Naf river on a boat, landing on a remote stretch where thousands of Rohingya refugees have been streaming into Bangladesh over the last fortnight.

Sufia Begum, an elderly Rohingya woman aboard, said she had relatives among the dead.

"They were all killed," she wept, pointing to a lifeless man covered in plastic sheeting and another corpse wrapped in cloth.

They were buried on Thursday in a Muslim graveyard along with a sixth man who died of unknown causes.

One victim, identified by survivors as the imam of their village mosque in Myanmar, had sustained a gunshot wound to the head.

"Five of them had bullet wounds," Chailau Marma, deputy police chief of Cox's Bazar, which borders Myanmar, told AFP.

"Relatives of the deceased carried the bodies into Bangladesh after they failed to bury them in Myanmar. They all died yesterday."

Myanmar's more than one million Rohingya are denied citizenship and face severe restrictions in the majority Buddhist country, which has come under increased criticism over its apartheid-like treatment of the Muslim minority.

UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year has unleashed "devastating cruelty" on civilians which may amount to ethnic cleansing.

On Thursday the UN said 164,000 refugees have now crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting between militants and Myanmar's military.

The fighting is the fiercest Myanmar's western Rakhine state has witnessed in years.

Columns of Rohingya civilians arrived steadily throughout Wednesday from the jungles along the border, carrying infants, chickens and their belongings bundled in sacks.

Long queues formed to cross a collapsed bridge over a marshy river, with elderly civilians with canes and infants being carried across the impasse.

Many have brought allegations of homes being torched and villagers shot and hacked to death by Myanmar troops.

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

Marium Begum, who crossed by river into Bangladesh on Wednesday, said soldiers had opened fire as she and her family tried to flee their village.

"They shot over our heads. We submerged ourselves underwater. The children swallowed a lot of water," she told AFP.

"There were many of them. They had long machetes."

Bangladesh border guards also allowed a Rohingya couple to be buried in Bangladesh after they were shot dead and the wife gang-raped when they went back into Myanmar to retrieve their belongings, commander Manzurul Hasan Khan, told AFP.
Since President Paul Kagame's re-election on August 4 with 99 percent of the vote, police in Rwanda have targeted a string of political opponents for questioning or arrest

Several leaders from two Rwandan parties not recognised by the authorities have been arrested, police and opposition officials said Thursday.

Since President Paul Kagame's re-election on August 4 with 99 percent of the vote, police in Rwanda have targeted a string of political opponents for questioning or arrest.

Kagame and his rebel army ended the 1994 genocide and he is credited with creating a peaceful country since then, but he is also widely criticised for suppressing basic freedoms.

Diane Rwigara, who was blocked from challenging Kagame in the August election, was arrested by police in recent days along with some family members.

A statement from the FDU-Inkingi party, whose leader Victoire Ingabire was jailed in 2013 on charges of denying the genocide and terrorism, said three senior party officials had been arrested in Rwanda on Wednesday along with a party employee and a security guard.

Party spokesman Justin Bahunga issued a statement from exile in Britain condemning the arrests as "intimidation".

"This wave of arrest comes after that of the Diane Rwigara family and seeks to completely silence the dissenting voices of the democratic opposition in Rwanda," he said.

Another party, the PDP-Imanzi, also announced the arrest in Kigali of its vice-president, Jean-Marie Vianney Kayumba.

Neither the FDU-Inkingi nor the PDP-Imanzi are recognised by authorities.

Police said Wednesday it was "holding seven individuals linked to armed groups operating in a neighbouring country". Four FDU-Inkingi officials were among the names listed by police.

In the past Rwanda has accused opponents -- including Ingabire -- of links to the FDLR, a Rwandan rebel group exiled in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo since 1994 and including among its leaders some of those responsible for the genocide.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to expel Al-Jazeera which he accuses of incitement

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has banned Al-Jazeera's Jerusalem bureau chief from attending a seminar about freedom of speech, officials said, the latest move against the broadcaster by the Israeli leader.

The Israeli government press office said late Wednesday that Netanyahu had demanded Walid Al-Omary be excluded from the conference taking place on Thursday.

The event was focused on the limits of freedom of expression.

The press office said Netanyahu reiterated his intention to close Al-Jazeera in Israel and called for "legal measures to be taken to prevent the accreditation of all Al-Jazeera journalists."

In July Netanyahu announced plans to expel Al-Jazeera after accusing it of incitement.

Israel had also announced it would withdraw accreditation of one of the broadcaster's journalists, Elias Karam, but he has since been given a six-month reprieve.

Amnesty International called the Israeli moves a "brazen attack on media freedom."

Al-Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar, has also been banned by the gas-rich Gulf state's rivals in recent months.

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt broke ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of fostering extremism and demanding Al-Jazeera's closure.

Al-Jazeera has nearly 80 offices around the world and broadcasts in several languages.

It played a key role during the Arab Spring uprisings, but its detractors accuse it of supporting Islamist movements across the region.
Tikpi Atchadam, the head of the Panafrican National Party (PNP), comes from Togo's north, where leaders have traditionally supported the regime

The residents of Togo's coastal capital, Lome, are used to seeing supporters of veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre pounding the streets in protest.

But the opposition had never succeeded in coming together as it did this week, when a tide of humanity turned out against President Faure Gnassingbe and his government.

Not until Tikpi Atchadam, the head of the Panafrican National Party (PNP), emerged on the scene, joining his party to Fabre's already established movement.

The tireless Fabre, 65, who has protested for years, has always been held up by the ruling party as a man from the south.

Atchadam, on the other hand, is from the north -- just like Gnassingbe and his father before him.

Northern political leaders have traditionally supported the regime, according to Farida Nabourema, a Togolese activist and author.

"We've always given the impression in Togo that northerners govern and yet the north has always been neglected in terms of infrastructure and investment," she said.

"The opposition has to get together to stop this excuse."

- Rapid rise -

Critics have called Atchadam a Muslim who only talks about his ethnic group, the Tem.

But after years of opposition campaigning and fruitless talks with the government over constitutional reform, he has managed to shake up a virtually paralysed political scene.

"Don't look at my scars," the 50-year-old told AFP, referring to his face and its tribal markings. "Listen instead to what I have to say."

At Wednesday's huge protests against Gnassingbe, who came to power in 2005 after the death of his father, Atchadam spoke clearly, knowing exactly what to say to stir up the crowd.

Before Atchadam, the opposition had never succeeded in coming together as it did this week, when a tide of humanity turned out against President Faure Gnassingbe and his government

The head of the PNP is no political novice. He left the Democratic Party for Renewal (PDR) in 2007 when its leader moved closer to the ruling party.

He then left public life to plot his return to the opposition.

The PNP was created in 2014, has no representation in Togo's parliament and Atchadam himself has never run for president.

He built his support base in the central city of Sokode, some 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of Lome, where at least two people were killed in anti-government protests last month.

Financial and diplomatic backing has come from the Togolese diaspora, particularly in Germany.

His rapid rise in Togolese politics at the end of 2016 and last month's protests were a wake-up call for the government.

He has also become a real threat, as he asked Fabre to join him rather than going it alone with his northern support base.

- 'March!' -

The PNP rally in Sokode on August 19 undoubtedly left its mark and gave Fabre a much-needed boost.

At the end of last month, Fabre's National Alliance for Change (ANC) and Atchadam's PNP came together successfully to hold a day-long shutdown in Lome.

But few would have expected the numbers who took to the streets across the country on Tuesday. Fabre himself put the crowd at more than one million -- in a country of 7.6 million.

"March! It's you who are going to liberate the regime," Atchadam told the crowd, urging them to meet again the next day.

Veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre, 65, who has protested for years, has always been held up by the ruling party as a man from the south

"You have always demanded a united opposition. It is here, from the youngest to the oldest, it's here."

Atchadam wore comfortable training shoes during his speech, as did his new ally Fabre, who waited his turn to address his supporters, angry at 50 years of rule by the Gnassingbe family.

But ANC supporters sitting cross-legged on the dusty ground in the blazing heat were clear: "'Tikpi' is here, we're supporting him, but Fabre is still our president," said one.

Asked about his political programme, Atchadam is vague, promising that he will reveal all "in due course".

"At the moment, the priority is our unity of action. Tomorrow, when democracy is installed, every party will show its hand," he promised.
The latest UN figures suggest that nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims have fled since fighting first broke out last October

More than a quarter of a million mostly Rohingya refugees have fled from Myanmar into Bangladesh, the United Nations said Thursday, as bodies washed up after boats sank attempting to cross the river that divides the countries.

In the last two weeks alone 164,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams.

Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.

Police in Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river.

Bangladesh border guards say desperate Rohingya are attempting to cross using small fishing boats that are dangerously overcrowded.

Rohingya Muslims: stateless and fleeing

At least five capsized, leaving more than 60 people dead, police and border guards say.

Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat after fleeing her township in Rakhine.

"People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink," she told AFP inside Bangladesh.

"Most managed to swim ashore but the children were missing."

- 'Starving to death' -

Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson by Myanmar's army.

Most have walked for days and the United Nations says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food and water.

The camps which hosted around 400,000 refugees before the latest influx are now completely overwhelmed, leaving tens of thousands of new arrivals with nowhere to shelter from the monsoon rains.

Mazor Mustafa, a Bangladeshi businessman handing out food and rehydration fluids, said food was running low as more people arrived.

Around 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have crossed into Bangladesh in the last fortnight to escape fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, the UN says

"These people are hungry, starving to death together," he said.

The latest figures mean that nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims have fled since October.

On Wednesday, Bangladesh's foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar ambassador to demand immediate measures to curb the violence.

The Muslim Rohingya are denied citizenship in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, which is under growing international pressure over its apartheid-like treatment of the stateless minority.

UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year may amount to ethnic cleansing.

The United States, a key ally of civilian parties as Myanmar returned to partially-elected rule, expressed concern Thursday, without assigning blame for the killings.

"There has been a significant displacement of local populations following serious allegations of human rights abuses including mass burnings of Rohingya villages and violence conducted by security forces and also armed civilians," State Department spokeswoman Heather Nauert said.

"We again condemn deadly attacks on Burmese security forces, but join the international community in calling on those forces to prevent further attacks on local populations in ways that are consistent with the rule of law and with full respect for human rights."

- Bullet wounds -

The recent fighting is the fiercest in Rakhine, Myanmar's poorest state, in years.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, which is under growing international pressure over its apartheid-like treatment of the stateless minority

Cattle rancher Mohammad Shaker, 27, crossed into Bangladesh suffering from a gunshot wound to his chest that he said was inflicted by Myanmar soldiers.

"I fell on the ground and later my relatives found me. We hid in the hills for days, and this morning managed to come here," he told AFP, nursing his untreated wound.

Scores of refugees have arrived in Bangladesh needing treatment for bullet wounds, while others have lost limbs after apparently setting off landmines along the border.

On Thursday a mass funeral was held at a mosque near the border for five men whose relatives said they had been shot by the Myanmar military. The relatives carried their bodies over the border.

Myanmar says some 27,000 mainly ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have also fled in the opposite direction since August 25, accusing Rohingya militants of targeting their communities.

Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

On Thursday, Suu Kyi's fellow Nobel Peace Prize laureate South African churchman Desmond Tutu urged her to condemn the massacres.

"If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep," Tutu said.

"It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain."

Myanmar said Thursday that 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25.

They added some 30 civilians had been killed -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists -- in the fighting.

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Tens of thousands of elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks, leading to a steep decline in numbers

Sophisticated international trafficking of ivory in central Africa is being fuelled by high levels of corruption, according to a report published Thursday.

The study by wildlife trade monitoring network Traffic said weak governance, corruption and shifting trade dynamics are seriously undermining efforts to control ivory trafficking throughout Cameroon, the Central African Republic, Congo-Brazzaville, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Gabon.

It found that ivory trade in the region is shifting from an open domestic retail market to underground transactions, with a focus on the export of raw ivory to foreign markets, especially China.

"The reports findings show that open ivory markets in the region are disappearing, largely due to increased enforcement and competition with underground criminal networks," Traffic said.

"In its place, high-level corruption and poor governance are helping enable sophisticated international trade."

Current legislation in the five central African countries prohibits domestic ivory trade, with the exception of Cameroon.

However, according to the report there is a "loose and ambiguous interpretation of the law in all countries" and enforcement efforts are hampered by corruption often involving high-level government officials.

It also blamed insufficient human and financial resources, mismanagement and weak political will.

The report said a common theme heard throughout the region were allegations concerning Chinese citizens operating within organised criminal networks as key actors in the ivory trade.

In 2014/2015, 80 percent of foreign buyers were ethnic Asians, especially Chinese but also Malaysians and Vietnamese.

It is estimated that about 20,000 elephants are killed every year for their ivory tusks, leading to a steep decline in numbers.

The international trade in ivory was outlawed in 1989.

Traffic said the report, supported by conservation organisation the WWF, is the first comprehensive assessment of ivory trade in the region in nearly two decades.

Investigators posed as buyers at ivory markets and workshops throughout the Congo Basin in 2007, 2009, 2014 and 2015.

Paulinus Ngeh, director of Traffic in central Africa, said regional governments must ramp up efforts to implement their commitments to stop elephant poaching and illegal ivory trade.
David Amendt protects his house in Key West, Florida, on September 6, 2017 ahead of Hurricane Irma

Hurricane Irma will have a "truly devastating" impact when it slams into southern coastal areas of the United States, the head of the US emergency agency said on Thursday.

Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) chief Brock Long said people in Florida and other states must heed evacuation orders as the Category Five hurricane surges towards the US after causing death and destruction in the Caribbean.

The FEMA chief said Irma would be only the fourth Category Five hurricane to hit the United States since 19851 and the first since Hurricane Andrew in 1992.

"Bottom line is the majority of people along the coast have never experienced a major hurricane like this. It will be truly devastating," he told CNN.

While mandatory evacuation orders have so far only been issued in parts of Florida, he expected similar orders for Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina within the next 48 hours, Long said.

"The entire southeastern United States better wake up and pay attention," he added.

Evacuation orders have already been issued in parts of Miami, including Miami Beach, one of the country's most popular tourist areas.

The mayor of Miami Beach Philip Levine has warned that Irma could have an impact of "nuclear" proportions as he urged everyone to get out of its path as soon as possible.

"I strongly urge them to please leave Miami Beach. You have friends, you have family -- go visit them," he told Miami's CBS4 News station on Wednesday night.

"This is a nuclear hurricane. They should leave the beach, they must leave the beach."

Long, whose agency is still busy with the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey, which hit Texas and Louisiana last month, said around 3,000 federal workers have been mobilized to deal with the emergency.

Three navy ships are also anchored off the coast of Puerto Rico "to support life-saving missions", said Long, although there have so far been no reports of major damage after Irma swept over the island on Wednesday night.
42 out of 73 members of Mongolia's legislature, the Great Khural, voted to oust Jargaltulgiin Erdenebat along with his 15 cabinet ministers

Mongolian parliamentarians voted Thursday to throw out the country's prime minister and cabinet over allegations of corruption and abuse of power a little over a year after a landslide election victory by the ruling party.

42 out of 73 members of Mongolia's legislature, the Great Khural, voted to oust Jargaltulgiin Erdenebat along with his 15 cabinet ministers.

A majority of the ruling Mongolia People's Party (MPP) voted for the removal measure. The party now has 45 days to appoint a new PM.

Legislators accused Erdenebat of granting 800 billion tugrik ($328 million) in concessions to eight companies related to his cabinet ministers, providing illegal cash allowances to voters and presenting a poor image to the public.

Erdenebat has fiercely denied the allegations and in a statement before the vote he lashed out against "Mongolia's practice of ousting its cabinet", which he said had been toxic to the "countrys development and poisons our economy".

"Although, some of us point to foreign investments as economic killers, in reality we politicians are the internal killers of our economy and suffocate our own growth," he said.

Mongolias economy has performed well under Erdenebat's government, with a dramatic improvement in the first half of 2017 on the back of growing demand for coal from China.

Political instability, however, has been a constant problem for the young Central Asian democracy, which passed its first constitution in 1992 after decades of Communist rule.

The country has been through 15 different cabinets in the years since, each lasting an average of 1.5 years.

Late last month, the MPP issued a letter calling for Erdenebat and other senior leaders to resign, alleging they had violated the law in pursuit of their own business and political interests.

The letter came just weeks after a close loss by the party's candidate in a scandal-plagued presidential election.

The decision to demand Erdenbat's resignation was made after the party leadership declined to punish its bigwigs for their alleged role in a $25 million conspiracy to sell government positions that many believe cost the MPP the presidency.

The MPP won by a landslide in the 2016 elections, taking 65 out of 76 seats in the national parliament, and formed the cabinet headed by Erdenebat, who is alleged to have used his political powers to spy on fellow party members.
US ambassador Nikki Haley is a dominant figure on the UN Security Council and has used her role at the United Nations to build an influential political position in Washington

In the US standoffs with North Korea and Iran, it is her striking phrases that dominate the headlines and the airwaves.

Nikki Haley, US ambassador to the United Nations, has become the voice of American foreign policy, all but eclipsing her discreet secretary of state, Rex Tillerson.

The 45-year-old former governor of South Carolina has risen quickly in American conservative politics, despite being the daughter of Indian Sikh immigrants.

And many here can now imagine her going further, perhaps replacing Tillerson, perhaps one day going as far as the White House itself.

Tillerson, the media-shy 65-year-old former boss of oil giant ExxonMobil, has given no indication that he plans to quit President Donald Trump's administration any time soon.

But events of recent days have shown up the stark differences in style between the secretary and his younger cabinet colleague, triggering eager gossip in the corridors of power.

At the weekend North Korea detonated its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, as dictator Kim Jong-Un's defied Washington's calls for him to enter disarmament talks.

On Sunday, Trump met with his top national security officials and afterwards Defense Secretary Jim Mattis warned that any attack from Pyongyang would meet a "massive military response."

Tillerson, however, was spending the holiday weekend in his native Texas and only joined the conference by videolink. He did not speak publicly on this major diplomatic challenge.

- World headlines -

On Monday, Haley took to the floor of the UN security Council to demand tougher sanctions and, as is often the case, she found the words that made it into world headlines.

Kim's missile tests and nuclear threats show, she said, that the isolated young autocrat "is begging for war."

By Tuesday, Tillerson was back in Washington but still keeping his customary low profile. The State Department held no press briefing that day, but Haley was in the capital for the day anyway.

At the conservative think tank the American Enterprise Institute, she took charge of another thorny diplomatic dossier, laying out a case for declaring Iran in breach of the 2015 nuclear deal.

Defenders of US Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, seen here with Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita, has focused on building ties with President Donald Trump and with foreign leaders at the expense of his public profile

Her hosts were delighted at the turnout -- the hall was packed with reporters and policy experts -- and at the uncompromising message.

"She has increasingly become, to many rogue nations around the world, the voice of America, and a strong and clear one at that," declared AEI vice president Danielle Pletka.

Not everyone in Washington agreed with Haley's argument.

Many accused her of making false claims about Iran's actions to justify Trump's hostility to the nuclear accord, which six world powers signed with Iran under previous US president Barack Obama.

"I was no fan of Iran deal; but rarely have I heard a talk about Iran accord more misleading than one Nikki Haley gave today," tweeted analyst Aaron David Miller, of the Wilson Center.

In contrast, Mark Dubowitz, of the hawkish Foundation for Defense of Democracies hailed Haley's toughly-worded intervention, as "as good a speech on the issue that you will ever hear (or read)."

Whether for or against her arguments, however, observers agreed that Haley has made a splash in the debate. Even a skeptical Miller dubbed her "de facto SecState and perhaps the next real one."

Neither Haley nor Tillerson were diplomats before Trump's election.

But -- while the secretary brought international contacts and negotiating experience to the State Department -- the ambassador brought the easy speaking style of a retail politician to the UN.

Tillerson has proved unwilling to engage with the media, kicking the travelling press pool off his plane and giving few interviews, while Haley dominates the United Nations' global stage.

- The president's ear -

Recently, when Tillerson did agree to talk to a sympathetic Fox News, he distanced himself from Trump's controversial stance on a neo-Nazi demonstration, sparking rumors he might resign.

But his defenders insist that, in his low-key way, he is quietly building a better and more useful power base than many of his predecessors and has no need of the limelight for now.

Former senior national security official Jim Jeffrey, who advised Tillerson at Exxon, cites the example of former secretary of state Colin Powell, who served under president George W. Bush.

Powell, a former general and comfortable media performer, was well-liked by his State Department staff and respected abroad.

But his cabinet rivals vice president Dick Cheney and defense secretary Donald Rumsfeld had the president's ear and America launched the 2003 Iraq invasion over Powell's objections.

Jeffrey, a senior fellow at the Washington Institute, says Tillerson is building a relationship with his boss, while not overshadowing him, something that might stand him in good stead.

Wherever it leads, the next stage of the three-way drama will play out later this month when Trump, Tillerson and Haley attend the centerpiece of the diplomatic year, the UN General Assembly.
Rival militias and administrations have been vying to control Libya's wealth and cities during six years of chaos

African leaders are due to meet Libya's UN-backed prime minister on Saturday in a fresh bid to help resolve the political crisis in the conflict-ridden country.

Fayez al-Sarraj, the embattled head of the unity government in Libya, is due to attend the summit in Congo's capital Brazzaville, his advisor told AFP on Thursday.

However, strongman Khalifa Haftar, who backs a rival administration in eastern Libya, will not take part despite being invited, his spokesman said.

Instead, Aguila Salah, the head of the elected parliament in the east, will be attending.

It is the latest attempt to put an end to six years of chaos in oil-rich Libya where rival militias and administrations have been vying to control the country's wealth and cities.

Libya was plunged into turmoil following the overthrow of long-time dictator Moamer Kadhafi in 2011 with dozens of armed factions filling the power vacuum.

Prime Minister Fayez al-Sarraj has struggled to assert his authority across Libya since he took office in Tripoli in March 2016,

Sarraj has struggled to assert his authority across Libya since he took office in Tripoli in March 2016, with Haftar, who also controls much of Libya's desert south, refusing to recognise the government.

In July, the two rivals committed to a ceasefire and holding elections as soon as possible at talks brokered by French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

Saturday's summit will be the third held by the African Union High Level Committee on Libya, made up of the presidents of Congo-Brazzaville, Ethiopia, Mauritania, Niger and South Africa. It will be chaired by Congolese President Denis Sassou Nguesso.
Nigerian Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development Aisha Alhassan, pictured in May 2017, vowed to back President Muhammadu Buhari's opponent in 2019 if he breaks his promise to not seek re-election

A Nigerian minister has promised to quit if President Muhammadu Buhari decides to seek re-election, claiming the ailing leader had earlier vowed to serve only one term.

Women's affairs minister Aisha Alhassan said she would back former vice-president Atiku Abubakar for the presidency at the next election in 2019 rather than the incumbent.

"If today Buhari decides to go for re-election... I will go and kneel before him and tell him, 'Father, I'm grateful for the opportunity you have given me to serve in your cabinet but you know Atiku is my mentor, staying around you will portray me as a hypocrite and I'm not one', that is if Atiku declares his interest to contest," she told BBC Hausa radio.

Speculation has been rife in Nigeria about whether Buhari, 74, will stand again, after he has spent much of the year in a London hospital with an undisclosed illness.

The government maintains he is back at work, although he has kept a low profile since returning from the British capital last month.

Buhari has skipped and cancelled weekly cabinet meetings, chairing his first gathering of senior ministers in five months last week.

Alhassan disclosed her allegiance on Wednesday after being asked whether Buhari had told anyone he planned to run in 2019.

She said: "In 2015 prior to the election, when Buhari decided to contest following intense pressure, he declared that he was going to serve one tenure, that is four years.

"And to date no-one can claim Buhari has expressed any desire to stand for re-election in 2019."

Buhari made Alhassan women's minister after she narrowly failed to be elected to run the eastern state of Taraba, making her the country's first female state governor.

Abubakar, whom Buhari beat to be the All Progressives Congress (APC) party's presidential candidate for 2015, nominated her for the ministerial post.

The former customs service chief, 70, who served as vice-president under former president Olusegun Obasanjo in the 2000s, is widely tipped to try again for the top job.

He has been touring the nation to drum up support but senior APC figures maintain Buhari remains the candidate to beat, should he decide to contest.

Alhassan made no further comment when asked about her remarks by AFP.

Nigerian politics is largely dependent on patronage, with little to separate the main parties other than personalities.

In 2015, the Peoples Democratic Party haemorrhaged support because ex-president Goodluck Jonathan allegedly reneged on an apparent pledge to serve just one term.

A slew of lawmakers switched to Buhari's APC, ensuring the first opposition win in Nigeria's history.
Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu, pictured in March 2017, was shot and wounded outside his home

Gunmen shot and wounded prominent Tanzanian opposition politician Tundu Lissu, an outspoken government critic, outside his home in the capital Dodoma.

The opposition, rights groups and Tanzania's government expressed shock and demanded a full investigation.

"The attack took place at his Dodoma residence at midday," the main opposition party CHADEMA, of which Lissu is a leading member, said in a statement, adding that the lawmaker was seriously wounded and rushed to hospital.

Party spokesman Tumaini Makene described Lissu's condition as "critical" while local media reported he had been shot in the stomach and leg.

Regional police commander Gilles Muroto said an investigation was underway.

"We are asking fellow citizens with information to help us," he said, adding that initial enquiries were focussing on a car believed to have followed Lissu to his home.

"This cowardly attack on one of Tanzania's most fearless and prominent politicians raises concerns about the safety of all dissident voices in the country, at a time when space for dissent is quickly shrinking," said Sarah Jackson of rights group Amnesty International.

"This heinous crime must not be swept under the carpet," she added.

Lissu, 49, has had a series of run-ins with the government of President John Magufuli and has been arrested at least six times this year, accused of insulting the president and disturbing public order, among other charges.

- 'Climate of fear' -

"The authorities must take steps to reassure Tanzanians and the world that his shooting was not politically motivated," Jackson added.

In a statement, Magufuli's ruling Chama Cha Mapinduzi (CCM) party condemned "this cruel and inhuman act" and urged police to investigate fully.

Magufuli tweeted that he was "shocked to hear the news of the attack on Tundu Lissu and I pray to god almighty that he will soon recover."

Lissu serves as chief whip for the parliamentary opposition and president of Tanzania's bar association, the Tanganyika Law Society, as well as being CHADEMA's attorney general.

His most recent arrest was in August after revealing that a plane bought for the national carrier had been impounded in Canada over unpaid government debts.

Magufuli has been praised for cracking down on corruption since his election in 2015 but criticised for his authoritarian rule with opposition meetings banned and newspapers shut down, moves Lissu has loudly condemned as creating a "climate of fear".

His party said Lissu was shot just after a parliamentary session.

"CHADEMA strongly condemns this act, and we are following up closely on his situation," the party added.
Habib Bank Limited repeatedly failed to correct 'glaring deficiencies' in oversight of transactions that could involve terror finance or money laundering, and US regulators have ordered the bank to close its New York office

US banking regulators ordered Pakistan's Habib Bank to shutter its New York office after nearly 40 years, for repeatedly failing to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering, officials said Thursday.

Habib, Pakistan's largest private bank, neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends, New York banking officials said.

The state's Department of Financial Services, which regulates foreign banks, also slapped a $225 million fine on the bank, although that is much smaller than the $629.6 million penalty initially proposed.

Habib has operated in the United States since 1978, and in 2006 was ordered to tighten its oversight of potentially illegal transactions but failed to comply.

New York regulators said Habib facilitated billions of dollars of transactions with Saudi private bank, Al Rajhi Bank, which reportedly has links to al Qaeda, and failed to do enough to ensure that the funds were not laundered or used for terrorism.

"DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this State and the financial system as a whole," DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo said in a news release.

"The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so."

Habib permitted at least 13,000 transactions that were not sufficiently screened to ensure they did not involve sanctioned countries, the agency said.

And the bank improperly used a "good guy" list to rubber stamp at least $250 million in transactions, including those by an identified terrorist and an international arms dealer, regulators said.

In an August letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Habib company secretary Nausheen Ahmad called the proposed fine of $629.6 million "outrageous" and "capricious" and said the bank had decided to close its New York operations "in an orderly manner."

But DFS said Habib will have to surrender its license after it meets the agency's requirements.

"DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States," Vullo said.
Lines of cars snaked around those gas stations that remained open in Miami, as Florida prepared for Hurricane Irma

With Hurricane Irma aiming squarely at south Florida, officials ordered hundreds of thousands of people to evacuate Thursday, amid worries that fuel shortages and traffic bottlenecks could thwart the mass exodus.

In a state with a population of more than 20 million, Governor Rick Scott warned people on both coasts to be ready to get out before Irma arrives, with the brunt of the storm forecast to strike south Florida late Saturday.

Experts hope to avoid mass casualties by ushering residents out of the riskiest areas, in what could be the largest US evacuation since Hurricane Rita forced 3.7 million people to leave Texas and Louisiana in 2005.

"Look at the size of this storm. It's huge. It's wider than our entire state," Governor Scott told a press conference Thursday morning, warning of 10 feet (three meters) of storm surge, enough to reach the roofs of many homes.

"Be prepared to evacuate," he warned. "We can't save you once the storm starts."

Already, 31,000 people have fled the Florida Keys chain of islands, and tens of thousands along the southeast Florida coast were expecting mandatory evacuation orders by midday. About 150,000 people in Miami Beach and other barrier islands off Miami are being told to leave.

Sign of the growing alarm about the damage Irma could wreak in the southeast US, authorities in the neighboring state of Georgia ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas, affecting more than 300,000 people.

In Miami Beach, people were filling the trunks of their cars with water and other provisions, and sharing contact information with their neighbors as they prepared to hit the road.

"I have been through hurricanes before but this one is so huge," said Robert McCleary, a 67-year-old retiree. "I am just so worried about the homeless, about the poor."

- Fuel shortage -

Motorists leaving Miami have found many gas stations cordoned off with yellow tape, signaling they were closed due to lack of fuel

President Donald Trump voiced serious concern Thursday as Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the Caribbean toward the US, declaring in the Oval Office: "We are with the people of Florida."

"We are very concerned, we are working very hard," Trump said of the storm, which has turned tropical island paradises into scenes of ruin.

"Florida is as well prepared as you can be for something like this, now it's just a question of what happens."

The only way to drive out of the Florida peninsula is northward, and motorists leaving Miami have found many gas stations cordoned off with yellow tape, signaling they were closed due to lack of fuel.

Lines of cars, some more than a dozen deep, snaked around those that remained open. Often those lines jutted into the main roadways, causing traffic to pile up.

"People are freaking out," said Yasmine Herrera, a hair stylist who works south of Miami.

Updated forecast track of Hurricane Irma, close-up on the Caribbean.

She told AFP she had heard rumors of fights breaking out at gas stations, and experienced a tense standoff herself when two drivers blocked her in at a pump, each wanting to fill their tanks after her and each refusing to yield and allow her to exit. Eventually, one relented.

The governor acknowledged "issues" with fuel and said he had asked the White House and Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to waive rules and regulations in order to get as much fuel as possible into the state and ports.

He also called on state law enforcement to provide escort services for gas trucks.

"While we're making progress, you will see lines or outages unfortunately," Scott said.

- Traffic bottlenecks -

Traffic has started to pile up on main highways, as cars heading north bottleneck near the larger cities, including Miami, Fort Myers and Sarasota.

Elderly residents, those in small hospitals and people living in mobile homes were among the first to be evacuated.

People waited in line to purchase supplies outside a Home Depot store in Miami, as they prepared for Hurricane Irma

In Miami-Dade County, which is home to some 2.7 million people, those in coastal zones nearest the Atlantic were under mandatory evacuation.

"Leave now. The roads are going to get worse the longer you wait," Governor Scott said Thursday morning.

He urged people to use apps like GasBuddy and Florida511 to check for open fuel stations and traffic conditions.

Highway patrol and National Guard Officers would do all they could to keep roads open, even allowing motorists to drive on the edges if need be.

"If we see too much traffic, you will be able to drive on the shoulder. We are not there yet," said Scott.

He also said the utility giant Florida Power and Light would close its Turkey Point power plant, where twin nuclear reactors operate, "at some point."

FPL said Hurricane Irma's size and strength suggest that "much of Florida could be impacted by this major storm, resulting in extended power outages," according to an email sent to customers.

"We are preparing for the possibility of having to rebuild our electrical infrastructure in the worst hit areas."
Hurricane Irma, seen in this satellite image obtained from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has prompted mandatory evacuation orders as far north as the US state of Georgia

The governor of the southern US state of Georgia on Thursday ordered the mandatory evacuation of the city of Savannah and other coastal areas ahead of Hurricane Irma.

"I encourage all Georgians in our coastal areas that could be impacted by this storm to evacuate the area as soon as possible," Governor Nathan Deal said in a statement.

Citing potential storm surge, Deal said a mandatory evacuation would take effect beginning on Saturday for Chatham County, which includes Savannah, and other coastal areas.

Chatham County has a population of nearly 300,000 people while Savannah is the largest city in the county with a population of around 150,000.

Hurricane Irma, a powerful Category Five storm, is expected to make landfall over the weekend in southern Florida, where evacuations have also been ordered, and move up the coast towards Georgia.

Irma, packing winds of 185 miles per hour (295 kilometers per hour) has left a trail of devastation on small islands in the Caribbean.

Governor Deal said that in addition to ordering a mandatory evacuation he had authorized up to 5,000 members of the Georgia National Guard to be on active duty.

"The state is mobilizing all available resources to ensure public safety ahead of Hurricane Irma," Deal said.
Aung San Suu Kyi, feted for her years of peaceful opposition to Myanmar's junta rulers, has been urged to speak up for the Rohingya, with Muslim nations and the UN leading condemnation of her government

South Africa's outspoken Archbishop Desmond Tutu on Thursday castigated Aung San Suu Kyi over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims and urged her to intervene in the crisis.

The United Nations on Thursday said that nearly 164,000 Rohingya have escaped to Bangladesh over the past two weeks in the wake of a massive security sweep and alleged atrocities by the country's security forces and Buddhist mobs against the Rohingya.

Suu Kyi, feted for her years of peaceful opposition to Myanmar's junta rulers, has been urged to speak up for the Rohingya, with Muslim nations and the UN leading condemnation of her government.

Tutu, who helped dismantle apartheid in South Africa and became the moral voice of the nation, joined in the condemnation.

"If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep," Tutu said in a statement.

"It is incongruous for a symbol of righteousness to lead such a country; it is adding to our pain," he said noting that "the images we are seeing of the suffering of the Rohingya fill us with pain and dread."

"As we witness the unfolding horror we pray for you to be courageous and resilient again... for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people," said Tutu.

Witnesses in Myanmar's Rakhine state say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.
The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross, Peter Maurer, has said conditions in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza are worsening by the day, with the two million residents getting only three or four hours of mains electricity a day

The head of the International Committee of the Red Cross on Thursday warned of a "crisis of hope" in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "dire".

At the end of a three-day trip to Israel and the Palestinian territories, Peter Maurer said conditions in Gaza were worsening by the day, with the two million residents getting only three or four hours of mains electricity a day.

Maurer said the power shortage had led to a water and sewage crisis, which in turn is having serious effects on the health system.

"While we can always argue on who did take what decision for what reason, the humanitarian consequences for the people of Gaza are dire and are really unacceptable," he said in English at a press conference in Jerusalem.

He said a "crisis of hope" in Gaza, and among Palestinians generally, was "the most lasting impression that I take away" from the trip.

During his visit, Maurer met with the Gaza head of Hamas, the Islamist movement that runs the strip, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas.

International Committee of the Red Cross president Peter Maurer has warned of a "crisis of hope" in the Palestinian enclave of Gaza

Israel has maintained a crippling blockade on Gaza for the past decade, while Egypt has also closed off its border in recent years, both citing security concerns.

Already dire humanitarian circumstances have been exacerbated in recent months by Abbas's Palestinian Authority seeking to squeeze Hamas, reducing the amount it pays for electricity to be piped to Gaza among other measures.

Hamas has fought three wars with Israel since 2008.

The Islamist movement is believed to retain the bodies of two soldiers killed in the 2014 war, as well as hold captive at least two Israeli civilians. Hamas has not publicly confirmed or denied the claims.

Netanyahu on Wednesday called for the ICRC to help return the prisoners and the soldiers's remains.

Maurer said he had discussed the return of both with Hamas, and reiterated the ICRC's position that not informing family members about the fate and location of their loved ones is a breach of international law.

But he did not visit the Israeli prisoners.
As Kurdistan Referendum Looms, Iraqi Assyrians Redefine Positions

Displaced Iraqi Christians take part in celebrations on October 18, 2016 in Arbil, to mark the liberation of Qaraqosh, which was overrun by ISIS in August 2014. ( AFP) Worshipers on Friday morning at the Holy Family Chaldean Catholic Church in the small Canadian city of Windsor can be heard praying in Arabic and, at times, in Chaldean, a neo-Aramaic language, still surviving in both Iraq and Syria. In the church's vicinity at Wyandotte Street, signs in Arabic on some grocery stores promise Canadian Iraqi customers -- both Christians and Muslims -- goodies, bread and other foodstuff that connect them to their motherland. Far away, their country of origin, Iraq, might be on the verge of splitting off as the northern autonomous region of Kurdistan has scheduled a referendum on Sep. 25 to decide if it wants to secede. Not all divorces are easy, particularly when it comes to the northern Nineveh Plain, a disputed region between Iraq's Baghdad and Kurdistan's Erbil among others, including the oil rich and mixed city of Kirkuk. Baghdad considers the Nineveh Plains -- heartland of Christianity in Iraq -- where other minorities such as Yazidis and Shabaks live, as part of the northern Mosul governorate, while Erbil claims it after touting its Peshmerga troops as the main force behind the liberation of the area in late 2016 from ISIS militants, who seized the area in August 2014. 'Every inch of my land' "I am Father Sarmad, I am part of the Chaldean Catholic church, and we are the largest church in Iraq. I am part of Baghdad, I am part of [Iraqi southern city of] Basra, north of Iraq, and part of every inch of my land," Father Sarmad Biloues from the church told Al Arabiya English when he was asked about the vote. Father Biloues says the Chaldean church has three million followers outside Iraq and almost one million in the country. There is no recent official census but the number of Christians living in Iraq, who represented about seven percent of the population, fell from 1.4 million in 2003 to as low as 450,000 by 2013, due to ensuing violence following the US invasion. Christians of the Iraqi original follow four churches -- Chaldeans, who are Catholics, Assyrians, who follow Church of the East, Syriac Orthodox Church and Eastern Orthodox. By the look of things, they are in for a period of separation as well. "All of Iraqi land lives in us. We are Iraqi citizens," Father Biloues says. However, the Chaldean church leadership has not yet chosen an official position, he explained, highlighting Iraqi Christians' caution over the messy business of impending separation. "We are one heart with all of Iraq in Baghdad or Kurdistan," he said. "We are waiting for our church leadership to choose the [final] stance. We always had Christians in Kurdistan and love Kurdistan, and we always had Christians in Baghdad and adore Baghdad." He also urged everyone to be calm and asked "all Christians to pray for Iraq." "Peace must return, ISIS must be completely wiped, and reconciliation between all of Iraqis to be one heart and one land, and then we can sit on one table and decide," he said, alluding that the separatist vote is way too early. Oozing wounds Juliana Taimoorazy, head of the Illinois-based Iraqi Christian Relief Council (ICRC), says they are having to lick their wounds, which are still oozing. "This is not the time for a referendum, she says" "At ICRC we are doing our best to mobilize the Christian West and philanthropist to see the value to stand in unity and build their lives," she says adding that they are a big fan of Iraq staying together. "Most of our people in Iraq and in the diaspora want Iraq to stay intact." One of the main reasons Christians feel part of Iraq is the country's constitution article 125 of which mentions Assyrians and Chaldeans by their distinct ethnic names. The article also promises them their own province in the north even though these plans were stalled after ISIS ransacking, Taimoorazy says. War nervousness With Turkey and Iran already having large number of Kurdish separatists, Iran's Chief of Staff, Major General Mohammed Bagheri, himself met with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in August, urging Kurdistan to abandon the vote. "We are nervous. Iran is not interested in this referendum, Turkey is trying to stop it, US is not supporting it, [President of the Iraqi Kurdistan Region Masoud] Barazani is trying to force it," she said. "We are worried, if this goes through, we will be subjected again to another war that will be by Turkey or Iran attacking the Kurds." On top of the regional lack of support, onlookers find the Kurds as not only divided but facing financial difficulties amid dwindling oil prices that affected the whole of Iraq, leaving government employees in quagmire. However, sources told Reuters that Iraq's Kurdistan has borrowed funds from its oil buyers to help settle a $1 billion London court case ahead of the vote. "It is a scandal and a project by Barzani to expand the [Kurdistan Regional Government] KRG, not make it independent," Max J. Joseph, a London-based Assyrian artist and writer, told Al Arabiya. "The Barzani family knows independence will mean another Kurdish civil war as well as a wider regional conflict." Christian protesters warned With Assyrians in Iraq, and in the diaspora, "overwhelmingly preferring to have a direct relationship with Baghdad," they made their voice heard when they protested in late August at the mainly Christian village of Alqosh in the Ninveh Plain, Joseph said. However, they received a warning by the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) dominated provincial council over their "illegal protests,' Joseph shared on his Twitter account through his local sources whom he hid their names for security reasons. "Assyrians in Alqosh have protested three times now waving Iraqi flags, but Baghdad is neglecting them so far and not helping. We're desperate for Baghdad to play a more active role in our affairs but so far there has been very little," he wrote. In July, the Nineveh Council dismissed the mayor of Alqosh and replaced him with a local political leader close to the Barazani-led KDP. "The only ones who voice support for Kurdistan are the ones on the KDP payroll -- and they are very few, but are strategically placed by the KRG in the media to voice that support which doesn't exist on the ground." Nineveh Plain There is also no concrete agreement among Christians on what is the best path to take particularly on the final status of their ancestral Nineveh Plain. While the Chaldean Church does not have a firm position on upcoming referendum for its followers to adhere, it has agreed that Christians should not be "trapped" in the Nineveh Plain since violent past has taught Christians not to be in one place to be an easy prey," said Father Biloues. "We see it as conspiracy to put Christians in Nineveh Plain, in a country that has scared people. We are scared to be put in this prison," he said. He recalled the Simele massacre in 1933. He also described a deceitful tactic by the British of encouraging Christian rebellion and later informing the Iraqi government to quell it. This led to the death of 3,000 Christians. Father Biloues also rejects any calls for international protection or observation. "The Iraqi political situation is still not stable, and I expect the whole Iraqi nation to be in turmoil. If I say only Christians are facing persecution, yes I can say that but that's not right because everyone is persecuted in Iraq," he said. Unlike him, Taimoorazy said: "We want an international observation to keep an eye both on Baghdad and Erbil to protect rights of minorities such as Christians, Yazidis and Turkmens." "Our issue is not so much as Christians but as nationality, as Assyrians, Chaldeans and Syriac, we are all one nation, we are having an issue with KRG," she said, further complicating the situation. "Especially the Assyrians have been asking for our rights to be observed as indigenous people of the land, and for us to have equal say in our fate, we do not want the Nineveh plain to be slated to go with Kurdistan."
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Israeli soldiers manuever a tank during a military exercise in the Israeli-annexed Golan Heights on September 7, 2017

Israel's defence minister on Thursday issued a veiled warning to Syria, without confirming or denying what Damascus said was an Israeli air strike on its territory.

Syria's army accused Israel of hitting one of its positions, killing two people in an attack earlier the same day that a monitor said targeted a site where the regime allegedly produces chemical weapons.

"We are determined to prevent our enemies harming, or even creating an opportunity to harm, the security of Israeli citizens," Avigdor Lieberman said in Hebrew, in remarks broadcast on Israeli television.

"We shall do everything in order not to allow the existence of a Shiite corridor from Tehran to Damascus."

The site struck near Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, is reportedly used by forces from Syria's allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Israeli planes have previously carried out strikes believed to have targeted the transfer of weapons to the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, which fought a devastating war with the Jewish state in 2006.

Israel has long warned it would not allow the transfer of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah and has accused Iran of building sites to produce "precision-guided missiles" in both Syria and Lebanon.

In comments made earlier, the head of Israeli military intelligence, Major General Herzl Halevi, did not mention Thursday's strike directly but warned his country's enemies "near and far".

"Serious security threats to Israel are presented by armed organisations, most of them financed and aided by Iran," he said in a public address.

"We are dealing with these threats, both near and far, with determination and our enemies in every arena know very well the combination of (our) precise intelligence and operational capabilities."
US President Donald Trump held a joint with Kuwait's Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah following talks at the White House

US President Donald Trump offered on Thursday to mediate in the crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors and said he believed the dispute could be solved "fairly easily."

"I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

"I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily."

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups.

Doha denies the claims and accuses the other countries of an attack on its sovereignty.

The United States has given mixed signals on its policy to the Gulf crisis while Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator.

Trump immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia after the Arab states announced sanctions against Qatar, but some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adopted a more measured tone.

Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May, two weeks before the Gulf crisis erupted.

Qatar is meanwhile home to a huge US air base, where the headquarters of Centcom -- the regional command which leads operations against the Islamic State jihadist group -- is based.
Police secure the street outside the Turkish embassy in Washington during a visit by Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on May 16, 2017, following an attack on protestors by members of Erdogan's security detail.

Two men videotaped taking part in an attack on protestors against Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan in Washington in May pleaded innocent Thursday to assault charges.

The two, Turkish-Americans Sinan Narin and Eyup Yildirim, are among 19 members of a security detail for Erdogan during a White House visit that have been indicted in the May 16 attack.

The 19 were identified from detailed video footage of the daylight assault on Kurdish and Armenian protesters outside the residence of Turkey's ambassador, following a meeting between Erdogan and President Donald Trump.

The protestors were beaten and kicked, with a number taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Arrested in June, Narin and Yildirim were charged with beating and kicking several specific demonstrators, causing one of them to lose consciousness.

In a brief court hearing Thursday, a lawyer for the two said both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Narin and Yildirim are the only two arrested in the case. The other 17, two Turkish Canadians and 15 Turkish citizens, including top Erdogan bodyguards, remain at large.

On September 1 Erdogan, who labelled the protestors "terrorists," blasted the US indictment of the 19, saying the case was a "scandalous demonstration of how American justice works."
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) - A report says there's no sign a Virginia State Police helicopter that crashed after monitoring violent clashes in Charlottesville last month was struck by another aircraft, animal or object.

The National Transportation Safety Board issued a preliminary report Tuesday into the Aug. 12 crash that killed two state troopers, the pilot and an observer. The report said the helicopter went into a nose-down spin prior to the crash.

The helicopter was providing a video feed of a violent white nationalist rally when it broke off to watch over Gov. Terry McAuliffe's motorcade. It crashed on the outskirts of Charlottesville, leaving a debris field several hundred feet long.

The report does not say what likely caused the crashed. The National Transportation Safety Board's investigation is ongoing.
LANCASTER, Pa. (AP) - A Pennsylvania man convicted of killing a woman when he was just 13 is set to be paroled.

A judge ordered 39-year-old Ricardo Cruz eligible for parole following a resentencing hearing on Tuesday in Lancaster. Cruz was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without parole in the fatal shooting of 18-year-old Debbie Rivera in 1992.

A 2012 U.S. Supreme Court ruling deemed life sentences against juveniles as unconstitutional. Lancaster County President Judge Dennis Reinaker ordered a new sentence of 25 years to life. Reinaker cited Cruz's behavior in prison and the shift in law concerning juvenile lifers in his ruling.

Because Cruz has served more than 25 years in prison, he's automatically eligible for parole.

A parole hearing on Cruz's new sentence hasn't been scheduled.
SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP) - A fake architect named Newman has been sentenced to 2 1/3 to 7 years in state prison for posing as an architect in eastern New York.

Paul J. Newman also was ordered Tuesday in Saratoga County Court to pay more than $115,000 to his victims in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties.

Newman pleaded guilty in June to grand larceny and fraud after an investigation by New York's attorney general dubbed "Operation Vandelay Industries." Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office said Newman had rendered fraudulent architectural services since 2010. Victims included municipalities and businesses.

Schneiderman dubbed the operation to nab Newman "Vandelay Industries" in reference to a long-running joke on "Seinfeld" about a fictional company by that name. A character named Newman was Jerry's nemesis on the sitcom.
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) - Colombia's top drug fugitive has shown his face for the first time on occasion of the pope's visit to the country, publishing a video Wednesday in which he asks for prayers that his group be allowed to lay down its weapons as part of the country's peace process.

In the 90-second video published on social media, Dairo Usuga, for whose capture the U.S. has offered a $5 million bounty, describes himself as a peace-loving, God-fearing peasant who was "forced for 30 years to carry weapons in his defense."

"I'm convinced that the only way out of the conflict is dialogue," said Usuga, dressed in camouflaged fatigues and sitting on a stool in a dirt-floored, jungle hideout.

Reading a statement he said was penned from the "mountains of Colombia" in August, Usuaga said "the Catholic Church is a moral reference and we believe that with its prayers we can move forward in our goal of abandoning our weapons."

Usuga, better known by his alias Otoniel, is the alleged head of the much-feared Gulf Clan, whose army of assassins has terrorized much of northern Colombia to gain control of major cocaine smuggling routes through thick jungles north to Central America and onto the U.S.

Usuga himself and many of his gunmen cycled through the ranks of leftist rebel groups and right-wing paramilitaries during decades of armed conflict in Colombia. But authorities consider the group devoid of any political ideology and have rejected its attempts to latch onto the peace process with leftist rebels as a self-serving ploy similar to Pablo Esobar's offer of a peace treaty for his Medellin drug cartel during the height of Colombia's drug-fueled violence three decades ago.

In a second short video, Usuga says his group, which he calls the Gaitanist Self Defense Forces of Colombia, after a mid-20th century Colombian leftist firebrand, said he and his men are willing to lay down their weapons in exchange for legal protection and a "dignified" demobilization.

On Tuesday, President Juan Manuel Santos shocked Colombians with news that Usuga had reached out with an offer to surrender. The offer came a few days after security forces killed a man believed to be his top lieutenant - one of hundreds of Gulf Clan members killed or taken captive in more than two years of concerted military pressure on the group.

Santos said any individual from the Gulf Clan surrendering would be given the same guarantees and benefits in terms of reduced sentences as any other criminal, but that the group as a whole would not be afforded any special negotiating status.

While photos of Usuga have circulated for years, and his reputation for ruthless killings and abuse of women well-known in the Gulf Clan's area of influence, he's never taken on such a high profile before.

He and his brother, who was killed in a raid in 2012, got their start as gunmen for the now-defunct leftist guerrilla group known as the Popular Liberation Army and then later switched sides and joined the rebels' battlefield enemies, a right-wing paramilitary group. He refused to disarm when that militia signed a peace treaty with the government in 2006, instead delving deeper into Colombia's criminal underworld and setting up operations in the strategic Gulf of Uraba region in northern Colombia, a major drug corridor surrounded by the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean sea on either side.

The campaign against the Gulf Clan comes at a time of flux in Colombia's drug war.

Coca production in the country surged 18 percent last year to levels unseen in nearly two decades of U.S. eradication efforts, according to a White House report.

Authorities have stepped up their pursuit of drug traffickers even as they chase a goal of destroying 100,000 hectares (245,000 acres) of coca crops this year through a combination of manual eradication and voluntary crop-substitution agreements with farmers.
You'd think a guy like Anthony Melchiorri, host of Travel Channel's "Hotel Impossible," would settle for nothing less than luxury hotels when he travels.

But Melchiorri, entering his seventh season as the fixer of failing hotels, says he'd just as soon stay in a roadside motel if it's got good reviews online.

"Those are mom and pops that are working their butts off," Melchiorri said in a recent interview with The Associated Press. "They live in the back of the hotel, they get up in the morning, they put out fresh flowers, they make you breakfast ... I can't wait to meet that owner. I can't wait to have their breakfast. I can't wait to sleep in that bed."

This April 5, 2016 photo shows Anthony Melchiorri, the star of Travel Channel's "Hotel Impossible," at the Big Bear Motel in Cody , Wyo. Melchiorri is entering his seventh season as the hotel fixer on "Hotel Impossible," and is as passionate as ever about perfecting standards in the hospitality industry. (Taylor Glenn/Travel Channel via AP)

Melchiorri, who's got a new show called "Extreme Hotels" in the pipeline, also offered advice for getting good hotel deals and reflected on growing up poor. Here are excerpts from the interview, airing Wednesday on the AP Travel podcast "Get Outta Here !"

GROWING UP POOR

"I actually grew up really poor. My dad died when I was 2 years old. My mom struggled to make a living. ... We were on welfare, had the block of cheese. She couldn't afford college. So I went into the military and got my college degree and got some hotel experience. It was the best way to grow up because you understand the struggles so when you do have some easier times, you still work like you're getting a block of cheese on Thursday."

CAREER PATH

"I started my career at the Embassy Suites in Times Square. Then I was fortunate enough to work at the Plaza Hotel. At that time the current president (Trump) owned the hotel and it was in bankruptcy. We were brought in to help come off that, went to work at the Algonquin Hotel, the Lucerne Hotel and turned those hotels around with some of the greatest teams ever. ... Even before I was on television, I was always the guy they called in when things couldn't be fixed."

"People say, what's your secret. It's that I can identify talent. ... A kid that worked for me at the Plaza, who worked for seven years at McDonald's, and no one would give him a shot as a bellman. Patrice. He was the best bellman I ever had in my career. The ability to recognize talent has been my key."

BOOKING

"When you go online you have to be aware that all the ads on the side of the websites and all the ads on top, those are usually third parties. Say you put in the Algonquin New York. The Algonquin New York comes up but it says underneath the URL, Hotels.com. You have to be really savvy about making sure you find the website of the hotel. That sometimes could take you to the second or third or fourth page. ... You book with a third party, it's really difficult to get your money back. The hotel's hands are tied."

"The hotel is guaranteed to have the lowest rate. Expedia is not allowed to have a lower rate than the hotel. When you go to the more opaque websites like Priceline and those, sometimes you can get a better deal. I hate to even say that. Those rates are hidden and sometimes the hotel will drop their rate last-minute, ridiculously low, just to fill up the rooms, but it's always better to go to the hotels."

CALL THE HOTEL

"I'm so frustrated with visitors that are afraid to call the hotel. The hospitality field by definition, that's what we do. We're hospitable. We want to talk to our guests. ... Make a personal connection. ... That gives that person at the hotel ownership of your reservation. ... It costs a lot to get you to my hotel. Once you get there, I want to keep you as my guest."

"Ask for anything you want. You want flowers. You want an upgrade. You want to be by the pool. You want to be upstairs, downstairs, ask for everything. There are limits of what we can do. But it's not whether we say no or yes. It's how we say no. If we say no, that's just a bad answer. If we say, 'Unfortunately the upgrade is not available today, it's available tomorrow if you want to change rooms,' which most people don't want to, at least you're giving them an option. No one likes the word no. People do like explanations. If you're explaining things to people, 99.9 percent of the time, people are understanding."

HOW TO COMPLAIN

"There's three stages of complaint: polite complaint; direct aggressive complaint; third, go to the internet and blow the damn hotel up on the internet and tell them how bad they are. I am a very big proponent of giving hotels two chances to fix their problems. If they don't, I am a huge proponent of going online and telling everybody in the world the hotel's problems. ... The training priorities, the passion has to be to take care of every single problem."

BEDBUGS

"I got my badge of honor in Europe a couple weeks ago. I finally got bit by bedbugs."
HAGATNA, Guam (AP) - Pre-mediation talks to discuss settling the more than 100 cases alleging child sex abuse by Guam clergy and others related to the church have begun.

The Pacific Daily News reports (http://bit.ly/2eFvBVz ) those attending the talks, which started Monday in Honolulu, say if the parties do not agree to written mediation protocols, formal mediation talks might not happen as planned in October, and the cases could go to trial.

The parties have yet to agree on whether retired Oregon Judge Michael Hogan should serve as the mediator.

Hawaii-based attorney Randall L.K.M. Rosenberg says he is "cautiously optimistic." Rosenberg is working with Guam attorney Anthony Perez and other U.S. lawyers to represent nine clergy sex abuse plaintiffs.

He says they will file a 10th clergy sex abuse lawsuit soon.
MIDDLETOWN, Conn. (AP) - Connecticut State Police have arrested six more staff members at a maximum-security psychiatric hospital in connection with the repeated abuse of a patient, making it a total of nine workers charged with cruelty to persons and disorderly conduct.

Authorities on Tuesday night announced the new arrests of workers at the Whiting Forensic Division of Connecticut Valley Hospital in Middletown. The facility is the state's only maximum-security hospital for the criminally insane.

The arrests followed the suspensions of 31 employees earlier this year in connection with the abuse of a 62-year-old male patient. Authorities said abusive incidents were recorded by surveillance cameras.

State police say more arrests are expected.

The state Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services runs the hospital and says it is investigating.
BALLSTON SPA, N.Y. (AP) - A former Roman Catholic priest who served prison time for sexually abusing a New York teenager 17 years ago is now charged with abusing a boy earlier this year.

Authorities say 51-year-old Michael Hands, of Easton in Washington County, has been charged with sexually abusing a teenager in neighboring Saratoga County this year.

The former priest in the Diocese of Rockville Centre was convicted in 2003 of sexually abusing a 14-year-old boy in Suffolk County. He served 15 months in prison and is registered with the state as a Level 3 sex offender.

Saratoga County prosecutors say Hands was charged in July with sexually abusing a local boy he met online. He remained in the county jail Wednesday.

A message left with his attorney wasn't immediately returned.

___

This story has been corrected to show the priest was a member of the Diocese of Rockville Centre, not the Diocese of Rockville Center.
LOS ANGELES (AP) - HBO says its much-honored political satire "Veep" is coming to an end.

The cable channel said Wednesday that "Veep" will air its seventh and final season in 2018.

Series star Julia Louis-Dreyfus won five consecutive Emmy Awards for her portrayal of Selina Meyer, a self-absorbed politician. The actress is up for a sixth trophy at the Sept. 17 Emmy ceremony.

FILE - In this May 25, 2017, file photo, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, a cast member in the HBO series "Veep," poses at an Emmy For Your Consideration event for the show at the Television Academy in Los Angeles. HBO says its much-honored political comedy "Veep" is coming to an end. The cable channel said Wednesday, Sept. 6, that "Veep" will air its seventh and final season in 2018. (Photo by Chris Pizzello/Invision/AP, File)

"Veep," has also won two consecutive best comedy Emmys, and is in the running to repeat.

HBO programming chief Casey Bloys writes in a statement that HBO respected the producers' decision to bring the show to a close, calling it "bittersweet."
BANGKOK (AP) - Journalists saw new fires burning Thursday in a Myanmar village that had been abandoned by Rohingya Muslims, and pages ripped from Islamic texts that were left on the ground. That intensifies doubts about government claims that members of the persecuted minority have been destroying their own homes.

About two dozen journalists saw the fires in Gawdu Zara village in northern Rakhine state on a government-controlled trip.

About 164,000 Rohingya from the area have fled across the border into Bangladesh in less than two weeks since Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts in Gawdu Zara and several other villages, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday.

Smoke rises from a burned house in Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Journalists saw new fires burning Thursday in the Myanmar village that had been abandoned by Rohingya Muslims, and where pages from Islamic texts were seen ripped and left on the ground. (AP Photo)

The military has said nearly 400 people, mostly Rohingya, have died in clashes and that troops were conducting "clearance operations." It blames insurgents for setting the villages on fire, without offering proof.

Rohingya who have fled Myanmar, however, have described large-scale violence perpetrated by Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs - setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately, stabbing civilians and ordering them to abandon their homes or be killed.

On the Myanmar side of the border, reporters saw no Rohingya in any of the five destroyed villages they were allowed to tour Thursday, making it unlikely they could have been responsible for the new fires.

An ethnic Rakhine villager who emerged from the smoke said police and Rakhine Buddhists had set the fires. The villager ran off before he could be asked anything else.

No police were seen in the village beyond those who were accompanying the journalists. But about 10 Rakhine men with machetes were seen there. They looked nervous and the only one who spoke said he had just arrived and did not know how the fires started.

Among the buildings on fire was a madrassa, an Islamic school. Copies of books with texts from the Quran, Islam's holy book, were torn up and thrown outside. A nearby mosque was not burned.

Another village the journalists visited, Ah Lel Than Kyaw, was blackened, obliterated and deserted. Cattle and dogs wandered through the still-smoldering remains.

Local police officer Aung Kyaw Moe said 18 people were killed in the village when the violence began last month.

"From our side, there was one immigration officer dead, and we found 17 dead bodies from the enemy side," he said.

He said the fires were set Aug. 25, though some continued to burn Thursday. Virtually all buildings in the village seen by journalists had been burned, along with cars, motorbikes and bicycles that fleeing villagers left behind. A mosque was also damaged.

Columns of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, and distant gunshots could be heard.

"They burned their own houses and ran away," Aung Kyaw Moe said. "We didn't see who actually burned them because we had to take care of the security for our outpost. ... But when the houses were burned, Bengalis were the only ones in the village."

Buddhist-majority Myanmar refers to Rohingya as Bengalis, contending they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, though many Rohingya families have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Burning the homes of Rohingya can make it less likely they will return. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven from their homes in another wave of violence in 2012. Many are now confined to camps, while the land they once held is either vacant or occupied by Buddhist squatters.

Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger based in Europe with contacts in northern Rakhine, said that according to witnesses, the Myanmar military, border guard police and Rakhine villagers came to Ah Lel Than Kyaw and burned the houses from Monday to Wednesday.

On Aug. 25, he said, young men with swords and knives tried to attack the border guard outpost in Aley Than Kyaw but failed. The authorities took away all Buddhist villagers, and many Rohingya villagers fled on their own.

Nay San Lwin said the remaining villagers left after the military warned them they would be shot if they did not leave.

Myanmar's leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign.

According to her office, she said such misinformation helps promote the interests of "terrorists," a reference to the Rohingya insurgents who attacked security posts on Aug. 25.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Suu Kyi's response "unconscionable."

On Thursday, Suu Kyi told reporters her government was working to improve security and livelihoods for Rohingya, but that "it's a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months" since her administration took office.

With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more.

The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders.

U.N. agencies said they were distributing food to new arrivals, about 80 percent of whom were women and children, joining about 100,000 who had already been sheltering in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier convulsions of violence in Myanmar.

Aid workers said many were arriving with violence-related injuries, severe infections or childbirth complications.

Bangladesh Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina said Thursday that her country offered refuge to Rohingya on humanitarian grounds, but called it a "big burden for us".

The "international community must take the responsibility," she said.

Hasina's government has taken an initiative to identify the refugees to prevent terrorists from entering Bangladesh under disguise, the local Bangladesh Sangbad Sangstha news agency reported, quoting the prime minister's Press secretary Ihsanul Karim.

With so many Rohingya fleeing, it is unclear how many remain in Myanmar amid reports of soldiers burning villages and killing civilians.

Before the recent violence, aid experts estimated about 1 million Rohingya were living in northern Rakhine state. But aid agencies have been unable to access the area since.

Turkish First Lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu visited a Rohingya camp in Bangladesh and then met with Hasina.

They said Myanmar agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya. They also pledged continuing support for the Rohingya.

___

Associated Press writers Muneeza Naqvi in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Grant Peck in Bangkok, Ashok Sharma in New Delhi and Edith M. Lederer at the United Nations contributed to this report.

A Rohingya boy, an ethnic minority from Myanmar, carries a sack of belongings on his head and walks through rice fields after crossing over to the Bangladesh side of the border near Cox's Bazar's Teknaf area, Friday, Sept. 1, 2017. Myanmar's military says almost 400 people have died in recent violence in the western state of Rakhine triggered by attacks on security forces by insurgents from the Rohingya. Advocates for the Rohingya, an oppressed Muslim minority in overwhelmingly Buddhist Myanmar, say hundreds of Rohingya civilians have been killed by security forces. Thousands have fled into neighboring Bangladesh. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Houses are on fire in Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Journalists saw new fires burning Thursday in the Myanmar village that had been abandoned by Rohingya Muslims, and where pages from Islamic texts were seen ripped and left on the ground. (AP Photo)

Smoke and flames in Myamar are seen from the Bangladeshi side of the border near Cox's Bazar's Teknaf area, Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017. Aid officials said relief camps were reaching full capacity as thousands of Rohingya refugees continued to pour into Bangladesh on Sunday fleeing violence in western Myanmar. Some 73,000 people have crossed the border since violence erupted Aug. 25 in Myanmar's Rakhine state, said U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees spokeswoman Vivian Tan. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Rohingya woman is carried in a cloth sling as she arrives at Kutupalong refugee camp after having just crossed over from Myanmar into Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Washed clothes belonging to Rohingya are spread out to dry on bushes near Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An elderly Rohingya hangs washed clothes after having just crossed from Myanmar into the Bangladesh side of the border by walking through muddy rice fields at Teknaf border area, Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no man's land between the two countries' borders. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Rohingya woman comforts her exhausted son as they take shelter inside a school after having just arrived from the Myanmar side of the border at Kutupalong refugee camp, Bangladesh, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Some 164,000 Rohingya from the area have fled across the border in Bangladesh in less than two weeks since Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts in Gawdu Zara and several others, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

In this Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, file photo, an exhausted Rohingya woman arrives with her children at Kutupalong refugee camp after crossing from Myanmmar to the Bangladesh side of the border, in Ukhia. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flood into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)
BEIRUT (AP) - A pan-Arab TV station is reporting that Israel has attacked a facility near the Syrian capital.

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters throughout Syria, said the airstrike hit a "target" in Qutaifah, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Damascus.

Al-Mayadeen said Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley overnight. Qutaifah is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Lebanon.

Al-Mayadeen gave no further details in its Thursday morning report. There was no comment from Israel.

Israeli officials say Lebanon's Hezbollah has significantly upgraded its capabilities with a more sophisticated arsenal in recent years. While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Hezbollah.
CANBERRA, Australia (AP) - Australia's highest court cleared the way Thursday for the government to conduct a public survey on whether gay marriage should be legalized.

Gay rights advocates had argued in the High Court that the government didn't have the power to conduct the 122 million Australian dollar ($97 million) postal survey without Senate approval, but the court dismissed that challenge.

Opinion polls show that most Australians want same-sex marriage legalized, but many advocates question how representative of Australian attitudes the postal survey would be.

Gay rights advocates Independent Australian Federal Member of Parliament Andrew Wilkie, left, and director of Rainbow Families Victoria, Felicity Marlowe, right, leave the High Court in Melbourne on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Australians will be surveyed on their support for gay marriage from next week after the nation's highest court on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, dismissed challenges to the government's power to conduct the postal ballot without Senate permission. (Joe Castro/AAP Image via AP)

They want Parliament to decide the issue without consultation with the public.

The government has already begun printing the ballot papers, which are to be mailed to more than 16 million voters nationwide starting next Tuesday.

Results are to be announced Nov. 15, but lawmakers are not bound to accept the outcome.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull welcomed the court ruling and urged all Australians to take part in the survey.

He told Parliament that he and his wife "will be voting yes and I will be encouraging others to vote yes, but ... above all, I encourage every Australian to have their say because ... I respect every Australian's view on this matter."

Many opponents of gay marriage support the survey, although some conservative lawmakers have said they will not vote for a change in the law even if a majority of Australians want reform.

The postal survey was the second choice of Turnbull's conservative government, which had promised a rare, compulsory vote known as a plebiscite. But the Senate refused to approve the AU$170 million ($135 million) for such a vote.

Market researchers have said that telephone opinion polling could more accurately gauge the public's view in each of Australia's 150 electoral districts for around AU$1 million - a fraction of the postal survey's cost.
JOHANNESBURG (AP) - A new study says the illegal sale of ivory in open markets in Central Africa has been disappearing or going underground. But it warns that corruption and weak governance are undermining efforts to curb regional trafficking.

Wildlife trade monitoring group TRAFFIC says in an analysis released Thursday that while law enforcement operations put pressure on open ivory markets, criminal syndicates are exploiting "official collusion, confusion and corruption" to benefit from elephant poaching.

The survey was conducted over the last decade, most recently in 2015. TRAFFIC investigators visited cities across Cameroon, Central African Republic, Congo, Republic of Congo and Gabon.

China, the world's largest ivory consumer, says it plans to shut down its ivory trade by the end of this year in an effort to curb the slaughter of African elephants.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump's plan to end a program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation. Here's a look at the legal arguments and prospects for success:

HOW DO THE STATES ATTACK THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION?

The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the Trump administration's decision to rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was motivated by anti-Mexican bias.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of Calif. accompanied by members of the House and Senate Democrats, gestures during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. House and Senate Democrats gather to call for Congressional Republicans to stand up to President Trump's decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative by bringing the DREAM Act for a vote on the House and Senate Floor. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)

It cites as evidence Trump's statement while announcing his campaign for president that some Mexican immigrants were rapists and refers to his decision last month to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt for ignoring a federal court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

"Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President's Trump's oft-stated commitments - whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof - to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots," the lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn said.

Targeting individuals for discriminatory treatment based on their national origin without legal justification violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection guarantee, the lawsuit says. It calls for a court order blocking the revocation of DACA as well as an order saying the administration cannot use information it collected from DACA recipients to arrest and deport them.

WILL THE DISCRIMINATION ARGUMENT HOLD UP?

The state of Hawaii convinced a federal judge to block an earlier Trump order banning travelers from mostly Muslim countries by arguing it was motivated by religious prejudice. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson cited a press release from the Trump campaign calling for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" as evidence of religious animus. The U.S. Supreme Court later narrowed Watson's ruling to allow a limited version of the ban to take effect.

But Trump's comments about Mexicans are a long way from establishing that bias motivated his decision to revoke DACA, said Kari Hong, an immigration expert at Boston College Law School.

"He's never made that association between DACA and people from Mexico and Central America the way he made the association between the travel ban and Muslims," she said.

Trump has said he has love for those who benefited from DACA - about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas - and was hopeful Congress would help them during the six months before the change goes into effect.

WHAT ELSE DO THE STATES CLAIM, AND DO THOSE ARGUMENTS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS?

The states said the administration's decision to revoke DACA was arbitrary and failed to provide notice as required by federal law. Legal experts say this claim is stronger.

"The argument is if you are going to rescind a program upon which 800,000 people have come to rely, it has to be done in a certain manner and by certain means with certain reasons," said Pratheepan Gulasekaram, who teaches immigration and constitutional law at Santa Clara University School of Law.

A victory on this claim could require the administration to study the impacts of rescinding DACA and allow for public comment. But that might only buy more time before the revocation goes into effect instead of permanently reinstating DACA, Gulasekaram said.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The fifteen states that sued on Wednesday did not include California - a solidly Democratic state with a large immigrant population. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he plans to file a separate lawsuit soon, noting that the state has a high number of DACA recipients.

"The breadth and scope of the impact of the president's, I'd say, heartless decision is going to be felt here more than anywhere else," Becerra said.

California's lawsuit isn't likely to make any different legal arguments, he said.

Dreamers Karen Caudillo, 21, of Florida is comforted by Jairo Reyes, 25, of Rogers, Arkansas as Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., accompanied by members of the House and Senate Democrats, speaks during a news conference on Capitol Hill in Washington, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. House and Senate Democrats gather to call for Congressional Republicans to stand up to President Trump's decision to terminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) initiative by bringing the DREAM Act for a vote on the House and Senate Floor. ( AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana)
BRUSSELS (AP) - The medical aid group Doctors Without Borders, or MSF, on Thursday accused the European Union and national governments of funding the criminal abuse of migrants in detention centers in Libya.

Libya's EU-sponsored coast guard is picking up migrants trying to flee to Europe across the Mediterranean Sea and sending them back to Libya's detention system, which is "a thriving enterprise of kidnapping, torture and extortion," MSF International President Joanne Liu said in an open letter to EU governments

"European governments have chosen to contain people in this situation. People cannot be sent back to Libya, nor should they be contained there," she wrote.

International President for Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, right, speaks at the International Press Center in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. The head of medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says European governments are paying for the criminal abuse of migrants in Libya by funding programs to stop them leaving for Europe. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

The EU's executive Commission denied it was turning a blind eye to the treatment of migrants in Libya and said that its priority is in fact to end the "vicious cycle" that sees people brought to the conflict-torn country by smugglers and then trapped in camps or detention centers.

Liu rejected praise for European policies credited with having cut the number of migrants leaving Libya for Europe and drownings in the Mediterranean.

She branded such thinking as "at best, pure hypocrisy and at worse, a cynical complicity in the organized business of reducing human beings to merchandise in human traffickers' hands."

Liu's letter came after a visit to one center in Libya, where she said a burly, baton-wielding guard beat back people from a grated door so she would have room to enter and inspect the facility.

"This is what European leaders call success," she said at a news conference.

Liu told reporters that part of the problem is the lack of oversight of the use of European funds for Libya, as the bloc seeks to stop people making the dangerous sea crossing to Italy.

She said millions of euros in new EU funding for the Libyan coast guard is "basically to increase interception of people who flee" and send them back to dangerous and squalid conditions. Around 40 detention centers are open in Libya; MSF works in eight of the facilities that are deemed "official" under the weak but internationally recognized government's control.

The EU Commission mostly channels its Libya funding through partners, like the International Organization for Migration, and the U.N.'s refugee agency.

"We are entirely aware of the absolutely unacceptable - even scandalous and inhumane - conditions that some migrants are being held in," Commission spokeswoman Catherine Ray said. "We are taking action. We want to change the situation."

A Commission statement said the EU has mobilized around 182 million euros ($218 million) to help and protect "vulnerable migrants in Libya, notably at disembarkation points and in detention centers; to supporting local communities most affected by migratory flows, also with a view of providing economic alternatives to trafficking and smuggling activities."

It underlined that the EU is working with Libya's neighbors and others to tackle the root causes of migration.

The MSF letter made no mention of accusations that under an Italy-brokered deal, Libya's struggling government in Tripoli paid militias implicated in trafficking to now block the migrants from leaving in smugglers' boats. Italy, which for several years has trained and equipped the Libyan coast guard, says it doesn't make deals with traffickers.

A left-wing Italian lawmaker, Arturo Scotto, described Liu's words about documented torture and violence in the Libya camps as "terrifying."

In a statement, he called for "an urgent and serious reflection above all in Italy." Scotto said the Italian Parliament should invite the MSF president to address it. "Europe cannot be complicit in this horror. We cannot let ourselves be condemned by history," he said.

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Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed to this report.

International President for Doctors Without Borders, Joanne Liu, center, speaks at the International Press Center in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. The head of medical aid group Doctors Without Borders says European governments are paying for the criminal abuse of migrants in Libya by funding programs to stop them leaving for Europe. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
MIAMI (AP) - The race to flee Hurricane Irma became a marathon nightmare as more than a half-million people were ordered to leave South Florida on Thursday.

With the storm barreling toward the tip of Florida for perhaps a catastrophic blow this weekend, normally quick trips turned into daylong journeys on crowded highways amid a constant search for gasoline and lodging. Airline seats out of Florida were in short supply as well.

Mari and Neal Michaud loaded their two children and dog into their small sport-utility vehicle and left their home near Cocoa Beach about 10 a.m., bound for an impromptu vacation in Washington, D.C. Using a phone app and calls to search for fuel along the way, they finally arrived at a convenience store that had gasoline nearly five hours later.

Residents fill up sandbags Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Orlando, Fla., as they prepare for Hurricane Irma. Long lines of vehicles waited for hours to get a 10 sandbag limit at the City of Orlando Public Works. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)

The 60-mile trip up Interstate 95 should have taken an hour, Mari Michaud said.

"There was no gas and it's gridlock. People are stranded on the sides of the highway," she said. "It's 92 degrees out and little kids are out on the grass on the side of the road. No one can help them."

Late Thursday, the National Hurricane Center issued the first hurricane warning for the Keys and parts of South Florida, including some of the Miami metropolitan area of 6 million people. It added a storm surge warning and extended watch areas along the east and west coasts.

As people along the Atlantic Coast anxiously watched the behemoth, Irma battered the northern Caribbean, killing at least 11 people and leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees.

At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night, Gov. Rick Scott said. He noted the size of the powerful Category 5 storm, and told residents not to become complacent.

"It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate," Scott said.

Scott ordered all schools and state offices to close Friday through Monday. Florida State and the University of Florida canceled their home football games scheduled for Saturday.

NASA secured Kennedy Space Center and SpaceX launched an unmanned rocket for an experimental flight. Kennedy closed its doors to all nonessential staff and a crew of about 120 people will ride out the storm on site.

Most of the critical buildings at Kennedy are designed to withstand gusts of up to 135 mph (220 kph). Irma's wind could exceed that if it reaches Cape Canaveral.

With winds that peaked at 185 mph (300 kph), Irma was the most powerful hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah, and authorized about 5,000 National Guard members to help with response and recovery.

Noel Marsden said he, his girlfriend, her son and their dog left Pembroke Pines north of Miami with plans to ride out Irma in Savannah, only to find the city was also shutting down because of Irma. Marsden isn't sure where they'll all end up.

"I've got a buddy in Atlanta and a buddy in Charlotte. We'll wind up one of those two places because there are not hotels, I can tell you that," he said.

The last time Georgia was struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher happened in 1898.

Irma's eventual path and Florida's fate depends on when and how sharp the powerful hurricane takes a right turn, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said.

"It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane," the Hurricane Center said in a forecast discussion Thursday afternoon.

The last Category 5 storm to hit Florida was Andrew in 1992. Its winds topped 165 mph (265 kph), killing 65 people and inflicting $26 billion in damage. It was at the time the most expensive natural disaster in U.S. history.

President Donald Trump urged people to "be careful, be safe" during Hurricane Irma. In a tweet, Trump remarked that Irma "is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help."

Trump's exclusive Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach - the unofficial Southern White House - sits in the path of the storm.

U.S. Air Force Reserve weather officer Maj. Jeremy DeHart flew through the eye of Irma at 10,000 feet Wednesday and through Hurricane Harvey just before it hit Texas last month.

He said Irma's intensity set it apart from other storms.

"Spectacular is the word that keeps coming to mind. Pictures don't do it justice. Satellite images can't do it justice," DeHart said.

___

Reeves reported from Ormond Beach. Associated Press writers Seth Borenstein in Washington; Gary Fineout in Tallahassee and David Fischer in Miami contributed to this report.

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HURRICANE NEWSLETTER - Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox: http://apne.ws/ahYQGtb

Hurricane Irma evacuee Mari Michaud, right, takes a break from the drive north with daughter Zoey Michaud and son Neal Michaud Jr., at a convenience store in Ormond Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 2, 2017. Michaud and others fleeing Irma describe spending hours on the road amid a constant search for gasoline and lodging. (AP Photo/Jay Reeves)

Northbound traffic on the turnpike near Sunrise Blvd. is backed up in the rain as motorist prepare for Hurricane Irma on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in Sunrise, Fla. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Ruud Engolaar of the Netherlands, reacts after being told there is no room for his luggage on an Orlando-bound bus from Miami Beach, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida. Mandatory evacuations were issued for the Florida Keys and coastal areas in South Florida. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Northbound traffic, right, on I-75 through Sarasota, Fla., is heavier than normal, but still moving on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Many South Florida residents are evacuating and heading north as Hurricane Irma approaches. (Mike Lang /Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP)

Lauren Jackowiec, the adoptions manager for the Jacksonville, Fla., Humane Society, loads crates of cats into the Humane Society's van for an evacuation trip to Sarasota, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. On the day that the Humane Society was to move animals into their new building they started the process of evacuating animals at the shelter to facilities out of the city ahead of Hurricane Irma. On Friday the dogs will begin a journey to a shelter in Lynchburg, Va. (Bob Self/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

Employees, from left, Ron Weible, Casey Shroyer, and David Tibbs, of the Pearl Home store, board up the windows of the business in advance of Hurricane Irma, Thursday Sept. 7, 2017, in Jacksonville Beach. Fla. (Bob Mack/The Florida Times-Union via AP)

City of Miami volunteers help residents fill free sandbags Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Miami, as residents prepare for Hurricane Irma. A hurricane watch is now in effect for the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida. (AP Photo/Alan Diaz)

FILE- This Sept. 5, 2017 file photo shows residents in a long line waiting to purchase water at BJ Wholesale in preparation for Hurricane Irma in Miami. With images of Hurricane Harvey's wrath in Texas still fresh and 25-year-old memories of Hurricane Andrew's destruction, warnings that Hurricane Irma might be the long-dreaded "big one" has brought many Floridians close to panic. Lines for gas, food and supplies stretched outside businesses as the South Florida region of more than 6 million people rushed to prepare for Irma, which forecasters say could strike over the weekend as a Category 4 or 5 storm. (Roberto Koltun/Miami Herald via AP, File)

Workers shutter Mango's Tropical Cafe in Miami Beach, Fla., Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch for the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida, the first of perhaps many watches and warnings along the Southeastern coast over the next several days. (AP Photo/Marta Lavandier)

Jair Vargas ,28, of Orlando, loads his last sandbag into his vehicle Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Orlando, Fla., as residents prepare for Hurricane Irma. Long lines of vehicles waited for hours to get a 10 sand bag limit at the City of Orlando Public Works. (Red Huber/Orlando Sentinel via AP)
CHINO, Calif. (AP) - Getting the approval of a parole panel was the easy part for Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Manson's murderous followers.

Between her and her release stands a governor who has shown zero willingness to allow anyone involved in the Manson killings to go free.

Van Houten, now 68, was found suitable for parole by the two-person state panel after a hearing on Wednesday.

Leslie Van Houten reacts after hearing she is eligible for parole during a hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif. Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Manson's murderous followers, was granted parole by a California board Wednesday. (Stan Lim/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool)

Now, she must still be approved by the state Parole Board, which is likely, but then must hope Gov. Jerry Brown won't block her release as he did last year.

In blocking her release then, as he has with several would-be parolees from the Manson "family," Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19.

On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns.

"I've had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself," she said.

"To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened," added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her gray hair pulled back in a bun.

Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, said after the hearing that he believes Van Houten addressed the concerns the governor had when he denied her parole last year.

"My hope is he's going to follow the law and let his commissioners do their job," he said.

He added his client was relieved by Wednesday's ruling, adding he believes she will be released eventually.

"I'm getting her out of here. That's not an issue. The question is when," he said.

No one who took part in the Manson clan's two-night killing rampage has been released from prison so far.

Van Houten told the panelists she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her school's outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia. She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District during San Francisco's summer of love.

When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her fetus in their backyard.

Soon after, she was traveling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a "family" to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders. His disaffected youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him.

Van Houten went on to candidly describe how she joined several other members of the "Manson Family" in killing Los Angeles grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, in their home on Aug. 9, 1969, carving up La Bianca's body and smearing the couple's blood on the walls.

She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage.

On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to "do something," she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

"I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it," she added quietly.

Relatives of the La Biancas didn't believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid.

"No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever," nephew Louis Smaldino said. "She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done."

The voice of the La Biancas' oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne, broke as he noted he's about to turn 44, the same age his grandfather was when he was killed.

"Please see to it that this fight doesn't have to happen every year for the rest of our lives," he said of Van Houten's nearly two dozen parole hearings.

Family members left before the panel announced its decision.

In reaching it, Parole Commissioner Brian Roberts and Deputy Commissioner Dale Pomantz said they took into account Van Houten's entire time of incarceration. During those years she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

"You've been a facilitator, you've been a tutor and you've been giving back for quite a number of years," Roberts said.

Still, he warned her that if she is released that living in society again will not be easy. He noted parole officials have heard from "tens of thousands" of people who don't want her released. But others, he added, including many who have known her since childhood, spoke up for her, saying they've seen her mature in prison and become a different person.

"So with that we'd like to wish you good luck," he said.

___

AP reporters Don Thompson in Sacramento, California, and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

Leslie Van Houten reacts after hearing she is eligible for parole during a hearing on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017 at the California Institution for Women in Corona, Calif. Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Manson's murderous followers, was granted parole by a California board Wednesday. (Stan Lim/Los Angeles Daily News via AP, Pool)




TUES/12 Hixson Chamber Council Community Coffee8-9 a.m.Neck and Back Pain Relief Sharing: 4841-D Hixson PikeTUES/12 SCORE: Annual Free Small Business Workshop8:30 a.m.  2 p.m.The Brainerd Crossroads BX: 4011 Austin St.SCORE and other workshop partner organizations provide assistance and tools to help you on your path to business ownership, improving your business processes or helping your business grow.WED/13 midTown Chamber Council Meeting11:45 a.m.- 1 p.m.Family Justice Center: 5705 Uptain Rd.$10THUR/14 YPAC After Hours5:30-7:30 p.m.Daily Ration: 1220 Dartmouth St.THUR/14 2017 College & Career Fair Day 19 a.m. - 2 p.m.Chattanooga State Community College: 4501 Amnicola HighwayThe College & Career Fair is a two-day event that gives 11th and 12th grade students the opportunity to network with college representatives and members of the business community. Vendors participate with booths and sharing information about higher education and career opportunities. Booth & rentals cost $200; lunch for both days is included.THUR/14 Small Business Orientation: Complimentary Morning Course11:30 a.m.  1 p.m.INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd.This seminar will address key topics related to starting a business, such as business entity options and tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options and the extensive network of resources through the TSBDC. Participants receive a packet containing vital phone numbers and addresses for getting established within state and federal regulations. Register at clients.tsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=30360141 THUR/14 Southside Chamber Council MeetingNoon-1 p.m.green|spaces: 63 E Main St.$12THUR/14 Find your Funding, Complimentary1:303 p.m.INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd.Explore funding opportunities that range from traditional loans to bootstrapping, crowd funding and angel and venture capital funding. A representative from SBA and TSBDC will discuss the variety of options, including the SBA 504, SBA 7a and others for small businesses.Speakers: Jackie Merritt, SBA & Ira Weiss, Weiss Associates Business Advisory groupRegister at clients.tsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=30360180 THUR/14 Ribbon Cutting for Hawthorne at the Summit5 p.m.Hawthorne at the Summit: 8602 Summit Peak WayTHUR/14 Small Business Orientation: Complimentary Evening Course5:30-7 p.m.INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd.This seminar will address key topics related to starting a business, such as business entity options and tax registration, the importance of business planning, financing options and the extensive network of resources through the TSBDC. Participants receive a packet containing vital phone numbers and addresses for getting established within state and federal regulations. Register at clients.tsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=30360169 FRI/15 2017 College & Career Fair Day 29 a.m. - 2 p.m.Chattanooga State Community College: 4501 Amnicola HighwayThe College & Career Fair is a two-day event that gives 11th and 12th grade students the opportunity to network with college representatives and members of the business community. Vendors participate with booths and sharing information about higher education and career opportunities. Booth & rentals cost $200; lunch for both days is included.FRI/15 Advanced Marketing/SEO ($40) Advanced Seminar3:305 p.m.INCubator: 100 Cherokee Blvd.Deep dive into all things SEO. Learn Google SEO requirements and organic and paid SEO strategies across top digital assets. Gain insightful takeaways to move your SEO from basic to booming. Prerequisites: Must have a website that has been LIVE for at least 3-6 months, Google Anlaytics setup on your website, mobile-friendly website, "Google Your Business" setup, at least 2 active social media channels for your business, and Wordpress or Squarespace website CMS.Speaker: Casey KnoxRegister: clients.tsbdc.org/workshop.aspx?ekey=30370009 Payment link: secure.touchnet.net/C20043_ustores/web/product_detail.jsp?PRODUCTID=58
BEIJING (AP) - China supports further United Nations action in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test but also wants to see renewed efforts to begin dialogue involving all sides, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

China hopes North Korea will "see the situation clearly and come to the right judgment and choice," Wang said.

He said the U.N. should take "necessary measures," but added that sanctions and pressure should spur dialogue and negotiation between the sides toward the goal of a peaceful solution on the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system, or THAAD, are seen at a golf course in Seongju, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Seoul's Defense Ministry on Thursday said the U.S. military has completed adding more launchers to a contentious U.S. missile-defense system in South Korea to better cope with North Korean threats. The deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system has angered North Korea but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radar as a threat to their own security. (Kim Jun-beom/Yonhap via AP)

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the nuclear issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation. Only when the two are put together can it unlock the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula," Wang said.

China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, as well as North Korea's main trading partner and source of food and fuel aid.

Also Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated China's opposition to South Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System, also known as THAAD, which is intended to protect against North Korean missile attacks. Beijing says the system's powerful radars will be able to monitor flights and missile launches deep inside northeastern China.

Two of the system's launchers are already operational, and the remaining four were added Thursday amid protests by residents living near the site in South Korea.

Geng told reporters that China had complained to the U.S. and South Korea and urged them to "take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and other regional countries."

The U.S. and South Korea should "immediately stop the deployment process and withdraw relevant equipment," Geng said.

China's opposition to the THAAD deployment has sent formerly strong relations with South Korea into a tailspin, cutting deeply into the crucial economic relationship between the two countries.

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. said its China plant halted operation due to a supply disruption on Tuesday, its second shutdown in China in less than a month.

While China has not discussed military planning for a crisis on the Korean Peninsula with the U.S. or others, its defense ministry reported that the armed forces carried out drills in nearby waters two days after North Korea said it exploded a hydrogen bomb on Sunday.

The ministry said the exercise in the Bohai Gulf was aimed at "boosting the forces expulsion mission capability" and not at any specific nations or targets, according to a statement posted on the ministry's official Sina Weibo microblog account. The ministry said the exercises had been planned well in advance.

China has repeatedly said it will not tolerate an armed conflict on its doorstep and that there can be no military solution to the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Bohai Gulf lies just west of the Yellow Sea, which separates China from the Korean Peninsula.

U.S. military vehicle moves as South Korean police officers try to block residents and protesters who oppose to deploy an advanced U.S. missile defense system called Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD, in Seongju, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Seoul's Defense Ministry on Thursday said the U.S. military has completed adding more launchers to a contentious U.S. missile-defense system in South Korea to better cope with North Korean threats. The deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system has angered North Korea but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radar as a threat to their own security. (Lee Sang-hak/Yonhap via AP)

U.S. military vehicles move past South Korean police officers on guard, heading toward a former golf course where the U.S. missile-defense system has been installed, in Seongju, South Korea, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Seoul's Defense Ministry on Thursday said the U.S. military has completed adding more launchers to a contentious U.S. missile-defense system in South Korea to better cope with North Korean threats. The deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense system has angered North Korea but also China and Russia, which see the system's powerful radar as a threat to their own security. (Lee Sang-hak/Yonhap via AP)
BERLIN (AP) - A 32-year-old man has gone on trial in the northern German city of Hamburg accused of spying for Turkish intelligence on a Kurdish politician and activists.

The dpa news agency reported Thursday that Turkish national Mehmet Fatih S. is accused of spying for the Turkish intelligence service MIT in Germany.

The suspect, whose last name wasn't given in line with privacy laws, was arrested in December.

An officer of the court stands in a courtroom ahead of the trial of Mehmet S., far left, an alleged Turkish spy facing espionage charges, in Hamburg, Germany, Sept. 7, 2017. The 32-year-old Turkish national is accused of having spied in Germany on behalf of the Turkish secret service MIT. (Christian Charisius/Pool Photo via AP)

Prosecutors allege he started working worked for Turkish intelligence in 2013 and was tasked in September 2015 at the latest with snooping on Kurds in Germany.

Among other things, he's alleged to have focused on a German-based politician who at the time headed a Kurdish group in Germany and now is part of the leadership of a Brussels-based Kurdish umbrella group.
WADAKONA, South Sudan (AP) - As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands: weapons. South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying arms to rebels fighting its bloody civil war.

On a visit last month, The Associated Press spoke with opposition fighters who recently defected to the South Sudan government side. They described how weapons flow in from Sudan - and how rebels flee there to find safe harbor.

Past documentation by arms experts that Sudan has supplied weapons to South Sudan's rebels are a concern as the Trump administration considers permanently lifting sanctions on Sudan in October. The sanctions have been in place for two decades because of grave human rights concerns.

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, South Sudanese army commander Col. James Gatjiath holds bullets captured from opposition fighters during recent clashes in Kuek, northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

Sudan's government has denied arming the rebels. Human rights groups disagree and say Sudan's actions should weigh heavily against lifting sanctions.

"If Sudan can't restrain itself from destabilizing its southern neighbor when it has too much to gain from the United States by not doing so, imagine the damage Sudan will do once sanctions are lifted and the U.S. no longer has leverage on Sudan to temper its worst instincts," the founding director of the Enough Project, John Prendergast, told the AP.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in South Sudan's four-year civil war and millions have fled the country. Multiple efforts at peace deals have failed and no end to the conflict is in sight.

Between 2011 and 2015, the independent organization Conflict Armament Research documented Sudanese support to opposition forces in South Sudan. It found that Sudanese military equipment had been "captured from non-state armed groups" there. It also found that Sudan often repackaged ammunition or masked shipping information to conceal its origins, especially with large quantities of Chinese ammunition.

However, experts say that since 2015 there have been no new findings to support the claims of Sudan arming South Sudan's rebels, adding that proving any recent transfer is extremely difficult.

"The U.S. put a lot of pressure on Sudan last year to cut off support to South Sudan's rebels" as it explored whether to lift sanctions, said Alan Boswell, a conflict analyst specializing in South Sudan. The rebels then lost significant ground after struggling to resupply, Boswell said.

In the past year, despite South Sudan declaring a unilateral cease-fire, government forces have launched offensives reclaiming most of the West Bank in Upper Nile state, an epicenter of the civil war. Government troops have pushed the rebels further north.

In two towns the AP visited along the border with Sudan, mounds of bullets and explosives were seen piled on the ground or buried in holes to limit the damage from accidental explosions. South Sudan's army says the arms come from Sudan and were captured from the rebels - but the army also loads its own guns with the ammunition.

"Sudan is giving the opposition military equipment and everything they need," said Col. James Gatjiath, the army commander in Northern Upper Nile state. Government troops in June captured two tanks from the opposition that he said came from Sudan.

Shown photos of the piles of ammunition, the coordinator of the U.N. panel of experts monitoring sanctions on South Sudan, Klem Ryan, said he agreed with arms experts that "this stuff has mostly been in country for at least a couple of years. And it's impossible to say how any group comes by it."

The AP spoke to three rebel defectors in Wadakona town. Each said roughly 8,500 rebel fighters were based in two towns on the Sudan side of the border.

"They gave us AK-47s, machine guns and artillery," John Bier, a defector-turned-South Sudan government soldier, said of the Sudanese. Bier said he fought with the opposition for four years was based in Sudan for most of that time.

"There's a contract in place between Machar and Khartoum," said Sebit Kong, another rebel who recently defected. He was referring to opposition leader Riek Machar, now in exile in South Africa. "Machar says, 'Give me everything I need and I'll pay you back once we kick them out.'"

The opposition rejects the claims that Sudan is supplying it with weapons.

"I wish that was true. We could be in Juba by now," said opposition spokesman Lam Paul Gabriel, referring to South Sudan's capital. "We get our supply (of weapons) from the Juba regime's untrained forces in battles."

The State Department says the U.S. will continue to urge Sudan's government "to maintain cooperation with the United States on addressing the South Sudan conflict and seek to stop the historical patterns of retributive, proxy support provided by both Sudan and South Sudan to armed opposition groups in each other's territory."

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, a pile of ammunition captured from opposition fighters during recent clashes is seen in Kuek, northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, a young girl watches government soldiers in Kuek, once a populated border town that has been turned into a military barracks with just 300 civilians, most of who are the army's family members, in northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, a government soldier travels from Renk across the Nile to the front line garrison town of Kuek, to patrol the border, in northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, government soldiers stand next to a tank they claim was captured from the rebels during the latest clashes in June in the town of Kuek, in northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, a government soldier inspects a rocket found after recent clashes with rebels in Kuek, northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, a government soldier walks to his post to patrol the border in Kuek, in northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)

In this photo taken Saturday, Aug. 19, 2017, South Sudanese army commander Col. James Gatjiath holds ammunition captured from opposition fighters during recent clashes in Kuek, northern Upper Nile state, South Sudan. As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands - weapons, which South Sudan's government accuses its neighbor of supplying to rebels fighting its bloody civil war. (AP Photo/Sam Mednick)
Amazon has begun the search for a second North American headquarters, promising to spend more than $5billion constructing the new campus and employing as many as 50,000 people wherever it chooses.

'Were excited to find a second home,' CEO Jeff Bezos said Thursday, adding that the new headquarters dubbed 'HQ2' will be 'a full equal' to the company's existing home office in Seattle.

The company has invited cities and states to make their case to host the new HQ, in what promises to be a mad scramble to win the lucrative honor of hosting Amazon's second campus.

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos (pictured in March) said Thursday that the new headquarters, dubbed 'HQ2', will be 'a full equal' to the company's existing Seattle headquarters

Amazon estimates that its existing headquarters (pictured) in downtown Seattle had injected $26billion into Seattle's economy in payroll alone between 2010 and 2016

Amazon estimates that it has injected $26billion into Seattle's economy in payroll alone between 2010 and 2016.

AMAZON'S CRITERIA FOR HQ2 LOCATION Amazon is considering locations throughout North America, with a 'preference' for: Metropolitan areas with more than one million people

A stable and business-friendly environment

Urban or suburban locations with the potential to attract and retain strong technical talent

Communities that think big and creatively when considering locations and real estate options Advertisement

It also attracted an additional $38billion in indirect benefits to the local economy as a result of its headquarters there, the company estimates.

The Seattle office spans 33 buildings and more than 8million square feet.

There are 24 restaurants and cafes within Amazon's Seattle campus alone, where more than 40,000 people are employed.

The increase in personal income around the Seattle headquarters for people not employed by Amazon increased by about $17 billion due to direct investments, according to the company.

The company gave few hints about where it was looking, but did say it is looking at metropolitan areas with populations of more than a million that have the potential to attract top technical talent.

Amazon will hire thousands of new workers, but also said that people working at its Seattle headquarters will have the option of seeking a spot at the new site.

A 'biosphere' is seen under construction at Amazon's Seattle headquarters in June 2016. The company is soliciting proposals for its new HQ with a deadline of October 19

The company has created a website where cities and states can submit their proposals to host the second headquarters.

The deadline for submitting completed proposals is October 19, 2017.

The final site selection and announcement will occur in 2018, the company said.

As to why Amazon is conducting the search so publicly, the company said on the website: 'We want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit.'
MADRID (AP) - Spain's government is asking the country's constitutional court to suspend a bid by regional leaders in Catalonia to hold an Oct. 1 referendum on independence from Spain, the prime minister announced Thursday.

Amid deep political tensions, Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy said the vote is illegal and poses an attack against Spain's and Catalonia's institutional order.

"That's something that the government and the courts can't allow," Rajoy said in a televised address following an urgent meeting of his cabinet. "There won't be a self-determination referendum because that would be taking away from other Spaniards the right to decide their future."

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy gives a speech following an urgent cabinet meeting at the Moncloa palace in Madrid, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Rajoy said Spain's government is asking the country's constitutional court to suspend a bid by leaders in Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence from Spain on Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)

Spain's constitutional court has previously ruled that a referendum can only be called with the approval of the central authorities.

The pro-independence coalition in power in Catalonia, a wealthy region in northeastern Spain, claims it has the democratic mandate to deliver on a promise to seek independence and that the universal right to self-determination overrules Spain's laws.

Regional president Carles Puigdemont signed the decree for the Oct. 1 vote late Wednesday.

"Patriotic unities that go beyond the rights of citizens don't have a place in today's Europe," Puigdemont said, adding that Catalonia belongs to "the world that looks forward" by holding the referendum.

Rajoy is trying to strike a delicate balance between tamping down the secessionist defiance yet staying away from dramatic measures that would further inflame anti-Spanish sentiments, such as suspending Catalonia's autonomous powers or declaring a state of emergency, which could bring the military to the mix.

His conservative government has not disclosed what other possible measures are in the pipeline, but it has vowed to trigger actions in a "proportional" way and "with serenity."

"The Constitution can be modified but through the rules and channels established, never through disobedience," Rajoy said Thursday.

The state prosecutor, meanwhile, announced plans Thursday for lawsuits accusing Catalan officials involved in the possible referendum of disobedience, abuse of power and embezzlement, among other charges.

One lawsuit seeks to punish members of Catalonia's parliament who allowed a debate and a vote on the legal framework of the Oct. 1 referendum. A separate lawsuit was aimed at Puigdemont and other executive branch members of the Catalan government who signed the referendum decree.

Chief state prosecutor Jose Manuel Maza said prosecutors and police forces in Catalonia have been told to investigate and stop any actions taken to celebrate the referendum. Businesses who print tickets for the ballot, produce commercials to advertise it or provide ballot services to the Catalan government could also be legally liable.

He said the measures were aimed at "guaranteeing the constitutional coexistence framework" in Spain.

Although much of the blame for the institutional crisis has been put on the pro-independence bloc in the Catalan parliament, Rajoy's conservative government is being targeted by other political parties for letting the situation get this far.

The Catalonia region, which is centered on Barcelona, generates a fifth of Spain's gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government. Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.

The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia. The idea gained support amid the high unemployment and harsh austerity measures that came as a result of Spain's 2008-2013 financial crisis.

A return to solid growth has weakened public backing for independence, however.

Catalan leaders have pledged to proclaim a new republic within 48 hours if the "yes" side wins the referendum, regardless of turnout.

Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont, right, applauds next to vice-president Oriol Junqueras, left, after the voting during a plenary session at the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. Catalan lawmakers are voting on a bill that will allow regional authorities to officially call an Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain, making concrete a years-long defiance of central authorities, who see the vote as illegal. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Members of the Catalan Popular Party display Spanish flags just before abandoning the session ahead of the voting during a plenary session at the Parliament of Catalonia in Barcelona, Spain, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. Catalan lawmakers are voting on a bill that will allow regional authorities to officially call an Oct. 1 referendum on a split from Spain, making concrete a years-long defiance of central authorities, who see the vote as illegal. (AP Photo/Manu Fernandez)

Spain's Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy appears on a television screen as he gives a speech following an urgent cabinet meeting at the Moncloa palace in Madrid, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Rajoy said Spain's government is asking the country's constitutional court to suspend a bid by leaders in Catalonia to hold a referendum on independence from Spain on Oct. 1. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
LONDON (AP) - A new single by George Michael has been released, eight months after the music star's death.

"Fantasy," first recorded in the late 1980s, has been reworked by funk-master Nile Rodgers. It received its first radio airplay on Thursday.

Michael's publicist says the song was meant to be included on Michael's 1990 album "Listen Without Prejudice" but got "lost in the ether." Michael asked Rodgers last year to rework the song for release as the lead single for a reissue of "Listen Without Prejudice."

FILE - In this Saturday, July 2, 2005 file photo, British singer George Michael accompanied by other musicians and children from Africa gestures to the crowds during the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park, London. A new single by George Michael has been released, eight month after the music star's death. "Fantasy," first recorded in the late 1980s, has been reworked by funk-master Nile Rodgers and received its first radio airplay on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Rodgers tweeted that he felt "emotional ambiguity" about the song, which evoked "tears, uncertainty, happiness and love." (AP Photo/Lefteris Pitarakis, File)

Michael died Dec. 25, aged 53, from heart disease and a build-up of fat in his liver.

Rodgers tweeted that he felt "emotional ambiguity" about the song, which evoked "tears, uncertainty, happiness and love."

The reissued album, "Listen Without Prejudice/MTV Unplugged," will be released Oct. 20.
LONDON (AP) - The Latest on Britain's exit from the European Union (all times local):

12:50 p.m.

The EU's chief negotiator Michel Barnier has insisted that Britain should meet all the budget commitments it has made to the bloc.

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Michel Barnier, the European Commission's Chief Negotiator, responded to the publication of 'Guiding Principles for the Dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland'. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)

Both sides have been bickering about what Britain will owe the bloc when it leaves in March 2019. London is complaining that the EU is seeking far too much.

Barnier said former Prime Minister David Cameron signed up to the EU's 7-year budget in 2013, and that the British parliament confirmed this.

At a press briefing in Brussels, Barnier said any commitment by the 28 member states "need to be honored" by all 28.

"Right up to the end, it is as simple as that," Barnier said of the British obligation on the 7-year budget. "To have confidence, you have to balance the books."

Estimates on what Britain would have to pay once it leaves have ranged from 40 to 60 billion euros ($48-72 billion).

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12:20 p.m.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says Britain's stance on issues relating to Ireland is worrisome and that a solution to the border issue will require a "unique" solution.

Progress on the Irish border is one of the three items of separation that the EU wants to see before it can sanction talks on a new post-Brexit relationship with Britain.

Both sides have said the Irish issue is a key challenge during the Brexit discussions especially with regard to how it affects the peace process in Northern Ireland.

"We are not there yet," Barnier said.

Discussions over Britain's exit from the EU have also made little headway so far on the other two issues that the EU wants resolved, namely citizens' rights and the divorce bill Britain will have to pay when it leaves the bloc in March 2019.

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10:40 a.m.

The British government is battling to pass a major plank of its Brexit plans through Parliament, amid faltering progress in divorce talks with the EU.

Lawmakers are starting debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which will revoke thousands of EU laws and regulations and replace them with domestic statute on the day the U.K. leaves the bloc.

The government says the legislation is crucial to disentangle Britain from the EU after more than four decades of membership.

Prime Minister Theresa May says it will "prevent a cliff-edge for people and businesses, because it provides legal certainty."

Critics say the bill gives the government powers to change laws without parliamentary scrutiny. The main opposition Labour Party calls the bill "a power grab" and says it will vote against it.

European Union chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier speaks during a media conference at EU headquarters in Brussels on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Michel Barnier, the European Commission's Chief Negotiator, responded to the publication of 'Guiding Principles for the Dialogue on Ireland and Northern Ireland'. (AP Photo/Virginia Mayo)
BANGKOK (AP) - Two weeks after violence erupted in western Myanmar, minority Rohingya Muslims continue to flood into neighboring Bangladesh every day.

The military said it was carrying out "clearance operations" in northern Rakhine state to flush out Rohingya insurgents who attacked police posts on Aug. 25, and blames insurgents for setting villages on fire. The fighters of the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army say they launched the attacks on area police to defend persecuted Rohingya communities.

Many displaced Rohingya have said it was Myanmar soldiers who set their homes aflame and fired indiscriminately on villagers. Reporters saw new fires on Thursday in a village Rohingya had clearly abandoned.

In this Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, file photo, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, right, speaks with India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi during their Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) at the Presidential Palace in Naypyitaw, Myanmar. "We are partners in your concerns over the loss of lives of security forces and innocent people due to the extremist violence in Rakhine State," Modi told reporters during a visit Wednesday to Myanmar. (AP Photo, File)

Below are notable reactions to the crisis around the world:

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MYANMAR LEADER AUNG SAN SUU KYI

"I think it's a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months. As you know that we have all been in the administration only 18 months," Suu Kyi told reporters Thursday.

"We're trying to progress as quickly as possible on the development front, because one of the biggest problems is the matter of very limited resources."

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U.N. REFUGEE AGENCY SPOKESPERSON DUNIYA ASLAM KHAN

"Those who have made it to Bangladesh are in poor condition. Most have walked for days from their villages - hiding in jungles, crossing mountains and rivers with what they could salvage from their homes. They are hungry, weak and sick," Khan said Wednesday at a briefing in Geneva.

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MYANMAR NATIONAL SECURITY ADVISOR THAUNG TUN

"I am deeply disappointed and saddened by the disinformation campaign being waged around the world with regard to the situation in Rakhine. We see a deliberate attempt to spread fabricated news on the situation via both the print and broadcast news as well as online social media. These fabricated news items are written and published with the intent to mislead the public they are patently false and cannot be accepted," Tun said at a news conference Wednesday in Myanmar's capital, Naypyitaw.

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U.N. SECRETARY-GENERAL ANTONIO GUTERRES

"The grievances and unresolved plight of the Rohingya have festered for far too long and are becoming an undeniable factor in regional destabilization," Guterres said Tuesday at the United Nations in New York.

"The authorities in Myanmar must take determined action to put an end to this vicious cycle of violence and to provide security and assistance to all those in need."

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INDIAN PRIME MINISTER NARENDRA MODI

"We are partners in your concerns over the loss of lives of security forces and innocent people due to the extremist violence in Rakhine State," Modi told reporters during a visit to Myanmar on Wednesday.

"Be it a large peace process or be it to resolve a specific problem, we hope that all the stakeholders can work together in the direction to find such a solution that will ensure peace, justice and dignity for all by respecting the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar."

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PAKISTANI FOREIGN MINISER KHAWAJA MUHAMMAD ASIF

"Pakistan is deeply concerned over reports of growing number of deaths and forced displacement of Rohingya Muslims. Such reports, if confirmed, are a source of serious concern and anguish," Asif said at a meeting of the country's diplomats Tuesday.

"Pakistan urges authorities in Myanmar to investigate reports of massacre, hold those involved accountable and take necessary measures to protect the rights of Rohingya Muslims."

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BANGLADESH PRIME MINISTER SHEIKH HASINA

"Hosting a huge number of Myanmar nationals is a big burden for Bangladesh," Hasina said Tuesday, according to her press secretary Ihsanul Karim.

"We've given shelter to them only on a humanitarian ground."

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PAKISTANI NOBEL PEACE PRIZE WINNER MALALA YOUSAFZAI

"Every time I see the news, my heart breaks at the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar," Yousafzai tweeted Tuesday.

"Over the last several years, I have repeatedly condemned this tragic and shameful treatment. I am still waiting for my fellow Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same. The world is waiting and the Rohingya Muslims are waiting."

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POPE FRANCIS

"Sad news has reached us of the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters, a religious minority," the pope said Sunday while speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square.

"I would like to express my full closeness with them - and let all of us ask the Lord to save them, and to raise up men and women of goodwill to help them, who shall give them their full rights."

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INDONESIAN PRESIDENT JOKO WIDODO

"I and the entire people of Indonesia deplore the violence that occurred in Rakhine state, Myanmar. Real action is needed, not just statements and condemnations," the president said Sunday.

In this Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, file photo, fire engulfs homes in the Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flee into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. (AP Photo, File)

FILE - In this Sunday, July. 9, 2017, file photo, United Nation Secretary-General Antonio Guterres speaks during a press conference in Kiev, Ukraine. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flee into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. "The grievances and unresolved plight of the Rohingya have festered for far too long and are becoming an undeniable factor in regional destabilization," Guterres said Tuesday at the United Nations in New York. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky, File)

In this Monday, July 18, 2017, file photo, Malala Yousafzai chats with panelists on stage at a benefit lunch for Girls Inc., a nonprofit organization whose mission is giving confidence to girls, in Omaha, Neb. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flood into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. "Every time I see the news, my heart breaks at the suffering of the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar," she said in a Twitter message on Tuesday. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik, File)

In this Sunday, Sept. 3, 2017, file photo, Myanmar's Rohingya ethnic minority refugees reach for food distributed by Bangladeshi volunteers near Cox's Bazar's Gundum area, Bangladesh.Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flood into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)

In this Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, file photo, Pope Francis deplanes at El Dorado airport in Bogota, Colombia. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flood into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. "Sad news has reached us of the persecution of our Rohingya brothers and sisters, a religious minority," the pope said Sunday while speaking to pilgrims and tourists in St. Peter's Square. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini)

In this Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017, file photo, an exhausted Rohingya helps an elderly family member and a child as they arrive at Kutupalong refugee camp after crossing from Myanmmar to the Bangladesh side of the border, in Ukhia. Two weeks after violence in western Myanmar caused minority Rohingya Muslims to flood into neighboring Bangladesh, global reactions to the crisis have included anger, protests in Islamic country capitals and dismissals by Myanmar authorities. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue, File)
BANGOR, Maine (AP) - Movie fans attending a special screening of the movie "It" in Bangor, Maine, got a bonus: Author and local resident Stephen King joined them.

King's radio station, WKIT-FM, sponsored the special showing Wednesday night, and King received a standing ovation. He told the moviegoers: "You're going to be scared out of your seats anyway, so you might as well sit down."

"It" is based on King's book about a sewer-dwelling, homicidal clown in Derry, Maine. King has said the fictionalized town is based on Bangor.

In this June 1, 2017, photo, author Stephen King speaks at Book Expo America in New York. King discussed in an interview with The Associated Press how he views Hollywood adaptations of his writings, including the upcoming film "It," and how even as the leading creator of horror fiction, he still has the ability to write things that scare him. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan)

The new adaptation of King's novel will be previewed in many select theaters Thursday before it opens nationwide Friday.
Lowes Heroes employees will be among more than 30 volunteers to join forces with Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area on Thursday, Sept. 14, to complete neighborhood development projects in Historic Glass Farm Neighborhood located in East Chattanooga. Lowes awarded Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area a $56,780 grant to help complete the projects.

Volunteers will complete repairs on the homes of three residents, build a trail head connecting state park trails to the neighborhood, and support commercial renovation of Glass House Collectives new temporary headquarters located at 2513 N. Chamberlain Avenue, formerly Ray Records.

Over the past 12 months, Habitat for Humanity of Greater Chattanooga Area has devoted their efforts to promote neighborhood development in East Chattanooga. To date, a dozen homeowners have had beautification projects or home repairs completed with the help of Habitats Neighborhood Revitalization team and dedicated volunteers, in addition to four new homes that have been constructed for dedicated partner families.
NEW YORK (AP) - Classroom libraries from Sarasota, Florida, to Bremerton, Washington, are among thousands being given $500 donations from author James Patterson.

On Thursday, the best-selling novelist and Scholastic Book Clubs Inc. told The Associated Press that 3,500 teachers nationwide will receive grants totaling $1.75 million. Scholastic is matching Patterson's with gift points that can be redeemed for books and other materials.

Over the past few years, Patterson has given millions of dollars to libraries, classrooms and bookstores. In a statement Thursday, Patterson said he found it "humbling and concerning" that so many schools were in need of such basic supplies as books.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump on Thursday hailed efforts by the leader of Kuwait, a staunch American ally, to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors that could have implications for the U.S. military presence in the region.

However, the quartet of Arab nations now boycotting Doha issued a strongly worded statement early Friday morning dismissing some of Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah's comments, signaling the diplomatic crisis roiling the Gulf is far from over.

At a White House news conference with Sheikh Sabah, Trump said he appreciated the emir's thus-far unsuccessful bid to end the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. He applauded Kuwait's "critical contributions to regional stability" but also repeated an offer to mediate himself, particularly between Qatar and Saudi Arabia and the UAE. He suggested a deal would be "worked out very quickly" if he became personally involved.

President Donald Trump listens as Kuwait leader Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah speaks during a news conference in the East Room of the White House, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017, in Washington. (AP Photo/Evan Vucci)

Trump said all the countries involved - members of the Gulf Cooperation Council - are "essential partners" with the United States in efforts to crack down on extremism, including the fight against Islamic State group. "We will be most successful with a united GCC," he said. "We will send a strong message to both terrorist organizations and regional aggressors that they cannot win."

His comments came after he sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort. Still, the dispute has dragged on for more than three months, even after Tillerson shuttled between the parties in July and dispatched two other U.S. envoys to bolster the 88-year-old Kuwaiti emir's initiative.

The crisis erupted June 5 when Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates all cut ties to Doha over allegations Qatar funds extremists and has ties that are too warm with Iran. Qatar, which hosts a U.S. military base critical to the effort to defeat the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, has long denied funding extremists. It recently restored full diplomatic ties to Iran, with which it shares a massive offshore natural gas field that makes its citizens among the world's wealthiest.

In his comments, Trump offered a pointed reminder that terrorism financing is at the heart of the crisis. At one point he said the dispute "began because of that fact that there has been massive funding of terrorism by certain countries." He did not identify those countries, but in June he had made reference to Saudi and other Arab complaints about Qatar.

For his part, Sheikh Sabah said he remained hopeful that a resolution to the crisis could be reached. He noted that Qatar had been presented with a list of 13 demands by the other countries and was willing to discuss them. Although Qatar has rejected some of them out of hand, Sheikh Sabah said he believed negotiations were possible.

"I am optimistic that the solution will come in the very near future," he said. "The hope has not ended yet."

That hope appeared in jeopardy early Friday with a statement by the boycotting countries saying "any dialogue on meeting their demands should not be preceded by any prior conditions." The statement, which said the countries "regret" several of the comments by Sheikh Sabah, represents an unusual rebuke in the clubby world of Gulf Arab nations.

The nations also said a military intervention "has not been and will not be considered" to end the crisis, something mentioned by Sheikh Sabah in his remarks as once a possibility. However, Qatari exiles whom analysts believe are backed by the boycotting countries have repeatedly called for a coup in Qatar, while Saudi columnists at state-backed newspapers have repeatedly suggested an invasion to overthrow Qatar's ruler, Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani.

In response to a reporter's question, Trump briefly spoke about his administration's efforts to restart long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Trump plans to meet both Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly later this month.

"I think we have a chance of doing it," he said. "I think the Palestinians would like to see it happen, I think the Israelis would like to see it happen."

In Kuwait, media reports on Thursday focused on the emir's visit to Washington as a sign of the strong relationship the two countries have, including when a U.S.-led coalition expelled occupying Iraqi forces from the small nation during the 1991 Gulf War. Today, Kuwait hosts some 13,500 American troops, many at Camp Arifjan south of Kuwait City, which also is home to the forward command of U.S. Army Central.

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Associated Press writers Jon Gambrell in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and Hussain al-Qatari in Kuwait City contributed to this report.

The Emir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah speaks during a news conference with President Donald Trump in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday Sept., 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
NEW YORK (AP) - Amazon, bursting out of its Seattle headquarters, is hunting for a second home. Must haves: A prime location, close to transit, with plenty of space to grow.

The company said Thursday that it will spend more than $5 billion to build another headquarters in North America to house as many as 50,000 employees. It plans to stay in its sprawling Seattle headquarters and the new space will be "a full equal" of its current home, said founder and CEO Jeff Bezos.

Amazon's announcement highlights how fast the company is expanding and is certain to create a scramble among cities and states vying to make the short list. They have a little more than a month to apply through a special website , and the company said it will make a final decision next year.

FILE - In this Tuesday, May 30, 2017, file photo, the Amazon logo is displayed at the Nasdaq MarketSite, in New York's Times Square. Amazon announced Thursday, Sept. 7, that it has opened the search for a second headquarters, promising to spend more than $5 billion on the opening. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)

It didn't hint about where it might land, but its requirements could rule out some places: It wants to be near a metropolitan area with more than a million people; be able to attract top technical talent; be within 45 minutes of an international airport; have direct access to mass transit; and wants to be able to expand that headquarters to as much as 8 million square feet in the next decade. That's about the same size as its current home in Seattle. Co-headquarters, though, often come about as a result of mergers.

Amazon said its search is open to any metropolitan area in North America that meets the parameters - the city itself doesn't necessarily have to be a million people - but declined to say how open it was to going outside of the United States.

"We want to find a city that is excited to work with us and where our customers, employees, and the community can all benefit," the company said on its search website, about why it was choosing its second headquarters through a public process.

Bezos has crowdsourced major decisions before - in June, just before Amazon announced its plan to buy organic grocer Whole Foods, the billionaire took to Twitter seeking ideas for a philanthropic strategy to give away some of his fortune. And tech companies have been known to set places in competition with each other: In vying to land Google's ultra-fast broadband network, many cities used stunts and gimmickry to get the company's attention. Topeka even informally renamed itself "Google, Kansas."

In just the last month, Amazon announced plans to build three new warehouses that pack and ship packages in New York, Ohio and Oregon. And it recently paid close to $14 billion for Whole Foods and its more than 465 stores. The company plans to hire 100,000 people by the middle of next year, adding to its current worldwide staff of more than 380,000.

Amazon's current campus in Seattle takes up 8.1 million square feet, has 33 buildings and 24 restaurants and is home to more than 40,000 employees. At the second headquarters, Amazon said it will hire up to 50,000 new full-time employees over the next 15 years who would have an average pay of more than $100,000 a year.

Amazon's website about the search lauds the benefits it can bring to a community. And Amazon's arrival could transform an area: Until 10 years ago, the neighborhood near Seattle's campus just north of downtown was dotted with auto parts stores and low-rent apartments. Now the area is a booming pocket of high-rise office complexes, sleek apartment buildings and tony restaurants.

Amazon's rise has not been without local critics, who say the influx of mostly well-heeled tech workers has caused housing prices to skyrocket, clogged the streets with traffic and changed the city for the worse. The Seattle Times reported Thursday that the median price for a house in August in Seattle was $730,000, up almost 17 percent in a year.

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Associated Press writers Michelle Chapman in Newark, New Jersey, and Chris Grygiel in Seattle contributed to this story.
CRANS-MONTANA, Switzerland (AP) - Miguel Angel Jimenez fired a 6-under round of 64 to be in a three-way tie for the lead after the European Masters first round on Thursday.

Aged 53, Jimenez had seven birdies and a single bogey on the picturesque Swiss Alps course to share the top of the leaderboard with 30th-ranked Tyrrell Hatton of England and Scott Hend of Australia.

Jimenez also competes on the senior tour and already holds the European Tour record as the oldest winner. At 50, his 2014 Spanish Open title was his 21st on the tour.

Miguel Angel Jimenez of Spain in action during the first round of the Omega European Masters Golf Tournament in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Jimenez fired a 6-under round of 64 in a three-way tie for the lead after the European Masters first round on Thursday. (Alexandra Wey/Keystone)

Six players were one shot behind the leaders, including Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand. The European Masters is also an Asian Tour event.

Among five players on 4 under was American golfer Daniel Im, who aced the 175-yard (160-meter) eighth hole with a seven iron.

Two-time European Masters champion Alex Noren of Sweden opened his title defense with a level-par round.

In his 500th start on the European Tour, Lee Westwood of England carded a 1-over 71.
WASHINGTON (AP) - President Donald Trump's eldest son cast his meeting with a Russian lawyer last year as simply an opportunity to learn about Hillary Clinton's "fitness, character or qualifications," insisting Thursday to Senate investigators behind closed doors that he did not collude with Russia to hurt her campaign against his father.

Donald Trump Jr.'s description of the June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower in New York, delivered in a statement at the outset of a Senate panel's staff interview, provided his most detailed account yet of an encounter that has drawn close scrutiny from Congress and special counsel Robert Mueller.

He tried to dismiss concerns about one comment he made in emails leading up to the meeting. He said he was just being polite when he emailed "I love it" to Rob Goldstone, the publicist who was setting up the meeting with a Russian who was said to have election-season dirt on Clinton.

Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., second from right, a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, leaves a closed-door interview with Donald Trump Jr., as the panel investigates the meddling and possible Russian links to President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Trump Jr. released a series of emails in July that detailed preparations for a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and others where he was expecting to get damaging information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

Trump Jr. said it was "simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Rob's gesture."

Thursday's interview at the Capitol was the first known instance of Trump Jr. giving his version of the meeting in a setting that could expose him to legal jeopardy. It's a crime to lie to Congress.

Multiple congressional committees and Mueller's team of prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. A grand jury used by Mueller as part of his investigation has already heard testimony about the meeting, which besides Trump Jr., included the president's son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

Trump Jr. spoke to the Senate Judiciary Committee for about five hours, leaving in the midafternoon, out of view of reporters. In a statement released afterward, he appeared to suggest he would not testify publicly before the committee, saying he trusted that "this interview fully satisfied" the panel's inquiry.

In July, the committee's chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, said he wanted Trump Jr. to appear at a public hearing, though in recent days he's declined to say whether that will still happen. California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, the top Democrat on the panel, said Wednesday that she and Grassley had agreed in July to subpoena Trump Jr. if he wouldn't appear willingly in public.

Trump Jr. and the Judiciary Committee had negotiated for him to appear privately on Thursday and to be interviewed only by committee staff. Senators were allowed to sit in but not ask questions.

According to one person with knowledge of what was said, Trump Jr. told committee staff that he didn't inform his father about the June 2016 meeting.

He also said he didn't know or didn't recall the details of any White House involvement in his response to the first reports of that meeting, the person said. The White House has said the president was involved in drafting a statement saying the meeting primarily concerned a Russian adoption program.

The person declined to be identified because the meeting was private.

In prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press, Trump Jr. did not address the drafting of the statement. Instead, he sought to explain the emails that showed him agreeing to the meeting, which had been described as part of a Russian government effort to help his father's campaign.

He said he was skeptical of the outreach by music publicist Goldstone but thought he "should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say."

"To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out," Trump Jr. said.

He said the Russian lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, gave vague information about possible foreign donations to the Democratic Party but then quickly changed the subject to a sanctions law, known as the Magnitsky Act, which the Russian government opposes.

On the day of the meeting, Trump Jr. said he didn't know who would be attending because Goldstone didn't give him a list ahead of time. He said Trump Tower security also didn't keep a record. Goldstone was able to bring the "entire group up" by only giving his name to a guard in the lobby, he said.

"There is no attendance log to refer back to and I did not take notes," Trump Jr. said.

He said he remembers seven people in the meeting, though eight have been publicly reported.

The attendees Trump Jr. identified were himself, Goldstone, Manafort, Kushner, Veselnitskaya, a translator and Irakli Kaveladze, who worked for a Russian development company headed by Aras Agalarov and his son, Emin, who partnered with Trump to bring the Miss Universe pageant to Moscow in 2013.

He did not mention Russian-American lobbyist Rinat Akhmetshin, who has told multiple news outlets, including the AP, that he attended the meeting at Veselnitskaya's invitation. In recent weeks, Akhmetshin has testified about his recollection of the meeting before a Washington grand jury used by Mueller.

The top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, California Rep. Adam Schiff, released a statement responding to reports of the meeting and said Trump Jr.'s statement "raises more questions than it answers" and "highlights how significant the campaign viewed the promise of dirt on their opponent from the Russian government."

Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., who briefly sat in on the interview, released a statement later containing the federal statute barring lying to Congress. The statement was addressed to "Interested parties" regarding "Donald Trump Jr. testimony today."

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Associated Press writer Chad Day contributed to this report.

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Read Trump Jr.'s prepared statement: http://apne.ws/VTCJCVr

In this April 17, 2017 file photo, Donald Trump Jr., the son of President Donald Trump, speaks to media on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington. Donald Trump Jr.'s scheduled visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday marks a new phase in the Senate investigation of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 election and a meeting that the president's eldest son had with Russians during the campaign. Staff from the Senate Judiciary Committee _ one of three congressional committees conducting investigations _ plan to privately interview the younger Trump. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, makes a phone call as Donald Trump Jr., interviewed behind closed doors by committee staff investigating the meddling and possible Russian links to President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Trump Jr. released a series of emails in July that detailed preparations for a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and others where he was expecting to get damaging information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

A U.S. Capitol Police officer stands watch while Donald Trump Jr., is interviewed behind closed doors by Senate Judiciary Committee staff investigating the meddling and possible Russian links to President Donald Trump's 2016 presidential campaign, at the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Trump Jr. released a series of emails in July that detailed preparations for a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer and others where he was expecting to get damaging information about Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)

In this Nov. 16, 2016 photo, Donald Trump Jr., son of President-elect Donald Trump, walks from the elevator at Trump Tower in New York. Donald Trump Jr.'s scheduled visit to Capitol Hill on Thursday marks a new phase in the Senate investigation of Moscow's meddling in the 2016 election and a meeting that the president's eldest son had with Russians during the campaign. Staff from the Senate Judiciary Committee _ one of three congressional committees conducting investigations _ plan to privately interview the younger Trump. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
WASHINGTON (AP) - The Latest on President Donald Trump and Kuwait (all times EDT):

10:45 p.m.

The four Arab countries now boycotting Qatar say they "regrets" several comments by the Kuwaiti emir, signaling the diplomatic crisis is far from over.

President Donald Trump and the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah shake hands at a news conference in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday Sept., 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

In a statement issued early Friday, Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates say "any dialogue on meeting their demands should not be preceded by any prior conditions."

That's in regards to Kuwait's Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah saying Qatar had rejected some of the 13 demands earlier placed upon it by the boycotting nations, but was willing to negotiate.

The boycotting countries say a military intervention "has not been and will not be considered" to end the crisis. However, Qatari exiles whom analysts believe are backed by the boycotting countries have repeatedly called for a coup.

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2:45 p.m.

President Donald Trump is praising Kuwait's emir for taking a leadership role in trying to end a diplomatic crisis between Qatar and its Arab neighbors.

Trump's holding a joint news conference at the White House with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah. Trump applauded Kuwait's "critical contributions to regional stability." He urged the parties to the dispute - Qatar on one side and Bahrain, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates on the other - to embrace the emir's initiative.

Trump says all the countries involved are "essential partners" in the fight against Islamic State group.

When the dispute erupted three months ago, Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia but later instructed his team to support Kuwait's mediation efforts. But the dispute has dragged on.

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12:40 p.m.

President Donald Trump has welcomed the leader of Kuwait to the White House, and is meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

Trump says he will discuss the diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors. The president also says that the two have he calls a "great relationship."

Kuwait is a staunch American ally trying to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors. That crisis could have implications for the U.S. military presence in the region.

The Kuwaiti leader is thanking the United States for standing with their country when Iraq's Saddam Hussein launched an invasion.

Trump has sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt. Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort.

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11 a.m.

President Donald Trump is meeting with the leader of Kuwait, a staunch U.S. ally trying to mediate a diplomatic crisis involving Qatar (KUH'-tur) and its Arab neighbors.

Trump's White House meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah comes as Trump has sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute.

Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then he instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort.

The dispute has dragged even after Tillerson and other U.S. diplomats have shuttled through the region to bolster the Kuwaiti initiative.

At the meeting, Trump probably will also discuss efforts to further isolate North Korea by pressing countries to stop employing North Korean guest workers. Some 6,000 North Koreans work in Kuwait.

President Donald Trump speaks during a news conference with Kuwait leader Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah in the East Room of the White House in Washington, Thursday Sept., 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)

President Donald Trump greets the Amir of Kuwait Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah as he arrives at the White House in Washington, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carolyn Kaster)
MIAMI (AP) - A ferocious Hurricane Irma caused multiple deaths, left thousands homeless and knocked out power on islands across the northern Caribbean as it cut a devastating path that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.

Irma weakened slightly Thursday from its peak, record-setting winds of 185 mph (300 kph) but was expected to strengthen again.

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This Sept. 6, 2017 photo shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island known as St. Martin in English which is divided between French Saint-Martin and Dutch Sint Maarten. (Jonathan Falwell via AP)

WHAT'S AHEAD FOR IRMA?

Irma appears increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday. Gov. Rick Scott has declared an emergency and mandatory evacuation orders are in place for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys.

Irma's top sustained winds weakened by about 10 mph (16 kph) on Thursday because of dry air and interaction with land on the island of Hispaniola. However, meteorologist Jeff Masters with Weather Underground, Irma could strengthen again to 185 mph" (298 kph) or higher as it heads to warmer deeper water.

Forecasters said Irma could rake the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina. Georgia's governor has ordered a mandatory evacuation starting Saturday from the state's Atlantic coast.

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WHAT HAS IRMA DONE SO FAR?

French, British and Dutch rescuers struggled to rush aid to a string of Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least six dead and thousands homeless. Warships and military planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the world's most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations.

Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda was damaged when the eye of the storm passed early Wednesday. That left about 60 percent of the island's roughly 1,400 people homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press.

About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island.

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EVACUATION TRAFFIC JAMS

After parts of southern Florida were placed under an evacuation order, some drivers faced traffic jams and fuel shortages as they tried to head north to safety. At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night, Gov. Rick Scott said.

The Republican governor acknowledged that traffic jams and gas shortages were "frustrating," and said federal authorities and other states were helping to move more fuel into the state. He urged gas stations to stay open as long as possible.

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ONE FLIGHT INTO THE STORM

A daring Delta Air Lines crew braved Hurricane Irma's wind and rain to fly in and out of Puerto Rico to pick up travelers.

The flight-tracking website FlightRadar24 shared a radar image showing the plane heading into San Juan from New York just before noon Wednesday as the swirling storm was set to engulf the island. The plane took off less than an hour later with a new group of passengers for the return trip to New York. Radar images showed it navigating a narrow path between Irma's outer bands to escape the storm.

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OTHER FLIGHTS BEING CANCELED

Airlines plan to cancel Florida flights that are in Hurricane Irma's path.

American Airlines says it will begin shutting down operations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Sarasota and West Palm Beach by Friday afternoon and cancel flights through the weekend. JetBlue Airways said Wednesday afternoon that it had canceled about 130 flights.

American, JetBlue, United and Delta offered waivers letting customers change travel plans to Florida and the Caribbean without the usual charges for changing a ticket.

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INSURANCE IMPACT

One of Florida's biggest home insurers could take a big hit if predictions about Hurricane Irma prove true.

The state-run Citizens Property Insurance Corp. is strong enough to absorb the blow from the monster storm, industry experts say, but all the new claims could punch a hole in its finances, possibly leading to higher premiums in future years.

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FLOOD INSURANCE HAS DROPPED

An Associated Press analysis shows a steep drop in flood insurance across Florida, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge as Hurricane Irma approaches.

In just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data. Florida's property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state, but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed.

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TEST FOR FLORIDA'S BUILDING CODES

A catastrophic Hurricane Andrew revealed how lax building codes had become in the country's most storm-prone state. Florida responded by requiring sturdier construction . Now, experts say a monstrously strong Hurricane Irma could become the most serious test of Florida's storm-worthiness since the 1992 disaster.

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RUSH LIMBAUGH'S REMARK

Rush Limbaugh created a storm of his own by suggesting that the "panic" caused by Hurricane Irma benefits retailers, the media and politicians seeking action on climate change.

The conservative radio personality's swerve into meteorology had Al Roker, the "Today" show weatherman, saying Wednesday that Limbaugh was putting people's lives at risk.

Limbaugh's lengthy soliloquy on his radio show the day before was apparently set off by seeing a rush on supplies of bottled water in South Florida, where he lives.

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HURRICANE NEWSLETTER - Get the best of the AP's all-formats reporting on Irma and Harvey in your inbox .

Residents line up at Frost Park in Dania Beach, Fla., and fill up sandbags in preparation of Hurricane Irma in Dania Beach, Fla., on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

Northbound traffic on the turnpike near Sunrise Blvd. is backed up in the rain as motorist prepare for Hurricane Irma on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017 in Sunrise, Fla. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida. (Mike Stocker/South Florida Sun-Sentinel via AP)

A motorcyclist is blocked by trees felled by Hurricane Irma in Samana, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma is flooding parts of the Dominican Republic as it roars by just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti. (AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)

This Sept. 6, 2017 photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island that is split between French and Dutch control. (Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP)

Northbound traffic, right, on I-75 through Sarasota, Fla., is heavier than normal, but still moving on Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Many South Florida residents are evacuating and heading north as Hurricane Irma approaches. (Mike Lang /Sarasota Herald-Tribune via AP)

This Sept. 6, 2017 photo provided by the Dutch Defense Ministry shows storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Maarten. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Significant damage was reported on the island that is split between French and Dutch control. (Gerben Van Es/Dutch Defense Ministry via AP)

A home flattened by Hurricane Irma lies in a pile in Nagua, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma flooded parts of the Dominican Republic when it roared by Thursday, just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti. (AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
Britain will not shut the door to European Union immigrants after Brexit but the Government wants people with high skills and better jobs for domestic workers, a Cabinet minister has said.

Leaked proposals to force a post-Brexit cut in low-skilled migrants from Europe have ignited a political row on the eve of a Commons battle over EU withdrawal.

Sir Michael Fallon insisted the Home Office document does not represent the Governments final position but appeared to back its overall strategy and stressed that voters want a reduction in immigration.

Passengers going through the UK Border at Terminal 2 of Heathrow

The Defence Secretary told BBC Breakfast: I cant set out the proposals yet, they have not yet been finalised, they are being worked on at the moment.

There is obviously a balance to be struck, we dont want to shut the door, of course not.

We have always welcomed to this country those who can make a contribution to our economy, to our society, people with high skills.

On the other hand we want British companies to do more to train up British workers, to do more to improve skills of those who leave our colleges.

So theres always a balance to be struck.

Were not closing the door on all future immigration but it has to be managed properly and people do expect to see the numbers coming down.
Florida is on high alert for the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma, which continues to tear a deadly path trough the Caribbean, leaving devastation in its wake.

The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts, leaving at least seven dead.

Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson said the UK is taking swift action to respond to the disaster after speaking to the chief minister of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Just spoke to Anguillas Chief Minister on #HurricaneIrma. UK providing support & urge Brits to follow travel advice https://t.co/CkU52Ikmvm  Boris Johnson (@BorisJohnson) September 6, 2017

Britons in the region have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida  amid fears Miami could be struck directly by the hurricane.

Two separate hurricanes are adding to the regions stormy conditions. Hurricane Katia is drifting in the south-western gulf of Mexico, while Jose continues intensifying over the central Atlantic as it follows in Irmas wake.

A massive operation is under way to evacuate people away from coastal areas on Haiti and the Dominican Republic, where aid workers are moving residents into temporary shelters before Irma hits.

On Thursday morning Irmas eye was just north of the coast of Puerto Rico, lashing the island with heavy rain and high winds and leaving more than 900,000 people without power. It came less close to the capital San Juan than expected, with its last location about 140 miles north-west of the city.

(PA Graphics)

Irma is moving at around 16mph on a course forecast to take it toward the Bahamas and the British overseas territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands.

An alert sent by the Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies on Grand Turk urged residents near the coasts to take shelter on higher ground, warning the storm surge could raise water levels by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide. Some US government personnel have been ordered to leave the Bahamas before the hurricanes arrival, expected on Friday.

(PA Graphics)

On the US mainland authorities fear the hurricane may slam into the Florida peninsula over the weekend, just days after storm Harvey devastated Texas.

With 1,350 miles of coastline, the most in the continental United States, Florida has roughly 2.5 million homes in hazard zones, more than three times that of any other state, according to Federal Emergency Management Agency data.

The latest forecasts suggest Irmas most destructive winds could carve up much of Floridas priciest real estate, damaging properties from the Florida Keys through to Jacksonville as it swirls north. Officials are making preparations to potentially shut down two nuclear power stations in the Sunshine State, while evacuation orders have been given in the Florida Keys.

Donald Trump, whose Mar-a-Lago resort in Palm Beach could be affected by the storm, said his administration is monitoring Irma closely.

It looks like it could be something that could be not good, believe me not good, the US president said.

With sustained winds of 185mph, the category five hurricane is the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane on record.

It is only the second time anywhere in the world a storm has been recorded maintaining such windspeeds for more than 24 hours, after typhoon Haiyan in 2013, according to an expert at the University of Colorado.

A British naval ship has been deployed to help deal with the aftermath with 40 Royal Marines on board, as well as army engineers and equipment, as authorities struggle to bring aid to smaller islands.

Ben Cosme installs hurricane shutters in Key Largo, Florida

Meanwhile, Sir Richard Branson was counting the cost of widespread damage at his private retreat in the British Virgin Islands after the category five hurricane pounded the archipelago.

Just experienced a night of howling wind and rain as Hurricane #Irma edges ever closer  everyone calm & upbeat https://t.co/tF84SPx7aB pic.twitter.com/lbM0bdHxCv  Richard Branson (@richardbranson) September 6, 2017

I haven't had a sleepover quite like this since I was a kid. Wonderful team here on Necker all well https://t.co/tF84SPx7aB #Irma pic.twitter.com/DnnfUaeXhd  Richard Branson (@richardbranson) September 6, 2017

Before the hurricanes arrival Sir Richard refused to leave his Necker Island retreat and said he would be seeking shelter in the wine cellar with his staff.
The Duke of Cambridge has said Prince Georges first day at school went smoothly after he was forced to manage parenting duties alone.

The Duchess of Cambridge had hoped to join William on the school run but is suffering from severe morning sickness and was too ill to attend, Kensington Palace said.

But William said the day went well and joked that he was pleased another parent had problems with their children rather than him.

He made the comments at a reception for the England Under-20 football team  just hours after dropping his four-year-old son at Thomass Battersea, a fee-paying independent school in south London.

George had appeared nervous as he walked inside to join his reception class, but beamed as he showed off his new uniform in a photograph released by Kensington Palace.

The image, taken before the school run on the steps of their London home, shows the prince holding his dads hand and burying the other in the pocket of his shorts.

Prince George is led into school by the Duke of Cambridge and head of the lower school Helen Haslem

A Kensington Palace spokeswoman said: Their Royal Highnesses are delighted to share this lovely picture as Prince George starts school, and would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received.

The Duke told Paul Simpson, the England Under-20s head coach, it had been a good day.

He said: It went well. There was one other parent who had more of an issue with their children  so I was quite pleased I wasnt the one. It was really nice actually. Its a nice school.

Prince George is welcomed to Thomas's Battersea by the head of the lower school Helen Haslem

The prince, who will be known as George Cambridge to his classmates, was helped out of the car by William after being driven inside the school gates at around 8.45am.

George, wearing a shirt, navy V-neck pullover, shorts and black shoes, looked tentative and clutched his fathers hand as he was led towards the entrance of the school.

The youngster shook hands with Helen Haslem, head of the lower school, as the Duke held a school bag packed ready for his first day.

Take a look at The Duke and Prince Harry on their first days of school  pic.twitter.com/RkL1MUbC4Q  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

Then, with William holding one hand and Ms Haslem the other, he walked inside.

Ben Thomas, who is principal of Thomass London Day Schools and was headmaster of Thomass Battersea for 18 years, said he hoped future king George would learn to be himself.

He said: The whole aim of these precious early years of education is to give children that confidence in who they are.

The Duke of Cambridge hopes to do as many school runs as possible

So we are not going to try to mould him into any kind of particular person and we wouldnt do that with any of our pupils.

I hope he will have the confidence to be himself with all his quirks and his idiosyncrasies and characteristics.

Along with his classmates, George spent his first day getting to know teachers, adults and other children as well as completing the important task of finding his classroom peg.

Thomas's Battersea

He has been placed in a class of 21 pupils  one of three reception groups that are connected by a folding carousel door which is opened to allow group play three times a week.

Mr Thomas said the prince will begin by attending school for half-days and build up to longer hours.

He said: It will be a very, very gentle start. They start with half-days and the moment comes when they get to stay for lunch  which is a really big deal, trying to balance their lunch on their trays.

As Prince George starts school, here's a #TBT to his grandad, The Prince of Wales returning to Cheam School in 1958. pic.twitter.com/UqjRJCgmWo  Clarence House (@ClarenceHouse) September 7, 2017

Then they will be here eventually for full days and then we will start to introduce them to the breadth of the curriculum.

Mr Thomas, whose parents founded the school, said George would not be given any special treatment at all and it is understood William and Kate will try to do the school run as often as possible.

The school, where fees cost from 17,604 a year, has been described by the Good Schools Guide as: 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.

TRH would like to thank everyone for all of the kind messages they have received as Prince George starts school.  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

George and his classmates will be taught a range of subjects and activities from ballet and art to drama, French, music and physical education.

Asked why the Duke and Duchess had picked it for George, Mr Thomas said: What lots of parents tell us, what they love about the school, is the breadth of its curriculum.

The fact we focus not just on the childrens intellectual development but also on their artistic, their sporting development as well. They approve of our central school rule, which is to be kind.

Kate, who missed Georges milestone, is suffering from hyperemesis gravidarum, as she did in her previous pregnancies.

Duchess of Cambridge

She was also forced to pull out of public engagements on Monday and Tuesday.

On Tuesday, a day after it was announced the couple are expecting their third child, William said Kate was well but admitted: Theres not much sleep going on at the moment.
A meeting of the Governments emergency COBRA committee is being held to coordinate the response to Hurricane Irma after Prime Minister Theresa May discussed the situation with French President Emmanuel Macron by telephone.

The Prime Minister and Mr Macron agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane, and Mrs May told the president that advisers from the Department for International Development (DfID) have been sent to impacted areas.

The PMs spokesman told a Westminster briefing: They agreed that the devastation it had wreaked was terrible with unconfirmed reports of a number of fatalities.

The PM updated the president on our response, noting that DfID humanitarian advisers had already deployed to the region to carry out damage assessments and provide humanitarian support.

Both leaders agreed to co-operate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate the relief effort.

We are working as quickly as we possible can to get help and support, and to asses the scale of the damage.

Emmanuel Macron and Theresa May have agreed both countries would work together to help deal with the devastation caused by the hurricane

I think everybody will have seen the images this morning. They are terrible and the devastation there looks terrible, and the Prime Ministers thoughts are obviously with everybody there.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon is chairing the COBRA meeting.
Prince Harry has urged an end to the stigma around mental health.

The prince is campaigning for change from the bad habits of the previous generation.

The 32-year-old said he was inspired and uplifted after meeting young people working to improve support and prevent suicide in Northern Ireland.

Prince Harry

He added: The older generation have had it one way and handed whatever you want to call it, the bad habits, down to all of us, as the younger generation.

What we have been trying to do is remove the stigma around mental health, to encourage people to have a conversation.

What a warm Belfast welcome! Thank you! pic.twitter.com/l1TEsWKp0h  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

The prince met young people aged 15 to 17 from the Northern Ireland National Citizen Service, whose motto is Say yes, during a visit to the MAC arts centre in Belfast city centre.

He said: It is easy to bury your head in the sand and not do anything about it, but much more inspiring and uplifting to go to a group like this with like-minded people.

When you are together like this, you have an opportunity to start the change, to have an influence.

Harry revealed in an interview with the Daily Telegraph he spent nearly 20 years not thinking about his mother Diana, Princess of Waless death and eventually got help after two years of total chaos.

Young people from schools across Northern Ireland are sharing their schools Peace Pledge with Prince Harry. pic.twitter.com/OUF0Y84jkb  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

Earlier on Thursday, the prince put an ambulance worker in a spin after he used a harness to demonstrate some emergency equipment during the opening of a new 5 million ambulance centre in Ballymena, Co Antrim.

Harry quipped I am all right down here and twirled him around as he hung by cables from the ceiling during a demonstration.

During his visit, Harry spoke with young people about empowerment, about standing up and doing something for peace-building.

The royal family have a history of working for reconciliation during trips across the Irish Sea and the princes humanity while meeting community groups from nationalist and unionist backgrounds across the island was outstanding, his hosts said.

HRH hears how youth groups are bringing young people from different communities together who wouldn't otherwise meet pic.twitter.com/In982LYGnW  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

Co-operation Ireland, which organised the meeting, is a charity which has worked for almost 40 years to build a shared and cohesive society within Northern Ireland and across the Irish border.

Its chief executive Peter Sheridan said: Today was about reaching to the next generation, to the next generation of the royal family, the next generation of young people across this island, whatever background they come from.

Prince Harry unveils a plaque to officially open the station and commemorate his visit pic.twitter.com/3lsCkTylzb  The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) September 7, 2017

A total of ten schools were represented from across Northern Ireland. A group had travelled from just across the border in Belturbet, Co Cavan.

The prince was applauded as he left and schoolchildren from both sides of the divide sung his praises.
Two men have been arrested at Birmingham Airport after disembarking a flight from Turkey on suspicion of terrorism.

The two men  aged 40 and 29  are both UK nationals and returned from Istanbul on Thursday morning.

The 29-year-old man is being detained in a London police station on suspicion of belonging to a proscribed organisation under section 11 of the Terrorism Act.

Police

The second man was arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism and was taken to hospital for a medical assessment.
Scarlets flanker James Davies has been ruled out of action for 12 weeks due to shoulder trouble.

Davies, who was part of the Great Britain sevens squad at last years Rio Olympics, will undergo surgery on Friday.

The surgery is to repair damage sustained to his shoulder last season and will keep him sidelined for 12 weeks, the Scarlets said in a statement.

Scarlets' James Davies on his way to scoring a try during the European Champions Cup Pool Three match against Ulster

Despite initially trialing a period of rehabilitation, the injury hasnt improved to the level required to function and cope with the demands of competition, and therefore requires Davies to go under the knife.

Although Davies, younger brother of Wales and British and Irish Lions centre Jonathan Davies, is uncapped, he could have been a contender for Wales autumn Tests squad.

Wales face Australia, Georgia, New Zealand and South Africa between November 11 and December 2.
By Stephen Eisenhammer

LUANDA, Sept 6 (Reuters) - Angola's ruling MPLA party has won a general election by taking 61.07 percent of the vote, the electoral commission said on Wednesday, making Joao Lourenco the next president of sub-Saharan Africas third-largest economy.

He will replace Jose Eduardo dos Santos, who steps down after 38 years at the helm but will continue as head of the People's Movement for the Liberation of Angola (MPLA).

The main opposition National Union for the Total Independence of Angola (UNITA) took 26.67 percent, with the smaller opposition party CASA-CE winning 9.44 percent.

"Mission accomplished," Lourenco told supporters at his partys headquarters in Luanda.

"Well produce a better future for the country and the people of Angola," he said in his first comments as president-elect. He is expected to take office on Sept. 21.

UNITA, which has repeatedly complained that the electoral process has been non-transparent and illegal, declined to comment after the results on Wednesday. A spokesman told Reuters a statement will be made on Thursday. UNITA has previously said it will appeal the results.

Speaking earlier on Wednesday, the spokeswoman for the National Electoral Commission Julia Ferreira rejected the oppositions complaints as having a "lack of clarity and objectivity", adding sufficient proof had not been presented.

Electoral observers have said the vote on Aug 23 was reasonably free and fair. The head of the African Unions observation mission, Jose Maria Neves, congratulated Angola on a poll he said served as a "reference for the continent".

Speaking before announcing definitive election results, President of the National Electoral Commission Andre da Silva Neto asked the parties to accept the election results.

On the streets of Luanda, cheering and the honking of horns was heard as residents celebrated another electoral win for the MPLA, which has maintained an unbroken hold on power since Africas second-largest crude producer gained independence from Portugal in 1975.

Lourenco will be only the countrys third president in that time. A quiet 63-year-old more used to army barracks and the closed doors of party politics than the public spotlight, he has denied he will remain in the shadow of his predecessor dos Santos.

Lourenco has promised to kick-start the economy and has not ruled out deals with the World Bank and International Monetary Fund to help restructure it. Angola imports everything from washing powder to long-life milk at huge cost.

MPLA will have 150 lawmakers, giving them the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed to pass any form of legislation. (Reporting by Stephen Eisenhammer; Editing by Robin Pomeroy and Hugh Lawson)
Sept 6 (Reuters) - Canadian miner Teck Resources Ltd on Wednesday raised its forecast for sales volumes of its steelmaking coal in the third quarter, and also said it expects to realize an average price of around $158 to $163 a tonne.

Vancouver-based Teck said it now expects to sell between 7.2 million and 7.5 million tonnes of steelmaking coal in the third quarter due to strong demand, up from a previous forecast of at least 7 million tonnes.

The third-quarter price index for premium quality steelmaking coal sold under contract is $170 a tonne, Teck said. The company, the world's second-biggest shipper of steelmaking or coking coal, typically receives around 94 percent of the benchmark price.

Since April 1, the industry has shifted to an index pricing mechanism for premium coal from a negotiated quarterly benchmark price.

Teck's third-quarter sales volume and price forecast were both higher than expected, RBC analyst Stephen Walker said in a note to clients.

Teck's shares ended up 0.5 percent at C$29.62 on the Toronto Stock Exchange. (Reporting by Muvija M in Bengaluru and Nicole Mordant in Vancouver; Editing by Savio D'Souza and James Dalgleish)
Following is a summary of current odd news briefs.

A mother's invention, Barbie-like doll recites Quran verses

French businesswoman and mother Samira Amarir struggled to find toys which could help impart her Islamic faith to her young daughter, so she invented her own. Now the Barbie-lookalike "Jenna" doll, which she designed from scratch to recite four chapters from the Quran, has entered mass production and is on sale in Gulf Arab countries.

Tree surgeon branches out with own 'Little Britain' in Germany

An English tree surgeon has reacted to Brexit by transforming his German home into a quirky homage to Britain, complete with red telephone boxes and a life-size model of Queen Elizabeth. "When Britain voted for Brexit I decided to make my own little Britain here in Germany," 53-year-old Gary Blackburn told Reuters at his home in Kretzhaus, 30km (20 miles) south of Bonn.
NEW YORK, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Some things just are not meant to happen.

From the moment the draw was made for the U.S. Open, all the talk was about the potential for the first clash between Roger Federer and Rafa Nadal at Flushing Meadows.

It is a statistical anomaly that finally looked like ending after Nadal crushed Russian teenager Andrey Rublev to reach the last four.

But yet again, hopes of a New York clash between two of the greatest players of all time were dashed, this time by the giant hands of Juan Martin del Potro as he claimed a 7-5 3-6 7-6(8) 6-4 victory that few saw coming.

"I didn't even think about it, as I lost that match, that it's not going to happen," Federer said.

"Of course it is a pity but, you know, Juan Martin deserves it more. I feel I have no place in the semis and he will have a better chance to beat Rafa, to be honest.

"The way I played or playing right now, it's not good enough in my opinion to win this tournament. It's better I'm out and somebody else gets a chance to do better than me."

Such was the anticipation of fans looking forward to the potential clash between Federer and Nadal, the cheapest tickets for Friday's semi-finals were on offer at well over $700 on the official ticketing website when the match began.

By the time Del Potro had clinched victory to reach his first grand slam semi-final since 2013, they had crashed below $200.

When Del Potro won the title in 2009, he beat Nadal in the semi-finals and Federer in the final to clinch his only grand slam to date.

After three wrist surgeries, he almost quit the sport but is back in the last four and believes he can repeat his 2009 feat.

"I played (Nadal) in 2009 too, the same as Roger and hopefully I can repeat the result," he said.

"We look older but he's having an amazing season, number one in the world but with this amazing support anything can happen." (Reporting by Simon Cambers; Editing by Greg Stutchbury)
By Elias Biryabarema

KAMPALA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A spate of unsolved murders of young women in Uganda is putting rare public pressure on a police force long accused by opposition politicians of spending more time suppressing political dissent than tackling crime.

Widespread media coverage of the appearance of 20 corpses beside roadsides south of the capital since May reflects public anger with police for repeatedly saying they have arrested the perpetrators, only for another body to be discovered.

"It's terrifying," Susan Kabul, 29, told Reuters, standing near the garbage-littered bank of a drainage channel where the latest murder victim was discovered. "The police need to tell us who is slaughtering people like this."

The government has defended the police, and police say they have arrested 30 suspects and charged 13 of them, listing possible motives ranging from domestic rows through sexual abuse to ritual murder linked to human sacrifice.

"Ritual killing is one of the motives that we suspect, we also think there might be cases of jilted lovers," police spokesman Asan Kasingye said by telephone. "Other theories might come up as investigations progress."

There have been occasional individual cases of alleged ritual murder in the east African nation, but this is the first time there has been such a large number of people killed in similar circumstances in the same area.

In a nod to the public outrage, lawmakers stopped work for two days this week after the 20th body was found, saying ministers had failed to appear before the legislature over the killings in three districts on the outer edge of Kampala.

Government spokesman Ofwono Opondo accused them of populism. "They spoke as if the government is doing nothing," he said. "They should leave police to work without pressure."

The legislature is dominated by supporters of longstanding President Yoweri Museveni, who has been in power since 1986.

The constitution was changed in 2005 to remove a two-term limit, allowing him to extend his rule, and parliament is discussing removing an age cap. His son is a major general and powerful presidential adviser.

Opposition leader Kizza Besigye, who contends that Museveni stole his victory in last year's election, has been charged with treason. Police often break up opposition rallies with teargas, beatings or detentions.

The opposition and rights activists have long accused security forces of neglecting crime to focus on political control.

"Police can't secure women in a small area - all the attention is on politics, on who is criticizing Museveni," said Sarah Birete of the Centre for Constitutional Governance.

Government spokesman Opondo said police were doing a good job.

"Some people start disguised as political activists and degenerate to criminals, I think they are unhappy that the police is on their back," he said. "The police is right to focus on all forms of crime that can cause insecurity."

Uganda is ranked among the world's most corrupt countries by watchdog Transparency International. The Ugandan government's inspector general said in a 2014 report that the police force was "the most corrupt public institution in the country" and noted crimes were rarely investigated.

In Wakiso, the district south of Kampala where most of the victims have been found, few residents have faith that the killings will stop.

"I have stopped moving about at night. He could be a serial killer. I don't know where he will strike next," said Deo Busulwa, who lives a stone's throw from the canalside bank location of the latest grisly discovery, of mother-of-two Maria Nabilawa.

Many residents suspect the victims are killed elsewhere and the bodies dumped. Kasingye said they had arrested Nabilawa's husband in connection with her killing. (editing by Katharine Houreld and Philippa Fletcher and Jon Boyle)
SOFIA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - These are some of the main stories in Bulgarian newspapers on Thursday. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

-- Bulgaria and Greece signed a memorandum to build an transport corridor that will link Greek ports on the Aegean with Bulgarian ports on the Black Sea and Danube River. (24 Chasa, Trud, Monitor, Sega, Standart, Duma)

-- Turkey is interested to study the possibilities for additional electricity lines to expand the capacity of power exports from Bulgaria, its energy minister said during a visit to Bulgaria. (Trud, 24 Chasa)

-- Bulgarian finance minister has asked the Bulgarian representative at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development for explanation after an international media investigation involved his name into an alleged secret $3 billion Azerbaijani lobbying and money laundering scheme. The government will decide whether or not to keep him at the post on Thursday (Standart, Trud, Sega, 24 Chasa)

CAPITAL DAILY - Bulgarian-American Credit Bank, Investbank and newly-set up Vabo Internal company have filed bids to acquire small Victoria bank, the receivers of insolvent Corporate Commercial Bank that own Victoria, said.
By Daren Butler and David Dolan

ISTANBUL, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. prosecutors have charged a former Turkish economy minister and the ex-head of one of its state banks with conspiring to evade sanctions and to use the U.S. financial system to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars of transactions to benefit Iran.

The indictment marks the first time an ex-government member with close ties to President Tayyip Erdogan has been charged in an investigation that has strained ties between Washington and Ankara. Ex-minister Zafer Caglayan was also charged with taking bribes in cash and jewellery worth tens of millions of dollars.

The case stems from an inquiry into Reza Zarrab, a wealthy Turkish-Iranian gold trader who was arrested in the United States over sanctions evasion last year. Erdogan has said U.S. authorities had "ulterior motives" in charging Zarrab, who has pleaded not guilty.

Prosecutors have now charged Caglayan and former Halkbank general manager Suleyman Aslan and two others, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York.

They were charged with "conspiring to use the U.S. financial system to conduct hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of transactions on behalf of the government of Iran and other Iranian entities, which were barred by United States sanctions," U.S. prosecutors said in a statement dated Wednesday.

They were also accused of lying to U.S. government officials about the transactions, laundering funds and defrauding several financial institutions by concealing the true nature of the transactions, prosecutors said.

Reuters was not immediately able to reach Caglayan or Aslan for comment. Halkbank said all of its transactions have always fully complied with national and international regulations, adding that news regarding the U.S. case "misleads" the public and investors.

Relations between Washington and NATO ally Turkey, a key ally in tackling the Syrian conflict, have been strained, especially since a failed coup against Erdogan in July last year. Ankara is seeking, so far without success, extradition of a U.S.-based Muslim cleric it accuses of backing the attempt.

'NO CONCERN TO TURKEY'

Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci defended his predecessor and said U.S. prosecutors had yet to prove their accusations.

"Caglayan did not do anything against Turkey's interests," Zeybekci told reporters. "It is no concern to Turkey if Caglayan acted against interests of other countries."

Both Caglayan and Aslan are also accused of taking bribes, according to the indictment.

"Caglayan, who was serving as Minister of the Economy... received tens of millions of dollars' worth of bribes in cash and jewellery from the proceeds of the scheme to provide services to the government of Iran and conceal those services from U.S. government officials," prosecutors said.

As a result of the scheme, U.S. banks unknowingly processed international financial transactions in violation of sanctions, prosecutors said.

Caglayan, Aslan and others indicted in the case on Wednesday remain at large, prosecutors said.

The U.S. indictment echoes charges set out in a leaked 2014 Turkish police document, reported by Reuters, which set out allegations that a "crime organisation" had helped Iran exploit a loophole in Western sanctions that allowed it to purchase gold with oil and gas revenues.

When the West prohibited the gold trade in 2013 as a sanctions violation, the police report alleged the network concocted records of shipments of food at preposterous volumes and prices to continue giving Iran access to foreign currency.

Zarrab and a Halkbank deputy general manager, Mehmet Hakan Atilla, were both arrested while in the United States. Zarrab was detained in March 2016 and Atilla a year later. Both are scheduled to appear for trial in October.

Zarrab has hired former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani and former U.S. Attorney General Michael Mukasey to defend him against the charges.

Giuliani has said that both U.S. and Turkish officials remained "receptive" to a diplomatic solution due to the nature of the charges against Zarrab and the importance of Turkey as an ally.

A decree issued two weeks ago gave Erdogan authority to approve the exchange of foreigners detained or convicted in Turkey with people held in other countries "in situations required by national security or national interests".

Shares of Halkbank were down 3 percent at 13.86 lira as of 1013 GMT, underperforming the benchmark BIST 100 index, which was up 0.3 percent.

(Additional reporting by Gulsen Solaker in Ankara and Ezgi Erkoyun in Istanbul; Editing by Dominic Evans)
BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Finland's Foreign Minister Timo Soini said on Thursday he was against cutting EU membership talks with Turkey as had been proposed by German Chancellor Angela Merkel.

Soini, arriving for talks on the matter with the other foreign ministers from the bloc, said: "It's always useful to have a dialogue. We know there are problems with human rights in Turkey but I am not in favour of cutting the negotiations."

His Estonian counterpart, Sven Mikser, said he did not expect the EU to make any formal decision on that this year.

Arriving at the same meeting, Germany's Sigmar Gabriel reiterated Germany's stance that the talks should be halted. (Reporting by Gabriela Baczynska and David Mardiste; Editing by Alison Williams)
By Krishna N. Das and Nazimuddin Shyamol

CHITTAGONG, Bangladesh, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Mohammed Idrees, a 10-year-old Rohingya boy, does not remember how he landed at the hospital in Bangladesh with a part of his right ear blown off.

But he says he won't return to his home country, neighbouring Myanmar, until there is peace.

Idrees is one of around 60 badly injured Rohingya Muslims admitted to the hospital in Chittagong since violence flared in Rakhine state in the northwest of Myanmar in late August.

Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base on Aug 25, leading to a military crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people and sent 146,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

Apart from creating a humanitarian crisis, the unrest has also brought waves of international criticism of Myanmar's leader, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for not speaking out for a minority that has long complained of persecution. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country.

Almost all the Rohingya being treated at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the largest in southeast Bangladesh, have been injured by gunshots or bomb blasts, according to a hospital document given to Reuters. Around a third of the total injured are teenagers or younger, including a six-year-old boy.

The Myanmar military has repeatedly said that it has been targeting only insurgents in the crackdown.

Ajoy Kumar Dey, who is in charge of the hospital, said he had not seen similar wounds during previous influxes of Rohingya from Myanmar. He said the large number of young men and children, like Idrees, underlined the gravity of the situation in Rakhine.

"I don't remember what happened to me, but I want to go see my mother," Idrees said, lying on his bed in a soiled white shirt and a checked longyi, a Myanmar-style sarong. His head was bandaged and he was clutching the hand of his father, sitting by his side. "It hurts a lot."

He cried as his father, Mohammed Rasheed, described how Myanmar security forces sprayed bullets into their village, Kyauk Chaung, on the morning of Aug. 25.

One bullet took off a chunk of Idrees' ear as his family crouched behind a canal near their house. Six fellow villagers from Kyauk Chaung died in the hour-long shooting, said Rasheed.

A bleeding Idrees was carried on a bamboo stretcher over some hills near the border to reach Bangladesh the same night. His mother, three sisters and a brother arrived on Sunday.

"We are lucky all of us are alive," said Rasheed.

Across the ward, a Rohingya man with bullet wounds in one shoulder, the back of a thigh and a shin, writhed in agony. A plastic nasal pipe was helping him breath.

OVERCROWDED

The government hospital in Chittagong is usually crowded at the best of times; now it is receiving twice as many people as it has beds - many of them Rohingya with shattered faces, shredded legs and damaged eyes who are fighting for their lives.

Around two dozen young Rohingya men, some groaning in pain, were laying on blue hospital mattresses on the floor of a corridor on Wednesday, their legs or hands heavily plastered.

Zaw Htay, Aung San Suu Kyis spokesman, said Thursday that Myanmar was in discussions with Dhaka on what to do about what he said were "terrorists" in the hospital, a charge the Myanmar military made earlier in the week.

The Bangladeshi foreign secretary, Shahidul Haque, denied being contacted by Myanmar about militants being treated at the hospital.

However, he said that Bangladesh had previously handed over two "terrorists" after being given their names by Myanmar. He did not provide further details, but said Bangladesh would hand any terrorists to Myanmar if it provided more names and the individuals could be found.

A United Nations source said that on Sept. 3 alone, 31 Rohingya with bullet injuries and six with burn injuries were admitted to the Chittagong hospital.

"There have been many people who have come with bullet wounds on the backs of their bodies," said H.T. Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. "That is most reprehensible. This is a killing mission, plain and simple."

Myanmar officials have said the country has the right to defend itself from attack, adding that security personnel were told to keep innocent civilians from harm.

Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh are in urgent need of medical and humanitarian assistance given the massive scale of the influx, Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday.

"Many of the arrivals have serious medical needs, such as violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds, and advanced obstetric complications," Pavlo Kolovos, the humanitarian group's head in Bangladesh, said in a statement. "Without a scale-up of humanitarian support, the potential health risks are extremely concerning."

One such person with severe injuries is Mohammed Jubair, 21, who, according to doctors treating him in the burns and plastic surgery department, is on his deathbed.

The right side of Jubair's face has been smashed up completely; the left has severe burns, as does his lower body.

He was fleeing his village in Rakhine with his five-year-old sister when Myanmar forces in a helicopter hurled a bomb at them on Aug. 26, killing the girl on the spot, according to his older brother, Nur Mohammed.

"Unlike me, my brother was carrying our young sister as we fled to the hills when the army came and started setting our houses on fire," he said. "I could move ahead faster, now Allah save my brother."

Like the attack on the village reported by Rasheed, it was not possible to independently verify Mohammed's account. (Reporting by Krishna N. Das; Editing by Philip McClellan)
BEIRUT, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A convoy of aid arrived at Deir al-Zor in eastern Syria on Thursday, bringing supplies to soldiers and civilians days after the Syrian army broke a three-year Islamic State siege, Syrian state media reported.

The Syrian army and its allies reached Deir al-Zor on Tuesday in a sudden advance into the city after months of steady progress east across the desert, state news agency SANA said.

The United Nations has estimated that 93,000 civilians were living under IS siege in Deir al-Zor in "extremely difficult" conditions, supplied by air drops.

The 40 trucks that reached the area on Thursday carried basic needs such as fuel, food and medical supplies to civilians, and included two mobile clinics, SANA reported.

The army also holds another besieged enclave at the city's airbase, separated from its advancing forces by hundreds of metres of IS-held ground.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Thursday that the army has not yet connected with that enclave, and is working on expanding its corridor from the west.

The advance has led to casualties on both sides, the British-based war monitor added.

The army expanded its control of ground around the corridor after heavy artillery and air strikes, SANA reported on Wednesday.

Separately, the U.S. special envoy to the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, Brett McGurk, said on Wednesday that a convoy of the group's fighters and families from the Syria-Lebanon border was still in open desert.

The coalition is using air strikes to block the convoy from reaching IS-held territory in eastern Syria, to which the Syrian army and its ally Hezbollah were escorting it as part of a truce following fighting on the Syria-Lebanon border.

Islamic State is fighting separate advances from both the Syrian army and its allies in eastern and central Syria, as well as the U.S.-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in Raqqa.

The group has lost nearly half of its territory across both Iraq and Syria, but still has 6,000-8,000 fighters left in Syria, the United States-led coalition has said. (Reporting by Sarah Dadouch; Editing by Angus MacSwan)
By Michael Hogan

HAMBURG, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Germany is set to significantly increase its sugar production after farmers expanded beet sowings for the autumn harvest ahead of deregulation of the EU market from next month, an industry official said.

German farmers have increased beet sowings by about 22 percent from last year to around 385,000 hectares for this autumn's harvest as the EU ends restrictions on sugar cultivation, the head of Germany's sugar industry association WVZ, Guenter Tissen, said on Thursday.

Germany is likely to increase its production of refined sugar in the 2017/18 season by 23 percent on last year to 4.98 million tonnes if harvesting is not disrupted by bad weather, Tissen said.

"The expansion of the area sown with beet was undertaken because of the upcoming end of the EU sugar quota regulations on Oct. 1 this year," Tissen said. "The removal of the previous upper limit on domestic beet cultivation means imports can be substituted by German-produced sugar beet."

The European Union is introducing a radical liberalisation of the sugar market from Sept. 30, with farmers free to grow as much as they want and refiners able to sell sugar globally after decades of strict output quotas and export limits.

Leading German sugar producers Suedzucker and Nordzucker have said they plan to expand in the deregulated EU sugar market.

Along with food, sugar also has extensive non-food industrial use including for fermentation, bioethanol production and in chemicals. EU deregulation will also permit more European sugar exports into the global market.

"Germany's sugar industry and beet growers plan to make use of the new opportunities the market liberalisation will give," Tissen said. "But they still insist on a level playing field on the sugar market."

"There should be no market distortions by the international big players like Brazil and Thailand. We also need the end of coupled support in Europe as soon as possible," he said.

EU member states have the option of providing financial help, called Voluntary Coupled Support, to help farming sectors in difficulties, including sugar beet producers. Some 10 member states have decided to provide financial aid to their sugar producers under this scheme.

German sugar beet harvesting began in recent days and this season's production should be completed in January if weather remains positive, Tissen said.

WVZ estimates Germany will harvest about 31.48 million tonnes of beet against about 24.8 million tonnes last season. Beet sugar content is initially estimated at 17.78 percent, unchanged from last year.

"The condition of beet crops differs regionally," Tissen said. "The varied picture in Germany ranges from individual regions with floods to isolated areas with drought." (Reporting by Michael Hogan, editing by Susan Fenton)
BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The European Union is rallying over 50 countries to stop the trade of products used for torture or the death penalty, which could make it harder for the United States to carry out executions, the EU's trade commissioner said on Thursday.

The bloc will call for an alliance against trade in goods such as spiked batons and lethal drug cocktails at the United Nations in September following an EU move last year to strengthen its own export ban, the EU's trade chief Cecilia Malmstrom told a news conference.

Abolition of the death penalty is a central tenet of the EU's foreign policy and is also a requirement for countries seeking to join the 28-nation bloc.

"Torture is banned all over the world under international law but despite this terrible things happen and products that can be used to torture people can be traded all across the world and also in order to execute people," said Malmstrom, a Swedish liberal who as a former EU home affairs commissioner and EU lawmaker met torture victims and campaigned on rights issues.

The commissioner said the alliance would seek to control better the export of goods that could be used for torture and to assist customs authorities to shut down the trade, with technical assistance and information exchange.

"We are committed to protect human rights, to the fight against torture and abolition of the death penalty so this is an alliance to take concrete action, to stop this awful trade or at least make it significantly more difficult to obtain these tools," Malmstrom said.

Tougher EU laws, including a 2011 export ban on lethal-injection drugs, are making U.S. executions harder to perform by cutting off supplies by large-scale manufacturers of sodium thiopental, an anaesthetic in such injections.

Mongolia, which outlawed the death penalty in 2015, and Argentina, which has similar legislation to the EU, will jointly launch the initiative with the EU during the United Nations General Assembly week on Sept. 18 in New York.

The Commission said it expected that more than 50 countries would join on the day of launch. Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Norway are among those expected to back the plan.

Malmstrom said countries with the world's worst human rights offenders had not been invited, although were free to attend the launch. Iran, Saudi Arabia and China carried out the most executions last year, according to Amnesty International. (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Toby Chopra)
By Alexandra Schwarz-Goerlich

VIENNA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Austria's Oberbank will sign a deal with Iran this month enabling it to finance new ventures there, its chief executive said, among the first European lenders to do so since sanctions were eased.

The deal Tehran struck in 2015 with six major powers lifted many sanctions in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear activities and technically paved the way for international business deals with Iran.

However, many banks have stayed away for fear of inadvertently breaking remaining U.S. sanctions, which could lead to huge fines.

Oberbank, Austria's seventh-biggest lender, with a balance sheet of roughly 20 billion euros ($24 billion), is due to host a signing ceremony on Sept. 21 at its headquarters in the city of Linz with envoys from Iran's central bank and Finance Ministry, its Chief Executive Franz Gasselsberger said.

Executives from 10-12 Iranian banks will also be present for the signing of the agreement, which will enable Oberbank to provide credit for Austrian companies doing business in Iran, Gasselsberger told Reuters on Thursday.

"I think we are the first European bank (to reach such an agreement)," Gasselsberger said in a telephone interview, adding that he was relying on information from the Iranian authorities.

"Evidently some Germans and Italians are also negotiating," he said, adding that a Danish bank was also in talks. He declined to name any of those companies, but Denmark's Danske Bank said in January that it was negotiating with Iran's central bank.

GUARANTEES

The Oberbank agreement with Iran covers projects by Austrian companies in Iran lasting more than two years, in areas that were previously under sanctions. Oberbank already finances exports to Iran in areas such as food, Gasselsberger said.

"We have very concrete projects in the fields of infrastructure, rail, health, hospital construction, factory building, photovoltaics, hydro power," Gasselsberger said.

Export credit guarantees covering 99 percent of a project's volume will be provided by the Oesterreichische Kontrollbank, the main Austrian body that issues them.

"The sticking point was obtaining an additional guarantee from the Iranian republic," Gasselsberger said. "We negotiated with the Iranian central bank but the guarantee is evidently coming from the Iranian Finance Ministry."

Although President Hassan Rouhani cancelled a visit to Austria in March 2016, Iranian business executives went ahead with the trip and signed outline deals with Austrian exporters. ($1 = 0.8389 euros) (Writing by Francois Murphy; editing by Alexander Smith)
By Gabriela Baczynska and John Irish

TALLINN/PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - German Chancellor Angela Merkel's call to stop Turkey's European Union accession talks drew a mixed response from the bloc's foreign ministers on Thursday, while French President Emmanuel Macron said Ankara remained a vital partner of the EU.

NATO allies Germany and Turkey have traded increasingly bitter words over the last two years, contributing to an overall souring of Ankara's relations with the EU. President Tayyip Erdogan's crackdown on dissent following a failed 2016 coup attempt has drawn broad condemenation in the bloc.

Merkel announced her toughened stance on Turkey's long-stalled EU bid in a TV debate last Sunday as she faced off with her main rival in national elections due on Sept. 24.

Her Foreign Minister Sigmar Gabriel, arriving for talks with his EU colleagues in the Estonian capital Tallinn, said it was Turkey itself that was moving away from the EU. Austria's Sebastian Kurz reiterated his line that the talks should end.

But Finland and Lithuania spoke out against breaking off the talks, which opened formally in 2005 but stalled over Erdogan's track record on human rights and the unresolved issue of Cyprus - a Mediterranean island that belongs to the EU but of which part falls under an unrecognised protectorate of Turkey.

"No, we should continue the process and engagement. It's not easy but we have to value contacts," Lithuania's Linas Linkevicius told reporters. "By stopping, by cutting, we will ...encourage them even more to go away. I think the effect would be the opposite than what we'd wish."

EU entry talks, no matter how protracted, had long been seen in themselves as a stimulus to Turkish democratic reform; but EU officials see a slide back in recent years with judicial independence and freedom of speech in peril.

Turkey's EU ties minister, Omer Celik, is due to join the bloc's 28 officials for talks in Tallinn later on Thursday.

The EU is wary of upsetting Erdogan, eager to preserve a deal that stemmed the mass migration via Turkey of people from conflict zones in the tumultuous Middle East.

"We have to tread very carefully and, while discussing Turkey's status as a candidate country, we should also discuss the future relationship in all its aspects," Estonia's Sven Mikser said in Tallinn.

He said he did not expect the EU to make any formal decision this year, adding that the bloc needed to cooperate with Ankara on migration and security in particular.

GERMAN ELECTIONS

The French president told Greece's Kathimerini newspaper that ties with Turkey should be maintained.

"Turkey has indeed strayed away from the European Union in recent months and worryingly overstepped the mark in ways that cannot be ignored," he said.

"But I want to avoid a split because it's a vital partner in many crises we all face, notably the immigration challenge and the terrorist threat."

With other countries in the EU also advocating more "strategic patience", the unanimity of 28 member states required to kill off Turkey's bid seems absent.

But suspending accession talks, which the European Parliament has already called for repeatedly, would only require the backing of majority of EU states.

Merkel wants to discuss that with fellow EU leaders at their summit planned in October 19-20, more than three weeks after Germany's election.

A senior Turkish official said EU states must decide whether they wanted Turkey as a member, but there was a sense "they no longer want the marriage...(but) want cohabitation".

Kati Piri, a European Parliament speaker on Turkey, advised suspending the membership track but pushing ahead with customs union talks as the "most realistic leverage the EU can now have to try negotiate some standards with Turkey".

"Turkey under this government does not even uphold the minimum human rights standards now. But we should not take away the EU perspective from the Turkish people, and in suspending talks we would have to name conditions for reviving them."

"But this German twist is triggered by German elections, not by some change on the side of Turkey. So what does Merkel really mean? I think it's likely she will return to her usual pragmatism after the elections," Piri told Reuters.

(Additional reporting by David Mardiste in Tallin, Editing by Ralph Boulton)
BEIJING, Sept 7 (Reuters) - China issued new rules on instant messaging chat groups on Thursday, tightening control over online discussions ahead of a sensitive leadership reshuffle next month.

Beijing has been ramping up measures to secure the internet and maintain strict censorship, a process that has accelerated ahead of the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party, when global attention will be on the worlds No.2 economy.

Group chats on instant messaging apps and online commenting threads have seen a surge in popularity in China in recent years as forums for discussion, partly because they are private for members and so in theory are subject to less censorship.

Internet chat service providers must now verify the identities of their users and keep a blog of group chats for no less than six months, the Cyberspace Administration of China said in a statement released on its website

The rules, which take effect on Oct 8, just before the congress is due to begin, will cover platforms provided by Chinas internet titans, such as Tencents WeChat and QQ, Baidus Tieba and Alibabas Alipay chat.

The regulations also require companies to establish a credit system, and to provide group chat services to users in accordance to their credit rating, CAC said.

Chat group participants who break the rules will see their credit scores lowered, their rights to manage group chats suspended or revoked and should be reported to the relevant government department, it added.

The CAC did not immediately respond to a faxed request for comment sent after office hours on Thursday.

The administration also said the owner of the chat group should bear responsibility for the management of the group.

"Whoever owns the group should be responsible, and whoever manages the group should be responsible," it said.

The new rules are the latest requirement for China's internet giants, who have already been subject to investigations from the CAC into their top social media sites for failing to comply with cyber laws.

The administration has already taken down popular celebrity gossip social media accounts and extended restrictions on what news can be produced and distributed by online platforms, and has embarked on a campaign to remove virtual private network apps, which allow users to access websites blocked by the authorities. (Reporting by Pei Li and Christian Shepherd)
ISLAMABAD, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Pakistan's anti-corruption agency will open a criminal investigation into former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and current finance minister Ishaq Dar, it said on Thursday.

Sharif was ousted in July after the Supreme Court deemed him unfit to hold office for not declaring a small source of income, and ordered the agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to instigate a criminal investigation into him, his family and Dar.

The agency said its investigation would rely on the evidence collected by a Supreme Court-appointed six-man panel that was investigating the Sharif family's wealth and included officers from powerful military intelligence agencies.

"The chairman (of) NAB directed that the prosecution of the cases will be followed up vigorously in the concerned Accountability Courts," the agency said in a statement.

Sharif, his family, and Dar have denied any wrongdoing.

The three-time premier said he never received the income that investigators said he did not declare.

Sharif has said there was a conspiracy against him but did not identify anyone. Instead, he named long-time loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as his replacement as prime minister until the next election, expected in mid-2018.

Pakistan has for decades been plagued by pervasive graft, as well as by rivalry between the military and civilian politicians.

The NAB's conviction rates are notoriously low and Sharif has multiple investigations by the agency pending against him, including one dating back to 1999. (Reporting by Asif Shahzad; Writing by Drazen Jorgic; Editing by Robert Birsel)
Ban Guns, Knives, Clubs & Other Weapons At Rallies, Aldermen Say

By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 6, 2017 10:20PM



Ald. Edward Burke (Ward 14) / Wikipedia

Two Chicago aldermen put forth a proposal on Wednesday that would ban guns, knives, clubs, sticks and other weapons from rallies and protests in the city.

An ordinance proposed by Ald. Edward Burke (14th) and Ald. Ariel Reboyras (30th) would specifically prohibit "firearms, knives, weapons, sharp objects, shields, fireworks, chains, bats, clubs, sticks, batons and any other rod-like instrument." If passed, penalties for violation would be as high as a $1000 and 10 days in prison, or both.

The measure directly referenced the deadly violence in Virginia last month in a preamble: In light of the recent acts of terrorism on behalf of neo-Nazis and White Supremacists in Charlottesville, Virginia, which left one woman dead and dozens injured, the City of Chicago must prepare and upgrade any necessary public safety measures in anticipation of similar protests and rallies," it reads. "We have already seen violence and even death at these rallies, but the potential is for far worse if participants continue to carry guns into such confrontational situations.

The ordinance invokes how the city of Boston imposed strict strict restrictionsincluding against "anything that could be used as a weapon" according to the measureahead of that city's so-called Free Speech Rally in August. The permit for that rally was granted under "a zero-tolerance policy" that prohibited sticks, bats and backpacks, Boston Mayor Martin J. Walsh said last month, according to the Boston Globe.

A municipality has the authority to forbid public demonstrations that disrupt a school or hospital, ban the use of loudspeakers in a residential neighborhood at night and refuse to permit a demonstration that will unduly block traffic during rush hour, Burke said in a press release.

"It seems only fitting that Chicago should also be able to restrict the carrying of weapons during public demonstrations in order the curtail the possibility of violence."

The measure will later be considered in a joint Finance and Public Safety Committee hearing.
PARIS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - French police unearthed a second stash of explosive materials near Paris on Thursday after a similar find in a nearby suburb on Wednesday, a justice official said as three suspects were questioned by anti-terrorism investigators.

Thursday's swoop was carried out at a garage rented by one of the three detained in the wake of Wednesday's raid on an apartment in Villejuif, on the southern edge of the French capital, the source said.

Materials used to produce TATP, an explosive often used by suicide bombers, were found at the flat after a plumber phoned police to report suspect activity there, Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said.

Two people in their 30s and 40s were arrested in the immediate wake of Wednesday's raid, said Collomb, who added that the suspects were being questioned on suspicion of terrorist activity despite talking of a bank heist. A third man was arrested overnight, a source said.

"Those under investigation spoke of wanting to blow up a bank with the TATP but they way we see it is they have links with terrorism, and this is the channel of investigation," Collomb told public radio station franceinfo.

That line of inquiry was prompted by information found in telephone communications after the raid, he added.

The minister spoke before developments later in the day in which police found explosive materials at a garage in Thiais, southeast of Paris.

More than 230 people have been killed by Islamist-inspired attackers in the past three years in France, which along with the United States and other countries are bombing Islamic State bases in Iraq and Syria.

TATP, an unstable explosive, has been used by militants in several attacks in western Europe in recent years, including Manchester in May, Brussels in 2016 and Paris in 2015. (Reporting by Brian Love and Simon Carraud; Editing by Ingrid Melander)
By John Davison

HAZIMA, Syria, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The few bullet-marked schools Islamic State did not flatten or booby trap around its former Syrian stronghold of Raqqa are buzzing for the first time in years with the sound of children learning.

In the village of Hazima, north of Raqqa, teachers gave ad-hoc alphabet lessons to crammed classrooms on a recent summer's day before the start of term.

"Right now, the most important thing is to get children into class," said teacher Ahmed al-Ahmed, standing next to a hole in the school stairwell left by a mine blast that wounded a colleague.

The ultra-hardline Islamic State closed this school and many others in northern Syria after it seized control of the region in 2014, three years into the country's civil war. Instead it taught children extremist thought in mosques.

But now that the group has been ousted from most territory it held in and around Raqqa by a U.S.-backed military alliance, the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a growing debate over education points to the ethnic tensions expected to follow.

What is taught in areas under the control of the SDF, which includes Arab militias but is dominated by the Kurdish YPG, is one of many questions over how predominantly Arab parts of northern Syria will be run as they come into the Kurdish fold.

Schools around Raqqa will this year teach a new curriculum that is based on old textbooks but erases the Baathist ideology of President Bashar al-Assad, a decision agreed on by Arab and Kurdish teachers alike.

But an official in the SDF has floated the immediate introduction of Kurdish lessons in Raqqa schools, an idea that makes local officials bristle.

In contrast with other areas under SDF control that have for years taught Kurdish, there are no plans yet to teach the language in mostly Arab Raqqa.

Officials say it would need broad consensus, hinting at concerns that its introduction too quickly would cause unrest.

"We wouldn't object to Kurdish teaching. But if it's imposed on schools then there will be problems," Ahmed said.

RESENTMENT OVER KURDISH POWER

The YPG has held areas of northeast Syria since early in the six-year-old war which are now under a self-run administration opposed by Assad, who holds the main population centres in the west and is also advancing against Islamic State, and Turkey, a YPG foe which borders Syria. Raqqa is likely to join the administration, officials say.

All ethnic groups are represented in the local bodies that run majority Arab regions captured by the SDF as it ousted IS fighters but critics say Kurds dominate decision-making.

Reuters interviews with SDF officials and local authorities suggest resentment over Kurdish power is brewing over education plans.

A senior SDF adviser and coordinator with the U.S. coalition said he believed Kurdish would be taught to Kurdish pupils around Raqqa this year, following the model for other schools in SDF territory.

"No one has opposed this ... every (ethnic) group has the right to study in its own language," Amed Sido said via the internet.

Officials in the Raqqa Civil Council, the newly-formed local governing body, were taken aback.

"No, that won't happen without consultations with us and agreement in the council," Ammar Hussein, an education committee official, said at its office in the town of Ain Issa. "For now it's in Arabic, with English and French lessons."

Echoing several council members, he said Kurdish would be taught only if families requested it, there were enough qualified teachers and the Arab-Kurdish council approved it.

"If the people here agree ... there won't be any objection," said Ali Shanna, another education committee official. "But the Kurd knows the Kurdish language, why does he need to learn it?"

A former Kurdish teacher privately derided Shanna's comments.

"I hate that attitude. It's ignorance, it's the same thinking as Daesh (Islamic State)," said the teacher, who had been jailed under Assad for writing a Kurdish-language journal.

FEAR OF UNREST

The sensitivity over language has already caused unrest in Hasaka to the northeast, an area controlled for years by the YPG where a new curriculum is taught in Arabic and Kurdish, both now official languages. In demonstrations reported by a monitoring group, protesters called for Arab children not to have to learn Kurdish.

Mostafa Bali, an SDF official, said there was no intention to force Kurdish on Arabs, or to suppress Arabic.

"We don't support racism over language. But there are many Kurds who would like to see Arabic teaching banned in Kurdish areas as revenge for the Baath (teaching)," he said.

The Baathist curriculum championed Arab nationalism over ethnic identity. Kurdish pupils were punished for speaking their mother tongue in school playgrounds. Now, even in some Arab-majority towns, Kurds are taught Kurdish.

Officials in Raqqa are determined to do things their way, regardless of what they say are potential military threats from Assad or neighbouring Turkey.

"We won't let Turkey or anyone else interfere in our internal affairs. We decide what we'll teach or not teach," Leila Mostafa, the Kurdish co-president of the Raqqa Civil Council said.

At Hazima school, teachers worry about both the legacy left by Islamic State and Assad, and future political upheaval.

"One kid turned up singing Islamic State chants," teacher Ahmed Saoud said.

The teachers say "racist" Baathist modules help fuel Syria's conflict and are anxious to begin the new curriculum.

"It's urgent we start teaching. The next phase will be difficult - there'll be a reckoning between factions," Ahmed al-Ahmed said, without specifying which groups he was referring to. "A reckoning, in general." (Additional reporting by Sarah Dadouch in Beirut, Editing by Timothy Heritage)
ISTANBUL, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A Turkish court has ordered a German citizen who was detained in southern Turkey last week to be released but banned from travel, Dogan news agency reported on Thursday.

The released person and their German spouse were detained while on holiday in Antalya, a popular tourist destination. The spouse had already been freed after questioning, Dogan said.

The agency said they had both been held as part of investigations into a network of supporters of U.S.-based cleric Fethullah Gulen, blamed by Turkish authorities for a failed military coup last year, and Kurdish militants in Syria. Gulen has denied any link to the failed coup.

Thursday's reported release means 10 German citizens remain in Turkish detention on political charges.

The arrests have raised tensions between Ankara and Berlin and led Chancellor Angela Merkel to call for a review of relations and of Turkey's EU accession talks.

The detainees include dual German-Turkish citizen Deniz Yucel, who has been held for more than 200 days. (Writing by Ezgi Erkoyun; Editing by Dominic Evans and Alison Williams)
MOSCOW, Sept 7 (Reuters) - General Valery Gerasimov, the chief of Russia's general staff, on Thursday used a meeting with General Petr Pavel, the chairman of the NATO military committee, to reassure him about upcoming Russian war games, the Interfax news agency reported.

The Zapad-2017 war games this month have stirred unease in some countries because Russian troops and military hardware will be training inside Belarus, a Russian ally which borders Ukraine as well as NATO member states Poland, Latvia and Lithuania.

Interfax said Gerasimov, during a meeting in Azerbaijan, had told Pavel that the war games were purely defensive in nature, not aimed at any third countries, and designed to help secure the security of Belarus.

(Reporting by Dmitry Solovyov; Editing by Andrew Osborn)
By Raushan Nurshayeva

ASTANA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A group of foreign oil companies have offered to build a gas processing plant in Kazakhstan in exchange for settling a $1.6 billion profit sharing dispute over the Karachaganak project, a Kazakh state energy firm executive told Reuters on Thursday.

Murat Zhurebekov, chief executive of PSA LLC, a unit of state energy firm KazMunayGaz, said Kazakhstan would evaluate the offer of the group led by Shell and ENI and decide before the end of this year whether to accept it.

"Kazakhstan is carefully studying the project and holding consultations both domestically and abroad," Zhurebekov said.

Separately, a source close to the talks between the Kazakh government and the consortium told Reuters that President Nursultan Nazarbayev had ordered his cabinet to settle the dispute, which has already escalated to arbitration.

Russia's Lukoil, also a consortium member, said in April 2016 Kazakhstan had filed a $1.6 billion claim against the group developing the Karachaganak gas condensate field.

The former Soviet republic's energy ministry has said the dispute was about calculations of the parties' shares in the field's output.

Eni and Shell each own 29.25 percent of the Karachaganak project in northwest Kazakhstan, which they jointly operate. KazMunayGaz owns 10 percent, Chevron Corp 18 percent and Lukoil 13.5 percent.

Karachaganak produced 78.8 million barrels of liquid hydrocarbons in the first half of 2016, up 11.3 percent from the same period a year earlier.

The field contains 1.2 billion tonnes of oil and gas condensate and more than 1.35 trillion cubic metres of gas, making it one of the world's largest oil and gas deposits.

The consortium exports gas condensate - which is very similar to oil - via oil pipelines through Russia. It pumps some of the gas it produces back into the reservoir to increase pressure, and ships the rest to Gazprom's plant in Orenburg, Russia.

If the group were to build a plant on site, supplies to Gazprom may stop.

Resolving the dispute could help Kazakhstan and the consortium accelerate a $4.5 billion expansion project aimed at prolonging its output peak. (Additional reporting by Dmitry Zhdannikov in London; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Dmitry Solovyov and Mark Potter)
By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - European Union governments rejected the bloc's proposed measures to levy punitive tariffs on hot-rolled steel from Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine on Thursday, with some member states considering the measures too lax, others too tough.

European steelmakers have accused the four countries of dumping the steel used in construction and machinery and the European Commission, which oversees trade policy in the 28-member European Union, had set out plans to levy tariffs of up to 33 percent.

It had also proposed that duties would not apply if the product was sold at or above a set minimum price of 472.27 euros ($568) per tonne.

European steelmakers federation Eurofer, which had lodged a complaint and wanted import duties, criticised the minimum price element of the proposal.

As a result EU countries, including those with steelmakers and those interested in cheap steel, opposed the overall plan, EU sources said. The former believed the measures were too weak, the latter considered them too strong.

The case will now pass to a so-called appeals committee, also comprising the 28 EU members. In such appeal cases, the Commission often revises its plans. The committee will meet on or after Sept. 25.

The Commission's proposal would be then cleared unless a majority of states also representing a majority of the EU's population vote against.

Chinese imports of hot-rolled steel into the EU are already subject to duties of up to 35.9 percent, with no minimum price.

The Commission has previously used the minimum price approach for imports of solar panels from China to settle one of the most contested trade disputes between Brussels and Beijing. However, that has not stopped arguments over what level that price should be. ($1 = 0.8318 euros) (Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Susan Fenton)
ABIDJAN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A group of allies of Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo, including at least one living in exile in neighbouring Ghana, are behind a wave of attacks on security installations this year, the Interior Minister said on Thursday.

Thirty-five people, a number of them soldiers, have been arrested for involvement in the "destabilisation project", according to a statement released by Sidiki Diakite following a meeting of the National Security Council.

(Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Writing by Joe Bavier; Editing by Tim Cocks)
By Terrence Edwards

ULAANBAATAR, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Mongolia's parliament voted to oust Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat, its website said late on Thursday, after his ruling Mongolian People's Party (MPP) was defeated in a July presidential election.

No prime minister of Mongolia, a thinly populated and mineral-rich country sandwiched between Russia and China, has completed a four-year term since 2004.

Of 73 members of parliament attending the vote, 42 were in favour of Erdenebat's removal.

The outgoing prime minister noted that the country had seen 13 governments in the last 25 years.

"The resignation of a government in a democratic parliament is a normal occurrence, but it can be harmful if a good thing goes beyond its norms," Erdenebat said in a statement on parliament's website.

A former Soviet satellite, Mongolia transitioned to a parliamentary democracy in 1990.

"I believe that dismissing government is a mistake that hinders the development of the country, rather than a positive mechanism of accountability," Erdenebat said.

The MPP gained power in mid-2016 in elections in which it won 65 of parliament's 76 seats.

It is expected to hold a party congress to choose new leadership, said Dale Choi, an analyst and head of Altan Bumba Financial Group in Ulaanbaatar.

"I don't think it means instability" for the government, he said.

"I think it means internal party politics. It's clearing the party's decks after a monumental, unexpected presidential loss."

Last month, some 30 members of the parliament, or State Ikh Khural, signed a petition calling for Erdenebat's resignation in the aftermath of the presidential vote, which was won by populist former martial arts star and businessman Khaltmaa Battulga of the opposition Democratic Party.

The defeat was seen as a rejection of the MPP government's austerity policies and a reaction to allegations of corruption.

In Mongolia's parliamentary democracy, the prime minister is the leader of the government, and the president has limited powers including the ability to veto legislation and to propose laws to parliament.

Higher coal prices this year have helped the resource-dependent economy gain momentum. But earlier this year, a slump in foreign investment and declining commodity prices forced Mongolia to agree to a $5.5 billion economic bailout led by the International Monetary Fund, to relieve fiscal strains and try to restore investor confidence. (Reporting by Terrence Edwards in ULAANBAATAR; Writing by Tony Munroe; Editing by Mark Trevelyan)
BERLIN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - German consulates in the United States have seen a significant rise in requests for citizenship since November 2016, when Donald Trump was elected president, data collected by the German foreign ministry shows.

Total citizenship applications - including those filed by U.S. citizens already living in Germany - are reported yearly, with data for this year not expected until summer 2018.

However, German consulates receive citizenship requests filed overseas, including those filed by former Germans who were stripped of their citizenship during the Nazi era.

"The German government's offices in the United States are currently seeing a significant increase in legal queries related to citizenship issues," the German interior ministry said in response to an official query by the Greens party.

Applications do not ask why an applicant wants to become a citizen, so the reasons for the increase are a matter of conjecture. But applications by German stripped of citizenship during the Nazi era and their descendants rose sharply after the U.S. election in early November.

Such applications climbed from 92 in October 2016 to 124 in November, 144 in December and 159 in January 2017. At least 100 people living in the United States have applied every month through June.

Data from the German foreign ministry showed that, all told, 1,190 such applicants sought citizenship in the first eight months of 2017, compared with 792 in the full year of 2016.

Germany has also seen a surge in British nationals applying for German citizenship since the country voted to leave the European Union last year.

The Federal Statistics Office said a total of 110,400 foreigners took up German citizenship last year, a 2.9 percent increase from the previous year, with Britons making up the largest share of the increase. (Reporting by Andreas Rinke; Writing by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Larry King)
By Mark Weinraub

CHICAGO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. corn futures on Thursday sagged 1.1 percent on technical selling and expectations of a U.S. bumper harvest that would enlarge the already massive global supply of the grain, traders said.

Wheat futures also fell, weighed down by weak worldwide demand for U.S. supplies.

Soybean futures were trading close to unchanged. Helping to underpin prices were concerns that Hurricane Irma will cut production in southern states such as Georgia and North Carolina.

"The beans are being supported by the hurricane," said Mark Gold, managing partner at Top Third Ag Marketing. "It is going to do some damage there."

At 10:55 a.m. CDT (1555 GMT), Chicago Board of Trade December corn futures were down 4 cents at $3.57 a bushel.

Corn futures firmed during overnight trading but hit resistance at their 20-day moving average, a level the December contract has not broken through since Aug. 10. Corn prices also tested that key technical point on Wednesday.

Traders also noted profit-taking following the corn market's run-up to a two-week high on Wednesday.

CBOT December wheat futures were down 9-1/4 cents at $4.36-1/2 a bushel.

Irma, which is expected to hit the U.S. mainland as early as this weekend, could also hamper exports, which would be another blow to the already light overseas interest in U.S. wheat stocks.

"Traders are also monitoring the Irma hurricane as its trajectory could hit the U.S. south-eastern coast, surely causing logistical issues," French consultancy Agritel said.

CBOT wheat had risen for four straight sessions and five of the previous six. Traders said that had caused some funds to back out of bullish bets built up during that run.

CBOT November soybeans were unchanged at $9.71 a bushel. (Additional reporting by Naveen Thukral in Singapore and Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris; Editing by Richard Pullin and David Goodman Editing by W Simon)
Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa Dropped From Biss Ticket In Governor's Race Over Israel Stance

By Stephen Gossett in News on Sep 6, 2017 11:30PM



Alderman Carlos Ramirez-Rosa speaks at a press conference on education equity outside the National Teachers Academy. Photo by Aaron Cynic.

In a bombshell announcement in the Illinois governors' race, State Sen. Daniel Biss has dropped Ald. Carlos Ramirez-Rosa (35th) as his running mate over the alderman's stance on policy related to Israel. The announcement comes in the wake of Biss sustaining a high-profile lost endorsement over Rosa's comments. The removal comes just six days after Rosa joined the ticket.

"Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and I have reached a difficult decision about our ticket. As of today, Ill be moving forward with a new running mate," Biss said in a statement. He went to note his personal family historywhich includes grandparents who survived the Holocaust and great-grandparents who were killed under the Nazi regime.

The move hinges on Rosa's stance on the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions movement (BDS), the pro-Palestinian campaign which advocates for various kinds of boycotts against companies that do business with Israel.

Biss said in his statement that he believes BDS "moves us further away from a peaceful solution" in the region. He said that Rosa initially told him he was also opposed to BDS

"Since weve announced his selection, we have been asked about his position on BDS. After much discussion, its become clear that Carlos position has changed."

Rosaa 29-year-old leading figure in the City Council's progressive wingin his own statement clarified his position:



"While I was honored to be chosen as Senator Daniel Biss gubernatorial running mate, it became clear over the past few days that while we share a total commitment to peace, security, and statehood for the Israeli and Palestinian people, and both oppose pursuing BDS at the state level, the difference of opinion we have on the role the BDS movement plays at the federal level would make it impossible to continue moving forward as a ticket."

The shakeup comes just three days after Rep. Brad Schneider (D-IL 10th District) yanked his support for Biss over the candidate's choice to have Rosa run alongside him for lieutenant governor. "I was immediately concerned about some of Alderman Ramirez-Rosas past comments about the United States support of our ally Israel, and his affiliation with a group that is an outspoken supporter of the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions movement against Israel," Schneider said earlier in the week."

Schneider was referencing the Democratic Socialists of America, with which the rookie alderman is affiliated. The Chicago chapter of the DSA blasted Biss' decision as "cowardly."

The Democratic Socialists of America said in a statement:



"While we believe Carlos would have made an outstanding lieutenant governor of Illinoisas he has made an outstanding alderman of Chicagos 35th Ward and an outstanding representative of the DSAwe also believe that his is a man of strong principle and great humanity. The Biss campaign asked him to forsake those principles and abandon that humanity by repudiating his support for the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement, and Carlos refused. We would rather have him fighting for the poor, the disenfranchised, and the marginalized in Logan Square than compromised in the governors mansion, beholden to special interests and lobbying groups for the wealthy and powerful. The Chicago Democratic Socialists of America stand with Carlos Ramirez-Rosa and are proud that he is a member."

Bernie Sanders spinoff political organization Our Revolution Illinois/Chicago said in a statement the group was "disappointed and shocked" to hear of Rosa's dismissal from the ticket. Co-chairs Clem Balanoff and Abdelnasser Rashid said:



"Ald. Ramirez-Rosa was a delegate for Senator Bernie Sanders during the 2016 presidential election and is a leading progressive voice in the Chicago City Council. We are proud of Carlos for the integrity he has shown in standing by his convictions as a strong and unwavering advocate for working families. We believe he was an excellent candidate for Lt. Governor and are saddened that his voice will be missing from Sen. Biss campaign."

The youngest alderman to serve on the City Council and the first openly gay Latino alderman, Rosa has seen his stature in local politics quickly rise as a proponent of progressive causes such as immigration rights, health care, free college tuition, and a $15 minimum wage.

"It's been an interesting six days," Rosa wrote on Twitter. He'll be at Crown Liquors in Avondale later Wednesday night, "if anybody wants to talk and grab a drink."
By Loucoumane Coulibaly

ABIDJAN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A group of allies of Ivory Coast's former president Laurent Gbagbo, including at least one living in exile in neighbouring Ghana, are behind a wave of attacks on security installations this year, the interior minister said on Thursday.

Thirty-five people, a number of them soldiers, have been arrested for involvement in the violence, according to a statement released by Sidiki Diakite following a meeting of the National Security Council.

Francophone West Africa's biggest economy has been shaken by army mutinies, violent protests by former rebels and a spate of attacks on prisons and police stations this year.

The attacks have raised fears over its long-term stability, more than six years after a prolonged crisis ended in a civil war that killed more than 3,000, when Gbagbo refused to cede a 2010 election to current President Alassane Ouattara.

"Most of the people were already implicated in similar attacks around 2012 to 2014," Diakite said. "Arrested and imprisoned, they were freed in the spirit of political dialogue and reconciliation."

Previously, much of this year's violence has been blamed on disgruntled former members of the rebel group that helped Ouattara dislodge Gbagbo, but former fighters loyal to Gbagbo have been blamed for attacks in the past, including several that killed 10 soldiers in the commercial capital Abidjan in 2012 and other deadly attacks near the Liberian border in 2014.

Gbagbo was captured in April 2011 and is on trial at the International Criminal Court on war crimes charges, but many of his allies have been pardoned.

"It is clear that the clemency offered them with a view to peace and reconciliation was not understood by them, and so they continue to pose a threat," the minister said.

Ghanaian government officials were not immediately available to comment on the allegations. Ivory Coast has accused Accra in the past of not doing enough to track down Gbagbo supporters.

Ouattara has won praise for helping Ivory Coast recover from a decade of crisis to become Africa's fastest growing economy, but thousands of weapons left over from the war are still in circulation and the army is crippled by internal divisions.

If Gbagbo's allies are behind recent attacks, Ivory Coast faces the prospect of instability from both them and the rebels they fought as it approaches what is likely to be a hotly contested election to choose Ouattara's successor in 2020. (Reporting by Loucoumane Coulibaly; Additional reporting by Kwasi Kpodo in Accra; Writing by Tim Cocks; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Retired South African cleric and anti-apartheid campaigner Archbishop Desmond Tutu urged Myanmar leader and fellow Nobel Laureate Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday to intervene to help Rohingya Muslims fleeing her country.

Western critics have accused Suu Kyi of not speaking out for the Rohingya, who have been fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh, following an army counter-offensive against militant attacks.

Tutu said in an open letter to Suu Kyi that: "I am now elderly, decrepit and formally retired, but breaking my vow to remain silent on public affairs out of profound sadness about the plight of the Muslim minority in your country, the Rohingya."

"My dear sister: If the political price of your ascension to the highest office in Myanmar is your silence, the price is surely too steep ... We pray for you to speak out for justice, human rights and the unity of your people. We pray for you to intervene," Tutu wrote.

Tutu, 85, has been living with prostate cancer for nearly two decades and has largely withdrawn from public life.

The Rohingya comprise some 1.1 million people who have long complained of persecution and are seen by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

"We have to take care of our citizens, we have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens," Suu Kyi said earlier on Thursday in comments to Reuters Television's Indian partner, Asian News International.

Suu Kyi, who won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 as a champion of democracy, did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya. (Reporting by Ed Stoddard; Editing by Andrew Heavens)
By Felipe Iturrieta

VINA DEL MAR, Chile, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Chile expects to close an energy swap deal with Argentina in the days ahead, Chilean Energy Minister Andres Rebolledo said in an interview on Thursday, the latest example of increasing economic integration between the South American nations.

The neighboring countries are also negotiating the locations for five additional transmission line interconnection points, with an agreement expected as early as January, the minister told Reuters.

"We made a proposal to Argentina and we are very close to reaching an agreement," Rebolledo said, referring to the energy swap.

"I think we can have an agreement in the next couple of days or if not, over the next few weeks," he added.

Chile and Argentina share a 3,300-mile (5,300-kilometer) border running north to south along the rugged terrain of the Andes mountains. The deal would allow both countries to send natural gas or electricity at one point of the frontier and obtain needed supplies at another border point.

In 2016, Chile exported 100 gigawatt-hours of electricity to Argentina and 361 million cubic meters of gas, worth nearly $100 million.

The deal is the latest episode in a larger economic and diplomatic rapprochement between the neighboring South American countries that have often had frosty relations. Since conservative Argentine President Mauricio Macri came to power in 2015, the two nations have signed free trade deals and begun transporting gas between the nations, among several other measures.

Rebolledo, who spoke with Reuters on the sidelines of the Energy and Climate Partnership of the Americas (ECPA) meeting in the coastal city of Vina del Mar, said Chile and Argentina are planning to add five new electricity interconnection points in the coming years.

For this, he said the countries commissioned studies with financial support from the Development Bank of Latin America (CAF) to define the geographic points that would make the project most efficient.

"In January we will probably have the result (of the study), with the map of the five main points where there is supply and demand on the other side, and where it is best to put the transmission lines," he said.

Chile is currently undergoing a broader transmission buildout. In August, Rebolledo told Reuters that the government hopes to have a formal proposal to pitch to investors for a line connecting northern Chile with southern Peru by the end of the current government in March.

(Writing by Hugh Bronstein and Gram Slattery; editing by Diane Craft)
By Mark Weinraub

CHICAGO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - U.S. corn futures on Thursday sagged 1.7 percent on technical selling and expectations of a U.S. bumper harvest that would enlarge the already massive global supply of the grain, traders said.

Wheat and soybean futures also posted lower closes. Wheat faced pressure from weak worldwide demand for U.S. supplies and a round of profit taking following a run-up to the three-week high hit on Wednesday.

Soybeans ended in negative territory after trading higher for much of the day. Corn's drop to session lows spilled over to soybean futures late in the session. The soybean market's failure to hold support above Wednesday's high also added to the bearish tone.

But concerns that Hurricane Irma will cut production in southern states such as Georgia and North Carolina limited the sell-off in the soy complex.

"The beans are being supported by the hurricane," said Mark Gold, managing partner at Top Third Ag Marketing. "It is going to do some damage there."

Chicago Board of Trade December corn futures ended down 5-3/4 cents at $3.55-1/4 a bushel, settling near session lows.

Corn futures firmed during overnight trading but hit resistance at their 20-day moving average, a level the December contract has not broken through since Aug. 10. Corn prices also tested that key technical point on Wednesday.

Traders also noted profit-taking following the corn market's run-up to a two-week high on Wednesday.

CBOT December wheat futures dropped 8-1/2 cents to $4.37-1/4 a bushel.

Irma, which is expected to hit the U.S. mainland as early as this weekend, could also hamper exports, which would be another blow to the already light overseas interest in U.S. wheat stocks.

"Traders are also monitoring the Irma hurricane as its trajectory could hit the U.S. south-eastern coast, surely causing logistical issues," French consultancy Agritel said.

CBOT wheat had risen for four straight sessions and five of the previous six. Traders said that had caused some funds to back out of bullish bets built up during that run.

CBOT November soybeans were down 2-1/4 cents at $9.68-3/4 a bushel. (Reporting by Mark Weinraub in Chicago; Additional reporting by Naveen Thukral in Singapore and Sybille de La Hamaide in Paris; Editing by W Simon and Grant McCool)
By Alastair Sharp

TORONTO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Canada's biggest licensed producer of medical marijuana has bought land next to its greenhouse production site that will allow it to more than double the total volume of cannabis it can grow, its chief executive said on Thursday.

Canopy Growth Corp's Tweed Farms Inc subsidiary expects to spend at least C$25 million ($21 million) to upgrade the property, a flower farm it purchased for about C$9 million in cash and equity, with work including the installation of security cameras and fences due to start in October.

With Canada less than a year away from the planned legalization of marijuana for recreational use, licensed producers are rushing to try to fill an expected shortfall in supply.

"This is a very big leap, in terms of our output, our capacity, our footprint," Bruce Linton, Canopy Growth's CEO, said in an interview.

Canopy Growth is currently licensed to produce 31,000 kilograms of marijuana and related products, and aims to triple that by July next year, the deadline the federal government has given provinces to make pot legal for all.

The deal gives Canopy 450,000 square feet of greenhouses that can be immediately added to its existing 350,000 square foot facility in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. It is also building an additional 200,000 square feet of greenhouse capacity on its existing property.

Linton said that a 250,000 square foot greenhouse should be able to produce around 10,000 kilograms of marijuana annually, which at an average sale price of C$8 a gram could bring in C$80 million.

Beyond Niagara, the company is expanding its headquarters in a former Hershey's chocolate factory in Smiths Falls, Ontario, and developing other indoor properties in New Brunswick, Saskatchewan, and Alberta.

The company has signed up about a third of the roughly 200,000 medical marijuana customers in Canada, and Linton said he expected some 3 million Canadians to use legal non-medical pot next year.

Within three years he expected more than half the company's revenues to come from business outside Canada, as countries from Australia to Germany take Canada's lead in creating rules to regulate the industry.

Canopy Growth has been exporting cannabis for sale in German pharmacies for more than a year, has a majority stake in a medical marijuana company seeking final licensing in Chile and a 10 percent stake in Australian company AusCann. It has also partnered with two emerging medical marijuana companies in Brazil.

The company has so far steered clear of the U.S. market, citing the legal uncertainty of federal prohibition that overhangs legality in several states. ($1 = 1.2140 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Alastair Sharp; Editing by Andrew Hay)
By Brendan Pierson

NEW YORK, Sept 7 (Reuters) - The head of a New York-based metallurgy company was sentenced to four years and nine months in prison on Thursday for conspiring to illegally export missile-grade metallic powder to Iran.

Erdal Kuyumcu, 45, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Dora Irizarry in Brooklyn after pleading guilty in June 2016 to conspiring to violate the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, court records show.

A lawyer for Kuyumcu could not immediately be reached for comment.

Prosecutors said Kuyumcu, the chief executive of Global Metallurgy LLC, conspired to obtain more than 1,000 pounds (450 kg) of cobalt-nickel metallic powder, which can be used in aerospace, missile production and nuclear applications, for export to Iran.

The U.S. government closely regulates the powder to combat nuclear proliferation and protect national security, and exporting it requires a license from the Department of the Treasury.

According to prosecutors, Kuyumcu, a naturalized U.S. citizen of Turkish descent, and a co-conspirator hid the final destination of their powder by arranging for it to be shipped through Turkey, before being sent on to Iran.

The case is U.S. v. Kuyumcu, U.S. District Court, Eastern District of New York, No. 16-cr-00308. (Reporting by Brendan Pierson in New York; Additional reporting by Nate Raymond; Editing by Leslie Adler)
CAIRO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Egypt has blocked the website of Human Rights Watch just one day after the organization released a report on systematic torture in the country's jails.

Reuters attempted to access the website late on Thursday but was unsuccessful.

"Egyptian authorities keep insisting that any incidents of torture are isolated crimes by bad officers acting alone, but the Human Rights Watch report proves otherwise," Joe Stork, deputy Middle East director at Human Rights Watch, said on Thursday.

The report titled "We Do Unreasonable Things Here", based on the accounts of 19 former detainees and the family of another, claimed Egyptian authorities used arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and torture.

"Rather than address the torture crisis in Egypt, the authorities have blocked access to a report that documents what many Egyptians and others living there already know."

Egypt's foreign ministry lambasted the report in a statement on Wednesday, saying it defamed the country and ignored progress made on human rights in recent years.

"The report ... is a new episode in a series of deliberate defamation by such organization, whose politicized agenda and biases are well known and reflect the interests of the entities and countries sponsoring it," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid.

Egypt first blocked access to a number of news websites including Al Jazeera and Huffington Post Arabic in May after similar actions by its Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

But since, hundreds of other news sites and blogs have been wiped from Egyptian screens with the most recent count according to the Association for Freedom of Thought and Expression, a non-government organization tracking the affected sites through software that monitors outages, at 424.

Journalists see the campaign against them as a step toward banning all but the most state-aligned media, effectively reversing the private media boom that flourished in the final decade of former president Hosni Mubaraks rule and which they say helped push him from power in 2011.

The government has offered no comment on the reason behind the blockages. (Reporting by Nadine Awadalla)
Bodies of 16 migrants found in Libyas desert near Egyptian border

REUTERS, 6 September, 2017- Libyan security forces said on Tuesday that the bodies of 16 migrants had been found in the desert near the countrys border with Egypt.



The bodies were found about 310 km (190 miles) southwest of the coastal city of Tobruk, said Ahmed al-Mismari, spokesman for the eastern-based Libyan National Army. He said the area was still being searched and no more details were available about the migrants identities.



In the past, patrols and rescuers have recovered the bodies of Egyptian migrants who have perished after being stranded or abandoned by smugglers in Libyas eastern desert.



Some migrate to Libya to search for work, and some try to reach Europe by boat.
Vietnam and Chinese flags wave in front of Tiananmen Gate for a welcoming ceremony

REUTERS, 6 September, 2017 -China on Wednesday dismissed Vietnamese condemnation of its military live-fire exercises in the disputed South China Sea, saying it was acting within its sovereign rights.



China conducted the drills around the Paracel Islands, which Vietnam claims, prompting Vietnam to say it would resolutely protect its legitimate rights through peaceful means.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular briefing that China had done nothing wrong. We hope the relevant side can regard the drills calmly and reasonably, he said, without elaborating.



China claims nearly all the South China Sea, through which an estimated $3 trillion in international trade passes each year. Brunei, Malaysia, the Philippines and Taiwan also have claims. Tension between China and neighbouring Vietnam is at its highest in three years over the disputed waters. Vietnam suspended oil drilling in offshore waters that are also claimed by China in July under pressure from Beijing.
The inclusion of biodata, bio-metrics and family details in the new eNIC, redefines the relationship between the State and the Citizen to the disadvantage of the citizen.

The decision to introduce an electronic National Identity Cards (NIC) is now legally on the way

NICs were actually used to identify citizens in relation to State Defence from King Henry

V era

What is thus implied is, without a modern hi-tech eNIC identity of Sri Lankan citizens cannot be rightly established

Governments are not into such modern planning and all State organisations are archaic in thinking and functioning

The decision to introduce an electronic National Identity Cards (NIC) is now legally on the way with the Minister for Internal Affairs S.B. Navinna introducing amendments to the Registration of Persons (Amended) Act No.08 of 2016.



The Department for Registrations of Persons (DRP) says the first phase of the project would begin this October.



Sri Lanka first issued National ICs 45 years ago in 1972. That was after amending the Act No.32 of 1968in 1971. NICs were mandatory for every citizen 16 years of age or above. The NIC number was inserted in passports as well.



The first in the world to introduce a national identity system was King Henry V of England in year 1414.



That was under an Act titled Safe Conduct. Yet it did not become relevant for 500 years till the First World War in 1914. That brings forth the fact that NICs in reality are valid in terms of security.

In our case too, it was the 1971 JVP insurgency that accelerated the issuance of NICs in 1972, four years after the Act No.32 was passed in 1968. Thereafter the North-East war made the NIC compulsory at all road blocks and check points, to enter Government Departments and institutes and for banking purposes. Now, in post war Sri Lanka it is more of a common practice than a necessity.

In post war Sri Lanka the practice continued without a serious discussion on the use of the NIC. What took place was about using the NIC for other day to day necessities. The DRP in its websites explains that:



The existing procedure to issue identity cards is no longer possible, due to outdated technology.

Thus the necessity to introduce e-NIC.



But with biometrics and family details. The DRP website says, it is intended to establish a national persons registry as a database with biodata of persons of 15 years or above, fingerprints as biometrics and a photograph taken according to ICAO standards and issue an e-NIC during a specific time period. This was projected to begin in 2016.



Purpose of issuing such e-NIC is given in the website as (01) To establish identity of Sri Lankan citizens using modern technology. (02) To establish an information exchange system to provide services of public and other institutions easily and quickly and (03) To facilitate national security required for the implementation of development programmes efficiently, transparently and effectively.

What is thus implied is, without a modern hi-tech e-NIC identity of Sri Lankan citizens cannot be

rightly established.



Without that it is not possible to provide services of public and other institutions easily and quickly. That an e-NIC is also necessary for implementation of development programmes efficiently, transparently and effectively by facilitating national security.

National security is thus embedded even in development.

This raises the issue of what national security is.



It raises the issue of the social contract that prevails between the Citizen and the State. This social contract between the Citizen and the State is decided in our country as it does in all South Asian countries with the State allowed the privilege of unquestioned authority over citizens.

Therefore human and civil rights of citizens are always placed subordinate to that of State authority. With such bloated, undue importance given to the State over citizens, it compels us to pay attention to e-NICs with biodata and bio-metrics including family details.



NICs were actually used to identify citizens in relation to State Defence from King Henry V era. In popular parlance, importance of NICs is in identifying terrorists from among citizens.

For purpose of identification, the full name, address of residence, age, date of birth, gender and the NIC number with a photograph obtained according to ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organisation) standards attached, was valid as information and useful for 45 years and all through the three-decade war.



All information presently included in the NIC printed on a card, is still relevant to provide services of public and other institutions. As it is argued that the technology used in producing the NIC is out-dated, what therefore needs to be done is to update technology in its production and not compromise the privacy with new information.



The immense benefits of an e-NIC, the DRP website lists as the vote, at banks, in obtaining licences, passports, local and foreign employment, ETF benefits and in the matters of insurance, land and property, pension etc. linked with the legal data exchange system to be established, are all possible with the present NIC and had been in practice for 45 years. Yet, for efficiency of services in these public and other institutes/agencies, it is not the NIC that has to be turned into a new e-NIC, but the delivery systems themselves.



It is not biodata and bio-metrics in a new high-tech e-NIC that would make Government Departments and agencies efficient as the DRP claims.



Even at present, most internet and broadband services use the present NIC number for efficient payment processing.



Similarly if Governments really wants to, Samurdhi, EPF benefits, insurance, pensions and most others can be so streamlined using the present NIC number. It does not happen because Governments are not into such modern planning and all State organisations are archaic in thinking and functioning.



There is also the allegation that present NIC can be forged easily. That information is tampered with. But none of those concerns, deficiencies and proposed efficient service delivery require inclusion of biodata, bio-metrics and family details.



The decision to include biodata, bio-metrics and family details as new personal information therefore goes beyond all arguments and explanations about the old technology used for producing the present NIC.



The new e-NIC that will include biodata and bio-metrics within a National Database of Personal Information would provide access not only to an individual, but also to his/her family.



Through access of family information to the next circle of family relations too.



Therefore the inclusion of biodata, bio-metrics and family details in the new e-NIC, redefines the relationship between the State and the Citizen to the disadvantage of the citizen. It would allow encroachment especially by State intelligence agencies into privacy and personal freedom of the citizen.



Even in poor countries that cannot even support their own poverty stricken citizens, intelligence and surveillance are maintained with modern hi-tech systems at heavy costs. During the past decades our intelligence and surveillance was also modernised with the introduction of hi tech at a heavy cost to the taxpayer, explained as necessary for national security.



What is also common in all countries that pay more attention to improved security intelligence and surveillance is rapid increase in suppression of civil liberties, democratic and labour rights.

In this modern world, new technology has given security intelligence the unique advantage of maintaining discreet cross border relationships between countries. In most instances they go beyond accredited diplomatic relations between countries. This has given intelligence services the opportunity of exchanging sensitive soft information between undisclosed countries in double quick time.

In most instances, this possibility has eroded and continues to threaten the sovereignty of the people.

The use of e-NICs with biodata and bio metrics has thus become a serious concern in both India and Pakistan that run very sophisticated and modern hi tech intelligence and surveillance systems.

In Pakistan the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) is the legally empowered State agency that maintains a regularly updated centralised, civil registration database of sensitive information on Pakistani citizens.



This database is used by the Pakistani Police intelligence to track movements of any citizen of their choice, details of calls taken, location at any time and other personal details through a digital app they have developed for the purpose of surveillance. In Pakistan it is claimed Police can also check hotel bookings and guest lists. The Worlds largest biodata and bio metric database of people is in India. The Aadhar project, the counterpart of NADRA in Pakistan is now being opposed in India.

It is alleged that in some State agencies Aadhar is used for oppression and blackmailing of citizens. In that context, a petition was filed in the Supreme Court of India requesting personal privacy be ruled as a Fundamental Right.



A nine Member Supreme Court bench unanimously decided on August 24 last, that privacy and personal freedom is a Fundamental Right that cannot be rescinded. This SC ruling will now have its impact on the other Court case against Aadhar that is before a five member bench.



These therefore compel the Sri Lankan society to pay far more attention than what is presently paid, on the new e-NIC that will include biodata, bio-metrics and family details. Once given an opportunity to use biodata and bio metrics in a new e-NIC linked to a digitised database, there needs only small amendments thereafter to turn the e-NIC into a tool the State could leave privacy of its own citizenry under surveillance.



The impact of the digital age results in information on the internet being permanent. Humans forget, but the internet does not and does not let humans forget. Any endeavour to remove information from the internet does not result in its absolute obliteration. The footprints remain. It is thus said that in the digital world preservation is the norm and forgetting a struggle. wrote Justice S.K. Kaul a member of the nine member bench of the Indian SC that ruled privacy as a Fundamental Right that cannot be rescinded.



That tells us why this e-NIC needs serious discussion and debate in Sri Lanka.
In recent years, an increasing number of Beijing companies have entered the African markets and brought with them Chinas best products and services to the African people in response to the Belt and Road Initiative.

BAIC's first overseas automobile plant sets up in South Africa

The construction site of BAIC's automobile manufacturing company in South Africa. [Photo by Xing Yihang/China.org.cn]



In 2016, Beijing Automotive Industry Corporation (BAIC) and South African Industrial Development Company jointly invested 5.5 billion yuan (US$843 million) to establish a BAIC automobile manufacturing company in South Africa and build an automobile manufacturing plant in Coega Industrial Development Zone of Port Elizabeth in South Africa. The plant stands not only as BAIC's first automobile manufacturing plant overseas, but also the largest foreign investment project in South Africa over the past 40 years. The first-phase construction of the plant will be complete in June 2018, and by then it will become a regional industrial base of BAIC covering the South African market and other major African markets with a production capacity of 40,000 to 50,000 vehicles per year. Li Xingxing, executive vice president of Beijing Automotive International Development Company Limited said he hopes that BAIC will also be able to bring its new energy products into South Africa and build up distribution channels through favorable policies in South Africa to enter European and U.S. markets.

Tong Ren Tang brings traditional Chinese medicine to South Africa

A Tong Ren Tang TCM store in South Africa. [Photo by He Shan/China.org.cn]



In 2016, Tong Ren Tang, a well known traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) brand in Beijing, acquired five TCM stores in South Africa and established Beijing Tong Ren Tang Chinese Medicine Company Africa Limited. So far, five stores have opened in Johannesburg, Pretoria and Durban, and the company has reached a cooperative intent with the School of Health at the University of Johannesburg to offer training courses on acupuncture. Now, the company has 22 employees, including15 local hires, and it is planning to hire prestigious TCM doctors from China. In addition, Tong Ren Tang plans to set up pharmacies and clinics in other African countries in the next three years, as well as to build factories in Africa to develop local herbal resources and produce more marketable products.

BCEG helps to construct modern airport terminal in Tanzania

Beijing Construction Engineering Group (BCEG) boasts the largest overseas business among the state-owned construction enterprises in Beijing. The new terminal of Tanzanian Zanzibar International Airport with an expected cost of US$128 million is its first airport project in a foreign market to combine design, procurement and construction.

Project Director Cheng Longhai said the construction of the roof and glass curtain walls have completed, and the whole project is expected to be finished by the first half of 2019. It is expected that by 2020, the passenger traffic will reach 1.6 million, and the volume of freight transported will reach 4,422 tons, meeting Zanzibarsgrowing demand. The security check system, baggage sorting system, monitoring system, access control system and related equipment as well as escalators will all employ Chinese products. For the construction project, the company has also employed a large number of local workers.

According to Beijing Municipal Commission of Commerce, from 2013 to 2016, Beijing companies directly invested approximately US$1.496 billion in 31 Belt and Road countries and regions, and the figure continues to show trends of growth year by year.
A humanitarian crisis of near genocidal proportions is taking place in Myanmars Rakhine State, yet the worlds reaction is confined to mere condemnation instead of sanctions or direct intervention. Although international journalists are not allowed to visit the troubled province that has for the past five years been witnessing state-sponsored terror against the hapless Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority living in Rakhine bordering Bangladesh, information pours in through social media. It indicates that another Rwanda or Srebrenica or Darfur is in the making.



If the international community and the United Nations had reacted at the first signs of the troubles, one million minority Tutsis would not have been massacred by the Hutu dominated regime in Rwanda from April 7 to mid-July 1994, more than 8,000 Bosnian men and boys would not have been executed by Ratko Mladics Serb army a year later, and more than 300,000 people would not have perished in Darfur from 2003 to 2010.



Post-conflict measures such as taking the perpetrators to war crime tribunals may serve as a warning to killer regimes. Post-conflict UN reports lamenting the world bodys failure to protect civilians caught up in war cannot bring back to life the innocent people killed for the simple reason that they had a different identity to that of the majority within a state.



But immediate intervention under the responsibility to protect (R2P) principle can save life though the concept is highly abused. Powerful states have taken cover behind R2P to justify their self-centred interventions. Yet, a UN-led R2P initiative is the best option available to save the Rohingyas.

The Rohingyas have faced severe persecution and violence at the hands of the state for decades. They have been stripped of their nationality in terms of a 1982 law, though they have been living in Myanmar for generations. They have no access to state education and employment. Successive Myanmar governments have denied the existence of the Rohingya as an ethnic group, calling the most oppressed people on Earth illegal Bengalis instead. However, Bangladesh strongly disputes Myanmars claim.



Myanmars strategic importance gives it licence to violate international humanitarian laws and still call itself a fledgling democracy. In other words, geopolitics undermines R2P.



The United States, China and India are in a competition to bring Myanmar under their sphere of influence. They were like three men on their knees proposing to one damsel. They would not mind that she has reddened her lips by sucking the blood of Rohingyas and darkened her eyebrows with charred remnants of Rohingyas wooden huts.



Geopolitics is why the US condemnation is not commensurate with the crime being committed against 1.3 million Rohingyas. Myanmar during the latter part of military strongman Than Shwes administration (1992-2011) adopted an equidistance policy vis-a-vis China, the US and India, after being under Chinas economic protection for decades. The visit of the then US President Barack Obama to Myanmar took bilateral relations to a new level where human rights abuses are largely ignored, and if they warrant a mention, the criticism appeared mere routine. With the aim of reducing Myanmars economic dependency on China, the US has increased economic aid to Myanmar following the countrys transition to democracy.



Entangling the Rohingya case in big power politics is Chinas bid to build a deep sea port at Kyauk Pyu in the troubled Rakhine state  close to Maungdaw -- and an oil pipeline extending from there across Myanmar upto Chinas hinterland  a shorter energy supply route that circumvents the arduous Malaca Strait. China has won the contract for the port, but is negotiating for an 85 percent stake in the project instead of the 50 percent that formed the basis of the negotiations. The Chinese port project together with an industrial park has ruffled feathers in Indias security circles as the port is overlooking Indias northeast. Also, Rakhine is believed to be rich in resources, including natural gas.

It was to counter Chinas strategic foothold in Myanmar that Indias Prime Minister Narendra Modi was in Myanmar this week. This is why India has not condemned Myanmars atrocities against the Rohingyas. Throwing human rights principles into the dustbin of self-centred politics, Modi during his visit sought to enhance cooperation on intelligence sharing amid politically motivated s claims that linked Rohingya rebels with ISIS terrorists following the August 25 rebel attack on police posts. India and Myanmar are also to ink a deal on a 1640 km highway project that would connect India with Myanmar and Thailand  a highway which India describes as its gateway to Southeast Asia and its response to Chinas One-Belt-One-Road initiative.



With big powers in a scramble to improve relations with Myanmar, the new government which came to power promising to strengthen democracy and uphold human rights, finds itself in a comfort zone from where it could spurn international criticism on the armed forces oppression against the Rohingyas, whom Pope Francis in a speech in February described as our brothers and sisters, while calling on Myanmar to stop the persecution.



It is while sitting in this comfort zone of crime that Myanmar is counting on China to block moves to bring the Rohingyas issue before the UN Security Council, and Myanmars de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi could dismiss international criticism and irrefutable video evidence as fake news. The story being churned out by the Suu Kyis government is that the Rohingyas killed Rohingyas. Journalists who were taken on a guided tour on Wednesday under police escort were told the Rohingyas fled because the Rohingya rebels were burning their villages. The hard-to-believe story does not provide answers to questions over refugees who bore gunshot wounds, women who were raped and mutilated bodies found in Rakhine jungles.



Suu Kyis government has blocked UN aid agencies from delivering vital supplies of food, water and medicine to the besieged Rohingyas. A few months ago, a dozen Nobel peace prize winners signed a petition calling on fellow Nobel laureate Suu Kyi to protect the Rohingyas. This week, the youngest Nobel Peace Prize winner, Malala Yousafzai, in a statemnent called Suu Kyi to condemn the tragic and shameful treatment of the Rohingyas.



But Suu Kyis conduct is unbecoming of a Nobel laureate. On the one hand she refuses to defy the military, which is the ultimate power in Myanmar -- a situation that makes the so-called transition to democracy a charade. On the other, if she acts against the perpetrators, she runs the risk of being labelled unpatriotic by the military and extremists led by monk Ashin Wirathu. She failed to act against the extremists, though she had an opportunity in May this year when the Sangha Maha Nayaka Committee, Myanmars highest Buddhist authority, issued a declaration ordering Wirathu and his Ma Ba Tha organisation to end their activities. Unperturbed, Wirathu continues his hate campaign, while Suu Kyi plays politics with the lives of the Rohingyas.



The Rohingyas crisis is a humanitarian issue. It is not a Muslim issue, though Myanmars persecution of the Rohingyas has triggered a series of protests in the Islamic world, with Turkey, Pakistan and other Muslim countries issuing strong statements.



Humanitarianism is beyond race, religion and other considerations. If Myanmar cannot solve the Rohingya crisis in a civilized manner, then the international community should intervene. Let the R2P initiative begin with an international conference on the Rohingya crisis.
Killing of senior journalist and editor Gauri Lankesh

Family members mourn the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh (HT)

The murder of senior journalist and editress Gauri Lankesh in her home in Bengaluru has brought the focus back on the perilous conditions journalists in India work in.



India was ranked a lowly 136 among 180 countries in the latest world press freedom rankings released in April with the dismal performance blamed on Modis nationalism and growing self-censorship in the mainstream media. India slipped three places as compared to the year before. India was ranked just three places above Pakistan and was one notch below violence-torn Palestine. Indias neighbours Bhutan and Nepal were placed at 84th and 100th rank, respectively.



This came after a string of journalist deaths and murders, especially in small-town India, including Hindustan reporter Rajdeo Ranjan in Bihar last year. Two years ago, a similar study by Reporters Without Borders termed India as among the three most dangerous countries for journalists in 2015.

With Hindu nationalists trying to purge all manifestations of anti-national thought from the national debate, self-censorship is growing in the mainstream media, the report from media watchdog Reporters without Borders said. India was ranked 133 last year.



HINDUSTAN TIMES, 6 September, 2017
Today is International Literacy Day and the United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO) says it will be celebrated across the world on the theme, Literacy in a digital world. At UNESCOs Paris headquarters, a two-day global event is being held to look at what kind of literacy skills people need to navigate increasingly digitally-mediated societies and to explore effective literacy policies and programmes that can leverage the opportunities the digital world provides.

According to UNESCO at a record speed, digital technologies are fundamentally changing the way people live, work, learn and socialise. Digital technologies are giving new possibilities to people to improve various areas of their lives including access to information, knowledge management, networking, social services, industrial production and mode of work. However, those who lack access to digital technologies and the knowledge, skills and competencies required to navigate them, can end up marginalised in increasingly digitally-driven societies, UNESCO warns, saying literacy is one such essential skill.



Just as knowledge, skills and competencies evolve in the digital world, so does what it means to be literate. To close the literacy skills gap and reduce inequalities, this years International Literacy Day will highlight the challenges and opportunities in promoting literacy in the digital world, a world where, despite progress, at least 750 million adults and 264 million out-of-school children still lack basic literacy skills, UNESCO says.



The UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) says that of the 750 million adults who are illiterate, most are women. This is a stark reminder of the work ahead to meet the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), especially, Target 4.6 to ensure that all youth and most adults achieve literacy and numeracy by 2030.



In Sri Lanka also we need to see what we have to do to promote literacy in a digital world. a command of the English language is necessary to make maximum use of this, especially the search engines which are like smart text books for subjects ranging from mathematics to medicine. After 1956, when the English language was withdrawn as a medium of education, our standards today have dropped to low levels. The situation became worse with the introduction of television in 1978. It is widely accepted that the best way to improve our knowledge of English is by reading not only classics by Shakespeare but even detective fiction novels where the substance may not be deep but the language is powerful. Scholars say it is by reading that we improve our English knowledge in terms of spelling, grammar, syntax and other important aspects of writing skills. After 1956, surveys show that the reading habit began to drop and declined further when television came because most young people preferred to watch TV rather than read books in their spare time.



With the advent of the hi-tech era most young people have now switched from television to smart phones and tabs with high resolution pictures. As a result there are millions of young people who may be able to speak fairly good English and sometimes with an accent also. But they are unable to link the operative noun with the verb even in a simple sentence. Excessive use of American-made computer spell checkers has also led to the folly where many people use the word roll for role or site for sight or foul for fowl implying that we need to eat foul curry.



The English medium of education has now been reintroduced but that may not be enough and Sri Lanka needs to find ways of promoting the reading habit especially among the young people. When they improve their knowledge of English it will pave the way for them to reach higher standards of literacy in this modern world and also grow in their knowledge and wisdom of what is evolving worldwide. To encourage children to get back to the habit of reading English books, whether they be printed or e-books the key role needs to be played by parents and teachers while the government could help by taking measures to reduce the prices of books.
It is a well known fact that the SLFP faction led by Rajapaksa has borrowed a political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) from its previous leaders and launched a membership drive under the leadership of Basil Rajapaksa



The President had stated in a recent meeting with the media that irrespective of, who went out or came in, he had to continue as the President till the end of his tenure



All the important Ministries that can influence the overall policies of economy, defence and law and order are being handled by the UNP leaders



Corruption has so far been a part of the mode of administration of both parties

Two months ago, the supporters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa in Parliament, who call themselves the Joint Opposition, claimed that 18 Parliament members of the Maithri faction of the Sri Lanka Freedom party (SLFP) were to join hands with them. But nobody has defected from the incumbent Presidents faction to the former Presidents faction yet. And interestingly, neither they continue with their claim nor do their adversaries question them about it, as if both groups had prior knowledge that it was mere rhetoric.



Now, some of the members of the Joint Opposition have started to claim again that eight ministers from the Government, probably those who represented the SLFP would soon leave the Government. And the Daily Mirror reported on Wednesday that the Central Committee of the SLFP headed by President Maithripala Sirisena was to hold a crisis meeting on the issue. The President had stated in a recent meeting with the media that irrespective of, who went out or came in, he had to continue as the President till the end of his tenure.



These occasional claims by the Joint Opposition and the fears of defection expressed by the Maithri faction of the SLFP indicate that the SLFP is already split into two practically, in spite of it being officially considered by the Elections Commission as one party.



However, neither group wants to admit it publicly. Responding to the journalists after visiting the former Deputy Minister Sarana Gunawardene in Welikada prison on Wednesday former President Rajapaksa said that he was still in the SLFP. Also he had recently made a highly controversial claim that he was still the Chairman of the SLFP.



But at the same time he lamented before the SLFP convention held on Sunday at Campbell Park in Colombo that he was not invited for the event.



Then he said he was invited reluctantly. And one of his close aides and former External Affairs Minister Professor G.L. Peiris stated that Mr. Rajapaksa would not attend the convention even if he were invited. What Rajapaksa and his loyalists were not bothered about was that these statements run counter to his claim of leadership of the party.



It is a well known fact that the SLFP faction led by Rajapaksa has borrowed a political party, the Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) from its previous leaders and launched a membership drive under the leadership of Basil Rajapaksa.



The former President had told a gathering in Deniyaya on Tuesday that the Joint Opposition would contest future elections under the flower bud symbol of the SLPP. Promotion of and giving leadership to another party, while being members of the SLFP are no doubt against the Constitution of the SLFP.

Nevertheless, the official SLFP led by President Sirisena had invited the Mahinda faction to the convention, leave alone taking legal action against them for violating party constitution.



The Maithri faction seems to be worrying about a possible erosion of its strength in the event of a clear-cut separation of the two factions resulting from any disciplinary action against Rajapaksa faction for violating party rules, since such action would push those who were on the fence to side with Rajapaksas.

Several ministers who are lenient towards the Rajapaksas have openly expressed their frustration over some of the activities of the Government.



Already several ministers such as Susil Premajayantha and W.D.J. Seneviratne who are lenient towards the Rajapaksas have openly expressed their frustration over some of the activities of the Government.



When the UNP took steps to sack Wijeyadasa Rajapakshe from his ministerial post last month on the grounds that he criticised the Governments agreement with a Chinese firm to lease out the Hambantota Port and thereby breached the collective responsibility of the Cabinet, Premajayantha unhesitatingly and openly endorsed his stance.



However, the possibility of defection in a large scale from the Maithri faction to Rajapaksa faction seems to be remote as the factors that glued them with the Government led by the United National Party (UNP) have not changed. As we questioned in a previous article, if there were SLFP Ministers to quit the Government and join the Joint opposition, why didnt they do so right away? What is the difference between leaving now and doing so on another day in future?



Needless to say that some of them are frustrated as their say within the Government is minimal and the UNP bulldozes through when it comes to decision making in major issues. All the important Ministries that can influence the overall policies of economy, defence and law and order are being handled by the UNP leaders.



Majority of the SLFP ministers, deputy ministers and State ministers did not join the Yahapalanaya Government, as it is commonly called, out of love. They worked hard to defeat Maithripala Sirisena at the 2015 January Presidential Election and the UNP at the August Parliamentary Elections in the same year. Susil Premajayantha, as the General Secretary of the United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), called Sirisena an agent of the Western and the separatist powers on November 22, 2014, the very next day after the latter announced his common candidacy of the Opposition at the last Presidential Election.



Nishantha Muthuhettigama was accused of burning down a propaganda stage of the Oppositions Common Candidate Sirisena. President Sirisena, as the leader of the UPFA and the SLFP, had to sack Premajayantha and Anura Priyadharshana Yapa from the secretary posts of those two parties, on the eve of the Parliamentary Elections, as they worked against his wishes.



It was the circumstances that compelled them to meekly join hands with the same person and the party they were hell bent to defeat a few days ago. On the one hand UNP did not get sufficient seats to form its own Government, leaving some space for a few members of the UPFA/SLFP to step in. Also it was an opportunity for them to conveniently save their skins from corruption charges while enjoying ministerial perks. It must be noted that all the MPs of the SLFP who joined the Government have been rewarded with portfolios.



The argument that the SLFP members want to leave the Government due to policy differences between the two parties is obsolete rubbish. As Minister Kabir Hashim pointed out on Wednesday at a press briefing there are no policy differences between the two parties with regard to any major issue. Both parties accept the open economic policy and the unitary state of the country.



Neither party has a consistent stand on the concept of Federalism. They are practically in favour of the Executive Presidential system, despite their intermittent support to the voices against that system, depending on how their stance serves their interest of the hour. Corruption has so far been a part of the mode of administration of both parties.



SLFP members of the Government would not see any change in the regime by breaking ranks with it, since the President cannot dissolve the Government until January, 2020 according to the 19th Amendment to the Constitution. The UNP has 106 MPs in the Parliament including the Speaker and they in fact need only eight more members to protect the Government even in case of a mass resignation of SLFP members from the Government.



However, Ministers Duminda Dissanayake, Sarath Amunugama, Nimal Siripala de Silva, Mahinda Amaraweera, Mahinda Samarasinghe, Wijith Wijayamuni Soyza and a few others would probably not let down the Government. So long as the survival of the Government is so assured, both the carrot and the stick would compel many other SLFP members in the Government also to stay put, even after the unity agreement between the UNP and the SLFP lapses in December.



On the other hand, even in case of an en masse resignation of SLFP Ministers from the Government to rally behind Mahinda Rajapaksa, they would need 18 more members to form a Government.
Former Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) Director General Anusha Palpita were seen handcuffed together outside the Colombo High Court premises after the duo was sentenced to three-year Rigorous Imprisonment (RI) over the Sil Redi distribution case. Pics by Waruna Wanniarachchi
Director of the Philatelic Bureau, H.V.D.I Abeywickrama hands over the first stamp and cover to Indrani Sugathadasa and to the Director General of the IBSL, Damayanthi Fernando

The 1st of September saw the entire insurance industry of Sri Lanka celebrate a day dedicated solely to their profession.



The launch of Sri Lankas first National Insurance Day took place at the Independence Arcade in a ceremony attended by leading members and related dignitaries of the industry.



The objective of such an event is to provide national recognition and significance to the task of raising awareness among the general public of the importance and value of Insurance.



Two years in the planning the event was organized by the Marketing and Sales Forum (MSF) of the Insurance Association of Sri Lanka (IASL) with the support of the Insurance Board of Sri Lanka (IBSL) and the approval of the Government.



Gracing the event as chief guest was. Indrani Sugathadasa, the Chairperson of the IBSL, while other dignitaries present included the Director General of the IBSL, Damayanthi Fernando, the Country Director of the Asian Development Bank, Sri Widowati, the Director of the Philatelic Bureau,. H.V.D.I Abeywickrama, Jeremy Bolling of the IBSL, the President of the IASL, Deepthi Lokuarachchi and the Chairman of the MSF, Hashra Weerawardena. Also present at the ceremony were members of the ADB, the IASL, CEOs and other senior members of Sri Lankas Insurance companies.



Following the lighting of the oil lamp in a new and inspiring manner, Hashra Weerawardena stepped up on stage to welcome the gathering. This journey began with a dream to get the entire Insurance industry together under one umbrella with the shared goal of spreading the message of Insurance to all Sri Lankans, explained Weerawardena.



In honor of the historic event, a commemorative stamp and cover has been issued by the Postal Department of Sri Lanka. The first stamp and cover had been presented to President Maithripala Sirisena, on the 31st of August. At the ceremony, the stamp and cover was presented to the chief guest and other dignitaries by the Director of the Philatelic Bureau.



In her address, the chief guest, Sugathadasa thanked the IASL and the IBSL for the tireless work put in by both organizations to make the event a success. Sugathadasa also expressed her gratitude to the Sri Lankan Government and the ADB for their support.



According to Sugathadasa, the declaration of the 1st of September as National Insurance Day serves two purposes; the first being to spread awareness of the value of Insurance among the general public whilst the second purpose is to ensure the development of the industry itself. Widowatis speech followed that of Sugathdasa. In it the Country Director of the ADB stated that her organization has and will continue to support Sri Lankas development in as many ways as possible. Deepthi Lokuarachchi delivered the final speech of the ceremony, in which he described his pride and honour at being able to witness such a remarkable milestone in the history of the countrys insurance industry.



Lokuarachchi stressed upon the need for innovation in order to promote Insurance awareness throughout the island. He expressed his belief that the declaration of a National Insurance Day will serve as a means of promoting the industry and its services among the general public of Sri Lanka. For as long as Insurance exists in Sri Lanka this day will always be commemorated.
September 8 is International Literacy Day, an opportunity to celebrate the achievements of over 1,000 young Sri Lankans who have participated in the U.S. Embassys English Access scholarship programme, along with more than 1,300 English teachers who have taken part in on-line training. English language ability opens doors to the wider world, better economic and academic opportunities and can serve as a bridge language in multilingual Sri Lanka.

Learning a new language is challenging, but these future leaders have learnt English while developing their critical and creative thinking skills, mastering formal debating and gaining confidence in public speaking. Its not just about reaching one class or ethnic group. Its about bringing young people together in a funfiled, but challenging programme that pushes them to work harder and dream bigger. Girls and boys between 13 and 16 are equally represented and are drawn from all local religions and ethnicities. Students apply through a competitive process, including a placement test, school administrators approval, and evidence of financial need.



Access students attend after-school classes and an intensive one-week summer camp. The curriculum highlights equality, democratic values, and respect for the environment. Access takes students beyond rote learning and grammar exercises with an emphasis on speaking and using the language.



The Access programme also contains a community development component, helping to build future leaders and nurture a sense of responsibility, volunteerism, teamwork, and civic engagement. For many students, this is their first opportunity to assist those in need and co-operate to find solutions within their own communities. Many students have commented that not only did they enjoy the classwork, but they took their coursework home and shared it with family and friends, teaching others what they had learnt.

Launched in Sri Lanka in 2006, Access boasts of more than 900 alumni, with 366 students currently enrolled in classes across the country



The heart and soul of Access, as in any outstanding classroom, are the teachers. Access teachers have completed specialized trainings in Sri Lanka and abroad. They have brought Access to Aluthgama, Galle, Jaffna, Trincomalee, Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Banderawela, Belihuloya, and Kandy. All Access teachers have received over 36 hours of residential training by language experts and experienced professors with additional coursework available online to enhance their techniques in teaching. The U.S. Department of State has brought many of them to the United States, Nepal, and India to build international and regional ties. In addition, visiting English Language Fellows offer support and provide individual expertise on American teaching methodology and pedagogy to Access teachers and students during their tenure in Sri Lanka.



Launched in Sri Lanka in 2006, Access boasts of more than 900 alumni, with 366 students currently enrolled in classes across the country. These young learners are part of a global community of almost 100,000 Access students in more than 85 countries who have benefited from the U.S. Governments commitment to youth literacy and empowerment. With solid programmes like Access, and others like the Fulbright graduate scholarship programme and the Global UGRAD undergraduate programme, Im proud of the investment we have made in the future leaders of this great country.
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Most listed companies reported increases in their operating revenue for the first three quarters as the Chinese economy firms up.

Of 1,211 mainland-listed companies that had announced Q3 earnings forecasts as of Monday, 906 predicted higher profits than the same period of last year, more than 77 percent of the total.

Among them, 181 firms forecast year-on-year net profit growth of more than 100 percent, and 14 announced net profit growth of over 1,000 percent.

The increased earnings came as industries continued to see recovering demand and rising prices.

Shenzhen Properties and Resources Development (Group) Ltd predicted a net profit growth of 8,114 percent for the first three quarters of the year, the biggest increase among all companies that have announced Q3 earnings forecasts.

The company said the forecast was based on its property sales during the period.

Xinjiang Tianshan Cement Co Ltd forecast a net profit growth of 6,139 percent for the first nine months, thanks to rising sales and higher prices year on year, according to the company.

Mergers and restructuring also accounted for the profit growth of some listed companies.

Chinese listed companies reported brisk profit growth in 2016, as they ramped up spending on research and development, with emerging sectors outperforming traditional industries.

The country posted GDP growth of 6.9 percent in Q2, flat with the previous quarter and above the government's annual growth target of around 6.5 percent.
In international diplomacy and statecraft, diplomatic triumphs are scarce and India scoring two successive diplomatic wins, back to back, does augur well for the country. China, considered difficult and defiant in calling out Pakistan-based terror groups, buckled before Indian diplomacy blitz at the BRICS summit at Xiamen when it endorsed India's move to name two terror groups, operating out of Pakistan. These notorious Pakistani outfits are Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM).

The Xiamen declaration from September 4, 2017, expressed concern about the security situation and the prevailing violence in the region. Experts assess that the declaration in content, was perhaps the most hard hitting, forthright and unambiguous in tenor in the recent times.

India has reason to congratulate itself for this diplomatic success as it comes on the back of the resolution of the Doklam standoff where China was brought to India's terms by successfully prevailing over Chinese rhetoric and long drawn psychological warfare designed at intimidating India and Bhutan . Importantly, other than naming LeT and JeM, the draft also mentioned Al Qaeda, Haqqani network, Taliban and the IS.

It also named China based terror group East Turkestan Islamic Party (now known as Turkistan Islamic Party) which operates out of western China's, Xinjiang composed of Uighurs. On the whole, all major terror groups were touched upon. Using diplomatic skills to persuade Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa must have been an onerous task. Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) and full time diplomats from South Block literally toiled burning midnight oil to bring all the BRICS nations on the same page and particularly making China agree to it without batting an eyelid to embarrass its closest ally Pakistan.

Most likely, Pakistan too was not prepared for this eventuality as it may not have anticipated that China would be a party to such a drastic decision. Mandarins of Pakistan foreign ministry may be considering reviewing its ties with China after the fresh developments. Pakistani press is also altogether not muted on the Xiamen declaration. Prominent daily "Dawn" writes today "Indian media said naming the allegedly Pakistan based groups in the BRICS resolution was an important win for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration, which at last year's summit called Pakistan the mothership of terrorism".

The media in Pakistan is making a feeble attempt to hide behind Indian press to mask its diplomatic debacle but it's clearly evident that Pakistan is conceding that it can no longer defend JeM or the Let. This said, however, the million dollar question now is that if China will now, in the light of the Xiamen declaration, retract from its earlier rigid stand on Maulana Masood Azhar. Pakistan must be really trying to come to terms with this apprehension. Meanwhile, Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Modi on September 5.

Significantly, Jinping told the Indian PM that China and India should pursue "healthy and stable bilateral ties". Barely ten days ago, such a positive and what appears to be a warm statement, was perhaps inconceivable. It's, however, premature to think that such emerging closeness will be at the cost of Pakistan. It could possibly be a tactical statement or a trace of diplomatic nicety. This may be watched with abundant caution but surely this is a move forward for a thaw as the Sino-Indian ties were definitely frigid till very recently.

Another question that needs an answer is what prompted China to be in sync with other BRICS partners on the terror issue. Some skeptics state with reasonable confidence that Russian leader Vladimir Putin played a proactive role in bringing China on board and prior to the Xiamen summit, there were hectic parleys between Indians and Russians to persuade China which proved decisive.
Khawaja Asif is right. Pakistan cannot turn a blind eye to the terrorist organisations operating out of its soil.

Coming from a top Pakistani politician even an acknowledgement that terror groups operate from Pakistani soil is huge. What brought about the change? China's displeasure? Growing schism with Western donors? We do not know. For all we know, it could be a carefully crafted move to embarrass the powerful military, which calls the shots in such matters.

However, a strong Chinese stand would ensure that even the military grudgingly agrees to toe the line taken by the civilian government - for now.

With the diatribe directed against former ally US, that door seems to be shutting fast. The Western powers seem to have hardened their stance vis-a-vis Pakistan, and it seems that Pakistan has quickly learnt that "embarrassing" China, its new all-weather friend and ally, is not and is never going to be a good idea.

China has been consistently blocking any UN resolution against JeM chief Azhar Masood.

While the US was open to hearing Pakistan's version of events - mostly as long as it was in a dire need of a land route to Afghanistan, China is a very different ball game. While willing to invest heavily in infrastructure projects in Pakistan, both along and without the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) it will follow a more hands-on approach in dealing with Pakistan's policies, particularly that of dealing with and using of terror groups.

Make no mistake, China's views on terror groups are not very different from Pakistan when it comes to India. It is one reason why China is consistently blocking any UN resolution against JeM chief Azhar Masood. The idea is to probably use Masood and his group to reinforce peace along the CEPC corridor. Masood's group would be useful in "controlling" the ground situation in Afghanistan as also to keep Kashmir boiling.

Khwaja Asif tacitly mentioned that Pakistan was treading the thin line laid down by the Paris-based Financial Action Task Force (FATF), which forced it to place Hafiz Saeed under house arrest. The FATF, which mainly tracks global terror financing, has been pressuring Pakistan to crack down on groups such as LeT and JeM for some time.

We just had a heated debate in the newsroom - as we would continue to do on issues concerning Pak support over terror in the future. Probably China was uneasy on how Doklam was resolved, or it paid heed to President Donald Trump's call for greater Indian involvement in
 Flash

Located in South Asia, Nepal boasts most of the worlds highest mountains, a number of UNESCO World Heritage Sites, rich culture and adventure activities. Whether you are looking for a feast of the eyes, an adrenaline rush, or some quiet meditation and an escape from the hustle and bustle of city life, Nepal has it all.

More than 120,000 people from China traveled to Nepal in 2014, but half that number went in the wake of a massive earthquake that jolted the landlocked country in 2015. To invite back more Chinese tourists, Nepal announced in 2016 a visa fee exemption program for China. Nepal also designated 2017 as the China-Nepal tourism year.

The following are some of the must-sees and must-dos in Nepal.

Fly towards the Himalayas

Nepalese are proud to tell every visitor that the country is home to eight out of 14 of the worlds highest peaks (above 8,000 meters), including the most famous, and the worlds highest, Mount Everest.

A view of the Himalayas from aboard an airplane on August 15, 2017. [Photo by Zhang Lulu/China.org.cn]

Nothing beats an early morning flight towards the Himalayas. Take a 30-seat turboprop plane towards Mount Everest, and you will enjoy an hour-long trip that first gives you a panoramic view of the city landscape and then come close to the worlds highest peak, Mount Everest. The moment when you find the winding peaks topping clouds in the sky, you are reminded the figure 8,848 meters, the height of the peak imprinted on you in those early school days, and now you would finally witness its awe-inspiring sight.
Piedmont Virginia Community Colleges plans for campus expansion are stalled until the state releases $1.3 million in promised facilities funds.

At a board meeting on Wednesday, PVCC President Frank Friedman said the state community college facilities manager wasnt releasing the money promised to the school.

The college planned to use those funds to move forward on its master plan, which includes expanding its main building and building two other classroom buildings on its campus south of Charlottesville.

Its not expected to jeopardize the overall project, Friedman said. But it could be on hold anywhere from six to 12 months.

The expansion will help the college grow and increase necessary offerings for students, Friedman said.

The colleges low-slung, brick main building was built in the 1970s, and the building is now aging and overcrowded. Campus officials say a larger campus will include a welcoming student center, a lounge for adjunct professors and classrooms geared for new drone and cybersecurity programs.

Our facilities really arent adequate for the way the college has grown, Friedman said. New programs need differently configured rooms, and were hoping to make that happen.

Bert Jones, associate vice chancellor for facilities management services at the Virginia Community College System, which oversees the states 23 community colleges, said the college system hasnt received facilities funds yet from the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget. Until that happens, he cant pass them on to the community college. Project bottlenecks sometimes happen, he said, when the commonwealth has a tough budgeting process and when fall bonds have not yet been issued.

Overall, its a pretty good process and works in most instances, Jones said. But between July 1 and the fall, were sometimes caught in a gap between when the General Assembly has approved funds and when the Virginia Department of Planning and Budget says we can proceed.

The college system could use surplus funds to hire an architect for PVCCs master plan, but Jones said it plans to wait for money to be freed up at the state level. Three other projects at community colleges are also on hold until state money is available.
Leaders at Washington National Cathedral, the closest thing in the country's capital to an official church, have decided after two years of study and debate to remove two stained-glass windows honoring Confederate figures Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson.

Saying the stories told in the two 4-by-6-foot windows were painful, distracting and one-sided, a majority of the Cathedral's governing body voted to remove the windows Tuesday night. On Wednesday morning, stone masons were at work putting up scaffolding to begin taking out the art that was installed 64 years ago.

"This isn't simply a conversation about the history of the windows, but a very real conversation in the wider culture about how the Confederate flag and the Old South narrative have been lively symbols today for white supremacists. We'd be made of stone ourselves if we weren't paying attention to that," said Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, which includes the cathedral.

The cathedral is the official seat of the Episcopal Church, a small Protestant denomination that historically has counted many of America's elite as members, including presidents from George Washington and James Madison to George H.W. Bush. It is the second largest church building in the country and is typically host to official events like presidential funerals and official interfaith ceremonies on presidential swearing-in days, including that of President Donald Trump.

The removal of the windows, which will take a couple days, reflects a flurry of national debate over whether to take down monuments, statues or art that honor Confederates in both public and private spaces across the country. The issue gained prominence after a mass killing at a black church in Charleston, South Carolina, in 2015, and then again last month after a deadly white supremacist march in Charlottesville. Several dozen monuments have been either removed or a debate to remove them is on the table, in places from New Orleans and Baltimore to Helena, Montana, and Los Angeles.

Budde and Cathedral Dean Randy Hollerith said the governing board voted "overwhelmingly" Tuesday to remove the windows, but acknowledged there were opponents who felt the windows are part of the cathedral and U.S. history and could be contextualized rather than removed.

A call to the United Daughters of the Confederacy, which raised money for the initial windows along with a private donor, was not immediately returned Wednesday.

On Wednesday as the scaffolding was put up, some visitors began gathering, including a few who seemed concerned by the idea that the windows were being taken out.

The windows are among some 200 in the soaring Gothic building, in addition to hundreds of other carvings and fabric and other kinds of art. They are located in a bay in the middle of the nave, or sanctuary space. They each have four panels, one honoring the life of Jackson and the other of Lee.

They show the men at points in their academic, military and spiritual lives. Kevin Eckstrom, a cathedral spokesman, noted that they are praised in wording alongside the windows as pious Christians. "The problem is that they are shown as saints," he said Wednesday.

The cathedral plans to keep the windows and find a way to display them in historical context, he said.

"People ask: 'Are we whitewashing history and trying to forget reality?' But the truth is that slavery is as old as the Bible. But we believe in a God that liberates slaves," he said.

They were put up in 1953, after years of fundraising. Eckstrom said there was discussion at the time about featuring other U.S. figures, including former President Ulysses S. Grant, who commanded the Union armies at the end of the Civil War, but that donors insisted that the windows honor Southerners. The engraved stone under the Jackson window notes his admirers "from South to North."

Both stones praise the men's religious character. Jackson's says he "walked humbly before his creator." Lee's says he was "a Christian soldier without fear and without reproach."

They were uncontroversial at the time of their installation, Eckstrom said.

After the Charleston killings, a national conversation became louder about Confederate symbols and white supremacy. The cathedral's dean Gary Hall at the time said that the windows had no place in a place of worship meant for all Americans.

The windows were installed in 1953 to "foster reconciliation between parts of the nation that had been divided by the Civil War," Hall said in 2015. "While the impetus behind the windows' installation was a good and noble one at the time, the Cathedral has changed, and so has the America it seeks to represent. There is no place for the Confederate battle flag in the iconography of the nation's most visible faith community. We cannot in good conscience justify the presence of the Confederate flag in this house of prayer for all people, nor can we honor the systematic oppression of African-Americans for which these two men fought."

The cathedral then created a task force to discuss the windows and how to best foster a conversation around racial reconciliation. Last year it removed from the windows two small pieces of glass depicting Confederate flags in the art. One was replaced with plain red and the other with plain blue.

Public lectures were held about white supremacy, reconciliation and African American spirituals. Standing beside the windows for months has been a poster about the window discussion, and Eckstrom said the cathedral has received email and visitors every day for two years with different views about how to deal with controversial history in a sacred, public space.

Hall left the cathedral in 2015 and a couple days after the Charlottesville violence shared on Facebook his earlier push for the windows to come out, with the comment: "Just sayin'."

Asked whether the cathedral was told its audience or donations could be impacted by the windows coming out - or staying in - Hollerith said it didn't come up as a major part of the decision process.

"If I honor Jesus' command to love thy neighbor as thy self, and take seriously the experience of African Americans in this country, the question is: What is the right thing to do? Not to look at it in terms of funding or participation," he said.

The cathedral's decision comes as the country is divided by debate about its history and the place of race and religion in American identity. Also Wednesday a huge poll by the Public Religion Research Institute was released, showing white Christians continuing to shrink as a percentage of the country.

In 2017, the Episcopal Church is perhaps the most prominent face of progressive Christianity - with its leaders on the forefront of liberalizing changes on race, gender and sexuality. However its cathedral is also perhaps the most prominent example of a blending of patriotism and religion. Art all around the cathedral weaves the story of the Bible with America's story - including that of the Civil War.

One massive window juxtaposes George Washington with King David on one side, nearby Paul Revere and D-Day paratroopers. The highest window panels soaring over the sanctuary show the Supreme Court, the White House and the U.S. Capitol.

Near the entrance is a huge vivid window called "the Agony of War," which Eckstrom said is about the Civil War. It shows flames mixed with glass fragments of blue and gray. Engraved beneath are the words "with malice towards none."
Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability.

New Delhi: Auto industry body SIAM on Thursday asked the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old in the country to reduce pollution.

The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country. Auto industry is doing a lot of work to reduce pollution. We are working to move to BS-VI emission norms. In order to reduce pollution, we request the government to ban vehicles which are 15 years old, SIAM president Vinod K. Dasari said.

Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability.

He said the auto industry has been going through one of the most challenging and disruptive times due to frequent changes in policies for the sector.

He said every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the countrys manufacturing GDP.
HUL and RB secured 'ad interim injunction' against Baba Ramdev's Patanjali for its aggressive soap commercial that disparages products of these brands.

Mumbai: Patanjalis not-so-subtle nature of campaigning recently came under attack from consumer goods giants Reckitt Benckiser (RB) and Hindustan Unilever Limited (HUL).

According to a report in Business Standard, RB, sought and secured an ad interim injunction against Patanjalis soap commercials for denigrating its brand Dettol, which is a household name among Indian consumers.

The advertisement, while talking about Patanjalis ayurvedic product, was deprecating RBs Dettol soap, RB said in a statement, reported the Quartz.

This incident took place just days after HUL sought a similar injunction against the Rs 1000 crore auyrveda FMCG brand for disparaging its products Lux, Pears and Lifebuoy.

HUL currently owns a giant share of Indias bathroom soap market.

The Patanjali soap commercial aggressively campaigned against these brands claiming they are full of chemicals. Hitting out at Lux, it said, Filmstars ke chemical bhare sabun na lagao" (Dont use the chemical-loaded soaps filmstars use). Criticising Pears, it made a hostile pun saying, 'Tears badhaye fears" (Tears increases fears).

Patanjali has evolved from a brand offering Ayurvedic medicines to one that houses every possible thing one uses in their daily lives. Its range of herbal products at affordable prices, has reportedly disrupted the FMCG market by shooting ahead of big players like HUL, RB, Colgate, etc.
The West Bengal cabinet will endorse the maiden entry of IT major Infosys into the state. Photo: PTI

Kolkata: The West Bengal cabinet will endorse the maiden entry of IT major Infosys into the state, state IT Minister Bratya Basu said on Thursday.

"A cabinet note will be prepared and then be placed for approval", Basu told reporters on the sidelines of a CII event here.

Basu said that Infosys had agreed to the terms laid down by the state government. He said that the company would be accorded the incentives promised, but no additional concessions would be given.

Infosys, which was given 50 acres of land at Rajarhat by the previous Left Front government in 2010, was going slow on the project as the new dispensation under the Trinamool Congress government led by Mamata Banerjee was reluctant to grant the SEZ status as promised to them before.

Recently, Banerjee announced that the company would start the Kolkata centre with an investment of Rs 100 crore with an employment potential of 1000.

Asked about what kind of work would the company do here, Basu said "we wanted to break the ice first. The company is yet to inform us about the nature of work it will start with".

The minister said that registration of land given to Infosys was under process.
Mumbai: In a major shift in its domestic route network strategy, Jet Airways will now focus on providing direct connectivity between tier-II cities as it aims to penetrate deeper into such markets.

With a market share of a little over 18 per cent, Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways group is facing an intense competition from the low cost carriers, which currently account for over 70 per cent of the total domestic traffic.

This has compelled the Mumbai-based full service carrier to move to operating station-to-station flights from station-to-hub services till recently. "For Jet Airways, it's not only about connecting stations to hubs but it is about connecting stations to stations as well. That is where our network penetration and footprints are happening," says Praveen Iyer, vice president, commercial, for India sales.

As part of the new strategy, Jet Airways now provides connectivity with one tier-II city directly to another and from there to metros and subsequently to the hubs, he said.

"Jet airways as a network carrier will continue enhancing connectivity and choice to consumers, with the best possible fares," he said.

The airline has already announced launching of 56 weekly domestic flights, which include services to Coimbatore, Guwahati, Silchar, Jorhat, Jaipur among others, between this month and next month to further strengthen its network, offering last mile connectivity.

It operates flight services to 44 domestic airports. Following this, Jet Airways will be offering 17 flights daily from Pune, 11 from Coimbatore and another nine flights from Guwahati, Iyer said adding that the airline has seen growing travel demand to/from Pune, Coimbatore, Delhi, and North East.

At present, the Mumbai-based airline offers over 600 flights per day across its domestic network and another about 147 on international routes, along with its strategic investment partner Etihad Airways.

"There have been quite significant milestones for us as a carrier, more importantly as a full service carrier. Today, we are the only airline in the full service carrier category in the country, offering over one lakh seats per day and 20,000 flights per month across our network," Iyer said.

The entry of Jet Airways into the markets such as Madurai, Calicut from metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru has also helped these markets grow 50 to 120 per cent in the last few months, he said.

In the last few months, Delhi-Madurai clocked 70 per cent growth in traffic, Mumbai-Madurai saw a whopping 120 per cent increase and air traffic on the Bengaluru-Calicut grew by 50 per cent, he added.
New Delhi: The country's rapidly growing food processing sector can reduce crops wastage and help farmers to get right price for their produce, Union minister Harsimrat Kaur Badal said on Thursday.

Besides, this sector provides immense business opportunities to the countries that are looking to invest in India, the food processing minister said. Our aim is to save our crops from wastage.

In case of over-production of crops, sometimes farmers are compelled to throw it if better prices are not offered. During over-production they can process it and keep it or come out with a product of their own. For example, they can process tomatoes and pack it and sell later on, she told reporters on the sidelines of FICCI event here.

Similarly, onion can be processed and packed and sold later on. In this way, our crops can be saved from getting wasted and farmers will get better prices for their produce, she added.

The minister further said this is also good from consumers point of view as processing of crops can check the price rise. The sector provides immense opportunities and investors from all over the world are welcome to invest in the country, Badal said.

To promote this industry the prime minister had approved Rs 6,000 crore central scheme 'SAMPADA'. Under the scheme, she said, the money will be used to create infrastructure which will help in generating an investment of Rs 31,400 crore and is expected to benefit 20 lakh farmers and create about 5 lakh direct and indirect employment.

"We are sanctioning funds so that if a farmer wants to set up a cold storage or process crop...the person can do so. This way, he can get himself linked with market," she said.

"We are the fastest growing economy, so no country can ignore us. The economy is growing rapidly anyone related with retail industry is welcome to invest in the sector," Badal said.
Mahindra & Mahindra said the proposed hike in GST cess on SUVs and bigger cars should not be implemented during the festive season.

New Delhi: Utility vehicle major Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) on Thursday said the proposed hike in GST cess on SUVs and bigger cars should not be implemented during the festive season.

The company said that the move to raise cess by 10 per cent would have an adverse impact on the auto industry. "My view is that right now we have implemented GST, industry is stabilising, we have grown in past couple of months, festive season is around the corner, we should not touch the rates for time being," M&M Managing Director Pawan Goenka told reporters here.

The government has notified hike in GST cess on a range of cars from mid-size to luxury variants to a maximum of 25 per cent, from the earlier 15 per cent.

However, the quantum of cess hike in each variety of car would be decided by the GST Council, chaired by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and his state counterparts, in its next meeting on September 9.

Speaking on the sidelines of SIAM annual convention, he added that the government should wait for some time to see the results of GST implementation and then decide if hiking the tax is required in certain categories of vehicles.

When asked about the possible impact of increase in cess, Goenka said: "Obviously if prices go up, it will impact the demand.. clearly the volumes will come down."

He added: "It should not be done during the festive period and whatever needs to be done should be done after it."

He said that even though there is no disagreement that luxury items need to be taxed more, 43 per cent is reasonably high indirect tax on an item. Goenka said the difference between luxury and normal car was 6 per cent during pre-GST era. "It was not 10 per cent, so the GST Council should take that into consideration," he said.

He also asked the government to clearly define 'luxury'. "There should be a clear definition and on that basis put cess on luxury and the tax, I think, should be in the order of about 6 per cent," Goenka said.

Referring to government's plan to promote electric vehicles in the country, Goenka said: "What (Union Transport Minister Nitin) Gadkari said is something that is being said in many countries today -- that the future is electric."

"Now regarding diesel and gasoline, it becoming zero is not going to happen in a hurry. The industry size is very large. Electric vehicles cannot ramp up to that size in 10-12 years," Goenka said.

He added that the company has already invested Rs 500 crore on electric vehicle development and has also committed an additional Rs 600 crore for the vertical.

When asked about hybrid cars, Goenka said the industry has asked for a relook at the policy regarding the segment. "I think different policy is required for mild hybrid vehicles and full hybrids. While we are big supporters of electric vehicles, I think the hybrids also need policy support," he said.

Commenting on frequent changes in regulations, he said any sudden change has an impact on the business and that is a concern generally among the industry.
Alia Bhatt and Sidharth Malhotra were reportedly dating for a substantial amount of time before Jacqueline Fernandez came into the picture.

Mumbai: 2017 has been a good year for Alia Bhatt on the professional front, starting off with the success of Badrinath Ki Dulhania and bagging most of the Best Actress  awards for her 2016 release Udta Punjab.

However, things have not been all that good on the personal front, going by recent reports.

While she has never confirmed that she is dating Sidharth Malhotra, her subtle hints towards the strong bond she shares with him in interviews and their getting regularly snapped together had hardly left any doubts in the minds of fans that they were a couple.

However, rumour mills are now abuzz with stories of the two actors calling it quits over a certain Jacqueline Fernandez.

While Sidharth and Jacquelines film A Gentleman failed at the box-office, their steamy chemistry in the trailers, songs and during promotions, sparked rumours of their relationship.

With Sidharth revealing on Neha Dhupias podcast that he was single, and Jacqueline reportedly 'unfollowing' Alia on Instagram recently following the change in equations, gave more fodder to the rumour mills.

And now, Alia, without talking about Sidharth and Jacqueline, has revealed her relationship status. The actress said that her true love and the only kind of love she has is Edward Bhatt, her pet.

It is true love, and the only kind of love that I have. I would call it, one solid relationship, Alia told Hindustan Times.

We dont have any doubts regarding this as Alia, who welcomed Edward home on her birthday earlier this year, keeps sharing some adorable pictures with the kitten on her Instagram page.

But is the actress also hinting about her actual relationship status with the only love I have line? Only time will tell.
Sonam Kapoor, Farhan Akhtar were among the celebrities who expressed shock and anger at Gauri Lankesh's murder.

Mumbai: Bollywood celebrities such as Farhan Akhtar, Javed Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Sonam Kapoor and Dia Mirza have condemned the killing of senior journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, calling it an attack on independent press.

The Kannada journalist-activist, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence on Wednesday night.

Shameful.. what kind of society are we becoming?? Deepest condolences to the family and hope justice is delivered soon. https://t.co/OTh49Gztz8  Farhan Akhtar (@FarOutAkhtar) September 6, 2017

Citing a pattern in the murder, Akhtar wrote on Twitter, Lankesh died a similar death as rationalists Narendra Dhabolkar, Govind Pansare and M M Kalburgi.

"Dhabolkar, Pansare, Kalburgi, and now Gauri Lankesh. If one kind of people are getting killed which kind of people are the killers," the lyricist-writer tweeted.

Dhabolkar , Pansare, Kalburgi , and now Gauri Lankesh . If one kind of people are getting killed which kind of people are the killers .  Javed Akhtar (@Javedakhtarjadu) September 5, 2017

Azmi tweeted, "#Gauri Lankesh shot dead outside her home. Shocking. Devastating. Dabholkar Pansare Kalburgi culprits must be punished."

#Gauri Lankesh shot dead outside her home.Shocking Devastating. Dabholkar Pansare Kalburgi Culprits must be punished  Azmi Shabana (@AzmiShabana) September 5, 2017

While Sonam wrote, "Truth alone prevails. Your voice will be heard and shall turn into an echo towards justice. #GauriLankeshMurder."

Truth alone prevails. Your voice will be heard & shall turn into an echo towards justice. #GauriLankeshMurder  Sonam Kapoor (@sonamakapoor) September 6, 2017

Mirza tweeted that the incident was "deeply disturbing" and the perpetrators "must found and punished".

This is deeply disturbing. Culprits must be found and punished. #GauriLankesh https://t.co/hNeknXAeOi  Dia Mirza (@deespeak) September 6, 2017

"To kill someone for their views is not Democracy, its beginnings of a Banana Republic, where violence speaks louder than words #GauriLankesh," wrote filmmaker Shekhar Kapur.

To kill someone for their views is not Democracy, its beginnings of a Banana Republic, where violence speaks louder than words #GauriLankesh  Shekhar Kapur (@shekharkapur) September 6, 2017

Director Vivek Agnihotri said, "#GauriLankesh was in my batch at IIMC. An idealist leftist. In the end, became victim of the same politics she believed in and fought for."

#GauriLankesh was in my batch at IIMC. An idealist leftist. In the end, became victim of the same politics she believed in and fought for.  Vivek Agnihotri (@vivekagnihotri) September 6, 2017

Director Onir raised his voice, saying, "What a shame for the entire nation. #GauriLankesh killing is a blot on our democracy and is an attack on indie press."

Something is seriously wrong with people who don't get that its NOT OK that people are getting shot / disappearing . #GauriLankeshMurder  Onir (@IamOnir) September 6, 2017

Actor Jaaved Jaaferi wrote, "Extremely dangerous signs when a country witnesses crusaders activists and journalists who question the government being murdered. RIP #GauriLankesh."

Extremely dangerous signs whn a country witnesses crusaders activists & journalists who question the govt being murdered. RIP #GauriLankesh  Jaaved Jaaferi (@jaavedjaaferi) September 6, 2017

Lankesh, 55, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants fired at her indiscriminately, with two bullets hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials said.

She died instantaneously.
Sanjay Dutt is awaiting his old friend Salman Khans time. Sanjay is in the process of getting his second comeback venture, Bhoomis release, and wants all of his Bollywood friends to come and watch his film and spread the word about the movie.

Obviously, one of the biggest social media handle belongs to Salman Khan. Sanju surely does not want to miss out on the kind of publicity that he can get through Salman and wants the actor to watch and recommend the film.

But Salman does not want to come and attend any general screening where other actors (read Ranbir Kapoor) will be present. So, Sanjay is in the process of organising a special screening for Salman, which the actor can attend with his close ones. Sanju has done cameos for films made by Salmans family earlier and hopes that the Dabbangg actor will give him some time.

The actors have not been on the greatest terms in the past few years, but they did meet warmly a while ago when they went to attend Mukesh Ambanis Ganesh celebrations. Do we see a proper patch up soon?
The move hints at an impending arrest, albeit for unclear reasons.

Mumbai: Actor Dileeps sensational arrest in the case surrounding the abduction and alleged molestation of a popular Malayalam actress seems to be headed for greater inroads.

The actors friend and actor-director Nadhirshah, who had been interrogated along with Dileep for a whopping 72 hours, earlier, seems to be under the scanner himself.

Nadhirshah has now sought anticipatory bail at the Kerala High Court, while subsequently being admitted to a hospital after he complained of minor ailments.

The move hints at an impending arrest, albeit for unclear reasons.

Dileep had been allowed a two-hour respite recently to attend his fathers death anniversary ceremony.

The actors second wife, actress Kavya Madhavan, and his daughter from first wife Manju Warrier, Meenakshi, had recently visited him in jail, alongside Nadhirshah.

Meanwhile, main accused Pulsar had sensationally revealed that the Madam, mentioned in his conversations, supposed to be involved in the conspiracy, had been none other than Kavya herself.

The police is expected to question Nadhirshah once he is out of the hospital.
France banned ultra-thin models under a 2015 law though it only stipulated models needed a doctors note attesting to their health based on age, weight and body shape. (Photo: AP)

Paris: French fashion companies Kering and LVMH will stop hiring excessively thin models worldwide under a new charter developed in response to continued criticism the industry encourages eating disorders.

France banned ultra-thin models under a 2015 law though it only stipulated models needed a doctors note attesting to their health based on age, weight and body shape. Proposals to include a minimum body mass index were dropped after industry pressure.

Kering and LVMH said their charter will now go further than the French legislation. All their fashion brands have committed to banning models below French size 34 for women and 44 for men. Size 32 in France corresponds to size 0 in the United States.

We hope to inspire the entire industry to follow suit, thus making a real difference in the working conditions of fashion models industry-wide, Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said in the statement.

Fashion insiders have long said that clothes hang and drape better on tall, androgynous women, while Western cultures often associate thinness with wealth, youth and desirability.

But criticism over how models are treated has prompted several countries to bring in protective measures. Besides France, Israel banned ultra-thin models in 2013 while countries such as Italy and Spain rely on voluntary codes of conduct.

The two French companies, whose labels include Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, said their charter would guarantee the the well-being of models. It also forbids the hiring of girls under 16 to pose as adult models.

The brands committed to working solely with models who can provide a doctors certificate obtained less than six months before a shoot or fashion show attesting to their good health and to put a psychologist at their disposal during their work.

The new rules, which follow a wave of criticism of fashion companies this year, will come into effect ahead of Paris Fashion Week this month.

In March, Kerings Balenciaga fired two casting directors after they reportedly left over 150 models waiting for hours in a dark stairwell while they went for lunch.

Also in March, Frances advertising watchdog asked Kerings Yves Saint Laurent to modify two ads after complaints that they were degrading to women.

One featured a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights with her legs spread wide and the other shows a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool.

Britains Advertising Standards Authority also banned an Yves Saint Laurent ad in 2015 that featured a very thin model whose ribcage was showing.
An enormous genomes study that included 210,000 participants has found that natural selection could weed out a variety of diseases from the human gene pool, according to a report by the Daily Mail.

Genetic variants linked Alzheimer's disease and heavy smoking is not so frequent in people who have longer life spans. This suggests, researchers say could be natural selection's way of weeding out these undesirable variants in the population.

Researchers also found "sets of genetic mutations that predispose people to heart disease, high cholesterol, obesity, and asthma" appeared less often in people who lived longer, the report revealed.

"It's a subtle signal, but we find genetic evidence that natural selection is happening in modern human populations," author of study Joseph Pickrell, an evolutionary geneticist at Columbia and New York Genome Center told the Daily Mail.

Tracking the rise and fall of specific mutations in different generations of people helps researchers decipher which traits are decreasing and which ones are spreading.

However, because hundreds of mutations determine most traits, it can be hard to know which ones will survive for sure, researchers explain. "It may be that men who don't carry these harmful mutations can have more children, or that men and women who live longer can help with their grandchildren, improving their chance of survival, study author Molly Przeworski, an evolutionary biologist at Columbia told the Daily Mail.

Researchers also caution the environment also plays an important role and is constantly changing. "A trait associated with a longer lifespan in one population today may no longer be helpful several generations from now or even in other modern day populations," Hakhamenesh Mostafavi, a graduate student at Columbia told the Daily Mail.
A quaint mountain village Corippo, located in Ticino, Switzerland has only 16 remaining residents, most of which are pensioners.

"I hope the rest of them live into their 90s," the only working resident and Corippo's mayor Claudio Scettrini told BBC. Scettrini expressed it will be "quite tragic" if there is no one left to inhabit the magnificent space. The 600-year-old town has no shop or school.

The village's younger generation moved to make a life in more modern places. However, the clever community has hatched a plan.

A post shared by Ticino (Switzerland) (@holiday_ticino) on Apr 10, 2017 at 10:41am PDT

In an attempt to preserve the history of the village, the community plans to transform their home into "an authentic, widespread hotel" by making available 60 empty stone houses to attract visitors.

"Although the village being located just 30 minutes away from the nearest city, living up in there can be hard. But visiting the village for a week or two would be a welcome respite for many people," Ticino Tourism director Elia Frapolli told the Daily Mail.

A post shared by Lucas Rizzi (@lucasrizzi) on Sep 6, 2017 at 11:53am PDT

Adding, "The idea is to keep every house as it is, of course making them comfortable for guests, but the village is proud of its heritage and it's important the buildings remain authentic."

Guests will get the authentic treatment and live along side villagers. The local bar will act as the hotel reception. Plans for the project won't take shape for another year.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Dimple Grace Thomas, a Malayali nurse permanently settled in Melbourne, has been sentenced to two-and-a-half years imprisonment there after being held responsible for a vehicle accident in Melbourne last year that caused the death of an inborn child. She will get the parole only after serving 15 months in jail and after that she is most likely to be deported to India. Reports say that Ms Thomas, 31, a native of Kannur, accidentally rammed her car in to a car driven by Ashlea Allen, an Australian, who lost her 28-week old unborn child on August 8 last year. She reportedly drove on a one-way stretch of the South Gippsland Highway to avoid traffic and ignored the must turn left sign board while driving and instead took the middle lane when the Australian woman was coming from the opposite direction resulting in the crash.

The seat belt on Ashlea got tightened causing extreme discomfort to the pregnant mother. The local hospital authorities performed an emergency caesarean where baby Milarniah was born but the impact of the accident resulted in the death of the baby after two days. The Victoria police major collision investigation unit investigated the crash and charged Ms Thomas with dangerous driving causing death, reckless conduct endangering serious injury and careless driving.

Ms Thomas had argued that she was not aware that the road was one-way as she was not fluent in English but the court observed that she was educated in English and had also given an interview in Australia in English. According to the Malayalam news division under the Special Broadcasting Service, Australia, Ms Thomas was also pregnant at the time of the accident and a miscarriage later.

A permanent resident of can be deported to his or her home land if they are sentenced to imprisonment for more than a year as per Australia laws. Despite Ms Thomass lawyer pleading before the court to minimise her imprisonment, the Judge was not lenient, reports SBS Malayalam. It was in 2012 Dimple and her family had immigrated to Australia with her husband. The couples three-year-old son was also there to witness the case proceedings. Now the family is relying on Australian minister for immigration and border protections intervention to cancel the deportation threat being posed on her.
The TADA court sentences convicts Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blast case. (Photo: File | PTI)

Mumbai: The Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court on Thursday sentenced convicts Karimullah Khan and Abu Salem to life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blast case.

The court also awarded death sentence to convicts Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan.

Convict Riyaz Siddiqui has been sentenced to 10 years.

Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam said the convicts will get set-off for the time they have served in jail.

Convicts have been given sentences for different offences, all punishments will run concurrently.

On June 16, 2017, the court had convicted six people, including the mastermind of the 1993 serial blasts Mustafa Dossa and Abu Salem.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum, for want of evidence.

The blast killed 257 and injured 713 people.

This was the second leg of the trial - in the first leg that concluded in 2007, the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder.

The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).

Salem, who was close to (Dawood's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said.

This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.

The trial of Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested subsequently.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at JJ Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.

With inputs from agencies.
CBI has issued summon to former Railways minister Lalu Yadav, son Tejashwi in connection with alleged corruption in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm. (Photo: File | PTI)

New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned former Railways Minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm, agency officials said.

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarters on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day, they said.

It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels - BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri - to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company.

The FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars and acquired the "high-value premium land" through a benami company Delight.

It alleged that Yadav, "dishonestly and fraudulently", managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.
One of the injured identified as Maqsood Shah, a resident of Budgam district, succumbed to injuries, he said. (Photo: DC/Habib Naqash)

Srinagar: A civilian was killed and 13 others, including a traffic policeman, were wounded when a militant exploded a hand grenade at Jehangir Chowk, a busy intersection of Srinagar, on Thursday evening.

The police and witnesses said that a young man tossed the grenade towards a CRPF party at 6 pm but it missed the target and fell on the road and exploded, injuring 13 passersby and a traffic policeman. One of the civilians died in hospital later. He has been identified as Maqsood Ahmed Shah, a resident of Kashmirs central district of Budgam.

A statement issued by the police said: In the terrorist attack fourteen persons including a traffic policeman were injured. They were shifted to Sri Maharaj Hari Singh Hospital where one of them succumbed to his injuries.

Meanwhile, an alliance of key separatist leaders  Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik  has called for a shutdown in Kashmir during the visit of Home Minister Rajnath Singh on September 10.

Singh will be visiting all the three regions of Jammu and Kashmir for three days from September 9 to hold a series of meetings to review the prevailing law and order situation and review various development projects and schemes with local authorities.

The alliance, in a statement said: By observing the general strike, the people of Kashmir will show to the world community and the Indian leadership that by using military might against them or harassing their true leadership the genuine peoples movement in Kashmir cannot be crushed.

It alleged that it was the Home Ministry which is running the affairs of Jammu and Kashmir directly from New Delhi and that the State government is only playing a stooge.

Meanwhile, two porters working for the Army were injured in the firing by the Pakistani troops in their latest ceasefire violation along the Line of Control (LoC) in Jammu and Kashmirs Poonch sector on Thursday, the officials said.

The Indian Army responded to the Pakistani firing strongly and effectively, forcing the latter to stop the firing within ten minutes, they added.
The killing of the Indian journalist has provoked outrage and anguish across the country, with thousands protesting what they see as an effort to silence critics of India's ruling Hindu nationalist party. (Photo: AP)

Bengaluru: A Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP (Intelligence) BK Singh, on Thursday began investigation into the murder of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

Unidentified motorcycle-borne assailants shot Gauri to death on the doorstep of her residence on Tuesday evening. As her killing sparked outrage across the country, the Siddaramaiah-led Karnataka government on Wednesday formed an SIT to conduct the investigation.

SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy said on Thursday.

Replying to a query, Reddy said the Inquiry Officer has been given full freedom to probe the matter and make public information as and when required.

Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "The duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public."

He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV which was fixed at the location where the 55-year-old outspoken journalist was gunned down.

Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe into the murder of Gauri Lankesh, Reddy said, "Who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it."

Gauri Lankesh, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Bengaluru on the night of September 5.

Reddy said senior police officials are working on getting some more leads into the killing of progressive Kannada writer and rationalist Dr M M Kalburgi, 77, and that the government is hopeful of cracking this case as well.

"The Kalburgi case has come to a certain stage, but we still need to gather evidence. Senior officials are working on it. I am hopeful that the government will solve this case as well as 99 per cent of such cases across the country have been solved and this will be no exception either," he said.

Gauri's murder comes just days after the second anniversary of the killing of Kalburgi, who fell to bullets fired by two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka on August 30, 2015.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the Indian Community during an event at Yangon in Myanmar on Wednesday. (Photo: PTI)

Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday justified demonetisation which has come in for criticism, asserting that his government was not afraid of taking "big" and "tough" decisions in the interest of the country.

Addressing the Indian diaspora at Yangon in Myanmar, he said his government could take such decisions because it considers the country above politics.

Along with demonetisation announced on November 8, 2016, he named the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir in 2016 and the GST which was rolled out on July 1 as the "big" and "tough" decisions taken by his government.

"In the national interest, we are not afraid of taking big and tough decisions because for us, the country is above politics. Whether it be the surgical strikes, demonetisation or GST, all decisions were taken without any fear or hesitation," Modi told the gathering.

Referring to the note ban, the Prime Minister said the step was taken to curb black money and that it had helped identify lakhs of people who had crores of rupees in bank accounts but never paid income tax.

He also said registration of over two lakh companies had been cancelled in last three months as those had been found to be indulging in laundering of black money.

"To deal with corruption, we banned currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. A handful of corrupt people were making 125 crore people pay for their misdeeds. This was not acceptable to us," Modi said in 35-minute address.

"There used to be no clue as to from where black money was coming and where it was going," he said.

His justification of demonetisation came against the backdrop of criticism of the decision by the Opposition.

The Congress has dubbed the note ban as a "disaster" and said it had "utterly failed" while the "corrupt made windfall gains".

The Prime Minister also talked about GST, saying an "atmosphere of doing business with honesty" had been created in the country within a span of two months after its launch.

Modi said over the last three years, his government had initiated massive changes and rules were being eased to unshackle the potential of the country.

"Now, the people of the country have begun believing that India can move forward. The shackles can be broken," he said.

"We are not merely reforming India but transforming India. We are not changing India, but we are building a new India," he said, adding 2022 was the target year to achieve this as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the country's independence.

In the context of building a new India, he talked about the pledge to rid the country of problems like terrorism, communalism and corruption.

The Prime Minister also said that India believes in sharing the benefits of its development with its neighbours and also help them in the times of need.

He referred to the launch of South Asian satellite a few months back and said its benefits were being availed of by all the neighbouring countries which had joined it.

Pakistan had refused to associate with the project announced by Modi soon after he became the PM in 2014.

Talking about helping the neighbours, he said India was the "first responder" in the times of need and in this context, mentioned earthquake in Nepal, water crisis in Maldives and cyclone in Myanmar.

"We fulfilled the responsibility of a good neighbour," he said.

He also mentioned the evacuation undertaken by India in West Asian nations, including those of other countries, and said, "while doing so, we do not check the colour of their passports."

Underlining the need for enhanced cooperation with Myanmar and other East Asian nations, Modi, who is on a three-day visit here, said the Kaladan multi-modal transport project should become a "development corridor".

He told the gathering that the Indian government had already taken decisions to merge Overseas Citizenship of India (OCI) and Persons of Indian Origin (PIOs) cards and do away with police reporting for those having long-term visas among various measures for their benefit.

He also showered praise on External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, saying she was always there, ready to help any Indian in trouble anywhere in the world.

"People facing problems anywhere in the world contact Sushmaji through tweets without any hesitation... I do not think there will be any foreign minister like Sushmaji anywhere in the world who actively helps the countrymen in trouble just on the basis of a tweet," Modi said.

The Prime Minister, who is on his first bilateral visit Yangon, talked about the historical importance of Myanmar in the context of India's freedom struggle.

Naming Subhash Chandra Bose, Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Rabindranath Tagore and Bahadur Shah Zafar, he said Myanmar had become the "second home" for those who had to leave their own homes during the freedom struggle.

He said communication infrastructure between India and Myanmar was being upgraded to facilitate increased trade and people-to-people contacts.

He said a road between Imphal and Moreh, the border point with Myanmar, is being upgraded at a cost of Rs 1600 crore, as part of enabling greater trade and travel between the two countries.
Hyderabad: Miffed over the delay in implementation of the Smart Cities project in the two Telugus states, the Centre has written to the governments of TS and AP, asking them to expedite works to meet the deadlines. It asked the two governments to ensure the works start by this November.

Warangal and Karimnagar have been shortlisted for the smart cities project in TS, while Vizag and Kakinada have been selected in AP. These smart cities were announced in January-September 2016.

Durga Shanker Mishra, secretary (housing and urban affairs), wrote to the Chief Secretaries of the two states in this regard.

He asked the states to focus on early implementation of smart city projects that have a visible and transformative impact in the lives of citizens in the identified smart cities.

Mr Mishra said that the Centre has identified devopment projects worth `32,000 crore to be taken up under the PPP mode so far across the country, while another 261 projects worth `31,000 crore that will have an impact on peoples lives were approved.

The Centre asked TS and AP to take up a few of these projects in the first phase by November.

Under impactful projects category, AP has been asked to take up works pertaining to beach redevelopment and shore protection in Vizag at a cost of Rs 365 crore.

Similarly, it was asked to start space development along the canal between Indrapalem lock and Jagannaickpur old bridge besides development of eateries.
Hyderabad: The Telangana government has decided to spend Rs 20,000 crore on roads, drinking water, LED lighting, nala widening, Musi development and beautification works in the state capital to transform it into a global city. Apart from this, another Rs 7,000 crore will be spent on building a new reservoir at Keshavapuram to cater to the drinking water needs of the state capital. The government is in talks with banks and financial institutions for loans to realise its objective.

According to a press note issued by the office of MAUD Minister K.T. Rama Rao, these funds would be spent through GHMC, HMWS&SB, Road Development Corporation and Musi Development Corporation. Minister K.T.Rama Rao is conducting reviews in this connection with concerned departments every Monday. Rs 1,500 crore will be used for road improvements including Rs 300 crore for white topping the road, nearly Rs 4,300 crore will be spent on SRDP works at LB Nagar, Ayyappa Society, Durgam Cheruvu and other places in the twin cities.

The government has earmarked Rs 2,926 crore for drinking water supply in peripheral areas of the city as well as villages on ORR. A major chunk of the governments funds will go towards the construction of the 2 bedroom homes under the scheme with the same name. Plans are afoot to build one lakh houses in the state capital region alone. These houses will be built in 109 areas in the state capital.

LED lighting with a cost of Rs 400 crore is on the priority list of TRS government and MAUD department is taking steps to install it by Diwali.

Musi Beautification project is also a top priority with KTR and it would be taken up with an estimated cost of Rs 1,665 crore.
The National Investigation Agency raided the residence of Hurriyat (G) leader Agha Syed Hassan in central Kashmirs Budgam district. (Photo: ANI | Twitter)

Srinagar: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the residence of Hurriyat (G) leader Agha Syed Hassan in central Kashmirs Budgam district.

The raid was carried a day after key Kashmiri separatist leaders Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said they will fly to Delhi on Saturday and ask NIA to arrest them.

Read: Kashmiri separatists Geelani, Mirwaiz, Malik to fly to Delhi, ask NIA to arrest them

The investigating agency, on Wednesday, conducted raids at 11 locations in Srinagar and five in Delhi.

The NIA had on Tuesday arrested two alleged ringleaders of stone-pelters, including a freelance press photographer from south of the Valley. The sources said that the raids in central Srinagar were conducted on Wednesday based on inputs obtained during investigation.

The agency has been probing alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley after a national TV channel in May, in a sting operation, showed three separatist leaders admitting on camera that they had received funding from Pakistan.
Chennai: Two weeks after 19 MLAs supporting him announced that they were withdrawing support to Edappadi K. Palaniswami, embattled AIADMK leader T.T.V. Dhinakaran will meet Governor Ch. Vidyasagar Rao on Thursday demanding change of Chief Minister.

Andipatti MLA Thanga Tamilselvan said a delegation headed by Dhinakaran will meet Rao at 12.30 pm at Raj Bhawan on Thursday to brief him about the political situation in Tamil Nadu.

Tamilselvan, one of the vociferous supporters of the V.K. Sasikala family, also rejected reports that many MLAs have left the Dhinakaran camp and have even vacated their rooms at a resort in Puducherry.

There is no truth in such reports. We are all united and our leader Dhinakaran will meet Governor on Thursday to demand change of Chief Minister. We will ensure that the CM is changed, he told reporters on Wednesday.

Tamilselvan and 18 other MLAs had met Rao on August 22 submitting letter of withdrawal of support to Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami. Governor Rao had rejected demands for his intervention, saying the matter was an internal dispute of the AIADMK.

Dhinakaran camp claims to have the strength of 21 MLAs in the AIADMK legislature party and many more as sleeper cells.

DMK, Congress and Left parties had also met President Ramnath Kovind seeking a direction to the Governor to order a floor test.

Incidentally, during the hearing of a PIL seeking a floor test in the Madras High Court on Tuesday, the state Advocate General had contended that the revolt by 19 MLAs was an internal affair of AIADMK and the Governor cannot interfere in the matter.
Bengaluru: While it has been claimed that more than one gunman was involved in the murder of senior journalist/ activist, Gauri Lankesh, Home Minister, Ramalinga Reddy said on Thursday that the CCTV clip recovered by the police showed just one assailant firing four bullets at her.

Speaking to reporters here, Mr Reddy, however, clarified that although the CCTv footage showed only one assailant, the police was not sure if he had accomplices, who were not within its range. He revealed that the doctors had removed three bullets from Ms Lankeshs body and four bullets had been found at the scene of the crime.

Refusing to divulge any more details of the case, the Minister explained that leaking of any more information would affect the inquiry by the Special Investigation Team(SIT), which had already begun its inquiry.

To a question, the Minister said it was not possible to give the SIT any deadline to complete its investigation. Asserting that he had full confidence in the state police, he said it was irrelevant whether the CBI or the SIT investigated the case as the object was to nab those involved and bring them to justice.

When asked about the M.M. Kalburgi case, he said investigation into the murder of the rationalist (eerily similar to Ms Lankeshs) was at its fag end. In some cases, the investigation is delayed, he added almost apologetically.

Maintaining that there was no law and order problem in Mangaluru, where the BJP was holding a rally, Mr Reddy said the situation was by and large peaceful despite the presence of 3000 rallyists. The police had taken enough security measures to make sure there was no trouble, he added.
Bengaluru: Slain journalist Gauri Lankeshs siblings, film director Kavitha Lankesh and journalist and film director Indrajit Lankesh, have set a two week deadline for the state police to arrest the killer. If they fail to do so, the Lankesh family will move court and seek to refer the probe to the CBI.

Addressing a joint press conference on Thursday, they said that they had no doubts that their older sisters strong ideological views led to her murder. Kavitha Lankesh said, For me, the only culprit has been her ideological differences. Lankesh Patrike has always been anti-establishment, anti-fundamentalist and anti-extremist. My father used to get thousands of letters every week and he also answered some of them. But today the situation is different. People active in social media think they own you, everybody thinks everybody owns each other. So, you are not supposed to have an opinion.

When asked about the possibility of Naxal elements being behind the murder as claimed by her brother Indrajit, Kavita said, Gauri has worked tirelessly for them. She is the one who persuaded them to give up arms and come into the mainstream. So, as far as I know, we dont know if the Naxals were involved in her killing, but if there is such an angle to the murder, it has to be investigated.

About the ongoing probe by the SIT, she said she was optimistic that the killer will be nabbed soon. Though we cant give any deadline to them (SIT), we also cannot wait for two years like in the case of Dr. M. M. Kalburgi. If nothing happens in two weeks, we will ask for a CBI probe.

"Beyond all of this, the voice of those who stand and support my sister should not be silenced," she said. In what was probably a move to quell reports of an altercation between Gauri and her brother some years ago, Indrajit Lankesh not only sat alongside Kavita in a gesture of solidarity, he also joined her in calling for the probe to be stepped up.

"What the family members want is the immediate arrest of the killers. I have no preference as such, about who should investigate the case. If state police fail to nab the killers as soon as possible, we will move the court seeking a CBI probe. The only intention behind asking for a CBI probe is that we do not want Gauris case to end up like Dr. M. M Kalburgis.

He also said: On the first day, everybody suspected that it was the work of right-wing activists. On the second day, the theory of Naxals behind the murder was floated. Even my reporters told me that some pro-Naxals had distributed pamphlets that had hate messages against Gauri in the Western Ghats region. We will get clarity only through an impartial probe. I dont know whether she was receiving hate messages on Facebook and Twitter. The police have taken her phone and laptop. They will have to investigate it, he said.

Clarifying that he was not connected to the BJP in any way, and that such rumours had been spread after he had held a public event in which BJP leaders and pontiffs participated, he said "calling for a CBI probe is to find my sister's killers," and not echoing the BJP's call.
Work in progress at the Begumpet station and the Metro Rail viaduct. (Photo:DC)

Hyderabad: Completing the Oliphanta Rail Over Bridge and Secunderabad Clock Tower by the end of September is very important for the Hyderabad Metro Rail for starting commercial operations from the month of November.

The work on the Over bridge and the bridge at Secunderabad Clock Tower are being carried out in two shifts to complete the works soon. The electric wiring works were completed from Mettududa, Allugadabavi and stopped before the Oliphanta Rail Over Bridge.

A portion of the road which caved some time ago due to ongoing Metro Rail works. The open hole was not repaired and is now filled with water and garbage causing risk to pedestrian passing by. (Photo:DC)

A ground engineer explained, The works are now being carried out on the steel bridge. These are massive works where the tracks will be laid and it also requires caution as the road below has been opened for road traffic. Similarly, near Secunderabad Clock Tower, works are being carried out in full swing as the train will pass from the metro track and connect to Ameerpet.

These two junctions are very critical and maximum manpower is being utilised for them. The government wants the commercial operations to be carried out from Nagole to Ameerpet, for which both these bridges have to be ready.

While the SR Nagar to Miyapur stretch is completely ready, the stretch from Nagole to Ameerpet has a lot of works which have to be completed before the deadline.

The Ameerpet intechange station which is a double level elevated station, also needs to be completed. The works at Ameerpet station are also being carried out on a war footing as both the levels have to be ready during the time of operation.

A senior officer explained, We not only have to complete the structural works but also the electrical and technical works. The trial runs for the trains from Mettuguda to Ameerpet have to be carried out before the commercial launch. The technical team has to chart out the movement of trains and this needs to be done before the November launch.

Ground engineers and senior staff of both L and T Metro Rail and Hyderabad Metro Rail Limited are taking daily reports of the progress of the work.

A senior officer on condition of anonymity explained, The work reports are being analysed on a daily basis as they want to showcase maximum benefits to travellers by waiting for so long to open the stretch. With ground staff put on this stretch, the works near Gandhi Hospital, Sultan Bazaar and MGBS bus station have slowed down as maximum labour has been shifted to complete these works.

Details of the Hyderabad Metro Rail construction

The 72-kilometre Hyderabad Metro Rail is the first public-private partnership project, which has been launched at a cost of Rs 15,000 crores.

It is going to be an integrated urban transport which will connect major bus stations and railways in the city.

The Metro is connected to Jubilee bus stand, MGBS, Secunderabad and Nampally station.

It will connect from Nagole to Hitec City and from Miyapur-Kukatpally to LB Nagar.

There are eight over-bridges, where the metro rail will be going above the railway line.

These are at Bharatnagar, Lakdikapul, Malakpet, Bhoiguda, Begumpet, Oliphenta, Chilkalguda and Alugaddabavi.

The Oliphanta Bridge is a steel structure which is a unique feature of the Hyderabad Metro Rail because such structures are usually built near rivers and has been successfully put into place.

There are a total of 64 stations, out of which six are terminal stations, three are interchanging stations, four are special stations and 54 are normal stations.

The three interchanging stations are Ameerpet, Parade Ground and MGBS.

Construction work has been carried out smoothly, without too many traffic disruptions, while the cemented segments of viaduct and pillars were prepared at Uppal and Qutubullahpur.

Works were not carried out at the construction spot. A total of 23,287 yards has been cast. The total number of pillars are 2,533 and of them 2,409 pillars have been completed.

The corridor to be inaugurated is Ameerpet to Nagole (17 kilometers) and Miyapur to Ameerpet (13 kilometers).
Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the mazar of Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon on Thursday. (Photo: PTI)

Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrapped up his Myanmar trip with visits to the mazar of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon pagoda, besides performing puja at the Kalibari Temple here.

Mr Modi tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal rulers grave. Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the 1857-revolt.

Mr Modi also paid his respects at the Martyrs Mausoleum and performed puja at the Kalibari Temple. Mr Modi, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country, visited the pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmars cultural heritage.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.
Hyderabad: I went abroad to earn and save some money for the marriages of my two daughters. My husband drives an autorickshaw, but his earnings are very less, says Raheema Begum, who returned to India after an eight-month-long ordeal in Oman.

Raheema went to Oman in February, to work as a housemaid. I was promised a job for one month and Rs 80,000 as payment, and I was told that there was a marriage in the house. I readily agreed because Khatija, the agent, assured me that the family was respectable and that she had earlier sent women to work for them, she says.

Before going abroad, Raheema Begum supplemented her family income by stitching clothes. She earned between Rs 1,000 and Rs1,500 per month. When I got trapped in Oman, my family had to borrow over Rs 1 lakh to pay the employer for my release, even though I was not paid any money in advance, she says.

Humera Begum also left for Saudi Arabia in July. Her sister Reshma says that Humera was promised the job of a caretaker. We are from a poor family and my sister mustered the courage to go to a place miles away to earn some money, she says. She adds that Humera worked at an apparel store before going to Riyadh.

Lubna Sarwath, a social activist, says that several factors drive women to take up jobs in the Gulf. The push factors are poverty and a lack of job opportunities for Muslim women due to the conservative attitude of families here. The pull factor is the lucrative salary offered, which is attractive to the women, she says.
Social activist Daya Bai plays the chenda along with special needs children in front of the Secretariat in Thiruvananthapuram on Monday, drumming up support for special schoolteachers and students on a seven-hour fast for free education, minimum wages to special teachers and special meal for students. (Photo: DC FILE)

Special needs students and their teachers plan to relaunch their agitation as the government remains apathetic to their demand of granting aided status to 33 special schools which was sanctioned by the previous government.

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Onam did not bring any cheer to the teachers of special schools in the state as the government has remained apathetic to their demands. The staff of such schools spent the day wallowing in their misery.

Indira Ravikumar, 51, a special needs teacher of the unaided St. Dominics Special School in Palakkad, received just a sari costing Rs 400 from the management as Onam gift, though she had hoped that the government would release festival allowance. With 12 years experience, she gets a monthly salary of just Rs 6,000.

Indira, hailing from Manarkad, Palakkad, does not blame the school management for her plight.St Dominics is one of the 33 special schools in the state, which have not been granted aided status by the LDF government. She had quit her government job as a pharmacist to take care of her daughter, Muthu, 22, who is also studying there. Muthu was born with microcephaly, a medical condition in which the brain does not develop properly resulting in a smaller head. But Indira is happy that she is now a mother to scores of special needs children in the school.

Her husband Ravi Kumar is a retired bank official and gets pension. But her colleagues and thousands of special needs teachers across the state are not so fortunate, she told DC.

Sunanda Ram (name changed), a special needs teacher with 23 years experience in a special school in the capital city, was on the verge of tears when she recalled her experience. She got only her monthly salary of Rs 7,000 and no special allowance for Onam. Sunanda has been teaching the unified curriculum implemented in 271 recognised special schools in the state which was conceived by State Council of Education Research and Training (SCERT).

Earlier, I was teaching the children the syllabus pattern of three C concepts  Competency, Comprehensive and Creativity. But the new curriculum is child-centric which is supposed to make them more creative-minded. But we are not gaining anything out of this loaded syllabus, said Sunanda.

While the government coordinator provided week-long training for teachers like her at Rotary Institute for Children in need of special care at Vazhuthacaud in the city, they were told that the state government will grant aided status to 33 special schools depending on the success of the syllabus.

However, Samaira, 20, an autistic girl student in the same school where Sunanda is teaching, is happy with the new syllabus. Her mother Gitanjali said that for the first time, Samaira was confident to perform on the stage for the Onam celebrations in the school. The majority of the special needs children get scholarships from the local self-government, but it is the special needs teachers who are at the receiving end.

These days, even a housemaid earns a monthly salary of Rs 10,000. But the special needs teachers with 20-30 years experience earn Rs 6,000 -Rs 9,000. The government should address this burning issue without delay, said Gitanjali.

Four organisations, Association for Intellectually Disabled (AID), Special Olympics Bharat (SOB), Special School Employees Union (SSEU) Parivar and Association for the Welfare of Special School Staff (ASWAS), had held a seven-hour fast in front of the secretariat on August 14. Their demands included aided status to 33 special schools.

The memorandums that they had submitted to the government (nine since last May) are kept in the files of education and social justice departments. Father Roy Vadakkel, director of Asha Nilayam Special School for Mentally Challenged Children at Ponkunnam in Kottayam district, said that since the special needs students are voiceless, their teachers demands too have fallen on deaf ears.

We will organise a day-and-night fast in front of the secretariat on October 31 and November 1. Earlier, I had only 20 staffers. When the government announced that the special needs schools having more than 100 students will be granted aided status, I appointed 23 more staff members. How can I throw out the special needs students and the new staffers? he asked.

The parents and teachers are bracing for the day- and-night protest yet again. If the government does not act, the secretariat will witness another agitation by them soon.
New Delhi: She was my first love, my friend and an epitome of Amazing Grace, Chidananda Rajaghatta remembered his ex-wife Gauri Lankesh, who was murdered outside her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

In a Facebook post, journalist Rajaghatta shared how they remained great friends despite separating after five years of marriage.

He mentioned how the two of them took to the trill of questioning right from the teens.

In the post he also allows the readers a peek into a few personal moments of Gauri, the noted journalist and activist.

Read the post below:

Gauri Lankesh: Amazing Grace

If Gauri Lankesh read all the tributes and accolades for her, particularly those that refer to soul and afterlife and heaven, shes have had a good laugh. Well maybe not a laugh, but at least a chuckle. We had decided in our teens that heaven and hell and afterlife were a lot of b.s. There was enough heaven and hell on earth, and we should just leave god alone  he has enough on his hands  instead of begging him for things like many people do.

But part of our compact was we would not be hurtful to others  including family  in our youthful irreverence even if we disagreed with their beliefs and practices. We didnt always succeed  ah, the impetuosity of youth!  but it was a good principle that served us well later. Which is how even when we divorced 27 years ago, after five years of courtship and five years of marriage, we remained friends, great friends. Part of the compact. Dont be hurtful. Even to each other.

We met at a school that was the birthplace of the Rationalist Movement of India  National College. Our principal, Dr H. Narasimaiah, and the Sri Lankan rationalist, Dr Abraham Kovoor, were pioneers of the movement, and right from our teens we took to the thrill of questioning and debunking a variety of godmen/women, charlatans, frauds, superstitions etc that abound in India.

More on this another time, but Im putting this out here early to provide context to the killing. Rationalists and agnostics are in the cross hairs of uber-religious bigots.

One of the first books we read together  before getting into the weeds (I mean metaphorically) of religion, politics, and life itself  was Will Durants Story of Philosophy. Neither of us was proficient in our mother tongue Kannada (at that time), so we regretfully forsook our own bounteous literature for everything from Wodehouse to Graham Greene, devouring anything that Premier Book Shops Mr Shanbhag could produce for us  at a matchless 20 per cent discount (others got 15 per cent). She returned to Kannada years later, but more that soon.

Meanwhile, we skinned our hearts and skinned our knees, learned of love the ABCs. Terry Jacks sappy, saccharine Seasons in the Sun has just been released a couple of years before, and we hummed it between Dylan and Beatles. Id return to Indian music years later; she was tone deaf. We read and laughed at Eric Segals Love Story, saw the movies Abba, Saturday Night Fever, and Gandhi on our first dates, and went to the boondocks on moonless nights to see billions and billions of stars and galaxies after reading and watching Carl Sagan.

Feisty wouldnt even begin to describe her. She hated the fact that I smoked in college. Years later, when I had given it up for a long time, she had begun to smoke. One time, she visited me in US (crazy innit? ex-wife visiting me? But she was more friend than ex!) I insisted that she not smoke in the apartment because it was carpeted and the stink wouldnt go away. It was winter.

What do you want me to do?

If you have to smoke at all, go to the rooftop and smoke.

But its cold and snowing!

Shrug

You tightass!...I started to smoke because of you!

Awwwsorry old girl. Im asking you to stop.

Yeah right. Youve become too *&^%$#@ American!

American has nothing to do with it. Being healthy.

Bollocks. Ill outlive you!

Liar.

Many friends were and continued to be bemused by our friendship. Separations and divorces are often messy, bitter and spiteful in India, or anywhere for that matter. We had our moments, but we transcended that quickly, bound by higher ideals. On our day in court, as we stood next to each other and our hands reached out and fingers interlaced. "If you want to go your own ways, better disengage," the lawyer hissed. After it was done and dusted, we went out for lunch at the Taj down MG Road. The restaurant was called Southern Comfort. We laughed and said goodbye as I moved first to Delhi, them Mumbai, then Washington DC. She visited me in each place.

My parents loved her despite her rebellious nature, and remarkably for traditional, orthodox Indian parents, kept in touch with her  and she with them -- even after we went our own ways. One time, when I told her about a budding dalliance, she drew herself to her full height (all of five feet and HALF INCH  she never failed to emphasize the half inch) and said: Ha! You can never take away the honour of being the first daughter-in-law of the family. When my mother passed away this past February, Gauri Lankesh was there, literally live casting me the final rites before I got home.

My ties with her family were as unusual. Through our separation and going our own ways, I continued to meet her dad P. Lankesh, a writer, playwright, film-maker  even after I began living in the U.S., when I visited India. Over a drink or two, wed debate and argue about politics, religion, literature, movies, farming distress, health, the world. Theyd tease me about abandoning the good fight, while Id argue that it was temporary, and a little time and distance is good for perspective. Where he passed away in 2000, she truly became her fathers daughter, taking over the newspaper he founded and continuing the good fight.

There was no doubt she was left of center, even extreme left of center and there was much we disagreed about. She chewed me up for being an early proponent of technology, saying one time in the 90s, "Stop yammering about cell phones. Our poor can't eat cell phones." I never let her forget it. But her heart was in the right place. Some eight years back, after I had built a new home in Bangalore, she determined that I needed a housekeeper to manage the place. I am sending someone over, she declared over the phone. Shes a widow with two young daughters. Make sure you take care of them and put them through school.

Ramakka, her gift to us, is still with us; her daughters Asha and Usha both graduated from school, earned degrees, and now work  Asha in Syndicate Bank and Usha in an NGO. There are hundreds of Ashas and Ushas because of Gauri Lankesh.

Right now, between writing this, I am scrambling to get on a plane again, my mind a cauldron of fragmented memories. One phrase keeps repeating and resonating in my mind: Amazing Grace. Forget all other labels: leftist, radical, anti-Hindutva, secular etc. For me, there is just this: My friend, my first love, she was the epitome of Amazing Grace.
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The third edition of Young Entrepreneurs Summit of the Kerala State Industrial Development Corporation will be held in Kochi on September 12. This year's theme is Disrupt, Discover and Develop. It aims at encouraging young entrepreneurs to disrupt an existing process, discover alternative technology and develop better products, industry minister A. C. Moideen said. The event will witness discussions on sectors like agro-food processing, sustainable technologies, biotechnology/biomedical, and future technologies.

Interactive sessions for aspiring young innovators with successful startups from various states, venture capitalist and industry leaders would be also organised. An exhibition of innovations and a session on Startup India would be also held at the one-day event, the chief minister would inaugurate at Le Meridian Hotel.
KOCHI: The Ernakulam-Angmally Archdiocese of the Syro-Malabar Church has launched a major digitisation mission with a call to all members of the Church to have a smart phone for enabling faster dissemination of information and the divine messages. Auxiliary bishop Sebastian Adayantharath of the archdiocese has issued a circular in this regard to be read out in all parishes of the archdiocese on Sunday. The project named Archdiocesan Internet Mission (AIM) envisages a 24/7 networking of 260 parishes and various other departments under the archdiocese, over 400 priests and nuns and the over five lakh laity of the archdiocese. The project also aims at a robust hardware system with computer, printer, scanner, broadband internet with 3G and 4G connections in all the parishes.

All monasteries should also be equipped with computer printer, scanner with broadband with 3G and 4G connections. The circular advised that the believers currently not having mobile phone should buy an android phone for the speedy dissemination of information. The circular has to be read out in all churches after the Mass on Sunday. The AIM provides training in four stages for the digitisation mission. The first phase comprises registration of the parishes and the family members.

The second phase involves the services of the Church under the digital platform while the third phase provides training for priests in keeping the accounts. The fourth phase aims at reaching the services provided by family apostolate and others to families and individual. According to the circular, 222 out of the 264 parishes have already begun the data entry operations and covered registration of 63,691 families and 271,478 individuals. The circular called for the completion of the data entry in the next three months. An office is functioning to provide all assistance to the needy.
If you hide from reality for long enough, you can land up in a place from where it is next to impossible to find your way back. Something like that may be happening to Pakistan, where for more than a quarter century, our state has come to be virtually held hostage by a reality that we have been denying in almost every forum around the world. This reality is that within Pakistan violent militant groups have been nurtured, trained, supported and nestled within the general population for use as assets in an underground geopolitical game. This history has been told so often and evidence of the official patronage that these groups enjoy has now mounted to such levels, that it has become an act of wilful schizophrenia to deny it now. For years, we have found different rationales to either justify or explain this away. Most recently, when the BRICS countries pointed to three specific groups in Pakistan and labelled them as terrorist entities, they were only echoing what the UN Security Council had done more than a decade and a half ago. Still the line came up that these groups are already proscribed in Pakistan, as a rationale or soft justification for the fact that the groups not only exist, but operate freely and openly. What does proscription actually mean in Pakistan when the same members of the group in question need only start another organisation under a different name and carry on business as usual? One need only take a close look at what happened to the case against the Lal Masjid cleric who had taken up arms against the state, and triggered a confrontation that resulted in the deaths of scores of military personnel. The case fell apart and the cleric in question continues to preach openly in the same mosque. How did this come about if some form of support was not available to him?

Another line told us that we need not worry. The countries that are crying foul over this situation are biased against us. Now we have China, we were told, which will stand by us and has no intention of similarly wagging a finger at us on this point. And with China we have CPEC, which is our road to future prosperity. Well now China has added its voice to the list of those countries pointing out that the presence of militant groups in Pakistan is a problem. To add meat to the proposition, they point to a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism. This is a heavy menu, and notice that all of what the BRICS declaration is committing to is within the framework of the UN. If anybody out there thought that somehow the emergence of China on the global stage, and its growing stakes in our neighborhood, along with its creed to not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, meant that finally we would have a free pass to engage in our great fantasies without hindrance, they ought to be in for a rude shock. The person who is still spinning the words to mean something other than what they say is like that person who has lived so long with his or her lies that they are unable to find their way back to reality. Everything in the declaration shows that the BRICS countries, that include Russia and China, will not advance an alternative set of norms to those around which the Euro-American world order is constructed. To combat terror financing, for example, they seek to work with the UN resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force that has for years been pointing out the vulnerability of the Pakistan financial system to being used by terrorist groups.

Yes there have been huge successes in our own war against terror. Groups like the TTP have been pushed out of Swat and North and South Waziristan, and the sacrifices made by Pakistans soldiers in the course of this fighting have been admirable. And yes, lets also add that much of the finger-wagging from the West, particularly America, is in bad faith. America is not losing the war in Afghanistan because of Pakistan. America is losing the war for the simple reason that no sooner had the fighting commenced in earnest in Afghanistan, it lost its focus and went into Iraq instead. All else is detail. But there is a reason why Pakistan has had such a difficult time getting the world to recognise this simple reality: because we have been lying to ourselves and our allies about the nature of our involvement in this war all along. If Abbottabad didnt establish this, surely the death of Mullah Mansour on Pakistani soil, with Pakistani credentials in his pocket, did.

By arrangement with Dawn
Nirmala Sitharamans recent appointment as defence minister is indeed welcome news, though she has only about 16 effective months in office, till December 2018, because after that politicians will be in poll mode till the crucial 2019 general election. There were mixed responses to her appointment  that she was the right person for the job, but has very little time to do anything important, given the long lead times of major defence shortcomings; and that she had been put there by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to create more openings for women in the armed forces  basically in combat roles in the Army and serving on naval warships (with three women fighter pilots soon to be posed to the IAFs SU-30 MKI squadrons). The day after she was appointed, an even before taking charge officially, the new Raksha Mantri was briefed at her residence by the three service chiefs while outgoing defence minister Arun Jaitley flew to Tokyo for a pre-arranged meeting with his Japanese counterpart. A number of suggestions have appeared in the media on what the new minister should do, with some even suggesting banning all imports, unmindful of its consequences given the looming external and internal security threats. Based on my 10 years service at Naval HQ and Coast Guard HQ, I would propose certain minimum steps and reforms that are essential and feasible in the 16 effective months available to Ms Sitharaman.

I am sure the top political and military leadership is fully aware that, notwithstanding the Doklam standoff between India and China ending on August 28 (though later reports indicated that troops on both sides had only withdrawn 150 metres each), and the subsequent successful Brics summit at Xiamen, China, on September 3-5, with its declaration naming Pakistani terror groups, India shouldnt get lulled into a false sense of security. China is totally preoccupied right now with the continuing crisis in the Korean peninsula, which got further aggravated with North Korea testing a 100- kiloton hydrogen bomb on September 3-4, thus stealing the limelight from President Xis Brics summit. Should the situation in the Korean peninsula cool down and the present status quo remains in the tension-filled disputed South and East China Seas, Beijing (fully aware that the Doklam standoff had raised New Delhis stature globally) may well be tempted to teach India a lesson through a limited military intrusion along the disputed 4,000-km Line of Actual Control after the winter snows melt by April 2018, that could escalate into a war. Indias Army Chief has, in fact, warned that Chinas salami-slicing land grab tactics on Indian territory, along with Pakistans implacable hostility, could lead to a two-front war.

China would also be aware of the reports in the Indian media, quoting a CAG report, that the Indian Army has ammunition only for eight to 10 days of intense fighting, against the need to have stocks for at least 40 days of intense fighting. The only way to deter such a scenario is for Ms Sitharaman to give top priority to making up the acute shortages in not only ammunition but also spare parts for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Having personally seen this while serving at the Naval HQ during the 1999 Kargil war and the December 2001 post-Parliament attack standoff with Pakistan, I can vouch that this is a major task, will also involve imports of ammunition and spare parts, and may require action beyond what the press reported as authorising the three service vice-chiefs to purchase emergency needs. The strategic roads and other infrastructure along the LAC with China is years behind schedule and desperately needs a new results-oriented leadership.

The second key priority for the new defence minister is to finalise, ideally by December 2018, the long-awaited reforms badly needed by the MoD itself and its arms like DRDO, HAL, Public Shipyards, ordinance factories and the like. The three service headquarters need to be fully integrated with the MoD, and the post of Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) created, preferably with five-star rank (that would put him a run above the three chiefs, of four-star rank). The CDS should be the sole adviser on military matters to the defence minister and to the Cabinet Committee on Security whenever required. The CDS should also take direct charge of the Strategic Forces Command (SFC), which operates our nuclear deterrent when so ordered by the Prime Minister, who heads the Nuclear Command Authority. After the CDS is in place, the next government, after the 2019 elections, could consider implementation of Joint Theatre Commands, akin to what the Americans and the Chinese already have (as explained in my article in this newspaper onAugust 7). In addition, Indias defence PSUs, to further indigenisation, should have professional result-oriented CEOs; while the much-touted Make in India partnership of PSUs, the Indian private sector and foreign defence manufacturers must be given a boost by the defence minister as nothing has happened in critical areas like Project 75(i) submarines, Mine Counter-Measures Vessels, the aircraft-carrier Vikrant being built at the Kochi shipyard is almost nine years overdue and needs fighter jets by 2021 on commissioning , while all the three services face acute shortages of helicopters.

The Air Force needs over 200 fighter jets, beyond the 20+83 LCA Mk-1 jets ordered (building at the rate of six to eight aircraft a year, increasing to 16 per year by 2019). Obviously, increasing LCA Mk-1 and later LCA Mk-2 production rate is vital, but some Make in India fighter jets for the Air Force and Navy is unavoidable. The indigenisation of the Armys 155 mm artillery guns is proceeding at a snails pace while there are indications that the indigenous Akash surface-to-air missiles with 25-km range have serious reliability problems, with high failure rates, while our ordinance factories cant even make a suitable rifle for our soldiers. The time has come for the new defence minister to sack a few non-performers and bring in some professionals who will ensure results and quality control. Finally, the military needs to play amuch greater role in indigenisation. The Navy has succeeded as it created a new cadre of submarine and ship designers over 60 years ago and is reaping the benefit of highly-trained designers, engineers and electronic experts working in DRDO-sponsored projects, with almost 95 per cent participation in the ATV nuclear submarine project and 70 per cent participation in Systems and Weapons Integration Projects.

Post-retirement, most of these highly-trained specialists work in shipyards, and private sector giants like Tata, Larsen & Toubro, etc. Ms Sitharaman, will do a great service to the nation if she can get the Army and IAF to emulate the Navy, set up a Directorate of Indigenisation, Weapon and Platform (Aircraft, Tanks, Artillery, etc) design teams at Army and Air Headquarters, and set up an organisation like the Navy has to coordinate directly with the private and public sectors industries to procure India-made equipment. To conclude, the new defence minister needs to ensure India makes up its known shortcomings and is capable of deterring any misadventure by China and Pakistan by April 2018, kickstart long-pending manufacture of submarines, aircraft and guns, carry out much-needed military reforms, give a greater push to indigenisation and Make in India, while finding competent people to head DRDO, HAL and similar bodies, and to induct an Indian-made 7.62 mm rifle for the Indian soldier before December 2018. All other issues can be pursued by the next government after the 2019 general election.
Andhra Pradesh: Having junked the proposed metro project from Vijaywada, the Andhra Pradesh government has joined hands with a US-based company to introduce the futuristic "Hyperloop" transportation system in the state capital region, Amrawati.

If everything goes well, this will be the first Hyperloop project to be implemented in India.

The concept of Hyperloop mode of transportation is notably backed by business magnate and inventor Elon Musk. But it has not been implemented for practical use anywhere in the world yet.

The AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) here. But an official release on the MoU did not disclose the probable cost of the project.

The project will be taken up in the public-private- partnership mode with the funding coming primarily from private investors, the release said.

Hyperloop envisages a 'tube modular transport system' that runs free of friction. It is still in trial stages in different countries.

Following his first interaction with HTT executives during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held another round of talks with them at the Secretariat here recently.

HTT chairman and co-founder Bibop Gresta and EDB CEO J Krishna Kishore signed the MoU.

Hyperloop is proposed to be introduced between the city centres of Vijayawada and Amaravati. It will supposedly cover the distance of over 35 km only in five minutes.

Under the MoU, the HTT will conduct a feasibility study from the next month to "analyse the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities".

"After the six-month feasibility study, we will construct and build the first Hyperloop in India," the HTT said.

"The AP-EDB, along with the state government, will assist HTT with all regulatory requirements and develop and implement Hyperloop in Amaravati," CEO Kishore was quoted as saying in the release.

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This is because of the fact that all iPhone versions launching in 2018 and onwards were said to be equipped with OLED displays exclusively.

Apple has been rumoured to pushing for the partnership with LG which meant the South Korean company will manufacture the OLED screens for iPhone models starting 2018. But now as it turns out, the plan is not going well and that Cupertino might be forced to work with Samsung for another year.

Even though Apple has in place a contract with Samsung for the production of OLED screens until the end of 2018, the company wants to reduce its dependency on the South Korean firm and turn to other organisations whose production would be solely focused on its own products.

In multiple reports published earlier this year, it was stated that Apple is slated to invest to invest in a new LG production facility whose activity would be building OLED displays for future iPhone models. This is because of the fact that all iPhone versions launching in 2018 and onwards were said to be equipped with OLED displays exclusively.

But now, as it turns out, LG will not be able to meet the production yield which Apple requested and this translates to the fact that Apple will have to stick with Samsung for another year. According to a report from Bloomberg says that LG cannot start production of OLED screens until at least 2019, which means that depending on how work advances on setting up the production lines, it may take even longer to begin manufacturing iPhone display.

One of the problems that LG is trying to deal right now is the lack of evaporation machines, mostly because of the competition from Samsung which secures most of the production equipment from suppliers.

Apple is reportedly looking into several options for the 2018 lineup of iPhones, including launching some models equipped with LG displays with limited supplies. Also, the company is said to be pondering a possible release of iPhones featured LG technology at a later time during the lifecycle of the next generation, as the company reaches full production capacity.

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The website supports WebVR, which means that you will be able to experience Inside Music with your VR headset.

We listen to music for at least a couple of hours every single day. Thanks to various online streaming services, music is now available to anyone anywhere. However, have you ever wondered about the ingredients of your favourite track that is pumped through your headphone to your ears? Google seems to take this opportunity to educate people about various elements of music that make a catchy soundtrack through Inside Music.

Inside Music is an experimental website hosted by Google for educating people about all the elements that make a song or soundtrack. Google has collaborated with the popular podcast Song Exploder along with artists such as Phoenix, Perfume Genius, Natalia Lafourcade, Ibeyi, Alarm Will Sound, and Clipping for using their popular tracks as samples that can be peeled layer by layer.

The website supports WebVR, which means that you will be able to experience Inside Music with your VR headset. Even if you dont have a VR headset, you still experience the website in 360-degree view by dragging the screen around. The user is offered with six soundtrack options, each of which will have discrete options to enable or disable each element of that soundtrack. Therefore, you will able to hear the song without the drum beats or lyrics or whatever you fancy.

Inside Music is available on every smartphone or computer  all you need to do is open it through a browser. If your inner musician or your curiosity is pushing you to have a look at this website once, then you can check it out at https://experiments.withgoogle.com/webvr/inside-music/view/.

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Microsoft had launched the Surface Pro and the Surface Laptop earlier this year, but now it appears that the company still has a few surprises on the Surface front for 2017.

Corporate VP for Surface at Microsoft, Panos Panay, will attend the companys Future Decoded event in London on October 31, and according to reports, there will be unveiling of at least one new device as a part of the Surface lineup.

Details are not present as of now, but from previous reports, a second generation Surface Book is very likely to make ground at the event. It was believed originally that Microsoft would unveil the second-generation Book in October 2016, but the company allegedly held back the release because certain features werent ready. It now turns out that the Surface Book 2 is ready for debut and it could see daylight next month in London.

Also, there is a possibility that Microsoft is planning to discuss the future of Windows 10 on ARM chips, as the company and its partners originally promised to bring such devices to the market in late 2017.

According to a statement from a Microsoft spokesperson, that plan is still on the table, and with the October 31 event one of the last this year, the software giant could use it specifically to introduce such devices. At this point, its not known if Microsoft itself wants to join this Windows 10 on ARM push with a Surface model, but more news in this regard are expected to be shared in London.

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Irma, now packing 140 mph (220 kph) winds, also threatens the US East Coast and Florida (Photo: AFP)

Marigot: Powerful Hurricane Irma cut a swathe of deadly destruction as it roared through the Caribbean on Wednesday, claiming at least 10 lives and turning the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin into mountains of rubble.

One of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record, the rare Category Five hurricane churned westward off the northern coast of Puerto Rico early Thursday on a potential collision course with south Florida where at-risk areas were evacuated.

St Martin -- a pristine resort known for its vibrant nightlife -- suffered the full fury of the storm, with rescuers on the French side of the island saying at least eight people had died there and another 21 were injured.

With some 95 percent of homes destroyed on the French side of the island -- the other half belongs to The Netherlands -- a delegation of troops, rescuers and medics arrived from France headed by Overseas Territories Minister Annick Girardin to help with rescue efforts.

"It's an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed," top local official Daniel Gibbs said in a radio interview. "I'm in shock. It's frightening."

- 'Barbuda now rubble' -

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire called the situation in St Martin "dramatic," saying the island -- which is divided between the Netherlands and France -- was without drinking water or electricity, and warning the death toll was almost certain to rise.

To the southeast, Barbuda, part of the twin island nation of Antigua and Barbuda, suffered "absolute devastation" with 95 percent of properties damaged, and up to 30 percent demolished, according to Prime Minister Gaston Browne.

"Barbuda now is literally rubble," Browne said.

One person is known to have died on the island of 1,600 residents, apparently a child whose family was trying to get to safer ground.

And on the island of Barbados, a 16-year-old professional surfer named Zander Venezia died while trying to ride a monster wave generated by the storm, the World Surf League said.

Irma was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 185 miles (295 kilometers) per hour as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, continuing past eastern Cuba before veering north towards Florida.

As of 0300 GMT, the eye of the storm was just north of Puerto Rico and the hurricane was moving west-northwest at 16 miles (26 kilometers) per hour.

- Haiti vulnerable -

More than half of Puerto Rico's population of three million is without power, with rivers breaking their banks in the center and north of the island where Governor Ricardo Rossello activated the National Guard and opened storm shelters sufficient for up to 62,000 people.

Blanca Santiago, who works at a beachside hotel in Puerto Rico's capital San Juan, described the howl of the wind whipping the coastline: "It was as if there were ghosts inside my home."

A total of 460 shelters have been set up around the island, the governor said.

"We already have rather major damage," Rossello said.

US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico as well as in the US Virgin Islands and Florida where he said the outlook was "not good."

In the Dominican Republic, which forms the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola which it shares with Haiti, the government began to evacuate people from areas declared to be under hurricane alert.

The capital Santo Domingo was calm after a chaotic Tuesday which saw people rushing to supermarkets to stock up on food. The government gave people a day off work on Thursday and canceled classes for the rest of the week.

- Threat to Florida -

Category Five is the highest on the scale for hurricanes in the Atlantic and hurricanes of this intensity are rare.

They can cause severe flooding, tear off roofing, shatter windows and uproot palm trees, turning them into deadly projectiles.

Irma follows hot on the heels of Hurricane Harvey which devastated swaths of Texas and Louisiana in late August. Irma was hitting the Caribbean even as two other tropical storms, Jose in the Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the Gulf of Mexico, were upgraded to hurricane status.

With forecasters warning of catastrophe, including surges of up to 25 feet (almost eight meters) above normal tide levels, people evacuated tourist areas, stocked up on provisions, and packed into shelters across an area stretching as far north as Florida.

The Sunshine State is expecting to face the brunt of the storm from Friday night.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma -- which comes barely a week after Harvey claimed some 60 lives -- posed a severe threat to the entire state.

Tourists in the popular Key West islands were packing their bags on a mandatory evacuation order, with a similar order for residents due to follow.

Panicked residents stripped shelves bare in Miami as they rushed to stockpile everything from bottled water to sandbags before Irma strikes.

Gas stations between the Florida Keys and Miami ran out of gas, while nearly all local supermarkets had sold out of bottled water, with fights breaking out among shoppers in some stores.

"People go crazy and buy up everything," 81-year-old Gladys Bosque told AFP in a crowded supermarket in Miami Beach.

"There's no water, no milk, there are very few cans -- and no cat food."

The governor has activated 1,000 members of the National Guard and another 6,000 reserve troops will be reporting for duty no later than Friday morning.

A US aircraft carrier with a field hospital and dozens of aircraft able to conduct rescue or supply missions has been put on standby.
Washington: Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump for scrapping an amnesty programme that grant work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, saying the consequences of the decision will be "devastating".

Describing Trump's action as cruel and inhuman, five- Indian American lawmakers in separate statements announced that they will fight the US presidents decision.

"The consequences of this decision will be devastating. It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless," Democratic Senator Kamala Harris said.

Harris said recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme makes the US nation strong and represents the best of America.

"The Presidents decision undermines our nations values and is a cruel betrayal to the more than 800,000 young people, including more than 200,000 Californians, who have only ever known the United States of America as their home," Harris said.

Outraged by Trumps decision, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said by doing so he is destroying the future of nearly 800,000 young men and women who were brought here by their parents and know no other country but this one.

"After toying with their futures and raising their hopes with talk of his big heart, Donald Trump has shown exactly what his priorities are. He has once again sided with hate and xenophobia, putting in place a repeal that is cruel, inhumane and unjust," the Democratic lawmaker said.

Jayapal urged her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to immediately pass stand-alone legislation to protect dreamers (Those protected under DACA).

"Let me be clear: Our immigrant brothers and sisters are here to stay. Not only are they welcome in our communities -- they are essential to our communities. I will continue to fight alongside dreamers and the immigrant rights movement," she said.

"I ask my Republican colleagues to consider which side of justice they wish to be on, and join us in passing legislation to protect dreamers once and for all," she added.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also slammed Trumps decision, terming the move as "cruel".

"Through this announcement, the President has made clear that he refuses to protect dreamers and so now Congress must. The administrations cruel policy includes a six-month phase- out of the DACA programme, and Congress must pass legislation to extend this programme and protect dreamers," Krishnamoorthi said.

"This issue is personal for me because I too was brought to the United States by my parents as a child. The hope for a better a life which carried my parents here was no different from that of the parents of dreamers, and generations of immigrants before," he said.

This decision by the Trump administration goes against American values, said Congressman Dr Ami Bera.

"Children brought to the United States -- through no fault of their own -- deserve our compassion. These children have passed background checks and are already contributing to our economy as productive residents," Bera said.

"Detaining and deporting children is not only morally wrong, it doesnt make economic sense. I urge the administration to reverse this decision immediately," Bera said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the Trump administration has once again showed that it has no dignity for friends, neighbours and colleagues.

"We must safeguard the livelihood of dreamers and provide these inspiring young people and their courageous parents a pathway to citizenship," Khanna said.
The official said that there was also a great meeting of the minds between Prime Minister Modi and President Trump on the terrorism issue. (File Photo)

Washington: The Trump administration has told US Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it "strongly supports" transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

"The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels - many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region," Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House foreign affairs subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget," on Thursday.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

"Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come," she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

"India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation," she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

"In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better," she said in the testimony.

"The President's first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade," she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship has largely been on a positive trajectory and America needs to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly USD 30 billion last year.

"We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market," Wells said.

"Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from $45 billion in 2006 to more than $114 billion in 2016. US exports to India support more than 260,000 American jobs across all 50 states," she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensure that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lie in India's civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet, a private Indian airline, announced an order+ of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

"...these transactions have an estimated value of USD 23 billion and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 130,000 jobs in the US," she said.

Another private Indian carrier, Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

"We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades," she added.

"India's state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas," said the top American diplomat.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinas President Xi Jinping during a meeting on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Xiamen on Tuesday. (Photo: PTI)

Beijing: China on Thursday reacted sharply to Army Chief General Bipin Rawats assertion that Beijing was testing Indias limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said that India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started flexing its muscles, while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan, whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking.

Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doklam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorized to speak and if his comments represented the Indian governments position.

As reported by Indian press... We dont know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government, Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and two large countries, Geng said that sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both countries. This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.

Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each others development opportunities, not threats, Geng said.

We hope India could view Chinas development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries, Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the Brics summit. We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area, Xi had said.

Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said. We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, Geng said.

Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard, he said in response to Rawats remarks.

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict.
The US will deploy additional 3,500 troops to Afghanistan, taking the total number of soldiers stationed in the war-torn country to 14,500.



Defence Secretary Jim Mattis authorised the new deployment which is in line with President Donald Trump's Afghan policy, which did not set a timeline for the withdrawal US troops from the country, defence department official said yesterday.



The official said that Mattis has authorised about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan.



Last week, the Pentagon had revised its earlier figure of 8,400 troops to about 11,000 troops. On Friday, Mattis had told reporters that he had signed paper work for deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan but did not reveal the exact figures.



The additional troop's deployment come after Mattis, along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, briefed members of the Congress on the new Afghan strategy and also about North Korea.



They were joined by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.



"The US military presence in Afghanistan should be based on our national security interests, the advice of our commanders, and the facts on the ground. We must ensure that terrorists can never again use Afghanistan as a training ground and launching pad for terrorist attacks against our homeland," Senator Todd Young said.



"Afghanistan is not a short-term circumstance we face. Despite encouraging signs I saw, it doesn't mean we are departing from Afghanistan soon," Senator Jerry Moran told Military Times in an interview after his return from Afghanistan.



The House Foreign Affairs Committee yesterday announced to hold a Congressional hearing on budget request for Afghanistan and Pakistan on September 13.



Alice G. Wells, acting assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will testify before the Congressional Committee.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage, and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple here.



Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country.



He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.



"Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.



The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.



Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people. From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.



Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.



Modi later paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.



"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.



He also visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum with Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi.



"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.


Amazon on Thursday opened its largest Fulfilment centre here near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport with a view to enhancing customer experience just ahead of the festive season.



The 4 lakh square feet facility with a massive storage capacity of 3.2 million cubic feet is Amazon's fifth centre in Telangana.



Akhil Saxena, vice president India customer Fulfilment, Amazon India said that the new centre will help increase speed of delivery. "We strongly believe that we will be able to serve our customers with one day and two-day delivery," he said.




Prime Minister Narendra Modi today left for home after concluding his first bilateral visit to Myanmar during which he held wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and vowed to combat terror.



"My Myanmar visit covered significant ground in giving a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations & deepening bilateral cooperation," Modi tweeted before he left for India.



"I thank the people and Government of Myanmar for their exceptional hospitality during my visit to the beautiful nation of Myanmar," Modi said in another tweet.



Modi's first bilateral visit here came at a time when the Myanmarese government led by nobel laureate Suu Kyi is facing international pressure over the 125,000 Rohingya Muslims that have poured into Bangladesh in just two weeks after Myanmar's military launched a crackdown in the Rakhine state.



After his talks with Suu Kyi, Modi had said India shares Myanmar's concerns over "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state, especially the loss of innocent lives of the people and the security personnel.



Modi, in his joint press statement with Suu Kyi after the talks, had said India understands the problems being faced by Myanmar.



He had also asserted that it was important to maintain the security and stability of the land and maritime boundaries of the two countries.



After Modi-Suu Kyi talks, 11 agreements were signed between the two sides in areas like maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.



Modi arrived here on the second leg of his two-nation trip after he travelled to the southeastern Chinese city Xiamen where he attended the annual BRICS Summit.
A leading human rights organisation has called for prompt investigation into the killing of outspoken Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying the "possibility" that it is a "politically motivated" shooting needs to be fully probed.



Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday.



The Human Rights Watch said Indian authorities should promptly act on the announced investigation into the killing by unidentified gunmen of Lankesh, an "outspoken journalist" who "campaigned for democracy, secularism, and civil liberties" and was a vocal critic of the Hindu nationalism.



"The motives for Gauri Lankesh's killing are not yet known, but the possibility of a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly investigated," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.



"Authorities in India need both to bring Lankesh's killers to justice and to protect media freedom and the right to free expression," she added.



Lankesh was the publisher and editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly.



Witnesses reported that she was fatally shot outside her home. Police said that the gunmen on motorbikes fired seven bullets at Lankesh as she was walking into her home from the front gate after returning from work. The gunmen escaped.



"Indian artists and writers have previously launched powerful campaigns to protest assaults on free expression, including by returning their national awards, leading to a country-wide conversation on intolerance," Ganguly said.



"People have the right to pursue their own brand of faith and patriotism, but the government should ensure that these are not forced upon others through threats and violence," she added.



Karnataka's state government has announced that a Special Investigative Team headed by an inspector general of police would investigate the killing.



It added that the police have secured footage from closed circuit television installed in Lankesh's home. The state government should ensure that the investigation is carried out in an impartial, time-bound manner, Human Rights Watch said.



In a May 2016 report, Human Rights Watch documented ways in which overbroad or vaguely worded criminal laws, including criminal defamation, are used to stifle political dissent and harass journalists.



The group voiced concern that Indian authorities have yet to properly prosecute those responsible for the killings of other writers and activists Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and M M Kalburgi.
India should resolve the Kashmir issue through "political and diplomatic" means rather than "abusing" Pakistan, army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has said.



Bajwa, while addressing a Defence Day gathering in Rawalpindi last night, said people of South Asia need peace for prosperity.



Accusing India of "killing" innocent people on the LoC, he said the country should give peace a chance.



"It is in interest of India that for a durable solution to the issues (in Kashmir), it should prefer political and diplomatic process instead of abusing Pakistan and using bullets against Kashmiris," the Chief of Army Staff said.



Bajwa said Pakistan wants to address the Kashmir issue through dialogue.



"Welfare of millions of people of these two countries is linked with permanent peace. But for it to happen, it is necessary that innocent and unarmed people on the LoC are not targeted through a planned way," he said.



Pakistan will continue to extend "political, moral, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris for their right to self- determination in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

He accused India of trying to destabilise Pakistan through "militancy and usurping its share of water".



The army chief also claimed that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear state.



"Our nuclear programme is just a deterrent against the enemy that introduced this unconventional war in the region," he said.



Bajwa said that Pakistan was against terrorism.



"We are against war and terrorism. We want relationship with all countries based on mutual respect and equality," he said.



Pakistan celebrates the Defence Day to mark the 1965 war with India.
An ailing woman, who was rushed to a hospital after being kept in a mobile morgue by relatives who presumed her dead, breathed her last here, the police said today.



Relatives of the woman identified as Ratna amma, a plantation worker, had yesterday presumed her dead after seeing no movement in her body. They had also shifted her to a mobile morgue for sometime.



However, some neighbours noticed tears flowing from her eyes and found her foaming from the mouth following which police was immediately informed.



The 51-year-old woman was immediately shifted to a private hospital here, where she later died last night, police said.



She had been undergoing treatment for jaundice since the past three months at the medical college hospital in Madurai in neighbouring Tamil Nadu.



The doctors had discharged her on Tuesday, saying she could be taken home.
The chief of the International Monetary Fund today warned that ageing populations in key Asian economies will drag on their growth, urging policymakers to step up their response to shifting demographics.



Studies show that Asia's population is ageing faster than anywhere else in the world, with Japan forecast to become the first "ultra-aged" country, meaning 28 per cent of the population is 65 or over, while a fifth of the people in South Korea are expected to be 65 by 2030.



Rapidly ageing countries including China, Japan, Korea and Thailand "will have smaller workforces in the future and potentially lower productivity growth", IMF managing director Christine Lagarde told a conference in Seoul.



"We estimate that these countries could face lower annual GDP growth... by up to a percentage point," the IMF chief said.



China and Japan are the world's second- and third-largest economies respectively, and slower growth in them risks having significant knock-on effects around the world.



Lagarde urged governments to "boost the proportion of women in the workforce" by better accommodating working mothers with more childcare benefits and incentives for part- time work.



In emerging countries such as India -- where populations are still growing -- better education for girls and wider access to finance for women should be prioritised, she said.



According to some estimates, she added, closing the gender gap in the employment market could raise Japanese GDP by 9 per cent, South Korea's by 10 per cent, and India's by 27 percent.



At Thursday's conference, Bank of Korea Governor Lee Ju- Yeol also called for steps to tackle low birth rates and create more jobs for women and older people.



"A failure in responding to population ageing will make the escape from possible structural low growth difficult," Lee said.



An IMF report issued earlier this year projected population growth falling to zero in Asia by 2050 and the share of working-age people -- now at its peak -- declining over the coming decades.



Urging policy makers to act early to respond to the ageing population, the report warned: "Parts of Asia risk becoming old before becoming rich."
French defence minister Florence Parly today condemned a major upcoming Russian military exercise on the borders of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".



The "Zapad 2017" exercise which Russia will hold from next week in Belarus and its western exclave of Kaliningrad has caused alarm in the Baltic states and Poland and drawn criticism from the US and NATO for a lack of transparency.



Parly, speaking at a gathering of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn, said it was clear Moscow was pursuing a "deliberate, intentional" strategy of showing off its military might.



"It is particularly important in this context that we reaffirm our presence in the face of this expression and this demonstration the Russians are making which is a strategy of intimidation -- we must not hide that fact," she said.



Russia has said the exercises will involve about 12,700 Russian and Belarusian troops and are "purely defensive" in nature -- an assessment rejected by many Western observers.



German Defence Minister Ursula von der Leyen said it was clear that Zapad was in fact about showing off Russian force.



"It is undisputed that we see a demonstration of capabilities and power of the Russians. Anyone who doubts that only has to look at the high numbers of the participating forces in the Zapad exercise: more than 100,000."



To counter growing Russian assertiveness in recent years, particularly since the annexation of Crimea from Ukraine in 2014, NATO has stationed about 4,000 troops in the three Baltic countries and Poland.



Parly said the deployment sent a clear signal that the Baltic states and Poland were covered by the NATO alliance.
The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal today refused any interim relief to McDonald's estranged partner Vikram Bakshi on his plea against termination of franchise licence agreement by the US-based fast food chain major.



This means the fate of 169 McDonald's stores in north and east India hangs by a thread as CPRL's licence to operate the outlets lapsed on September 5.



An NCLAT bench headed by Justice S J Mukhopadhaya has issued a direction to list on September 21 Bakshi's licence termination petition along with the original one filed by McDonald's.



CPRL is a 50:50 joint venture (JV) between McDonald's and Bakshi.



During the proceedings, senior lawyer Parag Tripathi representing Bakshi requested the tribunal to direct that no coercive step should be taken against his client.



However, the NCLAT said it is not going into this issue at this stage. "The interim application is more than the company petition in relief. You (Bakshi) are asking for the final relief in the interim relief application," Justice Mukhopadhaya observed.



He added: "During pendency of the case, we would not come in the way of the tribunal to decide the contempt petition."



The National Company Law Tribunal has issued show-cause notice to McDonald's Corporation and its Indian arm over the contempt plea filed by Bakshi.



Bakshi had alleged that by terminating the licence, the US-based food giant has violated the NCLT order dated July 13 which reinstated him as the Managing Director of CPRL and refrained McDonald's Corporation from interfering in the functioning of CPRL.



McDonald's, through its counsel Rajiv Nayyar, questioned the maintainability of Bakshi's petition.



On September 21, the NCLAT will hear McDonald's plea against the order of the NCLT reinstating Bakshi as the Managing Director of CPRL.



Bakshi was ousted from the post at 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 moved the tribunal.



McDonald's on August 21 also terminated franchisee agreement for the outlets in question operated by CPRL.



As part of the termination, CPRL cannot use McDonald's name, system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others, from September 5.
The olives which are being cultivated in the farms of Rajasthan since 2007 will now reach Europe as the government of Rajasthan has inked a partnership agreement for distribution across UK and the rest of Europe with Greenleaf Trading Company from the United Kingdom.



An MoU was signed between Government of Rajasthan and Olitia Foods Pvt Ltd in GRAM 2016 for producing olive tea. Olitia Foods had promised an investment of INR 10 crores for the same. This step aligns with Prime Minister Narendra Modis vision of doubling the farmers income. It will be available in lemongrass, holy basil, exotic, mint flavours.



In the first phase, they will span over UK and then venture to the other European countries. This agreement has been made for a substantial amount of olive tea. Greanleaf plans to approach stores like Tesco and Sainsburys. Olitia Foods has brewed up an alternate to green tea. After years of research, they have come up with the worlds first processed olive tea. This is the first time in the world that machinery has been tailor-made for crushing, tearing and curling of the olive leaves.



It was in 2007 that the Government of Rajasthan started cultivating olives considering that the climate there was suitable for olives. With the help of technology from Israel, they had planted olives on 5000 hectares of land. Prabhu Lal Saini, Agriculture Minister of Rajasthan, says that the lab tests have confirmed the presence of a strong antioxidant called Luteolin in olive leaves that can even help prevent several types of cancer  blood cancer, prostate cancer and ovarian cancer.



After the studies and lab tests confirmed these properties of the olive leaves, the decision to process them was taken. It will medically benefit those who suffer from mental stress, cardiac disease. Dharmpal Garhwal, Director at Olitia Foods, said, " I hope it will make condition of farmers by involving in the cultivation of olives with the Government of Rajasthan. With the introduction of exotic crops, farmers are no longer dependent on the conventional crops. After years of research, the olive tea is here. By involving in the cultivation of olives with the Government of Rajasthan, I hope to better the condition of farmers and give the world a modern day elixir, the olive tea".
China today reacted sharply to army chief Gen Bipin Rawat's assertion that Beijing was testing India's limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.



Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started "flexing its muscles", while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.



Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."



Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.



"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said.



Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.



This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.



"Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats," Geng said.



"We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.



"We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area," Xi had said.



Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.



"We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.



"Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks.



Rawat, in his remarks, had said, "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict."
Unidentified miscreants shot at a local journalist Pankaj Mishra in Bihars Arwal district on Thursday. The incident took place when Mishra, working for Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara, came out of the bank after withdrawing Rs one lakh. The miscreants snatched the amount after firing at Mishra.



The attack on a Bihar scribe comes close on the heels of the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.



The SP of Arwal, Dilip Kumar, however, termed it as a robbery incident. The two miscreants waylaid Mishra, robbed him, and escaped after firing at him. One of the criminals Kundan Mahto, who belonged to the local village, was later apprehended, said the SP.



Mishra was shifted to Sadar hospital from where he was rushed to Patna Medical College and Hospital (PMCH) where he is now stated to be out of danger.



This is the second attack on a journalist in Bihar since 2016. Rajdeo Ranjan, the Bureau chief of a local Hindi daily, was shot dead in Siwan in May last year while he was returning to his home from the office. The killing took place at a crowded place near Siwan railway station.



Rajdeos widow Asha Ranjan lodged a FIR against unknown assailants but expressed apprehension that Rajdeo was bumped off at the behest of former MP, Md Shahabuddin.


The Bihar Pradesh Congress Committee (BPCC) president Ashok Choudhary on Thursday blamed some top Congress leaders in New Delhi for planting stories about an imminent split in the party. His statement comes on the day when Rahul Gandhi met different party MLAs from the state and sought their views about news in a section of media where-in it has been claimed that 14 out of 27 Congress MLAs were ready to cross over the fence for greener pastures.



Incidentally, Ashok Choudhary, who, apart from being the BPCC chief, was Education Minister in Nitish Cabinet until July 26 when Congress and RJD were JD (U)s alliance partners, was not summoned by Rahul during the Congress vice-presidents two-day interaction with Bihar legislators. Besides, leader of the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) in Bihar Assembly, Sadanand Singh, too was not present when Rahul held parleys with the MLAs from the State.

Though both Choudhary and Singh denied reports about any possibility of Congress splitting and joining Nitishs JD (U), sources said at least nine MLAs refrained from meeting Rahul on Wednesday and Thursday.



At least four Congress MLAs  Vinay Verma, Anil Kumar, Poonam Yadav and Manohar Singh - were in the JD (U) before they were asked by Nitish to contest on Congress ticket in 2015 Bihar Assembly elections, said a source, explaining why many Congress legislators were not comfortable in the company of Lalus RJD.



The Congress is in a dilemma whether it should play second fiddle to scam-tainted Lalus RJD, or chart out its own independent strategy to get a foothold in the caste-ridden state. Many upper caste Congress MLAs are reportedly in favour of joining Nitish camp but with the sword of anti-defection law looming large, they have stayed put, the source added.



To escape disqualification under anti-defection law, the rebel Congress leaders should have at least 18 out of 27 MLAs under its fold to effect a split and join JD (U). Though the JD (U) says its not an impossible number, the Congress feels it's an uphill task.



For the last four years, I have given my sweat and blood while trying to infuse a new lease of life into Bihar Congress. Now a top AICC functionary wants to replace me with his nominee, and is, therefore, planting stories of [a] split to show me in poor light, rued Choudhary.
Investigators from the IG-headed SIT today pored over the CCTV footage of the scene of the murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh for clues in the hunt for the killers even as her family spoke against giving "political colour" to the incident.



The brother and sister of 55-year-old Gauri, who was gunned down at her home on Bengaluru on Tuesday night, also appeared divided on the probe with the former saying he would approach the CBI or a court if they don't get justice from investigations by the SIT.



As outrage across the country over the murder grew, Union minister Ramdas Athawale demanded that the killers be immediately arrested and hanged. He also said there was no need for levelling political allegations over the incident.



The Karnataka government on its part said it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible."



Protest rallies and candlelight vigils were also held for the second day today in several cities. "We need a CBI probe into the murder," said a student protester in Kolkata.



The Karnataka government yesterday announced the formation of a 21-member Special Investigation Team(SIT) headed by IGP (Intelligence), B K Singh, to probe the killing that has led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.



"SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here.



Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "the duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public." He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV fixed at the location where Lankesh was gunned down. The SIT personnel also searched for clues at the murder scene.



Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe, Reddy said, "who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it."



Gauri, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets at close range with two hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police had said.



As a political slugfest erupted on the killing, her family today made a plea against giving political colour. The family also said the probe should look into all angles behind Gauri's killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about possible Naxal hand other than the suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life. "I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice for a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his other sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters here.



Asked about Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it. "What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said. "Please don't take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please don't colour this with a political angle."



While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time.



Indrajit said, "we don't know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we don't get justice I will give a memorandum to CBI or retired judge (for inquiry) because we want justice." On whether they will ask for a CBI a probe only on not getting justice from SIT or immediately demand probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI."



Immediately intervening, Indrajit said "according to me it's not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we don't get justice, I personally- I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it - I will go to CBI."



When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to SIT before going to CBI independently, Indrajit said, "what we want is justice for our sister and family."



He said "at the end of it, it is not about going to CBI or special judge or SIT, it is about getting justice, for that I'm ready to anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister."



He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed.



Indrajit said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone. Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies. "Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites or any other angle, it has to be probed," he said, adding that because she was rehabilitating them (Naxals) if there were any differences, it has to be probed.



Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the government had an "open mind" on a CBI probe.



He said he had met Gauri's mother, brother and sister and that they had not insisted on CBI probe.
Online abuse heaped on a dead Gauri Lankesh lays bare the "hostile atmosphere" people are facing today on social media where an army of trolls is either "intimidating dissenters" or fomenting tension, according to leading journalists.



Shocked at the gunning down of the 55-year-old journalist -activist, an outspoken critic of Hindutva politics, many journalists and activists concurred that a "climate of fear" was being built by "paid trolls" on Facebook and Twitter to silence those holding divergent views or to "spread disinformation".



Senior TV journalist Ravish Kumar said that he felt like he was a "dead man walking" ever since he heard about the chilling murder of Lankesh at the entrance of her home in Bengaluru, an eerie reminder of the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar and former vice-chancellor of Hampi University M M Kalburgi.



"Gauri Lankesh's killing is not a one-off case. She was silenced because she bravely and fearlessly aired her views. People have been killed in the last few years just because they had a divergent opinion or dissented against an idea.



"Even after her (Lankesh's) death, many on social media are using abusive language to describe her. Look at your timelines (on Facebook and Twitter), there are people watching, what you are writing. She was killed to send out a message to all of us that if you dissent, you will meet this fate," Kumar said at a gathering yesterday.



Senior journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, who was trolled for an article recently, shared how the world over people were fighting an "organised army of trolls, paid for by those with vested interest, either political or corporate".



"And, especially the extreme-right-wing people are using the techniques and the tactics in a Goebbels-like manner to spread disinformation, which is a propaganda, for a purpose, which is extremely pernicious. Fake news is being spread through WhatsApp and other media to foment hatred and tension, like in the Muzaffarnagar riot case," he said.



Facebook has more users than the population of China and it's is only growing. "So, it cannot be ignored or wished away," Thakurta said.



"It (social media) is like a surgeon's scalpel. It is sharp and can be used to remove a diseases part of the body and the same tool can be used to injure, maim or even kill somebody. Facebook and Twitter are becoming a difficult terrain, especially for journalists and outspoken people," he added.



Amid an outrage over the cold-blooded murder of Lankesh, scores of fellow journalists from various media houses yesterday gathered at the Press Club of India here, and also expressed concern over tasteless jibes being hurled on social media, for the political views she held.



JNU student leader Kanhaiya Kumar said, hours after her death, there were people on social media, who described her with demeaning epithets.



"It is a tough time for journalists. And, even RTI activists and environmental activists have been killed in the past. Now, social media is being used to intimidate and threaten people. If you have a different opinion or if you dissent and air your view on Facebook or Twitter, you will be trolled and harassed," he said.



General Secretary of Broadcast Editors Association Ajit Anjum said it was a difficult time for journalists and people expressing divergent views, especially on social media.



"People are being killed on social media first," he said.



Noted Supreme Court lawyer Vrinda Grover, who was present at the protest meet, expressed her horror over the killing, and said, "We are living in very dangerous times."



"This was not a one-off, random case. Lankesh was killed because she stood and fought for ideas of justice and values enshrined in our Constitution -- liberty, equality. And, even after her death, people are using abusive language for her on social media. People being abused or intimidated on social media to silence them, is a very dangerous trend," she added.
Several BJP leaders and hundreds of workers were detained today in Karnataka as police foiled a bid by its youth wing to hold a bike rally to protest the alleged killings of Hindu activists in the coastal districts of Mangaluru and Udupi.



Amid a tense stand-off with the police, the BJP's state unit president and former Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa, MPs Prahlad Joshi, Pratap Simha and Naleen Kumar Kateel and other leaders, including R Ashoka, K S Eshwarappa, Arvinda Limbavali and C T Ravi, were detained.



The Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM) also demanded a ban on Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), Popular Front of India (PFI) and Karnataka Forum for Dignity (KFD), describing them as Muslim "radical" outfits responsible for the "unrest" in the coastal region.



The protest hit normal life in the city and resulted in traffic snarls at the narrow stretch between Ambedkar Circle and Deputy Commissioner's Office and on peripheral roads.



The police had denied permission for the "Mangaluru Chalo" motorcycle rally and procession to the Deputy Commissioner's office.



A verbal duel broke out between the police and BJP leaders after they held a brief meeting at the Ambedkar Circle addressing a strong crowd.



The procession started moving towards the DC office when the party cadres and leaders were detained.



Police personnel deflated tyres of a bus which was carrying the BJP workers to the venue of the protest.



Several BJP workers were injured as there were skirmishes between them and the police when they were prevented from going to the DC's office at Hampanakatta.



The Dakshina Kannada district administration had promulgated prohibitory orders under Section 35 of the Karnataka Police Act in the entire district from September 6 till September 8 midnight.



However, they had allowed the BJP's proposed public meeting between 11 am and 2 pm at the Nehru Maidan.



The prohibitory orders were promulgated as a precautionary measure to prevent recurrence of untoward incidents that were being reported at several places across the Dakshina Kannada district in the recent past.



Police had put up barricades at several places on the way to Hampanakatta to stop people from marching in groups and from organising the bike rally.



Around 1,000 police personnel, Karnataka State reserve police and special striking force personnel were deployed across the district.



Addressing protestors at Ambedkar circle, Yeddyurappa alleged that law and order had collapsed under the Congress regime and demanded that chief minister Siddaramaiah should resign owing moral responsibility for the situation.



He also demanded that the government should conduct a fair investigation into the deaths of RSS workers in Dakshina Kannada district.



Kateel said if Siddaramaiah did not ban Muslim "radical" outfits, Yeddyurappa "would do it within months after coming to power".



BJYM state president Pratap Simha alleged that district in-charge minister Ramanath Rai was turning the coastal region into a "war field by favouring radical elements".



"The fight would continue till a ban is enforced on PFI, SDPI and KFD," he claimed.



Karandlaje alleged that the chief minister was "imposing emergency indirectly" in the state by trying to crush agitations.



Prahlad Joshi said the Siddaramaiah government was exhibiting a "dictatorial attitude by preventing a peaceful rally".



According to the police, 850 persons were detained.



A protester collapsed during the 'padayatra' near Hampankatta Circle and was rushed to the hospital by the police.




Black money worth Rs 4,900 crore was disclosed by 21,000 people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY), the stash money declaration window announced by the government post demonetisation, an official said today.



The Income Tax Department, a top government official told PTI, has collected a tax of Rs 2,451 crore till now from these declarations.



"21,000 people disclosed Rs 4,900 crore of black money under the PMGKY scheme that closed on March 31 this year. These are now the final figures," the official said, adding that the I-T department is now following up the legal processes with the declarants in few cases.



The scheme was launched in December last year by the government to enable people with black money to come clean by paying tax and penalty of 50 per cent. It closed on March 31 this year.



The scheme was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the demonetisation of two high-value currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8 last year.



Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, after the closure of the PMGKY window, had said that the response to the scheme has "not been so good."



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the PMGKY was preceded by similar schemes and hence the response to it by the public should not be seen in isolation.



"Keep in mind that PMGKY in that financial year was not an isolated scheme. You first had the IDS, then you had people depositing cash in banking system knowing it would incur a tax liability and PMGKY was over and above that.



"When you look at the total amount of disclosures made, you have to look at all three of them collectively," the minister had said.



The government had also termed the PMGKY as the one last window for black money holders to come clean by paying tax and penalty on their undisclosed illicit wealth.



The scheme provided for payment of 49.9 per cent tax, surcharge and penalty.



Also, a mandatory deposit of 25 per cent of the black money was to be made in a zero-interest bearing account for four years.



The PMGKY was preceded by the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS), between June 1, 2016-September 30, 2016, where 71,726 declarations disclosing undisclosed income of Rs 67,382 crore were made by black money holders.



The government has collected over Rs 12,700 crore tax under the IDS till now.




Vehicular movement in and around Freedom Park was disrupted on Thursday following an indefinite protest by thousands of Accredited Social Health Activists (ASHA), pressing the government to fulfil several of their demands including hike in remuneration, regularisation of jobs and other benefits.



The agitating health workers took out a procession from Krantivira Sangolli Rayanna Railway Station to Freedom Park on Thursday morning, causing traffic snarls on the stretch. The police soon closed the stretch from Anand Rao Circle to KR Circle for vehicular traffic. The protest and sudden diversions had a ripple effect on traffic.



The Upparpet traffic police said the protest started at 10.30 am from KSR railway station. The agitating workers tried to block the traffic but we made sure that vehicles plied on one side of the road. The traffic was restored after a while. Meanwhile, over 20,000 ASHA workers, not happy with the Department of Health and Family Welfares order to hike their remuneration to Rs 5,000 per month, continued their protest. They slept at Freedom Park braving dank weather. About 10,000 workers more from across the state are expected to join the ongoing protest on Friday.



Minister visits protest site

Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar met protesters at Freedom Park on Thursday evening and assured them of taking measures to fulfill their demands.



The minister has convened a meeting on Friday at Vikasa Soudha at 3 pm and we have been invited for the meeting, state secretary of All India Trade Union Congress (AITUC), K Somashekhar, said.



The AIUTC has formed a team of 200 volunteers to take care of women. The organisers have made food and water arrangements for the agitating workers.








The government will build 50 houses for the poor who have been severely affected by the heavy rainfall in East Bengalurus Thanisandra.



Bengaluru Development Minister K J George, along with Mayor G Padmavathi and Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) Commissioner N Manjunath Prasad, inspected Nanda Gokula Extension in Thanisandra and ordered the Bangalore Development Authority (BDA) to build the homes. He also ordered expediting the construction of stormwater drains (SWD) at Hennur Bridge, Kalyan Nagar and other places, and ordered the removal of silt from drains.



An aide to George said the minister spoke to a few residents and urged them not to dump garbage in the SWD as that could lead to waterlogging.



Its time people realised that they should not dump waste in the drains. SWDs are for the free flow of rainwater, not sewage water, he said. The minister also directed the BBMP commissioner and the mayor to remove encroachments from SWDs.



This apart, a heap of garbage on a five-acre plot on Tannery Road was ordered to be removed before the land is handed over to the Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) for Metro construction. Four meat shops situated nearby were also ordered to be closed immediately as they were found dumping garbage on the plot.



Dr M N Lokesh, chief health officer, BBMP, has issued a circular, asking his officers to start a cleaning drive in places where muck has accumulated.



He said all places where water was stagnant would be cleaned with bleaching powder to prevent the outbreak of diseases. Samples of water and food being sold by roadside vendors will also be collected for testing, he added.


The Ugandan children stood in a line about a mile long, tossing bricks to each other for what would become their new student dormitory.

For Katie Nager, watching this process was seeing her good efforts put into action first-hand.

Nager, studio manager at the 17-year-old Yoga Del Mar and international relations masters degree student at San Diego State University, spearheaded a community effort to raise about $2,000 for Widows and Orphans Support Organization Uganda (WOSO) earlier this summer.

For a week in late June to early July, visitors at the yoga studio dropped off cash and checks, as well as donated to an online fundraising campaign. Staff members also donated parts of their paychecks to the efforts, and more than $2,000 worth of electronics  such as MacBooks, calculators and Microsoft Office programs  were also donated by the community.

"The Del Mar yogi community was just phenomenal," Nager said. "I was pretty floored by their generosity, especially in a time when things are so chaotic and there's so much divide among communities. To see everyone come together to help a community on the other side of the world felt healing for everybody."

She said she believes people were compelled to help after learning about the poor conditions and hardships the Ugandan students there face, such as 150 girls sharing one dormitory. The children lived far away from the school, so they would stay overnight, she explained.

Nager, who does community development work in San Diego and has volunteered in Africa and Tanzania in the past, took the donations with her to WOSO in Uganda from July 6 to Aug. 2. The trip was part of her thesis for school, she said.

While she enjoyed raising the money, showing the workers there how to use the electronics was the most rewarding part, she recalled.

"There is only one main office, which all of the staff share," Nager said. "Thanks to the donations, the main office now has its first computer. There were just files stacked to the ceiling. To be able to give them something like this was just awesome. This software will allow them to create files and apply for grants and have solid data to apply with instead of just estimations."

Projectors and solar panels were also donated, which means the students can now have movie nights.

While she was there, the school also began constructing the new dormitories, which were partly paid for through the donations from Yoga Del Mar.

"It was so amazing to see how much you can make change happen so quickly on the other side of the world," she said.
By Dana Nuccitelli

5 September 2017

(The Guardian)  Human-caused climate change amplified the damages and suffering associated with Hurricane Harvey in several different ways. First, sea level rise caused by global warming increased the storm surge and therefore the coastal inundation and flooding from the storm. Second, the warmer atmosphere holds more water vapor, which intensifies extreme precipitation events like the record-shattering rainfall associated with Harvey. Third, warmer ocean waters essentially act as hurricane fuel, which may have made Harvey more intense than it would otherwise have been.There are other possible human factors at play about which we have less certainty. For example, its possible that Harvey stalled off the coast of Texas because of changes in atmospheric circulation patterns associated with human-caused global warming. As climate scientist Michael Mann notes, his research has shown that these sorts of stationary summer weather patterns tend to happen more often in a hotter world, but we cant yet say if that happened in Harveys case.Other human activities also worsened Harveys impacts. For example, Houston suffers from urban sprawl, covering a larger area (nearly 600 square miles) than the cities of Chicago, San Francisco, Washington DC, Boston, Manhattan, and Santa Barbara combined. With urban sprawl and poor planning came expansive impervious surfaces  absorbent soil covered instead by concrete and asphalt, increasing flood risks. Houstons lack of zoning laws combined with the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) also encouraged development in flood prone areas.

Were subsidizing risky behavior

Private insurance companies dont want to insure homes that face a significant risk of flooding, but with a lack of regulation and/or government insurance offered by NFIP, development in relatively high-risk flood areas can be profitable. That is, until a flood strikes. 85% of Houston homeowners dont have flood insurance and will be unable to recover most of their losses from Hurricane Harvey. Others are covered by NFIP, which was already $24 billion in debt before Harvey. Thats because NFIP hasnt been charging sufficiently high premiums, in large part because it has underestimated flood risks based on maps and projections that are sometimes decades out of date. And climate change is amplifying those flood risks. [more]
By Neha Jain

5 September 2017

(Mongabay)  Its no secret that widespread overfishing is driving many shark species to extinction. Many of these apex predators are ensnared incidentally as bycatch in longline fisheries targeting tuna or swordfish. Shortfin mako sharks  the fastest sharks in the ocean  are among the shark species that are frequently kept even when caught as bycatch because of the high market value of their meat.

Still, we may have been underestimating how many sharks are being snared by longlines, which can stretch dozens of miles and have thousands of baited hooks at regular intervals.Now, direct satellite tracking of juvenile shortfin mako sharks reveals the mortality rate from fishing is 10 times higher than estimates calculated using catch data reported by fishers, raising concerns about overfishing in the western North Atlantic and the sustainability of current fishing practices.This was way above our expectations. We were quite shocked actually, Mike Byrne, an assistant professor at the University of Missouri and lead author of a study published this month in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B that used satellite tracking to estimate mako shark mortality rates, told Mongabay. (Byrne was a postdoctoral fellow at Nova Southeastern University during the study.)The shortfin mako is among the most vulnerable and valuable shark taken in high seas fisheries, Sonja Fordham, founder and president of Shark Advocates International, a project of The Ocean Foundation, and Deputy Chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group, told Mongabay. Fordham, who was not involved in the present research, warns that this study represents the first of a few alarm bells now sounding for North Atlantic mako sharks.Byrne explains: Heavy fishing mortality on the young sharks limits the number that eventually make it into the breeding population, and given how long it takes this species to mature (females take around 19 years to reach maturity) and how slowly they reproduce (a triannual reproductive cycle with an average of 8 to 10 pups per litter), this can limit the ability of the population to recover.Nick Dulvy, co-chair of the IUCN Shark Specialist Group and Canada Research Chair in Marine Biodiversity and Conservation at Simon Fraser University, told Mongabay that, Prior to this study we thought fisheries for this species were sustainable, now we have to question that. It appears that the new estimate of fishing mortality means the fishery is unsustainable and the population is at risk of decline. Dulvy was not part of the study.Overfishing has already been blamed for threatening more than half of the native shark species in the Mediterranean with extinction, according to a 2016 regional assessment. Shortfin mako sharks are globally categorized as Vulnerable by the IUCN Red List, but in the Mediterranean Sea, they are Critically Endangered. [more]
By Alex Dobuzinskis

5 September 2017

(Reuters)  An Oregon wildfire that has damaged landmarks in the scenic Columbia River Gorge slowed its push toward evacuated houses near the city of Portland on Wednesday, officials said.

As dozens of blazes raged across the U.S. West, the so-called Eagle Creek Fire near Portland merged late Tuesday with another blaze, the Indian Creek Fire. The two combined have charred 30,930 acres (12,520 hectares), officials said.

Heavy fire activity was expected to continue through September in much of the West, and through October in parts of the northern Rocky Mountains and California, the National Interagency Fire Center said, citing hot and dry weather conditions as the primary cause.

The Eagle Creek Fire, burning in the Columbia River Gorge, forced hundreds of people to evacuate homes earlier this week in communities east of Portland, including Warrendale, Dodson and Latourell, and sent ash falling on the city itself.

Eighty-one large wildfires covering more than 1.4 million acres (570,000 hectares) were burning in the western part of the United States Wednesday, a day after federal officials said 200 active duty military personnel would help fight the fires.

Its very unusual to have this many fires burning this many acres across such a broad area at this time in September, National Interagency Fire Center spokeswoman Jennifer Jones said. [more]
Microsoft is expected to showcase at least one new product at Future Decoded conference next month. The company might announce LTE version of its successful Surface Pro convertible device.

Microsoft is set to showcase its next Surface device at the company's annual Future Decoded event in London next month. The Verge has learnt that Surface Chief, Panos Panay will be delivering a keynote speech at the two-day event to be held between October 31 and November 1.

At Future Decoded, Microsoft is expected to announce at least one new Surface branded product. Microsoft recently announced an updated Surface Pro with the latest Intel chipset and the Surface Laptop with the traditional clamshell design. At next month's event, the software giant could announce the refreshed version of the Surface Book or the Surface Hub. There are also reports of Microsoft bringing out an LTE variant of the Surface Pro.

Microsoft announced the Surface Book with detachable screen and dynamic fulcrum hinge in 2015. The company refreshed the model with performance base and improved battery life last year. ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley adds that Microsoft is not yet prepared to announce the updated versions of Surface Hub or Surface Studio all-in-one PC.

At IFA Berlin, Qualcomm confirmed that Windows laptops powered by the company's Snapdragon 835 platform will be announced at the end of this year. It is not evidently clear whether the company plans to introduce a Surface laptop powered by ARM chipset. Microsoft has confirmed that its OEM partners Asus, HP and Lenovo will be introducing Windows 10 laptops powered by Snapdragon 835 mobile platform.

In the past, Microsoft had announced its new hardware product in New York in October. By announcing a new Surface Pro range with LTE connectivity, Microsoft might be focusing on evolutionary changes and not revolutionary improvements.
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SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. (AP)  A fake architect named Newman has been sentenced to 2 to 7 years in state prison for posing as an architect in eastern New York.

Paul J. Newman also was ordered Tuesday in Saratoga County Court to pay more than $115,000 to his victims in Albany, Rensselaer, and Saratoga counties.





. . .
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FEMA estimates that nearly 40 percent of small businesses never reopen after a disaster.



By PAUL WISEMAN and BRIAN MELLEY

Associated Press

HOUSTON  Bobby Jucker has had it with hurricanes.

In 2008, Hurricane Ike tore the roof off his business, Three Brothers Bakery. Now, he estimates, he's facing $1 million in damage and lost revenue from Harvey  the fifth time a storm has put his bakery out of commission.





. . .
Essar Oil to double coal bed methane output in India; raise UK refinery capacity

Essar Oil, which sold its Vadinar refinery in Gujarat to a Russian group led by Rosneft in $12.9 billion deal, is now expanding its oil and gas business elsewhere. The company is investing in the coal bed methane (CBM) business in India and the Essar Oil UK refinery.

Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Ltd plans to double coal bed methane production from its flagship Raniganj block in West Bengal by 2018.

Essar Oil, owned by the UK-based Ruias, also plans to invest around $250 million to expand the capacity of its Stanlow Refinery in the financial year ending March 2018.

''Essar Oil and Gas Exploration and Production Limited is currently producing close to 1 mmscmd (million standard cubic meters per day), from about 350 wells in its Raniganj block. We expect to reach a production of about 2 mmscmd by 2018 and expect to maintain this level for the next few years,'' a company spokesperson said in an emailed response.

CBM, a natural gas stored or absorbed in coal seams and contains 90-95 per cent methane, and with the world's sixth-largest proven coal reserves in the world, holds significant prospects for exploration and exploiting CBM.

According to the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons, India has the fifth-largest proven coal reserves in the world and therefore holds significant prospects for exploration and exploitation of CBM.

The Raniganj (East) block has sizeable CBM reserves with 25-30 years of field life. For the offtake of the increased gas production, Essar said it already has the required customer tie-ups.

The company has so far invested Rs4,000 crore in its Raniganj project. With most of the required gas compression and transmission facilities already in place, the company expects only incremental capital expenditure going forward. This would be funded through a mix of debt and equity, the company said.

Essar owns CBM mining rights in five coalfields with an area of 2,700 sq km and prospective resources of about 10 trillion cubic feet. Raniganj is one of five CBM blocks Essar holds. Other four blocks are Rajmahal in Jharkhand, Talcher and Ib valley in Odisha and Sohagpur in Madhya Pradesh.

''The other four CBM blocks are in the exploration stage. This fiscal, we plan to begin on ground physical activity in two of these blocks. For the other two blocks, we are awaiting regulatory clearances to begin work,'' according to a company spokesperson.
The Craft & Folk Art Museum (CAFAM) announces the group exhibition The U.S.Mexico Border: Place, Imagination, and Possibility with the work of approximately 40 contemporary artists who explore the border as a physical reality (place), as a subject (imagination), and as a site for production and solution (possibility). The exhibition is curated by Lowery Stokes Sims, curator emerita of the Museum of Art and Design in New York, and independent curator Ana Elena Mallet.

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Armando Munoz Garcia, Tijuana III Millenio, 2016. Photo Jim Platel



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Left: Einar & Jamex de la Torre, San Ysidro, 2014. Right: Julio Cesar Morales, Undocumented Interventions



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Guillermo Galindo, Ropofono, 201. Immigrants found clothing from Laredo, Texas, wood. Photo Richard Misrach, courtesy the artist



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Consuelo Jimenez Underwood, Home of the Brave, 2013. Photo Bill Apton, courtesy the artist



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Left: Margarita Cabrera in collaboration with Maria Lopez, Space in Between, Saguaro (Maria Lopez), 2010. Border patrol uniform fabric, copper wire, thread, terra cotta pot. Courtesy the artist and Talley Dunn Gallery, Dallas Right: Haydee Alonso, Inter-Acting (2 of 4), 2015. Courtesy the artist



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Left: Teresa Margolles, Ajuste de cuentas 15, 2007. Gold alloy, transparent stones. Courtesy Collection of Museo de Arte Moderno  INBA, Mexico D.F. Right: Guillermo Bert La Bestia / The Beast, 2016. Cotton weaving, audio file



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Zinna Rudman Borde(r), 2013. Sterling silver, copper, stainless steel. Courtesy the artist



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Since the 1990s, the U.S.Mexico border has become an important site for creative exploration of issues related to emigration, immigration, labor conditions, hybrid identities, and transformation. The U.S.Mexico border is often thought to include territory within 100 miles of the national boundaries of the two countries; however, the exhibitions parameters include the whole of the ten U.S. and Mexican states situated directly along the national boundaries. This allows to acknowledge the persistence and survival of heritage and culture in the passing down of traditional skills and techniques within various communities and families on either side of the border.

Betsabee Romero, Estalagmitas y estalagtitas urbanas, 2014. Rubber tires, printed with gold ink. Courtesy of the artist

While the selection largely focuses on work executed in the last two decades, it also includes objects by Chicano artists in California who came together in the 1970s and 1980s to address border issues in their work. The inclusion of artists from various disciplines, including design, architecture, sculpture, painting, and photography, reflects the ways in which contemporary artists and designers themselves cross disciplinary borders.



Ana Serrano, Cartonlandia, 2007. Cardboard, paper, acrylic paint. The AltaMed Art Collection, courtesy Castulo de la Rocha and Zoila D. Escobar. Photo Julie Klima

Selected artists include Ana Serrano, Marcos Ramirez ERRE, Betsabee Romero, Teddy Cruz, Studio Rael San Fratello, Tanya Aguiniga, Einar and Jamex de la Torre, Guillermo Galindo, Margarita Cabrera, Haydee Alonso, Judith F. Baca, Eduardo Sarabia, Cognate Collective, Teresa Margolles, Guillermo Bert, Julio Cesar Morales, Viviana Paredes, G.T. Pellizzi and Ray Smith.

Ronald Rael & Virginia San Fratello, Teeter-Totter Wall, 2013

The border has been a contentious site for much longer than the current news cycles focus on the wall, says curator Lowery Stokes Sims. And though the exhibition has taken on a particular urgency in the current political environment, this project recognizes the border as a long-standing site of interdependence and connectivity, despite the painful divisions it causes. We celebrate the creativity and commitment of this selection of designers, artists, and makers for whom the border is a lived experience.

Pablo Lopez Luz, Tijuana  San Diego County III, Frontera USA-Mexico, 2014. Courtesy the artist
Almost 50,000 false breath tests were recorded in Donegal by gardai over an eight-year period.

The figures were revealed in a Garda report by Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan that showed gardai recorded almost 1.5million false breath tests in the Garda Pulse system.

Comparisons with the number of tests recorded by Drager breathalyser devices in the Donegal Garda division shows the figures were exaggerated by 61 per cent. According to the report, the national discrepancy rate was 71%.

Nationally the figures were exaggerated by 1.45 million.

Between June 2009 and April 2017 gardai in Donegal recorded 128,666 tests on the Pulse system but the number of tests recorded on the Drager devices was just 79,899, a difference of 48,767.

Assistant Commissioner O'Sullivan found 3,498,400 breath tests were recorded nationally on the Garda Pulse system while the records from the Drager breathalyser devices showed 2,040,179 tests were carried out.

The Donegal division had one of the lowest discrepancy percentages. The report showed that ten of the 28 divisions had a disparity between Drager and Pulse figures of over 100%. The biggest difference was observed in Tipperary (385%), followed by DMR West (373%) and Meath (315%). Regionally, the biggest disparity was in the South East (142%). Five divisions had a lower discrepancy rate that Donegal.

The figures also showed that only three Garda divisions recorded more breath tests than Donegal on the Drager deceivers, and those divisions were all in the Dublin metropolitan region.

Commenting on the report the Garda Commissioner Noirin OSullivan said: Assistant Commissioner OSullivans reports identify failures in our systems, processes, oversight, supervision, and management. These failures are completely unacceptable and all of us in An Garda Siochana must now take responsibility for ensuring this cannot happen again. Changes have already been introduced and we are committed to ensuring the required cultural, behavioural and systems changes are made. I agree with Assistant Commissioner OSullivan when he writes that these failures, particularly in relation to breath tests, reflect poorly on the professionalism of the organisation and are damaging to public confidence. It is vital that An Garda Siochana continues to have the publics confidence and support in order to carry out our work.

Today government chief whip and Donegal TD Joe McHugh expressed confidence in the Garda commissioner saying she could not be blamed for malpractice that occurred before her tenure.
The IFA in Donegal has welcomed the announcement of a support measure for farmers in the county impacted by the recent severe flooding.

The fund, which was announced on Wednesday, will apply to losses of livestock, the loss of conserved fodder (such as hay or silage) and as a contribution towards the clean-up cost of agricultural lands, including repair to fences damaged by debris washed up by the floods. Funding measures will range from 250 to 15,000.

Chairman of the Donegal IFA, Michael Chance, said the IFA had engaged with Minister Creed and other political representatives to secure the aid package and will continue to press to ensure the support is delivered speedily and that all farmers who were affected can access the aid package.



IFA President Joe Healy and Donegal Chairman, Michael Chance met with Minister for Agriculture, Michael Creed twice to press for an aid package and in the immediate aftermath of the flooding.

Joe Healy visited Donegal, met with Minister Creed and secured his commitment to an assessment of losses as a first step towards providing aid.



The IFA made clear to the Minister that financial support was necessary for the loss of crops, livestock and fodder, and for damage to land, farms, and fencing, Mr Chance said.

It is very positive that these requirements have been taken on board in the scheme. He said aid must also be available to cover the cost for farmers who suffered extensive damage to their farms during the flooding.
Jackson County public schools will be open Thursday and Friday, with a decision on possible future closings related to Hurricane Irma to be made in the coming days.

School officials said next weeks plan should be settled no later than Sunday morning. The decision will be distributed to area media outlets and the school districts social media accounts and it will be available via the districts inclement weather telephone extension: 850-482-1200, ext. 333.

Superintendent Larry Moore and other school officials are in communication with local emergency management staff and other Panhandle school districts in monitoring the movement of the Category 5 (winds of 157 mph or higher) storm, which was passing north of Puerto Rico Wednesday evening. Forecasters expect Irma to remain a very strong hurricane as it approaches South Florida this weekend.

UPDATE: Superintendent Larry Moore confirmed Thursday night that Jackson County schools will close Friday and Monday, as directed by Gov. Rick Scott.

Chipola College

Chipola College officials are also keeping an eye on Hurricane Irma and will take appropriate action should conditions warrant, according to a statement.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the college is operating on a regular schedule and Thursday classes will meet as planned.

Another storm-related update is expected from Chipola on Friday. That will be posted at www.chipola.edu, relayed to area media outlets and distributed via Chipola email and text alerts, and the college phone system.

UPDATE: Chipola College will close Friday and Monday, as directed by Gov. Rick Scott.

Circuit court

On Wednesday, the 14th Judicial Circuit released information regarding Irma-related closures.

Courts of the 14th Judicial Circuit (Bay, Calhoun, Gulf, Holmes, Jackson, and Washington Counties) will be closed Friday, Sept. 8, with the following exceptions:

Bay County

-Felony PreTrials (all day) with Judge Overstreet will continue as scheduled starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Circuit Court Annex (Bay County Courthouse);

-Misdemeanor Arraignments with Judge Grammer will proceed as scheduled starting at 8:30 a.m. in the Bay County Courthouse;

-Judge Campbell will hold First Appearances, 9:30 a.m. in the Bay County Courthouse;

-Judge Mallory will hold Juvenile First Appearances, 9:30 a.m. in the Bay County Juvenile Justice Courthouse; and

-Judge Garcia will hold Shelters, 9:30 a.m. in the Bay County Juvenile Justice Courthouse.

Calhoun County

-First Appearances will be held as scheduled for Calhoun County (Judge Grover).

Gulf County

-First Appearances will be held as scheduled for Gulf County (Judge McFarland).

Holmes County

-First Appearances will be held as scheduled for Holmes County (Judge Taylor); and

-Domestic Violence Court will be held at 1 p.m. in the Holmes County Courthouse (Judge Register).

Jackson County

-First Appearances will be held as scheduled for Jackson County (Judge Peel); and

-Domestic Violence Court will be held at 9 a.m. in the Jackson County Courthouse (Judge Patterson).

Washington County

-First Appearances will be held as scheduled for Washington County (Judge Peel); and

-Domestic Violence Court will be held at 9 a.m. in the Washington County Courthouse (Judge Register).

-Investiture for Judge Goodman will continue as scheduled starting at 3 p.m. in the Washington County Courthouse.
The new president of Enterprise State Community College said a focus on two-year college aviation education programs could be a game changer for the Wiregrass.

ESCC President Matt Rodgers lauded the recent appointment of Michael Mac McDaniel to the new position of Alabama Community College System Director of Aviation Programs.

System Chancellor Jimmy Baker said the demand for aviation and aerospace careers in Alabama prompted the need for renewed focus at the community college level.

McDaniel recently served as general manager of aircraft maintenance training at ExpressJet Airlines in Atlanta, and spent 25 years as an aircraft mechanic.

Its a great for the aviation industry and aviation education in Alabama, Rodgers said. This will give a laser-like focus on aviation technology in our region and our state. With Mr. McDaniels leadership and the already excellent instructors working at our aviation college, there is no doubt this is a great step in making Alabama a national leader in aviation maintenance technology and education. Great days are ahead.

Enterprise State Community College is one of three Alabama community colleges currently offering courses in several aviation-related fields, including airframe maintenance and technology, power plant technology, avionics technology, aviation composite materials and general aviation technology.

Alabamas aviation industry continues to expand with industry giants like Boeing, Airbus, and GE Aviation locating in our own backyard. The Alabama Community College System is working right alongside to ensure our aviation training program is among the best in the nation, Baker said in a written statement. Selecting Mac to oversee our aviation efforts signifies our serious commitment to meeting the industrys workforce needs. Macs nearly three decades of aviation experience will ensure our students across the state are receiving the most relevant and state-of-the-art skills training when it comes to a career in aviation.

McDaniel will officially begin Sept. 11.
Houston County health officials have confirmed a fourth case of rabies in the county this year. The most recent case was found in a raccoon earlier this month on Ready Road.

According to a release from the Houston County Health Department, a residents dog fought with the raccoon in the residents front yard. The dog involved is currently vaccinated against the rabies virus. There was known human exposure and the victim is started post exposure treatment.

According to the health department, residents are advised to take the following precautions:

 Make sure pets are current on their rabies vaccinations

 Caution children not to pet or play with wild or stray animals

 Report stray animals to animal control officials

 If bitten by an animal, wash the wound with soap and water, then immediately seek medical attention and report the bite to the health department or animal control officials.

State law requires all dogs and cats three months or older to be vaccinated against rabies. In 2016, there were 17 rabid animals found in Houston County, 14 raccoons and three foxes.
A trickle of Florida residents fleeing the path of Hurricane Irma turned into a torrent Thursday, clogging the primary artery into Dothan from the south.

During parts of the day, traffic backed up from Ross Clark Circle past Southside Walmart on Highway 231 South as motorists began to move north to find lodging.

There were no known hotel vacancies in Dothan as of Thursday afternoon, although late cancellations could open a few rooms. Meanwhile, practically no vacancies were reported in Ozark and Montgomery as many motorists traveled through Dothan to Birmingham to find lodging. Only a few RV hookups at Todd's Syrup Farm in Headland was available, according to the Dothan Area Convention and Visitors Bureau.

Meanwhile, Irmas projected path has moved west over the past 24 hours, and city and county crews are making contingency plans in case the storm moves close enough to pose an imminent threat.

We are all keeping an eye on Irma, Houston County Commission Chairman Mark Culver said during Thursdays commission administrative meeting. We encourage everyone to continue to monitor. This is a massive storm and anything can happen.

Culver encouraged residents to extend kindness and charity to those coming to Houston County from Florida.

Houston County Emergency Management Agency Director Chris Judah said at least 150 horses are being evacuated to Alabama from Florida. Some of them will be housed at the Houston County Farm Center.

A contingency meeting will also be held in case emergency shelters need to be open. Locations for the staging of utility crews and equipment are also being planned.

Id rather over-prepare and have people laugh at us next week instead of getting caught like Houston, Judah said.

Judah said any potential impact from Irma would probably come in the form of rain and some wind around Monday afternoon, but cautioned there remains a lot of uncertainty.
Sub-standard child safety has cost Kias Picanto a five-star ANCAP safety score, while Mercedes-Benz has also come under fire for less-than-ideal design.

ANCAP says Kia should be admired for making active safety elements such as autonomous emergency braking standard in the Picanto, one of the cheapest cars on sale.

But James Goodwin, chief executive of the safety body, says the Picanto is however limited to 4 stars due to lower scores in the Pedestrian Protection and Child Occupant Protection areas of assessment.

A technical report published by ANCAP following European testing found that protection of the chest was poor for a crash test dummy that represents a 10-year-old child, and that the replicas head made contact with the interior of the car even though it has side airbags.

The safety body awarded the Mercedes-Benz C-Class Cabriolet a five-star rating following the same batch of testing, even though the head of a child Dummy collided with the metal frame of the convertibles folding roof mechanism.

That wasnt a problem for the new Mazda CX-5, which earned a five-star score without major issues.

The CX-5 performed well in physical tests and is fitted with a good list of safety features including all three levels of autonomous emergency braking  City, Interurban and Pedestrian, Goodwin says.

As the highest-selling unrated model in Australia and New Zealand so far this year, this provides yet another safe option for SUV buyers.
Mazda is working on not one, but two electric cars as it bids to compete with the likes of Tesla and Volkswagen as EVs become more popular.

The company had already announced an in-house developed EV will go on sale in 2019 but has also begun work on an all-new bespoke EV platform in partnership with Toyota.

Kiyoshi Fujiwara, director in charge of research and development for Mazda, confirmed the brands electric plans at a technical forum in Germany last week.

Fujiwara had previously announced the 2019 EV, which will also be available with a rotary engine range-extender, will be a converted version of the brands Skyactiv platform.

But the partnership with Toyota will mean a no-compromise electric vehicle platform that can spawn different models for both brands.

We tied up with Toyota to make fundamental EV architecture together, Fujiwara told Drive. Then [in] 2022 or 2023 Toyota and Mazda will have their own individual top-hat styling and we can share fundamental EV architecture - the batteries and the motor.

The two companies announced their first partnership in 2015, agreeing to work together to share technologies and manufacturing techniques. The deal was extended in August 2017, granting Toyota a five per cent stake in Mazda, as well as an agreement to produce cars together at a new plant in the USA. But it is the shared EV development that may prove the most beneficial for Mazda, allowing it to save significant costs on developing the platform, motors and battery systems.

We have to develop a dedicated EV platform. If not we cannot compete against Tesla and some other new venture EV manufacturers, Fujiwara said. Because they dont have any restrictions for internal combustion engines. Because internal combustion engine requires space for the engine, exhaust, the fuel tank and therefore we develop dedicated EV platform.

Fujiwara also spoke of what Mazda can give to Toyota in return. While he played down the chances of Toyota adopting the brands newly developed Skyactiv-X compression ignition engines, he did say Mazda would help teach Toyota how to develop cars faster for production.

Mazda has renewed its entire range since 2011 and has already begun rolling out its second generation of Skyactiv engines and platforms, a pace of development that appeals to Toyota, according to Fujiwara.

After the launch of the Skyactiv-X, [Toyota] engineers are OK to use this kind of technology. But most of the engineers of each brand are proud, they want to utilise their own technology, thats the first reason, he said.

Also, Toyota is not interested in Skyactiv-X or G or D itself. They are interested in our efficient development process or efficient development methodology. We introduced the CX-5 in 2012 and until 2017 how many new cars have we introduced into the market? And all models have a very strong competitiveness. Skyactiv-G, D, automatic transmission, platform, therefore they are so interested in how to develop and how to manufacturer in this super efficient way.

For more information, visit our Mazda showroom.
Just as Spotify and Apple have transformed the way people listen to music, Brisbane-based entrepreneur Andrew Barnes envisions his edutech startup GO1 as the way forward for corporate training.

Since launching in 2015, GO1 has amassed over 500,000 users for its SaaS platform, which enables companies, across all sectors, to find, book and track staff training for the purposes of onboarding, compliance and professional development. With customers on every continent (except Antarctica), the startup has seen its workforce balloon to over 75 people, spread across offices in Sydney, Brisbane, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh, San Francisco and working remotely in South Africa and the UK.

In addition to being backed by Shark Tanks Steve Baxter, Tank Stream Ventures and Blue Sky Ventures to the tune of $4 million, it boasts Seek, The Brisbane Lions, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Foxtel and Oxford University amongst its customers.

Barnes, who co-founded GO1 with Vu Tran, Chris Eigeland and Chris Hood, caught up with Dynamic Business to discuss the genesis of his startup and the strategies that have underpinned its growth.

DB: What led you and your co-founders to start GO1?

Barnes: Vu, Chris E and I went to high school together. Together with software engineer Chris H, we started Glass Obelisk, a web development business, after entering and winning some web developing comps. Originally, we had wanted to create something similar to True Local and went around door knocking to businesses but most of them didnt have a website so we pivoted. We built sites for ANZ, NewsCorp and others; however, our parents were more interested in us going to university than running a startup. Although supportive, they were worried the business was a gamble. I did economics, while Vu became a medical doctor and Chris E did law and gained United Nations experience.

In 2014, I went to Oxford University and did a Master of Science in Education. Upon my return, Vu Chris E, Chris H and I agreed there was an opportunity to streamline education, specifically professional development, with technology. In early 2015, we decided to sell off Glass Obelisk and launch GO1. The goal was to bring all of the worlds training and learning resources into a single environment. As a parallel, consider how Spotify and Apple Music have transformed the ay people listen to music. Instead of needing to buy individual CDs (courses) people can now subscribe to unlimited access to music (training).

DB: What strategies have fuelled GO1s success?

Barnes: Two come to mind. The first has been to approach every engagement  whether its with a customer, partner or our employees  with a focus on creating win-win solutions. We need to make sure our customers are succeeding or they wont stay. We need to make sure our partners and our staff are too. As a business, we need to add value in everything we do. The second strategy has been to constantly re-think our assumptions. If we can understand the world of education and training better than anyone else, we can build a product that is fundamentally better.

DB: Can you identify some defining moments?

Barnes: While securing capital has certainly allowed us to grow faster, it hasnt fundamentally changed how we see the market or how we develop our product. Running a startup is like riding a rollercoaster  when we get customer feedback saying that it is fantastic and it has changed their business thats when we know we are onto something but in the early days, when the system used to occasionally crash it felt like the end of the world. Most of the difficult decisions weve made, including the risks weve taken, have been obvious choices we just had to dive in and do it because there are no silver bullets in business.

DB: Whats been the biggest learning curve?



Barnes: In the early days, I would spend most of my day writing code. Today, I dont write as much. I do miss it somewhat but understand that as GO1 grows, my responsibilities have had to change accordingly. Adjusting to this and being the CEO of a growing company has involved a huge amount of learning. The approaches that work well for a team of 4 are completely different to the approaches that work for a team of 75  its a different environment.

How do you plan to capitalise on GO1s growth?

Barnes: Without being flippant: to grow faster. Momentum can be a powerful tool to achieve even more ambitious goals!

Further reading: Yes, leadership isnt rocket science but who said rocket scientists make effective leaders?, Diversity can be a double-edged sword when businesses dont have systems to harness it and Entrepreneurial success is impossible without creativity: zig when others zag and more tips.
Federal agencies already under the gun to modernize their information technology capabilities have a new set of standards to meet as a result of an executive order President Donald Trump issued this spring. The directive not only will affect agency managers in their IT operations and acquisition activities, but also will have a significant effect on IT vendors.

The Trump initiative adds another important piece to the U.S. federal IT modernization puzzle, said Katell Thielemann, research vice president at Gartner.

Various parts of the executive order will have a direct impact on the U.S. federal market, she wrote in an 18-page briefing on the program.

A key element of the order is that responsibility for cyberprotection has been elevated to the level of cabinet officers and the heads of various agencies rather than residing with their IT or cybersecurity officers.

The President will hold heads of executive departments and agencies accountable for managing cybersecurity risk to their enterprises, reads the executive order, Strengthening the Cybersecurity of Federal Networks and Critical Infrastructure, issued on May 11.

Agency heads will be held accountable to the president for implementing risk management measures commensurate with the risk and magnitude of the harm that would result from unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of IT and data, it states.

Call for Swift Action

The order requires agencies to comply immediately with several specific mandates:

Each agency shall use the Framework for Improving Critical Infrastructure Cybersecurity developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or any successor document, to manage the agencys cybersecurity risk. The framework was developed by NIST generally for private sector use and has been widely adopted not only by critical infrastructure companies but also by a wide range of businesses.

Agency heads shall show preference in their procurement for shared IT services, to the extent permitted by law, including email, cloud and cybersecurity services.

Agencies must deliver a report by early August on their cyber-risk mitigation and acceptance choices, as well as their plans to implement the NIST framework. After reviewing the reports, the Department of Homeland Security and the Office of Management and Budget must submit a joint plan for the cyberprotection of the executive branch enterprise by early October.

The emphasis on executive branch enterprise is a clear statement of policy that cybersecurity protection now is considered a government-wide goal, versus isolated agency efforts.

The executive order also links cyberprotection to the goal of moving faster to modernize federal IT operations in general.

Effective immediately, it is the policy of the executive branch to build and maintain a modern, secure, and more resilient executive branch IT architecture, says the executive order.

To advance IT performance, the order requires the director of the American Technology Council to provide a report to the president, also by early August, regarding modernization of federal IT.

The White House established the ATC prior to issuance of the executive order to coordinate the vision, strategy, and direction for the federal governments use of information technology and the delivery of services through information technology.

As a follow-up to creating the ATC, President Trump met with 18 tech industry leaders last month.

While the order embodies many new and upgraded standards, the overall goal represents significant continuity with prior efforts, and builds upon Obama administration policies rather than deviating sharply, DLA Piper attorneys Sydney M. White and Jim Halpert note in an online post.

Marketing Modifications

Still, the Trump initiative will require IT providers to significantly adjust their marketing efforts.

For example, vendors should clearly articulate  risk management positioning and governance enabling solutions, along with targeting the main groups of federal stakeholders, Gartners Thielemann advised, including influencers, procurers, enterprise agency end users and mission agency end users.

IT providers who support the federal enterprise IT environment should lead an assessment of  offerings through a cloud-based digital platforms lens, she suggested.

Vendors should evaluate the implications of emerging enterprise shared services moving to centralized digital platforms, Thielemann recommended.

Vendors may have to make more investments to enhance their offerings to meet the upgraded goals, although IT vendors already have to make investments they would not normally have to make elsewhere in order to pursue the federal market, Thielemann noted.

These investments are not for the faint of heart, so IT vendors are making continual strategic trade-offs with regard to the level of investments they are willing to make, she told the E-Commerce Times.

Such investing is a continuous process among contractors already in the market, noted John Slye, research analyst at Deltek.

Most experienced vendors and service providers are aware and have been addressing these concerns out of necessity, and anything that adds rigor and review to services or products adds effort and cost, he told the E-Commerce Times.

However, companies new to the federal market may need to put more into product development efforts for government customers.

The reports required by the directive, coupled with additional action from NIST, could lead to additional requirements on government contractors, suggests an analysis by Eric Crusius and Norma Krayem at law firm Holland and Knight.

Certainly, the emphasis on shared services could further direct changes to how the government obtains IT services from contractors and a focus on federal IT modernization provides a series of opportunities for contractors as well, they wrote.

Providers who specialize in exclusively offering cyberprotection products and services are in a good position to benefit from the Trump policies and many already have, Thielemann reported.

The Trump initiatives on cybersecurity and associated IT modernization are in line with recent federal agency moves that recognize that standard government practices actually may hinder timely acquisition of cybersecurity offerings, she noted.

Several federal organizations have also realized that the unique federal rules of engagement when it comes to market positioning and procurement approaches can be a deterrent for cybersecurity vendors with commercial pedigrees. They are responding by looking for ways to attract them to the market faster, Thielemann said.

Special Programs and Cloud IT

The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental program (DIUx) has been created to serve as a bridge between Defense Department components confronting major security challenges and private sector companies at the cutting edge of technology.

DIUx offices have been established in Californias Silicon Valley, Boston and Austin, Texas, to promote dialog with the private sector. In addition, the General Services Administration has set up Special Item Numbers, or SINs, for cybersecurity products to accelerate acquisition, Thielemann noted.

The Trump cybersecurity initiative likely will spark a much greater degree of interest in shared services, for which cloud technology is the most visible vehicle.

The linking of shared services with modernization is opening the route to cloud-based government digital platforms, Thielemann said, noting the commitments of major players such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft in the federal market.

This cybersecurity aspect has been a theme that has evolved in parallel with agency efforts to achieve efficiencies and increase the effectiveness of their IT infrastructure and applications through cloud, and so forth. A few years ago, one question with the feasibility of the cloud was whether it could be secure, said Delteks Slye.

Now we are hearing how cloud is an avenue to vastly improve security, he continued. It comes down to the implementation and how cloud services have matured. The cost, complexity, and time it takes to modernize many legacy systems makes placing those systems in a cloud environment with a security layer in front of it an appealing option. So security has become a selling point. for many cloud advocates.
Fundraiser at floral shop

COLUMBUS -- Accent Floral and Galleria, 3413 21st St., will have an open house and fundraiser from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. Saturday.

Donations will be accepted to support Youth with a Mission (YWAM) and missionary Janine Nickol, who is currently serving in Australia.

Accent Floral is located in Westgate Center west of Fort Western.

UNL conducting farm survey

COLUMBUS -- Nebraska farmers and ranchers are invited to take a survey about their farm or ranch succession plans.

The survey can be completed online at http://go.unl.edu/succession. The survey seeks to uncover how Nebraska farmers and ranchers are planning for succession or retirement. How retirement would be financed is another key issue being examined. The data collected will be used to design educational materials, a website and meetings specific to Nebraska producers. The survey will take five to 10 minutes to complete and participants must be 19 or older to participate.

Allan Vyhnalek, farm succession Extension educator; Dave Aiken, agricultural law specialist; and Kate Brooks, assistant professor at the Department of Agricultural Economics at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln; are conducting the survey.

For more information, contact Vyhnalek at 402-472-1771 or by email at avyhnalek2@unl.edu.

Mobile museum in Columbus

LINCOLN -- Nebraska150 Celebrations largest project, Truckin Through Nebraska: A Mobile Childrens Museum," will visit Columbus this month.

The mobile museum will be in Columbus on Sept. 14-16 along 14th Street between 23rd and 24th avenues.

Inside exhibits will include areas where kids will build shelters and test them in a wind chamber or earthquake simulator, design their own 10-acre homestead, test their knowledge of Nebraska, create their own movie, explore toys from the past and craft their own postcards. There will also be outside exhibits where kids can participate in a challenge obstacle course, foam block invention area and toy creation station. While exhibits in the Mobile Childrens Museum are intended for children ages 5-12, audiences of all ages are welcome. Admittance is free and open to the public.

Visit www.ne150.org/museum/ for additional details prior to the museums visit to each community or contact the local chamber of commerce. Follow the mobile museum on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TruckinNE Twitter @TruckinNE and Instagram @TruckinNE.

Program on local business

COLUMBUS -- The September meeting of the Platte County Historical Society will be held 2 p.m. Sept. 10 in the west building meeting room of the museum, 2916 16th St.

Cyndi Jarecke will present a program on the Anderson family and Anderson Floral. The public is invited to attend. Admission is free for PCHS members, and $3 for nonmembers.
Increased use of open source software could fortify U.S. election system security, according to an op-ed published last week in The New York Times.

Former CIA head R. James Woolsey and Bash creator Brian J. Fox made their case for open source elections software after security researchers demonstrated how easy it was to crack some election machines in the Voting Machine Hacking Village staged at the recent DefCon hacking conference in Las Vegas.

Despite its name, open-source software is less vulnerable to hacking than the secret, black box systems like those being used in polling places now, Woolsey and Fox wrote.

Thats because anyone can see how open-source systems operate, they explained. Bugs can be spotted and remedied, deterring those who would attempt attacks.

Open source software has proven to be so reliable and secure that its being used by the U.S. Defense Department, NASA and the U.S. Air Force, noted Woolsey and Fox.

Microsoft Resistance

Despite the benefits of open source software, Microsoft and other companies selling proprietary voting systems have lobbied aggressively against moving to open source, Woolsey and Fox contended.

If the community of proprietary vendors, including Microsoft, would support the use of open-source model for elections, we could expedite progress toward secure voting systems, they suggested.

Microsoft did not respond to our request to comment for this story.

Theres a role for proprietary software, said Lawrence Rosen, an intellectual property attorney with Rosenlaw & Einschlag and former general counsel for the Open Source Initiative.

Everything doesnt have to be open source, he told LinuxInsider, but when were talking about elections software that requires the confidence of the voters, thats different from whether my car radio is proprietary or open.

Cracking Fest

Woolsey and Foxs Times piece was particularly timely, coming as it did on the heels of the cracking fest at the Voting Machine Hacking Village.

They confirmed what we already knew, said James Scott, a senior fellow at the Institute for Critical Infrastructure Technology. These are extremely vulnerable machines.

Think of what a voting machine is, he told LinuxInsider. Its a 1980s PC with zero endpoint security in a black box where the code is proprietary and cant be analyzed.

Although the researchers at DefCon impressed the press when they physically hacked the voting machines in the village, there are more effective ways to crack an election system.

The easiest way to hack an election machine is to poison the update on the update server at the manufacturer level before the election, Scott explained. Then the manufacturer distributes your payload to all its machines for you.

Security Through Obscurity

Advocates for open source elections software argue that more transparency is needed in the systems.

With closed source systems, you really have no idea what theyre doing, said Nicko van Someren, executive director for the core infrastructure initiative at The Linux Foundation.

Diligent states will do some sort of auditing of their own, but we know from history that any sort of security audit on any sort of code seldom shows up everything, he told LinuxInsider.

The more people you have examining the code, the more vulnerabilities youre likely to find, van Someren added.

Although largely discredited, a belief persists that keeping source code secret is more secure than open sourcing code.

Thats wrong-minded, van Someren said. In practice, hackers can look at binaries and still find vulnerabilities.

Still, an ostrich attitude about security still prevails at some businesses, according to Brian Knopf, senior director of security research at Neustar.

There are still some companies that have the idea that if they bury their head in the sand, if I ignore everyone else and dont provide access, then no one will find anything, he told LinuxInsider. Clearly, thats not the truth.

Cant Hack Paper

If elections systems makers arent willing to go the open source route, they at least need to open their code to expert eyes outside their organizations, maintained Mark Graff, CEO of Tellagraff.

The source could be placed in escrow so an expert panel could look at it, he told LinuxInsider,  but I dont think thats worked in the past, and I dont know if you could line up the commercial interests to agree to do what the experts say.

A simpler solution to the security problem involves paper ballots and post-election ballot auditing, said Barbara Simons, president of VerifiedVoting.

After all the votes are cast, a sampling of paper ballots would be compared manually to the electronic tally to determine the accuracy of the vote.

Open source is good thing  we support it  but there are always bugs that are not going to be caught, Simons told LinuxInsider.

What we need are paper ballots and manual post-election ballot audits, she said.

If we have those, even with proprietary software, we can protect our election from being hacked, Simons maintained. You cant hack paper.
(Reuters)

Pope Francis has arrived in Colombia, his papal plane touching down in the military area of Bogota's airport where a large delegation of Church and State authorities, including President Juan Manuel Santos, welcomed him with expecatations he can boost the country's peace process.

Much of Santos' presidency has been devoted to a peace agreement finalized in December with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, the largest of several mainly leftist rebel forces that have been at war with the government since the 1960s, The Los Angeles Times reported.

In the first formal speech, Pope Francis on Sept. 7 told government authorities that the key to eliminating conflict is to recognize the dignity of all people, especially the poor and marginalized, Catholic News Agency reported.

"I ask you, please, to listen to the poor, to those who suffer.

"Look them in the eye and let yourselves be continually questioned by their faces racked with pain and by their pleading hands. From them we learn true lessons about life, humanity and dignity," the Francis said..

Rather than a military honor guard usually greeting visiting heads of state, the Argentine pontiff was met Sept. 6 by scores of children from across Colombia.

Among them was 11-year-old Emmanuel Rojas, son of Clara Rojas, who was working as an aide to presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt when they were both kidnapped by the FARC in 2002. Emmanuel was born during his mother's six-year captivity.

Vatican Radio's Linda Bordoni reported that a crowd of eager Colombian faithful was also there, waving flags, cheering and clapping to the rhythm of traditional music and dance.

Emmanuel Rojas hugged Francis and handed him a handcrafted ceramic dove, symbol of peace.

It is Pope Francis' 20th apostolic journey abroad and during his five-day visit he will take his message of reconciliation and hope to all Colombians as he visits the cities of Bogota, Villavicencio, Medellin and Cartagena.

He will depart from Cartagena on Sunday September 10.

Before his departure in a video message the Pope said, "Peace is what Colombia has been looking for and working for for such a long time. A stable and lasting peace, so that we can see one another and treat one another as brothers, not as enemies."

Cardinal Ruben Salazar Gomez of Bogota is counting on Pope Francis' visit to assist Colombians to get involved in building peace by overcoming divisions, La Croix International reported.

TURNING THE PAGE ON WAR

"The country is preparing to turn the page on the war. This goes well beyond a simple ceasefire agreement or the demobilization of guerrilla forces," Cardinal Gomez told La Croix.

"The Pope will help us to make the compromises necessary for peace. He will give us very clear indications on how we are called to live out this period by uniting our forces."

He said, "All Colombians need to discover how to become personally involved in building this new phase."

Catholic humanitarian charity CAFOD has welcomed the pope's visit as Colombia deals with almost 60 years of internal armed conflict.

Clare Dixon, CAFOD's Head of Region for Latin America, told premier.org, "There is ongoing violence by the ELN and paramilitaries groups that continues to displace communities.

"In some parts of the country the conclusion of peace talks with the FARC and demobilisation of guerrilla members has created a power vacuum.

"Territory previously under influence of the FARC guerrillas is now being taken over by paramilitary groups and drug traffickers.

"We support community leaders and human rights defenders who are essential for achieving peace, yet despite the peace deal with the FARC, violence against them is increasing."

(Photo:  Cesar Carrion / SIG) World Council of Churches general secretary, Rev. Olav Fykse Tveit, meets Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos in September 2015.  Cesar Carrion/SIG

CAFOD said 51 human rights defenders were killed in the first six months of 2017, a 30 per cent increase from the same period in 2016.
U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the Trump administration is ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which will no longer accept new applications.

It's now up to Congress to decide what happens to the young immigrants brought here illegally by their parents but granted legal protection through the Obama administration program.

State Sen. Paul Schumacher of Columbus said there are positive and negative aspects to the decision.

On the bright side, this will make Congress get to work on it, Schumacher said. On the bad side, if Congress fails to do anything then we will lose people who did our economy good for a long time.

Although it's unclear exactly how many people enrolled in the DACA program live in the Columbus area, Schumacher believes forcing them to leave would have an impact.

We already have an employment issue in this area, Schumacher said. So if Congress doesnt act, that will be exasperated.

Centro Hispano Executive Director Karina Perez said the political rhetoric was leading to this point for some time.

It was a very hard day yesterday, Perez said on Wednesday. We were actually at the DACA conference in Lincoln and you could feel many hearts break from individuals that are going to be affected.

Perez said 3,300 people living in Nebraska will be impacted by the decision to end DACA. These people contribute to the state economy and help rural communities, she said.

We will continue to work hard to get more done for them, Perez said. We are ready here at Centro Hispano to fight for those affected.

Schuyler Mayor Dave Reinecke said the Trump administration's decision is entirely negative.

Im hoping Congress can get this right, he said. This was the best thing Obama ever did as far as Im concerned. Im hoping Congress agrees with that and gets enough votes in so the president cant veto it.

Reinecke said Schuyler, which has a large Latino population, is taking a wait-and-see approach.

We dont want to see people go, Reinecke said. Schuyler is doing well and we dont want the federal government to screw us up. We have always been supportive of the Dreamers. They are the community.

As DACA recipients wait for Congress to act on the issue, Perez urges the community to act.

We urge everyone to contact local representatives and get their voices heard, she said. Everyone counts in situations like this. We dont want this to be the end of the journey for them. We hope Columbus will act. Were not going to give up on that.
How much can a test really tell you if a student gives up while taking it?

Quite a lot, as it turns outif teachers know exactly when and how a student disengages. Thats what some schools nationwide started to do earlier this summer, using real-time alerts during a computer-based adaptive test to spot students going off task, and salvage meaning from assessments that students think they are writing off.

Its really a shift from seeing [testing] simply as a way to improve achievement scoreswhich it doesto seeing it as a source of data that teachers can use to understand their students, said Jim Soland, a research scientist with the research and testing firm Northwest Evaluation Association.

The alerts are part of an ongoing research project between NWEA and the 50,000-student Santa Ana school district, a member of the California Office to Reform Education, or CORE, district consortium.

Teachers in the mostly poor and Hispanic Santa Ana district have always spotted the signs of students shutting down on a test, but they couldnt tell how badly it affected their performance until the test was already complete.

They play with the keyboard, they may be fidgeting, said Emily Wolk, the assistant director of research and evaluation for Santa Ana, whohas watched over her share of tests. Of course, we are very concerned about that; we know there is a connection between their engagement on a test and how they do in other areas as well.

Gauging the Speed of Thought

Schools generally use two ways to measure student engagement on a test. Teachers can look at the results of the test and compare it to what they know of the student to decide how hard he worked, or they can ask a student directly if she gave the test her best effort. Both measures are subjective, and aside from noticing a student physically putting her head down, it can be difficult for teachers to realize a student has checked out during a test until its already been turned in. Even then, its hard to tell the difference between a student who is distracted because he had a fight with his mom over breakfast and one who despairs because a question is too hard.

Instead, NWEA researchers Stephen Wise, Soland, and Nate Jensen measure student-response times to hundreds of questions on the NWEAs MAP Growth test , an adaptive, computer-based assessment taken by about 20 percent of U.S. students. It tracks the difficulty of the questions it presents to students previous test performance.

Wise and his colleagues found that under normal circumstances, students take 40 to 50 seconds to read and answer each question. If students starts to disengage from a test, they start answering items very quickly 2 to 3 secondsmore quickly than it would take to evenread the question, Wise said.

By tracking this rapid guessing , Wise and his colleagues can monitor how much effort students put into each question in real time and compare it with how hard students and teachers think the students worked. People had thought that you are either engaged or disengaged on a test, and if you disengage, you stay disengaged, Wise said, but we found theres no set pattern. Its not like people shift into not trying and stay there. Its more that they size up an item when they see it, and if it looks like more effort than Im prepared to give, Im just guessing.

Who Guesses?

On average, the researchers found that after students first start rapid-guessing, they still legitimately try to answer 80 percent of the remaining questions on a test. Only 1 percent to 2 percent of those who disengage from a test rapid-guess on all or most of their questions.

Elementary students are less likely to disengage on a test than those in middle and high schoolwhere as many as half of students rapid-guess at least once in a given test, Soland said. While there are relatively small racial differences in disengagement, boys are significantly more likely than girls to start rapid-guessing.

The subject matters, too. Though students often report math as moredifficult than reading, the researchers found that students on average are nearly twice as likely to rapid-guess on a reading test as on a math test, and they are more likely to guess at individual questions on any test that requires more reading.

Soland and Jensen now are working with Santa Ana to connect frequent test disengagement to other problems in school. They found that students who are less skilled at communicating with adults and classmates were more likely to disengage, as were those with more of a fixed mindset about academic skillsthe belief that such skills are innate, rather than built with practice. But most of all, a students likelihood of disengaging on a test was associated with his or her self-management and self-regulation skills, the ability, for example, to show up for class prepared and on time. As they disengage from tests and the course material, a whole host of other things come up ... attendance, suspensions, course failure ... that have been connected to risk of dropping out of school, Soland said.

What were really showing is lack of test engagement is a symptom around a lot of deep-rooted problems, Soland said. In my mind, theres this chain from, if a kid has low motivation, a lack of self-belief in academic subjects, that can manifest itself in a lot of different ways.

Soland and Jensen are now using the tests to build practical measuresof students social-emotional development and connection to school under the first national Social-Emotional Assessment Design Challenge award by the Collaborative for Academic, Social, and Emotional Learning.

NWEA is also changing its test reporting to show a students engagement levels as well as a performance score. It would show, based on the students performance before she started guessing, how much better she could have performed by trying harder.

Eventually, people are going to start viewing test data differently: not just, here is your score, but here is how engaged people were when they gave you these scores; heres how well does this reflect what students know and can do, Wise said.

In the pilots so far, alerting the teacher to disengagement during the test had a profound effect on [students] engagement, Wise said, though there are no formal evaluations of the intervention yet.

This is a tool, said Santa Anas Wolk. A teacher knows the students, knows how to quietly go over and say, Hey, hows it going? I care about you, and Im concerned you are moving too quickly here. 
Students performed slightly better on the ACT this year than they did last year, and Hispanic students notched a special victory: Their level of college-readiness rose even as more of them took the exam.

The average composite ACT score for the graduating class of 2017 was 21.0 , up from 20.8 in the class of 2016 , but the same as the classes of 2014 and 2015. Each of the four sections of the ACTEnglish, reading, math, and scienceis scored on a 0-36 scale.

Fewer students took the ACT this year: 2.03 million, or 60 percent of the 2017 graduating class, sat for the test. Last year, about 60,000 more students64 percent of the 2016 graduating classtook the exam. The numbers mark the first decline in 13 years and the biggest drop in ACT test-taking since 1990.

The decline happened largely because Illinois and Michigan, two big states that require students to take a statewide college-entrance test, switched from the ACT to the SAT . In its market-share battle with the ACT, the College Board has been pushing hard to win more statewide contracts, which offeror requirethe SAT for all students during the school day.

The smaller size of the 2017 ACT testing pool probably accounted for the slight increase in performance, according to Paul J. Weeks, the ACT Inc.s senior vice president for client relations.

Test scores tend to dip when more students join the group, because that usually brings a wider variety of skill and preparation levels. But the opposite happened this year with Hispanic students, which makes their performance notable.

The share of Hispanic students in the testing group rose to 17 percent in the class of 2017, up 1 percentage point from last year and 3 points since 2013. But their college-readiness rate rose, too: 24 percent met three or more of the ACTs college-readiness benchmarks in 2017, compared with 23 percent in the class of 2016. The benchmarks are minimum ACT scores that correlate with a good chance of earning Bs or Cs in entry-level, credit-bearing college courses.

Hispanic students performance is still lagging nationally: 39 percent of students overall met three or more of the benchmarks. Six in 10 Asian-American students and half of white students met those benchmarks. But Weeks said the fact that Hispanic students scores are rising while more of them take the test is cause for optimism.

Black Students Growth

African-American students performance improved slightly, with 12 percent meeting three or more college-readiness benchmarks, compared with 11 percent in the class of 2016 and 10 percent in 2013. Thirteen percent of the students who took the ACT were African-American, a level thats held steady since 2013.

The gaps are persistent and pervasive, and were not making much progress, said Jed Applerouth, the founder of Applerouth Tutoring Services, a national test-preparation company.

Weeks, too, said he was surprised and disappointed that college-readiness scores havent risen much, given the high priority that policymakers and teachers have been placing on that yardstick in recent years.

Critics have long attacked standardized tests as a false measure, arguing that they are better gauges of students socioeconomic profiles than their academic skill or potential.

Neil Chyten, the founder of the tutoring company Chyten Educational Services, based in Newton, Mass., said he doubts that any college-entrance-exam score truly means students have the knowledge and skills to succeed in college. They reflect specific skills that can be taught in a relatively short time, not years of study, Chyten said.

Robert A. Schaeffer, the public education director for the National Center for Fair & Open Testing, which opposes high-stakes standardized tests, said in an email that the exam results reflect more about ACTs marketing wars with the College Board than anything meaningful about high school students.

Like all standardized exams, the ACT showcases the differentials in performance between students with key advantages such as family income and education and those without them.

An ACT analysis looks at the performance of underserved students by examining three criteria: whether students are from low-income families, belong to racial-minority groups, or would be the first in their families to attend college. The more criteria students meet, the less likely they are to score at ACTs college-readiness benchmarks.

More than half the students who are not considered underserved met three or four of ACTs college-ready benchmarks, compared with only 9 percent of those who met all the underserved student criteria.

In STEM, a particularly rigorous benchmark created from students math and science scores, only 2 percent of the students who met all three underserved criteria reached the college-ready benchmark, but 31 percent of the more-advantaged students met it. Educators and policymakers have been urging students to consider careers that demand science, technology, engineering, and math skills, since those jobs are increasingly in demand and can pay well.

ACT also reported that many students dont take advantage of the chance to take the exam for free. Low-income students qualify for fee waivers, but in the class of 2017, 28 percent of those who got the waivers didnt end up taking the test.

Weeks said the ACT has been trying various strategies to address that problem, such as reminding students of their test dates by phone calls, emails, or texts. But many students have work obligations and transportation problems that interfere with weekend testing dates, he said.
LINCOLN  The University of Nebraska-Lincoln topped 26,000 students for the first time in school history this fall, notching record enrollment for the third straight year.

The university said Wednesday that 26,079 undergraduate and graduate students are enrolled this year. That's a 1 percent increase over last year's enrollment of 25,897 on the sixth day of classes.

Chancellor Ronnie Green attributed the growth -- UNL has grown by 11 percent over the last decade -- to superior programs, exceptional faculty and an ability to prepare students for successful careers.

"I have often said that our university is the DNA of the state and an increasingly essential gateway to a more successful, more prosperous Nebraska," Green said. "When there is positive enrollment news for the university, it is also positive news for our state."

Other highlights from the 2017 enrollment report:

 Once again, the largest freshman class at UNL is driving overall growth. This year's 4,905 first-year students surpass last year's class of 4,860 students.

 The number of Nebraska students attending UNL, both in undergraduate and graduate courses, is 17,597.

 UNL is also boasting its most diverse population in school history. Minorities make up more than 15 percent of the total undergraduate population -- a total of 3,173 students.

Across its four campuses and the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture, NU grew by 0.3 percent this year to 52,516 -- a new record -- even as the total undergraduate student population dipped slightly.

The University of Nebraska Medical Center set another enrollment record for the 17th straight year, topping 3,908 students, despite a 1.8 percent drop in its undergraduate enrollment from last year. The number of graduate students offset the loss, however, rising more than 7 percent this year.

The University of Nebraska at Omaha also grew this year to 15,731 students total, driven by its largest-ever incoming freshman class. UNO's incoming class is the most diverse in school history: one-third are minorities, while 44 percent are the first in their families to go to college.

Enrollment dropped by 2.1 percent at the University of Nebraska at Kearney, as well as at NCTA by 7.3 percent.

UNK recorded 6,644 students on campus this fall, but its undergraduate population includes 213 fewer students than last year and its graduate student population sunk 10 percent.

The technical agriculture college in Curtis enrolled 317 students.




1. U.S. acceptance of coexistence as the only alternative to atomic war.

2. U.S. willingness to capitulate in preference to engaging in atomic war.

3. Develop the illusion that total disarmament of the United States would be a demonstration of moral strength.

4. Permit free trade between all nations regardless of Communist affiliation and regardless of whether or not items could be used for war.

5. Extension of long-term loans to Russia and Soviet satellites.

6. Provide American aid to all nations regardless of Communist domination.

7. Grant recognition of Red China. Admission of Red China to the U.N.

8. Set up East and West Germany as separate states in spite of Khrushchev's promise in 1955 to settle the German question by free elections under supervision of the U.N.

9. Prolong the conferences to ban atomic tests because the United States has agreed to suspend tests as long as negotiations are in progress.

10. Allow all Soviet satellites individual representation in the U.N.

11. Promote the U.N. as the only hope for mankind. If its charter is rewritten, demand that it be set up as a one-world government with its own independent armed forces. (Some Communist leaders believe the world can be taken over as easily by the U.N. as by Moscow. Sometimes these two centers compete with each other as they are now doing in the Congo.)

12. Resist any attempt to outlaw the Communist Party.

13. Do away with all loyalty oaths.

14. Continue giving Russia access to the U.S. Patent Office.

15. Capture one or both of the political parties in the United States.

16. Use technical decisions of the courts to weaken basic American institutions by claiming their activities violate civil rights.

17. Get control of the schools. Use them as transmission belts for socialism and current Communist propaganda. Soften the curriculum. Get control of teachers' associations. Put the party line in textbooks.

18. Gain control of all student newspapers.

19. Use student riots to foment public protests against programs or organizations which are under Communist attack.

20. Infiltrate the press. Get control of book-review assignments, editorial writing, policymaking positions.

21. Gain control of key positions in radio, TV, and motion pictures.

22. Continue discrediting American culture by degrading all forms of artistic expression. An American Communist cell was told to "eliminate all good sculpture from parks and buildings, substitute shapeless, awkward and meaningless forms."

23. Control art critics and directors of art museums. "Our plan is to promote ugliness, repulsive, meaningless art."

24. Eliminate all laws governing obscenity by calling them "censorship" and a violation of free speech and free press.

25. Break down cultural standards of morality by promoting pornography and obscenity in books, magazines, motion pictures, radio, and TV.

26. Present homosexuality, degeneracy and promiscuity as "normal, natural, healthy."

27. Infiltrate the churches and replace revealed religion with "social" religion. Discredit the Bible and emphasize the need for intellectual maturity which does not need a "religious crutch."

28. Eliminate prayer or any phase of religious expression in the schools on the ground that it violates the principle of "separation of church and state."

29. Discredit the American Constitution by calling it inadequate, old-fashioned, out of step with modern needs, a hindrance to cooperation between nations on a worldwide basis.

30. Discredit the American Founding Fathers. Present them as selfish aristocrats who had no concern for the "common man."

31. Belittle all forms of American culture and discourage the teaching of American history on the ground that it was only a minor part of the "big picture." Give more emphasis to Russian history since the Communists took over.

32. Support any socialist movement to give centralized control over any part of the culture--education, social agencies, welfare programs, mental health clinics, etc.

33. Eliminate all laws or procedures which interfere with the operation of the Communist apparatus.

34. Eliminate the House Committee on Un-American Activities.

35. Discredit and eventually dismantle the FBI.

36. Infiltrate and gain control of more unions.

37. Infiltrate and gain control of big business.

38. Transfer some of the powers of arrest from the police to social agencies. Treat all behavioral problems as psychiatric disorders which no one but psychiatrists can understand.

39. Dominate the psychiatric profession and use mental health laws as a means of gaining coercive control over those who oppose Communist goals.

40. Discredit the family as an institution. Encourage promiscuity and easy divorce.

41. Emphasize the need to raise children away from the negative influence of parents. Attribute prejudices, mental blocks and retarding of children to suppressive influence of parents.

42. Create the impression that violence and insurrection are legitimate aspects of the American tradition; that students and special-interest groups should rise up and use united force to solve economic, political or social problems.

43. Overthrow all colonial governments before native populations are ready for self-government.

44. Internationalize the Panama Canal.

45. Repeal the Connally reservation so the United States cannot prevent the World Court from seizing jurisdiction over nations and individuals alike.
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Angelina Jolie just confirmed that she is stepping back in front of the camera as she is reportedly putting the horns back on. Latest reports claimed that the actress will reprise her role in "Maleficent 2" as she also shared that she is now the breadwinner of the family that's why it is already time.

Reports from PEOPLE confirmed that there will be a sequel for "Maleficent" and Jolie is confirmed to return to the mega-hit Disney villain origin story. It has been two years since the actress remains inactive in the industry and lately, she just assured her fans that they have even working on the script and that the sequel will really be strong.

The "Maleficent" movie was a rousing hit last 2014 which raked in more than $750 million across the globe and Jolie even gained praise for her performance. The film also featured the first and sweet appearance of her youngest daughter Vivienne who played the young Sleeping Beauty.

Jolie's return in "Maleficent 2" will mark her first onscreen appearance since her 2015 movie "By the Sea" in which she directed opposite her ex-husband Brad Pitt following their wedding. After that, the actress switched her focus on directing and humanitarian work and who can forget her controversial split from Brad last year. She really took her time off to be with her kids.

According to Hello Magazine, the mom of six then revealed that she has taken a year off now because of the situation of her family and particularly to take care of his kids. With that, she is excited about working on the sequel to the Disney movie and that she is looking forward to having some fun with her latest project.

Following her split from Brad Pitt, she also directed "First They Killed My Father", which will be released on Netflix this September 15. The said movie features the experience of a young Cambodian girl under the brutal regime of the Khmer Rouge. Lately, the film just earned positive praises even the directorial skills of Jolie.
Only two months left before the embattled "Justice League" hits theaters, latest reports claimed that the said movie is undergoing reshoots. This latest development will eat so much time for the film's production and if not, "Wonder Woman" may be joining "Aquaman" instead.

According to Slash Film, the said reshoots or "Justice League" are said to be managed and overseen by Joss Whedon as the film is also undergoing mid-film pilot to Warner Bros. new optimistic mantra. With this, the fans just hoped that these reshoots were an indication of more action-packed film to come and not another burden or doom to its results.

Some reports were claiming that there will be more additions to the cast of this superheroes-packed film. It was then confirmed that MMA fighter Madeleine Vall Beijner was just one of the many athletes who was recruited to be part of Amazons who later populated Themyscira which is also known as the home of Diana or Wonder Woman, played by Gal Gadot.

Meanwhile, as the "Justice League" currently undergoes reshoots, it was also claimed that "Wonder Woman 2" is not yet in production since Patty Jenkins had a lengthy negotiation with Warner Bros. regarding directing the sequel. Beijner just announced on her Instagram account that she is going back to Italy to shoot some scenes in "Themiscyra" along with other "badass Amazon warriors."

It was also added by Movie and TV Corner that Diana's role will be increased in the said sequel with the inclusion of a flashback set on Themyscira. Moreover, it was also said that Antiope and Diana's aunt will be featured and this inclusion just supported that idea that most scenes will be filmed on Themyscira.

With the said flashback, it was claimed that this will feature the film's Big Bad Steppenwolf on Themyscira first and Beijner and Robin Wight will be forced to take part in a great battle of the Amazons against the Steppenwolf. This battle will then lead to Diana as she brings knowledge of the alien villain to the "Justice League" team.
History has proved wrong those who believed that partition of British India on religious lines would bring peace in postcolonial South Asia. Immediately after the formal division of territories between India and the newly created state of Pakistan, problems began between the two countries over the issue of Kashmir. These two nuclear powers, despite facing similar socio-economic problems, have failed to learn the art of coexisting peacefully. They have fought wars, blamed each other, and shown little commitment towards good neighbourly relations. The latest book by Sumit Ganguly, an established authority on IndiaPakistan relations, delves into the complexities of the deep-seated, long-standing rivalry between the two nations. It is a blend of theory and empirics, without being a heavy read for the reader with little knowledge of international relations.

Intractable Rivalry
Children are one of the worst affected groups in the ongoing civil strife in Chhattisgarh. More often than not, they get caught in the conflict between left-wing extremists and security forces (Human Rights Watch 2008). They are prone to attacks, injuries, abduction, recruitment, trafficking, intimidation, abuse and other forms of exploitation. Their right to education is often undermined by the concerns of survival and an overemphasis on law and order problems in these areas. In many cases, provisions of emergency relief do not include education, although it is a fundamental right of children and is regarded as an emergency relief measure (NCPCR 2012). Attacks on schools are common incidents in these areas. Furthermore, there are attacks on the education system, educational provisions, safe learning environment and equal opportunities and uniform conditions for success that the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act (RTE), 2009 and the National Policy on Education, 1992, guarantee all children aged between 6 and 14 years. These attacks pose several immediate challenges in achieving universalisation of elementary education and expansion of secondary education in these areas. The present article makes an attempt to ascertain the participation of children in elementary education in one of the worst civil strife-affected districtsBijapurof Chhattisgarh and explore the factors, caused by civil strife, that affect the education of children in schools.

Methodology
India is a land of diversity in terms of geology, geography, flora, fauna and her people. The anthropologists of the British Empire, particularly the census officials in India, meticulously recorded the biological and cultural diversities of the Indian populations. British Census Commissioner of India H H Risley (18511911), for example, not only counted the people, but also took anthropometric measurements of the populations and made the first racial classification (Risley 1915).

British lawmakers in colonial India, on the other hand, enacted a uniform and common law, the Land Acquisition Act in 1894, based on the principle of eminent domain by which the government could acquire any private land for public purpose in lieu of monetary compensation calculated on the basis of the past market price of the land in an area (MoLJ 1986). Despite all kinds of humane criticisms (including anthropological), this law remained almost intact for more than 65 years after the independence of India in 1947.
Yash Pal (26 November 192624 July 2017) is a personification of the legends of independent India. A child of the partition, he defined the best of the aristocracy of early Indian intellectuals and scientists. With colleagues such as Homi Bhabha and Vikram Sarabhai, and driven by the ideology of Jawaharlal Nehru, Yash Pal, in many ways defined Indias quest to pursue scientific research and education to the fullest. He worked hard to bring about scientific temper in people around him.

Born in Jhang in present-day Pakistan, he was a product of partition, who left behind its bitter legacy and decided to devote himself to the scientific way of life. After his graduation from Punjab University, he was handpicked by Homi Bhabha to join the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in its early days. As was the norm then, Homi Bhabha decided that Yash Pal would go to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and work on his PhD with the legendary Bruno Rossi. He not only completed his PhD, but also acquired a whole host of skills that would serve him well in TIFR where he returned in 1958.
Recent conflicts in India over what constitutes historical facts or "truths" have forced historians out of their ivory towers and into the public arena, adding urgency to reflections on the historian's social responsibility. Is it the historian's responsibility to expose manipulations of the historical past, point to social dysfunctions, and identify remedies? Or should the citizen historian nourish public debate on sensitive topics without taking a clear-cut position on them? This paper explains how the French journal, the Annales d'Histoire Economique et Sociale, established in 1929, has interpreted these questions, attempting to deal with problems of contemporary concern, but without making the shift from debate to polemics. Annales has been in favour of a non-emotional history, inviting historians to work with data, and reminding them that their primary role is to strengthen the citizen's understanding of the social mechanisms of change, not to take ideological positions themselves.
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!)
Biddeford-Saco-OOB Courier

"When you shake a veteran's hand today, look them in the eye and give them a heartfelt thank you," said USAF Ret. Col. Jen Fullmer, parade grand marshal, who spoke at the event.
As technologies advance, and cyber threats with them, deception has become a big part of the 21st century cybersecurity battle. From bank transfer cons to CEO fraud to elaborate phishing and spear phishing campaigns, cyber criminals have been quick to use deception as a major means of infiltrating networks and systems, and for remaining undetected while inside.

But it can work the other way. Security vendors and startups use deception techniques to confuse and befuddle attackers. If an attacker is spending time and energy breaking into a decoy server, the defender is not only protecting valuable assets, but also learning about the attackers objectives, tools, tactics, and procedures.

That is the basic premise behind deception tools and technologies. By masking high-value assets in a sea of fake attack surfaces, attackers are disoriented and attack a fake asset, in the process alerting security teams to their presence. Deception tools can thus be an important defense against advanced persistent threats (APTs).

What is Deception Technology?

According to Gartner analyst Lawrence Pingree, attackers must trust the environment they insert their malware into and the web applications and services they attack over the internet.

They sneak around the fringes of the enterprise, seeking a way inside, which they might accomplish by tricking a user into clicking on a malicious link, opening an infected attachment or providing credentials and passwords, or perhaps by hacking an unpatched or zero-day vulnerability. Once inside, they can freely steal confidential information or pull off a financial heist.

Deception exploits their trust and tempts the attacker toward alarms, said Pingree. Deception also can be used to move an attacker away from sensitive assets and focus their efforts on fake assetsburning their time and the attackers investment.

How Does Deception Technology Work?

Deception tools are designed to trick attackers into thinking they have succeeded while also covertly luring them toward alerting security systems.

Distributed deception platforms (DDP) are solutions that create faked systems (often real operating systems, but used as sacrificial machines), lures (such as fake drive maps and browser histories), and honeytokens (fake credentials) on real end-user systems to entice and mislead the attacker to faked assets in order to enhance detection and to delay their actions as they attack those decoy assets, said Pingree.

Core functions of such systems include:

Centralized management of real-user endpoint lures and decoy endpoint hosts, such as servers and workstation hosts

The ability to manage deceptive services, web applications and other network integration capabilities of decoys

The ability to administer endpoint lures and honeytokens to entice the attacker

The ability to administer and distribute deceptive data, like Word documents and database tables/entries and files, in decoy host deceptions

Modern deception technology goes beyond network decoys and endpoint lures by adding concealment, misinformation, and misdirection to the mix, said Carolyn Crandall, chief security advocate and CMO at Attivo Networks. Concealment hides and denies access to production data, credentials, credential stores, and Active Directory (AD) objects to prevent attackers from targeting them, thus preventing exploitation and compromise.

Misinformation inserts fake results into queries targeting Active Directory, preventing AD enumeration. Misdirection actively interrupts reconnaissance activities by redirecting the traffic to a decoy and away from production systems.

Obtaining the desired results depends on being able to deploy credible deceptive elements on endpoints, network or application layers in sufficient scale to catch all potential intrusions. As such, various tactics are in play: Lures are placed on endpoints to attract the attention of would-be attackers. Other decoys are located on the network layer, and a few operate within applications or within stored data to misdirect cyber criminals.

Also read: Top Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) Solutions

Best Deception Solutions

After reviewing a number of deception solutions, here are eSecurity Planets picks for the top deception technology vendors.

Jump ahead to:

Attivo

Attivo Networks, acquired by SentinelOne, offers deception and concealment technology within its Endpoint Detection Net (EDN) suite. It includes credential and AD protection solutions, data concealment, and attack deflection functions designed to detect and derail lateral movement and privilege escalation activities.

Key Differentiators

Its AD protection function uses concealment and misinformation to protect against identity-based attacks targeting Active Directory. It identifies unauthorized queries attempting to mine AD for data, hides sensitive or privileged AD query results (such as AD domain admins, domain controllers, SPNs, and others), and inserts fake results that point to decoy systems.

Deception for identity protection includes credential protection capabilities that add concealment to protect credential stores on the endpoints, binding them to the applications that own them and denying access to any other process.

The EDN concealment function hides and denies access to local files, folders, mapped network or cloud shares, local privileged accounts, and removable storage, preventing attackers from seeing and targeting them.

The EDN deflection function redirects both inbound and outbound attempts to conduct port and service discovery activities by deflecting the connections to decoys systems for engagement. This misdirection prevents accurate fingerprinting and system identification, generates an early alert on the reconnaissance activity, and diverts the attempted connection away from production assets.

Illusive

Illusive Networks deception solution, Illusive Shadow, creates a hostile environment for attackers with agentless deceptions that fool attackers into revealing their presence and stop lateral movement. It can be deployed on-premises or in cloud or hybrid cloud environments. Deceptions mimic cloud assets and protect cloud-based systems.

Key Differentiators

Illusive plants deceptions that mimic the real data, credentials, and connections the attacker needs. Confronted with a distorted view of reality, the attacker is overcome by the odds; it is impossible to choose a real path forward without activating a deception. Unknown to the attacker, one wrong choice triggers an alert.

Incident responders can see how far the attacker is from business assets from a centralized management console. With real-time source forensics in hand, they can take informed actions to stop the attack and avert negative business impact.

Illusive Shadow leverages 75+ deceptions and Microsoft Office Beacon Files.

Unlike software agents, which can be disabled by attackers and can be difficult to deploy, Illusive is deployed with a dissolvable binary that leaves no trace.

Illusive was founded by members of IDFs Signal Intelligence Unit 8200, who developed Illusive Shadow from the view of an attacker.

Illusive has been attacked by more than 140 red teams and has never lost a penetration test.

Integrates with Illusive Spotlight, which automatically and continuously discovers and mitigates identity risks to provide a full lifecycle identity risk management platform.

Acalvio

Acalvios Deception Farm architecture and ShadowPlex application centralizes the deception process. Decoys such as fake hosts or honeypots are hosted in a single area on-premises or in the cloud and are projected across the enterprise network, appearing as realistic local assets.

Key Differentiators

Fluid Deception is a method of resource efficiency that allows ShadowPlex to deliver scale and depth of decoy realism.

It automates and simplifies the configuration and deployment of deception objects.

Combining pre-defined playbooks with an AI-based recommendation engine, the system self-generates and places the appropriate deception objects within the environment.

All decoys are in one place, not managed in multiple servers all over the network.

Deception objects are automatically customized for each part of the network.

Decoys and breadcrumbs and baits are autonomously updated to keep them fresh and relevant as network characteristics change.

Decoys mimic hosts running operating systems as well as IoT (Internet of Things) hosts.

Acalvio includes endpoint lures, breadcrumbs, and baits, which are fake artifacts like registry entries, credentials, shared drives, and many more that either act as tripwires in their own right or lead the attacker toward the decoys.

The solution supports field-expandable object types and variations and automates the generation and deployment of these assets, so they blend in with their surroundings.

CyberTrap

CyberTrap Enterprise is aimed at large companies and government agencies that are regularly exposed to targeted hacker attacks. With the integration into a SIEM, it does not deliver IOCs (incidents of compromise), which are always based on known incidents, but proof of compromise.

Key Differentiators

CyberTrap offers real-time, customized threat intelligence information in the MITRE ATT&CK context.

The solution helps the SOC (security operations center) team focus on critical alerts and analyze critical events.

The Express version is an immediately available deception-as-a-service model via the cloud that is aimed at managed service providers who maintain many customers and want to offer deception technology as an additional service.

A Pro version is aimed at small and medium-sized companies that do not have the capacity to run a complete deception solution but still need quick intrusion detection.

The solution silently monitors and immediately reports if any abnormal activity is detected.

Cloud, on-premises and hybrid options are available.

Even if specific devices on the network are compromised, the rest of the infrastructure is protected.

Fidelis

Developed through the acquisition of Topspin Security, a pioneer in the deception space, Fidelis Deception helps reduce cyber dwell time by altering the perception of the attack surface. This hinders an adversarys ability to move laterally undetected. Taking this proactive cyber defense approach makes it harder for adversaries to accomplish their mission and increases the attackers risk, giving more time to understand threats, thwart attacks, and prevent future intrusions.

Key Differentiators

Fidelis Deception provides full situational awareness, with adaptive terrain analysis, intelligent deception technology, and comprehensive IT visibility to change the rules of engagement by reshaping the attack surface.

Interactive decoys and breadcrumbs on real assets and in Active Directory (AD) lure cyberattackers, malicious insiders, and malware to the deception layer and catch them before they damage enterprise operations or exfiltrate data.

The solution can detect lateral movement.

Fidelis Deception can uncover attackers compromising Active Directory and discover attackers sniffing traffic (man-in-the-middle).

The solution can expose use of stolen credentials.

It can find signs of ransomware, even in encrypted files.

TrapX

TrapX DeceptionGrid activates Active Defense and enables security teams to plan, deploy, test, and refine deception deployments against attack scenarios outlined in MITRE ATT&CK. Emulation technology delivers both comprehensive protection and visibility at scale. Hundreds of authentic traps, which can be deployed in just minutes, hide real assets and decrease risk.

Key Differentiators

New lures and traps enable endpoint fitness audit capabilities that assess the state of remote worker endpoints.

Patch levels, protection, and connections are visualized through a dashboard and heatmap.

High-fidelity alerts supply MITRE ATT&CK context to facilitate TrapX Active Defense planning and incident response.

TrapX Active Defense Scorecard (ADS) provides real-time intelligence and visualization of defense coverage to fine-tune tactics for continuous, adaptable protection.

DeceptionGrid hides real assets in a crowd of imposters that interact with attackers and misinform them, allowing for rapid response and containment.

With coverage of nearly 100 MITRE Techniques, it can test trap efficacy against these techniques in real time.

The solution offers support for IT, OT, IoT, SCADA, ICS, and SWIFT.

Zscaler

Zscaler Deception has a zero-trust architecture that assumes every access or user request is hostile until both the users identity and the context of the request are authenticated and authorized, granting access only to the minimum required resources. Deception decoys act as tripwires in a zero-trust environment, detecting compromised users or lateral movement across the network.

Key Differentiators

Any lateral movement is tracked in a secure, isolated environment, alerting to which type of asset the attacker is interested in, slowing them down, and allowing security teams to monitor their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs).

Full attack sequences are tracked and automated response actions are initiated across the Zscaler platform.

Zscaler uses MITRE Engage, a trusted industry framework for discussing and planning adversary engagement, deception, and denial activities based on adversary behavior observed in the real world.

The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange is a modern approach that enables fast, secure connections and allows employees to work from anywhere, using the internet as the corporate network.

The Zero Trust Exchange runs across 150 data centers worldwide.

Cynet

Cynet deception technology plants various types of decoys across the environment to tempt attackers to come out of hiding and reach out to reveal their presence and former activities. It promises zero false positivesonly live malicious presences can trigger a deception alert.

Key Differentiators

Supports various types of decoys to detect threats in various stages of the attacks lifecycle including data files, credentials, and network connections.

In each type, the consumption action triggers the alertlogin attempt with a decoy password, connection attempt with RDP or URL, and opening a data file.

Cynet provides both off-the-shelf decoy files as well as the ability to craft your own, while taking into account your environments security needs.

Text files containing false passwords are crafted and planted along attackers potential routes. Any attempt to log in with these passwords triggers an alert.

Decoy connections enable the reliable detection of attackers during the hard-to-detect lateral movement stage.

Read next: Best Incident Response Tools and Software
Symantec researchers recently uncovered a new wave of cyber attacks targeting the energy sector in Europe and North America, with the potential to disrupt operations at target companies.

The group behind the attacks, known as Dragonfly, has been in operation since 2011 but was relatively quiet for a while after it was first exposed in 2014. The new campaign, which Symantec is calling Dragonfly 2.0, appears to have been launched in late 2015, with an increase in activity this year.

The Dragonfly group appears to be interested in both learning how energy facilities operate and also gaining access to operational systems themselves, to the extent that the group now potentially has the ability to sabotage or gain control of these systems should it decide to do so, the Symantec researchers wrote in a blog post detailing the attacks.

Operational Compromise

Symantec has seen clear indications of attacks in the U.S., Turkey and Switzerland, with some traces of activity in other countries as well. Symantec cyber security researcher Eric Chien told Reuters that dozens of companies have been targeted, and a handful, including in the U.S., have been compromised on the operational level.

As it did in its prior campaign between 2011 and 2014, Dragonfly 2.0 uses a variety of infection vectors in an effort to gain access to a victims network, including malicious emails, watering hole attacks, and Trojanized software, the researchers noted.

The focus appears to be on installing backdoors onto victims computers to provide the attackers with remote access and the ability to install additional tools if needed. Backdoors used by Dragonfly include Goodor, Karagany.B, Dorshel and Trojan.Heriplor.

Trojan.Heriplor is a backdoor that appears to be exclusively used by Dragonfly, and is one of the strongest indications that the group that targeted the western energy sector between 2011 and 2014 is the same group that is behind the more recent attacks, the researchers wrote. This custom malware is not available on the black market, and has not been observed being used by any other known attack groups.

While the initial Dragonfly campaigns appeared to be focused on simply gaining access to target networks, Symantec suggests that Dragonfly 2.0 may be entering a new phase with a focus on accessing operational systems and the potential for destructive attacks.

Expanding Attacks

RiskVision CEO Joe Fantuzzi told eSecurity Planet by email that the attacks clearly show that cyber criminals are expanding their efforts in the energy sector. Critical infrastructure is clearly becoming more of a target for hackers as it provides access not only to sensitive information but the ability to dramatically impact and/or harm large numbers of people, he said.

In response, Fantuzzi said, its crucial for energy companies to undergo a through security risk assessment and prioritize ongoing risk management. Unfortunately, security defenses protecting these systems have often been neglected or routinely deprioritized, and as a result, are substandard or completely outdated, thus giving cyber criminals an easy entry into these networks, he said.

David Zahn, general manager of the cybersecurity business unit at PAS, said by email that this news should be a wakeup call for all critical infrastructure companies. Even basics like knowing what cyber assets are in a power plant or industrial facility are missing today, he said.

If you cannot see it, you cannot secure it, Zahn added. If you cannot secure it, then understand that it may get worse before it gets better. Additional attention and investment are needed if we are to get ahead of these threats.
Guyana Amazon Warriors 169 for 5 (Ronchi 70, Mahmudullah 3-25) beat Jamaica Tallawahs 168 for 8 (Sangakkara 57*, Rashid 3-32) by five wickets

Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Rashid Khan claimed the first hat-trick in CPL history  Getty Images

In a rematch of the 2016 CPL final , Guyana Amazon Warriors exacted revenge behind Rashid Khan 's hat-trick and Luke Ronchi 's cold-blooded 70 off 33 balls to knock out the defending champion Jamaica Tallawahs at Brian Lara Stadium. Tallawahs were on the back foot throughout Amazon Warriors' chase of 169 courtesy a splendid second-wicket stand of 67 in 5.1 overs between Ronchi and Chadwick Walton, before victory was sealed by a six from Assad Fudadin with 13 balls to spare.

Opening question

For the second night in a row, the decision to open the batting with a player who hadn't played through the tournament produced underwhelming results. On Tuesday night, it was William Perkins with Trinbago Knight Riders and on Wednesday night, it was Kennar Lewis with Tallawahs.

The Tallawahs management decided to drop Glenn Phillips despite four 30-plus scores in seven innings in the competition. Captain Kumar Sangakkara said at the post-match presentation that the reason to include Lewis was because the Tallawahs "had gone soft in the Powerplay". Lewis managed 15 before he was bounced out by Rayad Emrit, caught at deep square leg in the fifth over.

The riddle in the middle

Sangakkara and Andre McCarthy, a consistent performer for the Tallawahs this season, were pushed down two spots. Rather than giving their two leading scorers the most time to bat, their delayed entry may have cost the side 20-plus runs, particularly since Sangakkara finished unbeaten on 57 off 38 balls.

Steven Jacobs benefited most. The offspinner pinched two early wickets in the seventh over, snapping up Lendl Simmons at cover for 34 and then had Mahmudullah four balls later as his sloppy swat to the leg side found Veerasammy Permaul at midwicket to make it 59 for 3.

Rashid's googly hat-trick

On Wednesday night, Rashid created CPL history with the tournament's first ever hat-trick.First was McCarthy, beaten driving by a googly to begin the 15th over. Jonathan Foo lunged at another googly next ball and was beaten easily as the ball knocked into leg stump.

Rovman Powell's dismissal was the worst stroke of the three, teased into chasing a flighted delivery well outside off that spun back sharply to hit off stump. At 116 for 7, Tallawahs were left with a struggle to get to a defendable total on a night where heavy dew made gripping the ball increasingly difficult as the night wore on.

Ronchi the ravager

The Amazon Warriors' playoffs chances were hit when captain Martin Guptill left the tournament due to a family emergency. But the Warriors have seemingly been galvanized with the arrival of his replacement Ronchi, who has scored more runs in three matches (149) than Guptill did in the first seven (142).

A harbinger of the savage display to come arrived on his third ball when he effortlessly lofted Mahmudullah back over his head for six. After the Powerplay, Ronchi feasted on poor angles offered by the Tallawahs bowlers, as he used nothing but wrist to whip Rovman Powell for a pair of sixes off the first two balls of the seventh over. Kesrick Williams wilted under pressure too. Ronchi soon brought up the second-fastest fifty of CPL 2017, off 20 balls.
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A man from Grays has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a fatal crash on the A1 at Newark.

Dorel Galan, of London Road, is due to appear at Nottingham Magistrates' Court next month in connection with the collision on March 9 this year.

The 38-year-old has also been charged with two counts of using a false instrument, contrary to the Forgery and Counterfeiting Act 1981, as reported by the Nottingham Post.

Six vehicles were involved in the pile-up, which happened at around 7.55am.

Ian Newell, 52, of Grantham, died shortly afterwards.

Nottinghamshire Police have confirmed that Galan will appear in court on Thursday, October 5.
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Forget spiders, your house could be at risk of a rat infestation as autumn sets in.

As heavier rain starts to fall, experts have warned that the rodents could seek shelter and warmth in houses.

Known for being dangerous for your health, rats can chew through bricks, concrete and even copper to get into your home.

And theyll also foul water tanks, chew on wood or gnaw electrical wires - which can create a fire hazard.

Experts have warned the Manchester Evening News that rats have many creative ways to get into your property and the average home has 12 potential entry points.

These include plumbing pipes, vents without screens and roof edges. They will sneak under garages or find a displaced drain cover to invade your property. They can even climb up the side of your house using ivy as a ladder - and once they get in they can chew through pretty much anything.

Thats the warning from Steve McGrail, who runs Manchester-based Pro-Kill Environmental Ltd.

He said hes seen a massive rise in rat reports already in the last three months - and expects that to increase.

Steve, who spoke to Manchester Evening News, said: "People should be looking at their properties to make sure rats cant get in.

"Get rid of ivy - theyll climb straight up that for fun. Make sure theres no displaced drains, thats what they love. Once they are in the drainage system theyll burrow until they hit a structure - through concrete, brick, copper and tin.

"Usually its down to poor conditions in the external fabric of the building but if your house is well-proofed and drains are sound there shouldnt be a problem."

There are an estimated 10.5 million rats in the UK - so make sure you watch the video to make your house rat-proof.
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A man arrested at London Southend Airport by Met officers on suspicion of terrorism offences has been released under investigation.

The 49-year-old was due to board a flight before being stopped by officers from the Met's Counter Terrorism Command on Tuesday, August 1.

He was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts under section 5 of the Terrorism Act 2006, before being taken to a south London police station and bailed until late August.

Officers also carried out a search at an address in Essex .

The man, who was arrested under PACE, has since been released under investigation.
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A school has taken the drastic step of putting pupils in isolation because their shoes do not match the uniform policy, angry parents have claimed.

Allegedly, around 50 pupils at George Stephenson High were removed from class after failing to meet the schools strict code on Wednesday (September 6).

It comes after 100 youngsters were affected on the first day of term on Tuesday, reports Chronicle Live .

Jamie Harding, 15, says he was one student at the Killingworth school who were sent to the gym after being told his Kickers shoes were not right.

The schools website has an approved list of shoes that can be worn to school and purchased at Wynsors.

Jamies mum Allison, of Shiremoor, has been left furious and said there was only a small difference from the shoes shown on the website.

She said: The only difference between the shoes Jamie has and the ones on the school website is that there are three more lace holes.

About 50 pupils were sent to the gym today for not having the correct uniform.

The mum-of-two slammed the school for the way the issue was being handled.

She said: What they should do with everyone is send out a letter to parents and give them say two weeks to get the correct uniform. If they are not sorted by then fair enough give them a time out.

They arent giving people enough time to get sorted and there are parents who dont have the money to pay for new clothes and shoes.

The shoe guide has a range of shoes brands for senior boys that includes Kickers and RockStorm with prices ranging from 18 to 50.

There are also details of shoes acceptable for senior and junior girls.

Jamie, who is in Year 10, has now missed the first two days of school.

Allison said: The school is quick enough to get in touch about lateness or absence, saying your childs education is important yet are making them sit out of lessons.

A mum claimed on Tuesday her two boys were sent home for wearing plain black low-heeled shoes.

But Ian Wilkinson, headteacher of George Stephenson High, said the uniform policy is the same as its always been.

He added: Our uniform is an essential part of our identity and it helps to project the best possible image of the school, reinforcing good behaviour and with an established link to high educational attainment in the classroom.

This was agreed with the full support of our governors and meant that anyone coming to school in trainers, denim jackets, hoodies, and other non-uniform items of clothing would be temporarily taken out of lessons and into the Student Support Base until the situation could be resolved.

Mr Wilkinson said parents had been told about the stricter approach since May last year.
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A car park company has 'refused' to retract a parking fine after a woman visiting her paralysed husband with bladder cancer made one innocent blunder.

Alison Ridewood has explained to Brittania, the owners of the car at Wickford Station, that she made an innocent mistake when she forget to pay for a ticket.

It is the first time it has happened since she started to make the daily trip to London, where Paul has been recovering from the fall which left him paralysed from the waist down since April. He has since also been diagnosed with cancer.

Paul, 62, from Woodham Ferrers, was cleaning a conservatory roof in Billericay on Wednesday, April 19, when he caught his foot on the edge and fell eight foot onto a low level brick wall.

Paul suffered several broken ribs , one of which punctured his lung, as well as a serious spinal chord injury which has left him without feeling from the chest down.

It was while he was in the Royal London receiving treatment for the devastating that doctors diagnosed balder cancer. He is now at University College London Hospital (UCLH) receiving treatment for that.

However the series of setbacks have left his wife Alison struggling to stay alert  she leaves the house everyday at 7pm and does not get home until 10pm.

The 57-year-old said: "Paul has been in hospital since April 19 and I still travel up and down to London. I parked the car at Brittania car park but my mind was elsewhere because we were waiting for more results for the cancer and I forget the ticket.

"I called them up to explain it and asked the to let me off and to say I could not make this up.

"You could not make it up what's happened to us. I did the online appeal.

"But they want more supporting evidence and at best they would reduce it. But I explained I was devastated about what has happened to us and walking around in a dream as you can well imagine.

"On this particular Thursday I got out of the car and because my mind was elsewhere and I totally forgot to pay. I got back at 10pm after finding out he has got to have chemo because they haven't got all the cancer."

Paul's wife Alison, 57, has been by his side from the start, and is also determined to not let the injury get the better of them.

She is even looking at the positives of the injury.

She said: "If he hadn't had that accident then he might not have been diagnosed with cancer in time."

A fundraising page has been started to help pay the couple. Alison is organising getting the house reconfigured for Paul's injury - another added distraction that has made her increasingly forgetful.

She added: "He was in Royal London for three and a half months and now he's at UCLH where he's been having the cancer treatment

"The whole thing is a nightmare. It has been a living nightmare. I do things without thinking because my mind is not on it."

The 100 fine could be reduced to 60 on early payment but she is appealing to their generous side to rescind the ticket.

She said: "The woman I spoke to later had the cheek to say to me on the phone to say that I was in there for 14 hours.

"But it's just been really really hard."

Britannia has been approached for comment by EssexLive.
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Prince George of Cambridge started his new school today, and the fees are pretty high.

Thomas's Battersea, a private co-educational day school in London, costs 17,604 a year, increasing to 19,884 a year for those in year 3 and above.

This means that if George stays at the school throughout until the end of Year 8 when he turns 13, the total cost will be 172,116.

The Birmingham Mail has reported that the school, which is rated as outstanding by Ofsted, serves organic meals for lunch fit for a king in the hope that he will live up to their mantra of becoming a "conscientious and caring citizen of the world."

Entrance is so competitive and oversubscribed that according to the Good Schools Guide, the school advises parents to register with a fee of 100 soon after their child's birth.

George will enjoy small class sizes of around 20 pupils - the average class size for primary schools in England is 27.1 pupils, according to government figures.

Thomas's Battersea teaches 560 boys and girls aged from four to 13.

Around 6.5 per cent of the UK's school children are educated in private schools, according to the Independent Schools Council - and George's parents the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are continuing a royal tradition by opting for an independent institution rather than a state school.

William and Prince Harry went to Wetherby School in London, then Ludgrove School in Berkshire and on to board at Eton College.

Headmaster Simon O'Malley says on the school's website: "We hope that our pupils will leave this school with a strong sense of social responsibility, set on a path to become net contributors to society and to flourish as conscientious and caring citizens of the world."

Like George, headmaster Mr O'Malley starts at the school in September.

An Aberdeen University graduate, he has taught in Kenya and previously was headmaster of Wellesley House School in Kent, a post he held for 11 years.

The Good Schools Guide praised Mr O'Malley, describing him as "ambitious and enthusiastic; generated an energy and buzz about his previous school. Much-liked and respected by parents."

Like George, headmaster Mr O'Malley starts at the school in September.

An Aberdeen University graduate, he has taught in Kenya and previously was headmaster of Wellesley House School in Kent, a post he held for 11 years.

The Good Schools Guide praised Mr O'Malley, describing him as "ambitious and enthusiastic; generated an energy and buzz about his previous school. Much-liked and respected by parents."


Mirror, mirror, on the wall, who has the best Ayurvedic recipe of all?







Hindustan Unilever Limited in its latest string of ads starring brand ambassador Akshay Kumar has one message for viewers: choose sahi (correct) Ayurved. This series of ads take an educational route and inform consumers that not all thats green and full of turmeric an ayurvedic product.







The messaging that HUL has adopted is not surprising given that the Ayurveda category is heavily abused. Misleading ads and spurious products are now abounding in this highly popular category. This was precisely why the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI) signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the ministry of Ayurveda, yoga, and naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) early in 2017 to tackle the problem of misleading ads.















In the ad, Akshay Kumar informs viewers that not every soap that has green leaves on the box has ayurvedic origins just like not everyone with a stethoscope around their neck is a doctor. The ad goes on to say that Lever Ayush uses a recipe that is found in a 5,000-year-old manuscript on Ayurveda, making it a genuine product.







But the ads for Lever Ayush seem to be contradicting themselves. In one of the ads, Kumar uses Sanskrit to speak about the products and in another, he reads out Sanskrit names of ingredients in the soap. Just like wearing a cops cap does not make one a cop, an extension of that logic would apply to HUL too. Does speaking in Sanskrit make the products truly ayurvedic?















The ads messaging does not work on two counts, said Prathap Suthan, Managing Partner/Chief Creative Officer at BangInTheMiddle. Lever has always been about artificial living and products. Chemical and other ingredients that go into their products give them almost no footing to push Ayurveda. It will take a lot of baggage to be removed before they can assume anything substantial in their ayurvedic credibility, he said.







It is also worth mentioning that the pricing of Lever Ayush is much steeper than Patanjali Ayurved. While a 100gm Lever Ayush soap costs around Rs 31, a 75gm bar soap from Patanjali Ayurved costs Rs 13. This would mean that the product is positioned for the urban demographic. Therefore, the logic of the ad may fail to impress the target audience, Suthan said. The target audience for Ayush definitely will have to be the educated metro class. And I have a feeling that this is going to be laughed at. (It) Almost insults the intelligence of the people.







Jagdeep Kapoor, Chairman and Managing Director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, felt that the ad does deliver other key messages. This kind of approach will help the ayurvedic product category expand and aid the adoption of genuine products, he said. This is the first serious competitor to Patanjali. That said, I dont think the objective of the ad is to compete alone but to create and enhance the category of Ayurveda, said Kapoor.







Calling the ad simple and straightforward, Kapoor said that the ad does deliver credibility because of the choice of celebrity. This ad tells consumers: be careful of what you choose. It is possible that nothing will happen to Patanjali Ayurved because of the entry of Lever Ayush and this ad, but a lot of Johnny-come-lately brands may be impacted. He added, The size of the cake will grow and the genuine two-three players will benefit.















Despite its flaws, the one message the ad is an acknowledgement of is that "Patanjali is not a force to be taken lightly," Suthan added.

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While Programmatic advertising has helped brand owners and brand manufacturers drive better performance by leveraging the power of Artificial Intelligence (AI) Machine Learning (ML) in digital advertising, India in particular is witnessing a phenomenal rise in its use.







Till few years ago, programmatic media buying was seen as a promise that would disrupt the advertising industry for the better. However, over the years this technology has come a long way. Programmatic has brought in an era of automation, ridding the advertising industry of its complacency and successfully establishing itself as one of the cornerstones of the online advertising ecosystem.







Though not a mature market in the use of programmatic when compared to the western markets, the use of this programmatic advertising in India has witnessed steep growth in the last few years. Speaking about the growth of programmatic and the challenges in its adoption, Matt Brocklehurst, Programmatic & Platforms Marketing Lead, Asia Pacific at Google said, People may be far more connected now, but the irony is that that marketing has become far more challenging since we are living in a multi-channel and multi screen world. The challenge is how to connect with these people in a meaningful and engaging way.







The programmatic base is comparatively small In India but it is surely growing at an exponential rate. Speaking about the growth of programmatic in the Indian market and its adoption by brands,, Brocklehurst stated, If we look at India specifically, programmatic has grown phenomenally. With marketing becoming more efficient and more effective this has helped we have witnessed greater adoption of this technology. However when it comes to the maturity of Indian market in this domain, I believe different companies are in different phases of adoption. But the overall promise of the Indian market is big.







Brocklehurst also spoke about how Google was dealing with the issue of ad blocking and ad fraud. Google takes ad blockers very seriously and we belong to the coalition of better ad standards and that is an international where publishers and media companies. I think this issue can be resolved by looking at ads that are triggering the use of ad blockers. In fact our entire focus is that the ads that we support should add more value to the user.







Speaking about the issues with programmatic, especially the one that recently took place in the UK where brand messages popped up in extremist videos, Brocklehurst added, There are always going to be issues. But we have invested time and people to find solutions and enhance brand safety.







If we look at global trends, programmatic is entering its next stage of evolution  dynamic creatives gaining control, ad fraud being reduced and the potential to innovate has expanded by leaps and bounds within this space. Speaking about the future of programmatic in India, Brocklehurst explained, I think Programmatic TV and Programmatic outdoor will happen in the years to come as India is a good market for that. We will also see the adoption of Programmatic grow significantly in the next few years.





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HOUSTON  Independent air monitors have detected a plume of cancer-causing benzene near homes and businesses outside a Valero Energy oil refinery on the east side of this city.

The discovery raised concerns among environmentalists and local officials, who say the compound is nearly twice the state limits for short-term exposure.

The highest concentration was detected in an area near Manchester Street and 96th Street close to the refinery, which voluntarily reported an oil spill at the plant earlier this week in the aftermath of Harvey, according to the Environmental Defense Fund, which worked with California-based Entanglement Technologies to measure the benzene levels.

Benzene is a carcinogenic component of crude oil and gasoline. Breathing it in can cause dizziness, headaches and even unconsciousness.

It is alarming to see high levels of a dangerous pollutant go unnoticed by the Houston regions existing network of air quality monitors, said Elena Craft, senior health scientist for Environmental Defense Fund.

The reports come amid growing environmental concerns over the San Jacinto River Waste Pits, one of 13 Superfund sites in Texas that flooded during the storm.

Environmentalists called Tuesday for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to provide additional information about whether dioxin escaped from the pits into the floodwaters.

Questions remain, as well, about chemical fires at the Arkema plant in Crosby east of Houston and last weeks emergency shelter-in-place warning in La Porte following a chemical pipeline leak.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott temporarily suspended requirements that certain spills and emissions be reported to the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality during the storm and its aftermath, allowing energy and chemical companies to file reports voluntarily.

In the Houston area, companies have reported releasing more than 2 million pounds of carbon monoxide and other chemicals into the regions atmosphere during facility shutdowns, TCEQ filings show.

On Aug. 27, San Antonio-based Valero reported a temporary leak from a partly collapsed roof of a storage tank caused by heavy rainfall complications with Hurricane Harvey by its Houston refinery.

Valero estimated 6.7 pounds of benzene was released, as well more than 3,350 pounds of unspecified volatile compounds.

Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas said Valero crew members quickly contained the oil after it leaked from the roof drain at the refinery. She said the U.S. Coast Guard inspected the clean-up, and that Valero is working with TCEQ and the EPA on monitoring for any potential emissions from the oil.

EPA spokesman David Gray said Tuesday the agency is conducting air monitoring and focusing on an area of potential concern associated with reported air emissions from a Valero facility in Houston, but that none of the EPA readings rose above emergency screening levels.

The EPA was conducting more monitoring in the area, but had not yet released those results.

Just this week, however, the city of Houston and environmental groups began conducting independent air monitoring separate from the state and federal government.

Although data still are being collected, the Environmental Defense Fund said the amount of benzene detected Monday  324 parts per billion  is nearly double the states allowable amount of 180 parts per billion.

Luke Metzger, director of the advocacy group Environment Texas, is concerned the state and EPA are relying too much on companies to self-report.

Its likely the first of many to come, Metzger said of the detections near the Valero refinery. Now we also have independent air monitoring, but its hard to trace to individual companies.

Metzger noted problems with unbearable smells in Pasadena after Houston-based Kinder Morgan reported a Harvey-related spill of petroleum products on Aug. 27 at its terminal.

Kinder Morgan acknowledged the release of benzene and other potentially toxic compounds.

But the company took issue with Metzgers description.

That assertion is difficult to believe because we set up an exclusion zone to keep the public safely away, covered the small release with a foam blanket to control emissions and employed constant air monitoring to ensure that the blanket was effective, Kinder Morgan spokesman Dave Conover said.

At the San Jacinto waste pits, meanwhile, advocates continue to push for information about the potential release of dioxin and other cancer-causing industrial waste that was deposited there until the 1960s.

The current owners of the site paid to cap the waste pits in 2011. But prior to that, activists say they believe dioxins escaped from the pits into the environment several times.

Coverings over the berm that surround the cap and the pits have been damaged in the recent storm, but the companies contend the damage can be fixed through routine maintenance.

Scott Jones, of the Galveston Bay Foundation, said dioxin already has leached from the site in older flood events, creating hot spots in sediments in the river and in Galveston Bay.

He said the state has failed to properly monitor the site because of inadequate resources.

The EPA and TCEQ officials have said the cap appears to be holding, based on preliminary inspections of the waste pits by boat and land. Coverings over a berm that surrounds the pit are visibly damaged, according to photos and other reports.

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Kenneth Haldin, a spokesman for one of the companies overseeing clean up of the pits, said the companies believe the cap remains in tact and dispute whether buried waste material (containing dioxin) was or is ever exposed to the environment in the waste pits area.

Separate reviews were conducted Friday by a contractor and Monday by federal and state officials, who said they would inspect the cap and the pits more thoroughly when river conditions allow.

The cancer-causing dioxin and other wastes were byproducts from a nearby paper mill.

The EPA has said the waste pits were one of 13 Superfund sites in Texas that flooded during Hurricane Harvey and could be damaged. About half of those sites so far have been visited by inspectors who performed preliminary checks for damage, according to the TCEQ and the EPA. They promise to do more checks when the floodwater recedes.

Abbott said Tuesday at a news conference in Austin that officials are unaware of any damage or danger that has occurred.

Several homes in the Channelview river bottom nearest the pits were blown off their foundations when the river rose over its banks. Four houses floated away and several others sunk into enormous sinkholes that formed in the floods.

Channelview resident Jennifer Harpster said she and her neighbors were continuing to clean up Tuesday despite their fears of tainted water.

When you go down there, it looks like a bomb went off. she said. The smell of chemicals is inside my house.

Harpster is the lead plaintiff in a civil lawsuit in which 600 people claim their lives and livelihood have been damaged by the waste pits. She believes dioxins have already affected her familys health  her granddaughter died of a rare form of cancer at age 6.

A plan to remove the wastes from the river entirely remains under consideration by the EPA.

Activist Jackie Young, who grew up in nearby Highlands and is the founder of the grassroots Texas Health and Environment Alliance, wants to see the pits removed as soon as possible.

Harvey was not a routine event. Lets stop kicking this can to future generations, Young said. We need the waste pits removed in a controlled, engineered environment, not in a hurricane.

Pam Bonta, with the nonprofit Texas Quality Water, said shes worried about 6,000 households that depend on well water and are located in the flood plain around the pits in the Harris County communities of Channelview, Highlands and on the Lynchburg peninsula.

TCEQ and county officials say theyll continue to provide updates.

TCEQ and EPA toxicologists and technical experts are on the ground and in the air collecting real-time air monitoring and water quality data, EPA officials said Monday. That information is being analyzed by experts now and will be provided to the public as soon as it is available. We encourage the community to continue to follow the expert safety advice of local officials.
San Antonio-based refiner Valero Energy Corp. announced a new $180 million pipeline and terminal investment to connect Houston with a to-be-built terminal near Round Rock.

A Valero subsidiary, V-Tex Logistics, has signed an agreement with Magellan Pipeline Company, a subsidiary of Tulsa, Oklahoma-based Magellan Midstream Partners, to build a 135 mile, 16-inch refined products pipeline from Houston to Hearne, Texas.

When the project is completed Magellan will own the pipeline through a joint investment with Valero, according to a Magellan news release.

Valero will separately build a terminal in Hearne, for a total cost of $180 million. Valero spokeswoman Lillian Riojas declined to detail how much the joint pipeline project and the Hearne terminal would each cost.

The project will connect to a proposed $200 million pipeline and terminal project in Williamson County north of the city of Hutto and would feed a 500,000 barrel gasoline and diesel storage and distribution terminal. A 12-inch, 70 mile pipeline with a 60,000 barrel-a-day capacity would connect the Williamson County terminal with the Hearne system.

rdruzin@express-news.net

@druz_journo
San Antonio-based health care technology services company CaptureRx is going through some major growing pains with plans to more than double its staff by 2021.

CaptureRx already has grown to 165 employees, 150 of them in San Antonio, from 114 in March and will grow to at least 314 employees by 2021 under an incentives agreement with the city and Bexar County.

Weve been experiencing continued accelerated growth over the last five years, and we knew this would continue  especially as we make plans to expand our product offering in 2018, said CaptureRx Chief Financial Officer Craig Howard.

Were currently preparing additional space in our temporary offices to accommodate the current growth while we work to finalize plans for our permanent home downtown, Howard added.

CaptureRx will expand next year to its permanent headquarters in the San Antonio Light buildings on Broadway. The company was originally planning to move into the Kress building on Houston Street but changed its mind after the Light building opened up.

We fell in love with it, said Howard.

Both buildings are owned by developer GrayStreet Partners, which plans to spend more than $10.5 million to renovate and expand the San Antonio Light buildings at 420 Broadway.

Howard said the city of San Antonio and Bexar County incentive packages of about $1 million combined should remain in place despite the change of plans.

GrayStreet plans to construct a new building to connect the main building fronting on Broadway with the separate former press building behind it, Howard said.

CaptureRx plans to lease 48,000 square feet in the combined building initially, 34,000 square feet on the connected second floor and 14,000 square feet on the main buildings fourth floor, Howard said.

CaptureRx will have first-refusal rights to an additional 14,000 square feet on the third floor but will not occupy that space immediately when the company moves in between July and September 2018, Howard said.

The lease is still being negotiated, Howard said, but the expected terms include a seven-year lease with two five-year options.

CaptureRx, founded in San Antonio in 2000, provides services to pharmacies and hospitals to manage prescription inventory and financial flows.

Were excited to confirm the new location. Were happy to stay downtown. We believe the stretch of Broadway between The Pearl and downtown is up and coming. Were delighted to be on the front edge of that, Howard said.

The company plans to add 10 to 25 more people by the end of 2017, Howard said. The companys minimum pay is $52,000 a year.

City Council and Bexar County must renew the incentives contracts because of the change in location. City Council is scheduled to vote Sept. 14 on a $614,000 Economic Development Program grant.

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San Antonio Water System fees of about $158,000 would be waived, and the company would receive a 100 percent city property tax abatement for up to six years. The abatement then would be phased out over the next four years, said Rene Dominguez, city economic development director.

Bexar County is offering a $120,000 cash incentive from the countys Innovation Fund and a 10-year, 90 percent property-tax abatement valued at $281,000, said Bexar County Economic Development Executive Director David Marquez.

CaptureRx had considered expansion and headquarters sites in Kansas City and Naples, Florida, before agreeing to the incentive packages earlier this year.

GrayStreet Development Director Peter French said Wednesday that tours have been held at the Kress building on Houston Street, but no tenants have been signed yet.

The Light building was constructed in 1931 in the Spanish Colonial Revival style and was home to the San Antonio Light until 1993 when Hearst shut down the 112-year-old newspaper after it couldnt find a buyer. The city included the building in its application to get part of downtown designated as a historic district in the National Register of Historic Places.

The Light building housed the Express-News business operations until around 2009 when the newspaper consolidated its staff into its current home on Avenue E.

dhendricks@express-news.net

The article was undated to correct the amount of space CaptureRx would have on an first-right of refusal in the San Antonio Light building.
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WASHINGTON - Representatives of Facebook told congressional investigators Wednesday that it has discovered it sold ads during the U.S. presidential election to a shadowy Russian company seeking to target voters, according to several people familiar with the company's findings.

Facebook officials reported that they traced the ad sales, totaling $100,000, to a Russian "troll farm" with a history of pushing pro-Kremlin propaganda, these people said.

A small portion of the ads, which began in the summer of 2015, directly named Republican nominee Donald Trump and Democrat Hillary Clinton, the people said, though they declined to say which candidate the ads favored.

Most of the ads, according to a blog post published late Wednesday by Facebook's chief security officer, Alex Stamos, "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum - touching on topics from LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights."

Now Playing: Lawmakers say the way to truly know if Russia helped Trump win the presidency is to check Facebook. Nathan Rousseau Smith (@fantasticmrnate) reports. Video: Brandpoint

The acknowledgment by Facebook comes as congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller are probing Russian interference in the U.S. election, including allegations that the Kremlin may have coordinated with the Trump campaign.

The U.S. intelligence community concluded in January that Russia had interfered in the U.S. election to help elect Trump, including by using paid social media trolls to spread fake news intended to influence public opinion.

Even though the ad spending from Russia is tiny relative to overall campaign costs, the report from Facebook that a Russian firm was able to target political messages is likely to fuel pointed questions from investigators about whether the Russians received guidance from people in the United States - a question some Democrats have been asking for months.

Facebook reported in its blog post Wednesday that about one-quarter of the ads in question were "geographically targeted," though company officials declined to provide specifics about what areas or demographic groups were the recipients. Of those targeted ads, the company said, more ran in 2015 than 2016.

Rep. Adam Schiff, D-Calif., the senior Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said Wednesday that the disclosure by Facebook confirmed one of the ways Russia sought to interfere in U.S. politics and serves as a "profound warning to us and others about future elections."

"This is a very significant set of data points produced by Facebook," Schiff said, adding: "Left unanswered in what we received from Facebook - because it is beyond the scope of what they are able to determine - is whether there was any coordination between these social media trolls and the campaign. We have to get to the bottom of that . . . "

The House panel, whose staff investigators heard briefly from Facebook representatives behind closed doors Wednesday, will follow up with Facebook and other social media companies and platforms to see "to what degree they are able to confirm similar metrics," Sciff said.

An official familiar with Facebook's internal investigation said the company does not have the ability to determine whether the ads it sold represented any sort of coordination.

The acknowledgment by Facebook follows months of criticism that the social media company served as a platform for the spread of false information before the November election. In a statement posted days after the election, Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg promised to explore the issue but said that 99 percent of information found on Facebook is authentic and only "a very small amount" is fake or hoaxes. In December, however, the company announced that it would begin flagging articles that had been deemed false or fake, with the assistance of fact-checking organizations.

Facebook discovered the Russian connection as part of an investigation that began this spring looking at purchasers of politically-motivated ads, according to people familiar with the inquiry. It found that 3,300 ads had digital footprints that led to the Russian company.

Facebook teams then discovered 470 suspicious and likely fraudulent Facebook accounts and pages that it believes operated out of Russia, had links to the company and were involved in promoting the ads.

A Facebook official said "there is evidence that some of the accounts are linked to a troll farm in St. Petersburg, referred to as the Internet Research Agency, though we have no way to independently confirm." The official declined to release any of the ads it traced to Russian companies or entities.

"Our data policy and federal law limit our ability to share user data and content, so we won't be releasing any ads," the official said. The official added that the ads "were directed at people on Facebook who had expressed interest in subjects explored on those pages, such as LGBT community, black social issues, the Second Amendment, and immigration."

Clint Watts, a former FBI agent who has studied Russian online influence campaigns, said Wednesday that Facebook's report served as "validation" for findings by him and his researchers, who he said had spotted what they believed to be Russians posing as Americans to press political messages on Facebook as early as 2015.

He said his analysis showed that Facebook ads in 2015 were largely concerned with divisive social messages and were used to identify other Facebook users most susceptible to messaging. Those users were then targeted with election-oriented ads in 2016, he said.

"We had these suspicions, but we could never see who was purchasing the accounts," said Watts, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute. "Facebook's being brave. They probably could have buried this, and they did the right thing by coming forward."

Stamos, the Facebook security chief, said the company is committed to continuing to protect the integrity of its site and improve its ability to track fraudulent accounts. He said Facebook has shut down the accounts that remained active.

"We know we have to stay vigilant to keep ahead of people who try to misuse our platform," he said.

Earlier this year, Facebook announced technology improvements to detect fake accounts and more recently announced it would no longer allow Facebook pages to advertise if they have a pattern of sharing false news stories. Over the past few months, Stamos said, the company has also taken action to block fake accounts tied to election meddling in France and Germany.

The Internet Research Agency has received attention in the past for its activity.

In 2013, hackers released internal company documents showing it employed 600 people across Russia. Ex-employees who have gone public with their experiences at the company in Internet postings and in media interviews have said their work entailed creating fake Twitter and Facebook accounts and using them to circulate pro-Kremlin propaganda. They said Internet Research Agency employees, for instance, spread derogatory information about Putin critic Boris Nemtsov in the days after his 2015 murder.

In 2015, the New York Times Magazine reported that social media accounts linked to the Internet Research Agency had launched social media campaigns in the United States, including a sophisticated hoax that spread false news of a chemical leak in Louisiana in 2014, apparently to sow chaos and fear.

In its unclassified report in January, the U.S. intelligence community concluded that the Internet Research Agency's "likely financier" is a "close Putin ally with ties to Russian intelligence."

In May, Time Magazine reported that U.S. intelligence officials had discovered evidence that Russian agents had purchased ads on Facebook to target specific populations with propaganda. A Facebook spokesman told the magazine that the company had no evidence of such buys.

Under federal law and Federal Election Commission regulations, both foreign nationals and foreign governments are prohibited from making contributions or spending money to influence a federal, state or local election in the United States. The ban includes independent expenditures made in connection with an election.

Those banned from such spending include foreign citizens, foreign governments, foreign political parties, foreign corporations, foreign associations and foreign partnerships, according to the FEC. (Permanent residents who hold green cards, however, are not considered foreign nationals.) Violators face civil penalties, as well as criminal prosecution, if they are found to have knowingly broken the law.

- - -

The Washington Post's Andrew Roth, Alice Crites, Matea Gold and Ashley Parker contributed to this report.
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AUSTIN  Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has tapped John Sharp, the chancellor of Texas A&M University, to oversee state and local rebuilding efforts after Hurricane Harvey, which devastated coastal areas from Corpus Christi to Beaumont.

Abbott announced Thursday that Sharp will head the newly formed Governors Commission to Rebuild Texas, coordinating resources and assisting local officials as they reconstruct damaged public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and buildings.

I have a simple charge for Commissioner Sharp, and that is to rebuild Texas ahead of schedule, under budget and with a friendly smile of constant consumer service, Abbott said, sitting side by side with Sharp at a news conference outside the governors office here.

The job  which may last years  is not a paid position, and Sharp doesnt plan to step down as university chancellor. His contract at the school was recently extended until 2023, with an annual salary of $900,000.

Sharp made light of questions about how he will juggle the two responsibilities.

You only work 10-12 hours a day right now. Theres 24 hours in a day, you quit dozing off for 12 hours, he said.

Abbott said he picked Sharp, a Democrat, for a number of reasons, including his experience working within government, as a former lawmaker, state railroad commissioner and Texas comptroller, his familiarity with the affected region and his ability to cut through red tape.

Sharp grew up not far from Victoria, near where Harvey initially made landfall. He later represented the region as a state representative and then a state senator, where his district spanned from Rockport to Fort Bend County.

The road to recovery is going to be long, but Texans are a tough breed, Sharp said. We will rebuild Texas, and we will build it even better than it was before.

The total cleanup costs from Harvey arent yet known, but Abbott has estimated that damage from the storm could top $150 billion.

The commission wont be getting any new money; its funding will come from state agencies involved, including the Transportation, Public Safety, Education, and Health and Human Services departments, among others.

An assistance center will be set up at A&M headquarters in College Station and will be staffed by engineering and construction experts from the university.

Abbott said the initiative will have no additional out-of-pocket costs for the state.

The goal is to be a point of contact for local officials because they know best what the needs of their local constituents are, Abbott said. The commission will provide support for rebuilding infrastructure damaged by Harvey, including schools, courthouses, roads and bridges.

Restoration of private homes will be handled separately by the Federal Emergency Management Agency. The federal government is picking up the tab for much of the recovery effort, at least within the first 30 days, when the costs for mosquito spray and debris removal will be covered by Washington in full.

The U.S. Senate voted overwhelmingly Thursday for an initial $15.25 billion in storm aid, doubling a relief package passed by the House a day earlier.

Abbott sought Sharps help with the commission about a week ago.

He called me, Sharp said. I was minding my own business.

Sharp has been similarly tapped by past governors; former Gov. Rick Perry drew on Sharp to head a panel that recommended a business tax approved in 2006.

The commissions work began Thursday, when Abbott and Sharp embarked on a multiday tour of damage and flooding along the coast that includes meetings with local officials in affected areas.

amorris@express-news.net
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WASHINGTON - Republicans in Congress signaled Wednesday that legislation protecting young undocumented immigrants from deportation wont get passed any time soon and will require border security provisions to win the needed votes.

On the day after President Donald Trumps decision to cancel the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, House Speaker Paul Ryan said Congress will spend the next months hashing out an immigration compromise that includes lawful permanent residence for undocumented people brought here as children.

Its only reasonable and fitting that we also address the root cause of the problem, which is borders that are not significantly controlled, while we address this very real and very human problem that is right in front of us, Ryan, R-Wisconsin, told reporters.

Ryan said he would not call for a vote unless Trump supports the legislation.

In ending the program shielding nearly 800,000 young people from deportation, Trump gave Congress six months to find a legal solution before rescinding their protected status.

Trump said he would revisit the issue of Congress fails to find a solution, but on Wednesday offered no specifics.

Speaking to reporters while flying to an event in North Dakota, the president said he believes Congress wants to take care of this situation. I really believe it  even very conservative members of Congress. Ive seen it firsthand. If they dont, were going to see what were going to do.

Texas Sen. John Cornyn, No. 2 Republican in the Senate, announced that the Senate Judiciary Committee will take up issues related to DACA next week. But Cornyn made clear that any fix must be accompanied by provisions.

Cornyn, author of a bill calling for a broad, new border strategy, said it would be a mistake for Congress not to do more to regain the publics confidence when it comes to border security and enforcement of the law.

Speaking to reporters he added: Were the most generous country in the world when it comes to legal immigration. But we need to restore the rule of law, and we need to start at the border. and the security of the border.

Republicans are expected to demand provisions in DACA replacement legislation that could include funding for the border wall and a controversial proposal that would slash legal immigration by half under a point system that determines eligibility by benefits applicants provide the country.

Meanwhile, Democrats stepped up their push to avoid negotiations and vote immediately on a bill called the Dream Act. The legislation, short for Development, Relief, and Education for Alien Minors, would grant conditional permanent resident status for people who have been in the United States for at least four years and were 17 or younger when they arrived  if they met several requirements

Those requirements include admission to college or graduation from high school or the equivalent and the absence of a criminal record involving serious matters.

The conditional basis of the permanent resident status could be removed for people achieving a bachelors degree, completing at least two years of military service or remaining employed for at least three years.

U.S. Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ilinois, chief sponsor of the Dream Act, said Wednesday that he is heartened by what he called a resolve not just by the Dreamers but the members of Congress of both political parties. He has several GOP co-sponsors but said he remains short of the 60 votes needed to overcome a Senate filibuster.

Speaking to reporters, Durbin raised the possibility of attaching the DACA fix to critical legislation.

We believe there will be opportunities ahead of us in the remaining 90 days, must-pass bills. Thats an important part of what were doing, he said.

The Dream Act was among topics in the White House meeting between Democratic leaders and the president that produced an agreement to raise the debt ceiling and keep the government funded through Dec. 15.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said afterward that protecting the so-called Dreamers is not a trade-off for us. This is a very important issue that were going to fight hard for it until we get it done.

U.S. Rep. Joaquin Castro, D-San Antonio, stood with Schumer and Durbin at a rally Wednesday to protest Trumps DACA order. As a leader of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, Castro will play a key role in engineering support for legislation protecting DACA recipients.

The most powerful movements in American history have not come from the top and not come from people in politics but have come from ordinary Americans who have changed this country for the better, Castro said at the gathering.

Its going to take us being out on the streets, in our churches, in our workplaces, Americans speaking out and letting politicians know how they feel, he said.

blambrecht@express-news.net
Immigration officials this week deported a man to Mexico who is wanted on allegations that he participated in an infamous massacre carried out near the Texas border by the Zetas drug cartel.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement deported Juan Rafael Arredondo Oviedo, 27, Tuesday at one of the international bridges in Laredo. Arredondo is wanted on aggravated kidnapping charges in the state of Coahuila, which borders Texas from just west of Laredo to the Big Bend.

Known as El Cubano, Arredondo is accused of helping the Zetas round up dozens of people who were killed in March 2011 in the town of Allende, which is near the border city of Piedras Negras. According to state prosecutors, 28 people were killed in what has become known as the Allende Massacre. According to testimony in U.S. federal courtrooms, as many as 300 people were killed over several days across the region.

In the trial last year of Marciano Millan Vasquez in San Antonio, Zetas members and associates described a years-long reign of terror by the Zetas in the Piedras Negras area, including the 2011 massacre when family members and associates of several traffickers-turned-informants were kidnapped and executed. A judge earlier this year sentenced Millan to seven consecutive life sentences.

The killings associated with the Allende Massacer continued for years, and Arredondo is accused of a kidnapping related to the Zetas retaliation against the informants in March 2012.

Arredondo was arrested in 2015 on a domestic battery charge in Illinois and transferred to ICE custody, according to a news release from the agency.

After his deportation to Mexico, he was taken to the jail in Piedras Negras, according to the Coahuila state prosecutors office. That jail was also a focus of testimony in Millans trial. Witnesses described it as being completely under the control of the Zetas. The gang took their kidnapping victims to the jail and destroyed their bodies there, according to the testimony.

The state has said its investigating a series of murders in the jail and has launched an aggressive campaign against the Zetas in Piedras Negras, raising concerns by human rights groups that overzealous policing tactics have resulted in extrajudicial killings.

jbuch@express-news.net

Twitter: @jlbuch
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Not yet numbed by lifes betrayals, a child can sometimes see to the heart of a matter.

On Tuesday, not long after President Donald Trump dispatched his attorney general to inform the nation that he was rescinding the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, I broke the news to my 9-year-old son, Gavriel.

I explained that when Barack Obama was president, he allowed some undocumented immigrants to stay and work here without fear of immediate deportation. These immigrants had come to America when they were children, many of them brought here by their parents. Now, Trump was ordering an end to the program, making these people eligible for deportation.

Hes not playing fair, Gavriel said. Thats just a metaphor.

It might be a metaphor, but its a perfectly fine one to describe what Trumps decision represents: a shabby con job on Americas DREAMers.

Before Tuesday, Trump had repeatedly declared his love for the absolutely incredible kids protected by DACA, immigrants who, for the past five years, have been building their lives and careers in the country in which they were raised.

Were going to show great heart, Trump said in February.

As recently as last week, he said, We love the DREAMers. We love everybody. Thank you very much.

Just a few days later, rather than great heart, Trump has shown that he most definitely does not love the DREAMers. As such, he revealed himself not only as a flip-flopper, but also as a con artist: by definition, someone who doesnt play fair.

More than a year ago, Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game, conjured Trump to describe the thin line that separates liars from confidence men.

Underlying almost any con is the desire for power  for control over other peoples lives, she wrote. That power can take the form of reputation, adulation, or the thrill of knowing oneself to be orchestrator of others fates  of being a sort of minigod.

Another thing that differentiates con artists from ordinary liars is their nuanced and targeted use of flattery, Konnikova added. Confidence men know that the best way to achieve their desires is to tell people what they want to hear rather than what is true.

Padded with flattery, Trumps lie that he loves the DREAMers because theyre incredible kids must have sounded true to DACA recipients especially because it fit the mold of what America already had promised them.

Since Obamas executive order establishing DACA five years ago, even many Republicans have shied from punishing this class of immigrants, acknowledging they were brought here through no fault of their own and are contributing to the nation.

Gabriella Murillo-Diaz, 20, is among the 800,000 victims of Trumps latest con.

At the age of 3, Murillo-Diaz was brought to America from Chihuahua, Mexico, by her parents. At 15, she became a DACA recipient. Now, shes a junior at St. Marys University, majoring in political science.

For those of us who did receive DACA, we felt as if we were going to have the opportunity to have a different future, Murillo-Diaz told me. Now, were reverting back to what we thought at first.

Thats the perverse core of Trumps con: Hes not only breaking his own promise to treat DREAMers with great heart, hes also breaking Americas promise.

That must have been what my son meant when he said the president wasnt playing fair.

And this is how Trump plays with children.

I can imagine the president, like a minigod, addressing a disappointed DACA recipient in the same way he might speak to a defrauded graduate of Trump University: Thats life, kid.

Yes, life is full of betrayals. It pains me to tell my son, though, that now you cant trust America.

bchasnoff@express-news.net
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The city and county plan to offer $8.8 million in tax and other incentives to a local financial company to move its headquarters and nearly 500 jobs to Broadway next to the Pearl.

City documents identify the company only as a financial institution, and city and county officials declined to share more information, citing a non-disclosure agreement. As part of the deal, the company would retain 435 jobs and create another 50, according to the agenda for the Friday meeting of the Midtown Tax Increment Reinvestment Zone, whose board members will vote on a proposed incentive package for the company.

If it happens, it would be a significant development for the inner city, said Bexar County Judge Nelson Wolff, who declined to name the company. It will bring a lot of jobs.

District 1 City Councilman Roberto Trevino said the project, referred to in city documents as Project Hominum, will set a particular example for the kind of business and the type of development wed like to see up and down Broadway.

The headquarters would be at 1803 Broadway, where Pearl developer Silver Ventures has received approval from the citys Historic and Design Review Commission for an office and retail project with a 10-story tower and a six-story tower.

According to the Midtown TIRZ agenda, a $113 million development would be constructed with 310,000 square feet of space and 958 parking spaces. It will include $7 million in public improvements to nearby streets, drainage and power and data infrastructure. Its unclear whether Silver Ventures or the company would build the structure.

The company would be the biggest holder of office space at the Pearl, spokeswoman Elizabeth Fauerso said, declining to offer more details.

The project is intended to create a sort of central tent post for the redevelopment of Broadway, she said. The building is a big next step in increasing the density of that area as a business destrict.

Representatives of Frost Bank and USAA said their companies werent considering moving their headquarters to the site.

The city has proposed offering up to $5.2 million in tax abatements and a $1.5 million tax rebate for the project, but the total value of both incentives would be capped at about $5.8 million, according to the agenda.

The county is proposing a ten-year tax abatement worth a total of just under $3 million, the agenda states.

Express-News reporter Patrick Danner contributed to this report.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
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San Antonios historic commission decided on Wednesday to take more time to consider a controversial plan for an apartment complex in Dignowity Hill due to concerns over its impact on the iconic Hays Street Bridge.

After nearly 20 local residents spoke against the complex, members of the Historic and Design Review Commission said they want to visit the proposed site to understand how the complex would look next to the bridge. It should receive extra scrutiny for being close to a landmark, they said.

We really need to understand the height of the building in relation to the height of the bridge, commission member Daniel Lazarine said.

A partnership between developer Mitch Meyer and Alamo Beer Co. owner Eugene Simor wants to build a 148-unit complex and a restaurant just north of the city-owned bridge. An agreement that Simor reached years ago with the city would allow the restaurant to have tables on the bridge itself.

Simor has said the complex would bring relatively affordable housing to Dignowity Hill, where home prices are rising fast due to an influx of new residents. The units would be small, about 500 square feet each, and would have rents under $1,000, he told the Express-News earlier this week.

Ignacio Aliaga, the design architect for the complex, pointed out at Wednesdays meeting that it will be 67 feet away from the bridge.

But many Dignowity residents and supporters of the bridge worry that the complex, at 803 N. Cherry St., would block views of the landmark, which has become popular among joggers, cyclists and yoga practioners. They also said the projects placement of a garage facing Cherry Street would be unsightly.

The Dignowity Hill Neighborhood Association sent a letter of opposition to the project to the HDRC on Tuesday evening, the associations president Brian Dillard said.

Opponents spent nearly an hour telling the HDRC about their fond memories traversing the bridge in their childhood and their concerns that it is a developers dream, but the publics nightmare, as Gary Houston, a member of the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group, put it.

The bridge is an incredible asset for all of San Antonio, local lawyer Amy Kastely said. Through this series of actions over time, the city and the developer, Alamo Beer, have basically tried to throw away this asset, tried to block it up, tried to cover it with walls.

The site of the proposed complex is the subject of an ongoing lawsuit between the Hays Street Bridge Restoration Group and the city of San Antonio. The group sued the city in 2012 to prevent it from selling the land to Alamo Beer Co., saying the sale violated the terms of a 2002 memorandum of understanding that the group says required the land to be made into a park.

After the 4th Court of Appeals sided with the city in March, the group appealed the ruling to the Texas Supreme Court.

Some Dignowity residents said they would accept a smaller development on the property, but Simor said he isnt open to compromise.

Some advocates for the bridge want the city to create a viewshed ordinance that would restrict the height of buildings in the surrounding area, similar to the ones that have been created around San Antonios missions. An online petition, with 1,215 local signatures and 14,595 overall, asks the city to create the viewshed, prohibit the bridges exclusive use by businesses and install public restrooms nearby.

rwebner@express-news.net

@rwebner
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After a difficult three-month crossing of the Atlantic in the cramped hold of a Navy ship, the peculiar beasts of burden acquired by the U.S. Army overseas for use on the harsh frontier finally made landfall in Texas on March 14, 1856.

As an observer noted with amazement, the normally implacable North African camels reacted euphorically to setting foot in the New World.

On being landed and feeling solid earth beneath them, they became excited to an almost uncontrollable degree, rearing, kicking, crying out, breaking halter, tearing up pickets, and by other fantastic tricks demonstrating their enjoyment of the liberty of the soil, wrote Major Henry C. Wayne.

Some of the males became pugnacious and with difficulty (were) restrained from attacking each other, he added, noting that the soldiers assigned to manage them were fearful of their charges.

The 34 camels unloaded that day at Indianola, east of Victoria, followed later by another shipment of 41, were part of a military experiment to see if the renowned ship of the desert could help tame the vast, forboding American Southwest.

Eventually, several hundred camels, both one-humped dromedaries and two-humped bactrians, were brought to America by both the military and private citizens, for use as in sometimes brutal environs that neither mules and horses could long endure.

And even though the military camels eventually won the extravagant praise of Army officers after lengthy field trials, including a 1,200-mile desert march from Texas to California, in a few years, the experiment was over.

Championed by Secretary of War Jefferson Davis, later the leader of the Confederacy, the camel project was doomed by cultural objections, Army politics and the outbreak of the Civil War in 1861.

The camel had his fair trial as a beast of burden. He succeeded at every test, but in the end he failed to impress the Westerner, wrote historian Frank Bishop Lammons in a lengthy essay.

He passed on, and his bones bleached on the desert wastes of Arizona and in the Bandera Hills. Operation Camel passed into history because the camel was a foreigner. He did not belong, was Lammons conclusion.

But none of that was foreseeable in 1856 when that first contingent of camels led by their brightly garbed Arab and Turkish handlers disembarked in Indianola, a coastal town later obliterated by a hurricane.

People crowded the docks to see the strange animals imported from across the sea, most of them getting their first glimpse ever of a beast about which previously they had only read, wrote Odie B. Faulk in The U.S. Camel Corps: An Army Experiment.

The camels had the opposite effect on horses and mules, causing instant panic at first sight or smell, and requiring a rider to go ahead of the procession to warn travelers. As the camels made the slow march inland to Victoria and then on San Antonio, it was like a circus passing through town.

After reaching their destination, they were initially kept at San Pedro Springs, north of downtown, but were later moved to Camp Verde, some 50 miles to the west.

There a huge stone camel barn was built, replicating those used in the Middle East, and the U.S. Army got down to the business of figuring out what the camels could do.

In their first test, of bringing loads of oats back from San Antonio, the camels hauled twice as much grain in less time than mule teams pulling wagons.

In subsequent, far more grueling tests, they also showed their mettle, as being hardier and more reliable than mules. The camel experiment culminated with a 1,200-mile surveying expedition to California in the summer of 1857.

As the mission that included 25 camels, horses, mules and soldiers moved slowly westward in the summer heat, uncertainty about the camels was steadily put to rest. They not only carried more cargo than the mules, they ate native plants instead of oats and required little water.

It was also noted that their two-toed feet with soft pads seemed impervious to a rocky landscape that not even dogs could endure.

By the time the expedition reached the Colorado River in October, all doubts about their worth had been extinguished.

My admiration for the camels increases daily with my experience with them. The harder they are put to the test, the more fully they seem to justify all that can be said of them. They pack water for others four days under a hot sun and never get a drop; they pack heavy burdents of corn and oats for months, and never get a grain; and on bitter greasewood and other worthless shrubs they not only subsist, but keep fat, wrote Edward Beale, the leader of the expedition.

Without the aid of this noble and useful brute, many hardships which we have been spared would have fallen to our lot; and our admiration for them has increased day by day, concluded Beale, adding I believe at this time I may speak for every man in our party, when I say that there is not one of them who would not prefer the most insignificant of our camels to four of our best mules.

But despite their sucess in field trials of the Southwest, enthusiasm for the foreign beasts remained lukewarm elsewhere.

In San Antonio, the new commanding officer, Gen. David Twiggs, was astonished and perturbed to learn that he had camels under his charge, and declared his preference for mules. Bills and wages went unpaid for months at Camp Verde, as no one wanted to take responsibility for the project.

In Washington D.C., some in the War Department continued to push for expansion of a camels corps on the frontier.

As a measure of economy and efficiency, I cannot too strongly recommend the purchase of a full supply, concluded Secretary of War John B. Floyd in 1859.

But with the election of Abraham Lincoln as president in 1860, and rumblings of secession in the slave-holding south, far more serious matters loomed. The camel experiment quickly faded to irrelevance.

The unequivocal end came on March 7, 1861, when the federal troops at Camp Verde surrendered to the Confederates, leaving all supplies, equipment and livestock behind as they rode to San Antonio.

T. Paul, a leader of the Confederates who took Verde, recorded the event for posterity.

We took possession of the fort, the stores, ammunition, 12 mules, 80 camels and two Egyptian drivers for all of which I had to give receipt. The camels had been purchased in Egypt by the U.S. Government for transport across the prairies in the dry season and answered very well, he wrote in an account found in Old Camp Verde, The Home of the Camels, by J. Marvin Hunter.

They were very little trouble as far as the females were concerned but some of the males were the mischief, especially an old gentleman they christened The Major. He was evidently possessed by Sharitan and bit and fought like a demon; but we chained him to a strong picket post, and peace reigned in the camel corral, wrote Paul.

Eventually, the army camels were sold off as beasts of burden, with some used to haul cotton to Brownsville, the only open port in the Confederacy. After the defeat of the South, Camp Verde was reopened by the U.S. Army in 1866, but without any camels.

For decades afterward, wild feral camels turned up in remote corners of the Southwest, with sightings reported into the 20th Century.

Now, thanks to one man, more than a century and a half later, camels can again be seen at work with uniformed soldiers. After being bitten by the camel bug more than two decades ago, Doug Baum, 49, a former zoo keeper, has revived the Texas Camels Corps to tell their charming story.

Camels are aloof, and they are certainly smarter than a horse, but not as smart as a dog. Within the first week, I fell in love, he said of his long-running camel romance.

Baum now stages historical re-enactments and camel treks around the Southwest, always with a solid dose of history. And, he says, the failure of the original army experiment was not the fault of the camels.

It was politics more than performance that doomed the camels. Hands down, they performed. What was there to fail? If youve got stuff to carry, camels carry stuff. Theyve been doing it for 5,000 years, he said.

But the camels were branded as Jefferson Daviss camel experiment, and five years later war breaks out. If he had put a man on the moon, the government would have scrapped NASA just because of his involvement, he said.
The steers are all owner-bred and have had all the work done meaning they are ready to go out in the paddock and grow.
Arguably the best speakers were those who got up and said, I buggered it up a few times when I first started, or, I just took my time getting the machinery I wanted and I gradually evolved into it.
With limited resources and a drive to be efficient, creative and innovative, the work ute has been creatively converted to carry more than 2000 seedlings for delivery  twice the number it could previously carry and so has halved delivery trips.
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A pregnant woman has been banned from a restaurant for showing her baby bump.

Woman's ban

Charisha Raylee Gobin was looking forward to tucking into a tasty feast at Buzz Inn Steakhouse, but her good mood soon changed when a waitress asked her to leave the venue because she was flashing too much flesh as her swelling stomach was visible.

And the female was booted out of the eatery because her outfit did not adhere to the company policy ''no shoes, no shirt, no service''.

Charisha - who is seven months pregnant with twins - told Kiro 7: ''The waitress/bartender stopped us and said, 'I'm sorry, you can't be here in that shirt.' I said, 'Are you being serious with me right now?' And she said, 'Yep, you can't be here.'

''Just because my belly was bigger and sticking out. But had it been anyone else, I don't think there would've been any problem whatsoever. I was livid. There was no way I was going to stay there.''

The Buzz Inn Steakhouse have since apologised for the ''misunderstanding'', but have the policy in place to ensure all of their diners feel ''comfortable''.

They released a statement, which read: ''We sincerely apologize for the misunderstanding and will cover with all staff as to how to not overly enforce a rule that is intended to make all guests feel comfortable.''
A new form of traffic control has unnerved drivers.

Traffic control

The Iver Parish Council has shared images of the new system that has been put in place for almost 6,000 near to Slough to prevent motorists from speeding and to make them aware children are in the vicinity.

The new model has startled passers by because the bollards take the shape of mock primary school children, named Billy and Belinda, who stare at drivers with a blank expression

On the communities Facebook page, they wrote: ''Anything that we can do to raise driver awareness that there's a school in the vicinity and young children on foot is a good thing!

Both infant and junior schools have had Billy & Belinda bollards installed over the weekend by Bucks County Council, funding was secured by The Ivers Parish Council and the project has been driven by your County Councillor Luisa Sullivan. (sic).''

However, the initiative has caused a lot of controversy as some people have found the infant bollards haunting, and some fear they are more likely to crash if they catch a glance of the ''super creepy'' mannequins.

Conor McGinn told The Mirror Online: ''If I was a driver they would scare me into crashing, super creepy.''
A year ago I was travelling up north and listened to two lovely elderly women chatting about a mutual friend who had been an idle woman in the war.

Milly Adams

It seemed more than just a mean remark because it was said with such jollity. Well, into the fray I had to barge.

It transpired that Idle Women was an ironic term for those wartime women who were recruited onto a scheme to work cargo carrying narrowboats and their towed butties (engineless narrowboats) along our inland waterways, from Limehouse Basin to Birmingham to help the war effort. But why Idle Women?

Inland Waterway badges were awarded on completion of training, the initials IW leading to the misnomer. We had such a laugh.

My fellow passengers talked on, I listened. I knew nothing about these idle women who had to be not only robust, but willing to endure hardship day after day, just as did the boaters, those families who traditionally worked the narrowboats. It wasnt just the steering, but the lock-wheeling, the injuries, the weather conditions, the dreaded bucket, because there were no toilet facilities in the tiny cabins.

They toiled between Londons Limehouse Basin and Tyseley Wharf in Birmingham. To get there, endless flights of locks had to be worked, in order for the boats (length 70 ft) to climb and descend the terrain. There were three women to each pair of boats. Two to steer, one to roar along the towpath to prepare the locks ahead of the boats arrival. They took turns to lugg open the gates, closing or opening the sluices, and so on, and so on. Day after day they did this, whatever the weather; breaking the ice in winter, shielding eyes as the sun beat off the roof of the tiny 9 by 6 cabin at the back end of each boat in which the women lived.

On the return run from Birmingham, having delivered their load, the women would head off down The Bottom Road, a private canal that the Inland Waterways officials deemed must be used. Sadly because this canal was antiquated, the butty could not be towed by the motorboat through the locks and the short pounds (the stretch of water between the locks) because it would tax the banks. So instead the remaining two robust Idle Women bow hauled the butty like the horses of old, along the soot drenched mucky towpath, for interminable hours until they reached the Coventry coalfields where they were loaded with coal.

Blisters, bruises, cuts, exhaustion were the absolute order of the day but sometimes canal-side pubs broke the hardship.

And what of the traditional boaters? If the new women proved their worth they were accepted, and helped but if they didnt, they were not.

I was as fascinated by the traditional boaters as I was by the waterway girls. I researched this hardworking illiterate culture at the same time as the waterway girls. How could you acquire even literacy skills at school when you were never in one place for more than a night? How could you keep your children safe on these movable homes? I found that often one couldnt. How could you acquire painting and craft skills? Well, they did.

I loved all of them, the new women and the traditional: their mutual stoicism, their unsung courage, the melding together of the two cultures, the romances which occurred, the things these new women learned from the experience.

Thanks to my chance meeting with the lovely women I met on the train it had to be written about. It was. I hope the homage is sufficient.

The Waterway Girls by Milly Adams is published by Arrow on 7th September 2017
Anna Faris never "bought into" the idea that Chris Pratt had to be her best friend.

Anna Faris

The 'Mom' star - who split from the 'Jurassic World' actor after eight years of marriage - has confessed she didn't believe in the idea that her husband had to be her best friend as well as her partner.

She shared: "I was once told that I didn't need a tight group of girlfriends because Chris should be my best friend. But I never bought that. The idea of your mate being your best friend - it's overhyped. I really believe that your partner serves one purpose and each friend serves another."

And the 40-year-old actress - who has five-year-old son Jack with Chris - admits she sought the "approval" of guys when she was younger but now realises she was just "selling her own gender down the river" in doing so.

In an adapted essay from her book 'Unqualified', as published in Cosmopolitan magazine, she added: "Back then, I thought that having the approval of my stoner guy friends was go greater value than having the approval of beautiful blonde sorority girls, so I touted my male friends as if my association with them spoke to how cool I really was

"I was selling my own gender down the river and I wasn't even getting any fulfillment from the relationships with those dudes. The truth of why I didn't have girlfriends probably had nothing to do with my being a guys' girl and everything to do with the fact that I was angry and jealous and unduly proud of the guys I was hanging out with."
Donald Sutherland is to receive an honorary Oscar.

Donald Sutherland

The 82-year-old has starred in a number of successful movies such as 'The Dirty Dozen', 'Invasion of the Body Snatchers', 'A Time To Kill' and 'Eye of the Needle' and most recently he appeared in 'The Hunger Games' franchise as President Snow. Despite his extensive filmography Donald has never been nominated for an Academy Award.

However, the board of Governors of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences have decided to finally honour the actor for his incredible contributions to cinema.

The Academy's new president John Bailey told The Hollywood Reporter: "Early in my career, I was the cinematographer on 'Ordinary People', and I remember when the nominations came out, I was shocked that Donald hadn't gotten one - and I've been shocked many times since then. When you look at the incredible variety of his work and the breadth of directors that he's worked with and he's never been nominated."

Donald joins writer-and-director Charles Burnett, cinematographer Owen Roizman and director Agnes Varda who will all be presented with an honorary Oscar at the Governors Awards in November.

John continued: "It was incredibly appropriate for Donald to be honoured, as it was, for very different reasons for Charles Burnett, a director who has operated under the radar for decades, but who has been very influential - not just for African-American filmmakers, but for independent filmmakers, and he's still very active."

Charles is best known for his dramatization of African-American life in his 1997 debut feature 'Killer of Sheep' and has since worked on a number of documentaries including 'American Becoming' and 'Nat Turner: A Troublesome Property'.

Cinematographer Owen has contributed to a number of Oscar-nominated movies including 'The Exorcist' and 'Tootsie'.

Although Agnes is a fan favourite among the international film community, the Belgium filmmaker has produced a number of documentaries most recently 'Faces Places' which debuted at the Telluride Film Festival.

The honorary award is given "to honour extraordinary distinction in lifetime achievement, exceptional contributions to the state of motion picture art and sciences, or for outstanding service to the Academy."
Kylie Jenner is set to donate $500,000 to Teen Cancer America charity.

Kylie Jenner (c) Instagram

The 20-year-old television personality has announced on social media she will be handing over the whopping sum, which has been raised from the sales of her beauty brand Kylie Cosmetics' birthday Collection that launched last month, to the organisation.

The raven-haired beauty shared an image of a note she had penned to share the news of her generous offering.

It read: "Hi guys, I wanted to say a huge THANK YOU to everyone for helping me raise money for Teen Cancer America.

"I am donating $500,000 from sales of my birthday collection and this donation will help improve the lives of teens and young adults with cancer. Thank you all for helping me make a difference."

The beauty mogul captioned the post, which was uploaded on her Instagram account: "Thank you @teencanceramerica, @harryhudson, and of course YOU guys for helping me celebrate my birthday in such an impactful way! (sic)."

This news comes after Kylie posted a video of her with Teen Cancer America ambassador Harry Hudson, which saw her announce she would be making a donation to the charity in due course, although she had yet to confirm an amount.

The 'Keeping Up With the Kardashians' star has not only supported Teen Cancer America charity through her company, but has previously donated proceeds raised from her cosmetics company to Smile Train, which is a company that provides infants with cleft palates reparative surgery and treatment.

And Kylie has recently travelled to Peru to visit those suffering with the condition, and although she was told she has helped 13,000 people she still found the trip "heartbreaking".

Speaking on a new episode of her spin-off show 'Life of Kylie', she said: "It's amazing to know that the money that I'm donating is actually doing something and changing lives. But it is heartbreaking to know that there are so many people who just don't have the resources."
Florida-based Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has opened a cotton sustainability challenge, where researchers and innovators can propose solutions to improve crop production on earth by sending their concepts to the International Space Station (ISS) US National Laboratory. The challenge runs from September 5 to November 1.Sponsored by Target Corporation, the challenge aims at finding find breakthrough sustainable solutions that can be affordably implemented to benefit cotton producers. Selected proposals will receive grant funding through Target Corporation and ultimately manifested for flight to the ISS National Lab, says a recent CASIS press release.

Florida-based Centre for the Advancement of Science in Space (CASIS) has opened a cotton sustainability challenge, where researchers and innovators can propose solutions to improve crop production on earth by sending their concepts to the International Space Station (ISS) US National Laboratory. The challenge runs from September 5 to November 1.#

The concept topics may include fluid dynamics, fluid flow, cotton or plant germination, different cultivars of cotton genetics, water uptake and gene expression. Data generated from the selected research experiments will be offered in the public domain. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Negotiations between Rwanda and the United States to review the US African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) to ensure continued duty-free access of Rwandan commodities to the US market are at an advanced stage. Rwanda Development Board chief executive officer Emmanuel Hategeka said they want to ensure the country is not locked out of the trade window.As Rwanda and other East African Community (EAC) states decided to phase out and eventually ban import of second hand clothes, the United States conducted an out-of-cycle review on the eligibility of Rwanda under AGOA in July this year.

Negotiations between Rwanda and the United States to review the US African Growth and Opportunities Act (AGOA) to ensure continued duty-free access of Rwandan commodities to the US market are at an advanced stage. Rwanda Development Board chief executive officer Emmanuel Hategeka said they want to ensure the country is not locked out of the trade window.#

The EAC decision was aimed at backing the textile industry in the region and preserving the dignity of the east African citizens, according to a report in a Rwandan newspaper. Rwanda had last year increased taxes on used clothes from $0.2 to $2.5 per kilogram.Exports from the three EAC nations  Rwanda, Tanzania and Uganda  through the AGOA was $43 million in 2016, whereas US exports into the three nations was $281 million. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
Asias premier fashion event Centrestage has opened in Hong Kong featuring more than 210 fashion brands from 22 countries and regions and about 40 fashion events, including a gala fashion show, Centrestage Elites. The event is laced with some 20 fashion shows, designer sharing sessions, an industry forum, trend forecast seminars and networking activities.The four-day event which began on September 6, is organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC).

Asia's premier fashion event Centrestage has opened in Hong Kong featuring more than 210 fashion brands from 22 countries and regions and about 40 fashion events, including a gala fashion show, Centrestage Elites. The event is laced with some 20 fashion shows, designer sharing sessions, an industry forum, trend forecast seminars and networking activities.#

Centrestage debuted in last year as a new promotion and launch platform for international, especially Asian fashion brands and designs, reaffirming Hong Kongs position as Asias fashion capital. Under the theme Nouveau Playhouse, this years Centrestage, which is one of the celebration activities of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of the HKSAR, features three thematic zones: Glam, Allure and Metro.Exhibiting fashion brands include those from the Chinese mainland, Taiwan, Australia, France, India, Italy, Japan, Korea, Sweden, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States. Overseas brands include Barbara Di Davide- I Cashmere, CHENG PAI CHENG, Edward Achour, Glamorous, IVAN Pettersson, Keepsake, Lunnapada, N12H and Zero Design. Numerous local brands are also taking part in the show, including anagram, Angus Tsui, Harrison Wong, izzue and Yi-ming.The HKTDC is organising 34 buying missions for the show, bringing buyers from more than 1,000 companies from 25 countries and regions, including Galeries Lafayette from France, Andreas Murkudis from Germany, Shinsegae from Korea, Isetan from Japan, select shops DONGLIANG and AnyShopStyle from the Chinese mainland and Breeze Centre from Taiwan, along with local retailers such as Lane Crawford, Harvey Nichols, D-mop, DFS, and Club 21.Some 20 fashion shows are being organised during Centrestage, including Fashionally Collection #10, presented by online fashion hub Fashionally. The show spotlights 10 up-and-coming local fashion designers collaborating to showcase Hong Kongs design prowess.The Fashion Hong Kong Runway Show showcases the 2018 pre-spring and spring/summer collections of six local brands: Harrison Wong (designer: Harrison Wong), KENAXLEUNG (designer: Kenax Leung), Loom Loop (designer: Polly Ho), DORISKATH (designer: Doris Kath Chan), Maison Vermillion (designer: Dora Chu), and HOUSE OF V (designer: Vickie Au).Another highlight is the finals of The Hong Kong Young Fashion Designers Contest 2017 (YDC). Over the years, the YDC has identified many outstanding designers for the local fashion industry and nurtured numerous Hong Kong designer brands. This year, 15 shortlisted young fashion designers are competing for the top three awards, the Best Footwear Design Award and the newly established New Talent Award. The VIP judge of the year is Mug, founder and designer of popular Japanese fashion brand G.V.G.V.The event features the grand final show of the EcoChic Design Award 2017 staged by NGO Redress. Knitwear Symphony 2017 and the seventh Hong Kong Young Knitwear Designers Contest are other attractions of the gala event. More local design talent is to be be uncovered at The Hong Kong Footwear Design Competition, organised by the Federation of Hong Kong Footwear and co-organised by the HKTDC.The HKTDC has also invited experts from WGSN, Pantone and Fashion Snoops to forecast the coming years fashion and retail trends at the Fashion Summit (HK) 2017. The summit focuses on fashion sustainability and Zero Impact. (SV)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
South Africas clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) sector is concerned over the negative impact of the lower rating of the nation by global rating agencies as the debt downgrades will raise the cost of borrowing for workers, businesses and the government. It will reduce government spending on CTFL support measures and on investments by businesses.The Southern African Clothing and Textile Workers Union (SACTWU), the National Union of Leather and Allied Workers (NULAW) and other employer associations are organizing a two-day conference in Durban on September 6-7 to understand the impact of the downgrades and develop measures to mitigate its impact.

South Africa's clothing, textile, footwear and leather (CTFL) sector is concerned over the negative impact of the lower rating of the nation by global rating agencies as the debt downgrades will raise the cost of borrowing for workers, businesses and the government. It will reduce government spending on CTFL support measures and on investments by businesses.#

As the countrys stagnant economy has already caused the CFTL sector to lose more jobs, CFTL associations are concerned that the downgrades could lead to increased factory closures and retrenchments, adding to the misery of South Africas poor and unemployed, according to a SACTWU press release.Discussion papers commissioned from Wits Universitys Corporate Strategic Industrial Development (CSID) research programme and the Industrial Development Corporation (IDC) will be presented at the conference. (DS)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation from Netherlands, has announced Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex programme and ToxServices Full Materials Disclosure (ToxFMD) programme as the first accepted certification standards, which are indicators of chemical formulations conforming to ZDHCs Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) v 1.1.Chemical products with the Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex certification and ToxFMD programme are now listed on ZDHC Gateways Chemical Module as level 1 conformers to ZDHCs MRSL conformance guidance.

The Zero Discharge of Hazardous Chemicals (ZDHC) Foundation from Netherlands, has announced Eco Passport by Oeko-Tex programme and ToxServices Full Materials Disclosure (ToxFMD) programme as the first accepted certification standards, which are indicators of chemical formulations conforming to ZDHC's Manufacturing Restricted Substances List (MRSL) v 1.1.#

To accelerate the global impact of ZDHCs Roadmap 2020 programme the organisation has decided in a very early stage not to start its own certification system for MRSL conformant chemistry but instead to leverage existing certification as indicators of ZDHC MRSL conformance.The ZDHC MRSL conformance levels range from 0 to 3. Higher conformance levels are expected to reflect a higher confidence that a chemical product meets the ZDHC MRSL conformance levels, and therefore a lower probability of any ZDHC MRSL substances being present in the certified chemical product.ZDHC executive director Frank Michel said, Were pleased to have the two certification standards on board. Not only will Eco Passport and ToxFMD certify chemical formulations to be level 1 indicating conformance to the ZDHC MRSL, but the formulations will also be directly verified and officially ranked within the ZDHC Gateway  Chemical Module. These new standards will help us tremendously to work towards our goal and support the industry by sourcing safer chemicals.With 25 years of experience, Oeko-Tex empowers and enables consumers and companies to protect our planet by providing standardised solutions which optimise customers manufacturing processes and help deliver high quality, more sustainable products.ToxServices LLC is a global consultancy dedicated to provide science-based consulting services designed to protect and improve upon the health of humans and the environment. It consists of toxicologists, chemists, and environmental scientists that work with clients to identify safer and sustainable ways to formulate chemicals, products, and materials. (GK)

Fibre2Fashion News Desk  India
NEW YORK and SHANGHAI, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The largest deal-sourcing investment platform in the world takes a big step forward with major expansion into the Chinese market

BankerBay, the leading investment banking platform that connects qualified and vetted corporate deals with institutional providers of capital around the world, announced the opening of the company's new office in Shanghai, China and the appointment of Pin Li, a seasoned executive in the Chinese capital markets, as the CEO of BankerBay's operations in China.

(Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/552584/BankerBay_Logo.jpg )

"We're very excited to open our platform to active participation by Chinese investors and businesses," said Romesh Jayawickrama, CEO and Founder of BankerBay. "Providing an outlet for the huge Chinese appetite for external investment is a vital step in enabling BankerBay to fulfill its mission as the premier global platform for private investment."

Founded in Singapore in 2014, BankerBay's deal platform has undergone phenomenal growth in the last 18 months, emerging as the leading private investment platform worldwide. Focused on middle market investment opportunities, with deals in size between $10 and $200 million, BankerBay has seen the volume of deal flow activity surge in recent months, reaching the level in excess of $25 billion in new deal flow per month, comprised of between 600 and 700 new deals, from 145 countries.

"I am thrilled to be part of this effort to bring BankerBay to the Chinese market," said Pin Li, "With it's powerful algorithm and well-established investment platform, BankerBay provides an invaluable tool for Chinese enterprises and high-net-worth individuals that are looking to access a huge new set of opportunities for global private investment."

In order to support widescale use of the platform in China, the BankerBay website is being launched in Mandarin and the company's social media footprint is being expanded to support WeChat, which is the dominant communications tool in the Chinese market. "We are adapting BankerBay to China so that it is positioned to play a vital role serving as a bridge between Chinese capital and the global marketplace," as Pin Li explains. "Even before the official launch of our Chinese language website, BankerBay has been receiving extensive interest from some of the largest financial institutions in China."

Pin Li comes to her new role as CEO of BankerBay China with broad range of financial, commercial and management experience over the course of her career, equally adept in Asian and western markets. Most recently she served as Head of Capital Markets in China for GE Capital, where she had general management responsibility for establishing and maintaining the firm's capital markets platform.

BankerBay's Shanghai operation is its fifth office worldwide, adding to its headquarters in New York and sales and operation centers in Bangalore, Singapore and London. Reflecting the company's global approach, BankerBay currently lists a total of $160 billion of private investment opportunities, which are distributed fairly evenly across major markets around the world, spanning developed and developing markets alike.

BankerBay uses a combination of sophisticated algorithms and human-assist curation (run by an experienced team of investment banking analysts) to make the most appropriate buyside-sellside matches for its subscribers, thereby helping to remove the barriers of time, geography and cost that separate investors from discovering new global opportunities.Members remain anonymous until the final introductions are made, after which the parties continue with their traditional deal-making process, while BankerBay transaction managers oversee the deal through the arc of its life.

For more information, visitBankerBay or BankerBay China

For any press queries or interview requests, please contact:

In China:

Pin Li

pin.li@bankerbay.com



In Asia (other than China):

Pranav Shah

pranav.shah@bankerbay.com



In the U.S. and Europe:

Joe Lamport

joseph.lamport@bankerbay.com



Or email pr@bankerbay.com


SINGAPORE -- (Marketwired) -- 09/06/17 -- Adyen, the payments platform of choice for the world's leading companies, today announced an expansion of its current payment processing offerings in Singapore via a direct credit card acquiring license for Visa and MasterCard. This extends Adyen's full stack solution to Singapore, enabling businesses to process transactions and increase opportunities for improved revenue and richer data insights. Merchants also benefit from Adyen's on-the-ground expertise, including optimization of local market conditions, ensuring merchants increase opportunities for conversions.

"Adyen was founded on a vision that optimizing the payment cycle would lead to greater benefits for merchants and end customers. Our direct credit card acquiring capability makes it possible for our customers to benefit from the best acceptance and authorization rates. By owning the entire value chain, Adyen eliminates the need to run payments across multiple third party platforms. We are better equipped to help Singapore-based businesses achieve complete control of their payment process -- optimizing revenue, creating a better customer experience and helping companies deal with issues more quickly and efficiently," said Warren HAYASHI, President, Adyen, Asia-Pacific.

"We work closely with Adyen for our payment process. Now, with the expansion of Adyen's service offerings to include direct acquiring, we are presented with an end-to-end perspective on the payment flow. The new offering will allow us to make tremendous improvements in terms of speed and control which in turn will lead us to make more data-driven enhancements to the overall payment experience as we rapidly expand and acquire new customers," said Chen Chow YEOH, Co-Founder of Fave.

Asia Pacific is a key market for Adyen, with Adyen expanding its regional hub in Singapore and welcoming customers such as Grab, Sephora and Redmart. With businesses focused on looking for solutions that can help them take advantage of retail opportunities in the region, Adyen's solutions continue to attract the attention of merchants and investors. This year, Adyen welcomed fast-growing brands like Fave and oBike into the Adyen family of customers.

Adyen also offers local direct acquiring in Europe, the USA, Brazil, Hong Kong and Australia. For more information, please refer to https://www.adyen.com/our-solution/global-acquiring.

About Adyen

Adyen is the payments platform of choice for the world's leading companies. The only provider of a modern end-to-end infrastructure connecting directly to Visa, MasterCard, and consumers' globally preferred payment methods, Adyen delivers frictionless payments across online, mobile, and in-store. With offices all around the world, Adyen serves more than 4,500 businesses, including 8 of the 10 largest U.S. Internet companies. Customers include Facebook, Uber, Netflix, Spotify, L'Oreal and Burberry.

Press Contacts



Wei Wei Chua

Email Contact

+65 9833 2654



Melissa Jaswal

Email Contact

+65 9837 3746



Pui-San Wong

Adyen

Email Contact

+65 3158 5065




CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Tuesday. The Australian dollar fell to a 5-day low of 0.7998 against the U.S. dollar and a 6-day low of 0.9693 against the Canadian dollar, from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.8026 and 0.9720, respectively. Against the euro and the yen, the aussie dropped to 1.4940 and 87.48 from yesterday's closing quotes of 1.4885 and 87.81, respectively. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 0.78 against the greenback, 0.95 against the loonie, 1.51 against the euro and 89.00 against the yen. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
BRUSSELS (dpa-AFX) - Cabinet office is set to release preliminary Japan leading economic indicator data for July at 12:00 am ET Thursday. The leading index is expected to show a score of 105.1, down from 105.9 in June. Ahead of the data, the yen held steady against its major rivals. As of 12:55 am ET, the yen was trading at 130.03 against the euro, 142.27 against the pound, 114.01 the Swiss franc and 109.04 against the U.S. dollar. 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.
KELOWNA, BRITISH COLUMBIA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/10/17 -- FISSION URANIUM CORP. (TSX: FCU)(OTCQX: FCUUF)(FRANKFURT: 2FU) ("Fission" or "the Company") is pleased to announce the assay results from its final holes from the summer 2017 program that were drilled on the land-based, shallow, high-grade R1515W zone, where drilling has intersected wide, high-grade mineralization at its' PLS property in Canada's Athabasca Basin region. The holes include 3 completed holes and 1 hole abandoned due to operational problems with the drill hole. Of particular note are the assays from hole PLS17-566 (line 1545W), located 2.3km west of the Triple R Deposit's central part of the R780E zone, which intersected 95.0m of total composite mineralization, including intervals such as 4.50m @ 5.27% U3O8 and 3.50m @ 3.64% U3O8 in 35.0m @ 1.80% U3O8 and 8.0m @ 2.38% U3O8 in 25.0m @ 0.93% U3O8.

The nature of mineralization of the R1515W zone, including multiple stacked lenses and wide lateral widths, shows encouraging similarities to the R780E - the primary zone of the Triple R deposit. As reported in the NI 43-101 PEA report dated September 14, 2015, the Triple R hosts mineral resources of 81.1M lbs @ 1.83% U3O8 (indicated) in 2.01M tonnes and 28.1M lbs @ 1.56% U3O8 (inferred) in 0.82M tonnes at a cut-off grade of 0.2% U3O8 within the pit boundary and at an incremental underground cut-off grade of 0.25% U3O8.

Assay Highlights Include:

PLS17-566 (line 1545W): key intervals

-- 25.0m @ 0.93% U3O8 (128.0m to 153.0m), including: -- 8.0m @ 2.38% U3O8 (140.5m to 148.5m) -- 21.50m @ 0.86% U3O8 (155.5m to 177.0m), including: -- 4.0m @ 3.67% U3O8 (167.0m to 171.0m) -- 35.0m @ 1.80% U3O8 (214.5m to 249.5m), including: -- 4.5m @ 5.27% U3O8 (219.5m to 224.0m), and -- 3.5m @ 3.64% U3O8 (240.5m to 244.0m)

Ross McElroy, President, COO, and Chief Geologist for Fission, commented

"These final Summer assays from the new land-based R1515W zone, 2.3km west of the Triple R deposit's central R780E zone, once again highlight the zone's potential for wide, high-grade mineralization at shallow depth. We consider this zone and the targets identified further west, to be important areas of focus going forward and we're looking forward to the further exploration."

Table 1: R1515W Zone - Composited Mineralized Intervals from Drill Holes

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Grid Interval U3O8 Zone Hole ID Line Az Dip From (m) To (m) (m) (wt%) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- R1515W Hole abandoned - No anomalous PLS17-565 1575W 323 -79.6 mineralization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLS17-566 1545W 325 -78.4 109.50 112.50 3.00 0.06 116.00 117.50 1.50 0.09 128.00 153.00 25.00 0.93 140.50 148.50 8.00 2.38 155.50 177.00 21.50 0.86 167.00 171.00 4.00 3.67 199.00 202.00 3.00 0.19 210.50 211.00 0.50 0.12 214.50 249.50 35.00 1.80 219.50 224.00 4.50 5.27 240.50 244.00 3.50 3.64 256.00 257.00 1.00 0.18 263.00 267.50 4.50 0.13 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLS17-567 1575W 320 -80.0 No anomalous mineralization ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- PLS17-568 1545W 325 -78.4 149.00 149.50 0.50 0.06 159.50 160.00 0.50 0.13 169.00 169.50 0.50 0.12 172.00 174.00 2.00 0.13 194.50 197.50 3.00 0.21 217.50 221.00 3.50 0.06 278.00 278.50 0.50 0.21 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- Composite Parameters 1. Minimum Thickness: 0.50m 2. Grade Cut-Off: 0.05 U3O8 (wt%) 3. Maximum Internal Dilution: 2.00m

Composited % U3O8 mineralized intervals are summarized in Table 1. Samples from the drill core are split in half sections on site. Where possible, samples are standardized at 0.5m down-hole intervals. One-half of the split sample is sent to SRC Geoanalytical Laboratories (an SCC ISO/IEC 17025: 2005 Accredited Facility) in Saskatoon, SK for analysis which includes U3O8 (wt %) and fire assay for gold, while the other half remains on site for reference. All analysis includes a 63 element ICP-OES, uranium by fluorimetry and boron. Individual zone wireframe models constructed from assay data and used in the resource estimate indicate that both the R780E and R00E zones have a complex geometry controlled by and parallel to steeply south-dipping lithological boundaries as well as a preferential sub-horizontal orientation. Similar geometrical relationships appear to be the case with the R840W, R1620E and R1515W zones as well. All depth measurements reported, including sample and interval widths are down-hole, core interval measurements and true thickness are yet to be determined.

PLS Mineralized Trend & Triple R Deposit Summary

Uranium mineralization at PLS occurs within the Patterson Lake Conductive Corridor and has been traced by core drilling approximately 3.18km of east-west strike length in five separated mineralized "zones". From west to east, these zones are: R1515W, R840W, R00E, R780E and R1620E. Thus far only the R00E and R780E have been included in the Triple R deposit resource estimate, where-as the R840W and R1620E zones and the recent addition of the R1515W zone, fall outside of the current resource estimate window.

The discovery hole of what is now referred to as the Triple R uranium deposit was announced on November 05, 2012 with drill hole PLS12-022, from what is considered part of the R00E zone. Through successful exploration programs completed to date, it has evolved into a large, near surface, basement hosted, structurally controlled high-grade uranium deposit.

The Triple R deposit consists of the R00E zone on the western side and the much larger R780E zone further on strike to the east. Within the deposit, the R00E and R780E zones have an overall combined strike length validated by a resource estimate of approximately 1.05km with the R00E measuring approximately 105m in strike length and the R780E zones measuring approximately 945m in strike length. A 225m gap separates the R00E zone to the west and the R780E zones to the east, though sporadic narrow, weakly mineralized intervals from drill holes within this gap suggest the potential for further significant mineralization in this area. The R780E zone is located beneath Patterson Lake which is approximately six metres deep in the area of the deposit. The entire Triple R deposit is covered by approximately 50m to 60m of overburden.

Mineralization remains open along strike in both the western and eastern directions. Basement rocks within the mineralized trend are identified primarily as mafic volcanic rocks with varying degrees of alteration. Mineralization is both located within and associated with mafic volcanic intrusives with varying degrees of silicification, metasomatic mineral assemblages and hydrothermal graphite. The graphitic sequences are, associated with the PL-3B basement Electro-Magnetic (EM) Conductor. The R840W zone, located 495m west along strike of the Triple R deposit, now has a defined strike length of 465m and is still open. The recent discovery of the high-grade R1515W zone located a further 510m to the west of the R840W zone, now has a defined strike length of 92m and is open in multiple directions. The R840W and R1515W zones have significantly upgraded the prospectivity for further growth on land to the west of the Triple R deposit within the Patterson Lake Corridor. The recently discovered high-grade mineralization in the R1620E zone, located 210m to the east along strike similarly has significantly upgraded the prospectivity for further growth of the PLS resource to the east of the Triple R deposit.

Updated maps and files can be found on the Company's website at http://fissionuranium.com/project/pls/.

Patterson Lake South Property

The 31,039 hectare PLS project is 100% owned and operated by Fission Uranium Corp. PLS is accessible by road with primary access from all-weather Highway 955, which runs north to the former Cluff Lake mine and passes through the nearby UEX-Areva Shea Creek discoveries located 50km to the north, currently under active exploration and development.

The technical information in this news release has been prepared in accordance with the Canadian regulatory requirements set out in National Instrument 43-101 and reviewed on behalf of the company by Ross McElroy, P.Geol., President and COO for Fission Uranium Corp., a qualified person.

About Fission Uranium Corp.

Fission Uranium Corp. is a Canadian based resource company specializing in the strategic exploration and development of the Patterson Lake South uranium property - host to the class-leading Triple R uranium deposit - and is headquartered in Kelowna, British Columbia. Fission's common shares are listed on the TSX Exchange under the symbol "FCU" and trade on the OTCQX marketplace in the U.S. under the symbol "FCUUF."

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Ross McElroy, President and COO

Cautionary Statement:

Certain information contained in this press release constitutes "forward-looking information", within the meaning of Canadian legislation. Generally, these forward-looking statements can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "plans", "expects" or "does not expect", "is expected", "budget", "scheduled", "estimates", "forecasts", "intends", "anticipates" or "does not anticipate", or "believes", or variations of such words and phrases or state that certain actions, events or results "may", "could", "would", "might" or "will be taken", "occur", "be achieved" or "has the potential to". Forward-looking statements contained in this press release may include statements regarding the future operating or financial performance of Fission and Fission Uranium which involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties which may not prove to be accurate. Actual results and outcomes may differ materially from what is expressed or forecasted in these forward-looking statements. Such statements are qualified in their entirety by the inherent risks and uncertainties surrounding future expectations. Among those factors which could cause actual results to differ materially are the following: market conditions and other risk factors listed from time to time in our reports filed with Canadian securities regulators on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company and Fission Uranium disclaim any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

Contacts:

Fission Uranium Corp.

Rich Matthews

Investor Relations

TF: 877-868-8140

rich@fissionuranium.com

www.fissionuranium.com




VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 7, 2017 / DIGATRADE FINANCIAL CORP (OTCQB: DIGAF) a digital asset exchange platform, blockchain development services and fintech advisory company today announced the execution of a development agreement with ANX International to integrate the Ethereum Coin "ETH" onto the Digatrade Exchange Platform. The functions included will be to enable withdraw and deposit functions and enable the trading pair Ether "ETH" to Bitcoin "BTC".

Ethereum is a decentralized platform that runs smart contracts: applications that run exactly as programmed without any possibility of downtime, censorship, fraud or third-party interference. These apps run on a custom built blockchain, an enormously powerful shared global infrastructure that can move value around and represent the ownership of property. This enables developers to create markets, store registries of debts or promises, move funds in accordance with instructions given long in the past (like a will or futures contract) and many other things that have not been invented yet, all without a middle man or counterparty risk. The project was bootstrapped via an ether pre-sale during August 2014 by fans all around the world. It is developed by the Ethereum Foundation, a Swiss non-profit, with contributions from great minds across the globe. Currently, ETH has an approximate market-capitalization of $31.28billion and a coin price of US$330, the growth of the value of the coin has risen over 3000% this year and over 180% in the last month.

In response to a possible Digatrade token release, the Company is currently reviewing with its legal advisors the regulatory and compliance framework recently published by the Canadian Securities Administrators (CSA) who on August 24, 2017 published CSA Staff Notice 46-307 Crypto-currency Offerings, which outlines how securities law requirements may apply to initial coin offerings (ICOs), initial token offerings (ITOs), cryptocurrency investment funds and the cryptocurrency exchanges trading these products.

The notice describes the factors CSA staff consider in assessing whether prospectus, registration and marketplace requirements apply. It also outlines how the CSA can help fintech businesses contemplating such offerings and summarizes key issues that businesses should be prepared to discuss with CSA staff.

"The technology behind cryptocurrency offerings has the potential to generate new capital raising opportunities for businesses and we welcome this type of innovation," said Louis Morisset, CSA Chair and President and CEO of the Autorite des marches financiers. "Given the growing activity in this novel area, we are publishing guidance to help fintech businesses understand what obligations may apply under securities laws.

Brad Moynes, CEO of Digatrade stated "In response to an influx of inquiries, if Digatrade were to offer an ICO or token release (subject to regulatory guidelines) to its community as part of a broader digital corporate finance model; the Etheruem "ETH" smart contract would be an efficient mechanism to govern and operate the process and as a result will be listed on the Digatrade Exchange."

Additional information will be provided as it materializes.

ABOUT ANX INTERNATIONAL:

ANX International is a FinTech (Financial Technology) company that helps clients harness the advantages of blockchain technology. ANX offers blockchain solutions, next commerce solutions as well as payment solutions with managed services to suit client's needs. With extensive experience in technology and financial services ANX is the largest blockchain solution provider in the global market. The ANX brand has been widely featured in 300+ worldwide press and hosts over 1million users worldwide and processes over 100m transactions every year.

ABOUT DIGATRADE:

DIGATRADE is a global digital asset exchange and blockchain development services company located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Company is owned and operated 100% by Digatrade Financial Corp which is publically listed on the OTC.QB under the trading symbol DIGAF. DIGAF is a reporting issuer in the Province of British Columbia, Canada with the British Columbia Securities Commission "BCSC" and in the United States with the Securities Exchange Commission "SEC". Digatrade operates as a registered Money Service Business "MSB" in Canada with FINTAC under Registration Number: M15954395.

CORPORATE CONTACT INFORMATION:

Digatrade Financial Corp

1500 West Georgia Street, 1300

Vancouver, BC V6G-2Z6 Canada

Tel: +1(604) 200-0071

Fax: +1(604) 200-0072

www.digatrade.com

Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain "forward-looking information". All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or development that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future constitute forward-looking information. This forward-looking information reflects the current expectations or beliefs of the company based on information currently available to the Company. Forward-looking information is subject to a number of significant risks and uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking information, and even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on the Company. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, but are not limited to, the possibility of unanticipated costs and expenses. Any forward-looking information speaks only as of the date on which it is made and, except as may be required by applicable securities laws, the company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking information whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although the Company believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking information are reasonable, forward-looking information is not a guarantee of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such information due to the inherent uncertainty therein.

SOURCE: Digatrade Financial Corp
GGX Gold Drill Intercepts;

The COD Vein Greenwood BC

VANCOUVER, BC / ACCESSWIRE / September 7, 2017 / GGX Gold Corp. (TSX-V: GGX) (the "Company" or "GGX") is pleased to announce it has received analytical results for the second batch of drill core samples from the Phase I diamond drilling program at the Company's Gold Drop Project near Greewood, BC. GGX is currently exploring and defining the COD Vein, a Dentonia/Jewel style quartz vein, located in the Gold Drop Southwest Zone. Trenching during 2017 has exposed the northeast - southwest striking COD vein for over 160 meter strike length. The second batch of drill core samples returned significant gold and silver values including a broad intersection in hole COD17-14 (grading 4.59 g/t Gold and 38.64 g/t Silver over 16.03 meters with a high grade core grading 10.96 g/t Gold and 89.86 g/t Silver over 5.97 meters).

The Company had previously received analytical results for 68 trench channel samples. These samples returned anomalous to high grade values for gold, including high values of 43.2 g/t Gold and 224 g/t Silver (News release of July 26, 2017). The first batch of drill core samples for the COD Vein returned up to 24.1 g/t Gold and 192 g/t Silver (News release of Aug 28, 2017).

The Phase I drilling program aimed to delineate the COD Vein in the Gold Drop Southwest Zone from 5 pad locations along the North-south trench. The drilling tested the vein along 80 meters of strike length. The drilling commenced south of the C.O.D. mine shaft and progressed systematically to the north. The Phase I drilling totaled 15 holes (691 meters). The objective of the drilling was to determine depth and the dip of the vein exposed at surface and confirm gold and silver mineralization below the channel samples. Drilling to date has confirmed the vein to a vertical depth of 150 feet (46.36 meters), being open at depth.

Drill core is being geologically logged and sampled at the Greenwood facility. The core samples are sawn in half and stored in a secure location. Core samples are being delivered to the ALS Minerals laboratory in Vancouver to be analyzed for gold by Fire Assay - AA. The second batch of samples was also analyzed for 48 Elements by Four Acid and ICP-AES / ICP-MS. Quality control (QC) samples are inserted at regular intervals.

The analytical results listed below are from holes COD17-10 to COD17-14, testing the COD Vein. Since true widths cannot be accurately determined from the information available the core lengths (meters) are reported. The Gold, Silver grade is reported in grams per tonne (g/t). The intervals listed below are from the gold and silver bearing vein and adjacent low grade mineralized envelopes. The sampling also revealed other intervals with low grade gold (up to 0.4 g/t gold over 1 meter) in veining and / or host rock.



HOLE ID Core interval Length (m) Au g/t weighted average Ag g/t weighted average COD17-10 5.45 0.47 4.31 including 0.27 5.85 63.3 COD17-11 3.45 1.15 7.31 including 1.00 2.13 8.61 COD17-12 2.68 1.03 13.78 including 0.79 2.89 28.6 COD17-13 3.32 1.19 11.68 including 0.67 4.97 51.2 COD17-14 16.03 4.59 38.64 Including 5.97 10.96 89.86 including 0.56 38.4 339 including 0.60 24.5 257

Hole COD17-14 intersected a broader zone of veining and gold and silver mineralization grading 4.59 g/t Gold and 38.64 g/t Silver over 16.03 meter core length. Core intervals with the silver-grey mineral that was speculated to be the gold/silver telluride Calaverite have returned significant levels of gold and silver. The two higher grade samples from COD17-14 listed in the preceding table also returned higher tellurium values of 211 g/t (0.56 meters) 140 g/t (0.60 meters).

Quartz veins in COD17-14

Readers are warned that historical records referred to in this News Release have been examined but not verified by a qualified person. Further work is required to verify that historical assays referred to in this News Release are accurate.

David Martin, P.Geo., a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101, is responsible for the technical information contained in this News Release.

On Behalf of the Board of Directors,

Barry Brown, Director

604-488-3900

Investor Relations:

Mr. Jack Singh: 604-720-6598

E-mail: ir@ggxgold.com

"We don't have to do this, we get to do this" - The Crew

Forward Looking Information

This news release includes certain statements that constitute "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable securities law, including without limitation, the Company's information and statements regarding or inferring the future business, operations, financial performance, prospects, and other plans, intentions, expectations, estimates, and beliefs of the Company. Such statements include statements regarding the completion of the proposed transactions. Forward-looking statements address future events and conditions and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions. These statements relate to analyses and other information that are based on forecasts of future results, estimates of amounts not yet determinable and assumptions of management. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as "expects" or "does not expect," "is expected," "anticipates" or "does not anticipate," "plans," "estimates" or "intends," or stating that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved), and variations of such words, and similar expressions are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statement are necessarily based upon several factors that, if untrue, could cause the actual results, performances or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performances or achievements express or implied by such statements. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the price of gold and other metals, anticipated costs and the ability to achieve goals, and the Company will be able to obtain required licenses and permits. While such estimates and assumptions are considered reasonable by the management of the Company, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive and regulatory uncertainties and risks including that resource exploration and development is a speculative business; that environmental laws and regulations may become more onerous; that the Company may not be able to raise additional funds when necessary; fluctuating prices of metals; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Company's expectations; operating hazards and risks; and competition. There can be no assurance that economic resources will be discovered or developed at the Gold Drop Property. Accordingly, actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated in such statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward looking statements include continued availability of capital and financing and general economic, market or business conditions, the loss of key directors, employees, advisors or consultants, equipment failures, litigation, competition, fees charged by service providers and failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance or events and, accordingly are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements due to the inherent uncertainty of such statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date hereof and the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as expressly required by applicable securities legislation.

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.

SOURCE: GGX Gold Corp.
HELSINKI (dpa-AFX) - Finland's foreign trade deficit decreased in July from a year ago, as exports grew faster than imports, preliminary figures from Finland Customs Office showed Thursday. The trade deficit fell to EUR 300 million in July from EUR 334 million in the corresponding month of the previous year. Both the value of exports and imports surged by 20.0 percent and 17.0 percent, respectively in July from last year. Exports to EU countries grew 27.0 percent and those to non-EU countries by 10.0 percent. During the January to July period, total trade deficit of the country was EUR 1.2 billion versus EUR 1.5 billion deficit in the same period of 2016. 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.


CANBERA (dpa-AFX) - The Australian dollar weakened against other major currencies in the Asian session on Thursday, after data showed that the nation's retail sales and trade balance missed economists' expectation in July.



Data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics showed that the total value of retail sales in Australia came in roughly unchanged in July on a seasonally adjusted basis, standing at A$26.113 billion.



That was shy of expectations for an increase of 0.2 percent following the downwardly revised 0.2 percent gain in June.



Also, the ABS said that Australia posted a seasonally adjusted merchandise trade surplus of A$460 million in July, down 48 percent on month. That missed forecasts for a surplus of A$1.000 billion following the upwardly revised A$888 million surplus in June.



Exports were down 2.0 percent on month to A$321.071 billion, while imports sank 1.0 percent to A$30.611 billion.



In the Asian trading, the Australian dollar fell to 1.4936 against the euro and 87.07 against the yen, from yesterday's closing of 1.4891 and 87.33, respectively. If the aussie extends its downtrend, it is likely to find support around 1.51 against the euro and 85.00 against the yen.



Against the U.S. and the Canadian dollars, the aussie dropped to 0.7984 and 0.9764 from yesterday's closing quotes of 0.7998 and 0.9778, respectively. The aussie may test support near 0.77 against the greenback and 0.95 against the loonie.



The aussie edged down to 1.1070 against the NZ dollar, from an early 2-day high of 1.1125. On the downside, 1.09 is seen as the next support level for the kiwi.



Looking ahead, U.K. Halifax HPI for August and Eurozone GDP data for the second quarter are due to be released later in the day.



At 7.45 am ET, the ECB announces the outcome of its governing council meeting. The bank is expected to keep its refi rate at zero percent and the deposit rate at -0.4 percent.



The announcement will be followed by a press conference at 8.30 am ET. ECB Chief Mario Draghi is expected to design the groundwork for tapering.



In the New York session, U.S. weekly jobless claims for the week ended for September 2, Canada building permits for July, Canada Ivey PMI for August, and U.S. crude oil inventory data are slated for release.



Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
HONG KONG, CHINA -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- In a recent ruling, the U.S. District Court of Delaware ruled Trend Micro Incorporated (TYO: 4704) (TSE: 4704), a global leader in cybersecurity solutions, will be reimbursed part of its legal fees incurred during a recent patent legal dispute. This unusually positive outcome stemmed from Trend Micro's earlier victory in 2016, when the same court confirmed the invalidity of patents asserted against Trend Micro by Intellectual Ventures (IV).

"We are pleased to see our claims confirmed by U.S. District Judge Leonard P. Stark, and are relieved this case can be behind us," said Eva Chen, CEO for Trend Micro. "A system for protecting legitimate intellectual property rights is important to our industry, and seeing at least part of our expenses covered when that system has been abused reaffirms the importance of legitimacy in the technology space. This is an important ruling not only for Trend Micro, but also for the industry."

Trend Micro will be requesting more than $1 million in response to this ruling to compensate for legal fees incurred as a result of IV's conduct. "Unfortunately, professional patent plaintiffs sometimes engage in questionable conduct that drives up the cost of litigation for the value creating companies they target and may confuse the jury into returning a bad verdict," said Felix Sterling, Trend Micro's Chief Legal Officer. "Judge Stark clearly wants to deter that sort of conduct, and recognizes that compensation is appropriate in the sort of exceptional circumstances we experienced in this case."

IV initially sued Trend Micro for infringement of various claims of U.S. Patent Nos. 6,460,050 ('050) and 6,073,142 ('142), seeking $150 million. IV asserted two other patents, but Trend Micro was able to get the company to drop those patents because IV likely believed them to not be infringed or invalid. IV dropped one of those during the pendency of its patent ineligibility motion. The district court of Delaware declared the claims of the two remaining patents as patent-ineligible, including '050 and '142.

During the course of these proceedings, Trend Micro has been represented by a team lead by Yar R. Chaikovsky with his partners D. Stuart Bartow and Allan Soobert of Paul Hastings LLP.

For more information regarding the case, please see Intellectual Ventures I LLC v. Trend Micro Inc. et al., case number 1:10-cv-01067-LPS, residing in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit.

About Trend Micro

Trend Micro Incorporated, a global leader in cyber security solutions, helps to make the world safe for exchanging digital information. Our innovative solutions for consumers, businesses, and governments provide layered security for data centers, cloud environments, networks, and endpoints. All our products work together to seamlessly share threat intelligence and provide a connected threat defense with centralized visibility and control, enabling better, faster protection. With more than 5,000 employees in over 50 countries and the world's most advanced global threat intelligence, Trend Micro enables users to enjoy their digital lives safely. For more information, visit www.trendmicro.com.hk.

MEDIA CONTACT:

Claudius Lam

Trend Micro

+ 852 2866 4362 (Office)

+ 852 9022 0876 (Mobile)

Email Contact




Global publisher uses Datapipe's global expertise to expand its infrastructure to China and move infrastructure onto public cloud

Datapipe, a leader in managed cloud services for the enterprise, today announced that BMJ, a global healthcare knowledge provider, has used Datapipe's expertise to launch its hybrid multi-cloud environment and enter the Chinese market using Alibaba Cloud. The announcement follows last year's partnership in which BMJ implemented a DevOps culture and virtualised its IT infrastructure with Datapipe's private cloud.

In 2016, Datapipe announced it was named a global managed service provider (MSP) partner of Alibaba Cloud. Later that year, it was named Asia Pacific Managed Cloud Company of the Year by Frost Sullivan. BMJ opened a local Beijing office in 2015, and its attraction to engaging Datapipe's services at the outset was due to Datapipe's on-the-ground support in China and knowledge of the local Chinese market.

Sharon Cooper, BMJ's Chief Digital Officer, says, "We see the People's Republic of China as a key part of our growing international network. Therefore, we needed the technical expertise to be able to expand our services into China, and a partner to help us navigate the complex frameworks required to build services there. Datapipe, with its on-the-ground support in China and knowledge of the market has delivered local public-cloud infrastructure utilising Alibaba Cloud."

Last year, BMJ used Datapipe's expertise to move to a new, agile way of working. BMJ fully virtualised its infrastructure and automated its release cycle using Datapipe's private cloud environment. Now, it has implemented a hybrid multi-cloud solution using both AWS and Alibaba Cloud, fully realising the strategy it started working towards two years ago.

"It is exciting to be working with a company that has both a long, distinguished history and is also forward-thinking in embracing the cloud," said Tony Connor, Head of EMEA Marketing for Datapipe. "Datapipe partnered with Alibaba Cloud last year in order to better support our clients' global growth both in and out of China. We are delighted to continue to deliver for BMJ, building upon our private cloud foundations, and taking them to China with public cloud infrastructure through our relationship with AliCloud."

Alex Hooper, Head of Operations, BMJ, says: "We have now fully realised the strategy that we first mapped out two years ago, when we started our cloud journey. In the first year, we were able to fully virtualise our infrastructure using Datapipe's private cloud, and in the process, move to a new, agile way of working. In this second year, we have embraced public cloud and taken our services over to China."

Alex Hooper explains further: "Previously, we could only offer stand-alone software products in China, which are delivered on physical media and require quarterly updates to be installed by the end-user. With Datapipe's help, we now have the capability to offer BMJ's cloud-based services to Chinese businesses."

This has been made possible by utilising data centres located in China, using Alibaba Cloud, which links to BMJ's core infrastructure and gives BMJ all the benefits of public cloud infrastructure, but located within China to satisfy the requirements of the Chinese authorities.

Alex Hooper continues, "With Datapipe's help, it was surprisingly easy to run our services in China and link them to our core infrastructure here in the UK, Datapipe has done an exemplary job."

BMJ has seen extraordinary change in its time. Within its recent history, it has transitioned from traditional print media to becoming a digital content provider. With Datapipe's help it now has the infrastructure and culture in place to cement its position as a premier global digital publisher and educator.

Additional information on Datapipe's solutions for Alibaba Cloud can be found here: https://www.datapipe.com/cloud/alibaba-cloud

About Datapipe

A next generation MSP, Datapipe is recognised as the pioneer of managed services for public cloud platforms. Datapipe has unique expertise in architecting, migrating, managing and securing public cloud, private cloud, hybrid IT and traditional IT. The world's most trusted brands partner with Datapipe to optimise mission-critical and day-to-day enterprise IT operations, enabling them to transform, innovate, and scale. Backed by a global team of experienced professionals and world-class interconnected data centres, Datapipe provides comprehensive cloud, compliance, security, governance, automation and DevOps solutions. Gartner named Datapipe a leader in the 2017 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Public Cloud Infrastructure Managed Service Providers, Worldwide. For more information please visit the Datapipe website.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907005314/en/

Contacts:

for Datapipe

Tom Fry, 020 8819 3170

Datapipe@brightbee.co.uk
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.
BEIJING, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The 12th China ASEAN Exposition was opened in Nanning, Guangxi. CAEXPO TV business partner GHS channel once again participated in the CAEXPO following its first appearance, and it officially launched a brand promotion. Nearly 100 exhibitors from China and ASEAN involving food, home furnishings, kitchens, beauty and makeup, etc. took part in the brand promotion, hoping to further open the Chinese market.

GHS full-media retail platform wins favor from ASEAN exhibitors

GHS not only owns a standard TV shopping channel covering the whole country (China), but also runs an online mall, mobile shoppingapp and other new media, and it selects high-quality commodities throughout the world for consumers.

"GHS and CAEXPO have maintained a good relationship. This time, as CAEXPO's TV business partner, we also hope to use our full-media retail platform to introduce more ASEAN brands to domestic consumers," said___ of GHS.

In China's huge consumer market, the TV shopping channel is becoming the choice of many overseas brands to enter the Chinese market due to its strong market potential. "We are a foreign brand and not very famous in China, so we yearn for a platform like GHS which can both promote and sell products to help us enter the Chinese market," said ___ from Malaysia.

Relevant GHS head introduced the company to the exhibitors

GHS brand promotion attracts nearly 100 ASEAN exhibitors

To ensure that overseas enterprises successfully export commodities to theChinese market, GHS specifically developed a one-stop investment-inviting solution for ASEAN exhibitors. "We have a professionalmedia company which can help these overseas manufacturers to complete the localization strategy of brand packaging, and our trade company can also help them to expand sales channels," said ___,the head of investment-inviting & cooperation at GHS.

Prior to this, Xu Ningning, Executive President of China-ASEAN Business Council affirmed in an interview the role of full-media shopping enterprises like GHSat CAEXPO.

GHS also held an overseas investment-inviting conference in Seoul,Korea, and set up a cross-border trade platform in Korea- GHS Office in Korea, which is responsible for the development and introduction of Korean local commodities.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553058/Introduction_Of_Company.jpg
EQS Group-Ad-hoc: Nordea Bank AB (publ) / Key word(s): Miscellaneous The Nordea Bank AB (publ) Board of Directors initiates a re-domiciliation of the parent company to Finland - operations in all Nordic home markets remain unchanged 06-Sep-2017 / 17:45 CET/CEST Release of an ad hoc announcement pursuant to Art. 53 KR *The Nordea Bank AB (publ) Board of Directors initiates a re-domiciliation of the parent company to Finland - operations in all Nordic home markets remain unchanged* *At the Board meeting held on 6 September 2017, the Nordea Bank AB (publ) Board of Directors decided to initiate a re-domiciliation of the parent company from Sweden to Finland. All operations in the Nordic home markets will remain unchanged and there will be no change in our day-to-day operations from a customer perspective. Only a limited number of employees are expected to be affected and Nordea will continue to be a major tax payer in all four home markets. * Nordea's unique pan-Nordic and international structure has meant that existing national regulatory frameworks do not fully accommodate Nordea's operating model and recent strategic developments. Domiciling in a country that is participating in the banking union will mean that Nordea will be subject to the same regulatory framework as our European peers, with greater consistency of application and therefore more of a level playing field. - The Board's decision to initiate the re-domiciliation of the parent company to Finland is the outcome of six months of careful study and analysis of the competitive conditions and challenges facing Nordea. We see the move as an important strategic step in positioning Nordea on a par with its European peers. The level playing field and predictable regulatory environment offered by the banking union are, we believe, in the best interest of Nordea's customers, shareholders and employees, says Bjorn Wahlroos, chairman of the Board of Directors, Nordea Bank AB (publ). - We will continue to deliver value for all customers, as we will keep on working with the Nordic operating model in the same way as we do today. We remain relentlessly committed to all of our four home markets and look forward to continuing to create strong products and solutions for our customers and contribute to the Nordic societies and economies, says Casper von Koskull, President and Chief Executive Officer, Nordea Bank AB (publ). The resolution and deposit guarantee fees for 2018 are expected to increase by approximately EUR 60-200m compared to 2017 and for 2019 the fees are expected to be approximately EUR 60-150m higher compared to 2017. The final outcome is, among other things, depending on the exact timing of the re-domiciliation. Nordea expects that the net present value of resolution fees, deposit guarantees and other transitional effects will be positive by approximately EUR 1,000-1,100m. On the capital side, it is noted that there are different regulatory regimes as of now, but it is too early to have a view of how the total capital requirements for the Nordea Group will be affected by a re-domiciliation. Nordea intends to maintain its capital and dividend policy. The focus on maintaining Nordea's business model and AA rating will not be impacted. The Nordea share will remain listed on the stock exchanges of Stockholm, Helsinki and Copenhagen. The re-domiciliation is intended to be carried out by way of a downstream cross-border merger through which Nordea Bank AB (publ) will be merged into a newly established Finnish subsidiary. The merger is planned to be effected during the second half of 2018 and will be subject to e.g. the necessary regulatory approvals and the shareholders' approval at a general meeting. On the back of this decision Nordea will host a short telephone press briefing today Wednesday 6 September 2017 at 17.00-17.30 CET. Dial-in number: + 46 200 125 783. Meeting: ID 83570624. A press conference will be held on 7 September at 8.00 CET/9.00 EET in Helsinki at Nordea Campus, Aleksis Kiven katu 7. Registration starts at 7.30 CET/8:30 EET. For security reasons, a valid identity card will be required. To attend the press conference, please e-mail: kati.tommiska@nordea.com. Webcast URL: http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/2bxm7j3o [1] Conference call: *Participants* dial in on: Confirmation Code: *5199007* UK: +44(0)20 3427 1903 Sweden: +46(0)8 5065 3936 Denmark: +45 32 71 16 59 Finland: +358(0)9 6937 9590 Norway: +472350 0486 Nordea would also like to invite analysts and investors to a breakfast meeting in London on 7 September. Time: 9.00 CET/8.00 GMT Place: London Hilton on Park Lane, 22 Park Lane, London W1K 1BE, Argyll Suite. Heikki Ilkka, Group CFO, and Rodney Alfven, Head of Investor Relations, will participate. The breakfast meeting including a Q&A session is expected to last approximately one hour. To attend please contact: Carolina Brikho via e-mail: carolina.brikho@nordea.com. Dial-in options: +44(0) 20 3427 1913 or +46(0)8 5065 3937 or +1646 254 3365 or +4532 71 16 58 or +358(0)9 6937 9543, confirmation code 7667705, no later than 8.50 CET/7.50 GMT. After the conference an indexed on-demand replay will be available on www.nordea.com [2]. A replay will also be available until 14 September by dialling +44(0) 20 7660 0134 or +46(0)8 5199 3077, access code 7667705. *For further information:* Rodney Alfven, Head of Investor Relations, +46 72 235 05 15 Claes Eliasson, Acting Head of Group External Communications, +46 72 141 67 12 This information is information that Nordea Bank AB (publ) is obliged to make public pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication, through the agency of the contact person set out above, at 16.50 CET on 6 September 2017. Language: English Company: Nordea Bank AB (publ) Smalandsgatan 17 105 71 Stockholm Sweden ISIN: CH0284415681 Valor: A1Z2TU Listed: SIX Swiss Exchange End of Announcement EQS Group News Service 607425 06-Sep-2017 CET/CEST 1: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=e6917e90ff5e4f41aa73df9ee907a700&application_id=607425&site_id=vwd&application_name=news 2: http://public-cockpit.eqs.com/cgi-bin/fncls.ssp?fn=redirect&url=3e017b83219637ddf307566d23a530ec&application_id=607425&site_id=vwd&application_name=news

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

September 06, 2017 11:45 ET (15:45 GMT)
GHS Ranking the Top in the Industry in Two Growth Rates

BEIJING, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Under the guidance of State Administration of Press, Publication, Radio, Film and Television and Commerce Ministry of China, the annual conference of China's TV shopping industry themed "Quick Action, Universal Quality" was hosted by China Home Shopping Alliance and held by Global Home Shopping (GHS) in Beijing. Staff from more than 30 domestic TV shopping channels, various TV shopping partners and experts came to Beijing to communicate their up-to-date ideas in respect of the media retail industry with each other. At the awards ceremony, GHS received many rewards including the golden award for national channel special program, award for excellent visual packaging, and award for innovative marketing.

In China the industry is also facing big challenges. In the last year, GHS took the lead in entering the intelligent large screen TV shopping sector and expanded its channels through media convergence, forming an omni media layout. Currently, GHS has obtained more than 70% of the market share in the intelligent large screen sector.

As a rising young company in the TV shopping industry, it cost GHS only 4 years to develop into a level that may cost others a decade, and its enterprise and APP growth rates have ranked top in the industry. When asked about how could people reform the industry and make breakthroughs in the future, Jason Kong, the president of GHS said, "To solve bottlenecks and to transform and upgrade, it's necessary for the industry to transform from non-mainstream to mainstream. And to do so, the industry should focus on the market and practice under the guidance of innovation."

Meanwhile, the China's TV Shopping Industry White Paper and the Investigation Report on TV Shopping Consumers were issued in the ceremony. The former stated that, the industry's total sales accounted for less than 1% in total retail sales of consumer goods, demonstrating the industry still has a long way to go compared with mature overseas markets. The latter showed that consumers' recognition on TV shopping has changed and most of them think TV shopping is close to life,affordable and reliable. This change has greatly helped the industry rebuild its image and confidence.

Photo - https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553062/Chairman_of_GHS.jpg
Philip Wong, Vice President of Technical, Swissam Products Ltd, Movado Group Inc, reveals how his company decided to go into the smart watch business.



HKTDC Communication and Public Affairs Department Selina Fan Tel: +852 2584 4298 Email: selina.mi.fan@hktdc.org

HONG KONG, Sept 7, 2017 - (ACN Newswire) - Watchmakers who have established themselves in the global market for many years are being forced to re-evaluate their ideals and branding strategies while trying to embrace new technology posed by the growth of smart watches. These trends and technological developments were discussed on 6 September during the Asian Watch Conference at the HKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC).With the theme "Smart Movement in Time," the conference aimed to enlighten attendees on the impact of smart watches in the market and how traditional companies are rising to the challenge of manufacturing watches that cater to modern needs.Connecting devicesPhilip Wong, Vice President of Technical, Swissam Products Ltd, Movado Group Inc, said the smart watch revolution posed a major challenge for Movado, which was formed in 1881 and is known for its classic Museum Watch, launched in 1947.It was not until 2014 that Movado launched a smart watch, according to Mr Wong. "Movado was making luxury mechanical watches, and of course, analogue watches and we never thought that we would ever do smart watches."A question was brought up some years ago about the trend of smart devices in the watch industry. Is this an opportunity or do we just let it go? We did start to look at the market and we realised that, in our definition of a smart watch, it is something that could interact and connect with other devices, from a customer perspective and that is how we proceeded."Mr Wong said that Movado's move into the smart watch market was a bold one and that the company is now collaborating with Internet giant Google to enhance platforms that would benefit its customers.Combining expertiseSara Chung, Project Manager, Teamwork Automation Co Ltd, is the third generation of a family business based in the Chinese mainland's city of Shenzhen, known for its Taiwanese Taylor watch brand. The company has a long history in watch-making. She said that watchmakers are facing enormous pressure from the electronics industry that produces smart devices. But she added that the companies must stay faithful to their roots, which is to make watches, not electronic products.Ms Chung quoted her company's market research, which indicated that smart watch sales suffered a significant drop in 2016 after peaking in 2015 and that there was a 30 per cent abandonment rate in which customers stop using smart watches after a certain time."One of the reasons for the high abandonment rate is that customers actually buy the watch for its functions. The problem, however, is that technology always change and then you have to change the watch for the new functions. The lifespan of this product is short," said Ms Chung.However, she is confident that smart watches will thrive in the future, maybe involving technology that has yet to be developed."We think that smart watches of the future will develop a new type of movement. It will probably not even be called 'smart'. It might have a new definition."Added securityProtronix International is a Hong Kong-based manufacturer, exporter and retailer of timepieces that continues to make analogue watches enhanced with smart technology. Company CEO Malcolm Ong said that a major part of his company's success is its commitment to provide upgraded software and value-added customer service. He said one of the most important aspects of a smart watch is ensuring that apps are updated regularly."The maintenance of apps is one of the most important factors for success," said Mr Ong. "When a Samsung model was launched in December 2016, they then upgraded the model and the Android app was completely rewritten, so the watch you were using in 2016 doesn't work anymore because of the upgraded app. This is where our strength is."We buy new phones in the market on a monthly basis to make sure the app is updated. The second thing is customer service. Customers can call our service and we can guide you along to make sure the watch works and also use cloud service to update. A smart watch is not a smart watch unless the app is updated and we are very strong in that."Mr Ong said he expected future smart watch functionality to play an important role in security-related applications. "We will continue to cooperate with lots of different companies with security being one of the most important factors," said Mr Ong. "We will work with security companies on motion- sensor detectors, cameras for home and indoors, and other functions."If someone breaks into your home, it will be indicated in the watch and you can then go to your cell phone to find out exactly what is happening."Fair WebsitesHKTDC Hong Kong Watch & Clock Fair: www.hktdc.com/hkwatchfair5-9 September: Trade visitors aged 18 or above only (Free Admission)Salon de TE: www.hktdc.com/hkwatchfair/te9 September: Open to public visitors aged 12 or above (Free Admission)Photo Download: http://bit.ly/2xPQq9aFor Media:Media representatives wishing to cover the event may register on-site with their business cards and/or media identification.About HKTDCEstablished in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is a statutory body dedicated to creating opportunities for Hong Kong's businesses. With more than 40 offices globally, including 13 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China, Asia and the world. With 50 years of experience, the HKTDC organises international exhibitions, conferences and business missions to provide companies, particularly SMEs, with business opportunities on the mainland and in international markets, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and digital channels including the media room. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com/aboutus. Follow us on Google+, Twitter @hktdc, LinkedIn.- Google+: https://plus.google.com/+hktdc- Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/hktdc- LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/company/hong-kong-trade-development-councilSource: HKTDCContact:Copyright 2017 ACN Newswire . All rights reserved.
LAS VEGAS, NV -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Freedom Leaf, Inc. (OTCQB: FRLF) The Marijuana Legalization Company and WallStreet Research  launched their Joint venture at Los Angeles' Premium Investment Cannabis Event, the InvestorsHub / MJAC2017 on September 1st and 2nd.

Clifford J. Perry, Freedom Leaf co-founder and CEO explained, "The MJAC2017 was the perfect occasion to launch our new JV with Wall Street Research  and to meet with prospective investors, who were also very interested in our new ventures in Spain."

As previously announced, Freedom Leaf and Green Market Europe have signed a letter of intent for Freedom Leaf to acquire 100% of GME including its IP, projects and assets. Freedom Leaf has paid the cash stipulated in the contract as a deposit towards the full transaction, and the acquisition is expected to close as soon as the legal and accounting review is completed within the next 30 days. Freedom Leaf has agreed to support the expansion of GME with two additional growing operations internationally before the end of 2019 to take advantage of the skills and the potential of the GME staff.

See http://www.finanznachrichten.de/nachrichten-2017-08/41580940-green-market-europe-will-become-freedom-leaf-s-hemp-production-company-and-research-facilities-in-europe-major-product-developments-in-rare-cannabino-256.htm

"This transaction with GME was found, nurtured and arranged by Mr. Federico Pando, respectfully known to everyone as "Fede", the Managing Director of Freedom Leaf's licensee in Spain. He also arranged our acquisition of LaMarihuana.com, known as a world leading Spanish language cannabis portal, and it will offer many new opportunities for us through the Intellectual Property generated, as well as products and services offered to our wide network of clients," noted Perry. With its monthly unique visitors in excess of 1.5 million, it gives us a leg up on capturing the Worldwide Spanish speaking market.

Green Market Europe's facilities include a 21,000-sq. ft. light deprivation greenhouse that allows increasing the number of crops per year, a 43,000-sq. ft. greenhouse and indoor growing facility for Genetic research.

GME is strategically located in Elche, Alicante, an important Spanish business hub, with great year-round weather conditions for agricultural growing and it is also a traditional Hemp growing region.

GME has a current collaboration agreement with local University of Miguel Hernandez to grow and develop an EU certified Hemp strain with high cannabidiol (CBD) content that can easily grow in the local climate, and for researching better methods for growing hemp.

The company has also applied to become a licensed Cannabis producer in Spain under the supervision of Spanish authorities and compliant with International Narcotic laws, and is collaborating with two privately owned European companies for product development and global marketing to provide a variety of Freedom Leaf branded products with Rare Cannabinoids, CBG, (Cannabigerol) in addition to its popular CBD, Cannabidiol.

Luis Miguel Santos, Founder of GME commented, "We are thrilled to be a part of the Freedom Leaf group and expect to benefit from our mutual collaboration in both the near term and into the future. We are confident Green Market Europe is already a very technically advanced hemp producer in Spain, but being a part of Freedom Leaf will help us become a company with global reach, expand operations overseas and maximize our know how and expertise required in such a versatile plant."

The company is in negotiations to acquire participations in local $2M Food grade ethanol extraction plant that can extract up to 400 pounds of hemp fiber per batch, as well as from fruit and vegetable sources.

Consequently, the company also is also finalizing studies to produce either Freedom Leaf affiliated brands and/or white label CBD infused functional beverages such as water, beer, wine or pomegranate juice made in Europe and for potential licensed product development in North America.

About Freedom Leaf

Freedom Leaf, Inc., The Marijuana Legalization Company, is a fully reporting and audited, publicly traded company trading under the symbol (OTCQB: FRLF). Freedom Leaf, Inc. is a leading go-to resource in the cannabis, medical marijuana, and industrial hemp industry. It is involved in mergers and acquisitions and business consulting in the marijuana industry, including incubation/acceleration and spin offs of new marijuana/hemp related companies. Freedom Leaf, Inc.'s flagship publication is Freedom Leaf Magazine, "The Good News in Marijuana Reform". The company produces a portfolio of news, print and digital multi-media verticals, websites, blogs and web advertising, for the ever-changing emerging cannabis, medical marijuana and industrial hemp industry.

Freedom Leaf, Inc. does not handle, grow, sell, or dispense marijuana.

All of our European activities are in full compliance with relevant EU laws.

Investor relations information can be found on the FreedomLeafInc.com company website.

About WallStreet Research

Alan Stone & Company, LLC with its affiliate WallStreet Research provides a strategic approach to enhancing shareholder value and liquidity. WSR publishes and distributes corporate profiles, newsletters and in-depth research reports on emerging small-cap companies. WallStreet Research is ranked #1 on Google, Yahoo and Bing search engines.

(WSR) has also issued a research report on Freedom Leaf Read the WSR Freedom Leaf Research Report

Safe Harbor Statement

Statements in this press release that are not strictly historical are "forward-looking" statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements generally can be identified by phrases such as Freedom Leaf, Inc. or its management "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "foresees," "forecasts," "estimates" or other words or phrases of similar import. Similarly, statements herein that describe the Company's business strategy, outlook, objectives, plans, intentions or goals also are forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to differences include the uncertainty regarding viability and market acceptance of the Company's products and services, changes in relationships with third parties, and other factors described in the Company's most recent periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K dated June 30, 2016 and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Raymond Medeiros

PR and Business Development Director

Phone: 415-601-1974

Ray@FreedomLeaf.com

Freedom Leaf, Inc.

3571 East Sunset Road

Las Vegas, Nevada 89120




Visa (NYSE:V) announced today it has appointed Charlotte Hogg as the new executive vice president and chief executive officer for its European operations, effective October 1, 2017. Ms. Hogg will report to Visa's chief executive officer, Al Kelly, and Visa Europe Limited (VEL) board chairman, Gary Hoffman. Ms. Hogg will join the VEL board of directors and will also be a member of Visa's global executive committee.

Ms. Hogg brings more than 25 years of experience to Visa, in roles that span financial services, bank operations and management consulting. Ms. Hogg most recently served as chief operating officer for the Bank of England, from 2013 to 2017. Prior to that role, she led retail distribution for Santander in the UK and previously worked at Experian as the managing director of UK and Irish operations.

Earlier in her career, Ms. Hogg was a managing director for strategy and planning at Morgan Stanley, and a management consultant at McKinsey Company, based in the U.S. Ms. Hogg graduated from the University of Oxford with a Bachelor of Arts degree.

"After an extensive search, we are very pleased to have Charlotte lead our team in Europe," said Al Kelly, chief executive officer of Visa Inc. "Charlotte's depth of experience and outstanding accomplishments in the European financial services market will be a great addition to our global management team. She will lead the effort to expand our merchant and financial institution relationships, and capitalize on the tremendous growth opportunity in the European region."

"I'm honored and thrilled to be joining Visa at this time. Across Europe, as well as globally, the developments in digital and payments provide new opportunities for consumers, financial institutions and merchants," said Ms. Hogg. "It will be a privilege to work with colleagues across the globe to bring European clients the deep technological expertise and innovation for which Visa is known."

Ms. Hogg joins Visa at a pivotal time in its business and growth trajectory. Visa Inc. acquired Visa Europe Ltd. in June of 2016 to create a single global company, positioned to provide Visa's European clients with a more seamless experience and to assist them in gaining access to a greater range of payment capabilities, services and products.

"Visa is entering a very exciting chapter in its history, in which the company has a significant opportunity to harness new payment innovations, offer differentiated payments services and forge new partnerships. This will drive growth and deliver increased value to Visa's clients and their customers across the region," said Gary Hoffman, chairman of the board for Visa Europe Limited. "Ms. Hogg's long-standing relationships in European and global markets will be a tremendous asset that will undoubtedly accelerate our business and help us continue our strong track record of success."

About Visa Inc.

Visa Inc. (NYSE: V) is the world's leader in digital payments. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, reliable and secure payment network enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. Our advanced global processing network, VisaNet, provides secure and reliable payments around the world, and is capable of handling more than 65,000 transaction messages a second. The company's relentless focus on innovation is a catalyst for the rapid growth of connected commerce on any device, and a driving force behind the dream of a cashless future for everyone, everywhere. As the world moves from analog to digital, Visa is applying our brand, products, people, network and scale to reshape the future of commerce. For more information, visit usa.visa.com/aboutvisa, visacorporate.tumblr.com and @VisaNews.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907005797/en/

Contacts:

Visa Inc.

Media Relations:

Elvira Swanson (Europe), +44 20 7795 5336

europeanmedia@visa.com

Amanda Pires (Global), +1-650-445-8169

globalmedia@visa.com

or

Investor Relations:

Victoria Hyde-Dunn, +1-650-432-7644

ir@visa.com
Maybe you were one of the people scrambling at the last minute to find eclipse glasses for the Great American Eclipse on August 21, or maybe you were prepared and preordered your glasses.

But now that the eclipse has come and gone, are you wondering what to do with that coveted protective eyewear?

An eclipse is coming to South America and Asia in 2019 and now Astronomers Without Borders, along with their corporate partner Explore Scientific, is collecting those used eclipse glasses to donate to schools so children can safely view the eclipse.

Every pair of glasses donated will be inspected thoroughly to make sure they are not damaged or fake and meet safety certifications.

To find out more about the donations and where you can send them, visit the Astronomers Without Borders website.
NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --The largest nonpartisan forum on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly takes place on September 18th and 19th at the Grand Hyatt New York. Through its innovative, action-oriented programming, the 2017 Concordia Annual Summit will explore today's most pressing global challenges with the aim of building effective cross-sector partnerships and driving collective action.

Bringing together over 2,000 of the world's preeminent thought leaders, influencers, and decision makers from across the public, private, and nonprofit sectors, the seventh annual Concordia Summit's diverse audience is expected to include over 30 current and former heads of state, 450 international and Fortune 500 C-suite executives, prominent nonprofit leaders, and senior Congressional and Administration officials.

General(Ret)David Petraeus,former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency,notes that,"As a Concordia Leadership Council Member, I can attest to theconveningpowerand catalytic effectsof Concordia; indeed, I strongly support Concordia because it does so much toleverageand integratethe work of the public, private, and nonprofit sectors in order topromotelasting social impact."

The Summit will feature over 250 speakers, with equal efforts focused on recruiting experts from across all sectors. Recent speaker announcements include Wilbur Ross, United States Secretary of Commerce, Tony Blair, former British Prime Minister, Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund, Rajiv Shah, President of the Rockefeller Foundation, and Greg Hayes, CEO of United Technologies.

These speakers will be joined by Joe Gebbia, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer of Airbnb, Kathleen McLaughlin, Senior Vice President and President of Walmart Foundation and Chief Sustainability Officer of Wal-Mart Stores, Scott Price, Executive Vice President of Global Leverage for Walmart International, Oleksandr Danyliuk, Minister of Finance of Ukraine, Judith Marks, CEO of Siemens USA, Forest Whitaker, UNESCO Special Envoy for Peace and Reconciliation, and Concordia's esteemed Leadership Council, among many others. For a full list of current speakers and agenda information, see www.concordia.net/annualsummit/2017annualsummit/.

At the core of the Summit's programming will be a focus on the power of partnerships in advancing the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), implemented in January 2016 to guide international progress towards achieving lasting, long-term solutions to the biggest challenges facing the world today. Constructed in collaboration with the insight, expertise and knowledge of Concordia's global Membership community, the Summit's programming will cover global issues spanning the mounting refugee crisis, the rise of populism, and the need for sustainable investment, among others. Each session-be it through the plenary stage, strategic dialogues, roundtables, office hours,or private meetings-will directly relate to Concordia's Programming Pipelines and Campaigns for Social Impact, contributing to its overarching mission of capitalizing on the unparalleled role of partnership in creating a more prosperous and sustainable future.

"This year's Concordia Annual Summit is the leading bipartisan forum of 2017, during a time that is seemingly starkly polarized," said Concordia Chairman & CEO, Matthew A. Swift. "We welcome individuals and organizations across all sectors, and we are therefore excited to feature such a diverse, expansive and impressive range of speakers at this year's Summit, who will provide invaluable insight into overcoming today's most pressing global challenges."

"At Concordia, we pride ourselves in being the most inclusive forum, giving a voice to those unseen and unheard from all over the world," commented Nicholas M. Logothetis, Concordia's Co-Founder and Chairman of the Board, adding "This story of empowering the individual voice has been at the core of the organization's organic growth since the very beginning, and is what makes us different."

Hosted by the New York City Mayor's Office, and in partnership with the Open Society Foundations, Columbia University's Global Policy Initiative, and Concordia, the Global Mayors' Summit will gather mayors and other municipal leaders, national governments, civil society, and international stakeholders to discuss how cities canimplement policies that promote migrant and refugee integration, rights protection, and empowerment.

The Summit will also feature an on-site Day of Engagement, connecting high-level Summit discussion with action-oriented, experiential programming that showcases successful partnerships achieving social impact. This year, Concordia will partner with Americares, a health-focused relief and development organization,to provide Summit guests with the opportunity to assemble emergency responsefirst aidkits to help Americares prepare for deployment at home and overseas.

Concordia's official media partner for the 2017 Summit will be POLITICO. The leading nonpartisan news publication will enhance event programming by featuring journalists as moderators for select plenary and strategic dialogue sessions.

With all eyes on New York at this critical time for the world, find out how to get involved as Concordia works to foster dialogue, fuel collaboration, and leverage the power of partnerships in creating tangible positive social impact.

About Concordia

Concordia is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit, nonpartisan organization that builds meaningful partnerships for positive social impact. As equal parts convener, campaigner, and idea incubator, Concordia is actively fostering cross-sector collaboration to create a more prosperous and sustainable future. Concordia was founded in 2011 by Matthew A. Swift and Nicholas M. Logothetis. Learn how to get involved atwww.concordia.net.

Media Contact: Rita Lockheart, Communications Department, Media@concordia.net

Logo - http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/544025/Concordia_Logo.jpg
NEW YORK, NY -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG) ("Tauriga" or the "Company"), a company engaged in building businesses in the life sciences space, today confirmed the timely submission of its Expert Report to Federal District Court New Jersey (the "Court"); the submission deadline had been set at close of business Wednesday, September 6, 2017. The Expert Report was completed by a managing director at Cushman & Wakefield ("C & W" or "the Expert"), a diversified commercial business firm based in Chicago, Illinois with a regional headquarters in New York City. The Expert was compensated at an hourly rate of $550 per hour and is independent of the parties involved in the lawsuit.

It is the opinion of the Expert Report that Tauriga Sciences Inc. suffered losses of at least $3,995,000 USD from the improper actions of the Defendants ("Cowan Gunteski & Co. P.A. et al").

Please view the following link: (https://s3.amazonaws.com/bbemail/PROD/ulib/3d0u1e/docs/19a5db95-5553-27d7-8cd9-beb307bc4b23/TAUGExpertreport.pdf)

The lawsuit is titled: "Tauriga Sciences, Inc. v. Cowan, Gunteski & Co. P.A. et al" (Case No. 3:16-cv-06285-PGS-DEA) and is being Tried at the United States District Court of New Jersey. On July 25, 2017 the Company confirmed to shareholders: the Trial Date of November 14, 2017 and that its Motion for Jury Trial had been Granted by Presiding Judge Peter G. Sheridan.

ABOUT TAURIGA SCIENCES, INC.

Tauriga Sciences, Inc. (OTC PINK: TAUG) is engaged in building life sciences company through the development, marketing, distribution and potential licensing of a broad array of products and technologies. The Company is presently focused on its upcoming contemplated launch of a Cupacu Butter based lip balm product branded under the name: Herman. The Company has previously disclosed that it plans to launch this product to the retail marketplace during mid-late Autumn of 2017. The Company believes that one of its most important strengths is its access to and relationships with potentially substantial distribution systems and networks. The Company intends to capitalize on distribution opportunities and will continually update shareholders on such developments. The Company is also prosecuting (as Plaintiff) its ongoing malpractice lawsuit against its predecessor audit firm, for which it's seeking monetary damages in excess of $4,500,000. The Federal District Court New Jersey has confirmed that this Trial shall commence at 10:00am EST on November 14, 2017 (Trenton, New Jersey).

NON SOLICITATION:

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of these securities, nor will there be any sale of these securities in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is not permitted. Any securities offered or issued in connection with the above-referenced merger and/or investment have not been registered, and will be offered pursuant to an exemption from registration.

DISCLAIMER:

Forward-Looking Statements: Except for statements of historical fact, this news release contains certain "forward-looking statements" as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, without limitation: expectations, expects, anticipates, believes, hopes, beliefs, plans and objectives regarding the development, use and marketability of products as well as the attainment of certain corporate goals and milestones (i.e. SEC Periodic Filings, Filing of Proxies, etc.). Such forward-looking statements are based on present circumstances and on Tauriga's predictions with respect to events that have not occurred, that may not occur, or that may occur with different consequences and timing than those now assumed or anticipated. Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, and are not guarantees of future performance or results and involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events or results to differ materially from the events or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such factors include general economic and business conditions, the ability to successfully develop and market products, consumer and business consumption habits, the ability to fund operations and other factors over which Tauriga has little or no control. Such forward-looking statements are made only as of the date of this release, and Tauriga assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances. Readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in documents filed from time to time by Tauriga with the Securities and Exchange Commission. This press release does not and shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of any offer to buy any of the securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities, in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state. The securities have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration, or an applicable exemption from registration, under the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws.

Contact Info:



Mr. Seth M. Shaw

Chief Executive Officer

Tauriga Sciences Inc.

Cell # 917-796-9926

Email: sshaw@tauriga.com

Website: www.tauriga.com




OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- The Fellows of the Royal Society of Canada have elected 89 new Fellows, including 1 Foreign Fellow and 2 Specially Elected Fellows. These individuals have diverse backgrounds and disciplines, and they have been elected by their peers in recognition of outstanding scholarly, scientific and artistic achievement.

"During the 150th anniversary celebrations of our country, we are particularly proud of these outstanding scholars, artists and scientists whose career contributions have been extraordinary" said RSC President Maryse Lassonde.

Election to the academies of the Royal Society of Canada is the highest honour a scholar can achieve in the Arts, Humanities and Sciences. Click here to view a complete list of newly elected Fellows and their nomination citations.

This year's new Fellows will be inducted to the academies of the RSC during the Induction and Awards Ceremony, sponsored by the University of Calgary, on Friday, November 24, 2017 at the Fairmont Winnipeg Hotel in Winnipeg, Manitoba. To register for this event, please click here.

Founded in 1882, the Royal Society of Canada (RSC) comprises the Academies of Arts, Humanities and Sciences; in addition to Canada's first national system of multidisciplinary recognition for the emerging generation of Canadian intellectual leadership, The College of New Scholars, Artists and Scientists. Its mission is to recognize scholarly, research and artistic excellence, to advise governments and organizations, and to promote a culture of knowledge and innovation in Canada and with other national academies around the world.

Contacts:

Erika Kujawski

Manager, Communications & Publications

The Royal Society of Canada

(613) 991-5642

communications@rsc-src.ca / www.rsc-src.ca

@RSCTheAcademies




TUALATIN, OR -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Powin Energy (OTCQB: PWON), a leading next generation provider of fully integrated energy storage solutions for utility, commercial and industrial, and microgrid applications, announced today that Stuart (Stu) Statman will be the company's new head of product and engineering. Mr. Statman will lead Powin in every aspect of product development from initial strategy to customer delivery while assuring exceptional quality and technological capabilities.

Powin Energy will be exhibiting in booth #1435 at the upcoming Solar Power International (SPI) conference September 10-13 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

"Stu is very highly respected in the distributed generation and energy storage space and we're excited about the level of engineering expertise he will bring to our next generation of products," said Geoffrey Brown, president of Powin Energy. "His track record speaks for itself, having spearheaded the design and production of the first lithium-ion energy storage project to be approved in New York City and leading the creation of the world's largest virtual power plant in Australia. At Powin, we expect he'll to be able to use his big data proficiency to enhance our award-winning technology and help us transition from project development to focusing on providing market-leading energy storage products and services for our customers."

Prior to joining Powin, Statman was the senior vice president of technology (and first employee) for Sunverge Energy. His key achievements included: leading the engineering of the most advanced integrated energy storage platform in the industry; heading development of the 5 MW virtual power plant (VPP) in Adelaide, Australia; and the integration of multiple battery component and inverter technologies to create a broad product line with an aggregate product and service uptime across 600 different sites of greater than 98%. He is also a veteran of multiple startups including: Slam Media (as a founder), CloudReactor (as a founder), the Boeing-funded startup Kovatis, and Keas. Earlier in his career, Statman led RealNetworks' Rhapsody Direct Services from product design to deployment as it became the framework for Verizon's V CAST Music, Yahoo Music, and Rhapsody and handled millions of data points per minute.

"I'm excited to work with Powin's impressive battery storage technology and looking forward to the opportunity to extend its capabilities while delivering a low cost, high-power platform to the market," said Statman. "The energy storage industry is growing rapidly, but is still nowhere close to its potential. This company's leadership has a unique and infectious vision for how to achieve 100% renewables penetration and it's something I'm proud to be a part of."

Powin Energy's Stack140 is a modular, purpose-built 140 kWh battery array that easily and cost-effectively scales from 125 kW to multiple megawatt applications. It is available in both indoor and NEMA 3R outdoor models, each of which is engineered to maximize energy density and minimize system footprint. All Stack140 systems are operated by Powin's proprietary bp-OS software that includes the industry-exclusive Battery Odometer and Warranty Tracker. Powin's supply chain expertise, modular design, and software proficiency streamline installation and make integrating energy storage into projects pain free.

About Powin Energy Corporation

Powin Energy (OTCQB: PWON) is incorporated in the state of Nevada and is creating the next wave of safe and scalable battery energy storage that is purpose-built for the demands of utility-scale, commercial and industrial, and microgrid applications. The company's Stack140 modular battery system features its patented Battery Pack Operating System (bp-OS) that provides critical insight into system functions and lifespan via the proprietary Battery Odometer and Warranty Tracker. Powin was incorporated in Oregon in 1990 and has spent almost three decades perfecting supply chain management. Combined with the management team's decades of successful leadership experience in the energy, storage, and utility industries, Powin Energy is able to deliver exceptional value to large-scale energy projects. For more information, visit http://PowinEnergy.com/. Investors can find real time quotes and market information for the company at http://www.otcmarkets.com/stock/PWON/quote

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains historical information and forward-looking statements within the meaning of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the business, financial condition and results of operations of Powin Corporation and Powin Energy Corporation. The words "will", "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan," "should" and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect the current views, assumptions and expectations of Powin Energy Corporation with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Powin Energy Corporation to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, or financial information, including, among others, the failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the merger; risks entailed in integration, including employee retention and customer acceptance; the risk that the merger will divert management and other resources from the ongoing operations of the business or otherwise disrupt the conduct of the businesses, potential litigation associated with the merger, and general risks associated with the business of Powin Corporation and Powin Energy Corporation, including changes in the markets in which the businesses operate and in general economic and business conditions, loss of key customers, key customer acceptance of new battery storage technology, ability to completely fund operations to meet potential customer orders, changes in government regulation and tax policy, availability of tax credits, changes in carbon reduction requirements imposed on utilities, unpredictable sales cycles, competitive pressures, market acceptance of new products, inability to meet efficiency and cost reduction objectives, changes in business strategy and various other factors, whether referenced or not referenced in this press release. Various other risks and uncertainties may affect Powin Energy Corporation and its results of operations, as described in reports filed by the Powin Energy Corporation with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time, including its annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2015. Powin Energy Corporation does not assume any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.

Media Contact:

Mercom Communications

Wendy Prabhu

1.512.215.4452

www.mercomcapital.com

Email Contact




LAVAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Urbanimmersive Inc. ("Urbanimmersive," "UI" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: UI)(OTC PINK: UBMRF), the real estate content marketing platform, is pleased to announce the signing of a strategic partnership agreement (the "Agreement") with IMMO SQUARE, a fast-growing privately held real estate solution provider, serving its customers directly or with white labelled versions in Canada, France, Luxembourg, Belgium and Mexico.

Under the terms of the Agreement, IMMO SQUARE will add Urbanimmersive's content marketing platform to its core product and will market the integrated solution to both existing and new customers/partners. Urbanimmersive will provide IMMO SQUARE with automated access to its professionally written blog content data and the right to use it for IMMO SQUARE printed media services which represent an important revenue stream for IMMO SQUARE. For real estate professionals, this alliance offers a compelling new productivity value proposition especially for the production of digital and printed marketing content.

IMMO SQUARE CEO, M. Jean-Marc Welsh, who has more than 20 years of extensive experience in international commercialization in the real estate technology industry will also join Urbanimmersive as a strategic consultant with the objective of supporting the Company's international development efforts.

"This strategic partnership is significant for our Company," stated Ghislain Lemire, CEO of Urbanimmersive. "We expect it to greatly accelerate our international commercialization as we will soon be presented to foreign customers as an integrated marketing content added value proposition with IMMO SQUARE." Mr. Lemire continued, "The timing for this alliance is ideal. Our multi-language real estate content marketing platform is running very well in our local market and now ready to scale."

About IMMO SQUARE

IMMO SQUARE is a privately held company founded in Montreal offering innovative technologies for the real estate industry. The company's solutions are used as white marking or labelled solutions IMMO SQUARE and are serving customers in Canada, Luxembourg, France, Belgium and Mexico.

About Urbanimmersive

Urbanimmersive is a content marketing platform for real estate professionals. The Company connects real estate professionals, photographers and writers in order to simplify and optimize original content production workflow. Urbanimmersive enables its customers to leverage their marketing investment while increasing productivity, competitiveness, their web visibility, consumer engagement with their brand and ultimately, their revenue.

The TSX Venture Exchange does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Certain statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties. Such statements relating to, among other things, the prospects for the company to enhance operating results, are necessarily subject to risks and uncertainties, some of which are significant in scope and nature. These uncertainties may cause actual results to differ from information contained herein. There can be no assurance that such statements will prove to be accurate. Actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. These and all subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements are based on the estimates and opinions of the management on the dates they are made and expressly qualified in their entirety by this notice. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements should circumstances or management estimates or opinions change. For additional information with respect to certain of these and other assumptions and risk factors, please refer to the last Corporation's MD&A filed with the Canadian securities commissions. The forward-looking statements contained in this press release represent our expectations as of the date hereof. We disclaim any intention and assume no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.

Contacts:

Urbanimmersive Inc.

Ghislain Lemire

President & CEO

514-394-7820 X 202

ghislainlemire@urbanimmersive.com

www.urbanimmersive.com



For investor relations:

Contact Financial Corp.

Frederick Chabot

438-863-7071

frederick@contactfinancial.com




PARIS, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The People's Mojahedin Organization of Iran, PMOI, (the Mujahedin-e Khalq, MEK) held its annual Congress simultaneously in Tirana and five other countries. On the PMOI's 52ndanniversary, the Congress elected Ms. Zahra Merrikhi as its new Secretary General. Ms. Zohreh Akhyani, the Secretary General since 2011, chaired the Congress.

According to the PMOI's bylaws, the Secretary General is elected to a renewable term of two years. The election is held in three phases. In the first phase, members of the PMOI Central Council, and in the second the organization's officials and cadres in different departments, cast their votes in secret ballots. In the third phase, at the PMOI Congress, all members vote by raising their hands.

In the first phase, on August 20, 2017, Ms. Merrikhi was elected from among 12 candidates by a majority of the Central Council members. The four leading candidates were put on the ballot for the second phase, which was held on September 3, 2017. Ms. Merrikhi received a majority of the votes cast in ten different PMOI centers. In the final phase, during the PMOI Congress, Ms. Merrikhi was unanimously elected Secretary General.

Previously, Ms. Merrikhi was coordinator for the offices of Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI), and Vice-President of the PMOI's Central Council.

Born in 1959 in the city of Qa'emshahr in the northern Province of Mazandaran, Ms. Merrikhi became acquainted with the PMOI during the 1979 anti-Monarchic Revolution and joined the PMOI after the Shah's overthrow. She was soon appointed head of the women's section in Qa'emshahr, and later became a member of the editorial board of the PMOI publication in Mazandaran, calledTalavang.

1981, she was transferred to Tehran and acted as liaison between the PMOI and its branches in the forests of northern Iran. In 1984, she moved to PMOI bases in the border region with Iraq, and a year later became a member of the Central Council.

Her younger brother, Ali Merrikhi, was murdered by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC) in 1988.

Ms. Merrikhi oversaw PMOI branches in Scandinavia and Germany for some time. In 1991, she became a member of the Executive Committee and was later appointed head of Radio Mojahed, Simay-e Moghavemat (the Iranian Resistance's television network) and the publicationMojahed.

She became a member of the NCRI in 1992 and was appointed Chairwoman of the Public Affairs Committee.

Ms. Merrikhi had been the coordinator of the offices of Mrs. Rajavii since 2003 and the Vice-president of the PMOI's Central Council since 2004.

Following her election as Secretary General, Mrs. Merrikhi was sworn in, placing her hand on the Holy Quran and paying her respects to the Iranian flag and PMOI emblem. She pledged to remain faithful to the enormous responsibilities with which she has been entrusted. Ms. Merrikhi vowed to devote all her abilities and those of the PMOI as a national treasure of the Iranian people, to establish freedom and democracy in Iran.

The new Secretary General expressed her appreciation for the efforts of her predecessor, Ms. Akhyani, and Ms. Mojgan Parsai, the President of the PMOI's Central Council. She lauded their efforts and those of other PMOI officials over the past 14 years, during one of the most dangerous and tortuous periods of the Organizations history in camps Ashraf and Liberty.

"Today, the PMOI, with the help of the Iranian people, is prepared as never before to overthrow the clerical regime," Ms. Merrikhi said, adding that the PMOI has now 18 co-Secretaries General (including seven former Secretaries General). Ms. Merrikhi also introduced Narges Azodanlou, 36, Rabi'eh Mofidi, 35, and Nasrin Massih, 39, as new deputies to the Secretary General.

In congratulating the election of Ms. Merrikhi as the new PMOI Secretary General, Mrs. Rajavi described it as a brilliant election, embodying the height of democracy, cohesion, and growth in the PMOI. It heralds the breaking of the spell of repression which will lead to the overthrow of the regime ruling Iran, she added.
VANCOUVER, BC--(Marketwired - September 07, 2017) - Western Copper and Gold Corporation ("Western" or the "Company") (TSX: WRN) (NYSE American: WRN) (NYSE MKT: WRN) announced today that Management will be attending the following investor conferences and mining events:

Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference in New York, New York

Chris Donaldson, Manager, Corporate Development will present on Monday, September 11 at 4:40 PM Eastern Time. For more information: http://www.hcwainwright.com/assets/images/NYC_2017_General_v3.pdf

Yukon Mining Investment Luncheon with Yukon Premier Sandy Silver, the Yukon Mining Alliance and the Yukon Chamber of Mines

Come see why the Yukon is the #1 mining jurisdiction in the world for mining investment. This invitation-only event will take place on Friday, September 15 th at the St. Andrews Club in Toronto. Paul West-Sells, President & CEO of Western Copper and Gold and Chair of the Yukon Mining Alliance is proud to be a part of this event along with other leaders of the next generation of Yukon Mines.

Precious Metals Summit in Beaver Creek, Colorado

Paul West-Sells, President & CEO will be presenting on Tuesday, September 19 at 9:15 AM Mountain Time. For more information: http://www.precioussummit.com/event/2017-summit-colorado/

Denver Gold Forum in Colorado Springs, Colorado

Paul West-Sells, President & CEO will be presenting on Monday, September 25 at 1:30 PM Mountain Time. For more information: http://www.denvergoldforum.org/dgf17/

If you are attending any of the above conferences and would like to set up a time to meet with Western, please do not hesitate to contact us.

In anticipation of the above-mentioned events, the Company has released an updated Corporate Presentation. The updated presentation can be viewed on our website.

ABOUT WESTERN COPPER AND GOLD CORPORATION

Western Copper and Gold Corporation is developing the Casino Project, Canada's premier copper-gold mine in the Yukon Territory and one of the most economic greenfield copper-gold mining projects in the world. For more information, visit www.westerncopperandgold.com.

On behalf of the board,

"Paul West-Sells"

Dr. Paul West-Sells

President and CEO

Western Copper and Gold Corporation

For more information, please contact:

Chris Donaldson

Manager, Corporate Development

604.638.2520

cdonaldson@westerncopperandgold.com
Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - Augusta Industries Inc. (TSXV: AAO) (the "Corporation") is pleased to announce that its wholly owned subsidiary, Marcon International Inc. ("Marcon"), has been awarded contracts with various departments of the United States government for the supply of instrumentation and equipment. The aggregate value of the new contracts entered into in August is $782,703.00. The current pipeline of orders, including these new contracts, is $1,842,098.00 as of August 31, 2017.

"The Corporation is pleased that it continues to enter into new agreements with various entities of the United States government," stated Allen Lone, President of the Corporation. " We are still focusing on adding more contracts to our Sales pipeline and continue to develop our relationship with our clients for future opportunities."

About the Corporation:

Through its wholly owned subsidiaries, Marcon International Inc. ("Marcon") and Fox-Tek, the Corporation provides a variety of services and products to a number of clients.

Marcon is an industrial supply contractor servicing the energy sector and a number of US Government entities. Marcon's principal business is the sale and distribution of industrial parts and equipment.

FOX-TEK provides world leading solutions to various sectors including the oil and gas industry. With non- intrusive technologies including: fiber optic sensors and electric field mapping systems; we are able to accurately measure changes that could negatively impact our client's operations.

Augusta Industries Inc.

Allen Lone

President, CEO (905) 275-8111 Ext 226 atlone@fox-tek.com

The TSX Venture Exchange has in no way passed upon the merits of the proposed transaction and has neither approved nor disapproved the contents of this press release.

This press release contains forward-looking statements based on assumptions, uncertainties and management's best estimates of future events. Actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated. Investors are cautioned that such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements are detailed from time to time in the Corporation's periodic reports filed with the Ontario Securities Commission and other regulatory authorities. The Corporation has no intention or obligation to teupda or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - CVR Medical Corp. (TSXV: CVM) (FSE: B3BN) (OTCQB: CRRVF) ("CVR Medical") advisory staff member Dr. Phillip J. Bendick, PhD, has released a summarized report on data from the tertiary clinical trials for the "Carotid Stenotic Scan (CSS)" device at Thomas Jefferson University (see press release dated June 29th, 2017). His report views initial evaluations as successful, and confirms the device's value and efficiency.

Dr. Bendick's report reviews the most pertinent features of the data collected from these first trials. "From a clinical standpoint [] the most important point is likely that the CSS, in a statistical sense, is very specific," he states. Nearly all of the tested patients that had carotid artery stenosis were identified without an "overread," an important measure which allows doctors to recommend steps for further care with confidence.

"From a development standpoint [] the greatest value of this latest data is the guidance it has provided in signal analysis." Dr. Bendick notes that CVR will derive substantial benefit from the device's ability to separate and use only high quality sub-sonic sound during application. This ensures that background noise that could otherwise skew results will not be confused as signals for narrowing arteries with higher pressure. "Going forward, this ability [] should improve even more the accuracy of the CSS to categorize a patient's disease severity," he concludes.

CVR CEO Peter Bakema, speaking on its release, expressed excitement for the indications of the report. "Internally, in discussions with our engineering and scientific development teams, indications are that we expect the device to improve markedly above the 85% sensitivity level. This, coupled with the expansion of trials for a larger sample size, continues to put us in position for a successful submission to the FDA."

For additional information on the organization, leadership, and current news please visit the company website at www.CVRMed.com.

About CVR Medical

CVR Medical is a company that is involved in an equal parts joint venture with CVR Global Inc. (the "Joint Venture"). The Joint Venture operates in the medical industry focused on the commercialization of a proprietary subsonic, infrasonic, and low frequency sound wave analysis technology and has patents to a diagnostic device designed to detect and measure carotid arterial stenosis. CVR Medical is managed by a proven technical team. CVR Medical trades on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol CVM.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD:

(signed) "Peter Bakema"

CEO, President & Director

For further information contact:

Brisco Capital Partners Corp.

Scott Koyich, President

Telephone: (403) 262-9888

This press release contains forward-looking information that involves various risks and uncertainties regarding future events related to the Joint Venture. Such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results, performance or developments to differ materially from those contained in the statements and are not guarantees of future performance of the Company. No assurance can be given that any of the events anticipated by the forward-looking statements will occur or, if they do occur, what benefits the Company will obtain from them. These forward-looking statements reflect management's current views and are based on certain expectations, estimates and assumptions which may prove to be incorrect. A number of risks and uncertainties could cause our actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including: (1) a downturn in general economic conditions in North America and internationally, (2) the inherent uncertainties and speculative nature associated with commercialization of technology and the practice of medicine, (3) a change in health regulations, (4) any number of events or causes which may delay or cease commercialization and development of the Joint Venture, (5) the risk that the Company or the Joint Venture does not execute its business plan, (6) inability to retain key employees, (7) inability to finance operations and growth, and (8) other factors beyond the Company's control. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this news release and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results differed from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE INC. HAS NEITHER APPROVED NOR DISAPPROVED THE CONTENTS OF THIS PRESS RELEASE. NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Nov. 30, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cameo Resources Corp. (TSX-V:CRU) (OTC:SIDNF) (the "Company" or "Cameo Resources") is pleased to report that it has entered into an agreement with Clean Commodities Corp. (the "Optionor") whereby it may earn an 80% interest in the Dumont and Spodumene Lake Lithium Projects (the "Whabouchi Project") located in close proximity to Nemaska Lithium Inc.

"The Spodumene Lake and Dumont lithium projects stand to position Cameo Resources as a large and leading player in the Whabouchi Lithium District. Through this option agreement, Cameo Resources can focus the majority of its efforts advancing a project that has already demonstrated the presence of lithium in a tier-one lithium exploration camp. We are excited that the project places us in such close proximity to institutional-backed Nemaska Lithium and provides our shareholders with lithium exploration exposure," commented Akash Patel, President of the Company.

Upon completion of the earn-in, Cameo Resources Corp. would be positioned as one of the largest mineral tenure holders in the Whabouchi Lithium District, which hosts Nemaska Lithium Inc.'s proposed Whabouchi spodumene lithium mine. Infrastructure on the Spodumene Lake and Dumont lithium projects is considerable, with both road and power facilities in place.

An attachment accompanying this release is available at http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/e87ccf33-9c1f-4d4f-9719-01d5205c9c76 (http://resource.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/e87ccf33-9c1f-4d4f-9719-01d5205c9c76)

Pegmatitic bodies are typically emplaced as steeply dipping dykes, and often occur in swarms within district-scale trends, with a portion that may potentially be spodumene bearing. The projects under option in the region are located approximately 5 km west (Spodumene Lake Lithium Project) and 10 km south (Dumont Lithium Project), of the Whabouchi Lithium Deposit. Apart from the Whabouchi Lithium Deposit, the region has been subject to only limited exploration for its lithium potential; however, significant pegmatite occurrences have been identified from past work on the Dumont Lithium Project.

Dumont Lithium Project

The Dumont Lithium Project is located 6 km south and east of the proposed Nemaska Lithium mine and was acquired for its large number of identified pegmatites and its highly prospective position to locate additional pegmatite bodies which may have spodumene lithium potential. It covers 14,548 ha, approximately 35km in length by up to 6km in width, and is orientated SW-NE.

Recent exploration by Clean Commodities Corp. identified elevated lithium (344 ppm Li2O) sampled at the Dumont Lithium Project clustered along an approximate 300 metre strike with three other samples that also returned anomalous Li2O (129 ppm, 146 ppm, 174 ppm)(see Clean Commodities Corp. news release dated October 27, 2016). The anomalous zone of lithium discovered at the Dumont Lithium Project may be indicative of higher-grades present in the vicinity. A large portion of the project also remains to be prospected.

The Dumont Lithium Project is named in honour of Georges H. Dumont (1911-1999) a pioneer of the Quebec mining industry. Inducted into the Canadian Mining Hall of Fame, Mr. Dumont identified Quebec's first lithium mine and was instrumental in discovering numerous lithium deposits in Quebec. Prior to his passing in 1999, Mr. Dumont called lithium "the metal of the future."

Spodumene Lake Project

The Spodumene Lake Project covers 4,484 ha in the immediate vicinity of by Nemaska Lithium Inc.'s proposed Whabouchi lithium mine and is as close as 560 metres from the Nemaska Lithium Inc. Whabouchi project. The Spodumene Lake Project is roughly 13km in length and up to 6km in width. It is orientated SW-NE in similar trajectory to Nemaska Lithium's project.

The Spodumene Lake Project after the shared lake connecting the project ground with that of Nemaska Lithium Inc. As reference, spodumene is a source of lithium in pegmatites.

Technical Report

The Company reports that an external geological consulting firm has been engaged to prepare a new 43-101 technical report on the Whabouchi Project, which is expected to be completed and filed by the Company within the next 30 days.

The Company advises that the Whabouchi Project is expected to receive the majority of the company's resources and managerial focus and is will serve as the Company's qualified property.



Terms of the Agreement

The option agreement for the Whabouchi Project is between the Company and publicly-traded Clean Commodities Corp. The project terms are $25,000 on signing, the issuance of 500,000 common shares at closing and an exploration expenditure earn-in of $5m over four years (being $500,000 in year one, $1m in year two, $1.5m in year three and $2m in year four). Upon completion of the option agreement, the Whabouchi Project would become a joint venture between the Company and Clean Commodities Corp., with the Company serving as the Operator. The transaction is subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange and all shares issued under the transaction are subject to a four-month hold period. No finders fees are payable.

Qualified Person

Technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed and approved by Lorne Warner as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

On behalf of the Board of Directors,

CAMEO RESOURCES CORP.

"Akash Patel"

Akash Patel

President





For further information, please contact

Akash Patel

President

604-446-6440

Email: akashp006@gmail.com (mailto:akashp006@gmail.com)

www.cameoresources.com (http://www.cameoresources.com/)

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

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

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

Source: Cameo Resources via Globenewswire


By Leah Froats

Do you need something to look forward to in 2018? Or maybe youre in search of exciting plans for next March? Perhaps youd be interested in the inviting tropical climate, spectacular natural scenery, and abundant wildlife of Costa Rica?

And, of course, the opportunity to attend our 15th annual Southern Skies Party at Astronomys private star lodge on the Gulf of Nicoya, just a 2.5-hour flight from Miami, Florida.

If thats not enough to tempt you, here are 9 more reasons to secure your spot on the trip today  dont wait!



1. Just a hop, skip, and a jump away

Costa Rica is a wonderfully accessible destination. Just a 2.5-hour flight from Miami, its in the Central time zone, so theres no grueling flight to endure and no tiresome jet lag to get over before you begin enjoying yourself.

2. The superb southern sky

Theres no shortage of stunning celestial sights on this journey: the Southern Cross, the Eta Carinae Nebula, Omega Centauri, and the countless Milky Way gems found in Scorpius and Sagittarius. During the several trips on which Dave Eicher has observed the deep southern sky, hes agreed with an old friends pronouncement. It was astronomer Bart Bok who said, All the good stuff lies in the Southern sky."

3. Sky-high stargazing

At 10 N, our Costa Rican viewing site is 15 farther south than the Florida Keys and even more southerly  by 10  than the Big Island of Hawaii. Many astronomical highlights that hug the horizon in these popular stargazing locales are 10 to 15 higher in Costa Ricas southern sky.

4. Grade-A amenities

Astronomys star lodge offers all the amenities to ensure a relaxed, carefree stay  right down to the convenience of North American standard AC power (120 volts, 60 Hz) in your room, so you never have to worry about keeping your gear charged. All you need to do is relax.

5. Its the 15th annual

Who doesnt love a good anniversary?

6. A custom itinerary

Whether youre after a relaxing getaway or an action-packed astronomy adventure, there are options for you in our itinerary. We also have three available add-on options, ranging from an exploration of Tortuguero National Park to a trip to the Arenal Volcano and Monteverde Cloud Forest.

8. Youll be among friends

On top of all these wonderful benefits, youll also be surrounded by friendly, like-minded astronomy enthusiasts. What more can you ask for?

Ready to pack your bags? Head over to our reservations page, and well see you there!
Orion Engineered Carbons S.A. (NYSE: OEC) (the "Company" or "Orion"), a worldwide supplier of specialty and high-performance Carbon Black, announced today that it has completed construction of a new Carbon Black production line at its plant in Yeosu, South Korea, to produce specialty products. The line started production on November 23rd and has begun commercial sales.

"This new line in Yeosu will produce premium grades of Specialty Carbon Black for demanding customer applications such as automotive coatings, engineered plastics, printing inks and adhesives sealants," said Jack Clem, Orion's Chief Executive Officer. "It is another step in Orion Engineered Carbons' ongoing transition to higher value added products for specialty and technically demanding rubber applications."

The Yeosu Plant has also just completed a major upgrade to a Technical Rubber Carbon Black production line. This line too is back in commercial production.

These projects are major components of the consolidation of the Bupyeong [Incheon] Plant into the Yeosu facility. The transition is on track to be completed by July 2018.

For further information contact Mr. Michael Hu, Vice President, Business Line Specialty Carbon Black, Asia Pacific (Michael.E.Hu@orioncarbons.com).

About Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.

Orion is a worldwide supplier of Carbon Black. We produce a broad range of Carbon Blacks that include high-performance Specialty Gas Blacks, Furnace Blacks, Lamp Blacks, Thermal Blacks and other Carbon Blacks that tint, colorize and enhance the performance of polymers, plastics, paints and coatings, inks and toners, textile fibers, adhesives and sealants, tires, and mechanical rubber goods such as automotive belts and hoses. Orion runs 14 global production sites and four Applied Technology Centers. The group has approximately 1,457 employees worldwide. For more information visit our website www.orioncarbons.com

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171207005951/en/

Contacts:

Orion Engineered Carbons S.A.

Investor Relations

Diana Downey, +1 832-589-2285
Welland, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 11, 2017) - EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies Corp. (TSXV: EHT) ("EHT" or the "Company") today is pleased to announce a private placement offering (the "Offering") of up to $5 million. The private placement details and subscription agreement will be available to investors in the Stockhouse Deal Room (http://www.stockhouse.com/dealroom).

The private placement of units will be priced at $0.10 per unit and consists of one common share and one warrant (a "Unit" or "Units"). Each warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one common share at any time on or before 5:00 p.m. (Toronto time) on the date that is 3 years after the date of issuance of the warrants at an exercise price of $0.15 per warrant; except that, from and after the date that is four months and one day after the Closing Date, if the closing price of the Company's common shares on the Exchange exceeds $0.30/common share for 10 consecutive trading days, then the Company may anytime thereafter accelerate the expiry date of the warrants to the date that is 20 days following the date on which the Company issues notice to all the warrant holders of the new expiry date.

The Stockhouse Deal Room is an equity investment platform created specifically for public companies to access investors. Stockhouse has more than 1 million unique visitors a month and provides access to a large number of qualified and accredited investors. The private placement offering of units is available at the Deal Room www.stockhouse.com/dealroom and www.ehthybrid.com. Subscription agreements can be completed in full through Stockhouse Deal Room or are available directly from the Company to Accredited Investors.

Proceeds of the financing will support inventory and working capital as the Company beings to meet order requirements and related cash flows.

Mr. John Gamble, CEO of EHT, commented that "raising capital using less traditional methods and processes becomes a valuable tool. It places the Company in full view of technology users, an important process for both capital raising and brand awareness. We are looking to increase our working capital so that we are well positioned to rapidly execute on business we are able to gain. Additionally, expanding our shareholder bases is always important to public companies looking at growth periods."

About ENERTEC

The EHT advanced ENERTEC Modular Wall and Roof System uses a proprietary skin and foam core that is stronger and more energy efficient than traditional wood or steel structures providing the highest ratings for energy efficiency. EHT works with its partners worldwide to erect the buildings on-site utilizing EHT staff and local crews. After installation, each structure can be furnished and finished to meet the customer's requirements including siding, tile, kitchens and bathrooms or segregated commercial rooms. The finished wall product can be shipped on pallets and delivered via rail, truck or water in standard formats.

At the core of the ENERTEC product line is the ENERTEC Embedded Solar Roof Module. Solar cells can be embedded in a proprietary fire proof skin resulting in substantial cost savings by eliminating heavy glass panels and aluminum racking required for traditional solar panels. Two barriers to greater adoption of solar energy are weight limitations of the roof on which solar panels could be deployed and onerous shipping and labour costs. A lighter product at a better price point will open a larger market for solar due to the faster return of capital investment especially for rural and remote users looking to go off-grid. Furthermore, the entire EHT embedded solar roof becomes a massive solar panel capable of producing significantly more energy than the home requires, allowing the structure to then become an important source of power for the local micro grid or large battery storage systems.

About EnerDynamic Hybrid Technologies

EHT delivers proprietary, turn-key energy solutions which are intelligent, bankable and sustainable. Most energy products and solutions can be implemented immediately wherever they are needed. EHT stands above its competitors by combining a full suite of solar PV, wind and battery storage solutions, which can deliver energy 24 hours per day in both small-scale and large-scale format. In addition to traditional support to established electrical networks, EHT excels where no electrical grid exists. The organization supplies advanced solutions for various industries in combination with energy saving and energy generation solutions.
PLANTATION, FL -- (Marketwired) -- 09/19/17 -- Atacama Resources International Inc. (OTCQB: ACRL) announced today that it has acquired the mineral rights for the Mystery Graphite Property which consists of 1740 acres located about 60 miles south of Timmins, Ontario. The acquisition of the mineral rights includes receiving core samples collected from multiple diamond drill sites previously conducted on the property. Analysis of the core samples is scheduled to take place.

Glenn Grant, CEO, reported, "The demand for mined graphite is beginning to explode. In today's world graphite is considered a critical and strategic mineral in the ever-accelerating emerging green economy (also known as the carbon Age) that includes advances in energy storage, electric vehicles, photovoltaics and electronics from smartphones to laptops. As the green economy grows, demand for graphite will quickly outstrip supply. Just considering electric vehicles, demand in three years will require more graphite than all the world's supply today.

"The development of the electric vehicle market alone is driving demand for graphite, which is expected to exceed $100 Billion within the next three years. For instance, Tesla's lithium ion battery giga-factory currently being constructed in Nevada will place large demand for lithium, graphite and cobalt. Twelve other giga-factories are currently being built worldwide and all will require large amounts of graphite. The demand for lithium is well understood but what is less known is that a lithium ion battery uses much more graphite that lithium."

Grant continued, "According to our research, there are NO producing graphite mines in the USA and the only producing mine in Canada is quickly exhausting its deposit. A supply squeeze is already happening as China currently mines 75% of the world's graphite. China's transformation from a manufacturing to a technology development economy will significantly increase its own demand from its graphite producers. In fact, it is rumored that China is currently stockpiling its graphite in anticipation of a global shortage."

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has reportedly stated that he wishes to source as much graphite as possible from North American and Canadian sources. There are many traditional demands for graphite as well. As the world urbanizes the use of steel remains in demand (up 4.5% in the first half of this year) and graphite is a critical metal in high quality steel.

"The public is just beginning to realize the importance of graphite as a critical/strategic mineral which is reflected in a price increase up 30% over just the past two months. Atacama is in the early stages of developing Mystery Graphite and other graphite properties with excellent mining infrastructure available. It is my goal as the CEO to bring increasing share value to Atacama and its shareholders. I look forward to bringing future announcements in the near future which I believe will be exciting as our shareholders learn all that is in play by our different divisions," Grant concluded.

About Atacama Resources International (www.acrlintl.com)

Atacama Resources International is a publicly traded OTC company with significant mining claims in the greater Kirkland Lake area of Northern Ontario. Metals and minerals under potential exploration include gold, silver, diamonds, graphite and cobalt. Major deposits of copper and iron ore are included in the mining claims. Atacama's technology business includes a pioneering smartphone application called Good2Drive and follow on products that will be released later in 2017 and 2018. It is highly recommended that everyone keep their eye on the website at www.acrlintl.com for updates.

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain information set forth in this news announcement may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of Atacama Resources International. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company's industry, management beliefs and certain assumptions made by its management. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements. Information concerning factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those contained in these forward-looking statements can be found in the Company's periodic reports on Form 10-K and Form 10-Q, and in its Current Reports on Form 8-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise to reflect future events or circumstances or reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Contact:



Glenn Grant

Atacama Resources International, Inc.

ggrant@acrlintl.com

1-780-512-3805

www.acrlintl.com




- Tarik, was ist dein Eindruck von der PDAC 2018?- Hast du irgendwelche Favoriten?- Was verstehst du unter Energiemetallen?- Lithium - der Markt?- Welche Metalle interessieren dich derzeit noch...

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.
PUNE, India, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The report"Potash Fertilizers Marketby Type (Potassium Chloride, Sulphate of Potash, Potassium Nitrate), Crop Type (Cereals & Grains, Oil seeds & Pulses, Fruits & Vegetables), Application Method, Form, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", published by MarketsandMarkets', the global market is projected to reach USD 28.45 Billion by 2022 in terms of value, at a CAGR of 4.49% from USD 22.83 Billion in 2017. The global Potash Fertilizers Market is expanding with considerable growth potential during the next five years. The growth of this market can be attributed to the need for higher productivity using limited land area and increase in applicability of potash fertilizers.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse75 Market Data Tables and38 Figures spread through139Pages and in-depth TOC on"Potash Fertilizers Market - Global Forecast to 2022"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/potash-fertilizer-market-35790308.html

Early buyers will receive 10% customization on this report

Potassium chloride segment, by type, estimated to be the largest segment in 2017

The potassium chloride segment is estimated to hold the largest share in the Potash Fertilizers Market in 2017. It is the most widely used source of potassium for agricultural crops. Also referred to as Muriate of Potash (MOP), it has a high nutrient concentration. The majority of crops fertilized with potassium chloride include field, horticultural, and plantation crops.

Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=35790308

Broadcasting segment, by application method, is estimated to be the largest segment in 2017

The broadcasting segment is estimated to hold the largest share in the Potash Fertilizers Market, in terms of value, in 2017. Broadcasting application method requires fertilizers in much lesser quantities, making it an economical option for large-scale crop producers. This is one of the major drivers fueling the growth of the broadcasting segment.

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=35790308

Asia Pacific is estimated to be the most lucrative market for potash fertilizers

In 2017, the Asia Pacific market is estimated to hold a significant share in the global Potash Fertilizers Market. The major driver for this significant share is rise in population coupled with increase in demand for potash fertilizers in countries such as China, India, and Indonesia.

This report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolios of leading companies. It includes the profiles of leading companies such as the Yara International ASA (Norway), Agrium Inc. (Canada), Potash Corporation of Saskatchewan Inc. (Canada), EuroChem Group AG (Switzerland), The Mosaic Company (U.S.), JSC Belaruskali (Belarus), HELM AG (Germany), Israel Chemicals Ltd.(Israel), Sociedad Quimica y Minera de Chile(Chile) S.A, Borealis AG (Austria) , Sinochem Group (China), K+S AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT (Germany).

Browse related reports:

Starter Fertilizers Market by Nutrient Component (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium, and Micronutrients), Form (Dry and Liquid), Crop Type, Method of Application, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/starter-fertilizer-market-251966522.html

Liquid Fertilizers Market by Type (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potash, Micronutrients), Mode of Application (Soil, Foliar & Fertigation), Form (Organic & Synthetic), Crop Type, and Region - Global Forecast to 2021

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/liquid-fertilizer-market-225530281.html

About MarketsandMarkets'

MarketsandMarkets' provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies' revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets' for their painpoints around revenues decisions.

Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets' are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model - GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets' now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets' is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.

MarketsandMarkets's flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.

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Award recognizes consistent advances in ECG and multi-biosign monitoring technologies

Toronto, Ontario--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - Established medical electrocardiogram ("ECG") software and device manufacturer CardioComm Solutions, Inc. (TSXV: EKG) ("CardioComm Solutions" or the "Company"), today announced it has received the ACQ5 award as the Niche Technology Company of the Year in the Healthcare and Telemedicine category. The ACQ5 2017 award is sponsored by Acquisition Finance which is published under license from the Metropolis International Group Ltd. The magazine is circulated to CEO's and CFO's as well as other corporate finance and private equity executives globally.

The 12th ACQ5 Global Awards focus on organisations that demonstrate an ability to deliver services and skills to meet clients' needs and who can adapt to changing market and regulatory conditions. The ACQ5 Global Awards winners are peer nominated and the award winner categories published in the Acquisition Finance magazine is circulated to 163,000 senior executives. The publication reviews the driving forces in various industries examines sector characteristics to provide information that supports M&A activity and foreign direct investment including information on investors, buyers and sellers.

CardioComm Solutions' award is based on demonstrated leadership, innovation and momentum in influencing the telemedicine and healthcare markets. The award recognizes CardioComm Solutions as a collaborator in clinical research, R&D projects with start-ups and academic groups as a facilitator in providing "software as a medical device" partnerships to help disruptive medical technologies see market readiness with reduced cycle times. The Company efforts in this regard have been confirmed by recent announcements of partnerships with companies active in the telemedicine markets and by other awards, such as the recently announced Best In Medical Software Development for 2017.

CardioComm Solutions plans to continue growing their recognition as a credible m-health and consumer wellness technologies provider and has implemented a strategy of expanding the licensed use of its well-developed ECG connectivity and management technologies as "back office" medical software to their partners and customers. Despite the diagnostic value of ECG monitoring, telemedicine platforms have not previously included ECG monitoring due to the existing complexity of device integration and associated regulatory controls. The Company believes 2018 will be a period when increasing regulatory and performance pressure will be placed on North American healthcare and telemedicine providers to develop better and updated healthcare platforms to support more comprehensive health monitoring capabilities. Specifically, CardioComm Solutions will benefit from the need of these providers to look to the use of credible and proven software controls and monitoring devices that can meet the performance and use expectations of a health authority approved medical device system. The ACQ5 Award also acknowledges that the Company pipeline of technologies will meet the unmet needs for enhanced data collection in telemedicine platforms. This is expected to push the boundaries for access to credible data, not just ECGs but other biosigns, for use in predictive analysis.

CardioComm Solutions will be providing further updates regarding their medical and consumer ECG recording technologies and award updates. CardioComm Solutions has earned the ISO 13485 certification, is HIPAA compliant and holds clearances for the sale of the HeartCheck technologies from the European Union (CE Mark), the USA (FDA), China (CFDA) and Canada (Health Canada). To learn more about the CardioComm Solutions' products, please see the Company's websites www.theheartcheck.com and www.cardiocommsolutions.com.

About CardioComm Solutions

CardioComm Solutions' patented and proprietary technology is used in products for recording, viewing, analyzing and storing electrocardiograms for diagnosis and management of cardiac patients. Products are sold worldwide through a combination of an external distribution network and a North American-based sales team. CardioComm Solutions is headquartered in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

Etienne Grima, Chief Executive Officer

1-877-977-9425 x 227

investor.relations@cardiocommsolutions.com

www.cardiocommsolutions.com

Forward-looking statements

This release may contain certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of CardioComm Solutions and certain of the plans and objectives of CardioComm Solutions with respect to these items. Such statements and information reflect management's current beliefs and are based on information currently available to management. By their nature, forward-looking statements and forward-looking information involve risk and uncertainty because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future and there are many factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements and forward-looking information.

In evaluating these statements, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The Company does not assume any obligation to update the forward-looking statements and forward-looking information contained in this release other than as required by applicable laws, including without limitation, Section 5.8(2) of National Instrument 51-102 (Continuous Disclosure Obligations).

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.
Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc

7 September 2017

Publication of Prospectus Supplement

The following documents (the "Documents") are available for viewing:

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 September 2017

Shell International Finance B.V. unaudited interim financial statements for the six month period ended 30 June 2017

The Documents must be read in conjunction with the Information Memorandum dated 8 August 2017 relating to the Programme. The Information Memorandum constitutes a base prospectus for the purposes of Article 5.4 of Directive 2003/71/EC as amended. Full information on Shell International Finance B.V. and Royal Dutch Shell plc is only available on the basis of the Information Memorandum.

The Documents are available for viewing at the 'Financial Publications' section of Shell's website. To view the Documents, please paste the following URLs into the address bar of your browser.

Shell International Finance B.V. unaudited interim financial statements for the six month period ended 30 June 2017

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/debt-information/shell-international-finance-bv-reports/_jcr_content/par/textimage.stream/1504101307180/602f39f3847e1d62acd1a9dd706546ac03208f82a46debb3c3436f3be6db4723/sif-bv-interim-accounts-2017.pdf

Prospectus Supplement dated 4 September 2017

http://www.shell.com/investors/financial-reporting/euro-medium-term-note-programme.html

Other content available on Shell's website and the content of any other website accessible from hyperlinks on Shell's website is not incorporated into, and does not forms part of, this announcement.

The Documents have also been submitted to the National Storage Mechanism and will shortly be available for inspection at http://www.morningstar.co.uk/uk/nsm.

Enquiries:

Shell Media Relations

International, UK, European Press: +44 (0)207 934 5550

Shell Investor Relations

Europe: + 31 (0)70 377 3996

DISCLAIMER - INTENDED ADDRESSEES

Please note that the information contained in the Information Memorandum may be addressed to and/or targeted at persons who are residents of particular countries (specified in the Information Memorandum) only and is not intended for use and should not be relied upon by any person outside these countries and/or to whom the offer contained in the Information Memorandum is not addressed. Prior to relying on the information contained in the Information Memorandum, you must ascertain from the Information Memorandum whether or not you are part of the intended addressees of the information contained therein.

This publication does not constitute an offering of the securities described in the Information Memorandum for sale in the United States. This is not for distribution in the United States. The securities have not been, and will not be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act") or under any relevant securities laws of any state of the United States and are subject to U.S. tax law requirements. Subject to certain exceptions, the securities may not be offered or sold within the United States or to or for the account or benefit of U.S. persons, as such terms are defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act. There will be no public offering of the securities in the United States.

Your right to access this service is conditional upon complying with the above requirement.
ISELIN, NJ -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- TDK Corporation today announced a new series of current-compensated EPCOS ring-core double chokes. The new B82721K2*U* series of RoHS-compatible power line chokes have been developed in particular for use in home appliances such as washing machines and dishwashers, refrigerators and heating control units. The plastic used (flame-retardant, compliant with UL 94 V-0) with a CTI value of 600 is certified in accordance with IEC 60335-1, clause 30 (glow-wire and ball pressure test) and the complete encapsulation of the winding allows it to be used in environments with the highest degree of pollution.

These chokes are designed for a rated voltage of 250 V AC and the range of inductance values extends from 0.4 mH to 47 mH. Depending on the inductance, their rated currents range from 0.4 A to 2.8 A, while the rated ambient temperature is +70 degrees C. The dimensions for all versions are 13.2 mm x 18.2 mm x 20 mm.

The components have been certified by UL and VDE according to corresponding component standards (UL 1283, IEC 60938-2).

Main applications

Power supplies, home appliances and heating control units

Main features and benefits

Compatibility with applications in accordance with IEC 60335-2 with CTI >250 and degree of pollution 3

High rated current and rated temperature

About TDK Corporation

TDK Corporation is a leading electronics company based in Tokyo, Japan. It was established in 1935 to commercialize ferrite, a key material in electronic and magnetic products. TDK's portfolio includes passive components, such as ceramic, aluminum electrolytic and film capacitors, ferrites and inductors, high-frequency products, and piezo and protection components, as well as sensors and sensor systems and power supplies. These products are marketed under the product brands TDK, EPCOS, InvenSense, Micronas, Tronics and TDK-Lambda. TDK's further main product groups include magnetic application products, energy devices, and flash memory application devices. TDK focuses on demanding markets in the areas of information and communication technology and automotive, industrial and consumer electronics. The company has a network of design and manufacturing locations and sales offices in Asia, Europe, and in North and South America. In fiscal 2017, TDK posted total sales of USD 10.5 billion and employed about 100,000 people worldwide.

You can download this text and associated images from www.epcos.com/pressreleases.

Further information on the products can be found under www.epcos.com/power_chokes.

Please forward reader inquiries to marketing.communications@epcos.com.

Image Available: http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/frame_mw?attachid=3167331


Upgrades Financial and Corporate Disclosure

INCLINE VILLAGE, NV / ACCESSWIRE / March 1, 2018 / LithiumOre (http://lithiumore.net) (the "Company"), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oroplata Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ORRP), a lithium resource exploration and development company, today announced that its stock has commenced trading on the OTCQB Market ("OTCQB") after successfully uplisting from the OTC Pink Market.

LithiumOre Chairman and CEO Doug Cole, commented, "LithiumOre is committed to the high level of financial and corporate disclosure that is required for this listing category, which demonstrates our continued commitment to our shareholders. We believe that trading on the OTCQB will raise the visibility of the Company, enhance trading liquidity, and broaden our shareholder base as we move forward with continued market acceptance and penetration of proprietary technology into the marketplace."

"Meeting the increased compliance and information requirements of OTCQB provides our investors greater confidence in the information disclosed by the Company and ensures our commitment to accountability and transparency. We believe trading on the OTCQB will provide our shareholders and prospective investors a greater degree of transparency and liquidity, as well as exposure to institutional investors that would otherwise not invest in Pink Sheet companies," added Doug Cole.

The Company holds 260 accepted lithium mineral claims, totaling 5,200 acres, located in the Western Nevada Basin, situated in Railroad Valley in Nye County, Nevada. Railroad Valley is approximately 112 miles northeast of Clayton Valley and can be accessed by paved highway directly from U.S. Route 6. Railroad Valley is one of Nevada's largest trapped basins and is noted to hold all the necessary commercial and engineering prerequisites for a massive lithium brine deposit. The Company's claims have been evaluated by experts and the BLM and are targeted for planned on-site exploration expected to begin in the first half of 2018.

LithiumOre, Corp.

LithiumOre (http://lithiumore.net), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Oroplata Resources, Inc. (OTCQB: ORRP), is a lithium resource exploration and development company, whose primary focus is the establishment of a low cost production base to supply the rapidly growing lithium-ion battery industry for both mobile devises and laptops, as well as the burgeoning EV (electronic vehicle) industry. LithiumOre is focused on becoming a substantial, profitable lithium producer via the timely development of valuable production-grade lithium brine deposits in Nevada.

For more information, please visit: http://lithiumore.net

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, including those with respect to the expected project economics for Western Nevada Basin (Railroad Valley), including estimates of life of mine, average production, cash costs, AISC, initial CAPEX, sustaining CAPEX, pre-tax IRR, pre-tax NPV, net cash flows and recovery rates, the impact of self-mining versus contract mining, the timing to obtain necessary permits, the submission of the project for final investment approval and the timing of initial gold production after investment approval and full financing, metallurgy and processing expectations, the mineral resource estimate, expectations regarding the ability to expand the mineral resource through future drilling, ongoing work to be conducted at the Western Nevada Basin (Railroad Valley), and the potential results of such efforts, the potential commissioning of a Pre-Feasibility study and the effects on timing of the project, are "forward-looking statements." Although the Company's management believes that such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it cannot guarantee that such expectations are, or will be, correct. These forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company's future results to differ materially from those anticipated. Potential risks and uncertainties include, among others, interpretations or reinterpretations of geologic information, unfavorable exploration results, inability to obtain permits required for future exploration, development or production, general economic conditions and conditions affecting the industries in which the Company operates; the uncertainty of regulatory requirements and approvals; fluctuating mineral and commodity prices, final investment approval and the ability to obtain necessary financing on acceptable terms or at all. Additional information regarding the factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements is available in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2016. The Company assumes no obligation to update any of the information contained or referenced in this press release.

Contact Information

Hayden IR

Stephen Hart

(917) 658-7878

hart@haydenir.com



SOURCE: Oroplata Resources, Inc.
LAWRENCEVILLE, GA -- (Marketwired) -- 10/02/17 -- ExamWorks Clinical Solutions, LLC, the industry leader in Medicare Secondary Payer compliance solutions and case management services, announced today that Jeffrey D. Gurtcheff has been appointed President and Chief Operating Officer. Mr. Gurtcheff, a 30 year industry visionary, has demonstrated exceptional leadership and innovation in the employ of industry leading third-party administrators, and insurers with a holistic understanding of workers' compensation, property and casualty, liability, and disability claim management.

Mr. Gurtcheff's applied experience as a long-time customer and creator of Medicare compliance services enables quick identification and intimate understanding of the challenges clients face. His practical guidance and ExamWorks Clinical Solutions' portfolio of solutions resolve the thorniest of issues in the claims adjudication process. "I'm thrilled to join the team and assist our clients with driving down claim severities and improving outcomes relative to Medicare, return to work, and opioid abuse," said Mr. Gurtcheff. "We have great associates who care about our customers' results and their employees' well-being in equal measure. This fundamental assumption drives the delivery of Medicare Secondary Payer compliance services assuring the claim process is controlled, complies with dynamic regulations, and incorporates informed legal interpretations."

"We are pleased to welcome Mr. Gurtcheff whose incomparable leadership is anticipated to yield transformative changes in navigating the ever-changing complexities of Medicare compliance," said James Price, CEO of ExamWorks. "We look forward to the partnerships that will be formed, talent that will be attracted, and client-driven solutions he will bring to the business."

About ExamWorks Clinical Solutions

ExamWorks Clinical Solutions is the industry leader in Medicare Secondary Payer compliance, combining Medicare Set-Aside, conditional payment, and post-settlement services. The company provides comprehensive clinical mitigation programs and medical and vocational case management to insurers, self-insureds, and third-party administrators. ExamWorks Clinical Solutions, an ExamWorks Company, is headquartered in Lawrenceville, Georgia. Learn more at: www.examworks-cs.com.

CONTACT:

ExamWorks, Inc.

Anne Doremus

404-952-2432

VP Communications and Research

anne.doremus@examworks.com




There are commercial enterprises interested in the former Tyco Electronics site on Hamilton Street in Carlisle, but work has to be done to make that site more attractive to potential users.

The site is one of three former industrial areas included in the Carlisle Urban Redevelopment Plan.

This is probably one of the most challenging of the three sites because we have a lot of significant costs as it relates to demolition, stormwater management, infrastructure, site prep, and it is a smaller site, Cumberland Area Economic Development Corporation CEO Jonathan Bowser told Carlisle Borough Council last week.

Bowser updated the council on progress at the site, and requested that the council consider a tax increment financing for the site.

Commonly known as a TIF, the tax increment financing plan is a means for local government to quickly raise a large amount of money to support infrastructure improvements needed for development. Under the TIF plan, taxing entities dedicate the tax proceeds from new construction on the redevelopment site to pay on the bonds taken out to finance infrastructure improvements.

A TIF plan was approved for the former Masland/IAC site and finalized earlier this year.

Street access

Real Estate Collaborative, a subsidiary of CAEDC, has control not only of the Tyco site, but also of two adjacent sites with frontage on North Hanover Street that Bowser said is key to the success of the site.

A lot of the users that we had talked to said they really needed access off of North Hanover Street, Bowser said.

The two smaller sites along North Hanover Street are in North Middleton Township, and would need to go through rezoning, he said.

Bowser said funding from the Environmental Protection Agency obtained by the borough was vital in making the project work to this point. That funding allowed REC to do both the Phase 1 and Phase 2 reports which have an estimated combined value of between $85,000 and $100,000.

Beyond demolishing the 55,000-square-foot structure, REC is looking at additional assessments and remediation to prepare the Tyco site for commercial use. It is expected that more than $2.5 million will be spent on the effort to prep the site with about $1.4 million of that related to demolition and remediation costs alone.

Bowser anticipates building 43,000 square feet of retail space and 30,000 square feet of office space on the site, but notes that the numbers could change due to demand once the project gets to the marketing phase. That is expected to create 83 jobs and have an economic impact of about $9.9 million on an annual basis.

This is really the vision that we would have for a site like this  something thats welcoming not only to residents but to visitors alike, Bowser said.

Taxes

All of the parcels are still on the tax rolls. The Hamilton Street site pays about $20,000 in taxes yearly, and that is expected to increase to about $76,000 when the property is redeveloped. The two lots on Hanover Street currently have a lower value as they are essentially vacant lots, and would bring in about $111,000 at full buildout.

Bowser said REC has been talking to the state about using DCED programs to offset costs, and he has spoken with the Cumberland County Housing and Redevelopment Authority to potentially look into additional funding from the EPA.

Bowser asked the borough to consider looking at the viability of enacting a TIF plan for the site to bring in essential funds.

Without any level of a TIF or any other funds that can be brought into it, the project just isnt viable, Bowser said.

REC is now in the due diligence period, and wouldnt expect a decision before the end of the year.

The Tyco site is the last of the three brownfield sites in the various stages of redevelopment. Discussion had started back in 2012 of redeveloping the sits of the former Lear plant, Carlisle Tire & Wheel plant and Tyco plant.

Carlisle Auto Industries, a sister company to Carlisle Events, is working on redeveloping the former Lear plant into a mixed-use site.

PIRHL has been working on the former Carlisle Tire & Wheel site with the aim for a mixed-use site, and plans for the residential portion.

As the two companies worked on those sites, there had not been much movement on the former Tyco site, which had closed in 2009.
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / February 22, 2018 / Lexicon Pharmaceuticals, Inc. (NASDAQ: LXRX) will be discussing their earnings results in their Q4 Earnings Call to be held on February 22, 2018 at 8:00 AM Eastern Time.

To listen to the event live or access a replay of the call - visit https://www.investornetwork.com/company/22119

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.

About Investor Network

Investor Network (IN) is a financial content community, serving millions of unique investors market information, earnings, commentary and news on the what's trending. Dedicated to both the professional and the average traders, IN offers timely, trusted and relevant financial information for virtually every investor. IN is an Issuer Direct brand, to learn more or for the latest financial news and market information, visit www.investornetwork.com. Follow us on Twitter @investornetwork.

SOURCE: Investor Network
BEIRUT, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Promoting a culture of entrepreneurship to find innovative technology solutions for refugee challenges

The MIT Enterprise Forum (MITEF) for the Pan Arab announced the launch of the second edition of Innovate for Refugees.

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553200/MITEF_Pan_Arab_Natakallam.jpg )

The MIT Enterprise Forum inaugurated the registration process of the competition on the 21st of August to extend till the 27th of November, 2017, after which the submission process will close, and the committees will begin to evaluate the applications. The finalists will then be announced in December, 2017 and will undergo various training. The winners will announced during the final event ceremony which will be held on January 27 and 28 in Amman, Jordan.

The Innovate for Refugees Competition launched last year in its first edition on the occasion of World Refugee Day. Its ultimate aim remains to find innovative, long-term solutions that address the challenges faced by refugees relating to healthcare, food, housing, education and others, while drawing on the latest innovations and developments in the world of technology. The competition is in line with MIT Enterprise Forum's role in empowering entrepreneurs to develop effective and futuristic solutions that can address societal challenges, with the active participation of the refugees themselves.

The MIT Enterprise Forum will also organize refugee trainings in conjunction with the competition. The courses are scheduled to take place in Lebanon and Jordan. They will focus on training participants on Design Thinking, a methodology that puts creative abilities to work in order to address real human challenges by treating them as opportunities. The aim of these trainings is to help refugees come up with ideas and solutions to problems that they face, form teams and participate in the competition. It should be noted that more than 15% of the participants in the first edition of the competition were refugees, and this year's edition hopes to increase this percentage with these training courses.

Commenting on the second edition of this competition, Hala Fadel, Chair of the board of MITEF Pan Arab said, "The great success of the competition last year was a key incentive for us to move forward, especially since this initiative contributes to the creation of innovative solutions that address the challenges faced by refugees. These projects are created by entrepreneurs from around the world, and more importantly, from the refugee community itself. There is a high percentage of educated youth among the refugees which has been reinforced by the spread of technology and smartphones in the camps. We would like nothing more this year than to increase the number of refugee participants in this competition. We will provide training courses to help them adopt a modern and scientific methodology which will in turn assist them in coming up with innovative ideas, delivered in the correct format. All of this will hopefully translate into practical projects that can contribute to meeting the challenges and crises in refugee communities."

Cash prizes, exceeding $100,000, will be allocated for ten winners.

MIT Enterprise Forum Pan Arab is accepting applications for the second edition of Innovate for Refugees until November 27th, 2017. To apply please visit: innovateforrefugees.org

About MITEF Pan Arab: Founded in 2005, the MIT Enterprise Forum of the Pan Arab Region (http://www.mitefarab.org) is one of the28 worldwidechapters of the MIT Enterprise Forum Global, an avid promoter of entrepreneurship and innovation worldwide. The MIT Enterprise Forum- Pan Arab has a proven record in promoting MIT-style entrepreneurship by organizing each year the MIT Enterprise Forum Arab Startup Competition targeting 21 countries of the Arab region and attracting over12,000entrepreneurs a year.
WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - With Hurricane Irma heading towards Florida, the rush to download walkie-talkie app Zello has also intensified. Zello, an Austin, Texas-based company, has tweeted that six hundred thousand new users joined it on Wednesday, September 6. People are downloading and signing up for the free service in anticipation of cellphone services possibly getting disrupted due to Irma. Zello's smartphone app essentially acts like a walkie-talkie, allowing users to send voice messages in real time to anyone listening to a channel. It emulates push-to-talk or PTT walkie-talkies over cell phone networks. Zello simulates traditional two-way radios, offering additional features such as history, replay last message, notifications and Bluetooth device support. The app played a major role after Hurricane Harvey ripped through Texas. During relief efforts following the hurricane, Zello became a popular method for communications between volunteer rescuers and people stranded due to widespread flooding. However, responding to rumors about Zello requirements, Zello said its app will not work without internet. 'There has been some misinformation spread about Zello requirements. Please inform others: Zello REQUIRES using either WiFi or a cellular data network of at least 2G,' Zello said in a Facebook post. While the app is free to download, Zello makes money off its premium version marketed to businesses. Zello created headlines in June 2013 when Turkish protesters used the app to circumvent government censors. It was also blocked by telecommunications provider CANTV in Venezuela in February 2014 after protesters used the app to communicate with each other. Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

Werbehinweise: Die Billigung des Basisprospekts durch die BaFin ist nicht als ihre Befurwortung der angebotenen Wertpapiere zu verstehen. Wir empfehlen Interessenten und potenziellen Anlegern den Basisprospekt und die Endgultigen Bedingungen zu lesen, bevor sie eine Anlageentscheidung treffen, um sich moglichst umfassend zu informieren, insbesondere uber die potenziellen Risiken und Chancen des Wertpapiers. Sie sind im Begriff, ein Produkt zu erwerben, das nicht einfach ist und schwer zu verstehen sein kann.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - ThreeD Capital (CSE: IDK), an emerging Merchant Bank, announced the achievement of a major milestone by its artificial intelligence holding, Goldspot Discoveries. Goldspot Discoveries (www.goldspot.ca), in which ThreeD owns a 22% equity interest, has developed a machine-learning algorithm capable of significantly improving mineral exploration targeting.

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The Goldspot Algorithm is proven to mitigate investment risk and increase the efficiency and success rate of exploration in data-rich environments. Goldspot was a finalist in the 2017 DisruptMining Competition and took 2nd place at the 2016 Integra Gold Rush Challenge.

Goldspot consolidated over 30 years of historical remote sensing, mining, and exploration data from the Jerritt Canyon project into one comprehensive and functional geological model. The Jerritt Canyon project, majority owned by Sprott Mining Inc., through Jerritt Canyon Gold LLC, a private mid-tier gold producer in Northern Nevada, has hosted a historical resource of 12 million ounces gold with over 9 million ounces of past production. Goldspot used this geological model to identify correlations in the data layers of existing and historically mined deposits to identify target zones with the highest prospectivity potential. The caliber of the newly identified target zones resulted in Goldspot being asked to layout a preliminary drill testing program on the best targets.

Jamie Lavigne, VP Exploration for Jerritt Canyon, stated: "Goldspot has produced a very high-quality 3D geological model of the Jerritt Canyon district which provides an excellent foundation for continued exploration. We look forward to drilling the priority targets derived by Goldspot through their detailed assessment of the data. The management of Jerritt Canyon Gold looks forward to future collaboration with Goldspot in the continued exploration and development of the Jerritt Canyon district."

Denis Laviolette, Goldspot CEO, stated: "We are confident that our targets will unveil new, untapped zones to add to Jerritt's rich history. It is with great anticipation that we now move to the last phase of proof-of-concept, whereby Jerritt has agreed to commence the first 1,000-meters of a 5,000-meter drill program as soon as logistically possible."

Merchant Bank, ThreeD Capital, led by Sheldon Inwentash, creates unique long-term value for its shareholders by holding a diversified portfolio of early staged investments in disruptive technology, bio-tech and resource companies. ThreeD seeks to invest in early stage, promising companies where it may be the lead investor, providing advisory services, mentoring and access to its network in order to earn its equity stake.

Sheldon Inwentash, Chairman and CEO of ThreeD stated: "I want to thank Denis and the Goldspot team. They have been working deeply to attain this level of acceptance of their analysis. We at ThreeD feel this new and disruptive area of Artificial Intelligence will revolutionize the approach toward mineral discovery."

The shares are trading at $0.11, and with 50.3 million outstanding, the company is capitalized at $5.5 million.

For more information, please visit the company's websites, www.threedcap.com, contact Gerry Feldman, CEO, at 416-606-7655 or email feldman@threedcap.com.

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AKRON, OH--(Marketwired - September 07, 2017) - The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company today named new leaders in two of its strategic business units.

Chris Delaney has been named president of Goodyear's Europe, Middle East, and Africa (EMEA) business unit. He has been president of the company's Asia Pacific business since joining the company in 2015.

Ryan Patterson has been named to succeed Delaney as president of Goodyear's Asia Pacific business unit. He has been president of the company's North America consumer business since September 2014.

Additionally, Scott Rogers has been named to succeed Patterson as president, North America consumer. He has been the chief marketing officer for the North America consumer business since 2009. All new roles are effective immediately.

"With the announcement today of new roles for Chris, Ryan and Scott, we are placing proven Goodyear leaders in key roles that will enable us to further execute our strategy, deliver on our business objectives and create sustainable value for our shareholders," said Goodyear Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Richard J. Kramer.

The appointments were made concurrent with the announcement that Jean-Claude Kihn is retiring from his position as president of Goodyear's EMEA business, effective later this year. Kihn's distinguished career at Goodyear spans 30 years and has included key technology and business roles, including chief technical officer, president of Goodyear Brazil and president of Goodyear Latin America.

"We also extend our sincere thanks and gratitude to Jean-Claude for three decades of leadership at Goodyear. All parts of Goodyear -- our regional businesses, our product business units and our technology and innovation, to name a few -- have benefited from his expertise. He has left a lasting impression on everywhere he has worked and on everyone he has worked with at Goodyear."

Delaney, 56, led Goodyear's Asia Pacific business for the past two years. Under his guidance, that business delivered record results and increased the value of its brand. By launching award-winning tires and improving the company's mix of product offerings, Goodyear has earned a leadership position in key emerging markets in the region. Also, Delaney expanded the footprint of Goodyear retail outlets across China and drove the company's increased presence in rapidly growing cities in the country.

Delaney joined Goodyear in August 2015, following four years as the chief executive officer of Goodman Fielder Limited, the largest public food company in Australia and New Zealand. He has extensive leadership experience in both North America and Europe, working in sales and business development in Europe for Procter & Gamble before becoming vice president and general manager for P&G in the Middle East. He also led international sales for the Campbell Soup Company before becoming its president, Emerging Markets and Asia Pacific.

Patterson, 43, began his Goodyear career in 2002 with roles of increasing responsibility in Latin America. He has been part of Goodyear's North America leadership team since 2008, first as finance director, consumer, and then in 2012, as vice president, consumer operations and customer development. In that role, he was responsible for guiding the consumer organization's channel sales and customer marketing teams and bringing winning strategies and solutions to Goodyear's customers.

He has been president, of the North American consumer tire business since September 2014. A key architect of Goodyear's North America consumer strategy and its focus on high-value segments, Patterson played an integral role in the turnaround of that business. He led the creation and activation of North America's aligned distribution model, helping Goodyear become a better supplier to its customers.

Scott Rogers, 48, has been the chief marketing officer for Goodyear's North America business since he joined the company in 2009. Over the past few years, he has taken on additional responsibilities, including overseeing company-owned retail stores and the racing tire business.

Rogers has a track record of more than 20 years leading, revitalizing and building strong global brands, delivering revenue and share growth in highly competitive categories, and setting the foundation for continued success. His functional experience crosses marketing, sales, e-commerce, guest experience, market research and retail as well as delivering results across diversified distribution channels.

Rogers joined Goodyear from Norwegian Cruise Line, where he was the senior vice president of marketing and sales. Prior to that, he held numerous marketing positions at Procter & Gamble in the Beauty Care global business unit and on the Target customer team.

Kihn, 58, has held a variety of senior leadership roles during his three decades at Goodyear. He joined the company in 1988 at the Technical Center (now Innovation Center) in his native Luxembourg.

Among his research and development assignments in the 1990s were commercial truck tire development, first for Latin America in 1994 and later for Europe, Asia Pacific and Africa in 1996. In 2005, Kihn became the general director of the company's Technical Center in Akron. He was named senior vice president and chief technical officer three years later.

Kihn also served in key business management roles during his career, including Goodyear's Asian and Latin American business units. He was managing director of Goodyear Peru in 2003 and held the same position in Brazil in 2013. In 2014, Kihn became president, Goodyear Latin America before moving to the same role in the EMEA business in 2016.

Goodyear is one of the world's largest tire companies. It employs about 65,000 people and manufactures its products in 47 facilities in 21 countries around the world. Its two Innovation Centers in Akron, Ohio and Colmar-Berg, Luxembourg strive to develop state-of-the-art products and services that set the technology and performance standard for the industry. For more information about Goodyear and its products, go to www.goodyear.com/corporate.

Certain information contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions of The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. There are a variety of factors, many of which are beyond our control, that affect our operations, performance, business strategy and results and could cause our actual results and experience to differ materially from the assumptions, expectations and objectives expressed in any forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to: our ability to implement successfully strategic initiatives; pension plan funding obligations; actions and initiatives taken by both current and potential competitors; increases in the prices paid for raw materials and energy; a labor strike, work stoppage or other similar event; deteriorating economic conditions or an inability to access capital markets; work stoppages, financial difficulties or supply disruptions at our suppliers or customers; the adequacy of our capital expenditures; our failure to comply with a material covenant in our debt obligations; potential adverse consequences of litigation involving the company; as well as the effects of more general factors such as changes in general market, economic or political conditions or in legislation, regulation or public policy. Additional factors are discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our annual report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K. In addition, any forward-looking statements represent our estimates only as of today and should not be relied upon as representing our estimates as of any subsequent date. While we may elect to update forward-looking statements at some point in the future, we specifically disclaim any obligation to do so, even if our estimates change.

CONTACT:

Keith Price

330-796-1863
Cambridge Blockchain announced the formation of a new subsidiary to accelerate European deployments of the company's digital identity compliance software for financial institutions. The new company, Cambridge Blockchain SAS, is based at the Partech Shaker startup campus in Paris and becomes the first company outside of Luxembourg to join the Infrachain blockchain initiative.

Since the financial crisis, the world's largest banks have paid more than $321 billion in fines, with total compliance spending topping $270 billion annually. "Thanks to the support of Partech Ventures and Infrachain, we are positioned to tackle the banking industry's greatest threat: the cost of regulatory compliance," said Matthew Commons, CEO of Cambridge Blockchain. "It's exciting to consider how our technology not only aligns with our European partners, but serves as a catalyst to solve some of the most complex regulatory challenges facing financial institutions."

Financial institutions face growing compliance challenges related to identity, with know-your-customer costs that can reach up to $500 million per year for large banks. Strict data privacy rules such as the European General Data Protection Regulation also limit the ability to access validated customer identity attributes, with potential fines up to 20 million or 4% of annual revenues. Cambridge Blockchain's distributed architecture resolves the competing challenges of transparency and privacy, resulting in faster customer onboarding, lower costs, and enhanced compliance through a single, trusted and consistent view of customer reference data.

By joining Infrachain Asbl, Cambridge Blockchain extends the reach of the pioneering nonprofit blockchain organization into France. "We are very proud to have Cambridge Blockchain join Infrachain as we create a pan-European community accelerating the adoption of Blockchain technology," remarked Marco Houwen, Project Lead of Infrachain. "Infrachain acts as an orchestration platform between blockchain applications and a European network of independent certified nodes. We look forward to bridging the gap between the not-yet-compliant public blockchains and the centralized regulatory environment."

"We are pleased to see Cambridge Blockchain launch its European operations just a few months after our investment," explained Romain Lavault, General Partner at Partech Ventures. "Thanks to our 'Europe Made Easy' support program for foreign entrepreneurs, the Partech Shaker is the perfect place to hire top employees, connect with a highly international startup ecosystem and do business with major corporates from all industries."

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907005022/en/

Contacts:

Cambridge Blockchain

Pierre-Jean Hanard

media@cambridge-blockchain.com
MONTREAL, QUEBEC -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Sphinx Resources Ltd. ("Sphinx" or the "Corporation") (TSX VENTURE: SFX) is pleased to announce that it held its Annual General Meeting ("AGM") on September 5, 2017 on Grand Calumet Island, in the Pontiac MRC Region of Quebec.

"The decision to hold our AGM in the region is in keeping with our commitment to Sphinx's governance, stakeholders and community engagement strategies. Sphinx's partnership with the community now includes: hiring local expertise to assist with field work as well as investing in the local economy. As a corporation, we do as much as we can to create a beneficial economic impact in the region but above and beyond that, we want to make sure the people want our local exploration projects as much as we do, if not more," said Normand Champigny, President and CEO of Sphinx. "By engaging the local community, we hope to continue to build on what has been a successful relationship to date."

Sphinx's press release dated September 5, 2017 announced the acquisition of a total of 392 claims (230 km2) through map staking in the newly-coined Ziac district (the "Ziac") located in the Pontiac MRC region in southwestern Quebec. The Ziac is a 40-km long northwest trending corridor defined by zinc-bearing dolomitic marbles (see press release of August 8, 2017) typical of the Balmat-Edwards-Pierrepont zinc district (the "Balmat district"), located in the state of New York, United States. The Ziac is separate from the meta-volcanic rocks that host the historic New Calumet zinc-lead-silver-gold mine which was operated from 1943 to 1968. The Corporation believes that the zinc results received to date and the presence of two styles of zinc mineralization indicate the presence of robust mineralized systems in the Ziac.

"It's an exciting opportunity for us and the region, and the Province of Quebec", said Normand Champigny. "The Pontiac region has been poorly known, because for many years, very little or no mining exploration took place. We had a zinc mine here and not far from here there were iron ore mines, which were the first ones in the Province of Quebec but until recently, little attention has been paid to the region. If you look carefully and from what we know, we may have here what could look like another Balmat district, a very large producing zinc district. We have found there are many common features between these two districts."

AGM results

At the AGM shareholders of the Corporation approved all the items, including:

-- Election of Francois Biron, Normand Champigny, Michel Gauthier, John W.W. Hick, Ingrid Martin and Kerry E. Sparkes as directors; -- Re-appointment of PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP as auditors; and -- Amendment to the by-laws of the Corporation concerning the nomination of the chairman and secretary of shareholders' meetings.

At a Board of directors meeting following the AGM, John W.W. Hick, Normand Champigny and Ingrid Martin were confirmed in their functions as Chairman of the Board, President & Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, VP Finance and Corporate Secretary, respectively. In addition, Robin N. Adair was re-confirmed as a member of the Corporation's Advisory Committee. He is joined on the committee by Sylvain Laberge, President and founder of S.D.N.L. Financial Communications. Mr. Laberge is also President and Chief Executive Officer of Gespeg Copper Resources Inc. and a director of several publicly trading companies.

The technical information presented in this press release has been reviewed and approved by Normand Champigny, President and Chief Executive Officer of Sphinx, and a Qualified Person as defined by NI 43-101.

About Quebec and Sphinx

Quebec has established itself as one of the world's most attractive mining jurisdictions, ranking 6th globally (Fraser Institute press release, February 28 2017). The Quebec government has created market confidence by following a proactive approach to mining policy. Quebec's mining sector has also been encouraged by the clarity and certainty of the legal and regulatory framework adopted by its government. Sphinx is engaged in the generation and acquisition of exploration projects in Quebec.

For further information, please consult Sphinx's website: www.sphinxresources.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 press release may contain forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and activities to vary materially from targeted results and planning. Such risks and uncertainties include those described in Sphinx's periodic reports including the annual report or in the filings made by Sphinx from time to time with securities regulatory authorities.

Contacts:

Sphinx Resources Ltd.

Normand Champigny

President and Chief Executive Officer

514.979.4746

info@sphinxresources.ca

www.sphinxresources.ca




The global membrane bioreactors marketis expected to grow at a CAGR of more than 10% during the forecast period, according to Technavio's latest report.

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Technavio has published a new report on the global membrane bioreactors market from 2017-2021. (Graphic: Business Wire)

In this report, Technavio covers the market outlook and growth prospects of the global membrane bioreactorsmarket for 2017-2021. The market is segmented based on end-user, which includes municipal and industrial and geography, which includes APAC, EMEA, and the Americas.

The global membrane bioreactors market is expected to witness a steady growth during the forecast period. Technological innovation, R&D progress, streamlined manufacturing, and value chain optimization have helped in the growth of the overall market. There is a rising need for ultrapure water in industries such as semiconductors, pharmaceuticals, and power. These industries utilize huge volumes of water for various processes. As there is a high chance of water contamination in these industries, there is high demand for ultrapure water, which, in turn, is driving the demand for MBRs.

Technavio's energy research analysts categorize the global membrane bioreactors market into the following segments by regions:

APAC

EMEA

Americas

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Technavio's sample reports are free of charge and contain multiple sections of the report including the market size and forecast, drivers, challenges, trends, and more.

APAC: largest membrane bioreactors market

Developing economies such as India, China, Indonesia, and the Philippines are majorly contributing to the growth rate of APAC. Countries such as China and India have witnessed a quick adoption of MBR technology owing to rapid industrialization and strong GDP growth. Also, it is expected that these countries will witness a faster growth during the forecast period.

"APAC is one of the most disaster-prone regions in the world. In 2013, over thousands of people died from water-related disasters in the region, accounting for nine-tenth of the water-related deaths, globally. The public water supply system in the region is not as developed when compared with countries such as the US, Canada, or countries in Europe," says Thanikachalam Chandrasekaran, a lead analyst at Technavio for research on water and waste management

This report is available at a USD 1,000 discount for a limited time only: View market snapshot before purchasing

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Membrane bioreactors market in EMEA

EMEA is expected to witness a stable growth in the membrane bioreactors market. The demand comes mainly from countries such as Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Kuwait, Algeria, Turkey, and Spain. The scarcity of clean and fresh water in these countries is responsible for the increasing demand for efficient water treatment technologies.

"Industrial applications including boiler feed water production, groundwater remediation, and wastewater treatment are fields where the technology is witnessing growth in the region. The increase in the use of MBR technology for water treatment will drive the market growth. Increased awareness about water treatment and safe drinking water is also driving the growth of the global membrane bioreactors marketadds Thanikachalam.

Membrane bioreactors market in the Americas

The Americas is witnessing major demand from countries such as the US, Canada, Antigua, Argentina, Brazil, and Chile. The demand for MBRs will be mainly from the pharmaceuticals and chemical industries in these countries.

The American water technology sector has important federal policy programs such as the Clean Water Act established in 1972, and the Safe Drinking Water Act established in 1974. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) coordinates with these programs that implement discharge regulations and provide treatment and funding frameworks.

The top vendors in the global membrane bioreactors market highlighted in the report are:

General Electric

HUBER

Koch Membrane Systems

Mitsubishi Hitachi Power Systems Environmental Solutions

Veolia Water Technologies

Browse Related Reports:

Global Ballast Water Management Market 2017-2021

Global Produced Water Treatment Market 2017-2021

Global Commercial UV Water Purifier Market 2017-2021

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.

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UK: +44 203 893 3200

www.technavio.com
Report estimates a current value of ADXN of CHF 12.5 per share

Geneva, Switzerland, 8 January 2018 - Addex Therapeutics (SIX: ADXN) announced today that the independent life science equity research firm, valuationLAB AG has issued an equity research report on the Company that estimates a current risk-adjusted NPV (net present value) of CHF 12.5 per share (ADXN closing price 5 January: CHF3.65).

The valuationLAB current valuation is based only on dipraglurant for Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID) and non-parkinsonian dystonia. The valuationLAB report also provides detailed analysis of significant upside in the current valuation should Addex successfully execute on its strategy to advance dipraglurant for PD-LID and dystonia. The report also highlights the recent success of Addex to secure strategic partner, Indivior PLC, to accelerate the development of ADX71441 in addiction, while allowing Addex the right to retain compounds from a funded research program for development in CMT1A neuropathy. Furthermore, both ADX71441 partnered with Indivior and ADX71149 partnered with Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc., provide further upside to the valuationLAB current valuation.

"We see huge unlocked value in the Addex portfolio, which has been built over the last ten plus years with more than CHF300 million of invested capital," commented Bob Pooler, Senior Healthcare Analyst at valuationLAB. "Addex's strategy to focus on rare neurological disorders and secure strategic partners while also accessing nondilutive funding from governmental organisations and patient advocacy groups has the promise to unlock significant value for shareholders."

PD-LID is the most important unmet medical need after a disease-modifying agent for Parkinson's disease and was recently classified as an orphan indication by the US FDA. With the support of The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's research (MJFF), Addex has prepared dipraglurant to start pivotal registration studies. The valuationLAB report estimates peak sales of USD 2 billion for dipraglurant as a treatment for PD-LID.

"We believe this analyst report provides useful guidance to the investment community on the Addex investment case as we execute on our strategy to unlock the value of the Addex portfolio through collaborations," commented Tim Dyer, CEO of Addex. "The recent strategic partnership with Indivior to accelerate the development in addiction, the grant from NIDA to fund ADX71441 through phase 1 and the grant from MJFF to advance our TrkB PAM program are in line with this strategy."

The full analyst research report is available on www.valuationlab.com and on Addex website at www.addextherapeutics.com under Investors/downloads/analyst reports.

About valuationLAB and their research report

valuationLAB AG is an independent life science research boutique with no securities or banking services. The company does not hold any positions in the securities mentioned in its reports. Its financial analyses are based on the Directives on the Independence of Financial Research issued by the Swiss Bankers Association in January 2008. valuationLAB's aim is to translate complicated scientific/clinical data into easy-to-understand financial forecasts and valuations for investors. Valuations are based on tailor-made, detailed, bottom-up research from publicly available sources. The Addex Valuation Report has been commissioned by Addex Therapeutics Ltd. and prepared and issued by valuationLAB AG. The analyst views and expectations were made independently and as such do not necessarily reflect those of Addex

About Addex Therapeutics

Addex Therapeutics (www.addextherapeutics.com) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development of novel, orally available, small molecule allosteric modulators for neurological disorders. Allosteric modulators are an emerging class of small molecule drugs which have the potential to be more specific and confer significant therapeutic advantages over conventional "orthosteric" small molecule or biological drugs. Addex's allosteric modulator drug discovery platform targets receptors and other proteins that are recognized as essential for therapeutic intervention - the Addex pipeline was generated from this pioneering allosteric modulator drug discovery platform. Addex's lead drug candidate, dipraglurant (mGluR5 negative allosteric modulator or NAM) has successfully completed a Phase 2a POC in Parkinson's disease levodopa-induced dyskinesia (PD-LID), and is being prepared to enter registration trials for PD-LID, with support from the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research (MJFF). In parallel, dipraglurant's therapeutic use in dystonia is being investigated with support from the Dystonia Medical Research Foundation (DMRF). Addex's second clinical program, ADX71149 (mGluR2 positive allosteric modulator or PAM) is being developed in collaboration with Janssen Pharmaceuticals, Inc for epilepsy. In addition, ADX71441 (GABAB receptor PAM) program was awarded a $5.3 million grant by the US National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA, a division of National Institutes of Health (NIH)) to support human studies in cocaine addiction and is being developed in collaboration with Indivior PLC. Discovery programs include mGluR4PAM, mGluR7NAM, TrkBPAM and mGluR3NAM & PAM that are being advanced with the support of the MJFF and Swiss Commission for Innovation and Technology (CTI).

Press Contacts:

For Addex Therapeutics

Tim Dyer

Chief Executive Officer

Telephone: +41 22 884 15 61

(PR@addextherapeutics.com

: mailto:PR@addextherapeutics.com) Mike Sinclair

Partner, Halsin Partners

+44 (0)20 7318 2955

(msinclair@halsin.com: mailto:msinclair@halsin.com)

Disclaimer / Forward-looking statements: This communication does not constitute an offer or invitation to subscribe for or purchase any securities of Addex Therapeutics Ltd. This publication may contain certain forward-looking statements concerning the Company and its business. Such statements involve certain risks, uncertainties and other factors which could cause the actual results, financial condition, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Readers should therefore not place undue reliance on these statements, particularly not in connection with any contract or investment decision. The Company disclaims any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
Each legislative session thousands of bills and amendments are introduced in the Pennsylvania Legislature. Only a fraction become law, and an even smaller portion receive wide media coverage.

These bills impact the lives of people living in Pennsylvania every day.

Each week The Sentinel will highlight one bill that has not received widespread attention.

About the bill

A person in Pennsylvania can wind up on the states sex offender registry without ever being convicted of a sex crime. One lawmaker is looking to fix that.

At least 34 people are on the sex offender registry as a consequence of their conviction for interference with custody of children, Sen. Stewart Greenleaf, R-Bucks County, wrote in a co-sponsorship letter. This offense frequently arises when parents argue about the custody of their children, and one of them violates a custody order of the court. Others convicted of this offense stole a car without realizing that a child was in the back seat.

Senate Bill 854 would remove the charge of interference with the custody of children from the list of offenses that place an person on the registry.

Of course, these offenders should be held accountable for violating court orders and stealing cars, Greenleaf wrote in his co-sponsorship letter. Including these offenders on the sex offender registry, however, not only carries lifelong consequences for the offender but also it dilutes the registry so that it is less clear about which offenders pose a real danger.

More than 160 people were charged with the offense in Pennsylvania in 2016, according to a search of court records conducted by The Sentinel.

This includes three people in Cumberland County and seven in Dauphin County, according to court records.

Under current law, anyone convicted of interference with the custody of children is placed on the registry and must register once a year for 15 years.

Greenleafs bill was spurred by an investigation published by Jo Ciavaglia, a reporter in Bucks County.
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - November 27, 2017) - RT Minerals Corp. (TSXV: RTM) (OTC Pink: RTMFF) (the "Company") announces an update on its Norwalk gold property located near Wawa, Ontario.

The Company has completed further surface exploration including trenching of a new target area called the Red Carbonate Zone ("RCZ"). A total of 15 grab samples were collected from the RCZ and have been submitted for pulp and metallic sieve analysis and fire assay.

An area of approximately 25 metres wide by 25 metres long was excavated and trenched on the RCZ. This area consists of a red-brown crystalline carbonate body which is approximately 2 metres to 5 metres in width and hosts approximately 25% quartz veining. The hanging and footwall walls of the RCZ consist of an intermediate to felsic schist.

The hanging wall, footwall and the carbonate vein are mineralized with locally up to 2 to 3% sulfides and all units have potential to be gold bearing. Historical assays from the RCZ have returned up to 0.43 ounces per ton gold.

Carbonate zones and veins of this nature are present in the Timmins and Campbell Red Lake gold camps, and are one of several host units associated with gold deposits in these camps. These carbonate veins are a significant fluid channel for gold mineralization, and normally are 30 centimetres to 60 centimetres wide.

RTM's Red Carbonate veining at Norwalk is 2 metres to 5 metres wide in the trenched area, which is uncommonly wide when compared to carbonate veins and zonation of this type in the Timmins and Red Lake gold camps.

The strike of the RCZ is east-southeast which is generally consistent with the strike of local geophysical features detailed in the Company's 31-line kilometre geophysical program completed in September 2017 from which 64 targets remain untested. The RCZ is situated approximately 600 metres south-southeast of the high grade Gananoque showing and accordingly, the Company will initiate work to test this 600 metre gap. The RCZ is open on strike in both directions along the local geophysical trends and is open to depth.

The Company will carry out approximately 4-line kilometres of extended geophysics to cover the area between the Gananoque showing and the RCZ and follow this work with trenching and drilling within this 600 metre gap and the general area of the RCZ. This work on Norwalk is subject to further financing being secured by the Company.

Mr. Kevin Kivi, P.Geo. is the Qualified Person for RT Minerals Corp. and approves the technical content of this news release.

ABOUT RT MINERALS CORP.

RT Minerals Corp. is a junior resource company engaged in the acquisition, exploration and evaluation of primarily gold and diamond properties in Canada. The Company's principal mineral properties include:

Ballard Lake Property - 366 square kilometre (~141 square mile) diamond and gold property located approximately 50 kilometres northeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company owns a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty;

Norwalk Property - Gold property located approximately 6 kilometres south of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is contiguous to the southern border of Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project;

Dill River Property - Gold property located several kilometres southeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is contiguous to the eastern border of Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project;

Golden Reed Mine Property - Gold property located 6 kilometres southeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company has an option to earn a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty. The property is staked within Red Pine's Wawa Gold Project; and

Dog Lake Property - Gold property located 59 kilometres northeast of Wawa, Ontario, in which the Company owns a 100% interest, subject to a 2% net smelter royalty.

The Company's common shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol "RTM" and on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol "RTMFF" with DTC eligibility for trading in the United States.

For more information on the Company and its properties, please visit the Company's website at www.rtmcorp.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Paul Antoniazzi

President and Chief Executive Officer

RT Minerals Corp.

Toll Free: 877-581-3170

Telephone: 604-681-3170

Fax: 604-681-3552

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as the term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy of accuracy of this news release.

Forward-looking Statements

Certain statements in this press release relating to the Company's exploration activities, project expenditures and business plans are approximate and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of securities legislation. The Company does not intend, and does not assume any obligation, to update these forward-looking statements. These forward looking statements represent management's best judgment based on current facts and assumptions that management considers reasonable, including that operating and capital plans will not be disrupted by issues such as adverse market conditions, mechanical failure, unavailability of parts, labor disturbances, interruption in transportation or utilities, or adverse weather conditions, that there are no material unanticipated variations in budgeted costs, that contractors will complete projects according to schedule, and that actual mineralization on properties may not achieve any category of resource(s). The Company makes no representation that reasonable business people in possession of the same information would reach the same conclusions. Forward looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. In particular, fluctuations in the price of gold, equity markets or in currency markets could prevent the Company from achieving its targets. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. There is no guarantee that drill results reported in this news release or future releases will lead to the identification of a deposit that can be mined economically, and further work is required to identify resources and reserves.We seek safe harbour.
"Thousands of workers have lost good paying U.S. jobs"

The Coalition for a Prosperous America (CPA) -a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization representing the interests of 4.1 million households across the United States- has joined domestic solar cell and module manufacturers' calls for fair competition in the U.S. solar market through the imposition of Section 201 trade relief, according to trade-case co-petitioners SolarWorld Americas Inc. and Suniva Inc.

This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006325/en/

CPA has sent a letter to the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC), urging the agency to reach an affirmative determination in the Section 201 case and find that global production overcapacity has fueled a surge of solar imports to the U.S. market, which has seriously injured the domestic solar-panel manufacturing industry, SolarWorld and Suniva say.

CPA "is working for a new and positive U.S. trade policy that delivers prosperity and security to America, its citizens, farms, factories and working people," according to its website. "We believe America can provide good jobs for workers, affordable goods for consumers, opportunity for farms and manufacturers and a clean environment without compromising our national sovereignty and security."

The organization's letter says its members "know all too well the severe impact that destructive import surges can have on domestic manufacturers, their workers and economic growth. Global overcapacity is a major challenge across the world as some countries engage in strategies to overproduce, under consume and excessively rely upon deficit country consumers (such as the US) for their economic growth."

"Thousands of workers have lost good paying U.S. jobs as a result," the letter says. "That these severe effects occurred during a period of booming U.S. demand, and despite two successful solar trade cases, is all the more troubling"

Nearly 30 U.S. solar-panel producers ceased manufacturing operations from 2012 to 2016, the period of investigation in the case. During this period, global imports increased nearly five-fold. This surge was led by China, whose imports rose by more than 700 percent, according to ITC data.

Four commissioners of the ITC will vote on Sept. 22 whether imports have caused, or threatened to cause, serious injury to the domestic industry. If at least two vote affirmatively, the ITC will proceed to the remedy phase of the investigation.

About SolarWorld REAL VALUE: SolarWorld Americas Inc., the largest U.S. crystalline-silicon solar manufacturer for more than 42 years, produces and sells high-tech solar power solutions and, in doing so, contributes to a cleaner energy supply throughout the Americas. The company maintains 430 megawatts of annual capacity to produce solar cells and 550 MW of capacity to manufacture solar modules. The company's brand stands for a proven track record of quality and reliability, and SolarWorld is the only producer whose industrial lineage has outlived its products' 25- and 30-year performance guarantees. SolarWorld upholds high social standards and commits itself to resource- and energy-efficient production. With its program Solar2World, the company supports the expansion of solar power in developing countries in Latin America. Connect with SolarWorld on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Instagram and www.solarworld.com.

About Suniva: Suniva is a leading U.S.-born, U.S.-operated manufacturer of high-efficiency crystalline silicon photovoltaic (PV) solar cells and high-power solar modules. The company is known for its high-quality products, industry-leading technology, reliable performance, and high power density.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006325/en/

Contacts:

SolarWorld Americas Inc.

Ben Santarris, 503-693-5189

Head of Corporate Communications

Mobile: 503-927-9858

Ben.Santarris@SolarWorld.com

or

Suniva

Christian Hudson

chudson@mayerbrown.com
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - PORTOFINO RESOURCES INC. (TSXV: POR) ("Portofino" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that it has executed an option agreement with a private Argentine concession owner to acquire a 100% interest in the Del Condor and Pucara lithium brine salar projects in Catamarca, Argentina.

The claims encompass a combined 1,804 hectare claim block and are located within the world-class, Salar del Hombre Muerto, where FMC Lithium is currently producing lithium carbonate and Galaxy Resources is developing its Sal de Vida project. There is no historic exploration on either the Del Condor or Pucara claim blocks, however, Portofino's geological team recently completed a site visit and a limited near surface brine sampling program from hand-augered test holes. Geochemical analysis of the brine samples was completed by ALS Global Laboratories and returned values up to 340 mg/L Li.

To maintain its option, Portofino has agreed to pay the vendor (over a four-year period)- US$400,000 and issue 1,000,000 shares as follows:

a) An initial US$5,000 deposit,

b) Upon completion of due diligence and execution of a Definitive agreement - US$5,000

c) Upon TSX-V Exchange approval - issue 100,000 shares

d) By the first anniversary of TSX-V Exchange approval - issue 200,000 shares and pay US$20,000,

e) By the 2nd anniversary of approval - issue 200,000 shares and pay US$50,000,

f) By the 3rd anniversary - issue 500,000 shares and pay US$100,000,

g) By the 4th anniversary - pay US$220,000.

The transaction is subject to execution of a definitive agreement and TSX-V exchange approval.

Qualified Person

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Andrew J. Turner, B.Sc., P.Geol. of APEX Geoscience Ltd., who is the Company's Geological Consultant and is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101, Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

About Portofino Resources Inc.

Portofino is a Vancouver, Canada based Company focused on acquiring, exploring and developing mineral resource projects in the Americas.

On Behalf of the Board,

"David G. Tafel"

Chief Executive Officer

For Further Information Contact:

David Tafel

CEO, Director

604-683-1991

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may contain forward looking statements concerning future operations of Portofino Resources Inc. (the "Company"). All forward- looking statements concerning the Company's future plans and operations, including management's assessment of the Company's project expectations or beliefs may be subject to certain assumptions, risks and uncertainties beyond the Company's control. Investors are cautioned that any such statements are not guarantees of future performance and that actual performance and exploration and financial results may differ materially from any estimates or projections.
FT. WORTH, TX -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- One of the nation's leading disaster-recovery companies has positioned its resources in anticipation of restoration demands in both Texas and Florida.

Offering assurance to businesses already affected by or preparing to be affected by dual, massive hurricanes, Chief Executive Officer Stacy Mazur of Interstate Restoration said his company is ready to handle the unusual confluence of events.

Interstate Restoration already has 125 employees in the area devastated by Hurricane Harvey, along with 35 trucks and tractor trailers, plus about 1,500 subcontractors. Now Interstate is expanding its Florida resources, using its Boynton Beach office as a base, to help businesses get back in operation following any flooding or wind damage caused by Hurricane Irma. Interstate also has an equipment repository in Orlando, from which the company will launch operations.

"We believe we're better positioned than anybody in the industry to fight this hurricane battle on two fronts," said Mazur.

One of the largest concentrations of Interstate clients is in Florida, and the company recently merged with a Boynton Beach-based restoration company to increase Interstate's capacity.

"We're taking this (two-front challenge) seriously, with proper preparation and responsiveness," he said.

Initially, Interstate will have more than 50 people in Florida, with more than 20 trucks and tractor trailers. Hundreds of subcontractors have already positioned themselves to join the effort.

Interstate began its preparation for Hurricane Irma last week and shared advice for clients and the general public in the path of the storm. Mazur added a few additional items for businesses to keep in mind, with safety as a top priority:

Create an emergency action plan that includes instructions for both employees and customers.

Think about the ways you are going to communicate before the storm's impact, during and after.

Download a severe-weather app onto your smartphone so you can track developments.

He added that clients in previous disaster situations have expedited recovery by posting notices on their business doors, alerting public safety officials that they should allow access to restoration companies like Interstate, and thus speeding up the recovery process.

About Interstate Restoration

Founded in 1998, Interstate Restoration LLC is an emergency restoration and general contractor specializing in repairing commercial property nationwide. Ft. Worth-based Interstate helps businesses recover quickly from fire, flood, and other natural and manmade disasters. This means companies and people can focus on the important stuff -- like getting back to business and back to life.
Regulatory News:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) today announces that it has purchased, through PSH's agent, Jefferies International Limited ("Jefferies"), the following number of PSH's ordinary shares of no par value (ISIN Code: GG00BPFJTF46) (the "Shares"):

Date of purchase: 7 September 2017 Number of Shares purchased: 29,689 Shares Highest price paid per Share: 1,023 pence 13.40 USD Lowest price paid per Share: 1,006 pence 13.17 USD Average price paid per Share: 1,015.07 pence 13.29 USD

PSH intends to cancel these Shares. The net asset value per Share related to this Share buyback is USD 16.52 GBP 12.68 which was calculated as of 5 September 2017. After giving effect to the above Share buyback, PSH has outstanding 237,955,590 Shares. The prices per share in USD were calculated by Jefferies.

The number of PSH Management Shares and the 1 special voting share (held by PS Holdings Independent Voting Company Limited) has not been affected.

About Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd.:

Pershing Square Holdings, Ltd. (LN:PSH) (NA:PSH) is an investment holding company structured as a closed-ended fund that makes concentrated investments principally in North American companies.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006415/en/

Contacts:

Media:

Maitland

James Devas, +44 20 7379 5151

Media-pershingsquareholdings1@maitland.co.uk
NEW YORK, NY / ACCESSWIRE / September 7, 2017 / Juan Monteverde, founder and managing partner at Monteverde & Associates PC, a boutique securities firm headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City announces that a class action lawsuit has been filed in United States District Court, Western District of Washington, Seattle Division (Case No. 17-cv-01175) against Tableau Software, Inc. (NYSE: DATA) ("Tableau" or the "Company") on behalf of purchasers of the Company's securities between June 3, 2015 and February 4, 2016, inclusive (the "Class Period").

The lawsuit is based on whether Tableau and its executives violated federal securities law by misleading investors making materially false and misleading statements by failing to disclose that product launches and upgrades by major software competitors were negatively impacting Tableau's competitive position and profitability.

On August 7, 2015, the Company filed a quarterly report on Form 10-Q reaffirming financial results issued in a July 29, 2015 press release. On February 4, 2016, the Company disclosed slowing revenue. In a related earnings call, the CEO stated that 'the competitive dynamic has become more crowded and difficult.' When this news was released, the Company's stock price fell materially, which harmed investors according to the Complaint.

Mr. Monteverde would like to personally discuss with you how to potentially recover your monetary losses, if incurred during the Class Period.

If you wish to serve as lead plaintiff, you must move the Court no later than September 26, 2017. Any member of the putative class may move the Court to serve as lead plaintiff through counsel of their choice, or may choose to do nothing and remain an absent class member.

Click here for more information: http://monteverdelaw.com/securities/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

Monteverde & Associates PC is a boutique class action securities and consumer litigation law firm committed that has recovered millions of dollars and is committed to protecting shareholders and consumers from corporate wrongdoing. Monteverde & Associates PC lawyers have significant experience litigating Mergers & Acquisitions and Securities Class Actions, whereby they protect investors by recovering money and remedying corporate misconduct.

Contact:

Juan E. Monteverde, Esq.

MONTEVERDE & ASSOCIATES PC

The Empire State Building

350 Fifth Ave, Suite 4405

New York, NY 10118

United States of America

jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com

Tel: (212) 971-1341

Attorney Advertising. (C) 2017 Monteverde & Associates PC. Prior results do not guarantee a similar outcome with respect to any future matter.

SOURCE: Monteverde & Associates PC
Vancouver, British Columbia--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - OSPREY GOLD DEVELOPMENT LTD. (TSXV: OS) (the "Company" or "Osprey") announces that the Company is issuing the following news release to clarify and retract disclosure contained in an article entitled "Gold Prices to Spike on Middle East Turmoil" dated June 25, 2017, featuring the Company which appeared on the webpage www.oilprice.com (the "Article").

The Article was authored by a market commentator and purported to discuss the exploration and development potential of the Company's Nova Scotia mineral properties. The Company paid to have the Article published. The statements contained in the Article were not prepared or reviewed by any Qualified Person, within the meaning of National Instrument 43-101 ("NI-43-101"), and were overly promotional, potentially misleading, and did not meet the disclosure requirements of the TSX Venture Exchange or Canadian securities legislation, including scientific and technical disclosure requirements under NI 43-101, and should not be relied upon.

The Company's Nova Scotia mineral properties, including its Goldenville property located in Guysborough county Nova Scotia ("Goldenville"), are at an early stage of exploration. The Company has not completed sufficient exploration on its properties to establish current mineral reserves, and nor has a preliminary economic assessment, preliminary feasibility study or feasibility study been completed on to support the economic viability or feasibility of the Company's properties.

Throughout the Article, the author draws comparisons between the Company's properties other reporting issuers with mineral properties located in Nova Scotia, and suggests for readers to look to the stock price of such other reporting issuers as a basis for estimating the future performance of the Company's stock price. The Company retracts all such statements in the Article making reference to the future performance of the Company, the future exploration or development potential of the Company's mineral properties or future value of the Company's stock, and any such statements should not be relied upon.

Throughout the Article, the author makes reference to the use of "unprecedented new" or "recently developed" technology. The Company wishes to clarify that the author of the Article was referring to 'open-pit mining methods', which have recently been introduced in the Nova Scotia mining sector, and historically have not been used in Nova Scotia's mining operations.

The Company wishes to retract the statement in the Article which states "Across the street, Atlantic Gold Corp turned its similar project into a $250-million gold mine and now Osprey is gearing up to pursue the same success." This statement is unsupported and misleading. The Company disclaims the comparison of its properties to the properties held by Atlantic Gold Corp. Osprey's properties are at early exploration stage and there is no certainty that ongoing exploration by the Company will yield positive results.

The Article makes reference to resource estimates previously disclosed by Acadian of "109,676 tonnes grading at 10.76g/tone and another 533,799 inferred tones grading at 14.26 g/tone." The Company wishes to clarify that this information in the Article is referring to a historical estimate (the "Historical Estimate") for Goldenville which was previously published by the Company in its news release dated January 10th, 2017, and which included a historical inferred mineral resource of 244,730 ounces of gold in 533,739 tonnes grading 14.26 g/t and a historical indicated mineral resource of 37,000 ounces of gold in 106,976 tonnes grading 10.76 g/t, using a cutoff of 2.0 g/t gold as reported in a historical technical report dated effective March 1, 2005, prepared for Acadian Gold Corporation by Mercator Geological Services Limited entitled "Technical Report on Mineral Resource Estimate - Acadian Gold Corporation - Goldenville Property - Guysborough County, Nova Scotia, Canada".The reader is cautioned that a qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify this Historical Estimate as current mineral resources and Osprey is not treating this Historical Estimate as a current mineral resource. While this Historical Estimate was prepared using the categories set out in Sections 1.2 and 1.3 of National Instrument 43-101 as defined in the "Canadian Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum Standards on Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves Definition Guidelines" ("CIM Guidelines") in effect at the time, there is no guarantee that it would be consistent with current standards and it should not be regarded as consistent with current standards. At the time of publication by the Company, the Historical Estimate was relevant to obtain a reference to mineral potential present on Goldenville.

Since publishing the Historical Estimate, on March 16, 2017, the Company announced the results of an updated gold resource estimate for Goldenville. This estimate resulted in an Inferred Resource of 2,800,000 tonnes at 3.20 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold for 288,000 ounces of gold (2,800,000 tonnes at 4.96 g/t gold for 447,000 ounces of gold uncapped). The updated resource estimate and grade cap sensitivity is found in the table below. A copy of the Company's technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, Goldenville Project, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia" prepared by David G. Thomas, M.Sc., P. Geo. and Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo. of Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation dated effective March 15th, 2017 (the "Technical Report") containing the updated estimate is available under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com.

Resource Type Tonnage (t) Au (g/t) Au (Oz)

capped Au (Oz)

uncapped Open Pit (0.75 g/t Cut-Off) 1,240,000 3.02 120,000 203,000 Underground (2g/t Cut-Off) 1,560,000 3.35 168,000 244,000 Total 2,800,000 3.2 288,000 447,000

The Company wishes to retract the statement in the Article "Osprey could offer the next best chance to enjoy supers-sized returns." This statement is unsupportable, without merit, and potentially misleading. The Company makes no representation about the Company's future performance or stock value.

The Company would like to retract the statement in the Article "From 1.5 billion years.to today." The Company wishes to clarify that the rocks which compose the Goldenville Formation identified on the company's properties are approximately 500 ma, as disclosed in the Technical Report.

The Article includes a statement referencing historical drill results which "returned 1.33g/tonne of ore" The Company wishes to clarify that these historical drill results are previously disclosed by the Company in a news release on May 23rd, 2017. The Company also wishes to retract the reference in the Article to "ore". The Company has not completed sufficient exploration on its properties to establish current mineral reserves, and nor has a preliminary economic assessment, preliminary feasibility study or feasibility study been completed on to support the economic viability or feasibility of the Company's properties.

The Company wishes to retract the quote "The company's assets hold 447,000 ounces of gold uncappedThat's at least 447,000 ounces of gold by Osprey!...So basically we are talking about a $10.3-million market cap company sitting on $560 million worth of gold!...That's a potential 75x increase in value for Early-in investors". This statement is misleading and in violation of section 2.3 of NI 43-101 which prohibits disclosure of quantity, grade or metal or mineral content that has not been categorized in accordance with CIM Guidelines and prohibits disclosure of gross values of metal. The Company makes no representation about the Company's future performance or stock value.

The Company wishes to retract the statement "Whichever way you slice it, Osprey Gold seems like a solid investment with very good potential for strong returns." The Company makes no representation about the Company's future performance or stock value.

The Company wishes to clarify that the opinions contained in the Article with respect to market factors including global tensions, cryptocurrencies, and demand for gold, gold exports, supply, cost savings attributable open pit mining methods to are all solely the opinion of the author of the Article.

The Company wishes to retract the statement "Companies like Osprey Gold that have already secured the richest mining areas stand a good chance of enjoying the best returns for years to come." This statement is wholly unsupported and may be misleading. The Company makes no representation about the Company's future performance or stock value.

The Company wishes to retract the statements: "Major Announcement Coming Soon." and " The company's unique prospecting approach means that not only are its gold resources likely to increase over the coming months, but it's also likely to find NEW opportunities to buffer the single asset risk. Don't be surprised if the company's management announces another acquisition on the cheap before long." and "Remember  with the company currently valued so cheaply, any significant progress or new discoveries could possibly drive sizable price action for Osprey shares." These statements are unsupported and misleading. The Company confirms there is currently no undisclosed material information with respect to the Company, its properties or prospects. The Company makes no representation about the Company's future performance or stock value.

About Goldenville and Osprey

Osprey is focused on exploring historically producing gold properties in Nova Scotia, Canada. Osprey has the option to earn 100% (subject to certain royalties) in four properties, including the Goldenville Gold Project, Nova Scotia's largest historic gold producer. Goldenville hosts a current Inferred Resource of 2,800,000 tonnes at 3.20 grams per tonne ("g/t") gold for 288,000 ounces of gold (2,800,000 tonnes at 4.96 g/t gold for 447,000 ounces of gold uncapped) near the town of Sherbrooke, NS. All four properties in Osprey's current portfolio have a history of high-grade gold production. A copy of the Company's technical report titled "NI 43-101 Independent Technical Report, Goldenville Project, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia" prepared by David G. Thomas, M.Sc., P. Geo. and Neil Pettigrew, M.Sc., P. Geo. of Fladgate Exploration Consulting Corporation with and effective date of March 15th, 2017 is available under the Company's profile at www.SEDAR.com.

The technical information in this release has been reviewed and approved by the Company's Vice President of Exploration Perry MacKinnon, P.Geo, a 'Qualified Person' under NI 43-101.

Additional information regarding Osprey and the Goldenville property is available under the Company's profile at www.sedar.com and at www.ospreygold.com.

For further information please contact:

ON BEHALF OF OSPREY GOLD DEVELOPMENT LTD.,

"Cooper Quinn"

Cooper Quinn, President and Director

For further information please contact Osprey at (236)521-0944 or cooper@ospreygold.com

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.

All statements in this press release, other than statements of historical fact, are "forward-looking information" with respect to Osprey within the meaning of applicable securities laws. Osprey provides forward-looking statements for the purpose of conveying information about current expectations and plans relating to the future and readers are cautioned that such statements may not be appropriate for other purposes. By its nature, this information is subject to inherent risks and uncertainties that may be general or specific and which give rise to the possibility that expectations, forecasts, predictions, projections or conclusions will not prove to be accurate, that assumptions may not be correct and that objectives, strategic goals and priorities will not be achieved. These risks and uncertainties include but are not limited to exploration findings, results and recommendations, as well as those risks and uncertainties identified and reported in Osprey's public filings under Osprey's SEDAR profile at www.sedar.com. Although Osprey has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual actions, events or results to differ materially from those described in forward-looking information, there may be other factors that cause actions, events or results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. There can be no assurance that such information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. Osprey disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise unless required by law.
Washington DC--(Newsfile Corp. - September 7, 2017) - The Securities and Exchange Commission today announced the leadership of the agency's trial unit. Bridget Fitzpatrick has been named Chief Litigation Counsel of the SEC and David Gottesman will continue to serve as the agency's Deputy Chief Litigation Counsel.

Since December 2016, Ms. Fitzpatrick and Mr. Gottesman have served as Co-Acting Chief Litigation Counsel. In that role, they were jointly responsible for supervising the trial unit at the agency's Washington D.C. headquarters as well as coordinating with litigators in the SEC's 11 regional offices around the country. In her new role, Ms. Fitzpatrick will oversee the agency's national litigation program and, as Deputy, Mr. Gottesman's responsibilities will include oversight of all trial lawyers in the SEC's Washington, D.C., headquarters.

Ms. Fitzpatrick previously served as a supervisor and a trial lawyer in the SEC's Enforcement Division, where she supervised the litigation of several successful cases and tried highly complex matters such as the Commission's charges against the Chairman and Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Michaels Stores, Samuel and Charles Wyly, and former Goldman Sachs banker Fabrice Tourre. In recognition of her contributions to the SEC's litigation program, she has twice received the Chairman's Award for Excellence, and also received the Arthur F. Flemming Award for excellence in public service for her role as lead trial counsel in the Commission's action against the Wyly brothers.

As Deputy Chief Litigation Counsel, Mr. Gottesman has managed and advised the agency's nationwide trial unit on litigation strategies and trial preparation. He previously served as a supervisor and a trial lawyer in the SEC's Enforcement Division, where he litigated cases involving accounting and disclosure fraud, market manipulation, offering frauds, and insider trading.

"The combination of Bridget's impressive track record and strong judgment on litigation and trial strategy will serve the Division's national litigation program well," said Stephanie Avakian, Co-Director of the SEC's Enforcement Division. "And I am pleased that David is going to substantially broaden his role by overseeing more than 40 trial lawyers and continuing to bring his significant securities expertise and judgment to our litigation program."

Steven Peikin, Co-Director of the SEC's Enforcement Division, added, "Bridget is well respected within both the Division and the agency, and her leadership of the program will be well complemented by David's expertise and strong management experience."

Ms. Fitzpatrick said, "I am honored to have been chosen to lead the SEC's trial program and look forward to working with David and the SEC's talented trial lawyers nationwide to continue our fight to protect investors from wrongdoers."

Mr. Gottesman said, "I look forward to working with Bridget to continue to build upon the successes of our strong litigation program, and look forward to leading the agency's Washington, D.C.-based trial lawyers to success in the agency's litigation against wrongdoers."

Before joining the SEC staff, Ms. Fitzpatrick served as a federal prosecutor for more than five years. She served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the U.S. Attorney's Office for the District of Columbia, where she tried 30 cases to verdict, including 15 jury trials, and obtained felony convictions against a sitting City Council member in Washington, D.C., for the embezzlement of more than $350,000 in public funds earmarked for youth and against an accounting manager who stole money from a woman's shelter and an international charity. Prior to her work in the U.S. Attorney's Office, Ms. Fitzpatrick worked in private practice. Ms. Fitzpatrick received her bachelor's degree with distinction in all subjects from Cornell University and her law degree with honors from Georgetown University, where she was a member of the American Criminal Law Review.

Before joining the SEC staff, Mr. Gottesman was a trial attorney in the Commercial Litigation Branch of the Civil Division of the U.S. Department of Justice. Prior to his work at the Department of Justice, he worked in private practice. Mr. Gottesman received his bachelor's and law degrees from the University of Minnesota.
VICTOR, N.Y., 2017-09-07 22:44 CEST (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Constellation Brands, Inc. (NYSE:STZ) (NYSE:STZ.B), a leading beverage alcohol company, announced today it will report financial results for its fiscal second quarter ended August 31, 2017, on Thurs., October 5, 2017, before the open of the U.S. markets. A conference call to discuss the financial results and outlook will be hosted by President and Chief Executive Officer Rob Sands and Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer David Klein at 10:30 a.m. eastern time, October 5, 2017.



The conference call can be accessed by dialing +973-935-8505 beginning at 10:20 a.m. (eastern). A live, listen-only webcast of the conference call will be available on the company's website, www.cbrands.com, under the Investors section. Financial information discussed on the conference call, and a reconciliation of reported (GAAP) financial measures with comparable or non-GAAP financial measures, will also be available on the company's website when the call begins under Investors and by selecting Financial History. For anyone unable to participate in the conference call, a replay will be available on the company's website.



About Constellation Brands Constellation Brands (NYSE:STZ) (NYSE:STZ.B), a Fortune 500 company, is a leading international producer and marketer of beer, wine and spirits with operations in the U.S., Mexico, New Zealand, Italy and Canada. Constellation is the No. 3 beer company in the U.S. with high-end, iconic imported brands such as Corona Extra, Corona Light, Modelo Especial, Modelo Negra and Pacifico. The company's beer portfolio also includes Ballast Point, one of the most awarded craft brewers in the U.S. In addition, Constellation is the world leader in premium wine, selling great brands that people love, including Robert Mondavi, Clos du Bois, Kim Crawford, Meiomi, Mark West, Franciscan Estate, Ruffino and The Prisoner. The company's premium spirits brands include SVEDKA Vodka, Casa Noble Tequila and High West Whiskey.



Based in Victor, N.Y., the company believes that industry leadership involves a commitment to brand building, our trade partners, the environment, our investors and to consumers around the world who choose our products when celebrating big moments or enjoying quiet ones. Founded in 1945, Constellation has grown to become a significant player in the beverage alcohol industry with more than 100 brands in its portfolio, about 40 wineries, breweries and distilleries, and approximately 9,000 talented employees. We express our company vision: to elevate life with every glass raised. To learn more, visit www.cbrands.com.



CONTACTS Media Mike McGrew: 773-251-4934 Amy Martin: 585-678-7141 Investor Relations Patty Yahn-Urlaub: 585-678-7483 Bob Czudak: 585-678-7170

Kostenloser Wertpapierhandel auf Smartbroker.de
TORONTO, ON--(Marketwired - September 07, 2017) - Primero Mining Corp. ("Primero" or the "Company") (TSX: P) announced today that Mr. Ryan Snyder has been promoted to the role of Chief Financial Officer, effective September 15, 2017, and that Mr. Kevin Jennings has resigned to pursue other opportunities. Mr. Jennings will continue to advise the Company until October 31, 2017 to ensure an effective transition of duties.

Mr. Snyder was previously the Director of Finance and Treasurer and has an extensive background in financial management, reporting, treasury, and strategy development. Prior to working for Primero, he held progressively senior roles at Inmet Mining Corporation (now First Quantum Minerals Ltd.) and Enirgi Group Corporation, after starting his career at KPMG LLP. Ryan is a Chartered Professional Accountant with a Bachelor of Commerce from Queen's University.

"We wish Kevin the best in his future endeavours and thank him for his contributions to Primero," stated Joseph F. Conway, Interim President and Chief Executive Officer. "We welcome Ryan to the CFO role and are confident that his proven skills and leadership will help guide the Company through this challenging period."

About Primero

Primero Mining Corp. is a Canadian-based precious metals producer that owns 100% of the San Dimas gold-silver mine and the Cerro del Gallo gold-silver-copper development project in Mexico and 100% of the Black Fox mine and adjoining properties in the Township of Black River"Matheson near Timmins, Ontario, Canada.

Primero's website is www.primeromining.com.

Attachment Available: http://www.marketwire.com/library/MwGo/2017/9/7/11G145148/PR19-17_Management_Update_Final-a4579145f6939bdba405b61a680e5525.pdf

For further information, please contact:

Evan Young

Director, Investor Relations

Tel: (416) 814-2694

eyoung@primeromining.com
EASTON, Pa.  A grand jury is investigating whether its appropriate for state police to investigate shootings by its own troopers, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

The panel has been hearing testimony on the long-standing state policy and should be ready to issue a report in a few weeks, Northampton County District Attorney John Morganelli said at a news conference.

Morganelli has been sharply critical of state police for refusing to relinquish its probe of the fatal shooting of a suicidal man, saying police departments should step aside when a shooting involves one of their own.

Guidelines issued by the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association last year say that police shootings should be investigated by an independent agency.

Evidence can be planted at a crime scene, Morganelli said Wednesday, speaking generally. I think that were always looking at trying to make sure that theres public confidence in an investigation, and the best way to do that is to clear the decks and have the agency move out of the way.

State police defended the policy, saying it has strict guidelines and protocols to ensure thorough investigations of shootings by its own troopers. The agency noted that investigators from different barracks are assigned to those cases and work in consultation with prosecutors.

We feel strongly that the department has the resources in place to conduct unbiased, independent investigations at all times, said Cpl. Adam Reed, a state police spokesman.

The grand jury report will not carry force, but Morganelli said it could spur change, either administratively or through legislation.

The prosecutor had convened the same grand jury to conduct an independent probe of the May 20 shooting of Anthony Ardo after state police, citing policy, had refused to yield the probe to his detectives.

The grand jury, which viewed police dashboard camera video of the shooting, voted unanimously to clear troopers Eddie Pagan and Jay Splain of any wrongdoing. The troopers had responded to Ardos mothers house after she reported that her volatile, aggressive son, against whom she had obtained a protection-from-abuse order, had showed up and was threatening suicide.

Ardo ignored their commands and attempted to light the fuse of a firework mortar around his neck while he was sitting in his car, the grand jury said. In testimony before the panel, Pagan described a maniacal look and smile on Mr. Ardos face as he turned to look at Trooper Pagan while attempting to ignite the fuse, the grand jury said.

The panel said the troopers were justified in shooting him. Had the mortar detonated, it could have pierced the cars gas tank and caused an explosion that would have killed the officers, the grand jury said.
OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwired) -- 09/07/17 -- Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc. ("Tetra" or the "Company") (TSX VENTURE: TBP)(OTCQB: TBPMF), a global leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery, today announced that its Vice President of Business Development, Mr. Bob Bechard, is scheduled to attend the 10th Annual International Partnering Conference, BioPharm America, September 26-27 at the Sheraton Boston Hotel.

BioPharm America is one of the premiere BioPartnering events providing access to more than 500 companies and 800 delegates from all over the world, giving Tetra an excellent opportunity to showcase our robust product pipeline that is chasing multi-billion-dollar markets, including cancer pain, neuropathic pain, chemo induced vomiting and nausea, as well as eye pain and chronic pain. We will be holding one-on-one partnering meetings to carefully identify future partners for our innovative pipeline.

"Events like BioPharm America enable us to meet 100s of companies and delegates in a very short period of time allowing us to cost-effectively spread the word on the enormous potential of our business model," said Bernard Fortier, CEO of Tetra Bio-Pharma. "The goal of these conferences is to start a dialogue with potential partners leading to strategic partnerships and bring in non-dilutive funding through up front and milestone payments, contributions to our research and development costs, and royalties. We are most excited in the future potential of our business strategy as we build Tetra into a global leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery."

About Tetra Bio-Pharma:

Tetra Bio-Pharma (TSX VENTURE: TBP)(OTCQB: TBPMF) is a biopharmaceutical leader in cannabinoid-based drug discovery and development with a clinical program aimed at bringing novel drugs and treatments to patients and their healthcare providers. The Company has several subsidiaries that are engaged in the development of Bio Pharmaceuticals and Natural Health Products containing Cannabis and other medicinal plant based elements.

Tetra Bio-Pharma is focused on combining the traditional methods of medicinal cannabis use with the supporting scientific validation and safety data required for inclusion into the existing bio pharma industry by regulators, physicians and insurance companies. More information is available about the company at: www.tetrabiopharma.com.

Source: Tetra Bio-Pharma

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.

Forward-looking statements

Some statements in this release may contain forward-looking information. All statements, other than of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that the Company believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future (including, without limitation, statements regarding potential acquisitions and financings) are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are generally identifiable by use of the words "may", "will", "should", "continue", "expect", "anticipate", "estimate", "believe", "intend", "plan" or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company's ability to control or predict, that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things, without limitation, the inability of the Company, through its wholly-owned subsidiary, GrowPros MMP Inc., to obtain a licence for the production of medical marijuana; failure to obtain sufficient financing to execute the Company's business plan; competition; regulation and anticipated and unanticipated costs and delays, and other risks disclosed in the Company's public disclosure record on file with the relevant securities regulatory authorities. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from those described in forward-looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results or events not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this news release are made as of the date of this news release and the Company does not undertake an obligation to publicly update such forward-looking statements to reflect new information, subsequent events or otherwise unless required by applicable securities legislation.

Contacts:

Tetra Bio-Pharma Inc.

Edward Miller

Vice President, IR & Corporate Communications

(514) 360-8040 Ext. 203

edward@tetrabiopharma.com

www.tetrabiopharma.com




WASHINGTON (dpa-AFX) - The Department of Transportation has decided that the United Airlines won't be fined after the airline's officers forcibly removed a 69-year-old doctor from a flight in April at Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. The Department of Transportation completed its investigation into the dragging of passenger David Dao and the agency said it found no reason to fine the airline. Dao was dragged off from his seat and down the airplane aisle by airport security officers that left him bloodied after he refused to voluntarily give up his seat to make space for an United Airline crew member on an overbooked flight. In a letter dated May 12, the department notified United Airlines that they would not face fines from the federal government for the incident. In a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday, a United spokesperson said the airline is working to better their customer service. 'This incident should never have happened and we are implementing all of the improvements we announced in April, which put the customer at the center of everything we do.' the statement reads. 'While we still have work to do, we have made meaningful strides that improve our customer experience.' Copyright RTT News/dpa-AFX

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Event Pop Holdings Pte. Ltd., a Bangkok, Thailand-based end-to-end event management platform operating under the brand Event Pop, raised a Series A round of funding of undisclosed amount.

The round was led by Intouch Holdings Public Company Limited (SET: INTUCH), through its venture capital arm InVent, with participation from Beacon Venture Capital, the VC fund of Kasikornbank (SET: KBANK).

The company will use the funds to continue to develop the platform and continue to expand operations.

Established in 2015 by Mr. Pattaraporn (Max) Bodhisuwan, CEO, Event Pop provides an end-to-end event management platform with comprehensive technology-oriented services from ticketing and on-site access control to in-event cashless payment solutions and CRM suites.

So far, tt has served roughly over 3,000 events including festivals, live shows, sports, businesses and seminars.

FinSMEs

06/09/2017
Fundanna, Inc., owner of Fundanna.com, an SEC regulated and FINRA approved cannabis focused crowdfunding portal (powered by truCrowd, Inc.), received an equity investment from Digital Arts Media Network, Inc. (OTC: DATI).

The amount of the deal was not disclosed. Additionally, Fundanna, Inc. acquired an equity position in Digital Arts Media Network, Inc.

The investment will support the company in growing Fundanna.com.

Led by founder and CEO Vincent Petrescu, Fundanna, Inc., is the operator of Fundanna.com, an S.E.C regulated FINRA member, funding portal (powered by truCrowd, Inc.) with a dedicated focus on the cannabis markets. The portal will allow cannabis related companies to raise up to $1m per year from accredited and non-accredited investors, with low investment requirements.

The company is in the process of taking over operations after it receives FINRA approval.

FinSMEs

06/09/2017
Innoviz Technologies, a Kfar Saba, Israel-based provider of LiDAR sensing solutions designed for the mass commercialization of autonomous vehicles, raised $65m in Series B funding.

Backers included:

 Delphi Automotive PLC

 Magna International,

 360 Capital Partners,

 Glory Ventures,

 Naver,

 Zohar Zisapel,

 Vertex Venture Capital,

 Magma Venture Partners,

 Amiti Ventures, and

 Delek Motors.

A second closing of the round is expected to be announced soon, introducing additional strategic partners.

The company, which has now raised $74m in total funding, intends to use the funds to take its technology to mass production while scaling its computer vision activity, signing new strategic collaborations, and penetrating new areas of development. It is also hiring to fill positions in engineering, design, sales and other key functions, as well as open new support offices in important regions.

Led by Omer Keilaf, Co-founder and CEO, Innoviz offers LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) technology that leverages a proprietary system, MEMS and detector designs to give autonomous vehicles sensing capabilities, even in challenging environments such as bright direct sunlight, varying weather conditions and multi-LiDAR environments.

The companys LiDAR products include:

 InnovizPro, a development platform designed to provide auto manufacturers, Tier 1 suppliers and technology companies with the most advanced LiDAR available for testing and development, which will be available in Q1 of 2018, and

 InnovizOne, the companys automotive grade LiDAR device for levels 3  5 autonomous driving, which will be available in 2019.

Innoviz has over 75 employees.

FinSMEs

07/09/2017
Amaravati: Having junked the proposed metro project from Vijaywada, the Andhra Pradesh government on Wednesday joined hands with a US-based company to introduce the futuristic "Hyperloop" transportation system in the state capital region, Amravati.

If everything goes well, this will be the first hyperloop project to be implemented in India.

The concept of Hyperloop mode of transportation is notably backed by business magnate and inventor Elon Musk. But it has not been implemented for practical use anywhere in the world yet.

The AP Economic Development Board (AP-EDB) and the US-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signed the memorandum of understanding (MoU) here. But an official release on the MoU did not disclose the probable cost of the project.

The project will be taken up in the public-private- partnership mode with the funding coming primarily from private investors, the release said.

Hyperloop envisages a tube modular transport system that runs free of friction. It is still in trial stages in different countries.

Following his first interaction with HTT executives during the World Economic Forum in Switzerland in January, Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu held another round of talks with them at the Secretariat here recently.

HTT chairman and co-founder Bibop Gresta and EDB CEO J Krishna Kishore signed the MoU.

Hyperloop is proposed to be introduced between the city centres of Vijayawada and Amravati. It will supposedly cover the distance of over 35 km only in five minutes.

Under the MoU, the HTT will conduct a feasibility study from the next month to "analyse the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities".

"After the six-month feasibility study, we will construct and build the first Hyperloop in India," the HTT said.

"The AP-EDB, along with the state government, will assist HTT with all regulatory requirements and develop and implement Hyperloop in Amaravati," CEO Kishore was quoted as saying in the release.
New Delhi: Online travel firm MakeMyTrip on Wednesday announced the resignation of Co-Founder and President Ashish Kashyap with effect from 30 September, 2017.

The company's board has accepted the resignation and MakeMyTrip (India) Pvt Ltd and Ibibo Group Private Ltd has entered into a separation agreement with Kashyap, MakeMyTrip said in a statement. Kashya is founder, Ibibo Group.

This agreement provides, among other things, final settlement of dues and benefits to Kashyap and certain obligations on him, including non-solicitation and non-competition, which shall continue until 30 September, 2019, the statement added.

Deep Kalra, Group Chairman and Group CEO, MakeMyTrip, said, "Ashish has made immense contribution in bringing the MakeMyTrip-Ibibo deal to fruition and setting a strong foundation for the future success of the combined group. At this juncture, I respect his passion for creating and nurturing new and innovative ideas and we wish him the best for the future."

Kashyap said: "The last ten years have been a fantastic journey and I feel privileged to have played a part in the creation and rapid growth of several leading technology brands in India. The merger with MakeMyTrip this year is one of my proudest moments, and I look forward to seeing their continued success. At the same time, I am extremely excited to be spending more of my time creating new opportunities."

Earlier last month, MakeMyTrip had inked an agreement with Travelport's distributor for India, InterGlobe Technology Quotient (ITQ), for the use of the UK-headquartered firm's travel commerce platform.

Under the terms of the agreement, MakeMyTrip can expand the use of Travelports technology, from the Ibibo group to its other primary distribution channels.

MakeMyTrip had acquired the Ibibo group in January 2017.

UK-based Travelport provides distribution, technology, payment, mobile and other solutions for the global travel and tourism industry. It has presence in nearly 180 countries and has close to 4,000 employees.

MakeMyTrip provides its customers access to all major airlines operating in India and those operating to and from India.

The online travel firm also offers access to over 45,000 hotels, 13,500 alternative accommodation in India and more than 5,00,000 hotels and properties outside the country.
    :             ,     
New Delhi: The government on Wednesday exhorted businesses not to wait till the last day to file Goods and Services Tax (GST) returns, saying just over half of registered taxpayers have so far paid taxes and 11 lakh have not yet completed even registration. Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia said the government has been flexible to demands of the industry and it is now the turn of the businesses to do their bit.

Speaking at the Business Standard round table on GST, he said 72.5 lakh people have migrated to the GST regime, but only 44 lakh have so far filed returns. As many as 11 lakh have not yet completed registration on GST Network, he said, warning of penalties for those who are subject to the GST but have not registered.

"Also, 21 lakh new registrations have happened. So, we can roughly say there is an expansion of tax net by 30 percent," he said. There are 6 crore private enterprises in the country, which also indicates that there is further scope of widening.

Adhia said the government has been accommodative to the demands of the industry and has extended the date for filing initial GST returns form GSTR-3B as well as final returns of GSTR 1, 2 and 3.

"We have given long rope to the taxpayers... there was flexibility," he added.

The government had earlier this week extended time for businesses to file returns. Now, sales return or GSTR-1 for July will have to be filed by 10 September instead of 5 September earlier and purchase returns or GSTR-2 can be filed by 25 September instead of 10 September earlier.

According to Adhia, the deadline was extended as there was a rush of 80,000 returns per hour at the GST Network portal on 4 September and the server gave out error message.

"The mentality of people is if we have to do something, we will do it on the last day. If too many people try to file return on the last day, there would be rush. So, the right thing would be to file returns within time... Business should now get ready," he stressed.

Adhia also clarified that businesses registered under GST need to file returns even if they have not transacted any business or else, there will be a late filing fee. About TRAN-1 form used by businesses to claim transitional credit, Adhia said the claim amount is "staggering" and the department will have to look into it.

"Implementation of GST has been smooth so far... In such a big reform, there will be hiccups. We are passing through the initial period of 6 months, but the issues would be sorted out," the secretary promised.
Actor Billy Magnussen has been cast as a new character in Disneys live-action Aladdin. The 32-year-old star will play Prince Anders, an 'original character' not seen in the 1992 animated classic, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

People on Twitter and other social media have not received the news of this new character well, considering that the original Disney movie did not have any 'white' characters, and well, Magnussen is white.

Disney can make a frame by frame remake of Beauty and the Beast, but Aladdin needs to be altered?! The animated film was perfect wtf! pic.twitter.com/pcz2k4rXyX  ferdosa @ TIFF (@atomicwick) September 6, 2017

They wrote a new character in for a remake of the cartoon Aladdin.....*looks at new character* pic.twitter.com/0QuGdskP9u  ThaTzuBurr (@BaeTzuBurr) September 6, 2017

This new character for #aladdin makes me sad to be white, the Aladdin world has no white people sorry but we don't need to be in everything pic.twitter.com/jaj2JWqn6m  Ashley   (@Ashleyfangirl) September 6, 2017

#aladdin I am so confused to why they add a new white character to a complete story that is set in the Middle East? pic.twitter.com/71xzOpFXCS  Nardy  (@NardosNy) September 6, 2017

Some have criticised the makers of Aladdin of whitewashing, while others are not surprised, considering that Disney has, in the past, said that it is difficult to find actors to cast in this movie. At first, they opened auditions only for actors from the Middle East. As a result of apparently not being able to find anyone who fit the bill, they opened up the auditions for Indian actors, and it was said that Dev Patel and Riz Ahmed were being considered for the lead role.

Disney has also been notorious for casting white actors to play persons of colour for many years, in films like Mulan. But going to the extent of introducing a new character into a narrative that is ostensibly about people of colour set in the Middle East is a new low, even for Disney.

This Guy Ritchie-directed movie will star Mena Massoud as Aladdin, Naomi Scott as princess Jasmine, Marwan Kenzari as villain Jafar and Will Smith as Genie. Genie was originally voiced by Robin Williams in the 1992 film.

John August has written the script of film, while Dan Lin, who worked with Ritchie on Sherlock Holmes, is set to produce it through his Lin Pictures banner.

With inputs from PTI
Ranveer Singh is known for his serious, intense performance in films like Bajirao Mastani and his outgoing persona in Dil Dhadakne Do and Band Baaja Baaraat. Now, the actor is set to star in all-out action movie directed by Rohit Shetty. The director revealed that the film will roll in mid-2018, as he is caught up with Golmaal Again, but added that the screenplay is almost done and that prep has begun, in an interview to Mumbai Mirror.

He recently mentioned that this film starring Singh will feature a few scenes from Jr NTR's Telugu film Temper, but asserted that it is not a remake. "We have bought the rights of Temper but our film is not exactly a remake. We wanted to take four to five scenes from Temper but we thought its better to buy the rights. Its what we did with Singham. Our film was different from the original Singham except a few scenes. Here also, we have written our own film taking the exact idea," he said, as quoted by Indian Express.

The director also cleared the air about Singham 3 and rumours that Sunny Deol, not Ajay Devgn, would be starring in it. He said Ajay, who has been part of the last two installments, will star in the third, adding that they have worked together for 27 years over 10 films thus far.

Shetty addressed the point that Tabu stands out in the cast of Golmaal Again. In a franchise which is about comedy and action, Shetty defended his decision to cast this actress, who is known for her serious and intense performances, by saying that she is the only 'sober' character, who is less quirky in comparison to the others.

Speaking about Khatron Ke Khiladi, the action reality show he is currently hosting, Shetty said that the location of the shoot, the list of contestants and the stunts are planned six months in advance.

Very recently, it was reported that there are speculations about Rohit Shetty directing a film under Aditya Chopra's banner.
Dear Mudit,

I call you Mudit because after Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, this is the character that represents all people with "gents' problems".

You may not look like Ayushmann Khurrana, and may not have Bhumi Pednekar as your fiancee. But you could still be dealing with something like erectile dysfunction. Maybe that's why you get angry. Maybe that's why you don't seem to be in a happy relationship.

According to a study published in the Journal of Clinical and Diagnostic Research in 2015, it is estimated that 320 million men in India could be dealing with erectile dysfunction. It would seem that penises are obeying Galileo's Law of Fall: that unfortunate moment when this part of the male anatomy must submit to the tussle between gravity and libido  only to have gravity win. In this fight between physics and biology, relationships must deal with the fallout  depleting chemistry. Puns aside, erectile dysfunction is a serious problem that leads to depression, anxiety and sometimes even violent outbursts, when 'performance' becomes the parameter by which the individual is judged.

You may have heard this old 'joke'  it goes: 'how do you deflate your boyfriend's confidence?' You ask him: 'Is it in?'

The penis is shamed for being flaccid, for not being erect for too long, for its size. Most men, gay or straight, have looked at porn  to feel happy or sad about their own size, depending on the performer they looked at. Size is something that's spoken of in the realm of fantasy and not function, because if it was the latter, then they'd know  as sexpert Dr Mahinder Watsa often mentions in his Mumbai Mirror columns  you can be satisfied and satisfy even with a small penis. Among heterosexual couples, author and researcher Micheal Castleman states in Psychology Today that 84 percent of women (i.e. 7 in 8 women) think their partner's penis size is just fine. Interestingly, a study conducted by scientists Anthony Bogaert and Scott Hershberger found that heterosexual men conform much more to masculine behaviour, are concerned/preoccupied about the size of their penises, and desirous of larger ones.

Yes Mudit, men are often pampered overmuch in India  that is part of what patriarchy entails. However, the truth is also that the penis is penalised unjustly. Women can get a divorce on the basis of the husband's impotence (or the marriage not being consummated). In a 2013 judgement, the court ruled in favour of the wife stating: "It is (a) well settled law that if the respondent is impotent and the marriage has not been consummated, then it causes cruelty to the wife. Therefore, in this situation, mental cruelty is caused to the wife and on this ground, she is entitled to stay separate and claim maintenance."

It is a scary world Mudit, especially when you realise that your worth is measured by the erectness of your penis. Women have been long subjugated and blamed for not bearing children  even if it was the man who had the problem. No matter where the actual issue lies, it is the woman who is called 'barren', 'baanjh' and other unpleasantries. However, this cannot be a justification for society to do the same with men as well. Don't get me wrong  I am a staunch feminist, and a feminist believes in equality of genders.

In Shubh Mangal Saavdhan, when Mudit was taken to a doctor by his father-in-law, the entire theatre was in splits. But the empath in me died a little. Why should erectile dysfunction be anyone's concern but the couple's? Why is it the state's problem, the court's problem, the country's problem? Yes, if anger arising from sexual issues is directed against their partner's, then the law can be brought into the picture. But if not, there is no necessity to make this into some sort of public drama.

Mudit, not every woman is like Sugandha, who says, 'Shadi ke baad meri problem hoti toh kyaa aap mujhe chhod dete?' but we can only hope that there are more Sugandhas in this world who are as understanding and more Mudits who don't vent their frustrations out on their loved ones.

While one hopes that Ali Baba rises on entering the cave, even if he doesn't, well. he can choose to be happy. May your Ali Baba 'rise to the occasion'. May all your "gents' problems" be solved.

Regards,

Harish
In the wake of reports about Dileep's judicial custody being extended and speculations about him receiving special treatment in jail, it has emerged that he may file another petition for bail.

By now, three bail pleas submitted by him have been turned down  the first time by a trial court and then twice by the Kerala High Court on the grounds that he may influence witnesses and thus tamper with evidence. Reports state that he will approach the High Court once again to seek bail on 13 September.

For the first time since his arrest on 10 July, for allegedly conspiring to kidnap a popular Malayalam actress in February, Dileep got a two hour break from jail to perform his father's annual remembrance rituals at his home on 6 September. By 10 am, he was back in the jail.

A trial court had last week granted him a two-hour break from the prison. A sizeable crowd had gathered before the sub-jail near Aluva as Dileep was driven to his home.

The house was cordoned off by around 200 policemen and access was only given to immediate family members. As soon as he arrived after 8 am, the rituals started.

His mother, actress wife Kavya Madhavan and his daughter amongst others took part in the prayers. The court had instructed him not to use the mobile phone.

With inputs from IANS
Fans of HBO's epic show Game of Thrones witnessed a roller-coaster of a finale, of the seventh season . The next season is slated to air some time in late 2018 or early 2019.

But what do we (GOT-maniacs) do till then? While one can definitely re-watch and re-read the series and books respectively, there's another (more academic) pursuit as well.

According to a report by The Independent, Hertfordshire University is organising a two-day (6-7 September) academic conference on the series in its De Havilland Campus, UK.

'Game of Thrones: An International Conference' will have academics from across the globe congregate and discuss various aspects of the show  story plots, fan theories and literary allusions etc .

Speaking about the event, conference organiser, Kim Akass told The Independent, "The show is such a huge phenomenon. I think about 31 million people worldwide watched the last episode of season seven. That is a huge, huge market. It can't just be because it was just a good story  although that was part of it. I want to really get to grips with the phenomenon, to get people talking about fans and viewing practices, and asking what makes the show so huge and popular."

Some of the papers submitted in the conference are titled: "After the Thrones as transmedia Quality paratext"; "Game of Thrones and Playing with Existential Explosive Plasticity"; "'We're going to need a bigger box of red crayons'  Adapting Game of Thrones for the adult colouring book market" reports The Independent.

Apart from the above mentioned paper presentations, there will be examinations on "Power, Politics and Performance in A Song of Ice and Fire"; "Representations of Incest within Game of Thrones"; "Fan Theories  on Jon Snows Death and Resurrection"; and "Game of Thrones, a modern perception of Late-Medieval Life."

On the first day, it is reported that "an academic appreciation society" named George RR Martin Society will be launched, where there will be discussions about the works of Martin, who has written the A Song of Ice and Fire novels. On the second day, the conference will end with "a first report from the Game of Thrones Audience Project", as mentioned in the conference schedule.
"If he is given a lesser punishment and if he is released after completing the sentence, other girls would not be safe."

This is what Special Public Prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam had said strongly appealing to the court for a death sentence to the convict in the Preeti Rathi acid attack case. Convinced by the strength of his argument, a special women's court in Mumbai on Thursday gave capital punishment to 26-year-old Ankur Lal Panwar in the 2013 case. Panwar, who was jealous of the victim's career growth, threw concentrated sulfuric acid on Preeti at the Bandra Terminus leading to her death finally after she succumbed to her injuries during treatment.

Nikam had termed the case fit for death sentence, saying that it falls in the 'rarest of rare' category.

"Objective of the sentencing is to deter criminals and like-minded persons from committing such crime, he said, contending that "the court would be failing in its duty if a just and appropriate punishment was not awarded". Nikam told the court on Wednesday that the country has now become so conscious about crime against women that after the Delhi gangrape case of 2012, amendments were made to IPC. Acid attack is a crime against women, he said, seeking an exemplary punishment for the convict. Panwar did not commit the crime on the spur of the moment but it was a pre-planned attack, said the prosecutor. "If he is given a lesser punishment and if he is released after completing the sentence, other girls would not be safe," Nikam said.

Known for his penchant to secure convictions in high profile cases like the 1993 Mumbai bombings; the Gulshan Kumar murder; Pramod Mahajan's murder; the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, the Shakti Mills rape case of 2014 and the Yakun Memon case, this will be Nikam's sixth case where he prevailed upon the court to give death sentence to the convict.

With a fondness for using Sanskrit verses from religious texts while seeking the death penalty for accused, 61-year-old Jalgaon native, Nikam is known to operate from a South Mumbai hotel while appearing in cases in Mumbai. With a flair for the dramatic and an impressive track record of convictions, the prosecutor has a fan page dedicated to him on Facebook and has also inspired a film, no mean task for a public prosecutor.

Considered as one of the best lawyers in Mumbai, Nikam is the first choice for the state against high profile cases. In 1993, for the then 39-year-old Nikam, the Mumbai serial blasts case was his first challenge. After a 14 year long battle, at the end of which courts sentenced Yakub to death, speaking to Rahi Gaikwad of The Hindu, Nikam asserted that "crime must be punished."

"The crime which Yakub committed is not only serious, it is also the rarest of rare because 257 people were killed and over a 1,000 were permanently injured," Nikam had said in July 2015. The 'rarest of rare' comment is a common statement made by Nikam in every case that he fights, several reporters, who have followed the criminal lawyer's career trajectory, have noted.

Speaking on Memon's sentencing and the reform aspect, Nikam in 2015 had said that only corrigible elements can be reformed. "Yakub Memons acts  hatching a criminal conspiracy while knowing the consequences, leaving Mumbai before the act, and planning and executing the act in the manner that he did  all show that he has a depraved and cruel tendency. I think such people are incorrigible elements."

A firebrand lawyer, Nikam is known for his warlike attitude inside the courtroom when he is arguing a case. The attribute which has come under immense criticism.

Nikam also understands the power of the media today and he tailors his persona accordingly. According to Menaka Rao, who wrote an exhaustive profile of Nikam, a few television reporters "jokingly called him Visual Nikam". Many journalists have observed that Nikam understands the demands of the media today and works accordingly.

The Biryani Episode

When the high-profile trial of Ajmal Kasab in the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack case was going on, Nikam told journalists that Kasab had asked for mutton biryani from the jailors. The news made headlines across the country and abroad. A man under trial for killing several innocent civilians, who should have been rotting in jail was ordering Biryani? Months later, Nikam told a group of journalists in Jaipur that he had lied and Kasab had never ordered biryani.

"I concocted it just to break an emotional atmosphere which was taking shape in favour of Kasab during the trial of the case."

That one remark of Nikam had led to public demands for a quick trial. It became a common refrain on social media and elsewhere  "why feed them biryani" became a catchphrase whether it was a discussion on Afzal Guru or the Coast Guards sinking of a Pakistani boat off the coast of Gujarat. Speaking to The Indian Express in 2015, Nikam had defended his lie and said:

"Media has to play a responsible role and has to be vigilant. They hyped his tears and portrayed him as a scapegoat, a young boy, which was not right. Following the media hype, I saw a tilt in peoples perspectives. It was then that I made up the statement and said he (Kasab) had demanded mutton biryani just to divert the peoples attention. There was a hullabaloo after the media reported that Kasab had turned emotional and was crying during the trial. There should not be a media trial as Kasab was not repenting, he was only pretending."

In his over 20 year-long illustrious career, Nikam received most criticism for lying about the biryani episode. Nikam was the first choice in the most striking cases in the state. The prosecutor is able to get convictions and portrays the state as this machine which is zealous in fighting injustice meted out to common people. Speaking to Menaka Rao, Satej Patil, a Congress leader who was also Maharashtras minister of state (home department), said, "I have personally seen him in court. He is confidence-inspiring. He knows the exact issues to highlight from the government point of view."

After Kasab was hanged, Nikam had told the media: "It is victory for the country. By hanging Kasab, we have paid homage to all those policemen and innocent persons who lost their lives."

How does Nikam secure so many convictions?

According to Nikam's mentor, Achyut Waman Atre, a 76-year-old professor from Jalgaon, he taught Nikam something was frowned upon by the fraternity. "The use of an approver." Speaking to Caravan, Atre said, "It is important to seek better particulars as compared to the police statement. The evidence of each witness should be consistent with the other witnesses."

An approver or a co-conspirator is one who confesses his or her guilt and gives evidence against his or her confederates. In return, Nikam would offer them some amnesty.

A staunch believer in death sentence

Nikam is almost unrelenting when it comes to conspirators and forgiveness. When asked whether the civilised society should do away with the death penalty, Nikam told The Hindu, that the death penalty is necessary, "but its execution has not been timely. The idea of a deterrent sentence is not to punish the criminal but to give a message to like-minded people. But if there is an inordinate delay, the very purpose of a deterrent sentence is frustrated. I have seen cases where the criminal has committed a crime even after spending 20 years in jail."
Indians in general and the BJP in particular would have celebrated the death sentence that was not to be for Abu Salem, the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts.

But it would have felt like a consolation prize at best, for the 'real' mastermind, Dawood Ibrahim, is ensconced in Pakistan. Nonetheless, getting his henchman was satisfying. What is not is that extradition laws spared him the gallows.

While Dawood chose Karachi as his hideout, Abu Salem went to distant Portugal, making a cynical calculation that if it came to crunch, he would be bailed out by the India-Portugal extradition treaty  under which Portugal hands over fugitives to Indian authorities albeit with a rider; no death sentence, period.

The trial court delivered what could be perceived as a travesty of judgment, if not of justice. While his two accomplices are to be hanged till death, Salem has been 'let off' with a life sentence. Pacifists may quibble and demur but in their worldview, a life sentence is more harrowing than a death sentence.

For them, a death sentence is a coup de grace or like a sudden heart attack, causing instant death, whereas a life sentence is like a paralytic stroke that leaves a patient a veritable vegetable for the rest of his life. Be that as it may, the judge had his hands tied while writing the verdict.

Mercifully, a parity-of-punishment plea was not made  since you have spared Salem from the gallows, spare his accomplices as well. This plea was cunningly made by Ram Jethmalani in the infamous Uphaar Cinema fire case and surprisingly accepted by the Supreme Court with alacrity only to be rescinded later on appeal. Elder brother Sushil Ansal was spared the jail term in deference to his octogenarian status and Jethmalani had asked for parity of punishment for his younger brother Gopal Ansal.

Tax crooks resort to treaty shopping. The India-Mauritius treaty, till it was scrapped in 2016, allowed foreigners to thumb their noses at the Indian income tax law by setting up shell companies in Mauritius and routing their investments from there.

The treaty said that such investments were taxable to capital gains tax in Mauritius and not in India, and Mauritius post-haste abolished capital gains tax. Mauritius thus played dog in the manger, much to the delight of foreign investors who perfected the art of coming to India via Mauritius.

Much the same is happening with regard to more daring criminals. Salem must have used his native cunning or was advised by a seasoned lawyer to flee to Portugal. Continental Europe has abolished the death penalty and some of them practice it as an article of faith, so much so that it is written as an inviolate clause in their extradition treaties with other nations.

Portugal is one such nation. White collar criminals like liquor baron Vijay Mallya and before him Lalit Modi of IPL infamy too have planned their asylums in London. Their escapades are after due deliberations.

While invidious tax treaties can be scrapped to prevent tax treaty shopping, it is difficult to dictate to other nations what their world view of crime and punishment should be.

Salem, Modi and Mallya hold out a common lesson for our government  there is no point in shutting the doors after the horses have bolted. Act swiftly and arrest criminals before they flee to 'friendly' nations. And if courts grant them bail, send out red alerts to airports in addition to seizing their passports and tailing them.
Almost 24 years after 12 bombs ripped Mumbai apart, the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court would pronounce the quantum of punishment against five convicts of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts Case on Thursday.

#ExpectedToday Mumbai Court to announce quantum of sentence against Abu Salem & 4 convicts in 1993 Mumbai blast case  ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

On 16 June, 2017, the TADA court had convicted six accused, including gangster Abu Salem and Mustafa Dossa. Dossa died of a heart attack on 28 June.

The others convicted by the court include Firoz Khan, Mohammed Tahir Merchant alias Tahir Taklya, Karimullah Khan and Riyaz Ahmed Siddique. The court had acquitted Abdul Qayoom.

The TADA court had convicted all except Siddiqui under charges including murder, criminal conspiracy and other sections under the Indian Penal Code, TADA Act, Explosive Substances Act, Explosives Act and Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act. Siddiqui was convicted under Section 3 (3) of the TADA Act, The Indian Express reported.

This was the second leg of the trial in the serial blasts case involving seven accused by TADA court, reported The Times of India. The trail was separated from the main case as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial.

In the first part of the trial that ended in 2007, the anti-terrorism court had convicted 100 people, out of which 23 were eventually acquitted, reported NDTV.

In 2015, Yakub Memon was hanged in connection with the same case, .

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had sought life term for Abu Salem, Tahir Merchant and Karimullah Khan. Although, Salem, was extradited from Portugal in 2005 under Section 34C of the Extradition Act under which he cannot be given capital punishment.Salem was accused of transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai.

The court, in all, recorded statements of around 750 prosecution witnesses and 50 witnesses. Three accused including Salem had confessed to their crime.

Though the hearing in the case began in 2007, it was delayed as three petitions were pending with the Supreme Court, one each filed by Mustafa Dossa and Salem, and another by CBI.

The trial resumed in 2012 and concluded this March. The case (involving the seven accused) was first heard by judge Pramod Kode, who had also delivered the judgement in the first leg of the trial and convicted 100 accused and acquitted 23 in 2007.

Later, judge DU Mullah presided over the TADA court, and the case is now being heard by judge GA Sanap.

The dastardly attack on 12 March, 1993 had left 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured and destroyed properties worth Rs 27 crore.
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According to CNN-News18, Tahir Merchant sent Indian youths for weapons training to Pakistan whereas Feroz Khan was Mustafa Dossa's close aide and ensured arms and ammunition reached Dighi. Khan also manged police, customs and destroyed arms and ammunition after the blasts.

According to CNN-News18, Tahir Merchant sent Indian youths for weapons training to Pakistan whereas Feroz Khan was Mustafa Dossa's close aide and ensured arms and ammunition reached Dighi. Khan also manged police, customs and destroyed arms and ammunition after the blasts.

Convicts will get set-off for the time they have served in jail: Ujjwal, Public Prosecutor on 1993 Mumbai Blasts case sentence pic.twitter.com/WEpaF0PzcU

"The court has given a life sentence to Abu Salem. But the ball is in the court of the government of India," YC Pawar, former joint commisioner, told CNN-News18.

Ball is in the court of govt of India: Ex-joint commissioner on Abu Salem's life sentence

Salem had complete knowledge about the blasts. Only if Govt commutes, whole life will be converted to 25 years:DN Salvi, CBI Special Counsel

Salem's life sentence will be converted to 25 years in prison only if govt commutes it: CBI special counsel

This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.  PTI

Salem, who was close to (Dawood's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court earlier said.

The court had earlier held that prosecution proved Salem was one of the main conspirators and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted in earlier phase of trial under the Arms Act).

1993 Mumbai Blasts Case: Convicts have been given sentences for different offences, all punishments will run concurrently.

The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) court will on Thursday pronounce the quantum of punishment of five convicts, including extradited gangster Abu Salem, in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Judge GA Sanap had on 16 June convicted Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui and Tahir Merchant for their role in hatching the conspiracy for the blasts. Another accused, Abdul Kayuum, was acquitted.

The court had concluded hearing on the quantum of punishment on 10 August. Judge Sanap had said he would pronounce the sentence on 7 September.

The prosecution had demanded death for Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Feroz Khan and Tahir Merchant, and life sentence for Siddiqui. However, Dossa, one of the masterminds of the conspiracy (apart from absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon and others) died of cardiac arrest on 28 June.

The prosecution had said that Salem too deserved death, but it cannot demand the maximum penalty for him because of the Indian Extradition Act.

Under section 34 (C) of the Act, if the country from where an accused has been extradited does not have a law that provides for capital punishment, he or she cannot be sentenced to death. Such a convict, however, can be awarded life term in jail.

In the first set of trial in the case which concluded in 2007, the court had convicted 100 accused, including Yakub Memon (who got death penalty) and actor Sanjay Dutt.

The trial of Salem and others was separated as they were arrested later.

The serial blasts in the countrys financial capital on 12 March, 1993 left 257 people dead, 713 seriously injured, and destroyed property worth Rs 27 crore.

In the present trial, except for Riyaz Siddiqui, the court had convicted other five of criminal conspiracy and murder under the IPC and provisions of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities Act. Siddiqui was convicted only under the TADA for helping Salem and others in transporting arms and ammunition.

All of them were absolved of the charge of waging war against the nation under section 121 of IPC.

While Dossa arranged for landing of explosives, including RDX in India, and sent some youths to Pakistan for arms training, Salem transported arms and ammunition from Gujarat coast to Mumbai.

He also handed over AK-56 rifles, 250 rounds of ammunition, and some hand grenades to Dutt. He was accused of later collected two rifles and some ammunition back from the actors residence.

The court had dropped certain charges against Salem in 2013 after the investigating agency, CBI, said those were in violation of the extradition treaty between India and Portugal from where Salem was deported in 2005.

With inputs from agencies
Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah Thursday said India had made substantial progress in different sectors and carved a separate identity for itself in the international arena during three years of the NDA regime.

Citing an instance, Shah said surgical strikes had enhanced the image of India across the globe, and there was recognition that the country was capable of defending its frontiers.

"The surgical strike speaks of the strong political will of the Modi government. This government can do everything to defend the country," he told reporters.

India became a global leader in space technologies after the launch of at least four satellites during the NDA rule, he said.

Stating that there was an overall transformation since the NDA had come to power, Shah said India now had one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

In some quarters, India's growth had been higher than that recorded by China, he added. The BJP president said the party would fight the next elections in Odisha alone.
Beijing: China on Thursday reacted sharply to Army chief General Bipin Rawat's assertion that Beijing was testing India's limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started "flexing its muscles", while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."

Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doka La, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.

"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.

This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.

"Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats," Geng said.

"We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

"We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area," Xi had said.

Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.

"We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks.

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict."
New Delhi: The belief that China is emerging as a new global hegemon and the world is hurtling towards Chinese unipolarity is misplaced as it lacks the wherewithal of the US which remains a pre-eminent power, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

According to Saran, whose new book "How India Sees The World  Kautilya to the 21st Century" was launched on Wednesday night by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, longstanding narratives of China as a pre-eminent Asian and global power and its projection at the centre of global trade through history are mostly "contrived" and "imagined".

"It is interesting how successful China has been in convincing the world that a China-centric world is inevitable. Many people say it is better to acknowledge it rather than trying to confront it because it is not worth trying to confront it," Saran told former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon during a discussion on the book.

He said this notion had gained credence due to "manufactured" history of Chinese dominance over the centuries.

Saran rejected outright the possibility of a hegemonic world order, saying challenges like climate change and international terrorism were global in nature and required "collaborative responses".

"Hegemonic world order is simply not possible," he said, adding that there was no one dominant power but a cluster of major powers in the current world order.

"If there is an inevitability, it is the inevitability of a multipolar world order," he said at the event.

The 71-year-old former diplomat argues in the book, published by Juggernaut Books, that such narratives are useful in mobilising national pride and in creating a "sense of awe" among the countries of Asia and beyond.

"The US remains a pre-eminent power against any metric of economic and military might. Its status as the chief source of technological innovation and creativity remains undiminished," Saran writes.

"We are, in reality, neither in a China-centric Asia nor in a world destined to become China-centric," he adds.

While China's presence in Central Asia has been expanding, its military capabilities on both the western as well as on the eastern flanks of Asia are nowhere near that of the US which continues to be the "most formidable" military power in Asia, he notes.

"Chinese economy is slowing down...A simple linear projection of China's current growth rate into the future may not be realistic. China remains a brittle polity and the rising insecurity within its political leadership sits uneasily with overweening arrogance of power.

"Its historical insularity is at odds with the cosmopolitanism that the densely interconnected contemporary world demands of any aspiring global power," Saran affirms.

The 292-page book, which has a foreword by Manmohan Singh, is a riveting account of critical events and shifts in Indian foreign policy in the post-Independence period, including the landmark India-US nuclear deal.

With a strong focus on China, the book, which is part memoir and part thesis on India's international relations, also has a section dedicated to the country's complex and troubled ties with Pakistan and Nepal.

The book has four sections, each representing a seminal theme. It takes the reader behind the closed doors of the most nail-biting negotiations and top-level interactions  from Barack Obama stopping by a tense developing-country strategy meeting at the Copenhagen climate change summit to the private celebratory dinner thrown by George W Bush for Manmohan Singh on the success of the nuclear deal.

"I believe the India-US nuclear deal was significant precisely because it expanded India's foreign policy options...The deal is an example of how India enhanced its energy security and expanded its strategic space," Saran observes.

Noting that India-Pakistan relations remain a "prisoner of partition", Saran asserts that Pakistan has nurtured its quest for parity with India through its large and powerful army, and now through an expanding nuclear arsenal.

He argues that Pakistan's willingness to become a client-state of the US, and now of China, arises from its obsession with constraining India.

"There is a fond belief in Pakistan that China's proposed $46 billion investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and in Gwadar port on the Balochistan coast will be a game changer for Pakistan and buttress its ambitions to become equal to India," Saran writes.

The book is also an attempt to trigger greater interest in China, which Saran says is a "fascinating" country but remains poorly understood in India.

"This lack of familiarity can be costly when it comes to safeguarding India's interests...Without an understanding of China's worldview and how it influences the country's association with other nations, it would be difficult for India to confront the China challenge," Saran warns.
Pankaj Mishra, a journalist working for Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara, was shot by two bikers on Thursday in the Arwal district of Bihar. Out of the two assailants, one has already been arrested, said Dilip Kumar, Superintendent of Police, Arwal.

Kumar told ANI that personal animosity could be the motive behind the murder.

#UPDATE One accused who shot journalist Pankaj Mishra has been arrested. It is a case of personal enmity: Dilip Kumar, SP Arwal #Bihar  ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

Mishra has been shifted to Patna Medical College and his condition is critical, NDTV reported. This shooting comes only two days after the killing of Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh near her Bengaluru residence. Lankesh was also shot by unidentified bikers right outside her house. Mishra was attacked by bikers while he was going back home from a bank, The Quint reported. According to reports, Mishra had Rs 1 lakh cash with him which was robbed as well. After taking two bullets on his back, Mishra fell on the spot, the report said, adding that onlookers took the victim to the hospital. Police also reached the spot along with Kumar's family and registered a case against two unknown assailants.
Delivering the keynote address at a seminar on Future Contours and Trends in Warfare at New Delhi on 6 September, army chief General Bipin Rawat categorically stated that despite nuclear deterrence, the possibility of a war on two fronts cannot be ruled out.

His statement was timely indeed, coming amidst enthusiasm over the 'expeditious disengagement' from both sides at Doka La, the recent BRICS Summit at Xiamen and the belief among certain sections that the days of 'conventional conflict' were over.

However, little do they realise that conventional warfare is still very much part of hybrid warfare even as chances of 'all out' war may have diminished. General Rawat highlighted a few major issues:

1. Differences with our western neighbor (Pakistan) appear "irreconcilable" even as the country continues to wage a proxy war against India.

2. China, our neighbour to the north, will continue to encroach upon our territory, testing the limits of our patience and creating situations that could develop into conflicts.

3. If India is occupied with the Chinese problem, Pakistan could turn such a situation to its advantage.

4. Assuming democracies and nuclear armed powers do not go to war is a dangerous myth. Nuclear arms may be weapons of deterrence, but to say they can prevent war may not be accurate in this context.

5. Whether the conflicts will remain limited or expand into an all-out battle remains to be seen, but the prospect of war remains very much in the realm of reality.

6. India must be ever vigilant. It cannot afford to let its guard down on either front.

China undoubtedly agreed to mutual disengagement at Doka La because it found no support for its aggression from any country, not even Pakistan, its 'all-weather' friend. However, Doka La also tested the India-US strategic partnership, albeit indirectly.

While Japan openly sided with India, the US restricted its official statement to saying both sides needed to resolve the issue through dialogue. According to Thomas F Lynch III, a distinguished scholar at the National Defence University, Washington DC, the US failure to join Japan in a clear-throated rebuke of Chinas Doka La activities hurts US credibility with its two most significant security partners in the Asia-Pacific region: India and Japan.

According to Lynch, The Trump administration can still make good on the clear US national interests in calling out China for unilateral, coercive action in territorial disputes. But will it?

Walter Lohman, director of Heritage Foundations Asian Studies Centre, says that the India-US partnership goes beyond Afghanistan and calls for the United States and India to work together to the quadrilateral security dialogue (US-India-Japan-Australia), known as 'quad'.

The failure of the United States to condemn China's actions over Doka La only strengthens China's resolve to continue her aggression along the Himalayas.

But the army chief has only spoken the truth. Even as the Pakistani foreign minister prepares to rush to Beijing after admitting his country must crack down on terror groups, we must realise that China's proxy is unlikely to end its battle against us any time soon.

The process of giving terrorist organisations a 'political face' is already underway. Besides, Pakistan is far too strategically important to China. In her pursuit of the Chinese Dream, Beijing wants two things: The US and NATO out of Afghanistan and India strategically boxed in.

China has militarised islands and reefs in the East and South China Sea and is guiding her protege North Korea on how to test the resolve of the US and its allies. Obviously, conflict cannot be discounted.

China's aim is to drive a wedge between the US and its allies in that region and ensure that the US reduces its presence.

But should China remain constrained in Western Pacific, she may attempt to create a similar situation through her western proxy: Pakistan.

The way China has conducted itself on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and its border with Bhutan is in line with the Communist Party of China's history of excelling in fictitious historic claims, perhaps the Chinese version of Grimms' Fairy Tales.

In the case of Doka La, despite Chinese president Xi Jinping's assurances, a repeat performance cannot be ruled out.

China's assurances can change with the way the wind blows: After all, she breached the 1998 status quo agreement with Bhutan and can do so again, not having given up its illegal claim.

Rawat's statement  that India must be prepared to fight on both fronts  implies that the defence sector has remained neglected over the past decade and is currently on life support.

At the border, we have poor infrastructure and a lack of unity of command. Soldiers are ill-equipped. We must fill out our 'hollow' defences on an urgent basis. A revolution must take place in military affairs, which must include reorganising higher defence management and the Ministry of Defence, synergising the military, optimising cyber security, information warfare, electromagnetic warfare, implementing modern systems using state-of-the-art-technology, introducing robotics, artificial intelligence, stealth warfare, sub-conventional warfare and improving our weapons' capability to allow us to strike at an adversary deep in the heart of enemy territory.

We must also acknowledge that we are, and will be, perpetually at odds with Pakistan and China. This hybrid war, is being fought on many levels: Information, operation, political, through insurgencies, terrorist organisations based in India and those from across the border.

Technology remains important in hybrid warfare, but it is people that are essential.

It is the populace that is likely to provide the asymmetric edge, if we invest in them and empower them through decentralisation.

But at the same time, the chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear (CBRN) threat from both state and non-state actors cannot be ruled out.

Success in conflict, especially against adaptive and agile adversaries, must have a mix of kinetic and influence activity.

Hybrid wars are dirty wars. They are without rules and regulations that use total comprehensive national power (CNP).

Exercising strategic restraint in hybrid warfare is detrimental to our national interests.

But how can we figure out application of CNP at the national level?

We haven't even been able to define a cohesive national security strategy (NSS) and undertake a comprehensive defence review (CDR).

An easy example is the successive train derailments and accidents that are being brushed under the table, with nary a thought to repair or management.

Have we ever considered how easy it would be to 'orchestrate' just such an accident through bribes, coercion, blackmail and radicalisation?

Many months ago, Prime Minister Narendra Modi publicly stated that the Kanpur train accident was a 'conspiracy' and pointed across the border (to Nepal).

Has there been any follow up on the prime minister's statement?

Or are we simply content to only look for Honeypreet Insan in Nepal?

The author is a retired lieutenant-general of the Indian Army
On 6 September, speaking at a seminar at a Delhi based think tank, Indian Army chief General Bipin Rawat categorically mentioned that despite nuclear deterrence, the possibility of a war on two fronts  with Pakistan and China  cannot be ruled out.

While the reality of two-front war has often been discussed in the official circles for years, General Rawat's public enunciation of this argument has certainly meant that India will have to calibrate its military strategy better to deal with a well-armed neighbour on one hand, while ensuring that another neighbour remains confined to nuisance value. Therefore, this is an opportune time to discuss and deliberate on what kind of strategy India will need to follow to address the threat of two-front war.

Battle preparedness

For years now, India has been dealing with the problem of maintaining adequate levels of operational preparedness for its military. While the issues of shortage of arms, ammunition and other war supplies do make it to the national media time and again, particularly after the audits by the Comptroller and Auditor General, one also has to remember that if the primary threat emanates from China, then we have to have adequate preparedness not just for the army but also for the air force and the navy, particularly the latter since the Chinese threat envelopes Indias maritime interests.

While India has more than adequate firepower to deal with the Pakistani threat, we will have to step up our efforts to match Chinese firepower particularly in terms of how many days we can fight altogether. Even more importantly, these calculations will require an assessment of simultaneous fighting with the Chinese and Pakistani forces.

Cyber dimension

As said earlier, while many Indian security analysts describe Pakistani threat as a 'hybrid threat', there is under appreciation of the fact it is the Chinese threat which represents the classic hybrid threat.

Over the past few years, Chinese Peoples Liberation Army has shown its offensive cyber capabilities by repeatedly hacking into the highly classified US military systems. And if the North Korean hacking capabilities are what they are as described by the Western media, then by enlisting them the Chinese can wreak enough havoc on any adversary- India included. There are already enough conspiracy theories going on about the possible Chinese hacking angle into the repeated instances of the collisions involving the US Navy ships, since the beginning of this year.

India remains vulnerable to Chinese cyber designs and without firing a single shot, our adversary is capable of doing enough damage to our computers and networks. Therefore, in the event of hostilities, we should be realistically prepared to deal with a Chinese pre-emptive cyber strike, followed by an actual military action. We should devise our military strategy accordingly and strengthen our defences. Pakistan remains a nuisance threat when it comes to the cyber domain.

The threat lies inside

While China will go fully ballistic in its military offensive against India, Pakistan can be expected to actually not launch a military operation against India but complement Chinese action by cranking the cross-border terrorism thermostat, something which it does best. So expect mass casualty spectacular terrorist attacks directed against the civilians and government targets in Jammu and Kashmir and also in major Indian cities - attacks which are designed to provoke policy makers and cause widespread revulsion. But if our natural reaction to this would be to bomb the hell out of Pakistan, then clearly we will be miscalculated in our response.

Foiling Pakistan's nefarious designs will require a substantial augmentation of capabilities of the Indian intelligence and investigative agencies to better detect and neutralise terrorist conspiracies - since majority of the terrorist attacks in India (barring 2008 Mumbai attack) had a substantial planning part inside India. Catching the culprits beforehand requires better surveillance and forensic capabilities. It also requires choking funds for their activities, something which is always a work in progress.

There are many dimensions of the military strategy when it comes to dealing with the threat of two-front war, but the three outlined above are rarely discussed by the security analysts, either out of oversight or ignorance. While there are many ways to fight a war under the nuclear umbrella, it is clear that India will have to maintain its guard and assume worst case scenarios when it comes to dealing with a threat of two-front war.
The issue of Prime Minister Narendra Modi following some Twitter handles of vicious online trolls who keep posting abusive content on social media is one which has been discussed again and again and again.

After activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder, several of these nasty trolls on Twitter expressed happiness at the crime. In fact, such was the outpouring of abusive content on Twitter that Information and Technology minister Ravi Shankar Prasad had to issue a statement against such abusive messages.

I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

But something disturbing which people and the media noticed yet again was that the prime minister himself had followed some of these trolls on Twitter who were expressing sadistic joy at the brutal murder of Gauri.

This issue on Thursday snowballed into a Twitter war as anger over Modi following abusive online trolls on Twitter spilled out on social media and the hashtag #BlockNarendraModi in no time became one of the top trends on the micro-blogging site. The hashtag was inspired by one Nikhil Dadhich, a pro-right-wing troll, who gushed about the fact that the prime minister followed his Twitter account. Dadhich, in fact, mentioned that in his Twitter profile. (see image below)

As the outrage over nasty trolls flared on social media, Dadhich deleted the bit about "Honored To Be Followed by PM Sh. @narendramodi Ji", and replaced it with "Hindu Nationalist". Interestingly, even as the civil society was outraging over Gauri's assassination and several right-wing supporters continued to malign the name of the slain journalist, Modi did not stop following Dadhich (see image below)

The hashtag began trending and at around 12 pm on Thursday, it was the top trend on Twitter.

I am done : A step towards Swachh Twitter Abhiyan. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/qWqWB7OSdm  Sayed Tausif (@Tausif_Qazi) September 6, 2017

What sort of crappy trend this #BlockNarendraModi? I will do NO SUCH THING! This handle is my window to world tourism. pic.twitter.com/1F8Fmke1Rf  Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) September 7, 2017

Felt so ashamed to follow a PM who follows nly troll handles n handles which spread hate...SHAME on him #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/lxco2hB35c  ZeBa SaLiM  (@neena_zeba) September 7, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi Anyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM pic.twitter.com/oUoz4l7dmH  SANDIPAN MITRA (@SANDIPANMITRA6) September 6, 2017

It's for the betterment of humanity around the globe Block @Narendramodi and @narendramodi_in Spread the word #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/cj0h1pcjMV  Divine (@Divine_Bliss) September 6, 2017

Sorry, won't #BlockNarendraModi. Will raise my voice and make sure that he listens to it.  Ankit Lal (@AnkitLal) September 7, 2017

A man who follows, protects and encourages trolls and abusers should be blocked by all.#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/Czy8ulwgap  NG #withRG (@NG_withRG) September 7, 2017

He is also followed by our PM..how could a PM encourages such extremist ideology. Block him until he unfollows abusers #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/L72sIBsHzf  Khushboo khan (@Khushbookhan_) September 7, 2017

Done. Blocked & Unfollowed Modi. Such person who doesn't care for people need not be followed #BlockNarendraModi #India #NotMyPM pic.twitter.com/Uh7FELOr3i  Manoj Mehra (@ManojMehra2610) September 7, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi Friends Lets Make it a record by blocking this selfies and crueal man pic.twitter.com/vHVVwGkxH6  manju jadhav (@manjujadhav_) September 7, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi because he lies to the country. Repeatedly. Zero apologies, zero accountability, deliberate lies misleading country. pic.twitter.com/JB4MGuAS7C  Vidyut (@Vidyut) September 6, 2017

PM of India #NotMyPM is following abusers and hate mongers. I have blocked him. Will you join me in this protest. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/C7TmPbiZjK  Paediatrician_INC (@peadiatric_inc) September 6, 2017

An absentee PM who cant care about d country that voted him to power & follows venomous people on Twitter. #BlockNarendraModi is a good idea pic.twitter.com/MAjXNL1lbB  Akshay Bajaj (@villagerurbaine) September 6, 2017

However, there were also a substantial number of tweets in support of the prime minister. He is, after all, the second-most followed world leader on Twitter after US president Donald Trump.

Arre Congi duffero... If you #BlockNarendraModi ... How will you footsies of @INCIndia troll him? Hahahhahahahha.. Stop thinking like PAPPU!  MediaCrooks (@mediacrooks) September 7, 2017
Kutch: The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday apprehended three Pakistani fishermen and seized 14 boats from the Harami Nala creek area along the India-Pakistan border in Gujarat's Kutch district.

The border guarding force had on Wednesday also apprehended two Pakistani fishermen and three boats from the same area.

A patrol party of the BSF's 79th battalion, deployed to guard the India-Pakistan border, apprehended three fishermen early today from the "general area of the Harami Nala creek", a senior BSF official said.

The men and a few items seized from the boats have been handed over to the local police, the official said.

Several fishing boats and Pakistani fishermen have been caught in the past while fishing in the Indian side of the creek area.

Given the sensitive nature of the area, even Indian fishermen are barred from fishing in the creek.

However, Pakistani fishermen often venture into the Indian waters for a catch.
New Delhi: The CBI has summoned former railway minister Lalu Prasad Yadav and his son Tejashwi for questioning in connection with alleged corruption in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm, agency officials said.

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter on 11 September and Tejashwi the next day, they said.

It is alleged that Lalu as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels  BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri  to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company.

The FIR alleged that Lalu, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars and acquired the "high-value premium land" through a benami company Delight.

It alleged that Lalu, "dishonestly and fraudulently", managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director PK Goel.
Beijing: China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Thursday.

In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Wang said bilateral relations were "affected and undermined" during the past few months "for clear reasons".

Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doka La, Wang said, "going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track."

Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese deputy prime minister and foreign minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the India-China relationship "should not be derailed".

"Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice" for both, Wang said.

"There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said.

Both the countries should also "make sure that differences do not go out of control", Wang said.

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said.

After the end of the Doka La standoff, Modi and Xi had a positive meeting at Xiamen.

Putting behind the standoff, India and China had agreed to move forward in their ties with President Xi telling Prime Minister Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the "right track".
Beijing: China on Thursday played down the Indian Army chief's war remarks and wondered whether his comments represented the view of the Indian government.

Reacting to Indian Army chief general Bipin Rawat's remarks that India should be prepared for a two-front war, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said: "We don't know if he was authorised to speak those words or if it was his spontaneous words and whether his remarks represented the position of the Indian government."

Rawat's comments on Wednesday came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping had a forward-looking meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit where they agreed to maintain peace and tranquility on the border.

"As far as our northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started. Salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of the threshold is something we have to be wary of and remain prepared for such situations, which could gradually emerge into conflict," Rawat had said in New Delhi, referring to China.

Geng recalled the one-on-one cordial meet between Modi and Xi to express surprise over Rawat's remarks. He said a section of Indian media found Rawat's statement "shocking".

"Just like two days ago President Xi Jinping pointed out to Prime Minister Modi the two countries are each other's development opportunities and not threat to each other," Geng added.

The meeting between the leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit was hailed as a positive development after the resolution of an over two-month military stand-off at Doka La, on the China-India border.

Geng said that Modi too had shown willingness to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties. "We should not treat each other as rivals.So we hope that this military official could see clearly these trends and contribute to the development of India-China relations and say something more in that regard," Geng added.
Five persons died while 12 were injured on Thursday when the concrete roof of a bus stand in Coimbatore fell down on those standing beneath it, said a fire service officer.

Four of those trapped under the debris were killed on the spot, while one woman died at the government hospital in Coimbatore.

Chief Minister K Palaniswamy condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs four lakh each to their families from the state disaster relief fund. "I express my sympathies and condolences with the families of the victims," he said in a statement.

The accident occurred at the Somanur bus stand. Coimbatore is around 500 km from Chennai.

"It was a concrete roof measuring around 100 feet in length along the main building," the officer told IANS over phone.

"In simple words, it was like a concrete sunshade projecting around 15 feet from the main building. The length of the shade will be around 100 feet."

He said there was no supporting column for the 15 feet shade. "Two women and two men lost their lives. And seven were injured as per the records in the government hospital. I am not sure how many injured have gone to private hospitals," he added.

According to him, it has been raining in Coimbatore for the past couple of days and the structure might have got weakened due to that.

The chief minister said in a statement that he directed the district collector and hospital authorities, where the injured were admitted, to ensure best treatment for them.

He sanctioned aid of Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each to those with severe and simple injuries respectively from the Chief Minister's Public Relief Fund.

Palaniswami said he asked Local Administration Minister SP Velumani and District Collector TN Hariharan to expedite relief operations and also meet relatives of the deceased.

With inputs from agencies
New Delhi: The Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPM) on Thursday said the Rohingya who have crossed over to India should be treated as refugees and not be pushed back or deported.

The party also said the government should immediately take it up with Myanmar and Bangladesh to resolve the Rohingya issue.

"The expectations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to Myanmar would take up the issue of Rohingyas was belied. Unfortunately, the issue...did not find place in the talks between the Indian prime minister and the Myanmar leaders," it said in a statement.

"The matter should be taken up with the United Nations Human Rights Commission and the International Red Cross and the issue should be raised in other international fora as well," the Left party said.

The Narendra Modi government is moving to deport Rohingya minority members, mostly Muslims, back to Myanmar where they are facing state persecution. The Indian government has termed them illegal immigrants.
Darjeeling: The Gorkhaland Liberation Army (GLA) on Thursday claimed responsibility for the IED explosion which occurred near the gate of the PWD bungalow in Darjeeling's Mirik sub-division on Wednesday night.

GLA posters too surfaced for the first time on Thursday in the hills since the indefinite shutdown was announced by the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha (GJM).

The shutdown over the demand for a separate state of Gorkhaland entered its 85th day on Thursday.

The blast occurred last night, two days after shops and markets opened in the Mirik and Kurseong sub-divisions. A few shops in Mirik were opened in the morning, but they downed shutters by afternoon.

Subsequently, the GLA claimed responsibility for the blast and warned of an "armed struggle" if the political parties settled for "anything less than Gorkhaland".

Posters of GLA saying "Gorkhaland Birodhi Hoshiyar" (Those opposed to Gorkhaland, be careful) were pasted on houses and shops at Mirik.

The GLA, the posters said, could go to "any extent" to achieve its "dream" of a separate state and claimed that the outfit was not affiliated with any political party.

"We will spare no traitors, be it the GNLF, JAP, TMC or GJM. We will be forced to bomb the house of any politician who attempts to compromise on Gorkhaland," the posters said.

"The posters were hand-written in Nepalese. They claimed that the GLA was responsible for last night's blast in Mirik. We are looking into the matter," Inspector General of Police, Darjeeling range, Manoj Verma, told PTI.

Meanwhile, absconding GJM supremo Bimal Gurung on Thursday released an audio clip from an undisclosed location.

"The GJM will not take part in the 12 September talks with the state government if the issue of Gorkhaland is not discussed. We have already sent a delegation to Delhi to talk to the Union home minister regarding our demands," he said in the audio clip.

The search operation to trace Gurung, against whom cases have been lodged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), continued in the Darjeeling hills and adjoining areas.

An arrest warrant was on Wednesday issued by the Darjeeling chief judicial magistrate against the GJM chief and seven others for their alleged involvement in violence and arson in Darjeeling on 8 June.

Peace rallies were taken out at certain parts of the hills during the day, but they failed to convince the shopkeepers to open their shops and business establishments.

Picketing by GJM supporters was strengthened in some areas and posters and leaflets were distributed in support of the strike.

Internet services remained suspended in the hills since 18 June.
Shimla: A two-member team of the Election Commission on Wednesday arrived in Shimla to review the preparations for the state Assembly polls due to be held later this year.

The team, comprising Deputy Election Commissioners Sandeep Saxena and Umesh Sinha, will hold talks with the top civil and police officers to take stock of the poll preparations in the state, official sources said.

The last Assembly election in the state was held on 4 November, 2012 in a single phase.

This time, too, the polls are expected to be held simultaneously in the entire state, including the tribal areas which become snowbound due to closure of high mountain passes in November.

Issues like photo-identity cards, security arrangements, the number and location of polling booths would be discussed by the EC team.

The commission would announce the schedule for the polls after assessing the situation, sources said.

There are 7,479 polling booths in the state including the highest polling booth at Kibber.
On 6 September, Indrajit Lankesh, Gauri Lankesh's brother, said, "She was working to rehabilitate Naxals. This initiative did not go down well with the Maoist group. There were lot of voices against it. I know that Naxals had printed pamphlets in the Western Ghats that warned their fellow Maoists against joining the mainstream. I am told by my sources and investigation agencies that Gauri received hate mail and letters from the Naxals.''

A day later, sister Kavita Lankesh was emphatic that was a wrong angle to pursue. "There was no Naxal threat so do not mislead. Naxals are not terrorists. I do not think it was the Naxals who killed her,'' said Kavita.

Indrajit kept silent when Kavita refuted his theory at a press conference in Bengaluru. He subsequently clarified saying he was led to believe that the Karnataka government had said it will specifically probe the Naxal angle. In fact, the state's home minister had said that all angles, including a Naxal hand behind the murder, will be investigated.

Senior Karnataka police officers who are engaged in anti-Naxal operations say a Maoist angle to Gauri's murder is in the "realm of possibilities'' but in the absence of any real motive, it would be a case of "far-fetched and extreme conjecture''. They say this on the basis of the situation on the ground in Karnataka, where according to them, very few Maoists are left.

"Most of them have moved to the tri-junction area of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Kerala, where the police force of the other two states have been close on their heels," says a senior officer. The arrest of Maoist couple  Roopesh and Shina  in Coimbatore in May 2015, along with three other Maoists was a major breakthrough that dented the Naxal strength in the zone.

Those familiar with how the Maoist outfit operates will tell you that a classical Naxal operation would entail the party unit  in this case, the South West Regional Bureau of the CPI (Maoist) - taking responsibility for carrying out the hit within 24 hours. For the Maoists, elimination of a class or ideological foe is an achievement to be bragged about as it fits in with their propaganda narrative. In this case, no one has come forward to do that. There could, of course, be a slim chance of a renegade being involved but again that has to be for a personal motive, not for ideological reasons.

Let us look at Gauri's engagement with the Maoists. She, like her father, the late P Lankesh, did not believe in violence so to irresponsibly brand her a Naxal or a Naxal sympathiser as some ill-informed voices on social media are doing, would be erroneous. She has worked as an interlocutor between the Maoists and the Karnataka government to convince the outlaws to embrace the mainstream.

"She was the real bridge,'' recalls an officer who was privy to the efforts at that time. "She would flesh out the details in order to convince both the Naxals and the Karnataka State level committee to walk the extra mile," he adds.

Nine Naxals surrendered as a result of Gauri's efforts under the Extremists Rehabilitation Package of the government. It is a different matter that by the time the likes of Srimanne Nagaraja and Noor Zulfiqar surrendered in 2014, they had been sidelined within the party and the exit route, that Gauri offered on behalf of the government, seemed the best option.

Another hole in the Naxal theory is the fact that the Reds hero worship Saketh Rajan, their party state secretary who was killed in an encounter in February 2005. Saketh and Gauri were together in college and were very close friends. According to Indrajit, it was Saketh's interview to Gauri just before his death that created fissures in the Lankesh Patrike. Indrajit was opposed to the publication of the interview in Lankesh Patrike and that eventually led to the split in the weekly tabloid.

Gauri was among those who insisted on a re-post-mortem on Saketh's body and the Naxals still hold her in high esteem. They still observe the day Saketh was killed as a major event marking his 'martyrdom'. Senior cops who were part of the Anti-Naxal Squad recall recovering Naxal literature in which Saketh is written about in glowing terms.

The forensic report will give a sense of the kind of weapon that was used to kill Gauri at point blank range. Experts, however, point out that a countrymade firearm does not necessarily point the needle of suspicion at Naxals because they are known to use sophisticated weapons in the Red corridor.

A 21-member Special Investigation Team headed by IG (Intelligence) has been formed and with the unsolved Kalburgi case like an albatross around the neck of the Karnataka police, there is immense pressure on the SIT to crack the Gauri murder case at the earliest.

"Given that there are very few clues, barring grainy CCTV footage and the ballistic report, zeroing in on the assailant and the mastermind at this point in time is like searching for a needle in a haystack," says an officer.
In a moving tribute to slain anti-right wing journalist Gauri Lankesh, whose death sent shockwaves through the media fraternity and raised questions over press freedom in India, activist, independent writer and a close friend of Gauri, Madhu Bhushan shared a moving post on Facebook talking about her last conversation with Gauri.

Detailing some bits of the conversation Bhushan had with Gauri a few hours before the editor of the Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrike was gunned down by unknown assailants at her Rajarajeshwari residence in Bengaluru, she said she was "Just trying to sort out in my shaken heart, soul and mind your brutal murder Gauri".

Known for being openly critical of right-wing fundamentalism, Gauri's death invited condemnation with protests organised in New Delhi, Hyderabad, Mumbai and other places for its eerie similarity to the way other rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, MM Kalburgi and Govind Pansare were killed in recent years.

Bhushan reminisces the idle chatter she would have with Gauri and wrote how the journalist was passionate about her work, and felt strongly about the rise of fascism across the country. Bhushan also recalls how Gauri felt "GST is making our lives miserable." Bhushan recalls how Gauri was optimistic about the younger generation with activists like Kanhaiya Kumar, Jignesh Melvani and other being "practical in their approach to realpolitik".

She concluded her tribute in an heart wrenching manner and wrote: "The heavens wept last night for you. But this morning the sun is struggling through the clouds telling us that you can not keep a good woman down. The voices that refuse to be silenced will continue their conversations with you Gauri. You will continue to inspire and we will continue to hope."

You can read the entire post here:

Lankesh, 55, was buried at a cemetery in Chamarajpet in central Bengaluru. Her eyes were donated to be used for the needy, the family said.

She hailed from the Lingayat community that does not cremate its dead.

Her brother Indrajit Lankesh had earlier told reporters that the family would not be following any religious customs at the funeral.

"She was shot dead from a close range at her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar (in the suburbs) around 8 p.m. as she was entering the house," Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had told reporters here on Tuesday.

Tributes poured in for the popular editor from across the country.

People had gathered at the Town Hall in Bengaluru for a silent protest, holding placards. "You can kill a person but not their ideas," read one placard. A silent demonstration was also staged by journalist groups at the Victoria Hospital grounds, where the autopsy was being conducted.

Journalists gathered at the Press Club in Bengaluru were seen holding placards that said "I am Gauri", implying that the attack could have been possible on anyone of them.

Across the state, protests were witnessed in Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad and Koppal, among other regions, where citizens took to the streets.

Journalists in Mysuru, wearing black ribbons around their shoulders, also held a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's Office.

With inputs from IANS
Kochi: The Congress high command has directed the party-led Karnataka government to conduct a "strong" probe into the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, AICC general secretary in charge of Karnataka KC Venugopal said on Thursday.

"The party high command has directed the state government to conduct a strong probe into the incident, book the guilty and ensure them stringent punishment as per law.. Strong steps have to be taken in this direction," Venugopal told PTI.

The Congress leader said he had conveyed this message of Congress president Sonia Gandhi and vice president Rahul Gandhi to chief minister Siddaramaiah and state home minister during his talks with them.

Venugopal, who is also a senior Lok Sabha MP, alleged that not a single senior BJP leader in the state had attended the funeral of Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Her body was buried on Wednesday in Bengaluru.

"Gauri Lankesh was murdered as she dissented against prevailing atmosphere of hate and intolerance in the country..Those who resist the move by the communal forces to divide the country in the name of religion are being targeted, he said.

"The aim of such forces is to weaken our country by demolishing its democratic set up," he alleged.

The Karnataka government had Wednesday decided to form a special investigation team to probe the killing of Gauri Lankesh, which has sparked nationwide outrage and protests.

Siddaramaiah has announced the SIT probe headed by a inspector general level officer, saying his government had an "open mind" to an investigation by the CBI, a demand made by the slain journalist's family.
There are some disturbing takeaways from the outrage over the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. This cold-blooded killing of a fiercely anti-establishment voice ought to lead us to question the claim that India is a liberal democracy. It should compel the media to ask searching questions on why India remains one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists. The killing ought to redirect the light on obscure pockets in rural hinterlands where away from the light and glitter of studios, journalists speak the truth at great personal risk. Relentless pressure should be built on the authorities to find the assailants and ensure justice for Lankesh.

But in going about their job, journalists also have a primary duty to remain objective and interpret available data with neutrality. Subject everything to verification. During moments of great emotion (as Lankesh's killing certainly was) this could be difficult. But in the absence of fairness, objectivity, and balance, there is little to differentiate journalism from propaganda.

It was achingly sad to see senior journalists  some of the most seasoned voices who have wealth of experience behind them  dump all pretense of objectivity and hurtle down the slippery slope of loaded insinuations, misinformation, and empty virtue-signaling.

Before the authorities could even announce the launching of a probe, some public intellectuals, and influential media figures had solved the crime. They were convinced that Lankesh was killed by "fascist forces" and the murder was linked to a certain ideology. Long before the cops could get to work, media had assumed the role of judge, jury, and executioner. The Karnataka government eventually announced a SIT probe led by an Inspector General-level officer, but for all purposes, this was unnecessary. The case was solved and an elaborate narrative constructed that is sure to have a life of its own.

Whither facts, data, objectivity, or balance? It was as if these are no longer important to journalism; sticking to a fact-free narrative is. Journalists are required to have a scientific temper, an inbuilt cynicism towards narratives.

In 1919, Walter Lippmann and Charles Merz wrote about the lack of objectivity in journalism while critiquing New York Times's coverage of the Russian Revolution. The writers accused the NYT of presenting "the news about Russia as a case of seeing not what was, but what men wished to see". They stressed that "it does not matter that the news is not susceptible to mathematical statement. In fact, just because news is complex and slippery, good reporting requires the exercise of the highest scientific virtues.

Journalists should be at the vanguards of the fight against propaganda. What we witnessed after Lankesh's death, however, was a curious reversal of the principles of journalism. The killing was instantly blamed on a certain ideology, and from that point onwards it became a self-fulfilling prophecy.

Murder is the foulest of crimes. It is the gravest violation of human rights. Any charges related to it, therefore, must also be made in all seriousness and with the weight of facts behind it. These charges cannot arise out of emotion, however tempting the provocation may be. All that the narrative-peddlers had was a piece of logical fallacy that "she was a critic of Right-wing forces, and therefore, she must have been killed by them". A pattern was readily discovered that it conforms to the killing of other rationalists, and this was held as a "clinching proof" that the RSS or other Hindutva forces were behind it.

It could well be that the cops may eventually prove this assumption correct and Right-wing forces are found responsible. But was this fact proven within a few hours of her death? No.

Are we to assume that from now on, murder cases will be solved on the basis of assumption, not facts? There could have been so many known, unknown motives behind the murder. There could be so many angles that we are unaware of, and so many players whom we have little knowledge about. There are so many perspectives to explore.

The media's job is not to pick the angle that suits its narrative, but to do the onerous task of letting the cops do their job, hold the authorities accountable till the job is done. They should theorise the reasons behind her death only after the culprits are identified. This linear progression was inverted in one swoosh of journalistic impetuousness. One hopes that the Pat Moynihan dictum about everyone being entitled to their opinion but not a fact hasn't gone entirely out of coinage.

As police investigate the case, some new angles have emerged. Lankesh's brother Indrajit has revealed to NDTV that Gauri, the editor of a Kannada tabloid, had received hate mails and death threats from Naxalites. Lankesh was trying to bring the ultra-Left into the mainstream. Cops are reportedly exploring this angle.

It has also come to light that the departed journalist, a fiercely nonconformist voice, "was reportedly contemplating a series of exposes on corrupt industrialists and politicians in Karnataka" that could have put some powerful figures into trouble. Quoting friends close to the journalist, Shantanu Guha Ray writes in Firstpost that she was "aware of possible dangers she could face if she went ahead with those investigative pieces, which she planned to coincide with the forthcoming Karnataka state elections."

Citing "preliminary analysis", a report in The Indian Express says that the pistol that was used to kill Lankesh was of the same make that was used to kill the rationalists, while also pointing out that the gun is "commonly available".

However, Deccan Chronicle in its report claims that the "weapon was (a) Naxal-preferred country pistol". The newspaper claims to have "sources with access to the forensics report" and reports that "after a two-hour post-mortem conducted on the slain journalist at the city's Victoria Hospital, the autopsy showed three bullet injuries to her body."

"The injuries do not match with injuries inflicted by a conventional or branded firearm... This raises the possibility that the killers may not be from the same group as those who eliminated MM Kalburgi, who was shot dead with a 7.65mm caliber pistol," reports the newspaper, quoting "an official source".

These instances are not meant to spring alternative theories on Lankesh's death. But it is to point out that it is not incumbent on journalists to become sleuths  more so without any evidence. And in any case, as these instances show, there is enough space for doubt to conclusively peddle any narrative over the murder.

Contrary to that, much of the early reportage and opinions around Lankesh's death were based on presuppositions that the Right-wing was behind her murder even before any arrests were made or FIR was filed in the case.

In keeping with the narrative, the protest marches in different parts of the country took a political hue. Some journalists who took part were discomfited by it.

Spoke at Press Club protest for #GauriLankeshMurder but wish all politicians had stayed away and it was a Journalist only event. https://t.co/mGzRXSh2C1  barkha dutt (@BDUTT) September 6, 2017

Why were politicians allowed at the protest for #GauriLankesh ?? Even as I mourn her, I find this partisanship reprehensible. https://t.co/Oj2FPkx7jB  Neelesh Misra (@neeleshmisra) September 6, 2017

In the end, the movement  triggered by Lankesh's murder  in favour of press freedom and freedom of speech and expression, ran the risk of becoming a politically charged rallying pointed against the ruling party at the Centre.

The fight didn't seem to be aimed at preserving the universal right to dissent, but to preserve only one kind of dissent. Can journalists turn crusaders? Or is taking a political stand the new normal in journalism?

The other disturbing aspect is how selective the outrage is against the attack on scribes. Citing data from the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), Huffington Post points out that of the 40 Indian journalists killed in targeted assassinations or in violence while on the job between 1992 and 2017, "none of them who were killed in targeted assassinations worked for English publications".

As author and columnist Anand Ranganathan pointed out on Twitter, among the 22 Indian Journalists murdered since 2013, Gauri Lankesh was the only one who also wrote in English or appeared in the English media.

22 Indian Journalists murdered since 2013. Gauri Lankesh was the only one who also wrote in English or appeared in the English media. pic.twitter.com/U4YIkG4Wvb  Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) September 6, 2017

Our outrage against the killing of journalists seems to be also selective and hopelessly one-sided, suggesting a strong bias in the favour of English language media. This hierarchical order isnt surprising, but deeply unfortunate. It once again shows a lack of balance and inability to rise above one-sided perspectives.

The core of journalistic freedom is impartiality. Objectivity springs from that fount and leads to greater credibility in work. Lankesh's death should compel us, among other things, to re-engage with these values.
Widespread protests and condemnation erupted across the country over the brutal murder of senior journalist and staunch critic of the Hindutva politics Gauri Lankesh, who was killed on the doorsteps of her west Bengaluru house by an unidentified assailant.

Lankesh, who faced three bullets, was shot dead from a close range at her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar around 8 pm on Tuesday. The journalist, who was known for her Left-leaning views and forthright approach, was reportedly contemplating a series of expose on corrupt industrialists and politicians in Karnataka.

Amnesty International India flagged the murder, saying that the incident raised alarm about the state of the freedom of expression in the country. It is, however, unclear if Lankesh was killed because of her ideology. According to Public TV, the Special Investigation Team, formed to probe the murder, is pursuing a lead which suggests that the assailant operated alone.

What killed Lankesh?

A preliminary analysis of the four empty cartridges found at the crime scene has determined that a country-made 7.65 mm pistol was used in the killing.

According to The Indian Express, the weapon is of the same kind used in the killing of Kannada scholar MM Kalburgi on 30 August, 2015 at Dharwad, and those used in the murder of Maharashtra rationalists Govind Pansare on 16 February, 2015 and Narendra Dabholkar on 20 August, 2013.

Who killed Lankesh?

Even though the Karnataka police retrieved a low-resolution footage from the two CCTV cameras outside Gauri's house, they have understood that the killer was a man wearing a black helmet, who followed Lankesh to her door to open fire at her, The Times of India reported.

The police are currently collecting footage from all CCTV cameras along the stretch between Basavanagudi, from where Gauri left, and Rajarajeshwari Nagar, before she was shot dead.

'Somebody's lurking near my home'

As the Bengaluru police is still trying to apprehend those behind the assassination and several conspiracy theories float about in the case, The Times of India reported that Gauri's sister Kavitha Lankesh told the police that a week ago when Gauri was visiting Kavitha at her BHCS Layout at Chikkalasandra (Banashankari 3rd Stage) residence to visit their mother, Indira Lankesh, she had noticed some people lurking about suspiciously.

Both Kavitha and her mother had advised Gauri to report the matter to the police but she brushed it off saying she would do so if she came across any such activity again.

The Naxal Angle

Lankesh's brother Indrajit claimed that she had been receiving hate messages from naxalites. Lankesh, who had worked extensively to bring forward naxalites, maintained silence on the alleged threats, said her brother. According to NDTV, Indrajit added that the naxal angle was something the police was working on.

The slain journalist's sister, Kavita, however, refuted the claim, saying that Lankesh had worked in reforming naxals for years and against the Sangh Parivar. "I am not sure why my brother is speaking what he is speaking. He had no clue about her life, she lived with us," The Times of India quoted her as saying.

Siddaramaiah orders SIT probe

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday ordered the creation of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the murder. He also asked for sharing of information by a CID team that has been probing the murder of Kalburgi over the last two years..

"A SIT has been formed, headed by an Inspector-General-level officer, to investigate the journalist's killing," the chief minister told the media. While Lankesh's family had demanded a CBI probe, reported Economic Times, the Congress leader said that if the family members insist on a CBI investigation, the state could think about it.

The SIT is reportedly following a lead, which suggests that the bullets were fired by a single person. Public TV reported that the SIT has also made a headway in establishing the facial features of Lankesh's assailant. The information has been collected from footage captured by a CCTV camera near a park, which the murderer reportedly passed after firing at Lankesh.

According to Public TV, the assailant took off his helmet near the park and turned in the direction of the CCTV camera. The line of inquiry that the SIT is following is that the murderer rode up to Lankesh's car, got off his bike and fired at her. Investigators are however, yet to get a clear image of bike's number plate.

Twitter warns trolls

Following the venomous tweets directed toward Lankesh, Twitter said that those violating the site's policies may find their accounts locked or suspended, Hindustan Times reported. Several Twitter users had taken to the social media platform to voice hatred against the senior journalist for her alleged support to naxals.

According to Twitter's rules, the micro-blogging site supports diverse opinions but does not tolerate behavior that "crosses the line into abuse".

Congress, Left, AAP give killing a political hue

BJP's rivals used the occasion to launch a scathing attack against the party. While Congress president Sonia Gandhi expressed shock and distress over the murder, saying "this can't and should not be tolerated", the party's vice president Rahul Gandhi accused the BJP of silencing dissent. It was part of "their" ideology, he said.

"Anyone who speaks against BJP is silenced. People say that the prime minister is quiet and he has not said anything. The point is the entire ideology is to silence voices," Gandhi said.

Meanwhile, CPM called the democratic forces to lodge a strong protest against what it said was "growing intolerance and hatred" in the country.

The party said in a statement that Lankesh's murder "fits into a by now familiar pattern of eliminating voices that dare to speak out against the current climate of hate and intolerance by the RSS and BJP".

Claiming that the killings of Pansare, Dabholkar, Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh were all "interconnected", the party said that all the deceased were vociferous in their opposition to superstition, obscurantism and the perpetuation of the communal agenda by the right-wing Hindutva forces."

The Aam Aadmi Party, too joined the blame-game. While it expressed fears that its key leader and former scribe Ashish Khetan could meet a similar fate for taking on extremist elements, it also criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi for "emboldening" right-wing extremists by following them on social media.

As media fraternity and activists gathered across the country in cities including New Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad among others to condemn her murder, Lankesh was laid to rest with state honours at a cemetery in Chamarajpet in central Bengaluru on Wednesday.
Several charges and an injunction have been filed against the owner of Astral Valley in an attempt to shut down the music events being held at the property.

Sheena Cox, 31, of Belleview, is being charged with 15 class B misdemeanor counts of peace disturbance in St. Francois County and a class B misdemeanor of trespassing in the first degree in Ste. Genevieve County.

Sheenas father, Clayton Cox, 60, of Belleview, is also being charged with a class B misdemeanor of trespassing in the first degree in Ste. Genevieve County.

According to documents from the Ste. Genevieve County Prosecuting Attorney's office, on Aug. 8 at 9:10 a.m. a deputy with the Ste. Genevieve County Sheriffs Department met with a neighbor to Astral Valley who wanted to report a peace disturbance.

The deputy was familiar with the man because of prior complaints from his address. The man told the deputy it is a recurring issue with the loud noise coming from the Astral Valley property. He said the noise is going day and night and will continue throughout the weekend.

The man provided the deputy with a typed letter explaining the trouble he and his wife are having mentally and physically from the noise.

Then on Aug. 17 around 5 p.m. the man reportedly began hearing noise coming from the neighboring property. Sometime around 7:30 p.m. a white Dodge diesel truck pulled into his driveway.

They immediately recognized three of the five people in the truck- Sheena, Clayton and Sheenas mom. There were two others in the truck, the man reported, and one of them was possibly recording him with a camera. The man said the members of the Cox family attempted to compromise with him in regards to the noise.

He told investigators they offered to send him and his wife on a paid vacation on the days there were events at Astral Valley.

The man reported he told them three times they needed to leave his property. Approximately 20 minutes later the noise got noticeably louder.

In two separate probable cause statements from the St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney's office, a deputy was reportedly called to a home off French Village Road and was witness to the noise level the homeowner was reporting. The man reporting the noise said it had been two days since he could sleep and he couldnt hear his television in his own home over the noise coming from down the road.

Several other people made similar complaints on June 10 in reference to the loud noise, and again on June 11 more reports came in because of the noise. Several deputies were called out to homes ranging up to five miles away from Astral Valley and they all reported the could hear the noise.

All 13 people who reported noise that weekend said they dealt with the same problem two weeks prior from another event that was being held on the Astral Valley property. There were also several reports of excessive noise in May from the Cosmic Reunion.

St. Francois County Prosecuting Attorney Jerrod Mahurin said there was a temporary injunction filed against Sheena Cox and the Astral Valley property in August.

The problem we ran into was there are so many LLCs, part-owners and fictitious names associated with the property ..., explained Mahurin. The county has ordered me to try to completely shut it down, so I am working with law enforcement to try and find every name associated with it. Its just taking a long time because there are so many things involved with it.

Mahurin said the judge did sign off on a temporary injunction in late August and Cox is not to have any type of concerts or festivals, or other noisy events.

Its a pretty lengthy judgement and Judge (Shawn) McCarver did sign off on it right before the eclipse, said Mahurin. Of course they still held (an eclipse) event and said it was other people putting it on. That is why we are having such difficulties. When I went through the Secretary of States website I found so many names associated with the property.

Mahurin said at some point they will have to probably name up to 15 people and all the LLCs in the legal actions.

There were about 50 people at the hearing in August and they had a petition with about 250 more people who are disturbed by all of this, said Mahurin. I have received a bunch of reports from the St. Francois County Sheriffs Department of (people who have) complained, and I received a bunch more from Ste. Genevieve County.

Mahurin said all the reports from Ste. Genevieve County residents concerning the noise problem are being filed in St. Francois County because of where the property is located.
Sir, India's big contribution to the world, after the zero, is probably your theory of historical accidents. If some fellows say that this too is a zero, it's because they don't know Vedic maths; not even remotely your fault.

To paraphrase that theory, sometimes puppies come under the wheels of automobiles. A politician who can make metaphors is a magician, and this shows that there is nothing faulty with our politics.

If some foolish people ask who put the puppy under the wheel, it is because they don't understand free will. Or free wheel. Entirely their fault.

What is a free wheel? Sometimes the puppy may follow the wheel because it likes protesting too much. Sometimes the wheel may follow the puppy home and then run over it. Both are clearly the puppy's fault. Why did it go out into the road, what was it wearing, and how can we be sure that it wasn't trying to do questionable things such as protesting? If the puppy provoked the wheel, that is its fault.

If metaphors misbehave, that is their fault, and they must be beaten like bad puppies till they grow into big obedient dogs.

Sir, if that same Gauri gets shot by unknown men who will never be found, that is not your problem. She should not have been careless enough to wander into the paths of law-abiding bullets intent on doing their job. Karmanye, etc. This is not your fault.

Plus, sir, bullets speed up nowadays due to global warming, and after rainy weather, which is a contradiction and a physics problem, too is not your fault.

All bullets are equal, but some travel faster because they have heard the promise, and cannot wait to reach acche din, even if that is only more biscuits for everybody. Biscuits are never at fault.

All bullets are equal, but some are more equal than others because they feel more employed and empowered when the person wandering towards them has been convicted by a court. That is only their fault.

If she had sat at home, and made chapatis, like somebody from your side of the fence once suggested all women should do, she might still have been alive. We can't make the same prediction about her chapatis, but that is nobody's fault, least of all yours.

If the RSS expresses deep condolences, and we wonder whether this deep is six feet under or more, this is our fault, not yours, for being fascinated too much by Western practices.

A man named Ehsan Jaffri once asked for ehsan (help), and found that the quality of mercy was free enough to travel telephonically but constrained enough to stop outside his compound wall. Yesterday, the same ehsan stopped a few centimetres short of Gauri's chest. While this is not your fault, I'd like to say that nobody is paying attention to the real miracle. Which is that this one and the same Ehsan lasted so long, and stretched so much. We don't look at the positive side of things, and that is our fault.

Sir, if some Rohit died, and some Anitha, this is not to be read negatively, which alas, we do all the time. Why is nobody focusing on the improved ropes we make in India, and the ingenuity of the young people we make in India when it comes to finding rope-substitutes? Is this the rope's fault, for merely being excellent? Or theirs, for being wizards of jugaad?

If 12 bank officers died because you wanted everybody to have rupee notes with GPS, that is surely their fault. They should have done Yoga every morning before going to work.

If gau rakshaks beat Dalits and Muslims, sir, that is not your fault. You are not their gau-father. We know there is no gau-rdian knot connecting you to them.

But sir, let us return to Gauri. If we look at her Facebook page, on the day she died, she sat around sharing links about deported Rohingyas, wanting to eat beef in Kerala, gay rights and one about someone named Modiji being Big Boss. If she was really a journalist, she would have covered development. If she offended so many people in one day, whose fault is that?

As news of Gauri's death spread on Twitter, some said she was a criminal, as if this explained that. Others predicted overuse of the word tolerance and dissent, and one little gem said she had it coming. It is wrong to say that they are Right-wing. They are warriors for the truth. They don't look left, and they don't look right. They only look straight ahead to your silence which is golden, and to what you mean without saying anything, and are thus so fair that we must call this new standard 'Golden Meanness', and this, sir, is entirely without fault.

Sir, I don't think it will be necessary for the minions of Golden Meanness to laboriously type out tweets that begin with 'what about'. After repeated monkey baths, we have evolved towards telepathy about these things.

If my poem has made you weep, please collect the tears, sir, and send it to us. We will have your babies, and rewrite biology to make India great again. If anybody thinks I am calling you a pea-cock, it is their fault, for who can have a chest so wide, a heart so big, and be small anywhere else?

Sir, we have successfully proved that you are free of blame, error, and any connection to what is happening around us. If somebody thinks that free is now a bad word, that is the word's fault, not yours.

Sir, you are the sir that sits in Delhi and we are your doom. If this is the Delhi that a hundred Kauravas ruled and if the word doom means tail in Hindi but a different kind of end in English, that is not our fault. Sir, really sir.

Sir, if the tail is cut off, it will grow back again. If the head cuts itself off, what can anybody do?

This article was reproduced from the author's piece titled, The Assassination of Gauri Lankesh Reconsidered as an Exercise in Exoneration (with apologies to JG Ballard), which was originally published on Facebook.
Paris: United Nations' culture body UNESCO on Thursday deplored the killing this week of Indian journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, calling it "an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression" and urging the killers be brought to justice.

"I condemn the murder of Gauri Lankesh," UNESCO director general Irina Bokova said in a statement.

"Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society," she added.

Lankesh, 55, the editor and publisher of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly tabloid, and an outspoken critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, was shot dead on Monday night outside her home in Bengaluru.

"I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished," said Bokova.

The US has also condemned the murder as an attack on free expression.
Bengaluru: Amid a political slugfest over the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, her family on Thursday made a plea against giving political colour to it, even as her kin appeared divided on who should probe the brutal killing that has sparked a nationwide outrage.

The family also said the investigators should look into all angles behind Gauri's killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about a possible Naxal role, other than suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life.

"I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice to a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters in Bengaluru.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it.

"What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said.

"Please don't take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please don't colour this with political angle."

In an audacious attack, 55-year old Gauri, known as an anti-establishment voice with acrid anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home in Bengaluru on 5 September.

Gauri, a writer, publisher and editor, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets with two hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials had said.

As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Karnataka government on Thursday began its probe into the killing, there seemed to be differences within the family about whether the case should be handed over to CBI for probe.

While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time.

Indrajit said, "We don't know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we don't get justice, I will give a memorandum to CBI or retired judge (for inquiry), because we want justice", he said.

"Gauri's murder should not become one among several such cases, it should become a landmark, so that no one indulges in such crime in the future to silence a voice or an ideology or the firebrand journalism that she practised," he added.

Asked whether they will ask for a CBI probe only after the SIT fails to do justice or immediately demand for a probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI."

Immediately intervening, Indrajit said, "According to me it's not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we don't get justice, I personally  I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it  I will go to CBI."

When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to the SIT before going to the CBI independently, Indrajit said, "What we want is justice for our sister and family."

He said, "At the end of it, it is not about going to CBI or special judge or SIT, it is about getting justice, for that I'm ready to do anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister."

He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed.

He also said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone.

Asked whether the family believes that her fearless journalism and open expression of the ideology that she believed in was the reason for her killing, Kavitha said, "Yes, according to me that is the main reason."

Indrajit said Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies and she was even cordial with her ideological opponents.

"Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites... it has to be probed," he said, adding that because "she was rehabilitating them (Naxals)...if there was any differences, it has to be probed."

In response to a question, pointing out that Gauri on Sunday had told their mother about some one suspiciously lurking near her house, Kavitha said, "Any one person walking around suspiciously, you can't complain about it. Any other person who is less brave would have probably complained and got security, but she (Gauri) is - what you call brave, also foolishly brave maybe."
Imphal: All Manipur Working Journalists' Union (AMWJU), the apex body of Manipur-based journalists, on Thursday joined the nation-wide protest against the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

During a sit-in protest held today afternoon at Manipur Press Club, AMWJU president W Shyamjai while strongly condemning the killing said the attack is tantamount to breach of freedom of expression guaranteed in the Constitution.

He maintained that in a democratic country, the fourth estate plays an important role in discharging unbiased information to the public and works to bring a transparent government adding such unfortunate incidents is not limited to a particular state but the whole country.

Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot multiple times from close range in front of her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday by unidentified assailants who then fled on a bike.

Media body Editors Guild Manipur too condemned the incident. The Guild, in a press statement, expressed shock over the murder and recalled the scribe as a fearless journalist for her views in her daily.
Lucknow: The Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) on Thursday claimed that the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh appeared to be the part of a larger conspiracy and demanded a NIA probe into it.

In a statement issued in Lucknow on Thursday, BSP chief Mayawati said that along with Lankesh's murder, the Centre should get the killings of writers such as Narendra Dabolkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi probed by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"Journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder in Bengaluru, prima facie seems to be a larger conspiracy. The Centre must order an NIA probe into the murders of authors and writers such as Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi. Such murders happen after an interval. The Centre should display seriousness instead of just condemning them," said Mayawati.

Terming Lankesh's murder as condemnable, Mayawati said the way independent authors, journalists and intellectuals were being killed one after the other, an NIA probe is necessary, as prima facie all the cases point towards a larger conspiracy.

"The country is noticing a fatal pattern behind these killings. As was witnessed in cases of cow protection, love-jihad, anti-Romeo and Ghar Waapsi campaigns, the state and the central governments did not display the seriousness that was required in national interest. This is a matter of serious concern," she said.
Bengaluru: The Special Investigating Team (SIT) has started its probe into the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh with the Karnataka government saying that it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible."

The state government Thursday announced the formation of a 21-member SIT team headed by IGP (Intelligence) BK Singh with DCP (West) MN Anucheth as the investigating officer to probe the killing of Gauri that led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.

"SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case, and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," state Home minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here.

Replying to a query, Reddy said the inquiry officer has been given full freedom to probe the matter and make public information as and when required. Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "The duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public."

He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV which was fixed at the location where the 55-year-old journalist was gunned down. Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe into the murder of Gauri Lankesh, Reddy said, "Who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it."

Gauri Lankesh, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-Right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her Bengaluru home on the night of 5 September.

Reddy said senior police officials are working on getting some more leads into the killing of progressive Kannada writer and rationalist Dr MM Kalburgi, 77, and that the government is hopeful of cracking this case as well.

"The Kalburgi case has come to a certain stage, but we still need to gather evidence. Senior officials are working on it. I am hopeful that the government will solve this case as well as 99 percent of such cases across the country have been solved and this will be no exception either," he said.

Gauri's murder comes just days after the second anniversary of the killing of Kalburgi, who fell to bullets fired by two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka on 30 August, 2015.
New Delhi: A group of editors, writers and media professionals from South Asia, the UK and Australia have joined demands seeking swift action in the murder of prominent journalist Gauri Lankesh.

The South Asia Media Defenders Network, an informal association of editors and media practitioners, which has been formed to stand up for the rights of journalists under pressure, expressed sadness and anger at the gunning down of the leading Karnataka editor and journalist Gauri Lankesh outside her home in Bengaluru on 5 September.

The network includes names of Siddharth Varadarajan, Nidhi Razdan, Pradip Phanjoubam, Tarun Basu, Vijay Naik, Kavita Bajeli-Datt, Mahendra Ved, Rita Payne, John Zubrzycki, David Brewer, and William Horsley.

These journalists along with others in the association said that they stand in solidarity with Lankesh's family and her colleagues in and outside the state and demanded a full, impartial investigation into her death and the circumstances which led to it, and seek the killers and conspirators be brought to justice.

"At a time when freedom of expression space is shrinking everywhere, this is another reminder of the fragility of life, the risk that media professionals face when they take a stand in any part of the world," the association said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is especially tragic that such a situation should have come to pass in a city that has been hyped as India's Silicon Valley and hence a space for safe investment and a stable and safe life," it said.

The group has demanded that the Karnataka government, the state police and the Centre take clear and effective steps to deal with the murder and circumstances leading to it, institute a swift, impartial and effective investigation.

It urged the media and civil society organisations to robustly pursue a campaign to ensure that there is no let-up in the investigation so that the killers, their backers and conspirators are brought to book.

"Justice for Gauri Lankesh must be accompanied by opposition to impunity and criminality - combined with a renewed commitment to freedom of expression and speaking truth to power and compassion in reflecting the conditions of the poor and vulnerable," the statement said.

"These, we believe, are the benchmarks of journalists, journalism and professional media," it said.
Describing the outrage around the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh as full of prejudices and targeted, spokesperson of Hindu outfit Sanatan Sanstha, Chetan Rajhans, on Thursday accused Lankesh of being an extortionist who had links with Naxals.

The Hindu outfit's spokesperson also said that he had never heard of Lankesh's name until the news of her murder broke out.

In an interview with News18.com, Rajhans condemned the killing of the veteran journalist but said that since she belonged to Left ideology, people are jumping the gun by accusing Hindu outfits of having committed the murder, and in doing so, people are overlooking the facts that Lankesh had disputes with her brother and was involved in extortions.

"Basically, we condemn the killing of Lankesh. These sort of killings are wrong, from the point of view of our legal system and our democratic setup," Rajhans told News18.

Rajhans said that the allegations are prejudiced and gave five reasons that the investigators should rather look into.

First, that (BJP) MP Prahlad Joshi had filed a defamation case against Lankesh, in which she was convicted and sentenced to jail for six months. There should be some discussion on this," Rajhans said.

"Second, people should talk about her extortions also. Extortionist thi woh (she was an extortionist). Why don't we talk to all those who were victims of her extortion?

"Third, she clearly had Naxalite links. Some channels have been showing this. Fourth, she commented against the Lingayat community. And fifth, there was some property dispute between her brother and her. It should be found out whether she was killed in a property dispute or not, he added.

Karnataka home minister Ramalinga Reddy had drawn parallels between the deaths of Lankesh and rationalists like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, and MM Kalburgi allegedly killed by fringe Hindu groups. Historian Ramachandra Guha too felt that Lankeshs murder was part of a pattern that links the deaths of Dabholkar, Kalburgi, and Pansare.

This link was further bolstered by a senior police official who said that the modus operandi in Lankesh's murder seems very close to what had been witnessed earlier. "Bullets were fired on the chest and the head, and the three assailants came on a bike. It's very similar to what was witnessed in the murder of Pansare, Dabholkar, and Kalburgi," the police officer had said.

Besides that, what is also making people draw a parallel in the killings is also the fact that all the deceased were critics of Right-wing forces in the country.

Sanatan Sanstha was mentioned in Dabholkar murder charge sheet

In September last year, CBI had filed a charge sheet against Sanatan Sanstha activist Virendra Tawde in connection with the murder of Dabholkar, reported Hindustan Times.

A year ago in 16 September 2015, a full-time member of Sanatan Sanstha, Sameer Vishnu Gaikwad, was arrested in connection with the murder of veteran CPI leader Govind Pansare, reported The Indian Express.

Rajhans however asserted that despite being searched by the central and state investigating agencies for several years no evidence has been found till date which could link the organisation to these murders.

Our premises have been raided twice. Were we found to be guilty, wouldn't have action been taken against us? Wouldn't have we been banned? We were targeted for eight years but did they find anything against us? These investigating agencies also found that a small outfit like us cannot do anything illegal, Rajhans told News18.com.

Comparing people's reactions following the murders of individuals who believe in Communist-ideology and pro-Hindutva believers, Rajhans said, When some people with Communist ideology are killed, and I'm talking about Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi, and now Gauri Lankesh here, the chief minister of Tripura and CPM leader Sitaram Yechury issue statements.

"But in the years gone by, four people who espoused pro-Hindutva ideology were killed in Karnataka and nobody's talking about them. They were also killed for their political ideology, he added.
New York: A leading human rights organisation has called for prompt investigation into the killing of outspoken Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying the "possibility" that it is a "politically motivated" shooting needs to be fully probed.

Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The Human Rights Watch said Indian authorities should promptly act on the announced investigation into the killing by unidentified gunmen of Lankesh, an "outspoken journalist" who "campaigned for democracy, secularism, and civil liberties" and was a vocal critic of the Hindu nationalism.

"The motives for Gauri Lankesh's killing are not yet known, but the possibility of a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly investigated," said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch.

"Authorities in India need both to bring Lankesh's killers to justice and to protect media freedom and the right to free expression," she added.

Lankesh was the publisher and editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly.

Witnesses reported that she was fatally shot outside her home. Police said that the gunmen on motorbikes fired seven bullets at Lankesh as she was walking into her home from the front gate after returning from work. The gunmen escaped.

"Indian artists and writers have previously launched powerful campaigns to protest assaults on free expression,

including by returning their national awards, leading to a country-wide conversation on intolerance," Ganguly said.

"People have the right to pursue their own brand of faith and patriotism, but the government should ensure that these are not forced upon others through threats and violence," she added.

Karnataka's state government has announced that a Special Investigative Team headed by an inspector general of police would investigate the killing.

It added that the police have secured footage from closed circuit television installed in Lankesh's home. The state government should ensure that the investigation is carried out in an impartial, time-bound manner, Human Rights Watch said.

In a May 2016 report, Human Rights Watch documented ways in which overbroad or vaguely worded criminal laws, including criminal defamation, are used to stifle political dissent and harass journalists.

The group voiced concern that Indian authorities have yet to properly prosecute those responsible for the killings of other writers and activists Govind Pansare, Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi.
The Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) election is one of the high profile democratic practices in the country composed of intense debate on national and international issues and larger than life political rhetoric. This year, the Left-wing parties have again teamed up to contest the union council. Unlike last year, there is a minor shuffle and the Students Federation of India (SFI) splinter group Democratic Students Federation (DSF), has joined the Left Unity along with All India Students Association (AISA) and SFI. Surprisingly, Kanhaiya Kumar's All India Students Federation (AISF) is contesting independently out of the so-called Left Unity.

The other influential forces are Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students Association, the champions of the marginalised, who came out as the single largest party in last years election and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parisad (ABVP), which is backed by right-wing Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS).

National Students Union of India (NSUI) which is the students wing of Congress has also fielded its candidates but they have never been able to mobilise crowd to their benefits. All in all, its a three-way battle between the Left, the Right and the Ambedkarites.

JNUSU elections are unique in the sense that it is fully student-managed and the administration doesn't interfere in the process. Along with that, there has been a culture of strong check on all anti-democratic practices during the elections. So, unlike Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) elections, here money or muscle cant bag one votes.

The campus is aware of all political activities and rhetoric at play. The battleground mostly comprises in and around the ideological differences of the political forces at play. The Left, as always, tries to lure new voters by creating an atmosphere of fear about the coming of Right-wing ABVP and its medieval policies.

The ABVP, on the other hand, accuses the Left of being progressive only on posters and allege the Left for not bringing key infrastructural development measures even after controlling the union for decades.

The Ambedkarites also fight on ideological grounds attacking the Right for favouring Manusmriti and Hindutva, while they accuse the Left of being Brahmanical since its inception. BAPSA claims to be the numero uno voice of the marginalised.

Any political party has two functions at hand, firstly, to capture power and dominate the political rhetoric and secondly to deliver good governance or better public administration. But in JNU, the capturing of ideological space becomes so important that the other part gets grossly ignored, as observed by this author.

One crucial yet ignored aspect of the JNUSU elections is that nobody cares about the manifesto or agendas of the parties as long as one particular ideology maintains its hegemony. In this article, we will try to judge the big four  Left Unity, ABVP, BAPSA and NSUI  on the basis of their pre-election promises.

The election has some core issues which are a point of discussion in and around the campus. These top priority issues include the massive seat cuts that were implemented by the university administration this session, the disappearance of Najeeb Ahmed last year, maintaining the autonomy of the university from outside influence mainly the BJP government, upholding the Gender Sensitisation Committee Against Sexual Harassment (GSCASH), an autonomous body to check all forms of sexual harassment, and ensuring social justice in the campus, so on and so forth.

But it is surprising that, even while campaigning or delivering public speeches, the candidates are involved more in ideological fist-fighting than raining actual campus issues. But, maybe due to the sake of formality, all the parties have issued a list of agendas on which the voters are supposed to vote.

Let us compare the big four on the basis of the issues they take up:

Issue/Demand Left Unity ABVP BAPSA NSUI 1 Hostel for all from day one. Demand for construction of new hostels. Yes Yes (promises to fight it in court even if they lose) Yes No 2 Ensuring effective internship and placement cells in all schools Yes Yes No No 3 Installing sanitary pad vending machines in all centres and girls' hostels; 24-hour health care facilities Yes Yes (also, they want a girls' toilet in the boys' hostel) Yes (also health insurance for all students) Yes (only asks for opening health centre on Sundays) 4 Increasing merit-cum-means (MCM) and non-National Eligibility Test (NET) fellowship Yes Yes (demand to double the fellowship amount) Yes Yes 5 End the seat reduction policy and bring seats again in MPhil and PhD Yes Yes (they want to expose the 'seat scam') Yes Yes 6 Introduction of transport facilities in the campus like e-rickshaws and metro feeder buses Yes (also bus connecting Damodar Hostel) Yes (only e-rickshaws) Yes (want eco-friendly shuttles till Hauz Khas Metro) Number one agenda 7 Availability of good hygienic food till late night; reopening of night dhabas No mention about night canteens, but talks about the improvement of school canteens Talks only about quality and price regulation in eateries No Yes 8 Wheelchair facility at every school Talks about persons with disabilities (PWD) students' rights; no particular agenda. Asks for a PWD friendly campus only Yes No 9 Installation of washing machines in all hostel floors No Yes No No 10 Increasing library reading space and improving reading rooms and library in general Talks in detail with the demand for a JNU press Yes Agenda on top priority No 11 A strong check on all anti-national activities No Yes No No

Above, we listed some of the most important (also some ridiculous) issues taken up by the parties and compared them.

Now, the manifestos also have their own political dynamics. The ABVP took out the list of demands almost weeks ahead of the election in a small leaflet. BAPSA followed up with a relatively small but important list of issues. The Left, composed of the three giants of the campus, published their agenda only a few days before the presidential debate. But it is a four-page magna carta, which if they win, has to be taken care of.

Following that BAPSA and ABVP published their own four-page agenda lists. Even though most of it was a copy-paste job from the Left manifesto, there were some unique points too. The ABVP demand for a 'digital JNU' consisting of single window admission and registration with online mode of fees payment should be encouraged. The most eye catcher which was common in all parties is the demand for a JNU press.

Supposing all conditions remain in their favour, like always, then the Left Unity is likely to control the union for one more year. And strikingly, they have the most unique, creative and rational set of demands which discuss even the school level issues in detail. But, even if BAPSA or ABVP gets a mandate, they have to at least do some justice to the long list of demands they have put out to seek votes.

One can only hope that whoever wins the JNUSU polls does justice to their agenda and delivers before their term ends.

The author is pursuing post-graduation in Modern and Contemporary History at the Centre for Historical Studies in Jawaharlal Nehru Univeristy
Visitors to Farmington can find out where to shop, stay and eat at the touch of their fingertips.

Farmington Tourism Director Chris Engler and Dr. Floyd Massey, IT administrator for the city, said they were pleased with the initial response from the Discover Farmington kiosk set up at the Farmington Civic Center.

The first couple of weeks weve had over 70 people use it and over 600 website visits, Massey said. So its getting used.

The average time the visitors spent on the page was around seven minutes.

There are currently three kiosk ready for use.

The first was installed at the civic center. Plans call for one to be placed in Farmington High School's Black Knight Fieldhouse, and the other at Rhodes 101 on West Columbia Street.

The location at the civic center is perfect for those who visit the community for special events.

This reaches a group of people that come in because of sporting events and concerts and are looking for a place to eat afterwards, Engler said. Or theyre looking for some place to take the kids between games. They want to go out to a park and just need a quick direction to get there.

Those using the kiosk to learn more about parks in the area can scan the QR code found on the page to pull up driving directions on their mobile devices.

Engler explained the idea came about from using similar systems  known as operation boards  advertising areas of the state.

We were advertising Farmington and this area in other locations around the state, she said, with information about Farmington placed under the Southeast Missouri portion of such kiosks.

She said the kiosk serves as video brochure for the area.

They're getting a lot of use from the feedback Im getting, she said. I like the diversity of being able to reach people in different ways. Some people like brochures, some are going to really be attracted to the technology part of this.

Massey created a new template on the citys website, farmington-mo.gov, complete with pages for each park, both state and municipal.

We also have all the wineries in here, the water park, hotels, he said, with QR codes linking to directions as well.

Massey said another feature of the kiosk is a page for historic downtown Farmington.

It links to the downtown businesses websites, he said. The software used is Sitekiosk and is the same used for the citys utility billing computers at city hall.

So many times (information kiosks) are overwhelming and you dont know where to go, Engler said. This is so simple  its exactly what you need.

There are around 40,000 brochures distributed around the state each year, indicating to Engler there is an interest in the area.

The cost for each kiosk, including the software, is around $2,000 a unit.

When you look at the cost of billboards and some of these other digital boards, it is really a good buy, she said.

In addition, the kiosk gives the tourism group an idea of who is seeking more information about the city.
Srinagar: Senior Kashmiri separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik on Wednesday said the NIA raids would not deter them and they would court arrest at the headquarters of the anti-terror agency on 9 September.

Addressing the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), the leaders said they have booked tickets for Delhi to court arrest. The statements came as the premier investigating agency that is presently probing the terror funding case in Jammu and Kashmir carried out fresh raids at 11 places in the Valley.

"We are your targets. Keep the doors of Tihar Jail open, we are coming," pro-Azadi Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Malik said.

The separatist leaders announced that they will hold a protest march to the Delhi headquarters of the National Investigation Agency on 9 September and court arrest to protest against the "harassment" of separatist leaders by the investigation agency.

While Farooq and Malik were present at the press conference, Geelani addressed the media on phone since he is under house arrest in the city's uptown Hyderpora area.

Geelani said the NIA had been "unleashed on the leaders of the local freedom movement" to break the people's resolve, adding that such tactics would not deter the Kashmiris from seeking their basic right to self-determination.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front chief Malik said: "After repeated crackdowns and beating of locals, including young girls and elderly people, the government has brought in the NIA to discredit the people's movement in Kashmir."

Questioning the credibility of official agencies, Malik alleged that those detained under the Public Safety Act but ordered to be released by the High Court were booked on some other charge under the said law.

He also claimed that people in Kashmir were spending lakhs of rupees on the education of their children who were accused by the government of getting paid Rs 300 to throw stones at security forces and thus risk their lives.

"In the name of crackdowns, young girls and old people are beaten up in south Kashmir areas in order to deter people from their struggle," the JKLF leader said.

The separatist response to court arrest came on a day the NIA conducted raids at 26 places, including 12 in the Valley and four in Delhi, in connection with a terror funding case.

"NIA teams searched 11 locations in Srinagar and five in Delhi. They are related to the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case. The searches are still going on," an NIA official in Delhi said.

In Srinagar, the raids were being carried out at the offices and residences of Bashir Ahmad Kaloo, Showkat Ahmad Kaloo, Abdul Rashid Bhat, Firdous Iqbal Wani, Sajad Syed Khan and Imran Causa.

In Delhi, the searches were being conducted in the Shadipur depot and Khari Baoli area at the residences and office premises of Ganga Bishan Gupta, Firoz Akhtar Siddiqui and Sunil Kumar Jain, the officer said.

The NIA in July arrested several separatist leaders in connection with the probe into the terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in the Kashmir Valley.
Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested in Srinagar on Thursday.

"These villainous acts by the government would not break the spirit of the freedom loving people of Kashmir," Malik told reporters before he was arrested from a party office in the city's Abi Gujar area.

Three senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Malik, had announced they would take out a protest march to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi and court arrest on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Bar Association has announced continuation of its strike on Friday against the summoning of its president Mian Qayoom by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Qayoom was questioned by the agency for over seven hours on Wednesday.

The NIA on Thursday raided the house of senior separatist leader and Shia cleric Syed Agha Hassan in Badgam as well as the houses of other separatist leaders and their aides in the valley as part of its probe into the terror funding case.

According to NIA sources, similar raids were going on at 12 places in the valley.
Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage, and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple in Yangon.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage, external affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

Delighted to visit Myanmars cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda. pic.twitter.com/gf4XITlSx3  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 7, 2017

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people. From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Modi later paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.

Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed. pic.twitter.com/iLRVoCekZw  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 7, 2017

He also visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum with Myanmar's state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.
Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrapped up his Myanmar trip with visits to the 'mazar' of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda, besides performing puja at the Kalibari Temple in Yangon.

Modi, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country, visited the pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72-carat diamond.

Modi also visited the Bogyoke Aung San Museum where he was accompanied by Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.

He also visited the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar and paid floral tributes.

The prime minister also tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal ruler's grave.

Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in the then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the revolt of 1857.

Modi also paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.

"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

On Wednesday, Modi had visited the famous early 12th-century Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan. The temple is being renovated with India's assistance after it was damaged in a tremor last year.

In the afternoon, Modi left for home after concluding his visit during which he held wide-ranging talks with Suu Kyi.

After Modi-Suu Kyi talks, 11 agreements were signed between the two sides in areas like maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.

Modi arrived here on the second leg of his two-nation trip after his visit to the southeastern Chinese city of Xiamen where he attended the 9th BRICS Summit.
New Delhi: Preparedness of the armed forces, push to indigenous defence production and welfare of soldiers are priority areas, said Nirmala Sitharaman after assuming charge as India's first full-time woman defence minister on Thursday.

"My priority will definitely be the preparedness of the armed forces. It is important that the armed forces receive all the attention in terms of getting necessary endowment and equipment to perform their duties with the best of equipment available," Sitharaman said.

"I will attend to all long-pending issues (related to defence), and in consultation with the prime minister and the cabinet...the cabinet committee on Security...and ensure that those issues get resolved," Sitharaman said.

"I shall ensure that all defence priorities are well attended to. I will be available round the clock."

"... Make in India in defence production is very important for India's defence capabilities...it is something that will be of great importance to us," she added.

Pointing out that India was one of the biggest defence equipment buyers in the world, Sitharaman said domestic defence production will receive a boost due to technology transfer to the country.

She said the welfare of soldiers and their families was also one of her top priorities. "Although I am saying this at the end, certainly not least in importance is the armed forces' families and their welfare."

"Soldiers (deployed) on the toughest border, challenging situations, should remain absolutely assured that their interests are being watched."

Sitharaman, a former commerce and industry minister, was elevated to the cabinet minister rank and given charge of the crucial defence portfolio in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

However, she could not take charge as Arun Jaitley, who was holding the additional charge of defence, was on a visit to Japan for a bilateral dialogue.

Sitharaman is the first woman to hold full-time charge of the defence portfolio. In the past, the then prime minister Indira Gandhi held the portfolio twice from 1 to 21 December, 1975, and 14 January, 1980, to 15 January, 1982.
After the Cabinet reshuffle which saw Arun Jaitley finally being relieved from handling two extremely important ministries, Nirmala Sitharaman took charge of the defence ministry on Thursday. The delay in the change of ministers took place because of a scheduled security dialogue between India and Japan. Jaitley had said that the importance of the dialogue meant that changes weren't advisable and Sitharaman would take charge only after the dialogue.

As Sitharaman becomes the first woman to become full time defence minister of India, she has her task chalked out. Firstpost pointed out earlier that the need to gird up the defence preparedness has been widely felt in the wake of Chinas belligerence over the Doka La stand-off, which ended amid tremendous tension just about three days before the reshuffle. The country needs a defence minister who can pull together the cooperation and goodwill of the entire government, the forces, and other stakeholders, including the Opposition and corporates.

Recent reports have also pointed to an alarming culture of complacency in India's defence ranks with the CAG indicating that the Army has barely enough stock of ammunition to last for 10 days. At a time when India is being forced to consider the prospect of a two-front war, these are crippling inabilities.

Her appointment is likely to keep the focus on the substantial changes that have been initiated in the past few months by Arun Jaitley. The changes include a firm push for a private sector-led military-industrial ecosystem, pruning wasteful expenditure and bringing in accountability for public sector defence units.

Reforms must be initiated

Important policies which must be urgently initiated are the National Security Strategy (NSS) and a Comprehensive Defence Review. The lack of these policies has lead to haphazard procurement and disjointed measures of so-called reorganisation. Other responsibilities she must take on are performance audits of non-combat organisations under the ministry and making organisations like Defence Estates, Defence Accounts, Directorate General Quality Assurance, Ordnance Factory Board and DRDO accountable. Similarly, 'Roll On' plan for fresh acquisitions to overcome 'surrendering' funds at the end of every financial year is a misnomer, as it still leaves loopholes.

Sitharaman should also exert her authority for officially being charged with the defence of India, instead of the defence secretary under existing the Government of India AOB and TOB Rules 1961, which must be amended. Participation of the service chiefs in the CCS and selected military officers in NSCS, NSAB, SPD, MoD too are need of the hour.

Sitharaman takes office at a time when India has commissioned its first women fighter pilots. She will be expected to push for a bigger role for women in the forces, including allowing to pursue combat roles in the armed forces, according to a Hindustan Times report.

Modernisation and infrastructure building

Sitharaman must carry out a modernisation programme before the parliamentary election in 2019, insists Hindustan Times. The government is looking to build fighter planes, submarines and helicopters indigenously and she must take forward the Make in India programme to reduce dependence on imported machinery. She will also lead the effort to revamp the Ordnance Factory Board, which oversees 39 manufacturing units.

The recent Doka La crisis has shown the disparity in infrastructure between India and China, according to The Indian Express. The government has recently delegated more administrative and financial powers to the Border Roads Organisation (BRO) for the speedy completion of the projects. However the pace of road construction must pick up considerably. Further, strategic railway line on the border must be completed soon too.

Increasing defence spending

The Indian Express report also points out that defence spending as a percentage of GDP is at levels lower than before 1962 and the bulk of it is for revenue expenses such as salaries.

While some of the recommendations of the Shekatkar Committee, formed by Parrikar, were accepted by Jaitley and those internal to the Army are being implemented now, Sitharaman must ensure that there is no let up in this implementation.

Gap between bureaucracy and armed forces

Further, there is also a need to bridge the yawning gap between the bureaucracy and the armed forces. In recent years, the forces have expressed their dismay over issues like disparity in pay scales, service benefits, one rank one pension (OROP) and promotional avenues. Social platforms are rife with retired and angry officers expressing their outrage. Sitharamn needs to listen to the civilians but also heed to the services' needs to do the right thing.

Sitharaman's mettle will be tested

The new job is sure to test Sithraman's mettle. India's borders remain unstable due to the twin challenge of cross-border terrorism sponsored by Pakistan and China's irredentist behaviour. At a time when India is being forced to consider the prospect of a two-front war, these are crippling inabilities.

While it is true that the symbolic power of appointing a woman above battle-hardened generals is a powerful one, India will hope that Sitharaman will ensure that this symbol doesn't just remain an empty one.
Islamabad: India should resolve the Kashmir issue through "political and diplomatic" means rather than "abusing" Pakistan, army chief general Qamar Javed Bajwa has said.

Bajwa, while addressing a Defence Day gathering in Rawalpindi last night, said people of South Asia need peace for prosperity.

Accusing India of "killing" innocent people on the LoC, he said the country should give peace a chance.

"It is in interest of India that for a durable solution to the issues (in Kashmir), it should prefer political and diplomatic process instead of abusing Pakistan and using bullets against Kashmiris," the chief of army staff said.

Bajwa said Pakistan wants to address the Kashmir issue through dialogue.

"Welfare of millions of people of these two countries is linked with permanent peace. But for it to happen, it is necessary that innocent and unarmed people on the LoC are not targeted through a planned way," he said.

Pakistan will continue to extend "political, moral, and diplomatic support" to Kashmiris for their right to self-determination in line with the UN Security Council resolutions, he said.

He accused India of trying to destabilise Pakistan through "militancy and usurping its share of water".

The army chief also claimed that Pakistan was a responsible nuclear state.

"Our nuclear programme is just a deterrent against the enemy that introduced this unconventional war in the region," he said.

Bajwa said that Pakistan was against terrorism.

"We are against war and terrorism. We want relationship with all countries based on mutual respect and equality," he said.

Pakistan celebrates the Defence Day to mark the 1965 war with India.
We always think fast-track courts are automatically excellent. And when we think of all the different reforms we want to put in place to make India better for women, fast-track courts (and the promise of speedy justice to rape victims) are certainly one of them. In fact, as an immediate effect of the nationwide outrage after the December 2012 gang-rape case, 399 fast-track courts for rape cases were put into place around the country. Fast-track means that these rape trials should ideally be completed in two months.

But a new report by legal resource group Partners for Law in Development (PLD) presented in New Delhi on 1 September, analyses many of these victim-friendly rape trial reforms put into place post-2013 and reveals that fast-track courts may not actually be the excellent thing we always imagined them to be after all. In fact, many lawyers working in the field have known this all along.

Mrinal Satish, professor of Criminal Law at NLU Delhi, says he has always been opposed to the idea of fast-track courts in general. He says it makes the people working on the case take shortcuts, which is unfair to both the victim and the accused. In the process of trying to speed up the case, the procedural safeguards that an accused is entitled to goes away.

These procedural safeguards include the presumption of innocence, the right to sufficient time and facilities to prepare the defence, and the right to examine witnesses and have their own witnesses examined. These safeguards were put into place for a reason, and as Rebecca John, a senior lawyer at the Supreme Court who also presented this report, says, You cant just play lip service to evidence. Other cases go on for six years, seven years, 10 years thats how long it takes. You cant just say that one kind of victim is different from the other [or assume that justice in some crimes can be dispensed quicker than others]."

PLD studied 16 cases of sexual assault in four fast-track courts in Delhi between February 2014 to March 2015, up to the point of recording the victims testimony. Radhika Chitkara, a former PLD employee who worked on this report, says that they were given special permission by the Delhi High Court to sit through these fast-track trials despite them being in camera. Because we were there during the victims deposition, we could approach them after the deposition and see if they were willing to speak with us. Some did one round of interviews and refused to speak further after that, others did many rounds of interviews with us.

The study reminds us of a crucial fix. When these fast-track courts for rape cases were first propositioned, they were supposed to be accompanied by additional judges and infrastructure, like courtrooms. This never happened, so fast-track courts now function with the existing infrastructure and no additional judges. None of this bodes well for the prospect of a truly fair trial, and that spells trouble for everyone involved. The consequences of speeding up a trial and messing around with evidence can fall on anyone  from the accused to the victim and even the witnesses in the case. And the possibility of that happening in these fast-track courts is high.

When an accused doesnt get a fair trial in the lower courts, or when any of his legal guarantees to a fair trial are compromised due to lack of time, it allows for higher courts to later dismiss these cases, citing a lack of a fair trial, or tampering with evidence. Its in everyones best interests to let an accused have the chance to a fair and airtight conviction. Everyones got to trust the process, and due process takes time.

A lot longer than two months, for sure. Fast-track courts are not actually bound by the Code of Criminal Procedure's (CrPC) stipulated two-month time frame, but whats the point of just rolling with a stipulation on paper thats just consistently unattainable?

The PLD study points out that just recording a victims testimony can even take up to eight-and-a-half months. Recording a witness testimony can take an average of around two months. The length of a trial largely depends on the number of witnesses there are to examine, and a two-month time for an entire trial frame would force witness testimony to be rushed through without letting the lawyers of both sides cross-examine them properly.

Even if a witness testimony can arguably be rushed, there are some elements of a trial that simply cannot be, like forensic evidence. Forensic science laboratory (FSL) reports are mandatory in rape cases, and they take anywhere from a few weeks to several months to collect and analyse properly.

But while lawyers agree that two months is an impractical time frame to conclude a rape trial, nobody wants these expensive, often traumatic cases to drag on for 10 or 20 years either: Its unfair to all the people involved, it gives a longer time frame for the victim and witnesses to be intimidated and forced to turn hostile (as this report also highlights, victims and witnesses in India arent currently provided with adequate witness protection outside the walls of the courtroom, and so often drop their cases when threatened by their attackers, and/or even their own family), and its endlessly harrowing and frustrating for the survivor. So what would be an ideal time frame for a fair rape trial?

Its hard to set a number and mostly depends on the number of witnesses and the complexity of evidence. While the number of variables in these cases ensures that theres absolutely no way to settle on a magic number, you can estimate. Satish says a case with only one witness might possibly be concluded in two months. For cases with more witnesses, he agrees with several other practising lawyers we spoke to, who all say that two years seems, on average, like a fair and reasonable estimate.

For most of us and especially for the victim, it still seems like a long time. But Chitkara says that in rape trials, the victim is treated as a witness and that if her witness testimony is gotten out of the way early in the trial, she wouldnt need to be called in any further. John says long trials are indeed very difficult for the victims, but its simply a practical necessity for a fair trial, one we all, including the victim, just need to accept. Sometimes it can take two months, sometimes it can take 10 years. As a practitioner of the law, I know this; this is just how it works.

So what now? Well, it would make sense to amend this recommendation to reflect the views of the legal experts and lawyers, as opposed to our own imagined deadlines. It would also make sense to think carefully about what we ask for, especially in times of nationwide distress and anger, so that we have a calm and measured legal framework to fall back on.

In fact, it makes you realise just how many of the legal debates and reforms we saw after 2012, such as wondering aloud in newspapers and legal circles if we should chemically castrate rapists, or supporting our lawmakers in insisting that juveniles be tried as adults in serious crimes, show that when it comes to the law, we really need to look before we leap. This report serves as a reminder that we shouldnt confuse results with action, and that we should demand legal reform with care.

The Ladies Finger (TLF) is a leading online womens magazine delivering fresh and witty perspectives on politics, culture, health, sex, work and everything in between.
In 1939, a German transatlantic liner MS St Louis set sail from Germany carrying about 900 passengers, mostly Jews. The passengers were trying to flee Nazi persecution with hopes of finding refuge in the United States. The US, however, turned them away.

Claiming to be "humane" and in the best interest of the passengers, the US successfully sent the Jews to safe countries in continental Europe  like Belgium, France and Netherlands. As per the study of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, around 254 of these passengers died in killing centres and internment camps.

India seems to be doing the same today with the Rohingya crisis, who have been widely recognised as the "most persecuted minorities" in the world today. It plans to deport them back to territories of their native countries where they fear persecution from Rakhine Buddhists, the military and the Government of Myanmar.

As per the Government of Myanmar, Rohingyas are not an ethnic community of Myanmar despite their claims of habiting the Rakhine State in Myanmar since the 15th Century. The government terms them as "illegal immigrants" and has denied them citizenship status, put impediments on their rights to practice their religion and other civil/political rights. There are serious access issues in relation to food, education, healthcare and jobs. The community has witnessed severe riots, governmental isolation and military crackdown.The severity of the persecution is not illusory.

In fact, many organisations have termed this persecution to amount to "ethnic cleansing" which is a recognised crime against humanity in international criminal law. Some do not even shy away from calling this a genocide. Whatever be the nature of persecution it is real and leading many refugees to claim protection in neighbouring states like India and Bangladesh. As you read this article, there are hundreds of Rohingyas fleeing Myanmar to other countries, leaving their homes in search of safety in light of the heightened intensity of the crackdown by the military.

Indian reaction

Many such refugees have also settled in India  in Jammu and Kashmir, Hyderabad, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Rajasthan. Very recently, minister of state for home Kiren Rijiju, in a response to questions raised to the government in the Rajya Sabha, outlined Indias plan to deport all Rohingya people as they are illegally staying as foreign nationals in India.

He said that the Union Government had directed the state governments to set up district task forces to identify and deport the foreign nationals. Rijiju declined to comment on the deportation process but has recently said that they were in talks with Bangladesh and Myanmar on the deportation plan. The only assurance we have from Rijiju is that the government is "not going to shoot them or throw them into the ocean". Both the National Human Rights Commission and the Supreme Court of India have taken cognisance of the matter and have asked the government to explain itself.

It is interesting to note that the government has been very careful in avoiding the term "refugees". The Indian Government has also categorically denied the application of 'The Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees, 1951' (Refugee Convention) as India has not signed it. It has been widely reported that the Union Government has justified this on the ground of a) potential security threats as illegal migrants are prone to get recruited by terrorist organisations; b) they are a threat to resources.

Applicable law

At the outset, it must be clarified that the inapplicability of international refugee law is not precluded merely because India is not a signatory to the Refugee Convention. States are equally bound in international law by customary international law arising out of uniform, consistent practice of states over a sustained period of time. Such practices arise out of a sense of legal obligation.

The International Court of Justice has in many decisions held States responsible for violating customary international law. It must also be noted that the existence of a treaty principle does not preclude the existence of a customary principle having similar content. In fact, it may influence the creation of such a rule of custom.

It is widely recognised that parts of the Refugee Convention  especially the definition of refugees and the principle of non-refoulement under customary international law corresponds largely to the one set out in the Refugee Convention. This quells Indian Governments purported stance that this is not covered under international refugee law.

In a similar vein, it must also be noted that this is not an issue of "illegal immigration". The Indian Government is belittling the plight of the Rohingya people by not acknowledging their refugee status. There is no doubt that considering the current situation, the Rohingyas are nothing but refugees  irrespective of when they came to India, irrespective of the legitimacy of their ethnic claims to stay in the Rakhine State of Myanmar.

A refugee, according to customary international law (in its most conservative exposition), is simply anyone who is unable or unwilling to return to their country of origin owing to a well-founded fear of being persecuted for reasons of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group, or political opinion. It is also widely accepted under international law that the refugee status is not contingent on any formal recognition pursuant to some or other municipal process.

Principle of non-refoulement

The principle of non-refoulement under international refugee law forms the core of this issue. As per this principle, under customary international law, States cannot expel, deport, or return refugees to the territories in which a refugee has a well-founded fear of being persecuted; faces a real risk of torture, cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment; or faces other threats to life, physical integrity or liberty. Quite clearly, Indian Government's proposal to deport the Rohingyas is definitely in violation of the principle of non-refoulement.

The principle is widely considered to be the cardinal principle or the most fundamental aspect of refugee protection under both treaty and customary international law  acknowledged on many occasions by the United Nations. Such resounding support for the principle of non-refoulement is telling. Obviously, States which resist limitations on their sovereign power found good merit in accepting infraction to the sovereign power of who to let in/retain within their sovereign territories in relation to refugees facing a grave humanitarian crisis.

Obviously, the law in most situations provides for exceptions to balance concerns like national security. However, wherever applicable, there are limitations on a States margin of appreciation in the assessment of such a threat. The seriousness of the risk needs to be established through evidence, and not on the basis of fear or religious intolerance or xenophobia.

Additionally, the assessment of threat requires consideration of individual circumstances of each refugee. The Indian Government has made no attempts to explain how there is a potential threat especially in light of the fact that there are very few reported cases against the Rohingyas. In any case, this potential threat doesn't justify the proportionality of the Indian measure being called for against the entire Rohingya community.

It is possible that deportation is going to be difficult given the pressure on Bangladesh and Myanmars position. It is also possible that the Indian Government may have a better plan when it makes its position clear on 11 September before the Supreme Court. However, the choice of such a move to deport all Rohingyas shows clear disregard of law accepted by all nations; and is ethically egregious. Even considering that the concerns of the government about resources and security are genuine  more proportionate alternatives could have been explored.

International human rights and humanitarian law, on many occasions, is a reflection of the basic minimum that is expected of States. Though this may be unenforceable, it is sad that the Indian Government failed to acknowledge, let alone respect it. Even in such times of numbness and insensitivity, where everyone is an expert on security and adequacy of resources, there is little escape for the Indian Government from condemnation.
A sessions court in Goa resumed hearing in the rape case against former Tehelka editor-in-chief Tarun Tejpal on Thursday.

Rape case against Tarun Tejpal: Goa's Mapusa court to hear the matter at 2.30 pm today  ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

As per India Today, charges against Tejpal might be dropped if there is no evidence. The sessions court said that it would frame charges against the editor on 28 September.

Zee News reported that the sessions court had previously accepted Tejpal's request to hold the rape proceedings against him in camera. The request was made under CrPC Section 327(2).

Tejpal has been accused of raping a Tehelka employee in 2013, when he was the editor-in-chief, as reported by Financial Express. As per the report, "On 17 January, 2015, the Supreme Court had stayed the trial against Tejpal in connection with his alleged role in a sexual assault case for a period of three weeks."

As per PTI, on 15 January, 2015, the Supreme Court acceded to the request of the Goa lower court judge seeking more time to wrap up the trial in the sexual assault case involving Tejpal as an accused.

A bench comprising Chief Justice HL Dattu and Justice Arun Mishra took note of the letter from the trial judge. The Supreme Court ordered the proceedings to be concluded within a year.

Tejpal was arrested in Goa after a woman colleague accused him of sexually assaulting her in a hotel in November 2013, as reported by IANS. On 1 July, 2014, the apex court bench of Justice HL Dattu and Justice SA Bobde granted bail to Tejpal.

The Supreme Court also gave liberty to the Goa government to approach the apex court in case of any attempt by Tejpal to infringe the witnesses.

On 18 February, 2014, Tejpal was charged with rape, sexual harassment and outraging the modesty of his colleague, as per the report.

With inputs from agencies
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Noted journalist and publisher Gauri Lankesh was killed in a hail of gunfire at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday evening. Lankesh, a well-known critic of the right wing, took three bullets to her chest after four unknown assailants fired seven rounds at her in her home in Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

Even as Karanataka chief minister Siddaramaiah termed her death shocking, home minister Ramalinga Reddy drew parallels between the deaths of Lankesh and rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and MM Kalburgi, allegedly by fringe Hindu groups. Historian Ramachandra Guha too felt that Lankeshs murder was part of a pattern that links the deaths of Dabholkar, Kalburgi and (Govind) Pansare.

This link was further bolstered by a senior police official who said that the modus operandi in the Gauri Lankesh murder seems very close to what had been witnessed earlier. "Bullets were fired on chest and heads, and the three assailants came on a bike. It's very similar to what was witnessed in the murder of Pansare, Dabholkar, and Kalburgi," the police official said.

The official also added that like Pansare, Dabholkar, and Kalburgi, Gauri was also not very influential. "She was not someone who could bring down a government. So, why such killings continue to take place also warrants investigation," he added.

Let's take a look at the incidents being linked with Lankesh's murder.

Narendra Dabholkar

Activist Narendra Dabholkar, who was at the forefront of a campaign to persuade the Maharashtra government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill, was shot dead by unknown assailants in August 2013. He was found dead in a pool of blood at Omkareshwar bridge in Pune.

Dabholkar was also the editor of Sadhana magazine which was devoted to the propagation of progressive thought.

According to a DNA report, the two attackers who killed Dabholkar fired four rounds at him from point-blank range and then fled on a motorcycle parked nearby.

Govind Pansare

Senior Communist leader Govind Pansare was shot and killed in February 2015. Two men on a motorcycle shot five times at Pansare and his wife at close range outside their house, reported Outlook. His wife survived but Pansare succumbed to his injuries.

Pansare was associated with various social movements that involved the unorganised sector including farm labourers, domestic help, auto-rickshaw unions and others. Around the time of his death, he was leading an anti-toll agitation in Kolhapur. He was also a known critic of right-wing forces and had written many books on the ills in Indian society. In his book 'Who Was Shivaji', he portrayed Shivaji as a secular leader as against the portrayal by right wing outfits.

Pansare was a close associate of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar. Following Dabholkar's death, Pansare had stepped up pressure on the government for the passage of the Anti-Superstition Bill which was finally passed in December 2015.

MM Kalburgi

Former vice-chancellor of Hampi University MM Kalburgi was shot dead at his residence by unidentified gunmen in August 2015. He was shot in the head and chest by two unidentified men who had come on a two-wheeler, as per the Outlook report.

Kalburgi was a renowned Kannada writer, research scholar and rationalist. In 2014, a case had been filed against him for allegedly hurting the sentiments of Hindus after he criticised idol worship. Kalburgi had not cowed down but had continued his campaign against idol worship and Brahminical rituals. His home had been a target for miscreants, who would pelt stones and bottles. In another instance, activists had disturbed his public speech when he had raised the issue of idol worship.

Similar modus operandi for the murders

Like the others, Lankesh too was shot at point-blank range by unknown assailant near her residence. She too had a reputation of speaking out against entrenched religious practices. In light of these facts, it is impossible to ignore the possibility that these murders are related.

The link between the murders of rationalists has not gone unnoticed. In August 2017, the Bombay High Court had observed that the murders of Dabholkar and Pansare were similar and were 'well-planned' acts. The court had noted, "The reports reveal that these were clearly not one or two stray incidents. Certain organisations must be backing them, helping them financially. These incidents were well-planned."

The court had many facts to base its observation on. Investigators had found that all three murders had been committed with the same weapon, according to The Times of India. The forensic analysis of the bullet cartridges recovered at the crime scenes had revealed that the same 7.65-mm country-made pistol was used. A senior police official had said that the three cases had earlier been linked on the basis of the victims' profiles, probable motives and the modus operandi.

Further, documents were seized from Samir Gaikwad  an accused under arrest in Pansare's murder  which indicated a link to the murders of Dabholkar and Kalburgi, The Hindu had reported.

The investigators had also found that in two of the three cities where the murders took place, a common mobile phone device has been found to be active with different SIM cards around the time of the murders, as per The Indian Express.

Dabholkar and Pansare's murders have been linked to the right-wing group Sanatan Sanstha as investigators in the murder cases have looked into their call record details, locations of sadhaks etc.

The pattern is frightening

The fact that one journalist was murdered is worrying in itself. However the idea there could be a pattern and an organised effort to eliminate those with thoughts different from the mainstream is downright frightening.

The Caravan while writing about the murders quoted an editorial titled 'A "Tolerant" State'in the Economic and Political Weekly which had observed, While Dabholkar, Pansare and MM Kalburgis murders (as well as the harassment meted out to others like them) are deplorable, what is even more despicable is the silence of large sections of the population and the continuing support of political interests to their tormentors. This absence of a proper government response is a clear indication that citizens feel they are not safe if they speak out against entrenched religious vested interests and that the state will not take their complaints seriously.

The chilling effect of these murders cannot be overstated. It is up to the government and the law enforcement agencies to ensure that the guilty are brought to justice. However it is also important that the people must remember and agitate against these crimes. Otherwise, these incidents could lose their shock value and merely become the norm.

With inputs from PTI
Bhubaneswar: BJP president Amit Shah began his three-day visit to Odisha to galvanise party workers and leaders for its goal to win 120 of 147 seats in the 2019 Assembly poll.

A host of senior BJP leaders including Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Dharmendra Pradhan have also arrived to join Shah, who is on 110-day nationwide tour to strengthen the party.

During his visit, Shah is likely to hold several rounds of discussions with BJP MLAs, leaders and workers for chalking out strategies to achieve Mission 120, which he had envisaged during his last Odisha tour in July.

The BJP, which has just 10 MLAs in the current Assembly, has been in an upbeat mood since its impressive performance in the last rural polls in the state earlier this year. The party believes it is on track to take on the ruling BJD, which has been in power since 2000 under Naveen Patnaik, and could win 120 of the 147 Assembly seats.

In the rural polls, the BJP notched up an impressive tally winning 306 of the 853 zilla parishad seats, up from merely 36 seats it had bagged in 2012, sources said. Shah was accorded a warm welcome by senior leaders of BJP on his arrival at the Biju Patnaik International Airport after which proceeded to the state party headquarters in a procession.

He will hold a separate meeting with state office bearers, district presidents and district prabharis (in-charge). The BJP president is also slated to address booth level workers at a mega conclave of the workers at the Janta Maidan on Friday.

Javdekar said the BJP mission for the next general election would be highly successful in Odisha. "Enough is enough," he said adding that "the people of Odisha are now disillusioned with BJD rule for the last 17 years and are keen to bring about a change in order to be a part of the development process".

He said the BJP's impressive performance in over seven backward and poor districts in the last rural polls earlier this year in the state showed the people's growing support for the party.

Shah's three-day visit would provide new energy to the party for the next polls, he said.

BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said the people of the state are "fed up with backwardness, misrule and corruption" during the BJD-rule and are eagerly waiting to have a taste of good governance of the BJP "whose popularity is growing under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi".
The president of Congress' Bihar unit, Ashok Choudhary, on Thursday accused "some" AICC leaders of fuelling a rebellion against him with the "false propaganda" that he was making attempts to split the party.

"Some AICC leaders are behind the crisis in the Congress in Bihar...they are fuelling rebellion against me by alleging that I am making attempts to break the party in favour of Nitish Kumar's JD(U) to replace me from PCC president's post with their favourite," Ashok Choudhary told PTI.

He, however, did not identify anyone but said, "they would be unmasked very soon".

The PCC chief did not go to Delhi on being summoned by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for a meeting on Wednesday to stem the crisis in Bihar arising after the collapse of the grand alliance.

The Congress has 27 MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.

Chaudhary refused to meet Rahul saying, "I have already apprised the party high command and explained my position when I met Sonia ji. Why should I go again?"

He claimed that "from the beginning, forces on behalf of some AICC leaders are working against me. First they mooted the issue of 'one man, one post' against me. I told the party leadership that I am ready to give up ministerial post in favour of the Congress state chief."

"Now that ministership has gone and I am left with only the post of PCC chief, they have spun lies against me that I am making attempts to trigger split in favour of Nitish Kumar's JD(U)."

Reiterating his dedication for the party, Choudhary, whose father Mahavir Choudhary was a veteran Congress leader in Bihar hailing from dalit background, said, "I joined NSUI in student days and, over the past 25 years, I have been working to strengthen the party in Bihar.... I would have to struggle for another 15 years to explain that I did not make any attempt to split the party."

Meanwhile, Rahul Gandhi met party MLAs from Bihar for the second consecutive day on Thursday in Delhi to prevent rebellion in its Bihar unit.

Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, who skipped Wednesday's interaction with Rahul Gandhi citing personal reasons, went to the national capital to meet the party vice-president. He later said that if Chaudhary had any grievances then he should have shared them on the party platform. "I don't know why he (Chaudhary) chose not to go Delhi and meet Rahul. We have been apprising the party high command about the political situation in the state. We have shared our thoughts again on Wednesday," he said.

Contrary to Chaudhary's views, Sadanand Singh was all praise for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav and hailed him as the champion of secular forces, an issue which is at the core of simmering crisis in the party. Chaudhary, who has been close to Nitish, refrained his party from attacking him in the Assembly. When the RJD raised the Srijan scam and sought resignation of the chief minister and Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi, Chaudhary refrained his party from joining in the chorus.

With inputs from Rupesh, Alok Kumar and PTI
Bhubaneswar: BJP chief Amit Shah on Thursday announced that his party would fight the next Odisha Assembly polls alone.

He also slammed the Naveen Patnaik government for its "incompetence", saying benefits of over Rs 4 lakh crore given by the Centre to the state had not reached the masses.

The BJP president, who is on a three-day tour of Odisha, pitched for a younger leadership to run the state and came down heavily on chief minister Naveen Patnaik, saying backwardness and poverty continued due to his government's "misrule, inefficiency and corruption".

Shah, however, parried a query on who would be the BJP's face in the state, saying the party had not decided on it.

"BJP will fight the next elections in Odisha alone. There will be no alliance with any other political party," Shah said at a press conference in Bhubaneswar.

He also claimed that his party would win over 120 seats in the 147-member Assembly.

Asked how his party planned to go to 120 from the 10 it bagged in 2014, Shah said his party won over three-fourths of the seats in Uttar Pradesh after getting only 15 percent votes in the previous poll. He added that the BJP had won 18 percent votes in the eastern state.

The BJP had received huge support from people in the last panchayat elections held earlier this year, he noted.

The BJD government was in its fourth consecutive term in the state, which lagged behind other states in development, he pointed out.

Shah evaded a question on whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi would contest the next Lok Sabha poll from Puri after having fought from Varanasi last time and said the Parliamentary election was "far away".

Sharpening his attack on the state government, he alleged that people associated closely with the government were involved in scandals, including the multi-crore chit-fund scam and the mining scam.

A BJP government in the state will ensure that no one involved in scams goes free, he said.

Shah slammed the BJD government over malnutrition deaths of tribal children in Nagada in Jajpur district and the lives claimed by Japanese encephalitis in Malkangiri. All these showed that healthcare services and welfare schemes had collapsed in the state, he said.

Shah also referred to the incident of a tribal man, Dana Majhi, who walked over 12 km carrying the body of his wife on his shoulder from a government hospital in Kalahandi district after being denied a hearse a year ago.

Taking a dig at Patnaik, the BJP chief said celebrations on winning the best administrator award given by a news magazine alone was not going to remove backwardness. Odisha lags far behind other states despite substantial central assistance and support.

Shah said Odisha would be no exception to the BJP's rise across the country as both the BJD and the Congress are on a decline.

The BJP wave is sweeping all over the country and the same trend will be witnessed in Odisha, he said.

"Funds to the tune Rs 3,94,994 lakh crore, almost Rs 4 lakh crore, have been announced by the Centre for Odisha for various works. But required support from the state to implement developmental projects is lacking and people have not received due benefits," he said.

The state received Rs 68,196 crore as its share of central taxes under the 13th Finance Commission when the UPA was in power and it had gone to Rs 1,84,070 crore under the 14th Finance Commission report implemented by the Modi government.
Several BJP leaders were detained in Mangaluru on Thursday by Karnataka Police as the party held a protest march to condemn the murders of party functionaries, despite police not granting them permission.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres and senior party leaders, including state party chief BS Yeddyurappa, were detained by the police as they were marching towards Nehru Maidan for a public meeting to condemn the alleged murders of party functionaries in the state.

Thousands of party workers were seen gathered at Jyothi Circle holding the party's saffron flags and chanting slogans against the government. Senior party leaders, including former Chief Minister Jagadish Shettar, party general secretary C.T. Ravi, were also present.

"Law and order situation in the state has deteriorated under the Congress government," Yeddyurappa said at the gathering of party workers here at Jyothi Circle.

"Several BJP functionaries have been killed in the state. How many more will be killed under the Congress government?" the state BJP chief questioned.

On Tuesday as well, scores of BJP leaders were detained by police in several parts of Karnataka ahead of the motorcycle rally, organised to protest the political killings of Hindus in the region. Siddaramaiah had deployed hundreds of policemen at Bengaluru's Freedom Park, where the rally began, in order to check communal tension from flaring up.

Clashes, however, erupted soon after between BJP workers and police after several protesters were stopped on the outskirts of Bengaluru and a few others were detained. Among those detained were former deputy chief minister R Ashoka, Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha and MLAs Arvinda Limbavali and Satish Reddy. Ashoka and other leaders sat in protest near the Freedom Park and demanded that police furnish an arrest warrant, resulting in a heated argument between the officials and the leaders, following which they were frisked away.

#MangaluruChalo rally: Clash between Police and BJP workers in Karnataka's Bengaluru. pic.twitter.com/giu9Sb9bIo  ANI (@ANI) September 5, 2017

The entire city had been turned into a fortress with the government hoping to avoid a repeat of the clashes witnessed on Tuesday in Bengaluru. Over 5,000 security personnel have been deployed in the state, according to CNN-News18.

You have to give to BJP logistics team in Karnataka. Impeccable planning. Look at the sound system in middle of th road. #MangaloreChalo pic.twitter.com/ew3cspIkph  Nagarjun Dwarakanath (@nagarjund) September 7, 2017

BJP denied permission for rally

Police had denied permission for the rally but the BJP insisted they would go ahead with the rally plan. While the Mangaluru Police denied permission citing reason of maintenance of peace in the communally sensitive coastal districts, the Bengaluru Police prohibited the rally in the city, citing law and order and traffic concerns.

"They applied again for protest by assembling at Nehru Ground. We agreed but now they are saying they again want to hold bike rally. We have clarified that bike rally protest will not be allowed due to traffic problems," an India Today report quoted Mangalore police commissioner TS Suresh as saying. He said that extra reinforcement had been called for especially to see that people on bikes do not enter the city for the rally.

However, the BJP declared that the rally will be held at any cost. The party alleged that the government was creating a situation of an "undeclared bundh", with an intention to stop the rally and asked the government not to impede the rally, which is being held democratically.

Karnataka: Security increased near Jyothi circle ahead of BJP's bike rally in Mangaluru pic.twitter.com/QOxex7jgip  ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

"It is the ruling party's responsibility to ensure protection for such rallies. Though party workers had applied for police permission in the jurisdictional stations, they haven't got the sanction yet. Siddaramaiah is indirectly trying to impose an undeclared emergency on the state," Nalin Kumar Kateel, Member of Parliament, Dakshin Kannada was quoted as saying by The Times of India.

'Karnataka govt fears us'

Accusing the government of using the police machinery against BJP workers, Ashoka claimed, "This shows the government fears the BJPs agitation." "If the government has the guts they should have allowed us to protest...they are using police against us...it is our right as an opposition party to protest against the government and we will go ahead with our rally," he said.

With no permission from the police for the rally, a delegation led by Leader of Opposition in Assembly Jagadish Shettar had met Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy on Wednesday, insisting it should be allowed. Siddaramaiah had said on Wednesday, "We have no objections to do a rally... we have asked the police to ensure that there is no disturbance to law and order and public".

Over 10,000 workers storm Mangaluru; B. S. Yeddyurappa at protest site leads from the front. CNN-News18's @nagarjund with more details pic.twitter.com/CwnPi0U7vE  News18 (@CNNnews18) September 7, 2017

With inputs from agencies
None of the steps the Narendra Modi government has taken so far to check black money are convincing enough unless the rock bed of black money generation is destroyed  opaque political funding. This is what helps the idea of illicit money to take birth and flourish. Political parties need money to operate and netas need it to make their family fortunes.

For ages, tax cheats have been feeding politicians part of their ill-gotten wealth in return of the promise that rest of their loot will be untouched by the state machinery. This unholy nexus operates at all levels  from the local politicians to the high power corridors of Indraprastha. Till the time the menace of opaque political funding is cleared and the unholy political-corporate nexus is broken, there isnt an escape from future black money generation.

But that is exactly what is happening now. According to report released by the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR) on Wednesday, in 2015-16, the BJP raised 80.7 percent of its total income from unknown sources. The Congress party got 71.1 percent of its total income from such sources during the comparable period. To put it in actual numbers, the BJP's total declared income was Rs 570.86 crore and Congress's Rs 261.56 crore. Out of its total income, the BJP collected Rs 460.78 crore from unknown sources and the Congress Rs 186.04 crore, according to the ADR data.

The ADR defines such unknown sources as sources that contribute money through cash donations received through 'sale of coupons', 'relief fund', 'miscellaneous income', 'voluntary contributions', 'contribution from meetings/morchas' etc. The details of donors of such voluntary contributions are not available in the public domain."

As such, Modis demonetisation hasnt proved much useful for the economy, so far, in unearthing the black money (according to economist Jagdish Bhagwati, thats about an estimated Rs 5 lakh crore of Rs 15 lakh crore demonetised notes). About 99 percent of money came back now, it is up to the tax man to find out where is the Rs 5 lakh crore hiding in the bank accounts. Certainly, Bhagwatis estimated Rs 5 lakh crore black money would have certainly reached the formal banking system. Only about Rs 15,000 crore to Rs 17,000 crore is what the government has so far managed to bring out, according to official data.

Nevertheless, post the demonetisation, the Modi government seems to have embarked upon the second leg of crackdown against black money  fight against benamis and shell companies. As part of the process, it has blacklisted 300,000 directors of shell companies to check financial irregularities. It has also said that directors of deregistered companies attempting to siphon off money from the firms' bank accounts will face up to 10 years imprisonment. Besides, if these people havent filed their returns for three or more years can forget holding similar positions in other companies (read here and here).

Such attempts to curtail the parallel economy are laudable, but if the intention is serious it needs to act first where it is necessary. That is where the action is lacking beyond rhetoric. Right now, the situation is that common man faces maximum harassment in the black money battle. He is at the receiving end of all steps  from demonetisation-induced cash crunch to tax scrutiny of bank deposits and monitoring of all transactions above a certain threshold. Political parties, meanwhile, command anonymity in their opaque cash dealings. In other words, it is the aam aadmi who is supposed to bare it all, answer endless questions, face harassment even if his money is legit but the politician enjoys a God-given immunity for all his wrongdoings reminding one about the old dark feudal era. No questions asked, no answers given.

The logical outcome is obvious. Political parties will happily use this opportunity to put their black money (money for which there is no real source or income that is not taxed) sourced from tax cheats and would simply say that they got it all from small donors (cash donations less than Rs 20,000 does not need any source). There is no surprise in the golden silence of any of the political leaders from the ruling party and the opposition on political black money, except some general comment. That silence is not difficult to understand because all of them drink from the same pot and it tastes sweet. The Modi government should shake the foundation of black money generation if it is serious in its mission against tax cheats.
On the campus of a university named after him, India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru seems to be hiding behind his death inside a big bronze statue, a mere 100 metres away from the administrative block. Up until February 2016's sedition row, over anti-national slogans being raised on campus, this was a space for students to register their resistance.

Today, it has been fitted with grills and decorated with flower pots. The moral clashes have since spread out to other sites on campus and outside as well, turning JNU into a symbol of resistance for some and a source of anarchic disruption for others.

Ideologies too have gone beyond the binary of loving and hating Nehru. Ahead of the JNU Students Union Election on 8 September, Firstpost explores how on the Universitys political canvas, multiple shades of laal find their presence between the bhagwa and hara.

Left Unity a symbol of anger and uncertainty

The alliance comprising AISA-SFI-DSF (All India Students' Association, Student Federation of India, and Democratic Students Federation) is the unified Left force that is rallying against the rise of fascist powers on campus. The Left forces point to the massive seat cut. They list out in their agenda that the BJP-appointed vice-chancellor first slashed the University's M.Phil/PhD seats from 970 in 2016 to 139 this year and that admission has been offered for only 73 out of these 139 seats.

This has, in their opinion, interfered with the inclusive admission policies. The V-C has removed JNUs iconic deprivation points and made the viva weightage 100 percent in M.Phil/PhD admissions, trampling upon the hard-won recommendations of the Professor Nafey Committee, to reduce viva weightage to 15 percent to check arbitrariness in admissions. They add, because of the massive seat-cut, constitutionally mandated reservations for SC/ST/OBC/PWD students stand decimated in MPhil/PhD admissions.

Presidential candidate of the Left unity, Geeta Kumari, spoke to Firstpost about the unified agenda: "The only opposition in this country is that of students and JNU, especially since the last one-and-a-half years, it has emerged as a symbolic response. One of our students, Najeeb Ahmad, disappeared following a public assault by an ABVP mob."

In 2015, the ABVP won the JNUSU elections after 14 years, despite being democratically isolated by others. The party has, ever since, made its presence felt in JNUs student politics.

"Last year, it was AISA and SFI and this time, the DSF, too, has joined. This just shows that the Left is conscious of the growing power of BJPs student wing Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad in the campus. The so-called Leftists that claim to fight for gender and social justice have repeatedly ignored SCs, STs and OBCs," says ABVP leader Saurabh Sharma. He cites the example of Akbar Chowdhary, former JNUSU president and Sarfaraz Hamid, former JNUSU joint secretary, and calls out their alleged sexual offences.

Targeting the opposition over this issue, the ABVP manifesto states: 'Communists have brought the evil culture of harassing and exploiting women in the name of liberty and revolution. Cuban revolutionary leader has slept with 35,000 women in his life, according to an upcoming documentary."

While the one-page agenda pamphlet of the ABVP  titled 'A refresher to the weakening memories of old, ageing and outgoing comrades'  focusses essentially on sexual offences that have defamed JNU, Sharma tells Firstpost that ensuring hostel accommodation, WiFi and placements are on the partys agenda as well.

He said that the way in which ghehra, halka & gaadha laal (deep, light and thick red) have united against his party depicts how insecure the Left really is. Nidhi Tripathi, who is contesting for the post of president from ABVP, told Firstpost that JNU cannot be considered the pocket borough of the Left anymore "because of the way the Left is uniting and using all its strength to ensure that a nationalist party like ours that respects the Indian army doesnt come to power." She pledges to end the dormitory culture which favours the boys.

Complicating the dynamic is the other threat to the Left forces, the Birsa Ambedkar Phule Students' Association (BAPSA). Its presidential candidate Shabana Ali told Firstpost: "The Left claims it is united against the ABVP but what has it done to curb the menace created by the ABVP inside and outside the campus. The Left has failed to lead the UGC Gazette movement and hasn't been able to find Najeeb."

Kanhaiya Kumar's absence could weaken Left unity

Kanhaiya Kumar, former president of JNUSU who was arrested on charges of sedition in 2016, isn't actively participating in campaigning for his party, the All India Student Federation (AISF). This year, the party has fielded Aparajitha Raja, daughter of CPI leader D Raja. It is being speculated that the reason for his absence is his ideological differences with Aparajitha, which is talked about in the student circuit.

It goes against the tradition of JNU politics that a senior leader of a party goes missing at a crucial time like this. Another reason doing the rounds is that Kanhaiya might be worried about losing his 'star value' if AISF happens to lose. Shehla Rashid, student activist who shot to fame after last year's agitation, is busy campaigning night and day for the Left unity, and supporters are of the view that Kanhaiya's active backing of Aparajitha would have strengthened her chances further.

Firstpost asked Kanhaiya how much truth there is to such conjecture. "JNU isn't just a campus. It represents a mindset that is pro-democracy and pro-constitution and speaks up for the atrocities faced by the marginalised communities. Moreover, the slogan Shut down JNU is being used outside the campus. That is why it is important to go into the masses and remind them about the equality and justice that JNU stands for," Kanhaiya said, adding that he has been participating in non-political events like the Azadi Koonch, a movement against the flogging of five Dalit men in Una; along with farmers and womens movements around the country.

Dodging our questions about a possible internal discord, he widened the discourse to a national level. "Politics has become only about elections and arithmetic calculations but (it is) about taking our ideologies to the people in the right spirit. When we failed to stop the ABVP from coming to power, it was our failure of not being able to take our ideology to the people," Kanhaiya explained, adding that there is an ideology at work behind the 83 percent seat cut in JNU and that interferes with the fact that education is a fundamental right.

"Theres a perception imposed on those who hold degrees from JNU and even after completing PhDs arent able to find jobs outside. This is why its important to create awareness about a university, which like other universities serves to dispel repressive thought processes with rational ones," he added, justifying his absence from the political scene.

When we asked Aparajitha about Kanhaiyas absenteeism, she reasoned that "The All India Student Federation-All India Youth Federation has launched a national campaign called Save India-Change India to protest against the anti-people policies of the NDA Government at the Centre and Kanhaiya is anchoring that."

Resentment with Lyngdoh Committee takes backseat

Umar Khalid, the student activist who was briefly arrested in February 2016 on charges of sedition, was one of the founders of the Bhagat Singh Ambedkar Students Organisation (BASO), which isn't contesting from the Central Panel but has fielded its councillor candidate Chepal Sherpa from School of Social Sciences.

Khalid never wanted to contest elections as he was a part of the now defunct Democratic Students Union (DSU), which doesnt believe in Lyngdoh Committee's recommendations, calling it undemocratic and targeting representation of marginalised sections in the university.

"The committees report curbs student activism. For instance, one of the clauses states that if you contest once, you cannot contest again. This puts a pressure on organisations to factory-produce activists," Umar told Firstpost. Why the change in attitude, we asked. "JNU is at a critical juncture. Najeeb is on the rolls of university... we don't where he is. However, we do know that the goons who assaulted him and in a way are responsible for his disappearance are roaming free and in fact, one of them is contesting the elections," he said.

The reason behind BASOs entry into the political arena, Sherpa spells out: "In the spirit of the slogan Fight Back JNU, a student union was elected with a huge mandate last year but it has been unable to resist the anti-student policies of the present administration. If we are elected, well become a critical voice within the union and try to form an alternative left."

To an outsider, last years newsmakers Shehla, Kanhaiya and Umar might seem like they belong to the same party and stand up for the same political ideals, but the vibrancy of difference is what makes JNU what it is. Dissent isn't only against the state, it's against one another too and the right to assert that dissent without a disruption of peace is what JNU wants in these elections.
Patna: Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday accepted a cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government for flood relief, bringing back the memories of 2010 when he had returned a donation from the then chief minister Narendra Modi, creating a deep divide between the two leaders.

Kumar had also cancelled a dinner for top BJP leaders, who were in the Bihar capital for a meeting of the party's national executive, as he felt slighted by posters that were plastered across the city thanking Modi for the assistance. The posters showed Modi and him together.

On Thursday, when Kumar is back in the NDA after a hiatus of little over four year, Gujarat revenue, education and parliamentary affairs minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama handed over the cheque to him for relief work in the flood-ravaged state.

Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi accompanied the Gujarat minister to Kumar's 1, Anne Marg, residence where the cheque was handed over to him.

An official statement said the Bihar chief minister thanked and appreciated the Gujarat government for its donation to the chief minister's relief fund.

"In the time of calamity everybody should display sensitivity and extend a helping hand to the victims," Kumar was quoted as having said.

Thursday's event rekindled the 2010 fiasco when Kumar had returned the Rs 5 crore cheque from Modi, taking umbrage at the posters, which he felt slighted Bihar.

The incident created a rift in the relationship between the two leaders though their parties together ran a coalition government in Bihar for three more years before Kumar goaded the JD(U) leadership to break the alliance with BJP on June 16, 2013, after Modi was appointed the saffron party's campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The two estranged leaders forged a friendship once again in July this year when Kumar resigned as chief minister and walked out of the 3-party JD(U)-RJD-Congress 'Grand Alliance' over corruption charges against his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and BJP decided to extend support to him.

Chudasama tried to downplay the past controversy.

"Time is mighty and changes very fast...That was 2010 and today it is 2017," he told reporters after handing over the cheque.

Asked why the Gujarat government had contributed identical amount it had extended for flood relief in 2010, Chudasama said all BJP state governments were contributing Rs 5 crore for Bihar floods.

Sushil Kumar Modi, who was the deputy chief minister also in 2010, tried to play down the controversy, saying "Much water has flown down the Ganges."

He said the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has already donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief and cheques from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana were likely to arrive soon.

Rival RJD attacked Kumar on the issue.

"Listening to which internal voice (antaratma ki awaaz), Nitish Kumar had returned the cheque for Rs 5 crore in 2010," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, son of party chief Lalu Prasad, tweeted in Hindi.

"Today, when he received another cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government, how helpless, weak and broken Nitishji must be feeling," Tejashwi, now the leader of the opposition, said in another tweet.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar joined issue with Tejashwi, saying the party had 80 MLAs who should come out and help the flood victims.

"You have abundant wealth which the Enforcement Directorate is seizing. Donate some of it to the victims of floods," he said.
Chandigarh: Counting is on for the Panjab University Students' Council elections and time won't be a constraint for long to find out who lost and who won. Victories and defeats are all part and parcel of the poll game but what mattered this time around was the mood that preceded the election held on Thursday.

A day before the hotly contested Panjab University Students' Council elections, the absence of any violent incident  which has been a norm otherwise  and an overwhelming presence of police carrying out flag march, turned pale in comparison to the rise of SFS(Students for Society) on the campus.

The slipper-donning SFS supporters with their ubiquitous jholas and hand made posters outnumbered the loud muscle flexing of white pajama-kurta donning kakajis (uncles) driving Mercedes and BMWs around the campus with an open sunroof and their followers hanging out precariously from windows and doors.

SFS began as a discussion group on the campus about three decades ago. But now, students from the other groups attribute their rise to the sole agenda of opposing the Right-wing government at the Centre. They claim, the group is creating another JNU in PU. Their allegations are based on the unprecedented violence the campus witnessed in April this year when opposing the 1,000 percent fee hike. Stone pelting students clashed with police who resorted to water cannons and tear gas shells leaving 60 injured. Of these 22 were policemen. The university, facing severe fund crunch, had reached a stage where it could not pay salaries of its staff when its "think tank" decided to raise the fee. Sedition and other criminal charges against the students were scripting another JNU story, though eventually sedition charges were withdrawn. Of the 66 students arrested, 50 were from SFS, both cadre and leadership.

Fashionably sober

"It's just a fashionable Left group. Fashion trends change in the campus," says a former student of PU. Not all agree. "People in Punjab and Haryana are headstrong individuals, they don't like being told what to speak, thats why SFI and AISF, supported by CPI and CPM respectively, never succeeded here," says Rajiv Lochan, a professor in the department of History.

To help their wards contest university elections, parents of the kakajis sell a killa of agricultural land, hoping victory would pave the way to getting an MLA ticket, if not that, at least a sarpanch seat.

A killa is equivalent to an acre of land.

The university is about networking and social climbing  the aim always to access more power and money. All this seems to be changing.

This year neither lavish parties nor DJs were used for canvassing, the sobering effect perhaps came from a strong following of the SFS that claims to have initiated "intellectual debate among the science faculty and professional courses and emotional appeal to the arts faculty students".

"For elections in 2016, we spent about Rs 350, this year we spent Rs 4,000, most of it has gone for printing leaflets for the freshers. We start canvassing from the time of admissions, and we have struggled for the past five years consistently by raising issues that really matter," says Harmandeep, media secretary, SFS. As a result, students are complaining, there is no atmosphere for elections this year, what they mean actually is money isn't flowing.

Parking blues and gender parity

It began with parking problems inside the campus. There are about 3,000 cars parked only by the students, creating driving hazards inside the campus. When all efforts failed to persuade students not to bring their cars, the registrars office had a survey conducted, more than 50 percent students voted against cars in the campus. This gave a valid plank to SFS. Students got entrenched in issues that affect them.

The radical among SFS are accused of inciting violence, but their leaders don't agree to that view.

"We occupied the ideological vacuum, there was no progressive politics in the campus, why is it that no woman candidate ever contested for president's post? We introduced a female candidate last year, this year too our presidential candidate is a female," says Amritpal Singh, another office bearer of SFS.

No alliance

While most parties contest elections and also win by alliances in PU, SFS is going all alone, all its four candidates are contesting the election on their own strength.

"We have earned a lot of goodwill by helping students, our supporters come from the middle and poor classes, they understand our language," says Harman. While other strong contesters like NSUI and PUSU are supported by Congress, other Left-wing parties like SFI, have put up their candidates separately.

The allegation that SFS is rising against the Right-wing groups is not denied.

"We claim openly we are anti-fascist and anti-RSS, but ABVP is not even present on this campus. They are waiting for our growth so that they can find a plank to grow," says Damanpreet Singh, last year's presidential candidate for SFS.

"When things can be sorted out by peaceful debate, why should we resort to violence and create a situation where police and other forces enter the campus? It's giving PU a bad name. We are here for education not for practicing activism," says a presidential candidate, who is a strong contender against SFS candidate.
Rohan Naravane

On 16th September 2014, Google CEO Sundar Pichai took to stage in New Delhi, India and unveiled Android One. The project was launched in partnership with Indian phone makers Karbonn, Lava and Micromax. They made one handset each, priced at around Rs 7,000, aiming to deliver a Nexus-like experience (stock Android and quick updates). All three devices looked different, but were largely the same internally.

Thats because, for devices participating in the Android One program, Google chose the components that manufacturers had to use to qualify. This consistency in hardware would enable the search giant to deploy software updates without much hassle. The company also produced this emotion-inducing advertisement, that didnt convey what Android One actually meant.

The project was a big failure in India. Retailers reportedly refused to stock Android One phones out of spite, because Google chose to sell them exclusively online at launch. The other problem for these devices were their middling specifications  like a MediaTek chip, 1 GB RAM, 4 GB of onboard storage, an 854 x 480 pixel display, etc. Other manufacturers like Xiaomi, which sold the Redmi 1s at the time, had far superior specs. Benefits like an unbloated software experience or quick Android updates werent enough to convince the crowd to settle for weaker hardware.

But to be fair, the marketing couldnt hit very hard on why an Android One phone was better than other Androids. Google possibly couldnt offend their partners by talking about how bloatware and slow Android updates on other phones arent a great experience for users.

And then theres the software update story  the first batch of Android One phones came with Android 4.4 KitKat out of the box. Android Lollipop, that officially made it to Nexus devices by November 2014, was deployed to these devices after a three-month-long wait.

In 2015, it launched the Lava Pixel V1 in India  an Android One phone that dealt with the complaints of entry level specifications of its predecessors. The phone had a 720p display, better cameras, double the RAM (2 GB) and eight times larger internal storage (32 GB), among other things. This massive spec jump also bumped up the price to Rs 11,000. In typical Google fashion, this device too was marketed with a genuinely cute advertisement, but one that again failed to emphasise what Android One is. Fortunately, this phone that launched with Android 5.0 Lollipop received Android 6.0 Marshmallow soon after its official launch.

This brings us to the announcement where Google and Xiaomi partnered to create the Xiaomi Mi A1  an Android One phone launched in India in 2017. At Rs 14,999, it costs more than double the original $100 price tag of the first Android One devices from 2014. But for that price, you get a metal-bodied phone with Qualcomms mid-range Snapdragon 625 chip, ample 4 GB of RAM and 64 GB storage, a dual camera setup similar to the iPhone 7 Plus or OnePlus 5, USB Type C port, and more. For its price, theres nothing left to complain with respect to the spec-sheet in this Android One phone. The Xiaomi Mi A1 is also going to be sold simultaneously via an assortment of offline and online partners.

The Mi A1 is interesting for several reasons. Firstly, it was unusual to see Xiaomi  a company that is known for its heavily-customised version of Android (dubbed MIUI)  to have a phone in its portfolio sans it. Several stock Android enthusiasts had often wished for a Xiaomi device running pure Android, simply because the company has been offering quality hardware at an extremely competitive price. For instance, with the Mi A1, Xiaomi has become the first company to offer a wide-angle + telephoto camera system for under Rs 15,000.

Theres no doubt that this phone will become a very good alternative to the recently-launched Moto G5S Plus. Moto G phones have often gotten a nod from experts because of its clean Android UI (parent company Lenovo also shed its custom VibeUI skin on the newest K8 Note). But the bigger question is the ever-evolving definition of Android One. For one, at the Mi A1 event, it was revealed that Google will not be pushing Android updates to the Mi A1 directly. Rather, Xiaomi said it needs to intervene because the Google Camera app doesnt support dual camera setups yet. Thats why the Mi A1s camera app is made by Xiaomi. This is a stark departure from the first Android One devices, where Google dictated what internals a device should bear, in a bid to control the software update delivery. To the uninitiated, the Xiaomi Mi A1 is a rebadged Xiaomi Mi 5X that was launched a few months ago in China, which runs MIUI.

The phone comes with Android 7.1 Nougat out of the box, and is said to get Android Oreo by the end of the year. This makes it no different than other manufacturers like Nokia, OnePlus, Motorola, who have also committed to delivering Oreo to some of their phones before the end of 2017. Alas, if you want a phone that runs the absolute latest Android version at all times, your only bet today is Googles Pixel phones.

So, Android One isnt about quick updates anymore, and neither is it about extremely-affordable smartphones that Google CEO Sundar Pichai wants  Android Go that was shown at this years Google IO will seemingly address that segment.

So, where does that leave Android One?

In my eyes, it appears that it has become the spiritual successor to the companys doomed Google Play Edition program from 2013. Buying an Android One device today means youll get an untouched Android interface and at least two major software updates (even if you dont get them as soon as Google pushes it out). And thats not bad news at all!

Thats because this endless demand for untweaked versions of Android stems from phone makers taking their customisations too far  resulting in slower performance, or bad UX, or pre-installed apps that cant be uninstalled, or delayed software updates. To cite an example, Xiaomis own Redmi Note 3 that launched last year is still running Android 6.0 Marshmallow, which is two generations older than 2017s Android 8.0 Oreo.

As a stock Android enthusiast, I wish the Xiaomi Mi A1 is commercially successful, so there will be a Mi A2 someday. Im also hopeful that more manufacturers come up with their own variants of Android One devices  and not just entry-level or mid-range devices (how about a V30 Android One, LG?).

But more importantly, I sincerely hope theres clearer messaging for what Android One means from Google. The company is good at marketing some of its products very well, so it shouldnt be too hard. Here's just one example.

The author has been writing about technology since 2007. Hes often conflicted between what Apple and Google have to offer. You can find him rambling about tech on @r0han.
Reuters

Chinese manufacturer SZ DJI Technology Co Ltd, the worlds largest civilian drone maker, said on Wednesday it was hunting for security flaws in its flight-control software after coders found its apps could be hot patched to circumvent scrutiny by Apple Inc and Alphabet Inc.

We have updated the apps to remove the suspect code, Adam Lisberg, spokesman for DJI, said of the hot-patching problem.

We are going through all the code now to see if theres anything else we didnt know about.

DJIs camera-equipped drones, which range from palm-sized models that cost as little as $500 to those the size of a small outdoor grill, command about 70 percent of the global commercial and consumer drone market, Goldman Sachs and Oppenheimer estimated in 2016.

Their cameras are increasingly used in sensitive settings, such as making movies or inspecting industrial facilities. AT&T deployed about four dozen drones, including DJI models, to spot cell tower damage after Hurricane Harvey. Lisberg said DJI had sent drones and spare batteries to help with the recovery.

But as their popularity has grown, so have concerns about data privacy. DJIs apps, which run on Apple iOS and Google Android, until recently allowed hot patching new code into an app any time a tablet or phone connected to the internet.

Such code can turn a phone into a listening device, or send out sensitive data, computer security experts said.

App developers are finding ways to circumvent the controls that go into the app stores, said Michael Murray, vice president of security intelligence at cyber firm Lookout, which researched hot patching.

DJIs apps connected with more than two dozen websites while booting up, sending user and location data, said Andreas Makris, a coder in Germany familiar with the apps.

DJIs Lisberg said problems stemmed from third-party plug-ins that help users share images on social media. But at least one was sending data DJI didnt know about, he said. DJI stopped it and is looking for other problems.

DJI is offering a bug bounty of up to $30,000 for coders who find flaws. It plans to release this month a feature that lets users disconnect phones or tablets from the internet while flying to ensure data is not sent out.

The company stepped up effort tighten security after the US Army in May ordered service members to stop using DJI drones because of cyber vulnerabilities.
tech2 News Staff

Hyperloop Transporation Technologies (HTT) and the government of Andhra Pradesh have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to develop a Hyperloop route in the state. The company announced this in a blog post on its website stating that it will work on a route between city-centres of future capital Amravati and Vijayawada. It claims that this route will reduce the distance to a 6 minute trip instead of the current time of more than one hour.

The company clarified that it will use the Public Private Partnership (PPP) model of funding along with funding from private investors for this project.

Bibop Gresta, chairman and co-founder for HTT issued a statement adding, We are delighted to have entered into a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India. In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation.

The company issued more details about the project by stating that it will conduct a six-month study as part of Phase 1 to check the feasibility of the project starting from October. The company will continue Phase 1 while working with partners in the private and public sector to analyse the cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities. It will kick off the Phase 2 with the construction of the project.

Cabinet Minister for Information Technology for Andhra Pradesh, Nara Lokesh added, HTTs transportation platform will enrich the IT infrastructure and ecosystem of Andhra Pradesh to a large extent. The Hyperloop will give rise to the development of various state-of-the-art technology parks and software clusters in Amaravati, helping to fortify the citys image as a world class leader in science and technology.

The government of Andhra Pradesh and HTT expect to generate about 2,500 jobs during the entirety of the project.
Nimish Sawant

Intel has been aggressive with its 5G plans. After having announced the Intel 5G Modem, codenamed Goldridge, and the Intel GO automotive 5G platform, the US chipmaker has now announced its plans to begin support for new radio (NR) specifications in its live testing and trials with partners. This will begin from Q4 2017.

Intel had announced its second generation Mobile Trial Platform at MWC 2017, and it has partnered with network infrastructure vendors such as Ericsson and Nokia. Intel has also added others such as Verizon and AT&T to this list. The MTP comprises reprogrammable FPGAs (Field Programmable Gate Arrays) and Intel Core processors which allow quick implementation of the latest air interfaces and communication protocols. The use of FPGAs on the trial platform means that the platform can be reprogrammed according to the different use cases for 5G.

"If you look at 3GPP, all countries came together and decided on cellular and 3GPP. New Radio (NR) specification is important as it is the first milestone which will help us determine the radio characteristics of 5G. We want to have one mobile platform device that can be used in multiple use-cases," said Asha Keddy, VP of client and IoT business and systems architecture at Intel. She said that Intel is working with infrastructure partners such as Nokia and Ericsson to ensure that the needs of these infrastructure partners are met.

5G NR is the wireless radio standard that is the foundation of 5G. According to Intel, " New Radio (NR) development is part of continuous mobile broadband evolution process to meet the requirements of 5G as outlined by IMT-2020, similar to the earlier evolution of 3G & 4G wireless networks. 5G NR aims to make wireless broadband same as of wireline with the fiber-like performance at a significantly lower cost-per-bit. With new levels of latency, reliability, and security, 5G NR will scale to efficiently connect the massive Internet of Things (IoT), and will offer new types of mission-critical services."

In this third gen MTP, you get 5G advanced feature support, which includes 3GPP NR early interoperability support. The MTP also supports a range of frequency spectrums so as to cover all the major countries' standards. The bands include 600-900 MHz, 3.3-4.2 GHz, 4.4-4.9 GHz, 5.1-5.9 GHz, 28 GHz, 39 GHz.

The testing is expected to help industry bodies to try out the MTP in real world use cases. "Operators can use MTP in real-world testing, which will give them insights into how to prepare for commercial testing. We want to ensure that the standards give a variety of use cases beyond phones. Intel sees 5G from an end-to-end perspective. For instance, we work with car manufacturers so that the antenna is integrated with the automotives. We can test parameters such as speed tests and collect multiple data points which then helps the telematics provider to figure out what they want," said Keddy.

Some of the use cases Keddy spoke about included fixed wireless which would involve placing the MTP in cities, small offices and factories, residential areas, schools and so on. Intel will also be collaborating with infrastructure partners such as GE and Honeywell.

In China, Intel has a lot of government trials going on at the moment, but there was no clarity on the India trials, although Intel says that it is in talks with Indian telecom operators. In Korea, Intel is working with automotive partners whereas in the US, there is a lot of focus on fixed wireless and mmWave.
tech2 News Staff

Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia said on 7 Spetember it could cut 597 jobs in France by end-2019 as part of a plan to save 1.2 bn Euros at the group level.

The job cuts would concern central and support functions within Alcatel-Lucent International and Nokia Solutions Networks France, which employ a combined 4,200 people in the country, a Nokia spokeswoman told Reuters in an e-mail.

R&D functions were excluded from the plan and Nokia, which bought former rival Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, will seek to limit as much a possible forced redundancies, she said. The CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, and CFTC unions said the plan was unacceptable and asked for a meeting at the Economy Ministry.

The Ministry told Reuters it would convene in the coming weeks a committee made of union and company representatives to monitor the issue.

Nokia phone have started selling globally. Recently, Nokia 6 sold out on Amazon India in less than a minute, after 1.2 mn customers registered for the sale. The Nokia 6 initially went on sale in January this year. The device ships with the Amazon Shopping app, the Kindle application and the Amazon Prime Video application which can be used by Amazon Prime subscribers. There is also a widget that gives easy access to personalised deals, shopping history and shipping status.

With inputs from Reuters
tech2 News Staff

The Samsung Galaxy Note 8 will have Google Daydream capabilities from the get-go. Earlier only the Samsung Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus had this VR platform support and that too only after a software update which came months after the phones' release.

According to a report from Nieuwemobiel, a Samsung spokesperson confirmed about the availability of the Daydream VR feature from day one rather than waiting for months to get a software update.

Rising from the setback caused by the Note 7, Samsung unveiled its flagship Note 8 on 23 August. The phone has become the first Samsung device to feature a dual-camera setup and also has impressive specs, worthy of its flagship title.

Users have the option of choosing from Samsung's Gear VR headset or the Daydream headset and the latter, according to Androidpolice, has been discounted recently.

The device most probably be launched in India on 12 September and as the device has been priced $930 - $960, it should come to be price over Rs 60,000 easily. There was a number being thrown around online, Rs 74,900, but that has been dismissed.

The Note 8 comes with 6 GB RAM (LP DDR4) with 64 GB/128 GB storage that is expandable to 256 GB via a microSD card slot. Buyers in the US will be treated to a Qualcomm Snapdragon 835 chipset inside, while the international model will get a Samsung-made Exynos 8890 chipset. The device packs in two 12 MP cameras with varying lens setups. The front facing camera is an 8 MP AF unit with an f/1.7 aperture.
IANS

YES BANK on Thursday announced its partnership with Samsung India to allow its credit Card customers to use payment platform Samsung Pay.

This will allow YES BANK credit card holders to make payments using Samsung smartphones at Point of Sale (PoS) card machines at merchant outlets.

"The partnership with YES BANK will enable more consumers to join Samsung Pay platform and go digital," said Sanjay Razdan, Director, Samsung Pay Business, in a statement.

YES BANK credit card users can also avail of introductory cashback benefits up to Rs 1,500 till September 30.

"Through our association with Samsung Pay, we are extending the latest technology and lending services in the payments industry to our YES BANK credit card members," said Pralay Mondal, Senior Group President, Retail and Business Banking, YES BANK.

Samsung Pay uses Magnetic Secure Transmission (MST) technology, enabling consumers to make offline payments using Samsung smartphones without the need for a physical card.

Samsung has integrated Paytm and UPI in the Samsung Pay app to increase the reach of the app along with providing additional options to users.

Samsung Pay is currently limited to Galaxy S8, Galaxy S8+, Galaxy S7 edge, Galaxy S7, Galaxy Note 5, Galaxy S6 edge+, Galaxy A5 (2016), Galaxy A7 (2016), Galaxy A5 (2017) and Galaxy A7 (2017). In addition to smartphones, the service and app will come to Samsung Gear S3 Smartwatch, allowing users to pay using their smartwatches.
tech2 News Staff

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd Vice Chairman Jay Y Lee has replaced his lawyer ahead of an appeal against the five-year jail term he was given for bribery and other charges, a spokesman for his law firm said on Thursday.

Attorney Song Wu-cheol was replaced by Lee In-jae, a more senior representative attorney at law firm Bae, Kim & Lee LLC to reinforce the executives legal team, the spokesman said without elaborating.

Jay Y Lee, the 49-year-old billionaire heir to one of the worlds biggest corporate empires, was detained in February on charges that he bribed then-president Park Geun-hye to help him secure control of the conglomerate that owns Samsung Electronics, the worlds leading smartphone and chip maker.

The appeals court is expected to make its ruling around January, with hearings likely to begin this month.

The attorney Lee has served as chief judge at several courts including Seoul Central District Court before moving to the law firm in 2010, according to his profile on the law firms website.

His major practice areas include finance and corporate criminal matters.

The billionaire head of South Koreas Samsung Group, Jay Y Lee, was sentenced to five years in jail for bribery on 7 August in a watershed for the countrys decades-long economic order dominated by powerful, family-run conglomerates.

After a six-month trial over a scandal that brought down the then president, Park Geun-hye, a court ruled that Lee had paid bribes in anticipation of favours from Park.

The court also found Lee guilty of hiding assets abroad, embezzlement and perjury.

Lee, the 49-year-old heir to one of the worlds biggest corporate empires, has been held since February on charges that he bribed Park to help secure control of a conglomerate that owns Samsung Electronics, the worlds leading smartphone and chip maker, and has interests ranging from drugs and home appliances to insurance and hotels.

With inputs from Reuters
New York: Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the US government to block President Donald Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants who New York's attorney general labeled the "best of America."

The lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn on Tuesday asked a judge to strike down as unconstitutional the president's action involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, or DACA. It called the move "a culmination of President Trump's oft-stated commitments ... to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots."

The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit all Democrats represent states where the population of DACA participants known as "dreamers" ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Trump's plan is "cruel, shortsighted, inhumane" and driven by a personal bias against Mexicans and Latinos, New York Attorney General Eric T Schneiderman said.

He said the 42,000 New Yorkers with protected status under the program are largely model citizens.

"They are the best of America," Schneiderman said. "Dreamers play by the rules. Dreamers work hard. Dreamers pay taxes. For most of them, America is the only home they've ever known. And they deserve to stay here," he added, using the term that came from a failed piece of legislation called the DREAM Act.

Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum called the government's action "indefensible" and said Trump was "playing chicken" by giving Congress six months to improve DACA or cancel it.

Devin M O'Malley, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency looks forward to defending the administration's position. Under former President Barack Obama, Justice Department lawyers concluded in 2014 that DACA is lawful.

The lawsuit filed says rescinding DACA will injure state-run colleges and universities, upset workplaces and damage companies and economies that include immigrants covered under the program. The lawsuit noted that Harvard University has over 50 DACA students while Tufts University has more than 25. Both schools are in Massachusetts.

"The consequence of the president's animus-driven decision is that approximately 800,000 persons who have availed themselves of the program will ultimately lose its protections" and be exposed to deportation, the lawsuit says. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program.

Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

California, one of the most solid Democratic states, was noticeably absent.

California Attorney General Xavier Becerra plans to file a separate lawsuit because a quarter of DACA recipients are California residents, his spokeswoman Bethany Lesser said. Under Trump's plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by 5 October. But the program isn't accepting new applications.

Opponents of the program said they are pleased with the Trump administration's decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power.

Washington governor Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, called Trump's action cruel and outrageous, given that the decision was announced by Sessions rather than the president himself.

A half-dozen beneficiaries of DACA young adults from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and elsewhere, including some now working at law firms or for the state Legislature  flanked Inslee and Ferguson at a news conference in Seattle announcing the lawsuit.

"It's outrageous, it's not right," an emotional Ferguson said. "As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, it's the law." Inslee said, "This is one more of a long train of abuses that this president has attempted to foist on this great nation."

Earlier this year, Ferguson sued Trump over his travel ban, prompting a federal judge to block nationwide enforcement.
London: Britain is sending a military vessel to assist victims of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and is assigning 12 million pounds (USD 15.7 million, 13 million euros) in aid, the government said on Thursday.

"We are pulling out all the stops to make sure that we can do our utmost to bring urgent assistance," Alan Duncan, a junior foreign minister, told parliament.

Hurricane Irma - one of the most powerful Atlantic storms on record - has severely hit the Caribbeans, claiming at least nine lives and turning the tropical islands of Barbuda and St Martin into mountains of rubble.

The British fleet auxiliary boat RFA Mounts Bay is already in the Caribbean and "should reach the affected territories later on Thursday," Duncan added.

He also said that the Department for International Development (DFID) and the foreign office were on "full alert" and doing their "utmost" with a "great wealth of expertise to deploy on this".

Charter flights tasked with delivering additional supplies as appropriate also stand ready.

In a statement released later Thursday, foreign minister Boris Johnson reaffirmed the UK's commitment to respond to the "catastrophic damage" caused by Irma.

"What we will be doing now is making an urgent assessment of the further needs of communities in the British Virgin Islands and Anguilla to see what more can be done in terms of financial and humanitarian assistance," he added.

Prime Minister Theresa May also held a phone conversation with French President Emmanuel Macron, during which they agreed to coordinate their responses.

"They agreed to cooperate closely, including with the Dutch, to understand the extent of the damage and to coordinate our relief efforts," a spokesman for the premier's office said.

Irma was packing maximum sustained winds of up to 185 mph (295 kph) as it followed a projected path that would see it hit the northern edges of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, continuing past eastern Cuba before veering north for Florida.
Beijing: China is focussed on solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through talks and peaceful means, Chinese president Xi Jinping told US president Donald Trump in a telephone call on Wednesday.

The United States and South Korea have asked the United Nations to consider tough new sanctions on North Korea after its nuclear test on Sunday that Pyongyang said was an advanced hydrogen bomb.

Washington and its allies have said there is a growing urgency for China, North Koreas top ally and trading partner, to apply more pressure on its already isolated neighbour to get it to back down on its nuclear weapons and missiles programmes.

Chinas focus on negotiations contrasts with Trumps assertions over the last few days that now was not the time to focus on talks with North Korea.

In a telephone call with UK prime minister Theresa May on Tuesday, President Trump reiterated that now is not the time to talk to North Korea, and made clear that all options remain open to defend the United States and its allies against North Korean aggression, the White House said on Wednesday.

However, the issue was not mentioned in a separate White House statement on the Trump-Xi call, which said only that the two leaders recognised the danger posed by North Korea and committed to working together with the goal of denuclearising the Korean Peninsula.

Earlier, a statement from Chinas foreign ministry said China unswervingly works to realise denuclearisation on the Korean Peninsula and to safeguard the international nuclear non-proliferation system, Xi told Trump.

At the same time, we always persist in safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation, Xi said.

It is necessary to stay on the path of a peaceful solution.

Xi also said that China attaches importance to Trumps visit to China later this year.

The statement cited Trump as saying that the United States was deeply concerned about the Korean nuclear issue and that it valued Chinas important role in resolving the problem.

US ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley accused North Korean leader Kim Jong-un on Monday of begging for war and urged the Security Council to impose the strongest possible sanctions.

Beijing has said reining in North Korea is not chiefly its responsibility, and has expressed doubts that UN economic sanctions, which it has backed, will resolve the situation.

Sanctions so far appear to have done little to stop North Korea from boosting its nuclear and missile capacity as it faces off with Trump, who has vowed to stop Pyongyang from being able to hit the U.S. mainland with a nuclear weapon.

It is unclear if China will back further sanctions. Beijing fears that completely cutting off North Korea could lead to its collapse, unleashing a wave of refugees into Chinas northeast.

China accounted for 92 percent of North Koreas trade in 2016, according to South Korea. Chinas foreign ministry said on Tuesday it would take part in Security Council discussions in a responsible and constructive manner.

China and Russia have advocated a plan in which the United States and Seoul stop major military drills in exchange for North Korea halting its weapons programmes, but neither side is willing to budge.

Trump and Xi last spoke by telephone on 12 August. The White House said at the time that their relationship was extremely close and will hopefully lead to a peaceful resolution of the North Korea problem.

But tensions in China-US ties have increased since Trump took office, with the US president having authorized an investigation into Chinas alleged theft of intellectual property, and suggesting trade relations would be linked to Beijings help on North Korea.
Washington: President Donald Trump briskly overruled congressional Republicans and his own treasury secretary Wednesday to cut a deal with Democrats to keep the government operating and raise America's debt limit. The immediate goal was ensuring money for hurricane relief, but in the process the president brazenly rolled his own party's leaders.

In deal-making mode, Trump sided with the Democratic leaders  "Chuck and Nancy," as he amiably referred later to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi  as they pushed for the three-month deal, brushing aside the urgings of GOP leaders and treasury secretary Steven Mnuchin for a much longer extension to the debt limit. Republicans want that longer allowance to avoid having to take another vote on the politically toxic issue before the 2018 congressional elections.

The session painted a vivid portrait of discord at the highest ranks of the Republican Party. After an angry August that Trump spent lobbing attacks at fellow Republicans, specifically targeting Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell for the failure of health care legislation, the president wasted little time once Congress came back this week in demonstrating his disdain for the GOP House and Senate leaders charged with shepherding his agenda into law.

At first, in Wednesday's Oval Office meeting, the Republicans lobbied for an 18-month debt ceiling extension, then 12 months and then six, but Trump waved them off. As Mnuchin continued to press an economic argument in favour of a longer-term deal, Trump tired of it and cut him off mid-sentence.

At another point, the meeting totally lost focus when Ivanka Trump entered to raise an unrelated issue on child care tax credits. Details of the meeting were disclosed by several people briefed on the proceedings who spoke only on condition of anonymity because they were not authorised to talk publicly.

One photo taken through the window of the Oval Office showed an animated Schumer pointing his finger in Trump's face as the president smiles with his hands on his fellow New Yorker's arms.

After the meeting, Trump boarded a plane to North Dakota with Democratic senator Heidi Heitkamp in an effort to garner bipartisan support for tax legislation that Republican leaders on Capitol Hill are crafting on a purely partisan basis. That continued the day of bizarre disconnects between the president and the leaders of his party. Trump called Heitkamp to the stage at his Dakota event and praised her as a "good woman." She will be running for re-election against a Republican in November 2018. Heitkamp later issued a statement saying she needs to know more about Trump's tax plan before offering her support.

Aboard Air Force One, Trump told reporters, "We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer." He didn't mention Republicans McConnell and House speaker Paul Ryan, who also had been present. "We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred, very important. I think the deal will be very good."

Barely an hour earlier, Ryan had slammed the Democrats' demand for a three-month extension as "ridiculous and disgraceful." He issued no public statement on the final deal.

McConnell, in his own reserved fashion, did not sugar-coat what happened when he addressed reporters a short time later. "In the meeting down at the White House, as I indicated, the president agreed with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi to do a three-month CR and a debt ceiling into December, and that's what I will be offering based on the president's decision," McConnell said. "CR" refers to a continuing resolution, which will extend existing government funding levels into mid-December, when the prospect of an enormous new round of deal-making now looms.

Asked whether he was surprised to see the president side with Democrats against his own party leadership, McConnell responded, "Look, the president can speak for himself, but his feeling was we needed to come together, not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis, and that was the rationale."

In fact, Trump achieved the opposite.

"The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad," Senator Ben Sasse said over Twitter. "Hopefully we'll realise that negotiating with Democrats doesn't normally produce outstanding results," said Rep. Mark Meadows of North Carolina, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus.

Late Wednesday, with criticism pouring in from Republicans, Mnuchin himself made a rare appearance in the Air Force One press cabin, as the president travelled back to Washington from North Dakota, to defend the deal. "Our No. 1 priority was getting money for Harvey. Let me very clear: That's the president's number one agenda and we accomplished that," Mnuchin insisted.

Mnuchin also claimed several times that the president actually could have had a one-year package but didn't want to lose the opportunity to raise military spending in new budget bills before then. Aides to Schumer and Pelosi responded with incredulous disbelief to this claim.

The outcome was especially striking coming just a day after Trump announced he would be dismantling immigration protections for younger immigrants. He gave Congress six months to come up with a solution. That announcement had infuriated Democrats, and was not cheered by many Republicans either, since among other things it gives them a politically explosive issue to resolve ahead of the midterm elections.

Taken together, Trump's moves appeared to show little regard for the imperatives of his party leaders. And after the GOP's failure to pass long-promised legislation to repeal and replace "Obamacare," the events renewed questions about whether the party can summon the focus and unity to advance tax legislation, the next big item they want to tackle. However, White House officials argued that putting other issues off until December cleared the decks for tax talks.

The deal struck Wednesday at the White House promises to speed the $7.9 billion Hurricane Harvey aid bill, which passed the House overwhelmingly Wednesday, to Trump's desk before disaster accounts run out later this week. The debt ceiling and government funding extensions will be attached.

The move also buys almost three months, until 15 December, for Washington to try to solve myriad other issues, including more funding for the military, immigration and health care, and a longer-term increase in the government's borrowing authority to avoid a first-ever default. Adding the stopgap funding bill to the Harvey aid package would also immediately free about $7 billion in additional disaster funds.

Schumer was as pleased in the aftermath as McConnell was dour.

"The bottom line is, the president listened to the arguments," Schumer said. "We think we made a very reasonable and strong argument. And, to his credit, he went with the better argument."
San Juan (Puerto Rico): Hurricane Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds Wednesday night, leaving nearly 9,00,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm.

Florida rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area by the Category 5 storm with potentially catastrophic 185 mph (298 kph) winds.

Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda was damaged when the eye of the storm passed almost directly overhead early Wednesday and about 60 percent of the island's roughly 1,400 people were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told AP. "Either they were totally demolished or they would have lost their roof," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island. "It is just really a horrendous situation."

He said roads and telecommunications systems were destroyed and recovery will take months, if not years. A 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told AP.

Significant effects were also reported on St. Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St. Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity. Dutch marines who flew to St. Martin and two other Dutch islands hammered by Irma reported extensive damage but no deaths or injuries.

By Wednesday evening, the centre of the storm was about 50 miles (80 kilometres) north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and heading west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power and nearly 50,000 without water, the US territory's emergency management agency said. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads.

The tiny island of Culebra reported sustained winds of 88 mph (142 kph) and wind gusts of 110 mph (177 kph).

The US National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida. Puerto Rico's public power company has cut back on staff and maintenance amid a decade-long economic crisis and the agency's director warned that some areas could be without power from four to six months because the infrastructure has already deteriorated so badly.

President Donald Trump this week approved an emergency declaration for the US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That means the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies can remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the US government.

EPA officials said their biggest concerns were oil spills and power disruptions to water supply systems. "No matter what precautions we take, the coastal flooding will impact oil tanks," said Catherine McCabe, a regional administrator.

Another concern was the 20 Superfund sites in Puerto Rico and the three in the US Virgin islands, given that most were near the coast, she said. She said EPA officials in New Jersey were on standby to fly down after the hurricane passed through.

State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo killed dozens of people in Puerto Rico in 1989. "I expect the same from this storm," he said. "It's going to be bad."

Tourist Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Tampa, Florida, puffed on her last cigarette as a San Juan hotel prepared to shutter its doors ahead of the storm. "I'm in a hurricane here, and when I get home, I'll be in the same hurricane. It's crazy," she said. She tried to leave ahead of the storm but all flights were sold out, and she worried about her home in Tampa. "When you're from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane," said Jackson, who was scheduled to fly out Friday.

The US National Hurricane Centre said Irma's winds would fluctuate, but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it roared past the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas. Evacuations from high-risk areas were ordered throughout the path of the storm.

By early Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Governor Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday and warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew. Andrew pummelled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighbourhoods with ferocious winds.

Trump also declared an emergency in Florida, and authorities in the Bahamas said they were evacuating six southern islands.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas. "This could easily be the most costly storm in US history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

Because of the uncertainty in any forecast this far out, authorities in Miami held off for the time being on ordering any widespread evacuations. The mayor of Miami-Dade County activated the emergency operation centre and urged residents to have three days' worth of food and water.

The State Department authorised voluntary evacuation of US diplomats and their families from the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, where the storm was expected to arrive by Friday.

Warm water is fuel for hurricanes, and Irma was moving over water that was 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) warmer than normal. Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region, but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which usually have warmer waters. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph (306 kph) in 1980, while 2005's Wilma, 1988's Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Keys storm all had 185 mph (298 kph) winds.

Bahamas prime minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating six islands because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the "potentially catastrophic" wind, flooding and storm surge. People there would be flown to Nassau in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country's history.

The northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could see 10 inches (25 centimetres) of rain, with as much as 20 inches (50 centimetres) in the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

The website cruisecritic.com said 28 cruises had been cancelled, shortened or had their itineraries changed as a result of the hurricane.

Also Wednesday, Tropical Storm Katia formed in the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico's coast and rapidly became a hurricane. It had sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and Mexico's government issued a hurricane watch for the coast of Veracruz state from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde. Katia was about 190 miles (306 kilometres) north-northeast of the city of Veracruz on Wednesday night and was expected to drift toward the coast Thursday, the hurricane centre said.

Another tropical storm farther east in the Atlantic became a hurricane Wednesday evening. Hurricane Jose posed no immediate threat to land but meteorologists warned the storm's path could change. Jose had winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was quickly strengthening.
Beirut/ Jerusalem: The Syrian army said Israel targeted a military site in Hama province early on Thursday which a war monitor said could be linked to chemical weapons production.

The air strike killed two soldiers and caused damage near the town of Masyaf, an army statement said. It warned of the dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said the strike hit a Scientific Studies and Research Centre facility, an agency which the United States describes as Syrias chemical weapons manufacturer.

The strike took place the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April.

Syrias government denies using chemical weapons and in 2013 it promised to surrender its chemical weapons programme, which it says it has done.

The Observatory said strikes also hit a military camp next to the centre that was used to store ground-to-ground rockets and where personnel of Iran and its ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, had been seen more than once.

An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria. Israeli officials have in the past admitted that Israel has repeatedly struck weapons shipments believed to be bound for the Iranian-backed Hezbollah, an ally of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, without specifying which ones.

In an interview in Haaretz last month upon his retirement, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had struck Syrian and Hezbollah arms convoys nearly 100 times in the past five years.

Israel sees a red line in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-ground missiles and non-conventional (chemical) weapons.

Chemical weapons

Hezbollah and Israel fought a brief war in 2006 and both have suggested that any new conflict between them could be on a larger scale than that one, which led to the deaths of more than 1,300 people.

Hezbollah has been one of Assads most important allies in the war and last month its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he had recently travelled to Damascus to meet the Syrian president.

Israel is conducting military exercises in the north of the country near the border with Lebanon.

Yaakov Amidror, a retired Israeli general and former national security adviser, told reporters that he assumed Thursdays strike was linked to Nasrallahs visited to Damascus.

Weapons systems have been transferred from this organisation (the Scientific Studies and Research Centre) into the hands of Hezbollah during the years, he said.

In May, an official in the military alliance backing Assad said that Hezbollah drew a distinction between Israel striking its positions in Syria and at home in Lebanon. If Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, definitely it will respond, the official said.

The Syrian army statement said the Israeli strike, which it said took place at 2.42 am (23.42 GMT) from inside Lebanese airspace, had been made in support of Islamic State.

Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that Israeli warplanes had breached Lebanese airspace.

The Observatory reported a total of seven people killed and wounded in the strike.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, said the reported attack was not routine and targeted a Syrian military scientific centre.

The factory that was targeted in Masyaf produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians, Yadlin said in a tweet.

The strike sent a message that Israel would not let Syria produce strategic weapons, would enforce its own red lines, and would not be hampered by Russian air defence systems in Syria, he added.

The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Wednesday that a government jet dropped sarin on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province in April, killing more than 80 civilians, and that government forces were behind at least 27 chemical attacks.

Israeli officials have also previously said that Russia, another Assad ally, and Israel maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria.

The reported attack also took place on the 10th anniversary of Israels destruction of Syrias nuclear reactor.
Nay Pyi Taw: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday left for home after concluding his first bilateral visit to Myanmar during which he held wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and vowed to combat terror.

"My Myanmar visit covered significant ground in giving a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations & deepening bilateral cooperation," Modi tweeted before he left for India.

"I thank the people and Government of Myanmar for their exceptional hospitality during my visit to the beautiful nation of Myanmar", Modi said in another tweet.

Modi's first bilateral visit here came at a time when the Myanmarese government led by nobel laureate Suu Kyi is facing international pressure over the 125,000 Rohingya Muslims that have poured into Bangladesh in just two weeks after Myanmar's military launched a crackdown in the Rakhine state.

After his talks with Suu Kyi, Modi had said India shares Myanmar's concerns over "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state, especially the loss of innocent lives of the people and the security personnel.

Modi, in his joint press statement with Suu Kyi after the talks, had said India understands the problems being faced by Myanmar. He had also asserted that it was important to maintain the security and stability of the land and maritime boundaries of the two countries.

After Modi-Suu Kyi talks, 11 agreements were signed between the two sides in areas like maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.

Modi arrived at Nay Pyi Taw on the second leg of his two-nation trip after he travelled to the southeastern Chinese city Xiamen where he attended the annual BRICS Summit.
Just days after the BRICS nations came together and named terror groups such as the Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) which operate from Pakistani soil in a joint declaration, foreign minister Khawaja Asif acknowledged that his country needs to rein in terror outfits to avoid "embarrassment" on the global stage, according to several media reports.

"We need to tell our friends that we have improved our house. We need to bring our house in order to prevent facing embarrassment on the international level," Asif reportedly told Geo News.

Adjust to 'seismic geopolitical shift'

The geopolitical situation in the world is undergoing a "seismic shift" and Pakistan has to review it pragmatically and quickly adjust its direction, Asif conceded.

Speaking after the conclusion of a three-day meeting of the Pakistani envoys in Islamabad, Asif referred to the "altering" regional and international situation, saying the geopolitical changes taking place in the world were unprecedented.

"Perhaps, such changes were not even witnessed after the World War II. New allignments have been made, strategic policies are dictating nations' interests," he said.

"We are undergoing a seismic shift," Asif said, adding that Pakistan has to review these situations pragmatically and take the right direction. "We have to quickly adjust our direction," he asserted.

'Can't test our friends any more'

Hindustan Times reported that Asif further said that Pakistan could no longer afford to "test" its friends such as China on the issue of counter-terrorism as the world had changed drastically. We must make a clean break from our past, he added, alluding to the militant outfits which gained influence after Pakistan joined American-led efforts to fight Soviet troops in Afghanistan in the 1980s, the report quoted Asif as saying.

'We need to accept historical facts'

Speaking on the US' assertions on alleged Pakistani role in terrorism in Afghanistan, Asif said that there is a 50 to 60-year-long history

behind the Washington policy and the regional situation "which is gradually unfolding".

"In my personal view, (in the course of this history), we have only incurred losses and haven't gained much," he said

"We don't have a lot of time  the developing regional situations do not allow us to take our time," the minister reiterated, stressing on the urgency of the matter. Asif said that in the coming days "there will be a policy shift in the country."

"I am not making any political statement... we cannot afford to shut our eyes on activities of these organisations in our country. If we continue to do that we will always face such embarrassments," he added, according to a report in The Times of India. "We've no stakes involved but are only carrying the baggage of our past follies. We cannot correct ourselves as long as we do not accept historical facts," he said, according to the report.

The timing of Asif's remarks is instructive, coming on the eve of his trip to Beijing. Asif is expected to review bilateral relations and attempt to drum up support for Pakistan, which is facing ever increasing pressure to act against terrorist organisations.

Yes, but...

However, Asif was sure to lace his comments with caveats. The Indian Express reported that Asif insisted that the BRICS declaration could not be considered China's official stance, as China was merely one of the countries who made up the group.

He also reiterated that Pakistan will not accept being scapegoated for the sake of failures of others in the region.

The inclusion of these terror outfits is considered a setback to Pakistan, as Beijing, considered to be an 'all-weather' friend, had previously succeeded in blocking the names of these outfits at last year's summit, according to The Indian Express report.

The minister also rejected the idea that terrorism was being carried out from Pakistani soil. "We will have to convince the world that Pakistan has nothing to do with the terror," he added. Asif said Pakistan was the only country in the world which has achieved resounding successes in the war against terrorism. "No one can fight this war better than us. We are the only country in the world which is winning the war on terror, and we will continue winning it," he added.

He said that Pakistan's dependency on US has been greatly reduced. He, however, said Pakistan's relationship with the US has not ended and future communications will be made keeping in view Pakistan's interests. "Pakistan will cooperate with countries who recognise its sacrifices," the minister said.

With inputs from PTI
Islamabad: Pakistan foreign minister Khawaja Asif will visit China on Friday to review bilateral relations and garner support for his country which is facing mounting international pressure to act against the terror groups.

During the visit, the foreign minister will hold meetings with China's state councillor for foreign affairs Yang Jiechi and Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"The two sides will review bilateral relations and regional developments, including the situation in Afghanistan," Pakistan Foreign Office said.

The announcement came a day after BRICS nations expressed concern over threat posed by terror groups, including those based in Pakistan.

Officials said that the visit was part of efforts to develop support for Pakistan after US president Donald Trump criticised Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists.

Asif will also visit Russia, Turkey and Iran after his trip to China.
Islamabad: Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the country will continue to face "embarrassment" if terror groups like the LeT and JeM are not reined in, according to media reports.

Asif's admission came two days after the BRICS grouping that includes China, for the first time named terror groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

US president Donald Trump had also criticised Pakistan for being a "safe haven" for terror groups like the Haqqani network. Asif acknowledged the existence of LeT and JeM among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

"We need to tell our friends that we have improved our house. We need to bring our house in order to prevent facing embarrassment on the international level," Asif said while speaking to Geo News on Wednesday, days ahead of his visit to Beijing to meet the Chinese leadership.

According to Asif, the BRICS declaration should not be considered as China's official stance as other countries  Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa  are also a part of the group. The inclusion of LeT and JeM in the BRICS Declaration at Xiamen is considered a setback to Pakistan, China's "all weather" friend as Beijing had succeeded in blocking efforts to name these Pakistan-based terror outfits in the outcome document at the five-member grouping's summit in Goa last year.

But Asif said that "friends should not be tested [every time], particularly in the changed scenario". "Instead, we should impose some restrictions on the activities of elements like LeT and JeM, so that we can show the global community that we have put our house in order," he said.

"We need to ask ourselves have we acted upon the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit? Did we take the measures we had decided on, besides Operation Zarb-i-Azb, Raddul Fassad and Khyber 4, during the last three years? Did we show the world that we acted according to the resolve we made in 2014?", Asif asked.

Clarifying the position of the government, he said that for the first time, the Foreign Ministry published an advertisement, requesting people to avoid donating hides of sacrificial animals to proscribed organisations, including the the LeT and JeM.

"Despite all these efforts, in some isolated instances, the organisations were allowed [to collect hides] at some places," he acknowledged. He reiterated that Pakistan must put its affairs in order, given that the "entire world is pointing fingers towards us."

"I am not making a political statement but telling you a fact: we will continue to face such embarrassment till the time we keep our eyes off these [militant] organisations in

our country," he was quoted as saying. "We need to make a clean break from our past; in 1979, we made a wrong decision and acted like a proxy for the entire next decade. After 9/11, we again made a wrong decision and adopted a war which was never ours. We have bore uncountable losses of lives and properties in this war," he said.

Pakistan Army has done its part, said Asif, asking, "But did we do our work; did we implement the NAP, did we complete the process of de-radicalisation, did we bring the activities of banned outfits to a halt or are they active and even participating in politics with changed names?"

The minister rejected the narrative that the Pakistani soil is being used for terrorism, adding that "we will have to convince the world that Pakistan has nothing to do with the terrorism."
Yangon: Facing the problem of Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar's state counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday likened the issue to Kashmir and said that there is the trouble of sifting terrorists from innocent citizens.

Suu Kyi told the media here that there was a need to differentiate between terrorists and innocent people and India was well versed with it, as it had been tackling the issue in Kashmir.

"You in India will be very well versed in this. Because (there is) a large Muslim community in India and in places like Kashmir, you had this trouble of sorting out the terrorists from the innocent citizens and all those who are not involved in the terrorist movement at all. So we have the same problem," she said.

Suu Kyi said the Myanmar government had tried to provide security to all those residing in the country.

"We have to take care of our citizens. We have to take care of everybody who is in our country whether or not they are our citizens. It is our duty and we try our best," she said.

Suu Kyi is under mounting international pressure to stop the alleged atrocities against the Rohingyas, who are even denied citizenship in Myanmar.

Thousands of Rohingya are crossing over to Bangladesh  where they are sparingly given refugee status  to escape from the violence in Rakhine state. Media reports quoted the UNHCR spokesperson in Bangladesh as saying that at least 123,000 Rohingyas have crossed over in the past few days.

The latest exodus began on 25 August, after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Rakhine, leading to a violent offensive by the Myanmar Army.

India also faces the problem of Rohingya fleeing into the states bordering Myanmar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said after his talks with Suu Kyi on Wednesday that India shared Myanmar's concerns over the situation in Rakhine state and the loss of lives of security personnel and innocent people in the violence blamed on insurgents from the minority community.

Modi hoped that whether in the peace process or resolving a "specific problem", all stakeholders worked together to find a solution to ensure peace, justice and dignity for all by respecting the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar.
Geneva: Syrian president Bashar Assad's air force conducted a sarin-gas attack that killed at least 83 civilians in April, one of 20 chemical weapons attacks perpetrated by the Syrian government in the past four years, UN-mandated investigators said Wednesday.

The investigators also appealed to the US-led coalition to better protect civilians as it strikes at Islamic State militants in the east.

The latest report by the Commission of Inquiry on Syria offers among the strongest evidence yet of allegations that Assad's forces carried out the 4 April attack on Khan Sheikhoun in rebel-held Idlib province in which dozens of people were killed. The United States quickly blamed the Syrian government and launched a punitive strike on Shayrat air base, where the report says the Sukhoi-22 plane took off.

Syrian government officials have denied responsibility, and said in August that they would allow in UN teams to investigate. Russia says the United States and its Western allies rushed to judgement and blamed the Syrian government without ever visiting the site.

"We have analysed all the other interpretations" of who might have conducted the attack, commission chairman Paulo Pinheiro said at a Geneva news conference. "It is our task to verify these allegations, and we concluded ... that this attack was perpetrated by the Syrian air force."

Wednesday's report, the 14th by the commission since it was set up by the UN's Human Rights Council in 2011, covers little more than four months, from March to early July. The report is based on information retrieved from satellite images, video, photos, medical records, and over 300 interviews.

"The commission finds that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Syrian forces attacked Khan Sheikhoun with a sarin bomb at approximately 6.45 am on April 4, constituting the war crimes of using chemical weapons and indiscriminate attacks in a civilian inhabited area," the report said.

The commission said the Khan Sheikhoun chemical attack killed at least 83 people and wounded 293. It was among four chemical attacks the commission tallied over the span of its investigation  including the use of "weaponised chlorine" in three other locations.

However it documented 25 incidents of chemical weapons use in Syria between March 2013 and March 2017, of which 20 were perpetrated by government forces and used primarily against civilians.

The report, which also documents violations by Al-Qaeda's branch and other militant groups in Syria, said the commission is gravely concerned about the impact of coalition air strikes on civilians in Raqqa, where US-backed Syrian forces are battling IS. It also accused US forces of failing to take all feasible precautions to protect civilians when attacking a mosque near Aleppo in March.

The report comes as Assad's forces have advanced on a number of fronts against IS and other insurgent groups. De-escalation zones set up by Russia, Iran and Turkey have meanwhile sharply reduced the fighting in some areas.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian and Iranian firepower and troops, on Tuesday broke a nearly three-year siege by the Islamic State over parts of the eastern city of Deir el-Zour.

Syrian activists on Wednesday said fierce fighting is underway between pro-government forces and IS militants around a garrison in Deir el-Zour, after an Islamic State counterattack late Tuesday involving multiple suicide bombings. The fighting was centred around the military base of the 137th Brigade on the outskirts of Deir el-Zour, where the siege had been breached the day before.

The advance of government forces in Deir el-Zour was a breakthrough against the militants for Assad and his Russian and Iranian allies, and could soon provide relief for tens of thousands of civilians besieged by Islamic State since early 2015 who have been reliant on erratic air drops for survival.

The UN's Syria envoy, Staffan de Mistura, expressed hope that lifting the siege on Deir el-Zour will soon allow for humanitarian access to flow into the besieged eastern city in a much cheaper and more effective way.

The Lebanese militant Hezbollah group whose fighters are among Iranian-backed forces pushing toward Deir el-Zour congratulated the Syrian leadership.

In a statement Wednesday, it said this latest achievement is a "prelude for the liberation of all remaining Syrian territory." It described it as a victory also for Syria's allies who stood by it.

The commander of the Russian forces in Syria, Colonel General Sergei Surovikin, said Russian jets have carried out more than 2,600 airstrikes in the past two weeks to support the government's efforts to drive Islamic State from Deir el-Zour.
A total of 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis will be hit by US President Donald Trump's decision to roll back Obama era temporary protections to young people in the US who came in illegally; 17,000 other Indians face the risk of deportation. This number comes from Suman Raghunathan of South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT), a leading advocacy organization headquartered in New York. "This number is based on off-record conversations with people in the Department of Homeland Security and USCIS", SAALT told Firstpost.

In a shock move, the Trump Administration has rescinded Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, and given US Congress six months to find a legislative solution for the immigrants who are DACA recipients.

"This is just more racist cruelty. The same minds producing the same atrocities. Quite predictable now. Taxes next. Steal from the poor to give to the rich. The rich arent rich enough, the poor are too rich. This man (Trump) and his mind (and his party) are perverting every progressive and humanistic idea of the last several decades", says Sanjoy Chakravorty, author of the widely acclaimed academic deep dive into Indian immigration in America - 'The Other One Per Cent'.

According to SAALT figures, 27,000 Asian Americans ( which includes 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis) are covered under DACA and an additional 17,000 from India are eligible for DACA, which makes India among the top ten countries for DACA eligibility.

Link: SAALT statement after Trump pulled plug on DACA

When SAALT talks of the 17,000 people who are 'eligible for DACA', what it means is that these are young Indians who have gotten into the US (because they have been 'brought' here) but not protected under DACA which puts them in the highest risk category for deportation.

DACA was created by President Barack Obama in 2012 to protect young immigrants who were mostly raised in the U.S. but lacked legal status. The program protects them from deportation  granting a two-year reprieve.

DACA recipients must meet several requirements, including having no criminal record. They also must have been 30 or younger when the program was launched and brought to the U.S. before age 16.

DACA does not give beneficiaries legal U.S. residency; they are simply given a reprieve from deportation while being allowed to legally work.

Taken together, all of Trump's moves on immigration have echoes from America of the 1920s and a sustained effort to take a meat cleaver to the world created by the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1965, which eliminated the race based immigration quotas set by the Immigration Act of 1924, also known as the Johnson-Reed Act. The RAISE Act, the backlash against H1Bs, the violence in Charlottesville and now calling for the end of DACA are not much to do with low skilled versus high skilled or legal versus illegal or even an anti-Obama resentment agenda. It's why outsiders (non-whites) are in the country at all.

What the Trump administration ignores is that American whiteness is an accident at best; those originals Columbus stumbled into are still called Native Americans, not whites.

Next up: 15 states plus Washington DC have sued to block Trump's move on DACA. If the plaintiffs are granted an injunction, DACA might just get reinstated. Remember what happened with the Muslim ban?
Washington: The United States said Thursday that Pakistan must "change its approach" towards terror groups operating from its soil and take decisive action against them.

"As the administration has said, Pakistan must change its approach," a state department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question on the BRICS statement that named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among the terror groups that create problem in the region.

"We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region," the spokesperson said.

For the first time, BRICS Summit in their joint declaration named Pakistan-based terrorist groups as a concern for regional security and called for action against them.

Pakistan has denied allegations it harbours these groups.

The BRICS declaration in the Chinese city of Xiamen was significant given that China previously repeatedly stonewalled any reference to Pakistan or terrorist groups based there.

Pakistan's foreign minister Khawaja Asif has told a news channel that BRICS concerns about the militant groups should not be considered as China's official stance.
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Microsoft will host a Surface event in London at the end of October, according to a latest report from The Verge. The company is planning a Surface keynote at Future Decoded in London on October 31 and November 1.

Microsofts Surface chief Panos Panay will give a keynote speech at the event where he is expected to announce a new Surface Book that was first launched two years ago in 2015. Microsoft may also announce the availability of the Surface Pro LTE, a SKU that Microsoft said back in May would be coming later this year. The company is planning to launch ARM-powered Windows laptops this year from a range of PC makers.

The report further stated that Microsoft might also see an update to the Surface Hub, its large business-focused interactive display. Microsoft unveiled Surface Laptop in May which is targeted at college students.

Source
Political prisoner, activist, journalist, hymn-writer, emerging think tanker, aspiring novelist, "tribal elder", parliamentary candidate for North West Durham, Shadow Leader of the Opposition, Speedboat, proudly banned from Twitter so officially more dangerous than the Taliban, eagerly awaiting the second (or possibly third) attempt to murder me.
Billionaire entrepreneur Mark Cuban applauded President Trump for making a deal with Democrats on Hurricane Harvey relief and the debt ceiling.

aItas pure classic Donald Trump. I thought it was really smart,a Cuban told the FOX Business Networkas Neil Cavuto during an exclusive interview on Cavuto: Coast to Coast on Thursday. aThe thing about being a salesperson like President Trump is, you want to keep deals alive. The biggest fear a salesperson has is that a deal would die and so working with somebody, even if itas for a short term, even if itas with the Democrats keeps the deal alive.a

Even though the Dallas Mavericks owner has been one of Trumpas biggest critics, in his opinion, this is a afirst stepa in doing something afor the people.a

aI think heas being who the people elected him to be. Heas being a non-politician, heas not a traditional Republican. He hasnat been a Republican all his life. Heas a dealmaker and thatas why he got elected. And so heas trying to get deals done without playing partisan politics,a he said.

Cuban also weighed in on President Trumpas push for a 15% corporate tax rate. While he believes the goal is right, Trumpas approach is all wrong.

aI think you have to go to corporate America and I think you have to be hands ona I think you go to corporate America, you just walk your way down the fortune 500s to start and say, aLook, corporate America CEOs, if I give you a tax cut, will you raise the wages ofa the bottom 10% of your employees?aa he said. aIf he does that, heas going to get his base and heas going to reach far beyond his base because itas an American-wide problem.a

He also tiptoed around rumors for a 2020 presidential run.

aBeing president is not my ultimate goal but look, the ultimate goal here truly is to increase wages. Thatas been the mystery across the board.a
Although millennials head fewer households than individuals belonging to other generations, a large percentage of the ones that do are living in poverty, a new study found.

According to a Pew Research Center analysis of Census Bureau data, millennials made up about 5.3 million of the nearly 17 million U.S. households considered to be living below the poverty line in 2016. Comparatively, Generation Xers were at the head of 4.2 million and Baby Boomers led 5 million poor households.

Last year, millennials were only at the head of a total of 28 million U.S. households, despite comprising the largest living population size of nearly 80 million, according to the Pew Research Center.

As previously reported by FOX Business, mortgage originations among millennials have declined a staggering 47% when compared with the habits of previous generations at the same age.

Pew also found that millennial heads of households were more likely than previous generations to be minorities and/or unmarried. Millennials were also more likely than other age groups to rent a home, rather than own it.

Millennials have also been saddled with an increasing amount of student debt. Since 2003, outstanding student loan balances have increased more than 457%, according to a FOX Business analysis of statistics from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.
There are multiple good reasons to love dividend stocks, but one of the best reasons investors should want them in their portfolio is that some of them will see their annual dividend payments grow over the years.

Credit card company Mastercard (NYSE: MA) is one company positioned to see strong dividend growth in the coming years. Indeed, based on a quick analysis of Mastercard's recent dividend hikes and its underlying financials, Mastercard's dividend could easily double in less than five years.

A look at Mastercard's dividend

Mastercard's dividend yield of just 0.7% certainly isn't meaty. But don't bail on this dividend stock yet.

A look at the credit card company's 3-year average dividend growth and its most recent dividend hike both highlight Mastercard's affinity for dividend increases. Mastercard's dividend has increased at an impressive average rate of 26% annually over the past three years. And the company's most recent dividend increase of 15.8% was strong, too. Therefore, dividend investors who buy Mastercard stock today aren't just getting a 0.7% dividend yield. They're buying into a rapidly growing dividend.

But can Mastercard continue increasing its dividend meaningfully in the years to come? Absolutely. A strong EPS growth trend -- 12% year-over-year growth in the trailing 12 months -- should help Mastercard continue increasing its dividends. Indeed, analysts expect strong EPS growth to continue for years, forecasting Mastercard's EPS to increase at a rate of 15.3% annually over the next five years.

But even if Mastercard's earnings growth failed to live up to analysts' rosy expectations, Mastercard is still in a good position to increase its dividend, as its dividend payments amount to just 21% of earnings and 22% of free cash flow.

How Mastercard's dividend could double

With both a strong trend of dividend growth and the underlying fundamentals to support sustainable dividend increases, it won't take long for Mastercard's dividend to double. Assuming Mastercard can continue increasing its dividend at a similar rate as its most recent 15.8% dividend increase, the company's dividend payments could double in under five years. After doubling, this would bring Mastercard's future dividend yield on today's cost basis to 1.4%.

While it's possible that Mastercard may not sustain dividend increases at similar rates in the coming years, it's also worth noting that the company could easily get more aggressive about increasing its dividend in the coming years, doubling its dividend even faster. For instance, if Mastercard increased its dividend at a rate on par with its 3-year average dividend growth rate of 26%, the credit card company's dividend would double in just three years. And investors shouldn't put it past Mastercard to do this. After all, Mastercard has approved some big dividend hikes in recent history, like when it was boosted by 45% in 2015.

Sure, investors who buy Mastercard won't get a nice dividend yield up front. But patient investors who buy this dividend stock today will likely be happy they did five years from now.

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A group of Republican and Democratic governors became the latest voices Thursday to endorse a bipartisan Senate drive to control health insurance costs, in defiance of President Donald Trump.

Trump has threatened to block federal subsidies to insurers for lowering deductibles and other out-of-pocket costs for millions of lower-earning customers, calling them bailouts for insurance companies. Leaders of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee are trying to quickly write legislation that would continue those payments for a year or more. Analysts and the insurance industry say halting the payments would spur new premium increases.

The support from the governors seemed to further isolate Trump on the issue. But with partisan feelings heightened by the failed Republican effort to dismantle former President Barack Obama's health law, the prospects for even a modest effort to shore up the Affordable Care Act are uncertain.

Health panel chairman Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., said in a brief interview it was "a good bet" the narrow measure would be limited to extending the payments to insurers and making it easier for states to get exemptions to some of the statute's requirements.

"The more we try to do, the less likely we are to succeed" because of opposition, Alexander said.

In testimony Thursday to the health committee, three Republican and two Democratic governors backed continuing those payments. Most said they should be extended for at least two years.

Gov. Gary Herbert, R-Utah, said abruptly ending those subsidies would "destabilize" his state's markets where individual coverage is sold. Gov. Steve Bullock, D-Mont., said extending the payments for at least two years would be "the most important step" lawmakers could take to curb premiums and keep insurers from abandoning some markets.

The governors also backed more state flexibility to decide coverage requirements and federal aid to help insurers afford high-cost customers with serious conditions.

Alexander and the committee's top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, are aiming their work at the individual insurance market, where 18 million people who don't get coverage at work or through government programs purchase policies. Those markets are expected to see premium increases averaging at least 25 percent next year.

Their work comes as Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., seek support for a long-shot GOP attempt to roll back much of Obama's law. Their proposal would turn much of the money spent under Obama's overhaul into block grants that states could use with wide latitude, cut Medicaid and end Obama's penalty on people who don't purchase coverage.

The measure has drawn support from Trump and Vice President Mike Pence, Cassidy said. But the GOP effort to repeal Obama's law loses its protection against Democratic filibusters on Oct. 1, meaning Republicans would need 60 votes to prevail  including an unattainable eight Democrats. Even with that protection, GOP leaders have fallen short of the 50 votes they've needed to win and would likely do so again.

Even Republicans expressed little optimism for the Cassidy-Graham effort.

"We'll consider it, but as we saw, this isn't easy" to get 50 votes, said No. 2 Senate GOP leader John Cornyn of Texas. "And everybody's kind of got another idea. But I'm open to it."
Home improvement retailers Home Depot and Lowe's said on Wednesday they have started shipping emergency material to Florida in anticipation of Hurricane Irma, even as they continue recovery efforts after Hurricane Harvey in Texas.

Irma, which hit the Caribbean island of St. Martin on Wednesday, is expected to make landfall in Florida during the weekend but its precise trajectory remained uncertain.

Irma could become the second powerful storm to thrash the U.S. mainland after Harvey killed more than 60 people and caused as much as $180 billion in damage after hitting Texas late last month.

"This is unusual because we are now juggling two different storms in two different phases. One is approaching while the other market is in the recovery phase," Home Depot spokesman Matthew Harrigan told Reuters.

Home Depot is following the "same script" preparing for Irma as it did for Harvey. The retailer's merchandising and supply chain teams have previously dealt with different weather-related disasters at once, Harrigan said without giving specific examples.

Before Harvey hit Texas, the world's largest hardware and home improvement chain activated its disaster-response plan, asked managers to freeze prices in stores around the region and move storm related merchandise to the front of the store. It followed a plan honed over many hurricane seasons to minimize disruptions, deliver essential material to affected areas and capitalize on a surge in demand for products once repairs begin.

Home Depot said it takes up to two months to open stores that are hit hard by a hurricane. Stores that are minimally impacted are usually opened within a few days.

Both Home Depot and Lowe's had activated a hurricane command center during Harvey that is now continuing to monitor the path of Irma and mobilizing resources such as supplies.

Home Depot said it has despatched 300 truckloads to Florida so far. Rival Lowe's said it has sent 400 truckloads of hurricane prep material including flashlights, batteries and weather radios to Florida.

Analysts have said investments in logistics and supply chain by home improvement chains during a weather-related disaster typically brings about 10 to 15 times more in sales.

(Reporting by Nandita Bose in Chicago, Additional reporting by Sruthi Ramakrishnan in Bengaluru; Editing by Bill Trott and Marguerita Choy)
Updated

Gasoline shortages are spreading in Florida, as residents continue to evacuate ahead of Hurricane Irmas arrival.

Hurricane Harvey threw a wrench into U.S. fuel supplies by forcing refineries along the Gulf Coast and the critical Colonial Pipeline to temporarily shut down. With gasoline production at a standstill, the national average has spiked more than 30 cents per gallon. Irma has further strained Floridas supply of gasoline. Miami and other areas have ordered coastal evacuations, and gas pumps are struggling to keep up with demand.

Drivers reported that 35.8% of gas stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area were out of fuel Thursday afternoon, according to GasBuddy senior petroleum analyst Patrick DeHaan. The situation at another 27% of local gas stations was unknown. In Gainesville, 41.3% of stations had no fuel. The Tampa-St. Petersburg and Fort Myers-Naples areas were dealing with outages of around 28% and 30%, respectively. Thirty-four percent of West Palm Beach and Fort Piece stations had run out of gas.

GasBuddy allows motorists to report whether stations have fuel through its app. GasBuddy also offers a fuel tracker online, showing a map with a status report for each station.

DeHaan noted that gasoline supply in Texas is improving after Harvey, while shortages in Florida are rising at a fast pace. Gas stations in Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina appeared to be well-stocked Thursday.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott said Thursday one of the states top priorities during the evacuation process is ensuring that drivers have access to fuel. Many drivers who were getting out of town faced long lines at gas stations.

The price for regular gasoline averaged $2.72 per gallon in Florida, up 1.3 cents from Wednesday and 24.6 cents compared to last week. The national average held mostly steady at $2.67.

In an interview with FOX Business Network, Florida Attorney General Pam Bondi warned business against price gouging, adding that she had called numerous gas stations overnight. Bondi also told Fox News that she received complaints of certain Chevron-branded gas stations charging high prices.
The strongest Category 5 storm ever recordedHurricane Irmais expected to make landfall in Florida by the weekend and early next week. Florida Gov. Rick Scott has already declared a state of emergency in all 57 counties in Florida, sending many families in panic mode as they gather the essentials like food and water to prepare for the worse.

But its not just extra food costs that most households have to worry about, getting prepared for a major hurricane could cost a family thousands of dollars.

This can run the average family about $5,000 or more for most evacuations. Go on Amazon and start adding the items and look at the cost of gasoline, which is rising due to Hurricane Harvey. Add on top of that additional expenses for hotel stays, portable stoves, plywood, and hardware, and you are looking at substantial losses, Daniel Odess, President of GlobalPro Recovery, a Coral Gables-based company that helps businesses and homeowners with insurance risk.

The National Hurricane Center said families in danger zones need to have a basic disaster supplies kit available in case of a disaster that should include water, food (at least a three-day supply), battery-powered or hand crank radio, a flashlight, a whistle, tools, maps, and a first aid kit.

A National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) spokesperson told FOX Business that the 2017 Atlantic hurricane season will be one of the most destructive seasons without a doubt, so families shouldnt cut any corners when preparing.

Odess adds that while safety and the basic essentials should be everyones first priorityfamilies should also start preparing for possible insurance claims down the road.

Here are five things every family needs to do before a major hurricane, according to Odess.

1) Take photos and videos of your property. Dont narrate the video, this is a documentary not a social media post.

2) Collect your policy forms. If you are running out of time, simply ask your agent or call the insurance company directly and ask for a copy of the declaration page. This contains all your coverages and limits and usually has the toll free number for the insurer on the face of it.

3) Collect emergency contact information for local authorities and reach out to your neighbors. What goes on next door can affect you and your property. You may need their help and they may need yours. Resources are limited, we all need to pitch in. You want to make sure your community can recover quickly and that takes a community effort. The only way we can work together is if we are communicating with each other. If you dont know your neighbor, now is a good time to introduce yourself.

4) Locate your local shelter and large retail hardware store, i.e.: Home Depot or Lowes. Even if you dont plan to go there, local and federal aid will collect at these locations. Also, following a storm communication is limited, i.e.: phones, TV, etc. and for the few days after the conditions can be dangerous. These shelters provide access to information. Government officials are constantly coordinated outreach and the distribution of information at these locations. As for the large retail hardware stores, Insurance companies and large CAT contractors tend to stage their efforts in these parking lots  they are big parking lots and offer immediate access to resources. With the majority of insurance claim money being spent at these retailers, its probably a good bet youll find someone there that can help.

5) Be prepared to wait. Dont rush to report a claim and dont expect immediate payment for your damages. So, have plenty of cash on hand to weather the aftermath of the storm. Your policy will require prompt notice, not immediate notice. Be prepared to take care of you family and your own personal immediate needs. Just because you report your claim immediately, doesnt mean your property will be inspected first nor paid first. With adjusters deployed to hard hit areas like Texas, its going to take even longer. Understand that most of these adjusters will not be from the area. This means, they might not be familiar with the area, construction trends and costs, or even your insurance company. These individuals represent the interest of the insurance company, not yours and in the wake of a storm, insurance companies are pooling resources, which means hiring new independent adjusters to handle your claim on their behalf.
The Nordic region's largest bank says it will move its administrative headquarters from the Swedish capital to Helsinki in Finland, which is part of the European banking union.

Nordea Bank AB Chief Executive Casper von Koskull said Thursday that being inside the banking union "is in the best interest" of customers, shareholders and employees, adding that "only a limited number" of Nordea's roughly 30,000 employees will be affected.

Von Koskull said it is "an important strategic step in positioning Nordea on a par with its European competitors."

The move should tentatively be effective as of Oct. 1, 2018, he said, adding shareholders must approve it. Nordea has about 11 million customers in Norway, Sweden, Denmark and Finland.
Mongolian lawmakers voted to dismiss the prime minister and his Cabinet for alleged incompetence and corruption related to the signing of government contracts with companies linked to three Cabinet members.

A majority of lawmakers from the ruling Mongolian People's Party joined with members of the opposition to pass the motion demanding that Prime Minister Jargaltulga Erdenebat and his 14-month-old Cabinet resign over the granting of contracts worth $328 million.

The MPP controls 65 seats in the 76 member Great Hural, with the opposition Democratic Party and independents sharing the remainder. Out of 73 lawmakers present during the voting late Thursday, 33 from the MPP and nine opposition and independent lawmakers voted for the dismissal.

Parliament is expected appoint a new Cabinet and prime minister in 45 days, and the current officials will continue serving in the interim.

Democratic Party lawmaker Batzandan Jalbasuren said the government had failed in the fight against corruption and accused Erdenebat's administration of "stealing."

Supporters of the motion cited contracts signed with the minister of justice, who owns a large construction company, a Cabinet secretary with interests in a road building company and the minister of labor and social protection, whose family owns a large mining company.

The contracts are for roads and power transmission equipment, including substations for the mining industry.

Erdenebat, in office since 2016, has also been accused of distributing millions of dollars in cash to families with children ahead of a presidential runoff election on July 7, in an apparent attempt to win votes for the ruling party's candidate, who lost.

Mongolia, a landlocked country of 3 million, boasts vast mineral wealth but has struggled to court foreign investment in the face of plunging commodity prices and high-profile disputes between the government and large investors such as mining giant Rio Tinto.

The government has also been weighed down by a national debt of about $23 billion, or twice the country's annual economic output, and recently obtained a $5.5 billion bailout led by the International Monetary Fund.

In July, populist business tycoon and ex-judo champion Khaltmaa Battulga of the Democratic Party was elected president, edging out the establishment MPP candidate in a runoff.
Dozens of people were injured in clashes between South Korean protesters and police Thursday as the U.S. military added more launchers to the high-tech missile-defense system it installed in a southern town to better cope with North Korean threats.

Seoul has hardened its stance against Pyongyang after its torrent of weapons tests, the latest a detonation Sunday of what North Korea said was a thermonuclear weapon built for missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

The clashes came as South Korean President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minster Shinzo Abe met in Russia's Far East and repeated their calls for stronger punishment of North Korea over its nuclear ambitions, including denying the country oil supplies. The demand contradicted the stance of their host, Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has dismissed sanctions as a solution.

Putin says he believes President Donald Trump's administration is willing to defuse tensions over North Korea's nuclear ambitions. Its sixth nuclear test on Sunday prompted the United States to speak about a "military response" and South Korea to conduct major military exercises.

Speaking at an economic forum in Russia's eastern port of Vladivostok, Putin said Thursday he believes the Trump administration is "willing to resolve the situation." He said there are "many reasonable people in the current administration" who are experienced and who have dealt with similar crises.

Putin called on all North Korea's neighbors to show restraint, indicating the bellicose rhetoric and the military drills are only "playing into their hands."

Moon and Abe in their meeting agreed to cooperate on seeking tougher United Nations sanctions against North Korea and pledged to strengthen efforts to persuade Beijing and Moscow into cutting off oil supplies to the North, said Yoon Young-chan, Moon's chief press secretary. Putin expressed concern that cutting off oil supplies would hurt regular North Koreans, Yoon said.

"We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner," Putin said in a news conference after meeting with Moon. The Russian leader will meet with Abe later in the day.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated Beijing's opposition to South Korea's deployment of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System, also known as THAAD. Beijing says the system's powerful radars will be able to monitor flights and missile launches deep inside northeastern China.

Geng told reporters that China had complained to the U.S. and South Korea and urged them to "take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and other regional countries." The U.S. and South Korea should "immediately stop the deployment process and withdraw relevant equipment," Geng said.

In South Korea, thousands of police officers in riot gear swarmed some 400 protesters who had been occupying a road leading to the site where THAAD is installed in the rural town of Seongju. Six police officers and 32 other people were injured, none seriously, in the clashes, said a fire department official in Seongju who spoke on condition of anonymity, citing office rules.

Several U.S. military vehicles, including trucks carrying payloads covered in black sheets that appeared to be launchers, had been seen heading toward the site.

A THAAD battery normally consists of six launchers capable of firing up to 48 interceptor missiles, but only two have been operational. South Korea's Defense Ministry couldn't immediately confirm when the four launchers added on Thursday will be operationally capable.

Washington and Seoul began deploying THAAD before a conservative South Korean government was ousted in March in a corruption scandal. The liberal Moon took office in May calling for diplomacy with Pyongyang but the escalation in weapons tests has been the North's only response.

Moon temporarily halted the THAAD installation for environmental reviews to ease residents' concerns. But after North Korea's two test-launches of intercontinental ballistic missiles, he allowed more launchers to be set up before the reviews are conducted.

South Korean officials say THAAD will strengthen the country's missile defenses, which now rely on Patriot-based systems, and will deter North Korea, which has missiles that can be fired from road-mobile launchers or submarines. They also say the health rumors that have spurred local concerns about the system's powerful radar component are groundless and no such issues have been reported at other THAAD sites.

___

Associated Press writers Nataliya Vasilyeva in Moscow and Ken Moritsugu in Tokyo contributed to this report.
Payment-processing company Square (NYSE: SQ) plans to apply to form an industrial bank that will offer services to small businesses, including lending and deposit accounts. The small-business lending market in the United States is estimated to be worth $186 billion, and if Square is able to capture a significant share, its profits could get a major boost.

Square's banking plans

Square plans to submit an application in Utah to form a banking unit, which would be called Square Financial Services, Inc. The newly formed bank would offer loans and deposit accounts to small businesses, and Square plans to capitalize the bank with $56 million in cash.

The bank would be formed as an "industrial loan company," also known as an industrial bank, as opposed to a traditional bank holding company. Square engages in several nonbanking activities, which traditional bank holding companies are not allowed to do. For example, one of Square's core business activities is selling hardware payment terminals to merchants.

The logical next step for Square Capital

To be clear, Square isn't exactly new to the arena of small-business lending. It already operates a lending division, Square Capital, which has been in operation since 2014 and has made more than $1.8 billion in loans, with an average size of just $6,000.

However, Square Capital has offered loans through a partnership with another institution, Utah-based Celtic Bank. The operation has been growing at a breathtaking rate recently. During the second quarter, Square Capital's loan volume was 68% higher than it was a year ago. If granted, the banking license will allow Square to issue loans on its own, without a partner.

According to the current leader of Square Capital, who will also chair Square Financial Services, Jacqueline Reses, "As we scale, it's becoming increasingly important that we have direct relationships with regulators." Also, with such a high level of growth, it's not surprising that Square wants to keep the entire lending operation within its own company.

The next chapter in an impressive growth story?

Square's business has grown impressively in recent years. In the past year alone, Square's gross payment volume has grown 32% and revenue is up by 26%. The company is also having success in getting businesses on the larger end of the small-business spectrum to adopt its payment solutions.

And there could be much more room to grow: Square estimates its payment-processing opportunity at $3 trillion annually, just from U.S. small to medium-sized businesses. This is roughly 50 times the company's current annualized payment volume.

Recently launched initiatives such as the Square Installments consumer financing program and the Square Cash card have also gained considerable traction. And the company's international expansion is still in the early stages.

Between its payment-processing business and the rest of its ecosystem, Square believes there's $64 billion in annual U.S. revenue potential, and six to seven times this amount when international market opportunities are included.

In a nutshell, taking its Square Capital lending platform and transitioning this area of the business into a wholly owned banking operation is a promising next step that could help Square's business-lending arm achieve its potential.

10 stocks we like better than SquareWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

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Matthew Frankel owns shares of Square. The Motley Fool owns shares of Square. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Used-car prices hit a record high in the second quarter, creating a hurdle for victims of Hurricane Harvey who need a replacement vehicle.

Early estimates indicate that Harvey flooded as many as 500,000 vehicles in driveways, garages and dealership lots. Automakers including General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Ford (NYSE:F) plan to ship used vehicles into the Houston area to help dealers replenish their inventories. Car owners in southeast Texas will be shopping for replacements at a time when used vehicles are commanding strong prices, potentially leaving storm victims and other consumers with sticker shock, according to a new analysis from Edmunds.

The average transaction price for a used vehicle hit a new second-quarter record of $19,227, a 2.1% increase compared to the same period last year.

Buyers looking to replace vehicles destroyed by Harvey are stepping into a tough used car market, said Ivan Drury, senior manager of industry insights at Edmunds. Those who cant afford to spend a lot are going to get squeezed on pricing, especially as a sudden increase in demand makes finding cheaper used cars even more challenging.

Industry watchers had anticipated a decline in used-car prices this year with a large number of leased vehicles due to re-enter the market. However, near-new vehicles coming off leases tend to carry higher price tags. Drury added that older used cars are holding their values better than in the past, thanks in part to limited supply.

Prices for older trucks and SUVs are particularly high, which also presents a challenge for Texas residents. Texas, the second-largest U.S. market for used cars, leans toward trucks and traditional SUVs, Edmunds noted. Strong values for those models will help compensate owners who lost their vehicle in the storm, but comparable replacements will be in short supply.

Particularly pinched will be storm victims whose car values wont be completely covered by insurance write-offs. It can easily take two or three years of monthly payments to break even on a new-vehicle purchase, leaving many in negative equity situations, Drury said. Owners without gap insurance to cover the difference between the current market value and what they owe on their loans and leases will end up on the hook for the difference.

Despite price gains, used-car retail sales surpassed 10 million units in the second quarter for the first time ever. Edmunds said new rides are depreciating at a faster pace due to discounts at the time of purchase, as well as the growing supply of off-lease vehicles.

Leasing, which now accounts of nearly one-third of U.S. auto sales, has increased in popularity as buyers look to lower their monthly payments.
By any measure, Canon (NYSE: CAJ) is a pretty big deal. The well-known maker of cameras, printers, and other imaging systems has a market cap of roughly $46 billion, annual sales stand at a kingly $34 billion, and the stock has rewarded investors with a market-beating 24% return, year to date.

But the company's daily trading volume works out to an anemic $7 million, only one analyst firm offers any kind of coverage of Canon's stock, and it's downright difficult to find any analysis of this powerhouse.

Why the radio silence on an important household name? Let's have a closer look.

What's wrong?

First of all, Canon is not an American company.

Headquartered in Japan, right between between Tokyo and Yokohama, Canon gets less media attention simply because it's a foreign business. The majority of Canon's sales come from markets including Japan, Asia at large, and Europe. It's not always easy to get excited about truly global consumer and business trends, so that's another strike against Canon's media exposure over here.

And of course, the Canon stock you can buy through American brokerages is actually an American depositary receipt (ADR) that corresponds to an equal number of stubs traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange. So we're dealing with cross-border financial reporting, foreign currencies, and other tedious barriers to a complete understanding Canon as a company and as an investment.

Why should I care?

The Americas are actually Canon's largest target market these days.

This geographic segment accounted for a hefty 27% of Canon's total sales over the past two quarters, ahead of Japan at 26%. In particular, America stood for 32% of Canon's office products sales and 29% of revenuesin the field of large-scale imaging systems. So we live in Canon's favorite market for several important product categories, and the brand is a household name.

As for the stock, Canon's listing on the New York Stock Exchange is an officially sponsored ADR, and the company bends over backwards to support overseas investors. Besides providing 20-F filings to stay in compliance with NYSE and SEC listing rules, management also prepares its quarterly results in both Japanese yen and American dollars. If that weren't enough, Canon even supplies a separate business report in English, specifically for the benefit of non-Japanese shareholders.

So it isn't hard at all to stay on top of Canon's business trends and results -- you just have to know where to look for this information.

And as I said earlier, Canon's stock has been crushing the market in 2017. It is trading at elevated price-to-earnings ratios right now, but Canon is also showing stronger sales and earnings momentum than chief rivals Xerox (NYSE: XRX) and HP Inc. (NYSE: HPQ).

If nothing else, this under-covered stock belongs on your watchlist in case the stock price takes a plunge for no obvious reason. Simply staying informed could turn into a serious investing advantage for lightly followed stocks like Canon.

10 stocks we like better than CanonWhen investing geniuses David and Tom Gardner have a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the newsletter they have run for over a decade, Motley Fool Stock Advisor, has tripled the market.*

David and Tom just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy right now... and Canon wasn't one of them! That's right -- they think these 10 stocks are even better buys.

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*Stock Advisor returns as of September 5, 2017

Anders Bylund has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Despite reports that President Donald Trump eliminated White House economic adviser Gary Cohn from the running for new chair of the Federal Reserve, the chief economic adviser for Allianz Se Mohamed El-Erian said that his experience with the markets and as a leader could make him a credible candidate.

aHe has once again demonstrated to the White House that he can put a good team around him,a

El-Erian told FOX Businessa Liz Claman on aCountdown to the Closing Bell.a aAnd he has a really good feel and sound judgment.a

By early October, there will be four vacancies on the Federal Reserve board after Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer announced his resignation on Wednesday. Speculation already surrounds President Trumpas impending replacement of the Fed leader, since Chairwoman Janet Yellenas position in the top job expires early February.

Though Cohn, director of the National Economic Council, has been named as a possible contender for the position, new sources have suggested that the president was unhappy with Cohnas remarks on the presidentas fiery speech about the white supremacist-led riots in Charlottesville, Virginia. El-Erian said he had no additional information on the matter.

At the time, President Trump said there were some avery fine peoplea on both sides of the protests. Cohn told the Financial Times several days later that the Trump administration acan and must do bettera to condemn hate groups.

aI also understand why the markets get nervous when they hear that his future in the White House may not be certain,a he said. aBecause heas been very involved in the design of tax reform, and has been doing so in a constructive manner with Congress. And markets really want to see tax reform.a
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin and House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan voiced confidence on Thursday that Congress will pass an overhaul of the U.S. tax code by the end of this year, a major but elusive goal for President Donald Trump and his fellow Republicans.

"We want America to wake up on New Year's Day 2018 with a new tax system," Ryan said, adding that his goal was to have a U.S. corporate tax rate at or below 22.5 percent, down from the current 35 percent.

"I think it's still very viable to get it done this year," Mnuchin said, calling the tax overhaul his and Trump's top priority. "We don't need to set a specific date. We're going to get this done as quickly as we can."

Mnuchin and Ryan made their predictions a day after Trump reached a deal with Democrats to avert an unprecedented default on U.S. government debt, keep the government funded at the outset of the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1 and provide aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Trump has said he wants to lower the U.S. corporate tax rate to 15 percent from 35 percent. Ryan, in an interview with the New York Times, indicated that a figure that low was unrealistic.

"The numbers are hard to make that work," Ryan said. "He obviously wants to push this as low as possible. I completely support doing that, but at the end of the day we've got to make these numbers work."

"Our goal is to be at or below the industrialized world average - and that's 22.5 (percent). So our goal is to get in the mid- to low 20s. And we think that's an achievable goal," he added.

The White House hopes Wednesday's deal clears the decks for Congress to tackle the tax overhaul, a top Trump campaign promise. Even though Republicans control the White House and both chambers of Congress, Trump has yet to win passage of any major legislation, with Democrats typically united against him.

His administration previously has offered rosy predictions about the timing of a tax overhaul that have not come to pass. Mnuchin in February said the administration was committed to getting the tax overhaul through Congress by August.

Mnuchin and Ryan are members of six-member Republican team that has been negotiating a tax plan behind closed doors for months, excluding Democrats and producing only a few pages of basic principles. The group was meeting on Thursday morning.

Trump on Tuesday urged congressional leaders to make a big push on taxes with cuts for individuals and companies and tax breaks for businesses to bring back profits from overseas.

Republicans are still divided on significant issues such as whether tax cuts should be offset with spending cuts to avoid increasing the federal budget deficit and how much to lower the corporate income tax rate.

In an interview with Fox Business Network, Mnuchin said he was not worried about the plan going off track because of either Democrats or conservative Republicans making their own demands.

Many Democrats have voiced opposition to a tax plan that primarily benefits the wealthiest Americans and corporations.

Asked whether he was concerned that Democrats could use the funding deal struck on Wednesday to make demands such as rejecting any tax cut for the wealthy or pushing for a cut for middle-income earners, Mnuchin said no. He also said he expected some Democrats to back the final tax plan.

On Wednesday, Trump said he would offer more details about his tax reform plan in about two weeks.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; Additional reporting by David Morgan; Writing by Will Dunham; Editing by Jonathan Oatis)
As a Category 5 hurricane, Irma, heads toward Florida  leaving destruction in its wake across the Caribbean  House Speaker Paul Ryan says technology is depleting relief funds at a faster clip than ever before.

Whats happening is, unlike [Hurricane] Katrina, where I dont think iPhones even existed then, people on their smartphones are quickly applying for their FEMA relief and those applications are being approved, he said during a press conference. That moneys going out the door at such a faster pace than weve ever experienced before, to the point where [the Office of Management and Budget] is telling us FEMA could run out of money as early as [Friday], and no later than Tuesday.

FEMA has already approved more than 197,900 individual assistance applications for Hurricane Harvey relief, according to the agencys website. It has also approved more than $192 million in individual and household program funds so far.

As Ryan pointed out, the relief fund is for all natural disasters, and on Thursday, the Senate was expected to vote on a disaster aid package. While the initial bill  approved by the House  included $7.8 billion for disaster relief to help rebuild the parts of the Texas and Louisiana gulf coast hit by Harvey, with Irma on the way, lawmakers doubled that sum to $15.2 billion to account for potential damage that could be incurred over the coming days.

Another item attached to the relief package is a three-month debt limit increase, a deal worked out between President Donald Trump and Democrats on Wednesday. Ryan mentioned the debt ceiling as one of the governments top priorities as of Thursday.

We have a Treasury secretary whos worried about the borrowing limit to cash flow these payments to FEMA, particularly now that theres a new hurricane hitting this country today, he said.

Any bill approved by the Senate on Thursday must be sent back to the House for another round of votes.
While President Donald Trump has been publicly pushing for a 15% business tax rate in the United States, House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) said Thursday that goal may not be feasible.

The numbers are hard to make that work, Ryan told The New York Times, regarding the presidents intention. He obviously wants to push this as low as possible, I completely support doing that, but at the end of the day weve got to make these numbers work.

Ryan went on to say that the GOP wants to bring the business rate down from the current 35% to the mid-to-low 20s and the overall goal is to align the U.S. corporate tax rate with the average rate of the industrialized world, which he said is 22.5%.

However, the president appears to have a different plan in mind. During a tax reform rally last week in Springfield, Missouri, President Trump said ideally he would like to slash the corporate tax rate by 20 percentage points.

Ideally  we would like to bring our business tax rate down to 15%  [that] would make us highly competitive, he said.

A 20 percentage point cut to the current 35% corporate tax rate has been the presidents preference since April, however some lawmakers have argued it is impossible to slash the business rate that significantly without adding to the deficit.

The House GOPs blueprint, approved by Speaker Ryan, proposed a 20% corporate tax rate.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) told FOX Business in June that it would be wonderful if lawmakers could get the corporate tax rate down to 15%, but added that even a reduction to the 20% to 25% range would turn the U.S. economy around overnight. During the same interview, Hatch said he thought Trump may have stepped away from the 15% proposal, however recent speeches have indicated he has not.

As the administration looks for its first major legislative victory since Trumps inauguration in January, some experts are concerned a lack of coherence on key details  such as how much to cut the corporate tax rate by  could hinder the process. The White House and GOP lawmakers have said tax reform will be done in 2017, however as Congressman Peter Roskam (R-Ill.) told FOX Business on Wednesday, lawmakers are still waiting for the Big Six to finalize parameters. In addition to specific tax rates, there is also uncertainty regarding whether the legislation should be revenue neutral.
Only a day after President Donald Trump made a deal with congressional Democrats on raising the nations debt ceiling for three months, the commander in chief came to another agreement with one of their leaders to publicly reinforce that those participating in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program will be protected for at least six more months, FOX Business has learned.

In yet another sign that the president may start turning to Democrats for help with key legislative agenda items and that their party may be gaining influence within the White House, Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) received a phone call from Trump in which she requested him to tweet out that those who are part of DACA, also known as DREAMers, would not lose their status before Trumps self-imposed six month deadline, according to a Democratic aide familiar with the matter.

Trump agreed and at approximately 9:40 am ET, the president tweeted, For all of those (DACA) that are concerned about your status during the 6 month period, you have nothing to worry about - No action!

Last Tuesday, the administration announced they were ending the Obama-era DACA program, which protected young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children and gave them eligibility for a work permit. The announcement was made by Attorney General Jeff Sessions who also noted there will be a six month safety period to give Congress a chance to formulate a law that protects those who are part of the program.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a participant in the Wednesday meeting with Pelosi and other congressional leaders, also spoke to the president on Thursday morning about the DACA participants and pressed him on protecting DREAMers, according to an aide familiar with the matter. Trump was receptive to the idea, according to that same source, but said they didnt get into details on how to move forward with protecting them.

White House Press Secretary Sarah Sanders confirmed the conversations with Pelosi and Schumer in a statement to FOX Business but did not comment on the substance of the presidents tweets.

The President spoke to Senators McConnell and Schumer as well as Speaker Ryan and Minority Leader Pelosi this morning. The President is committed to working across the aisle and doing what is needed to best serve the American people, Sanders said.

Spokespersons for Pelosi and Schumer declined to comment.

Trumps allies, and even some who havent supported him in the past, have had mixed reactions on the leader of the Republican Party making deals with the Democrats.

In an interview with Maria Bartiromo on Fox Business, Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, another participant of Wednesdays meeting, supported the presidents deal with those from across the aisle.

"We're very happy we have a deal, Mnuchin said. He added "The president's priority was to make sure we have the funding for [Hurricane] Harvey and to make sure we raise the debt limit to pay for that.

Michael Caputo, a former Trump campaign adviser, defended the presidents in making a deal deal-making with the Democrats in a text message to Fox Business.

As the leader of the GOP, the President thought he could find common ground with the GOP. President Trump now knows he underestimated how much Congressional Republicans enjoy frolicking in the swamp. Hes wise to look elsewhere to drain it, Caputo said.

In an exclusive interview with Neil Cavuto on Thursday, Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban, and a vocal critic of Trump in the past, applauded the presidents effort to work with Democrats on the debt ceiling.

Its pure, classic, Donald Trump. I think it was really smart, Cuban said. He added, I think hes being who the people elected him to be. Hes being a non-politician. Hes not a traditional Republican. He hasnt been a Republican all his life. Hes a deal-maker and thats why he was elected.

Rep. Mark Meadows (R-NC) and the House Freedom Caucus appear to not agree with Trumps deal with the Democrats, saying its not the best option on Wednesday in front of a press gaggle.
A woman escaped death in a DIY store car park when she lit a cigarette inside her car and an air freshener caused an explosion.



Sharon Victoria Druitt , 51, went into her car after shopping at B&Q in Essex, UK, where she bought the industrial air freshener.



There is no suggestion the product was faulty or leaking but gas from the air freshener canister is understood to have been ignited by the lit cigarette.

The doors, roof and windscreen were completely blown out of the Ford Focus in a "very loud bang."



Sharon managed to scramble out of the car after the windscreen hurled 30 feet into the air and all four doors blew off. She is being treated for burns to her arm in Southend Hospital.



Speaking after the explosion, Sharon said: "I put the air freshener in the backseat, lit a cigarette, turned the engine on then bang."



She added: "I was on morphine from the moment I left the car park so I had no idea of the damage.

"The officer said to me 'do you know what you got out of?' and showed me the images of the car after the explosion."



A man who saw the roof of the car blazing after the explosion said: "I have never heard anything like it. At first we thought it was a terrorist attack because of the world we live in.



"Then I just heard screams and ran to the car and all the windows were smashed and the doors were buckled. The whole car park is covered in bits of car."



He said Sharon was left if a deep state of shock as she tried to get back into the car to get her handbag out. The man added: "I said 'no, no, no the roof is on fire,' I basically had to push her to the other end of the car park."



Sharon's hair is said to have singed as she got out of the car and there was a very strong smell of burning.

Shocked witness Albert Quixall added on Twitter: "Just missed witnessing car explosion near Southend.



"Very loud bang. Ford Focus doors, windscreen, roof blown out. B&Q staff rushing to help."



Police and firefighters were seen at the B&Q car park inspecting the vehicle as the person was treated at the scene.



Justin Benson-Ryal, Divisional Officer at the fire service said: "Incidents like this are extremely rare, but it is important for everyone to be aware how flammable aerosol cans, such as air fresheners and deodorants, can be.



"We strongly advise that you not to use an aerosol in a confined space and also you should not smoking during or shortly after use."

He said "quantities of aerosols" should not be stored in confined spaces nor exposed to sunlight and high temperatures.

Essex County Fire and Rescue Service later confirmed their investigation found no evidence of a leakage.

East of England Ambulance said: "An ambulance and ambulance officer were sent.



"They treated one patient of unknown age and gender for minor injuries.



"The patient was taken to Southend University Hospital."

A B&Q spokesperson said: We were sorry to hear of this incident and wish the customer a quick recovery.

"We understand the product was purchased at the B&Q Southend store."
Al Roker isnt playing any word games when it comes to ensuring people take hurricane Irma seriously. The weatherman called out Rush Limbaugh on Twitter after the conservative radio host suggested that the hurricane was being over-hyped.

During his show on Tuesday, Limbaugh suggested that Irma was being politicized by the left, fueled by the effects of hurricane Harvey in Texas, in an effort to push an agenda of climate change. Although he opened the segment by admitting hes not a meteorologist or anything of the sort, he explained to his listeners that he believes the constant media attention that Irma is getting is merely an effort to spread fear and panic that climate change is causing worse hurricanes.

Roker, who has worked as the resident weatherman for the Today Show since 1996, took issue with Limbaughs characterization of the Irma coverage and went as far as to call the hosts words criminal for putting lives at risk on Twitter.

Now, in the official meteorological circles, you have an abundance of people who believe that man-made climate change is real. And they believe that Al Gore is correct when he has written  and he couldnt be more wrong  that climate change is creating more hurricanes and stronger hurricanes. And, of course, when Harvey hit, it was the first hurricane that had hit in 12 years. There havent been more hurricanes and no more dangerous than any others in previous years, Limbaugh told listeners. But it doesnt matter because the bias is built in. So there is a desire to advance this climate change agenda, and hurricanes are one of the fastest and best ways to do it. You can accomplish a lot just by creating fear and panic.

As of this writing, Irma is expected to hit Florida on Sunday. Florida governeor Rick Scott declared a state of emergency across the state.
Chelsea Handler closed out the latest episode of her Netflix talk show with some unabashed thoughts about president Donald Trumps recent decision to end the DACA program.

The 42-year-old comedian posted the clip to her YouTube page in which she issued a public apology to the 800,000 Dreamers at risk of being deported.

Were sorry for making it clear that white supremacists and Nazis are welcome in this country while young, hardworking immigrants brought here as children are not, she said. The average dreamer got here at the age of 6, was raised in the US and knows no other country than this one. Dreamers are our coworkers, our neighbors and our friends.

Handler went on to personally attack the president over his decision pointing out that 99 percent of the people affected by his decision have no criminal record.

That means theyve never obstructed justice, colluded with Russia, defrauded people through a fake university, funnelled millions of taxpayer dollars into their businesses, falsely accused people of wiretapping them, carelessly talked to a Korean dictator with nuclear weapons, bragged about sexual assault or pardoned a racist maniac.

She closes the clip by saying, It doesnt matter what a president who has had everything handed to him on a piss-gold platter thinks about them because were going to stand up and defend their right to be here.

As The Daily Beast notes, Handlers show and social media presence has become increasingly political. Last month, many thought she went too far by basically inciting a military coup by suggesting that the generals of the U.S. military should remove Trump from office so as not to be associated with him in history.

The latest episode of her Netflix show is slated to premiere Friday.
ABC's new series "Inhumans" has been plagued by less-than stellar reviews ever since it debuted its trailer at Comic-Con in July.

The reviews for the ABC and Marvel Television series have not improved after the first two episodes of the ABC and Marvel Television series premiered to nearly 700 IMAX theaters around the globe.

The eight-episode comic book-turned series, which is slated to premiere on Sept. 29 on ABC, was given an exclusive launch during the Labor Day weekend, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

BILL MAHER GETS HBO CONTRACT EXTENSION DESPITE YEAR OF CONTROVERSY

The show, which stars Anson Mount, Serinda Swan and Iwan Rheon, received bad reviews from a number of publications.

IndieWire called the show the worst thing Marvel has done in decades. The critic, Liz Shannon Miller, reported that only four people were in attendance during the screening she went to. The show has a 0 percent rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

CHRISTIAN BALES INTENSE WEIGHT CHANGE FOR DICK CHENEY ROLE

Variety reported that the show garnered an underwhelming $2.6 million from the IMAX release. The publication also said ABC was reportedly concerned over the quality of Inhumans episodes.

The fact that they really didnt do that well for IMAX doesnt bode well for other networks copying this strategy and also whether the show will be successful, Brad Adgate, a media analyst, told Variety.

Marvel Television is not associated with Marvel Studios, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
After 25 years as the editor of Vanity Fair, Graydon Carter is readying to jump ship in December.

In press release from Vanity Fair they confirmed reports that the 68-year-old is finishing out his tenure at the magazine.

"Ive loved every moment of my time here and Ive pretty much accomplished everything Ive ever wanted to do. Im now eager to try out this third act thing that my contemporaries have been telling me about, and I figure Id better get a jump on it," shared Carter.

Carter will say farewell after the 2018 edition of the Hollywood Issue, which is planned according to the release.

In a Vanity Fair interview, Carter revealed he plans to spend six months in France with his children.

While editor at VF, Carter dabbled in film production and owns two restaurants in New York City.
Hillary Clinton is reportedly blaming NBCs Today Show host Matt Lauer for focusing on her highly publicized email scandal at the presidential forum held in New York Citys U.S.S. Intrepid last September.

The 69-year-old Democrat is releasing a new memoir on September 12 titled What Happened, focusing on what caused her loss in the 2016 presidential bid against Donald Trump.

The Daily Mail reported Thursday Clinton wrote she was ticked off and almost physically sick by the morning show gabber's persistent focus on her emails.

Lauer had turned what should have been a serious discussion into a pointless ambush, she reportedly wrote.

At the time, the anchor pressed Clinton about her email negligence, saying: Youre communicating on highly sensitive topics. Why wasnt it more than a mistake? Why wasnt it disqualifying?

He also asked about her 20002 Senate vote: How do you think these people feel when the person running to be their commander in chief says her vote to go to war in Iraq was a mistake?

However, when Trump repeated his claim to have opposed the Iraq war before it started, the newsman failed to follow up on that point, resulting in criticism. The Washington Posts Chris Cillizza tweeted that Lauer was tougher on fallen Olympian Ryan Lochte.

A rep for Lauer and NBC did not immediately return Fox News request for comment.

Clinton also explained how she felt numb after losing the election. On Election Day, she decided to take a nap while her husband Bill was chomping on an unlit cigar as results came in. Bill reportedly said You might lose.

The UK-based news site added Clinton claimed making the concession call to Trump was without a doubt one of the strangest moments of my life.

I congratulated Trump and offered to do anything I could to make sure the transition was smooth, she said. It was all perfectly nice and weirdly ordinary, like calling a neighbor to say you cant make it to his barbecue. It was mercifully brief.

Clinton admitted to indulging as a means to cope.

I drank my share of chardonnay, said Clinton, adding she was splurging on burgers and fries and enjoying every bite.
The star-studded September 12 telethon scheduled to help victims of Hurricane Harvey is expanding its reach to include those affected by Hurricane Irma as well.

Event organizers, Scooter Braun and Bun B say that they are prepared to help in any way they can. As a result, theyre opening up the benefit to potential victims of Hurricane Irma.

Due to the impending possibility of Hurricane Irma, the Hand in Hand Hurricane benefit has now made arrangements and is prepared to expand its beneficiaries of the September 12th telethon to also include those who may be affected by Hurricane Irma in addition to those affected by Hurricane Harvey. We are prepared to help in any way we can, organizers said in a statement, per Variety.

Beyonce, Blake Shelton, Barbra Streisand and Oprah Winfrey will headline the one-hour telethon that will be simulcast next week on ABC, CBS, NBC, Fox and CMT.

The event will be telecast live at 8 p.m. EST on September 12, and on tape delay at 8 p.m. on the West Coast, and streamed live on Facebook, YouTube and Twitter.

The proceeds will go to a range of charities that are currently helping with relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey including United Way of Greater Houston, Habitat for Humanity, Save the Children, Feeding Texas and the Mayors Fund for Hurricane Harvey Relief.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Many fans still recognize Pierce Brosnan as 007 and hes proud of the title. However, dont expect him to order a martini shaken not stirred anytime soon.

The 64-year-old Irish actor starred as British secret agent James Bond in four films from 1995 until 2002. British actor Daniel Craig took over the iconic role in 2006.

The sheer brilliance of going to work each day and being a part of that movie magic, [which has] such a strong legacy was a huge responsibility, Brosnan told Closer Weekly.

Still, Brosnan insisted he has no desire to suit up for the beloved character again.

Thats another mans job, he explained. Daniel Craig is a magnificent James Bond."

Craig has starred in four Bond films so far and is gearing up for his fifth, which is set to premiere in 2019. He told Late Show host Stephen Colbert earlier this year that movie would be his last.

I just want to go out on a high note, and I cant wait, he confirmed.

These days, Brosnan is keeping busy working on a sequel to Mamma Mia! opposite Meryl Streep. Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again is due in 2018.
Shailene Woodley has no regrets about getting arrested despite her horrific experience nearly a year ago.

Woodley, 25, detailed her arrest to Marie Claire U.K., saying she was strip-searched in jail on Oct. 10 while protesting the Dakota Access pipeline in North Dakota. Woodley was arrested for criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot at Standing Rock reservation.

I was strip-searched. Like get naked, turn over, spread your butt cheeks, bend over. They were looking for drugs in my ass, she said, adding that her hand was zip-tied behind her back.

"When you're in a jail cell and they shut that door, you realize no one can save you. If there's a fire and they decide not to open the door, you'll die," Woodley added. "You're a caged animal."

The actress and activist said despite her harrowing experience, she has no regrets about that day. She vowed to continue fighting for environmental rights.

"This world isn't something to take for granted," she told the magazine. "The only way to address climate change and these radical, detrimental policies is for us, as citizens, to shift our lifestyles. People are too comfortable. We're complacent in many ways. We need to be willing to get uncomfortable."

Woodley admitted there was so much trauma from the day that led to her post-traumatic stress disorder.

"Kind of like a little bit of depression, Woodley said.

Woodley pleaded guilty to the charges in March 2017 and avoided jail time. She was placed on probation for a year.
After a clerk declined to sell him beer in the middle of the night, an enraged customer trashed the front counter and smashed the windows of a 7-Eleven in California, authorities said.

Santa Ana police released surveillance video of the incident in the hopes of tracking down, according to Fox 11 Los Angeles.

The vandalism was estimated to be about $2,000, police said.

Santa Ana Police Corporal Anthony Bertagna told Fox 11 that the suspect tried to open the door of a refrigerator with beer inside at 2:30 a.m. on August 25.

Stores are not allowed to sell liquor after 2 a.m.

So he goes to the front of the store and demands they sell him beer, and hes got money, Bertagna said. The video shows the man flashing cash in front of the clerks.

They say, `No beer for you, its against the law, Bertagna said.

The vandal then knocked over a display of bananas on the front counter and then, after a stick-wielding clerk chased him out the door, he smashed the stores front windows, Bertagna said.

Anyone with information on the suspects identity is asked to contact police.
The worlds largest candy maker is going all in to fight climate change.

Mars, Inc. announced on August 5 that they will be spending a billion dollars through the next few years to reduce their carbon footprint.

HALLOWEEN CANDY HITTING SHELVES IN AUGUST, AND SHOPPERS ARENT HAPPY

We've been increasingly worried about overall progress on the big issues, whether that's climate change or solving poverty, Barry Parkin, the company's chief sustainability officer, told Business Insider. There are obviously commitments the world is leaning into but, frankly, we don't think we're getting there fast enough collectively.

By 2050, the manufacturer of M&M's, Snickers, Skittles and Twix is aiming to reduce the environmental impact of the business and supply chain by more than 67 percent.

The candy titans Sustainable in a Generation plan is their boldest environmental move yet. Long a vocal advocate for climate change, Mars was among the major corporations to signed a petition in May against President Donald Trumps withdraw from the Paris climate accord.

Nevertheless, Mars chief sustainability officer said the company was not motivated to take action because of the current presidential administration.

"We're not interested in the politics here  this is about policy," he said.

The announcement comes just days ahead of the U.N. General Assembly and Climate Week, which begins September 18 in New York City.

WHITE CHOCOLATE M&MS TO BECOME PERMANENT CANDY-AISLE STAPLES

In addition, Mars' plan will further expand wind-powered operations, increase sustainable food sourcing, initiate cross-industry action groups, and find ways to increase income for farmers, Parkin said.

"Mars has been in business for four generations and intends to be for the next four generations," Mars CEO Grant F. Reid stated in a press release. "We're doing this because it's the right thing to do but also because it's good business.

Thinking ahead through the next century, Parkin said the company must completely change the way they operate their business and source products, in order to become truly sustainable." To date, Mars employees over 80,000 people in 78 countries, according to their website.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

The family-owned firm, which earned $35 billion in global sales last year, is making sure the campaign gains traction via its advertizing, too: The company will incorporate wind turbines into its M&Ms ads to champion renewable energy.
A study found that much of the earths tap water is contaminated with plastic fibers  and the United States has the highest level of the countries observed.

The study, which was directed by Orb Media with the help of researchers from the University of Minnesota and the State University of New York, found that billions of people on the planet were potentially drinking hazardous microscopic plastic fibers, The Sacramento Bee reported.

DRUNK MAN SELLS CAR FOR BEER MONEY, FORGETS BY MORNING

The researchers tested 159 tap water specimens from five continents and found that 83 percent of it contained plastic fibers, The Guardian reported. The U.S. had a 94.4 percent rate of contamination.

The plastic fibers were found in water taken from Congressional buildings, the Environmental Protection Agencys headquarters, and even President Donald Trumps tower in New York City.

Along with the United States, Lebanon and India also had high levels of contamination, at 93.8 percent and 82.4 percent, respectively. France, United Kingdom and Germany, on the other hand, had the lowest levels, The International Business Times reported.

MCDONALDS INTRODUCES LINE OF BOTTLED COFFEE BEVERAGES

Sherri Mason, a microplastic expert who works for the State University of New York and contributed to the study, said the research was concerning.

We have enough data from looking at wildlife, and the impacts that its having on wildlife, to be concerned, Mason told The Sacramento Bee. If its impacting [wildlife], then how do we think that its not going to somehow impact us?

Anne Marie Mahon, who works with the Galway-Mayo Institute of Technology, told The Guardian that the plastic fibers could cause damage to a persons internal organs.

If the fibers are there, it is possible that the nanoparticles are there too that we cant measure, Mahon said. Once they are in the nanometer range they can really penetrate a cell and that means they can penetrate organs, and that would be worrying.

It was not immediately clear where the plastic fibers have derived from, but some researchers believe that they came from carpets and t-shirt fibers.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Mary Kosuth, who worked on the study, said the compiled research shows how serious this issue is.

Since this is the first global tap water survey of plastic pollution to have been completed, the results of this study serve as an initial glimpse at the consequences of human plastic use [and] disposal rather than a comprehensive assessment of global plastic contamination, she wrote. These results call for further testing within and between regions."
On September 6, the borough council of Belmar,N.J., voted to outlaw an increasingly common practice known as beach spreading," with the new ban set to take effect at the start of the summer 2018 season.

According to the ruling, large tents and canopies will be banned from Memorial Day until Labor Day to curtail crowding at the popular Monmouth County stretch of shoreline, reports the Asbury Park Press.

CHRISTIE'S PRESS SECRETARY DEFENDS GOVERNOR'S BEACH OUTING

As large tents took over the beach more and more in recent summers, Mayor Matt Doherty said complaints began pouring in from everyone from the Department of Public Works and law enforcement officials to beach staff and patrons alike.

Im not in favor of more government regulation but it got to the point where people werent using common sense and decency, he said.

Doherty added that the trend of bringing large tents on the beach became noticeable in summer 2015, and complaints starting multiplying in summer 2016. The scene became more and more like tailgating at MetLife Stadium, Doherty told NJ.com.

7 VACATION DESTINATIONS YOU PROBABLY WANT TO AVOID

While its no surprise that beaches at one of the most densely populated states are getting packed during summertime months, the growing numbers of tents became an issue, as they obstructed ocean views, enabled illegal alcohol consumption, and increased litter, Doherty said.

While the ordinance includes strict limitations, beach umbrellas and tents for small children will still be allowed.

The beach spreading phenomenon was dubbed as so by the Philadelphia Inquirer to describe the practice of hauling massive tents, furniture and gear onto public beaches as to claim space for large groups. Akin to glamping," beach spreaders bring all the comforts of home into the great outdoors, from coolers and wading pools to portable fans and music speakers.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

Belmars ban follows the actions of neighboring shore towns including Seaside Heights and Long Beach Island, which have adopted similar ordinances, said the Asbury Park Press.
An Ohio woman was sentenced to 15 years in prison on Tuesday for her role in the 2016 death of an 8-month-old child that she was watching. Authorities charged that Lori Conley, 45, gave the child, identified as Haddix Mulkey, an adult dose of Benadryl to get him to sleep.

Conley, who pleaded guilty in July to involuntary manslaughter, child endangering and tampering with evidence, said she didnt intend to harm the boy, and that it was the only time in her 17-year home childcare career that she had used Benadryl to calm an infant. Conley placed the 911 call after finding the boy unresponsive.

WOMAN IN A COMA WITH BRAIN CANCER GIVES BIRTH TO 24-WEEK-OLD BABY

What happened that day was out of character for me, Conley told the court, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

Franklin County Judge Julie Lynch said she didnt believe it was the first time Conley had used the over-the-counter allergy medication on an infant. At the time, Conley had told police she didnt know what caused the childs death, and had allegedly told a friend she gave the child two or three Benadryl tablets before asking what medications show up in a toxicology report. She later threw the bottle out.

The boys mother, who has two other children, including one who was in Conleys care at the time of Haddixs death, said she believes the babysitter used the tactic on others before.

I know this cant be proven because the children in her care were all too young to tell you what was really going on, and Benadryl stays in the system for only a short period of time, Katie Mulkey told the court, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
When Andrea Syron began noticing a buzzing in her earthat later grew to a strange whooshingshe knew something was wrong. But for months, doctors told her it was just allergies, a bad cold, or fluid trapped in her ear.

It wasnt until the 36-year-old actress and model saw an ear-nose-and-throat doctor, and underwent imaging scans, that she got a correct diagnosis: an irregularity in the arteries lining her brain, called an ateriovenous malformation (AVM), that was causing the blood vessels above her ear to pulsate.

I went for a CT scan and when it came back they saw a shadow behind my right ear, Syron, who lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan, told the Daily Mail. I had an MRA scan and then they discovered I had an AVM.

WIDOWER SHARES PHOTO OF LATE WIFE IN WEDDING DRESS SHE NEVER WORE

Syron was relieved to know that she wasnt crazy, but was faced with a new worry: AVMs can be extremely dangerous. People who have these irregular blood-vessel connections are at increased risk of a fatal brain bleed, blood clot, or strokeoften with little or no warning beforehand.

Luckily, AVMs are treatable if doctors can identify them before one of those complications occurs. Syron had surgery two months ago to repair about half of the irregularities in or around her brain, and she may need another operation in the future. Now, the Daily Mail reports, Syron is raising awareness about the condition that turned her into a self-described ticking time-bomb, and the symptoms that were missed and misdiagnosed by her doctors.

To be clear, AVMs arent common; its estimated they affect about one in every 2,000 to 5,000 people. Even so, they can happen to anyoneand getting a diagnosis, as Syron was finally able to do, can be life-saving. Here are a few things to know.

They dont usually cause symptoms

In many ways, Syron is lucky that one of her AVMs was located just above her ear, said Dr. Do.

She was probably able to notice that fast-flowing stream of blood because it was right next to her hearing apparatus, he said. A lot of people dont have symptoms at all until these things cause problemsand the number one problem they cause is bleeding.

That doesnt mean that everyone else with an AVM is doomed, though. Headaches, vision or nerve problems, and seizures can also be signs of an otherwise hidden AVM, and should always be taken seriously by physicians, said Do. And even if a brain bleed does occur, most are not fatalalthough seeking treatment right away is very important, and some do cause permanent neurological damage.

Surgery can be very effective

If doctors can identify and diagnose an AVM before its too late, they can also treat it with surgery or embolizationa process in which parts of blood vessels are blocked offor a combination of both. In Syrons case, surgeons inserted a catheter into a large artery in the actresss groin, and threaded it through her body, around her heart, and into the lining of her brain, the Daily Mail reported.

5 NURSES SUSPENDED AFTER OPENING BODY BAG TO VIEW DECEASED PATIENT'S GENITALS

They then injected onyx, an embolization material, to close off the abnormal connections in her veins and arteries. Doctors only intended to close off three of Syrons ten fistulas, or abnormal openings, but the surgery was going so well my doctor, Dr. Boyd Richards, decided he was able to close off three more, she said.

Do said its important for people with AVMs to know that a diagnosis is not a death sentence.

We have very good techniques and surgical procedures to treat and cure these problems and prevent life-ending or life-altering strokes, he said.

Theyre often congenital, but not usually hereditary

Scientists dont know why AVMs affect some people and not others. They are usually congenital, which means they form even before a person is born. And according to the American Stroke Association, theyre not usually inherited from parents or passed onto children.

Still, cases of AVMs in families have been reported. If you have a family history of hemorrhagic stroke (stroke due to bleeding), Do said its not a bad idea to mention this to your doctor and ask if you should be monitored with specific screenings.

Your primary care doctor might not know much about this topic, he added, so you may have to be referred to a neurosurgeon or an interventional neuroradiologist who deals with and treats these problems.

A healthy lifestyle is a good defense

Eating well, exercising, not smoking, and otherwise taking care of yourself wont prevent AVMs from forming or make existing ones go awaybut it can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range, which may reduce the risk of an AVM rupturing, says Dr. Do.

High blood pressure is a common risk factor for a lot of vascular diseases, he explained. I dont think its been proven that high blood pressure could increase the chances of an AVM rupturing, but it makes sense that the vessels could weaken under higher pressure.

Plus, he adds, staying fit and healthyand getting regular physicalscan help you and your doctor stay in tune with your body and recognize anything out of the ordinary. A good lesson here is to listen to your body, alert your doctor to any new symptoms, and get a second opinion if you still arent satisfied, he said.

This article first appeared on Health.com.
She saw the window of opportunity and took it!

A British man launched a GoFundMe campaign Tuesday asking viewers to help buy him a new window after his Tinder date got stuck in his old window while trying to retrieve her feces she discarded and had to be rescued by emergency officials.

Liam Smyth, a student at the University of Bristol, wrote on the page that he had recently went on a first date with a fellow college student. He and his date had a lovely evening and went back to his residence for a bottle of wine and a Scientology documentary.

Smyth said his date went to the bathroom at one point but came out with a panicked look in her eye.

I went for a poo in your toilet, Smyths date told him. And it would not flush. I dont know why I did this, but I panicked. I reached into the toilet bowl,wrapped it in tissue paper, and threw it out of the window.

COUPLE MARRIES AT PLANET FITNESS, TAKES WEDDING PHOTOS ON EXERCISE EQUIPMENT

Smyth said the two of them went outside to find the tossed waste until the student realized that the poop had not actually gone out the window but had become lodged between the two windows.

Smyth went to get a hammer to break open the window but his date decided to take it into her owns and try to smuggle into the window to pull the feces out. Unfortunately for her, she became stuck, like the poop.

Smyth tried to pull her out but was not successful. The student called the fire department for help.

Bristol's finest were on scene sirens blaring in a matter of minutes. Once they had composed themselves after surveying the scene in front of them, they set to work removing my date from the window using all of their special firemen hammers and tools, Smyth wrote.

The window was broken but Smyths date was rescued unharmed. To replace the window, Smyth was told it would be $357, but he did not have the funds for it at the moment.

So I'm turning to the internet for help. If people could donate just a couple of pounds/dollars/yen/rupee/North Korea Won to help me repair my (now broken) window I would be eternally grateful. If the window is not replaced my landlord may well kill me, so you would be literally helping to save a life, Smyth wrote.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

So far, the campaign has raised over $2,900 and Smyth said he has seen his date since the murky incident.

"We had a lovely night on the second date but it's too early to say if she's the one. But we got on very very well and she's a lovely girl," Smyth told the BBC.

Smyth said his date was aware of the GoFundMe campaign and has asked to remain anonymous.
Vanity Fair just released its annual International Best Dressed List, but theres one name in particular thats missing and people have taken notice.

First Lady Melania Trump didnt make the cut, although her predecessor, Michelle Obama, did (not for the first time). But while no Trump family members are on the list, the Washington Post points out that Melanias go-to stylist, Herve Pierre  who dressed the First Lady for her husbands inaugural ball, along with several other high-profile events  was named.

In addition to Obama, who appears in the couples section of the list alongside former president Barack Obama, a small group of other politicians made the cut, including Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and French President Emmanuel Macron (along with his wife, Brigitte).

MELANIA TRUMP WEARS ITALIAN-MADE DRESS IN TWEET PROMOTING 'AMERICAN LABOR'

Trumps wardrobe has been discussed by Vanity Fair in the past  recent topics include her penchant for pink, and her decision to board a flight to flood-ravaged Houston in stiletto heels  but the site has also reported on her more innocuous fashion choices, too. In late August, the site ran an article titled, Melania Trump Takes a Fashion Cue from Michelle Obama, which likened Trumps more affordable ensemble to the J.Crew outfits Obama was fond of wearing.

In response, fans of the First Lady are fuming over the Trump familys exclusion from the Vanity Fair list, with some accusing the publication of ignoring her purely out of spite.

While many are claiming Vanity Fair seemingly left Trump off the list due to the magazines political position, The Cut notes that both Obama and Macron made the list as a best dressed couple, so perhaps Trump would be included if her husband dressed differently.

FOLLOW US ON FACEBOOK FOR MORE FOX LIFESTYLE NEWS

However, not everyone agrees that Trump shouldve made the list, sparking a heated debate on Facebook.

Just because Melania is 'First Lady' -- she had to wear a tacky hat in Texas to remind us -- doesn't give her an automatic entree to the Best Dressed List; especially since every time I see her she's dressed like a high-end hooker, one person commented.

Another wrote: Vanity Fair and Vogue have much different criteria than our personal taste.

It's not ONLY about clothes, but rather someone's entire persona. Melania has been on the job almost a year and has done NOTHING but wear clothes, she's the least interesting First Lady in history. Sorry, she's not good enough," another person wrote.
Senate Democrats came dangerously close to crossing a constitutional line regarding religious faith during an inquisition of one of President Trump's nominees for the federal court.

Senators grilled federal judicial nominee Amy Barrett -- demanding to know how her faith would influence her decisions from the bench. Barrett is a professor at Notre Dame Law School and a devout Catholic.

Click here for a free subscription to Todd's newsletter: a must-read for Conservatives!

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., expressed grave concerns that Barrett is a Catholic in good standing.

"When you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and that's of concern when you come to big issues that large numbers of people have fought for, for years in this country," Feinstein said.

It was an "Are you now or have you ever been a Catholic" moment - and it was completely disgraceful. I warned you about this kind of religious waterboarding in my book, "The Deplorables' Guide to Making America Great Again."

Sen. Dick Durbin, D-Ill., interrogated Barrett over her use of the term "orthodox Catholics" - in reference to an article she wrote on capital punishment.

Do you consider yourself an orthodox Catholic? Durbin asked.

Continue reading at ToddStarnes.com
Congress has returned to Washington after another unearned vacation and faces at least two immediate challenges, in addition to the familiar ritual of raising the debt ceiling.

President Trump has called the indecipherable U.S. tax code self-destructive. He has also decided to end the Obama-era program that allows undocumented immigrants who came to America as children to gain work permits. Congress would be given six months to replace it.

For advice on taxes and immigration, the president and Congress might learn something from Hungary.

On Jan. 1, 2017, the government of Prime Minister Viktor Orban lowered the corporate tax rate from 19 percent to 9 percent, the lowest rate among the 28 member states of the European Union. By comparison, the United States top marginal tax rate is 38.92 percent, just behind Puerto Rico and the United Arab Emirates.

In an interview, Zoltan Kovacs, secretary of state for Public Diplomacy and Relations in Orbans Second Cabinet, tells me the countrys 15 percent flat tax and lower corporate taxes have  surprise  increased government receipts because more people are being hired and they generate additional tax revenue.

In the last seven years, Kovacs says, 700,000 new jobs have been created in Hungary, only 150,000 of which are government jobs. The government jobs are mostly for people who had relied in the past on social welfare programs. Even here, he says, they know the meaning of the word workfare. The unemployment rate in Hungary is 4.5 percent, according to Kovacs, down from 11.4 percent in 2010 when the current government took power. Economic growth ranges between 3.5 percent and 4 percent, he says.

While American debt keeps rising, Hungarys debt is falling. In 2010 it was 85 percent of GDP. Today it is 74 percent. True, Hungary has a high value added tax of 27 percent, but Kovacs says that is temporary (is there any such thing as a temporary tax?) and the governments goal is to reduce it as revenue continues to increase.

Hungary has some of the toughest immigration policies in the European Union. Since 2015, says Kovacs, 400,000 immigrants have passed through the country. Asked how many stayed, he replies none, adding, They (immigrants) all wanted to go to Western Europe, Germany, Scandinavian countries. Why? Because, he says, they have welfare programs in those countries and Hungary deliberately does not.

The charges for this policy are familiar to Americans: We are racists, we hate those people who come in, when in fact, Kovacs says, it is about maintaining Hungarys culture and way of life.

What about the religious component when it comes to migrants from Muslim countries?

We do not underestimate that element, he responds. Islam is mostly fundamentalist. Europe is mostly secular, but even for those who dont believe in God, or go to church. The very culture of Europe is Christianity.

Kovacs suggests the massive flow of mostly Muslim immigrants is undermining the very foundations of the European countries. He says even secularism is a threat to those foundations, but when you bring in a completely different culture  and its not superiority vs. inferiority  its simply about the difference. If you see the experience in other societies, Islam is not integrating. They exist in parallel societies and live by their own rules. We dont like what we see in France, The Netherlands and Germany.

He might have added that if a nation loses its culture, it loses the nation. The failure of especially Muslim immigrants to assimilate in ways that will preserve their hosts culture is critical. Otherwise, it is not immigration, but invasion, which appears to be happening in Europe, a continent that has a lot of experience over many centuries when it comes to that practice.

Hungary has provided a good example when it comes to tax reform and immigration policy. The U.S. could learn from it.
Editor's note: The following article originally appeared on the Media Research Center's NewsBusters blog.

Liberal journalists were out in force on Tuesday in the wake of President Trumps decision to rescind Obama-era executive action on immigration known as the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA).

In fact, after decrying Trumps decision to put Congress in charge of codifying Obamas order during their morning broadcasts, the Big Three Networks (ABC, CBS, and NBC) spent 99 percent of their evening broadcasts railing against it with scant coverage of those who supported the move.

In all, the networks spent 17 minutes and 44 seconds of airtime lambasting Trump and his decision while only giving 11 seconds to those who supported him or thought he didnt go far enough. The time totals dont include commercials or network teasers for the stories.

"CBS Evening News" spent the most airtime reporting on DACAs rescindment with nine minutes and nine seconds dedicated to the pro-DACA side. That time was spread over four stories and none of their coverage shared the opinion of Trumps supporters or any other opponents to DACA. They led the evening off with it and pushed back their coverage of Hurricane Irma, which was approaching Florida.

When teasing the story, CBS anchor Anthony Mason described the situation as shattered dreams, playing off the term Dreamers the phrase used to describe those who receive DACA protections. A promise kept by President Trump is a dream lost for thousands of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children, he bemoaned.

CBS reporter John Blackstone touted the nationwide protests by citing those which occurred in large cities. He also hyped an interview with a rather defiant Dreamer who told him that I know I'm vulnerable. That's valid. I know I can be deported tomorrow. But I'm not going to go down and give Trump, or Sessions, the luxury of seeing me defeated.

ABCs "World News Tonight" came in second with four minutes and 48 seconds of pro-DACA bias and only two seconds for those who opposed it. In leading off the bias, White House Correspondent Cecilia Vega seemed to relish the intense backlash against the President. Tonight protests from the White House to Trump Tower to Denver, Colorado. Students marching out of class, she began her report.

As with all the networks, Vega and Anchor David Muir championed the condemnation of Trump from former President Barack Obama. David, he said he would only weigh in on this administration when he felt like our core values are as a country are at stake, she praised. Well today, he said the move to rescind DACA is cruel, wrong, and self-defeating. David. He said ultimately this is about basic decency.

ABCs Mary Bruce was the only one reporter for the network to find any time to mention those who opposed DACA. But all she could muster was a literal two-seconds-long blurb, nothing that but many conservatives disagree.

"NBC Nightly News" dedicated three minutes and 47 seconds to pro-DACA coverage while giving the DACA opposition a staggering nine seconds. Tonight the President is taking heat from the left and right. Immigration advocates say his move to end DACA is cold hearted but his base is accusing Mr. Trump of punting on a core campaign promise, reported Kristen Welker.

The President's own party is deeply divided. Members of his base say DACA should end now but more moderate Republicans believe Dreamers should be protected, she added.

Its only natural that the liberal networks would defend DACA, especially considering they pushed for it to begin with.
President Trump has reportedly cut a deal with Congressional Democrats to kick the can down the road on the national debt. The deal  which has infuriated Congressional Republicans  will extend the debt limit for three months (which will become six months after Treasury raids other government funds to allow even more debt). In doing so, they have rubber-stamped budget deficits that are surging back towards $1 trillion, and a national debt that is on a calamitous path to leap from $20 trillion to $92 trillion over the next 30 years.

This deal surrenders what Washington truly needs: a debt limit showdown. Not one that ends in default  but rather combines significant spending reforms with a modest debt limit increase.

Not surprisingly, in Washington, the very idea of placing a statutory limit on the national debt is attracting increased bipartisan criticism as archaic and unnecessary. Critics assert that Congress essentially approves the red ink when it passes the original budget and spending legislation, and that requiring a later vote on whether or not to pay the tab for that legislation is a recipe for chaos and possibly default.

Raising the debt limit without addressing runaway spending is like offering morphine to a cancer patient: it may provide temporary relief but does nothing to cure the underlying disease.

These critics are absolutely correct that  all else equal  requiring regular votes on whether to pay the bills Congress has already incurred is difficult to justify. But all else is not equal, because the budget process also contains extraordinary biases in favor of spending and debt. There are no government-wide spending caps or balanced budget requirements. More than half of all federal spending grows steeply on autopilot every year without any Congressional votes. Existing budget limits can be waived easily with little notice.

Against this hardened institutional bias for spending and deficits, the debt limit vote provides the only guaranteed opportunity for lawmakers to address the total cost of government. And in the past, it has been the only effective tool to rein in deficits.

Here is a little-known fact: Since 1985, virtually every major deficit reduction law has been attached to a debt limit increase. The 1985 and 1987 Gramm-Rudman-Hollings deficit caps were attached to debt limit bills. So were the 1990, 1993, and 1997 budget deals that contributed to the 1998-2001 balanced budgets. The 1996 Line-Item Veto Act (later invalidated by the Supreme Court) and 2010 Pay-As-You-Go law were each placed on debt limit bills. Most importantly, the 2011 Budget Control Act  and its $2.1 trillion spending cut  was attached to a debt limit bill.

Why would lawmakers surrender the only successful tool for reining in deficits? What alternative mechanism could provide this much deficit reduction?

Instead, raising the debt limit without addressing runaway spending is like offering morphine to a cancer patient: it may provide temporary relief but does nothing to cure the underlying disease.

Congress may not have the bandwidth to include the major entitlement savings necessary to stop the red ink. However, several options exist to promote fiscal responsibility:

The best option would put major entitlements on long-term budgets. Top policy experts on the left and right have long endorsed a proposal to put Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid each on a sustainable 30-year spending path. Every five years, Congress would be required to revisit the programs and ensure they remain on their pre-set path, or else automatic reforms would occur. These long-term budgets are a necessary first step to saving entitlements from their current path to bankruptcy.

Alternatively, lawmakers could extend the Budget Control Act spending caps another five years. These successful discretionary spending caps are scheduled to expire after 2021. While Congress loves to complain about spending caps, recent history shows the absence of caps to be a recipe for runaway spending. Discretionary spending  while no longer driving the deficit  has proven to be the lowest-hanging fruit for lawmakers unwilling to reform major entitlements. And even if Congress continues to loosen the annual caps (including defense) in return for equal savings to smaller, lower-priority entitlement programs, those savings count against the deficit, too.

At minimum, lawmakers should eliminate a budgetary gimmick that essentially helps lawmakers skirt the discretionary caps by $18 billion annually through fake entitlement offsets. Banning this gimmick  called changes in mandatory programs or ChIMPs  can save $180 billion over the decade.

Failing to raise the debt limit is not an option. Congress must pay its bills. Yet a responsible Congress and president should also include common sense reforms to address this underlying debt  if not now, then next spring when the debt limit returns. Otherwise, lawmakers will find themselves right back in the same spot every year as the mounting national debt drives our taxes upward and our incomes downward.
Hillary Clinton has always been adept at blaming everyone but herself. Her soon to be published memoir of the 2016 presidential election is no exception.

It's officially called What Happened. Based on the excerpts reviewed so far, it bears little resemblance to what happened.

I can only imagine the conversation that led to the publishers selection of such a beguiling title.

Publisher: Hillary we need to come up with a shorter title to your book.

Hillary: Whats wrong with, I Lost The Presidency Because of Sexism, The Media, Russians, Comey, Racism, Xenophobia, The Democratic National Committee, Misogyny, Obama, Biden, Sanders, Wikileaks, The Electoral College, And Polling Data?

Publisher: Well, for one thing it wont fit on the cover.

Hillary: You wouldnt say that if Id won. Youre victimizing me because I lost. And youre just like Trump, literally breathing down my neck and making my skin crawl. Back up you creep.

Publisher: Uh Im sitting across from you at a large table. And while were on the subject, our editors think you should delete that whole business about Trump breathing down your neck. It is simply not true. We looked at the debate tape. He never stalked you on stage. We think youve confused reality with the "Saturday Night Live" skit.

Hillary: Oh, and I suppose you want me to get rid of that line about how Ive endured a lifetime of dealing with difficult men trying to throw me off.

Publisher: Unless youre talking about your husband, yes. In fact, people think you leveraged your marriage to a man who became president to advance your own political career. Granted, Bill has been difficult. He cheated on you with that young intern.

Hillary: That was a vast, right-wing conspiracy. Besides, he did not have sexual relations with that woman, Miss Lewinsky!

Publisher: Try to calm down.

Hillary: Youre being sexist. Just like Bernie Sanders and his crazy supporters. Hes not even a Democrat. Hes a socialist, for Gods sake! Sanders is to blame for my loss, along with Obama and Biden. They never really supported me because Im a woman. Theyre all deplorables, just like every registered Republican in America.

Publisher: You dont want to go there again.

Hillary: Comey is the real villain. He and Loretta Lynch fixed it so I wouldnt get indicted. Then, he turned on me just before the election and re-opened the investigation into my private email server. Whats the big deal? So what if classified government documents were stored in the basement of our home? We bought a security system at Lowes. Believe me, its a nothing burger. I said that recently.

Publisher: Frankly, its against the law.

Hillary: Right, and I guess you think it was illegal for me to use my public office as Secretary of State to confer benefits to foreign governments in exchange for donations to my Foundation and cash to my husband?

Publisher: It would seem so.

Hillary: Cmoneverybody does it. That makes it right. It was no more crooked than the DNC secretly conspiring with me to defeat that commie, Sanders. Or destroying 30,000 emails that were under congressional subpoena. Was that obstruction of Justice? You bet. But let em prove it. I wiped that server clean. Without the incriminating evidence, theyve got no proof.

Publisher: Moving on you write in your book,What makes me such a lightning rod for fury? Im really asking. Im at a loss. You really dont know?

Hillary: Im clueless.

Publisher: To be perfectly honest, Hillary your name is synonymous with scandals. And they were all self-created. No one forced you to set up a private email server. No one made you pocket $225,000 from Goldman Sachs for a speech. No one coerced you into using your Foundation in a way that smacks of influence peddling and self-dealing.

Hillary: That was all made up by the media! Theyve always hated me. Whitewater, Travelgate, the big bucks I made on those cattle futures. The fact that I always managed to evade indictment is a testament to my complete innocence. Im like Big Julie in Guys & Dolls when he bragged, Thirty-three arrests and no convictions!

Publisher: Dont you think your book needs some measure of honest self-reflection? Perhaps an admission that you ran a bad campaign, ignored the advice of experienced political pros, never understood what voters truly cared about, and failed to develop a coherent message that resonated with Americans?

Hillary: But I was entitled! Dont you see?

Publisher: I do. That should be the title of your book.
This past weekend, as American heads were focused on Houston, a long-blossoming human rights crisis almost 9,000 miles away has begun to draw the eyes of the world. The nation of Myanmar, a country President Barack Obama is given credit for nurturing into a fledgling democracy, is embroiled in a civil conflict that is seeing reports of mass genocide of Rohingya Muslim men, women and children at the hands of the military there, with nowhere to go and backed up against the border of Bangladesh. The United Nations estimates as many as 60,000 refugees have poured across that border in just one day, and there are reports citing that over 300,000 have been killed since 2012.

This is all happening under the leadership of Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, the civilian leader of the country and a hailed Obama and Clinton ally. Suu Kyi was the recipient of a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 and the daughter of a liberation movement leader, Aung San. When the countrys government was cracking down on political opposition in the late 1980s, Suu Kyi was placed under house arrest where she remained until her official release in 2010. She soon became a symbol of human rights and the push for Democracy. She was even granted the nickname Asias Mandela

Political violence in Myanmar (formerly Burma) is nothing new. The military has grappled with political insurgents for decades. But the election and installation of Aung San Suu Kyi, with heavy diplomatic backing from President Obama and then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, was supposed to begin to change all of that.



Obamas declared achievement in Myanmar cannot be understated. He appeared side by side with Suu Kyi on several occasions at the White House. Even refusing to refer to the country as Burma sent media hearts a-fluttering. The Obama administration quickly lifted sanctions with Suu Kyis ascension to leadership when the junta there declared they would share power with a civilian government.

What mattered to both President Obama and Hillary Clinton was the photo op. The media loved the photographs of the Obama motorcade being swarmed in the streets by Burmese people. This was the citizen of the world we were promised in Berlin in 2008.

In November of 2015, just as Mrs. Clinton was polishing off her foreign credentials for her presidential run, she tweeted Proud of my friend Aung San Suu Kyi and the people of Burma for never giving up in the long struggle to bring change to their country. -H. This was not a tacit political endorsement. This was a warm letter of regards to a friend.

She devoted a chapter of her book, Hard Choices to spearheading the situation in Burma. For every criticism of her handling of Benghazi, her leadership on Burma was her go-to answer to those critics.

As secretary of state, I worked with the Republican chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee to pass a landmark nuclear arms control treaty with Russia. I worked with the Republican leader, Senator Mitch McConnell, to open up Burma, now Myanmar, to democratic change. I know it's possible to find common ground because I have done it. she told a House Congressional Panel in October of 2015. No word yet on if the Trump administration will ask to borrow her reset button for the developing crisis.

The continued violence and suspected genocide in Myanmar garnered the reactions of some of the most ardent human rights defenders. Malala Yousafzai released a statement on Twitter condemning the violence and in particular Suu Kyis silence. Suu Kyi has since released a statement which has equaled a flaccid condemnation of the reports of her military participating in ethnic cleansing of the almost one million Rohingya Muslims. Her response has been to attack the reports and the critics for simply not understanding the situation and history of Myanmar. It has not tempered the critics of Suu Kyi. It also has not rallied her defenders.

While this was happening Hillary Clinton was too busy endorsing her friend and supporter Peter Daous new pro-Hillary media meme website. Samantha Power, Obamas former UN Ambassador, never one to hesitate to throw out a tweet over human rights abuses that occurred under her tenure, was also quiet on the matter. Power did express concern this past November behind closed doors and away from medias eyes and ears.

The Obama administration was a masterclass on PR and smoke and mirrors. ObamaCare was a policy disaster that led to people across the country losing their plans, premiums skyrocketing and the decimation of the Democrat party. But Obama looked great selling it to all the right people like Funny or Die, YouTube celebrities and social media.

His foreign policy was largely no different.

It didnt matter that the administrations backed candidate in Myanmar has developed a tendency to look the other way with political and religious violence and defer to trigger-happy generals and their security forces. What mattered is how all this looks in the Foreign Policy wing of the Obama Library which will certainly ignore events past January 20th, 2017.

What mattered to both President Obama and Hillary Clinton was the photo op. The first U.S. president to visit Burma, and the first Secretary of State to visit Burma since 1962. The media loved the photographs of the Obama motorcade being swarmed in the streets by Burmese people. This was the citizen of the world we were promised in Berlin in 2008.

Its no accident that the first people who demand the loudest that we cannot ignore atrocity against the weakest of cultures and religions have suddenly found themselves muted on the subject of genocide of Muslims in the Rakhine state.

Now there are calls to revoke Suu Kyis peace prize as she attempts to explain to the world her submissive and apologetic stance to the UN and the world. And like the Arab Spring, Russia, Cuba (with reports that American diplomats were attacked with sonic pulse technology there), Libya and Yemen, Obama-Clinton era soft diplomacy is crumbling in Myanmar. But what does that matter when you can devote a chapter of your book to your accomplishment there and the press can hail how many air miles you racked up as Secretary of State?

This is another blow to Obamas eight years of mirages of success on a world stage. There is not a corner of this globe that is better off for his presidency and this will become even more prevalent as the United States attempts to navigate a more dangerous world under an unpredictable President Trump. But Myanmars current state is a textbook example of why people chose not to send Hillary Clinton to the White House with a barrage of media endorsements hailing her expertise in foreign relations.

And its the reason the political left and our media have chosen to largely ignore a genocide now  at the expense of protecting not only her fragile, damaged legacy, but Obamas as well.
Editor's note: The following column originally appeared in The Washington Times.

In the last week, there have been reports of several pigs flying by various windows in every city. Pigs only fly when theres been a unique occurrence, and we certainly have had a few.

For weeks after the riot in Charlottesville, Virginia, almost everyone in the political and media establishments refused to acknowledge the violence and nature of the anarchist group antifa. More than two weeks later, that dam broke, and newspapers and politicians finally admitted that antifa was an obscenely violent group and condemned them.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi was one of the first to publicly denounce them, a day later House Speaker Paul D. Ryan played catch-up and did the same.

Then a bombshell report from Politico revealed as early as spring 2016, the Department of Homeland Security classified antifa as using domestic terrorist violence.

There is only one thing that politicians like Mrs. Feinstein and Mrs. Pelosi care about: their jobs. This sudden turnaround tells us one thing: The Democrats realize their scorched-earth policy not only isnt working; its backfiring.

Federal authorities have been warning state and local officials since early 2016 that leftist extremists known as antifa had become increasingly confrontational and dangerous, so much so that the Department of Homeland Security formally classified their activities as domestic terrorist violence, according to interviews and confidential law enforcement documents obtained by Politico.

For some reason, the Obama administration kept that a secret. Now, despite all this evidence, we still wait for people like former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, former Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton and former President Barack Obama to denounce and condemn antifa. Now, even the media admit the true nature of the group of thugs. Yet these career politicians, who hold themselves up as beacons of truth and morality, continue to lie by omission, simply because they believed they could isolate President Trump. They failed.

On the heels of that fiasco attempting to lionize purveyors of political violence, something else happened  two women leaders of the Democratic Party have come out and essentially said its time to stop attacking Mr. Trump.

California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, a member of the U.S. Senate for 25 years, and considered a thoughtful moderate Democrat, has attacked the president as unstable, bombastic and hateful. She has sided publicly with fired FBI Director James B. Comey, has threatened the president over special counsel Robert Mueller, and generally has piled on whenever possible with criticism and insults.

And yet at a sold-out event in San Francisco on Aug. 29, Mrs. Feinstein refused to endorse impeaching the president and told the crowd they should be patient with Mr. Trump, and that he could be a good president. While her comments were condescending and patronizing of Mr. Trump, she apparently wasnt mean or unhinged enough for the crowd who started to boo and hiss Mrs. Feinstein, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

A day later, on Aug. 30, Mrs. Pelosi, also of California, sat with the Denver Posts editorial board and declared that voters didnt want to hear them criticizing the president.

Really? This from a woman who has been one of the most unhinged among Trump critics, and thats saying a lot. Among other attacks, she endorsed censure of the president over his comment about Charlottesville, said he is unworthy of the office of president, said that she is worried about his fitness for the office, and has called him reckless.

But suddenly on this day she was in retreat, and even complimentary of the president. On his handling of Hurricane Harvey, she said he had been gracious and noted, He went to Corpus Christi, which is sort of appropriate for him to do, because in the heart of the storm, it would be a challenge to accommodate a president.

Mrs. Pelosi also went so far as to warn about criticizing Mr. Trump.

[The voters] dont want to hear us criticizing the president, she said. This was a choice; they made a decision. And to criticize the president personally is to disrespect their judgment. So I say to my members, This is about what were going to do.

There is only one thing that politicians like Mrs. Feinstein and Mrs. Pelosi care about: their jobs. This sudden turnaround tells us one thing: The Democrats realize their scorched-earth policy not only isnt working; its backfiring.

Mr. Trump was right that antifa violence had to be acknowledged and condemned. He and the first ladys commitment to the people suffering in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey laid bare the lies from the left about their compassion and empathy for the people of this country.

In the meantime, Mrs. Feinstein and Mrs. Pelosi must have looked out the window and saw the fruits of their labor of the past decade: domestic terrorist violence from antifa, #Resist fools, #Impeach fanatics, Bernie Sanders, Hillary What Happened? Clinton, perpetually vacationing Obamas, and still no plan for the economy, jobs, or a North Korea with hydrogen bombs.

Great job, ladies, great job. Is it too late for the Democrats? Lets see if this return to civility spreads, and includes ending the ridiculous effort to nullify last years election. If not, politicians like Dianne Feinstein and Nancy Pelosi will be known only for nullifying their own party.
Kentuckys lone abortion clinic is fighting to survive.

The EMW Womens Surgical Center is Kentuckys last remaining abortion clinic  and if it doesnt win its legal battle, Kentucky could be the first state in the nation without an abortion clinic in the modern era.

The entire legal battle, which began in U.S. District Court Wednesday, is centered on a state law that requires the abortion clinic to have agreements with a hospital and ambulance service in the event of an emergency with one of its patients. EMW Womens Surgical Center has said that it had such agreements.

But Kentucky state regulators noted technical deficiencies in the agreement which they called important safeguards that protect womens health. They've threatened to revoke the clinics license.

The licensing fight began in March when Gov. Matt Bevins administration said the clinic lacked proper transfer agreements and took steps to shut it down. The clinic countered with a federal lawsuit to prevent the state from revoking its license.

A temporary restraining order was issued in March to keep the clinic open until a judgment is decided in the case, according to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which is part of EMW Womens Surgical Centers legal team.

The stakes in this case couldnt be higher: the very right to access legal abortion in the state of Kentucky is on the line, Dr. Ernest Marshall, founder of the clinic, said in a statement provided to Fox News. Will we build on the momentum of last years Supreme Court decision upholding abortion rights? Or will Kentucky be the harbinger of a future where the right to abortion only exists if you live in the right zip code?

ACTRESS SAYS SHE HAD HER 'BEST ABORTION' IN SEATTLE

A spokesperson for Bevin told Fox News that the requirements in question were enacted in 1998 and were not questioned before now.

Essentially all healthcare facilities in Kentucky are required to have such agreements, and it is telling that the abortion industry believes that it alone should be exempt from these important safety measures, Amanda Stamper, Bevins communications director, said, adding that EMW Womens Surgical Centers sister location in Lexington, Ky., was shut down in 2016 because it was filthy and didnt even have a license.

The Kentucky National Organization for Women on its Facebook page said the Lexington clinic was a "permanent casualty" of Bevin's administration.

The states legal team has said that simply being able to dial 911 isnt enough for the clinic as that does not provide the protection for women deemed necessary by the Kentucky General Assembly and does not satisfy the law of Kentucky.

Bevin, Kentuckys Republican governor, is staunchly anti-abortion and billed himself as pro-life, pro-family and pro-2nd amendment on his campaign website. And the ACLU has pointed to his anti-abortion stance as proof that the fight with the clinic is an attempt to ban abortion in Kentucky.

"It is telling that the abortion industry believes that it alone should be exempt from these important safety measures."  Amanda Stamper, communications director for Gov. Matt Bevin

The states bureaucratic sleight of hand is fooling no one, Brigitte Amiri, a senior staff attorney with the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project, said in a statement in March. This is an attempt to ban abortion in Kentucky, plain and simple. We are fighting to keep this from happening.

'EMERGENCY' ABORTION FUND ESTABLISHED FOR HURRICANE HARVEY SURVIVORS

The clinic maintained in its lawsuit that the states about face on its compliance with requirements came out of the blue. It argued that there is no medical need for the states requirements and claimed the requirements infringe on constitutional protections.

Marshall, too, accused the Kentucky legislature and Bevin for being relentless in trying to stop us from providing abortion care.

The patients that walk through our doors have already dealt with so many obstacles: many have traveled long distances to get their abortion, theyve had to take time away from work, usually unpaid, find childcare and transportation, and figure out how to pay out-of-pocket for care that isnt covered by their insurance, he said.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky was also allowed to join the lawsuit on behalf of EMW Womens Surgical Center, the Courier-Journal reported in June.

"It is very troubling that Planned Parenthood has shown so little concern for womens safety," Stamper told Fox News.

Republian state Rep. Addia Wuchner defended the states transfer agreements for medical facilities as pro-woman.

There is nothing more pro-woman than ensuring all women that very same quality and standard of healthcare, and it would be irresponsible and immoral to do otherwise, Wuchner, who sits on the Houses Health and Family Services Committee, told Fox News.

"The transfers agreements required by Kentucky law are not barriers to care but are standards of care, in place to ensure any patient receiving care in an ambulatory surgery center, healthcare clinic or an abortion clinic [have] appropriate emergency care and expedient transfer to a healthcare facility capable of responding to a life threatening emergency, she said.

This lawsuit is one of two the abortion clinic has against the state. Another suit  detailed by the ACLU  is challenging a Kentucky law that requires doctors to provide ultrasounds to women before having an abortion.

The case is expected to last a couple of days.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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Sen. Bob Menendez will not face a new bribery and corruption trial after all, federal prosecutors said last month.

The Department of Justice had announced earlier this year that it intended to retry the New Jersey Democrat after a federal judge declared a mistrial in the case in November, but ultimately walked away from the pursuit.

Menendez was accused of accepting a plethora of donations and gifts from a wealthy friend in exchange for political influence. Both Menendez and the doctor, Salomon Melgen, maintained their innocence.

From the very beginning, I never wavered in my innocence and my belief that justice would prevail. I am grateful that the Department of Justice has taken the time to reevaluate its case and come to the appropriate conclusion, Menendez said on social media following the announcement.

Menendez is up for re-election this year. He was selected to replace former Gov. Jon Corzine, D-N.J., in the Senate in 2005. He rejoined the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee as its ranking member on Feb. 6, after stepping down from the post when he was indicted in 2015.

Read on for a look at what Menendez was accused of and what happened in the trial.

What was Menendez accused of?

Menendez, 64, accepted an abundance of campaign donations, gifts and vacations from Salomon Melgen, a Florida ophthalmologist, prosecutors alleged when Menendez faced trial in 2017. In return, prosecutors claimed, he used his position to lobby on behalf of Melgens business interests.

Melgen allegedly directed more than $750,000 in campaign contributions to entities that supported Menendez, according to the indictment, which prosecutors said were inducements to get Menendez to use his influence on Melgen's behalf. Prosecutors have also accused Menendez of trying to hide the gifts.

Melgen paid for Menendez and his girlfriend to stay for three nights at a Parisian hotel where rooms typically cost about $1,500 per night and allowed the senator the use of his private jet, according to prosecutors.

Federal prosecutors said that Menendez sold his office for a lifestyle that he couldnt afford.

The indictment also alleged that Menendez pressured State Department officials to give visas to three young women described as Melgen's girlfriends.

What was the senators defense?

Both Menendez and Melgen pleaded not guilty  and Menendez has vehemently denied the accusations against him.

Throughout the original trial, defense attorneys sought to prove that Menendez and Melgen have been friends since before the former became a senator, and the trips were nothing more than friends traveling together.

Is there anything else to know about Salomon Melgen?

Melgen, 63, was convicted of 67 counts of health care fraud in April 2017 in what the Palm Beach Post called one of the biggest Medicare fraud cases in the U.S.

Melgen was sentenced to 17 years in prison on Feb. 22 for Medicare fraud, as he persuaded patients to undergo treatments they did not necessarily need.

Aside from Menendez, Melgen has given significant amounts of money to a variety of Democratic lawmakers, according to public records.

How did the trial end?

After the jury again informed the judge they could not reach a decision, U.S. District Court Judge William H. Walls declared a mistrial, saying he found no alternative.

The mistrial was declared on Nov. 16.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday called for replacing the Obama administration's rules for investigating allegations of sexual violence on campuses across the country with a more workable, effective and fair system.

During a speech at George Mason University, DeVos announced plans to review and overhaul the way colleges and universities handle investigations.

Here is what Ive learned: the truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students, DeVos said.

She added, Survivors, victims of a lack of due process, and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved. Thats why we must do better, because the current approach isnt working.

DeVos said the department will seek public comment and university expertise to develop rules to replace the current policy.

We will seek public feedback and combine institutional knowledge, professional expertise, and the experiences of students to replace the current approach with a workable, effective, and fair system, DeVos said.

The Title IX law, enacted in 1972, forbids discrimination based on sex in education. It was once seen as a measure to ensure equity in college sports, but in recent years has become associated with efforts to address sexual assault and harassment at college campuses.

The Obama administration reshaped how colleges handle complaints of sexual assault, setting new rules and starting hundreds of investigations into colleges accused of straying from them.

Central to the debate is a 2011 department memo that laid out rules colleges must follow when responding to complaints of sexual assault from their students.

The memo requires colleges to investigate complaints even if there's a separate criminal inquiry. It also established what has become a polarizing standard of evidence used to judge cases.

Unlike in criminal courts, where guilt must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt, colleges judge students based on whether it's "more likely than not" they committed the offense.

Colleges that are found to have violated Title IX rules can lose federal funding entirely, although the department has never imposed that penalty.

Some advocacy groups say the Obama-era policies are flawed but worth saving. They argue the policies have protected many students and forced colleges to confront problems that were long kept quiet.

On Thursday, about two dozen protesters gathered outside the auditorium where DeVos delivered her speech.

DEVOS PLANS TITLE IX CHANGES IN WAKE OF REPORT ON CAMPUS DENIAL OF DUE PROCESS

The protesters included women who said they were assaulted on campus and victims' advocates. "Donald Trump supports Betsy DeVos supports perpetrators," read the sign of one protester.

But opponents say the rules have swung the pendulum too far and pressure colleges to take hasty and heavy action against students accused of misconduct.

Every survivor of sexual misconduct must be taken seriously, DeVos said Thursday. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined. These are non-negotiable principles.

She added: Due process either protects everyone, or it protects no one. The notion that a school must diminish due process rights to better serve the victim only creates more victims.

Fox News Alex Pappas and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


The Justice Department on Thursday filed a brief supporting the Colorado baker who refused to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple on faith-based grounds, in the latest religious freedom case to be considered before the nation's highest court.

Jack Phillips, owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop, had refused to sell a customized cake for a gay couple's union, claiming a religious exemption to the state's anti-discrimination law.

When Phillips designs and creates a custom wedding cake for a specific couple and a specific wedding, he plays an active role in enabling that ritual, and he associates himself with the celebratory message conveyed, Acting Solicitor General Jeffrey B. Wall wrote in the brief.

Wall added, Forcing Phillips to create expression for and participate in a ceremony that violates his sincerely held religious beliefs invades his First Amendment rights.

The Supreme Court announced in June it will hear the Masterpiece Cakeshop v. Colorado Civil Rights Commission case. State courts had ruled against the businessman.

The high court will now decide whether applying Colorado's public accommodations law to compel the baker to create "expression" -- a wedding cake -- violates his constitutionally protected Christian beliefs about marriage.

I never thought the government would try to take away my freedoms and force me to create something that goes against my morals, Phillips told Fox News on Thursday.

The American Civil Liberties Union on Thursday accused the Trump administration, through the DOJ brief, of advocating for nothing short of a constitutional right to discriminate.

This Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear, Louise Melling, the deputy legal director of the ACLU, said in a statement. But this brief was shocking, even for this administration.

Backers of Phillips, like Utah Republican Sen. Mike Lee, though, call it a freedom of expression case that extends far more broadly than a religious liberty case.

What matters is how our laws can be brought to bear against those who believe, Lee said Thursday. The government cannot force you to speak where you would choose to remain silent. These are foundational pillars of Constitution.

SUPREME COURT TO HEAR CASE OF BAKERS REFUSAL TO MAKE WEDDING CAKE FOR GAY COUPLE

Phillips has told the Supreme Court he has free speech and religious rights under the First Amendment that should protect him. He said he should not be compelled to bake a cake specifically to honor a same-sex marriage.

Colorado's anti-discrimination law, though, protects people on the basis of their sexual orientation. Charlie Craig and David Mullins had filed a complaint against Phillips and his suburban Denver shop after Phillips said he would not create and decorate a cake in honor of their marriage.

Colorado did not permit same-sex couples to marry until 2014. Two years earlier, Craig and Mullin were planning to fly to Massachusetts, where same-sex marriage was legal, and host a reception in Denver upon their return to Colorado. They wanted a cake for the occasion.

The case will be another in a series of "religious liberty" disputes the justices have reviewed in recent years, and could be an important First Amendment test of the extent anti-discrimination laws apply to gay Americans.

Oral arguments will likely be held in court's term beginning in the fall.

Fox News Bill Mears and Alex Pappas contributed to this report.
Donald Trump Jr. arrived on Capitol Hill Thursday morning for a private meeting with the Senate Judiciary Committee, which is probing Russian interference in the 2016 election.

Trump Jr. is expected to face hours of questioning by the Senate Judiciary Committee staff.

Officials have wanted to hear from the presidents eldest son ever since reports emerged of his June 2016 meeting with Russian attorney Natalia Veselnitskaya at Trump Tower. Emails released in July show that Trump Jr. was told before the meeting that it was part of a Russian government effort to help his father.

Democrats have pointed to that meeting to argue collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election. The Trump campaign has denied the accusation.

In July, the Judiciary Committee called on Trump Jr. to testify about Russias attempted meddling in the election, but Trump Jr., along with former Trump campaign chairman Paul Manafort, made a deal with the committee to avoid a public hearing, paving the way for a transcribed interview in private.

In late July, Donald Trump Jr. agreed to provide the Judiciary Committee with documents and a transcribed interview prior to a public hearing. Shortly thereafter, a date for that interview was set and agreed to by both the committee and Trump Jr. This meeting will be conducted under the same terms as previously announced, Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., said.

The committee also sought a private interview with the head of the firm behind the infamous anti-Trump dossier. Co-founder of Fusion GPS Glenn Simpson met with committee staff on Aug. 22.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Donald Trump Jr. met with a Russian lawyer in July 2016 after learning she had damaging information about Hillary Clinton, the Democratic opponent of now-President Trump.

But Trump Jr. and other key figures involved in the meeting downplayed the gathering when questioned by Senate investigators.

The meeting provided no meaningful information and turned out to be not about what was represented, Trump Jr. told the Senate Judiciary Committee, according to recently released transcripts. He contended that the meeting with lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya was actually regarding a Russian adoption prohibition.

So what was this meeting about?

Before Trump Jr. was set to meet with the Russian lawyer as his father campaigned for the presidency, Trump Jr. was told Veselnitskayas potentially damning information about Clinton was from the Kremlin, according to emails he released.

Trump Jr. has maintained that Veselnitskaya did not have any information to share and instead wanted to discuss other matters, such as the Magnitsky Act which enacts sanctions on certain Russian officials as punishment for human rights violations.

After pleasantries were exchanged, the woman stated that she had information that individuals connected to Russia were funding the Democratic National Committee and supporting Ms. Clinton, Trump Jr. said in a statement.

Her statements were vague, ambiguous and made no sense. No details or supporting information was provided or even offered, Trump Jr. continued

Was anyone else at the meeting?

Trumps son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign chairman Paul Manafort also attended the meeting, along with a translator.

Rob Goldstone, a music publicist who set up the meeting, was also in attendance, as well as Rinat Akhmetshin, a prominent Russian-American lobbyist, Ike Kaveladze, a business associate of a Moscow-based developer and a translator.

A spokesperson for Trumps outside legal team said Trump was not aware of and did not attend the meeting. Trump Jr. said he wouldnt have wasted his time by telling him about the meeting.

Didnt Trump Jr. publish the emails about the meeting?

Trump Jr. posted screenshots of multiple emails purportedly from Goldstone.

In a June 3, 2016 email, Goldstone said he was asked to contact you with something very interesting.

The Crown prosecutor of Russia met with his father Aras this morning and in their meeting offered to provide the Trump campaign with some official documents and information that would incriminate Hillary [Clinton] and her dealings with Russia and would be very useful to your father, Goldstone said.

He added that the information was very high level and sensitive but was part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump.

Trump Jr. responded in less than 20 minutes saying that he wanted to check out the information first, but if its what you say I love it especially later in summer.

In another email, Goldstone referred to Veselnitskaya as the Russian government attorney.

So did Trump Jr. break the law?

As Trump Jr. does not have a position in his fathers administration, he is not required to disclose foreign contacts, according to The Associated Press.

Foreign nationals are prohibited from providing "anything of value" to campaigns, and that same law also bars solicitation of such assistance. The law typically applies to monetary campaign contributions, but courts could consider information such as opposition research to be something of value.

Trump Jr. told the Senate committee that if he had been given any information about Clinton, he would have consulted with counsel on what to do with it.

Bradley A. Smith, a former Bill Clinton-appointed Republican Federal Election Commission member, said based on what's known about the meeting, Trump Jr.'s actions are unlikely to be considered illegal solicitation.

"It's not illegal to meet with someone to find out what they have to offer," Smith said.

But Larry Noble, a former general counsel at the FEC, said the situation "raises all sorts of red flags."

"You do not want your campaign to be involved with foreign nationals, period," said Noble.

Fox News Benjamin Brown, Brooke Singman, Bree Tracey and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Sen. Lindsey Graham told Fox News on Thursday that he wants to bring back James Comey to testify on Capitol Hill, citing concerns about his statements on the conclusion of the Hillary Clinton email case.

This doesnt add up, and I smell a rat here, Graham, R-S.C., said in an interview with Fox News' Catherine Herridge.

The Republican senator, who chairs a Senate Judiciary subcommittee, and Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, last week revealed new details they learned about the Clinton case from interview transcripts. According to the senators, the transcripts say Comey began drafting an exoneration statement for Clinton weeks before interviewing her  which in turn raised questions about the former FBI directors testimony in June before the Senate Intelligence Committee.

At the time, Comey was asked whether his decision to announce the results of the investigation in July 2016 was influenced by then-Attorney General Loretta Lynchs infamous meeting days earlier on an Arizona tarmac with former President Bill Clinton.

COMEY 'EXONERATION STATEMENT' FOR CLINTON CALLS TESTIMONY INTO QUESTION

Yes, in an ultimately conclusive way, that was the thing that capped it for me  that I had to do something separately to protect the credibility of the investigation, Comey said.

Yet the transcripts suggest Comey was planning a statement weeks, if not months, earlier. Graham said Thursday he doesnt think Comey perjured himself, but suggested the interview transcripts raise questions that must be resolved.

He needs to come back to committee, Graham said.

Graham said there are two issues he wants to discuss.

The first is whether Comey had predetermined the result of the email probe before the Clinton interview, contrary to his testimony.

The second concerns Comeys claim that he jumped into the fray because of the tarmac meeting. Graham said he has reason to believe the real reason may have been some email between the DNC and the Justice Department about the scope of the Clinton investigation, and this would be completely different than when he publicly testified.

Graham explained that while Comey cited the tarmac meeting in his testimony, the fired FBI director has said in other settings that the real reason he got involved was because he thought that there was an email the Russians had between the DNC and Justice Department trying to wire the Clinton investigation.

Further, he noted that if Comey had actually made up his mind about the disposition of the case before the Lynch/Bill Clinton meeting, that seems to have fallen by the wayside.

The transcripts in question were from interviews conducted by the Office of Special Counsel, which interviewed James Rybicki, Comeys chief of staff, and Trisha Anderson, the principal deputy general counsel of national security and cyberlaw, the GOP senators said.

The notes reflect claims that Comey wrote a draft of his exoneration statement around early May 2016. Another passage suggests Comey sent around a draft in an attempt to be forward-leaning given the direction the investigation was headed.

It remains unclear whether Comey could have drafted a similar statement for a scenario in which charges would be filed against Clinton.

Comey, whom President Trump fired in May amid tensions over the Russia probe, also testified in June there were other things that contributed to his decision to go public, including Lynch allegedly urging him to refer to the email probe as a matter and not an investigation.

In his July 2016 announcement, Comey famously called Clintons email arrangement extremely careless though he decided against recommending criminal charges.

Fox News Catherine Herridge contributed to this report.
Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein gave a less-than full-throated endorsement when asked on Wednesday whether Gary Cohn would make a good chairman of the Federal Reserve.

No ones perfect, but hes the best I know, Blankfein said of Cohn, his former No. 2 at Goldman Sachs, during a talk with journalists on Wednesday at the banks headquarters in New York.

Hed be a different kind of person than Fed Chair Yellen, Blankfein added. Hes not an academic. I dont know that he reads a lot of policy papers, let alone write them.

Blankfeins lukewarm comments came weeks after Trump himself floated Cohn, who is currently director of the National Economic Council, for the role atop the US central bank in an interview with The Wall Street Journal.

Its unclear if Cohn will ever get the job, however. Trump has reportedly cooled on the ex-Goldman banker after Cohn criticized the presidents response to white supremacists gathering in Charlottesville, Va. last month. Still, Trump has wavered before installing advisers in top job before, as in the case of ex-communications manager Anthony Scaramucci.

The top job at the Fed is set to open up in late January when Fed Chair Janet Yellens term expires.

On the positive side, Blankfein said Gary is very, very capable, and that there is nobody who has a better sense of markets, or the consequence that decisions will have, on peoples behavior who act and are guided by market forces.

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The special counsel leading the investigation into Russias attempted meddling in the 2016 election wants to speak with White House staffers about Donald Trump Jr.s controversial meeting during the campaign with a Russian lawyer, Fox News has learned.

Special Counsel Robert Mueller has requested to speak with aides involved in the presidents eldest sons initial response to his June 2016 meeting with Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya, who promised damaging information on Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.

Mueller has not requested to speak with the president himself, Fox News is told.

Democrats have pointed to the Trump Tower meeting to argue collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government during the 2016 presidential election. The Trump campaign has denied the accusations.

That Mueller would ask to speak to the individuals is "not a surprise," according to a source. It is also not viewed as "an aggressive action" on Mueller's part.

It wasnt immediately clear with which specific aides Mueller wants to speak.

Trump Jr.s meeting with Veselnitskaya was revealed in July.

TRUMP JR. SAYS HE WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT CLINTON'S 'FITNESS' FOR OFFICE IN RUSSIAN LAWYER MEETING

Sources told Fox News that a preliminary initial statement had been drafted by Trump Jr. and was discussed aboard Air Force One as the president was returning home from Germany. At that time, the sources said, Trump believed that the meeting was about Russian adoptions and had weighed in on the statement on that basis.

Earlier Thursday, Trump Jr. appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee and told congressional investigators that he agreed to last years controversial meeting with a Russian attorney promising dirt on Hillary Clinton because he was interested in any information on the Democratic candidates fitness, character or qualifications.

In a prepared opening statement, the presidents son again denied any Russia collusion claims and sought to explain the nature of contacts he has had over the years with Russian individuals.

"I did not collude with any foreign government and do not know of anyone who did," he said.

Fox News' John Roberts contributed to this report.


Former senior White House adviser Steve Bannon says he is opposed to President Trumps decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program and ask Congress to come up with a solution.

Look, what he did on DACA the other day. Okay, I don't agree with that DACA decision, but I understand how he struggled with it, I understand how he's giving the possibility of a legislative thing, Bannon told Charlie Rose of CBS News in an interview that aired Thursday.

DACA, implemented under former President Barack Obama, gives illegal immigrants who came to the U.S. at a young age a reprieve from deportation. Trump is now saying he is giving Congress six months to take up the issue.

Liberals have expressed worries that the decision could lead to deportation of young illegal immigrants. But some immigration hawks, like Iowa Rep. Steve King, have expressed concern it will lead to Congress passing amnesty.

Trust me, the guys in the far right, the guys on the conservative side are not happy with this, said Bannon, who advocates for tough restrictions on illegal immigration.

The former counselor to Trump left his White House job in August and returned to lead the populist-conservative website Breitbart News.

Bannon, a Catholic, also criticized the Catholic Church for its public statements on illegal immigration. The Catholic Church has been terrible about this, he said.

Bannon said he respects the bishops on doctrine but this is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation.

And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion, he said.

Reacting to his media image, Bannon referred to himself as a street fighter, saying that's why Donald Trump and I get along so well.

He also took aim at former rival White House staffers, including Director of the National Economic Council Gary Cohn, who expressed displeasure with Trumps reaction to the white supremacist violence in Charlottesville several weeks ago.

If you're going to break with him, resign. The stuff that was leaked out that week by certain members of the White House I thought was unacceptable, Bannon said. If you find it unacceptable, you should resign.

After Bannon specifically named Cohn, Rose asked Bannon if he thinks Cohn should have resigned.

Absolutely, he said.


President Donald Trump is set to have a private dinner Thursday with House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., according to the White Houses daily press guidance.

The dinner comes soon after a tense Wednesday in Washington that saw Trump reach a deal with Democratic leaders to extend the nation's debt limit and provide government funding until Dec. 15, Reuters reported.

Earlier in the day, Ryan called the Democratic proposal disgraceful, noting the deal would essentially be tacked onto a $7.85 billion Hurricane Harvey relief package.

The House passed the relief bill 419-3 after Democrats vowed to attach the debt ceiling language, the Hill reported.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., later came out in support of the presidents decision, leaving Ryan to stand alone in opposition among GOP leaders.
President Trump said Thursday it would be a very sad day for North Korea if the United States is forced to use its military to respond to Kim Jong Uns nuclear threats.

I would prefer not going the route of the military, but its something, certainly, that could happen, the president said during a press conference at the White House. Our military has never been stronger.

North Korea over the weekend conducted its most power nuclear test yet, with the regime claiming it tested a hydrogen bomb. The test triggered a new round of urgent discussions between the U.S. and allies in the region.

Boasting Thursday that the United States equipment is the best in the world, Trump said: Hopefully, were not going to have to use it on North Korea. If we do use it on North Korea, it will be a very sad day for North Korea.

The president made the comments during a joint press conference with Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah of Kuwait.

Military action would certainly be an option, Trump said of the escalating tensions with North Korea. Is it inevitable? Nothing is inevitable. Itd be great if something else could be worked out.

Asked by a reporter if hed tolerate a nuclearized North Korea that is contained and deterred, Trump declined to say: Im not negotiating with you.

I dont put my negotiations on the table, unlike past administrations, he said. I dont talk about them. But I can tell you that North Korea is behaving badly and its got to stop.

TRUMP DISCUSSES CUTTING NORTH KOREAS NUKE CAPABILITIES WITH CHINESE PRESIDENT

On Wednesday, the president spoke with President Xi Jinping of China about North Koreas Sept. 2 test of a powerful nuclear device.

Returning from the August recess, members of the House and Senate were also briefed on Capitol Hill on Wednesday about the threat from North Korea by Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, Defense Secretary James Mattis, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Joseph Dunford and Director of National Intellience Dan Coats.
President Trump has stunned Republican lawmakers with his abrupt decision to strike a deal with Democrats for a short-term increase in the debt ceiling tied to Hurricane Harvey relief money, though Congress nevertheless is moving quickly toward a vote that could come by the end of the week.

The president made the deal during a White House meeting Wednesday with the top congressional leaders of both parties.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had wanted a longer-term increase in the debt ceiling that would also cover hurricane relief funding. Instead, Trump sided with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., in agreeing to a three-month deal that would both fund the government and raise the debt ceiling through mid-December, attached to Harvey funds.

The deal averts the threat of a shutdown or even default for now, but virtually guarantees a congressional showdown before the end of the year.

WSJ EDITORIAL RIPS TRUMP ON DEAL WITH DEMS

A source told Fox News that Republican leadership was blindsided by what happened.

Fox News is told the meeting had reached a point where the two sides were moving toward an agree to disagree position, when Trump jumped in and agreed to the short-term deal.

The source said it appeared Trump grew weary of the back-and-forth and decided to strike an agreement to end it.

A source with knowledge of the presidents thinking told Fox News he wanted to come out of that meeting with the decks cleared so he could get Congress to focus on tax reform  his big legislative agenda item this fall, which he touted during a speech late Wednesday in North Dakota.

The decision, though, came shortly after Ryan publicly denounced Democrats call for a short-term deal as disgraceful and accused them of playing politics with the Harvey relief money.

Axios reports that Ryan is furious and McConnell is perplexed at the way it played out.

Still, McConnell has publicly committed to backing the plan and moving forward. Overnight, he doubled the Harvey measure by adding $7.4 billion in community development block grant funds to a House-passed $7.9 billion measure providing an emergency replenishment for disaster aid coffers.

During a Capitol Hill press conference Thursday, Ryan acknowledged he wanted a longer-term increase of the debt limit for the stability of the credit markets. But the Wisconsin Republican said he understood Trumps motivation in striking a deal with the Democrats for a shorter-term increase.

What he was aiming for in that meeting yesterday was a bipartisan moment while the country is facing two horrible hurricanes, Ryan said.

The House passed the Harvey aid package on Wednesday by an overwhelming vote. A new vote in the Senate could come as early as Thursday. The plan would be to attach the Harvey aid to the spending and debt-ceiling measures, and then send the package back to the House.

This could all happen by Friday, despite some grumbling in the ranks.

Sen. Ben Sasse, R-Neb., issued a brief statement saying only: "The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad."

Oklahoma Rep. Tom Cole, though, called Trump's move "in some sense a declaration of independence by the president."

"I was sort of thrilled," Cole told MSNBC's "Morning Joe" program Thursday.  We don't need to run out of money in a week or 10 days in the middle of a natural disaster."

Cole told MSNBC: "There's all kinds of implications of what he did yesterday, but count me as saying I believe there's more of an upside than a downside."

Fox News John Roberts and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Hurricane Irma  a Category 5 hurricane  is barreling closer towards Floridas southern coast. But before it makes landfall this weekend, the storm has been pummeling the Caribbean with gale-force winds, sheets of rain and widespread destruction.

MELANIA TRUMP WEARS ITALIAN-MADE DRESS IN TWEET PROMOTING 'AMERICAN LABOR'

One of the causalities has been President Donald Trumps vacation home, Le Chateau des Palmiers on the island of St. Martin.

While the extent of the damage is not known, officials that control the side of the island where Trumps beachfront property is located, told the Washington Post that the territory suffered widespread destruction.

We know that the four most solid buildings on the island have been destroyed, which means that more rustic structures have probably been completely or partially destroyed, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomba told AFP.

The 11-bedroom compound is currently for sale, listed at $16.9 million  $2.8 million less than Trump purchased it for in 2013.

A spokesperson for the Trump Organization, Amanda Miller, told the Washington Post, All of the proper precautions and protections have been implemented and right now we are just praying for all those in the path of Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean and beyond.

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Hurricane Irma is continuing on its path to Florida, where Trump owns more properties.

About which Miller added, "Our teams at the Trump properties in Florida are taking all of the proper precautions and following local and Florida state advisories very closely to ensure that everyone is kept safe and secure. We continue to send our thoughts and prayers to victims of Hurricane Harvey and are praying for those that are in the path of Hurricane Irma."
Do Tasmanian tigers still exist?

A few trackers believe they have found evidence  releasing alleged footage of proof.

The grainy and fleeting videotape, according to The Mercury, showed Tasmanian tigers (also known as thylacines) in their natural state: a thylacine walking slowly at a distance, a thylacine nose at the camera lens, and a thylacine with a cub.

I didnt believe in the thylacine, said Greg Booth, a wood carter from Ouse in the Central Highlands, who captured the footage.

But when its in front of you  now I have no doubt at all, he said.

Thylacines are known for distinctive high-pitched barks, distinguishing stripes, long tails and their size.

Official accounts, according to The Mercury, suggest the thylacine became extinct on the Australian mainland more than 2000 years ago, although unverified sightings occur across many states of Australia from time to time.

The images were taken by Booth and his 80-year-old father, Joe, a former forestry worker, in bushland more than 30 miles from a former forestry outpost in Maydena.

The men gave the footage to Adrian Richo Richardson, who has been researching thylacines for 26 years.

I dont think its a thylacine ... I know its a thylacine, Richardson said.

The thylacine exists and I want nothing more than for the species to survive and its welfare looked after, he said.

Wildlife biologist Nick Mooney, retired from the Department of Primary Industries, Parks, Water and Environment, spent decades investigating tiger sightings and analyzed the images.

Assuming the footage is authentic, the animal is either a very large spotted-tailed quoll or a small thylacine, Mooney said.

I am happy to suggest that based on this limited analysis of the film, there is perhaps a one in three chance the image is of a thylacine, he said.

The Booth men and Richardson have joined forces, calling themselves the Booth Richardson Tiger Team (BRT Team).

They have passed copies of the film to the Tasmanian government for further assessment as they hunt for more proof.
Energy firms in North America and Europe are facing a new wave of cyberattacks that could wreak havoc on their operations, according to security expert Symantec.

In a report released this week, Symantec explained that the group behind the attacks is known as Dragonfly. The cyber espionage group has been in operation since 2011 and, after a quiet period when it was closely scrutinized by security researchers, has re-emerged over the past two years.

The so-called Dragonfly 2.0 campaign began in late 2015 and harnessed similar techniques to the earlier Dragonfly attacks. The Dragonfly group appears to be interested in both learning how energy facilities operate and also gaining access to operational systems themselves, to the extent that the group now potentially has the ability to sabotage or gain control of these systems should it decide to do so, explained Symantec, in its report.

The organizations targeted are not named in the report.

RUSSIAN CYBERSECURITY FIRM KASPERSKY LAB A 'DANGER' TO US SECURITY, SENATOR WARNS

The company said that it has strong indications of attacker activity in organizations in the U.S., Turkey, and Switzerland, with traces of activity in organizations outside of those countries. The U.S. and Turkey were also among the countries targeted by Dragonfly in its earlier campaign, though the focus on organizations in Turkey does appear to have increased dramatically in this more recent campaign, it said.

Dragonfly 2.0 harnesses a host of techniques to attack energy firms, including malicious emails, so-called watering hole attacks that use infected websites and Trojanized software that can unleash malicious code on computer systems.

The earliest activity in the latest campaign was a malicious email campaign that sent emails disguised as an invitation to a New Years Eve party to energy sector targets in December 2015, according to Symantec.

Dragonfly 2.0 raises a very real risk of sabotage. The original Dragonfly campaigns now appear to have been a more exploratory phase where the attackers were simply trying to gain access to the networks of targeted organizations, explained Symantec. The Dragonfly 2.0 campaigns show how the attackers may be entering into a new phase, with recent campaigns potentially providing them with access to operational systems, access that could be used for more disruptive purposes in future.

CANADIAN UNIVERSITY FALLS VICTIM TO EMAIL PHISHING SCAM, LOSES $9.5M TO FRAUDSTERS

Researchers cited the attackers use of screen captures as evidence of their plans to access energy networks.

The identity of the Dragonfly 2.0 attackers remains cloaked in mystery. Some of the groups activity appears to be aimed at making it more difficult to determine who precisely is behind it, wrote Symantec, noting that the attackers rely heavily on generally available malware. Some code strings in the malware, however, were in Russian, although some were also in French. One of the languages may be a so-called false flag that aims to confuse any investigators looking to reveal the attackers identities.

Despite the clear threat posed by the group, Symantec noted that its customers are protected against Dragonfly attacks.

Experts agree that the report underlines the need for energy firms to keep their systems locked down. The power grid penetration incidents are terrifying and really hit home the importance of having a solid cybersecurity strategy in place for organizations of all types, explained Varun Badhwar, CEO of cloud security company RedLock, in a statement emailed to Fox News.

ISRAEL SECURITY CHIEF: TECH PREVENTED MORE THAN 2,000 LONE WOL TERROR ATTACKS

Whats interesting here is the relatively unsophisticated methods the hacking group has used, added Leigh-Anne Galloway, cyber security resilience lead at security specialist Positive Technologies. Galloway noted that attacks on the Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems used to manage power plants have traditionally used zero-day, or previously unknown, vulnerabilities. In this case though, theyve chosen to go for the older, but most effective methods of phishing and watering holes to get in. Of course, one the attackers are in, they would then still carry out exploits. But phishing is an effective first stage.

In its report, Symantec also pointed to the cyber attacks that disrupted Ukraines power network in 2015 and 2016.

North Korea recently threatened to hit the U.S. with an electromagnetic pulse, which experts warn could cause disruption to the countrys power grids.

Follow James Rogers on Twitter @jamesjrogers
While we often think of combat boots as being your basic black, the truth is that the U.S. military only switched from brown to black in 1957. These leather boots remained in use well into the 1990s, and even saw extensive use at the start of America's role in Vietnam.
On Wednesday evening, thanks to a very powerful sun storm, folks living as far south as Ohio and Indiana will likely catch an exceedingly rare glimpse of the Northern Lights.

As Space.com explained, on Labor Day the sun blasted out a huge cloud of superheated plasma known as a coronal mass ejection (CME). The CME, which is harmless to humans, is expected to reach Earth overnight on Wednesday, as it is traveling at the breakneck speed of about 200 miles per second. When it does reach our atmosphere it will trigger an incredibly strong geomagnetic storm, which happens to cause the Earths auroras to light up.

The strong auroras are likely to last through Thursday morning and will extend from Washington and Idaho in the west to Indiana and Ohio in the midwest and will even show up throughout New England, Space.com explained. To keep people informed on where the auroras may show up, the site pointed to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administrations Space Weather Prediction Center, which hosts a 30-minute aurora forecast, so hopeful viewers can see when (and if) the lights will reach them.

The only thing standing in our way of viewing the aurora in the continental United States is the moon. As Space.com noted, it will be full Wednesday evening, meaning its light could diminish some of our view.

Moreover, as Business Insider explained, Auroras are best viewed in extremely dark skies, meaning even without the moon, people may want to move away from city lights. And even in total darkness, Business Insider said, the lights are pretty difficult to see. But still, it may be worth taking your chances for such a rare event, so gather a few friends and drive out to a pitch-black area just in case. You're guaranteed some prime stargazing regardless.
A Delta Airlines flight  with 173 passengers on board each time  took off from New Yorks John F. Kennedy airport Wednesday and safely traveled to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico -- all while Hurricane Irma bore down on the island.

The round-trip flight was the last one in and out of San Juan, before the citys air traffic control shut down for the Category 5 storm. The airline credited its flight team and meteorology department for the successful flight, the Washington Post reported.

The paper reported that when the 737-900ER plane reached San Juan at 12:01 p.m., winds registered at 28 mph to 36 mph -- well within the safety limits for that type of aircraft. The flight crew reportedly managed to get passengers off and have new passengers board within 40 minutes.

The flight returned to New York with 173 passengers at 4:22 p.m.

Our meteorology team is the best in the business, Erik Snell, Delta's vice president for operations, said in a statement. They took a hard look at the weather data and the track of the storm and worked with the flight crew and dispatcher to agree it was safe to operate the flight. And our flight and ground crews were incredible in their effort to turn the aircraft quickly and safely so the flight could depart well before the hurricane threat.

Jason Rabinowitz, a self-described aviation geek who tracked the flight on radar, said it was amazing stuff to watch Flight 431 in real time fly toward the menacing storm. He posted several photos of a radar screen showing the plane flying between the outer band of the storm.

An air traffic Twitter account posted, Where others have turned back, Delta #DL431 presses on.

Douglas M. Moss, an aviation consultant, told Wired that flying the plane on the outskirts of the mammoth storm was not much different from flying through Midwest in the summertime with thunderstorms.

Its the same techniques, the same tool, the same procedures you use for avoiding thunderstorms, he said.

Pete Field, a former Navy test pilot, also told the magazine that Delta could have lost the plane after landing safely at Puerto Rico's San Juan Luis Munoz Marin International Airport. He said a 737 almost certainly would have been lost in the storm.

Its awful hard to keep an airplane that big down to the ground permanently, he said.
Despite the growing threat of Hurricane Irma to the state of Florida, Disney World will remain open  for now.

As residents brace for the worst, the impending storm could lead to potential closures at a number of Orlando amusement parks, though none have elected to close as of Thursday. However, Universal Orlando, Sea World and Walt Disney World all have emergency protocols in place, including cancellation policies for guests affected by the weather, Travel and Leisure reports.

5 MAJOR CHANGES HAPPENING AT DISNEY WORLD THIS YEAR

At Universal Orlando, the park is operating on normal hours at this time as they monitor the weather, but guests can reschedule or seek refunds, park spokesman Tom Schroder told the Orlando Sentinel.

We have an affirmative, no-questions-asked policy for guests who tell us they want to change plans or seek a refund because of a named storm involving the Orlando area or where they are traveling from, Schroder said in an email to the Sentinel.

Sea Worlds website notes that they are closely monitoring the progress and track of Hurricane Irma but currently have not made any adjustments to their operating schedule. They do have in place a Peace of Mind hurricane policy, offering to reschedule or refund any vacation package or individual park tickets booked directly through the park in the event of a storm. For anyone affected by same-day closures who have been at the park for less than five hours, Sea World offers Sunny Day Guarantee tickets if rides are closed for more than one hour.



Disney World, which has closed only four other times in anticipation of hurricanes since its opening in 1971, is currently operating under normal conditions and continues to monitor the path of Hurricane Irma, according to their website. As part of their hurricane policy, Walt Disney World also notes that if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Center for the Orlando area or your place of residence within seven days of your scheduled arrival date, you can reschedule or cancel without any cancellation or change fees imposed by Disney  so long as the tickets were issued through the resort and not a third party supplier.

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Just days after Hurricane Harvey struck Texas, leaving devastating flooding and damage in its wake, Florida Governor Rick Scott is urging residents to comply with mandatory evacuations and prepare for the arrival of Irma  a Category 5 storm and the most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever  which has already wreaked havoc on the Caribbean. Scott also declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties on Monday.
Airline employees and travelers beware: Lena Dunham is watching you like a hawk.

On Wednesday afternoon, the actress and Girls creator took to Instagram to share a short message from what appeared to be the security gate at an unknown airport.

Im at the airport. And I think people now know, when Im at the airport, they have to f---ing watch out for me, because I hear and I see all.

AMERICAN AIRLINES 'UNABLE TO SUBSTANTIATE' LENA DUNHAM'S ACCUSATIONS OF TRANSPHOBIC EMPLOYEES

Its unclear which people Dunham is referring to in the Instagram story. However, Dunham did make headlines during an early August airport incident, in which she accused two American Airlines employees of engaging in transphobic talk at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

On August 3, Dunham had been waiting on a delayed flight when she claimed to have overheard the AA flight attendants say trans kids are a trend, and that they would never accept a trans kid and transness is gross.

She followed up by tweeting her complaints directly to American Airlines, which launched an investigation into the matter. Ultimately, though, a representative for American Airlines told Fox News that they were unable to substantiate any of Dunhams allegations.

UNITED PASSENGER ACCUSED OF GROPING TEEN GIRL WHILE SHE SLEPT

At the time, ABC News also reported that Dunham was flying out of JFKs Terminal 4 when she claimed to have overheard the AA employees, even though American Airlines operates out of Terminal 8. Dunham declined to comment on the matter.

Nevertheless, American Airlines issued a statement following the incident, stressing that inclusion and diversity is a way of life at the company. Every day, our team members work to make American a place where people of all generations, races, ethnicities, genders, sexual orientations, religious affiliations and backgrounds feel welcome and valued, the airline added.

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Concerning her latest Instagram story, Dunham didnt call out any specific employee over his/her alleged behavior. She did, however, point out that another passenger was bringing his pet monkey on the flight.

Theres also a literal monkey on my flight, said Dunham after sharing footage of a fellow airline traveler carrying the small primate on his shoulders. Theres a monkey on my flight.
Armed employees at a Cleveland Taco Bell shot and killed a would-be robber early Wednesday, police said.

Police responded to the store in the city's Edgewater neighborhood shortly before 3 a.m. and found the suspect suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. The unidentified man was taken to a local hospital and pronounced dead.

A second suspect fled the scene.

Investigators say five Taco Bell employees were in the store when the suspects came in wearing masks and ordered them to get on the ground. Three of the employees opened fire, striking the suspect.

Police said no arrests had been made.

In a statement, Taco Bell said the company was offering counseling to the restaurant workers and was cooperating with the investigation.

Click for more from Fox8.com.
Forty-seven prominent conservatives have signed an open letter warning the mainstream media against using data on hate groups compiled by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

The letter calls the SPLC a "discredited, left-wing political activist organization that seeks to silence its political opponents with a 'hate group' label of its own invention."

Founded in 1971, the SPLC gained fame by successfully prosecuting legal cases against white supremacist organizations, including the Ku Klux Klan. It describes its mission as "fighting hate and bigotry and ... seeking justice for the most vulnerable members of our society."

Today, the SPLC is best known for tracking hate groups, which the organization defines as having "beliefs or practices that attack or malign an entire class of people, typically for their immutable characteristic." Currently, the SPLC says 917 hate groups are operating in the United States.

SPLC's "hate map" gained prominence in the media after last month's deadly violence at a white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Va. However, critics say the organization has falsely slapped the "hate group" label on non-violent groups who hold traditional beliefs about hot-button issues such as gay marriage and abortion.

Last month, a prominent evangelical ministry based in Florida filed a federal lawsuit accusing the SPLC of defamation after it was labeled an "active hate group." In July, Fox News found that at least seven organizations are listed as hate groups by the SPLC despite explicitly prohibiting violence by their members.

The letter also warns that receiving the SPLC's hate group label "endangers the lives of those targeted with it." It references the 2012 shooting at the headquarters of the Family Research Council in Washington. The gunman, Floyd Lee Corkins, said he disagreed with the group's opposition to gay marriage and prosecutors said he selected the group as a target using the SPLC "hate map."

"By recklessly linking the Charlottesville melee to the mainstream groups named on the SPLC website," the letter went on, "we are left to wonder if another Floyd Lee Corkins will soon be incited to violence by this incendiary information.

Prominent signatories of the letter include Brent Bozell of the Media Research Center, Tony Perkins of the Family Research Council and former Attorney General Edwin Meese III.
A 31-year-old man was shot and killed by police in the Bronx, N.Y., on Wednesday.

Officers arrived at the scene after receiving a call from the man's landlord, who told police he was concerned about his tenants well being, according to an NYPD official.

WOMAN FOUND WITH ROSARY BEADS IN THROAT DIES, NYPD SAYS

When police went up to the apartment, they reportedly were contronted by the tenant who had a knife in his left hand and his right hand hidden behind his back.

The officers reportedly told the man to drop his knife. One officer saw what he thought was a firearm in the man's other hand, officials said. When asked if the weapon was real, the man reportedly lifted the gun towards the officers.

Two officers fired their guns at the man, while another backup officer fired his taser.

The man was pronounced dead on scene.

Both the knife and imitation pistol were recovered at the apartment.

All officers were wearing body cameras, according to police. The cameras have been secured for further review of the incident.
A 51-year-old teacher in Alabama has been charged with three felonies for being sexually involved with a student, authorities said.

Sonya Ann Wilks Bailey has been charged with one count of a school employee engaging in a sex act with a student, one count of second-degree sodomy and one count of second-degree rape, according to AL.com.

Authorities said Bailey allegedly sent sexually-explicit photos and engaged in sexual acts with a student.

AL.com reported she was a commerce and information technology teacher at West End High School in Walnut Grove, Alabama. She's reportedly married with two children and two grandchildren.

Bailey was booked into the Etowah County Detention Center on $60,000 property bond. As a condition of her bond, Bailey is to report to Community Corrections, authorities said.

Etowah County Superintendent Dr. Alan Cosby said in a statement to AL.com: Mrs. Bailey resignation was accepted by the Etowah County Board of Education on August 28th. Her resignation was accepted after these allegations came to light. We are fully cooperating with the Sheriffs Office and District Attorneys Office in this case.
Florida is bracing as Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, is feared to hit Florida on Sunday.

The hurricane "remains a dangerous and life-threatening Category 5" storm, Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned Wednesday night at a briefing. Forecast models have put the storm on a track to hit Florida over the weekend, but meteorologists have warned its path could change.

Scott said Florida is "at least 48 hours away from feeling the effects of this massive system." The Florida Keys, he said, could feel the effects of the storm Friday night and early Saturday.

Irma continues to pack 185-mph winds and is located about 75 miles north/northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, the National Hurricane Center said in a 2 a.m. Thursday ET advisory. It was heading west-northwest at 16 mph.

Irma "is much worse and more devastating on its current path" than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm which hit the state in 1992, he said.

TRACK IRMA AT MYFOXHURRICANE.COM

The governor also addressed evacuation orders, saying, "If you're told to evacuate, get out quickly." 25,000 people have been evacuated from the Florida Keys, he said.

Officials in the Florida Keys have geared up to get tourists and residents out of Irma's potential path, with mandatory evacuations going into effect Wednesday morning.

A mandatory evacuation was in effect Wednesday in Monroe County for all visitors to the Florida Keys. A mandatory evacuation for residents began at 7 p.m. Wednesday.

"Do not focus on the exact path of this storm," Scott said at an earlier Wednesday briefing. "A storm of this size could have effects statewide and everyone must be prepared."

Broward County Mayor Barbara Sharief said Wednesday that mandatory evacuations have been issued starting at noon Thursday for all residents east of U.S. Route 1, known as Federal Highway, including all barrier islands.

Sharief said 14 emergency shelters will open Thursday at noon, which are "a refuge of last resort." The county does have pet-friendly shelters, with a full list available on the county's website.

Further south, Miami-Dade Mayor Carlos Gimenez said about 2,200 special needs residents have been evacuated, and the evacuations will continue until theyre complete.

Mandatory evacuation orders have been issued for the entirety of zone A, along with zone B barrier islands, in Miami-Dade County, WSVN reported Wednesday night.

A Navy spokesman told Fox News 5,000 non-essential personnel and family members based at Naval Air Station Key West are evacuating, adding that 50 to 60 "mission essential personnel" will stay to continue essential functions.

All Florida Navy installations are working through checklists to prepare their installations for the storm, Bill Dougherty said.

In addition to the evacuation, Navy officials told Fox News warships meant for Hurricane Harvey relief are now being staged to deal with Irma.

HURRICANE IRMA SLAMS CARIBBEAN ISLANDS AS CATEGORY 5 STORM

The amphibious assault ship USS Kearsarge and smaller USS Oak Hill will remain off the coast of Florida to be ready to support any work related to Irma-relief instead of heading to Texas as previously scheduled.

Additional warships have left port in Florida to evade the storm, according to officials.

Elsewhere in South Florida, Miami-Dade officials have said that residents should indeed be getting ready, with some schools being canceled for the rest of the week, WSVN reported.

This is a powerful storm which poses a serious threat, Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.

Area residents have filled stores to stock up on supplies, with some locations reporting shortages of water.

Nicole Chery, who was shopping at a Publix in Miami Shores, told WSVN she tried and failed to find water as she prepares for the approaching storm.

They say that they cant give me any pack, Chery said. They say that the truck is on the way, but they dont have no time frame.

The National Weather Service director said Wednesday his staff is "very worried about the impact of winds and surge on the Keys" as Irma approaches.

Director Louis Uccellini says all the hazards will be dangerous with Irma -- that means the storm surge, high winds and heavy rain, and that "very strong winds can do a lot of damage" in an urban environment like South Florida.

The key for Florida and the U.S. east coast is when and where Irma makes a "right turn" and heads north. He says where that happens "depends on a low-pressure system over the Great Lakes region."

To figure all this out, the weather service is using its newest satellite and launching 49 new balloons to gather information for computer models.

The Department of Homeland Security stated in a news release that Immigration and Customs Enforcement, as well as Customs and Border Protection, "will not conduct non-criminal immigration enforcement operations in the affected area," but will be working with local and state authorities "to conduct search and rescue, air traffic de-confliction and public safety missions."

Irma's unknown track has officials north of Florida getting ready for the worst.

Gov. Roy Cooper, of North Carolina, declared a state of emergency early Wednesday evening, effective 8 a.m. Thursday morning.

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster also declared a state of emergency Wednesday, since Irma's path could take the powerful storm through the state.

The declaration allows state officials to set up an operations center at the Emergency Management Division headquarters in West Columbia.

Click for more from WSVN.

Fox News' Lucas Tomlinson and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Ten sharks were found in the basement pool of a New York home Wednesday after environmental conservation officers searched the residence.



Officials with the state Department of Environmental Conservation said the 15-foot-diameter aboveground basement pool inside a home in the Dutchess County hamlet of LaGrangeville had seven live sandbar sharks, two dead leopard sharks and one dead hammerhead shark.

All the sharks were 2 feet to 4 feet long.

Officials said marine wildlife experts took blood samples and measured the sharks before they were transferred to the Long Island Aquarium in a truck equipped with water tanks, oxygen and climate control.

It is unclear what prompted the search of the Hudson Valley home last month. No one has been charged and an investigation is ongoing.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A Florida sheriff tweeted Wednesday that sex offenders or those with a warrant would be arrested if seeking refuge at shelters during powerful Hurricane Irma.

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd tweeted: If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, well gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail.

Judd tweeted later: We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders & predators. Period.

WRATH OF IRMA: PHOTOS CAPTURE FLORIDA-BOUND HURRICANES TRAIL OF DESTRUCTION IN CARIBBEAN

Judd is known for being outspoken, according to The Orlando Sentinel.

Judd first tweeted that officers would be deployed at every shelter and would be checking IDs.

Sex offenders/predators will not be allowed, the tweet said.

Carrie Horstman, a spokeswoman for the office, confirmed officers would be checking IDs and will arrest those with a warrant. Horstman said it would not be possible for the officers to see what the warrant is, so it was possible some people with non-violent misdemeanor offenses could be taken into custody.

Officers are legally obligated to take a person into custody if they have a warrant, Horstman told The Orlando Sentinel.

2 FLORIDA NUCLEAR PLANTS LIKELY TO SHUT DOWN IF IRMA CONTINUES PATH

Horstman said the office did something similar in 2004.

"I was just trying to keep people informed ahead of time," Horstman said. "We can't allow sexual predators in the centers and shelters."

The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida criticized the move and said Judd should focus on preparing for Irma, not burnishing your Joe-Arpaio-style tough cop credentials with irresponsible tweets.

Arpaio, a former sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona, was found guilty of criminal contempt for allegedly defying a judges 2011 order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. Arpaio, who was dubbed Americas toughest sheriff, had been previously accused of a number of civil rights violations against Latinos. President Trump pardoned Arpaio last month.

Gov. Rick Scott, R-Fla., told The Orlando Sentinel he had not seen the tweets.

I havent seen that. My expectation is that everyone needs to follow the evacuation orders and get to safety. Id have to look at exactly what was said, he said.

Rep. Carlos Smith, D-Fla., condemned the move and said it also victimized undocumented immigrants.

The message has already been received by the 18,000 undocumented persons in Polk County, Smith said. This is not the message we need to be sending out with a disaster upon us.

Horstman said the measure was enforced to ensure people were safe when seeking shelter.

The Sheriffs Office says the effort will allow residents to feel the shelters are safe and spur more turnout, Horstman said.

We hope it actually leads to more people turning themselves in.
Massachusetts' highest court wrestled Thursday over whether allowing houses of worship to receive public funds for restoration inappropriately blurs the line between church and state.

An attorney for the group of residents who brought the case told the Supreme Judicial Court that the writers of a Massachusetts constitutional amendment clearly meant for active churches to be prohibited from receiving taxpayer dollars in an effort to keep government out of the business of religion.

"If these words mean anything, they mean the government cannot write a check to help an active house of worship," attorney Douglas Mishkin said.

The group of taxpayers is challenging more than $100,000 in community preservation grants that Acton Congregational Church intends to use to restore stained-glass windows that include religious imagery and identify other restoration needs.

The court is expected to rule within months on the town of Acton's decision to award the state and local funds to the historic church.

Mishkin argued that if a church is primarily a historical attraction, it may qualify for the funds under the Community Preservation Act. He pointed to the Old North Church, Boston's oldest surviving church building and one of its most visited historical sites.

But one of the justices questioned how they are supposed to draw the line, noting that Old North Church still holds services.

"Isn't that true in the Old North Church, if there are active congregants, it's still aiding the church?" Justice Elspeth Cypher said.

Massachusetts' churches have used public funds for restoration before, including for stained-glass windows. More than 300 projects involving religious institutions have already been funded through the preservation program, said Nina Pickering-Cook, an attorney for Acton.

She argued that the owner of the building shouldn't matter when it comes to preserving the state's historic buildings.

"The only thing that makes the use of funds here religious is the ownership," she said.

The taxpayers say Acton is not only seeking the funds to restore a historic structure, but to aid the church congregation. In its application for the funds, the church expressed a need to draw in more members amid financial problems, the lawsuit says.

"The church pleaded for it as almost an existential matter: We need it to continue doing what we're doing," Mishkin told the court.

Pickering-Cook said the church's motives for the funds are irrelevant because the town was looking only at the building's historical significance when it approved the grant. After the hearing, she said the town is confident it's "on the right side of the law."

Some of the judges expressed concern over whether allowing houses of worship to receive taxpayer money would set off a competition between different faiths.

If certain faiths' buildings are deemed "validly historic" and receive grants, but others don't, Chief Justice Ralph Gants and others questioned whether it would spark claims of religious discrimination.

"Are we getting an excessive entanglement of church and state here?" Justice Scott Kafker asked.

The initial lawsuit also challenged a grant to the South Acton Congregational Church, but it has since withdrawn its application for the funds. A lower court judge sided with the town of Acton last year.

____

Follow Alanna Durkin Richer at http://twitter.com/aedurkinricher. Read more of her work at http://apne.ws/2hIhzDb
A Republican candidate running for Charlotte mayor has come under fire after she urged residents to vote for her by describing herself as Republican & smart, white, traditional on her Facebook page.

Kimberley Barnette, 53, one of the three candidates running in next weeks mayoral primary, wrote on her Facebook profile: Vote for me! Kimberley Paige Barnette, Mayor of Charlotte 2017, REPUBLICAN & SMART, WHITE, TRADITIONAL.

COURT RESTORES LOVE TRIANGLE LAWSUIT IN NORTH CAROLINA

The short description was heavily criticized by social media users and was taken down shortly after, The Charlotte Observer reported.

You are NOT doing conservatives or Republicans any favors, one social media user wrote.

Robin Hayes, the chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party, has condemned the social media post. Hayes said Tuesday that any suggestion a candidate is more or less qualified based on skin color alone is offensive to North Carolina Republicans.

The Charlotte mayoral contest will be decided based on who can best promote public safety, provide economic development and improve critical infrastructure needs. This contest will not be decided based on the skin color of the candidates, Hayes said. Any suggestion that a candidate is more or less qualified for political office based on their skin color alone, offensive to North Carolina Republicans and we condemn it. This type of suggestion has no place in our public discourse.

Barnette apologized Tuesday if she offended anyone and said she was not suggesting she was a better candidate because of skin color.

Barnette, who is running against Kenny Smith and Gary Dunn, said in a WTVI debate in August that she did not want to encourage lower-income people to move to Charlotte when asked how she would help lower-income families.

CONFEDERATE STATUES IN NORTH CAROLINA MUST COME DOWN, PROTESTERS SAY

I dont think we should encourage more lower-income people to [come to] Charlotte, Barnette said. We should attract higher-income people.

Barnette told the Charlotte Observer that she would be a good mayor because Im good at listening and analyzing information. I think Id be good at it.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Turkey's belonging to Europe has always been in doubt because of political narrow-mindedness of certain leaders of parties and movements. They forget that European community differs by cultural and ethnic variety of nations that are united by common economic concerns and human values. However, Europeans more than once managed to successfully stand against isolationist trends, for Europe is first of all an equal union of states where supremacy of a single party member or single ideology is totally inappropriate.For a good while, Germany has been an example of a political force that places its concerns and ideas of democracy above all in the policy of the European Union. This country with the totalitarian past strains after switching the present EU into a gathering of biased chauvinists who screen out candidates on the grounds of religious affiliation and personal antipathy.Not long ago, Minister for foreign affairs of Germany Sigmar Gabriel uttered an "envenomed" diatribe and was emphatic about closing doors to Turkey's accession to the EU. He highly subjectively interpreted the politics of Turkish government and international relations of that country. All that was delivered under the guise of all-European vision on Turkey.However, as it turned out, there are sensible actors within the European Union who resist the pressure of Germany. So, after the abrupt reply to these insinuations, Turkish Minister of European Union affairs Omer Celik received a tender message from Polish MEPs with words of support and promise to provide assistance in soonest accession of Turkey to the EU.As you know, Poland wields as much influence and favor in Europe as Germany does. That's the second year already that the country holds summits modeled on the Intermarium concept to solve important economic and defense issues. That's the country which opinion is considered in Central Europe, South-Eastern Europe and Baltic states. Fair knowledge of history of postwar recovery of Europe and clear understanding of the current situation gives Turkey reason to rely on a rising tide of nearly extinct interest in struggling for membership in the European Union.Because of hostile attitude of German politicians and their stooges, nowadays the idea of accessing the EU became unpopular among Turks facing strongly negative response more and more often. Poland gave hope not only to Turks who have gone the longest way to integration into the EU, but also to Europeans as it gave a lead in a conduct of a civilized country being unaffected by arbitrary behavior of self-proclaimed kinglings who undermine the very principle of democracy and abuse basic European fundamentals.
It is the peak of hurricane season and the Coast Guard is on alert for threatening storms.

To prepare its current class of cadets, the Coast Guard academy uses the Eagle, a ship that trains officers how to handle major storms.

Theyll respond to the Coast Guard's need every day, said Captain Matt Meilstrup, who oversees the Eagle, whether thats the traditional missions of search and rescue, law enforcement, buoy tending, icebreaking or emergencies like Hurricane Harvey response.

The academy is monitoring this years hurricane season as a teaching tool for the cadets.

As Hurricane Irma roars toward Florida, the Coast Guard is warning the public to stay off the water, secure belongings and evacuate if there is a mandatory evacuation for the area. In Puerto Rico, Coast Guardsmen stationed at Air Station Borinquen are already assessing damage from the storm.

In the aftermath of Harvey, the Coast Guard conducted numerous search-and-rescue missions and helped with relief efforts.

Harvey has devastated Houston and I know we have a lot of Coast Guardsmen doing great, great things, officer candidate Miles Durr told Fox News. We have had numerous, numerous rescues, over in the thousands. So it has been amazing to see the relief, but theres a lot more to go.

While the Eagle is not designed to carry out real-world missions, it is the only active training ship in the U.S. The cadets say their time on the ship is crucial.

The training vessel is used to teach us leadership, help us work together and kind of rise in morale, Durr said. We work on lines and different things, bringing down the sails, and these are all things we do as a team.

What we do is... we teach a lot of the practical elements, Meilstrup said. Navigation, the fundamentals of how to combat causalities, how to stay on watches. Really, its training our officers to respond to whatever issues they may face in the future.

In a few weeks, the vessel will return to Connecticut where the cadets will finish nearly three months of training before graduating.

Whether they are pilots, whether they are small-boat operators, whether they go to our ships. All those elements of, how do you handle the wind, and the current and the weather, and how do you factor that into operations. Theyll all put that to use no matter where they go, Meilstrup said.
A Republican student at San Diego State University (SDSU) who received violent threats last month is being targeted in a new way, Brandon Jones told Fox News.

Jones, the leader of the College Republicans organization on campus, drew fire from liberal activists last month after he asked a college Muslim association to condemn recent terror attacks overseas. Now, Jones organization is being labeled a white nationalist group by the university's Democratic socialist group.

COLLEGE REPUBLICAN SAYS HE GOT VIOLENT THREATS AFTER HE ASKED MUSLIM GROUP TO CONDEMN TERROR ATTACKS

That comes after Jones released a statement in support of the Trump administrations decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program Tuesday.

In response, the Young Democratic Socialists group shared the College Republicans post on Facebook, and called the group a white nationalist organization. The post continued, All people deserve to live without fear of deportation.

Jones told Fox News that the Young Democratic Socialists have not directly contacted Jones or the College Republicans group, but, according to Jones, took to social media to refer to the College Republicans as a hate group and white nationalists.

They have the liberty to label us whichever way they would like, Jones said. However, they fail time and time again to respond to the College Republicans numerous requests to hold an on-campus debate.

The college Republican said his organization has coordinated debates with other clubs, but the Young Democratic Socialists so far  have shown no interest in defending their socialist ideologies.

STUDENT HAS GRADE DOCKED FOR USING THE WORD 'MANKIND' IN PAPER

The Young Democratic Socialists took issue with the College Republicans after Jones posted a letter requesting the schools Muslim Student Association (MSA) condemn an ISIS-claimed terror attack in Barcelona, Jones said. The Young Democratic Socialists group said the letter was a cruel and bigoted attack that insinuated, MSA members will be considered terrorist sympathizers unless they condemn an attack they had nothing to do with.

The Young Democratic Socialists did not respond to Fox News requests for comment.

After Jones letter to the MSA was posted online, he said he received anonymous threats of violence and protests in support of his resignation as club president, as well as his expulsion from SDSU.

Jones said since the fallout of his initial letter, students keep threatening protests  but have not shown any real intent behind the threats, but added that his club members are watching one anothers backs.
Students at a central Indiana high school were banned from wearing or displaying the Confederate flag after administrators said it led to verbal altercations and caused a substantial disruption.

The flag ban went into effect Friday after about two dozen students at Lapel High School, in Madison County, broke out their Confederate flag gear and wore it two consecutive days near the start of the new school year, which began on Aug. 15, The Indianapolis Star reported. The students also drove together to school in multiple vehicles decorated with the Confederate flag. In response, another group of students reportedly planned to wear Black Lives Matter shirts, but were stopped from doing so, as well.

Bobby Fields, superintendent of the school district, said in a statement that the emblem was banned to prevent disruptions to the integrity and sanctity of the teaching and learning process. No students have been disciplined in the matter.

CONFEDERATE FLAG SALES SURGE AFTER CHARLOTTESVILLE VIOLENCE

Students who took part in the display said its part of an annual historical commemoration of the Second Battle of Bull Run, RTV6 reported. Each of the students met one-on-one with Chad Kemerly, the school principal, to discuss their intentions behind wearing the flag.

We talked about the Southern heritage, and that for many people, that flag stands for racism, Kemerly said. We emphasized they need to know what the message [is] theyre sending.

High school senior Peyton Bannon, who wore the flag, said their intent was not racism.

"I'm for what they believe in. I'm for the South, Bannon said. They seceded from the North for tax reasons and they just didn't want to be pushed around anymore, so they left."

I do feel bad for them for letting myself portray it like that, he said. I was very disappointed in my community because it wasnt an act of racism -- it was an act of honor.

Administrators said they received complaints from more than 75 students -- including some who said they felt bullied.

FLORIDA MAN CHARGED WITH USING CONFEDERATE FLAG AS WEAPON

They've had these flags every year, said Elliotte Burton, one of the students who planned to wear Black Lives Matter shirts. They would just take them down, but now that the situation has been brought up that kids were going to do the Black Lives Matter shirts, they'll literally ride around the school with them flying, then they'll leave the parking lot and drive around this whole town with them."

In his statement, Fields said while the school recognizes its students First Amendment rights like freedom of speech and freedom of expression, they should not be used to disrupt the learning process of other students or to inflame, insult, bully or intimidate other students. He said those rights were outweighed by the likelihood that displaying the flag would undermine the learning atmosphere.
Getting the approval of a parole panel was the easy part for Leslie Van Houten, the youngest of Charles Manson's murderous followers.

Between her and her release stands a governor who has shown zero willingness to allow anyone involved in the Manson killings to go free.

Van Houten, now 68, was found suitable for parole by the two-person state panel after a hearing on Wednesday.

Now, she must still be approved by the state Parole Board, which is likely, but then must hope Gov. Jerry Brown won't block her release as he did last year.

In blocking her release then, as he has with several would-be parolees from the Manson "family," Brown said Van Houten had failed to adequately explain to the panel how a model teenager from a privileged Southern California family who had once been a homecoming princess could have turned into a ruthless killer by age 19.

On Wednesday, the panel grilled her for two hours on how she could address those concerns.

"I've had a lot of therapy trying to answer that question myself," she said.

"To tell you the truth, the older I get the harder it is to deal with all of this, to know what I did, how it happened," added Van Houten, now a frail-looking 68-year-old who appeared before the panel on crutches, her gray hair pulled back in a bun.

Her attorney, Rich Pfeiffer, said after the hearing that he believes Van Houten addressed the concerns the governor had when he denied her parole last year.

"My hope is he's going to follow the law and let his commissioners do their job," he said.

He added his client was relieved by Wednesday's ruling, adding he believes she will be released eventually.

"I'm getting her out of here. That's not an issue. The question is when," he said.

No one who took part in the Manson clan's two-night killing rampage has been released from prison so far.

Van Houten told the panelists she was devastated when her parents divorced when she was 14. Soon after, she said, she began hanging out with her school's outcast crowd in the Los Angeles suburb of Monrovia. She started smoking marijuana and graduated to LSD at 15. When she was 17, she and her boyfriend ran away to San Francisco's Haight-Ashbury District during San Francisco's summer of love.

When they returned, she said, she discovered she was pregnant. When her mother found out, she ordered her to have an abortion and bury her fetus in their backyard.

Soon after, she was traveling up and down the California coast, trying to find peace within herself when acquaintances led her to Manson, who was holed up at an old abandoned movie ranch on the outskirts of Los Angeles where he had recruited what he called a "family" to survive what he insisted would be a race war he would launch by committing a series of random, horrifying murders. His disaffected youthful followers became convinced that the small-time criminal and con man was actually a Christ-like figure and believed him.

Van Houten went on to candidly describe how she joined several other members of the "Manson Family" in killing Los Angeles grocer Leno La Bianca and his wife, Rosemary, in their home on Aug. 9, 1969, carving up La Bianca's body and smearing the couple's blood on the walls.

She was not with Manson followers the night before when they killed pregnant actress Sharon Tate and four others during a similar bloody rampage.

On the night of the second attack she said she held Rosemary La Bianca down with a pillowcase over her head as others stabbed her dozens of times. Then, ordered by Manson disciple Tex Watson to "do something," she picked up a butcher knife and stabbed the woman more than a dozen times.

"I feel absolutely horrible about it, and I have spent most of my life trying to find ways to live with it," she added quietly.

Relatives of the La Biancas didn't believe her. They spoke emotionally as they pleaded with the commission to reject her parole bid.

"No member of the Manson family deserves parole, ever," nephew Louis Smaldino said. "She is a total narcissist and only thinks of herself and not the damage she has done."

The voice of the La Biancas' oldest grandson, Tony LaMontagne, broke as he noted he's about to turn 44, the same age his grandfather was when he was killed.

"Please see to it that this fight doesn't have to happen every year for the rest of our lives," he said of Van Houten's nearly two dozen parole hearings.

Family members left before the panel announced its decision.

In reaching it, Parole Commissioner Brian Roberts and Deputy Commissioner Dale Pomantz said they took into account Van Houten's entire time of incarceration. During those years she has earned bachelor's and master's degrees in counseling, been certified as a counselor and headed numerous programs to help inmates.

"You've been a facilitator, you've been a tutor and you've been giving back for quite a number of years," Roberts said.

Still, he warned her that if she is released that living in society again will not be easy. He noted parole officials have heard from "tens of thousands" of people who don't want her released. But others, he added, including many who have known her since childhood, spoke up for her, saying they've seen her mature in prison and become a different person.

"So with that we'd like to wish you good luck," he said.

___

AP reporters Don Thompson in Sacramento, California, and John Antczak in Los Angeles contributed to this report.
The House of Representatives Wednesday overwhelmingly passed a $7.85 billion aid package for Hurricane Harvey victims with broad bipartisan support.

With a 419 to 3 vote, the relief marks just the first step in a long recovery process for Louisiana and Texas.

Once the damage from the massive storm and record-breaking flooding are fully assessed, another request for federal aid is expected to top $100 billion.

Nothing can really capture just how big and wide this devastation is, Speaker Paul Ryan said prior to the vote on the need for immediate relief funding. You hear a lot of numbers. Tens of thousands of people in shelters. Hundreds of thousands of homes damaged. Nothing can really capture this.

The legislation now heads to the Senate where lawmakers may attach a provision to raise the debt ceiling, which Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin has requested. That would send the legislation back to the House where very conservative lawmakers are opposed to raising the debt ceiling without spending cuts.

The bill includes $7.4 billion for Federal Emergency Management Agency and $450 million for the Small Business Administration.

Click for more from The New York Post
As Hurricane Irma continues to roar towards South Florida as a Category 5 storm, don't expect to see lions and tigers (or bears, for that matter) joining the thousands evacuating on area roadways.

Zoos and wildlife parks across the state are getting ready for the storm, which was packing 180-mph winds as Thursday morning -- but that means hunkering down instead of heading out.

Officials at Zoo Miami said in a Facebook post since hurricanes can change direction, "you run the risk of evacuating to a more dangerous location."

"Furthermore, the stress of moving the animals can be more dangerous than riding out the storm. The animals that are considered dangerous will stay in their secure night houses, which are made of poured concrete and welded metal. These animals survived Andrew without injuries," the Zoo wrote on Facebook.

The zoo's iconic flamingos, which rode out Hurricane Andrew in a hay-filled bathroom 25 years ago as the then-Category 5 storm slammed the park, and Hurricane Georges in 1998, won't be hiding out in same location.

When Irma nears this weekend, the birds will be inside their steel and concrete enclosure, a spokesman for the zoo told the Miami Herald.

Its one of the things we learned from Andrew, Ron Magill told the newspaper. They will be safe.

HURRICANE IRMA'S STORM PATH: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW

The zoo will be closed Thursday and Friday to prepare for the hurricane, and officials said it's loaded up on additional food and water, while generators "have been tested and ready to go."

About 220 miles north of Zoo Miami, another iconic Florida wildlife attraction may be placing small animals at a conference center.

Gatorland, located in Orlando, is planning on crating its possums, raccoons and other animals and placing them in a conference room within a concrete building at the park.

Park director Mike Hileman told the Orlando Sentinel up to about 40 snakes will be placed in locked boxes in the same secured building.

The park's signature attractions, however, will stay in their normal exhibits, but are more accustomed to dealing with tropical weather.

Alligators and crocs, they couldnt care less, Hileman told the newspaper. This isnt anything new to them. If it gets real bad, they take a breath and sink to the bottom of the water.
"It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of (Hurricane) Harvey."  Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather

A weakened but still dangerous Irma pushed inland Monday as it hammered Florida with winds and floodwaters.

Irma was downgraded Monday morning to a tropical storm. On Sunday, it made landfall in the Florida Keys as a Category 4 storm hurricane after leaving a deadly path of destruction in the Caribbean, the National Hurricane Center said.

The storm has already knocked out power to more than 6.5 million homes and businesses across Florida. More than 100,000 customers in Georgia and more than 80,000 in South Carolina were without power.

The storm killed at least 35 people in the Caribbean.



Nearly 7 million people in the Southeast were warned to leave in one of the largest U.S. evacuations, including 6.4 million in Florida alone. Officials estimated that about 25 percent of Key Wests residents stayed through the storm despite evacuation orders.

More than 120 homes were being evacuated early Monday in Orange County, the region where the city of Orlando is located, as floodwaters started to rise. Firefighters and the National Guard were going door-to-door and using boats to ferry families to safety.

Heres what you should know about Tropical Storm Irma and its trajectory.

Where is Tropical Storm Irma now?

By Monday evening, the tropical storm was continuing to push its way into Georgia.



FLORIDA KEYS AND HURRICANES, A LONG HISTORY

The tropical storm was about 55 miles southeast of Columbus, Ga., as of the National Hurricane Center's 8 p.m. ET advisory. It has maximum sustained winds of 40 mph and is moving in a north-northwest direction at 16 mph.

Over the next two days, Irma is expected to move into Alabama, Mississippi and Tennessee.

What else should I know about the storm?

"This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast. It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of (Hurricane) Harvey," Evan Myers, chief operating officer of AccuWeather, said in a statement.

AS IRMA ARRIVES, ANIMALS ARE HAULED OFF TO JAIL  FOR PROTECTION

Georgia officials declared a state of emergency in all 159 counties on Sunday in preparation for Tropical Storm Irma after the National Weather Service issued a tropical storm warning in Atlanta  for the first time in the citys history.

South Carolina and North Carolina also declared states of emergency ahead of the storm.

Fox News' Jake Ingrassia, Kaitlyn Schallhorn, Zoe Szathmary, Nicole Darrah and The Associated Press contributed to this report.


Days after Irma devastated the Leeward Islands, another hurricane is set to make a close pass to the islands.

Jose, which formed into a hurricane Wednesday afternoon, is set to track to the northwest toward the northern Leeward Islands through this weekend. Short-term conditions will favor further intensification of Jose.

"The hurricane will remain within a very favorable environment for intensification and Jose should become a Category 3 and major hurricane," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.

Jose will make a close pass to the northern Leeward Islands Friday night through Saturday, likely as a Category 2 or 3 hurricane. Depending on how close Jose passes, will determine the severity of the impacts.





Jose is relatively small and is not expected to become a large hurricane in size, Kottlowski said.

The size of Jose could keep the worst impacts away from the northern Leeward Islands.

If Jose is able to track close enough to the Leeward Islands, another round of heavy rain, gusty winds, swells and storm surge for the northern Leeward Islands would be in store.

The islands most likely to be impacted include Barbuda, Antigua, Anguilla, Montserrat, St. Kitts and Nevis.

These are the same islands that were devastated by Category 5 Hurricane Irma just days ago.

The prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda described Barbuda as "barely habitable" on Wednesday afternoon due to the catastrophic damage left behind by Irma.

Another round of heavy rain would make any ongoing flooding worse and could cause additional flooding.





Strong winds would also lead to additional damage to structures and blow debris around, especially if the center of Jose tracks close enough to the islands. An uptick in surf and surge would occur and cause flooding.

Regardless of how close Jose tracks to the Leeward Islands, an uptick in drenching showers, wind and rough surf can still be expected.

Any type of impacts from a tropical system will only further endanger lives on these islands, following the devastation from Irma.

Beyond the Leeward Islands, Jose will likely get caught up in a lack of steering flow, causing the hurricane to decrease its speed.

"It's possible Jose might slow down and stall just south of Bermuda early next week as steering flow around the system drops off considerably," Kottlowski said.

During this time, Jose will only bring disruptions to shipping interests in the region. However, rough surf and rip currents will batter Bermuda.
Police in Indiana are on the hunt for two suspects who reportedly fled a home invasion after the homeowner fired gunshots.

Officers were called to a home in Warren County, Ind., around 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, FOX59 reported.

William Kellerhals told police that two white males kicked in the side door of his house and began to beat him with a bat. He said he was eventually able to grab his gun and fire shots at the two intruders, forcing them to flee.

Police say the homeowner walked away with minor bumps and bruises and that nothing was taken from the home.
FOCUS ON DEFENSE CAPABILITY DEVELOPMENT IN SOUTHEAST ASIA AND OCEANIA
The FBI is investigating an explosion that injured at least one person Wednesday night at an Indiana post office.

FBI Special Agent Bob Ramsey said the victim, a woman, was taken to a hospital after the explosion, The Times of Northwest Indiana reported. Details of her injuries were not immediately available but Fire Chief Anthony Serna said they are not life-threatening.

The East Chicago Fire Department reportedly received a call about a possible explosion around 6 p.m.

An FBI statement to the Chicago Sun Times said it is "yet to be determined if this is an act of domestic or international terrorism, but at this time there is no ongoing public safety concern."

The Porter County's bomb squad responded with a bomb disposal robot. K-9 units from the Lake County Sheriff's Department were at the scene investigating.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
In a majority of homegrown terrorism cases investigated in the United States in recent years, someone had information that something was amiss, a top U.S. counterterrorism official said Thursday.

Nick Rasmussen, director of the National Counterterrorism Center, said countering Islamic extremism globally is a nearly impossible task  like trying to "boil the ocean." Instead, the U.S. needs to be more hands-on at home and do a better job sharing threat information with local officials, he said.

Rasmussen and top intelligence officials from Britain, Canada and Germany gave their assessments of the threat from global terrorism at a national security conference in Washington hosted by the Intelligence and National Security Alliance, a group of national security professionals in the public and private sectors.

"Up to 80 percent of the cases we've looked at very closely along with the FBI in recent years, someone was aware of what was going on and if there had been the right touch, connection, intervention, it's possible that that person could have been taken off of the path that they were on," Rasmussen said.

"That tells me we have to do a much better job as an intelligence community and a law enforcement community of making information available to community actors who are going to be there long before the FBI shows up."

Friedrich Grommes, a top terrorism official with Germany's intelligence service, said the most recent attacks in Europe have been carried out by lone wolves who were inspired, but not directed by, militant groups. He said as early as 2010, Islamic State leaders were calling for these so-called "leader-less jihad" attacks.

Even back then, the group was pushing for simplistic attacks with everyday items like knives, rather than complex ones that are more easily discovered and foiled. He noted that al-Qaida also recently made an appeal for home-grown attacks.

As a rule, Grommes said these attackers have been radicalized through the internet and social media  in some cases very rapidly. He said he's struck by how many are petty criminals who know little to nothing about Islam.

He also said that as IS loses territory in Syria and Iraq, there is a fear that foreign fighters will return to their home countries, but that so far, there is no hard evidence to suggest fighters are returning to Germany.

Grommes said it's important not to let young, male refugees entering Europe sit idle, which makes them a target for radial recruiters.

Chris Rousseau, head of the Integrated Counterterrorism Center for the Canadian government, said that in his country, the threat is coming more from second-generation immigrants who don't feel assimilated and are ripe for being recruited.

Paddy McGuinness, deputy national security adviser for intelligence in Britain, favors not only trying to rid the internet of terror-related content and working to counter that message, but also preventing militants from using the internet altogether.

"What we actually need to address is their presence online  not to allow them to be there and persuade the companies not to allow them to be there," McGuinness said. "That's what we have done with people who exploit children for sexual purposes."

Rasmussen said that the U.S. intelligence community is working to regularly give technology companies as much information as possible about how their platforms are being used by militants in hopes that they will take actions on their own.
A federal judge ruled Thursday that officials in Dallas can go forward with removing a statue of Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee from a city park, one day after he issued a temporary restraining order halting its removal.

The Texas division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans claimed that the Dallas City Council's vote to remove the statue from its namesake park in Dallas' Oak Lawn neighborhood violated the First Amendment and the right to due process.

The city disagreed, saying the group had no standing to contest its decision, because "being insulted by or disagreeing with the plans for the monument does not equate to a specific injury."

U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater agreed with the city and lifted the restraining order following a hearing.

The city council voted 13-1, with one abstention, to remove the monument Wednesday afternoon. A crane to hoist the statue off its podium was already in place when Judge Fitzwater issued his restraining order halting the work.

It was not immediately clear when the statue would be taken down. The city plans to place the statue in a storage facility until a task force comes up with a final recommendation for where it should go.

That task force was scheduled to meet Thursday night to start discussions on what to do with the statue, as well as other Confederate symbols and names across the city.

Click for more from Fox4News.com.
A Minnesota teen who was kidnapped for almost a month swam across a lake Tuesday to escape her abductors, officials said.

The teenager, from Alexandria, Minn., made it safely across the lake before running onto a property where she received help, CBS Minnesota reported.

Authorities said the young girl was kidnapped on Aug. 8 by Thomas Barker, 32, who urged the teen to get into his car and drove her to a residence in Carlos. Barker, his roommate and another friend physically and sexually assaulted the teenager, officials said.

MINNESOTA HIGH SCHOOL REVERSES FLAG BAN AFTER STUDENT PROTEST

Barker tied her up with zip ties and then he, his roommate and friend over the next several weeks assaulted her and threatened her with weapons, Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels said.

Police arrested Barker, Steven Powers, 20, and Joshua Holby, 31, in connection with the kidnapping, the New York Post reported.

The victim was able to make her escape after the kidnappers left her alone Tuesday, officials said. The teen reportedly knocked on the doors of a few homes but she did not receive any answers. She then jumped into the Thompson Lake and swam across.

When she got across the lake, she ran onto a farmers property. The farmer identified her and took her to safety.

CHARLES MANSON FOLLOWER LESLIE VAN HOUTEN GRANTED PAROLE

When she come walking out of the grass Im thinking, 'oh my gosh, you got to be kidding me,' the farmer, who did not wish to be identified, told CBS Minnesota. When I saw her face I knew right away.

He added: It was just a great feeling, [I told her] just get in the pickup, were going to help you now.'

The 15-year-old was transported to the hospital for minor injuries she sustained.

This is an unbelievable young woman, Wyffels said. She has a lot of strength. We think a lot of her and her family. Theyre all amazing people.

The three men were booked and all face assault, kidnapping and false imprisonment charges.
The last of the 80 Doolittle Tokyo Raiders of World War II celebrated his 102nd birthday on Thursday.

Retired Lt. Col. Richard E. "Dick" Cole has remained active, attending commemorative events in recent years including April ceremonies for the raid's 75th anniversary at the National Museum of the U.S. Air Force in Dayton, Ohio.

"I'm holding together," Cole said Thursday by telephone, adding with a chuckle: "The only thing is I need a lot of WD-40."

President Donald Trump called the Ohio native in July as Cole was recovering from a fall, to check on him and thank him for his service.

"It was a nice surprise," Cole recounted. "He was very polite and cheerful. It was very upbeat."

Cole is originally from Dayton, and now lives in Comfort, Texas. He has a daughter who lives nearby and two sons.

He said in April he hadn't expected to be the last Doolittle Raider survivor because he was older than most on the mission. Cole attributed his longevity to being an optimist and living a life of "moderation."

He was mission commander Jimmy Doolittle's co-pilot in the bombing attack less than five months after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The bold raid is credited with lifting U.S. spirits and helping change the tide of the war in the Pacific.

Three Raiders died trying to reach China after the attack, and eight were captured by Japanese soldiers. Three were executed, and a fourth died in captivity. Cole parachuted and he and other Raiders were helped to safety by Chinese partisans.

___

Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell
Waking up around midnight on Aug. 25, Marine Cpl. Kionte Storey began his final trek up Mount Kilimanjaro, the culmination of months of rigorous training that led him to the top of Africas highest peak.

With every step he took, the 29-year-old veteran climbed higher than he ever had before.

At 10:45 a.m. local time, Storey made it to the summit, 19,341 feet up  a feat made more outstanding by the fact he achieved it with a prosthetic leg.

The view, he said, was simply amazing.

You look down and you are above the clouds, he told Fox News on Tuesday. I keep saying it was the closest thing to getting to heaven, and then the sun comes out and you can see everything.

MARINE VETERAN AMPUTEE SEEKS NEXT CHALLENGE WITH TANZANIA'S MOUNT KILIMANJARO

The trip to Africa was part of a campaign by the Bob Woodruff and Steven & Alexandra Cohen foundations called #Give2Veterans.

'I keep saying it was the closest thing to getting to heaven.'  Cpl. Kionte Storey

For the journey, Storey was joined by Jake Rath, 25, of the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation, who documented the entire trip with a DSLR camera and 360-degree photo.

The photos dont do it justice, he said, adding that seeing the night sky with only miles and miles of stars was breathtaking.

To see the mountain in the starlight, thousands of stars, that was an amazing sight to see, he added. I was amazed by Africa.

Storey, who joined the Marines in 2007, lost his right leg below the knee after stepping on an IED while deployed to Afghanistan in 2010. Part of his physical and mental recovery after the injury included training at Paralympic camps and hiking.

In 2013, he became the first African-American and first amputee to reach the summit of Antarcticas Mount Vinson.

I didnt know how my body was going to respond [in Africa], Storey said. My leg did well all the way up  it did a lot better than I expected.

Both men said they had to pace themselves while on the climb, not trying to rush and give their bodies time to acclimate. Trekking through the different terrains  from jungle to savannas and finally glacier-covered stone peaks  made for a more interesting climb.

We both trained a good amount  we were fit. The hardest was the mental challenge, Rath said. For each step you take, its the highest step you have taken.

Through #Give2Veterans, the Steven & Alexandra Cohen Foundation is giving away up to $500,000 to help veterans. The foundation will give the Bob Woodruff Foundation $1 every time a social media post is shared using the hashtag. The campaign ends on Sept. 30.

MARINE VETERAN'S NEW MISSION: GUINNESS WORLD RECORD FOR MOST LONG-DISTANCE TRIATHLONS IN A YEAR

The California native said the final push to the top of Kilimanjaro was the make-or-break moment for them because it was the point in the journey when they started questioning everything.

You start asking yourself 'why'  'why am I doing this when I could be doing better things?,' he said. And then I started to think about the whys and I remembered my friends serving overseas who arent alive. I started thinking about amputees and showing them through my experience that anything is possible.

He added: For us know that we were doing it for something bigger than ourselves, [we thought], 'we are getting to the summit and thats it.' Thats how big our reason was for getting to the summit.
A man who reportedly believed he was God was charged on Tuesday in the murder of his aunt and uncle in Michigan who were found clubbed to death last week, police said.

Joseph Borowiak, 37, was charged with two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of Cynthia Collins, 66, and Steven Collins, 67, police said. Borowiak is accused of bludgeoning them to death while they slept in their Warren home Friday afternoon, FOX2 Detroit reported. Borowiak was found at a pizza restaurant about six hours after the murders.

"He had blood spatter on his sweatshirt, and a drop of blood on his eyeglasses," Warren Police Detective Kevin Dailey said.

The Collinses were found with severe head trauma, police said. Cynthia Collins was discovered facedown on the floor in a separate bedroom from her husband.

Police said the couple had raised Borowiak, who they called mentally unstable. Neighbors recalled Borowiak would talk like he was God.

He believed he was God, Alisha Goolsby, a neighbor, told FOX2.

Posts on Borowiaks Facebook page would also reference Jesus, Lucifer and Catholic imagery, the Detroit Free Press reported. He also posted a selfie on his social media pages with a hit list that included some relatives names. Police identified them and took them into custody for protection.

"They did as much as they could for him. Why he turned on them as he did is unknown to us. I'm not sure what the motive was," Warren Police Commissioner William Dwyer said.

Borowiak was denied bond, a judge calling him a serious danger to the community. He also has past drug possession convictions and was charged with felony assault with intent to rob and resisting police in 2012.

Borowiak is scheduled to be back in court on Sept. 14.
Frances interior minister on Thursday said the Category 5 storm killed at least eight and injured 23 on St. Martin. Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico and is headed toward Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Florida is bracing as Hurricane Irma, the strongest Atlantic hurricane ever recorded, is feared to hit Florida on Sunday.

The hurricane "remains a dangerous and life-threatening Category 5" storm, Florida Gov. Rick Scott warned Wednesday night at a briefing. Forecast models have put the storm on a track to hit Florida over the weekend, but meteorologists have warned its path could change.

INTO THE DANGER ZONE

A Delta Airlines flight  with 173 passengers on board each time  took off from New Yorks John F. Kennedy airport Wednesday and safely traveled to and from San Juan, Puerto Rico -- all while Hurricane Irma bore down on the island.

The round-trip flight was the last one in and out of San Juan, before the citys air traffic control shut down for the Category 5 storm. The airline credited its flight team and meteorology department for the successful flight, the Washington Post reported.

ROLE RULED OUT?

Gary Cohn, the former Goldman Sachs investment banker and President Donald Trump's current economic adviser, is now considered an unlikely pick to lead the Federal Reserve after criticizing the White Houses response to violence in Charlottesville, Va.

Trump has openly floated the idea of nominating the former banker as the potential successor to Fed Chair Janet Yellen -- whose term ends in February  saying in July that he has great respect for him.

LACKED PROPER CERTIFICATION

The Wall Street Journal reported that the majority of ships operating in the U.S. Navys Seventh Fleet, where two destroyers have been involved in fatal collisions since June, werent certified to conduct basic operations at sea related to war-fighting.

As of late June, eight of the 11 cruisers and destroyers in the Seventh Fleet, and their crew members, werent certified by the U.S. Navy to conduct mobility seamanship, or basic steering of the ship, according to U.S. Navy records provided to two House Armed Services subcommittees.

COMING UP ON FOX NEWS CHANNEL

8:40 AM ET: Speaker Ryan makes the case for "historic tax reform" as the featured guest for The NY Times' TimesTalks series. Newseum. Watch live on FoxNews.com

12:15 PM ET: President Trump welcomes Kuwaiti Amir Sabah al-Ahmed al-Jaber al-Sabah to the West Wing. Watch Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com for full coverage

12:15 PM ET: Education Secretary Devos will be give major policy address on a civil rights issue. George Mason Univ Law School, Arlington. Watch live on FoxNews.com

1:30 PM ET: President Trump holds a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Amir al-Sabah. East Room. Watch live on Fox News Channel and FoxNews.com

COMING UP ON FOX BUSINESS



6 AM ET: Bob Nardelli, former Chrysler CEO & Former Home Depot CEO, will appear on Mornings with Maria

7:30 AM ET: Steven Mnuchin, U.S. Treasury Secretary, will be a guest on Mornings with Maria

8:30 AM ET: Pam Bondi, Florida Attorney General, will be on Mornings with Maria

10:30 AM ET: Corey Lewandowski- Fmr. Trump Campaign Manager will be on Varney & Company

1 PM ET: Rep. Mark Meadows, House Freedom Caucus chairman, will appear on Cavuto: Coast to Coast

3 PM ET: Nigel Eccles, Fanduel CEO will be a guest on Countdown to the Closing Bell

4 PM ET: Mayor Jack Seiler, Ft. Lauderdale mayor will be on After the Bell

6 PM ET: Jeanette Casselano, AAA spokesperson, will be on Making Money
One of the two cousins who confessed to killing four men in July and burying their bodies on his family's Pennsylvania farm waived his preliminary hearing Thursday.

Cosmo DiNardo, 20, was scheduled to appear before a judge on video at 11 a.m. Thursday, FOX 29 Philadelphia reported.

DiNardo's cousin, 20-year-old Sean Kratz, is still scheduled to be in court Thursday afternoon. He's been charged with killing three of the men.

Both men have been charged with multiple counts of homicide in the killings of four men on the sprawling 90-acre property, located about 40 miles outside Philadelphia.

PENNSYLVANIA MURDERS: COSMO DINARDO'S FAMILY FARM SEARCHED BY INVESTIGATORS

The property was the scene of a multi-day search for Dean Finocchiaro, 19, Mark Sturgis, 22, Tom Meo, 21, and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19.

After killing the four men, DiNardo said he burned the bodies in a metal tank that was converted into a cooker that he labeled a "pig roaster.

PENNSYLVANIA MURDERS: KILLER USED PIG ROASTER TO BURN BODIES, OFFICIAL SAYS

The bodies of three victims were found buried in a common grave, while the fourth man was found at another location, according to prosecutors.
A police search is underway for a pregnant Maryland school teacher who never showed up for the first day of class Tuesday.

Laura Elizabeth Wallen, 31, was last heard from on Sunday, when she sent what police called a troubling text message to her family, according to FOX5DC. Police didnt reveal what the message said, and Wallens family hasnt been able to reach her since.

She is at least three months pregnant, FOX5DC reported.

Wallens father, Mark Wallen, told NBC4 he became alarmed when she didnt show up for the first day of classes Tuesday at Wilde Lake High School in Columbia, Md., where she teaches social studies and law.

BIPOLAR KINDERGARTEN TEACHER MISSING AFTER CAR CRASH

He then checked her condo in Olney, where police said she was last seen. Wallen said he suspects something malicious happened to his daughter.

You feel so helpless at that point because you dont know where your child is, he said.

Brian Basset, a Howard County Public Schools spokesperson, said in an email to FOX5 that they are assisting police in any way they can, and have made resources available to support students and staff.

In a letter to the school community Wednesday, principal Rick Wilson said faculty brought the news of Wallens disappearance to students attention, though many had already known through social media. He encouraged parents to discuss it with children and offered the schools resources and support.

AUTHORITIES PLAN CASE UPDATE ON TEACHER MISSING SINCE 2005

Lets keep Ms. Wallen, her family, and the entire Wilde Lake community in our thoughts and prayers during this time, Wilson wrote.

Wallen is described as 5 feet 5 inches tall, weighs 200 pounds and has blonde hair and blue eyes. Officials said she could be driving a black 2011 Ford Escape with Maryland license plates.
South Sudan says it is asking the United States to reconsider the sanctions it has imposed on two senior government members, a former official and three companies.

Foreign ministry spokesman Mawien Makol calls the sanctions announced Wednesday "very unfortunate."

The U.S. imposed sanctions on deputy defense chief Malek Reuben, Information Minister Michael Makuei and former military chief of staff Paul Malong.

They are accused of undermining peace, security and stability in the East African nation where civil war has raged for four years.

The sanctions freeze assets they may have in U.S. jurisdictions, ban them from travel to the U.S. and bar Americans from doing business with them. Three firms owned by Reuben  All Energy Investments, A+ Engineering, Electronics & Media Printing and Mak International Services also are targeted.
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit to block President Donald Trump's plan to end a program protecting hundreds of thousands of young immigrants from deportation. Here's a look at the legal arguments and prospects for success:

HOW DO THE STATES ATTACK THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION'S DECISION?

The lawsuit filed Wednesday says the Trump administration's decision to rescind the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program was motivated by anti-Mexican bias.

It cites as evidence Trump's statement while announcing his campaign for president that some Mexican immigrants were rapists and refers to his decision last month to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt for ignoring a federal court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants.

"Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President's Trump's oft-stated commitments  whether personally held, stated to appease some portion of his constituency, or some combination thereof  to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots," the lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn said.

Targeting individuals for discriminatory treatment based on their national origin without legal justification violates the U.S. Constitution's equal protection guarantee, the lawsuit says. It calls for a court order blocking the revocation of DACA as well as an order saying the administration cannot use information it collected from DACA recipients to arrest and deport them.

WILL THE DISCRIMINATION ARGUMENT HOLD UP?

The state of Hawaii convinced a federal judge to block an earlier Trump order banning travelers from mostly Muslim countries by arguing it was motivated by religious prejudice. U.S. District Judge Derrick Watson cited a press release from the Trump campaign calling for a "total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States" as evidence of religious animus. The U.S. Supreme Court later narrowed Watson's ruling to allow a limited version of the ban to take effect.

But Trump's comments about Mexicans are a long way from establishing that bias motivated his decision to revoke DACA, said Kari Hong, an immigration expert at Boston College Law School.

"He's never made that association between DACA and people from Mexico and Central America the way he made the association between the travel ban and Muslims," she said.

Trump has said he has love for those who benefited from DACA  about 800,000 people who were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas  and was hopeful Congress would help them during the six months before the change goes into effect.

WHAT ELSE DO THE STATES CLAIM, AND DO THOSE ARGUMENTS HAVE A BETTER CHANCE OF SUCCESS?

The states said the administration's decision to revoke DACA was arbitrary and failed to provide notice as required by federal law. Legal experts say this claim is stronger.

"The argument is if you are going to rescind a program upon which 800,000 people have come to rely, it has to be done in a certain manner and by certain means with certain reasons," said Pratheepan Gulasekaram, who teaches immigration and constitutional law at Santa Clara University School of Law.

A victory on this claim could require the administration to study the impacts of rescinding DACA and allow for public comment. But that might only buy more time before the revocation goes into effect instead of permanently reinstating DACA, Gulasekaram said.

WHAT'S NEXT?

The fifteen states that sued on Wednesday did not include California  a solidly Democratic state with a large immigrant population. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra said he plans to file a separate lawsuit soon, noting that the state has a high number of DACA recipients.

"The breadth and scope of the impact of the president's, I'd say, heartless decision is going to be felt here more than anywhere else," Becerra said.

California's lawsuit isn't likely to make any different legal arguments, he said.
A special education teacher was indicted by a Dallas grand jury Wednesday after she was arrested in March for having an inappropriate relationship with an eighth-grade student.

Rebecca Goerdel, 29, a former educator at the Young Mens Leadership Academy at Kennedy Middle School in Grand Prairie, Texas, was arrested in March for soliciting a male student, WFAA reported.

It was not immediately clear if the boy was one of Goerdels students.

TRUMP-PENCE FUNDRAISERS CANCELED IN TEXAS AS STATE RECOVERS FROM HARVEY

Goerdel made contact with the student in January, sending naked photos of herself lying in a tanning bed, according to the arrest warrant. The teacher reportedly asked the student to draw her naked.

The warrant stated that Goerdel and the student never had sex but the educator allegedly sat on the students lap in her car and they made out.

The Grand Prairie Independent School District said it was informed of the improper relationship between Goerdel and the student on March 10, the Star Telegram reported. The district contacted police, who launched an investigation that eventually led to the educators arrest.

Police reportedly found sexually explicit text messages between the educator and the student from third party apps that have since been deleted, according to the warrant. An officer sent a text message to Goerdel from the victims phone and she reportedly wrote back asking him to come to her home and spend the night together.

TEXAS VOTER ID LAW OK FOR NOW; APPEALS COURT BLOCKS INJUNCTION

The district relieved Goerdel of her teaching duties on March 24.

On Wednesday, the district released a statement saying: We are pleased that law enforcement has doggedly pursued this matter and that Goerdel is being held responsible for her conduct. The safety of our students is among the highest priorities of the Grand Prairie Independent School District and that starts in the classroom. We believe the teacher-student relationship is sacred. It reflects a vow from teachers to parents that their children are safe -- as safe as they would be at home. When a teacher in Grand Prairie ISD breaks that vow, he or she will be dealt with quickly and aggressively.
The heroic images of first responders and volunteers rescuing Texas flood victims overshadowed a little known group of rescuers who were not saving lives, but struggling to honor those lives already lived.

While more than 60 confirmed deaths resulted from Hurricane Harvey, flooded funeral homes and cemeteries raised a new issue: how to treat the already dead with integrity.

According to Michael Land, past president and spokesman for the Texas Funeral Directors Association, numerous funeral homes had to rescue bodies from coolers when the power went out.

At the same time, he said, others were flooded and required more aggressive responses, although he didnt specify what they were.

He said the state had numerous volunteers to address the issue of protecting and preserving the bodies that were impacted at those funeral homes.

There were three funeral homes owned by Service Corporation International deemed inoperable, Land said.

In addition to the funeral homes, the Medical Examiners offices in Galveston and Houston were overwhelmed with bodies  both from the hurricane and those that could not be sent to local funeral homes.

We had two large cooler trailers deployed to assist the Medical Examiner offices to assist with their overflow, Land said.

Land said he does not have the number of bodies that had to be redistributed.

Another concern was the impact of flooding on cemeteries. Land said that there has not been any displacement of caskets reported yet at Houston area cemeteries, but there is concern especially in the Beaumont, Texas area along the overflowed Sabine River.

There are a lot of old country cemeteries along the river and historically, in past bad storms such as Hurricane Katrina, caskets and vaults have come up from the ground, Land said.

He added that officials are going to have to wait for the waters to subside to get a better idea of the impact on cemeteries, many of which are still underwater.

The Texas Funeral Commission said it will be taking a wait and see approach to inspecting the funeral homes and cemeteries.

There are still many impassible roads and I dont want to put my staff in jeopardy, said Janice McCoy, executive director of the Texas Funeral Service Commission.

McCoy said there have been past hurricanes where caskets and remains have floated to the surface. In that case, the respective county takes the point position in collecting the remains, then it is up to the funeral directors to determine where they belong, a most daunting task.

She said six Houston-area funeral homes have already applied for temporary operating permits, which would allow them to conduct body preparation and services at another facility.

I suspect we can even get applications for operations to be held in RVs and mobile homes, she said, which would be granted only if all criteria could be satisfied.

Gregory Cantues Mercy Funeral Home in Beaumont, Texas suffered damage to his roof and no major flooding but still has been confronted with his own unique set of complications.

Were having problems with returning family members who have died after they were evacuated, Cantue said. Weve had two in Dallas and one who is expectant in Louisiana.

Over the past two weeks, Cantue said he needed large 4x4s to pick up deceased people at homes and hospitals because the flood waters had prevented burial.

Now, with the waters receding at some of the cemeteries, he said the ground is still heavily saturated so the caskets are immediately placed in the ground at the time of burial, as opposed to the usual digging the hole earlier in the day, which would now likely collapse.

Warren Claybars family has been in the funeral industry in southeast Texas for three generations and has endured major hurricanes, especially Ike, Rita, and now Harvey. He said each hurricane has its own quirks but one common denominator is the challenge of recovering the deceased after they were evacuated. Another problem can be dealing with families who have lost all their belongings  and now a family member as well.

We met with a family this morning who just lost a family member and we said we could do a slide show of photos, Claybar said. They told me that would be impossible since they lost everything in the flood.

Claybar said another issue in regard to the cemeteries that need to be stabilized is the displaced workers who had to be evacuated.

That also hit us hard with the evacuation of our cemetery staff, Claybar said. We are slowly starting to resume services again.
Those Americans who identify as white Christians are now considered to be a minority of the countrys population, according to a new survey.

The number has dipped below 50 percent, a transformation fueled by immigration and by growing numbers of people who reject organized religion altogether, said a report released Wednesday by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI).

While Christians overall remain a large majority in the U.S., at nearly 70 percent, white Christians  once a mainstay of the country's religious life -- now comprise only 43 percent of the population.

The change is likely due to several factors, including sharp drops in membership in predominantly white mainline Protestant denominations such as Presbyterians and Lutherans; an increasing Latino presence in the Roman Catholic Church as some non-Hispanic white Catholics leave, and shrinking ranks of white evangelicals.

About 17 percent of Americans now identify as white evangelical, compared to 23 percent a decade ago, according to the survey. Membership in the conservative Southern Baptist Convention, the largest U.S. Protestant group, dropped to 15.2 million last year, its lowest number since 1990, according to an analysis by Chuck Kelley, president of the New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary.

"So often, white evangelicals have been pointing in judgment to white mainline groups, saying when you have liberal theology you decline," said Robert Jones, chief executive of PRRI. "I think this data really does challenge that interpretation of linking theological conservatism and growth."

The survey of more than 100,000 people was conducted from January 2016 to January of this year and found that the Protestant majority that shaped the nation's history had dropped below 50 percent sometime around 2008.

The poll also includes a more in-depth focus on race and religion. Jones said growth among Latino Christians, and stability in the numbers of African-American Christians had partly obscured the decline among white Christians.

The survey also found that more than a third of all Republicans say they are white evangelicals, and nearly three-quarters identify as white Christians. By comparison, in the Democratic Party, white Christians have become a minority shrinking from 50 percent a decade ago, to 29 percent currently.

The trends identified in the survey are fueling anxiety about the place of Christians in society, especially among evangelicals who are alarmed by support for same-sex marriage and by the increasing share of Americans  about one-quarter  who don't identify with a faith group.

President Donald Trump, who repeatedly promised to protect the religious liberty of Christians, drew 80 percent of votes by white evangelicals, a constituency that remains among his strongest supporters.

The Associated Press contributed reporting to this article.
Pope Francis was welcomed to Colombia on Wednesday in the hope of healing the wounds and divisions left by the regions longest-running armed conflict.

Jubilant masses flooded the 9-mile road into the countrys capital, Bogota, hoping to see Francis white popemobile. The pope embraced the flower-tossing crowd, as his security detail struggled to keep the people away without police support, and even gave high-fives to several children who managed to get close enough.

Argentina-born Francis  bearing the brunt of being the first pope from Latin America  was said to be glad to be back in Colombia, a state he visited first after being ordained as a priest and where he is to spend five days. For Colombia, this is the first papal visit since 1986.

Hope will be a major theme of the visit as the pope will try to persuade Colombians to come together following five decades of armed rebellion that left more than 250,000 people dead, 60,000 missing and millions displaced.

In his first days public remarks, Francis pleaded with Colombians gathered outside the Vatican Embassy, saying Dont ever lose happiness and hope.

Hosffman Ospino, a Colombian theologian at Boston College, told the New York Times that Its dangerous ground for Pope Francis because half of the country disagrees with the peace process.

One of the challenges to understand the dynamic here is the polarization the conflict left behind, he added.

Francis was expected to address Colombias President Juan Manuel Santos and other politicians Thursday, followed by a Mass in Bogotas Simon Bolivar park, encouraging Colombian political elites to address the issue of social and economic disparities that fueled the civil war and urge the people to balance the need for justice with mercy.

Santos so far has spent most of his presidency on the peace arrangement reached last year with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia  or FARC  the militant left-wing rebels that had fought against the government since the 1960s.

Despite the success of reaching a peace agreement and stopping the bloodshed, it also opened divisions in the society between those willing to forgive the horrors of the FARC and those who claim that the government is giving too many concessions to the group, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Colombian President thanked Francis for supporting negotiators at troubling moments during the four-year negotiations with the guerrilla group and hoped his visit would inspire the ordinary people to commit to peace.

Peace needs a solid foundation, and reconciliation is one of those pillars that we hopefully we will not only plant but also strengthen, Santos said.

The highlight of Francis trip will come Friday as he will meet and pray together with the victims of Colombias civil war and former militants in Villavicencio, a city south of Bogota where the FARC held territories.

He will also beatify two priests murdered during the years of warfare by the rebels and will declare them martyrs who were targeted because of hatred for the Roman Catholic Church.

Francis is the third pope to visit the country after Pope Paul VI in 1968 and St. John Paul II in 1986. Previous spiritual leaders also tried to facilitate peace in Colombia and urged the politicians to address the societal problems that turned the country into one of the most unequal countries in the region.

The pope is expected to remain focused on Colombia throughout the trip, possibly avoiding commenting on any issues in other Latin American countries, including Venezuela. According to the L.A. Times, it is unlikely Francis will make a comment about the violence in Venezuela, propagated by the government, that has left at least 130 people dead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The U.N. refugee agency has started repatriating hundreds of Burundian refugees back home from neighboring Tanzania.

Emmanuel Maganga, government commissioner for the Kigoma region in northwestern Tanzania, said 300 refugees returned home Thursday using public transport.

At least 12,000 Burundian refugees have signed up for voluntary repatriation. Maganga said the initial agreement with U.N. officials says 300 Burundians will be repatriated every week.

More than 240,000 Burundian refugees are sheltering in Tanzania. Most of them fled political violence in 2015 after President Pierre Nkurunziza announced plans to seek a disputed third term that he ultimately won.

Tanzania's government has been putting pressure on UNHCR to facilitate the repatriation of those refugees who want to return home.

Burundi's government says the country is now peaceful.
Several departments at Hungary's University of Debrecen are objecting to the institution's decision to honor Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The university, with roots going back to 1538, is giving Putin "honorary citizenship" because of its expected participation in the expansion of Hungary's sole nuclear power plant, which is being financed and built mostly by Russia.

The university's Department of Analysis at its Institute of Mathematics and the Department of Physical Chemistry of the Institute of Chemistry on Thursday joined the Department of Constitutional Law and philosopher Mihaly Vajda in protesting the award. The departments said that "the praise of autocrats is unacceptable to us. It is against everything we represent in our academic work."

Putin is expected to receive the award next year.
Greek authorities say two Turkish brothers arrested on the eastern Aegean island of Chios for illegally crossing from nearby Turkey on a jet ski had allegedly intended to rob banks on the island.

A coast guard statement Thursday said scrutiny of the two men's mobile phones produced "indications" of the alleged heist plans.

The brothers were detained on a Chios beach Tuesday. They allegedly told coast guards that their jet ski had broken down, forcing them to land on the island that a narrow strait separates from Turkey. But the jet ski was found to be working fine, which prompted a closer investigation.

Both were charged with illegally entering Greece and conspiring to commit a crime.

Scores of refugees and migrants reach Chios from Turkey every week.
Hurricane Irma  a Category 5 storm with winds as strong as 175 mph -- continued roaring toward Florida early Thursday, carving a path of death and destruction through tiny Caribbean islands and threatening the larger and more populous islands of Hispaniola and Cuba.

Officials said Thursday three people died in Puerto Rico and one person died in Anguilla, raising Irma's death toll to at least 9 in the Caribbean.

Three people died when Irma hit the island of Puerto Rico, including a 79-year-old woman, the territory's governor said, according to Reuters.

The elderly woman, who the government described as bedridden, died after a fall while being transported to a shelter.

The other fatalities were a woman in Camuy, who was electrocuted in her home and a man who died of injuries suffered in a traffic accident in Canovanas during the storm, according to a statement from Governor Ricard Rossello obtained by the news agency.

Damage to the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin was said to be enormous, with roofs torn off buildings. At least eight deaths were reported on the French side of the island.

At least one other death was reported on the island of Barbuda, where the prime minister described a horrendous situation of total carnage.

In Puerto Rico, about 900,000 people were said to be without electricity.

"The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased."  National Hurricane Center

Farther ahead was Florida, and the prospect of landfall on the U.S. mainland by Sunday. Residents in parts of the Miami metro area were under mandatory orders to leave their homes Thursday morning as Irma drew closer.

Gov. Rick Scott strongly urged people to get out now, warning that Irma was "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew, the last Category 5 storm to hit the state.

Florida also faced two sobering facts: Many of its homeowners lack flood insurance, and FEMA -- the Federal Emergency Management Agency, charged with handling such crises -- was already spread thin by the impact of Hurricane Harvey in Texas and Louisiana.

The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased, the National Hurricane Center warned Wednesday, adding that hurricane watches would likely be issued for parts of the Florida Keys and Florida Peninsula.

As of early Thursday, the center of Irma was about 140 miles north/northwest of Puerto Rico, and it was moving west/northwest at about 16 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported. Wind gusts were measured at a high of 185 mph.

The eye of the storm was expected to pass just north of Hispaniola on Thursday, moving on to Turks and Caicos and the southern Bahamas by evening, the Guardian reported.

Speaking on French radio France Info, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher than eight because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

The reconnaissance will really start at daybreak," Collomb said.



To the east, authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands devastated by the storm's record winds earlier Wednesday, while people in Florida rushed to get ready for a possible direct hit on the Miami area.

Communications were difficult with areas hit by Irma, and information on damage trickled out.

Horrendous situation

The Caribbean island of Barbuda was a scene of total carnage'' after the passage of Hurricane Irma and the tiny two-island nation will be seeking assistance from the international community to rebuild, its prime minister said on Thursday.

Nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday and about 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press.

Estimates were that 95 percent of the islands buildings had been damaged, the BBC reported.

"There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone. It will take years for this community to get back on its feet."  Laura Strickling, resident of U.S. Virgin Islands

It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighboring island.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP.

On St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and 1-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters. Many of their neighbors' homes were damaged and once-dense vegetation was largely gone.

There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone," Strickling said. "It will take years for this community to get back on its feet."

By early Thursday, the center of the storm was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moving west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph).

Powerless in Puerto Rico

More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power, leaving 900,000 in the dark and nearly 50,000 without water, the U.S. territory's emergency management agency said in the midst of the storm. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads.

Puerto Rico's public power company warned before the storm hit that some areas could be left without power from four to six months because its staff has been reduced and its infrastructure weakened by the island's decade-long economic slump.

State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. "I expect the same from this storm. It's going to be bad," he said.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government.

Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Florida visiting Puerto Rico, said she had tried to leave before the storm but all flights were sold out.

She has a reservation to fly out Friday and is worried about her home in Tampa. "When you're from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane," she said.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as passes just to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and skirts Cuba on Friday night into Saturday. It will then likely head north toward Florida.

The storm is expected to hit Florida sometime Sunday, and Gov. Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

"This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

Steep insurance drop

As Irma bore down on Florida, an Associated Press analysis showed a steep drop in flood insurance across the state, including the areas most endangered by what could be a devastating storm surge.

According to FEMA data, in just five years, the state's total number of federal flood insurance policies has fallen by 15 percent.

Florida's property owners still buy far more federal flood insurance than any other state -- 1.7 million policies, covering about $42 billion in assets -- but most residents in hazard zones are badly exposed. Fully 59 percent of the owners of properties in flood hazard zones don't have this insurance, despite requirements to have the coverage as a condition of their federally backed mortgage loans.

Meanwhile, faced with the looming threat of dual disasters, FEMA has ramped up preparations for Hurricane Irma as it barrels toward the Florida coast, even as the agency continues the massive recovery effort in storm-battered Texas.

It was a one-two punch of powerful storms certain to strain the agency's quickly dwindling coffers.

The roughly $1 billion left in FEMA's Emergency Response Fund was expected to run out as soon as the end of the week, just as Category 5 Irma could be pounding Florida and less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey caused massive flooding in Houston.

The House on Wednesday overwhelmingly passed $7.9 billion in Harvey disaster relief as warring Republicans and Democrats united to help victims of that storm in Texas and Louisiana. The 419-3 vote sent the aid package -- likely the first of several -- to the Senate in hopes of getting the bill to the president before FEMA runs out of money.

Far more money will be needed once more complete estimates of Harvey's damage are in this fall. The storm's wrath could end up exceeding the $110 billion federal cost of recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

Attention to detail

Tom Bossert, President Donald Trump's homeland security adviser, said the federal government won't forget Harvey's victims as attention shifted toward the threat from Irma, a Category 5 storm with 185-mph sustained winds -- the strongest ever observed in the open Atlantic.

He said the federal response in Texas was entering a recovery phase that will be long and, at times, frustrating for affected homeowners. The U.S. government was marshaling Small Business Administration loans, disaster unemployment assistance from the Labor Department and FEMA reconstruction aid to rebuild state and municipal infrastructure.

"I won't forget Harvey," Bossert said, as he rushed to join a phone call between Trump and Florida Gov. Rick Scott. "Now, it is a long game that requires a lot of attention to detail."

Speaking at an event in North Dakota on Wednesday, Trump said the emergency personnel now redeploying from Texas to Florida could use some rest, but likely won't get much.

"They're really now again in harm's way," Trump said. "Together we will recover and we will rebuild."

Irma, maintaining winds of over 180 miles per hour longer than any Atlantic storm on record, is forecast to modestly weaken in the next two days, but remain an extremely dangerous Category 4 or 5 storm. It will produce the full gamut of hurricane hazards across the Bahamas and potentially South Florida, including a devastating storm surge, destructive winds and dangerous flash flooding.

Meanwhile, two new hurricanes formed late Wednesday afternoon in the Atlantic basin: Jose in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the southwest Gulf of Mexico.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Staci Barnes, CEO of Keller Williams Realty Mid-Willamette, planned on taking a pant suit, dresses and high heels to her companys annual conference next week.

But now shes taking work clothes, boots and gloves to Texas.

Keller Williams canceled its conference in Austin, Texas, in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, but urged workers to use their plane tickets and hotel reservations to participate in relief efforts.

Were going to put our boots on and get down and dirty to help those victims, said Barnes, a Brownsville resident.

The Mid-Willamette team is sending 17 people to assist with the recovery, and they come from Keller Williams offices in Corvallis, Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home.

As many as 15,000 workers and family members from Keller Williams offices around the world are expected to show up in Austin. The company has arranged to have more than 200 buses available to transport volunteers to Houston, Corpus Christi and other impacted areas.

There are some folks going now that didnt intend on going when there was just the conference, Barnes said.

Floodwaters are starting to recede and temperatures are beginning to rise, and one of the biggest concerns in the area is mold that could take hold in homes and apartments that were flooded, Barnes said.

Kristin Smith, principal broker for Keller Williams Mid-Willamette, said that shes planning on using just a carry-on bag for her clothing, toiletries and other items.

The two bags that shell check with Southwest Airlines will be filled with diapers, dog food, flashlights and other supplies for Houston-area residents.

I got to thinking, I can take two suitcases with me, but I dont need suitcases. So why dont I fill them with stuff? Smith said.

Shes hoping to convince other agents to collect supplies.

Smiths daughter Sharolyn Smith, 18, who just graduated from West Albany High School, asked to go along on the trip after hearing about the relief work that Keller Williams would do.

Sharolyn is paying for her own way, Smith said, and just like her mom, she wants to take about 100 pounds of supplies.

Keller Williams Mid-Willamette also is working to raise $20,000 so the office can buy more supplies and gift cards for Hurricane Harvey victims. Weve raised $6,300 so far, Barnes said. A cash donation is best for the victims right now.

For more information on donations, call 541-738-7770 or go to any Keller Williams Mid-Willamette office.
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The Latest on Pope Francis' visit to Colombia (all times local):

8:40 a.m.

Pope Francis is waving to crowds from his car as he starts his first full day in Colombia, where he's stressing a message of reconciliation for a country emerging from five decades of armed conflict.

Hundreds of people are lining the motorcade route bringing him from the Vatican embassy to the presidential palace, where he'll meet with President Juan Manuel Santos and Colombian political and economic elite.

Hundreds of people also await him at the Casa Narino, some carrying crosses and portraits of the Argentine pope. In the crowd are soldiers with amputated limbs, disabled school children and dignitaries.

Francis has a packed day, delivering a speech to Santos as well as an address the crowd. Later he'll meet with bishops and cardinals from around the region. He'll end the day with a huge outdoor Mass in Bogota's Simon Bolivar Park.
The Latest on Britain's exit from the European Union (all times local):

12:20 p.m.

The EU's chief Brexit negotiator Michel Barnier says Britain's stance on issues relating to Ireland is worrisome and that a solution to the border issue will require a "unique" solution.

Progress on the Irish border is one of the three items of separation that the EU wants to see before it can sanction talks on a new post-Brexit relationship with Britain.

Both sides have said the Irish issue is a key challenge during the Brexit discussions especially with regard to how it affects the peace process in Northern Ireland.

"We are not there yet," Barnier said.

Discussions over Britain's exit from the EU have also made little headway so far on the other two issues that the EU wants resolved, namely citizens' rights and the divorce bill Britain will have to pay when it leaves the bloc in March 2019.

___

10:40 a.m.

The British government is battling to pass a major plank of its Brexit plans through Parliament, amid faltering progress in divorce talks with the EU.

Lawmakers are starting debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill, which will revoke thousands of EU laws and regulations and replace them with domestic statute on the day the U.K. leaves the bloc.

The government says the legislation is crucial to disentangle Britain from the EU after more than four decades of membership.

Prime Minister Theresa May says it will "prevent a cliff-edge for people and businesses, because it provides legal certainty."

Critics say the bill gives the government powers to change laws without parliamentary scrutiny. The main opposition Labour Party calls the bill "a power grab" and says it will vote against it.
An investigation is underway in Germany this week after anti-immigration protesters hurled tomatoes at German Chancellor Angela Merkel during a campaign event in southern Germany.

Police said at least two tomatoes were thrown at Merkel during her speech at a campaign rally Tuesday, with one hitting her left hip, leaving a stain on her signature jacket, and another one hitting the events moderator, Germanys DPA news agency reported.

The rowdy demonstration occurred during Merkels first campaign stop of the day, a 40-minute rally in a small university town that attracted about 3,000 people, Bloomberg News reported.

Merkel is seeking a fourth term in the Sept. 24 parliamentary elections, where her Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party is expected to win, the latest polling suggests.

A small group of instigators blew whistles and shouted at Merkel during her speech - protesting Merkels policy of open borders that led to the arrival of at least 1 million unvetted migrants into the country.

The demonstrators were heard calling the German leader a liar and betrayer of her people.

During the speech, Merkel celebrated people who helped the new arrivals during the 2015 migrant crisis, calling it a grand piece of humanitarian aid, according to DPA.

The chancellor added: "If we made a mistake, then it wasn't in taking in people, but rather that we didn't pay attention to the fact that people in Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey and Syria didn't have enough to eat, weren't getting an education and put themselves into the hands of people-smugglers.

This was not the first time Merkel has faced protesters during a campaign event over her immigration and refugee policies. She previously said that right-wing demonstrators can only shout, Bloomberg reported.

Following Tuesday's incident, Merkel attended a panel discussion in another city. She wore the same stained jacket at other events on that day, DPA reported.
Fireworks blazed through the sky in North Korea's capital Wednesday night as thousands of people attended a mass rally to celebrate the regimes weekend nuclear test and rally speakers vowed to end the destiny of the gangster-like U.S. imperialists.

The scientists responsible for developing the supposed hydrogen bomb that was detonated Sunday were welcomed to streets of cheering citizens leading to Pyongyangs Kim Il Sung Square. Photos and a video released by the official Korean Central News Agency showed thousands more lining up in the capital.

[North Koreas military] will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like U.S. imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war, rally speakers told attendees.

North Korea claimed Sundays blast was a perfect success and its largest detonation to date. Experts estimated the explosion to have a yield of at least 100 kilotons  four to five times more powerful than the explosion in Nagasaki, Japan in 1945.

This is the sixth nuclear test North Korea has conducted since the first one carried out in 2006. Leader Kim Jong Un has continued to make huge strides in the countrys nuclear and missile program since taking power in 2011 following his fathers death.

The successes have been largely credited to the scientists Kim Jong Un brought in to identify and fix problems in his missiles and nuclear devices. Kim Jong Sik is one of the scientists leading the missile program who climbed up the North Korean ranks after he helped successfully launch a rocket in December 2012. The scientist was not present for Sundays nuclear blast, but had been next to Kim for the countrys first ICBM tests in July, Michael Madden, director of North Korea Leadership Watch, told Fox News.

Hours before the nuclear test, state-run media released photos showing Kim and top nuclear scientists inspecting what appeared to be a two-stage thermonuclear weapon. The size and peanut-like shape of the weapon fits relatively well with known designs that could plausibly be bolted into a re-entry vehicle and paired with a ballistic missile capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

North Korea could launch another ICBM as early as Saturday, the countrys founding day, South Korea Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon warned Thursday.

Han Tae Song, the ambassador of North Korea to the U.N. in Geneva, said earlier this week more gift packages  the rogue regimes way of describing missile and nuclear tests  will be headed towards the U.S. if sanctions and international pressures to end its nuclear program continued.

North Korea released a series of threats through KCNA saying U.S. will "will face unprecedentedly resolute counteraction" if new sanctions are imposed.

"If the U.S. adheres to sanctions and pressureit will face unprecedentedly resolute counteraction it can not hold control of," the statement read.

"Japan should clearly understand its position and stop indecent deed of acting as the U.S. cat's paw," it continued.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
With South Korea predicting North Korea could launch an intercontinental ballistic missile Saturday, a South Korean expert warned hot-tempered and reckless Kim Jong Un will not cease his beloved missile and nuclear program until he is eliminated.

South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday its neighbor may launch a missile Saturday while celebrating its founding day. The volatile regime is known to put on a show for its citizens during national holidays to display its strength.

I believe that now is the time to strengthen sanctions to the maximum level while securing military deterrence means. Dialogue is ultimately necessary, but now is not the time to talk about dialogue with North Korea, Lee said.

North Korea reportedly moved an ICBM toward its west coast earlier this week, according to the South Korean paper Asia Business Daily. The rocket was moved overnight, apparently to avoid detection.

If the test is conducted, it would be the fourteenth one since February. North Korea has fired 21 missiles this year and Sundays nuclear test, where it claimed it detonated a hydrogen bomb, will be the sixth one in its history.

Kim Jong Uns push for full nuclear capability may have developed when he was a hot-tempered and reckless teenager, Nam Sung-wook, a Korea University professor who formerly ran the Institute for National Security Strategy said, according to Yonhap News Agency.

"The latest development [North Korea's latest sixth nuclear test] is largely attributable to Kim's wild character. If Kim is not eliminated, this issue [the North's provocation] will persist," Nam told South Korean lawmakers.

Nam, part of Seouls spy agency between 2008 and 2012, said the dictator had a short temper, recalling a time he exploded with foul language because his girlfriend asked him not to smoke.

"As Kim was smoking at a young age, his girlfriend advised him to quit smoking. Then, Kim exploded with foul language, which was quite shocking [to her]," Nam recalled.

A previous report by Japanese magazine Nikkei Asian Review also recalled talking to sources commenting on Kims anger. The leader reportedly flew into a rage when he discovered his uncle, Jang Song Thaek, was planning a coup with Chinese officials to have him ousted in 2013.

Jang was executed a short time later.

Nam added: "Any vague fear of Kim is not desirable. Likewise, any simple evaluation of Kim is a no-no."

Experts fear Kims unpredictable rage could drive him to launch a nuclear war as he spews bombastic threats toward neighboring countries and the U.S. Lee also said Thursday that North Korea reaching its nuclear goal threatens the security of the world.

"North Korea's nuclear armament poses threats not only to the security of Northeast Asia, but also to the security of the world," Lee said. "It is urgently needed for the international community to make concerted efforts."
A government official says a prominent opposition figure in Tanzania has been shot near his home in the capital, Dodoma.

Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba says lawmaker Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party was injured by an unknown assailant. Nchemba says the government will issue a statement after receiving a medical report.

Lissu one of the East African nation's most vocal opposition politicians.

In July, he was criminally charged with using abusive language after he called President John Magufuli a dictator over alleged attacks on the opposition and the media.

Lissu also serves as president of the Tanganyika Law Society.
A pan-Arab TV station is reporting that Israel has attacked a facility near the Syrian capital.

The Lebanon-based Al-Mayadeen TV, which has reporters throughout Syria, said the airstrike hit a "target" in Qutaifah, about 35 kilometers (22 miles) northeast of Damascus.

Al-Mayadeen said Israeli warplanes broke the sound barrier over Lebanon's eastern Bekaa Valley overnight. Qutaifah is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the border with Lebanon.

Al-Mayadeen gave no further details in its Thursday morning report. There was no comment from Israel.

Israeli officials say Lebanon's Hezbollah has significantly upgraded its capabilities with a more sophisticated arsenal in recent years. While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Hezbollah.
Spains prosperous Catalonia region has set the date for a vote for independence  despite anger coming out of the countrys capital city.

The regions pro-independence ruling government managed to get enough votes to pass the referendum law amid a testy parliament session that lasted 11 hours and saw 52 opposition members walk out of the chamber in protest.

The support of 72 pro-independence lawmakers was enough to pass the measure, after the opposition members walked out before the voting started. Eleven lawmakers abstained from voting.

The vote for independence on Oct. 1, however, will face a tough test from the Spanish government by appealing to the countrys constitutional court, which has previously ruled that a referendum can only be called with the approval of central authorities.

Catalonia regional President Carles Puigdemont signed a decree officially calling for a self-determination referendum of Catalonia." His entire cabinet, which includes politicians from various pro-independence parties, also approved the document to dilute responsibility is case of prosecution.

The referendum clashes with the Spanish Constitution, which only gives national authorities the right to call such a vote. But Catalonia's pro-independence lawmakers approved a bill earlier Wednesday that is meant to provide a legal justification for the independence vote.

The concert of state and patriotic unities that go beyond the rights of citizens dont have a place in todays Europe, Puigdemont said. "Catalonia belongs to this world that looks forward, and that's why it will decide its own future on the 1st of October."

Catalonia's renewed push for secession has opened one of Spain's deepest political and institutional crises of recent years. Although much of the blame has been put on the pro-independence bloc in the regional parliament, Rajoy's conservative government has been criticized for letting the situation get this far.

Puigdemont's government claims it has a democratic mandate to seek a binding independence referendum based on the universal right to self-determination. However, approval for the referendum law came after more than 11 hours of heated debate.

The parliamentary debate in Barcelona saw tensions flare when the regional body's top speaker, Carme Forcadell, announced that a vote on the bill would proceed before the legislation had undergone the customary legal vetting. The vote had not appeared on the day's agenda until the very last minute.

The Spanish government is trying to strike a delicate balance between offsetting the secessionist defiance and staying away from more dramatic measures that would further inflame anti-Spanish sentiments, such as suspending Catalonia's autonomous powers or declaring a state of emergency that would bring the army into the mix.

The Catalonia region centered on Barcelona generates a fifth of Spain's gross domestic product. It self-governs in several important areas, such as police, health and education. But key areas such as taxes, foreign affairs and most infrastructures are in the hands of the Spanish government.

Both Catalan and Spanish are spoken in the region of 7.5 million people, and many Catalans feel strongly about their cultural heritage and traditions.

The pro-independence bloc has argued that full control would benefit Catalonia, an idea that gained support in times of high unemployment and harsh austerity measures as a result of Spain's 2008-2013 financial crisis.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
As Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan stepped up the pressure this week on the European Union about whether to admit it as a member, U.S. and German officials are growing more exasperated with a government that increasingly is arresting and detaining citizens from both nations for seemingly arbitrary reasons.

Relations between Turkey and Germany have been tense for months, with Turkey accusing Germany of harboring people with alleged links to last years failed coup against Erdogan as well as outlawed Kurdish militant groups.

Berlin has accused Turkey of backsliding on democratic values and is angered by the arrest of 12 German citizens in Turkey for what Berlin considers political reasons.

One of the detainees is German-Turkish journalist Deniz Yucel, who has been in detention for about 200 days.

At a business event in the city of Nuremberg recently, Chancellor Angela Merkel said it was unwise to continue speaking with Ankara about being in an EU customs union. She added that German already had changed its views of its relations with Turkey.

We must react decisively, Merkel said. Given the latest events, perhaps it is necessary to rethink them ever further.

U.S. officials also are concerned about the growing difficulty of gaining access to U.S. citizens who are arrested or detained in Turkey.

American pastor Andrew Brunson, 48, was detained in Turkey in October and then accused two months later of membership in an armed terroristic organization." Turkish authorities then piled on new charges of espionage. Brunsons lawyer told the Wall Street Journal the charges are trumped up.

State Department officials have and will continue to raise cases of U.S. citizen detentions directly with Turkish government officials at all levels, as appropriate, said a State Department official to Fox News, who asked not to be named. Since Mr. Brunsons arrest, consular officers have visited him regularly, including our last visit on August 24  We ask that Turkish officials consider releasing Mr. Brunson from custody subject to whatever judicial conditions or controls may be appropriate while his legal case is resolved, as it has done with other individuals under investigation.

As Secretary Tillerson has said, The United States continues to advocate for the release of Pastor Andrew Brunson, who has been wrongfully imprisoned in Turkey.

More broadly, the official said, the U.S. government is concerned about Turkeys treatment of U.S. citizens.

Delays or denial of consular access to U.S. citizens detained or arrested by security forces, some of whom also possess Turkish citizenship, continue, the official said. In accordance with the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations, the United States has a legal right to access U.S. citizens who are detained in Turkey, and who do not also possess Turkish citizenship.

Beyond this, Turkey has become one of the riskiest nations in the world for journalists, according to the Committee to Protect Journalists.

CPJ said to Fox News that as of the end of 2016, 81 journalists were in Turkish jails for their reporting.

Turkey is the worlds biggest prison for journalists, said Robert Mahoney, CPJs deputy executive director. We believe 81 is a conservative figure. We include people in jail directly for their work in journalism. The thing to remember with Turkey is that the president cannot stand criticism. Journalists are being jailed for what you or I would consider fair comments and criticism, fact-based opinions as well as reporting, all which the government does not like.

Many people detained have been accused of being part of a failed coup against Erdogan last year. Critics say that Erdogan, who already had showed an intolerance for dissent, used the coup attempt to crack down harder on critics.

Were trying to establish what they are charged with, said Germanys Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Adebahr at a press conference, according to Reuters. We must assume that its a political charge, suspicion of terrorism, as with the others.

Mahoney said that Turkeys draconian moves against perceived enemies is very concerning.

They have portrayed themselves as a moderate [presence] in the region, he said. But there has been a closing of freedom of expression and control of information.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
A 32-year-old man has gone on trial in the northern German city of Hamburg accused of spying for Turkish intelligence on a Kurdish politician and activists.

The dpa news agency reported Thursday that Turkish national Mehmet Fatih S. is accused of spying for the Turkish intelligence service MIT in Germany.

The suspect, whose last name wasn't given in line with privacy laws, was arrested in December.

Prosecutors allege he started working worked for Turkish intelligence in 2013 and was tasked in September 2015 at the latest with snooping on Kurds in Germany.

Among other things, he's alleged to have focused on a German-based politician who at the time headed a Kurdish group in Germany and now is part of the leadership of a Brussels-based Kurdish umbrella group.
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British Prime Minister Theresa May has met with the mother of detained Venezuelan opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez and says she is "deeply troubled" by the jailing of political prisoners in the country.

May met Thursday at 10 Downing St. with Antonieta Lopez and with Julio Borges, president of the Venezuelan National Assembly.

Lopez is under house arrest after being released from a jail sentence for leading anti-government demonstrations. May said his detention was "a matter of great concern."

May urged President Nicolas Maduro's government to "ensure that human rights, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the integrity of democratic institutions are respected."

She expressed "unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution." The Maduro government stripped the elected assembly of its powers earlier this year.
Sneak a glimpse at what goes on behind gallery doors as downtown Fredericksburg becomes a walkable canvas during this Saturdays Art Attack. Get to know the local arts community as the sixth annual event will be packed with more than 80 artists demonstrating their skills along Caroline and William streets.

There will be seasoned pros showing off their creations, but Art Attack is also an opportunity for up-and-comers to share their talents, with recruits as young as elementary schoolers. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., see art in action, with everything from painting and sculpting to music and dance. Artists will be setting up on Caroline Street between Amelia and Charlotte streets (700-1000 block) and William Street between Sophia and Princess Anne streets (100-300 block).

Art Attack was started by local artists Bill Harris and Gabriel Pons as way to encourage the exposure, promotion and celebration of Fredericksburgs vibrant art community.

This years event is supported by the Frederickburg Arts Commission, Whurk Magazine, the Fredericksburg Center for Creative Arts and the Community Bank of the Chesapeake, with contributing partners including Ponshop and LibertyTown Arts Workshop.

Theres no fee to participate in the event and all artists are welcome. For more information and guidelines, visit artattackproject.com.
ALL SAINTS (PG) 3 STARS

Thanks to a good story and a strong leading man, this is an inspiring faith-based film based on a unique effort led by a novice Anglican priest and a group of Burmese refugees. Rated PG for some impolite humor, and action. [MC, RF]

ANNABELLE: CREATION (R) 2.25 STARS

This origin story of the creepy Annabelle doll brings the scares, but its more than a little disappointing to have the whole story focused on an evil demon, and the doll it possesses, terrorizing a group of orphan girls. Rated R for horror violence and terror. 109 min. [MC, RF]

BABY DRIVER (R) 3.25 STARS

Director Edgar Wright takes an otherwise ordinary story about a getaway driver and blends music and action in a way that creates flashes of brilliance. Its a shame he reverts to violence and a shoot-em-up to end it. Rated R for violence and language throughout. 113 min. [MC]

THE BIG SICK (R) 3.25 STARS

This funny and sweet story of love and cultural differences is a nice change of pace in a summer movie season replete with explosions and superheroes, focusing on a comic from Pakistan trying to connect with an American girl and her family. Rated R for language including some sexual references. 120 minutes. [RF]

BIRTH OF THE DRAGON (PG-13)

Though theres no real reason to go back and take a look at the rise of Bruce Lee, this film delivers an interesting though dated look at the martial arts figure and a supposedly controversial fight with Kung Fu master Wong Jack Man. Rated PG-13 for martial arts violence, language and thematic elements. 103 min. [RF]

CARS 3 (G) 2.75 STARS

Restarting the franchise, this latest go-around with Lightning McQueen and friends works to add some horsepower to the Pixar series, but lacks the creativity and wild fun of the first two. Rated G. 109 min. [RF]

THE DARK TOWER (PG-13) 2 STARS

Barely adequate is not the term a movie studio wants describing a new film, but its right on the mark for this treatment of Stephen Kings tale of the epic battle between a dark wizard and a gunslinger who fights the good fight. Rated PG-13 for thematic material including sequences of gun violence and action. 95 min. [PV]

DESPICABLE ME 3 (PG) 2.5 STARS

This third film in the series isnt inspired, but has its share of humorous moments linked by the story of Grus battle with the evil Balthazar Bratt. The Minions save the day, with antics that are a hoot. Rated PG for action, rude humor. 90 min. [MC, PV, RF]

DETROIT (R) 3.25 STARS

Using interviews with people who were there and a raft of documentary footage, this film is director Kathryn Bigelows powerful take on what happened when three black men were killed by a trio of policemen. Rated R for strong violence, pervasive language. 143 min. [PV]

DUNKIRK (PG-13) 3.25 STARS

Director Christopher Nolan uses a compelling mix of big, sweeping vistas and small, personal moments to convey the courage and hopelessness felt by the soldiers trapped at Dunkirk during World War II. Rated PG-13 for intense war experience and some language. 106 min. [PV, RF].THE EMOJI MOVIE (PG) 1 STAR

A blatant attempt to wrangle money out of childrens fascination with cell phones, this weak animated film fails at every level. Rated PG for rude humor. 86 min. [MC, RF]

GIRLS TRIP (R) 2.75 STARS

This story of girlfriends taking off on a trip to be a little wild works so much better than the similar 2017 movie Rough Night thanks to a capable cast and a funny script. Finding that fine line between outrageous and tawdry is a tough thing to do, and this story walks it well. Rated R for crude and sexual content throughout, pervasive language, brief graphic nudity, and drug material. 137 min. [PV, RF]

THE GLASS CASTLE (PG-13) 3.5 STARS

A talented cast and a focus on a universal themea childs devotion to a parentmakes for an emotional and heartfelt film in this tale of one womans strange upbringing with vagabond parents. Rated PG-13 for mature thematic content involving family dysfunction, and for some language and smoking. 127 min. [RF]GOOD TIME (R) 2.25 STARS

Though Robert Pattinson delivers a scathing performance as a young thug who robs a bank, the film goes nowhere, simply follows him as he runs and harms others. Rated R for language throughout, violence, drug use and sexual content. 100 min. [RF[

THE HITMANS BODYGUARD (R) 2 STARS

Though stars Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson have fun in this film about a hit man and his bodyguard, the over-the-top action makes it little more than a bromance diversion. Rated R for strong violence and language throughout. 118 min. [MC, PV, RF]

INGRID GOES WEST (R) 2.5 STARS

With Aubrey Plaza delivering a powerful performance as an Instagram-focused stalker, this movie works best as a commentary on the vapidity at the heart of so much social media. Less so as a believable tale. Rated R for language throughout, drug use, some sexual content and disturbing behavior. 97 min. [RF]

LEAP! (PG) 2.5 STARS

This film about an orphan in Paris with dreams of being a ballerina works well enough to deliver a sweet and mildly inspiring story, but functional animation keeps it form being a knockout. 89 min. [MC, RF]

LOGAN LUCKY (PG-13) 2.25 STARS

Although the cast has fun with this southern-fried version of Oceans Eleven, the script is so demeaning to hillbillies and hicks that it makes it feel more like farce than the comic heist film its trying to be. Rated PG-13 for language and some crude comments. 119 min. [MC, PV]

THE NUT JOB 2: NUTTY BY NATURE (PG) 2 STARS

With frenetic animation that seems to be trying to fill the void, this animated film about animals losing their park home to a greedy mayor and an amusement park is weak stuff. Rated PG for action and some rude humor. 91 min. [MC, PV]

SPIDER-MAN: HOMECOMING (PG-13) 3 STARS

Marvel Studios takes a gamble that pays off in a big way in this reboot of the Spider-Man franchise, making the focus more on Peter Parker and his life in high school. A solid villain (Michael Keaton as Vulture) and neat action sequences help make it work. Rated PG-13 for sci-fi action violence, some language and brief suggestive comments. 133 min. [PV, RF]

TULIP FEVER (R) NR

An artist falls for a young married woman while hes commissioned to paint her portrait during the Tulip mania of 17th century Amsterdam. 107 min. [RF]

WAR FOR THE PLANET OF THE APES (PG-13) 3 STARS

For fans of this series, this is as close to a home run as you can get, using powerful action and apes amazingly human. For those not drawn to this sort of science fiction, the brutal battles and pantomiming apes may be a stretch too far. Rated PG-13 for sequences of sci-fi violence and action, thematic elements, and some disturbing images. 139 min. [MC, RF]

WIND RIVER (R) 3.5 STARS

This film from the writer of Hell or High Water artfully delves into an unforgiving world, the stark and snow-filled terrain of a Native American reservation in the Wyoming highlands where a young woman has been found dead, reminding a key character of a similar loss. Rated R for strong violence, a rape, disturbing images, and language. 107 min. [PV, MC]
A Henrico County mom who left her three children behind during a September 2016 trip to Mexico was sentenced Wednesday to serve 1 years in prison.

Henrico Circuit Judge John Marshall handed down that sentence to Aida Stovall on three felony charges of child neglect. Marshall ruled that Stovall could serve that sentence on a work-release program for which she would leave prison for part of the day for her job. Whether she is eligible for work release is up to the Henrico Sheriffs Office.

Stovall, 31, asked two neighbors to watch after the children  an 11-year-old girl and 8-year-old twin sisters  while she went to Cancun, Mexico, according to prosecutors. Stovall didnt have the two neighbors phone numbers or their last names, prosecutors said. The neighbors told investigators that while they could check in on the children periodically, they were not able to stay with the children.

Stovall said during Wednesdays sentencing that she regretted what she did and that she realizes her actions led to her family being separated. The oldest sister now lives in Florida with her father, while the twins are living in Chesterfield County with their grandmother. Stovall, who has not been living with the children since the Sept. 14 trip, was taken into custody five days later in Miami as she returned from Mexico.

I wish I never left, Stovall said during the sentencing. I wish I had made better decisions.

Stovalls Facebook page shows images posted during the trip depicting a seaside resort next to beautiful blue waters and palm trees.

In a Sept. 15 comment on one of the Facebook posts, Stovall wrote: truly having the time of my life!

The oldest girl, who is now 12, told investigators her mom instructed her to cook for the sisters and make sure they took their medication, police said in court documents. She also said she was supposed to make sure the twins took baths and dressed appropriately for school, police said.

Bobbi R. Graves, an attorney who was a court-appointed guardian for the childrens interests in the case, said the oldest sister has feelings of guilt because she was the one who alerted officials at her school about her moms trip.

Graves said that the girl is having difficulty adjusting to being a child and that she has to be told to go out and play or read a book. The twins also have been suffering from separation anxiety, Graves said.

Stovall spoke in sometimes halting and tearful testimony when she talked about her three girls, adding that she wants to be with her children.

I walk into the room, and theyre not there, Stovall said.

The defendant said she enrolled herself in a parenting class. There have been seven sessions of that class, and she said she hasnt missed any, Stovall said. The defendant repeatedly said she took responsibility for what happened.

I strongly believe that I am at fault for everything, Stovall said.

But Stacey T. Davenport, an assistant commonwealths attorney for Henrico, said much of Stovalls defense focused on her suffering in the case.

Ms. Stovall is thinking about Ms. Stovall, Davenport said.

Although the sentencing guidelines called for no active incarceration because Stovall has no criminal history, the prosecutor said that was not sufficient. Davenport asked for an active sentence of three years in prison. Davenport added that the defendant has testified that her oldest daughter pleaded with her not to go on the trip. The prosecutor called Stovalls actions appalling and said they could not be condoned.

Three young children were left while their mother went out of the country, Davenport said.

Vincent Robertson, Stovalls attorney, said his client had not deflected any responsibility in the case. Robertson said she enrolled herself in counseling and acknowledged her shortcomings.

To say she is only thinking about herself and what has happened to her, I just dont think thats true, Robertson said.

Robertson urged the judge to spare Stovall any active prison time, saying her children have already gone through a lot.

I dont see what is accomplished by incarcerating their mother, Robertson said.

But Marshall said he was swayed to go above the guidelines by the facts of the case.

Marshall noted that much of the burden for watching the 8-year-old twins fell to the oldest sister.

She was left to be a mother to two 8-year-olds and herself, Marshall said.
It amazes me that all the problems in this country were not solved long ago.

Since I was a small child, every politician who has run for office has professed to have all the answers. All the people had to do was elect him (or her) and our problems would be solved.

Every year, candidates promise to slash taxes, improve education and deliver us from all evil. If thats the case, then why do we have higher taxes, kids who play with fidget spinners in class and shootings every night?

I watched a commercial for one of the gubernatorial candidates the other day and this law-enforcement guy kept telling me that his man was going to get tough on crime.

How many times have we heard that before? From watching the campaign ad, youd think that, if elected governor, this guy would be out in the streets every day with a gun and a nightstick. Good luck with that.

I have seen quite a few governors come and go and I have yet to hear of one walking a beat at 2 a.m. in a crime-infested part of town. Once in office, these folks get tough on crime from the dining room table of the Governors Mansion.

Candidates promise the moon, but seldom deliver. Take that wall along the Mexican border, for example. Has anyone seen the first brick laid yet? No, and you probably never will.

What floors me is that some voters actually believe all the promises thrown around during a campaign. If my guy gets elected, he will change the world! Youll see. Hell get the job done.

Unfortunately, that is seldom true. If a candidate is elected to a legislative body, he quickly finds out that he is only one vote and one vote is a majority only in a dictatorship.

Governors have only so much power and can accomplish little without the backing of their states legislature. Even the president of the United States has a limited amount of power, as Donald Trump is finding out.

Without the cooperation of Congress, nothing gets done. And if you try to bypass the legislature, there is always the judicial branch ready to put you in your place. It is that old system of checks and balances that our forefathers put in place to protect us from tyrants.

The best candidate is not the one who professes to know it all and promises everything, but rather the one who is most willing to compromise. Our governmentslocal, state and federalare fueled by compromise.

Unfortunately thats something that Trump, the two major political parties and the loonies running around yelling not my president dont seem to understand.

Without compromise, little gets done in a democracy, as we are finding out. Politicians compromise for the good of the peopleall of the people, not just for those who belong to their party.

So dont vote for the guy who promises to change the world. World-changers seldom make such declarations. They just quietly go out and do it.

Vote for the man or woman who is willing to compromise, the person who will put the best interests of the people above those of his party. These are the people who get things done.

Those who refuse to compromise usually refuse to even consider opposing viewpoints because they have heads like rocks. It is their way or no way and that kind of an attitude just doesnt cut it in the legislative arena, as is evidenced by the perpetual gridlock on Capitol Hill.

Just once, Id like to hear a candidate be honest and say that he didnt know all the answers, but if elected would be willing to work with both parties in an effort to figure things out.

But I guess honesty doesnt work in politics. Politicians are kind of like TV weathermen, who promise it will be sunny tomorrow and then hope the people wont remember their forecast when it rains.

When pondering who you will vote for, you should remember that no candidate or party has all the answers. If they did, all this countrys problems would have been solved long ago.

Democracy is all about compromise and the best compromiser is usually the best candidate.
The collection drive began with a couple of empty cardboard boxes at the Orange County Sheriffs Office headquarters.

Ashleigh Adams, the wife of Orange Deputy Joey Adams, had suggested the effort with the hope of sending care packages to law-enforcement officers dealing with Hurricane Harvey in Houston.

Within hours last Wednesday, the two boxes overflowed with donations. So Deputy Adams put four more boxes in the Sheriffs Office foyer, and they filled up by the end of his shift that night.

Businesses and other law-enforcement agencies joined the effort after Ashleigh Adams and her friend, Christian Dudley, created a Central Virginia Harvey Relief Donations Facebook page. In three days, the community filled 200 boxes with water, hygiene items, snacksand a lot of diapers, Deputy Adams said.

I knew people would give, but I didnt know they would give that much that quick, he said.

He had initially planned to drop off the donations with another group heading to Houston from Maryland. But Adams and two colleagues decided to make the delivery themselves because of the quantity of donations. They drove separately in three vehicles, two of which pulled trailers packed with stuff.

Other public and private organizations in the Fredericksburg area have collected money and supplies for those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

On Thursday, Stafford Countys Administration Center hosted a Bark Bark Give event, where employees sold dog and cat treats to raise money for the Houston SPCA. As of 3:30 p.m., more than $1,200 had been collected, not counting online donations, Stafford Commonwealths Attorney Eric Olsen said. Residents can donate online at the Stafford Service Dogs Hurricane Relief Facebook page.

Spotsylvania County has also been collecting baby supplies, personal hygiene items, cleaning supplies and monetary donations during its weeklong Operation Spotsy Cares drive that concludes today. Residents can drop off donations at the Public Safety Building off Courthouse Road from 8:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m.

Spotsylvania is partnering with a local nonprofit called Just a Hand.

Back in Orange, Deputies Adams and Bryan McFarlane and Chief Animal Control Officer Christopher Williams left for Houston at 7 a.m. this past Sunday. They stayed at a hotel in Tuscaloosa, Ala., Adams hometown, that night and continued their trip at 5 a.m. Monday.

They arrived in Houston about 3:30 p.m. Monday to drop off the supplies, which will go to law-enforcement officers and the general public.

The visit didnt last long, but Adams said he saw homes and cars still submerged in water. He noticed how one block would be unscathed while the next would be flooded.

The trio left that same day, stopping at a Mississippi rest area at 3 a.m. for a three-hour nap. They got back to Orange at 9:45 Tuesday night.

The Central Virginia Harvey Relief drives participants are now attempting to fill a 53-foot tractor-trailer with donations. For more information, visit facebook.com/centralvirginiaharveyrelief.

With Hurricane Irma expected to hit Florida this weekend, the relief efforts here could continue for awhile.

Its early on in the storm season, so Im sure these arent going to be the last two, Adams said.
Did Marvin Gaye have the answer 46 years ago?

In his 1971 song Whats Going On?, recorded just after the Civil Rights struggles and during the Vietnam War, Gaye sang: Picket lines and picket signs/Dont punish me with brutality/Talk to me, so you can see/Oh, whats going on.

Susan Spears, president and CEO of the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce, played the song before a chamber event titled Civility in the Workplace held Wednesday at Fredericksburg Academy.

Music is a reflection of our culture at any given time, when people cant find the right words, Spears said, introducing the event. That song was written during a tumultuous time in our country. Sound familiar? Can it really be that simple [as just talking to each other]?

The event brought together members of the local business community to begin a conversation about civility.

Panelists Mike Fidgeon, president of mental health service provider Pathways by Molina; Charlotte Horne, customer service representative at Rappahannock Insurance; Martha Hutzel, director of the Central Rappahannock Regional Library; and Andre Pineda, financial advisor and vice president at Cary Street Partners; led participants as they tackled such questions as, Why does civility matter? Where does it start? Has it declined? and What should we do?

Spears said she was inspired to organize the discussion by the chambers value statement supporting integrity through doing the right things for the right reasons, giving fair and balanced consideration of issues and consistently treating members, staff and partners with respect and value for their unique contributions.

She said these values put the business community in a good position to start a conversation about civility in the wider community.

In his opening statements to the gathering, Pineda said its up to the business community to stand up and confront incivility.

The energy you put out is what you get back, he said. It is good business to be civil and it elevates everything.

Panelists and participants agreed that whether or not incivility is on the rise, it is certainly more visible now due to a 24-hour news cycle and the prevalence of social media, which allows people to throw rocks from behind a virtual screen, Hutzel said.

A participant suggested that people are investing their personal feelings too much into public discourse. Pineda agreed, saying that those in the business community should set an example by making an effort to get news from a variety of sources and using facts rather than opinions in discussion.

We owe it to ourselves to raise the level of discussion, he said.

Hutzel said listening is equally as important as educated discussion.

We were born with two ears and one mouth, she said. We should listen more than we talk.

Spears asked the panelists to answer the question, Where does civility start?

Horne responded that it should start with the individual.

You cant expect others to startyou do the right thing and it will spread, she said.

Participant Dick Ayres, a retired FBI agent and instructor at the FBI Academy in Quantico, suggested that civility is declining because morality is declining. He cited increasing divorce rates and decreasing church attendance as evidence.

Institutions are not arming our children with morality, he said. People cant identify their own core beliefs. You have to first identify your beliefs so you can live them and be a role model for others.

At the conclusion of the program, J.R. Flatter, chairman of the chamber board of directors and president of Flatter & Associates, asked participants to be evangelists for civility.

If you are able, youre obligated, he said.
Some localities in the Fredericksburg region broadcast their government meetings live, giving residents the chance to watch, in real time, their elected officials in action.

But how many of them give people the chance to provide comments during those meetingsfrom the comfort of their living room recliner?

King George County appears to be the first, as it tested technology Tuesday night that allows people to participate in meetings from wherever they happen to be.

That means residents who have youngsters underfoot or dont get home from work in time to attend meetings can give their three-minutes worth of comments during Board of Supervisors sessionswithout setting foot in a county boardroom.

Thank you, everyone for your attendance, those physically here and online, Supervisor John Jenkins said Tuesday. I guess you guys are a part of history.

Two residents, James Hull and Warren Veazey, were part of the trial run of new software, called GoToMeeting. From his Mathias Point home, Hull clicked on the camera on his computer, and his image was broadcast on a screen in the county boardroom.

Another camera was focused on the supervisors, and Hull could see them as he talked. He thanked the county for the new technology, saying it was a great way to get input from citizens, then took the opportunity to mention a favorite cause. Hes part of the King George Amateur Radio Operators, who will be prepared to use their equipment, if needed, during Hurricane Irma to send or receive messages from affected sites.

A second resident, Warren Veazey, participated in the public-comment portion over the phone. His voice was broadcast live, as he asked about some issues regarding the King George Regional Landfill.

Participation in the meetings from remote sites is just one aspect of new technology that King George County is debuting this month. It will launch its new website Sept. 21, which will give residents access to live board meetings.

Chris Dines, the countys technology director, said hes looking to set up another camera that will focus on the slide shows or PowerPoint presentations that sometimes are displayed during meetings. That way, people watching at home can see the same thing those in the boardroom do.

Dines will attend a town hall meeting on Sept. 21, starting at 7 p.m. at the Dahlgren campus of the University of Mary Washington. He will go over the various features of the new website and how people can participate. The session, led by Board of Supervisors Chairwoman Ruby Brabo, also will give residents a chance to comment on the countys new strategy for economic development.

King George residents interested in participating in the meetings from remote locations must call or go online before the meetings starts, between 6:20 and 6:30 p.m. Those using a computer, tablet or smartphone can go online at gotomeet.me/ChrisDines and are asked to use the camera on their device so supervisors can see them.

Those interested in calling into the public-comment portion can do so at 866/899-4679 or 646/749-3117. The access code is 974-486-221.
LEBANON  The Oregon ATV Safety is a youth rider endorsement program, started in response to the rising number of ATV related injuries and deaths. Oregon state law requires youth, 15 years of age or younger, to receive a hands-on endorsement of their mental and physical ATV riding skills.

They must possess an endorsed All-Terrain Safety Education Card to ride on public lands. Classes allow youth riders to learn or demonstrate safe mental and physical riding skills.

For 4 Wheeler ATV Evaluations a class will be held in Lebanon from 10 a.m. to noon on Sept. 23. Each youth brings their own ATV and personal protective equipment.

The class registration fee is $25.

Registrations are done online at http://www.oregon.gov/oprd/ATV/pages/hands_on_training.aspx.

Before registering the child must take an online class to get their OPRD ATV Safety Education Card. The course is found at: rideATVoregon.org.

For more information, contact instructor Robin Galloway, Linn County 4-H Faculty at 541-730-3469, or robin.galloway@oregonstate.edu.
The University of Mary Washington will host two public debates this month between General Assembly candidates from the Fredericksburg region.

A four-way debate between Del. Mark Cole, RSpotsylvania County, Green Party candidate Gerald Anderson, Democrat Steve Aycock and independent Amanda Blalock will take place on the Fredericksburg campus on Wednesday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Room 411 of Lee Hall. Cole has held the 88th District seat, which includes parts of Fredericksburg and Spotsylvania and Stafford counties, since 2002.

The 28th District candidates vying to succeed House Speaker Bill Howell, RStafford will take part in a debate at 7 p.m. Sept. 21 at the same location. Democrat Joshua Cole, an assistant pastor at Union Bell Baptist Church in Stafford, will go up against Republican Stafford Supervisor Bob Thomas, a former Marine who owns a government contracting business.

Howell announced earlier this year that he would vacate the seat, which represents parts of Fredericksburg and Stafford, at the end of the year. He first won election 30 years ago.

Both districts lean heavily Republican.

Cole, a deputy county administrator in Spotsylvania, is one of the General Assemblys more socially conservative members. He has run unopposed several times, but is up against a crowded field this year.

Blalock is probably his best-known challenger, having served on the Spotsylvania School Board for 10 years. She is active on social media, helping her gain a measure of popularity with students. She resigned from the School Board in June after moving to another home in the county outside of the Lee Hill District.

Aycock, Coles Democratic challenger, is seeking public office for the first time. He is associate pastor for missions at the Real Life Community Church in Stafford.

Anderson, another political newcomer, will be the first Green Party member to challenge Cole. The Fredericksburg resident is an adjunct chemistry professor at Germanna Community College.

The debates are sponsored by UMWs College Republicans, Young Democrats and the Legislative Action Committee of the Student Government Association, in conjunction with the Fredericksburg Regional Chamber of Commerce and The Free LanceStar.

UMW political science professor Stephen Farnsworth will moderate both. The other panelists will be Ted Schubel, news director of News Talk 1230/WFVA and WBQB radio, and a Free LanceStar representative. Written questions can be submitted in person shortly before the start of each debate.

For more information, contact Farnsworth at sfarnswo@umw.edu.
President Donald Trump on Tuesday made it official: His administration plans to wind down the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the Obama administration program that has offered protection for 800,000 or so young immigrants who have been raised in the United States but lack legal status.

We'll take Trump at his word that this decision was difficult for him: He repeatedly has said how much he loves the "dreamers" who were brought to the United States, often as very young children and without any say in the matter.

Trump pointedly kicked the question of what to do with DACA over to Congress, and gave it six months to try to find a legislative solution. If Congress fails to do so, Trump tweeted Tuesday night, he might revisit the issue. (The president clarified his tweet on Wednesday by saying that he didn't think he would have to revisit the issue because he thought Congress would be able to strike a deal on DACA.)

Well, Trump must be watching a different Congress than the rest of us: It seems like a long shot that Congress will be able to pass DACA legislation in the next six months.

But that doesn't mean it shouldn't try. And Trump should use as much political clout as he can to try to push Congress forward on the issue.

You can see why Trump felt hemmed in on DACA. He won election in large part because he took a hard-line stance on immigration, and it wouldn't have gone over well with his base supporters if he had wavered on DACA. In addition, he was facing an artificial deadline imposed by Republican attorneys general who said they would sue if Trump didn't step forward to end the program. And with Neil Gorsuch the new ninth justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, the attorneys general had a decent chance of prevailing. (Of course, it's all going to the courts anyway: A group of Democratic attorneys general sued Wednesday to block the administration's action.)

But there's a good reason why Congress should work toward a deal on DACA: Legislative action would take the program out of the realm of executive orders, where it can be reversed with every new occupant of the Oval Office. Remember that Obama instituted the program through an executive order only after efforts to push it through Congress fell short.

It's not impossible to imagine the outlines of a bipartisan DACA agreement taking shape: The program enjoys wide support from Democrats and from some Republicans as well. With Trump pushing matters along, a DACA deal isn't out of the question  and this is a president who just this week struck a deal with Democratic lawmakers to keep the federal government open.

There will be some pushback from some lawmakers who argue that any DACA deal should be part of a broader package of immigration reforms. And, yes, it probably should be. But considering Congress' inability to do that over the last few decades, we're not holding our breath. And it could be that a modest deal on DACA helps show the way to some of those wider (and long-overdue) reforms.

As we have noted in the past, Trump could be in a unique position to help push these reforms forward. We need to revamp our system for dealing with guest workers so it connects better with the employers who need those workers. Legal immigrants need to have clearly designated and relatively straightforward paths to citizenship. We must craft humane and rational policies to deal with refugees. And, yes, we need more effective border enforcement, and no, that doesn't include a wall on the U.S.-Mexico border.

By contrast with those goals, a legislative deal on DACA would be a small step forward. But long and difficult journeys always begin with first steps. (mm)
Ferris M. Belman Sr., 90, of Stafford County passed away Sunday, September 3, 2017 at VCU Health Systems/MCV Hospital in Richmond. Survivors include his wife of 65 years, Edna G. Belman; five sons Ferris M. Belman Jr. (Mary), Robert S. Belman Sr., (Felicia), David J. Belman (Stephanie), Rodger L. Belman, and Matthew A. Belman (Tricia); 14 grandchildren; 13 great-grandchildren; one sister, Audrey Davenport; and several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents, Mageed S. Belman and Hattie Lee Belman; sisters Betty Anne Baker and Margaret G. Belman; and twin sister, Frances Haddock. Mr. Belman graduated James Monroe High School in 1944. He followed that with a two- year stint in the U.S. Army during World War II. After returning home, Mr. Belman joined his father in the family grocery business, Belman's Grocery, in downtown Fredericksburg, building the business to three stores in the Fredericksburg area. He retired from the grocery business in 1987. In addition to running the family business, Mr. Belman began a political career in 1968 that spanned 33 years. As a resident of the City of Fredericksburg, he was elected to four consecutive terms as councilman. His fourth term was cut short when he moved to the family farm in Stafford County in 1983. That fall, he began his 18 years of service on the Stafford County Board of Supervisors. Mr. Belman served as the only At-Large Supervisor, representing all county residents, until the position was abolished and replaced with a seventh district. During his 18-year tenure as a Stafford Supervisor, Mr. Belman was elected twice by his peers to serve as chairman of the board. In addition, he represented the county as a board member and president of the Virginia Association of Counties, The Fredericksburg Area Metropolitan Planning Organization (FAMPO), and The Rappahannock Regional Solid Waste Management Board (R-Board), to name a few. Mr. Belman was a member and past Master of Fredericksburg Masonic Lodge #4. He was also a charter member of Edward H. Cann Daylight Masonic Lodge #1752. In addition, Mr. Belman was a member of Fredericksburg Elks Lodge #875, VFW Post 3103, and American Legion Post #55. He was a lifetime member of Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. Mr. Belman's passion and devotion to make lives better for the community and to benefit future generations guided his work in public service and will live on as part of his legacy. But his real legacy lies in his love of God and devotion to his family. His life was about his parents and sisters whom he loved and cared for. It was about his soul mate and love of his life, his wife, Edna. It was about raising his five sons and teaching them the importance of faith in Jesus and the love of family. He loved and gave unselfishly to his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. He will be greatly missed but forever treasured for his love, laughter, humor, and kindhearted spirit. The family will receive friends from 4 to 8 p.m. on Friday, September 8 at Covenant Funeral Service, Fredericksburg. A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Saturday, September 9 at Fredericksburg United Methodist Church. Interment will be private. Memorials may be made to Fredericksburg United Methodist Church, The Salvation Army, and to the American Cancer Society. Online guest book at covenantfuneralservice.com.
De'Shon Tyric Brown, 22, of King George, Va., passed away on August 25, 2017. The family will receive visitors at A.L. Bennett and Son Funeral Home, 200 Butternut Drive, Fredericksburg, Va., on Friday, September 8, 2017, from 6 to 8 p.m. The funeral service will be held at 12:00 p.m. on September 9, 2017, at King George High School, 10100 Foxes Way, King George, Va., with Reverend Lester Harvey officiating. There will be a viewing from 11:00 a.m. until the beginning of the funeral service. The burial will follow at First Church Ambar, 9469 Caledon Road, King George, VA 22485. Flowers can be sent to A.L. Bennett and Son Funeral Home.
Tangier Island, a tiny, disappearing patch of land in the Chesapeake Bay, has been getting a lot of ink and airtime recently. Beyond any debate on what is causing the island to waste away, its future will come down to one basic question: Is Tangier Island worth saving?

No doubt many of its 450 residents think so, but do enough powerful people in the right places agree? As we are seeing these days, nature is a formidable foe.

The recent burst of publicity stems from reports about the possibility that the island would be washed away within a generation, and that at some point, any remaining residents would have to abandon it. Their plight is heartbreaking.

A CNN reporter doing a story on the report interviewed Tangier Mayor James Ooker Eskridge, who worries about the islands future. The story talked about the damaging one-two punch of sea-level rise and erosion. It said residents are counting on Washington to step in with the resources they need, noting that 87 percent of the islands residents voted for President Donald Trump.

The presidents staff alerted him to the report, and on June 12, Trump gave Eskridge a call. The mayor was out on the water crabbing, as he almost always is, so friends had to track him down to take the call. The president told him there was no need to be concerned about sea-level rise, and assured Eskridge the island would be there for hundreds of years to come.

Considering the accelerating rate of the islands loss of land mass, the presidents statement simply isnt trueunless radical infrastructure improvements, such as a sea wall with some restoration of lost shoreline, are made. There is no estimate for what that would cost, but it would be monumentalway more than the islands residents could afford by themselves.

Later, Eskridge turned up at a CNN town hall program featuring climate change activist and former Vice President Al Gore. Eskridge challenged the existence of sea-level rise because he hasnt seen evidence of it, such as water rising higher on dock pilings over time. Instead, the mayor blames erosion for the islands precarious situation, erosion caused by the constant wave action battering its shores.

Whether Eskridge is able to discern an inch or two of sea-level rise over a period of years amid the daily ebb and flow of the bays tidal waters, and whether that, along with fierce storms, exacerbates the effects of the erosion to which Eskridge refers, really doesnt matter. The result is that the islands land mass is diminishing.

What does matter is whether the president, and Congress, are prepared to make the investment that would preclude the inevitable. Lets just say Eskridge and his constituents might be disappointed in the chances Las Vegas oddsmakers might assign to that.

As Washington comes to grips with the scientifically documented evidence of sea-level rise, a primary concern is the potential impact on military installations such as those in Hampton Roadsnot the future of a sparsely populated island in the Chesapeake Bay.

Like Tangier Island, the land on which the southeastern Virginia military bases sit are experiencing the double whammy of sea-level rise and sinking land.

Given that threat, we would be surprised if anyone, save a philanthropic soul who cares deeply about Tangiers historic past, would come forward to save it.

It would seem, then, that there will be an increasingly pressing need to remove significant artifacts and to prepare the islands residents for eventual evacuation to higher ground.
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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...

Museum, Limestone collaborating on textile history program Free Access The Cherokee County Museum is partnering with Limestone Universitys communications class and local educator Tim Lipsey to conduct a history program on textiles. If you or your family has worked...
A Pinch of Salt: The election is over, I think, so what now?
The crew from Eugene's Trek Theatre is boldly going in a new creative direction this season, away from "Star Trek."

For its Sunday performance in Corvallis, the theater company will stage "Forbidden Planet" (1956). The classic science fiction film helped pave the way for "Trek," says Christina Allaback, Trek Theatre artistic director.

"Apparently, 'Forbidden Planet' was one of the inspirations for Gene Roddenberry when he was creating and writing 'Star Trek,'" she said. "It was the first science fiction movie that took the genre seriously."

Trek Theatre presents "Forbidden Planet in the Park" Sunday afternoon in Corvallis' Central Park. It will be only the company's second performance of its new production.

For people unfamiliar with "Forbidden Planet," Allaback said it is kind of a retelling of William Shakespeare's "The Tempest."

In the film, a spacecraft travels to the planet Altair IV to learn the fate of a group of scientists sent there 20 years earlier. When Commander Adams and his crew arrive, they discover only two people remain, Dr. Morbius and his daughter, Altaira, who was born on the remote planet.

The other scientists have died under unusual circumstances, and the Altair IV crew is trying to figure out what happened to them.

Allaback said another reason she wanted to direct "Forbidden Planet" specifically was its soundtrack, which featured the use of a Theremin, an electronic instrument. It was the first entirely electronic film score.

"The husband and wife (electronic music pioneers Bebe and Louis Barron) sort of had to invent in-depth instruments to make their soundtrack, and they would've been up for an Academy Award, but the union didn't consider what they played instruments," Allaback said.

Allaback connected with musician Isaac Paris after she saw him play his Theremin at an event. Paris will provide the show's soundtrack and sound effects.

"We really wanted to do an homage to the original soundtrack, but also make it our own," she said.

Paris, a sound engineer and a cast of 14 actors will perform the "Forbidden Planet" Sunday afternoon.

Allaback considers the performance family-friendly, but said parents should use their own discretion. The play does include stage violence, a death and a monster.

She said the group was able to make some cool props. These include a bunch of ray guns made with cardboard and glow sticks inside, a big doorway and transmitters that are destroyed during the course of the production.

Allaback said that the script was difficult to adapt to the stage and presented some challenges.

"We came up with some pretty creative ideas that I think are very whimsical, and adults and children will really like that," she said.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office will hold its 10th annual Chili Cook-Off fundraiser Sunday with the proceeds benefiting local K-9 programs and a volunteer search and rescue team.

Twenty teams from public safety and community organizations will compete for the title of "Benton's Best Rootin' Tootin' Shoot'em Up Chili," according to a release from the Sheriffs Office.

The event will take place 12 to 4 p.m. at the Benton County Fairgrounds, 110 SW 53rd St. The admission fee is $5 at the door and half-off with a military ID. Kids under 5 may get in free.

In addition to chili tasting, the cook-off will feature music, raffle prizes, the REACH Air-Medical Services helicopter, demonstrations by public safety professionals, the Sheriff's Mounted Posse and activities for kids.

Soda, hot dogs, ice cream and beer by Block 15 also will be available.

The cook-off benefits a different local nonprofit each year. This year's proceeds will go to local law enforcement K-9 programs and the Benton County Sheriff's Mounted Posse.

The Mounted Posse is a volunteer organization that assists the Sheriff's Office, primarily with search and rescue operations, according to its website. Posse members are trained and certified in search and rescue by the Oregon State Sheriff's Association and are on call 24 hours a day. Members must provide their own horse, tack, transportation and equipment.

The volunteers also participate in community outreach activities, such as the Children with Special Needs Horseback Ride Event, Oregon State University's Get Outdoors Day and Lilly's Lope For Hope.

Funds raised will go to support the posses search and rescue and community outreach activities, the Sheriffs Office said.

The agency is holding its second annual Preparedness Fair at the same time as the cook-off and also at the fairgrounds. Presentations will inform visitors on what the community is doing to respond to emergencies and how individuals and their families can prepare for all hazards.
A Polk County man pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Benton County Circuit Court to charges alleging he sexually abused a 15-year-old girl.

Dean Gary Hutsell, 50, of Dallas, appeared at his arraignment via video conferencing from the Benton County Jail. Hutsells appointed attorney, John Rich, entered not guilty pleas on his clients behalf. Hutsell spoke little during the hearing except to address the judge.

Hutsell faces one count of first-degree online sexual corruption of a child, one count of luring a minor, one count of third-degree sexual abuse and three counts of encouraging child sexual abuse in the second degree.

Corvallis police officers arrested Hutsell and took him to jail Tuesday. Prosecutors officially charged him Wednesday.

According to the charging document, Hutsell used the internet throughout the month of August to solicit the victim to engage in sexual contact. The charges also accuse Hutsell of using explicit images or language to lure the victim into engaging in sexual conduct. Further, authorities allege Hutsell possessed child pornography.

The charges also accuse Hutsell of sexually abusing the girl on Aug. 18 and 19, according to the charging document.

Judge Matthew Donohue imposed a $75,000 bond in the case, $7,500 of which Hutsell is required to post in order to be released from jail. If released, Hutsell should have no contact with minors, Donohue said.
Kudos to Mike McInally for his Sunday editorial addressing the population growth projected for the mid-Willamette Valley. Can/should such growth be controlled?

To begin, lets focus on one factor causing the migration ... almonds; well, actually, with the water needed to raise almonds.

Much of the Southwest is running out of water. Not only are families moving to Oregon because of water, but California almond farmers, who use about 11 percent of that states agricultural water, are already buying tracts of land in Oregon. It takes one gallon of water to grow one almond.

During 2016 the Corvallis water system delivered about 2.76 billion gallons of drinking water to 60,000 residents; about 46,000 gallons of water per resident; or 46,000 almonds. The 15,000 students that Oregon State University unilaterally decided to add, for its own questionable reasons, consume about 700 million gallons of drinking water. Thats a lot of almonds.

Progress, as championed by many City Hall and OSU administrators, some more concerned with personal legacy than community good, will continue to dominate city policy. One means of controlling growth and progress is to set aside land for conservation.

Theres only so much water, folks. I urge citizens is to contribute both money and energy to the Greenbelt Land Trust, which has earned our trust and thanks. The more land we can put into conservation in and around Corvallis, and unavailable to developers, the greater the chance we can preserve the quality of life  that draws people to this region, as McInally eloquently noted.

Michael Coolen

Corvallis (Sept. 4)
Columnist Dana Milbank deems millions of Bernie Sanders' Democratic voters to be the tea-party which will bring the Democratic Party down over single-payer health care. The Republicans lost their way for many reasons  one of which is dancing to the tune of corporate donors and not listening to the voters.

Rank-and-file Democrats want institutional change in the Democratic Party; we no longer want a privileged few leading our party nor our government. Real democracy is about ideas and ideals. Note the unprecedented protests when it became clear that Republicans do want to deprive many of us of health insurance. The voters are speaking and they want a better deal  single-payer, Medicare care for all.
Lets try to connect the dots: Houston has filled in more than 80 square miles of wetlands since the 1950s, the Gulf of Mexico is 5-8 degrees warmer than normal and epic storms are now commonplace. Could it be we ignore science at our peril?

Headlines talk about the stock market rising after Hurricane Harvey. Todays economic law does not give nature or its services a single penny of value. Our economic model doesnt calculate human suffering, death, loss of possessions or mental health. Hey, these people may need new furniture, new cars, clothing and new homes: all a boon for the economy.

Mr. Trump is relaxing clean-water laws, so, developers can build in more wetlands. Who needs those pesky regulations? As the Arctic melts to new lows and places like Oregon are literally burning in historic fires, the president denies global warming.

Connect the dots much?

John F. Borowski

Philomath (Sept. 4)
What customers need to know : Air Berlin insolvency and passenger rights

Bonn A flight delayed by several hours resulted in some unhappy customers. What is the current situation at Air Berlin and what do passengers need to know?

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Sunny days in Mallorca - far away from rainy Bonn. That was the plan for a young woman from Bonn who was ready for her vacation flight Monday evening on Air Berlin. But the display board at Dusseldorf Airport showed her flight had been delayed from 5:10 pm to 9:30 pm. No one really gave us any information about it, said Jennifer Metaschk to General Anzeiger. She said passengers were upset because they couldnt get any information and didnt know the reason for the delay. It was a difficult situation especially for families with small children.

Only when they were on board the machine did the pilot apologize for the delay. During the wait, passengers were given a coupon for five euros to get something to eat and drink,

Are refunds possible at Air Berlin?

Can passengers hope for compensation? On their homepage, Air Berlin says that the possibility exists despite the insolvency. Passengers who want to file any compensation or damage claims can so by filling out the form atwww.airberlin.com/beschwerde. But due to the current situation, processing these forms could take some time.

The European Consumer Center, however, informs that such claims cannot be registered

until the insolvency proceedings are opened. This also applies to missing luggage. The center advises passengers to not check baggage on Air Berlin flights as they will probably be saddled with any costs in the event of loss, damage or delays.

Ticket refunds

Vouchers for tickets can no longer be redeemed or paid out. But the situation may change following the opening of the insolvency proceedings. Tickets which have already been purchased with a voucher remain valid.

Airline tickets which were issued before August 15, on the day Air Berlin filed for bankruptcy, cannot be reimbursed, according to Air Berlin. For tickets issued after that, valid tariff conditions apply, and a change of booking is still possible.

Air Berlin receives loan

The EU Commission has cleared the way for a federal loan of around 150 million euros. This is expected to keep Air Berlin afloat until the end of November so operations can remain as normal in the coming weeks. The goal of Air Berlin is to sell the airlines by the end of November. Interested buyers include Lufthansa, Condor, Easyjet and the entrepreneur Hans Rudolf Wohrl as well as Berlin hotel operator Alexander Skora and former EnBW boss Utz Claassen.

Orig. text: Alexander Hertel
Public transportation facilities : New escalators being installed

Bonn Updates and upgrades are coming to some of Bonns underground public transport stops in the form of new escalators and moving walkways. Work is expected to be completed by the end of January, 2018.

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The Stadtwerke Bonn (City Public Works) will be replacing old escalators at underground public transportation stops in the coming months. First on the list are escalators at the Bad Godesberg train station, with work beginning on Monday, September 11. The way down to Moltkestrae will be completely closed until Thursday, September 28 while work is being completed. Michael Henseler of the Stadtwerke (SWB) says the stop will still remain accessible to everyone as visitors can use an elevator if necessary or the way up to the Deutsche Bahn.

Eleven so-called vertical transportation facilities are to be replaced from now until the end of January, 2018. Two new escalators will be installed at both the Bad Godesberg and Heusallee stops. At the Universitat-Markt stop, there will be two moving walkways installed. Mid-level at the Bundesrechnungshof/Auswartiges Amt, four new escalators will be built, according to the SWB. An escalator will also be replaced at the Rheinaue stop.

In Bad Godesberg, the new escalators will receive overhead coverage so no one gets left out in the rain. It will be the same at Heusallee.

The total cost of the work is expected to run around four million euros. Henseler says the new escalators have proven reliable and they are more user-friendly, also for the physically impaired. They ride more smoothly and without jerking, and are also equipped with emergency buttons.

An exact schedule has already been made for the elevator and moving walkway installations: Bad Godesberg (September 11 - 28), Heussallee (September 25 - October 14), Rheinaue (September 18 - October 24), Universitat-Markt (October 2 - November 9). Work will be underway at the Auswartiges Amt in the direction of Bad Godesberg from November 20 - January 5, and in the opposite direction from December 4 - January 17.

Orig. text: bot
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.
Dear Doctor: My boyfriend wants to take me to his favorite Thai restaurant, but Im a little worried; Thai cuisine uses a lot of peanuts and Im allergic. For people with food allergies, how dangerous is it to eat meals made with equipment also used to cook allergen-containing foods?

Dear Reader: Food allergies in the United States appear to be on the rise, which makes your question increasingly relevant. For individuals with allergies, even a tiny amount of the allergen can set off a reaction. This includes consuming food that doesnt actually contain the problem ingredient, but has been produced on equipment where the allergen is present in some form. This is known as cross-contact, and it can cause serious problems.

If you accidentally consume a food that your immune system has identified as dangerous, youre in for a physical reaction. This can be as mild and manageable as itchy skin, a headache or an upset stomach, or as severe as anaphylaxis, which can lead to death.

Although the steady uptick in allergies is worrisome, the newest research, which analyzed data from the medical records of 2.7 million patients, actually dials back the previous estimate of people with food allergies in the U.S. Instead of the widely quoted 5 percent, this study pegs the number at an average of 3.6 percent.

More women (4.2 percent) than men (2.9 percent) have food allergies. Asians had the highest incidence at 4.3 percent. Latinos had the lowest rates at 2.8 percent. Still, identifying and diagnosing a food allergy can be difficult, so all estimates are just that  a researchers best guess.

Your peanut allergy is in the top five of food reactions. Shellfish is first, followed by fruits or vegetables, dairy, then peanuts. Needless to say, the range of foods that can cause an allergic reaction is far more diverse.

To help people with allergies, the U.S. Department of Agriculture requires food labels to clearly identify the presence of any of the major food allergens. Also, if a product uses nuts, the specific nut must be named. But  and this is important  the this product may contain language on a food label, which warns of possible cross-contact, is voluntary. That means the absence of that warning doesnt necessarily eliminate the chance of cross-contact.

When it comes to dining out, where the preparation of your food is out of your control, your best defense is to be your own advocate. Call ahead to the restaurant and ask to speak to the chef or manager about your concerns. Ask for details about the precautions the restaurant takes to prevent any trace of an allergen from finding its way to your plate. (Youll get the most relaxed response when you call during off-peak hours.)

During spur-of-the-moment restaurant visits, enlist the aid of your server. Clearly explain what youre allergic to and how it may affect you, and ask him or her to let the kitchen know as well. Find out how the kitchen handles potential cross-contact. And, because we live in an imperfect world, please remember to always carry an EpiPen.
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.
Mass Protest In Togo Against President Faure Gnassingbe's Dynasty, Demand For Him To Step Down

bayonel3 at 7-09-2017 11:57 AM (5 years ago) (m)

Yesterday Thousands of people marched through the streets of Togos capital, Lome, protesting against President Faure Gnassingbe. Amnesty International estimated that 100,000 people marched in Lome, many wearing the red, orange and pink colors of opposition parties as they chanted "Free Togo". A government concession to introduce a two-term presidential limit through a constitutional amendment failed to dissuade the protesters. They want Mr Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005, to step down.

Yesterday Thousands of people marched through the streets of Togos capital, Lome, protesting against President Faure Gnassingbe. Amnesty International estimated that 100,000 people marched in Lome, many wearing the red, orange and pink colors of opposition parties as they chanted "Free Togo". A government concession to introduce a two-term presidential limit through a constitutional amendment failed to dissuade the protesters. They want Mr Gnassingbe, who has been in power since 2005, to step down. Mobile internet had been shut down in the capital but added that wi-fi networks were still working. Demonstrations took place in many cities and that more are planned for Today. Mobile internet had been shut down in the capital but added that wi-fi networks were still working. Demonstrations took place in many cities and that more are planned for Today.

Post Reply I scour the world wide web to bring you interesting stories from around the globe. [email protected] Posted: at 7-09-2017 11:57 AM (5 years ago) | Hero

Floyd29 at 7-09-2017 12:00 PM (5 years ago)

(f) Say no to oppression, nice move. He most step down now. Posted: at 7-09-2017 12:00 PM (5 years ago) | Gistmaniac Say no to oppression, nice move. He most step down now. Reply

ruthie at 7-09-2017 12:55 PM (5 years ago)

(f) AFRICAN LEADERS N THEIR HUGE DESIRE FOR POWER! TOO BAD! Posted: at 7-09-2017 12:55 PM (5 years ago) | Hero AFRICAN LEADERS N THEIR HUGE DESIRE FOR POWER! TOO BAD! Reply

gogoman at 7-09-2017 04:31 PM (5 years ago)

(m) nonsense people Posted: at 7-09-2017 04:31 PM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero nonsense people Reply

james987 at 7-09-2017 04:53 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Nice onr Posted: at 7-09-2017 04:53 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Nice onr Reply

yawa_don_gas at 16-09-2017 03:30 AM (5 years ago)

(m) Please please hold on, why e be say everywhere I take even when I wan hide yawa dey there?

Why why?

Na yawa life, yawa goes on Posted: at 16-09-2017 03:30 AM (5 years ago) | Addicted Hero Please please hold on, why e be say everywhere I take even when I wan hide yawa dey there?Why why?Na yawa life, yawa goes on Reply

Novic at 25-09-2017 12:12 PM (5 years ago)

(m) This is serious ooooo..... make I just dey waka pass..... abeg I dey waka pass, I will come and comment later.

This one weak me ooooo, well life must goes on.

I dey waka come bare Posted: at 25-09-2017 12:12 PM (5 years ago) | Hero This is serious ooooo..... make I just dey waka pass..... abeg I dey waka pass, I will come and comment later.This one weak me ooooo, well life must goes on.I dey waka come bare Reply

Novic at 25-09-2017 12:12 PM (5 years ago)

(m) This is serious ooooo..... make I just dey waka pass..... abeg I dey waka pass, I will come and comment later.

This one weak me ooooo, well life must goes on.

I dey waka come bare Posted: at 25-09-2017 12:12 PM (5 years ago) | Hero This is serious ooooo..... make I just dey waka pass..... abeg I dey waka pass, I will come and comment later.This one weak me ooooo, well life must goes on.I dey waka come bare Reply

Oworen25 at 25-09-2017 12:33 PM (5 years ago)

(m) Well, thats your own point of view. Posted: at 25-09-2017 12:33 PM (5 years ago) | Hero Well, thats your own point of view. Reply
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Overall, dont let the bhoot mislead you, nothing bhootiya about this story. Had the makers tried to push the envelope, the idea could have been outstanding for a bhootiya comedy.
More than 3,200 acres returned to Western Shoshone as Klondex Mines Ltd. transferred the deed for five parcels, including their sacred Rock Creek lands northeast of Battle Mountain, to the tribes Aug. 17.

We are delighted  we are all delighted  that were receiving the land that really is Shoshone land, and were grateful, said Naomi Mason, a Western Shoshone elder from the Duck Valley Indian Reservation, at a donation celebration in Battle Mountain on Aug. 18. The elders persisted, and so here we are.

This landmark donation from a mining company to Nevadas indigenous people reflects the modern mining industrys emphasis on being good neighbors, said Nevada Mining Association President Dana Bennett.

In particular, Northern Nevada mining companies are collaborating with local Native Americans in a number of programs and projects, she said, and the Klondex-Western Shoshone land transfer is a marvelous demonstration of this industrys commitment to community engagement.

The long process, however, was fraught with challenges.

It is quite emotional for me because it took so long. It took such a long time for us to get here, and the things that we overcame to get here are pretty powerful, said Paul Huet, president and CEO of Klondex. So it was definitely meant to happen when I think about all the events that have occurred.

Powers

The transaction took almost a decade, with the idea springing from when Huet was the general manager of Great Basin Gold Ltd. at the Hollister Gold Mine, about 40 miles from the Rock Creek lands. There, on site tours in 2008, Western Shoshone elders expressed how the site is sacred to the indigenous people. Huet also visited the mouth of the canyon to view Eagle Rock, a focal point in the cultural landscape.

The first and second time I went there, I couldnt believe such an area existed in the middle of Nevada, Huet said. Its a beautiful spot.

Historically, Rock Creek and the surrounding landscape was instrumental in boys transition to manhood on what one today might call vision quests, was a place of healing and more. Ancestors used the white chert found there to make arrowheads, giving rise to the name Tosawihi Quarry. Tosawihi, pronounced doe-sah-wee-hee, means white knife. The Western Shoshone still use the land today and say it is spiritual.

Ted Thomas, attending the event from Owyhee, compared the land to a church. Other tribal members from Battle Mountain discussed what it is like to visit Rock Creek.

Theres things you feel out there that you dont feel anywhere else, if youre open to it, said Clifton Oppenhein. I get chills walking out there. Goosebumps.

Theres powers out there, Rhonda Hicks said.

Strong powers, too, added Sally C. Knight.

We listened

Perhaps conversations like this and visiting the site made it clear to Huet that the Rock Creek lands had deep meaning to the Western Shoshone.

What we did back then, very importantly, was we listened, Huet said, and we still listen to the elders.

Huet sought out who owned the Rock Creek lands with the intention of buying them to donate back to the Western Shoshone. Fundraising for the asking price of more than $800,000 in 2009 through negotiations with Great Basin Gold directors in South Africa and Canada led to a tentative agreement to purchase the land from a real estate holding group. Before the deal could be completed, however, Huet went to work for another company, and Great Basin Gold went bankrupt.

As a result, the Rock Creek lands fell victim of this bankruptcy, Huet said.

A tumultuous 10 or so years followed. The land changed ownership. The Hollister mine operated at times without respect for the indigenous people. Lawsuits were filed.

The experience Ive had with previous owners has been very, very bad, said Tanya Reynolds, the South Fork representative on the Tosawihi Quarry working group in an Aug. 14 phone interview. We were after a collaborative partnership [with previous owners], but instead, they saw us as a roadblock and refused to work with us.

New ownership

Change came after Huet became the president and CEO of Canada-based Klondex in 2012. Four years later, the company purchased Hollister and Rock Creek lands from another Canadian mining company, Waterton Global Resources, which had laid off most of the mines employees and reduced it to care-and-maintenance status earlier in 2016. In addition to wanting to mine Hollister, Huet intended to finish what he started for the Western Shoshone almost a decade earlier.

Its really Paul wanting to be different and doing something that no other mining company has done, said John Seaberg, senior vice president of strategic relations in a July 31 phone interview. We want to finish the work that he started at Great Basin Gold. We want to be an example to the mining community and the mining industry of how the local communities and the native communities and mining companies can really collaborate and form a partnership and coexist, if you will, in a peaceful way.

Lucy Hill, director of environmental services and community relations with Klondex, said the Western Shoshone continue to visit the mine and offer advice. They are very engaged at what we do at Hollister, she said, and we make sure we are very aware of what their needs are.

Reynolds said she notices the difference, citing how Klondex invited her to visit with drillers. The drillers said they could avoid disturbing the sacred surfaces by drilling down to the target at an angle. So far, Klondex has been really open to working us, Reynolds said. It has actually been a really good working relationship.

Crowning that relationship was the mid-August signing over of the deed and celebration, attended by tribal members from all four Western Shoshone bands, Klondex board chairman Ritch Hall and special guests, including U.S. Rep. Mark Amodei and Nevada Assemblyman Ira Hansen.

There is a lot to be learned here today simply by what Paul has done by giving back parts of the land. Its a really important day for us, said event emcee Joe Holley, a Western Shoshone member.

Holley has chaired the Battle Mountain Band Tribal Council and now works for Klondex as a liaison to the Western Shoshone. He previously worked about 18 years for Barrick Gold Corp.

Everybody, all the elders Ive spoken with, say its a good thing, Reynolds said. Thats about as much as youre going to get from an elder native. Its a good thing.

And thats high praise, she said.

Were still here

Yet the Western Shoshone remember the recent and ancient history, and say they will keep a close watch over operations around their land so its intact or in even better shape for the next generation.

Rock Creek is a part of Tosawihi Quarry. Its not separate. Its a part of the larger picture of the area, said Ted Howard, chairman of the Duck Valley Western Shoshone-Paiute tribe, one of the four band councils represented at the Aug. 18 event. Our sites are referred to as prehistoric. We dont have a prehistory. We have one continuous history. And were still here.

Speaking from a podium, Howard thanked Huet but expressed concern over mining operations in the general area, saying he hoped it would one day cease. Sometimes that is difficult to do because of the hunger for money, he said. To [our] people, some things are sacred. Theres no amount of money that could justify the destruction of these places, and thats the way it is with the Tosawihi Quarry. No matter what you do, there is no money that could replace that.

Klondex plans to mine underground at the fully permitted Hollister mine, Hill said, to lessen the impact on the sacred surface. The mineral rights to four private parcels out of the five donated have been retired, Hill said; now with that land under Western Shoshone ownership, it is unlikely to ever be mined again. Klondex set up and donated to a conservancy to prevent development on those four parcels. The fifth parcel, which is on private land, still has mineral rights. Limited development could be allowed with Western Shoshone consent on the fifth parcel.

We are so thankful that it has happened, Reynolds said. We are still going to be watching, and we are still going to oppose things if we need to. They do have the understanding that this is a cooperative effort. We are not there to put up stone walls. We are just trying to benefit our people as much as we can.  We cross our fingers, and we keep praying that things work as well as they have been with Klondex.

In the meantime, the bands celebrated Aug. 18. Members rode into the ceremony on horseback, just as their warriors did in days past, Holley explained, connected to Earth through the animal. Some wore traditional regalia  including feathered and porcupine hair headdresses, and breastplates of bullet shells or bones  and danced with bells on to a drumbeat that Holley said represents the heartbeat of the people. They filled the day with song and prayer.

Its a long time coming, said Raymond Yowell, a Western Shoshone elder from South Fork. Its a good thing.
Republican gubernatorial candidate Ed Gillespie called Wednesday for loosening Virginia's marijuana laws, raising the state's grand larceny threshold and ending driver's license suspensions for unpaid court costs as part of a broad effort to reform the state's criminal justice system.

Gillespie made his first post-Labor Day policy announcement at a black-owned barber shop in Richmond, cutting against the perception that his campaign has recently taken a hard turn to the right. Gillespie's plan puts him in agreement with Democratic rival Ralph Northam on several thorny policy issues, but sets up possible friction with tough-on-crime lawmakers in his own party.

Unveiling a proposal he called "three strikes and you're in," Gillespie proposed ending criminal charges for simple marijuana possession for a person's first two offenses.

"The third time, you need to know better and at that point you're subjecting yourself to the criminal justice system," Gillespie said to a largely African-American crowd of community leaders and ex-offenders gathered at Ronn Cutts barber shop on Broad Street. "I think that aligns the offense with the penalty much more fairly and gives people not only a first chance, but a second chance as well."

Gillespie said he also supports "tightly regulated" medical marijuana. The former Republican National Committee chairman and political consultant said he'll look to the results of a pending state study on marijuana decriminalization, but added that he does not favor "straight decriminalization across the board."

"We don't want to send a signal that smoking pot's OK," Gillespie

Virginia's $200 grand larceny threshold, one of the lowest in the country and a regular topic of debate in the General Assembly, should be raised to $500, Gillespie said, so that relatively minor thefts don't bring a felony charge. Democrats and some Republicans have supported similar raises in past years, but the legislation is routinely blocked in the GOP-controlled House of Delegates.

In a statement, the Northam campaign highlighted the discrepancies between Gillespie's proposals and the past actions of his Republican colleagues.

"Ed Gillespie is an expert in talking out of both sides of his mouth, and he's proving it once again," said Northam spokesman David Turner. "When he stands with Republicans who have stymied criminal justice reform efforts simply because they were proposed by a Democratic administration, that's politics at its worst. However, we're glad he's come to see the wisdom the initiatives Governor McAuliffe and Lt. Governor Northam have fought for during the last four years. I guess showing up late is better than never."

Northam has already called for decriminalizing marijuana possession, raising the felony larceny threshold and a lenient approach to restoring felons' civil rights.

On felons rights restoration, a highlight of Democratic Gov. Terry McAuliffe's administration, Gillespie said he would ask former Govs. L. Douglas Wilder, a Democrat, and Bob McDonnell, a Republican, to help him craft legislation to create a more stable process that's less dependent on the views of any one particular governor.

Under the state constitution, Virginia governors have broad leeway to restore voting rights and other civic powers to ex-offenders who lost them after a felony conviction. McAuliffe tested the limits of that authority by signing an executive order last year that restored the rights of more than 200,000 people at once. The Virginia Supreme Court later overruled that order, but McAuliffe has continued to take an expansive approach, restoring the rights of more than 160,000 people during his term.

A Republican-sponsored measure to soften the constitutional ban on felon voting died in a House subcommittee earlier this year.

Retiring House Speaker William J. Howell, R-Stafford, who successfully sued McAuliffe over the rights restoration order, attended the Gillespie event Wednesday, praising Gillespie's plan as a "thoughtful" effort to find balance on criminal justice issues.

Gillespie didn't outline specific rights restoration policies he'd like to see, but his plan notes that ex-offenders should have to pay off restitution owed to victims before being eligible to have their rights restored. Gillespie said he'd continue the McAuliffe-era "ban the box" policy that makes it harder for felons to be weeded out early on state government job applications.

To further smooth offender re-entry, Gillespie proposed government-funded drug testing to encourage employers to take a chance on hiring an ex-offender. The annual costs of Gillespie's quarterly testing proposal, roughly $500 per person, pale in comparison to the costs of keeping someone incarcerated, Gillespie said.

The General Assembly has already taken several steps to limit the practice of suspending Virginians' driver's license for unpaid court fines or legal fees, a policy widely seen as making it harder for people to get to work to pay off their debts. Gillespie said he would work with the legislature and the judicial system to end the practice.

After his opening speech at the barber shop, Gillespie and Republican attorney general candidate John Adams heard from a number of Richmond-area residents who voiced their frustrations about the stigma that follows ex-offenders as they try to transition back to productive lives.

Jerry Lee, a 47-year-old who runs a barber shop outreach program in collaboration with community activist and radio personality Clovia Lawrence, said officials should carve out a larger role for ex-offenders in anti-crime outreach programs.

"If it's an epidemic in the city of Richmond, why wouldn't you go to the survivors?," Lee said.

John Goode, a 50-year-old peer recovery specialist, pointed to a more specific barrier: a rule banning felons from the city's public housing sites.

"I pay taxes. I've got a job," Goode said. "But I can't go into a public housing project. And I'm not talking about being a liability over there. I'm talking about being an asset."

Northam and Gillespie are scheduled to appear at Virginia Union University Thursday night for an NAACP forum focused on issues of importance to African-American communities.
TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - Sep 6, 2017) - Uranium Participation Corp. ("UPC") (TSX:U) reports its estimated net asset value at August 31, 2017 was CAD$388.8 million or CAD$3.22 per share. As at August 31, 2017, UPC's uranium investment portfolio consisted of the following:

(in thousands of Canadian dollars, except quantity amounts) Quantity Fair Value Investments in Uranium: Uranium oxide in concentrates ("U 3 O 8 ") 10,080,024 lbs $ 252,726 Uranium hexafluoride ("UF 6 ") 1,903,471 KgU $ 134,462 $ 387,188 U 3 O 8 fair value per pound: - In Canadian dollars 1 $ 25.07 - In United States dollars $ 20.00 UF 6 fair value1 per KgU: - In Canadian dollars 1 $ 70.64 - In United States dollars $ 56.35 1 Fair values are month-end spot prices published by Ux Consulting Company, LLC, translated at the Bank of Canada's month-end daily exchange rate of $1.2536.

On August 31, 2017, the common shares of UPC closed on the TSX at a value of CAD$3.74, which represents a 16.15% premium to the net asset value of CAD$3.22 per share.

About Uranium Participation Corporation

Uranium Participation Corp. is a company that invests substantially all of its assets in uranium oxide in concentrates ("U 3 O 8 ") and uranium hexafluoride ("UF 6 ") (collectively "uranium"), with the primary investment objective of achieving appreciation in the value of its uranium holdings through increases in the uranium price. UPC provides investors with a unique opportunity to gain exposure to the price of uranium without the resource or project risk associated with investing in a traditional mining company. Additional information about Uranium Participation Corporation is available on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on Uranium Participation Corp.'s website at www.uraniumparticipation.com.

Caution Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information that are based on the Company's current internal expectations, estimates, projections, assumptions and beliefs. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may", "will", "expect", "intent", "estimate", "anticipate", "plan", "should", "believe" or "continue" or the negative thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology and include statements with respect to the use of proceeds for the Offering and the anticipated completion of uranium purchases.

By their very nature, forward-looking statements involve numerous factors, assumptions and estimates. A variety of factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, may cause actual results to differ materially from the expectations expressed in the forward-looking statement. These factors include, but are not limited to, changes in commodity prices and foreign exchange as well as the risk that the Company will not be successful in completing the purchase of additional U 3 O 8 and/or UF 6 on terms satisfactory to the Company. For a description of the principal risks of the Company, see "Risk Factors" in the Company's Annual Information Form dated May 16, 2017, a copy of which is available at www.sedar.com.

These and other factors should be considered carefully, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Although management reviews the reasonableness of its assumptions and estimates, unusual and unanticipated events may occur which render them inaccurate. Under such circumstances, future performance may differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Except where required under applicable securities legislation, the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking information statement.
TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lydian International Ltd. (TSX:LYD) (Lydian or the Company) announced today that the Company will attend the 2017 Precious Metals Summit to be held September 18  20, 2017 in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Howard Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Lydian, will host one-on-one meetings during the conference and present to attendees on Monday, September 18, 2017 at 8:45 a.m. The presentation will provide an update on construction and upcoming activities at the Companys Amulsar Gold Project in Armenia.



The presentation will be available on Lydians website at www.lydianinternational.co.uk.

About Lydian International Limited

Lydian is a gold developer, focusing on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. Amulsar presents an opportunity for a large-scale, low-cost operation with production expected to begin in mid-2018. Open pit mining and conventional heap leach processing contribute to excellent scale and economic potential. Amulsar will be Armenias largest gold mine, with estimated mineral resources containing 3.5 million measured and indicated gold ounces and 1.3 million inferred gold ounces. Gold production is targeted to average approximately 225,000 ounces annually over an initial 10-year mine life. Existing mineral resources and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the life of mine. The Company is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. For more information and to directly contact us, please visit www.lydianinternational.co.uk.

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information contained in this news release is forward looking. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects, intends, anticipates, proposed or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will, may, could, would, should, or occur or the negative connotation of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the realization of mineral resource estimates and the timing of development of the Amulsar Gold Project, including the expected start date of production; the potential improvement of average annual production and extension of the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of currently defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; the commitment to and implementation of good international industry practices; the expected gold production from, and life of mine of, the Amulsar Gold Project; the expected mining methods at the Amulsar Gold Project; the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold over the life of mine of the Amulsar Gold Project; and the expected cost of operations at the Amulsar Gold Project. Statements concerning mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered when the property is developed.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: changes in gold and silver prices; adverse general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; failure to improve average annual production and extend the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; as well as Risk Factors included in the disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.



For further information, please contact:



Doug Tobler, CFO

+1 720-307-5087 (d) or +1 303-905-4442 (m)



Pamela Solly, Vice President of Investor Relations

+1 720-464-5649 (d) or +1 303-810-4863 (m)



Or: moreinfo@Lydianinternational.co.uk


Vancouver, September 7th, 2017 - New Age Metals Inc. (TSX.V:NAM; OTCQB: PAWEF; FSE:P7J.F). The Company is pleased to have selected WSP Canada Inc (Sudbury Office) as the consulting company heading up the new resource model for the River Valley PGM Project. The new resource estimation work will be directed and supervised by Todd McCracken.

WSP is one of the world's leading engineering professional services consulting firms. WSP brings together 40,000 staff, based in more than 500 offices, across 43 countries to provide engineering and multidisciplinary services in a vast array of industry sectors, with a focus on technical excellence and client service. WSP has a comprehensive and skilled team that can determine the sustainability of investment opportunities and related assets for the Mining and Resource Industry. There experienced multidisciplinary team of professionals can determine the engineering, geology, mining, infrastructure, transportation, financial, and operational sustainability of the targeted asset. WSP has been providing engineering services to the mining

industry for over 20 years.

The last technical report on the River Valley Project was in 2012 which was also carried out by Todd McCracken (under Tetra Tech), thus ensuring technical continuity. Since that date, the company has carried out several drill programs, made a new PGM discovery on the project, carried out a ground IP geophysical survey (News Release: June 19th, 2017) and obtained the River Valley Extension (News Release: Oct 5th, 2016). The extension ground (Figure 1) adds approximately 4 kilometres of mineralized strike length to the River Valley PGM Project. It has approximately 100 drill holes carried out by the previous claim holder. The new resource estimate will incorporate all the data as well as the present drilling (News Release: July 18th, 2107).



Click Image To View Full Size



Figure 1: River Valley PGM Project - Mineralized Contact Breccia Zone (Red)

Todd McCracken, P.Geo, is a professional geologist with more than 25 years of experience in mineral exploration, mine operations and resource estimation. Presently he is Manager-Mining at WSP Canada. He is experienced in both underground operations and exploration. Todd's commodities expertise includes PGE, nickel, gold, base metals, Li-rare earths and vanadium. He has worked for numerous Canadian and International clients. He is responsible for the Front-end Mining Group's activities at WSP, which include project management, QA/QC programs, due diligence reviews, resource estimations, mine design, ventilation, rock mechanics, tailing facilities, preliminary economic analysis (PEA), as well as pre-feasibility and feasibility studies. His team at WSP will include other geologists and mining engineers.

This technical addition strengthens the existing geological and geophysical expertise already present in the Company.

The Company also announces that it has issued an aggregate of 132,587 common shares to Agora Internet Relations Corp. ("AGORACOM"). The securities issued represent the final payment for services under the terms of the agreement and are subject to a four month plus one day hold period expiring January 2, 2018.

ABOUT NAM'S PGM DIVISION

NAM's flagship project is its 100% owned River Valley PGM Project (NAM Website - River Valley Project) in the Sudbury Mining District of Northern Ontario (100 km east of Sudbury, Ontario). Presently the River Valley Project is Canada's largest primary undeveloped PGM deposit with Measured + Indicated resources of 91 million tonnes @ 0.58 g/t Palladium, 0.22 g/t Platinum, 0.04 g/t Gold, at a cut-off grade of 0.8 g/t PdEq for 2,463,000 ounces PGM plus Gold. This equates to 3,942,910 PdEq ounces. The River Valley PGM-Copper-Nickel Sulphide mineralized zones remain open to expansion. Currently the company has completed new ground geophysics and is in the middle of a drill program focused on the Pine and Dana North Zones.

ABOUT NAM'S LITHIUM DIVISION

The Company has several hard rock Lithium Projects in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field, located in SE Manitoba. This Pegmatite Field hosts the world class Tanco Pegmatite that has been mined for Tantalum, Cesium and Spodumene (one of the primary Lithium ore minerals) in varying capacities, since 1969. NAM's Lithium Projects are strategically situated in this prolific Pegmatite Field. Presently, NAM is the largest mineral claim holder in the Winnipeg River Pegmatite Field and is seeking JV partners to further develop the company's Li Division.

On behalf of the Board of Directors

"Harry Barr"

Harry G. Barr

Chairman and CEO

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements: This release contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements may differ materially from actual future events or results and are based on current expectations or beliefs. For this purpose, statements of historical fact may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. In addition, forward-looking statements include statements in which the Company uses words such as "continue", "efforts", "expect", "believe", "anticipate", "confident", "intend", "strategy", "plan", "will", "estimate", "project", "goal", "target", "prospects", "optimistic" or similar expressions. These statements by their nature involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially depending on a variety of important factors, including, among others, the Company's ability and continuation of efforts to timely and completely make available adequate current public information, additional or different regulatory and legal requirements and restrictions that may be imposed, and other factors as may be discussed in the documents filed by the Company on SEDAR (www.sedar.com), including the most recent reports that identify important risk factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. The Company does not undertake any obligation to review or confirm analysts' expectations or estimates or to release publicly any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events. Investors should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Copyright (c) 2017 TheNewswire - All rights reserved.


Vegas suburb getting into pot business

HENDERSON (AP)  A Las Vegas suburb is now getting into the recreational marijuana business, months after the state of Nevada began sales.

The Henderson City Council voted Tuesday to establish retail marijuana regulations and licenses.

Sales could begin as soon as October.

The suburb had put a moratorium on recreational marijuana after voters approved it last year.

The law went into effect in January and sales across the state began in July, though officials are still working through the regulatory framework for distribution.

Hendersons seven-month moratorium on recreational marijuana is expiring on Thursday. The city already has medical marijuana facilities.

An analyst said Henderson could reap more than $80 million in retail marijuana tax revenue by the year 2021.

Raiders get OK for Vegas stadium construction

LAS VEGAS (AP)  The Oakland Raiders are one step closer to being able to start building their proposed stadium in Las Vegas.

Local officials on Wednesday gave preliminary approval to a series of permits required for the proposed 65,000-seat stadium.

Officials in Nevadas Clark County gave the team a year to figure out a solution for parking, which has been a major concern. Per county regulations, the stadium is required to have 16,250 parking spots, but the site selected for the project near the Las Vegas Strip has only about 2,400.

Raiders adviser Don Webb told Clark County commissioners the team is exploring a wide variety of parking options.

The Raiders want to play in Las Vegas starting in 2020. Their ambitious construction timeline for the partly tax-funded $1.9 billion project calls for some site work to begin by December.

Idahos largest wildfire burning in wilderness

BOISE, Idaho (AP)  Idahos largest wildfire is burning entirely within a rugged central Idaho wilderness area and being allowed to play its natural role.

Officials on Wednesday say the 110-square-mile wildfire in the Frank Church River of No Return Wilderness is burning grass and brush in lower areas and ponderosa pine and Douglas fir at higher elevations.

Officials say they have plans in place to protect bridges, a ranch, a guard station and other high-value sites that could be threatened.

The backcountry Chamberlain Airstrip remains closed due to the lightning-caused fire.

About eight smaller wildfires are burning around the state, mostly in forested areas.

An Idaho Department of Environmental Quality air quality advisory remains in place throughout, and officials say everyone should limit their time outdoors if possible, especially people with respiratory issues.
A coalition of parents and public-education advocates gathered enough signatures to let voters decide whether Arizona moves forward with or rejects a massive expansion of the state's school-voucher program.Save Our Schools Arizona needed 75,321 valid signatures to refer the measure to the November 2018 ballot. State and county election officials have been poring over the more than 100,000 signatures turned in weeks ago by the large volunteer group.On Tuesday, Maricopa County certified its batch of signatures and concluded the group had a success rate of nearly 87 percent. Three other counties still need to report their numbers, but regardless of the outcome in those countries the referendum effort was successful, said Eric Spencer, the state elections director."Absent what happens in court, it is guaranteed to make the ballot," Spencer told The Arizona Republic. "At this point, I see an 87 percent statewide-verification rate, and it only needed to get 70 percent in order to make the ballot ... It's a mathematical guarantee it will make the ballot, absent what happens in court."The referendum will be known as Proposition 305.The expansion of the Empowerment Scholarship Account program was supposed to go into effect in August but was put on hold pending the outcome of the referendum effort. Barring a loss in court, it will remain on hold until November 2018.Gov. Doug Ducey, who whipped votes to expand the program last legislative session, and Republican state Sen. Debbie Lesko, of Peoria, who sponsored the measure, did not immediately respond to the newspaper's request for comment.J.D. Mesnard, speaker of the Arizona House of Representatives, said, "All options are on the table" for how to move forward. The Chandler Republican said he has not talked with Lesko, the Governor's Office or other expansion supporters about how to move forward.Now that Save Our Schools Arizona has met the signature threshold, he said he expects those discussions will begin."At this point, everything's on the table ... whether that's a repeal, whether that's going ahead and letting it go to the ballot, whether it's a repeal and replace," Mesnard said. "I just don't know what we would do. One school of thought is you let it go to the ballot, and I think we win."
A key Senate committee Wednesday launched a set of hearings intended to lead to a short-term, bipartisan bill to shore up the troubled individual health insurance market, but a diverse group of state insurance commissioners united around some solutions that were not necessarily on the table.Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, said at the outset of the hearing he hoped to reach consensus on a small, bipartisan, stabilization bill by the end of next week. But the five state officials who testified seemed to have ideas other than those Alexander has touted for the past couple of weeks.Alexander has been floating the notion of guaranteeing insurance companies that they would be reimbursed for at least one more year for the cost-sharing reduction discounts they provide to enrollees with incomes under 250 percent of the federal poverty level. Insurers must make those payments under the Affordable Care Act, but the Trump administration has threatened to withhold the money owed insurers.Commissioners said insurers in their states plan sharp rate hikes next year unless Congress removes that uncertainty by appropriating money to pay the discounts, estimated at $10 billion in 2018.In exchange for guaranteeing the cost-sharing payments, which Democrats have sought, Alexander suggested Democrats would need to give states more flexibility to seek waivers from the rules of the federal health law to experiment with different ways to provide health insurance coverage. Democrats will have to agree to something they may be reluctant to support, he said. That is called a compromise.But the state insurance officials  Democrats and Republicans from Tennessee, Alaska, Washington, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania  agreed that the guarantee for funding cost-sharing payments needs to go for more than a year.Insurers right now are already planning for 2019, said Washington Insurance Commissioner Mike Kreidler, a former Democratic member of Congress. In order to give them predictability, you would have to give them more certainty in the market than a one-year extension.Added Alaska Insurance Commissioner Lori Wing-Heier, Insurers have to have more than a one-year commitment to persuade them to stay in the market and not raise premiums high enough to make up for the potentially lost payments from the federal government.Alexander also pushed his idea to make it easier for states to use the federal health law waivers to create their own reinsurance programs that would keep premiums down by paying for the most expensive patients. But the insurance officials suggested they would rather have Congress reinstate a federal reinsurance program that expired this year.Wing-Heier, whose state is so far the only one to have its own reinsurance plan approved by the federal government, noted that Alaska funded its own program for the first year, and the states Ive talked to said they cant afford to do that.Allowing states to do that is great, but if we could have a federal backstop in the meantime and to help with 2018, I think thats going to be important, said Pennsylvania acting Human Services Secretary Teresa Miller. She was formerly the states insurance commissioner.A federal reinsurance program, said Tennessee Insurance Commissioner Julie Mix McPeak, would help states that dont have the wherewithal to get their own programs up and running.States, agreed Miller, are not going to be able to fix this completely on our own.The state officials concurred that the current process for seeking a federal waiver is too cumbersome and could definitely use streamlining.The part that is stifling states is the six-month waiting period before they receive final approval, Wing-Heier said.  [Federal officials were] very helpful to us, but it still was a very lengthy process.State officials also expressed concerns about the Trump administrations cutbacks in programs this fall to help people sign up for coverage starting in 2018 and to promote the open enrollment period from Nov. 1 to Dec. 15, which is 45 days shorter than last years.I worry that these decisions will result in fewer people enrolling and relatively fewer healthy people enrolling, exacerbating the issues that already exist in the risk pool, Miller said.Some senators also suggested ideas that have not been on the table.For example, Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) asked whether individuals in places with few or no insurers might instead be allowed to purchase coverage through the federal employee health plan.The committee has three more hearings scheduled on the health issue this week and next. On Thursday, senators will hear from a bipartisan panel of governors on what they think would best stabilize the individual insurance market and better control health care costs over the long term. One major concern is rising drug prices  a point that insurance commissioners made Wednesday and which some governors will reinforce, according to their prepared testimony.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd is threatening to jail wanted people seeking shelter due to Hurricane Irma.The sheriff, who is known for his outspoken comments, made the threat in a series of posts to Twitter."If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail," Judd tweeted to his nearly 66,000 followers on Twitter.Judd also posted that officers would be at every shelter checking IDs and that sex offenders and sex predators would not be allowed inside.When checking IDs, if an officer sees that someone has a warrant, that person will be taken into custody, Sheriff's Office spokeswoman Carrie Horstman said.Horstman added officers don't have a way of seeing what crime the warrant is for, so it's possible those with non-violent misdemeanor offenses could be arrested."Officers are legally obligated to take a person into custody if they have a warrant," she said.Judd said in preparation for the hurricane, fugitives should turn themselves into the jail because "it's a secure location."Horstman said the posts were made ahead of the storm to give people ample time to prepare."We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders and predators. Period," Judd posted to his Twitter, @PolkCoSheriff.Horstman said since there's a possibility children will be in the shelters, sex offenders and sex predators are not allowed inside. She said they had a similar policy during the 2004 hurricane season. It's unclear if any arrests were made at shelters due to warrants.The American Civil Liberties Union of Florida said Judd should "focus on preparing for Irma, not burnishing your Joe Arpaio-style 'tough cop' credentials with irresponsible tweets."Arpaio, a former sheriff in Arizona, was found guilty of criminal contempt after denying a court order to halt stopping immigrants because of suspicion they were in the country illegally. He was pardoned by President Donald Trump last month.The nonprofit says most people with outstanding warrants are low-level offenders and pose no threat in a shelter.Judd's comments "send the message that these individuals must choose between facing a natural disaster without aid and shelter or going to jail over things like unpaid traffic tickets," a statement from ACLU reads.Asked if supported Judd's actions, Gov. Rick Scott said, "I haven't seen that. My expectation is that everyone needs to follow the evacuation orders and get to safety. I'd have to look at exactly what was said.''Horstman said undocumented immigrants will not be affected by the policy. She also said that the policy will help the county keep a log at the shelter, which she said is important during a natural disaster."We aren't sitting there looking for people to arrest," she said "We are sitting there to keep people safe."But State Representative Carlos Smith said the practice of checking IDs of evacuees seeking refuge unfairly targeted undocumented immigrants."The message has already been received by the 18,000 undocumented persons in Polk County," Smith said. "This is not the message we need to be sending out with a disaster upon us."Smith added that if anyone in Polk County felt threatened to go to shelters in Polk County, "they can absolutely come to Orange County and Orlando."When asked about Judd's statements, Attorney General Pam Bondi said she was not familiar with them, but she said no one should be turned away from shelters."I hope that we're a compassionate state and that we take in anyone" who needs to evacuate, Bondi said.Smith said Bondi can do more than "hope.""She can demand it .... She needs to make that clear," Smith said.Some Twitter users accused Judd of discouraging people from going to shelters, which could lead to injuries or death.The Sheriff's Office says the effort will allow residents to feel the shelters are safe and spur more turnout, Horstman said."We hope it actually leads to more people turning themselves in," she said.
Clark County commissioners voted unanimously today to ban the possession or advertisement of legal marijuana at McCarran International Airport and other properties overseen by the county's aviation division.The ordinance only applies to advertisements overseen by the airport, such as those in displayed on screens and fixed signs around baggage claim. It also applies to mobile billboards, which are required to obtain a permit to operate on airport property.The ordinance does not apply to advertising on personal vehicles or taxis that drive onto airport property to park or transport passengers. It also is not expected to affect Allegiant Air's in-flight magazine, which as of Friday has been running marijuana-related advertisements.Violators could face a misdemeanor charge or civil fines. Director of Aviation Rosemary Vassiliadis will be in charge of setting the amounts for the civil fines.The intent of the ordinance is to ensure distance between the state's legalized weed industry and the Federal Aviation Administration, which still considers marijuana an illegal substance.Commissioners in early August discussed implementing a more stringent airport ban that would have applied to commercial taxis, but Vassiliadis and others characterized that as impossible to enforce and outside the scope of what was needed to stay in federal compliance.In addition to McCarran, Clark County oversees several smaller, noncommercial airports, including North Las Vegas Airport, Henderson Executive Airport, Jean Airport and Overton Municipal Airport. It also owns several business complexes that lease space to private companies.
(TNS) -- The state Elections Commission says its giving municipalities the tools to implement electronic, instead of paper, poll books in time for the 2018 election cycle.Commissioners in June approved building an electronic poll book system and offering the software, at no cost, to Wisconsins municipal clerks, who partner with the commission to administer elections.The commission says it intends to pilot the system in at least three jurisdictions in the 2018 spring elections and make it available to all for the 2018 August primary election.E-poll book use will be voluntary for each of the more than 1,800 cities, villages or towns in Wisconsin, each of which administers elections within its boundary. Last month the commission began to survey municipal clerks about how they think the new system should function.Jurisdictions in at least 27 states use e-poll books, Pew Charitable Trusts reported in March. They allow poll workers to check in or register voters using a laptop or tablet e-poll book instead of a paper poll book.Commission director Michael Haas has acknowledged e-poll books present cyber-security concerns. U.S. officials reportedly believe Russian-backed efforts to influence the 2016 U.S. elections included cyber-incursions into voter databases and software systems in various states, including Illinois.E-poll books are not linked to voting or vote-counting machines and would not be connected to the internet while in use at polling places on Election Day, Haas said.In states where e-poll books are used, Haas said security concerns have been outweighed by the benefits to voters and election workers. E-poll books shorten check-in lines for voters at polling places and simplify election workers jobs on and after Election Day, he said.
Parents of nearly 350 elementary school students got quite a shock when they learned that a rabid bat had been found at Grammar No. 2 just days before classes were scheduled to start for the fall semester.

Fortunately, the infected creature was removed and the appropriate state agencies were called in to ensure the safety of students and teachers. This involved sealing points of entry and putting up netting to limit the movement of bats. The long-term solution will be to replace the buildings beautiful tile roof.

Youngsters missed a week of school that they will not be required to make up. District officials were prepared to send them to other schools if the health threat was not resolved quickly.

We commend them for handling the situation in a cautious yet open manner. Parents also appeared to be pleased with the response.

Grammar No. 2 is an old building, and its problem with bats has been known for years. According to a history posted on the schools website, Grammar No. 2 opened in 1930, halfway through the school year. The two-story brick building cost $92,585 and consisted of 12 classrooms, a principals office, nurses office and basement.

In 1954, additional classrooms, a library and gym were built. In 1979, the roof structure was strengthened. In the summer of 1995, the 1929 boiler was replaced and roofs on the wings were recovered.

Over the years it has fared better than its predecessor, Grammar No. 1. That two-story brick building opened in 1877 at Eighth and Court streets and was the first home of the University of Nevada. It burned down on Christmas Day, 1918, after its floors were freshly oiled. It was rebuilt a year later and named after educator Kate St. Claire in 1973. That building was the original home of Nevadas first community college before it was razed and replaced with Green Acre Apartments.

Old buildings come with their disadvantages, and the tile roof at Grammar No. 2 is blamed for allowing bats into the building. The nocturnal creatures like to nest in the roof around the schools gym.

Like any other animal with rabies, an infected bat does not behave normally. This one was flapping around in the ceiling tiles and caught the attention of a teacher who alerted maintenance staff.

Rabies cases are uncommon and infected animals are usually easy to identify and avoid. Exactly how the virus manifests is less clear. The World Health Organization explains that Rabies is spread when an infected animal scratches or bites another animal or human. But how does a bat or other animal get infected with this potentially deadly disease in the first place? We couldnt find an answer. Oddly, on the same week that the rabid bat was found in Elko another rabid bat was discovered in Boise after it was brought home by a familys cat.

Late spring through early autumn is when the disease shows up the most, according to the Nevada Department of Agricultures Animal Disease Laboratory.

Avoid direct contact with any bat, said Dr. JJ Goicoechea, state veterinarian. Dont touch them without gloves or allow exposure to children or domestic animals.

That advice should be easy to follow, considering these creepy creatures are not something a child would generally want to pick up and cuddle.

The rabid bat incident of 2017 is a lesson for schoolchildren and everyone else in the community. If you see a bat or other animal acting strangely, stay away and call the Nevada Department of Wildlife at 777-2300 or your local animal control officials.
(TNS) - Floridians hit the highways, scrambled for scarce supplies and hammered plywood over windows as a monster hurricane made landfall in the Caribbean, where it was blamed for at least four deaths.Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes, set a wild, wind-churned course toward Puerto Rico, with the U.S. mainland in its sights, probably over the weekend.Amid an overnight assault of battering waves and 185-mph winds, two deaths were reported in French island territories, a third in Anguilla, a British territory, and a fourth in Barbuda, part of a tiny independent nation.In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott implored constituents to obey calls to flee the storms path when the time came.I cannot stress this enough  do not ignore evacuation orders, Scott said at a news briefing as the storm began lashing Puerto Rico with rain, still on track for the U.S. mainland. If youre told to evacuate, dont wait  get out quickly.In warning of the dangers, the governor invoked Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Florida a quarter of a century ago, causing massive destruction and killing nearly 50 people in the state.I want everybody to understand the importance of this  this is bigger than Andrew, Scott told ABC News.President Donald Trump declared states of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Florida began activating its National Guard, with 7,000 members told to report for duty Friday.In Fort Myers, in coastal southwestern Florida, Stephanie Matteson waited in line at a gas station, where she said she had been for 25 minutes.I swear, its like everyone is in a hurry to get this thing over with  like, Just come on, Irma, and then leave us alone,  said Matteson, 47. She experienced Hurricane Wilma in 2005, but Irmas got more punch, from what theyre saying.There was a run on supplies, including bananas and batteries. Anthony Bonner, a bread company distributor, predicted that the 28 racks of bread he was delivering to a picked-over Walmart in Coral Cove, outside Fort Myers, would go fast.Its kind of like Im the candy man wherever I show up, he said. Bread and water are always the first to go. Stand here for 15 minutes  all of this will be gone.A state of emergency was declared earlier for all 67 Florida counties; on Wednesday, South Carolina followed suit, with Gov. Henry McMaster urging the public to not leave storm preparations to the last moment.As he did while Hurricane Harvey pounded Texas late last month, Trump unleashed tweets about the storms strength. Hurricane looks like the largest ever recorded in the Atlantic! he wrote Wednesday morning on Twitter.The president also said his team was ready in Florida, adding: No rest for the weary! Later, heading into a meeting with congressional leaders, he described the storm as something that could be not good  believe me, not good.The National Hurricane Center said the storm was one of the five most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in the last 80 years and the strongest Atlantic storm on record outside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.Satellite imagery of the enormous storm inspired fear and awe. The hurricane center in Miami described a vast swirling mass, with hurricane-force winds extending 50 miles from the storms center.The hurricanes force was such that it was detected by earthquake-measuring equipment on islands it passed, said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at Britains University of Southampton.Before dawn Wednesday, the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda was pummeled by wind and rain as the Category 5 storm passed almost directly above the islands, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees and triggering floods. Many people sought safety in government shelters as the winds turned storm-borne debris into missiles.At first, Prime Minister Gaston Browne tweeted thanks that his nation had been spared the worst. But then came grim word of almost all houses on Barbuda destroyed, and a death.Irma also roared through the French island territories of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, battering them with wind and water that smashed buildings and toppled trees. It was there that two deaths were reported by the French overseas territories minister, Annick Girardin. She also said two people were seriously injured.Dutch authorities were keeping an anxious eye on St. Maarten, Netherlands territory that shares an island with St. Martin, after the storm disrupted communications and caused heavy damage.In the early afternoon, the eye passed over the British Virgin Islands with winds gusting at 110 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported. Celebrity tycoon Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, owns a small private island in the chain, and blogged beforehand that he and a group of friends would be seeking shelter in a concrete wine cellar.Six southern islands in the Bahamas were under evacuation orders, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said, with people being flown to the capital, Nassau.In Puerto Rico, lashed by the storms leading edge, people hunkered down as the hurricane menaced the U.S. territory, with the height of winds and rain expected later Wednesday. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said the storms danger was like nothing weve ever seen.As the hurricane closed in, the worlds second largest radio telescope, at Puerto Ricos Arecibo Observatory, suspended operations, its operators announced on Twitter.With Puerto Ricos infrastructure already tottering, islanders were bracing for a loss of power that could last for weeks or even months.In the low-lying Florida Keys, where many people are accustomed to riding out hurricanes, mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for visitors and were extended to residents for later Wednesday  a complicated undertaking that was to include airlifting hospital patients.Tourist idylls came to an abrupt halt as hotels shut down and the Key West airport was stopping operations Wednesday, later pushed back to Thursday so more flights could depart. Residents, with a few more hours grace to get out, boarded up homes and businesses, and secured their boats.Theres only one highway to the mainland  U.S. Route 1  and it was choked with traffic. Gasoline became harder to find. The governor said that by Wednesday afternoon, about 25,000 people had fled the Florida Keys.Martin Senterfitt, the top disaster management specialist for Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys, said that unlike in previous hurricanes, authorities werent encountering many recalcitrant holdouts against evacuating.I think the general consensus across the state is that this is a big event, he said.With the storm bearing down, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was getting ready to shut down two Florida nuclear plants that could be in the hurricanes path: the Turkey Point plant south of Miami, and the St. Lucie plant on the states east coast.In Miami-Dade County, authorities urged people to stock up on enough food and water to last three days, and encouraged people in low-lying areas to leave voluntarily. Schools were closed.Storm monitors reached back nearly a century to provide comparisons, with the weather service likening Irmas destructive power to that of Hurricane San Felipe, which killed nearly 3,000 people in Puerto Rico, Florida and the island of Guadeloupe in 1928.2017 Los Angeles TimesVisit the Los Angeles Times at www.latimes.comDistributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
With Hurricane Harvey sucking up every available resource that FEMA has for staffing, and with Hurricane Irma making landfall in North America, starting with Florida very shortly, FEMA is looking to add resources to their cadre of emergency workers in a very large swath of needs and professions. See the text below.If you have been complaining about not being able to find a job or get experienceto get your start in emergency management. I'm betting that if you have any training or a background as a first responder, maybe even just military and can pass a cursory criminal background check, you can start working almost immediately.The Center for Homeland Defense and Security's Director, Glen Woodbury:As you are all very much aware, our nation has sustained severe flooding and damage as a result of Hurricane Harvey, and we are anticipating major impacts from hurricanes Irma and possibly Jose. This is the peak of the hurricane season, and it is far from over. To this end, we are reaching out to you to help in response and recovery efforts. FEMA is looking to recruit personnel, with an expected deployment of 30 days, in the following areas:Program Area: Skillset RequiredIndividual Assistance: Survivor outreach and communication, case managementLogistics: Load and unload trucks; coordinate and deliver resources; track inventoryIT: Establish connectivity for facilities; install, track, and manage equipment; configure communications equipmentDisaster Survivor Assistance: Engage directly with survivors; demonstrate understanding of available programs; case managementHazard Mitigation: Floodplain management, mitigation strategies for the built environment, flood insurance, FEMAs grant programs and authoritiesDisaster Emergency Communications: Set up, operation, and shut down of communications vehicles; installation of voice and data cables; knowledge of radio protocolsExternal Affairs: Communications, Congressional and intergovernmental affairs, media analysis, media relations, tribal affairs, private-sector relationsEnvironmental and Historic Preservation: Knowledge of environmental, historic, and floodplain management processes and regulationsHuman Resources: Human resources specialists and managersFinance: Travel arrangements and budget controlsAcquisitions: Contracting officers, purchasing specialists, and procurement specialistsIf you are available to serve in one or more of these areas, please send your resume to FEMA-CAREERS@fema.dhs.gov, and please put Higher Ed in the subject line. Feel free to also share this request throughout your networks. This is a great opportunity to serve the nation and support our survivors in this time of need."________________________________________Heather IssvoranDirector, Strategic CommunicationsContract Support for The Center for Homeland Defense and SecurityCell: 831.402.4672hissvora@nps.edu1 University Circle, Building 220, Room 064Monterey, CA 93943
Ricardo Lafosse, the inaugural chief information security officer of Cook County, Ill., will reprise his role in the private sector after nearly four-and-a-half years at the nations second largest county.Lafosse, who created for Cook County what he toldwas the first Information Security Ordinance that we know of at a state or local agency, will join Chicago-headquartered investment research and management company Morningstar Inc. on Monday, Sept. 11 as its CISO.He gave three-and-a-half weeks notice in August and his last day as Cook County CISO will be Sept. 8, Lafosse said.The CISO said working for Cook County has been a tremendous opportunity to build a program from scratch for a large organization  coordinating large cybersecurity initiatives quickly and building stakeholder relationships.Among his key accomplishments were authoring the countys 2014 Information Security Ordinance, which enhanced accountability for agencies across the enterprise; re-architecting the countys entire cybersecurity endpoint infrastructure; and developing its first threat intelligence program to support local municipalities.Along the way, Lafosse noted, the county gained national recognition as a thought leader in cybersecurity.The Center for Digital Government, a national research and advisory institute on information technology policies and best practices in state and local government and a division ofparent company, e.Republic, recognized Lafosse as an innovation leader in 2015 In 2016 , the Center recognized the Cook County Department of Homeland Security and Emergency Management, Information Security Office for developing its threat intelligence platform to assist smaller jurisdictions.Lafosse emphasized that he didnt merely work to improve cybersecurity and IT best practices, but collaborated closely with agency heads to change Cook County culture.When I first started at the county, there were no cybersecurity programs. It was ad hoc efforts from various, different organizations. My first year, year-and-a-half was relationship building and really integrating myself within each Cook County business so I would have that stakeholder support when I really kickstarted my program, said Lafosse, who had been manager of information security at the Rehabilitation Institute of Chicago for more than a year before joining the county.Getting to know agency officials educated him on their cybersecurity needs and helped him demonstrate how taking a stronger security posture could help their work.My cybersecurity programs are a lot more effective because Ive made that cultural change, Lafosse added.He described himself as a huge advocate of data-driven security, of identifying an agencys crown jewels of data, classifying their criticality, location and access points; and said hed transformed the CISO role at the county to one that is co-mingled with agencies, with the board, and with IT.His No. 1 piece of advice for Cook Countys next CISO was to be fluid  that security isnt cookie-cutter; and, as demonstrated by ransomware, what you believe is correct in one day, two days from now can be completely different.Lafosse emphasized that a CISO should never accept risk, but rather, make agency heads aware and accepting of risks they may create through their own cybersecurity postures. He also advised the countys next CISO to hone diplomacy and relationship-building skills, and to know your industry.By being educated, he said, a CISO can pivot easily, speaking to engineers as fluently as board members and tuning the message accordingly.Its likely, Lafosse said, that Cook Countys next CISO may face operational efficiency challenges given the countys size and scope  encompassing 1,635 square miles and serving more than 5.2 million residents.Keeping its culture in the right place and putting cybersecurity first and foremost is absolutely critical, he noted.Most CISOs experience very similar issues or roadblocks, just with different people in a different environment, Lafosse said. If you understand and believe in cybersecurity and understand how the business functions, any CISO can be successful as long as they have the support, knowledge and desire to push cybersecurity forward."
Max Verstappen is yet to prove himself in formula one.

That is the controversial claim of Jochen Mass, a former F1 driver.

19-year-old Verstappen has been highly critical of Red Bull and Renault recently after a spate of car problems in 2017, hinting that he wants to break his contract.

But Mass, a veteran of 114 grands prix and a single win, told T-Online: "Verstappen is too convinced of himself.

"I think it's because the hype about him all came far too early. He was praised to heaven after his victory in Barcelona (2016), but he won with a lot of luck.

"Now miracles are expected of him," the 70-year-old German said.

"Sure, Max is a talented boy, but we will only see how good he really is in the future."

(GMM)
1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve says he would not be surprised if Toro Rosso sweeps its driver lineup clean in the near future.

The French Canadian said he is not particularly impressed with either Carlos Sainz, who is linked with a switch to Renault or elsewhere, or Daniil Kvyat.

Villeneuve is especially critical of Russian Kvyat.

"He did not adapt to Red Bull, so he went back to Toro Rosso. But he did not bounce back," he told the Belgian website f1nal-lap.

"He is still not at the level of Sainz, and in addition, he does nothing but stupid things and never learns from them."

Indeed, Kvyat has scored only 4 of Toro Rosso's 40 points this year, but Villeneuve says he is not very impressed with Spaniard Sainz either.

"He stays in a straight line -- he's the same driver he was three or four years ago," Villeneuve insisted.

"Also, he so often spits on Toro Rosso -- 'the car is no good, I don't want to be in the team'. I would not be surprised if these two do not continue for long in F1.

"(Pierre) Gasly is coming, but the chance that Kvyat stays is because Red Bull needs a Russian. Clearly he does not deserve his place this year. He's there purely for political and media reasons," Villeneuve added.

(GMM)
We have 60 nights, one of them can be decisive (video)

In November Armenia wont sign the Comprehensive and enhanced partnership framework agreement with the EU, states Chairman of Union for National Self-determination party, I have a reservation, as neither the slaveholder nor the slave changed. We know how everything can change overnight, now we have 60 nights, one of them can be decisive, says Paruyr Hayrikyan. He says that the fact that Armenia refused to participate in the NATO military exercises in Georgia can also prove that Armenia will not deepen the relations with the EU. It once again proves that legally there is independent Armenia, but it doesnt exist in reality. Paruyr Hayrikyan is concerned- Armenia even cannot understand the damage caused to the country by violating the agreement with the NATO, Violating the agreement with the military structure means to be perceived as a not serious partner, it means endangering the people of Armenia. NATO is a structure ensuring the worlds security, and such a childish attitude to that structure is a crime. The Armenian side presented different explanations for not participating in those military exercises. The party leader is surprised at them, In reality they werent afraid, they simply received an instruction from Russia not to go and didnt go. According to the assessment, the biggest mistake of Armenia was joining the EEU. He says that we shouldnt be in a union, where Belarus and Kazakhstan, which support Azerbaijan, are included.
Boston University Core-Shell Heterostructures as Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Electrodes

Boston University will research ways to synthesize and deploy core-shell heterostructures as SOFC cathodes that will improve SOFC performance by increasing oxygen reduction rates and improving cathode resistance to degradation. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

Boston University Self-Cleaning Cathodes for Endurance to Chromium Poisoning

Boston University will evaluate chemical and electrochemical cathode self-cleaning and performance recovery processes. The project team will test, validate, and optimize these processes as possible means to clean chromium oxide deposits formed in the cathode during cell testing. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

Case Western Reserve University Operating Stresses and Their Effects on Degradation of LSM-Based SOFC Cathodes

Case Western Reserve University will conduct research to understand how selected operational parameters affect the performance of SOFCs, with a focus on operational parameters affecting cathode performance. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,500

Total: $375,500

Georgia Tech Highly Active and Contaminant-Tolerant Cathodes for Durable Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

Georgia Tech will focus on the development of highly oxidation-tolerant anodes to reduce reoxidation caused by undesired fuel disruption, depletion, or gas leakage in SOFCs. The ultimate goal of this work is to establish a scientific basis for rational design of durable, high-performance anodes with robust oxidation tolerance. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

Michigan State University Degradation and Performance Studies of ALD-Stabilized Nano-Composite SOFC Cathodes

Michigan State University aims to demonstrate the best-performing, most-stable, intermediate-temperature SOFC cathodes using optimized atomic layer deposition (ALD) overcoats to stabilize cathode performance. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $77,763

Total: $377,763

Mohawk Innovative Technology Ultra-High Temperature Anode Recycle Blower for Solid Oxide Fuel Cell

Mohawk Innovative Technology aims to develop an oil-free anode recycle blower capable of using uncooled SOFC exhaust gas directly at temperatures up to 700 C. DOE: $299,055; Non-DOE: $74,764; Total: $373,819

Montana State University Improving Ni-based SOFC Anode Resilience and Durability Through Secondary Phase Formation

Montana State University will develop strategies that use secondary phase materials added to traditional nickel-based cermet electrodes to enhance SOFC anode durability and performance. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

Redox Power Systems High Throughput, In-Line Coating Metrology Development for SOFC Manufacturing

Redox Power Systems will develop critical high-throughput, in-line metrology techniques for evaluating protective coatings for SOFCs. DOE: $299,984

Non-DOE: $74,996

Total: $374,980

Saint-Gobain Research & Development Center Development of Agile and Cost Effective Routes for Manufacturing Reliable Ceramic Components for SOFC Systems

Saint-Gobain Research & Development Center will develop and evaluate novel forming methods (3D printing and gel casting) for producing ceramic SOFC components that will enable agile and cost-effective manufacturing. DOE: $287,217

Non-DOE: $71,804

Total: $359,021

Tennessee Technological University Development and Validation of Low-Cost, Highly-Durable, Spinel-Based Contact Materials for SOFC Cathode-Side Contact Application

Tennessee Technological University will develop and validate low-cost, highly durable, spinel-based materials synthesized with a multi-component alloy precursor for SOFC cathode-side contact applications. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $76,960

Total: $376,960

The University of Connecticut Advanced Anode for Internal Reforming and Thermal Management in Solid Oxide Fuel Cells

The University of Connecticut will develop low-cost alloy anodes for distributed internal reforming of methane and other hydrocarbon fuels to increase the fuel-flexibility, reliability, and endurance of SOFCs. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

The University of Pennsylvania Cost-Effective Stabilization of Nanostructured Cathodes by Atomic Layer Deposition

The University of Pennsylvania will evaluate the conditions required to achieve reproducible atomic layer deposition (ALD) films on SOFC cathodes. The performance of the ALD-modified cells will be evaluated in both laboratory- and industrial-scale cells. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000

The University of Pittsburgh Robust Optical Sensor Technology for Real-Time Monitoring

The University of Pittsburgh will develop an integrated fiber-optic sensor technology to perform real-time, high-resolution measurements to monitor operations and structural changes of SOFCs. Information provided by the fiber sensor will be used to better understand performance degradation and the causes and mechanisms of fuel cell structural changes. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $83,957

Total: $383,957

University of South Carolina Development of Lost-Cost, Robust, and Durable Cathode Materials to Support SOFC Commercialization

The University of South Carolina will develop and evaluate novel, lost-cost, durable cathode materials to support SOFC commercialization. DOE: $300,000

Non-DOE: $75,000

Total: $375,000
Unhealthy atmosphere in YSU library: headmaster does not deny

Over the past few months, YSU students have been criticizing the attitude of the staff of YSU Library after Sargis and Marie Izmirlians on social media. One of the protesting students is Anna Rafyan, a 3rd year student of the Department of Arabic Studies, YSU Faculty of Oriental Studies, who presented her protest in the interview with A1+. I go to the library not very often, but its already enough to see what atmosphere there is. First I must say that not all the professional books are in Armenian and not all can be found. The lecturer gives assignments from a professional book but we find 10-20 books in the library, though, there are 50 students in the course. The staff service is very bad, they do not serve I can say. Another important thing is the quality of books. If an employee turns the pages and checks the book that a student returns, theyll see that the book is damaged and the student will receive a respective punishment. Because of that inconsistency, those few books are damaged and nearly impossible to use. I do understand that these problems are connected with the financial issues but isnt it possible to solve the staff service problem? We spoke with the head of YSU Library Yeznik Mirzoyan, who was also aware of the theme discussed on the internet. There are only 3 problems that are raised on social networks: the angry faces of the staff members, service flaws and lack of books. First, I must mention that according to the YSU strategic plan, 15 million drams are annually allocated to the library update, besides the books printed at YSU printing house are managed by the library. Books of the library are annually updated with nearly 10 thousand books. Students demand professional books to be in Armenian. But it doesnt refer to us, as authors and lecturers do not write books. The students rated the library 4.3 with the 5-point scale, which is a good result, but there are really some problems. I claim that there is an impolite intercourse between the two sides and for solving that problem we have rejuvenated the staff that has direct contact with students. There have been many cases when students who approached me confessed that they were really impolite to an employee. I, being the headmaster, demand good attitude both from students and employees. You can criticize but never insult. Taguhi Mesropyan, a student at the YSU Faculty of Mathematics, was also dissatisfied with the Library Service. I know that according to the YSU rules smoking in the YSU buildings is banned but the members of the library staff are smoking so much that sometimes cigarette smell is unbearable in the library area. They do not help first year students or in best case point at the direction the books are. But the library reading rooms are in the worst condition. For example, it is impossible to do homework in the reading room of precise sciences because employees noise, the sound of coffee cups and gossiping do not let students get concentrated and learn something. I hope that the problem will be solved soon and we will enter the YSU library with great pleasure.
Genesis Energy L.P. announced Friday it completed its acquisition of the Tronox Alkali mine west of Green River.

Were expecting business as usual, Dave Caplan, director of corporate communications for newly-formed Genesis Alkali, said. Were excited to begin our new journey with Genesis.

According to a corporate press release issued Friday, the mine was purchased for $1.325 billion.

The mine is the worlds largest producer of natural soda ash, which is used in a number of commercial and industrial products, including glass and detergent.

Genesis Energy, L.P. is a dive...
The longtime owners of Sweetwater Cable TV have decided to sell their business to a Utah-based company, ending 64 years of involvement in the cable business they built from the ground up.

All West Communications of Kamas, Utah, announced its acquisition of Sweetwater Cable Television Company in a press release Friday. According to Marty Carollo, the manager for Sweetwater Cable, the closing date has not been finalized but should happen sometime in September. FCC licenses have already been transferred to All West, which Marty said was significant prior to closing. Marty said his father, Al C...
Ernest Larry McNalley, 78, of Rock Springs, passed away Aug. 31, 2017, at Sage View Care Center in Rock Springs. He was born July 31, 1939, in Rock Springs, the son of Ernest McNalley and Marjorie Autry McNalley.

He was raised on a ranch in Eden, Wyoming. At a young age he discovered his artistic talent. He became a self-taught artist and his work portrayed the land, wildlife and folklore that he loved. He enjoyed spending time with his family and always put them first. He also had a great love for playing music on his guitar and mandolin.

Ernest was a veteran having served in the US A...
A recent Wyoming Education Association poll revealed 78 percent of voters are willing to pay higher taxes to support education in Wyoming, a finding we could see coming and will undoubtedly ruffle the feathers of conservative legislators and groups fighting the passage of any new taxes.

We support a tax to help fund local school districts. Regardless of it being a sales tax of an increased property tax, supporting education in Sweetwater County should be a priority for all residents. The polls results show Wyoming voters support that line of thinking. Thankfully, most Wyoming residents s...
Residents are invited to attend an upcoming presentation and book signing.

Authors Phil Tourney and David Gahary of the book Erasing the Liberty will be in Green River at the Fraternal Order of the Eagles on Sept. 14 at 5 p.m.

The presentation will cover a true historical account of one of the most decorated naval vessels in United States history.

On June 8, 1967, the USS Liberty was attacked by aircraft and torpedo boats, killing 34 sailers and Marines and wounding 174 servicemen. Heavy damage was incurred as thousands of rounds of armor piercing bullets, hundreds of rockets, napalm...
Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Google Ad

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

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I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments
Statement by the Spokesperson on the conflict resolution and reconciliation efforts

Foreign Minister of Armenia to participate in the Fifth Paris Peace Forum

Armenia: EU and Armenia Hold annual Dialogue on Human Rights

Todays Shushi, Occupied and Cleared of Armenians, is a Real Example of Turkish-Azerbaijani Policy of Ethnic Cleansing of Artsakh

Ookla, the the global leader in internet testing and analysis has awarded Ucom

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union

Ameriabank: At the Vanguard of Armenia's Banking Sector

STATEMENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY OF THE REPUBLIC OF ARTSAKH

SUBSCRIBERS OF UCOMS ALL TIME BEST OFFER TO ENJOY ADDITIONAL BENEFITS

Armenia-Azerbaijan: EU sets up monitoring capacity along the international borders

PACE co-rapporteurs on Armenia concerned by reports of alleged war crimes or inhuman treatment perpetrated by Azerbaijans armed forces

There is still 35% gender pay gap: Sona Ghazaryan

Global Finance Names Ameriabank the Safest Bank in Armenia

Mikayel and Karen Vardanyans provided 136 million AMD support for the overhaul of the Myasnikyan statue, which was in unsafe state of disrepair

Believe me, as a representative of a country which uses the Schengen system very often, it is quite important. Vardanyan

I really look forward to having answers from the Azerbaijani side for these alleged gross human rights violations: Secretary General

Google Ad

I call on Armenian and Azerbaijani parliamentarians to use this Assembly as an agora of opportunities President Tiny Kox

UCOMS SPECIAL OFFER OF THE UNLIMITED INTERNET IS NOW TERMLESS

There is no place for the death penalty in a State that respects human rights: PACE General Rapporteur

EU and CoE call on two Member States that have not yet acceded to this Protocol  Armenia and Azerbaijan  to do so without delay

An urgent debate requested on "The military hostilities between Armenia and Azerbaijan".

UCOM AND PES-PES CONTINUE COOPERATION WITHIN THE FRAMEWORK OF EDUCATIONAL PROJECT

The statement of the meeting between Prime Minister Pashinyan, President Aliyev, President Macron and President Michel of October 6, 2022

Largest Corporate Bond Program at the Securities Market of Armenia Completed Successfully

The statement of the Defender on the video of the execution of Armenian PoWs by the Azerbaijani armed forces

LEVEL UP ONLY FOR STUDENTS: UCOM OFFERS X2 AND X3 MORE INTERNET

STATEMENT BY SECRETARY ANTONY J. BLINKEN

This criminal act is another proof that the Armenophobia policy. Tatoyan

Nikol Pashinyan, Nancy Pelosi discuss a number of issues related to the Armenian-American agenda and regional developments
(I've updated this post below.)

The word from Washington this week is that the DACA program  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  might be killed off or phased out or something.

Its still not 100 percent clear what exactly is going to happen with the Obama-era program that temporarily protects many undocumented teens, tweens and young adults from being deported to a country that, to most of them, is as foreign as Mars. (This FAQ at the UC-Berkeley website provides a good summary of DACA.) But the Trump White House seems eager to nuke anything that the 44th president touched, so a lot of folks are really, really nervous these days.

One group speaking up forcefully on behalf of DACA is college and university presidents. DACA covers about 800,000 people, and a not insignificant number of them are enrolled in college or have college degrees. According to this interesting piece in The Atlantic, something like 10,000 undocumented immigrants graduate from college each year. Clearly, then, college presidents have a vested interest in whatever happens to DACA.

Several North Carolina college presidents have spoken up for the program. Heres the rundown, with an excerpt from each statement. (Click the names to read the full statement.):

 Frank Gilliam, UNCG: At UNCG, we recognize the valuable contributions DACA students make to our University and to our region. ... They are our students, friends and colleagues.

 Harold Martin, N.C. A&T: "Since 1891, North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University has been a symbol of opportunity, community and achievement. It is our sincere hope that individuas covered under DACA who illustrate those same values in their daily lives are able to continue to fulfill their dreams in the nation we all call home."

 Leo Lambert, Elon University: "I agreed with the Presidents earlier statements that we love the dreamers because so many are enrolled in college, working hard every day, paying taxes, serving in the military and contributing to the strength of our communities. Holding these young people hostage when Congress has failed over many, many years to create a legislative solution for their dilemma strikes me as cruel and inhumane."

 Wake Forest Universitys Office of Diversity & Inclusion: "As President (Nathan) Hatch has said, we are a community that stands up for one another in the face of discrimination. ... Our campus is richer for our diverse population and we will continue to provide financial aid, support services, and connection to legal resources for undocumented students. You belong here and you are welcome here. (Heres Hatch's statement from December.)

 Randy Woodson, N.C. State:  to our DACA students, please know you remain a welcomed and valuable part of the NC State community. No changes to our policies have occurred, and NC State will continue to support all DACA students to the fullest extent possible.

 Carol Folt, UNC-Chapel Hill: This change in federal policy is contrary to our own and Carolinas heartfelt commitment to all members of our community, and it opens questions and concerns for students, their families, friends and others.

 Vincent Price, Duke University: "Duke University restates its firm commitment to protecting the right of all students to learn and discover here, regardless of their background or immigration status. These talented young men and women clearly deserve the opportunity to be members of the Duke community, which is enriched and strengthened by their contributions. (Heres a letter Price sent to President Trump a week ago.)

 Carol Quillen, Davidson College: "Our nation benefits when all of our children have the opportunity to study, work and live without fear. When we create this open environment, more individuals see how their own aspirations align with those of their communities. This shared sense of purpose strengthens us all."

And so on and so forth. I think you get the idea of where college presidents are coming from on DACA. Whether their words make any difference remains, as always, to be seen.

Update, 3 p.m. Thursday: Since posting the original piece, I've added comments from the leaders at A&T and Davidson.

Want to make sure you see these blog posts? Like me on Facebook, and follow me on Twitter.

Have something to say? Email me at john.newsom@greensboro.com.
GREENSBORO  Cari Holt kissed her husband, Rodney, goodbye just after dawn Thursday, then watched as he departed Fire Station 5 in a caravan of Greensboro firefighters headed for the heart of hurricane-stricken Texas.

She didnt know if shed hear from him while he was there or what kind of danger hed face. The couples children were struggling with his departure, she said, and the morning was a mix of sadness, anxiety and pride.

I know this is his job. I know its what hes trained to do. I know hes going to help a lot of people, Holt said, wiping away tears. As long as he comes home safe, Im good.

Rodney Holt was one of 18 members of the Greensboro Fire Department headed to Texas on Thursday, part of a larger group of 92 water-rescue experts from North Carolina deploying to help flood victims in the wake of hurricane-turned-tropical storm Harvey. Five teams  from Greensboro, Raleigh, Charlotte, Fayetteville and Henderson County  are making the trip.

The group will drive roughly a thousand miles to College Station, Texas, to relieve rescue teams. They dont know yet where theyll be working or what theyll be doing, but theyre prepared for everything from whisking stranded homeowners off rooftops to recovering bodies from the water.

We dont really know what were getting into, said Dwayne Church, an assistant fire chief. Well check in and theyll give us orders. Anything is possible.

There are 30 water-rescue teams in North Carolina, all trained and funded by N.C. Emergency Management. The state agency began marshaling resources last week to send to Texas at the request of federal officials, and the Greensboro team put in a bid of 18 people along with a handful of boats and supplies.

The team hit the road Thursday towing six boats, four trailers and six pieces of apparatus, Church said.

Once the team reaches Texas, it will report to officials with the Federal Emergency Management Agency, who will oversee the eight-day deployment. Rescuers are expected to work 12-hour shifts and will most likely sleep on cots at an emergency command center. Theyre slated to return Sept. 9.

North Carolinas swift-water rescue program was created in the wake of Hurricane Fran in 1996.

Responders deployed three years later during Hurricane Floyd and multiple times since, including last year after Hurricane Matthew.

Weve never been this far away, Church said. We usually stay within the state so this will be a new experience for us.
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RIDGEFIELD  Arber Muriqi beams when describing the options on his menu at The Barn Door Restaurant, which opened this summer on Route 7.

Phrases such as Man, thats so good, and Oh, you have to try that, are heard with much enthusiasm as he scans the list. He describes the menu as American Cuisine, but just like American itself, he said, it borrows from many other cultures.

Shrimp and polenta is The Barn Doors take on shrimp and grits and its one of Muriqis favorites.

Its better than shrimp and grits. Everybody loves it, he said. Its a versatile menu. Everyone can find something and there are specials every day.

The menu has entrees such as seafood risotto, hanger steak au poivre and paella, as well as a wide selection of pizzas and burgers for family-friendly options. He also offers a gluten-free pizza selection.

The Barn Door uses local, fresh produce when available. Muriqi said that can make all the difference.

The taste is amazing. When you use fresh ingredients and you have some knowledge in the kitchen, you cant go wrong, he said. If you use subpar produce, you can have the best chef in the world and the food wont be good.

The menu currently features summer favorites, such as a raw bar, but will soon be transitioning into a winter menu with dishes such as stews and more steak options.

The fireplace, the snow outside, a hearty dish in front of you  what can be better than that? Muriqi said.

Frank DeSalvo of Redding stopped by Wednesday evening and met some friends at the bar. He said hes already a regular and enjoys the food at The Barn Door, as well as some of the fine details of the construction.

I like that theres a place to rest my feet, he said of the sturdy foot rest that runs the length of the bar. I like the way the place looks and the food is very good.

The building, located at 37 Ethan Allen Road, had been home to an Italian restaurant that closed about a year ago. Muriqi, a resident of Yorktown, N.Y., was eager to fill the space with his own restaurant concept. He is a frequent visitor to the Ridgefield Playhouse and knew the town was where he wanted to be. He said. the location along Route 7 allows him to draw from nearby towns such as Wilton, Redding, Weston, Norwalk and Danbury, as well.

The Barn Door is a welcome addition to the expanding Branchville business district, Jennifer Zinzi, executive director of the Ridgefield Chamber of Commerce, said. The restaurant has been beautifully remodeled in a rustic, comfortable decor with an amazing menu.

Muriqi, 48, has been in the restaurant business since moving to the U.S. 28 years ago from Albania. He has owned eateries before, but The Barn Door is his only restaurant now and first in Connecticut.

He has always loved horses and the lounge area features several rustic-style paintings of horses. The rustic decor carries over into the main dining room that features built-in cabinets with duck decoys and other country homewares. Newly installed barn doors separate the dining area from the restrooms and serving stations.

I wanted it to be rustic and elegant at the same time, Muriqi said.

Although he opened only a few months ago, Muriqi is encouraged by the response he has received from customers. Weve been very busy and were building a nice group of regulars, he said.

The restaurant will also be involved with the community and this week held two fundraisers to help Hurricane Harvey victims.

To reach The Barn Door, call 203-493-5038.
When it comes to saving money for retirement, Americans have a wide range of different options from which to choose. This can be both good news and bad news: It's good in the sense that having multiple options makes it easier to select the one thats best for your retirement savings goals and resources. But it can be bad if all the different choices cause confusion and, eventually, "analysis paralysis."

To help clear up some of the potential confusion, we'll take a close look at two of the most popular types of qualified retirement plans: the Individual Retirement Account (IRA) and the 401(k) plan.

IRAs: The Granddaddy of Retirement Savings Accounts

Since 1975 when they were first introduced, millions of Americans have used IRAs to help secure their retirement future. The beauty of IRAs is that they not only provide an easy way to save for retirement, but they may also offer an immediate tax break. Depending on several different factors, you may be able to deduct your annual IRA contributions and thus lower your current tax bill.

There are two different types of IRAs: traditional IRAs and Roth IRAs. The latter were introduced in 1997 and named after Senator William Roth, who sponsored the legislation that created them.

With a traditional IRA, annual contributions are generally tax-deductible if you do not participate in an employer-sponsored retirement plan. If you do participate in a retirement plan at work, the amount of your deduction will be limited or eliminated based on your income. Traditional IRAs offer retirement investors the potential to benefit from long-term, tax-deferred asset growth. Money grows without being taxed until distributions begin, at which time ordinary income rates apply.

Roth IRAs, meanwhile, are different from traditional IRAs in several key respects. First, Roth contributions are made with after-tax income, so you do not receive a current tax deduction as you do with a traditional IRA. However, this is offset for many people by the fact that Roth IRA earnings are tax-free when withdrawn. In contrast, traditional IRA earnings are just tax-deferred  taxes must be paid at whatever your ordinary income tax rate is when you start taking distributions in retirement.

Another big difference is the fact that a 10 percent early distribution penalty generally applies to funds withdrawn from a traditional IRA before age 59. This penalty is in addition to income taxes that must also be paid at this time. However, Roth IRA contributions (not earnings) can be withdrawn penalty- and tax-free at any age if the account has been open for at least five years. In addition, Roth IRAs are not subject to required minimum distributions (RMDs) when you reach 70 years old like traditional IRAs are.

If you make too much money, however, you cannot open or contribute to a Roth IRA. The Roth IRA eligibility limits in 2017 are modified adjusted gross income (MAGI) in excess of $133,000 and up (if you are single) or $196,000 (if you are a married couple filing jointly). If your MAGI this year is between $118,000 and $133,000 (if you're single) or $186,000 to $196,000 and up (if youre a married couple filing jointly), you can make a partial Roth IRA contribution.

The 2017 annual contribution limit for IRAs (both traditional and Roth combined) is $5,500, or $6,500 if you are 50 years of age or older. So if you are 50 years old, you can contribute $3,250 to a Roth IRA and $3,250 to a traditional IRA this year if you want to utilize both types of IRAs, and your spouse can do the same thing with separate traditional and Roth IRAs.

401(k)s: The Most Popular Employer-Sponsored Plan

401(k) plans first became widespread in the 1980s when many companies started replacing defined benefit pension plans with defined contribution plans that are funded primarily by employees, not employers. They are now the most popular employer-sponsored retirement plan in the U.S. In fact, the term "401(k)" has almost become synonymous with retirement savings.

401(k)s are established by businesses for the benefit of their employees, who make tax-deductible contributions (or salary deferrals, as they are referred to) into their individual 401(k) accounts. Each pay period, a percentage of your salary will be deducted from your pay and automatically contributed into your account.

Just like IRAs, 401(k)s come in two flavors: traditional and Roth. Traditional 401(k) contributions are made on a pre-tax basis  or in other words, the money is taken out of your pay before it is taxed. This not only lowers your current taxable income, but it allows earnings to grow without taxation, with taxes paid at ordinary income tax rates when distributions are taken during retirement. Also like traditional IRAs, withdrawals from traditional 401(k)s before age 59 may be subject to a 10 percent early distribution penalty, and RMDs must begin no later than age 70.

Roth 401(k)s enable high earners who cannot open and fund Roth IRAs to benefit from the unique Roth tax benefits. Like Roth IRA contributions, Roth 401(k) contributions are made on an after-tax basis, so you will receive no current benefit. However, investment earnings within the Roth 401(k) grow tax-free and fund withdrawals are also untaxed after age 59 if the account has been open for five years or longer.

Many, but not all, businesses choose to match their employees' 401(k) contributions at some percentage, like 50 cents for each dollar you contribute, for example. This is one of the biggest benefits of 401(k) plans for some employees  an employer match is the equivalent of a guaranteed, no-risk investment return. Note that employer matches to Roth 401(k)s are made with pre-tax dollars and accumulate in a separate account that will be taxed as ordinary income at withdrawal. They may also be subject to vesting rules that restrict your ability to keep the money unless you work for the company for a certain number of years.

Did you know that since 1996, the first Friday after Labor Day has been celebrated as National 401(k) Day? The dual holidays mean most Americans begin the week relaxing on Labor Day, but working on a day that honors Retirement!

Let the free MoneyTips Retirement Planner help you calculate when you can retire without jeopardizing your lifestyle.
Have you noticed the trend at your local Trader Joe's? Between "dairy free," "gluten free" and "all organic," the grocery chain seems to be putting an emphasis on health with many of its new items.

As part of an ongoing series, the SFGATE team decided to taste a few of Trader Joe's newest items.

To be clear, not all of the new foods and drinks are healthy. We indulged with mango sticky rice spring rolls and two types of goat cheese too.

SFGATE TASTE TESTING: SFGATE tries Trader Joe's new items, July 2017 edition

But quite a few of the newer items definitely seemed to a by-product of the never-ending health food trend. We tasted cultured coconut milk (a lactose-free yogurt alternative) and an organic coffee drink sweetened with dates instead of sugar.

Click through the slideshow below to see which new items we loved and which ones we probably won't be buying again. We've ranked them from favorite to least favorite.

There were also quite a few new healthy food items we didn't get to try. The frozen cauliflower pizza crust is a gluten-free option that's popular for its low carb content. The maca powder stocked in the "New Products" section of the store also caught our eye. The supplement is made from a Peruvian root vegetable and is often added to smoothies (though there isn't a scientific consensus on the product's health benefits).

We also wanted to taste Trader Joe's new ranch seasoned crispy chickpeas, but a store employee said they've been so popular that they were temporarily out of stock at the SoMa location.

WHO'S MAKING TJ'S FOOD? An investigation of the secretive grocery chain

Though Trader Joe's may be trying to convince us to eat healthier, we're not falling for it. Most of their "healthy" options just didn't stand up to the things the company is already so good at: cheese and frozen food.

Next time you're at Trader Joe's, pick up some of these new items and taste test along with us. Let us know what you think in the comments.

Chris Preovolos, Cole Chapman, Filipa Ioannou, Michelle Robertson and other SFGATE staffers contributed to this story. Read Alix Martichoux's latest stories and send her news tips at amartichoux@sfchronicle.com.
FAIRFIELD  The U.S. Coast Guard is planning replacement of what it calls an antiquated foghorn system at the Penfield Reef Lighthouse.

The foghorn system is one of more than a dozen across Connecticut and Long Island shores that the Coast Guard said it would replace with a more modern, cost-effective system.

The purpose of the foghorn and the new system that will replace it, is to warn boaters of visibility conditions on the water. With both systems, an alarm sounds to let boaters know when visibility is below 3 nautical miles, according to a video featuring Senior Chief Tim Chase from the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Southeast New England.

The current system is old technology for us, Chase said in the video. Its hard to get parts. Theyre very, very prone to getting knocked out of calibration.

The traditional foghorn system tests visibility on the water with an apparatus set up on the shore that activates the alarm to sound when visibility falls below the 3-nautical-mile mark, he said. The new system  referred to as MRASS, or marine radio-activated sound signals  can be activated by boaters experiencing the visibility issues, rather than relying on the foghorns detection system set up on the shore.

To activate the new system, boaters must turn their VHF-FM radio to channel 83A/157.175Mhz and key the microphone five consecutive times. Following these steps will activate the sound signal for 45 minutes to an hour, Chase said. The Coast Guards announcement on Wednesday did not specify when the new system would operational at the sites being upgraded.

Chase said one issue with the traditional foghorn system was its fail-safe mode, which could activate even on a sunny, clear day. Chase said it would operate 24/7 until someone was sent to fix it, and runs on a high-maintenance, 10-battery system that required checking every three months.

More Information Getting an upgrade Connecticut Fairfield: Penfield Reef Light Norwalk: Greens Ledge Light Greenwich: Great Captain Island Light New Haven: Southwest Ledge Light Groton: New London Ledge Light Old Saybrook: Saybrook Breakwater Light Long Island, New York Fishers Island: North Dumpling Light Race Rock Reef: Race Rock Light Montauk: Montauk Point Light Huntington Bay: Huntington Harbor Light Orient Point: Orient Point Light See More Collapse

This new MRASS system runs on two sealed batteries and requires absolutely no maintenance, Chase said.
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GREENWICH  Indivisible Greenwich has invited some of the states prominent Washington Democrats to talk to them about the Trump presidency.

U.S. Rep. Jim Himes (D-4th) and U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy (D-Conn) are slated to attend the groups gathering, set for 7 p.m. Sept. 10, at Easter Middle School, 51 Hendrie Ave., Riverside.

U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), a Greenwich resident, is expected to appear at a future meeting.

Indivisible Greenwich, the local branch of the national activist group, was formed in opposition to the policies of President Donald Trump.

Nerlyn Pierson, a member of Indivisible Greenwichs steering committee, said the group has been hoping to meet with the local delegation to Washington ever since the group was formed after the Trump administration began in January.

We wanted them to come and talk about what they view as the importance of getting involved and being politically active, Pierson said. I think its important for our members to find out what is the best way for them to get in contact with their representatives as constituents.

Both Himes and Murphy have been very visible in the national media, speaking out against Trump administration policies and the presidents statements and tweets.

People across Connecticut, including members of Indivisible, are very concerned with the direction in which they see the country heading, Patrick Malone, Himes communications director, said. There is an almost daily assault on compassion, equality and diversity coming out of the current administration, as we saw (Sept. 5) with the ending of the DACA program. People want, and deserve, to know that their leaders are standing up for those fundamental values, and Congressman Himes is more than willing to meet with groups who invite him to have productive conversations.

Murphys press secretary Laura Maloney said the senator was happy to speak in Greenwich.

He looks forward to talking to folks about whats happening with Congress back in session and get their feedback, Maloney said.

The meeting is open to the public.

Indivisible Greenwich has held several events in town in addition to its regular meetings. Last month, members held a vigil outside Town Hall after the fatal protests against white supremacists in Charlottesville, Va., and in June, members held a teach in outside the Senior Center to speak out against the repeal and replace plan for the Affordable Care Act that could have seen millions lose health coverage.

Indivisible members said they were pleased to bring the politicians to the community.

We want to know how we can be the most impactful in our community on the local, state and federal levels, Pierson said.

kborsuk@greenwichtime.com
President Donald Trump's allies are worried that the most damaging of the many recent departures from his White House may be that of Keith Schiller, a little-known former bodyguard who's one of the president's closest confidants outside his family.

Schiller is leaving soon to return to the private security business for a job that will pay far more than his $165,000 government salary, according to three people familiar with his plans. His title, director of Oval Office operations, hardly begins to describe his importance to Trump, who is "crushed" by his planned departure, according to one person close to the president.

Multiple people interviewed described Schiller as an emotional anchor for the president in a White House often marked by turmoil. Schiller has worked for Trump for nearly two decades, and within the West Wing he serves as the president's protector and gatekeeper, according to people close to Schiller and Trump. Most of the people requested anonymity to candidly discuss relationships between the president and his aides.

"He's a confidant and friend," said Stuart Jolly, a former national field director for Trump's presidential campaign. Trump "trusts Keith, and Keith trusts him. Trust is a really big deal at that level."

Schiller has also acted as Trump's hatchet man. It was Schiller who told James Comey that the president had decided to fire him as FBI director. Two weeks ago, after Trump was angered by preparations for a rally in Phoenix, Arizona, Schiller delivered the message to longtime aide George Gigicos that Trump no longer wanted him to organize such events, according to three people familiar with the matter.

Schiller declined to comment.

Schiller never planned to stay in the position for long because of its lower pay and longer hours, according to two people who know him. But his exit may have been accelerated by the July appointment of retired Marine Gen. John Kelly as chief of staff. Since taking the job, Kelly has sought to tighten access to the Oval Office, control information flowing to the president and install a more formal regime within the White House.

Schiller has told friends that working under Kelly is different and that he doesn't like the job as much. He has said he believes that Kelly doesn't like Trump personally and is serving as chief of staff predominantly out of a sense of duty to country, according to three people familiar with his views. That has been deeply demoralizing for Schiller, who is accustomed to Trump being surrounded by devoted employees, two people said.

Schiller lost his privilege to walk into the Oval Office at any time when Kelly took over. He now views his job as redundant, people close to him said. The president has Secret Service to protect him, valets to fetch what he needs, aides to dial his phone -- people to handle every facet of Oval Office operations.

Two people close to Trump said they worry that Schiller's departure will leave the president and the West Wing off-balance, given the deep relationship the two men share. These people said that Schiller's exit could put Trump on a collision course with Kelly, who does not understand as well how Trump likes to operate.

Trump's allies may have more personal concerns. Schiller is a contact for Trump friends who want to reach the president. And campaign staffers knew the best way to get Trump's ear was to slip a note to Schiller -- especially if they wanted to bypass Trump's first campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, whom Schiller didn't always get along with.

On many days, Schiller is the first and last aide Trump sees. During the campaign, Schiller heard nearly every conversation and phone call as he sat in cars by Trump's side, traveling between rallies, former campaign aides said.

Schiller served in the Navy and as a New York City police officer before becoming a part-time body guard for Trump in 1999. He was named head of security for the Trump Organization in 2004. He knows most employees at the company and shares his opinion of all staffers, inside and outside the White House, with the president.

Discontent among Trump friends and allies outside the White House has grown as Kelly has sought to streamline and professionalize the Oval Office. The new chief of staff has imposed new protocols for getting face time or ideas in front of the president -- cutting off a cadre of trusted regulars whose advice and conversation Trump relished.

Doors in the building that were once open are now literally closed, including those leading from the West Wing lobby and anterooms and halls to the Oval Office, serving as a symbol of the more limited access to Trump.

"It was like a fraternity house the first six months and now it's a military compound -- it's a fort," one former aide said.

Schiller doesn't entirely disagree with Kelly's changes, one ally said. And Trump has remarked that a more regimented schedule has provided him time to think, read and reflect, a White House official said.

Once Schiller leaves, the only comparable loyalists remaining in the West Wing will be Trump's daughter Ivanka Trump, son-in-law Jared Kushner, communications aide Hope Hicks, and digital aide Dan Scavino. But none fills the role of peer and friend that Schiller holds.
Pat Taylor, a volunteer with the dignity group, greets each guest as they arrive for dinner at the Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative. Photo: Matt Stanley

Every day, the kitchen staff working under chef Steven Seibel prepares food for between 300 and 500 diners. The menu changes frequently, but may include dishes like hot honey fried chicken with dill-ranch sauce and pickled charred peppers, or penne cacio e pepe with parsley, shishito-pepper dust, and toasted walnuts. His goal, he says, is to provide the same thing that every chef does: We want to feed people the best thing they have ever eaten.

The difference is that none of the people eating Seibels food will pay a bill. The food is free because Seibel is the chef at Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative in Philadelphia, a charitable organization that practices the concept of radical hospitality, moving beyond the idea of a soup kitchen to create an environment that is more focused on providing both nourishment and dignity.

Belonging, connecting, being received unconditionally are as important and sometimes more important than eating the food provided, says Edd Conboy, the director of social services at the collaborative. If you were to come to a meal, Conboy explains, one of our staff would be at the entrance to the dining room to greet you personally, and thank you for coming. You would be invited to sit wherever youd like. Our volunteer servers would come to your table, smile, introduce themselves, and pour you some water. Most important, Conboy points out, is that diners dont have to wait in line. We dont believe that is hospitable  you could stay in the dining room for as long as it is open. You would not be rushed.

Broad Street employees 22 full-time employees, like chef Seibel, and also depends on help from thousands of volunteers each year. Even with so many helping hands, its a huge job. Last year, Broad Street served more than 76,000 meals to 7,600 separate guests. In the U.S. alone, 41.2 million people were considered food insecure in 2016, which is the term used for people who do not have access to a sufficient amount of food. With chefs and restaurateurs being elevated to celebrity status and wielding more influence than ever, it was only a matter of time before people in the food industry started using their clout to tackle food-related issues.

In fact, Broad Street is part of a growing international movement that values the power of hospitality to create charitable dining experiences, where the act of eating is about more than simple nutrition.

Dishes of Atlantic salmon over pureed cauliflower and watercress with wilted Swiss chard at the Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative in Philadelphia. Photo: Matt Stanley

At Osteria Francescana, I learned how powerful the value of hospitality can be, says Massimo Bottura, one of the most famous chefs in the world, talking about his three-Michelin-starred restaurant in Modena, Italy. He and his wife, Lara Gilmore, have funneled their renown and resources into Food for Soul, a nonprofit that aims to feed vulnerable populations via what Bottura describes as community kitchens, with the support of other titans of the food world like Alain Ducasse and Daniel Boulud.

Bottura has been able to use his considerable stature in the industry and public profile to garner both big donations from private donors and hands-on help from fellow chefs, food suppliers, artists, and hospitality experts. Using his extensive international connections, the organization is able to procure high-end ingredients that are perfectly safe, but which for any number of reasons would normally be destined for the garbage dump instead of the dining room. Using that food and a veritable army of trained staffers and volunteers, Food for Soul has been able to open serious dining rooms around the world that offer a real restaurant experience: Nutritious multicourse meals, made using the best ingredients, presented in well-appointed surroundings, and served by people with strong hospitality training.

This doesnt refer only to the food we cook, but also to the atmosphere, the quality of service, the way you get welcomed, anything that happens from the moment you walk into a restaurant from the one you step out, Bottura continues. The aim, the chef says, is to restore a sense of dignity around the table. Make our guests feel welcomed, included, listened to. Plating the dishes, serving people at the table, and replacing a fork are all genuine and basic gestures that can give life to a dialogue.

The dining room during dinner service at the Broad Street Hospitality Collaborative. Photo: Matt Stanley

Volunteer Kathy Ashenfelter serves dinner. Photo: Matt Stanley

For guests, this distinct approach makes all the difference. A man named Art Land has been dining at Broad Street on and off for more than five years. For him, it is a place one goes to when all that makes the human condition bearable has been stripped away. Its a spot to find the company of others and find unconditional acts of mercy. For that, the people who run Broad Street ask nothing in return.

While Broad Street and Food for Soul rely on donations, One World Everybody Eats takes a different approach. Their goal is to blur the lines between charity and hospitality so completely that OWEEaffiliated cafes  there are now almost 60 in the U.S. and one in the U.K.  are full restaurants accessible to every customer.

OWEE got its start in 2003 when Denise Cerreta, who won this years James Beard Foundation Humanitarian of the Year award, decided to open a cafe next to her acupuncture studio in Salt Lake City. It struck her that she could better serve her community by allowing patrons to pay whatever they could afford for their meals, the generosity of most of her customers offsetting free meals for diners in need.

Operating a cafe as a pay-what-you-can nonprofit introduces all sorts of issues to the mix of running a restaurant, so it is crucial to first have a firm handle on basic restaurant operations, explains Reverend Christina May, who serves on the OWEE board and is the founding vice-president of F.A.R.M. Cafe in Boone, North Carolina. Our model requires that about 80 percent of cafe diners be people who can afford to donate the suggested price or more for a meal. Those types of diners eat out often and expect creative, well-executed cuisine.

As youd expect, it is not always easy to make ends meet with that model, and OWEE offers its services to guide potential operators, to make sure they know the full extent of the project, and have the skills necessary to make it work. It is a mistake, May says, for well-meaning aid workers to think taking a page from the restaurant industry will guarantee success: We explain to our start-up nonprofits that the first-year-restaurant failure rate is very high.

When the model works  and it does work, restaurants worldwide that follow the OWEE model serve up to 4,000 meals a day  May says that the feeling of hospitality shines through not only in the food and service, but also in the co-mingling of customers. People from cultures that normally do not have direct connection with one another, she says, are provided the opportunity to look past stereotypes and into the hearts of their neighbors.

It all speaks to the core values of these organizations. In reporting this story, nearly everyone used the same words over and over again: hospitality, dignity, and nourishment. By focusing on those tenants, they are able to create places that offer guests the same things everyone wants in a dining experience: to feel as though theyve been served not out of obligation, but from a place of genuine care and concern, and to share a meal that is not just sustaining, but deeply enjoyable as well.
She is definitely not pleased. Photo: Facebook

A restaurant in Washington State is getting flak for using its No shoes, no shirt, no service policy to boot a pregnant mom whose stomach was protruding, well, quite a bit. On Sunday, Charisha Gobin and her family stopped by the Marysville location of Buzz Inn Steakhouse. She was wearing a black crop top with Weirdo printed across it, and an ankle-length white skirt. The shirt didnt cover her belly up, and a server felt letting her stay would be a health-code violation.

Im sorry, you cant be here in that shirt, the employee announced, Gobin tells KIRO. I said, Are you being serious with me right now? And she said, Yep, you cant be here. Gobin is almost eight months pregnant with twins; as a result, she says her stomach is bigger and more prone to sticking out. She accuses Buzz Inn of body-shaming her, arguing that had it been anyone else, I dont think there wouldve been any problem whatsoever.

The server says what Gobin wore didnt count as a shirt, and that she wouldve kicked out any customer who walked in dressed that way. But Gobin argues that her crop top was valid restaurant attire. It had sleeves, she explains. I didnt even have cleavage showing. A picture she posted of her outfit on Facebook was shared hundreds of times, and of the response shes gotten, Gobin says: Everybody pretty much agrees  I wasnt out of bounds or out of line in any way.

Buzz Inn has issued a formal apology, promising to retrain staff on how to not overly enforce a rule that is intended to make all guests feel comfortable:
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HMD's flagship smartphone - the Nokia 8 - was launched late last month, but has only been available in the company's home country of Finland so far.

Well, that changes now, as the device is now on sale in a two more markets: Germany and Australia. Price tag is 579 ($690) and AUD899 ($719), respectively.

While those in Germany can head to Amazon to purchase the device, in Australia retailers JB HiFi and Harvey Norman have the phone listed on their websites.

The handset is currently available to pre-order in the UK, with launch set for September 13. Cost is 500, with retailer Carphone Warehouse throwing in a free Nokia Steel smartwatch (worth 120) as well.

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Published on 2017/09/07 | Source

Actor Lee Jung-jin, who is celebrating the 20th anniversary of his debut, has a second passion these days -- taking photographs.

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The world of photography opened for Lee while he was doing volunteer work in Kenya four years ago. He showed some of the many pictures he took while in the African country to photographer friends, who recognized his talent and encouraged him to take it up in a serious way.

In 2015, he held his first exhibition showing a selection of some 80 photos he took in Kenya and Nepal while doing charity activities. He has also published a photo book of celebrities including girl group members such as Tzuyu of TWICE and Woo-ri of Rainbow.

"In Meguara, a small village in a rural part of Kenya with no electricity, I wondered what I could do to make children there happy. I've been involved in many charity projects, building wells and schools in developing countries. But I wanted to do something different. So I printed out pictures taken with a digital camera and gave them to the kids as presents. The children's faces lit up with joy when they saw them", Lee said.

He recently held another exhibition along with fellow celebrities showing pictures they took on trips to Rota Island in the Northern Mariana Islands.

"What is so attractive about photography is that you can bring out new things about your subject. I experience that when I look at a fellow actor that I've known for a long time through the camera lens. I'm always surprised to discover sides of them I've never seen before. You get to know the person better", he said.

His shots of Tzuyu garnered much attention last year. His aim was to show new aspects of Tzuyu that people hadn't seen before. "Girl group members tend to keep their faces covered in makeup. But she is still a teenager, and I wanted to show that she is just like any other young, fresh-faced teenager", Lee said.

Lee is known for his tireless charity work. "In the past, I used to do this secretly, helping with meals and showers at facilities for disabled children. After it was reported by chance, I decided to do it openly. I often join overseas charity projects and encourage others to do the same", he said. He has been taking part in a library-building project in Nepal since 2011 and has helped build 27 libraries so far.

"In photography and charity work, I think it's important not to go overboard. You just do what you can. If it's difficult for you to go abroad to help those in poorer countries, then simply delivering news from home to those working there can boost their spirits. It's not hard to find something you can do, even if it seems trivial at first", he said.
Published on 2017/09/06 | Source

According to Nielson Korea, MBC drama "Hospital Ship" maintained its leading position with 10.3% and 11.8% on the 6th. It increased by 1.1% in comparison to the previous episode on the 31st.

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SBS "Reunited Worlds" rated 5.1% and 6.6% while KBS 2TV "Man-Hole" came in last with 2.2%.

"Hospital Ship" is a medical drama about a team of doctors getting on a ship headed for an island where the infrastructure is lacking and there is a need for a communicative, empathetic doctor.
Hillebrand appoints Cees van Gent as CEO

By Lisa Riley

JF Hillebrand Group has appointed Cees van Gent as chief executive officer.

Cees van Gent will take over from currentchief executive officer Christopher Bernard, who will remain with the company to assist with the transition until March 2018, with effect from 1st of October this year.

Bringing with him a strong proven track record with leading multinational logistics companies, the appointment marked a new phase of growth for JF Hillebrand, said the group.

He brings a combination of deep management expertise from leading multinational companies in areas such as logistics, infrastructure, and environment, with a match in our values around passion for service and customer intimacy, said Christof Hillebrand, chairman of Hillebrands supervisory board.

Thanking Bernard for his 35 years of exceptional service, Hillebrand credited him with having successfully developed the business across four continents.

Over the past four years, during which time Bernard has been group chief executive officer, we have made enormous strides in developing talent, refining our strategy and strengthening our business performance, he said.

It was a great honour to be appointed chief executive officer, said van Gent.

Within our industry, Hillebrand is known for its unparalleled service and that is what I am going to continue building on in the coming years, he said, adding that with his experience in building and buying better businesses, he looked forward to accelerating the implementation of the 2020 Business Plan vision around customer centricity and innovation.
The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has previously addressed the role of the support person in various decisions. Amber Chandler, Partner, Barker Henley, outlines what this role entails



The principles of procedural fairness tend to demand that an employer allow an employee to have a support person present when carrying out any action that may be viewed as adverse to the employees interests. However, it can often occur that the support person invited by the employee, be they the employees spouse or local union member, becomes a vocal participant in the meeting, an advocate for the employee and can often frustrate meaningful dialogue between the parties.



The Fair Work Commission (FWC) has previously addressed the role of the support person in various decisions.



A support person is not an advocate



In Victorian Association for the Teaching of English Inc v de Laps [2014] FWCFB 613, an unfair dismissal application, the Full Bench of the FWC held that the obligation for employers to allow an employee to bring a support person to a meeting to discuss termination of employment did not extend to allowing that support person to be an advocate.



In this particular case, allegations had been made against an executive director of the Association in relation to misconduct and poor performance. The employer directed her in writing to attend a meeting to discuss the issues and invited her to bring a support person. The letter, which gave two working days notice of the meeting, included the following paragraph:



You may bring a support person if you wish. Please note that the role of the support person is to provide you with emotional support. The support person is not to act as your advocate and should not speak on your behalf. In the event a support person attends the meeting with you, please provide us with your support persons details prior to the meeting.



However, the executive director responded by refusing to attend that meeting due to a prior commitment, and the employer then put her on notice in writing that, should she not attend the meeting, she would be considered to be breaching her obligation to obey reasonable and lawful directions of her employer.



Further communications ensued, with the employer eventually stating the purpose of the meeting was to discuss her performance and conduct, and that she was not expected to provide a response at the meeting, nor would any decisions be made until the outcome of the meeting. The employer also subsequently provided an agenda containing specific claims of misconduct and poor performance for the executive director to consider in advance. The executive director then tendered her resignation, stating she considered the process to be a sham.



At first instance, a Commissioner determined that procedural fairness had not been afforded to the employee. The Commissioner raised three particular aspects as evidence of the employers failure in this regard: not disclosing the material up front, giving too short a time frame between notice of the meeting and the proposed meeting date and refusing to allow the employee to have an advocate present. The Commissioner therefore found there had been a constructive dismissal, and that this had been unfair to the employee.



However, upon appeal of the initial decision, the FWC Full Bench disagreed and quashed the Commissioners decision. They did not consider the two working days notice of the meeting was too tight. They noted the obligation in the unfair dismissal provision in section 387(d) of the Fair Work Act 2009 extended only to a support person, not an advocate. They found there had not been constructive dismissal as the course of conduct adopted by the employer had not been such that the executive director had been forced to resign.



Section 387 of the Fair Work Act sets out the criteria that the Fair Work Commission must consider to determine whether a dismissal is unfair. Subsection (d) specifically states:



In considering whether it is satisfied that a dismissal was harsh, unjust or unreasonable, the FWC must take into account: ... (d) any unreasonable refusal by the employer to allow the person to have a support person present to assist at any discussions relating to dismissal;...



In the above case, the FWC Full Bench noted the role was that of a support person, and not an advocate. The Full Bench made the following statement in relation to section 387(d) above:



Given that legislative provision and in the absence of any other obligation to allow an advocate, we do not think a refusal by VATE to allow Ms de Laps an advocate at the meeting on 17 December 2012 can be regarded as constituting an element of procedural unfairness.



A support person must maintain confidentiality



In CFMEU v MSS Strategic Medical and Rescue [2014] FWC 4336, an employee who was being disciplined for poor performance and conduct brought a support person who was also an employee of the company and a CFMEU delegate. The support person became so involved in the issues that he later forwarded an email containing information about the internal investigation to the CFMEU and others in his group. The employer then issued a final written warning to the employee who was the support person for breach of the companys confidentiality policy.



Whilst the FWC found that the employer acted harshly in issuing a final written warning, the Commissioner stated: Support people need to understand that investigations into another employees work performance or behaviour are private matters between the parties, and the confidentiality of those processes should be respected at all times. That said, the Commission also stated that the employer should have provided him with clear information on confidentiality in the role of a support person.



Practical tips for employers



While an employer is not legally required under the unfair dismissal provisions of the Fair Work Act to offer an employee a support person for disciplinary meetings, it is best practice to notify your employee that they are permitted to bring a support person. Some industrial instruments may actually stipulate a requirement of a support person at such meetings.



With the above cases in mind, it is important that the employer clearly sets out in opening discussions with their employee and support person the role and expectations of the support person:
The Nordic financial services group declared that it is considering moving its parent company away from Sweden in March in response to the Swedish governments decision to raise the fees paid by banks and other credit institutions towards a fund established to guarantee stability in the event of a financial crisis.

Nordea Group has put an end to roughly six months of speculation by announcing its decision to re-locate its parent company from Stockholm, Sweden, to Helsinki, Finland.

The Swedish government ultimately caved in and effectively called off the raises, but failed to offset the benefits offered the banking union in the European Union.

Nordea highlights in its press release that re-locating its parent company to a country that is a member of the banking union will ensure it is subject to the same regulatory framework as banks and financial institutions domiciled in other parts of Europe. The decision on the re-location was made by the board of directors of Nordea in Copenhagen, Denmark, on Wednesday.

The level playing field and predictable regulatory environment offered by the banking union are, we believe, in the best interests of Nordeas customers, shareholders and employees, explains Bjorn Wahlroos, the board chairman at Nordea.

Nordea has estimated that the resolution and deposit guarantee fees will increase by 60150 million euros between 2017 and 2019.

The financial services group also estimates that the re-location will have an impact on neither its operations in the region, nor its day-to-day operations from a customer perspective. Similarly, only a limited number of employees will be affected by the parent company's re-location from Stockholm to Helsinki.

Nordea will continue to be a major taxpayer in all four home markets, it underlines.

The announcement was met with enthusiasm in Finland, despite the fact that the re-location is not expected to add notably to tax revenues.

Jan Vapaavuori (NCP), the Mayor of Helsinki, viewed that the re-location decision is evidence of the competitiveness of Helsinki and Finland. Were talking about a large bank here, and for it to arrive at come to such a conclusion is surely the sum of several factors, he commented in an interview with Helsingin Sanomat.

Both Finland and its capital, he estimated, are able to compete against their larger regional rivals due to the safety, predictability and infrastructure reliability they offer. [Stockholm and Copenhagen] are also considerably more international [than Helsinki]. Thats always a key factor in terms of foreign investment, he said to the newspaper.

In Sweden, on the other hand, the announcement has fuelled criticism against the government and demands that the country join the banking union, reports YLE.

The Swedish Minister of Finance, Magdalena Anderson, stated yesterday in a news conference that the re-location decision is regrettable but cautioned against exaggerating its ramifications for the country. I dont think there has been any political pressure to fast-track Sweden into the banking union, she stated according to the public broadcasting company.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Emmi Korhonen  Lehtikuva
An absolutely inaccurate story. The Ministry of Justice is not planning on linking the right of apprehension to immigration offences, he tweeted in response to a report published by Ilta-Sanomat on Wednesday .

The Ministry of Justice is not proposing that the scope of the general right of apprehension be expanded to apply to illegal immigrants, states Antti Hakkanen (NCP), the Minister of Justice.

The tabloid daily reported that the ministry proposes in a memorandum that the maximum punishment for illegal residence be raised from a fine to a six-month prison term. The proposal would according to its interpretation bring the offence under the scope of the general right of apprehension, because the right  as defined in the coercive measures act  allows citizens to apprehend a suspect in an offence that is punishable by imprisonment, if the suspect has been caught in the act or is trying to escape.

Janne Kanerva, a legislative counsellor at the Ministry of Justice, confirmed that raising the maximum punishment for illegal residence to a six-month prison term would likely allow citizens to apprehend people suspected of residing in the country illegally.

The threat of imprisonment would in my view bring it under the scope [of the right], he said to Ilta-Sanomat.

Kanerva also reminded that citizens must have sufficient grounds for exercising the general right of apprehension: It cant be that youre allowed to apprehend someone just because they look like a foreigner.

The Ministry of Justice similarly drew attention to the risks associated with expanding the general right of apprehension, reports Uusi Suomi. The ministry believes it would benefit neither the arrestor nor the arrestee to open the door to situations where the right of apprehension is used based on physical appearance without any factual evidence to corroborate the suspicions.

Illegal residence is not the type of offence to which [] the general right of apprehension was intended to apply. It is also unreasonable to presume that the general right of apprehension would be a necessary or even particularly helpful means to find people who are residing in the country illegally, the memorandum reads according to Uusi Suomi.

Aleksi Teivainen  HT

Photo: Markku Ulander  Lehtikuva
Paramedics Sharon Mooney and Darren Galvin with mother Caroline Worthington and her new baby

A team of paramedics helped deliver a baby boy at the side of the road after his mum went into labour early.

Caroline Worthington and her husband, Jamie, were making their way from their home in Rush, north Co Dublin, to the Rotunda Hospital in the north inner city when she realised she wasn't going to make it.

Brilliant

The couple, who are both deaf, pulled their Ford Mondeo over at Blake's Cross and Caroline started to give birth to their second child.

Meanwhile, her sister-in-law, Denise, contacted paramedics in Swords, who were on the scene in minutes.

"The paramedic team were just brilliant, they came in the absolute nick of time and saved Jamie from what would have been a very nerve-racking experience," said Caroline.

"We're both deaf and wouldn't be able to follow medical instructions over the phone.

"While driving we were relying on my sister-in-law, Denise Worthington, to make the call to the ambulance for us while she tried to keep me calm on a video call."

Advanced paramedic Willie Howard, of the National Ambulance Service (NAS) in Swords, said they originally got the call to travel to a home but were then redirected to the car pulled in at the side of the road.

Mr Howard was joined in the ambulance by colleague Sharon Mooney and Defence Forces paramedic Darren Galvin, who is working with the NAS for a year.

"We got the call and we were there in three minutes. He wasn't waiting for us, he was coming out," said Ms Mooney.

Caroline and her new baby are doing well.
The scene of the crash at Adelaide Road

A young Frenchman who was seriously injured when a car struck a group of pedestrians on a Dublin pavement has died in hospital.

A woman driving a Saab convertible struck four young men when she lost control on Adelaide Road at 6.15pm on August 22.

Benjamin Renard (24), who had been working in Dublin for three years, died of his injuries in Beaumont Hospital in Dublin yesterday.

He was rushed to St James's Hospital and later transferred to Beaumont Hospital for treatment for head injuries.

Family members travelled from France and had kept a vigil at Mr Renard's bedside.

He worked as an account manager at LinkedIn on Dublin's southside.

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Smashed

Mr Renard had studied at Dublin City University until 2014 when he was awarded a BA in global business, marketing and sales having previously earned a BSc degree in France.

There were glowing tributes from friends and colleagues on social media last night.

LinkedIn Ireland head Sharon McCooey said: "After a brave fight, Benjamin has sadly passed away.

"We are doing all that we can to support his family and friends during this most difficult of times."

Mr Renard had worked annually on a telethon for the past seven years, helping to raise money for a muscular dystrophy charity.

The silver convertible flipped over on to its side after the crash near the junction of Adelaide Road and Harcourt Road.

The driver and one of the pedestrians were taken by ambulance to St Vincent's Hospital.

Another of the casualties was taken to St James's Hospital while a fourth young man was taken to Tallaght Hospital for treatment.

In the aftermath of the crash, the Saab was left on its side, with smashed windows and damage to the front.

Sealed

Several emergency services vehicles rushed to the scene and witnesses told how at least one of the men was treated by paramedics.

One witness said: "There were bits of the car all over the road and there were at least three fire engines and two ambulances from what I saw."

A Dublin Fire Brigade spokesman said four fire tenders and three of the service's ambulances attended the crash scene.

Two ambulances from the National Ambulance Service were also dispatched.

Gardai appealed for witnesses to contact Pearse Street Garda Station or any garda station.

Adelaide Road was sealed off from Earlsfort Terrace to Harcourt Road after the crash so that Garda forensic collision investigators could examine the scene.
Gardai at the scene after a van was rammed by an unmarked garda car

A massive manhunt was continuing last night for a criminal who drove an SUV at gardai, leading them to fire five shots during an operation targeting the deadly Kinahan gang.

A 27-year-old Cabra man - described as a "wannabe hitman" for the cartel - remained in custody last night at Ballyfermot Garda Station.

He was arrested during the planned intelligence-led operation at Kylemore Way, Inchi- core, at 3pm yesterday.

Gardai believe a two-man hit team were extremely close to their intended target when officers swooped.

A senior source said members of the Special Crime Task Force were acting on intelligence when they spotted a white Citroen van that failed to stop for them in the Jamestown Road area.

Rammed

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A loaded handgun with a silencer attached that was wrapped in a Dunnes Stores plastic bag was thrown from the van as armed officers chased the gangsters.

The pursuit came to an abrupt end when the van drove into a cul-de-sac and the unmarked garda car rammed into the side of it.

It is understood that detectives then arrested the Cabra man after he was ordered to get out of the van.

A second man who was in the vehicle fled to an SUV, which was parked nearby.

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Seconds later, the SUV was driven at speed towards the Special Crime Task Force off-icers, as well as the arrested man, leading them to fire five shots at it.

"Garda lives were on the line here, but even the arrested man was under peril from his associate," a source said. "The SUV was driven at them with murderous intent.

"Gardai felt they had no choice but than to fire shots. They were trying to put the arrested man in a garda car when this happened."

The SUV, which was recovered in Ballyfermot close to the scene of the arrest, had five bullet holes in it.

The man who drove at gardai is understood to have fled from the vehicle on foot.

Officers from the garda's Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau (DOCB) had earlier received intelligence about the van and its links to a murder planned by the cartel.

This led to the bureau's Special Crime Task Force being dispatched to the area, and officers moved in on the van when their suspicions were aroused.

Injured

No one was injured in yesterday's incident, which is now the subject of an investigation by the Garda Siochana Ombudsman Commission because shots were fired by officers.

The discarded loaded handgun was seen by a group of onlookers, who joked to a detective that "it's a nice Christmas present for somebody" as he moved to retrieve it.

The suspect in custody last night is well-known to gardai and has more than 50 convictions for road traffic offences, drugs, violent disorder and criminal damage.

He has served a number of jail sentences for violent offences but was not considered an active member of the Kinahan cartel, who have driven the capital's deadly gangland feud that has claimed 12 lives so far.

"The best description of this fella really is that he is a wannabe hitman," a senior source said last night.

"However, he was arrested in an operation in which a fully loaded gun was found and was ready to be used.

"Gardai are in no doubt that yesterday's operation has saved a person's life.

"It is understood the intended target of this murder is based in the Ballyfermot area and the hit was sanctioned by the Kinahan cartel.

"Yesterday's arrest shows just how desperate the cartel has become - this individual is a nobody in terms of organised crime.

"He is a highly reckless, violent criminal. It's clear that this mob are rapidly running out of hitmen."

The 27-year-old is a close associate of a serious criminal from Cabra, who is on the run over serious firearm offences.

His older friend is facing multiple charges after gardai made a massive weapons seizure against the cartel last year in north Dublin, in which machine guns and ammunition were recovered.

Yesterday's foiled hit is the latest blow to the embattled Kinahan cartel as the garda campaign against them intensifies.

Last weekend, gardai seized more than 820,000 in cash from one of the mob's most trusted bagmen.

Fixer

Members of the DOCB pounced on the cartel associate as he met with a truck driver at a service station in Naas, Co Kildare, at 10pm last Friday.

In total, almost 830,000 in cash was recovered, while a high-powered car worth more than 50,000 was also seized. The significant operation led to the arrest of a 34-year-old man.

Gardai suspect that the gangland fixer was in the process of handing over more than 820,000 to the truck driver, who was then due to take the cash to the continent.

The Kinahan associate and the 44-year-old trucker, who is originally from Co Sligo, were arrested on suspicion of money-laundering offences and taken to Naas Garda Station.

They were held for more than 24 hours before being released without charge in the early hours of Sunday.
Ryanair's new policy on carry-on baggage will end up costing passengers more time and money, critics have claimed.

The budget airline yesterday announced it is rescinding its policy allowing all passengers to bring two items of hand luggage with them in the cabin for free, effective November 1 - as a result of flights being delayed because of a lack of space in overhead lockers.

Small

Passengers will only be able to carry a small bag, such as a handbag or laptop bag, on board, with wheelie cabin bags being placed in the hold free of charge.

These bags will then have to be retrieved from the baggage carousel along with other checked luggage.

However, priority boarding passengers who are willing to pay an extra 5 when they book a flight, or 6 an hour before boarding the flight, will be allowed to bring a second bag with them into the cabin, as well as those on Plus, Flexi Plus and Family Plus fares.

A 10 surcharge will also apply to checked-in luggage at Christmas, Easter and on longer routes during the summer high season to offset the cost of baggage handling.

At the same time, the airline has dropped the cost of checked-in luggage from 35 to 25 for a 20kg bag.

It said the changes are to encourage passengers to check in their bags to speed up boarding and keep flights on time.

However, Pat Dawson, CEO of the Irish Travel Agents Association, said: "We see it as an extra inconvenience and cost on passengers.

"The reality is many people will pay the extra fee to avoid queuing at the carousel for their bags."

Consumers' Association of Ireland spokesman Dermot Jewell said it was "reasonable for the airline not to charge" to put cabin bags in the hold, but "there will be a lot of people who don't want to wait at the carousel so they will pay more".

Nonsense

Ryanair's chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs dismissed the claims as "nonsense", citing its good record on mishandled bags and saying that bags are at the carousel before the passenger gets there "90pc of the time".

"This is mere scaremongering from two self-serving, antiquated organisations who do little or nothing for Irish consumers," he added.
A Dublin school has told parents the Sarahah app is being used to bully and insult pupils. Stock Image

Parents are being warned by schools about a new "honesty" smartphone app being used by teenagers to bully others.

The app, Sarahah, has swept into Ireland, overtaking Twitter and Tinder on the Irish app charts. It facilitates anonymous comments about those using the app.

However, teachers at one of Dublin's biggest secondary schools say it is being used by some children to bully others.

Delete

The city centre girls' school, which asked not to be named, has banned the Sarahah app and advised parents to delete it from their children's phones.

"Please check your daughter's phone for the Sarahah app," wrote a senior school administrator.

"This app is used to send anonymous messages, some of which may be nasty. Your daughters were asked to delete this app to ensure the well-being of all the students."

Experts have also warned that the app gathers all contact information from a user's phone and uploads it to its own servers.

The creator of the app, Saudi Arabian programmer Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq, said Sarahah harvests contacts from users for features "that will be implemented at a later time".

He said these user contact lists are being uploaded "for a planned 'find your friends' feature, which has been delayed due to a technical issue".

Launched in February, Sarahah now has 20 million users worldwide.

Its primary audience seems to be teenagers who screenshot compliments from other social media forums such as Instagram and Snapchat.

Sarahah presents itself as an app that "helps you self-develop by receiving constructive an- onymous feedback". Its creator says it is a way by which friends can point out personal strengths or weaknesses.

Earlier this year, a UK study into Irish teenagers found that cyberbullying was a significant factor in producing negative perceptions about body image.
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn.  East Tennessee State Universitys Center for Prescription Drug Abuse Prevention and Treatment is on the front lines of studying and addressing the opioid addiction crisis raging in this region.

Established in 2016, the center works in concert with Mountain States Health Alliance and Frontier Health to research and develop solutions to various aspects of the problem, according to Dr. Rob Pack, associate dean for academic affairs.

Addicted at Birth Series The Bristol Herald Courier has spent nearly a year working to uncover the effects of opioids in the Mountain Empire, especially on the most vu

There is no one solution to this. There are a lot of very good, existing solutions that need to be done together, in a coordinated, systematic fashion and at scale, Pack said. One of the most difficult things is seeing how very good ideas and good programs are done in a very fragmented way.

A vision for the center is that we will be a central, coordinated unit for activities  taking them from a fragmented approach out to a more holistic, comprehensive approach in our region that includes the eight counties of Northeast Tennessee and three adjoining counties in Southwest Virginia, Pack said.

Invested I am unaware that any university in Tennessee has invested the management time, structure and resources in creating what weve created here at ETSU.  Alan Levine, president and CEO of Mountain States Health Alliance

The centers ultimate vision is to work toward a region free from the burden and consequences of illicit drug abuse. Its mission is to partner with the communities it serves, and Pack said his goal is that other areas will come to recruit the world-class practitioners developed through the centers work.

We need to give our successes away, Pack said.

Alan Levine, president and CEO of Mountain States, said the local effort may be the only one of its kind in the nation.

What were doing here is a three-legged stool comprising academics and research, operations experience through the clinical partners, clinical services and wraparound services in the delivery of care, Levine said.

I dont think there is a single partnership like this in the country where an academic institution partners with a clinical institution and says, Were going to bring these services to the community in a way that makes it [as] accessible as possible for the whole region, provide the full breadth of services, and  try to learn what we do with these patients.

ETSU Opioid Abuse Forum ETSU's Dr. Rob Pack speaks as lawmakers listen during a forum on opioid drug abuse and NAS babies on the ETSU campus.

A central component of that collaboration will be Overmountain Recovery, a methadone treatment center now under construction in Gray. It will be operated in conjunction with Mountain States and Frontier Health. It will become the fourth such center in a two-hour driving radius, joining facilities in Cedar Bluff, Virginia; Asheville, North Carolina; and Knoxville, Tennessee.

Profits from the treatment facility will be invested into the center to fund prevention, education and outreach activities, Pack said.

In the long term, we want this clinic and the center to be an absolute asset to the region. We want  to be facilitators of effective, evidence-based programs that will be taken to scale and used across the nation, he said.

This spring, ETSU officials, including Pack, Dr. Nick Hagemeier and drug abuse research program Director Angela Hagaman, hosted Tennessees Speaker of the House Harwell and the House Task Force on Opioid Abuse. The task force, launched in January, was updated on the centers response.

Harwell said state lawmakers have taken multiple steps to address the states opioid addiction problems, but they need help from the experts.

My goal is [that] this task force will look into the possibility of pilot programs, measure results of these programs and determine best practices, Harwell said. Ive asked this [task force] to look into the treatment options that are available and really delve into the data to see if there is a program being administered that we need to take statewide.

ETSU Opioid Abuse Forum Tennessee House of Representatives Speaker Beth Harwell listens as ETSU's Dr. Rob Pack speaks during a forum on opioid drug abuse.

The ETSU center evolved from a working group of physicians, ETSU staff and community leaders who, in 2012, began discussing issues surrounding opioid abuse and potential solutions. The topic struck a chord with Pack, who conducted research on opioid abuse while at West Virginia University.

That group has generated a series of eight funded projects and other products dealing with prevention, research and treatment, Pack said. It continues to meet regularly.

The [groups] purpose is to engage community stakeholders, university researchers and others in a longstanding dialogue and relationship-building process so that we all know what were all doing and [can] begin to use our assets in a way to leverage them for a greater impact, Pack said.

The group has also been fertile ground for new initiatives. One of the most important is a separate group focused solely on neonatal abstinence syndrome, Pack said.

Its a very troubling thing to watch, and its difficult to care for those babies. And its quite costly as well, Pack said. Their goal is to study predictors and useful methods for treatment of neonatal abstinence syndrome so they can then take those tools and be useful to other clinical operations dealing with this.

ETSU Opioid Abuse Forum ETSU's Dr. Rob Pack speaks during a forum on opioid drug abuse and NAS babies on the ETSU campus.

The NAS group was created in 2015 and includes representatives from ETSUs Quillen College of Medicine and Niswonger Childrens Hospital. It now includes about 35 members from medicine, psychology, nursing, allied health and public health, Pack said, all examining treatment options for babies and mothers and seeking ways to reduce costs.

There are a lot of clinical guidelines for women who are expecting, but they dont know exactly what works best. The clinical guidelines from the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology are pretty well dated, and some new guidelines are coming forward, including from some research being done in Knoxville, Pack said.

While much of the publics attention has focused on the centers role in the planned methadone drug treatment clinic, Levine said its overarching efforts can generate positive impacts for the region, state and nation.

I am unaware that any university in Tennessee has invested the management time, structure and resources in creating what weve created here at ETSU, Levine said. I see this as a tremendous opportunity for investment by the state because ETSU can become a national center of excellence for understanding the problem and disseminating information nationally on how to deal with and combat this problem.
RICHMOND, Va.  Dominion Energy Virginia plans to study the feasibility of a pumped hydroelectric storage facility at two potential sites in Southwest Virginia.

The company currently is considering two possible locations for the power station, a 4,100-acre site in Tazewell County and an abandoned mine in Wise County, according to a written statement.

Dominion Energy filed a preliminary permit with the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) for the Tazewell location on Wednesday. The company has contracted with Virginia Tech to conduct the study of the former Bullitt Mine near Appalachia, Va.

We are on parallel paths with performing studies on these two sites, said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energys vice president-Generation Construction.

The FERC application for the Tazewell site will allow us to proceed with the rigorous environmental, geological, archeological and technical studies, while further assessing the economics of the project. In addition, the detailed study on the mine site allows us to explore the feasibility of abandoned mine cavities for pumped hydroelectric storage. We expect to make a decision on which site to advance by mid-2018.

The preliminary estimate for a single facility could be in the range of $2 billion and provide millions in tax revenue to counties in the coalfield region. The project would also create hundreds of jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent jobs when complete, according to the statement.

Hydroelectric storage involves holding water in an upper reservoir then releasing it when electricity is needed. It passes through spinning turbines to produce electricity. When power demand is low, the water is pumped back to the upper reservoir.

The on-demand nature of pumped storage makes it an appealing resource, adding diversity to Dominion Energys generating fleet, according to the statement.

Dominion Energy may also pursue other potential sites as the process continues.
Cabelas looks to have less than a month left as a stand-alone, Nebraska-based company.

The Federal Reserve cleared the way late Wednesday for a Georgia bank to acquire Cabelas credit card operation, removing the last hurdle for a Bass Pro Shops takeover of the homegrown outdoors retailer.

Bass Pro is set to buy Cabelas retail business for $5 billion. The Feds approval cut it close: Oct. 3 was the merger deadline, after which all parties could have walked away from the deal or renegotiated the terms.

The deal now looks set to be sealed  possibly within the week.

We are pleased by the order and are looking forward to closing the deal within the terms of the agreement, Cabelas said in a statement to The World-Herald. Bass Pro and Synovus Bank, the Georgia outfit buying Cabelas credit card business, didnt immediately respond to a request for comment.

While investors may be relieved, Bass Pros takeover could cause more uncertainty in Sidney, Nebraska, a town of about 6,800 where as many as 2,000 people worked for Cabelas at one time.

Once the deal closes, Springfield, Missouri-based Bass Pro will be in charge, and what they say goes, said Lee Dunham, a Creighton University finance professor.

When two competitors combine, there is no need for duplicate operations  like two accounting, legal or human resources departments, for instance. That could mean job cuts on the horizon in Sidney.

About a year ago, Bass Pro announced that it would buy the Nebraska outdoors company. Capital One said it would buy Worlds Foremost Bank, the Cabelas-owned bank that operates its credit card and is based in Lincoln.

But an unrelated problem with Capital One soon threatened to stall the deal. Because of the problem with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, Capital One said it would not get that federal regulators approval by the Oct. 3 merger deadline.

Enter Synovus in April. Under new, renegotiated terms, the Georgia bank will buy Worlds Foremost and offload the credit card business to Capital One. Capital One has said it plans to continue to operate the Cabelas credit card office in Lincoln, though its unclear for how long. The office employed about 700 people as recently as two years ago. Capital One didnt respond to a request for comment.

Investors and industry watchers were unsure how the Fed would act on the bank deal because it essentially allowed the companies to get around another regulator  the OCC.

The Fed made the announcement Wednesday after normal stock-market trading hours. Because Cabelas Worlds Foremost Bank exists primarily to operate its Cabelas Club credit card, the Fed, which regulates banks, said the sale would not likely have a significantly adverse effect on competition in any relevant banking market.

The Feds wasnt the first regulatory approval the companies cleared. The Federal Trade Commission also was investigating the deal for potential competitive issues. The agency gave its approval in July.

Nathan Yates, an analyst covering Cabelas with Forward View Consulting in Virginia said approval of the sale of the bank has been the real threat to the entire deal.

Cabela's stock shot up Thursday, gaining more than $7 and closing at $61.06 on the New York Stock Exchange.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Mark Marquettes anxiety levels were climbing by the minute Wednesday afternoon.

The 63-year-old former Northeast Tennessee resident and photojournalist, who recently moved to Merritt Island, Florida, was waiting for the likely arrival of Hurricane Irma.

I moved here four months ago, and Id really like my first hurricane to be something on the smaller side, Marquette said with a nervous laugh. Im at 8-feet sea level, and theres a hurricane headed our way. Im not at the 2,200 feet Im used to, and Irma is supposed to be one of the biggest hurricanes ever.

The hurricane isnt due to impact Merritt Island until late Friday, but by Wednesday afternoon there was no food or water in the small town off Floridas eastern coast, Marquette told the Bristol Herald Courier by phone.

Finding any kind of supplies is like going on a scavenger hunt, he said. I had to go to four places to find propane. Home Depot gets a supply of plywood in about every five hours and sells out in four. Dollar General and Harbor Freight are sold out of tarps.

He added that hes getting a crash course in hurricane preparation from his girlfriend, Anita Friend.

Friend and Marquette attended the same high school in Findley, Ohio, but lost track of each other until recently rekindling their friendship  which is why Marquette is now living in Florida.

Anita gave me a list of things that I needed to do today, Marquette said. Unlike a snow event, we had a week to prepare, but today Im making sure everything is at least 3 feet off the floor, boarding up the house, and making sure we have enough water  which is now being rationed to two cases per person.

Friend, who has lived in Merritt Island for 16 years, came home from her job at Kennedy Space Center with what she said was the last loaf of bread in town. When asked why the couple decided to ride out the massive Category 5 hurricane, Friend said theres no point in leaving.

People just need to be aware, be smart, dont panic and buy everything you think you need and buy enough of it to last forever, she said. There are more people killed who try to leave than those who stay.

She added that the people she works with at the

Space Center hadnt made a call on whether Irma would hit Merritt Island.

And if a bunch of rocket scientist cant call it  I certainly cant, she said with a laugh.

Marquette said if he had his druthers hed be on South Holston Lake.

Its only 13 hours of easy driving from here, he said. But Ill be here riding it out.

Another Florida transplant from Gray, Tennessee, Stacie Capozziello, also decided to hunker down and ride out the storm. Capozziello, who has lived in Boca Raton for most of her adult life, said she lived through Andrew in 1992 and Wilma in 2005 and shes prepared to do the same with Irma.

According to accuweather.com, Hurricane Andrew was a Category 5 Atlantic hurricane that was the most destructive hurricane to ever hit the state while Wilma was one of 28 storms that developed during the 2005 season. That year was the first time forecasters ran out of names from the regular naming chart of tropical systems and had to turn to the Greek alphabet to name storms.

Im staying because I have animals, and I dont want to traumatize them, Capozziello said in a phone interview Wednesday. I also think that riding out hurricanes is normal  but it is a little crazy here already. The lines at the gas stations are about a mile long, and the ones that dont have lines are out of gas. Publix ran out of water, crackers and non-perishable food last night.

Blountville, Tennessee, native Angela Oliva and her husband, Allen Oliva, decided it was better for their family to head home to the hills of Northeast Tennessee.

The Olivas, who have lived in Naples, Florida, for 17 years, packed up their two daughters, enough food and water for a few days and headed for Piney Flats on Wednesday.

By Tuesday night, grocery stores in the Naples area were out of food and water, and the only gas in town was premium grade, which was selling for $3 a gallon, Allen Oliva said.

When the family left home around 10 a.m., he said there wasnt much traffic, but by the time they drove into Ocala, Florida, the traffic was bumper to bumper. And a normally three-hour drive took five hours.

And when we got there, cars were going about five miles per hour, he said. We have reservations at a hotel in Georgia for tonight, but I dont know if well make it.

Grace, 9, and Anna, 7, were doing well, he said.

We left most of our stuff home, he said. The girls are a little worried, but theyre OK. Grace is on the phone, and Anna is in the back seat playing. The most important thing is were going to be safe. A Category 5 hurricane is nothing to mess with.
BRISTOL, Va. -- A Bristol, Virginia woman and an Abingdon, Virginia woman are facing several drug charges after a security check of a local shopping center.

Deputies with the Washington County Virginia Sheriff's Office were conducting a check of the Highlands Shopping Center in county around midnight on September 5, according to a news release from Sheriff Fred Newman.

The two women were going through the dumpster behind Best Buy and narcotics detection K-9 was brought to the scene and indicated the presence of narcotics inside the vehicle.

A search was conducted which resulted in the recovery of methamphetamine, multiple baggies, scales, smoking devices and needles.

Amy Helen Cook, 43, of Bristol, Virginia, was arrested and charged with possession with the intent to distribute methamphetamine, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Cook was taken to the Abingdon facility of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail and is being held without bond.

Sarah Beth Black, 24, of Abingdon, Virginia, was arrested and charged with possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia. She was transported to the Abingdon facility of the Southwest Virginia Regional Jail where later released on a $2,500 unsecured bond.
Rachel Carson's expose shocked the world. And we're better for it

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The Centres decision to increase the minimum support price for soya bean at the time when international prices are falling is forcing soya crushing units out of business, Indore-based Soya Processors Association of India has claimed.

The MSP for soya bean was raised by at least 10% to Rs 3050 per 100 kg from October 1 from Rs 2775 last year.

On the other hand, soya bean from Brazil and Argentina, the two main players in the international market, is coming at a cheaper price because of 7% fall in the value of rupee as compared to a dollar.

There is no crushing margin left and I fear that many of the crushing units will have to close down, SOPA chairman Davish Jain said.

Madhya Pradesh, which recently witnessed farmers protests in Mandsaur region demanding better prices for their produce and loan waiver, accounts for more than 60% of Indias soya bean production followed by Maharashtra and Rajasthan.

The association had demanded that the import duty on degummed soyabean oil should be increased from 12.5% to 37.5% and that on refined oil from 20% to 45% to offset the difference in prices.

However, the Centre increased duty on degummed oil to 17.5% and left the refined oil duty unchanged, thereby not compensating the losses that the soya processing units are facing.

Raising the duty to that permitted level will help both the domestic industry and our farmers in these troubled times, said Jain.

He argued the industry was not in a position to pay higher prices to domestic farmers as the processing units can pay only Rs 2700 per quintal if they have to compete with international players.

The soya bean sector was, interestingly, a net foreign exchange earner till a few years ago, with exports of meal exceeding imports of oil. That situation has, however, reversed since 2013-14.

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Salman Khan is being derided on Twitter for inaugurating a driving school in Dubai, with people reminding him that he was accused of mowing down a man and injuring four others sleeping on a pavement in a drunk driving incident in September 2002 in Mumbai.

Khan was roped in to inaugurate Belhasa Driving Centres latest branch in Dubais Al Quoz.

Apart from Salman, UAE-based social media personality, Rashed Belhasa, son of managing director Saif Ahmad Belhasa, was also present at the private invite-only ceremony, reported Gulf News. Fifteen-year-old Rashed aka Money Kicks, is one of the rich kinds of Instagram and the youngest billionaire active on the social media site.

A post shared by Rashed Belhasa Aka-Money Kicks (@rsbelhasa) on May 15, 2017 at 10:52am PDT

Khan, 51, who landed a place among the top 100 in Forbes 2017 list of the worlds highest-paid entertainers, is an avid car collector while Rashed owns several luxury cars, including a custom-made Louis Vuitton Ferrari.

Twitter left no stone unturned in lashing Salman with sarcasm, drawing comparisons with North Korean leader Kim Jong-un, Congress V-P Rahul Gandhi and more. Here are the best ones:

Rahul Gandhi is giving a speech on AI

Salman Khan inaugurating driving school.

Waiting for kim jong un to speak about democracy.  IBN battuta (@theesmaarkhan) September 6, 2017

Daily dose of irony for the day. #SalmanKhan launches a driving school in Dubai. Black buck conservation next?  Arunoday Mukharji (@ArunodayM) September 7, 2017

If Chetan Bhagat can write books, I can also open a driving school.



- Salman Bhai's thoughts #SalmanKhan  crazyreader_pearl (@pearl_cr) September 6, 2017

#SalmanKhan to inaugurate a driving school in Dubai.

He will also train drivers on how to handle Hit and Run cases.  Sameer Ranjan Bakshi (@BekaarNews) September 6, 2017

Salman Khan inaugurating a driving school is like Adityanath inaugurating an abattoir.  Arshad (@kikcasso) September 6, 2017

Blue Whale admin to inaugurate suicide prevention centre  tanVeer1137 (@tanveer_1137) September 6, 2017

Up next : Gurmeet Ram Rahim to inaugurate women's safety centre. pic.twitter.com/MXjg83Mi6s  SAGAR (@sagarcasm) September 6, 2017

Up next: karan johar to inaugurate nepotism free centre  SatyaJit (@bongali_lorka) September 6, 2017

Tushar Kapoor & Uday chopra to open acting school jointly .  pundook (@subodhpahalajan) September 6, 2017

Irony died and took punarjanam after this - Salman Khan in Dubai to launch driving centre https://t.co/shrrUmU76u  mudassar (@mudassarb) September 6, 2017

#SalmanKhan 2 launch driving center in Dubai



Hence,#KRK cn launch acting skool in Mumbai#Dhinchakpooja cn launch music skool in london  KrishnakiranModadugu (@kiranindites) September 6, 2017

Shashi Tharoor is condemning death of a free-speaking woman and Salman is inaugurating a driving school. Irony: Dead   Monica (@TrulyMonica) September 6, 2017

Will his Driving school serve Drinks or should the students carry their own?  Verry Human (@HumanVerry) September 7, 2017

A sessions court in Mumbai had delivered Salman a five-year jail sentence after convicting him of culpable homicide. But he was acquitted of all charges by the Bombay high court because the prosecution failed to prove the charges against Khan on all counts.

In June this year, Salman was also ridiculed on social media for speaking on road safety at the launch of e-cycles sold under the brand of Being Human, his charity.
Recently, there were reports that Kangana Ranaut suffered a major injury on the sets of her upcoming period drama Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi. The reports came out to be true as she suffered a deep cut on her forehead during a sword fight scene.

While giving an interview to the Filmfare magazine, she opened about the whole incident. She said, I was doing a sword-fighting scene with three men. I guess Nihar (Pandya, who plays Rao Saheb) forgot his cue and he hit on my head. Theres no way of avoiding something so unfortunate like this. Especially, when its choreography related. The coordination of the various elements is difficult. It was a bad accident. It exposed my bone and my face was full of blood.

She also shared that if you give blood to play such a woman, its worth it. Theres something about being in character. You cannot be a warrior without adopting the body language and the demeanour. When the metal sword hit my head, I felt it. I saw blood streaming down my face. There were stains on my dress. I asked Nick (Powell, Hollywood action director) whether I needed stitches. He said yes. I asked how many. He said around 10. I asked him to take me to the hospital, to the best plastic surgeon. Nick and my producer, Kamal Jain found it amusing that it was me who was guiding them. Usually, Im scared of blood. But in this case I wasnt, she shared.

But when you talk about Laxmibai, she was the general of an army. She was an extraordinary woman. How many battles she fought in the prime of her youth! She was like a killing machine. So it would be a shame to try to get into character superficially through clothes, make-up, hair styles and jewellery. And if you give blood to play such a woman, its worth it. To be honest, Im only happy. You cant hope to immortalise the greatest warrior of all times without having a battle scar on your face. So its justified.

When asked about the scars in her heart, she noted, Of course, we all have soul scars, but they are like medals won in a battle. Your mind, your inner being can carry a lot of scars based on your experiences, on how hard you fought and hit back. Whether you were scarred or left others scarred. It all depends on how you went through life.

The Queen star also explained that there is no need to heal these scars. They are medals that she wears with happiness.
Congress leaders congratulated the National Students Union of India (NSUI) for winning three key posts in the Panjab University polls, the results of which were declared on Thursday.

Jashan Kamboj of the NSUI was elected as the president, while the posts of vice-president and general secretary were also won by the NSUI candidates.

Punjab chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh took to Twitter and congratulated the NSUI.

I congratulate team @nsui for their huge victory in the Punjab University polls. #PUpolls2017 (sic), wrote Amarinder.

I congratulate team @nsui for their huge victory in the Punjab University polls. #PUpolls2017  Capt.Amarinder Singh (@capt_amarinder) September 7, 2017

Former Union minister Pawan Kumar Bansal also congratulated NSUI for winning the top three posts and termed it as a result of positive work for student cause.

Bansal tweeted, Heartiest congratulations to @nsui for winning top 3 posts in PU Students Council polls. Result of consistent, positive work for student cause (sic).

Heartiest congratulations to @nsui for winning top 3 posts in PU Students Council polls.Result of consistent,positive work for student cause  Pawan Kumar Bansal (@pawanbansal_chd) September 7, 2017

Also congratulating NSUI was member parliament Partap Singh Bajwa who called it a sweeping victory.

Congratulations @nsui on a sweeping victory in Punjab University student council polls, wrote Bajwa on his Twitter profile.

Congratulations @nsui on a sweeping victory in Punjab University student council polls.  Partap Singh Bajwa (@Partap_Sbajwa) September 7, 2017

A congratulatory tweet also poured in from the official Twitter handle of Congress.

Congratulations @nsui on a sweeping win! Highly commendable efforts have achieved this deserved victory (sic).

Congratulations @nsui on a sweeping win! Highly commendable efforts have achieved this deserved victory. https://t.co/oDegNtWu0F  Congress (@INCIndia) September 7, 2017

The NSUI also lauded the efforts of their Panjab University panel and congratulated them for winning three out of four seats in the Panjab University student elections.

Congratulations to NSUI panel of Panjab University Students Union Election on winning 3 out of 4 seats (sic), tweeted the official handle of NSUI.

Congratulations to NSUI panel of Panjab University Students Union Election on winning 3 out of 4 seats.  NSUI (@nsui) September 7, 2017

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DEHRADUN: The Uttarakhand Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in is setting up a library that will feature Prime Minister Narendra Modis speeches in both the written and digital formats, said a top state party leader.

The dual-mode library to be set up at the party headquarters in Dehradun, is likely to be inaugurated by BJP president Amit Shah during his visit to the state on September 19, said state BJP chief Ajay Bhatt.

The library will feature more than 18,000 books on the history of India, eminent leaders, freedom fighters and the partys two prime ministers, while the e-library will have two computers connected with BJP national headquarters in Delhi to access information about the partys history and speeches of national leaders.

The library will be one spot to access details of the party, ideologies and objectives along with books on party leaders. The speech of our former and current PMs will also be available, Bhatt told Hindustan Times. The library will also reflect the works of the PM that are have been documented by the partys workers and will be accessible through a common server.

While the objective of the library is to educate BJP workers, it will also be opened to philanthropists, writers, journalists and others who would want to widen their knowledge on the functioning of the party. After winning the assembly polls with a huge majority-- the party bagged 57 out of the 70 seats in the assembly elections--this will be the first time Shah will visit the state.

BJP sources said that Shah will also review the partys performance after coming to power in state.

The state BJP that tries to project unified face, received a jolt when supporters of cabinet minister Satpal Maharaj and Haridwar mayor Manoj Garg clashed in August. State BJP leaders, however, claim that differences has been sorted out and they are trying to put up a unified picture before the national president.

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A 70-year-old woman living alone was found murdered with around a dozen stab marks at her home in west Delhis Khyala village on Wednesday night.

The killers, who are yet to be identified, stabbed the woman in her face, chest and back with an ice pick. She was also attacked on her head with a blunt object, probably a hammer, multiple times, police said.

Laxmi Devi lived on the ground floor of her two-storey home for the last 15 years. She had retired as a sanitation worker of the municipal corporation of Delhi and was not registered with the polices senior citizen cell.

Police said there was no sign of forced entry suggesting she knew the attackers. Police suspect the motive could be personal enmity or a property dispute.

But robbery has not been ruled out as the house was ransacked. Some clothes and household items were lying scattered in two of the three rooms.

Laxmis relatives and locals told Hindustan Times that a CCTV camera at a factory near her home captured a male suspect dressed like a woman walking in the lane around 5.30 pm. The suspect was carrying a backpack and there were blood spots on his clothes.

Vijay Kumar, deputy commissioner of police (west), said that at about 9 pm, Laxmis nephew Shiv Narayan called the police to inform them about the murder. Narayan said her aunt had head injuries and blood was oozing out from her nose and mouth said Kumar.

A crime investigation team collected finger prints and other important evidence. Laxmis body was sent to a nearby government hospital where an autopsy was conducted.

Laxmis second nephew, Vinod, was the first to see her body after a local shopkeeper informed him that her home was latched from outside and she was not responding to neighbours calls.

I reached there with my wife and unlatched the gate. The rooms were ransacked and my aunts body was lying in a pool of blood in her room. It appeared her head was smashed against the cots leg, said Vinod.

The relatives suspect robbery and claimed some valuables were missing. They said some plumbers who had installed a water pipeline at Laxmis home early this week may be involved in the crime. The family denied any property dispute.

Laxmi is survived by her five daughters who are married and live in different parts of the city.

Her husband, Uttam Singh, died around 49 years ago while her son, Shyam, expired six years ago due to a heart ailment.

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With the Delhi University Students Union (DUSU) election date announced (September 10), the Delhi University campus seems to be heaving!

Friction between the college management and students, rules being broken, suspicious nominations, dirty rivalry and all the bhasad (chaos)... everything that you can expect in a potboiler, its all to be found here on the North and South Campus. Theres a lot thats going haywire, especially at a time when students had been promised better. Heres the dope on all thats going wrong in the run-up to the DUSU elections.

The situation in KMC is deteriorating every day

Students of Kirori Mal College (KMC) are facing issues with super seniors (senior students staying an extra year) and outsiders. Political party supporters have been entering the college grounds and creating a ruckus  and threatening students  for quite a while now. The election announcement has not made the situation any better. The aggrieved students feel that KMC administration is to be blamed for not taking any concrete action.

Harshvardhan Garhwal, general secretary of the colleges Students Union, says, Many outsiders and passouts can be found in the college, and eve-teasing is common, too. This, however, isnt a new thing. I was manhandled by a group last year, because they wanted pictures with [IAS topper] Tina Dabi onstage. A student was also beaten up and had to be taken to the hospital. Elections havent changed that.

Another student, wishing not to be named, said, Political rivalry on campus continues through the year. Earlier this year, during our fest, the rivals who had lost were planning in the hostel about how to trash the celebrations. The matter was resolved, thanks to a senior, but thats just one of the many things that plague the campus.

Whose mess is this, anyway!

DUSU election posters at South Campus deface a bus stop. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The Gol Gumbad (monument) near Nizamuddin, walls of the Moolchand flyover, graffiti-covered walls and signboards at North Campus and the markets in South Delhi  all these places have one thing in common: theyve all been vandalised by DUSU election campaigners. Despite the guidelines issued by the Lyngdoh Committee and Delhi University rules that prevent candidates from littering and vandalising public spaces, the university campuses and places around Delhi are covered in promotional posters, flyers, and graffiti.

About the Lyngdoh Committee The Lyngdoh Committee was set up by the Ministry of Human Resource Development in 2006, under the directive of the Supreme Court of India, and its purpose was to reform students union elections, weeding out money and muscle power from student politics.

Its saddening that despite the warnings given by the proctor and the Election Commission, these political parties are unaffected, says Marya Hasan from the No Poster Party, a student initiative thats cleaning up after the mess created by the candidates. Theyre still using posters, and in many places, theyre misusing the undefined wall of democracy by claiming every other wall as the same. Theyre least concerned about what students really want. These parties actually tell us, Humne raat raat bhar lag kar yeh posters lagaye hain aur aapko kya dikkat ho rahi hai ki aap utaar rahe ho? These people need to understand that the mess they create will only distance the educated voters from them.

Dirty rivalry and fistfights among campaigners

Residents of Anand Niketan, South Delhi, witnessed a dirty clash between supporters of political parties last week (Sunday) when they were trying to put up posters near the walls of Ram Lal Anand College. Both the groups wanted to cover walls with the posters that have names and ballot number and a fight broke out. A few students were badly beaten up, and when bystanders threatened to call the authorities, the supporters fled from the spot, said Manveer Singh, a resident. Similar spats are also a common thing in the North Campus, something that various student groups have protested against. Violence is a common thing in the university now and we feel scared to go anywhere near a supporter group. All of us wish for fair and violence-free elections, but these people are relentless. Its really unsafe during elections anyway, but as a girl, I feel even more unsafe, says a student of Daulat Ram College, wishing not to be named.

Nomination issues at Hindu College

Procedure for nominations according to Delhi University guidelines Nominations for the posts of office-bearers will be filed at the office of the Chief Election Officer, who will scrutinise the nominations and put up on the notice board the final list of candidates, after withdrawals, if any.

On Sunday evening, the election nominations from Hindu College were finalised but not without drama! A student, who wished not to be named, told HT that Aditya Dwivedi  previous winners choice  got nominated even when he hadnt attended a single class and only helped in organising the college fest, whereas rivals Brijesh, Ajay Parashar and Firoz Rajput were denied a spot even though they met the nomination criteria. There was a lot of ruckus in the college and fights broke out. When we questioned why police personnel were present there, and officials armed with guns had to be called, we were told to mind our own business, our source shared with us. Dwivedis nomination was cancelled later. The final list of candidates was prepared by the colleges Chief Election Officer who had reviewed all nominations.

The mystery of Rocky Handsome

Remember the Priyanka Chopra poster that came up last year when Priyanka Chawri (Ballot No 4) was a top candidate? Well, a similar promotional poster was seen at the Vishwavidyalaya Metro Station, only this time its Rocky Handsome. Drawing from the John Abraham film that released some time back, the poster is an indirect way to promote Rocky Tusser, student of MA (Buddhist Studies) who has filed his nomination from the National Students Union of India (NSUI) for the post of president. Promotional posters are a big no-no on campus. While the candidate couldnt be reached for a comment, an official from NSUI said, This has not been done by Tusser or the party. We are well aware of the rules and always adhere to them. Just because the opposition sees a worthy candidate, they try to indulge in such things to get the rivals nomination cancelled.

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The next time you sell your belongings online, be sure to double check the text message you receive from the bank. It may turn out to be fake.

A 24-year-old man, who allegedly cheated clients on online portals with such fake messages, has been arrested by the Delhi Police.

The man, Rishi Kapoor, had also allegedly conned many Mumbai residents by posing as a pilot and promising to get different items for them from duty-free shops. He released advertisements online by promising to get items from duty-free shops at the airport.

Thats not all. Police found that he and a woman conned many aspirants by promising them jobs in different airlines.

Ishwar Singh, DCP South, said Kapoor was arrested when a woman filed a complaint alleging she had sold her laptop to a man who had contacted her after seeing an advertisement on a website.

The woman alleged that after taking the laptop, the man showed her a message supposedly sent by the bank about a cash transfer. Singh said the woman later realized later the message was fake and filed a complaint.

DCP Singh said police probed the call record details of the man and checked his movement. Kapoor was seen shuttling between Delhi and Mumbai.

On September 3 night, our police team received a tip-off about Kapoor. We conducted a raid in Mayur Vihar and arrested him. We recovered 10 credit and debit cards, a branded wrist watch and one mobile phone, said Singh.

Kapoor told police he had conned the woman by showing a fake message about the money transfer. He reportedly told police he had also cheated his girlfriends and fled with their money. Kapoor is wanted in four cheating cases registered in different police stations of Mumbai.

Kapoor told police that his parents had tried getting him a job in the merchant navy and as a pilot but in both cases, he left the navy training institute at Chennai and the aviation academy in Maharashtra.

He was furious with his father for rebuking him. In 2013, he stole Rs 6 lakh from his father and used it on horse racing. He was in jail for 16 days for stealing a drivers ATM card. After release from jail, he befriended a woman and fled with her money. In this case too he was sent to prison and remained there for 40 days, said a police officer.

DCP Singh said that Kapoor and another woman (arrested by Mumbai police) had in 2015 conned many young women by promising to get them jobs as air hostesses.

The woman posed as a senior airhostess and interviewed prospective applicants in Mumbais five-star hotels while Kapoor posed as a pilot. The couple took security deposits from them and fled. For the job of a pilot, they charged Rs 7 lakh and Rs 1-1.5 lakh for cabin crew jobs.

Mumbai police had arrested the woman from their Mumbai flat in 2015 but Kapoor had fled taking Rs 20 lakh cash with him.

Police said that in Kolkata, Kapoor spent 72 days at a five-star hotel and had recently come to Delhi, where he had started this racket.
An independent candidate has not won a seat at Jawaharlal Nehru Universitys Student Union elections in recent memory. But that has not deterred MD Farooque Alam from hoping to rewrite history in Fridays polls.

One of the more popular speakers at the presidential debate on Wednesday night -- who drew laughs and cheers from both sides of the political spectrum -- Alam is independently contesting the top post.

The son of a farmer and housewife from Bihar, and the younger brother of a labourer and an unemployed madrasa graduate, Alam was diagnosed with cerebral palsy when he was as young as 5-6 years old.

My parents treated me for as long as they could. But they could not afford to do much, he said.

Alam first came to JNU in 2013 to pursue his undergraduate degree in Russian and is now doing his masters in the language. He said he worked between 2016 and 2017 with Google as a translator.

When I first came to campus, I had a curiosity to learn what student politics is, what are elections, who is contesting, etc. Then I slowly started getting involved in activism on campus. I thought I had heard enough, and it was now time to speak, he says.

Alam was once a member of the All India Students Association but left. A major reason for this was that I felt they were too concerned with what is happening outside campus and never addressed campus issues or students problems. They were concentrating on Modi and his politics, says Alam.

But with independent candidates almost never faring well at the polls in JNU, his opponents do not take him as serious competition.

You see how everybody is cheering for him despite political differences? That shows that nobody is really worried about him as competition, said a left-leaning student on campus, who has held JNUSU office.

Saket Bahuguna, ABVPs spokesperson, said JNU was peculiar space. Anyone has a chance at winning in JNU because the voters are sensitive to issues. But party affiliations are also strong and only those affiliated with political parties have won in the past, he said.

AISA-SFI alliances candidate Mohit Pandey, and the current JNUSU president, said he was happy that Alam was contesting. He is contesting and that is good. Everybody should be given a chance. The rest we will only know after the elections, he said.

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Broken footpaths, dislocated kerb stones, missing signage, uncontrolled growth of trees affecting traffic movements, potholes and missing grills are some of the common problems spotted during an inspection of Delhi roads by public works department officials.

To improve the quality of roads in the national capital, PWD minister Satyendar Jain has asked the engineers to carry out at least four inspections of different roads in a month.

A quality check on Mathura Road, Ring Road, Kalindi Kunj and IP Marg showed several problems. Apart from roads, the minister has asked for inspection of flyovers, foot overbridge and buildings as well.

At least four inspections of PWD roads and buildings on monthly basis are to be carried by all chief engineers and chief project managers. The inspection report should be reviewed by the engineer-in-chief and action taken report should be sent to the minister, said a PWD official, quoting from the letter issued to them.

The minister will do a monthly review to improve the condition of roads.

An inspection by horticulture department on Mathura Road revealed trees on the central verge needed pruning and at some places unwanted plants need to be removed. At Ring Road near Rajghat, inspection team suggested that dried plants be removed from the footpath near Shanti Van.

During the visit of Kalindi Kunj, the team found that road is damaged due to waterlogging. At some parts, signage was missing while in some areas the signage needed repair, the official said.

The Public Works Department (PWD), which is responsible for maintaining over 1200 km of roads in the city, has also been asked to do away with manual repairing as it often leads uneven roads, making the ride bumpy.

PWD had completed repair work on 200 km of roads but complaints of potholes are yet to fully addressed. The department conducts regular survey to check potholes and rough patches. This year around 2,000 potholes and rough patches have been spotted.

Official said heavy traffic volume, coupled with rain, leads to quick wear and tear and regular maintenance is required to keep the quality of roads good for smooth flow of traffic and safety of motorists and pedestrians.

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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal has sought a concrete plan from the transport department on increasing buses in the national capital and sites for parking them.

After the cabinet meeting held on Wednesday, Kejriwal took a meeting of transport officials to plan a roadmap for raising the count of buses to the citys requirement of 11,000. Sources said the CM was unhappy with the current situation and pulled up transport officials for not being able to give a detailed plan.

The problem put forward by the department was that of land. Even if buses are procured there is no place to park them. The CM has asked for a detailed plan in two days, a minister present in the meeting said. All cabinet ministers except deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia attended the discussion where transport commissioner Varsha Joshi gave a presentation.

Transport officials also informed that tenders for 2,000 standard floor buses will be floated shortly. After including the new 2,000 buses, the deficit of buses will be around 3,500. To park 3,500 buses, at least 100 acre additional land will be required which needs to be pursued with the Delhi Development Authority, officials said.

The Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) has 43 depots in the city, which not only accommodate the 3,944 buses of the corporation but also the 1,639 cluster scheme buses run by Delhi Integrated Multi-Modal Transit System (DIMTS). These cluster buses are also parked at DTC bus depots as space is lent by the corporation to DIMTS.

Unauthorised colonies

Apart from the Delhi State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (DSIIDC), development works in unauthorised colonies will now also be carried out by the Irrigation and Flood Control department.

The decision, taken at a cabinet meeting chaired by Kejriwal, is intended to expedite development works in these colonies. At present, the DSIIDC is the only executing agency for carrying out civic projects, including constructing drains and roads in unauthorised colonies.

The finance department will provide additional funds to the executing agencies for development works, the government said in a statement.

Last month, during the Monsoon session of the Delhi Assembly, several MLAs had complained that there had been a delay in executing civic projects in all 1,700 unauthorised colonies in their respective constituencies.

Responding to legislators complaints, Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain had then said the government had made a plan to allow the Flood and Irrigation department to look after development works in such colonies along with the DSIIDC.

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Investigation into the sexual assault case allegedly involving a British man at a home run by the National Association for the Blind (NAB) has revealed that of the 27 children with whom Murray Dennis Ward allegedly had objectionable chats, about a dozen were from the centre, police said.

RP Upadhyay, joint commissioner of police (south-eastern range), told Hindustan Times that these included the three children allegedly sexually assaulted by 54-year-old Ward on Saturday.

The messages on Wards phone were analysed to establish the identities of each of these children whom he allegedly had such chats.

A dozen mobile numbers on which such chats and messages were exchanged were being used by children at the NAB home, said the joint CP.

The police have also established the identities of some more children who are from Delhi and allegedly had phone chats with the Briton. Some of their parents have been alerted.

Police told these parents that professionals will counsel their children. Interactive sessions with child psychologists will be arranged for these children.

Our objective behind such sessions is to know how these children came in contact with Ward and if they were also violated by him like the three visually impaired children of the NAB home, said an investigator. Ward was produced before a city court on Wednesday after his two-day police remand was over. The court sent him to Tihar jail.

On Wednesday, seven counsellors from the Delhi state legal services authority (DSLSA), roped in by the Delhi Police, counselled the children at the blind resource centre. Their focus was on obtaining information about Wards activities. The counsellors will soon prepare a report and hand it over to the police.

We will examine the report to know if more children at the centre were sexually assaulted by the British man. We need to establish if any of these children had complained to the management earlier, said the officer.

Ward, meanwhile, has maintained that he did not abuse any children. When we told him that his act was recorded in a mobile phone, he insisted that the person in the video was someone else. We had to pause the video and show him his face. He then turned his face away, said an interrogator.

The police questioned a young man who lived with Ward at his rented home in Vasant Kunj Enclave. To the local residents, Ward would introduce the youth as his adopted son, but police said the man was his caretaker.

Wards left hand remains partially paralysed because of which he needed a caretaker. We questioned the youth to know if Ward had abused him too, but he has denied it, said a senior police officer.
A colleague has fallen to assassins bullets, but let her death not go in vain.

Though heartbreaking, Gauri Lankesh, the feisty journalist shot dead in Bengaluru on Tuesday night, made us proud. She stood for principles which she strongly felt were right and refused to yield ground, until life was snuffed out of her.

Her killing has triggered nationwide outrage and an outpouring of grief. From Rajasthan to Assam, and Delhi to Kerala, thousands took to the streets to protest her senseless killing. Photographs of her lying in a pool of blood at the porch of her house moved us to tears.

The murder was senseless, though the motive behind it is yet to be established. Presumably, someone  or some people  somewhere decided that Lankesh, known for her strident pro-poor and anti-Hindutva activism, had crossed the line and needed to be shut up once and for all. The assassins did the rest.

Lankesh may have been silenced, but it is now for us  the journalists to ensure her lifelong battle is not lost.

It is okay to walk the streets in protest against her killing and hold candlelit vigils in her memory. But our collective show of support for a dead colleague must not end with just mere symbolism, but should rather translate into more substantive action.

For one, we as a community need to exert sustained pressure on the authorities to bring her killers to justice. More importantly, Lankeshs murder must prompt us to contemplate, besides grieving, at a time when some believe we are no better than presstitutes.

Police investigations expectedly will reveal the reasons behind her murder. As of now, we can only speculate whether it was the handiwork of some murderous right-wingers or Maoists who could have grown disenchanted with Lankesh. There are also insinuations that all was not well within her own family.

Whatever the reason, there is no denying that Lankesh lived and died without yielding an inch of her principles. She was steadfast in her conviction and her commitment and courage are something that we need to draw lessons from, particularly when we have generally let our personal scruples and professional standards slip. There of course have been journalists in the country who showed spine and stood up to the powers that be and also the promises of pelf they offered and paid with their lives. But they are more of an exception than the rule.

Lankeshs death offers us with a rare moment when we can hold a mirror to ourselves and scrutinise whether we measure up to her exacting standards. It is nobodys case that the positions she took were always correct and naturally, there were people who disagreed with her at times. But it was her single-minded devotion to her belief and work that set her apart and earned our respect.

A true tribute to Lankesh therefore will be when we sincerely attempt to live up to the professional standards she set. Matching her in conscience, ethics and commitment will be difficult, but they are definitely worth a try. Not trying will mean we are only shedding crocodile tears.

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Finding the balance between Indias democratic ideals and security interests has always proven to be unusually hard when it comes to Myanmar. This was more than evident during Prime Minister Narendra Modis state visit to Indias easternmost neighbour. New Delhi skirted the issue of Myanmars horrific treatment of its Rohingya Muslim minority but was able to persuade Naypyidaw to allow India to launch a large-scale aid programme in Rakhine province, the home of the Rohingya and the epicentre of the present violence.

There will be many who feel India has said and done far too little on behalf of the Rohingyas. However, this is probably the best that can be expected given the overriding security and geopolitical interests India has with Myanmar. New Delhi, in any case, is hardly in a position to give lectures on humanitarianism when it has rhetorically spoken of expelling of Rohingyan refugees and passed the matter to the Supreme Court.

Indias primary interests in Myanmar can roughly be summed up in the following order. One, to build an economic and security relationship that prevent Myanmar from inexorably slipping into the orbit of China. Part of this strategy requires Naypyidaws cooperation in building road, port and other transport links between the two countries. Two, ensure the Myanmar militarys continuing cooperation in preventing various Northeastern militants, most notably Naga insurgents, from using Myanmar as a safe haven.

Three, preserve and support the countrys stuttering transition into a full-fledged federal democracy. Four, seek to ameliorate the plight of the Rohingyas as well as ensure the already tense relations between Bangladesh and Myanmar do not spiral out of control. Each of these is an ambitious policy goal. And each of them has to be pursued recognising that the dominant ethnic Burmese are extremely sensitive to any external pressure.

It helps to see Myanmar as a novice nation-state as far as international norms are concerned. The combination of its decades-long self-imposed isolation from the outside world, its unresolved constitutional structure, hybrid civilian-military political structure and a streak of xenophobia present throughout much of its elite make it very unlike the other Southeast Asian states.

Myanmar thought nothing of expelling almost its entire Indian-origin population and, more recently, doing the same to smaller groups of ethnic Chinese  and when Beijing protested, raining shells on Chinese soil.

India should seek to make Myanmar think increasingly like most other countries and hope that as it becomes more economically integrated, more democratic and less suspicious of the world it will become more accepting of international norms regarding its internal affairs.
It was one of the deadliest terror attacks on an Indian city in recent times. Thirteen blasts tore though Mumbai, the commercial capital of the country, on March 12, 1993, killing 257 persons. On Thursday, more than 24 years after the incident, an anti-terror court sentenced two convicts to death and three others to between 10 years and a life term in jail. This marks the conclusion of the second leg of the longest-running terror trial in the country.

The trial of these accused  Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum  was separated from the main case, as they were arrested at the time of conclusion of the main trial in 2007. While gangster Abu Salem and Mohd Taher Merchant were deported from Portugal, Dossa was brought by the CBI to face trial from UAE . They faced charges including criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government of India and murder. The allegation against extradited gangster Salem was that he transported arms and ammunition from the Gujarat coast to Mumbai. He also handed over AK-56 rifles, 250 rounds of ammunition, and some hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt. According to CBI, Dossa, Merchant and Feroz Khan, were main conspirators.

While Thursdays verdict brings closure to the case as far as the arrested accused are concerned, for the relatives and survivors of the terror incident, the case is far from closed. They believe that the 1993 blast case cannot be closed unless the masterminds behind the attack  global terrorist Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon  who fled the country after the incident, are brought to book. Dawood Ibrahim, who has been in hiding since the blasts, is believed to be in Pakistan. He has alleged ties with terrorist groups including the Lashkar-e-Toiba. He has turned out to be a contentious subject in India-Pakistan relations. While India has repeatedly asserted the presence of Dawood in Pakistan, Pakistan has denied it. Before this, in 2007, the main trial had ended when the Tada Court convicted 100 accused of various offences. Twelve of the accused were awarded the death sentence and 20 sentenced to life imprisonment. But in 2015, deciding the appeals finally, the Supreme Court of India, upheld the death penalty for only person: Yakub Memon. He was hanged on July 30, 2015 in Nagpur Jail.
Students pursuing law and teachers training programmes in the University of Mumbai (MU) are protesting against a new rule that requires them to get a no objection certificate (NOC) from their college if they want to move to a different institute midway through the course.

In an August 31 circular, the states directorate of higher education (DHE) included NOC in the list of documents that the students pursuing three and five-year LLB, BEd, MEd, BPEd, and MPEd courses must furnish while applying to a new college.

Students have complained that their current colleges are refusing to issue an NOC unless they cancel their enrolment. The rule has put students in a fix as they dont want to take the risk of their current enrolment being cancelled and then being denied admission in another institute.

If a student wants a transfer, hell have to cancel his enrolment and if he doesnt get admission to any other college hell be left in the lurch. This policy has effectively made college transfer impossible, said Ashutosh Paibhale, a student at Government Law College, Churchgate.

Narayan Rajadhyaksha, principal, New Law College, Matunga, said many colleges were reluctant to issue NOCs because they did not want their seats to remain vacant. A student cannot be simultaneously enrolled at two institutes. If a college allows its students to apply at another college and they get admitted, their seats will fall vacant. The college wont be able to offer those to other students, because by that time the admission process would be over. This will deprive them of an opportunity to seek admission even though there are seats available, he said.

However, an official from the state Common Entrance Test cell said the colleges cannot insist on the cancellation of enrolment to issue the document.

The NOC simply affirms that a student has cleared all the examinations and has paid all the dues to the college and that the college has no objections if the student wants to leave the institute. As long as a students application for transfer is under consideration of DHEs high power committee and he doesnt get admitted to a new college, his original enrolment remains intact, he said.

The official suggested that by refusing NOCs the colleges have to retain the students.

The colleges must understand that if students want to go to a better institute you cannot stop them, he said

Students now want the state to do away with the new rules.

The NOC requirement at the time of application is not only arbitrary but also creates a major hindrance to the only opportunity of the betterment of college, placement, and overall student development, Government Law Colleges Paibhale said.

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The proposal of Punjabs Congress government to constitute a regulatory body to monitor functioning of private institutes faced fresh resistance from the universities that opposed the very idea, at a meeting with ministers here on Wednesday. Earlier, the private universities were opposed only to the plan to cap the fee and number of seats.

3 reasons why govt wants regulator No cap on seats at present; pvt varsities can admit as many as students they want No check on fee; pvt varsities are charging hefty fee and, in many courses, its as high as foreign varsities Quality of education under question; because of no entrance test, private varsities are admitting students without considering if they are eligible

In the meeting of the cabinet sub-committee about the plan, all private universities unanimously said any regulator would have the worst impact. The meeting was chaired by the sub-committee head, health minister Brahm Mohindra, at Punjab Bhawan where chancellors of all private universities operating in Punjab and representatives of government universities too participated. Technical education minister Charanjit Channi and education minister Aruna Chaudhary also attended as members of the sub-committee.

The private universities challenged the regulatory body as unconstitutional, citing an order of the Himachal Pradesh high court on a similar body there. It must, however, be noted that the HC order quashing the regulatory body has since been stayed by the Supreme Court on an appeal by the state government. We are not against making a pro-student environment in the institutes of Punjab, stressed Satnam Sandhu, chancellor of Chandigarh University, while speaking with HT after the meeting. But, before making any such regulatory authority, the government must keep in mind that in Himachal, the only state in India to have a regulatory body, their high court had termed this body as unconstitutional. Moreover, the Punjab government must also study the model of the hilly state where many institutes ended their operations after the body came into existence seven years back.

Already regulated

Chancellor of another university situated in Doaba said, on the condition of anonymity, that the states move would affect private universities the way industrial packages given to Himachal have led to shifting of industry from Punjab.

3 reasons why pvt varsities dont want it Capping of seats and fee will hit their business prospects At present, varsities dont have to file any report to state government; that will change under planned law Varsities says they already have UGC, AICTE and other councils to check functioning

If seats are capped through the regulatory body, private universities working in Punjab would not get a level-playing fields. How will we compete with states where there is no capping? he asked. Moreover, before becoming private universities, we were running as private colleges; and the only reason we chose to become universities was to get autonomy. Any regulator at the state level is an attack on our autonomy.

The universities have contended that their functioning is already being monitored by so many regulatory bodies of the Union government, such as the University Grants Commission. We have regulations of the UGC that does inspections time to time. For every course we run, we have councils formed by the Union government that supervise. When everything is already under supervision, how does this regulatory body make a difference? the chancellor from Doaba further said.

Some actually want it, to fight monopoly

Sources said there were some chancellors who refrained from speaking against the proposed law to have a regulatory body for private universities. And, thus, theres a counter-view. Some private universities even want capping of the seats to end the monopoly of two or three big players who are calling the shots at present in the education business. They are of the opinion that a regulatory body may provide all universities a level-playing field, a minister who was part of the meeting told HT.

Sources in the government have told HT that some private universities exerted pressure to defer the proposal, and the formation of the cabinet sub-committee was a result of that.

All government-run universities representatives have hailed the proposal. The regulatory body is the need of the hour as our private as well as government institutes of higher education must live up to the changing demands in the field of education as per needs of the industry, said Channi.

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The Rajasthan government will privatise state-run schools, beginning with 300 next academic session, under its new education scheme, a move that has drawn flak from educationist and the opposition who allege it would risk the future of students.

The Vasindhara Raje cabinet, earlier this week, cleared the policy for Public Private Partnership in School Education 2017 under which the management of state-run secondary and higher secondary schools would be done through Public-Private partnership (PPP) in a phased manner.

In the first phase, 300 schools with poor results would be operated on PPP mode from the coming academic session to improve quality of education, said, Vasudev Devnani, state education minister.

As per the policy, 75% schools in rural areas and 25% schools in urban areas will be identified on the basis of their recent results and will be given to private players who have to pay Rs 75 Lakh for operating each school. The state government will reimburse the amount over a seven- year period time at Rs 16 lakh per annum. Another Rs 20,000 would be reimbursed to the private parties as expenses per student.

State Congress president Sachin Pilot said the move was against the interest of students.

The BJP government earlier gave primary health centres in private hands and now it plans to privatise schools. Providing education and health care is the responsibility of the government, not the private players, he told HT.

The 65,000 government schools of Rajasthan comprise 13000 secondary and higher secondary schools. Around 3 lakh government teachers are posted in these schools. The Raje government claims that it has improved the quality of education and increased enrolment in government schools by 17 lakh in the last 3 years.

But, even partys MLA, Gyandeo Ahuja questioned the rationale behind the move considering the improvement. The pass percentage of class 10 students in 2017 was 78.96 % as against 75.89 % in 2016.

The Teachers Union opposed the move calling it commercialisation of education.

It will deny education to the underprivileged students, said, Krishan Agarwal of the All Rajasthan School Teachers Union.

The private players will have to provide teachers and other staff and continue facilities like mid-day meals and free text books for students, an official said. The government teachers will be adjusted in other government schools.

The state government will float tenders in a months time to select the private players, The private players will be reviewed after seven years.

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Super 30 founder Anand Kumar will play the role of a student before Bollywood icon Amitabh Bachchan in the upcoming episode of Kaun Banega Crorepati season nine, to be telecast on Sony TV at 9 pm on Friday.

The recording of the episode was completed a few days ago. Anand was invited as a special guest and he ended up winning Rs 25 lakh on the hot seat. He answered seven questions, and was assisted a couple of times by IIT student Anup Kumar in the audience gallery.

Anand was invited for the show as a special guest from Bihar in view of his contribution to education, especially for the poor. Over 400 students  mostly from the underprivileged sections - from Super 30 have so far reached IIT in the last 15 years. Super 30 provides them free residential mentoring for nearly a year.

In the course of the question-answer session, Amitabh Bachchan discussed various issues with Anand, including his meeting with the math wizard during his trip to Patna for the promotion of Prakash Jhas Aarakshan. As the movie revolved around education, Anand shared teaching tips with Bachchan through simulated classes in a Mumbai studio.

Anand said it was a privilege to be on the hotseat with the Bollywood icon of the century, and he would cherish every moment spent there. Taking questions on general knowledge from Bachchanji was a different experience. It is through his sheer greatness that he makes the candidate feel totally comfortable. I learnt a lot from him, he added.

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A 36-year-old corporate executive has alleged she was stalked while leaving home for work around 10am on Tuesday.

The victim, in her complaint to the police, stated that she was driving her vehicle to her office in Sector 44 from her residence in Sector 92 when she discovered that a car was following her.

She said that, initially, she thought someone needed help in locating an address but she got suspicious when the car was on her trail even after 10 minutes. The woman alleged that she was stalked for more than 10 kilometres and the accused also lowered the window of his car to look at her.

The woman said she called her husband immediately and narrated the incident, who asked her to inform the police.

Talking to Hindustan Times, the womans husband said, We have never noticed the car before in our locality. We have asked the police to take quick action as criminal activities are on the rise in the new sectors, more than other parts of the city. My wife is panicking and is fearful of stepping out of the residence as the incident took place just outside our society.

A case has been registered at the womens police station, Sector 51, on Wednesday under sections 354D (stalking) and 354A (sexual harassment) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The police said that investigation is on and they have increased surveillance in the newly developed sectors.

We are scanning the CCTV footage of the society to get details of the car, said inspector Kailash Devi, SHO, womens police station.

Cases of stalking and crime against women are on the rise in the city. On August 6, a 22-year-old IT executive was allegedly stalked for almost 6 kilometres by two men in a car while she was returning home on her scooter from her office in Sector 17 around 11.45pm.

On June 6, a 25-year-old woman from Nepal was allegedly molested by a resident of Nirvana Country, an upscale residential society in the city.

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A 55-year-old woman, who was living alone in her Sushant Lok Phase-1 home was found murdered on Thursday morning.

The police suspect robbery could be the motive behind the murder as the house was found ransacked. The police also suspect that accused were acquaintances of the victim as preliminary investigation suggested they were able to easily gain access to the three-storey house.

Officers at the Sector 29 police station said that the woman had died around four days ago.

A case has been registered at the Sector 29 police station under Section 302 of the IPC and a post-mortem examination will be conducted on Friday, the police said.

The victim was identified as Alka Kumar, a widow, who had been living alone in her house after the death of her husband three years ago. Her son Aatish Kumar is an engineer and lives in the USA with his family.

The murder came to light only when the victims son Aatish had asked his father-in-law Suraj Prakash Vohra to check upon his mother after she had failed to reply to his repeated phone calls.

On Thursday morning, when Vohra came to the house, he found the main gate without any lock. However, the basement and ground floor was locked. Vohra along his relatives checked the door of the first floor around 11am, found the door ajar and noticed a strong smell coming from the room.

In his complaint, Vohra told the police that when they went inside, they found Alkas body inside the lobby opposite the kitchen. The victims hand and feet were tied, and blood was splattered all around. It seemed that the victim had been hit with a blunt object on the head, legs, feet and face. He also told the police that they found all household goods ransacked.

Vohra also said that Aatish had called his mother on Saturday but there was no response, after which his daughter sent him a message on Wednesday night to check upon her mother-in-law. As it was late in the night, they decided to visit Alka on Thursday morning.

Alkas husband, who was in the merchant navy, had died in 2013 and the victim had been living alone since.

Vikas Kaushik, the station house officer of Sector 29 police station, said that a case has been registered in this regard under Section 302 of the IPC and the matter is being probed. Kaushik also said that since both the plots on sides of her home were vacant, the neighbours could not get to know about the incident.

The entry of the accused to the house is friendly but we will probe the case from all angles, he said.

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In October 2016, Shailene Woodley was arrested for taking part in a protest against the construction of the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. She streamed the arrest live on Facebook. Now, she has opened up about her ordeal.

Speaking to Marie Clair UK, the Divergent and Big Little Lies star said, I was strip-searched. Like get naked, turn over, spread your butt cheeks, bend over.

They were looking for drugs in my a**, she said.

When youre in a jail cell and they shut that door, you realize no one can save you, she continued. If theres a fire and they decide not to open the door, youll die. You are a caged animal.

Woodley said she suffered from PTSD after the arrest and turned her phone off for three months. There was so much trauma, she said. Mine was like, What do I do now? Kind of like a little bit of depression.

The actor is currently shooting for Adrift, in which shell star opposite Sam Claflin. In a recent interview with the New York Times, she didnt rule out joining politics in the future. There was a point last year when I was working for Bernie Sanders where I thought, Huh, maybe Ill run for Congress in a couple years, she said. And you know what? Im not going to rule it out. Who knows? Life is big, and Im young.

The Dakota Access Pipeline was controversial because of its environmental implications. A number of Native American tribes protested the project, fearing for the quality of water in the area, and the destruction of burial sites.

Follow @htshowbiz for more
Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said anti-progressive people were responsible for the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and all states should take a united stand to catch the culprits.

I dont want to say now..this party has killed her or that party has killed. But I am sure that anti-progressive people and those who are opposed to Gauri Lankesh might have taken advantage of this situation, Kharge told a news channel.

I dont know to get into the details and dont want to go on assumptions (about who killed her), he added when asked about her killers.

Kharge said: A Special Task Force has been constituted and the team is very good. About 21 people are involved in that. Those three teams will work vigorously and whatever is the truth will come out.

Asked about the Kalburgi murder case, Kharge said: Such things can be brought out in public only if all work together, whether it is Maharashtra, Karnataka and others.

Therefore, Maharshtra should also support. Whatever feedback the government of Karnataka has got, they should also support.

So, everybody should take a united stand to catch hold of the culprits. Maharashtras Sanatan Sanstha people are there in Kolhapur and Pune, he added.

Lankesh, 55, editor of popular Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead at her Bengaluru home by three unidentified assailants on Tuesday night.

--IANS

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Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat has said the country should be prepared for a potential two-front war with China and Pakistan.

Gen Rawat referred to a recent standoff with the Chinese that ended last week and said the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict that Pakistan could likely exploit.

He said India could not afford to be complacent and should be prepared for the possibility of an all-out war. As far as our northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started, Rawat said on Wednesday at a Delhi-based think-tank.

We bring you an HT investigation -- first published in September last year -- on the Indian Air Forces preparedness:

Initial euphoria over the culmination of a Euro 7.8-billion agreement for 36 Rafale fighter planes has given way to accusations that India has inked an expensive deal that falls short of meeting the expectations of its air force.

Read: Indian Army high on morale, but short of men

Back in 2001, the Indian Air Force (IAF) sought at least 126 jets to replace ageing Soviet-era planes. After the culmination of a Euro 7.8-billion agreement for 36 Rafale fighter jets, the Congress and other experts said the 36 fighters were not enough to check the erosion of the IAFs strength.

The party warned of a looming crisis in the IAF, whose fighter fleet has shrunk to 33 squadrons compared to a desirable 45 to respond to a joint threat from China and Pakistan.

Strategic affairs expert Air Vice Marshal Kapil Kak (retd) says the IAF needs to induct up to 90 more Rafale-like jets on an emergency basis. Theres no turning away from that reality, he adds.

Shortage of fighter planes is not the only concern.

Gaps in mid-air refuelling capability, shortage of advanced warning platforms, high number of jets under maintenance and upgrading air defence systems are some other challenges lying ahead of the worlds fourth largest air force.

IAF spokesperson Wing Commander Anupam Banerjee says the air force has plans in place to effectively utilise the available aerial platforms and weapon systems. Any shortcoming will be made good in a short period of time to further enhance our capability, he points out, adding all international air forces had a mix of modern and ageing aircraft.

Then, there are issues with the IAFs ageing utility helicopter fleet. The IAF finds itself stretched due to shortage of heavy-lift and attack choppers  and its transport capability needs to be enhanced swiftly.

Indias neighbours, especially China, have pressed the accelerator on modernising their air forces, warns former IAF chief Air Chief Marshal Fali Major. The capability gaps will keep increasing if we dont hasten things up.

A $2-billion deal to buy midair refuellers to expand the IAFs strategic reach is stuck, as India and Airbus have not agreed on the price. The tankers are required urgently if we have to stay prepared to counter China in the eastern sector, a senior IAF officer points out on the condition of anonymity. The deal has dragged on for over seven years.

The air force needs to ramp up its airborne surveillance capability to detect enemy planes and missiles. It has only three AWACS (airborne warning and control system) aircraft, though the requirement is higher.

The numbers are not enough if China and Pakistan pose a collusive threat. The capability will play a significant role in terms of covering the eastern and western fronts during offensive operations, says former IAF vice chief Air Marshal KK Nohwar (retd).

The AWACS is a more robust monitoring system that provides 360-degree coverage, compared to AEW&Cs 270-degree capability. The AWACS also has superior range and endurance.

Besides shortage of combat squadrons, another glaring hole in the IAFs capability is low availability of fighter planes to carry out missions at any given moment or serviceability in military parlance.

India has a fleet of nearly 200 Su-30 fighter jets, but just half of them are ready to undertake missions at all times. Barring the Mirage 2000, the IAF is struggling to improve the availability of most fighters, says Kak.

IAF officials say aircraft availability should be around 75% during peacetime.

Fixing gaps in air defence is crucial to stave off threats from missiles and fighters. Major says deploying the Russian S 400 Triumf air defence system and the Israeli SPYDER low-level quick reaction missiles should be one of the top priorities for the IAF. India is yet to hammer out a plan to collaborate with a foreign partner to co-develop and co-produce a multirole transport aircraft (MTA) after an Indo-Russian project failed to take off.

The IAF is betting on US-origin Chinook heavy-lift helicopters to fill another capability gap, but deliveries will begin only in 2019. It currently operates a solitary Soviet-origin Mi-26 chopper to deliver payloads to high altitudes. Indias new attack helicopters  the AH-64E Apache Longbow  will also come after three years.

The IAF is hoping for quick execution of a $2-billion project to build medium-lift transport planes in India to replace the ageing Avro fleet.

Pilot training has been hit by a lack of intermediate jet trainers. The project was sanctioned in July 1999 but it has still not materialised, forcing the IAF to use old Kiran Mk-II aircraft for training.

The Pathankot and Uri attacks have exposed the vulnerability of military bases. Experts say India should fast-track the security upgrade at sensitive airbases with smart fences, vibration detection systems, mini-drones, thermal cameras and night vision equipment.
Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat chief has said the country should be prepared for a potential two-front war with China flexing its muscles and Pakistan likely to take advantage of the situation.

Gen Rawat referred to a recent standoff with the Chinese that ended last week. He said the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict on the countrys northern border.

India fought a war with China in 1962 and three wars with Pakistan, two of them over Kashmir. Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence. Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true, he said at a seminar organised by defence think-tank Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

India may be surrounded by hostile Pakistan and China but its army is crippled by a lack of basic necessities, shortage of critical weapons and ammunition and bureaucratic tangle holding up purchases. We bring you an HT investigation on the armys preparedness that was first published in September last year:

Sample this: For years, generals have complained that the orange stock and butt of the 5.56mm INSAS (Indian Small Arms System) rifle compromises the camouflage of soldiers. But several attempts to get the rifles colour changed have failed.

The rifles orange colour puts soldiers at risk, says lieutenant general BS Jaswal (retd), a former northern army commander.

Read: Government to spend billions on upgrade of tanks, infantry combat vehicles

He recalls several failed attempts to get the rifle in a combat colour during his stints as director general (infantry) and northern army commander from 2007-10.

Thats not all. In a private conversation, a senior army officer recalls how an infantry unit deployed in the Northeast a few years ago bought sandbags from its own funds to protect soldiers housed in tents.

The men, he says, were vulnerable to night strikes, similar to the one that left 18 soldiers dead in Uri: Fourteen of them were burnt alive after incendiary ammunition used by militants set their tents ablaze.

The sandbags and tents reflect critical shortcomings in the army spanning pivotal areas such as assault rifles, ammunition, body armour, night-vision equipment, artillery guns and air defence systems.

From rifles to artillery guns, the shortcomings have dented the armys capabilities. On the modernisation front, I reckon we are running 15 years behind, says Jaswal.

Uncertainty surrounds two ongoing tenders for 44,600 carbines and 4,097 light machine guns as in both cases, only a lone vendor has met the armys requirements. The tenders may be withdrawn, delaying the projects by at least six years.

Read: That sinking feeling: Navy struggles to bridge its capability gaps

Arms-buying procedures are the biggest villain. Its shocking that things that should have received highest importance have received least, irrespective of which government has been in power, says lieutenant general Rajender Singh, a former director general of infantry.

The army is also battling shortage of officers and men. As of 2015, it was short of over 9,100 officers and nearly 31,000 men.

Training of soldiers is a bigger concern than equipment shortage, points out former northern army commander lieutenant general HS Panag (retired).

The army has 3,500 snipers but only a handful of them can pass the standard test of taking a head-shot at 600 metres and a body-shot at 1,000 metres in the first shot. The equipment issue is overplayed the armys training is flawed, says Panag.

But the army says its training standards are among the best globally. Thats why armies queue up to hold joint drills with us, a senior army officer insists.

A fruitless 10-year hunt for new assault rifles to replace the flaw-ridden INSAS rifle has returned to the drawing board, with the army seeking details from prospective vendors. The army plans to buy 65,000 larger calibre 7.62 mm rifles that are more lethal, with another 120,000 to be made in India.

The defence ministrys acquisition council has given the green light to several projects including 145 ultra-light howitzers (M777) for Rs 4,600 crore, 420 air defence guns for Rs 16,900 crore, 814 artillery guns for Rs 15,750 crore and 118 Arjun Mk-II tanks for Rs 6,600 crore.

The clearance is the first step in a long weapons-buying process and some projects could take at least a decade to materialise.

The army has not inducted a single new artillery gun since the Bofors scandal in 1987.

The homemade Arjun Mk-II tank suffered a major setback two years ago, with a critical Israeli anti-tank missile to be fitted on it failing to meet the armys needs. The DRDO is still looking for a missile to be fired from the tanks main gun.

However, the senior officer says the force is totally prepared for any kind of military mission. Most of the modernisation schemes are part of a long-term capability building plan to be implemented by 2027, he adds.

Officers say the army is running low on ammunition too. Its reserves would barely last 20 days of intense fighting against an optimal 40, an audit report revealed last year.

Shortage of ammunition has been addressed to some extent recently, army sources say.

The force requires more than 350,000 new bullet-proof jackets but only 50,000 are on order. The army sought the jackets almost nine years ago.

A cash crunch has forced the government to cut the size and cost of a new mountain strike corps to counter China in the Northeast.

The UPA government kicked off the raising of 17 Corps in January 2014 without any separate allocation in the defence budget.

The strike corps is absolutely necessary to upgrade Indias strategy against China from dissuasion to genuine deterrence. The government must make no compromise with the planned strength and funds required, says strategic affairs expert Brigadier Gurmeet Kanwal (retired).

The army needs to speed up armour modernisation too. About 1,000 older T-72 tanks and an equal number of infantry combat vehicles have to be upgraded immediately, says former army vicechief lieutenant general Philip Campose (retired), who authored a report on review of security of military installations following the Pathankot strike.

Campose says upgrading air defence systems, modernising artillery and improving night-fighting capabilities should also top the armys priorities.
Congress legislators from Bihar have urged party vice-president Rahul Gandhi to step in to resolve the leadership crisis in the state, and also take an immediate call on an alliance with Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) for the 2019 Lok Sabha election.

Congress sources did not rule a change of guard in Bihar in view of the growing clamour for removal of state president Ashok Chaudhary, who faces allegations of trying to split the party to help Bihar CM Nitish Kumar in terms of enhancing the strength of the ruling Janata Dal (United) in the 243-member assembly.

Nitish dumped the Mahagathbandhan of Congress-RJD-JD(U) in July and formed a coalition government with BJP. Chaudhary, a Dalit face of the Congress and an education minister in the previous government, denied the accusation as false propaganda. He blamed a few central leaders for fuelling the rebellion and spreading lies about him.

Gandhi summoned all 27 Congress legislators to Delhi for discussion on alliance and the leadership issue. While he met 11 legislators on Wednesday, 10 others interacted with him on Thursday. At this meeting, the legislators argued that if the alliance with RJD was sealed well in advance, the party would be in a better position to bargain for a good number of seats. Any delay in the decision will give enough room to the RJD chief and force the Congress to accept whatever he offers, they told Gandhi.

However, some insisted that the party should go it alone and not become a B-team of the RJD.

While a change of guard in Bihar is imminent, the Congress leadership is unlikely to replace Himachal Pradesh unit president Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu despite pressure from CM Virbhadra Singh, who has threatened to not contest the polls. Sources said assembly elections in Himachal were due in November-December and a new appointee will hardly get time to settle. Sukhu, with general secretary Sushil Kumar Shinde, met Gandhi on Thursday and handed him a letter signed by district presidents seeking status quo on organisational changes, at least till polls.

Gandhi will visit Maharashtra on Friday and then travel to Jammu on Sunday as part of the Congress delegation that also includes former PM Manmohan Singh, before leaving for the US.

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The Border Security Force (BSF) on Thursday apprehended three Pakistani fishermen and seized 14 boats from the Harami Nala creek area along the Indo-Pak border in Gujarats Kutch district.

The border guarding force had on Wednesday also apprehended two Pakistani fishermen and three boats from the same area.

A patrol party of the BSFs 79th battalion, deployed to guard the Indo-Pak border, apprehended three fishermen early Thursday from the general area of the Harami Nala creek, a senior BSF official said.

The men and a few items seized from the boats have been handed over to the local police, the official said.

Several fishing boats and Pakistani fishermen have been caught in the past while fishing in the Indian side of the creek area.

Given the sensitive nature of the area, even Indian fishermen are barred from fishing in the creek.

However, Pakistani fishermen often venture into the Indian waters for a catch.
Five persons, including three women, were killed when the roof of a bus stand collapsed in Coimbatore on Thursday.

Four of those trapped under the debris were killed on the spot, while one woman died at the government hospital.

Chief minister K Palaniswami condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs four lakh each to their families from the state disaster relief fund.

I express my sympathies and condolences with the families of the victims, he said in a statement.

The roof of the bus stand, where buses were parked, collapsed and people started running helter-skelter. Those who could not move were caught under the debris, the police said.

Meanwhile, Palaniswami said 12 people were injured in the incident at Somanur in the city outskirts.

The chief minister said in a statement that he directed the district collector and hospital authorities, where the injured were admitted, to ensure best treatment for them.

He sanctioned aid of Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each to those with severe and simple injuries respectively from the Chief Ministers Public Relief Fund.

Palaniswami said he asked Local Administration Minister SP Velumani and District Collector TN Hariharan to expedite relief operations and also meet relatives of the deceased
India and China need to ensure that their ties, which were affected and undermined in the past few months, are not derailed again, foreign minister Wang Yi said on Thursday, adding it is important to ensure relations remained on track.

The Chinese foreign ministry also reacted to Indian Army chief Gen Bipin Rawats remarks that the country should be prepared for a potential two-front war with China and Pakistan, and said Rawat should refer to President Xi Jinpings contention that the two countries are each others development opportunities and not threats.

For the past few months, for clear reasons, China-India relations were affected and undermined. Going forward the two sides need to work together to follow up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations will stay on track, Wang said.

The consensus Wang referred to during a joint news conference with Nepals foreign minister Krishna Bahadur Maharawas was said to have been reached at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi on the margins of the Brics Summit in Xiamen on Tuesday.

Soon after Wangs news conference, the foreign ministry urged the Indian Army chief to refer to Xis contention that India and China are each others development opportunities and not threats. Rawat had on Wednesday referred to the recent standoff with China at Doklam and said the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict on Indias northern borders.

Foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said he wasnt sure whether Rawat was speaking for himself or for the Indian government.

We have noted this statement. We have noted some Indian press reported his remarks are shocking. We dont know whether he was authorised to speak those words or whether it was spontaneous or whether it represented the position of the Indian government, Geng told a regular news briefing.

Two days ago, President Xi pointed out that the two sides are each others development opportunities, not threats. We hope India could view Chinas development in a correct and rational way...We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, and preserve peace and tranquillity in border areas, Geng said.

We hope this military official could see clearly this trend and contribute to the development of China-India relations, and say something more in that regard.

Earlier, foreign minister Wang spoke about working on improving the bilateral relationship. Firstly, the relationship should not be derailed and that seeking harmonious relations and win-win cooperation was the natural choice and the right choice for both, he said.

Secondly, there should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threat.

The two sides had been locked in a military standoff for more than 70 days in the Doklam or Donglang area, where Beijing was building a road over which New Delhi had security concerns.

China repeatedly blamed India for intervening in the area and accused Indian soldiers of illegal trespass. The Donglang area is under Chinas control but claimed by Bhutan. The situation was resolved last week, days before the Brics Summit.
India and China may have ended their border standoff in Doklam but there is no let-up in the RSS opposition to trade with the neighbour.

The RSS is the ideological mentor of the ruling BJP and pushes for a more muscular policy on China. On Thursday, its offshoot, the Swadeshi Jagran Manch (SJM), hit out at China for responding to Indias principle of Panchsheel by adopting the policy of panchshool.

It dubbed panchshool as the lopsided trade policy between the two countries that is crippling economic, environment, employment and humanity fabric of the country.

Demanding a review of the imbalanced trade policy that allows unbridled flow of Chinese goods into Indian markets, SJM has collected signatures of one crore people since January supporting their demand for a boycott of these wares. It blames heavy reliance on Chinese imports of for jobless growth.

A memorandum to amend the trade policy was also submitted to the Prime Minister.

Even as the government engages with China, partnering for trade and business, the RSS wants a cautious approach. Following skirmishes along the border and Chinas support to the One Belt, One Road initiative, which involves investment in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, the Sangh has demanded revisiting ties.

A campaigner for indigenous manufacture, the SJM has raised the issue of import of Chinese goods adversely impacting the domestic production with the government recurrently. SJM functionaries complained that the easy access to Chinese goods cancel outs the governments intent to create more jobs and allow businesses through flagship programmes such as Make in India and Start-Up India.

Unhindered import of Chinese goods is causing huge damage to Indian economy in more ways than one. Small scale units are getting closed. Job opportunities are shrinking. Chinas contribution to Indias annual trade loss is US$ 52 billion out of US$ 118 billion on account of 190 countries, SJMs national organiser, Kashmiri Lal, said on Thursday. He underlined that while Chinas share in worlds manufacturing market has gone up to 22%, Indias is only 2.1%.

The offshoot says a ban on imports will serve the twin purposes of resuscitating domestic production and generating jobs.

Nearly 50% of our manufacturing output is imported from China; about 24% is on paper but the rest finds its way through illegal routes. If this is stopped, we can revive our own industry and also ensure that China does not poke us. It earns at least Rs 72,000 crore net profit from India and yet does not back India on all global platformsfrom blocking Indias entry into NSG to supporting Pakistan, said SJM convenor Ashwani Mahajan.
Shyam Saran, one of Indias foremost diplomats, speaks with Hindustan Times on the nature of Indian foreign policy, the challenge of China and the threat of Twitter.

A former Indian foreign secretary, Saran was one of the architects of the Indo-US nuclear deal and special envoy for climate change. For years at the helm of Indias relations with China, Pakistan, Nepal and Southeast Asia, the Mandarin-speaking diplomat has just released his first book How India Sees the World: Kautilya to the 21st Century, published by Juggernaut.

On how India see the world

The reason I used this title is that there has always been a question as to whether India has a worldview, does it have a prism through which it views global events.

So I tried to explore that question and concluded: Yes, it has a worldview, one influenced by its history, geography and culture.

Two important elements give rise to this worldview.

One, since ancient times there has been among the people of the subcontinent a geographic sense of the area that they occupy, a sense of cultural affinity. This has been very much influenced by being at the intersection of old maritime, old caravan routes over a long period of time.

All of this created a sense of what I call a cross-roads culture. This is the second element. The cross-roads culture is inherently cosmopolitan in nature and it provides the prism through which Indians see the world. This makes India more comfortable about dealing with the rest of the world, about dealing with other cultures. More comfortable, I would say, than other countries like China which have been more insular in their history.

On how cross-roads culture has helped Indian diplomacy

It has imbued us with a sense of cosmopolitanism. If you look at Southeast Asia, it is a region that, over a long period, has experienced a diffusion of trade, culture and religion from all over. Over a period of time, this experience has evolved into an openness to other cultures and other ideas.

India has a similar sense of comfort with plurality and differences. This cultural thinking has an influence on Indian foreign policy, giving it an inherent kind of quality of engagement with rest of world.

Even when Indias economic and military capabilities were limited, its embrace of an active role in the international arena was accepted as something quite natural. And I believe this derives from our history.

Look at the 1950s, when we were involved in a number of regional issues, welcomed the embrace of the United Nations and contributed to its peacekeeping operations, embraced an international role and an engagement with rest of the world that was not aligned with the countrys economic and military capabilities. Yet this was considered quite natural -- because of this history.

India has no inhibitions in engaging with the rest of the world. A constant theme in our national discourse is that it is important for India to have an international role. Like seeking a permanent UN security council seat. I would say this is a natural aspiration for a country that has such a history.

On success and failure in diplomacy

Success and failure are a matter of strategic choice and an ability to grasp strategic opportunities when they come around. Opportunities in diplomacy have a short shelf life and they soon evaporate if not grabbed quickly.

Most importantly, it depends on whether there was a political willingness to see the opportunity and grab it. In the case of the Indo-US nuclear deal there was a strong commitment by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to see it through.

In the case of the Siachen glacier, we came to the point when it could have been pushed through. But at the critical moment the political will was not evident, unlike what we saw in the nuclear deal.

Professional diplomats can take it up to a certain point, but after that only the politician can make the decision as to whether a certain action is worth doing. The role of political leadership is very important.

On diplomacy in the 21st century

In my book I have discussed the problem of diplomacy in an age of instant communication and tweeting leaders. I consider myself a diplomat in the traditional role.

I believe diplomacy can only work when interests are dressed in gray. If you project your interests as a nation in black and white there is little space for diplomacy to work. You have to project ones views in gray so you leave space for deliberation, give yourself space to assess events as they happen and get a sense of what they mean. If you have to react instantly every time then how much space is left for the deliberative process? That is a worry I have. Instant diplomacy is a contradiction in terms. So I think one of the challenges for diplomacy is how do you maintain your relevance in an age of instant communication.

On China

Over the last 15 years, the management of the China challenge by successive governments in India has been quite successful.

The policy has two elements. One is recognition of a mix of areas of real convergence  the economic opportunities that China offers and vice versa, certain policies in respect to climate change, the WTO or even later the G-5, G-20. In all these areas there has been a certain parallel interest as how best to align our interests.

During this time, in both India and China there was a recognition that we were most likely to succeed working together rather than working alone.

The other element is exemplified by the border issue. Which is when Indias interests are being threatened, that needs to be confronted. How do you construct an engagement which both confronts the Chinese and also builds a structure of confidence building?

Since the 1950s, a whole series of confidence-building measures have been constructed to manage our border dispute. Also, over the last 15 years both sides have accepted the value of regular high-level engagement, so we meet at bilateral, multilateral venues on a regular basis.

This frequent high-level engagement has been able to impart a certain balance to the relationship. The summits sent a positive signal through the whole system.

This can be seen in the Brics summit in Xiamen. In 2009 the Copenhagen climate summit the two sides met just after a sharp exchange about the Dalai Lama visiting Arunachal Pradesh. There was rising tension in the relationship but the summit brought the temperature down. There is great value in continuing this high-level engagement.

I would say that, by and large, India has been quite successful in tackling the Chinese. But the context in which we are looking at Sino-Indian relations today is different from what it was a decade ago.

Whereas a decade ago, China saw its interests aligned with the major developing countries as we saw in Copenhagen, which ended with four emerging countries on one side of the table and Barack Obama sitting on the other. This gave a sense to the rest of the world that the emerging economies had arrived.

Today, the Paris agreement is based on a template arrived at by US and China not the Brics (Brazil, South Africa, India and China) countries.

China today sees itself as being benchmarked with the US, hence its use of the expression a new type of great power relations. It believes that the critical relationship is that between the US and China. Chinese interests are better served through the US rather than working with other emerging economies.

In our interactions with the Chinese we hear this constant refrain: Our Indian friends should know that our GDP is five times yours. In other words, in the hierarchy of states you are not in our league.

Chinas view of us has changed. A strong partnership with India was in the past useful to China. There was a strategic dimension to India-China relations in Beijings view. Today, the relationship no longer has that sort of resonance.

On the United States

There have been some shifts in the relationship depending on the president. The initial period of the Obama presidency, for example, there was a recalibration of the relationship of the two countries. We did not see the kind of personal commitment to the relationship under Obama as we saw under George W Bush.

The US was also looking at China as its primary partner in the global sphere in the early years. Obamas first visit to Beijing indicated what came to be called a G-2 policy but this idea soon dissipated after China treated him shabbily.

This helped make the Obama-Singh relationship look more positive and this was therefore consolidated afterwards. In the final years of Obama we saw a major uptick in the relationship, especially in the defence sector where we moved to the idea of the co-development and co-production of weapons, and received much better tech access. The Mumbai terror attacks helped make counterterrorism cooperation much stronger and it remains one of the most important areas of cooperation. Yes, the Trump presidency has brought in an element of unpredictability and uncertainty, but this not only true for India but for the whole world. But on balance, looking at the whole relationship, the opportunities arising from working with the US remain considerable and we should look out for them.

On the countrys smaller neighbours

We should recognise from our own foreign policy behaviour, the anxiety of coming under the dominance of a power that is stronger than you.

I am not surprised that India, in this region, with its economic and military capabilities being so much larger that these countries are worried about Indian dominance. It is inherent in the nature of the region. Our challenge is how we should reassure our neighbours that India is an opportunity rather than a threat.

On Indian foreign policy in the past

It is important to be aware of the historical opportunity in which we are making foreign-policy choices. The phase in which we promoted nonalignment was not a period of failure. The nature of the postwar period, one in which had just gotten independence and emerged from two centuries of colonial rule, was one in which the people of India would not have been comfortable with being a subordinate partner of one or another political blocs.

Nonalignment, in that way, was a rational choice. In retrospect we can make a different argument, but in the historical context we made that decision it was sensible.

India needs to have that sense of strategic autonomy  the ability of a country to make relatively autonomous decisions on issues that are vital to its interests. How we tackled issues may have changed in different phases of our history. But I consider that early phase as a relatively successful period of exercising our foreign policy choice.

How do you leverage the asymmetry between India and its neighbours in a positive way and use it to overcome the barriers in the way of developing a congenial relationship with our smaller neighbours.

With the economic reforms we are now a much larger market for others. The expansion of wealth India has experienced can become an engine growth for the region.

But to do so means improving connectivity. This means not only visible infrastructure but, as Manmohan Singh once said, ensuring that borders should become irrelevant so goods, ideas and people can flow freely across. We have fallen rather short of that vision.

There are domestic issues in India, a poor delivery record when it comes to connectivity, and while we have opened our markets somewhat we still limit the access of many neighbours to our market.

This is our intellectual vision, but we have not converted it into practical action. Successive governments have accepted that this is first priority of our foreign policy -- but this has not been translated into actual action on the ground because of capacity constraints.
Sidelined AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief TTV Dinakaran on Thursday said he has sought the removal of chief minister K Palaniswami and his deputy O Panneerselvam during his meeting with Tamil Nadu governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao even as he asserted that he didnt want the state government to fall.

At his first meeting with the governor after 19 MLAs loyal to him expressed lack of confidence in the chief minister last month, he accused the government of exerting pressure on his camp to woo the MLAs back to their fold.

It is evident he (Palaniswami) has no majority. Therefore, he should be asked (by the governor) to prove majority, Dhinakaran told reporters outside his residence after the meeting at the Raj Bhavan.

He said he had sought action on the August 22 demand of his camp MLAs, who had earlier told the governor that they had lost confidence in the chief minister and that he should be removed.

Our intention is to change the chief minister and (Deputy CM) O Panneerselvam, he said.

The governor told the delegation that he is watching everything. He said he will soon take a good decision and do his duty, Dinakaran said.

Asked about MLA SDK Jakkaiyan reportedly switching over to the Palaniswami camp, Dinakaran merely said he had spoken to him this morning and that it was natural for people to get jittery when pressurised.

On August 22, 19 pro-Dinakaran MLAs had met Rao and told him they had lost confidence in Palaniswami and wanted him to be removed as chief minister.

The number of dissident MLAs has since grown to 21.

The Dinakaran camp MLAs had met Rao a day after the formal merger of the two factions of ruling AIADMK led by Palaniswami and then rebel leader and present deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam on August 21.

The revolt in the ruling party had sparked demands for the governor to order the government to face a floor test in the assembly.

The DMK, Congress and Left parties had even knocked the doors of President Ram Nath Kovind in this regard.

The governor had earlier told a delegation of Left and VCK leaders that the issue was the AIADMKs internal matter and that he cannot intervene.

Earlier, during the hearing of a PIL seeking a floor test in the Madras High Court, the state Advocate General had also contended that the revolt by 19 MLAs was the AIADMKs internal affair and that the Governor cannot interfere in it.

Palaniswami and Dinakaran have been at loggerheads ever since the merger, with the unified AIADMK declaring that the latter had been removed from the deputy general secretary post on August 10 itself and questioning his authority to make changes in the party set up.

In the 234-member house, the AIADMK has a strength of 135, including the Speaker.

The opposition has a total strength of 98, including 89 of the DMK, eight of the Congress and an IUML member.
Disclosing details of Indians languishing in Pakistani jails on false spying charges would jeopardise nations integrity and its ties with the neighbour, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) believed.

According to Somya C, MEA under secretary- Pakistan, information on Indians like Kulbhushan Yadav, who is imprisoned in Pakistan on espionage charges, was exempted from disclosure under Section 8 (1) (a) of the RTI Act, which exempts government from divulging information which would, prejudicially affect the sovereignty and integrity of India and relation with foreign state.

HT had asked the ministry to share information on Jadavs trial along with a list of similarly detained Indians.

Experts, however, have conflicting views on whether such details threatened national security. Denying information under Section 8 (1) (a) is untenable as the disclosing such details cannot jeopardise national security, former chief information commissioner MM Ansari said.

However, diplomat G Parthasarathy contradicted Ansari and said that information related to security prisoners would never be discussed.

A diplomat said that often prisoners are swapped through back-door deals and revealing their names would harm the exercise.

Advocate Bhim Singh, who has been fighting for Pakistani detainees in SC, said the government had submitted a list of 254 Pakistani detainees to apex court in 2016. Doesnt disclosing names of Pakistani prisoners jeopardise the back-door swapping diplomacy or threaten nations integrity? If not, then whats the problem in disclosing the names of Indians languishing in Pakistan jail?, he asked.
A scheme aimed at allocating around Rs 8,700 crore to seven top Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) as part of ongoing efforts to enhance their global standing has been turned down by the finance ministry.

The rejection of the Vishwajeet project  proposed by the human resources development ministry  comes as a setback to the premier technological institutes, which slipped further in worldwide rankings this year. The IITs were supposed to use the funds (Rs 1,250 crore each over a five-year period) to upgrade their infrastructure, hire foreign faculty members, tie up with international institutions and adopt a host of other measures for improving their QS and Times global institution rankings.

According to sources, the finance ministry sent back the human resource development ministrys request for in-principle approval of the project with a note that the IITs should first address fundamental issues such as the autonomy to fix fees, raising resources from corporate houses and alumni members, and strengthening existing schemes.

No Indian institute of higher education figured in the top 200 of the 14th edition of the Times Higher Educations World University Rankings released on Tuesday, triggering concerns about the plummeting standards of education in India and its possible impact on the job market. Only the Indian Institute of Science-Bangalore figured in the 251-300 band of the list, which lists the top 1,000 universities from 77 countries. While IIT-Bombay retained its position in the 351-400 band, its counterparts at Delhi and Kanpur slipped from the 401-500 segment in 2016 to 501-600 this year. IIT-Madras fared even worse, figuring only in the 601-800 band.

The IIT Council had cleared the Vishwajeet project last year. Its institutes at Delhi, Bombay, Madras, Kharagpur, Kanpur, Roorkee and Guwahati were picked as the likely beneficiaries of the scheme.

In its note, the finance minister also recommended that the human resource development ministry ask IITs to construct world-class laboratories through existing grants or the recently launched Institute of Eminence scheme. Under the Institute of Eminence scheme, 10 select government institutes will be given approximately Rs 1,000 crore. The finance ministry suggested that the IITs compete for that scheme instead of expecting funds through the Vishwajeet project, an official said.

Though IITs are hailed as premier institutes in domestic academic circles, they usually fail to match up to foreign universities. The human resource development ministry had proposed the Vishwajeet project to provide them with the financial support required to meet international infrastructural and academic standards. The overall budget of IITs received a hike of Rs 2,468 crore in 2017-18 to touch Rs 7,856 crore.

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The designated TADA court sentenced five of the six convicts, including gangster Abu Salem, in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case on Thursday.

Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan were sentenced to life while Mohammed Tahir Merchant was given the death penalty and Riyaz Siddiqui was given 10 years jail. (Live Updates)

On March 12, a series of 12 explosions took place between 1:30pm and 3:40pm across Mumbai. As many as 257 people were killed, 713 others were seriously injured and property worth about Rs27 crore was destroyed in these blasts.

How the blasts were planned in two months:

January 1, 1993: Mohammad Dossa holds first meeting at Hotel Persian Darbar, Panvel.

January 19: Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon hold another meeting in Dubai where they make a blueprint of the plan. Tiger agrees to arrange for landing of arms, ammunition and explosives. Arms and ammunition delivered from Dubai and Pakistan through the sea.

February 2-February 8: Two more consignments of arms, ammunition, detonators, hand grenades and explosives like RDX delivered at Shekhadi Coast in Raigad district.

March 4: Tiger Memon calls for a preparatory meeting at the Taj Mahal Hotel.

March 7: Another meeting held at the house of Shafi, where Tiger Memon forms separate groups for reconnaissance of targets.

March 8: Meeting held at the residence of Babloo, where Tiger Memon finalises the targets.

March 10: Meeting held at the house of Mobina alias Bayamoosa Bhiwandiwala. In the second meeting, Tiger Memon distributes Rs5,000 to each one of them and again forms groups.

March 11: A meeting held at Al-Hussaini Building, Dargah Street, Mahim, where details of the plan are finalised. Co-conspirators store explosives such as RDX and firearms in garages owned by Memon and his relatives at Al-Hussaini building.

March 12: Bombs and other explosives planted at various places. A series of 12 blasts in quick succession rock Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring 713 others. Property of about Rs27 crore destroyed.

The case

November 4, 1993: Primary charge sheet filed against 189 accused, including actor Sanjay Dutt.

November 19, 1993: Case handed over to the CBI.

April 1, 1994: The TADA court shifts from city sessions and civil court to a separate building inside the premises of the Central Jail at Arthur Road.

April, 1995: 26 accused discharged by the TADA court and charges framed against the remaining accused. Supreme Court discharges two more accused, travel agent Abu Asim Azmi (now Samajwadi Party member of Parliament) and Amjed Meher Baux.

April, 1995: Trial in the case commences.

March, 1995: PD Kode designated as a special TADA judge.

October, 2000: Examination of prosecution witnesses ends.

August, 2001 to August, 2002: Prosecution and defence finish arguments.

2005: Portugal authorities had allowed Abu Salems extradition in 2005 only on condition that he will not be given capital punishment or be imprisoned for more than 25 years.

August 10, 2006: Kode says judgement will be pronounced on September 12.

September 12, 2006: The court starts delivering the judgement, pronounces four members of the Memon family guilty, acquits three.

December 4, 2006: Special TADA judge PD Kode finishes his judgement in the case.

July 27, 2007: A Special court sentences Yakub Memon to death.

October 19, 2012: Portugal informs India that it is not required to return gangster and 1993 Mumbai blasts accused Abu Salem even though his extradition in November, 2005 was confirmed as cancelled by its apex Constitutional Court three months ago.

March 21, 2013: Sanjay Dutt heads back to jail with the Supreme Court upholding his conviction for illegal possession of a weapon in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

August 5, 2013: Supreme Court holds that extradition of alleged gangster Abu Salem, 45, to India was valid despite Portugals constitutional court terminating it. Verdict paves the way for restart of trial of all the cases including the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case against Salem.

July 30, 2015: Yakub Memon hanged.

2013: Court drops certain charges against Salem in 2013 after CBI moves plea saying those charges were against the extradition treaty between India and Portugal.

June 16, 2017: Six people, including Mustafa Dossa and gangster Abu Salem, convicted of conspiring and carrying out a string of bomb blasts.
Months before her death, Gauri Lankesh, the editor of the Lankesh Patrike, an outspoken Kannada weekly, gave a prophetic interview.

Let me assure you, they are keen to somehow shut me up too, Lankesh said in an interview in November, 2016. She was referring to the unsafe times we were living in if we stood opposed to the ideology of the party in power. Few thought the words would ring true so quickly.

On Tuesday evening, unidentified assailants shot Lankesh three times before escaping on a motorcycle.

In life, Gauri Lankesh described herself as a journalist-activist, and her paper followed a clear editorial policy of opposition to those she described as communal forces.

Her death has drawn attention to some uncomfortable truths about Indian journalism: Journalists who write against the powerful do so at the risk of swift and occasionally fatal retribution  India ranks 136th out of 180 countries, only one notch above Pakistan and below strife-torn Palestine, in the world press freedom rankings released this April by Reporters Without Borders.

Those attacked, are invariably the most vulnerable. Of 70 journalists who were killed in India between 1992 and 2017, the Committee for Protection of Journalists found, a vast majority wrote for the language press, suggesting that press freedom in India is largely a preserve of the English media.

While the English-language press suffers under its own pressures, most notably the Indias expansive defamation laws; for the rest of the press, the media environment is no different from that in more authoritarian regimes like Russia and Turkey.

Lankeshs journalistic life, which began with a mainstream English newspaper, before she returned to Bengaluru to run the Kannada newspaper started by her father P Lankesh, and was buffeted by defamation cases, threats of physical violence, and ultimately assassination, epitomises this disjuncture.

These (regional language) journalists go straight to the people, said Chandrashekhar Patil, editor of Sankramana, a Kannada literary journal. Their targets are straight forward, and their appeal is direct and simple. That is what the fascist forces are afraid of.

The regional press is targeted more because it reaches the constituents of politicians and parties, said Sevanti Ninan, editor of The Hoot, a media-watchdog website that closely tracks attacks on press freedom.

For Lankeshs friends and supporters, her death is also part of broader pattern of attacks on independent thought and expression in India.

Dabholkar, Pansare, Kalburgi and now Gauri. These deaths are in one straight line, said K Marulasidappa, referring to the three rationalists who were killed in a similar fashion in Karnataka and Maharashtra between 2013 and 2015. Press freedom, Marulasidappa said, could not be thought of as separate from the broader struggle for free speech.

A review of the most recent deaths, like Dharmendra Singh, a Dainik Bhaskar report in Bihar who was killed in November last year, or Raj Deo Ranjan, the bureau chief of Hindustan, suggests the threats to journalists have grown in lockstep with the rise of a powerful nexus between politicians, local businessmen, and district officials.

The problem is that politicians no longer just want bribes from business, they want to own a business. They want to own a mine, they want a mill, said a Hindi language journalist seeking anonymity to speak freely. Earlier, it was dangerous to write about some things, now reporting about anything can prompt a backlash.

Reporters in conflict zones like Chattisgarh and Jharkhand are hobbled by the fear that officials in the district administration and police often have a stake in these businesses as well.

If you write a story about illegal logging in Chhattisgarh, the police will beat you up no questions asked, said a reporter who has encountered such violence, Then theyll call you a Maoist.

Reporting on human rights violations by the state can have similar repurcussions. In September 2015, for instance, Bastar-based journalist Santosh Yadav, was arrested under the Chhattisgarh Special Public Security Act, and imprisoned for over a year, when a policeman claimed he saw Yadav standing behind a Maoist commander during an ambush in the Darbha region.

The problem, many reporters said, was the absence of a robust press body to support journalists under threat.

After all, who thinks about the district reporter? said a journalist, he or she is just hoping that the power of the press will save him.

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Journalists organisations in Assam condemned Gauri Lankeshs murder but resented the indifference of the rest of India to the killing of at least 32 journalists in the state since 1987.

Till date, no one has been convicted of killing these journalists, some of whom mediated between the government and extremist outfits like Lankesh.

Assam has been one of the most dangerous places in India for journalists. Sadly, the country beyond has hardly taken note of fellow scribes killed in the line of duty in Assam while none of the cases has been solved yet, Nava Thakuria, secretary of Guwahati Press Club, said .

Other north-eastern states too have been hazardous for journalists. Some like Thounaojam Brajamani of Manipur News were killed while militants shot others in the leg for allegedly being government agents.

A majority of the journalists killed in Assam were by outfits such as United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and the now disbanded Bodo Liberation Tigers. The most high-profile among the victims was Parag Das, executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin.

Believed to have been an ideologue of the ULFA, Das was allegedly killed by surrendered militants of the outfit in May 1996.

The first of the murders of journalists in Assam was of Punarmal Agarwal, a correspondent of The Assam Tribune. He was killed by suspected ULFA militants at Kampur in 1987.

Two of the journalists killed  Indra Mohan Hakasam of Amar Asom and Dwijen Das of Ajir Batori  are presumed dead after unidentified miscreants abducted them in the early 2000s. Another journalist named Anjur Borbora vanished mysteriously from Kolkata less than two decades ago.

The last journalist killed in Assam was Raihanul Nayoom of Dhubri in 2012. He was a reporter for a local publication named Gana Chabuk.

Some of the cases involved investigative reporting on smugglers and Mafiosi organisations. Suspected timber smugglers killed Pabitra Narayan of The North East Times in Sivasagar district in August 1995.

A couple of killings were attributed to hired assassins. Freelance journalist Dinesh Brahma of Dhubri was believed to have been silenced by such killers in March 2003.

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BJP-ruled Gujarat, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh on Thursday gave Rs 5 crore each as flood relief to Bihar. Madhya Pradesh has already contributed a similar amount, two other BJP-ruled states, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are likely to follow suit.

Gujarat revenue minister Bhupenrasinh Chudasama, accompanied by Bihar deputy chief minister Sushil Kumar Modi, met chief minister Nitish Kumar and handed over to him a cheque of Rs 5 crore.

This is a small contribution to the CM relief fund. We have shown our sensitivity to this huge tragedy that has struck large parts of Bihar, Chudasama told reporters.

When asked about the Kumars refusal to accept a similar amount from Gujarat in 2010, Chudasama said, Times change. I have come for a good work. In this hour of crisis, it is the tradition in India to extend a helping hand. I am not concerned about what others are saying. I am obliged that the CM has accepted the relief sent by Gujarat CM Vijay Rupani.

Modi said Uttar Pradesh and Haryana CMs Yogi Adityanath and Manohar Lal Khattar, respectively, had also called up to convey that they would send relief in the next few days. Chhattisgarh sent the amount through RTGS transfer, while Jharkhand minister CP Singh handed over the cheque personally.

It is good that all states are coming forward to help Bihar in this hour of crisis. Bihar and Gujarat will work in tandem for progress, he said, urging RJD chief Lalu Prasad to ask his party lelgislators to contribute to the CM relief fund.

RJD has been attacking Bihar CM ever since Gujarat announced flood relief to Bihar, with party chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav reminding Kumar how Kumar had returned a cheque 5 crore some years ago.

In 2010, Nitish had returned the flood aid of Rs 5 crore from then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi at the call of which conscience? What was the compulsion then that you returned the cheque and what is the compulsion now that you are accepting it? Tejaswhi tweeted with a picture of Bihar CM accepting the cheque.

In 2010, a huge controversy had erupted when Kumar decided to return the cheque sent by the Gujarat government for flood relief after he was shown holding Modis hands in an advertisement prominently displayed in most newspapers of Bihar.

Just before the BJP national executive meeting in Patna in 2010, the advertisement claiming Gujarat help to Bihar after floods had badly ticked off Kumar. With elections in Bihar due a few months later, this move was viewed as a message that Kumar was against the hardline Hindutva and did not want to be seen with Modi.

Since then, a lot of water has flown down the Ganga, though Kumar is still the Bihar CM and the amount of relief also remains the same.

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The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday issued fresh summons to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Prasad Yadav, former deputy chief minister of Bihar, in connection with irregularities in awarding contracts during Lalus tenure as the railway minister (2004-09).

While Prasad was asked to appear before the CBI in New Delhi on September 11, son Tejashwi had to appear on September 12.

The news of the CBI summons came when Prasad was in Ranchi to appear in court in connection with the animal husbandry scam trial.

Prasad  convicted in the fodder scam  continues to face legal troubles. One of the five fodder cases has been reopened. And following a Supreme Court order to complete the trial within nine months, the court has begun hearing the cases on priority basis. Lalu has had to travel to Jharkhand to appear before the court on a weekly basis.

Reacting to the CBI summon, RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav said the government was adopting different yardsticks in dealing with Prasad and those guilty of swindling public money in the Rs 1,300 crore Srijan government fund transfer scandal in Bihar. He questioned why the Central government did not show the same alacrity in acting against the accused in the Srijan scam.

The CBI had searched the homes and properties of Prasad and his family on July 7 as part of investigations into alleged irregularities in leasing out railway hotels when the RJD chief was the rail minister.

The raids were carried out at 12 locations in five cities a day after the CBI filed cases against Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi, among others.

Prasad cried conspiracy, saying he was being targeted for uniting the opposition against the Modi government.

However, JD(U) spokesperson Sanjay Singh on Thursday said the CBI action was not part of any political conspiracy. Taking potshots at the RJD chief, he said Prasads name should be entered into the Guinness Book of World Records for amassing huge benami property.

There are a spate of allegations against Lalu and his family members.

The Income Tax department had recently raided 22 locations in New Delhi and adjoining places, related to land and farm houses owned by Lalus daughter, Misa Bharti and her husband Shailesh Kumar. After questioning by the Enforcement Directorate, it provisionally attached a farm house (26, Palam Farms, Bijwasan, in New Delhi) on September 5.

His son and deputy chief minister Tejashwi Yadav is alleged to hold big stakes in a company promoting Bihars biggest mall in the state capital worth Rs 750 crore. Another son Tej Pratap is alleged to hold big tracts of land; and daughters  Misa, Hema and Ragini  have been accused of being directors in many shell companies. In all of this, the charge is that Lalus position in power was misused to amass assets.

There are also accusations against Prasad of taking prime land from RJDs senior leaders like Raghunanth Jha, Kanti Singh and few ordinary people in lieu of ministerial berths and jobs during his stint at railway minister.

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The CBI on Thursday issued fresh summons to Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi in connection with irregularities in awarding the maintenance contract for two IRCTC hotels to a private firm during the formers tenure as the railway minister.

The RJD leader has been asked to appear for questioning at the agency headquarter on September 11 and Tejashwi the next day, agency officials said.

Here is a timeline of events 18.9.2001: Railway board decides to transfer complete management of catering services, including railway hotels, to IRCTC 9.3.2004: Indian Railways signs MoU with IRCTC detailing the modalities of transfer of management of static and mobile catering to IRCTC May 2004: Lalu Prasad becomes railway minister 31.8.2004: Chairman of railway board tells railway board that only catering managed by private contractors pertaining to pantry, refreshment room should be transferred to IRCTC and department catering shall continue to remain with railway at present. 30.11.2004: Secretary of railway board informs Yadav about the taking over of existing railway hotels in Ranchi and Puri by IRCTC 25.02.2005: Railways informs IRCTC about the transfer of BNR hotels to IRCTC. The same day land owned by Harsh Kochhar and Vijay Kochhar of Sujatha Hotels sold to Delight Marketing Company for Rs1.47Cr, less than the prevailing market rate 25.08.2005: Secretary of railway board sends to Lalu minutes of the board meeting related to transfer of hotels in Ranchi and Puri 10.7.2006: Director IRCTC moves proposal for development of BNR hotels through Private- Public Partnership 03.11.2006: Advertisement seeking bids from private contractors published 13.11.2006: Director IRCTC amends the eligibility condition. The amendment allows Sujatha Hotels to bid for contract 15.11.2006: Fresh advertisements issued based on amended eligibility 27.12.2006: Sujata Hotels win contract for the two railways (BNR) hotels in Ranchi and Puri May 2010 - February 2014: Delight marketing company controlled by Sarla Gupta begins gradual transfer of land to Lalus wife Rabri Devi and son Tejashwi 5. 7. 2017: The CBI files regular case



It is alleged that Yadav as railway minister had handed over the maintenance of two Railways hotels-- BNR Ranchi and BNR Puri-- to Sujata Hotel, a company owned by Vinay and Vijay Kochhar, after receiving a bribe in the form of three acres of prime plot of land through a benami company.

The FIR alleged that Yadav, as a railway minister, abused his official position for extending undue favours to Kochhars and acquired the high-value premium land through a benami company Delight.

It alleged that Yadav, dishonestly and fraudulently, managed the award of leasing out BNRs at Ranchi and Puri to the company of Kochhars in quid pro quo transactions.

Reacting to the CBI summon, RJD spokesperson Shakti Singh Yadav that the government was adopting different yardstick in dealing with Prasad and those guilty of swindling public money in the Rs 1,300 crore Srijan government fund transfer scandal in Bihar.

He questioned why the Central government did not show the same alacrity in acting against the accused in the Srijan scam. He said there was no point raising brouhaha over a CBI notice to Prasad.

The CBI has registered the case against Lalu Yadav, wife Rabri Devi, son Tejashwi, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of former union minister Prem Chand Gupta.

Others named as accused in the FIR include Vijay Kochhar, Vinay Kochhar, both directors of Sujata Hotels and owner of Chanakya Hotel; Delight marketing company, now known as Lara Projects and the then Managing Director P K Goel.

(with inputs from PTI)

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Indias new defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman said on Thursday her top priorities would be military preparedness, developing weapons and systems under the Make in India initiative, welfare of soldiers and attending to long-pending issues.

Shortly after taking charge, she said: My priority will definitely be the armed forces preparedness. It is important that Indian armed forces receive all attention in terms of giving them every endowment and equipment necessary for them to perform their duty.

She said military priorities would be well attended to and she shall be available round-the-clock.

Her comments came at a time when the military is struggling to fill capability gaps with the induction of new fighters, submarines, helicopters, tanks, artillery guns and even assault rifles.

The military needs to scale up its capabilities swiftly to counter the threat of a two-front war with Pakistan and China. Underlining the need to stay prepared for such a scenario, army chief General Bipin Rawat on Wednesday said China had started flexing its muscles and Pakistan was likely to take advantage of the situation unfolding along the northern border.

Sitharaman is the first woman to be the full-time defence minister of the country after Indira Gandhi held the portfolio 35 years ago when she was prime minister.

Sitharaman said the Make in India initiative to cut dependence on weapon imports was important in the governments scheme of things.

The minister said she would resolve pending defence-related issues in consultation with the Prime Minister and the cabinet committee on security.

Apart from speeding up modernisation, the minister will also be tasked with ushering in military reforms, including creation of a chief of defence staff as principal military adviser to the government, restructuring the Defence Research and Development Organisation and setting up special operations, space and cyber commands to fight future wars.

One of the first files she signed after taking over was on releasing Rs 13 crore from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund for the welfare of 8,685 retired soldiers, widows and their dependents.

Sitharaman and home minister Rajnath Singh attended a function at the DRDO Bhawan, where an armoured bus, bulletproof jackets, unmanned aerial vehicles and small arms were handed to the central armed police forces.

On Sunday, Sitharaman and navy chief Admiral Sunil Lanba will travel to Goa to flag off an all-women naval sailing expedition that plans to circumnavigate the globe in eight months.

It will be a gruelling test for the navy crew of six women, who have volunteered for the expedition covering more than 21,600 nautical miles.
India dissociated itself on Thursday from a declaration adopted at an international conference as it carried a reference to violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar, from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh.

An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, refused to be a part of the Bali Declaration adoped at the World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development held here in Indonesia.

This was in view of the fact that the declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of sustainable development, said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

The delegation took the stance on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Myanmar where he expressed solidarity with the government there against the extremist violence in the Rakhine state.

Modi on Wednesday urged all stakeholders to find a solution that respects the countrys unity.

The country-specific amendment to the draft declaration was proposed at the eleventh hour by selective countries which referred to the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

India argued that specifying a particular country is unjustified as this Forum is focussed on SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and inclusive development for all countries based on cooperative and collaborative approach to achieve the 2030 Agenda for the world, the press release said.

India said, Never before country-specific issues have been included in the declaration as these dilute the objective of these Forums which require unity and focussed efforts of all the countries, the release said.

India reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the Parliamentary Forum is to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs which requires inclusive and broad- based development processes, it said.

Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate, the release said.
A group of West Pakistan refugees (WPRs) from Jammu and Kashmir has moved the Supreme Court against continuation of a constitutional provision that grants exclusive state subject rights and other privileges to permanent residents of the state, stating it deprived them of their fundamental rights.

Nearly 1.25 lakh WPRs, who migrated from the then West Pakistan after partition of the country in 1947 to settle in Kathua, Samba and Jammu districts of the state, are seeking citizenship rights, employment rights and right to vote and contest the state assembly polls for the past 70 years.

Three members of the community Kali Dass, Sanjay Kumar and Balwant Singh in their petition said the constitutional provision was grossly discriminatory towards the WPRs, adding a new dimension to the ongoing legal battle over the Article 35A, which has become an emotive issue in the state.

A little known non-governmental organisation filed a petition in the top court in 2014 challenging the constitutional validity of the article. While the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other Kashmir-centric political parties stiffly oppose any tinkering with the provision, the BJP, a constituent of the states ruling alliance is in favour of the abrogation.

The SC will hear the petitions after Diwali that falls on mid October.

According to official data 5,764 families comprising 47,915 persons had migrated from West Pakistan in 1947 and settled in the three districts of the state. Today their population increased to nearly 1.25 lakh.

These refugees are not considered permanent residents of the state, cannot vote in assembly polls and cannot do state government jobs even though they are living in the state for generations. However, they can vote in parliamentary elections.

Even after 70 years of independence our children cannot apply for the state government jobs. While Dr Manmohan Singh and IK Gujral, who also migrated from Pakistan, rose to the position of PMs, we are still considered children of the lesser god, said Balram Kumar, a WPR lodged at Lalyalpur camp in Akhnoor.

Many others even blame their parents and grand-parents for settling down in Jammu after fleeing Pakistan in the wake of communal riots during Partition.

Had my grand-parents chose Punjab or any other state after partition, we would have surely been better off, said Kumar.

No takers for domicile certificates

They do not even see any hope in the PDP-BJP governments announcement in December last year to issue them domicile certificates because it wont make them permanent residents of the state.

The announcement had sparked a violent protest in Jammu and Kashmir, prompting the state government to clarify that it would not change the status of the refugees.

Union minister of state (MoS) for home Hansraj Gangaram Ahir during a recent visit to Jammu had observed that hardships of these hapless people need a relook and that they be issued identity certificates for jobs at least in central police, paramilitary and armed forces.

Labha Ram Gandhi, chairman of the West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee 1947, said: Our four generations have been ruined. Kashmiri rulers are responsible for our plight and the Article 35A is grossly discriminatory towards the people of Jammu.

He claimed that their plight was further aggravated after the National Conference- Congress coalition government during its 2008-14 term scrapped issuing Dogra certificate to their youth seeking employment with central forces.

Gandhi further pointed out that while the criterion for getting jobs in central forces for youth from rest of the state is 8th pass, its 10th pass with 45 percent marks for the youth of Jammu, Samba and Kathua districts.

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A block level journalist associated with a Hindi newspaper was shot at by two men in Bihars Arwal district on Thursday, in what police suspect to be a case of personal enmity.

Sources said Pankaj Mishra, who is associated with Rashtriya Sahara, was on his way home from the Mali branch of Punjab National Bank after withdrawing Rs 1 lakh. The incident was reported at Vanshi police station area of the district around 11.30am.

As soon as he reached the outskirt of Vanshi village, the armed men intercepted and fired at him and looted the cash and his belongings.

Mishra has been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital from the Arwal district hospital in a critical condition.

Arwal superintendent of police Dilip Kumar Mishra said one of the men has been arrested and identified as Kundan Kumar, while raids were on to nab Ambika Mahto. He told news agency ANI personal enmity was behind the attack.

Both the men were Mishras neighbours and Kumar is the son of Umakant Verma, the personal assistant of Kurtha MLA.

He said Mishra also operated a customer service centre at his residence and cash was withdrawn for his customers.

The attack comes days after a senior Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh was gunned down outside her home in Bengaluru.

Four journalists have been killed in separate incidents in Bihar in the last couple of years. In May 2016, Siwan bureau chief of Hindi daily Hindustan, Rajdeo Ranjan, was killed in busy market place.

In November, the same year, two journalists - Dharmendra Singh of Dainik Bhaskar in Sasaram and Ramchandra Yadav, who worked with the Dainik Jagran in Darbhanga, were killed on the same day.

This year in January, a journalist belonging to Hindi daily, Brajesh Kumar, was shot dead in Samastipur.

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Several BJP leaders were detained here on Thursday by Karnataka Police as the party held a protest march to condemn the alleged murders of party functionaries, despite police not granting them permission.

State Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) cadres and senior party leaders, including state party chief B S Yeddyurappa, were detained by the police in Mangaluru as they were marching towards Nehru Maidan for a public meeting to condemn the alleged murders of party functionaries in the state.

Thousands of party workers were seen gathered at Jyothi Circle holding the partys saffron flags and chanting slogans against the government.

Senior party leaders, including former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, party general secretary C T Ravi, were also present.

Law and order situation in the state has deteriorated under the Congress government, Yeddyurappa said at the gathering of party workers here at Jyothi Circle.

Several BJP functionaries have been killed in the state. How many more will be killed under the Congress government? the state BJP chief questioned.

The party had initially planned Mangaluru Chalo bike rally, for which the state police had denied permission.

The permission was not granted to hold the rally as it would cause traffic problems and to maintain law and order in the city, Deputy Commissioner of Police Hanumantharaya told IANS.

Public rallies could lead to communal tension in the region, the police official said.

Clashes were witnessed between the BJP workers and the police as cadres tried to cross barricades put up by the police to block the rally.

The reason were holding a public meeting is to condemn the murders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers in the state. We demand a National Investigation Agency probe into the deaths, state BJP spokesperson Shantaram told IANS.

The party also demanded a ban on the Popular Front of India and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity, which are the alleged reason for attacks on BJP functionaries.
The Karnataka Police detained several Bharatiya Janata Party leaders in Mangaluru on Thursday during a march to protest the murders of party functionaries, despite police not granting them permission.

State BJP cadres and senior party leaders, including state party chief BS Yeddyurappa, were detained by the police here as they were marching towards Nehru Maidan for a public meeting to condemn the alleged murders of party functionaries in the state.

Thousands of party workers were seen gathered at Jyothi Circle holding the partys saffron flags and chanting slogans against the government.

Senior party leaders, including former chief minister Jagadish Shettar, party general secretary CT Ravi, were also present.

Law and order situation in the state has deteriorated under the Congress government, Yeddyurappa said at the gathering of party workers here at Jyothi Circle.

Several BJP functionaries have been killed in the state. How many more will be killed under the Congress government? the state BJP chief questioned.

The party had initially planned Mangaluru Chalo bike rally, for which the state police had denied permission.

The permission was not granted to hold the rally as it would cause traffic problems and to maintain law and order in the city, said deputy commissioner of police Hanumantharaya.

Public rallies could lead to communal tension in the region, the police official said.

Clashes were witnessed between the BJP workers and the police as cadres tried to cross barricades put up by the police to block the rally.

The reason were holding a public meeting is to condemn the murders of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh workers in the state. We demand a National Investigation Agency probe into the deaths, state BJP spokesperson Shantaram said.

The party also demanded a ban on the Popular Front of India and the Karnataka Forum for Dignity, which are the alleged reason for attacks on BJP functionaries.
Declining the plea of Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for an extension in custody by four days, Shimla court on Thursday sent IG Zahur Zaidi and seven other cops to 14 days judicial custody. CBI had arrested cops in connection with custodial death of Suraj- accused in Gudiya rape and murder case.

After expiry of the three-day remand, CBI had filed an application seeking extension of the custody by four days, saying it was yet to recover Flinders Technology Associates (FTA) card, which is related to forensic investigation.

However, the defence counsel opposed the demand, stating that the earlier remand was granted to recover the baton and belt and now a new contention was being made. Lower court judge Ranjit Singh Thakur heard the argument. He also ordered that next hearing will be through the video conferencing.

CBI had arrested IG Zaidi, deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Manoj Joshi, sub-inspector (SI) Rajinder Singh, assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Deep Chand Sharma, head constables Surat Singh, Mohan Lal, Rafiq Ali and Ranjit Singh last Tuesday, and taken them to New Delhi.

A few days after the arrest, CBI summoned superintendent of police (SP) DW Negi, assistant superintendent of police (ASP) BD Negi, DSP Rattan Singh Negi to Delhi.

Initially, DSP Manoj Joshi was asked to investigate the Kotkhai rape case. The-then Shimla SP DW Negi was sent to the spot on July 7, a day after naked body of a minor school girl was found at Halaila forest in Kotkai of Shimla district. She had been allegedly gangraped.

CASE HISTORY

Unable to make any headway in the case, Shimla police constituted a special investigation team (SIT) on July 9.

On July 13, the SIT arrested six accused  Ashish Chauhan (29), Rajender Singh (32), Subhash Singh Bisht (42), Deepak alias Deepu (29) Suraj Singh (29) and Lok Jung (19). A day before the arrest, photographs of some youth, purportedly behind the case, went viral. The pictures were uploaded on Himachal Pradesh chief minister Virbhadra Singhs Facebook page, but were later removed.

Not satisfied with the arrests, locals had staged violent protests at Theog, demanding a CBI probe and accusing the SIT of shielding the real culprits. Alarmed by the situation, the Himachal government recommended a CBI probe in the case.

The case took another turn on July 18, when Suraj, one of the accused, was found murdered in police custody. Police claimed that he died due to a scuffle with another accusedm Rajender Singh. Infuriated, people torched the Kotkhai police station. The Himachal Pradesh high court handed-over investigation of both 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 Kotkhai case, and the other case under Section 302 (murder) for the custodialdeath of Nepalese national, Suraj.

CASE AGAINST SIT

After sentry Dinesh Kumar turned approver, the CBI recorded statements of all SIT members. Some members, however, did not cooperate during the investigation. Sources said they told CBI that the high court has asked them to file an affidavit, so they will depose before the probe agency only after that. The CBI counsel then moved a separate application in this regard.

Barring ASP Bhajan Dev Negi and DSP RS Negi, all other members of the SIT have been arrested by the CBI and charged under Section 302 (murder), 201 (causing disappearance of evidence of offence, or giving false information to screen offender) and 120B (punishment of criminal conspiracy) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

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Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked the Niti Aayog to suggest ways to improve the governments flagship farm insurance scheme that has faced criticism for tardy implementation and being skewed in favour of the insurers.

At a recent meeting, Modi asked the officials of the government think tank to spearhead a review and assessment exercise across ministries and draft a plan to improve the Pradhan Mantri Fasal Bima Yojana (PMFBY), sources told Hindustan Times on Wednesday.

Officials from agriculture ministry and prime ministers office were also in the meeting held on August 21.

It is the best crop insurance scheme we have had, Ramesh Chand, member (agriculture) Niti Aayog, told HT. But the Prime Minister wants us to constantly monitor it and improve it. We are scouting technology and looking at the experience of other countries.

Launched on August 5, 2016, the scheme, a first of its kind in the country, seeks to provide farmers with uniformly low premium that would help them sustain agriculture even if the yield is damaged.

But it has been criticised for gaps in implementation and for the amount of premium collected by insurers far exceeding the claims they paid out to farmers in 2016-17.

Insurance companies collected more than Rs 25,000 crore in premium and only paid out a fourth in claims. A study by the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) released in July pointed out that the insurance companies had made profits of more than Rs 10,000 crore within 10 months of the launch.

The insurers said the low payouts were due to a good monsoon. The higher premium collected was on the back of insurance cover rising from Rs 1,15,000 crore in 2015-16 to Rs 2,04,000 in 2016-17, government sources said.

The think tank is now studying similar schemes in 86 countries to improve PMFBY.

Assessing damage through crop-cutting method was faulty, the CSE study said of the assessment done on the basis of samples collected from a handful of farms.

The think tank was looking at a technology-based model that uses Nasa data, developed by a Bengaluru-based entrepreneur to improve assessment.

Satellite images would give a more accurate picture of the damage caused to crops, sources said.

The Aayog would keep improving the scheme but for a complete evaluation, the PMFBY would have to be studied for four years, Chand said.

Roughly in a four-year cycle, we are able to see both good monsoon and bad monsoon years. The test of the scheme will lie in a drought year, he said.

The farm sector in the country is under pressure with rising costs of inputs, failing crops and falling prices adding to farmers debt burden.

Many states have seen farmer unrest and suicides, forcing governments to waive loans but critics say it is a stop-gap arrangement and not a solution.

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The National Investigation Agency (NIA) raided 11 more locations across Jammu and Kashmir and Gurgaon on Thursday in connection with its probe into the cross-border funding of separatist activities in the Valley.

The anti-terrorism agency had searched 27 locations across Kashmir and Delhi the previous day, an exercise that drew praise from northern army chief Lt General Devraj Anbu. According to the military head, raids have helped stabilise the situation in the Valley.

Among the people raided were GN Sumji, a leader of the pro-Pakistan faction of the Hurriyat Conference; prominent separatist Shia leader Aga Syed Hussain Badgami, who is part of the Hurriyats hardline faction; Razzaq Chaoudhary and Zameer Shiekh, two close aides of separatist Shabir Shah; and chartered accountants of businessman Zahoor Watali, who has already been arrested by the NIA.

Details of fixed deposits amounting to over Rs 1 crore and lots of incriminating material  such as financial records, property-related documents and electronic devices  were seized during the raids, said an NIA spokesperson.

The suspects were also questioned in this regard, he added.

In June, the NIA registered an FIR against unnamed Hurriyat leaders, members of the all-woman separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat, and associates of Pakistan-based outfits Hizbul Mujahideen and Lashkar-e-Taiba for taking money from alleged Mumbai terror attacks mastermind Hafiz Mohammed Saeed. Eight people  including Altaf Shah Fantoosh, the son-in-law of hardline Hurriyat leader SAS Geelani  were arrested a month later as part of a broader investigation into allegations of cross-border funding of last years unrest in the Valley, which left over 100 dead.

Meanwhile, the NIA raids found a glowing endorsement in Lt General Anbu  who attested to a marked improvement in the Kashmir situation ever since the central probe agency went on the warpath. The choking of cross-border funding by the NIA will have an effect on the agitational dynamics of terrorism as well, he said, adding that stone-pelting incidents have already started decreasing across the Valley.

The northern army chief also claimed that last years surgical strikes on terror camps across the LoC had sent the message that India can hit out at its opponents whenever and wherever it wants to.

Through the surgical strikes, we wanted to drive home the point that the LoC is not a line that cant be breached. We will breach it whenever we want, and we can go across and strike whenever we need, Anbu said after attending an investiture ceremony in Udhampur.

The Lt General said around 475 ultras were waiting to infiltrate into north and south Kashmir from the other side of the India-Pakistan border. A large number of terrorist camps and launch pads still exist across the south and the north of Pir Panjal. Their numbers are only increasing, he added.

Speaking on the Kashmir situation, Anbu said the intensity of the Army operations can be gauged from the fact that over 100 ultras have been killed in the last four months. He claimed that while no militant or terror sympathiser has been spared, security personnel have tried their utmost to prevent civilian casualties.

The military chief, however, maintained that the Kashmir issue cannot be resolved through armed means. It can happen only if the state and central governments continue working in tandem, like they have been doing, he said.

Answering a question, the Army head ruled out the possibility of a Doklam-type stand-off in Ladakh. Though Anbu admitted to differing perceptions regarding the line of actual control (LAC), he said India and China have several border mechanisms in place to resolve problems emanating from incursions and face-offs.

He said India has ramped up defence infrastructure on its side of the LAC over the last 10 years, although Beijing admittedly has a head start. We are looking at building all kinds of infrastructure, from helipads to air strips and roads. We are making great strides there, the Lt General added.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country.

With a gold-plated, 99-meter tall (325 feet) spire encrusted with diamonds and rubies, the pagoda towers over Yangon and is the spiritual centre of the Burmese Buddhism.

Modi later paid his respects at the Martyrs Mausoleum and performed puja at the Kalibari Temple.

Yangon served as the capital of Myanmar until 2006, when the military government relocated the capital to the purpose-built city of Naypyidaw in central Myanmar.

The Poet Emperor in exile. PM @narendramodi visits the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar, the last Mughal Emperor, in Yangon pic.twitter.com/flQB84sewx  Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) September 7, 2017

He also visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum with Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi.

On Wednesday, Prime Minister Modi visited the famous Ananda Temple in Myanmars ancient city, Bagan, which was damaged in an earthquake in 2016 and is being renovated with Indias assistance.

India and Myanmar have agreed that terrorism remains one of the major threats to peace and stability in the region. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi discussed the security situation prevailing along the long land border and maritime boundary.

The Prime Minister said his government has always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at peoples welfare as for them, the nation is above everything else.

For us, the nation is above everything else. That is why we have always taken bold and tough decisions aimed at peoples welfare, Prime Minister Modi said, while addressing the Indian community in Yangon at the Thuwunna Stadium.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacting with the Indian Community during an event at Yangon in Myanmar on September 6. (PTI Photo)

Emphasising Myanmars value in Indias freedom struggle, Prime Minister Modi said that this is the sacred land from where Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose gave the slogan of give me blood and I will give you freedom.

He appreciated the role of the Indian diaspora in contributing towards to the development of wherever they have settled, adding that they also kept in touch with their roots.

The Prime Minister also said Yoga was globally recognised due to efforts of the Indians living in different parts of the world.
Prime Minister Narendra Modis action of following somebody on Twitter does not amount to issuing the person a character certificate, the BJP social media team said on Thursday.

Amit Malviya, the ruling partys national head for information and technology, issued this statement after the Congress noted how at least four people followed by Modi on the social networking site tweeted hate messages in the wake of journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

PM following someone is not a character certificate of the person, and is not in any way a guarantee of how the person would conduct himself, Malviya said, pointing out that Modi follows the Twitter handles of Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as well.

The BJPs IT cell head also said the Prime Minister still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and then began abusing him in the worst possible language. Our Prime Minister is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech, and has never blocked or unfollowed anybody on Twitter, Malviya claimed.

The statement came after the hashtag #BlockNarendraModi --- calling for users to block the Prime Minister on the social media platform --- begun trending earlier in the day.

Nevertheless, it failed to impress the Congress, which termed it a rabid and sinister response. Justifying PM Narendra Modi following trolls celebrating the murder of Gauri Lankesh has exposed the fanatical and dangerous agenda of the central government and the BJP, said Divya Spandana, the Congress social and digital media head.

Spandana went on to draw a parallel between the reaction of these people and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sanghs response after Mahatma Gandhis death. May we remind PM Modi and the BJP that it was this very thought that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Godse, with the Sangh distributing sweets to celebrate the occasion. And dont forget that it is for this very reason that Sardar Patel, the home minister of India, banned the Sangh, she said.

Malviya, however, retaliated by stating that Rahul Gandhi is never questioned for the conduct of Congress sympathiser Tehseen Poonawala (who allegedly made a sexist comment against Union minister Smriti Irani) and Kejriwal for the abuse and rape threats his Aam Aadmi Party supporters purportedly heap upon others. Besides being farcical and fake, this debate also exhibits a selective right to freedom of expression, he added.

The controversy over PM following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted: Shri @malviyamit, National Head - Information & Technology pic.twitter.com/8Ss6fgCOj2  BJP (@BJP4India) September 7, 2017

But many Twitter users appeared unimpressed.

This is worst ever defence for a country's prime minister ..very shoddy and graceless ..shameful  raman (@raman1971) September 7, 2017

The abusive trolls followed by Modi are not normal people. They are associated with BJP and have pics with PM or any BJP leader.  Obi (@obaid_qazi) September 7, 2017

Very Disappointing.  Swati Goel Sharma (@swati_gs) September 7, 2017
Union minister for information technology Ravi Shankar Prasad faced the wrath of a section of Twitter users, who questioned him for his silence over the attacks on the RSS, on Thursday, a day after he condemned hate messages over the murder of Gauri Lankesh.

The 55-year-old editor, a fierce critic of Hindutva forces, was gunned down outside her Bengaluru home on Tuesday night. The crime brought back chilling memories of the murders of at least three rationalists and left-leaning thinkers since 2013.

Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that, Prasad tweeted on Wednesday.

Trolls on the social media platform suggested Lankesh got what she deserved and questioned why the Karnataka government gave her a state funeral. Some also questioned the fuss over the protests that were held across the country against her killing.

I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

But @rsprasad couldnt find the sense to condemn a host of vile tweets blaming Sangh parivar? At least learn monkey-balancing from seculars, tweeted, @sankrant.

Another person, @chaturvediSKC tweeted, Yes, SM is only for Hindu bashing. You are advocating against freedom of expression. Rajya Sabha MPs cannot map peoples outrage.

Among the people who spew hate are followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other BJP leaders.

Person who can't win a lokh sabha election, enjoying power coz of sacrifices of many RSS/BJP workers who laid their life.  Chiranjeevi  (@chiranjeevi497) September 6, 2017

After Burhan Wani Gauri lankesh also killed how sad, Ashish Mishra, a person followed by Modi, Fadnavis, Prasad among others, tweeted.

Nikhil Dadhich, another Twitter account followed by the Prime Minister, said that a dog has met its end while describing Lankeshs death.

The editor-in-chief of Vishwavani Daily, who uses the handle @VishweshwarBhat, asked: Naxal Sympathiser and journalist Gauri Lankesh laid to rest with full state honours. Curious to know the reason. Anyone knows about it?

Did you tweet same when RSS workers are killed & please check the tweet of guys who are appreciating you now,this is called surrender shame  Ramesh (@1967Babu) September 6, 2017

Social media platform Twitter said on Wednesday those violating its policies may find their account temporarily locked, or be subject to permanent suspension, and encouraged users to report abusive behaviour.

We want people to feel safe expressing diverse opinions and beliefs but we draw the line when it comes to behavior that crosses the line into abuse, including behaviour designed to consciously harass, intimidate, or silence another persons voice, Twitter said after the Hindustan Times reached out for a comment.

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An officer of the special investigation team formed to probe the murder of Gauri Lankesh, a known critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, has said they are looking into the surveillance footage from cameras outside the senior journalists house in Bengaluru.

The footage only shows a person wearing a helmet committing the crime. There is no vehicle or any other means of identifying the perpetrators, the officer, a part of the 21-member team, told the Hindustan Times on the condition of anonymity.

The team took charge of the probe on Wednesday.

Several bullets were pumped into the 55-year-old Lankeshs body shortly after 8pm on Tuesday as she was entering her residence in the citys busy Rajarajeshwari Nagar by an unidentified number of suspects.

The officer said four bullets were found, including the three that hit Lankesh on her back and in the chest and stomach regions.

We are looking at all angles. We will send the bullets used to the forensic lab for ballistic tests as well, the officer added.

Karnataka chief minister Siddaramaiah, who set up the special investigation team, said the murder of Lankesh was organised crime but refused to say whether it was a part of a conspiracy.

The killing provoked outrage and anguish across the country, with thousands protesting what they saw as an effort to silence a critic of Hindutva groups.

The murder also brought the spotlight back on similar killings of writer MM Kalburgi, who was also shot dead at his residence in Karnataka, and rationalists Narendra Dabholkar and Govind Pansare in Maharashtra. All of them were killed by suspected right-wing activists but probes have largely been ineffective in tracking down suspects.

While the investigation into Kalburgis murder has not been completed, ballistics reports established a link between his murder and those of Dabholkar and Pansare.

Daughter of famous poet-turned-journalist P Lankesh, she was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, writing often against Sangh organisations and communal violence in the country.

Lankeshs brother Indrajit has demanded a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

However, BT Venkatesh, Lankeshs lawyer for the past 17 years, said at this stage the investigation will be better handled by the state police and if there is a need the probe can be handed over to the CBI.

Venkatesh said Lankesh used to receive threats on a regular basis especially after social media became a big phenomenon.

There was never a doubt in her mind, nor in mine, about the people who were making these threats. They were people belonging to the right-wing who were threatened by her courage to speak up, Venkatesh said.

Venkatesh said although threats had become constant, Lankesh never dwelt on these.

In fact, there were times when she used to shout at me for worrying about these threats, he said.

Her murder has brought the focus back on the perilous conditions journalists in India work in.

India was ranked a lowly 136 among 180 countries in the latest world press freedom rankings released in April with the dismal performance blamed on Modis nationalism and growing self-censorship in the mainstream media.

India slipped three places as compared to the year before.

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The Centre on Thursday asked the Supreme Court to give it six more weeks to settle the decades-old Sutlej Yamuna link canal dispute between Punjab and Haryana.

Negotiations were on between the two neighbouring states and a solution would be found, Centre told the Supreme Court, which would now hear the case on November 8.

During the previous hearing, the court had told the two states to build the canal before bringing their respective points of view and challenges before it.

The Sutlej-Yamuna Link is a proposed 212-kilometer canal to connect the Sutlej River in Punjab and the Yamuna River in Haryana. Both states, however, have repeatedly created obstacles that have prevented the project from taking off.

Read | HT Explainer: Why SYL is a canal of controversy between Punjab and Haryana

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The US said it was up to India to clinch a deal to co-produce F-16 and F-18 fighter jets, adding that the agreement would enhance interoperability between the two militaries.

We strongly support these transfers, Alicia Wells, a senior state department official told a subcommittee of the House of Representatives on Thursday. If India can seize these opportunities, we can enhance interoperability between our militaries and support thousands of jobs in both countries.

India is in the market for the joint-production of single-engine fighter jets, and US firm Lockheed Martins F-16 and Swedish Saabs Gripen are competing for the contract. The Indian Air Force is expected to release a Request for Information (RIF) in two months.

US firm Boeings F-18 is in the race to sell deck-based fighters to the Indian Navy, and is competing with French, Swedish and Russian firms. A global tender is expected in 2018.

In a written testimony, Wells drew an extremely positive picture of the state of bilateral ties, quoting President Donald Trump during Prime Minister Narendra Modis visit in June. The US president had said that the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better.

However, there is a wrinkle  the deficit in bilateral trade.

We do need to do more to balance the trade deficit between our two countries, which totalled nearly $30 billion last year, Wells said. We are working closely with United States trade representative and the commerce department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market.

The commerce department is currently in the final stages of a review and analysis of a country-wise breakdown of its trade deficit, as ordered by Trump. The department will also recommend follow-up action, which could include punitive measures if the deficit was caused by unfair practices.

We are committed to ensuring our trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and will continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies, Wells said.

India-US trade stood at $114 billion in 2016, more than doubling from $45 billion in 2006. Wells said US exports to India support more than 260,000 jobs in America, while investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the US in 2016.

The two-way investment between the US and India in 2016 was nearly $40 billion.

Wells also referred to growing energy trade ties, and noted the first-time purchase of US crude oil by Indian companies beginning in August.
Call it quirk of fate, two policemen on duty dropped dead within a space of less than five minutes at the Karakat police station in Bihars Rohtas district late Wednesday evening.

The police, however, believed their deaths were not unnatural and did not insist on post-mortem examination, even as rumours were agog that the two cops died after consuming spurious liquor at the police station.

Police said constable Shyam Kishore Singh, 58, suffered asthmatic attack, while assistant sub-inspector (ASI) Jawahar Lal, 41, died of heart attack.

Rohtas superintendent of police (SP) Manavjeet Singh Dhillon told HT, We based our finding on the basis of discharge summary by hospitals concerned. Their medical reports did not corroborate intake of alcohol.

Interestingly, both the cops were taken to different private health facilities in Dehri-on-Sone subdivision even as the sadar (district) hospital, Sasaram, was close by to the police station.

Defending the decision not to insist on post-mortem examination, the SP said, The kin of the deceased refused to grant us permission for post-mortem examination as they did not suspect any foul play. In non-medico legal cases, autopsy can only be done with consent of the next of kin of the deceased.

A government doctor in Sasaram, requesting anonymity, however, said: Sudden deaths of cops on duty, after falling unconscious, cannot be classified as a non-medico legal case. After all, they did not die during the course of treatment of some prolonged illness.

Sources said the police were trying to cover up the real cause of death as it would lead to infamy. Besides, it could also attract action against cops, as Bihar was a dry state, and the mandate of ensuring prohibition was with the police.
Two porters engaged by the Army were injured in firing by Pakistani troops along the Line of Control (LoC) in Shahpur Kerni sector of Poonch district on Thursday.

Defence spokesman Lt Col Manish Mehta said the Pakistan army initiated unprovoked and indiscriminate firing of small arms and automatic weapons from 11.45 am. Indian soldiers retaliated, and the exchange of gunfire stopped ten minutes later.

The injured people have been taken to the nearest hospital. Their condition is said to be stable, Lt Col Mehta said. The porters were identified as Farooq Ahmed and Mushtaq Ali.

The ceasefire violation comes two days after BSF personnel foiled an infiltration bid across the international border in Jammu districts Arnia sector, killing a Pakistani terrorist in the process, on Monday evening.

On Sunday, Pakistani troops resorted to shelling and firing at various forward Indian positions across Mendhar and Mankote areas of Poonch district. Over a dozen people have lost their lives in such incidents since the beginning of May.

Repeated shelling by the Pakistani army had triggered the migration of over 4,000 people from Nowshera sector of Rajouri district. They are now housed at six relief camps in the region.
A 22-year-old woman from Nagpur was killed in Ambernath in Maharashtra after being gang raped allegedly by two of her friends on Monday, police said.

The accused later packed the body of the IT engineer in a suitcase and dumped it near Belgaum in neighbouring Karnataka, police revealed on Thursday.

Both the accused, identified as Nikhilesh Patil (24) and Akshay Valode (25), surrendered before Ratnagiri police and confessed to the crime. They were arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

Police said the accused, also from Nagpur, and the victim had telephonic conversations and they agreed to meet in Pune on Sunday last.

The two accused, along with another friend Nilesh Khobragade met the victim in Pune and decided to go to Akshay Valodes house in Ambernath.

Khobragade, however, left the house after sometime as he had some works.

The two gang raped the victim at the house. When she threatened to lodge a complaint, one of the accused strangulated her and stuffed her body into a suitcase, said a police officer investigating the case.

Maharashtra and Karnataka police are jointly investigating the case.

On his return Khobragade was told by the accused that they were going to Goa for a trip. They took the suitcase along with them.

On the way, they dumped the suitcase at a secluded placer near Belgaum. This made Khobragade suspicious. When he started asking the two about the woman, they confessed to the crime, said D Godbole, senior police inspector of the ShivajiNagar police station.

The body was retrieved from the spot and was handed over to the family after post mortem. The victims father is a policeman posted at Nagpur.

She was working with an IT firm in Mumbai.

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Union minister for human resource development Prakash Javadekar urged students to design Indian-style gowns for convocation ceremonies. The minister was speaking at the fourth convocation of Manipal University, Jaipur, on Thursday.

I recently attended the convocation of Sri Sri University in Odisha, where the graduates were wearing Indian-style gowns and turbans. You, too, must design some, said Javadekar. He added that hed soon urge students across the country to design Indian-style convocation gowns and share them with the government.

Addressing the students, he said that the teachers we remember after leaving school and college are those who behaved in a humane way, apart from teaching the subject well. Knowledge and skill development among students are important, however, being a good human is equally important.

Javadekar also emphasised on the importance of learning in a diverse atmosphere. When there are students from all over the country in an institution, you understand each others feelings, traditions, emotions and that learning is a great treasure, he said.

Earlier in the day, Javadekar inaugurated a model school named after Swami Vivekananda in Ajmer. He said that nowadays teachers are getting good perks and they are duty-bound to deliver. If they are not doing their duty then they are dampening the countrys future, he said.

He added that teachers, who do not have a BEd degree, will not get a teachers job in government schools after 2019. He said that teachers working in the schools without a BEd degree need to get one before the deadline.

The government has decided to implement the policy in letter and spirit, and no relaxation will be given. Only trained teacher can impart quality education to students, he added.

He also remarked that GST has brought transparency in countrys taxation system. Taking a dig at tax evaders, Javadekar said, Tax ki chori karne walon ke bure din aane wale hai (Bad times are in store for those who evade taxes).
The Jaipur police on Thursday arrested a priest in Jagatpura for abetting the suicide of a family of five, who were found unconscious at their house on Wednesday after consuming poison.

Four members of the family died on Wednesday while the fifth died early on Thursday morning, said the police.

According to the police, 45-year-old Dungarmal Jangid, along with his wife Suman (41), sons Jitendra (21), Dharmendra (16) and daughter Khushi (14) were found unconscious inside their house in Kalwar Road on Wednesday morning.

Four members of the family died on Wednesday and Dharmendra, who was critical, passed away on Thursday morning. In a suicide note, the family had blamed a priest who they said hadnt returned the money that Jangid had loaned him, said Anil Jasoria, station house officer, Kardhani police station.

The police said that Jangid was into real estate but was debt-ridden due to losses.

Several people to whom Jangid owed money allegedly came to his house regularly and threatened him, said officials.

We are yet to ascertain the total sum of money that Jangid borrowed from people. The suicide note mentions that the priest had asked Jangid for money and he had borrowed it from elsewhere before giving it to the priest, said deputy commissioner of police, west, Ashok Gupta.

The suicide note also said that when Jangid asked the priest to return the money, he kept delaying.

Officials said preliminary investigations suggest that Jangid was under tremendous pressure from his debtors, which made him take this extreme step.

A case of abetment of suicide has been lodged against the priest, who has been identified as Vishambhar Das, and the man has been arrested, said the police.

The police said that the accused is being interrogated and efforts are being made to ascertain the total sum of money.
Rajasthan health minister Kali Charan Saraf said the government is in the process of banning e-cigarettes and also considering issuing licences to tobacco vendors.

Saraf was addressing a state level seminar on Tobacco-Free Rajasthan organised by Vaagdhara, an NGO, in a city hotel on Thursday.

I used to chew a mixture of pan masala and tobacco from 1990 to 2000. Then I developed blisters inside my mouth. I consulted a doctor, who asked me to quit tobacco. I instantly did, he said

If you want to quit tobacco or smoking, doing so instantly with a strong will power will work or else its a difficult habit to quit, the minister said.

He said that the state government is committed to making Rajasthan tobacco free. He said 50,000 people die every year from consuming tobacco and the question that is generally asked is why not ban tobacco in the state and solve the problem. It is easier said than done, he added.

If the world bans tobacco and its manufacturing, then the state can also ban it. However, if only one state bans tobacco, it will boost smuggling. Thats why the government is making people aware about the ill-effects of tobacco so people can quit it, he added.

Health minister said more than 1.80 lakh challans have been issued for violation of Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA) 2003. After making all schools a tobacco-free zone, all the 17,000 government health facilities have been asked to make their premises tobacco-free and letters have been written to private hospitals for the same. Letters have been issued to 6,800 anganwari centres to make their premises tobacco free and to ensure no tobacco products is sold within 100 metres of it.

I am personally writing letters to pradhans and sarpanchs to quit tobacco and create awareness about the ill-effects of tobacco in rural areas, said Saraf.

Rajasthan Human Rights Commission chairman Justice Prakash Chandra Tatia said that tobacco should be completely banned.

National Tobacco Control Programme state consultant Narendra Singh, former IAS Rajendra Bhanawat, Dr Kunal Kothari, Bharatiya Janata Party general secretary Abhishek Matoria, Ramesh Gandhi of Gandhi Foundation and others spoke on the occasion.
When there are no real hopes on the ground, rumour mills start working. With 85 days of indefinite shutdown behind them, and an indeterminate duration ahead, the people of the hills and foothills of Darjeeling are circulating wild rumours -- after the bandh hits 90 days, there will be Presidents rule in the Gorkhaland region that will set the ball rolling for a separate state. From petrol pump workers to doctors, housewives to retired persons, almost everybody is carrying forward the piece of fantasy.

With all sections of the society in the hills passing through untold suffering for 85 days, a section of the masses are anxiously waiting for just another five days of hardship to take them to the threshold of their dreams.

Read: Gorkhaland stir: No school, playground or internet for children in Darjeeling

The imposition of Presidents Rule under article 356 of the Constitution would pave the way for creation of separate state of Gorkhaland, said Maya Chettri, 39, a housewife. A resident of Sonada, she has been the part of the Gorkhaland movement since June 17, when three people were killed in police firing.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha chief Bimal Gurung seems to have no plans of lifting the bandh in the near future. (Samir Jana)

What made her believe so? I heard the same from local leaders, said Chettri.

Dipak Tomar, a cardiologist in Siliguri, has also fallen victim to the rumours. When so much has been sacrificed and lost, it makes sense to continue the bandh only for a few days that will invite the intervention of the President of the country, he told this correspondent.

The rumours are circulating for the past two weeks. It is believed that some political leaders, who are convinced that the movement is heading nowhere and they are losing peoples support, are spreading it. If that is true, why arent the Bodos resorting to a 90-day strike to get Bodoland? They can use guns to enforce a 90-month shutdown if they want? said Rajen Mukhia, Darjeeling district (hills) committee of Trinamool Congress.

Read: Bandh till Centre calls tripartite meet on Gorkhaland: Bimal Gurung

People like K K Pradhan (73), a retired havildar of the Border Security Force (BSF), and Anil Sunam , who work at a petrol pump near Ghoom are ardent supporters of a separate state.

People should be ready to sacrifice more for five days when they can Gorkhaland by doing so, said Pradhan, who is a resident of Rohini in Kurseong. He and Sunam have been attending the pro-Gorkhaland rallies every day since the agitation was launched in middle of June.

The rumours have spread to such an extent that Narayan Pradhan, senior lawyer and executive member of Darjeeling Bar Association called a press conference on Tuesday to clear the air. Though article 356 of the Constitution has the provision for imposition of the Presidents rule in a state, the belief that 90 days of bandh would invite it is absurd and false. None should indulge in this rumour mongering, Pradhan said.

Read: Indefinite Darjeeling bandh bleeds Siliguris business of Rs 2 crore every day

But that advice hardly seems to have any effect.

Sunams 16-year-old daughter is suffering from tuberculosis and is admitted to S B Dey Sanatorium in Kurseong. From his home in Ghoom Sundas walks more than 11 hours every week to visit her daughter. The father of two is equally convinced that relief may be just five days away.

Since June 15 life has been completely paralysed in the north Bengal hills with the educational institutions, tourism and tea industry turning out to be the biggest victims.

Gorkha Janmukti Morcha president Bimal Gurung has said that the bandh will continue till the Centre calls a tripartite meeting on Gorkhaland. On August 13, Union home minister Rajnath Singh told a team of agitators in Delhi that the Centre has nothing to do with the demand and they must talk to Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee, who has vowed not to allow another partition of Bengal.

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A few weeks ago, Hasu Sheikh would have had no problem telling his first wife to clear out of their house at Sultanganj in Malda district after marrying another woman from the same locality. However, with the Supreme Court closing that avenue on August 22 through a verdict against triple talaq, he found himself resorting to a simpler  albeit more brutal  way of ensuring that she doesnt become an obstacle on his path to renewed marital bliss.

Sheikh chopped off 38-year-old Meno Bibis nose with a sickle on Wednesday night, 15 days after he entered into a marital alliance with his second wife.

A complaint was lodged against Sheikh and six others at the Kaliachak police station soon after the incident. Bibi was admitted to the Malda Medical College and Hospital, where she is recuperating.

According to Nakibuddin Gazi, a neighbour, Sheikh had entered into an extra-marital relationship with another woman from the same area about a year ago. Late last month, he married the woman and brought her to his house much to Bibis indignation.

The quarrels intensified as the days passed, with Bibi flatly refusing to give in to their demands that she and her children leave the house. Sheikh and Afel  the son of his new wife  even beat her up on a few occasions.

Things came to a head on Wednesday, when the duo attacked Bibi with a sickle. Hearing her cries for help, neighbours rushed to their house and took the woman to a local hospital. She was later referred to the state-run Malda medical College and Hospital.

My husband didnt divorce me. He simply went ahead and married a woman, ignoring my objections, she told mediapersons from her hospital bed. He doesnt want to take care of my children anymore. I want stringent punishment for him and the others who attacked me.

A Kaliachak police officer said all the suspects were on the run. We have received a written complaint against Hasu, Afel and five others. We are trying our best to nab them, he added.

The apex court had struck down triple talaq, an Islamic practice permitting men to instantly divorce their wives, on August 22. Sources said when Sheikh came to know from neighbours that the practice was likely to be banned, he married his lover without even bothering to divorce his first wife.

Sheikh has three children from his first marriage.
A Lucknow-based medicine trader fell to death while trying to hide in the balcony of his flat on the fourth floor of a residential building in Vikas Nagar area. A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team from Ranchi had raided his premises on Wednesday morning.

The deceased has been identified as Pradeep Kumar Agarwal, 57.

He along with his wife Sangeeta Agarwal, brother Praveen and Praveens wife Preeti Agarwal are wanted in a case pertaining to irregularities in supply of medicines to government hospitals in Bihar under the National Rural Health Mission (NRHM). The case lodged in Bihar in 2009 was later transferred to the CBI.

While Sangeeta had surrendered and is out on bail, the CBI recently got an arrest warrant issued for the other three accused.

At around 7 am on Wednesday, the police control room was informed that a man had fallen from the fourth floor of Rohit Apartment in Sector 2 of Vikas Nagar. We rushed him to KGMUs trauma centre where he succumbed to his injuries, said Suneet Srivastava, station officer (SO), Vikas Nagar police station.

The police later came to know that the CBI team had raided his place early morning.

The CBI team raided flat number 301, address mentioned in the warrant, but Agarwal and his family resided in flat number 303 and 304 on the same floor.

The victims family later told police that when the CBI team was at flat number 301, Pradeep went to the balcony of flat number 303 to hide himself.

The family members came to know about the accident when the CBI team led by a sub-inspector Romi Pal returned after enquiring about him.

The victims family had reportedly told the CBI officials that he had gone to Indore for some business work.

The family owns a medicine factory in Gudamba area and supplies medicines to different government and private agencies.

The CBI sleuths have been informed about the incident, said the SO.
LOGAN LUCKY Direction: Steven Soderbergh Actors: Channing Tatum, Adam Driver Rating: 4 / 5

Four years after announcing his retirement from feature filmmaking so he could concentrate on television, Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh (Traffic) re-enters the big-screen fray with this clever caper comedy.

And he is in full bloom, keeping the audience on the edge of their seats from the first frame to the last. (Just in case youre wondering, Logan Lucky has nothing to do with Wolverine or the X-Men).

Packed with deadpan humour, speedway action and a myriad twists, the plot centres on two down-on-their-luck siblings (Channing Tatum  Adam Driver) desperate to reverse a curse on the family.

One brother is divorced and unemployed; the other lost an arm in the Iraq War. They plan to turn things around with an elaborate heist during a motorcar racing event, and theyve they enlisted the help of their hairdresser sister (Riley Keough), an incarcerated convict (Daniel Craig) and his morally indignant brothers (Jack Quaid-Brian Gleeson).

The Smallville USA setting is layered with vibrant Day-Glo colours and a jaunty soundtrack featuring John Denver, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn.

Also thrown into the mix are an oddball prison warden (Dwight Yoakam), a commercial sponsor (Seth MacFarlane) and an FBI agent (Hilary Swank).

A brief encounter between the Robin Hood-ish ring leader and a genial medic (Katherine Waterston) is one of many comic highlights.

Daniel Craig, with his bleached-blonde crew-cut, is a hoot. The Smallville USA setting is layered with vibrant Day-Glo colours and a jaunty soundtrack featuring John Denver, Patsy Cline and Loretta Lynn.

As always, Soderbergh has also served as cinematographer and editor, under the familiar pseudonyms Peter Andrews and Mary Ann Bernard.

The script, credited to a Rebecca Blunt (who some sources claim is Soderbergh himself), evokes the madcap hijinks of the directors Oceans trilogy, with the noticeable difference that the suave high-rollers have been replaced by blue-collar strugglers.

The far-fetched but equitable resolution will likely warm the cockles of genre geeks hearts.

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The designated TADA court is likely to pronounce sentence against five of the six convicts, including gangster Abu Salem, in the 1993 blasts case on Thursday.

It convicted six accused, including Salem and Mustafa Dossa, on June 16. Dossa, however, died after the special public prosecutor Deepak Salve began his arguments on quantum of sentence and sought capital punishment for him.

Apart from Salem and Dossa, the court has convicted Firoz Khan, Mohammed Tahir Merchant alias Tahir Taklya, Karimullah Khan and Riyaz Ahmed Siddique. The prosecution has sought capital punishment for Firoz, Tahir, Karimullah and late Dossa. It has sough life imprisonment Salem and Riyaz.

On March 12, a series of 12 explosions took place between 1:30pm and 3:40pm across Mumbai. As many as 257 people were killed, 713 others were seriously injured and property worth about Rs27 crore was destroyed in these blast. After the blas,t the case was investigated by the Mumbai police but was later handed over to the CBI.

During the investigation, the agencies arrested 129 accused. The special TADA court had in 2006 convicted 100 of the accused. During the trial against the 129 accused, the agency managed to arrest seven of the several key accused whose trial began in a second round.

Read | From explosions to convictions: A timeline of 1993 Mumbai serial blast case

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The Maharashtra prisons department recently reconstituted a four-member committee to probe complaints of sexual harassment of staff at workplace.

The committee, formed according to the provisions of the sexual harassment of women at workplace (Prevention, prohibition and redressal) Act 2013, has deputy inspector general of prisons Swati Sathe as its head and a social worker as its member. Three of the four members are women.

According to an officer from the department, after speaking to the complainant, the committee will seek response from the department concerned. After a basic inquiry, the committee can recommend course of action the government can take.

The aim is to empower women to speak their mind before the members of the committee and ensure a fair probe.

The complaint has been formed and is fully functional, said BK Upadhay, additional director general of prisons.

Maharashtra has nine central prisons, 31 district prisons, 13 open prisons, 1 open colony and 172 sub-jails. There are two separate prisons for women  at Pune and Mumbai each. There are two open prisons for women  at Pune and Akola. The Maharashtra prison department has its headquarters in Pune and the state training centre is at Yerawada, Pune.

In the past, there have been several complaints of harassment in prisons.

In September 2016, the state government suspended a jail superintendent for alleged sexual harassment of a woman constable. A probe has also been ordered against the superintendent and the enquiry is underway.

Seventeen trainees in Pune had accused the same officer of sexual harassment in 2012. With the inquiry leading to substantial evidence, the officer was suspended for 18 months. The case is pending with Maharashtra Administrative Tribunal.

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A special court awarded the death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Khan, while awarding life imprisonment to prime accused Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

Merchant was convicted for conspiring, facilitating and knowingly commissioning acts of terror.

Highlights of courts sentence 1993 Mumbai blasts case

Here are the roles of Merchant and Firoz Khan in the blasts case:

Tahir Merchant

Tahir Merchant made transport arrangements for the co-accused who were trained in Pakistan. The prosecution said he, along with Karimullah Khan, arranged for their passports. Merchant attended conspiracy meetings in Dubai and motivated his associates to arrange men from Mumbai to be sent to Pakistan for arms training. He collected funds to procure arms and planned to set up an illegal arms manufacturing factory in India.

Firoz Khan

On January 8, 1993, two months ahead of the blasts, Mohammed Dossa (absconding brother of Mustafa Dossa) sent Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and another accused to Alibagh and Mhasla to inform Customs officials and landing agents about the landing (of arms and explosives) that was to take place the next day. He also attended conspiracy meetings.

Towards the end of the trial, he sought to become an approver. However, the court rejected his plea after the CBI told the court that it has enough evidence against all the accused and they dont need any approver.
An exporter from Mumbai, recently arrested from a south Mumbai hotel in connection with a foreign exchange scam, has destroyed crucial evidence in the case.

Hiten Haria deposited approximately Rs137 crore in foreign exchange and allegedly forged currency declaration forms (CDFs) to claim remittance for exported goods.

How it works Filling CDFs is mandatory if the value of foreign currency notes a passenger is carrying exceeds $5,000 and if the aggregate of the foreign exchange (in the form of currency notes, bank notes, traveller cheques etc.) with a passenger exceeds $10,000 After the currency is declared, it is verified by customs officers After verification, the foreign currency can be deposited in bank with the CDFs In this case, the forms were filled by exporters under the name of fictitious passengers  say a Nigerian travelling to the city to purchase garments from them. The signatures of the customs officials on the forms were forged, alleged the agency These forms were then submitted to banks

According to the sources, the exporter first converted black money into white and later claimed government incentives on it.

Haria is alleged to have received Rs10 crore in export incentives (called duty drawback).

Haria, in his statement to the DRI, said he had destroyed all evidence, stationery used for preparing fake/forged forms and mobile phones.

The exporter allegedly operated various companies namely Ashapura texfab Pvt Ltd, Ashapura Clothing Pvt Ltd and Ashapura exports, and submitted the forms to banks in their names, alleged DRI.

The DRI has arrested eight people, including textile exporters, for claiming excise duty benefits from the government by showing fake CDFs.

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Extradited gangster Abu Salem was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment by a court in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment. A special TADA court had convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem, in the blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left more than 250 people dead.

Much before he delivered a consignment of arms and explosives at actor Sanjay Dutts house in the run-up to the March 12, 1993 serial blasts, Abu Salem went by the name Abu Samaan in Dawood Ibrahims gang, often called the D-Company.

Highlights of courts sentence in 1993 Mumbai blasts case

He got the name because of his good driving skills that ensured many of the gangs consignments of contraband (referred to as saaman) reach their destination in time. So he was the natural choice for the gang when it came to carrying the deadly consignment of hand grenades and assault rifles from Gujarat to Mumbai in January 1993. He did not disappoint Anees Ibrahim, Dawoods younger brother and second-in-command in the gang. The task was accomplished with precision and the consignment reached the garage at actor Dutts Pali Hill home without authorities suspecting anything.

Retired assistant commissioner of police (ACP), Shankar Kamble, who was a key member of the Mumbai crime branch team that investigated the serial blasts case, remembers that Salem never figured in the underworld criminal dossier, neither was he a suspect in the serial blasts even a month after the police unravelled the plot.

Read: All about Tahir Merchant, Firoz Khan who got death sentence in 1993 Mumbai blasts case

It was at the height of the investigation in the third week of April 1993, that the crime branch picked up some D Company members from Andheri for questioning. The source of some confiscated Kalashnikovs and hand grenades was still to be known, though the police had a fair idea about how Kala Saboon (RDX) had found its way into the city.

One of the gangsters spilled the beans about key Dawood aide Baba Chouhan. Chouhans family ran a motor driving training school in Andheri, while he himself was involved in smuggling activity, Kamble recollects. Baba was swiftly picked up and subjected to questioning.

It was from Babas disclosure that the police learnt about another facet of the terror plan -- of indiscriminate firing with assault rifles and lobbing of grenades  which never took off.

Read: Dawood Ibrahim, Tiger Memon: Brains behind the 1993 Mumbai blasts, still on the run

It became evident that a large consignment of arms and explosives had been carried into the city from Gujarat in a Maruti Omni van. Special cavities were made in the doors and floor of the van to conceal the consignment that was initially offloaded at Dutts bungalow. The disclosure not only nailed Dutt, but the driver of the vehicle, Salem (and two more) in the terror plot.

What followed was the arrest of Dutt, Baba, Salim Hingora, Arif Kadawala and some other accused. However, Salem had, by then, escaped to Delhi, later his home town Azamgarh before he flew down to Dubai to join other D-Company fugitives. The van was never found.

Years after the blast, the police heard Chhota Shakeel referring to a driver in his telephone interceptions. Later, it became evident that the driver was blast accused Qayoom who morphed into Abu Salem afterwards.

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Alert volunteers of a Ganesh mandal caught two robbers who had tied an elderly couple to allegedly rob them at knife point at Kalbadevi in South Mumbai. The police later arrested two more people of the gang.

The incident took place at 3.30pm on Sunday, when the couple was alone at home.

The 76-year-old complainant, Gopi Kishan Ramgopal Garg, lives at Garg Bhavan in Kalbadevi. The police said that Garg owns the building and has rented out 105 rooms of the building. The couple lives alone while their two sons are at Kalbadevi (away from the parents) and Borivli.

An officer from LT Marg police station requesting anonymity said, On Sunday afternoon, the couple was alone at home when the one of the six gang members approached the family posing himself as BMC officer. The couple opened the door, following which others entered the house.

The gang tied the couple and taped their mouth. After stealing all cash and valuables totaling Rs17 lakh, the six removed the tape from their mouth fearing that they would suffocate to death.

The six removed the tape and started fleeing from the spot. As soon as they opened the tape, the couple raised an alarm for help, following which the volunteers at a nearby Ganesh pandal chased the six and nabbed the two, said an officer.

The police said that the gang is from Patripol in Kalyan. The gang knew that the Gargs get rents at the start of every month.

The gang knew that the couple gets rent in cash which would be in lakhs, so accordingly they hatched a plan and executed the offence. The two were nabbed while they were fleeing with Rs17 lakh, said an officer.

The arrested accused revealed the locations of the other two accused to the police. The other two were arrested from Kalyan. The four men were produced in court and remanded in police custody.

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Hindu outfit Sanathan Sansthan condemned the attack on Hindutva outfits over the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Chetan Rajhans, spokesperson, Sanathan Sanstha, said, Even before the investigation starts, many have concluded it was an attack on by Hindutva outfits. There is no noise when Hindus are being killed, but there is an outrage when those subscribing to communist ideology are killed.

Gauri Lankesh, a fierce critic of Hindutva forces, was killed brutally on Tuesday.

The Sansthan was previously named in the murder of communist leader Govind Pansare and its member Samir Gaikwad was named an accused. Gaikwad has secured bail in this case.

Before Pansare, anti-superstition activist and rationalist Narendra Dabholkar was shot to death in Pune. The police have failed to make headway in either of these cases.

In Karnataka, another rationalist M M Kalburgi was shot down

Lankeshs murder has brought back the spotlight on the killings of these three rationalists and activists given that she in a similar vein had taken on Hindutva elements and the right wing in her work.

In June, the Hindu Janajagruti Samiti (HJS), the sister organisation of Sanathan, held a convention in Goa which was attended by 150 Hindu outfits to prepare a road map to make India a Hindu Rashtra by 2023.
Under pressure after allegations of conflict of interest, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) minister Rajkumar Badoles daughter, Shruti Badole, decided to give up her state government scholarship to study abroad. But her inclusion, along with that of the son of the secretary of the social justice and special assistance department has raised questions over the structure of the scheme and the selection process.

The social justice and special assistance department, which is under Badole, allots the scholarship, instituted in 2003, to a maximum of 50 students a year from Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe and Dalit backgrounds for post-graduate and PhD degrees in any of the worlds top 300 universities, according to the internationally accepted QC World University rankings.

For 2017-18, the state government received 178 applications for the scholarship, of which 35 were chosen. The chosen applications included that of Badoles daughter, Shruti, who plans to pursue a PhD in Astronomy and Astrophysics from the University of Manchester, UK.

Besides Shruti, the list also included social justice secretary Dinesh Waghmares son, Antariksh Waghmare, and joint director, technical education, Dayanand Meshrams son, Sameer.

Significantly, the selection was at the discretion of the government.

Following the allegations, Shruti sent a letter to the state government saying she wants to give up her scholarship although she won it on merit. Antariksh and Sameer, however, intend to go ahead with it.

While Badole and the Waghmare maintain they had nothing to do with the selection process and that a chief secretary-led panel was in charge, government officials say the final list of beneficiaries was ultimately drawn up by the social justice department.

A senior government official, on condition of anonymity, said, The social justice department determines the various categories of courses for which scholarships have to be given and even fixes the number of seats for each category. The selection committee only had one meeting. The role of the members is to verify the courses the applicants are seeking the scholarship for and if the nomenclature of the courses qualifies for a scholarship, according to the state governments eligibility criteria. He said the committee members simply forward their remarks on the applications, after checking the nomenclature of courses, to the social welfare commissioner.

It is the social welfare commissioners office that ultimately decides the eligibility of the candidates and makes recommendations for selection, the official said, adding the commissioner works as part of the social justice and special assistance department. The state government does not interview the candidates involved and makes decisions simply based on the applications.

Besides the chief secretary, the selection committee includes the additional chief secretary of higher and technical education, the medical education secretary, directors of medical education and technical education and the social welfare commissioner.

The scholarship scheme does not state any condition barring government employees or ministers from applying. Moreover, the scheme earlier necessitated the annual family income of the applicant to be lower than Rs6 lakh in order to be eligible. However, the BJP-led state government, through a June 2015 government resolution, waived this criterion for students, who have secured admission in the top 100 universities, according to QC world rankings.

Twenty nine of the 35 students chosen for the scholarship this year have secured admission in the top 100 universities, which means the income criteria was applicable only for the other six.

Chief secretary Sumeet Mullick said, There have to be clear rules. If anything, the rules have to be changed, but having said that we cannot deny students who can be chosen on merit.

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The state cabinet on Thursday decided to buy two helicopters to replace the one that crashed-landed at Nilanga in May, and use the other one for conducting operations in Maoist-affected Gadchiroli and Chandrapur districts. The two helicopters are expected to cost the state anywhere between Rs150 crore to Rs175 crore. The delivery will take place within 18 months.

The state is spending Rs15 crore per year to hire a chopper for security operations and as air ambulance in Maoist-affected areas. Besides, ferrying VVIPs, the chopper that will replace Dauphin will also be used for the operations in these areas. The new chopper we are planning to buy  with the specifications equivalent to the Dauphin  will cost anywhere from Rs50 crore to Rs65 crore. While the one replacing Sikorsky will be used exclusively for flying VVIPs and will cost about Rs100 crore. A high power committee comprising officials from the defence forces are finalising the specifications, said an official from the general administration department.

Currently, the state is dependent on Cessna Citation aircraft that was purchased in 2008 for flying VVIPs after two of its choppers, Eurocopter Daufin and Sikorsky S76, and a fixed wing aircraft, Super King Air 350, were grounded for various reasons.

The Dauphin has not been utilised since 2011 after the Director General of Civil Aviation changed the guidelines for flying VVIP. the Sikorsky was grounded after it crashed in Nilanga in May. While the Super King Air 350 has not been used 2009 after it completed the specified flying hours.

The government has suspended helicopter operations for VVIPs, including the governor and chief minister, after a helicopter hired from an empaneled agency met with an incident at Alibaug in July.

After numerous failed attempts to upgrade or dispose of the chopper and aircraft grounded for years, the state has now decided to donate the Dauphin to the aviation training institute. The decision was taken after the state realised that its revival would cost more than Rs35 crore, while disposing it in scrap will fetch only a couple of crores.

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The quality of air in Mumbai was much worse than Delhi in the last two months of 2016, as it had a higher concentration of hazardous particulate matter (PM) than the capital.

The concentration of PM1 (smaller than one micrometre) was 45 microgrammes per cubic metre (g/m3) in Mumbai in December 2016, against 42g/m3 in Delhi, found the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). In November 2016, the gap was narrow as Mumbai recorded 41g/m3, against 48g/m3 in Delhi.

PM, which consists of dust, chemicals, pollen, soot, and liquid suspended in air, is hazardous because it can enter the lungs. PM ranges from coarse (bigger) particles that are visible to the naked eye, such as dust and sand to much smaller particles such as PM10 (less than or equal to 10 micrometres), PM2.5 (less than 2.5 micrometres) and PM1. One micrometer is about a thousandth of a millimeter.

According to the data, the PM1 levels were 35g/m3 and 40g/m3 in November and December 2015, respectively.

PM1 level in Mumbai was as high as Delhi in winter due to a combination of high salty humidity, coming from the sea, and low temperature that makes them suspend longer in Mumbai, said the conclusion of the study.

SAFARs assessment was made on the basis of a year-long analysis of PM1 levels recorded at their Lodhi Road station, and averaged data from 10 SAFAR stations in Mumbai. There is no permissible standard specified for PM1 even at an international level due to limited data for PM1 measurement at a global level.

Officials from SAFAR said PM1 in urban pollution is predominantly composed of exhaust from internal combustion in motor vehicles. The probability of inhaling PM1 particles is high as they stay suspended in the air much longer compared to coarser particles, said Gufran Beig, scientist at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) and project director, SAFAR. The winter is a concern for Mumbai as the holding capacity of tiny particles in the air is high with low temperatures and high humidity. In summer and monsoon, the rise in temperature makes the difference.

Doctors said that fine PM1 particles could cause maximum damage to the respiratory system compared to any other pollutant. These small particles can travel to the bloodstream and can affect our cerebral system, said Sanjeev Mehta, pulmonologist (lung specialist), Lilavati Hospital, Bandra. These fine particles can trigger health ailments such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), bronchitis, hypersensitivity pneumonitis (inflammation of lung tissue) and asthma. It is advisable to see your nearest physician if cough and cold persists for 10 days or more during winter months in Mumbai.

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While the designated TADA court pronounced sentences against five of the six convicts in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case on Thursday, the probe in the forex scam revealed the exporter destroyed the evidence.

Mumbais air was worse than Delhis in November-December 2016.

After uproar, Maharashtra ministers daughter said no to the scholarship for foreign education.

Meanwhile, Sanatan Sanstha hit back at those attacking Hindu groups after the death of Gauri Lankesh.

The top five stories of the day:

1. 1993 Mumbai blasts case hearing HIGHLIGHTS: 2 get death; Salem, Karimullah get life; Riyaz Siddiqui gets 10 years in jail

The Mumbai court awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life imprisonment to extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case. Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in the case while awarding 10 years sentence to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

2. Foreign education scholarship: Ministers daughter says no; dept secy says son wont withdraw application

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Minister Rajkumar Badoles daughter on Thursday withdrew her application for the special state government scholarship to study abroad following allegations of conflict of interest over the inclusion of her name in the list of beneficiaries.

Hiten Haria. (File)

3. Forex scam busted: Exporter who deposited 137crore destroyed crucial evidence

An exporter from Mumbai, recently arrested from a south Mumbai hotel in connection with a foreign exchange scam, has destroyed crucial evidence in the case. Hiten Haria deposited approximately Rs137 crore in foreign exchange and allegedly forged currency declaration forms (CDFs) to claim remittance for exported goods.

4. Mumbai air was more dangerous than Delhi in 2016, says study

Mumbais air was more dangerous than Delhi in the last two months of 2016, as it had a higher concentration of hazardous particulate matter (PM) than the capital.

The concentration of PM1 (smaller than one micrometre) was 45 microgrammes per cubic metre (g/m3) in Mumbai in December 2016, against 42g/m3 in Delhi, found the System of Air Quality Weather Forecasting and Research (SAFAR). In November 2016, the gap was narrow as Mumbai recorded 41g/m3, against 48g/m3 in Delhi.

5. Gauri Lankesh murder: No noise when Hindus are killed, says Sanatan Sanstha

Hindu outfit Sanathan Sansthan condemned the attack on Hindutva outfits over the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh. Chetan Rajhans, spokesperson, Sanathan Sanstha, said, Even before the investigation starts, many have concluded it was an attack on by Hindutva outfits. There is no noise when Hindus are being killed, but there is an outrage when those subscribing to communist ideology are killed.
While some doctors hailed the Supreme Courts decision to allow a 13-year-old rape survivor to terminate her pregnancy at 32 weeks, others say that the foetus might survive, as it already weighs 1.7kg.

Dr Nikhil Datar, a city based gynaecologist, who helped her family file the petition for medical termination of pregnancy in the apex court, said the girls relatives were overwhelmed with the judgement and extremely relieved.

It is a path-breaking, historic judgement as it relives the girl of emotional and physical trauma. Our judicial activism started in 2008, but will be complete only when the law is amended to extend the abortion deadline to 24 weeks from the present 20 weeks, said Dr Datar.

He, however, questioned why it had to take almost a month for justice to be delivered to the girl, considering every advancing week of pregnancy was adding to her physical and mental trauma.

Sneha Mukherjee, advocate, said, In cases of abortion, it takes about two to two-and-half weeks from the time the petition is filed to the time when the main verdict is given. This case was exceptional, as there were lot of delays owing to the fathers unavailability and the floods in Mumbai. She added that such events reiterate the need to extend the legal abortion deadline.

Meanwhile, gynaecologists said that in this case, the pregnancy has reached a stage where termination would mean a premature delivery.

Dr Ashok Anand, head of gynaecology, Sir JJ Hospital, Byculla who has evaluated the teen, said the new-born will most probably require neonatal intensive care unit.

At present, the foetus weighs 1.7 kg. With this weight, once its delivered, the baby will have higher chances of developing infections, hypothermia (a drop in body temperature) and respiratory complications, Dr Anand said.
Courts and the state administration cannot provide the answer for everything and parents also need to instil sense in the minds of their children, said the Bombay high court on Thursday while hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) seeking directions to stop availability of the deadly online game, Blue Whale.

The division bench of chief justice Manjula Chellur and justice Nitin Jamdar said it was the duty of parents to keep a check on their children. Parents think they [the children] have gone to college, but they go to Worli and Marine Drive, said the bench. It was hearing a request for an urgent hearing on the PIL filed by city NGO, Citizen Circle for Social Welfare and Education.

Voicing concern over the rising number of suicides among youngsters because of the online game, the NGO sought directions to government authorities to stop its availability on the Internet. The petitioner body also sought a dedicated helpline to enable citizens to promptly inform police about the fatal game so that timely action could be taken to save lives.

Instead of focusing on their careers, the children are losing their lives at an early age by playing Blue Whale game, states the petition, adding that nowadays, most children begin using mobile phones at a very young age.

The bench, however, felt the greatest burden of responsibility rests with the parents. You want the government to keep a check on the children when the parents cant, the bench told the petitioner organisations lawyer after he pressed for an urgent hearing on the PIL.

Responding to the PIL, advocate Hitendra Venegaonkar said the central government directed competent authorities to immediately remove the links to the dangerous game. The petitioner bodys lawyer, however, complained the directive has not been complied with.

The bench has now posted the PIL for hearing next week.

Read more:

Blue Whale challenge: Jodhpur girl rescued on Monday tries to kill self again

Youth jumps off 3rd floor in Chandigarh: Police, doc rule out Blue Whale game, kin differ
A day after her fathers auto was damaged in a fire, a young woman allegedly committed suicide by hanging herself inside her hostel room at a college in Ghaziabad on Thursday morning.

Pushpanjali Chaudharys father is a retired driver from the army and drove an auto to support his daughters education.

According to VMLG College principal Indrani Verma, Pushpanjali had her breakfast but did not attend her classes and was later found hanging to a ceiling fan in her hostel room. The police was informed and a suicide note was recovered from her room.

I am going because I have not been able to do better what you expected of me... and I truly tell that that I will not be able to live under circumstances going on as you have done a lot and have lot of expectations from me. I know you will not be able to live but I dont want to be burden on you... (sic) read the note.

The family, originally from Govindpur village in UPs Ballia district, said that the 20-year-old was planning to pursue MCA after completing her BCA from the college. Her parents stay at sector 93 in Noida.

After she (Pushpanjali) heard that her fathers auto got burnt, she was anxious and wanted to call her father. Since it was too late on Wednesday and I had slept, she called up on Thursday morning. She asked how we will be able to manage funds for her further studies. I told her if need be I will also join some job and you need not worry. She said that you (parents) are working so hard to bring me up and I will never let you down, said Pushpa, her mother.

Pushpanjali Chaudharys parents with the police. Her father, BL Chaudhary, is a retired driver from the Army. (HT Photo)

She was normal during the call in the morning. She had earlier told me that she will seek some job to support us and will marry later, she added.

Her father, BL Chaudhary, said the auto caught fire due to a short circuit. He was on his way to get it repaired when he received a call from the college.

I was driving the auto to earn more and to support her education as she is the only daughter in our family. She did her schooling from Mahamaya Inter College in Noida. During the call on Thursday, she had asked me about the auto, Chaudhary added.

College principal Verma said that it was the first case in the college. Over 3,000 students are enrolled in the college and around 80 stay in the hostel.

Pushpanjali was a brilliant student. When her roommate arrived and told that she has locked door from inside and was not responding to calls, we broke the door and found her hanging inside. We immediately informed the police, she added.

Circle officer, Rupesh Kumar Singh said that it was a case of suicide and no foul play was suspected by family as of now.

The door was locked from inside. Her suicide note said that she was not able to fulfill expectation of her parents. There is no foul play suspected by family as of now. Her postmortem is being conducted, he added.

Pushpanjali is survived by her mother, father and a brother, who studies in class 11.

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What are you afraid off? Gauri had challenged me. As a trainee sub-editor on desk of The Times of India in late-1980s, Gauri Lankesh had decided I was worthy of her mentorship and guidance as she prodded me explore reporting on the big bad city. She gave me and other trainees tips and suggestions on story writing while interrogating us to think of new angles to stories.

In those days, Gauri was hardly the radical journalist that distinguished her in last few years. Always the quintessential liberal, Gauri was a combination of a liberal feminist, music lover and counsellor to those whod visit her in an idyllic Def Col barsati which she shared with her then spouse, which was later immortalised in several Farooq Shaikh movies. The barsati was the hub of our social lives and scores of colleagues, writers and moviemakers coming and going at all hours.

You could listen to rock music, borrow the latest books, party hard, have cook outs and, if it was your want, discuss politics as well. In the midst of these chats she could quickly and without fuss produce the most delicious curd rice one had tasted. Many of us honed our social and journalistic skills hanging out with Gauri and her husband.

Fascinating stories of Lankesh Patrike, the journal her illustrious father, P Lankesh ran, intrigued a few of us. Was it really possible? Could one run a journal/magazine on subscription alone? What an utterly utopian idea. No wonder she chose to return to Bengaluru disillusioned with national/mainstream media and run the journal.

At this juncture, I had lost active contact with Gauri but kept up with her activities through the civil liberties circles. Her fierce beliefs led her to many scraps not only with authority figures but with her brother who is said to have wrested control of the journal from her. They reportedly later reconciled.

In the 21st century, Gauri emerged as the dependable crusader who stood up to be counted even when no one showed up. From the pictures and posts I see of her surrounded by the much-maligned JNU students, I knew she had not given up her mentorship mantle.

In November 2016 Gauri was held guilty of defamation by a judicial magistrate in Hubbali, Karnataka, fined and sentenced for six-month sentence, but received bail the same day. She was least unconcerned about the case, but surprised how it was being used by some in BJP to scare off journalists. Her concern was for press freedom in the country. Selective and precision targeting of critics of the ruling ideology is what kept driving her.

Only yesterday she was on social media trying to exhort liberal and progressive friends to come together and bury their differences to fight the bigger battle.

Many writers have perceived a trend and likened her assassination to other thinkers like Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi who criticised hardline Hindutva. To me she remains my friend who, in her death, has once again challenged me to conquer my fears. Hope I can be as brave as you, my friend.

Damandeep Singh is director, Carbon Disclosure Project, India

The views expressed are personal
Partition, that mammoth event, 70 years of which we are currently memorialising is a noisy theatre in my head. Directed by the anguish of my late writer parents, its manic characters  the Sindhu river for instance  would perform through sentimental storytelling. Since then, it has remained an incredible psychological predicament.

It reared its hydra head again in these last few weeks. With some exceptions in Mumbai, current photo exhibitions, seminars, memory and museum projects in the context of India@70, show an absence of the Sindhi experience after Partition. Accounts of loss from Punjab broadly dominate the narratives with some oral histories from Bengal. So yes, unlike Bengal and Punjab, Sindh was not split into two, but about 1.2 million Sindhi Hindus, fled to India during Partition and would never again have a land to call their own.

Their post-Partition existence defined by what writer Nandita Bhavnani calls a deliberate jettisoning of the past deserve a podium right now. But no Sindhi voice that is singeing yet unsentimental, done with the past and explains why the Sindhi Hindu minority invested in modernity and moving on, in turning loss into gain, choosing in the bargain to distance themselves from their language, literature and culture has been given that space. A voice that analyses why new Sindhi literature suffers from a serious famine of talent and interest; that there are almost no translations of poetry or short stories from the progressive period of Sindhi literature (1950-1970) that occupied itself with Partition. That most young or middle aged Sindhis cant speak, read or write their language. Why contemporary Sindhi literature is so hard to define or the near total absence of an audience for Sindhi seminars hard to explain even though the Sahitya Akademi officially supports 25 plus literary events every year. Today if I were asked to commission a modern anthology on the filtered idea of Partition that defines present day Sindhi identity, I wouldnt find even six writers for it, says poet and playright Prem Prakash, also convenor of the Sindhi Sahitya Akademi.

Some will say that even the Sindhi Muslims from the Banni district of the Kutch border or Sindhi Sikhs (often confused with Punjabi Sardars) deserve a role in the Partition narration after 70 years. Right, they do.

In effect, Partition podiums have not been snatched from Sindhis. Even the Indian Institute of Sindhology in Adipur in Kutch, the only such centre that enables doctoral research, archives linguistic tools and scripts, music, songs, drama and literature by and of Sindhis before and after Partition isnt dialing into these India@70 Partition fests. Nor are other Sindhi forums in India and abroad.

Isnt it also curious that Sindhi filmmaker Ramesh Sippy made the hit TV serial Buniyaad in 1986 focused on the partition psychosis of Punjabis as did Govind Nihalani with his 1988 film Tamas?

Such befuddling realities have been studied as a story of courage, determination and hard work that displays a refreshing absence of self-pity in Bhavnanis book The Making of Exile. Other compelling angles have been explored by author Rita Kothari. In an article for Economic and Political Weekly (EPW), she talks about the hardened Sindhi identity. When you meet Sindhis this forgetting (of loss) does not come across as repressed memory, but as a pragmatic and mercantile decision to move ahead with life, writes Kothari. She also explains why the syncretic Sindhis of pre-colonial India who chose Sufism from Islam and Guru Nanaks Sikhism without the Khalsa element allowed the anti-Muslim sentiment to take over their political choices in India. In another study on Gujarat, Kothari talks about the shame Sindhis experienced over their identity having been labeled like Muslims by Jain and other communities.

High time perhaps that the Raichandani who chose to become Rai or the Sipahimalani who turned into a Sippy and all caricaturised Sindhis selling ice to Eskimos get an unbiased deconstruction.

Irony now displaces the funny satire of my own nickname: Sindhi Crawford.

Shefalee Vasudev is a fashion journalist and author

The views expressed are personal
A special court on Thursday sent Muzaffarpur municipal corporation ward councillor Rakesh Kumar Sinha Pappu, arrested in connection with the mysterious disappearance of 14-year old girl Navruna Chakravorty in 2012, to CBI custody for two days.

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) counsel HA Khan had on Wednesday moved the court for taking Pappu on remand. Pappus lawyer Sudhir Kumar Ojha, however, objected to the CBI plea, saying the probe agency had quizzed his client seven times and also conducted polygraph test. He also requested the court to consider Pappus health condition before passing any order on the CBI petition.

READ| 5 yrs after Bihar girl Navruna went missing, CBI makes first arrest

The special CBI court allowed the probe agencys plea after reviewing Pappus medical report. Special CBI judge (in-charge) Javed Alam had earlier directed the authorities of Shahid Khudi Ram Bose Central Jail, where Pappu was lodged after his arrest, to submit his detailed medical report.

Pappu was arrested on September 4 following his interrogation by the CBI at its Patna office. The special CBI court later forwarded him to jail on 14-day judicial remand.

Navruna Chakravorty, who went missing in 2012. (File photo)

Navruna had gone missing from her house on Jawaharlal Road at Muzaffarpur, 71 km north of Patna, on the intervening night of September 17 and 18, 2012. The CBI was assigned the investigation on the direction of the Supreme Court after the district police as well as state-run criminal investigation department (CID) failed to make a breakthrough in the case.

On November 26, 2012, a skeleton was found from the drain near the house, and, on the basis of forensic tests, CID said it was that of Navruna, but the family did not accept it.

READ| PMO initiative: CBI set to probe Navruna case

On the basis of DNA report, CBI on August 20, 2014, told the court that the skeleton belonged to Navruna.

The agency had interrogated some big names involved in illegal land deals as well as a couple of politicians, including former MLA Bijendra Chaudhury, after the recovery of the skeleton during the cleaning of the drain on the direction of Pappu.

A CBI official, not wishing to be identified, said the role of Pappu was suspicious as he was present when the exercise to clean the drain was being carried out.

It is not a common practice. Secondly, the cleaning was done only in front of the missing girls house. So, we have quizzed Pappu many times. We have also sought a detailed report on Pappu from the district police. He is a habitual offender as many cases, including one of train loot, are pending against him, the official said.
The Haryana Police, paramilitary forces and the army are likely to start search operation at Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters on Thursday amid tight security arrangements with the high court giving its nod for carrying out the exercise.

The aim of the search operation is to sanitise the dera headquarters and ensure no illegal activities take place there.

Police spokesperson Surjeet Singh said, There are 20 companies of CRPF, 12 companies of Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB), five companies of Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), two companies of Rapid Action Force (RAF), four companies of army, and two companies Border Security Force (BSF) to control the law and order situation.

The high court-appointed court commissioner AKS Pawar (retired judge) for carrying out search at the dera will hold a meeting for visiting Sirsa soon. After the meeting, the security forces will start search operation on the dera premises, Sirsa deputy commissioner (DC) Prabhjot Singh said.

Officials said a chopper with SWAT teams will keep an eye on the search operation that will be carried out with the help of dog and bomb squads.

Inspector general of police (IGP, Hisar range) Amitabh Singh Dhillon, superintendent of police (SP) Ashwin Shenvi and deputy commissioner (DC) Prabhjot Singh on Wednesday checked all check-posts installed by the security forces.

Silence at dera premises

When mediapersons on Wednesday arrived at the dera from the gate of MSG Hospital, the guards allowed them to see the premises and the MSG Resorts.

A pin-drop silence prevailed at the headquarters. Some guards were guarding the main and other entry gates. A dera follower said, Ab yahan follower nahi, media wale zyada dikhte hain (Now you can more mediapersons than dera followers).

Dr Puneet Kumar at the Dera Sacha Sauda hospital said, This is a 300-bed multi-specialty hospital. There are a total of 450 staff members, including 50 doctors. We are also recommending the patients to go to some other hospitals as there is no electricity here.

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Kapil Kumar was nine when his family surrendered him and his 11-year-old sister to the Sirsa-based Dera Sacha Sauda orphanage nearly 13 years ago. Now, Harshdeep (as he was renamed at the dera like many other inmates), is facing difficulty reuniting with his family after he was brought back to his parental home at Tyori village of Kurukshetra district in the wake of the violence after dera head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh was jailed on August 25.

Also, the 22-year-old has been insisting to go back to the dera to complete his graduation. He was among 34 youths brought from the deras Asra Ashram to a Karnal orphanage.

But the family, comprising his grandparents (his father is mentally disturbed and his whereabouts are not known and his mother is dead), has no clue about his sister Kajal (now 24).

We were told that Kajals name has been changed as Guruvansh but we were not allowed to meet her after several attempts. They told us that she has completed B.Com. Now, since the police and army have taken control of the dera, we are worried about Kajal, said Raghubir Singh, Harshdeeps grandfather.

Ragubir said his wife was a dera follower and she surrendered the two kids to the dera after their mothers death 13 years ago. His son Raj Kumar got mentally disturbed and has been missing for several years, he said.

Harshdeeps family owns two acres of land and a house in the village. Now, they will face problem transferring the land to him since his name has been changed even in his Aadhaar card and certificates. We do not have any document to prove that he is Kapil, said another member in the extended family.

Despite the dera heads conviction, the family was not ready to hear anything against him, claiming that he will be out of jail soon. Harshdeep claims to have met Kajal at the dera several times and has told the family that she is in safe hands.

Officials of the Karnal child welfare committee are facing difficulty in tracing the families of 17 of the 34 they brought from the dera orphanage.

An official said the dera violated the norms by getting agreements from the families that they will not be allowed to meet their children. Besides, the dera also got undertakings from the families that the dera will not be responsible if any mishap occurs with their kids and they will not file any complaint against the orphanage.

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The Chandigarh Press Club held a protest march to condemn the murder of senior Kannada journalist and activist, Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead outside her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Lankesh was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a weekly Kannada tabloid magazine. She was also a well-known critic of the Sangh Parivar.

Holding placards, several journalists from Chandigarh, Punjab and Haryana gathered at the Sector-17 shopping complex to protest against the growing number of attacks on journalists.

Calling the gruesome murder the blackest day in the history of journalism, the press clubs senior vice-president Saurabh Duggal demanded protection for all journalists to ensure the freedom of the press.

He said the government should crack the case without any delay and arrest the assailants. This is a fight for ideologies. If the communal forces are thinking that they are going to suppress the thinking of others through violence, this is not going to happen, he added.

Senior journalist Sandeep Dixit said, Its high time that journalists come together and raise their voice against the successive incidents of silencing the voice of the media.
The Panchkula commissionerate system that was set up in 2011 to ensure better policing has come under the scanner days after the violence following the conviction of Dera Sacha Sauda chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim, which left at least 35 people dead.

A section of Panchkula administrative officials claim a lot of chaos prevailed over the appointment of duty magistrates and issuing of prohibitory orders when the dera followers started converging on the city ahead of the verdict in rape cases against their sect chief on August 25.

Under the traditional system of policing, a district magistrate (DM) or deputy commissioner (DC) has the overall control over the law and order. But under the commissionerate system, magisterial powers are vested in the commissioner of police (CP), DCPs and ACPs, and they do not need orders from the executive magistrate to control a mob in a major crisis.

Even as a large number of police officers of the rank of DCPs and ACPs were deputed in Panchkula from other districts ahead of the verdict, every sensitive spot had Haryana Civil Services (HCS) officers as executive magistrates to accompany them in order to give orders to open fire.

Sources said there was at least one duty magistrate who refused to sign the orders, claiming that he was not consulted when police opened fire on the crowd. What is the relevance of a commissionerate system if police are not self-reliant in crisis situations despite enjoying all powers and deliberately use executives as their shield? questioned an official, on the condition of anonymity.

Less control, more accountability

An administrative official said the DM has little control over law and order under the commissionerate system but even then her office was made answerable for the assembly of crowd even as the prohibitory orders were issued by the police department by virtue of its powers.

It was Panchkulas suspended DCP Ashok Kumar who had issued the orders under Section 144 of the Criminal Procedure Code. Later, it turned out the orders just prohibited carrying of weapons and not gathering of five or more persons. Vivek Atray, a retired bureaucrat who has previously held the post of DM in Panchkula, said police need better training. The commissionerate system is well-established in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai. But in Haryana, system is confined to a few places. When cops are posted in cities having the new system, they are not fully aware of the procedures, he said.

While Panchkula commissioner AS Chawla has maintained there was no coordination issue during the violence, DC Gauri Parashar Joshi is not coming on record on the issue. Home secretary Ram Niwas could not be contacted for comments on the issue.

Meant for big urban clusters

After Faridabad and Gurgaon, the Panchkula-Ambala commissionerate came into existence in August 2011. A senior bureaucrat said it was a ploy of the then government to give more powers to police in important areas.

Even as Ambala moved away from this system in October 2016, following alleged pressure from Ambala legislator and senior minister Anil Vij, Panchkula still has it, even as many believe it does not qualify for it.

The commissionrate system is meant for urban areas where police are given more powers to control spurt in crime. But Panchkula is not highly urbanised and here the system is extended to semi-urban and rural areas, against the rules, said another official.

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United we stand, divided we fall is the phrase that can describe the win of Congress wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) in elections for Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) on Wednesday.

In its presidential triumph against the homegrown maverick party Students for Society (SFS)  which fought alone and performed well below expectations  the NSUI not only underlined the importance of alliances in a fragmented polity even on campus, but also lent a shot in the arm for the Congress, at least in terms of perception.

In all, the NSUI, in alliance with four others, won the presidents post by more than 600 votes against the SFS, and two other seats on the panel of four.

Congress-leaning leaders on the campus were on the winning side last time too, though as a breakaway faction that had allied with the Panjab University Students Union (PUSU). This time, the PUSU managed to win only the joint secretarys post this time, that too in an alliance with three others.

The SFS, which had pleasantly surprised itself with a second-place finish on the top post last year, was hoping to win it all this time, on the back of a violent protest against fee hike in April. But it could not even increase its share from departments that have self-financed courses with high fees. Did the violence put some students off? That is hard to answer, though the SFS has been alleging a conspiracy of the university administration in projecting them as confrontationist and anarchist.

The largest department, UIET, voted for its homeboy, the lone ABVP candidate, fragmenting all others expectations.

The effect of Punjabs changed tide reflected here too, with the Student Organization of India (SOI), a wing of Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD), finishing fourth.

The Congress, on a high in Punjab but beleaguered at the national level, was quick to tom-tom the victory, with its official Twitter handles abuzz with messages of congratulations. Punjab MLAs  including Youth Congress national president Amrinder Singh Raja Warring and Davinder Ghubaya  had reportedly visited the campus on polling eve.

Since PU has a large number of students from neighbouring states, the results resonate far and wide. Even the ABVPs spoiler presence was in light of the fact that it is leading a government at the Centre and in Haryana, though it recently went out of power in Punjab. In Himachal, though, it is hoping to form the government on the back of anti-incumbency against the Congress. Unions of Himachal students were divided between the NSUI and the ABVP.

In the larger scheme of things, though, amid all the talk of a wave in favour of the SFS, the election had become a battle of ideologies. But, with the Left-leaning outfits fragmented, and the Right far from its national strength here, the math counted for a lot. And the centrist, wilier player made that count. Its a classic Congress victory, a la Punjab.

3 winning factors for NSUI

*United front this time, and alliance with 4 others

*Wily planning backed by Congress leaders

*Strong networking, cadres built over the years

3 reasons why SFS failed

*Cadres limited primarily to North Campus

*Failure to ally even with fellow leftists

*Fragmentation of votes even in so-called strongholds
The Himachal Pradesh government has reportedly asked the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to foot a bill of approximately 12 lakh for the logistics provided to it by the state government for probing the Kotkhai rape and murder case.

For more than one month, CBI officials are camping at the state-run Hotel Peterhoff in Shimla, and have occupied six rooms.

Sources say, the Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department Corporation (HPTDC), that owns the hotel, has written letters to the investigating agency, asking it to clear the dues. We have asked them to pay the bills at the earliest, said a HPTDC official, requesting anonymity.

The CBI officials had moved into Hotel Peterhoff, one of HPTDCs prime properties, after the investigation in the Kotkhai rape and murder case was handed over to it on July 22.

Meanwhile, the state governments general administration department has also handed over bills for vehicles used by the CBI. The bills for taxis engaged for CBI is nearly 10 lakh. We have handed over the bills to them, said an official privy to the facts.

Recently, during a hearing in the Kotkhai case in the Himachal Pradesh high court, the state governments counsel had objected to CBI officials stay in state-run hotel. To this, the CBI responded that logistics are always provided by the state government concerned.

The probe into the Kotkhai case is being supervised by a joint director of the CBI. The investigating agency has so far questioned more than 300 people in this regard.

Meanwhile, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) has cautioned the CBI to not toe directions of the Centre while probing the case. The probe should not be delayed to provide advantage to any political party, said former Shimla MLA Rakesh Singha.

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Jashan Kamboj of Congress wing National Students Union of India (NSUI) emerged victorious in what was a neck-and-neck fight with homegrown maverick Students for Society (SFS) for the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) on Wednesday.

Aged 22, he is an MBA second-year student at the University Institute of Applied Management Sciences. He was schooled at St Josephs in hometown Ferozepur, Punjab. His father Paramjeet Singh is a farmer while mother is a homemaker.

Whats his priority? Ill start from my own department since the placement cell of my department is really weak. Secondly, women safety issues need to be taken seriously.

On the second spot was SFS candidate Hassanpreet who was seeking to make history by becoming the first woman president of the council. But she and her party  which finished second on the post last time too  will have to introspect after not winning despite their popularity being high. Aged 21, she is a second-year student of MSc in physics, and belongs to Malerkotla town of Sangrur district in Punjab. Her father Shivjeet Singh is a farmer and mother Manjeet Kaur a homemaker.

Asked what was her priority, before the results, she had said: My aim is to eradicate the money culture on the campus because I believe that this university is for the students, and students should be given an opportunity to come forward and give us the feedback as to how we can improve upon our own ideas.

Direct elections were never held for student union at PU before 1977, when Bhupinder Pal Singh Khosa became the first president of PUCSC after his party -- Progressive Student Union (PSU) -- swept the polls. PSU then dominated the political arena for next three years.

A section of students led by Jitender Singh Virk, Jaskaran Brar and Rajender Deepa, resenting the influence of the Congress over PSU, had contested the 1978 polls under the banner of Panjab University Student Union. PUSU was the outcome of increasing interference of political parties in the campus politics, Brar said.

PUSU went on to finally sweep the election in 1982 and 83. PSU vanished from the campus in 1983 and Congresss student wing NSUI surfaced. In 1984, militancy hit the PU polls too, leading to its ban. In Punjab and even Haryana, these polls remain banned, while Chandigarh being a UT later restarted the polls on the PU campus and the colleges in the city.

It was only after the emergence of Student Organisation of Punjab University, an independent student front, that monopoly of PUSU ended in 1997. Many student wings of political parties tried to make a foothold but neither succeeded except for few instances.
The National Students Union of India (NSUI) has won three posts of Panjab Universitys student polls, the results of which were declared on Thursday. Jashan Kamboj of the NSUI, who was elected as the president, won by 611 votes. The post of vice-president and general secretary was also won by the NSUI candidates.

NSUI was earlier leading on the presidents post with 2,019 votes. The SFS, which was leading initially, but was later trailing at 1,665, while Panjab University Students Union (PUSU), an old-timer, was trailing at 1,156.

The PUSU-led alliance had swept the polls in 2016 but is faction-ridden this time. Ironically, the party had made an alliance with a faction of the NSUI  NSUISF  last year. This time, however, both the NSUI factions got reunited and the Congress student wing, which stood fourth last year, was among the front-runners this time.

This time, 15,602 students on campus were eligible to vote and decided the fate of 28 candidates vying for the four posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary of Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC). The multi-cornered contest had seven students fighting for the post of president, four for vice-president, eight for secretary and nine for joint secretary.

All eyes were on budding engineers and lawyers who comprise majority of the vote bank. The University Institute of Engineering and Technology has 2,484 students while the University Institute of Legal Studies and the Department of Laws have a combined strength of 2,533 students.

(From left) SOI-SOPUs presidential candidate Harman Singh Lubana, ABVPs Avinash Pandey, SFS candidate Hassanpreet, SFIs Davinder Singh and NSUIs Jashan Kamboj at the Panjab University in Chandigarh on Wednesday, the poll eve. (Karun Sharma/HT)

Wide reach

Since PU has a large number of students from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the choice of the youth resonates far and wide. In recent times it was for the first time that ABVP, student wing of the BJP, had fielded a candidate for the post of president at PU. The BJP is leading a government at Centre, and in Haryana, but it recently went out of power in Punjab. In Himachal, it is hoping to form the government on the back of anti-incumbency against the Congress regime.

Main contenders

The main contest was between the two alliances led by the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) and two independent bodies  Students for Society (SFS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP was contesting on the post of president only.

The NSUI was leading an alliance of six organisations, the others being Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU), Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), Hindustan Students Association (HSA) and factions of PUSU  PUSU for Students and National Students Organisation (NSO).

While the NSUI had fielded the lone woman candidate  Siya Minocha  on the post of president last year, this time SFS has done the same. The SFS, which lost the previous presidential election by a narrow margin, is contesting on all the four posts this time. Its last years candidate was leading in the north campus but witnessed a sudden decline in the south campus, giving a lead to Students Organisation of India (SOI).

This year, the SOI had join hands with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and others.
A total of 15,602 students will decide the fate of 28 candidates vying for the four posts of president, vice-president, secretary and joint secretary of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC), which goes to the polls on Thursday.

The multi-cornered contest will witness seven students fighting for the post of president, four for vice-president, eight for secretary and nine for joint secretary. All eyes are on budding engineers and lawyers who comprise majority of the vote bank. The University Institute of Engineering and Technology has 2,484 students while the University Institute of Legal Studies and the Department of Laws have a combined strength of 2,533 students.

The results are expected to be out by 9pm, but could be delayed, said the authorities.

Since PU has a large number of students from neighbouring states of Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, the choice of the youth resonates far and wide. In recent times it is for the first time that ABVP, student wing of the BJP, has fielded a candidate for the post of president at PU. The BJP is leading a government at Centre, and in Haryana, but it recently went out of power in Punjab. In Himachal, it is hoping to form the government on the back of anti-incumbency against the Congress regime.

In the larger scheme of things, the election has also turned into a battle of ideologies  while the NSUI and ABVP fight for their parties prestige too, the SFS has emerged as a Left-leaning alternative that is challenging old norms and ways of campus politics at PU.

Main contenders

The main contest is between the two alliances led by the National Students Union of India (NSUI) and Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) and two independent bodies  Students for Society (SFS) and Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP). The ABVP is contesting on the post of president only.

The NSUI is leading an alliance of six organisations, the others being Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU), Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), Hindustan Students Association (HSA) and factions of PUSU  PUSU for Students and National Students Organisation (NSO).

The PUSU-led alliance had swept the polls in 2016 but is faction-ridden this time. Ironically, the party had made an alliance with a faction of the NSUI  NSUISF  last year. This time, however, both the NSUI factions got reunited and the Congress student wing, which stood fourth last year, is among the front-runners this time.

While the NSUI had fielded the lone woman candidate  Siya Minocha  on the post of president last year, this time SFS has done the same. The SFS, which lost the previous presidential election by a narrow margin, is contesting on all the four posts this time. Its last years candidate was leading in the north campus but witnessed a sudden decline in the south campus, giving a lead to Students Organisation of India (SOI).

This year, the SOI has join hands with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Panjab University Helping Hand (PUSU).

Eye on violations

We are expecting a peaceful election this year, said PU dean, students welfare, Emanual Nahar. The varsity along with the UT administration and police have been keeping vigil and maintaining various restrictions, especially to keep outsiders at bay.

PU chief security officer Ashwani Koul said they are ensuring that Lyngdoh guidelines are not violated on the campus. The entire election process has been peaceful. We appeal to the students to maintain peace even after the results, he said.

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Prohibition in Bihar and taking over of liquor retail by Jharkhand government have turned the tribal state into a major manufacturing hub of illicit liquor that is not only causing threat to human life but a huge revenue loss to state exchequer, experts said.

In last 48 hours, 13 persons, including two Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) jawans, died after allegedly consuming spurious liquor sold by unauthorised retailers. The deaths by consuming illicit liquor come hardly a month after the state government had taken over liquor retail on August 1 and prohibited sale of liquor by private parties.

The impact of thriving illegal business in the state could be gauged from the fact that the state excise department has seized over 1.43 lakh litres of illicit liquor and lodged 10,903 cases in last 14 months, said excise department officials.

The private traders, who were in liquor business, said demand for illicit liquor has increased manifold after Bihar imposed blanket ban on sale and consumption of liquor. Jharkhands bordering districts like Koderma, Palamu, Deoghar and Chatra have emerged as transit points for supplying illegal alcohol to Bihar.

The trade started prospering after Jharkhand government decided to shut all 1,450 private outlets and sell alcohol through Jharkhand State Beverage Corporation Limited (JSBCL) shops from August 1 this year. Even after a month, the JSBCL could open merely 455 outlets across the state.

After liquor ban in Bihar, Jharkhand turned into a major manufacturing hub of illicit liquor. This got further encouragement after Jharkhand government took over the liquor retail, which created major liquor crisis due to limited shops, said Jharkhand Wine Dealers Association (JWDA) president, Anup Chawla. The trade will grow further if the state government fails to meet boozers demand in Jharkhand.

Ranchi police on Tuesday night raided a godown in Namkum and recovered around 2,500 empty liquor bottles, wrappers of several branded companies and around 25 cartons. Spurious liquor is sold using labels of branded companies here, said Namkum police station officials.

Chawla said the government was trying to restrict consumption of liquor in Jharkhand but it was a Herculean task. Restriction on liquor is possible in Bihar, but it will prove dangerous in Jharkhand as liquor is attached to the custom of several communities in the state, he said.

Jharkhand is second state after Chhattisgarh in terms of alcohol consumption. A survey conducted by the Registrar General of India (RGI), which was released on June 8 last year, said 23.4% of men above 15 years of age in Jharkhand drank alcohol. The figure for Chhattisgarh is 33%.

Similarly, tribal-dominated Jharkhand has the highest number of women drinkers in the country, followed by Chhattisgarh. The survey said 3.1% of women above 15 years in Jharkhand consumed alcohol.

State excise commissioner Vinod Sharma said, We are conducting raids frequently to destroy unauthorised liquor manufacturing units across the state. JSBCL took over the liquor retail to discourage illegal business of alcohol.

The department is, however, facing acute shortage of excise personnel. Sources in the department said against the sanctioned posts of 622 excise police, it merely had 101 personnel.

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Tollywoods cutest couple, Naga Chaitanya and Samantha Ruth Prabhu, will wed in October this year in Goa and the interest in their relationship never seems to ebb. Their engagement in January this year and all the paraphernalia around has been avidly followed by all. Every now and then, news of their wedding preparation piques public interest.

Actor Naga Chaitanya recently revealed how he got around to telling his parents about their relationship. According to the Indian Express, he kept delaying telling his parents about their relationship and decided to talk to them only after Samantha threatened to tie a rakhi.

We fell in love during the making of Ye Maaya Chesave in 2009 and the love affair continued very well in the following years. I was, however, delaying revealing to my parents about my love affair despite Sams insistence. One day, when we were chatting casually, Sam threatened to tie a rakhi on me if I didnt tell about the love to my parents. I was shocked by her threat and spoke about my love soon after to my parents and got their consent, said Naga.

The couple, who have worked together in Autonagar Surya and Manam as well, will have a Hindu and a Christian wedding. Chaitanya and Samantha have booked October 6-9 weekend for their destination wedding in Goa. Designer Kresha Bajaj will make the trousseau for the bride, comprising three outfits.

Samantha will wear a fairy-tale gown for the Christian ceremony on October 8. For the Hindu ceremony, she will appear in a special south Indian sari that was owned by Chaitanyas grandmother D Rajeswari, wife of popular producer D Ramanaidu. She will also wear arms band, waist bands and various necklaces, mostly in diamonds and kundan.

On the work front, while Chaitanya awaits the release of his action-thriller Yuddham Sharanam, Samantha has films like Mersal (Vijay), Mahanati (Dulquer Salmaan), Rangasthalam 1985 (Ram Charan). She also has Telugu horror flick, Raju Gari Gadhi 2, where she shares the screen space with father-in-law to be Akkineni Nagarjuna.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

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Arjun Rampals Daddy will hit the screens on Friday. And while gangster films get made pretty often these days (Haseena Parkar starring Shraddha Kapoor is also up for release while Rajinikanths Kaala is being filmed), Daddy has got everybody excited. Be it the Twitter chatter, office discussions or views its trailer has received, something about the film has definitely come to the notice of the viewers. Is it Arjun Rampals raw portrayal of one of Mumbais most iconic gangsters Arun Gawli or is it that people expect a lot from Ashim Ahluwalia (who made Miss Lovely)? Hard to tell.

If you have seen Daddys trailer closely, you would have got brief glimpses of a very pretty girl. She is south Indian actor Aishwarya Rajessh.

The first time this writer took note of her is when Dhanushs production Kaaka Muttai (Crows Nest) released in 2015. She was not really the subject of the story; Rajessh played mother of the two boys in the film. Playing the non-glamorous role as a slum dweller, Rajessh was spoken of in superlative terms. Her expressive eyes, for instance, was what many critics spoke of. In Kaaka Muttai, a critic raved about how she could bring in a world-weariness that belies her years into her protrayal and how she could play her role with extraordinary ease. The role fetched her many awards -- Tamil Nadu State Film Award for Best Actress (2014; Kaaka Muttai) and Best actress (Tamil) at the 63rd Filmfare Awards South.

Such high praise slowly led to one exploring her on Twitter and other social media platforms. Forget her competence as an actor, one was struck by her beauty and warm, expressive face.

Digging deeper, one found that Aishwarya Rajessh was in fact one of the best finds of Tamil cinema in recent years. Though she made her cinema debut in 2010, it was after 2012 that she really started getting noticed when she starred in a small role in Pa Ranjiths Attakathi. As the second love interest to the films hero (Dinesh of Visaaranai fame), her character did not have much of an arc that say the films heroine Nandita had. Yet, she shown in whatever she did.

That exposure worked magic for Rajessh. The next lot of films was with the other hot discovery of Tamil films - Vijay Sethupathi. In films like Rummy and Pannaiyarum Padminiyum, both in 2014, she gained from strength to strength.

Her other films, Thirudan Police (2014) and Manithan (2015) further consolidated her position as the female actor to watch out for in Tamil cinema.

As is regular with the south Indian industries, most actors work in all four or at least more than one industries. It was time for Aishwarya Rajessh to unleash her charm on the Malayalam cinema goers. In 2017, she starred with two of the best-known names among the younger lot of Malayali stars - Dulquer Salmaan (Jomonte Suvisheshangal) and Sakhavu (Nivin Pauly), with both films hitting the bulls eye.

Now, with Daddy, Aishwarya Rajessh is all set to woo the Hindi audience. Playing the love interest/wife of Arun Gawli (Arjun Rampal) as Asha Gawli, she looks the part. Unfamiliar with Hindi or Marathi, one would have wondered how a South Indian girl would make that switch, given that her dialogues havent been dubbed. However, she learnt both the languages but the going was tough. A Deccan Chronicle article mentioned how she had to take 25 takes to get a shot right.

All the effort she put in clearly shows. Watch this dialogue promo from Daddy and youll get an idea.

As Daddy releases this Friday, heres wishing Aishwarya Rajessh the very best.

Follow @htshowbiz for more

The author tweets @mniveditatweets

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A 14-year-old Indian-origin schoolboy in the UAE has become one of the youngest pilots to fly a single-engine aircraft, according to a media report.

Mansour Anis, a class IXth student at Delhi Private School in Sharjah, received a certificate for his first solo flight from an aviation academy in Canada last week, Gulf News reported.

His solo flight was about 10-minute-long during which he taxied the aircraft from the parking bay to the runway, took off for a flight of about five minutes and landed back, the report said.

Mansour, who flew a Cessna 152 aircraft during his solo flight, now has a student pilot permit. Apart from the flying test, he has also passed a radio communication test and scored 96 per cent in the PSTAR Test, an eligibility test for Transport Canada.

Let it be known throughout the aviation world that Mansour Anis at the age of 14 years successfully took off and landed from Langley Regional Airport thereby accomplishing his first solo flight, the solo flight certificate issued by AAA Aviation Flight Academy on August 30 stated.

Mansour claimed that he had also set a record of being the youngest pilot to fly solo with the least number of training hours.

He broke the previous record of a 15-year-old German pilot and a 14-year-old US pilot who took 34 hours of training. Mansour flew solo just after 25 hours of training, his father Ali Asgar Anis said.

Ali, a civil engineer in Sharjah, said he had sent his son along with his wife Munira, a chemistry teacher, to Canada for the training session during the summer holidays.

In some countries, like the US and the UK, a person has to be at least 16 years old before taking to the air on their own. In the UAE and India, the pilot has to be at least 18 to be eligible to fly. However, in Canada, 14 is the minimum age for student pilots to join the course and try flying after meeting the requirements, he said.

Munira said that her brother Qaid Faizy, a pilot with Jet Airways in India, has been an inspiration for Mansour since his childhood.
Bahrains government has crushed dissent and violently cracked down on protests in the past year, Amnesty International said on Thursday, and it accused Britain and the United States in particular of turning a blind eye to its abuses.

Amnesty said in a report on Thursday that it had documented how the Bahraini government, from June 2016 to June 2017, arrested, tortured, threatened or banned from travel at least 169 activists and opponents or their relatives.

Bahraini authorities could not immediately be reached for comment. Bahrain has repeatedly denied systematic rights abuses.

Entitled No one can protect you: Bahrains year of crushing dissent, the report said that at least six people were killed, including a child, in the crackdowns.

The report also accused Western governments, notably the United States and Britain of remaining silent. The two countries have a particularly high level of influence in Bahrain, where the U.S. Fifth Fleet is based and where Britains Royal Navy has a major facility.

Amnesty said U.S. President Donald Trumps policy has shifted from that of his predecessor, Barack Obama, who had publicly criticised the authorities of the tiny Gulf state.

In March 2017, President Trump told Bahrains King Hamad there wont be strain with this administration: Bahrain appears to have interpreted this statement as a green light to pursue its repression, the report said.

Bahrain has stepped up a crackdown on critics, shutting down two main political groups, revoking the citizenship of the spiritual leader of the Shiite Muslim community and jailing rights campaigners. It denounced attempts by previous U.S. and UK governments to intervene in its campaign.

In July, a Bahraini court sentenced rights campaigner and prominent activist Nabeel Rajab to two years in jail for allegedly making false or malicious statements about Bahraini authorities. Rajab is facing another trial and risks a further 15 years in prison for tweeting.

Using an array of tools of repression, including harassment, arbitrary detention and torture, the government of Bahrain has managed to crush a formerly thriving civil society, Philip Luther, Amnesty Internationals director for the Middle East and North Africa, said in a statement.

Amnesty said it had received reports of nine cases of government critics being tortured in detention, eight of them in May 2017 alone.

Bahrain has been a flashpoint since the Sunni-led government put down Arab Spring protests in 2011. The kingdom, most of whose population is Shiite, says it faces a threat from neighbouring Shiite theocracy Iran.

It accuses the Islamic Republic of radicalising and arming some members of its majority Shiite population in an effort to bring about the downfall of the ruling Al Khalifa family.

Tehran denies any meddling in Bahrain.
Mohammed Idrees, a 10-year-old Rohingya boy, does not remember how he landed at the hospital in Bangladesh with a part of his right ear blown off.

But he says he wont return to his home country, neighbouring Myanmar, until there is peace.

Idrees is one of around 60 badly injured Rohingya Muslims admitted to the hospital in Chittagong since violence flared in Rakhine state in the northwest of Myanmar in late August.

Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base on August 25, leading to a military crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people and sent 146,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

Apart from creating a humanitarian crisis, the unrest has also brought waves of international criticism of Myanmars leader, Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for not speaking out for a minority that has long complained of persecution. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country.

Almost all the Rohingya being treated at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the largest in southeastern Bangladesh, have been injured by gunshots or bomb blasts, according to a hospital document given to Reuters. Around a third of the total injured are teenagers or younger, including a six-year-old boy.

The Myanmar military has repeatedly said that it has been targeting only insurgents in the crackdown.

Ajoy Kumar Dey, in-charge of the hospital, said he had not seen similar wounds during previous influxes of Rohingya from Myanmar. He said the large number of young men and children, like Idrees, underlined the gravity of the situation in Rakhine.

I dont remember what happened to me, but I want to go see my mother, Idrees said, lying on his bed in a soiled white shirt and a checked lungi, a Myanmar-style sarong. His head was bandaged and he was clutching the hand of his father, sitting by his side. It hurts a lot.

He cried as his father, Mohammed Rasheed, described how Myanmar security forces sprayed bullets into their village, Kyauk Chaung, on the morning of August 25.

One bullet took off a chunk of Idrees ear as his family crouched behind a canal near their house. Six fellow villagers from Kyauk Chaung died in the hour-long shooting, said Rasheed.

A bleeding Idrees was carried on a bamboo stretcher over some hills near the border to reach Bangladesh the same night. His mother, three sisters and a brother arrived on Sunday.

We are lucky all of us are alive, said Rasheed.

Across the ward, a Rohingya man with bullet wounds in one shoulder, the back of a thigh and a shin, writhed in agony. A plastic nasal pipe was helping him breath.

Rohingya refugee children are carried to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf, Bangladesh, on September 7, 2017. (Reuters)

Overcrowded hospital

The government hospital in Chittagong is usually crowded at the best of times, now it is receiving twice as many people as it has beds - many of them Rohingya with shattered faces, shredded legs and damaged eyes who are fighting for their lives.

Around two dozen young Rohingya men, some groaning in pain, were laying on blue hospital mattresses on the floor of a corridor on Wednesday, their legs or hands heavily plastered.

Zaw Htay, Aung San Suu Kyis spokesman, said on Thursday that Myanmar was in discussions with Bangladesh on what to do about what he said were terrorists in the hospital, a charge the Myanmar military made earlier in the week.

Bangladesh foreign secretary Shahidul Haque denied being contacted by Myanmar about militants being treated at the hospital.

However, he said Bangladesh had previously handed over two terrorists after being given their names by Myanmar. He did not provide further details, but said Bangladesh would hand any terrorists to Myanmar if it provided more names and the individuals could be found.

A UN source said that on September 3 alone, 31 Rohingya with bullet injuries and six with burn injuries were admitted to the Chittagong hospital.

There have been many people who have come with bullet wounds on the backs of their bodies, said HT Imam, a political adviser to Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina of Bangladesh. That is most reprehensible. This is a killing mission, plain and simple.

Myanmar officials have said the country has the right to defend itself from attack, adding that security personnel were told to keep innocent civilians from harm.

Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh are in urgent need of medical and humanitarian assistance given the massive scale of the influx, Doctors Without Borders said on Wednesday.

Many of the arrivals have serious medical needs, such as violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds, and advanced obstetric complications, Pavlo Kolovos, the humanitarian groups head in Bangladesh, said in a statement. Without a scale-up of humanitarian support, the potential health risks are extremely concerning.

One such person with severe injuries is Mohammed Jubair, 21, who, according to doctors treating him in the burns and plastic surgery department, is on his deathbed.

The right side of Jubairs face has been smashed completely, the left has severe burns, as does his lower body.

He was fleeing his village in Rakhine with his five-year-old sister when Myanmar forces in a helicopter hurled a bomb at them on August 26, killing the girl on the spot, according to his older brother, Nur Mohammed.

Unlike me, my brother was carrying our young sister as we fled to the hills when the army came and started setting our houses on fire, he said. I could move ahead faster, now Allah save my brother.

Like the attack on the village reported by Rasheed, it was not possible to independently verify Mohammeds account.
Chinas air force has carried out exercises near the Korean peninsula, practising to defend against a surprise attack coming over the sea, Chinese state media said.

The exercises came days after North Koreas sixth, and most powerful, nuclear test fuelled global concern that the isolated nation plans more weapons tests, possibly of a long-range missile.

An anti-aircraft defence battalion held the exercises early on Tuesday, near the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea that separates China from the Korean peninsula, an official military website, www.81.cn, said.

Troops travelled to the site from central China before immediately beginning drills to fend off the surprise attack simulating real battle, it said.

The troops rapid response capabilities and actual combat levels have effectively been tested.It was the first time certain weapons, which the website did not identify, had been used to shoot down low-altitude targets coming over the sea, www.81.cn said, without elaborating.

The drills do not target any particular goal or country, and were part of an annual plan intended to boost the troops capability, Chinas defence ministry said on its website late on Wednesday, in a response to media.

After weeks of rising tension over North Koreas actions, South Korea and the United States have been discussing the deployment of aircraft carriers and strategic bombers to the Korean peninsula.

China is deeply suspicious of any US-backed military build-up in the region, and has repeatedly expressed anger at the deployment of a US anti-missile defence system in South Korea.
North Korea held a mass celebration for the scientists involved in carrying out its largest nuclear blast to date, with fireworks and a mass rally in Pyongyang.

Citizens of the capital lined the streets on Wednesday to wave pink and purple pom-poms and cheer a convoy of buses carrying the specialists into the city, and toss confetti over them as they walked into Kim Il-Sung Square.

We offer the greatest honour to Comrade Kim Jong-Un, the Supreme Leader who brought us the greatest achievement in the history of the Korean people, read one banner in the plaza, where tens of thousands of people were gathered.

Another, with a picture of a missile on a caterpillar-tracked transporter, proclaimed: Noone can stop us on our road to the future.

The blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North.

The official Korean Central News Agency described it as a successful ICBM-ready H-bomb test.

Speakers at the rally said the Norths military will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like US imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war, KCNA reported.

This picture released from North Korea's official Korean Central News Agency on September 7 shows fireworks displaying while Pyongyang residents and military people holding a celebration rally on the test of a hydrogen bomb for ICBM at Kim Il Sung Square in Pyongyang. (AFP)

Sundays blast was the Norths sixth nuclear detonation and by far its biggest to date.

Hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.

Foreign governments have yet to confirm whether Sundays blast was a full two-stage thermonuclear weapon, or an enhanced fission device.

Working out its size depends on factors including the magnitude of the earthquake generated, the depth at which it was buried, and the type of rock surrounding it.

Estimates vary from South Koreas 50 kilotons to Japans 160. But all of them are far larger than the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

North Korea in July carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range.

Seoul and Washington early Thursday deployed four more launchers in the South for the THAAD missile defence system, whose presence has infuriated Beijing.

The move was part of measures to defend the South from the North, Seouls defence ministry said.
Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, howled past Puerto Rico on Wednesday after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands with tree-snapping winds, drenching rains and pounding surf on a collision course with Florida.

At least four people were reported killed on four different islands by Irma, which weather forecasters have described as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, the highest US classification for hurricanes.

The dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda was especially hard hit. The northernmost island, Barbuda, home to roughly 1,800 people, was totally demolished, with 90% of all dwellings there levelled, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said, according to island television broadcasts.

Browne said one person was confirmed killed on Barbuda. A second storm-related fatality, that of a surfer, was reported on Barbados, and the French government said at least two people were killed in Caribbean island territories of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, with power knocked out on both.

Irma, with top sustained winds of 185 miles per hour (300 km per hour), was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in as many weeks.

While Irmas intensity could fluctuate, and its precise course remained uncertain, the storm was expected to remain at least a Category 4 before arriving in Florida.

Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday. Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to US forecasters, but Hurricane Jose in the open Atlantic, about 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbeans Lesser Antilles islands, could also eventually threaten the US mainland.

The flurry of severe storm activity comes after Hurricane Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated as high as $180 billion after pummeling the Gulf Coasts of Texas and Louisiana with torrential rains and severe flooding.

Florida emergency management officials, chastened by Harveys devastation, began evacuations days in advance of Irmas arrival, ordering all tourists to leave the Florida Keys, a resort archipelago off the states southern tip, starting Wednesday morning. Evacuation of residents from the Keys was to begin Wednesday evening.

The big one

Ed Rappaport, acting director of the Miami-based US National Hurricane Center, interviewed on local station WFOR-TV, called Irma a once-in-a-generation storm, adding that for South Florida, Its the big one for us.

Floridas normally storm-jaded residents appeared to be taking the warnings seriously, too.

A lot of times they end up having hurricane parties instead of evacuating, Monroe county spokeswoman Cammy Clark told Reuters by phone. Thats been the opposite this time around.

In Cuba, just 90 miles (145 km) south of the Keys, authorities posted a hurricane alert for the islands central and eastern regions, as residents in Havana, the capital, were seen waiting line lines to stock up on foodstuffs, water and gasoline.

The eye of Irma was passing just north of Puerto Rico late Wednesday, buffeting the US island territorys capital, San Juan, with heavy downpours and strong winds that scattered tree limbs across roadways.

The winds that we are experiencing right now are like nothing we have experienced before, Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rossello told CNN. We expect a lot of damage, perhaps not as much as was seen in Barbuda.

At least half of Puerto Ricos homes and businesses lost electricity by nightfall, according to a Twitter message posted by an island utility executive.

Aerial television footage of Barbuda, a tiny island just 250 miles (400 km) east of Puerto Rico, showed a desolate, flooded landscape shorn of trees and foliage, littered with debris and overturned vehicles.

Among the higher-end property losses on the island was the Paradise Found Nobu Resort, partially owned by Hollywood screen star Robert De Niro, according to Stan Rosenfield, a spokesman for the actor.

A flooded street on the French overseas island of Saint-Martin, after high winds from Hurricane Irma hit the island. (AFP)

The Dutch islands of Saba and Sint Eustatius also were hit, with damage believed to be extensive, according to the Netherlands ambassador to the United Nations, Karel van Oosterom.

On its current path the core of Irma, which the NHC said marked the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, was expected to scrape the northern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday. It was on a track that would put it near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas by Thursday evening.

Trump resort in storm path

US President Donald Trump said he and aides were monitoring Irmas progress. But it looks like it could be something that will be not good. Believe me, not good, he told reporters.

Trump, whose waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida, could take a direct hit from the storm, has already approved emergency declarations for Florida, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilising federal disaster relief efforts. He spoke with governors of all three by telephone on Wednesday, the White House said.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma could be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that struck the state in 1992 and still ranks as one of the costliest ever in the United States.

Satellite image of Hurricane Irma on Wednesday. (AFP)

Residents in most coastal communities of densely populated Miami-Dade County were ordered to move to higher ground beginning at 9 am ET (1300 GMT) on Thursday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez announced on Wednesday. The evacuation orders will affect more than 100,000 residents, the Miami Herald reported.

Gasoline stations around the state struggled to meet rising demand of motorists anxious to top off their tanks as Irma approached, with some locations running dry on Wednesday.

Scott told a news conference in the Keys that 7,000 National Guard troops would report for duty on Friday, ahead of the storms expected arrival.

Statewide emergency declarations were issued in both North and South Carolina, and Georgia Governor Nathan Deal declared an emergency for six coastal counties in anticipation of Irmas arrival.
After slamming the Caribbean with record-breaking winds early Wednesday, Hurricane Irma now bears down on the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Florida in the US. Frantic preparations and evacuations preceded Irmas imminent arrival.

Heres a primer on one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded:

How strong is Hurricane Irma?

Sustained winds of 185 mph on Tuesday made Irma one of the most powerful hurricanes to hit the Atlantic, but even by Thursday morning, the hurricane remained a Category 5 storm with winds of 180mph (290kmph). Hurricanes are measured on the Saffir-Simpson scale, spanning categories 1 to 5, and Irmas winds were recorded to be 28km past the Category 5 threshold.

This has led some armchair meteorologists to suggest that Irma is a Category 6 hurricane -- it isnt, since there isnt a Category 6 at all.

Hard to believe we've been able to generate loops like this 3 days in a row. Center of powerful #Irma just north of Puerto Rico. #GOES16 pic.twitter.com/QhVRgzkSYu  NASA SPoRT (@NASA_SPoRT) September 6, 2017

What does Category 5 signify?

Storms with wind speeds of at least 119kmph (74 miles per hour) are classified as hurricanes. According to the Saffir-Simpson scale, these are the 5 categories of hurricanes:

Category 1: 119 to 153 km/h (74 to 95 mph)

Category 2: 154 to 177 km/h (96 to 110 mph)

Category 3: 178 to 208 km/h (111 to 129 mph)

Category 4: 209 to 251 km/h (130 to 156 mph)

Category 5: 252 km/h or higher (157 mph or higher)

Why is it called Irma?

All Atlantic storms are named, since names are easier for people to remember and spot in warnings and advisories than latitude-longitude coordinates or technical terms.

Names are chosen from an alphabetical list maintained by the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO). The lists are rotated every six years, but if a Hurricane leaves behind catastrophic destruction, the name is struck off the list to not hurt sensitivities. Names like Katrina or Sandy have been retired because of this reason. Read more about the naming of tropical storms here.

The eye of Hurricane Irma is clearly visible from the space station as it orbited over the Category 5 storm on Sept. 5, 2017. pic.twitter.com/RpMzYw8NL2  Intl. Space Station (@Space_Station) September 6, 2017

How destructive is Hurricane Irma?

At least four people were reported killed on four different Caribbean islands by Irma. The dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda bore the brunt of the hurricanes fury. The northernmost island, Barbuda, home to roughly 1,800 people, was totally demolished, with 90% of all dwellings there levelled, Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.

All across the French Caribbean, Irma caused torn off rooftops and knocked out all electricity on the French islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy. France requisitioned for planes and sent in emergency food and water rations. In Puerto Rico, 965,000 people were left without power and nearly 50,000 without water, reports the Guardian.

Americas National Hurricane Center said Irma will bring life-threatening wind, storm surge, and rainfall hazards to portions of the northeastern Leeward Islands tonight and tomorrow.

On Tuesday, as forecasts grew ominous, US President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency in Puerto Rico, Florida and the US Virgin Islands.

What areas fall in Hurricane Irmas path?

The tropical storm slammed into the Caribbean on Tuesday, and is forecasted to make its way to a chain of small islands along a path toward the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba before aiming straight for South Florida. It has already hit Puerto Rico.

How are cities in Irmas path preparing for the hurricane?

Travel advisories have been issued for tourists and others planning to visit the affected areas.

BBC reports that people have been stocking up on tinned food, fresh water and fuel in Cubas capital Havana, but there were no signs of frenzied shopping.

In the United States, Florida Keys on Wednesday morning ordered the first mandatory of tourists and visitors, reports The Washington Post. The countys 80,000 residents were asked to evacuate beginning Wednesday evening. Residents and shops stood in queues to buy plywood to board up windows and doors as extra protection against the winds. Highways were packed as people in South Florida streamed north, and all flights were sold out.
Vanita Gupta, an Indian American lawyer who was president Barack Obamas chief civil rights enforcer, will be the central figure in an upcoming Hollywood movie about the wrongful conviction of a group of mostly black men in 1999 and the valiant legal battle she led for their freedom.

Seth Gordon, director of the film version of Baywatch, will direct the movie that draws its name from the small town where the case took place, Tulia, in west Texas. Its based on the book, Tulia: Race, Cocaine, and Corruption in a Small Texas Town.

The film is based on the real-life story of the conviction in 1999 of 39 mostly African Americans for possessing and peddling cocaine, based on the highly tendentious and suspect testimony of a white undercover police officer who presented only his word in support of his allegations.

Im excited to bring this important and poignant story to a wider audience, to call attention to what happened in Tulia, and to showcase the incredible and heroic work Vanita Gupta did for its citizens, Gordon said while announcing the film, according to Hollywood Reporter.

Vanita Gupta is the daughter of an immigrant and a very inspiring and strong woman, said Mubina Rattonsey, whose Los Angeles-based company is producing the film and who has been associated with projects in Bollywood.

Tulia is her story, and for me, it represents what America stands for  the coming together of minds and hearts for justice. Vanita turned the case around; she won itI was simply fascinated by her will to do the impossible.

There was no word on who will play Gupta, who had headed the civil rights division of the justice department in the Obama administration, and led investigations into the racially-charged killings of African Americans by police officers.

She now heads the DC-based Leadership Conference on Civil Rights and has emerged as a leading critic of President Donald Trump and his administration on civil rights issues such as the handling of the Charlottesville race clashes.

In the case in Tulia, police officer Tom Coleman had no wire-taps, no seizures or independent corroboration of his so-called drug buys. But a mostly white jury convicted the 39 accused, who were sentenced from 20 years to, in one case, more than 300 years.

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, a group focussed on ensuring civil rights for all, took up their case and handed it to its Legal Defense and Education Fund (simply called LDF), which in turn tasked it to Gupta, who had joined the organisation straight out of law school.

Vanita convened and led the legal team representing the defendants in post-conviction proceedings, LDF said in a summary of the case on its website, adding she and her team proved that Colemans misconduct, which was not challenged during the trials, was egregious and that the convictions were completely unfounded.

A Texas judge concluded in 2003 that Coleman was not credible and state prosecutors vacated each of the convictions, and the defendants were pardoned by then governor Rick Perry, now a member of Trumps cabinet. Coleman was charged and convicted of perjury.

But Gupta and her team didnt give up. They initiated civil rights actions on behalf of the wrongly convicted, who had been in jail for more than three years, and secured $6 million dollars in settlement.
Irans Red Crescent said Thursday it has prepared an aid package for Myanmars Rohingya Muslims as they flee a crackdown by security forces, local media reported.

An emergency, food, life support and hygiene package has been prepared by the Red Crescent to be sent to Myanmar, said the head of the organisation, Morteza Salimi, according to the ISNA news agency.

The package would be immediately sent to the oppressed people of this country if we receive authorisation from Myanmar, he said, adding it had been ordered by President Hassan Rouhani.

It comprised of a plane-load of aid weighing 40 tonnes and worth around four billion rials (just over $100,000), Salimi later told AFP.

Iranian officials have repeatedly condemned the massive security operations by the Myanmar army that followed a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants on August 25.

The United Nations says 164,000 refugees have so far fled to neighbouring Bangladesh.

International community has no excuse to allow the genocide of Rohingya Muslims (to) continue in front of our eyes, tweeted Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif later in the day.

We must act now before its too late.

Irans ambassador to the UN, Gholam Ali Khoshrou, also said he was working to bring together ministers and diplomats from several Islamic countries to discuss the issue.

I have had numerous contacts with ambassadors of Islamic countries in recent days and it was decided to form a group at the ambassadorial and ministerial levels, he said, according to state news agency IRNA.

He said he hoped the group could meet in New York when the UN General Assembly convenes next week.

Everyone must make an effort to stop this human catastrophe, he said.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu banned Al-Jazeeras Jerusalem bureau chief from attending a seminar about freedom of speech, officials said, the latest move against the broadcaster by the leader.

The Israeli government press office said on Wednesday Netanyahu had demanded Walid Al-Omary be excluded from the conference taking place on Thursday. The event was focused on the limits of freedom of expression.

The press office said Netanyahu reiterated his intention to close Al-Jazeera in Israel and called for legal measures to be taken to prevent the accreditation of all Al-Jazeera journalists.

In July Netanyahu announced plans to expel Al-Jazeera after accusing it of incitement. Israel had also announced it would withdraw accreditation of one of the broadcasters journalists, Elias Karam, but he has since been given a six-month reprieve.

Amnesty International called the Israeli moves a brazen attack on media freedom.

Al-Jazeera, which is owned by Qatar, has also been banned by the gas-rich Gulf states rivals in recent months. Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt broke ties with Qatar on June 5, accusing it of fostering extremism and demanding Al-Jazeeras closure.

Al-Jazeera has nearly 80 offices around the world and broadcasts in several languages. It played a key role during the Arab Spring uprisings, but its detractors accuse it of supporting Islamist movements across the region.
Syrias army accused Israeli warplanes of hitting one of its positions Thursday, killing two people in an attack that a monitor said targeted a site where the regime allegedly produces chemical weapons.

The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, is reportedly used by forces from Syrias allies Iran and the Lebanese Shiite militia Hezbollah.

Israel has previously carried out strikes believed to be targeting the transfer of weapons to Hezbollah, which fought a deadly war with the Jewish state in 2006.

Thursdays strike hit a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), an institution that Washington and former Israeli officials accuse of helping develop the sarin gas used in a deadly attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April.

President Bashar al-Assads government has blasted such accusations as fabrications, and Syrias army on Thursday did not mention the SSRC in its statement on the Israeli strikes.

Israeli warplanes at 2:42 am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site, the statement said.

Syrias army warns of the serious repercussions of such acts of aggression on the security and stability of the region, it added.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group confirmed that the strikes hit the SSRC, though it could not confirm what weaponry is produced there.

It said Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military personnel were known to use the site at Masyaf.

There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hezbollah also uses the facility, said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

The research centre was definitely damaged in the strikes. There is a huge fire emanating from a weapons warehouse where missiles were being stored, he added.

- Produces chemical weapons -

Israel has long warned it would not allow the transfer of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah and has accused the groups sponsor Iran of building sites to produce precision-guided missiles in both Syria and Lebanon.

Iran is busy turning Syria into a base of military entrenchment, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said last month.

Israeli officials declined to comment on the raids on Thursday.

Former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin said the site produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians.

He stopped short of saying Israel had carried out the raids, but said that if it did, they would show Israel intends to enforce its redlines despite the fact that the great powers are ignoring them.

And Israels former national security advisor Yaakov Amidror described the facility as a key centre for the research and development of arms including chemical weapons.

It is the first time that the target which was attacked is a formal Syrian facility, not just a warehouse but a centre of R&D and... responsible for producing the chemical weapons in the past and many other weapons systems, he told journalists.

We will not allow Iran and Hezbollah to build the capabilities which allow them to attack Israel from Syria, he added.

And we will not allow them to build the capabilities of Hezbollah under the chaotic umbrella of Syria.

He said there should be an assumption that Syria would respond militarily.

Earlier this week, Israels military began a massive exercise simulating conflict with Hezbollah, the largest drill in nearly two decades.

On Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators announced they had an extensive body of information indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the deadly April 4 attack on Khan Sheikhun.

A fact-finding mission by the UNs chemical watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), concluded earlier this year that sarin gas was used in the attack but did not assign blame.

The attack killed at least 87 people and prompted the United States to launch a cruise missile strike on a Syrian military airport where it said the attack had originated.

Weeks later, the US sanctioned 271 Syrian chemists and other officials affiliated with the SSRC, which it said was behind the Syrian governments efforts to develop chemical weapons.

Syrias government claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal.

But in 2016, a UN-led investigative body said the Syrian government was behind at least three chemical attacks in northern Syria in the previous two years.
Journalists saw new fires burning Thursday in a Myanmar village that had been abandoned by Rohingya Muslims, and pages ripped from Islamic texts that were left on the ground. That intensifies doubts about government claims that members of the persecuted minority have been destroying their own homes.

About two dozen journalists saw the fires in Gawdu Zara village in northern Rakhine state on a government-controlled trip. About 164,000 Rohingya from the area have fled across the border into Bangladesh in less than two weeks since Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked police outposts in Gawdu Zara and several other villages, the U.N. refugee agency said Thursday.

The military has said nearly 400 people, mostly Rohingya, have died in clashes and that troops were conducting clearance operations. It blames insurgents for setting the villages on fire, without offering proof.

Rohingya who have fled Myanmar, however, have described large-scale violence perpetrated by Myanmar troops and Buddhist mobs  setting fire to their homes, spraying bullets indiscriminately, stabbing civilians and ordering them to abandon their homes or be killed.

On the Myanmar side of the border, reporters saw no Rohingya in any of the five destroyed villages they were allowed to tour Thursday, making it unlikely they could have been responsible for the new fires.

An ethnic Rakhine villager who emerged from the smoke said police and Rakhine Buddhists had set the fires. The villager ran off before he could be asked anything else.

No police were seen in the village beyond those who were accompanying the journalists. But about 10 Rakhine men with machetes were seen there. They looked nervous; the only one who spoke said he had just arrived and didnt know how the fires started.

Among the buildings on fire was a madrassa, an Islamic school. Copies of books with texts from the Quran, Islams holy book, were torn up and thrown outside. A nearby mosque was not burned.

In this image made from video, fires occur in Gawdu Zara village, northern Rakhine state, Myanmar. (AP Photo)

Another village the journalists visited, Ah Lel Than Kyaw, was blackened, obliterated and deserted. Cattle and dogs wandered through the still-smoldering remains.

Local police officer Aung Kyaw Moe said 18 people were killed in the village when the violence began last month. From our side, there was one immigration officer dead, and we found 17 dead bodies from the enemy side, he said.

He said the fires were set Aug. 25, though some continued to burn Thursday. Virtually all buildings in the village seen by journalists had been burned, along with cars, motorbikes and bicycles that fleeing villagers left behind. A mosque was also damaged.

Columns of smoke could be seen rising in the distance, and distant gunshots could be heard.

They burned their own houses and ran away, Aung Kyaw Moe said. We didnt see who actually burned them because we had to take care of the security for our outpost. ... But when the houses were burned, Bengalis were the only ones in the village.

Buddhist-majority Myanmar refers to Rohingya as Bengalis, contending they migrated illegally from Bangladesh, though many Rohingya families have lived in Myanmar for generations.

Burning the homes of Rohingya can make it less likely they will return. Tens of thousands of Rohingya were driven from their homes in another wave of violence in 2012. Many are now confined to camps, while the land they once held is either vacant or occupied by Buddhist squatters.

Nay San Lwin, a Rohingya activist and blogger based in Europe with contacts in northern Rakhine, said that according to witnesses, the Myanmar military, border guard police and Rakhine villagers came to Ah Lel Than Kyaw and burned the houses from Monday to Wednesday.

On Aug. 25, he said, young men with swords and knives tried to attack the border guard outpost in Aley Than Kyaw but failed. The authorities took away all Buddhist villagers, and many Rohingya villagers fled on their own.

Nay San Lwin said the remaining villagers left after the military warned them they would be shot if they didnt leave.

Myanmars leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, has dismissed the Rohingya crisis as a misinformation campaign.

According to her office, she said such misinformation helps promote the interests of terrorists, a reference to the Rohingya insurgents who attacked security posts on Aug. 25.

The crisis response director for Amnesty International called Suu Kyis response unconscionable.

On Thursday, Suu Kyi told reporters her government was working to improve security and livelihoods for Rohingya, but that its a little unreasonable to expect us to resolve everything in 18 months since her administration took office.

With Rohingya fleeing by the thousands daily across the border, pushing existing camps in Bangladesh to the brink, the government in Dhaka pledged to build at least one more. The International Organization for Migration has pleaded for $18 million in foreign aid to help feed and shelter tens of thousands now packed into makeshift settlements or stranded in a no mans land between the two countries borders.

UN agencies said they were distributing food to new arrivals, about 80 percent of whom were women and children, joining about 100,000 who had already been sheltering in Bangladesh after fleeing earlier convulsions of violence in Myanmar.

Displaced Rohingya refugees from Rakhine state in Myanmar walk near Ukhia, at the border between Bangladesh and Myanmar, as they flee violence on September 4, 2017. (AFP Photo)

Aid workers said many were arriving with violence-related injuries, severe infections or childbirth complications.

With so many Rohingya fleeing, its unclear how many remain in Myanmar amid reports of soldiers burning villages and killing civilians. Before the recent violence, aid experts had estimated about 1 million Rohingya were living in northern Rakhine state, but aid agencies have been unable to access the area since.

Turkey said Myanmar agreed to allow its aid officials to enter Rakhine state with a ton of food and goods for Rohingya. Its first lady and foreign minister also visited a refugee camp in Bangladesh on Thursday and pledged continuing support for the Rohingya.
North Korea on Thursday pledged to take powerful counter measures to respond to US pressure or any new sanctions against it over its missile programme, accusing Washington of wanting war.

Pyongyangs pledge, made in a statement by its delegation to an economic forum in Russias Far East, came after the United States said it wanted the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban the countrys exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday.

We will respond to the barbaric plotting around sanctions and pressure by the United States with powerful counter measures of our own, the statement read.

The same statement also accused South Korea and Japan of using the Russian forum to play dirty politics, saying the event was meant to be about discussing economic cooperation in the region and not about criticising its missile programme.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told the same forum on Thursday he thought the North Korea crisis would not escalate into a large-scale conflict involving nuclear weapons, predicting that common sense would prevail.
Pakistan Army chief Gen Qamar Javed Bajwa has hit back at those who are questioning the countrys credentials in the fight against terrorism, asking the world to do more and warning that the entire region would be destabilised if Pakistans counter-terror campaign fails.

In a speech delivered at the General Headquarters in Rawalpindi late on Wednesday night to mark Defence Day, Bajwa forcefully defended Pakistans gains against terrorism while dismissing allegations of double-crossing anyone.

If Pakistan has not done enough against terrorism, then no country in the world has done enough, Bajwa insisted while saying that now the time had come for the world to do more to root out terror.

His remarks came days after the Xiamen declaration of the Brics grouping bracketed the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed with the Islamic State and al-Qaida. Pakistan is also facing pressure from US President Donald Trump to crack down on terrorist groups.

Bajwa rejected such accusations and insisted that Pakistans fight against terrorism was indiscriminate and targeted all militant groups.

He said Pakistan had done more than any country in the fight against terrorism, yet we are being accused of having a selective approach.

Bajwa said if the world could not help and assist Pakistan in its campaign against terrorism, at least it should not cast aspersions.

Credit goes to Pakistan that with limited resources, it has achieved phenomenal success in the war against terrorism, he maintained.

On Afghanistan, Bajwa said Pakistan had done much more than its capacity to improve the situation in the neighbouring country. This, he added, did not mean that Pakistan would fight the Afghan war on its soil.

He stressed that there was a clear line as to the extent Pakistan could cooperate with its neighbour. We have made sincere efforts for talks and peace. However, Afghanistan is a sovereign country which is independent and takes its own decisions, he said.

Bajwa said if Afghan factions opted for the path of war, Pakistan would not become party to it. He said Pakistan was taking steps to secure its side of the porous 2,600-km border with Afghanistan.

We are fencing the entire border and establishing over 900 posts, he said, while also recommending the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan in an orderly manner.
The Lahore high court on Thursday directed the government of Pakistans Punjab province to take a decision by September 11 on a plea by Jamaat-ud Dawah chief Hafiz Saeed challenging an order to extend his detention for 60 more days.

The Punjab home department issued an order on July 28 under which the house arrest of the alleged mastermind of the Mumbai terror attacks and his four aides - Abdullah Ubaid, Malik Zafar Iqbal, Abdul Rehman Abid and Qazi Kashif Hussain - was extended for two months.

Apparently frustrated with not getting a decision from the Lahore High Court, which had on June 7 reserved his petition against his first detention order on January 30, Saeed last week filed a fresh petition challenging the detention.

Lahore high court Justice Mazahir Ali Naqvi issued an order to the Punjab home department in response to Saeeds petition to decide the matter by September 11, after which the court will conduct a hearing on September 12.

A law officer told the court that the home secretary would hear the petitioners regarding their house arrest on September 11 and decide the matter.

Saeeds counsel, AK Dogar, told the court that a representation against the JuD chiefs detention was submitted to the home secretary on August 3 but no action has been taken so far. He said the government, in the impugned detention order, has only shown apprehension against the petitioners.

Imprisonment without trial and conviction is prima facie unlawful and unconstitutional. The government detained the petitioners to please India and America. Courts in the past declared the detention of JuD leaders illegal as the government failed to prove its charges, the petition said.

On April 30, the detention of Saeed and his four aides had been extended by the Punjab government for 90 days under the Anti-Terrorism Act of 1997.

The Punjab government had on January 30 placed them under house arrest in Lahore under the Second Schedule of the Anti-Terrorism Act.

The JuD is a front for the banned Lashkar- e-Taiba (LeT). It was declared a foreign terrorist organisation by the US in 2014.
The United States said on Wednesday that Pakistan must change its approach towards terror groups operating from its soil and take decisive action against them.

As the administration has said, Pakistan must change its approach, a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question on the BRICS statement that named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among the terror groups that create problem in the region.

We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region, the spokesperson said.

For the first time, BRICS Summit in their joint declaration named Pakistan-based terrorist groups as a concern for regional security and called for action against them.

Pakistan has denied allegations it harbours these groups.

The BRICS declaration in the Chinese city Xiamen was significant given that China previously repeatedly stonewalled any reference to Pakistan or terrorist groups based there.

Pakistans foreign minister Khawaja Asif has told a news channel that BRICS concerns about the militant groups should not be considered as Chinas official stance.
Pakistans anti-corruption agency will open a criminal investigation into former prime minister Nawaz Sharif and current finance minister Ishaq Dar, it said on Thursday.

Sharif was ousted in July after the Supreme Court deemed him unfit to hold office for not declaring a small source of income, and ordered the agency, the National Accountability Bureau (NAB), to instigate a criminal investigation into him, his family and Dar.

The agency said its investigation would rely on the evidence collected by a Supreme Court-appointed six-man panel that was investigating the Sharif familys wealth and included officers from powerful military intelligence agencies.

The chairman (of) NAB directed that the prosecution of the cases will be followed up vigorously in the concerned Accountability Courts, the agency said in a statement.

Sharif, his family, and Dar have denied any wrongdoing.

The three-time premier said he never received the income that investigators said he did not declare.

Sharif has said there was a conspiracy against him but did not identify anyone. Instead, he named long-time loyalist Shahid Khaqan Abbasi as his replacement as prime minister until the next election, expected in mid-2018.

Pakistan has for decades been plagued by pervasive graft, as well as by rivalry between the military and civilian politicians.

The NABs conviction rates are notoriously low and Sharif has multiple investigations by the agency pending against him, including one dating back to 1999.
It was a big challenge from the get-go -- racing against a powerful hurricane.

But one US commercial jet took on the challenge and emerged a winner. A Delta Airlines flight carrying 173 people on board took off from New York on Wednesday, flew toward Hurricane Irma, landed in Puerto Ricos San Juan and returned, just before the airport was shut down ahead of the Category 5 storm.

Category 5 is the highest United States classification for hurricanes, described it as a potentially catastrophic storm.

You really want to fly into SJU during a category 5 hurricane, DL431?



Everyone else has turned around. pic.twitter.com/nHdChvYh2Y  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Experts praised the airlines forecasters, dispatchers and flight and ground crews for the successful flight after it returned from San Juan.

Jason Rabinowitz, who describes himself as an aviation geek and has more than 30,000 followers on Twitter, live-tweeted the Delta jets flight status. In a blog post titled Delta Goes Big, Then Goes Home, flight-tracking service FlightRadar24 said: As Hurricane Irma bore down San Juan, Puerto Rico, Delta sent one last flight to help evacuate a few hundred people from San Juan just before the airport closed.

A few flights attempted to squeak into @AeropuertoSJU ahead of Hurricane #Irma



Too late. 2x @JetBlue & 1 @AmericanAir flight turning around pic.twitter.com/ssGLh5EFCp  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Other airlines also launched flights on Wednesday morning, but those either arrived in San Juan as the winds were too strong to land or turned back before reaching Puerto Rico... As DL302 departed, it followed the gap between Irmas outer band and the core of the storm, allowing the aircraft to navigate in relatively calm air, it said.

DL431 is going for it.



Latest METAR: 35011G20KT pic.twitter.com/MqNgVPenQ8  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

So, how good is @Delta at dispatching?



The TAF calls for 25 MPH winds gusting to 40



It's actually 13 gusting to 23 now.



This will work https://t.co/Bw2cszfEEw  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Delta is hoping for a VERY quick turn once they get to SJU.



The return flight is listed as "early," departure bumped up 25 minutes pic.twitter.com/0F6rrn2HR7  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Now for the quickest turn ever https://t.co/cTFzXKLCKX  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

https://t.co/YvkZOukBOS already listing the return flight to JFK as "boarding" pic.twitter.com/VEk2N1bpqW  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Here they go! DL302 now taxiing for takeoff before #Irma gets really bad. pic.twitter.com/CNfk5L6oaa  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Takeoff! An absolutely amazing job here by @Delta forecasters, dispatchers, flight and ground crews. Full flight back up to JFK.#Irma pic.twitter.com/sSulqA8g7t  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Basically this, but for a 737 pic.twitter.com/zu8zqC4Tjk  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Now DL302 has to climb out of SJU, and they're doing so between the outer band of #Irma and the core of the storn. Amazing stuff. pic.twitter.com/lOq9Te5DO6  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Well, that's the end of that story. DL302 is reaching the edge of #Irma's outer bands.



Guess the flight crew serves lunch now...? pic.twitter.com/IDTV3WuLd5  Jason Rabinowitz (@AirlineFlyer) September 6, 2017

Several airlines have adjusted flight schedules and made cancellations ahead of the storms arrival in the US. The hurricane is expected to make landfall in Florida by the weekend. The hurricane affected most of Puerto Rico, and it headed toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday.

The Delta flight data showed Flight 431 landed at 11.58 local time and was back on its way to New York as Delta 302 less than an hour later.

The flight came after a US government agency video of a plane flying through Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane recorded, surfaced on social media.

The video, posted by US scientific agency National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Hurricane Hunters, showed a Lockheed WP-3D Orion aircraft passing through the eye of the hurricane.

Video of a flight through the eye of #Irma on #NOAA42. Flights on both the WP-3D Orion and G-IV #NOAA49 continue. Credit Nick Underwood/NOAA pic.twitter.com/9ini4bOnYF  NOAAHurricaneHunters (@NOAA_HurrHunter) September 5, 2017

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Police in Singapore have arrested a man suspected of planning to join Islamic State-linked fighters in the Philippines and a woman who was in contact with foreign militants, the government said on Thursday.

Singapore, regarded as the most stable country in Southeast Asia, has become increasingly concerned about the risks of radicalisation among its Muslim minority.

At least 14 radicalised Singaporeans have been put under restriction or detention orders under a tough internal security law since 2015, up sharply from 11 cases between 2007 and 2014, the government said in June.

The man arrested was identified as Imran Kassim, 34. The ministry of home affairs said he had tried to make his way to Syria to join Islamic State fighters at least twice, and had been prepared to attack members of the Singaporean armed forces.

More recently, he had intended to join militants who seized control of Marawi city in the Philippines this year, the ministry said in a press release.

Kassims arrest came as a result of information given to police by people close to him.

Authorities have mounted a campaign to encourage family members, friends and neighbours to report on anyone they fear was in danger of becoming radicalised.

The woman who was detained was identified as Shakirah Begam binte Abdul Wahab, a 23-year old administrative assistant. She is the second Singaporean woman to be detained on suspicion of becoming radicalised.

The ministry said she had been in contact with several foreign fighters since 2013.

Shakirah has demonstrated a propensity to engage in risky behaviour which renders her vulnerable to adverse influence and recruitment by terrorists who belong to a group that poses a security threat to Singapore, the ministry said.

In June, police arrested an auxiliary policeman and childcare worker who were both suspected of becoming radicalised.
Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on Thursday her government was doing its best to protect everyone in the strife-torn state of Rakhine, as the estimated number of Rohingya Muslims who have fled to Bangladesh leapt by 18,000 in one day, to 164,000.

Suu Kyi did not refer specifically to the exodus of the minority Rohingya, which was sparked by insurgent attacks on August 25 and an army counter-offensive, but said her administration was trying its best to take care of all citizens.

Western critics have accused Suu Kyi of not speaking out for the Rohingya, some 1.1 million people who have long complained of persecution and are seen by many in Buddhist-majority Myanmar as Bangladeshis. Some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 as a champion of democracy to be revoked.

We have to take care of our citizens, we have to take care of everybody who is in our country, whether or not they are our citizens, Suu Kyi told ANI.

Of course, our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be but, still, we try our best and we want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law, she said during a visit by Indian Prime Narendra Modi to Yangon.

Suu Kyi on Tuesday blamed terrorists for a huge iceberg of misinformation on the strife in the northwestern state of Rakhine but made no mention of the Rohingya who have fled.

She has come under increasing pressure from countries with Muslim populations, and this week U.N. Security Council Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned there was a risk of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar that could destabilise the region.

Myanmar has said it is negotiating with China and Russia to ensure they block any Security Council censure over the crisis.

Suu Kyi said the situation in Rakhine has been difficult for many decades and so it was a little unreasonable to expect her administration, which has been in power for only 18 months, to have resolved it already.

Exodus could reach 300,000

Myanmar says its forces are fighting a legitimate campaign against terrorists responsible for a string of attacks on the police and army since last October. Officials blame Rohingya militants for killing non-Muslims and burning their homes.

However, rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force them out with a campaign of arson and killings.

Boatloads of exhausted Rohingya continued to arrive in the Coxs Bazar region of neighbouring Bangladesh.

At least 12 people were missing after a wooden boat loaded with refugees capsized early on Thursday, survivors told Reuters journalists in Coxs Bazar. More than 30 bodies have washed up over the past week after boats capsized, officials say.

The latest estimates by UN workers operating in the region show arrivals in just 13 days stood at 164,000, up from 146,000 the day before.

UN officials in Bangladesh now estimate that the total number of refugees from Myanmar since Aug. 25 could reach up to 300,000, said Dipayan Bhattacharyya, who is Bangladesh spokesman for the World Food Programme (WFP).

The surge of refugees - many sick or wounded - has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities already helping hundreds of thousands of victims of previous spasms of violence in Myanmar. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food.

Many refugees are stranded in no-mans land between the border with Myanmar, Medical charity Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) said in a statement.

Even prior to the most recent influx, many Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh lived in unsafe, overcrowded and unhygienic conditions, with little protection from the elements.

It said more nurses, midwives and doctors had been brought in to tackle violence-related injuries, severely infected wounds and obstetric complications.
President Donald Trumps eldest son told lawmakers Thursday he was open to receiving information about Hillary Clintons fitness, character or qualifications in a meeting with a Russian lawyer last year.

However, Donald Trump Jr. insisted that neither he nor anyone else he knows colluded with any foreign government during the presidential campaign.

His description of a June 2016 meeting at Trump Tower, delivered in an opening statement at the outset of a closed-door Senate Judiciary Committee interview, provided his most detailed account of an encounter that has attracted the attention of congressional investigators and special counsel Robert Mueller.

Multiple congressional committees and Muellers team of prosecutors are investigating whether the Trump campaign coordinated with Russia to influence the outcome of the election. A grand jury used by Mueller as part of his investigation has already heard testimony about the meeting, which besides Trump Jr., included the presidents son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and his then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort.

In Thursdays prepared remarks, which were obtained by The Associated Press, Trump Jr. sought to explain emails he released two months ago that showed him agreeing to the meeting, which had been described as part of a Russian government effort to help his fathers campaign.

In his new statement, he said he was skeptical of the outreach by music publicist Rob Goldstone, who said he had information that could be damaging to Clinton. But Trump Jr. said he thought he should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say.

To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, Trump Jr. said in the statement.

At one point during the email exchange, Trump Jr. had told Goldstone, If its what you say I love it especially in the summer.

Trump Jr. sought to explain that remark Thursday by saying it was simply a colloquial way of saying that I appreciated Robs gesture.

Trump Jr. agreed to the Senate interview after the committee chairman, Republican Chuck Grassley of Iowa, subpoenaed him and Manafort. The committee withdrew the subpoenas after the two agreed to be interviewed privately by staff. Grassley said they both would eventually be questioned by senators in a public hearing.

Trump Jr. also is expected to appear before the Senate intelligence committee at some point.

Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the intelligence panel, said the senators want to speak with others who attended the June meeting before interviewing Trump Jr.

We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible, Warner said.

Manafort met privately with staff on that committee in July. Kushner has met with that staff, as well as members of the House Intelligence Committee.

That House committee has tried to talk to Trump Jr., too. Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., said negotiations are underway and a date hasnt been set.
A Turkish court on Thursday sentenced a man to almost four years in prison for attacking a young nurse on a bus for wearing shorts in a case that sparked public outrage, local media reported.

The assault in Istanbul was caught on camera and reportedly shows the man shouting those who wear shorts must die.

Security guard Abdullah Cakiroglu, who was not in court, was ordered to serve a three year and 10 month jail sentence for preventing the practice of freedom of faith, thought and opinion and deliberately causing injury, the Anadolu news agency reported.

Istanbul Pendik'te sort giydigi icin 21 yasndaki Asena Melisa Saglam' minibuste darp eden saldrgann goruntuleri ortaya ckt. pic.twitter.com/7rn7BWDVlK  Haberler (@Haberler) June 21, 2017

Aysegul Terzi, 24, had previously told the court how her attacker shouted she had no right to live before kicking her in the face in the incident in September last year.

I am often crying, I often find myself angry, I am often feeling like someone is about to attack me, she told Turkish television after the incident which sparked public outrage.

At the time, Cakiroglu admitted to local media the assault was not right and said he was suffering from a mental illness, having previously been diagnosed with bipolar disorder.

The incident galvanised public opinion in Turkey, which is officially a secular country, prompting street protests with the slogan: Do not touch my shorts!

The ruling Justice and Development Party (AKP) of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has championed the removal of restrictions on women wearing the Muslim headscarf.

Critics have accused the AKP of presiding over the creeping Islamisation of Turkey and violating private rights, something the party denies.
More than a quarter of a million mostly Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh since fresh violence erupted in Myanmar last October, the United Nations said on Thursday, as more bodies washed up a day after boats sank attempting to cross the river that divides the two countries.

In the last two weeks alone 164,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams and triggering warnings of a humanitarian crisis.

Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting in Myanmars Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.

Police in Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when at least three boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river that runs along the border.

Bangladesh border guards say desperate Rohingya are attempting to cross the river using small fishing trawlers that are dangerously overcrowded.

At least five have capsized leaving more than 60 people dead, police and border guards say.

Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat to take them to Bangladesh after fleeing her township in Rakhine.

People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink, she told AFP.

Most managed to swim ashore but the children were missing.

Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson by Myanmars army.

Most have walked for days to reach Bangladesh and the United Nations says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food and water.

Existing camps which hosted around 400,000 refugees before the latest influx are now completely overwhelmed, leaving tens of thousands of new arrivals with nowhere to shelter from the monsoon rains.

Mazor Mustafa, a Bangladeshi businessman handing out food and rehydration fluids, said the situation was getting worse as more people arrived.

It is not at all enough food, he told AFP of the ration kits being distributed.

These people are hungry, starving to death together.

The latest figures mean that nearly a quarter of Myanmars 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims have fled since fighting first broke out last October.

Impoverished Bangladesh initially tried to block them from entering, but has now given up attempting to stem the tide.

Yesterday its foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar ambassador to demand immediate measures to curb the violence.

The Rohingya are denied citizenship in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, which is under growing international pressure over its apartheid-like treatment of the stateless minority.

UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year may amount to ethnic cleansing.

The recent fighting is the fiercest in Rakhine, Myanmars poorest state, in years.

Cattle rancher Mohammad Shaker, 27, crossed into Bangladesh today suffering a gunshot wound to his chest that he said was inflicted by Myanmar soldiers.

I tried to flee with our stock near the river when the military started shooting at us, he told AFP, nursing his untreated wound.

I fell on the ground and later my relatives found me. We hid in the hills for days, and this morning managed to come here.

Scores of refugees have arrived in Bangladesh needing treatment for serious bullet wounds, while others have lost limbs after apparently setting off landmines along the border.

Today a mass funeral was held at a mosque near the border for five men whose relatives said they had been shot dead by the Myanmar military. The relatives carried their bodies over the border so they could be buried in Bangladesh.

Myanmar says some 27,000 mainly ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have also fled in the opposite direction since August 25, accusing Rohingya militants of targeting their communities.

Myanmars government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.

It has placed the blame for the violence squarely on the militants, saying they are setting fire to their own homes.

Myanmar said today that 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25.

They added some 30 civilians had been killed -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus and 16 Rakhine Buddhists -- in the fighting.

Myanmars army has previously said around 430 people had been killed in the fighting, including militants and soldiers.
The US House of Representatives has passed a bill with unanimous support that could accelerate the rollout of self-driving technology, a media report said.

The Safely Ensuring Lives Future Deployment and Research In Vehicle Evolution Act, or the Self Drive Act now moves to the Senate. If it passes there, it could become the first national law for self-driving cars in the US, The Verge reported on Wednesday.

The goal of the Self Drive Act is to establish a federal framework for the regulation of self-driving cars.

Currently, automakers and companies who test self-driving technology have to apply for exemptions to the National Highway and Traffic Safety Administrations (NHTSA) federal motor vehicle safety standards.

Meanwhile, the Self Driving Coalition for Safer Streets, a group that includes Google, Ford, Uber, Lyft, Volvo, and others, released a statement praising the House for passing the act.

Self-driving vehicles offer an opportunity to significantly increase safety, improve transportation access for underserved communities and transform how people, goods and services get from point A to B, they wrote.

However, the Self Drive Act will not give these companies free rein to test whatever they want on public roads, though.

In its current form, the act requires automakers to prove that the self-driving car in question is at least as safe as its human-piloted equivalent in order to be granted an exemption, the report said.

Companies applying for exemptions would also be required to report any crashes involving exempted vehicles.
The US on Thursday said India has as many legitimate security interests in Afghanistan as Pakistan, days after President Donald Trump announced his South Asia policy that required New Delhi to play a larger role in the war-torn country.

Just as Pakistan has very real and legitimate security interests in Afghanistan, so does India, Alicia Wells, the state departments highest ranking official for South Asia, said at a congressional hearing. She was responding to a question about Pakistan worrying about a larger for India in Afghanistan.

We would like to see, and appreciate, constructive economic investment in Afghanistans stability and institutional stability, she said, recounting Indias commitment to spend $3 billion in Afghanistan, and highlighted work done, including the construction of its new parliament building.

Wells was testifying before a subcommittee of the House of Representatives foreign affairs committee, which is considering the state departments budgetary proposals for South Asia for 2018.

Equating Indias security concerns in Afghanistan to that of Pakistan could add to the disquiet already felt in Islamabad over Trumps new policy of inviting New Delhi to play a larger role in the region.

On the recent Doklam stand-off between India and China, Wells refused to take sides. The US, she said, supports stable and peaceful relations globally, and among all countries, including India and China. The US goal in the Indo-Pacific region is every nation should be able to work together, to uphold international norms, and to prosper, she said.

Wells was asked whether India was willing to stand up to China and whether there was anything in the budget to enable US to strengthen security ties with India that could be beneficial in checking Chinas unwarranted territorial claims through the rest of Asia.

In response, she said that while the US generally supports a prosperous India that plays a leading global role... both China and India are leading powers but our relationship with India stands on its own because it is based on democratic values, close political and economic relations, and growing military ties.
The Trump administration has said it will initiate new anti-dumping and countervailing duty probe to determine whether imports of stainless steel flanges from India and China are being dumped in the US.

These investigations were initiated based on petitions filed by the Coalition of American Flange Producers and its individual members -- Core Pipe Products and Maass Flange Corporation on August 16, according to the commerce department.

The estimated dumping margins alleged by the petitioners range from 99.23 to 257.11% and 78.49% to 145.25% for China and India, respectively.

The department will act swiftly, while assuring a full and fair assessment of the facts, to ensure that everyone trades on a level playing field, US commerce secretary Wilbur Ross said as he announced initiating of anti-dumping investigations against stainless steel flanges from India and China.

The Trump administration will defend American workers and businesses with every tool at our disposal, he said.

The unfair subsidies alleged by the petitioners are estimated to be above de minimis.

In the anti-dumping investigation, the commerce department will determine whether imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India are being dumped in the US market at less than fair value.

In the countervailing duty investigations, the department will determine whether Chinese and Indian producers of stainless steel flanges are receiving unfair government subsidies.

If the department determines that stainless steel flanges from China and India are being dumped into the US market and/or receiving unfair government subsidies, and if the US International Trade Commission (ITC) determines that dumped and/or unfairly subsidised US imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India are causing injury to the US industry, it will impose duties on those imports in the amount of dumping and/or unfair subsidisation found to exist.

In 2016, imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India were valued at an estimated $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively.

From January 20, 2017, through September 6, 2017, the department has initiated 62 anti-dumping and countervailing duty investigations - a 41% increase over the previous year.

It currently maintains 407 anti-dumping and countervailing duty orders which provide relief to American companies and industries impacted by unfair trade.
EVERY MINUTE COUNTS.

Just ask General George C. Marshall, the chief of staff of the U.S. Army. On May 13, 1940, he is sitting through a very trying and unproductive meeting with his commander in chief, President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and treasury secretary Henry Morgenthau Jr. At issue is the army budget. War is raging in Europeindeed, Hitlers panzers are in the midst of their great drive to the English Channel. The French are done, the British reeling back to Dunkirk. A world hangs in the balance.

Still, not everyone is feeling the urgency. The House Appropriations Committee wants to cut spending for the army. Roosevelt disagrees, but must be careful about coming on too strong: most Americans fear another overseas war, and he doesnt want to look like a warmonger. He is inclined to go along with Congressthis timeand reduce the armys budget.

Morgenthau and Marshall have come to the Oval Office to argue the point and request that the threatened military funds be restored. But they, too, must be careful: few officials leave an argument with FDR unscathed.

Morgenthau begins. The cuts are wrong. The international situation is too grave. The president listens politely at first, then less politely. Finally, hes had enough and tells Morgenthau to stop: I am not asking you, I am telling you.

I still think youre wrong, Morgenthau counters.

Well, you filed your protest, the president answers, coldly.

Now its Marshalls turn. The chief of staff has gravitas. Hes a no-nonsense, plain speaker, and hes spent a career proving it. But even he cant get any traction. Roosevelt just isnt listening. I know exactly what he will say, the president says to Morgenthau.

The meeting is over, and in Washington, when the meeting is over, you go. They rise to leave, when Marshall turns, as if on sudden impulse, and asks a simple question: Mr. President, may I have three minutes?

Those next three minutes are sure to be fateful. They may decide the state of American readiness in the event of war, they may decide the fate of the Republic, but they will almost certainly decide the fate of General George C. Marshall.

Roosevelt seems surprised. Hes already made his intentions clear. But Marshall holds the floor. France is collapsing; the Western world is in peril; Hitler is on the verge of victory. He cites facts and figures. All that stands between the U.S. and Hitler are a handful of weak divisions, a few hundred aircraft, and artillery units whose guns are still on the drawing board. Marshall can field only 15,000 men at a timehopelessly inferior to Germanys two million men and 140 divisions. If you dont do something, and do it right away, I dont know what is going to happen to this country, he concludes.

Some historians describe a tirade. They have Marshall seething, the words pouring out of him in a rush of frustrations, a machine-gun burst of facts. Such phrases may be dramatic license, but Marshalls little speech succeeds in hitting its targetreaching the one man who matters.

Roosevelt listens in silence, then invites Marshall back the next day to discuss the armys needs. Furthermore, Roosevelt himself will go to Congress with an appropriations bill that will eventually top out at $657 millionan extraordinary sum for a country not yet at warwith a de-mand to build 50,000 airplanes, a fantastic number. The arsenal of democracy is open for business.

The United States was still more than 18 months from entering the war, and the fight itself would last four long years. But the pendulum might already have been swinging toward victory back in May 1940, when George Marshall made every minute count.

This column was originally published in the October 2017 issue of World War II magazine. Subscribe here.
Texas law gives apartment owners the right to reject an application from anyone who relies on government aid to pay the rent.

That has made Houston one of the most economically segregated cities in the country, according to the Pew Research Center. And experts know that nothing contributes more to keeping people in poverty than forcing them to live in lousy neighborhoods with underperforming schools.

Compounding the problem in Houston, eight of the federally-subsidized apartment complexes that welcome residents who rely on on so-called Section 8 assistance are in flood zones, according to an investigative report the Chronicle published last year.

When my colleague Rebecca Elliott asked the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development last year why taxpayer dollars were paying for 900 families to live in floodplains, the answer was shockingly frank.

"We simply have no choice - people need a roof over their heads," HUD spokeswoman Patricia Campbell said in an email. "While the risk landscape is dynamic, housing is fixed, and there's precious little of it, especially for those who need it most."

Harvey damaged or destroyed hundreds of these units, sending hundreds into shelters. And with so few apartment owners willing to accept Section 8 vouchers, these families will be the most difficult to relocate, especially since many are senior citizens or disabled.

Families with Section 8 vouchers will also have to compete with the thousands of middle-class families that lost their homes to the flood. HUD will issue emergency vouchers to these families, but they are easily distinguished from people who rely on long-term aid.

The key question for Houston is whether apartment building owners, who suffered from high vacancy rates before the storm, will change their policies and accept low-income, government subsidized tenants. Or will they only accept the middle class, and force the poor to seek out sub-standard housing in one of the more dangerous parts of the city?

RELATED: U.S. economy fails to deliver on social progress

If you own or operate an apartment building in a good neighborhood, nothing you could do following Harvey would help more than renting to a low-income tenant. Because nothing does more to lift a family out of poverty than moving into a better neighborhood.

Poor children who moved into a low-poverty neighborhood were more likely to go to college and they earned 31 percent more later in life than children who stayed in a poor neighborhood living in government-owned housing, according to a 2015 study by Harvard economists.

"The results of this study demonstrate that offering low-income families housing vouchers and assistance in moving to lower-poverty neighborhoods has substantial benefits for

the families themselves and for taxpayers," the authors concluded. "It appears important to target such housing vouchers to families with young children  perhaps even at birth  to maximize the benefits."

In normal times, the rich and the poor rarely interact, or even see one another. About a quarter of high-income families live in high-income neighborhoods, while 37 percent of low-income families live in low-income neighborhoods, making Houston the most economically segregated city among the country's 10 largest metro areas, according to the Pew Center.

Disaster changes that.

Houstonians from all walks of life pitched in when Harvey's floodwaters drove tens of thousands of people from their homes, both rich and poor. People who normally would never encounter each other in their daily lives were thrust together and equally humbled by nature's power.

If Harvey burst the bubbles that we live within, then can we agree not to build them back up? If capitalism allows the rich to gentrify poor neighborhoods, can compassion integrate those displaced into high-opportunity neighborhoods?

RELATED: Q&A: Third Ward is getting ready for its close-up

Many states make it illegal to discriminate against someone based on their source of income. Houston and other cities have talked about introducing such ordinances in Texas, but the Legislature stepped in to make that impossible.

That leaves it up to the owners and managers of rental properties to do the right thing. To make a contribution to making our city stronger, both in the short and long term. Yet another test of whether #HoustonStrong is a slogan or a promise.
Texas' gasoline shortage woes should ease by next week as all but a handful of the state's major Gulf Coast refineries have begun the methodical restart process after Hurricane Harvey.

The gasoline price spikes of 20 percent or more in Texas may linger for a couple of weeks longer, but motorists won't have to worry about gas stations running out of fuel for much longer, said Patrick DeHaan, senior petroleum analyst for GasBuddy.

"By a week from now, there shouldn't be a whole lot of stations with bags on their pumps," DeHaan said. "And, with prices, I think we're close to a peak."

Harvey knocked out more than a dozen Texas Gulf Coast refineries - and reduced operations at others - taking out nearly 25 percent of the nation's fuel production capacity. That has declined to less than 15 percent over the past few days.

Roughly half of San Antonio's gas stations remain dry, DeHaan said, while more than 20 percent of those in the Houston area lack gasoline supplies. That doesn't count stations shuttered because of damages incurred from Harvey's floodwaters.

In the meantime, the Houston area average for a gallon of regular unleaded gasoline has jumped from $2.10 to $2.50, while the national average climbed from $2.32 to $2.67 as of Wednesday. The Dallas-area average soared up to $2.72, according to GasBuddy.

Major refining complexes in the Corpus Christi area are now fully back online.

Also, the nation's two largest refineries, Motiva Enterprises' Port Arthur refinery and Exxon Mobil's Baytown complex, have begun the restart process, although they are several days away from resuming full operations. Motiva said it hopes to be at 40 percent capacity for the beginning of next week.

The refineries furthest from resuming full operations are Royal Dutch Shell's Deer Park refinery, Phillips 66 in Sweeny, Exxon Mobil in Beaumont, and Paris-based Total in Port Arthur. They combine to churn through more than 1.1 million barrels of oil a day.

They all suffered damages or major flooding. Total's Port Arthur refinery, for instance, shut down abruptly after it lost power during the storm.

"We are assessing the damages, restoring normal utility systems and repairing known damage," said Total spokeswoman Agathe Bruandet on Wednesday. "It's too early to talk about start-up."

Phillips 66 said it is aiming to restart its Sweeny refinery by mid-September. The company said 1,500 people are working on the refinery and making repairs to fix the "minimal damage" sustained from Harvey.

Shell said it's still assessing Deer Park. "We will restart operations once all system checks have been completed," Shell said.

Likewise, Exxon Mobil said its Beaumont refinery remains shut down because of flooding.
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Eric Anderson swerved his ailing white minivan into the parking lot of a boarded-up Fiesta Mart when he spotted Houston Food Bank volunteers doling out provisions.

Tropical Storm Harvey had swamped the only major grocer in his northeast Houston neighborhood, forcing him and his family to search nearby corner stores for limited staples. The sight of his neighbors carrying boxes of produce across the sweltering asphalt came as a relief after days of anxious scavenging.

"We didn't know it was this bad," he said. "You'd think a famine has hit."

Some of the region's hardest-hit neighborhoods now face food shortages as local grocers struggle to repair their most damaged stores, leaving lower-income customers with even fewer options for quality food at affordable prices. The problem is worse for people who either don't drive or lost their vehicle in the storm.

At least nine areas identified by the Food Bank will require extra donations as grocers bail out waterlogged stores, replace ruined refrigeration units and mend a broken supply chain. It found scarcity in neighborhoods near the Fiesta Mart at Mesa and Tidwell as well as ones in areas like Baytown, Channelview, Kingwood, Cypress, Pasadena and Richmond.

"Areas that weren't food deserts suddenly became food deserts, at least in the short term," said Brian Greene, the nonprofit's president and CEO. "The stores are doing their very best to recover."

The crisis has prompted state and federal agencies to expand the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, commonly known as food stamps, for more than 600,000 households in Harvey's path. Recipients already received more than $160 million in early benefits this month, and officials expect to offer additional disaster assistance in the coming weeks.

"That just tells you the impact," said Joe Williams, a grocery consultant for the Texas Retailers Association. "This was a once-in-a-lifetime storm."

Fiesta Mart, which operates stores in some of Houston's most flood-prone areas, undertook a Herculean effort to restart its store chain well before the storm had passed. Executives worked nonstop to coordinate complicated logistics while dedicated employees waded to work, and the company managed to open about two-thirds of its Houston locations within two days after the rainfall started.

"We serve the underserved," said Mark Sellers, the company's chief operating officer. "We have an obligation to get our stores up and open very quickly."

The number grew as floodwaters at last receded enough to allow supply trucks to replenish inventory. But three stores, including the one on Mesa Drive, will require weeks to clean and repair.

Other major grocers also lost stores. Kroger resumed the majority of its local operations last week, but its Champion Forest and Cypresswood locations suffered massive damage. H-E-B, which brought most of its stores online within days of the storm, has closed locations in Meyerland and Kingwood for major renovations. A Joe V's Smart Shop near Timberwood also flooded substantially.

Smaller food retailers flooded as well, with convenience stores and mom-and-pop markets still dark more than a week after the storm hit.

The Food Bank has ramped up its efforts in response, routing extra provisions to the areas of highest demand throughout the 18 counties it serves. Greene said it expects to ship a million pounds of food a day for weeks to come, mainly to hard-hit areas of Harris County.

When the Food Bank truck parked outside the Fiesta Mart earlier this week, the shopping center had hardly begun its recovery since the nearby Halls Bayou burst from its banks. Most of the flooded storefronts had fastened plywood to the windows amid reports of looting.

Volunteers filled boxes with 15,000 pounds of food as weary residents lined up to receive it. Dozens of others gathered at a nearby tent to apply for food stamps, some for the first time.

Jasmine Montgomery settled on a folding chair outside of the tent, resigned to waiting for hours to determine whether she would qualify for benefits because of her job situation. A nearby Rent-a-Center had hired her for customer service just before the storm, but then the building flooded, and she never heard back about whether it will reopen.

Montgomery, who doesn't have a car, had for years walked to the Fiesta Mart for fresh goods, trying her best to make them last between trips. Then Harvey hit and pushed water high inside her house, submerging electrical sockets and destroying the food she had. Food stamps, she said, might help her afford groceries at other stores and save for repairs.

"The little food I did have was spoiled," she said. "Now, I don't have the means to buy anything."

Anderson loaded a box of provisions into his van, hoping his faulty refrigerator would last until he could afford a replacement. Parts of his roof had caved in during the storm, exposing his appliances to Harvey's torrent.

He considered himself fortunate - with the van, he managed to make it to a nearby Mi Tienda store when it finally opened after the storm. But floodwater had damaged the transmission, and he worried he might soon lose his only means of venturing outside the neighborhood.

"It's only God pushing us along in this van," he said. "Let's hope I can put it in gear."
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There are a lot of contractor searches going on in the Houston area right now, but a Fort Bend County police department is warning residents about jumping on the first opportunity to hire.

"There are thousands of legitimate, ethical contractors in business in and around Fulshear," the Fulshear Police Department posted on Facebook. "Unfortunately, there are also scam artists looking to cheat you out of your money who pose as legitimate contractors."
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Lone Star College-Kingwood sustained extensive damages due to Hurricane Harvey.

Heavy rain triggered the San Jacinto River water levels to rise, which caused major flooding on the first floors in six of nine buildings: Classroom Building A (CLA), Classroom Building B (CLB), Library, Health Science Building (HSB), Fitness and Training Center (FTC) and the Performing Arts Center (PAC). Only LSC-Kingwood's Administration Building, Student Conference Center (SCC) and the Music Instructional Building (MUS) did not sustain damages.

"We have started the restoration process and are hopeful to be back on campus soon," said Katherine Persson, LSC-Kingwood president. "In the meantime, we are working with other LSC campuses and various community partners to lease office and classroom space and to find temporary locations for our specialized workforce programs."

All LSC-Kingwood and LSC-Atascocita Center classes will start the week of Sept. 25 at LSC-Atascocita Center and at the East Montgomery County Improvement District Complex in New Caney. College personnel hopes to hold classes and offer student services in its SCC and MUS buildings by Sept. 25.

Most courses will be converted to either online or hybrid (combination of online and face-to-face class meetings) classes. Courses for some of these programs will be held at other LSC-locations, but LSC-Kingwood is also working with many local partners, including the Kindred Rehabilitation Center in Humble, First Presbyterian Church of Kingwood, Kingwood Music School, Atascocita United Methodist Church, the Harris County Sheriff's Office and Farouk Systems.

The LSC-Atascocita Center is at 15903 West Lake Houston Parkway. The EMCID Complex is at 21575 US-59 North in New Caney.

For further updates, visit www.lonestar.edu/kingwood.
As the water from Harvey snaked through subdivisions and streets in the Pasadena and La Porte area, officials directed to keep an eye on the Battleship Texas were able to rest relatively easy with the help of surveillance cameras recently installed to monitor activity on the ship.

The 100-year-old vessel regularly takes on about 300,000 gallons of water per day, said Bruce Bramlett, executive director of the Battleship Texas Foundation, and the pumps, which constantly run to remove that water from the hull, are already almost pushed to their limit.

"If we lost power and then lost the pumps, we would be in bad shape," Bramlett said.

But protecting the ship is a familiar focus for Stephanie Croatt, assistant superintendent of the Battleship Texas. Croatt and her team put measures in place to keep an eye on the ship during the storm.

"We had to leave the area," she said. "So, we placed cameras on the ship to make sure she was safe during the hurricane. It was extremely useful and it's something we're looking forward to incorporating into our regular monitoring procedure."

The cameras were installed to help watch the ship for flooding or power loss during Harvey but will likely have far-reaching benefits, Croatt said.

"We have a very limited window to get the power up and running once it's running on generators," she said, "and the cameras allow us to see what's happening so we'll know if we need to come back and get things going. We have a little leeway, but if we lose power to those pumps we need to get in and do something as soon as we can."

Bramlett said that since the battleship already has a problem with taking on water, the cameras provided added security.

"The obvious problem is watching the ship when people have to leave," he said. "Everybody is rightfully gone in the middle of a big storm like that, and you at least want to be able to monitor it and see what's happening. Based on what I know, they were very happy with the outcome of adding those cameras."

The foundation has been working for years to find funds to dry-berth the ship to preserve the history of the only remaining World War I-era dreadnaught.

There are plans to install generators on the ship that will allow the pumps to continue to work in the event of power loss.

"We don't want to be in a position to be taking on more water than we can pump out," Bramlett said. "that's why leaks are so devastating. A generator would go a long way in the effort to make sure that doesn't happen."

For more information on the battleship and the foundation, visit http://battleshiptexas.org/.
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A homeless man with a long rap sheet was arrested Wednesday for allegedly exposing himself to several children in a Conroe shopping center parking lot.

James Ray Bates, 61, is facing a third-degree felony indecency with a child by exposure charge after witnesses called 911 around noon claiming he exposed himself to children in the Hobby Lobby parking lot near North Loop 336 and Interstate 45. All of the children were younger than 5 years old, detectives said.
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A baby rescued from Harvey floodwaters at 10 days old will have a sweet memento of the experience when she grows up - adorable newborn photos taken in the Cajun Navy boat that rescued her.

Baby Hope of Beaumont, Texas, is pictured lying on an orange life vest in the boat after her family was taken to the Lake Charles area to wait out the storm on Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Her mom, Emily Chimeno, said Hope slept through the entire ordeal.

CAJUN NAVY RESCUE: How the internet rallied to save a family during Harvey

The family was at home when Harvey struck the East Texas area, trying to decide whether they should evacuate to higher ground.

Chimeno was not particularly worried about her house flooding, but did not want to get caught wading through floodwaters with a c-section scar, she said, Wednesday, Sept. 6.

So Chimeno and her husband, Levi, flagged down a Cajun Navy boat and left their home with their three children, neighbors and pets.

Then, a Lake Charles man named Casan Courville offered the group a ride to safety in his town. It took them about 5 hours to get to a shelter at the Burton Coliseum in Lake Charles.

MAPS: Where Harvey's effects were felt the most

"When we got to the coliseum, a really sweet lady kept coming by to check on us," Chimeno said. "I had baby Hope in my arms, and the lady seemed very concerned about us staying at a shelter with two young children and a newborn."

The woman, Melissa Viator, decided to take Chimeno's family to her house, and after a phone call from the Cajun Navy boat owner, Chis Sanford, Viator and Sanford realized that they knew each other and planned a lunch for everyone at Sanford's house.

At lunch, Sanford's wife, Katy, asked Chimeno if she had had newborn pictures taken yet. "She surprised me by saying her friend would come over and do newborn pics for us!" Chimeno said. "She also offered for us to take the pictures at her house so we could get some pics with the boat that started it all!"

Katy Sanford and photographer Noelle Mills, set up the photo shoot and made baby Hope a onesie that said "I survived Hurricane Harvey." The photos have since been shared around the United States, thanks to a post on the popular page Love What Matters.

"We were blessed again and again by the people of Louisiana, and Hope is our little hero because people have extra compassion when a tiny baby is involved," Chimeno said.

"I believe Hope's story, including all of the amazing Louisiana folks along the way, is a great reminder that it's the people that matter in life, not the stuff."
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump, a man of few allegiances who seized control of the Republican Party in a hostile takeover, suddenly aligned himself with Democrats on Wednesday on a series of key fiscal issues - and even gave a lift to North Dakota's embattled Democratic U.S. senator.

Trump confounded his party's leaders when he cut a deal with Democratic congressional leaders - "Chuck and Nancy," as the president informally referred to them - on a short-term plan to fund the government and raise its borrowing limit this month.

The president's surprise stance upended sensitive negotiations over the debt ceiling and other crucial policy issues this fall and further imperiled his already tenuous relationships with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

The episode is the latest turn in Trump's separation from his party as he distances himself to deflect blame for what has been a year of gridlock and missed opportunities for Republicans on Capitol Hill. It follows a summer of presidential stewing over McConnell and Ryan, both of whom Trump views as insufficiently loyal and weak in executing his agenda, according to his advisers.

Trump made his position clear at a White House meeting with both parties' congressional leaders, agreeing with Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., on plans for a bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for three months.

That effectively postpones until December a divisive fight over fiscal matters, including whether to fund construction of Trump's long-promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.

"We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer," Trump told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One as he traveled to North Dakota. "We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred - very important - always we'll agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it."

In siding with Democrats, Trump overruled his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who was in the middle of an explanation backing a longer-term increase when the president interrupted him and disagreed, according to a person briefed on the meeting who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump was "in deal-cutting mode," the person said.

After the gathering, McConnell said he would add provisions extending government funding and the debt limit through mid-December to legislation passed by the House on Wednesday providing $7.85 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief.

"The president agreed with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi to do a three-month [funding extension] and a debt ceiling into December, and that's what I will be offering, based on the president's decision, to the bill," McConnell told reporters. "The president can speak for himself, but his feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis."

Trump also threw tacit support behind the Democrats' push for a "dreamers" bill that would effectively formalize an Obama-era program shielding undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children from deportation.

Trump on Tuesday began phasing out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which GOP hard-liners regard as illegal amnesty, but suggested Wednesday that if Congress passed a dreamers bill he might sign it.

"Chuck and Nancy want to see something happen - and so do I," Trump said.

Later Wednesday, Trump brought a special guest with him to an oil refinery in Mandan, North Dakota, to pitch his tax-cut plan: Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, a Democrat facing a tough reelection effort in a solidly Republican state that Trump carried in 2016 by 36 percentage points. He welcomed Heitkamp into his traveling delegation, affording her the chance to appear bipartisan by standing alongside a president popular with North Dakotans.

As Heitkamp stepped onto an outdoor catwalk at the Mandan refinery to join him on stage, Trump delivered play-by-play commentary: "Everybody's saying, 'What's she doing up here?' But I'll tell you what: Good woman."

Trump opened his speech by recounting his "great bipartisan meeting" at the White House. "I'm committed to working with both parties to deliver for our wonderful, wonderful citizens," Trump said, citing Schumer and Pelosi by name before mentioning the Republicans who were in attendance.

"Everybody was happy," Trump said of the meeting. "Not too happy, because you can never be too happy, but they were happy enough."

By setting up another debt-ceiling vote in December - a vote in which Republicans will almost certainly need Democratic help to avoid default - Democrats keep their seat at the table in this fall's key policy debates.

Had Trump sided with GOP leaders, Democrats would have been stuck trying to extract concessions ahead of debt-ceiling votes this week using an empty threat - voting against a legislative package that includes the politically sensitive Harvey aid. Democrats believe pushing the debt-limit debate into December will increase their leverage on several issues, including the protection of dreamers and securing funds to help stabilize health-care markets.

Schumer and Pelosi also gained an edge by giving Democrats an aura of strategic command they have lacked since Trump's election. Instead of McConnell claiming victory, it was Schumer who told reporters, "The nation can breathe a sigh of relief."

The deal may also benefit Trump by allowing him to revive his threat to shut down the government over wall funding.

At the White House, Republican leaders pushed for an 18-month debt-limit hike, then floated doing a six-month extension, according to two aides briefed on the meeting. But Pelosi and Schumer dismissed the six-month proposal, and Trump then agreed to the three-month hike that Democrats put on the table.

McConnell and Ryan came out of the White House meeting in the weakest position - losing an opportunity to neutralize the debt-ceiling issue before the 2018 midterm elections and to exclude Democrats from major policy debates this fall.

The president's decision came barely an hour after Ryan panned the idea of a short-term debt hike, accusing Democrats of "playing politics" with much-needed aid for Hurricane Harvey victims.

"I think that's ridiculous and disgraceful that they want to play politics with the debt ceiling at this moment when we have fellow citizens in need," Ryan told reporters.

Trump apparently disagreed.

"We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good," Trump said. "We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting."

Not all Democrats were so thrilled with the deal. Some were upset it did not include protections for the estimated 800,000 dreamers.

"So Trump attacks our dreamers and the next day the Democrats walk in there and say, 'Oh, let's just have a nice timeout,' while they're all suffering?" said Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill. "That is what is wrong with Democrats. They don't stand up."

Schumer said he was not finished advocating for dreamers. "This is not a trade-off for us," he said. "This is a very important issue that we're going to fight hard for until we get it done."

The fiscal agreement would probably force Congress to vote on the debt ceiling by Dec. 15. Negotiators were still working out details late Wednesday, and it was unclear whether the Treasury Department would have flexibility to avoid default after that date. Typically, the department can use emergency steps to avoid default for several months past any debt-ceiling deadline.

The short-term extensions for the debt ceiling and government funding are also expected to further cloud the prospects for enacting major tax cuts, Trump's top domestic priority. They effectively mean spending and budget fights will continue for months, just as the GOP was hoping to coalesce around a plan to cut taxes.

Trump tried to rally support for his tax plan in North Dakota.

"Anybody that's going to vote against tax cuts and tax reforms - whether it's in North Dakota or anybody else or any place else - you've got to vote against them and get them out of office, because it's so, it is so bad," Trump said, pausing so that the crowd could cheer. "This is not a close one."

The White House meeting took place just as the House approved the Harvey aid package, its first major order of business after the August recess.

The measure - providing $7.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $450 million for a disaster loan program for small businesses - passed 419 to 3, with 12 members not voting. Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Justin Amash, R-Mich., and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., voted no. It now moves to the Senate, where leaders plan to hold a vote by the end of the week.

Top House Republicans barely veiled their frustration with Trump's decision to side with Democrats on the debt ceiling. House Rules Committee Chairman Pete Sessions, R-Texas, said he "would have not tied the knot so tight" for December, saying an extension till at least February would have been better, but he carefully avoided criticizing Trump.

"We all do it differently," Sessions said. "I think it was an overly generous answer that he gave our friends the Democrats. But I'm not going to be critical of my president. I support my president."

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., the chairman of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, was among those who warned that Democrats' short-term debt-limit request could threaten GOP efforts to cut spending.

"Obviously getting a [continuing resolution] and the debt ceiling to not come due at the same time would be the most prudent fiscal decision we could make," Meadows told reporters.

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Rucker reported from Mandan, North Dakota. Damian Paletta, Abby Phillip, Paul Kane and Jenna Johnson in Washington contributed to this report.

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Video: The House of Representatives Sept. 6 passed a $7.85 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Harvey, though New York Democrats reminded Texans of how they voted after Hurricane Sandy. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

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AUSTIN - The state of Texas on Wednesday celebrated what may be a short-term legal victory in its fight to implement strict voter identification laws. But plaintiffs, who argue the ID requirements discriminate against minorities, say the case is far from over.

The stakes include what type of identification voters will have to bring to the polls in March, when primaries for congressional and state offices are scheduled.

The U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans on Tuesday put on hold a lower court's decision blocking the state from enforcing a controversial voter ID law passed this year.

Plaintiffs hopeful

The stay will remain in place while the three-judge panel weighs the constitutionality of the law, known as Senate Bill 5. The court's decision does little in the short term, because the new voter ID law isn't slated to take effect until Jan. 1. The court also decided that November elections will be conducted under voter ID policies used in last year's presidential contest.

Still, Attorney General Ken Paxton said he is pleased with the decision.

"Safeguarding the integrity of our election process is essential to preserving our democracy, and the voter ID law provides simple protections to ensure our elections accurately reflect the will of voters in Texas," he said in a statement.

Plaintiffs remain hopeful that a decision invalidating the laws will come out before the 2018 elections. Last month, U.S. District Court Judge Nelva Gonzales Ramos struck down SB 5, ruling that it still discriminated against black and Latino voters.

"We're still optimistic; there is some disappointment in the granting of the stay," said Jose Garza, an attorney for the Mexican American Legislative Caucus, a plaintiff in the case. "There's still a chance the issue will be resolved, so we have the Ramos order in place for major elections in 2018 that are around the corner."

Voter confusion

Oral arguments before the 5th Circuit court willtake place in December.

SB 5 sought to resolve what the courts have called discriminatory aspects of Senate Bill 14, which was passed in 2011 and created one of the strictest voter ID laws in the country.

SB 5 still requires voters present one of seven acceptable forms of photo ID to cast a ballot. But it allows people without such identification to vote, if they sign an affidavit and bring paperwork, such as a utility bill or paycheck, showing their name and address.

Amid the legal fight, the state agreed to put a diluted voter ID policy in place for the 2016 presidential election, under the terms of a deal between Texas and minority groups suing over the photo ID law.

The same policy will be in place for elections Nov. 7, when Texans are set to vote on several constitutional amendments.

Garza said the back-and-forth over voting rules is confusing for both voters and election officials.

Confusion over voter ID rules led to delays at the polls in 2016, and some voters were almost erroneously turned away, according to a recent report from the Texas Civil Rights Project.
The Trump administration's slow pace of appointments has left vacancies in key posts related to emergency response, something that may hamper efforts to help victims of Harvey's record rainfall and Hurricane Irma's punishing winds.

Deputies are missing from the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which spearheads relief in the early days after disasters, and at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which helps get storm victims back into lodgings. The Environmental Protection Agency doesn't have a regional director in Texas whose duties would include responding to Harvey's inundation of polluted Superfund sites.

President Donald Trump has said he doesn't intend to fill "unnecessary" positions, and his administration is behind the appointments pace of the Obama and Bush White Houses. He has proposed slashing the EPA's budget by almost a third, HUD's by 13 percent and FEMA's by 11 percent.

"To the extent that those kind of remarks and his indifference to appointments at senior levels reflect an animus toward government itself, there is undoubtedly a price to pay in the effectiveness of the country to respond to a variety of disasters," Paul Bledsoe, a lecturer on environmental policy at American University in Washington and a former official under President Bill Clinton, said in an interview.

Public relations offices at EPA and FEMA headquarters didn't immediately respond to emailed queries.

Trump, in a tweet Thursday, said, "Hurricane Irma is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help."

At the housing department, led by a skeptic of government, Secretary Ben Carson, nine of 12 top positions aren't filled, according to a tally kept by the Partnership for Public Service and the Washington Post. In six cases the Trump administration hasn't nominated somebody to fill the post; two nominees await Senate confirmation including Pamela Hughes Patenaude as deputy secretary responsible for day-to-day operations.

Carson, in an interview broadcast Wednesday by National Public Radio, said his agency would take care of families left homeless by the storm.

"There's no question that it's harmful that we don't have our complete complement of people," Carson said, faulting the Senate for not confirming two high-level picks. "Fortunately, we have many people who have stepped up to the plate and we're working very hard to keep things moving in a positive direction."

HUD "has put in place a disaster response team that includes career professionals with decades-long experience in disaster recovery," Raffi Williams, an agency spokesman, said in an email. "HUD will be there every step to ensure disaster survivors receive assistance."

Carson's department wins praise from some.

"HUD already has good, capable, competent, experienced leadership in place to run a successful recovery program," said Marion McFadden, who in 15 years with HUD helped lead disaster responses. She cited Neal Rackleff, a former housing director for the city of Houston, who is in place as a deputy at HUD with responsibility for disaster recovery.

"We have every indication he's well placed to take on this responsibility" after working effectively for the city including guiding flood relief, said McFadden, who is vice president with Enterprise Community Partners Inc., a nonprofit group based in Columbia, Maryland, that works on affordable housing.

At FEMA, where Administrator Brock Long has been in place since June, two top aides await Senate confirmation, including one whose position was created in response to shortcomings in the response to 2005's Hurricane Katrina, according to the Partnership for Public Service.

On Wednesday, the House passed $7.4 billion for a disaster-relief fund. The measure must now be considered by the Senate. The Trump administration made its first relief request for Harvey on Sept. 1, and Category 5 Hurricane Irma headed toward Florida Friday, portending more damage.

The EPA's response to Harvey will be hampered with few political staff installed in key posts, said Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican who led the agency under former President George W. Bush from 2001 to 2003.

Among the vacancies are the heads of almost all of EPA's 10 regional offices, who are on the front lines of interactions with states and local governments. A regional administrator just took the reins at Atlanta-based Region 4, but Dallas-based Region 6, which oversees activity in Texas, Louisiana and three other southern states, does not yet have a Trump-approved leader.

"It makes it difficult, because what you've got is a lot of career people in the regions without a leader who are worried every day about their job anyway," Whitman said. "They are afraid if they put a foot wrong they've signed their exit from the agency."

Hundreds of EPA workers are voluntarily leaving as Administrator Scott Pruitt works toward a one-fifth reduction of head count. Some on-scene coordinators with a lot of experience are leaving the agency, said John O'Grady, head of the employees' union at the agency.

"The question is, long term, how well can the agency deal with this," O'Grady said.

The EPA has 143 people responding to Hurricane Harvey to address health and environmental concerns, said David Gray, a Dallas-based spokesman for the agency. The federal response could benefit from one overall leader that works across agencies, said Amy Liu, director of the Metropolitan Policy Program at the Brookings Institution, a policy group in Washington.

"We need one person who wakes up every day and thinks about: How can the federal government be a steady partner to the Texas community -- and even Florida if that becomes the case," Liu said.
KPRC anchor and Houston celebrity Dominique Sachse announced Thursday that she will be giving away a car to a Hurricane Harvey victim who lost their vehicle due to the storm.

"Being in a car that runs is a luxury considering the kind of loss we've seen here because of flooding from Hurricane Harvey," Sachse said in a video she posted on her YouTube channel. "We want to do our part here in my family to offer help, as well."
As heavy rains caused the Omni Houston Hotel to flood on the morning of Aug. 27, spa manager Jill Renick urgently called the hotel's front desk at 5:40 a.m.

She also placed a call to 911, her sister said, and hotel guests on the first and third floors reported hearing her cries from the elevator.

As the 48-year-old Renick apparently desperately sought help, the staff moved to shut off the Galleria-area hotel's power. About 100 guests were evacuated as water poured into the building.

But Renick, who had ridden out Tropical Storm Harvey overnight with her dog Sweet Pea in a fourth-floor room before reportedly being summoned to assist guests on the second floor, has not been seen or heard from since. Her car and dog were found later at the hotel.

Her disappearance  and possible death  at a four-star hotel has left family members anguished, mystified and looking for answers.

"It's baffling to me that there is no sign of her  that she's vanished," said Renick's sister, Pam Eslinger, 62. "And we're going into the second week now. And nothing."

Police searched at least one of the hotel's elevators and found it empty, but declined to say if they had searched other parts of the hotel. An Omni spokeswoman said the hotel staff combed through the building.

"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," wrote Kristen Cadenhead, a spokeswoman in Omni's Dallas headquarters, in an email to the Chronicle. "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."

Houston police on Tuesday assigned an investigator to Renick's case, which is being handled as a missing person's case.

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 medical examiner's office for a body that would match her sister's description.

Local officials say around 70 people have died or are feared dead in Texas as a result of Harvey, which made landfall on Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane before dumping 50 inches of rain on some parts of the Houston area. Authorities have confirmed 30 storm-related deaths, mostly drownings, in Harris County.

The Texas Center for the Missing had located at least 118 missing persons, including three who died, as of Monday. The whereabouts of another 17  including former Houston journalist Jim Simmon  were still unknown. Houston police were continuing to investigate more than a dozen missing person reports opened since the storm.

The Omni, which backs up to Buffalo Bayou, suffered major flooding damage. Water spilled into the lobby while the basement, where the spa is located, was completely flooded. "The hotel will remain closed for the foreseeable future," Cadenhead wrote.

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, employee told Eslinger. Within 10 minutes, cell phone records show, Renick was trapped and calling the front desk, Eslinger said. 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," Cadenhead said. "At their request, we are not discussing the details of the call except with the family representative and law enforcement personnel."

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 never would have voluntarily left the hotel when guests were 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 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. Said Eslinger: "We just want to know where she is."
More than a dozen Texas chemical and refining plants reported damaged storage tanks, ruptured containment systems and malfunctioning pressure relief valves as a result of Hurricane Harvey, portending safety problems that might not become apparent for months or years, according to a Houston Chronicle review of regulatory filings.

The filings are incomplete and represent only damage that produced excessive air pollution, a fraction of the impact on plants in southeast Texas that provide more than 40 percent of the nation's petrochemical capacity and about 30 percent of its refining.

At Shell's Deer Park refinery, two tanks were damaged and oil ran into a surrounding berm. At BASF's Beaumont pesticide plant, tanks overflowed and leaked unknown chemicals. At the Chevron Phillips Cedar Bayou plant, a cooling pump failed, causing overpressurized chemicals to be burned off in a flare.

When Harvey swept through the Gulf Coast and Houston area, it forced the shutdown of hundreds of industrial facilities across the region. Now, with waters receding, these operations will be coming back on line in the coming weeks, raising the prospect of cancer-causing gas emissions, toxic spills, fires and explosions, said Sam Mannan, director of a center that studies chemical process safety at Texas A&M university.

"Such a large industry coming up at the same time," he said. "All you need to do is have some mistakes pop up somewhere and it will be magnified elsewhere."

Further, experts noted, the long-term implications of flooding disasters of this scale in petrochemical clusters have been poorly studied, and the possibility of future plant mishaps - months or years away - stands to be worsened by damages that have yet to be discovered.

"There are two things to focus on," said Jordan Barab, a former top Occupational Safety and Health Administration official. "The startup problem, and then longer-term safety."

Restarting a chemical plant or refinery already is the most dangerous period in the life of a plant, because it entails regenerating complex chains of chemical reactions that require a perfect balance to prevent uncontrolled releases and explosions.

"Will (companies) be offering bonuses and other incentives to speed the restart?" Barab asked. "How many normal procedures will be loosened because it's an emergency situation? How much overtime will workers be required to work and what kind of fatigue factors will they be dealing with? Will chemical exposures be overlooked because it's an emergency? How are they going to deal with safety issues if some instruments ... will not work prior to restart?"

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, OSHA and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality are poorly equipped to monitor plant startups or look for long-term problems because they are understaffed, underfunded and don't account for scores of dangerous chemicals, the Chronicle found in a 2016 investigation.

More Information By the numbers 25 percent The U.S. refining capacity knocked out by Hurricane Harvey 50 percent Percentage of the nation's ethylene production Harvey disabled 1 million Dangerous pollutants in pounds released by Texas plants during flaring and chemical spills triggered by Harvey See More Collapse

"Who is going to oversee any of this?" Barab asked. "The answer is no one."

President Donald Trump's budget cut OSHA enforcement spending - including inspections - but a House budget committee in July went even further, proposing cuts of $14.7 million, or more than 7 percent. The agency was already unable to inspect most facilities.

Inspections stop

The Labor Department said Aug. 31 that it would stop doing scheduled workplace inspections in Harvey-affected areas, choosing to focus instead on the safety of recovery workers. That means regular visits to petrochemical facilities will stop, Barab said, leaving no one to oversee the massive startup of hundreds of facilities up and down the Gulf Coast.

Harvey knocked out almost a quarter of the U.S. refining capacity, and more than half of the nation's ethylene, a plastics building block, hadn't come back on line almost two weeks after the storm.

OSHA didn't immediately respond to questions about how long the hold on enforcement actions will last and what else it might do to oversee recovery operations at plants.

Gov. Greg Abbott waived requirements that companies submit air pollution reports during recovery. They will have to record them later, a spokeswoman for TCEQ said. In the interim, the missing data means clues about malfunctioning plant equipment and health exposures for coastal residents are unavailable.

Some companies continue to voluntarily report emissions, and the Center for Biological Diversity, using those incomplete reports, showed that Texas plants released nearly 1 million pounds of seven especially dangerous pollutants during flaring and chemical spills triggered by Harvey.

Plants burn off excess chemicals in flares to prevent more dire releases during equipment malfunctions, shutdowns and startups. The practice is legal.

Those seven chemicals can cause serious health problems, and several cause cancer, according to the center.

Storm-related shutdowns of oil refineries have emitted pollutants that help form ozone, the Environmental Defense Fund said, and the Houston region has been under ozone warnings because of concentrations 10 times higher than what health officials deem safe.

EPA cuts

Meanwhile, the EPA is investigating a benzene plume in the area of Valero's refinery in Manchester. It said it has about 160 people helping hurricane response efforts and is using aircraft to monitor industrial sites on the Houston Ship Channel, including the benzene concerns.

But in a response to questions, the agency provided no details on whether it would step up monitoring of plants that are restarting or establish any long-term recovery oversight of facilities in its Risk Management Program, which have some of the most hazardous chemical inventories.

There's a concern that if the EPA does not increase inspections, the public could be in the dark about how much it's exposed to potentially harmful chemicals because of the storm.

"God knows what's in the soil and water now that floodwaters have receded," said Gretchen Goldman, research director for the Union of Concerned Scientists. "I don't know if there's a capacity to test what you'd ideally want to test."

New EPA rules established by the Obama administration were delayed by the new head of the agency, Scott Pruitt. The rules would require facilities to consider reducing dangerous chemical inventories and get outside safety audits.

RMP facilities develop worst-case scenarios that are supposed to give plant employees, first responders and the public information they need to prepare for disasters. Arkema's plan for its explosive chemicals didn't work.

"Worst-case scenarios take a series of things to go wrong all at once," said Paul Orum, a consultant and longtime chemical safety advocate. "But worse things do go wrong all at once, all the time."

He argued a third-party audit could have caught the flaws in Arkema's hurricane plans. The company has said no one could have prepared for that much rain.

Trump targeted the EPA for even deeper cuts than OSHA. The agency's enforcement office is slated for a 40 percent reduction. Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility, a group representing government environmental workers, published data obtained under the Freedom of Information Act showing that criminal pollution cases initiated by the EPA fell two-thirds since 2012, while the number of agents in the division dropped by half since 2003, leaving it 53 agents shy of the number required by law.

More storms

A series of blasts at the Arkema chemical plant northeast of Houston showed how a storm like Harvey can thwart any company's best-laid plans, as up to 50 inches of rain swamped the factory, cut power and deluged backup refrigeration systems for heat-sensitive chemicals. Three freezer trucks exploded over six days and the remaining six trucks were intentionally burned while a 1.5-mile area around the plant was evacuated.

Residents are worried about chemicals in the air and dust.

The effect of natural disasters - particularly flooding - on hazardous facilities didn't draw much attention until the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster brought on by a tsunami in Japan in 2011, Mannan said.

A 2009 analysis of multiple chemical incident databases worldwide by researchers at the University of Bologna in Italy found storage tanks, pipes and compressors were the most likely to be damaged in flood events. And major releases were more likely to occur when floodwaters were more than 3 feet high.

Houston has experienced three major flooding events in the past three years. With Hurricane Irma heading toward the U.S. and Tropical Storm Jose not far behind, the area might not be finished with major flooding events for 2017.

"We're going to see more extreme weather events hitting the Gulf with more frequency, and both government and business are going to have to deal with that," Barab said.

Every major storm will challenge the disaster plans for facilities throughout the area. Not every plan will pass that test.

Barab questioned why Arkema hadn't done more to protect its refrigeration and power systems when Houston hospitals in the Texas Medical Center had done so after Tropical Storm Allison caused what, up to that point, had been unimaginable flooding. He fears too many plants don't account for true worst cases.

"Evacuating an unstable plant and watching it explode," Barab said, "isn't exactly an acceptable solution."
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WASHINGTON  Amid the stories of misery, hope and heroics along the storm-ravaged Gulf Coast, the U.S. House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly Wednesday for an emergency $7.85 billion aid package for Hurricane Harvey, the first down-payment on recovery efforts that in the coming weeks could top $120 billion or more.

"The message is very simple," said Rep. John Culberson, a Republican representing storm-flooded Houston. "Help is on the way."

Final passage is considered all but certain, but the path could get complicated as it goes to the Senate, where there are concerns the bill could get entangled in the annual congressional budget wars.

Senate leaders said their version of the relief legislation could increase the funding beyond what was approved by the House.

The 419-3 House vote belied strong divisions behind the scenes as President Donald Trump and congressional leaders worked out a deal tying speedy approval of the money to a Democratic proposal to lift the debt ceiling and fund the government for just three months.

The legislation to carry out that agreement, which still requires approval of both the House and Senate in the coming days, could set up another round of brinksmanship in December. That's when lawmakers would once again be called on to fund the federal government and increase the borrowing limit.

The Senate is expected to attach the Harvey relief funding to a debt-limit vote by the end of this week. Conservatives in the House and Senate, including Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, have voiced concern about linking the two issues, which Cruz called "unrelated matters."

Senior Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the Republican Majority Whip, said he supports the linkage as a way to immediately replenish needed funds for the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

"The important number is zero," Cornyn said in a Senate floor speech rallying support for the storm aid. "(That's) the amount of time we have to lose."

U.S. Rep. Blake Farenthold, a conservative Republican whose district around Corpus Christi was among the hardest hit, predicted that without an emergency appropriation, FEMA would be out of disaster relief funds in a matter of days.

"People opened their homes and their hearts to strangers," Farenthold said during Wednesday's House debate. "But the victims of the storm also need FEMA's help as well."

In recent years, many conservatives in Congress have taken a hard line on debt-limit increases - once considered routine - using them as leverage to force corresponding spending cuts. But White House officials and GOP leaders in Congress have pressed for a quick resolution to the debt-limit issue. Their aim has been to remove the threat of a federal government default in the wake of a natural disaster in the Gulf, and possibly another one coming behind Hurricane Irma.

Trump is also anxious to get on to other things. "We believe that helping to clear the decks in September enables us to focus on tax reform for the American people," said Marc Short, White House director of legislative affairs. "We need to get the economy growing again and that's what we need to focus on."

Compounding the closed-door horse-trading around the storm relief has been the need to pass a comprehensive 2018 spending bill that avoids a government shutdown at the end of September, the end of the government's fiscal year.

That too got thrown into talks earlier Wednesday at the White House between Trump and congressional leaders of both parties.

"We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good," Trump told reporters later on Air Force One. "So we have an extension, which will go out to December 15th. That will include the debt ceiling, that will include (stopgap funding), and it will include Harvey  because everyone is in favor obviously of taking care of that situation. So we all very much agree."

Republican leaders had originally sought a longer debt-ceiling extension, pushing the politically toxic issue past the 2018 elections. But after a meeting that included House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, Trump seemed to favor the Democrats' short-term extension.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer issued a statement suggesting they might use the debt limit and other must-pass legislation to press for other Democratic priorities, including legislation granting legal status to so-called Dreamers, immigrants brought into the country illegally as children.

"As Democratic leaders, we also made it clear that we strongly believe the DREAM Act must come to the floor and pass as soon as possible and we will not rest until we get this done," they said.

Ryan called the three-month extension "ridiculous" and accused the Democrats of playing politics with hurricane relief and the debt limit.

Some members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus also voiced objections to tying a Harvey aid package to any debt limit extension  no matter the duration. But with the White House and Republican leaders anxious for a fast and effective storm response  and to keep the government running  it appears that that conservative hard-liners in Congress will be hard pressed to derail the plan, particularly as any debt-limit increase is likely to require Democratic votes.

McConnell, addressing the Senate on Wednesday, quoted Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin saying, "If Congress appropriates the money, but I don't have the ability to borrow more money and pay for it, we're not going to be able to get that money."

McConnell added: "The need for certainty now is incredibly important."

In the end, the initial House vote on Harvey aid got only three "no" votes, cast by GOP Reps. Justin Amash of Michigan, Andy Biggs of Arizona, and Thomas Massie, a tea party-aligned libertarian Republican.

A down payment

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott thanked lawmakers on both sides for passing what he and others called a "down payment" for future relief efforts to help the Gulf Coast recover.

"Today's bipartisan vote by the U.S. House of Representatives is an encouraging sign that Congress intends to step up and ensure Texans receive the financial aid they need to rebuild in the aftermath of this devastating storm," Abbott said. "I am hopeful that the U.S. Senate will act quickly to pass this measure."

Abbott has said the state may ultimately need more than the $120 billion that the U.S. spent on Hurricane Katrina recovery. The bill that cleared the House Wednesday would provide an initial $7.4 billion for immediate disaster relief and another $450 million for Small Business Administration disaster loans. The Senate version of the bill is expected to add even more money.

A FEMA spokesman said that as of early Wednesday the agency had received 617,116 applications for assistance, with an approved funding amount of nearly $180 million. Harvey is believed to have destroyed more than 100,000 homes.

The federal government has agreed to take on 90 percent of the costs for overtime, debris removal, rebuilding roads and bridges and other expenses related to Hurricane Harvey, state and FEMA officials said Wednesday. Typically, the federal government takes on 75 percent of the costs, leaving 25 percent to the local government. Abbott's office took credit for negotiating a 90-10 split instead that would save local governments 60 percent of typical reimbursement cost.

The federal government has also agreed to reimburse the state for 100 percent of the money spent on emergency protective measures - such as paying overtime pay for police and firefighters - in the first 30 days of the storm response, said FEMA spokesman Marty Bahamonde.

Abbott also make a plea to Congress and the federal Office of Management and Budget Director Mick Mulvaney to make $500 million immediately available to the state so it can be sent to cash-strapped governments that need the money to continue basic services like public safety, sanitation, public health and payroll. He said in a letter to Mulvaney that some local governments can't wait for the federal government to reimburse them because many affected areas are now having cash flow problems related to the storm.

"Put simply, they are out of money and cannot wait for the reimbursement process to play out," Abbott wrote in a letter to Mulvaney sent Tuesday.

'Your brother's keeper'

In a passionate floor debate, members of the Texas congressional delegation in both parties emphasized the moral imperative for quick action to alleviate the suffering and begin the recovery.

"You can't be your brother's keeper without keeping your brother," said U.S. Rep. Al Green, a Democrat from flood-soaked Houston.

Said Republican U.S. Rep. Ted Poe of Humble: "Let this vote show that we will vote not for politics, but for people."

The Texans' pleas for aid were accompanied by stories of hope and bravery. They included multiple references to the so-called Cajun Navy and other civilian volunteers who joined spontaneous rescue efforts.

"The most powerful story of Harvey, I believe, are the thousands of ordinary men and women that just stepped up to save their neighbors, that went and grabbed a boat or a jet ski or anything that could float and went into harm's way to pull people out of life endangering situations," Cruz recounted on the Senate floor. "Hundreds and hundreds of rednecks in bass boats. Texas at its very finest ... All these guys in duck waders, fearlessly walking into the charging waters, pulling people out, one after the other, after the other."

Texas lawmakers also were careful to nod to the state's cherished image of self-reliance.

"Texans I know aren't just sitting around waiting for government or government aid," Cornyn said. "But that doesn't mean we should twiddle our thumbs here in Washington, D.C. We have got to act."

Lawmakers from across the nation rallied behind the Harvey aid, even though some Democrats from New York and New Jersey chided Texas Republicans, including Cornyn and Cruz, who had opposed a final aid package for Superstorm Sandy, which hit the East Coast in 2005.

"What you did during Superstorm Sandy should not stand," said Rep. Eliot Engel, D-N.Y.

Some Democrats, however, singled out Culberson as the only Texas Republican who had supported the full Sandy request, which others opposed as either bloated or not urgent.

"Today we are all Americans," Culberson replied, "arm-in-arm."

Andrea Zelinski contributed to this report from Austin.
The Sydney Morning Herald/Fairfax Media via Getty Images

Earlier this week, a new law went into effect outlining what schools must do if they discover a child with head lice.

According to the school-focused Senate Bill 1566, schools are required to notify a parent within five days if their child is in the same classroom with a student diagnosed with head lice.
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Charity Navigator, the national group that rates charities on how efficiently they use donations, has released rankings of non-profits taking donations in the wake of Hurricane Harvey.

In a notice on its website, Charity Navigator singles out the Houston SPCA, Houston Humane Society and Houston Food Bank as worthy organizations. It also gives a nod to the Food Bank of Corpus Christi and the San Antonio Humane Society as top-rated organizations providing direct support to people and animals.

The Houston Food Bank, for example, received a 100 percent rating and 96.2 percent of its spending went to programs and services.

"We have donors who come to us all year round and find organizations they can trust. We see upticks in people wanting to give  and give quickly  when things like Hurricane Harvey happen or are going on in the news," said Katelynn Rusnock, Charity Navigator's advisory system manager.

Since its founding in 2001, the organization has rated non-profits in two areas of performance  financial health and accountability/transparency  to help potential donors make informed decisions about where to give their money. They currently rate 8,955 501c3 charities based in the U.S. and who may do work all over the world.

Charity Navigator looks at a series of financial metrics, including information from nonprofits' 990 tax forms as well as information from their websites. The nonprofits must have revenue of at least $1 million a year and be in operation at least seven years.

More than 40 charities are listed on its website's post about post-hurricane giving and the link to each charity allows people to donate directly to the organization.

Other local charities making the list are Catholic Charities of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, Habitat for Horses, Small Steps Nurturing Center, Star of Hope, YMCA of Greater Houston and the United Way of Greater Houston.

"Even during Hurricane Irma we'll have something up and be a resource for that as well. We're available all year long. Our ratings are always there," Rusnock said.
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WASHINGTON  The U.S. House is poised to give final approval to a $15.25 billion relief package for Hurricane Harvey after a new funding measure cleared the Senate on Thursday.

The sum, approved by an overwhelming 80-17 vote, is nearly double the $7.85 billion in aid approved Wednesday by the House.

The new funding, attached to legislation to keep the government open and raise the debt ceiling, is expected to come to a House vote by Friday.

"As the waters recede and folks return to their communities, Texans are still trying to take stock of the damage left by Harvey," said Texas U.S. Sen. John Cornyn, the second-ranking Republican in the Senate. "This funding will serve as an initial first step towards helping Texans begin the process of rebuilding. I'll continue to work with federal, state, and local officials to ensure Texas gets the resources we need to recover from this devastating hurricane."

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The Senate move came as Hurricane Irma, one of the largest storms on record, approaches the Florida coast.

"The recovery effort for a record-setting storm like Harvey has strained resources to the limit already," said GOP Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. "The advance of another historic storm now makes the need for action even more urgent."

Conservatives in Congress have voiced opposition to tying the relief package to legislation keeping the government lights on and increasing the borrowing capacity. But the deal, reached Wednesday with President Donald Trump, got the reluctant support of Texas U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a Republican from Houston.

"It is unfortunate that congressional leadership and the administration chose to tie Harvey relief to short-term extensions (of government funding) and the debt ceiling," Cruz said. "Historically, the (short-term government funding) and debt ceiling have proven to be the only effective leverage for meaningful spending reform, and I believe we should continue to use them as tools to reduce our long-term debt. I would have much preferred a clean Harvey relief billwhich would have passed both Houses nearly unanimously."

Cornyn, in a Senate floor speech, said the vast sums expected to aid in the recovery require increasing the government's debt limit.

"Without lifting the debt limit we couldn't actually vote for and send aid to the victims of Harvey, because we'd be bumping up against the debt ceiling."

Both Texas senators agreed that the $15 billion package, however urgent, is just a start. Both also have been criticized for opposing a 2012 Superstorm Sandy relief measure that they said was bloated and filled with unrelated spending.

On Thursday, Cruz took pains to argue that the Harvey relief funds are narrowly drawn.

"These funds are immediate, properly targeted to the areas hit by the storm, and focused on clean-up and rebuilding," said Cruz. "This will not be nearly enough to cover all the costsmost estimates of total damage are well in excess of $100 billionbut it is a significant first step. And Congress is committed to meeting the additional need as it is accurately quantified in the months ahead."

The Senate plan took shape Thursday as Houston Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, backed by other Texas Democrats, proposed a $174 billion aid package for the Gulf region.

Cornyn, however, has said that federal aid for Hurricane Harvey is more likely to come in installments, much like in the recovery from Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
AUSTIN - As passions continue to flare over a Trump administration decision to end an Obama-era program providing legal status to young immigrants who are in the country illegally, state Republican leaders are quickly pushing away from the issue.

They prefer to portray it as a problem for Congress to fix in Washington.

But if Congress' decision leads to thousands of deportations and sparks a backlash, Texas Democrats will do all they can to use it against Republicans who support ending the program in next year's elections, political consultants and party leaders said Thursday.

"That's not only possible, it's probable," said Matt Angle, a longtime Democratic Party strategist who has been critical of top Republican leaders over their longstanding support of ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals.

"The Republican leaders have pursued a policy to repeal DACA, and now that it's coming to a head, they're trying to pass the buck to Washington," Angle said. "Their policies have been directly hostile to Latino voters, but this issue extends beyond Latino voters. What they're afraid of is fair-minded Anglo voters who think the repeal of DACA is unfair, wrong and stupid."

A federal decision

Not so, contends state Sen. Paul Bettencourt, chairman of the GOP caucus in the Senate where support for repealing DACA has been strong. "Congress has to fix this. No one else can," said Bettencourt of Houston. "If they don't then they may be labeled a do-nothing Congress, but people realize the difference between Washington and Austin.

"I don't see any effect in Texas from this."

On Wednesday, President Donald Trump gave Congress six months to pass a law on the incendiary immigration issue originally launched with an executive order by Barack Obama, allowing more than 800,000 people to stay in the United States under a two-year renewable visa that allows them to work or study without fear of deportation.

On Thursday, 15 states and the District of Columbia sued the federal government to block Trump's plan to end the protection against deportation. Filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the suit seeks to strike down Trump's action as unconstitutional.

The suit calls the move "a culmination of President Trump's oft-stated commitments  to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots."

The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit - all Democrats - represent states where the population of DACA participants - known as "dreamers" - ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the U.S. illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

Texas Republicans, including Gov. Greg Abbott and Attorney General Ken Paxton, have called for the repeal of DACA.

Following Trump's announcement Wednesday, Abbott said it was a federal decision that needed to be made by Congress - and was nothing that state officials have a role in determining.

Jamie Bennett, press secretary for the Republican Party of Texas, said the issue GOP leaders have with DACA has been "federal overreach and its abuse of the rule of law." He said the state party is optimistic that Congress will move quickly to replace DACA with a sound and legal immigration policy.

But how that is defined remains an open question.

In the past, Texas Republicans have been split on the issue - with conservative GOP members favoring a tougher policy against immigrants in the country illegally while moderates favor a more conciliatory approach to dealing with the "Dreamers" who have become solid citizens.

Targeting lawmakers

Nationally, more than 800,000 immigrants are covered by DACA, officials have said.

Despite the Republicans' differing stances, Democrats and pro-DACA activists have vowed to continue their frequent protests as Congress prepares to tackle the issue.

Crystal Zermeno,the director of electoral strategy with the Texas Organizing Project, a Democratic-leaning nonprofit that advocates for Hispanic and black communities in Houston, Dallas and San Antonio, said the organization is targeting three congressmen - Pete Sessions of Dallas, John Culberson of Houston and Will Hurd of Helotes - who they hope will work to give DACA recipients permanent legal status.

Their constituents are more likely to favor immigration reform, Zermeno said. So the organization is optimistic that the three GOP House members will vote in favor of protecting DACA recipients.

"We are going to keep the pressure up, so when it comes time to voting, they are all voting the right way," she said. "We cannot let our guard down because there is going to be immense pressure on every Republican member in Congress to vote in line with the party."

If the three representatives do not vote in favor of extending protections to young immigrants, then Zermeno said TOP and other organizations will target their seats.

"It'll be clear where people fell on the issue, and we will be mobilizing and letting people know how members of Congress stood on immigration issues," she said.

At the state level, Paxton is a "huge target," Zermeno said. In June, Paxton and GOP officials from nine other states demanded that the Trump administration rescind DACA or face legal action if it was not rescinded by Sept. 5.

"We are constantly beating a drum around him," Zermeno said. "We want to keep remind people who is to blame."
In the Carribbean Sea, Hurricane Irma is so powerful that its registering on seismographs used to detect earthquakes.

Across the Pacific Ocean, however, seismographs have picked up evidence of another ominous force of destruction - a nuclear bomb.

North Korea, a sad sack of a country by almost every measure, periodically does something outrageous that grabs the world's attention and elicits what it may desire most - an angry response from the United States. The Trump administration has obliged in spades after the impoverished totalitarian nation conducted a series of missile test firings and followed with its largest nuclear test yet, all of which rattled South Korea, Japan and the U.S., the latter now considered in range of North Korean missiles.

President Donald Trump, mistakenly thinking as he often does that tough talk is good policy, threatened "fire and fury like the world has never seen" against North Korea and, absurdly in our opinion, discouraged South Korean President Moon Jae-in from pursuing peace talks with the North.

He tweeted that South Korea's talk of "appeasement" with North Korea wouldn't work because "they only understand one thing!"

The president has also threatened to withdraw from the U.S.-Korea Free Trade Agreement, which would be bad news for the Port of Houston (South Korea is our sixth largest trading partner) and is brazenly awful diplomacy. Now is the time to rally around an ally, not throw them under the bus. Fortunately, Moon is ignoring Trump.

All attempts at ending these hostilities without conflict are worth pursuing - unless, of course, you're aching for a fight that ends in nuclear fallout.

On Monday, in an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council, U.S. Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley continued the ridiculous rhetoric by saying that North Korea was "begging for war."

Apart from scaring his neighbors and rattling Washington's cage, theories abound about what North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is hoping to accomplish with his bellicose actions.

Speculation ranges from signaling that an attack on his country will have violent consequences to showing the U.S. that its defense of South Korea, where it has 28,500 troops, is futile.

Possibly the best explanation came from Russian President Vladimir Putin who said Kim wants to maintain power and is developing nuclear weapons because he fears ending up like Iraq's Saddam Hussein, driven from power by an American-led invasion and hanged by his enemies.

We'd like to see China taking a more active role in controlling Kim's dangerous impulses, which one would think it could do given that it is North Korea's top trading partner by far and provides 80 percent of the country's oil.

So far Chinese leaders have called for talks and indicated possible support for more sanctions but are unlikely to back what the U.S. is now calling for - a ban on oil exports to the rogue country.

We believe there are other steps to be taken before such a drastic measure should be considered, in part because of the dangers an armed and desperate Kim could present.

We support Moon's efforts to renew peace talks with the North accompanied by a gradual stepping up of international sanctions against North Korea if necessary, deeper Chinese involvement in bringing Kim to heel and less bombast from Trump, who sometimes sounds like he's the one "begging for war."

We hope he's not because there's no need for a war. With smart international diplomacy this situation can and should be resolved peacefully, and we urge all parties involved to work exclusively toward that goal.
Crosby is a community where people are accustomed to living around industrial plants, but now even these usually tolerant Texans are downright mad about the catastrophe caused by a chemical plant explosion that happened in the middle of the biggest natural disaster in their town's history.

Amid last week's flooding, everybody living within a 1.5 mile radius of Crosby's Arkema chemical plant was forced to evacuate just before at least two tons of volatile organic peroxides exploded and caught fire. The whole world watched on television as flames shot up from the floodwaters that inundated Crosby. That calamity was bad enough, but company officials ignited their own firestorm by cloaking their plant's inventory in secrecy. And the blame for keeping the public in the dark is shared by our state's top elected leader.

Arkema - whose poor public relations last week became a case study in botched media crisis management - initially refused to tell the people of Crosby what chemicals were stored in their community. Days after the first explosions, Arkema finally released a list of its inventory, but it still wouldn't reveal important details such as how much was stored on its site or where the chemicals were located. Then officials deliberately set fire to some containers of chemicals without any advance notice, detonating more explosions that frightened anxious neighbors living outside the evacuation zone.

"You don't know what's in there," Crosby resident John Rull told a Chronicle reporter. "You don't know what's in the air. Their time for keeping secrets is up."

We agree.

Let those words be a lesson for Gov. Greg Abbott. He's explicitly authorized the secrecy that prevents Texans from finding out about the hazardous chemicals stored not only at the Arkema plant in Crosby, but at plants and warehouses located in neighborhoods throughout the state.

Abbott was attorney general when a deadly explosion rocked the north Texas town of West in 2013. In the wake of that disaster, Abbott decided the state government should begin withholding reports about chemical inventories stored in warehouses and manufacturing plants, arguing the information could be useful to terrorists. Paxton, the current attorney general, has maintained the same position. When reporters asked then attorney general Abbott how Texans were supposed to find out what hazardous materials imperil their communities, he blithely suggested homeowners "simply ask the companies what substances are kept on site."

Nonsense. We tried that, and it didn't work. When the Chronicle asked 20 companies and local emergency response agencies for that information in 2014, half of them released either limited data or no inventories at all. Now people in Crosby are getting the same brush off. An Arkema spokesperson said a detailed breakdown of its inventory would have to come from the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality, but TCEQ said the company is free to release that information "if they so choose."

Businesses storing hazardous materials in Texas communities shouldn't have that choice. This basic level of disclosure should be required by law, and the state should release that information to anybody who wants it. If our attorney general's office insists upon using anti-terrorism legislation as a pretext for keeping endangered communities in the dark, the Legislature needs to change the law.

Something's wrong when a McDonald's restaurant in Crosby has to reveal how many calories kids are eating in its Happy Meals, but an industrial plant can keep its inventory of explosive chemicals a secret.

We've never heard of a terrorist attack on a chemical plant in the United States, but we've seen plenty of explosions and evacuations caused by accidents at facilities storing volatile materials. Our state government should stop using the hypothetical threat of terrorism as an excuse for withholding crucial information about hazardous materials, like the volatile chemicals that exploded in the midst of last week's disaster in southeast Texas.
Specious idea

Regarding "Hurricane Harvey was not a catastrophe; it was Houston's finest hour" (Page A17, Wednesday), Leo Linbeck III cites numerous statistics to prove that Harvey was not a catastrophe. For instance, he tells us that 94 percent of homes suffered no damage and that those killed in the disaster increase the annual death rate by "only" 0.1 percent. This is akin to arguing that drunk drivers are not a problem because they do not kill the vast majority of motorists.

Actually, instead of offering his glib recitation of statistics, perhaps Linbeck could come to Friendswood and see the neighborhoods that were devastated.

The relevant question is, could wiser urban planning alleviate the impact of future floods? As Richard Florida and Jonathan F.P. Rose eloquently argue ("Counterpoint: City must reset its development trajectory after the lessons of this natural disaster") the answer is "yes" - by investing in a green infrastructure plan, making better use of the area's natural systems of flood protection and by reducing sprawl and traffic congestion with a true mass transit system.

Finally, Linbeck tells us that it is still controversial that adding more carbon dioxide to the atmosphere will cause worse hurricanes. Actually, as shown by the Memorial Day flood of 2015 and the Tax Day flood of 2016, hurricanes are not the only cause of flooding in this area.

Keith M. Parsons,

Friendswood

Human tragedies

I find the author's use of arithmetic to diminish the human tragedies of Harvey appalling. No single unnecessary death is acceptable nor should it be stated in a manner that suggests that it is acceptable.

I applaud our mayor and the actions taken before and after Harvey hit Houston but cannot agree the impact was not catastrophic especially after talking to my former neighbors a block away from Brays Bayou.

They had two feet of water from Harvey compared to 2 to 4 inches of water from Allison.

In 2001, the Harris County Flood Control Board convinced me and most of my neighbors that Allison was a 200-year rain event and they had approval for a seven-year project to fix the drainage problem. That was a big factor that led me and others to repair our single-story at-grade, which I can now see was a huge mistake.

Jesse Cancelmo, Houston

Basic science

Regarding "Leo Linbeck: Harvey was not a catastrophe; it was Houston's finest," reminds me of that old saying, "There are none so blind as those who will not see." Perhaps Linbeck was safe and dry, but tens of thousands of people were not so lucky and are now without a place to live or a working vehicle. To suggest that this was not a catastrophe is myopia.

Further, Linbeck calls natural gas a clean energy source when it releases methane, a much greater climate change air pollutant than the carbon dioxide he scoffs at. So I say this "... give me a break. ..."

Brandt Mannchen, Houston
The DACA decision

Regarding "Trump moves to end DACA" (Page A1, Wednesday), as President Obama said, it was a political decision to end DACA. We have a current president who made assertions that our first African-American president was illegitimate because he supposedly was born in another country, started his presidential campaign by attacking Mexicans and started his presidency with what some courts accepted as a potential Muslim ban.

We have an attorney general who as recently as 2015 was praising the 1924 U.S. Immigration law, which was undeniably eugenics-based, as a representation of a great immigration law.

These two would have us believe there is no immigrant bias in this decision. I believe we have to look at past actions and comments to determine the true purpose of this decision. Regardless, seemingly purposeful chaos has been the hallmark of the Trump presidency.

Ron Curtis, Houston

Maintaining order

Regarding "Defend 'Dreamers'" editorial (Page A17, Wednesday) if the Dreamers really want to blame the right people for their current problem they should blame their parents who brought them here and disregarded our immigration laws, and President Obama who created DACA by executive order and tried to circumvent our immigration laws. There are very good and valid reasons why a sovereign country must have immigration laws. No country can allow the uncontrolled entry and exit of people and maintain order.

As for the creation of DACA by Obama, if the president can decide which laws will be enforced and which laws will not be enforced why do we need Congress; let's just have an emperor and be done with it.

Ralph Tibiletti, Spring

Aggravating traffic jams

Regarding "Gridlock, Irma add to recovery worries" (Page A1, Wednesday), Mayor Sylvester Turner recently proclaimed that Houston was open for business. He must not travel very far from his City Hall office or he would realize that business in Houston is stuck in a traffic jam. With continuing storm water releases from Addicks and Barker Reservoirs keeping Buffalo Bayou swollen beyond its banks, every north-bound road between Voss Road and State Highway 99 is closed by high water.

I spent 4.5 hours traveling to and from work today, a round trip which normally would take 1.5 hours. Those wasted 3 hours were not useful for my business. How many police officers did I see directing traffic or controlling traffic signals today? Zero!

Before proclaiming that Houston is open for business, the mayor should employ the city's resources to make sure that Houston workers, business suppliers and the customers can actually get to business.

Mike Schultz, Missouri City
Television stations are returning to their usual programming, as though things were back to normal here. Hurricane Harvey updates have been replaced by "MasterChef" and "Big Brother."

But as much of Houston returns to its regularly scheduled program, first responders are still working 48-hour shifts. Dispatchers are still sleeping on cots in their offices. Everyone's sleeves remain rolled up. HoustonStrong isn't just a hashtag, it's a way of life.

And as we clean up from Harvey, we should remember the chronically homeless, one of the groups hit hardest by the storm.

While searching social media last week for communities in need, I came across a powerful Twitter thread discussing how America is good at acute compassion, but not so good at chronic empathy. "We don't want to give to the needy," observed one person, "we want to save the endangered."

The Salvation Army of Greater Houston, where I work, recently joined forces with volunteer firefighters, police, Coast Guard and former military personnel to send over 27,000 shelf-stable meals and 10,000 bottles of water to Port Arthur.

The Harvey relief effort has been monumental, but I worry that as we celebrate short-term heroism we are overlooking the long-term needs of the Houston community, especially the most vulnerable.

When my wife and I reached out via social media for help with the flood damage to our apartment, 20 friends jumped to our aid. I couldn't help feeling a pang of guilt - my family was affected, but not "needy" (a lazy characterization of those with long-standing challenges). Yet our carpet was stripped in under an hour.

For those affected by Harvey, getting back to normal routines can be comforting.

But we shouldn't lose sight of the homeless, who also suffered in the storm and are also trying to put their lives back together.

There are around 3,400 homeless individuals in the Greater Houston area. What if the people lining up to volunteer at the George R. Brown Convention Center were just as eager to support affordable housing in their own neighborhoods?

More than 32,000 people in Texas are currently displaced. Houston's two mega-shelters, the convention center and NRG Park, are emptying out at a rate of about 1,000 people a day. Many of those people return to their houses or move in with family.

But if you were homeless before the storm and no one can take you in, where do you go?

We have a saying within Salvation Army: We are no different from those we serve.

Harvey drove this point home, hard. But the true test of whether Houston has learned its lesson will be in whether we invest our resources in building accessible, affordable housing, funding mental health services, expanding our transit infrastructure and supporting shelters that serve and house the homeless year-round.

How will we protect our most vulnerable people, like our undocumented immigrants and LGBTQ homeless youth? Right now, our elected officials have an incredible opportunity to make progress in addressing these issues, but they'll only act if we put pressure on them.

You can educate yourself about affordable housing by attending a "Can I Be Your Neighbor?" event sponsored by the City of Houston Housing and Community Development Department. You can contact your local councilmember and speak at public meetings in favor of more affordable housing in your neighborhood.

We need to make sure the city does the right thing. Let's hold on to our #HoustonStrong spirit of looking out for one another and saying yes to our neighbors, without discrimination. Let's always remember how we feel in this moment. And let's leave no Houstonian behind.

Melanie Pang is the Data and Program Evaluation Manager for the Salvation Army of Greater Houston serving as liaison to the city during disaster relief efforts.
As the flood waters left behind by Hurricane Harvey begin to recede around our great city, the questions of how to rebuild and who will do the work are top of mind. Following the passage of a ban on "sanctuary cities" in Texas, we were already faced with a quickly depleting workforce. Many construction workers, both documented and undocumented, have begun fleeing our state because they're concerned local police will start rounding up immigrants.

With a massive rebuilding effort set to get underway, the need is greater than ever for an alternative to deportations and a wall meant to keep out many of the very people who will be responsible for restoration of the Gulf Coast.

When Tropical Storm Allison devastated Houston in 2001, causing $9 billion in damage, thousands of workers - many of whom were unauthorized - flocked to our city to help with the rebuilding. Many were exploited by unethical employers who refused to pay them. Very few were covered by accident insurance and could only receive emergency room treatment if they were injured.

But they were here and they got the job done. Today, the situation is different.

Texas is no longer seen as a welcoming place for immigrants without papers. The "sanctuary cities" ban that was set to take effect this month sent a clear message: If you're undocumented, you are not welcome. Thankfully a court has blocked enforcement of the law for now.

On top of that, a recovering economy in the rest of the country means there is so much construction underway in other states that many workers will not see an advantage to leaving those places and traveling to Houston.

So how will we rebuild our city?

First, we need to find a way to attract our own kids into the construction industry. That will take a higher starting wage and the prospect of a career instead of just a job. Parents always want better for their children. Proper training and a safe working environment are essential. Many contractors in the Houston area have started the process through an initiative called the Construction Career Collaborative.

Meantime, the fastest and most permanent fix is to find a way to grant the roughly 600,000 undocumented people the Houston area some type of legal status. Many business leaders in Houston and around Texas have been advocating for a common-sense plan called "ID and Tax."

Simply put, the government would offer legal status to anyone who's resided in the United States for a certain number of years, consents to a background check and receives a tamper-proof photo ID. Once it's been shown they have committed no felonies, they would be required to work for a sponsoring employer who pays and matches payroll taxes and provides accident insurance. This is similar to the arrangement for anyone who utilizes a work visa.

All of this would move us in the right direction.

I'm afraid it will not work, though, unless Republicans and Democrats in Congress along with the Trump Administration find the courage to make the Dream Act a permanent solution for the 800,000 who have signed up for protection.

These "Dreamers" took the risk of giving all their personal histories to a government that is now considering deporting them. There is no way the undocumented in our city are going to trust the government until something like the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, becomes law. President Donald Trump's announcement this week that DACA will end in six months is unfortunate. But hopefully it will put pressure on Congress to do the right thing and fix the law.

Even if Congress acts, it will be difficult to gain the trust of our immigrant communities. But the promise of legal status and the ability to get a Texas driver's license, as well as be a part of the communities in which they live, will begin the process of building trust.

Another benefit of legal status is that law enforcement would have hundreds of thousands of extra eyes and ears that otherwise would be afraid to report criminal activity in their neighborhoods, doctors and nurses could identify who they are treating with reliable medical records, and our schools would see many more parents willing to show up and become involved in their child's education.

Employers like myself would find the employees we need to rebuild this city - not with labor that will be exploited because of immigration status, but with legal workers paying taxes and protected with insurance.

It's a win-win for the city and our undocumented population.

Please write or call your member of Congress before they could vote to approve funding for building a wall and instead tell them to help us rebuild Houston through common-sense immigration reform.

Let's ID and tax the undocumented people in our country as soon as possible.

Marek is president and CEO of Marek, a Houston-based specialty subcontractor with operations in eight states.
A Houston man faces multiple felony charges after allegedly fleeing from authorities early Wednesday morning.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol said Wesley A. Choate, 38, was arrested at 12:07 a.m. and charged with felony resisting by fleeing, felony possession of a controlled substance with intent to distribute (methamphetamine), felony driving while revoked and possession of drug paraphernalia. He also faced four felony Texas County warrants.

He was taken to the Texas County Jail.
A Springfield man is held on $750,000 bond in the Texas County Jail and faces numerous charges  including three felonies  following a vehicle pursuit through busy intersections Aug. 31 in Cabool.

Cameron Wood was charged with felonies of resisting arrest by fleeing, leaving the scene of an accident (property damage exceeding $1,000) and armed criminal action, and misdemeanors of driving while intoxicated, operating a vehicle in a careless and imprudent manner, speeding and no insurance.

According to a probable cause statement, a Cabool police officer was advised at about 7:40 a.m. to be on the lookout for a white Chevrolet Corvette that the Missouri State Highway Patrol warned had been last seen heading into Cabool on Highway 181. The officer stated he soon observed a car matching the description in the parking lot at Caseys General Store at 316 Ozark St.

The officer reported that as he approached, he saw a green Jeep Cherokee that had front-end damage directly behind the Corvette. Standing by the Jeep were a man and woman, and the woman was seen picking up the vehicles bumper cover.

The officer stated another man was then observed getting into drivers seat of the Corvette, starting the engine and reaching for the gearshift. At that point, the officer knocked on the cars window and yelled for the man  Wood  to turn off the engine.

Wood reportedly rolled down the window and the officer again ordered him to shut down the engine, which he did. The officer reported smelling alcohol and asking for the key to the car.

Wood reportedly replied that he did, and picked them up out of a cup holder and showed them to the officer.

The officer reportedly then told Wood to put the keys on the roof of the car, but he instead put them back down, pushed the cars ignition button and placed the shifter in drive.

The officer ordered Wood to cease several times, but he instead drove away at a high rate of speed. The officer pursued, and stated he followed Wood through town as he passed through a stop light without stopping and at an intersection where numerous other vehicles were gathered.

Wood reportedly continued speeding away on Business U.S. 60, and the officer eventually saw the Corvette turn off West U.S. 60 into the Country Aire Trailer Park. Wood was apprehended there by the police officer and a Missouri Department of Conservation officer.

The reporting officer stated Wood had urinated in his pants and continually apologized.

The officer noted that the Jeep had in fact been involved in an accident with Woods car, but nobody was injured. It was also noted that video from the police car showed that Wood had been traveling at speeds in excess of 90 miles per hour.

The reporting officer also stated that traffic was heavy during the pursuit on Business U.S. 60 due to the hour of the day, which was when students were being shuttled to school.

The intersection where Wood ran the red light is in close proximity to Cabool High School, and many vehicles were present.
National Assembly Chairwoman Nguyen Thi Kim Ngan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi (Source: VNA)



At a meeting with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Hanoi on September 7th, the top legislator noted with pleasure the bilateral relationship, which is thriving across fields.

Vietnamese people always keep in mind the warm sentiment and support of Egyptian people during the struggle for national liberation, the NA Chairwoman said, recalling how Gamal Eldin Omar, Counsellor and Charge d'affaires of the Egyptian Embassy, stood side by side with Vietnamese people during the fiercest time of the war in 1967.

For his part, President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi briefed the host on outcomes of his talks with President Tran Dai Quang, during which the two sides agreed on measures to enhance bilateral collaboration in various areas and signed many cooperation documents.

As the first Egyptian President to visit Vietnam, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi said his visit demonstrates Egypts determination to deepen the traditional friendship and cooperation with Vietnam, expressing his belief that the visit will contribute to boosting the bilateral ties in the time ahead.

Talking about the role of female parliamentarian, President el-Sisi said there are approximately 90 women among 600 members of the Egyptian parliament.

Egyptian women have played an important role in protecting the traditional culture and maintaining national peace, stability and development, he said, noting that Egyptian women have created a momentum for social progress.

Host and guest shared the view that parliament is a significant channel to advance the bilateral ties, and agreed to support the two legislative bodies to step up their cooperation, both bilaterally and multilaterally, in order to exchange law making experience, increase their supervisory role and accelerate the implementation of agreements reached by the two countries.

Ngan told her guest that the Vietnam National Assembly has established the Vietnam-Egypt Friendship Parliamentarians Group and suggested the Egypt side soon form the Egypt-Vietnam Friendship Parliamentarians Group to connect the two legislative bodies./.
Young workers entering the labour force today are the most vulnerable to accidents and injuries in the workplace. According to recent data from the International Labour Organisation, workers aged 15 to 24 are 40% more likely to get injured at work than their older coworkers.



This is the statistic Second Minister for Manpower Josephine Teo cited as she addressed the first international youth congress at the 21st World Congress on Safety and Health at Work.



But according to Teo, its precisely this vulnerability that makes tomorrows workers the perfect sector to champion the fight for safer workplaces today. This they can do by playing key roles in raising awareness of safety and health at the workplace after being educated on the issue, she said.



Many young workers today are temporary or part-time employees, part of the increasing contingent workforce taking over Singapores labour sector. Due to their general lack of workplace experience, they are often the most likely to get into accidents.



Teo explained that this problem is further compounded by the fact that many firms fail to both brief workers on safety on their first day of work and establish risk assessment procedures.



But efforts are underway to ingrain a strong culture of safety among students poised to join the labour force, she said. Teo shared that the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) has incorporated 12 workplace safety and health (WSH) courses into its curriculum.



A pioneer batch of 40 WSH Youth Champions were also appointed to be trained in similar safety and health courses, which they will be tasked to bring into their future workplaces and impart upon their peers at seminars.



"You can do your part by practising good safety and health behaviours, Teo said, addressing the council. Share your knowledge with those around you and speak up if you see poor practices at workplaces and even in school laboratories.






tings are an important part of many workplaces but if theyre happening too often and are lasting too long, they can hamper employee productivity and render flexible working impossible  here, one senior HR head explains how her company made a change.We identified that our meeting culture was really getting in the way of our flexible working policy because people were always expected to be in the office or on site at a certain time, says Robin Davies, director of people and culture and beverage giant Lion.As a result, the firm decided to introduce some guidelines in an effort to make meetings more meaningful and less restrictive for staff.One of the guidelines we set was for team members to ask themselves if they should really be in this meeting, Davies tells HRD. We also asked them to identify their key priorities and align their meetings around them.With more than 1,000 employees spread right across the country, Davies says the leadership team knew it wouldnt have all the answers so the company encouraged teams to try out their own ideas which worked for them.Were quite into experimenting and heaps of teams across Lion New Zealand have done different things around meetings, she says.As a leadership team, weve had meeting-free Fridays for the past 18 months and some of the teams in supply chain have a rule that there are no meetings before nine or after three so people can be flexible on either side of the work day, she continues.Another cool experiment that Ive heard of is a team agreeing that if youre in a meeting and you dont feel like youre adding value or you dont feel like its valuable to you, get up and walk out  they have an agreement that nobodys going to look down on that or feel bad about it.While employees across the company have jumped on board in an effort to revamp the meeting culture, Davies has some words of wisdom for other employers looking to follow suit.Try and have some fun with it because changing a meeting culture can sound a little bit dry and you might struggle to get people excited about it, she says.In an effort to help sell the message, Lions internal capability team launched what it calls Project Elvis  inspired by the lyrics a little less conversation, a little more action.We had fun and quirky posters and we gave light-hearted flowcharts to employees that I think really brought the initiative to life in quite a powerful way.While the company is yet to do any formal research on the impact, Davies says shes certain its not only improved employee productivity but also overall satisfaction.A lot of our guidelines were around how to run an effective meeting so things like starting on time, not recapping if people are late, sticking to the agenda, trying to finish 15 minutes early  those measures must have freed employees up and improved their ability to achieve more in their role.
Sonesay Siphandone, Lao Politburo member and Deputy Prime Minister, presents the second-class Itsara Order to Nguyen Thi Thu Ha, President of the Vietnam Womens Union. (Photo: VNA)

During the meeting, President of the Laos Womens Union Inlavan Keobounphan stressed that the Laos - Vietnam relationship had been established and developed based on geographic conditions and history.

For a very long time, Laos and Vietnam have the tradition of assisting each other like brothers, reflected in the resistance wars against colonialists and imperialists as well as in the current national protection and construction, she said. This is a decisive factor of the two countries revolutions, and invaluable heritages of the two countries passed by President Ho Chi Minh, President Kaysone Phomvihane and President Suphanouvong.

She confirmed that cadres, Party members and people of the two countries had done their utmost to maintain and foster the Vietnam  Laos traditional relationship.

Addressing the meeting, President of the Vietnam Womens Union Nguyen Thi Thu Ha stressed that the two Womens Unions had mastered awareness on promoting the role of women in deepening the Vietnam - Laos special traditional relationship.

She added that women of the two countries would strictly cooperate with each other to make more effective contributions to national socio-economic development, as well as the international integration in each country, for realizing sustainable development targets and promoting gender equality, for peace, security, stability and development in the region and in the world.

On the occasion, Vietnamese female individuals and Womens Unions at local levels were awarded with the Lao Order for their great contributions to maintaining and fostering the special relationship between the two countries./.
The following is a statement from Teresa Telecky, Ph.D., senior director of the Wildlife Department at Humane Society International, the international affiliate of The Humane Society of the United States, welcoming Wednesdays decision by the Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii requiring the state to assess the environmental impact of commercial aquarium fish collection prior to issuing permits to collectors:.

The Supreme Court of the State of Hawaii ruled that the collection of animals for the international aquarium trade must be subjected to environmental impact review, which should spare millions of Hawaiis coral reef animals. We have been trying to stop this unsustainable and cruel trade for nearly a decade. This is major victory for Hawaiis wildlife and for people who rely on healthy coral reef ecosystems for their survival.

Sign the Dont Buy Wild Pledge.

HSI and HSUS were among the groups to support SB 1240 in Hawaii, a bill that would have limited the capture of reef wildlife for personal aquariums. Despite widespread public and legislative support, Governor David Ige vetoed the bill. HSUS joined a coalition of conservation and animal protection organizations in this lawsuit against the state for issuing aquarium collection permits in violation of the Hawaii Environmental Policy Act.

Media contact: Raul Arce-Contreras, rcontreras@humanesociety.org, (301) 721-6440
ginosphotos via Getty Images

Donald Trump's tenure in the Oval Office seems to reach new depths of despair with each passing week. An inability to score any sizeable policy victories (despite the Republicans controlling both the House of Representatives and the Senate) mixed with a serious investigation into possible collusion between his campaign team and the Russian government has left the president increasingly weak, isolated and, most damaging of all, deeply unpopular.

His approval rating currently hovers around 38% - the lowest of any president at this stage of their first term since Gerald Ford in 1975 - and for only one solitary day so far have more members of the public approved than disapproved of his conduct. This steady decline is unlikely to be halted any time soon, leaving senior Republicans looking and sounding increasingly nervous as they struggle to pass any major policies.

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Whilst the overall disapproval with which the American people view Trump is indeed worrying for him, what should be more concerning is who exactly the most unhappy voters are. One new piece of research undertaken by the Voter Study Group, The First Six Months: How Americans Are Reacting to the Trump Administration, offers a fascinating insight into the way in which voters are thinking about the president half a year into his first term.

According to the analysis, Trump's approval rating remains unsurprisingly high amongst those who voted for him last November. 88% of those voters questioned approve of the job he's currently doing, compared with just 9% who now view him unfavourably. High numbers such as these are to be expected, and that's largely due to the incredibly hostile nature of last year's election (96% of Hillary Clinton voters currently disapprove of the president, whilst 59% of third-party voters hold similarly negative opinions).

What is particularly interesting about the research conducted by the Voter Study Group is that the respondents used in their surveys were also interviewed shortly after the presidential election in 2012, allowing the analysts to track how these voters' views have changed not just between November 2016 and now, but right back to the start of Barack Obama's second term in office. As a result, it is possible to pinpoint which voters moved where, and why a certain group in particular are becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Trump.

That group comprises of voters who backed Obama in 2012 only to switch to Trump last year, helping to push the current president over the finish line in important areas in key swing states. One section of the Voter Study Group's research is particularly illuminating, and that is concerned with whether or not those who voted for him last November now regret their decision. As was the case with Trump's disapproval rating, very few reported having regrets (only 6% did, compared to 3% just a month after the election). However, 16% of those who first backed Obama and then voted for Trump now regret their decision to do so, almost four times as many as any other group analysed. Furthermore, this figure has almost doubled since December 2016, when voters were last asked the same question.

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Obama-Trump voters only total 9% of those that voted for the president last year, but they are nonetheless a key component of Trump's support base and one that he can't afford to lose. This is because many former Democrat voters switched to the Republicans in 2016, helping the GOP to turn dozens of counties red for the first time in decades. Of the 676 counties that twice backed Obama in 2008 and 2012, 209 switched to Trump last year, and many of the most prominent can be found in the industrial Midwest. Mainly located in what was traditionally one of the Democrats' most loyal parts of the country, these voters gave Trump the small but significant nudge he needed to cross the finish line ahead of Clinton. Overall, it's estimated that Obama-Trump voters in Midwestern states could have cost Clinton as many as 70 electoral college votes.
I had some lovely feedback from my mum on one of my first published pieces. "It's terribly good darling, but isn't it a bit... well... sweary?!" Well, yes it is. And it seems I'm in excellent company as research shows that women are more likely to drop the F-bomb than men. The research says that it's an example of the erosion of the difference between male and female language and behaviour, so it's another step towards full equality. And the feminist in me says whoop to that.

I bloody love swearing. I have few vices left. I no longer smoke, and I LOVED smoking. It felt naughty, and illicit, and sexy. But there is nothing sexy about bad breath, or lung cancer, so I knocked it on the head. Whilst I've had my fair share of hangovers in the last few months, I definitely drink less than I used to, and I'm also more likely to be drinking wine from Waitrose than shots in a bar, and that makes it ok, right?! I eat reasonably well, and have a bit of an avocado habit so expect to have hair glossier than a Labrador's in no time. Hell, I go to pilates so often I count the teacher as a friend.

And Brits swear really well. The Americans have a different language of profanity and it's not nearly as good. (Although there is plenty of use for bad language over there right now). They do pancakes and skyscrapers really well, but we have excellent expletives. And we have done for ages. Shakespeare might have avoided cursing, but he was excellent at insults. But until I'm pithy enough to come up with a modern equivalent to "You scullion! You rampallian! You fustilarian! I'll tickle your catastrophe!", I'll stick to the words that work best for me.

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So I'll keep swearing. Let me turn the air blue when something pisses me off. Ok, not in front of the kids (much), because if my kids' first sentence is, "Bollocks mummy, this teddy is a bit crap" I won't feel amazing. (That didn't stop me playing the VERY EXCELLENT Samuel L Jackson reading of the explicit "Go the fuck to sleep" to my bright-eyed, hyper-alert first baby at 3am.) Perhaps mums and dads need to swear more than most, because there is invariably crayon on the walls, a missing shoe and one sibling prodding the other with a fork. And perhaps I need to rein it in on the blog, because some of the brands I've spoken to about working with have been hesitant to be associated with lairy language. But don't make me give it up. Because you'll find me down the pub, with a double tequila and a packet of fags and some Monster Munch, keeping my language clean but my lifestyle very dirty.

You can read more from me at www.bellfrombow.com/the-blog

Like my Facebook page or follow me on Instagram
Stand Up To Cancer

Much cleverer than I ever gave it credit for.

A few weeks ago as part of the launch for Stand Up To Cancer, I, alongside a fabulous bunch of Insta-mummy rebels, got the chance to look around the Cancer Research UK labs in London, and I found out just how clever cancer can be. I came face-to-face with the disease that is causing me the biggest headache of my life (and I've got two kids).

While I have the joy of dealing with stage 4 bowel cancer, this particular brand of cancer was of the breast variety. I was given the chance to look down the microscope at breast cancer cells, two million of them and I was consumed with one question...why couldn't I just kill them all, squash them under my heel? They are tiny, but these tiny cells are my nemesis.

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And they're your nemesis too.

Today, one in every two people* will find these tiny cells grow into powerful beasts inside their bodies. For some even one stray rogue one will wage war on us, in clever David and Goliath fashion. Researchers at the Imperial Cancer Research UK centre explained to us just how clever cancer can be. Not only do some cancer cells rapidly double every 12 hours, they change shape, they mature inside us, they hide and our bodies welcome them as their own. No wonder in the 1970s, only one in four people survived for more than ten years after any cancer diagnosis.

As we got shown round the Cancer Research UK labs, not only was I humbled and left feeling pretty stupid, I walked away filled with hope. My future is there, my chance of seeing my kids grow up rests on research like theirs.

Today, because of great medical leaps, the number of people living for 10 years or more after diagnosis stands at two in four of us. But Cancer Research UK has set its sights even higher, working towards the goal that by 2034, three in four of us will live for another decade at least after the C-bomb has landed.

When I was first diagnosed with cancer, I set out to educate myself about the disease. How will I be cured, what is the latest research saying, how long do I have to live, what drugs should I be taking? Sure, I went overboard. I delved into medical journals, and for me all I found was bad news. You see, I have a mutation, known as BRAF, in my tumour. And the statistics will tell you I've already outlived my life expectancy. I found a funny comment on a forum called BRAF Club, last week. It said: "The first rule of BRAF club is NOT to Google BRAF." And it couldn't be more true. All I find is depressing read after heart-breaking case study, which only has the effect of plunging me into two days of darkness.

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But, these statistics are based on yesterday's science, and things are changing fast in the cancer world.

I have to remind myself on a daily basis that there IS a chance I could be one of the lucky ones. I could benefit from some magical piece of research that's happening right now, in a lab somewhere in the world. My future is there.

My chance of living to see my kids reach secondary school lies with incredible, smart and passionate students and scientists like the ones I met at Imperial.

I pray every day that I can stretch myself out until that day when there is a magical pill to stop this disease in its tracks. Every day they are getting closer to understanding every little thing about these clever cells. They are discovering how they change, how we can use new treatments such as immunotherapy to support our own immune system to eradicate the disease. And they are getting nearer to finding out how can live long and fruitful lives WITH cancer rather than running screaming into our cancer caves. But all of this requires money.

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Cancer Research UK states: "While we've made amazing progress against cancer in the past few decades, 1 in 2 people* will be diagnosed with cancer in their lifetime, so we can't afford to slow down." And this is what Stand Up To Cancer is about. Since it launched in 2012, it's raised a staggering 38million. That's helped fund more than 40 clinical trials and projects which will involve more than 10,000 cancer patients.

Maybe I'm too optimistic, but I do believe with more funding (that's where we ALL come in) to enable more research this clever bunch WILL save lives. And I hope in my kids' lifetime there will be a whole range of discoveries that will hold cancer at bay for years.

I just pray I can stretch myself out to see that day. Please come join the rebellion and stick two fat fingers up to cancer.

Deborah James, aka Bowel Babe, is a deputy head teacher, mum-of-two and a columnist at The Sun online, where each week she shares her journey of dealing with bowel cancer. Deborah is supporting Stand Up To Cancer, a joint national fundraising campaign from Cancer Research UK and Channel 4 to accelerate ground-breaking cancer research and save more lives, more quickly. To support the launch of this year's campaign, Deborah, along with other social influencers has dressed up as her 'Rebel Hero', Boudicca.

Deborah said: "Boudicca, Queen of the British Celtic Iceni Tribe who led an uprising in AD61 against the Romans, for me was the ultimate rebel. She was from Celtic Blood - I too have Celtic blood through my father's family. She was flogged and scarred by the Romans and used these as a motive to inspire her tribe. She certainly wore her scars with pride. She was described as having long hair and a strong gaze, and wore large gold necklaces and bright tunics to be bold and intimidate her competition. She was considered to have greater intelligence and strength than most women of her time, with a competitive spirit in which she resolved to Win or Die.

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"I know for certain she would have been shouting #cockoffcancer from her chariot!"

To find out how you can join the rebellion against cancer visit Standuptocancer.org.uk. You can find Deborah on Instagram here.
Eye-catching figures recently published by the Electoral Commission show not only that Labour, with its more than half a million members, generated 14.4million in membership fees in 2016 but that this was ten times more than the Tories managed. Hardly surprising perhaps when best guesses suggest Jeremy Corbyn's party has almost five times as many members as Theresa May's.

But what more do we know about her dwindling band of foot soldiers - and how do those who belong to the Conservative Party compare to those who voted for it in 2017?

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Our ESRC-funded project on UK party membership, has, with the help of YouGov, conducted a new survey of just over a thousand Tory members, fielded just after the June 2017 snap-election, about half of whom had already been kind enough to answer our questions in the aftermath of the 2015 general election, too. And we can measure them against voters by using the 2017 British Election Study.

Demographics: Men, Middle-Class, Grey-haired

For a start, Conservative Party membership is considerably less gender-balanced than Tory party voters, given that not far off three-quarters of the former are men (71%), compared to half of the latter (50%). And, while it's true to say that all parties are thoroughly middle-class, it's even more true of the Tories, since nearly nine out of ten of them (compared to six out of ten of Conservative voters) can be classified as ABC1s (86%).

What about age? The average grassroots Tory is 57 years old but over 65s constitute 44% of the Conservative Party membership compared to less than 30% of most other parties, and just over a fifth of the Tory electorate (23%). Only about one in twenty Tory party members (6%) is aged between 18-25 - exactly the same proportion of that age group which voted Conservative at the last general election. Momentum-like Tory youth organizations such as Activate or Our Conviction are clearly needed, but they may well struggle.

Ideology: right-wing and socially conservative

Tory party members are unashamedly right of centre, self-locating, on average, at 7.6 on a left-right scale running from 0 to 10. Interestingly, this seems in reasonably close accord with where they see their party (7.3). But, perhaps not surprisingly, given that party members often hold more extreme views than mere supporters, the party's voters tend to see themselves as slightly more moderate than members, placing themselves at 6.7 on the same scale.

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Judging by their answers to a bunch of standard questions about the economy, it is pretty clear that Tory members are overwhelmingly against government redistribution (only 15% of them agree, compared to 21% of Tory voters). They're also sceptical - much more so than Tory voters - about the idea that working people don't get their fair share of the nation's wealth (just 19% agree compared to 42% of Tory voters) and that there is one law for the rich and one for the poor (18% agree compared to 48% of Tory voters). True, a third of them aren't big fans of big business: 32% thinks they take advantage of ordinary people. But that figure rises to 56% among Conservative voters.

On 'social' or 'moral' questions, however, Tory members and voters are more in tune with each other. If anything, the party's members are marginally less social conservative than its voters: 'only' just over half of them approve of capital punishment (54% vs. 64% of Tory voters) and only just under half think censorship is necessary to uphold moral standards (44% vs. 55% of Tory voters), although well over two-thirds of them would like to see stiffer sentences (71% vs. 78% of Tory voters).

And as for young people not respecting traditional British values, the Conservative Party's membership seem to take a pretty dim view: eight out of ten Tories think that's the case (77% vs. 78% of Tory voters). The same high proportion of Conservative grassroots members think schools should be teaching kids to obey authority (84% vs. 81% of Tory voters).

Hard Brexiters

But what do the Blue grassroots think about Brexit? Given that our research suggests seven out of ten (69%) of ordinary Tory members voted to leave the EU, it is not surprising that there is hardly any support among them for a second referendum (in marked contrast to Labour members!). Only around one in ten (13%) would even consider one and three quarters of them are resolutely against the idea of holding one (86%).

Half of all Tory members are certain that the UK should leave the single market (48%) and another fifth lean that way (21%). The picture is pretty similar for the customs union (47% and 26%). Only one in four think is potentially a good idea for the UK to stay in the single market (26%) or in the customs union (28%).

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Finally, in line with the leaked Home Office document on immigration, Tory members are pretty convinced that post-Brexit, EU citizens should be treated the same as non-EU citizens: indeed, only 15% are keen on the idea of seeing a regime that continues to favour Europeans.

That said, although there are fewer Remainers among Tory members (they number around 30%), it should be kept in mind that they could still be a key swing vote in a close leadership race. True, at the moment there is precious little appetite among members for Theresa May to leave. But if a leadership election were to happen before March 2019, any candidate thinking of pitching themselves as the hardest of hard Brexiters might need to be careful not to overdo it. Jacob Rees-Mogg, you have been warned!
Ben Birchall/PA Archive

If you work hard, you should be able to feed yourself and your family. In 21st Century Britain, that shouldn't be up for debate.

But a shocking new TUC/GQR poll shows that one in eight workers in this country are skipping meals to make ends meet. And 44% - almost half - are worried about meeting basic household expenses, such as food, transport and energy.

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One in six have left the heating off when it was cold to save on energy bills and the same number have been forced to the pawnshop in the last year because they were short on money.

Asked how they would deal with an unexpected 500 bill, 24% of workers said they would simply not be able to pay. And of those who could cover it, 22% said they'd have to go into debt or sell something.

These numbers show us that working families are on a financial cliff edge.

Real wages have fallen in the ten years since the crash, but while pay packets are getting smaller prices and bills keep rising. As a result, working people are taking on more personal debt. Within the next five years, unsecured debt per household is set to hit record levels of over 15,000.

It doesn't have to be like this. Across Europe, real wages have risen since the crash. In fact, Britain has suffered a bigger fall in real wages than any other advanced country apart from Greece.

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And the problem is getting worse: real wages have fallen every month for the last four months.

This comes down to political choices. The government is holding down working people's wages at the same time as giving tax breaks to big business.

Their inaction can't last. Ministers should take immediate steps to raise wages by scrapping the public sector pay restriction, which has denied a fair pay rise to our hardworking firefighters, teachers and NHS staff.

They can also invest to create get jobs around the country and increase the minimum wage so the poorest workers don't have to scramble simply to put food on the table.

Working people deserve this kind of investment from government, but it's not only a question of fairness - there's also a clear economic case for boosting wages.

As working people spend more and more on essentials like food and fuel, they have hardly anything left to feed into other sections of economy. In other words, the pay squeeze is dragging down growth.

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Now, the government will respond to these findings by pointing to high employment rates. And of course, trade unions want great jobs for as many people as possible.

But a job isn't that much use if it doesn't provide you with a decent life, if you're still struggling to pay your shopping bill or heat your house. Our message is that it's possible to do both - to get employment and wages rising at the same time.

Theresa May is already wavering on the public sector pay restrictions. She knows that we can't go on like this and earlier this week Number 10 hinted that a policy shift is on the way.

But unfortunately, the government is still dragging its heels, offering vague promises and rumours of policy change. That's not good enough. Working people - especially those who'll be forced to skip dinner tonight - can't afford to wait.
For Tanzanian-Indian student, Priya Morjaria, accessible eye care for every child is essential. Priya's experience studying in London is helping her to make this a reality in parts of the world that need it the most. We caught up with Priya at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) to find out more.

Priya grew up with an awareness of how important eye care is - and the tragic consequences when this is overlooked. Certain life events inspired her to pursue the study of optometry in London, as she explains: "My grandfather went blind from a routine cataract operation that went wrong so I've seen first-hand how devastating blindness can be. In some parts of the world, people do not have access to adequate eye care and the consequences are tragic. I wore my first pair of glasses at the age of 7 but I could easily have been one of the children who slipped through the net. Undiagnosed vision problems are often misunderstood - a teacher thinks a child is playing up for example, when really they just can't see properly and all they need is a pair of glasses."

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Priya is currently studying for a PhD in Public Health for Eye Care at LSHTM, following an undergraduate degree in optometry from City, University of London and a Masters at LSHTM. Her first application to continue her studies at LSHTM was turned down due to her lack of experience. This prompted Priya to gain invaluable experience in the field which not only gave her a unique insight into the challenges ahead - it also helped shape her future career.

Priya explained: "Prior to my Masters, I worked as a community optometrist in the UK and as a volunteer optometrist in Tanzania, India and Burkina Faso. The Masters gave me the skills and opportunity to then work in Kenya, Malawi, Ethiopia, Zambia, Bangladesh and Nepal. My PhD focuses on improving the efficiency and effectiveness of school health programs for children who need vision correction and I've recently finished a series of clinical trials in Bangalore and Hyderabad, India, evaluating vision screening in schools. As the research lead for Peek Vision - a charity that aims to provide quality, sustainable eye health for everyone - I discovered that we could deal with 86% of school children on the spot by giving them a pair of glasses."

As a result of Peek's screening work in Kenya and Botswana, parallel to Priya's clinical work in India, Priya has recently heard that the government of Botswana is implementing new policy changes to roll out a national program for vision screening in all schools. This significant achievement will ensure that children's eye problems are picked up early and corrected, which will positively change and dramatically improve the lives of thousands of people. Priya said: "'This is extremely important as 80% of our learning is visual. If a child is not able to see at school then the teacher concludes that they are not paying attention or are not interested in participating, when it could simply be that a child is not able to see. The reality is that usually a child does not know that they are not able to see clearly."

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Commenting on how her time in London has helped shape her aspirations, Priya said: "London is so diverse. I have colleagues from all over the world and can tap into their vast knowledge of different countries. We're like a global power team and we're gradually influencing policy to change eye care for the better."

Priya added: "London is home - it's welcoming and culturally fascinating. There's something magical about this city. London has given me so many connections to help make the changes I want to see happen."

Priya has been nominated for the World Council of Optometry, Paul Berman Young Leader Award - a global accolade which will be announced in September at the World Council of Optometry Congress in India.
It might be a cliche for a left-wing blogger to rant about every MP linked with the possibility of becoming the next Tory leader, but I am seriously convinced that as bad as I believe Theresa May to be, Jacob Rees-Mogg would be on another level. And that's not just because he was hilariously made a fool of by Sacha Baron Cohen's Ali G character in 1999 (which you can watch here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=szGxq3pvJPQ), but because he has many controversial stances on progressive issues that we should celebrate in a society as liberal and tolerant as the United Kingdom.

Rees Mogg only became an MP in 2010, compared to Theresa May who had been an MP for almost 20 years before becoming Prime Minister last year. However, David Cameron had only been an MP for 9 years before becoming PM (and for only 4 before becoming the leader of the Conservatives) so it's not unusual for an MP to gain such a high position so quickly anymore.

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Rees Mogg's stance on LGBT rights is extremely worrying. David Cameron's biggest achievement as Prime Minister was the legalisation of gay marriage in 2013 - something which Rees Mogg voted against on more than one occasion, including the right for same-sex couples in the armed forces to marry outside the UK. If Rees Mogg were to attempt to repeal this vital piece of legislation for equality, then he would be completely isolating the 1.7% of the UK population who openly identify as gay, lesbian or bisexual (according to the Office for National Statistics: https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/culturalidentity/sexuality/bulletins/sexualidentityuk/2015) as well as all the allies who believe that nobody has the right to take away someone else's right to love whoever they want, and to be protected under the law. Whilst so many people are persecuted across the world because of their sexuality, Rees Mogg's stance on the issue is completely regressive and wrong, and conflicts with the popular opinion of the UK public that gay marriage should be allowed. This view could hurt his chances of becoming Prime Minister, should he choose to run if May resigns. Remember: love is so much stronger than division.

In an interview with Good Morning Britain (https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/sep/06/jacob-rees-mogg-opposed-to-gay-marriage-and-abortion-even-after) he also stated that - although the law won't change - he is against abortion, even in the case of rape or incest. The Labour government of Harold Wilson in the 60s made so many progressive social reforms that benefit almost everyone in society, even 50 years later. One of the most important reforms that was passed was the Abortion Act of 1967 which meant that women could finally get safe abortions from the NHS. If Rees Mogg became Prime Minister, we would have a leader who would think it is morally wrong for a woman to decide what should happen to her own body, and therefore taking that right away from half of the population. Again, such a stance would clash with public opinion, as the majority of the UK believe that the woman should have the right to choose (https://yougov.co.uk/news/2016/03/30/which-rights-matter-most/). The Prime Minister of the United Kingdom should not want to restrict the rights for its citizens. Instead, they should inspire change and equal opportunities to work towards a fairer and safer society.

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As a leader, Rees Mogg is not representative of the UK population. One MP, who I was speaking tom described him as the "Minister for the Nineteenth Century." Like Cameron, Osborne and Johnson, Rees Mogg attended both Eton College and Oxford University. Only 7% of the UK population attended private schools so Rees Mogg would be representing the elite establishment who have consistently dominated Westminster politics. Fox hunting, one of the most controversial topics at the last election due to Theresa May's suggestion of having an open vote on the issue, is also something Rees Mogg feels strongly about, describing it as the "least cruel" method of controlling the fox population (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uPe1QWAEJp0). Rees Mogg's views seem to only reflect those of the rural South-West where he represents.

Don't be fooled by Rees Mogg's personality. We all laughed at Farage didn't we? Trump too? Look where those two ended up. They managed to have unprecedented influence on arguably two of the most historic votes of the decade. The media seemed to give them so much air-time because of their charisma and unorthodox styles of politics. Don't be fooled by the attention Rees Mogg has been getting; the media love an outsider candidate, and if he decides to throw his hat into the ring then it's likely that he would get the most coverage out of everyone.
Hi again, it's been a busy week for me, not only with work but with my greatest love: travel.

I had another blog planned this week but spontaneously, which fits with the tone of the post, I decided on something different.

Only a few days before my trip to Croatia, I had met the lovely Stephanie Pratt from Made in Chelsea at her manager's birthday party.

Before too long, we noticed we had a lot in common and almost instantly hit it off.

She had shot off to Hvar in Croatia the day after I met her, so I was pretty surprised when I received a message off of her a couple days after saying I should come over to visit her.

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Even though I love Croatia and have been many times before, this trip would be last minute to say the least. But giving it less than a minute of thought - I decided to go for it.

Now I'm never one to turn down a holiday invitation, especially one off a gorgeous blonde like Steph, so I agreed to book a flight.

My schedule was pretty hectic so could only manage to get two days free, which I decided would be enough.

Hvar, where Steph was staying, is a small island off the mainland and the only way to get there is either by ferry (which takes forever and has a pretty stupid timetable) or by speedboat, which you can arrange at the pier or can use Uber boats. That's right, Uber as we know it - but boats.

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I thought it would be as simple to just grab an Uber boat as it is to grab an Uber car in London once I landed, but I didn't consider that this might be difficult as I was landing on a pretty late flight.

So as you can imagine, there's me, wandering around a harbour at like 23:30 trying to arrange a speedboat, not something I do often at 23:30 on a weekday night.

It turned out to be pretty much impossible at that time, and also really quite dangerous at night. So I had to wait for the ferry, which was at 01:30 am.

When the ferry arrived, I was crammed on with pretty much every drunk tourist in Croatia, most of whom were English. It was the early hours and unfortunately in this case, they all recognised me so I had to entertain a load of drunk people for about three hours. Savage.

At 4am I got into the hotel, the Amfora Hvar Grand Beach Resort, absolutely shattered and stumbled into bed without even being able to look at the hotel properly.

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The next morning I was woken up by Steph, who seemed as confused as I was at where I'd actually been the night before. And I got the chance to explore the hotel a bit.

The first thing I noticed about the Amfora is the sheer size, I must say that I usually prefer to opt for the smaller more boutique style hotels as I find that the larger complex-type hotels tend to lack attention to detail. This however did not apply to the Amfora; despite the size it maintained a clean, contemporary and tasteful style throughout. The downside to this was that it lacked a little bit of character.

Walking around it seemed that the Amfora was not aimed at any particular type of guest, it looked as if it catered for couples, big groups, young party goers and families too.

The Amfora is right on the beach, about a 10-15 minute walk from the main town so the location is pretty perfect, and of course the Uber speedboats will whisk you way to wherever you need to go.

The service I thought varied somewhat, when I arrived the check in staff were a bit short with me and nobody obliged to help me with my bags, although I overlooked this as it was like 4am. But the rest of the time the staff seemed overly friendly and helpful, although this may have had something to do with me being with Steph; one of the nicest girls I've ever met. Steph always gives off a very upbeat and happy vibe that just makes people want to be friendly to her, including me!

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That day we had decided to go and spend the day at Langanini beach club with some of Steph's friends. We jumped on a speedboat and headed there. The beach club was beautiful, cabanas sprawled across a rocky coast with golden sands meeting crystal clear water. It was slightly busy as it was boat week, but the super yachts crowding up the water only made it more impressive in my opinion.

Unfortunately, the reason behind the clear water was the sea urchins. They dominate the sea floor down the entire coast line, making getting in the water tricky at the best of times. First time I'd got into the water I'd stepped down with both feet on one of these urchins and stung with a cluster of spikes in my feet.

I'm pretty sure most of them are still in my feet now, a very painful experience to say the least.

The day at this club with Steph and friends was amazing. I always enjoy meeting interesting, successful people and these guys fit the criteria completely.

It helped that they were all absolutely hilarious too! We were drinking all day and smoking some of Croatia's finest...'cigarettes'.

After a long day at the club we all stumbled back into our speedboat and it was back to the hotel.

The next morning it was time for me to go, off I went on a catamaran to the mainland...

And that was my 24 hours in Croatia!

The Amfora hotel isn't my usual cup of tea, but there was something about it, a je ne sais quoi. Whether it was the company I was with - or the helpful staff, it was definitely a trip I'll remember.

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PA Wire/PA Images

The freshly-leaked immigration policy paper is a disaster waiting to happen; both for migrants and for Britain as a whole.

The paper outlines an approach that has been called a "Britain first" approach but it is nothing of the sort; driving down standards for foreign residents is not the same as improving standards for citizens.

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For instance, a spousal income threshold that prevents the least well-off 40% of Britons from living at home with a foreign partner (and is currently separating 15,000 UK children from their families) would be extended to cover European citizens. They too will be under a system that puts almost every possible barrier in front of normal family life should that life happen to exist across borders.

Normal life would not be an option for foreign workers in other respects - short work permits of 2-5 years would render them unable to settle, engage in society and build a life without being uprooted. This come just weeks after the cross-party parliamentary group on social integration highlighted a creeping drift apart in some communities, and the dire risks of failing to support integration.

The paper signals an extension of "hostile environment" measures which have already divided communities, including by forcing landlords and teachers and doctors to act as border police, and stoking mistrust and suspicion between newcomers and long-term residents.

The proposed new regime of short-term permits, fingerprinting and crippling income thresholds for newcomers will slash across countless ties between families, businesses and communities across Europe. This is being justified on the grounds that it will protect employment conditions for British workers.

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It will not. On the same day the Brexit paper leaked, the IPPR's Commission on Economic Justice highlighted the rise of low pay and stagnant wages, a third of children in poverty, and more employees overqualified for their jobs than anywhere else in the EU. British and migrant workers alike get a raw deal. These are domestic problems with domestic solutions, and there is nothing in the leaked paper that will address them.

Migrants are not and have never been, contrary to tabloid headlines, a net drain on the economy. In fact prior to the Brexit vote, recent European arrivals contributed 1.30 for every 1 invested in them. The reason many people have not seen the profits of migration is that those in power have not distributed gains evenly, or done enough to provide funding and integration support to communities that have seen rapid population change.

All these problems could be worsened by the new proposals. There is little beyond vagaries to protect even high-skilled workers such as overseas doctors, and with many skilled workers leaving voluntarily, key public services are at risk.

A system that only permits high-skilled migration will not work either; discriminating between applicants effectively on how wealthy they are is no way to manage migration fairly. Just yesterday, another cross-party group pointed out that a rush to drive down "low-skilled" migration, far from freeing up space, will remove workers who do vital and currently unfillable jobs. Positions in care work and business, and even dental technicians and air traffic controllers are among those branded "low-skilled" - a term that in itself devalues hard work.

The leaked paper has not acknowledged or engaged with any of this essential context. The fact that such a paper has been produced before any consultation with affected groups or the public, let alone before the government's own migration advisory committee has reported back, shows a government failing to engage with evidence.

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There is a further question around whether the Home Office under its current management are qualified to manage any major changes. Recently a hundred deportation letters were sent in error to EU nationals, and similar letters have even been issued to British citizens. Failures to interpret the law appropriately and reach decisions on time have been the thin end of the wedge; the worse end has been this week's new Panorama revelations about the widespread abuse and violence meted out to migrants in detention centres who have committed no crime. Without review and reform, asking the current infrastructure to cope with a sweeping rewrite of migration policy is a concerning prospect.

Yet a sweeping rewrite of some form will be necessary in the near future; Britain's departure from the European Union will mean fundamentally redefining our relationship with our neighbours. But Britain did not vote to break up people's families, force people out of their jobs or divide our communities. That is what the Government's current proposals do. They are the result of longstanding political commitment to an arbitrary target for migrant numbers that has not and cannot be reached, and asks all the wrong questions.
Prime Minister Nguyen Xuan Phuc receives Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Hanoi on September 7th (Photo: VNA)



He told visiting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Hanoi on September 7th that Vietnam always treasures the traditional friendship and mutually beneficial cooperation with Egypt.

The PM called on the two sides to step up their cooperation across fields, saying they should increase the exchange of goods of their strength such as tea, seafood, rice, cashew nuts, coffee, pepper, garments-textiles and rubber of Vietnam, and petrochemical products, chemicals, cotton and processed food of Egypt.

He suggested Egypt soon approve the Double Taxation Avoidance Agreement signed by the two countries in 2006, create conditions for the Vietnam National Oil and Gas Group (PetroVietnam) to seek investment opportunities and provide oil-related services in Egypt.

Vietnam wishes to further its collaboration with Egypt in national defence, agriculture, culture, tourism, transport and education-training, the Government leader said.

Expressing his thanks to the Egyptian Government for granting Arabic language scholarships to Vietnamese students, PM Phuc said these students have significantly contributed to the bilateral ties.

He urged the two countries diplomatic agencies to coordinate with each other in organising activities to celebrate the 55th anniversary of diplomatic ties.

The host suggested assigning competent agencies of Vietnam and Egypt to research President Ho Chi Minhs activities in Egypt, considering it an invaluable asset that helps tighten the bilateral relationship.

He thanked the Egyptian Government and people for their support to Vietnam in evacuating Vietnamese guest workers from Libya in 2011 and 2014.

In reply, President el-Sisi said his visit aims to affirm that Egypt always places importance to the relationship with Vietnam in all fields.

He also used the occasion to invite PM Phuc to pay an official visit to Egypt.

The President informed the host about outcomes of his talks with President Tran Dai Quang, during which the two sides were unanimous in cooperation orientations and signed agreements.

Egypt hopes to cooperate with Vietnam and learn from the countrys experience in socio-economic development, he said.

Egypt highly appreciates Vietnams experience, particularly in developing industrial parks, fishery and seafood processing, the President said, noting his wish that the two countries will join hands in these realms at both Government and business levels.

President el-Sisi said Egypt has about a 4,000 km Red Sea coastline and a market of 91 million people, which, he considered a great opportunity for Vietnamese businesses to invest in the country.

Egypt also serves as a gateway for Vietnam to enter the African and Middle East markets, he said, adding that Egypts engagement in free trade agreements with Africa, Gulf States and Europe would make it easier for Vietnamese goods to access these markets, the President said.

He stressed that Egypt wishes to balance trade with Vietnam and that Vietnamese enterprises will invest in his countrys industrial parks.

In education, Egypt stands ready to provide scholarships for Vietnamese students, he said, voicing his hope for enhanced bilateral cooperation in tourism./.
James Dyson Awards

Today, we announce the national winners of the James Dyson Award - a global, international student design competition. The UK winner is Petit Pli.

Designed by Royal College of Art graduate Ryan Mario Yasin, Petit Pli employs the Negative Poisson's ratio to allow garments to expand in both directions - enabling them to continuously fit children as they grow. A neat solution to the problem of quickly outgrown clothing, so familiar - and frustrating - to parents.

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Prior to his time at the Royal College of Art, Ryan studied aeronautical engineering at Imperial College London. His thesis looked into deployable structures for satellites, and focused on how to fold structures into as small a space as possible.

In preparation for today's announcement I spent a day with Ryan, getting to know him and learning more about the ins and outs of his design. Over lunch, I asked him whether - given that Petit Pli is in many ways a foray into the world of fashion - he still thought of himself as an engineer.

"Of course!" he exclaimed "I'm very proud to be an engineer - there's engineering in every aspect of this project. I feel like too often engineers can be looked on as introverts or socially awkward, and that engineering itself is seen as boring. It's undervalued, but it shouldn't be. Something I hope this project does is help people understand that engineering is actually really cool and interesting."

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Having spent the past three years working for Sir James Dyson's charity, the James Dyson Foundation, set up to inspire the next generation of engineers, this was music to my ears.

There is a huge shortage of engineers in the UK, but despite the stimulating work and excellent pay, it's a gap we can't seem to fill. In many ways, Ryan cut straight to the nub of the issue: for some inexplicable reason, engineering just isn't sexy.

Research shows that boys and girls alike associate engineering with fixing, mending and maintenance - and think it is messy and dirty. There's an exercise we conduct in the James Dyson Foundation in which we ask school children to draw what an engineer looks like. The pictures we get back are more than a little demoralising; so often a figure with a dirty face, spanner in hand, fixing a domestic appliance.

Clearly, there is a significant disconnect between what the word engineering conjures up for young people and reality: the incredible spectrum of high tech, exciting, creative jobs working on everything from stem cell research to smartphones to special effects. So what's to be done?

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If we're going to change perceptions we have to start early, by talking about engineering in the context of invention, and offering opportunities to get an insight into what careers in the field actually look like. To this end, the James Dyson Foundation offers free educational resources to schools. Among them the Engineering Box - an opportunity for students to take apart a Dyson vacuum cleaner and think about how it works. And we carry out invention workshops in schools, challenging students to work in groups to come up with problem-solving ideas, and prototype them.

But it's not all about new initiatives. It's also about embracing the existing potential of the school curriculum: Design and Technology (D&T) has a fundamentally important role to play. Too often dismissed as a practical, easy-option for the non-academic, D&T is the only school subject that offers students a window into the world of engineering. No longer the realm of bird boxes and clocks, modern D&T is all about inventive solutions to real-world scenarios, prototyping and iteration, and the integration of software and hardware. It's engineering in the classroom. Schools need to champion D&T - and government needs to back them. Granting the subject EBacc status as a science subject, protecting it from the swathe of funding and time-table cuts beleaguering so-called 'creative' subjects, would be a good start.

Educational reform is one side of the coin. Industry support is the other. There are many ways in which employers can collaborate with educators to celebrate engineering. They can work with schools to set real-life engineering briefs for children to work on. They can help teachers and careers advisors to understand the opportunities available and the skills required. They can open their doors to young people, for them to see what engineering environments actually look like.
Boston Globe via Getty Images

Today is the second anniversary of probably the biggest decision in UK refugee policy in more than a decade. The then Prime Minister David Cameron announced on 7 September 2015 that the UK would welcome 20,000 Syrians before 2020.

Two years on, the global refugee crisis is even more acute. Sixty-five million people have been forced to flee their homes. The next six months is a crucial period for influencing the UK's response. If we mobilise all those who believe in an open, tolerant Britain, I am convinced we can secure important, new commitments to build on the success of September 2015.

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The decision to welcome 20,000 additional Syrian refugees was the result of a huge surge of public awareness and support for refugees in the UK, triggered by coverage of the tragic death of Alan Kurdi. More than 200 communities are now choosing to welcome families to their areas. Thanks to them, more than 8,500 Syrians have come to rebuild their lives in the UK since September 2015.

Refugee Action works with local authorities in a diverse range of areas, from Birmingham and Liverpool, to Shropshire and Worcestershire, supporting Syrians arriving through the scheme. In every case our staff and local volunteers are providing refugees with practical support to access local services, learn English, and start contributing to their new communities.

This scheme is transforming lives. But it's crucial to remember that the vast majority of refugees in the UK come here as people seeking asylum, forced to make dangerous journeys, like Alan Kurdi's family, by the lack of safe and legal routes. Once they arrive here, too many end up homeless, struggling to feed themselves and their families, and facing long delays to receive the tiny amount of support they're entitled to.

Even when all refugee arrivals are considered, the UK makes a modest contribution to the global challenge of protecting those forced to flee conflicts, terror and persecution. We are ranked 17th of 28 EU countries for asylum applications per head of population.

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Now, for the first time in more than a decade, ministers are looking again at all aspects of the UK's asylum and refugee policy. Why now? We have new ministers at the start of a new Parliament and Brexit means that all aspects of immigration policy are under review. But the most important driver is all of us: refugee policy is under the spotlight thanks to all the work and campaigning of local and national groups. Ministers know they will have to defend their plans in the debate on the Immigration Bill in early 2018.

Now is the time for change. Our asylum system is failing too many of those who so badly need support. Ministers have been obstinate in their refusal to agree a time limit to detention. The Conservative manifesto included some deeply alarming language, questioning whether asylum seekers truly deserve the UK's support. The battle must be fought and won on the principle that every refugee, irrespective of how they arrive in the UK, is entitled to the same support to rebuild their lives.

There are five essential components of a fair and effective asylum system. People seeking asylum should be able to reach the UK legally; to receive a fair hearing; to have the security of decent housing and income during that process; and support to rebuild their lives once recognised as a refugee. Finally, in some cases and if they choose to do so, to return home with dignity.

Ministers will highlight the work the UK is doing to support refugees close to their countries of origin through international aid. They're right to do so. Ninety per cent of the world's refugees are in developing countries, and countries like Uganda, Jordan and Kenya rightly ask for support. But Britain can and must provide sanctuary to more of those who need it, and make substantial reforms to the way people seeking asylum are treated so that they can successfully rebuild their lives.
HospiceCare Offers Grief Support Groups

PITTSFIELD, Mass. - HospiceCare in the Berkshires is hosting a new round of support groups across Berkshire County.



For more information on any of the groups, call 413-443-2994.



A weekly support group runs Tuesdays from Sept. 5 through Oct. 24 from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at HospiceCare in the Berkshires, 877 South St. This grouup is open to anyone who experienced any loss.



A free monthly drop-in support group for those who are grieving the loss of any loved one is held the second Wednesday of each month from 2 to 3:30 p.m. at the Dalton Senior Center, 40 Field St. Ext. The next meeting is Sept. 13.



A group called "New to Grief: What to Expect," a free informational meeting to learn about the grief process and how to cope, will be held on Wednesday, Sept. 13, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at HospiceCare in the Berkshires. Another one will be held Tuesday, Sept. 19, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at Fairview Hospital in Great Barrington.
Congressman Neal Holding Town Hall in Pittsfield

PITTSFIELD, Mass.  U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal will host a Town Hall forum on Friday, Sept. 15, at Berkshire Community College's Robert Boland Theater.

Doors will open at 5 p.m. and the program will begin at 5:30.

Berkshire Community College President Ellen Kennedy will be on hand to welcome visitors to campus. Following an update about Washington, D.C., constituents will have the opportunity to ask questions of the 1st Massachusetts congressman regarding federal issues.

Neal is the ranking member of the powerful Ways and Means Committee in the House of Representatives. As the top Democrat, he advocates for the preservation and strengthening of such issues as health care and Social Security, and deals with all matters of tax and trade.

Neal has represented Berkshire County since redistricting in 2012. The former Springfield mayor had represented the 2nd Mass district since 1989.

RSVP for this event here: https://goo.gl/forms/ MJ2AbB2wDTUKCQBK2.

For more information go to www.berkshirecc.edu or if you require any special accommodations, contact Jonah Sykes at 413-236-2116 or jsykes@berkshirecc.edu.
Students perform at the new school year opening ceremony (Photo: quehuongonline.vn)

Speaking at the new school year opening ceremony of the Thong Nhat primary school in Savannakhet province, the representative of the local administration, Consul General of Vietnam in the Central Laos Tran Cong Thinh and Head of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the province highly appreciated the efforts of teachers and students over the past school year and hoped that the teachers and students would continue to gain more achievements in this school-year.

In the 2017-2018 school year, the school has more than 300 students from grades 1 to 5, and 80 students from grades 6 to 8, with 25 teachers from the locality, five teachers from Quang Tri province and a teacher from Vietnams Ministry of Education and Training.

From the 2015-2016 school year, when the two Governments began a policy of funding the construction of secondary schools for Vietnamese children in Savannakhet province, the Executive Board of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in the province has organized to teach students from grades 1 to 6; In the 2016-2017 school year, it taught students until grade 7; and in the 2017-2018 school year, the school has students at grade 8. When the secondary school is completed, the secondary-school students would study at the new school.

In this school year, the Lac Hong kindergarten in Kaysone Phomvihane town, Savannakhet province, has more than 110 children, with five local teachers and five teachers from Quang Tri province.

The Hoang Oanh kindergarten and primary private school in Kaysone Phomvihane town, established by an overseas Vietnamese person, has 180 students from kindergarten level to grade 5 with 15 teachers.

The Nguyen Trai primary school in Mueang Uthumphon District, Savannakhet province, has 160 students from kindergarten level to grade 5, with 5 local teachers and two teachers from Quang Tri province.

The Thong Nhat primary school in Thakhek Town, Khammouane province, has nearly 350 students from kindergarten level to grade 5 with 15 local teachers, a teacher from Vietnams Ministry of Education and Training and three teachers from Quang Binh province.

The Huu Nghi kindergarten - primary school of the Overseas Vietnamese Association of Borikhamxay province has 100 students, with five local teachers and two teachers from Ha Tinh province.

Recently, the Executive Board of the Overseas Vietnamese Association in Central Laos has made many efforts to mobilize parents and donors to contribute funds to gradually improve and upgrade the schools. However, due to the difficult economic conditions of overseas Vietnamese in the region, the contribution is limited; therefore it is necessary to be supported from domestic agencies and units./.
Ambassador Nguyen Kim Doanh (second from left) and Mulenga Augustus Ceasor, Vietnamese Honorary Consul in Uganda (third from left) (Photo: baoquocte.vn)



This is the first time Vietnams National Day has been celebrated in the country.

After the flag ceremony of Uganda and the flag hoisting ceremony of Vietnam, Mr. Mulenga Augustus Ceasor, Vietnamese Honorary Consul in Uganda, gave an overview of the history, geography, natural conditions and information on economy and diplomatic relations of Vietnam, and announced the opening of Vietnams Honorary Consulate in Kampala.

Mr. Ceasor pledged his best endeavours to support the Vietnamese Embassy in Tanzania to promote the bilateral relations, particularly in the fields of investment and trade between Vietnam and Uganda.

Speaking at the event, Vietnamese Ambassador to Tanzania, concurrently Uganda Nguyen Kim Doanh outlined important milestones in the struggle for national independence, reunification of the country, protection of the sovereignty, the renovation process, construction of the country and information on the recent economic and political situation of Vietnam.

The Ambassador expected the cooperation between the two countries would be further promoted in the coming time in order to exploit available potential through the exchange of high-level delegations, provision of information on markets and investment climate, and the signing of agreements to facilitate investment and business between the two countries.

On behalf of the Government of Uganda, Mr. Oryem Henry Okello, Secretary of State for International Affairs under Ugandas Ministry of Foreign Affairs, congratulated the Socialist Republic of Vietnam on its National Day and announced the official opening of Vietnams Honorary Consulate in Kampala.

He wished the Honorary Consul of Vietnam would become a bridge for bilateral cooperation and the Vietnamese Embassy and the Honorary Consul would promote the friendly relations and cooperation between the two countries./.
The number of Chinese travellers to Vietnam rises sharply. (Photo: Vnexpress)

As part of the activities on the sidelines of the 13International Travel Expo, the seminar focused on introducing general ideas about the market and tastes of Chinese tourists, orienting approaches to the market in 2017, sharing experiences of travel agencies and localities like Quang Ninh, Da Nang, and Khanh Hoa in exploiting the market, and solutions to attract the high-spending tourist segment from China to the hub.

It aims to contribute to promoting specific tourism products which are suitable to the tastes of Chinese tourists, helping to lure more visitors from the market in the near future.

China is assessed as the worlds leading tourist market and has become more important to most countries, especially in Southeast Asia. For Vietnam, the market always took the lead and occupied 22-26.9% of foreign travellers in recent years.

In 2016, Vietnam greeted nearly 2.7 million Chinese tourists, a year-on-year rise of 51.4%. In the first eight months of the year, about 2.6 million Chinese visited Vietnam, up nearly 52% over a year earlier./.
Scuderia boss Maurizio Arrivabene says Ferrari juniors Charles Leclerc and Antonio Giovinazzi will need to demonstrate their worth before being considered for a race seat at Ferrari.

Maranello is leaving its driver pairing unchanged for 2018 with both Sebastian Vettel and Kimi Raikkonen signing new contracts before the Italian Grand Prix.

"[Vettel and Raikkonen] went through the last three years with great co-operating within them. They feel very good together, being part of the team and translating this spirit to the overall team," Arrivabene said.

"I think we dont find any reason why not confirming them together."

Giovinazzi and Leclerc have been heralded as the potential future of Maranello, with both young drivers currently under consideration for a seat at Sauber for 2018.

The former raced for the Swiss outfit earlier this season when Pascal Wehrlein was sidelined, but blot his copy book when he endured a crash-filled China GP.

Formula 2 leader Leclerc is blitzing the opposition this season in the junior series and was highly impressive when he tested for the Scuderia in Hungary, just before the summer break.

A drive with the House of Maranello won't come easily however for either young gun, as Arrivabene insists.

"Talking about the young drivers, they are growing," said the Italian manager.

"Our objective is of course to grow up young drivers and maybe to see them in the future with us.This is the final goal.

'But, before that, they need to demonstrate in Formula 1 that they deserve it."

Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1

Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
Sudden Oak Death

Sacramento, California - The infection arrives with the rains, splashing down from a neighbors thick leaves. It takes hold one winter and persists silently for a year or two. Ambrosia beetles and bark beetles colonize the weakened tanoak, and the bark oozes and spots with dark-red liquid. Then, in a matter of weeks, the leaves brown and decay, and the tree dies.

Sudden oak death, a disease caused by the pathogen phyophthora ramorum, first appeared in an area near Mount Tamalpais in 1995. Though today it has devastated many parts of coastal California and Oregon, Marin County was one of the first places to receive attention from academic institutions studying the disease.

Since 2015, the University of California, Davis, the Marin Municipal Water District and the United States Forest Service have collaborated on a study of management strategies that contain the disease. The effort, called the Resilient Forests Project, has been focused on around 25 acres at three sites along the Bolinas Ridge, Laurel Dell and the San Geronimo Ridge.

This fall, the study will expand onto 10 to 30 new acres near the intersection of the Bolinas-Fairfax Road, Bolinas Ridge Road and Skyline Boulevard, with some new goals in mind.

The severity of the disease is unfortunately exceptional on Bolinas Ridge, which has one of the highest mortality rates of tanoaks in the state, Susan Frankel, a biologist from the forest service, said.

Richard Cobb, a researcher who began work on the project while at Davis and who now works at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, explained the process. The disease causes the tanoaks to die above ground, but then they regrow from the roots, leaving behind smaller, infected trees that then also die. The resulting dense understory is a fire threat, and also depletes the soil-water reservoir, he said.

Mr. Cobb said collaboration with local land managers to find a working solution is critical.

Marin Municipal is funding the water retention aspect of the study and supplying the crew for the vegetation work, which is primarily focused on clearing tanoaks with excavators and pulverizing them with chippers.

U.C. Davis researchers have received funding through the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection from a greenhouse gas reduction fundwhich is generated by Californias cap and trade programto focus on research related to the effect of carbon storage in the diseased forests. In preliminary findings, theyve seen carbon storage levels diminish as the forest converts from older-growth, healthy trees to constantly dying, small undergrowth.

Our hope is to identify techniques that are optimal in terms of suppressing the pathogen and also increasing carbon sequestration. We are still collecting data about the short-term trade-offs between, for example, reducing fuel levels and increasing the total amount of carbon stored, Mr. Cobb said.

Before it was logged at the turn of the 20th century, the Bolinas Ridge consisted primarily of redwoods. Douglas firs, tanoaks and second-growth redwoods replaced the native habitat. But today, there are acre-wide gaps in the canopy, where hundreds of thousands of smaller tanoaks have sprung up.

Though the disease kills coast live oaks, California black oaks, Shreves oaks and canyon live oaks, among other tree species, tanoaks are especially susceptible. Sudden oak is known to spread through spores carried by air or water.

Its basically a brush field out there, Janet Klein, Marin Municipal Water Districts natural resource program manager, said. An estimated 10,000 to 12,000 acres of the districts total 22,000 acres are infected by the disease.

Ms. Klein said about 2,000 acres of the infected area are readily accessible. The district hopes to address about 100 acres per year, funding permitting. So far, the project has been expensive, with management costs at around $12,000 per acre. The next year is funded, Ms. Klein said, but she is still looking for support for two to three years out.

The team has some new goals for the Bolinas Ridge site, including testing the success of more efficient and cheaper methods. In the past, they saw an increase in carbon sequestration and soil moisture, and also improved fire safety, but it was really expensive, Ms. Klein said. Our next attempt will focus on working faster and more cheaply. We are hoping, for instance, to not chip the wood so finely. Were hoping we can still realize the same benefits but leave coarser material behind.

New data also shows that native species such as redwoods were not regrowing in the areas cleared of tanoaks, as was hoped would happen. The next phase of the project will include both re-vegetation efforts and controlled burns.
NIST, Industry Partner Aim to Develop 'Quantum Pascal' Standard Into Real-World Device

Washington, DC - In our everyday lives, pressure can mean a looming work deadline, a final exam, or bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth. In scientific terms, pressure is a physical quantity that's important for many things, including car tires, blood circulation and breathing, semiconductor manufacturing of high-speed computer chips, and the weather.

Accurately measuring pressure for important applications currently requires a large device in a lab. But the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is aiming to move a promising new laser-based pressure-measurement technique it invented into the larger world, potentially reducing the costs for everything from airplane flights to chip manufacturing. NIST and MKS Instruments, Inc., of Andover, Massachusetts, have signed a collaborative agreement to make the technique more portable and transportable so that it could be developed into a commercial product.

Better measurements of pressure will have many applications, said NIST physicist Jay Hendricks, the leader of the project. For example, the Federal Aviation Administration worked with industry to safely reduce the vertical distance between nearby airplanes to 1,000 feet, and further reductions are possible. Since the air pressure surrounding an aircraft changes with altitude, a more precise pressure sensor could help make this happen, Hendricks said.

In the future, this could lead to savings in fuel costs, he said. With reduced vertical separation, flight controllers could safely arrange planes more densely, enabling both fuel savings and more frequent on-time landings.

In manufacturing semiconductor chips, such as those in smartphones, Hendricks said, engineers must adjust the pressure of the gas environments in which the chips are made. Conventional pressure sensors, known as capacitance diaphragm gauges, are precise, but their readings must be kept within tight values, requiring engineers to adjust the sensors on a regular basis. More stable and accurate measurements of pressure could make semiconductor yields more reliable and less prone to defects, reducing costs for manufacturers and consumers.

In defense applications, aircraft such as the Apache helicopter must fly low to survey terrain. Such aircraft rely on pressure sensors to ensure they are flying safely. But on any one day a sensor might be throwing a fit, Hendricks said, and the airplane could be grounded until the problem is found. If you could make a portable, handheld, NIST-traceable standard that you can use in the field, you could reduce downtime, he said.

Standard pressure-measurement devices have limitations that limit performance in these applications. So, NIST set out to make a state-of-the-art sensor that could improve performance while providing fundamental measurements of pressure.

To measure the pascal, the SI unit of pressure, the scientific community has traditionally relied on a tall, bulky device known as a mercury manometer. Elemental mercury, which is a hazardous neurotoxin, adjusts its height in response to changes in pressure. Weve been using mercury manometers for almost 375 years, and theyve served us well, said Hendricks. They were state of the art in their day. But about five years ago, we realized that theres got to be a better way to do this.

The result is called the FLOCthe fixed-length optical cavity. Its a rectangular slab of translucent material, known as ultra-low expansion (ULE) glass, that you can hold in your hand. It contains two thin tubes or cavities through which laser light can travel. Besides being 20 times smaller in size and mercury-free, the FLOCs higher resolution also enables it to measure pressure changes that are 36 times smaller than the traditional mercury standard. In principle, the device can measure any gas at low pressure, such as the gas in a semiconductor fabrication facility, to high pressures, such as on the sea floor. Presently, different kinds of pressure sensors are required to cover the same range.

To measure pressure with the FLOC, researchers fill one of the cavities with the gas to be measured while the other cavity remains empty. Laser light shines through both cavities, but travels more slowly in the cavity with gas. The density of the gas alters the wavelength of the light in the cavity in a way that depends on the gass pressure. In response to this change, the researchers adjust the frequency of the laser so that the light once again resonates in the cavity. By measuring the difference between frequencies in the light exiting the empty and gas-filled cavities, the pressure is determined. Since the laser lights interactions with the gas can be calculated from first principles of quantum mechanics, the researchers are making a quantum-based measurement of the pascal.



The FLOC has been successful in the laboratory, but its currently too bulky for most commercial uses. The entire apparatus fits on a large table, with precisely positioned lasers and other optics equipment. Under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) signed by NIST and MKS, the two organizations will work to make smaller prototypes. This will include using fiber optics instead of more conventional laser optics, for example. The goal, Hendricks said, is to reduce the size and cost of the system until it can fit in a suitcase and the cost is competitive with existing technologiesmaking it suitable for aircraft, weather stations, chip factories and uses not yet imagined.

"MKS is excited to join NIST in further developing this technology, said Phil Sullivan, CTO of MKS's Pressure and Vacuum Measurement Solutions business. MKS Instruments brings 50 years of pressure measurement experience, and additionally MKS is very well suited to the optical developments needed for this project."

On the scientific side, Hendricks and his colleagues are developing an advanced version for the laboratory known as a variable length optical cavitythe VLOCthat will help make precise measurements of the gases used in the cavities, typically helium and nitrogen, and will further increase the accuracy of the technology.

For Hendricks, the main focus remains clear. How do you get this technology outside the walls of NIST? he said. This partnership with industry is a great way to make this happen.
Swaziland National Day

Washington, DC - Secretary of State Rex W. Tillerson: "On behalf of the United States of America, congratulations to the people of the Kingdom of Swaziland on 49 years of independence.

"The announcement this month that Swaziland, in partnership with the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, has reduced new HIV infections by nearly half demonstrates the tremendous progress you have made in the fight against HIV/AIDS. The Swazi people should be very proud of this landmark achievement. The United States looks forward to continuing to work together with the people of Swaziland to control this global epidemic.

"Best wishes to the people of Swaziland as you celebrate this momentous achievement and your nations independence."




This Isnt Our Last Love Letter



Dear Don Don,

Way back in 92



I walked into the room and knew



Never felt this way before



I shook your hand while gazing into your eyes



And the feeling grew



As I took a seat I knew



A love that would have my heart



Forever



I knew



Way back in 92





They say love at first sight doesnt always last or isnt true



We were the exception to that rule



Our love had no where to hide



A spark set fire



As if this is how the universe started





I never doubted our love or what we could do



Together we grew



Forming a bond everlasting



That became our glue



My euphoria was YOU



Im eternally grateful for the love and life we shared



For how fortunate we were :



to have and to hold

through sickness and in health

Til death do us part



Until we are together again



This isnt our last love letter



I love you with all my heart and soul



Yours forever,



Deirdre (Mrs. Hank Snow)





Im fortunate to have fallen in love with, marry and make a life with the sharpest, coolest, funniest, most rare, bad ass, tender loving, loyal man on the planet, my husband Don Imus.









A True American Hero

I dont know why it has been so hard for me to write about my dear friend Don Imus.



I certainly know what he meant to me, my family, my charity, my hospital and the millions of fans that listened and loved him for so many years.



I keep reading all the beautiful condolences that people are writing about how much a part of their lives were effected by listening to him over the years.

But what most people dont talk enough about is what he did for all of us.

In every sense of the word, he was an American Hero. His work with children with so many different illnesses and his dedication to their future was unmatched by anyone I have ever known or heard about.



Besides raising over $100,000,000 for so many causes, he took care of young people for over 20 years in a state where he could not breathe. Along with his incredible wife Deirdre, he created a world where children were not defined by their disease. That was a miracle! He was a miracle.

I will miss him ever day for the rest of my life.

I was blessed to be a part of his and Deirdes life.

No one will ever do what he did.

I love you Don Imus - A TRUE AMERICAN HERO





David Jurist

IMUS IN THE MORNING

FIRST DAY BACK!
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Kate Millett, the activist, artist and educator whose best-selling Sexual Politics was a landmark of cultural criticism and a manifesto for the modern feminist movement, has died at 82.

Millett died of a heart attack while on a visit to Paris on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak for the family.

The publishing house that carried her books in French also confirmed the death but provided no details.

Sexual Politics was published in 1970, in the midst of feminism's so-called "second wave."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Millett's book was among the most talked-about works of its time and remains a founding text for cultural and gender studies programmes.

It chronicled millennia of legal, political and cultural exclusion and diminishment of women.

AP
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Disney has been fiercely criticised for creating a whole new role for a white actor in its new Aladdin film.

The multinational company is believed to have cast Billy Magnussen as a character called Prince Anders who did not appear in the original animated 1992 film.

The decision follows claims Disney whitewashed the live action remake by choosing to cast Naomi Scott, a non-Arab actor, as Princess Jasmine in July.

Scott, who is of British and Indian heritage, will star alongside Mena Massoud, who is of Egyptian background, as Aladdin, and Will Smith as Genie. Although Aladdin is located in the fictional make-believe country of Agrabah, fans of the film have long assumed it is a country which would be in the Middle East.

Fans are now angered by the decision to cast Magnussen, who appeared in Bridge of Spies, in the new Guy Ritchie-directed film. The original folk story Aladdin and the Magic Lamp from The Book of One Thousand and One Nights includes no white characters.

Was it really necessary for you to throw a white dude in the movie, disney? Ain't no one asked, asked one critic on Twitter.

First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake Show all 5 1 /5 First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake Emma Watson as Belle Laurie Sparham First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake Emma Watson stars as Belle and Kevin Kline is Maurice, Belle's father. Laurie Sparham First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake The Beast (Dan Stevens) and Belle (Emma Watson) in the castle library Disney First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake The mantel clock Cogsworth, the teapot Mrs. Potts, Lumiere the candelabra and the feather duster Plumette Disney First Look at Disney's live-action Beauty and the Beast remake L-R: Josh Gad as Le Fou and Luke Evans as Gaston. Laurie Sparham

"Disney, Arab men already exist. Stop trying to whitewash everything," said another.

I liked Billy Magnussen just fine as the Not Chris Pine Prince in Into the Woods, but his casting here seems wholly unnecessary, added one more.

People were similarly frustrated with Disney for casting Scott in the role and argued the decision ultimately assumed women of Indian and Middle Eastern heritage looked the same and were interchangeable.

People have a right to be upset about Naomi Scott being cast. They're upset that their representation was taken away, and rightly so, said one.

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If I keep reading Naomi Scott was the perfect choice because no Arab women can sing/act like her Im going to drop a thread on those who can do better, added another.

Guy Ritchie, who is directing the film, was previously urged to avoid whitewashing by fans after Tom Hardy was rumoured to be linked to a role in the film last month.

The original animated film was a comic take on the Middle Eastern folk tale of a young man granted three wishes by a genie trapped in a lamp. It was the highest-grossing film of 1992, earning over $217 million in revenue in the United States, and over $504 million worldwide. It also won Academy Awards for best score and best song for A Whole New World.

The Independent contacted a representative of Disney for comment.
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Though there's incredible work being done to provide balance in Hollywood and allow women the opportunities they deserve, it's always important to keep that work intersectional and to realise the privileges that white women are afforded in society.

This was one of the topics covered by Reese Witherspoon in her essay for the October issue of Glamour, in which she discusses the founding of her production company, Pacific Standard, to "create more roles for women onscreen and behind the scenes".

She discusses her efforts to fight back against misogynistic viewpoints that demonise ambitious women, while praising the likes of Rogue One's Felicity Jones and Wonder Woman's Patty Jenkins and Gal Gadot for their high-profile work.

Witherspoon also expresses her frustrations that, with as many steps forward we may take, the gender imbalance still remains so stark. Yet, she also stresses how much worse the situation is for minority women: "so rarely seeing yourself onscreen, it's unconscionable".

To understand that feeling better, Witherspoon asked Mindy Kaling, her co-star in A Wrinkle in Time, about her own experiences. She recalls, "When I asked Mindy Kaling, 'Dont you ever get exhausted by always having to create your own roles?' she said, 'Reese, Ive never had anything that I didnt create for myself.'"

"I thought, Wow, I feel like a jerk for asking that; I used to have parts that just showed up for me. I cant imagine how hard it is to write your own parts and simultaneously have to change peoples perceptions of what a woman of colour is in todays society."

 A Wrinkle In Time - Teaser Trailer

Indeed, Witherspoon's writing is important here in the way she stresses the importance of white women fighting for change to always be aware, and in acknowledgement of, how much their own white privilege very often gives them certain advantages not afforded to women of colour.

A Wrinkle in Time, which sees Witherspoon and Kaling star across from Oprah, is directed by Ava DuVernay; it's a landmark film which sees DuVernay become the first black woman to direct a movie with a budget of over $100 million.

A Wrinkle in Time hits UK cinemas 23 March 2018.
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Assault charges against grime artist Kano have been dropped after the couple who brought the case failed to turn up at court.

The 32-year-old, born Kane Robinson, was accused of attacking a couple at Shoreditch House in London last September.

He faced one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, one count of unlawful wounding and one count of affray.

(Linda Brownlee (Linda Brownlee)

However, both Suzzan Atala and Henry Kinman failed to appear for the trial at Wood Green Crown Court, and the case against Kano was thrown out.

The charges against Kano's 30-year-old co-defendant Chris Brown, who faced one count of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, were also dropped.

The BBC reports that Mr Kinman appears to be on a climbing holiday in France. Prosecutor Roger Smart told the court that Suzzan Atala had not been heard from since February 2017.

(Henry Kinman/Instagram (Henry Kinman/Instagram)

(Henry Kinman/Instagram (Henry Kinman/Instagram)

Mr Kinman had not been in touch with the court since emailing officers in August to say he had a family emergency in the south of France involving his sister.

But Kano's lawyers revealed that, from Friday 1 September, Mr Kinman had been posting images of himself rock-climing in Grenoble.

Jeremy Dein QC, the lawyer representing Kano, said: "The scenario appears that whilst Mr Kinman has been dangling from a rope and enjoying a scenic view in the south of France, having told the police that he was the victim of a family emergency, Mr Robinson has been overcome with anxiety at the prospect of this trial and the devastation of his career."

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Explaining that any delay in proceedings could impact on Kano's plans to record a new album and film a new series of Top Boy, the lawyer asked for a full investigation and accused Mr Kinman of "toying with the criminal justice process".

Judge Gregory Perrins said: "From the information put before me, he [Mr Kinman] has on the face of it deliberately misled the prosecution. It appears to be the case that Mr Kinman has no intention to attend.

"I have formally directed not guilty verdicts in the case of both of you. You are now both formally acquitted and leave this court without a stain on your character."

Kano's fifth album Made in the Manor was released in March last year. It won Best Album at the 2016 MOBO Awards and was shortlisted for the 2016 Mercury Prize.
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You might have noticed, what with the world on the brink of nuclear war and all, that goodwill has been in rather short supply throughout 2017.

Enter Sinkane, AKA shapeshifting, London-born, Sudanese-raised, Brooklyn resident Ahmad Gallab, whose eclectic, electro-funk jams are created with the sole purpose of lifting the spirit and celebrating life.

Gallab has collaborated with Caribou, Yeasayer, Damon Albarn and David Byrne, but he has honed his decade-long Sinkane project into a finely tuned expression of joy on new album Life & Livin It, a manual on how socially conscious poptimism can brighten the darkest of days.

The positivity extends to his live show. One must leave their scepticism at the door. This is pure escapism: The only reference to an Atomic Bomb is the influence of William Onyeabor, the cult Nigerian musician for whom Gallab fronted a successful tribute band of the same name.

Like Onyeabor, Gallab balances Afrobeat, funk, krautrock and simple synth lines to make good time music. Tonight is celebratory: With the help of his five-piece band, Gallab jumps from buoyant Afro-funk (UHuh) to soulful grooves (Passenger) and extended funk jams, which allow guitarist Jonny Lam the space to take Gallabs structured rhythms somewhere altogether more fluid.

Theres pop nous here too: Take the stomping Telephone, the sound of pre-comeback LCD Soundsystem jamming with Onyeabor; or closer How We Be, whose slinky keys line allow Gallab to show off his soulful, Curtis Mayfield-esque falsetto. Favourite Song has a chorus refrain so effortlessly catchy its a wonder nobody got there first.

That Gallab fills many of the songs with trite lyrics about smiling faces/ warm embraces and how were all going to be all right could grate  his stage banter is as endearingly goofy  were it not for the heartfelt generosity with which theyre delivered. Besides, its easy to be cynical; its much harder to make a positive impact on peoples lives. If only more people shared Sinkanes outlook.
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Colombia is the second most biodiverse country in the world, as measured by species richness. But over the past half century it has also been home to a brutal civil war, inflicting death and displacement on its citizens, with negative repercussions on its natural environment. However grim, conflict itself is not necessarily bad for biodiversity. While the lack of governance in war zones can encourage illegal mining and deforestation, a resulting reduction in development can also mean the natural environment is not exposed to pressures it might otherwise face. So, peace brings a fresh environmental challenge.

In November 2016 the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) signed a peace agreement to put an end to more than five decades of conflict. The optimism has since been tainted by delays in the process and an increase in the number of human rights activists murdered this year.

All this makes it a delicate time for Colombia and its natural riches. Brigitte Baptiste, director of the Humboldt Institute in Bogota, described the period as a great ecological experiment.

Throughout the text of the peace agreement, the goal of maintaining social and environmental sustainability was stressed. It called for the establishment of agricultural workers associations, for example, with the aim of protecting the environment, while substituting illegal drug crops for food production. The agreement also set out plans for environmental zoning to mark out the agricultural frontier.

Development plans

Its not going to be easy. Since the signing of the peace agreement there have been some worrying trends. Deforestation increased by 44 per cent in 2016, primarily in areas previously controlled by the Farc. These figures are aligned with some recent research showing a correlation between the presence of the Farc and lower levels of deforestation, due to the guerrilla group maintaining a level of control over the forests in its territory.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Production of coca (which goes into making cocaine) is also on the increase, due in part to a perverse incentive for coca farmers to increase the size of their crops in order to receive greater subsidies for switching to alternative crops as part of the peace strategy. Aside from illegal activity, there are major national plans for development, including mining concessions and a massive infrastructure programme of 8,000km of roadways, all of which put Colombias biodiversity under threat.

Species discoveries

However, peace also creates opportunities. Colombia could now improve its governance and conservation policies, and properly monitor the biodiversity of zones previously off limits during the conflict. For instance, 88 new species have been discovered in Colombia since the peace agreement in areas previously considered too dangerous for research.

UN staff examine weapons handed in by former (EPA)

At the International Congress for Conservation Biology (ICCB) held in Cartagena, Colombia, in July 2017, conservationists from Colombia and across the world discussed some of these key opportunities. Protected areas are being expanded, and there is a major drive for more eco-tourism  especially for bird lovers.

Green growth

Colombias national development plan promotes a strategy of green growth and as much market as possible, and as much state as necessary. Consequently, new market-based conservation initiatives are emerging that attempt to find a compromise between economic development and nature conservation.

One example is the emergence of biodiversity offsetting. This aims to compensate for the environmental impacts of large mines, dams or roads by conserving or restoring an ecosystem of greater or equal biodiversity value as to that that is being damaged. But these mega projects still tend to become sites of conflict. In fact, the Environmental Justice Atlas lists 125 environmental conflicts in Colombia (only India has more), most of which arise from mining or drilling for oil and gas.

People power

Popular consultations are now cropping up around Colombia, where communities have been voting against mining in their territories. Many feel that their livelihoods and the extractive industries are strongly incompatible: agua, vida o mineria (water, life or mining).

Meanwhile, Baptiste, in her plenary speech at the ICCB, spoke of mineria si, pero no asi (mining yes, but not in that way), outlining a wish for responsible mining and a belief in the existence of solutions that can make development compatible with nature conservation. Baptiste presented a breakdown of where biodiversity is located in Colombia and who is in charge of it, with protected areas representing 14 to 18 per cent of the national territory, and mining and energy concessions representing 25 per cent, around 1 per cent of which has thus far been transformed by mining activity.

It is critical that conflict between armed groups is not simply replaced by conflict between communities and mega projects over the protection of their livelihoods and environment. It is unclear as yet how life, both human and non-human, will evolve in Colombia after the conflict. Certainly, there is a long road ahead to transition this country into a truly post-conflict nation. The challenge, and the opportunity, is to build a peaceful society while maintaining its biological and cultural diversity, and develop a model for other biodiversity-rich countries affected by war.

Jane Feeney is a PhD Candidate, Trinity College Dublin. This article first appeared on The Conversation (theconversation.com)
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A senior Tory has said it is "inhuman" to discuss climate change after a set of deadly hurricanes ripped through the Atlantic.

An unprecedented set of hurricanes has torn through the Caribbean and the US over the last week. Experts agree that it's impossible to say the hurricanes were caused by global warming, but that it has an undoubted effect on the intensity of such weather.

Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas asked the government whether it would be working to address the danger of climate change, after it said it would send resources to help British overseas territories that have been hit by Hurricane Irma.

Recommended Irma was not caused by climate change but did make it more horrifying

But Foreign Office minister Alan Duncan told Ms Lucas that it was a "misjudgement" to talk about global warming after the deadly storm, during questions in the House of Commons.

"May I just say that I think the honourable lady has deeply misjudged the tone of this house today," Sir Alan said, to cheers from his fellow Conservatives. "We are seeing people in deep and urgent immediate need, and we are also leading the world on climate change, and she ought to show a bit more urgent and immediate humanity than make the point she's made today.

Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV

Ms Lucas described Sir Alan's statement as "unreal".

Climate experts have said that similar extreme weather events are likely in the coming years, and that governments across the world must plan for how to deal with them. At the moment, only the richest people and countries are going to be able to deal with such extreme events, they said, leaving vulnerable people at risk of suffering.
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The world is going to be hit by more horrifying weather events like the hurricanes Irma and Harvey. And it isn't at all ready.

Countries across the globe need to start planning their response to such events or they are at risk of only allowing rich people to survive them, experts have warned. Global warming is likely to trigger a run of extreme weather events, they say, and like the recent hurricanes they may unfairly hit the poor.

At the moment, such events are rare  but with time, such cyclones are going to occur less often but with far more intensity. The fact that we have seen two such extraordinary events in one week should be a sign of what is coming, they said.

Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Meteo Express Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP

The American hurricanes, Typhoon Hato and extreme monsoon floods in South-East Asia have demonstrated within one month just how puny humankinds infrastructure is in the face of such hazards," said Mike Lockwood from the Department of Meteorology at the University of Reading. "The precautionary principle must be applied  otherwise we could face the prospect of events that we have characterised as one-in-50-years or even rarer becoming the new normal and that will cost us dearly, in terms of money and resources and, most importantly, human suffering.

We should take lessons from the way that we have responded to the recent events and prepare for more, say climate and weather experts. Though there'll actually be fewer cyclones of this kind in the future, they'll be far more intense, according to climate predictions.

Recommended Irma was not caused by climate change but did make it more horrifying

These events also offer wider lessons on how prepared we are for a warmer future," said Dann Mitchell, NERC Research Fellow at the University of Bristols Cabot Institute. "It is likely that rainfall events, in general, will become more extreme, as will heat waves and droughts.

"So events like Irma and Harvey also help us understand if we are prepared for them and who will be most affected. Increasingly, the evidence is clear that the poorest, being the most exposed to many climate risks and often being the least protected, will be most affected. Addressing this inequality is at the heart of not just the climate change discussion but all discussions about how we become resilient to risk and hazards.

Jeffrey Kargel, from the Department of Hydrology & Atmospheric Sciences at the University of Arizona, urged governments to question their denial of climate change and get to work making their countries resilient enough to be able to deal with such extreme weather events.

I have one thing to ask the American government and all other climate change denying politicians around the world: have you wondered at all about climate change, hurricanes, glacier melting, ocean warming and sea level rise in connection with the safety of places near and dear to you, such as the Mar-a-Lago Resort? It is time that you start worrying about that," he said. "And while you are at it, please have some concern about the rest of the U.S. and the world.

Put most simply, Planet Earth's climate is in upheaval and we know exactly what is causing it: right now, the rapid pace of climate change is set by government policies in the U.S. and many other countries. We cannot turn it around in a few years or even in a decade. But we can worsen it in a few years or a decade.

Some of that preparation must be about asking the companies that can be blamed for the events to pay for them, according to Myles Allen, Professor of Geosystem Science at the University of Oxford.

As yet another hurricane barrels into the Caribbean, with extreme precipitation and the impacts of storm surges both exacerbated by past greenhouse gas emissions, we must begin to ask how long can we expect taxpayers and those in the path of the storms to foot the entire bill for the impacts of climate change?'," Professor Allen said.

In a paper published today in the journal Climatic Change, we show that nearly 30% of global sea level rise from 1880 to 2010 can be traced to products sold by just 90 large corporations. We need to start a conversation about whether it makes sense to exempt companies selling products that cause greenhouse gas emissions from all liability for the consequences of their use. As we found in 2008, giving companies unlimited license to make private profits while society underwrites the risk ends badly for everyone.
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A few years ago, you'd have been hard pressed to find more than two jars of peanut butter on your supermarket shelf  one crunchy and one smooth.

But the world we live in today is very different. The nut butter market has exploded, with everything from cashew butter with cacao nibs to crunchy almond butter with hemp seeds gracing our shelves (and our Instagram feeds).

Healthy foodies generously drizzle and dollop nut butters atop their acai bowls and overnight "proats" (protein oats, of course) and more and more brands are selling their spreads in mammoth 1kg tubs, because we just can't get enough.

But it's all-natural nut butters that are driving all of this. Generally runnier than the creamy peanut butter you probably had growing up, the new wave of nut butters contain no added oil of any kind and no refined or artificial ingredients. That said, there are more and more creative flavours appearing on the scene that still come under the "all-natural" label, from maple sea salt to maca.

Whether you're into clean eating, obsessed with protein or simply want something delicious to elevate your porridge or smoothie, there's a nut butter (or five) for you.

1. Pic's Smooth Peanut Butter, 380g: 3.49, Tesco

Pics is a beloved New Zealand peanut butter brand that is becoming increasingly popular in the UK. And for good reason: it is insanely delicious. The smooth peanut butter is our favourite  its the perfect balance of salty and sweet, and tastes the most like regular (read: not all-natural) peanut butter of all the brands we tried. Its made using freshly roasted hi-oleic Australian peanuts, which have more beneficial fats than others and stay fresh longer, too. The brand claims the smooth peanut butter is double squished for an intense peanutty flavour and velvet texture. And its right.

Buy now

2. Pip & Nut Coconut Almond Butter, 225g: 4.59, Holland Barrett

Arguably the brand that kicked off the nut butter revolution, Pip & Nut forced more established brands to up their game and spawned a series of competitors. All of its nut butters are generally quite runny and silky smooth (apart from the crunchy ones, of course). With an ever-expanding range of simple classics like smooth peanut butter and more unusual flavours like chocolate coconut hazelnut, Pip & Nut's butters all have a good balance of salty and sweet additions, so they're far from bland (unlike some of the nut butters that are 100 per cent nuts, without even a pinch of salt). Our favourite is the coconut almond butter  its sweet and indulgent without being sickly, and is lovely drizzled onto overnight oats.

Buy now

3. Meridian Cocoa & Peanut Butter with Coconut & Honey, 280g: 2.50, Sainsburys

For years, Meridian was the only key player in the natural nut butter world, but then the market exploded and it was forced to expand to remain competitive. Its range is now huge and includes all sorts of unusual nuts and creative flavours including macadamia (tastier than expected and naturally sweet) and coconut peanut (incredibly moreish). The cocoa peanut butter, with added coconut and honey, is particularly addictive  it's delicious spread onto fruit but also incredibly hard to stop eating straight out the tub.

Buy now

4. Spitiko Peanut Butter with Honey, 300g: 6, M&S

Made from 93 per cent peanuts and seven per cent honey, this peanut butter conjured up feelings of a holiday on a sunny Greek island (even when slathered onto toast on a grey British morning). The roasted peanuts add a real depth of flavour, its silky smooth and super addictive. The packaging adds a luxury feel and it tastes indulgent too  this peanut butter is particularly good drizzled over a pudding for that little extra wow factor.

Available in-store

5. ManiLife Deep Roast Peanut Butter, 295g: 5, ManiLife

This peanut butter has a deeper, richer flavour than all others - its one for the real peanut butter addicts. Made with Argentinian peanuts (99.1 per cent), its texture is quite unique, being simultaneously creamy and crunchy. With merely a smidgen of salt added, this is simplicity done really well  we love ours on banana or apple slices. It tastes incredible.

Buy now

6. Biona Organic Coconut Almond Butter Smooth, 179g: 4.99, Planet Organic

This almond butter is blended with coconut and a touch of coconut blossom nectar, which results in a really smooth, creamy spread. Its sweeter and more coconutty than other brands of coconut almond butter, but the almond flavour certainly comes through too. It pairs extremely well with both almond milk or coconut milk, a banana and a handful of oats to make a delicious breakfast smoothie. What's more, Biona's organic nut butters are certified by the Organic Food Federation.

Buy now

7. Jackpot Peanut Butter, 500g: 5, Jackpot

Like ManiLife, this is a serious peanut butter. Its incredibly chunky in texture and really thick in consistency, making this one moreish nut butter. The colour is darker than most and it has a strong roasted flavour. The brand claims that once you go Jack, you never go back, and it may be onto something.

Buy now

8. MyProtein Cashew Butter with Vanilla, 1kg: 16.49, MyProtein

The hint of vanilla in this cashew butter makes it smell like cookie dough, although the cashew flavour is stronger in taste  it also adds depth to what is usually quite mellow flavour with cashew butters. Its thicker than others and darker in colour, too. It blends particularly well, adding a creamy texture to smoothies and milkshakes  we find cashew butter pairs deliciously with tropical fruits like mango and peach. MyProtein has a good range of nut butters, and we also love the peanut butter with honey and sea salt.

Buy now

The Verdict: Natural nut butters

No one can ever have too many nut butters and you simply must have one for all occasions, but if you only have space for one on your kitchen shelf, its got to be Pics Smooth Peanut Butter.
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When it comes to worrying over impending catastrophic events, the threat of World War Three definitely up there.

But according to NASA, theres actually something far more ominous than an asteroid and its lurking right beneath our feet  supervolcanoes.

With around 20 so-called supervolcanoes scattered around the world right now, NASA says that an eruption of just one of them could be a bigger threat to the human race than any asteroid.

Recommended How a mud volcano erupting for ten years is still baffling scientists

Luckily though, the space agency has a hatched a plan to prevent that from happening.

Hidden under Yellowstone National Park in the US, the Yellowstone Caldera is an enormous crater-like depression measuring 30 miles by 45 miles and is filled with red-hot magma.

If it were to blast in a super-eruption, experts say that it would spew out hundreds of cubic miles of molten material, incinerate everything within 60 miles and leave Wyoming and surrounding states blanketed with three feet of volcanic ash.

But, the devastation wouldnt stop there. The dust and gases released by the eruption would blot out enough sun to wipe out crops and plunge the world into a volcanic winter that could last for decades and kill millions.

While its unlikely to happen in anybodys lifetime, scientists say that it is going to happen one day and so its come up with a plan to defuse the Yellowstone Calderas explosive potential.

In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Show all 10 1 /10 In pictures: Yellowstone National Park In pictures: Yellowstone National Park 'Sunset Lake' hot spring in Yellowstone National Park 'Sunset Lake' hot spring with it's unique colors in the Yellowstone National Park In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park View of the 'Sunset Lake' hot spring with it's unique colors caused by brown, orange and yellow algae-like bacteria called Thermophiles, that thrive in the cooling water turning the vivid aqua-blues to a murkier greenish brown, in the Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming in 2011 AFP In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park View of the 'Crested Pool' hot spring with it's unique colors caused by brown, orange and yellow algae-like bacteria that thrive in the cooling water, turning the vivid aqua-blue to a murkier greenish brown, in the Yellowstone National Park AFP In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Supervolcano in Yellowstone National Park Cliff Geyser along Iron Creek in the Black Sand Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming AFP In pictures: Yellowstone National Park 'Grand Prismatic' hot spring in Yellowstone National Park View of the 'Grand Prismatic' hot spring with it's unique colors caused by brown, orange and yellow algae-like bacteria called Thermophiles, that thrive in the cooling water turning the vivid aqua-blue to a murkier greenish brown in the Yellowstone National Park In pictures: Yellowstone National Park A geothermal pool in Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone protects 10,000 or so geysers, mudpots, steamvents, and hot springs In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Yellowstone Lake in Yellowstone National Park Tourists walk beside a hot spring and the partially frozen Yellowstone Lake at the West Thumb Geyser Basin in the Yellowstone National Park In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park Tourists stroll on a steamy boardwalk at Midway Geyser Basin in Yellowstone National Park in Wyoming In pictures: Yellowstone National Park 'Old Faithful' geyser in Yellowstone National Park 'Old Faithful' geyser erupts on average every 90 minutes in the Yellowstone National Park In pictures: Yellowstone National Park Lower Falls in Yellowstone National Park Lower Falls at the Yellowstone Grand Canyon in the Yellowstone National Park

In a write-up of the plan first shared with the BBC, the team say that they could prevent an eruption by siphoning heat from the caldera and converting the geothermal energy into electricity.

Water would be pumped through the borehole into the hot rock and then return to the surface at a temperature of more than 600 degrees farenheit. This would then be used to drive turbines and generate electric power.

When cooled, the water could be pumped back underground to subtract more heat.

The primary objective  is to gradually defang Yellowstone as a threat to humanity, says Dr Brian Wilcox, an aerospace engineer at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, California.

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While they arent about to descend on Yellowstone any time soon, the team hope that the idea will spark a discussion surrounding the threat of supervolcanoes.

Keeping these volcanoes from devastating the human food supply and causing the deaths of 99 percent of all of humanity, that seems like a worthwhile thing to debate, he added.
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A decade-long lucky streak of decent weather that helped rescue one of Florida's biggest home insurers from collapse could come to a wet, violent end if predictions about Hurricane Irma prove true.

The state-run Citizens Property Insurance is strong enough to absorb the blow from the monster storm, industry experts say, but all the new claims could punch a hole in its finances, possibly leading to higher premiums in future years.

"Irma will threaten the part of the state where Citizens' market share is the greatest, directly on the coastline," said Robert Hartwig, an economist and insurance expert at the University of South Carolina. "Premiums will rise."

Once a shaky, underfunded company, Citizens has transformed into a model of discipline, flush with money patiently built up over the years.

The company has 218,000 policies in Broward, Palm Beach and Miami-Dade counties, according to a March financial report, areas that could get hit hard by Irma. That is 15 per cent of total policies in those counties, down from 41 per cent just six years ago.

Still, Irma is likely to cost Citizens big money.

Citizens chief executive Barry Gilway told his board on Wednesday that despite the insurer being dramatically less exposed, it could still wind up having 100,000 claims after the storm passes. Asked by The Associated Press on Wednesday for a dollar estimate of possible losses, a Citizens spokesman would not give a figure.

Mr Hartwig cited estimates that if all homes insured by Citizens were destroyed, an extreme and unlikely case, the insurer would have to pay out $50bn (38bn) to allow owners to rebuild.

Jack Nicholson, director of the Florida Catastrophic Storm Risk Management Centre at Florida State University, said the storm could wind up costing $100bn in insured and uninsured damage for homes and other buildings in Florida. He said he has never seen a storm so powerful.

"We always talk about the big one, a matter of not if but when," Nicholson said. "This has the potential to be the big one."

Irma is already ranked as the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history. As it moved across the Caribbean toward Florida on Wednesday, the Category 5 storm ripped open rooftops, flooded streets and knocked out electricity. Meteorologists said Irma could hit the Miami area by early Sunday, and then pummel the length of the state as it pushes into the Carolinas.

Florida's last spate of bad storms came in quick succession in 2004 and 2005, ending with Hurricane Wilma. The insurance industry reeled from the hits. Many private insurers fled the Sunshine State, leaving Citizens to take over their policies.

By 2006, Citizens had a $1.7bn deficit, meaning it was unable to cover policyholder claims. That was the largest deficit of any US state-run insurer, said USC's Hartwig. Even a normal hurricane season could have toppled the company, he said, forcing the state to borrow heavily to pay out on policies.

But something unexpected happened as the next few years unfolded. The weather cooperated.

"Mother Nature basically left the state alone for a decade," said Mr Hartwig, co-director of the Centre for Risk and Uncertainty Management at USC's Darla Moore School of Business.

Spared big payouts, Citizens has been able to hold onto its cash from premiums collected from property owners and to build up a surplus of $7.5bn. The company has also managed to transfer much of its coverage to many new private insurers.

Citizens now has 453,000 policies, down from a peak 1.5 million in 2012.

Rates were already heading up for many Citizens policyholders, thanks to water damage and lawsuits.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Last month, chief executive Mr Gilway said homeowners in Miami-Dade and Broward counties were likely to see 10 per cent increases this year. For policyholder in Miami-Dade, Mr Gilway estimated average premiums would rise to $3,219 from $2,926. Broward premiums were set to rise to $2,926 from $2,390.

Insurance expert Lynne McChristian said the Irma forecasts keep changing and that makes it difficult to predict any likely losses to Citizens. But even if Citizens manages to dodge the worst, she noted, the danger remains high given hurricane season still has three months left. Already Hurricane Jose has formed in the Atlantic behind Irma.

"Citizens has money to manage one storm, but what happens if we have another one right after that?" said Ms McChristian, Florida spokeswoman for the Insurance Information Institute, a trade group. "We're in peak season right now."

AP
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The Trades Union Congress (TUC) general secretary Frances OGrady has launched a fresh attack on Theresa Mays proposed crackdown on EU migrants, saying that it would damage Brexit talks and scapegoat the vulnerable.

The problem is that weak politicians like using migrants and other vulnerable people as human shields for their own failings, she said in a wide-ranging conversation with The Independent.

Obviously Michel Barnier (the EUs chief Brexit negotiator) can speak for himself, but if I was sat on the other side of the negotiating table and I saw the Government paper thats been leaked, and I were trying to look at what the future is going to look like  not just for EU migrants here, but Brits abroad  I would not see it as a constructive contribution to that negotiation.

Ms OGrady was speaking as her organisation released the results of a survey showing that a shocking one in eight workers are skipping meals to make ends meet, while one in four wouldnt be able to cope with an unexpected 500 bill and one in six go without heating in the cold.

The survey of 3,287 working adults also found close to half (44 per cent) are worried about meeting basic household expenses such as food, transport and energy, while more than a third (36 per cent) think cost of living pressures are increasing.

There is plenty that the Government could do to tackle that now. The first is to stop the cuts and the awful cap on public sector wage rises.

She added: The working poor is becoming a very big group. More and more people are stuck with more and more unsecured household debt, and some of us remember that if you simply transfer the banks debt to private households they are not going to be spending in shops or businesses locally. They are going to ratchet up more and more debt. They are living beyond their means because their means are not good enough.

However, she said it was quite wrong to blame these pressures on migrants, whether from the EU or elsewhere.

Im always worried when politicians of any party in any country look to scapegoat the most vulnerable for their own failings, she said. Nobody is nicking jobs.

Ms OGrady said it was true that some communities are worried about the lack of council homes, particularly for their grown up children.

They are worried about what happens to their pay packets and they are worried about a living standards squeeze.

However, these problems, she argued, were the fault of the UK Government and not of migrants.

The TUC boss called for pragmatism on the subject of Brexit, but also an end to the use of EU citizens living here as bargaining chips. Guaranteeing their rights, she said, would demonstrate good faith on the part of the UK.

Its almost like they are playing at negotiations. Negotiating is our day job. We do know a bit about how to bargain, and it is not just a case of saying I want. It is about finding common ground: on looking at what you can agree. Its a good idea to start on common interests.

When it comes to Brexit, we are of our own school. The clear priority and test is that it protects jobs, and offers frictionless barrier-free trade. Obviously, staying the single market is one way to do that  the easiest way.

But we are open to ideas. What we are clear about is it has to protect workers rights and offer a level playing field with Europe. We dont want to become the poorer relations. We dont want Britain to become a sweatshop. We are united with our friends in Germany and Italy on that.

Ms OGrady previously belonged to the Institute for Public Policy Researchs Commission on Economic Justice, whose membership includes senior businesspeople, economists, fund managers, academics and the Archbishop of Canterbury.

Business news: In pictures Show all 13 1 /13 Business news: In pictures Business news: In pictures Flybe collapses Airline Flybe has collapsed. All future flights on the Exeter-based airline have been cancelled  leaving more than 2,300 staff facing an uncertain future, and wrecking the travel plans of hundreds of thousands of passengers. The chief executive, Mark Anderson, said: Europes largest independent regional airline has been unable to overcome significant funding challenges to its business. AFP via Getty Business news: In pictures Future product placement will be 'tailored to individual viewers' Marketing executives say that product placement in films and televison shows on streaming services such as Netflix may be tailored to individuals in future. For instance, if data shows that a viewer is a fan of pepsi, a billboard in the background of a shot would host an advert for pepsi, while for a viewer known to have different tastes it could be for Coca-Cola Paramount Business news: In pictures Corbyn wishes Amazon a happy birthday In a card sent to Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on the company's 25th birthday, Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn writes: "You owe the British people millions in taxes that pay for the public services that we all rely on. Please pay your fair share" Business news: In pictures No deal, no tariffs The government has announced that it would slash almost all tariffs in the event of a no-deal Brexit. Notable exceptions include cars and meat, which will see tariffs in place to protect British farmers Getty Business news: In pictures Fingerprint payment NatWest is trialling a new bank card that will allow people to touch their hand to the card when paying rather than typing in a PIN number. The card will work by recognising the user's fingerprint NatWest/PA Wire Business news: In pictures Mahabis bust High-end slipper retailer Mahabis has gone into administration. 2 Jan 2019 Mahabis Business news: In pictures Costa Cola Coca-Cola has paid 3.9bn for Costa Coffee. A cafe chain is a new venture for the global soft drinks giant PA Business news: In pictures RIP Payday Loans A funeral procession for payday loans was held in London on September 2. The future of pay day lenders is in doubt after Wonga, Britain's biggest, went into administration on August 30 PA Business news: In pictures Musk irks investors and directors Elon Musk has concluded that Tesla will remain public. Investors and company directors were angry at Musk for tweeting unexpectedly that he was considering taking Tesla private and share prices had taken a tumble in the following weeks Getty Business news: In pictures Jaguar warning Iconic British car maker Jaguar Land Rover warned on July 5, 2018 that a "bad" Brexit deal could jeopardise planned investment of more than $100 billion, upping corporate pressure as the government heads into crucial talks AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures Spotif-IPO Spotify traded publically for the first time on the New York Stock Exchange on Tuesday. However, the company isn't issuing shares, but rather, shares held by Spotify's private investors will be sold AFP/Getty Business news: In pictures French blue passports The deadline to award a contract to make blue British passports after Brexit has been extended by two weeks following a request by bidder De La Rue. The move comes after anger at the announcement British passports would be produced by Franco-Dutch firm Gemalto when De La Rues contract ends in July. The British firm said Gemalto was chosen only because it undercut the competition, but the UK company also admitted that it was not the cheapest choice in the tendering process. Business news: In pictures Beast from the east economic impact The Beast from the East wiped 4m off of Flybes revenues due to flight cancellations, airport closures and delays, according to the budget airlines estimates. Flybe said it cancelled 994 flights in the three months to 31 March, compared to 372 in the same period last year.

Yesterday, it called for fundamental reform of Britains broken economy, highlighting that wages have fallen to the lowest percentage of GDP (73 per cent) since the Second World War, and that recent economic growth has not been fairly shared.

Asked whether she thought Shadow Chancellor John McDonnell could take some of the new thinking embodied in the report forward, she said: I think John gets that Britain does need an intelligent industrial strategy that is forward facing and is about the new challenges we face. I think he has got that vision.

But we are a broad church and we will work with anyone. As a trade union movement, we also have published our own reports about the challenges facing us. We need to have a big conversation. What I really like about the Commission is that it is about the next 10, 20, 30 years down the line.

Other countries, like Germany, think like that. We need to too. We need to invest more. We need to give workers representation on boards to provide a better level of challenge and scrutiny.
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Up to 54 new wind turbines are set to be installed in the Scottish Highlands by the owners of the UKs last aluminium smelter.

Renewable energy generated from the Scottish wind farm, proposed by GFG Alliance, will power the infrastructure groups Lochaber Smelter near Fort William, from the nearby location of Glenshero.

The proposed scheme will also provide electricity for Libertys Dalzell steel mills in Motherwell, which forms part of the GFG Alliance group.

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Steel required for some elements of the planned wind turbines may be produced locally at the Motherwell steel plant.

GFG Alliance says housing and accommodation for visitors in the Highlands location are part of the 170m investment programme. It will now proceed with a public consultation with the local community.

GFG added that it will consider offering local residents shared ownership into projects at Glenshero and discounts on energy bills for residents living in the vicinity of the windfarm.

Jay Hambro, GFGs chief investment officer, said the proposed wind farm is a win-win project offering clean energy to supply the Scottish metals industry.

On Tuesday, Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeons unveiled plans for clean energy investment in Scotland, including a bottle deposit scheme.

We live in a time of unprecedented global challenge and change, the First Minister said.

We face rapid advances in technology [and have] a moral obligation to tackle climate change.
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A California geophysicist has said that the weight of the relentless rains during Hurricane Harvey has caused Houston to sink by two centimetres.

Chris Milliner, a postdoctoral fellow at NASAs Jet Propulsion Laboratory at the California Institute of Technology, told the Houston Chronicle he used the Nevada Geodetic Laboratory and various other statistics to measure the drop.

It is a minimal change from the city's normal altitude of 80 in (203.2 cm) above sea level, but shows the extent of the rainfall as it "flexed the Earth's crust".

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Mr Milliner said water weighs approximately one tonne per cubic metre.

If the water sank the city as a whole, the devastation on buildings, homes, and dams around the city is no surprise.

The dip will be temporary according to Mr Milliner.

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Show all 19 1 /19 The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A tattered U.S. flag damaged in Hurricane Harvey, flies in Conroe, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Lisa Rehr holds her four-year old son Maximus, after they lost their home to Hurricane Harvey, as they await to be evacuated with their belongings from Rockport, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People line up for food as others rest at the George R. Brown Convention Center AP Photo/LM Otero The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Volunteers with The American Red Cross register evacuees at the George R. Brown Convention Center Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Soldiers with the Texas Army National Guard help the residents of Cyprus Creek Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents wade through floodwater Reuters/Nick Oxford The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents walk along the flooded roadway of Texas 249 as they evacuate their adjacent neighborhoods EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A man floats past a truck submerged on a freeway flooded by Tropical Storm Harvey on Sunday AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued by airboat as they evacuate from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey James Archiable carries his bike through the flooded intersection at Taylor and Usenet near downtown Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey A massive sinkhole opened up on a motorway in Rosenburg, a city 25 miles southwest of Houston, Texas Rosenberg Police The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey in an armored police mine-resistant ambush protected vehicle in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People are rescued from flood waters from Hurricane Harvey on a boat in Dickinson, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees are airlifted in a US Coast Guard helicopter after flooding due to Hurricane Harvey inundated neighborhoods in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Evacuees leave a US Coast Guard helicopter after being rescued from flooding due to Hurricane Harvey in Houston, Texas Reuters The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Residents look on at a submerged motorway during a break in the rain in Houston, Texas EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey People photograph the submerged motorway interchange EPA The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Debris lies on the ground after a building was destroyed by Hurricane Harvey in Aransas Pass, Texas AP The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey Dominic Dominguez searches for his boat in a boat storage facility that was heavily damaged by Hurricane Harvey near Rockport, Texas EPA

He said that once all the flood water recedes, there will an "opposite elastic response of the crust" and it will bounce back.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the Texas National Guard, and a host of charities are working on relief efforts right now as people make it back to their flooded homes, offices, and schools.

The Mayor of Houston Sylvester Turner has said his city is "open for business" just a few weeks after the historic storm.
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The pilgrim did not find what he was searching for. As a child, Patrice Bertrand heard his mother recount details of her visit to the shrine of the famous Black Madonna of Chartres Cathedral, 60 miles south-west of Paris. Now 41-year-old Bertrand, of Nantes, was following in her footsteps.

But he was perplexed by what he discovered: The statue I came to see is not here anymore, he said. The Black Madonna had become white.

The decision to remove what a plaque in the cathedral calls the unsightly coating from the 16th-century wooden icon has come to symbolise the contested transformation of Chartres, which has been undergoing a decade-long restoration.

For almost 500 years, pilgrims worshipped the Virgins dark visage, and it accrued the kind of mythic currency integral to Catholic worship. To some critics, the repainting has erased a cultural memory from a building its restorers say they are saving.

The renovations chiselled away public resistance and will be completed in the next decade (AFP/Getty)

Now, the interior of the cathedral is clear of scaffolding for the first time in a decade, and the full impact of the project can be seen. This is its most substantial renovation since Chartres was rebuilt, between 1194 and 1225.

In the intervening 800 years, the building has changed almost beyond recognition, as smoke from burning candles, oil lamps and fires darkened the walls, the statues (including the Madonna) and the exquisite stained glass.

The restoration aims not only to clean and maintain the structure, but also to offer an insight into what the cathedral would have looked like in the 13th century. Its interior was designed to be a radiant vision: as close to heaven on earth as a pilgrim might come, although many modern visitors have responded more with shock than with awe. The architecture critic Martin Filler has described the project as a scandalous desecration of a cultural holy place.

As the extent of the restoration has become visible, art critics, curators and historians have debated its merits in publications in France, Britain and the US. A petition to the French ministry of culture sought to halt the project. The campaign contended that the restoration violates the 1964 Charter of Venice, which prohibits the renovation of monuments or historic sites for cosmetic (rather than structural) reasons.

Eye of the beholder: what appears garish to some is actually more faithful to the original

At one stage in the debate, the architect who oversaw the major stages of the restoration, Patrice Calvel, responded to criticism of the project, saying, Im very democratic, but the public is not competent to judge.

Entries in the cathedrals visitors book suggest public discontent at his approach, calling it arrogant and kitsch.

Anne Marie Woods, a guide at the cathedral, said there are strong scholarly arguments in favour of the restoration. Archaeological investigations beginning in the 1980s demonstrated that what appeared to be exposed stonework was in fact an accretion of dirt, hiding decaying whitewash and two layers of paint, she said.

Woods emphasised that what appeared fake to some is, in fact, faithful to the original. The bony white colonettes and the multicoloured ceiling keystones may seem garish, but they were aspects of the medieval cathedral (along with opulent wall hangings and portal statues painted in vivid colours). Yet we do not have medieval eyes, and we cannot see the world as pilgrims of that era did.

The main architect of the project complained that the public is not competent to judge (AFP/Getty)

Leila A Amineddoleh, a cultural heritage lawyer who sponsored the Save Chartres Cathedral petition, said that by adding a shiny coat, some of the restoration creates the impression that the cathedral is new.

But Jeffrey F Hamburger, a medieval art historian at Harvard, said that there is no reason to be nostalgic or romantic about the dirt. The association of gothic buildings with dark, brooding gloom is fundamentally misguided, he said; they are not monuments to melancholy.

The restoration seeks to reconstitute a temple of light: to challenge the popular perception of Gothic dejection. But in doing so, it raises an intriguing question. What happens when our inherited assumptions about the past come into contact with layers of accumulated myth?

Then there are some inconsistencies in the medieval restoration: the cathedral has electric lighting (though the brighter interior actually minimises the need for artificial light); the elegant but uneven stone floor remains untreated, and the apse boasts restored baroque marble.

It is a challenge to identify at what point an innovation is consecrated into tradition, and which version of Chartres ought to be conserved.

Unesco describes the cathedrals 176 windows as a museum to stained glass that warrants its own hue: bleu de Chartres (a combination of cobalt and manganese). The few remaining uncleaned windows now serve as an advertisement for the restoration of the others, which have been cleansed of grime and freed of strips of makeshift leading.

Campaigners say the restoration violates the Charter of Venice, which prohibits renovation of historic sites for cosmetic (rather than structural) reasons (AFP/Getty)

The projects critics have argued that the increase in ambient light, reflecting off the painted surfaces, diminishes the impact of the stained glass. Writing in the newspaper Le Figaro, the art critic Adrien Goetz compared it to watching a film in a cinema where they havent switched off the lights.

Madeline H Caviness of the American Friends of Chartres says the intense colours actually complement each other  the light walls make the windows more luminous. On an overcast day, the interplay between the two enhances the legibility of the stained glass  each window tells its own biblical narrative  but on a bright day, the intensity of the light can make it hard to see.

The impact of the restoration is particularly noticeable because the walls of the transept, at the center of the cathedral, have yet to be cleaned. Its rose windows glow like gems in the darkness, akin to the effect at the cathedrals Gothic contemporary, Notre-Dame de Paris.

Bright history: the association of gothic buildings with gloomy dark is erroneous (AFP/Getty)

This week, the Archbishop of Paris appealed for $119m (91m) for urgent restoration to maintain the exterior of Notre-Dame. Its stone structure is crumbling, and its gargoyles are damaged, but the cost of repairs goes far beyond the $2.4m (1.8m) annual budget allocated by the French government.

Although the interior scaffolding at Chartres has come down, this is only a temporary measure. In 2019, renovation of the transepts will finally begin. The $18.5m (14.2m) restoration is running approximately three years behind schedule, in part as a result of funding shortfalls.

We do not know the names of those who planned and built the cathedral at Chartres, this one anonymous glory of all things, this rich stone forest, as Orson Welles called it in his film F for Fake.

Now, too, the Black Madonna is a memory: the gift shop sells a postcard only of her blanched visage, rosy-cheeked as if blushing. To illustrate the complexity of the controversy, it should be noted that the statue was commissioned as a copy of a much-admired earlier Madonna. Her name? Notre-Dame la Blanche  Our Lady the White One.

 New York Times
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Googles new Doodle marks the centenary of Australian scientist Sir John Warcup Cornforth (1917-2013), winner of the Nobel Prize for Chemistry in 1975.

Cornforth was awarded the honour with colleague Vladimir Prelog for their work on the stereochemistry of enzyme-catalysed reactions, which is to say the spatial arrangement of atoms and how their structure affects organic compounds.

If that sounds complicated, even the man himself had difficulty describing his field succinctly. This subject is difficult to explain to the layman," he admitted.

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Here are five things you might not know about a much-admired scientific mind.

1. John went deaf aged just 16

Cornforth was born in Sydney on 7 September 1913, the son of John Warcup Cornforth Sr, an English schoolmaster, and Hilda Eipper, an Australian maternity nurse descended from Presbyterian missionaries.

An avid student at Sydney Boys School, John suffered from otosclerosis from the age of 10, a condition causing a deterioration in his hearing that ended in total deafness by the time he turned 16.

Attending the University of Sydney while still in his teens, Cornforths disability led him to favour laboratory work over lectures and therein set him on the path to studying chemistry.

2. He met the love of his life over a broken beaker

Busy working in the lab as a second year, Cornforth was approached for help one day by fellow student Rita Harredence, who had cracked a Claisen flask by accident. An accomplished glassblower, John was able to repair the receptacle using a blowpipe. Their eyes met as he returned it to her and, by all accounts, sparks flew.

The pair were inseparable from that moment on and married in 1941, having three children together: John, Brenda and Philippa.

Rita, a distinguished biochemist herself, lived to the grand old age of 97, passing away in November 2012.

Accepting his Nobel Prize, John paid moving tribute to Rita:

Throughout my scientific career my wife has been my most constant collaborator. Her experimental skill made major contributions to the work; she has eased for me beyond measure the difficulties of communication that accompany deafness; her encouragement and fortitude have been my strongest support.

3. Cornforth was instrumental in developing penicillin during the Second World War

Having graduated from Sydney in 1937 with a first and a medal for academic excellence, Cornforth moved with Rita to England where both had been awarded postgraduate research scholarships to study at Oxford.

Cornforths work there during the Second World War involved the purification and concentration of penicillin for use in the treatment of wounded soldiers by the British Army.

Cornforths experimentation built on the work of Howard Florey and sought the optimal conditions for the drugs production. He contributed to The Chemistry of Penicillin, an influential study of the antibiotic.

4. Cornforths work in stereochemistry was carried out in Kent

His greatest contribution to his field was carried out at Shells Milstead Laboratory of Chemical Enzymology at Sittingbourne, Kent, where Cornforth served as co-director (1962-68) and then director (1968-75). There he investigated enzymes that spark change in compounds by taking the place of hydrogen atoms in a substrates molecular chains and rings.

Using hydrogen isotopes, he identified which string of a substrates atoms can be replaced by an enzyme to change its nature. This enabled Cornforth to explain the biosynthesis of complex molecules like cholesterol, allowing fellow organic chemists to follow in his stead, a contribution for which he was duly celebrated.

5. The Nobel Prize was just one of many accolades he accumulated

Cornforth would go on to work as a professor at the universities of Warwick and Sussex and at the University of California in Los Angeles over the course of his long career.

He was awarded a CBE for his services to organic chemistry in 1972, knighted in 1977 and made a Companion of the Order of Australia in 1991. He was also elected to the Royal Society in 1953 and won the institutions prestigious Davey Medal in 1968.

Cornforth died an atheist in Sussex on 8 December 2013, little more than a year after Ritas passing, a final testament to their enduring love.
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Scotland Yard has reportedly asked the Home Office for more funding to continue the investigation into Madeleine McCann's disappearance.

In April the force said it was investigating "significant" leads that Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley described as "very worthwhile".

The Met had previously suggested it would ask for further funds to investigate one final line of enquiry in the 11m Operation Grange.

Sources told Sky News the request has now been made.

Three-year-old Madeleine vanished from the family's holiday apartment in Praia da Luz in Portugal on 3 May, 2007.

Her disappearance sparked one of the most high-profile, and costly, police investigations of recent times.

Scotland Yard's investigation has been active since 2011, but the number of detectives working on the case was cut from 29 to four in 2015.
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A man who posted a Facebook message calling for all British Muslims to be killed in the wake of the Manchester attack has been jailed for a year.

Keegan Jakovlevs, of Wrexham in North Wales, previously pleaded guilty to publishing material with the intention of stirring up religious hatred.

The 22-year-old was sentenced at Mold Crown Court for the crime, which is made illegal by the Public Order Act 1986.

Prosecutors said Jakovlevs posted his message shortly after the bombing at Manchester Arena on 22 May and that it was taken down shortly afterwards.

Isis supporter Salman Abedi killed 22 victims, including children, and injured 250 more when he detonated a homemade bomb as fans poured out of an Ariana Grande concert.

Jakovlevss Facebook message expressed sympathy for the families of those caught up in the bombing but then, using racist and offensive language, he called for every Muslim in the country to be killed, a spokesperson for the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) said.

 Manchester Arena bombing victim Saffie Roussos mourned at funeral

The prosecution argued that Jakovlevss single message was particularly serious because it was posted so soon after the Manchester bombing when public emotions were running high.

The CPS said the message was accessible to his 2,154 Facebook friends at the very least and to other members of the public.

Overall, there was potential for it to have been seen by a very large number of people and for serious harm to have occurred in addition to the obvious fear and distress suffered by any member of the Muslim community who may have seen it, prosecutors added.

Sue Hemming, head of the special crime and counter-terrorism division in the CPS, said no harmful action was traced to the post but Jakovlevss intention was clear.

She added: After the Manchester attack there were countless messages of support on social media for those affected but Keegan Jakovlevs chose to stir up religious hatred by calling for British Muslims to be indiscriminately killed.

People should not assume they can hide on social media when stirring up hatred and violence. Where there is evidence the CPS will prosecute them and they will face imprisonment as a result.

Numerous defendants have been prosecuted for social media posts in recent months, for offences including inciting hatred and violence, and spreading Isis propaganda.

Manchester explosion in pictures Show all 37 1 /37 Manchester explosion in pictures Manchester explosion in pictures People running down stairs as they attempt to exit the Manchester Arena after a blast, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Twitter/@ZACH_BRUCE/ via REUTERS Manchester explosion in pictures Helpers attend to people inside the Manchester Arena after a suspected suicide bomber detonated an explosive device at the end of an Ariana Grande concert, killing 22 people PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Armed officers guard outside a hotel near the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers are seen outside the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester, northern England Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police and fans close to the Manchester Arena, after reports of an explosion Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England, at a concert in Manchester Arena AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police stand by a cordoned off street close to the Manchester Arena Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of explosion in Manchester, England AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police deploy at scene of a reported explosion during a concert in Manchester, England, on May 23, 2017. British police said early May 23 there were "a number of confirmed fatalities" after reports of at least one explosion during a pop concert by US singer Ariana Grande. Ambulances were seen rushing to the Manchester Arena venue and police added in a statement that people should avoid the area AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An ambulance drives away from the Manchester Arena, where U.S. singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures Police escort members of the public from the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England. Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman sits in the street in a blanket near the Manchester Arena as police guard the area following reports of an explosion, in Manchester, Britain EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Two women wrapped in thermal blankets stand near the Manchester Arena, where US singer Ariana Grande had been performing, in Manchester Reuters Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester. At least 19 people have been confirmed dead and others 50 were injured, authorities said. It is being treated as a terrorist incident until police know otherwise EPA Manchester explosion in pictures A Royal Logistic Corps (RLC) bomb disposal robot is unloaded outside the Manchester Arena following reports of an explosion, in Manchester EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Members of the public receive treatment from emergency service staff at Victoria Railway Station close to the Manchester Arena on May 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. There have been reports of explosions at Manchester Arena where Ariana Grande had performed this evening. Greater Manchester Police have have confirmed there are fatalities and warned people to stay away from the area Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police after a suspected terrorist attack at the Manchester Arena at the end of a concert by US star Ariana Grande left 19 dead PA wire Manchester explosion in pictures Emergency services arrive close to the Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures An amoured police vehicle patrols near Manchester Arena in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A man carries a young girl on his shoulders near Victoria station in Manchester AFP/Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police officers stand at the Miller Street and Corporation Street Crossroads, in front of the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police block a road near to the Manchester Arena in central Manchester, England AP Manchester explosion in pictures Armed police patrol near Victoria station in Manchester, northwest England. Twenty two people have been killed and dozens injured after a suspected suicide bomber targeted fans leaving a concert of US singer Ariana Grande in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Police forensic officers leave the Manchester Arena as they investigate the scene of an explosion in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A forensic officer collects evidence on a walkway between Victoria station and Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures A woman and a young girl wearing a t-shirt of US singer Ariana Grande talks to police near Manchester Arena following a deadly terror attack in Manchester, Getty Manchester explosion in pictures EPA Manchester explosion in pictures Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham and Manchester City Council Leader Sir Richard Leese speak to the media outside Manchester Town Hall after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Dave Higgens/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures The media gather behind a police cordon in Manchester Getty Images Manchester explosion in pictures Flowers left close to the Manchester Arena, the morning after a suicide bomber killed 22 people, including children, as an explosion tore through fans leaving a pop concert in Manchester Danny Lawson/PA Wire Manchester explosion in pictures Ariana Grande concert attendees Karen Moore and her daughter Molly Steed, aged 14, from Derby, leave the Park Inn where they were given refuge after last night's explosion at Manchester Arena Getty Manchester explosion in pictures Signs saying 'We love Manchester' are displayed in a window in Manchester, England Getty Images

In a separate case in London, a 45-year-old man is due to be sentenced for disseminating terrorist material in Facebook posts today.

Mehdi Bira, a father and former school caretaker, had downloaded 48 terrorist-related videos on his phone and computer, police said.

The Government has launched enhanced efforts to tackle extremist material online amid increasing warnings over the threat posed by the far-right.

Just under a third of all people being monitored under the Channel counter-extremism programme in 2016/17 believe in extreme right-wing ideologies and are vulnerable to radicalisation, according to Home Office figures.

Police and community groups have documented surges in Islamophobic hate crime in the wake of the Isis-linked attacks in Westminster, Manchester and London Bridge.

Greater Manchester Polices data showed a 500 per cent increase in reported anti-Muslim hate crimes after Abedis bombing, with 224 reports in the following month compared with 37 during the same period in 2016.

The National Police Chiefs' Council (NPCC) said police recorded 234 hate crime incidents 48 hours after the Westminster attack, 273 following the Manchester bombing and 319 two days after the London Bridge attack.

On average, there were 171 hate crimes per day in 2016.

There was no such increase following June's far-right terror attack in Finsbury Park, when a van was driven into Muslim worshippers, leaving one man dead.
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A neo-Nazi who declared his support for a terrorist group on social media was accepted into the British Army this year despite strict vetting processes, it has emerged.

Serj Forster was discharged from basic training for undisclosed reasons within weeks but his initial acceptance has sparked alarm following the arrest of four soldiers on suspicion of terror offences.

It was unclear whether he is among the suspected National Action members detained in Wales, the Midlands, Suffolk and at a military base in Cyprus.

Anti-extremism group Hope Not Hate said the young recruit had been very active in the extremist group for at least two years before deciding to join up.

In Facebook post from November 2015, Forster said he had been kicked out of college for spreading extremist ideas and recruiting for an extremist organisation and raising racial tensions.

One photo showed him wearing all black with the caption The Blackshirts are back 88!, referring to the nickname for the British Union of Fascists. The number is used by neo-Nazis as a coded abbreviation meaning Heil Hitler, and also appeared in Forsters email address.

Serj Forster was accepted on to basic training with the British Army despite professing support for National Action (Hope Not Hate)

After announcing his intention to join the army least year, he told Facebook friends he would have to remove a lot of things from his account ahead of an interview in June.

Do not worry, I am not leaving the movement and my views are not wavering, Forster said, passing on contact details for organising undisclosed operations in East Anglia.

Another photo posted on his account showed him wearing a shirt emblazoned with the Nazi Reichsadler eagle and posing alongside a National Action poster.

Heading to basic training, Forster signed off: "Courage today, victory tomorrow."

He has not responded to The Independents request for comment but his father The Times his son was a young lad trying to pick his way in the world and had been medically discharged from the army earlier this year.

Hope Not Hate said it had repeatedly warned about the risk posed by National Action, which researcher Matthew Collins described it as far more secretive and sophisticated than other far-right groups.

A blog post in December documented military-style training camps operated by the group, adding: A number of National Action supporters/members, have decided however to apply to join the British Army instead.

All recruits to the armed forces undergo a strict vetting procedure, which includes checks on their criminal history, political views and affiliations and can take up to nine months.

 National Action spokesman says he's a Nazi whose role model is Hitler

Evidence of radical views, discrimination and racism can be reported confidentially and investigated and disciplined by military authorities.

A spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said he could not comment on individual cases, adding: National Action is a proscribed organisation and its ideology is completely at odds with the values and ethos of the Armed Forces.

The Armed Forces have robust measures in place to ensure those exhibiting extremist views are neither tolerated nor permitted to serve.

Politicians and campaigners are calling for the Government to launch an urgent inquiry into radicalisation in the Army following the arrest of serving soldiers on Tuesday.

Detectives have been granted more time to question the men  a 22-year-old from Birmingham, a 32-year-old man arrested in Powys, a 24-year-old arrested in Ipswich and a 24-year-old arrested in Northampton.

West Midlands Police said they were detained on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism, as well as being members National Action.

All searches have been completed in connection with the arrests, a spokesperson added. The arrests were pre-planned and intelligence-led - there was no threat to the publics safety.

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2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red 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of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will 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One of the men is believed to have been serving in Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), while at least one other is in the Royal Anglian Regiment.

The Independent understands the MoD is treating the arrests as an isolated case and has no plans to launch a wider investigation into the possibility of wider extremism.

The Liberal Democrats Shadow Home Secretary, Ed Davey, praised the swift action against arrested soldiers.

But questions remain over whether the armed forces are consistently monitoring for extremist activity in their ranks, he told The Independent. The Liberal Democrats have challenged the government to make clear what oversight is in place to track any extremism  it is not enough to simply assume this is a contained example.

National Action became the first extreme right-wing group to be banned in the UK in December. Being a member or inviting support for the group is a criminal offence carrying a sentence of up to 10 years imprisonment but investigations have shown its members are still meeting in secret.

The man who murdered Labour MP Jo Cox said National Action's slogan in court (PA)

The Governments list of proscribed terror groups describes National Action as a racist neo-Nazi group that was established in 2013 and had several branches in the UK that launched provocative protests and activity aimed at intimidating local communities.

The group is virulently racist, antisemitic and homophobic, the document says. Its ideology promotes the idea that Britain will inevitably see a violent race war, which the group claims it will be an active part of."

Its online propaganda included images showing members performing Hitler salutes inside a German concentration camp, praise for the man who murdered Jo Cox and posts glorifying terrorism.

National Actions slogan death to traitors, freedom for Britain, was the only statement given by Thomas Mair in court, and a 17-year-old boy who built a pipe bomb also had links to the group.

Police said 22 suspected members or associates of the group were arrested in 2016, amid concern over a spike in the number of far-right radicals reported to the Governments counter-extremism programme.
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Scotland may adopt a universal basic income scheme that would guarantee a cash payment of up to 150 a week to its citizens for the rest of their lives, Nicola Sturgeon has said.

The First Minister said she would fund research into the proposal that would inform parliaments thinking for the future.

The system has been championed as a method to do away with the UKs welfare system, but critics complain that it is complicated and pointed out that many of the handouts overlap.

Recommended Universal basic income scheme set for trials in three European cities

It would see benefits payments such as the dole and housing all rolled into one lump sum. It would not be means-tested and would be given out whether the recipient has a job or not.

Advocates say it frees up State workers from assessing individual cases for benefits - such as housing payments and the dole - and that it also eliminates poverty.

But critics complain it pushes social policy in the wrong direction and the payments encourage people to work less and therefore contribute less in taxes to fund the scheme.

Ms Sturgeon told MSPs in Holyrood that the proposal to introduce the universal basic income payment in Scotland was worth considering as we look ahead to the next decade and beyond.

She added: The Scottish government will work with interested local authorities to fund research into the concept and feasibility of a citizens basic income to help to inform parliaments thinking for the future.

The Scottish Greens are staunch advocates of introducing a universal basic income scheme north of the border and have been touting the policy for several years.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 A villager cooks roti bread at the site of the annual Camel Fair in Pushkar, in India's desert state of Rajasthan AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA UK news in pictures 22 September 2022 Woody Woodmansey, Lee Bennett, Kevin Armstrong, Nick Moran and Clifford Slapper attend the unveiling of a stone for David Bowie on the Music Walk of Fame at Camden, north London PA UK news in pictures 21 September 2022 A flock of birds in the sky as the sun rises over Dungeness in Kent PA UK news in pictures 20 September 2022 Flowers which were laid by members of the public in tribute to Queen Elizabeth II at Hillsborough Castle in Northern Ireland are collected by the Hillsborough Gardening Team and volunteers to be replanted for those that can be saved or composted PA UK news in pictures 19 September 2022 The ceremonial procession of the coffin of Queen Elizabeth II travels down the long walk as it arrives at Windsor Castle for the committal service at St Georges Chapel AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 18 September 2022 A man stands among campers on The Mall ahead of the Queens funeral Reuters UK news in pictures 17 September 2022 Wolverhampton Wanderers Nathan Collins fouls Manchester Citys Jack Grealish leading to a red card. City went on to win the match at Molineux Stadium three goals to nil. Action Images/Reuters UK news in pictures 16 September 2022 Members of the public stand in the queue near Tower Bridge, and opposite the Tower of London, as they wait in line to pay their respects to the late Queen Elizabeth II, in London AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 15 September 2022 Members of the public in the queue on in Potters Fields Park, central London, as they wait to view Queen Elizabeth II lying in state ahead of her funeral on Monday PA

The party said in a statement: The exploration of a Basic or Citizen's Income, a longstanding Green policy, is a positive step.

Pensioners would get 150 a week under their plan for the scheme, while working adults would get 100. Everyone under 16 would get 50.

But ministers in Scotland do not have the legal teeth to bring in the universal basic income scheme because Holyrood does not have full powers over social security, benefits and taxes.

The social welfare policy is already been tried in countries including Finland. Ministers there said it has caused a fall in stress-levels among those who receive the payment.

Two-thousand people between the ages of 25 and 58 are picking up 560 (473) a month under the pilot project in the country for two years, regardless of whether they have a job or not.

Marjukka Turunen, head of KELA, the legal unit at Finland's social insurance agency, said it was helping to cut down on bureaucracy in government offices and tackle poverty.

She told US-based broadcaster Kera News: This experiment really has an indirect impact, also, on the stress levels [of people] and the mental health and so on.

But the countrys biggest trade union, the Central Organisation of Finnish Trade Unions, said the pilot programme was taking Finlands social policy in the wrong direction.
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Two of Theresa Mays most senior ministers have distanced themselves from her Brexit plans, it has been reported.

Amber Rudd, the Home Secretary and Damian Green, the First Secretary of State, are both said to have expressed reservations about Ms Mays leaked immigration plans.

The radical suggestions to curb migration, which include a maximum two-year stay for low-skilled workers, sparked a backlash from business leaders and Brussels.

Now both Ms Rudd and Mr Green have also indicated that Ms Mays plans do not have their full support, according to The Telegraph.

Mr Green hinted the Government could U-turn on the proposals as he was concerned about the effect it would have on the Brexit negations.

Ms Rudd, whose department drew up the plans, may favour lighter regulations that make it easier for businesses to hire workers from the EU.

The Government has insisted the leaked proposals are just a draft and amendments are likely to be made.

The news comes as it emerged that the Government had asked FTSE 100 companies to sign a public letter endorsing its Brexit strategy.

We believe this is a good time for employers to work with government and parliament to make a success of Brexit and secure a bright future for our country, said the letter, circulated to the companies.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Some of the business leaders disclosed they had refused the request, causing more havoc for Ms Mays plans.

A spokesman for the Prime Minister declined to comment but said there had been lots of engagement with companies over Brexit.
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Theresa May is poised to make an unprecedented attempt to fix the parliamentary system, allowing her to grab sweeping powers ahead of Brexit, The Independent can reveal.

A late-night Commons vote to secure the Conservatives the muscle to use so-called Henry VIII powers to make new laws  behind the backs of MPs  will be staged next week.

The move has been disguised on the Commons order paper under the innocuous description of motions relating to House business, but will be a decisive act in the Brexit process.

Recommended David Davis mocked after attacking EU charter he previously praised

It will allow the Tories to pack a crucial Commons committee with their own MPs, in defiance of Parliaments rules, in order to carry out the power grab.

To win the vote, the Conservatives will need the backing of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), under the much-criticised cash-for-votes deal that props up Ms May in power.

Opposition parties immediately accused the Prime Minister of a bid to sideline Parliament and grant ministers unprecedented powers  despite promises to restore sovereignty to MPs.

This is an unprecedented power grab by a minority government that lost its moral authority as well as its majority at the general election, Valerie Vaz, Labours Shadow Commons Leader, told The Independent.

And Alistair Carmichael, the Liberal Democrat chief whip, said: The Tories seem determined to ram through their destructive hard Brexit even though they have no mandate for it.

The bid to seize control of the Committee of Selection comes despite unequivocal advice from parliamentary officials that the Tories must not do so, after losing their Commons majority at the election.

Without the fix, it would be impossible to force through up to 1,000 corrections to EU law as intended through the EU (Withdrawal) Bill  the reason for the accusations of a power grab.

Among key rights at stake are protections for British workers and consumers, environmental standards and whether powers will be devolved across the UK, or hoarded by ministers.

Ms May has vowed workers rights will be protected, but has declined to say whether that will be enshrined in law  and has made no promise at all about food standards.

Yesterday, ministers admitted a loophole in the legislation could take pension rights away from same-sex couples, unless Westminster acts.

Former Conservative ministers have joined Labour and other parties in protesting that the bill  the key Brexit legislation  will grant ministers unprecedented and dangerous powers.

However, to exploit that power grab, the Government needs control of the committee  which will now be decided in next Tuesdays showdown vote.

Ms Vaz said: They will try to sideline opposition in Parliament by rigging the committee system so that they are guaranteed a majority they didn't secure at the ballot box.

The British people will not understand how having voted to deny the Conservatives a majority, the Tories can alter the rules of Parliament to ensure they have one.

And Mr Carmichael added: We will fight tooth and nail to ensure this committee reflects the electorate and does not simply rubber-stamp government decisions.

The latest controversy comes after one former Conservative minister described the withdrawal legislation as an astonishing monstrosity of a bill.

Meanwhile, nearly 40 Tory Eurosceptics were accused of trying to undermine the negotiations after signing a letter putting ministers on notice they would accept no backsliding on a hard Brexit.

Abroad, it emerged the Prime Minister has refused an invitation to address the European Parliament, prompting accusations that she is making enemies unnecessarily.

The row centres on the obscure Committee of Selection, which has the crucial task of arranging which statutory instruments (SIs) will be pushed through Parliament and when.

Control of the committee would allow the Government to pass a vast number of SIs  some under Henry VIII powers, without proper scrutiny, dating back to a 1539 law.

As revealed by The Independent last month, the Conservatives have previously claimed five of the nine MPs on the committee, but officials have ruled they are entitled to four only, after their Commons majority was destroyed in June.

Despite that advice, Tuesdays motion will demand those five places  and, therefore, the power to defeat the other parties and control the use of SIs.

The Committee of Selection decides whether the Government has majority on committees for both SIs and primary legislation  without which, ministers are unlikely to press ahead.

The Government has insisted SIs will only be used  sometimes without a vote by MPs  to correct EU law where it is necessary to incorporate it successfully onto the UK statute book.

However, they have admitted there are no specific restrictions in the bill to prevent ministers also changing aspects of law they do not like.

Moreover, the full extent of the power grab is unknown, because the bill will deliver the power to act over aspects of Brexit where policy will hinge on the outcome of Brussels negotiations.

The bill will convert EU law into UK law before Brexit is completed in 2019, before the Government proposes which bits should be retained or junked.
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Environmental leaders have warned that the Government's Brexit legislation could gravely threaten its vision for a greener future outside the EU.

A group of top scientists, ecologists and engineers has written to Environment Secretary Michael Gove and David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, warning that the proposals could result in the watering down of crucial environmental policies and laws.

Mr Gove, one of the leading figures in the Leave campaign, used his first speech after being made Environment Secretary after the election to set out his vision for a 'Green Brexit', citing the divorce as an unprecedented chance to reform issues such as animal welfare and air quality.

However the Environmental Policy Forum (EPF), which represents several environmental professional bodies, said the Government's new Brexit legislation did not go far enough to protect existing environmental laws or offer parliamentary scrutiny on changes being brought forward.

It comes as MPs prepared for a two-day debate on the European Union (Withdrawal) Bill - sometimes referred to as the Repeal Bill - which will transfer EU law into domestic law when Britain leaves the bloc.

Professor Will Pope, EPF chair, said The Government has welcome ambitions for the environment, with a new 25 year plan imminent and a commitment to improve environmental quality for future generations.

Yet plans without appropriate tools and measures for delivery and scrutiny will be doomed to failure.

Brexit offers certain opportunities to manage our environment in a more effective manner, more bespoke to UK needs.

Yet it also presents real risks that measures which have achieved cleaner rivers, seas, towns and cities could be eroded.

We are calling for appropriate checks and balances to be established from the outset, to ensure we do not risk becoming the dirty man of Europe again.

The group also called for the creation of an independent body, which would provide similar scrutiny to the European Commission on issues such as air quality.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

A Government spokeswoman said: We have set out our vision for a Green Brexit in which environmental standards are not only maintained but enhanced.

As the Environment Secretary has said, we must consider how we can create new institutions to demonstrate environmental leadership as we leave the EU.

We are determined to be global leaders in fighting climate change, tackling the illegal wildlife trade and promoting the highest standards of animal welfare.
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EU president Jean-Claude Juncker told his Brexit negotiating team that David Davis is jeopardising talks with his instability and lack of involvement, according to minutes published by the European Commission.

The minutes from a meeting in July this summer record that the Commission President expressed his concern about the question of the stability and accountability of the UK negotiator and his apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations.

Speaking to reporters in Brussels on Thursday a European Commission spokesperson downplayed the comments.

I think weve clearly moved on since July  since then weve continuously been stressing that we stand ready 24/7 to engage with the UK negotiator and his team to make swift progress on these negotiations, she said.

The spokesperson went on to describe the minutes as a snapshot of the situation at the time but did not directly answer a question about whether the Commission still believed Mr Davis was incompetent.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

The release of the minutes is the latest round in the escalating war of words between the British and EU sides. It comes days after Mr Davis said Michel Barnier, the EUs chief negotiator looked silly when he said little progress had been made in talks.

That attack by Mr Davis in turn came after Mr Barnier called on Mr Davis to start negotiating seriously and suggested that the UK did not fully understand the consequences of leaving the EU single market.

The most recent third round of Brexit talks in Brussels last week ended in deadlock. The Commission this Thursday released five new Brexit position papers in a bid to clarify its views on particular areas where detail was previously missing.

Asked about the comments recorded in the minutes, Mr Barnier said: Ive known David Davis for 20 years, back then we were both European affairs ministers, myself in France and he in the UK. This was 95-96, when we were both preparing the Amsterdam treaty.

I have cordial relations with him still and good professional relations. I would add another thing: seven days ago exactly at this time we arrived at the end of the third round of negotiation. David Davis was standing here and I paid tribute to his professionalism and the competence of the whole of the UK team. I have nothing further to add on that point.

He added: I dont want people to get emotional.
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David Davis has admitted ministers are exploring whether formal notice will be needed to take the UK out of Europes single market.

The Brexit Secretary said the Government was considering for clarity purposes if Britain would be required to formally notify other countries of its intention to leave the European Economic Area (EEA), despite previous insistences that membership would end automatically after Brexit.

Mr Davis also ruled out a Norway-style arrangement where Britain would join the European Free Trade Agreement (Efta) during the transition period, as it would be subject to requirements such as freedom of movement.

Recommended First phase of Brexit talks may not be completed until Christmas

The Independent revealed last month that Britain could face a battle in the international courts if it pulled out of the EEA without giving formal notice to other members, as required by international agreement.

Mr Davis told MPs during Brexit questions in the Commons: The UK is party to the EEA agreement in its capacity as an EU member state, so on on exit day the EEA agreement will cease to operate in respect to the UK.

It will no longer have any practical relevance to the United Kingdom.

We are considering what steps, if any, we might need to take to formally confirm our withdrawal from the EEA agreement, as a matter of international law.

Labour MP Stephen Kinnock led calls for a parliamentary vote on leaving the EEA due to the fundamental, constitutional, political, legal and economic importance of such a move.

His concern was echoed by Liberal Democrat Brexit spokesman Tom Brake, who accused Mr Davis of throwing our best cards away.

He said: The decision to trigger Article 127 and leave the EEA must be subject to a parliamentary vote.

This will ensure MPs have a chance to stand up Britains prosperity and vote to stay in the single market.

Anything less would make a mockery of David Daviss claim to be standing up for parliamentary sovereignty.

However, the Brexit Secretary dodged questions about a Commons vote, replying: There is actually agreement that when the UK ceases to be a member of the EU, the EEA agreement will no longer operate in respect to the UK.

As such the Governments legal position is clear  Article 127 does not need to be triggered for the agreement to cease to have effect but we are looking at it just to make sure, for clarity purposes.

Countries such as Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein are members of the EEA, as well as the EU member states, with all accepting free movement of citizens.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

Mr Davis said the Government had previously ruled out staying in Efta as a temporary measure.

He said: The simple truth is membership of Efta would keep us within the acquis [EU law] and it would keep us within requirements for free movement, albeit with some limitations, but none of those have worked so far.

So in many ways its the worst of all outcomes.

We did consider it, I gave it some considerable thought maybe as an interim measure, but it seemed to me to be more complicated, more difficult and less beneficial.
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The first phase of Brexit negotiations may not be completed until Christmas, the President of the European Parliament has said.

Antonio Tajani said he would advise senior MEPs to postpone the decision on whether sufficient progress had been made in the talks until December amid concerns over lack of movement on key issues such as citizens rights and the so-called divorce bill.

Britain is pushing to move to the second phase of discussions, which will cover trade, but former European Council President Herman van Rompuy added his concern, saying the chances of Brexit talks moving on next month are "in the neighbourhood of zero".

The European Council had been expected to announce its verdict on the negotiations at a summit in October.

Leaked position papers due to be published by the EU on Thursday outlined the Commission's approach to a raft of key issues, including one that laid the responsibility of deciding the arrangements for the Irish border with Britain

In an interview with Politico, Mr Tajani said: We have three irrevocable priorities which are: rights for three-and-a-half million EU citizens living in the U.K.; the payment of what the EU deserves  not a euro more nor a euro less; third point, the Good Friday Agreement, that has to give us a positive solution for the border between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland.

Once we have reached an agreement on these three points, we can talk about the future.

Without an agreement on this, we cannot talk about the future.

So far we have noted that no concrete proposals have arrived, only very foggy proposals.

Mr Tajani said Britain was trying to buy time ahead of the Conservative party conference in October but warned that the negotiations could not be delayed for too long.

He said: I will ask the Council tomorrow [to extend the deadline] but its not our fault, but due to delays.

And the Brits are the ones who will be mostly affected by it. It is not a tragedy, but we cannot postpone further than December.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 12 November 2022 The City of London Pride Group take part in the parade during the Lord Mayor's Show PA UK news in pictures 11 November 2022 City workers attend a Remembrance Day ceremony at Lloyd's of London, in the City of London, to mark Armistice Day, the anniversary of the end of the First World War PA UK news in pictures 10 November 2022 A grey heron lands on the river Dodder in Dublin on a sunny autumn morning PA UK news in pictures 9 November 2022 Australia and Spain play during the Wheelchair Rugby League World Cup group A match at the Copper Box Arena, London PA UK news in pictures 8 November 2022 A migrant attempting to communicate with journalists is pinned against a fence by members of staff, before being taken out of view, at the Manston immigration short-term holding facility, located at the former Defence Fire Training and Development Centre in Thanet, Kent PA UK news in pictures 7 November 2022 Handout photo issued by Just Stop Oil of a protester who has climbed a gantry on the M25 between junctions six and seven in Surrey, leading to the closure of the motorway PA UK news in pictures 6 November 2022 A grey seal with its pup, at the Donna Nook National Nature Reserve in north Lincolnshire, where they come every year in late October, November and December to give birth to their pups near the sand dunes, the wildlife spectacle attracts visitors from across the UK PA UK news in pictures 5 November 2022 Demonstrators with placards calling for a General Election march near the Houses of Parliament AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 4 November 2022 A peacock is seen in the early winter sunshine in the Dutch Gardens in Holland Park AFP via Getty Images UK news in pictures 3 November 2022 Florence Kasumba, Letitia Wright, Tenoch Huerta and Lupita Nyongo attend the European Premiere of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever in London Getty UK news in pictures 2 November 2022 A red squirrel gathers nuts in Pitlochry, Scotland Reuters UK news in pictures 1 November 2022 Englands Tara-Jane Stanley scores their sides seventh try against Brazil during the Womens Rugby League World Cup group A match at Headingley Stadium, Leeds PA UK news in pictures 31 October 2022 GBs James Hall competes during the mens parallel bars qualification at the World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 October 2022 People dressed in Halloween costumes paddle board along the river Avon in Christchurch, Dorset PA UK news in pictures 29 October 2022 Members of the public take pictures as police officers remove activists from a road during a Just Stop Oil protest, in London Reuters UK news in pictures 28 October 2022 A cosplayer attends the MCM Comic Con London 2022 at the ExCel Centre in London Reuters UK news in pictures 27 October 2022 98-year-old D-Day Veteran Bernard Morgan, whose story is among those featured on the giant poppy wall, during the launch of The Royal British Legion 2022 Poppy Appeal, at Hay's Galleria in central London PA UK news in pictures 26 October 2022 A meerkat explores a pumpkin in the enclosure at Wild Place, Bristol, where some of the animals are having pumpkin treats as part of their environmental enrichment PA UK news in pictures 25 October 2022 King Charles III welcomes Rishi Sunak during an audience at Buckingham Palace, where he invited the newly elected leader of the Conservative Party to become Prime Minister and form a new government PA UK news in pictures 24 October 2022 Rishi Sunak celebrates with Tory MPs outside the Conservative Campaign Headquarters after becoming the new leader of the Conservative Party Reuters UK news in pictures 23 October 2022 The Green Man at October Plenty, Borough Market's annual Autumn Harvest festival, in London, which returns for the first time post pandemic PA UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. The building was built in 1480 as a residential dwelling but has been a tearoom for over 50 years PA UK news in pictures 28 September 2022 Criminal barristers from the Criminal Bar Association (CBA), demonstrates outside the Royal Courts of Justice in London, as part of their ongoing pay row with the Government PA UK news in pictures 27 September 2022 David White, Garter King of Arms, poses with an envelope franked with the new cypher of King Charles III 'CIIIR', after it was printed in the Court Post Office at Buckingham Palace in central London AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 26 September 2022 A gallery staff member poses next to a painting by Lucian Freud - Self-portrait (Fragment), 1956 - on show at a photocall for the Credit Suisse exhibition - Lucian Freud: New Perspectives at the National Gallery in London PA UK news in pictures 25 September 2022 Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer is interviewed by Laura Kuenssberg in Liverpool before the start of the Labour Party annual Conference which he opened with a tribute to Queen Elizabeth II and sang the national anthem PA UK news in pictures 24 September 2022 Handout photo issued by Buckingham Palace of the ledger stone at the King George VI Memorial Chapel, St George's Chapel, Windsor Castle PA UK news in pictures 23 September 2022 A climate change activist protests against UK private jets while lighting his right arm on fire during the Laver Cup tennis tournament at the O2 Arena in London EPA

Mr van Rompuy said that the UK needed to provide more "clarity" about its intentions and warned that without a "breakthrough" on the divorce bill, trade talks could be pushed back after December.

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I'm not a negotiator, (but from) what I hear and what I read in the press, the chances that we are ready in October are in the neighbourhood of zero."

Asked if progress could be delayed beyond December, he replied: "Let's hope that we have a breakthrough. The latest declarations are not reassuring, but let's hope... If there is no breakthrough, for instance on the financial settlement..."

It comes as MPs prepare for a two-day debate on the EU Withdrawal Bill, which will transfer EU law into British law after Brexit.

Ministers have urged MPs to back the key legislation - formerly known as the repeal bill - but Jeremy Corbyn has ordered his party to oppose the bill.
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Theresa Mays make-or-break Tory conference speech is set to be undermined by EU chiefs who are staging a key vote judging her Brexit strategy hours before she takes to the stage.

European Parliament leaders confirmed on Wednesday that MEPs would vote on whether sufficient progress has been made to open trade talks with Britain on 3 October  just before Ms May pleads with her party to let her keep her job.

Sources close to the European Parliaments negotiating team told The Independent there was not a cats chance in hell that the body would vote to endorse the progress made by Ms Mays team so far  meaning she would have no option but to face her party amid more bad news.

European Parliament President Antonio Tajani and the Parliaments Brexit chief Guy Verhofstadt will ask MEPs to vote on whether they are happy with progress on EU citizens rights, the Northern Ireland border and the departure bill.

The EU says these three departure issues must be dealt with before trade talks about the future EU-UK relationship can start, and a humiliating public rejection for Ms May by MEPs could set a sour tone of her crucial conference.

The announcement of the vote comes the same day as Michel Barnier, the European Commissions chief Brexit negotiator, claimed that Britain was backtracking on its commitments to pay to pay what it owed the EU. He also reiterated a claim that Britain wanted the benefits of the EU single market without being a member. Meeting minutes from the summer released today also show that Jean-Claude Juncker told his negotiating team that he believes David Davis, the Brexit Secretary, is jeopardising Brexit talks by being unstable.

British officials familiar with the UK negotiating position remained optimistic last week that sufficient progress bar could be met before a separate European Council summit in October that will formally decide whether to open trade talks. Mr Tajani, the parliaments president, however, said he did not believe sufficient progress would be made by October and has suggested the Council decision be postponed until December.

Mr Verhofstadt told The Independent that the treatment of EU nationals in the UK  in particular leaked Home Office plans for a new immigration system that penalises lower-income workers  was at the core of discontent among MEPs over progress.

After a number of meetings in the European Parliament where this issue was raised by fellow MEPs, its clear to me that these policies, if implemented, will only serve to further poison the diplomatic well and erode trust in the capability of the British Home Office to deliver a fair and immigration system for EU citizens in the future, he said.

As a sovereign country, post-Brexit, and after any transition period, the UK will be free to execute its own discriminatory immigration policy, no matter how economically damaging this might be. However, a number of the leaked proposals would breach EU free movement law if implemented during any transition period, for example the proposal to discriminate between high-skilled and low-skilled workers.

He added: It was clear to me from discussions between leaders of the main political groups in the European Parliament today that progress has so far been inadequate.

Though the European Parliament does not have a specific veto over the sufficient progress metric, its leaders have good relations with the Commission and it would be difficult for further talks to start if MEPs voted against them. The parliament does have a veto on the final Brexit deal.

The European Parliament will vote on the issue (Photo by David Liff. License: CC-BY-SA 3.0)

Ms Mays speech to Tory conference in Manchester is currently scheduled for 4 October; the European Parliament plenary session will open on 2 October, but there will be no votes on that day. The Independent understands the vote is likely to be held on the 3rd, though it could even be held on the 4th  the same day as the PMs speech.

President Antonio Tajani said in a statement: Given the current state of play of negotiations and the current position of the UK, it would seem very difficult that sufficient progress can be achieved by October on separation issues in order to enter phase two of the negotiations. In this case I would think it wise for the European Council to postpone this point to its December meeting.

Chief negotiator Mr Barnier told reporters in Brussels that the Brexit bill was not a matter of punishment but instead about funding commitments made under the so-called Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) of payments already agreed by the UK.

 'No decisive progress' on Brexit, says EU negotiator Michel Barnier

You have projects for infrastructure, transport, universities, and these only come to fruition in terms of payments several years down the line. There are thousands of people, stakeholders, companies, citizens, universities, laboratories, they have set up their projects on the basis of the promise made by the 28 member states, he told reporters in Brussels on Thursday.

So theres a moral dilemma here: you cant have 27 paying for what was decided by 28, so what was decided by 28 member states, that has to be bourne out by 28 member states right up to the end, its as simple as that.

Ive been very disappointed by the UK position as expressed last week, because it seems to me backtracking on the original commitment of the UK to honour its international commitments, including the commitments post-Brexit.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

He argued that there was a problem of confidence, describing the situation as serious.

Minutes released today from a meeting in July record that the Commission president expressed his concern about the question of the stability and accountability of the UK negotiator and his apparent lack of involvement, which risked jeopardising the success of the negotiations.

A European Commission spokesperson said that weve clearly moved on since July and Mr Barnier himself said he had cordial relations with Mr Davis.
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Lords have accused Theresa May and David Davis of selectively quoting from their inquiry report and claiming it endorsed their Brexit legislation, when actually the study raised major concerns.

Peers on the Constitution Committee said they had in fact called for a number of key limitations to be placed on the legislation.

The Independent has revealed how Ms May will allow more time for MPs to scrutinise the Bill to be debated by MPs in the Commons on Thursday amid fears it grants ministers sweeping powers to alter other laws.

Recommended Theresa May doubles amount of time MPs can scrutinise withdrawal bill

The Constitution Committees previous report published in March has been cited by Ms May and Brexit Secretary Mr Davis as backing for the powers granted to ministers in the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, previously called the Repeal Bill.

But Baroness Taylor of Bolton, Chairman of the Committee, said: The EU (Withdrawal) Bill represents an extraordinary transfer of legal powers from Parliament to the Government, without the additional oversight we recommended.

We believe this will create very real difficulties for Parliament in fulfilling its constitutional role to scrutinise this Bill.

We acknowledge that the Government needs significant powers in order to deliver legal certainty after Brexit. However, we warned the Government that such powers must come with tougher parliamentary scrutiny mechanisms and we are disappointed that we have not only been misquoted by the Government, but that our key recommendations have been ignored.

Brexit: the deciders Show all 8 1 /8 Brexit: the deciders Brexit: the deciders European Union's chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier Getty Brexit: the deciders French President Emmanuel Macron Getty Brexit: the deciders German Chancellor Angela Merkel Reuters Brexit: the deciders Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker EPA Brexit: the deciders The European Parliament's chief Brexit negotiator Guy Verhofstadt Getty Brexit: the deciders Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May Getty Images Brexit: the deciders Britain's Chancellor of the Exchequer, Philip Hammond PA Brexit: the deciders After the first and second appointed Brexit secretaries resigned (David Davis and Dominic Raab respectively), Stephen Barclay is currently heading up the position PA

A statement put out by the committee went further and said their report had been selectively quoted by ministers in relation to the powers proposed in the Bill.

The Henry VIII powers, so called because they allowed the Tudor monarch to rule by proclamation, are at the centre of concerns by both Tory and Labour MPs that the Bill will be exploited by Ms Mays administration to make policy changes in other areas without consulting Parliament.

The Lords are demanding the Bill ensures greater legal certainty so that individuals, organisations and the Government know what exactly the law is post-exit, without having to resort to litigation.

It says there are currently multiple uncertainties and ambiguities in the legislation that raise fundamental concerns from a rule of law perspective.

The Lords go on to recommend that powers granted to ministers must only be used to make the necessary technical changes to adapt EU law to function in the UK after Brexit  not to implement Conservative policy decisions.

Mr Davis will say at the Bills second reading on Thursday: We have acted responsibly in leaving the EU by prioritising, first and foremost, a functioning statute book.

In bringing forward this Bill, we are ensuring the smoothest possible exit from the EU  an exit that enables the continued stability of the UKs legal system, and maximises certainty for business, consumers and individuals across the UK.
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Californias Attorney General says a separate lawsuit he plans to file over the Donald Trump administrations plan to end protections for young immigrants will mirror the legal arguments made in a suit already filed by 15 states and the District of Columbia.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra, a Democrat, said on Wednesday he is going ahead with his own lawsuit because one in four participants in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme lives in California and the state will suffer the greatest harm from its termination. He says hell file the suit soon.

Becerra says hes been talking with fellow attorneys general for months about what to do if DACA is terminated and that the legal grounds of his case will be similar to the one filed earlier in the day by the other states.

Recommended Republican governor John Kasich attacks Trump over scrapping DACA

That lawsuit calls the move by Trump an unconstitutional culmination of his commitments to punish people with Mexican roots.

Becerra says ending DACA will harm the people it protects along with Californias economy and higher education system.

The 15 states filed a lawsuit in New York led by Washington state Attorney General Bob Ferguson, who called Trumps act a dark time for our country.

Plaintiffs include New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.

Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Show all 8 1 /8 Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AFP/Getty Images Thousands march against Donald Trump in LGBT rights parade AP

On Tuesday, US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said the programme will end in six months to give Congress time to find a legislative solution for the immigrants.

The participants were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.

AP
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The UK Government's response to Hurricane Irma in British overseas territories has been branded "absolutely pathetic."

Dorothea Hodge, the former UK EU representative for the government of the Caribbean island of Anguilla, said the UK should invest in long-term reconstruction to help the island community.

She told The Guardian: Its absolutely disgraceful that it has taken the whole day for Priti Patel to respond to the worst hurricane we have seen in a British territory since the 1920s."

Ms Patel said she had deployed three UK humanitarian experts and a British naval vessel with 40 Royal Marines and army engineers to the region.

Ms Hodge added: "Anguillans are all British nationals, as British as the Falklands or Gibraltar.

In comparison to the French president who has set up an emergency fund, an emergency hotline and a reconstruction fund her response after the storm has passed is absolutely pathetic.

 Hurricane Irma batters St Martin, destroying live webcam feed

Her comments were echoed by Anguilla resident Josephine Gumbs-Connor, a barrister, who was also critical of the UK's response to the hurricane.

Ms Gumbs-Connor told BBC Radio 4's Today programme: "I anticipated really that, given our relationship with the UK, they would have done in a similar fashion to our French neighbours on St Martin, where the French made sure they had military on the ground so the response given is timely, which makes it effective, which makes it helpful to our people.

"That is sorely lacking in this case. There was no echoing of chainsaws in Anguilla. We have huge trees and some of our oldest trees are still lying across the roads, roads are remaining impassable.

"While we understand that these things take time, I am very disappointed. We are supposed to have a relationship - we are overseas territories, we are supposed to be of the same type of people as Gibraltar or the Falkland Islands."

She said: "I am truly disappointed because we should not be in this position. If we are indeed supposed to be in a partnership, it should work very much more effectively than it is now."

Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Meteo Express Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP

Ms Hodge said the UK should follow France's example in responding to the hurricane.

She told The Guardian: What is needed now is a commitment to an immediate effective humanitarian, response, food, water, shelter, emergency health care, and a long-term reconstruction fund to get the island back on its feet after this battering.

The Caribbean island of Barbuda has been left as a scene of "total carnage," after Irma, and the tiny two-island nation will be seeking assistance from the international community to rebuild, its prime minister has said.

The storm is seen approaching Puerto Rico (Reuters)

Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, told the BBC that about half of Barbuda's population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some level of devastation, many of them total destruction.

"We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had," Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four.

"Approximately 50 per cent of them [residents of Barbuda] are literally homeless at this time. They are bunking together, we are trying to get ... relief supplies to them first thing tomorrow morning," he said, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island.

Hurricane Irma is followed by Hurricane Jose (National Hurricane Centre)

Mr Browne later told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that at least 90 per cent of Barbuda's buildings appeared to be damaged, with some completely destroyed.

Describing the scene as "total carnage", he said: "It is easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences I have ever had."

Mr Browne said the recovery effort would take "an enormous amount of financial resources - I'm quite sure it will take months, possibly years, to restore some level of normality".

He said the bill was likely to come to around $100m (77m) which was "definitely beyond our means", meaning the country will have to appeal to the international community for help.

"This is a disaster of unprecedented proportions and I think the international community ought to step in and to assist, and as a member of the Commonwealth we would appreciate any assistance that can be extended by the UK and other Commonwealth countries," he said.

Heavy-polluting countries should bear their share of the financial burden of severe weather caused by climate change, Mr Browne added.

Additional reporting by agencies
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Florida Senator Bill Nelson has said his state "desperately needs gasoline" as thousands of residents try to evacuate the path of Hurricane Irma.

The storm, classified as a Category 5, has already devastated parts of the Caribbean and left a million people without power in Puerto Rico.

The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early on Sunday, prompting the Governor Rick Scott to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said it could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina. The Keys and parts of South Florida were placed under a hurricane watch on Thursday.

Upwards of 26 per cent of gas stations in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach-Fort Pierce areas are completely empty according to GasBuddy, which tracks petrol prices and availability.

Recommended Irma first hurricane on record to maintain intensity for so long

Though, part of the problem is the massive evacuation taking place the other is that Hurricane Harvey just inundated Texas refineries that supplied Florida.

Mr Nelson said on CNN that he sent a slew of emails to his Senate colleague Marco Rubio, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Agency (NOAA), and other the Federal Trade Commission (FTC).

He was worried about FEMA running out of money after the massive response required after Hurricane Harvey and has asked that there be flexibility in the aid package for Texas so that some of the funds can be allocated to minimising the destruction of Irma.

He has asked NOAA for more storm tracking information and planes that can monitor the hurricane's impact once it does make landfall.

Mr Nelson also warned the FTC of possible price gouging as petrol stations that are operational may seek to take advantage of people's desperation.

Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV

According to the Wall Street Journal, Florida normally keeps a seven day supply of petrol on hand "and shipments are still coming in: Tankers are unloading at ports like Tampa, and barges are travelling along the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway."

However, trucks are experiencing long delays at fuel racks and preventing them from delivering to gas stations around the state.

The fear of what is predicted to be one of the most powerful storms in US history has caused a state-wide panic to buy gasoline because the path of the storm, though expected to be on the east coast, could change.

"Regardless of which coast you live on be prepared to evacuate," Governor Scott said.

All road tolls have been suspended in the state and airlines are offering deep discounts for those looking to leave the area in order to minimise the potential loss of life in what the governor called a "storm you cannot just sit and wait through".

Mr Scott has said that he spoke to FEMA, the White House, and the Environment Protection Agency about also loosening federal rules and regulations on gasoline distribution restrictions that may hinder getting fuel to stations.

He also asked that people only take the fuel they need as well in order to provide enough for everyone in the evacuation zone.

The state is also providing bus transportation for those with special needs to evacuate.

An estimated 25,000 people or more left the Florida Keys after all visitors were ordered to clear out, causing bumper-to-bumper traffic on the single highway that links the chain of low-lying islands to the mainland.
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After devastating islands in the Caribbean and leaving around a dozen people dead, Hurricane Irma is powering towards landfall on the United States mainland, with residents of South Florida being told that homes may not be inhabitable for weeks or months after the storm passes through.

Having caused untold damage on islands such as Barbuda, and the Virgin Islands as a Category 5 hurricane. Irma also left more than a million people in Puerto Rico without power.

This is a nuclear hurricane, Miami Beach Mayor Philip Levine said, urging residents of his barrier reef town to evacuate. Residents should leave the beach, they must leave the beach.

The low-lying British territory of the Turks and Caicos Islands sit in the path of the storm, and could see storm surges of up to 6m while it is also heading for the Bahamas and skirting Cuba into Friday

In response to the unfolding crisis, Prime Minister Theresa May announced that 32m had been released to assist the relief effort, with Britain being one of a number of nations to send money and ships carrying supplies to the region.

The confirmed fatalities include an infant on Barbuda, one person in the British territory of Anguilla, three people in Puerto Rico, four in the US Virgin Islands, and one in St Maarten, the Dutch side of an island shared with Saint Martin, a French territory. The French government have reduced the number of fatalities in Saint Martin from eight down to four.

Barbuda is literally rubble, Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda said.

The essential point is that our main infrastructure has stood up and our country can resume normal life within hours, he said, perhaps inaccurately as 95 per cent of Barbuda infrastructure was later deemed to have been damaged.

Reports of damage in the US and British Virgin Islands also began to emerge after the storm passed through on Wednesday. Residents there reported that roofs had been blown off, and that they had seen a deluge of rain accompanied by harsh winds that ripped all of the leaves off of trees, leaving behind a scene of apocalyptic emptiness.

Islands like Barbuda face the extra fear of another hurricane, Jose, coming behind Irma. Jose was upgraded to a category 3 hurricane, with sustained winds of 120mph, on Thursday and Barbuda, the British Virgin Islands and a number of other locations could see it hit in 48 hours. The British Virgin Islands Governor Gus Jaspert has declared a state of emergency in the wake of Irma  and with Hurricane Jose threatening to reach them this weekend.

Mr Jaspert asked people on the British Virgin Islands to avoid using roads unless absolutely necessary in order to prioritise emergency services.

As for Irma  which now holds the record for the most hours with sustained winds of 180mph and higher  the latest advice from the US National Hurricane Centre (NHC) updated its path to show it having shifted about 20 miles to the west, which would mean a direct hit for Miami.

Communities in southern Florida are preparing for that potential landfall of one of the most powerful storms in recorded history, stocking up on vital supplies like water and non-perishables. Reports have swirled of long lines forming for petrol  an increasingly rare commodity in the state  as residents begin their evacuations away from the zones that may be hit hardest by potential landfall of Irma.

Mandatory evacuations have already been ordered along the potential path of the hurricane, including for more than 100,000 residents in Miami-Dade County, all of Palm Beach Island, parts of Broward County, and Monroe County. Mandatory evacuations have also been issued in coastal Georgia as well.

Florida Governor Rick Scott issued a state of emergency for the entire state of Florida earlier in the week, while Georgia Governor Nathan Deal has issued a similar state of emergency for 30 counties in his state.

Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV

So take this seriously. Leave now, dont wait, Mr Scott said during a press briefing on Thursday. Its wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts on both coasts.

President Donald Trump, eyeing what could be the second major natural disaster of his presidency, praised the work of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and said that the National Guard has saved more than 14,000 lives in Texas, where Hurricane Harvey brought devastating winds and rains last week.

I can say this: Florida is as well-prepared as you can be for something like this, and now its just a question of what happens, Mr Trump said. Its the largest hurricane weve ever seen coming out of the Atlantic, and the winds are the strongest that weve ever seen from a hurricane in the region.

Mr Scott had already activated 100 Florida National Guard members as of Thursday, and all 7,000 members are expected to report for duty on Friday.

Hurricane Irma is the second storm in recorded history to sustain winds at 185mph for 24 hours straight.

At least 31,000 people fled the Florida Keys, which could begin seeing wind and rain from Irma as early as Friday night.

It is wider than our entire state and could cause major and life-threatening impacts from coast to coast. Regardless of which coast you live on, be prepared to evacuate, Mr Scott said.

Other states that could see damage from Irma as it travels up the US coast are making preparations. Georgia Governor Nathan Deal ordered evacuations for all areas east of Interstate 95, including the city of Savannah, and authorised about 5,000 National Guard members to help with response and recovery. Mr Trump declared a state of emergency for South Carolina.

Noel Marsden said he, his girlfriend, her son and their dog left Pembroke Pines north of Miami with plans to ride out Irma in Savannah, only to find the city was also shutting down because of the storm.

Ive got a buddy in Atlanta and a buddy in Charlotte. Well wind up one of those two places because there are not hotels, I can tell you that, he said.

Irmas eventual path and Floridas fate depends on when and how sharp the powerful hurricane takes a right turn, National Weather Service Director Louis Uccellini said.

It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, the NHC said.

Associated Press contributed to this report
One of the largest agricultural and industrial holdings in Ukraine Astarta has said that on September 6, 2017 the Ukrainian Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) raided its head office.

"Today, on September 6, the office of Astarta-Kyiv was raided with participation of armed law enforcers in violation of procedural requirements initiated by the Prosecutor General's Office of Ukraine," the company said in a statement.

Astarta believes that the steps of the law enforcers are excessive and groundless.

"The corporate management of Astarta's enterprises complies with all the principles of transparency. The company today, as always, has cooperated constructively with regulators on giving testimony, explanations and documentation. Therefore, the use of 'force' scenarios is completely groundless. It looks like unprofessionalism, or the open pressure on business," the company said.

Astarta said that for several hours the operations of the company and its enterprises was blocked over the raid. In addition, some of its accounts are currently blocked.

However, according to the report, all production processes at its enterprises continue as usual.

"We expect that in a few days all temporary restrictions will be lifted and we are taking measures to prevent these excessive actions from the side of regulatory agencies in the future," the company said.

The company's management appealed to the PGO and the country's leadership regarding the inadmissibility of the forceful pressure on business and intends to contest the actions of the law enforcers as it is prescribed by law.
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The British military is deploying a task group to provide support to the Caribbean as Hurricane Irma continued to cause carnage.

A group of "mixed expertise" will be sent to the region following the category five storm, which has killed at least 10 people and cut a trail of destruction, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said.

More than a million people were left without power on Puerto Rico while Barbuda was said to have been left "barely habitable" after the hurricane passed overhead, leaving around 60% of the island's approximately 1,400 people homeless.

An MoD spokesman said: "There will be a range of strategic aircraft, helicopters, and the task group will be made up of marines, engineers, medical advisers.

"The numbers and timelines of how many and when are still being worked out.

"We are also working out which airfields are available in the region."

He added: "The aim is to offer support, hopefully clear the roads and get as much support there ahead of Hurricane Jose which is due in the coming days."

The Royal Fleet Auxiliary Mounts Bay naval ship has also been deployed to the region with humanitarian supplies.

Airports in the Bahamas are shutting down as the massive storm approaches while Florida is on high alert with the storm forecast to hit at the weekend.

The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape, before wreaking havoc on the French territories of St Martin and St Barts.

At least eight people were killed and 23 injured in French Caribbean island territories, while one death was reported on the nearby island of Anguilla, a British overseas territory that was among the first islands to be hit.

Officials reported extensive damage to its airport, hospitals, shelters and school and said 90% of roads are impassible, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency, which also reported "major damage" to houses and commercial buildings in the British Virgin Islands.

Thousands of British tourists believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean have been urged to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida.

Its winds have fallen slightly to 175 mph (285 km/h), and the storm is forecast to remain a category 4 or 5 over the next few days.

As thousands of Florida residents begin evacuating and others board up their homes, President Donald Trump urged people to "be careful, be safe".

In a tweet on Thursday, Mr Trump remarked that Irma "is raging but we have great teams of talented and brave people already in place and ready to help".

Irma is currently about 120 miles south east of Grand Turk island, part of the Turks and Caicos Islands. The British Overseas Territory is set to be hit by the storm.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon said the hurricane has "devastated" the area, leaving it difficult to know the full scale of casualties.

He told Sky News: "We're hearing reports now of casualties, of people who have been hit by flying debris sadly but again some of the governors (of the islands) haven't got accurate reports because they are simply these populations who are out of touch with the centre in a number of these territories.

"But these are British people, these are British nationals, and we are going to help them as much as we can."

He described the clear-up and rebuilding of the islands as a "huge, long-term challenge" but said Britain is committed to helping those affected.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Several hundred troops are being sent to the Caribbean and a second ship is being diverted to the area, Sir Michael revealed.

He said: "Now we already have a ship in the area, Mounts Bay is there, she's already at work with her helicopters and her marines helping Anguilla, that particular island, but I've also today authorised the deployment of a taskforce, a task group of several hundred troops, marines, engineers and additional helicopters who are now preparing to fly out to the Caribbean as soon as we can be clear what airfields remain open to us.

"I'm also diverting a second ship, flagship HMS Ocean, which is now preparing to sail west towards the islands to bring the help that will be needed for reconstruction after the hurricane has passed."

Responding to criticism that not enough help was in place ahead of the hurricane, Sir Michael said RFA Mounts Bay is "already at work" clearing roads and helping to restore power.

He added: "We're there and we're helping, but obviously this is a huge challenge, more help is going to be needed and that's what we've authorised today. "

Press Association
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A luxury hotel owned by the parents of Pippa Middletons husband James Matthews has been wrecked by Hurricane Irma.

The Eden Rock Hotel, which is on the Caribbean island of St Barthelemy - otherwise known as St Barts - has been destroyed by the category five hurricane which has devastated the region.

Pictures of the ruined resort were posted to Facebook by Kevin Barrallon, a resident of the island.

The luxury hotel was built in the 1950s by politician and businessman Remy de Haenen.

It was one of the first hotels constructed on the island and soon became popular with celebrities including actress Greta Garbo and film tycoon Howard Hughes.

The hotel was sold to the Matthews family in 1995 and has remained hugely popular among the elite, with room prices starting at nearly 800 a night.

Eden Rock Hotel in St Barts (Facebook)

The Eden Rock Hotel before the storm (Google Street View)

Guests have included Jessica Alba, Tom Hanks, Bono and Nicole Richie.

Hurricane Irma, the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm in decades, has left a trail of destruction in the eastern Caribbean, killing at least ten people and leaving thousands homeless.

Officials have said government buildings have been destroyed and roofs ripped off homes in St Barts, with large areas still underwater.

Recommended Hurricane Irma likely to be followed by more extreme weather events

Around 90 per cent of buildings have also been razed to the ground in Barbuda, a small island that forms part of the state of Antigua and Barbuda.

Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said the island had been reduced to rubble and said it was barely habitable after 185mph winds struck the region on Wednesday.

The storm has barreled through the Lesser Antilles and Puerto Rico, towards the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba.

A state of emergency has been declared in Florida, which is expected to be hit by Irma within a few days.

Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Show all 7 1 /7 Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A roof-less house in Barbuda ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The hurricane left debris strewn across the island Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Rubble in the aftermath of the hurricane ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures The destruction in Barbuda, as seen from an ABS TV helicopter ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures As well as destroying most houses, the hurricane also left plenty of flooding ABS TV Barbuda, Hurricane Irma  in pictures Barbudan residents survey the damage ABS TV

Mayors in Miami-Dade and Broward counties issued mandatory evacuation orders for barrier islands and low-lying mainland areas in the metro area of 6 million.

Forecasters have predicted the hurricane could strike the US over the weekend bringing winds of 180 mph.
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Education Secretary Betsy DeVos has vowed to end "failed" Obama-era policies on college sexual assault and replace them with a new system, including more protections for the accused.

Through intimidation and coercion, the failed system has clearly pushed schools to overreach, Ms Devos said, in an address at George Mason Universitys Law School in Arlington, Virginia.

She added: With the heavy hand of Washington tipping the balance of her scale, the sad reality is that Lady Justice is not blind on campuses today.

Recommended US Education Secretary to meet victims of campus rape crisis

The Education Secretary then announced the start of a notice-and-comment process to solicit input on a new campus adjudication system.

The address confirmed fears that Ms DeVos would walk back much of the Obama administration's campus sexual misconduct policies, which included a lower standard of proof in assault cases and increased reporting requirements.

While Ms DeVos did not specify exactly what would be changed, she did issue a widespread critique of the former administration's policies  from the campus hearing system to the very definition of sexual assault.

The truth is that the system established by the prior administration has failed too many students, she said. Survivors, victims of a lack of due process, and campus administrators have all told me that the current approach does a disservice to everyone involved.

US sexual assault statistics Show all 8 1 /8 US sexual assault statistics US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq US sexual assault statistics Graphiq

The Secretary's lack of detail regarding the new system, however, left many activists concerned.

This removal of all guidance without any vetted replacement plan from the department leaves schools without standards during the new school year, SurvJustice founder Laura Dunn said in a statement.

Others took issue with Ms DeVos's focus on due process and the rights of the accused. Jess Davidson, managing director of End Rape of Campus, accused the Secretary of using the "guise of fairness" to make a moral equivalence between rapists and survivors.

She said something about how lives have been ruined  the lives of victims, and the lives of the accused, Ms Davidson told The Independent. That is insulting to survivors of sexual violence to make that equivalence.

The Obama administration had placed a renewed focus on college sexual assault policies after dozens of survivors claimed to have had their cases mishandled. The Education Department's Office of Civil Rights (OCR) investigated more than 300 such complaints during Mr Obama's tenure.

The administration emphasised the importance of Title IX, the federal law banning gender discrimination in education, in handling campus sexual assault cases. The pivotal Dear Colleague Letter, released by the Education Department in 2011, reminded schools of their responsibility to react "promptly and effectively" to reports of sexual misconduct, and to "take immediate action to eliminate the sexual harassment or sexual violence".

Ms DeVos, however, criticised such letters on Thursday.

"Rather than inviting everyone to the table, the Department insisted it knew better than those who walk side-by-side with students every day. That will no longer be the case," Ms DeVos declared. "The era of 'rule by letter' is over."
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Graydon Carter, perhaps been Donald Trumps most eloquent critic, is standing down as editor of Vanity Fair  his departure marked by another stinging condemnation of the President.

Mr Carter, 68, said he was standing aside after a quarter of a century at the helm of one of the countrys most influential and celebrated magazines.

I want to leave while the magazine is on top, he told The New York Times. I want to leave while its in vibrant shape, both in the digital realm and the print realm. And I wanted to have a third act  and I thought, time is precious.

Mr Carter has used the magazine  famous for cover photographs that have featured Caitlyn Jenner, a pregnant Demi Moore and a naked Sylvester Stallone  as a vehicle for frequent assaults upon the President.

The day of his departure announcement was marked by another such missive.

The man is clearly unfit for any kind of public office, let alone the highest office in the land. The majority of the electorate knew this when they went to the voting booths, he wrote.

In a 1984 issue of GQ, Mr Carter wrote a profile of Mr Trump, then aged 38, and said of him: The 6ft 2in frame is trim but well-nourished. The hands small and neatly groomed. The suit is blue and stylish  maybe a little too flared in the leg for someone who lives east of the Hudson.

 Trump really wants you to know he doesn't have small hands or a small penis

About the only thing that gives away this striver from an outer borough are his cufflinks: huge mollusks of gold and stone the size of half-dollars.

The claim that Mr Trump had small hands apparently irked the man who would go on to occupy the White House.

During the Republican primary campaign, rival Marco Rubio took a shot at Mr Trump, saying: You know what they say about guys with small hands  you cant trust em.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Three days later, Mr Trump responded to the innuendo during a debate, marking a new milestone in US political history by referring to the size of his manhood.

He referred to my hands. If theyre small, something else must be small, he said of Mr Rubios jibe. I guarantee you theres no problem.

Reports said that as Mr Carter stands aside  he himself replaced Tin Brown in the editors chair 25 years ago  jockeying will intensify for his successor. Among the names that gave been mentioned are Adam Moss of New York magazine and Janice Min of The Hollywood Reporter. The decision will fall to top executives at Conde Nast, the parent company of the magazine.

Variety said that under Mr Carter the magazine had offered an arresting mixture of celebrity profiles that featured people such as George Clooney and Angelina Jolie, frequently photographed by Annie Leibovitz, along with reportage and Washington DC politics.

Ive loved every moment of my time here and Ive pretty much accomplished everything Ive ever wanted to do, Mr Carter said in a statement.

Im now eager to try out this third act thing that my contemporaries have been telling me about, and I figure Id better get a jump on it.
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Donald Trump has said that the United States will not tolerate the actions of North Korea, but said military action was not his "first choice" after a call with President Xi Jinping of China.

A month of escalating belligerence from North Korea reached a new peak over the weekend as the isolated country tested a massive nuclear weapon, showcasing its military capabilities after a series of missile tests that have rattled Asia and confronted the Trump administration with a geopolitical standoff with the highest possible stakes.

After the call, Mr Trump - who has repeatedly pressured China to do more to deal with thier isolated neighbour - said that he and Mr Xi had a very, very frank and very strong phone call.

President Xi would like to do something. We'll see whether or not he can do it. But we will not be putting up with what's happening in North Korea, Mr Trump said from the White House.

According to a statement from Chinas foreign ministry, Mr Xi urged a peaceful solution and said China saw its role as safeguarding peace and stability on the Korean Peninsula and resolving the issue through dialogue and consultation.

 Key moments in North Korea's nuclear programme

The call came as a draft UN resolution put together by the US to punish North Korea for the latest missile test was leaked. It calls for the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban the country's exports of textiles, ban the hiring of North Korean workers abroad and place the head of the North Korean regime, Kim Jong-un, under an asset freeze and travel ban.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley has said she wants the 15-member council to vote on Monday on the draft resolution to impose new sanctions over North Korea's sixth and largest nuclear test. However, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has said a Monday vote may be a little premature.

It was not immediately clear if the draft resolution had the support of North Korean ally China, while Russian President Vladimir Putin insisted on Wednesday that resolving the North Korean nuclear crisis was impossible with sanctions and pressure alone.

China has not always seen eye-to-eye with the United States on how to handle Pyongyang and the regime led by Kim Jong-un. China has consistently called for diplomacy rather than risk a renewed outbreak of conflict on the Korean Peninsula that could approach its border.

As North Korea has flexed its muscles with a series of missile tests, Mr Trump and his surrogates have consistently declined to rule out a military strike.

Global tensions soared in August after Mr Trump warned of meeting North Korean threats with fire and fury while Pyongyang has said it is considering firing missiles at the US territory of Guam. Ms Haley said this week that Mr Kim was begging for war with the most recent test, and Secretary of Defence Jim Mattis said America would respond to any threat with a massive military response, saying America was capable of the total annihilation of a country.

Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Show all 6 1 /6 Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb Photos released by North Korea show Kim Jong-un talking to subordinates next to a device thought to be the new thermonuclear weapon. There is no way of independently verifying the pictures STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korea claims it has successfully tested an advanced hydrogen bomb which could be loaded onto an intercontinental ballistic missile AFP/Getty Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A diagram on the wall behind Mr Kim shows a bomb mounted inside a cone STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un (C) attending a photo session with participants of the fourth conference of active secretaries of primary organisations of the youth league of the Korean People's Army (KPA) in Pyongyang STR/AFP/Getty Images Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters Kim Jong-un inspects weapon North Korea says is powerful hydrogen bomb A new stamp issued in commemoration of the successful second test launch of the "Hwasong-14" intercontinental ballistic missile KCNA via Reuters

In addition to the bellicose rhetoric toward North Korea, Mr Trump has lashed out at other countries in the region. He responded to the nuclear test by taking to his preferred medium of Twitter and slamming South Korea - whose recently elected leader campaigned on a promise to seek a detente with North Korea - for embracing appeasement.

He also floated stopping all trade with any country doing business with North Korea - a proposal that, because China provides an economic lifeline to North Korea, would mean cutting off trade with China and sundering one of Americas most prominent economic relationships.

While China joined with other United Nations Security Council members in early August in levelling the last new sanctions on Pyongyang, state media has chastised Mr Trump for his aggressive language.

A state editorial condemning Pyongyangs latest nuclear test also faulted Washingtons belligerent tone and military exercises on DPRK's doorstep, echoing North Koreas denunciation of joint US-South Korean military drills that Pyongyang frames as laying the groundwork for an invasion.

Just as China has aligned with North Korea in assailing the drills, it has also steadily assailed Americas deployment of anti-missile technology in South Korea, arguing the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system inflames tensions.

In talks with other key allies, Mr Trump has kept a military option on the table. On Tuesday Mr Trump discussed the North Korean situation with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, affirming his willingness to use all available diplomatic and military capabilities, according to a White House readout of the call.

During the call with Ms May, Mr Trump said that now is not the time to talk to North Korea and made clear that all options remain open to defend the United States and its allies against North Korean aggression, the White House said.
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Donald Trump has agreed with Democrats on a plan to provide aid to Hurricane Harvey victims, increase the debt limit and fund the government until 15 December  a move that goes against the wishes of many Republicans, who wanted the debt measure separate from the disaster relief.

Democratic leaders announced the deal shortly after the House of Representatives approved nearly $8bn in disaster aid in response to Harvey. Through their agreement with the White House, congressional leaders have been able to avert a government shutdown and a default on federal debt  at least until the end of the year.

Both sides have every intention of avoiding default in December and look forward to working together on the many issues before us, Charles Schumer, the top Democrat in the Senate, and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi said in a statement.

Recommended Trump attacks Republican leaders Paul Ryan and Mitch McConnell

Mr Trump also confirmed the agreement aboard Air Force One on his way to a tax event in North Dakota. We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good, the President told reporters. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting.

So we have an extension, which will go out to December 15th, he added. That will include the debt ceiling, that will include the CRs, and it will include Harvey -- the amount of money to be determined, but it will include -- because everyone is in favor obviously of taking care of that situation. So we all very much agree.

On Wednesday morning, Democrats had offered to support the three-month debt limit increase along with Harvey aid.

Given Republican difficulty in finding the votes for their plan, we believe this proposal offers a bipartisan path forward to ensure prompt delivery of Harvey aid as well as avoiding a default, while both sides work together to address government funding, DREAMers, and health care, Mr Schumer and Ms Pelosi said in a joint statement.

But House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin pushed back against the idea, saying it was unworkable and could put in jeopardy the kind of hurricane response we need to have.

Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Show all 22 1 /22 Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips French President Emmanuel Macron and US President Donald Trump talk as they leave the Army Museum at Les Invalides in Paris AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips German Chancellor Angela Merkel and US President Donald Trump arrive for the group photo at the G7 Taormina summit on the island of Sicily in May 2017 Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Mr Trump was pressed on the subject at the G7 summit in Italy Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump gives a speeech at the Warsaw Uprising Monument on Krasinski Square Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Britain's Prime Minister Theresa May during a ceremony at the NATO headquarters before the start of a summit in Brussels, Belgium Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Montenegro's Prime Minister Dusko Markovic is seen to the right of Donald Trump at a Nato summit in Brussels REUTERS Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis meeting with US President Donald J. Trump EPA Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Pope Francis poses with US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump arrives at Palazzo del Quirinale ahead of the meeting with Italian President Sergio Mattarella Ufficio Stampa Presidenza della via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is seen during a joint press conference with the Palestinian leader at the presidential palace in the West Bank city of Bethlehem AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas meets US President Donald Trump PPO via Getty Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks with US President Donald Trump prior to the President's departure GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu shake hands after delivering a speech at the Israel Museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump lay a wreath in the Hall of Remembrance as White House senior advisor Jared Kushner and Ivanka Trump watch on during a visit to the Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial museum AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump visit to Yad Vashem Holocaust museum in Jerusalem accompanied by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu GPO via Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump takes his seat before his speech to the Arab Islamic American Summit in Riyadh in Saudi Arabia Reuters Donald Trump's international Presidential trips Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud, US President Donald Trump and US First Lady Melania Trump look at a display of Saudi modern art at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia's King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud take part in a signing ceremony at the Saudi Royal Court in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips King Salman presents Donald Trump with The Collar of Abdulaziz al-Saud Medal at the Royal Court Palace on 20 May AP Donald Trump's international Presidential trips US President Donald Trump is welcomed by Saudi King Salman bin Abdulaziz al-Saud upon arrival at King Khalid International Airport in Riyadh AFP/Getty Images Donald Trump's international Presidential trips U.S. President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump walk on the South Lawn prior to their first foreign trip Getty Images

To play politics with the debt ceiling, like Schumer and Pelosi apparently are doing, I dont think is a good idea, Mr Ryan said.

Before the unprecedented flooding caused by Harvey devastated parts of southeastern Texas, Mr Trumps Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has been pushing for a clean raise to the debt ceiling, meaning one not attached to spending cuts or any other bills.

But conservatives in Congress said they didn't want to increase the USs borrowing limit without also rolling back federal spending in the process. Democrats were expected to strongly oppose any deep spending cuts.

The new deal brokered between the President and congressional leaders has already drawn opposition from several Republicans, potentially setting up a future showdown between different wings of the party.

Attaching the debt ceiling to [Harvey aid] is using a catastrophe in Texas as leverage to pass something that certainly there should have been an alternative plan to pass, said Representative Mark Meadows, the chairman of the House Freedom Caucus  a group of hardline conservatives.
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Special Counsel Robert Muellers team reportedly wants to interview White House staffers who could know details about the writing of a statement regarding Donald Trump Jrs meeting with a Russian lawyer.

Mr Mueller is examining the alleged links between Donald Trumps election campaign and the Russian government, and has apparently turned his attention to the Presidents son.

Mr Trump Jr told Senate investigators on Thursday that he met with Natalia Veselnitskaya, a Kremlin-connected lawyer, last summer because he was intrigued that she might have damaging information on Hillary Clinton, his fathers campaign opponent, according to the New York Times. It was important to learn about Ms Clintons fitness to be president, he said.

Recommended US investigators focus on Donald Trump Jr

In a statement, Mr Trump Jr declared that he believes the five-hour interview he gave the Senate Judiciary Committee on Thursday satisfied investigators inquiry into the meeting he took with Ms Veselnitskaya.

Along with Mr Mueller, congressional investigators are also looking into Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

I answered every question posed by the committee related to this topic as well as all of their questions on other topics, until both sides had exhausted their line of questioning, the Presidents eldest son said.

But it seems the inquiry isn't over yet.

This summer, in his response to a report about his meeting at Trump Tower, Mr Trump Jr claimed in a statement that Ms Veselnitskaya primarily focused on a programme about the adoption of Russian children.

The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Show all 17 1 /17 The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Paul Manafort Mr Manafort is a Republican strategist and former Trump campaign manager. He resigned from that post over questions about his extensive lobbying overseas, including in Ukraine where he represented pro-Russian interests. Mr Manafort turned himself in at FBI headquarters to special counsel Robert Muellers team on Oct 30, 2017, after he was indicted under seal on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. Getty The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rick Gates Mr Gates joined the Trump team in spring 2016, and served as a top aide until he left to work at the Republican National Committee after the departure of former Trump campaign manager Paul Manafort. Mr Gates' had previously worked on several presidential campaigns, on international political campaigns in Europe and Africa, and had 15 years of political or financial experience with multinational firms, according to his bio. Mr Gates was indicted alongside Mr Manafort by special counsel Robert Mueller's team on charges that include conspiracy against the United States, conspiracy to launder money, unregistered agent of a foreign principal, false and misleading US Foreign Agents Registration Act statements, false statements, and seven counts of failure to file reports of foreign bank and financial accounts. AP The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation George Papadopoulos George Papadopoulos was a former foreign policy adviser for the Trump campaign, having joined around March 2016. Mr Papadopoulos plead guilty to federal charges for lying to the FBI as a part of a cooperation agreement with Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation. Mr Papadopoulos claimed in an interview with the FBI that he had made contacts with Russian sources before joining the Trump campaign, but he actually began working with them after joining the team. Mr Papadopoulos allegedly took a meeting with a professor in London who reportedly told him that Russians had "dirt" on Hillary Clinton. The professor also allegedly introduced Mr Papadopoulos to a Russian who was said to have close ties to officials at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Mr Papadopoulos also allegedly was in contact with a woman whom he incorrectly described in one email to others in the campaign as the "niece" to Russian President Vladimir Putin. Twitter The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Donald Trump Jr The President's eldest son met with a Russian lawyer - Natalia Veselnitskaya - on 9 June 2016 at Trump Tower in New York. He said in an initial statement that the meeting was about Russia halting adoptions of its children by US citizens. Then, he said it was regarding the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. In a final statement, Mr Trump Jr released a chain of emails that revealed he took the meeting in hopes of getting information Ms Veselnitskaya had about Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. He and the President called it standard "opposition research" in the course of campaigning and that no information came from the meeting. The meeting was set up by an intermediary, Rob Goldstone. Jared Kushner and Paul Manafort were also at the same meeting. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jared Kushner Mr Kushner is President Donald Trump's son-in-law and a key adviser to the White House. He met with a Russian banker appointed by Russian President Vladimir Putin in December. Mr Kushner has said he did so in his role as an adviser to Mr Trump while the bank says he did so as a private developer. Mr Kushner has also volunteered to testify in the Senate about his role helping to arrange meetings between Trump advisers and Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Rob Goldstone Former tabloid journalist and now music publicist Rob Goldstone is a contact of the Trump family through the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant, which took place in Moscow. In June 2016, he wrote to Donald Trump Jr offering a meeting with a Russian lawyer, Natalya Veselnitskaya, who had information about Hillary Clinton. Mr Goldstone was the intermediary for Russian pop star Emin Agalaraov and his father, real estate magnate Aras, who played a role in putting on the 2013 pageant. In an email chain released by Mr Trump Jr, Mr Goldstone seemed to indicate Russian government's support of Donald Trump's campaign. AP images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Aras and Emin Agalarov Aras Agalarov (R) is a wealthy Moscow-based real estate magnate and son Emin (L) is a pop star. Both played a role in putting on the previously Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant in Moscow. They allegedly had information about Hillary Clinton and offered that information to the Trump campaign through a lawyer with whom they had worked with, Natalia Veselnitskaya, and music publicist Rob Goldstone. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Natalia Veselnitskaya Natalia Veselnitskaya is a Russian lawyer with ties to the Kremlin. She has worked on real estate issues and reportedly counted the FSB as a client in the past. She has ties to a Trump family connection, real estate magnate Aras Agalarov, who had helped set up the Trump-owned 2013 Miss Universe pageant which took place in Moscow. Ms Veselnitskaya met with Donald Trump Jr, Jared Kushner, and Paul Manafort in Trump Tower on 9 June 2016 but denies the allegation that she went there promising information on Hillary Clinton's alleged financial ties to Russia. She contends that the meeting was about the US adoptions of Russian children being stopped by Moscow as a reaction to the Magnitsky Act, a US law blacklisting Russian human rights abusers. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Mike Flynn Mr Flynn was named as Trump's national security adviser but was forced to resign from his post for inappropriate communication with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. He had misrepresented a conversation he had with Mr Kislyak to Vice President Mike Pence, telling him wrongly that he had not discussed sanctions with the Russian. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sergey Kislyak Mr Kislyak, the former longtime Russian ambassador to the US, is at the centre of the web said to connect President Donald Trump's campaign with Russia. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Roger Stone Mr Stone is a former Trump adviser who worked on the political campaigns of Richard Nixon, George HW Bush, and Ronald Reagan. Mr Stone claimed repeatedly in the final months of the campaign that he had backchannel communications with WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange and that he knew the group was going to dump damaging documents to the campaign of Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton - which did happen. Mr Stone also had contacts with the hacker Guccier 2.0 on Twitter, who claimed to have hacked the DNC and is linked to Russian intelligence services. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeff Sessions The US attorney general was forced to recuse himself from the Trump-Russia investigation after it was learned that he had lied about meeting with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Carter Page Mr Page is a former advisor to the Trump campaign and has a background working as an investment banker at Merrill Lynch. Mr Page met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republican National Convention in Cleveland. Mr Page had invested in oil companies connected to Russia and had admitted that US Russia sanctions had hurt his bottom line. Reuters The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Jeffrey "JD" Gorden Mr Gordon met with Russian Ambassador to the US Sergey Kislyak during the 2016 Republian National Convention to discuss how the US and Russia could work together to combat Islamist extremism should then-Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump win the election. The meeting came days before a massive leak of DNC emails that has been connected to Russia. Creative Commons The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation James Comey Mr Comey was fired from his post as head of the FBI by President Donald Trump. The timing of Mr Comey's firing raised questions around whether or not the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign may have played a role in the decision. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Preet Bharara Mr Bahara refused, alongside 46 other US district attorney's across the country, to resign once President Donald Trump took office after previous assurances from Mr Trump that he would keep his job. Mr Bahara had been heading up several investigations including one into one of President Donald Trump's favorite cable television channels Fox News. Several investigations would lead back to that district, too, including those into Mr Trump's campaign ties to Russia, and Mr Trump's assertion that Trump Tower was wiretapped on orders from his predecessor. Getty Images The biggest names involved in the Trump-Russia investigation Sally Yates Ms Yates, a former Deputy Attorney General, was running the Justice Department while President Donald Trump's pick for attorney general awaited confirmation. Ms Yates was later fired by Mr Trump from her temporary post over her refusal to implement Mr Trump's first travel ban. She had also warned the White House about potential ties former National Security Adviser Michael Flynn to Russia after discovering those ties during the FBI's investigation into the Trump campaign's connections to Russia. Getty Images

Emails later released by Mr Trump Jr revealed that he believed the lawyer would provide him with incriminating information about Ms Clinton on behalf of the Russian government.

The President is reported to have helped draft his sons initial statement regarding the meeting, and Mr Mueller, according to CNN, wants to talk with the staffers who were aboard Air Force One when it was written.

The President weighed in as any father would, based on the limited information he had, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said in August, adding that Mr Trump certainly didn't dictate his son's statement, but did offer suggestions.

The comments came after the Washington Post reported that Mr Trump had dictated the statement, citing anonymous sources with knowledge of the deliberations. Mr Trump's lawyer, Jay Sekulow, had previously said the President wasn't involved in the statement drafting at all.

According to CNN, Mr Mueller wants to know how the statement aboard Air Force One was put together, whether information was intentionally left out and who was involved.
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Up to 300,000 Rohingya Muslims could flee violence in northwestern Burmato neighbouring Bangladesh, a UN agency official has said, warning of a funding shortfall for emergency food supplies for the refugees.

According to estimates issued by United Nations workers in Bangladeshs border region of Coxs Bazar, arrivals since the latest bloodshed started 12 days ago have already reached 146,000.

Numbers are difficult to establish with any certainty due to the turmoil as Rohingya escape operations by Burmas military.

However, the UN officials have raised their estimate of the total expected refugees from 120,000 to 300,000, said Dipayan Bhattacharyya, who is Bangladesh spokesman for the World Food Programme.

They are coming in nutritionally deprived, they have been cut off from a normal flow of food for possibly more than a month, he told Reuters. They were definitely visibly hungry, traumatised.

The surge of refugees, many sick or wounded, has strained the resources of aid agencies and communities which are already helping hundreds of thousands displaced by previous waves of violence in Burma. Many have no shelter, and aid agencies are racing to provide clean water, sanitation and food.

Bhattacharyya said the refugees were now arriving by boat as well as crossing the land border at numerous points.

Another UN worker in the area cautioned that the estimates were not hard science, given the chaos and lack of access to the area on the Burma side where the military is still conducting its clearance operation. The source added that the 300,000 number was probably toward the worst-case scenario.

The latest violence began when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base. The ensuing clashes and a military counter-offensive killed at least 400 people and triggered the exodus of villagers to Bangladesh.

In a letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern that the violence could spiral into a humanitarian catastrophe.

Rohingya refugees  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees  in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees  in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees  in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees  in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees  in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA

Based on the prediction that 300,000 could arrive, the WFP calculated that it would need $13.3 million in additional funding to provide high-energy biscuits and basic rice rations for four months.

Bhattacharyya called for donors to meet the shortfall urgently. If they dont come forward now, we may see that these people would be fighting for food among themselves, the crime rate would go up, violence against women and on children would go up, he said.

Reuters
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Chinese teenagers have been sentenced to time in military-style training camps for bullying under a trial scheme introduced in the south of the country.

The 14 girls, aged between 15 and 17, were all convicted and given suspended sentences for bullying their school peers by Tongzhou District Peoples Court in Beijing. One student was given a 18 month sentence suspended for two years.

But the teenagers were also ordered to take part in a re-education camp, run jointly by the court and local schools, which focuses on gruelling military-style training to reinforce discipline for a week before the school decides whether they are fit to return to school or be expelled, local news website The Mirror reported.

Pictures from the camp show the girls forced to practice military style positions such as standing straight and having to hold themselves in squat positions with hands behind their heads.

The person in charge of the scheme, Dan Wei, director of the criminal court, said all of the girls in the trial scheme have indicated they would like to return to school and the schools have agreed providing they sign an agreement to ensure their behaviour improves.

The scheme has provoked a fierce debate on Chinese social media sites such as Weibo, with some praising the move as bullying was a social cancer, the BBC reported.

Others said the sentence was too lenient and not enough to make them learn their lesson.

But some doubted the training would have the desired effect as the girls would come back with stronger bodies and will only bully more.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Others said the scheme was too harsh. One student said they thought military training will be a really painful thing, while another user wondered "how do kids nowadays see this? I feel sorry for them".

The move is part of a response to growing concerns in China about incidents of extreme bullying in schools that have surfaced in recent months.

Videos of victims being stripped naked and beaten or being made to kneel and being kicked in the face in school have been uploaded to Weibo in the past year.

Under current child protection laws in China, children under the age of 16 cannot be given serious punishment by the courts unless it is for a capital offence such as murder.
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Indias army chief has said the country should be prepared for a potential two-front war given China is flexing its muscles and there is little hope for reconciliation with Pakistan.

General Bipin Rawat referred to a recent 10-week standoff with the Chinese army in the Himalayas that ended last week. He said the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict on Indias northern border. Rawat said Pakistan on the western front could take advantage of such a situation.

The Press Trust of India news agency quoted Rawats remarks at a seminar organised by the Center for Land Warfare Studies, a thinktank in New Delhi.

Recommended India and China tell troops to stand down in disputed territory

India fought a war with China in 1962 and three wars with Pakistan, two of them over control of Kashmir, since securing independence from Britain in 1947. All three countries are nuclear powers.

Rawat said credible deterrence did not take away the threat of war. Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence. Yes, they are. But to say that they can deter war or they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true, the news agency quoted him as saying.

India last week agreed to pull troops from the disputed Doklam plateau high in the Himalayas, where Chinese troops had started building a road. The 10-week standoff was the two nations most protracted in decades, and added to their longstanding strategic rivalry.

We have to be prepared. In our context, therefore, warfare lies within the realm of reality, Rawat said.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

His comments came a day after Indias Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, and Chinas president, Xi Jinping, agreed on a forward-looking approach to Sino-India ties, putting behind the Doklam standoff.

Xi and Modi met on the sidelines of a summit of the Brics emerging economies in the south eastern Chinese port city of Xiamen. The Brics nations are Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa.

AP
British American Tobacco Ukraine is investing UAH 123 million in the capital construction of new production facilities in JSC Tobacco Company B.A.T-Pryluky (Chernihiv region) during 2017-2018. The project envisages the expansion of the tobacco and cigarette shops at the enterprise, the company said in a press release on Thursday. This will allow the company to install additional lines in the coming months that will produce tobacco for exports. "Today we are exporting the products made in Ukraine to Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Singapore. We are actively looking into the opportunities we've got when Ukraine concludes free trade agreements with other countries. I am sure the huge export potential of our Ukrainian factory, which is one of the most modern production facilities of the British American Tobacco group in the world, will soon significantly boost volumes and expand the geography of product shipments," the press service quoted Director for Production for Ukraine, the Caucasus and Central Asia, Moldova and Belarus (UCCAB) Artem Skrypka. As reported, JSC Tobacco Company B.A.T-Pryluky in 2016 increased net loss by 1.8 times from 2015, to UAH 2.342 billion. Net income from sales increased by 26.3% to UAH 5.215 billion, gross income amounted to UAH 917.8 million against UAH 635.8 million in gross profit in 2015. JSC Tobacco Company B.A.T-Pryluky was founded in 1993 on the basis of a tobacco factory in the town of Pryluky. It exports products to Belarus, Armenia, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan, and Singapore. The company is part of the British American Tobacco Group (BAT), the leading international tobacco company. The total investment in the modernization of the tobacco factory and its development is about $ 200 million.
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Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes son has told a Senate inquiry he had no links to a seized shipment of $125 million worth of narcotics from China, dismissing as baseless the allegations of his involvement in the drugs trade.

Opponents of the President, who has instigated a fierce crackdown on a trade he says is destroying the country, say they believe his son Paolo may have helped ease the entry of the drug shipment at the port in Manila, the capital.

On Tuesday Duterte said he had told Paolo to attend the senate investigation if he had nothing to hide, besides advising him not to answer questions and invoke his right to keep silent.

I cannot answer allegations based on hearsay, Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor of the southern city of Davao, told the Senate.

My presence here is for the Filipino people and for my fellow Davaoenos whom I serve, he added, referring to the people of Davao, where his father served as mayor for more than two decades before being elected President in 2016.

The Philippine leader has repeatedly said he would resign if critics could prove any members of his family were involved in corruption.

Senator Antonio Trillanes, a staunch critic of the President, displayed to the Senate panel photographs of Paolo Duterte beside a businessman who was behind the shipment in which the alleged drugs were found.

The Presidents son-in-law, Manases Carpio, who has also been accused of links to the May drug shipment from China, told the hearing he had no involvement.

Duterte unleashed his bloody campaign the day he took office on 30 June last year, after promising Filipinos he would use deadly force to wipe out crime and drugs.

Police records show more than 3,800 people have died in police operations since July last year, and more than 2,100 other reported murders are linked to drugs.

Police reject activists allegations that they are executing suspected drug users and dealers and say officers shoot only in self-defence.

Trillanes said he had intelligence information from an undisclosed foreign country that Paolo Duterte was a member of a criminal syndicate, citing as proof a dragon-like tattoo with secret digits on his back.

Asked about the tattoo, Duterte said he had one, but declined to describe it, invoking his right to privacy.

Asked by Trillanes if he would allow a photograph to be taken of the tattoo and sent to the US Drug Enforcement Agency to decode secret digits, Duterte said: No way.

He refused to respond to questions about his bank accounts, calling them irrelevant.

The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Show all 9 1 /9 The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On killing drug addicts These sons of whores are destroying our children. I warn you, dont go into that, even if youre a policeman, because I will really kill you. If you know of any addicts, go ahead and kill them yourself as getting their parents to do it would be too painful The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Message to China I will go there on my own with a Jet Ski, bringing along with me a [Phillipino] flag and a pole, and once I disembark, I will plant the flag on the runway and tell the Chinese authorities, Kill me  AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Christmas message to law-breakers If you do not want to stop, and just continue committing crimes, then this would be your last Merry Christmas AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On sex life I was separated from my wife. Im not impotent. What am I supposed to do? Let this hang forever? When I take Viagra, it stands up AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On the drugs trade None of my children are into illegal drugs. But my order is, even if it is a member of my family, kill him'" AP The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting the Pope We were affected by the traffic. It took us five hours. I asked why, they said it was closed. I asked who is coming. They answered, the pope. I wanted to call him: Pope, son of a wh**e, go home. Do not visit us again AFP/Getty Images The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Joke about rape I saw her face and I thought, 'What a pity... they raped her, they all lined up. I was mad she was raped but she was so beautiful. I thought, the mayor should have been first AFP/Getty The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte Insulting Barack Obama "Mr Obama should be respectful and refrain from throwing questions at me about the killings, or son of a bitch, I will swear at you in that forum" REUTERS The most controversial quotes from Rodrigo Duterte On Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants "If I have to face them, you know I can eat humans. I will really open up your body. Just give me vinegar and salt, and I will eat you. If you annoy me to the fullest... I will eat you alive. Raw" EPA

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said the attendance of Duterte and Carpio demonstrates that both gentlemen are willing and ready to face malicious allegations intended to impugn their character and credibility.

Reuters
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Hundreds of thousands of people have signed a petition calling for Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi to be stripped of her Nobel Peace Prize because of her countrys persecution of its Rohingya Muslim minority.

The leader of Burmas National League for a Democracy, was given the prestigious award in 1991 for campaigning to make her country a democracy.

But more than 370,000 people have now signed a petition demanding the Nobel Committee withdraw the award, following increased violence against the mostly Muslim minority group in Burmas Rakhine province.

Since becoming Burmas leader last year, Ms Suu Kyi has been widely accused of failing to halt violence against the Rohingya. The latest bloodshed has resulted in 146,000 people fleeing the area, mostly into neighbouring Bangladesh.

United Nations agencies believe the figure could rise to 300,000 in the coming days.

The recent outbreak began when Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base.

Observers say up to 1,000 people have been killed in recent days as military forces have destroyed villages. There are widespread reports of women being raped and civilians being murdered.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary General, said the violence could verge on ethnic cleansing.

Despite evidence that the crimes have been committed by the Burmese military, Ms Suu Kyi has blamed the violence on terrorists and claimed the controversy has been caused by a huge iceberg of misinformation.

Rohingya refugees  in pictures Show all 15 1 /15 Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees  in pictures A young girl and a baby wade through mud after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma on 10 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees walk through a camp in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after arriving from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures A young Rohingya refugee gathers firewood after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya refugees wait for sacks of rice to be distributed in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees arrive on a boat in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh after crossing from Burma on 8 September Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees react after being re-united with each other after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Getty Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees walk along the remains of a road after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh on a boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees wade through water after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Myanmar Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Rohingya Muslim refugees stand in the rain after arriving in Whaikhyang, Bangladesh by boat from Burma Dan Kitwood/Getty Images Rohingya refugees  in pictures Indian children hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya Muslims in Burma EPA/Raminder Pal Singh Rohingya refugees  in pictures Supporters of the Difa-e-Pakistan Council (DPC), an Islamic organisation, listen to their leaders' speeches against Burma's persecution of Rohingya Muslims, during a demonstration in Karachi Reuters/Akhtar Soomro Rohingya refugees  in pictures Hundreds of Iranians take part in a protest against violence in Myanmar after weekly Friday prayers, in Tehran EPA/Abedin Taherkenareh Rohingya refugees  in pictures Indonesian Muslim activists hold placards and shout slogans during a protest against the alleged persecution of the Rohingya minority in Magelang, Central Java, Indonesia EPA/Ali Lutfi Rohingya refugees  in pictures Members of an Islamic organisation shout slogans against the Burma government during a protest in Dhaka, Bangladesh EPA

The Burmese leader also faced criticism last year for reportedly making an Islamophobic remark following an interview with the BBCs Mishal Husain.

Having been quizzed on her countrys treatment of the Rohingya, she allegedly said off-air: No one told me I was going to be interviewed by a Muslim.

But in her Nobel lecture in 1991, Ms Suu Kyi said: Wherever suffering is ignored, there will be the seeds of conflict, for suffering degrades and embitters and enrages.

Nobel rules do not allow awards to be withdrawn. Despite this, hundreds of thousands of people have signed an online petition demanding Ms Suu Kyis prize to be taken away.

The petition states: The Nobel Prize is the highest prize only to be given to people who have given their utmost to international brotherhood and sisterhood.

These peaceful values need to be nurtured by the laureates of the Nobel Peace Prize, including Suu Kyi, until their last days. When a laureate cannot maintain peace, then for the sake of peace itself the prize needs to be returned or confiscated by the Nobel Peace Prize Committee.

Therefore, we hereby demand the Chair of the Nobel Peace Prize Committee confiscate or take back the Nobel Peace Prize awarded to Aung San Suu Kyi. Only those who are serious in keeping the world peace may be awarded such a coveted Prize.
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Millions of hectares of crops have been destroyed across south Asia following the worst flooding in a decade, prompting aid agencies to warn of a looming food and financial crisis.

As floodwaters receded, one aid executive said: "The scale of the devastation is hard to comprehend".

More than 1,400 people died in the floods, which swept the region over a period of two months.

The squalid conditions created after two major rivers broke their banks in northern Bangladesh have left around 13,000 of people suffering from an outbreak of diarrhoea and other conditions.

Tens of thousands have been left living in tents, schools and makeshift shelters.

Save the Children India's chief executive, Thomas Chandy, said another crisis was on the horizon, after more than 2.4 million hectares of cropland across India, Bangladesh and Nepal had been decimated by the flooding.

Across flood-affected parts of Bangladesh, India and Nepal, millions of people have lost their main source of income, whether it be from destroyed crops and dead livestock, damage suffered to local businesses or because they are displaced," he said.

"Most often its the poorest families who are worst affected, the ones who really cannot afford a month or two without any income."

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

He added: While its positive to see some of the floodwaters receding in Bihar and other areas, enabling people to move around and go to see whats left of their homes, the scale of devastation is hard to comprehend.

Some communities have been totally wiped out, with not a building left undamaged, he said.

The agency estimated 17 million children needed help with protection, health care and basic nutrition in India alone.
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The woman tipped to be New Zealand's next Prime Minister has said the country should consider removing Queen Elizabeth II as its head of state.

Jacinda Ardern, whose Labour Party has dramatically widened its lead in the polls over the governing National Party, said she would seek to encourage a national debate over cutting ties with Britain's royal family.

"I am a republican but you will find there are people in New Zealand who arent actively pursuing that change," the 37-year-old told The Times. "Its certainly not about my view of the monarchy but my view of New Zealands place in the world and carving out our own future. So that is what drives my sentiment."

If the Labour Party can replicate its success in the polls at the general election on 23 September, it will likely threaten the National Party's decade-long hold on power.

The latest poll for the 1 News broadcaster, saw the National Party fall by two points to 39 per cent, while support for the opposition was unchanged at 43 per cent.

Ms Ardern has almost single-handedly changed the chances of her Labour Party since taking over as leader last month.

Her charisma and popularity appear to have offset criticism about the party's tax plans and tighter immigration policy.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Ms Ardern reiterated that her first call would be to the Green Party, with which she has a working agreement, if she was in a position to form a coalition government after the vote.

The Labour leader was nonetheless careful to hedge her republican views, saying that many New Zealanders hold the Queen in high regard.

No matter when you have the conversation theres a knock-on effect, theres a much-loved monarch who will be affected by that decision, she said.

In a recent speech to students at the University of Waikato, Ms Ardern said that her countrymen and women may not be ready for a debate on the monarchy.

Its not something that people are crying out for right now; I dont think that should stop us from having the conversation," she said.

National leader Bill English, who is pinning his bid on his government's strong economic record, said he was not particularly worried about the latest poll results.
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Nigel Farage is due to address a rally held by the German far-right political party Alternative fur Deutschland (AfD).

The former Ukip leader will address crowds at the Spandau Citadel, a Renaissance-era fortress in Berlin, on Friday evening and is expected to talk about developments in the European Union, Brexit, direct democracy and how to make the impossible possible.

The event is hosted by AfD MEP Beatrix von Storch, the granddaughter of Hitlers finance minister Lutz von Krosigk, who is a leading member of the populist anti-immigration story.

She is now sitting as a member of Ukips right-wing grouping in the European Parliament, alongside far-right parties from Sweden and Lithuania, after being expelled from the more mainstream European Conservatives and Reformists Group last year for saying border guards should open fire on refugees.

In a Facebook post, Ms von Storch said Mr Farage was so impressed by the AfDs campaign in the German election campaign that he accepted her invitation to speak without hesitation.

The rally comes as Germany is due to head to the polls on 24 September.

Although Angela Merkels Christian Democratic Union party (CDU) is expected to win a comfortable majority, lining her up for a fourth term as Chancellor, the AfD is expected to enter the federal parliament for the first time.

The AfD, which is currently polling at between 8 and 11 per cent, is calling for a referendum on leaving the eurozone and a separate British-style referendum on leaving the European Union until the bloc returns to the loose federation it was when West Germany helped found it in 1957.

But the party has become embroiled in a number of racist controversies.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Most recently, a parliamentary candidate in Nuremberg was investigated by the party for allegedly sharing a meme with a picture of Hitler saying Missed since 1945. Adolf please get in touch! Germany needs you! The German people!

The candidate also allegedly shared a cartoon of Hitler with the caption Islamists...I forgot them.
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Russias militarisation of the Arctic has accelerated dramatically since 2014, according to a new study.

The country has established a permanent military district, increased training of troops and creating new brigades in the region and is continuing to exploit its natural resources, says the report from conservative UK think tank, The Henry Jackson Society.

It adds that Moscow has commissioned a new icebreaker fleet, reopened old Soviet-era military bases and deployed a missile early-warning radar system in the Arctic.

Russia is also currently restoring aerodromes such as the Rogachyovo airfield on Novaya Zemlya, and airfields in Tiksi, Vorkuta, Alykel, and Anadyr, the report states. Building work has also begun on the massive Arctic Trefoil military base in the region, it says.

It adds that the country is now regularly invading other countries airspace. Norway intercepted 74 Russian warplanes conducting air patrols on its coast in 2014  up from 58 in 2013 - it says.

Nato urgently needs to adopt an Arctic strategy and ensure a common approach to the regions security challenges, the thinktank argues.

The report's author and director of its Russian Studies Centre, Dr Andrew Foxall, said: Over the last decade Russia has expanded its military capacities and capabilities in the Arctic on a scale far greater in depth and scope than anything the West has done in the same period.

World news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 World news in pictures World news in pictures 30 September 2020 Pope Francis prays with priests at the end of a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 29 September 2020 A girl's silhouette is seen from behind a fabric in a tent along a beach by Beit Lahia in the northern Gaza Strip AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 September 2020 A Chinese woman takes a photo of herself in front of a flower display dedicated to frontline health care workers during the COVID-19 pandemic in Beijing, China. China will celebrate national day marking the founding of the People's Republic of China on October 1st Getty World news in pictures 27 September 2020 The Glass Mountain Inn burns as the Glass Fire moves through the area in St. Helena, California. The fast moving Glass fire has burned over 1,000 acres and has destroyed homes Getty World news in pictures 26 September 2020 A villager along with a child offers prayers next to a carcass of a wild elephant that officials say was electrocuted in Rani Reserve Forest on the outskirts of Guwahati, India AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 September 2020 The casket of late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg is seen in Statuary Hall in the US Capitol to lie in state in Washington, DC AFP via Getty World news in pictures 24 September 2020 An anti-government protester holds up an image of a pro-democracy commemorative plaque at a rally outside Thailand's parliament in Bangkok, as activists gathered to demand a new constitution AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 September 2020 A whale stranded on a beach in Macquarie Harbour on the rugged west coast of Tasmania, as hundreds of pilot whales have died in a mass stranding in southern Australia despite efforts to save them, with rescuers racing to free a few dozen survivors The Mercury/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 22 September 2020 State civil employee candidates wearing face masks and shields take a test in Surabaya AFP via Getty World news in pictures 21 September 2020 A man sweeps at the Taj Mahal monument on the day of its reopening after being closed for more than six months due to the coronavirus pandemic AP World news in pictures 20 September 2020 A deer looks for food in a burnt area, caused by the Bobcat fire, in Pearblossom, California EPA World news in pictures 19 September 2020 Anti-government protesters hold their mobile phones aloft as they take part in a pro-democracy rally in Bangkok. Tens of thousands of pro-democracy protesters massed close to Thailand's royal palace, in a huge rally calling for PM Prayut Chan-O-Cha to step down and demanding reforms to the monarchy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 September 2020 Supporters of Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr maintain social distancing as they attend Friday prayers after the coronavirus disease restrictions were eased, in Kufa mosque, near Najaf, Iraq Reuters World news in pictures 17 September 2020 A protester climbs on The Triumph of the Republic at 'the Place de la Nation' as thousands of protesters take part in a demonstration during a national day strike called by labor unions asking for better salary and against jobs cut in Paris, France EPA World news in pictures 16 September 2020 A fire raging near the Lazzaretto of Ancona in Italy. The huge blaze broke out overnight at the port of Ancona. Firefighters have brought the fire under control but they expected to keep working through the day EPA World news in pictures 15 September 2020 Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny posing for a selfie with his family at Berlin's Charite hospital. In an Instagram post he said he could now breathe independently following his suspected poisoning last month Alexei Navalny/Instagram/AFP World news in pictures 14 September 2020 Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga, former Defense Minister Shigeru Ishiba and former Foreign Minister Fumio Kishida celebrate after Suga was elected as new head of the ruling party at the Liberal Democratic Party's leadership election in Tokyo Reuters World news in pictures 13 September 2020 A man stands behind a burning barricade during the fifth straight day of protests against police brutality in Bogota AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 September 2020 Police officers block and detain protesters during an opposition rally to protest the official presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus. Daily protests calling for the authoritarian president's resignation are now in their second month AP World news in pictures 11 September 2020 Members of 'Omnium Cultural' celebrate the 20th 'Festa per la llibertat' ('Fiesta for the freedom') to mark the Day of Catalonia in Barcelona. Omnion Cultural fights for the independence of Catalonia EPA World news in pictures 10 September 2020 The Moria refugee camp, two days after Greece's biggest migrant camp, was destroyed by fire. Thousands of asylum seekers on the island of Lesbos are now homeless AFP via Getty World news in pictures 9 September 2020 Pope Francis takes off his face mask as he arrives by car to hold a limited public audience at the San Damaso courtyard in The Vatican AFP via Getty World news in pictures 8 September 2020 A home is engulfed in flames during the "Creek Fire" in the Tollhouse area of California AFP via Getty World news in pictures 7 September 2020 A couple take photos along a sea wall of the waves brought by Typhoon Haishen in the eastern port city of Sokcho AFP via Getty World news in pictures 6 September 2020 Novak Djokovic and a tournament official tends to a linesperson who was struck with a ball by Djokovic during his match against Pablo Carreno Busta at the US Open USA Today Sports/Reuters World news in pictures 5 September 2020 Protesters confront police at the Shrine of Remembrance in Melbourne, Australia, during an anti-lockdown rally AFP via Getty World news in pictures 4 September 2020 A woman looks on from a rooftop as rescue workers dig through the rubble of a damaged building in Beirut. A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. Masks, which were already compulsory on public transport, in enclosed public spaces, and outdoors in Paris in certain high-congestion areas around tourist sites, were made mandatory outdoors citywide on August 28 to fight the rising coronavirus infections AFP via Getty World news in pictures 28 August 2020 Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe bows to the national flag at the start of a press conference at the prime minister official residence in Tokyo. Abe announced he will resign over health problems, in a bombshell development that kicks off a leadership contest in the world's third-largest economy AFP via Getty World news in pictures 27 August 2020 Residents take cover behind a tree trunk from rubber bullets fired by South African Police Service (SAPS) in Eldorado Park, near Johannesburg, during a protest by community members after a 16-year old boy was reported dead AFP via Getty World news in pictures 26 August 2020 People scatter rose petals on a statue of Mother Teresa marking her 110th birth anniversary in Ahmedabad AFP via Getty World news in pictures 25 August 2020 An aerial view shows beach-goers standing on salt formations in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel Reuters World news in pictures 24 August 2020 Health workers use a fingertip pulse oximeter and check the body temperature of a fisherwoman inside the Dharavi slum during a door-to-door Covid-19 coronavirus screening in Mumbai AFP via Getty World news in pictures 23 August 2020 People carry an idol of the Hindu god Ganesh, the deity of prosperity, to immerse it off the coast of the Arabian sea during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India Reuters World news in pictures 22 August 2020 Firefighters watch as flames from the LNU Lightning Complex fires approach a home in Napa County, California AP World news in pictures 21 August 2020 Members of the Israeli security forces arrest a Palestinian demonstrator during a rally to protest against Israel's plan to annex parts of the occupied West Bank AFP via Getty World news in pictures 20 August 2020 A man pushes his bicycle through a deserted road after prohibitory orders were imposed by district officials for a week to contain the spread of the Covid-19 in Kathmandu AFP via Getty World news in pictures 19 August 2020 A car burns while parked at a residence in Vacaville, California. Dozens of fires are burning out of control throughout Northern California as fire resources are spread thin AFP via Getty World news in pictures 18 August 2020 Students use their mobile phones as flashlights at an anti-government rally at Mahidol University in Nakhon Pathom. Thailand has seen near-daily protests in recent weeks by students demanding the resignation of Prime Minister Prayut Chan-O-Cha AFP via Getty World news in pictures 17 August 2020 Members of the Kayapo tribe block the BR163 highway during a protest outside Novo Progresso in Para state, Brazil. Indigenous protesters blocked a major transamazonian highway to protest against the lack of governmental support during the COVID-19 novel coronavirus pandemic and illegal deforestation in and around their territories AFP via Getty World news in pictures 16 August 2020 Lightning forks over the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge as a storm passes over Oakland AP World news in pictures 15 August 2020 Belarus opposition supporters gather near the Pushkinskaya metro station where Alexander Taraikovsky, a 34-year-old protester died on August 10, during their protest rally in central Minsk AFP via Getty World news in pictures 14 August 2020 AlphaTauri's driver Daniil Kvyat takes part in the second practice session at the Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo near Barcelona ahead of the Spanish F1 Grand Prix AFP via Getty World news in pictures 13 August 2020 Soldiers of the Brazilian Armed Forces during a disinfection of the Christ The Redeemer statue at the Corcovado mountain prior to the opening of the touristic attraction in Rio AFP via Getty World news in pictures 12 August 2020 Young elephant bulls tussle playfully on World Elephant Day at the Amboseli National Park in Kenya AFP via Getty

Russias national interests in the Arctic explain certain activities, but not all. Some make it appear that Russia is engaged in a one-sided arms race in the region.

There is little the UK can do to prevent Russias activities per se, but a more sophisticated assessment of these activities and their implications would aid the development of more effective policies.

Commenting on the report, James Gray MP, a member of the House of Commons Defence Select Committee until the recent General Election, said: We can no longer ignore Russias growing military footprint in the Arctic. As the ice melts and new commercial opportunities emerge in the region, Britain and her allies must do more to ensure that the Arctic remains stable and peaceful.

We must also deter any possible return to the Cold War use of the Arctic and the North Atlantic to interrupt the Wests supply routes. To achieve that, we in Britain must work with Russia, but we must also be alert to the threats that Russian military activity in the Arctic poses to our ability to exercise our interests, and to protect ourselves and our allies in the High North and North Atlantic.

He said that during the Cold War the important of the Wests Northern flank was never in doubt and added that the report is a timely reminder that we must not let our attention there slip.

It comes as tensions between Russia and the West have continue to simmer since Russias annexation of the Crimea in Ukraine in 2014.

Russia has continued to build up its military strength on all of its borders, prompting Nato to send hundreds of thousands of troops to strengthen the defences of its eastern European members such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

The Arctic has become an even more dangerous potential zone of conflict as climate change is leading to the melting of the polar ice caps  making it easier for countries to exploit the natural resources in the region and sail through it.
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Size clearly matters for the latest round of Guinness World Record holders, with a woman with the longest eyelashes and a cat with the longest tail claiming two of the top spots.

Observers could be forgiven for mistaking You Jianxias eyelashes for whiskers, with her longest running to a cheek-tickling 12.4cm (4.88in).

Ms You, from Jiangsu, China, first noticed the lashes on her left eyelid growing during an 18-month nature retreat in 2013. She puts the length down to her life at one with nature.

Her growing powers are rivalled by nail artist Ayanna Williams, whose talons stretch to a total of 576.4cm (18ft 10.9in).

Ayanna Williams, who has the record for the Longest Fingernails in the latest edition of Guinness World Records (PA) (Kevin Scott Ramos/GWR/PA)

To take care of the nails, the 60-year-old, from Houston, Texas, uses a nail brush and anti-bacterial soap daily, and regularly applies nail hardener and a layer of acrylic that can take up to a week to paint.

She says she can perform most everyday tasks with little difficulty, except for pulling up her trousers, and she also steers clear of the washing up.

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In the animal kingdom, Cygnus the cat has the lions share when it comes to his magnificent tail.

From Ferndale, Michigan, the Silver Maine Coons furry appendage stretches to 44.66cm (17.58in), catapulting him into the record books.

Part of a record-breaking family, his brother, Arcturus Aldebaran is the worlds tallest living domestic cat, measuring 48.4cm (19.05in).

John and Geof Bitmead, from Ambrosden, Oxfordshire, are the proud owners of the worlds largest cosy coupe childrens car, dubbed the Toytown Coupe.

The Bitmeads, of Attitude Autos, developed the roadworthy 2.7-metre (8ft 10.2in) vehicle after chatting with an associate about a smaller version he built for his son.

Andre Ortolf holds the record for the most Marmite eaten in one minute in the latest edition of Guinness World Records (PA) (Paul Michael Hughes/GWR/PA)

Other unusual achievements include eating the most Marmite in a minute, removing the most Jenga blocks by whip in 30 seconds, and the largest ball of stickers.

They can all be browsed in the 2018 Guinness World Records book, released on Thursday.

PA
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Al Jazeeras Jerusalem bureau chief has been banned from a state-sponsored event on freedom of speech at the request of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, it has emerged.

The prime minister's office order that Walid Al-Omar was prevented from attending the seminar, the government press office confirmed on Thursday.

The prime minister instructed that legal steps be taken to deny press passes of all Al Jazeera journalists working in Israel and to close their offices in Israel, the GPO said in a public Facebook post.

Egyptian journalist says trial of Morsi, Al Jazeera journalists a 'sham'

Mr Netanyahu's decision to double down on limiting the freedoms of Al Jazeeras reporters comes after an announcement from the countrys communication minister Ayoub Kara last month that the authorities intended to revoke the press credentials of the networks journalists.

The move follows a similar decision by Arab states in their diplomatic rift with Qatar, which owns the organisation.

Mr Kara said that al Jazeera was also being used to incite violence in Israel and the Palestinian Territories - a claim strongly denied by the network.

Robert Fisk: Al Jazeera - 15 years in the headlines Show all 2 1 /2 Robert Fisk: Al Jazeera - 15 years in the headlines Robert Fisk: Al Jazeera - 15 years in the headlines pg-40-al-jaz-main-rex.jpg Rex Features Robert Fisk: Al Jazeera - 15 years in the headlines pg-40-bin-laden-reuters.jpg Reuters

The decision was blasted by the Israel Union of Journalists, who called it an intolerable move in a democracy.

Officials from Israels foreign ministry also warned that shuttering or sanctioning al Jazeera would greatly damage the countrys image abroad.

After a hearing, the government press office decides against revoking the accreditation of one Arab-Israeli correspondent who called his work part of Palestinian resistance against the occupation in an interview with a Muslim Brotherhood friendly news channel.

Both Mr Netanyahu and Mr Kara have continued to publicly push for measures to be taken against Al Jazeera and its journalists.
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The Israeli air force has targeted a Syrian military base in an air strike, killing two people and causing material damage, a statement from the Syrian army has said.

The bombing occurred near Masyaf in Hama province in the early hours of Thursday, army general command said, warning of the dangerous repercussion of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region.

Local media said that the target was possibly a chemical facility. War monitor the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) said the site was a scientific research centre, sanctioned by the US as a "non conventional weapons agency". American officials believe the base is used for the manufacture of chemical weapons - a charge the Syrian government denies.

 Israeli rocket hits major air base in Damascus, says Syrian army

While Israel largely stays out of the complicated conflict next door, the border region is restive and Israeli air strikes in Syrian territory usually aim to prevent weapons smuggling to Hezbollah, the Lebanese militant group allied to Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.

More than 100 strikes are believed to have been carried out by Israel in Syria over the six-year-long war, although casualty reports are infrequent. Targeting a chemical site would also be a rare decision.

Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, tweeted that the reported attack was not routine and had targeted a Syrian military scientific centre.

In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Show all 7 1 /7 In pictures: US missile strike against Syria In pictures: US missile strike against Syria The guided-missile destroyer USS Porter (DDG 78) launches a tomahawk land attack missile in the Mediterranean Sea AP In pictures: US missile strike against Syria The United States military launched at least 50 tomahawk cruise missiles at al-Shayrat military airfield near Homs, Syria, in response to the Syrian military's alleged use of chemical weapons in an airstrike in a rebel held area in Idlib province EPA In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Shayrat airfield in Syria Getty Images In pictures: US missile strike against Syria US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land attack missile in Mediterranean Sea Reuters In pictures: US missile strike against Syria US Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Ross (DDG 71) fires a tomahawk land attack missile in Mediterranean Sea Reuters In pictures: US missile strike against Syria President Donald Trump speaks at Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach, Fla., after the US fired a barrage of cruise missiles into Syria in retaliation for this week's gruesome chemical weapons attack against civilians AP In pictures: US missile strike against Syria Syria's President Bashar al-Assad Reuters

"The facility at Masyaf also produces chemical weapons and explosive barrels that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," he wrote.

Israeli officials' main worry as the Syrian conflict has evolved has become Irans political influence over the Assad government, making Syria a potential site for missiles aimed at Israel, as well as the presence of Irans Revolutionary Guards, Hezbollah and other Shia militias which take part in the fighting.

Both Hezbollah and Iran have sworn the destruction of the Jewish state.

An Israel Defence Forces (IDF) spokesperson declined to discuss reports of the strike in Syria, saying the army did not comment on operational matters.

On Wednesday the UN found that the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin gas attack on the rebel-held village of Khan Sheikhoun earlier this year which killed dozens of people.

The incident prompted US President Donald Trump to launch a missile strike on a Syrian air base as a "warning shot" - the first ever direct US intervention in the civil war.

The UN investigation also found that Assad has used chemical weapons on 20 separate occasions since the conflict began in 2011.
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The Louvre Museum's Abu Dhabi outpost will officially open this November, almost 11 years after French and United Arab Emirates signed a deal to build it.

The site will have 700 exhibits, loaned by the main Louvre in Paris and other French museums according to UAE newspaper The National.

Abu Dhabi paid France $525 million (402 million) to use the Louvre name, and another $750 million (575 million) to hire managers from France to look after the art, the Associated Press reported. It is the Louvre's first branch outside of France.

Like its sister museums, Louvre Abu Dhabi's building is a work of art. Take a look at some photos and videos:

It's located in Abu Dhabi's Saadiyat Island, which overlooks the Persian Gulf.

The museum opening was delayed by economic turmoil in the UAE due to falling oil prices, and the project was criticised for its use of low-paid migrant workers, the AP said.

Here's the building in its full glory, taken against the Abu Dhabi skyline.

The building boasts a 180-metre dome consisting of some 8,000 metal pieces, Louvre Abu Dhabi said.

Louvre Abu Dhabi's exterior (Mohamed Somji/Louvre Abu Dhabi)

The building's domed ceiling was designed by French architect Jean Nouvel, who said the dome was a major symbol of Arab architecture, according to architecture news site Arch Daily.

The gaps in the dome allow beams of light to shine through during the day. Here's what it looks like under the dome.

When sunlight filters through, it creates a moving 'rain of light' beneath the dome, reminiscent of the overlapping palm trees in the UAE's oases, Louvre Abu Dhabi wrote in a press statement.

They almost look like stars.

(Mohamed Somji/Louvre Abu Dhabi (Mohamed Somji/Louvre Abu Dhabi)

At night, this protected landscape is an oasis of light under a starry dome, Nouvel said, according to Arch Daily.

Here's a video of the building's interior, in black and white:

And here's what it looks like at night:

(Mohamed Somji/Louvre Abu Dhabi (Mohamed Somji/Louvre Abu Dhabi)

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The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has allowed sending confiscated funds and funds received from the sale of property confiscated for corruption to the State Border Guard Service, the State Agency of Automobile Roads of Ukraine (Ukravtodor) and the Department of the State Guard of Ukraine.

According to resolution No. 674 of September 6, the government approved the allocation of funds to the State Border Service for measures to maintain the state border and improve the state's defense and security.

The funds can be also directed to Ukravtodor for the development of the network and maintenance of public roads, to the State Guard Department for its activities and the Ministry of Regional Development, Construction, Housing and Utilities Services to pay subventions from the national budget to local budgets to form the infrastructure of the united territorial communities.

The government also approved the transfer of confiscated funds for the measures taken by the National Police to enhance the defense and security of the state instead of the Interior Ministry.
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A British Airways flight was forced to turn back to Heathrow after witnesses reported seeing flames coming out of the engine.

The Boeing 777, bound for Athens, headed back to the airport within minutes of taking off. Flight tracking website AirNav, showed a graphic of the aircraft departing from Heathrow, circling around Maidstone in Kent and then returning.

Airlive tweeted: British Airways Boeing 777 (reg. G-VIIH) returning to Heathrow with engine #2 shut down.

Anyone at BA or LHR know what's going on with G-VIIH??

The flight departed as scheduled at 1.44 this afternoon but was forced to declare an emergency and return to British Airways London hub.

Social media users took to twitter to share their eyewitness accounts. KaiOelfke wrote: I saw flames coming out of the right engine a few times. I could see the takeoff from the Cathay lounge.

Krisbob added: It was covering a flight to Athens, flames seen coming from engine 2 and returning to Heathrow now.

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British Airways have not confirmed the fire but have said they are looking into the incident. Speaking to The Independent a British Airways spokesperson said: The flight landed safely after returning to the airport, and our highly trained engineers are investigating what happened.

The safety of our customers and crew is always our priority. 

We are currently looking after the affected customers and are organising a replacement flight for them to continue their journey to Athens later on Wednesday afternoon.

We are sorry for the delays they have faced.
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Holidaymakers returning from Cuba have hit out at the lack of communication from travel firms as Hurricane Irma sweeps across the Caribbean  and the fact that travellers are still being taken to the region.

Pindi Gill from Derbyshire arrived at Manchester airport this morning from Cayo Coco, off the north coast of Cuba. The Thomas Cook aircraft he flew home on had carried holidaymakers out to a location in the path of Hurricane Irma. We were stunned that there were people coming off the flight, he said.

Mr Gill and his wife Harjeet reported lots of panic among holidaymakers who are still in the resort, and said that Thomas Cook had failed to keep customers informed.

Paul and Michaela Jones from Bolton were also on Thomas Cook flight MT2933 from Cayo Coco to Manchester.

Ms Jones said: I feel very guilty that were home. There was no information. People were contacting family back in the UK to find out what was going on.

Thomas Cook has over 4,000 customers in Cuba, as well as 1,500 in the Dominican Republic.

The firm has sent 14 members of its Special Assistance team to Cuba, and a further six to the Dominican Republic.

It is allowing free cancellations and amendments for anyone booked to travel to the Dominican Republic and Cuba up to and including 10 September. The firm is saying: Customers due to travel during this time can call us on 01733 224536 to discuss their travel arrangements.

The US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said, Irma is likely to bring dangerous wind, storm surge and rainfall to Cuba on Friday and Saturday.

The latest NHC bulletin, issued overnight, said: The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased. Hurricane watches will likely be issued for portions of the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula on Thursday."

Flights to Florida are continuing as normal, though British Airways and Virgin Atlantic are allowing passengers booked to airports in the state to postpone their journeys.
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Disney World could be forced to close this weekend as Hurricane Irma hits Florida.

Amid concerns that the category five hurricane is headed into northern Florida, Disney said: We are operating under normal conditions and continue to monitor Hurricane Irma.

It urged guests to refer to its policy which states that if a hurricane warning is issued by the National Hurricane Centre for the Orlando area within seven days of your arrival date, Disney allows you to reschedule or cancel.

However this does not apply to certain special events or dining experiences.

The hurricane policy is also valid for Disney's Vero Beach Resort or Disney's Hilton Head Island Resort if a warning is issued for those destinations.

The park closed in October last year when Hurricane Matthew landed in the area, leaving one million Florida residents without power. Prior to this, hurricanes have only closed the park three times since it opened in 1971.

Evacuation orders are likely to be issued for parts of the Florida Keys and the Florida peninsula today. The Miami-Dade area has already ordered a mandatory evacuation for coastal residents, which was in effect from 7am local time on Thursday.

Yesterday, Irma forced Disney to end two of its cruises early and cancel three others due to sail in the next seven days.

Universal Studios in Orlando says it is also operating as normal while monitoring the weather. It has stated that guests who are unable or unwilling to travel to Florida at this time will be refunded.

Speaking to the Orlando Sentinel, Universal spokesman Tom Schroder said: We have an affirmative, no-questions-asked policy for guests who tell us they want to change plans or seek a refund because of a named storm involving the Orlando area or where they are travelling from.
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US airline JetBlue has reduced its one-way fares for evacuees in several cities in the path of Hurricane Irma.

The low cost-carrier announced last night that it would reduce fares to between $99-$159 including government taxes on any remaining seats in select markets where there are aircraft available.

The fares apply to destinations including Savannah in Georgia, Charleston in South Carolina, and the state of Florida. They will also be honoured on international journeys from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, Turks and Caicos Islands and Nassau, The Bahamas, as well as from several airports in the Dominican Republic and Cuba.

Cancellation and change fees have also been waived for customers with existing reservations to Florida and the Caribbean.

Recommended Flights to the Caribbean cancelled as Hurricane Irma strikes

JetBlue stated yesterday afternoon that it had cancelled approximately 150 flights and was taking a number of steps to assist customers and support new bookings for those looking to evacuate.

The move by the New York-based airline comes amid customer fury at price hikes ahead of Irmas arrival in Florida this weekend. Many areas in the state are under mandatory evacuation orders and fares have increased significantly. One-way domestic flights can now cost up to $1,000.

Hurricane Irma has already caused widespread destruction across the Caribbean since hitting the duel-territory of Antigua and Barbuda yesterday before heading to Saint-Martin, Saint Barthelemy, Anguilla and the US and British Virgin Islands. It is a category five hurricane, the highest possible level, with wind speeds of 185mph.

It is expected to affect the Bahamas, Haiti, Cuba, the Dominican Republic and the Turks and Caicos islands before arriving in Florida on Sunday.
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Despite the exceptionally warm afternoon, the auditorium in Kabul is packed; young Afghans, mostly girls, fill even the narrow steps by the aisles, craning to see Shaista Waiz: the first female civilian pilot of Afghan origin.

Waiz is the first Afghan woman to attempt to fly solo around the world. She started in Florida on 13 May and has, so far, made it to 11 destinations. She has 24 more stops in store before arriving back in Florida in September on her 2001 Beechcraft Bonanza A36.

Although born in Afghanistan, Waiz is a refugee who escaped the war against the Soviets 30 years ago and was raised in the United States.

Kabul wasnt listed on my travel itinerary, but I always planned to come to Afghanistan, she tells The Independent. I couldnt fly the aeroplane here because of the high elevation, but I really wanted to see Afghanistan so I left the plane in Dubai and took a commercial flight here. I had to come one way or another.

Waiz is something of a celebrity in Afghanistan  perhaps even a heroine, especially for the young girls who aspire to higher goals in a society that continues to remain largely patriarchal and conservative.

Earlier, teenagers jumped up excitedly when they spotted Waiz outside the auditorium. Some brought her flowers; others just wanted to shake her hand and kiss her cheeks. Im just like you guys, she tells the room  first in Pashto, then in Dari, then reiterating it in English. If I could do it, so can you.

Indeed, Waiz has much in common with them. Born amid war, like many of her compatriots, her family escaped Afghanistan in the late 1980s. Raised briefly in a refugee camp in Pakistan, she and her family eventually made their way to the US, where they settled in California. For a long time, Waiz believed that her future would be exactly like that of many Afghan women whove lived through the war: marriage, and child-rearing. But I realised it didnt have to be that way, she says. After a while, I stopped listening to people who told me that Afghan women cant do certain things. There were others who would tell me youre not smart enough [to be a pilot], but flying was my passion and I fought for it and persisted. The young girls in the auditorium hang off her every word.

Waiz has since co-founded an organisation that promotes womens education in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), and her solo flight is to raise funds to provide scholarships for underprivileged women in STEM fields. These subjects are what will help advance Afghanistan, and these careers need both our men and women, she says. I know opportunities are small for women in Afghanistan and I hope to change that.

Shaista Waiz is raising money for young Afghan women to be better educated (Ivan Flores)

Waiz met the President of Afghanistan during her Kabul trip, and was honoured with the first civilian pilot certificate given by the government of Afghanistan. Asked about her own heroes, Waiz talks fondly of Jerrie Mock  the first woman to fly solo around the world in 1964. I was very nervous when I first met her, she says. I asked her the first place she went to after her trip, and she told me she went to Afghanistan. I was ecstatic. I took it as a sign.

And although shes continuing on her journey  heading to Mumbai, India, after her Kabul stop  she promises to return. I want to let you all know  the women in the crowd  that I am not doing this flight for fame or money, she says. I am being brave for all of you because every day here you are all being brave. Her words are met with a loud cheer.

While some things have greatly improved in Afghanistan since the US occupation in 2001, the state of womens rights still leaves a lot to be desired. Access to education for women is limited, and higher education is far more difficult to obtain due to social restrains that dictate a strict role for women in society. Additionally, women make up less than 16 per cent of the Afghan workforce, due to limited opportunities, resources and training.

In an environment where heroes are largely men  not least men associated with the war and ensuing conflict  Waiz provides inspiration to many young Afghans for a hopeful future in uncertain times. Flying has been my dream and I know how difficult and challenging it is to get it, she tells the audience. My goal is to come back to Afghanistan and help you achieve your dreams of flying.

Leaving the auditorium, one young girl creeps into the room where Waiz is talking with me. The girl sidles up to her and pulls on her sleeve. After hearing you talk today, I have two heroes and one of them is you. I promise that I will grow up to be a pilot just like you, she tells her, giving her a hug before slipping away.

Waiz is visibly delighted to have inspired another young woman. This is what it is about, she says simply.
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Feeling more Bajan than Britain, the Isles of Scilly are blessed with glorious beaches and crystal clear waters. During September, the five inhabited islands come together to hold the Taste of Scilly Food Festival, a month-long celebration of the superb local produce from around the archipelago. Now in its second year, visitors to the festival can enjoy fabulous food across a variety of venues, as well as wine tastings, beach barbecues and much more.

Beach Barbecues

Head down to the white sandy beach at Lower Town, St Martins, and get ready to dine on barbecued fish as you soak up the rays in this picture perfect cove. The catch of the day will be served straight from the grill  think John Dory, brill or squid  with seasonal salads, sweet potato fries and plenty of local wine.

On the Beach at Karma, St Martins, Lower Town. Every Friday in September from 12-3pm, from 9.95. No booking required.

visitislesofscilly.com/tasteofscilly/st-martins/sizzling-scilly-beach-bbq

Wine Wednesday

Tour the most south-westerly vineyard in Britain, and then raise a glass or two as you sample the unique Isles of Scilly wine at St Martins Vineyard. Established over 20 years ago, this family-run island institution produces five different wines; three white, one red and one rose.

St Martins Vineyard, Higher Town. From 11am-11pm, 13 September; 7.50, which includes three different wines to taste.

stmartinsvineyard.co.uk

Enjoy barbecued fish on the beach (Getty/iStockphoto) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Portuguese pop-ups

Surrounded by lush green fields and sweeping bay views, Crab Shack on Bryher Island is hosting a Portuguese festa. The rustic restaurant will be dishing up seafood cataplana, a scented stew made with crab, mussels and scallops, cooked in a copper cooking pan with rich tomato sauce.

Crab Shack, Hell Bay Hotel, Bryher. From 6.30pm, 12 and 14 September.

hellbay.co.uk

Toast the town

Celebrate the superb local plonk at the three-day Beer Cider Gin and Rum Festival that is held at The Seven Stones Inn on St Martins. This lovely local will be cooking a special Taste of Scilly menu to accompany the drinks. Take a seat on the terrace to admire the view and get settled in for a long afternoon.

Beer Cider Gin and Rum Festival, The Seven Stones Inn, St Martins. From 11am-11pm, 15-17 September, with meals served 12-2pm and 6-8pm. No booking required.

facebook.com/sevenstonesinn

Eat freshly caught lobster at the Longstone Lodge and Cafe (Getty/iStockphoto) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Luscious lobsters

Learn from local fisherman Colin Jenkins about how the local homarus gammarus (or European lobsters) are only caught when their carapace length  thats from the eyes to the start of the tail  measures 90mm or more. This means colossal crustaceans for dinner, cooked to perfection by Colins family in their little restaurant.

Longstone Lodge and Cafe, St Marys. From 7.15pm, 8, 15 and 21 September; 30, which includes a drink, lobster main and pudding.

longstonelodge.co.uk

Boozy brunches

Toast the festival with a prosecco-fuelled brunch at Tanglewood Kitchen on St Marys. Dive into plates of creamy scrambled eggs and silky-smooth smoked salmon, crispy chorizo and avocado toast, or banana bread with a rich salted caramel sauce, all with a chilled glass of fizz. Menus may vary.

Tanglewood Kitchen, Hugh Town, St Marys. From 11m-1pm, 12-13, 19-20 and 26-27 September; from 12.50 and 5 for a glass of prosecco.

tanglewoodkitchen.co.uk

Indulge in a boozy brunch (Getty/iStockphoto) (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Paella parties

Fancy dinner on the go? Then make your way to Island Fish on Bryher for a tasty takeaway paella. Made using locally caught lobsters, prawns, mussels and fish, this delicious dish will keep you fuelled up for your evenings activities. And for a sensational setting, enjoy your meal on the beach as the sun sets over Green Bay.

Island Fish, Newpark, Bryher. Every Thursday in September, ready to collect between 6.30-7pm; 8.

islandfish.co.uk

Banging breweries

Learn the secrets of microbrewing at Ales of Scilly. Their cheeky one-hour tour will guide you through the processes needed to achieve the perfect pour, and then give you plenty of time to tuck into Schiller golden ale, Challenger best bitter, Association IPA and TW Lawson, all named after vessels shipwrecked around the islands.

Ales of Scilly tours, Porthmellon Business Park, St Marys. From 3-4pm, 14 and 18 September; 5.

alesofscilly.co.uk

Click here to find hotels on the Isles of Scilly
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In August 1945, Europe was still smouldering from the effects of years of total war on its continent, when the United States Air Force dropped atomic bombs on the cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan. Over 100,000 residents in those two cities were incinerated immediately by the power of each atomic blast. In the months that followed those atomic attacks, tens of thousands more would die horrifying deaths from radiation sickness.

When those nuclear bombs fell on Japan and evaporated people into shadows that stained the sides of shattered buildings as if their souls had been turned into charcoal stencil drawings, I was 22 years old and part of the allied occupation army stationed in Hamburg. It was a city that had seen more than its fair share of ruin, because it was estimated that 50,000 of its inhabitants had been extinguished by conventional aerial warfare during the battle against Hitler. But I remember that the news of the creation and use of the atomic bomb alarmed me.

Id seen what ordinary bombs could do to a city and so realised that there was no escape for anyone if this new type of weapon of mass destruction were to be used ever again. However, I was also calmed by the fact that, at the conclusion of the Second World War, all across the democratic world governments were paying out the dividends of peace to their citizens by building just societies held firmly together with a social safety network, fair wages and a proper taxation policy.

So, although I was concerned that nuclear war might be imminent during the Berlin airlift crisis of 1948 because the Soviet Union and America were at loggerheads over control of Germanys former capital  or when the Cuban Missile Crisis erupted in 1962, which again saw the two superpowers in a deadly game of geopolitical poker  I reasoned that coolers would prevail. I had a feeling the carnage caused by the conflict against Hitler was still too fresh a scar on the souls of both the leaders of the western world, their citizens and their counterparts in the Soviet bloc for the Cold War to erupt into nuclear armaggedon.

 Trump, May and other world leaders condemn North Korea's nuclear test

Now, however, in 2017, the collective memories of the Great Depression, the Second World War, the Holocaust, the refugee crisis of 1945, as well as the joy of a peace that created a functioning welfare state, have dimmed and sputtered like candles on the dining room table at midnight.

Moreover, our present era is ripe for war, because we dont live in a time of progress but in one of economic and social oppression. A fetid cancer of greed and corruption has allowed the 1 per cent of society to smother the rights of the 99 per cent to a decent as well as a meaningful life. History should teach us that this type of inequality can only exist for so long before it upends society and chaos ensues.

This is why I am fearful that in 2017, we are closer to world war than we have been since September 1939 or August 1914. Like then, we seem to be under the sway of leaders who are autocratic, dictatorial and unwilling to find a peaceful means to satiate their lust for wealth or unmitigated power.

Donald Trump, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping of China, Kim Jung-un of North Korea or the lesser players like Theresa May in this deadly real Game of Thrones: all seem to possess an inability to empathise with the suffering of their lesser citizens.

Too many of our leaders in government or in business today seem to possess the sociopthatic traits that made Tsar Nicholas 2nd of Russia, Hitler, Mussolini or Mao destructive leaders for their people. Yet we idiolise our oligarchs of business for their ruthlessness and emulate them, which is why Donald Trump has been an admired icon for conspicuous consumption since the 1980s.

 Vladimir Putin insults American politicians and distances himself from Trump

I am an old man in the apogee of my days and thats why I know we are on the cusp of war  if not in North Korea then somewhere else  simply because we are letting the greed and the self-interest of the few lead the many into the cul-de-sac of war. It doesnt take a prophet to know that as long as Britain, America, Canada, China or Russia profit handsomely from the arms industry while ignoring the refugee crisis, the housing crisis, the wage crisis and the crisis for affordable health care, the world is sitting on a powder keg whose fuse has already been lit and is burning down quick.

Make no mistake: the only check and balance that will control Donald Trumps urge to ignite the world into war through his grotesque arrogance and incompetence is impeachment.

As a young man in uniform during the Second World War, I witnessed the destruction of entire cities across Europe from conventional warfare that left millions dead, injured or traumatised for life.

Now I am 94 and I dont want my remaining time on this earth to be one where I watch impotently as the world propels itself off the ledge of civilisation and into the abyss of total and irrevocable nuclear war. Thats why I urge everyone who wants a peaceful and prosperous future to protest and fight against the dying of the light. We all owe it to the generations not yet born.

Dont Let My Past Be Your Future by Harry Leslie Smith is published by Little, Brown on 14th September (14.99 in hardback)
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Hurricane Irma is already the strongest ever Atlantic hurricane and may this weekend become the strongest ever to make landfall in the United States. It follows swiftly on the tail of Tropical Storm Harvey, which may well turn out to be the costliest storm ever to hit the US.

While our first thoughts should always be of the human cost of such events  the impact on peoples lives and, sadly, sometimes the loss of life itself  there is also an economic burden. If extreme weather is becoming more frequent, and there is some evidence that it is, then we need to think about this.

There used to be a straightforward analysis. In the first instance, after any natural disaster there would be an immediate cost resulting from the disruption. You can see that very clearly in the case of Harvey, which knocked out about 10 per cent of the USs oil refining capacity. The effects of such disruption can be felt worldwide. Here in the UK petrol prices look to be rising about 4p (and going higher than diesel) as a direct result.

But, so the conventional analysis goes, once the initial disruption is past, things quickly revert to norm. Lost production is usually recovered swiftly and reconstruction may actually lead to a net increase in GDP over the following months.

That conventional way of looking at disasters has, however, three limitations, the first two obvious, the third less so.

 Planes pass through the eye of Hurricane Irma

One obvious point is that GDP does not equate to welfare. GDP may be increased by reconstruction after a disaster but, on any common sense, a natural disaster is a blow to human welfare in economic terms  quite aside from the misery associated with it. There is a qualitative difference in GDP generated by things you hope you will not have to do, such as rebuilding a house, and things you want to do, such as producing more fruit (important for Florida) or welcoming more tourists.

The second point is that whatever outside help comes to stricken regions, be it in the form of insurance payouts or government funding, hardly ever covers the full financial burden. So there are always losers even in narrow economic terms  businesses that close forever  and anyone trying to put numbers on the impact of catastrophe should appreciate that the macro-economic story, however positive, has many micro-economic miseries within it.

The governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, has estimated that damage from Harvey will be between $150bn and $180bn. If that is right, it will be the most costly such disaster ever  greater even than Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, or Sandy which hit New York and other East Coast cities in 2012.

We dont yet know how much Federal help there will be. That depends, in part at least, on whether the administration can get Congress to increase the countrys debt ceiling. But total payments will be way short of those numbers.

 Satellite imagery shows Hurricane Irma make landfall

There is a third element to natural disasters that is even less predictable. That is their long-term impact on a city or region. Sometimes they are positive, sometimes the reverse.

Take the old principal port of Texas, Galveston. It was devastated in 1900 by a hurricane, and as a result shipping moved 50 miles inland to Houston, which was at the time barely developed.

Or take the long-term effect of the so-called Labour Day hurricane of 1935. That struck the Florida Keys, which were linked then not by a road but by a railway. The effort to evacuate the Keys by a rescue train is one of the great heroic stories of all time. The train started its return journey from Key West but was derailed by the storm at Islamorada. Astoundingly, everyone on it survived, but the railway was abandoned, and the bridges and tracks were sold, to become the basis of the road link used today. So Key West got its road to the mainland thanks to the disaster, and that remains one of the most wonderful drives in the world.

Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Show all 45 1 /45 Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by in Miami Beach, Fla. 10 September 2017. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Damage outside the Mercure hotel in Marigot, on the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People pick up debris in Fajardo as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The category 4 hurricane made landfall in the United States in the Florida Keys at 9:10 a.m. after raking across the north coast of Cuba. 10 September 2017 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A Royal Air Force Puma has been delivered to the US Virgin Islands to assist with the humanitarian efforts post Hurricane Irma. The Puma will be delivering Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief in support of the Department for International Development. Royal Air Force logisticians from RAF Brize Norton have assisted with the delivery of military personnel and aid cargo to the Caribbean to support disaster relief in the wake of Hurricane Irma. RAF aircraft including, C-17 A400M and Voyager are supporting a Joint Task Force of RAF, Royal Marines, Army and RN personnel who are supporting the Department for International Development as it delivers aid to stricken Caribbean Islands. MoD Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flamingos at Zoo Miami, are shown in a temporary enclosure in a hurricane resistant structure within the zoo, Saturday, 9 September 2017 in Miami. Though most animals will reman in their secure structures, the cheetahs and some birds will ride out the storm in temporary housing. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Boats are seen at a marina in South Beach as Hurricane Irma arrives at south Florida, in Miami Beach, Florida, U.S. 10 September 2017 Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Storm clouds are seen over Fisher Island as Hurricane Irma approaches on 9 September 2017 in Miami Beach, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4 Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Waves crash over a seawall at the mouth of the Miami River from Biscayne Bay, Fla., as Hurricane Irma passes by. 10 September 2017 AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Some of the damage on Saint Martin EPA/Gerben Van Es/Dutch Department of Defence Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The skyline is seen as the outerbands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on 9 September 2017 in Miami, Florida. Florida is in the path of the Hurricane which may come ashore at category 4. Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree toped by hurricane Irma is seen on a empty street in Remedios, Cuba, 9 September 2017. Hurricane Irma reached Cuba bringing winds between 160 and 190 kilometers per hour. The hurricane has hit the north coast of the island. EPA Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures James Constantineau loads sands bags in his truck as he prepares for the approach of Hurricane Irma Saturday, 9 September 2017, in East Palatka, Fla. Gov. Rick Scott is urging anyone living in an evacuation zone in southwest Florida to leave by noon as the threat of Hurricane Irma has shifted west. AP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The Fort Louis Marina in Marigot is seen on 8 September 2017 in Saint-Martin island, devastated by Hurricane Irma. AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Destruction in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The wreckage in Orient Bay on the island of Saint-Martin AFP/Getty Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile network tower snapped in two by the hurricane on the island of Barbuda ABS TV Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A house reduced to rubble on the island of Saint Barthelemy AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures General view of damage on Saint Martin Reuters Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A damaged Casino Royale on Saint Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma Anna Mazur/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch department of Defense shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, Sint Maarten, the Dutch section of the Caribbean Island Gerben Van Es/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Flooded houses in Gustavia on the island of Saint-Barthelemy Kevin Barrallon/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The damage on the island of Saint-Martin, a day after Hurricane Irma hit AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man carrying an umbrella is battered by the wind in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A lone police car on patrol during the passing of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico Jose Jimenez/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Haitian people walk through the wind and rain on a beach in Cap-Haitien on September 7 as Hurricane Irma approaches Hector Retamal/AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A flooded street on the island of Saint Martin AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A tree collapsed on a house in Saint Martin Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A hotel in Saint Martin is gutted by floodwater during the hurricane Guadeloupe 1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Cars submerged in Saint Martin Rinsy Xieng Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Debris floats amongst the floodwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Household items float down the street in Gustavia, Saint-Barthelemy Carole Greaux Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures The coast of Saint Martin is flooded as the hurricane hits the island Meteo Express Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A whole street underwater in Saint Martin @la1ere Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A car crashes into the tree amongst the chaos in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A building on the Saint Martin seafront, destroyed by the hurricane @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A mobile home overturned at Princess Juliana International Airport in Saint Martin @Bondtehond Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Palm trees bend in the wind in San Juan, Puerto Rico as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A woman runs in the rain as Hurricane Irma slammed into San Juan, Puerto Rico Reuters/Alvin Baez Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A picture taken on September 5, 2017 shows a view of the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, with the wind blowing ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma AFP/Getty Images Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures A man rides past a boarded up house as part of preparations ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on September 5, 2017, in the French overseas island of Guadeloupe Helene Valenzuela/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Employees of the Mercure Hotel fill sand bags on the Baie Nettle beach in Marigot, as part of the preparations for the arrival of Hurricane Irma Lionel Chamoiseau/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures People in line at Costco, as they find out the store has ran out of water on September 5, 2017 in North Miami Michele Eve Sandberg/AFP Hurricane Irma  devastation caused in pictures Night view of the city of Cap-Haitien, in the north of Haiti, 240 km from Port-au-Prince, on September 5, 2017 Hector Retamal/AFP

The story of New Orleans since Katrina is more mixed. Population is down by some 100,000, with the greatest decline among black Americans. In 2000 it was 484,674, and that fell to 230,172 in 2006. But by July 2015, population was back up to 386,617. But some areas have more people now and the quality of housing stock is much improved.

The Labour Day hurricane remains the most intense that has ever hit the US mainland. Irma may be more so, and the Keys are being evacuated in preparation. Right now we have a range of predictions about where it may hit the Florida coast and how intense it might be, but we have no precise knowledge. Sensibly, Florida is preparing for the worst and hoping for something better. Whatever happens, though, there will be one lasting effect: the cost of insuring Florida property will rise, and, in some cases, may become impossible to secure. That would not in itself destroy the Florida economy, which has huge strengths, but it would make people rethink their attitudes to risk and location, and that may be no bad thing.
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I awoke on the morning of North Koreas most recent nuclear test to a string of worried texts from friends and family back home in South Africa, and the distant drawl of US fighter jets. I expected my morning jog to be impeded by hordes of people, bags packed, fleeing an ill-fated city. However, as I ran my familiar route, it appeared that the news of Pyongyangs latest provocation had changed nothing.

The elderly owner of a small pizzeria sat outside practising guitar, as he always does. The married couple who run the corner 7-Eleven were outside sweeping the street in front of their store as usual  and the local coffee shop was, as always, packed with students preparing for assignments.

The international furore couldnt seem more out of place than here in Dongtan, a town just south of Seoul and a cab ride away from the US-run Osan military base. Children rollerskated and zipped around on Heelys under the watchful gaze of their grandparents, their parents already hard at work. Traffic slowly churned through the streets, only to be met by a plethora of red traffic lights.

Life remained the same, for better and worse.

Such is everyday South Korea, where I came earlier this year to teach. Even as tensions have ratcheted up, the potential for nuclear war isnt even on the same scale of importance as season sixs finale of Show Me the Money (a Korean rap talent show).

 South Korea simulates attack on North Korea's nuclear sites

Part of this attitude stems from South Koreas particular history. For people living here, the past 60 years since the end of the Korean War have been awash with threats of nuclear attack and of more conventional conflict. Desensitisation is forgivable, then, if perhaps not sensible to foreign eyes.

Life continues as normal, however hysterical the rhetoric from over the border. As a Korean co-worker of mine recently put it: Weve been at war for ages; its just war. We still have to work, the same as usual.

Thus, even after the testing of Kim Jong-uns hydrogen bomb (with 10 times the power of the nuclear bombs that decimated Japanese cities in 1945), the question on everyones lips here was whether or not the rapper Hangzoo deserved his Show Me the Money victory, rather than whether Kims new weapon posed any real threat to the southerly end of the Korean peninsula.

While Japan practises evacuation drills, China monitors radiation levels, and America flexes its military muscle  South Korea works.

The junior and middle school philosophy and literature class that I teach is a fine example of this. The students, aged from 11 to 15, could not care less about events 100 miles north of their desks. Their main worries turn out to be homework and eggs.

Homework may seem rather unimportant in the grand scheme of things, but it is frightfully different from the West  and a much more serious business. My students needed to finish reading chapters on Nietzsche and Pyrrho as well as getting to their various other subjects, not forgetting their broader school homework.

Flute or other instrument practice awaits most of them too. Our class ends at 10pm (yes, 10pm!) every Tuesday and Thursday.

The anxiety about eggs is closer to home: at once more prosaic and yet more vital. It is, after all, a staple in many Korean dishes, and a favourite food to many of the boys. Yet the price of eggs has surged after a recent strain of avian flu.

 US: North Korea could be met with 'massive military response'

Still, this apparent lack of worry about the North does not mean people are wholly unconcerned about recent events. Yet stronger emotions and anxiety seem to be felt primarily towards the West, and a trigger-happy tweeter in America who seems to be stirring the pot.

I dislike the way the rest of the world seems to think about South Korea, Wendy, the captain of our under-18 debating team, tells me. The image that everyone gets is that were weak and that we need the help of America  that they need to save us. But weve been doing this for a long time and were still OK. Donald Trump and everything he says, that is whats making this worse.

The statements emanating from the United States (or more particularly the White House)  and constant talk of war in Western media  has certainly made the situation here more complicated. The unpredictability in the present scenario comes from Trump and his helter-skelter style of government and not from the North, with which you know what you are going to get: threats.

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

Moon Jae-in, elected President of South Korea a few months ago, came into office with the hope of strengthening relations with North Korea. Unfortunately, the past few months have seen his aspiration turn into a distant dream, undermined by Kim Jong-uns belligerence  but also by Donald Trumps late night social media missives.

Walk along the crowded streets of Gangnam district in Seoul, between the tents and canopies erected along the Han River, or look around late at night on a heaving Hongdae street, and you will see a hardworking country continuing as normal. The secretive state to the north is paid no obvious heed.

For South Koreans, it remains the neighbour which has cried nuclear wolf before, and will do so again. The latest threats are regarded as just as hollow as the previous ones. Heres hoping the locals are right.
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A message came through from Syria on my mobile phone last week. General Khadour kept his promise, it read. I knew what it meant.

Five years ago, I met Mohamed Khadour, who was commanding a few Syrian soldiers in a small suburb of Aleppo, under fire from Islamist fighters in the east of the city. At the time, he showed me his map. Hed recapture these streets in 11 days, he said.

And then in July this year, I met Khadour again, far out in the east of the Syrian desert. He was, he said, going to enter the besieged city of Deir ez-Zor before the end of August. I reminded him, a trifle cruelly, that the last time he told me hed recapture part of Aleppo in 11 days, it took the Syrian army more than four years to retake. That was long ago, he said. In those days, the army had not learned to fight in a guerrilla war. The army were trained to retake Golan and defend Damascus. But they had learned now.

Indeed they had. Out in the desert, Khadour said he was going to bomb the town of Sukhna  the Russians would do much of the bombing  and his Syrian troops would break through from there to Deir ez-Zor, which had been surrounded by Isis for three years with its encircled 80,000 civilians and 10,000 soldiers. Khadour said hed reach Deir ez-Zor by 23 August. He turned out to be almost dead on target. Now he is heading towards the rest of Deir ez-Zor and then towards the Syrian-Iraqi border.

So it seems  after the capture of the city is complete and when Khadour is on the frontier, and now that Aleppo is totally in the hands of the regime and only Idlib province remains a dustbin of largely Islamist rebels (including al-Qaeda), many of whom were allowed to travel there in return for surrendering bits of Syrian cities  that what has always been unthinkable in the West is now happening: Bashar al-Assads forces look to be winning the war.

 Qom Elias Syrian refugee camp fire: Locals in Lebanon help residents who lost everything

And not just look like. Hassan Tiger Saleh, Syrias favourite army officer  referred to twice by the Russian defence minister  broke his way into the compound of the 137th Syrian army brigade at Deir ez-Zor and relieved the soldiers there, while Khadour, his commanding officer (they are personal friends), is set to liberate the airbase in the city.

How many remember the day when the Americans bombed the Syrian soldiers close to that airbase and killed more than 60 of them, allowing Isis to cut it off from the rest of the city? The Syrians have never believed the American claim that they made a mistake. It was only the Russians who told the US air force they were bombing Syrian forces.

The Brits already seem to have got the message. They slyly withdrew their military trainers last week  the men intended to prepare David Camerons mythical 70,000 rebels who were supposedly going to overthrow the Assad government. Even the UNs report that the regime killed more than 80 civilians in a gas attack this summer got little play from the European politicians who used to play up war crimes in Syria and supported Donald Trumps pointless Cruise missile attack on a Syrian airbase.

And what of Israel? Here is a nation which truly counted on the end of Assad, going so far as to bomb his forces and those of his Hezbollah and Iranian allies while giving medical help to Islamist fighters from Syria in Israeli cities. No wonder Benjamin Netanyahu was so agitated and emotional  Russian descriptions  when he met Vladimir Putin in Sochi. Iran was Russias strategic ally in the region, Putin said. Israel was an important partner of Russia. Which was not quite the same  and not what Netanyahu wanted to hear.

Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Show all 12 1 /12 Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man crosses a street in Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A vendor sits inside an antique shop in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, December 12, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A view shows part of Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors walk inside Aleppo's Umayyad mosque, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk inside the Khan al-Shounah market, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man walks past shops in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk along an alley in al-Jdeideh neighbourhood, in the Old City of Aleppo, Syria Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Visitors tour Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A general view shows the Old City of Aleppo as seen from Aleppo's historic citadel, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War People walk near Aleppo's Bab al-Faraj Clock Tower, Syria October 6, 2010 Reuters Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War Aleppo before the Syrian Civil War A man stands inside Aleppo's historic citadel, overlooking Aleppo city, Syria December 11, 2009 Reuters

The repeated victories of the Syrians mean that the Syrian army is among the most battle-hardened in the region, its soldiers used to fighting for their lives and now trained in coordinating troops and intelligence from a single command headquarters. As former St Antonys College associate scholar Sharmine Narwani put it this week, this alliance now has political cover from two permanent UN Security Council members, Russia and China.

So what will Israel do? Netanyahu has been so obsessed with Irans nuclear programme that he clearly never imagined  in company with Obama, Hillary Clinton, Trump, Cameron, May, Hollande and other members of the political elites in the West  that Assad might win, and that a more powerful Iraqi army might also emerge from the rubble of Mosul.

Netanyahu still supports the Kurds, but neither Syria nor Turkey nor Iran nor Iraq have any interest in supporting Kurdish national aspirations  despite the military use by America of Kurdish militiamen in the so-called Syrian Democratic Forces (it being largely Kurdish rather than Syrian, not democratic at all and scarcely a force without US air power).

 Footage reportedly shows young Syrian refugees being beaten by Turkish soldiers at border

So while were all waiting for Donald Trump and Kim Jong-un to start World War Three, weve not spotted that the military map of the Middle East has substantially, bloodily changed. It will be years before Syria and Iraq (and Yemen) are rebuilt, but the Israelis, so used to calling on Washington for help, may have to go back to Putin again to clear up the mess theyre in.

Those in the Israeli political right who claimed that Assad was a greater danger than Isis may have to think again  not least because Assad may be the man theyll have to talk to if they want to keep their northern border safe.
PGO in court secures arrest of accounts of three enterprises of Astarta agroholding

Kyiv's Pechersky district court under a petition of a prosecutor of the department for investigating important economic matters of the Prosecutor General's Office (PGO) Denys Kovin has arrested accounts of Tsukoragroprom LLC, Khmelnytske LLC and Volochysk-Agro LLC, part of Astarta agricultural holding, opened in ING Bank Ukraine.

According to the unified register of court rulings, the court issued the ruling on August 30. The PGO filed the petition as part of the pretrial investigation into a criminal case opened on June 7, 2017 where the companies are suspected of tax evasion.

According to the document, managers of Tsukoragroprom in 2016-2017 supplied 85,000 tonnes of liquid industrial ammonia for UAH 715 million to five enterprises of Astarta, including two above-mentioned enterprises.

Other details of the case are not disclosed.

According to the court ruling, the companies are able to pay taxes and salaries using funds from the arrested accounts.

In addition, Pechersky district court on August 30, 2017 permitted prosecutors and investigators from the investigation group of the PGO in the criminal case to have temporary access to things and documents of Volochysk-Agro LLC, Poltavazernoprodukt investment and industrial company LLC (Hlobyne, Poltava region), Dobrobut's farms (Kozelschyna, Poltava region) and Khmelnytske LLC.

The PGO was permitted to seize original contracts, invoices, letters, orders and other documents related to transactions with Tsukoragroprom and other enterprises on selling and purchasing liquid ammonia and its storage, as well as information about key economic indicators of the agricultural companies, areas planted with crops and applied fertilizers.
Some 8,160 people, including almost 3,000 children, are homeless, official figures have revealed.

The numbers exclude rough sleepers, with about 200 people on average thought to be on the streets of Dublin every night.

The Government report on homeless people in emergency accommodation such as hotels, B&Bs, hostels and family hubs in July revealed 1,429 families were affected by the crisis.

There were 905 single parents and 2,973 children.

The Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government's Homelessness Report said the crisis was worst in Dublin where 3,528 adults were without a home.

The records also showed that in the capital there were 1,178 homeless families comprising 2,423 children.

In Limerick the number of homeless adults was 297; in Cork it was 248; Galway 180; and Kildare 135.

Earlier this week the Peter McVerry Trust called for homelessness to be made a priority issue in Budget 2018 - due to be announced on October 10, which is World Homeless Day.

The charity warned that if the unprecedented housing crisis continues at the current rate 8,300 people will be homeless by that date.

There have also been calls for the Government to build 90,000 social housing units to alleviate the crisis - double the target for the next five years.

Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy said repairing the sector is his top priority.

"As I have previously said, we must continue to work hard and redouble our efforts. There is no shortage of will or determination to deal with this issue. Resources are not an obstacle to the urgent efforts required," he said.

Mr Murphy will meet the country's local authority chiefs at a special summit in the Custom House on Friday to discuss additional responses to the crisis.

The minister said about 1,800 homeless people or families have this year moved out of emergency accommodation into a tenancy.

The Government is also planning to have more than 15 family hubs in the Dublin region this year, while Dublin City Council is reportedly aiming to open another 200 beds for homeless people this winter.

Focus Ireland, one of the leading homelessness charities, said the record figures should be a line in the sand in the fight to end the crisis.

It said homeless numbers have gone up 25% in the year to July.

The charity's advocacy director, Mike Allen, said: "The time has now come for the Government to take the decisions it has shied away from for several years. This includes actively building social housing, taxing those who hoard building land and protecting the rights of tenants facing eviction."

Focus Ireland said there is a failure to understand the need to cut the numbers being made homeless.

Mr Allen added: "This is a question of ideology. It's putting property rights ahead of the rights of tenants."
Exporters have been the early casualties of the Brexit vote, due to sterling's immediate, and dramatic, devaluation in the wake of the referendum last June. Stock photo: Bloomberg

The head of Enterprise Ireland has said she has no cause for optimism over Brexit as a new survey suggests the majority of exporting firms still aren't preparing for the UK's withdrawal from the EU.

Julie Sinnamon said firms have been in denial, and warned that they must start planning for a hard Brexit. She said the Brexit impact here is the most significant change for businesses ever seen, and signalled that European state aid rules may need to be relaxed to help struggling firms.

"I have no reason for optimism," Ms Sinnamon said. "I think there is so much up in the air, and there are positions being taken by people. I don't have any warm feeling that it will be alright on the night and we should just forget about this.

"I actually think that we absolutely need to plan for a hard Brexit and we don't know where it will end up."

Ms Sinnamon told the Irish Independent earlier in the year that with the triggering of Article 50 last March, businesses were beginning to wake up to the reality that Brexit was going to happen.

But a survey released by the state agency yesterday shows that the numbers putting preparations in place are in the minority. The survey found that in the last six months, just 38pc have taken measures to respond to Brexit, with 62pc doing nothing.

"It [the figure] probably is lower than I expected, just from the level of engagement that we've had," Ms Sinnamon said.

Exporters have been the early casualties of the Brexit vote, due to sterling's immediate, and dramatic, devaluation in the wake of the referendum last June. Although it had settled around the 85p mark to the euro, it moved above 90p in recent weeks heaping further pressure on those selling into the UK market, including the farming community, and the tourist and hospitality sector here. Yesterday 1 was equal to 91 pence.

Ms Sinnamon said the renewed pressure on sterling will have helped push businesses into getting Brexit-ready. "I do think that in the last month or six weeks it [preparation] really has accelerated. Initially, companies were probably in denial. Now companies recognise that this is going to happen, and they have to take steps."

Read more: Korn Ferry opens headhunting arm as Brexit looms

Ms Sinnamon was speaking on the margins of the first day of Enterprise Ireland's International Markets Week, in which the agency's senior advisers from around the world return home for a focused event at the RDS designed to help exporting firms break into new markets. She told those attending that the currency weakness was "not a blip".

"We really see that the Brexit impact in Ireland is the most significant change for Irish business that we have probably ever seen"

She suggested European state aid rules should be relaxed to allow supports to be provided to businesses.

"In previous crises, there was a relaxation of state aid. We need to have discussions in order to make sure that we aren't disadvantaging our clients," she said.

The survey, of more than 400 Enterprise Ireland clients, found that 65pc of those who are not yet exporting to the eurozone plan to enter the market in the next 12 months.

Another key finding is that some 44pc consider the eurozone to be one of the main target regions for their business, with 30pc selecting North America and 15pc Asia Pacific.
The EU is to publish guiding principles for upcoming Brexit talks on Ireland and Northern Ireland today.

The paper will seek to drive home the message that the onus is on the UK to provide solutions to Brexit-induced problems on the island of Ireland.

It will also try to tackle growing concerns that the UK is using Ireland as a test case for a future EU trade deal.

The four-page document, seen by Independent.ie, does not provide solutions, but instead asks the UK to make a political commitment in its EU divorce deal to protecting the peace process and Good Friday Agreement.

It insists that commitments made on Northern Ireland be unique and not preconfigure anything that might be agreed in a future trade deal.

Specifically, it asks the UK to maintain existing cross-border institutions, avoid a hard border, continue north-south cooperation, protect equal rights and citizenship rights across the island of Ireland, and pay out remaining EU peace funds under the blocs 2014-20 budget.

The EU also says the Common Travel Area between Ireland and the UK should continue as it does now, including the ability for EU nationals to travel freely between Ireland and the UK without border checks. The UK agreed to this last week, one of the only positives to emerge after a tense third round of Brexit talks.

The European Commission paper, which was signed off by the Irish government, does not delve into detail on customs or the border. Those issues will be dealt with in a second phase of talks once the outlines of a divorce deal are in place. But the paper does insist that there be no physical border infrastructure on the island of Ireland.

Border issues are broader than economic questions, the paper says. The physical border itself was a symbol of division and conflict.

The EU wants agreement on Ireland, citizens rights and the UKs financial obligations before it begins talks on trade, which both sides had hoped to start in October. The UK published a position paper on Ireland last month, but EU officials complained that it took Irish issues hostage in a bid to leapfrog the divorce deal and move talks on to trade.

UK officials are now working on a list of issues that need to be sorted under the Good Friday Agreement, which sources say may run to 150 items.

EU lead negotiator Michel Barnier will unveil his guidelines on Ireland on Thursday afternoon, along with position papers on data protection, public procurement, intellectual property rights and customs documentation for goods in transit on Brexit day.
The EU is to publish "guiding principles" for upcoming Brexit talks on Ireland and Northern Ireland today.

The paper will seek to drive home the message that the "onus" is on the UK to provide solutions to Brexit-induced problems on the island of Ireland.

It will also try to tackle growing concerns that the UK is using Ireland as a test case for a future EU trade deal.

The four-page document, seen by the Irish Independent, does not provide solutions, but instead asks the UK to make a "political commitment" in its EU divorce deal to protecting the peace process and Good Friday Agreement.

It insists that commitments made on Northern Ireland be "unique" and not "preconfigure" anything that might be agreed in a future trade deal.

Specifically, it asks the UK to maintain existing cross-Border institutions, avoid a hard Border, continue North-south co-operation, protect equal rights and citizenship rights across the island of Ireland, and pay out remaining EU peace funds under the bloc's 2014-20 budget.

The EU also says the common travel area between Ireland and the UK should continue as it does now, including the ability for EU nationals to travel freely between Ireland and the UK without border checks. The UK agreed to this last week, one of the only positives to emerge after a tense third round of Brexit talks.

The European Commission paper, which was signed off by the Irish Government, does not delve into detail on customs or the Border. Those issues will be dealt with in a second phase of talks once the outlines of a divorce deal are in place. But the paper does insist that there be no "physical border infrastructure" on the island of Ireland.

"Border issues are broader than economic questions," the paper says. "The physical border itself was a symbol of division and conflict."

The EU wants agreement on Ireland, citizens' rights and the UK's financial obligations before it begins talks on trade, which both sides had hoped to start in October. The UK published a position paper on Ireland last month, but EU officials complained that it took Irish issues "hostage" in a bid to leapfrog the divorce deal and move talks on to trade.

Fine Gael MEP Brian Hayes said the issue is likely to lead to a "Mexican stand-off".

"My concern is that we will get to October with no deal," he told the Irish Independent. "The British are using Ireland and the whole Border question to try to move on from the divorce settlement to the future relationship."
The catalogue comprises more than 320 lots with a combined value of more than 60 million

The largest ever catalogue of Irish properties will be auctioned online by BidX1, the new brand name for Allsop Ireland, following its takeover by Stephen McCarthy's Space Property Group.

It comprises more than 320 lots with a combined value of more than 60 million. Residential lots, including multi-family, will exceed 200, with a combined value of more than 30m and these will be auctioned on September 27.

"A quarter of the residential offering is based in Dublin, our largest Dublin offering for some time," says director Jonathan Fenn.

On September 28 more than 110 lots, including commercial investments and development land, will be offered with combined reserves of almost 30m.

The most valuable commercial property is 1-3 The Green, Malahide, Co. Dublin, a mixed-use investment with a 3.4m guide price. It generates 288,000 in annual rent, suggesting a gross yield of 8.47pc. Extending to 960 sq m (10,333 sq ft), it comprises a ground-floor restaurant and cocktail bar together with three storeys of offices as well as basement and surface car parks.

The restaurant and bar are let to Siam Thai. As well as six surface car spaces to the front, it has further parking to the rear extending to 0.07 acres.

A vacant office property, Block 5, Unit 2, Tallaght Retail Centre, Dublin 24, has a 1.5m guide price. It extends to 3,539 sq m (38,093 sq ft) and comprises ground-floor reception area and two upper floors of offices along with 24 parking spaces.

The price equates to 39.37 per sq ft. A service station investment, known as Tralee Food Court, Mile Height Retail Park, Rathass, Tralee, Co. Kerry, has a 1,425,000 guide price. It has a current rent reserved of 130,000 suggesting a gross yield of 9.12pc. Extending to 405 sq m (4,359 sq ft), the ground floor comprises three separate restaurants and is let to Petro Gas Limited trading as Applegreen.

A restaurant investment in a popular south Dublin dining destination, Unit 1, 1a and 2a Monkstown Crescent, Clifton Avenue, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, has a 600,000 guide. Extending to 267 sq m (2,873 sq ft) over part ground and first floors, it is let to individuals trading as Amerta Chinese Restaurant at a current passing annual rent of 50,000, which suggests an 8.33pc gross yield.

A soon to be vacated office and warehouse property at Unit 4A, Blanchardstown Corporate Park, Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, is guiding 1.25m. It comprises 833 sq m (8,966 sq ft) of offices over two storeys and 961 sq m (10,344 sq ft) of warehousing on a site with 40 car spaces.

A slice of Cork City's prime shopping street is being offered for 465,000. Located at 124 Patrick Street, the vacant four-storey, mid-terrace retail building extends to 154 sq m (1,657 sq ft) of which 59.8 sq m (643 sq ft) is ground floor retail. In Cork's southside suburb of Douglas, a mixed-use investment, Oakleigh House, Donnybrook, comprising three retail units and three apartments has an 800,000 maximum reserve.
CBRE has brought two properties to the market which would appeal to private investors and one of them could also suit an owner-occupier.

A mixed-use investment property, 21 Main Street, Blackrock, south Dublin, is for sale for 720,000.

It produces an annual rent roll of 64,000 from two tenants, which equates to a net initial yield of 8.51pc.

The basement and ground floor is let to Tagford Ltd, trading as Flexa, a Danish childcare furniture operator. The two upper floors, extending to 46 sq m (495 sq ft) and 43 sq m (470 sq ft) are let as offices to medical scanning company Ultrasound Dimensions Limited.

A vacant modern building at 84 Talbot Street, Dublin 1, is for sale with a 1.2m price tag.

Extending to 408 sq m (4,400 sq ft), the five-storey-over-basement building was previously in office use.

Simon Plunkett of agents CBRE says it also has planning permission for retail use at ground and basement levels and there is separate access from street level to the upper-floor office accommodation and this combination would afford "both owner occupier and investors a unique city centre asset management opportunity".

Talbot Street is a busy thoroughfare linking Henry St with key transport hubs at Connolly Station and Busaras.
Irish parents are being warned by schools about a new honesty smartphone app that is creating fears of bullying.

The app, Sarahah, has swept into Ireland, overtaking Twitter and Tinder on the Irish app charts.

It allows people to send anonymous comments to Sarahah users.

But teachers at one of Dublins biggest secondary schools say it is being used by some children to insult or bully others.

The city centre girls school, which asked not to be named for privacy reasons, has banned the Sararah app and advised parents to delete it from their childrens phones.

Please check your daughters phone for the Sararah app, wrote a senior school administrator to hundreds of parents. This app is used to send anonymous messages, some of which may be nasty. Your daughters were asked to delete this app to ensure the wellbeing of all the students.

Once someone signs up to Sarahah, they have a username at sarahah.com. If someone knows the username of a Sarahah user, they can leave unlimited anonymous messages, which pop up as notifications on the Sararah users smartphone. Commenters do not need to be registered on Sararah to leave comments about others.

Experts have warned that the app gathers all contacts information from a users phone and uploads it to its own servers without any stated purpose.

The creator of the app, Saudi Arabian programmer Zain al-Abidin Tawfiq, said that Sarahah harvests contacts from users for features that will be implemented at a later time.

He said that these user contact lists are being uploaded for a planned find your friends feature, which has been delayed due to a technical issue.

Launched in February, Sararah has rocketed to popularity around the world with 20 million users.

Its primary audience appears to be teenagers who screenshot compliments they receive on other social media forums such as Instagram and Snapchat. Some also invite comments by posting their Sarahah usernames on such social media.

Sarahah presents itself as an app that helps you self-develop by receiving constructive anonymous feedback. Its creator says that its a way for friends and colleagues to point out your personal strengths or weaknesses.

On social media services such as Twitter and Facebook, hashtags using #sarahah show messages that people have posted about users. Teenagers sometimes post their Sarahah usernames and ask social media followers to comment on them anonymously.

Earlier this year, a UK study into Irish teenagers found that cyberbullying is a significant contributory factor into negative perceptions about body images among young people.

The University of Chester research found that teens that are cyberbullied are more likely to think of themselves as being too fat.
Just when us country folk thought it was safe to go out and about - they're back! And they've got you all in mind because, any way you look at it, another general election does beckon.

Yes, our politicians are limbering up for the Dail's return a fortnight tomorrow. Now, oddly enough, that is a date which clashes with those ploughing matches back again at Screggan, Tullamore. To some that's a lamentable fixture clash - but let's move on.

Before they go back to the big house in Kildare Street, Dublin, the politicians have their so-called "think-ins." It was Bertie Ahern who pioneered these type of gatherings as Fianna Fail leader from 1994 onwards.

Originally, they were an opportunity to boost team spirit, allowing backbench TDs and Senators a chance to mingle and chat with the party's heavy-hitters, be they ministers or front-bench spokespeople.

Soon they became more choreographed with a lot of media involvement and photo opportunities.

Time there was, when these gatherings were more dedicated to the alcohol god, Bacchus, than to Plato or any other political philosopher. But a few celebrated incidents put a damper on that late-night carry-on for a time at least.

But let's not digress too much. Tomorrow Sinn Fein will gather at a motorway hotel just south of Drogheda, a venue which seems to suit participants from both sides of the border.

On Thursday it is the turn of the fledgling Social Democrats in Dublin.

But the venues for the following three get-togethers tell us something very direct about those parties' very specific political intent.

Labour are in the Clanard Court Hotel, just outside Athy, next Sunday and Monday.

Apart from anything else, the location is a direct statement that they want Cllr Mark Wall, son of the celebrated former Labour TD, Jack Wall, to win back that seat in newly-expanded, four-seat, Kildare South.

The Walls are, like many provincial Labour activists, very keen to be seen as the Fianna Fail end of Labour with good GAA links. But it will be an uphill struggle.

Fine Gael head to the Minella Hotel, just outside Clonmel, on Thursday and Friday of next week.

They're also making a statement that they want a seat in one of Ireland's prime farming counties, where they astonishingly have not got a single TD at present.

Finally, just before the Dail reconvenes, Fianna Fail will repair to Longford, their former leader and Taoiseach, Albert Reynolds's old stomping ground.

Here again, they cannot see why they should have no TD in Longford at present.

Back at Leinster House, politics is going to liven up as the silly season winds down. Already, the "first-up best-dressed" Budget battles have begun, with each minister vying for a slice of a diminished pie.

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe presents his first Budget on Tuesday, October 10. That is a bare five weeks away.

This year there are relatively speaking just pennies and halfpennies to spare out of a total State spend of 60bn for 2018.

This is mainly due to EU obligations to balance the books.

But in the following years, there will be big money to spend.

Will Fianna Fail continue their government support arrangements and allow Fine Gael spend the largesse before an election.

Unlikely, I believe. Smart money is now on the forthcoming Budget being the last one with an election next year.

John Downing is an Irish Independent political correspondent
Lakeland Dairies has opened its 40m expansion of milk powder operations at its Bailieboro site in Cavan.

According to Lakeland Dairies, the Bailieboro facility is among the most advanced milk powder plants in the world and one of the largest such plants in Europe.

And Lakeland Dairies CEO Michael Hanely said being a large scale processor with best in class products was key to the co-op's market competitiveness.

Hanley said the new facilty, which is Lakeland's third milk drying plant, will allow it to process over 1.2bn litres of milk this year, a considerable amount of which will be converted into 160,000 of milk powders and 50,000t of butter.

This, he said, allows Lakeland great flexibility in milk throughput and overall economies of scale for the food ingredients business.

Hanley also said that the new facility had not cost the co-op's 2,400 dairy farmers.

The Minister for Agriculture, Food and the Marine, Michael Creed, said at the official opening that international markets are key to the Irish dairy industry as a global exporter.

Lakeland Chairman Alo Duffy said that demand for dairy products was not enough to keep Irish dairy products in demand, but that such products must be best in class.

The investment has been supported by the Department of Business, Enterprise and Innovation through Enterprise Ireland. This is creating 85 new jobs across the Lakeland Dairies Group between now and 2019.

With 2,400 dairy farmers supplying milk to the co-operative across 15 counties north and south, Lakeland Dairies now employs over 800 people.

Lakeland now processes over 1.2bn litres of milk annually into 240 dairy foodservice products and food ingredients for export to over 80 countries worldwide.

The expansion saw the installation of a new 7t per hour milk dryer and evaporators where total milk powder production capacity has now increased to 20t per hour.
Germany supports the idea of sending United Nations peacekeepers to Donbas, however believes the mandate for the mission in eastern Ukraine should extend across occupied areas and not just the line of demarcation between Russian occupation forces and Ukrainian government troops, Deputy Head of the Press and Information Office of the German Federal Government Ulrike Demmer has said.

"In general the federal government supports the Russian initiative to deploy a peacekeeping mission. The idea was first proposed by Ukraine in 2015. It's a good sign that Russia is ready to join the process seeking peace in eastern Ukraine, Demmer told journalists in Berlin on Wednesday, adding "the Devil is in the details" of any Russian proposal to the UN Security Council.

Germany Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Schafer said Germany and France would together discuss proposals for UN peacekeepers, taking into consideration differences between Ukraine and Russia.

"It's not in the interests of Germany to turn the war in Donbas into a frozen conflict, like the ones in Transdniester or in Georgia," Schafer said.
WHEN she took the first steps to reach the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa's highest mountain, Aisling Keegan carried with her the grief - and relief - of a parent who almost lost a child.

In 2007, the lives of Keegan and her husband Crevan were thrown into turmoil when their son Zack was diagnosed with a serious kidney condition at birth.

Zack battled for survival in his first few months at Dublin's Temple Street Children's Hospital and, at one point, the now thriving 10-year-old was sent home to die.

For Keegan, the inaugural vice-president and general manager of Dell EMC Ireland - the entity that was formed after the global merger between the two tech behemoths - reaching the summit was an "incredibly emotional" and spiritual experience that changed her life - and the way she leads.

It was Keegan, who was turned down by a gym five weeks before she scaled Kilimanjaro - a second gym relented, despite the insanely short training window - that the guides from the local Chagga people turned to her to help convince as many of the 12-strong team as possible to scale the last 150m from Uhuru peak to the summit.

Throughout the 11-day trek through "horrific" terrains and climates, Keegan spent a full day with each team member, learning their backstory - and sharing her own.

Overcome with exhaustion at Uhuru, only two - including Keegan - were intent on crawling the final 150m.

In the end Keegan, armed with a picture of Zack and one of his consultants - and gratitude for those that saved his life - convinced nine of the 12 to reach the summit with her. It took over an hour and a half to reach the top and they cried a valley of tears when they reached it.

"Everybody came to the mountain with their own 'thing' and some had experienced some really painful tragedies," says Keegan for whom the memory of her son's illness still catches her, 10 years on.

"I had grit, determination and resilience - that's what I learned about myself.

"There was nothing going to stop me summiting. I am a high-energy individual with a keen interest in anthropology and psychology and what makes people tick.

"That is an important part of leadership: realising that when you are leading an organisation or a business, you have got to bring the team with you."

Managing teams through change has become Keegan's metier: it was the Dubliner who was selected as chief integration officer for the Dell EMC merger in the UK and Ireland.

Her appointment as GM of Dell EMC Ireland coincided with the onset of the merger, the first anniversary of which falls today.

The mammoth merger was itself preceded, in 2013, by the closing of a $25bn deal following a decision by Michael Dell, one of Silicon Valley's original tech prodigies - who went public with Dell at the age of 23 - to take private the eponymous company he founded in his dorm room.

Keegan, who spent the previous five years as executive director and GM of commercial business for Dell UK, says the merger has been a huge success in Ireland, albeit on the back of pain for many.

The 2009 announcement of 1,900 job losses at Dell's Limerick plant was a major blow for Limerick and the mid-west region.

The shock redundancies, which are still fresh in the region's memory, followed a global review of Dell's operations in an effort to cut $3bn a year.

Despite the hard yards endured at Limerick, Keegan says Ireland is key for Dell Technologies, the US parent conglomerate that includes Dell EMC, and for other multi nationals (MNCs) investing in the EMEA.

With 5,000 staff the Irish arm has more staff than any other Dell EMC company in the EMEA region. It recruits some 200 graduates a year and is in the middle of a hiring spree. "Every single global function is represented in Ireland," says Keegan, who has traded an average four flights a week in her previous UK role with routine trips from her Cherrywood, Dublin base to staff and customers across the island.

Limerick is home to the merged entity's supply chain, along with IT and ecommerce. The Dublin campus is home to sales, services and financial services staff, whilst Cork is host to its key manufacturing and infrastructure technology assets.

"The fact that we have that global functional presence on this island is a reflection of the teams' work," says Keegan, who has just taken part in Dell EMC's international forum for IT decision makers and executives from more than 40 countries.

Significantly, as Brexit unfolds, the event was held in Dublin ahead of another in London later this year. "Ireland is very much seen as a strategic hub for Dell EMC. Right now we're continuing to invest - we are hiring now for the island of Ireland."

For Keegan, who started in Dell 17 years ago on the same day as her mentor and now Dell EMC EMEA President, Irishman Aongus Hegarty, the merger has presented huge opportunities for growth for Dell Technologies' island of Ireland arm.

Despite leading Dell's UK division in the run-up to Brexit, Keegan, who also has an 11-year-old son Jake, didn't make a call on the controversial vote at the time because of the different feedback she was receiving, depending on which industry or region she spoke to.

"I didn't place any bets either way," says Keegan.

"There's no question that Brexit has created uncertainty amongst businesses in Ireland and in the UK.

"In terms of the results, what it means for businesses and what we can do, Dell EMC Ireland is focused on upskilling our people, attracting, acquiring and retaining key talent and - having been on a journey of transformation in the capabilities and skillset on the island of Ireland."

Indeed, it is upskilling to accommodate rapid digital transformation, rather than Brexit per se, that Ireland needs to hone in on, according to Keegan.

"If anything, I would place a huge emphasis on the importance of looking at your business, looking at your employee acquisition rate and the capabilities that you are requiring and future-proofing your own organisation in readiness for five to 10 years from now," she says.

It is the future of work where Michael Dell is focusing his efforts - and his money. Dell Technologies invests $4.5bn in R&D annually, as its capital wing invests $100m annually in innovative startups in future tech areas such as artificial intelligence, machine learning, automotives and genomics.

Keegan says that Ireland must also embrace digital transformation and provide the necessary infrastructure for it.

"We all have a role to play in building Ireland up as the 'Island of Innovation'," says Keegan who is a passionate advocate for children's charities and for women in business - 2017 was the first time that female entrepreneurs from Ireland attended Dell's prestigious women's entrepreneur network (DWEN) in San Francisco.

"That means making sure we continually attract key talent from overseas".

Does that mean agitating for lower personal tax rates and clinging on to our 12.5pc corporate tax rate for dear life?

Like almost every executive working for a US multinational, Keegan adopts a masterful diplomacy when it comes to the thorny issue of tax - I'm convinced there's a special school they go to to navigate it.

"Corporation tax is one factor, but it's not the core," says Keegan who highlights Ireland's educated workforce, geography and track record on accessing talent.

They are factors that last week saw Ireland named the best country in the world for attracting high-value foreign direct investments for the sixth year in a row according to IBM's 2017 Global Locations Trends report.

"It's incumbent on the business community to ensure that we are constantly future-readying ourselves," adds Keegan who says the biggest paradigm shift for Dell has been moving from a traditional-thinking company to a software company.

As we meet, the national identity card debate is raging.

Unsurprisingly, Keegan is a digitisation devotee, especially relating to health data. She concedes a "healthy debate" is required on the implications of tech on privacy and security, but insists "we can't be left behind".

The accidental trekker is working on her own legacy as she climbs further through Dell EMC's ranks.

"What makes me sleep well at night is leaving a legacy of good.

"Whether it is being authentic and treating people with respect, being as transparent and open as you can or being with my children and putting everything that I have in to them so they become great young men."
Aviation entrepreneurs Ulick and Des McEvaddy are aiming to exit Nama by the end of the year after securing money from a small US bank that specialises in the aerospace sector.

It is understood the loans secured on a site adjacent to the airport were considered by Nama for inclusion in a sale by the bad bank in the absence of an offer for the full value of the debt. But sources familiar with the negotiations said the brothers would repay the loans in full by Christmas.

News of their impending exit follows revelations earlier this year that a Dubai-based organisation had agreed to back the McEvaddy's multi-decade-long battle to construct a terminal on a 130-acre parcel of land beside Dublin Airport, which they control along with other stakeholders.

Loans tied to the site ended up in Nama after the crash.

If the Omega Air directors succeed in taking the loans out of Nama, it will revive their lengthy and so-far unsuccessful attempt to gain access to taxiways and runways at Dublin Airport for a new terminal.

In the late 1990s Fingal County Council refused to greenlight the proposed construction of a private terminal and the McEvaddys appealed to the European authorities. But in 2002 the EU Commission ruled there had been no breach of competition law.

However, it is understood the McEvaddys are now considering another legal challenge.

A report by this newspaper's sister publication, the 'Sunday Independent' revealed in March that Dubai-headquartered Tricap Investments, a major investment fund with a diversified investment portfolio that spans real estate, energy and aerospace in the Middle East, the US, Asia and Africa had agreed to back this latest tilt by the brothers.

It is not clear how that financial arrangement is structured nor whether Tricap had tied its cash injection to the McEvaddys' securing funding to repay Nama as well as planning permission for the site.

But documents obtained by the 'Sunday Independent' show the McEvaddys and Tricap Investments unveiled their masterplan for T3 to Transport Minister Shane Ross in July last year.

Patrick O'Donovan, Minister of State at the Department of Transport, and Jobs Minister Mary Mitchell O'Connor were also lobbied. The push to revive the McEvaddy's airport plan comes as construction is due of a new runway at Dublin Airport.
Singapore wealth fund GIC - which owns 16pc of Irish telecoms firm Eir - has agreed to buy a 30pc stake in global aircraft management company BBAM as it eyes increasing demand for jets and air travel in Asia.

BBAM shareholders include former Aer Lingus chairman Colm Barrington.

GIC did not disclose how much it's paying, but it's certain to be at a premium to the $165m that was paid by Canadian private equity firm Onex in 2012 for a 50pc stake in BBAM.

BBAM's management team owns the other 50pc of the company. GIC will acquire shares from both the management team and Onex.

BBAM manages and services the fleet of Dublin-based aircraft-leasing firm Fly Leasing, which is listed on the New York stock market. Mr Barrington is the chief executive of Fly Leasing, but an employee of BBAM, which provides his services to Fly Leasing. BBAM shareholders also own 14pc of Fly Leasing.

Fly Leasing has a fleet of 81 aircraft worth $3bn, mostly single-aisle Airbus A320 family jets and Boeing 737s.

It told investors yesterday that it plans to complete $750m (628m) worth of jet acquisitions a year as it boosts its portfolio, and that it has more than $2bn of buying power.

Continuing growth in air travel within Asia has increased the interest of investors there in the leasing sector.
Brexit is set to lead to a banking exodus from London to the EU and beyond says Deutsche Bank

The fall in tourists from Britain this year could cost the economy almost 70m, a drinks industry report has warned.

The number of Britons visiting Ireland plummeted by more than 6pc in the first half of the year, with the weakening in sterling blamed.

That trend is likely to continue for the rest of this year and the years ahead, according to the study commissioned by the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland (DIGI).

"British tourists spent 1.1bn in Ireland in 2016, but a 6.2pc drop in their numbers would result in a loss of nearly 70m this year if the trend continues," the report said.

"This decline is likely to continue for the rest of the year and the years ahead, affecting jobs and income, particularly in rural Ireland."

The report noted that British tourists account for 41pc of all visitors to Ireland.

Meanwhile, the Deutsche Bank CEO has said Frankfurt is now battling New York and Singapore for UK banking jobs in the run-up to Brexit, having already emerged as a clear winner among its European peers.

John Cryan said that while financial hubs like Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin would undoubtedly benefit from the UK's post-Brexit exodus, none have the infrastructure to take a large portion of business from London.

"For months there have been discussions regarding which location is set to profit the most once London is no longer within the European Union.

"I cannot fully understand this debate because as I see it, the race had already been won before it even began," the Yorkshire-born CEO said during a banking conference in Frankfurt.

But some banks may be looking at whether to strip down their EU operations and shift jobs further afield.

"It is always an option for an international bank to retain only the absolute minimum and to carry out practically all tasks that are not connected to direct client contact in America or Asia.

"For this reason, it's not about a choice between Dublin, Paris or Frankfurt - it's about a choice between New York, Singapore or Frankfurt." (Additional reporting Press Association)
CRH had been previously targeted by pro-Palestinian activists at its AGMs, who pressed for the building materials firm to sell its stake in the Israeli business. Photo: PA

A $34bn (28bn) US lawsuit launched last year by Palestinian activists against dozens of companies including Ireland's CRH, has been dismissed by a Washington DC court.

The activists had tried to sue about 40 defendants for alleged "profiteering" related to the construction of Jewish settlements in the West Bank. The companies sued ranged from Hewlett-Packard, Volvo and Motorola, to security firm G4S.

Last year, and prior to the lawsuit being launched, CRH sold its 25pc stake in Israel's only cement firm, Mashav, ending a focus of huge controversy for the Irish company - Ireland's biggest.

Mashav is the holding company for a firm called Nesher, whose cement has ultimately been used to make huge concrete slabs that were used to construct the wall dividing the West Bank from Israel.

CRH had been previously targeted by pro-Palestinian activists at its AGMs, who pressed for the building materials firm to sell its stake in the Israeli business.

In March last year, more than two dozen plaintiffs - mostly individuals but also some Palestinian village councils - filed the lawsuit in Washington DC.

The lawsuit claimed that Israel's separation wall with Palestine, "numerous checkpoint concrete barriers, the concrete foundations in all West Bank settlements, and Israeli infrastructure in the West Bank were all built using cement purchased from Nesher".

The plaintiffs alleged that Nesher knew the cement it produced would be used for "aggressive settlement expansion and thus ethnic cleansing of the local Palestinian population".

In determining the estimated damages sought in the case, the plaintiffs argued through their lawyers that many of the defendant firms had "pillaged" Palestinian resources.

"Since none of these defendants had received licensing agreements from the legitimate property owners to exploit the resources owned on that property and have no recorded deeds which formally transferred ownership to them, they have committed the war crime of pillage for approximately 30 years," lawyers claimed.

The Washington DC court has dismissed the lawsuit, saying it lacked jurisdiction over the matters raised in it.

Last month, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu vowed that the West Bank settlements would never be evacuated.

"We have returned here for eternity," Mr Netanyahu said. "There will be no more uprooting of settlements."
KBC Bank is asking new customers to take a selfie to sign up for a current account.

It is putting it up to its rivals by launching an app that allows new customers to open a current account in just five minutes. The new process is paperless.

And the bank is now providing customer support on a 24/7 basis.

The bank, which is attempting to double its customer numbers by taking customers from other banks, is also opening a new branch in Blanchardstown in Dublin. This is its sixteenth hub.

The new app allows customers to open a current account from their phone and they will get 5 as a reward.

Customers are signed up to the Extra current account, which has no transaction charges if at least 2,500 is lodged into it each month.

Part of the verification process involves taking a selfie.

The new process is in line with anti-money laundering legislation, KBC said.

The bank claims the mobile app is the first of its kind. It was developed in Dublin. It will now be rolled out in the banks other operations in Belgium and Hungary.

The bank is investing 1.5bn in digital innovations.

It claims users can open a new account in just five steps via the app, and works on Apple and android devices.

Customers download the app and enter their personal details.

KBC then sends on an activation code before asking users to take a photograph of their driving licence and a selfie.

Once these are uploaded, customers confirm their details, answer a couple of legal questions and add their digital debit card to their Apple or Android Pay wallets.

Customers can immediately use the digital card to make purchases with KBC giving 5 to every new account.

KBC Banks director of innovation Eddie Dillon said: Weve whittled down the time to open a new active bank account from over a week to just five minutes, entirely paper-free.

The bank is trying to get consumers to switch their current account to it.

Only 3,600 of the 5.2m banking customers switched their current account in the first half of last year, according to figures from the Central Bank.

KBC is hoping that making it easier to open an account does helps gain customers.

Two recent entrants to the Irish market, Revolut and N26, which are both digital-only banks, have gained thousands of customers respectively in Ireland in a short space of time for their easy-to-activate accounts.

KBC currently has 250,000 customers in Ireland. It employs about 1,000 people locally.

The bank is also opening its customer contact centre in Dublin on a 24/7 basis. This means customers will be able to get in touch with the bank at any time of the day or night.

Customers can contact it by phone, webchat, email or social media.

The contact centre provides both customer service and sales advice.

Mr Dillon said KBC is the first bank in Ireland to offer both on a round-the-clock basis.
A prime rule of public relations is to not become the subject of the story. Bell Pottinger has broken that maxim in every way imaginable.

The UK corporate communications firm is in meltdown following its work on a highly divisive campaign in South Africa. Though poor management is partly to blame, disruptions prompted by the rise of online media also played a role. It's a red flag for an industry that has so far avoided the woes of traditional publishers.

Even the most silver-tongued spin doctors would struggle to defend Bell Pottinger's activities in South Africa. Working for a company controlled by the powerful Gupta family, it devised a campaign to highlight persistent economic divisions in a way that was likely to inflame racial tension. The resulting political firestorm culminated this week in the resignation of Bell Pottinger's CEO and the firm's expulsion from the UK public relations trade body.

Clients and staff are defecting and founder and former chairman Tim Bell says the firm will "almost certainly" fail to survive.

The business has reportedly put itself up for sale.

The saga highlights broader pressures facing the industry. A business that initially set out to influence media gatekeepers at newspapers, magazines and television stations has been forced to adapt as new channels of communication have opened up.

Some PR firms have diversified by offering to handle investor relations for big corporate clients, advising on big takeover deals, or by expanding into political lobbying.

Others have pushed into campaigning with the help of social media. But this brings risks. Firms that previously acted as behind-the-scenes intermediaries for potentially unsavoury clients are more accountable for the messages they transmit or the Wikipedia pages they edit.

The promise of hefty fees, such as the 100,000 a month that Bell Pottinger earned for its South African work, has also lured some firms into far-flung markets where they lack local knowledge.

Even as traditional media struggles with fragmenting audiences and declining advertising, the PR industry has continued to expand. The sector's total revenue rose 5pc to $14.2bn in 2015, according to the Holmes Report. But this upward trend masks turbulent changes. Bell Pottinger's downfall is a reminder of the risks that such shifts pose to the industry's own reputation. (Reuters Breaking Views)
Irish banks have been quietly trying to deal with their dirty secret since 2015. It relates to the way they ripped off up to 15,000 of their customers by wrongly denying them access to tracker mortgages.

I say "dirty secret" because there was something truly appalling at how an estimated 100 people lost their homes because of it, and thousands of people went through unnecessary financial, emotional and psychological pain as a result.

It was a secret because despite some people reporting it to the Financial Ombudsman back in 2008, it was a further seven years before the Central Bank conducted a serious in depth-investigation and forced the banks into a redress programme.

That process is coming close to the end of its second phase. By the end of this month, all of the banks, and there are around 15 lenders under scrutiny, have to complete the process of deciding which of their accounts should be covered by the redress scheme.

Some banks have provided public details of how many accounts were affected. For example, Bank of Ireland has confirmed that it overcharged 4,000 accounts by depriving them of tracker mortgage status when they should have been entitled to it. AIB has revealed that up to 3,000 customers were affected by overcharging.

There is a somewhat bizarre process in train in relation to putting all of this right. It is bizarre because it is led by the banks themselves with the oversight of the Central Bank. For example, when a bank decides by the end of this month that certain people are not going to be included, the Central Bank will hire accountants, probably from the big auditing firms, to go in and conduct spot checks of why some accounts were included and others were not.

If you are in that position and one of these hired bean counters misses your case, then it isn't at all clear what you can do about it. In many cases the statute of limitations will have run out and court will not be an option, unless you have been selected as a qualifying case.

Who exactly is the consumer advocate in the process? The Central Bank will argue that it represents the customer but it oversees this whole process on a macro level, not on a case-by-case level.

The Central Bank documentation on the investigations says Phase II requires "lenders to conduct the review of their mortgage loan books in line with our framework ... Lenders must review the underlying loan documentation and customer files for the in-scope accounts to determine their specific contractual obligations ..." So the banks decide who is in and who is out, with a follow-up audit afterwards. What are the penalties for a particular bank if it is found afterwards that a very large number of cases should have been included? Is it a fine or a rap on the knuckles?

The process is also a little bizarre because the perpetrators of this travesty are the ones checking through their own accounts to see who should be included. Thousands of people who have been put through the ringer by the greed of their financial institution have no idea whether they are being included or not and will have to wait until the end of this month to find out for definite.

Banks have set aside sums of money as to how much they think the whole thing will cost. AIB has set aside 190m. Permanent TSB has set aside 145m. But KBC, for example, says it has made a provision but has yet to say how much or how many cases are involved.

Several banks have not disclosed the number of cases they have uncovered. Why not? And when asked about it, the governor of the Central Bank, Philip Lane told an Oireachtas committee that for legal reasons he couldn't go into further detail. What legal reasons? Who is calling the shots in this investigation?

The situation would not be so unsavoury if it was all based on some mistake. But around 15 mortgage lenders chose to interpret contracts and obligations around tracker mortgages in different ways but across the board in their own favour, yet the courts have found otherwise and so now has the Central Bank.

Bad enough to have done it, but the foot-dragging, and obfuscation by the banks afterwards has been particularly shocking.

Financial adviser Padraic Kissane has been at the forefront of helping victims of this scandal. He said the process is heavily weighted against the consumer and the attitude of the banks has been truly shocking. "There has been a huge level of resistance from the banks through every step," he said.

Some people are obvious victims and so far at least 78m in compensation and redress has been paid out. But there is a lot more to come. It is estimated that the total costs of this debacle to the banks will be around 500m. That sounds like a lot of money but Bank of Ireland and AIB made profits of 2.9bn between them last year.

There are many human stories behind the abuse of power banks exercised in their treatment of people who were denied tracker mortgages or not presented with enough information about their entitlements.

The obvious one is the person whose mortgage repayments shot up, they fell behind and ultimately lost their home. Another is the person who worked their backsides off to meet exorbitant mortgage repayments that were much higher than they should have been. Giving them back their tracker is one thing. Giving them some redress is another. But nobody can give them back those years.

People who were placed on higher mortgage rates than they should, could have claimed higher interest relief from the revenue. So, the taxpayer footed a chunk of the bill here. And when customers receive redress, what happens their tax position, given they have perhaps claimed higher interest payments but are then compensated.

The speculation is that the banks will have to make some kind of large one-off payment to Revenue to cover this, as the Revenue couldn't go over every individual case.

Perhaps the least amount of public sympathy has fallen to buy-to-let investors who lost their investment properties.

But that perspective fails to take account of the pain many of them have suffered.

Just because you didn't lose your home doesn't mean you were not seriously financially disadvantaged and wrongly put through hell by your bank's behaviour. Financial websites like Askaboutmoney.com have plenty of examples of people in different situations and indeed there are cases where buy-to-let investors are being compensated.

But how many of them were forced into selling their investment properties by the banks at the bottom of the market, only to then be pursued by the bank for the shortfall? Lots is the answer.

I know of one case in particular where someone with four properties on tracker mortgages was taken off trackers, and the rent did not cover the higher mortgage repayments.

This person was pushed into selling the properties on the market at the very bottom, and has spent several years grappling with the financial consequences of the outstanding debt to the bank.

Yet, because he no longer has the homes, will he be included by the bank in their own list of deserving victims? If he is, how much compensation should he receive? One option is to give him the value of those houses today, because he would still have owned them.

The Central Bank literature on the investigation says: "All redress and compensation programmes must at least return impacted customers to the position they would have been in, had the relevant issue not occurred."

Then start to put a figure on the stress, health implications and pain of the last number of years.

Another option is to give him his loans back. Why not give him those loans at those tracker rates so he could at least start again.

But there are no guarantees he will even be included in a list for redress and his options for appeal are very unclear.

Banks and bankers must be held accountable for what they have done. People have to have confidence it will not happen again and that justice is being done.

So far, it doesn't look like it.
What does the future hold for the tech we use every day? What are the major trends to be aware of? These are the big questions after Europe's biggest tech trade event, IFA 2017. Our Technology Editor joined 250,000 visitors checking out what's coming next. Here are his top takeaways

1 We're finally maxing out on phone screen sizes as battery life improves

It looks like six inches is the farthest we're willing to push it on our smartphones.

For years, handset screens have been scaling up. Indeed, it's hard to fathom that the standard screen on a phone just three years ago was only 3.5 inches across. Today, the average screen size is five inches, even for budget entry-level phones. That's a doubling in size in a relatively short period of time. However, we are now definitively approaching the final size ceiling for our phone displays. This is because manufacturers have nowhere left to push the screen size without making the devices into actual tablets.

At present, Samsung, LG and, probably, Apple next week Apple, are executing their final screen-enlarging push by getting the display to cover the entire front side of the handset, squeezing out the bezels. In the case of Samsung's Note 8, this results in a screen that's 6.3-inches in size, a hair larger than its Galaxy S8 Plus, which has a 6.2-inch screen using the same bezel-eliminating method.

But anything bigger than this would make the device into something resembling an iPad mini. And while such a screen would have its benefits, it simply wouldn't fit into a pocket or ever be usable with a single hand.

One happy by-product of the ever-larger phones, incidentally, is an improvement in battery life. Even mid-range models such as Motorola's new X4 now have batteries of 3,400mAh or higher (compared to the iPhone 7's battery of 2,700mAh). The extra battery life is due to more physical space to house a bigger battery. But it's also a recognition from manufacturers that people now use their phones for much longer periods, and for much more media-intensive purposes, than was the case in previous years.

2 It's getting increasingly difficult to tell TVs apart

Walk into any electronics superstore and you'll be hard pushed to find any real differences between today's premium TVs. If IFA is anything to go by, it's getting even more homogenous.

They're all thin, flat screens with tiny logos. They all have 4K. Most are now getting HDR, which marginally improves detail and your ability to see the colour black. But there's no technology that gives any one TV set the kind of edge that anyone is really talking about. Earlier advances such as 4K have been integrated into no-name, entry level televisions that cost 499. (Even now, 4K content still represents a tiny percentage of programming that people can watch on an everyday basis. It's for this reason that no-one is even trying to talk up 8K, despite a few models on show at IFA with that resolution.)

Furthermore, TV manufacturers have used up a fair dollop of credibility on supposed technological breakthroughs that were flops. Remember curved TVs and 3D? You don't see many of those anymore. In the last two years, the promotional push has been around Oled technology and HDR. But neither provides a significant difference to the quality of content that the ordinary person watches or streams.

Aside from screen size and thinness, we're simply finding it harder to tell one TV from another these days. So the giants - Samsung, LG, Sony and Panasonic - have eased off hyping the products up for the time being.

3 Amazon Alexa is spreading everywhere

Voice activation is proving to be one of the most pervasive hit technologies of the last three years. In particular, it's proving popular in homes with gadgets such as Google Home or Amazon Echo.

A walk through the halls of IFA showed a growing number of devices loading voice-recognition systems from Amazon or Google into their systems. This is particularly noticeable in the world of speakers and 'smart home' gadgets. But it's also now present in phones. For example, despite dual cameras and object-recognition technology, what most interested commentators about Motorola's new X4 phone seemed to be that it can handle both Google and Amazon Alexa voice commands.

Alas, Amazon Alexa is not yet officially supported for the Irish market. (Neither is Prime, its shopping service.) So if you get an Amazon Echo, it will work as a (mediocre) music speaker. But if you ask it about the weather, you'll have specify the weather "in Dublin" (or wherever you live) as opposed to simply asking about "the weather", which you would do in an Alexa-supported territory such as the UK, the US or Germany.

4 Tiny memory storage cards will soon hold 1,000GB

Over the last five years, memory cards have not been able to keep up with popular usage patterns in phone, camera and PC media. Phone cameras, in particular, have been getting far better for both stills and videos.

It's not unusual now for an ordinary person to shoot a few different videos on a daily basis, using up 100MB (0.1GB) of their phone or camera's 16GB or 32GB storage memory in the process. This has been a great boon to companies like Dropbox and iCloud, both of which now make ever-increasing sums from people's monthly cloud storage subscriptions.

To tackle this, some phones allow you to put a MicroSD memory card into the phone to hold photos or videos. But even then, most cards are limited to 32GB or 64GB, which fill up quickly for people taking a lot of pictures. Sandisk chose IFA to unveil its newest memory card, which has a whopping 400GB of storage in a little plastic thing the size of your little fingernail. While this won't initially be cheap (costing well over 100), the good news is that this will make still-hefty 128GB MicroSD cards cheaper, with prices now already falling below 50 (the equivalent of five months' cloud storage fees with Dropbox).

5 The standalone camera market may soon be dead

A couple of years ago, camera manufacturers such as Canon and Nikon boasted huge stands at shows such as IFA and CES in Las Vegas.

At this year's Berlin show, Canon (the world's biggest camera manufacturer by some distance) didn't turn up, despite one new major product launch and several smaller ones in recent weeks. Olympus was absent too, despite a brand new camera launch (the E-M10 Mark ii) the same week. Once-mighty Nikon had arguably the smallest tent in the whole conference, manned by two people and a handful of D850 cameras (with no battery grips or new lenses). When I visited it, there was no-one else going near it. Even BlackBerry had more visitors.

Fujifilm, which is one of the few camera companies actually holding its own in the market, skipped out on the event too.

The message the camera market is sending out is a desperate one - it's sinking and its biggest practitioners can barely afford to take out a stand at the world's most important trade fairs.

Even if they can afford it, they don't think anyone will be bothered to go over and look at their wares, which are starting to take on the aura of niche professional machines rather than fun devices to tempt a mass market.

To be fair, both Panasonic and Sony had plenty of camera equipment, lenses and other optical gear on site. But that was only as part of their giant enclosures which featured everything else from TVs and fridges to smart home speakers.

Ironically, talk of cameras dominated some of the launches at IFA - but it was in phones and drones. Several phone manufacturers unveiled dual camera models at the event, while DJI hyped up the large enhanced cameras on its new Phantom 4 Pro Obsidian model. This is sadly typical of the global trend. Cameras are now spoken about and measured in conversations about phones, not standalone DSLRs, compact or mirrorless devices.

In a vicious circle that will accelerate the departure of cameras from the mainstream, camera manufacturers are now paying less and less attention to ordinary consumers and retrenching to professionals or wealthy hobbyists. As such, while the price of most tech goods is going down, the price of new cameras is going up, with fewer and fewer major launches focusing on sub-1,000 models.

6 Drones are finally starting to pipe down

What's the biggest downside of drones? For many, it's the irritating noise they make. As drones cannot be flown in built-up urban areas, they tend to be flown in rural beauty spots instead.

But this sometimes comes with a price: the high-pitched buzzing sound they emit, similar to a giant mosquito. DJI, which has around 70pc of the drone market, announced an update to one of its main models with a massive reduction in noise. Its Mavic Pro Platinum is 60pc quieter than the previous Mavic Pro.

This is a big deal and could help improve relations between people legally flying drones in beauty spots and others trying to enjoy the tranquillity of those areas.

It will not, however, do anything to stop the growing number of sites around Ireland that are banning drones. Earlier this year, Heritage Ireland declared that drones may not be flown at National Monument Sites such as castles, abbeys and neolithic sites around the country.

7 Nobody's shouting about wearables anymore

Two years ago, you couldn't move at a big convention like IFA without encountering some sort of 'wearable'.

There were watches, rings, bracelets and no end to 'smart' clothes (even socks). Notifications, payments and voice control were to be the big reasons that we would don mini-internet jewellery.

But the initial hype wave has died a death. Instead of email, it turns out that punters mainly want their watches for fitness.

This has resulted in the march of smartwatch manufacturers slowing to a shuffle. Even giant companies like LG and Huawei are thinning out (or stopping altogether) their smartwatch ranges. Samsung, which was supposed to be biggest smartwatch competitor to Apple, has re-focused its efforts almost totally on fitness.

"The problem that's afflicted smartwatches over the last few years is that they're more about technology looking for a problem to solve," said James Park, co-founder and chief executive of fitness tracker company Fitbit. "There really wasn't a killer app."

What scope there was beyond fitness has been hoovered up Apple, which is estimated to have captured some 70pc of the 9bn smartwatch market. It seems that when people aren't running or swimming, they're perfectly happy to look at their phone for news rather than something hanging off another part of their body.

8 The generic electronics sector could still eat some major brands

Did you know that there are Polaroid laptops and TVs? Or that there are hundreds of speaker brands, with very little to choose between them in sound quality?

This is the reality of Foxconn and the other super-factories in China. Some 80pc of the electronics industry is a commodity business.

Companies like Panasonic, Canon or Fuji, with their own factories in Japan, are increasingly an exotic rarity. We may gravitate toward brands such as Samsung and Apple, but many of the things we say we want are now being rolled out at basement prices.

Even phones could soon suffer this fate. The newest crop of budget smartphones are set to have 5.5-inch screens and dual cameras, similar to today's top-level iPhone 7 Plus. Much of the incremental improvements are occurring in software.

But Google provides the same Android updates to any Android device, whether it costs 799 or just 99. Of course, some argue that it was ever thus. Brands still prevail because they advertise - creating demand - and providing shops with higher margins when customers agree to pay a higher price than a generic alternative.

Whether online sales will change this remains to be seen. In general, physical stores are starting to see an accelerated decline in their business due to competition from Amazon and other giant online etailers.
District Administrative Court of Kyiv has opened the proceedings on the suit of a public organization to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on the prohibition of the activities of the Party of Regions on the territory of Ukraine, the press service of the court said.

"The district administrative court of the city of Kyiv opened the proceedings on the lawsuit of a public organization to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The plaintiff asks the court to recognize the inaction of the Ministry of Justice illegal, which was found in the letter "On the refusal from the appeal of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to the District Administrative Court of Kyiv on the prohibition of the activities of a political party the Party of Regions," administrative court said on its website.

In addition, the plaintiff asks the court to oblige the Justice Ministry to apply to the court to ban the activities of the Party of Regions on the territory of Ukraine and to abolish state registration.

The court session is scheduled for December 6.

KYIV. Sept 7 (Interfax-Ukraine)  District Administrative Court of Kyiv has opened the proceedings on the suit of a public organization to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine on the prohibition of the activities of the Party of Regions on the territory of Ukraine, the press service of the court said.

"The district administrative court of the city of Kyiv opened the proceedings on the lawsuit of a public organization to the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine. The plaintiff asks the court to recognize the inaction of the Ministry of Justice illegal, which was found in the letter "On the refusal from the appeal of the Ministry of Justice of Ukraine to the District Administrative Court of Kyiv on the prohibition of the activities of a political party the Party of Regions," administrative court said on its website.

In addition, the plaintiff asks the court to oblige the Justice Ministry to apply to the court to ban the activities of the Party of Regions on the territory of Ukraine and to abolish state registration.

The court session is scheduled for December 6.
United Continental is on the verge of a $14bn deal for the new Airbus 350-900 wide-body jetliner

Airbus is on the verge of securing an order for 45 of its A350-900 wide-body jetliners - a critical win after a run of deferrals by US carriers.

The deal would be valued at $14bn (11.7bn) before discounts, according to the people, who asked not to be identified as the talks are private. The order is likely to be placed by United Continental Holdings to convert an earlier $12.6bn deal for 35 of the bigger -1000 variant, based on current list prices, the people said.

Airbus declined to comment on discussions with customers. United, which is seeking to renew its fleet of aging Boeing 747 and 777 wide-body planes, was unavailable to comment outside normal business hours.

The expanded order comes after American Airlines Group and Delta Air Lines both put off deliveries of the marquee Airbus jetliner amid concern about the risk of operating larger planes. Chicago-based United has said it's reviewing its A350 order after indefinitely postponing delivery of four jets originally due for delivery this year. Retaining United as a wide-body customer is crucial for Toulouse-based Airbus as it seeks to expand twin-aisle sales in Boeing's home market.

The deal would lift Airbus's backlog for the 325-seat A350-900 to 673 aircraft, while narrowing the order book for the 366-seat -1000 to 177, based on the planemaker's latest order and delivery tallies. That underscores the pressure on bigger wide-body jets as carriers around the world rein in capacity expansion to ease pressure on fares.

United is the second-largest customer of the largest A350 model behind Qatar Airways, which recently scrapped orders for four -900 jets due to supplier delays. Delta said in May it would defer 10 orders for the jet and instead take a stretched version of Airbus's A320 single-aisle workhorse. Meanwhile, American has postponed deliveries of 22 jets.

United's fleet strategy has been in flux since President Scott Kirby arrived last year from American Airlines, where he had helped negotiate a purchase of the Airbus jetliner. The original deal pre-dates the carrier's 2010 merger with Continental and was United's first order for an Airbus widebody.

The next-generation jet is made of carbon-composite panel and is critical to Airbus's efforts to compete with Chicago-based Boeing's smaller 787 Dreamliner and the bigger 777X, the first twin-engine plane built to haul more than 400 passengers. (Bloomberg)
After a serious of natural disasters which prevented one of Russias finest pianists coming to Ireland, the National Concert Hall plays host to Boris Berezovsky this weekend who said he will be playing an autumnal beautiful set.

Mr Berezovsky told the Irish Independent he is very excited to play in Dublin on Sunday after the Volcanic eruption in Iceland six years ago and forest fires in France prevented him coming to the Emerald Isle before.

The concert is in aid of ChildVision, the National Centre for the Blind & Multi-disabled children who, for over 150 years who provide therapeutic care and residential services for children.

I was very disappointed six years ago when the volcanic ash from Iceland stopped my flight from going to Ireland.

Then earlier this year I was supposed to come back for the National Concert Hall but forest fires prevented me from getting to the country again which was hugely disappointing, he said.

Due to the delay in the performance this year from summer to mid September, the piano legend said the set will set the change in season.

If I was to play in summer I would have been opting for a more summery bright set of music but with the change to the Autumn I think it will more melancholic and a little darker, he said.

Although he loves the Irish people he said his favourite place to play in the world is always Japan, as he said they are the most pleasant audience.

The Irish are a bit more wild but I hope when I play this weekend there will be huge applause and appreciation from the crowd, he said.

Born in Moscow in 1969, Boris Berezovsky studied at the Moscow Conservatory with Eliso Virsaladze and privately with legendary Alexander Satz.

He made a stunning debut in London in 1988 at the Wigmore Hall and in 1990 won the Gold Medal at the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow.

In 1991 Berezovsky made his American debut at Fort Worth in Texas and in France at the Auditorium du Louvre in Paris.

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Recent highlights include recitals at Carnegie Hall in New-York, Royal Festival Hall in London, Beethovenhalle in Bonn, Fondation Louis Vuitton in Paris, Moscow Conservatory, Bratislava Festival.

He also tours with St. Petersburg Philharmonic Orchestra and Yuri Temirkanov, Philharmonia Orchestra.
A former senator will go on trial in January in connection with his arrest after he walked into a crime scene in Dublins Temple Bar.

Ex-Social Democrats and previously Labour party member James Heffernan from Limerick appeared at Dublin District Court on Thursday to enter a plea to public order charges.

The 37-year-old had been arrested and taken to Pearse Street Garda Station following his arrest on the night of March 10 last year in Temple Bar square where gardai had to set up a perimeter in relation to another unrelated incident, a serious assault which had occurred in the area.

Mr Heffernan, who was still a senator at the time, was released without charge later that night, however, gardai at Pearse Street station subsequently had a summons issued for him in connection with his arrest.

The ex-senator, with an address at Main Street, Kilfinane, Co. Limerick, faced his second appearance at Dublin District Court on Thursday accused of two offences under the Public Order Act.

One charge is for failing to leave the Temple Bar square area on March 10, 2016 in a peaceful and orderly fashion after being directed by a garda, an offence which can result in a fine and a sentence of up to six months in jail.

The second charge is breach of the peace by engaging in threatening, abusive and insulting words or behaviour, which can also lead to a fine as well a three-month sentence. The case was listed today for him to formally enter a plea or have a trial date set.

At an earlier stage the court had heard the charges would be fully contested.

When it was called, defence solicitor Brian Keenan told Judge Alan Mitchell that his client was parking outside the building at that moment.

However, he had instructions from Mr Heffernan to seek a hearing date and Judge Mitchell noted that a not guilty plea was being entered.

Dressed in jeans and a black jacket Mr Heffernan arrived as the judge ordered that the hearing would take place in January.

Legal aid had been granted at his previous court appearance in June.

The former primary school teacher and ex-member of Limerick Co. Council was elected for Labour to the 24th Seanad in 2011 but lost the party whip the following year when he voted against budget cuts. He joined the Social Democrats in 2015 and was an unsuccessful candidate for the party in last years general election.
Gabriel McCallion did not want to be stuck in the city. Picture: Paddy Cummins

A music student who came to Dublin for a photography course sawed a clamp off his car because he was anxious to get home and did not want to be stuck in the city for the night.

Gabriel McCallion (25), described in court as an "artistic individual", only had half the 80 it would have cost to unclamp his car, so he spent 20 on a hacksaw to cut it off, a court heard. Judge Anthony Halpin applied the Probation Act, leaving him without a conviction after he paid 200 compensation for the damage.

When the judge heard the car had since been re-clamped, he said he did not believe this was legal and advised the accused to make a criminal complaint against Dublin City Council.

Mr McCallion, from Ballynease Road, Bellaghy, Co Derry, pleaded guilty to causing criminal damage to the clamp, belonging to Dublin City Council at Jones's Road, Drumcondra.

A Garda sergeant told Dublin District Court that officers on patrol at 5.15pm on Tuesday saw the accused cutting a clamp from a vehicle. On speaking to him, Mr McCallion admitted cutting the clamp from the wheel of his car. He gave his name and was arrested and taken to Mountjoy Garda station.

He had no previous convictions.

Defence solicitor Tony Collier said he understood the cost of the damage was about 380. He did not know whether Mr McCallion "destroyed the entire clamp or a piece of it".

The accused had not been bailed from the Garda station because he had no identification on him and lived outside the jurisdiction.

Mr McCallion had attended a photography course in Croke Park, Mr Collier said.

The clamp would have cost 80 to have removed by the clampers, but he only had 40 on him, "20 of which he spent in a hardware shop on a hacksaw".

"He was anxious to get home and not be stuck in Dublin," Mr Collier said.

Judge Halpin said he did not think Dublin City Council could re-clamp a car. There was "no legislation" to allow this, he said.

The accused's brother and sister were in court for the hearing and he was released after the 200 was paid over.
A new word has entered the Irish education dictionary. Wellbeing may already be part of day-to-day vocabulary, and indeed, enthusiastically espoused by many schools, but, from this month it is officially on the second-level curriculum.

The 60,000 incoming first years have wellbeing written into their timetable for three years of junior cycle, in the same way as traditional subjects such as English and maths.

Wellbeing brings together three familiar areas of learning - physical education (PE), Social, Personal and Health Education (SPHE), and Civic, Social and Political Education (CPSE), and the fourth pillar is guidance/counselling.

The aim is not merely to repackage this quartet under a fashionable name, but for wellbeing to be greater than the sum of its parts, through a new whole-school approach to being mindful of - and taking care of - the needs of all students.

Wellbeing is moving centre stage in Irish second-level education as part of the wider reform of junior cycle and its sweeping changes to how students are taught, how they learn and how they are assessed.

Some may see wellbeing as a 'touchy-feely' add-on to what is regarded as the primary function of schools - the pursuit of high academic achievement. But, far from pandering to the sensitivities of the so-called 'snowflake' generation, it is a recognition of the challenges faced by adolescents and the difference schools can make in equipping their pupils to deal with what life throws at them and to mature as caring citizens.

In recent years, there has been increasing concern about the mental health of young people in Ireland.

The 2012 My World Survey by UCD, the most comprehensive study of youth mental health in Ireland, representing the views of almost 14,500 12- to 25-year-olds, found that 75pc of mental health issues emerge between the ages of 15 and 25.

The wellbeing programme was devised by the National Council for Curriculum and Assessment (NCCA), whose guidelines for schools state that "student wellbeing is present when students realise their abilities, take care of their physical wellbeing, can cope with the normal stresses of life, and have a sense of purpose and belonging to a wider community."

The NCCA is careful to stress that schools need to consider wellbeing less as a state - it is a lifelong journey - and that it does not necessarily mean the absence of stress or negative emotions, rather developing the skills to handle any setbacks

The wellbeing of Irish teenagers, and, through that, future generations of Irish adults, is an end in itself, but it's not the only goal, with research, at home and internationally, showing that wellbeing and learning are inextricably linked.

In 2015, Dr Emer Smyth of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) reported that children with higher levels of emotional, behavioural, social and school wellbeing have higher levels of academic achievement. Her findings were based on insights from the Growing up in Ireland study.

The international think-tank, the OECD, well-known for its PISA reports on the academic performance of 15-year-olds in reading maths and science, has added student wellbeing to its areas of educational interest.

Earlier this year, its first PISA report on student wellbeing highlighted how teenagers who felt part of a school community and enjoyed good relations with their parents and supportive teachers were more likely to perform better academically and be happier with their lives.

OECD chief of staff Gabriela Ramos says: "There is no secret, you perform better if you feel valued, if you feel well treated, if you are given a hand to succeed!"

The high ambitions for wellbeing in the Irish education system are underpinned by the decision to devote 400 hours class contact time across the three years of junior cycle to wellbeing, whereas 240 hours is apportioned to the core subjects of English, Maths and Irish.

However, incorporating wellbeing, with its elevated status, into the timetable, has meant a cut in hours for non-core subjects, such as languages and history and geography, which has not been without its critics.

But the focus on wellbeing has never been more critical, according to Dr Padraig Kirk, who heads up Junior Cycle for Teachers (JCT), a Department of Education and Skills schools' support service.

"We needed to take stock of our education system at lower secondary level, and ensure that there was an appropriate balance between academic endeavour and achievement and the development of necessary life and coping skills. One of the aims of junior cycle reform is to re-strike this balance".

Even with the 400 hours dedicated time, wellbeing is intended to be more than a discrete, stand-alone programme, and is expected to permeate every class. The NCCA says, "everyone within each school shares the responsibility for creating a positive ethos and a climate of respect and care."

Dr Kirk says: "Every teacher in every class has the potential to impact on a student's wellbeing, whether that is through the teaching strategies employed in the classroom, the assessment techniques practised, or simply by the quality of the teacher-student relationship that exists."

So teachers will be challenged to ensure that every pupil feels affirmed in the class and may have to put themselves to the test by asking questions such as "am I connecting with every student?; am I making sure everyone here feels part of the class and is listened to?"

While many teachers may already be exemplars of best practice in this regard, it means a new mindset for the education system as whole, and JCT is providing all second-level teachers with a full day's training on wellbeing.

Dr Kirk says they "will work with whole staffs in schools up and down the country and will help to make sense for them of the new NCCA wellbeing guidelines.

"Our training in the wellbeing area does not adopt a generic approach, it will be anchored in the individual context of each of the schools we work with; that's what makes this training very different".

Schools will have flexibility to devise their own programmes, taking account of their particular context and the needs of their pupils, and may draw on resources provided by the NCCA or by outside agencies or, indeed, developed by the school itself.

Among its advice to schools, the NCCA says that only qualified physical education teachers are in a position to teach the sort of PE programme envisaged and says SPHE teachers should be interested in, and willing to teach that subject.

The NCCA also sees a role for parents to have a voice in helping schools to devise programmes tailored to the needs of their children, as well as the importance of them receiving regular reports about their child's learning about wellbeing.
Principal Mary Daly has no doubt but that the sharper focus on wellbeing throughout the three years of junior cycle will contribute directly to the physical, mental, academic and social wellbeing of students.

She says learning involves the construction of identity as well as the acquisition of skills, and that students' beliefs about themselves are significantly impacted by the values and assumptions about learning that both they, and their teachers, bring to the classroom.

The principal of the 350-pupil St Dominic's Secondary School Ballyfermot, Dublin says the junior cycle years are an important time, when young people learn to take greater responsibility for their lives and to cope with new challenges, experiences, influences and pressures.

"Schools have a central role to play in supporting young people in a world where students are exposed to a range of economic, political, environmental and social influences. They certainly require support to make positive, responsible decisions relating to their health and well-being and the wellbeing of others," she says. Ms Daly believes that it is important that the whole school community build and share a common understanding of wellbeing so that students can flourish.

St Dominic's already has a tried and trusted induction programme for first years, called Mol an Oige, to ensure they make a smooth transition.

The investment St Dominic's makes in its pupils throughout their time at the school translates into a particularly strong track record, for a school in a disadvantaged area, in retaining students all the way to Leaving Cert.
In the final episode of the four-part Going to College podcast series, the Irish Independent's John Walshe discusses with education experts how students can best prepare for college life.

Joining John on this week's show is guidance counsellor, Betty McLaughlin, Kevin Keane, TCD Students Union President, and Padraig Walsh, CEO of Awards and Certification with Quality & Qualifications Ireland (QQI).

"Students do feel under pressure and it takes a while to bed in and get used to college," says Keane. "It is intimidating walking in trying to find your feet. If you're going to college in Dublin, that in itself is challenging."

"Get involved and join clubs and societies, its a fantastic way of meeting up, socialising and building up support. Also dont ignore the orientation meetings - knowing what services are available is vitally important," advises McLaughlin.

"One in six students drop out in first year," points out Padraig Walsh. "Not getting isolated is important and you have to also get the balance right between work and study."

"If you find your niche and the group that you have an interest in it can be the best place in the world," says Keane. "The community is there waiting to embrace you and you just have to embrace it back."

The four-part Going to College education podcast series is in association with QQI  promoting quality and accountability in Irish education and training. Subscribe to the series on iTunes, SoundCloud, Stitcher or via the RSS Feed.
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko said he considers Russia to be the main military threat to the country.

"The main threat from Russia is, unfortunately, military. There are currently no indications that Moscow is ready to retreat from Donbas or leave Crimea," Poroshenko said on Thursday in his annual address to the parliament.
Dublin rapist Trevor Byrne is on the run from British police after failing to report to a bail hostel on his release from prison.

Byrne (39) was arrested in England last November and charged with possession of a shortened shotgun.

He was released from a prison in Preston yesterday but then breached the conditions of his release by failing to report to a bail hostel in Blackburn, said police.

He was also known in Britain by the name Keith Russell.

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The dangerous predator has been in and out of prison since his teens.

Byrne, who once asked to be returned to prison, had been the target of vigilantes at a number of addresses in Dublin.

He received a 15-year sentence for raping a woman in November of 1993. During the ordeal the 18-year-old was told by Byrne he had to kill her and he hit her with a brick.

He was released in 2005, but within 36 hours he attacked a woman from the Philippines, threatening to cut her throat. Byrne got a five-year sentence for the attack and was released in 2009.

He then attacked a 24-year-old French woman after following her and forcing his way into her home in Phibsborough in September that year.

Police informed the public in Lancashire yesterday that Byrne was 5ft 11ins tall, of slim build with short brown receding hair, and spoke with an Irish accent.

He was reported to have links to the Merseyside area as well as Dublin.

Detective Inspector Neil Marr from the Sex Offenders Management Unit, referring to Byrne by his alias, said:

"Keith Russell is known to have committed a number of violent and sexual offences in the past and so we want to find him as soon as possible.

"We have a number of officers working to try and locate him. I would urge members of the public not to approach him but to call us on 999 immediately."
Ireland will seek early repayment of 5.5bn of loans taken out as part of its 2010 international bailout, which will clear the country's remaining IMF debt.

In all, Ireland will repay 5.5bn in debt which will pay off 4.5bn to the IMF and will also cover the bilateral loans from both Sweden, (0.6bn), and Denmark, (0.4bn).

Ireland reduced the cost of its debt through the early repayment of its more expensive IMF bailout loans in 2014 and 2015, replacing the debt with funds raised at cheaper market rates to save around 1.5bn

The NTMA previously paid back 18bn of IMF loans ahead of time, but European Union insisted that some of the IMF rescue loans be kept so that the rescue fund remained part of the Troika overseeing the Irish bailout.

Savings on interest and improving the country's "debt sustainability programme" were among reasons cited for the latest round of early repayments.

"On the basis of NTMA advice and Departmental analysis, the Minister intends to proceed with these early repayments which have the potential to generate considerable interest savings, improve Irelands debt sustainability, provide liquidity benefits and increase the ECBs purchase capacity for Irish government bonds in its quantitative easing programme," the department said.

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) says interest savings could be in the order of 150m between now and 2023. The debt will be replaced with new bonds raised in the markets at a lower cost.

"Ireland greatly appreciates the support and assistance from the IMF and our European partners, which was provided at a time of great uncertainty for our country and which was key to our path to recovery. Their support, friendship and solidarity will not be forgotten," Minister Donohoe said.

"These early repayments  in particular the early IMF repayment - will mark another very significant milestone for Ireland as we move forward, signalling the strength of our economy and sovereign funding position generally," he added.

Early repayment of the loans will require agreement from our European lenders to waive the proportionate early repayment clauses in our respective loan agreements.

Formal discussions will now begin with our EU partners to seek the necessary waivers, however IMF Managing Director Christine Lagarde has confirmed support for the early repayments.

Additonal reporting by Reuters
One of Sinn Fein's leading TDs of the "post-Troubles generation" has backed Gerry Adams's insistence that IRA killers must not be tried and jailed for past murders.

Dublin Mid-West TD Eoin O Broin has said he appreciates the need for victims of violence, such as the family of murdered Louth farmer Tom Oliver, to get justice. But he backs his party leader's view that investigations into thousands of unresolved crimes from the Troubles should not involve courts appearances and jail sentences for those identified with these past crimes.

"I believe Gerry Adams's view has been twisted. We all acknowledge that victims on all sides must pursue justice and some kind of resolution for what happened. But I don't think the peace process benefits from the prosecution of former combatants, be they Loyalists, security forces or Republicans," Mr O Broin said.

But despite the strong suggestion from Sinn Fein of some kind of "amnesty" as part of a "resolution process", Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said that no such thing can happen. He pointed to the 1991 killing of Mr Oliver.

"My message to Gerry Adams is that there have been no amnesties and there will be no amnesties. This was a brutal murder and I welcome the fact that the Garda Siochana is reviewing the files and I expect that if new evidence is received, it will be acted upon in the normal course," the Justice Minister said.

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Gardai have reopened investigations into the brutal murder of Mr Oliver, which convulsed a Border community in the Cooley Peninsula in Louth - and the crime's divisive legacy continues. But Mr Adams has insisted that it will not benefit the longer-term peace to have charges and prison sentences result from this.

Critics in Fine Gael and Fianna Fail regularly point to how younger Sinn Fein TDs consistently back their leader's pronouncements on the IRA's violent past, even though their arrival at Leinster House came long after the de facto end of hostilities in the mid-1990s.

But Mr O Broin, who was first elected to Dail Eireann in 2016, said he has been in Sinn Fein for 22 years. He also argues that, while he originally comes from Dublin, he lived for 11 years in north Belfast, and was a Belfast city councillor for three years.

He has written about the Basque conflict and studied other similar strife situations across the globe. "The broad consensus is that prosecution and jailing of former combatants does not help the longer-term resolution of the deep-seated divisions. But that does not mean that people who have suffered cannot have a voice," he added.

But Fianna Fail's Willie O'Dea said the lack of divergence by younger Sinn Fein TDs showed that there was no difference involved in leadership change.

"We never hear any of the Sinn Fein TDs, even younger ones considered to be of a post-Troubles generation, criticising Mr Adams," the Limerick City TD said.
TAOISEACH Leo Varadkar has moved to distance himself and Fine Gael from controversial views on Islam and refugees posted by one of the party's councillors.

The party have already criticised social media posts by Cllr Brian Murphy - including a claim that Sharia law in operating in Ireland as "unacceptable".

Mr Varadkar didn't say if Mr Murphy would be expelled from the party, but indicated that Fine Gael's national executive will take action.

Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown councillor Brian Murphy has posted a number of comments on Twitter in the last week that have come under scrutiny.

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"The Irish military should not be being forced to act as a ferry service for smugglers and illegal economic migrants in the Mediterranean," he wrote on September 1.

Another post as part of a series of tweets on September 5 read: "Sharia Law is operating in Ireland and most of the political class either do not know or do not care. It is a subversion of our legal system".

This afternoon Mr Varadkar said: "I want to disassociate myself and the party from those messages from Cllr Brian Murphy. They do not represent the policies views or values of the Fine Gael party.

"The party at executive council level will take any necessary action that needs to be taken by them and hell be informed of that in due course," Mr Varadkar added.

It comes after a Fine Gael spokesperson said Mr Murphy's comments "will be dealt with by the Fine Gael party".

Shane O'Curry, director of the Irish branch of the European Network Against Racism, said that Cllr Murphy should be expelled from the party.

He said: "His comments are grotesque and hateful distortions of the truth," he said.

"He is using language and concepts which closely reflect paranoia you find on far right websites, so you also have to ask what is he reading?

"There should be no place in Irish politics for the kind of hate that he is promoting. He should be expelled from the party immediately and without hesitation.

"The reason for that is that his comments have no basis in truth if he wants to exercise his freedom of speech he can do it on the margins and not within a major ruling party.

"His views are not just lies and distortion, they have very real and negative impacts on families and communities of people who are building their lives here in Ireland.

"These [type of] things lead to violence, intimidation and fear being meted out on communities."

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He added that Mr Murphy's comments could have a negative impact on the lives of Muslim people who are living here.

He told Independent.ie: "Through iReport we have picked up on increased harassment of Muslim communities in particular.

"There's definitely a Trump effect and a Brexit effect as well as the impact of the mainstreaming of European far right thought."

Dublin-based Shaykh Dr. Umar Al-Qadri dismissed Cllr Murphy's claims that Sharia law is operating in parts of Ireland.

He said: "I would like to say that I am very vocal against radicalisation and extremism in society so if there was any such Sharia law, I would be the first to speak out against it and raise the alarm.

"I really find it very appalling that he could speak like that."

While he said he was "shocked" that a representative of Fine Gael would make these comments he said he doesn't think the comments reflect Irish attitudes.

He said: "I was shocked that this is a Fine Gael councillor, it just didn't seem right.

"I believe it's a false tweet that could fuel Islamophobia and create divisions, it's scare-mongering and I don't think this kind of politics is the Irish way.

"I believe his comments do not represent the majority of Irish people.

"Ireland is not known for politics for such xenophobia and I believe strongly there is no appetite in Ireland for this kind of politics, I think that's why there's been such a backlash against his comments on Twitter."

He said he feels that Fine Gael must inform Cllr Murphy his comments aren't acceptable.

Dr Al-Qadri said: "I think not only should Fine Gael should not only distance themselves from his statements but they should take a strong action against him.

"I call upon Fine Gael leadership to send a warning to this individual that if he continues to spread division like that he should either not be part of Fine Gael or else maybe they need to accept that is the direction that the party is going.

"They need to be very clear about this."

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Mr Murphy was defiant last night, telling Independent.ie that "everything I have said is true" when contacted by independent.ie.

He added: "Fine Gael is the political party I love and it is the greatest political party, but we are a broad church, and I do not want this country creating parallel societies within our society as has happened in Europe."

"Islam does not integrate or assimilate and that should not be a controversial statement, the evidence is there in the no-go zones around Europe and the billions and billions that now have to be spent monitoring an ever increasing number of Jihadis in every European country".

Fine Gael's spokesperson also said:

"Fine Gael is a party of the progressive centre and is a committed European party.

"Earlier this year, Fine Gael Intercultural (FGI) was set up. Fine Gael want to create a fair and caring society where everybody is engaged in democracy, and where there are no barriers to equal opportunity.

"The party is committed to playing its role in assisting refugees, asylum seekers, and immigrants. All people, regardless of class, dogma, ideology, race, religion or creed, should be treated equally and fairly."

Independent.ie has made several attempts to contact Mr Murphy today for further comment but has not received a response.
Rebecca Mooney is on holiday with her boyfriend in Puerto Rico

An Irish couple have been left stuck in their hotel in Puerto Rico as the island prepares to be battered by Hurricane Irma.

Rebecca Mooney (25), from Blackrock in Dublin, arrived on Saturday after she and boyfriend Mark Livingstone (25), from Breaffy, Co Mayo, "decided to take the risk".

"I got a phone call on Friday before we travelled, and at that point they weren't expecting it to be out of the ordinary," Rebecca told the Irish Independent.

"We thought that they were used to dealing with storms, so we decided to risk it. It wasn't until we got here that we realised how big it is," she added.

Rebecca and Mark are due to leave on Saturday and have had no news on whether their flight will be cancelled.

There are currently around 80 people in their hotel in San Juan, including staff and guests and, even though staff have been allowed go home, most have opted to stay and help the guests.

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"The hotel staff has been absolutely amazing, giving us very regular updates and helpful evacuation meetings," she said.

"Because of that, I'm a little less worried than I was on Tuesday, but I am very worried about the people who live here and don't have the luxury of well-built hotels," she said.

Yesterday afternoon, hotel staff gave guests a hurricane briefing, where they were told the details of evacuation procedures and what to expect.

The couple currently live in New York and, as many of their friends were visiting them over the summer, they decided to leave their holiday until now. Rebecca said they thought now "was a good time to go".

The architect and designer said that "nobody is in the streets" and people have boarded up their homes and businesses.

"A lot of the residents have boarded up their businesses, so they've been putting wood in front of their windows," she said.

Their hotel in the centre of San Juan lost power yesterday morning, but a back-up generator is now providing electricity.

Rebecca said the couple had "four beautiful and amazing days" before the storm gathered strength and started hearing in their direction.

"It's an amazing place, here. Even yesterday morning we were out on the boat on the sea in glorious sunshine," she said.

"Now if I look out the window, the birds can't even fly - the wind is that strong," she said.

Rebecca said that fortunately, her parents in Ireland were "very laid back" and were not worrying about her too much.

"Everyone else is frantically contacting us, though," she said.
'Any other symptoms," the nurse casually asked as the joyous reality that I was in fact pregnant with my first child sank in.

"Well I have been feeling a bit nauseous the past week," I answered. With an incredulous eyebrow raised, she informed me this was highly unusual at five weeks but a great sign - a healthy sign.

I left on a high, secretly revelling in the fact that my hormones were already indicating I was on my way to a healthy pregnancy. A bit smug if I'm being honest.

The smugness didn't last long.

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The following nine months were the toughest - both physically and mentally - that I have ever experienced in my life. Morning sickness it is not.

Because morning sickness could not even begin to describe the overwhelming sense of nausea and the almost constant need to vomit that followed day after day, week after week, month after month with absolutely no let up for the entire pregnancy.

The only way I can describe it to other people is it is like having severe food poisoning or a gastric bug that goes on for months on end.

Hearing that Kate Middleton is again suffering from acute morning sickness, otherwise known as hyperemesis gravidarum, brings back some terrible memories of that time. I can only imagine what it must be like for her to face into that for the third time - knowing the months she has stretching ahead of her. I did it twice and I had to think long and hard about risking getting pregnant the second time. I don't think I would have been able for a third.

On my first pregnancy, I initially thought this was what normal morning sickness was like. A few months in, I realised it was not normal. As soon as I opened my eyes every morning, I had to run to the bathroom. Over the nine months, I was vomiting an average of 10 times a day. And those bouts of vomiting could last for up to half an hour each.

I started getting out of bed two hours before I needed to leave the house. It took me that long to complete two simple tasks - having a shower and getting dressed. There was no need for breakfast any more. Nothing was staying down. The Dart journey to work was hell. Arriving at Pearse Street every morning, I was lucky if I made it to the station toilets in time. I started to bring sick bags with me everywhere and had to make at least two stops on the walk to work on Harcourt Street.

Once there, I had to frequently excuse myself from meetings and abruptly finish conversations as I made a dash down the office. I also must admit to throwing up in a colleague's waste paper bin one early morning. (Sorry Dee, I just couldn't make it on time!)

Arriving home every evening, I walked straight into the bedroom where I immediately went to bed. The exhaustion was overbearing and I couldn't face one more minute of movement, let alone the smell or the thought of dinner cooking. I couldn't eat. I was losing weight - two stone during my first pregnancy - my toe and finger nails went white from the lack of vitamins I was ingesting.

I couldn't drink water - even a sip came back up. I was dizzy and fatigued all the time. Dioralyte barely passed my lips. Sipping Lucozade was all I could stomach so the doctor said to keep drinking that, despite the smart comments from others about it not being great for the baby.

The mental trauma was probably worse than the physical. There were evenings when I cried for hours. I felt miserable. I felt like it was never going to end. I was often in a daze and my mind was totally obsessed with when I was going to get sick next. I felt like I was living in a fog and I just wanted the whole experience to be over - not quite the pregnancy glow you read about. I did feel cheated out of that experience.

I tried sucking crystallised ginger, wearing sickness bands, acupuncture, reflexology, dry toast. Nothing worked. In hindsight, I can see that the only thing I could have and should have done was rest.

I was never hospitalised or had to be hooked up to a drip like other women, so I can only imagine what was experienced by those who had it worse than me. I wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy. The only time the sickness gave some light relief was in the delivery room. Yes, it continued right up to then. My husband was on one side of me and a midwife on the other, both holding containers for me to alternate getting sick into. The ridiculousness of it all made me laugh.

But as soon as my baby daughter was born, the fog lifted. As well as the joy of the new arrival, the tea and toast the midwife brought me never tasted so good as the sickness immediately disappeared - until the next time.

Martha Kearns is a former Irish Independent journalist and co-owner of StoryLab, a content and PR company www.storylab.ie.
While most adults are just getting to grips with podcasts, one 7-year-old girl is about to launch her own. Cadhla McAnally from Portmarnock has the distinction of having her own Dublin Fringe Theatre podcast, an initiative of the Young Radials: Fringe for Kids programme.

Created alongside her actor father Aonghus Og McAnally, the podcast, entitled Cobras' Quest, is described as an "epic audio adventure for under 12s". Suffice to say that even with dad at the mixing desk, Cadhla is more technologically savvy than many.

"She's just of that generation where they grew up in a world where everyone has an iPhone," explains Aonghus Og. "She doesn't have a phone or iPad, but she can handle herself with all that stuff. My Mum was babysitting and Cadhla was able to access videos of Elmo for her baby sister on YouTube through the PlayStation."

With great savvy comes great responsibility. "She knows we will be there supervising," says Aonghus Og. "She's very honest and responsible and occasionally tries to push her luck, but if anything pops up online that she knows she shouldn't watch, she will tell us."

Significantly, Aonghus Og uses technology to admirable effect with Cadhla, helping her to primarily engender creativity and imagination.

"We have a Lego app on the tablet and she likes to make stop-motion animation films," he explains. "They end up online, but the good thing is that you can just email the link to people and no one finds the link, which is particularly good if other children are involved."

There isn't too much in the way of bargaining for screen time as Cadhla is a real bookworm.

"We've only had to tell her she's had enough screen time once or twice," says her dad. "It really helps if you're not glued to the phone yourself as a parent. It's not a massively strict house but I like the act of sitting down to a meal."

Over in Rathgar, meanwhile, technology is central to the lives of Rhona Gouldson and her husband, Archie Chen. The pair run the Piano Academy of Ireland and use technology to enhance band practice, sight-reading, ear training and reading sheet music. Their children Solomon (10) and Sheba (8) both got tablets last Christmas.

"They have parental settings for kids," explains Archie. "It's not foolproof, but it does the job, once you keep an eye on them."

Archie himself grew up in Washington surrounded by computers, and is a big believer in raising his children to be similarly tech-savvy. "The kids are quite advanced and Solomon has expressed an interest [in coding]," reveals Archie. The youngsters earn their non-educational screen time once they do chores. "They know they have their bits to do around the house, and their reading and piano practice," reveals Rhona. "We know the screens are addictive and that if we were to leave them in front of the screen, they wouldn't get off them. We give them 30-minute increments.

"Solomon has a little more of an addictive personality and we have discussed whether we should ban screen time altogether, but my view is that if you deprive them, there will be resentment.

"All their friends have tablets and this is what they talk about at school. We have very strict rules around it: they're not allowed to install their own apps and we keep monitoring the screens, either ourselves or the childminder."

"I think kids need to have experiences of the online world and the real world, but I try to tell them you can't live inside the computer," adds Archie. Rhona and Archie created Facebook pages for their children, mainly to build memories of events and to store photos. They will be unlocked for them in their mid-teens.

"Sheba asks to see her baby pictures and I'll get up Facebook and show her, but I don't think she understands the significance of Facebook too much. She is very sensible with her technology: she has a little app for photos and make-up, but I think it's very innocent and fun. That's how it is for now: who knows what challenges lie ahead."

There's no doubt that introducing children to technology at an early age has its benefits. In a world in which digital skills are a prerequisite for most jobs, keeping tabs on technological developments probably isn't just smart, but necessary. And many Irish parents are keen for their children to stay ahead of the curve. According to an EU Kids Online survey done in 2014, over 50pc of six- to eight-year-olds have access to the internet. The research states that parents supervise this activity around 20pc of the time. And left unsupervised, no one can deny the risks of exposing youngsters to screen time.

According to research led by DIT researcher Brian O'Neill, Irish kids are handling the internet well. The study examined 11- to 16-year-olds and asked the young people if they experienced any problems associated with overuse of the internet such as not sleeping or eating, not finishing school work or a lack of socialising. Across Europe, the research found that just 1pc of children are at risk due to unhealthy levels of excessive internet use.

Irish children reported being online at least once a day for an average of 61 minutes. Some 41pc of these responded positively to at least one of the items related to excessive internet use in the survey.

Alex Cooney, CEO of Cyber Safe Ireland, observes that most of the children she talks to through the organisation have a smartphone or tablet, or at least good access to one.

"There is fierce pressure from kids to get technology," she says. "I heard from one school principal that a child in First Class had been allowed to play Grand Theft Auto online. It's an extreme example, but we've noticed that when kids get their Communion money, the big thing now is to get a tablet.

"Parents use technology for lots of different reasons with kids: putting on Peppa Pig is a great distraction when you're trying to get dinner on. I've done it myself and know a lot of parents who have. But as children get more developed, and they start to understand how Google and YouTube work, the ability to explore and to find the wrong thing is greater."

Cooney advises that parents adopt a more mindful approach to allowing their children access to screens.

"Devices are handed over without too much thinking behind it," she says. "Ensure there are ground rules. Say 'this is the deal - you get a half an hour each day, I get to check your friends lists when I want and we look at the screens together'."

The Government is set to harmonise its laws with a European directive on data protection and are likely to set the digital 'age of consent' at 13 (where parental consent will be required up to the age of 13).

"One form of cyber bullying is exclusion," says Cooney. "If you have eight girls in a WhatsApp group and the ninth friend isn't in there, it's another subtle type of bullying. No parent wants their child to go through that."

Irish kids online: the facts

Snapchat and Instagram were the most popular instant-messaging and social-media apps along with YouTube. 72pc of Irish children use the internet daily in their homes and this uptake increases with age - a recent national survey reported rates of domestic access increasing from 53pc with nine to 10 year olds to 92pc of young adolescents. 19pc of the children surveyed spent in excess of four hours online a day. 28pc of 2,321 children surveyed were in online contact with a stranger either occasionally or every day. 64pc of teachers surveyed reported they do not feel sufficiently resourced to effectively deliver educational messages on internet safety, notwithstanding the fact that 84pc of teachers address internet safety in the curriculum. In 82pc of sessions that CyberSafe Ireland did with children, at least one child in the class was playing games with a PEGI rating of 18.

Source: CyberSafe Ireland Annual Report 2016
A child sits on the gym floor during a program for overweight children. Photo by John Moore/Getty Images

Ireland's new clinical lead for obesity Professor Donal O'Shea has said parents are not to blame for Ireland's obesity epidemic.

Twelve percent of our three year olds in socially deprived areas are obese, while four percent of our three year olds in the better off areas are obese.

"That's a massive disparity by the age of three," Professor O'Shea told Today With Sean O'Rourke.

"Don't tell me that any parent wants an obese kid. So don't blame the parent. That's not acceptable when you've got an economic separation."

Professor O'Shea said he is in favour of a sugar tax because he said it would educate people how much sugar they consume.

"I have been asking for it for ten years. I think there isn't a single solution. But if you introduce a tax on sugar, you will number one, educate people. It's a behavioural tax  a bit like the plastic bag tax. Number two you will generate money, and while the Department of Finance says you can't put that money into obesity prevention, I say that attitude has to change."

Professor O'Shea said TV advertising is not the only form of advertising contributing to Ireland's obesity epidemic.

"It's the Snapchat advertising, it's the Instagram advertising that at the moment isn't captured at all but it's massive."

Physical activities for children drop at the weekends, he said.

"If we get kids coming home asking for their weekend activity then we'll begin to win."

"We showed you can do the smoking ban when every other big country said you can't do it. And then they followed."

"If we can show that you can turn the obesity epidemic around in a country of this size with a road map - and we have a roadmap in place if we can activate it- then other countries will follow suit and Ireland will lead again in health terms," he said.

He added: "Breastfeeding is a massive be to a child heading off into life for their entire immune system and how it's programmed to deal with disease, regardless of whether it's a good effect on weight.

"Breastfeeding rates in Ireland are at the moment unacceptable low. There are a multitude of things that need to be addressed within the health and wellbeing division that I'm going to be working two days a week now. I will be beating those drums as often as I can now."
Poroshenko sets task to switch purchase of Russian gas by Europe to border with Russia after 2019

Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko sets the task of switching the purchase of Russian gas by Europe to the eastern border of Ukraine after 2019.

"Due to the fact that the [gas transit] contract is expiring in 2019, our task is to achieve the revolutionary change in the organization of transit with the help of the European Union," he said when delivering his annual message to the Verkhovna Rada on Thursday.

He said that Ukraine should provide transit services not to Russia, but to the European Union.

Poroshenko recalled that Ukraine is waiting for the decision of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce in the Naftogaz Ukrainy's lawsuit against Russia's Gazprom on the gas transit issues.

He said that Ukraine's energy strategy envisages the complete refusal from imports of natural gas in 2025 thanks to the increase of domestic gas production, reduction of GDP's energy-output ratio and provision for energy efficiency of households.

The head of state also said that Ukraine has not been buying gas directly from Gazprom and gradually cutting its dependence on supplies of Russian nuclear fuel for its nuclear power plants (NPPs). Soon the country will start buying steam coal from the United States. Ukraine has contracted over 700,000 tonnes of coal in the United States, he said.
The Netherlands is one of the most densely populated countries in the world.

With 17.04 million people living in such close proximity, they've adapted an efficient system to get rid of head lice in their schools.

Every student is checked for lice on their first week back to primary school after the holidays. And the checks are carried out openly in school.

Irish mother-of-one Sinead Hewson, who is based in the Netherlands with her Dutch husband and daughter, was a "lice mother" in her daughter's primary school - a volunteer who helps to check the children's heads in school.

"The first week after a school holiday, the heads of all children are checked by volunteer parents on site, in school."

"There'll be a Whatsapp group and you'll get a text to say the lice check is on Wednesday, for example, and can all parents check their children. If you volunteer with the school, there'll be a workshop to teach you what to check for."

"If lice or nits are found, the parents are informed by the school to immediately collect the child and treat for lice. It's part of the school routine."

The name of the child who is carrying the lice is never revealed, Sinead says, which means the Dutch way is a "no fuss" approach. But crucially, there is no stigma when a child gets head lice. The infestation is simply dealt with immediately.

The Netherlands' Queen Maxima even registered there as a "lice mother" when her children were in primary school, to show that all children of every social status can get head lice.

"No names are used. All parents are written to and informed to check for lice at home. Two weeks later the class where the lice was found are checked again until there are no nits or lice found."

"Volunteer parents are given basic education on how and what to look for. Lice check guidelines and treatment options are on the parents part of the school website."

"You are also expected to check your child regularly and tell the school if you have found lice or nits separate to the school inspections," she said.

If recurring infestations are found in one family, the family will be visited by a public health nurse.

"If lice returns repeatedly, a home visit from the public health nurse is automatically arranged."

"In one class, they couldn't figure out why one infestation didn't go away. And so eventually they figured out that the children were going horseriding to the same place, and some were using the borrowed riding hats. So they had to wear [protective caps] underneath their riding hats. And eventually that got rid of it."
Nissan's next generation electric LEAF will be made at Sunderland, the company has confirmed.

It did so after intense speculation that the Brexit crisis might influence a decision to build it elsewhere.

But the auto giant has given the green light for it to go into production at the end of the year in the northern England factory as well as at plants in Japan and the US.

Irish buyers will begin getting the Sunderland-built new model from February. As we revealed yesterday, it has an extended range between charges and technology that includes an accelerator that also acts as a brake.

On the eve of the announcement the companys global planning chief Philip Klein told the Irish Independent in Tokyo: We are a pragmatic people. We are working very closely with the (British) government.

The decision will come as a boost to the near-7,000 employed at the plant directly and tens of thousands in ancillary businesses across the region.

Sunderland is one of the UK's biggest car producers and has been closely observed for its reaction to the Brexit crisis which many believe will make British-made cars more expensive and impair investment.

Their English plant built more than 500,000 vehicles last year with the Qashqai the most popular.

Batteries for the new LEAF are being made in Sunderland too  but not by Nissan.
The firms say their new charter will protect models well-being. Photo: REUTERS

French fashion companies Kering and LVMH will stop hiring excessively thin models worldwide under a new charter developed in response to continued criticism the industry encourages eating disorders.

France banned ultra-thin models under a 2015 law, though it only stipulated models needed a doctor's note attesting to their health based on age, weight and body shape. Proposals to include a minimum body mass index were dropped after industry pressure. Kering and LVMH said their charter would now go further than the French legislation.

All their fashion brands have committed to banning models below French size 34 for women and 44 for men. Size 34 in France corresponds to size 6 in Ireland.

"We hope to inspire the entire industry to follow suit, thus making a real difference in the working conditions of fashion models industry-wide," Kering CEO Francois-Henri Pinault said in the statement.

Fashion insiders have long said that clothes hang and drape better on tall, androgynous women, while Western cultures often associate thinness with wealth, youth and desirability. But criticism over how models are treated has prompted several countries to bring in protective measures.

In addition to France, Israel banned ultra-thin models in 2013, while countries such as Italy and Spain rely on voluntary codes of conduct.

The two French companies, whose well-known labels include Christian Dior, Givenchy, Yves Saint Laurent and Gucci, said that their new charter would guarantee "the well-being of models". The charter also forbids the hiring of girls under 16 to pose as adult models.

The brands have committed to working solely with models who can provide a doctor's certificate obtained less than six months before a shoot or fashion show attesting to their good health and to put a psychologist at their disposal during their work.

The new rules, which follow a wave of criticism of fashion companies this year, will come into effect ahead of Paris Fashion Week later this month. In March, Kering's Balenciaga fired two casting directors after they reportedly left more than 150 models waiting for hours in a dark stairwell while they went for lunch.

Also in March, France's advertising watchdog asked Kering's Yves Saint Laurent to modify two ads after receiving complaints that they were degrading to women. One featured a reclining woman in a fur coat and fishnet tights with her legs spread wide and the other shows a model in a leotard and roller skate stilettos bending over a stool.

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Britain's Advertising Standards Authority also banned an Yves Saint Laurent ad in 2015 that featured a very thin model whose ribcage was showing.
Prince George on his first day at school at Thomas's Battersea (Richard Pohle/The Times/PA)

Parents across the country have shared first day of school pictures this week, with their children smiling in beautifully laundered uniforms and shiny new shoes.

Prince George stars in a slightly different set of images to mark his milestone first day at Thomass Battersea.

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One photographer, Richard Pohle from The Times, was on hand to capture the tender moment as the future king walked in to the school gripping the hand of his father the Duke of Cambridge.

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The four-year-old and his new Reception classmates stay at school for mornings initially then gradually build up to staying for lunchtime, and then the whole day.

The curriculum will cover subjects and activities from ballet and art to drama, French, music and PE.

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The appearance of a solitary camera was a departure from the wall of photographers faced by Prince William when he, and his brother Prince Harry, started school in the 1980s.

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Kensington Palace was in a reflective mood on social media, sharing a collection of images from William and Harrys first days too.

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The prince, who will go by the name George Cambridge at the 17,604-a-year school, was greeted by head of the lower school Helen Haslem.

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The Duchess of Cambridge was unable to join George on his first day as she is suffering with severe morning sickness in the early stages of her third pregnancy.

Back in 2016, she took her own photographs of her little boy when he started at Westacre Montessori nursery school near Sandringham.

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It is expected that William and Kate will do the school run with George as often as possible.

Prince George was last photographed in public in July during the royal visit to Germany and Poland. On a visit to Airbus in Hamburg, the young royal was able to stand inside a rescue helicopter.
President of South Korea Moon Jae-in and Russian President Vladimir Putin applaud at an exhibition outside Vladivostok. Photo: AFP/Getty Images

Amid escalating tensions in the Korean Peninsula, South Korean President Moon Jae-in yesterday asked for his Russian counterpart's co-operation in urging the international community to cut off crude oil supplies to the North Korean regime.

Mr Moon's request was met with reluctance from Vladimir Putin, however, who condemned the North's missile tests but urged diplomatic talks.

The newly elected South Korean president had requested the United Nations Security Council consider tough new sanctions on North Korea to block its sources of foreign income, including cutting off its crude oil supply and banning its workers from being sent abroad.

During an economic summit in Vladivostok, Russia, Mr Moon urged Mr Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping to play a role in stopping North Korea's nuclear and missile provocations.

"The president asked Russia to help, noting it was imperative to at least cut off oil supplies to North Korea this time," according to Mr Moon's spokesman Yoon Young-chan.

US President Donald Trump has spoken with the leaders of Britain and Australia about North Korea's latest nuclear test.

Expand Close An undated photo released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency yesterday showing celebrations in Pyongyang marking the completion of the hydrostatic test for the intercontinental ballistic rocket installation. Photo: REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp An undated photo released by North Koreas Korean Central News Agency yesterday showing celebrations in Pyongyang marking the completion of the hydrostatic test for the intercontinental ballistic rocket installation. Photo: REUTERS

The White House released details of calls on Tuesday with British Prime Minister Theresa May and Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.

Mr Trump is believed to have stressed to Mrs May that "now is not the time to talk to North Korea" and that "all options remain open to defend the United States and its allies".

He and Mrs May also agreed to continue to work on "increasing diplomatic and economic pressure on North Korea".

The White House said Mr Trump and Mr Turnbull also "confirmed that their two countries will intensify joint efforts to denuclearise North Korea".

Mr Trump repeated his commitment to "defending the homeland, territories, and allies of the United States, using all available diplomatic and military capabilities".

The Pentagon said US Defence Secretary Jim Mattis had reassured his South Korean counterpart of the "ironclad" US commitment to defend the American ally.

Overwhelming

Mr Mattis and South Korean Defence Minister Song Young-moo spoke and the US Defence Department said Mr Mattis made clear that any threat to the US and its allies would be met "with a massive, effective and overwhelming military response".

North Korea conducted its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date on Sunday, detonating a device that it claimed was a hydrogen bomb designed to be carried by a long-range missile capable of reaching mainland United States.

South Korean officials have also reported signs of another missile test in the works, possibly a long-range launch set for this weekend.

At a joint news conference following his meeting with Mr Moon, Mr Putin condemned North Korea's tests, calling Pyongyang's missile and nuclear programme a "crude violation of UN Security Council resolutions" that "undermines the non-proliferation regime and creates a threat to the security of north-eastern Asia".

But Mr Putin was reluctant to support Mr Moon's push for harsher sanctions.

"However, I am concerned cutting off oil supplies to North Korea may cause damage to people in hospitals or other ordinary citizens," Mr Putin added, according to Mr Yoon's briefing to reporters.

Mr Putin maintained it was impossible to resolve the North Korean crisis with sanctions and pressure alone, and urged diplomatic solutions.

"We cannot resolve this situation without diplomatic tools, without talks.

"It would be very hard - actually, impossible," Mr Putin told reporters.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that North Korea's recent nuclear test appears to have triggered several landslides, according to what are believed to be the first satellite images of the aftermath.

The test took place underground at the mountainous Punggye-ri site. The test unleashed a powerful 6.3-magnitude tremor which was felt across the border in China.

The site consists of a system of tunnels dug beneath a mountainous region.( Washington Post)
The main purpose of the operation launched on September 7 is to counteract the illegal trafficking of weapons throughout the country, including the cessation of its supply from the ATO zone, First Deputy head Of the National Police of Ukraine, Criminal Police Chief Viacheslav Abroskin has said.

"Our main goal is the safety of citizens in the whole country. Only in the past 24 hours police officers had seized 25 firearms, about 2,000 units of ammunition and six explosive devices. Therefore we are strengthening our work on countering proliferation of weapons to protect every Ukrainian," he said.

The officer said illegal weapons are not only violation of the law, but also the cause of accidents when dealing with them. Tightened measures, first of all, are aimed at saving lives and health of citizens, as well as preventing crimes using weapons.
Myanmar said yesterday it was negotiating with China and Russia to ensure it blocks any UN Security Council censure over the violence that has forced an exodus of nearly 150,000 Rohingya Muslims to Bangladesh in less than two weeks.

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi blamed "terrorists" for an "iceberg of misinformation" on the strife in the north-western state of Rakhine, but she made no mention of the Rohingya who have fled.

She has come under increasing pressure from countries with Muslim populations, including Indonesia, where thousands led by Islamist groups held a rally in Jakarta yesterday to demand that diplomatic ties with Buddhist-majority Myanmar be cut.

In a letter to the UN Security Council on Tuesday, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed fears that the violence could spiral into a "humanitarian catastrophe". He warned there was a risk of ethnic cleansing in Myanmar that could destabilise the region.

Myanmar national security adviser Thaung Tun told a news conference in the capital, Naypyitaw, that Myanmar was counting on China and Russia to block a UN resolution on the crisis.

"We are negotiating with some friendly countries not to take it to the Security Council," he said. "China is our friend and we have a similar friendly relationship with Russia."

Reporters in the Cox's Bazar region of neighbouring Bangladesh have witnessed boatloads of Rohingya arriving near the border village of Shamlapur.

According to the latest estimates by UN workers, arrivals in just 12 days stood at 146,000. This brought to 233,000 the total number of Rohingya who have sought refuge in Bangladesh since last October.

Ms Suu Kyi spoke by telephone on Tuesday with Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan, who has pressed world leaders to do more to help a population he said were facing genocide.

In a statement issued by her office, Ms Suu Kyi said the government had "already started defending all the people in Rakhine in the best way possible" and warned against misinformation that could mar relations with other countries.

She referred to images on Twitter of killings posted by Turkey's deputy prime minister that he later deleted because they were not from Myanmar.

Ms Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics of not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution, and some have called for the Nobel Peace Prize she won in 1991 to be revoked.

Myanmar said its security forces are fighting a campaign against "terrorists" responsible for attacks on police posts and the army since last October.
People hold placards and candles during a vigil for Gauri Lankesh, a senior Indian journalist who according to police was shot dead outside her home. Photo: REUTERS

The killing of an Indian journalist provoked outrage across the country yesterday, with thousands protesting over what they saw as an effort to silence a critic of India's ruling Hindu nationalist party.

Gauri Lankesh was shot outside her Bangalore home on Tuesday, but many said they feared the perpetrators of the attack would escape justice.

Rallies erupted across India as protesters demanded the government do more to protect free speech. In Bangalore, thousands gathered for a public vigil and viewing of Ms Lankesh's body.

Ms Lankesh (55) edited the independent magazine 'Lankesh Patrike'. In November, she was found guilty of defaming politicians from the governing Bharatiya Janata Party in a 2008 story. She said the case was politically motivated and vowed to challenge her conviction.
The air strike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf that some said was tied to Syria's chemical weapons programme

Israeli warplanes have struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria, killing two soldiers and causing material damage, the Syrian army said.

The air strike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf that some said was tied to Syria's chemical weapons programme, in a stronghold of President Bashar Assad that is also heavily protected by the Russians.

The Syrian army said the Israeli jets fired several missiles while in Lebanese air space, and warned of the "dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region".

There was no immediate comment from Israel, which has rarely confirmed such strikes.

While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of air strikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be bound for Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Assad's forces.

Israel has also struck several Syrian military facilities since the conflict began, mostly near the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

Assad, not wanting to draw Israel into his country's war, has never responded.

The air raid came a day after a UN probe found Damascus responsible for a chemical attack in April in northern Syria that killed more than 80 people, saying it was one of 20 chemical weapons attacks in the past four years carried out by the Syrian government.

The US fired missiles at a Syrian air base in response to April's attack.

It was not immediately clear if the facility struck on Thursday was used for the production or storage of chemical arms. Syria denies having or using such weapons.

Rami Abdurrahman, who heads the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said two facilities were hit in the air strike, a scientific research centre and a nearby military base where short-range surface-to-surface missiles are stored.

He said the attack killed two people and wounded five.

"Many explosions were heard in the area after the air raid," said Mr Abdurrahman, whose group relies on a network of activists across the country.

He said some of the blasts may have been secondary explosions from a missile storage facility being hit.

He said Lebanese Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military officials often visit the site, adding that those killed and wounded were Syrians.

A local opposition media activist said the facility that was struck was a factory that produces missiles under the supervision of Iranian experts. He said those killed and wounded were Syrian soldiers guarding the facility, and he did not know if any Iranians were wounded.

Days after the April 4 chemical attack on the town of Khan Sheikhoun, the US Treasury sanctioned 271 employees of Syria's Scientific Studies and Research Centre.

Washington said the agency is responsible for developing and producing non-conventional weapons and the means to deliver them.

AP
Prosecutors are asking the FBI to help investigate the rough arrest of a Utah nurse who refused to draw blood from a patient.

Any officer involved in the arrest of nurse Alex Wubbels should be investigated for both civil rights and criminal violations, Salt Lake County district attorney Sim Gill said.

The dispute on July 26, captured on dramatic body-camera video, ended with Ms Wubbels being dragged from a hospital in handcuffs, screaming that she had done nothing wrong.

She was following hospital protocol when she refused to allow blood to be drawn from an unconscious patient without a warrant. Detective Jeff Payne insisted and was supported by his lieutenant when he put her in handcuffs.

Salt Lake City police apologised and put Payne on leave after the video drew widespread attention last week.

A Utah police officer seen on the video roughly arresting Ms Wubbels was fired on Tuesday from his part-time paramedic job.
View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 7, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS

View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 6, 2017. Picture taken September 6, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS

Hurricane Irma is continuing to tear a deadly path through the Caribbean, causing widespread destruction and reducing buildings to rubble, on a track that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.

The American state is bracing for the arrival of the Atlantic's most deadly storm in history, which has already left at least 9 people - and as many as 13 - dead, with thousands homeless. Emergency chiefs warn it will have a "truly devastating" impact on the US.

The French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe has said four people are confirmed dead and approximately 50 injured on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin. However the death toll was lower than one given earlier Thursday by France's interior minister Gerard Collomb, who said eight people had been killed on French Caribbean territories.

Philippe said four bodies have been found on Saint Martin, a part-French, part-Dutch island and are being identified. The Dutch authorities have not reported any casualties thus far.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A man rides his motorcycle as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado In this geocolor GOES-16 satellite image taken Thursday, Sep. 7, 2017, at 11;15 a.m. EDT, shows the eye Hurricane Irma just north of the island of Hispaniola. The fearsome Category 5 storm cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida. (NOAA-NASA via AP) A man rides a monocycle as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado A man looks out to the sea as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado A man walks through a flooded street as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado General view of damage in Simpson Bay following Hurricane Irma hitting the Franco-Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit MOLE SXM SXM/Handout via REUTERS THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT.NO RESALES. NO ARCHIVES A man rides a monocycle as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado General view of damage in Simpson Bay following Hurricane Irma hitting the Franco-Dutch Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit MOLE SXM SXM/Handout via REUTERS General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handout via Reuters General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handoutvia Reuters General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handout via Reuters View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 6, 2017. Picture taken September 6, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 7, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS View of the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Sint Maarten Dutch part of Saint Martin island in the Caribbean September 6, 2017. Picture taken September 6, 2017. Netherlands Ministry of Defence/Handout via REUTERS / Facebook

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Whatsapp A man rides his motorcycle as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado

The prime minister added that one person faces life-threatening injuries and two others were in serious condition.

The United Nations estimates that up to 37 million people could be affected by the category five hurricane, which is forecast to hit the south-eastern Bahamas by Thursday evening and near the Central Bahamas by Friday.

Expand Close General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handout via Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handout via Reuters

Florida is braced for a possible direct hit from as early as Friday night, with forecasters predicting it could strike the entire Atlantic coast and rage into South Carolina and Georgia, where a mandatory evacuation has been ordered.

On the small island of Barbuda, the category five hurricane destroyed nearly all buildings and left it "barely habitable" after striking in the early hours of Wednesday.

Gaston Browne, the Prime Minister of Barbuda, said the island is "literally rubble" amid scenes of "total carnage". He added: "The entire housing stock was damaged. It is just total devastation."

Officials warned that the island of Saint-Martin is "almost destroyed". The death toll is expected to rise on both islands.

Expand Close General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handoutvia Reuters / Facebook

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Whatsapp General view of damage following Hurricane Irma hitting Sint Maarten, the Dutch side of the Caribbean island of Saint Martin September 6, 2017 in this image taken from social media. Mandatory credit EZE EGWUATU/Handoutvia Reuters

A British mother told of her fears for her two daughters - a pregnant hotel worker and an ex-beauty queen - who are missing on Barbuda and have not been heard from since Irma struck. Their aunt has called on Richard Branson to help find their family, saying "The silence is unbearable."

Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico early on Thursday, covering the US territory with heavy wind and rain as it headed towards the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

Meanwhile, two other storms have strengthened to become hurricanes. It is feared Hurricane Jose will bring winds of up to 129mph and is expected to follow a similar path when it arrives over the weekend.

While the Caribbean faces the possibility of being affected by a second major hurricane, Mexico is braced for the arrival of Hurricane Katia on Friday evening.

Hurricane Jose has strengthened to a Category Three storm, as it follows in the path of Hurricane Irma, US weather forecasters said.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm, located east of the Lesser Antilles, was packing winds of 120 miles per hour (195 kilometers per hour), as it moved northwest at nearly 18 miles per hour (30 kilometers per hour).

"Some additional strengthening is possible during the next 24 to 36 hours," the NHC said.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
A kidnapped teenage girl bravely swam across a lake to safety from her abductors after nearly a month in captivity.

Jasmine Block (15), from Minnesota was reunited with her family this week, local station WCCO reported.

Three men were arrested in connection to her disappearance. Police identified the suspects as Thomas Barker (32), Joshua Holby (31) and Steven Powers (20).

It is believed the youngster was abducted on August 8 when she was convinced into a car by Barker, brought to a house and repeatedly assaulted.

Barker tied her up with zip ties and then he, his roommate, and friend over the next several weeks assaulted her and threatened her with weapons, Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels said, according to the New York Post.

Local media is reporting that the teen was left alone for the first time on Tuesday and made her escape.

There was nobody home in nearby houses so she swam across Thompson Lake to a farm.

The alarm was raised and the youngster was taken to hospital.

This is an unbelievable young woman, Wyffels said. She has a lot of strength. We think a lot of her and her family. Theyre all amazing people.

Police said the three suspects remain in custody and face charges for kidnapping, false imprisonment and assault.
Moldovan President Igor Dodon has threatened to strip servicemen taking part in military exercises in Ukraine of their ranks, Presidential Press Secretary Ion Ceban said.

"The president for the first time gave orders to conduct inspections at army units to check for the presence or absence of servicemen and take relevant decisions in line with the law, including the stripping of military ranks," Ceban wrote on his Facebook page.

He said that the government resolution on the involvement of Moldovan servicemen in the military exercises in Ukraine was suspended by a presidential decree immediately after publication, but the Defense Ministry reported that 57 servicemen left for the exercises.

"At night, probably at midnight, they [the Cabinet] published on the official monitor an unlawful government resolution on the participation of the personnel of the National Army in military exercises in Ukraine. It is customary for them to make decisions at night... The resolution was suspended by a presidential decree immediately after its publication," Ceban said.

The press secretary published the presidential decree in social networks. However, unlike the government resolution, it was not published in Monitorul Oficial.

On Wednesday, the government passed a resolution on the involvement of Moldovan military men in Rapid Trident 2017 exercises in Ukraine despite the presidential ban. According to a Defense Ministry report, on Wednesday a contingent of Moldovan servicemen left for Yavoriv in Lviv region where the exercises will be held from September 7 to September 23. The contingent consists of 57 servicemen of the 22nd Peacekeeping Battalion and Moldova Brigade. Lt. Col. Alexandr Markutsa heads the contingent.
A man drives through rain and strong winds during the passage of hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico (Carlos Giusti/AP)

A British territory is bracing for the arrival of Hurricane Irma as it continues to chart a destructive course across the Caribbean.

The Turks and Caicos Islands sit in the path of the category five storm, which is bound for the Bahamas after leaving a trail of death and devastation in the Atlantic.

Authorities on Grand Turk have urged people near the coast to take shelter on higher ground amid fears of a storm surge.

The Islands' Department of Disaster Management and Emergencies said water levels could swell by 15 to 20 feet above the normal tide.

Irma's ruinous touch, which has already reduced the island of Barbuda to wreckage, will also be felt in nearby Haiti as the storm sweeps north west.

At least 10 people have are known to have died, including on the British Overseas Territory of Anguilla.

Thousands of British tourists believed to be holidaying in the Caribbean have been warned to follow evacuation orders, while states of emergency have been declared in Puerto Rico, Cuba and Florida.

In response to the unfolding crisis, Theresa May announced that 32 million had been released to assist the relief effort.

Speaking after a meeting of the Government's emergency Cobra committee on Thursday afternoon, the Prime Minister said: "We must not forget that there is a further storm on the way, and that the Turks and Caicos Islands still lie in the path of Hurricane Irma.

"But that won't stop us from providing the assistance that is needed, and doing everything we can to help."

The British military has dispatched a task group of experts into the affected areas of the Atlantic to provide support and the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (RFA) Mounts Bay vessel is transporting supplies.

Addressing concerns about the speed of Britain's response, Mrs May said both humanitarian workers and RFA Mounts Bay had been "prepositioned".

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon added the military vessel is "already at work" clearing roads and helping to restore power.

The storm destroyed nearly all buildings on the island of Barbuda on Wednesday, leaving it "barely habitable", and killing a two-year-old child as a family tried to escape.

About 60% of the island's approximately 1,400 people are now homeless, while in Puerto Rico more than a million people were left without power.

French prime minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the Caribbean island of St Martin.

In the US Virgin Islands, authorities said three had died in the "catastrophic" damage.

British Virgin Islands governor Gus Jaspert declared a state of emergency.

He told residents: " I would like to appeal to you to remain calm and to reassure we are doing all we can to assist you.

"Please, could any public service organisation or anyone with a truck that could offer assistance and have not made contact with the (National Emergency Operations Centre), do so now."

Many roads were said to be impassable and drivers were urged to avoid the roads unless "absolutely necessary" to allow access for emergency services.

Mr Jaspert also warned island dwellers that Hurricane Jose could yet reach them, anticipating the storm could be category three when it arrives at the weekend.

"Let us all continue to help each other however we can and continue to pray for each other, may God bless and protect the territory and our people," he said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump are donating a total of one million US dollars (766,000) to a dozen organisations involved in Harvey relief work.

The White House said charities including the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Habitat for Humanity would benefit from the money.

The American Red Cross and Salvation Army will each receive 300,000 US dollars (230,000) while Samaritan's Purse and Reachout America will collect 100,000 US dollars (77,000) each.

The Trumps are giving 25,000 US dollars (19,000) each to eight other good causes: the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Catholic Charities, Direct Relief, Habitat for Humanity, Houston Humane Society, Operation Blessing, Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies and Team Rubicon.

The money would come from the president's personal funds, the White House added.

The Gulf Coast of Texas was battered by Harvey when it made landfall on August 25 as a Category 4 hurricane and was later downgraded to a tropical storm.

Up to 50 inches of rain fell in Houston and surrounding areas with homes and roads being left underwater for days.

"Our hearts are heavy with sadness for those who lost everything," Mr Trump said at an event in North Dakota to pitch his plan for overhauling the tax code.

"They've also filled us with hope," he said, speaking of having witnessed the "unyielding strength and resilience of the American spirit".

White House spokeswoman Lindsay Walters said the Trumps saw some of these groups in action while visiting with hurricane survivors, emergency responders, volunteers and government officials during their visits to the region.

The American Red Cross said it is "grateful to the Trumps for their generous support of our mission".

The White House first said last week that Mr Trump wanted to make a donation, and sought suggestions from journalists on where he should contribute.

"He would like to join in the efforts that a lot of the people that we've seen across this country do," White House press secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders told reporters last week, two days after Mr Trump first visited post-Harvey Texas.

"And he's pledging a million dollars of personal money to the fund," Mr Sanders said "And he's actually asked that I check with the folks in this room, since you are very good at research and have been doing a lot of reporting into the groups and organisations that are best and most effective in helping and providing aid, and he'd love some suggestions from the folks here."

Mr Trump met with three relief groups - the American Red Cross, Southern Baptist Relief and Salvation Army - in the Oval Office last Friday.

AP
John P. White, deputy secretary of defense in Clinton administration, dies at 80

John P. White, deputy secretary of defense in the Clinton administration who also had served during the Carter presidency as deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget and as assistant secretary of defense for manpower, reserve affairs and logistics, died Sept. 3 at an assisted living center in Great Falls, Virginia. He was 80.

The cause was complications of Parkinson's disease, said a son, Tim White.

In a career that spanned a half-century, White held high-echelon positions in government and the private sector and faculty positions at Harvard University. From 1998 to 2012, he was the Robert and Renee Belfer Lecturer at Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government.

John Patrick White was born in Syracuse, New York, on Feb. 27, 1937. He graduated from Cornell University in 1959 and then went to Syracuse University, where he received a master's degree in economics and public administration in 1964 and a doctorate in labor economics in 1969. He served as a Marine Corps officer from 1959 to 1961.

In the 1960s and 1970s, he was a vice president at the Rand Corp. think tank, where his specialties included the elimination of a draft-based U.S. military and its changeover to a volunteer armed forces.

White was chairman and chief executive of Interactive Systems Corp. from 1981 to 1988. Following the corporation's sale to Eastman Kodak in 1988, he was a vice president of Kodak until 1992. In 1992, he drew up an economic plan for independent presidential candidate Ross Perot. Later White was an adviser to the Clinton campaign. In 2008, White was an adviser to the Obama transition team on the organization of the Defense Department.

Survivors include his wife of 58 years, Elizabeth Michaud White of Great Falls; four children, Timothy White of Los Angeles, John Martin White of Oakland, California, Ann Marie Molyneaux of San Francisco and Patricia Welch of Chantilly, Virginia; and eight grandchildren.

white-obit

Washington Post News Service (DC)

9/6/2017 5:32:37 PM Central Daylight Time
Koch group launches ad campaign against Democrat Northam in Virginia governor's race

Americans for Prosperity, the group financed by the billionaire industrialists Charles and David Koch, is going on air to attack Virginia Democratic gubernatorial contender Ralph Northam as part of a multimillion-dollar campaign.

A commercial set to air Thursday on networks statewide blasts Northam, the sitting lieutenant governor, for missing board meetings of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership.

The partnership, created by the state legislature in 1995 to boost economic development, has long been criticized for waste and dysfunction. In 2014, while Northam served on its board of directors, the agency approved a $1.4 million state grant to a Chinese firm that promised to open a factory in Appomattox County but never did. The money was never returned to the state.

Levi Russell, a spokesman for Americans for Prosperity, said the ad buy ranges from $1 million to $2 million and will run for three weeks. He added that the commercial is the first round of paid television advertising but declined to say how much the organization plans to spend through Election Day in November.

Northam faces Republican Ed Gillespie, a longtime GOP party operative who was the keynote speaker at Americans for Prosperity's summit in Richmond in August.

Gillespie's campaign has criticized Northam for missing meetings of various boards and commissions on which the lieutenant governor sits, dubbing him "No Show Northam."

The new Americans for Prosperity ad echoes that strategy.

It claims Northam's absence from board meetings of the Virginia Economic Development Partnership amounted to a failure of supervision that "let a fake Chinese company with a false address and phony website to take $1.4 million of our money."

This grant was cited in a blistering performance review by the legislature's audit arm and led to an overhaul of the agency's oversight and board.

At the time of the grant award, Northam was one of 24 board members overseeing the agency. Board members were not directly involved in grant decisions; grants were recommended by staff and approved by the governor.

Northam's campaign aides said the Democrat had limited involvement with the grant.

"Relying on misleading facts to manufacture false attacks is a sure sign of a flailing campaign that's hoping for traction," said Ofirah Yheskel, a Northam spokeswoman. "Ed Gillespie, a lobbyist and the architect of dark money in politics, is so desperate that he needs to be bailed out by the Koch brothers."

Virginia's gubernatorial contest is the nation's marquee race this year and is being widely watched by both national parties as a precursor to the 2018 midterms and a test of politics in the era of President Donald Trump.

The race has drawn intense interest from outside groups, and Americans for Prosperity is shaping up to be one of the biggest players on the Republican side.

Nationally, the political network led by billionaire Charles Koch plans to spend between $300 million and $400 million next year promoting policies and candidates favoring limited government.

"Our Virginia chapter has a responsibility, and its role is to stick up for taxpayers, so we are not viewing this through a national lens but viewing this more of as who would be best governor and who would have the best ideas," said Russell.

Americans for Prosperity's ad buy comes on top of more than $300,000 it has already funded in anti-Northam mailers, door hangers and digital advertising, according to data compiled by the Virginia Public Access Project.

The organization, which has five field offices in Virginia, says its staff and volunteers have already reached tens of thousands of voters by phone and canvassing.

Officials with Americans for Prosperity say they are opposing Northam because they believe he has a bad record on taxes and reducing regulations.

"We believe Ed Gillespie would be a much better governor than Ralph Northam with the policies he's put forward . . . the tax-cuts proposals he's put forward," said Tim Phillips, president of Americans for Prosperity. "This effort, though, is focused on Ralph Northam and expressly advocating his defeat."

One of the organization's mailers claims that Northam voted for the "largest tax increase in Virginia history" - an attack line used by the Gillespie campaign to describe a vote that Northam took on a compromise bill about transportation funding that was crafted by then-Gov. Robert McDonnell and GOP legislative leaders.

Outside groups have also flocked to support Northam's campaign.

Planned Parenthood's Virginia political affiliates, the Virginia League of Conservation Voters and billionaire climate change activist Tom Steyer's NextGen America have all committed to spend millions to elect Northam and other state Democrats.

According to the most recent filings, Gillespie had more than twice as much campaign cash on hand as Northam.

virginia-koch-1stld-writethru

Washington Post News Service (DC)

9/6/2017 5:12:37 PM Central Daylight Time
The joint patrols of the border police of Romania and servicemen from the State Border Guard Service of Ukraine will guard the section of the state border within Chernivtsi region.

According to the press service of the State Border Service of Ukraine, such an initiative was introduced in the framework of the agreement between the Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine and the government of Romania on joint patrolling the Ukrainian-Romanian state border.

The joint protection of the state border is one of the modern methods in the EU system of border management envisaged by the Schengen Borders Code and other documents.

Joint patrolling will allow more effectively counteracting organized criminal activity, promptly responding to attempts by violators to illegally cross the border and smuggle goods. In addition, it will save personnel, transportation, technical, fuel resources, etc.
240-year-old nautical maps show coral loss is much worse than we knew

Between 1773 and 1775, George Gauld, a surveyor with the British Admiralty, immortalized the coast of the Florida Keys in ink. Though his most pressing goal was to record the depth of the sea - to prevent future shipwrecks - Gauld embraced his naturalist side, too. He sprinkled his maps with miscellany that later charts would omit: where sea turtles made their nests, or the colors and consistency of sand.

Gauld also took note of the corals he saw. And in doing so he created the oldest known records of Florida reefs.

"With the early charts you can actually see the reef itself being drawn," said Loren McClenachan, a marine ecologist at Colby College in Maine. "It matches almost exactly with the satellite data." In a study published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, McClenachan and her colleagues compared those 240-year-old observations with present-day satellite images.

A stark picture of shrinking coral emerged: Half of the reefs recorded in the 1770s are missing from the satellite data.

The coral nearest to shore fared the worst, with 88 percent of the coral that Gauld recorded now gone. At the fore-reef, the coral at the most seaward edge of the reef, there appeared to be no loss between historical coral observations and modern habitat maps. "I was surprised that there was such a strong spatial gradient," McClenachan said.

"It's a very important study," said Sam Purkis, a marine geoscientist and conservationist at the University of Miami who was not involved with this research. The maps are old and were "generated with very primitive techniques," he said. (Where modern biologists will use satellites or hop into the sea to observe coral, surveyors such as Gauld dredged up seafloor samples using rope tipped with tallow or wax pockets, the study authors wrote. Or they simply looked.)

Katie Cramer, a researcher at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in San Diego, pointed out a few possible limitations with the maps: It's impossible to tell whether the surveyors distinguished between living and dead coral, for example, or how long the reefs had persisted.

Despite such limitations, dismissing these charts, Purkis said, would be "overlooking a very rich data source."

The causes of modern coral deaths are widespread, McClenachan said, such as more-acidic oceans and higher water temperatures. But these newfound sharp losses were local. As for the exact reasons for the disappearance of the Florida corals, "we can't get at that," she said. "All we have is then and now."

But the marine ecologist offered a few possible explanations, most of them involving humans. Humans built a causeway through the Keys and dredged the Key West harbor. We've changed the way fresh water flows through the Everglades. Perhaps agriculture played a part. In Panama, where studies of fossilized coral show similar near-shore population drops, ecologists suspect that the appearance of banana plantations degraded water quality.

Land-based pollution and fishing were older sources of coral destruction, said Cramer, who has studied the paleoecological history of reefs. "Corals began dying in other parts of the Caribbean shortly after the establishment of industrial agricultural operations," Cramer said. What's more, she said, "the historical loss of algae-eating fish such as parrotfish has likely caused a decline in coral growth rates."

"There are many factors, some natural, some anthropogenic," Purkis said. He did not rule out human involvement, but he also noted that the local sea level has been rising since the 1930s. The rising seawater sweeps out mangrove and saw-grass debris as well as sediment, he said, which can choke coral.

Looking at older ecological records helps redefine what we think of as a natural baseline - particularly in marine environments, McClenachan said, where we don't have a lot of historical information. She said she doesn't consider the Florida losses to be isolated. And we might not know how severe other local coral population declines have been. "If something's not there, you don't know to look for it," she said.

"Even the oldest surviving generations probably cannot remember seeing spectacular reefs close to shore in Florida," Cramer said, "so we have lost our collective memory of the majesty of these reefs and a sense of the magnitude of what has been lost."

Purkis said this long time scale offers a look into not only the past but also the future. If deeper corals are the most historically resilient, for instance, perhaps they deserve special attention. "If we think about protecting reefs in the future, with no-take zones and marine protected areas, we might learn about where our more sensible conservation efforts can be," he said.

After all, Floridians might want these ecosystems to stick around for another 240 years: The global biodiversity of reefs is estimated to be worth billions. Fish, including many species that end up on dinner plates, spawn and grow around coral. And, with storms such as Hurricane Irma on the horizon, it's important to recognize that reefs protect landlubbers by blunting waves before they can strike the coast.

coral-1stld-writethru

Washington Post News Service (DC)

9/6/2017 5:52:37 PM Central Daylight Time
ASHEBORO  An Asheboro man accused of shooting at a police officer Monday is in jail.

Daniel Schexnider, 25, had been in Moses Cone Hospital after he was shot by a police officer he shot at on Monday, police said in a news release. He was released from the hospital today and taken to the Randolph County jail where he is being held on $2.5 million bail, police said.

Schexnider is charged with three counts of attempted murder, two counts of assault with a deadly weapon on a government official and two counts of assault with a deadly weapon causing serious injury.

Police said Schexnider drove his vehicle into another vehicle on purpose. The victim and a passenger in the vehicle were injured when they crashed into an unknown object on the side of the road.

About 11 p.m. Monday, police responded to the 2000 block of North Fayetteville Street for another matter and found the wreck. Police said Schexnider shot at the officer who returned fire.

Schexnider was struck by the officer's gunfire. He is also charged with felony hit and run with injury, aggressive driving, possession of a firearm by a felon and discharging a firearm inside the city.

Police are still investigating and have not released a motive for the wreck or the shooting.
GREENSBORO  Another hurricane, and a Category 5 at that.

Unpredictable. Treacherous. Churning in the Atlantic, menacing the Southeast coast, threatening to ram ... some city yet to be determined.

Sound familiar? Bring back bad memories? Maybe of power outages and toppled oaks?

This week, all eyes are on Hurricane Irma, a monstrous windmaker that most likely will strike Florida on Sunday or Monday.

But 28 years ago this month, Winston-Salem, along with the rest of central North Carolina, was fixated on an eerily similar beast:

Hurricane Hugo.

The two storms have much in common  at least at this point in their long, slow marches to landfall.

Hugo in 1989, like Irma in 2017, spent some time at Category 5.

Both storms took a similar path from the coast of Africa toward the Dominican Republic.

But thats where Hugo took a decidedly northwestern turn, making landfall Friday, Sept. 22, as a Category 4 near Charleston, S.C. The storm killed 29 people in the state, making it one of the worst disasters of the 20th century.

As bad as that was, it could have been worse. Early warnings allowed 350,000 people to evacuate the South Carolina coast safely.

The storm headed for Charlotte, then sped into the Triad as a mere tropical storm.

Winston-Salem was spared the worst of Hugo, which, as Staff Writer Taft Wireback wrote for the Sept. 23 edition of the News & Record in Greensboro, could have been shortened to Hu because most of its go went somewhere else.

About 51,000 residences lost electricity in Winston-Salem, Greensboro and High Point, where tree after tree downed power lines. The wind gusted to 51 mph just before 7 a.m. at Piedmont Triad International Airport.

In Charlotte and parts of the western Piedmont, wind rather than rain did the bulk of the damage.

Then-Charlotte Mayor Sue Myrick declared a state of emergency, with about one-quarter of Mecklenburg County residents losing power.

Damage from Hugo cost roughly $10 billion in South Carolina and $725 million in North Carolina.

Irma could still follow in Hugos path, closing in on the Carolinas instead of barreling due west toward Miami, as forecasters expect.

If not, then maybe Tropical Storm Jose will.

Its following right behind Irma, bound for ... somewhere.
Its the most powerful Atlantic Ocean storm in recorded history, but will it hit North Carolina?

Thats what officials across the state are asking as Hurricane Irma crashed into Caribbean islands Wednesday on a path that could take it toward the United States.

Here are four things to know about Hurricane Irma.

1.) POTENTIALLY CATASTROPHIC

When Irma hit Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon, it sustained maximum wind speeds of 185 mph, earning it the status of a Category 5 hurricane.

Only four other Atlantic-region storms have been more powerful than Irma, but those originated in the Caribbean Sea or Gulf of Mexico.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center called Irma potentially catastrophic" and says it carried life-threatening winds, rains and surges on Wednesday.

Its winds extend 50 miles from its center.

The Dominican Republic, Bahamas, Virgin Islands, Turks and Caicos, Haiti and Cuba could all get dangerous weather by Friday, the center says. The Florida Keys are bracing for Irmas potential impact as a Category 4 or 5 storm later this weekend.

2.) TOO EARLY TO PREDICT

There is little confidence in predictions of Irmas path after Friday. North Carolina Emergency Management says we dont yet know when or where Irma will turn north.

Its possible Irma could impact any part of North Carolina, or miss it altogether. If the storm does reach the state, it will be sometime between Monday and Wednesday next week, state officials say.

Anticipating the worst, governors of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina declared states of emergency. Gov. Roy Cooper said his office is closely monitoring the storm.

Irma is expected to maintain its strength for several days, but it's unknown how powerful it will be if it reaches the Tar Heel State.

3.) OFFICIALS URGE PREPARATION

State and local officials are urging residents to make plans now should Irma bear down on North Carolina.

Create an emergency kit and discuss emergency plans, N.C. Emergency Management advices. You can download the free ReadyNC app for more information on planning and to get real-time weather and emergency information.

Kits should include enough water and non-perishable food for each person to live off for up to seven days. Officials also recommend having a weather radio, flashlight, batteries, toiletries, rain gear and spare clothes.

Protect your home by cleaning gutters and trimming lose branches from nearby trees. If you think youll need items like boards or lumber, the sooner you buy them the better.

Locate and secure all important documents, AAA advises. Make an inventory of all your items and either bring inside or tie down freestanding outdoor items.

Gas prices in North Carolina jumped 40 cents after Hurricane Harvey, now sitting at an average of $2.63, AAA says. Prices could go up another 5-10 cents this weekend depending on what Irma does.

4.) RESOURCES TO REMAIN IN STATE

All N.C. rescue crews sent to Texas to aid with Hurricane Harvey recovery will return to North Carolina in preparation for Hurricane Irma in case they are needed, Cooper announced.

Other organizations are already preparing. N.C. Department of Transportation crews in every county are reviewing stock of drainage pipes.

North Carolina Emergency Management Director Mike Sprayberry told the AP he spent Wednesday coordinating resources with federal agencies.

And in Iredell County, Sheriff Darren Campbell said county officials have already begun to plan should the storm bring damage, flooding and power outages, as Hurricane Hugo did in 1989.
The third edition of Tax, Accounting and Audit in India is updated for 2017, and provides an overview of the f...
Last year, the front office staff at James Whitcomb Riley School 43 put Band-Aids on scrapes, stopped nosebleeds and handed out ice packs while wielding phone calls and visits from parents.

This year, a nurse practitioner hired through a partnership between Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) and Shalom Health Care Center handles medical issues, leaving the office staff with fewer fires to extinguish.

Everything is settled down even more for us in the front office, Principal Bakari Posey said. It lowers my anxiety. Thats one less thing that I have to be worried about.

Schools today often face health care challenges that require more than the occasional Band-Aid. About 10 to 15 percent of children live with chronic conditions such as diabetes and asthma, according to the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute. Inappropriate care leads to missed school days and affects education.

In addition, the majority of students who attend IPS are Black (47.7 percent) or Hispanic (26.6 percent) and living in poverty (64.8 percent receive free lunch and 31.7 percent are on reduced-price lunch), according to the Indiana Department of Education  populations often without primary care providers. Data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states 2 percent of Black adolescents and 4.2 percent of Hispanic adolescents dont have a regular primary care provider.

IPS views access to health care as a key component to student education and intentionally chose to place nurses in schools with high-poverty rates, said Special Education Officer Brent Freeman. At School 43, for example, 78.5 percent of students qualify for free lunch.

When youre sick and not getting care, youre not spending time at school, Freeman said. Theres a direct correlation to absenteeism, so this is one way to address high absenteeism.

IPS has partnerships with several entities to provide schools with registered nurses and nurse practitioners. Shalom is the largest partnership. Of the 14 school nurses Shalom provides, 13 are nurse practitioners and one is a registered nurse. The school district also employs 12 school nurses.

Having a nurse practitioner in the building results in a higher level of care, as they are able to diagnose and treat ailments and write prescriptions.

Were not here to replace a childs primary care provider, said Megan Carlson, chief nursing officer at Shalom. Were here to bridge that gap. There are many kids who dont have a primary care provider, who go to the urgent care center on a frequent basis, so were trying to stop that trend and get them set up with the care that they need.

Nurse practitioner Christa Goebes has even gone as far as picking up prescriptions for a student. Goebes educates children with chronic conditions on their illness and the importance of taking prescribed medications. Goebes helped parent Ashley Moore transfer her two children to Shalom Health Care Center for their primary care.

Moores oldest daughter has severe allergies to shellfish and eggs. A recent brush with eggs by way of French toast sent Moores daughter to Goebes, fearful of a serious reaction. Thankfully, the reaction was mild.

Im happy shes here now, Moore said. I know she knows what shes doing.
One Ukrainian serviceman was killed in the ATO zone on September 7 as a result of shelling by illegal armed groups, according to the press center of the ATO.

"The enemy started fire three times from grenade launchers and heavy machine guns in the Donetsk area, on the outskirts of Zaitseve. Militants also fired twice Ukrainian strong points in the Avdiyivka industrial zone. As a result, one Ukrainian soldier was killed," the report states.
On June 11 at 1:45 a.m., 18 days before being involved in the fatal shooting of Aaron Bailey, Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) Officer Carlton Howard conducted a traffic stop near 29th and Martin Luther King Jr. streets.

According to a probable cause affidavit acquired by the Recorder, the driver of the vehicle, a Dodge charger, changed lanes while simultaneously hitting his turn signal and was stopped by Howard for failing to signal continuously for 200 feet before switching lanes. After Howard utilized his air horn several times to get the vehicle to stop, the driver pulled up to a gas pump at a nearby service station. The female passenger got out of the vehicle, and Howard ordered her, at gunpoint, to get back inside. The driver, who was later confirmed to be driving under the influence of alcohol, refused to step out of the vehicle when asked, and Howard pulled him out by the wrist. A second officer assisted Howard in placing handcuffs on the driver, who was later arrested.

When asked about Howards actions on that night, namely giving orders at gunpoint to the passenger of the vehicle, IMPD declined to go on the record due to pending criminal proceedings, but provided this statement via email:

Our officers confront dangerous and life-threatening situations on a daily basis. Our policies create rules to guide officers in deciding to draw their weapons and point them at persons for the safety of citizens and the officers.

Our policies reflect the law allowing officers to draw and point their weapon at another person when reasonable suspicion exists of criminal activity, and there is a reasonable belief of a dangerous or life-threatening situation. Our officers receive over 16 hours of annual training regarding their decision to draw, point and fire the weapon and when to keep the weapon holstered and not shoot.  IMPD considers every officers decision to use force seriously; however, we also recognize the inherently dangerous and expeditious changing environments that our officers often find themselves in. We are continually evaluating officers use of force to ensure our officers operate within policy and that our policy adheres to nationally recognized best practices and community sentiment.

The departments current Use of Force guidelines do not preclude an officer from unholstering a weapon when serving a high-risk warrant, conducting a building search, making a high-risk vehicle stop or facing other situations where the presentation of a firearm is considered a reasonable use of force. The policy also states that pointing a firearm at a person is a use of force that must be objectively reasonable in the circumstances.

The increased public focus on police conduct has prompted many departments across the country, including IMPD, to examine policies and create training specifically targeted toward garnering a decrease in lethal outcomes.

Earlier this week, IMPD conducted verbal de-escalation training for a number of its officers. The goal, according to an internal document, was to provide public safety professionals with expanded verbal de-escalation tools, enhance officer and community safety, improve relationships between the police and the community, decrease citizen complaints and honor the proud tradition of the police serving as community guardians of the peace.

In an opening statement before the training began, IMPD Chief Roach emphasized the importance of the course, saying, This has been a long time coming. The chief mentioned that over the past few years, IMPD leadership has tried to implement various de-escalation trainings among the force. He also noted that the group was there to not only learn for themselves and gain tips to go on and train others, but to also champion the lessons they were being taught.

So often  we (arrive on a scene) and we ask and then we tell and then we make, said Roach. A lot of our focus is on the make, and we forget about spending a little more time describing what that tell is and engaging people.

Humane policing

Writer, trainer and public speaker Darron Spencer knows all too well the benefits of a more nuanced approach to policing. Spencer, the author of Humane Policing: How Perspectives Can Influence Our Performance, is a former corrections officer and deputy. During his career in law enforcement, he oversaw more than 250 cases that resulted in 40 felony and 74 misdemeanor arrests. He also assisted in four death investigations.

Spencers career on the streets came to an end in February of 2015 due to a spinal injury. Today, he has leveraged his experience to help inform other officers around the nation.

Humane policing is an individualistic approach to policing, where I train law enforcement personnel to relate to the individual people they are policing. In turn, people began to see the officers as individuals doing a job and not bureaucrats wearing a uniform, he said. When I was doing the job, I could tell I was getting better results than my counterparts, and I couldnt pinpoint exactly why or articulate why I was getting the results. It was when I became disabled that I had ample amount of time to critique what I did, why I did it, what worked and didnt work.

Spencer noted that of his many accolades, he is most proud of the fact that his penchant for relationship building within his community not only resulted in more solved crimes, but also improved the perception of his work among those he served.

He shared that beyond working with officers, he would also speak to district attorneys and inform them of the positive cooperation hed had with suspects in order to negotiate better plea deals. Right now, most agencies only talk about the negative cooperation of individuals  theyre doing that to justify use of force, he said.

When asked what he feels needs to be done to better improve police-community relations, Spencer said addressing the national media is the first step. They have a tendency to label every situation, and when they label it, it paints a picture that every encounter is racially motivated. That does an injustice to when in fact there is a racially motivated incident.

He added that police departments could work better internally to ensure they have the right people doing the job.

We need to get better as an industry in weeding out the cops that shouldnt belong in law enforcement, he said.

Historical context

Volney Gay, a professor of psychiatry, religious studies and anthropology at Vanderbilt University and author of On the Pleasures of Owning Persons: The Hidden Face of American Slavery, believes the institution of slavery resulted in outcomes that are evident today, particularly in the relationship between people of color and law enforcement. He described the practices of yesteryear and the policies of today as identical.

From the beginning, our founding contract, the constitution, our law was rooted in the defense of slavery, he said, adding that one consequence was hundreds of years of propaganda about the dangers of Black men, including that they were dangerous, they could conspire, theyre up to no good and you must use overwhelming force.

The goal of violence like this is not to catch a criminal or corral a criminal, Gay said. The point of excessive violence is to make a political, emotional point. Its to demonstrate to all people, all Black men who might think otherwise that it is hopeless  its a form of domestic terrorism.

As far as solutions go, Gay remarked that knowledge of the past is important, but true change must happen from within law enforcement.

Learning what happens and learning how these things occur, I think that is all to the good, but the other part is, police forces have internal cultures, internal rules, and I think you need people from the inside there. I think you could preach to (police departments) forever, but there has to be a genuine resource from within the department, and it cant be just pastors and newspapers and the mayor. It has to be among the members themselves.
Tahwii Spicer is all about being natural. With the help of a midwife, she had an unmedicated home birth with her son Reece, now almost 2 years old, and said almost as soon as he was born, he army-crawled up her body to start feeding.

He was so ravenous! she said. He was hungry.

Despite her positive experience, Spicer, who lives in Indianapolis, said examples of breast-feeding are sometimes hard to find in the Black community. Some of us dont have a lot of support, and we dont necessarily see it in our own families, she said. We might not even have been breast-fed ourselves.

Breast-feeding rates are increasing each year, but a gaping disparity between Black women and women of other races remains. According to data from the Indiana State Department of Health, in 2015, 82 percent of white women in Indiana were breast-feeding when they left the hospital after delivery, compared with only 68 percent of Black women.

Research highlights racial gap

Research strongly suggests a correlation between breast-feeding and lower rates of disease and mortality for both infants and mothers, said Melissa Bartick, an assistant professor at Harvard Medical School who studies racial disparities in breast-feeding. A lot of pediatric infectious disease, gastroenteritis, ear infections, that is very, very strong, she said.

Bartick said such infections are often associated with premature and low birth weight babies, which occur at a higher rate in Black women than in other races.

Other statistics indicate a connection between breast-feeding and a lower rate of sudden unexpected infant deaths (SUIDS), in which an infant dies inexplicably before his or her first birthday. SUIDS is increasing in Indiana. In 2014, 240 African-American babies per every 100,000 died from SUIDs, a 60 percent increase over the year before, according to state figures.

A lot of people arent aware that Black babies are dying, said Rosalind Jones-Jackson of the Indiana Black Breast Feeding Coalition (IBBC), which advocates for and educates families about breast-feeding. She agrees with Spicer that in many cases, the cultural framework just doesnt exist.

I think its because now we dont have mentors and nobody ever talked about the importance of breast-feeding in the African-American population, Jones-Jackson said. Black families in many cases didnt embrace the shift back to breast-feeding after formula feeding began to fall out of favor, she added.

A troubled history

Bartick said for many families, the concept of breast-feeding is loaded with baggage related to slavery. Slave owners would force women to act as wet nurses for their children, often at the expense of their own young children, she said. That history served as a powerful incentive to view breast-feeding negatively, which was passed down through generations.

Jones-Jackson cited more immediate reasons: Hospitals market formula (to Black women), say that formula is better than breast milk, they do some kind of false advertisement to say formula has everything.

Jones-Jackson said that while the lack of breast-feeding knowledge among Black women perpetuates the problem, women could increase breast-feeding rates by creating their own supportive communities.

Thats what the IBBC does. Breast-feeding can be difficult and frustrating. The organization offers mothers a mentor or peer to act as a cheerleader as well as a teacher. Jones-Jackson said that could make the difference between pressing on and giving up. And having positive role models can make it more likely others will choose to breast-feed, too.

She added that anyone could be supportive, including spouses, partners and other family members.

A lot of people have misconceptions that they have to be superwomen to do all this, she said. But they have to dedicate their time to the baby. When you have a significant other youve got to feed at home, do laundry, thats a lot of work if you think about it. Just being able to assist her in cooking a meal or just helping her be comfortable (could help.)

Spicer agrees: I think it really starts at home. It was just a natural thing that you would do.  The baby has to eat.

Community seeks to bridge breast-feeding divide

There are a number of local organizations and individuals working to encourage women to breast-feed, including the IBBC, the Indiana Breastfeeding Coalition and the Indiana Prenatal Network.

Minister and doula Joi Barnett is passionate about teaching women the benefits of breast-feeding. She volunteers with IBBC and is starting a nonprofit to assist women with birthing and breast-feeding needs.

Prior to giving birth to her first child at the age of 17, Barnett knew little about the birthing process and had even less information regarding breast-feeding. Experiencing three very difficult pregnancies made her interested in learning more about what could be done for both the mother and child during and after pregnancy. She had her fourth child at home with the assistance of a midwife and says it was a positive experience. Today, she volunteers for IBBCs Bosom Buddies program, a support group that connects new moms with trained mentors.

Barnetts also working to launch Birth Your Joi, a nonprofit that will help fund homebirths for women who would not be able to afford one otherwise, while providing support to families throughout pregnancy and after birth.

I want to focus on this community and changing these trends. I want to partner with the IBBC because some women dont hear anything about breast-feeding until they are in labor and arent educated about it. I want to teach diapering, safe sleep, safe bed sharing and have skills training for mothers and fathers, said Barnett.

Barnett said some reasons for the disparity between Black and white mothers lay in how they are treated at hospitals.

I wish I could say it was just income and education level, but if you look at college-educated, middle-class Black women, the numbers dont get better, she said. Its the way we are cared for. It doesnt matter if we go to the county hospital or a nice, suburban hospital. They dont take the time with us that they would with other women. They dont have lactation support, because they assume we arent going to breast-feed. I believe that if we are cared for as whole human beings and not looked at as here is another Black woman having a baby, that would play a big role.

A study from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention titled Racial Disparities in Access to Maternity Care Practices That Support Breastfeeding backs up Barnetts assessment, stating that hospitals in ZIP codes with more than 12.2 percent Black residents were less likely than hospitals in ZIP codes with fewer Black residents to endorse breast-feeding.

Modeling healthy choices

Barnett pointed out that Black women often dont have as many positive examples of breast-feeding in their families. Thats why she frequents health fairs to bring not only information, but also her own friendly face to the community.

Juanita Ingram has a similar goal. The attorney, author and model was the first African-American woman to win the title of Mrs. Indiana United States in 2007. Ingram is a spokesmodel for Best for Babes, an organization that helps women of color overcome cultural and institutional barriers that prevent moms from achieving their personal breast-feeding goals. Ingram feels there is a lack of positive representations of Black women breast-feeding in the media, and she allows Best for Babes to use her image alongside their promotional materials to visually change the imagery associated with breast-feeding.

When you see beautiful pictures that are nurturing of women breast-feeding, you dont see Black faces, she said. Often, when you search for images of Black breast-feeding mothers, we are depicted in the Congo, topless, and there is an undertone of indigence that goes with it. Breast-feeding isnt just for poor women who cant afford formula.

Ingram is a mother of two who said many people questioned her choice to breast-feed, from family members to co-workers. She started a corporate lactation program at work to help women overcome hurdles to breast-feeding.

Ingram thinks a mixture of positive examples and more accessible information regarding the benefits would ultimately lead more Black women to breast-feed.

In 2007, Indiana just passed legislation that women have the right to breast-feed, she said, referring to a law that says women can breastfeed anywhere she has a right to be.

Oftentimes, there is the stigma that you will not be able to keep up with your work, that there will not be lactation consultants who know (what a) working mother needs. Knowledge is power, and when we have more information about the benefits, it dispels some of the myths that it is taboo or odd. We need to give them the information about why its so imperative for our young children.

Sarah Fentem works with WFYIs Side Effects Public Media, a news service covering public health.
If you did not understand how pivotal Barack Obamas actions were during his presidency, I am sure you understand now as the current administration works to scrap all that the former president accomplished.

President Donald Trump has several top agenda items that he is focusing on. Some of the items may be things he sincerely feels need to be addressed. Even more may be the result of favors he owes key people in his base for helping to get him elected. However, most of Trumps top agenda items are a direct assault on Obamas legacy. The former president reminded us of this time and time again throughout the past presidential campaign.

His warning has come to fruition many times during the past eight months.

In the formative weeks and months of Trumps presidency, I allowed myself to be surprised each time he struck a new low. But I am no longer surprised. As a matter of fact, I have come to expect such things from him, as his playbook is open for the world to observe.

The presidents latest effort to repeal DACA, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, is a gutless assault on innocent young people. About 800,000 youth and young adults, so-called Dreamers who were brought to the U.S. by undocumented parents, are now in jeopardy of being deported back to their native land.

Trump and his Attorney General Jeff Sessions cite increasing violence as their reasoning, saying: Failure to enforce the laws in the past has put our nation at risk of crime, violence and terrorism.

Their statement is grossly incorrect. As a matter of fact, Obama set immigration-enforcement priorities on people with criminal records, and not those brought to this country on as children. Data shows about 9 in 10 (Dreamers) are working taxpayers, and deporting them could reduce the gross domestic product by over $400 billion over the next decade.

DACA is a morally right and fiscally sound policy  not to mention, it is also legal! In addition, people and politicians on both sides of the political aisle support it, which we all know is something that doesnt happen as often as it should.

What breaks my heart just as much as the Dreamers being forced out of America is how their trust was violated. When Obama instituted DACA, tens of thousands of young people met strict requirements and went through background checks. They provided the government with all of their personal information including Social Security number and immigration status, with an assurance that the information wouldnt be used against them or provided to immigration agencies.

The Dreamers are sad and scared.

I had an opportunity to speak with a Dreamer the day after it was announced that DACA was being eliminated. I dont know the woman personally, so naturally she was a bit hesitant to chat with me. After a mutual acquaintance assured her that I could be trusted, the Dreamer relaxed. Out of respect for her privacy, I wont give her name, nor will I identify our mutual acquaintance. I will share some of her story here; more will come in the future, as she has agreed to speak with me again as well as introduce me to other Dreamers.

The woman I met is 21 years old. Despite being fairly young, she is married and has a small child. She didnt go into detail during our initial conversation, but her husband left Indy and returned home to Burma a few months ago. She said he was scared once Trump got elected.

This Dreamer has always worked hard, but with her husband gone, she has to work two jobs. She worries about child care for her little one. While she has lots of Burmese friends who could watch the youngster, Mom believes that draws too much attention. Shed rather an American babysit her child. She thinks the child would be safer and less likely to be profiled if she were with an American.

I asked the young woman how she feels about Trump ending DACA, and she immediately broke down crying. She cried a long, wailing cry that led me to cry as well. She couldnt understand what she and others had done wrong. She kept asking why. She said she follows the rules and she minds (her) own business. Then she explained how worried she is for her own safety and the safety of her child if she is forced back to Burma.

This woman told me she used to have confidence, but now her confidence has turned to fear and skepticism. She says she feels tricked, because the government has all her information and they can come get her anytime they want.

We ended our conversation with her explaining that she doesnt know how to proceed. She doesnt know if she should continue life as she has over the past several years, or if she should stop paying bills, live with a friend and save all her money in case she is sent back.

I didnt have many answers for her. I told her she will be in my constant prayers and that I understand her feelings of disregard and abandonment. Blacks have felt that way for years.

Perhaps Trump should have spoken to some Dreamers himself before deciding to end the program they based their lives around.

Maybe it would have made a difference. Probably not.
But first let me take a selfie! Apparently thats what people did when American DJ/production duo The Chainsmokers landed in Mumbai. Fans went crazy and bombarded the two hotties Andrew Taggart and Alex Pall.

Viral Bhayani

Art has no boundaries and that is quite evident from the fact how foreign artistes are conducting successful concerts in India these days. So, after Justin Bieber, who apparently didnt enjoy the summers in India, now The Chainsmokers are set to perform in the country, which has, for long, been going crazy over their songCloser.

So baby pull me closer in the backseat of your Rover We all have grooved to it and listened to it on loop, havent we? Now that the DJ duo is all set to perform in Mumbai and Delhi, fans are, of course, more excited than ever.

They were clicked by the papz when they landed in Mumbai and were bombarded with fans. The duo looked happy and didnt mind posing for the camera too.

Take a look:

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Viral Bhayani
BCCL

A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court today pronounced the sentence in the March 12, 1993 Mumbai blasts case against five convicts, including gangster Abu Salem. The verdict came after 23 years. Read more





Here are other top news of the day:





1) Pakistan 'Will Continue To Support Kashmiris', Says Army Chief Bajwa

bccl

Days after the BRICS declaration condemning Pakistan-based terror groups, the country's army chief Qamar Bajwa said Pakistan would "continue to extend political, moral, and diplomatic support for Kashmiris' right to self-determination", reported Pakistani media. Read more





2) Indian-Americans Shine In US Politics, Four Women Among Five Feature In Top 50 Politico List

Reuters

Four Indian-Americans, including four women, have figured in the Politico 50 List for their significant contributions to the US policies. Read more

3) 17-Year-Old Girl Saved Once From Blue Whale Challenge, Attempts Suicide Again

Twitter/Representational Image

A 17-year-old girl from Jodhpur, who had been rescued once from attempting suicide by jumping into the lake as part of the Blue Whale challenge, made another attempt to kill herself. Read more

4) Hair Stylist Jawed Habib Trolled For Using Images Of Hindu Gods In An Ad, Issues Public Apology

jawedhabib.co.in

Noted hair stylist Jawed Habib was forced to issue a public apology after he was trolled for a newspaper advertisement depicting Hindu gods visiting his hair salon. Read more

5) India's Home Made Artillery Gun Makes A World Record, Fires Shell 47 Kms Away

Youtube

For years, the Indian Army suffered from the lack of potent artillery firepower. During the Kargil War, it was the Bofors gun that proved its prowess, but a new gun was not even in sight. But those days are long gone. Read more
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry has demanded that Russia guarantee safe and unimpeded access of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe Special Monitoring Mission (OSCE SMM) to Ukraine to the entire territory of Donbas.

"We demand once again that Russia [...] abandon the practice of areas closed to OSCE monitoring and guarantee the OSCE SMM's safe and unimpeded access to the entire territory of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, including the section of the Ukrainian-Russian border temporarily not controlled by Ukraine," the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday in the wake of the OSCE SMM report entitled 'Restrictions of SMM's freedom of movement and other impediments to fulfillment of its mandate (January-June).'

"Such actions by Russia grossly violate Clause 4 of the Minsk Protocol on ensuring the permanent monitoring of the Ukrainian-Russian border and verification by the OSCE with the creation of security zones in the border regions of Ukraine and the Russian Federation," it said.

Ertugrul Apakan, the OSCE SMM chief monitor, earlier called on the conflicting parties in eastern Ukraine to respect the SMM's freedom of movement.
Noted hair stylist Jawed Habib was forced to issue a public apology after he was trolled for a newspaper advertisement depicting Hindu gods visiting his hair salon.

jawedhabib.co.in

The print ad showed Goddess Durga, along with her children Kartik, Lakshmi, Saraswati and Ganesh, having a relaxing day at Habib's beauty parlour. The tag said, "Gods too visit JH salon."

Twitter

A lawyer filed a court case against Mr Habib for using images of Hindu gods and goddesses in the advertisement to promote his salons.

Lawyer Vinay Pandey moved an application in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate in Maharajganj in eastern Uttar Pradesh, saying that Habib, had recently issued an advertisement that showed Hindu Gods and Goddesses sitting in his salon as customers.

After the ad went viral, Habib was heavily trolled on social media for his advertisement.

Rubbish ad by Jawed Habib. I dare him to do such an ad on his Prophet. pic.twitter.com/XxpZQ7pZiu  Sonam Mahajan (@AsYouNotWish) 5 September 2017

Boycott him guys#JawedHabib has insulted our Hindu deities pic.twitter.com/pcec1hiKtq  Gitanjali D.S (@Gitanjali_DS) 6 September 2017

Can't do much else, not like I can issue a fatwa, but atleast I can vow to never visit your salons again @JH_JawedHabib. Despicable pic.twitter.com/SLNgZqRNqx  Nupur (@UnSubtleDesi) 5 September 2017

Following the backlash he faced online, the renowned hair stylist wrote on Twitter: "If our ad campaign had inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments, we apologise for that."

"Dear all, we respect your sentiments and we apologize sincerely. It was not to hurt you at all, tweeted Habib, stating that the advertisement had been released by a partner without his permission.

I have been working for 25 years and my only religion is my scissors, Habib said in a video posted on social media.

According to the media reports, during the preparations for the press conference on occasion of inauguration of a hair salon, Habib suffered severe pain in his chest and soon fell on the ground.

I am safe and sound. Thank you for your concern.  Jawed Habib (@JH_JawedHabib) 5 September 2017

He was immediately rushed to the nearest hospital, where doctors declared him to be out of danger.
Four Indian-Americans, including four women, have figured in the Politico 50 List for their significant contributions to the US policies.

Reuters

Led by US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley, the list also comprises Seema Verma who heads a top health care position in the Trump administration, lawyer Neal Katyal, economist Aparna Mathur and lawyer Neomi Rao.

The magazine describes Haley as "Trump's foreign policy good cop". It said he former South Carolina governor had quickly emerged as the security blanket that Republicans and even some Democrats can cling to when trying to grasp where the Trump administration stands on global affairs.

She is ranked at number 22.

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"Haley's commitment to both her boss in the White House and a traditional foreign policy can sometimes induce cognitive dissonance. She is focused on human rights, sounding off on everything from Venezuela to South Sudan, but dismisses suggestions that Trump - who seems indifferent to the topic - doesn't care," the magazine said in its report.

Haley, 45, is followed by Verma at 26th spot as administrator centre for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Aparna Mathur, an economist at the American Enterprise Institute, is ranked 32 for making the conservative case for family leave.

Neal Katyal, a partner at Hogan Lovells is ranked 40 for being US President Donald Trump's travel ban's legal nemesis.
As Apple readies to unveil its next flagship device to the world on Tuesday, it seems another company has managed to pass it by in the sales department.

Reuters

According to new reports from Counterpoint, Chinese smartphone manufacturer Huawei has surpassed Apple in global smartphone sales for the first time ever, two months in a row.

The company outsold Apple in both June and July, and looks to possibly have repeated the feat in August as well. This puts Huawei at the number two spot in the world, with South Korea-based Samsung firmly settled in the top spot.

This is a significant milestone for Huawei, Counterpoints research director Peter Richardson said in a statement to press. The global scale Huawei has been able to achieve can be attributed to its consistent investment in R&D and manufacturing, coupled with aggressive marketing and sales channel expansion.

Of course, its important to consider that a new iPhone is just around the corner, a time when sales typically pick up drastically. Not only are hardcore fans going in for the new model, but others take advantage of the refreshed hardware to snap up older models at discounted prices.

Nevertheless, its still a sign of just how much Huawei has grown these past few years to even be in a spot to overtake Apple. One way Richardson believes Huawei has been held back is because it doesnt have a significant presence in South Asia, India, and North America.
Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), a US based research collaborative, has just signed a memorandum of understanding with the Andhra Pradesh government to develop a Hyperloop system right here in India.

The route is planned to connect the cities of Amaravati and Vijaywada, reducing what was previously an hour-long trip to just six minutes.

This is the first such official agreement for a Hyperloop to be built in India, and will use a public private partnership (PPP) model with private funding to be constructed. HTT says the project will create around 2,500 jobs.

As it stands right now, six months of feasibility testing is expected to begin in October, to ensure the project can proceed unimpeded. After that, the company can begin construction in April 2018. The Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board has partnered with HTT during Phase 1 to help deal with regulatory specifications, to make sure the Hyperloop is one the government can sign off on.

Meanwhile, other companies may also eventually join the fray. Another corporation, Hyperloop One, has previously expressed an interest in building the high-speed transportation system in India. The company, if given the green light, promised a Delhi-Mumbai route that could be completed in just 80 minutes, as well as other routes to eventually follow.

And as theyre doing that, Indian students are building and testing the capsules that would move through Hyperloops vacuum tubes. If were lucky, it may be just a couple more years before were actually able to experience the magic.
A sad incident has left a man dead after he was stabbed during a fight with another man over a woman.

A 24-year old man, Charles Okoro has been arrested and charged before a Lagos court for allegedly stabbing his rival, Emeka Ojukwu to death at a popular night club over lover, PM Express has reported.

The sad incident happened at Tanza nite club located at Bayo Oyewole Street, Ago area of Okota, Lagos. It was gathered that the suspect had disagreement with the victim over a woman during clubbing activities. The disagreement resulted in exchange of words and fighting between the duo.

It was gathered that during the squabble, Okoro went to the club kitchen, brought out a knife and stabbed Ojukwu severally. The victim bled profusely and was rushed to a hospital where he eventually died. The corpse was deposited at the morgue for autopsy report.

The club management held and handed Ojukwu over to the police at Ago Division who detained him at the cell after interrogation. Ojukwu died eventually at the hospital, the matter was transferred to SCIID Panti, Yaba for further investigation.

Okoro however admitted that he stabbed him but it was not his intention to kill him. He was charged before Ebute Meta Magistrates court for murder under the Criminal Code.

His plea was not taken, rather the presiding Magistrate, Mrs O.A. Fowowe-Erusiafe ordered him to be remanded in prison. The court also ordered that his file should duplicated and sent to DPP for advice.
The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has told Nigerians that the announcement made by the Federal government that Nigeria was out of economic recession was inaccurate.

This was made known in a press statement released by his spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, on behalf of Mr. Fayose said the statistics upon which the claim was based is meaningless to Nigerians.

The reality is that Nigerians are suffering and dying, with foods and drugs out of their reach and no amount of economic statistics will make meaning to people who cannot afford to eat once daily.

He likened the claim to the earlier one last year by the Nigerian government that the Boko Haram insurgency had been defeated.

Claiming that Nigeria is out of economic recession without any corresponding effect on the living condition of the people is just like they said Boko Haram had been defeated and over 400 people were killed by the insurgents in the last five months.

The governor also described the reason given for the cancellation of the Federal Executive Council meeting on Wednesday as funny.

Is it not funny that the same federal government that declared public holiday forgot that there would be a Tuesday after the public holiday and FEC meeting will be held on Wednesday?

Methinks they should look for another lie next week because the reality is that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the required mental capacity and strength to rule Nigeria and I maintain that he should consider his health as well as the overall interests of Nigeria and resign.

On the news of Nigeria exiting recession being promoted by the federal government, Mr. Fayose asked; If Nigeria is indeed out of economic recession, has price of foodstuffs like rice reduced to N7,000 per bag that it was when Buhari took over power?

Is dollar now N197 to $1? Is petrol now back to N87 per litre that Buhari met it in May 2015? Are Nigerians now feeding comfortably, even if it is once in a day?

Most importantly, are states now getting enough allocation from the federation account to be able to meet their obligations, especially payment of salary?

He said the claim was nothing but another attempt by the President Buhari-led APC to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2019 elections.

It must be stated that Nigerias foreign reserves, which stood at $28.6 billion by May 2015 that President Buhari took over power declined steadily to $23.89 billion by the last quarter of 2016. It was in 2016 that Nigeria slipped into recession, owing to the bad economic policies and repressive actions of President Buhari

It is sad that the APC government has remained on the path of lies and propaganda and I wonder why the government cant be truthful for once.

However, if this latest lie is about 2019 general elections, they have missed it because Nigerians can no longer be received by the APC lying government.

Nigerians should therefore disregard their lies and keep praying for God intervention in the affairs of the country, the governor said.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Another batch of 121 stranded Nigerians touched down Nigeria from Libya, according to the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

The Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Mr Suleiman Yakubu, received them on behalf of the Federal Government, enjoining them to learn from their unpleasant experiences in the course of their sojourn.

NEMA had earlier received 139 returnees from Libya on Aug. 29.

The total number of Nigerian returnees brought back from Libya by the International Organisation for Migration (IOM) from February 2017 to date is 2,638.

Yakubu said the aircraft that transported them arrived the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) at 5:30 p.m on Wednesday aboard a chartered Airbus SA320 Nouvelair Flight with Registration number TS-INA.

According to a statement signed by Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, the South-West Spokesman of NEMA, Yakubu said that the agency received the 121 returnees from the officials of IOM.

The zonal coordinator explained that on arrival, the profiling of the returnees indicated that there were 60 female adults, one girl, while male adults were 57 with two male children and a male infant.

The total returnees are 61 females and 60 males amongst them are two pregnant women and one with medical issues.

One of the returnees, Ms Omolara Owoade, who hails from Apomu in Osun, claimed that she spent one year and two months in Libya.

Owoade worked as a cleaner in a hospital and when it was time for her to collect her salary, she was accused of stealing and taken to prison from where the IOM came to her rescue.

She said N662, 000 was collected from her by a trafficker and vowed that she would get her money back from her trafficker once she returns to Nigeria.

Owoade also narrated to NEMA, on her arrival, that many Nigerians are suffering the same fate, Yakubu said.

He also explained how Ms Iyabo Abiola from Oyo State narrated how she fell victim to the deceitful talks of the traffickers, who deceived her with a promise of 4,000 dollars per month.

Yakubu said that Abiola vowed to expose the traffickers, usually called burger, to NAPTIP.

The NEMA zonal coordinator said that the deportees were also received by officers from the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), the Police and the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN).

Source: ( PM News )
A spokesperson of the 29 Battalion troops in Port-Harcourt, have confirmed that two soldiers were wounded in a Gun battle with armed oil thieves in Rivers State.

This was confirmed In a statement on Wednesday, the Army deputy spokesperson, Aminu Iliyasu, confirmed the development.

He said the troops also destroyed quantities of illegally refined crude oil.

On September 4, 2017, troops of 6 Division Garrison, Port Harcourt on routine Anti-Bunkering patrols to Elechi and Abonnema Wharf discovered and destroyed several quantities of suspected illegally refined Automated Gas Oil in Rivers State.

Members of the operations are, Anti-Illegal Oil Bunkering, Anti-Kidnapping, Anti Robbery, Anti-Cultism, Anti- Piracy as well as Stop and Search Operations against other sundry crimes being committed against law-abiding and peace-loving citizens of the Niger Delta with huge successes recorded so far, he said.

Mr. Iliyasu said a similar operation conducted by the troops of 29 Battalion Tactical Headquarters, Bille, in Rivers State led to a shootout during which the soldiers were injured.

The troops faced armed illegal bunkerers at Feropkakama, a notorious bunkering site, who on sighting troops opened fire. However, the gallant troops repelled the attack and pursued the scampering criminals deep into the creeks with many of them sustaining gunshot wounds.

Mr. Aminu said the injured soldiers are responding positively to treatment at a military facility in Port Harcourt.

More success was recorded as troops discovered 14 Pump Action cartridges, 4 empty AK 47 magazines, 8 pumping machines and several other illegal bunkering tools while a massive manhunt in conjunction with other sister security agencies is under way to track down and arrest the fleeing criminals in order to bring them to justice, he added.

In a related development, troops of 130 Battalion in Harris Town, Rivers State arrested one of the notorious kidnap kingpins known as David Owhor AKA Chile who along with his gang members (at large) have been terrorising innocent people along East-West Road between Port Harcourt and Choba general area. The suspect is currently in military custody making useful confessions and assisting security agencies in making tremendous progress in the investigation that will lead to the eventual arrest of other gang members, he said.

Source: ( PM News )
The Worlds fastest man,Usain Bolt has expressed optimism that his record will stay for at least 20 years before it is been broken.

The Jamaican was speaking at a recent event in Japan, where he spoke about his achievements and records saying,

I think theyre going to last a while. I think our era with Yohan Blake, Justin Gatlin and Asafa Powell and all these guys was the best era of athletes. If it was going to be broken, it would have been broken in this era, so I think I have at least 15 to 20 more years.

Bolt added, I have nothing to prove, thats the main reason I left track and field. After you do everything you want there is no reason to stick around.

Bolt is the only sprinter to won the 100- and 200-metre track titles at three consecutive Olympics and holds the world record of 9.58 seconds in the 100 and 19.19 in the 200.
Dare-devil armed robbers yesterday hijacked a bullion van on Asaba-Benin Expressway, killed a police escort and stole money said to be worth tens of millions of Naira.

A bullion van blonging to Nigerian bank which was stuffed with millions of Naira, was on Wednesday, hijacked by dare-devil armed robbers who killed a police escort and stole the money said to be about N25 million during an attack which occurred between Otulu and Ubulu-Okiti on Asaba-Benin Expressway, in Delta State.

According to New Telegraph, the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), DSP Andrew Aniamaka, who confirmed the arrest, of cash management officer of Asaba Branch of the bank, the chief security officer and two drivers because of the attack, said it followed preliminary investigation.

He added that the investigation revealed that, in a bid to cut corners, the bank officials illegally picked seven police officers from different locations, yet to be determined, and engaged them on an illegal escort for the conveyance of the money from banks branch at Agbor to Asaba, without using a serviceable, secure armoured bullion van as required by law.

He said: Needless to state that when the bank officials earlier approached the Operations Department of the command for escort men, their request was turned down on the grounds that the bank does not have a serviceable bullion van needed for such operations.

Sadly, during the attack, one of the police escorts was fatally injured by the armed robbers who also emptied the N25,000,000 into their cars  a Honda Pilot jeep and Toyota Corolla, registration numbers unknown, and escaped.

The attackers, numbering six, it was learnt, ambushed the unserviceable bullion van, opened fire on the security escorts before killing one of them during an ensuing shootout. They armed robbers overwhelmed the remaining six surviving police escorts.

The PPRO warned that, henceforth, banks requiring police escort must adhere to laid down regulations on specie escort, especially during the ember-months, and reassured members of the public that no stone would be left unturned in ensuring that the fleeing armed robbers were apprehended and brought to book.

However, there is apprehension among residents of Otulu and Ubulu-Okiti communities over the attack.
Some men suspected to be ritual killers, have been nabbed after they allegedly murdered a mere 13-year-old boy in Jigawa.

Some suspected ritual killers have slaughtered a 13-year-old boy in Babaldu village in Birnin Kudu Local Government Area of Jigawa.

NAN reports that the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abdu Jinjiri, confirmed the incident on Thursday in Dutse.

Jinjiri said a preliminary investigation showed that the killing occurred on Wednesday around 7pm.

He said the deceased was murdered by the suspected rituals when he and his brother (Names withheld) were sent on an errand by their mother.

According to reports, the deceased was going for an errand with his brother.

So, on their way, they met three men sitting where they called the victim and asked the other boy to go ahead with the errand, saying that they would send him to call their girlfriends in one of the houses nearby.

And that was how it all started, so it was when the boy came back that the mother began to ask of the whereabouts of the victim.

And after the boy narrated what happened to her, they began to search for the deceased but all in vain.

So, it was the following morning at about 7:30 am, that the lifeless body of the boy was found in one of the farms in the village, he said.

The PPRO added that when policemen arrived at the spot, they discovered that the deceased was slaughtered and his stomach was also ripped open.

According to him, no part of the deceaseds body was, however, removed.

Jinjiri said no arrest had been made in connection with the incident, so far, but that detailed investigation was ongoing to fish out those behind the dastardly act and apprehend them.

He added that the corpse of the deceased had been handed over to his family for burial.
A man whose girlfriend agreed to marry him after he proposed to her, has suddenly died after something tragic happened at the scene.

A happy man has died after he fell from a bridge while jumping for joy after his girlfriend agreed to marry him.

According to Metro UK, the 32-year-old unnamed man was in his girlfriends car when he asked her to pull over in the middle of Irabu Bridge, which links the Miyako and Irabu islands in Japan.

He told her he wanted to take in the view from the structure, however then dropped to one knee and pulled out a ring.

The man is said to have been so overjoyed when she said yes  he jokingly climbed onto the bridge railings and spread his arms to celebrate.

However seconds later he lost his balance, and fell 100 feet from the bridge into the water below.

Rescuers found the drowned mans body seven hours later.

A police spokesman confirmed after that the man had been drinking before the tragedy took place.

The Irabu Bridge opened to the public in 2015 and spans 11,614 feet between the two islands.

It is Japans longest toll-free bridge with free public access to all, and as a result is now a popular tourist landmark.
A suspected robber in Lagos has met his waterloo after the gun he was wielding during a criminal operation failed him leading to his arrest.

A suspected armed robber, Michael David, has been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State, after he robbed a lady, identified simply as Kate, of her phone.

PUNCH Metro gathered that 22-year-old David and two other members of his gang, while armed with a locally-made double-barrelled pistol, attacked Kate and her boyfriend, one Desmond, on Close 26, Satellite Town, Ijegun, around 10pm.

They were said to have taken Kates mobile phone and threatened to shoot the couple dead if they resisted. The gang had allegedly mounted a waiting motorcycle and were about speeding off when Desmond summoned courage and attacked the men.

He was said to have succeeded in pulling down David, as his girlfriend called for help. Attempts by the suspect to shoot the victim failed, as the gun reportedly jammed.

The Imo State indigene was reportedly mobbed by residents, who handed him over to the police. The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Edgal Imohimi, paraded David among seven other suspected robbers at the Police OfficersMess, Ikeja, on Wednesday.

Imohimi said Desmond and Kate had closed from work and were heading home on August 13, 2017, when they were attacked by the robbers.

He said, On August 13, 2017, at about 10pm, one Demond and Kate, both residents of Satellite Town, Ijegun, Lagos, were on their way home when they were attacked at Close 26, Satellite Town, by three armed robbers with one locally-made double-barrelled pistol. The suspects ordered them to surrender their phones or get shot. They dispossessed them of a mobile phone, valued at N39,000, and jumped on their standby motorcycle.

But the man summoned courage and dragged one of them, Michael David, down from the motorcycle and with the help of passersby, the suspect was arrested and his gun taken away from him. The two other robbers escaped with the stolen property.

The suspect, who claimed to be a tiler, said he was not the owner of the gun, adding that it belonged to his friend, one Ahmed.

David said his gang had only approached the girl to collect her phone, adding that he was not an armed robber.

He said, We were coming from a friends party around the Waterside area on that day when we sighted the girl passing with her boyfriend. We went to meet her to collect her phone and she suddenly raised the alarm. My friends ran away, but I was caught. I was not caught with the gun. Two to three hours after the incident, some OPC members brought the gun and said it belonged to me. I am not an armed robber and we didnt attack the girl; we only collected her phone.

When, however, the Investigating Police Officer challenged him on his denial of the gun, he owned up. The policeman explained that the suspect had attempted to shoot Desmond and his girlfriend dead when the gun jammed.

He made an attempt to shoot at them, but the gun disappointed him. He was the one holding the gun, he said.

In a related development, the police said five other suspects were arrested with five guns in the Egbeda area of Lagos State during another robbery on Wednesday, September 6, 2017.

The police identified the suspects as Musbau Gbadamosi, Kehinde Jimoh, Ayomide Ibile, Adekunle Rasheed and Ayodele Ojo. It was learnt that police operatives received a tip-off on the activities of the men and swung into action, leading to their arrests.

The suspects, however, denied being robbers, saying they were local vigilance men and they used the guns for their work. Jimoh said he was a filling station security guard and was wrongly accused.

He said, On that morning at about 2am, Ojo, who is also a community guard, came to the filling station where I work in the Ikotun area. He said he wanted to buy fuel and I told him we had closed and dont run 24 hours services.

When I came out to further talk to him, some men just came out of the dark and held me. They said they were policemen and that I was under arrest. They requested my gun. I told them the gun was given to me by my boss.

They said I belonged to a robbery gang and I told them it wasnt true. I requested that I should be allowed to get my identity card from my room and also call the filling station manager, but they took me away. Since then, I have not been allowed to reach anyone. I know nothing about what they are saying.

Another suspect, 61-year-old Adekunle, said he had been a guard in the Egbeda area for the past four years, adding that his gun was given to him by a former landlord association chairman, who was late.

He said, I was only doing my job as a security guard before I was arrested. I am too old to be a robber. What I did not do in my youth; is it now that I am old that I will engage in it?
A suspected armed robber, Michael David, has been arrested by operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Lagos State, after he robbed a lady, identified simply as Kate, of her phone.

PUNCH Metro gathered that 22-year-old David and two other members of his gang, while armed with a locally-made double-barrelled pistol, attacked Kate and her boyfriend, one Desmond, on Close 26, Satellite Town, Ijegun, around 10pm.

They were said to have taken Kates mobile phone and threatened to shoot the couple dead if they resisted.

The gang had allegedly mounted a waiting motorcycle and were about speeding off when Desmond summoned courage and attacked the men.

He was said to have succeeded in pulling down David, as his girlfriend called for help.

Attempts by the suspect to shoot the victim failed, as the gun reportedly jammed.

The Imo State indigene was reportedly mobbed by residents, who handed him over to the police.

The Commissioner of Police in Lagos, Edgal Imohimi, paraded David among seven other suspected robbers at the Police OfficersMess, Ikeja, on Wednesday.

Imohimi said Desmond and Kate had closed from work and were heading home on August 13, 2017, when they were attacked by the robbers.

He said,

On August 13, 2017, at about 10pm, one Demond and Kate, both residents of Satellite Town, Ijegun, Lagos, were on their way home when they were attacked at Close 26, Satellite Town, by three armed robbers with one locally-made double-barrelled pistol. The suspects ordered them to surrender their phones or get shot. They dispossessed them of a mobile phone, valued at N39,000, and jumped on their standby motorcycle. But the man summoned courage and dragged one of them, Michael David, down from the motorcycle and with the help of passersby, the suspect was arrested and his gun taken away from him. The two other robbers escaped with the stolen property.

The suspect, who claimed to be a tiler, said he was not the owner of the gun, adding that it belonged to his friend, one Ahmed.

David said his gang had only approached the girl to collect her phone, adding that he was not an armed robber.

He said,

We were coming from a friends party around the Waterside area on that day when we sighted the girl passing with her boyfriend. We went to meet her to collect her phone and she suddenly raised the alarm. My friends ran away, but I was caught. I was not caught with the gun. Two to three hours after the incident, some OPC members brought the gun and said it belonged to me. I am not an armed robber and we didnt attack the girl; we only collected her phone.

When, however, the Investigating Police Officer challenged him on his denial of the gun, he owned up.

The policeman explained that the suspect had attempted to shoot Desmond and his girlfriend dead when the gun jammed.
Minister of women affairs, Aisha Alhassan, says she will support Atiku Abubakar, former vice-president, if he decides to run for office in 2019.

In a video which went viral on Wednesday, the minister declared support for the former vice-president.

Her action sparked condemnation, particularly among supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

But in an interview with the BBC Hausa, Alhassan described Abubakar as her godfather, saying she does not mind losing her job for supporting the former number two citizen.
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, on Wednesday accused President Muhammadu Buharis government which he said he helped into power in 2015.

The former Vice President said in an interview on the Hausa Service of the Voice of America, VOA, Mr. Abubakar where he said he had been side-lined despite his efforts in making sure that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, was defeated in 2015.

Speaking from Yola in Adamawa State where he celebrated the Eid-el- Kabir festival, Mr. Abubakar said, Honestly speaking, Im still a member of the APC; I was part of all the processes, including campaigns until success was achieved.

But sadly, soon after the formation of government; I was side-lined, I have no any relationship with the government, Ive not been contacted even once to comment on anything and in turn, I maintained my distance. They used our money and influence to get to where they are but three years down the lane, this is where we are.

He applauded the president on the successes recorded so far in the fight against Boko Haram, but said it was not yet time to celebrate and jubilate because a lot is yet to be done and the ruling government had failed in many fronts.

Yes, there were successes but not comprehensive success because the Boko Haram miscreants are still very active, killing our people and many local government councils in Borno and Yobe are under their firm grip. People cannot dare go back to their dwellings

This thing baffles me; I never imagined that Nigeria will fight a protracted battle with Boko Haram for five years. At a time, we fought the Biafra war, which was more complicated because of the terrain in the South but the Biafran soldiers were roundly subdued in 30 months. But here we are, fighting an endless battle with the Boko Haram and theres no end in sight.

On corruption, Mr. Abubakar said little was achieved, asking How many people were arrested, prosecuted and jailed? How much was recovered from the looters?

He also made reference to the achievement of the Olusegun Obasanjo administration, during which he was vice president, in recovering stolen funds.

When we came on board in 1999, I remember we recovered between $4.5 and $4.7 billion from those that looted under (Late Sani) Abacha, he said.

Source: ( Premium Times )
Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, has accused the National Association of Resident Doctors (NARD) had violated section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act of the Federation of 2004 by embarking on strike.

He said, I do not want to be legalistic about it, because you have breached section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act, but all these are the sacrifices we have to make.

It would be recalled that on Aug. 31, a Memorandum of Understanding was reached the minister and the Executives of the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), NARD.

Others are Ministry of Health, Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, Budget Office of the Federation and National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

It would also be recalled that NARD had begun strike on Sept. 4, after reaching a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) with the Ministry of Health on its six-point demand.

We all signed that agreement which was like a collective bargaining agreement. One of the clauses there was that NARD should revert back to their National Executive Committee (NEC).

They should present the agreement which was a CBA with a view to shelving the strike that they had proposed.

We then adjourned the meeting to Nov. 2 within which period we expected the implementation of the items on the agreement.

We were surprised that at the NEC meeting, the CBA that was entered into was repudiated and the Association embarked on strike.

So, by section 18 of the Trade Dispute Act of the Federation, T8, T9, 2004, conciliation starts by the Minister.

No party is allowed to stage a lock out either for employees or embark on strike against the employers.

In this ministry, we act as conciliators and in such situation. Even though I am a government minister I am a Chief Conciliator. If the government is wrong, I will tell them that they are wrong.

If the employee is wrong, I will say so and at the end of the day, we will find a way to conciliate and make for an equitable industrial relations,he said.

He said that as a chief conciliator, it was imperative to reconvene the meeting and look at the CBA, if there were issues that the association felt that their interest were not properly captured.

He noted that NARD would have written to the ministry, adding that the alternative would not have been to embark on a proposed strike, adding that is not industrial relations.

I want to commend the President of NMA for making out time to come and all areas of dispute would be resolved in this meeting so that the doctors can go back to their patients.

For me, any other strike can be handled in a way that you do not care about the little time you lose.

But in essential services, especially in medical service, we cant replace lives that were lost.

That is why we had to reconvene this meeting few hours after you started your strike and we hope that this meeting will resolve the rough edges in the CBA if there are any.

I assure you even before we start this meeting that we have had a government side meeting and reviewed the agreement and I want to say that within 48 hours, everybody has started implementation of this CBA, he said.

He said that the Accountant Generals office had done what they were supposed to have done and had remitted the money from the short fall to the Central Bank of Nigeria.

Earlier, Mr Mike Ogirima, NMA President commended the minister for reconvening the meeting.

We have listened to you and that is why we are here. We hope that the trust that was not there when MoU was signed would be restored at this meeting.

Because once that trust is restored and evidences of implementations of those six point demands are seen, I hope this will be the shortest strike by Resident Doctors.

At the time of filing this report the minister and the stakeholders were still in a closed door meeting.

Source: ( PM News )
19 Grand slam winner, Roger Federer quest to battle against Rafael Nadal, in the Semi Final of the US Open came to an end as he got dumped out Juan Martin del Potro.

Federer was sent packing by Argentine 28th seed Del Potro 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (10/8), 6-4 on Wednesday in Arthur Ashe Stadium.

Roger Federer said, I feel I have no place in the semis and he will have a better chance to beat Rafa, to be honest, Federer said.

The way I played or am playing right now, its not good enough in my opinion to win this tournament. Its better Im out and somebody else gets a chance to do better than me.

On the same court where Del Potro ended Federers five-year title run and 40-match win streak, the reigning Australian Open and Wimbledon champion said, Juan Martin fought like a lion.

And the ruined possible first-ever New York matchup between Federer and Nadal, which had been a focus of attention headed into the match, was an afterthought to Federer in the wake of a comprehensive loss.

I didnt even think about it, as I lost that match, that its not going to happen, Federer said. Im dealing with just trying to understand what happened and just to overcome this in the next few hours, days, weeks, whatever it is. Ill be fine.

Of course it is a pity, but Juan Martin deserves it more.

Federer said in some ways he wasnt disappointed because he knew his game was weaker than it looked, having been aided by playing three rivals in a row who are a combined 0-40 against him.

If I ran into a good guy, I was going to lose, I felt, Federer said. I dont want to say I was in negative mindset, but I knew going in that Im not in a safe place.

Might have depended too much on my opponent, and I dont like that feeling. I had it throughout the tournament, and I just felt that way every single match I went into.

Federer made 41 unforced errors, nine more than his rival, and some of them were woefully off target and well off the court.

I tried until the very end, Federer said. And smashing certain stuff in the net that I normally wouldnt, smashing forehand volleys into the back fence, I mean, that stuff sucked. You know, honestly, it was terrible.

Source: ( Punch Newspaper )
The President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration might consider relieving members of the National Association of Resident Doctors of their duties if the industrial action exceeds a specified date.

In view of the ongoing nationwide strike by the National Association of Resident Doctors, Federal Government may sack the striking doctors if the strike persists beyond Friday, September 8, 2017.

This was contained in a fresh memorandum of terms of settlement reached at the end of a meeting held at the instance of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, with executives of the Nigerian Medical Association, NARD, Chief Medical Directors, the ministry of Health including other relevant government officials, and made available to newsmen in the early hours of Thursday in Abuja.

Ngige had strongly condemned the strike embarked upon by NARD, despite signing a Memorandum of Terms of Settlement, saying it was a distrust of Government commitment to execute its own end of the Terms of Settlement which was in line with the provisions of Section 5 of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. T8, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN), 2004.

The meeting agreed that NARD National Officers are to present the outcome of the re-negotiated Memorandum of Terms of Settlement to an emergency meeting of its members by Friday September 8, 2017 with a view to suspending the strike once there is evidence of payment of the Mandate as presented to the meeting, to the affected Institutions.

No member of NARD will be victimised as a result of this strike if suspended, after the Emergency Meeting of Friday, September 8, 2017, the settlement read in parts.

In Governments effort to address the six point issues of concern to NARD, the memorandum noted that the Federal Tertiary Health Institutions, FTHI, on list A of the document earlier submitted by NARD, have been authenticated by the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation, OAGF, and expected to receive payments on or before Friday, September 8, 2017, while the second batch on list B mandate would be treated as soon as their Authority to Incur Expenditure was sent to OAGF.

On failure to rectify the salary shortfall from August 2017, It is expected that the 100% payment will be implemented as from October 2017, as September salaries were already at advanced stage of preparation. However, any shortfall that occurs will be treated together with that of August, 2017.

This in addition to a promise to entirely address the House Officers Pay amounting to approximately N422, 564,729.34 by the end of October, 2017, which would be captured in the 2018 budget.

Furthermore, the Federal Government has promised to make an appeal to state governments and organisations owing health workers salary shortfalls and emoluments, to endeavour to liquidate all arrears in the spirit of revamping the health care sector.

Meanwhile, NARD has said its members are not intimidated by the pronouncements of government if they decide to proceed on the ongoing nationwide strike after Friday.

Speaking to New Telegraph in a Telephone conversation, the National Publicity and Social Secretary NARD, Dr Ugoeze Asinobi, noted that NARD was used to such pronouncements by government.

We are not deterred from doing what is right for the growth and development of our members. Government cannot intimidate us into deciding to suspend the strike.

We are yet to decide on when to hold the emergency meeting, but when we do, whatever stand we reach with our members is what we will do. If our members are not satisfied with the terms of agreement reached at the conciliatory meeting, we will forge ahead, he said.
The government in Togo has been accused of tampering with mobile internet services in the West African sub-region in order to mitigate the effect of an opposition protest.

Togo is the latest African nation to shut down access to the internet after protests against President Faure Gnassingbe were scheduled to take place this week.

Internet users and demonstrators in the West African country have reported access to the internet had slowed down or been blocked by the government. This was confirmed by Koffi Inoussa Ayibo, president of the Togolese branch of Internet Without Borders, who said the NGO found internet connectivity had been cut off on WhatsApp, Facebook, and, later, all mobile internet services after conducing a series of tests.

On Twitter, some activists said they were headed to the Ghanaian border to use the countrys internet and voice their criticism of Gnassingbe, whose family has ruled the west African nation for 50 years.

Over the last three weeks, demonstrations have swept through Togo as the opposition party, Le Parti National Panafricain (PNP), called for the return of the 1992 constitution which guarantees multi-party elections and a two-term limit for the head of state. The terms of the constitution were changed by the presidents father, Eyadema Gnassingbe, to allow him to run for a third term in 2002, three years before his death.

On Aug. 19, the minister of security said two people were killed and 13 injured after security forces unleashed teargas and gunshots on a group of demonstrators in Sokode, about three and a half hours outside the capital Lome. The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), chaired by Gnassingbe, has yet to release a statement on the protests.

In the last few years, African countries have used internet shutdowns and curfews to stifle dissent and enforce law and order. One of the big concerns is the use of social media tools to organize anti-government protests.

Last year, as many as 11 African countries shut down internet access ahead of elections and anti-government protests. In Gabon and the Gambia, internet was shut down during and after elections while, Ethiopia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo closed off internet access ahead of anti-government demonstrations.

This year, Cameroon imposed a 93-day internet blackout on the countrys Anglophone regions which spoke out their marginalization by the French-speaking government. The blackout lasted for 93 days, despite international criticism.
Libya has continued in its deportation streak of Nigerians and other nationalities who entered her territory illegally in search of greener pastures.

Two pregnant women and 119 others were on Wednesday evacuated from Libya by the International Organisation for Migration.

According to the National Emergency Management Agency, who received them at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the 121 people, had expressed interest to return home.

The South-West Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Suleiman Yakubu, who received them, said they were the first batch of people expected in September, and enjoined them to learn from their unpleasant experiences and make good use of the opportunity given to them to return to Nigeria.

On arrival, the profiling of the returnees indicates that there are 60 female adults and one girl while male adults are 57 with two male children and a male infant; making a total of 61 females and 60 males. Among them were two pregnant women and one person with a medical problem, he said.

One of the returnees, Owoade Omolara, who told journalists that she was from Apomu, Osun State, said she spent one year and two months in Libya and worked as a cleaner in a hospital.

When it was time for me to collect my salary, I was accused of stealing and taken to prison and from there the IMO came to rescue me, she said.

According to her, she paid N662, 000 before she was taken out of Nigeria by a trafficker who she identified as Burger.

There are many Nigerians who travelled the way I did and are still there suffering the same fate, she said.

Another returnee, Iyabo Abiola from Oyo State, said she became a victim when traffickers deceived her with a promise of $4,000 per month job.

IMO said the total number of people rescued since February till date was 2, 638.
More pressure is currently mounting on the Federal Government as other bodies in the educational system are set to embark on an industrial strike action to pursue their demands.

Despite the meeting on Thursday (today) between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities to seek an end to the indefinite strike in universities, other unions in the public higher institutions have announced the commencement of their strike by Monday, September 11.

The unions, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, made this decision known on Wednesday in Abuja at a press conference addressed by the Joint Action Committee.

The Chairman of Joint Action Committee, Samson Ugwoke, who is also the SSANU President, said on Wednesday that the unions took the decision to go on strike because of the failure of the government to implement the Memorandum of Understanding it signed with them after a five-day warning strike in January 2017.

He said that the unions were left with no better option but to proceed on the strike after a series of letters, written to the government on the pending issue of the implementation of the MOU, were ignored.

He stressed that 95 per cent of the members of the union voted for the strike to await meaningful dialogue from the government.

He said, The January strike was suspended on the 18th of January through the intervention of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who headed the Federal Government team that interfaced with JAC.

Unfortunately, seven months after, we are still at the sorry situation we were before the MoU was signed as issues in contention were not addressed and government kept a dead silence despite letters and entreaties reminding them of their commitment to the non-teaching staff unions.

Having cleared from our members and got a direction from them, we hereby announce that the JAC of NAAT, NASU and SSANU has directed its members to embark on a comprehensive, total and indefinite strike, effective from Monday, September 11, 2017.

During the strike, there shall be no provision of services, no matter how skeletal. Concessions shall not be granted while all our members are to stay at home till further notice, unless as directed by JAC through their respective Presidents.

Meanwhile, ASUU said on Wednesday that its meeting with the FG delegation on Thursday (today) led by Ngige, would be to iron out issues, as it would not shift grounds on its positions.

The ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, when asked if the union would reconsider its demands, said the union would simply approach the meeting with an open mind.

He said, I dont understand what you mean by shifting. We have said our positions to the government and the government has told us how far they can go. So, we expect that the meeting will be to iron out things.
A woman has been arrested and charged to court after she reportedly threw another womans child in front of an oncoming train.

A New Jersey woman has pleaded not guilty after throwing a strangers 5-year-old daughter in front of an oncoming train as part of a human sacrifice.

NYDailyNews reported that Autumn N. Matacchiera, 20, was charged with first-degree attempted murder after she allegedly tossed a little girl she didnt know on the tracks at the Burlington township light rail station.

Matacchiera pleaded not guilty to the crime during a Tuesday appearance at the Burlington County Superior Court, the Courier-Post reports.

Her attorney, Brenda Maneri, told the judge Matacchiera plans to plead not guilty by reason of insanity and will request a bench trial. Matacchiera was arrested in January after she grabbed a womans child and tossed the girl in front of an approaching River LINE train.

An officer witnessed the incident and was able to signal for the train to stop, as the womans boyfriend jumped onto the tracks to retrieve the child.

The girl was taken to the hospital with minor cuts and bruises.

Matacchiera told the Courier-Post shortly after the incident that she was trying to sacrifice the girl to win the love of an estranged relative.

I didnt think it was anything bad, she said. Now, I kind of regret it. People tell me that sacrificing a human isnt the same as sacrificing the animal.

Matacchieras mother told NJ.com that her daughter has been in and out of mental health facilities for years, but was not a criminal.

She has mental health issues, Laura Matacchiera told the outlet. Its an ongoing problem.

A trial date has been set for Nov. 8.
Nordzucker launches campaign, forecasts good yields

The Nordzucker Group has launched this years sugar beet campaign. Overall, the company expects good yields with large regional differences.

The Nordzucker Group has launched this years sugar beet campaign. Overall, the company expects good yields with large regional differences. The campaign is forecast to end in the second half of January 2018.

This year the campaign will start at the Polish plant in Opalenica. The first batches of sugar beet from the region were processed there from 5 September. Over the following week, the other Group countries will then gradually begin sugar production. The campaign will be up and running at all Group plants by 3 October. A preliminary thick juice campaign already began in Nordstemmen on 23 August.

This year, sugar beet was in the ground for an average of 200 days. Growth conditions saw large regional differences as a result of the weather. An extremely cold April in nearly every Group country caused a slowdown in the growth of the plants. However, rising temperatures in May helped the beet to recover and grow quickly again. While beet in Slovakia had to contend with extremely dry conditions, the weather conditions in other regions were more favourable  despite heavy rainfall in parts.

Dr Lars Gorissen, Chief Agricultural Officer, is optimistic about the upcoming campaign.

The weather this growing year was very changeable and characterized by various extremes. Nevertheless, we expect good yields, he said. Whether its the new market conditions or changeable weather  beet has demonstrated its profitability and our new, flexible control models are paying off.

This year, organic beet will also be processed in Schladen and Nykbing for the first time.

We are facing a long campaign in some cases, said Axel Aumuller, Chief Operating Officer. Our employees and our plants are well prepared for this.

Last year, the Group invested around 84 million primarily in the maintenance and modernization of production facilities.

The market demands a high degree of flexibility from us in every way. This is why we are specifically investing in the efficiency of our plants, in warehousing, logistics and product quality, continued Aumuller. New silos with additional storage capacities in Ortofta and Clauen are just as much as part of this as the modernization of pulp press units and process control systems.
Soybean (ZS) Weekly MACD Positively Crossing Tradable Patterns - 1 hour ago Soybean (ZSF23) is consolidating to start the week, hesitating for roughly 2 weeks now just below triangle resistance (on the weekly chart) and near the 50% Fib retrace of the slide from the June high... ZSF23 : 1443-4 (-0.45%) SOYB : 27.39 (+2.16%)

G20 summit casts spotlight on Bali's tourism revival AP - Sun Nov 13, 6:47PM CST The dozens of world leaders and other dignitaries traveling to Bali for the G-20 summit will be drawing a welcome spotlight on the revival of the tropical island's ailing tourism sector $SPX : 3,992.93 (+0.92%) $DOWI : 33,747.86 (+0.10%) $IUXX : 11,817.01 (+1.82%)

Grains Overview and Livestock update ONE44 Analytics - Sun Nov 13, 5:17PM CST Our goal is to not only give you actionable information, but to help you understand why we think this is happening based on pure price analysis with Fibonacci retracements, that we believe are the underlying... HEZ22 : 84.350s (-0.62%) HEG23 : 88.400s (-0.48%) LEZ22 : 151.525s (-1.01%) LEG23 : 153.250s (-1.14%)

Copper Nears Important Area Taurus Trading LLC - Sat Nov 12, 11:33AM CST Watch price action between 3.9615 and 4.1167.
Performance at the festival. (Li Faxing/People's Daily Online)

People gather at Renhe Square in Yangbi County, southwestern Chinas Yunnan province, on Sept. 1, to mark the opening of the 2017 Yangbi Walnut Festival.

Yangbi County produces 50,000 tons of walnuts each year, which can generate nearly one billion yuan in income for growers. In recent years, local authorities have transformed the local walnut sector from cultivation to processing. In the future, Yangbi will focus on producing branded walnut products, says Yang Yu, the countys Party secretary.

During the eight-day festival, food tasting, cooking competitions, exhibitions, and other activities will be held.

Performance at the festival. (Li Faxing/People's Daily Online)
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WARSAW, ON (September 7, 2017)- Fielding a competitive race team, even at the weekly short-track level, takes a solid commitment of both time and effort. The #60 Thunder Car program of Jacobs Motorsports is one of the most dedicated operations in the pit area at Peterborough Speedway.

During the 2017 season, the Thunder Car division was part of 12 shows during the 16 events at Canadas Toughest 1/3-Mile Paved Oval. On the strength of a pair of main event victories, including a dominating performance in a 50-lap feature to mark the venues first five decades of operation, as well as a number of top 5 and top 10 performances, 20-year-old Bailey Jacobs finished the final point standings in second position for the second year in a row. The talented youngster from Warsaw, Ontario says his success was a total team effort.

We were constantly changing things on the car to make it better and faster, Bailey Jacobs, the 2015 Thunder Car rookie of the year said. Our notebook is full of different ideas. Some of them worked, while others didnt. It was rare that the car came to the track with the same set-up for two shows in a row. We worked on things during the pre-race practice sessions and during the week at the shop. Hard work is the key that opens the door to the winners circle.

The car they ran during the recently concluded Peterborough Speedway schedule was new to the team and just getting to the track for the Saturday, May 20 season opener was an arduous task. Crew members were busy almost around the clock and it wasnt until around noon the day of the first event that the #60 bunch knew theyd be in the starting line-up.

There was talk about coming to the track, running a couple laps at the back of the pack and going home, admitted Jeff Jacobs, the drivers father. Tyler Handley, Luke Handley and Jay Peacock did a great job making sure we were ready to start the year off right. The total commitment from everyone involved is what makes this car a contender, week-after-week.

Bailey Jacobs thanks his family, friends and fans for their support throughout the year. The team also appreciates the backing of marketing partners M&M Disposals, Keene Truck, NAPA Lakefield, T.G. Quirk Towing, Dart Heating & Air Conditioning, Parkhill Excavating, Close Quarters Tree Removal, Chemong Home Solutions, Klotz Canada, Carls Race Engines, Newco Glass, Chris Mitchell Racing and Clarke Motorsports Communications for being part of the teams 2017 success.

For information on potential marketing opportunities, contact jacobsmotorsports60@gmail.com.

Prepared by: Jim Clarke, Clarke Motorsports Communications/First Draft Media

clarkemotorsports@hotmail.com, www.facebook.com/clarkemotorsports

613.968.6410
The veteran investor and longtime chief of Americas second largest public pension will be celebrated at Institutional Investors inaugural Allocators Choice Awards in November.

Christopher Ailman, chief investment officer of the California State Teachers Retirement System, will be honored with Institutional Investors Lifetime Achievement Award at the first annual Allocators Choice Awards on November 28 in New York.

Ailman, who first joined the $213 billion public pension fund as CIO in the fall of 2000, has more than three decades of experience in investment management, having served in the public sector since 1985. He spent 11 years in Sacramento County, where he managed investments for both the county and employees retirement systems, before moving to the Washington State Investment Board, where he served four years as CIO of the then-$57 billion fund.

During his 17 years at CalSTRS, Ailman has grown the portfolio from $116 billion to more than $200 billion, making it the countrys second largest public pension, while more than quintupling the funds staff to 150 employees in order to manage roughly half of its assets internally.

When I got here, I told the staff my vision was to make us a world class money manager, Ailman said. We were a pretty quiet, mom-and-pop kind of shop. I wanted to grow the internal management and really put us on the map as an institutional investor.

By many measures, Ailman has succeeded: The quiet, sleepy fund just starting to consider high-yield bonds is now a well-diversified, sophisticated investor with a strategic asset allocation targeting sizeable investments in private assets and what the fund dubs risk-mitigating strategies. Ailman and his team at CalSTRS have been the recipients of numerous accolades over the years, including the peer-voted Richard Stoddard Award for service in the investment of public pensions, which Ailman won in 2003. That coming from your peers really means a lot, he said.

Under Ailmans leadership, CalSTRS has also become a force to be reckoned with in shareholder activism, leading the charge on environmental, social, and governance issues including climate change and shareholder voting rights. Over the last year, CalSTRS has become a prominent proponent of gender diversity, seeding State Streets new SHE Index and launching Beyond Talk, a workshop to advance women in financial leadership roles.

CalSTRS certainly walks the walk: Ailman estimated that his team is split almost evenly between men and women, with a senior staff thats roughly two-thirds female. Additionally, around 40 percent of staff members are people of color. Probably the biggest thing that Im proud of is our staff, Ailman said. It is really diverse, and really different from the rest of the industry.

Working in the public sector has come with its challenges  Ailman acknowledged that working at a state pension plan has often meant discarding innovative investment ideas that simply couldnt work within their governance structure. Yet Ailman is not tempted to stray to the typically more lucrative private sector, explaining that he decided a long time ago what he stood for as a person.

Im a Christian, a Husband, a Father, and then a chief investment officer, he said. I try to make my life decisions in that order.

And Ailman has no plans to hang up his CIO cap anytime soon. One of his top goals going forward is to continue to integrate ESG risk analysis into CalSTRS investment process, while driving home the importance of ESG as a long-term investing issue to the broader institutional community.

Were a big fund, were looking for big waves we can ride for a long time, he said. The change in climate is a huge wave, one that will probably last 50 years or longer. It is both a risk and an opportunity.

Ailman also looks forward to further growing the CalSTRS investment staff, focusing on leadership development programming for the younger investors who Ailman and his senior colleagues will eventually pass the baton to.

We have a very strong culture with the investment staff, one that we want to maintain, he said. We need to do a good job of succession planning to sustain our performance for the future.

The Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at dinner at the Mandarin Oriental in New York City, following an afternoon Masterclass of discussion among an exclusive group of asset allocators and managers, where attendees will share, debate, and tackle institutional investings intractable problems.

Other awards to be presented at the Allocators Choice Awards will include Turnaround of the Year, Investment Committee/Board of the Year, and Partnership of the Year, for which CalSTRS is also nominated for its partnership with State Street.

Winners will be chosen by peer voting, which is currently underway. Allocators can request an invitation to the Masterclass and dinner.
In the face of expected increases in insurance premiums due to a potential interest-rate rise, one expert has stressed that now more than ever, it is important for brokers to deliver increased value.The role of a modern insurance broker has to go much further than simply broking an insurance placement, said Nigel Thomas, divisional chief executive, Austbrokers Network, AUB Group . Brokers need to be trusted advisors, providing impeccable customer service and understanding their clients business inside and out. This includes foreseeing any risks, whether theyre physical, financial, or people risks.Thomas said service is a key to retaining customers and rising above competitors.Service is a major contributor to customer satisfaction and loyalty, he said. People tend to share information about bad experiences, so this could affect future engagement as well. For many organisations, service is a key factor that distinguishes them from the competition.The broking boss said brokers need to be people-oriented, knowledgeable, and efficient. These qualities could help them save clients from expending much energy thinking about insurance and focus instead on their core business. In addition to services related to insurance buying and negotiating, he said brokers should also offer all-round risk-assessment capabilities. This arrangement will allow them to offer more to their existing client base.Technology, data, and analytics keep changing the insurance landscape, and customers have increasingly complex demands and needs, Thomas said. This means that brokers need to maintain high levels of formal training, and stay abreast of the latest industry trends.Thomas also said that to overcome the natural apathy customers have toward insurance, drive long-term loyalty, and offer them comprehensive and strategic service, brokers should leverage technology and develop a holistic knowledge of global emerging risks, including cyber.
Limits and exclusions on existing cyber policies are creating uninsured gaps for businesses across a number of areas.Thats the opinion of Andrew Bart, Crawford & Co.s CEO of Asia Pacific, who told the 2017 RIMS Risk Forum Australasia that as the industry learns more about cyber risk, the limitations of traditional coverage become more apparent.We are dealing with a risk and an industry in which the plane is being built as we are flying it and therein lies the challenge, Bart said. If you look at exclusion 7A in a standard ISR policy it excludes losses of an unauthorised incursion into a computer system and, by definition that is likely to limit the property cover.Bart said that as cyber policies are much less uniform than ISR, questions need to be raised on how a cyber policy would respond if a property loss flows on from a cyber incursion.He also noted that there could be very significant losses in relation to limitations and restoration periods linked to cyber. If a cyberattack resulted in the loss of intellectual property or customer lists, for example, Bart noted that businesses could face very enduring business interruption losses.The benefit is to be broad in the coverage because mitigation is by far the better way to go here, he said.With more gaps in coverage coming to the fore, how can brokers best protect their clients from these emerging threats?According to Andre Louw, chairman of JLT in Australia, one way would be for cyber to be treated as an umbrella policy, which sits above traditional covers on a difference in conditions or difference of limitations basis with drop down protection.My recommendation would be, as risk managers you get your brokers to design and place the widest cover you can get on property and the different liability classes and, all other things being equal, get those which offer the cyber cover on a primary basis. Then take a cyber policy and treat it almost like an umbrella policy above the rest of the program, Louw told attendees.Louw added that insurers will respond better to clients that utilise an umbrella approach compared to those buying cyber from the ground up on the widest possible basis. He noted that an umbrella approach to cyber could work because, as a risk, it cuts across a variety of areas of insurance such as property, D&O, and public and product liability.The benefit of doing that is you are going to minimise gaps that way, and you are going to get a cheaper cyber policy, he said.
New York is reviewing its plans for a massive rainstorm after the flooding that has left parts of Houston underwater for days.

Were looking at what a Harvey-type event would mean in New York City, said Daniel Zarrilli, senior director of climate policy and chief resilience officer to Mayor Bill de Blasio.

The amount of rain that has hit Houston since Hurricane Harvey made landfall late last week would be unprecedented for the northeast U.S., according to Allan Frei, a climatologist and chairman of the geography department at Hunter College in Manhattan. The most serious flooding in the region was Hurricane Irene in 2011, when 15 or so inches of rain left much of Vermont underwater.

Still, Frei said that climate change increases the odds that severe rainstorms like the one in Houston could strike New York City. And if New York ever got as much rain as Houston has over the past week, it would be absolutely devastating.

If a storm causes a big storm surge at the same time as its raining, and if it hits during high tide, that would be  I cant even imagine, Frei said. Not only would the sewer system get overwhelmed by the volume of water, he said, but it would probably be blocked up with debris as well, diminishing their capacity to drain the city.

The effects would be worse if the storm hit New York City and then kept moving north, which Frei called a common path for storm systems. Then the Hudson River is going to have water from the upstate precipitation as well.

Superstorm Sandy demonstrated New York Citys vulnerability to water: Floodwaters exceeded six feet in the southern tip of Manhattan, the East Village and Chelsea, as well as Brighton Beach and the eastern side of Staten Island.

Since then, the city has updated its protections, including $4 billion in upgrades for the subway system. But some of the same things that define New York  its underground network of tunnels, and the limited number of options for getting onto and off of Manhattan  leave it especially exposed to flooding, while complicating the task of evacuating the island if it came to that.

Most of New York Citys sewage system is designed to handle no more than one and a half inches of rain per hour, according to Ted Timbers, spokesman for the New York City Department of Environmental Protection; infrastructure built since the late 1960s is better, but can still handle no more than 1.75 inches of rainfall per hour.

Rainfall above that amount will flood, Timbers said in a phone interview. The system would just back up until it could release itself, like a bathtub.

On Sunday, Houston was getting as much as four inches of rain every hour.

Sea-level rise makes things worse. The water level around New York is 1.1 feet higher today than in 1900, and could rise as much as two feet more by 2050.

With global warming and sea-level rise, what we are seeing is the effects of these storms amplified, Ernest Moniz, energy secretary for President Barack Obama, told Bloomberg TV Friday. Were going to have to spend a lot of money, I think, in hardening our facilities, our infrastructure, against this kind of damage.

Frei, who worked with New Yorks Department of Environmental Protection on a project to look at the citys water supply, said the citys staff do a good job planning for severe weather. But he said that something like what happened in Houston is an entirely different scale of disaster.

Whether theyre prepared for 50 inches in five days, that I do not know, Frei said. And I wouldnt be surprised if the answer is no.

Megan Pribram, assistant commissioner for planning and preparedness at the citys Office of Emergency Management, said the city has planned for 11 inches to 14 inches of rain, which is the historic high in the area. But she said her office would now look for lessons from Harvey.

Well be talking about it for a long time, and re-evaluating our planning, Pribram said in a phone interview. Still, she said, I think New York is ready.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Flood New York
Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. announced the acquisition of Nordic Forsakring & Riskhantering AB (Nordic), located in Gothenburg, Sweden.

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1991, Nordic is a retail insurance broker offering a broad range of commercial property/casualty services to medium and large corporations, as well as small business and personal lines solutions to members of affinity groups and industry associations throughout Sweden, according to a statement issued by Rolling Meadows, Ill.-based Gallagher.

Within its commercial division, Nordic specializes in developing tailored risk management and insurance programs for the life sciences, transportation, engineering and other industrial sectors.

Jonas Bergfeldt, Andreas Bergfeldt and their associates will continue to operate in their current locations in Gothenburg, Vaxjo and Gislaved under the direction of Anders Mjaaland, head of Gallaghers Scandinavian brokerage operations.

The Nordic team is widely respected for its expertise, professional partnerships and quality client service, and will be a terrific addition to our growing Scandinavian presence, said J. Patrick Gallagher Jr., chairman, president and CEO.

Their strong market relationships, client-focused approach and complementary industry specialization present a fantastic geographic, strategic and cultural fit for Gallagher and we are very pleased to welcome Jonas, Andreas and their colleagues to our growing Gallagher family of professionals, he added.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. has operations in 34 countries and offers client-service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Source: Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions A.J. Gallagher
When it comes to commercial drones usage, 61 percent of risk managers are concerned about the potential for invasion of privacy, according to a 2017 survey conducted by Munich Reinsurance America (Munich Re, US). Other concerns include inadequate insurance (15 percent), personal injury (15 percent) and property damage (9 percent).

In August 2016, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) issued operational rules allowing for commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) or drones in U.S. airspace for operators who complete a certification process. The FAA anticipates commercial drones sales to reach 2.7 million by 2020.

With the use of commercial drones soaring, it is revolutionizing how many companies conduct and grow their businesses, said Gerry Finley, senior vice president, Casualty Underwriting, Munich Re, US. Drones can be used by farmers to monitor fields for pest management, or by an energy company to monitor a solar panel farm. We may even see drones deliver packages for an online retailer on a daily basis.

Finley said that as the use of drones evolves, the insurance industry will need products and services to help customers manage the property and liability risks involved.

The majority of risk managers surveyed (62 percent) expect commercial drone usage to become common practice for businesses in less than five years  a significant increase from the 37 percent who believed this in 2015. Eleven percent of respondents consider drone usage already a common practice.

Since approval of the FAAs new operational rules last year, one in two (46 percent) risk managers would consider or explore the use of drones within their own businesses, and 7 percent are already using drones to conduct business.

New FAA regulations have encouraged the commercial use of drones across a broad spectrum of industries, said Tim Brockett, senior vice president, Reinsurance Division, Munich Re, US, and more companies and public entities are exploring new, safe and cost effective ways to use drone technology. However, they may be at risk since most commercial insurance policies dont cover or offer very limited liability protection for drones.

Munich Re recently launched a drone liability endorsement to help address this need.

The survey was conducted at the Risk Management Society (RIMS) Annual Conference in Philadelphia from April 24-25, 2017, and is intended to represent the views of 100 risk manager attendees who participated in the in-person interviews.

Topics USA Risk Management
Amanda Spartz nearly did not renew her homes flood insurance policy after her first year in Florida. Two hurricanes came close to the Fort Lauderdale suburbs last year, but they didnt hit and her home isnt in a high-risk flood zone. She figured she could put the $450 annual premium, due next week, to another use.

Then Harvey hit Houston, its historic rains causing massive floods even in low-risk neighborhoods. Spartz, a business analyst, paid the bill this week.

If Spartz had dropped her policy, she would not have been alone. Far fewer Americans compared with five years ago are paying for flood insurance in coastal areas of the United States where hurricanes, storms and tidal surges pose a serious threat, according to an Associated Press analysis of government data. The center for the problem is South Florida, where Spartz lives. The top U.S. official overseeing the National Flood Insurance Program told AP that he wants to double the number of Americans who buy flood insurance.

I was talking to my husband and I said that if something like Harvey happens here, I dont want to be on the hook, said Spartz, who relocated from Cincinnati. It isnt a lot of money to save yourself the heartache if it does happen.

Whats driving the drop in policies? Congress approved a price hike, making premiums more expensive, and maps of some high-risk areas were redrawn. Banks became lax at enforcing the requirement that any home with a federally insured mortgage in a high-risk area be covered. Memories of New Orleans underwater in 2005 after Hurricane Katrina have faded.

Without flood insurance, storm victims would have to draw on savings or go into debt  or perhaps be forced to sell.

Down in 3 States

The number of policies in force today has fallen in 43 of the 50 states since 2012, dropping from almost 5.5 million to just under 5 million, a decrease of 10 percent, APs analysis found. In low-lying Florida, where by far more flood insurance policies are sold than in any other state, the drop has been almost 16 percent. In only two states  Hawaii and South Carolina  are at least 50 percent of homes in flood hazard areas insured under the program.

APs analysis also showed the percentage of homes in high-risks areas that have flood insurance is sometimes frighteningly low. In Spartzs home of Broward County, its only 13 percent. In Houstons Harris County, its 28 percent. In New Orleans, its 46 percent.

Roy Wright, the director of the insurance program, which is administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency, acknowledges that the decrease is alarming and says he hopes to double the number of policies in the near future. He also wants to persuade more communities to limit construction in high-risk flood zones. Congress is likely to reauthorize the insurance program before it expires Sept. 30.

President Donald Trumps homeland security adviser, Tom Bossert, said he expects changes to the flood program to be debated on Capitol Hill later this fall, after the immediate Houston recovery is underway.

This administrations been pretty clear that wed like to see some responsible reforms to the National Flood Insurance Program, he said Thursday at the White House. I dont think nows the time to debate those things.

Last year, the program collected about $3.3 billion in premiums and paid out about $3.7 billion for losses. FEMA paid out $3.5 billion per year over the past 12 years, which included Katrina.

It is about consumer choice. Its about consumer education. Its about an education related to flood risk. Its about communities galvanizing around it. Its also about communities making choices about how they want to build going into the future so that people are at less risk. When they are at less risk, their premiums are cheaper, Wright told the AP.

Mortgage Requirement

One way to compel more homeowners to buy policies would be for banks to enforce the coverage requirement for homeowners with a federally insured mortgage if they live in a Special Flood Hazard Area. Experts said thats not happening. Many homeowners let the policy lapse after a few years, correctly thinking the bank will not check. Or a bank will sell mortgages to another bank, and paperwork on whether homes require flood insurance isnt reviewed. About 7 out of 10 homeowners have a mortgage.

The banks are not watching the hen house, said Loretta Worters, a spokeswoman with the Insurance Information Institute. They sell these mortgages from a bank to another bank and to another bank, and whether that home needs flood insurance slips through the cracks.

In Mississippi, the number of federally insured properties fell by nearly 15 percent, from about 75,000 in 2012 to 64,000 this year. The decreases were even higher in some coastal communities, including Gulfport and Long Beach  cities that took a direct hit from Katrina.

Ned Dolese, president and co-founder of Gulfport-based Coastal American Insurance Co., suspects the drop in Mississippi is largely due to a lack of government enforcement.

There are no teeth in FEMA or the NFIP to whack you over the head if you, the consumer, dont renew your flood policy, he said.

FEMA periodically redraws flood-risk maps, moving some homes from mandatory-carry areas to a less-risky category. When the requirement is lifted, homeowners gamble or believe their home is no longer in danger. As Harvey proved, a lower-risk neighborhood is not a no-risk neighborhood.

After the city of Central, Louisiana, successfully petitioned FEMA last year to change its flood maps, it sent letters notifying roughly 2,000 residents that their homes no longer were inside the high-risk zone. Kyle Cutrer didnt get flood insurance when he purchased a house in Central last summer, outside the flood zone.

Last August, a slow-moving storm dumped an estimated 7 trillion gallons of rainwater on south Louisiana, more than two feet of rain in some places. The deluge overtopped rivers and damaged or destroyed tens of thousands of homes, inundating many neighborhoods that had never seen such catastrophic flooding.

A foot of water washed into Cutrers home, causing approximately $40,000 in damage. He used about $16,000 from FEMA to pay for some repairs; he paid the rest himself.

Cutrer said his real-estate agent and mortgage company had both assured him he did not need flood insurance, which would have cost him about $300 annually.

I was told, Youll never flood. You wont have a problem here, he said. As a first-time homebuyer, I was trying to keep that note as low as possible.

A week after the flood, he called his insurance agent and purchased a flood policy.

Im not going to be able to stop the flood. But if it comes, Ill be fine, he said.

Hoyer reported from Washington, and Kunzelman reported from Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Associated Press writers Ken Sweet contributed to this report.

Copyright 2022 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Topics Florida Louisiana Flood Homeowners
Dallas-based insurance and risk management firm Dexter & Company has promoted Stephen Bivins to vice president.

Bivins has been an agent at Dexter & Company since 2012, managing a diverse portfolio of personal and commercial clients. Bivins clients include high net worth individuals, music festivals, multifamily living, and hospitality across the United States and abroad.

Prior to joining Dexter & Company, Bivins served as vice president at Dallas Christian School, as well as director/major gifts officer at Baylor Health Care System.

Founded in 1876, Dexter & Company has offices in Dallas, College Station and Plano, Texas. The firm offers a full menu of services ranging from personal health insurance, standard property insurance, and high-net-worth coverage to a complete range of commercial coverages including cyber liability, officers and directors liability, and workers compensation policies.

Source: Dexter & Company
Josh Beasley and his fiance bought Houstons Body3 Personal Fitness on July 1, less than two months before Tropical Storm Harvey swamped the gym with a foot of water and left behind the dank stench of fetid mildew.

Wading into the Stygian dark of the powerless gym on Sunday, the day after the storm hit, Beasley said he was overwhelmed by the looming cleanup and repair. He estimated it could cost up to $35,000.

To walk in and see all that water was just devastating, said Beasley, 38, as industrial fans dried the 6,700-square-foot (622 square-meter) complex in the citys Oak Forest neighborhood. But as small business owners who depend on this place for our livelihood, we have to rebuild.

About 99 percent of the companies in Houston are considered small businesses in a region with a gross domestic product (GDP) of more than $315 billion, according to U.S. government data. They face a long, expensive road to recovery with only a fraction of the resources of the states massive oil and medical industries.

Small business often lack large cash reserves, and the loss of income from having to shut down temporarily, or move to another location, can be serious threats.

Many small business owners said in interviews they would rebuild in Harveys wake. They hoped disaster assistance from the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA), which has offered low-interest loans, would cover some costs.

The National Flood Insurance Program, the only source of flood insurance for most Americans, offers coverage to businesses. But many small businesses, like Beasleys, go without such insurance unless their mortgages or leases require it.

Even businesses that have not sustained physical damage may take a hit if employees cannot get to work.

Hollywood Hair and Nail Salon, in Houstons Montrose neighborhood, was closed for days after Harveys floodwaters hit the region. But owner Reza Nouri said he wouldnt let that stop him from doing his work: He offered free haircuts at Houstons storm evacuee shelters.

Cutting hair for these storm victims was the least I could do to help as a small business owner, said Nouri, 37.

At Body3 gym, a platoon of 20 friends and customers helped rip out molding carpet and drywall. Beasley hopes to re-open as soon as next week in a bare-bones setting.

Were a gym, he said. Our clients dont need fancy walls.

Reporting by Ernest Scheyder in Houston; Additional reporting by Suzanne Barlyn in New York; Editing by David Gregorio

Topics Catastrophe Natural Disasters Commercial Lines Business Insurance Hurricane
SWBC Insurance Services, based in San Antonio, has expanded its division to Kerrville, Texas. Agent Nicole Shuler will be based in Kerrville to provide personal and business insurance to members of the community.

Shuler has nearly 15 years of experience working with SWBC Insurance Services. She can offer a wide array of products and services including home, auto, boat, motorcycle, RV insurance, and excess liability for new and existing clients.

Shuler holds her Texas General Lines Property and Casualty Agent license, Life and Health Insurance Agent license, and Certified Insurance Service Representatives (CISR) designation.

Shuler is joining SWBC Mortgage Loan Officer Leslie Barnet, who already offices in Kerrville.

Source: SWBC

Topics Texas
Staff members pose with a Mobike during a launching ceremony in Shah Alam of the Selangor State, Malaysia, on Spet. 6, 2017. Mobike, a major Chinese smart bike sharing brand, announced its entry into the Malaysian market on Wednesday, as more bike sharing players cast their sights on the region. (Xinhua/Chong Voon Chung)
Florida hasnt suffered a category 5 storm since Hurricane Andrew hit the north Miami area on Aug. 24 1992, but the risk of such a storm has not gone away or even declined. In fact, the states risk of destruction may be even greater today.

Not only has Floridas population grown 35 percent since Andrew, but also building, especially along the coast, has been booming since the 1990s.

According to a Swiss Re report Hurricane Andrew: The 20 miles that saved Miami, the total insured losses of an Andrew-type storm with the exact intensity and track would be significantly higher than the $15.5 billion loss in 1992  totaling about $50 to $60 billion, due to the combination of increased development and asset values.

If a major cat 5 storm makes landfall in downtown Miami, 20 miles north of where Andrew hit, losses to the insurance industry could range from $60 billion to $180 billion, according to Swiss Re models.

Catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide estimated that if an Andrew-like hurricane were to strike just south of Miami and just 8 miles north of Andrews landfall in the city of Homestead, total insured losses would exceed $138 billion, with losses in Florida exceeding $127 billion.

While these numbers are merely speculative, two of the authors of the Swiss Re report say the worst-case scenario should be kept in mind, especially since hurricane risk in Florida has not decreased in the last 25 years.

Its more important than ever before to assess present day hurricane risk and to really think deeply about if current insurance purchasing decisions are sufficient for if there was another Andrew, said Megan Linkin, Swiss Re Natural Hazards expert.

Many in the industry also fear that history could repeat itself when it comes to the industrys ability to survive a catastrophic event like Andrew.

Hurricane Andrew was the costliest disaster in U.S. history, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.), and the industry was not prepared to pay the large number of claims. Andrew was responsible for the failure of at least 16 insurers between 1992 and 1993.

Before Andrew, insurers writing in Florida were not looking closely at their exposure in hurricane prone regions. It was the first cat 5 hurricane in Florida since the Labor Day Hurricane of 1935, and only the third cat 5 storm to make landfall in the U.S., giving everyone who lived there and insurance companies a false sense of security.

I cant tell you how many companies told me they were driving street by street to count how many homes they insured because they didnt know  it was a free-for-all, said Robert Reynolds, owner of the Morris & Reynolds Agency in Miami.

His agency office was completely destroyed by Andrew and as many as 2,000 of his clients were affected.

Industry experts have expressed concern that Floridas young crop of domestic insurers would not be able to survive another Andrew. Just last month, one of them, Sawgrass Mutual, was placed under administrative supervision by the Florida Office of Insurance Regulation and will begin winding down its operation, which includes 20,000 homeowners policies.

That announcement during peak hurricane season fuels concerns about whether Florida insurers are adequately assessing their risk.

The industry has come a long way and is doing a much better job than they were doing before Andrew, but some companies still ignore other facts around them, said Karen Clark, founder and CEO of Karen Clark & Co.

Clark says catastrophe models, which became widely used after Andrew, are a reliable way of assessing an insurers exposure, but the probable maximum loss (PML) models insurers rely on dont always tell the whole story.

Models cant prevent events from happening, but they are supposed to prepare companies for what could happen. Unfortunately, people are using models like they are this magic box and putting out this magic PML number and all they have to do is manage [exposures] to the PML. Thats not correct, she said.

Clark says the 1-in-100-year PML model can underestimate an insurers exposure because it does not tell the whole story of a companys potential losses. She said one big piece that is missing from this metric is a companys exposure concentration. She worries about some of the newer Florida domestic companies in particular.

The insurance industry has gotten into this mode where as long as they are managing to their PML the world is fine and they dont have to do anything elsesmall domestics form who dont have a lot of capital but they are buying reinsurance up to this PML, she said.

KCC developed the Characteristic Event methodology back in 2012 that provides insurers with information on what size losses different return period events could cause, and where losses from 100-year events could exceed an insurers 100-year PML.

Traditional cat modelers are very stuck in the original model paradigm of this is what we provide versus thinking about what additional types of information might be useful to model users, Clark said. The more info the models can give the better.

Clark says carriers should look at more than just a PML model in assessing their exposure, but it may take some disruption to get widespread industry adoption.

Joe Petrelli, president of Demotech, which rates most of the Florida domestic insurers, says it reviewed the characteristic event model from KCC, as well as conditional probable maximum losses calculated by JLT Re and peak loss scenarios calculated by Aon, among others, prior to assigning its 2017 ratings.

Keep in mind that a PML of one in 100 years attempts to measure a 1 percent probability of exceedance over the portfolio of an insurer, Petrelli said. In contrast, peak loss scenarios, characteristic events, conditional PMLs and other measures focus on the reality that the probability of exceedance is not uniform across the portfolio of an insurer.

In rating its companies, Demotech follows at least 19 criteria in reviewing a companys reinsurance backing, including identifying and confirming each companys utilized model currently approved by the Florida Commission on Hurricane Loss Projection Methodology.

Petrelli added that Florida OIR performs catastrophic stress test analysis annually on all Florida insurers, utilizing the final reinsurance program purchased by the carrier as the baseline.

In each year that the OIR has performed its independent analysis, carriers reviewed and rated by Demotech have passed the catastrophic simulations utilized by OIR, he said.

This said, Petrelli said that Demotech believes that the raw dollar damages associated with such a catastrophic event should be viewed in conjunction with the likelihood of the selected event.

For example, in 2017, JLT Re indicated that the annual probability of a Category 5 event hitting Miami-Dade area was 0.2 percent; two chances in 1,000 that it could happen and 998 chances in a thousand that it would not happen, he said. Putting this annual probability into human terms, an 82-year-old person is more likely to live to be 83 years old than a category 5 event is likely to strike Miami-Dade.

Marla Schwartz, an atmospheric perils specialist for Swiss Re, said insurers should stick to the one common theme when using models  no model is perfect but they are still a very useful and important tool to the industry.

It is hard to say if they are sophisticated enough or what they are missing, she said. Thats where risk assessment and underwriting experience comes into play and the human component.

Roger L. Desjadon, chief executive officer of Florida Peninsula Insurance and chairman of the Florida Property Casualty Association, said rating agencies and regulators are very aware of what the industry needs to do and how it needs to do it, to remain financially stable.

He added that with the experience of past storms, those who regulate and rate the industry understand the importance of securing an environment where companies are at their best.

They work very hard to make sure the market is what people expect it to be, he said. And they give companies opportunities to make whatever adoptions they need to make in order to perform in stressful situations.

A.M. Best, which also rates many Florida insurers, said in a recent A.M. Best TV spot on Hurricane Andrew that its insurers with A.M. Best ratings possess the financial strength to honor policyholders claims, in the event of another catastrophe.

Still, Reynolds said with what he witnessed after Andrew 25 years ago, the worry about insurer solvency is always in the back of his mind.

Using what was then state of the art technology many in our industry thought their predictions would protect their firms and clients but unfortunately in many cases we learned that they got it wrong and it was a real awakening, he said. We cant have that happen today, the values and risk is exponentially larger now.

Reynolds said he hopes he doesnt see a storm like Andrew happen again in his lifetime, but to me it is a real concern  is the industry prepared? Insurers and reinsurers say they are and we have to trust that they know what they are doing, but with loss projections in the hundreds of millions the industry cant afford to get it wrong.

Swiss Res Linkin says a big hurricane hitting the Miami area is only a matter of if, not when.

It has happened before, and one will hit Miami again, she said. Its imperative that anyone who does business or lives in the area is financially and physically prepared for major hurricanes to strike.

This story was originally published on Aug. 28.

Topics Carriers Catastrophe Natural Disasters Florida Profit Loss Reinsurance Hurricane Swiss Re
As Hurricane Irma edges closer to Florida, investors on Wall Street are watching a small insurer with an unusually big commitment to the state.

Universal Insurance Holdings Inc., with a market capitalization dwarfed by industry giants like Allstate Corp. and Travelers Cos., has the largest share in the Florida homeowners industry. Its one of several lesser-known firms that have grown rapidly in a state thats among the most vulnerable to Atlantic storms.

Shares of Universal and regional competitors have been volatile this week, a sign that investors are jittery. Irma could show whether the smaller insurers have adequately underwritten risks that bigger companies are avoiding.

Local insurers would see a sizable share of the loss, Elyse Greenspan, an analyst at Wells Fargo & Co., said in a note to investors Wednesday, citing companies including Universal, Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc. and Federated National Holding Co. Still, the companies have bought protection against large losses, she wrote.

Michelle Giordano, a senior research analyst at Neuberger Berman, echoed that point. Reinsurers could have disproportionate exposure and bear a lot of the claims costs, she said.

Universal gained 70 cents to $19.10 at 1:15 p.m. after sliding 15 percent Tuesday.

Arash Soleimani, an analyst at KBW Inc., said it would take a once-in-a-lifetime storm to blow a hole in the Florida companies finances, given the backstops they have from reinsurers. Even so, the market reaction prompted Fort Lauderdale-based Universal to take the unusual step of outlining its reinsurance coverage in a press release on Tuesday.

Irmas top winds were 185 miles (300 kilometers) an hour Wednesday, making the system a Category 5, the highest measure on the five-step Saffir Simpson scale as the storm passed over islands in the Caribbean and barreled toward Puerto Rico with Florida in its sights.

We have a tremendous balance sheet, we have a close to 300-page disaster-recovery plan that we began to implement, Stephen Donaghy, chief operating officer of Universal, said by phone. Were doing everything you would hope wed be doing if youre a homeowner in Florida.

The regional players owe their position in the market partly to a costly spate of hurricanes. Losses from storms in 2004 and 2005 convinced many national carriers like Allstate and State Farm Mutual Automobile Insurance Co. to retreat from coastal regions, giving smaller firms an opportunity to gain share. More recently, Floridas state-run Citizens Property Insurance raised prices in an effort to shrink and reduce the risk to taxpayers.

Wall Street Backing

Universals gamble has proved to be profitable. The stock climbed more than seven-fold in the five years ended Dec. 31 as Florida avoided major storms and the company built up capital, benefiting holders including including Cliff Asnesss AQR Capital Management, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. BlackRock Inc. is the firms largest shareholder.

At the end of June, one of Universals insurance subsidiaries had $351 million of statutory surplus and $2.65 billion in reinsurance coverage. Thats an improvement from a few years ago, when the companys backstops werent so robust, Soleimani said.

The potential risk caught the attention of short sellers in 2015, who argued that Universal would be challenged if a major storm hit Florida. The company responded that no single hurricane event in recorded history would have tested its finances, given its reinsurance program.

Irma, however, is no ordinary storm. Barclays Plc analysts said Tuesday that it could potentially cause as much insured damage as Katrina in 2005, which at $50 billion was the costliest hurricane in U.S. history.

The industry has already been pressured by Hurricane Harvey, which inundated the Texas coastline and left parts of Houston, the fourth-largest U.S.-city, under feet of water. Insurers may face more than $10 billion in claims from that event, according to FBR & Co.

A strike from Irma would be the first time since 1964 that the U.S. was hit by back-to-back storms of Category 3 or more.

The fear of a storm hitting Florida always causes a huge reaction on the shares of the states main homeowners carriers, said Soleimani. Itd take a storm hitting multiple big cities to do the kind of damage that investors fear, he said.

Still, he said, anything is possible.

Copyright 2022 Bloomberg.

Topics Carriers USA Florida Reinsurance Hurricane
Charles Taylor plc has agreed to acquire Metro Risk Management LLC, a Southern California-based third-party claims administrator, from Nautilus International Holding Corp.

Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

MRM provides state and federal workers compensation claims administration services to self-insured clients and insurers.

Charles Taylor is a public company quoted on the London Stock Exchange.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions California Claims Workers' Compensation
Specialty Program Group LLC has acquired the assets of Burbank, Calif.-based wholesaler Monarch E&S Insurance Services.

Monarch E&S is a full-service MGA and wholesale brokerage established in 1986. The firm provides solutions for lines of business in both the commercial and personal lines segments.

Derek Borisoff, CEO of Monarch E&S, started running the firm in 1994 and assumed majority ownership in 2001.

Borisoff said that despite continuous growth and the firm coming off a record year, he reached a decision to sell when he recognized the need to become part of a larger team to continue to grow and better serve his retail agent customers.

The way our industry is going and with the mass of consolidation in our industry, I could see in the future how we could possibly get forced out of some of the relationships with some of our carriers and forced out of our relationships with some of our retail customers, he said. Theres massive consolidation both on the retail side and on the E&S side.

He added: We decided to sell to provide more products and tools for our retail customers. When youre independent like us, to keep growing is no easy task, and certainly being part of a larger organization can assist in that.

Borisoff wouldnt discuss the terms of the deal, but he did say the Monarch brand will remain in place.

He said as part of the deal hes remaining as the head of the firm, the rest of the management team will remain intact, and that no layoffs or office closures are planned.

Monarch has California offices in La Crescenta, Rancho Mirage, Simi Valley, and Fresno, as well as Hawaii. The firm opened a second San Diego County office last year in San Marcos.

Unlike at many insurance firms, perpetuation issues didnt play a part in Borisoffs decision to sell. His sons Devon and Spencer work at Monarch, and are expected to continue working there, and his son Chase recently graduated from USC and has expressed an interest in insurance.

They are already working in the industry and they going to be just fine, Borisoff said of Devon and Spencer.

SPG has been busy in the acquisitions arena recently. The firm in June purchased Dallas-based insurance exchange MarketScouts workers compensation managing general agency business. That same month, it announced it had acquired Paul Hanson Partners and its affiliate, PHP International. Last December, it acquired Michigan-based Global Marine, a brokerage specializing in boats, yachts, mega yachts, personal watercrafts, marinas, boat dealers and commercial marine vessels.

Summit, N.J.-based Specialty Program Group is a holding company for specialty insurance underwriting and MGA facilities that focuses on expanding program underwriting and specialty businesses. Its portfolio of companies include Paul Hanson Partners, SpecialtyComp Insurance Solutions and Global Marine Insurance Agency.

Chris Treanor, SPGs president and CEO, said he believes SPG can add value to Monarch in several ways.

Our goal really is to help them grow and help them continue to get better and provide more solutions to their customers, Treanor said. We have access to capital. Were good at processes and creating efficiency and we have market relationships.

He said the Monarch deal is part of SPGs strategy to go after best in class specialty businesses.

I like this part of the industry especially because I think small specialty business is an area of opportunity, he said. Its fairly fragmented and I think those customers are going to continue to value the kind of things Monarch provides.

He wouldnt classify SPGs latest acquisition as part of a buying spree, but he indicated to expect the firm to make more plays for businesses in the near future.

Weve got a five-year plan, he said, adding that they are only midway through the second year of that plan. Weve got third of the way to go to get where we want to get to. Were always in the market looking for great businesses.

Topics Mergers & Acquisitions California Excess Surplus Insurance Wholesale
Sheffield, UK, September 7, 2017- UK based telematics innovator, The Floow, has announced the opening of its first US office in Detroit as it brings its industry leading approach to capturing and analysing mobility data to North America, the largest insurance market in the world.

The investment not only reflects an understanding of the need for a local presence and local expertise  with a senior team appointed who combined have decades of experience working for top US insurance providers  but its strategic location also underlines The Floows involvement with, and commitment to, the connected car universe.

Renowned for its innovative use of smartphone sensors, along with its ability to both enhance the value of, and make sense of, the data provided to create an accurate score for an individuals driving technique, The Floows multi-award winning approach not only enables insurance companies to more accurately predict claims, but also to promote safer driving by their customers.

The Floows unique proposition is currently employed by major insurance companies across the globe, helping them to improve their loss ratios by enabling them to identify where the real risk lies in the individuals that they insure  rather than using more traditional attributes such as someones age or their zipcode  as well as providing a proven method to support their customers to become better drivers.

The new office represents the next stage of The Floows expansion into North America as it responds to a combination of issues faced by the market from an increase in the frequency and severity of crashes (driven by factors including the increase in annual mileage due to the low cost of gasoline, a rise in the number of miles being driven on highways at highway speeds and the growing problem of distracted driving) to increased competition, to the need to embrace a new digital approach.

Aldo Monteforte, Founder and CEO of The Floow, explains: Not only does our proposition enable insurance companies to reduce risk, by helping to identify poor driving behaviour and working with the individual to improve it, but it also enables them to create a more positive customer experience that can help to differentiate their product in the marketplace.

For example, by encouraging continual dialogue with their insurance company through the app by providing feedback on each journey, it helps customers to see that insurance plays a positive role in their day-to-day lives, rather than only being reminded of it either when their annual renewal correspondence arrives or when they have to make a claim.

It is this ongoing relationship with their insurance provider through our service, and the knowledge that if they drive safely they could enjoy lower premiums, that results in customer loyalty to a company and which also generates interest from new customers who are seeking a fairer and more transparent partnership with their insurer.

The company, whose HQ is in Sheffield in the North of England, is looking forward to making Detroit its second home.

Aldo adds: Like Sheffield, Detroit has a long and proud history of manufacturing excellence and is now also embracing its new identity as a major up and coming tech city which made it the ideal location for our US base. Both cities are also home to companies whose success is based on bringing a fresh approach to an existing industry which means we know we will also be in very good company.

For further information, interviews or images please contact The Floow press office:

Charlotte Dowd

MK PR

01142756784

Charlotte.Dowd@mkpublicrelations.co.uk

Claire Moulds

MK PR

01142756784

Claire.Moulds@mkpublicrelations.co.uk

Notes to editors:

The Floow tackles the worlds number 1 killer of young people, road accidents, with a view to making individual mobility safer and cheaper for all. We serve leading insurers of the world with (a) predictive analytics that support accurate and fair pricing and (b) digital end-user services that aim to increase customer loyalty.

Our unique insights from vehicle telematics and external data also enable active management of air pollution and integrated traffic management within a smart city context, based on actual data and understanding of how people move.

The Floow technology and solutions are currently being piloted and deployed in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia. It has been growing organically since inception in 2012, and is majority owned by its management team.

Based in Sheffield The Floow is blessed with a team of over 90 people forming one of the largest independent computer and data science organisations in the global telematics industry focused on individual mobility.

For further information visit: www.thefloow.com

Topics USA
Indian Minister for Road Transport & Highways and Shipping Nitin Gadkari visited Tehran in August 2017 to attend the swearing in ceremony of re-elected President Hassan Rouhani. Gadkaris visit reflected the importance that the Indian government attaches to relations with Tehran.





What was remarkable was that this high-profile attendance came after Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei mentioned Kashmir and expressed concern for the Muslims living there in his Eid address in June 2017. It was also after Iran inked a deal with Russias Gazprom for the development of the Farzad B gasfields. Indias ONGC Videsh Ltd. had discovered the gasfields and was interested in developing it, but India and Iran had differences over the pricing of the development. A former Iranian presidential advisor had also used unusually strong language regarding India.





These were ignored by New Delhi, which is normally prickly to any allusions to Kashmir. The pronouncements by Khamenei came soon after Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modis highly publicized and successful visit to Israel  the first ever by any Indian prime minister to the Jewish state Tehrans sworn enemy. This testifies to the diplomatic tightrope that India is having to walk in the region.





India has so far dexterously balanced its relations with the different power centers in the Middle East. The region has figured prominently in the Narendra Modi governments Look West policy and its importance for the country cannot be overemphasized. The countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), led by the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia, together host around seven million Indian expatriate workers who remit back hefty foreign exchange. Indians constitute the largest expatriate community in the GCC. According to some estimates, their remittances account for almost 52 percent of all overseas Indian remittances.





The GCC is also important for Indias energy security, supplying as it did in 2016 almost 50 percent of the countrys energy needs. In 2016, India and the UAE signed an agreement to establish a strategic petroleum reserve in India, where UAE can store crude oil. This was important for India given that its energy requirements are expected to quadruple over the next 15 to 17 years.





More recently, ties between India and the GCC states have been boosted in defence and counter-terrorism, with joint air and naval exercises, intelligence sharing, and with the arrests and extradition by some of the GCC states to India of those wanted by India on terrorism-related charges. In 2015, for instance, India and the UAE entered into an agreement whereby their national security advisers would meet every six months and host regular counter-terrorism meetings.





Reflecting the importance that ties with the GCC have acquired for India, Prime Minister Modi made highly successful visits to the UAE  the first in 34 years by an Indian Prime Minister  Saudi Arabia, and Qatar. Reciprocating the upsurge in relations with India, a host of dignitaries from the GCC had also visited Delhi. Amongst them were the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and the deputy supreme commander of the UAE Armed Forces, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, who had visited India twice  in 2016 and earlier this year as the Chief Guest at Indias Republic Day celebrations; as had also the Emir of Qatar, the foreign ministers of Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and most recently of the UAE. Modi is also scheduled to travel to Kuwait shortly.





Simultaneously, India has been boosting ties with Iran. India had welcomed the lifting of the sanctions regime against Iran in 2015. Iran was Indias second largest supplier of crude oil, but under US pressure India had to significantly decrease its oil imports from Iran since 2006. Iran is also becoming increasingly important to India for its connectivity to landlocked Afghanistan and the resource rich Central Asian republics. India is developing Irans Chabahar port on the Gulf of Oman through which a multi-modal international north-south corridor is envisaged to link Mumbai to Russias Astrakan  considered by some to be Indias Silk Route.





Indias relations with Israel have also burgeoned, coming out of the closet with Modis recent trip to Tel Aviv  the first ever by an Indian prime minister.



To that end, Modi paid a visit to Tehran in 2016, during which India, Iran and Afghanistan signed the tripartite Chabahar agreement for Establishment of International Transport and Transit Corridor, which Modi termed as history being created. The Chabahar port gives India sea-land access to Afghanistan, bypassing Pakistan, and is also important as an offset to Pakistans Gwadar port which is being developed by China, and also for stabilizing Afghanistan. In Delhi last year, Iranian foreign minister Javad Zarif said that Chabahar port would allow Afghanistan access to a global market, and help create a formal economy in the country.





Iran has also been a valuable counter-foil to Sunni radicalism in the region  till recently the Taliban  and the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS). Iran and India have also been on the same page regarding the Syrian conflict, with India continuing to recognize the Bashar Al Assad government as the legitimate representative of the Syrian people.





Nevertheless, bilateral ties have recently come under a cloud with the inability of the two sides to hammer out a deal regarding the Farzad B gas fields. While, in what is being seen as a retaliatory move, India, which is Irans second largest crude purchaser, decreased its purchase of crude, Iran responded by cutting by one-third the time it gives to Indian refiners to pay for oil they buy from it, and also raised ship freight rates.





Against this backdrop, Gadkaris visit can be viewed as a bid to smooth ruffled feathers. In Tehran, he promised to speed up the ports development, calling Chabahar a gateway to golden opportunities to boost trade and business.





Meanwhile, Indias relations with Israel have also burgeoned, coming out of the closet with Modis recent trip to Tel Aviv  the first ever by an Indian prime minister. Bilateral ties have been strong especially in defense  Israel currently is the fourth-largest arms supplier to India after the US, Russia, and France. More recently, other areas of cooperation have emerged, namely counter-terrorism, cyber security, agriculture and irrigation.





Modi, who is a personal friend of Israeli premier Benyamin Netanyahu, had visited Israel earlier during his tenure as Chief Minister of the Indian state of Gujarat. Bilateral ties, cultivated for decades, have acquired greater visibility under him with numerous high profile visits which included the Indian president travelling to Israel in 2015 and the Israeli president visiting India in 2016, and culminating with Modis visit to the Jewish state. In April this year, India and Israel signed defense deals worth $2 billion  the largest defense contract in Israel defense industries history  for the supply of medium-range surface-to-air missiles (MRSAM) and missile defence systems to the Indian Army. Israel is actively participating in the Indian governments ambitious Make in India scheme through collaboration and joint production of defence products, with the inauguration of Indias first private sector missile sub-systems manufacturing facilitya joint venture between Indias Kalyani Group and Israels Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd. Given Indias multi-billion dollar defence market, defence cooperation with Israel holds out great prospects.





However, as the rift between Iran and Saudi Arabia widens, spreading over into ever newer areas like Qatar  with the Saudi-led bloc of countries like UAE, Egypt, and Bahrain severing all ties with that country; and as the Gulf countries tilt overtly towards Israel, India will have to walk a tightrope in its relations with all these different regional powers.





President Trumps courting of Riyadh amidst fresh sanctions against Iran and the current saber-rattling between Tehran and the White House also threaten to complicate matters for India which has been drawing closer to the US in recent years  one of the reasons analysts feel for Irans unusually provocative statements against India. Factoring in also that China  with whom India is locked in a standoff on its eastern border  with its greater economic clout has a larger footprint in Iran, India will have to carefully calibrate its policies in the region so as to withstand pressure and maintain balance in its relations with the individual power centers there.
Four more launchers enter military base in Seongju for THAAD deployment in South Korea amid local protests

(Photo/CGTN)

Four more rocket launchers for the US-backed Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system were deployed on Thursday morning in Seongju, some 300 kilometers south of Seoul, amid local protests.

Dozens of protesters were injured in clashes with police as demonstrators took to the streets of Seongju to oppose the deployment.

Local residents fear that the system would turn the town into a target for attacks from Pyongyang.

"We cannot accept THAAD under any conditions," Yonhap quoted a local official as saying.

Related: China demands "immediate stop" to THAAD deployment
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A Coastguard crew winching two scouts from the sea simultaneously when one fell had never performed the operation before, writes Louise Roseingrave.

Aoife Winterlich (14) from Walkinstown, Dublin 12 was on a weekend scout trip that turned to tragedy on Sunday December 6, 2015.

She and fellow scout Philip Byrne were swept out to sea from rocks at Hook Head Lighthouse shortly after 2pm.

Aoife became unconscious in the water almost immediately, Dublin Coroners Court heard.

The Waterford Coastguard helicopter arrived at the scene at 2.15pm, ten minutes after an emergency call was placed.

The crew winched both casualties to safety but Aoife, who remained unconscious, slipped from her harness and fell 40 feet into the sea below.

Pathologist Pathologist Prof Maureen OSullivan said there was no evidence of trauma from the fall that contributed to the teenagers death.

"It is unlikely the fall contributed to her demise. The damage was done in her initial immersion," Prof OSullivan said.

There was no significant injuries to the body besides bruises and scrapes possibly sustained as she lost her footing on the rocks and was swept out.

The cause of death was brain damage due to a near drowning, according to the pathologist.

Aoife was retrieved from the sea and winched back to the helicopter within one minute and 15 seconds.

She was transferred to Waterford General Hospital and later to Crumlin Childrens Hospital where she was pronounced dead five days later on December 11.

The group of 14 scouts aged between 14 and 17 arrived at Hook Head lighthouse, took a tour and were given 20 minutes free time to eat their lunch before.

Scouting Ireland CEO John Lawlor described the trip as a low risk activity because it was not intended for the scouts to go outside the walled lighthouse compound.

Scout leaders Stuart Garland and Leanne Bradley said the group was told to stay within the walls.

In his evidence Philip Byrne said he didnt recall being told by the leaders not to go down to the rocks.

He and Aoife saw others going over the wall and they followed.

"Wed seen the boys there previously and it looked cool so we went down. I knew there were rocks and waves but it didnt look dangerous. They were taking pictures and looking at the waves," he said

A series of waves knocked them off their feet and Aoife was swept out, the court heard.

"It knocked me and Aoife off our feet. We fell but we didnt think anything was serious. Then another wave came and she got pulled out," he said.

"She was submerged in the water and then managed to get to a rock. She was sort of semi-conscious, rubbing her head. Another wave came and she was submerged again. I got hold of her. I swam out further because I was afraid of us getting smashed on the rocks," he said.

Philip was holding her head above water when the Coastguard helicopter arrived overhead.

The crew assessed the scene and a decision was made to retrieve both casualties from the water together.

Winch operator Neville Murphy said he had never been in this situation before.

"This is unprecedented. Two people in the water, that generally doesnt happen. We can only train to certain limits. We can never know what we are faced with as we look out the door of the aircraft," he said.

Winch man Sean Jennings descended to the pair in the water with two winch strops.

Casualties are usually secured with two strops, one around the chest area and one for the legs.

He was holding onto both casualties and just at the point of entry to the helicopter, Aoife slipped and fell.

Asked by the coroner what happened, Mr Jennings said he did not know.

"We were going into a spin and I had to stop either casualty coming into contact with the aircraft. The mechanics of how she came out of the strop I dont know," he said.

There is no instruction or training for such a situation, the court heard. Rescue protocol does not distinguish between a conscious and unconscious casualty in the water, Mr Jennings said.

The inquest was adjourned until next month for further questions around Aoifes care in hospital.
Amazon executives will argue the merits of their plan with the two objectors, Allan Daly and David Hughes, who appealed Fingal County Councils decision to give Amazon firm, Amazon Data Services Ireland Limited the go-ahead for its project.

That company plans to initially build a 223,000sq ft data centre in Mulhuddart in north west Dublin and has told Fingal County Council it might build seven more data centres on the 26- hectare IDA-owned site.

Amazons web services division already has a number of data centres in Dublin, but its latest plan  dubbed Project G  is its most ambitious to date in Ireland. Mr Hughes also requested that the appeals board stage an oral hearing and the board has acceded to his request.

In a rebuttal to the appeals, consultants for Amazon, John Spain & Associates told Bord Pleanala the oral hearing was not warranted.

The consultants told the board that all the documents addressed the concerns raised by the appellants.

Mr Spain also said that the application was not subject to any objections from local residents, businesses, landowners or elected representatives.

No significant planning issues or indeed new issues have been raised by either party in their appeals, he said. He stated that given the planning history of the area and the land-use objectives, it was appropriate for the appeals board to grant planning as soon as was practical.

In his appeal, Mr Daly said the proposed development was likely to use a large quantity of energy which will pose a challenge to the planning, operation and capacity of the national grid.

In response, Mr Spain stated the development will require around 35MW of electricity. Based on 2016 demand levels, this represents approximately 0.5% of the single energy market demand on the island of Ireland, Mr Spain stated, adding that 400 people would be employed in building the data centre. In addition, there would be 32 staff at the site when it starts to operate.

Mr Spain says Amazon Data Services Ireland Ltd employs 1,000 people in Ireland and the data centre will support and create significantly more direct and indirect roles. Mr Spain claimed the concerns expressed by Mr Hughes in respect of the council assessment of the application are unfounded.
The report by Dublin City University (DCU) economist Anthony Foley on behalf of the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland said British tourists spent 1.1bn last year, but that a drop of more than 6% in their numbers in the first seven months of 2017 would equate to more than 68m lost against last year.

Corks domestic and foreign tourism market was worth 784m, according to a breakdown by Mr Foley on each region of the country.
The EUs top court ruled that Intels appeal had to be re-examined by a lower tribunal, criticising judges for failing to properly analyse the economic aspects of the case in the 2014 decision to reject the chip makers initial challenge.

The lower court was required to examine all of Intels arguments regarding a test to check whether the rebates used by the company was capable of harming competition, the EU Court of Justice in Luxembourg has said. The lower tribunal  the EU General Court  has to examine whether the rebates at issue were capable of restricting competition.

Intel is among the few companies to have continued a battle against a European Commission fine all the way to the top EU court. The Brussels-based antitrust regulator accused the company of using discounts to hurt Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), a decision backed by a lower EU court in 2014. The commission hasnt lost many antitrust cases over the last 20 years. Knowing that they face likely defeat, most companies being probed for monopoly abuse tend to cave in. They agree to a binding deal to change their behaviour, shutting down the EU investigation early to avoid fines or to get a reduced penalty.

Qualcomm could be the most directly affected by the ruling. The EU is probing whether the company unfairly paid Apple to only use Qualcomm chipsets in its products. Google, under investigation for inducing phone makers to use its Android software, will also be watching closely. This ruling introduces important clarifications of the role of the General Court when assessing commission decisions, said Agustin Reyna, senior legal officer at European consumer organisation BEUC. This can have major implications for ongoing and future competition cases, especially in the tech sector, Mr Reyna said.

Intel declined to immediately comment, saying it needed to study the ruling first. The EU said that it is now up to the General Court to review the commissions decision. The EUs top judges said the lower court was wrong to overlook how regulators scrutinised rebates and their finding that a hypothetical rival to Intel would have lost money if it charged the same prices. This puts the focus on how the EU runs such tests and will force the court to examine alleged errors made by regulators. The EUs investigation found that Intel hindered competition by giving rebates to computer makers from 2002 until 2005 if they bought at least 95% of PC chips from Intel.

It said Intel imposed restrictive conditions for the remaining 5%, supplied by AMD, which struggled to overcome Intels hold on the market for processors that run the devices. The case deals with one of the most common and commercially relevant issues, which is rebates, said Pat Treacy, a competition lawyer specialising in intellectual property and technology at Bristows in London. The courts decision to send the case back for review will add several more years of murkiness for lawyers on when rebates are legal. They will now have to wait for the lower court decision, which could take at least two years and could be appealed again.

The PC makers coaxed to not use AMDs chips included Acer, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo Group and NEC, the Commission said in 2009. The EU also said Intel made payments to electronics retailer Media Markt on the condition that it only sell Intel-based PCs.

It ordered Intel to stop using illegal rebates to thwart competitors, an instruction that Intel complained was unclear.

Bloomberg
The call was made by the Irish Penal Reform Trust, the Childrens Rights Alliance, and Dr Fiona Donson and Dr Aisling Parkes of the School of Law at University College Cork at a conference organised by UCC and held in Dublin yesterday.

The Unseen Unheard Conference featured contributions from the Irish Prison Service, Tusla, the Limerick-based Bedford Row Family Project that supports families of prisoners, and who outlined the adversity many families can face when a member is jailed.

Tanya Ward, the chief executive of the Childrens Rights Alliance, said: Visiting a parent in prison can be a harrowing experience. We dont know how many children in Ireland have a parent in prison. But we do know that it has a major impact on their lives. Far more is needed to support and protect these children so they can enjoy childhood like other children.

Representatives of the Saol project, which works with women and children in the north-east inner city in Dublin, stressed the importance of treatment and drop-in services for those affected, while Fergal Black, director of care and rehabilitation in the Irish Prison Service, outlined its goal of family-friendly prisons and the need to change the mindset within the prison system.

Dr Parkes and Dr Donson said it was crucial that the needs of what they described as a discrete group were recognised and met in areas such as education, health, social protection and social welfare. They said a national and cross-sectoral approach is needed, which could help mitigate against longer-term adverse effects in their own lives.

The acting director of the IPRT, Fiona Ni Chinneide said: The rights and needs of children affected by imprisonment in this country have been largely ignored within Irish policy and practice. It is almost five years since IPRT first published a report calling for children affected by imprisonment to have their rights and needs recognised and met. We look forward to working with the Government to make this happen.

Other contributors included Tim Haines of the Families Outside organisation in Scotland, who said the focus on the children of prisoners should rest primarily on what they need, rather than what their family member did.
Leo Varadkar made his comments after an internal Garda report found officers exaggerated the number of breath tests carried out by 1.45m over an eight-year period.

In total, up to a fifth of all false breath tests recorded by gardai over an eight-year period were inflated.

Garda sources said that the commissioner was in Garda HQ until Wednesday afternoon. It is understood she was due to fly out to Europe Wednesday evening, where she is thought to be attending a conference of international security and police chiefs. Garda sources said it was a scheduled event, running over several days.

Sources rejected any political claim that she was ducking the report, noting that she had commented on it in the statement issued by the Garda Press Office.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan said that the commissioner notified the department of her intention to travel and no objection was raised.

This was part of her business schedule and this report was only received by the minister last week. Normally you would take a few weeks to deliberate on its findings, but the gardai decided to publish the report today, the spokesman said.

The report established that 1,458,221 more breath tests were recorded on the Pulse system than were carried out. Conducted by Assistant Commissioner Michael OSullivan, the report established that 3,498,400 breath tests were recorded on the Pulse system between June 2009 and April 2017  but that only 2,040,179 breath tests were recorded on the Drager devices used.

The 100-page report said that this reflected a 71% over-estimation. It is an inescapable conclusion that much of this statistical anomaly occurred as a result of inflation of Pulse data by members, Mr OSullivan said. He said an environment existed where the discrepancies identified were allowed to happen without intervention.

Frontline gardai know very little about how the system for issuing fines works and had no formal training in the area for 12 years, the report found.

That is despite the number of offences attracting fines, known as fixed charge notices (FCN), rocketing to 614  a huge number compared to other policing jurisdictions. Gardai have also been using an IT system which was fundamentally flawed, with coding errors that failed to signal when FCNs were improperly processed. The failures resulted in almost 14,700 motorists being summoned before the courts, fined, and given penalty points for offences without having the chance to deal with the issue by way of paying a FCN.

A further Policing Authority report into the scandal is due in the coming weeks and is keenly awaited by independent ministers in Government who have little time for internal reports.

Mr Varadkar was stinging in his criticism of the gardai in the wake of the reports publication.

Dubbing the details of the fabrication of breath tests as entirely unacceptable, he said the report talks about there being disciplinary action and I think that would be appropriate and that is of course a matter for the Garda Commissioner.

He added: I have heard people trying to blame things like resources and training. You would never see a school principal  and there are often resource constraints in schools  you would never see a school principal falsify their own numbers, you would never see a surgeon in the health service claim they have treated more patients.

Mr Flanagan said he was greatly disturbed by the widespread inflation of breath testing. He said the reports revealed serious and concerning problems in the operation of both the mandatory alcohol testing checkpoint system and the fixed charge processing system, but claimed a number of measures have already been implemented to address the issue.

Tanaiste and former minister for justice Frances Fitzgerald said the emergence of the extra half a million false Garda breath tests was deeply disturbing.

Fianna Fails Justice spokesman Jim OCallaghan called on Commissioner OSullivan to resign after the latest report.
Sammy Quilligan, aged 21, pleaded guilty at Cork District Court to a charge of assault causing harm to Pierre Toussaint at the Ambassador hotel on Military hotel in Cork.

Defence solicitor, Joseph Cuddigan, said: The injured party was working there and was quite rightly seeking to close the bar at the time.

Mr Quilligan had an alcohol difficulty and decided the bar should not close. Clearly, there is no blame attached to the injured party.

Mr Quilligan brought 500 to court as compensation for the victim.

Insp Gary McPolin said the defendant was attending a party on the night of July 11, 2015. The inspector said it was an unprovoked assault and that the injured party had a tooth fractured.

The inspector said the victim had made a recovery from the assault.

Mr Cuddigan said that while 500 was not a huge sum of compensation, it had been difficult for the accused to raise this money.

He said the accused had been jailed last year for an unrelated offence but had attended for extensive treatment to clear himself of his drink problem.

Judge Ni Chonduin was told that the accused man was engaged to be married. Mr Cuddigan said the defendant was a nice man and not troublesome when he was not drinking.

His fiancee is in court and I have spoken to her telling her she has a decent man provided he stays away from alcohol, Mr Cuddigan said.

Judge Ni Chonduin said to the young woman: I hope you have your eyes open and dont take any nonsense.

Mr Cuddigan added, That is precisely what I told her.

The judge said that Quilligan could carry out community service instead of going to prison on the charge of assault causing harm.

The case was adjourned for a fortnight when the number of hours of service will be specified.

His address on the charge was Yewood, Larchfield Estate, Youghal, Co Cork.

Mr Cuddigan said that the defendant was now living in a caravan near Carrigtwohill.
Joe was at the new CF paediatric outpatient unit in CUH yesterday for the official handover of 474,000  money that funded four CF treatment rooms, all en-suite, as well as the gym essential to children with CF who require physiotherapy.

The facilities are state of the art, according to consultant paediatrician Dr David Mullane.

The air changes are the quality of what you would find in an operating theatre, killing off any airborne infection and infrared lights that come on at night time kill any surface bacteria, said Dr Mullane.

Professor Geraldine McCarthy, chair of the South/Southwest Hospital group (SSWHG), said Joes fundraising charity, Build4Life, had done a mammoth job, pulling in the bones of 4m towards CF facilities at the hospital.

She said the outpatient unit will be put to good use for the children of Cork and the region.

In fact it was of such a high standard it needs to be replicated, said Prof McCarthy.

Dr Mullane said it was a huge improvement on what we had.

Theres no way it would have happened without Joe and we will all reap the benefits, he said.

Gerry ODwyer, chief executive of the SSHWG , said he wanted to acknowledge all the fundraising Build4Life has done.

Joe, whose son Padraig has CF, said it was great to see the place finally open.

It will remove the worry and burden for families, knowing the risk of cross-infection is eliminated, he said.

Up to 110 children with CF attend paediatric CF services at CUH, from Cork and the wider region.

Build4Lifes latest donation is in addition to funding and equipping the adult CF outpatient clinic (opened in 2011) and funding and equipping of the adult CF inpatient and general respiratory ward (opened in 2015).

Even though the charity wound down earlier this year, further monies have been set aside for paediatric inpatient beds  CUH is hoping for 17m to build an 80-bed inpatient unit which would include beds for children with CF.

Yesterday families and relatives of patients with CF were among those at CUH celebrating the official opening of the facility, among them six-year-old Isabel Crowley, whose two-year-old brother Rossa has CF, and Pamela OConnor, who successfully campaigned for state reimbursement of Kalydeco, a wonder drug for the treatment of CF.
The airline said too many customers are availing of its two free carry-on bags service. As a result, the high number of full flights means there is not enough overhead cabin space for this volume of carry-on bags which is causing boarding and flight delays.

From November 1, the check-in bag allowance on all Ryanair flights will increase from 15kg to 20kg for all bags. The standard check-in bag fee will be cut from 35 to 25 for this 20kg bag.

Also from this date, only priority boarding customers (including Plus, Flexi Plus, and Family Plus) will be allowed to bring two carry-on bags on the aircraft. It costs 5 at the time of flight booking to be a priority boarding passenger.

All other customers will only be allowed to bring one smaller carry-on bag on board the aircraft, while their second wheelie bag must be placed in the hold at the boarding gate. This second bag is free of charge.

Chief marketing officer Kenny Jacobs said the bag policy changes will cost the airline in the region of 50m in reduced checked-bag fees.

However, we believe offering bigger bags at reduced fees will encourage more customers to consider checking in a bag, which will reduce the high volume of customers we have with two carry-on bags at the boarding gates, which is causing flight delays due to large numbers of gate bag and cabin bag offloads, he said.

Mr Jacobs said given the high volume of full flights operated by Ryanair, the overhead bins were not big enough to accommodate all extra bags coming on board.

We hope that by restricting non-priority customers to one small carry-on bag  their wheelie bag must be placed in the hold, free of charge at the boarding gate  this will speed up the boarding of flights and eliminate flight delays being caused by not having sufficient overhead cabin space on busy flights to accommodate over 360 carry-on bags, he said.

Meanwhile, Ryanairs August traffic grew by 10% to 12.7m customers, while its load factor was up 1% to 97%.

In June, the airline was forced to deny it had made any changes to its seating policy after a number of complaints from customers that they were being deliberately separated from their travelling companions because they had not paid for reserved seating.

Ryanair claimed it had not changed its policy and that seats which are not reserved are allocated randomly.

Scientists at Oxford University carried out an experiment where four people booked onto four flights and were all allocated middle seats. The researchers, working on behalf of the BBCs Watchdog show, calculated that the likelihood of all four randomly ending up in middle seats on each of the flights was 1:540,000,000  higher than the odds of winning the UK lottery.

Changes to baggage policy

What is Ryanairs new baggage policy?

From November, they will cut the cost of a checked bag from 35 to 25 and increase the bag size from 15kg to 20kg.

The check-in bag allowance will increase from 15kg to 20kg for all bags. The standard check-in bag fee will be cut from 35 to 25 for this 20kg bag.

Only priority boarding customers (including Plus passengers) will be allowed to bring two carry-on bags onto the aircraft.

What if you are not a priority customer?

All other (non-priority) customers will only be allowed to bring one smaller carry-on bag on board the aircraft, while their second (bigger) wheelie bag must be placed in the hold (free of charge) at the boarding gate.

Why is Ryanair making this change?

To reduce the number of flight delays caused by too many customers arriving at the gate with two carry-on bags.

Will customers still be able to take two pieces of cabin baggage on board?

Yes, priority boarding customers will still be able to bring two bags, one normal (55cm x 40cm x 20cm) and one small (35cm x 20cm x 20cm) into the cabin.

No, for non-priority customers who will put their bigger (wheelie) cabin bag in the hold (free of charge), and will be able to take their smaller bag into the cabin.

What about bookings before the new policy was implemented?

The new baggage policy will start on November 1 and will apply to all bookings made before and after November 1, and flights from that date onwards.
On Tuesday, at the start of Sinn Feins two-day pre-Dail think-in held in Meath, the partys youngest female councillor became the latest elected Sinn Fein member to quit amid claims she was being bullied.

Limerick councillor Lisa Marie Sheehy said in a statement there is a culture of bullying in the party and that the atmosphere she had to endure was hostile and toxic.
Mary Wynne, 86, and her family were among the first to move into the Dolphins Barn Flat Complex in Dublins south inner city in 1955. The family took up residency in the first completed block of flats while construction continued on the remaining blocks.

Mrs Wynne, a mother of 12 from Saul Rd in Crumlin and formerly Dolphin House, died from a rare form of aggressive cancer linked to asbestos. A former trader at the Iveagh Market, she also spent time working as a cleaner at a waterworks site during the 1980s, according to her daughter Stephanie Wynne.
After a white-supremacist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia, in which anti-fascist campaigner Heather Heyer was killed, and many others injured, US President Donald Trump notoriously blamed both sides for the violence.

By equating neo-Nazis with those who stood against them, Trump (further) sullied his presidency. And by describing some of the participants in the Charlottesville rally as very fine people, he gave a nod to far-right bigots worldwide.

A few weeks thereafter, just as Hurricane Harvey was bearing down on Texas, Trump pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Maricopa County in Arizona.

Arpaio had been convicted of contempt of court in July for defying a federal judges order to stop racially profiling Latinos. But the way Trump sees it, Arpaio was convicted for doing his job.

Arpaio once boasted that the outdoor jail where he held undocumented immigrants was akin to a concentration camp. And he is now a leading exponent of the Tea Party and other xenophobic right-wing movements that rallied behind Trump in last years election.

By pardoning Arpaio, Trump was, once again, implicitly embracing white supremacists and nativists worldwide.

Sadly, many of Trumps allies in the Republican Party have barely raised an eyebrow in response to his latest words and actions. According to a recent ABC News-Washington Post poll, 9% of respondents  equivalent to about 22m Americans  find it acceptable to hold neo-Nazi or white supremacist views.

This is a shocking finding. But it is not limited to the US. Europe, too, is witnessing a worrying surge of racism, nationalism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia.

In a recent poll conducted for Chatham House, 55% of European respondents agreed that all further migration from mainly Muslim countries should be stopped. That is higher than the 48% of Americans who, in February, supported Trumps executive order barring travel from seven predominantly Muslim countries.

It is time for Europeans who would prefer to dismiss white supremacy as an American phenomenon to mind their own backyards.

Since Trumps election in the US and the Brexit referendum in the UK, hate speech and crimes against ethnic minorities and foreign nationals have started to become normalised in many Western countries.

Most worryingly, intolerance may be on the rise among young people. The British magazine TES reports that hate crimes and hate incidents in

British schools increased by 48% in the summer and fall terms of 2016, compared to the same period of the previous year.

As the report notes, this coincides precisely with the Brexit referendum and Trumps election.

In todays information landscape, social media have become the primary means for spreading hatred. The largest social-media platforms are now host to countless fake and anonymous accounts that spew xenophobic, nationalistic, and racist messages.

These accounts are polluting a medium that many young people enjoy, and exposing impressionable minds to dangerous falsehoods and conspiracy theories. And more often than not, they are being operated with impunity by Russian-sponsored trolls in Macedonia or elsewhere in Eastern Europe.

But it is not just online trolls who are empowering people to be racist, anti- Semitic, and homophobic. Many world leaders and prominent opinion makers are doing it, too.

Although mainstream European leaders offered a clear rebuke to the Charlottesville violence and Trumps reaction to it, they need to go further. Now more than ever, the EU must demonstrate its commitment to upholding core values of equality and tolerance.

The fact that the current Hungarian and Polish governments are intentionally undermining democratic institutions in those countries should be evidence enough that we cannot take freedom, liberty, and the rule of law for granted.

It took many years to build democratic institutions in Central and Eastern Europe, but it has taken just a few parliamentary elections to reverse that progress. For the sake of European democracy, the other members of the EU must take collective action now to sanction these increasingly authoritarian governments for their transgressions.

After an increase in anti-Semitic incidents in 2004, when I was the prime minister of Belgium, I launched an initiative to remind young people of the costs of the Second World War.

During their history lessons, Belgian students would learn about the implications and negative consequences of certain ideologies.

With hatred on the march again today, we must remember that education is crucial in the fight against authoritarianism, which can thrive on generational complacency.

To ensure that democratic values prevail, we must encourage all people to reflect on the lessons of the past, when grotesque abuses were perpetrated against millions.

We owe it to all of those who suffered under past authoritarian regimes to stand up now for democratic values. We can start by pushing back, as Heather Heyer did, against the right-wing populists who are openly fomenting hatred across the West.

Guy Verhofstadt, a former Belgian prime minister, is president of the Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe Group (ALDE) in the European Parliament.

Copyright: Project Syndicate, 2017.
(Company representatives, experts speak at a seminar at the Belt and Road International Logistics Cooperation Forum on September 6. Jiang Jie/Peoples Daily Online)

China Railway Express, the China-Europe rail cargo transportation service, eyes to speed up expansion of its service to boost economic development, said a vice general manger of the cross-continental service.

Addressing The Belt and Road International Logistics Cooperation Forum at the China-Arab States Expo 2017 on Wednesday, Zhong Cheng, a vice general manager of China Railway Container Transportation (CRCT), said the traditional railway transportation connecting China and Europe can reach out to more regions under the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), boost trade, and promote social and economic development in Europe.

Since the first train left from Chinas Chongqing for Germanys Duisburg in 2011, the China Railway Express has witnessed a total of 5,093 trains traveling to Europe, and at an increasingly faster pace. The first 1,000 record was accomplished at the 54th month, the second 1,000 record at five and a half months, and the third at merely four and a half months. Between January and August, a total of 2,129 trains have traveled to Europe, up 123 percent, according to CRCT data.

The growth rate of China Railway Express is especially remarkable against the backdrop of global economy stagnation, noted Zhong.

Some 33 Chinese cities see routine train travel back and forth between China and Europe. A total of 33 cities in 12 countries in Europe welcome the trains from China on a regular basis. This is especially true for the Yiwu-Madrid route, which has turned Madrid into a major distribution center for daily commodities covering all of Europe, he added.

Of the 52 routes for the China Express Railway, trains travel at an average of 1,300 kilometers per day and they will gradually increase their speeds to guarantee 10-day transportation time.

By 2020, China Railway Express is expected to connect to 28 transportation hubs, with more than 5,000 trains traveling to Europe each year, and the hope is that they will return with more cargo, Zhong revealed.

However, the China Railway Express must deal with ports of entry and entry-exit inspections as it travels from country to country. In contrast to the rapid growth of the China Railway Express, the inadequate personnel and capacity of some ports also prolongs the trips.

Under the price negotiation mechanism, the travel cost has been reduced by 30 percent compared to 2011. Yet, the cost of logistics remains relatively high, as the cost in Europe is about twice of that in China, making the general price higher than market expectations. In addition, the trips from and back to China remain unbalanced, as trains return to China carrying a load that is half full, Zhong pointed out.
Local Dems sweep; town rejects pot Every Democrat on the local ballot won their race Tuesday, including Jamestown resident Peter Neronhas re-election as the states top prosecutor, and local voters followed suit with the statewide trend...

Voters rebuff allowing retail pot sales in shops By a margin of 157 votes, the electorate decided Tuesday not to allow local businesses to cultivate, manufacture, test or sell recreational marijuana in Jamestown. The referendum to allow the...

School board agrees to contract with North Kingstown Jamestown students entering high school can continue to choose North Kingstown as their destination for grades 9-12. We are pleased to continue this historic partnership, said Ken Duva, superintendent of...
Egypt ready to strengthen cooperation with China under Belt and Road

(Egyptian minister of trade and industry, Tarek Kabila, addresses the China-Arab Business Summit on Wednesday in Yinchuan. Yu Kai/Peoples Daily Online)

Egypt readies itself for closer cooperation with China, especially under the Belt and Road Initiative, the countrys trade and industry minister said Wednesday.

Speaking at the China-Arab Business Summit 2017, Tarek Kabila, Egyptian minister of trade and industry, said that the Egyptian government is willing to strengthen trade and economic cooperation with China, pledging necessary support to sincere investors.

The summit was held on Wednesday in Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, as a part of the China-Arab States Expo 2017.

Egypt has been working to improve its investment environment, including tax preferential policies. It also hopes to change the trade imbalance with a series of economic reform measures.

The ancient Silk Road has closely linked Arab countries with China, and its long-standing influence can still be felt today. China has become the largest trading partner with many countries, including Egypt.

Arab countries, sitting at the intersection of the Belt and Road, are important cooperation partners under the initiative. It is a common responsibility to revitalize the prosperity of the ancient Silk Road, especially as the Belt and Road Initiative meets the call for new mechanism and more industrial infrastructure, according to the Egyptian minister.

Egypt has established the Suez Canal Economic Corridor, completed construction of three ports, and built many roads, all which could work with Chinese projects under the Belt and Road Initiative, the minister noted.

In 2016, China signed projects worth some $40 million, up 40 percent. The Chinese projects in Arab countries took up 16 percent of that across the world. China and Arab countries also inked basic infrastructure construction deals worth $46 billion yuan, Kabila revealed at the summit.

(Representatives at the China-Arab Business Summit 2017 Yu Kai/Peoples Daily Online)
On Tuesday, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) immigration protection program, creating a nightmare for about 800,000 people. The program allowed young undocumented immigrants, or Dreamers, to live in the country without fear of deportation. Trumps decision to end the program means that hundreds of thousands of young adults brought to the U.S. illegally as children could soon face deportation.

RELATED: Trump's move to end DACA creates nightmare for American 'dreamers'

Of course, ending the immigration program and any actions taken in response to the decision are purely U.S. domestic affairs. Nevertheless, many Chinese are following the news and wondering where the country is heading.

On Weibo, Chinas Twitter-like social media service, the reaction is strong and mixed, with some posts receiving thousands of comments. In the eyes of some Chinese, Trump has made a big mess in America, and the decision to kill the program is just further evidence that the American Dream is quickly becoming the American Pipe Dream. People who go to the U.S. have an American Dream, which is the driving force behind the success and development of the U.S. wrote a netizen. The American Dream is broken, wrote another.

On huanqiu.com, one comment that resonated strongly among readers said that Trumps actions are hurting his nation by dividing the U.S., provoking social conflict, and accelerating the decline of U.S. strength. A different reader said, Trump shattered the American Dream, and at the same time, destroyed the dream of world peace.

However, not all are against the move. In fact, Weibo is full of comments supporting Trumps decision, but many Chinese are confused why the issue is so controversial. Why is illegal immigration such a big issue? I dont understand, wrote one netizen. Illegal immigrants are illegal, what reason is there to protest? another netizen wrote, adding: Trump did the right thing, and in accordance with the law! Some even asked what China would do if it had a large number of illegal immigrants to deal with.

On the English website of Peoples Daily, one reader expressed his support for Trumps decision. DACA is not a law, it is an illegal but welcome presidential decree about immigration that protects individual members of Congress from being responsible to their voters for the resulting immigration policy, the reader wrote, adding that Trump has had enough. Trump ended the program to force Congress to act and pass immigration reform, or face the wrath of angry voters. This is the Trump Effect changing everything in American politics, the reader added.

In fact, Trump has signaled that he does not want to really end the Dreamers program, but continue it through the legislative process. Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA, the U.S. president wrote on his personal Twitter account, adding that if they cannot, then he will revisit the issue. It remains to be seen what effect, if any, Trumps decision to end the Dreamers program will have on immigration and immigration reform.

Meanwhile, some Chinese are just enjoying the political thriller. Given all the chaos he creates at home, it is almost like Trump was sent to destroy America from within. Is Trump a spy sent by Putin [Russian president]? asked one netizen on the WeChat account of the Peoples Daily, before breaking out in laughter.
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WELCOME  Starshenna Lee hardly looks or sounds like a commanding public speaker.

She stands perhaps 5 feet 4 inches tall and looks as she would weigh 125 pounds sopping wet. She is soft-spoken, and her voice belies a churn of emotions and butterflies.

But when the 31-year-old Lee spoke Wednesday to some 1,000 veterans at a monthly coffee gathering, her command was such that she might as well have been a four-star general addressing a roomful of recruits.

I saw a Vietnam veteran in a gas station, and I approached him to shake his hand, said Lee, a first-generation American born to Laotian parents who came to this country after the Vietnam War. He backed up like I was going to hit him.

I just wanted to tell him The treatment you guys got when you got home, I just couldnt understand.

The second that Lee stepped away from the podium, she was surrounded by old soldiers who wanted to thank her.

I heard her talk about the one veteran and I just wanted to shake hands, said Leo Humphrey, a former Navy Seabee who served in Vietnam. I told her Id be more than proud to shake her hand and give her a hug.

Jolt of emotion

Its sheer size and a bottomless tray of eggs and sausages notwithstanding  ever seen 1,000 hungry guys line up for chow?  Wednesdays gathering originally was intended to be just one in a series of informal coffee meetings. Held in restaurants across the area, the coffees are meeting places for people who, in former lives, grew accustomed to high-and-tight haircuts and speaking in acronyms, so they could swap stories and maybe pick up some useful information about services offered by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

I had no clue what (the VA) offered, said Don Timmons, the organizer and an Army veteran who served in Vietnam himself. Most of us, Im guessing, dont. I can assure you your spouses dont. Its well worth checking out.

But this particular meeting was much more than that. The monthly gatherings are open to all veterans across generations, but this one was meant especially for those who fought in Vietnam.

UNC-TV came to Childress Racing to screen snippets of an upcoming 10-part documentary airing on PBS by Ken Burns and Lynn Novick called The Vietnam War and listen to a panel discussion afterward that included retired Army Col. Joe Marm, who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in November 1965 during the Battle of Ia Drang.

(Its possible youve seen that battle depicted in the movie We Were Soldiers. Its a staple on cable television, particularly around Memorial Day.)

I wear the Medal of Honor for all the brave men and women who served, Marm said. Im just the caretaker. My actions were recognized and recorded. A lot of peoples werent.

A large hall on the second floor of the Richard Childress Racing headquarters filled to near capacity early. Many of those who came, mostly men, wore ball caps from their particular branch of service, units or conflict. Hair, beards and bellies had long since bypassed regulation but during the preview of the documentary, more than a few were transported back as they saw familiar places and faces on two large screens.

For years, nobody talked about Vietnam, said Karl Marlantes, an author and former Marine platoon commander in the films opening segment. It was like having an alcoholic father. Shh. We dont talk about that.

The documentary, like all of Burns work, covers a lot of ground. It attempts to capture the war  and the time  in first-person video and photographs. We hear from American soldiers, obviously but also from those who opposed the war here at home and those who fought for North Vietnam.

Some footage was informative. A passage about the wealthy, powerful and politically connected in North Vietnam keeping their sons out of harms way through bogus medical deferments and university studies was telling.

Some parts elicited laughter or groans. The Army does everything backwards, one soldier said in a familiar complaint.

Other passages, such as an interview with a Marine recounting a phone conversation with his mother in which he tried to tell her he was likely to die in an impending siege, were heart-breaking. She told me I wasnt going to die, that I was special, the man said. I told her that everybodys mother thinks that. She said, God has a plan for you and I just hung up.

Not one of the 1,200 in the audience fidgeted or fooled with a phone. A few discreet tears were shed, and no one was ashamed to show it.

This is blowing me away. Im having a hard time holding it together, Timmons said.

Heroes to us

Not all the reviews were as glowing, however.

I got mixed emotions, said Howard Myrick, 69, a former infantryman. Burns is seeing something different than what I saw.

As to the purpose of the gathering, bringing old soldiers together and sharing information, Myrick was effusive. At an early coffee, he learned about his VA benefits and went to see a doctor in Salisbury who diagnosed a lump in his throat as cancer connected to exposure to Agent Orange, a powerful defoliant.

The VA is 100 percent behind me. Anything I asked, they did for me, Myrick said. I worked for a company for 40 years and nobody knew I was (a veteran). I was told when I left Vietnam to get in civilian clothes and that was the last I had anything to do with it.

Starshenna Lee, though, was the showstopper Wednesday. She came from her home in Mooresville specifically to thank the Vietnam War veterans for their sacrifices.

You guys didnt have to come help us, she said. My parents, my grandparents, they always talked about the American soldiers.  You guys are all heroes to us.

Because of the Americans who fought, Lee and her family were able to find better lives here. Lee now works as a certified nurses assistant and her sister is a registered nurse.

Were trying to do what we can to help, to take care of you, the way you took care of us, she said.
Beijing says no to adding more shared bikes

Beijing will ban any more shared bikes from being stationed in the city, the local transport authority announced on Thursday, following a meeting with the citys bike-sharing companies.

There are 15 bike-sharing platforms in Beijing and the number of shared bikes in the urban area has reached 2.35 million, according to statistics. The rapid expansion has led to parking chaos, safety hazards, and obstructions in crowded areas, such as subway entrances, bus stations, and shopping malls.

The Beijing transport authority said they will release more measures for the bike-sharing industry, including issuing technical guidelines to regulate bike parking and adopting a credit system to regulate bike parking in designated areas.

Eleven cities, including Shanghai, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, and Wuhan had already barred companies from putting more bikes on the streets.

The bike-sharing companies said they will comply with the new measures. The Beijing transport authority said they will not launch shared electric bicycles, considering users safety, parking order, road conditions, and other factors.
A monument to a treasured past came down in Chapel Hill last week.

No, the Silent Sam statute of a Confederate soldier still stands.

The lost monument came from the death of 94-year-old Dickson Phillips, the former UNC Law School dean and long-time judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit.

Phillips distinguished career spanned an era of important changes. His role in facilitating those changes and helping us adjust to them makes his passage monumental.

But his death also brought to a close an important North Carolina institution known as the Class of 1948 Study Group. More than 70 years ago, in the winter of 1946, a group of World War II veterans enrolled in the class of 1948 at UNC Law School. They formed a study group that had a positive influence on North Carolinas history in the second half of the 20th Century.

Phillips was an important member of the group that also included William Friday, President of the UNC System for more than 30 years and host of UNC-TVs North Carolina People; Bill Aycock, beloved chancellor of UNC-Chapel Hill; William Dees, chairman of the universitys governing board; John Jordan, former state senator and also chairman of the universitys governing board; and Terry Sanford, North Carolina governor and Duke University president.

Before his death, William Friday talked about the Study Group on UNC-TV in response to a question from Don Curtis, who asked Friday why he decided to go to law school after the war, Well, you get into an experience like that war put us all in, you were thrown with so many different people from all over everywhere, not only the  United States, but foreign countries. And you realize how much you need all the education you can get. I came back here with Terry Sanford and Bill Aycock and John Jordan and William Dees and Dickson Phillips, a legendary group of people. We all went straight through and stuck together ever since, worked on things in this state.

The members of the Study Group spent the rest of their lives supporting each others efforts to serve the state. Philips and Sanford were law partners before they took on public positions and remained close through the years. Friday persuaded Aycock to take on the chancellors job when he would have preferred to continue teaching law.

Each was ready and eager to help each other and to serve the state.

Speaking to a group of lawyers shortly before his death, Friday explained how the members of the Study Group were part of the World War II veterans that Tom Brokaw described as The Greatest Generation. Friday said, We grew up in the depression and after four years in the military, we knew we were the lucky ones that got to come homeand we just decided to contribute.

Then, Friday looked out over the group of lawyers and said that North Carolina lawyers, like the ones in the Study Group, were part of a profession with a long tradition. There is an added ingredient. We must do something extra to leave this place a little better.

About them and other returning World War II veterans, I wrote a few years ago: They came back from the war with more maturity, energy, confidence, practicality, open-mindedness, discipline, love of country, and competitiveness than any generation our country has ever seen.

Then the country gave them advanced educational opportunities never available to so many Americans before.

With that mixture of healthy traits and education, they caused an explosion of economic growth that underpins our countrys continuing prosperity and success.

The veterans of World War II are a generation to cherish, to thank, and to learn from.

With Dickson Phillips death, the Study Groups living monument has come down.
Quite beyond being morally repugnant and an offense to human decency, the Trump White House's announcement Tuesday that it's rescinding the "Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals," or DACA, is the ultimate exercise in political cynicism.

By punting the fate of 800,000 young people who entered the country illegally as children into the hands of a Republican-controlled Congress that can't even reach agreement on the things it agrees upon, President Donald Trump is using the so-called "Dreamers" as human shields in his ongoing push for a border wall with Mexico.

During a briefing with reporters, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders said Trump is looking for "overall immigration reform that is responsible and lawful."

That includes the wall that remains the White Whale of Trump's presidency.

"I don't think the president has been shy about the fact that he wants a wall," Huckabee Sanders said, "and thinks it is an important part of a responsible immigration package."

Trump had to have known the impossibility of the challenge he posed to Congress when he trotted out Attorney General Jeff Sessions to make the announcement that most of official Washington had known was coming for days.

Sessions, who was one of the Senate's most avid immigration hawks, let loose with a barrage of factually dubious claims as he announced that Congress had six months to come up with a legal alternative to the Obama-era program.

That Trump hid behind Sessions, only hours after announcing that he has "a love for these people [the Dreamers]," was a cowardly abdication of leadership that was compounded by his decision to leave it to Congress to come up with a legislative fix to the mess his own White House had made.

Keep in mind, this is a president who campaigned on the claim that "he alone" could fix what ails the country.

But in every major legislative test, from the Obamacare repeal to tax reform, Trump has been content to skate along the surface of the issues, leaving the intellectual heavy lifting to the legislative branch.

The buck does not stop with Trump, it merely flies by him.

So it's now up to Republican members of Congress, including U.S. Sens. John McCain, R-Ariz., and Marco Rubio, R-Fla., who each Tweeted their indignation with Trump, to move beyond mere rhetoric and pass legislation in the coming months that will protect the Dreamers -- who are from all over the world, and who, in the vast majority of cases, have known no other home than the United States.

Rubio turned to a Bible verse to make his argument against the White House's action:

"For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me," Rubio wrote, quoting from the Gospel of Saint Matthew.

While acknowledging that the federal government has a responsibility to guarantee border security, McCain also noted that the U.S. has to do it in a way that "upholds all that is decent and exceptional about our nation."

And most voters agree with McCain -- and on the need for a comprehensive immigration reform package that has dodged a solution for at least seven years.

Nearly three-quarters of respondents (72 percent) to a Pew poll last year said it was either "very" or "somewhat" important to allow illegal immigrants who entered the U.S. as children to remain in the United States.

Conversely, nearly six in 10 respondents (59 percent) said Trump's much vaunted border wall was not a priority for them.

To borrow from McCain, Trump's push for the wall is neither decent nor exceptional.

Rather it's a direct appeal to his ever-dwindling base as he moves into the ninth month of an administration that has done everything except make America great again.

Trump's claim that the DACA program is unconstitutional isn't even supported by his own actions. If it's unconstitutional, the White House should have rescinded it immediately.

That it didn't speaks volumes not only about its true motives, but about the moral cowardice behind its action.

We've been told more than once not to judge Trump by what he says, but by what he does.

There is no clearer evidence than now of his lack of fitness to lead.
President Trumps decision to end DACA in six months, announced by U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions on Tuesday, is neither practical nor right.

It throws the lives of some 800,000 young people (about 27,000 in North Carolina, the Journals Sarah Newell reported) into limbo and discourages their previous willingness to work within the system. Democratic and Republican leaders, including House Majority Leader Paul Ryan and members of Trumps evangelical advisory board, along with Americans from all political backgrounds, had urged Trump not to rescind the program. There was no urgent need to do so, no compelling legislative reason to do so, no immediate positive result to draw from it.

Trumps one valid justification is that Congress should determine the status of DACA recipients legislatively as part of immigration-reform policy. That would be preferable. Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said Tuesday he will introduce legislation on the issue. But considering Congress recent track record, theres no reason to think action will happen within Trumps six-month window. It bears repeating that the Dreamers were brought to the U.S. when they were young and had no choice in the matter. Most grew up speaking English  which critics sometimes demand of immigrants  and this is the only home theyve known.

They came forward to sign up for DACA  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  trusting the government to allow them to show their worthiness without fear of deportation. They have been hard at work, either in college, in jobs or in the military. Some went to Texas to help flood victims, where one died while trying to save those victims.

Critics claim former President Obamas DACA is unconstitutional, but no court has made that finding definitively. And ending the program belies Trumps stated desire to address the problem with heart.

There is one bright spot: In a Tuesday night tweet, Trump suggested the possibility of pulling back his decision: Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they cant, I will revisit this issue!
Capsule reviews of movies in local theaters

9/11 HH

Five people are trapped in an elevator in the North Tower of the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001 and fight to get out. Starring Charlie Sheen, Whoopi Goldberg and Gina Gershon. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas

13 Minutes (Elser) HHH

In late 1939 Georg Elser tries to assassinate Adolph Hitler and fails. While in prison he remembers the reasons for trying to kill him. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture

Annabelle: Creation HHH

After the death of their daughter, a dollmaker and his wife take in a nun and several girls from an orphanage that has shut down. The guests become the target for Annabelle, the dollmakers possessed creation. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, Lexington Cinema, RED Cinemas, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema

Atomic Blonde HH

A British spy (Charlize Theron) is sent into Berlin during the waning days of the Cold War to investigate the death of a fellow agent and retrieve a missing list of agents. Rated R.

Showing: Marketplace

Baby Driver HH

A young man (Ansel Elgort) indebted to a crime boss (Kevin Spacy) comes to a crossroads about continuing a life of crime or going straight. Rated R.

Showing: RED Cinemas

The Big Sick HHH

The cultural differences between a couple increase as the relationship develops. Screenplay by Winston-Salem native Emily Gordon. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

Birth of a Dragon HH

Based on the movies and life of Bruce Lee, and the bad blood between Lee and kung fu master Wong Jack Man. Starring Billy Magnussen, a graduate of the UNC School of the Arts, Philip Ng, and Terry Chen. Rated R.

Showing: RED Cinemas

Cars 3 HH

Lightning McQueen has been passed by the new generation of racers. To get back in the race, hell need help from old friends and a few new ones. Rated G.

Showing: Marketplace

City of Ghosts HHH

A documentary about a group who band together to fight back after ISIS takes over their homeland. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture

The Dark Tower HH

The Gunslinger has to save the world from the Man in Black, who is trying to destroy the Dark Tower, which controls the world. Starring Idris Elba, Katheryn Winnick and Matthew McConaughey. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Lexington Cinema

Despicable Me 3 HH

After Gru is fired for letting Balthazar Bratt get away, he finds out about Dru, the twin brother he never knew he had. Dru wants to team up with Gru for one last heist. Rated PG.

Showing: Lexington Cinema

Dunkirk HHHH

This is the story of the evacuation of Allied troops from Britain, Canada France and Belgium from the beach at Dunkirk in the early days of World War II. The troops were surrounded by the Germans and cut off. Rated PG-13.

Showing: RED Cinemas

The Emoji Movie HH

Gene wants to be a normal emoji instead multi-expressional. Rated PG.

Showing: Lexington Cinema

Girls Trip HHH

Four old friends, (Regina Hall, Queen Latifah, Jada Pinkett Smith and Tiffany Haddish) meet in New Orleans to renew their friendship. Pinkett Smith is an alumna of the UNC School of the Arts. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas

The Glass Castle HHH

A girl grows up in a family of drifters: the mother, an artist, and the father, an alcoholic who keeps the children entertained to keep their minds off their poverty. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Lexington Cinema, Two Rivers Cinema

Good Time HH

A bank robber tries to get away from the people looking for him. Starring Robert Pattinson, Benny Safdie and Taliah Webster. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture

Guardians of the Galaxy: Vol. 2 HHH

The gang is back again to look into the parentage of Peter Quill. Awesome Mixtape No. 2 is the music, this time. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Marketplace

The Hero HH

Sam Elliott plays an aging movie star who is reflecting on his life. Directed by Brett Haley, a UNCSA alumnus. Rated R.

Showing: Marketplace

The Hitmans Bodyguard HHH

A bodyguards assignment is to get a hitman to a trial at the International Court of Justice. Starring Ryan Reynolds, Samuel L. Jackson, Salma Hayek and Gary Oldham. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, Lexington Cinema, RED Cinemas, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema

Home Again HH

A single mom (Reese Witherspoon) allows three young men to move in with her and her child. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas

Ingrid Goes West HHH

A young woman searches for validation of her life through social media likes and follows. In her obsession, she becomes so fixated with another young woman she moves to California and plots ways to meet her. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

It HHH

A group of kids work together to stop Pennywise, an evil shapeshifting clown that has been stalking the children in the town of Derry, Maine for centuries. Based on a Stephen King novel. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, Lexington Cinema, Liberty Theatre, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema

Kidnap HH

A woman (Halle Berry) fights to save her kidnapped son. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, Lexington Cinema

Leap! HH

A young orphan goes to Paris with hopes of becoming a ballerina. Voices include Elle Fanning, Mel Brooks, Dane DeHaan and Carly Rae Jepsen Rated PG.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas, Liberty Theatre, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema

Logan Lucky HH

Two down-on-their-luck brothers (Channing Tatum and Adam Driver) decide to improve their fortune by robbing the Charlotte Motor Speedway during a NASCAR race. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Grand 18, RED Cinemas, Two Rivers Cinema,

Marvels Inhumans Not reviewed

A group of superheroes fight to save themselves. Not rated.

Showing: Grand 18, Two Rivers Cinema

Maurice HHH

In Edwardian England, a young man comes to terms with his sexuality. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, today only

Nutjob 2: Nutty by Nature H

Surly and his friends discover that the mayor is going to destroy the park to build an amusement park. With some help, they set out to stop him. With some help, they set out to stop him. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Lexington Cinema

Patti Cake$ HHH

A young woman aspires to become a rapper in her New Jersey hometown despite obstacles and criticism of her race, weight and gender. Rated R.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales H

Jack Sparrow (Johnny Depp) battles ghosts and his enemy, Capt. Salazar (Javier Bardem), to find the Trident of Poseidon which bestows control of the seas to whoever has it. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Marketplace

Spider Man: Homecoming HHH

After working with the Avengers, Peter Parker tries to get on with his normal life as a high school student. But, when the Vulture threatens, Spider Man swings into action. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Lexington Cinema, RED Cinemas

The Trip to Spain HHH

Steve Coogan and Rob Brydon tour Spain where they experience restaurants and the sights. Not rated.

Showing: Aperture, RED Cinemas

True to the Game HH

A movie that is based on Terri Woods novel about life on the streets. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18

Wind River HH

An FBI agent works with a game tracker to solve a murder on an Indian reservation. Rated R.

Showing: Grand 18, Starmount, Two Rivers Cinema

Wonder Woman HHH

Diana, the princess of the Amazons, leaves to fight a war after the pilot of a plane that crashed near her village tells her about a war to end all wars, where she discovers her powers. Rated PG-13.

Showing: Lexington Cinema, RED Cinemas
The National Health and Family Planning Commission (NHFPC) on Thursday responded to the suicide case of the pregnant woman from Yulin, northwestern Shaanxi province, saying it has ordered the local health department to investigate the case, which has sparked outrage on Chinese social media.

The 26-year-old woman, surnamed Ma, who had endured hours of pain, jumped to her death from the fifth floor of a local hospital after her request for a C-section was denied on August 31, 2017.

It remains a mystery who refused to do the operation for the woman, whose baby had a bigger than normal head, making vaginal delivery risky.

Her husband said that he had immediately agreed to his wifes request, but a doctor checked Mas condition and said she was going to give birth soon and did not need a C-section.

On the morning of Sept. 6, the hospital published a statement, claiming that Ma had signed a letter of authorization, authorizing her husband to sign all related documents.

The hospital's survaillance video footage shows Ma kneeling down to her families

The hospital said it had no right to change the way of delivery since the woman did not revoke the authorization nor was in a life-threatening emergency.

However, the statement was not recognized by the womans family.

At a routine press conference of the national health department on Thursday, NHFPC Spokesperson Song Shuli expressed condolences to the womans family, saying the department attaches great importance to the case.

The NHFPC has ordered the local health department in Shaanxi to investigate the case, he added.
This graphic shows an approximate representation of coastal areas under a hurricane warning (red), hurricane watch (pink), tropical storm warning (blue) and tropical storm watch (yellow). The orange circle indicates the current position of the center of the tropical cyclone. The black line, when selected, and dots show the National Hurricane Center (NHC) forecast track of the center at the times indicated. The dot indicating the forecast center location will be black if the cyclone is forecast to be tropical and will be white with a black outline if the cyclone is forecast to be extratropical. If only an L is displayed, then the system is forecast to be a remnant low. The letter inside the dot indicates the NHC's forecast intensity for that time:

D: Tropical Depression  wind speed less than 39 MPH

S: Tropical Storm  wind speed between 39 MPH and 73 MPH

H: Hurricane  wind speed between 74 MPH and 110 MPH

M: Major Hurricane  wind speed greater than 110 MPH

NHC tropical cyclone forecast tracks can be in error. This forecast uncertainty is conveyed by the track forecast "cone", the solid white and stippled white areas in the graphic. The solid white area depicts the track forecast uncertainty for days 1-3 of the forecast, while the stippled area depicts the uncertainty on days 4-5. Historical data indicate that the entire 5-day path of the center of the tropical cyclone will remain within the cone about 60-70% of the time. To form the cone, a set of imaginary circles are placed along the forecast track at the 12, 24, 36, 48, 72, 96, and 120 h positions, where the size of each circle is set so that it encloses 67% of the previous five years official forecast errors. The cone is then formed by smoothly connecting the area swept out by the set of circles.

It is also important to realize that a tropical cyclone is not a point. Their effects can span many hundreds of miles from the center. The area experiencing hurricane force (one-minute average wind speeds of at least 74 mph) and tropical storm force (one-minute average wind speeds of 39-73 mph) winds can extend well beyond the white areas shown enclosing the most likely track area of the center. The distribution of hurricane and tropical storm force winds in this tropical cyclone can be seen in the Wind History graphic linked above.
Wang Luping, a post-80s man from Zhejiang province, China, earns 100,000 RMB (about $15,000) a month by running a Chinese restaurant in Morocco to offer Sichuan cuisines to Chinese tourists in the country, China News reported on Sept. 7.

There were less than 1,000 Chinese tourists in Morocco when Wang first came to the country. However, the number has skyrocketed by a factor of six since Morocco started letting Chinese tourists enter the country without a visa in June 2016.

Wang opened the restaurant to offer Sichuan cuisines to Chinese visitors, as they usually have a hard time getting used to the local food. He decorated it with Chinese elements, including lanterns, couplets, and old-fashioned wooden armchairs, and named it the Great Wall. The restaurant provides him a monthly income of 100,000 RMB.

In addition, with more exchanges between China and Africa, people in Morocco are excited about learning Chinese. Wang said that sometimes people ask him questions about China, which makes him feel valued.
09/06/2017

Several Jacksonville State faculty have been awarded research grants recently from state and federal agencies.

Guillermo Francia, a distinguished professor and director of the JSU Center for Information Security and Assurance, has been awarded a $119K grant from the National Security Agency to fill a void in cyber security training nationwide  designing and implementing educational activities to better train the cybersecurity workforce. The JSU team will develop and enhance applied embedded and industrial control system security curriculum, provide cost-effective hardware and software training solutions, and devise tools to facilitate the sharing of teaching expertise and curriculum modules for widespread adoption nationwide.

Shih-Kai Huang, assistant professor of emergency management, has been awarded a $116K grant from the National Science Foundation to collaborate with Oklahoma State University on a study of how households assess risks and take protective action during tornado threats. The goal is to advance decision-making research by investigating household tornado risks. The findings may help emergency management practitioners and meteorologists better understand how households process the tornado risk information that is distributed by the National Weather Service and local emergency offices during high-risk tornado events.

Joseph Scott Morgan, a distinguished scholar in the JSU Center for Applied Forensics, has been awarded an Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant from the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs to improve the processing of death scenes. The center will provide training sessions over 12 months to 100 local law enforcement and public safety professionals actively engaged in the documentation and processing of death scenes.

As these faculty demonstrate, JSU professors contribute not only in the classroom but also through research and service to the community.
The European Court of Justice [official website] on Wednesday ruled [judgment] that Slovakia and Hungary must host asylum seekers as a part of the EU migration policy [EU materials]. Slovakia and Hungary filed a complaint [text] arguing that it was illegal for Brussels to require them to take in hundreds of Syrian refugees and that it would destabilize their economies. According to the court [press release], the requirement of each EU state to take a quota of refugees helps stabilize the 2015 migration crisis and that under law it has authority to adopt all provisional measures necessary to respond effectively and swiftly to an emergency situation characterized by a sudden inflow of displaced persons. The court also stated that the legality of its decision is not affected by the effectiveness of the policy. The court has further defended the policy stating that, The small number of relocations so far carried out under the contested decision can be explained by a series of factors  including, in particular, the lack of cooperation on the part of certain member states.

The rights of migrant populations have emerged as significant humanitarian issues around the world, as millions seek asylum from conflict nations. In February Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] expressed concern [JURIST report] over a proposed Hungary migration amendment. In January HRW said [JURIST report] that it was against EU policy for Croatia to force asylum seekers back to Serbia. Also in January the European Commission labeled [JURIST report] the conditions on Greek Islands for asylum seekers as untenable due to heavy snowfall in the region. In March Hungarian lawmakers approved [JURIST report] legislation preventing those seeking asylum from moving about the country or leaving until their claims have been investigated. Ahead of the UN Summit for Refugees and Migrants in September, UN experts urged [JURIST report] states to protect women and girls in the movement of refugees and migrants by adhering to international human rights conventions and standards. In June the European Commission started infringement procedures [JURIST report] against the Czech Republic, Poland, and Hungay for refusal to comply with the emergency relocation scheme. In October 2015 the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights urged [JURIST report] to the Czech Republic to stop detaining migrants and refugees.
Brazils Attorney General Rodrigo Janot [official website, in Portuguese] announced [press release, in Portuguese] Tuesday that former Brazilian presidents Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva and Dilma Rousseff, along with other senior members of the Workers Party, were being charged [indictment, PDF, in Portuguese] with leading a criminal organization. The organization was allegedly involved in paying bribes to politicians through inflating state contracts. In total, roughly $480 million in bribes are believed to have been paid during the 2002 to 2016 presidencies of Lula and Rousseff. Lula is accused of being an important leader in the criminal organization and continuing the criminal organization through influence over Rouseff after Lula left the presidency. Members of the Democratic Movement Party and Progressive Party were also named in the indictment.

The latest charges are the latest in a string of corruption charges throughout many levels of government in Brazil. Lula da Silva was previously convicted [JURIST report] in July on corruption charges and sentenced to almost 10 years in prison. The current Brazilian president, Michel Temer, was accused [JURIST report] of accepting bribes in June. Former president Dilma Rousseff was impeached for corruption [JURIST op-ed] last year amidst a time of economic turmoil. In April Brazils Supreme Court [official website] ordered investigations [JURIST report] into eight cabinet ministers and dozen of lawmakers who are allegedly linked to the countrys so-called car wash bribery scheme. In March, Brazils top prosecutor asked Brazils Supreme Court to open 83 more investigations [JURIST Report] into politicians.
[JURIST] Human Rights Watch (HRW) [advocacy website] reported [text] on Tuesday that security forces under the administration of President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi have systematically used torture methods against political detainees that likely amount to crimes against humanity. According to the report, officers have routinely used [HRW report] stressful positions, physical abuse, and even rape to punish detainees and force confessions. Such practices have reportedly been carried out in police stations and security offices across the country. Allegedly, the Interior Ministry and prosecutors have also contributed to this system of abuse by turning a blind eye to torture and pressuring detainees into supporting their forced confession. Between July 2013 and December 2016, amidst hundred of allegations, prosecutors reportedly only pursued 40 torture cases and only won 6 of them. According to the HRW, President al-Sisi has effectively given police and National Security officers a green light to use torture whenever they please. The HRW has called for the establishment of an independent special prosecutor to properly investigate detention sites and security forces. Should the Sisi administration fail to address the ongoing matter, HRW further requests that UN members investigate and prosecute the Egyptian officials responsible for systematic torture.

Sisis administration has recently been accused of numerous human rights violations. Last month, the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) [official website] issued a statement [JURIST report] detailing their concern over websites, including many news sites, that have been shutdown or blocked by the Egyptian government. In June, the UN stated that Egypts new NGO law [JURIST report] will further restrict human rights advocacy. In May, the UN criticized [JURIST report] the increased security measures the president has instituted since the bombings of Christian churches earlier this year. While condemning the attacks, al-Hussien said that al-Sisis declaration of a three-month state of emergency was only going to increase radicalization. In April, HRW criticized [JURIST report] US President Donald Trumps plan to meet with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, saying the move effectively endorses the countrys poor recent human rights record.
Property owners in Harris County, Houston filed a class action lawsuit [amended complaint, PDF] against the federal government on Tuesday for releasing water from the Barker and Addicks reservoirs after Hurricane Harvey, causing flooding in their homes and businesses. The property owners did not experience flooding until August 28, after the worst of the rain had passed. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers [official website] said it needed to release water at that time to prevent [Reuters report] uncontrolled water flowing from the dams, which would have caused more damage to the surrounding community. The suit is based on a takings claim, arguing that the government took private property for a public use without any formal process or condemnation proceeding. A second federal lawsuit and a state lawsuit [petition, PDF] have also been filed.

Hurricane Harvey brought unprecedented destruction to the Houston area last week, and many believe climate change [JURIST backgrounder] is to blame [Reuters report]. However, climate concerns and solutions are still hotly contested. In June President Donald Trump announced [JURIST report] that the US will no longer be part of the Paris climate accord. In May the US Senate rejected [JURIST report] a measure that would rollback methane gas regulations. The Trump administration in March asked [JURIST report] the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit to postpone ruling on the Obama administrations climate change regulations. Despite the resistance in the US, the UN human rights experts called [JURIST report] on global leaders in February to take urgent action on air pollution to ensure world citizens enjoy what the UN calls the human rights to life and health in environments free from contamination.
A number of prominent Republicans on Monday and filed amicus briefs imploring the Supreme Court to end gerrymandering. The Supreme Court will be hearing oral arguments in Gill v. Whitford [SCOTUSblog materials] on October 3. Prominent politicians who filed briefs urging the court to find gerrymandering unconstitutional include: John McCain and Sheldon Whitehouse [brief, PDF] and John Kasich, Bob Dole, Arnold Schwarzenegger, John Danforth and Richard Lugar, among others [brief, PDF]. A number of Republican organization filed briefs for the other side urging the court to reject a challenge to voting districts in Wisconsin.

Voting rights and how congressional districts are drawn have become increasingly contentious issues over the past few years. The Supreme Court agreed to hear this case [JURIST report] in June. Earlier the same month the Supreme Court affirmed [JURIST report] a lower court decision striking down a North Carolina state House and Senate redistricting effort as racial gerrymandering that disproportionately impacted black voters. In May the Supreme Court ruled [JURIST report] in Cooper v. Harris[SCOTUSblog materials] that North Carolinas redistricting of Districts 1 and 12 was unconstitutional because the state made no attempt to justify race-based districting there. In January the Department of Justice [official website] sued [JURIST report] Detroit suburbs over a potential Voting Rights Act violation regarding the ability of minorities to elect other minority members as council members. In April 2016 the Supreme Court unanimously upheld [JURIST report] an Arizona commissions decisions regarding the redistricting of voting districts in the state.
A group of 15 states and the District of Columbia filed a lawsuit [complaint, PDF] Wednesday challenging the Trump administrations decision to end [press release] the Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) [USCIS materials] program. DACA provides protection [Reuters report] from deportation to undocumented immigrants, often called Dreamers, who were brought to the US as children. New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman [official website] released a statement [official statement] on Tuesday vowing to sue the president to protect the young immigrants. Schneiderman proclaimed that [the Dreamers] played by the rules. They pay their taxes. And theyve earned the right to stay in the only home they have ever known.

The Trump administrations decision to disband [CNN report] DACA will affect nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants. No new undocumented immigrants may register [JURIST report] under DACA, and the immigrants whose DACA documents are about to expire must renew by October 5, 2017. According to the administrations press release, current DACA recipients generally will not be impacted until after March 5, 2018, which will give Congress the opportunity to consider appropriate legislative solutions. The American Civil Liberties Union [advocacy website] director of immigration policy, Lorella Praeli, said [press release], Today is a cruel day for Dreamers, our families, and all Americans.
Four UN human rights experts on Tuesday called on [press release] China to release a prominent human rights lawyer who has been detained since November 2016. The lawyer, Jiang Tianyong, is being tried for inciting subversion of the states power. The UNs call for his release comes after Jiangs August 22 confession [JURIST report], which many believe was coerced and not authentic. Jiang has been detained without access to his family or a lawyer, which has fueled the widespread belief that his confession was not genuine. The experts are also concerned that the criminal activity Jiang is charged with constitutes a violation of the fundamental right to freely seek, receive and impart information about human rights. In the past, Jiang represented another lawyer who was being held in detention and is now accused of fabricating allegations of torture in that case.

Chinas human rights record has been of international concern for many years now. Earlier this week Human Rights Watch condemned [JURIST report] both Chinas oppression of critics of the nations human rights record and the UNs failure to stop such conduct. In February the Network of Chinese Human Rights Defenders (CHRD) [advocacy website] released [JURIST report] a report detailing crackdowns of human rights defenders by China. In December the UN called on China to investigate the disappearance of Jiang Tianyong, [JURIST report] after he had been missing for two months. The same month China suspended the law license [JURIST report] of prominent human rights lawyer Li Jinxing, over his apparent allegedly unacceptable behavior in court while defending a client. In September China handed down a 12-year sentence [JURIST report] to prominent human rights lawyer Xia Lin. In July 2016 China announced plans to prosecute [JURIST report] prominent human rights lawyer Zhou Shifeng on charges of subverting state power, furthering its recent crackdown on political dissidents. In April 2016 a civil rights lawyer was arrested and released [JURIST report] for posting an image online mocking Xi Jinping in relation to the Panama Papers release.
Widespread human rights violations continue in war-torn Syria despite a decrease in fighting between warring parties, according to a report [text, PDF] released Wednesday by the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Syrian Arab Republic, an investigatory branch of the UN Human Rights Council [official websites]. The alleged violations, characterized by the report as unthinkable crimes against civilians, include forced displacement, deliberate attacks against civilians, and the use of chemical weapons such as sarin and weaponized chlorine. The report includes events occurring between March and July of this year [press release], a period of time that included a number of local truces between factions, including the so-called Four Towns Agreement [BBC report]. While acknowledging the positive trend in reduced fighting, the report says that such truces often lead to evacuations, or forced displacement, a war crime. Warring parties must not only refrain from future agreements that forcibly displace civilians for political gains, wrote Commissioner Karen AbuZayd [official profile], but they must also ensure adequate protection for all internally displaced persons countrywide, including their rights to life, to adequate food, shelter and medical care, and ultimately their right to return.

The war in Syria [JURIST backgrounder] continues to have a devastating impact on the country. Last week UN High Commissioner Zeid Raad Al Hussein called on [JURIST report] forces fighting Islamic State insurgents to regain lost territory in Syria to avoid sacrificing lives of civilians still trapped in the areas. Also last week UNICEF voiced [JURIST report] its concern that children in war-torn countries, including Syria, have a lack of safe drinking water. Earlier in May the US House of Representatives passed a bill [JURIST report] to impose sanctions on supporters of Syrias Assad regime. The same month Human Rights Watch (HRW) reported new evidence that the Syrian government has used chemical weapons in at least four recent attacks [JURIST report] targeting civilians.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres [official website] called on the government of Myanmar Tuesday to grant [press statements] nationality, or at least legal status, to the Rohingya Muslim minority group that resides in the Rakhine State of Myanmar. Myanmars security forces have responded to recent violence from the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army with indiscriminate attacks in the Rakhine State. Guterres stated that the granting of nationality was necessary to allow the members of the minority group to live a normal life, including freedom of movement and access to labour markets, education and health services. More than 125,000 people have now sought refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Guterres stated that the plight of the Rohingya is becoming an undeniable factor in the regional destabilization of the region.

The plight of the Rohingya in Myanmar has been on ongoing humanitarian crisis for many years. The UN Human Rights Council passed a resolution [JURIST report] in March that called for an investigation into the potential human rights violations in Myanmar. Earlier in March, the UN Special Rapporteur called for [JURIST report] an international investigation into the crimes against humanity allegedly committed by the Myanmar government against the Rohingya minority population. In February, the UN Special Rapporteur called for [JURIST report] Myanmar to end the persecution of the Rohingya minority. Also in February, Myanmar officials stated [JURIST report] that they would investigated alleged police crimes against Rohingya Muslims. Furthermore, earlier in February, the Human Rights Watch endorsed [JURIST report] an investigation into the abuses against the Rohingya population, specifically the sexual abuses against women.
A China-based correspondent of the Dutch newspaper NRC Handelsblad was recently accused of fabrication by his assistant, Global Times reported.

The assistant Zhang Chaoqun posted an article on public media on last Sunday, criticizing the China correspondent Oscar Garschagen for fabricating news and even copying from other media outlets, before he quit his job the next day.

On Tuesday, Peter Vandermeersch, the newspapers editor-in-chief, defended Garschagen, attributing Zhangs accusation to a personal grudge.

However, Zhang denied the statement made by Vandermeersch on Sept. 6, calling it an irresponsible response without objective and thorough investigation.

According to Zhang, Garschagen once copied from the report of a U.S. media outlet on a home appliance factory. Garschagen admitted that the information was indeed from the U.S. journalist, but claimed it to be a common practice in China.

The Dutch journalist told the Global Times that he is considering all options, including legal action.

Zhang said he hopes that an independent and neutral organization can intervene in the case, and he will do his best to cooperate.
United Nations war crimes investigators said Wednesday they have evidence showing the Syrian regime carried out an April sarin gas attack in Idlib province that killed dozens of people.

The attack was the latest in a string of chemical strikes since the Syrian conflict began in March 2011.

Here is a recap.

- Damascus threatens to use chemical weapons -

July 23, 2012: The Syrian government acknowledges for the first time that it has chemical weapons and threatens to use them in the event of military operations by Western countries, but not against its own population.

The following month, then US president Barack Obama says the use or even movement of such weapons would be a "red line" for his administration.

- Sarin gas attack near Damascus -

August 21, 2013: Hundreds of people are killed in the east and southwest of Damascus, including in Moadamiyet al-Sham, in chemical weapons strikes after Syrian troops launch an offensive in the area.

The opposition blames the regime, which denies the charge.

In late August, a US intelligence report says with "high confidence" that Syria's government carried out the attack. It says 1,429 people were killed, including 426 children.

September 14, 2013: The United States and Russia reach a deal to eliminate Syria's chemical weapons by the middle of 2014, averting punitive US strikes against the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Two days later, a UN report says there is clear evidence sarin gas was used in the August 21 attack.

- Chlorine attacks -

September 10, 2014: The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) says chlorine was used as a weapon "systematically and repeatedly" on villages in northwestern Syria's Idlib province earlier in the year.

Human Rights Watch blames Syrian government forces for attacks there.

In 2016, a UN commission finds helicopters from two regime-controlled air bases dropped chlorine barrel-bombs on the villages of Qmenas, Talmenes and Sarmin, in rebel-held Idlib province, in 2014 and 2015.

August 7, 2015: The UN Security Council agrees to form a panel of experts to investigate chlorine attacks in Syria.

Washington, London and Paris blame the Syrian regime, but Moscow says there is no irrefutable evidence proving the claim.

In late August, a UN commission accuses Syrian authorities of using chemical weapons, probably chlorine, eight times in the west of the country.

- IS accused of mustard gas attacks -

August 25, 2015: Syrian rebels and activists say they documented a chemical weapons attack on August 21 in the rebel stronghold of Marea in northern Aleppo, affecting dozens of people.

Locals and the Britain-based Observatory accuse the Islamic State group of being behind the attack.

Doctors Without Borders (MSF) says it treated four civilians at a nearby field clinic for "symptoms of exposure to chemical agents".

Patients at an MSF hospital in Aleppo say a mortar round hit their house and "after the explosion, a yellow gas filled the living room".

A 2016 UN investigation blames IS for the attack, saying it was "the only entity with the ability, capability, motive and the means to use sulphur mustard".

- New suspicions -

August 2, 2016: The Observatory reports 24 cases of suffocation in Saraqeb, a rebel-held town near Aleppo.

October 21, 2016: The UN-led Joint Investigative Mechanism says that of nine alleged chemical attacks it is examining, three can be attributed to the Syrian government and one to IS jihadists.

Regime backer Russia later dismisses the findings as "unconvincing".

- Russian-Chinese veto -

February 28, 2017: Russia and China block a Western-backed UN resolution that would have imposed fresh sanctions on Damascus over chemical weapons use.

March 3, 2017: The OPCW says it is examining allegations of eight toxic gas attacks in Syria since the beginning of the year.

- Khan Sheikhun attack -

April 4, 2017: Warplanes strike the rebel-held town of Khan Sheikhun in the northwestern province of Idlib with a chemical agent, killing at least 83 people. The OPCW later says sarin gas was used.

Overnight April 6-7, 2017: The United States fires 59 Tomahawk missiles at a Syrian airbase from which it says the attack was launched.
Thousands of people have signed an online petition calling for the Nobel committee to revoke Aung San Suu Kyi's peace prize over the Myanmar government's treatment of its Rohingya Muslims.

But the Norwegian Nobel committee has ruled out any such move, saying only that the work which led to the awarding of the prize was taken into account.

The Change.Org petition has gathered over 365,000 signatures as of Thursday, reflecting growing outrage over a massive security sweep in Rakhine state by Myanmar forces after a series of deadly ambushes by Rohingya militants.

"The de facto ruler of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi has done virtually nothing to stop this crime against humanity in her country," the petition says.

Suu Kyi was awarded the prize in 1991, while under house arrest at the hands of Myanmar's military junta, from which she was released in 2010. She then went on to lead her party through the country's first credible elections since independence.

But her government has faced international condemnation for the army's response to the crisis as refugees arrive in Bangladesh with stories of murder, rape and burned villages at the hands of soldiers.

The United Nations said Thursday that about 164,000 mostly Rohingya refugees have escaped to Bangladesh in the past two weeks, meaning more than a quarter of a million have fled since fighting broke out in October.

Suu Kyi lashed out this week at what she called "a huge iceberg of misinformation" over the crisis, "with the aim of promoting the interest of the terrorists".

In Oslo, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was impossible to strip a Nobel laureate of an award once it has been bestowed.

"Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize -- whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace -- can be revoked," he told AFP.

"Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee," he said, and not any subsequent actions.
Syria said Israeli air strikes hit a military facility in the country's west on Thursday, killing two people at a site where the regime has been accused of developing chemical weapons.

The site near the Syrian town of Masyaf, between the central city of Hama and a port used by the Russian navy, includes a training camp and a branch of the Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC).

The United States has accused the SSRC of helping to develop the sarin gas used in an attack on the Syrian town of Khan Sheikhun in April that killed dozens.

President Bashar al-Assad's government has blasted such accusations as "fabrications," and Syria's army on Thursday did not mention the SSRC in its statement on the Israeli strikes.

"Israeli warplanes at 2:42am today fired a number of missiles from Lebanese air space, targeting one of our military positions near Masyaf, which led to material damage and the deaths of two members of the site," the statement said.

"Syria's army warns of the serious repercussions of such acts of aggression on the security and stability of the region," it added.

Since Syria's conflict erupted in 2011, Israel has conducted several air strikes on the war-ravaged country against government forces and allied fighters from Lebanese movement Hezbollah.

The British-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said Hezbollah fighters and Iranian military personnel were known to use the site at Masyaf.

"There are Iranian experts using the research centre there. Hezbollah also uses the facility," said Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman.

"The research centre was definitely damaged in the strikes. There is huge fire emanating from a weapons warehouse where missiles were being stored," he added.

- 'Produces chemical weapons' -

Israel officials declined to comment on the raids on Thursday.

Former military intelligence head Amos Yadlin said the site targeted on Thursday "produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians."

He stopped short of saying Israel had carried out the raids, but said that if it did, they would show "Israel intends to enforce its redlines despite the fact that the great powers are ignoring them."

On Wednesday, United Nations war crimes investigators announced they had an "extensive body of information" indicating Syrian warplanes were behind the deadly April 4 attack on Khan Sheikhun.

A fact-finding mission by the UN's chemical watchdog, the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), concluded earlier this year that sarin gas was used in the attack but did not assign blame.

The attack left at least 87 people dead and prompted the United States to launch a cruise missile strike on a Syrian military airport where it said the attack had originated.

Weeks later, the US sanctioned 271 Syrian chemists and other officials affiliated with the SSRC, which it said was behind the Syrian government's efforts to develop chemical weapons.

Syria's government claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal.

But in 2016, a UN-led investigative body said the Syrian government was behind at leat three chemical attacks in northern Syria in the previous two years.
Desserts (Photo : pexels)

Gelato (Photo : pexels)





The range of desserts on offer in Australia just keeps getting better and better. With new cuisines and innovative food creations forming an addition to the traditional Australian desserts already well known across the country, there is no lack of choice. 2015 saw the retail gain of around $175.57 million from cake sales in Australia throughout the year, while chocolate bars contributed roughly $301.07 million in the sweets industry. So the question is, which desserts - both new and traditional - are currently the most popular in Australia?



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Traditional Desserts



One of the desserts that Australia is perhaps most renowned for around the globe is the Lamington. This sponge cake covered in a layer of chocolate and coconut shavings was created at the beginning of the 1900s, and has remained a key cake of Australia ever since. Another local dessert which has made its way across the globe is the pavlova, called such in honour of the Russian ballet dancer Anna Pavlova (1881 - 1931), Deliveroo explains that "This delicate meringue pudding should be crispy on the outside and beautifully soft inside". It is this lightness of the dessert that is reminiscent of the dancer for which it was named. By adorning it with fruit and cream, the textures and colours of the pavlova are enhanced, making it not only delicious but also aesthetically appealing.



Gelato







While gelato has been popular for years, recently is has been brought into the spotlight by the awarding of the World's Best Gelato accolade to an Australian company. As a component of the Gelato World Tour in 2014, the award was presented to the family-run Cow and Moon gelateria in Enmore, who had previously proved themselves victors at the Sydney Easter Show. The Mandorla affogato flavour gelato was the one that gained them the prize, impressing the judges with the carefully selected coffee flavour.



Although globally it is reported that the more established flavours, such as cream and chocolate, are the most popular, the growing trend in Australia for gelato marks the potential for many more flavours to be introduced into the global gelato market.



Chinese Egg Tarts



Although not traditionally Australian, Chinese egg tarts have caught on massively here, particularly among those who enjoy home cooking, as these treats are relatively easy to bake. Soft crumbly pastry and a light custard filling mean that almost anyone can enjoy them.



Hybrid Creations



We present to you 'cronuts': the newest craze on the pastry scene. These croissant-doughnut hybrids were initially the brain child of Dominique Ansel, a New York City-based pastry chef running her own bakery. Cronuts are produced by forming dough similar in consistency to that of a croissant into a doughnut shape and frying it in oil, before filling with cream.



Masterchef Mastermind



The delectable desserts of 2015 Masterchef contestant Reynold Poernomo (often referred to as the Dessert King) opened his own dessert bar in Chippendale, Sydney, on the 10th of January 2017. The Koi Dessert Bar features a ground floor cafe and upstairs bar area. Although there is a savoury aspect to the bar, it is the desserts that everyone is excited about. While Poernomo's famous Masterchef apple dessert has been reinvented using raspberry gel, chocolate mousse and strawberries under the title Something Similar, the chef claims his favourite dessert on his menu to be his Summer Pearl, which is comprised of passion fruit curd, caramelised saffron-pineapple and white chocolate. Summer Pearl also experiments with "hot and cold coconut", in the form of coconut in hot broth arrangement and exposed to liquid nitrogen. The cohesiveness of the creations goes further by offering drinks and cocktails chosen to be compatible with specific desserts, for a full gastronomic experience. Poernomo's aim is to incorporate more Indonesian food into Australia's popular culinary sphere.



what a beautiful way to end the day!

Beautifully glazed desserts at KOI Dessert Bar in Sydney, Australia. pic.twitter.com/WjOf3h2629

- You.Em.Oh.Haych (@miss_ology) July 17, 2017







The best part is that these desserts only represent a fraction of what is on offer right now in Australia's dessert market. They do, however, promise times ahead of even more development in the dessert sector of the food industry, giving dessert lovers a bright future to look ahead to while basking in current baking bliss.


During his first visit to Hanoi, the president said Egypt shares a special relationship with Vietnam, as both countries have experienced similar circumstances in their respective regions

Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi praised on Wednesday Vietnams economic and industrial achievements during the first-ever visit by an Egyptian president to Hanoi, state news agency MENA reported.

During a dinner with his Vietnamese counterpart Tran Dai Quang in Hanoi, El-Sisi said the South East Asian countrys achievements in development and modernisation reflect the strong will of its people and their ability to work and achieve.

The two leaders signed nine memorandums of understanding in a number of economic fields.

El-Sisi invited Vietnamese businessmen to invest in Egypt, saying the country provides a good investment environment that is beneficial to vietnamese capital.

The Egyptian president said that Egypt shares a special relationship with Vietnam, as both countries share a similar experience in their respective regions.

Though Egypt and Vietnam established diplomatic ties in 1963, El-Sisi stressed that the two countries' relations predate 1963, as late Vietnamese president Ho Chi Minh visited Egypt three times where he met with Egyptian president Gamal Abdel-Nasser.

Also on Wednesday, El-Sisi and his Vietnamese counterpart laid flowers at the memorial of Ho Chi Minh, who led the national liberation movement against the French and the US.

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More than 14 million people above the age of 10 are illiterate in Egypt, the country's official statistics agency announced on Thursday.

In an official statement, the Central Agency for Public Mobilisation and Statistics (CAPMAS) said that 14.3 million Egyptians could not read and write in the year 2016, with 9.1 million being females.

In an announcement to mark International Literacy Day on September 8, CAPMAS said Egypts illiteracy rate stood at 20.1 percent nationwide, with the rate for men at 14.4 percent and 26 percent for women.

The CAPMAS statement, which comes one day before International Literacy Day, indicates a drop from last years announced national rate of 23.7 percent.

The agency also said that the illiteracy rate for youth aged 15 to 25 has dropped to 6.5 percent, in stark comparison with 57.1 percent among the elderly (those 60 and older), detailing that such a percentage gives a positive indicator for the future.

According to the statement, urban areas had a significantly lower illiteracy rate of 13.5 percent as compared to rural areas, which stood at 25.2 percent.

The highest illiteracy rates were recorded in Upper Egyptian provinces, with Beni Suef ranking first at 30.2 percent, and Sohag coming second with a rate of 30 percent.

Aswan recorded the lowest rate among Upper Egyptian provinces at 9.5 percent.

Nationwide, the lowest illiteracy rates were recorded in the North Sinai with a rate of 8.6 percent and New Valley, with 9.1 percent.

This year, UNESCO will be celebrating International Literacy Day across the world under the theme of Literacy in a Digital World.'

According to UNESCO at least 750 million adults and 264 million out-of-school children still lack basic literacy skills worldwide.

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Russian passenger flights to Egypt could resume within one month once the two-year-old Russias ban on flights to Egypt is lifted, Russian transport minister Maxim Sokolov said on Thursday, though he did not specify when flights may resume.

"[Russian airlines] are already gearing up for this. I don't expect this period to last long," Sokolov said on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, according to Sputnik News agency.

The Russian minister's statements come a few days after Sokolov said that his country sees no need to conduct additional security checks at Cairo International Airport.

Sokolov said that a report on airport security measures implemented by Egypt has been sent to the Russian government.

On Tuesday, Egypts President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi met with Russian counterpart Vladimir Putin at the BRICS summit in China where they discussed several issues including the resumption of Russian passenger flights to Egypt.

Egypt hopes that a return of Russian tourists, which rank first among foreign vistors to the country, will rejuvenate its tourism revenues, which witnessed a sharp drop after the suspension of flights by Russia.

In late 2015, Russia suspended flights to Egypt after a Russian airliner crashed in Sinai shortly after taking off from the popular Red Sea resort of Sharm El-Sheikh, killing all passengers on board.

Egypt has since been implementing more rigorous security measures at all its airports.

Russian security experts have carried out a series of inspections at Egyptian airports over the past year to make sure the new security measures meet Russian standards.

A number of European countries which suspended flights to Sharm after the 2015 Russian plane crash have resumed flights to the South Sinai tourist hub.

The number of tourists visiting Egypt during the first quarter of 2017 rose by 51 percent compared to the same period last year.

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The Egyptian foreign ministry said on Thursday that the US is still discussing whether it will be introducing cuts to its financial aid package to Cairo for the fiscal year 2018.

"The United States Congress is still in internal deliberations between the House of Representatives and the Senate on an external appropriations bill for the 2018 budget," Egypt's foreign ministry spokesman Ahmed Abu Zeid said in a statement.

Abu Zeid said a House of Representatives' subcommittee on foreign operations passed the bill without reducing aid to Cairo, though a Senate committee demanded that cuts be introduced to the assistance programme.

"No final decisions have been taken in this regard," Abu Zeid added.

Egypt receives approximately $1.3 billion in US military aid yearly, as well as an annual economic assistance package, which amounted to $150 million in 2016.

The US said last month it would withhold part of its aid to Cairo, saying $195 million would be held in reserve until the US "can see progress on democracy" in Egypt.

In response, Cairo said the move is not in line with the strategic relations between Egypt and the US, and that cuts could have negative repercussions in achieving the common interests of the two countries.

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KEARNEY  Brett Wall has some simple, yet detailed, advice for students.

Learn as much as you can. Volunteer for tough assignments, or the assignments that others do not want to do, he said. Learn the word yes. It is a powerful word, as it ends debate, opens up opportunities and creates and fosters relationships.

Its also important to understand the value of hard work. Ultimately that does pay off, and additional responsibility and opportunity comes to those who get things done.

Find a mentor, read as much as you can, build relationships and be respectful, but ask for what you want within reason, adds Wall, senior vice president and president of the Brain Therapies Division at Medtronic in Irvine, Calif. Think about your career and stay in the path of investment. This means thinking about the future and about where markets and opportunities are going.

Wall is the Ron Landstrom Executive-in-Residence at the University of Nebraska at Kearney for 2017. He will present Be Curious. Be Humble. Thrive in a Changing World, at 11 a.m. Sept. 14 in the Nebraskan Student Union Ponderosa Room. The presentation is partially funded by the JA Baldwin Free Enterprise Lecture Series.

A resident of Southern California, Wall graduated from UNK in 1987 with a business administration degree and emphasis in marketing. His career spans 25 years as an executive in the medical device industry.

At Medtronic, he oversees brain modulation, neurosurgery, neurovascular and surgical technology service areas and manages a team of more than 1,000 people. Before joining Medtronic, he was president of Covidiens Neurovascular and International Division, where he helped double the companys revenue in just four years.

His career path includes leadership positions with medical technology companies Neurovascular, ev3, Micro Therapeutics, Boston Scientific and C.R. Bard. At UNK, Wall was involved in Greek Life as a member of Phi Delta Theta, Student Government, Choraleers and Bike Bowl.

I was provided so much help, guidance and encouragement, he said of his time at UNK. In one case, the encouragement was to go be good at something else. Today, I can laugh at this, as it was exactly the right advice at the right time, but it was delivered in a caring way and with someone who believed in me but knew that I needed a different path.

The Ron Landstrom Executive-in-Residence program brings successful business executives to UNK to talk with College of Business and Technology students about best business practices and about their personal career paths and lessons learned.
LINCOLN  The Port of San Diegos police chief has been named the new superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, an agency reeling from the firing of its top commander and a federal investigation into possible mishandling of internal investigations.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced today he had selected Harbor Police Department Chief John A. Bolduc as the new colonel at the State Patrol.

Bolduc, 52, will replace former Col. Brad Rice, whom Ricketts appointed two years ago but fired June 30 after learning of possible improprieties in the agency. He will be paid $150,000 annually.

Bolduc most recently led the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego, a department of 141 sworn officers and 25 civilians who provide law enforcement and marine firefighting services on San Diego Bay, at San Diego International Airport and along the tidelands within the Port of San Diegos jurisdiction. He has held that position since 2010.

He spent the previous 23 years in various law enforcement positions in Minnesota. He worked as chief of the cities of Brainerd and Mora for almost 13 years and also worked in patrol, investigations, training and tactical operations in the Twin Cities area, according to the Port of San Diego website.

In introducing Bolduc, Ricketts noted the extensive search process that involved a committee of four law enforcement officials from across the state and a wide search.

He praised Bolducs background in improving groups.

He has a lot of experience in working with organizations to improve how they operate, Ricketts said.

Ricketts said the committee was looking for somebody with the right law enforcement experience, unimpeachable integrity and experience making organizational changes.

Bolduc said he looked forward to overcoming past challenges.

State Patrol troopers, he said, want and deserve quality leadership.

I will give my all, he said to ensure that quality leadership.

Bolduc said he expects some natural skepticism coming to the State Patrol from outside the agency. But he said he has been the outside candidate three other times. Theres a steep learning curve, Bolduc said.

Omaha Police Todd Schmaderer, who chaired a committee that advised the governor during the search process, said he was impressed by Bolducs knowledge of public safety.

He understands this game of law enforcement, Schmaderer said.

The expectation that Bolduc will be heavily involved in changing and improving the patrol was pointed out by multiple speakers.

Schmaderer said Bolducs integrity and ethics helped him stand out from other candidates, along with his experience dealing with challenges.

Hes very solution-driven, Schmaderer said. One of the things that stood out was his problem-solving skills.

Ricketts also emphasized the importance he placed on Bolducs talent for fixing problems.

Bolduc is going to look at opportunities for improvement, hold people accountable and set up measurable goals, Ricketts said.

Change is sometimes difficult, Bolduc said, especially if it is not communicated well, and not executed well. He said that he brings experience in proper change management.

The new commander faces a significant challenge in trying to win the confidence of the patrols roughly 450 sworn officers while restoring a public image tarnished by the most serious scandal to engulf the agency in its 80-year history.

The new superintendent also takes over a $85-million-a-year agency while it apparently remains under a probe by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

When the governor fired Rice, Ricketts also placed six other patrol officers  including Rices second-in-command  on paid administrative leave. Their employment status has not changed.

In August, the governor released a 15-page report by Jason Jackson, the states chief human resources officer, which said Rice and other agency staff had interfered in at least four internal investigations cases.

One case involved a state trooper who had struck a drunken driving suspect in the head with a rifle butt. Rice sought to downplay the incident, even though others in the patrol had described it as shocking to the conscience, the report said.

In another case, the colonel helped manage the response into a high-speed chase that ended with the death of a fleeing suspect, and potentially influenced the conclusion of an internal investigation of the chase.

In addition, the report said Rice failed to correct the inaction of the patrol in regard to a complaint of sexual harassment  a questionable hernia exam of a female trooper in 2014 that prompted a federal lawsuit. A formal criminal investigation into the troopers complaints didnt begin until the Governors Office intervened.

Jacksons report also included recommendations of key changes to the two-year labor contract between the state and the patrol reached earlier in the year. The governor has asked the labor union, which represents the majority of sworn officers employed by the agency, to reopen contract negotiations to make changes.

Patrol Sgt. Brian Petersen, the union president, has accused the governor of trying blame the union for problems that stem from the superintendent he selected in 2015. The governors spokesman has said the renegotiations would not be about assigning blame, but making the agency better.

Bolduc, who will start at the patrol on Oct. 16, holds a bachelors degree from Bemidji State University in Minnesota. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

He and his wife, Dawn, have two grown children. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, fishing and other outdoor activities.
WASHINGTON  A photographic war memorial honoring fallen American soldiers made its national debut Thursday.

The portable Remembering Our Fallen Tribute Towers display honors those killed in the countrys wars since 9/11. It was was unveiled in Lincoln in July but todays ceremony was in the nations capital, at the foot of the Lincoln Memorial.

About 200 Gold Star family members came from a dozen or more states for the event, organizer Bill Williams said.

Omahans Bill and Evonne Williams have been working for years to honor veterans through projects such as the tribute towers and honor flights that have ferried veterans to Washington to visit memorials in their honor.

A World-Herald story about Lonnie Fords efforts to honor the sacrifice of his son Joshua helped inspire Remembering Our Fallen.

He grew emotional as he waited outside their DC hotel for the buses taking families to the ceremony.

It means a lot to all the Gold Star parents, wives, husbands that their loved ones have not died in vain, that theyre going to be remembered, Ford said.

Also attending were Carolyn and Jeannette Cagle, mother and grandmother of Lance Cpl. John Cagle, killed in action in Afghanistan in 2011 at age 19.

I raised a warrier, Carolyn Cagle said.

Michelle Murphy of Randallstown, Maryland, and her daughter were on Facebook live with other Gold Star mothers who couldnt make the trip.

Families also had the opportunity to visit Arlington National Cemeterys Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and Section 60, the portion of the cemetery where many of those killed in Iraq and Afghanistan have been laid to rest.
President Donald Trump has welcomed the leader of Kuwait to the White House, and is meeting with Sheikh Sabah Al Ahmad Al Sabah.

Trump says he will discuss the diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors. The president also says that the two have he calls a "great relationship."

Kuwait is a staunch American ally trying to mediate a festering diplomatic crisis involving Qatar and its Arab neighbors. That crisis could have implications for the U.S. military presence in the region.

The Kuwaiti leader is thanking the United States for standing with their country when Iraq's Saddam Hussein launched an invasion.

Trump has sent conflicting signals about where he stands on the dispute between Qatar and Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain and Egypt.

Trump initially appeared to side with Saudi Arabia, but then instructed Secretary of State Rex Tillerson to support the Kuwaiti mediation effort.

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Nearly a decade ago, Nebraska abruptly launched a controversial effort to privatize child welfare services  the care and support for vulnerable children facing crisis situations at home.

These home emergencies arise from mental health issues, substance abuse concerns, financial problems or abuse and neglect.

Nebraskas attempt at child welfare privatization wasnt adequately planned or funded, however, and it triggered major disruption and instability. A series of private providers dropped out.

There was one exception: Nebraska Families Collaborative, formed by Boys Town and other Omaha-area providers. The nonprofit organization continues to handle the cases in Douglas and Sarpy counties, while the State Department of Health and Human Services handles cases in the rest of Nebraska.

Matt Wallen, the new Children and Family Services director for HHS, was right this week when he said its in the public interest for the state and Nebraska Families Collaborative to work constructively with each other to ensure children receive needed care.

Differences in perspective will arise at times between HHS and the collaborative, but its imperative that the two organizations keep any disagreements from undercutting the quality of care.

The collaborative handles about 5,000 child welfare cases a year  just under half of the state total.

Nebraskas child welfare system has made progress in several ways since its privatization effort all but collapsed. NFC, for example, has made improvements in regard to child safety, social worker caseloads, permanent placement and placement with relatives.

The Legislature and Gov. Pete Ricketts took an important step this year by approving funding for a sixth juvenile court judge for Douglas County.

Considerable challenges remain for Nebraskas child welfare system.

Federal standards for such services are being tightened. Turnover among front-line personnel is still too high.

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Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne takes part in the meeting of First Ministers in Ottawa on Friday, Dec. 9, 2016. A member of the Ontario legislature is apologizing to Premier Kathleen Wynne for comments made in a radio interview after the premier's lawyers warned he could face a defamation lawsuit. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick
There is a "real risk" of increased funding for attacks in Europe as the Islamic State (IS) group loses ground in Iraq and Syria, the EU's security chief warned Thursday.

IS, which is also known as Daesh, has lost an estimated 90 percent of its territory in Iraq. At one time, the group held around half of Syria but today controls just 15 percent, according to estimates.

"As we have success against Daesh on the ground in Iraq and Syria, they are moving funds out of Iraq and Syria," Julian King told the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament.

"There is a real risk of a new influx of funding for terrorism. We need to be conscious of that and we need to work together to see what we can do about it," he added.

Last month, a UN report said that IS was continuing to send remittances abroad -- often small sums, making them difficult to detect -- as part of a bid to step up its international efforts "as demonstrated by the higher pace of attacks in Europe."

The report said funding sources were still based on oil profits and the imposition of taxes on local populations in the areas under its control.

However, it said the financial situation of the IS "core continues to deteriorate," mainly due to military pressure on the group.

In the last two or three years, EU member states have been hit by an increasing number of attacks claimed by IS which have taken place in Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany.

King said the EU is also stepping up efforts to "respond to the unprecedented scale and speed of radicalisation that we now face in our societies," including online and offline.

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An employee from an electrical company works to remove a tree felled by Hurricane Irma, in Sanchez, Dominican Republic, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. Irma flooded parts of the Dominican Republic when it roared by, just off the northern coast of the island it shares with Haiti. (AP Photo/Tatiana Fernandez)
No decision will be made this year on whether to end Turkey's talks to join the EU, the Estonian foreign minister said Thursday, amid growing pressure from Germany to stop Ankara's membership bid.

Germany's powerful Chancellor Angela Merkel on Sunday said she would ask the EU to terminate Turkey's accession talks, in a sharp escalation of an already bitter diplomatic spat between two NATO allies with longstanding links.

But Estonian Foreign Minister Sven Mikser, whose country holds the bloc's rotating presidency, said any decision would have to wait for an assessment by the European Commission of whether Turkey was in accordance with membership criteria.

"I do not expect the European Union to make any decisions in that regard during this year," he said at a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Tallinn, adding that the commission assessment was expected early next year.

In the wake of an attempted army coup against him last year, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has pursued a crackdown on opponents in which thousands of people have been arrested or dismissed from their jobs.

A dozen German journalists and activists have also been arrested, fraying relations with Berlin.

But Turkey remains an important player for Europe on a number of key issues, not least the migrant crisis.

Echoing the cautious note struck by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier in the day in Athens, Mikser said the EU should "tread very carefully" with Turkey, which is also an important member of NATO.

"While discussing Turkey's status as a candidate country we should also discuss the future relationship in all its aspects, and not make any hasty decisions without looking at these things comprehensively," Mikser said.

The EU and Turkey last year agreed a deal which helped stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Greece.

Ankara has threatened to rescind the pact at times when tensions have flared with Brussels over concerns of human rights abuses

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A man has been taken to a London hospital after suffering "potentially serious" head injuries at Margate station.

The air ambulance, fire crews and paramedics rushed to the scene just before 10pm yesterday evening (September 6).

The man had fallen down a set of stairs at the station.

A South East Coast Ambulance Spokesman said: "We were called around 9.50pm last night after a male patient had fallen down a set of stairs and suffered a head injury.

"There was one ambulance crew joined by one ambulance car, a fire engine and an air ambulance.

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"The patient was assessed and treated and taken to King's College Hospital by road.

"The man could have potentially suffered serious head injuries."
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The right-hand side of the Dartford Tunnel was shut last night after a stolen car crashed and its driver escaped on a motorbike.

Police said they were called to a collision involving three vehicles in the Essex-bound tunnel at 10.31pm on September 6.

One of the cars involved - a blue Ford Fiesta - had been stolen in Orpington earlier in the day.

A police spokesman said: "Kent Police was called to a collision, involving three vehicles, in the Essex-bound Dartford Tunnel at 10.31pm on Wednesday 7 September 2017.

"One of the cars involved is reported to have been stolen and the occupant of this vehicle is reported to have left the scene on a motorbike, which was riding in convoy, prior to officers arriving.

"No injuries have been reported from the collision and at present no arrests have been made, however enquiries are ongoing."

Police cleared the scene following the incident at around at 11.50pm.

The incident caused huge tailbacks but traffic at the crossing is reportedlynormal for this time of the day.
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A retired school teacher is on a quest to find the children that pulled him and his dog out of a Tonbridge river.

George Tyson, 67, Pilmer Road, Crowborough, jumped in to save Border collie, Katie, after she slipped and fell into the water.

Mr Tyson was unable to grab the names of the heroes that rescued him and his canine companion, and wants to launch an appeal to find them.

He said: It happened at Haysden, in Tonbridge at the Medway, we were walking through towards the river.

She lost her footing and fell into the water and at that stage I thought can she get out?.

I knew I had to go in and get her.

Mr Tyson leapt into the water and managed to grab his dog.

I didnt know how deep the water was, but I went in there and managed to grab hold of her," he added.

We couldnt get her, so I thought maybe that if we went further along the river, therell be a place to climb out - but there wasnt.

The water got up to my chest, it would have got deeper.

I was worried about the dog because she got caught up in the brambles on the bank of the river.

Soon, Mr Tyson became helpless, flailing in the water with his dog in tow.

The 67-year-old said he was submerged for five minutes and that was when he realised that he and his pet were in danger.

He said: I shouted out HELP a couple of times and then we went back to where she had went in.

By that time, these three people were there.

They asked if they could help, so I pushed the dog out of the water to the youngsters.

Next, they pulled her right out and then I scrambled out, then they almost disappeared."

Mr Tyson asked the girl where they were from, as he noticed she had a distinctive American accent.

She said they lived in Tonbridge and Tunbridge Wells, but that their mother was American.

He said: Thats the only way I have of distinguishing them.

Thank you, you saved my dog's life.

Its good to know people are around and will help like that.

If you were one of the good Samaritans that helped Mr Tyson, we'd love to hear from you. Please contact the newsdesk on 01892 239061 or email callum.wilson@kentlive.news.
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Festive online shopping, a letter headed to the North Pole and an onslaught of Christmas cards from family and friends are just some of the exciting things to look forward to this Christmas.

And if you join as a Christmas temporary worker at one of the Royal Mail centres in Kent, youll be helping to sort items for thousands of addresses across the county and millions further afield in the UK.

Staff are required across the county over the busy Christmas period for Canterbury, Tonbridge, Ashford, Rochester, Dartford and Chatham mail offices.

In a job advert, the Royal Mail says: "The Christmas period is naturally a very busy time of year for Royal Mail.

"To help us handle the increased volumes of mail we require casual workers to sort mail in our mail centres with start dates between mid-November through to mid-December.

Looking for a job? Click here to browse vacancies across Kent

"As the face of Royal Mail you will work as part of a team ensuring we continue to deliver the high standards of service our customers expect."

In the mail centre you will cover various indoor roles in a warehouse environment, you could be unloading mail from vans, moving large volumes of mail around in trolleys, sorting parcels and letters manually or operating machinery.

It is a fast paced environment and you'll be working to efficient methods to meet our business performance targets. A mail centre can process over a million items in a shift and you'll be a valuable part of making that happen.

Pay Rate

Mon - Sat 06.00 - 22.00 7.80

Mon - Fri 22.00 - 06.00 9.30

Sun - 06.00 - 22.00 8.30

Sat & Sun - 22.00 - 06.00 9.80

You'll need to be:
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Tonbridge residents may have been disturbed by a helicopter circling low over the town last night around midnight.

Some took to social media speculating as to what the helicopter, which many believed to be from the police, was searching for.

It has since been confirmed that the helicopter was indeed operating with the police, as they worked to track down a missing person in the town.

A British Transport Police spokesman said: If residents in Tonbridge heard a helicopter last night, this was utilised to assist us searching for a missing female who has been found.

The identity of the missing person has not been revealed, but it is understood she is safe and well.
Huge crowds turned out in Togo's capital for the second day running to demand political reform, in the largest opposition protests against President Faure Gnassingbe's regime.

Demonstrators began their march calmly late morning, blowing whistles and waving Togo's green, yellow and red flag, with a heavy security presence stationed at major intersections.

The protesters were blocked from heading to the presidency and shouted "Liberate, liberate Togo!", according to AFP journalists on the scene.

A banner unfurled in front of the armed officers called on "soldiers and police to pledge allegiance to the people", as rain began to fall.

"We're not moving from here," said one protester, Edem Agbogbo. "We're waiting for the green light from our leaders to force our way through."

Togo's political opposition has long demanded the introduction of a two-round voting system and a limit to the number of terms a president can serve.

Gnassingbe, who has repeatedly promised to look into the reforms but never implemented them, took power in 2005 after the death of his father, Gnassingbe Eyadema, who was installed as head of state of the tiny West African nation in 1967 after a military coup.

"We are going to stay on the streets until he (Faure Gnassingbe) listens to us," another protester, Jonas Badagbo, told AFP.

"We want Faure to re-establish the 1992 constitution and him to leave office," added the 29-year-old.

A woman who gave her name as Agnes, 64, said: "I've known the same family since I was 14. Let's liberate Togo so these children can see something else.

"We're tired. Enough is enough," she said.

The veteran political opposition leader Jean-Pierre Fabre marched at the front of the protesters, surrounded by a human chain of supporters.

"We don't listen enough to the people. We're asking today to be heard and for our troubles to be heard," he told the crowd as they marched.

Observers say the scale of the protests is unprecedented, which explained the heavy security. One said there was "a lot of tension in the air" and more people than Wednesday.

Mobile internet services were cut in Togo on Thursday, after an estimated 100,000 or more protesters turned out across the country on Wednesday.

On social media sites Facebook and Twitter, which were still accessible using intermittent Wi-Fi access in the capital, users called for services to be restored.

The Internet Without Borders group said the shutdown was "an attack on Togolese citizens' freedom of expression online".

Amnesty International's Togo director, Aime Adi, told AFP by telephone that the internet and mobile phone networks were completely off in several cities in northern Togo.

Information minister Gilbert Bawara has told several local radio stations that the government reserved the right to impose restrictions on access to the internet.

Amnesty's Adi said similar protests were taking place outside Lome, including in Sokode, 300 kilometres (185 miles) north of the capital, where two protesters were killed last month.

In Bafilo, north of Lome, about 100 protesters had blocked traffic on the main road, he added.

Faure Gnassingbe won elections in 2010 and 2015 but the opposition disputed the results and hundreds of people lost their lives during violent protests after the votes.

Transparency International ranked Togo 116th out of 176 countries in its annual corruption Perceptions Index last year.

Togo was 166th out of 188 countries in the UN Development Programme's human development report, which looks at areas such as levels of income, health and education.

AFP contacted the presidency repeatedly for comment on the protests but without response. On Tuesday, a tentative plan was announced for constitutional reform.

But parliament, which has to approve it, is not due to return from its summer break until next month and exact details of the plan were vague.

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The three bands will perform at the Music Park Festival at Cairo Festival City

Three popular bands, El Morabba3 from Jordan, Mashrou Leila from Lebanon and Sharmoofers from Egypt will take the stage at Cairo Festival City on Friday, 22 September.

The concert is part of the Music Park Festival, which will begin at 4pm and continue until late evening.

Founded in 2009, the Jordanian rock band El Morabba3 consists of Muhammad Abdullah (bass, song writer, vocals), Odai Shawagfeh (electric guitar, keys/synthesizer, producer) and Dirar Shawagfeh (drums).

On their Facebook page the band presents themselves as follows: "El Morabba3 to us is the window in which we see things we want to express... being from a region that had seen a lot and still does every day. This window serves as our escape and our return all together."

This is not El Morabba3s first concert in Egypt as the band has performed in Cairo on a few occasions in the past.

Mashrou' Leila is one of the most popular Lebanese indie bands in the contemporary Arab music scene. The band consists of five architecture students and a graphic designer.

They began in 2008 in Beirut, following an open call for auditions by the three founding members: Haig Papazian (violin), Andre Chedid (guitar) and Omaya Malaeb (keyboard). The idea was to start a band to relieve stress, especially in light of enduring political instability in Lebanon. Today, the band members include Hamed Sinno, Ibrahim Badr, Carl Gerges, Haig Papazian and Firas Abou Fakher.

Mashrou' Leila's first concert in Egypt took place in 2011 when the band performed at El-Geneina theatre during Al-Mawred Al-Thaqafy's (Culture Resource) summer programme. Since then they visited Egypt on several occasions, making their Alexandria debut in 2013.

Founded in 2012 by vocalist Ahmed Bahaa and bassist Moe El-Arkan, Sharmoofers' lineup also includes Ahmed Aly (percussion), Mostafa Kerdani (drums), Mohamed Labib (saxophone), Islam "Solly" Ali (trumpet) and Adel Mohamed (percussion).

Since its inception, Sharmoofers has entertained a large following with their music online and through live performances.

In April 2014, they performed on the third season of El-Bernameg, the satirical show hosted by Bassem Youssef. A month later, they made their debut live performance at Al-Azhar park, and have since been performing in various venues across Egypt.

Programme:

Friday 22 September, 4pm

Music Park Festival at the Cairo Festival City Mall

Tickets for the concert can be purchased through Tickets Marche.

For more arts and culture news and updates, follow Ahram Online Arts and Culture on Twitter at @AhramOnlineArts and on Facebook at Ahram Online: Arts & Culture

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More than anything, Willie needed a place to pee.

Elaine needed help walking.

Willie is homeless; Elaine is affluent. They both needed someone to listen to them and help them find solutions to their most pressing everyday challenges. Thats called co-production of care.

When Willie found out he had congestive heart failure, his doctor put him on beta blockers with diuretics.

The medications made Willie feel better, but there was one problem: Because of the diuretics, he had to urinate more often. Being homeless, he had no place to go, and he didnt want to urinate in public.

Willie is not an easy character. Hes eccentric and moody. To be honest, he scares people sometimes.

Fortunately, a nurse practitioner named Kathleen listened to Willie. She realized that, although he had many needs  housing, food, transportation  he really needed a regular place to urinate. She offered to let him use the patient restrooms at the hospital.

That simple act of compassion changed Willies life. He began coming to the hospital regularly for more than just the bathrooms. His health improved. He got a girlfriend and began living a more normal life. We think he even has a job now.

Elaine would have benefited from someone like Kathleen helping her. At 84, she suddenly lost her ability to walk. She had resources  not only money but access to an array of services. But neither Elaine nor her family knew how to access those services, and her health care providers were not helpful. In the end, Elaine and her family wound up producing their own care to help Elaine adjust to her new disability.

Co-production is a different kind of health care than were used to in the United States. Its when a patient and health care provider are equal partners in determining what types of services will meet that patients most important needs, as defined by the patient, and then implementing their plan together.

In co-production of care, service plans could include providing the patient with access to a bathroom. Or helping an elderly woman with mobility problems figure out how to cope with the stairs in her home.

Unlike Elaine, Willie and Kathleen are both participants in a study that Hennepin County Medical Center is conducting with Radboud University Medical Center in the Netherlands to learn more about co-production of care by comparing health and social services integration in both countries. The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, through the Charities Aid Foundation of America, is supporting this joint exploration.

Specifically, the study is assessing the experiences of patients with congestive heart failure who, because of their illness, need social supports to stay healthy and avoid being hospitalized. These patients have a range of needs, from housing and transportation to informal help from family members and neighbors. We want to know whether and to what extent these supports are being integrated with patients medical care, and how that affects not only their health but their own involvement with their health and their ability to carry out everyday activities such as cooking, cleaning house, and getting around.

You might ask: Why partner with a hospital in the Netherlands to do this study?

Like other developed countries, the Netherlands spend significantly more on social services than the U.S., which spends more on medical care than any other nation. And yet these other countries, including the Netherlands, have far better health outcomes than the U.S. We think that the greater emphasis these countries place on social supports and service integration may be part of the reason why.

In short, we hope to learn from our colleagues in the Netherlands about how to foster co-production of care  and, ultimately, better health  here in the U.S. After all, we share the same goals and many of the same challenges. By deploying our resources differently, we may be able to achieve results more in line with those of other countries.

Already, were seeing a great need for co-production of care from our interviews with patients here. Many patients dont know how to ask for the help they need, especially if it doesnt fit the traditional medical paradigm. And these arent all patients struggling with homelessness or other problems related to poverty; some are affluent people like Elaine, while others are people who consider themselves middle-class but because of changed circumstances find themselves in need of services and supports that they dont know how to access.

For health care providers, co-production of care is a lot about listening, without judgment and without assuming they know whats best. On a deeper level, its also about integrating the medical with the social aspects of health care  not only to improve patients health but to help patients live their lives the way they want to.

We can do a lot to relieve patients suffering and improve their lives by listening to them and engaging with them to solve their everyday challenges in conjunction with their health issues.

As Willies and Elaines stories show, the answers may be far different than we expect, and we cant find those answers without listening first.

Sylvester Jones is a communications executive and playwright. Laura C. Leviton is senior adviser for evaluation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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For American conservatives, Britains NHS is an antiquated Orwellian dystopia. For Brits, even those who dont love the NHS, American conservatives are better suited to spaghetti westerns, such as Fistful of Dollars, than reality.

The twain are unlikely to meet after the recent press surrounding Charlie Gard, the infant, now deceased, with a rare, fatal mitochondrial disorder in which mitochondrial DNA is depleted  mitochondrial depletion disorder (MDD). In this condition, the cells lose their power supply and tissues, notably in the brain, die progressively and rapidly.

The courts forbade Charlies parents from taking him for a last dash of hope to the United States. This confirmed for many conservatives the perils of a government-run health care system, where the state decides who lives and who dies through Death Panels.

Ted and Mike, whose health care reform might affect many curable little Charlies, were moved by the plight of an incurable Charlie. No European will understand the science behind their sentiment  if you care so much about a sick incurable baby, why dont you care about sick, curable babies, theyd ask.

Brits will never get the importance conservatives place on individual choice, even if that choice is forlorn, and of the lure of medical heroism. Conservatives seldom acknowledge that modern medicine reaches its limitations too quickly for Death Panels to be effective. Charlie was given a grim prognosis by doctors at the Great Ormond Street Hospital (GOSH), arguably the finest hospital for sick children in the world.

GOSH might not have the endowments of its American counterparts. It is an orthodox British hospital with creaking staircases, the sort where I trained, where doctors have incredible clinical acumen, paranormal common sense and dabble freely in paternalism. Doctors know best and are not ashamed to say so. When doctors at GOSH say death is imminent, Death Panelists are rendered unemployed, unless theres a miracle to slay. For Charlie, that miracle was a New York neurologist offering an untested therapy.

The reaction to Charlies plight is as instructive as the reaction to the reaction to his plight. Its as if everyone took the Rorschach test simultaneously.

Charlies plight was felt by the Pope. The Pontiff is a busy chap and cant possibly tweet in support of every dying child in GOSH. But once the media portrayed his suffering, everyone jumped on the bandwagon. The Pope was joined by Ted Cruz, Donald Trump, Theresa May, Nigel Farage and even the notoriously unsentimental Jeremy Corbyn. This is the power of the identifiable victim.

Some have wondered whether our preoccupation with stories such as Charlies diverts our moral and financial resources from tackling deaths from malaria in Africa  i.e., we dont care about deaths from malaria because we care too much about one dying infant. In this classic utilitarian fallacy, the utilitarian treats moral sentiments as a zero-sum game with opportunity costs. The truth, as Adam Smith pointed out in Theory of Moral Sentiments, is that well always be more perturbed by events proximate to us, the identifiable victim, than random people who dont appear on our Twitter timeline. If Charlie hadnt surfaced in our news channels, we still wouldnt be fretting about deaths from malaria in far off countries weve never heard about.

Charlies case showed the limitations of not just modern medicine but modern medical ethics.

When all hopes seemed lost, Charlies parents did what many do today  they consulted Dr. Google, who didnt disappoint. Their search revealed a New York neurologist  Dr. Michio Hirano, a researcher and an expert in mitochondrial disorders.

When hope resurfaced so did the controversy. The first point of controversy was that the nucleoside therapy Dr. Hirano was offering was not scientific  i.e., there was no proven benefit of the nucleoside in the specific variant (RRM2B) of Charlies MDD  it hadnt even been tested on animals with that variant. GOSH, the High Court and the terribly unoriginal European Court, used the absence of proven efficacy in their justification for stopping the parents from taking the child to the U.S.

Not scientific, a compelling statement as no one can argue with science, needs parsing. It is possible for a treatment for a rare disease to have promising results in a small trial in the U.S., but still not be available in the NHS either because The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) hasnt gotten around to approving it or is waiting for more evidence. This wasnt the case with Charlies disorder, but my point is what may be unscientific today may truly be unscientific or may simply be waiting for NICE to schedule a conference call.

Charlie would have been the first patient with the RRM2B variant to have received the nucleoside therapy. Though we dont know for certain, it is highly unlikely Charlie would have responded favorably. Had he responded favorably, the treatments efficacy would be certain. This is because Charlies condition had a 100 percent fatality, and anything thatd have saved him, gotten him off the ventilator and breathing spontaneously, and restored his motor function, would either be a parachute or a prophet. You dont need a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized controlled trial to test the efficacy of a drug for a condition which is imminently and uniformly fatal.

The neurologist was accused of having financially conflict of interest in nucleoside therapy, which he has strongly denied.

This familiar moral dilemma, which brings science closer to morality than necessary, begs legitimate questions. Was the doctor genuinely motivated by a desire to help or by making more money? Was there truly therapeutic equipoise or was he selling snake oil?

Science being morally neutral means that the neurologists motivation for helping was moot. The therapy either worked or didnt. And if it worked no one would care if the doctor is Satan. If it didnt work, it scant mattered if he were the Pontiff. His financial conflict of interest is relevant only because it indicates whether equipoise  i.e., that the therapy may work  is justified.

To emphasize, we must believe that science, proven treatment benefits, is morally neutral because it would be silly not to do so. I mean, itd be like saying a treatment would work better if the prescribing doctor were more pious.

But, seemingly, equipoise is not morally neutral. What were saying is that the uncertainty, and I repeat the uncertainty, that a treatment may work depends, to some extent, on the motivations of who is calling the experiment. This is understandable because medicine is replete with stories of sellers of snake oil. But theres a large coastline of plausibility far removed from snake oil.

Dr. Hirano wasnt selling snake oil. He was selling a plausible but untested treatment to desperate parents. The nucleoside therapy had modest efficacy in a variant of Charlies disorder (TK 2). But had never been tested in the RR2MB mutation, which Charlie had. It was unscientific because it was unproven  it wasnt implausible  it certainly wasnt snake oil.

Ironically, precision medicine exposed the unscientific nature of the nucleoside therapy. Imagine if you couldnt sequence. You wouldnt know that MDD had variants  that is you wouldnt know whether Charlies MDD was the TK2 or the RR2MB variant, itd all be the same. Would the nucleoside therapy, which had worked in a handful of patients with the TK2 variant, still have been unscientific? This is not a dig against precision medicine. Im merely asking for less dogmatism in what we call unscientific, given that the line is so thin between groups in which therapies work and dont work.

This takes me to the desperation of Charlies parents. I cant even begin to imagine what they were going through. I recall how I reacted at the very slight possibility that my older son, when he was three weeks old, had pyloric stenosis. My frontal lobe stopped working. Were I Charlies parents, Id have fought tooth and nail and eked every possibility. Id have done exactly what they did.

Parents of children who have terminal illnesses have nothing to lose, so they pursue any hope, no matter how hopeless the hope is. Some ethicists find this sentiment repugnant. You can see why the ethicists ire is drawn. Picture this  desperate parents willing to do anything, offered false hope by a doctor who knows that their condition is hopeless, who knows the treatment is unproven, and who is merely taking advantage of their predicament, like a parasite. Wont you be disgusted by that doctor?

Lets reframe this. A doctor offers hope to desperate parents who have nothing to lose except hope itself. The doctor believes that denying hope, no matter how hopeless, will be crueler than giving hope. Incidentally, Lord Krishna, one of the many Gods of Hindus, said that a lie which makes someone feel better is better than a thousand truths which make a person feel worse.

Are you still disgusted with the doctor prescribing hope? Id say repugnance is a rather strong sentiment in this ethical gray zone, where the answer depends on how the situation is framed. To believe medical ethics is as absolute as Newtons Third Law of Motion betrays an alarming level of judgment.

Charlie would have been the first to receive the nucleoside therapy for his condition. In any trial of medical treatment, there is always an index patient  the first to receive the unproven therapy. This is an inviolable fact, whether the unproven therapy later proves itself or not.

Would we be offended if Charlie were the first to receive the unproven treatment as part of a research trial with a hypothesis where the researcher purposefully set out to collect data and specified the outcomes in advance?

It was unethical to experiment unproven therapy with Charlie. Paradoxically, it was also unethical to give Charlie unproven treatment because it wasnt an experiment.

What in modern era is the difference between a neurologist responding to desperate parents by giving unproven therapy and a neurologist responding to desperate parents by giving unproven therapy as part of a trial? Its easy seeing that both scenarios are experimental. But there is a difference. The latter comes with regulatory oversight; the former doesnt. So, a major gripe here is the absence of regulatory oversight.

This wouldnt have been the first-time unproven therapy has been offered to sick children with fatal conditions short circuiting a trial. Take the case of surgery for complex congenital heart diseases such as hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The first time a surgeon operated on a neonate with this condition, the treatment was unproven and, therefore, unscientific. The treatment was offered to desperate parents who believed they had nothing to lose. Indeed, the operative morbidity and mortality for early cardiac surgery for congenital heart disease was so high that whatever short life span these babies had was curtailed by the surgery  i.e., surgery made matters worse. Then the heart surgeons learned from their errors, improved their technique and patients lived longer. Today, patients with complex congenital heart disease are old enough to worry about cancer and dementia.

Again, the ethics of offering an unproven treatment to a sick child of desperate parents is trickier than first appears. While it may make us balk, the first few recipients of unproven therapy can be made worse, even if the therapy later does net good. Im not terribly fond of utilitarian reasoning  greatest good to the greatest number  but utilitarianism makes its way through multiple avenues. One argument, which Im partial to, is that if you relax the access to therapies which havent been adequately scientifically vetted for rare diseases with no cures, drug developers will have little incentive to produce genuine cures. This is a compelling and highly plausible conjecture, but it is utilitarian at its core  we believe that easy access for a few could lead to net harms for many.

Some have defended the action of GOSH by saying it is not about costs, only effectiveness. This is understandable  no one wants to muddy the issue by talking about costs but disingenuous. Of course, costs are important when the taxpayer is footing the bill. Charlie was ventilated. Hed have to be shifted by air ambulance and accompanied by trained personnel. Medical resources arent free even in the NHS. And given that the effectiveness of the nucleoside therapy is nearly zero, the cost-effectiveness would be nearly infinite.

Charlies parents had raised funds to help with the costs. This evokes a familiar sentiment in the NHS  should they be allowed to pursue treatment simply because they can afford it? The NHS prides itself, rightly so, on equity  no one is denied proven treatment because of inability to pay. But its hard seeing how equity is disrupted if someone decides to pay for futile treatment. Furthermore, Britain has a parallel private system in which proven treatment is accelerated for those who can pay. The Brits, when they want, seem perfectly capable of tolerating inequity.

The crux of the matter was the tension between the welfare of the child and the wishes of the parents. When I was a junior doctor working in an emergency department in London, we were counseled not to bow to the demands of parents and prescribe antibiotics for febrile children. Doctors, even junior doctors, knew best.

The trickier situation is when parents refuse treatment for their sick child. Doctors have the law on their side here, and you can understand why. If parents of a child with meningococcal septicemia are conscientious objectors of synthetic therapy and decide that antibiotics for meningitis arent indicated, their wishes cant supersede medical necessity. That is if parents clash with doctors, the doctors will prevail, and the child will receive life-saving antibiotics against the wishes of the parents, and rightly so. Let me state this in no uncertain terms  the courts agree that doctors know best.

Neither medical paternalism nor the fight against it is absolute. Doctors do know best, but best is a spectrum. For example, the courts cant force a child to be vaccinated against the wishes of the parents. Few would dispute that vaccinations are beneficial to both the individual and society. But the courts distinguish between a proximate harm and a probabilistic harm to the child.

Would subjecting Charlie to unproven therapy worsen his welfare? Arguably, yes  theres a fate worse than death, and being on a ventilator prolonging death senselessly is a form of suffering, no less because it cant be articulated. Does this come under the antibiotics  meningitis domain (proximate harm) or the vaccination domain (probabilistic harm)? Id be inclined to put it towards the former unless I was Charlies parents. But you can see that this, too, is in the ethical gray zone.

Theres no doubt that the doctors in GOSH made a good clinical call. But now and then, the medical profession encounters an outlier and responding to an outlier needs more than clinical acumen.

The matter reached the European Court  an institution which excels itself at irrelevance by saying nothing new. Its hard not to conclude that a drama was made of a crisis in a tricky realm where each actor wanted to stamp their absolutism. Would it really have been the worlds greatest travesty if Charlie had been taken to the U.S. to receive an unproven therapy? Could GOSH have handled the matter more prudently? Was a legal injunction really necessary? Could the NHS have avoided been morally scolded by Ted Cruz?

Of note, when Dr. Hirano examined Charlie at GOSH he concluded that the brain damage could not be reversed. Perhaps if the doctors at GOSH had incorporated Dr. Hirano as part of their multidisciplinary team at the outset, thus respecting the parents preferences, the legal drama could have been avoided. NHS hospitals have something to learn from their American counterparts.

For conservatives, the Charlie Gard story affirms that the NHS is a tyrannical apparatus which conspires to rob people of their fundamental human rights and that Brits submit meekly to medical paternalism. In this tragic story, no one has been more naively absolutist than the conservatives. Calling the NHS tyrannical when it saves many poor kids without bankrupting their parents is absurd. This noble institution could, however, do with better PR, because it has come across as inflexible and dogmatic instead of compassionate and scientific. For both the National Health Service and the Great Ormond Street Hospital, this is a huge travesty.

Addendum:

It seems that the Great Ormond Street Hospital had reached out to Dr. Hirano in January this year, asking he visit the baby and clinically assess him. While this may not have changed the outcome, nor the tricky ethical issues surrounding this case, it does mean that GOSH was more accommodating than I had alluded to.

Saurabh Jha is a radiologist and can be reached on Twitter @RogueRad. This article originally appeared in the Health Care Blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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In the early epoch of human development, mankind learned to shape and sharpen wood, stone and metal objects to facilitate plunging them deep into other humans chests, abdomens, skulls and eyes in the ultimate form of conflict resolution.

Over tens of thousands of years, other less pugilistic and more compassionate humans crudely  but later artfully  insinuated an increasingly sophisticated array of implements into the human corpus to cure diseases, repair injuries, beautify the body and deliver newborns. At some glorious moment, the cut-upon (or their clan/kin) began to pay the cutters for their skills and services with salt, fur, livestock, foodstuffs or other valuable in-kind thingamajigs. In recent times, due to the inexorable force of etymological evolution, the cutters are now called surgeons and their craft surgery.

As lucre in its various iterations became the coin of the realm, it became more practical to pay the surgeon with money rather than, say  beaver pelts. This begot fee for service and inaugurated the figurative and literal golden age of surgery.

This highly truncated presentation summarizes how assault with a deadly weapon slowly but benevolently morphed into the demanding and noble profession of surgery.

Not every physician is cut out (pardon the obvious pun) to be a surgeon. The ideal surgical persona is a unique conflation of intelligence, manual dexterity, self-confidence, good judgment and the stamina of a draft horse. In recent years, the distinction between surgeon and non-surgeon has blurred as interventional techniques have developed in radiology, cardiology, gastroenterology and other specialties. This editorial addresses all physicians doing invasive procedures.

This brings me to the crux of this discourse. The two most difficult decisions Ive had to make in my professional career have been: Do I want to do surgery? And 12,000 eye surgeries and 30 years later  Do I need to stop doing surgery?

I did not suddenly ask myself this latter question as I approached my 60th birthday. Every surgeon should inventory and evaluate their surgical skills from the first day of their residency. Some surgical residents realize early on that they are not suited to the operating room and transfer to a medical specialty. It is estimated that between 10 percent and 20 percent of surgery residents struggle with achieving surgical competency. How program directors deal with this issue has been discussed in detail. This has become ever more germane as some surgical boards have required residency programs to certify their graduates surgical competency.

After satisfactorily finishing a residency or fellowship, a newly minted surgeon will find that their practice situation will afford the opportunity of doing some procedures frequently and others infrequently. For example, due to geographic circumstances and the complexities of the referral process, a surgeon may do a great deal of trauma or major cancer surgery or these, cases may be few and far between.

Practicing surgeons must constantly reassess their surgical skills, the number of cases that must be done and new techniques mastered to maintain procedure specific proficiency. Also if they should do highly complex types of surgery, learn difficult new techniques or whether the patients interests are best served by referral. Ones ego and income must be disregarded in this assessment.

In medicines version of Moores Law, the standard of surgical care is constantly changing as new skills, techniques and procedures must be mastered at an ever accelerating pace. Laggard surgeons may fail to recognize the superiority of new surgery over the old surgery that they feel comfortable performing. Or they may lack the dexterity or temperament to keep up with their peers. This is especially painful and prevalent when a sea change development threatens to obsolete much of the laggards surgical repertoire.

There are many other ongoing threats to remaining a competent surgeon. Abuse of drugs and/or alcohol is often a cause of incompetency. A chaotic personal life or untreated mental illness may be the culprit. Acute or chronic health problems, aging and senescence are problems all surgeons must eventually confront. In one study, general surgeons retired at an average age of 63 and disability was the primary factor in 14 percent. A steadily increasing morbidity, mortality and complication rate may be harbingers of erosion of competency.

Surgeons may fail to recognize their problems or intentionally try to keep them sub rosa. For hospital based surgeons, staff quality and safety committees may identify the problem surgeon and, through a variety of rehabilitation pathways, correct the situation.

In other instances, the problem will be apparent first to the surgeons associates, colleagues or family. With the safety of patients at stake, we must not cast a blind eye to our fellow surgeons problems. Much reporting of impaired or incompetent surgeons is by fellow physicians.

Surgeons that operate using microscopes have an increased incidence of musculoskeletal disorders as they age.I developed a burgeoning amalgam of these afflictions including osteoarthritis of the back, knees and hips. In 2001, during an acute flare-up of my back and after finishing eight hours of pain wracked but complication free surgery, I decided to end my surgical career due to disability. I merged my practice into a large, top quality ophthalmology group and do only laser and medical ophthalmology.

I have never regretted or second guessed my surgery ending decision.

With regard to age, some of the finest surgeons are in their mid or late sixties, some even in their seventies or eighties. Michael DeBakey, MD, arguably the most renowned surgeon of the late 20th century, retired from cardiac surgery voluntarily at age 90 having done over 60,000 operations. Conversely, there are incompetent and impaired surgeons in their twenties and thirties.

There is age discrimination, and it must be avoided. Perhaps surgeons should be impartially assessed at age 70 and regularly thereafter. Or maybe the age issue should be enfolded into the broader issue of periodic re-certification and re-assessment of surgical skills. This is evolving as a leading frontier of medical education.

As for me, Im happy and proud that I stopped picking up the scalpel before I started cutting myself doing so.

John C. Hagan III is a ophthalmologist and editor, Missouri Medicine, where a longer version of this article originally appeared.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
A Kilkenny doctor says rural practices will just shut down unless the recruiting crisis is remedied soon and hit back at criticisms of the 540 million the HSE paid to General Practices and co-ops last year.

Tadhg Crowley, who works at Ayrfield Medical Centre in Kilkenny City, said: When you look at the figures, youve to look behind them.

When you see that number you might say thats an awful lot of money. But paying that to GPs when the health budget is 14 billion, it isnt bad value.

GPs are responsible for 90% of people contact in the health service.

Reports last week revealed that the highest earning GP co-op in the country was Care-Doc in Kilkenny/Carlow, which received a gross payment on 3.3 million.

This gross payment includes expenses such as the wages of doctors, nurses and clerical staff, insurance and technology. The HSE paid GPs and co-ops 540 million last year for State health schemes, such as treating medical card patients.

The figures revealed that 2,900 GPs or their practices were paid on average more than 186,000 each. More than 40 GP practices and co-ops earned an average of over 500,000 each in payments.

Mr Crowley, who also works as the Kilkenny hurling team doctor, said: A General Practice is a small to medium size enterprise.

An average GP employs 3 to 4 people which contributes to a local economy. The monies published go towards payment of nurses, office staff, costs to run the practices.

If it was as good as it seems GPs should be queuing up, yet the evidence out there is people arent going on GP schemes.

There were 16 GP training places unfilled this year but even the places available [186] are not enough to fill the number of retirements coming each year.

The people coming out of the schemes are not going into full-time GPs. The doctors who are retiring, the people replacing them dont want to go full time.

Were going to end up in a situation where the number of GPs being trained every year will not be enough to replace the number of doctors retiring. This is already happening. In rural areas, practices will just shut down. Another hole in the fabric of rural life. In urban practices you might not have the same doctor numbers resulting in less access to GP.

Im 20 years in practice, whats bringing it to a head now is that secondary care is under huge pressure.

Weve a health tsunami coming with an ageing population and obesity and well need GPs to do more. There needs to be a lot more investment into general practice for that to happen.

The Government are going to have to look at transitional funding for general practice to ameliorate the problem and then long term they have to look at attracting more GPs.

Many GPs say a reversal of the FEMPI cuts of 38% endured in General Practice in the years of austerity is central to ensuring the survival and the future of general practices.

Speaking in this paper last month, President of the Irish College of General Practitioners and Ballyhale based doctor, Richard Brennan, said the viability and future of our rural practices is seriously under threat.

The HSE, based on the demographic profile of current General Medical Service GPs, expects that approximately 157 GPs may retire on age grounds between 2017 and 2021  or over three a month in the next few years.

In a statement previously on the GP crisis in Kilkenny, the Department of Health said the Government is committed to developing GP capacity and making sure it remains an attractive career option.

The next phase of engagement on a new GP contract is under way.
A host of well known local voices look set to return to the airwaves  and this time, for a long time  with confirmation that Community Radio Kilkenny City will next week sign a 10-year contract with the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI).

Its expected that the city-based station could be up and broadcasting again as early as next month, with some electrical and building work to be completed before the microphones go back on.

The news was confirmed at the stations AGM, held at the Newpark Hotel last week. Chairman Cathal Cullen told those in attendance that all the hard work had paid off, and the contract is to be signed in Dublin next Wednesday.

It was a moment of euphoria for those who have been involved in efforts to secure the full-time broadcasting licence for some time now. Mr Cullen thanked all the listeners, the presenters, and the countless others who have given their time, as well as new station manager Declan Gibbons, Seamus Brophy, Pat Treacy, Tomm Dowling, Mick Cummins, and many others.

We have been granted a licence to provide a first class service to the people of Kilkenny  anything other than first class will be a failure, he said.

Mr Cullen said there had been times over the last 14 years where it had seemed the ambition would not be realised.

But, we persisted and it is for that persistence and hard work that I thank the many people who made this dream a reality, he said, also paying tribute to those who are no longer with us  such as the late Fr Jerry Joyce who was one such early visionary.

Getting the long awaited licence means the station can now provide community radio to Kilkenny city and surrounding areas.

Mr Cullen said the station was now at the cusp of something great and new.
Sept 7 (Reuters) - The following are the top stories in the Financial Times. Reuters has not verified these stories and does not vouch for their accuracy.

Headlines

* Downing Street urges business to publicly back Brexit stance. * Facebook reveals Russian spending on U.S. election ads. * Stanley Fischer resigns as Fed vice-chairman. Overview

* The British government has asked FTSE 100 companies to sign a public letter endorsing its Brexit strategy on Wednesday angering many executives who are reluctant to agree.

* Facebook Inc said on Wednesday it had found that an influence operation likely based in Russia spent $100,000 on thousands of ads promoting divisive social and political messages in a two-year-period amid investigations into allegations of Russian efforts to influence the U.S. presidential election.

* U.S. Federal Reserve Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, a veteran central banker who helped set the course for modern monetary policy, said on Wednesday he will step down from his position in mid-October.

(Compiled by Bengaluru newsroom; Editing by Sandra Maler)
By James Regan

SYDNEY, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Gold miners in Western Australia state are being hit with an increase in royalty payments under measures released on Thursday that are designed to return the one-time "economic engine of a nation" to fiscal health via revenue from the mining sector.

The royalty hike to 3.75 percent from 2.5 percent per ounce of gold is expected to raise an additional A$392 million ($313 million) over four years and is aimed at helping to repair the state's finances following the mining boom collapse of a half-decade ago, according to Western Australia Premier Mark McGowan.

Western Australia in fiscal 2017 showed a budget deficit of A$3.04 billion.

Last year the state accounted for about 80 percent of the 287 tonnes of gold mined in Australia - the world's second-biggest producer after China - and received A$250 million in royalty payments. Gold miners said they could not afford the hike in payments to the government.

"Western Australia's gold miners cannot pass on these additional costs," said Bill Beament, chairman of Northern Star Resources Ltd , which mined 514,000 ounces of gold in the state last year.

"This means (miners) will have no choice but to cut costs elsewhere, jeopardising jobs, exploration expenditure and future growth opportunities."

Northern Star recently spent A$130 million to increase its production to 600,000 ounces a year.

Bullion must trade above A$1,200 an ounce for the higher royalty to apply. It last traded below that price in late 2008.

Based on a gold price on Thursday of around A$1,670 an ounce , the hike equates to an additional royalty of about A$20 per ounce.

OTHER MINING FEES

Other sectors of the state's mining-weighted economy also face added costs.

The Pilbara Ports Authority, the world's largest iron ore export terminal, used by sector giants BHP and Fortescue Metals Group , will raise annual dues by 17 percent or A$95 million.

The state's biggest employers, including BHP, Fortescue and Rio Tinto , will be also placed on a temporary progressive payroll tax scale for five years, which McGowan estimates will generate an additional A$435 million in revenue.

"Everyone will need to share the burden to help get Western Australia back on track," he told reporters.

After the global financial crisis of 2008, a mining frenzy spurred by demand for Australian ores had miners scrambling to fill orders. As companies spent billions on new mines and transport infrastructure, politicians took to calling the state the nation's economic engine.

But a cooling China growth turned the boom to bust, leading to massive layoffs and a dramatic drop in state revenue.

($1 = 1.2522 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by James Regan; Editing by Tom Hogue)
By Jesus Aguado

MADRID, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A group of bondholders in failed Banco Popular have filed an appeal against Spain's banking bailout fund, their law firm said on Thursday, after the bank's rescue landed them with 850 million euros ($1.02 billion) of losses.

European authorities orchestrated a rescue of Spain's then sixth-biggest lender in early June which wiped out shareholders and junior bondholders while Popular was sold for a nominal one euro to larger rival Banco Santander .

The group of bondholders, including PIMCO, Algebris, Anchorage Capital Group, Ronit Capital and Cairn Capital, filed the appeal against the FROB bailout fund with Spain's High Court on Wednesday.

The lawsuit is part of efforts by bondholders to find out more about the process behind Popular's resolution and recoup their losses, their law firm, Quinn Emanuel, said in statement.

"The FROB resolution lacked the necessary justification, which made it impossible for stakeholders to evaluate the reasons, the legal basis or the valuation underpinning the FROB resolution," Richard East, a lawyer at Quinn Emanuel, said.

The appeal contests the FROB's resolution of Popular - which followed instructions from the Single Resolution Board, the EU body to liquidate banks.

Some 1.9 billion euros of subordinated and convertible bonds were wiped out.

Popular had a stock market valuation of around 1.3 billion euros the day it was bailed out.

Quinn Emanuel represents holders of 850 million euros of junior bonds in Banco Popular, according to a July 10 letter seen by Reuters which was sent to the European Parliament.

The Spanish case follows lawsuits filed by bondholders and shareholders to the General Court of Justice of the European Union asking for the rescue to be reversed and their bonds restored. Several Spanish consumer groups representing small shareholders have also lodged claims against the SRB's intervention with Europe's top court, as has a group of Mexican investors in the bank, headed by billionaire Antonio del Valle, who had a 4 percent stake in Popular.

Spanish taxpayers were spared from footing the bill and the bank's savers and activities were not affected as Santander took over the ailing lender.

($1 = 0.8354 euros)

(Editing by Angus Berwick and Jason Neely)
* TSX down 35.3 points, or 0.23 percent, to 15,024.53

* Five of the TSX's 10 main groups down

* Falling bond yields weigh on financials

By Solarina Ho

TORONTO, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Canada's main stock index fell on Thursday, pressured by a retreat in energy and financial stocks as investors tracked Hurricane Irma and falling global bond yields.

Enbridge Inc was the biggest driver of the index's decline, falling 1.3 percent to C$49.23, while Manulife Financial Corp declined 1.6 percent to C$23.55.

The energy group retreated 0.6 percent. U.S. crude slipped on a bigger-than-expected crude stock build, as the restart of U.S. refiners after Hurricane Harvey was countered by the threat of Hurricane Irma. The financial services sector, which accounts for roughly a third of the index's weight, slipped 0.6 percent, as Hurricane Irma weighed on insurance companies and bank stocks were pressured by a drop in global bond yields. "People are worried about the yield curve pivoting," said Irwin Michael, portfolio manager at ABC Funds. "They're always worried about a flattening out and maybe even inverting. We don't see it happening, but it's a concern."

The Toronto Stock Exchange's S&P/TSX composite index fell 35.3 points, or 0.23 percent, to 15,024.53.

Half of the index's 10 main groups were in the red, with telecoms down 1.1 percent.

"The Canadian stock market is the only one of the big seven that is down for the year, so we've got some catch-up to do here in Canada," Michael said.

Partially offsetting the losses were gains by the materials group. The resource-focused sector added 0.3 percent, as gold miners profited from bullion prices that touched a one-year-high following weak U.S. jobs data.

A 1.6 percent jump in consumer discretionary stocks was led by Dollarama Inc . Dollarama shares rose 10.6 percent to C$134.72 after the company posted a stronger-than-expected quarterly profit. Hudson's Bay Co climbed 6.7 percent to C$13.01, extending Wednesday's gains after an activist shareholder said it believed that a highly qualified third-party buyer had "serious interest" in acquiring the department store operator's European chain. The index posted nine new 52-week highs and two new lows.

(Reporting by Solarina Ho; Editing by Leslie Adler)
(Corrects 5th para to make clear Hogg is replacing Bill Sheedy)

Sept 7 (Reuters) - Visa Inc , the world's largest payments processor, on Thursday named former Bank of England (BoE) deputy governor Charlotte Hogg as chief executive of its Europe division.

Hogg, who resigned from the BoE in March over concerns about a potential conflict of interest, will take the top job at Visa Europe from Oct. 1. Hogg left the British central bank after failing to disclose that her brother held a senior position at Barclays , one of the biggest lenders overseen by the BoE. The potential conflict of interest had prompted an unprecedented rebuke from British lawmakers. Before her role at the BoE, Hogg led retail distribution for Santander in the UK and previously worked at Experian Plc as managing director of its UK and Irish operations.

She replaces Bill Sheedy as Visa Europe's chief executive. Sheedy is to return to his previous role in the United States, overseeing Visa's global strategy, M&A, global policy and government relations.

Visa acquired Visa Europe, its former subsidiary, in June last year.

(Reporting by Nikhil Subba in Bengaluru; Editing by Sai Sachin Ravikumar)
MANILA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Philippine prosecutors have recommended the filing of charges against a former bank manager for her part in laundering of tens of millions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh's central bank last year but cleared two casino agents and a remittance firm.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution said it had dropped charges filed by the government's Anti-Money Laundering Council against Philrem Service Corp, which had called the remittance firm a "cleaning house" last year in the movement of funds from one of the world's biggest cyber-heists.

The DOJ resolution was dated Aug 24 but was distributed on Thursday.

Hackers broke into Bangladesh Bank's account at the New York Federal Reserve in February last year and sought to move nearly $1 billion, mostly to accounts in the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) Many of the transfer orders were blocked or reversed by intermediary banks, but $81 million made it to accounts in fake names at RCBC. Most of the funds then disappeared into Manila's loosely regulated casino industry.

The DOJ recommended that Maia Deguito, a former branch manager at RCBC, and four unknown people who opened accounts in fake names be charged with "eight counts of violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act".

Deguito's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio described the recommendation as "a travesty of justice of the worst kind".

"The DOJ has, in effect, come to the laughable conclusion that a mere bank manager stole $81 million from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Bangladesh, and laundered it through the Philippine banking system and the casino complex, all by her lonesome self," he said in a mobile text message to reporters.

The DOJ also cleared casino boss Kim Wong and junket operator Weikang Xu of any liability, but the resolution did not explain why, only saying the dismissal of the cases against them stands. Wong has returned nearly $15 million of the stolen funds.

Philrem has denied charges that it was used to launder the money. The DOJ said the company escaped criminal charges after its owners showed proof that they had alerted authorities about the suspicious transactions.

RCBC was fined a record one billion Philippine pesos ($19.64 million) by the Philippine central bank for its failure to prevent the movement of the stolen money through its bank, while a top Bangladeshi investigator has said he suspected some IT technicians from the Dhaka-based bank helped the hackers carry out the heist. ($1 = 50.9150 Philippine pesos)

(Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing By Raju Gopalakrishnan)
DUBLIN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Ireland will seek early repayment of 5.5 billion euros of loans it took out as part of its 2010 international bailout, a government source told Reuters on Thursday.

The loans include 4.5 billion euros from the International Monetary Fund, 600 million euros owed to Sweden and 400 million borrowed from Denmark in bilateral loans as part of the bailout package.

Ireland reduced the cost of its debt through the early repayment of its more expensive IMF bailout loans in 2014 and 2015, replacing the debt with funds raised at cheaper market rates to save around 1.5 billion euros.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin; Writing by Conor Humphries; editing by John Stonestreet)
ROME, Sept 7 (Reuters) - An Italian banking fund will spend some 640 million euros to bolster three small regional lenders and buy a portion of their bad loans so they can be taken over by French lender Credit Agricole , two sources said on Thursday. Credit Agricole is buying the Cesena, Rimini and San Miniato savings banks for 130 million euros but wants them cleared first of their bad loans, worth around 3 billion euros gross.

Under a plan drawn up by Italian authorities to avert their collapse, the country's Interbank Deposit Protection Fund - which is financed by domestic banks - will pump 427 million euros into the three lenders buying into a capital increase, the sources said.

The fund will also spend an additional 213 million euros to buy the junior tranche of the banks' bad loans, which are set to be repackaged as securities and sold.

The mezzanine tranche will be worth 634 million euros, with bailout fund Atlante II and state-owned company SGA expected to invest some 400 million euros. The remainder of the money still needs to be found, the sources said.

The senior tranche will be worth 416 million euros and will be financed either through a bridge loan or a private placement, the sources said. It will benefit at later stage from a state guarantee known as GACS.

Credit Agricole, which has been in talks with the Bank of Italy and the banking deposit fund for months over the planned acquisition, has set a Sept. 15 deadline to reach a deal. ($1 = 0.8324 euros)

(Reporting by Giuseppe Fonte, writing by Silvia Aloisi)
WASHINGTON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Comprehensive reform of the U.S. tax code is still likely to pass by the end of 2017, U.S. Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin told Fox Business Network in an interview on Thursday.

"It's still very viable to get it done this year," Mnuchin said. "We have a path to get this done this year, and we're still very hopeful that we can get it done," he added, saying it was his and U.S. President Donald Trump's top priority.

(Reporting by Susan Heavey and Doina Chiacu; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
BUCHAREST, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Romania's Social Democrat government could make a mandatory private pension scheme optional from 2018, Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said on Thursday.

Romania overhauled its communist-era pension system in 2008, making it compulsory for working Romanians under 35 to contribute to a "second pillar" of private pension schemes as well as their state pension.

But Tudose said last month the European Union state was analysing whether to cut contributions to the private pension scheme to redirect some of the funds into state coffers. "I think the solution we are heading towards is to tell the population, based on their salary levels, where it is best to keep their money," Tudose told local television station Digi24. "No one is dismantling the second pillar, tormenting or torturing it, but it will be optional."

Just under 7 million people were contributing to second- pillar private pension funds, whose assets totalled 36.06 billion lei ($9.28 billion) at the end of June, or the equivalent of more than 4 percent of gross domestic product.

(Reporting by Luiza Ilie)
CAPE TOWN, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Amendments to South Africa's mineral resources law are expected to be passed by December and provide greater investor certainty, mines minister Mosebenzi Zwane told a conference in Australia on Thursday. Changes to the Mineral and Petroleum Resources Development Act were initially passed by parliament, but were then sent back to lawmakers by President Jacob Zuma in 2015 due to concerns over its constitutionality.

(Reporting by Wendell Roelf; Editing by Joe Brock)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
JOHANNESBURG, Sept 7 (Reuters) - South African black-owned asset manager ARC Investments aims to grow into a fund of up to 25 billion rand ($2 billion), one of its co-chief executives said on Thursday after listing on the Johannesburg stock market.

ARC is operating in something of an investment sweetspot, with South African law and industry codes requiring companies to boost shareholding by black investors as part of government efforts to increase black involvement in the economy.

ARC Investments was founded by mining tycoon Patrice Motsepe, considered South Africa's first black billionaire, and two of financial services group Sanlam's former executives, Johan van Zyl and Johan van der Merwe.

"We would like to grow the fund to 20 billion to 25 billion rand," Co-Chief Executive Van Zyl told Reuters.

The company has already completed about 40 investments for about 6 billion rand as a black empowerment shareholder in the past 18 months and has a further 2 billion to 2.5 billion rand available, he added.

That money can go a long way because black empowerment partners have the ability to negotiate discounts and financing deals before they invest, Van Zyl said.

"For empowerment there is a lot of money available to do financing, to be clever, and this is a big part of the skills we have," he said.

ARC opened at 868 cents per share on Thursday, after the initial public offering was oversubscribed at 850 cents, raising around 8 billion rand. By 1227 GMT the shares were trading at 845 cents. ($1 = 12.8169 rand)

(Reporting by TJ Strydom; Editing by David Goodman)
DAR ES SALAAM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - A Tanzanian minister who was named in reports on the results of an investigation into the diamond mining industry has resigned, state-run television broadcaster TBC1 said on Thursday. TBC1 said that George Simbachawene, the Minister of State in the President's Office, had relinquished his post.

(Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala; Editing by George Obulutsa, Greg Mahlich)

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. economy probably grew faster than reported in the second quarter, with data on Thursday suggesting stronger consumer spending than previously estimated.

The quarterly services survey, or QSS, from the Commerce Department implied consumer spending increased more briskly than the 3.3 percent annualized rate reported last week in its second estimate of gross domestic product.

The QSS report added to data on construction spending and factory orders in suggesting that second-quarter GDP growth could be revised higher from its 3.0 percent rate when the government publishes its third estimate later this month.

Considering the construction, factory orders and QSS data, JPMorgan is forecasting that GDP growth for the quarter would be raised to a 3.4 percent rate.

We believe that the QSS points to an upward revision to the ... estimate of real consumption growth, said economist Daniel Silver of JPMorgan in New York.
LONDON, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Long-dated British government bond yields fell to their lowest level since April on Thursday, tracking similar moves in other major sovereign debt markets.

The 30-year gilt yield touched a low of 1.624 percent at 1513 GMT, down 4 basis points on the day and the lowest since April 19 - the day after Prime Minister Theresa May called a national election she was expected to win easily.

The 10-year yield touched 0.962 percent, also down 4 basis points on the day and its lowest since June 14, when soft U.S. data pushed yields to their lowest since October. U.S. Treasury yields fell again sharply on Thursday, weighed by weak jobless claims data and worries about the impact of hurricanes Irma and Harvey on the world's largest economy, while German yields fell after the European Central Bank gave no timetable to rein in bond purchases. (Reporting by Andy Bruce, editing by David Milliken)
* Opposition from steelmaking and import countries

* Case passes to appeal, proposal could be revised

* Industry opposes minimum price element

* Duties already set for imports from China

(Updates with implications of rejection)

By Philip Blenkinsop

BRUSSELS, Sept 7 (Reuters) - European Union governments rejected the bloc's proposed measures to levy punitive tariffs on hot-rolled steel from Brazil, Iran, Russia and Ukraine on Thursday, with some member states considering the measures too lax, others too tough.

European steelmakers have accused the four countries of dumping the steel used in construction and machinery and the European Commission, which oversees trade policy in the 28-member European Union, had set out plans to levy tariffs of up to 33 percent.

It had also proposed that duties would not apply if the product was sold at or above a set minimum price of 472.27 euros ($568) per tonne.

European steelmakers federation Eurofer, which had lodged a complaint and wanted import duties, criticised the minimum price element of the proposal.

As a result EU countries, including those with steelmakers and those interested in cheap steel, opposed the overall plan, EU sources said. The former believed the measures were too weak, the latter considered them too strong.

The case will now pass to a so-called appeals committee, also comprising the 28 EU members. In such appeal cases, the Commission often revises its plans. The committee will meet on or after Sept. 25.

The Commission's proposal would be then cleared unless a majority of states also representing a majority of the EU's population vote against.

Chinese imports of hot-rolled steel into the EU are already subject to duties of up to 35.9 percent, with no minimum price. The Commission has previously used the minimum price approach for imports of solar panels from China to settle one of the most contested trade disputes between Brussels and Beijing. However, that has not stopped arguments over what level that price should be. ($1 = 0.8318 euros)

(Reporting By Philip Blenkinsop; Editing by Susan Fenton)
(Adds Fed reaction, adds heist context)

MANILA, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Philippine prosecutors have recommended the filing of charges against a former bank manager for her part in laundering tens of millions of dollars stolen from Bangladesh's central bank last year, but they cleared two casino agents and a remittance firm.

A Department of Justice (DOJ) resolution said it had dropped charges filed by the government's Anti-Money Laundering Council against Philrem Service Corp, which had called the remittance firm a "cleaning house" last year in the movement of funds from one of the world's biggest cyber-heists.

The DOJ resolution was dated Aug 24 but was distributed on Thursday.

Hackers penetrated Bangladesh Bank in February last year and sent fraudulent requests for nearly $1 billion from its account at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, mostly intended for accounts in the Manila-based Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) .

Many of the transfer orders were blocked or reversed by the U.S. central bank and intermediary banks, but $81 million made it to accounts in fake names at RCBC. Most of the funds then disappeared into Manila's loosely regulated casino industry.

The DOJ recommended that Maia Deguito, a former branch manager at RCBC, and four unknown people who opened accounts in fake names be charged with "eight counts of violation of the Anti-Money Laundering Act".

Deguito's lawyer Ferdinand Topacio described the recommendation as "a travesty of justice of the worst kind".

"The DOJ has, in effect, come to the laughable conclusion that a mere bank manager stole $81 million from the Federal Reserve and the Bank of Bangladesh, and laundered it through the Philippine banking system and the casino complex, all by her lonesome self," he said in a mobile text message to reporters.

The New York Fed, which has cooperated with international investigators, declined to comment on the DOJ resolution.

The DOJ also cleared casino boss Kim Wong and junket operator Weikang Xu of any liability, but the resolution did not explain why, only saying the dismissal of the cases against them stands. Wong has returned nearly $15 million of the stolen funds.

Philrem has denied charges that it was used to launder the money. The DOJ said the company escaped criminal charges after its owners showed proof that they had alerted authorities about the suspicious transactions.

RCBC was fined a record one billion Philippine pesos ($19.64 million) by the Philippine central bank for its failure to prevent the movement of the stolen money through its bank, while a top Bangladeshi investigator has said he suspected some IT technicians from the Dhaka-based bank helped the hackers carry out the heist. ($1 = 50.9150 Philippine pesos)

(Reporting By Manuel Mogato; Editing By Raju Gopalakrishnan and Chizu Nomiyama)
(Adds comments, background)

HELSINKI, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Finnish exports jumped 20 percent in July from a year earlier, data showed on Thursday, suggesting the economy was set for strong annual growth after years of trouble.

Preliminary data from the national customs office showed that January-July exports were up 16 percent from low levels the previous year.

The Finnish economy is picking itself up from a decade of stagnation, sparked among other things by a decline in Nokia's former phone business and recession in neighbouring Russia.

The office said the rise in July was sharpest in passenger cars and refined oil products. Finland's Valmet Automotive has recently signed new manufacturing deals with Mercedes-Benz.

"These figures indicate that the third quarter has started off well... the economic growth is broad-based and the export growth also shows that competitiveness has improved," said Danske Bank economist Pasi Kuoppamaki.

However, he noted that exports are still below levels seen prior to the financial crisis in 2008, adding that wages should rise slower than those in rival countries Sweden and Germany in order to improve competitiveness further.

The trade balance for July showed a deficit of 300 million euros ($357 million) while the deficit for the first seven months of the year stood at 1.2 billion euros.

Latest forecasts by banks and the government see the economy growing by between 2 and 3 percent this year before slowing to around 1.5-2.0 percent in 2018.

($1 = 0.8392 euros)

(Reporting by Jussi Rosendahl; editing by Jason Neely)
* Petra shares fall as much as 3.5 pct

* Petra says all business transparent, compliant

* Parliament reports show corruption in mining sector - PM

(Updates with comment from Petra, analyst, updates shares)

By Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala

DAR ES SALAAM, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Tanzanian President John Magufuli has ordered a review of a Petra Diamonds Ltd contract and asked senior public officials to resign over the outcome of a probe into the mining sector, he said on Thursday.

The moves are the latest attempt by Magufuli to tighten control over the mining industry to boost government revenues and stamp out alleged corruption.

"I have endorsed all the recommendations of the parliamentary probe committees for the review of the Williamson diamond mine contract," Magufuli said in a televised broadcast.

London-listed Petra has a 75 percent stake in the mine, while the government owns the rest. The company's shares fell as much as 3.5 percent, but had trimmed losses to trade down 0.9 percent at 90 pence by 1240 GMT.

Petra said in a statement its business was conducted in a transparent manner and it complied with all legislation in Tanzania. The mine accounted for 18 percent of Petra's revenues last year.

A parliamentary committee said there were "gross irregularities" in the manner in which the Tanzanian government diluted its shareholding in Williamson from an initial 50 percent to the current 25 percent.

In his televised broadcast, Magufuli named three senior public officials he had asked to resign. The officials could not immediately be reached for comment.

He also said he had ordered law enforcement agencies to investigate allegations of under-declared diamond exports.

CRACKDOWN

The president's actions are a continuation of a crackdown in the mining sector - which accounts for about 4 percent of Tanzania's gross domestic product.

Magufuli has sent shockwaves through the mining industry in Africa's fourth-largest gold producer since his election late in 2015 with actions he says are aimed at ensuring that mining companies pay a fair share of taxes.

Tanzania has passed new laws to increase mining taxes, to force companies to renegotiate their contracts and to allow the state to own up to 50 percent of shares in mining companies.

In March, it banned exports of copper concentrate or mineral sand for processing abroad, which particularly hit gold miner Acacia Mining , the biggest in the country. "It seems like it's open season on all the miners in Tanzania right now," said Investec analyst Hunter Hillcoat.

Acacia said on Monday it had stopped underground work at its flagship gold mine and cut annual production guidance due to the ban. Magufuli also instructed law enforcement agencies to investigate allegations of tax evasion and corruption in diamond and tanzanite mining.

Another parliamentary committee that investigated tanzanite mining said there was massive smuggling of the purple-blue gemstone.

Tanzania, the world's only source of tanzanite, banned exports of the raw gemstone from April 2010.

The parliamentary committee said its investigation revealed Tanzania had received just 5.2 percent of revenues from global tanzanite trade over the past decade.

"It's unacceptable that we have been getting just 5.2 percent of tanzanite revenues as a nation ... this is shameful," Magufuli said.

"I am instructing our law enforcement agencies to swiftly investigate all these allegations contained in these reports against these public officials ... we cannot be truly independent if our natural resources are being plundered."

Tanzania's Prime Minister Kassim Majaliwa said the parliamentary reports exposed "massive looting and corruption" in the country's mining sector.

Magufuli fired his mining minister and the chief of the state-run mineral audit agency in May after the release of another audit into possible undeclared exports by mining companies to evade tax, at the time targeting gold. (Reporting by Fumbuka Ng'wanakilala in Dar Es Salaam, Maggie Fick in Nairobi and Zandi Shabalala in Johannesburg; Editing by George Obulutsa, Dale Hudson and Mark Potter)
By MacDonald Dzirutwe

HARARE, Sept 7 (Reuters) - Zimbabwean business leaders told President Robert Mugabe on Thursday that his government's expanding fiscal deficit was unsustainable and that financing it through local borrowing could destabilise the banking sector.

At the first such meeting in 10 years, executives from the mining, manufacturing, banking and farming sectors and representatives of foreign airlines told Mugabe and his cabinet ministers they must exercise fiscal discipline.

"The current levels of the fiscal deficit and the mode of financing, against diminished fiscal revenue sources, is measurably unsustainable," said Charles Msipa, who represented the business leaders at the meeting in Harare.

"This scenario invariably leads to an unsustainable domestic debt build up, with significant adverse implications on the banking sector stability," Msipa said.

Mugabe did not directly respond, but said there should be more meetings between his cabinet and business leaders.

In July, Finance Minister Patrick Chinamasa said the budget deficit had risen to $1.4 billion in 2016, worse than previously estimated and equivalent to 10 percent of national output. Zimbabwe has not been able to borrow on international financial markets since 1999 after defaulting on repayments to the International Monetary Fund and other foreign lenders and must rely on domestic taxes to fund its $4 billion budget.

The government is borrowing from banks by issuing Treasury Bills, which analysts say is a major cause of liquidity shortages in the economy.

The central bank says the total stock of Treasury Bills in the market is $2.5 billion, but bankers and financial analysts say the figure is much higher.

Msipa said foreign currency shortages meant businesses were struggling to pay for imports, echoing a warning by a retailers' association this week that problems importing could lead to shortages of basic goods.

Last month, the central bank ordered platinum and chrome miners, the country's main foreign currency earners, to surrender 80 percent of their export earnings to it -- up from 50 percent -- to contain a crippling dollar note shortage. (Reporting by MacDonald Dzirutwe; Editing by Ed Stoddard and Catherine Evans)
Black Caucus secures funding for Tennessee African-American museums





Green McAdoo Cultural Center. Image by Jeaneane Payne

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators has secured funding for a significant number of African-American Museums across the state. Working with Governor Bill Haslam, the Caucus is announcing $400,000 in one-time appropriations that have been approved in the Governors 2017-2018 budget. They are:



1. The Withers Collection Museum and Gallery, Memphis - $85,000



2. The Allen-White School (originally the Hardeman County Training School), Whiteville - $90,000



3. The Mayme Carmichael School (originally the Oliver Springs Colored School), Oliver Springs - $85,000



4. The Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Knoxville - $40,000



5. The African American International Museum Foundation, Memphis - $10,000



6. The Slave Haven Underground Railroad Museum, Memphis - $10,000



7. Pickett Chapel, Wilson County - $40,000



8. The Bessie Smith Museum, Chattanooga - $40,000



Additionally, the Green McAdoo Cultural Center in Clinton will receive $100,000 in recurring funds. TBCSL Chair Rep. Raumesh Akbari of Memphis thanked the Governor for his help in procuring the well-deserved funding. The money appropriated will go a long way toward maintaining and preserving the history of a deserving people, Rep. Akbari said. The Tennessee Black Caucus of State Legislators is extremely proud to have helped these museums in their quest to inform the public.



Rep. Harold Love Jr. of Nashville said, This Legislative years efforts by the TN Black Caucus to secure funds for African American Museums across the state is a continuation of the success we had last year in securing 2 million dollars for the National Museum of African American Music in Nashville.



This commitment to the States African-American Museums is outstanding, Rep. Rick Staples of Knoxville added. I felt it was my obligation to secure funding for the Beck Cultural Exchange Center (Knoxville), Green McAdoo Cultural Center (Clinton) and Mayme Carmichael School (Oliver Springs) to ensure the rich history of East Tennessee that has shaped and enriched my life. This shows that the State of Tennessee wants to keep the story of ALL Tennesseans alive. Published September 7, 2017








Memoir of a Murderer

Byeong-soo (Sol Kyung-gu), a former serial killer, suffers from Alzheimer's disease. One day, Tae-joo (Kim Nam-gil) gets close to his daughter, Eun-hee (Kim Seol-hyun), with plans to kill her. To protect Eun-hee, Byeong-soo plots to kill Tae-joo and fights his ailing memory, but it becomes apparent his memories may not be as reliable as he believes them to be. Directed by Won Shin-yun.



It

In Derry, Maine, in the summer of 1989, a group of outcast preteens known as "The Losers Club" fights against Pennywise (Bill Skarsgard), an evil clown whose history of murder dates back centuries, and are forced to confront their own personal demons in the process. Based on Stephen King's 1986 novel of the same name. Directed by Andres Muschietti.



The 9th Life of Louis Drax

An acclaimed neurologist (Jamie Dornan) taps into the unconscious mind of a nine-year-old boy (Aiden Longworth) who has survived nine near-death accidents, and finds himself drawn into a mystery that tests the boundaries of fantasy and reality. Based on the novel of the same title by Liz Jensen. Directed by Alexandre Aja.



Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets

In the 28th century, special operatives Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevigne) work together to maintain order throughout the human territories. Under assignment from the minister of defense, the duo embarks on a mission to Alpha, an ever-expanding metropolis where diverse species gather to share knowledge and culture. Directed by Luc Besson.



The Hitman's Bodyguard

Bodyguard Michael Bryce (Ryan Reynolds) is called upon to protect his mortal enemy, one of the world's most notorious hitmen Darius Kincaid (Samuel L. Jackson). During their journey from England to The Hague, they encounter high-speed car chases, outlandish boat escapades and a merciless Eastern European dictator who is out for blood. Directed by Patrick Hughes.
Sir Simon Rattle will appear with the Berliner Philharmoniker on Nov. 19 and 20 at the Concert Hall of Seoul Arts Center. / Courtesy of Kumho Asiana Cultural Foundation



Classical Concerts



The 4th Seoul International Community Orchestra Festival'

Sejong Center for the Performing Arts

Sept. 16 to 24

Orchestras from all over the world will perform at Sejong Center for the Performing Arts as part of the 4th Seoul International Community Orchestra Festival from Sept. 16 to 24. About 3,400 people, including professional and amateur musicians, will participate in this festival with the help of Seoul's cultural policy to encourage arts in everyday life. Throughout the nine-day festival, 54 domestic and international groups will perform at Sejong Grand Theater, Sejong M Theater and Sejong Chamber Hall.

Tickets cost 20,000 for all seats. Outdoor performances are free of charge. For more information, visit sejongpac.or.kr or call (02) 399-1000.

Sir Simon Rattle & Berliner Philharmoniker'

Seoul Arts Center Concert Hall

Nov. 19 and 20

Renowned English conductor Sir Simon Rattle and the world famous orchestra Berliner Philharmoniker will perform at the Concert Hall of Seoul Arts Center on Nov. 19 and 20. This will be the Berliner Philharmoniker's sixth visit in South Korea, and also the final concert with Sir Simon Rattle as he will step down as artistic director of Berliner Philharmoniker in 2018.

On Nov. 19, Chinese pianist Lang Lang will interpret Bartok's Piano Concerto No.2, and the orchestra will play Brahms' Symphony No.4. The following day, Simon Rattle will present Korean composer Jin Eun-sook's music for the first time, which was written specifically for the Berliner Philharnomiker's Asia tour this year. The program on Nov. 20 also includes Stravinsky's Petrushka and Rachmaninoff's Symphony No. 3.

Tickets cost 70,000 to 450,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 6303-1977.

Big Tickets

The Chainsmokers: MemoriesDo Not Open Asia Tour 2017'

Busan KBS Hall & Seoul Jamsil Indoor Gym

Sept. 11 and 12

As part of their world tour, the American EDM duo The Chainsmokers (Alex Pall and Drew Taggart) will visit Korea for two concerts on Sept. 11 at Busan KBS Hall, and Sept. 12 at Seoul Jamsil Indoor Gym.

With their music style known for blurring the lines between indie, pop, dance music and hip-hop, The Chainsmokers have gained worldwide popularity since 2014. They won an American Music Award in 2016 and their song "Don't Let me Down" won a Grammy for Best Dance Recording in 2017. For Korean audiences, this concert is the first opportunity to appreciate The Chainsmokers' live performance.

Tickets cost 88,000 to 132,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or ticket.yes24.com or call (02) 1544-1555 or (02) 1544-6399.

Pop & Jazz

Seoul Forest Jazz Festival 2017'

Seoul Forest

Oct. 7 to 8

From Oct. 7 to 8, Seoul Forest Jazz Festival 2017 will be held at Seoul Forest, located in Seongdong-gu, Seoul.

On Oct. 7, from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m., famous jazz musicians such as Haewon, Na Hee-kyung, the Sweetpea Quintet, Lee Han-earl Organ Trio and Suh Soo-jin will perform. On Oct. 8, other famous artists including Yoonhan, Song Young-joo, Dear Jazz Orchestra and Oh Wha Pyong Trio perform live.

Ticket price varies from 48,000 to 77,000 won depending on how many entry days it covers. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 337-9966.

Plays & Musicals

Cats'

National Theater of Korea

Until Sept. 10

Broadway's legendary musical "Cats" is being presented at the National Theater of Korea until Sept. 10.

One special night, all the cats of the Jellicle tribe gather and dance, waiting for their leader, Old Deuteronomy, to select a cat to be reborn into a new life in heaven. One of them is Grizabella, who was once beautiful and glamorous, but now is scorned and despised by other cats. When Grizabella sings the famous number "Memory," in retrospect of her life and hoping for a new future, the other cats accept her back again into the community, and Old Deuteronomy chooses her to ascend to heaven. Actress Laura Emmitt pays Grizabella, and Brad Little plays Old Deuteronomy.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 150,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-3363.

'Cyrano'

LG Arts Center

Until Oct. 8

The musical "Cyrano," based on the play of the same title by French dramatist Edmond Rostand, will be presented at the LG Arts Center.

In mid-17th century Paris lives a man named Cyrano, who has amazing literary talents. He is in love with beautiful Roxane, but cannot confess his feelings because of an inferiority complex. Unaware of Cyrano's feelings, Roxane falls in love with Cyrano's handsome friend, Christian. On behalf of Christian, who is a terrible writer, Cyrano ghostwrites wonderful love letters to Roxane. Actors Ryu Jung-han and Hong Kwang-ho play Cyrano.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1588-5212.

Napoleon'

Charlotte Theater

Until Oct. 22

For the first time in Asia, the musical "Napoleon" will be presented at the Charlotte Theater until Oct. 22.

The musical "Napoleon" was created by composer Timothy Williams and writer Andrew Sabiston. Since its premiere in 1994, it has been staged in numerous places around the world including the West End and Broadway. The musical depicts the turbulent life of Napoleon, as well as his complex relationships with his wife Josephine and chief diplomat Talleyrand.

Michael K. Lee, Im Tae-kyung and Han Ji-sang will play the role of Napoleon.

Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-3363.

Ben-Hur'

Chungmu Arts Center

Until Oct. 29

The musical "Ben-Hur," based on Lew Wallace's 1880 novel of the same name, will be staged at the Chungmu Arts Center until Oct. 29.

"Ben-Hur" revolves around a fictional hero named Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish nobleman falsely accused of an assassination attempt and enslaved by the Romans. The music of this show will be performed on a combination of classical and electronic instruments, effectively bringing out the actors' performances as well as highlighting the revenge plot, which becomes a story of compassion and forgiveness. Also the stage design is expected to attract the audience's attention as Ben-Hur's story takes place in Jerusalem in 30 A.D.

Actors Yoo Joon-sang, ParkEun-tae and Ivy appear in this musical.

Tickets cost 50,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 577-1987.

Hedwig and the Angry Inch'

Hongik Daehangno Art Center

Until Nov. 5

Hongik Daehangno Art Center will run a rock musical, "Hedwig and the Angry Inch" from Aug. 18 to Nov. 5.

Hedwig, a transgender woman who fronts a rock band, tours around the U.S. with her band, the "Angry Inch." She abuses her husband Yitzhak, and expresses extreme hatred toward Tommy Gnosis, a famous rock star and former lover, who abandoned her after learning about her gender identity. On stage, she decides to reveal the story of her past to the audience.

Actor Oh Man-seok and Yoo Yeon-seok plays Hedwig.

Tickets cost 55,000 to 99,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 3485-8700.

Rebecca'

Blue Square

Until Nov. 12

A musical full of suspense, "Rebecca," will be shown at Blue Square until Nov. 12.

A young woman, "I," marries a man named Maxim de Winter, who is suffering from the tragic loss of his first wife, Rebecca. When "I" moves in to Maxim's place, she soon realizes that the place is heavy with a grave atmosphere. "I" fears she is an unworthy replacement for the beautiful and mysterious Rebecca. However, the situation takes a new turn when Rebecca's corpse is found in a lake.

Actor Chung Sung-hwa and Um Ki-joon plays Maxim, while Kim Keum-na and Lee Ji-hye plays "I".

Tickets cost 60,000 to 140,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call 1577-6478.

Dance

Swan Lake'

Seoul Arts Center Opera House

Nov.9 to 12

With the music of the famous Russian composer Tchaikovsky, the ballet company of the Mariinsky Theatre will perform at the Opera House of Seoul Arts Center from Nov. 9 to 12. Mariinsky Ballet, based in Saint Petersburg, Russia, was founded in the 18th century and is one of the world's leading ballet companies. It will be the first repertoire in which the white swan Odette and the black swan Odile are played by the same ballerina. In addition, the principal players from Mariinsky Orchestra will present the beautiful music of Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" along with Seoul Concert Philharmonic.

Ballet dancers Viktoria Tereshkina, Irina Sapozhnikova, Kimin Kim and Sergey Umanetc will appear in this performance.

Tickets cost 50,000 to 280,000 won. For more information, visit ticket.interpark.com or call (02) 598-9416.

Clubs

Club Octagon

Nonhyeon

Located near the New Hilltop Hotel in Nonhyeon, Club Octagon is notable for its stylish interiors and elite clientele. The club features a performance stage, lounge bar and dining area and is the perfect place to unwind on a night out after work or on the weekend. It is near exit 4 of Hakdong Station on Line 7. For more information, call (02) 516-8847.

Club Globe Lounge

Itaewon

Club Globe Lounge is famous among women looking for a place to throw birthday parties or enjoy a light dinner. From 7 p.m. to 10 p.m., it serves as a bar, changing into a club after 10 p.m. Every Thursday, Club Globe Lounge has a Happy Hour buffet for guests. Club Globe Lounge is located near the Hamilton Hotel by exit 2 of Itaewon Station on Line 6. For more information, call (02) 792-1127.

Club Evans

Hongik University

Club Evans is a live music club that has served as a platform for emerging jazz artists for a decade. It also operates jazz recording studios, where it produces albums for many local jazz artists, and a jazz academy. Club Evans holds jazz concerts and music sessions every Monday and Tuesday. Opening at 7:30 p.m., Club Evans is located near exit 1 of Sangsu Station on Line 6. For more information, visit clubevans.com or call (02) 337-8361.

Once in a Blue Moon

Apgujeong

Once in a Blue Moon, one of the best-known jazz clubs in the city, features live jazz sets from two different bands every night, usually starting at 7:30 p.m. It is located between the Hakdong Intersection and Galleria Department Store in Apgujeong. For more information, visit onceinabluemoon.co.kr or call (02) 549-5490.

Club Answer

Cheongdam

Club Answer, chosen as one of the five hottest clubs in Seoul by CNN, features music by some of the city's best DJs and a spacious interior with state-of-the art lighting nightly. Club Answer is located in Cheongdam, a posh Seoul district famous for its party culture, near exit 13 of Cheongdam Station on Line 7. For more information, call (02) 514-4311.

Club Double Eight

Sinsa

Opened in 2010, Club Double Eight takes clubbing to new heights. Located in Gangnam, near exit 1 of Sinsa Station on Line 3, it provides diverse hotel promotions and features weekend lineups with exuberant DJs. For more information, call (02) 543-8803.
The United States does not plan to withdraw from its free trade agreement with South Korea for now, a report quoted sources as saying Wednesday.



According to Inside U.S. Trade, the White House assured key lawmakers that it would not push forward on its earlier plan to weigh termination of the five-year-old pact known as KORUS.



Last week, there were reports that President Donald Trump had instructed advisers to prepare for a withdrawal after the first South Korea-U.S. meeting in August that discussed possible amendments to the deal did not go well.



Trump reportedly planned to meet with his advisers this week to further discuss the issue. But North Korea's nuclear test on Sunday led to sharp criticism that now is a time for South Korea and the U.S. to strengthen their alliance, not undermine it with a trade row.



"The plan to terminate the agreement had been discussed with several Capitol Hill offices including that of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI), who was one of the lawmakers informed that the administration had decided not to withdraw," the publication quoted the sources as saying.



"But the business community has been asked by some inside the White House to keep up the pressure against withdrawal because, as one source put it, 'POTUS is so unpredictable,'" it added, using the acronym of President of the United States.



Trump has blamed the agreement for the U.S. trade deficit with South Korea.



South Korea has called for a joint study of the agreement's impact on the two economies. (Yonhap)








Kim Jung-rae, KNOC CEO

By Lee Hyo-sik

The head of the Korea National Oil Corp. (KNOC) is facing mounting pressure to resign amid a scandal over alleged recruitment irregularities.

Union members at the state-run enterprise have been demanding CEO Kim Jung-rae quit for forcing subordinates to hire his acquaintances as senior managers early this year. The company has been reeling from snowballing losses following a number of failed oil exploration projects abroad.

The union began stepping up the pressure after the Board of Audit and Inspection (BAI) found earlier this week that Kim exerted undue influence to have his two associates hired.

But the CEO is refusing to step down, arguing he did nothing wrong.

"In order to add his acquaintances to the KNOC payroll, Kim forced company officials to fabricate their recruitment documents," a union official said. "He had insisted there was nothing wrong with the way his two associates were hired by the company. But the BAI's audit proves he has been lying all along."

After collecting signatures from 750 KNOC workers, the union filed a complaint with the BAI to investigate the company's hiring practices.

"This is not the only irregular activity Kim has orchestrated. More will be brought to light when the labor ministry completes its investigation into his unfair treatment of KNOC workers," the official said. "The government should fire Kim immediately."

On Tuesday, the BAI said Kim gave resumes of his two associates to the head of the firm's HR department in 2016, ordering him to hire the two as senior officials.

"During the recruiting process, the CEO was found to have pressured HR managers to make sure the two were hired. The two eventually got the jobs without having to undergo due processes," the agency said.

It also said Kim failed to uphold his managerial duty as head of a state-run organization, recommending the Ministry of Strategy and Finance and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy to take the necessary steps concerning his position.

However, the former CEO of Hyundai Heavy Industries dismissed the BAI's findings, claiming the company did nothing wrong regarding how it employed his two acquaintances.

"I don't think there was anything wrong with the way they were recruited," he said. "They were hired to facilitate KNOC's efforts to restructure its business portfolio and organizational structure. I never told anyone to break the rules."

Since Kim became the CEO in February 2016, he has always been at odds with the union as he unilaterally pushed to introduce a performance-based pay system and other programs designed to slash employee welfare, according to the union. His three-year term will end in January 2019.
By Park Jae-hyuk





Lee Dong-gull

A visiting professor at Dongguk University's business administration department has been designated to lead the nation's top state-run bank.

Financial Services Commission (FSC) Chairman Choi Jong-ku recommended Prof. Lee Dong-gull, 64, to head the Korea Development Bank, Thursday.

The nominee has previously served as president of the local think tank the Korea Institute of Finance, a vice chairman of the Financial Supervisory Commission  a precursor to the FSC  and a researcher at the Korea Development Institute.

He holds a Ph.D in financial economics from Yale University.

On the same day, Finance Minister Kim Dong-yeon recommended Eun Sung-soo, the chairman of the Korea Investment Corporation, as the head of the Export-Import Bank of Korea.

Serving as a presidential economic aide for former President Roh Moo-hyun, the 56-year-old also worked for the International Bank for Reconstruction & Development and the International Finance Corporation.

He holds a Ph.D in economics from the University of Hawaii.

They are waiting for President Moon Jae-in's approval.

If Moon approves of their designation, Lee will replace Lee Dong-geol, who has led the state-run bank since last year. The post for Eun has been vacant over the past two months, since Choi left the position to lead the FSC.

Given that Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra CEO Choe Heung-sik was nominated as the new governor of the Financial Supervisory Service a day earlier, observers expect the government will soon designate chiefs of the Seoul Guarantee Insurance Company and the Korea Exchange.
A plate of appetizer featuring marinated lobster, shrimp mousse, mango and lime sauce by Damien Selme who won Hyatt hotel's Good Taste Series 2017's national competition. A main dish of a slow cooked pork chop with mushroom flan, mushroom puree, squash mousseline, brussel sprouts leaves,

asparagus heads and thyme jus/ /Courtesy of Grand Hyatt Seoul



Park Hyatt Busan's Damien Selme won the contest in Korea



By Kim Se-jeong



At the Grand Hyatt Seoul's Grand Ballroom on Sept. 1, five chefs were busy peeling pumpkins and slicing mushrooms and pork before frying and boiling them at makeshift cooking stations.





Damien Selme

All chefs, four men and one woman, were from Hyatt hotels in Korea  Grand Hyatt Seoul, Park Hyatt Seoul, Grand Hyatt Incheon, Park Hyatt Busan and Hyatt Regency Jeju  competing in a contest to cook one appetizer and one main dish for 25 people. They didn't get the main recipes in advance and had three hours to prepare.

The Good Taste Series 2017 is a Hyatt hotel version of MasterChef, a famous television cooking show. It Hyatt International's annual event aimed at discovering and motivating the talented employees of the Hyatt brands. Award-winning dishes are sold at the hotels, making the winning chefs proud and providing hotel guests a chance to try unique dishes. That day's winner is supposed to represent Korea at the Asia Pacific contest in Hong Kong next month.

Right before 3 p.m., all chefs received a black box containing the five main ingredients which were pork ribs, pumpkin, mushroom, lobster and Brussels sprouts.

At 6 p.m., appetizers were ready and served to 25 judges. Chefs briefly explained the ideas behind their creations. While the judges evaluated them, the chefs got ready to serve the main dishes.

The winner, Damien Selme, recalled he was nervous but figured out what to do with the ingredients fast.

"I practiced once before the competition, without knowing what will be inside the black box. I tried to work on garnishes which could be good with any fish I would get," Selme said.

"When opening the black box, I was surprised to see seafood, not fish. But lobster was pretty good luck actually. As it was a noble ingredient, you don't have to cook it in too many ways. So I followed my recipe and made it even simpler. It's impossible to change or think about recipes on the D-Day because of the short time and the number of plates you have to make. You have to control your recipe by at least 80 percent and then adapt it to the mystery box. "

He made marinated lobster, shrimp mousse, and mango and lime sauce as an appetizer.

With the pork, he was lucky because he had predicted it to be on the list of secret ingredients.

"Seeing the pantry ingredients (in the grand ballroom before the cooking contest began), I knew I could get duck or pork. I was not really surprised and I used it to cook pork chops in my restaurant."

Selme made slow-cooked pork chops with mushroom flan, mushroom puree, squash mousseline, Brussels sprouts leaves, asparagus heads and thyme jus.

He successfully managed to complete the mission in time, while some failed to do so.

Judges gave credits for his mushroom puree, which is something pleasantly new to Korean tastes. What distinguished him also was his plating skill, which was sophisticated, proportional and colorful.

He said the biggest challenge was time.

"My priority was to make dishes on time. During only three hours, you're alone  alone to make decisions, alone to cook and alone to present 58 plates after three hours."

His culinary experience in France was a big help.

"What I can say without arrogance is that I have a good background and good skills to cook almost any ingredients. I worked with great chefs in France who taught me the basics to perfection."

He was born in Korea and grew up in France with French adoptive parents. He spent five years working in two hotels in southern France, La Reserve de Beaulieu and La Cabro D'or.

Selme moved to Korea in 2009 and worked at the Korea Furniture Museum in Seoul before joining Park Hyatt Busan in January this year  he is in charge of the French restaurant, Living Room.

Although not the winner, Kim Dae-keun from Hyatt Regency Jeju was inspirational. The 20-year-old chef brought his Jeju-native taste for anchovies to the meat. Lee Keon-jin was the only female chef, her pork dish drawing many compliments.

He thanked his boss and his team from Park Hyatt Busan, but the biggest gratitude went to his wife "who cheers me up every day in my personal and professional life."






The English translations of 10 books about Korea's modern Buddhism are displayed. / Courtesy of the Jogye Order



By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo

Ten Korean-written masterpieces about modern Buddhism are now available in English.

Korea's biggest Buddhism order Jogye initiated the project and several Buddhism experts and language specialists joined it. Among them are David McCann, a Korean literature professor at Harvard University, and John Jorgenson, a professor in La Trobe University's college of arts, social sciences and commerce.

"This project will help spread the Korean Buddhist culture to people all over the world," Yonhap News Agency quoted the chief of the Modern Korea Buddhist Literature Compilation Committee as saying.

McCann translated "Temple of Word: An Anthology of Modern Korean Buddhist Poetry." Jorgenson translated "The Gyeongheo Collection."

The other eight books are: "Harmonizing the Hundred Teachings," "Tracts on the Modern Reformation of Korean Buddhism," "A Collection of Modern Korean Buddhist Discourses," "Sheaves of Korean Buddhist History," "A Study of Korean Pagodas," "Sun over the Sea of Enlightenment," "Essential Compendium for Buddhists: A Modern Buddhist Liturgy" and "An Anthology of East Asian Commentaries on the Nyayapravesa."

PDF files of the translations will soon be available on the Jogye Order of Korean Buddhism's English homepage (www.buddhism.or.kr).
By Park Si-soo





Kim Jong-un / Korea Times file

North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is "aggressive and reckless" and has a "mid-high IQ," a North Korea expert here claimed Wednesday, based on an intelligence report from Seoul's spy agency.

Prof. Nam Sung-wook of Korea University, who served as president of the Institute for National Security Strategy (INSS), revealed these during a lecture for lawmakers of the main opposition Liberty Party Korea (LPK).

INSS is a state-run research center associated with South Korea's spy agency, the National Intelligence Service.

Nam said the intelligence on the reclusive leader was collected by INSS researchers' first-hand interviews with Kim's relatives and friends in Japan and Switzerland. He didn't elaborate.

"The INSS wanted to measure Kim's IQ, albeit indirectly, because he could be North Korea's king," Nam said, recollecting the motivation for the research. "We estimated his IQ based on dialogue he had with other people ... And in conclusion, his IQ was mid-high, not so bad."

The professor didn't name a specific number.

He revealed why Kim was picked as the successor to former North Korean leader Kim Jong-il.

"Kim Jong-nam (Kim Jong-il's first son) never stayed in Pyongyang for more than three straight months after he turned 10," the professor said. "The second son, Kim Jong-chul, had a hormone problem after a car accident. So his third son, Jong-un, was picked up."

The first son, the half-brother of the incumbent North Korean leader, was assassinated at Kuala Lumpur International Airport in February. The second son is said to live in Pyongyang, without political influence.

Nam said Kim Jong-un is aggressive, reckless and ill-mannered.

"When Kim was 15, he had a girlfriend who was one year older than him," he said. "One day his girlfriend asked him to stop smoking during a phone call. Kim was provoked and immediately attacked her verbally."

There are many accounts of his aggressive attitude.

Kenji Fujimoto, a Japanese chef who served Kim's royal family between 1988 and 2001, said in an interview that Kim Jong-un threw a go stone at the face of his elder brother Jong-chul after he lost the match due to the brother's flawed play advice.

Nam said Kim's aggressiveness and recklessness would be the biggest reason behind North Korea's continued provocations.

"The provocation will continue unless Kim is removed," Nam said.
By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo

The British government has halted its training program for North Korean English teachers following the reclusive state's nuclear test on Sunday, according to the Voice of America (VOA).

The British Council, a London-based international educational institute, has run the program for 17 years in the North, but stopped it on Wednesday, three days after the British government issued a travel warning for the North.

The U.K.'s Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) advised "against all but essential travel to North Korea (DPRK)" in a statement issued on Sunday.

"There remains a threat of further missile or nuclear tests, which could lead to further instability in the region," the FCO said.












President Moon Jae-in delivers a keynote speech at the Eastern Economic Forum at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday. / Yonhap



By Yi Whan-woo

President Moon Jae-in said Thursday he hopes to begin talks promptly on signing a free trade deal with the Russia-led economic bloc.

Moon also said he will actively join President Vladimir Putin's development projects in the Russian Far East.

"I hope to push ahead with the free trade agreement with the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) in order to lay the groundwork for more solid and everlasting cooperation in the region," he said during his speech at the Eastern Economic Forum (EEF) in Vladivostok, Russia.

Led by Russia, the EAEU includes four former Soviet Union members: Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan. It was launched in January 2015 with the goal of creating open common markets for trade, labor and services while developing a unified system on transportation and energy.

Moon's offer regarding an FTA comes in line with his pursuit of a "New Northern Policy."

Northern Policy was coined by former President Roh Tae-woo in his efforts to normalize ties with allies of North Korea, such as Russia, China and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), in the late 1980s and early 1990s.

Moon adopted the term as part of efforts to bolster economic cooperation among Eurasian countries, help revitalize the South Korean economy and eventually improve ties with North Korea.

"The New Northern Policy is in accordance with President Putin's development project of the Russian Far East," Moon said. "The Russian Far East is the meeting point for the two plans and I must say South Korea will be an optimal partner in developing the region."

Moon claimed he took cooperation with Russia into account when drafting his "New Northern Policy."

"Given this climate, I want to actively participate in Far East projects and that will include the ones that were hampered by difficulties in inter-Korean ties," he said.

In particular, Moon suggested to work together simultaneously on nine different areas _ natural gas, railways, seaports, Arctic shipping routes, electricity, shipbuilding, labor, agriculture and fisheries.

"I suggest we realize simultaneous cooperation by placing nine bridges between Russia and South Korea," he said.

Moon suggested the regional leaders start talks for Northeast Asia energy links, while expressing hope that Russia's Energy Super Ring plan, which aims to build energy links between the Far East and the Asia-Pacific region, would help the creation of "the world's largest energy community."

"I wish to propose to all leaders in Northeast Asia to begin our discussions for the establishment of a super grid in Northeast Asia with a greater vision of forming a Northeast Asian economic bloc and a multilateral security system," he said. "Such efforts may help peacefully resolve the North Korean nuclear issue in turn."

He expressed his will to step up joint efforts with Moscow on the Greater Tumen Initiative.

Supported by the United Nations Development Program, South Korea, Russia, China and Mongolia collaborate in this project to accelerate trade in Primorsky Krai in the Russian Far East, northeastern provinces in China, eastern Mongolia and South Korea's eastern coastal cities including Sokcho, Donghae, Busan and Ulsan.
Participants of the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD) 2017 pose for a photo after the opening ceremony at the Westin Chosun Hotel in central Seoul, Thursday. Some 500 defense officials and security experts from 38 countries and four international organizations attended the annual security forum amid growing threats on the Korean Peninsula following North Korea's sixth nuclear test. / Courtesy of Ministry of National Defense



By Jun Ji-hye

A U.S. intelligence officer said at a security forum in Seoul Thursday that the world should brace for multiple contingencies in North Korea.

Markus Garlauskas, an intelligence officer for North Korea at the U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA), said change could come quickly, and unexpectedly.





Markus Garlauskas

"We should be prepared for multiple contingencies, one of which might lead to catastrophic failure of deterrence in a crisis," he said at the Seoul Defense Dialogue (SDD).

The SDD is an annual forum of vice minister-level defense officials and security experts, which began Wednesday for a three-day run.












By Yi Whan-woo

The Marine Corps said Thursday that it has begun massive exercises on Baengnyeong Island near the western inter-Korean maritime border beginning Tuesday.

Led by the Northwest Islands Defense Command, the three-day drill involved all troops and combat assets of the 6th Marine Brigade, including AH-1S Cobra attack choppers, Korea Amphibious Assault Vehicles and M48A3K battle tanks.

The drill took place partly in response to North Korea's simulated invasion of Baengnyeong and Yeonpyeong islands, both in the West Sea, in late August.

The two islands are strategically critical in defending Seoul and the surrounding areas from the North. They have been the locations of several military exchanges.












In the top photo, riot police block protesters to make way for vehicles carrying four remaining launchers for a Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) to the site in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday. In the bottom photo, U.S. soldiers work to install launchers at the site. / Yonhap



More than a year needed before full operation of battery



By Jun Ji-hye

The U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) bought in the four remaining launchers for its Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) battery to Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province, Thursday morning, despite fierce protests from hundreds of residents.

However, the Ministry of National Defense said it may take more than a year for the missile defense unit to be fully operational because of a pending environmental study regarding its radar.

A THAAD unit is composed of six truck-mounted launchers, 48 interceptors (eight per launcher), an AN/TPY-2 radar and other ancillary equipment.

Two launchers and the radar were already deployed at the site under the former Park Geun-hye government.

The ministry stressed that, although the four additional launchers have been brought in, the THAAD deployment is "temporary."

"The tentative deployment of the THAAD battery has been completed as the government and the USFK agreed to do so as part of measures to protect the people from evolving threats from North Korea's nuclear and missile programs," ministry spokesman Moon Sang-gyun said.

He said the final decision about the THAAD deployment will be made after a full-scale environmental survey of the site, which is expected to take more than a year.

The deployment came after the North conducted its sixth nuclear test Sunday, claiming it detonated a hydrogen bomb that could be mounted on an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) capable of striking targets on the U.S. mainland.

A day earlier, the ministry announced the USFK's plan to deploy the four remaining launchers, saying the government has decided to allow their deployment and provisional construction work needed to operate the battery in response to the growing North Korean threats.












By Kim Jae-kyoung

The likelihood of a military confrontation on the Korean Peninsula is growing higher than ever in the wake of North Korea's sixth nuclear test, Sunday.

Following the North's latest provocation, U.S. President Donald Trump and his administration have warned that any threat to the U.S., its territories including Guam or its allies "will be met with a massive military response."

Amid escalating tension between Washington and Pyongyang, questions are arising over whether the U.S. can take military action without South Korea's consent if the North launches missiles toward U.S. territories, particularly Guam.

This issue has become controversial after President Moon Jae-in, during his speech to mark Liberation Day on Aug. 15, said that without the consent of South Korea, no country can take military action.

In response to Moon's speech, Burwell Bell, the U.S. Forces Korea (USFK) commander from 2006 to 2008, said the U.S. would not need Seoul's approval to strike the North with its own "offshore" military assets.

Military experts said that both legally and by international norms, the U.S. has the right to strike North Korea unilaterally, without South Korea's consent.

"That is a key responsibility and obligation of a government to the people it represents. The U.S. of course has the right to take military action to defend itself without Seoul's consent," Tara O, an adjunct fellow at the Pacific Forum CSIS, told The Korea Times.

O, a retired U.S. Air Force officer, previously worked on numerous assignments in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., including the Pentagon and U.S.-South Korea Combined Forces Command (CFC).

She pointed out Moon might be referring to the CFC, a bi-national operational military command structure.

"Despite the calls of operational control (opcon) transfer, South Korea already has a say because the CFC works for the national command authorities  presidents, defense ministers and secretaries  of both South Korea and the U.S.," she said.

"The U.S. provides certain military personnel and assets to the CFC through the USFK, but the majority of U.S. forces fall outside the CFC. So while Moon can give guidance to the CFC, he cannot do that to the entire U.S. armed forces. The rest of the U.S. forces work for the U.S. president."

Balbina Hwang, a visiting professor at Georgetown University's Center for Security Studies, said the confusion is due to a misunderstanding of international law, sovereign military powers and the alliance relationship.












Masked Koreans and foreigners attend the launch of the "mystery shoppers" program at the Seoul Press Center in downtown Seoul, Wednesday. / Yonhap



By Chyung Eun-ju, Park Si-soo



The Korea Tourism Organization (KTO) has recruited Korean and foreign "mystery shoppers" to assess restaurants across the country secretly before the 2018 PyeongChang Winter Olympics.



One hundred undercover evaluators -- 50 foreigners and 50 Koreans -- were selected They will review about 400 major restaurants in Seoul, Gyeonggi, Incheon, Busan, North Jeolla Province and Gangwon Province for the next three months. Their evaluation will focus on service quality and foreigner-friendly menus.



The KTO will support restaurants that receive "excellent" evaluations with marketing and consulting services.

The evaluation standards are confidential.



"Last year 51 percent of foreign visitors here were satisfied with food tourism in the country," Lee Soo-taek, head of KTO's Food Cruise, said. "It is important to improve the quality of food services."
Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon said Thursday that now is not the time to talk about dialogue with North Korea and that South Korea is working hard to impose maximum sanctions on the communist nation, including cutting off its oil supply.

"Sanctions, deterrence and dialogue are often talked about as means to stop North Korea's nuclear armament," Lee said during an address at the Seoul Defense Dialogue, a regional inter-governmental security conference.

"I believe that now is the time to strengthen sanctions to the maximum level while securing military deterrence means. Dialogue is ultimately necessary, but now is not the time to talk about dialogue with North Korea," he said.

Earlier this week, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized South Korea for taking a soft approach to the North. He said in a tweet following the North's sixth nuclear test that Seoul is finding its "talk of appeasement" with the North will not work.

The remark was seen as a swipe at Seoul's call for resuming dialogue with the North.

Lee said that there is not much time left before the North perfects its nuclear armament and South Korea is "hardening its determination to smash North Korea's illusion."












Christians oppose new court chief nominee for supporting gay rights



By You Soo-sun



Conservative Christians sent thousands of text messages to lawmakers, opposing the nomination of Kim Yi-su as the court's chief for his previous ruling against the military's ban on homosexual activity.



Six lawmakers of the minority People's Party on Wednesday said such texts should be directed at the Moon administration and the ruling Democratic Party of Korea (DPK), Wednesday. They also urged the ruling party lawmakers to clearly state their stance on the constitutional provision that punishes military conscripts for homosexual activities.



The statement came as most of the texts have gone primarily to People's Party members, as they hold the casting vote over Kim's nomination. Thousands have gone to each member, pleading or threatening them to block Kim's nomination.



One lawmaker said, "You are guaranteed to lose in the election if you are on bad terms with a pastor in your electoral district. Some say our party approval rating from the Jeolla provinces will be hurt if we fail to pass Kim's nomination, but that's not a direct threat to us."



The lawmaker added, "Cheong Wa Dae and the ruling party are at fault for nominating Kim in the first place. We can't go down alone."



The religious groups' opposition to Kim's nomination reportedly grew when they found out about Kim's vote against a Constitution provision banning homosexual activity in the military, according to a local newspaper. Opposition intensified as concerns over the possibility of legalization of same-sex marriage grew among the hardcore conservative Christian community, it reported. Many Christian groups have issued a statement opposing Kim.



Kim, who has served on the Constitutional Court's nine-member bench since 2012, voted against the constitutionality of this provision. It was the third time the Constitutional Court reviewed it, but it continued to be upheld after a six-to-three vote in favor.



Kim was tapped as the Constitutional Court chief in May, but the vote has been delayed due to a legislative boycott by the main opposition as well as the People's Party's calls to postpone it.




President Moon Jae-in, right, shakes hands with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe before their summit at Far Eastern Federal University in Vladivostok, Russia, Thursday. / Korea Times photo by Koh Young-kwon



By Kim Rahn

President Moon Jae-in and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe have agreed to seek tougher U.N. Security Council (UNSC) sanctions on North Korea over its nuclear and missile programs, including cutting off its oil supply, Cheong Wa Dae said Thursday.

A bumpy road, however, is ahead for their joint efforts as President Vladimir Putin of Russia, one of five permanent UNSC members, expressed his clear opposition to additional sanctions in a summit with Moon a day earlier.

Moon and Abe had their second bilateral talks on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum in Vladivostok, Russia.

The summit took place four days after Pyongyang exploded what it claimed was a hydrogen bomb in its sixth nuclear test.

"The two leaders agreed now is not the time to seek dialogue but to impose ultimate pressure and sanctions on the North," Moon's chief presidential secretary Yoon Young-chan said. "They decided to pursue a new UNSC resolution with the strongest-ever sanctions including an oil embargo."

Moon and Abe will try to persuade Russia and China, another UNSC permanent member and North Korea's biggest ally, to accept the oil supply cut in the new resolution, Yoon said.

"It is important to prevent the situation surrounding the Korean Peninsula from getting worse and entering into an uncontrollable state," Yoon quoted Moon as telling Abe.

Moon said North Korea's provocations concern not only South Korea but also Japan, referring to the North's earlier launch of an intermediate-range ballistic missile over the latter's territory in late August.
Local stocks slid for the fifth consecutive trading day Wednesday, unable to get over geopolitical risks amid the escalating North Korean nuclear crisis.



Financial market losses are less severe than expected so far, reaffirming resilience in the face of repeated crises owing to what analysts call the "learning effect." The worst has yet to come, however, given the urgency and severity of the situation this time around.



At stake is how to keep financial jitters from spreading to the real economy.



It was timely in this regard for Deputy Prime Minister Kim Dong-yeon to convene a meeting of key economic policymakers over the weekend. Their conclusion fell short of expectations, vowing to "monitor the market closely" and "take bold and swift actions" at the slightest hint of turmoil.



As these hackneyed phrases indicate, President Moon Jae-in's economic team seems to have failed to move from generals to particulars. We admit too much is as bad as too little when it comes to crisis management, not least because the economy is vulnerable to negative sentiment. It is also true, though, that different situations require different responses. Economic ministers need to come up with a "contingency plan" with detailed actions for every stage of the crisis.



The ongoing "Korean risk" points to the fragility of the nascent recovery. Economic growth fell back from 1.1 percent in the first quarter to 0.6 percent in the second, darkening the outlook for attaining the yearly target of 3 percent.



President Moon will find it difficult to put his slogan for "income (or wage) led growth" into reality without the expansion of the economy through brisk industrial output and exports. And if economic growth stagnates, his various reform programs will also falter. Much depends on how Moon and his economic team defend the economy from political risks, aggravated by Washington's threat to terminate the Korea-U.S. free trade deal and Beijing's economic retaliation against Seoul's deployment of a U.S. anti-missile system.



Koreans will see whether this government has such ability as early as this Saturday when the North is likely to ratchet up the crisis to a level higher to celebrate its founding anniversary.








Early solution to production boycott to restore public trust



KBS and MBC union members went on strike simultaneously this week, calling for the resignation of their CEOs and the restoration of political neutrality at public broadcasters.



This is the first time in five years that workers at the nation's two major public broadcasters have staged a walkout together since the 2012 protest against the Lee Myung-bak administration's attempts to control the media.



The KBS union members, including more than 1,000 producers and reporters, are calling for CEO Ko Dae-young to resign for allegedly exerting undue influence on political angles in news broadcasting. "The general strike will be our last-ditch effort to end nine years of fabrication, forgery and oppression," the union said in a statement.



At MBC, some 400 reporters, photojournalists, producers are boycotting news production, demanding that CEO Kim Jang-gyeom step down for his interference in news production to spread content favorable to the previous Park Geun-hye administration. The MBC workers had been protesting against what they claim are "retaliatory transfers" after airing news content critical of former President Lee. Both CEOs are resisting the mounting calls to resign and have denied the allegations.



The strikes have hampered production of news and other programs at both broadcasters, with some failing to air as scheduled.



The CEOs may have been responsible for damaging the independence and objectivity of public broadcasters during the conservative administrations. That should be dealt with without fail. But the journalists and other workers should find a way of resolving it without causing a production boycott because they are failing in their duty as public broadcasters, compromising the viewers' right to watch.



The ongoing strikes inflict irreparable damage to the quality of programs. Journalists have a public role of reporting the news in a fair and objective manner. When they are prevented from carrying out that role, it is right to speak up about it.



But they also have to take into consideration their CEOs were appointed according to the law and due procedures.



It is imperative for both sides to start looking for solutions to resolve their disputes and also discuss ways to rebuild public broadcasting and win back the viewers' trust.



In addition, the government should disengage from any acts that can be seen as instigating the unions to dislodge the CEOs.



During a briefing by the Korea Communications Commission, President Moon Jae-in said that "public broadcasting had totally collapsed in the last 10 years." The opposition parties objected to Moon's assertion, saying that the government was taking control of the media after a court warrant was issued to detain the MBC chief.



The Moon administration should realize it may be repeating the attempts by the previous government to make broadcasters subservient to its political purposes, the very practice that it has despised.




By Donald Kirk





Donald Trump doesn't get it. He warns South Korea about "appeasement," but who's appeasing whom? Yes, President Moon Jae-in, hero of the candlelight protests that lofted him as the liberal darling into the presidency after the ouster of the conservative Park Geun-hye, would love to go down in history as the one who brought about reconciliation on this conflicted peninsula.

No, that's not going to happen any time soon, much to the chagrin of some of the ideologues and idealists who were counting on him to say yes to just about anything North Korea wants. The North's sixth nuclear test shows Moon is not getting anywhere in his quest for dialogue, and he knows it.

Confounding many of his more left-leaning followers, Moon is talking as tough as the conservatives who ruled for nearly ten years until Park's downfall. He's chatting with the hated Japanese, and he's vowing no more advances in North Korean "technology" for fixing a warhead onto a missile capable of "delivering" a warhead to the U.S. He's also calling for strengthening the South Korean armed forces in the face of North Korean threats, and he's in favor of still stronger United Nations sanctions.

What does a legion of progressives have to say about their hero now? "We must revive the candlelight revolution," said a member of the far leftist New People's Party. "He is not the president we elected in May."

With 72 percent of South Korean voters still enthusiastic about him, Moon advocates say he's trying to have it both ways  talking tough to the North while hoping Kim Jong-un will calm down enough to make a deal with the South.

Trouble is, Trump, the ultimate wheeler-dealer, seems unwilling to "make a deal" that will satisfy the Moon government, much less the North Koreans.

Having spoken on the phone with Japan's Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moon did get Trump on the line to agree, sure, South Korea should develop a missile that's twice as powerful as the Hyunmoo in the South's inventory, but did they get around to the Korea-US Free Trade Agreement, KORUS, that Trump would jettison along with all the other "unfair" deals of his predecessors?

Just as Moon is standing tough on North Korea, he's not bowing to the U.S. on trade. The question remains, are the U.S. and South Korean national security councils so tightly bound on defense as officials on both camps want everyone to believe? Moon's summit with Russia's President Putin shows his desire to pursue a more independent course.

U.S. officials, keenly aware of Korean sensitivities, while not openly deriding Trump's "appeasement" tweet, dissociate themselves with off-record comments like, "You know how he is . he doesn't always mean what he says.don't take him literally."

Beneath the level of the White House and the Blue House, South Korean diplomats and officials at the unification ministry, responsible for carrying out policy with the North, are busy coordinating in Washington and other capitals from Tokyo to London. The goal is to line everyone up against North Korea.

Nobody seriously believes, of course, that Kim Jong-un might abandon his program for turning North Korea into a nuclear power capable of brandishing nukes and missiles at targets near and far, but what about that "red line" that Moon said North Korea must not cross? It's far from clear exactly where that line is while leaders of his Minjoo or Democratic Party of Korea have said he cannot risk a "second Korean War."

Such talk leaves one wild card, namely the Trumpster himself. On the streets of Seoul, no one quite trusts him not to take matters in his own hands and fire away  preemptively  at North Korea's missile and nuclear facilities.

Is Trump fully aware that North Korea might gain revenge by pouring conventional, old-fashioned artillery shells over the northern tier of South Korea, including Seoul and the industrial port city of Incheon. Not only South Korea but the region and much of the world would panic.

What South Koreans want, though, is often about as unclear as what Trump will do. Credit the Americans with inspiring South Korean air strikes at targets simulating North Korean leadership. It was the U.S. that added "decapitation" to the lexicon of war games, giving rise to sardonic questions about who's on "the decap list."

Moon, however, professes not to be interested in "regime change" up there while awaiting a response to his pleas for a Moon-Kim summit. He's in for a long wait.





Donald Kirk, www.donaldkirk.com, has been covering war and peace in the region for decades. He's at kirkdon4343@gmail.com.


By Lee Min-hyung

Samsung SDS is intensifying its rivalry with U.S.-based artificial intelligence (AI) giant IBM to grab a larger stake in the corporate-level AI platform industry here.

SK C&C, the IT service affiliate of SK Group, launched its Aibril application programming interface (API) this week powered by IBM's Korean language Watson supercomputer. The API refers to a set of tools, allowing companies to develop their own tailor-made software applications.

The SK affiliate and IBM unveiled eight AI-driven Korean APIs. They include natural language classifier, language translation, visual recognition and personality insight.

Both companies hyped up the versatility of the platform, which SK C&C says can be used in almost all industries such as conventional manufacturing, medicine, finance, telecommunications and even retail. Aibril comes with infinite growth potential for enterprise-level clients seeking to analyze and process massive datasets in real-time, according to SK C&C.

For example, a manufacturer can generate synergy by using Aibril, as it offers analytics services in areas such as productivity, customer preference and monitoring of manufacturing processes.

This came a day after Samsung SDS launched its AI voice assistant, Brity, whose core strength lies in natural language processing and learning. In a press conference, the company expressed strong confidence that Brity can generate much more precise outcomes than its IBM counterpart at least in the Korean language.

As of now, major Samsung affiliates use the SDS platform, but due to its infancy, Brity has yet to expand its presence into non-Samsung corporations.

SK C&C, for its part, is also seeking to expand its presence by taking advantage of IBM's renowned cognitive computing knowhow. The SK affiliate has yet to unveil its partners, citing terms of contracts.

IBM Watson is the world's leading AI supercomputer. But until recently, it failed to tap deeper into the Korean market, as it did not pile up datasets massive enough to understand the Korean language.

"The launch of Aibril will allow local companies to develop their own AI services much more easily," said Lee Moon-jin, the chief at SK C&C's Aibril unit. "Abril will help Korean companies be in line with the data-driven Fourth Industrial Revolution, speeding up their data businesses here and abroad."

Last year, SK C&C forged a partnership with IBM over teaching Watson to understand Korean. Both firms said Watson would continue to gather more Korean language datasets to offer more accurate and trustworthy outcomes.

As of now, Watson is compatible with nine languages  including English, French, Spanish, Japanese and Korean. Watson offers its Korean service via its major cloud data centers across the globe  including Pangyo in Gyeonggi Province here, the United States and Japan.
By Yoon Sung-won



The government's plan to establish cyber security reserve forces has remained at a standstill for more than a year amid failed coordination between authorities, according to industry sources Thursday.



In May last year, the Ministry of National Defense and the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)  then the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning  agreed to set up cyber security reserve forces through cooperation between public and private sectors. The plan aimed at effectively detecting and dealing with unexpected cyber attacks amid intensifying cyber threats from North Korea and unidentified groups around the globe.



The two ministries held a second meeting in January this year but have failed to make progress on the foundation of the nation's first cyber security reserve forces.



The original plan was to establish the organization of cyber security reserve forces under the defense ministry's supervision and to get the science and ICT ministry to conduct training programs.



"Once the defense ministry confirms the organization of cyber security reserve forces we will provide cyber security training programs as required," an MSIT official said.



However, the defense ministry has failed to secure enough people to organize the reserve forces.



"The plan requires enough human resources with experience in cyber security. We also need support from the private sector. But this plan won't make easy progress because it is an unfamiliar type of policy for us to undertake," an official at the defense ministry said. "It is unclear when the plan will materialize for now. We will continue to discuss it with the MSIT."



While the plan to establish the cyber security reserve forces has been on hold, the defense ministry has faced several internal problems. The chief post of cyber warfare command, which is supervised by the defense ministry, has been vacant for more than two months. The cyber warfare command has also allegedly engaged in online political slander in the past.



Legislative preparation has also been lukewarm. Four revision bills related to reserve forces have been proposed this year. But none of them is about the foundation of cyber security reserve forces, according to the National Assembly database.



The defense ministry plans to organize the reserve forces with those who were discharged from the cyber emergency response teams of each armed force and from police cyber security taskforces. Under this plan, those who are included in the cyber security reserve forces will receive training for up to 36 hours a year, which is considered too short, according to an industry source.



"Unlike ordinary soldiers, those who are in the cyber security forces need special skills, which require sufficient time for training. Without this, the reserve forces will not be capable of effectively dealing with the attacks in practical situations," a cyber security industry source said.




Ausbildung trainers and students pose at the Mercedes-Benz Korea showroom during the Ausbildung Kick-off Ceremony. Ausbildung is a German job education program that helps students grow as professionals in the field they are interested in and will play an important role in exploring diverse careers that fit the student's talent and ability. / Courtesy of Mercedes-Benz Korea



By Jhoo Dong-chan

Mercedes-Benz Korea is helping deal with the nation's high unemployment through Ausbildung, a German vocational training program, which officially started Sept. 1.

The Korea-German Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KGCCI) introduced the job training program for the first time in Korea in partnership with the German automaker's unit here. The first program under German Ausbildung was Auto-Mechatroniker, or car maintenance in English.

Mercedes-Benz Korea said it will provide certified Ausbildung trainers who have received professional training for more than 100 hours from certified German mechanics and passed related tests.

"Education for future generation is very important for sustainable growth of society. We will continuously find opportunities to share outstanding global technical skills and knowhow," Mercedes-Benz Korea CEO Dimitris Psillakis said.

The program is a three-year training curriculum consisted of on-site training and theoretical education at school. The German luxury carmaker's local affiliate here also promised deploying its 15 top engineers to sponsor the program.

"I feel a sense of duty and responsibility as I see trainees who are serious and passionate despite their young age," said Chung In-su, a certified Ausbildung trainer and Mercedes-Benz engineer. "I will support them not only from the technical aspects but also social aspects to lead them to responsibly set a plan and achieve their goals as members of society."

For the first batch of Ausbildung Auto-Mechatroniker, 40 students were nominated to take the program through a fierce competition, Mercedes-Benz Korea said. They also signed an official employment contract with authorized dealers of Mercedes-Benz Korea, and have received car maintenance training from the nation's top mechanics since Sept. 1.

Following completion of the program, each participating student will receive a college degree-equivalent certification from the KGCCI. The Ausbildung certification issued here is expected to also be recognized in Germany, helping them get a job overseas.

"I became tense taking the first step into society but at the same time, I felt proud to grow as a technician of the best brand," said Uhm Tae-Hwan, a senior student from Gyeonggi High School of Automotive Science.
Park Sam-koo

Kumho Asiana Group chairman

By Lee Hyo-sik

Kumho Tire will likely undergo stringent restructuring as the head of Kumho Asiana Group vows to take all possible measures to get the struggling tire maker back on track.

Kumho chief Park Sam-koo said he will mobilize all available resources to normalize its operations, in response to requests from the state-run Korea Development Bank (KDB) and other creditors to draw up a self-rescue plan.

The creditors, which failed to sell Korea's second-largest tire maker to mid-tier Chinese tire maker, Double Star, have threatened to take away managerial control from Park if he fails to produce effective self-rescue measures.

"Regardless of what the reason may be, I feel responsible for Kumho Tire's worsening performance," he told reporters earlier this week. "I am sorry to trouble creditors and Kumho employees. I will think of all possible measures to help normalize the company. I will prepare to meet the requests (from creditors)."

Park said he would consider selling the firm's China business, which has been struggling amid worsening Sino-Korea ties in recent months. He is also reportedly mulling issuing a new rights offering to raise fresh capital.

On Tuesday, the banks decided not to accept Double Star's demand that they slash the sales price by 16.2 percent to 800 billion won ($710 million).

The Chinese company also asked them to cut the price by an additional 80 billion won if Kumho Tire posts an operating loss in the third quarter. In the first six months of 2017, Korea's second-largest tire maker posted a 50.7 billion won operating loss, compared with a 55.8 billion won operating profit a year ago.

In March, Double Star signed an agreement with Kumho tire creditors to buy a 42.01 percent stake for 955 billion won.

Instead of accepting "excessive" demands from Double Star, the creditors chose to first restructure the struggling tire maker to raise its corporate value and dispose of its stakes later, according to industry analysts.

Many creditors view Park as the main culprit behind the botched deal because he made it difficult for Double Star to use the Kumho trademark after acquiring the tire maker, they said.

To appease hostile creditors, Park has to draw up and submit a viable restructuring plan by Sept. 12. Otherwise, they would strip him and his associates of managerial control of Kumho Tire and subject it to a workout program by threatening not to extend the firm's 1.3 trillion won in loans, which will mature by the end of this month.

While citing reasons for creditors' failure to dispose of their Kumho stakes, KDB Chairman Lee Dong-geol said the bank and other creditors are extremely reluctant to extend Kumho's maturing loans. He stressed it is Park's job to persuade them by submitting a viable and effective self-rescue plan.
Groupe SEB Korea CEO Paeng Kyung-in introduces Tefal's pot designed for Korean customers to cook instant noodles, during an interview with The Korea Times, July 26. / Korea Times photo by Choi Won-suk



Groupe SEB Korea chief sets eyes on bigger markets

By Park Jae-hyuk

Tefal has been regarded as a well-made frying pan brand among Korean consumers.

When its parent company Groupe SEB entered the Korean market, its "non-stick" frying pans gained huge popularity among Korean housewives, who had not used coated pans before.

Marking its 20th anniversary in Korea this year, Tefal has firmly maintained its top spot in the nation's cookware market, without any threatening rivals.

Due to the stability, some people may have thought Tefal does not need to introduce anything new anymore.

In an interview with The Korea Times, July 26, Groupe SEB Korea (GSK) chief Paeng Kyung-in, however, emphasized that innovation is Tefal's key value.

"A former representative told me that GSK is free from the risk of being boring, as it is always changing," she said.

The female CEO is one of the founding members of Groupe SEB's Korean unit.

When the French company opened the local branch here in 1997, she joined as a marketing manager for cookware, based on her experience of successfully launching Corelle dinnerware in Korea.

After six months, she also began marketing the company's home appliances as well. Then, she worked as marketing director for 10 years and was promoted to sales director.

The businesswoman has been leading the local unit since September 2009, becoming the first Korean local manager of the 150-year-old firm. Paeng herself has also been together with the changes over the past 20 years.

"Tefal was not famous among Korean consumers 20 years ago, but I was attracted by the so-called Magic Hands, detachable frying pan handles," she reminisced. "I was sure I could enjoy my job as a marketer at the company producing such innovative products."

GSK has introduced Korean consumers to various categories of products, including not only cookware but also small domestic appliances such as blenders, irons, hairdryers, air purifiers, espresso machines and vacuum cleaners.

"We have taken the top spots in the grill, electric kettle and iron markets, although consumers may not regard them as our main items. Our hairdryer is included in the list of leading brands as well," Paeng said.

"We sold the products under the brand names of Rowenta and Krups in the past, following the headquarters' global policy. However, we decided to combine those brands into Tefal in Korea, considering its brand awareness among Korean consumers."

After the changes, the products won larger popularity, according to Paeng. The recent-launched high-speed blender and cordless vacuum also use the brand name of Tefal.

"Keeping pace with the latest trends, we hope to foster both the cookware and home appliance categories," she said. "We have also diversified product lines in the kitchenware category, launching a fritter tender, ladle, scissors, knife and cutting board."



Satisfying Korea, Korean consumers

During the interview, the chief executive introduced Tefal's pot as another example of the company's attempts to diversify its products.

"We had actually focused more on frying pans, because we thought our coating technology was unnecessary for pots," she said. "However, we realized coating is important for Koreans who cook soup in pots."

Before introducing Tefal's pots to Korea, GSK displayed its spirit of innovation, carefully surveying potential customers.

"Pots in the Korean market had been categorized according to their size and handles," Paeng said. "So we decided to categorize pots according to their purposes, designing optimal shapes of pots, respectively, for instant noodles, soups and stews."

For example, Tefal's pot for ramyeon lacks screws on its lid. The lid is concave as bowl, so people can hold small amount of noodle and broth on it. Also, the pot has markings to gauge the optimal amount of water for one person or two. It is designed for people to easily drain water used for cooking Chapagetti as well.

The pots are exclusively sold in Korea, according to Paeng. They are now included in the list of top 10 pots, surveyed by Nielsen.

"When we discussed our plan to release an exclusive category for the Korean market with our consumers, one of them had doubts about it, claiming Tefal was a foreign brand," Paeng said. "Then, other consumers unanimously refuted the consumer, saying Tefal always produces a better product than before."

Pots are not the only products exclusively made for Koreans.

The company launched a grill whose plate lacks holes, so Korean consumers can cook roasted pork with seasoning. It also added a lid to its toaster for Korean consumers who are highly interested in sanitation.

"Korean consumers are particular about products. I always talk of the expectations of Koreans, when the European headquarters call me," Paeng said. "We try our best to satisfy those expectations."

However, the chief executive said the localization is not limited to products. The company has changed the whole process of its business here, including service, company culture, distribution, price policy and personnel.

"The Korean unit adopted its own welfare policies for employees," she said. "It is true that products are important, but I think our competitiveness comes from localization of management itself."



Businesswoman as mother

Serving as a representative of the company for nearly10 years, Paeng has become one of Korea's most famous businesswomen. Since the beginning of her career, however, her gender has always been the talk of the town.

"When I worked for Corning Korea in the early 1990s, I was the first married woman at the U.S.-based company," she recalled. "Most women quit their jobs after marriage at that time."

The difficulty was felt by not only rank-and-file workers but also chief executives then.

"A female CEO I know even considered leaving her office, when her babysitter quit," Paeng said. "Fortunately, I could avoid such difficulties, as my mother and husband helped me a lot."

Based on her experiences, she accepted GSK employees' suggestion to adopt flexible working hours. Although the French headquarters and some Korean workers doubted about the plan, Paeng pushed ahead with the decision.

"I explained to the French headquarters that Korean companies care for the families of their employees," she said. "The loyalty of employees to the company increased after that decision."

The businesswoman, however, stressed that women have their own strengths.

"My personal networks with mothers help me come up with new ideas," she said. "As a consumer too, I can also think about my business, while doing housework."
By Park Jae-hyuk



McDonald's Korea Managing Director Joh Ju-yeon expressed her regret Thursday over a number of incidents at the company's restaurants in recent months and consoled victims.



Korean consumers have sued the company so far, claiming their child came down with hemolytic-uremic syndrome (HUS) after eating McDonald's hamburgers.



Last month, seven primary school students and their teacher complained as well that they suffered from enteritis after eating McDonald's Bulgogi Burgers in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province.



The fast food chain also had conflicts with the Korea Consumer Agency over the watchdog's sanitary inspection which alleged one of the company's hamburgers contained staphylococcus aureus, a common cause of food poisoning, above the permissible level.



The HUS and the enteritis cases are still under investigation and the sanitary inspection came under fire for failing to follow the required protocol. But the Korean branch's head consoled the victims, saying she is also a mother, who lives every day with concern over the recent matters.



"I deeply regret that customers who visited our restaurants may have experienced any related illness. My team and I at McDonald's Korea consider our customers and food safety our top priority, and I promise we will fully cooperate with the relevant authorities' investigations to find the cause," she said.



"Regarding the child who is suffering from HUS, I want to once again communicate our most sincere concern and care, and reiterate our commitment to explore possible ways we can support the child and her family."



The chief executive also promised to enhance the company's food safety and handling processes.



In light of the recent enteritis case, the local unit has temporarily ceased the sales of the Bulgogi Burger.



"We are currently reviewing all aspects of this product, from the ingredients we source from local suppliers to how it is served in our restaurants," Joh said. "At McDonald's, we remain fully committed to continually evolving our processes and guaranteeing the safety of our full menu, for all our customers."



She came up with initiatives that include completion of a thorough third party audit of the restaurants, implementation of a food safety hotline for restaurant employees, twice yearly food safety training for all employees and inviting customers into restaurant kitchens.



"Even during this current challenging period, our employees are making every effort to ensure we deliver safe and delicious food," she said. "On behalf of the entire McDonald's Korea team, I ask for your patience and understanding as we continue with this investigation."




Sapporo International President Tsukasa Orui, right, and M's Beverage CEO Lee Jong-wan pose at the launch event in Seoul of Premium Yebisu beer, Thursday. / Courtesy of M's Beverage



Sapporo Breweries sets eyes on growing Korean market

By Park Jae-hyuk

Premium Yebisu beer is now available in cans at convenience stores, discount chains and department stores nationwide. Besides Japan, Korea has become the only country where the high-end Sapporo Breweries beer is available through official distribution channels.

Koreans have been able to enjoy Yebisu draft beer at several luxury hotels and Japanese restaurants here since last November. But this is the first time the golden cans hit the shelves in Korea for consumers.

"We realized that the Korean market has undergone a drastic change over the past few years," Sapporo International President Tsukasa Orui said in an interview with The Korea Times, Wednesday.

"Young Koreans in their 30s and 40s especially tend to spend a large amount of money to buy what they want. Also, various imported beers have infiltrated the Korean market, which is expected to undergo further changes."

Orui, who has worked for Sapporo for 30 years, said the company stopped exporting Yebisu to the United States and Taiwan in the past, so as to focus on improving its brand image in Japan.

According to the president, Sapporo's standard quality beers are produced at the company's worldwide factories or by original equipment manufacturers (OEM). However, all Yebisu beers are exclusively made in Japan without exception.

"The freshest beer is the most tasteful one," he said. "If we sell Yebisu far away from Japan, it will lose its freshness, which can deal a blow to the brand."

His company therefore regards Korea as the best place to export Yebisu, due to its geographic proximity and local consumers eager to taste new products.

M's Beverage, the joint venture between Sapporo and the Seoul-based Maeil Dairies, will supply the canned beer produced at a brewery in Kyushu.

M's Beverage has carried out test marketing for Yebisu since late last year at 100 restaurants nationwide.

"Yebisu has received more positive consumer responses than expected," M's Beverage CEO Lee Jong-wan said. "We realized there is demand for premium beers in Korea, and thus we concluded canned beer will succeed."

The CEO, however, said the company has yet to have any plan to sell Yebisu at Paul Bassett, a coffee shop chain run by Maeil. Instead, his company is considering various marketing strategies.

"Our top priority is to let more consumers experience Yebisu beer," he said. "By hosting tasting events, we will help more people enjoy Yebisu. We are also planning to promote the beer on social media."

Prices of the premium beer seem to be slightly higher than Korean beers and other imported beers. Prices for its 500-milliliter can and 350-milliliter can are expected to sell for 4,700 won ($4) and 3,900 won, respectively, according to Lee.

Orui confidently said Yebisu is worth the price.

"If I can use a term for wines, I would say Yebisu is full-bodied," the president said. "It is true that Yebisu is a bit luxurious. The alcoholic beverage is suitable for birthday parties and enjoyable events."

Orui said Yebisu is a beer consumers should drink slowly, compared to Korean beers, which he said are light and easy to drink.

As Yebisu targets consumers who want to drink high quality beers, Lee said his company will focus more on building up brand image, rather than trying to increase sales volume.

"If we are obsessed with sales volume, we may be negligent of quality control," he said. "We aim to pioneer the premium beer market in Korea, so our basic policy is to allow consumers to enjoy the best quality beer."

The chief executive said M's Beverage is not considering distributing other brands or other Sapporo products. Orui also said Sapporo has no plan to sell Yebisu in other countries for now, except in Korea and Japan.
Improved enforcement. A three strikes rule. An overall ban on whole-house rentals.

These were some of the suggestions that came forward (some repeatedly) during the standing-room-only town hall meeting on short-term vacation rentals at La Jolla Community Center, Aug. 30. District 1 City Council member Barbara Bry has drafted a Short-Term Occupancy and Home-Sharing Ordinance, and she hosted the town hall to collect community feedback.

Over the course of an hour of public testimony, residents from up and down the San Diego coastline shared short-rental horror stories, including descriptions of wild parties, night-long noise and feeling insecure about having new neighbors every weekend.

Conversely, those who use online platforms such as AirBnB.com VRBO.com and HomeAway.com shared how renting their houses has helped pay for mortgages, college tuition for loved ones, and allowed them to continue to live in San Diego, despite rising rents. On AirBnB for the week of Sept. 8-16, there were 128 whole house rentals available in La Jolla (as of Sept. 5).

Brys draft ordinance would allow for home-sharing (renting an area of ones property) if the owner is on-site. This includes a room in your house or a granny flat if you are in the main house or if you are in the granny flat and they are in the main house, Bry told the crowd.

Among the additional changes, the ordinance defines short-term occupancy as any rented or leased residence for any time period of less than 30 days; imposes a 90-day annual maximum on short-term rentals (which some have equated to 45 weekends in a 52-week year); and requires renters to apply for a permit, pay a fee and inform their neighbors that their property is available for short-term rentals.

The seven-page draft ordinance can be found at sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd1 under News.

No mini hotels

What my draft ordinance prohibits is investors buying single-family homes in residential neighborhoods and turning them into de facto mini-hotels, Bry said.

at sandiego.gov/

Before Bry takes her draft ordinance to City Council in October, she said she wanted to collect feedback for changes, suggestions and recommendations. A repeated community concern was the lack of enforcement of current noise ordinances and illegal behavior, and whether adding even more regulations would complicate enforcement.

Enforcing the rules

La Jollan Craig Thompson reported there is a renter near his house on a weekly basis. There are parties every weekend. You call the police, nobody shows up. You call Code Enforcement, nobody shows up. We need to stop whole house rentals, he said.

Added La Jollan Catharine Douglass, The San Diego Police Department is at critical staffing levels and cannot respond to infractions. Taxpayer dollars should not cover enforcement for irresponsible homeowners making money off their homes that do not manage them properly.

Another speaker called the addition of a 90-day maximum an enforcement nightmare.

Enforcement is a big issue, Bry acknowledged. I believe the Mayor is waiting for the City Council to reach a consensus on (short-term vacation rental regulations) and then we can push him to enforce them. My draft ordinance includes a $100 annual (enforcement) fee, and then well see what it costs to enforce, in terms of how the fee gets set for later years. The fee is for anyone who rents their house or a room in their house, she said.

Tom Coat, president of the anti-short-term vacation rental organization Save San Diego Neighborhoods, argued that the solution includes, but goes beyond, enforcement. Wed love to have the laws enforced, but at the least, let us work to bring about three protections on which I believe we can all support: 1) The protection of homeowners living in their homes to legally earn income by home-sharing; 2) the protection for neighbors to have the City quickly end any abuses that may arise; and 3) the protection of residential neighborhoods to remain residential neighborhoods.

Think about this last protection. San Diego has been in a housing crisis for 15 years, there are many causes, but converting houses into investor-owned mini-hotels  undoubtedly worsens this crisis.

In support of rentals

With some donning green shirts or holding signs, those who rent their houses  either in part or entirety  spoke about the economic benefits to themselves and the La Jolla business climate.

Julie Richardson said eliminating whole house rentals would hit a lot of people who depend on this income, and that she used the money generated from her short-term rentals to put her son through medical school.

Others commented on the wave of visitors that stay in houses because they dont want to have an $18 cocktail at a hotel, but shop at La Jolla businesses and eat at La Jolla restaurants.

Other who rent their houses insisted they are responsible people who thoroughly vet their tenants and charge an additional fee if these tenants do not behave, and further, they leave their phone numbers with neighbors in the event there is a loud party or illegal behavior.

Hoping to strike a balance, those opposed to short-term rentals advocated for a three-strike system if renters do not screen their guests (yielding inappropriate or disruptive behaviors) or if loud parties are repeatedly reported at one house. After three strikes, that homeowners ability to rent their house would be revoked.

Short-term history

A short-term rental draft ordinance was last heard in December 2015, spearheaded by District 2 City Council member Lorie Zapf. When heard at the San Diego Planning Commission that month, a six-hour public testimony period included various concerns about the language of the ordinance. Planners determined the draft needed to be majorly rewritten before they could support the contents.

In November 2016, when Bry was on the City Council campaign trail, she promised to draft a short-term vacation rental ordinance that could garner community and City support. As part of her effort, she requested San Diego City Attorney Mara Elliott issue a legal opinion.

On March 15, 2017, Elliott determined the City Municipal Code doesnt allow short-term vacation rentals in single-family residential zones. The City has a permissive zoning ordinance,  her opinion reads, This means that any use that is not listed in the Citys zoning ordinance is prohibited. Short-term rentals are not specifically defined, expressly permitted, or listed in any of the zone use categories, including residential or commercial.

Next steps

The most recent ordinance is supposed to go before the City Council in October, tentatively Oct. 23, but Bry noted the importance of compromise and communication in the meantime.

This has been a two-year battle with no consensus, she said. The political reality is that there are nine members of the City Council, I am only one vote. I am working very closely with Council member Zapf, but we need three more votes (for this to pass). I ask for your help  talk to the other City Council members. Im going to need your help to get the Council to agree to a meaningful compromise.

Reach City Council members citycouncil

Reach Barbara Bry at (619) 236-6611 or barbarabry@sandiego.gov

Reach the draft ordinance at sandiego.gov/citycouncil/cd1 under News
Historic ties of north Meck span throughout region Though the north Mecklenburg area didnt see significant population growth until a few decades ago, its rich history dates back to the Revolutionary War. That was the basis of...

An easier-than-expected first mammogram experience HUNTERSVILLE  Scheduling a cancer screening probably ranks somewhere on your to-do list between "clean out the garage" and "donate those clothes that don't fit." Sure, you'll get to it at...
PRESS RELEASE

Putin, Moon Meet, Discuss Peace Through Development

Sept. 6, 2017 (EIRNS)Presidents Vladimir Putin and Moon Jae-in met today on the sidelines of the Eastern Economic Forum, which is being held today and tomorrow in Vladivostok. In a statement to the press afterwards, the two men presented an inspiring vision, and several concrete programs, to work together in the transformation of the Russian Far East, while creating the conditions for a solution to the escalating crisis over North Korea, through a development process that will include both the necessary security and the real development of North Korea and the region.

President Putin praised South Korea as "one of Russias key partners in the Asia-Pacific Region," with bilateral trade increasing over the past six months by 50%, to $10 billion, while more than 600 Korean companies operate within Russia. He said the two presidents have

"agreed to stimulate the operation of the joint investment and finance platforms with the aggregate capital of $1 billion and to create a portfolio of promising projects, primarily for the Far East, where we can make use of the opportunities offered by the priority development areas and the Free Port of Vladivostok."

He added that the two nations will discuss a trade agreement between South Korea and the Eurasian Economic Union.

Most importantly, Putin said:

"I would like to say that Russia is still willing to implement trilateral projects with the participation of North Korea. We could deliver Russian pipeline gas to Korea and integrate the power lines and railway systems of Russia, the Republic of Korea and North Korea. The implementation of these initiatives will be not only economically beneficial, but will also help build up trust and stability on the Korean Peninsula."

These are the policies which were entirely eliminated under the former government of President Park Geun-hye, under intense pressure form Obama.

Putin also noted

"the potential involvement of South Korean companies in the construction of infrastructure facilities in Russia, including the modernization of Far Eastern ports and shipyards and the joint development of the Northern Sea Route."

On the crisis over North Korea, Putin said that the North Korean nuclear and missile tests violate UNSC resolutions, and pose "a threat to security in Northeast Asia." However, he added:

"At the same time, it is obvious that the Korean problems cannot be settled with sanctions and pressure alone. We must not yield to emotions or try to drive North Korea into a corner. Now is the time for all of us to summon the presence of mind and to avoid taking steps that could escalate tensions."

He said that, "without political and diplomatic methods... it will be impossible to resolve" the crisis." He called for "all parties" to consider the Russia-China proposal for freezing both the Norths testing and the U.S.-South Korea exercises which threaten North Koreas security.

President Moon Jae-in also addressed the cooperation in the development of the Russian Far East, noting that his government had created a "Northern Economic Cooperation Committee" under his own leadership, to help make Korea a

"leader in the development of the Far East. The Committee is tasked with strengthening economic cooperation with Northeast Asian and Eurasian countries."

He added:

"Next year, we will create a Korean-Russian Regional Cooperation Forum. It should bolster contacts between regional governments in Korea and the Russian Far East."

Moon noted,

"The worlds first icebreaking liquefied-natural-gas tanker was built by a Korean shipbuilding company and transferred to Russia, opening the era of the Northern Sea Route, which until then seemed to lie in the distant future."

Like Putin, Moon said the two had
PRESS RELEASE

Putin Proposes UN Peacekeeping Troops for Southeastern Ukraine

Sept. 6, 2017 (EIRNS)During his press conference yesterday at the BRICS summit in Xiamen, China, Russian President Vladimir Putin reported that Russia would be circulating a draft resolution at the UN Security Council on the deployment of UN peacekeepers to the Donbas region of southeast Ukraine. The peacekeepers would be deployed to provide security to Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) monitors and would only be on the line of contact between the two sides in the conflict. Such a deployment, he said, "could help resolve the situation in southeastern Ukraine." Putin also stressed that the matter of UN peacekeeping troops could only be resolved with the agreement of all sides.

"This cannot be resolved without direct contact with representatives of the self-proclaimed Donetsk Peoples Republic and Lugansk Peoples Republic," he said. "I believe that if all this is done, it would definitely benefit resolving the situation in southeastern Ukraine."

The Kiev regime, which is dominated by admirers of World War II Nazi collaborator Stepan Bandera, rejected Putins proposal out-of-hand, showing its commitment to its falsified version of the Donbas conflict. In this distorted view, the conflict is the result of a Russian invasion, rather than a revolt against the regime that took power by a violent coup in 2014. The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry completely rejected the idea of even talking to the leaders of the two break-away republics in Donetsk and Luhansk.

"There can be no talk about receiving permission for a UN peacekeeping mission from the illegal armed formations action in Donbas, as they are supported, financed and supplied from Russia,"

the foreign ministry said in a statement. Iryna Gerashchenko, the Ukrainian representative on the Minsk group, said that the deployment of a UN peacekeeping mission along the contact line in eastern Ukraine is out of the question, as the peacekeepers should be deployed throughout the entire Ukrainian territory occupied by Russia. This is what Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko has been proposing since 2015.

Chairman of the Russian Federation Council Committee for Foreign Affairs Konstantin Kosachev said that Putins proposal will leave no loopholes for Kiev to blame Russian "aggression" for the conflict and that this is why the government is reacting as it is. Gerashchenkos response, Kosachev said,

"shows Ukraines true intentions: it does not want peacekeepers, it wants some police units from the West to be deployed to the entire territory of the D.P.R. and L.P.R. under a UN mandate,"

he said.
As one of the most powerful storms on record approaches Florida, several airlines have capped fares for flights traveling in and out of the path of Hurricane Irma and waived fees for rebooking flights.

But time is running out to take advantage of the price caps  from as low as $99 for an economy seat  because several major carriers have already started to cancel flights in the path of the hurricane, starting Friday night. The hurricane could make landfall in Florida as soon as Saturday, according to some forecasts.

As of Thursday afternoon, more than 4,000 flights had been canceled to and from airports in Florida and the Caribbean, according to Flightaware.com, a flight tracking service.

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Cruises that launch from Florida have also been canceled, and passengers whose trips have been cut short are trying to figure out how to get home.

Walt Disney Co. is closing Walt Disney Worlds Fort Wilderness Resort & Campground in Orlando, which has about 800 campsites and 400 cabins, and the Treehouse Villas at Disneys Saratoga Springs Resort, a spokesman said Thursday.

Delta Air Lines announced Wednesday that the Atlanta-based carrier has capped one-way fares to and from South Florida at $399 through next Wednesday, and is waiving all baggage and pet-in-cabin fees for flights involving 28 cities in Florida and islands in the Caribbean.

Delta said it has added 2,000 additional seats on flights out of Florida, the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic to help evacuate people from the path of the storm.

Airports in St. Thomas and St. Maarten remain closed because of storm damage.

JetBlue reduced one-way fares to $99 to $159 for remaining seats on flights leaving 14 cities in the hurricanes path, through Sept. 13. But the airline warned that most seats are already sold out.

American, JetBlue, United and Delta are letting customers change travel arrangements to Florida and the Caribbean without the usual charges for rebooking.

Airline officials and industry experts are also shooting down reports circulating on social media that air carriers are exploiting the potential catastrophe by raising fares dramatically for people trying to escape the approaching hurricane.

Instead, airlines say they normally set aside a handful of seats on each flight for travelers who are willing to pay extra to book at the last minute.

Contrary to references in social media, Delta has not raised prices because of Hurricane Irma, said Anthony Black, a spokesman for the airline.

Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D.-Conn.) and Sen. Edward Markey (D.-Mass.) asked Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao to investigate reports of airline price gouging.

Price gouging practices can take root during emergencies, so we further urge you to keep a close and watchful eye on airlines over the coming week to ensure airlines are not trying to make a dime off disaster, they wrote.

Orlando Sentinel writer Dewayne Bevil contributed to this report.

hugo.martin@latimes.com

To read more about the travel and tourism industries, follow @hugomartin on Twitter.

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UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article was updated with a revised total of flight cancellations, closures of Disney resorts and a request by two U.S. senators for an investigation into complaints of airline price gouging.

This article was originally published at 12:15 p.m.
A Senate committee on Thursday approved two of President Trumps choices for key financial regulatory posts, including one for the short-handed Federal Reserve board, despite concerns from Democrats that the nominees were too close to the industry.

Investment fund manager Randal Quarles has been tapped to be the Feds vice chairman for supervision, a new position created after the financial crisis that has yet to be filled. His approval by the Senate Banking Committee by a 17-6 vote came a day after another Fed vice chairman, Stanley Fischer, announced he would be stepping down next month, leaving the seven-member central bank board with four vacancies.

The other nominee given the OK on Thursday was Joseph Otting, former chief executive of Pasadenas OneWest Bank and an ally of Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin.

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Democrats attacked Otting for what they said was OneWests aggressive foreclosure practices and his nomination narrowly was approved 13-10.

Trump chose Otting to be the Comptroller of the Currency, a powerful regulator who oversees federally chartered banks. The Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, which is an independent bureau of the Treasury Department, was a pivotal player in the $185-million settlement last year with Wells Fargo involving its creation of unauthorized accounts.

Democrats had sharply questioned Quarles and Otting during their July confirmation hearing, expressing concerns they would not stand up for average Americans against major financial institutions.

While I appreciate both nominees willingness to enter public service, I do not think either nominee is the person we want in these important roles at our financial watchdogs, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) said before Thursdays vote.

Weve made a lot of progress in the seven years since we passed Wall Street reform, and the last thing we need are people at the Federal Reserve and Office of the Comptroller of the Currency who are supposed to look out for our financial system, instead working to weaken or eliminate important safeguards, Brown said, referring to the 2010 Dodd-Frank law that President Trump and congressional Republicans want to dismantle.

Otting came under fire from Democrats for the foreclosure practices at OneWest Bank, which he ran from 2010-15. Mnuchin was the banks chairman from 2009-15.

In 2011, a regulator that is now part of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency said in a regulatory order that OneWest had engaged in robo-signing, a practice in which workers signed mortgage- and foreclosure-related documents without reviewing them or verifying they were accurate.

At the confirmation hearing, Otting defended his tenure and said that OneWest employees worked to stop foreclosures. He noted that OneWest did not confirm or deny the allegations in the 2011 regulatory order.

On Thursday, all but one Democrat  Sen. Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota  voted against Ottings nomination.

Instead of helping families recover from the financial crisis, as CEO of OneWest Bank, he contributed to the devastation, Brown said of Otting before the vote.

Republicans supported both nominations. Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) said Otting and Quarles demonstrated a wealth of understanding and qualifications.

Crapo said he hoped both nominees would be confirmed soon by the full Senate. Quarles nomination was a particular concern given Fischers resignation.

This development highlights the need to quickly confirm Mr. Quarles so the seven-member board can maintain at least four members, Crapo said.

jim.puzzanghera@latimes.com

Twitter: @JimPuzzanghera

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In the Pentagons vast arsenal there is little quite like it: a super-secret space drone that looks like a miniature version of the space shuttle, but orbits the Earth for months, even years, at a time. Doing what? The Air Force wont say.

On Thursday morning, SpaceX successfully launched the X-37B from Cape Canaveral in Florida. Its latest mission is slated to last 270 days, but the Air Force advised in a statement that the actual duration depends on test objectives, on-orbit vehicle performance and conditions at the landing facility.

In other words, theres no telling how long the thing will be up there.

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Theres also no telling what the space plane will be doing.

On the tarmac, the X-37B looks tiny, standing not much taller than a person. Its wingspan measures less than 15 feet, and it weighs in at just 11,000 pounds. But over the course of six flights, it has proved to be a rugged little robotic spacecraft, spending a total of nearly six years, probing the hard environment of the high frontier.

On a fact sheet, the Air Force says the primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold: reusable spacecraft technologies for Americas future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth.

On this latest flight, the Air Force will say only that the mission is to carry small satellites, demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies. The service also said it would test experimental electronics in a weightless environment.

But at a time when space is becoming a contested environment, having an orbiting space plane with the potential to keep a lookout on weather or the enemy or satellites, all while testing new technologies, could be highly beneficial.

The mission is also significant because it marked the first time SpaceX was chosen to launch for the Air Force  a coup for the California firm started in 2002 by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The launch took place as the Pentagon sounds the alarm about the importance of defending the ultimate high ground should war break out in space. More recently, the House of Representatives has even pushed for the creation of a separate Space Corps within the Air Force designed to focus exclusively on the beyond.

The provision, included in the Houses version of the defense spending bill, comes amid concerns that Russia and China are quickly eroding the advantage that the United States has held in orbit for years.

Space has become so critical to the way we fight and win wars, it can no longer be subordinate, Rep. Mike D. Rogers (R-Ala.), who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said at an event this week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Space Corps would focus on space domination, he said, with a dedicated leadership and resources that would allow it to move more nimbly than the Pentagon bureaucracy.

The Air Force is about as fast a herd of turtles as far as space is concerned, he said. What Russia and China are doing is startling.

While most agree that space is an increasingly important military domain, support in the Senate for a new separate military branch is far from assured. And many in the upper reaches of the Pentagon also oppose it.

The X-37B was launched on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX also successfully landed the first stage of the Falcon 9 back at Cape Canaveral, a maneuver  now successfully completed by the company several times  that could help dramatically lower the cost of space travel.

The launch represented a significant coup for SpaceX, which had been fighting to enter the national security launch market for years.

For nearly a decade, the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, had a monopoly on Pentagon launches. SpaceX sued the Air Force for the right to compete. In 2015, the parties settled and SpaceX was ultimately allowed to bid against ULA, opening up a potentially lucrative source of revenue. Since then, SpaceX has won two of three contested launch contracts.

All four of the X-37Bs previous launches were aboard ULAs Atlas V rocket. ULA President Tory Bruno has said that his company was not given the option to bid on the X-37Bs latest launch. It marks SpaceXs first military mission after years of launching payloads for NASA and commercial satellites.

The Pentagon said it was grateful to have two companies with the ability to launch, introducing competition and lower prices.

The benefit were seeing now is competition, Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during a June Senate hearing. There are some very exciting things happening in commercial space that bring the opportunity for assured access to space at a very competitive price.
The California Legislature has approved a bill aimed at stopping banks from using arbitration clauses to shield themselves from lawsuits over sham accounts  a direct response to the Wells Fargo scandal.

Senate Bill 33 passed the state Assembly on Tuesday and was approved by the Senate on Wednesday. It now goes to Gov. Jerry Browns desk.

If the bill becomes law, financial institutions may challenge it, arguing it stands in opposition to a federal law that favors arbitration and has been used to prevent states from weakening or disregarding arbitration agreements.

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Authored by Sen. Bill Dodd (D-Napa) and sponsored by State Treasurer John Chiang, the legislation was designed to block a legal tactic Wells Fargo successfully used to keep disputes over unauthorized accounts out of public court proceedings.

The idea that consumers can be blocked from our public courts when their bank commits fraud and identity theft against them is simply un-American, Dodd said in a statement Wednesday.

At Wells Fargo, like at most big banks, when customers open accounts they sign contracts that contain an arbitration clause  a provision requiring disputes to be handled in private arbitration, not in court.

Over the past few years, both before and after the San Francisco institution acknowledged in September 2016 of creating millions of potentially unauthorized accounts, customers tried to sue the bank over the practice. However, state and federal courts tossed out those cases after Wells Fargo argued its arbitration agreement still applied.

Judges agreed with the banks argument that the arbitration clauses in customers contracts for legitimate accounts applied to all disputes with the bank, including those over unauthorized accounts.

Even so, amid a public outcry, Wells Fargo agreed to settle several class-action cases over the matter for $142 million this year.

Dodds bill would prevent California courts from enforcing arbitration clauses if consumers are suing banks or credit unions over accounts that were opened fraudulently.

The California Chamber of Commerce, California Bankers Assn. and other business groups opposed the bill, arguing that if it became law it would likely lead to years of costly litigation and ultimately be invalidated by federal courts.

Over the last few decades, the U.S. Supreme Court has issued opinions in several arbitration-related cases, generally saying states cannot make rules that disfavor arbitration and that state courts must honor arbitration agreements.

Alan Kaplinsky, a Philadelphia attorney who pioneered the use of arbitration clauses, told The Times this spring that if the bill becomes law, he believes the Supreme Court would eventually overturn it.

It clearly wont stand up, he said. Really, theres no doubt at all that the state law would be preempted.

james.koren@latimes.com

Follow me: @jrkoren
Hugh Hefner spoke with the L.A. Times often  and always had something memorable to say

(Liz O. Baylen / Los Angeles Times)

Understanding Playboy-in-Chief Hugh Hefners revered  and reviled  lifestyle was often just a question or two away.

The iconoclastic publishing mogul, who died Wednesday at 91, was an open book when it came to his views on swinging ways and sexuality, particularly how his puritanical upbringing shaped his career and gave rise to the revolutionary Playboy empire.

Over the years, the perennially pajama-clad Hef was interviewed often by the Los Angeles Times. Heres a sampling of some of his memorable quotes.

On sexualitys problematic origins in America:

Our society is fragmented, he asserted in 1994. Messages regarding human sexuality have always been mixed in America. We are a schizophrenic nation. We were founded initially by Puritans, who escaped repression only to establish their own. Then the founding fathers gave us the Constitution to separate church and state. But the one thing that got left out of all those laws was human sexuality.

On the life he made for himself:

Much of my life has been like an adolescent dream of an adult life, he told The Times in 1992. If you were still a boy, in almost a Peter Pan kind of way, and could have just the perfect life that you wanted to have, thats the life I invented for myself.

OBITUARY: Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, who shook up American morality with an ideal of swinging singlehood, dies at 91

On why he was so happy:

You will find in my bedroom images from long ago, little photographs and things from when I was a kid. Im a very happy guy, and part of that has to do with my connection to my childhood, he said in 2009.

On how he became Hef:

Through a lifetime, you reinvent who you are, he explained in 2009. I actually reinvented myself the first time when I was 16, when a girl rejected me. I started referring to myself as Hef, started changing my wardrobe  the same thing I did in 1959-1960 with the magazine, when I came out from behind the desk and started living the life and got the first Playboy mansion, started to drive a Mercedes 300SL.

On how the 1942 film Casablanca led to the Playboy Club:

I think I opened the first Playboy Club because of Casablanca. I wanted to have a place where people came to hang out as they did at Ricks, he said in 2010. It has everything  not only Bogies charismatic character, but lost love, redemption, patriotism, humor  it had a great musical score.

On traditional attitudes toward marriage and sex:

If you dont commit, he told The Times in 1994, you dont get hurt. I was always unwilling to commit to marriage because I was afraid to lose the romance.

On the Playboy brands global status:

It has been said that the two most famous trademarks in the world are Coca-Cola and the Playboy bunny rabbit, he said in 1994. There is certainly no one else in our area that represents the American dream in this particular kind of way. That rabbit means economic freedom, personal freedom and political freedom. That potential is unlimited.

On the Playboy Jazz Festival:

Ive never found anything that Ive cared more about than the music from my youth. I loved the Beatles, sure, but I never became  except for dancing purposes  a hard rocker. To me, there is something incredibly celebratory, and so wonderful about really good big-band swing and Dixieland, he said in 2002.

When I started, I just wanted to put out a mens magazine. But by the end of the 50s, it was so successful that I seized it as a vehicle for changing the direction of my life, he added. And that crucial change in my life was also associated with jazz, because it all began within a space of about six months after the first Playboy Jazz Festival in August of 1959.

Hugh Hefner, founder of the Playboy empire, relaxes during a visit to England in 1966. (John Downing / Getty Images)

On his personal legacy:

One of the reasons that I have such tremendous satisfaction at this point in my life is because I know Ive made a difference, he said in 1994. Ive made a difference in a way that really matters to me.

On publishings shift to digital:

I dont sit around thinking about, Gee, what happened to the new generation and they dont read enough and why is the internet replacing books? he said in 2009.

On his fame and sex appeal:

I think that just as [Henry] Kissinger said, power is the ultimate aphrodisiac. Celebrity is the ultimate aphrodisiac in todays world. And Im lucky enough to have fallen into a unique kind of celebrity, he said in 2009. So against all logic, nothing else matters  age doesnt matter. When [my last long-term] relationship ended, last year, they were climbing over the gate. ... young women. Endless numbers of young women.

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Days before the world premiere of his latest film, Bodied, the crackling battle rap satire that kicks off the Toronto International Film Festivals Midnight Madness program tonight with a trigger warning for the easily offended, filmmaker and frequent Taylor Swift collaborator Joseph Kahn snickered mischievously over sushi in Santa Monica. He was predicting what his most recent Internet enemies might make of the film.

If youre a 15-year-old girl watching this movie, youre going to cry and youre going to think Im an evil person, Kahn said and laughed, referring to the Beyonce hordes hes been tangling with on Twitter who have accused his latest Swift music video, Look What You Made Me Do, of stealing visual cues from Queen Bey. Im basically battle rapping on Twitter.

Ironically it was while fending off irate tween fans and critics two years ago over another contentious Taylor Swift video  for Wildest Dreams, which some believed romanticized a white colonial Africa setting  that Kahn found his way into the story that had been germinating for Bodied, a fish-out-of-water comedy that also serves as a searing examination of race, appropriation and freedom of speech in todays America.

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Im basically battle rapping on Twitter.  Bodied filmmaker Joseph Kahn

I suddenly understood the conflict of whats going on in society and what battle rap serves, what prism to look at the movie through, he said between bites of yellowtail, unable to resist adding one last jab at the Beyhive over Swifts new video. Its not Formation at all. They try to say shes wearing a black crop top and Beyonce wore a black crop top. But they dont realize in 2015 in Bad Blood, Taylor Swift was wearing a black crop top. I really do think, by the way, that Beyonce copied Bad Blood.

The Korean American music video director, filmmaker and social media provocateur is clearly unafraid of controversy, and Bodied promises to stir plenty of it, amplified by the prominent co-sign of rap recording star Eminem, a producer on the film.

The film tracks Adam (Calum Worthy), a privileged white grad student who reinvents himself in the world of underground battle rap in which combatants wield words as weapons, turning hip-hops lyrical art into a one-on-one martial art with one goal: to destroy their opponent as brutally as possible using rhyme, insults, stereotypes and all manner of offensive R-rated epithets.

Every racist, misogynist and homophobic insult gets lobbed around like grenades in Bodied  along with winking pop culture zingers and heady references to tomes like The Brothers Karamazov  which Kahn financed himself and is shopping to distributors in Toronto, his first feature film since 2012s Detention.

Its a film in which the hero seeks a pass to speak the most taboo word there is in the world of white folk: the N-word. Theres no way his buddy Swift can endorse this movie, Kahn said and laughed, but the high-profile Toronto festival berth is poised to give the film a prominent launching pad.

The project started coming together in the spring of 2015, when Kahn reached out to a battle rapper whose videos hed seen online, with a query out of the blue: Do you write movie scripts?

Alex Kid Twist Larsen, a Toronto-based rapper and writer known for the creative verbal constructions with which he eviscerated his opponents in competitions like the popular King of the Dot battles, jumped at the chance. He and Kahn werent necessarily looking to make a movie about battle rap, but thats what emerged, with Larsen drawing inspiration from his own experience.

The elation is so incredible you want to immediately do another one. Its one of the most grueling and exhilarating things you can do.  Alex Kid Twist Larsen on the high of competing in battle rap

Set in the Bay Area, Bodied finds Adam venturing out of his poetry professor fathers shadow into an underground rap battle only to discover to his surprise, and that of his eventual battling mentor, Behn Grymm (Jackie Long), that hes a gifted lyrical assassin himself.

To the chagrin of disapproving fellow UC Berkeley student and girlfriend Maya (Rory Uphold), Adam is taken under Behns wing and the newbie starts honing his craft alongside fellow battlers played by a mix of actual battle rappers (Dumbfoundead, Dizaster) and actors (Walter Perez, Shoniqua Shandai). Hip-hop personality Charlamagne Tha God also makes an appearance as a promoter in several battle scenes, for which the real life rappers in the cast rewrote their own bars.

Larsen himself quit battling several times during his career only to find himself pulled back time and again, and wrote his own philosophical and psychological critiques of the sport into Bodied.

Its so intense, and theres so much pressure, yet its so compelling that on one level it really is like a drug, he explained via phone from Toronto. You get a fix of it and as soon as you finish, the elation is so incredible you want to immediately do another one. Its one of the most grueling and exhilarating things you can do.

 Los Angeles Times film team members pick their most anticipated films at TIFF, including Guillermo del Toros The Shape of Water and Darren Aronofskys Mother! starring Jennifer Lawrence.

Its tempting to read a similar confessional quality into the involvement of Eminem, who came aboard as producer alongside longtime manager and newly minted Def Jam CEO and president Paul Rosenberg. According to Rosenberg, the rapper was hooked by the films loving depiction of battle rap as an art form and is planning on contributing to the films soundtrack.

He also cautions against assuming that one Eminem-produced movie about a white battle rapper is a sequel to the other Eminem-produced movie about a white battle rapper, 8 Mile. Let me just make that very clear, said Rosenberg. Its not [autobiographical]. We did that already.

The idea of tapping a battle rapper to script a movie first came to Kahn in 2000 when he was attached to direct DMX and Eminem in a Crow sequel that eventually fell apart. Id actually convinced Eminem to be in it  I was going to do a DMX vs. Eminem Crow movie where DMX was going to be the black Crow and Eminem was going to be the white Crow, he said.

He shrugged. It would have been a terrible movie because I would have made it funny, and Crow movies arent supposed to be funny.

While Bodied teems with the energy and detail of the subculture it represents, it also presents the brutal gladiator grounds of battle rap as the last safe space for free speech  vicious, venomous, cutting free speech, but free nonetheless.

Thats still my most viewed battle on YouTube, and I won. But I feel like that was the moment in my battle career when I sold my soul to the devil.  - Bodied screenwriter Alex Larsen

People who really understand the sport and understand the genre know who really belongs and who doesnt, offered Rosenberg. If you belong and youve proven yourself and that you have the proper respect for the craft, the culture, and your opponent, the stuff that you say in a battle is never really taken that seriously in the real world.

Larsen concurred. Its the one last arena where you can say the most horrible things to each other and its acceptable, because at the end of the day youre friends  or at least you have a level of respect for each other as competitors.

He wrote elements of his own infamous 2009 battle against Korean American rapper Jonathan Dumbfoundead Park into the film, in which Park plays a supporting role as a fellow battler Adam first meets in the ring. Just like Larsen did in real life, the Bodied protagonist finds it easier to go on the offensive with easy racist lines, against his better judgment.

My feelings about that battle were conflicted at the time. I thought, Asian jokes are wack, I dont want to use them, theyre so expected, recalled Larsen of his face-off against Dumbfoundead. But in the heat of the moment, racist Asian jokes were what the crowd wanted to hear  and what ultimately won him the match.

The worst part of it is that it worked perfectly. Thats still my most viewed battle on YouTube, and I won. But I feel like that was the moment in my battle career when I sold my soul to the devil. So a lot of this movie is me being able to reflect on that feeling.

No one is safe in Bodied, from its white privileged male hero to his multicultural battle-rap brethren  not even the white allies who protest Adams offensive language when he goes viral. Exploring the loaded terrain of race politics in an apolitical, uncensored movie is in itself a risk, admits Kahn, who took partial inspiration on his approach to Bodied from Woody Allens Match Point. But reopening the debate over the limits of free speech in a post-Trump America, he argues, is even more necessary now.

The problem with Trump is that he was a terrible answer to a problem that was already happening, he said. Now Trump is so obviously evil, Trump is so obviously wrong, Trump is so obviously on the wrong side of history, so obviously racist, so obviously everything, that the discussion is gone: All we see is Trump. All we are reacting to is Trump.

Bodied is hopefully a little bit more nuanced about the nature of political correctness, he continued. Is there a limit to free speech? Is there a limit to how you can talk to someone? Are stereotypes valid, and can you even bring them up? Theres a lot of nuance in that thats all been blown away, and theres middle ground to talk about.

Im not trying to give you any answers, said Kahn. The world today is race-obsessed and conflicted; race is probably the biggest problem in America right now, its literally fracturing everything. And Im in the thick of it.

People are going to get mad, predicted Toronto Film Festival programmer Peter Kuplowsky, who slotted Bodied on opening night with the expectation that it would spark debate. If a conversation is uncomfortable and not easy, thats all the more reason to have it. Thats what a film festival should be  it should be a place where artists are taking risks, and where the audience has the opportunity to discuss them amongst themselves and with the filmmakers.

I was a bit worried in 2015 that people might think, This is a bit outlandish, said Larsen. But I think in 2017  the era of Donald Trump and neo-Nazi marches in the street  perhaps its not hyperbolic enough.

jen.yamato@latimes.com

@jenyamato
Americas long-standing history of strained relations with Cuba is documented in the self-explanatory Embargo, an earnest first film by Jeri Rice that lacks an incisive point of view.

Rice, who spent three decades in the high-end clothing business, traveled to Cuba in 2002 with a group of influential women from the Pacific Northwest, during which time she briefly met with Fidel Castro.

That encounter planted the seed for this documentary exploration into the blockade that had been in place, in one form or another, since the Eisenhower administration and, despite a partial thaw under President Obama, remains a going concern in the Trump White House.

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Although Rice occasionally pops in and out as narrator, she dutifully defers to her extensive lineup of talking heads, with Robert Kennedy Jr., Sergei Khrushchev (Nikitas son) and Lucie Arnaz (Desis daughter) doing the bulk of the heavy commentating.

Though we learn interesting tidbits along the way, like the fact that Arnaz, who also contributes a cover of the Irving Berlin Prohibition-era ditty, Ill See You in C-U-B-A, has never actually been to her dads homeland, whats missing is the sense of a contextual perspective.

Embargo plays like a freshman college paper thats long on reference material but comes up short in establishing an overriding premise.

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Embargo

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 31 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica

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calendar@latimes.com
Known for big-budget action blowouts like Con Air and The Expendables 2, Simon West brings both bombast and self-awareness to the smaller action comedy Gun Shy. While it doesnt bring the explosions  or the laughs  of previous films by the director, it features an all-out performance from Antonio Banderas that may be enough to keep some audiences entertained.

With his hair-band fame long past him, former rock star Turk Henry (Banderas) hasnt left his Malibu mansion in years. Dragged by his supermodel wife, Sheila (Olga Kurylenko), he returns to his native Chile for a vacation. She is kidnapped while on a llama tour (of course) and held for ransom, and its up to the lazy, pampered Turk to save her.

The biggest problem for Gun Shy isnt its ridiculous premise or its frequently silly tone; its that it doesnt fully commit to either. Wests film doesnt have as much fun with Turks ineptitude as it could, but its no fault of its lead, Banderas. Though the screenplay by Toby Davies and Mark Haskell Smith is based on Smiths novel Salty, it feels as though it were written specifically for the actor. Hes charming and funny, owning the long, curly wig and rock-star swagger with ease. The actor is clearly having fun, but it isnt enough to compensate for the movies otherwise patchy humor and bumbling script.

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Gun Shy

Rating: R, for language, some sexual content/nudity and drug material

Running time: 1 hour, 26 minutes

Playing: Laemmle NoHo 7, North Hollywood

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calendar@latimes.com
Dolores is a documentary that celebrates a hero, but its no hagiography. Its subject wouldnt stand for that.

That would be Dolores Huerta, a legendary activist who at age 87 defines indefatigable, a woman whose experience shows what a life of total commitment means  as well as the price it demands.

Huerta has been jailed, seriously beaten, mocked by commentator Glenn Beck and given the Presidential Medal of Freedom by President Obama. Yet she doesnt have the name recognition of her close collaborator, Cesar Chavez, something director Peter Bratt is determined to change with this vivid, informative and heartening documentary.

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Huerta was the co-founder, along with Chavez, of the United Farm Workers union. Shes also the person who came up with that organizations celebrated slogan, Si, se puede  yes, we can  someone whose tireless activism has extended to feminism, the environment and the political process.

Although numerous on-camera voices are complimentary, including Gloria Steinem, Angela Davis and playwright Luis Valdez, the films tone is set not by them but by Huerta herself. Shes a clear-eyed and tough-minded truth-teller who has no hesitation about recalling her life exactly the way it was.

Dolores Huerta, subject of the new documentary Dolores, seen in the L.A. Times photo studio during the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. (Jay L. Clendenin / Los Angeles Times)

You cant make change unless youre willing to give something up.  Dolores Huerta

In addition to being an iconic political organizer, Huerta is also the mother of 11, and what makes Dolores unusual is how much screen time it gives to her children as they talk with heartfelt and moving candor about the difficulties of having a parent who, as one of them says, really didnt belong to us.

Outraged at injustice even as a teenager, Huerta met Fred Ross, a legendary community organizer, and by the age of 25 was the political director of his Community Service Organization.

Ross introduced her to Cesar Chavez, and though he was initially wary about her, they jointly formed what became the United Farm Workers because unless you and I do it, it will never happen.

Working in backbreaking conditions for wages as low as 90 cents an hour, the Central Valleys farmworkers certainly needed a union, but organizing them was a challenge because they were poor, often did not speak English and were not citizens.

Huerta, however, did not hesitate. It was such a calling, I felt it so strongly, she says, adding with potent simplicity, this is the reason I live.

The farmworkers struck in 1965, and Huertas example, her organizational skill and her sheer force of belief were key factors in the struggle and had the additional benefit of encouraging women to join the union.

One of the farmworkers first high-profile allies was then presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy. Huerta was one of the people with him the night he was assassinated.

Dolores has extremely moving footage of that event and also underlines Huertas key role as a union strategist in planning and executing a key farmworker march on Sacramento and a nationwide boycott that saw an estimated 17 million people stop eating grapes.

As impressive as all this is, Dolores never lets us forget the human cost that had to be paid, letting Huertas children and the woman herself comment frequently on the impact her actions had on her family.

She was off and running  thats one daughters rueful comment about one of her mothers departures. A son reveals that it took her 10 months to realize hed dropped out of high school. The movement became her most important child, another daughter says, adding, there are scars there because of that.

Dolores also deals with even darker periods in Huertas life, providing video of a life-threatening beating by the San Francisco police. Three of her ribs were broken and it took her months to recover.

Painful in a different way was the aftermath of the death of Chavez, when she was unaccountably passed over for the leadership of the union she had helped to found.

The unexpected thing about Dolores, finally, is that if its political story makes it important, its human story makes it involving.

You cant make change, Huerta says, unless youre willing to give something up, and this fine documentary shows the truth of that from both sides of the coin.

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Dolores

No rating

Running time: 1 hour, 37 minutes

Playing: Landmarks Nuart, West Los Angeles.

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kenneth.turan@latimes.com

@KennethTuran

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A longstanding manhood ritual reveals some sobering, unintended truths in the South African drama The Wound from director John Trengove. Issues of sexuality, generational divide, class and self-loathing are cross-stitched into a compelling patchwork of edgy masculinity in this tale of a gay Xhosa navigating a traditionally heteronormative rite of passage away from societys gaze. Movies as diverse as Brokeback Mountain and Moonlight may cross your mind as you watch, but the psychic and physical scars examined here are all this movies own.

Every year, in an initiation called ulwaluko that takes place in makeshift camps in the Eastern Cape bush, Xhosa teenage boys from cities and townships meet their elders to be ritually circumcised without anesthesia. For weeks, the boys are nursed by caregivers  graduates of the ceremony themselves, now acting as mentors  and groomed to take on the socially accepted responsibilities of adult men, namely commanding respect, getting property and starting a family with a wife. Typically seen as a taboo rite, Nelson Mandela notoriously made open his experience with ulwaluko in his autobiography, calling it an education in bravery and stoicism.

And yet, The Wound asks, what if your sense of self doesnt conform to this view of becoming a man? When Xolani (Nakhane Toure), a quiet warehouse employee, is called to the mountains to help oversee a new round of initiates, hes assigned Kwanda (Niza Jay Ncoyini), a pampered, Westernized kid from Johannesburg whom his father believes is too soft and needs toughening. Xolanis reasons for returning to the hills have less to do with upholding a male-only tradition than with eagerly reigniting a love affair with fellow caregiver Vija (Bongile Mantsai), who has a wife and child back home.

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Kwanda may not fit in easily with the rowdier, poorer initiates who taunt him regularly about his expensive sneakers and snobbish air, but that doesnt mean hes not fully aware of the world around him. Quickly picking up on the relationship between Xolani and Vija, this unapologetically gay teenager sees an opportunity to disrupt things, turning the tables on the rituals power structure by provoking Xolani and Vija into coming to grips with the psychological consequences of their secrecy. If the closeted Xolani and Vija have been through ulwaluko and cant fess up to who they are, the movie wonders, does Kwandas comfort in his own skin make the rituals traditions, and controversial connections with fostering hyper-macho intolerance, untenable?

The answer isnt easy, even if the screenplay  by Trengove, Malusi Bengu, and Thando Mgqolozana, whose novel about ulwaluko served as inspiration  takes the tension level into mildly predictable morality thriller territory. But Trengoves direction keeps things firmly grounded in the play of glances and intimacies under shelter of natures seclusion  dusk-lit silhouettes stealing moments, a waterfall rendezvous. The many exchanges between the storys three main characters, whether silent or spoken, communicate more about the many layers of masculinity than any of the ego-boosting mantras chanted by face-painted youth in firelight just to please a bunch of old men. (Trengove is white, but his heavily researched, immersive movie never feels anthropologically dilettantish.)

The cast is remarkable too, with Toures quiet intensity like a flame in fear of being extinguished, while Mantsais textured portrayal of a closeted man with a protective coating of alpha bullying creates a through line of emotional suspense. As Kwanda, watchful and wise beyond his years, Ncoyini creates plenty of sparks with his defensive arrogance. Coming into the ulwaluko ceremony, he may think he knows who he is, but hell also learn that for certain men, the need for self-preservation cuts deeper than any knife in an ancient ritual.

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The Wound

In Xhosa, Afrikaans and English with English subtitles

Not rated

Running time: 1 hour, 28 minutes

Playing: Laemmle Monica Film Center, Santa Monica

See the most-read stories in Entertainment this hour 

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The bassist and composer Holger Czukay, whose death at 79 was announced Tuesday, played a key role in the creation of post-punk  before the term punk itself even existed and while much of Western youth culture was playing hippy-fied variations on electric blues.

As co-founder of the influential German experimental rock band Can, starting in 1968 the man with the horseshoe mustache and restless creativity expanded the range and role of the electric bass in rock music. Along with percussionist Jaki Liebezeit, Czukay was half of one of the most influential non-Beatles rhythm sections in rock music.

Music from the bands albums, including Monster Movie (1969), Ege Bamyasi (1972) and Future Days (1973), has been sampled by artists including Kanye West, A Tribe Called Quest, Nine Inch Nails and Earl Sweatshirt.

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Czukay is best known for his singular playing style, which spun looping, upper-octave runs where more traditional bassists like Paul McCartney, the Rolling Stones Bill Wyman or Stooges bassist Ron Asheton moved in lower register patterns.

Echoes of Czukays influence can be heard in the music of Public Image Ltd., the Buzzcocks, Joy Division, Stereolab, Interpol and LCD Soundsystem. A 1997 remix album, Sacrilege, featured reconfigured work by avowed fans Brian Eno, Sonic Youth, the Orb and Carl Craig.

Simultaneously, Czukay was a pioneer at integrating found-sound recordings with original works, zoning out onstage whether shirtless with electric bass or in the finest polyester and manipulating a reel-to-reel recorder.

Can, which he formed in Cologne with Liebezeit, keyboardist Irmin Schmidt, guitarist Michael Karoli and vocalist Malcolm Mooney, made its mark without ever achieving stateside success. Signed in America to United Artists, Cans records were not only under-promoted but too out-there for commercial radio.

The bands defacto leader, Czukay preached a kind of practiced spontaneity that he once described (in fractured English) as progressing like a sport.

In Cans music, you cant really say in the next minute, where is that ball going to? It is a team which is playing with such a ball [that] knows very well about those strategies  But actually you cant say, by definition, when is the ball in this or this area.

Czukay continued: We know how to build up the whole thing, but the actual sound and the actual development of the thing was not foreseen, and was something which was given to us by whatever powers  by spiritual or whatever that is.

Textures were more important than classic AABA pop structures. Looping percussion mattered as much, if not more, than melodic progression. That approach resonated with with the punk community.

In Cans best work you can hear the sound of an artist consumed with building something new and relentlessly pursuing the perfect mantra, the kind that gives you tingles as it carries you to some faraway place inaccessible but through meditative sound.

Achieving that feeling made us encouraged, actually, to go on with rock music in general, instead of, lets say, making avant-garde academic music, he told rock historian Richie Unterberger in 1997.

Academic music was somehow finished by the audiences, not by the musical idea itself, he added. We didnt want to read music off papers. We really tried to make instant compositions from the very beginning.

The band did this, said Czukay, very much when we played live. Thats an understatement.

That American audiences didnt connect came as a surprise to him: I thought the way the rhythms were done, the way how we played live, it was a hell, actually, of rhythmic impact.

The band never toured America, but that rhythmic impact propelled both underground dance-floors and basement stoner sessions.

Asked about his influence, Czukay said he didnt believe Can was as resonant as their peers in Kraftwerk. But, he added, when it comes to making a party or a live evening, making a big performance of nothing, then Can can become very important.

Thats because when Can was hitting the stage, he said, they were doing so with an empty head, nothing pre-performed or nothing pre-whatever. We just went onstage, and who[ever] was throwing the first stone, we caught that and threw it back. And that was the beginning of the concert.

Can ceased to be a fully functioning endeavor by the late 1970s, but Czukay continued to compose breathtaking works. His instrumental EP Snakecharmer, with U2 guitarist the Edge and former Public Image Ltd. bassist Jah Wobble, found three distinguished players working with atmospheric funk.

He dove into multi-track tape machines, approaching them as a new instrument to be mastered. Reveling in the slow process of editing, Czukay compared his research with multi-tracking to the cracking a code, this sort of nuclear thing, this editing process. I thought it was like finding out something about the DNA code, and cloning and making artificial people, he told interviewer Phil England in 1994.

Through his education with Karlheinz Stockhausen, Czukay had long explored the potential of magnetic tape and pre-recorded work  which later became known as sampling. His 1969 album as Technical Space Composers Crew (with Rolf Dammers), Canaxis 5, integrated old Folkways recordings and found-sound radio tapes with original music.

His oddball 1987 song Hit Hit Flop Flop is a pre-rave breakdown. Conversely, his more intimate, ambient, late-1980s works with British musician David Sylvian features atmospheric use of instruments including electric guitar, keyboards, harmonium and shortwave radio.

Czukay continued to work as if on a mission. In a recent interview with writer John Payne, said he was less interested than he used to be in meeting new people, preferring to focus on life with his longtime wife Ursula. (She recently died, as well.)

The older you get the more you start to concentrate on yourself very much. Thats what I do, he said. No television, nothing. I dont get enough sleep. We are working day and night. We dont have a regular day and night rhythm with sleeping and not sleeping, but you get up and you continue.

Referring to the minimalist composer, Czukay added, Its a bit like La Monte Young, you remember him? He started this idea to work over the clock, that means the day would have 25 hours. Its quite clever.

For tips, records, snapshots and stories on Los Angeles music culture, follow Randall Roberts on Twitter and Instagram: @liledit. Email: randall.roberts@latimes.com.
Heres a look at whats happening on the fashion scene as we officially ease into fall: A New Zealand brand turns up in Los Angeles; Faherty hooks up with Stag Provisions; Mohawk General Store opens a Santa Monica location with a large outdoor space; and Taryn Rose gives sensible shoes a whole new meaning.

Rodd & Gunn lands in Century City

New Zealand menswear label Rodd & Gunn opened its first Los Angeles area store in the Westfield Century City mall in August. The 1,800-square-foot store is designed to feel like a luxury lodge. (Nicholas Gingold / Capture Imaging) (Nicholas Gingold/Capture Imaging / Nicholas Gingold/Capture Imaging)

Auckland, New Zealand-based menswear brand Rodd & Gunn celebrated the soft opening in early August of its first Los Angeles store, which joins others in San Francisco and Newport Beach. The focus on California makes sense, said the brands chief executive Mike Beagley, because of a shared aesthetic.

The line is made with European fabrics and interpreted from a Southern Hemisphere point of view, Beagley said. Its more relaxed and understated, which resonates with Southern California very well.

The 1,800-square-foot store in the Westfield Century City mall was created with a lot of intimacy, Beagley said. There are smaller rooms and high-pitched ceilings so it feels like a luxury lodge. A video wall streams live images from the brands home country. Top-sellers include lightweight jackets and the brands signature handmade luggage and briefcases. Prices start at $148 for pants, jeans and shirts and range to $400 for jackets. The luggage runs from $600 to $1,200.

Rodd & Gunn, 10250 Santa Monica Blvd., No. 1830, Century City. 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday; 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. (424) 313-8588, www.roddandgunn.com

Mohawk General Store opens in Santa Monica

The outdoor space at the newly opened Mohawk General Store in Santa Monica will be used for fashion-related parties and events. The boutique is known for its avant-garde offerings, which include Dries Van Noten and MM6 Martin Margiela. (Mohawk General Store) (Mohawk General Store / Mohawk General Store)

Its a rare Los Angeles boutique with outdoor space that is larger than its indoors. Thats one of the main reasons that multi-brand boutique Mohawk General Store swooped in on its latest location. The retailers fourth store, in Santa Monica, opened in early August, stocking the edgy, high-end names it is known for, including Dries Van Noten and MM6 Martin Margiela.

It was a way we could create some community instead of just having a store, Mohawk owner Kevin Carney said. Our friends tell us they need more places to gather socially, and its nice to be able to provide that. The 2,000-square-foot boutique, which has 2,500 square feet of outdoor space, will be the scene of upcoming events such as an early screening of a film on Belgian design maverick Van Noten and a fete to celebrate a book launch by Swedish minimalist label Our Legacy. Whats on the racks will be as interesting: Standouts will also include Belgian designer Jan-Jan Van Essche and another one of the Antwerp Six, Ann Demeulemeester.

Los Angeles is widely looked at around the world as a center of new retail ideas, and that wasnt necessarily the case five or 10 years ago, Carney said. You can tell more of a story in a physical space than you can through pictures.

Mohawk General Store, 2929 Main St., Santa Monica. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through to Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. (424) 268 4848, www.mohawkgeneralstore.com

Faherty hooks up with Stag Provisions

Casual brand Faherty from New York has taken up permanent residence as a shop-in-shop at Stag Provisions in Venice, where it will continue to sell its beach-inspired mens clothing. (Faherty) (Faherty)

The beachy vibe of New York brand Faherty, which carries mens, womens and childrens clothes, is now permanently ensconced within Stag Provisions, a mens clothing and lifestyle boutique in Venice, which has dedicated its 400-square-foot back section to the popular label.

It holds the majority of our mens collection, said Alex Faherty, co-founder of the brand with his brother, Mike. That includes light outerwear for cool Californian days and nights and a year-round selection of board shorts.

Another popular item is the patterned, hooded Baja sweater poncho. The 4-year-old label has freestanding stores in Malibu and Newport Beach, and this is its first shop-in-shop. Prices run from $58 for T-shirts to $300 for outerwear. Stag Provisions carries classic labels including Levis, nifty blazers from Jack Spade and on-trend sneakers from New Balance. Stag is a great partner for us, Faherty said. And the shop-in-shop is similar to what our own spaces look like.

Faherty at Stag Provisions, 1338 Abbot Kinney Blvd., Venice. 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday and Saturday; 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. (310) 450-1991, fahertybrand.com and stagprovisions.com

Taryn Rose returns and relaunches her brand

Orthopedic surgeon Taryn Rose is back at the helm of her brand for fall/winter 2017. The Massima boots, like everything else in her line, was designed with comfort in mind. Made of calf and shearling, this boot retails for $750. (Taryn Rose) (Taryn Rose / Taryn Rose)

When Taryn Rose, an orthopedic surgeon by training, first launched her footwear line in 1998, it created quite the stir. Here were sexy shoes for the luxury customer designed by a doctor with comfort in mind. Rose sold her business a decade later, and the brand changed hands a few times.

Come mid-September, Rose will be back in control with a relaunched Taryn Rose collection, predicated on her knowledge of human bone structure combined with her love of luxury.

To make shoes comfortable requires attention to many different factors, Rose said. There needs to be a memory sole. The quality of the leather has to be soft and buttery, and there needs to be a type of construction that makes shoes flexible and lightweight.

There will be 120 styles between an Italian-made, high-end line and her more affordable, China-made offerings, altogether ranging from delicate blush pink ballerina slippers to metallic gold peep-toe mules and shearling trimmed boots. Prices are from $110 to $750.

Taryn Rose, available through tarynrose.com, Neiman Marcus and www.zappos.com

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Stella McCartney has a new swim and lingerie license with ISA Spa, the Italian textile firm that will manufacture, develop and distribute the designers lingerie and swimwear collections as of fall 2018. Under the agreement, ISA Spa will produce the collections in line with McCartneys brands sustainable ethics.

Lingerie has been a personal obsession of mine for a long time and I have always been inspired by it. While for swimwear I want to encourage women to feel confident and comfortable about themselves and in what they are wearing, McCartney said. This is an important new chapter for us at Stella McCartney and I feel that we have found the perfect partner for us, who really understands our brand and will bring together quality, ability and a high level of commitment to take us to this next chapter.

McCartney launched lingerie in 2008 and the range has grown to include sleepwear, the annual Breast Cancer Awareness Month limited-edition set, and a double mastectomy post-operative bra. The latter two will be supported by a Breast Cancer Awareness campaign throughout October. Swim launched in 2016.

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Prices for the swim collection range from $95 to $425 and lingerie is priced between $35 and $450.

The new business partnership with ISA Spa will focus on building new product categories, and strategic global growth for the collections, which are available at Stella McCartney stores and online on stellamccartney.com as well as Harvey Nichols, Harrods and Selfridges in the U.K.; Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdales and Saks Fifth Avenue in the U.S.; Le Bon Marche in France, and Myer and David Jones in Australia, as well as Net-a-porter.com.

Our mission is to support the brand DNA, core values and social responsibility beliefs thanks to a team that leverages our product know-how, luxury market knowledge and a dedicated sales strategy,said Mila Zegna, chief executive officer of ISA Spa.

This new partnership with ISA Spa will take the Stella McCartney lingerie and swim product category to the next level by combining a high level of technical knowledge and expertise in increasing the brands positioning and growth potential across international markets, said Frederick Lukoff, McCartneys ceo.

ISA Spa specializes in scarves, hats, gloves, ties, underwear, beachwear and activewear for the luxury market. Part of the Carisma Group, ISA was founded in 1959 and works with brands including Ermenegildo Zegna, Dsquared and Jimmy Choo, and its in-house brands Zero Rh, MilaZB.

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Thirty years ago, Wendy Lams boss told her she would never make it as a waitress. So when she opened her first outpost of Newport Seafood a decade later in the San Gabriel Valley, she called her old boss and invited him to dinner.

I have to thank you, Lam told him, you said I couldnt be a waitress, and thats why I work in restaurants.

Lam is perched on the edge of her chair, telling this story from one of the private dining nooks at Newport Seafood on Las Tunas Boulevard in San Gabriel, one of three outposts in a family-run seafood mini-chain. She is 57, but has the energy of a teenager, and you get the sense she might leap into action at any minute, like a coiled spring. Down the hall are floor-to-ceiling tanks swimming with enormous crustaceans  lobsters and king crabs weighing as much as 10 pounds  that star in the restaurants Chinese-Vietnamese-Thai-Cambodian menu.

In todays chef-driven culture, significant attention and praise are given to the culinary brains behind the stove, and here that credit belongs to Lams husband, Ly Hua, who developed the restaurants signature dish, a massive Maine lobster blasted in a wok with green onions, jalapenos, black pepper and clarified butter.

Both Lam and Hua were born in Cambodia to Chiu Chow families with roots in Chinas Guangdong province. Hua remembers eating prawns prepared similar to the lobsters at Newport as a boy in Phnom Penh, where he lived until 1970, when he and his family fled to Hong Kong to escape an escalating civil war.

His family was rich, says Lam, but my family, no. So she and her mother remained in Phnom Penh, where in April 1975 they were among the millions of residents ousted from their homes by the Khmer Rouge and marched at gunpoint into the jungle. It was a 10-day walk that marked the beginning of a brutal genocide, during which nearly a quarter of Cambodias population would succumb to starvation and violence under Pol Pots Maoist regime.

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The spicy lobster dish as served by Wendy Lam and her husband Ly Hua at Newport Seafood in San Gabriel. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

Lam was 15 at the time, and she spent what was left of her teenage years in a labor camp in the jungle near Angkor Wat, hauling rocks to build a reservoir and subsisting on two meager cups of watered-down rice per day. At nighttime, I would dream about eating something, she says. The people were so hungry.

When Vietnamese soldiers liberated the camps in 1979, a medical unit realized Lam could speak the language and recruited her as a translator. She became the units cook too; in exchange, the soldiers helped her find her mother, whom she reconnected with months later in a Vietnamese border town.

Over the next two years, she and her mother would slowly make their way to California, by way of a refugee camp in Thailand, then through the Philippine Refugee Processing Center and later to Dallas before landing in L.A.s Chinatown, where Lam began looking for work. Like many Cambodian refugees who came to this region before her, she found it in a doughnut shop.

From there, Lam followed food service opportunities from Inglewood and Pasadena to small towns in Nebraska and South Dakota, where she honed her hospitality skills serving chow mein and egg rolls to a mostly white clientele at a Long John Silvers-turned China Palace. It was the only Chinese restaurant in a town of 15,000 where the main attraction was the Corn Palace  a shrine to local agriculture with outsize murals of Elvis Presley and Willie Nelson made entirely of corn husks.

By 1987, Lam was back in Southern California, waiting tables in Santa Ana, when she met Hua.

Ly Hua holds a lobster at Newport Seafood. (Glenn Koenig / Los Angeles Times)

He was the big chef there, she recalls, and anytime he would have a new menu item, I would convince the customers. I would make it happen.

She was so good at selling Huas recipes that the two opened their own restaurant, borrowing money from friends to start the original Newport Seafood in Santa Ana, not far from the Newport fish market where they shopped for seafood every morning. It was there in Orange County that Hua perfected Newports signature dishes  the house special lobster, clams with basil and bo luc lac, cubes of filet mignon dredged in enough black pepper to merit a red chile icon next to its name on Newports menu.

Newport Tan Cang still exists in Orange County, but Lam and Hua sold the restaurant in 1996 and relocated to a strip mall in San Gabriel. When the lines got too long, they expanded, first to Rowland Heights and more recently to Beverly Hills, where they opened a third location on the same block as Lawrys the Prime Rib. The lines never subsided in San Gabriel, so they relocated to an old Marie Callenders down the street, renovating the roomy diner with decor from Guangdong. There are 170 seats now, but the lines remain.

There is a joyous energy to Newport. Tables seat eight, 10 and 12  its a place where people gather to celebrate birthdays and anniversaries, but Lam never stops to commemorate the restaurants own milestones. They are open 365 days a year.

The idea of regulars arriving to a closed restaurant, whether its Thanksgiving or New Years Day, is unfathomable to Lam. Im just scared that some customers might come in, she says, and if were closed, theyd feel so bad.

On a recent Wednesday afternoon, the dining room was nearly full when Lams daughter, Sophia Lau, arrived with her newborn. As a teenager, Sophia dreamed of being a fashion designer (dreams inspired by watching Dont Tell Mom the Babysitters Dead), but she ultimately attended hospitality management school at Cal Poly Pomona, and has since helped Lam fine-tune the business, doing things like transitioning from handwritten checks to a POS (point of sale) system.

I dont think my mom will ever retire, she says, but when she does, Lau and her husband, Denby, who trained in the kitchen under Hua, are ready to take over the family business.

We both say that success doesnt drop from the sky, says Lam. We have to work harder and harder. I have to pay attention, to see the details and learn more  thats my style. I can work. I have a grandson. I can go on vacation. Were happy.
Sarcasm can be a tricky thing. Just ask Andrew James Harris, who, according to court records, discovered the joke was on him when he ended up the subject of an undercover drug sting.

It all started at the Courtyard by Marriott hotel in Mission Valley on March 26, where Harris got into a friendly conversation with a woman and two men relaxing in the hot tub. He asked the reason for their stay, and one of them jokingly responded that their crack lab had blown up.

But the wisecrack was lost on Harris. He excitedly disclosed he was in the drug business too, according to investigators.

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Little did he know, his new acquaintances were off-duty sheriffs deputies from Marin County who were in San Diego for a two-week specialized narcotics training course. And they were about to get some hands-on experience.

The meeting and the investigation that followed are outlined in a search warrant affidavit written by an El Cajon police officer working on the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administrations Narcotics Task Force. It was unsealed in San Diego federal court last week.

One of the detectives in the hot tub said in an interview Wednesday that it was especially surprising that Harris fell for the crack lab joke. Crack labs dont blow up.

We let him lead the conversation, take it where he wanted to go, said the detective, who works drug cases as part of Marin Countys Major Crimes Task Force and asked not to be named due to her undercover work. She said she and her colleagues had a great story for their class the next day.

The next night, the three deputies were in the hot tub again, this time with six other law enforcement officers also in town for the training, when Harris came wandering up, according to the detective.

Hey guys, I think I have something youll be interested in, Harris told them, she said. He came back with an eight ball  an eighth of an ounce  of cocaine in a hat, she said. She told him that because she was in her bikini she had nowhere to put it, but theyd talk later, she said.

The deputies discussed the hot tub contacts with the narcotics task force officer teaching their class, and the decision was made to run with the scenario.

The next day, the deputies met Harris at a restaurant and introduced him to the undercover task force officer as their uncle, a hippie from Ocean Beach interested in buying LSD. The officer bought 4 grams of cocaine and 50 tabs of LSD for $600, according to the affidavit.

The deputies eventually went back home to Marin County, and the undercover officer who had made the restaurant buy continued the sting. On April 7, the officer and Harris met for another deal at a Point Loma Starbucks parking lot, where about 3.5 grams of cocaine and 20 tabs of LSD were purchased for $360, the affidavit states.

On April 27, the officer and another undercover special agent met Harris at a Point Loma Home Depot parking lot. When he attempted to sell them 30 grams of cocaine and 100 tabs of LSD for $2,000, he was arrested, according to the court document. Besides the drugs for sale, Harris was also in possession of $4,100 in cash believed to be drug proceeds, investigators said.

That day, a San Diego Superior Court judge had signed a search warrant for Harris apartment and car.

At the Dylan Point Loma Apartments, investigators found 180 grams of cocaine, 30 grams of Ecstasy, 90 tabs of LSD, 3 grams of psychedelic mushrooms and several bottles and vials of what are believed to be anabolic steroids, according to the affidavit.

A digital scale, $2,600 in cash, hundreds of tiny plastic baggies printed with designs and a Savage Model 10 6.5-millimeter bolt-action rifle with ammunition were also seized, the records state.

Harris was arrested at first on state charges, but that case was dropped so charges could be filed in federal court. A federal grand jury indicted him June 8, and he was arrested on June 15.

He has pleaded not guilty to drug-trafficking charges. He was released on $30,000 bond.

The Marin County detective, who has five years on the force, said the case made for a unique experience.

This was totally bizarre, she said. This is probably a career case for me. I dont think it will ever happen again.

I work undercover on a regular basis and have never encountered anything like this.

kristina.davis@sduniontribune.com

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune

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The La Tuna fire that has scorched more than 7,000 acres, destroyed five buildings and forced the evacuation of several communities is 90% contained, fire officials said Thursday.

Erik Scott, a captain with the Los Angeles Fire Department, said firefighters continue to make progress on the blaze and remain on alert for small fires that continue to break out in parts of the canyon. At least two spot fires have broken out over the last two days, with the most recent on Wednesday night in the 1400 block of Sunland Boulevard in the Shadow Hills community.

The flames came 200 feet from homes, Scott said, adding that aircraft equipped with infrared technology is flying twice a day to detect potential fire threats..

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The number of firefighting personnel continued to drop as a containment line choked the blaze.

The fire broke out Friday afternoon amid a heat wave and shut down miles of the 210 Freeway in the Sunland-Tujunga area for several days as erratic winds spread the blaze in all directions of the Verdugo Mountains.

There were multiple challenges, Scott said. Erratic weather and dry brush that has not burned in 70 years all equaled explosive fire behavior from the La Tuna canyon fire.

At the peak of the fire, more than 700 residents were evacuated, including from the communities of Burbank, Glendale and the eastern San Fernando Valley.

All road closures and evacuations since have been canceled. The cause of the fire remains unknown, but officials say there is no evidence of arson.

The governor declared a state of emergency for Los Angeles County on Sunday at the urging of L.A. Mayor Eric Garcetti, who said the announcement would ensure that state and federal assistance was provided as quickly as possible.

Garcetti has described the fire as the biggest in the history of the city in terms of sheer acreage, but that has come under dispute by the media.

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An unexpected sprinkling of bird poop may be considered good luck in some cultures, but that wasnt the case for two men who were intentionally splashed with the substance recently and then pickpocketed.

The excremental ruse was effective enough to prompt Los Angeles police to issue an alert Wednesday to Hollywood residents, advising them to be on the lookout for two people they think are responsible for the Aug. 27 thefts.

Although unpleasant, the trick is simple and plays to a persons vulnerability and trust, police said.

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The suspects  a man and woman  appeared to have tossed some type of substance on the victims as their backs were turned, LAPD Officer Cesar Corona said.

Can you ID these people? Have you been a victim as well?

Suspects are wanted in a "pickpocketing" operation in #Hollywood. @LAScanner pic.twitter.com/E3ZS5sMHz9  LAPD HOLLYWOOD DIV. (@LAPDHollywood) September 7, 2017

The man and woman then walked up to the victims, he said, told them they had bird feces on their backs and offered to help wipe off the mess.

While wiping them down, they distract them, Corona said.

The diversion worked and unbeknownst to the victims, their belongings were gone, along with the suspects.

They were adamant, Corona said. It takes awhile to get the job done.

The man and woman then were seen entering a vehicle with a getaway driver behind the wheel.

The thefts occurred within minutes of each other near Hollywood Boulevard and Fairfax Avenue, he said. A large wallet and a camera were stolen.

Police dont know whether the substance tossed on the victims was actual bird feces, Corona said, but whatever it was, it left a distinct mark.

The male suspect was described as Latino with black hair and brown eyes. He was 5 foot 6 to 5 foot 7, between 170 and 180 pounds and 35 to 40 years old.

The female suspect was Latina with black hair. She was 5 foot 3 to 5 foot 5, between 130 and 150 pounds and 35 to 40 years old.

The getaway vehicle was a 2015 to 2017 silver Nissan Rogue with paper plates.

Anyone with information is asked to call Corona at (213) 972-2939, or Crime Stoppers at (800) 222-8477.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA
Authorities are investigating a Huntington Beach police shooting in which two officers and a suspect were injured Thursday morning.

The officers were responding to a 7:08 a.m. report of a man slashing tires in the neighborhood of Delaware Street and Utica Avenue, according to police.

The officers were struck by gunfire as well as the suspect, Chief Robert Handy said at a news conference. The two veteran officers and suspect were taken to hospitals, police said.

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Detectives were still trying to determine what led to the shooting.

We dont know exactly what happened yet, Handy said. We cant say it was a friendly fire incident.

Investigators recovered a knife and continued searching the scene for additional evidence.

Of course these situations are very dynamic, the chief said. Honestly, when they are converging on somebody trying to get away, things get very hectic.

The officers were in stable condition, police said.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

For breaking news in California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA on Twitter.

UPDATES:

11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with the chief saying the officers were also shot.

This article was originally published at 9:05 a.m.
A captain in the Oakland Fire Department has been arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography, the Contra Costa County Sheriffs Office announced Thursday.

Richard Chew, 58, was arrested Wednesday as authorities served a search warrant on his Lafayette home following an investigation by the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, authorities said on Facebook.

During the search, authorities said they found child pornography on Chews computer and other storage devices.

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Chew has been charged and is being held in lieu of $200,000 bail.

The department has been without a permanent chief since May. On Thursday, interim Chief Darin White released a statement regarding Chews arrest.

I am appalled by the disturbing nature of these charges. When we learned of the investigation, I immediately placed the employee in question on administrative leave, White said. If the allegations are true, this criminal behavior violates our communitys standard of decency and breaches the standard of conduct we uphold in the Oakland Fire Department. I appreciate the swift professionalism with which the Contra Costa Sheriffs Department handled this matter.

Both Oaklands police and fire department have been under increased scrutiny for more than a year amid separate scandals.

Last year, more than 30 people died in a fire inside a warehouse that had been illegally converted into a residential artist community.

It was revealed that fire inspectors had rarely visited the property, despite being stationed nearby. Department officials blamed the lax oversight, in part, on poor staffing. The fire chief retired months later.

Meanwhile, the dust has yet to settle on a sex scandal that has ensnared a dozen Oakland police officers along with sheriffs deputies and police from neighboring Bay Area agencies. Oakland settled a lawsuit with the woman at the heart of the scandal for $1 million earlier this year, though lawsuits against other agencies are still outstanding.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.
A suspect in a double homicide was killed and two police officers were wounded Thursday during a gun battle on a Sacramento street, authorities said.

The two veteran police officers were hospitalized with non-life-threatening injuries, said Sgt. Bryce Heinlein, a department spokesman. The suspect, who has not been identified, died at the scene.

The shootout occurred after the officers received an alert about a Chevy pickup tied to the deaths of two women whose bodies were found Friday in a Sacramento home, Heinlein said.

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The pickup was detected near Watt Avenue and Highway 80 by police observation devices, cameras and license plate readers mounted in boxes on utility poles, he said.

As the officers patrolled the area, they spotted the pickup about 10:40 a.m. at the 65th Street Expressway and Fruitridge Road, Heinlein said.

The officers then called for backup, Heinlein said, and continued following the pickup until the suspect stopped in the 3300 block of 27th Avenue.

As the officers called out instructions, the man threw his keys out of the pickup, Heinlein said.

Seconds later, the sergeant said, the man got out of the truck and began shooting at the officers, striking both of them.

The officers returned fire, fatally wounding the man, Heinlein said.

The shooting came just as area peace officers were preparing to bid their final farewells to Deputy Robert French, who was killed in a shootout last week at a Sacramento hotel.

French was a 21-year veteran with the Sacramento County Sheriffs Department.

Its been a very difficult day, Heinlein said. Obviously a lot of [officers] came from there as the ceremony was starting.

veronica.rocha@latimes.com

Twitter: VeronicaRochaLA
Kate Millett, the activist, artist and educator whose best-selling Sexual Politics was a landmark of cultural criticism and a manifesto for the modern feminist movement, has died. She was 82.

Millett died of a heart attack while on a visit to Paris on Wednesday, according to a person with knowledge of the matter, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak for the family. The publishing house that carried her books in French also confirmed the death but provided no details.

Sexual Politics was published in 1970, in the midst of feminisms so-called second wave, when Gloria Steinem, Betty Friedan, Millett and others built upon the achievements of the suffragettes from a half-century earlier and challenged assumptions about women in virtually every aspect of society. Milletts book was among the most talked-about works of its time and remains a founding text for cultural and gender studies programs.

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Millett chronicled millennia of legal, political and cultural exclusion and diminishment, whether the penis envy theory of Sigmund Freud or the portrayals of women as disrupters of paradise in the Bible and Greek mythology. She labeled traditional marriage an artifact of patriarchy and concluded with chapters condemning the misogyny of authors Henry Miller, D.H. Lawrence and Norman Mailer, but also expressing faith in the redemptive power of womens liberation.

It may be that a second wave of the sexual revolution might at last accomplish its aim of freeing half the race from its immemorial subordination  and in the process bring us all a great deal closer to humanity, she wrote.

While countless women were radicalized by her book, Millett would have bittersweet feelings about Sexual Politics, which later fell out of print and remained so for years. She was unhappy with its mandarin mid-Atlantic prose and overwhelmed by her sudden transformation from graduate student and artist to a feminist celebrity whose image appeared on the cover of Time magazine. Amused at first by her fame, she was worn down by a ruin of interviews, articles, attacks.

Soon it grew tedious, an indignity, she wrote in the memoir Flying, published in 1974.

She was dubbed by Time the Mao Tse-tung of Womens Liberation, and rebutted by Mailer in his book The Prisoner of Sex, in which he mocked her as the Battling Annie of some new prudery. Meanwhile, she faced taunts from some feminists for saying she was bisexual (she was married at the time), but not gay. During an appearance by Millett at Columbia, an activist stood up and yelled, Are you a lesbian? Say it. Are you?

Five hundred people looking at me. Are you a Lesbian? Millett wrote. Everything pauses, faces look up in terrible silence. I hear them not breathe. That word in public, the word I waited half a lifetime to hear. Finally I am accused. Say it. Say you are a Lesbian!

Yes, I said. Yes. Because I know what she means. The line goes, inflexible as a fascist edict, that bisexuality is a cop-out. Yes I said yes I am a lesbian. It was the last strength I had.

Milletts books after Sexual Politics were far more personal and self-consciously literary, whether Flying or Sita, a memoir about her sexuality in which she wrote of a female lover who committed suicide; or The Loony Bin Trip, an account of her struggles with manic depression and time spent in psychiatric wards.

There is no denying the misery and stress of life, she wrote. The swarms of fears, the blocks to confidence, the crises of decision and choice.

The daughter of Irish Catholics, Millett was born in St. Paul, Minn., and was long haunted by her father, an alcoholic who beat his children and left his family when Millett was 14. She attended parochial schools as a child and studied English literature at the University of Minnesota and St Hildas College, Oxford, from which she graduated with honors.

For a couple of years, Millett lived in Japan, where she met her husband and fellow sculptor Fumio Yoshimura (they divorced in 1985). They moved to Manhattan in 1963, and Millett embraced the political and artistic passions of the city. She joined the National Organization for Women and began attracting a following for her sculpture, which appeared in Life magazine and has been exhibited worldwide. Through her own Womens Liberation Cinema production company, she directed the acclaimed feminist documentary Three Lives. She also founded the Womens Art Colony Farm in Poughkeepsie, N.Y.

Millett taught at several schools, including the University of North Carolina and New York University. In 1968, she was fired from her job as an English lecturer at Barnard College, a decision that stemmed at least in part from her support of student protests against the Vietnam War. The extra free time did allow her to complete Sexual Politics, which began as her doctoral thesis at Columbia University.

Less known to younger feminists than Steinem or Friedan, she was honored several times late in life. In 2012, she was given the Pioneer Award from the Lambda Literary Foundation and the same year was presented a Courage Award for the Arts prize by her longtime friend Yoko Ono. Millett was inducted into the National Womens Hall of Fame in 2013 and, in her acceptance speech, reflected on her years as an activist.

The happiness of those times, the joy of participation, the excitement of being part of my own time, of living on the edge, of being so close to events you can almost intuit them. To raise ones voice in protest, just as the protest is expressed in life, in the streets, in relationships and friendships, she said.

Then, in a moment of public recognition, the face of the individual becomes a womans face.

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Floridians hit the highways, scrambled for scarce supplies and hammered plywood over windows as a monster hurricane made landfall in the Caribbean, where it was blamed for at least four deaths.

Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes, set a wild, wind-churned course toward Puerto Rico, with the U.S. mainland in its sights, probably over the weekend.

Amid an overnight assault of battering waves and 185 mph winds, two deaths were reported in French island territories, a third in Anguilla, a British territory, and a fourth in Barbuda, part of a tiny independent nation.

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In Florida, Gov. Rick Scott implored constituents to obey calls to flee the storms path when the time came.

I cannot stress this enough  do not ignore evacuation orders, Scott said at a news briefing as the storm began lashing Puerto Rico with rain, still on track for the U.S. mainland. If youre told to evacuate, dont wait  get out quickly.

In warning of the dangers, the governor invoked Hurricane Andrew, which devastated Florida a quarter of a century ago, causing massive destruction and killing nearly 50 people in the state.

I want everybody to understand the importance of this  this is bigger than Andrew, Scott told ABC News.

President Donald Trump declared states of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Florida began activating its National Guard, with 7,000 members told to report for duty Friday.

In Fort Myers, in coastal southwestern Florida, Stephanie Matteson waited in line at a gas station, where she said she had been for 25 minutes.

I swear, its like everyone is in a hurry to get this thing over with  like, Just come on, Irma, and then leave us alone, said Matteson, 47. She experienced Hurricane Wilma in 2005, but Irmas got more punch, from what theyre saying.

There was a run on supplies, including bananas and batteries. Anthony Bonner, a bread company distributor, predicted that the 28 racks of bread he was delivering to a picked-over Walmart in Coral Cove, outside Fort Myers, would go fast.

Its kind of like Im the candy man wherever I show up, he said. Bread and water are always the first to go. Stand here for 15 minutes  all of this will be gone.

A state of emergency was declared earlier for all 67 Florida counties; on Wednesday, South Carolina followed suit, with Gov. Henry McMaster urging the public to not leave storm preparations to the last moment.

As he did while Hurricane Harvey pounded Texas late last month, Trump unleashed tweets about the storms strength. Hurricane looks like the largest ever recorded in the Atlantic! he wrote Wednesday morning on Twitter.

The president also said his team was ready in Florida, adding: No rest for the weary! Later, heading into a meeting with congressional leaders, he described the storm as something that could be not good  believe me, not good.

The National Hurricane Center said the storm was one of the five most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in the last 80 years and the strongest Atlantic storm on record outside the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea.

Satellite imagery of the enormous storm inspired fear and awe. The hurricane center in Miami described a vast swirling mass, with hurricane-force winds extending 50 miles from the storms center.

The hurricanes force was such that it was detected by earthquake-measuring equipment on islands it passed, said Stephen Hicks, a seismologist at Britains University of Southampton.

Before dawn Wednesday, the tiny Caribbean nation of Antigua and Barbuda was pummeled by wind and rain as the Category 5 storm passed almost directly above the islands, tearing off roofs, uprooting trees and triggering floods. Many people sought safety in government shelters as the winds turned storm-borne debris into missiles.

After overflying Barbuda, a grim-faced Prime Minister Gaston Browne reported late Wednesday that the island was barely habitable with about 95 percent of the properties damaged or destroyed.

What I saw was heart-wrenching. I mean, absolutely devastating. In fact, I believe that on a per-capita basis, the extent of the destruction on Barbuda is unprecedented, he told ABS TV in Antigua.

Hurricane Irma would have been easily the most powerful hurricane to have stormed through the Caribbean, and unfortunately Barbuda was in its path, he said.

Irma also roared through the French island territories of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, battering them with wind and water that smashed buildings and toppled trees. It was there that two deaths were reported by the French overseas territories minister, Annick Girardin. She also said two people were seriously injured.

Dutch authorities were keeping an anxious eye on St. Maarten, a Netherlands territory that shares an island with St. Martin, after the storm disrupted communications and caused heavy damage.

In the early afternoon, the eye passed over the British Virgin Islands with winds gusting at 110 mph, the National Hurricane Center reported. Celebrity tycoon Richard Branson, founder of the Virgin Group, owns a small private island in the chain, and blogged beforehand that he and a group of friends would be seeking shelter in a concrete wine cellar.

Six southern islands in the Bahamas were under evacuation orders, Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said, with people being flown to the capital, Nassau.

In Puerto Rico, lashed by the storms leading edge, people hunkered down as the hurricane menaced the U.S. territory. Gov. Ricardo Rossello said the storms danger was like nothing weve ever seen.

As the hurricane closed in, the worlds second largest radio telescope, at Puerto Ricos Arecibo Observatory, suspended operations, its operators announced on Twitter.

With Puerto Ricos infrastructure already tottering, islanders were bracing for a loss of power that could last for weeks or even months.

In the low-lying Florida Keys, where many people are accustomed to riding out hurricanes, mandatory evacuation orders were in effect for visitors and were extended to residents for later Wednesday  a complicated undertaking that was to include airlifting hospital patients.

Tourist idylls came to an abrupt halt as hotels shut down and the Key West airport was stopping operations Wednesday, later pushed back to Thursday so more flights could depart. Residents, with a few more hours grace to get out, boarded up homes and businesses, and secured their boats.

Theres only one highway to the mainland  U.S. Route 1  and it was choked with traffic. Gasoline became harder to find. The governor said that by Wednesday afternoon, about 25,000 people had fled the Florida Keys.

Martin Senterfitt, the top disaster management specialist for Monroe County, which encompasses the Keys, said that unlike in previous hurricanes, authorities werent encountering many recalcitrant holdouts against evacuating.

I think the general consensus across the state is that this is a big event, he said.

With the storm bearing down, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission said it was getting ready to shut down two Florida nuclear plants that could be in the hurricanes path: the Turkey Point plant south of Miami, and the St. Lucie plant on the states east coast.

In Miami-Dade County, authorities urged people to stock up on enough food and water to last three days, and encouraged people in low-lying areas to leave voluntarily. Schools were closed.

Storm monitors reached back nearly a century to provide comparisons, with the weather service likening Irmas destructive power to that of Hurricane San Felipe, which killed nearly 3,000 people in Puerto Rico, Florida and the island of Guadeloupe in 1928.
Hurricane Irma took aim at South Florida on Thursday, threatening millions with historic winds, huge storm surges and unrelenting rainfall as it left behind a trail of still-uncharted devastation in the Caribbean and a death toll that climbed to at least 13.

As the monster Category 5 storm tracked west-northwest with 175-mph winds, the caprices of wind and water saved impoverished Haiti and the Dominican Republic from a direct hit. But Irma bore down late Thursday on other Caribbean targets: the low-lying Turks and Caicos, and parts of the Bahamas.

Meanwhile, the peril to the U.S. mainland grew.

It has become more likely that Irma will make landfall in southern Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, and bring life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts to much of the state, the National Hurricane Center said.

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With South Florida under a hurricane watch, Philip Levine, the mayor of vulnerable barrier-island Miami Beach, called Irma a nuclear hurricane. Irmas leading edge was expected to reach Florida as soon as Saturday, and Gov. Rick Scott spoke of a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen.

The hurricane has left a string of small, devastated Caribbean islands counting their dead and struggling to restore links to the outside world. Chaotic conditions hampered efforts to compile a fatality toll, which officials said reached at least 13 and would probably grow.

Three people died in the U.S. Virgin Islands and three more in Puerto Rico, their respective governors said, and the Netherlands government confirmed a fatality in St. Maarten, the shattered Dutch side of the island it shares with St. Martin, a French territory. French officials, however, revised downward from eight to four the number of people confirmed dead on the French side.

As the storm passed Puerto Rico, it dealt the U.S. territory what was in meteorological terms a glancing blow, but one that landed like a stunning punch, exacerbated by already faltering infrastructure. The governor, Ricardo Rossello, reported that a million people were left without power, and the National Weather Service in San Juan warned of flash-flooding danger from swollen rivers.

Irmas howling winds weakened slightly to 175 mph as the eye passed to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti. But even a sideswipe by such a intense storm carried devastating power. Hispaniola, the island the two countries share, was lashed by gales and torrential rains.

In the north of Haiti, where a hurricane last year killed some 900 people, many learned of government evacuation orders only from neighbors or relatives. Frightened people in the countrys north cut branches from trees to try to shore up roofs, said Mishelle Mitchell of the humanitarian group World Vision, who was in the capital, Port-au-Prince.

1 / 10 An aerial photo shows the damage of Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. (Gerben Van Es / AFP/Getty Images) 2 / 10 People walk through damage in a sand-covered street of Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of Saint-Martin after the passage of Hurricane Irma. (Lionel Chamoiseau / AFP/Getty Images) 3 / 10 A man surveys the wreckage on his property after the passing of Hurricane Irma, in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda. Heavy rain and 185-mph winds lashed the Virgin Islands and Puerto Ricos northeast coast. (Johnny Jno-Baptiste / Associated Press) 4 / 10 People recover broken parts of the dock after the passing of Hurricane Irma, in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda. (Johnny Jno-Baptiste / Associated Press) 5 / 10 Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. (Carlos Giusti / Associated Press) 6 / 10 Julio Feliciano, left, and Adrian Colon tour the streets of the Matelnillo community searching for citizens in distress during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of Puerto Rico. (Carlos Giusti / Associated Press) 7 / 10 Sylvia Lamzo, 69, sits on a folding bed at an emergency center as Hurricane Irma approaches Puerto Rico. (Ricardo Arduengo / AFP/Getty Images) 8 / 10 Photo of flooded streets on the Caribbean island of Saint-Martin. (Rinsy Xieng / AFP/Getty Images) 9 / 10 Fishermen move a boat inland as Hurricane Irma approaches Haiti. (Hector Retamal / AFP/Getty Images) 10 / 10 A boy puts chickens inside his house before the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Haiti. (Hector Retamal / AFP/Getty Images)

In South Florida, home to some 6 million people, flight from the mighty storm that was bearing down turned chaotic at times, with the states two main south-north arteries clogged with traffic and gasoline in short supply. Florida Highway Patrol troopers were trying to keep vehicles moving, towing disabled cars left by the roadside and escorting fuel trucks.

Florida lore is full of die-hards who ride out hurricanes, and defying a storms fury is romanticized in films like the 1948 noir classic Key Largo. But Scott, in a televised public briefing, pleaded with any holdouts in evacuation zones, especially in the Florida Keys, to obey orders to depart.

Leave. Get out, the governor said, addressing those who had been told to go. We cant save you once the storm starts.

The Keys, where a mandatory evacuation order was in place, were emptying, with 31,000 people having departed as of Thursday morning, Scott said. An advisory evacuation was in place in Miami-Dade, the states most populous county, and the order was mandatory in low-lying areas.

The expanded evacuation zone, now encompassing about 700,000 people, covers downtown Miami and other parts of the city, plus southern parts of Miami-Dade County. It also included Homestead, Coral Gables, South Miami, Miami Shores and North Miami Beach, authorities said.

In Miami Beach, jogger Andrea Ratkovic, 51, was preparing to head home to Oklahoma after the storm scrapped a planned trip to Barbados. First, though, she took a break from her run to help a sandbag-filling crew.

She could sympathize with what Floridians faced, she said, after living through tornadoes back home with terrifyingly high winds.

There is little you can do to prepare for those, Ratkovic said. You just have to run like a bug underground.

While the storms track remained uncertain, a widening area braced for its effects. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper issued a statewide emergency declaration on Thursday, a day after South Carolina did so.

President Trump was briefed in the Oval Office about storm preparations and Irmas projected path. Earlier, he tweeted a reminder to those in Irmas path to be careful, be safe, as the storm approaches.

As Thursday dawned, daylight harshly illuminated the storms destructive rampage through the hardest-hit eastern Caribbean islands, many with colonial links to Western European countries.

Boats were tossed onto land. Electrical wires dangled. Streets had turned to rivers. Structures were splintered, with doors and shutters leaning at crazy angles.

Its an enormous disaster  95% of the island is destroyed, Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on the French-Dutch island of St. Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

Frances interior minister, Gerard Collomb, told French radio that more dead and injured were likely to be discovered as authorities explore all the shores.

A Dutch warship has arrived at St. Maarten, the Netherlands military said. The Dutch interior minister, Ronald Plasterk, who confirmed at least one death, said there could be more casualties.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte earlier said preliminary assessments had painted a bleak picture of the storms aftermath.

There is no power, no gasoline, no running water, Dutch media quoted him as saying. Houses are underwater, cars are floating in the streets, and people are sitting in the dark, in ruined houses, cut off from the outside world.

The independent island nation of Antigua and Barbuda reported overwhelming destruction on Barbuda, with 90% of buildings damaged or destroyed and one death reported. Prime Minister Gaston Browne, speaking to the BBC, called it total carnage.

Britain was dispatching two warships and hundreds of troops to aid people in its territories, including the British Virgin Islands and Turks and Caicos.

Frances president, Emmanuel Macron, who had predicted a harsh ultimate toll in his nations Caribbean territories, used the occasion to call attention to the dangers of global warming.

Macron, on an official trip to Greece, said he would visit the hurricane-ravaged French territories as soon as weather permitted.

Meanwhile, another Caribbean storm was lining up behind this one: Hurricane Jose, which has grown into a Category 2 storm. Those covered by a hurricane watch include some of the same islands battered by Irma.

1 / 79 Trailer homes at the Sea Breeze trailer park in the Florida Keys town of Islamorada were destroyed by Irma. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 2 / 79 Tom Ross inspects the damage to his three-story condominium building in Islamorada. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 3 / 79 The remains of a boat in Islamorada. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 4 / 79 Brooke Gilbert, 15, and her father, Mike Gilbert, look at the ruins of her grandparents condominium building in Islamorada. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 5 / 79 Laura Gilbert retrieves the mailbox from her fathers condominium in Islamorada after it was swept away during the storm. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 6 / 79 Sand and debris block access to trailer homes in Islamorada. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 7 / 79 Greg Garner embraces neighbor Linda Nettles in front of his longtime family home that lost part of its roof after Tropical Storm Irma hit Sullivans Island, S.C. (Mic Smith / Associated Press) 8 / 79 Israel Alvarado, 25, tries to open a gate blocked by fallen tree branches to retrieve a generator in Bonita Springs. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 9 / 79 Rescue workers help a couple evacuate their flooded home in Jacksonville. (John Raoux / Associated Press) 10 / 79 Charlotte Glaze, left gives Donna Lamb a hug as she floats out some of her belongings in floodwaters in Jacksonville,. (Dede Smith / Associated Press) 11 / 79 Ron Colby, 70, leaves his flooded Bonita Springs home after staying during Hurricane Irma. He said he was OK with the wind but that at 3:30 in the morning the water started to rise. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 12 / 79 A dresser floats by Gilberto Diaz in his Bonita Springs neighborhood. Originally from Guatemala, Diaz has lived in Florida since 1994. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 13 / 79 In Bonita Springs, floodwaters reached waist deep in some areas on Monday, flooding homes and cars. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 14 / 79 A block from the ocean in Naples, the water was still a foot deep from storm surge. Homeowner Terry Clontz put up a no wake sign because people were driving by too fast, pushing water farther onto his property. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 15 / 79 Floodwaters surround a marina in Key Largo on Monday following Hurricane Irma. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) 16 / 79 Mobile homes in Key Largo, Fla., lie in ruins on Monday after Hurricane Irma. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) 17 / 79 Floodwaters surround Gilberts Resort in Key Largo on Monday. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) 18 / 79 Kelly McClenthen returns to see the flood damage to her home with her boyfriend, Daniel Harrison, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Bonita Springs, Fla. (Gerald Herbert / Associated Press) 19 / 79 Terry Thompson is relieved. He rode out the storm in his home in Riverwood Estates in Naples. Although the Naples area of Florida was hit hard by Hurricane Irma, damage wasnt nearly as bad as anticipated. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 20 / 79 A woman leaves her flooded home the morning after Hurricane Irma swept through the area in Fort Myers, Florida. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 21 / 79 People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma, in Cape Coral. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 22 / 79 A man clears the drain next to his house in Estero, Fla., during the lull in winds as the eye of the hurricane passes over. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 23 / 79 Evacuees use flashlights so others can maneuver around the stairway at Hampton Inn and Suites in Estero, Fla. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 24 / 79 Guests gather in the lobby of Hampton Inn and Suites in Estero, Fla., to watch the hurricane gusts. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 25 / 79 Darla Talia Ferro, 40, and her two parakeets ride out Hurricane Irma in the lobby of Hampton Inn and Suites in Estero, Fla. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 26 / 79 John Krowzow, 74, wades in floodwater to check out his homes in Corkscrew Woodlands, a park with 640 senior mobile home units in Estero, Fla. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 27 / 79 Peter Moodley wades through floodwater in downtown Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 28 / 79 Two men walk through a downed tree as Hurricane Irmas full force strikes Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 29 / 79 A woman films the damage from a house whose roof was blown off near downtown Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 30 / 79 A vehicle drives through debris caused by Hurricane Irma, in Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 31 / 79 Weather reporters in downtown Miami jump and cling on to illustrate the force of the winds caused by Hurricane Irma. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 32 / 79 Weather reporters do a stand-up as the force of the winds caused by Hurricane Irma hit Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 33 / 79 A cargo truck is tipped over by the wind caused by Hurricane Irma in Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 34 / 79 Storm surge floods the Brickell neighborhood of Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 35 / 79 Streets are empty in downtown Miami as the wind picks up speed during Hurricane Irmas approach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 36 / 79 Maria Koenig, 63, of Estero, Fla., and her dog, Baeley, sit by the window at their Estero hotel so Maria can keep an eye on the storm on Sunday. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 37 / 79 Glen Sinatra, 69, from Naples, says he feels lucky to be at a hotel in Estero instead of a shelter. Hes nervous about the storm and says hes trying not to worry his children about the conditions. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 38 / 79 Jimmy Alfano, of Ft. Myers, holds onto Alec Hoskins who is autistic, while watching the storm gusts through the window of their Estero hotel with Frank Pairs. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 39 / 79 A car sits abandoned in storm surge along North Fort Lauderdale Beach Boulevard as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 40 / 79 The metal canopy at a gasoline station is overturned by high winds brought on by Hurricane Irma. (Wilfredo Lee / Associated Press) 41 / 79 Youssef Ezzou, left, and Fadel Beznbachir roam outside to check out the conditions in Miami as Hurricane Irma nears the mainland. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 42 / 79 A construction crane whose arm broke off towers over a building as high wind blows through downtown Miami on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 43 / 79 A man and woman run to safety in Miami as winds from Hurricane Irma bear down on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 44 / 79 Storefronts in Miami are damaged as Hurricane Irmas winds hit Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 45 / 79 Dustin Terkoski, Palm Bay Police officer surveys the scene after a possible tornado touched down at Palm Pam Bay Estates. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 46 / 79 A man braces against the wind by the Miami River on Sunday as water levels surge. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 47 / 79 A man stands by the Miami River as the water level surges on Sunday. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 48 / 79 The waves on the Miami River begin to surge Sunday as winds pick up speed upon Hurricane Irmas approach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 49 / 79 Brian Williams, of Maryland, fights the winds in downtown Fort Myers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 50 / 79 Trees fall as winds pick up speed early Sunday as Hurricane Irma approaches Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 51 / 79 A TV reporter braces against the wind as Hurricane Irma approaches Miami. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 52 / 79 The outer bands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on Saturday, with clouds over the Miami skyline. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images ) 53 / 79 People wade through a flooded street in Havana after Hurricane Irma battered central Cuba. (YAMIL LAGE / AFP/Getty Images) 54 / 79 Thousands wait Saturday to enter a storm shelter set up at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla., south of Fort Myers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 55 / 79 Jean Turner, 79, waits to get into a shelter with a few of her belongings as rain begins to fall Saturday in Estero, Fla. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 56 / 79 Sherri Bourdo, 32, and Anthony Guidry, 40, look out over the water in Naples, Fla, in advance of the arrival of Hurricane Irma. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 57 / 79 Lisette Toroella and Tatiana Morera play on the beach as storm clouds approach in Miami Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 58 / 79 Adam Todd, does a handstand while skateboarding down a virtually empty Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 59 / 79 Abby Jenkins walks against the wind with her luggage and umbrella to get to safety, in Miami Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 79 James Sampero surfs in the churning ocean as Hurricane Irma approaches. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 61 / 79 Cubans wade through the rubble from a collapsed building in Havana on Saturday. (Yamil Lage / AFP/Getty Images) 62 / 79 A woman and child use a blanket as protection from wind and rain as they walk in Caibarien, Cuba. Hurricane Irma battered Cuba on Saturday with deafening winds and unremitting rain, pushing seawater inland and flooding homes before turning toward Florida. (Desmond Boylan / Associated Press) 63 / 79 Annette Davis plays with her son Darius, 3, while staying at a shelter in Miami on Saturday after evacuating from their home in Florida City ahead of Hurricane Irma. (David Goldman / Associated Press) 64 / 79 Residents walk through rain brought on by Hurricane Irma in Caibarien, Cuba. The powerful storm battered Cuba on Saturday and continued its march toward Florida. (Desmond Boylan / Associated Press) 65 / 79 Palmetto Ridge High School is a shelter for people with special needs near Naples, Fla. Many seniors plan to ride out the storm there. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 66 / 79 Francesca DeLuca, age 20, will be waiting for 10 hours for her flight back to Milan, Italy. She had been visiting a friend in Miami by herself, but the area where she was staying is under mandatory evacuation. At Miami International Airport, the last flights will be this afternoon with the airport closing tonight at 6pm. Most travelers are taking flights to anywhere they can find. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 67 / 79 Boats that cant be evacuated are tied off in canals to protect them from Hurricane Irma on in Key Largo, Florida. The entire Florida Keys are under a mandatory evacuation notice as Hurricane Irma approaches the low-lying chain of islands south of Miami. (Marc Serota / Getty Images) 68 / 79 Hundreds wait in line on Friday at Home Depot in Miami to get supplies line sheets of plywood, and anything else they can find, to board up their homes. Police were on the scene to keep things orderly. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 69 / 79 In the Little Haiti neighborhood of Miami, Fritz Drinks, whose family is from Haiti, helps load sandbags at Little Haiti Hardware and Lumber. Many people in the area are refusing to evacuate in advance of Hurricane Irma. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 70 / 79 In downtowm Miaimi, people wait to get on a bus headed to Orlando under a mandatory evacution plan. Preparations are underway for Hurricane Irma as the storm makes its way toward Florida. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 71 / 79 Stores are boarded up in Miami Beach in advance of Hurricane Irma. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 79 Preparations for Hurricane Irma are underway in Miami Beach as the storm makes its way toward Florida. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 79 Genaro Dacosta, 65, of Miami Beach loads sandbags in advance of Hurricane Irma. He says he cant evacuate the area because he has a monkey. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 74 / 79 An aerial photograph taken and released by the Dutch Department of Defense on Wednesday shows damage from Hurricane Irma in Philipsburg, St. Maarten. (Gerben van Es / AFP/Getty Images) 75 / 79 Juan Negron, third from left, prepares to start up a power generator in front of whats left of his damaged property in Culebra, Puerto Rico, after the passage of Hurricane Irma. (Carlos Giusti / Associated Press) 76 / 79 Residents come out to survey the damage caused by Hurricane Irma in Nagua, Dominican Republic. (Tatiana Fernandez / Associated Press) 77 / 79 People on Thursday look over damage from Hurricane Irma on a sand-covered street of Marigot, near the Bay of Nettle, on the island of St. Maarten. (Lionel Chamoiseau / AFP/Getty Images) 78 / 79 Inmate trustees from the Brevard County Jail fill sandbags for Meritt Island, Fla., residents in advance of Hurricane Irma. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 79 / 79 Motorists leave Key Largo, Fla., ahead of Hurricane Irma. (Alan Diaz / Associated Press)

Staff writer Halper reported from Miami and staff writer King from Washington. Special correspondent Les Neuhaus contributed from Homestead, Fla.

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Airlines begin canceling flights in Hurricane Irmas path

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UPDATES:

4:35 p.m.: This article was updated with additional comments and details as the hurricane heads for Florida.

2:04 p.m.: This article was updated with additional deaths in Puerto Rico and Saint Maarten, expanded evacuation orders in Miami, hurricane passing north of Haiti and Dominican Republica.

10:25 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details of damage in the Caribbean and about preparations in Florida.

9:43: This article was updated with fresh comment from Gov. Scott, urging people to obey evacuation orders, and storm preparations in Haiti.

8:40 a.m.: This article was updated with additional details, including the storms effects on Puerto Rico.

7:15 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with Times staff reporting.

3 a.m.: This article was updated with two additional deaths reported in the Caribbean.

This article was originally published at 1:55 a.m.
Hurricane Irma decimated the small Caribbean island of Barbuda, ripping apart buildings, uprooting trees and killing at least one person as its 185 mph winds swept across the two-island nation best known for its pristine sandy beaches.

And now Hurricane Jose is apparently about to deliver another big blow.



For the record: An earlier version of this story incorrectly named Michael Joseph as president of Antigua and Barbuda. His is president of the Red Cross in Antigua and Barbuda.

We just received a report that Jose should hit Barbuda directly, Roderick Faustin, first secretary for the Embassy of Antigua and Barbuda in Washington said in an email to The Times on Thursday. So we may have to evacuate the island.

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According to the National Hurricane Center, Jose was a Category 3 hurricane packing 120 mph winds. Forecasts show it may veer away from Puerto Rico, east of the Bahamas and across open water toward Bermuda.

In an earlier interview Thursday, Faustin told The Times that Irma had caused heavy damage on the tiny island.

Barbuda is totally destroyed, he said. At least 95% of the properties in Barbuda are either totally destroyed or damaged.

The schools, single hospital and airport, and two hotels on the island of 68 square miles were either damaged or lay in ruins, Faustin said. There is no running water, and telephone service is out after the communications tower was literally snapped in half.

Hurricane Irma would have been easily the most powerful hurricane to have stormed through the Caribbean, and unfortunately Barbuda was in its path, a grim-faced Prime Minister Gaston Browne told ABS TV in Antigua on Wednesday after flying over Barbuda. The island of 1,800 to 2,000 people was barely habitable, he said.

It was heart-wrenching, absolutely devastating, Browne later told CNN. I have never seen any such destruction.

Debris is cleared from a damaged dock in St. Johns, Antigua and Barbuda, after Hurricane Irma roared through on Wednesday. (Johnny Jno-Baptiste / Associated Press)

Officials said a child was killed as its mother was trying to evacuate a damaged property.

But when you look at the extent of the devastation, Im surprised that we did not have any more fatalities, Browne said. That in itself would have come from  a high level of preparedness. But the monstrosity that this storm was, anything that would have been in its path evidently would have suffered the wrath of that storm.

Browne told ABS that on a per capita basis, the extent of the destruction on Barbuda is unprecedented. He put the preliminary estimated price tag to rebuild the island at $100 million.

But thats conservative because were talking about rebuilding everything, all its institutions, the infrastructure for telecommunications, the roads  , Browne said. It is terrible.

Residents took to social media with expressions of relief and gratitude.

Im thankful to be alive, Omar Alfonso tweeted. We had minimum loss of life but maximum loss of property.

Barbuda resident on @abstvradio just now: "I'm thankful to be alive. We had minimum loss of life but maximum loss of property" | Via @blkahn pic.twitter.com/GDPqMPZOY9  Omar Alfonso (@OmarAlfonsoPR) September 6, 2017

Faustin, the embassy official, said what was most immediately needed was drinking water, medicine, food, the basic necessities, he said.

With the runway of Barbudas airport damaged, neighboring Antigua will be used as a hub from which helicopters and boats would depart to ferry relief supplies to Barbuda, officials said.

Faustin said the government was mobilizing private citizens with vessels to carry food, drinking water, medical supplies and other materials to Barbuda. The countrys defense force already had been deployed to help restore communications and other infrastructure.

We are also looking to evacuate those residents who are injured or sick and elderly to Antigua, Faustin said. It was unclear how many people that would entail, he said.

Others residents, who took shelter by the scores in the few municipal structures and other sturdy buildings that survived, also could need to leave the island soon, officials said.

Satellite image shows Hurricane Irmas position on Thursday morning. (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration / AFP/Getty Images)

Michael Joseph, president of the Red Cross in Antigua and Barbuda, told CNN on Thursday that the decision has been made already that if this continues, therell be full evacuation of all persons in Barbuda.

Despite the scale of the disaster, Faustin said the people of the twin-island nation remained resolute in the face of what lies ahead.

Hurricanes are nothing new to us, he said. We do our best. We prepare ourselves to survive and rebuild. We are resilient people. We have encountered a lot, and we are prepared to repair, rebuild the island and move on.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter

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How Hurricane Irma became the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record

UPDATES:

3:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new details that Hurricane Jose also may strike Barbuda.

This article was originally published at 10:35 a.m.
In the 37 years that Dr. Ernest Marshall has been performing abortions in Kentucky, he has seen more than a dozen clinics close in the state. He is now facing off against the governor in a legal fight that will decide whether Kentucky becomes the first state in the nation without an abortion clinic.

State regulators tried to shut down EMW Womens Surgical Center in March over allegations that the facility, which Marshall founded in downtown Louisville in 1981, does not have adequate agreements in place with a local hospital and an ambulance service in case a patient needs to be transferred.

Gov. Matt Bevin, a conservative Republican who describes himself as unapologetically pro-life, defends the licensing requirements as important safeguards to protect women in the event of a medical emergency.

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The clinic has countered with a federal lawsuit arguing that the requirements lack any medical justification and place an unconstitutional barrier before women seeking abortions.

The case, which went to trial Wednesday before a U.S. district judge in Louisville, is being closely watched by both sides in the abortion debate.

Conservative statehouses across the nation have over the years enacted a slew of laws and regulations that have made it increasingly difficult for abortion providers to continue operating. Kentucky is one of seven states  including North Dakota, South Dakota, Missouri, Mississippi, Wyoming and West Virginia  with just one abortion clinic left.

The very right to access legal abortion in the state of Kentucky is on the line, Marshall said in a statement.

The clinics defenders see the Bevin administrations actions as part of a concerted effort by abortion opponents to curtail womens access to the procedure, which has been legal nationwide since the 1973 Roe vs. Wade ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court.

We have a new sheriff in town whos vowed to get rid of abortion, Don Cox, one of the attorneys representing the clinic, was quoted as saying by Kentuckys Courier-Journal newspaper as the trial began.

Since Bevin was elected governor in 2015, state regulators have shuttered another facility operated by Marshall in Lexington and blocked a new Planned Parenthood healthcare center in Louisville from performing abortions.

Republican lawmakers, who took control of the state Legislature in November, have also imposed new restrictions on abortion providers and their patients. The American Civil Liberties Union is challenging one of these measures, a requirement that doctors perform an ultrasound and narrate the results for women seeking abortions, regardless of whether the patients wish to hear them.

Its emblematic of what is happening across the country in states where politicians have passed law after law that has chipped away at the right to access abortion, said Brigitte Amiri, a senior staff attorney at the ACLUs Reproductive Freedom Project who is also representing EMW.

She said the clinic has had agreements with a local hospital and an ambulance company on file with state regulators for years and that the officials are now raising nitpicky issues about the documents as an excuse to revoke the clinics license.

Among the states complaints was that the agreement with the University of Louisville Hospital was signed by the head of the obstetrics, gynecology and womens health department rather than the owner of the hospital. The university declined to consider the clinics request for another signature until after the trial is over, Amiri said.

Regulators also complained that the agreement with the Mercy Ambulance Service did not specify to which hospital patients would be transferred  a problem that has since been rectified.

Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky, which joined EMWs lawsuit in June, said in court documents that it had obtained evidence through the discovery process suggesting that Bevins administration used the threat of funding cuts to pressure the hospital into backing out of its transfer agreement  an allegation denied by the governors office.

The Bevin administration is working diligently to protect the health, welfare and lives of women in Kentucky, said Amanda Stamper, a spokeswoman for the governor.

She said in an email that the requirement for transfer agreements applies to other healthcare facilities in Kentucky and has been in effect for 19 years. It is telling that the abortion industry believes that it alone should be exempt from these important safety measures, Stamper said.

The lawsuit contends that such agreements do nothing to improve patient care.

Complications from abortion in general are rare, EMWs lawyers said in the complaint. In the exceedingly rare event that a complication requiring hospitalization does occur while a patient is at an abortion facility, ambulance companies will readily pick up patients, and hospitals are required by law to accept patients in an emergency.

Lawyers for the state countered in court filings that such self-serving statements about the rarity of complications from abortion gloss over the fact that complications do occur, and transport agreements are important safeguards for womens health in the event of such complications.

The state says the effects of closing the clinic would not be as drastic as the plaintiffs contend.

Kentucky law permits licensed hospitals to perform abortions without being separately licensed as an abortion facility, its attorneys said. Kentucky women would also have access to abortions at nearby facilities in contiguous states.

Marshall said many of his patients already travel long distances to get their abortions, adding to the expense and taking away more time from work and children.

After overcoming so much to come to our clinic, our patients are forced to face a final obstacle: the incessant bullying and harassment of protesters outside the clinic, he told reporters during a telephone conference call.

The clinic has obtained a court order allowing it to remain open pending a decision in the case. The hearings are expected to last three days.

alexandra.zavis@latimes.com

Twitter: @alexzavis
As people in Florida scramble to prepare for Hurricane Irma, one county sheriff is being criticized for saying that those with outstanding warrants wont be allowed in shelters during the monster storm and that law enforcement would be checking IDs.

In a series of tweets Wednesday, Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd at first said sex offenders and predators would not be admitted to evacuation shelters, where identification would be checked.

He later widened his scope and included anyone with an outstanding warrant: If you go to a shelter for Irma and you have a warrant, well gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail, Judd tweeted. If you have a warrant, turn yourself in to the jail  its a secure shelter.

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He added: We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders and predators. Period.

If you go to a shelter for #Irma, be advised: sworn LEOs will be at every shelter, checking IDs. Sex offenders/predators will not be allowed  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail https://t.co/Qj5GX9XQBi  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

If you have a warrant, turn yourself in to the jail - it's a secure shelter https://t.co/UFNGNafJh8  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

We cannot and we will not have innocent children in a shelter with sexual offenders & predators. Period. https://t.co/DlhqjqFrkM  Polk County Sheriff (@PolkCoSheriff) September 6, 2017

By Thursday morning, the sheriffs tweets had gone viral, and thousands of people had responded, included civil rights groups and politicians who condemned the statements.

Judd faced heavy criticism from people who said his threats of arresting people who sought shelter endangered lives and stoked fears among those who are in the country illegally and may not have an ID.

What about Polk [Countys] undocumented farm / grove workers? And do you have a shelter open just for undesirables? one person commented on Twitter.

The county of roughly 650,000 residents is east of Tampa.

Democratic state Rep. Carlos Smith also denounced Judds comments.

18K undocumented humans live in Polk Cty, most w/out IDs. Tweets like this tell them they're not welcome to seek shelter. Shameful! #Sayfie https://t.co/V22JkhXGAY  Rep. Carlos G Smith (@CarlosGSmith) September 7, 2017

Civil rights groups pointed out that many of those with arrest warrants are likely low-level offenders.

Most people with outstanding warrants are dealing with low-level and nonviolent offenses and pose no risk to others in a shelter, the Florida chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union said in a statement posted on Twitter. Sheriff Judds threatening tweets send the message that these individuals must choose between facing a natural disaster without aid and shelter or going to jail over things like unpaid traffic tickets.

The Florida Immigrant Coalition also condemned the sheriffs comments and said they incited fear.

This is a moment where we should be coming together as Floridians to ensure the safety of our loved ones and neighbors, the group said in a statement.

Polk County sheriffs spokeswoman Carrie Eleazer Horstman told local media that the department was giving people a fair warning.

We see that people are upset, but the bottom line is the shelters are here to protect people and we want people to be safe, Horstman told the Tampa Bay Times. If you have a warrant, turn yourself into the jail, and if you are a predator, find somewhere to go.

In interviews with the media following the criticism over his tweets, Judd reaffirmed his statements.

If you show up at a shelter, were going to shelter you safely, but its going to be in the county jail because we have a legal obligation to execute the warrant, Judd told Fox 13. In a time of potential disaster, there needs to be a place that you can run to and absolutely know youre safe.

Judd first started working at the Polk County Sheriffs Office in 1972 as a dispatcher. He was elected sheriff in 2004.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad
Organizers of what could become a new U.S. political party will gather in Washington, D.C., this weekend to decide whether to work within the Democratic Party for reform or launch their own progressive movement called the Peoples Party, with Bernie Sanders as their preferred presidential candidate.

While the outlines of what the Peoples Party might look like are still unfolding, organizers have already found a working model for guidance and inspiration  in Seattle.

The Seattle Peoples Party quickly established itself over the summer as a viable political alternative when its first-ever candidate seemingly came out of nowhere to mount a nail-biting finish in the citys mayoral primary last month.

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Nikkita Oliver, 31, a Seattle attorney, community activist and novice candidate, reluctantly agreed to run for mayor representing the Peoples Party. She quickly became a force in the race with a platform erected on the needs of women, people of color, the LGBTQ community and the financially pressed

Though she came up short, finishing third in a crowded primary behind two Democrats, engineer Cary Moon and former U.S. Atty. Jenny Durkan, she drew 31,000 votes and lost by 1,200. Moon and Durkan will square off in November.

The showing left supporters energized and wetted Olivers thirst for more populist politics (she refused corporate donations and campaigned door-to-door in poorer neighborhoods  familiar ground to her, she said).

Oliver proposed re-directing City Halls soaring revenue and tax income (the result of Amazon-ian growth that has made Seattle the countrys hottest real estate market) toward more social and health programs.

Were living in one of the most wealthy cities in the United States, if not the world, and we know theres enough, Oliver said,  if only we were willing to share it collectively.

Nikkita Oliver greets a supporter in Seattle. (Grand Hindsley / Associated Press)

We have the ability to not just talk at a 30,000-foot view about equity, but to actually bring tangible, real solutions to the forefront of the discussion  Nikkita Oliver, candidate

Oliver said we have the ability to not just talk at a 30,000-foot view about equity, but to actually bring tangible, real solutions to the forefront of the discussion because we live these challenges.

As renters, as workers, as black and brown people, as the queer and trans community  we live these challenges every single day, said Oliver, who is black.

The Seattle Peoples Party was formed this year to develop equitable political strategies and solutions which place people over profits and corporations, and is not directly affiliated with the budding national Peoples Party, though theres cross-support.

Leading up to the primary, the Seattle party  Democrats who find their party suddenly uninspiring, activists shell-shocked by Donald Trumps 2016 victory and the emerging populist movement elsewhere in the world  was watched closely by community and political organizers nationwide, looking for ways to create similar movements across the U.S.

The national group, led by Nick Brana, a former Sanders campaign aide, said the timing seemed right to form a new third party based on progressive principles.

Rather than entrenched politicians, Wall Street hedge funders and mega-developers calling the shots, the national Peoples Party said it intended to focus on candidates more concerned about affordable housing, health insurance costs, minimum wage, racial equity, criminal justice and human rights.

Among some theres a feeling the Democratic Party  and the White House in the era of Trump  has been abducted by the Billionaire Class.

The current model and the current strategy of the Democratic Party is an absolute failure, Sen. Sanders told 4,000 faithful in June at a Chicago Peoples Summit. Trump, he said, claimed to be a working-class candidate but as president brought more billionaires into his administration than any president in history.

Supporters of Bernie Sanders cheer during his speech at the Peoples Summit in Chicago in June. (Jim Young / AFP-Getty Images)

Sanders has not indicated whether he has any lasting interest in the national Peoples Party, and hasnt said whether he will attend the formation meeting in Washington. But that hasnt slowed a legion of Berniecats urging him to run for president in 2020 as the Peoples Party candidate.

The Democratic Party continues to rebuke Sanders progressive policies, Brana said. But given his overwhelming popularity among the partys base and independents, he has a unique opportunity to unite them in a new party rooted in the progressive policies that most Americans support but neither party embraces  Medicare for all, free public college, getting money out of politics, breaking up the banks, and so on.

Among the speakers set to appear at the Peoples Convergence Conference in Washington is Kshama Sawant, a Seattle council member and political firebrand who regularly engages in a war of words with opponents. She was recently sued by two officers who she called murderers after they killed an armed drug dealer. She refused to apologize after they were cleared of wrongdoing.

About 47,000 supporters have signed an online petition to form the new party. Despite the enthusiasm, a third-party candidate has never been elected president, unless you count Abraham Lincolns 1860 White House victory as leader of the newly-born Republican Party, beating Democratic and Constitutional Union Party challengers.

Brana counts it. We hope Sanders will realize that he has a historic opportunity to replace an establishment party with a new progressive party, much like Lincolns Republicans replaced the Whigs.

Anderson is a special correspondent.

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When Natasha Allen and her husband, Richard, embarked Monday on a five-day Royal Caribbean cruise to the Bahamas, the recently married couple expected a relaxing vacation.

While they had known that Hurricane Irma was potentially headed their way, the cruise line didnt cancel the trip, so they thought they were in the clear.

The couple spent one relaxing day in Nassau before learning Tuesday that their ship would be returning to Miami.

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They arrived at 2:30 p.m. Thursday to a scene of unfolding chaos.

We had one day when everything was fine and beautiful. Now we are rushing to get out of Miami, Allen said. We saw some people crying, and they are not directing traffic to help people get off the ship.

The couple is among some of the luckier cruise ship passengers. Their travel agent was able to get them a flight out of Miami back to West Virginia on Friday, and they found a hotel room for $89 near the airport where they plan to spend Thursday night.

Still, they worry about what they will do if their flight is canceled.

We will be stranded. We have no rental car because its all sold out. We wont have a way out, Allen said.

With flights out of Miami difficult to find, rental cars sold out and hotel rooms scarce, thousands of cruise passengers who were forced to return to Miami are struggling to find ways out of the city as Irma approaches.

With Irmas path difficult to predict, ships from over a dozen cruises have been cutting short and canceling trips, and changing future itineraries, according to Cruise Critic, a website where people write reviews about cruises.

Relatives of people onboard affected cruise ships have expressed worry over social media.

My nephew and his wife are stranded in Miami. Cruise ship just docked. Anyone with people who can help in ANY way please let us know, Libbey Tiefer wrote in a Facebook post.

Dianna Lauber said she had been trying for two days to book a flight for her daughter, Carmen, who was on a Carnival cruise in the Bahamas and arrived in Miami early Thursday.

I was shopping at Costco Tuesday when Carmen called and asked me to help her find a new flight, Lauber said. I was feeling hopeless.

Carmen went straight to the airport after her cruise ship docked in Miami, only to learn that her flight had been canceled, Lauber said.

Not wanting to take the risk of staying in Miami, Lauber said her daughter managed to find a rental car and drove six hours to Tampa, where she was able to book a flight back to Los Angeles for Thursday evening.

There werent many rental cars left, so she got lucky. I was starting to feel hopeless, Lauber said.

Allen and her husband had the option of staying on the cruise ship, as did passengers on other cruises, such as Norwegian Cruise line and MSC Cruises.

But Allen said she didnt know they had that option, and by the time they learned, it was too late because they had booked a hotel room.

She said she was frustrated with the lack of communication on part of the ships captain.

We werent told anything and [staff] were acting like everything was fine, Allen said in a phone interview while trying to get off the ship.

They should have canceled our cruise in the first place so we could have avoided this or dropped us off somewhere else, Allen said. Everything is chaos right now.

Royal Caribbean did not immediate respond to phone calls or an email seeking comment.

Carnival Cruise Line spokeswoman Jennifer de la Cruz issued a statement saying that Carnival was very sensitive to dropping people into a situation where they are going to have difficulty once they are on the ground.

In addition to allowing passengers on the Carnival Victory ship to remain on board, she said that another ship was being detoured to New Orleans and a number of our other ships would remain at sea.

melissa.etehad@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter @melissaetehad

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4:55 p.m.: This article has been updated with a statement from Carnival Cruise Lines.

This article was originally posted at 4:15 p.m.
Donald Trump Jr. agreed to meet during the campaign last year with a Russian lawyer who had promised to provide damaging information on Hillary Clinton because he hoped to assess her fitness for office, the presidents eldest son told Senate investigators Thursday.

Moscow lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya and three associates with links to Russia went to an office in Trump Tower in Manhattan for the June 9, 2016, meeting with Donald Trumps top lieutenants, including his campaign chairman, Paul Manafort, his son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and son Donald Jr.

To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, Trump Jr. said in a prepared statement about his meeting with the Russians.

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Depending on what, if any, information they had, I could then consult with counsel to make an informed decision as to whether to give it further consideration, he added.

Trump Jr.s closed-door testimony before the Senate Judiciary Committee, one of the four congressional panels investigating the Trump campaigns dealings with Russia, provided the most detailed account yet of the meeting.

It also is a focus of Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller IIIs separate criminal investigation of alleged links between Russian government authorities and several members of Trumps family, as well as current and former aides.

Trump Jr. sought to dispel speculation Thursday that President Trump knew about the meeting at the time. He told the panel he had not informed his father, then the expected Republican nominee, about it, according to a person familiar with his testimony.

Investigators see the Trump Tower meeting as significant because it was specifically offered to Trump Jr. as part of an effort by Moscow to help his father win the White House, and because attendees have provided varying accounts of what occurred.

They also are trying to understand what Trump knew about the Russian offer. After Trump Jr. was first promised damaging information, his father promised to give a major speech to discuss all the things that have taken place with the Clintons.

The Trump Tower meeting took place five days before news broke that hackers linked to the Russian government had stolen thousands of emails from computers at the Democratic National Committee. The emails began appearing on WikiLeaks in July.

Rinat Akhmetshin, a Russian-born lobbyist who attended the meeting, testified last month before a grand jury convened by Mueller to investigate Russian interference in the 2016 election, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Trump Jr., a businessman, agreed to appear before the Judiciary Committee after the chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), had subpoenaed him and Manafort.

The subpoenas were withdrawn after both agreed to testify in private. Grassley said they both eventually would be questioned by senators in a public hearing.

Muellers office has approached the White House about interviewing staff members who helped write Trump Jr.s first public statements after news of the 2016 meeting emerged two months ago, CNN reported.

He initially said he and Veselnitskaya had primarily discussed a program about the adoption of Russian children.

That was an oblique reference to the Magnitsky Act, a U.S. law enacted in 2012 that imposed financial sanctions on Russian officials and businessmen, including one of Veselnitskayas clients. Moscow responded to the sanctions by banning American adoption of Russian children.

But Trump Jr. later released emails that he agreed to the meeting in hopes of receiving damaging information about Clinton, then the expected Democratic nominee.

The emails show he was contacted by Rod Goldstone, a former business associate, who described Veselnitskaya as a Russian government attorney who had official documents and information that would incriminate Clinton and would be very useful to your father.

Her information was part of Russia and its governments support for Mr. Trump, Goldstone told Trump Jr.

In his statement Thursday, Trump Jr. said he was skeptical of Goldstones information, since he had only known Rob as a somewhat colorful music promoter who had worked with pop stars such as Michael Jackson.

He added: Nonetheless I thought at the time I should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say.

Goldstone had worked with Trump Jr. on the Trump-owned Miss Universe pageant in Moscow in 2013. He attended the June 2016 meeting along with Irakly Ike Kaveladze, a Russian-born business executive. Both work for a billionaire Moscow developer with close ties to the Kremlin.

Trump Jr. said Veselnitskaya opened the meeting speaking very generally about individuals connected to Russia supporting or funding Clinton. It was quite difficult for me to understand what she was saying or why, he added.

She produced no incriminating information about Clinton, Trump Jr. said, and ended in 20 or 30 minutes when the Russian shifted the discussion to the Magnitsky Act, a subject that Trump Jr. said he knew nothing about.

It was clear to me that her real purpose in asking for the meeting all along was to discuss Russian adoption and the Magnitsky Act, he said.

Trump Jr. said he proceeded to quickly and politely end the meeting by telling her that because my father was a private citizen there did not seem to be any point to having this discussion, saying he gave it no further thought.

I did not collude with any foreign government and do not know of anyone who did, he said.

Kushner, in particular, faces scrutiny because he failed to initially report several meetings with Russians, including the one with Veselnitskaya, when he submitted federal disclosure forms to obtain a security clearance.

He told the Senate Intelligence Committee in July that his failure to report the meetings was not deliberate. He blamed an aide who he said had mistakenly submitted the form before it was complete, and that he later updated it.

Kushner called the June 2016 meeting a waste of time, and said that after 10 minutes, he quietly texted an assistant asking for a call on his cellphone to provide an excuse to leave.

Manafort met privately with Senate intelligence committee staff in July. Kushner has met with that staff, as well as members of the House Intelligence Committee.

Trump Jr. also is expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee at some point.

Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, said in a statement that Trump Jr.s expression of disappointment that the meeting did not focus solely on damaging information about Clinton only underscores what he and the campaign hoped to gain from the meeting.

david.cloud@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidcloudLAT
Leslie Van Houten of Monrovia was just a teenager when she helped kill Rosemary LaBianca on Aug. 9, 1969. Her mind was arguably muddled by drug use, as well as by the hold that Charles Manson and his cult-like family exerted over her. Her death sentence was thrown out more than 40 years ago, and she has spent most of her life eligible for parole yet still in prison. She has repeatedly expressed remorse for her crime. There is no evidence that she would pose a danger to anyone. Isnt it time that California released her?

No.

Inexplicably, some find the call to be an easy one. Hard-liners will argue that brutal murderers like Van Houten forever give up any right to liberty or even life. Others express outrage that the state would keep a person locked up decades after the crime merely to satisfy some inchoate societal urge for retribution, long after the other reasons we put people in prison  to prevent them from committing new crimes, to deter others from following their bad example, to rehabilitate them  no longer apply.

A year ago, Gov. Brown said no. He was right then, and he should say no again.

But for most people who sincerely grapple with the question, it is a very difficult, emotionally wrenching and intellectually vexing call indeed. Now that Van Houten has for the second time been found suitable for parole by a state parole panel, it falls to Gov. Jerry Brown  also for the second time  to decide whether to uphold that decision. A year ago, he said no. He was right then, and he should say no again. But its complicated.

Van Houten joined other Manson family murderers on the second night of a killing spree, invading the Los Feliz home of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca and terrorizing the couple before killing them. Van Houten held down Rosemary LaBianca as others stabbed her. Then Van Houten herself plunged a knife into the victim more than a dozen times. The killers wrote messages on the walls using their victims blood.

It was a particularly gruesome and horrific murder, but it was also an act of terrorism. Manson intended to wage a race war, and he wanted the murders to get the project underway by putting the city in a state of panic.

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To an extent, he and his followers succeeded. Unsolved for weeks, the killings frightened Los Angeles in the late summer of 1969. In rejecting parole last year, Brown noted that the shocking nature of the crimes left an indelible mark on society.

It did  yet we are given pause. A sentence and subsequent parole decisions should take into account the fact that the criminals hoped to instigate terror, but that doesnt mean that the punishment should depend on how much attention a particular crime generated, whether the victims included movie stars or whether the assailants were a headline-magnet like Manson and his young, mostly female spellbound hangers-on. Crimes should not be punished because they were among the defining horrors of a particular generation, but rather because they were crimes.

Van Houtens crime resulted in a sentence of death in 1971. This page opposes the death penalty in all circumstances and would oppose such a sentence for Van Houten were she facing it today.

But just because we are morally opposed to execution does not automatically mean we reject any form of retribution  as opposed to mere deterrence  for crimes with a particularly corrosive effect on society. Retribution should be meted out sparingly and should be balanced with mercy. But it has a valid role.

As it happens, court rulings in 1972 declared the states process for imposing the death penalty unconstitutional, leaving Van Houten and other death-row inmates with sentences of life in prison with the possibility of parole. Even quirkier circumstances complicate her case. Her lawyer died during trial, causing an appeals court to grant her a new trial in 1977, resulting in her being sentenced to seven years to life.

We dont argue that Van Houten should be denied any chance at parole, or that her youth or her drug-impaired brain should never be taken into account. But although she may have been unclear on the details of Mansons insane plot to foment terror, stitched together from various Beatles lyrics, she knew what she was doing. Although she was a teenager when she killed, she was legally an adult. There necessarily is an element of randomness in any line-drawing exercise.

It would be fair to ask when Van Houten should be released if not now. Never? We dont say never. But we look at her crime and its role in a plan to destabilize society and we must say  not yet.

Follow the Opinion section on Twitter @latimesopinion and Facebook

UPDATES:

4:30 p.m.: This editorial was edited again to clarify how death row inmates in California in the early 1970s were affected by rulings invalidating the death penalty.
When Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions announced the cancellation of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program this week, he said that President Trump would give Congress time to legalize the 800,000 undocumented immigrants known as Dreamers. Sessions also mentioned that he has worked closely with many members of Congress, including in the introduction of the RAISE Act, referring to the Senate bill that, if passed, would slash legal immigration in half.

The DACA announcement came two days after Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, a cosponsor of the RAISE Act, told the Washington Examiner that Republicans should find a way to give Dreamers legal status, but we also have to mitigate the inevitable consequences of that action.

To immigration policy wonks, the message is clear: The White House is open to legalizing Dreamers, but only in exchange for concessions such as the RAISE Act.

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It appears likely, in other words, that Republicans will attempt to use the fate of DACA recipients as leverage for comprehensive reform  a bringing-to-life of Trumps entire immigration platform, which calls for the border wall and legislation similar to the RAISE Act, as well as mandatory participation in E-Verify, the electronic employment eligibility verification system.

Trumps base doesnt want amnesty for Dreamers.

Those three measures happen to be the key components of a wish list published by the Center for Immigration Studies, a nativist think tank cited by Sessions and the White House policy advisor Stephen Miller. The CIS has explicitly endorsed a grand bargain in which amnesty is granted to Dreamers in exchange for the policies on the wish list.

But Congress isnt likely to pass this kind of comprehensive deal. The policies are certain to be ineffective and expensive. Whats more, almost nobody would support such a package  not the Dreamers, not pro-immigration Americans, not even Trumps base.

For starters, the proposed amnesty is puny. Dreamers make up about 7% of the estimated 11 million illegal immigrants who are currently in the country. Although Dreamers would be spared, a comprehensive deal would still leave a vast population of immigrants vulnerable to deportation.

Trumps border wall promises to be a big-government boondoggle. According to Department of Homeland Security estimates, the wall will cost at least $17.3 million per mile to build and more than $21 billion overall, come with enormous annual maintenance costs and require so much private property from Texas ranchers that Trumps budget sought 20 additional Department of Justice lawyers to ramp up eminent domain cases.

Furthermore, the wall wont even work. Illegal border crossings are at a 46-year low. The majority of new illegal immigrants enter legally and overstay their visas. A wall cant keep out overstays.

Full implementation of E-Verify, which crosschecks information provided by job applicants with federal databases, would also be wasteful. A few states  Alabama, Arizona, Mississippi and South Carolina  already require that employers use E-Verify, and the results have been abysmal. Businesses in these states ignore the mandate for about half of new hires. When the system is used, E-Verify erroneously flags .3% of legal workers as illegal. At that rate, if applied nationally, the system would misidentify 420,000 legal workers as illegal.

Passing the RAISE Act would arguably be the costliest demand of a comprehensive deal. In cutting legal immigration in half, the bill would reduce the number of high-skilled immigrants allowed into the U.S. by around 100,000 per year. A year after it is passed, the act would force at least 500,000 skilled H-1B workers to leave, taking their productivity with them.

Shrinking the workforce is not an effective way to grow wages for Americans. According to two widely cited studies, native-born Americans do not face much wage competition with immigrants. Whats more, according to my research, the RAISE Act would increase deficits by about $2.3 trillion over the next 75 years. The last time Congress cut legal migration to raise American wages, in 1964, the result was slower wage growth for low-skilled workers as employers mechanized in response.

There simply isnt enough support for the reforms Trump wants. Only 37% of Americans want a border wall, E-Verify (when costs are introduced) and drastic cuts in legal immigration, according to polls by Rasmussen, Reason-Rupe and Gallup, respectively.

Not to mention that Trumps base doesnt want amnesty for Dreamers. Many of them believe they were burned by President Reagans 1986 reform. That bill legalized about 3 million unlawful immigrants, but, as Mark Krikorian recently put it in the National Review, the enforcement part of that bargain was vaporware, an airy promise that disappeared the moment the amnesty was completed. Trumps base will not accept a deal that repeats the betrayal of 86. They want deportations  period.

Even the supposed beneficiaries of such a bargain, the Dreamers, arent likely to support a deal that leaves their parents vulnerable to deportation and, if it includes the RAISE Act, would make it impossible for their parents to ever earn a green card.

Amnesty for Dreamers will fail if it is tied to the border wall, E-Verify and the RAISE Act. Thats just as well, since the costs of such wrongheaded policies would far outweigh any benefits.

Alex Nowrasteh is an immigration policy analyst at the Cato Institute.

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To the editor: We should try talks with North Korea starting by getting that country to stop nuclear testing. (North Koreas nukes call for concerted action, not loose talk, editorial, Sept. 6)

Every nuclear test by North Korea brings its regime closer to perfecting a weapon that could reach American soil. But if we engage the North on ending nuclear tests, we not only halt that progress, but also open the door for more agreements.

The United States, North Korea and China should together ratify the Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, which bans all nuclear test explosions. The United States and China have not tested nuclear weapons for decades and have no need to, so ratification should be relatively simple.

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The three nations could then take part in on-site inspection exercises, which treaty members regularly practice. That experience can build the confidence for peace and more agreements that could lead to ending North Koreas nuclear program.

Diplomacy can still work, but you have to work at it. The Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban Treaty gives us this opportunity to resolve the North Korean crisis peacefully. We should take it.

William Lambers, Cincinnati

..

To the editor: The only alternative to war with North Korea is the United States ending all trade with China if it continues to prop up Kim Jong Uns regime.

China alone is responsible for permitting this rogue regime to starve its people and build hydrogen bombs, and its Chinas responsibility to prevent a potential nuclear holocaust. We Americans must be prepared to see our economy take a hit, one that will be costly and disruptive. A point has been reached where the options are only bad and worse, and we must choose bad.

China isnt the enemy, but it is the key. We should demonstrate to the Chinese through our willingness to take this drastic economic step that the Kim regime must go. There is no peaceful alternative to this strategy.

If China still refuses to end its support of North Korea, then it must be prepared to accept a nuclear-armed Japan, a nuclear-armed South Korea and, eventually, war on the Korean peninsula.

Joseph Charney, South Pasadena

..

To the editor: It might be time for the worlds major powers to take a different approach to North Korea.

Since Kim possesses nuclear weapons and shows no signs of giving them up, perhaps the U.S. and other nuclear powers should say this: OK, North Korea, youve done it. You are one of us; you are a nuclear power. Welcome to the club. Now, please join us in sharing responsibility for the fate of the world.

It seems to me that this is what North Korea wants  to be treated with respect. Why continue to treat it like a misbehaving child who has run off with the family car without permission? Why not instead allow North Korea to actually be one of the grown-ups?

The established powers might not like the idea initially, but the facts suggest that this is what must be done. It is time now to keep the world safe in whatever way possible.

Karl Lisovsky, Venice

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To the editor: There is a reason why taxes should require a two-thirds vote  we are taking long-term commitments to raise taxes via bonds and fees. (A win for majority rule on local finances, editorial, Sept. 1)

The editorial page has called Proposition 218, the 1996 ballot measure requiring new taxes meant to fund specific programs be passed by a two-thirds vote, tyranny of the minority. However, it is the same when public employee unions strong-arm their employers and the government leaders involved to give them unsustainable pension and wage increases.

Because of the increased liabilities that have come about because of the pay and benefits negotiated by public employee unions, local agencies must pay for more immediate needs, such as computer systems, with credit. Cities such as Upland and San Bernardino had to give up local control of their fire departments to save on costs.

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California is becoming an expensive place to live, and people are sadly ambivalent to the reality we are facing today.

Matthew Munson, Ontario

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To the editor: In the nearly 40 years since Gov. Jerry Brown signed his 1978 executive order imposing union shop collective bargaining on public agencies in California, taxpayers have labored under an unholy alliance between liberal politicians and public employee unions.

In return for more generous compensation funded with other peoples money, the unions have kept their favored politicians well-funded. When there wasnt enough money, the grist in the mill was future promises of other peoples money. Hence, the unfunded pension liability bomb that is waiting to explode in every local budget in the state.

With a simple 51% majority rule to impose new taxes for local programs, per the recent court decision of Proposition 218, we can only expect a lot of new taxation.

Mark F. Sullivan, Westlake Village

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California farmworkers will have to undergo sexual assault prevention training By Jazmine Ulloa Gov. Jerry Brown/ (Monica Davey/ EPA) Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed legislation to ensure farm labor contractors train employees on how to prevent and report sexual assault, a response to a 2013 PBS Frontline investigation that found sexual violence against women was a pervasive problem in California fields. Senate Bill 295 by Sen. Bill Monning (D-Carmel) makes sexual harassment training mandatory at all businesses that supervise farm employees or provide them with lodging, transportation or other services. The training has to be conducted or interpreted in a language that employees can understand, the law stipulates, and farm labor contractors will have to provide proof of all of their materials and resources to the Farm Labor Commission as part of the license renewal process. Under the new law, the state labor commission also will be able to charge a $100 civil fine for any violation of the new requirements. The PBS Frontline investigative documenatory, Rape in the Fields, The Hidden Story of Rape on the Job in America found more than half a million women work in U.S. fields. Most do not have legal residency in the country, and sexual harassment and violence often go unreported. A 2012 Human Rights Watch survey found 80% of 150 women in Californias Central Valley had experienced some form of the abuse. Facebook

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Los Angeles voters can cast ballots in Assembly race on Tuesday By Chris Megerian Wendy Carrillo is one of 13 people running for a state Assembly seat. (Brian van der Brug / Los Angeles Times) The political dominoes from U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxers retirement are almost done falling. Her decision two years ago to forgo reelection led to a reshuffling that eventually left vacant a state Assembly seat in Los Angeles. There are 13 candidates running in the special election, and the primary is Tuesday. Read More Facebook

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Gov. Brown signs major housing legislation By Liam Dillon At a signing ceremony in San Francisco on Friday morning, Gov. Jerry Brown signed 15 bills aimed at addressing the states mounting housing problems. It is a big challenge, Brown said. We have risen to it this year. The bills could add nearly $1 billion in new funding for low-income housing developments in the near term as well as lessen regulations that slow growth. Read More Facebook

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Watch live: Gov. Jerry Brown signs bills to tackle Californias housing crisis Gov. Jerry Brown and state lawmakers are gathered in San Francisco for the signing into law of a package of proposals designed to tackle some of the most pressing parts of Californias housing crisis. Read More Facebook

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Businesses in California will be required to tell customers exactly how much their automatic renewal will cost By Mina Corpuz California will require online businesses that offer free trials to tell customers exactly how much an automatic renewal will cost under a law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday. The laws author, Sen. Bob Hertzberg (D-Van Nuys), thinks the bill, known as SB 313, will make it easier for customers to cancel service. Consumers need to know what they are signing up for and that they can just as easily cancel any service or subscription online as when they started it online, Hertzberg said in a statement. Streaming services like Hulu and Spotify and the file-sharing site Dropbox have elicited lawsuits and consumer complaints about their automatic service renewals, according to Hertzbergs statement. The law goes into effect in July. Facebook

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Heres why Californias early primary in 2020 is destined to pick the next president. (Nah, not really) By Mark Z. Barabak (Harry Chase / Los Angeles Times) Today we answer questions. Woo-hoo! Now that Gov. Jerry Brown has signed the bill, it looks like California is moving up its 2020 presidential primary. Finally! Uh. No more watching from the sidelines as small-fry states like Iowa and New Hampshire throw their weight around. Um. Im already fluffing pillows and prepping the guestroom for all the 2020 hopefuls wholl be camped out. Er. What? You dont seem too excited. Look, it would be great if California voted in a truly meaningful presidential primary. Its been about 50 years since that happened. But its about as likely in 2020 as President Trump dumping Vice President Pence and running for reelection on a unity ticket with Hillary Clinton. How can that be? Lots of reasons, both political and practical. Do tell. Read More Facebook

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Poll: Californians like Obamacare more than ever but are divided on single-payer healthcare By Melanie Mason Members of the California Nurses Assn. and other supporters rally at the state Capitol for a single-payer health plan June 28. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) As the latest attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act fizzles, the law has reached its highest popularity in California in four years, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California. Nearly 60% of the Californians hold a generally favorable view of the healthcare law, and just over a third of Californians see it unfavorably  the highest approval rating since PPIC began tracking the laws popularity in 2013. But while Democrats and independents back the law, known as Obamacare, with strong majorities, three-quarters of Republicans have negative views of it. Only 18% of Californians believe congressional Republicans should try again to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act, and 58% of adults want to see bipartisan efforts to improve the law. Underscoring the GOPs challenge in dramatically reducing governments role in healthcare, two-thirds of the states adults believe it is the federal governments responsibility to ensure that all Americans have health coverage. But Californians are divided on whether to substantially increase government involvement through a single-payer system, such as the Medicare for All proposal recently introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont). A national single-payer insurance program such as Medicare for All gets support from 35% of Californians, according to the poll. Support is higher among Democrats  44%  and independents  34%  than among Republicans. Only 6% of Republicans back such a system. But the current system, a patchwork of government and private insurance options, isnt particularly adored by Californians. Just under 30% of adults support continuing with a mix of private and public insurance options, while 36% of Democrats, 21% of Republicans and 31% of independents see that mixed system as the best way to provide health coverage. Facebook

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Half of Californias likely voters think Sen. Dianne Feinstein should retire, poll finds By Phil Willon (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times) As Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein contemplates a 2018 bid for reelection, a new poll has found that 50% of Californias likely voters think she shouldnt run again. Just 43% of likely voters support Feinstein running for a sixth term, according to a Public Policy Institute of California poll released Wednesday. The results are similar among all California adults, not just likely voters, with 46% saying she should not run for another term and 41% saying she should run. Feinstein, 84, has come under increased pressure from members of Californias left, many of whom were infuriated when earlier this month she called for patience with President Trump and refused to back demands for his impeachment. Still, the poll found that Feinstein remains popular. More than half of likely voters  54%  approve of the job shes doing, compared with 38% who disapprove. Thats on par with Gov. Jerry Browns approval rating, and it bests the marks for Californias other Democratic senator, Kamala Harris. When likely voters were asked about Harris, the former state attorney general elected to the Senate in November, 47% approved of the job she was doing in Washington and 30% disapproved. Almost a quarter of voters didnt offer an opinion about Harris. The contrasting results on Feinstein are difficult to decipher but at the very least indicate voters remain restless. Partly, this is a holdover from last years election in which you saw many Democrats wanting a more liberal alternative at the presidential level and you saw many independents wanting an outsider, said Mark Baldassare, president of Public Policy Institute of California. As people are looking to next year, theres a desire for something new. Speculation continues that Feinstein may face a Democratic challenger. Among those who have been mentioned is state Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles), who is weighing his next political move after he terms out of office in 2018. De Leon lashed out at Feinstein after her comments about Trump in early September. In her last election, Feinstein trounced her Republican opponent, Elizabeth Emken, by a 25-percentage-point margin in 2012. She won by almost an identical margin in 2006 when challenged by former Republican state Sen. Richard Mountjoy. However, California has since switched to a top-two primary system. The two candidates who receive the most voters in the June primary election will advance to the 2018 general election, regardless of their party. Two Democrats faced off in the finale of Californias 2016 U.S. Senate election, with Harris besting then-Rep. Loretta Sanchez. Facebook

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Barbara Boxer says if Sen. Dianne Feinstein runs for another term, she should expect a tough race By Mina Corpuz Former Sen. Barbara Boxer (Mina Corpuz / Los Angeles Times ) Its one of the hottest political parlor games in California right now: Will she run again? Everyone is waiting for Sen. Dianne Feinstein to announce if shell seek a sixth term. And even though they served as colleagues in Washington for more than two decades, former Sen. Barbara Boxer said she has no inside intel on what Feinstein will do in 2018. I believe she is running until I see any other indication, Boxer said Wednesday at a Sacramento Press Club lunch. Every single race is hard.... Anyone who runs against her will give her a tough race. Feinstein, 84, has made clear she is taking her time, even as ambitious politicians eye the seat she has held since 1992. One long-shot Democrat already is raising money for the race, and Feinstein recently drew criticism from California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, who has not ruled out a primary challenge against her. Boxer said Wednesday her own priority for next years midterm election is flipping several Republican-held House seats in Southern California. Theres no such thing as an off election year, she said. Its an on year. Much of this work will be done through the political action committee Boxer founded, PAC for a Change. The organization also supports electing more Democrats to the Senate and standing up to President Trumps policies, she said. Since leaving the Senate in January, Boxer has also given speeches and promoted her book, The Art of Tough. She doesnt like to consider herself a retiree. Boxer also skirted a question about her pick for governor in a race that already is crowded with several Democrats. All of the candidates, she joked, are like my sons and daughters. Facebook

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Californias top elections officer now says his agencys website wasnt the one scanned by Russian hackers By John Myers Secretary of State Alex Padilla (John Myers / Los Angeles Times) Five days after saying he had been told Russian hackers scanned the states main elections website for weaknesses in 2016, California Secretary of State Alex Padilla said Wednesday that it turns out it didnt actually happen that way. Padilla said that his office was given incorrect information by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and that the Russian operation was instead focused on scanning the network of the state Department of Technology. Our notification from DHS last Friday was not only a year late, it also turned out to be bad information, Padilla said in a statement. Bryce Brown, a spokesman for the states information technology agency, said officials had long known about suspect activity that occurred on our network last summer but didnt know anything else until the notification from federal officials. Although we did not have knowledge of the source until now, we have confirmed our security systems worked as planned and the activity was blocked as it happened in 2016, he said. The Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment. On Tuesday, the Associated Press reported that federal officials also reversed course in a notification they had made to Wisconsin elections officials about Russian activity. In June, federal officials told Congress that 21 states elections systems were targeted by Russian activity. Padilla insisted last week that the scanning incident found no vulnerabilities or access to any California voter information, and he criticized DHS officials for the delay in sharing information about 2016 activities. On Wednesday, he said hopes that federal officials will continue to work with the states in preventing cyberattacks. I remain committed to a partnership with DHS and other intelligence agencies; however, elections officials and the American public expect and deserve timely and accurate information, Padilla said. Facebook

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Hollywood tour buses could get more rules slapped on them under the law Gov. Jerry Brown just signed By Patrick McGreevy A tour bus passes the late Carrie Fishers gated home in Beverly Hills. (Christopher Reynolds / Los Angeles Times) Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday signed legislation aimed at reining in the proliferation of tour buses offering to take fans to the homes and gathering spots of celebrities in Hollywood and other trendy neighborhoods. The measure allows cities and counties to adopt rules that restrict the routes or streets used by the tour buses, and prohibit the use of loudspeakers on open-topped buses and vans. Assemblyman Adrin Nazarian (D-Sherman Oaks) introduced the proposal in response to a report by NBC Los Angeles that found some tour buses were operating unsafely without proper permits. He also cited complaints about topless buses on narrow streets of the Hollywood Hills, Malibu and Bel-Air. Facebook

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Latino state lawmakers back Antonio Villaraigosa for California governor By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa gives a pep talk in Los Angeles at Cathedral High School, where he once was also a student. ((Al Seib / Los Angeles Times) The Legislatures California Latino Caucus on Wednesday endorsed former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa for governor. While expected, the nod from the politically influential caucus is a boon for Villaraigosa, a former Democratic Assembly speaker and the only major Latino candidate running for governor. Villaraigosa has lagged behind Lt. Gov. Gavin Newson in early polls and fundraising. As Assembly speaker and Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa worked to strengthen our economy, expand our healthcare, improve our schools and invest in strategic infrastructure projects that create middle-class jobs, Sen. Ben Hueso (D-San Diego), chair of the caucus, said in a statement Wednesday morning. An intriguing aspect of the endorsement is that one of the most prominent members of the California Latino Caucus is Senate leader Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles). In Sacramento, speculation abounds over whether De Leon may run for governor, and the Villaraigosa endorsement could indicate De Leon has other plans for his political future. Villaraigosa joins a slate of other Latino statewide candidates endorsed by the caucus: Sen. Ed Hernandez (D-Azusa) for lieutenant governor; current appointee Xavier Becerra for attorney general; incumbent Alex Padilla for secretary of state; Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) for insurance commissioner; and Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) for superintendent of public instruction. Facebook

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California is trying to educate people about marijuana before recreational sales start By Patrick McGreevy Months before California allows the sale of marijuana for recreational use, the state has launched an education campaign about the drug, including highlighting the potential harms of cannabis for minors and pregnant women. The state is scheduled to issue licenses starting Jan. 2 for growing and selling marijuana for recreational use, expanding a program that currently allows cannabis use for medical purposes. In response, the California Department of Public Health has created a website to educate Californians about the drug and its impacts, including how to purchase and safely store cannabis. We are committed to providing Californians with science-based information to ensure safe and informed choices, said State Public Health Officer Dr. Karen Smith. The website, Lets Talk Cannabis, notes it is illegal for people under 21 to buy marijuana for non-medical use and warns that using cannabis regularly in your teens and early 20s may lead to physical changes in your brain. The site also warns that marijuana edibles may have higher concentrations of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC. If you eat too much, too fast you are at higher risk for poisoning, the website warns. The state urges parents and guardians to talk to their teenagers about legal and health issues surrounding marijuana use. The state officials also say consuming cannabis is not recommended for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding, or who plan to become pregnant soon, noting that it can affect the health of your baby. The website got good marks from legalization activist Ellen Komp, deputy director of Californias chapter of National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. The website is fairly accurate, she said, but added, The risks with pregnancy are somewhat overstated, telling women they should not use cannabis for nausea or even if they are thinking of getting pregnant. Some 43% of Californians have used marijuana for recreational purposes and 54% said they have not, according to a USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll last November. Among those who have not used it, just 2% said they are much more likely to use it if Proposition 64 passed, which it did, while 5% said they are somewhat more likely to use it, and 89% said they are no more likely to smoke pot if it was legalized. Other advice from the states site: driving under the influence of cannabis is illegal and increases the chance of a car accident, and cannabis should be stored in a locked area to avoid poisoning children and pets. Updated at 11:30 am to include data from poll on marijuana use. Facebook

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Todays newsletter: Republicans fail again to repeal Obamacare By John Myers Todays Essential Politics newsletter details the last gasp of the Republican efforts in Washington to repeal the Affordable Care Act, efforts that President Trump insisted on Tuesday arent over. We also take a look at the win by Roy Moore, a former chief justice of the Alabama Supreme Court, in a Senate runoff that saw the president back the losing candidate. And weve got the details of what happens if Gov. Jerry Brown, as expected, signs the sanctuary state bill into law. The newsletter comes out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Are you a subscriber? Sign up below. Read More Facebook

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After meeting with Trump, California Democrats say they want a seat at the tax reform table By Sarah D. Wire Ahead of Republicans plans to unveil a more detailed overview of their tax reform plan Wednesday, President Trump sat down with a bipartisan group of members that included California Democratic Reps. Linda Sanchez and Mike Thompson. Sanchez, of Whittier, who serves on the House committee that has authority over tax legislation, said members didnt learn much about the details of the plan Tuesday. There were kind of generalities but no specificity, which is why were interested to see what they put out tomorrow, because clearly its not something thats had Democratic input, Sanchez said. According to a White House transcript of part of the meeting, Trump said the plan is focused on making the tax code simple and fair, increasing the deduction most families can take, lowering the business tax rate and bringing wealth stored overseas back to the United States. Thompson, of St. Helena, said the president listened to what Democrats had to say, but he didnt get the impression that the policy plan would change before it becomes public Wednesday. I dont think it was that kind of meeting. We all agreed we wanted a fair, easy-to-work-with tax code that generates more jobs, said Thompson, who is also on the committee. He said repeatedly he wants to be successful. Republicans are set to unveil a consensus document Wednesday they say will be a much more detailed overview than previous tax policy papers theyve released. But it is not expected to be an actual plan or bill. Republicans will huddle with Vice President Mike Pence for half of Wednesday to discuss tax reform. Democrats are holding their own tax reform forum too. Its been 30 years since Congress has passed a major tax overhaul, and Republican leaders have set an ambitious timeline for passing a tax-reform measure, indicating they want to get it to Trumps desk by the end of the year. Sanchez said she tried to stress in the meeting that Democrats should play a role in writing the final bill. There wasnt discussion about the group sitting down with Trump again, she said. The president was very pleased that it was a bipartisan effort, which sort of confused me because that was the first meeting where there were members of the Democratic side of the Ways and Means Committee there, Sanchez said. I dont know if theyve been telling him that the process is bipartisan or if he knew it wasnt bipartisan but didnt care, but I thought that was kind of odd. Facebook

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Judge rewrites summary of proposed gas tax repeal initiative, saying it was fundamentally flawed By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices in February. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) A judge on Monday rewrote the title and summary for a proposed initiative that would repeal recent gas tax increases in California. He rejected a title and summary written by the state attorney generals office as fundamentally flawed. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley criticized the attorney generals office for not mentioning in the title that the ballot measure would repeal newly approved taxes or fees. This is not a situation where reasonable minds may differ, Frawley wrote in his ruling. The Attorney Generals title and summary ... must be changed to avoid misleading the voters and creating prejudice against the measure. The initiative proposed by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) would repeal a bill approved in April by the Legislature and governor that would raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and increase vehicle fees in order to generate $5.2 billion for road repairs and to improve mass transit. The title and summary will be placed on petitions to be circulated by those trying to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot. The title and summary are also placed on the ballot if enough signatures are collected. The original title written by Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerras office was: Eliminates recently enacted road repair and transportation funding by repealing revenues dedicated for those purposes. Allens attorneys argued the voter could read that to mean that the Legislature identified existing funds for transportation and the initiative would take those funds away. The judges title says: Repeals recently enacted gas and diesel taxes and vehicle registration fees. Eliminates road repair and transportation programs funded by these taxes and fees. The judge also made it clear in the summary that an Independent Office of Audits and Investigations that would be eliminated by the initiative is newly established. Representatives of the attorney generals office were not immediately available to comment on whether the ruling would be appealed. Facebook

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Democrats to try to force vote on Dream Act with rarely successful procedural move By Sarah D. Wire House Democrats are trying to force a vote on Rep. Lucille Roybal-Allards version of the Dream Act, they announced in a news conference Monday. The House and Senate have less than six months to address the legal status of people brought into the country illegally as children before the program protecting them from deportation ends in March. In the weeks since President Trump announced he was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, Democrats have pushed for a quick vote on Roybal-Allards bill, which is backed by every House Democrat and four Republicans. There are also a handful of other Republican-sponsored bills that could be considered. To force a vote, Democrats would need a majority of the House  218 members  to sign whats called a discharge petition to pull the bill from the House Judiciary Committee and bring it to the House floor. Roybal-Allard, a Democrat from Downey, said she believes there is enough support to pass the bill if Democrats can get it to the House floor. Democratic leaders said they expect all House Democrats will sign the petition. The American people overwhelmingly oppose deporting our Dreamers, Roybal-Allard said. But the Republican leadership is ignoring the wishes of a majority of the American people. Democrats hold only 194 seats, and would have to convince 24 Republicans to buck their party leaders and sign the petition. House leaders control which bills come to the floor for a vote and when. Although discharge petitions have been used in the past to shame congressional leadership into letting a bill move forward, the procedural move is rarely successful. This month, Republican Rep. Mike Coffman of Colorado filed a discharge petition for the Bridge Act, a Republican- sponsored bill to address the legal status of people brought to the country illegally as children. Five members of Congress had signed on as of Monday. FOR THE RECORD Sept 26, 12:38 p.m.: An earlier version of this post identified the member of Congress who filed a discharge petition for the Bridge Act as Rep. Mike Thompson. It was Rep. Mike Coffman. Facebook

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California lawmakers grant some megaprojects relief from environmental law, but not others By Liam Dillon Developers plan to build two skyscrapers near the Capitol Records building in Hollywood. (Reed Saxon / Associated Press) When professional sports team owners, Facebook and big developers have asked California lawmakers for some relief from the states main environmental law over growth, the answer usually has been yes. The law, the California Environmental Quality Act, requires developers to disclose and reduce a projects effects on the environment  a process that often can get tied up in lengthy litigation. This year, legislators passed a measure aiming to shorten any potential environmental lawsuit against Facebooks expansion of its headquarters, two skyscrapers planned in Hollywood and other megaprojects to less than nine months. Doing so has led many to question why only big projects get such relief. Read More Facebook

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The fate of Californias biggest campaign donor disclosure bill may hinge on some small details By John Myers Members of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. (Rich Pedroncelli/AP) You wouldnt expect to see the leader of Californias campaign watchdog agency rooting for Gov. Jerry Brown to veto sweeping new disclosure rules for political donors. And yet, thats where things stand in a seven-year debate over helping voters follow the money. I think we can do better than this bill, said Jodi Remke, chair of the California Fair Political Practices Commission. Remke and her staff have raised a red flag about the fine print tucked inside Assembly Bill 249, the California Disclose Act, that rewrites rules for campaign contributions that are earmarked. Read More Facebook

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Oceanside lifeguard receives Californias highest public safety honor By Mina Corpuz Medal of Valor recipient David Wilson stands with his parents, a family friend, Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra. (Mina Corpuz / Los Angeles Times ) An Oceanside Fire Department officer who risked his life to save a boater received the states highest award for public safety officers on Monday. Gov. Jerry Brown and Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra presented David Wilson with the Public Safety Medal of Valor at a ceremony at the state Capitol. In July 2016, Wilson rescued a man whose boat crashed into a jetty in Oceanside Harbor. The victim was barely conscious and jammed between two rocks. With only a short window between each set of waves, Wilson dove underneath the water and swam into the boulders to free the victims legs. You earned it, Brown said at the ceremony. You were assaulted by the waves and the rocks, and you went ahead anyways. Thats why you are the only one getting a medal of honor. A review board made up of law enforcement officers reviewed 21 nominations for the Medal of Valor. The award is given out once a year. There can be more than one recipient, but this year Brown chose one. Facebook

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7.5 million Californians could lose coverage under latest Obamacare repeal effort, state health insurance exchange says By Melanie Mason Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, the states health insurance exchange, in 2013. (Rich Pedroncelli / AP) Californians who get their health coverage on the individual market could face dire consequences under the current Republican effort to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, warned a new analysis released Monday by Covered California, the states health insurance exchange. Under the latest plan, which is being led by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), 7.5 million Californians could lose their health insurance by 2027, the analysis said. It also said the repeal could trigger a collapse of the states individual insurance market. The Graham-Cassidy plan takes resources away from California and from the majority of states, which means that far fewer Americans would have insurance or the existing protections from insurers, said Peter V. Lee, executive director of Covered California, in a statement. The effect on California would be devastating, and lead not only to there being more uninsured people than there were before the Affordable Care Act, but would also cause huge negative impacts on the health care delivery system, the economy and on those with employer-based coverage, Lee said. The report comes on the heels of another grim analysis by Gov. Jerry Browns administration, which estimated that the Senate proposal would strip California of nearly $139 billion in federal funds from 2020 to 2027. The Covered California report looked at two different scenarios for how state officials could respond to such a slash in federal dollars. If the state chose to prioritize protecting Medi-Cal, which provides coverage for low-income Californians, the analysis projects the collapse of the individual insurance market by 2021. If officials chose to direct attention to the individual market by stepping in to cover subsidies now paid for by the federal government, that could lead to large reductions in the Medi-Cal program. In both scenarios, the result would be up to 7.5 million fewer Californians with health insurance, according to the report. Proponents claim Graham-Cassidy gives states flexibility and choice, but in reality it puts states into a lose-lose situation, Lee said. Under this plan, California and states across the nation would be forced to either turn their backs on their most needy residents, or let the individual market be destroyed. Either way, millions lose coverage. Read More Facebook

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Todays newsletter: Sports spat starts with California teams By Christina Bellantoni Todays Essential Politics newsletter details President Trumps sports spat, which originated with California teams before becoming national political drama on football fields across America. It also notes last falls USC/Los Angeles Times poll, which found huge partisan divisions in how California voters viewed Colin Kaepernick at the time. Democrats liked him more, while he had just 6% favorability among tea party Republicans here. The state was evenly divided on whether to support his protest during the national anthem. The newsletter comes out Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Are you a subscriber? Sign up below. Read More Facebook

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Attorney running against Sen. Dianne Feinstein is hosting Hollywood fundraiser By Christine Mai-Duc Pat Harris may be a long-shot candidate for U.S. Senate, but hes not fundraising like one. On Monday Harris, a Democrat challenging Sen. Dianne Feinstein, is set to tread territory familiar to many prominent statewide candidates looking for cash: the Hollywood fundraiser. The event is to be held at the Catalina Jazz Club on Sunset Boulevard and is being billed as a CD release party for Carol Welman, a jazz musician and Harris wife. Tickets range from $150 for a single ticket to $2,700 for a VIP dinner for two. (An email to Welmans subscriber list earlier this week advertised tickets for as little as $30). Harris announced that he was running last month on a platform that includes support for single-payer healthcare and a pledge that he will only take campaign donations from individuals. Facing pressure from progressive activists, Feinstein has been coy so far about whether shell retire or run again in 2018. Either way, shes stockpiled $3.5 million in her campaign war chest. As of June 30, Harris had raised no money except for $104,685 he loaned his own campaign. Three other candidates have also filed to run against Feinstein: Democrats Steve Stokes and David Hildebrand, and independent Jerry Carroll. Facebook

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Rep. Keith Ellison headlines dinner for Orange County Democrats, who declare orange is the new blue By Christine Mai-Duc The focus was on 2018 as Orange County Democrats gathered Saturday night in Costa Mesa to bask in their high hopes here. Headliner and deputy chairman of the Democratic National Committee, Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota, urged unity as dozens of Democrats navigate crowded primaries throughout the state. Ellison getting star treatment tonight, speaking to VIP attendees & meeting congressional candidates & gubernatorial hopeful @DelaineEastin pic.twitter.com/2Bh8K5H1Qu  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 Much of focus tonight on flipping 4 GOP congressional seats in OC. Ellison: "We need 24 more seats...I figure 4 of em we can get right here" pic.twitter.com/CDDbGWpNnT  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 The theme of the annual awards dinner was Orange is the New Blue, a twist on the title of a popular Netflix show and the latest indication of Democrats rosy outlook as they try to flip the countys four GOP-held House seats next year. Ellison told the crowd it was not the proper role of the DNC to choose among the many primary contenders. But you will sort it out running spirited campaigns, you will sort it out over ideas, and when it is over we need you to hold hands and support the Democrat. Ellison pushed for a return to grass-roots organizing and outreach to voters of all stripes  and not just during election years. We cannot come a month before the election, tell them ... Come vote for us, Ellison said. Weve got to be in their lives in a physical, palpable way. Then we do have to have the right words, we do have to stand up for them. Ellison on more permanent solution for DACA: no wall, no increase in detention beds "but there might be some other things" Dems can agree to pic.twitter.com/yrmOGfXYan  Christine Mai-Duc (@cmaiduc) September 24, 2017 In an interview, Ellison also stressed the need to pass legislation for young people brought to the country illegally who were allowed to stay and work under the Obama Administrations Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Ellison said Democrats are open to negotiating certain immigration enforcement provisions in order pass a replacement for DACA, which President Trump announced he will end in March. But he said Democrats wont acquiesce to Trumps demand for a border wall or allow additional capacity for immigration detentions. There are certain things that are simply not on the table  the wall or more detention beds, were just not doing that, he said. Facebook

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Russians tried to find weaknesses in Californias election website last year, say state officials By John Myers Secretary of State Alex Padilla (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Californias chief elections officer said U.S. government officials believe Russian hackers tried to find weaknesses in the states election website during the 2016 campaign, but that theres no evidence their effort was successful. Secretary of State Alex Padilla said the Department of Homeland Security only told him on Friday of last years attempt. He described the attack as a scanning of the states website in hopes of finding weaknesses in its computer network. Our office actively monitors scanning activity as part of our routine cybersecurity protocols, Padilla said in a statement. We have no information or evidence that our systems have been breached in any way or that any voter information was compromised. Those involved were Russian cyber actors according to Padillas description of information he received from federal officials. In June, a top federal official told the Senate Intelligence Committee that systems in 21 states were believed to have been scoured by cyberattackers. The election website, www.sos.ca.gov, contains public information about voting procedures as well as data on past election results and current issues. More sensitive data, including the electronic files of some 17 million registered voters, are not included on the website. A leaked National Security Agency document earlier this year outlined a Russian effort to hack into devices made by a Florida-based voting software company. One California county, Humboldt, used the companys software, but did not find any evidence of tampering. Padilla, a frequent critic of President Trumps special panel investigating the potential of voter fraud, said federal officials should have notified him much earlier of the attempted breach. The practice of withholding critical information from elections officials is a detriment to the security of our elections and our democracy, he said. Facebook

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Antonio Villaraigosa jabs at Gavin Newsom over his apparent embrace of single-payer healthcare bill By Melanie Mason Supporters of a measure to establish single-payer healthcare in California were thrilled by Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsoms embrace of their bill on Friday, but a rival gubernatorial campaign was less impressed with his position. A spokesman for former Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa accused the lieutenant governor of flip-flopping because after Newsom was asked if he explicitly endorsed the legislation  Senate Bill 562  he responded that he endorsed getting this debate going again. This is an outrageous parsing of words when millions of people are at risk of losing their healthcare, Villaraigosa spokesman Luis Vizcaino said in a statement. It is a yes or no question, lieutenant governor. Are you for SB 562 or not? The nurses and California voters deserve the truth, Vizcaino added. The question of backing SB 562 is thorny since it was shelved earlier this year after Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount) called it woefully incomplete. Backers have said theyd be willing to make changes to the measure, but the contours of those proposed changes have not been made public. Vizcaino said Villaraigosa has always supported universal healthcare and the concept of single payer, but agreed with Speaker Rendon that the bill couldnt be sent to the governor without a funding plan. Speaking to reporters, Newsom said he saw a single-payer system in which the government covers healthcare costs as the best way to achieve universal coverage and said he would be actively engaged in designing and developing it if SB 562 does not pass next year. RoseAnn DeMoro, executive director of the California Nurses Assn./National Nurses United, said she saw Newsoms remarks as a clear endorsement of their measure and a stance she said was not surprising. We always knew Gavin would support our bill, DeMoro said. She lambasted Villaraigosa  who does not support SB 562  for criticizing Newsom, whom her group endorsed nearly two years ago. I want Villaraigosa to explain to the Latino community why he doesnt think they should have ... comprehensive healthcare, she said. Villaraigosas being disingenuous. He knows better. Hes just politically posturing trying to find a wedge issue and he knows better. UPDATE 4:32 p.m.: This post was updated with an additional statement from Villaraigosas spokesperson on the former L.A. mayors support for universal healthcare. Read More Facebook

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In San Francisco, Bernie Sanders plays two roles: Obamacare defender and single-payer advocate By Melanie Mason View Twitter post Sen. Bernie Sanders headed west to drum up support for his recently unveiled Medicare for All proposal Friday, but first trained his sights on the Obamacare repeal bill currently gripping Congress. Sanders (I-Vt.), whose speech was the cornerstone of a California Nurses Assn. gathering in San Francisco, blasted the Republican plan led by Sens. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina as horrific legislation. How cruel, how immoral it is, to say to those millions of Americans, we are going to take away that health insurance that keeps you alive, Sanders said. Sen. John McCain announced on Friday he could not support the measure, dealing the GOP plan a blow. Sanders thanked McCain for his stance, prompting the liberal crowd to cheer the Arizona Republican. Some Democrats had worried that Sanders push for his single-payer plan could distract from efforts to oppose the repeal bill. But the senator was explicit in his appeal to the approximately 2,000 supporters in attendance to focus their energy on defeating the repeal measure. Our job is to continue to make sure the Republicans do not get the 50 votes they need ... I beg of you, please, do everything you can to stop the bill, he said. Still, the crux of Sanders speech focused on his single-payer bill, which he sold as an improvement over the status quo. The Affordable Care Act, as we all know, made significant improvements to our healthcare system, Sanders said, citing the expansion of the number of Americans with health insurance and the ban on insurance companies ability to deny coverage to people with preexisting conditions. But we must be honest and acknowledge that with all the gains of the Affordable Care Act, it does not go far enough, he added. The bill expands the Medicare program to cover the healthcare costs of all Americans with no out-of-pocket payments for patients. The measure does not include a plan to finance such a system, but Sanders has released a report laying out various ways to cover the costs, including a progressive income tax. During his pitch, Sanders said the implications extended beyond health policy. It is a struggle about what this great nation stands for, Sanders said. It is a struggle about whether or not every working person in this country has healthcare as a right or whether we allow insurance companies and drug companies to continue to rip us off. Facebook

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Gas tax foes win victory as they try to get a repeal on November 2018 ballot By Patrick McGreevy A Chevron gas station in Sacramento shows prices in February. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) In a rare court rebuke of the state Attorney Generals Office, a judge said Friday that the title and summary written for a proposed initiative is misleading  and that hed do a rewrite himself to make it clear the measure would repeal recently approved increases to gas taxes and vehicle fees. Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley said he would draft a new title and summary to be placed on petitions for the initiative after attorneys for the state and proponents of the ballot measure could not agree on compromise language. In this circumstance, I honestly believe that the circulated title and summary that has been prepared is misleading, Frawley told attorneys during a court hearing Friday. He hopes to release the new title and summary by Monday. The initiative proposed by Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach) would repeal a bill approved in April by the Legislature and governor that would raise the gas tax by 12 cents per gallon and increase vehicle fees to generate $5.2 billion annually to fix the states roads and bridges and improve mass transit. Allen and his attorneys said the state attorney general sought to confuse voters with a title that does not use the words taxes or fees. The title was proposed to say: Eliminates recently enacted road repair and transportation funding by repealing revenues dedicated for those purposes. Allen, who is running for governor in 2018, said the court decision showed the attorney general was trying to sway voters against the initiative. Justice is being served for the voters of California, Allen said after the court hearing. I think that he [the judge] has properly seen that the attorney general has tried to intentionally mislead the voters of California because he has tried to prejudice their vote and tried to keep increased taxes for Californians. A coalition of business, labor and government officials called Fix Our Roads, which supports the gas tax legislation, had representatives in the courtroom who later criticized Allen for seeking political gain at the expense of California motorists. This is more about Travis Allens gubernatorial race than anything else, said coalition spokeswoman Kathy Fairbanks. Hes condemning voters to driving on potholed roads and being stuck in traffic. Allen said the initiative and his campaign for governor are both aimed at giving voters power to fight higher taxes. Finally ordinary Californians are understanding that they actually can hold Sacramento accountable, Allen said. This is why Im running to be the next governor of California, because for too long Sacramento has been run by out-of-touch elitists that are coming from Sacramento and the Bay Area of San Francisco. A second initiative to repeal the gas tax has been proposed by a different group of Republican activists. Allen said he supports the second initiative but noted it has to collect many more signatures because it seeks to change the state constitution. It has a long way to go, Allen said. If the judge issues a new title and summary Monday, Allen said the petitions will hit the streets immediately and he is confident they will get the 365,880 signatures to qualify the measure for the November 2018 ballot. Facebook

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We will have universal healthcare in the state of California, Gavin Newsom promises single-payer advocates By Melanie Mason View Twitter post Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has made his most explicit endorsement yet of a controversial single-payer healthcare proposal that has roiled Democratic politics in California. Newsom appeared Friday before the California Nurses Assn., the most ardent backers of SB 562, a stalled bill to establish a system in which the state would cover all residents healthcare costs. Theres no reason to wait around on universal healthcare and single-payer in California, Newsom said. Its time to move 562. Its time to get it out of committee. The line prompted cheers and a standing ovation from the audience of about 1,500 members of the nurses union. He capped off his remarks with a promise: If we cant get it done next year, you have my firm and absolute commitment as your next governor that I will lead the effort to get it done. We will have universal healthcare in the state of California. Enthusiastic nurses in the room heard an unequivocal backing of their effort to push forward with the bill. When he says hes going to get this done, he means, seriously, that he will pass SB 562 and make sure that there is healthcare for all Californians, said Catherine Kennedy, a neonatal nurse from Roseville. But speaking to reporters after his address, Newsom was less clear in embracing the specifics of the proposal. I 100% support moving this process along, getting this debate going again and addressing the concerns, the open-ended issues that the nurses themselves have acknowledged as it relates to the need of going through the legislative process and to fill in the blanks on the financing plan, among other issues, he said. Facebook

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President Obama appears in an Assembly race mailer in California  but read it closely By Christina Bellantoni The race to replace Jimmy Gomez, who was elected to Congress earlier this year, has so far been waged by mail and door-knocking in northeast Los Angeles. Most of the mailers feature local leaders and endorsements from groups including Planned Parenthood and the Sierra Club. But one mailer that arrived in my mailbox Thursday has a much more familiar face  former President Barack Obama. While it might seem like one to the casual voter sorting through junk mail, this isnt an endorsement. Want to know what kind of job Gabriel Sandoval will do in the Assembly? Listen to the people hes worked with in the past, the mailer reads, above Obamas official White House portrait. In small type, it notes that Sandoval served as a Senior Civil Rights Attorney and Senior Advisor for a White House initiative within the Department of Education. It features a glowing quote over an image of a July 12, 2013, letter from the president to Sandoval written on White House letterhead. Facebook

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Healthcare a hot issue in race for California governor By Phil Willon Antonio Villaraigosa, left, and Gavin Newsom (Brendan Smialowski / AFP/Getty Images; Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) With the hyperpartisan politics surrounding healthcare stirred up by efforts to repeal Obamacare and calls for a single-payer system, both Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Los Angeles Antonio Villaraigosa are claiming the mantle of healthcare visionary. On the campaign trail the two Democratic candidates for governor are touting their signature healthcare accomplishments from earlier in their political careers as their bona fides. For Newsom, its about Healthy San Francisco, the nations first municipal universal healthcare program, approved while he was mayor; and for Villaraigosa, its Healthy Families, which provided healthcare coverage to the children of Californias working poor, legislation he authored as a California assemblyman. But do they deserve all the credit? It sure doesnt look that way. Healthy San Francisco is one of the many topics Newsom is expected to highlight when he speaks to the California Nurses Assn. convention in the Bay Area on Friday morning. On Thursday night, Newsom took a shot at the latest Republican effort in Washington to roll back the Affordable Care Act  a bill written by Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.) The numbers on this make my skin crawl. Under Graham-Cassidy, an individual with metastatic cancer could see their premiums increase by $142,650. Diabetes? $5,600. Want to tackle the opioid crisis? Gets a lot tougher if an individual suffering from drug dependence sees their premiums go up by $20,450, Newsom said in an email sent out by his campaign. This is not a game. Lives are at stake. Read More Facebook

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Rep. Duncan Hunter calls for preemptive strike against North Korea By Joshua Stewart, San Diego Union-Tribune Rep. Duncan Hunter (R-Alpine) introduces U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions at a news conference. (John Gibbins / San Diego Union-Tribune) Rep. Duncan Hunter said that the United States needs to launch a preemptive strike against North Korea in order to prevent the rogue nation from harming the U.S. first. You could assume, right now, that we have a nuclear missile aimed at the United States, and here in San Diego. Why would they not aim here, at Hawaii, Guam, our major naval bases? Hunter, an Alpine Republican, said Thursday during an appearance on San Diego television station KUSI. The question is, do you wait for one of those? Or two? Do you preemptively strike them? And thats what the president has to wrestle with. I would preemptively strike them. You could call it declaring war, call it whatever you want, Hunter continued. Hunter, a member of a House Armed Services Committee and the subcommittee with jurisdiction over the United States nuclear arsenal, did not say whether the military should strike North Korea with conventional or nuclear weapons. Read More Facebook

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Will Bernie Sanders push for Medicare for All help or hinder the California effort for single-payer? By Melanie Mason When Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders visited Beverly Hills last May, he made a full-throated appeal for California to lead the country and pass a pending state proposal to establish single-payer healthcare. On Friday, hell return to California for a San Francisco speech trumpeting his own higher-stakes plan  a bill to drastically overhaul the nations healthcare system by covering everyone through Medicare. The push for single-payer, in which the government pays for residents medical care, has already rattled Californias political landscape. Now, the Sanders measure brings an additional jolt, elevating the issue to a national debate that has implications for the future direction of the Democratic Party and early jockeying in the 2020 presidential race. Read More Facebook

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What will Kevin de Leon do when his term in the California Senate expires next year? By Patrick McGreevy State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, D-Los Angeles, speaks during the last regular Senate floor session of the year. ( (Rich Pedroncelli / AP)) As he gaveled down what may be his last full year as leader of the California Senate on Saturday, Kevin de Leon had still not said what he planned to do next. Will he run for governor or U.S. Senate? Does he want to be mayor of Los Angeles some day? De Leon told reporters they will have to wait to find out. His advisors, supporters and political observers have their own ideas what De Leon could do next. Read More Facebook

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Skelton: The presidential election bills on Gov. Browns desk may be satisfying politics, but theyre risky ideas By George Skelton Two presidential election bills are on Gov. Jerry Browns desk, sent to him by the Democratic Legislature. Both should be tossed in the trash. No doubt Im in the minority on this. These bills do offer some fun, even if theyre flawed. One has strong pluses that are outweighed by unacceptable minuses. The second is a mean-spirited gotcha bill aimed at the Democrats No. 1 enemy: President Trump. It may be satisfying politics, but it sets a risky precedent. The first bill moves up Californias presidential primary from June to March. Great idea. But it also moves up the state primary along with it. A horrible idea. The second measure would require all presidential candidates to release their tax returns for the last five years. Anyone who refused wouldnt be allowed on the California ballot. Thats a sharp poke at Trump, who in 2016 was the first presidential candidate in 40 years not to release his taxes. Yes, watching Trump squirm would be entertaining. And maybe the tax information would be useful for some voters. But even if the disclosure requirement were constitutional  and theres substantial doubt about that  its a crummy precedent. Read More Facebook

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California Senate leader preparing for legal fight over sanctuary state legislation By Sarah D. Wire California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin De Leon (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown hasnt yet signed legislation making California a so-called sanctuary state, but state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon is preparing to defend it in court. In between several immigration events in Washington on Wednesday, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said he met with former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr.  who has served as outside counsel to the Legislature for much of the year  to continue to further discuss inoculating California from [U.S. Atty. Gen.] Jeff Sessions Department of Justice. Passed early Saturday by the Legislature, the sanctuary state bill would limit state and local law enforcement communication with federal immigration authorities and prevent officers from questioning and holding people on immigration violations. Sessions has threatened to withhold some federal grant funds from cities and counties that refuse to assist federal immigration agents. Holder and other former Justice Department lawyers believe the bill is defendable, and if the Trump administration tries to compel California cities to act by withholding funds, it will find itself in court, De Leon said. Defenders of so-called sanctuary cities often rely on a 1996 Supreme Court ruling that cited the 10th Amendment and found the federal government cant compel local governments to cooperate with enforcing federal laws. It is immoral, and quite frankly un-American, that Americas top law enforcement official would withhold dollars that our local police officers need  precious dollars we need desperately to counter terrorism, to deal with the issue of human trafficking as well as international drug cartels, De Leon said. On Tuesday, Sessions urged Brown not to sign the bill, calling it unconscionable and a threat to public safety. Brown responded to Sessions comment on CNN by calling the legislation well-balanced. It protects public safety, but it also protects hardworking people who contribute a lot to California, Brown said. He has until Oct. 15 to sign the bill. De Leon also shot back against Sessions statement that the federal money isnt an entitlement, saying Californians pay more in federal taxes than they receive in federal funding. Thats not a gift or a grant from the Department of Justice to California. Those are our dollars; they belong to the people of California, he said. Facebook

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California, with alliance of states, pledges to keep pushing climate policies despite lack of federal progress By Chris Megerian (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California and a growing alliance of states committed to fighting global warming said Wednesday that theyre slashing greenhouse gas emissions at the rate required by the Paris climate agreement. However, the rest of the country would need to join their effort for the United States to actually hit the target of cutting emissions by at least 26% below 2005 levels by 2025. President Trump has pledged to pull the country out of the Paris deal, but the states reiterated their pledge to keep pressing forward during a news conference in New York. Were all in, California Gov. Jerry Brown said. Eventually, Washington will join with us. You cant deny science forever. Californias climate goal is even more ambitious than the Paris target. A law signed by Brown last year requires the state to cut emissions to 40% below 1990 levels by 2030. California became a founding member of the U.S. Climate Alliance, along with New York and Washington state, months ago. Either we end this problem, or this problem will end us, said New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo. On Wednesday, North Carolina became the 15th member of the U.S. Climate Alliance. Other members include Massachusetts, Oregon and Puerto Rico. Clean air and a healthy environment are vital for a strong economy and a healthier future, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper, a newly elected Democrat, said in a statement. Facebook

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Bay Area cities sue major oil companies over climate change By Chris Megerian (Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times) San Francisco and Oakland are suing to get five oil companies, including San Ramon-based Chevron, to pay for the cost of protecting the Bay Area from rising sea levels and other effects of global warming. These fossil fuel companies profited handsomely for decades while knowing they were putting the fate of our cities at risk, San Francisco City Atty. Dennis Herrera said in a statement. The lawsuits, which were filed Tuesday in state court in San Francisco and Alameda counties and announced Wednesday, dont ask for a specific dollar amount. But the cities could try to put oil companies on the hook for billions. Long-term improvements in San Franciscos seawall are projected to cost $5 billion, according to one of the lawsuits. The law is clear that the defendants are responsible for the consequences of their reckless and disastrous actions, Oakland City Atty. Barbara J. Parker said in a statement. A spokesman for Chevron, Melissa Ritchie, said the lawsuits would not help address climate change. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a global issue that requires global engagement and action, she said in a statement. Should this litigation proceed, it will only serve special interests at the expense of broader policy, regulatory, and economic priorities. Facebook

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California sues to stop Trumps border wall: No one gets to ignore the laws. Not even the president By Patrick McGreevy  California Attorney General Xavier Becerra announces lawsuit against Trump Administration. California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that President Trumps proposal to expedite construction of a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border violates laws aimed at protecting the environment. Becerra announced the legal challenge standing in front of the existing border fencing at Border Field State Park near San Diego, saying the federal government failed to comply with federal environmental laws and relied on federal statutes that dont authorize border wall projects in San Diego and Imperial counties. No one gets to ignore the laws. Not even the president of the United States, Becerra said. The border between the U.S. and Mexico spans some 2,000 miles. The list of laws violated by the presidents administration in order to build his campaign wall is almost as long. He said the project involves the improper waiver of 37 federal statutes, many aimed at protecting the environment. Filed in federal court in San Diego and including the California Coastal Commission as a plaintiff, the lawsuit states its purpose is to protect the State of Californias residents, natural resources, economic interests, procedural rights, and sovereignty from violations of the United States Constitution and federal law. Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra at the U.S.- Mexico border where he announced lawsuit to stop a proposal for a border wall. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times) The lawsuit also alleges that federal officials have not shown any data suggesting new border barriers in the San Diego area will reduce illegal entry into the U.S., nor that there is a significant problem in that area. It adds that the wall would have a chilling effect on tourism to the United States from Mexico. In August, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security issued a notice that it was waiving federal and state laws on the environment to expedite the construction of prototypes of the wall along the San Diego border with Mexico. The California lawsuit claims the federal government violated the U.S. Constitutions separation-of-powers doctrine by vesting in the Executive Branch the power to waive state and local laws. The lawsuit also says the Department of Homeland Security decided to build the walls without complying with the Clean Water Act, the National Environmental Policy Act and the Coastal Zone Management Act. As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the federal government lacks proper environmental analysis of the impact of the 400-foot prototypes of the wall currently planned, as well as the 2,000-mile-long final wall. A federal official declined comment. As a matter of policy, we do not comment on pending litigation, said Tyler Q. Houlton, a spokesman for the Department of Homeland Security. State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez Fletcher (D-San Diego) stood with Becerra at the event, saying the wall is unnecessary and will put a barrier between relations involving the two countries. Maybe to people in Iowa, it sounds like a really good idea, she said. We dont need more structure. We need a good relationship [with Mexico]. Times staff writers McGreevy reported from Sacramento and Ulloa from San Diego. AG @XavierBecerra takes some shots at Trump: He hasn't made the transition from candidate to president. #borderwall pic.twitter.com/liSJdrAK2v  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 20, 2017 Facebook

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California to sue Trump administration over plan for U.S.-Mexico border wall By Patrick McGreevy California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra plans to announce a lawsuit Wednesday on behalf of the state that will challenge President Trumps proposal to build a wall at the U.S.-Mexico border, a project Becerra has called medieval. Becerra is scheduled to travel to Border Field State Park near San Diego to announce that a lawsuit is being filed in federal court over construction of border wall projects in San Diego and Imperial counties. The lawsuit, which includes the California Coastal Commission as a plaintiff, states its purpose is to protect the State of Californias residents, natural resources, economic interests, procedural rights, and sovereignty from violations of the United States Constitution and federal law. It adds that the wall would have a chilling effect on tourism to the United States from Mexico. The states lawsuit alleges that the Trump administration has failed to comply with federal and state environmental laws and relied on federal statutes that dont authorize the proposed projects. The brief alleges the federal government violated the U.S. Constitutions separation-of-powers doctrine by vesting in the Executive Branch the power to waive state and local laws, including state criminal law.. The lawsuit also says the Department of Homeland Security decided to build the walls without complying with the Clean Water Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. As a result, the lawsuit alleges, the federal government lacks proper environmental analysis of the impact of 400-foot prototypes of the wall currently planned, as well as the 2,000-mile-long final wall. The Democratic attorney general has been critical of the wall for months, including in April during an appearance on ABCs This Week. Im still trying to figure out who believes that a medieval situation to fix our broken immigration system is what we need, Becerra said. He also accused Trump at the time of reneging on his promise to have Mexico pay for the wall. I think American taxpayers probably are very much aligned with Mexico. None of them, whether its Mexico or our taxpayers, wants to pay for a medieval wall, he said. This is the latest of more than two dozen lawsuits and legal briefs filed against the Trump administration by Becerra, who was appointed attorney general in January and is running for election to the post next year. He previously sued to challenge Trumps plans to end a program that protects young immigrants from deportation, ban immigration from some countries and roll back environmental laws. Last week, three advocacy groups sued the federal government to block construction of a border wall, alleging that the Trump administration overstepped its authority by waiving environmental reviews and other laws. The action by the Sierra Club, Defenders of Wildlife and Animal Legal Defense Fund seeks to prevent construction of wall prototypes in San Diego. U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials said last month that prototypes for a border wall may be completed by the end of October. Becerras lawsuit is the latest attempt by California Democrats to fight the wall proposal. A bill that would have banned state government contracts for any company that helps build the wall passed the state Senate, but stalled recently in an Assembly committee. Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) authored the bill, testifying at a committee hearing that the wall is another attempt to separate and divide us. It sends a message that we are better off in a homogenous society. Todd Bloomstine, a lobbyist representing the Southern California Contractors Assn., opposed the bill, asking the panel, What next unpopular project would be [on the] blacklist? Read the lawsuit >> UPDATE 8:30 a.m. This article was updated to provide additional details of the lawsuit. This article was originally published at 6 a.m. Facebook

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Judge rules state used misleading language in summary of ballot measure to repeal California gas tax By Patrick McGreevy GOP Assemblyman Travis Allen, in red tie, with Democratic state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, left, and Charles Munger Jr., far right, in 2014. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A judge tentatively ruled Tuesday that the state-written title and summary of an initiative to repeal the recent gas-tax increases were misleading and should be rewritten by the state attorney generals office. The ruling by Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy M. Frawley, scheduled to be finalized at a court hearing on Friday, was welcomed by the initiatives lead proponent, Assemblyman Travis Allen (R-Huntington Beach). This preliminary ruling is a major victory for Californians, Allen, a candidate for governor, said in a statement. This brings us one step closer to repealing Jerry Browns hugely unpopular gas tax. I look forward to the final ruling on Friday, and ensuring that the Repeal the Gas Tax Initiative receives the straightforward ballot title and summary that it deserves. Judge Frawley agreed with Allens legal claims that the title and summary drafted by Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerras office is confusing, misleading, and likely to create prejudice against the proposed measure. The judge said the initiative would repeal taxes and fees approved by the Legislature this year, but the title and summary issued by the state makes it sound like it would eliminate transportation funding without using the words taxes and fees in the title. He ordered state officials to come to Fridays hearing prepared to discuss alternate language for the ballot measure. To avoid misleading the voters and creating prejudice against the measure, the Attorney General must prepare a true and impartial statement that reasonably informs voters of the character and real purpose of the proposed initiative in clear and understandable language, the ruling says. The existing circulating title and summary fails this test. If the judge finalizes the order after hearing arguments Friday, Allen can use the new title and summary to circulate a petition. Allen needs to collect 365,000 signatures from registered voters in 150 days to put the measure on the November 2018 ballot. Facebook

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Gov. Jerry Brown: Trumps rhetoric about North Korea adds to non-rational bluster By Mina Corpuz (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) California Gov. Jerry Brown said President Trumps name calling and threats at the United Nations can get in the way of diplomacy and statesmanship. Earlier Tuesday, Trump called North Korean leader Kim Jong Un a Rocket Man on a suicide mission and said the United States may have no choice but to totally destroy North Korea. It just raises the temperature and the exchange of non-rational bluster back and forth, Brown said in a interview with CNNs Jake Tapper. I dont think thats positive. Brown is in New York for some climate meetings related to the United Nations General Assembly. Facebook

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Yes, dahlink: Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of Zsa Zsa Gabor, is running for California governor By Phil Willon Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, outside of the couples Bel-Air mansion in 2011. (Brian van der Brug/Los Angeles Times) Frederic Prinz von Anhalt, widower of the whimsical celebrity and actress Zsa Zsa Gabor, is back. Von Anhalt has filed to run for governor of California  his second attempt after a short-lived campaign in 2010  saying hes fed up with seeing roads falling apart, people struggling to afford rent and an explosion of homelessness in the state. Ive lived in this city for 36 years. Ive never seen so many people eating out of a trash can in the Western world, Von Anhalt said Tuesday. We talk about Hollywood, and this being the entertainment center of the world. How is this possible? Von Anhalt, Garbors ninth and last husband, is running as an independent. He filed an official Candidate Intention Statement with the California Secretary of States office Monday, the first step in launching an official campaign. The 74-year-old Bel-Air resident, a German immigrant, said he has enough money to help support his own campaign. He said he dropped out of the 2010 governors race only because his wife became seriously ill. She died in December. She was the one  who wanted me run, Von Anhalt said. Von Anhalt also flirted briefly with a run for Los Angeles mayor in 2013, a race eventually won by Eric Garcetti. FOR THE RECORD 5:33 p.m.: An earlier of this post said Von Anhalt was age 71. He is 74. Facebook

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Assemblyman urges other legislatures to join California in censuring President Trump By Mina Corpuz Assemblyman Tony Thurmond (D-Richmond) speaks with Sen. Hannah-Beth Jackson (D-Santa Barbara) (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press) A California lawmaker who authored a resolution to support a censure of President Trump sent letters to 49 other state legislatures Tuesday to urge them to join the effort. Assemblyman Tony Thurmond, a Richmond Democrat, sent the letters days after the Assembly became the first state legislative body to support a congressional censure of the president. California has spoken and we look to the rest of the nation to join us, Thurmond said in a statement. Its important that all our states unite and show that the United States of America stands against hate. Read More Facebook

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After cap-and-trade vote, Assemblyman Chad Mayes faces a second Republican challenger for reelection By Patrick McGreevy Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley leaves the Assembly floor before resigning as Assembly Republican leader on Aug. 24. (Rich Pedroncelli / Associated Press)) Former Palm Springs Police Chief Gary Jeandron on Tuesday became the second Republican to announce plans to challenge Assemblyman Chad Mayes (R-Yucca Valley) in the 2018 election. Jeandron, a La Quinta resident, said he was angered over Mayes vote as Assembly Republican leader to support an extension of the states controversial cap-and-trade program, which requires businesses to buy permits to release greenhouse gas emissions. Jeandron saw the action as continuing a wrongful tax increase and said he is signing a no-tax pledge. I just dont believe [Mayes] has held Republican values, Jeandron told The Times. He has been blinded by ambition. He has been seduced by the governor. Mayes vote led to an outcry by Republican leaders, and he eventually succumbed to pressure to step down as leader of the Assembly Republicans. Mayes defended his position, telling colleagues during the floor debate, many of us believe that climate change is real and  we have to work to address it. Jeandron, who lost to Mayes in the 2014 election, joins San Jacinto City Councilman Andrew Kotyuk in planning to challenge Mayes for the 42nd Assembly District seat. Facebook

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Republican John Cox tasted political defeat many times before launching his bid for California governor By Phil Willon Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox speaks to the Lincoln Club of Riverside County in June. (Rick Loomis / Los Angeles Times) Candidate for California governor John Cox is relatively new to the states politics, but Cox has run for office multiple times, and even tangled with Barack Obama on the debate stage when the pair ran in the 2004 Illinois U.S. Senate race. Neither candidate was considered their partys favorite. But things began looking up for Obama, of course, who won the Senate race and then the presidency. Cox dropped out before the GOP primary election. It was his third try for elected office in Illinois and his third defeat. Now hes back, this time in his new home of California, running for governor against a trio of Democratic heavyweights. Once again, Cox is a practical unknown. Once again, the Republican is in a left-leaning state reaching for a coveted political office. Once again, Coxs campaign is being fed by cash from his own bank account. Read More Facebook

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After she was confronted by protesters, Pelosi says Democrats want a clean Dream Act  with no border wall By Jazmine Ulloa House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on Monday said she understood the fear in young protesters who shouted her down at a San Francisco news conference, asking for a legal path to citizenship for themselves and their parents. Speaking at Sacramento State hours after the disruption, Pelosi said she agreed with the protesters, pointing to the Dream Act as only the first step to broader immigration reform. We are all disrupters ourselves, she said, standing next to fellow congressional Democrats. So we recognize it and respect it in others. At Sac State, @NancyPelosi on SF protests today: We are all disruptors ourselves. So we recognize it and respect it in others. #dacadeal pic.twitter.com/W1WKQikmsc  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 19, 2017 Both press events were scheduled by Pelosi to discuss a legislative fix to help thousands of young people affected by President Trumps decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Obama-era policy provided temporary status for 800,000 people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York met with Trump last week after the termination of DACA was announced. In Sacramento, Pelosi said they had come to an agreement to a clean Dream Act, which would provide a path to permanent status for citizens who work, study or serve in the military, without tougher border enforcement or increased deportations. Meanwhile, Democrats are fighting with the president over the construction of a wall along the U.S-Mexico border. And House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wisconsin has made it clear he wants some kind of border security, Pelosi said. That is not under discussion, she said. We can discuss other issues, but we are not going to discuss how we protect the Dreamers. At Sac State, @NancyPelosi arrives to talk #DACAdeal and help for Dreamers. Elected officials from every level of government also present. pic.twitter.com/yoESsRC1Ok  Jazmine Ulloa (@jazmineulloa) September 18, 2017 Facebook

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Feinstein, who called for patience with Trump, lashes out over his attacks on Clinton By Sarah D. Wire Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) said it was appalling and disgusting to see President Trump retweet a video edited to look like he hit former rival Hillary Clinton in the head with a golf ball. He continues to obsessively lash out at her  at his rallies, with his words and now through social media  in a manner that is utterly unbecoming of the president of the United States, Feinstein said in a statement Monday. Every one of us should be offended by the vindictive and candidly dangerous messages the president sends that demean not only Secretary Clinton, but all women. Grow up and do your job. Clinton is out with a new book about the campaign, and Trump has repeatedly used Twitter to deride her as a sore loser. He retweeted the animated GIF Sunday which shows him hitting a golf ball that then knocks down Clinton. Feinstein, who has yet to say whether shell run again in 2018, has walked a fine line with Trump in recent months. Shes criticized him at times, but drew ire from some progressive Californians last month when she called for patience in dealing with the president, saying that Trump could be a good president if he learned and changed. Facebook

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California lawmakers are building a wall against President Trumps policies By George Skelton California state legislators ended their annual session the way they began it  building a wall to protect undocumented immigrants from President Trump. Not an iron wall, as Trump promised to erect along the U.S.-Mexico border, but a legal barrier to prevent local police and sheriffs from teaming with the presidents agents to enforce federal immigration law. The legislators did a lot of other things, too, before adjourning early Saturday until January. They sent Gov. Jerry Brown bills to address Californias dearth of affordable housing, to borrow $4 billion for parks and waterworks, to spend $1.5 billion in greenhouse-gas pollution fees, to provide tuition-free community college for first-year students and to lift some secrecy from prescription drug pricing. Earlier in the session, the heavily Democratic Legislature passed its boldest, most controversial bill of the year: A $5.2-billion annual increase in fuel taxes and vehicle fees to finance transportation infrastructure, especially to repair crumbling highways. Republicans will attempt to repeal the bill at the ballot box in 2018. Brown says that borders on insanity. Read More Facebook

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Trump is riding a very dead horse on climate change, Gov. Brown says at New York conference By Ann Simmons (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday touted steps California has taken toward a healthier climate, but warned that powerful forces he called climate deniers are resisting technologies and policies designed to improve conditions. I like all the optimism around here, but I dont want to minimize the steep hill that we have to climb, Brown said at the start of a gathering of international leaders called Climate Week NYC. Decarbonizing the economy when the economy depends so totally on carbon is not childs play. Its quite daunting. Hosted by the Climate Group, an international nonprofit organization that works with business and government to promote clean technologies and policies, the event was scheduled to bring together high-profile governors, executives of Fortune 500 companies and leaders of multinational businesses for a week to share their strategies in tackling climate change. The discussions come amid concerns about global warming and after Hurricanes Harvey and Irma caused devastation in Houston, Florida and across parts of the Caribbean. Some scientists believe that warmer ocean waters caused by climate change are creating stronger storms. Read More Facebook

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Nancy Pelosi shouted down at DACA news conference for working with Trump By Sarah D. Wire Dreamer protesters have disrupted a Pelosi presser in CA, asking for protections for Dreamer & their parents: https://t.co/o3zGNJvblL  Frank Thorp V (@frankthorp) September 18, 2017 More than four dozen immigration activists upset with Democrats for negotiating with President Trump shouted down House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi at a San Francisco news conference Monday. We are not your bargaining chip, the crowd chanted at one point, according to KCBS News political reporter Doug Sovern. VIDEO: Chaos at @NancyPelosi #DACA event as 40+ undocumented hijack her news conf in SF: "We are not your bargaining chip! Let us speak!" pic.twitter.com/KC2WyrjqSy  Doug Sovern (@SovernNation) September 18, 2017 'All of us or none of us' Crowd takes over DREAM Act event. Pelosi getting blasted by about 100 young 'undocumented youth' pic.twitter.com/RgwnZ4dB3O  Evan Sernoffsky (@EvanSernoffsky) September 18, 2017 San Francisco Chronicle reporter Evan Sernoffsky said on Twitter that some in the group were yelling, All of us or none of us. Other reporters said the group chanted, Shut down ICE. Pelosi held the news conference to advocate for speedy passage of a legislative fix to the legal status of hundreds of thousands of people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer of New York met with Trump last week after he announced an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. The Obama-era program deferred deportation for some people brought to the country illegally as children. Pelosi and Schumer said their discussion with the president included the possibility of adding more immigration enforcement  which some immigration advocates are against  to legislation to address DACA. At the news conference, Pelosi first made remarks and introduced an immigrant in the country illegally, at which point the shouting began, according to a Pelosi aide. The group surrounded Pelosi, with some gesturing close to her face. She attempted to calm the crowd for about half an hour before leaving the news conference. The aide said the group was made up of local DACA beneficiaries. We need to have a conversation, but that was completely one-sided; they dont want any answers, Pelosi told reporters afterward, according to a transcript. Pelosi said the activists should be focused on Republican members of Congress, not Democrats. I understand their frustration, Im excited by it as a matter of fact, but the fact is theyre completely wrong. The Democrats are the ones who stopped their assault on sanctuary cities, stopped the wall, the increased deportations in our last bill that was at the end of April, and we are determined to get Republicans votes to pass the clean Dream Act. Is it possible to pass a bill without some border security? Well well have to see. We didnt agree to anything in that regard, except to listen, Pelosi said. UPDATES

1:06 p.m. This post was updated with more details throughout and quotes from Pelosi. This post was originally published at 12:12 p.m. Facebook

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Democrats hopes of flipping seats in California are soaring, but it wont be as easy at it seems By Christine Mai-Duc (Associated Press / AFP/Getty Images) Democrats know they have to win at least a few seats in California if they want to regain control of the House in 2018. But though the energy and hopes of many Democratic activists here are soaring, flipping Republican-held seats here could be harder than it appears. There are a few bits of conventional wisdom that suggest Democrats have a long road ahead. For one, Republicans often turn out in greater numbers than their Democratic counterparts in midterm-election years. And even though Hillary Clinton won seven of the Republican-held districts Democrats are now targeting, past election data show voters there still lean much more conservative than other parts of the state. If past is prologue, says Rob Pyers, research director for the nonpartisan election guide California Target Book, Democrats will have a hard time picking up more than a couple of seats in California. With most voters unlikely to tune in until at least next spring, there are many factors that could affect the political calculus, including whether the California Republican Party will be able to field a competitive candidate for governor, or whether ballot initiatives such as a potential repeal of the newest gas tax hike will propel GOP voters to the polls. Read More Facebook

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California will be the keeper of the nations future in the era of Trump, state Democratic lawmakers promise By Melanie Mason State Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon, from left, Gov. Jerry Brown and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. (Rich Pedroncelli/Associated Press) Within a day of President Trumps election last November, Californias top Democratic lawmakers responded with a joint statement that contained an audacious promise. It was their state, not Washington, D.C., that would be the keeper of the nations future. An artistic rendering of that vow, with looping calligraphy and a roaring grizzly, is now on display in the offices of Senate leader Kevin de Leon and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon. In the wake of Trumps win, the words seemed to be a sort of foundational document  Californias declaration of resistance. That pugilistic posture is often conveyed in shorthand: California versus Trump. But the ensuing legislative year, which ended Friday, revealed the messy reality of squaring up against the federal government. Its been challenging, De Leon (D-Los Angeles) said, bleary-eyed as he took a break during the final days of the session. You have to debate, you have to negotiate, you have to make your case, and I think at the end of the day, well still have the most far-reaching policy in the nation. Read More Facebook

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California Politics Podcast: Lawmakers leave Sacramento after a busy year By John Myers From immigration issues to housing, some of the biggest debates of the Legislatures nine-month session happened at the very end. In governing, as in life, deadlines often make things happen. On this weeks California Politics Podcast, we take an early look at some of the most important decisions lawmakers made in the final few days of the 2017 session in Sacramento. That includes a landmark decision to intervene in the issue of illegal immigration, and to pass a long discussed package of bills to begin addressing Californias housing crisis. We also look at some of the broader political themes of the entire legislative year -- most notably, the effort by Democrats in the Legislature to provide a resistance to actions taken by President Trump. Im joined by Times staff writers Melanie Mason and Liam Dillon. Facebook

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Passage of sanctuary state bill draws rebukes from Trump administration officials, praise in California By Jazmine Ulloa Supporters of state sanctuary bill SB 54 rally outside the Hall of Justice. (Irfan Khan / Los Angeles Times) California lawmakers on Saturday passed a sanctuary state bill to protect immigrants without legal residency in the U.S., part of a broader push by Democrats to counter expanded deportation orders under the Trump administration. The landmark legislation by Sen. Kevin de Leon (D-Los Angeles) would limit state and local law enforcement communication with federal immigration authorities, and prevent officers from questioning and holding people on immigration violations. But the bill sent to Gov. Jerry Brown drastically scaled back the version first introduced, the result of tough negotiations between Brown and De Leon in the final weeks of the legislative session. Its passage already is reverberating across the country. Trump administration officials have sounded off in opposition. And immigrant rights groups and some California law enforcement officials have come out in support of what they call a hard compromise. Read More Facebook

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Supporters unable to resurrect California clean-energy proposal on final day of legislative session By Chris Megerian Environmentalists rally in front of Assemblyman Chris Holdens office in Pasadena on Thursday. (Mel Melcon / Los Angeles Times) Despite a last-minute push from environmentalists and actors from The Avengers, legislation that eventually would require all of Californias electricity to come from clean sources failed to advance this year. Facing opposition from unions and utilities, Assembly leadership refused to put the measure, SB 100, up for a vote on Friday, the final day of the legislative session. The decision to not move the bill this year is disappointing, said Kathryn Phillips, director of the Sierra Clubs California chapter. But we are committed to moving this policy next year. Theres no time to waste. The measure, written by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon (
Trump administration lawyers joined sides with a Colorado baker Thursday and urged the Supreme Court to rule that he has the right to refuse to provide a wedding cake to celebrate the marriage of two men.

Acting Solicitor Gen. Jeffrey B. Wall filed a friend-of-the-court brief arguing that the cake makers rights to free speech and the free exercise of religion should prevail over a Colorado civil rights law that forbids discrimination based on sexual orientation.

A custom wedding cake is a form of expression, he said. It is an artistic creation that is both subjectively intended and objectively perceived as a celebratory symbol of a marriage. And as such, the baker has a free-speech right under the 1st Amendment to refuse to express his support for a same-sex marriage, Wall argued.

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The case of the Colorado cake maker has emerged as the latest battle in the culture wars. It is a clash between the religious rights of a conservative Christian against gay rights and equal treatment for same-sex couples.

The brief filed Thursday is likely to bolster the cake makers case, and is in line President Trumps repeated promises to protect religious liberty.

But Wall asked the high court to carve out only a narrow exception to the state civil rights laws forbidding businesses to discriminate based on sexual orientation. It should extend only to people like painters, photographers and others whose product or service [is] inherently communicative. Most businesses would not qualify, he said. A commercial banquet hall may not refuse to rent its facilities, nor may a car service refuse to provide limousines because its owners do not approve of a same-sex marriage, he said.

He also said an exemption for expressive conduct would not extend to cases of racial discrimination. The Supreme Court has said racial bias always violates the Constitutions guarantee of equal protection of the laws, he said, but has not yet adopted the same strict standard for judging bias based on sexual orientation.

Louise Melling, deputy legal director of the American Civil Liberties Union, said the administration was trying to create a constitutional right to discriminate.

This Justice Department has already made its hostility to the rights of LGBT people and so many others crystal clear. But this brief was shocking, even for this administration, she said. We are confident that the Supreme Court will rule on the side of equal rights just as the lower courts have.

The case began five years ago when two men who were planning to marry went to Masterpiece Cakeshop in a Denver suburb to ask about a wedding cake for their reception. They were surprised and angered when Jack Phillips, the shop owner, said he would not make a cake for a same-sex marriage. Doing so would violate his Christian faith, he said.

The two men filed a complaint with the state Civil Rights Commission in Colorado, which like 20 other states has a law that requires businesses serving the public to provide full and equal service to customers without regard to their sexual orientation. An administrative judge, a seven-member state commission and a Colorado appeals court all agreed Phillips had violated the law.

Phillips has continued to operate his bakery, but he no longer designs custom wedding cakes.

Backed by the Arizona-based Alliance Defending Freedom, he appealed to the Supreme Court late last year for the right under the 1st Amendment to be exempted from the state law.

Shortly after Trumps first appointee, Justice Neil M. Gorsuch, was confirmed and took his seat, the justices announced they would hear the bakers appeal. The case of Masterpiece Cakeshop vs. Colorado is due to be argued in late November or early December.

Decision time at the Supreme Court: A look at this terms rulings on religion, free speech and immigration 

david.savage@latimes.com

On Twitter: DavidGSavage
President Trumps startling alliance with Democrats stemmed from his building frustration with Republican leaders inability to secure the legislative victories he assumed would come more swiftly  but its genesis is far more certain than its potential for success.

The new relationship saw its first result on Thursday. The Senate advanced legislation based on Trumps deal Wednesday with the Democratic leaders, Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Sen. Charles E. Schumer, to extend until Dec. 8 the governments debt limit and funding, and to offer the first billions in relief money for victims of Hurricanes Harvey and Irma.

Trump also indicated his interest in working with Schumer on a longer-term deal: to void the requirement that Congress vote to extend the governments debt ceiling, a budget exercise that authorizes the Treasury to borrow to cover spending already approved. But lawmakers reluctance to cast that unpopular vote has regularly threatened to send the country into default.

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The president also met with Democrats from New York and New Jersey to discuss improving transit infrastructure in those states.

Working with Schumer, a New York Democrat he derided as Crying Chuck as recently as June, was a sign from the president unseen in the last seven months. From his start, Trump worked solely with Republicans on measures meant to satisfy a narrow, conservative base. But the president suddenly seemed intent on pursuing whatever path allowed him to be seen as the successful deal-maker hed vowed to be  a promise he has not been able to achieve as his priorities have stalled on Republican-controlled Capitol Hill.

Trump told reporters at the White House that he could foresee working in bipartisan fashion on a host of issues.

I think we will have a different relationship than weve been watching over the last number of years. I hope so, he said. I think thats a great thing for our country. And I think thats what the people of the United States want to see. They want to see some dialogue. They want to see coming together.

Still, the new move reflected less a dawning relationship with the opposite party by a suddenly unfettered and independent president than a warning to Republicans to corral their warring factions, according to current and past Trump advisors.

They said Trump was expressing his anger at fellow Republicans, whom he blames for his inability to make good on pledges he made during the election, such as repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act. The absence of big achievements has contributed to the presidents lagging popularity, which in turn has lessened his control over his quarrelsome party.

Barry Bennett, a former Trump strategist, said his dalliance with Schumer and Pelosi did not necessarily suggest a long-term relationship, but was meant as a shot across the bow for Republicans in Congress.

Were seeing the pragmatic, transactional President Trump, Bennett said. You know, Republicans can control everything if they choose to, but if they cant get along and cant get it done, they shouldnt be surprised another solution comes up.

Nonetheless, Trumps moves came at much risk: alienating his own partys congressional leaders, renewing concerns among conservatives over his loyalty to their goals and  by increasing Democrats leverage going into fall negotiations on a range of topics  diminishing GOP power on Capitol Hill.

Some Republicans sought to put the best face on Trumps move, arguing that it reflected a desire to move ahead on topics important to both them and the White House, chiefly tax reform. Others remained defiantly angry that the president had undercut party leaders including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).

Still others blamed Ryan and leadership colleagues for Trumps move toward Democrats. Rep. Mark Walker of North Carolina, chairman of the conservative Republican Study Group, which represents almost two-thirds of the partys members in the House, sent a tartly worded letter to Ryan that called the Trump deal irresponsible.

Worse yet is attaching the debt limit to legislation that continues the status quo or even worsens the trajectory of spending, Walker wrote.

Trump has proven highly unpredictable, and it was not clear whether his alliance with Democrats would survive the week, much less the months required to establish a true change of direction for both sides and yield results.

Still, the shift was in keeping with Trumps campaign persona: that of a Republican with staunchly conservative views on some matters like funding the military and securing the border, but lacking the ideology on economic and cultural issues that has driven Republicans on Capitol Hill.

He is a pragmatist. He wants to get things done, said one confidant, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to preserve relations with the White House. If that means reaching across the aisle to get things done, I think hes very willing to do that.

The alliance has obvious limitations; the Democratic deal sanctioned by Trump represents one of only a few matters about which the two sides may find themselves in agreement.

And, of course, Democrats want to replace Trump in 2020. Sam Nunberg, a former Trump strategist, said that the Democratic leaders had played the president.

Pelosi and Schumer will work hand-in-hand with the president on one action item: impeaching him, he said. That is it.

For her part, Pelosi, of San Francisco, was unsure of the extent to which the president was prepared to work with her party.

The world we live in is a giant kaleidoscope, she said. You never know. Lets hope this is a sign of something to come.

If so, signs were uneven: Trumps reelection campaign on Thursday released an ad that cast Schumer and Pelosi as career politicians who were trying to stop him.

While Trumps irritation at congressional Republicans has been visible for months, prominently so in his frequent posts on Twitter, the president has ignored his own responsibility for the failures to date as the ostensible leader of a party that has often appeared rudderless.

Much like on health insurance in past months, his head-snapping back-and-forth on Tuesday over the program for young immigrants, known as Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, provided a confusing template for congressional Republicans seeking to know his desires.

He first tweeted a demand that Congress come up with a fix for DACA beneficiaries, known as Dreamers, omitting any details. Then the White House demanded passage of a comprehensive immigration overhaul, a nearly impossible task given the six-month deadline Trump set.

Again, no details were forthcoming; White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders would only say that Congress needs to provide more than just a one-piece fix to replace the Obama-era program.

At the same time, she mocked members of Congress as regular vacationers who, if they could not deliver on the administrations vague demands, should get out of the way and let somebody else take their job.

Later that day, Trump seemed to take the pressure to act quickly off Congress, tweeting that if the matter was not fixed in six months he would revisit it and potentially reinstate the DACA program despite his campaign pledge to get rid of it.

On Wednesday, on a flight to North Dakota for a rally, Trump said he wanted good border security and a DACA program where everybody is happy and now they dont have to worry about it anymore  ignoring substantial anti-DACA sentiment in his party.

To have that uncertainty followed by a quick deal with Democrats  announced in the Oval Office in front of Ryan, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Treasury Secretary Steven T. Mnuchin, all of whom opposed it  further unnerved Republicans.

Trumps aides were left in the familiar position of crafting an after-the-fact explanation for the presidents acts, trying to calm fellow Republicans who will in large part determine his chances of success.

I would say the best part about this is this clears out the next 90 days for us to focus on important things, Mnuchin told Fox Business Networks Maria Bartiromo. So we have the funding for Harvey; were focused on tax reform. Thats going to be the big priority for the next 90 days  so that we can have a bill passed for the president to sign.

Mick Mulvaney, Trumps budget director, offered a rationale that glided past the rancor and shock felt by many of his former Republican House colleagues toward their president, blaming Congress unpopular party leaders.

Is he annoyed at Republican leadership? Yeah, I think he probably is, he told Fox Business Networks Neil Cavuto. To the extent that the president was annoyed by that is simply reflecting many of the people of this country.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

lisa.mascaro@latimes.com

noah.bierman@latimes.com

Times staff writer Brian Bennett contributed to this report from Washington.

ALSO

Trump sets contours of a possible legislative agreement on Dreamers

Republicans face a divisive fight over immigrants that could decide the partys future

Updates on politics
The Trump administrations dumping cold water on Dreamers was so wrongheaded, so self-defeating and so inhumane that it cant possibly stand. Can it?

Youd think a mean move like placing 800,000 inspiring, struggling young people in danger of deportation would galvanize Congress into finally passing compromise immigration reform.

But this Congress and the president have shown no ability or inclination to work together and accomplish anything substantive.

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And if thats true on a compelling issue with such sympathetic victims as this, exactly what are they capable of achieving? Seemingly nothing.

But hold on! Im an optimist here. Maybe its because were on the opposite side of the continent from the brawling Beltway, but I can envision President Trump eventually working out a deal with sensible Republicans and tactically muted Democrats, even as hardline, anti-immigrant conservatives protest and pout.

There was one bright sign of cooperation Wednesday. Trump and Democratic congressional leaders agreed to extend the nations borrowing limit and keep government open until at least mid-December, avoiding a fiscal crisis and possible national economic blow this month. Republicans objected to giving Democrats that much power over the congressional agenda.

The national debt limit is important, but run-of-the-mill Washington politics. Its hardly gripping like the heart-rending image of young people who were brought into this country illegally as children by their parents and succeeded in school and work, only to be forcibly removed to a country theyve never known  during an election year, no less.

They are amazing because theyre smart, passionate and resilient, Sonoma State University President Judy K. Sakaki told me, referring to the nearly 200 undocumented students on her campus, where the total enrollment is less than 10,000. They work harder than anyone you know, really.

She mentioned one female student who is pursuing a doctorate in chemistry and has a goal of helping other undocumented students to succeed. A male with a bright, bright mind is headed to medical school.

Theyre inspirational. And you think about what theyve gone through to get where they are, taking care of younger siblings, working several jobs, maintaining strong grades. And to think we would have the audacity not to support them.

California lawmakers defend DACA with an eye on lawsuit against Trumps action>>

Sakaki is part of the American dream herself. She was a first-generation college student whose grandparents migrated here from Japan for a better life in the late 1920s. They were thrust into internment camps with her parents during World War II.

Barbara OConnor, a retired communications professor who headed a politics and media institute at Sacramento State University, said: I came in contact with over 100 undocumented kids. They worked hard, were motivated and were all gainfully employed. They didnt speak English as well, but they kicked butt. They studied harder than the other kids. Why would you not want that?

The Democrat added: Give Trump credit. Hes trying to do it the right way by asking Congress to act.

Trump gave Congress six months to pass a law replacing former President Obamas Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA. Obama did that on his own without Congress. Trump and Republicans called it unconstitutional.

Even Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California said Tuesday that DACA is on shaky legal ground. Thats why we need to pass a law and we should do it.

If Congress doesnt act, DACA will die, based on the administrations initial announcement. But later the president tweeted that if Congress couldnt perform, he will revisit the issue. Ill regard that as another hopeful sign  Trump perhaps realizing that dashing young peoples dreams diminishes America rather than making it great again.

Updates from Sacramento 

Trump  unlike President Reagan, for example  doesnt seem to have any deep, guiding philosophy except to do whats best for him, politically and personally. He may see that picking on young people who have done exactly what America has asked of them  work hard, get educated, obey the law  is a political loser. It certainly does nothing to expand his political base, polls show.

The true believer  the real heavy to DACA supporters  is U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, a former Alabama senator and career-long basher of illegal immigration. He seemed to relish making the DACA dumping announcement in Trumps place.

Trumps DACA decision could have a sweeping effect on who controls the House in 2018, especially in California>>

Sessions contention that expelling DACA immigrants will help the economy by raising wages and providing jobs for American citizens was widely disputed as baloney. Its just the opposite. These are exactly the kind of smart, ambitious, skilled young adults America needs to help replace its aging baby boomers and, for example, pay taxes into the retirees Social Security and Medicare systems.

California has by far the largest number of DACA immigrants, roughly 223,000.

A political positive was that I didnt see one public statement from a California Republican politician backing Trumps threatened scuttling of these peoples protections. Some Republican members of Congress and the Legislature advocated keeping them.

The president has rescinded an unconstitutional executive order from Obama that Trump had promised to reverse, state Senate Republican leader Patricia Bates of Laguna Niguel said. Now the real work must begin.

It is imperative that Congress pass a lasting legislative solution that will ensure that 800,000 young people, who have done nothing wrong, can continue to pursue their educations, careers and contributions to our great nation. This will only happen with bipartisan leadership from Congress and the president.

Ill dream it becomes a reality. If it doesnt, itll be the Republicans nightmare.

george.skelton@latimes.com

Follow @LATimesSkelton on Twitter

ALSO

California lawmakers defend DACA with an eye on lawsuit against Trumps action

Trumps DACA decision could have a sweeping effect on who controls the House in 2018, especially in California

Ignore the critics. Sen. Dianne Feinstein is outperforming many half her age, with old-fashioned civility
Trump Jr. to speak privately to Senate staff on Thursday

(Richard Drew / Associated Press)

President Trumps oldest son is expected to meet privately with a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, several senators said Wednesday.

Donald Trump Jr.'s appearance Thursday before the Senate Judiciary Committee would probably focus on a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer and others during the final stretches of last years campaign. Emails released in July show that Trump Jr. was told the session at Trump Tower in New York was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father, the Republican nominee.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating that meeting, also attended by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. A grand jury has heard testimony about it.

Trump Jr. has also agreed to appear in the coming weeks before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation.

Separately, President Obamas national security advisor, Susan Rice, was meeting on Wednesday with the House Intelligence Committee, according to a person familiar with the interview. This person wasnt authorized to discuss the committees confidential work and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

That committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the FBI for documents related to a dossier of salacious allegations involving Trump and possible ties to Russia.

As for Donald Trump Jr., some Democratic senators said they planned to attend his session though tradition dictates that senators cannot ask questions at such interviews conducted by committee staff.

Sens. Richard J. Durbin (D-Ill.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said they would be there. Sen. Chris Coons (D-Del.) was considering it.

I go in with an open mind, Durbin said. I want to hear his answers to questions  there are plenty of questions  about the involvement of the Trump corporation as well as the Trump campaign with the Russians and other foreigners, and I just want to hear what Mr. Trump has to say.

Durbin said he would be shocked if questions werent asked about whether Trump Sr. knew about the Trump Tower meeting.

The critical part of his testimony will be following the financial dealing, Blumenthal said. He said he also wants to find out what Trump Jr. may know about potential obstruction of justice, adding there may have been conversations between the two about the firing of FBI Director James Comey and other matters.

Blumenthal and Coons said the private interview is no substitute for a public hearing, which the committee chairman, Sen. Charles E. Grassley (R-Iowa), has promised will happen.

This meeting is far less important than his public testimony, under oath, before the American people, Blumenthal said.

Grassley would not say on Wednesday whether he would issue a subpoena for Trump Jr. if he refuses to testify publicly.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is reviewing subpoenas from the House intelligence committee.

In a letter Friday that was obtained by the AP, the committee wrote that it had served subpoenas on Aug. 24 to the department and the FBI for documents related to the committees investigation of Russian meddling. The Justice Department and FBI had missed the original Sept. 1 deadline, so the committee extended the deadline to Sept. 14.

The letter was signed by the committee chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes (R-Calif.), who stepped back from the Russia investigation this year after he was criticized for being too close to the White House. Rep. Mike Conaway (R-Texas) took over the leading role, but his name does not appear on the letter.

As chairman, Nunes retains subpoena power in the committee.

According to the letter, the original subpoenas requested any documents related to the dossier and sought information about whether the department was involved in its production.

If the documents are not produced, the committee is seeking to compel Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions, who has withdrawn from investigations examining connections between Trump and Russia, and newly installed FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify in an open hearing. The committee issued two additional subpoenas to Sessions and Wray on late Tuesday.

Resort to compulsory process was necessary because of DOJs and FBIs insufficient responsiveness to the committees numerous Russia-investigation related requests over the past several months, the letter said.

If the committee is unable to obtain documents or testimony, Nunes wrote, the committee expressly reserves its right to proceed with any and all available legal options, including a House vote to hold Sessions and Wray in contempt.

The Justice Department confirmed it was reviewing the subpoenas but declined further comment.

The dossier attracted public attention in January when it was revealed that then-FBI Director Comey had briefed Trump, soon before he was inaugurated as president, about claims from the documents that Russia had amassed compromising personal and financial allegations about him.

Its unclear to what extent the allegations in the dossier have been corroborated or verified by the FBI because the bureau has not publicly discussed it.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday evening on MSNBC that the subpoenas were issued over the objections of Democrats. Schiff said Republicans are working harder to discredit those who compiled the dossier than to find out if the allegations in it are true. He said Republicans should be more focused on getting documents from the White House.

The subpoenas were first reported by the Washington Examiner.
President Trumps pick to lead NASA is a congressman who wants to mine fuel from the moon and has denied human activitys role in climate change.

Rep. Jim Bridenstine, a Republican from Oklahoma, was officially nominated this week to head the space agency. If confirmed by the Senate, Bridenstine would become the first elected official to lead NASA in its nearly six-decade history.

It is an honor to be nominated to serve our nation as NASA administrator, Bridenstine said in a statement. He declined requests to be interviewed until after the confirmation process is over.

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Bridenstine is a Navy Reserve pilot and was executive director of the Tulsa Air and Space Museum and Planetarium before being elected to Congress in 2012.

Its a different kind of pick, obviously, said John Logsdon, a professor emeritus and founder of George Washington Universitys Space Policy Institute. He comes without experience in maintaining a large organization and without direct space program experience. He doesnt come out of the aerospace industry. On the other hand, hes spent a lot of time thinking about NASA, thinking about the space program. I think he comes better prepared intellectually to take on the job than most people that have held the position.

While Oklahoma does not have a major NASA connection  for example, it doesnt host a NASA field center such as the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California  Bridenstine has demonstrated a clear interest in the space agency.

In Congress, hes a member of the Science, Space and Technology Committee as well as the House Armed Services Committee. He has spoken out against space debris, floated legislation to prioritize NASAs efforts to send humans to Mars, and argued that Americans should be mining the water ice on the moon for fuel.

From the discovery of water ice on the moon until this day, the American objective should have been a permanent outpost of rovers and machines at the poles with occasional manned missions for science and maintenance, he told the Lunar Exploration Analysis Group in 2016. The purpose of such an outpost should have been to utilize the materials and energy of the moon to drive down the costs and increase the capabilities of cis-lunar space.

Bridenstine has pushed for the government to use more commercial space services, and called the current regulatory environment a hindrance to the industry.

Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Fla. (Alex Sanz / Associated Press)

In a speech at the Commercial Space Transportation Conference this year, he told attendees that the U.S. was being gouged by the prices Russia charges to take American astronauts to the International Space Station. We must make sure our space program is leveraging your industry, commercial space, in the most effective way possible, he told attendees.

Bridenstine appears to have made himself very available for space-related speaking engagements since Trump was sworn into office, Logsdon pointed out.

Much more than any past administrators, hes publicly wanted the job, he said.

Phil Larson, an assistant dean at the University of Colorado Boulder and a former Obama space policy advisor, said Bridenstines focus on moving the agency forward was promising.

Im fairly bullish, but there are still some questions that obviously need answering, Larson said.

Bridenstine has expressed doubt that human activity is fueling climate change. In a speech on the House floor, he claimed that President Obamas budget spent 30 times as much money on global warming research as on weather forecasting and warning  calling it a gross misallocation and asking for an apology from the president. The congressmans claim was rated as mostly false by Politifact.

Bridenstines interests in NASA appear in line with those of the Trump administration. The White House budget proposal announced this year kept the space agencys funds largely stable, but sought to cancel certain Earth science missions that would have helped researchers better understand the planets climate.

These kinds of statements will need to be clarified during Senate confirmation hearings, Larson said.

We need to hear a clear acknowledgment that climate change is real, caused by humans, and NASA has an important role to play, he added.

Those hearings will allow senators to look under the hood, Larson said, and get a clearer picture on Bridenstines understanding of and plans for NASA. How he answers may help determine whether or not he is confirmed.

If he passes muster, Bridenstine would succeed former Administrator Charles Bolden, who was appointed by Obama in 2009. Bolden is a former astronaut, a retired Marine major general and the first African American to head the agency. He stepped down in January.

The agency has been without a permanent administrator for more than 32 weeks, the longest such stretch in NASA history.

Robert Lightfoot, the agencys acting administrator, said he looked forward to working with a new leadership team.

Our history is amazing, and our future is even brighter, as we continue to build on this nations incredible global leadership in human exploration, science, aeronautics and technology, he said.

amina.khan@latimes.com

Follow @aminawrite on Twitter for more science news and like Los Angeles Times Science & Health on Facebook.

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UPDATES:

Sept. 7, 5:30 p.m.: The story was updated with additional information on Rep. Bridenstines interest in commercial spaceflight.

The story was originally published Sept. 6 at 6:15 p.m.
From time to time, I invite readers to play See if you can spot the error in the following passage.

Today, I offer an unusual spin on that game  a challenge I call See if you can spot the crime in the following passage. Yes, a real violation of federal law. Here we go.

The amount of expenses reimbursed to a claimant under this subpart shall be reduced by any amount that the claimant receives from a collateral source.

In cases in which a claimant receives reimbursement under this subpart for expenses that also will or may be reimbursed from another source, the claimant shall subrogate the United States to the claim for payment from the collateral source up to the amount for which the claimant was reimbursed under this subpart.

No, the legal violation is not that stuff about the subpart being reduced by a collateral source. Its not the fact that the claimant is forced to subrogate the claim for payment. Its not even how expenses may have been reimbursed from another source.

Its the whole passage. The whole. Darn. Passage.

Welcome to the Plain Writing Act of 2010, a law introduced by then-Congressman from Iowa Bruce Braley and that the U.S. House of Representatives passed on my birthday that year.

My present? Federal government gobbledygook like the passage above, which I pilfered from Wikipedia, is against the law.

Instead, government writing needs to read more like this: If you get a payment from a collateral source, we will reduce our payment by the amount you get. If you get payments from us and from a collateral source for the same expenses, you must pay us back the amount we paid you.

The Plain Writing Act requires that federal executive agencies use clear, simple writing in most things they publish. The act even has a guidebook on plain writing thats published online for anyone to see. And if youre one of the countless Americans who cant understand why your writing causes readers to beat themselves unconscious with their own keyboards, I recommend taking a peek. The guidelines are at plainlanguage.gov/howto/guidelines.

Here are some highlights.

Dont turn verbs into nouns. Instead of conducting a review of something, just review it. Instead of making application for something, just apply. If youre tempted to pursue the addition of something, dont. Just add it. Theres a grammar-jargon word for these noun-ified actions. Theyre called nominalizations. And nine times out of 10 theyre truly terrible. The term also applies to adjectives made into nouns. Compare He possesses handsomeness to Hes handsome.

Write short sentences. This ones a bit controversial in the creative writing world. But in government writing, its just common sense. Short sentences reduce the risk that youll lose track of what youre saying. And they reduce the risk that your reader will lose consciousness while youre saying it. Skilled writers can handle long sentences with grace. Yet even they usually steer clear. Anytime clarity is more important than bragging rights in literary circles, keep your sentences short.

Avoid abbreviations. That sound you hear? Its a chorus of angels singing while I conduct. Im rabidly anti-abbreviation. To me, using unfamiliar abbreviations and initialisms is downright rude. If I interrupt a sentence youre reading to tell you parenthetically that the Casagrande Institute for Eliminating Unnecessary Abbreviations and Initialisms has initials and those initials are CIEUAI, Im ordering you to memorize this alphabet soup because youll need it again before were finished.

Its like a legend for how to read a document. But we already have a better legend: the English language. Its the writers job to communicate in the readers language. So as the Los Angeles Times and other major publications advise, its better to call it the institute on subsequent references than the CIEUAI, whose meaning Im certain youve already forgotten.

Avoid passive voice. Passive voice happens when the object of a transitive verb is made the grammatical subject of a sentence: The coffee was made by June. Sometimes thats fine. But usually its better to say, June made the coffee.

JUNE CASAGRANDE is the author of The Best Punctuation Book, Period. She can be reached at JuneTCN@aol.com.
Good morning. Its Wednesday, Sept. 6. Heres whats been happening around O.C.

Top story

Can local eelgrass help fight global ocean acidification? Newport Bay research may help provide answer

Eelgrass growing in Newport Beach waters may help prove its importance in maintaining healthy water chemistry by keeping acidity down and making the water more hospitable to ecologically and economically valuable organisms. Daily Pilot

Around the county

County officials didnt protect computer systems from obvious hacking risks, auditors say

Orange County officials failed to implement essential safeguards to protect county computer systems, which left the county unnecessarily vulnerable to hacking and other malicious activity until the problems were uncovered in recent months by a comprehensive audit. Voice of OC

Politics

Right-wing firebrand Milo Yiannopoulos invited to speak at Cal State Fullerton

UC Berkeley isnt the only California academic institution bracing for a torrent of controversy when former Breitbart editor Milo Yiannopoulos comes to campus this fall. Cal State Fullertons chapter of the College Republicans is finalizing plans to host the conservative lightning rod at a Halloween speaking engagement. Los Angeles Times

Newport City Council reverses course, agrees to accept gas tax funds

Strong public criticism convinced the Newport Beach City Council to apply for revenue sharing from the upcoming state gas tax hike. It reversed an earlier council stance that rejected seeking the funds to send a message to state lawmakers. Daily Pilot

O.C. money manager asks Trump to pardon junk bond king Michael Milken

Calling former junk-bond magnate Michael Milken a victim of prosecutorial overreach and class envy run amok, a Newport Beach money manager has asked President Trump to pardon the former L.A. financier. Los Angeles Times

Faith

Peruvian nuns will bring their brand of Latin rock to Christ Cathedral

These nuns rock. Siervas  meaning servants  are a group of 11 Catholic sisters living in a convent near Lima, Peru, who use a rocking beat to spread their message of human dignity. TimesOC

Food

The Beachcomber Cafe retains the ambiance of a 1930s beach resort

Crystal Cove State Park is my favorite place to go in Orange County when I need to get away from Orange County, writes food critic Sarah Bennett. Well, the modern version of it, anyway. TimesOC

Opinion

Op-Ed: The Night Stalker taught O.C. you cant master plan away human natures darker elements

In the summer of 1985, Richard Ramirez  dubbed the Night Stalker by news media  terrorized Southern California. Los Angeles Times

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to dailypilot@latimes.com.
My 4-year-old grandson, Judah, won a betta fish in July in a contest of skill and daring at the Orange County Fair.

OK, Im not certain what kind of contest it was.

Anyway, Judah named his pet Nacho Cheese Sauce. Uh, dont ask.

Were not certain if Nacho is a boy betta or a girl. Presumably, well never find out. Mother Nature has devised a scheme whereby the betta population is controlled.

Betta males are notorious for attacking fellow males and fighting to the death. Dude, if Im a betta male and you swag before me  its on! Females are pretty much anti-social.

Our betta guy seems rather mellow, but I avoid flexing near his bowl.

So, it appears that Nacho C. Sauce will be living alone in his bowl with just a few plastic rocks to keep him (or her) company.

He seems down with that.

Nacho now, for a reason I dont understand, resides with Judahs grandma and grandpa (that would be Hedy and me). I dont know how that happened but Nachos become our grand-fish. He lives in a small bowl in the living room, next to a large window. Our little buddy, weve discovered, loves sunshine. And hes a bit of an exhibitionist. He preens  a lot.

Its been my observation that hes not a fan of darkness. When I turn out the lights at night, he sorta sits there glum-faced (if indeed that can be called a face), staring into space.

Ive done my homework on betta fish. Its a species  also known as the Siamese fighting fish  in the gourami family and is native to the Mekong basin of Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam and Thailand.

Theyre highly territorial and aggressive. Ive tried to impress upon Nacho  in the strongest possible terms  that hes living in my house. Im lord of this domain.

Im not sure he gets that.

Im in the midst of convincing Mr. Sauce that Im alpha male here  Big Dog. He, by definition, is betta. Beta. Numero Two.

My ace in the hole? I outweigh him by about 10,000 to one.

Prior to Nachos arrival at our home, my past experience with OC Fair-bred goldfish led me to believe that the lifespan of a fairgrounds fish is days. Judahs mother, our daughter Melissa, never won a fish with a lifespan longer than the run of the fair.

Those goldfish were trundled home in plastic baggies, lived briefly, and ended up as floaters. They were unceremoniously tossed into the toilet and, well, given a flush into eternity.

They then experienced what I imagined was an incredible journey down a maze of underground pipes and tunnels (much like the sewers of Paris) with a final kerplunk near the River Jetty.

Alas, Nacho is still with us  two months since leaving the fairgrounds. Thats a record in our family. Betta, Im told, live three to five years in captivity. This is beginning to look like a long-term relationship.

That begs the question. How old was Nacho when Judah carted him off? He could have been six weeks  or six years. Major difference.

Well, Nacho old chap, we might as well get to know each another.

I never realized that fish are smart and have personalities.

Check this out: Whenever I walk over to Nachos bowl, he comes over to my side and begs for food. Truly. His mouth begins to move in a glub-glubbing fashion. (Of course he could be experiencing cramps from swallowed air.)

Nacho possesses a healthy appetite and sometimes jumps for his food. I think thats called breaching in the lingua franca of the orca. Tiny Nacho can breach with the best of them.

By the way, he swims and frolics in the finest Arrowhead Mountain Spring Water available.

Im growing attached. I see a tank in his future.

Just a second, I need to check something. Hey Nacho buddy, are you all right? Just taking a moment off? Are you floating on your side because you want to get papas attention?

Nacho?

Hedy, is the bathroom in use?

JIM CARNETT, who lives in Costa Mesa, worked for Orange Coast College for 37 years.
Education leaders in Glendale and Burbank reaffirmed their unwavering support for all students on the heels of President Donald Trumps decision to eliminate the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, known as DACA, on Tuesday.

Nayiri Nahabedian, president of the Glendale Unified school board, said during a board meeting Tuesday night that local schools will continue to be places where all students can learn and thrive without fear of being reported if their immigration status is known.

GUSD is resolute in our commitment to provide all of our students with exemplary education  Not only do we prepare them for their future, but [also] to better all of our futures, thanks to their talents and contributions to our community, she said.

DACA was created in 2012 by President Barack Obama to protect people who were brought into the United States as children and now live here illegally. The beneficiaries  known as Dreamers  are allowed to hold jobs, attend college and apply for student loans during a renewable two-year period.

On Tuesday, U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions announced Trumps decision to end DACA, but the president gave Congress six months to determine a possible fix for the program, under which roughly 800,000 people are protected.

In a statement emailed to faculty and students Tuesday evening, David Viar, president/superintendent of Glendale Community College, said the institution remains committed to serving a diverse population of students by providing opportunities and support to achieve their educational career and goals.

Viar stressed in his statement that the college is open to all students who meet the minimum requirements for admission, regardless of their immigration status.

Earlier this year, Glendale Unified and Glendale Community College passed resolutions declaring their campuses safe havens for students following Trumps initial executive order on immigration, which banned all refugees from entering the United States and indefinitely barred Syrian refugees.

His order also blocked citizens from seven Muslim-majority countries  Iran, Iraq, Yemen, Syria, Sudan, Libya and Somalia  from entering the United States for 90 days.

The Burbank Unified School District approved a similar resolution in January.

Glendale Community Colleges resolution states that college officials will not cooperate with any federal effort to create a registry of individuals based on any protected characteristics such as religion, nation of origin, race, gender or sexual orientation.

In the Burbank Unified School District, California State Supt. Tom Torlaksons statement denouncing Trumps decision was emailed to faculty and families who subscribe to the districts newsletter.

During a school board meeting Thursday night, Supt. Matt Hill said students will always be welcomed and protected even when policies shift.

Were talking about children that had no say into the situations [theyre] put into and theyre in our country now [and] in our schools. Theyre hanging in limbo right now. Its important elected officials do the right thing by moving quickly, he said.

U.S. Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank) submitted an amendment in August that would prohibit funds from being used for the deportation of people granted deferred action under DACA, but it failed to pass Tuesday night.

Less than 12 hours after President Trump announced he would end DACA, House Republicans last night blocked my amendment which would have defunded any effort to deport the Dreamers targeted by Trumps decision, Schiff said in a statement released Wednesday.

Speaker [Paul] Ryan has voiced support for Dreamers, but he cant have it both ways  expressing sympathy but preventing a vote to protect them. Why hold the office of Speaker if you are unwilling to lead on such a vital and moral issue? Schiff added.

priscella.vega@latimes.com

Twitter: @vegapriscella

UPDATES:

12:11 p.m.: This article was updated with comments from Burbank Unified Supt. Matt Hill.

This article was originally published on Sept. 7.
Hurricane Irma, which Wednesday slammed the Caribbean and killed at least four people, has forced cruise lines to cancel trips and alter the routes of ships already at sea. Disney Cruise Line, Royal Caribbean International, Carnival Cruises and Norwegian Cruise Line have told passengers some ships wont sail in the next few days.

Hurricane Irma, currently a Category 5 storm with 185 mph winds, is expected to make landfall over the weekend in southern Florida, where a state of emergency has been declared and evacuations are underway in some areas.

A quick review shows that some cruise lines are rerouting itineraries and some are canceling, Stan Sandberg, co-founder of TravelInsurance.com, writes in an email. Some existing cruises will extend their return dates until the storm passes.

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Heres what we know so far about how the storm has affected the cruise world.

1. What cruises are canceled?

As of Thursday morning, Cruise Critic reports that 14 cruises have been canceled, 10 have been shortened and 10 are sailing on revised itineraries. Check the websites updated list of cruises.

--Disney has canceled two Bahamas cruises on the Disney Dream that were scheduled to leave Friday and Monday. A weeklong cruise that was supposed to depart Saturday to the Eastern Caribbean on the Disney Fantasy also was canceled.

-- Carnival has canceled cruises to the Bahamas, including a sailing Thursday on Carnival Liberty and a cruise Friday on the Carnival Victory.

--Royal Caribbean International has canceled a Saturday cruise to Cuba aboard Empress of the Seas, and two cruises to the Bahamas aboard Enchantment of the Seas and Majesty of the Seas.

--Norwegian Cruise Line has canceled a Friday sailing to the Bahamas on the Norwegian Sky and a Saturday weeklong cruise to the Eastern Caribbean on the Norwegian Escape.

Other lines have canceled itineraries as well, and more cruises may be affected when the hurricane gets closer to making landfall in Florida.

If you are booked on an upcoming cruise, check with your cruise line to find out whether your ship will be sailing. Most lines post updates on their Facebook page and Twitter feed too.

If youre already on your cruise, you may return earlier than scheduled. Disney, for example, is bringing the Dream and the Fantasy back to Port Canaveral on Thursday, two days earlier than planned, because of the storm.

2. What refunds can I expect if my cruise is canceled?

Cruise lines are refunding passengers the price of the trip  and sometimes offering incentives for future cruises if you rebook quickly.

Royal Caribbean International, for example, makes this offer to affected passengers: The cruise fare and fees will be 100% refunded to the original form of payment, and we are also offering a 25% future cruise credit, based on the cruise fare, if a new cruise is booked in the next 30 days.

Also, cruise lines that cut their trips short are offering refunds for missed days. For example, guests on a Disney Cruise that returned early will be refunded two nights of their voyage fare and provided a 25% discount on a future cruise if they book by Oct. 18.

Again, check with your cruise company about compensations for canceled or shortened itineraries.

3. Now that I cant go, will travel insurance cover the cost of my flight, hotel and any other costs associated with my trip?

The answer is maybe. It depends on when you purchased your travel insurance.

Travel insurance website Squaremouth says on its Hurricane Irma page: Travelers who had a policy in place prior to Aug. 30, 2017, may have coverage for Hurricane Irma, including Trip Cancellation and Travel Delay.

Squaremouth also says:

--you may be able to receive coverage for flight cancellations that were triggered by Irma; and

--you may be able to cancel your trip if your destination is in the path of the storm or if theres a mandatory evacuation for the hotel or resort where you planned to stay.

It also depends on the type of insurance you purchased. Cancel for any reason travel insurance, for example, covers 100% of your trip costs for any reason not covered by standard insurance.

Also, check with your airline to weigh your options. Most are waiving change fees for selected destinations because of Hurricane Irma.

4. Can I buy travel insurance now in case my trip is affected by Hurricane Irma?

No. You had to have purchased insurance by Aug. 30, before the storm was named, because after that date the storm is no longer considered unforeseen, Squaremouths website says.

Two more storms are in the wings: Hurricane Jose in the Atlantic and Hurricane Katia in the Gulf of Mexico.

travel@latimes.com

Twitter: @latimestravel

ALSO

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Its been almost a month since torrential rains caused widespread flooding and a mountainside to collapse on the outskirts of Sierra Leones capital, Freetown, sending a blanket of mud into several communities. Life is gradually returning to normal, but residents of the devastated regions face a slog toward recovery.

Were getting there, but the pace is still slow, said Ramatu Jalloh, director of advocacy and communications for Save the Children in Sierra Leone.

Some 500 people were killed, more than 600 are believed missing, and almost 2,000 homes have been lost as a result of the Aug. 14 mudslide, according to humanitarian aid workers. All told, almost 6,000 people were affected by the disaster in some way, the International Organization for Migration said in its Sept. 4 situation report.

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In this Aug. 17 photo, volunteers handle a coffin during a mass funeral for victims of heavy flooding and mudslides in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (Manika Kamara / Associated Press)

The disaster marks another grim chapter in the recent history of the poverty-stricken West African nation that has endured more than a decade of civil war and a deadly Ebola crisis that claimed almost 4,000 lives.

Experts said poor infrastructure, massive deforestation and the construction of shoddy informal settlements on eroded hillsides contributed to the death toll.

While flooding is a natural disaster, the scale of the human tragedy in Freetown is, sadly, very much man-made, Makmid Kamara, Amnesty Internationals deputy director of global issues, said in a recent statement. The authorities should have learned lessons from previous similar incidents and put in place systems to prevent, or at least minimize, the consequences of these disasters.

Destructive floods are a common annual occurrence in Freetown, but due to a lack of regulation and insufficient consideration for minimum standards and environmental laws, millions of Sierra Leoneans are living in dangerously vulnerable homes, the Amnesty official said.

This picture shows flooded streets in Regent near Freetown, on Aug. 14, 2017. (AFP/Getty Images)

A mountain of needs

A massive relief effort is underway, with the primary focus on the hardest hit areas, Jalloh said. But other communities that were less affected by the mudslide but were still inundated with water, such as the densely populated slum community of Kroo Bay, were still in dire need of help, she said.

Many roads in the mudslide zone remain impassable, getting food is tough, and structures  many of them shanties that once provided shelter in the port city of around 1 million people  are now buried in the muck-covered landscape.

The government had initially decided to house displaced residents with host families whose homes remained intact, but that proved to be impractical, said Zynab Kamara, emergency response manager in Sierra Leone for the international charity ActionAid.

Most people are struggling with livelihoods right now  so to put more people into a family thats already crowded has its own dynamics and its implications, Kamara said.

Tent camps have since been erected to temporarily house the displaced, many of whom initially sought refuge in a schools, mosques, churches and community centers, as well as with friends and family.

Lack of access to potable water is great concern, aid workers said.

The floods affected the water infrastructure and contaminated existing water sources, said Phebeans Oriaro Weya, Oxfams acting country director for Sierra Leone.

The World Health Organization warned that residents of affected areas were particularly vulnerable to outbreaks of pre-existing infectious diseases, such as malaria, typhoid and cholera. The last major cholera outbreak in Sierra Leone was in 2012, according to WHO.

The international health agency said it was working with local health authorities to distribute cholera response kits, including tools used to quickly test for the disease. On Tuesday, the agency confirmed cholera vaccines from the global stockpile were being shipped to Sierra Leone, providing half a million people with access to the life-saving preparation in the coming weeks.

Weya said Oxfam was working with partners, including Save the Children, Concern Worldwide and Action Against Hunger, to provide drinking water to hundreds of those in need, including supplying bottled water and trucking water to communities.

In this Aug. 19 photo, children displaced by floods and mudslides wait for food ration in Freetown, Sierra Leone. (Manika Kamara / Associated Press)

A hygiene awareness campaign was launched and community volunteers recruited to spread the word about not drinking tap or well water, said Kamara of ActionAid, which has been distributing food, water, clothing and hygiene kits to those affected by the disaster.

Along with the hundreds of homes lost in the sludge were peoples livelihoods  their small businesses and jobs.

Now they have nothing to support their families, Weya said. They cannot afford the basic necessities of life. While were focusing on the short-term necessity of keeping them alive, we also need to think about the interim, and how to help them restart their lives.

The lingering trauma

As the reality of the scope of the disaster sets in, so does the enduring stress of the ordeal.

In general Sierra Leoneans are very strong people, but its not easy, said Kamara of ActionAid. Some of them who were affected were just barely picking up after the Ebola crisis. Even if they didnt contract the virus, every single persons livelihood got affected. So some people were barely just grappling and now this has happened.

The United Nations childrens agency is providing immediate trauma counseling and therapy and psycho-social support to families and children in communities struck by the mudslide.

But Jalloh, of Save the Children, said she worried that the perception that Sierra Leoneans are tough and hardy would lead to less attention being paid to providing much-needed long-term psychiatric and social services.

There is this overestimation that we are resilient, Jalloh said, noting that years of persistent trauma had taken their toll, especially on the nations most vulnerable, such as children. We understand that we are strong, but we also need to understand we have a breaking point. 

Said Kamara: The scars of disasters such as this are long term.

ann.simmons@latimes.com

For more on global development news, see our Global Development Watch page, and follow me @AMSimmons1 on Twitter
Brazils top prosecutor has charged two former presidents with forming a criminal organization.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, who served from 2003 to 2011, and his successor, Dilma Rousseff, who was impeached in 2016, were charged with diverting funds from state oil giant Petrobas and other public institutions to their Workers Party.

In announcing the charges Tuesday, Atty. Gen. Rodrigo Janot said the losses at Petrobras alone are estimated at $9.33 billion.

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The scheme the two presidents allegedly created is being investigated as part of corruption scandal known as Lava Jato, or Car Wash, in which politicians and some of the countrys most powerful business executives stand accused of skimming $1 billion in public funds.

The former presidents have denied the accusations. Six other officials from their political party were also criminally charged.

Brazilians have grown accustomed to seeing their presidents and other political leaders disgraced, severely undermining confidence .

The current president, Michel Temer, is under investigation for allegations that he tried to protect himself by approving payment of hush money to former congressman Eduardo Cunha.

Cunha was impeached and is serving 15 years and four months in prison for corruption, money laundering and tax evasion.

If Temer is charged, Congress would have to vote on whether to send the case to the Supreme Court for trial. Last month Congress, which is controlled by Temers Brazilian Democratic Movement Party, considered another case against the president, but voted 263 to 227 against impeaching him and holding a trial.

According to the independent polling company Datafolha, 83% of Brazilians believe Temer was directly involved in corruption schemes, and just 7% approve of his government. The majority of Brazilians also dont trust Congress to make well-informed decisions, with 58% saying its work is bad or very bad, the highest disapproval rate since 1993.

How can we trust a Congress that votes to keep a man like that in office? said Edmilson Junior, a computer technician in Sao Paulo. We need to get rid of all our politicians and start over, but theres nobody to start over with.

Rousseff was impeached in August 2016 for breaking budgetary laws but until this week had never faced criminal charges.

Lula, on the other hand, was convicted in July of accepting $1.2 million in bribes from contractor OAS to help the company win contracts with Petrobras. Prosecutors said he used the money to purchase and renovate a luxury penthouse in the seaside town of Guaruja.

He is appealing the decision but also faces similar charges in another five other cases, in addition to the one filed this week.

In a statement Wednesday, Lulas attorneys called the latest charges against him ludicrous and politically motivated.

The latest allegations are a complete fabrication, politically motivated in spite of growing international outrage of the behavior of parts of the judiciary, and timed to influence the democratic will of Brazilians, it said. We will fight these ludicrous, unsubstantiated claims with rigor using all legal avenues open to us.

Lula is campaigning in northeastern Brazil to drum up support for his run in the 2018 presidential election. Despite his corruption conviction, he continues to be extremely popular and is ahead in the latest polls with 30% of the vote. If his appeal is rejected, Lula would be barred from running for office for eight years.

Im going to vote for Lula next year, said Imaculada Lima, a public school teacher here. He is the only president who has every made any positive changes for us. He isnt corrupt. [Other parties] just want him out of the way so they can take over.

The Car Wash investigation was launched in March 2014 to look into allegations that the countrys biggest construction firms were overcharging Petrobras, allowing directors of the oil company to skim money off the top as payment for awarding the contracts.

Brazil construction giant Odebrecht has confessed to paying more than $30 million in bribes to Petrobras officials. Its chief executive, Marcelo Odebrecht, is serving a 19-year sentence for corruption, and the company was ordered to pay a fine of $3.5 billion.

Langlois is a special correspondent.
They took to Twitter, Facebook and their corporate blog posts. They called their congressional representatives, signed letters and pledged to fight.

This week, many tech industry leaders geared up for battle after the Trump administration announced it was ending the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allows people in the U.S. without legal documents to live, work and go to school without fear of deportation.

The fate of young adults who benefited from DACA is a civil rights issue, say tech executives and leaders. However, the lengths to which the tech industry will go to get Congress to act before the program expires in six months remain unclear. Already, some tech executives have pledged not to fire employees who are DACA beneficiaries, even if they lose the legal right to work in the U.S.

 Tools of Political Action

But there is more the tech industry could do. It could use its very services to put out a call to employees and customers to lobby Congress, something many firms and organizations did in 2012 when they successfully fought anti-copyright piracy legislation.

Tech companies also could pledge not to disclose personal information collected on their platforms to authorities to help deport people. While many tech leaders spoke out this week against the decision, it's not clear how uniform the industry is about how to advocate for DACA beneficiaries.

"They need to go to Washington and sit down with people and say, 'Get this done,'" said Todd Schulte, president of FWD.us, an advocacy group co-founded by Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg. "It is a must-pass legislative item."
Denmark's Prince Henrik, the husband of Queen Margrethe, has been diagnosed with dementia, a condition that has affected his behavior and judgement, the palace said Wednesday.

The announcement came weeks after the 83-year-old announced he did not want to be buried next to his wife, saying he was unhappy he had never been acknowledged as her equal.

"Following a longer diagnostic process and lately a series of examinations during late summer, a specialist team... has now concluded that his Royal Highness Prince Henrik suffers from dementia," the Royal House said in a statement.

"The extent of the cognitive failure is... greater than expected considering the age of The Prince," it added.


Three people were taken to an area hospital after a commercial vehicle crashed Wednesday afternoon into an Interstate 78 median in Allentown and five vehicles traveling in the other direction were caught up in the aftermath, Pennsylvania State Police report.

The commercial vehicle, driven by Alexis Thernel, of Orlando, and carrying passenger Stervenson Dubois, of Tavares, Florida, was heading west at 3:14 p.m. at mile marker 58.6, police said. Thernel was driving too fast for the rainy weather and lost control going down a hill, police said.

The vehicle jackknifed, went partially through the center median and caught fire, police said.

Eastbound vehicles driven by James Langhorn, of East Stroudsburg; Kailey Graver, of Maxatawny, Pennsylvania; Michael Williamson, of Saylorsburg; Gary Sigley, of Bethlehem, and Stephanie Yurgartis, of Pen Argyl, were either struck by the commercial vehicle or debris from it hitting the median, police said.

Thernel, Dubois and Williamson were taken to a Lehigh Valley Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said.

Allentown's fire department and EMS, as well as the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, assisted at the scene, police said.

Tony Rhodin may be reached at arhodin@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @TonyRhodin. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
"In Meguara, a small village in a rural part of Kenya with no electricity, I wondered what I could do to make children there happy. I've been involved in many charity projects, building wells and schools in developing countries. But I wanted to do something different. So I printed out pictures taken with a digital camera and gave them to the kids as presents. The children's faces lit up with joy when they saw them," Lee said.

In 2015, he held his first exhibition showing a selection of some 80 photos he took in Kenya and Nepal while doing charity activities. He has also published a photo book of celebrities including girl group members such as Tzuyu of TWICE and Woo-ri of Rainbow.

The world of photography opened for Lee while he was doing volunteer work in Kenya four years ago. He showed some of the many pictures he took while in the African country to photographer friends, who recognized his talent and encouraged him to take it up in a serious way.

He recently held another exhibition along with fellow celebrities showing pictures they took on trips to Rota Island in the Northern Mariana Islands.

"What is so attractive about photography is that you can bring out new things about your subject. I experience that when I look at a fellow actor that I've known for a long time through the camera lens. I'm always surprised to discover sides of them I've never seen before. You get to know the person better," he said.

His shots of Tzuyu garnered much attention last year. His aim was to show new aspects of Tzuyu that people hadn't seen before. "Girl group members tend to keep their faces covered in makeup. But she is still a teenager, and I wanted to show that she is just like any other young, fresh-faced teenager," Lee said.

Lee is known for his tireless charity work. "In the past, I used to do this secretly, helping with meals and showers at facilities for disabled children. After it was reported by chance, I decided to do it openly. I often join overseas charity projects and encourage others to do the same," he said. He has been taking part in a library-building project in Nepal since 2011 and has helped build 27 libraries so far.

"In photography and charity work, I think it's important not to go overboard. You just do what you can. If it's difficult for you to go abroad to help those in poorer countries, then simply delivering news from home to those working there can boost their spirits. It's not hard to find something you can do, even if it seems trivial at first," he said.
Laois Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (LSPCA) has revealed that a cygnet was killed by a dog in Portlaoise on Tuesday.

The animal rights group has said that people who do not control their dogs "should be ashamed of themselves".

LSPCA received a call from gardai to attend the scene in Kilminchy where the young swan had been attacked, but by time the a volunteer got there, it had died.

"After allowing your dog to attack the bird, you leave it there to suffer and someone else had to do your dirty work for you. You should be ASHAMED of yourself!! If you are privileged enough to have such beauty on your doorstep and wish to take your dog for a walk around a lake, have the decency to keep your dog under control!" the LSPCA stated.

"This was just a baby, that had been seen swimming on the lake earlier in the morning. This is just horrific!!" they added.

This was the second time LSPCA had to visit the area due to interactions between dogs and swans, as six weeks earlier a swan was entangled in a dog lead.

There has been an angry response on social media towards people who do not keep their dogs on a lead.

"Some people have NO respect for wildlife.. Dogs should be kept on leads around wildlife..." was written online.

"I think they should put some form for fence around where the swans are.. Have CCTV around the area near them.. Dogs should be kept on leads with it comes to wildlife.." wrote another person.

See more comments on the LSPCA Rescue Facebook page here.

Warning - Distressing Photo
One hundred and forty employees of Kildare based Intel got on their bikes for the annual charity cycle challenge on Friday, September 1 last.

Each of the routes of 50km, 80km or 160km, began at the Intel Ireland campus in Leixlip before taking in various parts of Kildare, Meath and Wicklow, depending on the length of the cycle.

The chosen charities this year are Aoibheanns Pink Tie and Jigsaw.

The Intel employees, kitted out in distinctive navy and white jerseys formed a colorful formation as they passed through numerous towns and villages including Maynooth, and Kilcock. The weather too played its part as the rain held off and by lunchtime each of the cyclists, along with the all important support team, were happy to stop for a bite to eat.

There was time for a quick pit stop and the chance to hear from both charities who were onhand to greet the group and remind the participants of how their efforts are making a real impact to the important work of both organisations. The cyclists then set off on their bikes again for the final stretch of their challenge which took them on a return journey back to the Intel campus in Leixlip.

In total, almost 180 Intel employees took part in the Charity Cycle event either as cyclists or as volunteers taking to the road in a number of support roles.

According to organisers there was a fantastic response to the cycle again this year with almost 15,000 being raised overall for the signature charities. "This will be combined with monies raised through other events with the total overall fundraising amount being revealed at the end of the year," a spokesperson said.
The Valuation Office, the State property valuation organisation, has completed revaluation of an additional 10 local authorities.

Commencing of the process of posting approximately 30,000 Valuation Certificates to commercial and industrial ratepayers across the country, including Kildare, has started today (September 7).

The Valuation Certificates posted to ratepayers will state the valuation that will be entered onto the new Valuation List for the relevant Local Authority which will be published on September 15 2017.

The valuations will be used to calculate the rates charged in 2018 and subsequent years.

It is important to note that the valuation entered on the Valuation Certificate is not a bill for rates but is a statement of the valuation on which rates will be levied from January 1 2018.

If a ratepayer accepts that the valuation set out in the Valuation Certificate is correct, they do not need to do anything further. If a ratepayer is dissatisfied he or she can appeal to the independent Valuation Tribunal on or before october 12.

Provision for a revaluation of all non-domestic property in Ireland was made under the Valuation Act 2001 as amended by the Valuation (Amendment) Act 2015. Neither residential property nor agricultural lands are rateable and consequently are not affected by the revaluation.

The valuation of each rateable property in the above counties has been arrived at by reference to relevant local market information and trading data at the specified valuation date of October 30, 2015, collected and analysed by the Valuation Office.

A revaluation is necessary to bring more equity and transparency into the local authority rating system and to ensure that all ratepayers pay a fair share of the commercial rates to be raised.

Following revaluation, there is a much closer and more uniform relationship between modern rental values of property and their commercial rates liability.

The revaluation will result in a redistribution of the commercial rates liability between ratepayers depending on the relative shift in the rental values of their properties in relation to each other.

A revaluation is a revenue neutral exercise for local authorities. While an individual occupiers rates liability may increase or decrease, the revaluation will not increase the overall commercial rates income of any of the County Councils.

The commercial rates income of each local authority is capped in the year following a revaluation.

The Valuation Office website, www.valoff.ie, sets out detailed information about the revaluation.
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A Co Leitrim woman is climbing the world's tallest freestanding mountain in a bid to raise money to help local charity, StepWest, secure vital equipment to help those with serious mobility issues.

Onesia O'Connor is part of the way through a 100% self-funded trip with all monies raised going to the charity which her mum, Kathleen O'Connor established; StepWest.

"This will be a challenging and demanding 8 day trek to summit the top of Mt Kilimanjaro (in Africa), all for of a very worthy cause," explained Onesia.

"After being diagnosed with MS over 22 years ago, my mum was able to take her first steps using the Ekso Bionic Suit in Cork in 2015. The charities mission is to bring the Ekso Bionic Suit to the West of Ireland as a shared service for anyone with impaired mobility.

"This incredible piece of technology empowers its users both physically and mentally and improves their quality of life. Currently only three of these suits reside in Ireland, none of which are based in the west.

"The Ekso Bionic Suit has been designed to support peoples training requirements following spinal cord injuries, strokes and those living with neurological conditions such as MS. A fund of 150,000 is being raised to purchase and operate the suit over the coming years."

Here is a link to a video showing the Ekso suit in action and the inspirational Kathleen, using it.

You can also donate to Onesia's fundraising climb through her Gofundme page here.
Over 32,500 false breath tests were recorded by gardai in the Sligo/Leitrim garda division over an eight year period it has been revealed.

In a report published yesterday, Wednesday, Assistant Commissioner Michael O'Sullivan found that 75,495 breath tests were conducted at MAT checkpoints in Sligo/Leitrim between June 7, 2009 and April 10, 2017.

However, figures collated from the Drager breathalyser devices supplied to gardai showed the actual number of breath tests carried out totalled 42,913.

This equates to a discrepancy of 32,582 or 76%. According the report, the national discrepancy rate was 71%.

The highest discrepency was found in the Tipperary garda division (338%) while the lowest discrepency was identified in Wexford (18%).

Locally, the figures for the Longford/Roscommon garda division shows there were 65,961 breath tests conducted but the actual number was 43,181, a discrepancy of 22,780 or 53%.

In Cavan/Monaghan, the figures were 86,844 breath tests but 58,555 in reality, a discrepancy of 28,289 or 48%.

And in the Donegal division, there was 128,666 breath tests on the PULSE system but 79,899 actual tests carried out, a discrepancy of 61%.

Nationally, Assistant Commissioner O'Sullivan found 3,498,400 breath test were recorded on the garda PULSE system while the records from the Drager breathalyser devices showed 2,040,179 tests were carried out.

In a statement issued following the publication of the report, the Minister for Justice Charlie Flanagan, said the figures are a concern.

I am greatly disturbed by the findings, he said.
Mercedes-Benz has sold the most imported cars in Korea for three months in a row. The automaker sold 5,267 cars here in August, according to the Korea Automobile Importers and Distributors Association on Wednesday.

BMW came in second with 4,105 cars sold, up 28.8 percent from a year ago. Toyota was third with 1,210 units, and Lexus came fourth with 1,201 units. MINI and Ford came next with some 800 units each.

Mercedes-Benz sold 48,461 cars for the first eight months of this year, up 44.6 percent over the same time period last year, accounting for 31.6 percent of the imported car market in Korea.

But by model, BMW's 520d was the best-selling car in August. Sales total 921 units since its release early this year. Lexus' hybrid ES300h fell to second place with 733 units sold.

The total number of newly registered imported cars in August was 17,547, up 10.1 percent from a year ago but down 0.5 percent from the previous month.


Minister for Communications, Climate Action and Environment, Denis Naughten TD has today unveiled plans by enet-SSE, a new commercial joint venture between Irelands largest open-access fibre network provider enet and energy utility SSE, to commercially bring superfast fibre broadband connectivity to 115,000 homes and businesses in rural Ireland, including Manorhamilton in Co. Leitrim.

The enet-SSE roll-out plans have been unveiled this afternoon by Minister Naughten at an event taking place at Ballinasloe, Co. Galway.

In the coming months, enet-SSE will deliver the new fibre-to-the-premises broadband network to nine towns in the West and North West, beginning in Ballinasloe and continuing on to Roscommon Town, Manorhamilton, Bundoran, Ballyshannon, Donegal Town, Ballybofey, Stranorlar, and Buncrana. The network roll-out will connect each town in phases, will be completed in 2019, and will support around 700 contractor jobs at peak delivery.

Minister Denis Naughten said, "This joint venture between enet and SSE will deliver world-class high speed broadband to 115,000 premises, which is tremendous news for consumers and businesses in regional Ireland. With an investment in excess of 100m, which equates to a multi-million euro investment each month during the network roll-out, the enet-SSE project delivery is expected to support 700 contractor jobs and local supply chain involvement in the West and North-West.

"Operated as a wholesale, open-access fibre network, it will be available to Irelands retail broadband providers, giving consumers choice and keeping prices competitive. enet-SSE is a new commercial joint venture between enet-owner Granahan McCourt Capital, the Dublin-based technology, media and telecommunications investment group, and SSE, Irelands second largest energy utility and one of Irelands leading developers and investors in cleaner energy infrastructure. The project is being delivered at a joint enet-SSE investment cost of more than 100m."

David C. McCourt, founder of Granahan McCourt Capital and chairman of enet, said, "We are delighted to be partnering with SSE, which as a FTSE 100 company and one of the largest and most respected energy companies in Ireland and the UK, offers extensive telecoms and infrastructure experience and substantial resources to employ."

Stephen Wheeler, Managing Director of SSE Ireland, said, "We are very excited to be working with enet and Granahan McCourt Capital on such a key project for Ireland, developing a commercial relationship that will bring huge benefits to regional Ireland through the delivery of superfast fibre connectivity to 115,000 homes and businesses. Now, working through our new venture enet-SSE, were delighted that we will be delivering vital communications infrastructure that will make a real difference for regional communities and will support local contractor jobs during network roll-out."

Deputy Tony McLoughlin welcomed the news and said, "Todays announcement is a significant boost for businesses and families in Donegal and Leitrim."
Every year, the International Office delivers an extensive programme of events primarily aimed at diplomats and international guests at Autumn Conference. This year, in addition to this programme, they have teamed up with the ALDE Party to host a special fringe debate with a panel of liberal politicians from across Europe.

The fringe, entitled From a European Perspective: is a successful Brexit possible?, aims to take a look at Brexit from the oft-forgotten perspective of other European countries. When  or if!  Brexit happens, it wont just be Britain paying the price. Britains exit would constitute a monumental shift for the European Union itself and its member countries.

With a high-level panel that includes a former Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern (Fianna Fail Party), the Foreign Affairs Spokesperson of Polish liberals Nowoczesna, the fastest growing liberal party in Europe, and the Swiss Ambassador, this is bound to be a lively debate.

Our European guests will answer questions like is Dublin the post-Brexit London?, will Poland fill the Eurosceptic void Britain will leave in the EU? and can Britain emulate the Swiss example, and at what cost?.

Liberal Democrats Catherine Bearder MEP and Ros Scott will be on hand to give a British perspective and share their experiences as an MEP and Vice President of the ALDE Party, but the focus will very much be on what challenges and opportunities Britains rash decision to leave Europe present to the rest of the continent.

Join the ALDE Party and International Office for this exciting debate at 16.30-17.30 on Monday 18 September in the Shaftesbury Suite in the Marriott Highcliff!

* Harriet Shone is Head of the Liberal Democrats International Office.
Tom Brake spoke for the Lib Dems in the Commons debate on the Brexit Bill today. Watch in full here. The text is below.

There were some excellent speeches after the Secretary of States. Things went slight downhill after that but things started to look up with the maiden speech by the hon. Member for Canterbury (Rosie Duffield). I have just one slight criticism: she did not mention Barham in her list of villages, which is one I know very well. I thank the right hon. and learned Member for Beaconsfield (Mr Grieve) for his speech and his reference to the monstrosity that is this Bill.

The Liberal Democrats believe that Parliament must be given comprehensive sovereignty and scrutiny over this process. This opinion is widely supported, not just by many Members on both sides of this House but organisations such as the Law Society, which states that the Bill

must respect parliaments role in making and approving changes to UK law.

Parliament must drive the future of the United Kingdom and of Brexit, not Ministers using executiveindeed dictatorialpowers to exercise total control over the legislative process. The Governments decision to provide just two days for Second Reading means that Members will have just five minutes in which to make their points and eight days in Committee for a Bill that unravels 40 years of closer EU co-operation, shows the extent to which Parliament is held in contempt by Ministers.

The Secretary of State and other Ministers might be quick to dismiss Lib Dem criticism of the Bill, but before they do I would encourage them to think back to 2008 and the by-election triggered by the Secretary of State, the catalyst for which was Labours highly illiberal plan to increase pre-charge detention from 28 to 42 days. A build-up of attacks on our civil liberties led him along that by-election path and there is a widely held view, which I share, that this Bill represents a major attack on parliamentary sovereignty and therefore a present and future risk to our civil liberties. I am not alone. A legal expert at Bryan Cave, commenting on the Bill, said that it will give powers allowing ministers to fast-track the implementation of certain EU laws into domestic law through regulations without parliamentary debate.

Libertys analysis is that the Bill could be used by Ministers to ride roughshod over UK citizens human rights

leaving gaping holes where our rights should be.

There are similar concerns from the Fawcett Society that the Bill could be used to alter UK laws on equality and human rights without parliamentary scrutiny.

Indeed, some Government Members, if they pride themselves on holding consistent views, should also be alarmed. Thirteen Government Members and five from these Benches, some of whom are here today, wrote to The Daily Telegraph in January 2016, stating:< Whatever ones views on the EU debate, many will agree that parliamentary sovereignty should be the key focus in any renegotiations. They now have an opportunity to demonstrate by their actions rather than their words that they value parliamentary sovereignty more highly than ministerial expediency. Will any of them have the courage of their convictions, or did their commitment to parliamentary scrutiny have an expiry date of 23 June 2016? The truth is that the Bill was always going to be a sows ear, because the Government started the negotiations without clear objectives or outcomes in mind so the Bill had to cater for any eventuality or scenario, deal or no deal. What started with democracy must not end with a stitch-up by Ministers. The Liberal Democrats believe that the people, as well as politicians, must have a meaningful vote on the final deal. If they do not accept the deal negotiated by the Prime Minister and her Cabinet, they should have the option to remain a member of the European Union. The Bill must provide for this, but instead it denies Members of Parliament our right and duty to scrutinise and takes powers away from devolved Governments. It gives unbridled power to Ministers and makes a mockery of Brexiteers rallying cry of Take back control of our laws. It must be resisted at every turn.
A MAN who is charged in connection with the robbery of 10,000 worth of jewellery from a premises in the city centre has been further remanded for two weeks.

Patrick Hogan, aged 35, who has an address at Bengal Terrace, Old Cork Road, was brought before a special sitting of Limerick District Court at the weekend after he was charged in connection with an incident at JJ Keneally Jewellers, Wickham Street, on August 30, last.

Mr Hogan appeared via video link this Tuesday.

Opposing bail at an earlier hearing on Sunday, Det Gda Ronan OReilly said it will be alleged the defendant entered the premises at around 4:20pm and threatened staff members with a slash hook.

It is also alleged Mr Hogan smashed a number of display cabinets and removed a large amount of jewellery worth around 10,000 which he placed in a distinctive bag, before fleeing on a bicycle.

It is the States case that the defendant was identified on CCTV close to the store wearing clothing matching those of the culprit.

Det Gda OReilly told Judge Marie Keane that an unlicensed, double barrel shotgun and drugs worth around 1,000 were found during a follow-up search of the accuseds home.

Making a bail application on behalf of his client, solicitor Darach McCarthy said Mr Hogan would comply with any conditions set down as a condition of bail. Judge Keane refused bail.

The court heard a file is coming together for the Director of Public Prosecutions.

On Tuesday, Judge Marian OLeary remanded him in custody until September 19.
FIANNA Fail councillor Kieran OHanlon has hailed a new era for Garryowen after it was agreed to install a camera at a crime hotspot.

The former mayor has revealed that a camera is being erected adjacent to the shrine at the top of Garryowen green.

Over the years, the area has become synonymous with anti-social behaviour and criminality.

In the height of the citys crime crisis, burnt out cars were a regular feature on the field which cuts through the sprawling estate.

While this has died down, Cllr OHanlon hopes the new cameras will bring some peace of mine to the community.

Through some elections, a lot of false promises were made by candidates about cameras coming to Garryowen. But I'm delighted that following my meeting with Supt Derek Smart, one camera is being placed beside the shrine, he told the Limerick Leader.

Cllr OHanlon said he hopes this is the first of a number of cameras in Garryowen, targeting St Patricks Well at the other end of the estate as a place hed like to see them too.

Generally, I feel the people of Garryowen will be very happy with this. Garryowen is always a very settled area, but some of the anti-social behaviour is creeping back in and its unacceptable. A man had to put up grids on his windows as his home was being targeted with stones and bottles, he said.

The veteran City East councillor said due to the hard work of community gardai, crime has dropped in the area.

But on May Eve each year, some people would take the opportunity to burn every kind of rubbish they can get their hands on. This will help this, he added.

Thousands of euro has been spent on fencing around various parts of the green.

It's understood the cameras, facing down North Claughaun Road, will be monitored from Roxboro.
MORE than 100 jobs are set to be created with the establishment of a new call centre in Limerick city centre.

Business services and IT outsourcing provider HCL Technologies is due to take on 30 new employees in the next fortnight, with the rest to follow in the coming months.

The new centre will be in the old Eircom building on Roches Street following renovations.

The company, which also has bases in Dublin and Cork, operates customer services for its client Eir.

Thirty staff are being recruited immediately, with 15 starting this Monday, September 11, said a spokesperson for the company.

The company has worked closely with Turas Nua on Denmark Street in Limerick in securing candidates for the new centre, and we are most grateful for their professional support.

Turas Nua engages with unemployed people in order to help them to get back in the workforce.

We currently employ almost 1,700 staff in Ireland, providing technical and call centre support to our client base.

Around 1,000 people are employed at the companys base in Marlborough Street, Dublin, while another several hundred work out of Cork.
A YOUNG man is being treated in hospital after he was rescued from the river Shannon this Thursday night.

Emergency services were deployed to an area near Clancy Strand after the man was seen entering the water near the Treaty Stone shortly after 10.30pm.

Crews from Limerick Fire and Rescue Service launched its FireSwift boat within minutes and volunteers from Limerick Suicide Watch who were in the area also assisted in bringing the man to shore near Curragower Falls.

Firefighters administered first aid to the man until he was treated at the scene by HSE Paramedics who also responded.

The man, who is aged in his mid 20s, was subsequently brought to University Hospital Limerick.

His condition is not believed to be life threatening.

If you have been affected by this story contact any of the following organisations

Samaritans: 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Console 1800 247 247

Aware 1890 303 302

Pieta House 01 601 0000 or email mary@pieta.ie
COUNCILLOR Lisa Marie Sheehy who sensationally quit Sinn Fein this week says she was broken down by certain members of the party to the point that she fled meetings in tears due to disgusting behaviour.

The youngest female public representative in the country said she had resorted to bringing her father Mike with her to meetings for moral support and that the strain of the stress she has suffered over the past year has taken a toll on her mental health.

Revealing for the first time the specifics on why she resigned from the party this Tuesday morning, the 23-year-old said she was put under extreme pressure to work while finishing her UCC final exams; and was seen as knowing too much when she backed up the Cork East TD Sandra McLellan who quit Sinn Fein last year after what she claimed were vicious attempts to undermine her.

I did work experience with Sandra so I got to know her very well and what was going on in her area. I think they knew that I knew too much and they didnt like that. I think from that point they said we better watch this one, Cllr Sheehy told the Leader this week.

I have resigned from Sinn Fein due to bullying within the party and will be continuing my role as an Independent Councillor #politics  Lisa Marie Sheehy (@LisaMarieSheehy) September 5, 2017

The Glenroe-based councillor described the environment as hostile and toxic and stated there is an alarming increase of intimidation within the party which amounts to nothing short of bullying.

Yes, its dirty, said Cllr Sheehy of politics, but this is just something different. Ive been bullied in school and been in different work situations but this was more. This was viciousness. I was bullied and Im not going to bend over for bullies.

She stated that she was plotted against and pushed out of the party by a small number of members within who tried to break her down.

When asked what level of the party the intimidation was stemming from, Cllr Sheehy, who represents the Cappamore-Kilmallock area, pointed out that the people involved were not elected representatives, it was membership.

Cllr Sheehy cited one particular meeting where she claims she was verbally abused which prompted her to flee the meeting in tears.

In relation to an issue which she did not want to disclose publicly, Cllr Sheehy claims she was confronted by members and sworn at.

She claims that she had informed one member that she had to leave at 9pm and they picked nine oclock on the button to bring this issue up and target me. It was all very orchestrated and that wasnt the first incident. It had been done a lot. There was a build up. I felt intimidated.

She said she left in tears after saying what I needed to say.

Cllr Sheehy said there was approximately 12 people at the meeting, only one of which was female.

Nobody in the room backed me up. They all stuck together.

It came to a point where I didnt want to go to the meetings without having moral support because I really didnt feel comfortable. I just knew something was going to happen.

Cllr Sheehy claims that while doing her final year exams at UCC she was phoned by a member who wouldnt accept her request to take on a lighter workload.

I told them that I wont be able to do X,Y and Z. I said I would be able to take calls but I wont be able to initiate anything new and a member called me and I was bawling crying because they were putting me under so much pressure. It was the week of my under graduate exams. I was trying to study and I was stressed enough about my exams and I had to deal with that as well. The party was saying, Oh its great youre getting a Government degree - its all fab but then they werent giving me that support.

The Glenroe resident who now intends to work as an Independent councillor said she has no problem admitting that she left meetings in tears.

I think it is a human thing. It came to a point whereby I had to get up and leave because I was crying, because I was just drawn. I was pushed that far. I think I am a strong person. This isnt exactly an easy thing for me to do - I will have a party against me now. It just shows you how much I had been broken down that I felt I had to leave a meeting.

She said there were times when she went home to her parents, Carmel and Mike who she lives with in Glenroe, and felt depleted.

 Only for my parents, she said, trailing off. They left the party before me, a few months ago.

The 23-year-old who was elected on the first count in 2014 after a three week campaign said anything she suggested at meetings was never good enough.

I can take criticism no problem but when everything you do is wrong. You are doing good for the community and people are saying, why are you doing that - you should stay away from that kind of stuff. I know I was doing it right so it just became so frustrating. It was a group mentality to be honest.

The councillor said she sent some of her concerns in email to Sinn Fein Deputy Leader Mary Lou McDonalds office.

I dont even know if she saw it,she said.

Cllr Sheehy said that after she was elected to the council it was all a real good buzz but then the atmosphere began to change within the party.

We were all very excited about our new roles - we were all getting selfies with Mary Lou and Gerry.

For the first year or two it was kind of happening around me but I didnt see it but in the last year I did.

When asked about the matter at a Sinn Fein think-in in county Meath, party president Gerry Adams rejected Cllr Sheehys claims.

There is no culture of bullying within Sinn Fein and its actually very unfair to the membership of the party that that allegation has been made, he said.

Former Sinn Fein councillor Lisa Marie Sheehy says there is a bullying culture within the party https://t.co/Rhwvzc3nWV pic.twitter.com/dENJMEp0rY  RTE News (@rtenews) September 5, 2017

Cllr Sheehy said the press release which she issued on Tuesday morning announcing her departure from the party had been written up and amended a few different times over the past few months.

 I just felt I was sick of it. I had distanced myself so I was starting to feel like an Independent councillor anyway. I wasnt going to meetings, I wasnt linking up with them because I just had enough so I felt I might as well raise this issue and go fully Independent. The council isnt the problem, I love that side of it - its the party.

According to Cllr Sheehy, after an investigation into the matter she was informed that "It was decided that no evidence of wrong doing was presented that merits further action".

Commenting on Cllr Sheehys departure, Cllr Ciara McMahon from Athea who represents the Adare-Rathkeale area said; Limerick Sinn Fein lost a very talented woman this week, one who I consider a friend and that will not change.

As I have previously stated I empathise with Lisa Marie on a personal level as would many others in Ireland. It is an issue that is prevalent in all walks of life unfortunately and hits home to many people.

I think she has handled this issue professionally, appropriately and honestly. I wish her every success .
The remaining four launchers of a Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense battery from the U.S. were set up in Seongju, North Gyeongsang Province early Thursday morning after a five-month delay.

That completes the deployment of a full set of six launchers and a radar system announced in July last year.

Police forcibly dispersed local resident and activists who had gathered to block the access road to the site in the small hours. Dozens suffered minor injuries in their struggle with the police and were treated in hospital, according to the police.

The Defense Ministry on Wednesday said, "After consultations with Washington, the additional THAAD launchers will be installed on a temporary basis together with other construction equipment and materials."

The four launchers, support vehicles and construction equipment started rolling by overland route from Camp Carroll in Waegwan, North Gyeongsang Province at dead of night.

Two launchers and a radar system were already installed in April before the process ground to a halt.
A Limerick city store is celebrating selling its first major Lotto wining ticket after 15 years in business.

Coughlans Gala on Quinlan Street sold the winning ticket for this Wednesday nights 2,951,364 million jackpot win.

Sandwiched between South's bar and a bookmaker's next door, speculation is rife as to who may have claimed the golden ticket.

A spokesperson for the National Lottery confirmed the 5 ticket which was sold on Wednesday was not a Quick Pick ticket.

There were scenes of joy at the store, which employs ten staff, this Thursday morning, after a sleepless night for store owner Shaun Coughlan, who cracked open a bottle of champagne just before lunch-time.

We'd love to know who it is. We hope it's local and the very best of luck to them. It's our first time having a Lotto winner and I'm absolutely thrilled, he told the Limerick Leader.

He received the call relaying the good news from the National Lottery just before 9pm on Wednesday.

I was absolutely stumped when I heard it. I could not believe it. I'm really excited about it. Myself and my wife were dancing around the house and told all our neighbours, and I made a few phone calls to staff, and there was very little sleep last night, very little, he said.

He said it's impossible to say who the winner might be, but hopes it's a syndicate to spread a bit of luck around.

For those who have yet to check their tickets, the winning numbers were: 1, 4, 5, 6, 18 and 47. The Bonus was 35.
ONE of Limerick's most high profile developers, who received a record judgment of 86.5m against him in the High Court, has been discharged from bankruptcy.

The judgment against Michael Daly, who was behind some of the most pivotal developments in Limerick including the 75m Riverpoint building and the 100m Savoy Hotel development, was the largest ever entered against an individual at the Commercial Court when it was handed down in 2010.

Mr Daly, 59, of the North Circular Road, consented to a judgment of 86,543,769 entered against him over unpaid property loans of over 165 million made to a number of companies and partnerships associated with his Fordmount group by Anglo Irish Bank.

Mr Daly has confirmed to the Limerick Leader that following the judgment he paid 1,000 a month for approximately 18 months until the settlement process failed, before entering bankruptcy.

The chartered accountant first offered to repay that sum from his monthly salary of 3,000 in 2013, when he was queried by NAMA in court over whether he had provided full details related to his financial affairs.

At that time, he said he considered NAMAs attitude wholly unreasonable as he had disclosed all documents available to him and fully co-operated.

Speaking for the first time since being discharged following a one-year period of bankruptcy, he told the Limerick Leader: I dont have any assets but I dont see ourselves as being impoverished.

He said representatives of Anglo Irish claimed that they would make him bankrupt and take his family home.

Im glad they only achieved one. I put structures in place from 2004 on that stood the test of time, he said, referring to the period when he set up the Fordmount group.

Since the judgment, Mr Daly has been attempting to rebuild his career, after initially declaring that he was finished financially by the order against him.

He is now working for a financial company in Limerick city helping people out of their own financial difficulties because of technical expertise in this area.

Once worth an estimated 40 million, according to The Sunday Times Rich List, he said this was just monopoly money.

Former developer now helping others in financial difficulty after exiting bankruptcy. Full story in weekend @Limerick_Leader pic.twitter.com/ZkJv8crAns  Anne Sheridan (@annesheridan1) September 7, 2017

He confirmed that during the boom he bought three cars in one day - two BMWs and a Mini-Cooper - for him and his family, while he also enjoyed a trip on the Orient Express at a huge cost to Anglo Irish, along with some 40 other favourable clients on a networking trip.

While Mr Daly has been forced to surrender a number of assets under his own name under the bankruptcy process, the family home on the North Circular Road remains within the extended family.

The property passed through the Property Price Register, the national database of all house sales, in 2016 for a sum of 257,500, however it has not been sold on the open market.

Documents obtained from the Land Registry by the Limerick Leader show that its ownership is now held by a sister-in-law of Mr Daly, who is listed as the full owner as of November 2016, with one of Mr Dalys three daughters holding a charge worth 250,000 over the property on the same date.

He told the court in 2013, under questioning from NAMA about his personal finances, that he had transferred his share in the family home in 2009 to his wife Dympna for natural love and affection - before judgment was entered against him.

Mr Daly said that transfer was planned from 2004 - when he set up Fordmount after leaving his career in accountancy - while at one time the family owned five homes in Kilkee.

He later confirmed to this newspaper that his wifes share was transferred to her sister, who also resides on the North Circular Road.

The National Asset Loan Management Agency (NALM), which is represented by Arthur Cox solicitors, has initiated proceedings in the High Court in Dublin against Mr Daly and his wife, with affidavits lodged by the firm this April.

It is the first time his wife has been listed as a co-defendant in any of the actions against her husband, and they are being represented by separate law firms in Limerick.

Mrs Daly, 58, was previously a director and shareholder of one of her husbands companies, German Capital Investments Ltd, formerly known as Daly Capital Holdings Ltd.

Company accounts show that he transferred some of his shares in this company to his wife in March 2009, before his resignation from Fordmount and a host of other companies that June.

Mrs Daly was also previously a director of Daly Capital Developments Ltd, Daly Property Investments Ltd, Executive Investment Holdings Ltd, Gemside Ltd, Peachridge Ltd and Ravenridge Ltd.

Mr Daly this week declined to answer further questions regarding his financial affairs.

The former managing director of the Fordmount Property Group and a number of subsidiaries and partnerships claimed during the high-profile court case in 2010 that he was regarded as a favoured developer by Anglo.

In addition, he said at that time that he had easy access to senior figures in the bank, including former chairman Sean Fitzpatrick and former chief executive David Drumm.

He claimed that he was actively encouraged by Anglo in 2006 and 2007 to undertake massive property developments with the assurance hundreds of millions would be made available.

He claimed that he relied on oral assurances from Anglo executives that personal guarantees provided by him over loans were secondary to security taken by the bank and would never be relied upon.

Anglo described as incredible his claims relating to the banks approach to the guarantees.

I dont have 86 million and wont be able to meet it so the implications for me are catastrophic, he told the court in 2010.

His statement of affairs, provided to the Examiners Office of the High Court, in declaring his assets as he was adjudicated bankrupt last year, is no longer publicly available as he was discharged from bankruptcy in recent months.

William ORiordan, of Price Waterhouse Coopers (PwC), who was appointed receiver and manager to a number of the Fordmount companies, ceased work on realising the value of the assets this February, after being appointed in December 2009.

A receivers abstract for one of the Fordmount companies shows that 8,169,279.79 has been realised from its assets, after costs, predominantly from assets held in Castletroy.

PwC stepped down from the long-running appointment following the sale of some of the companies loans from NAMA to US investment giant Cerberus.

Mazars has been appointed as receiver to another company, Fordmount Developments Ltd, this January by the NALM DAC.

It is understood that further assets in Castletroy have yet to be realised.

While he stepped down from the company six months before it entered receivership, Mr Daly told the Leader that to the best of his knowledge he believed the majority of its suppliers had been paid.

He resigned from 11 companies on June 29, 2009, and was replaced at the helm of Fordmount by solicitor Adrian Frawley, of Dermot G. ODonovan and Partners law firm.

Dermot ODonovan, Michael Sherry and Mr Frawley, all partners in DGOD, consented at the Commercial Court to judgment orders for 21.7 million against each of them, arising out of their involvement in three limited companies and two partnerships.

A fourth partner, who no longer works with that firm, Thomas Dalton, previously consented to summary judgment against him for 21.4 million.

Mr Daly is one of 51 Limerick people who have been adjudicated bankrupt in the past three years, according to statistics from the Personal Insolvency of Ireland.

The figure for Limerick represents a rate of 3.5 per 10,000 adults.

The number of bankruptcy adjudications in the State reached a peak of 526 in 2016, after the new one-year bankruptcy term was introduced on January 29 of that year.

To date this year, there have been 243 bankruptcy adjudications in the State, with a total bankruptcy debt of 178 million in the second quarter of this year.

The 105 bankruptcy adjudications in the second quarter represents a decrease of 23.9% on the first quarter, and a drop of 39.3% in comparison with the second quarter of 2016.

Since 2014, there have been 385 bankruptcy adjudications in Dublin, 207 in Cork and 126 in Kildare, which recorded the highest bankruptcy rate at 7.8 per 10,000 adults.

Bankruptcy laws saw the beginning of a radical overhaul in 2013 when the period of bankruptcy was cut from 12 years to three.

Last year it was further reduced to one year, to mirror the same period of bankruptcy in Northern Ireland and in Britain, reducing the move towards bankruptcy tourism, which saw some citizens of the State move to another jurisdiction for 12 months to take advantage of their shorter terms.

During the bankruptcy process, once a petition is granted, individuals are served with a bankruptcy order and a warrant of seizure which allows the Official Assignee to assume ownership of their property and sell it in order to raise money to pay creditors.

Individuals are allowed to keep a bank account and sufficient income for reasonable living expenses. Surplus income must go towards repaying debts.

Under the new regime, penalties for those who try to hide their assets during the process have been increased.

In cases of where the courts find serious non co-operation, a bankruptcy period could be extended up to 15 years.

To be declared bankrupt is one of the more unfortunate things that can happen over the course of a lifetime, said Mr Justice Michael Peart, in a ruling against Thomas Feely, the Priory Hall developer in Dublin earlier this year.

Not only is it perceived to be a blot on ones escutcheon, but it has also certain practical implications. For example, the bankrupt cannot access credit, and neither may he be a director of a limited liability company.

"On the other hand, bankruptcy can provide an opportunity to begin again, in the sense that the debts owed to existing creditors disappear, after the Official Assignee, in whom the bankrupts estate will have vested, has realised the assets of the estate, and used the proceeds to settle the debts owing to creditors on a pro rata basis, and usually for much less than full value.

- See the weekend editions of the Limerick Leader for the full report over two pages, including Mr Daly's legacy to Limerick, and the effect Fordmount's collapse had on creditors
Sep 7, 2017, 5 AM

Freddie Mercury, the front man for the rock band Queen and transcendent cultural icon, would have celebrated his 71st birthday this week. Mercury was an avid stamp collector during his early years. This 1999 Great Britain stamp picturing Mercury was issue

By Colin Sallee



Stamps have long been a way to express how a collector feels during a certain part of their life, or even a lens into their true character.

An article published Sept. 5 by the Smithsonian gives some insight into the childhood and essence of alternative rock pioneer Freddie Mercury.

Mercury, the front man and transcendent songwriter for the band Queen, wouldve celebrated his 71st birthday Sept. 5. He passed away in 1991 after complications from AIDS.

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A few years after his death, much of his personal history remained shrouded in mystery.

Why, you ask? It no longer existed.

He and his family were Zoroastrians, and within that religion, the deceased have all their personal belongings burned.

The Postal Museum in London purchased his boyhood stamp collection in 1993, in a sale that yielded a sizable donation for the Mercury Phoenix Trust, a charity that was created in remembrance of Mercury.

The album contains stamps from Great Britain, Monaco, Aden (now part of Yemen) and Zanzibar (part of Tanzania), where Mercury grew up, writes Simon Garfield in The Error World: An Affair With Stamps. He mostly collected them between the ages of nine and 12, according to the Smithsonian article.

In 2016, the album generated buzz in the stamp world when it was included in a significant British exhibit, alongside fellow rock legend John Lennons childhood stamp collection.
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Korea could lead the world in terms of welfare spending compared to GDP by 2040 if state subsidies rise at the present rate, the pro-market Korea Economic Research Institute warned Wednesday.

KERI said Korea's welfare spending relative to GDP is expected to rise from 13.1 percent in 2020 to 20.4 percent in 2030, 31.4 percent in 2050 and a whopping 33.7 percent in 2060.

It would surge ahead of stingier advanced countries like Australia, Canada, Ireland, New Zealand, the U.K. and the U.S. by the late 2020s, and then rise above the OECD average in the early 2030s and beyond generous Japan in the mid-2030s.

The tax burden is expected to surge apace.

Cho Kyung-yup at KERI said, "We need to be prudent in welfare spending in consideration of fiscal earnings."


The Korea Tourism Organization on Wednesday launched a team of 100 undercover inspectors who check the quality of food and service at major restaurants frequented by foreign visitors.

They will visit 400 restaurants across the country from September to November posing as ordinary customers.
Call to control student dropout rates

From:Xinhua | 2017-09-06 09:45

The seven students at Jiujia Primary School head toward their classroom in Jianhe County in southwest Chinas Guizhou Province yesterday after they received a donation of new desks and stools. Located in a remote mountainous area, the micro school now has only seven students and one teacher after years of urbanization which has seen more and more rural residents moving to cities to find work. Yesterday, China issued a circular requiring more efforts to control the dropout rate of students to ensure the implementation of the countrys compulsory education. The circular said such work is needed to ensure proper education for school-age children and to make sure that, by 2020, the percentage of students who drop out of school during the nine-year compulsory education period is reduced to less than 5 percent. The circular said the quality of rural education should be improved to make schools more attractive to students, so that they will not leave because of difficulties or weariness. It also said poverty relief work should be enhanced to prevent students from dropping out of school for financial reasons. The document stressed preferential policies to support students from impoverished families, students with disabilities and those with disabled parents.  Xinhua



A CIRCULAR requiring efforts to control student dropout rates and ensure the implementation of compulsory education has been issued by the General Office of the State Council.

Such work is needed to ensure proper education for school-age children and make sure that by 2020 the percentage of students who drop out of school during the nine-year compulsory education period is reduced to less than 5 percent, a press conference was told yesterday.

The circular called for different measures to be taken to limit the dropout rate to address the various reasons why students quit school.

The quality of rural education should be improved to make schools more attractive to students, so they will not leave because of difficulties or weariness with their studies, the document said.

Poverty relief work should also be enhanced to prevent students dropping out of school for financial reasons, it said, stressing preferential policies to support students from impoverished families, students with disabilities or those with disabled parents.

The document also called for improved investment in education, better planning of school construction and the development of boarding schools to solve the transport problems of rural students.

It also required the promotion of information technology to make more high-quality educational resources accessible to rural schools.

The circular stressed that employers are not allowed to hire children under the age of 16 and that parents or guardians of school-age children should make sure that students finish compulsory education.

It also asked schools to establish systems to help those who dropped out to return to school.

The circular said that supervision and assessment systems will be improved to scrutinize relevant government work in controlling the dropout rate, and more publicity was also necessary to raise public awareness in this regard.

China provides nine years of free and compulsory education  six years of primary education and three years of junior middle school education.

The percentage of students who dropped out of school during the compulsory education period was reduced to 6.6 percent in 2016, according to figures released by the Ministry of Education.

Remarkable results have been achieved so far, but we still face great challenges to further cut the dropout rate and meet the 2020 target, said Lu Yugang, head of the ministrys basic education department.

The nine years of compulsory education cannot be completed by children from a few rural areas, particularly those from border and ethic minority regions that live in absolute poverty, Lu said.

Inspections will be carried out across the country, Lu said, adding that parents who were found not to have sent their children to school for compulsory education shall be held accountable for breach of the compulsory education law.

A separate guideline on morality for elementary and secondary schools was announced at the press conference.

Moral performance will be regarded as a primary criterion for teachers evaluation, promotion and awards, according to the guideline.
Lights, artwork, action

From:Shanghai Daily | 2017-09-06 09:44

A spectator touches a buffalo skin painting at a venue flooded in neon lights at the Jingansi Community Cultural Center in Jingan District yesterday. The buffalo skin artwork, along with a shikumen building model that took a year to make, are among more than 30 art pieces displayed at the center. They have been chosen by Jingan to compete in a city-wide innovation contest, part of this years Shanghai Citizens Art Festival. The exhibition comprises works by residents, students and white-collar workers across the district.  Jiang Xiaowei
BEIJING  Premier Li Keqiang will hold a roundtable meeting with leaders of six major international economic and financial institutions in Beijing on Sept 12, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said on Sept 6.

The six leaders are World Bank Group President Jim Yong Kim, International Monetary Fund Managing Director Christine Lagarde, World Trade Organization Director-General Roberto Azevedo, International Labor Organization Director-General Guy Ryder, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development Secretary-General Angel Gurria and Financial Stability Board Chairman Mark Carney.

The meeting will focus on economic growth, structural reform, sustainable development, trade and investment, financial stability, innovation, entrepreneurship and employment, Geng said.

The Premier and the six leaders held their first roundtable meeting in 2016.
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Three people appear to have died from the record heat wave in San Francisco this weekend, the San Francisco medical examiners office said Wednesday.

All three were elderly  they were born in the 1920s or 1930s  lived alone, and died at home, according to the medical examiners office. A review of 911 call records showed that none of them had called for medical help before their bodies were discovered.

We will look deeply into these incidents and see what we can learn about improving outreach to elderly and vulnerable populations, said Department of Public Health spokeswoman Rachael Kagan.

Temperatures spiked at 106 degrees in San Francisco on Friday, the highest recorded reading ever in the famously foggy city.

Officials at the Department of Emergency Management said they beefed up ambulance service after receiving a heat advisory from the National Weather Service on Thursday night. They also set up air-conditioned shelters for residents Saturday, including four cooling centers, four air-conditioned libraries and six swimming pools that were made free to the public.

More for you Local meteorologist falls victim to heat exhaustion during heat wave, collapses on Muni

Still, the scorching heat strained an understaffed emergency dispatch system that Mayor Ed Lee has struggled for months to improve.

On Friday, San Franciscos 911 dispatchers received 2,900 calls, nearly 50 percent more than the 1,977 they receive on a normal Friday. And on Saturday, 2,719 calls came in  significantly more than the average Saturday tally of 1,957.

Statistics from the Department of Emergency Management showed that on average, dispatchers answered calls in 9.8 seconds throughout the weekend  barely beating the citys goal of a 10-second turnaround. But the response times were much slower on the hottest day, with a 15-second average on Friday. The average fell to 9.8 seconds on Saturday, and 7.9 seconds Sunday.

By Monday, the weather had cooled off, and so had the phones: the average response time was 4.7 seconds.

Fire Department paramedics and ambulances responded to calls within 10 minutes on average throughout the weekend, Kagan said, citing data from the Department of Emergency Management.

Slow emergency response times are a vexing issue for Lee, who in May issued an executive order requiring weekly performance reports from the 911 call center and mandated that the department fill vacancies as soon as possible. The national standard is that 90 percent of 911 calls should be answered within 10 seconds, but San Francisco dispatchers have not met that goal since early 2012.

Several supervisors criticized the city for not acting fast enough when meteorologists predicted two days of blistering heat. On Tuesday, Supervisors London Breed, Aaron Peskin and Jane Kim called for a hearing on what they said was a sluggish response.

It is deeply concerning that in a city with San Franciscos resources, at least three preventable deaths happened as a result of the heat wave  and many more people were affected in non-fatal ways, Peskin said.

At the hearing in two weeks, We will be asking the tough questions to make sure San Francisco is not caught flat-footed again, he said.

Lees spokeswoman Deirdre Hussey defended the emergency response system, saying it worked as intended.

Every decision made was made with the safety of the public in mind, she said.

Rachel Swan is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: rswan@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @rachelswan
"It" may not be Stephen King's most beloved book (that's probably "The Stand") or his most ambitious effort (that's probably his eight-book opus, "The Dark Tower" series). But the book about a band of friends who come together to battle a wicked psychic clown may be his best: the great American horror novel, a literary glimpse into the terrors it has cultivated through the years. And that's in large part because King, in the way he structured the book, made Derry, the town in which the novel is set, a character unto itself - a character into which boomer King poured all his generation's anxieties and fears.

"It" is King's most inventively structured book: We follow a group of friends in the fictional Derry, Maine, in two different eras, hopping back and forth between 1958, when they are preteens, and 1985, as they confront the evil presence that has haunted the town for centuries. These hops through time are bisected by "Interludes" told from the first-person perspective of Mike Hanlon, the group's only African-American, who, as the rest fled, stayed in Derry and grew up to be the town's librarian. The interludes track Mike's compilation of the town's sordid history, an effort to expand his (and our) knowledge of Pennywise the clown's behavior beyond its interaction with him and his friends.

"This notebook is supposed to be an effort to get beyond that obsession by widening the focus of my attention - after all, there is more to this story than six boys and one girl, none of them happy, none of them accepted by their peers, who stumbled into a nightmare during one hot summer when Eisenhower was still president," Hanlon writes in his Derry diary early on. This might as well be King speaking to the audience, telling us the book is about more than things that go bump in the night. It's about a special breed of ugliness, the mold on white-bread America.

Through this fractured storytelling - especially in the Hanlon-focused interludes - we learn that Pennywise, the evil spirit haunting the town, is something like a locust brood crossed with an emotional vampire, awakening every 27 or 28 years to feed off fear before returning to his slumber. But fear has to come from somewhere, and in Derry, the catalyst is hate - pure, naked hate. Pennywise's cycle of violence in 1985 kicks off with a gay bashing on a Derry bridge; an earlier cycle had ended some 55 years before with the Derry branch of the Legion of White Decency burning down an African-American nightclub, the Black Spot, while hundreds of patrons danced and drank inside.

"I came back (to Derry) because I'd seen the South and I'd seen the North, and there was the same hate in both places," Hanlon's father tells him while recounting the story of the Black Spot. "It was the fire at the Black Spot that convinced me of that."

A similar breed of hate led to the good people of Derry merrily coming together to slaughter the Bradley Gang, gunning down like dogs men and women alike in the middle of the street in 1929. It led to anti-union violence at the turn of the century - an organizer found murdered, legs hacked off, toes stuffed in his mouth - and retaliation for the crime in a bar a short time later when a handful of company men were ax-murdered as townsfolk literally ignored their screams, drinking and chatting and playing bar games all the while as the blood flowed.

"Besides, it happened in Derry," Hanlon writes, echoing one of the old-timers in town who told him of the Bradley massacre. "I've heard it before, and I suppose if I continue to pursue this I'll hear it again ... and again ... and again. They say it as if speaking patiently to a mental defective. They say it the way they would say 'Because of gravity' if you asked them how come you stick to the ground when you walk."

Derry is, simply, the locus of everything wrong with American society in King's view - a fact that becomes clearer when you see how King uses Derry in "11/22/63," a book in which Jake Epping, who discovers a portal through time, tries to stop Lee Harvey Oswald from assassinating JFK. But before he sets off to do that, he spends some time in Derry - just a few months after the kids of "It" first put a stop to Pennywise's rampage in 1958.

He can sense something horribly wrong in the town; there's a cloud of oppressive evil throughout. It's a sensation Epping will feel again, in Dallas, years before the attempt on Kennedy's life.

"I could move out from beneath the suffocating shadow I felt over this city," Epping says of Dallas. "There were undoubtedly good people in Dallas, thousands upon thousands of them, the great majority, but that underchord was there, and sometimes it broke out. ... Bevvie-from-the-levee had said that 'In Derry I think the bad times are over.' I wasn't convinced about Derry, and I felt the same way about Dallas, even with its worst day still over three years away." Dallas, a major American city with a more-or-less median murder rate, is, to King, the equivalent of a fictional town terrorized by literal evil that has a murder rate six times the national average.

The Dallas-Derry connection is no coincidence. Because Kennedy's assassination took place there, Dallas has long occupied a haunted place in the historical memory of the baby boomer generation, who blamed Kennedy's death on conservative extremism, no matter that Lee Harvey Oswald's real politics were far to the left. The "suffocating shadow" that hangs over Dallas for King is concentrated into specific, malevolent form in Derry.

By treating Derry itself like a character - a living, breathing entity with its own hopes and fears and secrets; a kissing cousin of Dallas, another malevolent force in the boomer mind - King imbued "It" with a greater meaning. This is the Great American Horror Novel because it is, in a very real way, about the horrors of America as experienced by the children of the Greatest Generation.

One understands the need to jettison the structure of the book and focus only on the childhood years of the "Losers Club" that takes on Pennywise; the novel is 1,100 pages long, and Andy Muschietti's movie adaptation, opening Friday, had to make cuts somewhere. But the film loses much of the power of the book by simplifying the structure and narrowing the stakes. King's novel highlighted what scared his generation about America's past and present; Muschietti's film is a coming-of-age story about what scares a few random kids. The move has its pleasures, but it is very much a lesser, more insubstantial thing.
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Two men are facing up to life in prison after being indicted on charges related to the alleged 2015 kidnapping of a woman in south Laredo.

A grand jury indicted David Tamez Jr. and Gustavo Sotelo Jr. on first-degree felony charges of burglary of a habitation with intent to commit another felony and aggravated kidnapping. Attorneys for the men could not immediately be reached for comment.

The duo are also charged with theft of property between $1,500 and $20,000, a state jail felony, on allegations they stole a Toyota Tundra during the incident.

Police said the case unfolded Feb. 15, 2015 at 1:21 a.m. when officers responded to a possible kidnapping report in the 4500 block of Alvarado Lane.

Tamez, 22, and Sotelo, 23, allegedly broke into a home. Police said one man was armed with a pistol while the other wore a ski mask during the incident.

READ MORE: Hurricane Katia forms in Gulf of Mexico

A woman at the home was allegedly pushed to the floor and tied up by Tamez and Sotelo, authorities said.

Then, the suspects allegedly ransacked the home.

LPD said the men took the woman from the home against her will and stole a 2007 Toyota Tundra, which was parked outside the residence.

Detectives later learned that the Tundra had been crossed into Mexico.

An investigation led police to the 100 block of West Lyon Street, where authorities said they found the license plate belonging to the stolen Tundra.

RELATED: Laredo police blotter: August 2017

LPD investigators said they also found evidence used to tie up the woman, among other items used in the break-in at the home on Alvarado. But the woman was not at the residence on Lyon.

Later, relatives of the woman contacted police saying that she had just returned home.

She told police the suspects kept her tied up and her eyes covered, according to police.

Tamez and Sotelo turned themselves in at LPD headquarters Feb. 19 after authorities issued a wanted notice for the men.

The duo are scheduled to appear Oct. 13 for a hearing before 49th District Court Judge Jose A. Lopez. They made initial appearances before Lopez on Friday, according to court records.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said Thursday that her office will open a public comment period to re-evaluate federal guidance on how universities handle sexual misconduct in an effort to fix what she described as a skewed adjudication system on campuses.

DeVos's speech followed a listening session at which she heard from subject matter experts, falsely accused students and victims.

It marked a sharp shift from policies put forward by President Barack Obama's administration, who turned a fresh spotlight to issues of campus rape, sexual assault and harassment.

"Instead of working with schools on behalf of students, the prior administration weaponized the Office for Civil Rights to work against schools and against students," she said, adding that schools don't feel comfortable calling the federal education agency for advice "for fear of putting themselves on the radar and inviting an investigation."

The "current reality" of stringent campus sexual misconduct policies put unfair burdens on students, lead to lawsuits and tramples over First Amendment free speech policies," she said.

"If everything is harassment," she said, "then nothing is."

DeVos's remarks highlight a growing backlash to Obama-era policies that is also present on Texas college campuses. Two male students accused of sexual misconduct said the University of Texas at Austin and Texas A&M University botched their cases, filing lawsuits and complaints.

She also called for "preventing misconduct through education," which Rice University has pursued through a required freshman course on sexuality.

Lindsay Ellis writes about higher education for the Chronicle. You can follow her on Twitter and send her tips at lindsay.ellis@chron.com.
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Seven trucks are on their way to Cleveland, Texas, from Manhattan Beach, Calif., each loaded with supplies for victims of Hurricane Harvey.

The trucks are part of the Aid Cleveland Campaign, initiated by Ben Dale, a 1985 graduate of Cleveland High School and principal at Mira Costa High School in Manhattan Beach.

Dale started the campaign after seeing photos of the flooding on Facebook that had been posted by his former classmate, Niki Coats. Dale said he felt compelled to help his hometown recover.

The trucks are slated to arrive late Thursday and volunteers will work Friday to make sure the distribution moves smoothly on Saturday in Cleveland High School's student parking lot.

The distribution will begin at 9 a.m. Saturday and end at 2 p.m. Cars will line up around the high school and runners will go from car to car getting each family's name and address, and children's ages and sizes. Campus principals and teachers will lead the distribution.

"There will be no need for people to even get out of their cars," said Teresa Coats, one of the organizers. "We will have people bringing everything to them."

The ACT campaign secured 3,000 pairs of Sketchers shoes from the manufacturer and 10,000 pairs of socks, so most, if not all, children will each receive a pair of new shoes and socks.

Organizers also will have prepackaged bags of clothes determined by size and sex, bedding items including a pillow and blanket, backpacks with school supplies, cleaning supplies in 5-gallon buckets, and baby and pet supplies if needed.

"Any child-related items left over will stay at the school for the kids who need the items but were unable to make it to the event," Coats said.

Any leftover cleaning supplies will be donated to local shelters for distribution.

Dale and his volunteer team plan to spend the night Thursday at First Baptist Church on cots they purchased for the trip. The cots will be left behind when they leave, to be donated to Cleveland Fire Department.

Anyone interested in volunteering on the day of the event is asked to be at Cleveland High School's ag building at 8 a.m. Saturday. For more information, search for Aid Cleveland Texas campaign on Facebook.
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Summer Creek High School parents lined up at an emergency meeting Tuesday, Sept. 5, to protest sending students to school for half a day in order to accommodate Kingwood High students.

Kingwood High School is undergoing renovations that could take the rest of the school year because the campus was flooded during Tropical Storm Harvey. The district announced last week it would move the Kingwood students to the Summer Creek campus. Summer Creek would meet for classes from 7-11:19 a.m., while Kingwood would meet from 12:11 to 4:30 p.m.

Jamie Mount, director of public communications, said renovating Kingwood High, addressing various leaks and fixing lesser damages is estimated to cost about $3 million over what insurance will cover.

MAP: See where disease-carrying mosquitoes have been found

"Humble ISD has insurance," Mount said. "After insurance payments have been received districtwide, we believe the cost will be $3 million to repair damages facilities. The district has $4 million in reserves that were set aside in advance in case of a disaster such as this."

Most parents who spoke at the Humble Independent School District board meeting said they understood Kingwood needs help, and they're ready to share the campus, but not at the expense of their children's education.

TRAFFIC MESS: Flooding causes sinkhole on Beltway 8

Before public comment, Assistant Superintendent Trey Kraemer said a committee looked at a variety of possibilities for Kingwood's 2,700 students before deciding on a shared campus with Summer Creek. Portables would take months to set up, he said, and would not be safe on the Kingwood High campus as construction is ongoing at the school.

The committee considered dispersing the students into the district's other high schools, but all of them, with the exception of Summer Creek, already are at or over capacity.

The Kingwood Park facility isn't big enough to house Kingwood students, and Atascocita already has several portable classrooms to accommodate its students. Humble was eliminated fairly quickly because it already shares space with Quest Early College High School.

"We are not underutilized in our capacity," said Superintendent Elizabeth Fagen. "In fact, most of our schools are full or over full, so when you displace 2,700 students at one of our largest high schools, it's just probably one of the most challenging set of circumstances a school district can endure."

Kraemer emphasized the plan is evolving. The district also is working with churches and businesses around the community to provide things like tutorials when students can't be in class.

"The plan is not concrete. It's a starting point," Kraemer said.

Joe Leyva, who has a daughter at Summer Creek, and said the whole things feels like an experiment.

"Everyone's going to be inconvenienced here. I'm OK with that," Leyva said. "I'm OK sharing resources and schools, I just think that when it comes to these types of limitations where we don't know what the results are, I worry - my daughter does well in school, I think she's going to be fine - I worry about everybody."

Christopher Smith questioned whether the district was meeting the number of minutes of instruction mandated by the Texas Education Code.

Trustee Keith Lapeze is sending a child to Summer Creek High and had many of the same concerns. Ultimately, he said, the district had to choose between two sides of a bad coin - shorter class days or overcrowded classes.

"I pressed everybody extremely hard to try and find a better option," Lapeze said. "I've been promised by the administration that this is flexible - that this is a plan in progress. We're going to get the kids in school, and we're going to see how it works."

Lapeze said the instructional time of 240 minutes per day mandated by the state is being met but the bell to bell time, which includes things like homeroom and lunch, is not being met, and the administration is working with the Texas Education Agency for approval.

"We are meeting the instructional minutes, which relieves a bit of concern for me as a parent, but sharing the campus is honestly the only logical decision," Lapeze said.

Michelle Woodard, a parent of an incoming sophomore at Summer Creek High, said this plan causes a logistical nightmare for her.

"On Thursday mornings, I take one child to school at 7 a.m., my daughter to school at 8 a.m. and my son to school at 10 a.m. for late arrival, then pick up my eldest son from Summer Creek at 11," Woodard said. "I have a job. I can't even go to work with that kind of situation."

She added, "As a software person, I have lots of flexibility. There are many people in my situation who don't have that kind of flexibility.

She also said it appeared more important to keep the Kingwood students together was more important than Summer Creek students getting a quality education.

Trustee Martina Lemon Dixon's own home in Kingwood flooded.

"My family, personally, we lost a lot," Dixon said. "I'm displaced. I'm living near Summerwood, but I've got to get three kids, one to Kingwood Park, one to Humble and one to Creekwood Middle."

Dixon emphasized keeping Kingwood students together isn't just for social reasons - it was more about education.

If Kingwood High was to dissolve, Dixon said, each classroom throughout the district would be subjected to overcrowding and changes in class ranks.

Kingwood senior class president Ingrid Pina took to the podium to share her thanks to the district for working out a plan to keeping Kingwood High together. She was the lone student to address the board.

"I have put my heart into my fellow classmates and my relationship with my teachers and with my student body and that's what's really important to a lot of students' hearts," Pina said.
The Kingwood High School Mighty Mustang Military Marching Band (KM4B) is postponing the fifth annual Band on the Run 5K/10K fundraiser. The fun run, originally scheduled to be held on Saturday, Sept. 23, is being rescheduled for the spring semester.

The exact date will be announced once determined.

"Hurricane Harvey has devastated the homes and lives of many band families, destroyed $25,000-plus of music instruments and rendered KHS unusable for the 2017-2018 school year," said Kim Hammond, publicity chair for the event. "Band families and volunteers know that our help and energy are needed elsewhere in the community at this time. Our focus is on the needs of our children, families, friends and neighbors."

KM4B thanked the local businesses and individuals who sponsored Band on the Run 5K/10K prior to the disaster: Trimac Transportation, Inc., ABC Supply Company, Owens Legal Nurse Consulting, Sterling McCall Honda, Utility Trailers, College Money Guys, Hammond Family Foundation, Local Print Solution, Chick-fil-A, HEB, Khaos Gym, Kingwood Screen Graphics, Lowe's, Pholicious, Raising Cane's, Sanke Hairdressers, Smoothie King, The Thorn Family, Diana Blessman & Joan Reynolds, Daniel & Cynthia Cantrell, Rachel & Shawn Cheatham, Pam & Scott Doyle, Mary Jo & Jeff East, Fleming Music, The Fraissinet Family, Ken & Liz Marshall, David & Tammy Merkley, The Ometzberger Family, Pei Wei, Kelly Sachs, Annelisa & Jason Shaw, Lisa & Mike Speckert, Kelly & Jenny Tinsley, Jennifer & Trent Wheeler, The Whitmire Family, Which Wich, The Wilson Clan.

Anyone wishing to donate can still do so online at www.TheDriven.net/BandontheRun. All donations go to Kingwood Band Boosters, a registered 501c3 charity that directly supports the KHS marching band. Checks may also be made out/mailed to: Kingwood Band Boosters, PO Box 5381, Kingwood, Texas 77325.

"I am so grateful that we will have a band, a school year as Mustangs," Destry Balch, the KHS band director, reassuringly told the KHS band students and parents. "It's going to be a long road to recovery, but we are going to make it through this."

Tyler Morrison, the KHS band assistant director added. "I have been so blessed to see these band kids coming together to serve and help each other in this community."

KM4B will not let Harvey stop the music, but community support is still greatly needed.
This is amidst a major row over a suspected job racket run by a few CPM leaders to recruit their own personnel to temporary jobs in the civic body.
Republicans and conservative media figures have pounced on comments from Rep. Luis Gutierrez, D-Ill., in which the congressman called White House Chief of Staff John Kelly a "disgrace to the uniform he used to wear." But the congressman, who is arguing for the DREAM Act to be attached to must-pass bills, is refusing to back down.

In an interview Tuesday afternoon, Gutierrez doubled down on his strident comments about Kelly, describing his conversations over the last several months with the former homeland security secretary about the fate of "dreamers."

"This is a man that says to me to my face, 'I feel so bad for those dreamers. I'm the only one between them and their deportation,' " Gutierrez recalled. "Well, if you think it's wrong, then act on your principle."

Leon Panetta, who became defense secretary when Kelly served as senior military assistant at the Pentagon in 2011, defended the former general Wednesday.

"He is somebody who respects the orders of the commander-in-chief. That's built into his fabric as a person," Panetta said. "I don't know you can lay everything you object to in this administration on the lap of John Kelly."

Meanwhile, Republicans who have hesitated to criticize beneficiaries of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, program, have found a worthy political target in Gutierrez. In several Fox News stories, commentators pointed out that Gutierrez had not served in the military, while Kelly had lost a son in Afghanistan.

"What I would say to Mr. Gutierrez, sit down with a Republican in the House and try to find a solution instead of slandering Gen. Kelly," said Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is attempting to wrangle votes for a version of the DREAM Act.

Doug Rivlin, a spokesman for Gutierrez, told the Post that when Kelly accepted a role in the administration, "he became a politician just like his boss who has done nothing but attack Latinos since he first descended the golden staircase at Trump Tower to call Mexicans murderers and rapists in 2015."

"General Kelly would not have abandoned his troops, but Chief of Staff Kelly apparently will," Rivlin said.

Gutierrez said that he's "tired of all this 'I love them, they're great, but don't expect me to help them' " rhetoric from Republicans. "If I saw someone in need and I did nothing, I'd be defacing my own humanity."

He added: "We hear the same thing time and time again. They get out their 'Hay bendito, pobrecito' " - Spanish that roughly translates to mean, "Oh, you poor thing."

"They do this all the time," Gutierrez said. "It's liked they watched too many telenovelas. But that's not going to help us. You know what will? Taking on your own right-wing, xenophobic, anti-immigrant sectors of your party and saying 'No.' "

Despite his sore feelings about Kelly, Gutierrez said he's optimistic that Congress and the administration will be able to sort out a rescue plan for dreamers.

"My gut tells me it's going to happen. We're going to be on the streets. This is not going to end. There was one day we went to the airport for the Muslims? Well, this is going to go on day in and day out - constant, constant, constant - day in and day out," he said.
WASHINGTON - Grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States are exempt from President Donald Trump's travel ban, as are refugees with a formal assurance from a government agency, a federal appeals court panel ruled Thursday.

The ruling from the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit is a blow to the government, which after the most recent Supreme Court compromise had been allowed to block refugees with assurances, though not grandparents and other extended relatives.

"Resettlement agencies will face concrete harms and burdens if refugees with formal assurances are not admitted," the judges wrote. "In the same way that the Court considered the harms of the U.S. citizen who wants to be reunited with his mother-in-law and the permanent resident who wants to be reunited with his wife, the employer that hired an employee, the university that admitted a student, and the American audience that invited a lecturer, the district court correctly considered the resettlement agency that has given a formal assurance for specific refugees."

The judges also said their ruling would take effect in just five days - on Tuesday - a significant decrease from the normal 52 days, saying that refugees' lives "remain in vulnerable limbo" in their current uncertain state. The government has estimated there are about 24,000 refugees with a formal assurance.

A Justice Department spokeswoman said in a statement: "The Supreme Court has stepped in to correct these lower courts before, and we will now return to the Supreme Court to vindicate the Executive Branch's duty to protect the Nation."

The ruling does not get to the heart of whether the travel ban is lawful. The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments on that next month. And given that the measure was supposed to have been temporary - 90 days for citizens of the six countries affected by the ban and 120 days for refugees - it is also possible that the dispute will be moot by then.

In the 9th Circuit, the parties had essentially been arguing over who could be excluded from entering the United States after the justices in June ruled that a limited version of the travel ban could take effect.

The high court had said officials could not enforce the measure on those with "a credible claim of a bona fide relationship" with a person or entity in the United States, but offered only limited guidance on what type of relationship would qualify.

"Close familial" relationships would count, the court said, as would ties such as a job offer or school acceptance letter that were "formal, documented, and formed in the ordinary course." The same standard applied to citizens of the six countries affected by the ban - Iran, Libya, Somalia, Sudan, Syria and Yemen - as well as all refugees.

The government initially sought to block grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the country from entering, along with refugees with a formal assurance letter from a resettlement agency, but a U.S. district judge ultimately stopped them from doing so. The Supreme Court then put on hold the portion of that district judge's ruling on refugees, but not on grandparents and other extended relatives of people in the United States. That led to the legal wrangling before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit.

The 9th Circuit judges wrote that the government had not offered persuasive evidence that grandparents and other extended relatives did not count as "close" family members, rejecting the government's argument that they had drawn their position from immigration law. They rejected similar arguments on refugees with assurances.

The 9th Circuit opinion was written by Judges Michael Daly Hawkins, Ronald M. Gould and Richard A. Paez, all appointed by President Bill Clinton.
Kate Millett, a feminist writer and artist who gave the women's liberation movement its intellectual cornerstone with the 1970 tract "Sexual Politics," and whose later works laid bare the subjugation of gay men and lesbians, the mentally ill, the elderly and victims of political oppression, died Sept. 6 in Paris. She was 82.

Her death was confirmed by Phyllis Chesler, a feminist writer and psychotherapist who said she had corresponded with Dr. Millett's spouse, Sophie Keir, and that the cause of death was cardiac arrest.

Millett was a contemporary of Gloria Steinem's - the Ms. Magazine co-founder was six months her senior - and along with Steinem became a driving force behind feminism's "second wave" that transformed the movement in the 1960s and 1970s.

Second-wave activists, who also included Betty Friedan, sought to advance the concept of women's rights beyond voting and other legal privileges to include workplace equality, marital equality and greater sexual freedom.

"Sexual Politics," Millett's debut book, emerged from her doctoral thesis at Columbia University. It posited that "every avenue of power within the society, including the coercive force of the police, is entirely in male hands," and that "as the essence of politics is power, such realization cannot fail to carry impact."

She traced the patriarchy from biblical presentations of women to Sigmund Freud's concept of "penis envy" to inequitable marital arrangements that persisted even after the women's movement took hold.

"She opened up the eyes and the minds of women to the possibilities of freedom, the urgency of freedom, and the fact that terrible things happen to women" - things "that few could look at [as] closely as she did," said Chesler, the author of books including "Women and Madness" (1972).

Millett's book vaulted her to national renown. Time magazine featured her portrait on the cover of its Aug. 31, 1970, edition for a cover story about the women's movement. The New York Times described her at the time as the "high priestess of the current feminist wave," with book critic Christopher Lehmann-Haupt lauding "Sexual Politics" as "written with such fierce intensity that all vestiges of male chauvinism ought by rights to melt and drip away like so much fat in the flame of a blowtorch."

But the attention also proved burdensome for Millett. In 1970, while married to a Japanese sculptor, she was speaking at Columbia when an audience member demanded to know if Millett was a lesbian.

"Five hundred people looking at me," Millett later wrote. "Everything pauses, faces look up in terrible silence. I hear them not breathe. That word in public, the word I waited half a lifetime to hear. Finally I am accused. 'Say it. Say you are a Lesbian.'

"Yes I said. Yes. Because I know what she means. The line goes, inflexible as a fascist edict, that bisexuality is a cop-out. Yes I said yes I am a lesbian. It was the last strength I had."

In her memoir "Flying" (1974), she recounted the emotional upheaval of the fame "Sexual Politics" had brought her - it "grew tedious," she wrote, "an indignity." Her next volume, "Sita" (1977), chronicled her affair with a woman amid Millett's fracturing marriage - she was ultimately divorced from her husband, Fumio Yoshimura - and her descent into mental illness.

During the 1970s, she was institutionalized for treatment of bipolar disorder. She recalled those experiences in her book "The Loony-Bin Trip," published in 1990. "Not since Ken Kesey's 'One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest' has the literature of madness emitted such a powerful anti-institutional cry," the feminist writer Marilyn Yalom observed in a Washington Post review.

The experience of being institutionalized seemed to heighten Millett's sensitivity to the suffering of others. Her books on that theme included "The Basement" (1979), the true story of the prolonged torture and murder of a young girl, Sylvia Likens, in Indiana in 1965.

Millett undertook what she described as a "mission to and for my sisters in Iran," traveling to the country for International Women's Day in 1979 and finding herself arrested and then released by Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in an episode she detailed in "Going to Iran" (1982).

Her book "The Politics of Cruelty" (1994) explored abuses in the Soviet Union, Nazi Europe, Ireland, South Africa and beyond. Chesler described Millett as "very sensitive to the violence done to women" that others "didn't think we could ever name or didn't think . . . could ever change."

Katherine Murray Millett was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, on Sept. 14, 1934. Her father was described as an abusive alcoholic and abandoned the family when Millett was in her teens, leaving his wife to support their children.

When her elderly mother was forced to enter a nursing home, Millett was repulsed by similarities between that facility and the mental institutions where she had been placed. She helped arrange for her mother to be cared for at home, an experience she recounted in the book "Mother Millett" (2001).

Millett received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of Minnesota in 1956 and, while supported by a wealthy aunt, a degree in English literature from St. Hilda's College at the University of Oxford in 1958. With "Sexual Politics," she received a PhD in English and comparative literature from Columbia in 1970.

Millett worked as a sculptor and taught at universities including Barnard College in New York City, Bryn Mawr College in Pennsylvania and the University of California at Berkeley. She joined the National Organization for Women shortly after its founding in 1966 and chaired its education committee.

In 1971, she filmed the documentary "Three Lives," made by an all-female team. She later founded a women's art colony, Millett Farm, in Poughkeepsie, New York, running the operation into her later years.

Besides her spouse, a complete list of survivors was not immediately available.

For all she did to awaken women to the ancient inequities that they shouldered, Millett recognized that change would come only at an agonizingly slow pace. She likened sexism to racism.

"You can legislate about it, but as long as everybody is racist, you don't really do much about it," she told The Post in 1970. "Unless you change persons and attitudes, you haven't changed much."
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Leslie Van Houten, the youngest follower of murderous cult leader Charles Manson, was recommended for parole Wednesday by a state panel for a second year in a row for two 1969 murders.

Her release is now in the hands of Gov. Jerry Brown, who vetoed it last year.

The two-member Board of Parole Hearings panel found Van Houten, 68, suitable for release after a hearing at the California Institution for Women in Corona (Riverside County), where she is imprisoned.

She had been denied release at 19 previous hearings since becoming eligible for parole in 1979. But last year a board panel found her release would pose no risk to the public and noted her age, 19, at the time of the killings, her acceptance of responsibility and her record of good behavior in prison.

But Brown, who under a voter-approved law has the last word on parole of prisoners serving life sentences, was unpersuaded in 2016.

Both her role in these extraordinarily brutal crimes and her inability to explain her willing participation in such horrific violence cannot be overlooked and lead me to believe she remains an unacceptable risk to society if released, the governor said. A judge upheld his decision, finding there was evidence to support it.

Brown, who earlier this year vetoed the parole of another Manson follower, Bruce Davis, has 150 days to decide on Van Houten.

A former homecoming queen who was using drugs heavily when she fell in with Manson, Van Houten accompanied other members of his so-called family on a murder mission to the Los Angeles-area home of grocer Leno LaBianca and his wife, Rosemary, in August 1969.

According to testimony, Manson follower Charles Tex Watson stabbed Leno LaBianca, then started to stab his wife before telling Van Houten to take over. Van Houten admitted stabbing Rosemary LaBianca 14 times.

Arrested four months later, she described the murders to police, and later took responsibility in trial testimony while trying to minimize Mansons role. Van Houten, Manson and three others were sentenced to death for the killings, but their sentences were reduced to life with the possibility of parole when the state Supreme Court overturned Californias death penalty law in 1972.

In recent parole board appearances, Van Houten has repudiated Manson, saying she took responsibility for helping to create him, and expressed remorse for her crimes.

Van Houtens lawyer, Richard Pfeiffer, said Wednesday that he hopes to win the governors approval for parole this time. He said newly obtained evidence discredited a former Manson follower who had said Van Houten was free to leave Mansons compound, an assertion Brown cited in denying parole last year.

Pfeiffer also said 117 current prisoners and many former inmates had told the parole panel that Van Houten helped them get high school and college degrees and guided them through rehabilitation.

I know that shes going to get out, the lawyer said. I dont know if its (through) the governor or the courts. But shes going to go home.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com
For those in the legalized marijuana business who fear a federal government crackdown on the issue, a guide to the approach of one strategy has arrived.

The Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) released a report this month that highlights the groups issues with how states are  or, in their view, are not  complying with legal requirements around the distribution of legal marijuana.

It also compares the marijuana industry to Big Tobacco.

The SAM report further alleges the marijuana industry should form the focus of federal law enforcement, not individual users. It calls for an information campaign which alerts Americans to the harms of marijuana.

The report mirrors many of the recent comments from U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has hit upon some of the same points from the report about states handling of marijuana regulation.

Related: 3 Must-Dos to Prepare for When Cannabis Is Federally Legal

About SAM

SAM is essentially an anti-legalized marijuana lobby group, based in Washington D.C. The groups mission is to take a health-first approach to marijuana policy. Rather than legalized marijuana or rampant incarceration for its use, the group asks for a commonsense, third-way approach to marijuana.

According the SAM site, that means a society where commercialization and normalization of marijuana are no more. It goes on to state it wants policies that decrease marijuana use and its consequences.

The group reports it has doctors, lawyers, policymakers and mental health professionals among its ranks.

The Reports Findings

The SAM report goes after states for not properly regulating the marijuana industry.

The SAM report focuses primarily on whether states have worked within the framework set down by the Cole Memo. The memo, written by the Justice Department under President Barack Obama, essentially promises that the federal government will allow states to put legalized marijuana sales into place as long as they adhere to certain guidelines.

Related: Doctors and Patients In Florida Are Embracing Medical Marijuana

These guidelines include not allowing sales to minors, preventing legalized marijuana from funding drug cartels, preventing marijuana from legal states to move into adjacent states where it is not legal, preventing violence around legal marijuana operations and preventing marijuana use or production on federal lands.

The report claims states have missed the mark on these issues and touched on a number of issues. They include:

Teens are using marijuana more in Colorado than the time before it was legalized

Marijuana-related offenses in schools have increased

In June 2017, a massive illegal marijuana trafficking scheme was taken down in Colorado, with an operation that stretched into Texas, Kansas, Nebraska and Oklahoma

The fact Nebraska and Oklahoma have both sued Colorado over marijuana crossing the borders into their states, where cannabis is not legal

The states involved dispute much of this information as outdated. Whether this strategy works remains to be seen, but the battle between states and the federal government  and some lobby groups - continues. The SAM report offers insight into how the anti-marijuana legalization effort might form its argument.

Follow dispensaries.com on Twitter to stay up to date on the latest cannabis news.

Related:

Marijuana Advocates, Your Enemy Has a Name: SAM

3 Must-Dos to Prepare for When Cannabis Is Federally Legal

Doctors and Patients In Florida Are Embracing Medical Marijuana



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LEIPZIG, Germany - There was a time only months ago when Martin Schulz - a high school dropout, former bookseller and political unknown to many in this country despite a decades-long career - seemed poised to pull off the German equivalent of Mission Impossible.

After the blunt-spoken ex-president of the European Parliament became leader of Germany's center-left Social Democrats, the long-moribund party's popularity surged as backers clambered aboard "the Schulz train." Commentators excitedly speculated whether he could dethrone Angela Merkel after 12 years in power. Schulz himself vowed a "conquest of the chancellery."

But as that early-spring promise has met the reality of a late-summer German election campaign, it feels very distant.

With less than three weeks to go before voters choose their next government, Schulz and his party trail far behind in second place while another Merkel term as chancellor - it would be her fourth - has taken on an air of inevitability. The Schulz train, once chugging ahead mightily, appears stalled on the tracks.

If Schulz's party does lose, the defeat would mark the latest in a long run of setbacks for center-left parties that have their roots in the West's industrial age but have struggled to define themselves in the 21st century.

But it would also reflect the particular challenge of vying against Merkel, a politician of the center-right who adopts many positions on the left, leaving little room for a coherent opposition.

It doesn't help the SPD, as Schulz's party is known, that it has served as Merkel's coalition partner for two out of her three terms, including the current one.

"For 12 years, the SPD has more or less supported Angela Merkel's policies," said Gesine Schwan, a political scientist and Social Democratic veteran who was twice the party's candidate for president. "It's very difficult to show up now and say, 'We want to do things completely differently.' "

That dilemma was on vivid display one recent afternoon as Schulz attempted to rally the faithful in Leipzig, an eastern German city where the mix of university students, factory workers and government servants has long made it friendly turf for candidates of the left.

Schulz's party - Germany's oldest - got its start here more than 150 years ago, and for 40 minutes on a warm August day the stout, bearded and bespectacled Schulz punched the air and banged a podium in the shadow of a 12th-century church where Johann Sebastian Bach once wowed the locals with his concertos.

The crowd applauded solemnly as Schulz invoked the SPD's history in standing up to Hitler, a position that cost party leaders their lives. It cheered lustily as he berated President Donald Trump for his equivocal response to white-nationalist violence in Charlottesville.

But when Schulz came to his critique of Merkel for not doing enough to ensure all Germans benefit from a growing economy, ("Our country isn't fair. We want to change that."), the best his audience of nearly 1,000 in the city's central square could do was clap dutifully.

The muted response was in keeping with the overall mood in modern Leipzig, a city that feels economically prosperous but politically sleepy - much like the country overall. With a vibrant central shopping district that's full of organic smoothie joints and high-end home decor shops, some residents said they were reluctant to shake up what's working.

"Everywhere else is unstable. The U.S. is unstable. But what Angela Merkel does is keep this country stable," said Christoph Von Radowitz, a 51-year-old who works for a company that makes electronic vehicles and who said he showed up at Schulz's rally out of curiosity, not support.

Even those in the mood for change said they were unsure whether Schulz was the right agent.

Philip Fiedler, a 20-year-old student, said he disliked the close cooperation between Germany's top two parties - "they're like best friends" - and wants more debate. But he was willing to give Schulz a chance, if only for a somewhat unusual reason.

"He's not one of the best speakers or one of the smartest minds," said Fiedler, who said he was still deciding which party to support. "He's just some normal person. But that's interesting."

That intrigue over Schulz's regular-guy persona was in fact a big part of the surge in support he experienced in late winter and early spring, said Hendrik Trager, a University of Leipzig political scientist.

Schulz's background as a school dropout from a working-class family, who has openly discussed his battle with alcoholism, makes him unusual in the relatively elite and highly educated world of German politics.

Schulz, 61, has been a politician for decades, rising from mayor of his small western German hometown to member of the European Parliament and, up until late last year, its president. But he was relatively unknown on the German political scene when he took over as SPD leader early this year.

At first, Trager said, voters saw him as a fresh face with a background they could relate to.

"He was seen as the new Messiah, the big hope for the SPD and for Germany," he said. "But when voters found out more about him, they learned that he was part of the establishment."

As his biography lost its appeal, his message also failed to resonate. His background may be working class. But his proposals are hardly the left-wing populism of a Jeremy Corbyn or a Bernie Sanders.

"He talks a lot about social justice and social equality, but he's very vague about it," Trager said. "What, exactly, is supposed to be more just?"

Perhaps Schulz's last chance to differentiate himself from Merkel before the vote was a nationally televised debate on Sunday where he largely pulled his punches.

That may be strategic: After the election, one of the likeliest scenarios is another grand coalition between Germany's two largest parties, which would put Schulz in position to become one of Merkel's top ministers.

But Schwan, the political scientist and SPD veteran, cautioned that doing another deal with Merkel would be suicide for a party already struggling to define its reason for being.

"If that happens," she said, "then for the next 20 years, there's no chance for the SPD."
New results from the nation's most widely used college admission test highlight in detailed fashion the persistent achievement gaps between students who face disadvantages and those who don't.

Scores from the ACT show that just 9 percent of students in the class of 2017 who came from low-income families, whose parents did not go to college, and who identify as black, Hispanic, American Indian or Pacific Islander are strongly ready for college.

But the readiness rate for students with none of those demographic characteristics was six times as high, 54 percent, according to data released Thursday.

"That kind of shocked us," ACT chief executive Marten Roorda said. "We knew it was bad, but we didn't know it was this bad."

The analysis of "underserved learners" was a first for the ACT, which is one of two major tests students can take to apply to college. The other is the College Board's SAT.

In recent years, both tests have found major disparities in college readiness among students around the country. Roorda lamented that these gaps have persisted despite efforts to improve schools under the banners of No Child Left Behind, Race to the Top and other national initiatives.

"You could argue that those investments should have made a clearer difference," he said, "and that's not what we're seeing."

More than 2 million of this year's high school graduates took the ACT, accounting for an estimated 60 percent of the class. Their average composite score was 21 out of a maximum 36 on the multiple-choice test of English, math, reading and science learning. That was up from 20.8 a year before.

Scores this year in Maryland (23.6), Virginia (23.8) and the District (24.2) exceeded the national average. But that was largely a function of participation rates. In each of those jurisdictions, slightly fewer than a third of graduates took the ACT, well below the national rate. With standardized testing, average scores often decline when participation rises because the results reflect a cross-section of students with a broader range of academic experiences and abilities.

The SAT is more prevalent in the District, Maryland and Virginia, although the ACT has expanded in recent years in the region.

SAT scores for 2017 are expected to be released in late September. Last year, the College Board reported that about 1.7 million students in the class of 2016 took that admission test.

Natasha Ushomirsky, a policy development director for the Education Trust, a nonprofit that advocates for disadvantaged students, said achievement gaps reflect long-standing disparities in the quality of teachers, rigor of curriculum and degree of academic support available to poor and minority children.

She called the ACT's data understandable but "incredibly discouraging." States and schools, she said, must redouble efforts to narrow and eliminate achievement gaps. "There's a lot of power in communicating the expectation that all students can achieve at high levels," Ushomirsky said.

Disadvantaged students face complex challenges connected to their families, neighborhoods and schools. The ACT analyzed how those students performed relative to benchmark scores for readiness on the test's four sections. It found:

- About 560,000 students had one of the three "underserved" characteristics. Some came from a low-income family. Some had parents who didn't go to college. Others were from an underrepresented racial or ethnic minority. The share of this group that met at least three benchmarks - a level ACT says indicates strong college readiness - was 26 percent.

- About 254,000 test-takers met two of the underserved criteria. Their strong readiness rate was 15 percent. About 114,000 more met all three of the criteria. They had the lowest rate of strong readiness: 9 percent.

- More than half of the test-takers - 1.1 million - were not underserved. Fifty-four percent showed strong readiness, 14 percent some readiness, and 32 percent little or no readiness.

Among the bright spots in the report, the ACT said Hispanic participation rose with the 2017 class, and Hispanic scores improved slightly: Twenty-four percent showed strong college readiness, up from 23 percent a year before. That is notable because Hispanic students are a fast-growing bloc nationally.

The ACT overtook the SAT as the most widely used admission test with the class of 2012. Younger than the SAT, the ACT has grown in part through contracts with states that require students to take the exam before they graduate from public high schools. The ACT said 16 states paid for all students to take the test as part of a statewide testing program, with others funding testing on an optional basis.
Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy promised legal proceedings against separatist leaders in Catalonia as the regional assembly approved the legal framework for a referendum on independence, an outright challenge to the Spanish state.

Rajoy will ask the Constitutional Court to invalidate the Catalan referendum law and consider criminal charges against Speaker Carme Forcadell and others involved in advancing the legislation. State prosecutors in Catalonia will also seek charges against Forcadell and her colleagues on the parliamentary council who allowed the bill to go forward.

The bill passed with the support of 72 out of 135 Catalan lawmakers at about 9:30 p.m. in Barcelona on Wednesday, with most opposition deputies abandoning the chamber in protest before the vote. Catalan President Carles Puigdemont later signed a decree calling the referendum for Oct. 1. The Spanish cabinet will meet Thursday in Madrid to discuss its next move.

"We've seen democracy take a kicking," Deputy Prime Minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria said as she announced the legal measures earlier on Wednesday. "We will protect the law in Spain and democracy in Catalonia."

The prime minister will hold meetings Thursday with Pedro Sanchez, leader of the Socialist opposition, and Albert Rivera, the head of Ciudadanos, the biggest party in Catalonia that backs remaining part of Spain. Meanwhile in Barcelona, the plenary is holding a session. Forcadell, the speaker, said on her Twitter account that the parliament had also accepted for debate another bill setting out steps for the potential transition to independence.

"It calls to mind the legislative powers of the old Soviet Union," Pablo Casado, a spokesman for Rajoy's People's Party, said in an interview with RNE radio. "We are responding to a coup. Not only are we defending the constitution, we are also defending the autonomy of Catalans."

The separatists' challenge to Spain's 1978 constitution is starting to firm up. Rajoy has vowed to block any independence vote and now has to show that the central government has the power to enforce Spanish court decisions in the rebel region.

"This will test the legal and political structures of the state in a way that we haven't seen for decades," said Josep Maria Castella, a constitutional law professor at Barcelona University. "This is a flagrant breach of the constitutional order which marks the point of no-return for the separatist movement."

The standoff hit markets on Wednesday, with Aena SA, which owns Barcelona's El Prat airport, posting its biggest decline in more than six months and CaixaBank SA, the region's largest lender, also dropping.

The Wednesday night vote ended a day of high drama in Barcelona, with separatist lawmakers gathered in the chamber singing the Catalan anthem.

"For us today's debate isn't about legality but legitimacy," said Anna Gabriel, a lawmaker for anarchist group CUP, a junior partner in the separatist alliance. "Today the institutions are fulfilling their mandate from the people."

The debate was scheduled by the parliamentary council in an emergency meeting called overnight and published on the official web site, without the proper signature, shortly before the debate began. As her opponents were trying to stall the process using procedural tactics, Forcadell limited the time for debating amendments to just three hours. At one point, lawmakers claimed they were being asked to vote on an amendment they hadn't read and the speaker's aides hurriedly handed out photocopies of the text.

"Never before have lawmakers in this parliament been asked to vote on a bill that has been published in secret," said Carlos Carrizosa, a lawmaker of Ciudadanos, the largest group opposing the independence push. "You are damaging the rights of everyone in the chamber."

The constitutional court has several tools to enforce its decisions, including incremental fines on the officials who refuse to comply with its rulings or suspending them. The government also has the power to suspend the regional government's powers as a last measure.

But the Catalan government has signaled it may not respect the authority of the Spanish institutions. Forcadell filed a request with the Constitutional Court Wednesday for its judges to recuse themselves from any decisions relating to the independence campaign, saying their ties to the central government mean they can't be impartial.

The public accounts watchdog, which is independent from the central government under the Spanish constitution, launched its own offensive against the separatist movement.
Just before floodwaters rushed into Tom Mayne's Spring home, he put some of his furniture onto paint cans, hoping six additional inches might salvage pieces like a beautiful old shelf from the 1850s. It didn't help; much of his property was damaged by the waters of Harvey.

But after the water receded, as Mayne faced the onerous task of cleaning up, he found the work load lightened by a team of about 15 masked and gloved volunteers from nearby Champion Forest Baptist Church, who showed up to mud out his home, dragging compromised furniture and sheet rock to the curb.

"Who's ready to cut?" one said, eyeing the sheetrock along the garage wall, the last of it remaining in the house. After working on Mayne's house, the group moved across the street to help another neighbor. By midday Wednesday, Champion Forest Baptist had mudded out more than 500 homes in the area, with plans to continue doing so for another two weeks.

In the days since the rains ceased and parts of Houston wait for civic and federal relief, local religious groups have proven to be hives of activity, many of them doing the tough, dirty work, like mudding out homes, on a block by block basis in various communities.

Larger religious centers in the metro area have offered shelter, while smaller ones have distributed food and supplies. Others have grilled food in the evenings to feed communities that have no access to their kitchens, or provided meals that fit with specific religious law to observant people in need.

The organization and mobilization effort has run counter to general perception of disaster relief as being stuck in place due to red tape. These religious groups, representing several different faiths, have often taken the lead in the recovery efforts - especially in their own communities, where they have gained knowledge of how to help.

Dr. David Fleming has learned a lot since becoming a pastor at Champion Forest Baptist Church shortly before Hurricane Ike hit the region in 2008.

Then, he said, "We didn't quite know what to do, so we went out to the parks and cleaned them." Meyer Park, just down the hill from Champion Forest, was again awash in debris after Hurricane Harvey. But following this catastrophic storm, Champion Forest took a much more active role in leading relief efforts in the community.

The 'now responders'

They weren't alone. About a mile away, St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church was clearing out damage from the storm. Even though St. Ignatius was forced into Klein High School Auditorium for services, the church pulled weight in the relief effort, with an online form so members of the community could request "repairs, muck outs, meals, etc."

"There are the first responders, and they're the heroes in all this," said Fleming, whose house flooded during the storm. "Our role is to be the 'now responders.' We can't wait for FEMA or outside relief. And the thing you'll find about a lot of churches in the area, they're already organized in a way that there's easy communication with the people in the community. So we could mobilize immediately."

"Ike taught us to get organized before the storm," he said. "Yesterday we got help from two state agencies. And we were glad to have them here. But we'd been running hard for seven days at that point. Our goal was to run ahead and then hand this over to them."

Steven Miori, Champion Forest's communications director, added, "We can help in many ways. But mudouts are what we do best."

Sure enough, a long hallway at the sprawling church's Family Life Center had become a staging area for volunteers to get appropriate gear for clean-up efforts. Shovels, hammers and crowbars were all caked with sheetrock residue. Tables were piled with bleach, gloves, masks, contractor's bags, bug spray and first aid kits.

Learning from previous storms was a recurring theme among religious organizations.

Trinity Episcopal Church, in midtown, had pastoral care teams, and a designated relief coordinator to aid families in need and to help with meal distribution. Rev. Hannah Atkins said after Hurricane Ike, "We've learned how to better help. You don't ask, 'What do you need?' You ask specific questions about specific needs. 'Can we bring hot meals on this day?' 'Can we pick up or drop off supplies at this time?' We've become smarter about considering what people need and what we can accomplish. And I think you're seeing that citywide."

Just north of Bray's Bayou, Wheeler Avenue Baptist Church oversaw an enormous amount of incoming supplies. Palmer Episcopal served as a shelter and has been collecting necessities. It also provided a day camp for parents who had to return to work while schools remain closed. And Robert Beren Academy, Houston's Modern Orthodox private day school, has become a daily Kosher kitchen, providing meals for observant Jewish people who are displaced.

Some area religious centers figured out their roles without experience.

Ahmad Khan, Imam at the Islamic Center of Baytown, has been in the region less than a year.

"I'm a pretty young Imam, this is my first year, this is my first storm, but I saw a community motivated to help, youths coming through flood waters to assist," he said. "Our doors were open, but we didn't house anybody because the city annexed Lee College and put people there. But we found we were receiving more resources than were needed. So we had to figure out how to sort and distribute them. We became one of the smaller distribution centers helping support the bigger shelters. And it was everybody: Christians, Muslims, Jewish people, all holding hands together for humanity."

'We have the manpower'

Juan Martinez traveled a crooked road to Houston. "I came here on a dope deal and got saved," he said. Now Martinez runs the Get Wrapped Church in Spring, where he leads a congregation of about 400.

"We're a small church, but we're mobilized," he said. They've been sorting donated goods and shipping them out to shelters daily. The volume became so great they've had to expand to five apartment complexes in the Spring area. And they've been cooking outside each evening, grilling hot meals for the community - both volunteers and those displaced by the storm.

Joel Montes, pastor at New Life Church in Denver Harbor, and his wife Linda Montes have helped with all phases. They found a family of three unable to clear the sheetrock from their home. A New Life team cleared the house over the weekend, and more recently have been transferring 50 pound bags of beans and rice into small sealable bags and dispersing them.

"We're trying to be where the help is needed," he said. "We have the manpower to get in and gut houses, cook food and take plates of food to people. Yesterday we went house to house, delivering supplies and giving an encouraging word or a physical touch or a prayer. People have been moved by the smallest things like that."

Each of these faith leaders also expressed hope that the community knitting extends beyond this particular disaster. "The beauty about this effort is it's not about religion, and it's not about racial divides," Martinez said. "For months everybody seemed mad at each other. But we are changing that. We have this storm, Harvey, but there are storms with different names: depression, alcoholism, human trafficking. We should constantly be united against them. That could revolutionize America, if we don't just go back to our lives the way they were."
WASHINGTON - In the Pentagon's vast arsenal there is little quite like it: a super-secret space drone that looks like a miniature version of the space shuttle, but orbits the Earth for months, even years, at a time. Doing what? The Air Force won't say.

On the tarmac, the X-37B, as it is called, looks tiny, standing not much taller than a person. Its wingspan measures less than 15 feet, and it weighs in at just 11,000 pounds. But over the course of six flights, it has proved to be a rugged little robotic spacecraft, spending a total of nearly six years, probing the hard environment of the high frontier.

On Thursday, after a successful morning launch at Cape Canaveral Air Force Station in Florida, the X-37B headed yet again to the vital real estate known as low Earth orbit, home to the International Space Station and all sorts of military and commercial satellites. The mission is slated to last 270 days, but the Air Force warned in a statement that "the actual duration depends on test objectives, on-orbit vehicle performance and conditions at the landing facility."

In other words, there's no telling how long the thing will be up there.

There's also no telling what the spaceplane will be doing.

On a fact sheet, the Air Force says that, "the primary objectives of the X-37B are twofold: reusable spacecraft technologies for America's future in space and operating experiments which can be returned to, and examined, on Earth."

On this flight, the Air Force will say only that the mission is to carry small satellites, "demonstrate greater opportunities for rapid space access and on-orbit testing of emerging space technologies." The service also said it would test experimental electronics in a weightless environment.

But at a time when space is becoming a contested environment, having an orbiting spaceplane with the potential to keep a lookout on weather or the enemy or satellites, all while testing new technologies, could be highly beneficial.

The mission is also significant because it marked the first time SpaceX has been chosen to launch for the Air Force - a coup for the California firm started in 2002 by tech entrepreneur Elon Musk.

The launch took place as the Pentagon sounds the alarm about the importance of defending the ultimate high ground should war break out in space. More recently, the House has even pushed for the creation of a separate "Space Corps" within the Air Force designed to focus exclusively on the beyond.

The provision, included in the House's version of the defense spending bill, comes amid concerns that Russia and China are quickly eroding the advantage that the United States has held in orbit for years.

"Space has become so critical to the way we fight and win wars, it can no longer be subordinate," Rep. Mike D. Rogers, a Republican from Alabama who serves on the House Armed Services Committee, said at an event this week at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. The Space Corps would focus on "space domination," he said, with a dedicated leadership and resources that would allow it to move more nimbly than the Pentagon bureaucracy.

"The Air Force is about as fast a herd of turtles as far as space is concerned," he said. "What Russia and China are doing is startling."

While most agree that space is an increasingly important military domain, support in the Senate for a new separate military branch is far from assured. And many in the upper reaches of the Pentagon also oppose it.

The X-37B was launched on top of a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket. SpaceX also successfully landed the first stage of its Falcon 9 rocket on a landing pad on the Cape--a bit of rocket artistry that Musk and others have said could help dramatically lower the cost of space travel. By now the feat is becoming routine for the company, which plans to reuse its boosters instead of throwing them away after each launch, as had been the traditional practice.

The launch represented a significant coup for Musk's space company, which had been fighting to enter the national security launch market for years.

For nearly a decade, the United Launch Alliance, the joint venture between Lockheed Martin and Boeing, had a monopoly on Pentagon launches. SpaceX filed suit against the Air Force for the right to compete. In 2015, the parties settled and SpaceX was ultimately allowed to compete against ULA, opening up a potentially lucrative source of revenue. Since then, SpaceX has won two of three contested launch contracts.

[SpaceX set to win Pentagon mission after United Launch Alliance pulls out of competition.]

While the launch of the X-37B was not competed - ULA President Tory Bruno has said that his company was not given the option to bid - it marks SpaceX's first military mission after years of launching payloads for NASA and commercial satellites. All four of the X-37B's previous launches were aboard ULA's Atlas V rocket.

The Pentagon said it was grateful to have two companies with the ability to launch, introducing competition, and lower prices.

"The benefit we're seeing now is competition," Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson said during a June Senate hearing. "There are some very exciting things happening in commercial space that bring the opportunity for assured access to space at a very competitive price."
In early 2016, as the field of Republican candidates winnowed, Bob Dole said that Donald Trump was preferable to Ted Cruz because he could "probably work with Congress."

"He's got the right personality, and he's kind of a deal-maker," said the former Senate majority leader and GOP presidential nominee.

Cruz pounced on that quote, working it into his stump speech as evidence that "the Washington establishment" believed Trump could be coopted. "If as a voter, you think what we need is more Republicans in Washington to cut a deal with . . . Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, then I guess Donald Trump is your guy," said the Texas senator.

That line of attack never resonated with most Republicans. Many rank-and-file conservatives don't like dysfunction, gridlock and government shutdowns. In the general election, even if they didn't like him personally, swing voters overwhelmingly felt like the author of a book called "The Art of the Deal" could probably make pretty good deals - whether with foreign countries, defense contractors or Democrats. Indeed, that was a central rationale of Trump's populist campaign.

Wednesday, President Trump cut his first big deal with congressional leaders Pelosi and Schumer. Snubbing Republican leaders and his own Treasury secretary, he agreed with Pelosi and Schumer on plans for a three-month bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for the same amount of time.

The president also signaled support for a Democratic push to pass legislation that would shield undocumented immigrants who were brought to the United States as children from deportation. "Chuck and Nancy want to see something happen - and so do I," Trump said.

Then he flew to North Dakota on Air Force One with Democratic Sen. Heidi Heitkamp, declared he really wants to work with her on overhauling the tax code and called her "a good woman."

-- As some Trump advisers signaled that this is a sign of what's to come, Republican leaders on Capitol Hill seethed with anger about all three of these developments. Veteran negotiators in Trump's adopted party think the freshman president agreed to a bad deal that gives Pelosi and Schumer more leverage. They feel like they're being boxed in on immigration and being set up as fall guys. And they resent that Trump just gave meaningful air cover to one of the most beatable Democrats in 2018.

-- Entertaining counterfactuals can be silly, but what if Trump had acted this way from Day One? What if he had positioned himself consistently as a nonideological pragmatist? What if he made an earnest show of bipartisanship and focused on issues which Democrats would have felt compelled to cooperate on, such as infrastructure spending to repair crumbling roads? What if instead of demanding a straight repeal of Obamacare, he had insisted on regular order, supported fixing the health-care system and frontally challenged pharmaceutical companies over drug pricing? What if the White House tried negotiating in good faith on overhauling the tax code, instead of focusing primarily on big corporate tax cuts?

Wednesday offered a small taste of what might have been if he had triangulated from the beginning. For one thing, it does not seem unreasonable to speculate that his approval rating would be higher than 37 percent.

-- Think back to Jan. 20: After railing against political elites of both parties during his inaugural address, President Trump went inside the Capitol for a cozy lunch with congressional leaders. He was chummy at a signing ceremony to nominate members of his Cabinet. He handed Pelosi one of the pens he used so she'd have a memento to remember the day. Then he gregariously told Schumer to also take a pen. He called them "Nancy and Chuck," just like he did Wednesday.

That back-slapping repartee suggested that the new president might be serious about building bridges. Perhaps he would slam Washington on the stump but schmooze his critics behind closed doors.

Instead of bargaining, though, he chose to govern with the very scorched-earth tactics that he had successfully employed on the campaign trail. The result is a litany of missed opportunities, essentially no legislative accomplishments and a well that has been poisoned.

There are 10 Democratic senators up for reelection next year in states Trump carried. The White House had good reason to believe that several of these lawmakers would feel compelled to work with them. (Trump won North Dakota by 36 points, for example.) But as the president's approval rating kept falling, even in red states, and Trump seemed to constantly be struggling with self-inflicted wounds, these senators lost that incentive.

-- Sometimes when Trump looks crazy, he's being crazy like a fox.

The media's coverage of the debt deal Thursday morning is over-the-top negative. Partly this is because top Republicans on the Hill are angry that Trump didn't do what they want, so they're trashing the deal to reporters. Their frustrations are legitimate and sincere. They thought they had a real opportunity to not talk about the debt ceiling again until after the midterm elections. They know from experience how hard it is to get conservatives to vote for raising the borrowing limit, which always forces them to rely on Democratic votes to make it happen. "A three-month debt ceiling? Why not do a daily debt ceiling?" Rep. Mike Simpson, R-Idaho, joked to Politico. "He's the best deal-maker ever, don't you know? I mean, he's got a book out!"

Let's keep what happened in perspective: Democrats didn't really win major concessions. They just agreed to prevent the government from defaulting on its debts for three months and funded initial relief efforts for Hurricane Harvey. Schumer and Pelosi are gleeful because they think they've positioned themselves perfectly for December negotiations. "Democrats still must prove, however, that they can actually land those victories," The Post's Paul Kane writes. "For now, they have (merely) secured a seat at the negotiating table."

Meanwhile, Trump looks independent from unpopular congressional Republicans and showed he can work across the aisle. In North Dakota Wednesday night, as an illustration of this, Trump boasted about his "great bipartisan meeting" with Schumer and Pelosi. "I'm committed to working with both parties to deliver for our wonderful, wonderful citizens," the president said. "Everybody was happy. Not too happy, because you can never be too happy, but they were happy enough." He called it a "very good" deal.

Trump also recognizes that he cannot force a showdown over funding for his border wall with Houston flooded, another hurricane bearing down on Florida and several must-pass bills on the docket. Now he gets to have that fight in December instead. Democrats insist they will never support money for the border wall, but administration officials believe they will agree to increased border security or some version of a fence if it means protecting 800,000 "dreamers" from deportation. "We believe that helping to clear the decks in September enables us to focus on tax reform," White House director of legislative affairs Marc Short told reporters on Air Force One. "I think it puts pressure on all of us to get tax reform done before December."

-- Another key reason Republican leaders are mad: Trump has once again humiliated Paul Ryan. Administration officials reportedly told congressional leaders on Tuesday night that the president would endorse their request for an 18-month extension. Based on that, Ryan told reporters at the Capitol that it was "ridiculous and disgraceful" that Democrats wanted just a three-month extension. Acting outraged, the Speaker accused the opposition of playing politics "when we have fellow citizens in need." Less than an hour later, though, Trump accepted that "ridiculous and disgraceful" offer. Then Ryan and Mitch McConnell got on board.

They did so because they know Trump has more suction with Republican voters than they do. Just 28 percent of Republican voters said they'd be more likely to vote for a member of Congress that supported McConnell, according to a Politico/Morning Consult poll published this week, while 30 percent said they'd be less likely and 15 percent said McConnell's support would have no impact.

-- "The pivot is real, and it's spectacular," writes conservative thought leader Ben Domenech, publisher of The Federalist. "It may be that this is the first sign Trump is himself waking up to the inaccuracy of the conventional wisdom about 'needing McConnell and Ryan' which has animated so much of the early failures of the Republican legislative agenda. So he's being more honest: he doesn't like McConnell and Ryan, never did. He likes Chuck Schumer, and knows him, and thinks he can work with him. And he knows Chuck always makes money for his partners. . . . Trump siding against GOP leaders and seeing them bend over illustrates how he could get them to do this on just about everything. The path of least resistance, the path of popularity for him, is to dismiss the demands of Congressional Republicans on virtually everything except abortion, judges, education, free speech, and regulations."

-- Triangulation worked for Bill Clinton. He got reelected in 1996 after brutal losses in the midterms by positioning himself against both congressional Republicans and Democrats. Clinton declared that the era of big government was over, endorsed an income tax cut and signed onto welfare reform. Negotiating big bipartisan deals made him look like a third-way centrist after the HillaryCare debacle during his first year. Outside Trump advisers have suggested in recent weeks that the Clinton model is instructive.

-- But, but, but: The kind of deal making we saw Wednesday probably cannot and will not last. Trump is toxic to most Democrats because of his personal behavior and his reaction to events like Charlottesville. Not to mention rescinding DACA, instituting the travel ban, pardoning Joe Arpaio, firing James Comey, etc., etc. The window for grand bargains has probably closed. Any Democrat who wants to run for president in 2020 recognizes that collaborating with Trump in any way will be a liability in the primaries, and more than a dozen Democratic senators want to run for president.

There is also a reasonable expectation that Trump will invariably go back to his old ways sooner than later. Maybe even with a tweetstorm Thursday. Trump's instinct is still to play to his base and preach to the choir. (Recall last month's Phoenix rally.) The left also sees the Russia investigation as potentially fatal for the presidency.

-- Furthermore, continuing down this new course would require Trump to show self-discipline that he's lacked over the past seven months.

Trump's biggest cheerleaders in the conservative media are mad that he's reaching across the aisle and will ratchet up pressure on him not to do it again. He's tended to be more comfortable pleasing his base than challenging it.

There's another risk: Relationships matter more than anything else in Washington, and trust is the coin of the realm. Trump's ties with Ryan and McConnell continue to fray. They might put on a good face publicly and show a stiff upper lip, but each time the president embarrasses them they become marginally more likely to turn on him down the road during his darkest hours. For example, what if Trump were to fire Robert Mueller as special counsel? Are Ryan and McConnell really going to risk permanent damage to their own legacies to defend someone who has burned them more often than not? Is that a risk the president would be willing to take?
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - Apocalyptic scenes of flattened buildings and ruined airports emerged from once-lush Caribbean islands devastated by Hurricane Irma, as the deadly storm began to lash vulnerable Haiti on Thursday and another powerful storm, Hurricane Jose, followed fast in its wake.

About 95 percent of the tiny island of Barbuda sustained damage, according to Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda. Ghastly photos and videos from St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, also known as St. Barts, showed buildings in ruin and cars and trucks almost submerged in the storm surge.

Irma's death toll reached 10, a figure expected to rise as its punishing winds hit Hispaniola and moved closer to a potentially disastrous assault on Cuba and Florida. Islands ripped apart by its Category 5-force winds were left with little time to regroup. The National Hurricane Center warned that Jose was churning toward the Leeward Islands, expected to threaten them as a major hurricane by Saturday.

"We are very worried about Hurricane Jose," Browne said Thursday in a phone interview, adding that Irma had left about 60 percent of Barbuda's nearly 2,000 residents homeless.

When Craig Ryan, a 29-year-old tourism entrepreneur who lives in Antigua, reached Barbuda by boat Thursday morning, the scene of residents flocking onto the beach seeking help struck him as a "Caribbean version of Dunkirk," the famous evacuation of Allied troops from a French coastal city during World War II.

"It's such a level of devastation that you can't even see structures standing," he said in a telephone interview.

Ryan's family business, Tropical Adventures Antigua, dispatched a 75-foot motorboat to ferry people off the island before Hurricane Jose arrives. Phone and Internet communications are down on Barbuda, he said, and some residents remain stuck in isolated areas blocked by impassable roads.

"We really are in a rush against time," Ryan said.

On St. Martin, there was little sense that authorities had the situation under control. Witnesses said supermarkets were being looted, with no police visible in the streets.

"It's like someone with a lawn mower from the sky has gone over the island," Marilou Rohan, a European vacationer on the Dutch side of the island, which is split with France, told the Dutch NOS news service. "Houses are destroyed. Some are razed to the ground. I am lucky that I was in a sturdy house, but we had to bolster the door, the wind was so hard."

Occasionally, soldiers have passed by, but they were doing little to impose order, Rohan said.

"People feel powerless. They do not know what to do. You see the fear in their eyes," she said.

U.S. and European countries scrambled to send ships and aid to the battered Caribbean islands. The Pentagon deployed three Navy ships, nearly two dozen aircraft and hundreds of Marines to the isolated U.S. Virgin Islands, where they were needed to relocate hospital patients and others displaced by the storm and haul in relief supplies. The U.S. military was also bringing water-purification systems and tools to clear roadways choked with storm debris, according to U.S. Northern Command.

French Foreign Minister Gerard Collomb said that "even the strongest buildings are destroyed" on the French side of St. Martin, while French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said that four people had been found dead there.

In addition, three people were reported killed on the U.S. Virgin Islands, according to authorities there who described "catastrophic" damage, the Associated Press reported. There was at least one death reported on the British island of Anguilla, another on Barbuda and one on the Dutch part of St. Martin.

In Puerto Rico, residents expressed relief that the storm did not leave a trail of death. Still, Irma knocked out nearly half of the 1,600 cellphone towers on the financially strained island, leaving many residents without service, local media reported. More than 1 million people lost power. The island's power authority had warned before the storm that damage could leave some neighborhoods without electricity for up to six months because of precarious infrastructure.

In the Dominican Republic, which shares Hispaniola with impoverished Haiti, the civil defense director, General Rafael Carrasco, said at least 2,721 homes have been damaged. The government said nearly 7,000 people had been evacuated from their homes, and 7,400 tourists had been moved from beachside hotels in Bavaro, Puerto Plata and Samana to the capital, Santo Domingo.

As night began to fall Thursday, the most powerful storm ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean was punishing the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere - Haiti, a nation still recovering from a massive 2010 earthquake and Hurricane Matthew last October. That storm, bearing Category 4 force when it made landfall Oct. 4 along Haiti's southwest coast, killed more than 500 people on the island and injured more than 400 others.

Although the nation of 11 million appeared to avoid a direct hit, authorities and aid groups warned that the storm's glancing blow was already flooding highways and bridges, bringing mudslides and toppling rickety housing.

The government ordered schools closed and warned citizens to leave work by noon to prepare for the storm. Concern centered on the flood-prone north, where Irma's torrential rain brought knee-deep water to the fishing and agricultural city of Fort Liberty. Mayor Louis Jacques Etienne said rising water had already drenched bedrooms and kitchens, and flooded fields of rice and plantains.

The ferocity of the storm, he said, sent many of the city's 37,000 residents scrambling to get to last-minute shelters set up in a Catholic church, two schools and the public library.

The evacuation effort unfolding in Haiti, critics said, was happening far too late. But Etienne as well as national officials insisted that locals would not have heeded warnings until they saw the power of Irma firsthand.

"Look, they don't believe you when you tell them there's a hurricane coming," Etienne said in a phone interview. "They need to see it for themselves."

Jerry Chandler, director of Haiti's National Protection Agency, said he was working with projections that as many as 600,000 people would be severely affected by the storm, with potentially 400,000 people facing the destruction of their homes.

"It's a slow-moving hurricane, and as it moves toward us, I'm afraid it will slow even more," Chandler said.

Even in the teeming capital of Port-au-Prince, officials warned that floods might come to some of the city's low-lying slums. Gusty winds and rain began to kick up in the late afternoon. Earlier, some residents - though not many - stocked up on powdered milk and bread at grocery stores and markets.

But many, like fruit seller Nadeige Jean, 35, said she felt helpless to do anything but struggle on with her daily routine.

"I guess we are worried, but we are already living in another hurricane, Hurricane Misery," said the mother of three, who was selling fruit at the Olympic Market. "So they say I should board up my house? With what? Wood? Who's going to pay? With what money will I buy it? Ha! I don't even have a tin roof. If the winds come, I can't do anything but hope to live."

In Haiti, Irma's toll could be felt long after the wind and rain are gone. Infrastructure could collapse, and livestock herds and crops could be wiped out. In addition, aid workers fear the potential spread of a cholera outbreak that has already killed thousands.

U.N. agencies and humanitarian groups said they were in northern Haiti, poised to distribute medical and food aid to affected communities as soon as the storm allowed.

Marc Vincent, resident coordinator for the United Nations in Haiti, said one positive sign was that the storm appeared be tracking slightly farther north than anticipated.

"It's true that this is the biggest storm to pass here on record, and we're just hoping the impact will not be as severe as we fear," he said.

- - -

Bever reported from Washington. Andrew deGrandpre in Washington, Joshua Partlow in Mexico City, Michael Birnbaum and Annabell Van den Berghe in Brussels, and Lindsay de Feliz in Moncion, Dominican Republic, contributed to this report.
President Donald Trump's unexpected decision to spurn his Republican allies in Congress by striking a short-term debt-limit deal with Democrats leaves the GOP reeling and lawmakers bracing for a bruising battle in December.

Trump's move undercut GOP leaders in the House and Senate, as well as his own Treasury secretary, who had been arguing for a longer-term extension. It also left Republicans, who were blindsided by the deal, angry and disappointed with their own leaders and, to a lesser degree, Trump.

"Democrats got exactly what they wanted," House Freedom Caucus head Mark Meadows said Wednesday, adding that the deal "gives them the greatest leverage in the world to get exactly what they want later." At a Bloomberg News breakfast Thursday, he said his caucus can't stop the deal.

During an Oval Office meeting Wednesday, Trump accepted a proposal by Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and his House counterpart, Nancy Pelosi, to tie a three-month suspension of the debt limit to a Hurricane Harvey relief measure -- and throw in a stopgap continuing resolution to fund the government into December.

The episode provided the latest illustration of the bind Republicans find themselves in. Even though they control the White House and both chambers of Congress, they've been unable to set aside their own differences to get much done. Instead, this latest deal may have simply handed Democrats the upper hand heading into a confrontational end-of-the-year negotiation.

The agreement sets up what could be a major fight in December over government funding that is expected to include Trump's proposed border wall with Mexico and his decision to end a program that lets young undocumented immigrants stay in the U.S., as well as perhaps the debt ceiling.

House Speaker Paul Ryan, who was in the meeting with Trump, didn't see it coming. Hours before Trump's deal, he had told reporters that the Democratic proposal for a short-term debt limit deal would be "unworkable" and "ridiculous."

By late Wednesday, Senate Republicans released a new version of a Harvey aid bill that included the debt ceiling extension and would fund the government through Dec. 8. It also would nearly double the total disaster funding to $15.25 billion from what the House passed earlier in the day. The additional funding would go toward the Community Development Block Grant program to address housing needs in disaster zones.

The actual fight over the debt limit could slip into 2018, since the Treasury Department can deploy so-called extraordinary measures to extend its ability to operate. The drop-dead date could come as early as February if tax refund outlays are "relatively high," according to Jefferies economists Ward McCarthy and Thomas Simons.

Those measures may provide a number of weeks, not months, of flexibility on the debt-limit date because the Treasury has already used almost all available measures during the current extension, a Democratic aide said party members were told after consulting with Treasury officials. Expected spending on storm aid could also eat into what will be available, the aide said. Some market analysts said the measures could carry the debt limit into February or beyond.

Trump's deal with Democrats did soothe the most immediate concerns in the short-term Treasury market, with rates on Treasury bills maturing around the previous late-September debt-limit deadline plunging. But they surged on securities coming due around mid-December, suggesting Wall Street sees more legislative strife ahead.

"All this really means is that while it's unlikely the U.S. would ever default on Treasury bills, this move today just pushes this risk further out the curve," said Jerome Schneider, head of the short-term and funding desk at Pacific Investment Management Co., which manages $1.6 trillion in assets.

The White House tried to sell the deal as a way to "clear the decks" for a tax overhaul, as Trump's legislative director, Marc Short, put it to reporters.

Longer-term Treasuries also declined, suggesting investors saw better prospects that lawmakers will act on measures to spur economic growth.

"The market is pricing in less gridlock in Washington," said Alex Li, head of rates strategy at Credit Agricole. "The market seems to be suggesting that the administration and congressional leaders are more open now to get something done in terms of the legislative agenda," including addressing the nation's tax system.

But conservatives were fuming over the deal, with one senior Republican aide saying that the deal undercut GOP leaders and bolstered the power of Democrats in Congress.

Asked about the compromise, Freedom Caucus member Ted Yoho of Florida said sarcastically, "It's great to be in the majority."

"The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad," Republican Sen. Ben Sasse of Nebraska said in a statement.

Trump himself might have agreed, at least back in 2013 when he was still considering a run for the White House. He wrote on Twitter then, "The worst negotiators in history (otherwise known as Republicans) have just offered to suspend debt ceiling for four months. Pathetic!"

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell tried to put the best face on the deal while noting that Trump cut it with Democratic leaders.

"The president can speak for himself," McConnell told reporters. "But his feeling was that we needed to come together, to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis."

Congress is rushing to pass Hurricane Harvey relief funds by the end of the week because the Federal Emergency Management Agency's disaster-relief fund is set to run out of money Friday as a more powerful storm, Hurricane Irma, bears down on Florida.

The House voted 419-3 on Wednesday to pass $7.85 billion to provide relief to tens of thousands of homeowners from flooding caused by Harvey in Texas and other parts of the Gulf Coast. The measure includes $7.4 billion in FEMA disaster funds and $450 million for the Small Business Administration. Additional FEMA funding is to be provided later, according to House aides.

Shortly after the vote, Trump and Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin met with Republican and Democratic congressional leaders at the White House. McConnell, Ryan and Mnuchin pushed for adding a debt-limit extension of as long as 18 months to the Harvey bill, according to several people with knowledge of the discussion. A three-month debt-limit deal was the last thing Mnuchin wanted, an administration official said.

But Trump said he wanted a deal, and he accepted the Democrats' offer of a three-month debt-limit measure, one person said. At that point, McConnell stepped in to say a short-term government spending bill should also be added.

Several leaders of conservative groups said they blamed Republican leaders, not Trump, for the deal to add the debt-limit and spending measures to the House bill. They said McConnell and Ryan hadn't been able to push forward a conservative plan to raise the debt limit in a measure that cut spending.

"This is going to be very bad for our common goal of fundamental tax reform," Adam Brandon, president of the conservative FreedomWorks group, told reporters in a conference call. "This deal is straight out of the swamp."

"I'm a little taken aback by it," said Rep. Mark Walker, the North Carolina Republican who chairs the Republican Study Committee. "Usually you get a heads up" on a major policy decision.

Asked if this deal undercuts Republican leadership's ability to negotiate with Democrats, Walker replied, "It does."

Walker said he will present a letter to Ryan on Thursday with a list of policy suggestions that would get more Republicans to support a debt limit deal. It will contain 19 specific suggestions, he said.

Republicans appeared resigned to the notion that the combined measure would likely pass both chambers of Congress, carried by Democratic votes. But a number of Republicans said they would vote against it.

The attempt to tie the Harvey aid passed in the House to the debt limit "is a poison pill & a disservice to those who are suffering," Representative Richard Hudson of North Carolina tweeted. He said the Senate should pass the House measure without adding more provisions.

The bill also extends the nation's flood insurance program to Dec. 8, a high priority in the wake of Hurricane Harvey and Hurricane Irma.

Lawmakers still need to pass an authorization for the Federal Aviation Administration so that it can keep operating after Sept. 30. That extension was left out of the deal as the House first attempts to pass a long-term FAA extension that would privatize air traffic control. The bill's author, Representative Bill Shuster of Pennsylvania, said he is close to rounding up enough votes for it. Even if the House lays down a marker by passing the Shuster bill, the Senate is unlikely to pass it by Sept. 30.

Democrats, for their part, luxuriated in the unexpected win.

"Today was a good day in a generally very partisan town," Schumer told reporters. "And let's hope we can continue to work together for the good of Americans, for the good of the working families who so much need our help."

---

Bloomberg's Liz Capo McCormick, Elizabeth Stanton, Terrence Dopp and Steven T. Dennis contributed.
ISTANBUL - Federal prosecutors in New York have charged a former minister and other high-profile Turkish figures with conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions on Iran, broadening an investigation into a Turkish Iranian trader to include allies of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

The case had already raised tensions between U.S. and Turkish officials, who have suggested that the probe is politically motivated. The investigation had focused mainly on Turkish Iranian millionaire Reza Zarrab, whose network of companies prosecutors allege was used to launder money for Iran.

But the indictment Wednesday named additional defendants, including former economy minister Mehmet Zafer Caglayan. It also charged Suleyman Aslan, onetime chief of the state-owned Halkbank, along with some of his deputies.

Caglayan, who serves in parliament, is believed to be in Turkey, as is Aslan. The 33-year-old Zarrab was arrested in 2016 while on vacation in the United States and remains in U.S. custody. He has hired former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani as his attorney.

"Whoever brought those charges are responsible for proving them," Turkish Economy Minister Nihat Zeybekci told reporters in Ankara on Thursday.

"Caglayan did not do anything against Turkey's interests," he said, according to the Reuters news agency. "It is no concern to Turkey if Caglayan acted against the interests of other countries."

The indictment from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of New York charged that Caglayan, in his capacity as economy minister, accepted tens of millions of dollars' worth of bribes from the proceeds of the scheme. He also "directed other members" to engage in transactions that would evade or deceive U.S. regulators, the indictment says.

In more than 50 pages, prosecutors laid out what they say was a "multi-year scheme" to violate sanctions that included senior government officials in Turkey and Iran.

The alleged crimes occured at the height of U.S. sanctions in 2012 and 2013, ahead of the relaxation of restrictions that accompanied the implementation of Iran's 2015 nuclear deal with world powers.

Before the deal, Iran was shut out of the U.S. financial system, and the U.S. government sought to punish other banks and businesses trading with Iran.

"If a foreign bank processed transactions relating to Iran, the U.S. would impose secondary sanctions - usually against the banks but also other companies - that would cut them off from the U.S. financial system," said Timothy O'Toole, a sanctions specialist at at Miller & Chevalier, a D.C.-based law firm.

Prosecutors said Zarrab and his co-conspirators sought to facilitate Iranian access, through money laundering, to proceeds from its oil and gas sales to Turkey. The conspiracy allegedly included a gold export scheme and transactions falsely described as payment for food and medicine for Iran.

Zarrab, who was born in Iran, has businesses in Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and China. In the indictment, the prosecutors quoted a letter he is alleged to have written to then-Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, in which he said the Zarrab family was ready to collaborate to help Iran break free from "the grip of sanctions."
The United States on Wednesday placed sanctions on three close associates of South Sudan's president, saying they had personally profited from a climate of corruption in a government that has been called a kleptocracy.

The Treasury Department sanctioned Gen. Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the army's deputy chief of staff in charge of military procurement, and Michael Makuei Lueth, South Sudan's information minister. In addition, sanctions were imposed on Paul Malong Awan, who was chief of staff of the South Sudan People's Liberation Army until President Salva Kiir fired him in May. Three companies owned or controlled by Riak also were sanctioned.

The Treasury Department said the sanctions were in response to the deteriorating humanitarian situation in South Sudan and the role of officials in undermining stability and peace.

"These actions send a clear message to those enriching themselves at the expense of the South Sudanese people that we will not let them exploit the U.S. financial system to move and hide the proceeds of their corruption," said Sigal Mandelker, undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence. "Treasury will forcefully respond to the atrocities ongoing in South Sudan by targeting those who abuse human rights, seek to derail the peace process and obstruct reconciliation in South Sudan."

The sanctions come days after Kiir met in the capital of Juba with a senior U.S. official who raised concerns about the violence sweeping South Sudan and the dangers posed to humanitarian workers trying to reach starving people amid a civil war.

Mark Green, the administrator of the U.S. Agency for International Development, said he warned Kiir the administration is reviewing U.S. policy toward South Sudan, but Kiir dismissed all his concerns. The following day, after he visited U.N. and church compounds where tens of thousands of ethnic minorities have sought protection from government forces who have looted their homes and killed people, Green told reporters he thought Kiir should visit the same sites and observe the truth firsthand.

The timing of the sanctions so soon after Green's visit suggests that while the measures were already in the works, they could have been averted if Kiir had acknowledged the lawlessness and government corruption and agreed to improve the situation.

The United States has spent about $730 million this year in humanitarian aid to people uprooted by almost four years of conflict.

South Sudan is the newest and one of the poorest countries in the world. It declared independence from Sudan in 2011, and war erupted two years later over a falling-out between Kiir and his vice president, a political rival. Since then, 2 million civilians have been displaced inside South Sudan, and another 2 million have fled as refugees to neighboring countries. In the chaos engulfing the country, 83 humanitarian aid workers have been killed, making it the most dangerous place in the world for them to work.

In 2014, former president Barack Obama placed sanctions on six military officers in South Sudan, including one who commands opposition troops. None is as high ranking or as closely linked to Kiir as those sanctioned Wednesday.

Officials from the United Nations and donor countries have visited South Sudan recently to urge Kiir to participate in peace negotiations. Almost all have said the violence and resulting famine are man-made.

A report last year in the Sentry, an investigative group funded by George Clooney, said top officials in South Sudan have accumulated fortunes while war and atrocities have pushed the country to the edge of collapse. The State Department's latest human rights report cited the Sentry's conclusion that South Sudan's government is a kleptocracy.

The Treasury Department said Riak was responsible for planning offensives in which civilians were targeted and human rights abuses occurred. It said he had entered into contracts with inflated prices, for which he received kickbacks. The Sentry said it had seen documents showing millions of dollars moving through Riak's personal bank account over four years, despite drawing an annual salary of $32,000.

According to the Treasury Department, Malong ordered army units to block the movement of humanitarian supplies for hungry civilians, claiming food would be diverted to militias, instead. Treasury said after he was fired and fled Juba, he was reportedly stopped carrying millions of U.S. dollars allegedly stolen from the army. The Sentry said that Malong, whose government salary was $45,000 a year, has two luxury villas in Uganda and a mansion in a gated community in Kenya.

Makuei, as information minister, was accused of advocating actions that obstructed the delivery of humanitarian aid. The Treasury Department also said he was involved in planning a 2014 attack on a U.N. compound in which three U.N. guards and 140 civilians, mostly women and children, were killed. Last week, Makuei said in a news conference that the government will review the mandate for U.N. peacekeepers to operate in South Sudan when it is scheduled for renewal in December.
Washington lawmakers who once enthusiastically supported Aung San Suu Kyi's rise to power in Myanmar have shifted this week to criticism of her silence in the face of a bloody military crackdown on ethnic minorities, the latest sign that the nation's fragile democratic project is on tenuous footing.

Congressional leaders from both parties are adding their voices to the international condemnation of the violence in western Myanmar that has sent an estimated 164,000 Rohingya Muslims fleeing to Bangladesh and led to growing doubts about Suu Kyi's leadership.

On Thursday, a bipartisan group of senators - Democrats Richard Durbin, Ill., Dianne Feinstein, Calif., and Cory Booker, N.J., and Republican John McCain, Ariz. - issued a joint resolution condemning the "horrific acts of violence" against the Rohingya and imploring Suu Kyi "to play an active role in ending this humanitarian tragedy."

Suu Kyi, a longtime democratic icon who plays the role of state counselor to the ruling National League for Democracy, has remained largely silent about the mounting humanitarian crisis. The outcry in Congress reflects the dismay and confusion of the stoic group of Suu Kyi's supporters in Washington that nurtured her throughout her more than 15 years under house arrest and protected her interests as her country emerged from military dictatorship to hold largely democratic elections in November 2015.

Her unwillingness to speak out against the military crackdown, which came in response to insurgent attacks in western Rakhine State, has prompted some former admirers to suggest that Suu Kyi be stripped of the Nobel Peace Prize she was awarded in 1991.

"Part of this is the fault of the international community," said Erin Murphy, a former State Department adviser who accompanied then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to the country in 2011. Murphy said she thinks Suu Kyi is being unfairly maligned because supporters had unrealistic expectations.

"We told her story for 25 years, and we don't like who she actually is," Murphy said. "She does not have any idea how to handle this."

The Senate resolution calls on the Burmese government to allow the United Nations "unrestricted access" to assess the situation and provide aid, and to end legal restrictions on citizenship and freedom of movement for the Rohingya. It also calls on Suu Kyi to "live up to her inspiring words" and to "address the historic and brutal repression of the Rohingya."

Other senators, including Benjamin Cardin, D-Md., and Cory Gardner, R-Colo., have expressed similar concerns this week.

Yet even as U.S. lawmakers sought to exert their influence, one other notable voice has been missing: that of President Donald Trump. Neither the White House nor the State Department has spoken out in recent days, raising concern among Myanmar supporters that the Trump administration has abdicated the direct intervention that marked the tenure of President Barack Obama.

Obama made Myanmar, also known as Burma, a centerpiece of his administration's foreign policy in Asia, viewing the nation of 53 million as a bulwark against neighboring China's rising influence. Obama made two trips to the country, and last year his administration lifted the remaining economic sanctions, including on the import of jade and rubies.

Trump, by contrast, does not appear to have spoken with Suu Kyi, who skipped a roundtable meeting of Southeast Asian leaders with Secretary of State Rex Tillerson in May because of scheduling conflicts.

"Part of the problem is that there is not the kind of strong interest in the White House as there used to be," said Derek Mitchell, who was U.S. ambassador to Myanmar from 2012 to 2016.

Trump administration officials did not respond to requests for comment.

Myanmar's more than 1 million Rohingya Muslims are essentially stateless and have endured decades of discrimination and neglect from the Buddhist majority. The situation worsened in 2012 when more than 100,000 Rohingya were confined to dingy camps, where their movement, access to jobs and education were severely restricted.

The latest exodus of refugees began on Aug. 25 after members of a new insurgent group of Rohingya militants called the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army attacked dozens of police outposts as well as a military camp, leading to the government crackdown that has left more than 400 dead.

Malaysian Foreign Minister Anifah Aman said that Suu Kyi is "doing nothing," and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said the situation amounts to "genocide."

Pakistani education activist Malala Yousafzai condemned the "tragic and shameful treatment" of the Rohingya, saying she was "still waiting for my fellow Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi to do the same."

On Thursday, Suu Kyi told reporters in Myanmar that it is "a little unreasonable" to expect her government to have resolved the Rohingya crisis in the 18 months her party has been in power. She emphasized that she is focused on speeding up development and economic opportunities to help alleviate some of the tensions.

Her government also has pledged to implement some of the recommendations on Rakhine state made last month by an advisory commission led by former U.N. secretary-general Kofi Annan.

For Washington, which had invested heavily in Myanmar's success, the situation is a significant setback. In addition to Obama, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., played an instrumental role in supporting Suu Kyi and welcomed her during a visit to Washington last year.

"These latest tragic developments are a troubling sign that the Burmese government and military are moving in the wrong direction," Gardner said in a statement.

Congressional aides said they do not expect renewed economic sanctions on Myanmar because lawmakers remain wary of taking steps that might set back democratic and economic reforms. Some aides, however, predicted an effort to strip language in the National Defense Authorization Act, which will be voted on this fall, to prompt greater ties between the Pentagon and the Burmese military.

"Congress should suspend any advancement in military relations and make clear that there cannot be further progress while abuses continue," said Rep. Joseph Crowley, D-N.Y., who has been active on Myanmar issues.

"There's a lot of distress that she would be willing to jeopardize the international support," Tom Malinowski, who was an assistant secretary of state for democracy and human rights in the Obama administration, said of Suu Kyi. "It seems to me that she has convinced herself that to be a successful politician, she has to give up being a moral icon."

Under the constitution, the Burmese military retains control of 25 percent of the seats in parliament, thus maintaining significant influence. Since the emergence of ARSA, Suu Kyi's government has hardened its position on the Rohingya plight, saying that extremist elements pose a security risk. Last month, the government accusing international aid workers of helping "terrorists" and Suu Kyi has said the Rohingya fighters are burning their own homes.

"We are not going to allow either the security or stability or the integrity of our country to be threatened," Suu Kyi told The Washington Post in a rare interview in October.

During that discussion, she brushed aside criticism over her role: "I've made it very clear that our work is not to condemn but to achieve reconciliation."

Refugees from Myanmar this week described walking through the jungles for days to reach the border and cross into Bangladesh, where they have built flimsy structures with bamboo and plastic sheeting.

Anisul Mostafa, 40, who fled with his family after the military destroyed his house, said of Suu Kyi: "We thought our distress would be over once she took power. But she is the same, like the others. Perhaps worse."

---

Gowen reported from Kolkata, India, with reporting from a special correspondent in Teknaf, Bangladesh.
This is not a story you'd expect to read in 2017, but it happened: President Donald Trump went to North Dakota on Wednesday and praised its Democratic senator, who is up for reelection next year, as a "good woman."

"Come on up, senator," Trump told a crowd at an oil refinery in Mandan, as he had a called up some of the state's elected officials, all of them Republican, save Sen. Heidi Heitkamp. "These are great people. They work hard. They're for you 100 percent."

He went on: "And we just want their support, because we need support. You see that with what's happening in Congress. Nobody can get anything through Congress. We need support, so thank you, senator. Senator Heitkamp. Everyone's saying: What's she doing up here? But I'll tell you what: Good woman, and I think we'll have your support - I hope we'll have your support. And thank you very much, senator. Thank you for coming up."

The president of the United States may not be popular with Americans at large, but he certainly has some sway in this state. And Trump just gave Heitkamp a potentially massively valuable boost as she tries to remain the state's lone statewide elected Democrat.

Heitkamp is up for reelection in November 2018, and she'll be one of the most endangered Democratic senators on the ballot next year just by virtue of the political makeup of the state she's running for reelection in.

North Dakota voted for Trump over Hillary Clinton in November by 36 percentage points. Just two of North Dakota's 53 counties voted Democrat in the presidential election. Sen. John Hoeven, R-N.D., who was up for reelection alongside Trump, beat his Democratic opponent by 61 points.

Here's how deep North Dakota's redness goes: Of North Dakota's 69 state legislative seats, Democrats hold eight.

Heitkamp is the only Democrat to hold statewide office there. And Trump just shook her hand on stage, in front of voters she'll likely need to get reelected, saying things she'll likely play over and over again to get reelected.

As The Washington Post's Jenna Johnson said: "A year from now, North Dakotans may be hearing these two words a lot: 'Good woman.'"

Perhaps most agonizing for Republicans: On stage with Trump and Heitkamp was her potential challenger, Rep. Kevin Cramer, R-N.D. Sure, Trump called everyone on stage "great people." But he exclusively singled out Heitkamp for her greatness.

(The only declared candidate right now is Tom Campbell, a farmer and Republican state senator, who got into the race in August.)

Confounding Republicans' frustrations: Trump also did this hours after siding with Democrats in a debt-ceiling fight.

His shout-out to Heitkamp doesn't come totally out of the blue. Heitkamp and Trump have something of an odd-couple pairing going on. Heitkamp traveled on Air Force One with Trump from Washington for the event, along with the rest of the congressional delegation.

And after Trump got elected, Heitkamp sure sounded like she was open to serving in the Trump administration. She met with Trump at Trump Tower in New York during the transition, issuing this tantalizingly vague statement: "Whatever job I do, I hope to work with the president-elect and all of my colleagues in Congress."

As I wrote then, it'd kinda make sense if Heitkamp decided to jump ship:

"Her reelection to a second term in 2018 is an uphill battle with no guarantees. The 2018 midterms are shaping up to be the story of endangered, red-state Democrats trying desperately to hold their seats, and Heitkamp is arguably the most endangered of this group. She scraped out a win in 2012, and Trump won the state with 63 percent of the vote - one of his largest margins of victory anywhere."

A job with Trump didn't pan out. Instead, she got a handshake and a "good woman" from the president on the most valuable of stages, making her potentially tough reelection potentially a lot easier.
Midland County Sheriffs Office

A Midland man was arrested Monday after he allegedly pointed a handgun at a business, according to court documents.

Albert James Herrera, 18, was being held Wednesday on a $35,000 bond for a second-degree felony charge of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
Wayland Baptist Universitys Association of Former Students will honor career Air Airman Maj. Gen. Michael Fortney with the Distinguished Alumni Award for 2017 at the homecoming celebration Sept. 22-23. The award will be presented as part of the homecoming banquet at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Sept. 22.

Maj. Gen. Fortney will retire in October as vice commander of the Air Force Global Strike Command at Barksdale AFB in Louisiana, which prepares combat-ready forces for strategic deterrence, global strike and combat support. The command comprises 33,700 professionals on two bases and 11 active-duty Air National Guard and Air Force Reserve wings.
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On Wednesday, Texas issued its first medical marijuana licence for a company aiming to help patients with a rare form of epilepsy.

With more companies expecting medical marijuana licenses soon, how do Texans feel?

According to a February 2017 poll conducted by the University of Texas and Texas Tribune, 83 percent of Texans probably feel pretty good, responding they "support legalizing marijuana for some use."

DETAILS: Texas issues first medical marijuana license

Of those surveyed, 30 percent approved marijuana for medical use only, 32 percent approved of small amounts and 21 percent approved any amount of marijuana.

The recent poll shows an uptick in support for some form of marijuana legalization since the last time the survey was conducted in 2015.

At the time, 76 percent of Texans supported legalizing marijuana for some use.

In the two-year period between both polls, Texans who believed marijuana should be completely illegal decreased by seven points.

HIGH DEMAND: Medical marijuana groups ask Abbott, DPS for more dispensary licenses

The closest Texas has gotten to some form of marijuana legalization was during the 2017 Legislative Session when House Bill 81, a bill to decriminalize the possession of less than an ounce of marijuana, was co-authored by 41 Republicans and Democrats.

A vote for the bill was scheduled but never occurred due to "procedural tactics employed by the conservative Texas Freedom Caucus," according to the Dallas Observer.

See what recent studies have shown about pot and health.
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Drivers will endure at least another week without a key part of the Sam Houston Tollway, as the start of schools in the Houston area is likely to reshuffle traffic that already has brought some people to the breaking point.

Repairs to the tollway where concrete buckled and a large sinkhole appeared along the frontage road will take at least a few days, officials said Thursday.

They got a good look at what Tropical Storm Harvey left behind below the floodwaters, only after pumping out waters that spilled from Buffalo Bayou.

CLASSES DELAYED: Some Houston ISD campuses won't be ready

In the depressed section of the tollway near Boheme, south of Interstate 10, the concrete panels shifted along the southbound main lanes under the water, said John Tyler, deputy director of engineering for the Harris County Toll Road Authority.

Crews began busting through the pavement to inspect the surface below.

"We will have to replace several lanes of pavement," Tyler said. "We've got to get the pavement removed so we can see what's under it."

That inspection ultimately will determine how significant the damage is, and how long it will take to rebuild the tollway and open it fully to traffic.

The damage was limited to the southbound lanes. The northbound lanes were reopened about 5:30 p.m. Thursday.

Traffic on Houston's west side has been slowed this week by a combination of changes in travel patterns, the loss of the tollway, inoperable traffic lights and other road closures around the area.

RECOVERY CZAR: John Sharp issues new 'rules of the road'

Tyler said the best-case scenario would be for the tollway to open sometime next week.

"The worst-case scenario, I would not want to put a limit on it," he said. "We are waiting to see."

Cost estimates for the repairs were not available Thursday.

Meanwhile officials with the Texas Department of Transportation predict crews will fix a massive sinkhole in the same spot at Boheme along Beltway 8, which acts as the tollway's frontage road. Dirt behind the retaining wall for the tollway, below the frontage road, eroded in a spot about the size of a 15-passenger van. The soil likely washed away through the retaining wall, TxDOT spokeswoman Karen Othon said.

Workers with Williams Brothers Construction will cut out the pavement, refill the hole and then rebuild the road atop it. The work is expected to cost about $150,000, Othon said. The repairs should take about a week, she added, though the favorable weather and forecast have officials optimistic they could beat the estimate.

Commuters also are hoping for the best, as the progress promises to help return traffic to normal.

"Work around the clock, whatever," said Tony Nguyen, as he filled his Lexus' gas tank at a nearby Shell station Thursday. "Just get it open as soon as you can."

Officials blamed flooding in Buffalo Bayou for forcing water onto the depressed portion of the tollway. One of two pump stations for the section stayed operational the entire time, but was unable to handle the deluge.

"It was just recirculating water," Tyler said, noting Buffalo Bayou was well outside its banks, so any water was just dropping back onto the tollway.

Tyler said Harvey is the only storm he is aware of in which rains and flooding were severe enough to close the segment.

TRAFFIC MEMES: Houston drivers have scathing comments after Harvey

The Mission Bend neighborhood along the tollway remained a murky mess, with residents still hauling large piles of debris to the curbs. Roads in the area were flooded and only accessible to residents, many of whom had posted signs saying "STAY OUT" and "KEEP AWAY" in their yards.

The tollway is the most significant roadway damaged because of the flooding and storms. In addition to the sinkhole, TxDOT on Thursday also was rebuilding FM 762 in Rosenberg where a culvert collapse washed the road away with it.

Now Playing: The northbound lanes of the West Sam Houston Tollway reopened to traffic late Thursday afternoon while work continues on the southbound lanes and a sinkhole along Boheme Drive. Video: Houston Chronicle

Officials still are assessing many local streets and roads for damages, but nothing significant has been noticed. A Houston Public Works spokeswoman said a culvert collapsed at Westheimer and Jeanetta, between Fondren and Gessner.

As officials have scrambled to repair segments and assess damages, drivers in many parts of Houston have suffered through miserable traffic that in some cases has turned 30-minute commutes into two-hour slogs.

The loss of Memorial Drive has severely impacted downtown access from the west within Loop 610. The segment of the loop in Uptown - already among the most congested roadways in the state - is handling more traffic as people detour around the tollway closing.

That could be complicated further by the start of many area schools, scheduled for Monday. The Houston Independent School District, the region's largest, will open 202 of its 284 schools on Monday. Others will follow for the next two Mondays, with some students sent to other campuses because their regular schools were severely damaged by the storm.

The return to busing and ferrying youngsters to school will have an effect on travel patterns already reeling from the changes resulting from some residents who are living elsewhere while they wait waters to recede or home repairs to be completed.

With all the uncertainty, transportation officials said preparation is going to be critical for drivers.

"They are going to have to leave early," Tony Voigt, a senior researcher based in Houston with the Texas A&M Transportation Institute, said Tuesday. "Think about working from home or using transit."

Metropolitan Transit Authority has added buses to some park and ride routes in anticipation of higher use, spokesman Jerome Gray said.
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The FBI arrested an Army veteran Thursday who is accused of making threats to blow up a Department of Veterans Affairs hospital in Kerrville and kill its employees, according to federal officials.

Walter Steven Crosley, 44, of Lakehills, served in the Army for 13 years, including time in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom, the FBI, and the VA, U.S. Attorney Richard Durbin said in a news release after Crosley appeared in court Thursday.
Houston City Councilman Dave Martin, who represents hard-hit Kingwood, had a message for the public about the American Red Cross.

"I beg you not to send them a penny," he said at Wednesday's council meeting. "They are the most inept unorganized organization I've ever experienced."

In part of a broader rant that also roped in a perceived lack of assistance from his native New Orleans ("Send me your darn trucks, Mitch," he said, a plea for the Big Easy's mayor, Mitch Landrieu, to send waste trucks westward to haul off storm debris), Martin said local folks opened shelters and gathered water and supplies to help his northeastern suburb's evacuees.

READ ALSO: Here's how well-known Port Aransas, Rockport businesses fared after Harvey

"Don't waste your money," said Martin. "Give it to another cause."

When Martin had finished, his neighbor at the horseshoe, Councilman Dwight Boykins grinned and waved a paper at him, as if to cool his colleague down.

A map of Red Cross shelters does list a facility at CrossWays Community Church on Russell Palmer Road in the Kingwood area.

READ ALSO: Maps show what Harvey's impact would look like in other U.S. states

Martin is not the only public official to go after the Red Cross' response to Harvey.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett has said he asked local nonprofit to set up a shelter at NRG Park in large part because he did not trust the Red Cross to do so.

"The Red Cross could not have done this. They wouldn't have had the wherewithal to do it," Emmett said. "Don't get me wrong, they're out there on the front lines, but I had already seen the difficulty and we needed to get this set up quickly."

READ ALSO: Before and after photos show Hurricane Harvey's damage along the Texas coast

The organization also has been faulted for failing to ensure supplies reached area shelters quickly enough. By sunrise Sunday, when much of the Houston area awoke under water, one of the city's two Red Cross shelters could not accept evacuees due to high water and the other had only 200 cots for what turned out to be more than 2,000 people. Cots did not arrive to the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown until after dark Sunday, and shortages there persisted for days.

A Red Cross spokeswoman defended the nonprofit in a statement Thursday.

"We had all of our shelters on standby the night before Hurricane Harvey blew in, we had all our supplies ready and waiting to go," spokeswoman MaryJane Mudd said. "In some cases the floodwaters made it a little hard to get those supplies from where they were stationed into the shelters for a short while. We've had 1,500 people on the ground, we've served over 700,000 meals and snacks, we've sheltered 40,000 people. I know the plan was there. The process has worked very well."

The nonprofit previously had said the widespread flooding caused by Harvey made it difficult to deliver additional supplies.

"Often, weather events come, hit hard, and leave quickly," Mudd said in an email last week. "Hurricane Harvey came and hovered over the city very hard for an extended time, making it difficult for our pre-arranged, available shelter items to get to some locations."
Chris Best /U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

A species of grass known to grow in only one place in West Texas is the first species to be added to the federal endangered list under President Donald Trumps administration.

Only 56 individual plants remain of Guadalupe fescue, which grows in the Chisos Mountains of Big Bend National Park, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. A post in Thursdays Federal Register also states the service has designated 7,815 acres of land in the park as critical habitat.
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The Fourth of July in 1995 was the day Marycarmen Lopez and her family drove to San Antonio from Mexico.

It was a path the actress said led to opportunities she now fears will be denied to "Dreamers" following President Donald Trump's decision to rescind Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA.

Lopez moved from Hermosillo, Sonora, Mexico to San Antonio when she was 7 years old. She is a product of the South Side and an alumna of Harlandale High School and Our Lady of the Lake University.

She was a local host for Univision and now plays Reyna Velez in the Oprah Winfrey-produced show "Queen Sugar."

Now Playing: DACA recipient Jessica Azua addresses about 200 people gathered in front of the federal courthouse, Sep. 5, as activists galvanized to fight for permanent protection for so-called Dreamers. Video: San Antonio Express-News

In an interview with mySA.com on Wednesday, a day after Trump's decision was announced, the San Antonian said "now is the time to take action and speak up."

"We have been called criminals by Trump," she said. "But, his narrative is not our truth. Dreamers should share their accomplishments and be proud of them."

She also penned a Facebook post on Tuesday night, recounting her journey.

"I remember my first day of school in an American classroom," her post reads. "Everyone spoke like the adults in a Charlie Brown episode. I didn't understand ONE word."

RELATED: S.A., Texas state leaders react to decision to rescind DACA

Lopez said she realized the importance of working "twice as hard" at that moment and learned English with the help of family, teachers and school programs.

She went on to compete in Nuestra Belleza Latina and was a local host for Univision, before her TV break. Before that, she worked at H-E-B, collecting carts in the parking lot and as a cashier.

"We wanted to work," she said in a previous mySA.com interview. "I was excited to be able to buy a prom dress."

Trump's decision on DACA won't affect Lopez. She said in that 2016 interview that she became a lawful resident when she was 16 or 17 and was currently working on her application to become a U.S. citizen.

But the now 28-year-old said in her Facebook post that she's still chiseling away at her "dream."

"I am still working on my dream. I want to be here. I want to make a difference. This is my home... and I AM A DREAMER. It never leaves you. The struggle to fit in and to find your voice stays with you and despite the hurdles like the one today, we carry on. AND WE FIGHT. That's what we were taught to do our entire lives."

She said Dreamers don't take their opportunities for granted and they "work hard to give back."

Trump's decision to end the Obama-era policy threatens the deportation of nearly 800,000 immigrants. The Homeland Security Department is no longer accepting new DACA applications, but will take renewal requests from existing recipients whose permits expire before March 5. Those requests must be submitted by Oct. 5, according to a rescission memorandum.

"Many people around us will be affected," Lopez said on Wednesday. "That's what's heartbreaking about all of this. You're told to keep quiet in case something like this could ever happen...and it is."

mmendoza@mysa.com

Twitter: @MaddySkye
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A paramedic who was the first to examine Josiah Williams testified Wednesday that the child had been dead long enough for his blood to pool in his back and that his jaw was so rigorous that the EMT could not get a tube in his mouth to establish an airway.

Robert Kurt Johnson told the jury hearing the child injury case against Gloria R. Proo, Josiahs stepgrandmother, that when he arrived, the child was lifeless, severely emaciated and had injuries spread across his whole body that were in various stages of healing.

Proo is the second of three adults to be tried on allegations of injury to a child/severe bodily injury by omission in the death of Josiah, 5. Authorities said the child was beaten and starved.

Proos daughter, Crystal Williams, was convicted in June of injury to a child/severe bodily injury by omission for not providing medical care for the boy. She was sentenced to 99 years in prison. Charleston Williams, her husband and the boys father, is awaiting trial.

Authorities responded to a call for a cardiac arrest at a home in the 3900 block of Gayle Avenue on the Southeast Side on Dec. 27, 2012. When Johnson saw the boy, he said Josiah seemed malnourished, had bruising around the eyes, skin lacerations and a soft spot on his skull.

His eyes were swollen shut to the point that I could not make a proper evaluation of his pupils, Johnson told the jury.

Jurors were shown a photograph of the deceased child on a backboard and gurney. His eyes were black, and the bones of his ribs, elbows, knees, shoulders and hips protruded.

He was severely emaciated, Johnson told the panel.

Prosecutors allege Proo lived with her daughter and son-in-law and bears equal responsibility for Josiahs death because she was in charge of caring for him and his stepsiblings.

The defense contends Proo did not live with her daughter and son-in-law and was not a blood relative of Josiahs  and therefore not responsible for his death.

Under cross-examination, defense attorney James Tocci asked Johnson whether he spoke to Proo or remembered seeing her at the house. Johnson said he spoke only to the childs parents and said he did not recall seeing Proo at the home.

Earlier Wednesday, the jury heard from Proos 13-year-old biological grandson who was adopted after being removed from his parents custody after Josiahs death, when he was 8 years old.

The grandson told the jury that while he was in the custody of Child Protective Services, he attended weekly therapy sessions to try and forget what happened.

Although he told prosecutors and defense attorneys that he could not remember many details involving the incidents that led up to Josiahs death, the grandson testified that Proo did stay with the family, though he did not remember the exact time frame.

Testimony is being heard in the 379th state District Court, presided by Judge Ron Rangel. If convicted, Proo faces up to life in prison. Court records indicate that she has applied for probation.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
The trial of a stepgrandmother accused of injury to a child by omission in the 2012 death of a 5-year-old boy whom authorities said was starved, beaten and weighed 38 pounds when he was found enters its third day today.

Gloria R. Proo is the second of three defendants accused of injury to a child/severe bodily injury by omission in the death of Josiah Williams on Dec. 27, 2012. Her daughter, Crystal Williams, was convicted and sentenced in June to 99 years in prison. Charleston Williams, the childs father, is awaiting trial.

RELATED: San Antonio EMT testifies that starved, beaten child 'severely emaciated'

Authorities found Josiahs lifeless body in a room at his home in the 3900 block of Gayle Avenue on the Southeast Side. His eyes were black, he was emaciated, covered with bruises and abrasions and his body already was beginning to stiffen in rigor mortis, a witness testified.

Now Playing: Crystal Williams, 27, and Charleston Williams, 25, were arrested Friday on a felony charge of injury of a child related to the death of 5-year-old Josiah Williams. Video: San Antonio Express-News

The trial opened Tuesday. Prosecutors told the jury that Proo, 52, lived with her daughter and son-in-law and was the primary caretaker of Josiah and his two step-siblings. The defense contends Proo did not live at the house, wasnt a blood relative and did not have responsibility for the child. Acevedo said Proos father was terminally ill at the time and rarely had contact with the children because she was with her father.

Before Charleston Williams retained custody of Josiah, he lived with his maternal grandmother, who testified Tuesday that she took care of the boy because her daughter was incarcerated on a drug charge. She said once back with his father and stepmother, she was not allowed to see Josiah.

RELATED: Syringe left at North Side home leads SAPD to suspected burglar

Later Tuesday, a family friend testified that he went to the house for a barbecue shortly before Thanksgiving 2012 and that while there, Proo seemed to be upset at Josiah. He said the child was not allowed to eat when everyone else ate and had later learned that the child was in time out. When asked who was monitoring the children, he said in his opinion, he felt Proo was in charge of the children at the home.

On Wednesday, a San Antonio emergency medical technician who was the first person to treat Josiah said the childs eyes were bruised and swollen shut and he had multiple injuries in various stages of healing all over his body.

The trial is being heard in the 379th state District Court, presided by Judge Ron Rangel. Injury to a child/severe bodily injury by omission is a first-degree felony. Proo faces up to life in prison. Online court records indicate she has applied for probation.

ezavala@express-news.net

Twitter: @elizabeth2863
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A woman who allegedly pointed a gun at a San Antonio store's employees last month to secure the release of a man who was stopped for shoplifting is still at large, according to authorities.

Police are asking for the public's help to identify and find the pair.
WASHINGTON - President Donald Trump announced Thursday five nominees to begin filling a swath of vacancies in the Texas federal courts.

Right now 13 of the state's federal judges ships are vacant - a quarter of the total role - including two seats on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals.

In the Southern District of Texas, which includes Houston, Trump has nominated Fernando Rodriguez, Jr. to serve as a district judge. A former partner at Baker Botts in Dallas, Rodriguez currently works in the Dominican Republic, leading efforts to fight sex trafficking criminals targeting children for the non-profit International Justice Mission.

Outside of the southern district, Trump nominated:

Walter David Counts, III, a U.S. magistrate judge in West Texas, to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Western District of Texas.

Matthew J. Kacsmaryk, deputy general counsel to the non-profit First Liberty Institute, to serve as a U.S. district judge for the Northern District of Texas.

Jeff Mateer, first assistant attorney general of Texas, to serve as U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Texas.

Karen Gren Scholer, co-managing partner in the Dallas law firm of Carter Scholer, to serve as a U.S. district judge in the Northern District of Texas.

RELATED STORY: Texas at center of courts overhaul

As the Chronicle reported last month, the openings present "a historic opportunity for Trump."

Whatever his problems in Congress, he has a chance to remake the federal bench with judges serving lifetime appointments. And with the abolition of the Senate filibuster for district and appeals court judges, Trump only needs the votes of Republicans to confirm his picks.

From immigration to voting rights and social legislation, court watchers see a sea change coming in the federal courts, even if Trump doesn't make it to a second term.



"The contrast between the types of judges President Obama advanced and those President Trump is advancing couldn't be more stark," said Carrie Severino, chief counsel and policy director for the Judicial Crisis Network, a conservative legal organization.

On Thursday Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, praised the nominees as "accomplished" attorneys with "fidelity to the U.S. Constitution."

"The last few years have demonstrated that our country desperately needs a new generation of jurists who are willing and able to defend the rule of law, and I believe that these five Texas nominees bring us one step closer to that goal," he said in a statement.
Though he joined the Army Air Forces in 1942 for the opportunity to fly, Kenneth Jerome Neuenschwander received a bonus  a greatly expanded world view.

Raised in a conservative Mennonite household in the small farming community of Berne, Indiana, Neuenschwander rejected dancing, seeing movies and drinking alcohol for many years.

But as he and his wife moved to different locations while he served in the Air Force, Neuenschwander relaxed those standards quite a lot, said his son, Brian Neuenschwander. He became more mellow  no prejudgments on behaviors.

Neuenschwander died at home Sept. 1, less than three weeks before his 97th birthday.

More Information Kenneth Jerome Neuenschwander Born: Sept. 18, 1920, Berne, Indiana Died: Sept. 1, 2017, San Antonio Preceded by: David and Maria Neuenschwander; two sisters; a brother Survived by: Wife Anna Barbara Neuenschwander, son Brian Neuenschwander and daughter-in-law Jane; daughter Gail Bruington and son-in-law Chester; granddaughter Hannah Neuenschwander Services: Memorial at 2 p.m. Sept. 15 at University Presbyterian Church, 300 Bushnell Ave. See More Collapse

The youngest of four children raised during the Great Depression, Neuenschwander wanted to become a pilot from a young age.

Serving as a pilot instructor throughout World War II, Neuenschwander returned to Indiana after being discharged, and started a small grocery store and a bowling alley with his brother.

He also attended Indiana University on the GI Bill, earning a bachelors degree in history.

Recalled to active duty in the Air Force during the Korean War, Neuenschwander decided to make the military his career and, in addition to flying, served in personnel.

Sent to Boston to instruct ROTC students in air science at Boston University, Neuenschwander also obtained a masters degree in education from the university at the same time.

After assignments in Roswell, New Mexico, Thule Air Base in Greenland and at the Pentagon, Neuenschwander and his family moved to San Antonio in 1964, where he was stationed at Randolph AFB.

Retiring as a lieutenant colonel in 1968, Neuenschwander and his wife decided to make San Antonio their home.

They realized that after having seen the world, that little town in Indiana wasnt going to be big enough, Brian Neuenschwander said.

Neuenschwander started Multicopy, printing out of his garage before growing into a bigger location and opening Sunwest Business Forms in 1980.

He was a businessman who really cared about the product he delivered, said his daughter, Gail Bruington. That  came before profits.

Married for 75 years, Neuenschwander and his wife were always were a pair, Bruington said. They grew up in a fairly insular little farming community; when they struck out into the world  they grew more and more open and adventurous and accepting of other people and other ways.

mheidbrink@express-news.net
Even before Harvey, the state of Texas, especially in areas along the Gulf Coast, had a unique vulnerability to infectious and tropical diseases. Extreme poverty, warm climates and climate change, urbanization, and large movements of human populations are the new drivers of 21st century diseases. Texas has all those things and more. We rank among the largest number of people living in poverty compared to any other state, and from Al Gore we learned that Texas and the Gulf Coast is a hotspot for North American climate change. Our cities are the fastest growing in the United States and it seems everyone is moving here - "Big, Hot, Cheap, and Right," according to Erica Grieder from Texas Monthly.

The forces now promoting disease in Texas and on the Gulf Coast were a major reason we set up a tropical medicine school with Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital. Over the last six years we've been busy. West Nile Virus hit us in 2012, Ebola in 2014 and then Zika in 2016. Texas also leads nationally in other mosquito-transmitted viruses, in addition to Chagas disease and typhus transmission. Now with Harvey we're waiting for the mosquitoes to return to flooded areas, and potentially a rise in West Nile and other viruses. Due to contaminated flood waters we'll watch for potential outbreaks of diarrheal diseases and infections due to the bacteria Vibrio vulnificus that makes its home in Gulf Coast waters. Regardless of whether or not you have been exposed to flood waters, make sure you are up to date on your tetanus vaccinations.
A Kurdish Womens Defense Units (YPJ) flag flies over Raqqa.

The Islamic State continues to lose ground inside Syria, with separate coalitions seizing turf from the self-declared caliphate in both northern and eastern Syria. The US-backed coalition has slowly pushed its way through the city of Raqqa, which was the Islamic States first capital. Meanwhile, the Syrian regime and its allies are attempting to retake the city of Deir Ezzor and its surrounding areas.

Combined Joint Task Force  Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF-OIR) announced on Sept. 4 that fighters operating as part of the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF) seized and cleared the Old City of Raqqa, including the Great Mosque. CJTF-OIR touted the gains as a milestone in the ongoing battle to defeat ISIS in Raqqa and all of Syria.

The battle for the Old City took approximately two months. The SDF entered the neighborhood in early July, but quickly ran into stiff resistance.

The Islamic State used the Rafiqah Wall, a historic barrier dating back to the 8th Century Abbasid caliphate, as a defensive fortification. This forced the US-led coalition to blow two holes in the wall, thereby allowing SDF fighters to stream into the Old City. CJTF-OIR emphasized at the time that great care was taken to avoid destroying the entire wall.

The large number of civilians living in Raqqa has slowed the ground campaign as well. CJTF-OIR says the US-backed forces evacuated thousands of civilians and went to great lengths to limit damage to infrastructure, including to the ancient mosque.

The Great Mosque is the oldest mosque in the city and has been under ISIS control since 2014 when the terrorist group captured the city from the people of Syria, CJTF-OIR said in its statement. ISIS deliberately and consistently uses protected civilian infrastructure such as schools, hospitals and mosques as headquarters, weapons factories and finance hubs.

The SDF draws many of its fighters from the Kurdish Peoples Defense Units (YPG) and Womens Defense Units (YPJ). The YPG and YPJ are affiliated with the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), a US-designated terrorist organization.

The YPG claims that the SDFs fighters currently control 14 of Raqqas 23 neighborhoods, or more than 60 percent of the city, with operations continuing in the remaining nine neighborhoods. The YPG also claims that more than 1,200 Islamic State jihadists were killed in August. In addition, 28 vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) were reportedly destroyed before reaching their targets. Abu Bakr al Baghdadis organization has deployed hundreds of VBIEDs during its defenses of Mosul and Raqqa, but dozens of the explosive-laden cars and trucks have been taken out before they could do any damage.

As in past battles, the YPG has promoted its role in the fight for Raqqa on social media. The images include photos of YPG and YPJ flags flying over captured ground, as well as videos of Kurdish forces leading civilians to safety. The YPG has also promoted its foreign fighters. Several photos document a ceremony held in New York to commemorate an American who died fighting for the YPG in the so-called caliphates stronghold.

Separately, Bashar al Assads regime, backed by the Iranians and Russians, claims to have broken the Islamic States siege on the eastern city of Deir Ezzor. The two sides have clashed in and around Deir Ezzor since mid-2014, with Abu Bakr al Baghdadis loyalists laying siege to the regimes positions. The Islamic State has produced a steady stream of propaganda from the fighting in Deir Ezzor, including numerous videos of captured soldiers from the Syrian Arab Army (SAA).

In January, the Islamic State launched a new offensive against Assads forces in Deir Ezzor, effectively cutting their positions into two. The assault further exacerbated the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Deir Ezzor, according to the United Nations.

However, the SAA has received a boost from Iranian-sponsored militiamen and other irregulars, as well as Russian forces, in recent weeks. This has allowed the the SAA to make new advances in the area.

As Abu Bakr al Baghdadis men lost ground in both Iraq and Syria over the course of the past year, key leadership figures, including those involved in planning attacks in the West, have relocated to Deir Ezzor province. The US has carried out a series of airstrikes targeting Islamic State operatives in the towns and villages surrounding the city. This leadership attrition may have indirectly aided the Assad regimes own drive to retake the area.

Iran is keenly interested in securing eastern Syria as part of a corridor connecting the country to Iraq, where thousands of additional Iranian-sponsored fighters are stationed. But the Iranians also have an interest in simply helping Assad retake Deir Ezzor, a provincial capital that has not been controlled by the Syrian regime for years.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Israel struck a suspected chemical weapons facility maintained by Bashar al Assads regime near Masyaf, Syria earlier today. The Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA), a propaganda arm for Assads regime, quickly confirmed the strikes, claiming that Israeli warplanes fired several rockets from the Lebanese airspace. SANA did not mention that Masyaf reportedly houses a chemical weapons facility, but claimed that two army personnel were killed and material damage was done to the site.

The airstrikes were launched less than a day after the United Nations released a report saying it has documented 25 incidents of chemical weapons use in the Syrian Arab Republic between Mar. 2013 and Mar. 2017. Twenty of these were perpetrated by government forces and used primarily against civilians. The UN also held the Assad regime responsible for the Apr. 4 sarin attack on civilians in Khan Sheikhoun, Syria. At least 83 people were killed and hundreds more injured in the bombing. Both the Syrian and Russian governments have denied the regimes culpability, but the UN found that their explanation was not credible.

The facility near Masyaf, which is located in the Hama province, is one of several suspected chemical weapons sites maintained by the Syrian regime. Both the UN and the US say that despite agreeing to give up its chemical weapons, Assads government continues to operate a weapons of mass destruction program.

In January, the US Treasury Department sanctioned 18 senior regime officials connected to Syrias weapons of mass destruction program. The sanctions were announced after a UN body found that the Syrian government, specifically the Syrian Arab Air Force, was responsible for three chlorine gas attacks on Apr. 21, 2014 and Mar. 16, 2015.

Among those sanctioned were several officials who work for the regimes Scientific Studies and Research Center (SSRC), which reportedly manages the sites in Masyaf and elsewhere.

In late April, just weeks after the Sarin attack in Khan Sheikhoun, Treasury announced one of the largest sanctions actions in history, sanctioning 271 SSRC employees who have expertise in chemistry and related disciplines and/or have worked in support of SSRCs chemical weapons program since at least 2012.

Treasurys designations did not specifically mention Masyaf as one of the SSRCs chemical weapons facilities, but other reporting has pointed to the location.

In May, BBC News cited a document prepared by a western intelligence agency as indicating that Assads men were producing chemical weapons at three primary locations. In addition to Masyaf, two other facilities, Dummar and Barzeh, are reportedly located outside of Damascus. The same document alleges that both Iran and Russia, the [Syrian] governments allies, are aware of the ongoing chemical weapons production, according to the BBC.

Israel has closely tracked the facilities in Masyaf and elsewhere for years, fearing that the Syrian military may transfer some of the know-how to Hezbollah or other Iranian-backed terrorists. This concern has only grown as Hezbollah has increased its footprint inside the country. In 2012, Spiegel Online reported that Masyaf was one of the locations being closely monitored by Israeli intelligence and Israel was weighing whether to strike.

Israel has repeatedly bombed other locations inside Syria since the beginning of the war.

In May, for example, the Israeli Air Force struck an apparent weapons shipment to Hezbollah at the T-4 military base near Palmyra. In Dec. 2015, the Israelis reportedly bombed a Hezbollah position, killing a long-wanted terrorist. These are just two of Israels suspected bombings in Syria. [See FDDs Long War Journal reports: Israels airstrikes in Palmyra likely targeted Hezbollah weapons shipments and Israeli Air Force kills notorious Hezbollah commander in Syria.]

The facilities at Masyaf reportedly store not only chemical weapons, but also the means for delivering them. Janes Defence Weekly reported in 2014 that various Syrian regime development projects, including those related to missile and rocket production, were relocated to Masyaf as a result of the ongoing war. Projects related to manufacturing Scud missiles, armor, and surface-to-air missiles were already based in Masyaf, according to Janes.

In April, the US launched its own airstrikes on a Syrian airbase. The bombings were carried out after the sarin attack in Khan Sheikhoun.

Thomas Joscelyn is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Senior Editor for FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Yesterday, the US Forces  Afghanistan issued a cryptic press release apologizing for an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam that was part of a leaflet dropped in Parwan province. While the press release never addressed the specific contents of the image, Taliban media personnel posted it on their twitter feeds.

The image (reproduced above) features a lion chasing what appears to be a dog or a goat with the shahada (the profession of faith in Islam: there is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah) emblazoned over it. The Taliban uses the shahada on a white background as its flag. Presumably, the lion represents the Afghan government/military, while the dog/goat represents the Taliban.

A public affairs or information operations specialist made the grave error of equating the shahada solely with the Taliban, and the commanding general of Special Operations Joint Task Force  Afghanistan is now forced to apologize for the mistake.

Predictably, the Taliban quickly capitalized on the US information operations blunder and launched a suicide attack outside of Bagram Air Base. The Taliban claimed the attack and said it was executed to avenge the perceived insult on Islam. The Taliban claimed more than 20 people, including US personnel, were killed at the gate outside of Bagram. US Forces -Afghanistan confirmed the attack and said the explosion resulted in a small number of casualties.

The Taliban, without a doubt, will claim more attacks to avenge the perceived slight.

The Taliban has deftly used its propaganda to make itself appear to be the defenders of the Muslim faith. This is a serious issue and a major component of the war that should not be taken lightly. The Taliban, like other jihadist groups such as al Qaeda, derives its legitimacy in the Muslim world by enmeshing itself in Islam. Religious leaders and the fatwas, or religious edicts, that they issue are just as important, if not more so, than the military commanders and their operations.

Press release attributed to Major General James Linder, the commanding general of Special Operations Joint Task Force  Afghanistan:

On September 5, U.S. forces conducted a leaflet drop in Parwan Province. The design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam. I sincerely apologize. We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide. There is no excuse for this mistake. I am reviewing our procedures to determine the cause of this incident and to hold the responsible party accountable. Furthermore, I will make appropriate changes so this never happens again. Resolute Support remains committed to Afghanistans future, and I offer my sincerest apologies for this error.

Bill Roggio is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for Defense of Democracies and the Editor of FDD's Long War Journal.

Are you a dedicated reader of FDD's Long War Journal? Has our research benefitted you or your team over the years? Support our independent reporting and analysis today by considering a one-time or monthly donation. Thanks for reading! You can make a tax-deductible donation here.
Lifestyle / Travel

According to 13,000 expats, the small country in the Persian Gulf ranks high in terms of the ease of settling in, jobs, work-life balance and family life.

Sep 07, 2017 | By Pameyla Cambe

It may have come in at 19th place last year, but it seems that Bahrain is now a new favourite amongst expats settling overseas. A survey conducted by networking site InterNations has revealed that the small country has scored high marks for most of the 13,000 expats who participated, representing 166 nationalities and 188 territories across the board. A total of six categories were examined by the survey, namely: quality of life; ease of settling in; working abroad; family life; personal finance; and the cost of living index.

Situated in the Persian Gulf, Bahrain has been described by expats as a beautiful melting pot of many different cultures, with many noting that the local Bahrainis are friendly and welcoming to foreigners. A bonus for most respondents was that aside from their native Arabic mother tongue, many local Bahrainis also speak English, making it easy for foreigners to communicate and settle in the country. Its also worth noting that a quarter of respondents said they felt at home right away  despite never having lived abroad before.

Bahrain has also topped the list for areas such as job and career, work-life balance and family life, but for those looking for more sociable options, Costa Rica is the place for you. Coming it at second place, the sunny country has ranked the highest in the Finding friends subcategory, besides performing well in other categories of quality of life, ease of settling in and family life.

Mexico makes an appearance at the top of the list again  this time at third place  thanks to the ease of settling in, personal finance and cost of living in the country. However, it failed to perform as well in terms of safety, healthcare and quality of life, which is where Portugal (#5), Taiwan (#4) and Spain (#10) have excelled.

The results also reveal some trends amongst the top 10 best expat destinations: they all happen to be sun-soaked countries in warmer climates, bursting with culture. It should come as no surprise, then, that Singapore has made it on the list, coming in just before Spain at 9th position.
Lycoming Colleges Class of 2021 passes through the David B. Sykes Gates en route to New Student Convocation. Download Image: Web

Lycoming College welcomed the class of 2021 and transfer students to campus during its annual New Student Convocation on Friday, Aug. 25. The traditional ceremony, which marks the beginning of each academic year, was held on the Colleges upper quad near Clarke Chapel.

The ceremony began with the opening of David B. Sykes gates by the student senate officers, followed by a procession of the new students to the quad, where they were joined by the Colleges president, faculty and staff in academic regalia. Many parents and family members shared in this celebration on campus; in addition, family and friends representing students from 18 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico and from such faraway places as Mauritius, off the coast of East Africa, were invited to join in the event through live streaming.

The Lycoming College Brass Ensemble, directed by William Ciabattari, Ph.D., conductor and associate professor of music, performed several selections for the prelude and the processional. The Lycoming College Choir, under the baton of assistant professor of music Daniel Hall, Ph.D., sang the alma mater and performed a selection from Big River and Stephen Paulus moving piece, The Road Home.

Michael Panczyszyn, a junior astrophysics major from Linden, Pa., and president of student senate, addressed the new students on behalf of the student body. He reminded them of the importance of having open minds as [you] meet new people from diverse backgrounds and cultures and learn new things.

President Kent Trachte, Ph.D., spoke about Lycomings mission to provide a liberal arts education so that students become engaged citizens. Referring to controversial topics currently sweeping the country, Trachte stated that, These conversations may feel uncomfortable but colleges like Lycoming are places where these discussions should take place. We strive to create an environment that values the free exchange of ideas. We debate vigorously, but we respect those with whom we disagree.

The faculty address was delivered by Andrew Leiter, Ph.D., professor of English. Leiter made the case that Lycomings liberal arts degree will prepare students not for a specific job, but rather, for careers and lifetimes of learning.

Lycomings dean of first-year students, Andrew Kilpatrick, concluded the ceremony with some practical advice: Hit the ground running. Work consistently. Be intellectually curious. Be resilient. Take advantage of our resources, our excellent faculty and staff, and all the experiences that your Lycoming education will offer you over the next four years.
In the early stages you need it all the time 'cos of hormones, and in the latter stages you need it because you've got another human pushing on your bladder constantly.

Anyone who's ever been pregnant knows that the loo becomes a place you get to know pretty well.

So we weren't, in one sense, totally surprised when we read this story in The Sun, about an 8-month-pregnant mum from Caerphilly, South Wales, who wet herself when out shopping in Iceland as they wouldn't let her use the staff loo.

Mum of 3, Danielle Cull, told the paper:

"I went to do my shop with my 8-year-old son. I had paid and phoned a taxi to pick us up who said they would be with me in 15 minutes.

"All of sudden I just felt this excruciating pain through my back and my stomach and had this sudden urge to go to the toilet. I thought I was about to wet myself.

"I went over to the female manager and explained my situation.

"She just said no, it wasn't their policy to let customers use the toilet. She told me I needed to run to the pub over the road and go in there.

"I just started crying I really needed to go and I was in pain.

"After trying to get her to understand I gave up and had to run to the pub. I even had to leave my son and the shopping unattended I was so desperate.

"By the time I had got to the pub I had actually already wet myself."

Oh man ?

Here at MFM, whenever we hear a story like this, we usually find ourselves mumbling something abut health and safety and blanket policies...which, it seems, is exactly what was going on here.

A spokesperson for the store said:

"We pride ourselves on being a caring business, but our store colleagues also have to be conscious of their responsibility to comply with our health and safety procedures at all times.

"These preclude us from offering members of the public access to staff toilet facilities in any of our stores because they are located in back areas where stock is also held, increasing the risks of an accident occurring.

"While naturally sympathetic to our customer, our female colleague in Caerphilly was also conscious of the importance of not exposing a heavily pregnant lady to any such danger."

So, the store was just sticking to the rules. And rules are rules, right? Hmmm....

What do you think?

Was the store right to refuse to let Danielle use their facilities - or is it all health and safety gone mad?

Should all bigger stores be made to provide a separate customer toilet - after all, it's not just pregnant ladies that find themselves desperate to spend a penny when out on a shop, is it?

Tell us in the comments below or over on Facebook

Read more:
Kochi: Actor-cum director Nadirsha, who was under a cloud in the sensational actress assault case on Thursday approached the Kerala High Court for an anticipatory bail plea in connection with the case.

In his bail plea, Nadirsha pointed that he had earlier co-operated with the interrogation. He also added that the interrogation team force him to give statement against Dileep and the cops threaten to detain him, if the director moves for an anticipatory bail.

Earlier, the police had requested his presence for interrogation but Nadirsha skipped it by citing health reasons.
RIDGEWAY  Commonwealth Crossing Business Centre is officially open for business and ready to attract companies.

Local and state officials and economic developers made that declaration Wednesday afternoon while breaking ground for a manufacturing training center to be part of the industrial park, under development on 720 acres off U.S. 220 South at the Virginia-North Carolina line.

Amid heavy rain, about 70 people gathered under a tent at the park for the ceremony. Although straw had been scattered under the tent, the ground was so soaked that some visitors feet were submerged in water as they walked around or sat listening to speakers remarks.

Nobody seemed to mind, though. They were just glad that the park has finally come to fruition.

This has been a long day coming, said Mark Heath, president and chief executive officer of the Martinsville-Henry County Economic Development Corp. (EDC). So despite the bad weather, its a beautiful day in Henry County, he said.

Rain or shine, Henry County delivers in terms of bringing projects it undertakes to success, said Patrick Henry Community College President Angeline Godwin.

We have survived the drama with the Army Corps and a lot of rocks that had to be removed as part of site preparation, Heath proclaimed.

It has taken a decade to get Commonwealth Crossing to this point. Jim Adams, chairman of the Henry County Board of Supervisors, recalled that after the land was acquired in 2007, a battle ensued with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to obtain an environmental permit needed to develop the park. The permit finally was granted in 2014 and development of the park actively started then.

Commonwealth Crossing has four lots on which companies can locate. However, EDC officials have said that if necessary, lots can be combined to meet a companys needs, or the entire park could be made to accommodate a single large industry.

Lots 1 and 4 now are fully prepared for industry to arrive, said Adams, who represents the countys Blackberry District.

Lot 1 has a 120-acre construction pad. Lot 4s pad is 55 acres. Both lots are reserved for mega-projects in which companies will agree to invest at least $250 million and create a minimum of 400 jobs, according to officials.

Because a railroad runs by it, Lot 1 is being marketed heavily to companies such as plastic, rubber and wooden products manufacturers that need rail service for receiving materials and shipping goods. Both lots also are being marketed to firms needing lots of water, such as food processors, officials have said.

Adams mentioned that Commonwealth Crossing is one of only a few industrial parks in Virginia with railroad access.

Along with the railroad, the park is connected to water, sewer, electricity, natural gas and broadband. There is a paved road on the property. Street lamps have been placed along the road.

Henry County and Martinsville have agreed to share revenues  such as tax money  that the county receives from companies eventually locating in the park.

Between $25 million and $30 million has been spent toward developing the park already, according to County Administrator Tim Hall.

In July, Gov. Terry McAuliffe announced that the EDC will get a $500,000 Virginia Business Ready Sites program grant for Commonwealth Crossing. Officials later said the money will be used toward the construction of a water tank at the park. The tanks construction cost has been estimated at $2.8 million to $3 million. Contributions from other sources are being sought to pay the remainder of the cost.

The development of Commonwealth Crossing shows we are a truly progressive community and we take economic development seriously, Adams said.

In addition to the localities eventually reaping revenues, the jobs generated here will provide much-needed employment opportunities for our citizens, said Martinsville Mayor Gene Teague.

Partners with the county, city and EDC in developing the park include the U.S. Small Business Administration, the Virginia Economic Development Partnership, the Virginia Tobacco Region Revitalization Commission and The Harvest Foundation.

Commonwealth Crossing is as impressive (of an industrial park) as Ive seen anywhere, said Dale Moore of Altavista, a tobacco commission member who attended the ceremony. Its an investment in Virginia; its an investment in the Martinsville area.

We cant wait to see the first tenant move in, said Dr. Paul Eason, chairman of Harvests board.
MARTINSVILLE  Mother and daughter duo Corrie Utt and Danielle Ridgeway are reliving the fun they had when a younger Danielle participated in pageants  now, as pageant volunteers.

They live in Martinsville, but along with Tammy Bowles, are the driving forces behind the Franklin County Agricultural Fair Pageant, which will be held Saturday in Rocky Mount.

When Ridgeway was growing up, she competed in pageants, with her mother by her side. In 2008, when she was 16, Ridgeway was Miss Patrick County Agricultural Fair. She went on to compete in the Miss Virginia Association of Fairs Pageant at the Homestead in Hot Springs.

Winning sounds awesome, but above all its the experience you get to share with your child that is special, her mother said.

Empty nest syndrome

After high school, Ridgeway worked as a CNA while she pursued a degree in nursing.

Meanwhile, her mother had been a housewife for 25 years  When she moved out, I got empty nest syndrome really bad. I decided to go to work, Utt said.

Utt is the assistant manager of FasMart in Laurel Park, and Ridgeway is a Registered Nurse at Carilion Franklin Memorial Hospital in Rocky Mount. Bowles, the third on the pageant committee, owns ShaLivy Bridal and Dance Wear in Rocky Mount.

Utt continued volunteering for pageants, since the experience as a pageant mom had been such a pleasant one. I started auditing, judging and doing different things.

The volunteering was nothing new. Every year she won (a pageant), we came back and gave back, because pageants gave so much to her. We appreciated so much that they did for her, Utt said.

The mother and daughter duo also volunteer with the Miss Virginia pageant, including the most recent one in June.

Eventually, Utt said, she was asked to be Franklins pageant coordinator. I told them Danielle would be a better fit for it, partly because she works in Rocky Mount.

Building up the pageant

Ridgeway is in her second year as director of the Miss Franklin County Agricultural Fair Pageant, which itself has been going on for only three years. She came in as a helper during its first year.

I really enjoy it, Ridgeway, 24, said. This is a fun way for me to give back without competing. She enjoys bringing the girls together across race and religion.

At the pageant, they are all treated the same equally, enjoying a good time. I remember that from when I was young, and of course want to do the same things, she said.

Having been on both sides of the pageant crown gives her a unique perspective on pageants, Ridgeway said.

I think (the prior experience in pageants) is more beneficial to me as well as the girls, she said. Im easy to relate to, and younger, so weve developed a strong bond. Her dedication to her career also helps her serve as a role model, she added.

Oh, Im really impressed with how well Danielle has done it, her mother said, but Danielle is a go-getter. You have to know her to know.

We have really built the pageant up, Utt added. Im very proud to say weve put the pageant on the map. This is the third year of the pageant that weve only been in (together) for one year, and we took our Miss girl (Chelsea Claytor) to state (level, last year). Out of 20-some contestants, she brought home a top 5 position.

This Saturdays Franklin pageant will be the second round of queens that we crown, Utt said.

Reliving memories

Its so special now because its a whole new chapter, Utt said. We have the past memories. Thats one thing a lot of people lose sight on with pageants. Pageants tend to have a bad name, and what people lose sight on is that you can cherish those memories with your child forever, and that is worth way more than a crown that is placed on her head.

Competing in a pageant also gives girls confidence and abilities that carry throughout life, she said.

She said she figured the poise her daughter cultivated through her pageant experiences helped her ace her job interview to get the nursing job. I was just so impressed. I thought, You know, there really is so much more to these pageants than people give credit for.

Utt said being in a pageant also has helped her goddaughter, Lindsey Hankins, who is now 19 and in her second year at Radford University. She was real shy her whole life, Utt said. When she was 13 I talked her into doing a pageant. You would not even believe she was the same child.

Pageants are great for girls, Ridgeway said, and competing in them definitely helped her.

I was very shy and introverted as a child. When my mom got me started in pageants, it helped me blossom with confidence and interview skills and gave her chances at new friendships, Ridgeway said.

Though shes a Martinsville resident, Ridgeway said, shes just sticking with the Franklin County pageant; she has no plans of trying to get a pageant going in her hometown.

Its very important that you dedicate all of your time to only one pageant because we have so many different things that we do, she said.

There are several pageants that are held in Martinsville. Theres just not an agricultural fair pageant. What we have done to help the Martinsville girls is were open to any surrounding county within four hours (drive time) that does not have an agricultural fair pageant.

Most of the Franklin County Agricultural Fairs pageant contestants are from Franklin and Henry Counties, she added.

This opportunity has been a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity that we both enjoy and can do it together, Utt said. The memories we had in the past can carry on into the future.
SUFFIELD, Conn. -- The funeral of U.S. Navy Electronics Technician 2nd Class Petty Officer Dustin L. Doyon, who was killed aboard the destroyer USS John S. McCain last month, is set for Tuesday.

Doyon, a 2009 graduate of Cathedral High School in Springfield, was one of 10 sailors killed when a tanker sailing through the Straits of Malacca collided with the McCain, causing extensive damage to a crew compartment where many sailors were sleeping.

According to Doyon's obituary in The Republican, a Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated Tuesday at 10 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church on Mountain Road in Suffield. Burial will be private. The family will receive friends on Monday from 4 to 8 p.m. at the Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home, 443 East Street North (Route 159) in Suffield.

According to a press release from the town's First Selectman's Office, plans are in the works to allow the public to offer condolences:

"The Doyon family will be welcoming the public to pay their respects during portions of the services planned for their son and brother, Dustin Doyon. Once a definitive schedule is received from the U.S. Navy, the Town of Suffield will communicate the specifics of the plans, routes and shuttle information in accordance with the Doyon family's wishes."

The First Selectman's Office said Wednesday that some 200 American flags have been donated to the town for residents to fly. The flags are available at the First Selectman's Office in Town Hall, 230C Mountain Road, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

Suffield has been granted an exception to Gov. Dannel Malloy's order to raise flags statewide to full staff. Flags in Suffield will remain at half-staff until the completion of services for Doyon.

Doyon was posthumously promoted to Electronics Technician 2nd Class not long after the collision.

According to his obituary, he leaves his parents, Brian and Karen Doyon of Suffield, a sister, Annette Doyon of Danbury, and extended family in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maine.
AMHERST -- Interim Amherst-Pelham Regional Schools Superintendent Michael Morris could have the "interim" removed from his title later this month depending on comments from the school community and a school committee vote.

The Amherst Regional School Committee was expected to begin another search for a leader when Morris approached committee members over the last few months. "He reconsidered his interest in applying for the permanent position," regional chairman Eric Nakajima said Thursday.

Morris was appointed acting superintendent in the fall of 2016 to replace Maria Geryk, who resigned in August 2016.

He became interim superintendent and was expected to finish the academic year while the regional and Union 26 school committees, which are jointly responsible for finding a new school leader, began a search for a permanent superintendent.

But they halted the search in March after committee members learned that the online application posted by Ray and Associates, an Iowa educational executives search agency hired by the committees, included questions about applicants' criminal records, which violates state law.

Morris, who had said he didn't want the permanent post, agreed to stay on another year, giving the committees more time.

Morris could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday about why he changed his mind.

Nakajima said the committees, having heard abundant praise for Morris from the community, will figure out whether it makes sense "to go through with a (another) search if there's strong sentiment in the community (for Morris)."

He said saving the $25,000 in estimated search costs is only a small factor. Nakajima said the committees wouldn't be considering abandoning the search "if there wasn't such positive feedback."

He said the regional committee plans to have an extended public comment segment at its meeting Tuesday night and again Sept. 26, when Morris will essentially give "a job talk," he said.

"He would lay out his vision, of his thinking about what he would do to pivot from the interim (position)," Nakajima said.

The committee chairman said people in the community "were aghast" when they learned that Morris would not be applying for the permanent post.

Many have felt he has brought a sense of stability to the district. Geryk left amid controversy and a buyout settlement that some committee members did not endorse. She had threatened to sue the district.

Those who can't attend a meeting can contact members via email, Nakajima said.

A vote to hire Morris could be delayed until Oct. 10, Nakajima said. The committees want to ensure that people have time to comment.

"People may wonder whether (the committees) moved too quickly," Nakajima said, adding that it is critical to ensure the public is engaged in the process.

Morris began in the district 17 years ago as a fifth and sixth grade teacher at Fort River Elementary School. He then became the principal of Crocker Farm Elementary School before moving into district administration, first as director of evaluation and assessment and then as assistant superintendent.
SUFFIELD - The casket bearing the body of Navy sailor Dustin Louis Doyon, killed Aug. 21 with nine other sailors in a collision involving the U.S. John S. McCain in waters near Singapore, will arrive at Bradley International Airport Friday to begin the final stage in his return home.

It is not clear when the plane will arrive at Bradley, but the procession is expected to proceed through Suffield shortly before 5 p.m as it heads toward the Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home.

The town of Suffield issued a statement that said people who wish to pay their respects should gather at around 4:45 p.m. in the area of the Suffield Veterans Memorial at Route 75 and Bridge Street.

The hearse will be escorted from the airport by Suffield police cruisers.

Doyon, a 2009 graduate of Cathedral High School in Springfield, was one of 10 sailors killed when a tanker sailing through the Straits of Malacca collided with the McCain, causing extensive damage to a crew compartment where many sailors were sleeping.

Doyon was posthumously promoted to Electronics Technician 2nd Class not long after the collision.

According to his obituary, he leaves his parents, Brian and Karen Doyon of Suffield, a sister, Annette Doyon of Danbury, and extended family in Connecticut, Pennsylvania and Maine.

According to the statement from the town of Suffield, public calling hours for Doyon will be held from 4 to 8 p.m. Monday at the Nicholson & Carmon Funeral Home, 443 East St. N. in Suffield.

Doyon's memorial service will be held on Tuesday beginning at 10 a.m. at the Sacred Heart Church, 446 Mountain Road, in Suffield.

A private military funeral will immediately follow the service at the West Suffield Cemetery on Mountain Road. The burial will be open only to members of the immediate family and friends.
A 55-year-old Boylston woman, who once served as the director of the Bridgewater State University day care, pleaded guilty to child endangerment and failing to report sexual abuse charges, the Brockton Enterprise reports.

Judith Ritacco was in Brockton District Court Thursday where she pleaded guilty to failing to report suspected child abuse, reckless endangerment of a child and witness intimidation charges, the newspaper reports. She was sentenced to three years probation and cannot work as a supervisor at any child care facility.

The charges stem from the arrest of former Bridgewater State University student Kyle Loughlin. The Wrentham man worked at the BSU Children's Center between January and March 2015.

Authorities say Loughlin, 24, sexually abused several children while he worked at the facility. He also stole pairs of underwear from victims at the daycare facility, the Plymouth County District Attorney's Office said.

In March, Loughlin was sentenced in superior court to 7.5 years in prison and 10 years of probation after he pleaded guilty to rape, incident assault and battery on a child and larceny charges.

The Boston Globe reports Loughlin sexually assaulted three preschool-aged children.

Ritacco was charged after investigators said she failed to report the assault to authorities. The former director waited three weeks to report the abuse, according to the Brockton Enterprise.
ERVING - A man from Maine is facing drug charges after a traffic stop led police to discover he was hauling more than 1,000 bottles of drinks infused with THC, the chemical in marijuana that produces a high.

According to police, the man, Simon Wiinikainen of Starks, Maine, was stopped Wednesday afternoon after he was spotted driving 62 mph in a 40-mph zone, according to police.

The officer determined that Wiinikainen was driving under the influence of marijuana and placed him in custody.

A search of his vehicle found several cardboard boxes containing 1,015 12-ounced bottle of juice, tea and cider that were infused with 100 milligrams of THC. Police also found nearly 2 ounces of marijuana concentrate, and $1,000 in cash.

Wiinikainen was charged additionally with possession with intent to distribute a class C drug, manufacturing a class C drug, carrying a dangerous weapon, speeding, negligent operation of a motor vehicle, and having an open container of marijuana in a vehicle.

The bottles of liquid all bore the label for a company known as Lifted Drink Co., which is apparently based in the state of Maine judging from the label. The beverages also are marked that they are intended for medicinal use, and that people should avoid driving after use.

In Massachusetts, the possession of 5 grams of concentrated marijuana is not illegal, and possession of between 5 grams and 1 ounce is a $100 fine. Conviction for possession of more than an ounce is punishable by up to a year in jail and conviction of manufacturing or distribution can result in a 2 1/2 to 5 year sentence.

According to Erving police, Wiinikainen was held in lieu of $50,000 bail at Orange District Court.
Whats your role in improving outcomes for your company, our local economy, and the workforce?

You are invited to attend the Missoula Regional Manufacturing Growth Workshop, where manufacturers and businesses in the Missoula region will come together to think differently about strategic regional and sector growth issues, accelerate the collaborations needed to address them, and create an action plan for the area!

This one-day workshop will facilitate participants to form action-oriented collaborations quickly, move them toward a meaningful and measurable outcomes, and make adjustments along the way.

You will partner with manufacturing peers, along with public and private sector partners to identify pathways to overcome current pressing challenges.

To learn more, or register for this event, click the link below!

http://www.cvent.com/d/65qbwh

Or, Contact Shane Cantrell [email protected]

406-595-0679

NOTE: FREE parking is available next door at MONTEC (1121 E. Broadway St.). Missoula College will start charging for parking beginning this school year (during the time of this event). MONTEC is within walking distance of the Missoula College.

What would it look like if the Missoula area was a regional center of manufacturing excellence?

Missoula College,

Univ. of Montana, Room 230

1205 E. Broadway St.

Missoula, Montana 59802
"For small to medium to national organizations, for events and fundraisers of any size, in any format  live, virtual or hybrid  the platform is built for scale."
Economic developers love to think that their world is filled with data, numbers, charts and graphs that tell the tale of their community. The numbers are all there: employment figures, unemployment rates, vacancy rates downtown, available workforce, etc., etc. etc.

What do these numbers really say? Nothing. Sure, they might support the story, but they arent the story. They dont tell anyone what your community is like or why it is unique. Every community can quote data. Not every community has a story.

Full Story: http://mauryforum.com/once-upon-a-time/

Many thanks to Gloria ORourke

Member, Montana Economic Development Services, PLLC for sharing.
The first African Union (AU) Policy Conference on Promoting the Peace, Security, and Development Nexus concluded yesterday, in Tangier, Kingdom of Morocco, with the reaffirmation of the unwavering commitment to addressing the linkages between the Peace, Security and Development nexus. The Conference also committed to actively promote the triple nexus within the national, regional and continental contexts.

Held from 25 to 27 October 2022, the Conference provided a unique platform for policy and decision makers and peace, security and development practitioners, to explore ways and means to advance the AU-led strategic partnerships on building peace, resilience and prosperity in Africa. To this end, participants pledged to promote a shared vision of economic development in Africa, to attain the regional integration and free movement of people, goods and services through harmonization of economic, financial and monetary cooperation.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccan Expatriates, Mr. Nasser Bourita stressed, in his welcoming remarks, that the AU Policy Conference is an opportunity to discuss the best ways to consolidate sustainable development, peace, security and governance in Africa.

In her remarks, the Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, Ms. Amina Mohammed, highlighted the significance of the Sustainable Development Goals in ensuring peace and prosperity and reiterated her call on participants to put greater emphasis on the implementation of the development, humanitarian, peacebuilding nexus to deliver peace, security, and sustainable development across Africa.

Also, the AU Commissioner for Economic Development, Trade, Tourism, Industry and Minerals, Ambassador Albert Muchanga, encouraged Member States and partners to step up efforts to identify financial options that minimize the high-risk premium associated with investments in Africa and leverage their positions to address the structural causes of conflicts, reduce growth volatility, and consolidate development outcomes for a more secure and resilient Continent.

Conference participants reaffirmed the call for extraordinary measures by the AU and its Member States, the UN system, development partners, private sector, non- governmental organizations and other key stakeholders, to mainstream the voices of the border communities and agropastoralists in peace, security and development discourse by promoting an integrated continent-wide programmes. Such programmes are expected to enhance production and productivity, improve access to financial and entrepreneurial potential, improve climate resilient infrastructure, and strengthen conflict prevention and peacebuilding capabilities.

One dominant theme woven through the speeches by participants was the need for enhanced collaboration and information sharing with African stakeholders and international partners; African capacities for planning and implementation of programmes and peacebuilding projects; the nexus between humanitarian and developmental programmes; the need for inclusive and accountable governance; the role of the border communities and agropastoralists in promoting regional socio- economic integration and connecting communities for sustainable development and the interlinkages between inter-African trade, industrialization, infrastructure development and peace through effective implementation of the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA). The need for active, effective and meaningful participation of women, youth and representatives of children in peace, security and development was underscored. It was also stressed that free movement of people within Africa is a fundamental element for guaranteeing regional integration, peace and security of the Continent.

In his concluding remarks, Ambassador Muchanga expressed gratitude to the People and the Government of the Kingdom of Morocco for the successful convening of the Conference. He expressed gratitude to the members of the Peace and Security Council for their participation and valuable contributions in the discussions. Appreciation was also extended to AU Partners (the African Development Bank (AfDB), the African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank), the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the United Nations Economic Commission for Africa (UNECA), for all the efforts that led to the success of the Conference. One of the key messages that came out of the Conference is a call to rebrand Africa and act timely and effectively to generate results that deliver the Africa We Want, the Ambassador said.

On her part, Deputy Executive Secretary of the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA), Ms. Hanan Morsy underlined that the nexus reinforces the importance of partnerships to achieve sustainable development in Africa. As the Continent faces the challenge of increased debt, inflationary pressures and reduced fiscal space, the lasting solution can only come from within the Continent, Ms. Morsy stated.

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Brand Africa launched Brand Africa | Africas Best Places, the pan-African initiative to recognize and rank the best places for tourism, investment and citizen mobilisation in Africa.

The goal of the initiative is to inspire pride, raise the standards and grow the competitiveness of African places  countries, cities and destinations. The inaugural awards and rankings of the Brand Africa | Africas Best Places will be celebrated and published on 1 September 2022.

The Brand Africa | Africas Best Places initiative builds on the inaugural Brand Africa Forum in 2010 which convened African and global place branding decision makers and thought leaders to reflect on how African nations individually and the continent collectively can develop a supranational competitive advantage. Every year since then, Brand Africa has announced the Brand Africa 100 | Africas Best Brands the widely referenced pan-African survey and ranking of brands in Africa, which over the past 10 years, has established that only 20% of the most admired brands in Africa are African.

The initiative was announced by Brand Africa Chairman, Thebe Ikalafeng, on the sidelines of the Intra-Africa Trade Fair 2021 (IATF2021) which is taking place in Durban, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa from 15 to 21 November 2021.

Despite being rich in valued mineral resources, enviable indigenous fauna and flaura, a youthful population and being the second most populous continent accounting for 17.5% of world population, Africa attracts roughly only five percent of the worlds inbound tourism and FDI, says Ikalafeng.

Recognizing Africas Best Places will inspire pride in African places, enhance their reputations and competitiveness, grow tourism and investment, and ultimately contribute to the greater development and image of the continent, he concludes.

Thebe Ikalafeng Founder and Chairman of Brand Africa

The Brand Africa | Africas Best Places initiative is structured into two primary categories: (1) adjudicated awards and (2) rankings.

In the adjudicated awards category, African private and public institutions, agencies and practitioners can submit entries for initiatives and campaigns for tourism, trade and investment, economic development and citizen mobilization implemented internally in Africa or externally for Africa.

In the rankings category, an independent pan-African survey among citizens, visitors and investors will be undertaken to determine the best places for tourism, investment and to live.

Reflecting on the pandemic and the context of the IAFT2021 whose theme is focused on the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA) which aims to accelerate intra-Africa investment and trade from 18% to 50% in 2030 through a single market for goods and services across 55 countries, Ikalafeng, whos been to every country in Africa, believes that by highlighting Africas Best Places and championing made in Africa brands, will inspire and mobilize African entrepreneurs, grow tourism, trade and investment, and accelerate industrialization, which ultimately will contribute to Africas growth, competitiveness and distinctiveness in a post-pandemic world where nations are increasingly having to look internally for sustainability.

Dr. Keith Dinnie, the global authority in city, region and country brand management and author of the worlds first textbook on nation branding: Nation Branding  Concepts, Issues, Practice and editor of the book City Branding  Theory and Cases, Kwame Senou, Vice-President at Opinion & Public in Benin and Ivory Coast and Vice-Chairman for Brand Africa Francophone Africa and Central Africa, New York based Eloine Barry, the CEO of Africa Media Agency, Kwakye Donkor, the CEO of Africa Tourism Partners, and broadcaster, actor, traveller, entrepreneur and philanthropist, Masego Maponyane are the inaugural members of the advisory council.

The awards are open to global and African private and public institutions, agencies and practitioners. Entries open 1 January 2022 and close 30 April 2022. The adjudication, by a diverse and representative global African panel of eminent of place branding experts, thought leaders, academia, policy and decision makers and practitioners. The inaugural awards will be presented live 1 September 2022. Interested parties can register at www.brand.africa/places to receive further information. This portal will also be the channel to enter the awards.

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Christian Bale is back and like a good penny this time with his new western release, 'Hostiles', which just came out on the 2nd of this month. 'Hostiles', a sorrowful and action packed Western is set amidst beauty, revenge and tears. The film highlights the Native American resistance in the 1890's.

 Geek Tyrant

This Scott Cooper drama resolves around a respectful army general (Christian Bale) who is tasked with escorting a Native American chief across hostile territory, post his civil war years. Rosamund Pike who plays Rosalee Quaid is settler who loses her family to Comanche renegades. They murder her husband and shoot her daughters and her infant son and the movie grows from there when Rosalee carries her lifeless children in her arms for days. That's the grim and gripping reality of Cooper's underpinnings of the Western genre. The characters fall through beautifully and connect on increasingly bold strokes of compassion and resentment all put together. The group of men along with Bale, escorting the American Native chief, finally come to where Pike's house was burned down and find her tightly clutching the dead bodies of her children. That's when Bale makes an executive decision to escort the helpless, shivering woman to safety.

The film eventually revolves around the group facing many challenges as they walk together in the wild-wild west, one of them being the engaging masculinity all the male characters display, where the men have to be men with heaving deep voices, silent eyes and wounded hearts.

The director however has tried to romanticise violence through a lot of blood and gore. The characters are shot, gutted and hanged at every given scene and they aren't really given a chance to put up a good fight, throughout. Although, each character has a well defined role and the selection of actors for the film is justified, the film too beautiful unfolds along the Western land of opportunities and bad fate, presumably. The film beautifully introduces Bale's character as a staunch patriot, who has nothing left to show for his patriotism from the past, except a bitter view of prevalent human condition in which mindlessly killing one another is the way of life.

 Youtube

The film is more suited for Western movie connoisseurs than for younger audiences as its more contemplative and serious and not really something that'll keep you at the edge of your 400 rupee seat. Watch it for the thrill of the long lost west, in any case.

Check out the awesome trailer below:
For anyone who ever had doubts about Stephen King and his ability to f**k with our minds with novels in various genres like horror, supernatural fiction, suspense, science-fiction and fantasy; the 2017 release, It', cleared all those doubts. His evil clown tale narrates the ordeal of some kids who put up a fight against a clown with a history of murder and violence in a small town in Maine. Although Andres Muschietti's directorial venture is yet to hit the theatres, it has already kept us on edge with the eerily exceptional performances. Having said that, while It' has raised the bar for thriller movies really high, Stephen King's talents knows no bounds and the upcoming Netflix original Gerald's Game' is proof of the same. The film is based on Stephen King's 1992 novel of the same name.

 Netflix

There are some stories that lose their essence when turned into a movie, but some stories become eternal once adapted into a movie and by the looks of the trailer, Gerald's Game' has the potential to be that movie. The trailer starts on a fun note where a couple is trying to spice up their sex life, in a remote cabin, while on their romantic trip. To take things to the next level, Gerald handcuffs his wife Jessie and while she is handcuffed to the bed, she accidentally kills Gerald, leaving her with her no means of escape. With no one around, Jessie is left with nothing but to listen to her own voice and depend on some weird and painful memories to stay alive. Things turn scary when a hungry stray dog starts wandering the vicinity and tries to attack her. How she lets her inner voice take centre-stage to get out of this situation weaves the rest of the movie.

Carla Gugino and Bruce Greenwood both look highly promising as Jessie and Gerald. The movie is being directed by Mike Flanagan who has given us horror gems like Oculus', Hush' and Ouija: Origin of Evil'. While we loved reading the novel, the movie adaptation is bringing some much-needed life to the characters and we must say that so far, we are truly impressed by the trailer. This Netflix original is slated to release on September 29th.
For the unaware, it's time to be scared shitless. Russian Prez Putin made a very strong statement on the North Korean nuclear crisis, claiming that an attack could lead to "planetary destruction". Those two words surely had us scared shitless, ridiculously curious still, so we tried to understand why Putin would say that the U.S. sanctioning any more nuclear weapons in South Korea would not only provoke Kim Jong-un's Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) to defend themselves but also, in fact, be useless. Why is DPRK's weaponry a threat to the entire planet, to a point that Prez Putin is warning against it? This led us to check their arsenal of weapons. This time we shat bricks, and we'll start by talking about how the most recent nuclear test carried out in DPRK triggered an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude on the Richter's Scale, an explosion that is being claimed as "seven times stronger" than the ones that the U.S.A. brought on to annihilate Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945.

 YouTube-Alltime 10s

They have created a hydrogen bomb that can be loaded on to a ballistic missile, a major step ahead in their nuclear progress. DPRK is rumoured to have up to 30 nuclear weapons as of today. If all 30 are even remotely as powerful as the nuclear weapon that was tested on September 3, you should be taking Prez Putin's warning very seriously. According to a report, the number is expected to go up to 50 by 2020.

 YouTube-Bloomberg

While DPRK today might be sourcing some of its weaponry through duplicitous organisations, internationally (it is rumoured that this arms trade is carried out in China, more than anywhere else), most of the on-ground force equipment of the Korean People's Army, which is also by the so the largest paramilitary organisation in the world, comprises of battle tanks, armoured personal carriers, howitzer guns, self-propelled guns, assault guns, rocket launchers, rocket propelled grenades, rifles, shot guns, machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons, among other weapons, come from the erstwhile Soviet Union and China.

 YouTube - Jmantime

That doesn't at all mean that DPRK isn't baking in their own oven. It is common knowledge that they supplied Pakistan with ballistic missile designs, back in the 90's, so evidently they are adept at home-growing weapons. What's also not hidden is that they've built on-ground mobile machinery and submarines that could be used to carry and deploy nuclear warheads. This is just the tip of the iceberg.

 AP

Another report filed by American metallurgist, Siegfried S. Hecker, was a unnerving account of how he was flabbergasted on seeing weapons grade plutonium in jars on one visit to DPRK and nearly 2000 centrifuges with uranium at an enrichment facility, on the next visit. On returning, he suggested that the U.S.A. must consider peaceful negotiation with DPRK.

 Reuters

There is so much about the DPRK weaponry that's public knowledge, but without a shred of doubt, there's more that lies beneath the surface, literally and figuratively speaking, in the hermit kingdom. Is it wise to provoke them into unveiling, or as in this context, unleashing nuclear and non-nuclear mayhem on the world, probably not. Prez Trump, sir, put your negotiation skills and unsurpassed sense of judgement to do the right thing. Fingers crossed!
For the first time, Huawei has officially surpassed Apple as the second largest smartphone brand in the world. The Chinese company has taken the lead in terms of smartphone sales according to analysis firm, Counterpoint Research (June and July 2017).

 BCCL

Being second on the list means that Huawei is now behind Samsung in sales and the reason why Huawei overtook Apple was thanks to their consistent investment in research and development. Other attributes such as aggressive marketing have also contributed to the company's success.

It's worthy to note that Apple's new iPhone releases in a matter of days and sales figures for August have not released yet. Apple is expected to take the second spot as soon as the new iPhone goes on sale and may give Huawei healthy competition.

 Facebook

Huawei can maintain the momentum as the Chinese company can increase their presence in India, North America and other regions. Huawei is a popular smartphone brand in Europe, Latin America and China, and its success can be emulated in other markets to compete for greater sales and a top position on the list.

 Youtube

While Huawei climbed to be the world's second largest brand overall, it is surprising to see none of its models breaking into the top rankings, said Counterpoint Research senior analyst, Pavel Naiya in a statement. While Huawei has trimmed its portfolio, it likely needs to further streamline its product range like Oppo and Xiaomi have done  putting more muscle behind fewer products.

A report by IDC reveals Apple shipped 41 million iPhones in the second quarter of 2017 while Huawei shipped over 38 million devices. Numbers for the June and July sales have not been revealed yet and the research firm is expected to releases figures soon.
It all started with a quiet weekend trip to Arches National Park, Utah, in early 2012.

Now-married Army Capts. Kendall and John Gomber, who were dating at the time, had an idea for a way to see America while also seeing each other: visit every U.S. national park.

"It was awesome, especially when we were separated and at different duty stations. We'd have to see each other somehow, so we said, 'Let's go meet in Utah or Arizona or something,' " Kendall said.

Now the couple, who met at West Point in 2008, will soon check off their 59th and final national park this Labor Day weekend with a visit to Acadia National Park in Maine.

If all goes as planned, they will have visited every national park in just under five years.

That is no small feat, and officials with the National Park Service, who were tipped off to the couple's travels through an email from Kendalls sister, called it "a major accomplishment."

Although there are only 59 national parks spread across the United States' 16 territories, 50 states and the District of Columbia, some of them, like Katmai National Park in Alaska, or the National Park of American Samoa, are so remote they can only be accessed by boat or plane.

Add in coordinating trips between two separate Army training and deployment schedules while stationed at different locations, and you have a logistical nightmare.

But that didn't stop the Gombers, who married in 2015 and are now stationed together at Fort Hood, Texas.

Traveling to the parks over weekends and any leave time they could coordinate, the couple was determined not just to dip into every park, but to actually spend time in each one, they said.

"We had to go on some kind of run or see something" for a visit to count on their tally, John said. "What we would usually do is just on Trip Advisor, see what the top 10 things were, and see where they were in the park relative to where we would be."

Not every trip went smoothly. For example, their flight to Dry Tortugas National Park, off Florida, was canceled due to fog after they spent hours traveling to southern Florida, and they missed their flights to Big Bend National Park, Texas, when John got stuck in Indiana during a training exercise.

The project was also not cheap, they said. Between air, boat and car travel; lodging; food; and gear, getting to and safely spending time in each park cost them between $70,000 and $100,000, John estimates.

For example, to visit two of Alaska's eight national parks, the couple had to hire a bush pilot.

Visiting American Samoa, which requires travel across the International Date Line and carefully coordinated flights, was equally challenging.

The only thing that didn't cost, they said, was entrance to the parks themselves, thanks to the free military America the Beautiful pass.

John said other than what he calls "the big three" -- Yosemite National Park, California; Yellowstone National Park, Wyoming; and Grand Canyon National Park, Arizona -- his favorite parks are in Hawaii and southeast Alaska.

Kendall said her favorite is Congaree National Park, South Carolina, in part because it seemed so unknown to many Americans.

The couple said they'd recommend the challenge to anyone, but suggest those interested make sure they plan their visits carefully.

Most parks are wild places and having the wrong clothing, equipment and lodging plans can quickly turn a great trip sour.

"Whatever one you go to, make sure you talk to the park rangers," John said. "If you have the right equipment and right mindset for what you're doing, it's always going to be a fun experience."

-- Amy Bushatz can be reached at amy.bushatz@military.com.
Already strained by its response in the wake of Hurricane Harvey, the Coast Guard is now staging ships and gear for rapid rescues as Hurricane Irma makes landfall, the vice commandant of the service said Wednesday.

Adm. Charles Michel said he estimates Coast Guard personnel saved 11,000 lives in the wake of Harvey, which struck Houston, Texas, and the surrounding region, bringing massive rainfalls and widespread flooding.

But as work continues in the wake of that storm, some aircraft and other assets that assisted with Harvey relief will now prepare for Irma, a Category 5 storm that threatens the Caribbean and Florida.

"It stretched us just to be able to respond to Harvey, and now we're shifting resources right now to be able to respond to Irma," Michel told an audience at the Defense News conference near Washington, D.C.

Ahead of Irma, Michel said, all Coast Guard personnel in the Virgin Islands were evacuated to safety. The Coast Guard has boat forces detachments in St. Thomas and St. Croix.

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As of 2014, the service had 32 active military personnel and 30 auxiliary personnel stationed in the region, according to public documents.

While some Coast Guard boats are moving south to a strategic distance to avoid damage while the storm is raging, a number of aircraft will be stored in stormproof hangars in Puerto Rico, ready to assist survivors when called upon.

"Our hangars down there are built to withstand even more than this hurricane is probably going to be able to give us, and we've got a bunch of aircraft parked in there," Michel said. "... As soon as the storm gets past, you've got some aviation capabilities you can get in there."

The ships sent out of reach of the storm will move in rapidly in its wake, he said.

"Our ships are going to go down just far enough south that they can avoid the hurricane, and immediately come back because we want to get there as soon as humanly possible after the storm," Michel said.

"You've got to be there big, and you've got to be there fast," he said. "That's what our plan is going to be for Puerto Rico, and that's what our plan is going to be for Florida as well."

But will the chronically resource-strapped Coast Guard be overextended as it attends to storm relief?

Michel acknowledged that certain assets could maintain their aggressive workload for only a certain period of time before needing a break.

"You can only fly aircraft for so long before they lose maintenance and so on," he said.

But the Coast Guard hasn't hit its limit in crisis response. Michel noted that last week, while the service was focused on response to Harvey, Coast Guard assets elsewhere seized more than 10 metric tons of cocaine in successful drug interdictions.

"We're going to use these incidents to measure where capacity is and where gaps are," he said. "I'm confident that we're going to be able to respond to these as best that we can."

-- Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

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The Air Force will give select fighter pilots and aircrew the ability to stay in rotations longer at select commands and bases in an effort to create stability for airmen affected by the growing pilot shortage.

The service on Thursday announced the Second Assignment In-Place Pilot Program, or SAIP, for active duty late-career fighter pilots and weapon system officers is immediately taking effect.

"This is the first iteration as a program -- the 'pilot' pilot program -- where we'll learn and we can make adjustments as we go, but the real focus is to capture that key instructor pilot to grow our inexperienced aviators," said Brig. Gen. Mike Koscheski, the new leader of the Air Force's aircrew crisis task force set up last year by the Pentagon.

Koscheski told Military.com the target audience for this program will be small: lieutenant colonels or lieutenant colonel selects with 17 or more years of Total Active Federal Military Service, or majors not selected for promotion with 14 or more years TAFMS in career fields 11F Fighter Pilot and 12F Fighter Combat Systems Officers will be eligible.

Furthermore, the program will be open to those airmen who have less than a three-year active-duty service commitment and fill instructor pilot or evaluator pilot billets.

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The point is to go another three years without having to permanent change of station, or PCS, the general said. It's for those "coming towards the end of their assignment at the base they're at -- we call it 'vulnerable to move,'" Koscheski said.

"They can sign up [for the] program which basically resets the clock," he said.

Eligible Bases, Airmen

The effort comes two weeks after the service announced it will begin increasing its flight incentive pay and aviation bonus programs -- and even asking retirees to come back into the service -- to deal with an ongoing shortage.

Aviation bonuses and incentive pay will not be altered in any way for the individuals who will volunteer for SAIP, Koscheski clarified.

The Air Force said SAIP will be available to 11F and 12F Air Force Specialty Codes at the following sixteen bases at three major commands:

Air Education and Training Command

12th Flying Training Wing, Randolph AIr Force Base, Texas; 14th Flying Training Wing, Columbus AFB, Miss.; 81st Fighter Squadron, Moody AFB, Ga.; 33d Fighter Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.; 47th Flying Training Wing, Laughlin AFB, Texas; 56th Fighter Wing, Luke AFB, Ariz.; 54th Fighter Group, Holloman AFB, N.M.; 550th Fighter Squadron, Kingsley Field, Ore.; 71st Flying Training Wing, Vance AFB, Okla.; and 80th Flying Training Wing, Sheppard AFB, Texas;

Air Combat Command

53d Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.; 4th Fighter Wing, Seymour-Johnson AFB, Fla.; 325th Fighter Wing, Tyndall AFB, Fla.; and 355th Fighter Wing, Davis-Monthan AFB, Ariz.

Air Force Materiel Command

96th Test Wing, Eglin AFB, Fla.; and 412th Test Wing, Edwards AFB, Fla.

Koscheski estimates based on criteria, it will be at most 10 airmen per unit.

"Total effect ... it will be south of 100 [people]," he said. Wing commanders "already know which instructor pilots or instructors WSOs (know throughout the Air Force as "wizzos") are candidates for this...and we look to make those matches," Koscheski said.

Keeping the program small at first will guarantee minimal impact on current assignment cycles, he said.

Trial Run

The cycle to start this program has been synced with the next fiscal 2018 assignment list, that way leadership can monitor who signs up for the SAIP.

"Within four months we'll have [our first] assessment," Koscheski said.

The take-rate will determine whether the Air Force should expand the program to target other units across. For those who will not sign up, the service will survey these members to learn what other factors may be limiting them from staying in longer.

"We anticipate this will be a relatively successful program," said Koscheski, an F-15 pilot.

Since Air Force National Guard and Reserve duties are more often than not tied to location, active-duty pilots will be the primary focus of SAIP right now, Koscheski said.

When it expands, it will expand across the 11X and 12X AFSCs such as experimental, helicopter, and mobility pilots and Special Operations combat system, generalist, and bomber combat systems operator officers.

He added, "We're listening to the ... pilots out in the field, mid-career, 12-ish years ... and so, what they're really looking for is stability. Second Assignment In Place kind of goes after those areas for those folks."

Long-Term Solutions

Air Force Secretary Heather Wilson and Chief of Staff Gen. David Goldfein have said the service was 1,555 pilots short by fiscal 2016, which includes 1,211 total force fighter pilots.

But it hasn't come as a total shock.

Pilots are being courted by civilian airlines which offer competitive if not exponentially higher bonuses, service officials have said. Airmen are also unsatisfied with work-and-family dynamic with constant PCS moves, and have also expressed miscellaneous duties bog them down.

Koscheski noted the service last August began removing such "additional duties" typically assigned to airmen at the unit level. It has since cut 29 of 61 additional duties identified under Air Force Instruction 38-206, "Additional Duty Management."

Still, that shortfall is expected to grow once the fiscal 2017 numbers come in, Koscheski said, who didn't want to speculate what the number could be.

"The national pilot shortage is a crisis," retired Gen. Herbert "Hawk" Carlisle told Military.com Wednesday. "For the US military, this crisis could affect our ability to support the National Security Strategy in the future. The U.S. Air Force is doing everything in their power to address this challenge," said Carlisle, the former head of Air Combat Command and current president and chief executive officer of National Defense Industrial Association, an industry trade group.

Responding to SAIP, Carlisle said, "This proposal is a good short-term approach to keep critical pilot skills in the Air Force. Ultimately, though, we have to find the long term solution to this crisis."

The service isn't there -- yet.

"Our production numbers are pretty stable," Koscheski said, in part to ramp up training and get to the Air Force's goal of roughly 1,400 new pilots in the mid-2020s.

Koscheski said it will take all hands -- including from industry -- to get those numbers to climb to that goal. The latest "initiative is part of assignments overall push, but realize we're doing multiple things across aircrew crisis task force" to get pilots in, flying, and staying in, Koscheski said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @oriana0214.
The airmen are measuring winds speeds reaching a maximum of 185 miles per hour.

For the last few days, a crew of five airmen with the Air Force Reserve 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron, known commonly as the 'Hurricane Hunters,' have flown six missions on their WC-130J in and out of Hurricane Irma.

The storm is bursting through the Caribbean and gaining on the United States, with expectations of making landfall on Florida as early as Saturday night.

And it's already setting records, said Maj. Jonathan Brady, aerial reconnaissance weather officer, or ARWO, otherwise known as an airborne meteorologist. Brady has been monitoring storm patterns from the ground this hurricane season, tracking data and listening and coordinating with airmen as they penetrate each storm.

"The record [Irma] has set is the strongest hurricane to have ever formed in that part of the Atlantic, and also another record for this strong of a [weather] system being this strong for this many days," Brady said in an interview with Military.com on Thursday.

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Brady said the storm for more than 48 hours has featured consistent 180-plus mile per hour winds. Normally, a hurricane rapidly intensifies, but will start to eventually weaken sometime within a 24-hour period, he said.

This hurricane has been "a Category 5 for a couple of days now. This storm, it's still game on," he said. "This is going to do far more damage than Andrew," he said, when asked how Irma compares to Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 hurricane which struck Florida in 1992.

"Andrew was very strong but smaller in size. The other thing with Irma...on it's current track, it's going to go due north" after Florida.

"Irma has potential to do a lot more damage, unfortunately," he said.

Investigating Storms

The teams, based out of Keesler Air Force Base, Mississippi, tracked Hurricane Harvey, which brought devastating rains to Texas and its coastline. The Hunters are up for Irma now, and have flown two missions into Hurricane Katia, which is sustaining 80-mile-per-hour speeds off the coast of Mexico.

They anticipate flying out for Hurricane Jose in the next few days, which will also likely hit the same Caribbean islands Irma is rolling over now. But "it looks like it will curve north very quickly, but it will ultimately become a Bermuda threat in the central Atlantic," Brady said.

Ever wonder what it's like to fly with the Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunters? Time lapse video of #HurricaneIrma by Maj. Kendall Dunn pic.twitter.com/FqnNsEvIUh  Hurricane Hunters (@53rdWRS) September 6, 2017

The airmen also operate out of St. Croix in the Caribbean, but for days have been launching from island Curacao because of Irma's path.

"We've got our hands full with three hurricanes right now," Brady said. Of the 53rd's 10 WC-130Js, only three can fly in different storms at the same time.

Measuring Catastrophe

The Hunters in 2005 added what's called a stepped frequency microwave radiometer, or SFMR. They call it the "smurf." The passive sensor, under the right-wing of the plane, monitors winds and emitted energy from the ocean's surface.

"It's one of the most important pieces of equipment we have. What it's doing is providing hurricane winds speeds back to the National Hurricane Center in Miami. Surface wind speeds are so important because surface winds is what's going to destroy property and endanger lives. So this provides verification...because that's what brings in the storm surge," Brady said.

The data helps the center determine the category to classify the storm, in addition to how far out the winds go and how strong the winds are.

The team also drops a device called a dropsonde into the water, a biodegradable and non-recoverable sensor which measures temperatures, dew-point temperature, pressure and also wind speeds and direction and GPS latitude and longitude location.

Dozens can be dropped throughout a singular six-to-10 hour mission, collecting data from each device as the WC-130 flies through the storm.

"The lower the pressure in a hurricane the stronger it is," Brady said. "If we see a lowering trend that means it's getting stronger."

Brady said the pressures in Irma are lower than expected.

"A standard, normal atmospheric pressure is 1,112 millibars. Irma got down as low as 914 millibars," Brady said. Millibars are metric unit of pressure measurement. Getting below 900 is "amazingly low," he said, and a few storms in the past too have recorded low trends.

"We set a record a few years ago with Hurricane Patricia [in 2015] off the coast of Mexico. At the time that was the strongest hurricane ever measured in the part of the world. It was 897 millibars and had winds as strong as Irma," he said.

Once hurricanes make landfall, the Hunters' mission is done.

Flying a C-130

The WC-130, a modified C-130 Hercules, will fly at speeds that are comparable to the hurricane to more easily fly through the winds before they reach the eye. Normally for any hurricane, the aircraft will stay at 10,000 feet. Storms such as tropical storms or depressions, the plane can drop down between 5,000 and 500 feet to collect data if it needs to.

"We're taking it and flying just like a normal day of business. I've always felt very safe in it," Brady said. The WC-130 will fly cockeyed into a storm, what the airmen call crabbing, which is almost in a jackknife position to circumvent the winds as they fly through.

"The stronger the storm, the more angled we fly to get in there," he said.

This year, the 53rd has added a Go-Pro camera to the window where the someone like Brady, the ARWO, would sit.

The purpose is to have the camera collect images below for new trainees so they "can really see what the different sea states look like," he said, referring to what knot speeds would look like from the aircraft.

The crews would like to add another radar for the belly of the plane, in order to get even more wind speed estimates at new vantage points. Brady said the Air Force is looking into the additional technology.

From Harvey onward

Coming off of Harvey, Brady said this is not the first intense season for the 53rd WRS. In 2005, both NOAA and the Air Force tracked "so many storms, the [World Meteorological Organization] ran out of names," he said. That year included Hurricane Katrina which devastated Louisiana.

"An absolutely horrific year for hurricanes -- our squadron was worked to its limit," said Brady, who's been a weather officer since 2003. He joined the 53rd WRS in 2011 after transitioning from active-duty to the reserves.

For this season, the Air Force's Hunters started flying out for Harvey at the end of August and racked up 13 missions with 104 flight hours (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, or NOAA, also has its own set of hurricane hunter aircraft).

Harvey at one point "fizzled out, but as it approached the Yucatan Peninsula...the models were hinting once it got past the peninsula and into the Gulf, it would get the chance to regather steam and organize...into a hurricane again," Brady said.

Texas officials have said the Category 4 hurricane storm was the worst climatic disaster in Texas history, with military and civilian relief efforts still underway to work through the massive flood damage and provide food and shelters. The U.S. Army alone deployed 16,000 soldiers into the response; each service branch contributed personnel, aircraft, and even two Navy destroyers to relief efforts.

Now Guard members and Florida officials are on standby as Irma looms.

To be clear, there's no such thing as a Category 6 Hurricane. But Irma "is very impressive meteorologically. I'm kind of shocked and awed by how powerful it is," Brady said.

-- Oriana Pawlyk can be reached at oriana.pawlyk@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @Oriana0214.
Camp Lejeune Town Halls Aim to Help Those Exposed to Toxic Water. Heres How You Can Go.

Retired Marine Master Sgt. Jerry Ensminger made it his mission to tell the world that if they lived or served on Camp Lejeune...
#BLACKPINK BLACKPINK, Seventeen win two prizes each at MTV EMA 2022 South Korean idol groups BLACKPINK and Seventeen have received two awards each at this year's MTV Europe Music Awards, their agencies said Monday. Girl group BLACKPINK was named...
Corporate office of Maruti Suzuki India Limited is pictured in New Delhi

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It could have been Renault and not Suzuki to own half of the Indian car market had the French car maker put in some serious thoughts about the invitation from the government of India to form a joint venture in early 80s.

Renault could not meet the pricing parameters set by the Indira Gandhi government. So, to bring to life her son Sanjay Gandhis dream of making a common mans car for India, the government went ahead to join hands with Suzuki Motor Corporation.

By end of July Maruti Suzukis (MSIL) domestic market share stood at an enviable 51 percent, the best from the time Suzuki Motor Corporation (SMC) became a majority shareholder in the joint venture. Its best-ever market share came in 1997-98 when Maruti Udyog (as it was known then) clocked 83 percent share.

Marutis closest competitor Hyundai, which entered India in 1998, has only 16 percent share, as of today. Renault, which ultimately entered India in 2005 through joint venture with Mahindra & Mahindra (M&M) to make the Logan, has not covered much distance either. By end of July the French company had a share of just 3 percent while the JV with M&M was dissolved in 2010 itself.

While the competition continues to struggle Maruti has gone from strength to strength. MSIL became the biggest and most profitable subsidiary of SMC in the 3 million strong, worlds fourth largest Indian car market. From 3.52 lakh units clocked in 2001-02 MSIL closed last financial year with volumes of 1.44 million units, a four-fold rise.

Unlike competition where only one or two models lift volumes for the whole company (for instance Ford, Renault, Honda, Toyota, Tata Motors) Marutis sales are dependent on at least six models. Alto, Wagon R, Swift, Baleno, Brezza, Dzire clock more than 10,000 units every month for the car market leader.

Alto (800cc and 1000cc) generates 17 percent of the volumes of Maruti Suzuki selling an average of 21,000 units every month. This is followed by the Swift with average sales of 15,000 units a month. Both the models have not received any significant upgrade in the past few years.

Marutis annual production capacity is at 1.55 million units excluding the initial installed capacity of 250,000 units a year at Gujarat which is owned by SMC. This additional capacity takes care of the capacity constraint Maruti was facing during the whole of last year.

We are expecting a double digit growth this year. The company is on track to achieve 2 million sales by 2020. Beyond that sales may increase to 2.5 or even 3 million per annum, said R C Bhargava, chairman, Maruti Suzuki India at the recently concluded annual general meeting.

Recently the company marched past Tata Motors in valuation to become the highest valued automotive company in India. This is despite the fact that Tata Motors has Jaguar Land Rover in its kitty.

But there is no dearth of new companies eyeing opportunities in India. Yet another French company Peugeot is gearing up for a second innings in India. SAIC, Chinas largest car company is preparing the MG brand for India whereas Kia, a sister company of Hyundai also has finalized plans.
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Pursuant to Regulation 29(1)(a) of Securities Exchange Board of India (Listing Obligation And Disclosure Requirement) Regulations 2015, this is to inform you that a meeting of Board of Directors of the company will be held on Thursday, the 14th Day of September 2017 at 3:00 P.M. at registered office G.T. Road, Mukerian, Distt. Hoshiarpur, Punjab-144211.Source : BSE

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Auto industry body SIAM today asked the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old in the country to reduce pollution. The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country.

"Auto industry is doing a lot of work to reduce pollution. We are working to move to BS-VI emission norms. In order to reduce pollution, we request the government to ban vehicles which are 15 years old," SIAM President Vinod K Dasari said here.

Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability which would aid Make in India programme.

Dasari also said the auto industry has been going through one of the most challenging and disruptive times due to frequent changes in policies for the sector.

He said every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the country's manufacturing GDP.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "The way to play this game is you have to go where the money is getting attracted. So chances are NBFC theme should continue which is the leader of this bull market and the leader tends to move before the market because market also has many laggards."

"Bharat Financial Inclusion is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 948 and target of Rs 980. Edelweiss Financial Services is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 248 and target of Rs 265."
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Century Plyboards is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 245 and target of Rs 262. Arvind is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 392 and target of Rs 415. Vedanta is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 317 and target of Rs 332."

"Advanced Enzyme is a bear market stock and holding on to a loser longer may not make it profitable. I would hold Bajaj Finance for five years, L&T Finance for five years, why do I have to pick out a loser. Advanced Enzyme is at 52-week lows, maybe for reason we understand, maybe for something we do not understand. So, get into an Edelweiss Financial. Get into the asset managers, you will probably be doing better," he said.
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Eicher Motors is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 32,700 and target of Rs 33,500. State Bank of India (SBI) is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 272 and target of Rs 286. Tata Motors DVR is a sell with a stop loss of Rs 216 and target of Rs 202."

"Anybody who wants to buy metals can still buy into Vedanta," he added.

"Most of the people are losing in Coal India . So if it gets to Rs 280-300, get out of that. I dont think Coal India is turned around or is resuming any sort of great bull market. This kind of pullback because when stocks fall, the way it has fallen, you do get periods when you have 10-15 percent type of bounce."
Ashwani Gujral of ashwanigujral.com told CNBC-TV18, "Tata Global Beverage has broken out yesterday. So, I think easily Rs 235-240 looks likely. Also, Motherson Sumi is coming out of a correction. It is not often that these stocks tend to correct, but definitely with a stop loss say around Rs 300, I think once we get past Rs 340, Rs 375-380 should be possible. So, anytime a market rally starts, I think both these stocks should outperform."

"Bharat Forge and Motherson Sumi seem to have bottomed out yesterday. Bharat Forge kind of closed lower yesterday, a 4 percent gap would mean closer to about Rs 1,170 thereabouts. So, still sideways, but once we cross Rs 1,190, I think it should get more traction. So, compared to the two, I think I would still go with Edelweiss Financial."

"Amongst all of the oil and gas companies, Chennai Petroleum Corporation and Reliance Industries look the best of the lot. Reliance clearly seems to have completed its correction and that is one of the reasons the market is not falling. So, on all declines towards Rs 1,500-1,550, Reliance is a buy. Chennai Petro is likely to go through some sort of correction, but closer to Rs 425-430, even there buying can be done," he said.

"ICICI Bank has been hanging out in a very narrow range for many days and it needed some sort of news to push it higher. So, I think around these levels, if you can buy with Rs 290 type of stop loss, probably we could see Rs 305-306 over the next few days," he added.

"Yes Bank is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,795 and target of Rs 1,840. Repco Home which declined quite a lot, seems like it is trying to make a bottom. That is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 670 and target of Rs 695."

"BEML is ready to go, so, this is a buy with a stop loss of Rs 1,875 and target of Rs 1,940."

"Not only L&T Finance Holdings, stocks like Dewan Housing, etc. - that is the benefit of getting into stocks which are in strong momentum regardless of what valuation maybe saying."

"Dish TV is a nothing, 0.75 percent higher. I dont think the stock stands anywhere. You should buy on declines on all kinds of NBFCs, that remains the call. Repco Home is particularly looking good after a long decline post some poor results, etc. Bharat Electronics (BEL) is another one which is beginning to move up, as well as Eicher Motors. So several stocks are trying to move higher, so, this kind of early morning choppiness should be used to get long on the market."

"I dont know about how good Ducati will be for Eicher Motors but definitely the way the stock is moving, I think Rs 50,000 should be a target that people should have. Maybe it will take one to one and a half years, but definitely stocks which are making new highs, good news seems to be supporting them and they are continuously seeing buying at all lower levels."

: Reliance Industries Ltd. is the sole beneficiary of Independent Media Trust which controls Network18 Media & Investments Ltd
Apple Inc. has got into a conflict with Telecom Regulatory Authority of India (TRAI) over an anti-spam app. The conflict may seriously affect Apples plans to expand its Indian operations.

The conflict began after the Telecom Regulatory Authority of India pushed for its 'Do Not Disturb' app on Apples app store. The app enables users to share details of spam calls and messages with the agency. Thus enabling the authorities to inform operators about the spammers.

Apple has declined to comply with the regulatory authority. The company according to a report in India Today stated that the app violated its privacy policy.

This will not be the first instance that the company has come into conflict Indian authorities. The smartphone giant's plans to set up a manufacturing unit India hit a dead end after the authorities declined to abide by its demands.

India is also trying to bring a new data legislation which could become a part of the telecom licensing process.

Many have criticised Apples stand in regard to sharing information with government regulators. While the company declines to share data with government regulators, it shares user data with affiliates and strategic partners.

"The problem of who controls user data is getting acute and we have to plug the loose ends. This is not the regulator versus Apple, but Apple versus its own users," said Ram Sewak Sharma, Chairman of TRAI.
Swedish furniture and home accessories giant IKEA is planning to open three stores in India at Hyderabad, Navi Mumbai, and Bengaluru.

IKEA has reiterated that it will be opening its first store in Hyderabad by early 2018. The second store will come up by early 2018 in Navi Mumbai and the third store will be opened in Bengaluru by mid-2019.

The Swedish furniture major has received the go-ahead from the Karnataka government's high-level clearance committee to set up stores in Bengaluru with an investment of more than Rs 810 crore.

Eventually, IKEA plans to have three stores in Bengaluru. The first one will be coming up next to Nagasandra metro station with a massive 4 lakh square feet of floor space. The storie is expected to employ close to 700 people.

IKEA is increasing its supplier base from the existing three to six in Karnataka, with the idea of using more materials like banana fibre, coconut fiber and bamboo. However, the company had said since the volumes from India are still very low, meeting the 30 percent local sourcing norm is quite a challenge.
Bottles of Johnson & Johnson baby powder line a drugstore shelf in New York October 15, 2015. REUTERS/Lucas Jackson - RTS4S6Q

Johnson and Johnson India declared an 8-week paternity leave policy where new and adoptive fathers will be entitled 8 weeks of paid leave during the first year of birth or adoption, reports Economic Times quoting a company release.

For the past 6 years, the company is offering up to 26 weeks of maternity leave to new mothers."Enhanced benefits make us attractive towards millennials and GenZs, who are critical to our future workforce. By extending parental leave benefits to fathers and adoptive parents, we also strengthen our commitment to diversity, inclusion, and support for the modern-day family," Indrajeet Sengupta, Head-Human Resources, Johnson and Johnson India told ET.

The paternity leave policy in India as of now is only a day, J&J India is one of the first such companies to offer such a policy for its employees.

Last year, Women and Child Development Minister Maneka Gandhi told the Indian Express, "Paternity leave can be considered only if, once the woman goes back to work after her 26 weeks of leave, we find that men are availing their sick leave for a month to take care of the child. Let me see how many men do that. I will be happy to give it but for a man, it will be just a holiday, he wont do anything.

Johnson and Johnson India's paternal and maternal leave policies are in accordance with the global practice. The company appoints more than 3,500 employees in India.
In order to prevent subsidized fertilizers from being diverted to industrial use or from being smuggled across the border, the government on Monday soft-launched the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) scheme for fertilizers in New Delhi.

According to a report by Mint, the scheme will be rolled out in at least 10 states by September. These states will include Gujarat, Maharashtra, the Northeast and the Union territories, a source said.

By end of December, we intend to extend the scheme to the entire country, the above-mentioned source added.

Industry leaders claimed to be ready for the scheme to be rolled out in the nation. They believe this will help in preventing subsidy leakage.

Unlike in the case of liquified petroleum gas (LPG), the subsidy on fertilizers will not be passed on to farmers directly. Instead, companies will sell the fertilizers at prices set by the State and the State will, in turn, settle the subsidy involved in every sale to farmers with the companies within a week.

Nationwide rollout of DBT on fertilizers is not a difficult task. If there is a will, there is a way. We have deployed over 50,000 point-of-sale machines, Managing director and chief executive officer of Indian Farmers Fertiliser Cooperative Ltd US Awasthi was quoted as saying.

The point-of-sale machines will get the sales data, which includes farmer's identity, the quantity of purchase, soil health details and land details where possible. With this data, the State expects to limit diversion of subsidized fertilizers to other sectors such as plywood manufacture.
Solar

Chinese solar modules in poor or damaged condition are being sold in Indian markets at a discount, a Livemint report quoted industry professionals confirming the trend.

Solar modules account for 60 percent of the cost of production, and Indian developers are using these discounted, defected modules to cope with cost constraints and deadlines.

Brand new solar modules capture 16 to 22 percent of the potential solar energy that lands on it. Mint states that such a move could further hamper the efficiency of solar production.

The defects in the equipment range from minor to large cracks on the modules to low efficiency.

In an effort to ensure quality control and curb the measure of cutting corners, the ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) issued the a mandate on August 30 that will come into effect one year from the date of its publication in the official Gazette

The sub-standard or defective goods which do not conform to the specified standard....shall be deformed beyond use and disposed off as scrap by the manufacturer or the representative of overseas manufacturer from liaison office or branch office located in India, or by any agency authorized by the manufacturer as its authorized representative in India..

Electricity distribution firms see a drop in their capacity utilization factor (CUF) from a promised 18 percent to being below 14-15 percent

Capacity utilization factor gives a reading of how well a plant generates solar power .It is the ratio of the actual electricity output from the plant to the maximum possible output during the year.

India stated a target of 175 gigawatts (GW) of renewable energy generation by 2022.

Major Chinese solar module manufacturers include Trina Solar Ltd, Jinko Solar, JA Solar Holdings, ET Solar, Chint Solar and GCL-Poly Energy Holdings.

India is also carrying out an anti-dumping investigation on solar equipment imported from Malaysia, Taiwan, and China, the report said.
Ducati

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Indian automobile giant Eicher Motors is preparing to make a binding offer to acquire Italian superbike maker Ducati for USD 1.8 billion- USD 2 billion, according to a report in The Economic Times.

The offer, if successful, will boost Eicher's portfolio giving them access to technology, brand equity and its global reach.

According to the report, Eicher is the only Asian company to have bid in the ongoing auction for Ducati. The company is also finalising financing and structuring terms with banks and consultants.

German auto giant Volkswagen Group (VW) who owns Ducati via its Audi division has been keen on selling it. Volkswagen has been working with the investment bank Evercore to sell the Ducati brand for around Euro 1.5 billion. The valuation is 14-15 times its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) which is around Euro 100 million.

The funds are expected to help Volkswagen's strategic overhaul following the 2015 emissions scandal.

According to reports in the media, several auto manufacturers including Harley Davidson, Suzuki, India's Bajaj Auto and Hero MotoCorp Ltd were interested in buying Ducati along with private equity funds such as KKR and CVC Capital Partners.
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In his keynote address at the 57th SIAM annual convention Vinod Dasari, Managing Director of Ashok Leyland blamed the lackadaisical approach of the government in handling the woes of automotive sector.

The outgoing president of Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) while stressing on the point that the automotive industry is held responsible for all problems, said there needs to be clarity over the roadmap for the automobile industry that would help in sound planning for the future.

Two years ago when I was made the president of SIAM someone told me that I am the Jehangir of the auto industry. I did not know what that meant till the time I read on Jehangir. Jehangir had a bell outside the court and anyone who had complaint can ring the bell. I realized later that I was not Jehangir but I was the bell. Jo ata baja ke chala jata, said Dasari.

The industry was challenged by not just policy changes initiated by the government but by the Supreme Court, too, which impacted the production and sales of automobiles. The apex court decided to ban sale of BS-3 trucks after March 31, 2017 thereby rendering more than 25,000 heavy and medium trucks useless. Tata Motors, Ashok Leyland, Mahindra & Mahindra, VE Commercial Vehicles were stuck with huge unsold stock of trucks and buses.

I find it amusing that a speed limiter is required for old trucks. These old trucks are not even capable of achieving speeds for which we are limiting the speeds to. Then, we had the sudden GST rates on ambulances which almost stopped the sale of it. When it was decided to jump from BS-4 to BS-6 in just three years when the whole world has taken 8-10 years. We did it because it was in the nations best interest. Then, we are required to suddenly follow the European bus code when we have not even implemented the Indian bus code yet. The other day we found the power ministry regulating the fuel efficiency norms in heavy duty vehicles. The heavy duty vehicles run and compete only on fuel efficiency. What was the reason to regulating that?, added Dasari.

Dasari also came down heavily on the National Green Tribunal (NGT) which initiated the argument to ban the BS-3 vehicles owing to their polluting nature. BS-4 was implemented throughout the country from April 1, 2017.

The other time we had the SC deciding that suddenly all BS-3 vehicles cannot be sold causing thousands of crores of loss to the industry. And sometimes we have quasi-judicial authorities (NGT) writing directly to transport authorities to ban registration of certain vehicles, added Dasari.

Several manufacturers who despite being a part of SIAM blamed the apex lobby body for its inefficiency in effectively challenging the changes made to the policies. Dasari completes his two years in the SIAM office today and will retire. An election will be held later today to elect the new president.

The automotive body employs more than 30 million and contributes to 49 percent of the manufacturing industry. About 7.5 percent of the GDP is generated by the automotive industry, as per figures revealed by NITI Aayog.
Indiabulls Group is planning a foray into pharmaceuticals, for which it has set up a marketing division.

Industry sources told CNBC-TV18 that Indiabulls has lined up about 300 generic products that they are marketing in the Indian pharma market to doctors through a team of about 1,500 medical representatives.

They are targeting the entire segment of both acute as well as chronic therapies along with setting up separate marketing divisions for dermatology and cosmetology.

According to sources, Indiabulls is also lining up the over-the-counter (OTC) products segment separately for pediatric and for hospital and ICU segment.

Sources added that since Indiabulls does not have any manufacturing set up right now, it is currently sourcing products via third party contract manufacturers.

The organisation had registered the pharmaceutical company in September 2016 and started marketing their products from April this year.

Even though Indiabulls did not confirm this news in an official query sent by CNBC-TV18, industry sources and members from the medical fraternity who have received medical representatives from Indiabulls confirmed the news.
A Jet Airways passenger plane takes off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad

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In a major shift in its domestic route network strategy, Jet Airways will now focus on providing direct connectivity between tier-II cities as it aims to penetrate deeper into such markets.

With a market share of a little over 18 per cent, Naresh Goyal-promoted Jet Airways group is facing an intense competition from the low cost carriers, which currently account for over 70 per cent of the total domestic traffic.

This has compelled the Mumbai-based full service carrier to move to operating station-to-station flights from station-to-hub services till recently.

"For Jet Airways, it's not only about connecting stations to hubs but it is about connecting stations to stations as well. That is where our network penetration and footprints are happening," says Praveen Iyer, vice president, commercial, for India sales.

As part of the new strategy, Jet Airways now provides connectivity with one tier-II city directly to another and from there to metros and subsequently to the hubs, he said. "Jet airways as a network carrier will continue enhancing connectivity and choice to consumers, with the best possible fares," he said.

The airline has already announced launching of 56 weekly domestic flights, which include services to Coimbatore, Guwahati, Silchar, Jorhat, Jaipur among others, between this month and next month to further strengthen its network, offering last mile connectivity.

It operates flight services to 44 domestic airports.

Following this, Jet Airways will be offering 17 flights daily from Pune, 11 from Coimbatore and another nine flights from Guwahati, Iyer said adding that the airline has seen growing travel demand to/from Pune, Coimbatore, Delhi, and North East.

At present, the Mumbai-based airline offers over 600 flights per day across its domestic network and another about 147 on international routes, along with its strategic investment partner Etihad Airways.

"There have been quite significant milestones for us as a carrier, more importantly as a full service carrier. Today, we are the only airline in the full service carrier category in the country, offering over one lakh seats per day and 20,000 flights per month across our network," Iyer said.

The entry of Jet Airways into the markets such as Madurai, Calicut from metros like Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru has also helped these markets grow 50 to 120 per cent in the last few months, he said.

In the last few months, Delhi-Madurai clocked 70 per cent growth in traffic, Mumbai-Madurai saw a whopping 120 per cent increase and air traffic on the Bengaluru-Calicut grew by 50 per cent, he added.
Aditya Narain, Head of Research, Edelweiss Securities from the sidelines of the Edelweiss Consumer Durable Day, spoke with CNBC-TV18 and shared his thoughts on the consumer durable sector and market overall.

According to him, consumer durables is a space where the companies can become be large. The business models of the some of the company have changed along with building up of their branding element, he says.

The house is bullish on companies like Symphony, KEI Industries, as well as Crompton Greaves.

The disruption seen in the first quarter for some of these companies could be on back of demonetisation and GST issue and may be seen in Q2 as well there could be some amount of disruption but their business models are changing for the better  they are moving into the branded discretionary spend area. So, it is unlikely that there is anything fundamentally challenging in terms of margins for these companies.

KEI Industries has received the most amount of interest from investors given its lower valuations, says Narain.

Talking of the outlook for the market, Narain says there is nothing to suggest a step back in terms of bullish call. The market will do well and remain valued reasonably high although there could be certain amount of levelling off.

Nothing really changes with regards to the fundamental direction and the valuation framework for the market, he adds.

With regards to the current geo-political tensions due to North Korea, he says the market has witnessed a lot of global events that have played through over the last couple of years and they have built up certain amount of cushion towards them.

Therefore, unless something really happens, there could be plus/minus 1-2 percentage impact on market but if something does happen, then the impact could be greater than 1-2 percent but notas catastrophic as some people believe such events could be, says Narain.
business Infosys board rejig may necessitate an open offer: SES Does the board rejig at Infosys translate into a change of control and does that necessitate an open offer? These are some of the issues raised by the shareholder advisory firm Stakeholder Empowerment Svcs (SES).
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There is a famous old joke in the airline industry: How do you become a millionaire in the airline industry? Start as a billionaire and buy an airline. Things are clearly not as bad they used to be: Legendary investor Warren Buffett, who once called airline industry a death trap, has invested in four major US airlines in recent times.

Apart from the impact of benign oil prices, theres another positive: Structural changes are taking place within the industry, one of which is consolidation.

The Indian aviation sector continues to remain an attractive market, with the top three players (IndiGo, Jet Airways, and SpiceJet) commanding more than 70 percent of market share. In addition, the market has witnessed double-digit passenger growth for a while now. However, these tailwinds are yet to translate into pricing power.

Interglobe Aviation (IndiGo), the leader in Indian skies, had expressed interest in acquiring Air Indias international business and Air-India Express, a low-cost carrier, when the government expressed its intention to privatise the flag carrier. As per press reports, if the deal with Air India does not fructify, then IndiGo might look at Jet Airways (Jet), indicating IndiGos clear focus on gaining market share in international markets through the inorganic route.

Should the deal with Jet fructify, it would lead to major consolidation. The deal would leave the industry with two large players  IndigoJet and SpiceJet. We believe such consolation that stands to boost yields, coupled with benign fuel prices, would place the industry in a sweet spot.

IndiGo dominates the Indian skies with 40 percent market share and has an overall market share of 34.9 percent. Its passenger (pax) traffic registered a significant growth of close to 28 percent compounded over FY12-17, as against industry growth of close to 10 percent on the back of its no-frill products at competitive prices, reach and on-time performance.

Unlike IndiGo, which is a Low Cost Carrier (LCC) with no-frill products, Jet is a full service carrier (FSC), with an array of offerings including free meals on board, lounge facility etc.

Jet is the second largest player in both domestic and international market and has an 18.3-percent share in domestic and 38.6-percent in international markets. Jet, however, has lost significant (900bps) domestic market share over FY12-17.

IndiGo has primarily focused on the domestic market till now and has executed its strategy well. It employs 90 percent of ASKM (Available Seat Kilometers measure of capacity) to the domestic market and 90 percent of its RPKM (Revenue Passenger Kilometer  measure of traffic) comes from here. Currently, it caters to 39 domestic destinations and seven foreign destinations.

These figures indicate that IndiGo is missing out on lucrative foreign skies and the management has acknowledged this gap.

For its international expansion, IndiGo prefers the inorganic route as that would give it an immediate access to the various restricted and closed foreign markets. The management of the company also believes that it would take many years to establish a footprint in the international market if it tries to go all alone.

IndiGo is eyeing Air-India and Jet. These two Indian carriers have a significant presence in the international market and have 44.1-percent and 38.6-percent share in international market (out of India), respectively. Our earlier article analyzes the various facets of IndiGos possible deal with Air-India.

Jet is focused on international markets as is evident from the fact that it caters to 47 international destinations and employs 65 percent of ASKM to international business. Additionally, the international business accounts for 65 percent of total RPKM.

The pertinent question to ask is what this deal means for the industry. This deal would bring in the consolidation of the top two players in the industry. The consolidated entity would have an overall market share of more than 57 percent. Post consolidation, players would see pricing power which would translate into better yields.

We believe Air India would continue to lose market share on the back of its poor on-time performance and financial difficulties. Go Air, being a very small player, would need financial muscle to expand its fleet and operations, which would be time-consuming.

Overall, the industry seems set for further re-rating, placed as it is in a sweet spot by range-bound oil and the effects of these possible deals.
To celebrate the Mutual Fund Day that falls on every 7 day of the month, CNBC-TV18 spoke to Anand Radhakrishnan, CIO- Equity, Franklin Templeton Investments. Last month mutual funds saw a record inflows to the tune of Rs 20,000 crore.

Radhakrishnan says although the number looks impressive, still the savings into MFs are lower compared to other assets. However, it is an issue to deploy cash at higher levels  one cannot keep chasing momentum and have to be careful and prudent but at the same time deliver returns. So balancing this is not an easy task.

The house he says is structurally bullish on private banks present in retail side as well as corporate end of the market because they offer much better risk return trade off, if one has medium-to long-term outlook. Although the growth momentum currently is in favour of NBFC, which have benefited from the benign money market conditions by borrowing at competitive rates.
Nusli Wadia, Chairman of the Wadia Group, in a letter, has asked market regulator Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) to take action against Tata Group's three independent directors for alleged wrong declarations made in the annual reports.

The three directors are -- Tata Steel's Andrew Robb, Mallika Srinivasan and independent director of Tata Chemicals and Tata Motors Naseer Munjee, a report in the Business Standard said.

In an 8-page letter, Wadia said that proper action is yet to be taken by the regulator since his first complaint filed on January 6.

A 'full and impartial' investigation needs to be done on the reports submitted by 'illegal and unconstitutional' audit committee, Wadia said.

For this, the regulator will need to disregard the audit committees and statements made by them during the earlier investigation. The earlier reports filed were biased and prejudiced as the members were those against whom he had filed complaints earlier.

Wadia further said that the audit committees formed were constituted in violation of the Companies Act and the Listing Obligations and Disclosure Requirements.

In his first letter on January 6, Wadia had explained why he named each of the three directors. According to him, Robb - who was on audit committees of Tata Steel Europe and Tata Steel - received remuneration of 190,000 pounds.

Munjee, who was appointed as trustee of the Tata Trust, who would be classified as the promoter and hence; Munjee could not have been an independent director, Wadia said.

Wadia further said that independent directors were allowed remuneration of Rs 1 lakh as per the Companies Act.

Wadia was removed as an independent director from boards of Tata Steel, Tata Motors and Tata Chemicals in December last year. Wadia was a staunch supporter of the ex-chairman of Tata Group, Cyrus Mistry.
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Sri Lanka has invited Petronet LNG Ltd, India's biggest gas importer, and Japanese company to jointly build the Island nation's first liquefied natural gas (LNG) terminal near Colombo.

"The Sri Lankan Government issued a Letter of Intent to the Government of India" to build the LNG import facility that would supply regassified gas to power plants and transport sector, Petronet LNG said in a statement.

While the capacity of the import terminal to be set up at Kerawalapitiya on western coast is yet to be decided, Petronet had in its proposal to the Sri Lankan government proposed a 2 million tonnes facility that would cost about USD 250 million.

"The capacity of the LNG terminal will be decided upon the gas demand in Sri Lanka and is expected to be developed in two years after completion of initial formalities," it added.

Petronet will soon form a joint venture with Japanese and Sri Lankan companies.

Sri Lanka has plans to build a 300 MW gas-fired power plant in Kerawalapitiya adjoining an existing power plant. The existing plant which uses oil to generate power, would also be converted to LNG once the terminal is set up and gas imports start. LNG has become significantly cheaper in the last year and many countries have begun switching their power plants to LNG.

The LNG terminal, which will import supercooled natural gas in ships, will take 2-3 years to build.

The terminal in Sri Lanka is part of Petronet's vision to own 30 million tons per annum of LNG import and re gasification capacity by 2020, chief executive Prabhat Singh said.

Petronet already operates a 15 million tonnes per annum import facility at Dahej in Gujarat and has another 5 million tonnes terminal at Kochi in Kerala.

It has signed preliminary agreement to build a 7.5 million tonnes LNG terminal in Bangladesh and is also looking at setting up smaller facility in Mauritius.

Singh said Dahej is also being expanded to 17.5 million tonnes over the next two years.

The India-Japan collaboration comes after a string of Chinese successes in Sri Lanka. China has managed to revive its flagship USD 1.4 billion Colombo Port City project and is also engaged in expansion of major infrastructure projects it built in the past.

The Colombo Metropolitan Area is inhabited by more than 5 million people or roughly 25 per cent of the total population of Sri Lanka generating over 50 per cent of the GDP.

"The LNG terminal near Colombo would improve economics of various power plants and also generate immense direct and indirect benefits for vast majority of Sri Lankan people," the statement said.

Sri Lankan economy is growing at 4 to 5 per cent and primary energy consumption is estimated to increase to 19 million tonnes of oil equivalent by 2030.
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Indiabulls Housing

Brokerage: CLSA | Rating: Buy | Target: Raised to Rs 1,500

The global brokerage house said that housing loan scale-up may help drive growth. Further, it sees AUM/earnings growth at 30/25 percent CAGR over FY17-20.

CESC

Brokerage: Emkay | Rating: Upgrade to Buy | Target: Raised to Rs 1,248

The brokerage house said that its demerger plan is value accretive. It also revised earnings estimates for Spencers by 25 percent for FY18 and 74 percent for FY19.

Thermax

Brokerage: IIFL | Rating: Add | Target: Rs 1,054

The brokerage house said that it cut EPS estimates by 6/3/3 percent for FY18/19/20. Further, it expects revenue and profit to grow at a CAGR of 14/15 percent over FY17-20.

Aurobindo Pharma

Brokerage: HSBC | Rating: Buy | Target: Lowered to Rs 850

HSBC said that outlook for US remains steady with multiple visible launches. Further, it said that commissioning of new facilities will help in better launch rate.

Steel

Brokerage: Credit Suisse

Credit Suisse said that a sharp surge in steelmaking raw materials points to lack of slack in steel value chain. Additionally, it said that steel stocks have re-rated meaningfully & appear expensive on price to book value. It likes Tata Steel and has an outperform rating with a target of Rs 720. It also likes JSW Steel with the outperform rating and a target of Rs 265. Meanwhile, it is neutral on JSPL with a target of Rs 150.

Healthcare

Brokerage: CLSA

CLSA said its interactions suggest that the government shouldnt widen price caps on medical consumables. Further, it said that while improving affordability is welcome, accessibility and awareness also important. Moreover, it also said that the governments move to improve affordability is a step in the right direction.

Consumer Durables

Brokerage: Morgan Stanley

The global research firm forecast single-digit earnings growth for midcap staples  GCPL, Dabur & Marico. Further, it said that the volume growth must be analysed on2-year stack, which may suggest gradual improvement. It is equalweight On Godrej Consumer with target price at Rs 875 as well as Dabur with a target of Rs 305. Meanwhile, it is underweight on Marico with a target of Rs 270.

Oil & Gas

Brokerage: JPMorgan

The global research firm expects oil marketing companies to report strong earnings in the second quarter, but the second half of FY18 could cool off. Further, it said that the recent surge in refining is a positive sign for Reliance Industries. It remains overweight on Indian Oil and BPCL, while it is underweight on HPCL.
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Shares of Wipro added 1 percent intraday Thursday as it has bagged a 5-year IT applications management contract.

The company has won a 5-year IT applications management contract from Outokumpu, which is global leader in stainless steel, headquartered in Finland.

The company will provide applications management services for Outokumpus SAP landscape along with legacy applications support to cover Outokumpu locations, globally.

Abidali Z. Neemuchwala, CEO and Member of Board at Wipro said, Wipro has been committed to delivering business efficiency to Outokumpu over the last four year.

We will leverage our strong understanding of the manufacturing business domain and capabilities in new and emerging technologies, to enable Outokumpu become more agile, deliver innovative products and solutions to their customers faster and strengthen their leadership position in the market place, he said.

At 09:21 hrs Wipro was quoting at Rs 298.40, up Rs 1.20, or 0.40 percent on the BSE.

Posted by Rakesh Patil
The special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court on Thursday pronounced sentences for five convicts of the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, bringing back memories of a black day that saw 257 people killed and more than 700 injured in India's financial capital.

On March 12, 1993, there were 13 explosions at prominent areas of the city in the space of 140 minutes.

On Thursday, the men convicted for being responsible for the blasts were handed their punishments. Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan were sentenced to death while Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan were sentenced to life imprisonment by the court. Riyaz Siddique was sentenced to 10 years in jail.

Salem was convicted by the court for transporting weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai in the build-up to the blasts. He had handed over the weapons to actor Sanjay Dutt, who served a jail term for illegally possessing weapons at his residence on January 16, 1993.

The court had dropped certain charges against Salem in 2013 after the CBI moved a plea stating that the charges were against the extradition treaty between India and Portugal.

Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2004 on the assurance by the Indian government that a death penalty will not be handed out to him in the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts case.

Karumullah Khan had ensured the arrival of RDX at Shekhadi in coastal Maharashtra. The 1993 blast was the first terror attack on Indian soil in which RDX was used as the explosive material, reported News 18.

The first bomb exploded at 1:30 pm inside a car parked at the basement of the Bombay Stock Exchange. The series of car and scooter blasts continued till 3.40 pm at many locations in the city.

In June, Salem and five other accused - Mustafa Dossa, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Tahir Merchant, Riaz Siddiqui and Karimullah - had been held guilty by the special TADA court in relation to the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The other blast locations include the Fisherman's Colony in Mahim causeway, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza Cinema, Century Bazaar, Katha Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, the Air India Building, Hotel Juhu Centaur, Worli and the Passport Office. Grenades were lobbed at Sahar Airport.

The mastermind behind the blasts, underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, and the prime accused, Tiger Memon, also a close associate of Karumullah Khan, remain absconding.
Smart City

Moneycontrol News

As part of the BJP's grand plans for 2019 Lok Sabha Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Centre has asked the states to emphasize on impactful ventures and public-private-partnership (PPP) based smart city projects which will yield effective results within a year.

According to the Economic Times, the Centre wants a review mechanism in place for the projects under the Smart Cities Mission, one of the key projects of the government. The report suggests that around 261 impactful ventures worth Rs 31,112 crore and PPP projects worth around Rs 32,410 crore have been identified for the states to start taking action immediately.

In a review meeting held for the Smart Cities Mission last week, PM Modi had sought for fast implementation of the project and directed all chief secretaries of states to look over the progress of the venture.

Secretary of Housing and urban affairs DS Mishra urged states to commence work by November 2017 in a written document sent to chief secretaries of all states.

The identified projects under the initiative include smart city projects of 60 cities announced between January and September 2016 along with 370 PPP projects.

The work in the pipeline includes building facilities like building outdoor fitness centers in New Delhi Municipal Council area at a cost of Rs 1.31 crore and major initiatives such as the redevelopment of 340-acre area in Bhopal at a cost of Rs 3,000 crore.

Some of the major cities identified are Bhubaneshwar, Raipur, Amritsar, and Coimbatore.

What is a smart city?

Under the Smart Cities Mission of the Modi government, states which qualify for the initiative are allocated funds for projects to develop "inclusive and sustainable development" to provide 'smart' solutions for a better standard of living.

However, the beginning line of the official government website of the Smart City Mission does not provide a definition of what a smart city is.

Therefore, the smart city initiative in India has no bearing on the global standards of defining a 'smart city' which includes high dependence on technology, IT and big data to solve urban problems efficiently. The allocation for Information Technology is a mere 22 percent for the top 60 cities identified in India.

The smart city initiative was included in the BJP manifesto of 2014 which stated the objective of building 100 new cities. But the budget speech of 2014 stated the objective of creating "satellite cities" and "modernising the existing mid-sized cities". In 2015, the draft smart city notice said that the aim was to create 'compact areas' within already existing cities so that other cities could create a replicable model.

How does the Smart City Mission work?

After the announcement of the Smart City Mission, cities had to bid for being selected under the Mission and municipal corporations prepared their bid.

The Bureau of Indian Standards, an independent body working on consumer affairs had set up a list of services and infrastructure for cities to qualify as a smart city in India. In 2016, it came up with 6 core and 47 supportive indicators to assess city services and quality of life across sectors.

90 cities were chosen after various rounds of scrutiny and municipal authorities had to prepare extensive projects to elaborate their plans of making their city 'smart'.

The central government pays the qualified cities Rs 100 crore every year and the state government contributes another Rs 100 crore. The rest of the cost is collected through government bonds or private-public-partnership.

The website says, "there is no universally accepted definition of a smart city. It means different things to different people. The conceptualization of Smart City, therefore, varies from city to city and country to country, depending on the level of development, willingness to change and reform, resources and aspirations of the city residents. A smart city would have a different connotation in India than, say, Europe. Even in India, there is no one way of defining a smart city."
The Trump administration has told US Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it "strongly supports" transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

"The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels  many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region," Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional Subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget," today.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

"Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come," she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

"India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation," she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

"In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better," she said in the testimony.

"The President's first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade," she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship has largely been on a positive trajectory and America needs to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly USD 30 billion last year.

"We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market," Wells said.

"Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from USD 45 billion in 2006 to more than USD 114 billion in 2016. US exports to India support more than 260,000 American jobs across all 50 states," she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensure that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lies in India's civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet, a private Indian airline, announced an order of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

"...these transactions have an estimated value of USD 23 billion and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 130,000 jobs in the US," she said.

Another private Indian carrier, Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

"We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades," she added.

"India's state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas," said the top American diplomat.
Hyderabad: Army Chief General Bipin Rawat addresses the media after the Combined Graduation Parade held at Air Force Academy, Dundigal in Hyderabad on Saturday. PTI Photo (PTI6_17_2017_000084B)

China today reacted sharply to army chief General Bipin Rawat's assertion that Beijing was testing India's limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started "flexing its muscles", while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."

Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.

"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.

This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.

"Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats," Geng said.

"We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.

"We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area," Xi had said.

Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.

"We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks.

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict.
10.12pm The Securities and Exchange Board of India will review the securities lending and borrowing framework at its upcoming

board meet on Monday. Other items on the agenda for discussion include introduction of weekly futures, review of the block deal window, and review of the call auction framework.

The securities lending and borrowing (SLB) mechanism  which allows investors with a bearish view to borrow stocks and short sell them  was first introduced in late 2007. However, it has not picked up in a big way, despite the regulator repeatedly tweaking the rules.

9.40pm Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Thursday after talks with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe that the two leaders decisively condemned North Korean weapons tests.

We decisively condemned North Koreas launch of a medium-range ballistic missile that flew over Japans territory on August 28, as well as the new nuclear tests conducted on September 3, Putin said in a statement.

8.50pm Indian banks urgently need a powerful plan like a Sudarshan Chakra to restore the health of public sector banks within months if not weeks, Reserve Bank of India Deputy Governor Viral Acharya said on Thursday.

Speaking at the 8th RK Talwar Memorial Lecture, Acharya said there were several options being worked out by the government and the RBI such as the Indradhanush plan of 2015 for capitalisation of public sector banks, the governments divestment programme, Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code, RBIs structural resolution mechanisms and the recent Alternative Mechanism approved by the Cabinet.

Acharya was worried, howerver about the pace at which these plans were being implemented and said there was a pressing need to implement many of the options and work them out together at a hurried pace.

8.20pm The euro saw a volatile afternoon of trade on Thursday as currency traders reacted to comments from Mario Draghi, the president of the European Central Bank (ECB).

The single currency was trading at 1.1970 against the US dollar before the economist started his speech at a press conference at 1:30 p.m. London time, but jumped higher to over 1.204 shortly afterwards.

7.50pm Black money worth Rs 4,900 crore was disclosed by 21,000 people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY), the stash money declaration window announced by the government post demonetisation, an official said on Thursday.

The Income Tax Department, a top government official told PTI, has collected a tax of Rs 2,451 crore till now from these declarations.

7.18 pm SEBI imposes Rs 2,423 crore penalty on PACL and four directors for illegal mobilisation of funds from public.

While the group, which had collected money in the name of real estate projects among other schemes, was asked by Sebi nearly three years ago to refund Rs 49,100 crore to the investors, the regulator has passed a fresh order to impose a monetary penalty for violation of Sebi's Prevention of Fraudulent and Unfair Trade Practices Regulations, reports PTI.

7.13 pm A day after Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat said that Beijing was employing 'salami slicing' and silently taking over Indian territory, China on Thursday said that the Army chief's remarks are contradictory to views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping in BRICS meeting earlier this week.

According to PTI, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that: "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."

7.06 pm According to Rajan, India is grappling with three main issues - the problem of twin balance sheet, lacking education system and slowing power sector.

7.04 pm While demonetisation did slow down the growth, Rajan believes GST, another major reform by the government, will be positive for the country in long-run. Best sign of growth is when the private capex returns.

6.24 pm Journalist Pankaj Mishra, associated with Hindi newspaper Rashtriya Sahara, was shot at today at Bihar's Arwal district by two bike-borne men. One arrest has been made in connection with the case. This comes just two days after murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru.

6.18 pm On his departure, Rajan said: I left because there was no offer on the table.

I didnt resign or get fired, he said adding that he left because his term ended. Rajan said that he was in dialogue with the government, but felt no consensus was possible.

6.11 pm On the governments demonetisation drive, Rajan said that civil servants cannot just oppose a government policy.

6.09 pm Raghuram Rajan, former Reserve Bank of India governor, in an exclusive conversation with CNBC-TV18's Latha Venkatesh said that demonetisation has slowed India's growth.

6.03 pm SBI Life Insurance gets SEBI approval for Rs 8,400-crore IPO, which is likely to be launched near September 20-22 period. However, the launch period is subject to approval from the Registrar of Companies, a Reuters report said.

5.33 pm Interest rate on marginal lending facility was unchanged at 0.25% and the interest rate on deposit facility was also left unchanged at -0.40%.

ECB expects key interest rates to remain at current level for extended period. Quantitative easing (QE) to run at 60 billion per month until December 2017.

5.28 pm The European Central Bank leaves benchmark refinancing rate unchanged at 0%.

4.59 pm The National Company Law Appellate Tribunal today refused to pass any interim order on estranged partner Vikram Bakshi's plea against termination of franchise licence agreement by US-based fast food chain McDonald's.

Bakshi's petition will now be taken up on September 21 alongwith another petition filed by McDonald's.

4.30pm Wondering what moved the markets today? Watch Moneycontrol's video review of today's trading session.

3:15pm India's sugar production is estimated to rise 24 percent to 25.1 million tonne in the next marketing year starting October on higher sugarcane area, ISMA said. The countrys sugar production, the world's second largest producer after Brazil, is estimated at 20.2 million tonne in the ongoing 2016-17 marketing year (October-September). Production is expected to rise in 2017-18 on the back of higher cane area and plentiful rains, a spokesperson for the industry body said.

2:59pm North Korea has pledged to take powerful counter measures to respond to US pressure or any new sanctions against it over its missile programme, accusing Washington of wanting war, reports Reuters. Pyongyangs pledge, made in a statement by its delegation to an economic forum in Russias Far East, came after the United States said it wanted the UN Security Council to impose an oil embargo on North Korea, ban the countrys exports of textiles and the hiring of North Korean labourers abroad, and subject leader Kim Jong Un to an asset freeze and travel ban, according to a draft resolution seen by Reuters on Wednesday. We will respond to the barbaric plotting around sanctions and pressure by the United States with powerful counter measures of our own, the statement read.

2:44pm Newly-appointed Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman told PTI her priority areas would be military preparedness, defence indigenisation, resolving long-pending issues and the welfare of soldiers. Sitharaman, 55, India's first full-time woman defence minister, took charge of the key ministry in the presence of her predecessor Arun Jaitley.

2:37pm Malaysias central bank, leaving its key interest rate unchanged as expected on Thursday, struck a more upbeat tone on the countrys and Asias economic performance this year. Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) kept the overnight policy rate (OPR) MYINTR-ECI at 3 percent - where it has been since July 2016 - and gave no sign of a need to change the accommodative rate anytime soon.

2:18pm Russian President Vladimir Putin thought the North Korea crisis would not escalate into a large-scale conflict involving nuclear weapons, predicting that common sense would prevail, reports Reuters. But he said he believed North Koreas leadership feared any freeze of its nuclear programme would be followed by what amounted to an invitation to the cemetery.

1:42pm Cadila Healthcare shares rose about 5 percent after its Moraiya plant received zero observations from the US health regulator. CNBC-TV18 reports that the US Food and Drug Administration has issued zero observations for Moraiya unit (Gujarat) after its re-inspection. The USFDA had re-inspected this facility in 2017.

1.13pm News18 is quoting OP Chatwal, a CBI official who led the team that was involved in Salem's extradition, as saying that the death sentence could not have been awarded to the underworld kingpin as it would have been a violation of the extradition agreement between India and Portugal.

Portugal, where Salem was hiding before he was extradited to India, does not have the death sentence. And so, the maximum punishment that can be awarded to him is 25 years -- the maximum allowed in that country.

1.10pm Riyaz Siddiqui gets a 10-year sentence. Prosecutors were seeking a life time for him.

1.08pm Tahir Merchant sent the executioners of the blast for weapons training to Pakistan. Firoz Khan managed the landing of arms from Pakistan and managed the customs and police.

1.03pm The court has also convicted Firoz Khan to death.

12.58pm Among other convicts, Tahir Merchant has been awarded the death sentence while Riyaz Siddiqui has been sentenced to 10 years, reports the ANI.

12.53pm Salem transported arms and ammunition to Mumbai from Bharuch in Gujarat.

12.50pm Just in! Gangster Abu Salem has been sentenced to life in the 1993 blasts case.

12.45pm The verdict for the 1993 Mumbai serial blast is in. The court has announced life sentence for Karimullah Shaikh. The fate of four other accused, including underworld don Abu Salem, will be announced shortly.

12.42pm Bad news for the Railways continues. The Ranchi Rajdhani Express has got derailed near Delhi. This is the second derailment today -- and follows a string of derailments over the past one month that has caused the loss of several lives and the job of the railway minister.

Fortunately, no injuries have been reported so far.

12.40pm Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has wrapped up his Myanmar visit. "My Myanmar visit covered significant ground in giving a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations & deepening bilateral cooperation," the PM tweeted.

12:27pm Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position in Hama province early on Thursday from Lebanese airspace, killing two people and causing material damage, the Syrian army general command told Reuters. The army statement said it took place near the town of Masyaf and warned against the dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region.

12:23pm Dixon Technologies public issue has been fully subscribed on the second day. The Rs 600-crore IPO has been oversubscribed 1.18 times, as per data available on the National Stock Exchange. The issue received bids for 28.11 lakh equity shares against an issue size of 23.76 lakh shares, excluding anchor investors' portion that already received a positive response. On day one, the issue was subscribed 0.78 times as the reserved portion of qualified institutional investors saw subscription of 1.34 times and retail 0.78 times.

12:13pm South Korean commandos will work with the US Navy Seals who killed Osama bin Laden to create a special unit to assassinate Kim Jong-un in the event of war, reports The Times. The announcement coincides with a decision by the US to waive restrictions on the size and range of South Korean ballistic missiles, allowing it to develop its own independent capacity to drop bunker-busting bombs on the underground headquarters of the North Korean leadership in Pyongyang.

12:07pm Russian President Vladimir Putin feels whipping up military hysteria around the North Korean crisis was counterproductive, adding that Pyongyang would not end its nuclear and missile programmes because it views them as its only means for self-defence, reports Reuters. Its impossible to scare them, Putin said at an economic forum in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok. He said that, as an incentive to freeze its weapons programmes, North Korea was being offered the prospect of an end to sanctions. But the economic benefits of that, in Pyongyangs eyes, are outweighed by the security risks.

11:58am The Bank of Canada raised interest rates on Wednesday, surprising many, and left the door open to more rate hikes in 2017 even as it pledged to pay attention to how higher borrowing costs would hit Canada's indebted households.

11:54am Bollywood star Salman Khan launches a driving school in Dubai. The Belhasa Driving Centre is located in AL Quoz. The centre will be the companys fifth branch and also the biggest one in West Asia. The facility will include in-house eye testing, a cafeteria, VIP training facilities in Range Rover and Mercedes vehicles, as well as a training department dedicated to women.

11:49am Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said the crisis around North Korea requires quick action, calling on world powers to press Pyongyang to abide by its UN obligations.

11:44am Reliance Nippon Life Asset Management's (RNAM) Chief Investment Officer-Equity Investments Sunil Singhania has resigned with effect from August 31. Manish Gunwani has replaced Singhania with effect from September 5. Gunwani joins RNAM from ICICI Prudential Mutual Fund, where he served as Deputy CIO Equity, and managed assets of over Rs 35,000 crore, including some of the largest flagship funds.

11:39am Foreign investors were big buyers of Japanese bonds last week, with geopolitical tensions and concerns over US fiscal policy boosting demand for such safe (if low-yielding) assets, reports Reuters. Weekly data from Japans finance ministry issued on Thursday showed foreign investors bought a net 1.3592 trillion yen (USD 12.46 billion) of medium- to long-dated Japanese bonds in the week through September 2. This net purchase was the third largest in records stretching back to 2005. In what seems to be a paradox for some, Japan has served as a safe-haven of sorts with the yen often gaining in times of global risk aversion.

11:30am South Korean President Moon Jae-in wants Russia to continue supporting sanctions against North Korea after Pyongyang conducted its largest nuclear test at the weekend.

11:26am A Knight Frank reveals that Indias residential market delivered 70% return over a five-year period till June. The Hong Kong market, which has been buzzing over a 12-month period, returned 65%. Knight Franks Global House Price Index showed Singapore posted a 5.6 percent decline and Japan also slipped, reports Bloomberg.

11:21am Mark Hart spent seven years and USD 240 million waiting for Chinas currency to crash, reports Bloomberg. He lost sleep, clients damned near lost his sanity. And now hes lost his conviction. Hart, who called for a more than 50 percent yuan devaluation last year, has turned bullish on China and its currency.

11:16am In an exclusive interview with CNBC-TV18, Baba Kalyani, CMD, Bharat Forge, said CV sales in Q1 were subdued but perked up in Q2. He sees India emerge as a major defence manufacturer in the future. On the acquisition front, he is looking at all opportunities including BEML. Formerly Bharat Earth Movers, this state-run undertaking manufactures a variety of heavy equipment, such as that used for earth moving, transport and mining.

10:45am ICICI Bank stock is up over 1 percent after CNBC-TV18 reported that the initial public offering (IPO) of its general insurance company will open for subscription in the coming week. ICICI Lombard General Insurance Company will launch its initial public offer of up to 8,62,47,187 equity shares on September 15.

The issue consists of offer for sale of up to 3,17,61,478 equity shares by promoter ICICI Bank, up to 5,44,85,709 shares by investor Fal Corporation. The issue also include a reservation of up to 43,12,359 equity shares for purchase by ICICI Bank shareholders. The issue will close on September 19.

9:53am Railway officials said the Shaktipunj Express derailment occurred around 6:25 am. All passengers were put on the remaining coaches and by 7:28 am all of them had left the spot. No passenger was injured in the accident. The train was running at a speed of about 40 km per hour which, officials say, prevented any injuries when the incident occurred.

This is the third such derailment in the state in less than a month. On August 19, the Utkal Express had derailed in Muzaffarnagar district, killing 22 people and injuring 156. About 100 passengers were wounded when 10 coaches of Kaifiyat Express train derailed after crashing into a dumper which strayed on to the tracks in Auraiya district on August 23.

9:44am New Delhi Television (NDTV), which projects itself as the champion of free speech and public causes, has decided to bar its shareholders from carrying cellphones, bags and other accessories during its annual general meeting scheduled for September 21 at Delhi. Moneylife reports that this probably is the first time that a listed company want to go to such extremes to prevent deliberations at the board meeting from being know to the outside world, including potential investors. If permitted to do so, this will be a bad precedent, which will be quickly adopted by most companies, especially those who have a lot to hide.

9:40am Times of India reports that the most active smartphone users in India spend more than 4 hours every day - the equivalent of half a standard workday - on mobile apps. India was among the top 5 markets in terms of total time spent on apps on Android phones in May. In terms of categories, shopping apps, travel, and games emerged as the top categories where people were spending most of their time.

9:36am There has been an about 12% rise in the number of sexual harassment complaints reported by the BSE's top 100 listed companies in 2016-17, reports Times of India. While some companies reported fewer cases, others like Wipro, ICICI Bank, Infosys and Tata Consultancy Services reported more than 50 cases during the year. Experts believe there is no reason to be alarmed by higher numbers as this only indicates better transparency and robustness of a company's internal mechanism to handle such cases.

9:30am German sportswear maker Adidas is looking to lay off around one-fourth of its staff in India in the coming months, reports TOI.

9:21am A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court would pronounce the quantum of sentence against all the convicts of the 1993 Mumbai Bomb Blasts Case on Thursday. The court had convicted six people, including the mastermind of the attack Mustafa Dossa and Abu Salem on June 16 this year. Arguments over the degree of sentences continued after the conviction in June and concluded on August 10.

9:14am Borrowings by Indian companies and banks from the overseas markets are tipped to hit new highs in 2017 with a record USD 12 billion already having been raised so far, reports Financial Express. Appetite for Indian paper remains strong, allowing borrowers to pick up money at very fine rates. Abundance of liquidity globally and the limited supply of paper from India are among the reasons for the record mop-up from overseas markets.

9:05am Which stock have caught the fancy of brokerages today? Click here to find out

9:01am The appellate court of the National Company Law Tribunal (NCLAT) will on Thursday decide the fate of the 169 McDonalds stores and almost 6,500 jobs affected by McDonalds Indias (MIPL) termination of licence agreement with Connaught Plaza Restaurants Ltd (CPRL).

8:51am Seven coaches of Howrah-Jabalpur-Shaktipunj Express derail near Sonbhadra in Uttar Pradesh, reports ANI. No injuries have been reported yet. This is the first derailment after Piyush Goyal was appointed as the new Railway Minister at Sundays Cabinet reshuffle.

8:44am The Rs 1,000 crore personal care products unit of Hindustan Uniliver at Doomdooma in Assam has begun commercial production on Wednesday.

8:44am Petronet LNG will build a liquefied natural gas (LNG) import terminal in Sri Lanka in collaboration with Japanese and Lankan companies. The Sri Lankan government issued a letter of intent to the Indian government in this regard on September 1.

8:44am HCL Technologies has announced a partnership that includes purchase of select assets with Alpha Insight, a products and solutions company headquartered in London, with expertise in business flow monitoring and operational intelligence. The IT firm said that the proposed asset purchase consideration shall be up to EUR 3.25 million, including payments subject to certain financial milestones.

8:44am Nestle, the maker of Maggi noodles and KitKat chocolate, is consolidating its product portfolio to focus on high-performing brands. The Swiss company, which launched more than 40 products over two years, is reviewing categories across chocolates, confectionery, coffee and the dairy segment.

8:41am A Business Standard report suggests that Nusli Wadia, Chairman of the Wadia Group of Companies, has urged the Securities Exchange Board of India (Sebi) to take action against three independent directors of the Tata group companies who he alleges made wrong declarations in annual reports.

8:36am The Delhi High Court reserved its decision on whether Daiichi Sankyo could enforce an award it won in a foreign tribunal to recover about Rs 3,500 crore from former Ranbaxy Laboratories promoters Malvinder and Shivinder Singh.

8:33am In bulk deals, Grantham Mayo Van Otterloo-Emerging Markets Quality Fund bought 1.1 crore shares or 0.89 percent stake in Himachal Futuristic at Rs 23.92 per share. GMO Emerging Domestic Opportunities Fund sold 12.62 lakh shares or 1.16 percent in Gateway Distriparks at Rs 219.67 apiece. The fund held 1.2 percent in Gateway Distriparks at the end of the June quarter.

8:21am Godrej Appliances, a division of Godrej and Boyce Mfg Co, is targeting 30% growth in sales this festive season as compared to the same period last year, reports Mint.

8:21am Eicher Motors, the maker of Royal Enfield motorbikes, is looking to bid for Italian bike-maker Ducati, reports The Economic Times.

8:21am JM Financial Asset Reconstruction Co has offered to buy out all outstanding loans to Gujarat NRE Coke, a company for which the Kolkata bench of the National Company Law Tribunal has already appointed a resolution professional, or administrator.

8:21am ITC has slapped a Rs 1,000 crore defamation suit against proxy advisory firm Institutional Investors Advisory Services (IiAS) for allegedly making defamatory comments against the companys directors in one of its reports.

8:21am Hurricane Harvey, which disrupted the global refining and chemical industry, impacting margins, will work in favour of Reliance Industries Ltd (RIL), reports Mint.

8:21am Equity mutual funds received a record Rs 20,000 crore in net investor flows in August, while the overall assets under management topped the Rs20 trillion mark, reports Business Standard.

8:11am Bharat Forges total North America Class 8 truck sales have risen 50 percent for August - its best performance since 2014.

8:08am The United States on Wednesday asked the UN Security Council to slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-Un, in response to Pyongyang's sixth and most powerful nuclear test. A US-drafted resolution obtained by AFP also called for banning textile exports and ending payments made to North Korean labourers sent abroad, further depriving the regime of revenue to pursue its military programs. The US circulated the proposed resolution to the 14 other council members two days after Ambassador Nikki Haley called for the "strongest possible measures" to be imposed on North Korea. To track real time happenings in the Korean peninsula, click here

8:00am Six people were killed and 11 injured in a fire at an under-construction building in Mumbai on Wednesday night, police said. PTI reports the fire was caused by a gas cylinder explosion in the Prarthana building near the Kishore Kumar Garden in Juhu. The injured - 9 men and 2 women - have been admitted to the nearby Cooper Hospital of the BMC. Eight of them are said to be critical.

7:57am Protesters clashed with thousands of police at a South Korean village on Thursday as Seoul deployed the four remaining launchers of the US anti-missile THAAD system designed to protect against mounting threats from North Korea. The Souths defence ministry confirmed on Wednesday the launchers would be installed on a former golf course near Seongju City some 217 km south of Seoul. Two launchers and a powerful radar are already in place at the site as part of the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) system.

7:54am British Prime Minister Theresa May called on parliament to support legislation to sever political, financial and legal ties with the European Union, a step towards Brexit the opposition says it will challenge.

7:44am Asian shares ticked up on Thursday after US President Donald Trump and congressional leaders agreed to raise the government debt limit until December, eliminating the risk of a government shutdown for now.

In commodity news, Gold was steady early Thursday, supported by a weaker dollar, after dipping slightly in the previous session on easing concerns of a potential US government shutdown. Oil prices rose more than 1 percent on Wednesday as strong global refining margins and the reopening of US Gulf Coast refineries provided a more bullish outlook after sharp drops due to Hurricane Harvey.

7:37am US Federal Reserve Vice Chair Stanley Fischer, a veteran central banker who helped set the course for modern monetary policy, said he will step down from his position in mid-October, potentially accelerating President Donald Trumps opportunity to reshape the direction of the central bank.

7:36am Hurricane Katia churned almost 322 km off the Gulf Coast of Mexico on Wednesday evening before an expected turn towards land that could dump heavy rain on eastern states in the coming days, the US National Hurricane Center (NHC) said. Katia, a Category 1 hurricane, was 314 km east of the port of Tampico, blowing maximum sustained winds of 121 km per hour, the Miami-based NHC said.

7:33am Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, howled past Puerto Rico on Wednesday after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands with roof-ripping winds, drenching rains and pounding surf on a collision course with Florida. At least four people were reported killed on four different islands by Irma, which weather forecasters have described as a potentially catastrophic Category 5 storm, the highest US classification for hurricanes.

7:31am US Treasury Secretary Steve Mnuchin has an executive order ready for President Donald Trump to sign that would impose sanctions on any country that trades with Pyongyang if the United Nations does not put additional sanctions on North Korea over nuclear tests. I have an executive order prepared. Its ready to go to the president. It will authorise me to stop doing trade, and put sanctions on anybody that does trade with North Korea. The president will consider that at the appropriate time once he gives the UN time to act.

7:28am Chinas air force has carried out exercises near the Korean peninsula, practising to defend against a surprise attack coming over the sea, reports Reuters. An anti-aircraft defence battalion carried out the exercises early on Tuesday, near the Bohai Sea, the innermost gulf of the Yellow Sea that separates China from the peninsula, an official military website www.81.cn reported.

7:25am US President Donald Trump promised he would get into great detail about his tax reform plan in the next two weeks. During a visit to North Dakota, he listed his broad principles for tax reform to include simplifying the US tax code and providing tax relief to middle-class Americans.

7:22am Reuters reports that the US Department of Commerce has begun an investigation into possible dumping and subsidisation of stainless steel flanges from China and India. In 2016, imports of stainless steel flanges India were valued at an estimated USD32.1 million. India is accused of alleged dumping margins of 78.49 percent to 145.25 percent.

7:15am European Central Bank President Mario Draghi is set to start laying the groundwork for stimulus reduction when policymakers meet on Thursday, giving investors some hints but probably holding off on any major commitment.

7:12am Bitcoin price on the rise again after falling USD 1,000 in three days. The two largest cryptocurrencies - Bitcoin and Ethereum - showed signs of a recovery on Wednesday after showing bearish signals after a Chinese crackdown on initial coin offerings.

7:09am Military action with North Korea is not US President Donald Trump's "first choice, but we'll see what happens," he said on Wednesday. President Xi Jinping told Trump that China is focused on solving the Korean Peninsula nuclear issue through talks and peaceful means.

7:03am Goldman Sachs Chief Executive Lloyd Blankfein told CNBC he doesn't see another tulip mania in the markets, but does see some cause for concern. "When yields on corporate bonds are lower than dividends on stocks, that unnerves me."

"The biggest problem, the anxiety that people have, is non-specific to what asset we are pointing to but the general feeling that things have been going up for too long," he said, adding that it didn't feel like a tulip mania, a reference to a 17th-century run on tulip bulbs in the Netherlands that has become a symbol of market excess.

6:53am President Donald Trump forged a surprising deal with Democrats in Congress on Wednesday to extend the US debt limit and provide government funding until December 15, embracing his political adversaries and blindsiding fellow Republicans in a rare bipartisan accord.

Trump met with congressional leaders from both parties and overruled Republicans and his own treasury secretary who wanted a longer-term debt-limit extension rather than the three-month Democratic proposal the president embraced.

If passed by the Republican-led Congress, the agreement would avert an unprecedented default on US government debt, keep the government funded at the outset of the fiscal year beginning October 1 and provide aid to victims of Hurricane Harvey.

Moneycontrol

Good Morningusers. This blog will keep track of key global and local developments impacting business and markets through the day.
Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the on last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist- majority country.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"A moment with timelessness. PM @narendramodi visits 2,500-years-old Shwedagon Pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.
South Asia offers immense opportunities to the US, a top Trump administration official has said while ruing that the region remains the least economically integrated in the world.

Alice Wells Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, told a Congressional Subcommittee that South Asia is the fastest growing region in the world with almost half of the population under the age of 24.

This drives economic growth -- expected above 7 per cent from 2018 onwards -- along with unprecedented opportunities for trade, Wells said.

"South Asia remains among the least economically integrated regions in the world and non-tariff barriers to trade are a major cause," Wells told the subcommittee in a written submission yesterday.

Scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget," Wells in her written testimony said currently, it takes up to 20 separate authorisations for merchants to import and export goods between India and Bangladesh.

"Fortunately, the countries of the region have prioritised increasing regional trade and investment, and during the recent Foreign Ministers meeting of the Bay of Bengal Initiative for MultiSectoral Technical and Economic Cooperation (BIMSTEC) in Kathmandu, the seven-member states laid the groundwork for stronger regional cooperation on a host of economic and commercial issues," she said.

"Given this momentum, we are focused on facilitating stronger economic linkages between the countries of South Asia to encourage private-sector led economic growth and promote prosperity and stability in the region," Wells said.

South Asia matters to the United States, Wells told lawmakers.

"Nowhere are those opportunities greater than in the growing road, air, and sea links between India, Bangladesh, Burma, Nepal, and Sri Lanka and the rapidly expanding ASEAN economies," she said, adding that 70 per cent of the infrastructure required to sustain and support the India of 2030 has yet to be built.

This will be an enormous opportunity for US companies that have the technology and expertise.

For example, Boeing alone foresees a market for 2,000 commercial aircraft in South Asia over the next 20 years, she said.

The region's growth has potential to create a half billion new customers for US businesses in consumer goods, financial services, technology, infrastructure, the health sector, energy, education, tourism, and more.

Wells said in 2014, the United States exported more than USD 22 billion worth of goods to South Asia, making US the region's number one trading partner.

These exports support thousands of jobs in many of your districts and as the region rises over the next 15 years, thousands more are likely to be created as a result.

"We are committed to increasing market access for US companies throughout the region in support of that important goal," she said.

"In the coming years, the countries of South Asia will likely assume an ever-greater role and importance in global affairs," Wells said as she sought support from Congress.

"The policies and programmes supported by our FY 2018 Request will ensure that the US continues to be a leader in the region by promoting economic connectivity and growth, advancing good governance and democracy, and ensuring regional security and stability."

"With smart, focused engagement, we can ensure that South Asians and Americans alike continue to reap the benefits of stability, security, and prosperity," Wells said.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to form a 'Grand Alliance' ahead of next year's assembly polls in Meghalaya and Tripura, according to a report in The Economic Times.

The BJP is eyeing an alliance with the United Democratic Party (UDP) and the National Peoples Party (NPP) in Meghalaya.

Both parties had attended a meeting of the anti-Congress platform called the Northeast Democratic Alliance (NEDA), which has been floated by the BJP.

The party is also looking to tie up with tribal party Indigenous Peoples Front of Tripura (NC faction) (IPFT) in Tripura.

BJP's northeast in-charge and NEDA convener Himanta Biswa Sarma told the newspaper that talks on alliance were progressing well. "Things are likely to take concrete shape by November this year," he said.

Paul Lyngdoh, leader of the UDP said, "Though there is no proposal for pre-poll alliance (with BJP), but we will keep the spirit of NEDA alive and ensure that we keep the Congress out of power in the next elections."

The party has already appointed Alphons Kannanthanam, who recently became a union minister, as the Meghalaya in-charge for the assembly election. The move is considered strategic as Meghalaya is a Christian-dominated state. BJP president Amit Shah will be visiting Meghalaya on September 28.

Some defecting legislators are expected to join the BJP in Shah's presence. He is also expected to inaugurate the partys new office.

In August, at least six Trinamool Congress (TMC) legislators from Tripura joined the BJP.
BJP president Amit Shah today said India had made substantial progress in different sectors and carved a separate identity for itself in the international arena during three years of the NDA regime.

Citing an instance, Shah said surgical strikes had enhanced the image of India across the globe and there was recognition that the country was capable of defending its frontiers.

"The surgical strike speaks of the strong political will of the Modi government. This government can do everything to defend the country," he told reporters.

India became a global leader in space technologies after the launch of at least four satellites during the NDA rule, he said.

Stating that there was overall transformation since the NDA had come to power, Shah said India now had one of the fastest growing economies in the world.

In some quarters, India's growth had been higher than that recorded by China, he added.

The BJP president said the party would fight the next elections in Odisha alone.
Artist's concept of Cassini diving between Saturn and its innermost ring. NASA.

NASA is all set to destroy its USD 3.26 billion probe spacecraft, Cassini on the September 15. The spacecraft has spent 13 years in the orbit around Saturn, surveying the planet and its various moons.

In order to avoid the unlikely possibility of Cassini someday colliding with one of the moons, NASA has chosen to safely dispose off the spacecraft in the atmosphere of Saturn. This will ensure that Cassini cannot contaminate any future studies of habitability and potential life on those two moons of Saturn, Enceladus and Titan, which were reported to contain habitable  or at least "prebiotic  environments.

The last seven days of Cassinis long journey will be as follows:

Sept 9, Saturday: Cassini will make the last of 22 passes between Saturn itself and its rings. It will just above 1680 kilometres the cloud tops of the planet.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is shown heading for the gap between Saturn and its rings during one of 22 such dives of the mission's finale in this illustration. Credits: NASA/JPL-Caltech

Sept 11, Monday: The spacecraft will pass by Titanthe largest moon of Saturnthe last time. Even though the spacecraft will be 119,049 kilometres away, the gravitational influence of the moon will slow down the spacecraft slightly as it speeds past.

A few days later, instead of passing through the outermost fringes of Saturn's atmosphere, Cassini will dive in too deep to survive the friction and heating.

Sept 14, Thursday: The spacecraft named after Italian astronomer Giovanni Domenico Cassini will take last photographs of moons Titan and Enceladus, the hexagon-shaped jet stream around the planet's north pole, and features in the rings.

5:45 pm EDT: The craft will turn its antenna towards earth and will send back final images and data.

Sept 15, Friday; 4:37 am EDT: The "final plunge" begins. It will start sending real time data and roll itself for optimal sampling of the atmosphere.

NASA's Cassini spacecraft is shown during its Sept. 15, 2017, plunge into Saturn's atmosphere in this artist's depiction. Cassini will use its thrusters to keep its antenna pointed at Earth for as long as possible while sending back unique data about Saturn's atmosphere. Credit: NASA/JPL-Caltech

7:53 a.m. EDT: Cassini will enter the atmosphere of Saturn. Its thrusters would be firing at 10 percent capability to maintain directional stability. It will keep sending data.

7:54 am EDT: The communication link to earth will break, thrusters will be at their full capacity as it says goodbye to earth.

Watch | NASA at Saturn: Cassini's Grand Finale

The spacecraft was launched in 1997 and it took seven years to reach Saturn. "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 Grand Finale represents the culmination of a seven-year plan to use the spacecrafts remaining resources in the most scientifically productive way possible. By safely disposing of 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."
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The murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh has sparked mass protests across states in India with journalists, activists, citizens and the civil society demanding a special investigation and condemning the Central government's inability to protect the journalists and rationalists.

A journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was a staunch critic of Bharatiya Janata Party, Rashtriya Swamsevak Sangh and affirmed an anti-Hindutva stance as she wrote for a Kannada weekly Lankesh Patrike in Bangalore, Karnataka.

In 2008, BJP leaders Prahlad Joshi and Umesh Dushi had filed defamation cases on her for the publication of an article carrying the alleged involvement of these leaders in criminal activities.

On Tuesday, unknown assailants shot four rounds at her in front of her residence at Rajeshwari Nagar in Bangalore.

On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the brutal killing of Gauri Lankesh.

Protests erupted on Tuesday and Wednesday in key locations of major cities in the country- Bangalore, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Kolkata- amid ongoing agitation in front of Gauri Lankesh' residence.

Lankesh' murder reminded the protesters of the murder of rationalist Narendra Dhabolkar in 2013, Communist Party of India leader Govind Pansare in 2015 and the shooting of MM Kalburgi in 2015.

The murder of Kalburgi, author and the former vice-chancellor of Hampi University, still remains unsolved. Strangely, media reports have suggested that the gun used in all these murders were the same.

In the Amphitheatre at Carter Road in Mumbai, protests on Wednesday saw film actors Shabana Azmi and Nandita Das along with civil rights activist and journalist Teesta Setalvad holding placards and shouting slogans demanding the freedom to write, speak and eat.

Shabana Azmi told the Indian Express: "Narendra Dabholkar, Govind Pansare, MM Kalburgi and now Gauri Lankesh. Theres a trend emerging from these murders  of not just silencing but killing people who speak their minds."

Another gathering took place near the Mumbai Press Club where journalists and citizens held a candlelight vigil in the evening.

In Kerala, political leaders from the CPIM and Congress held several protests at Thiruvananthapuram along with a journalists' rally in the capital city.

Kochi saw the gathering of artists to condemn the murder of Gauri Lankesh. Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan told Indian Express: "She was killed at a time progressive and secular forces were gaining ground in Karnataka."

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee attended a protest rally held at the Press Club of Kolkata where journalists, activists, and citizens protested Lankesh' murder through a candlelight march.

The Journalist's Forum of Assam (JFA) in Guwahati, Assam also held a protest rally.

In Hyderabad, journalists took out a rally from the Press Club carrying placards reading "I am also Gauri". Another march was organized by the Hyderabad Working Journalists Union and the Civil Liberties Monitoring Committee (CLMC).

The Goa Union of Journalists (GUJ) condemned the murder by holding protests in Panaji. GUJ president told the Indian Express: "Democracy allows one the most fundamental right: the right to ask questions. When the voice of dissent is attacked, then all of us should come together to thwart such forces."

Similar protests of civil rights activists, journalists and students took place in Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh and Pune, Maharashtra.

In the Press Club of India in New Delhi, several journalists gathered to condemn the death of journalist stating that Gauri's murder was a cause of fear in all journalists, free thinkers, rationals, and critics. Similar protests were held in the Press Club of Chennai beginning 11 am on Wednesday.
A Jet Airways passenger plane takes off from Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel International Airport in Ahmedabad

Jet Airways is set to introduce as many as 56 new weekly flights in this month and the next, ahead of the festive season.

The new flights  that include a mix of non-stop and one-stop services between key Indian cities, are in response to the rising demand for aviation services in these cities and will further strengthen the airline's footprint across its domestic network that currently comprises 44 cities, Jet Airways said in a statement.

Jet Airways will introduce daily flights from Pune, connecting to Guwahati via Kolkata as well as to Coimbatore.

In other notable firsts, Jet Airways is also set to commence flight operations between Bengaluru and Silchar, as well as New Delhi and Jorhat, it said.
INDIA - MAY 20: Students of Christian Medical College (CMC) at Vellore in Tamil Nadu, India

In a bid to take over the admission process in their own hands yet again, Christian Medical College (CMC) in Vellore, Tamil Nadu has left 99 out of its total 100 seats for MBBS vacant, as per a report in NDTV.

As opposed to the present system where committees set up by the Central and State governments select students through centralised counselling, the century old minority institute is seeking rights to select National Eligibility cum Entrance Test (NEET) qualified students through its own counselling.

The one student admitted to the college this year was the son of a soldier who was nominated by the centre for MBBS.

Last year, the Supreme Court had exempted the college and allowed it to conduct admissions on its own.

The news comes in the wake of the S Anitha suicide case, where a Dalit girl from Tamil Nadu who had previously moved to the Supreme Court to protest against NEET had killed herself last week after failing to get into a medical college.

Anitha would have gotten into any of the top colleges if the ruling had been passed making NEET merit list the very basis for MBBS courses across the country. By scoring 86 in NEET, she missed out on pursuing her medical dream.

Doctors Association for Social equality, however, said that the CMCs actions were not in the right direction as keeping in mind India's requirement of UG doctors and also super-specialty doctors, stopping the courses indicated a great loss to the healthcare delivery system of the country.

As per CMC Vellore it caters to 180 mission hospitals in rural and remote areas across the country where after the completion of a course, doctors are required to serve for two years on a low salary.

The college authorities say the top court is likely to give its verdict in October and if the court permits the remaining seats would be filled.

CMC is a self-funded minority institute and collects fee which is lower than even government medical colleges in the country.
Russian President Vladimir Putin says he believes President Donald Trump's administration is willing to defuse tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

North Korea's latest nuclear test on Sunday rattled its neighboring countries, prompting the United States to speak about a "military response" and South Korea to conduct major military exercises.

Speaking at an economic forum in Russia's eastern port of Vladivostok, Putin said today he believes the Trump administration is "willing to resolve the situation." Putin also reiterated Moscow's opposition to more sanctions against North Korea.

Putin said there are "many reasonable people in the current administration" who are experienced and who have dealt with similar crises.

Putin called on all North Korea's neighbours to show restraint, indicating the bellicose rhetoric and the military drills are only "playing into their hands.
The Indian government wants to deport over 40,000 Rohingya Muslims who have been living in the country for almost half a decade and have declared them as "illegal immigrants".

In April, the Modi administration began mulling the deportation of Rohingya Muslim refugees - who flew to Bangladesh and India after violence erupted in Myanmars Rakhine state on the premise of national security.

Around 14,000 Rohingyas in India are registered with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) while the rest are said to be staying illegally.

In April this year, matters escalated as the traders of Jammu Chamber threatened to identify and kill Rohingyas living in the state if the government did not deport them.

At that time, the state government disclosed that they have not found any Rohingya involved in militancy-related incidents. Although 17 FIRs had been registered against 38 of them, the offences are mostly related t0 illegal border crossings, the New Indian Express reported.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) also put up hoardings in the state, directing Rohingyas to leave Jammu and threatening consequences if they failed to do so.

Meanwhile, advocate Hunar Gupta, a member of the state BJPs legal cell, filed a PIL in the High Court asking for deportation of Rohingya and Bangladeshi refugees from Jammu and Kashmir. Concerns were also raised about the refugees staying in a sensitive border state that is prone to terrorist activities.

During his visit to Myanmar earlier this week, Prime Minister Modi consolidated Indias ties with the neighbouring country, saying that India shares Myanmars concern over extremist violence

"When it comes to a big peace process or finding a solution to a special issue, we hope that all stakeholders can work together towards finding a solution which while respecting the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar ensures peace, justice and dignity for all," Modi said in a statement.

The Prime Minister's statement came in the backdrop of recent violence in the Rakhine state where Rohingya militants allegedly attacked police posts killing 12 security personnel, the BBC reported. The clashes and subsequent military crackdown also resulted in the death of hundreds of miltants and some civilians, the Myanmar government has claimed.

Minister of State for Home ministry Kiren Rijiju, reiterating the Centres line of the argument, has claimed on August 9 that Rohingya refugees are prone to being recruited by terrorist organisations.

According to media reports, Indian and Bangladeshi intelligence agencies claim that Pakistani terrorist outfits are hiring Rohingyas from Bangladesh's refugee camps.

While the Rohingyas have been linked to terrorist groups in the subcontinent such as Jaish-e-Mohammad or Lashkar-e-Taiba, no concrete proof has yet been surfaced or made public.

Myanmar's State Counsellor and Nobel Peace Prize recipient Aung San Suu Kyi, is also facing increasing international pressure over the 125,000 Rohingya Muslims who have poured into Bangladesh in just two weeks.

Rijiju said on Tuesday that nobody should preach to India on the issue as the country has accommodated large number of refugees over time. The minister said that the Centre had directed the state governments to set up task forces and identify and deport Rohingyas, including those registered with the UNHCR.

"I want to tell the international organisations whether the Rohingyas are registered under the United Nations Human Rights Commission or not. They are illegal immigrants in India," Rijiju told the media.

The Centre argues that India does not have to consider the refugee status given by UN to the Rohingyas in India as the country is not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention.

However, Rijiju had informed the Rajya Sabha in 2014 that, since India does not have a national law on treatment of refugees, "cases, which are prima facie justified on the grounds of a well founded fear of persecution on account of race, religion, sex, nationality, ethnic identity, membership of a particular social group or political opinion", qualify to be recommended to the Home Ministry for granting of Long Term Visa to the concerned people after security verification.

The United Nations has declared Rohingyas as "the most persecuted minority in the world". Myanmar does not grant Rohingyas citizenship as it considers them as immigrants from Bangladesh even though the community has lived in Myanmar for generations.

UN's Secretary General Antonio Guterres's spokesperson Farhan Haq said that Guerres is concerned about India's decision, adding that refugees should not be sent back to countries where they fear persecution once they are registered with the UN.

Haq also invoked UN's international principles of non-refoulement which holds that no nation should deport a refugee to territories where his life or freedom would be under threat based on his race, religion, nationality, or membership of a social or political group.

The Supreme Court is also hearing a petition, filed by two Rohingya immigrants, challenging the Indian government's decision to deport illegal Rohingya Muslims immigrants back to Myanmar. The Centre is supposed to give its reply to the apex court on September 11.

With inputs from PTI and Reuters.
The United States Secretary of the Treasury Steven Mnuchin Thursday said he has prepared an executive order that would permit Donald Trump to impose sanctions on any country that continues to trade with North Korea.

"I have an executive order prepared that's ready to go to the President that would authorize me to stop doing trade, put sanctions on anybody that does trade with North Korea, and the President will consider that at the appropriate time once he gives the UN time to act," Mnuchin reportedly told reporters while addressing them on Air Force One.

Mnuchins action comes after the US on Wednesday proposed to the United Nations a resolution that would include broad new sanctions on North Korea and freezing the assets of its leader Kim Jong-un.

"We believe we need to economically cut off North Korea while they do this action," Mnuchin said. "If we don't get those additional sanctions at the UN, Trump will consider the already-drafted executive action.

On Sunday, North Korea announced it had conducted its sixth and largest-ever weapon test and that it was complete success. According to the readings of tremors caused in the region, this looked to be the most powerful weapon North Korea has tested till date.

The UN had already approved sanctions on North Korea less than a month ago, but Mnuchin said on Wednesday that additional sanctions were required. On Sunday, after news about the weapon test by North Korea broke, Trump had said he would consider stopping all trade with any country engaging in business with North Korea.

Currently, China is North Korea's largest trading partner, aborning over 90 percent of the country's exports. India is North Korea's second largest trading partner, while Pakistan is third. Burkina Faso and some other Asian countries make up the remainder of the list.
No 1 | United States of America | Contribution: $115.8 million | Wealth: $105.99 trillion (Image: Reuters)

The US has told Pakistan that it must change its approach towards terror groups operating from its soil and take a "decisive action" against them, days after the BRICS grouping for the first time named Pakistan-based terrorist groups like LeT and JeM in its declaration.

The BRICS Summit in their joint declaration three days ago named Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and the Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan and called for action against them.

"As the administration has said, Pakistan must change its approach," a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question on the BRICS statement that said the Pakistan-based LeT and JeM among the terror groups that create problems in the region.

"We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region," the spokesperson said.

Pakistan has denied allegations it harbours these groups.

The BRICS declaration in the Chinese city Xiamen was significant given that China previously repeatedly stonewalled any reference to Pakistan or terrorist groups based there.

Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has told a news channel that BRICS concerns about the militant groups should not be considered as China's official stance.
A Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) interceptor is launched from the Pacific Spaceport Complex Alaska during Flight Experiment THAAD (FET)-01 in Kodiak, Alaska, U.S. on July 30, 2017. Picture taken on July 30, 2017. Courtesy Leah Garton/Missile Defense Agency/Handout via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE WAS PROVIDED BY A THIRD PARTY. TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY - RC13EC2BF7F0

US transported the remaining elements of the THAAD (Terminal High Altitude Area Defense) missile interception system to the launch site in South Korea. The transportation was met with angry protesters who clashed with the police leading to injuries.

South Korea had stopped deploying additional launchers on the site following opposition by local residents and a change in the central government.

The setting up of the THAAD system in South Korea comes amidst the rising tensions in the Korean peninsula. The THAAD system is established in South Korea with the aim of intercepting any missiles from North Korea. While China opposed the deployment, many argue that it is an effective step to check any threat against South Korea, Japan or the US from Pyongyang.

The deployment on the outskirts of Seongju was accompanied by dramatic scenes. Hundreds of protesters who opposed the deployment clashed with the riot police on Thursday. 38 people including six cops were injured in the clash according to an official.

The government of South Korea is calling for a tougher stance against Pyongyang. President Moon Jae In along with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe had called for a stronger economic embargo against Pyongyang after their meeting in Eastern Russia.

Protesters in South Korea argue that the situation cannot be solved by employing more pressure. There are also concerns of how the system which is deployed over 300 km from Seoul could effectively protect the South Korean capital.

There are also concerns of how the system which is deployed over 300 km from Seoul could effectively protect the South Korean capital.
The flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey in Houston and damage wrecked by Hurricane Irma after reaching record-breaking speeds in the Atlantic, have rekindled the good-old debate on the link between hurricanes and climate change.

Scientists agree that the main question is not whether hurricanes are caused by climate change, but to what extent they are a function of global warming. In effect, the intelligentsia have no quarrels on the all-important link between a high-pressure typhoon and climate change.

To develop an opinion on the subject first requires that we understand how hurricanes are formed.

According to the NASA website, hurricanes are large, fast-moving storms which swirl around a central vacuum. They give rise to winds as fast as 119 kilometers per hour and even higher. For reference, Hurricane Harvey, which was a category 4 storm, made landfall at a speed of 209-251 km per hour.

Tropical hurricanes begin at warm ocean waters. The warm air, laden with moisture, rises to the top, which creates an area of low pressure. This means that there is less air near the surface, which has to be filled up with air from its surroundings.

Image Courtesy: NASA

The air that rushes in to replace the warm air also warms up and rises. This moisture-laden warm air rises up and cools down, with the moisture accumulating to create a cloud. This cloud then gets sucked in the cycle, fueled by the warm ocean water heating the surrounding air, to create the characteristic hurricane.

There are five separate categories for hurricane wind speeds. Category 1 begins with speeds at 119 km/hour, which is faster than a cheetah, to Category 5 wind speed hurricanes being greater than 252 km/hour.

This is faster than the several high-speed trains. Hurricane Irma was the fastest Atlantic hurricane recorded with wind speeds greater than 252 km/hour.

Although their origins are over warm ocean waters, they are known to reach shores. The high-speed winds bring a wall of water along with it to the sea shore. This is called a storm shore, which caused the flooding in Houston by Hurricane Harvey.

What do scientists have to say about climate change and hurricanes ?

As mentioned earlier, scientists find the question of climate change causing hurricanes to be misleading. The appropriate question worth looking into is to what extent does climate change influence the intensity of hurricanes.

A report by the Washington Post took the middle ground, stating that there are three ways that climate change could have intensified the hurricanes effects. They are listed in order of the most convincing down to the least plausible explanation.

1. The rising sea levels caused by climate change increased the rise in ocean water or storm surge when the storm went ashore.

2. Climate change caused an extended warming of the water bodies, which further intensified the storms rainfall.

3. Climate change caused an extended warming of the water bodies, which further intensified the storms maximum wind speeds.

Taking the case of Hurricane Harvey that began in the Gulf of Mexico, we know that ocean levels are rising, so there is a possibility that climate change-induced rise in sea levels could have contributed to Harveys overflow to the shore. According to NOAA, sea levels near the state of Texas, where Harvey made landfall, are rising at a rate of about 508 mm per century, which can be a safe contributor to the severe flooding in Houston.

With regards to arguments two and three, the United Kingdoms Royal Society , while declining to take a concrete stance on the issue, stated the following:

"While changes in hurricane frequency remain uncertain, basic physical understanding and model results suggest that the strongest hurricanes (when they occur) are likely to become more intense and possibly larger in a warmer, moister atmosphere over the oceans."

This fact can be corroborated by a BBC report which mentions a particular physical law called the Clausius-Clapeyron equation which states that a hotter atmosphere carries more moisture.

For every single degree Celsius that air in the atmosphere is warmed, it can hold 7 percent more water which makes for heavier rainfall.

Also, the report quotes Sir Brian Hoskins from the Grantham Institute for Climate Change that says temperature of the seas has risen by 1.5 degrees in the Gulf of Mexico, which could potentially bring about stronger hurricanes.

A technically succinct explanation is provided by leading climate change scientist Micheal E Mann here.

Whatever be the stance one takes on climate change, the BBC report offers another sobering perspective from experts. The rate of population increase of Houston, coupled with unsustainable development will leave many people unable to bounce back from the aftermath for a lack of insurance and savings.
Education

Montgomery County Community College will present the spring installment of the interview/talk show program Issues and Insights April 20 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. in Science Center room 214, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The programs will be simulcast to the Colleges West Campus in South Hall room 216, 101 College Drive, Pottstown. Dr. Kolsky will offer a humorous presentation, Carrots, Sticks and Politics: A State of the Nation and the World Message. In this speech, he will provide his interpretation of domestic and international politics and then welcome questions from the audience for discussion. Issues and Insights, is free and open to the public. For information, contact Dr. Thomas Kolsky, professor of political science, at 215-641-6380 or tkolsky@mc3.edu.

Montgomery County Community Colleges STEM Scholars Program will host a STEM Jam! open house April 25 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the Advanced Technology Center at the Colleges Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The drop-in event is designed for students interested in learning more about careers in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. Activities will include STEM program information and career advising, STEM speakers throughout the day from industry and academia, micro-helicopter and robotics competitive obstacle courses and demonstrations and static models of STEM student and faculty work. For more information about STEM Jam! or STEM programs at MCCC, contact William Brownlowe at wbrownlowe@mc3.edu or 215-641-6644, or Robin Zuhlke at 215-619-7440 or rzuhlke@mc3.edu.

Temple Ambler, located at 580 Meetinghouse Road, presents the following events:

International Club Global Bazaar April 15 from 5 to 8 p.m. The Ambler Campus International Club invites all students, faculty, staff and the community to celebrate a multitude of diverse cultures, which will be showcased at the organizations Global Bazaar. This family friendly event will highlight cultural traditions and celebrations in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South American, North America and Africa through music, entertainment, food and informative displays developed and presented by students at the Ambler Campus. Young visitors will be provided with passports, which they may get stamped at each country they visit. Prizes will be awarded to world travelers who talk to cultural representatives, answer questions about the countries theyve visited and take part in fun-filled activities designed to help them learn about the rich diversity of cultures found throughout the world. Refreshments will be served. The event is free. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail tuc36466@temple.edu.

EarthFest 2011 April 29 from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. More than 75 exhibitors, including the Philadelphia Zoo, The Franklin Institute, the Academy of Natural Sciences, the Elmwood Park Zoo and the Insectarium, will take part in EarthFest 2011. School students of all ages are invited to attend and develop displays of their own. EarthFest partner the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society also offers its Kids Grow Expo, featuring the Junior Flower Show, as part of the event. For more information, call 267-468-8108 or e-mail duffyj@temple.edu.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 7 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. The plant sale  an Ambler Campus tradition dating back to the early 1900s  will feature woody plants and perennials in portable sizes, hardy trees, shrubs, and vines, native plants that are attractive to wildlife, herbs, and hanging baskets. There will also be numerous special plants for sale to highlight Amblers special anniversary year. Garden books and garden tools will also be available for sale. Students, staff, and volunteers from the Department of Landscape Architecture and Horticulture and the Ambler Arboretum Advisory Committee will be available to answer questions. All proceeds from the Spring Plant Sale will support the Ambler Arboretum Fund and the Pi Alpha Xi National Honor Society. Information: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

June Homecoming/Louise Bush-Brown Garden Dedication June 5 from 12:30 to 2 p.m. (June Homecoming), Bright Hall Lounge; 2 p.m. (Garden Dedication), Ambler Campus Formal Perennial Gardens. Tickets  June Homecoming: Participant  $18 per person; Sustainer  $25 per person; Benefactor  $40 per person. The 2011 June Homecoming, sponsored by the School of Environmental Design Alumni Association, will include the Alumni Association annual meeting and luncheon. June Homecoming will be followed by the formal dedication of Temple University Amblers Formal Perennial Gardens as the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Gardens. During this 100th anniversary of the campus, Temple University Ambler and the Ambler Arboretum of the Temple University is honoring Louise Bush-Browns many contributions to the history of the campus by formally dedicating the gardens in her honor. During the program, campus Executive William Parshall will welcome guests, Ambler Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey will speak about the Bush-Browns and the history of the garden, and an official ribbon cutting will be held for the Louise Bush-Brown Formal Garden. Following the ribbon cutting, guests are invited to take a tour of the gardens, which will wend their way to the Campus Greenhouse for the School of Environmental Designs annual Plant Auction. Information (Garden Dedication): 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Information (June Homecoming): 215-482-0722. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

Northview Garden Tour and Fundraiser for the Ambler Arboretum June 12 from noon to 5 p.m. Call for reservations. Tickets: $15 per person or $20 at the door. In addition to the gardens of the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University, Arboretum Director Jenny Rose Carey has a garden oasis all her own right in Ambler  Northview. Visitors will have the opportunity to take self-guided tours throughout the many gardens, where garden experts will be available to answer questions about the various designs. The Ambler Keystone Chapter of the Womans National Farm and Garden Association will also provide tea and refreshments. All proceeds from the tours will support the Ambler Arboretum of Temple University. Information or to register: 267-468-8001 or judy.shatz@temple.edu. Learn more at www.ambler.temple.edu/anniversary.

The Senior Adult Activities Center of Montgomery County, 536 George Street, Norristown, will hold the following events:

SAAC Adult Day Care, an alternative to Nursing Home Care is available  for information call 610-275-1960

Volunteers are needed for Meals on Wheels Program (call the number above)

SAACs Fifth Avenue Boutique opens Monday through Friday from 10 a.m.-1:30 p.m.

Exercise with Theresa will be held every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at 1 p.m.

Dance class is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Tai Chi is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Yoga is held every Tuesday at 10:30 a.m.

Line Dancing is held every Thursday at 10:30 a.m.

Dancing with Joan is held every Wednesday at 10:30 a.m.

Sculpture Class is held Wednesdays from 2 to 3:30 p.m.

Why Should I Learn Spanish? will be held Wednesdays at 10:30 a.m.

Generations On-Line computer classes for seniors will be held Monday through Friday from 8 a.m.  4 p.m.  computers are available during those hours.

Health Living will be held every Tuesday at 1 p.m.

Boomer U will hold the following events. Boomer U is located at 45 Forest Avenue, Ambler. Registration & payment is required for all events: 215-619-8863.

Pilates Class is held Wednesdays and Fridays at 9:30 a.m. First class is free; please bring a mat. For information call 610-291-5376.

Blue Bell School of Dance, 921 Penllyn Blue Bell Pike, Blue Bell, hosts Argentine Tango Classes and a Milonga dance party every Friday evening. Lessons start at 8:30 p.m. followed by dancing at 9:30 p.m. Andrew Conway, master Argentine Tango dancer, instructor and performer and his partner Linda Chase will instruct. All levels welcome and no partner is needed. Refreshments will be served. Fee is $12 per person and includes lesson and dancing. Information: 215-634-1101 or www.amoretango.com.

The Montgomery Hospital Medical Center will offer the following classes:

Childbirth Education Class- all parents are invited to participate, including those who are delivering at

other hospitals. For more information on maternity services or classes, call 610-270-2020.

CPR and First Aid Courses are offered for beginners to experiences health care providers. Call 610-270-2313.

The Ambler SAAC (Senior Adult Activities Center), located at 45 Forest Ave in Ambler will hold the following events:

Tai Chi every Monday and Thursday at 11 a.m.

Yoga is every Tuesday at 1 p.m. and Friday at 10:30 a.m.

Strength and balance training every Wednesday at 10 a.m.

Armchair Aerobics is held every Monday at 10 a.m.

Gourmet Weight Wise every Thursday at 12:30.

Fitness Center and Pool Room open daily 8 a.m.-4 p.m.

The Diabetes Education Center will offer day and evening classes each month. Health insurance pays for diabetes education classes. Preregistration is required. Call 610-270-2301.

For Kids & Families

The Ambler Kiwanis Club will host its annual Easter Egg Hunt April 26 at 10 a.m. in Ambler Borough Park, located just off of the intersection of Hendricks Street and Valley Brook Road. Members of the Wissahickon Key Club will assist Kiwanians in hiding thousands of wrapped chocolate eggs in a designated area of the park. Also hidden will be plastic colored eggs, which are redeemed for prizes. Elementary school children are separated by age.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation will hold its 21st annual Storybook Egg-Stravaganza April 15 fom 6 to 7:30 p.m. at the Upper Dublin Township Building. Toddlers and preschoolers love this annual event where photo opportunities with favorite friends abound! Treasures are collected from UDP&Rs assortment of lifesize cutouts of favorite cartoon characters from Disney, Sesame Street, Nickelodeon and other well-known animation. Children can have their picture taken with Bugsy OHare; bring your own camera. And dont forget a basket for goodies! $7 for UD residents; $12 for non-residents. Pre-register at 215-643-1600 ext. 3443.

Splash Week is a free week-long program that teaches children and families basic swimming skills and water safety practices. All YMCA branches will host multiple classes each day from April 11 to 15. For more information, contact the Ambler Area YMCA at 215-628-9950.

Healthy Kids Day is April 16 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The day is filled with fun, engaging and artistic activities that cultivate healthy living as part of the YMCAs larger efforts to help more kids and families become physically active. All activities are free and open to the community. For more information, contact the Ambler YMCA at 215-628-9950. No reservation is required.

The Ambler Area YMCA has added several new programs for area youngsters. Classes are held late afternoons or evenings on various weekdays. For more information, visit philaymca.org or call 215-628-9950.

Basic Beading: Ages: 10+. Wednesdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. This class will teach you the fundamentals of wiring and stringing along with how color can be used to create unique and vibrant beadwork design. You will create various jewelry including earrings, bracelets, charm pendants and much more! Supplies will be provided. Bringing your own jewelry pliers or tools would be a plus.

Messin with the Masters: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 7 to 7:45 p.m. Learn about some of the worlds greatest artists. You will be inspired to create your own Starry Night with oil pastels and tempera paints, a tissue paper painted Monet garden, a Picasso head using scraps of paper, a Georgia OKeeffe clay flower bowl and a Rousseau jungle collage.

Super Scientist: Ages: 5-7. Mondays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Well be concocting chemistry experiments such as making slime, mixing potions and having fun with magnet magic. Your budding little scientist will enhance his/her creative thinking and motor skills and to top it off will learn that science can be serious fun.

Wacky Junk Art: Ages: 8-12. Thursdays 6 to 6:45 p.m. Why throw it away! Instead join us to make household junk into aliens from outer space, wacky specs, crazy hats, body masks or a recycled train.

Globe Trotters: Ages: 4-6. Tuesdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Youre never too young to start thinking globally. Each week, we explore a new country through crafts, games, music, stories and even some taste-testing. A perfect introduction to our great big world!

Crazy about Crafts: Ages: 5-7, Thursdays 4:30 to 5:15 p.m. Let your childs creative juices flow with our fun arts and crafts projects each week. Fine motor skills and creative thinking skills will be enhanced with this crafty class.

Come out and join the Ambler Area YMCAs Teen and Junior Leaders Club. Participants are given the freedom to plan community service projects year round and truly make a difference in the lives of people in need. Those in Teen and Junior Leaders also attend leadership retreats all along the East Coast three times a year and meet other leaders who are doing the same great work in their respective areas. Dont miss out on this inspiring opportunity. Teen Leaders, ages 13-17, meet every Wednesday from 6 to 7:30 p.m. Junior Leaders, ages 10-12, will begin in the spring and will meet every Monday. For more information, contact Mike Miles, Teen Director, 215- 628-9950 x 1540 or mmiles@philaymca.org.

Did you know that the new Ambler Area YMCA holds childrens birthday parties at its site for members and non members as well. The Ambler Y does all the work from start to finish and birthday parties include a personalized cake, ice cream, beverage and paper products. Parties are held on Saturday and Sunday afternoons and include two party hosts to lead activities, set-up, clean-up and assist with serving. You can have a Splash Party for children ages six to 12 in the new zero depth entry pool with water slide and spray fountains. Up to 25 children have exclusive use of the pool area with 30 minutes in the party room. Sports Parties are offered for kids ages four to 12 with age appropriate activities and games, and sports such as floor hockey, soccer, basketball or dodge ball. Children ages three to five years of age will enjoy parties in the Family Active Center with use of the Moon Bounce and organized activities, such as parachute play and songs. For information, 215-628-9950 ext. 1583.

Community Events at the Ambler Y:

-YAchievers YMCA Achievers is a developmentally based, extracurricular, educational and team mentoring program designed to help students in grades five through 12 prepare for fulfilled livelihoods in college and beyond. Participation is free and all students in this program receive a free YMCA membership. Registration for the 2009 program begins now. You do not need to be a YMCA member to utilize these special services. Call 215-628-9950 to register.

Greater Norristown Art Leagues Childrens Weeklong Summer Art Camps will be held at 800 West Germantown Pike in East Norriton, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday throughout the summer. The cost per session is $125 per student for ages 6 and up. Jo Ann Cooksey Bono teaches an introduction to basic drawing skills and techniques from 10 a.m. until the lunch break each day. In the afternoon sessions, Mary Vogel Lozinak involves the students in hands on projects such as collage, papermaking, T-shirt printing, 3D design and sculpy clay. Fridays Graduation Day includes an art show, awards ceremony and reception for parents, siblings, grandparents and friends. All supplies are included. Students provide their own lunch. A refrigerator is available and the building is air-conditioned. This is the 15th year to run this successful program. Both instructors are professional artists with State Police and Child Abuse Clearances. To register, call Jo Ann at 610-279-1008, or register on-line at www.gnal.org.

Health

Dresher Physical Therapy is hosting an interactive seminar discussing its Golf Assessment Progam April 30 from 10 a.m. to noon at Dresher Physical Therapy, 1075 Virginia Drive, Suite 200, Fort Washington. Physical therapist Chris Miller, certified through the Titleist Performance Institute, will discuss why your body may be the most important piece of golf equipment you invest in and how this can drastically improve your game. $10 in advance; $15 at the door. Call 215-619-4545 to reserve your spot.

The Chestnut Hill Center for Enrichment, Center on the Hill and Chestnut Hill Hospital will host a Senior Health and Resource Fair April 14 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at Chestnut Hill Presbyterian Church, 8855 Germantown Ave. The event is free. For more information, call 215-248-0180 or e-mail chseniors@cavtel.net.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is hosting Help Yourself to Health, a new six-week workshop for older adults with ongoing health conditions such as arthritis, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, heart disease and others. The free workshop will take place at the Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center, 45 Forest Ave. on six Thursdays, May 12 through June 16 from 9:30 a.m. to noon. Although there is no charge to participate, registration is required. To register, call 215-619-8863.

The Ambler Senior Adult Activities Center is sponsoring an eight-week program called A Matter of Balance: Managing Concerns About Falls. Presented by the Montgomery County Health Department, this workshop will be held on Tuesdays, May 3 to June 21 from 10 a.m. to noon at the Ambler Center, 45 Forest Ave. If you pre-register by April 27, the fee is only $5! Registration at the first class is $10. (Checks should be payable to SAAC and will benefit our Meals on Wheels program that serves homebound seniors.) A workbook will be provided and refreshments will be served. Call 215-619-8863 to register or for more information.

Fort Washington Wellness Center classes are ongoing. There are several offered during lunch or right after work, for your convenience: Boot Camp from noon to 1 p.m. on Monday; Zumba is MWF from 11 a.m. to noon and Friday at 4 p.m.; there are 25 cycling classes; Ashtanga and Vinyasana Yoga and Pilates; and a group Womens Strength Training class M-F from 10 to 11 a.m. Questions, call Cathy DeMarco at 215-641-1245.

Following the success of other local area programs, Impact Sports and Upper Dublin Parks and Recreation are delighted to team up again to offer a spring program for the 2011 season! Upper Dublin area children ages 3-5 years old can attend a Sports Program featuring their favorite sports games; soccer, rugby, hockey, track and field, basketball, and more. The program will start on April 27 and run through June 1. Cost for the program is $85 for the six weeks. The classes will be running 12- 1 p.m.; 1- 2 p.m.; 2- 3 p.m. For more info or to register, call Upper Dublin Township on 215 643 1600 or visit their website a http://www.upperdublin.net.

Spring Aquatic Programs  UDHS Pool:

-Summer is just around the corner  Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool can help get you into shape! Programs begin in March; preregistration is required.

 Shallow Water Aerobics  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 8-8:45 p.m., $40R/$50NR.

 Adult Swim Instructions  Two 5-week programs, Wednesday nights, 7-8 p.m., $50R/$60NR

-Open Rec Swims are fun for the whole family! Come out on Fridays from 7-9 p.m. or Saturdays from 1-4 p.m. and enjoy use of the pool and diving area. Fridays are offered through June 17; Saturdays are offered March 12-May 21.

-Join a growing group of adult lap swimmers and water walkers. Lanes are set aside evenings and weekends for use; lanes are shared. Monday  Thursday from 7:30-9:30 p.m.; Fridays from 7-9 p.m. and Saturdays (March 12-May 21) from 1-4 p.m.

-Private Swimming & Diving Lessons for ages 3-adult are offered at the UDHS Pool through a partnership with the Upper Dublin Aquatic Club (UDAC). Visit the UDAC website for more information, www.udac.us, and click the link to UDHS Private Lessons.

-Looking for local programs for US Masters Swimming (adults) or Water Polo (all ages)? UDAC and UDSD are working together to develop programs that will be offered at the UDHS Pool. Add your name to Interest Lists by emailing slohoefer@upperdublin.net. emails will be sent about clinics and program start dates.

Questions about Community Aquatic Programs at the UDHS Pool, group use of the pool or pool rental? Contact Susan Lohoefer, Facility & Community Affairs Manager at slohoefer@upperdublin.net or call 215-643-8800 x8994.

SilverSneakers Fitness Program. The Healthyways SilverSneakers Fitness Program is a result-oriented program that enables older adults to take charge of their health. The program is an innovative blend of physical activity, healthy lifestyle and socially oriented programing. Members of the program are eligible for a free YMCA membership, with use of the pool and exercise equipment, along with customized classes designed for older adults who want to improve their strength, flexibility, balance and endurance. If you are a subscriber to Independence Blue Cross (Personal Choice 65 PPO) or Keystone 65 HMO, Bravo Health, or Health Options Programs (HOP), call the Ambler Area YMCA, 215-628-9950 or Hatboro Area YMCA, 215-674-4545. You can also visit www.silversneakers.com.

Zumba Fitness offers Zumba dance/fitness classes at Academy of Dance and Music/BBAD Studio located at 1524 DeKalb Pike in Blue Bell (behind Sherwin Williams). Classes are offered three times a week: Tuesdays at 6 p.m., Thursdays at 6:30 p.m. and Saturdays at 8 a.m. For a free trial pass for your first class, email us at info@danceandmusic.biz or call 610-277-2557. For more info, visit our site at www.academyofdanceandmusic.org.

Chestnut Hill Health Systems presents the following Health Education Programs:

FITNESS CLASSES

Golden Yoga: A Breathing, Stretching and Relaxation Class. Fridays, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Lea Auditorium, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. Registration for four classes at a time required. Golden Yoga is Classical Yoga, adapted by the SKY Foundation, to accommodate those who have difficulty getting up and down from the floor. The program includes postures, breathing, relaxation and meditation techniques, all performed while sitting in a chair and standing. Registration required. Call 215-247-3029. Cost: $20 for 4 classes per month.

Tai Chi: Tuesdays & Thursdays, 8:30  9:30 a.m. Springfield Residence, 8601 Stenton Ave. Classes, for the novice or beginner/intermediate student, are designed to improve balance, power, posture, coordination, flexibility and mental focus. Slow, gentle movements are modified to most everyones abilities. For more information or to sign up for a free introductory class, call 215-882-2804. Cost: $8 per class/paid monthly.

SUPPORT GROUPS

Weight Loss Surgery Support Group: Fourth Wednesday of the month, 7-8 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. Join us for a monthly get-together where well share information for those interested in weight loss surgery, learn from guest speakers discussing current news on issues including lifestyle modification, nutrition and exercise and provide ongoing support for those who have completed surgery. Registration required. Call 215-753-2000.

Breast Cancer Networking Group: Fourth Tuesday of the month 5:30  7 p.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave., Philadelphia. A free, confidential support group for women living with a diagnosis of breast cancer designed to provide a forum for sharing information, feelings and concerns associated with breast cancer. Facilitated by Tish Wakefield, LCSW, Oncology Social Worker. Registration required. To register or for more information, call 215-248-8047.

New Moms Support Groups Tuesdays 10:30 a.m.  12 p.m.; contact Jeanine ORourke, MSW or 2:30  4 p.m.; contact Susan Schack, Ph.D Volunteer Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. The Center for Postpartum Depression at Chestnut Hill Hospital is pleased to offer two new support groups to support new moms. Both groups will be run by experienced mental health professionals who really get it when it comes to new motherhood and juggling relationships, extended family, work/family balance and self-care. If you are experiencing new mom challenges that often heighten anxiety and involve hormonally driven depression, join us for an informative and supportive forum to connect with other moms. Infants are welcome. $30 per session (flexible based on need). Registration is required. Call Dr. Schack, 646-265-2484, or Ms. ORourke, 215-206-2931.

Man to Man Prostate Cancer Support Group Third Thursday of the month 8-9 a.m. Williams Conference Room, Chestnut Hill Hospital, 8835 Germantown Ave. A networking group for men diagnosed with prostate cancer designed to provide education, support and encouragement. Spouses and partners welcome. Harry M. Baer, MD, Chief, Urology Division, will host Ask the Doctor. Registration required. Call 215-248-8325.

Contact the Senior Center by phone 215-248-0180 or email (chseniors@cavtel.net) with your questions about these programs or any of our on-going activities and classes.

Holy Redeemer HomeCare and Hospice seeks compassionate and emotionally mature volunteers to provide support to local hospice patients and their families in Bucks, Montgomery and Philadelphia counties. Volunteers may also assist with pet therapy and administrative work within the hospice department and are requested to have daytime availability. Hospice patient care volunteers visit with patients in their homes or nursing facilities once a week for two to three hours. They provide emotional support and companionship to patients and family members, assist with errands or provide respite for caregivers. Bereavement volunteers support the families of hospice patients following the loss of a loved one, while administrative volunteers assist with typing, mailings and/or filing. Hospice care workers provide a great service to families and loved ones of hospice patients. Many volunteers also report a great deal of personal satisfaction as a result of their services. Patient care and bereavement volunteers complete an application and attend an 18-hour volunteer training program that covers the medical, psychological and spiritual aspects of hospice volunteering. Day and evening training programs are offered. To sign up for volunteer opportunities in Pennsylvania, contact Holy Redeemer Volunteer Coordinator Jean Francis at 215-698-3737 or email jfrancis@holyredeemer.com.

Librarytalk

Upper Dublin Public Library, 805 Loch Alsh Avenue, Ft. Washington, 215-628-8744

www.upperdublinlibrary.org

APRIL CHILDRENS PROGRAMS:

Storytimes: Please register in the library.

o Wee Ones: 0 to 23 months Thursdays and Fridays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m.

o Tiny Tots: age 2. Wednesdays 10:30 to 10:50 a.m. and Fridays 11 to 11:20 a.m.

o Jr. Book Lovers: ages 3 to 6. Tuesdays 10:30 to 11 a.m.

o Bedtime Storytimes: 7 to 7:30 p.m. April 20 and 27. Wear your jammies, bring your teddy & hear Miss Barbara read bedtime stories! For ages 3 to 6.

APRIL TEEN PROGRAMS:

North Hills Library Teens April 28 from 4 to 6 p.m. Movie Matinee

APRIL UDPL ADULT PROGRAMS:

NEW! ESL Conversation Group. Tuesdays from 7 to 8 p.m. Interested in practicing your English in a safe and caring environment? Come to our conversation group and improve your skills! Please register with Kay Klocko at 215-628-8744 or kklocko@mclinc.org.

One-on-One Computer Mentoring. Get personalized assistance from experienced computer volunteers! Sign-up for a one-hour session. Limit one session per month. Please register  contact info above.

Book Groups Please register with Kay Klocko 215-628-8744.

o Daytimers: April 21 at 1:30 p.m. Tired of book groups where you all read the same book? Read any fiction or non-fiction book on this months theme: Explorers. Please register.

Meetings:

Annual Meeting of the Friends of UDPL: April 14 at 1 p.m.

Board of Directors: April 20 at 7 p.m.

Blue Bell Library www.wvpl.org Upcoming Events: The Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 650 Skippack Pike (Route 73) in Blue Bell, is diagonally across from the Blue Bell Inn. Call 215-643-1320 or visit their website at www.wvpl.org.

For children and teens at Blue Bell:

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Mondays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Wednesdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* Fridays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Family Movies, new releases, second Saturdays of the month at 1:30 p.m.

* May 14  Despicable Me

* June 11  Alpha and Omega

* Special Events

* April  watch for date of spring/Easter events

* April 14 at 4:30 p.m.  Junior Lego Club for children ages 3 through 5. Parents and caregivers need to stay with children.

* April 14 at 7 p.m.  Jeopardy for ages 11 to 18. Test your book and library knowledge for prizes. Sign up to be a contestant. No sign up to be in the audience. Snacks provided.

* April 16 at 1 p.m.  Adult Mystery Book Group discussing The Beekeepers Apprentice by Laurie King.

* April 16 at 1:30 p.m.  Childrens event for One Book, Every Young Child celebration. Story and craft for book Whose Shoes?

* April 19 at 7 p.m. and April 26 at 1:30 p.m.- Adult book group discusses The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester. Group led by Adam Button.

* April 30 through May 3  Friends book sale with about 10,000 items for sale for children, teens and adults.

* May  sign up for Science in the Summer

* June  sign up for Enrichment Programs for Elementary-Age children

* June  sign up for Summer Reading, all ages

For adults at Blue Bell:

* Daytime Book Discussion Group  fourth Tuesday, Jan  April at 1:30 p.m.

* April 26  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Night-time Book Discussion Group  third Tuesday of each month at 7 p.m.

o April 19  The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester

* Art Series with Dr. Sheldon Weintraub, docent at The Barnes and speaker at local colleges

o April 27 at 2 p.m. The Art of Looking at Art-Is She Nude or Is She Naked?

*Mystery Book Discussion Group, third Saturday of the month at 1 p.m.; new mystery theme each month; www.wvpl.org/programs

* Yoga on Mondays at 1:30 p.m. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop-in class.

* Tai Chi on Mondays at 3 p.m. with Dr. Kurt Findeisen. $20 for eight classes; $5 per drop in class.

* Philadelphia Museum of Art presents class on their Marc Chagall exhibit, April 13 at 2 p.m.

* Giant Book Sale, April 29  May 3

o Starts with almost 10,000 items for children and adults!

o Held during library hours.

o Preview for members of the Friends of the Library, April 28 at 7 p.m.

o Join the Friends and attend the preview sale. Modest fee to join.

* Blooms at Blue Bell Gardening Series

o May 11 at 1 p.m.  Summer Bulbs by PA Horticultural Society

* Knitting group Mondays and Wednesdays at 10 a.m. Work on your project or observe and learn. The groups continue year-round in the community room.

* Socrates Cafe discussion group every Monday at 7 p.m. You pick the topic to discuss each week. No sign-up, nothing to read.

* Bridge every Friday at 12:30 p.m. New players welcome.

* Mah Jong every Wednesday at 1 p.m. New players welcome.

*Chess every Wednesday at 7p.m. for adults and teens 14 and older.

* Movie Matinee showing recent releases every Thursday at 2 p.m. April 14: Maos Last Dancer; April 21: Welcome to the Rileys; April 28: Conviction; May 5: Inception; May 12: Inside Job; May 19 The Kings Speech; May 26 The Fighter; June 2 Rabbit Hole; June 9 Black Swan; June 16 127 Hours

* Ongoing like-new, year-round book sale for adults & children during library hours

* Library opening at 10 a.m. Monday through Saturday!

Ambler Library, a branch of the Wissahickon Valley Public Library, 209 Race St., 215-646-1072. www.wvpl.org. All the following events occur at the Ambler Library.

* Story times with guitar music by Miss Michelle, the singing librarian.

* Tuesdays at 10:30 a.m. for all ages.

* Thursdays at 4:30 p.m. for all ages.

* For adults:

* Beading Group meets the first and third Monday of every month at 1 p.m. Work on your own projects or come to watch and learn.

* Free Family History Lookup with Connie Briggs. Email Connie for an appointment at the Ambler Library. conniebriggs@comcast.net

* Special Events:

* April 14 at 1:30 p.m.  Book Group discusses Skeletons at the Feast by Chris Bohjalian.

* April 19 at 7 p.m.  Travel to Paris with world traveler Harry Balin. Tea and scones at 6:30 p.m.

* April 21 at 7 p.m.  Art with Sara for children in fourth through seventh grades.

*May 2 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Lone Star with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

*May 10  Robert Capucci discusses Art into Fashion. Tea and scones served at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*May 12 at 1:30p.m.  Book Group discusses The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman.

*May 17  Tour the gardens of Devon and Southwest England with Lois McMullen. Tea and Scones at 6:30 p.m. Program at 7 p.m.

*June 13 at 6:30 p.m.  Discuss the movie Blade Runner with Temple Professor Lisa Hawkins. Watch the movie ahead of time.

Meetings and Lectures

The Unisys Blue Bell Retiree Group will meet in the Church on the Mall in the Plymouth Meeting Mall April 14 at 1:30 p.m. Kathy Sacket Young, director/trainer with the North Penn YMCA, will speak on Keeping Fit in Retirement. For more information, contact Membership Committee Chairperson Jerry Feldscher at 610-275-3538 or President Al Rollin at 215-368-4833.

The next FWBA meeting will be April 28 at the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Networking begins at 11:30 a.m.; meeting from noon to 1 p.m. Leon Singletary, Principal, First Contact HR and FWBA Executive Board, will present: Social Media: How to Use It To Get More Business. Lunch is provided courtesy of the Hilton Garden Inn Fort Washington. Members are welcome to bring a guest. An RSVP is requested by return email or 215-628-0313.

Big Brothers Big Sisters Southeastern PA is hosting a information sessions over the next few weeks on how to become a Big Brother. The information sessions will take place: April 16 at noon, April 19 at 8 a.m. and April 28 at 6 p.m. All sessions will be held at the groups Norristown Office,t 530 DeKalb St., Norristown. For more information, call 610-277-2200.

The North Penn Chapter of the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) normally meets on the third Tuesday of each month from now until May. Meetings are held at the William Penn Inn on Route 202 and Sumneytown Pike, Upper Gwynedd, PA. Social hour starts at 5:30 p.m., dinner is served at 6:30 p.m., and the technical program begins at 7 p.m. Cost with reservation is $28 for members. Members without reservations and guests pay $30. Students with reservations pay $15. Reservations may be made by noon on the Monday preceding the meeting by phoning 215-371-1854 or emailing the reservation to northpennima@yahoo.com northpennima@yahoo.com. Information about the North Penn Chapter is available at http://northpenn.imanet.org/.

LeTip, a professional organization of men and women who are dedicated to the highest standards of competence and service meets every Tuesday at Cedar Brook Country Club, 180 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell at 7 a.m. -meeting officially starts at 7:16 a.m. and ends at 8:31 a.m. Our purpose is the exchange of business tips, leads, and referrals. Each business category is represented by one member and conflicts of interest are disallowed. Guests are welcome to visit any of our breakfast meetings.

Every third Thursday of month, Sunrise Assisted Living of Blue Bell (795 Penllyn Pike, Blue Bell, PA 19422, 215-619-2777) serves as a satellite site to 148th Legislative district PA congressman Mike Gerber from 10 a.m. to noon. Stop by for help needed with things such as disability placards and license plates, vehicle registration, utilities issues, birth/death certificates,property tax/rent rebates, etc. Notary services arranged by appointment.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce is an action-oriented organization dedicated to promoting its members and the economic health of eastern Montgomery county. The Chamber is committed to serving as a catalyst by uniting business, community agencies, government and education to make our county a great place to live and work. For information, call 215-887-5122 or visit www.emccc.org.

Do you have a fear of public speaking? Blue Bell Toastmasters Club can help. We meet from 7 to 9 p.m., on the second and fourth Tuesday at the Marriott Courtyard, located on Route 202, directly across from the Montgomeryville Mall. Learn how to improve communication and leadership skills in a friendly and supportive environment. Guests are welcome. Admission fee: $5. For more info, visit www.bbtoast.org.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will hold the following meetings (for reservations to any of the following, email info@PennSuburban.org)

-Breakfast News Network, 7:30-8:45 a.m. at Normandy Farm Hotel (1401 Morris Road, Blue Bell, PA 19422) $15 members, includes full buffet breakfast. Join us for a networking program at Normandy Farm Hotel every Thursday morning for breakfast, business news, informative speakers, and plenty of networking. The cost includes a full breakfast buffet. Copies of the business cards will be made available to those who would like them.

The BNI, Fort Washington Chapter meets every Monday at The Hilton Garden Inn, 520 Pennsylvania Ave., Fort Washington for a networking meeting. Meetings are from 11:30 a.m. until 1 p.m. Visitors are welcome. The only cost to attend is the cost of your meal. For information or a reservation to attend, please call Luanne Cram at 215-947-7784, or visit our Internet site at: http://www.BNIDVR.Com and click on the menu item Find a Chapter.

For the past seven years, people have enjoyed participating in WVWAs Adopt-a-Tree program. Individuals can support the Association in its reforestation efforts by purchasing native trees to be planted. Supporters can plant their adopted tree or have WVWA volunteers will plant it. Trees cost $30 each. If you would like to volunteer or purchase a tree(s), please contact: Bob Adams at Bob@wvwa.org or call: 215-646-8866 for more information. Check www.WVWA.org for directions and maps.

Sustainable Upper Dublin, http://sustainableupperdublin.org, meets the first Thursday of each month at 6:30 p.m., at the Upper Dublin Township Building, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington, PA 19034. Please send any questions to suec@sustainableupperdublin.org or call 610-996-6316. To learn more about Sustainable Upper Dublin, view or join the discussion at http://googlegroups.com/group/sustainableupperdublin.

Special Events

The Mattie N. Dixon Community Cupboard will hold its first nutrition class April 19 at 10 a.m. at the Community Cupboard, 150 N. Main St., Ambler. Lynne Sinclair, a nutritionist from Abington Memorial Hospital specializing in diabetic nutrition, will conduct the class. Topics will include healthy eating, beneficial foods, recipes, making meals with every day foods, and how to use unfamiliar produce. A healthy snack will be provided.The class is is open to all residents in Montgomery County.

The Historical Society of Fort Washington presents The History of Conshohocken April 19 at 8 p.m. at the Clifton House, 473 Bethlehem Pike, Fort Washington. Jack Coll will present an illustrated program on the history of the Borough of Conshohocken. Coll is a longtime resident of Conshohocken and a member of the Conshohocken Historical Society. He is co-author with his son, Brian, of the Arcadia Then and Now Series book Conshohocken. He has also done books Conshohocken and West Conshohocken Sports and Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Italian Feast. He has taken many photos for the Conshohocken Record and the Norristown Times Herald. This program is free. Refreshments will be served. For additional information, call 215-646-6065.

Taste of the White House Soiree featuring former White House Chef Walter Scheib will take place April 29 at 6 p.m. at Manufacturers Golf & Country Club in Fort Washington to celebrate HealthLinks 10th anniversary and honor its founders, the Eugene Jackson Family. The evening will heat up with a Chef Meet & Greet, followed by a specially selected presidential menu. Gala tickets are $150 per person. Proceeds benefit HealthLink, a free clinic providing compassionate, quality medical and dental care to uninsured, working adults in Bucks and Montgomery counties who fall in between the health care cracks. Go to http://tasteofthewhitehouse.charityhappenings.org to make reservations online or lend support through sponsorship. For event information, call 267-699-0124 or email jmarushak@healthlinkmedical.org.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association will hold an open house at the Evans-Mumbower Mill April 17 from 1 to 4 p.m. The Mill is at the corner of Swedesford and Township Line Roads in Upper Gwynedd. The open house is free but donations are welcome. For more information, call 215-646-8866 o email info@wvwa.org.

The Eastern Montgomery County Chamber of Commerce will host Breakfast With Your County Commissioners and State Representatives April 21 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the Holiday Inn Fort Washington, 432 W. Pennasylvania Ave. Commissioners: James R. Matthews (Chairman), Joseph M. Hoeffel (Vice Chair), State Representatives: Todd Stephens (District 151) and Josh Shapiro (District 153). Register onlineat www.emccc.org. $10 for EMCCC member; $20 for non-members.

Upper Dublins Districtwide Allied Art Show will be held April 27 from 5:30 to 9 p.m. in the Upper Dublin High School Athletic Complex.

The Rev. Alfred Muli, chaplain at Fort Washington Estates, will be the featured speaker at the Kiwanis sponsored breakfast observing the National Day of Prayer May 5 at 7 a.m. at the William Penn Inn. The breakfast is open to the public ($15). Reservations can be made by calling 215-646-4356 or by emailing georgesaurman@Juno.com.

The Upper Dublin Shade Tree Commission invites people to participate in its spring bare root planting events, sponsored in part by Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Friends of Robbins Park. On April 9, zix trees will be planted at the Evelyn B. Wright Park & Community Pool, 401 Logan Ave., North Hills, at 9 a.m., followed by the planting of 10 trees at Sheeleigh Park, Loch Alsh Avenue and Douglas Street, Ambler, at 10:15 a.m. On April 29, students from Upper Dublin High School will join the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society to plant 16 trees in Robbins Park, Butler Pike and Meetinghouse Road, Ambler, to help launch the societys Million Trees campaign. This event will occur in conjunction with Temple Amblers EarthFest. Experienced tree-tenders are sought to assist the students. For more information,contact Ron Ayres at 215-653-0421 or 215-483-4348.

The Friends of the Wissahickon and the Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association are teaming up once again to clean the Wissahickon Creek from top to bottom April 30 from 9 a.m. to noon. This spring marks the 41st anniversary of Wissahickon Valley Watershed Associations annual Creek Clean Up, and the second year that FOW has teamed up with WVWA. Volunteers of all ages will clean the creek, the surrounding trails and the many tributaries of the Wissahickon Creek. Armed with bags, volunteers will be assigned to sections of the creek. Following the clean up, all volunteers are invited to WVWAs Talkin Trash picnic in Fort Washington State Park, with food provided by Whole Foods Market of North Wales. The pavilion is located on Mill Road in Flourtown. To help out in Montgomery County, all volunteers must be pre-assigned a section of the Wissahickon Creek to clean. Please contact Bob Adams, WVWA director of stewardship, at 215-646-8866 ext. 14 or bob@wvwa.org. To work with the Friends of the Wissahickon in Philadelphia, meet at the pavilion along Forbidden Drive, a short distance south of the intersection of Forbidden Drive and Northwestern Avenue. Limited parking is available along Northwestern Avenue and other nearby streets. Volunteers are encouraged to bike or carpool to the event. To participate, register at www.fow.org. Contact Kevin Groves with questions at 215-247-0417 ext. 105 or groves@fow.org.

Montgomery County Community Colleges International Club invites the community to the second annual International Festival April 20 from 5 to 9 p.m. at the Central Campus, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The rain date is April 26. The International Club will transform the outside quad area into multicultural celebration with various performances by dancers, singers and musicians. Artists will share their artwork at various display tables. Activities include games, raffles, Easter egg decorating and henna tattoos. Students will have samples of international cuisine at tables representing different countries and will serve food from various local ethnic restaurants. Throughout the evening, volunteers will accept donations and will raffle gift baskets and prizes to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity. Donations of food, international clothes and prizes are needed. Volunteers, including artists and performers, are welcome. For more information or to sponsor an activity, contact Gillian Nel, International Club president, at gnel9277@students.mc3.edu or 267-974-0163.

The Arts and Humanities Division at Montgomery County Community College is partnering with the Philadelphia Writers Conference to host Memoirs Matter: How Life Stories (Including Yours) Can Transform Your Relationship to Literature April 23 from 1 to 3 p.m. in Advanced Technology Center room 101, 340 DeKalb Pike, Blue Bell. The event is free and open to the public. In the first part of this two-hour seminar, professor and author Robert Waxler will explain how writing his two memoirs affected his life as well as his relationship to literature. In the second part, blogger and workshop leader Jerry Waxler will present a sequence of steps to help writers find their own story. For information, contact Dana Resente at dresente@mc3.edu.

The Maple Glen Garden Club will hold its fourth annual Plant Sale on May 7 from 8 to 11 a.m. Perennials, shrubs, vegetables and native plants grown by the club members will be sold. The club uses the plant sale proceeds to fund community projects, a college scholarship and community plantings. The sale will be held in the 500 block of Coach Road, Horsham, as part of a neighborhood garage sale. Plants will be sold at bargain prices. For more information, email MapleGlenGardenClub@gmail.com.

The Relay for Life Craft Show is looking for local crafters to participate in show, which will be May 21 from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the Wissahickon High School track, 521 Houston Road, Ambler. There is a $10 entry fee, and 20 percent of sales are donated to the American Cancer Society. Participants will receive a 6-foot table under a tent. For information, contact Joanne at joannescoles@comcast.net or Mindy at mcamsilver@comcast.net.

Spring House Estates is hosting its annual book fair on April 18 from 4 to 7 p.m. and April 9 from 8:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. Included will be hardback and paperback used books. Spring House Estates is located at 728 Norristown Road, Lower Gwynedd.

The PennSuburban Chamber of Commerce will present the Penn Suburban/Hatfield Joint Business Card Exchange April 20 from 5 to 7 p.m. at Univest Bank Lansdale Area Financial Service Center, 120 Forty Foot Road, Hatfield. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. Join Univest National Bank and Trust Co. for a spring-inspired Business Card Exchange at its newest office in the Hatfield Pointe Shopping Center. Come out and meet members of Univests executive management team while enjoying fine food and beverages.

13th Annual Community Reading Day Kick-off Breakfast Get Together April 26 from 8 to 9:30 a.m. at the North Wales Area Library, 233 Swartley St., North Wales. The event is free. To make reservations, visit PennSuburban.org/Events. For more information, contact the chamber office at 215-362-9200 or info@pennsuburban.org. Join presenting sponsor Verizon, chamber staff and fellow members for the Community Reading Day volunteer get together. The Community Reading Day program allows volunteers to read a designated book to second-grade students throughout 38 area public and private schools and present the book as a gift to each class. Even if you are not a volunteer, you are cordially invited to stop by to network, enjoy coffee and pastries.

Ambler Mennonite Church is hosting a Spring Craft Show and Flea Market May 21 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Rain date will be May 28. The community is invited to shop the great craft booths, find some gifts and deals, as well as enjoy home baked goods and tasty lunch specials. Childrens activities are planned. All vendors are encouraged to contact the church at 215-643-4876 or AmblerMennonite@verizon.net. Advertising, signage, customer parking and a shuttle to auxiliary parking at nearby lots for vendors will be provided. 10 foot by 10 foot spaces can be rented for $5 each and tables for an additional $5 each. All proceeds from space and table rentals go toward school kits for children around the world. The church is located at the corner of East Mt. Pleasant Avenue and North Spring Garden Street, Ambler.

The Wissahickon Valley Watershed Association presents The Life & Times of Aquatic Insects in the Wissahickon Creek April 16 from 1 to 3 p.m. Join WVWA for a hands-on program. RSVP required: www.wvwa.org or 215-646-8866. WVWA member fee: $5 per person / $15 per family. Non-WVWA member fee: $10 per person / $20 per family.

The photography exhibition Natures Palette by photo-artist Judy Miller will run March 18 to May 19 at the Art in the Storefront gallery, 41 E. Butler Pike, Ambler.

JPRN  Networking For People in Transition & People Who Can Help Them  Unemployment remains high. JPRN, the Jarrettown Professional Relationship Network can help. Are you trying to network your way to a new job? Do you have expertise or contacts that can help people in transition? Is your company or organization looking for people in the area? This is a free outreach program to support those seeking work, involve people with contacts and networking know how, and involve local companies. Meetings held monthly at Jarrettown United Methodist Church, Limekiln Pike.

Pennsylvanias Low-Income Home Energy Assistance (LIHEAP) grant program is now open for the 2010-11 heating season. Grants are based on income, family size, type of heating fuel and region. Additional information, such as specific income limits, and applications for LIHEAP grants are available online via the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Access to Social Services (COMPASS) website at www.compass.state.pa.us. Applications are available at most public officals district offices, county assistance offices, local utility companies and community service agencies, such as Area Agencies on Aging or community action agencies.

Begin your holiday shopping at Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation! Entertainment books for 2011, Philadelphia North, are now on sale at $30 each. Regal/United Artists movie tickets are on sale for just $7.50 each, and tickets to the Adventure Aquarium, Baltimore Aquarium, and the Philadelphia Zoo are also available. Discounted ski vouchers to area mountains will be arriving in December; call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information. Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation office hours are Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

RSVP of Montgomery County and the Wissahickon Valley Public Library have partnered again to offer the public their popular free mock interview sessions. The mock interviews are conducted by RSVP volunteers who are retired professionals, some of whom were in hiring positions themselves. Packets of information which include a sample employment application and interviewing tips with mock interview questions are available at the library to pick up prior to a scheduled mock interview or will be sent via email once the interview is scheduled. To schedule your interview, please contact Janis Glusman at RSVP 610-834-1040, ext. 16. The library is also offering a free resume review service. Bring in your current resume and the professional reference staff will assist you with hints and tips on capturing your work history accurately.

Registration for Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation summer playgrounds, Camp B.I.G. and Small Folks, X-Zone, and sports camps has began. Register online at www.upperdublin.net/store, or at the UDP&R office, 801 Loch Alsh Avenue, Fort Washington. Call 215-643-1600 x3443 for more information.

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation and Danielles Espresso Cafe presents Mornings at Mondaug Bark Park April 16 and May 21 from 8:30 to 10:30 a.m. Meet fellow dog lovers. These events include complimentary coffee, treats for people and pups and raffles/giveaways.

Upper Dublins Annual Spring Flea Market will be held June 4 from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Reserve a table, or come and shop. Tables are $15 for UD residents, $20 for non-residents. This successful event occurs rain or shine. Refreshments available. Call 215-643-1600 ext. 3443 to register for a table.

Regal movie tickets available for purchase at Upper Dublin Township Parks & Recreation. Reduced rate: $7.50 per ticket. Some restrictions apply. Call 215-643-1600 x3443.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation movie tickets $7.50 Regal Cinemas, United Artist & Edwards Cinemas on sale throughout the year Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m.

Whitpain Township Parks & Recreation Camp Sign-ups for Stony Creek Day Camp  Stony Creek Tracers and Park n Tots. Register on-line at www.whitpaintownship.org OrCome to Township Building with check or Visa MasterCard Monday  Friday from 9 a.m.  4 p.m. For additional information call 610.277-2400 ext. 374

Upper Dublin Parks & Recreation offers exciting new programs for the fall:

-Returning favorites include UK Elite Petite Soccer, Tiny Dancers, Kiddie Tennis, Fun-nastics, Messy Playtime, Little Chefs, and more. Babysitters Training will be offered in November and December. Continuing Adult Fitness Classes include Cardio Circuit, Core & More, Yoga, Boxing, and Adult G.Y.M. For more information call 215-643-1600 x3443. Register for programs online at www.upperdublin.net/store.

Music and Theater

The community is invited to a Cantors Concert April 16 at 8 p.m. Congregation Beth Or, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen. Listen and hum-along to the Yiddish, pop tunes and classical music performed by Congregation Beth Ors own Cantor David Green and his special guest, Cantor Irvin Bell, from Temple Beth Israel in Deerfield Beach, Fla. The cantors will be accompanied by Mark Sobol and his Klezmer musicians. Tickets are $18 in advance and $25 at the door. RSVP with payment to Barb Murtha, 239 Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002, or call 215-646-5806 ext. 220.

Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse will host the Jameson Sisters May 14. Doors open at 7:30 pm, performance at 8:00 pm. Gwynedd Friends Coffeehouse is located at the corner of Rte. 202 & Sumneytown Pike, Gwynedd. $5 suggested donation. Light refreshment available at a modest cost. For further information, call 215-393-9576 or visit gwyneddmeeting.org/coffeehouse.html.

Celebrate patriotism through song with Gwynedd-Mercy Colleges choir, the Voices of Gwynedd, as it presents Hear America Singing April 15 at 8 p.m. The choir will perform song selections from all over the country, including Georgia on My Mind, New York State of Mind, and a medley including Philadelphia Freedom and Allentown. The performance will end with When the Saints Go Marching In to acknowledge the choirs upcoming tour in New Orleans. Hear America Singing will take place in the Julia Ball Auditorium, located in St. Bernard Hall. Parking is available in lots A, C and D. Admission is free.

The Choristers will present Anton Dvoraks Stabat Mater April 16 at 7:30 p.m. at Upper Dublin Lutheran Church in Ambler. The choir will be accompanied by a 41-piece orchestra. Tickets are $20 for adults, $15 for senior citizens, $10 for students and children are free. Tickets will be sold in advance or at the door. For more information, call 215-542-7871 or visit TheChoristers.org

Religious News

The Staircase Gallery at Or Hadash: A Reconstructionist Congregation in Fort Washington will feature the work of Emily Ennuat-Lustine. The artist will be showing paintings and graphics inspired by her own personal spiritual journey and quest for meaning. Some of the works to be shown have been inspired by Biblical Psalms and writings. Her work has been shown at Abington Art Center, Cheltenham Arts Center and Old City Gallery of Jewish Art among others. The exhibition is open Friday evenings starting Feb. 18 after Shabbat services. Gallery hours are: Mondays through Thursdays 10-4:30, Fridays 10-3 and following Shabbat Services and Sundays 10-1. The synagogue is located at 190 Camp Hill Road in Fort Washington. For additional information contact the synagogue office at 215-283-0276.

Reunions

St. Matthews High School Conshohocken Class of 1961 is looking for classmates. For details, contact Greg Marincola at 215-646-2239, 215-740-1296 or gregcola@comcast.net.

Olney High School Class of 1971 is Lloking for classmates for a 40th reunion Oct. 28. For details, contact Judy at ohsclassof71@yahoo.com or 215-870-7572.

Abington High School Class of 1961 is seeking classmates for a 50-year reunion to be held Oct. 14-15, 2011.Visit the website, www.abington61.com, for details or call 215-947-1779.

Overbrook High School class of January 1956 is having a 55 year reunion on May 22, 2011 at the Bala Golf Club in Philadelphia. For information please contact overbrookreunion56@comcast.net

Germantown High School Class Of January 1961 is looking for classmates for 50th year reunion to take place in May of 2011. Please contact: 215-362-9148, 856-577-0659 or samdelcomo@comcast.net

The June 1961 class of Germantown High School is holding their 50th reunion on May 15, which will be a brunch. For further details please contact Linda Dorfman Alten at lindaalten@yahoo.com or call 215-441-8411.

Support

New Life Presbyterian Church in Dresher, will host GriefShare, a special seminar and support group which will run on Monday evenings from 7 to 9 p.m., from March 7 through June 6. At each meeting there will be a DVD about the grief process, discussion and reference to a grief workbook. Preregistration is required to secure a place in the group and to purchase a GriefShare notebook (for a one-time fee of $15). The notebook goes along with the 13-week schedule covering such topics as: living with grief, the effects of grief, and stuck in grief. For more information or to register, call: Sandy Elder at 215-884-5149.

PUPS (People Understanding Parkinsons) A self-help group for those adjusting to a new diagnosis or dealing with the early stages of Parkinsons Disease. Meets fourth Tuesday of the month from 1 to 2:30 p.m., at Abington Health Center, Schilling Campus, Willowood Building, 2510 Maryland Road, Suite 251, Willow Grove. For more information or to RSVP, contact Lorna at 215-542-2931.

The North Penn Visiting Nurse Associations Meals on Wheels program is looking for volunteers to pack or deliver meals to the elderly and infirmed. Meals are packed and delivered mornings, Monday through Friday. You can volunteer for as many days per week or month as you would like. Packaging meals requires approximately 2-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves making sandwiches, packaging food into individual serving containers and packing coolers with the meals. Delivering meals requires approximately 1-1/2 hours of your time each day and involves loading coolers into your car and delivering a route of approximately 10 to 15 stops. The Meals on Wheels program is also in need of emergency, winter-weather volunteers to pack and deliver meals in bad weather. North Penn VNA is located at 51 Medical Campus Drive in Lansdale and delivers meals in the Lansdale, North Wales and Blue Bell areas. For more information or to volunteer, please call Bridget, North Penn VNA Meals on Wheels coordinator at 215-855-8296.

Elkins Park Area CHADD (Children and Adults with Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) meets the first Tuesday of every month, 7- 8:30 p.m., at Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital in Elkins Park. For information on CHADD or ADHD, please see our website www.chadd.net/249 or call Claire Noyes at: 215-779-6656.

Center for Loss and Bereavement, 3847 Skippack Pike, Skippack (610-222-4110) www.bereavementcenter.org Offers professional counseling for individuals, couples, children and families dealing with issues of loss and bereavement. Six-week adult support groups: Newly forming young adult grief support group  every other Wednesday, 7  8:15 p.m. (free of charge); Monthly loss of child support  second Mondays, 7-8:15 p.m.; Six-week young loss of spouse/partner  Thursdays, 10-11:15 a.m.; Other groups scheduled as interest is shown for suicide loss support, adult loss of parent, motherless daughters, adult loss of sibling, coping with chronic illness and disability and mens loss of spouse. Nellos Corner Family Bereavement program offers peer grief support groups for ages 4 through teen and their caregivers  Every other Tuesday or Wednesday (free of charge) Local chapter of Parents of Murdered Children also meets at the Center. Registration required. Call for further information.

CHADD is a national organization for children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder, providing education, advocacy and support for individuals and their families with AD/HD. Einstein at Elkins Park Hospital, 60 Township Line Road, Elkins Park, PA 19027, will host children & adults with Attention-Deficit/ Hyperactivity Disorder on the First Tuesday of each month 7  8:30 p.m. Free, no childcare provided.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphias Kehillah of Old York Road is sponsoring a free Caregiver Support Group for individuals who care for an elderly person with cognitive and/or physical impairments. The group meets at SarahCare Adult Day Care Center, 101 Washington Lane, Suite G-6, Jenkintown, Pa., on the first Wednesday of each month. Patty Rich,
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Alfonso Casciato, senior vice president of sales at Street Capital has been with the lender since the beginning, and hes still there as it embarks on its continued evolution.



Alfonso Casciato, senior vice president of sales at Street Capital has been with the lender since the beginning, and hes still there as it embarks on its continued evolution



Back in 2000 I was managing the PCF product through the CIBC channel. I was the senior manager for the credit group, Casciato tells CMP.



However, he joined to the broker industry soon thereafter, drawn by the relationship aspect of the business that allowed him to develop relationships and help brokers grow their business.



In 2003 I became the VP of credit for First Line Mortgages. I stayed in that role until 2007; when I helped launch Street Capital in the same capacity, VP of credit for Street Capital. I stayed in that role until two years ago in 2015 when I became the senior vice president of sales for Street Capital, which is my current role, he says.



Launching Street Capital was intense, it was 24/7; by having ownership it was a perspective I had never had before. You werent just responsible for the role you had, you were responsible daily for the success of all aspects of the company.

Launching a lender meant a level of commitment he had not experienced before. And it also brought with it its own challenges, especially considering it was just before the last economic recession.



We were lucky our strategy was always to be a full suite lender. The idea was to launch on the B-side and roll out our prime business within the first year of starting Street Capital, Casciato says. With the economic downturn, we were able to quickly turn our focus from the B business over to the prime side of business and successfully launched that in February of 08 and havent looked back.



Industry evolution



How will brokers evolve in the constantly changing industry?



I think the successful broker will adapt to the changes that are going on right now by putting more focus and attention on the application and the submission of the application to the lender. If they spend time on providing details and a strong story on each and every transaction, it will allow for a more seamless approval on the lender side and a more positive experience for the customer, Casciato says. The story has to make sense. There has to be a level of reasonability. So, for example, if a 25 year old is putting $120,000 down on a home, a story has to be made to explain where that deposit came from.



In the past it would have just been a section filled out in the application $120,000 is the total deposit and there was no story around how a 25 year old had such a large deposit.



Another example a borrower who is business for self, which is as sector that has increased year-over-year. Brokers for those clients need a story plan as well.



How does the income that is being submitted for that self-employed individual make sense? Do they own retail space, how many customers do they have, how long have they been in business? That kind of reasonability, Casciato says.



Challenging times



One major challenge, according to Casciato, is ensuring the industry continues to better compete with its big bank peers.

For its part, Street Capital recently became a Schedule 1 bank, which will allow it to offer many of the same financial products already on offer at the countrys larger institutions.



To be able to continue to offer all of the products available to the customers that the banks currently offer the customers will continue to be a challenge, Casciato says. At Street Capital by successfully launching as a schedule 1 bank, were positioning ourselves to be able to offer a full suite of products to all of our clients.



One major challenge brokers face is continuing to educate customers about just what value they, the broker, can provide to Canadians.



Market presence is always a challenge (brokers) have to focus on. It seems like if theyre competing theyre always competing against the banks and I think that suggests there isnt enough broker presence out there, Casciato says. The marketing. The numbers are there; I dont think theres a good enough marketing campaign out there so the end customer is aware of what an independent mortgage broker can offer.



Mortgages trending



Technology in the channel will need to catch up with other industries if it wants to continue to evolve, according to Casciato.

I think being able to submit an application from your phone is technology that is out there but both brokers and lenders have been slow to ramp up to that level of technology, he says. The ease of online application submissions by clients to brokers and in the same fashion brokers to lenders  theres really only one mode of submission to lenders these days and its electronically through Marlborough Sterling or D+H.



I think were archaic when it comes to the options we have to submit an application from a broker to a lender.



Challenging the big six



I think we have to be competitive on rates and better on service. The better service looks and feels like more timely contact, more support. Not only does the application come in from the broker, I would expect the lender to make initial contact from the lender thanking for the application, asking for clarifying questions right after the application, Casciato says. A handholding experience. Not just an application comes in, a commitment goes out and the documents are sent in and the deal either funds or for whatever reason stalls or we lose it to a competitor.
A Brussels-based investment company has filed a class-action lawsuit against Wells Fargo, accusing the scandal-plagued bank of illegally using money from a residential mortgage-backed securities trust fund to fund its defense in court cases.



Royal Park Investments filed the lawsuit in federal court Friday, accusing the bank of using trust funds to pay for legal fees, according to a Reuters report. And Royal Park isnt the first to pursue the bank over the issue.

Read more: New revelations could endanger Wells Fargos $142 million settlement

Last month, several Pimco investment funds accused Wells Fargo of misusing mortgage-bond trust money to pay its own legal expenses  in order to defend against allegations that it was breaching its duties as an mortgage-bond trustee, Reuters reported.



The Pimco funds filed a complaint in Manhattan State Supreme Court, asking for a declaratory judgment that the banking giant is not allowed to use mortgage-bond trust money to pay for its defense against claims that its breaching its duty as a trustee.



The scandal-plagued bank has also been slapped with lawsuits from former employees. Reza Razzaghipour and Marla Razzaghipour, a husband and wife who are both former Wells Fargo managers, have sued the bank for allegedly firing them when they raised concerns about its sales practices.



The Razzaghipours claim they were sacked in retaliation for raising concerns over questionable sales practices  including falsification of bank records, according to a MarketWatch report. Wells Fargo has already been ordered to pay $185 million in fines after revelations that its sales employees opened up to 3.5 million fake customer accounts.



However, Wells Fargo denies that the Razzaghipours were fired in retaliation.
A Florida title attorney will spend nearly four years in prison and pay more than $3.7 million in restitution for perpetrating mortgage-related scams against multiple banks and embezzling from another.Robert Michael Colbert of Pensacola Beach was sentenced to 40 months in prison for conspiracy to commit bank and mail fraud, false statements to a federally insured financial institution, money laundering, theft and embezzlement, according to Christopher P. Canova, US attorney for the Northern District of Florida.According to the US Attorneys Office, in 2007, while working as a title attorney, Colbert submitted a false HUD-1 to a now-defunct bank in order for one of his business partners to obtain a million-dollar loan. The bank ended up sustaining more than $636,000 in losses as a result of the scam.In 2010m Colbert handled several closings that defrauded Bank of America, Community Bank, and the now-defunct Premier Community Bank. The banks sustained losses of more than $2.3 million from the fraud. And starting in December 2010  while he was acting as an escrow agent for Beach Community Bank  Colbert embezzled and misapplied more than $400,000 from the bank. Between December of 2010 and March of 2011, prosecutors say that Colbert conducted a series of transactions to launder the money he embezzled. When Beach Community Bank contacted Colbert to find out where the money was, he got money from a third party to replace it. However, shortly after placing the third partys money into Beach Community Banks account, he embezzled more than $237,000 from the same account.Colbert also stole about $36,000 from four homeowners/condo associations hed been entrusted to oversee, prosecutors said.
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Working smarter, not harder, has been paying off for Permian Basin producers, especially in the current low oil price environment.

Technology has been credited with opening the floodgates of unconventional shales and with helping producers widen those floodgates even as oil prices fell from their triple-digit heights. Technology is expected to help continue that trend.

A down cycle in the industry demands that technology provide solutions high prices cannot solve, Stephen Ingram, vice president of technology solutions and innovation for Halliburtons North America operations said in a phone interview from his Houston office.

Theres a tremendous amount left to research and optimize, he said.

Unconventional resource development has been ongoing for a number of years now, moving from the Barnett Shale near Fort Worth to the Eagle Ford in South Texas to the Permian Basin, Ingram said.

All that research, all those thought processes from the Eagle Ford and the Barnett are being brought to bear in the Permian Basin. There is tremendous innovation happening in the Permian. In the next few years, the Permian will become an exporter of technology and innovation, he said.

More from Oil Report Patterson-UTI expands unconventional drilling with MS Energy acquisition

Drilling is one area he cited.

Not so much research as taking existing technology used in other industries and applying it, he said, listing automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence as such technology that can help cut drilling costs.

The companys first smart rig in Cameron is aiding in research to test advanced software and algorithms in partnership with other companies, Ingram said. The goal is to cut the number of days it takes to drill a well and make the rig more efficient, resulting in a more efficient use of capital, he said.

Applying lessons learned from that research will make the Permian Basin more competitive than it is, he said.

Ingram said research that is unique to the Permian Basin involves the huge volume of locally sourced frac sand that is being tested for and is in the process of being utilized in hydraulic fracturing jobs. He said that sand is of higher quality than what is being imported and could result in sand costs being lower and the quality being better, thus making the wells more productive.

Hundreds of millions of dollars are being spent to build out the infrastructure. There is work being done to see if the sand is usable, and if it is usable if it can be used in all the stacked plays, Ingram said.

There is also a lot of research being done around chemistry, including surfactants and clays.

The Permian Basin has been drilled and produced for many decades. It has the most complex reservoir system, unique and challenging rock type, Ingram said. All the rock types, especially those that are drilled today horizontally and those in further development, have unique responses to fracturing. The water comes out with different characterizations (than when it went in).

It has different chemicals and minerals from interaction with the formation. Some are positive, some are negative with response to production, he said.

One example is clays, Ingram said. When water is added, either the clays swell and reduce the wells ability to produce, or they will become brittle and fracture into what he called fines that will hamper production.

This is a big area of research, he said.

Halliburton and the University of Wyoming are partnering to study the impact of rock type and the impact of chemicals that currently are being used and will be used in the future. The research includes cores from the Permian Basin and from the Denver-Julesberg Basin.

We have quite a bit of opportunity to enhance well productivity and total productivity from those wells, Ingram said. Clay chemistry and surfactant chemistry will allow for much more competitive operators and much more competitive production as we expand the core areas of production.

That leads into artificial lift and how to effectively produce wells for the long-term.

Ingram said todays unconventional shale wells come on strong initially for a number of months before rates decline and settle into a long-term cycle.

The issue with artificial lift technology, particularly the electrical submersible pumps used in the Permian, is they can become clogged by the sand used in fracturing jobs, forcing operators to pull them and install new pumps. A new system, the SandWedge can be used as part of the frac fluid system to reduce sand flowback, keeping the pumps working longer and more effectively.

The biggest mystery that could help improve productivity and efficiency is what lies under the surface. Ingram said Halliburton has partnered with three other companies to research ways to image the subsurface, such as fractures.

In what Ingram called the largest field operation in Halliburton history, the company is outfitting 10 wellbores in the Delaware Basin with fiber optic cable to record downhole pressures and temperatures. Three have already been outfitted, and when all 10 are outfitted, he said researchers can observe the frac treatments currently being done on the wells through microseismic sensors.

Its all part of our drive to understand key components, he said. How big is the fracture, how close should each stage be, should perforations be along the wellbore, and how close should wellbores be to each other.

Drilling these unconventional shale wells is very capital-intensive big money projects, he said, and better understanding whats happening in the wellbores reduces the risks of undercapitalizing or overcapitalizing the projects.
Things will be quite different for Stephen Rose this Saturday. When he last played with the Midland Odessa Symphony and Chorale, there was no Wagner Noel Performing Arts Center. He was also a budding musician fresh out of school.

This time, he performs as the featured musician in Symphonie Fantastique, the opening show for the 55th season of the symphony.

The MOSC was my first real job, he said by phone from Cleveland. We, the Everest Quartet, had come there from the Eastman School of Music as the string quartet in residence in 1994.

He and fellow players had made their way to West Texas at the beginning of each of their musical careers.

Today, Rose returns with a worldwide wealth of experience and knowledge. He had just stepped off the plane in Cleveland from Melbourne, Australia, where he was performing a concert. He serves as the second principal violin for the Cleveland Orchestra and is on the faculty of the Cleveland Institute of Music as well as Kent/Blossom Music, The National Orchestral Institute and the New World Symphony.

More for you A look at the MOSC 55th Season

But with all that and his performances around the world, Midland holds a special place for Rose.

Its very special to come back here. I have such fond memories and it was an extraordinary time for our quartet, he said. Being there was the best thing for us.

When Rose and maestro Gary Lewis discussed what Rose would play, Mozarts Violin Concerto No. 5 rose to the top.

When we talked about it, that came to both of our minds, he said. I love Mozart and it speaks to me more now than when I was younger. I think the piece works well in the first half and makes for a balanced concert with Fantastique.

The last time he was on stage with the MOSC was in 1997 after the quartet was with the orchestra for three seasons. He is excited to play his concert, but he does admit it will be a different feel.

When I think of Midland and Odessa, I think of the four of us so it will be a little odd to be there without the others. I wish they were there with me, he said.
There is opposition to a Goodwill store moving into a shopping area north of Loop 250 and west of Midland Drive.

Goodwill of West Texas wants to open Midlands second Goodwill location just to the east of the PetSmart and Havertys. The location was previously a boutique store called Chelsea Reas and Big 5 sporting goods before that. There are neighbors that live behind the proposed location that are vehemently opposed to it.

The items, it appears, will make the agenda of the next Midland City Council meeting.

City Council members and city staff organized a meeting between the two sides in August to see what could be done to ease the tension coming from the neighbors. Four families made the meeting and they said they represent the feelings of the other families that did not attend but signed a petition created to convince the council to say no to Goodwills request. During the meeting, it was announced opposition has 27 signatures.

Those neighbors talked about the store having a negative impact on their property values, though documentation wasnt provided to back up the claim. They werent thrilled with a lower end retailer moving into the shopping center and bringing questionable people  the criminal element  so close to their neighborhood. They spoke out to Goodwill representatives that they wouldnt want their children working in that store because of the type of people they said Goodwill would be hiring. They expressed concerns about potential illegal dumping of goods at the store and said Goodwills offer to create better fencing  even building a brick fence to be a partition between the store property and the neighborhood  wasnt good enough for them.

There really wasnt any budging.

During an August meeting, one neighbor told the City Council, Most of the homes (behind the potential Goodwill location) are valued at $300,000, and most of us dont shop at a Goodwill.

Goodwill West Texas CEO Kevin Bradford made a presentation about Goodwills impact in communities, noting Goodwill puts 87 percent of sales back into the community, according to an independent audit. He said Goodwill stores help saved millions of pounds of second-hand items from the landfills and Goodwill is putting more locations is higher-end areas. Bradford said a Goodwill location is being planned for Odessa near Music City Mall.

Bradford said employees will check at least twice a day for people dropping off items (8 a.m. and 8 p.m.) and that inside the store, Goodwill is moving a wall for more storage area inside the store. Dumpsters also are being moved into an enclosed area, and there will be five security cameras outside the store and enhanced lightning.

This week, city officials said a brick fence will be put up to provide protection for the residents and will not interfere with sight lines for traffic in the area. One neighbor asked for a cinder block fence. But city and store officials seemed more comfortable with the look and quality of a brick fence.






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All eyes are on Hurricane Irma right now. Any shower and storm activity will wind down with the loss of daytime heating leading to a quiet overnight and temperatures in the mid 70s.

Rain chances ramp up through the weekend

Full Hurricane Irma coverage



SEE BELOW: See our 7-day forecast 

Friday, rain chances will ramp up a bit due to the presence of more moisture pooling over the state. Temperatures will remain in the upper 80s and lower 90s.

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Attention will shift toward Irma with respect to our forecast from Saturday through Monday, depending on its precise track, but Central Florida, especially the east coast, should prepare for impacts such as rain, high wind and storm surge flooding.

Irma is a storm some 400-miles wide, and even a pass along the east coast would still bring hurricane-force winds to our state. The most damaging winds extend 70 miles from the storms center. Irma is projected to travel west-northwest to the north of Hispaniola and into the Turks and Caicos.

Friday, the path would be across the southern Bahamas and north of Cuba.

By Saturday evening, Irma would be entering the Florida Straits with bands of rain and wind starting to affect the Keys and South Florida. It is critical when Irma stops traveling west-northwest and then turns north and gets lifted an the approaching trough.

On this trajectory, the center of Irma should move north just to the west of Floridas coast. Rain and wind will increase locally starting Saturday night and Sunday morning, with impacts felt through midday Monday as Irma pushes in the direction of Jacksonville and Savannah.

Floridians and visitors are encouraged not to focus on the exact track, which will continue to shift as the storm nears. Hurricane plans should be finalized and kits should be checked as this is peak hurricane season.

Expect deteriorating boating conditions tomorrow as seas build to 7-8 feet offshore as a cold front approaches from the north and swell from distant Irma begins to affect our coastal waters.Showers and storms will also become a hazard during the afternoon, especially on the inland lakes. Conditions will continue to worsen through the weekend with rising seas as Hurricane Irma gets closer.

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Hurricane Irma's latest path has shifted west and Central Floridians need to accelerate their preparations.

Gov. Scott has ordered all public K-12 schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices to begin preparing for the storm. SEE THE OFFICIAL RELEASE.

Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging. Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate. Our states public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts.

As of 11 p.m., Hurricane Irma pummeled the Turks and Caicos, and is now hitting the southeastern Bahamas.

The maximum sustained winds have dropped a bit, down to 165 mph. But the storm is now projected to go right up the spine of Florida.

Irma is moving toward the west-northwest near 16 mph. The direction is expected to continue over the next couple of days with a decrease in forward speed.

Once Irma moves past the southeastern Bahamas, the core of the storm will then move between the north coast of Cuba and the Bahamas over the next day or two.

Hurricane force winds extend outward up to 75 miles from the center, and tropical storm force winds extend outward up to 185 miles.

A storm surge warninghas been issued for the Florida peninsula, from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee and Florida Bay. The area could see storm surge in the area of 5 to 10 feet.

Hurricane wind conditions are possible within the watch area in Florida by Sunday, with tropical storm conditions possible by late Saturday.

A hurricane warning is now in effect for Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach as well as for the Florida Keys

A hurricane watch is now in effect for the east coast of Florida north of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet and for the west coast of Florida north of Bonita Beach to Anna Maria Island.

A storm surge warning has been issued from Jupiter Inlet southward around the Florida peninsula to Bonita Beach as well as for the Florida Keys.

A storm surge watch has also been issued for the east coast of Florida north of Jupiter Inlet to Sebastian Inlet and for the west coast of Florida north of Bonita Beach to Venice

Latest updates

10:50 p.m.

From the Associated Press:

The U.S. Consulate General in Curacao says it believes about 6,000 Americans are stranded on St. Martin after Hurricane Irma leveled the Caribbean island.

The consulate is collecting the names and locations of the stranded and says it is working with the U.S. and other governments to try to figure out how to get the Americans off the island either by air or boat.

Frantic Americans were calling relatives in the U.S. to try to get them off the island, especially because Hurricane Jose threatened a second blow to the tourist Mecca.

The island is split between French and Dutch control. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and 50 injured on the French side of the island. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage.

9:51 p.m.

Brevard emergency leaders called for mandatory evacuations of the barrier islands -- meaning beachside residents are supposed to leave before Irma hits.

There are an estimated 100,000 people living beachside and in the Merritt Island area.

Now the Brevard EOC is calling for them to leave starting at 3 p.m. Friday.

Before John Theofiledes and his wife and daughter evacuate Indialantic, he spent time Thursday shoring up his father-in-law's Satellite Beach home.

"Peace of mind for him, he's worried," Theofiledes said.

Once he wraps up work here, he's headed home to pack up his family and headed inland, while his wife's parents on their way to Orlando.

A big reminder -- the causeways leading to and from beach-side here in Brevard do NOT close prior to storms like this.

7 p.m.

University of Florida has canceled its football game against Northern Colorado in Gainesville Saturday because of Hurricane Irma.

"We have been in constant communication this week with University and government officials," said Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin. "As the Hurricane's track has approached the state of Florida, it's become obvious that playing a football game is not the right thing to do. The focus of our state and region needs to be on evacuations and relief efforts. There is a tremendous amount of stress currently on the roads of this state, and the availability of gas, water and other supplies are at critical levels. Playing a college football game Saturday would only add to that stress.

"Gainesville is also close to some of Florida's heaviest traffic points this week, specifically Interstate 75, which is a key statewide evacuation route."

Since the schools do not have a common open date, the game will not be rescheduled.

If you had tickets to the game, UF will send you information on refunds.

6:35 p.m.

Attorney General Pam Bondi says she believes her office has gotten some 4,000 complaints about price gouging in Florida. She's not sure if it's because the situation is worse this time around, or because more people are aware of how to report price gouging.

If you see a price gouging situation, take a picture and head to MyFloridaLegal.com to report it. While no one can be arrested, Bondi says she can levy civil fines, not to mention shame them live on TV.

Here's some of the highlights from Bondi's latest update.

Attorney General Pam Bondi updates on price gouging

3 p.m.

In an announcement on Thursday afternoon, Orange County Mayor Teresa Jacobs stressed that the call for a state of local emergency is proactive and not in response to any new storm-related information.

But doing so allows Orange County to be able to access emergency resources needed for residents, Jacobs explained, who is also the county's director of emergency management.

She stated in a press release that the county still has 45,000 pre-filled sandbags and those distribution locations can be found here.

Officials with Seminole County said in a press conference on Thursday afternoon that they have been preparing for Hurricane Irma since last weekend and that the county's emergency operation center is partially activated.

They also said that there is a citizen information hotline at 407-665-0000 and people can find additional information at PrepareSeminole.org.

Seminole County School District Superintendent Dr. Walt R. Griffin said that the following schools will be shelters and be available on Saturday:

Lyman High School

Lawton Chiles Middle School

Bentley Elementary School

Highlands Elementary School

Midway Elementary School

Lake Mary Elementary School

Crystal Lake Elementary School is ready to go if needed





Seminole County officials also warned residents to be safe. If drivers see a road that is flooded, they should turn around. If they come across an intersection with traffic lights out, drivers should treat it like a four-way stop section.

In addition, they warned against grilling indoors as carbon monoxide is a "silent killer". If people are not feeling well, they should run out to fresh air right away and do not waste time calling 911 until after they are outside.

They also stressed that good ventilation is vital in storing gasoline.

People who are trying to evacuate before Hurricane Irma hits will get the fuel they need, Florida Gov. Rick Scott said at a noon press conference on Thursday.

During the briefing, the governor said that he spoke with fuel suppliers about their concerns with getting gas delivered to the state. Their issues were: Fuel availability from the ports, federal rules and regulations and getting the fuel to gas stations.

Scott said he spoke with the Environmental Protection Agency, FEMA, Department of Energy, Department of Transportation and the White House for help in dealing with those issues, saying that he asked with the governors of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama to rescind weight and driver restrictions, which they agreed to the request so trucks can easily deliver fuel into Florida.

The EPA approved an emergency-fuel waiver request to allow more fuel to be deliver more quickly into the state, Scott mentioned, saying that all ports are currently open.

The governor also asked gas stations to stay open as long as possible in evacuation areas and he assured them that law enforcement will escort employees to get out safely when the time comes.

"We need your gas stations to stay open as long as possible," he pleaded.

The governor urged people not to fill up their vehicles if they do not need to.

He also warned people in evacuation areas to get out as soon as they can and provided a phone number for those who need help in getting out: 1-800-342-3557

"We will get you out, but you have to call now if you are in an evacuation zone. We cannot save you if the storm starts," he said.

In an earlier press conference on Thursday morning, Scott said that 3,000 more National Guard members have been activated to help with the evacuations as nearly 31,000 people have been ordered to leave the Florida Keys at 6 a.m. Thursday.

"We can't save you after the storm starts," Scott said, who advised that those who are leaving the Keys can seek shelter at Florida International University.

The governor also stated that more evacuations are expected. In fact, sections of Brevard County are being evacuated starting at 3 p.m., Friday. The county stated the evacuation zones include the barrier islands, Merritt Island and some mainland low-lying areas along the Indian River Lagoon.

The county also suggested that people who live in mobile or manufactured homes or in flood-prone areas are also vulnerable and should leave, whether on the mainland or the barrier islands.

Scott also said that 6,800 volunteers have signed up to help with Irma, but that 17,000 are still needed. People who want to volunteer can call 1-800-FL-HELP1.

People in Central Florida have been flocking to gas stations as they try to head out of town to ride out the storm. People are fueling up their vehicles at The Turkey Lake Service Plaza toll rest stop in Orange County, as a line of cars starts right off the turnpike with people waiting for hours to get gas.

One reason why this location could be so crowded is because some folks are leaving the state to avoid the Hurricane Irma that could possibly hit.

The Florida Highway Patrol sent out this tweet that no gas cans will be allowed to be filled at any service plaza on the turnpike.

Starting a 6 a.m. on Thursday, FHP also says cars that are left on the side of the road on the turnpike will be towed.

Some stations like the Shell on Michigan Street in Orlando, ran out of gas on Wednesday.

At several WaWa stations, people are also seeing long lines for pumps and filling up extra gas cans.

The WaWa on Curry Ford and Goldenrod says it expects to get more gas Thursday, but most stations are concerned because the demand for fuel will increase throughout the week.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Scott warned people that Hurricane Irma is a bigger storm than Hurricane Andrew, which struck the state in 1992.

"This storm is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew," Scott said during a press conference on Wednesday afternoon.

Scott warned Floridians that everyone should take the storm seriously and people should not wait the storm out.

Meanwhile, the Florida Attorney General's office is going after anyone taking advantage of storm preparations by hiking prices  whether they have brick and mortar stores, or on online.

Attorney General Pam Bondi said she had Amazon's Legal Dept. "on speed dial" regarding people selling water and other storm supplies at inflated prices, or tacking on exorbitant fees for shipping.

"What youve got are these third party vendors who are trying to trick people and say water is at somewhat of a reasonable rate, yet charging a $100 shipping fee," Bondi said. "Thats sickening, thats disgusting, its unacceptable, and were not going to have it."

Amazon told Bondi it is manually scrubbing these products from the site as they find them, and have already suspended 12 sellers.

If you see anyone price gouging online or at a store, go to MyFloridaLegal.com, or call 1-866-966-7226.

Because of Hurricane Irma, the Orlando International Airport originally posted that it will stop all commercial flights at 5 pm., Saturday, Sept. 9, but later Thursday morning airport officials told News 13 they will be holding a meeting later in the day to see if they may suspend flights or not.

With sustained winds are sitting at 185 mph, Hurricane Irma caused significant damage in Puerto Rico. More than 600,000 people there are without power from the wind ripping down trees and lights posts as the storm left at least 10 people dead.

Fearsome Hurricane Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving at least 10 dead and thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees on a track Thursday that could lead to a catastrophic strike on Florida.

The most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever, Irma weakened only slightly Thursday morning and remained a powerful Category 5 storm with winds of 180 mph (285 kph), according to the U.S. National Hurricane Center.

The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said it could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina.

This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, alluding to the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told France Info radio that eight had died and 23 injured in the countrys Caribbean island territories, and he said the toll on Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams have yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

2:44 p.m. Thursday

A hurricane watch is now in effect for South Florida, from Jupiter Inlet southward and around the peninsula to Bonita Beach, including the Florida Keys, Lake Okeechobee, and Florida Bay.



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The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Funeral services for Petersburg ISD Band Director Colin Chichurka, 39, will be held 5:30 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, at the Ramsey Funeral Home in Georgetown. Inurnment will follow at the Lady of the Rose Cemetery in Georgetown.

Local arrangements are being handled by Adams Funeral Home in Ralls.
Fierce rains and 185-mph winds pelted the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon as Hurricane Irma continued pushing northwest on its relentless path across the Atlantic Ocean.

While the Category 5 storm writhed below, a crew with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) took to the air on Tuesday to survey the hurricane from within.

See footage from their flight in the above video.

Calm prevailed as the crew reached the inner circle of the storm. Inside the eye, the immense pressure forces the cloud wall to curve upwards in a phenomenon known as the "stadium effect."

By early Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard members by Friday and warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew. Andrew pummeled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighborhoods with ferocious winds. Trump also declared an emergency in Florida and authorities in the Bahamas said they would evacuate six southern islands.

National Weather Service director Louis Uccellini said he was concerned about states from Florida to North Carolina.

"We're very worried about the impact of the winds and surge on the Keys as the storm approaches," Uccellini said. "Be ready for all the hazards associated with this storm (storm surge, high winds and heavy rain). They are all going to be dangerous."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

Read Michelle Robertsons latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.




BERLIN  The town recently announced it is officially inviting proposals for the purchase and development of nearly 4 acres on Farmington Avenue.



A legal notice posted by the town says Request for Qualifications (RFQ) are being accepted until Tuesday, Dec. 5.



The Town Council has been discussing the possible redevelopment of the town-owned parcels at 889. 903, and 913 Farmington Ave. since a plan to use the land for a new $16 million police station was voted down in a referendum.



The property, divided into three parcels, has been a focus of transit oriented development downtown. The town hired CivicMoxie, a consulting firm, to look at future development.



Several meeting were held to discuss possibilities.



Were looking at what it could be, Economic Development Director Chris Edge said during initial discussions earlier this year.



The notice states that the RFQ can be rejected and is not a contract or commitment.



akus@record-journal.com 203-317-2448 Twitter: @KusReporter






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Cybercriminals stole social security numbers, birth dates and other sensitive information on almost half of all U.S. consumers in a massive data breach of credit reporting company Equifax Inc., the company announced Thursday.

Equifax said it discovered July 29 that criminals had obtained unauthorized access to Equifax data on 143 million Americans from mid-May through July 2017, adding that it acted immediately to stop the intrusion.

The breach is one of the largest ever and involves information that could be more valuable on the black market and more damaging to U.S. consumers than any other cyberattack to date.

The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, drivers license numbers, Equifax said. Hackers also got away with about 209,000 credit card numbers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed, the company said.

The company set up a website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, that consumers can use to find out if their information was compromised. Its also offering free credit monitoring and identity-theft protection to all U.S. consumers for a year. It will also send direct mail notices to people whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personally identifiable information were impacted.

Equifax has been attacked in the past. Experian Plc, Equifax and TransUnion, the three biggest U.S. credit-reporting companies, uncovered cases in 2013 where hackers gained illegal, unauthorized access to user information. Credit reports, preportedly on famous people, ranging from Michelle Obama to Paris Hilton, were posted online in that hack.

This is reason Number 10,000 to check your online bank statements and credit card statements on a regular basis, ideally weekly, Matt Schulz, CreditCards.com's senior industry analyst, said in a statement. We think nothing of checking Facebook or Instagram 10 times a day, but many think it is too much to ask to check your bank statements once a week. It's not. It's easy to do, doesn't take long and can help you spot problems before they get out of control.

Target disclosed in 2013 that hackers could have stolen data on up to 40 million credit and debit cards, agreeing this year to pay $18.5 million to resolve related investigations.

Last year Yahoo Inc. said more than 1 billion accounts were compromised in a 2013 attack, after also saying earlier that year that 500 million user accounts were hacked in 2014.

Some UK and Canadian residents were also affected, the company said, adding that it will work with those countries regulators on the issue.

This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do. I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes, Chairman and CEO Richard F. Smith said in a statement.

The company said it had engaged an independent cybersecurity firm to conduct a forensic review, and reported the access to law enforcement.

Bloomberg News contributed to this article.

sehlinger@express-news.net

Twitter: @samehlinger
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NOTE: The Friday Macbeth item has been updated to correct opening time and performers.

The biggest tour of the year hits town this weekend when Guns N' Roses arrives at the Alamodome.

The Axl and Slash reunion tour had racked up more than $150 million in July. San Antonio fans will add to that bottom line to hear such hard rock classics as "Welcome to the Jungle" and "November Rain."

Click through the slideshow for details on that show and many more, including Opera San Antonio's season kickoff, "Macbeth."
Pluckers is setting up shop in the Alamo City, the wing restaurant announced in a dramatic video on social media Thursday.

"No city is more vocal about its desire for a Pluckers than San Antonio," wing officials said in a news release.
The signature cocktail of the 2018 San Antonio Conference is like an old friend after a stylish makeover: familiar, but wowza.

The Tio Mio (my uncle in Spanish) has the familiar profile of an old fashioned, updated with Herradura Anejo tequila instead of rye or bourbon, agave nectar for sweetness, chocolate bitters for depth and a squeeze of grapefruit peel for the citrus note.
Kirk Sides

Public libraries in Pasadena and Deer Park are offering hurricane-recovery assistance in the form of information and aid for those needing to file claims.

"Anybody can come in and use the computers," said Thomas Simiele, director of Pasadena's public library system. "Even if you don't have a library card, we'll give you a day pass and help you file claims with FEMA or your insurance. If you need to make copies of documents or have things faxed, we can do that for people at a very reasonable cost."
Whether by plane, car or train, hundreds of thousands of people scrambled to get out of South Florida on Wednesday ahead of Hurricane Irma, a massive system forecasters say is the most powerful storm to hit the Atlantic Coast in more than a decade.

The storm, with maximum sustained winds near 185 mph, moved over the Leeward Islands Wednesday morning before moving to the northern Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

Forecasters say it will reach South Florida sometime between Friday night and Monday.

To accommodate surging demand of people trying to flee, airlines including American and Delta added flights or brought in larger planes and waived change fees for passengers who need to cancel or rebook their flights.

Even so, hundreds of flights were canceled Wednesday, and airlines strongly advised passengers to check before leaving for the airport.

Late Wednesday, American Airlines announced it would begin winding down its operations in Florida and had canceled flights at its Miami hub as well as to airports in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Sarasota and West Palm Beach. In addition, it canceled a handful of international flights from Europe and South American that were scheduled to land in Miami on Friday.

Many of those leaving Wednesday said they didn't want to gamble on getting stranded.

Janet and Tom Wrabel of Fairfield, Connecticut, had been visiting their daughter in Fort Lauderdale when they saw the storm brewing and decided to cut their vacation a couple of days short. Neither was crushed, though this clearly was suboptimal.

"We would rather be here reclining by a pool right now instead of getting on a plane," said Tom, 62, as the couple prepared to leave.

Officials at Key West International Airport, said they would suspend commercial operations at the end of the day Thursday, and Miami International Airport advised travelers it will halt operations at the airport when winds reach 55 mph. Generally airlines do not operate in sustained crosswinds that exceed 35 mph, and the Federal Aviation Administration tower ceases operations after winds of 55 mph, the airport noted.

On the state's roadways, long lines of cars and trucks could be seen traveling north on the Florida turnpike as tourists and residents fled the Florida Keys - among the first areas to be under a mandatory evacuation order. Gas stations were also jammed as Floridians rushed to fill their tanks before Irma's arrival. Grocery stores reported running out of bottled water.

Airlines, still reeling from Harvey, which swept through Texas last month, were preparing for another hit.

Both American and Southwest airlines have a significant presence in Florida and the Caribbean. American has a hub at Miami International, and Southwest has a large operation at Fort Lauderdale's airport.

The travel picture is expected to worsen as Irma moves closer to Florida.

There were anecdotal reports from travelers that airlines were charging exorbitant fares for flights out of areas in the path of the storm, but airlines denied that was the case.

Even so, Paul Hudson, president of the consumer rights advocate Flyers Rights, said the group was checking into reports of fares of up to $1,000 to get out of the Miami area, where depending on the destination, a one-way ticket can typically go for as little as $99.

Leigh Dow, a public relations executive from Arizona, used her twitter account to chide Delta Air Lines for raising the price of a ticket from Miami to Phoenix's Sky Harbor Airport from $547 to $3,200.

Dow's tweet was retweeted more than 23,000 times.

She later tweeted Delta officials contacted her and the situation had been resolved.

Trebor Banstetter, a spokesman for Delta, said Dow was apparently reacting to information from the travel website Expedia, but when she contacted the airline directly, he said, "She got a price she was happy with."

"We have not increased prices in response to the hurricane," Banstetter said.

Similarly, JetBlue was offering travelers trying to get out of Irma's path remaining seats at reduced fares ranging from $99 to $159.

The main worry remained the storm's impact on South Florida, home to 6 million people. President Donald Trump on Tuesday declared an emergency in the state as well as the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) has ordered all 7,000 members of the Florida National Guard report for duty Friday.

Evacuations began Wednesday morning in the Florida Keys, and state transportation officials were "aggressively clearing evacuation routes," officials said.

The main routes out of South Florida are Interstate 95 and the Florida Turnpike, which can be prone to gridlock on the best of days. In an effort to ease congestion, the governor ordered that no tolls be collected.

State officials say more mandatory evacuations would be ordered as the storm nears, and some urged residents to evacuate the area early and expect clogged roadways.

"Do not sit and wait for this storm to come," Scott said in a tweet. "Remember, we can rebuild your home - not your life."

Airport officials also urged caution, telling people to check with their airlines before venturing out and urging people not to use the airport as a shelter.

Meantime, residents who were leaving were keeping those staying behind in their thoughts.

Betsy Weidenmuller, 71, had booked a flight on Southwest out of Fort Lauderdale on Sunday at the urging of her son in New Orleans, who had told her, "I think this looks bad."

Weidenmuller said most of her neighbors are going to ride out the storm with friends or relatives who have generators. As she was heading to the airport she got a text from a neighbor offering to hurricane-proof her home.

Weidenmuller was struck by the generosity. "It looks like keeping my neighbors supplied with scones has really paid off," she said with a smile.

- - -

The Washington Post's Joel Achenbach contributed to this report from Florida.
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The students in the marching band at Ingrid B. Lacy Middle School in Pacifica were like family to Jerry Downs.

The schools 62-year-old band director would work with his budding musicians late after the end of the school day and even spent his own money to keep the music program alive.

But on Thursday, students, teachers and parents were stunned and saddened after learning that Downs  who taught in the Pacifica School District for 15 years  was killed in a freak accident at Lacy Middle School the day before.

Hes irreplaceable, said Tanya Guido, whose son, a seventh-grader, played saxophone in the band. Jerry gave so much to this community  the kids were his family.

Downs was killed around 11 a.m. Wednesday. He pulled his van full of band equipment up to a locked gate at the front parking lot of the middle school on Palmetto Avenue and got out.

As students played in a nearby field, the van began to roll backward. For an unknown reason, Downs got behind the vehicle and was dragged as it rolled out of the parking lot and into a driveway across the street.

One teacher at the scene, who did not want to be named because he was not authorized to speak for the school, said many students heard the commotion from the crash and witnessed the chaotic aftermath.

Bystanders ran to help before paramedics and police arrived and tried to revive the unresponsive Downs. He was later pronounced dead at San Francisco General Hospital, officials said.

Investigators were working to determine the circumstances of the incident, but Pacifica police Capt. Joe Spanheimer said the van did not appear to have any mechanical failure.

Spanheimer called the episode a tragic accident.

Throughout the day Thursday, students placed flowers and signs at a growing memorial next to the gate near where Downs was killed.

Guido stopped by to pay her respects as well. She said her seventh-grader son was saddened, but so was her 20-year-old at UC Santa Barbara  a drum major first inspired by Downs in middle school.

He puts his heart, his soul, his everything into teaching, she said of Downs. He gave a priceless gift.

Downs would teach band in the morning at nearby Ocean Shore Elementary School, then drive the equipment over to Ingrid B. Lacy, where he taught in the afternoon. Students at both schools would then gather after the school day for marching band.

He was a moving force in our music community, Pacifica School District Superintendent Wendy Tukloff said. Its a huge loss.

Grief counselors were at Ocean Shore and Lacy Middle School on Thursday, while a substitute teacher familiar with the band program stepped in as district officials discussed plans going forward.

John Bautista, an 18-year-old senior at Oceana High School in Pacifica, who played trumpet in the band four years ago, stopped by the memorial on his way to school Thursday. He said he had planned to visit Downs in the coming days to catch up.

I just cant believe hes gone, he said.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
A long list of prominent Republicans is urging the Supreme Court to find that extreme partisan gerrymandering is unconstitutional, saying the practice of drawing electoral lines to benefit one party or another is detrimental to democracy.

It puts those Republicans on opposing sides from groups such as the Republican National Committee and the party's congressional campaign committee, which are supporting Wisconsin's GOP-led legislature in a major high court case to be heard next month.

A lower court found lawmakers drew maps that so favored Republican candidates that they violated the constitutional right of equal protection.

Now, Republicans such as former California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and the party's former presidential nominee Robert Dole have signed onto friend-of-the-court briefs that say the Supreme Court should find - for the first time - that a redistricting plan is so politically biased that it must be thrown out.

"Partisan gerrymanders frustrate majority rule by entrenching political parties in ways they do not earn on the merits," says the brief signed by Schwarzenegger and other former elected Republican officials. "They turn republican government upside down, with politicians choosing their voters instead of voters electing their politicians."

In a conference call with reporters, Schwarzenegger said that in the case at the Supreme Court, it is Republicans who have drawn maps to their benefit. "But when Democrats have the power, they gerrymander, like in Illinois and Maryland."

Indeed, challengers of the Democrat-drawn congressional maps in Maryland filed an unusual motion with the Supreme Court last week, asking that their case be heard as well as the Wisconsin case, Gill v. Whitford.

A three-judge panel last month split 2 to 1 to allow Maryland to use its voting boundaries for the 2018 election and put the lawsuit on hold until after the Supreme Court rules in the Wisconsin case.

The challenge in Maryland centers on redrawing a congressional district anchored in Western Maryland in such a way that transferred Republican voters out and Democratic voters in, resulting in a victory by a Democrat over the incumbent Republican congressman.

The challengers' petition to the Supreme Court says that considering their case along with the one from Wisconsin would provide a "broader spectrum of legal arguments and evidence with which to address the problem of partisan gerrymandering."

Such last-minute petitions are rarely granted by the court.

The outpouring of amicus briefs in the Wisconsin case - on both sides - underscores its importance. A host of Republican-led states have urged the Supreme Court not to get involved with what they say are essentially political decisions made by elected representatives.

"There is nothing invidious, or irrational, under the Equal Protection Clause, about legislatures having partisan purposes when reapportioning legislative seats," said a brief filed by Texas and other states.
For more than a day, monstrous Hurricane Irma has sustained Category 5 winds of 185 miles per hour while ripping through the northern Lesser Antilles and Virgin Islands. The storm, tied for the second-strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean, is battering Puerto Rico, and headed for the southeastern Bahamas and, by the weekend and early next week, Florida and the Southeast U.S.

"The threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week has increased," the National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. update Wednesday.

This is a life-threatening storm that the Hurricane Center warns is capable of catastrophic damage. Preparations should be rushed to completion near its path.

Wednesday evening, the storm was 50 miles northeast of San Juan and was barreling to the west-northwest at 16 mph, away from the northernmost Virgin Islands.

The storm's rain bands were lashing Puerto Rico most of which was under flash flood warnings. In one bit of fortunate news, the storm's eyewall, the region with the most destructive winds, appeared like it would track just to its north.

Still a gust of 63 miles per hour was clocked in San Juan early Wednesday evening. And in Culebra, Puerto Rico, a small island 17 miles east of the mainland, a wind gust registered 111 miles per hour during the afternoon.

As the storm heads west, hurricane warnings are in effect for Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Turks and Caicos, Haiti and the southeastern and central Bahamas. A hurricane watch covers Cuba and the northwestern Bahamas.

This historically intense hurricane is forecast to modestly weaken in the next two days, but remain an extremely dangerous Category 4 or 5 storm. It will produce the full gamut of hurricane hazards across the Bahamas and potentially South Florida, including a devastating storm surge, destructive winds and dangerous flash flooding.

Meanwhile, two new hurricanes formed late Wednesday afternoon in the Atlantic basin: Jose in the eastern Atlantic Ocean and Katia in the southwest Gulf of Mexico.

Model forecasts have shifted the center of Irma's track eastward since Tuesday, projecting its core to pass right along Florida's east coast. But enough uncertainty in the track exists that all of Florida should be on the highest alert and preparing for this hurricane.

Some of the latest computer simulations track the storm center very near southeast Florida Sunday morning, presenting a very dangerous situation for the Miami to Fort Lauderdale area. However, shifts in the storm track are likely.

Tropical-storm-force winds are likely to arrive in Florida on Saturday, with the worst storm conditions occurring Sunday. The most extreme conditions are likely to occur near the storm center, but it is impossible this far out to pinpoint exactly where that will track. And serious storm effects will expand well outside the center.

The entire Florida peninsula is only about 100 miles wide, small compared to the size of the storm. Tropical-storm-force winds presently extend outward up to 185 miles from the storm center and hurricane-force winds extend 50 miles away.

A hurricane does not need to be rated Category 5 intensity to cause catastrophic damage. Remember, the category rating only refers to the peak winds in the eyewall, not the size of the storm, the rainfall and the storm surge.

Locations in northern Florida as well as up into Georgia and the Carolinas should also be preparing for a significant impact Monday and Tuesday. The forecasts from recent model runs bear some resemblance to Hurricane Matthew, which affected these areas just 11 months ago.

The rainfall forecast for the coming week shows a heavy swath over the Florida peninsula, and then spreading northward into the Carolinas as Irma likely tracks over those areas early next week.

Wednesday afternoon, the storm's eye had moved over Virgin Gorda in the British Virgin Islands and its southern eyewall (the region of most powerful winds) raked Saint Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands.

In the U.S. Virgin Islands early Wednesday afternoon, a wind gust to 131 miles per hour was clocked on Buck Island and 87 miles per hour on St. Thomas. The National Weather Service issued an extreme wind warning for destructive winds gusts over 115 miles per hour for Saint John and Saint Thomas, "producing swaths of tornado-like damage." A flash flooding warning was also issued.

Areas affected by the storm's eyewall likely faced high destructive winds. The Hurricane Center provides this description of the potential damage inflicted by Category 5 winds:

Forecasts also called for rainfall totals of 8-12 inches along the path, with isolated amounts up to 20 inches, leading to flash flooding and mudslides - especially over any high terrain.

While the center of Irma was passing just north of Puerto Rico, damaging winds are still likely there, especially over the northeast part of the island, along with 4 to 10 inches of rain (and isolated totals up to 15 to 20 inches) and a storm surge of 4 to 6 feet in coastal areas.

After passing Puerto Rico, the storm should then pass just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, where hurricane-force winds and torrential rains are also possible.

Later on Thursday, the storm will near the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas, where it could push ashore a devastating storm surge of 15 to 20 feet above normally dry land.

Tuesday night and Wednesday morning, the hurricane passed directly over Barbuda and Saint Martin in the northern Leeward Islands, the strongest hurricane ever recorded in that region and tied with the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane as the strongest Atlantic storm to strike land.

As Barbuda took a direct hit, the weather station there clocked a wind gust to 155 mph before it went offline. The storm surge on the island, or the rise in water above normally dry land, reached at least 8 feet.

The Antigua News Room reported nearly total destruction of structures on the island.

The storm also passed directly over Anguilla and St. Martin early Wednesday.

Irma's peak intensity (185 mph) ranks among the strongest in recorded history, exceeding the likes of Katrina, Andrew and Camille - whose winds peaked at 175 mph.

Among the most intense storms on record, it only trails Hurricane Allen in 1980, which had winds of 190 mph. It is tied for second most intense with Hurricane Wilma in 2005, Hurricane Gilbert in 1988 and the 1935 Florida Keys hurricane.

The storm has maintained maximum wind speeds of at least 180 mph longer than any other storm on record in the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean.

Late Tuesday night, its pressure dropped to 914 millibars (the lower the pressure, the stronger the storm), ranking as the lowest of any storm on record outside the Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico in the Atlantic basin.

The storm has generated the most Accumulated Cyclone Energy, a measure of both a storm's duration and intensity, of any hurricane on record.

Without a doubt, the World Meteorological Organization will retire the names Harvey and Irma after this season. While there have been several instances of consecutive storm names getting retired (Rita and Stan 2005, Ivan and Jeanne 2004, Isabel and Juan 2003, Luis and Marilyn 1995), the U.S. has only been hit by more than one Category 4+ hurricane in a season one time: 1915. Two Category 4 hurricanes hit in Texas and Louisiana six weeks apart that year.

While Irma is grabbing all of the attention, two other hurricanes are spinning in the Atlantic basin:

--Tropical Storm Jose was upgraded to a hurricane late Wednesday afternoon. Positioned far out in the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the storm was rapidly gaining strength and was forecast to become a major Category 3 storm by Friday. The current track forecast keeps it mostly away from land areas over the next several days but it could graze the same islands in the northeastern Lesser Antilles slammed by Irma this weekend and forecasters will be watching it closely.

--Tropical Storm Katia, which formed early Wednesday in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico, intensified quickly into a hurricane late in the afternoon. It could intensify into a Category 2 hurricane before making landfall in the Mexico state of Veracruz Friday into Saturday, where a hurricane watch is in effect.

In terms of Accumulated Cyclone Energy for all storms so far, 2017 has spiked to well above average in the past week thanks to Irma. And now we also have Jose and Katia adding to the tally. As of Wednesday morning, this season's Accumulated Cyclone Energy is at about 152 percent of average for the date.

---

Tropical weather expert Phil Klotzbach contributed some of the statistics in this story.

- - -

VIDEO:

Irma has swelled into a monster force with maximum sustained winds near 185 mph, according to the National Hurricane Center. The storm is considered the most powerful hurricane to threaten the Atlantic coast in more than a decade. (NASA/Washington Post)

URL: http://wapo.st/2vMkqFw

Embed code:
The European Union's chief Brexit negotiator highlighted the depth of the division between the two sides by accusing the U.K. of reneging on promises over its divorce payment.

"I've been very disappointed by the U.K. position as expressed last week, because it seems to be backtracking on the original commitment of the U.K. to honor its international commitments, including the commitments post-Brexit," Michel Barnier told reporters in Brussels on Thursday. "There is a moral dilemma here; you can't have 27 paying for what was decided by 28."

There's a huge question mark hanging over what the U.K. should pay when it leaves the bloc in March 2019. Britain believes it's only legally obliged to pay its annual membership fee until departure and some say the amount should depend on what market access it enjoys in the future. The EU's position is that the U.K. is bound by its past obligations that stretch beyond its departure date.

The problem needs addressing --and soon -- before the EU summit in exactly six weeks when leaders will decide whether "sufficient progress" has been made to allow discussions on future trade links.

The two sides will probably be stuck through October, Antonio Tajani, president of the European Parliament, said in a statement on Thursday. "Given the current state of play of negotiations and the current position of the U.K., it would seem very difficult that sufficient progress can be achieved by October," he said.

The test on progress will be applied to other thorny topics surrounding Britain's withdrawal, including how to keep an open Irish border. A frequent refrain of Brexit Secretary David Davis has been for the EU to exercise more imagination and flexibility.

Barnier was not impressed last week when asked about it: "To be flexible you need two points, our point and their point. We need to know their position and then I can be flexible."

On Thursday, he sidestepped questions over the prospects for a transition period to soften the blow for companies and investors after the U.K.'s withdrawal.

Earlier on Thursday, Davis gave the most detailed description of what that period would look like -- if the EU approved it -- telling lawmakers in London that he envisaged an arrangement "as close as possible to the current circumstance."

He nevertheless ruled out Norway-style membership of the European Economic Area or joining the European Free Trade Association, which includes Switzerland. The EU has warned that the only option on offer will be a temporary extension of the existing rules.

"We are awaiting specific requests and proposals from the U.K. which we will examine," Barnier said. "The U.K. needs to tell us what it wants and we will see what is possible, what is acceptable while respecting the rules determining the way in which the single market works."

There's still no clear picture of what the U.K.'s relationship with the EU will look like when it leaves. In a fresh take of the EU's retort that the U.K. can't "have its cake and eat it," Barnier rejected the possibility of combining "the benefits of the Norwegian model with the constraints of the Canadian model."

In other words: If the U.K. wants to be as close to the EU as Norway currently is, it'll have to pay and accept free movement of people, a demand that it may refuse to meet if documents leaked this week are to form Britain's final approach.

Some of Barnier's harshest language was reserved for the U.K.'s position on the Irish border, with the EU insisting that the onus is on Britain to come up with solutions to protect the fragile peace in Northern Ireland.

"What I see on the U.K.'s paper on Ireland and Northern Ireland worries me," Barnier told reporters. "The U.K. wants to use Ireland as a kind of test-case for the future EU-U.K. customs relations -- this will not happen."

The U.K. and the EU have both said they want to avoid a return to a hard border between Northern Ireland and Ireland or do anything that would risk destabilizing the peace process that ended decades of violence in the 1990s. Many EU officials are concerned the U.K.'s own policy document implied the Irish border was Europe's responsibility after Britain's withdrawal from the bloc.

Barnier was also pressed on minutes from a European Commission meeting on July 12, published this week, in which he made apparently disparaging remarks about British counterpart Davis, saying the Brexit secretary didn't "regard his direct involvement in these negotiations as his priority." European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker was quoted as saying he was concerned about the "stability and accountability" of Davis.

"I've known David Davis for about 20 years," Barnier said. "I have cordial relations with him still, and a good professional relationship."

Some EU governments are bracing themselves for Prime Minister Theresa May to go over the head of Barnier and appeal directly to other leaders at the summit in order to force the pace and open trade talks. But Barnier didn't give that tactic much credence.

Trying to "unearth any difference" between him and the positions of the 27 EU leaders is "a waste of time," Barnier said.

Meanwhile, in London lawmakers began debating a landmark act designed to create a new legal system to come into force when the U.K. Leaves the EU. The so-called Withdrawal Bill will copy and paste thousands of pieces of European law onto the British statute book to avoid a legislative black hole on Brexit day.

May was in the House of Commons for the start of the debate but some of her own Conservative party members of Parliament criticized the draft law. The opposition Labour party raised fears that the Bill gives the government sweeping executive powers.

Davis said he was "ready to listen" to critics who could offer improvements to the act. But former Chancellor of the Exchequer Ken Clarke said he might rebel against the government and vote against it.

---

Bloomberg's Jonathan Stearns and Nikos Chrysoloras contributed.
On Tuesday, Kansas Secretary of State (and vice-chair of President Donald Trump's voter fraud commission) Kris Kobach went on MSNBC to defend the president's decision to end DACA, the President Barack Obama-era Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals initiative that allowed undocumented immigrants to stay in the country if they were brought over as minors.

The interview drew widespread notice after Kobach, asked what he would tell immigrants who face deportation despite living almost all of their lives in the United States at a young age, responded: "I would suggest go home and get in line, come into the United States legally, then get a green card, then become a citizen."

Beyond the humanitarian questions of deporting people to a country with which they have little or no connection or experience, the interview also moved into questions of the economics of immigration - specifically related to immigrants protected by DACA.

Kobach put forward a number of economic arguments in support of his case against DACA. We've fact-checked them.

Claim: DACA recipients take jobs from American workers

"Why in the world would we legalize an additional 1.7 million people to compete against our own citizens who can't get a job or who are working part time with a college degree?" Kobach asked.

For starters, that 1.7 million figure is an upper-bound estimate of how many immigrants might be eligible for DACA, produced by the Pew Research Center in 2012. The current number of DACA recipients is closer to 800,000, or less than half of the number Kobach cited.

The argument that DACA immigrants take jobs from American citizens is "more complicated than it seems and lacks evidence to back it up," according to PolitiFact. There does not appear to be any research to support Kobach's claim directly.

Looking into the effect of all immigrants - not just DACA recipients - on the labor market, a massive 2017 report by the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine found "little evidence that immigration significantly affects the overall employment levels of native-born workers."

Immigration analyst Alex Nowrasteh of the libertarian Cato Institute points out that the jobs market is not a zero-sum game, as many opponents of illegal immigration argue. "If immigrants 'take' jobs from Americans, then so must any new entrant in the workforce also take a job from another American," Nowrasteh wrote in 2013.

He noted that, in reality, the opposite has been true: As women and immigrants dramatically expanded the U.S. labor market between 1948 and 2012, the number of available jobs grew at a concomitant rate.

"Immigrants tend to buy goods and services that, in effect, create jobs, which can be good for U.S. citizens," Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars fellow David Shirk told PolitiFact. "They rent our houses, buy our gas, eat at our restaurants, etc."

Kobach's office did not provide any evidence to back up his claim when asked by The Washington Post.

Claim: DACA recipients will cause per capita gross domestic product (GDP) to fall.

Told by host Hallie Jackson that some research had indicated rescinding DACA would eliminate over $433 billion in economic activity over the next 10 years, Kobach had this to say:

"You have to look at GDP per capita. You can bring in two million, three million, five million illegal aliens tomorrow, and it will increase our GDP because you have more bodies in the United States. But per capita, per person GDP will go down, wealth with go down in America."

GDP per capita is a measure of how much wealth there is per person. Kobach argues that by allowing immigrants protected under DACA to stay, the country is dividing up its economic pie by more people, and therefore will leave a smaller slice for each person.

But there's another possibility: These immigrants also create economic value with their labor, innovations and investment, and if they do so at a high enough level, the group as a whole could end up raising the country's GDP per capita.

A definitive study on that is not out yet, and for this particular group, it's too soon to measure their lifetime economic impact, given their relative youth.

There is, however, considerable economic research suggesting immigrants make large economic contributions, even up to the point of raising GDP per capita. In fact, "immigration is integral to the nation's economic growth," as the National Academies of Sciences, Medicine and Engineering concluded earlier this year. Examining a range of recent studies, that report found strong evidence that immigration boosts innovation in the economy overall, "very likely raising per capita GDP growth."

For instance, 2017 analysis by economists at the International Monetary Fund found that in advanced economies, a one percentage point increase in the share of migrants in the adult population results in a 2 percent boost to per capita GDP.

Similarly, a 2008 study by a trio of European economists analyzed per capita GDP and foreign-born population levels across a number of countries and found "robust evidence" that immigration is "non-negatively causally related to per capita income."

In other words, "immigration gives rise to a gain that can - in principle - be used to make the native population better off without excluding the immigrants from the redistribution scheme."

Claim: DACA recipients are "net takers" from the system.

"The vast majority [of DACA recipients] do not pay enough in taxes to compensate for the benefits they are receiving from the government, so they are net takers from the system," Kobach said.

This may be true of DACA recipients - Kobach's office did not respond to repeated requests for the source of the claim - but it's also generally true of the population overall. A 2012 analysis by the Tax Foundation found that at the federal level, 60 percent of households receive significantly more in transfers and benefits from the federal government than they pay in income taxes. Another 20 percent paid in roughly the same amount as they took out.

Only 20 percent of American households pay significantly more in taxes than they receive in federal transfers and benefits, the Tax Foundation analysis found.

On a number of other economic indicators DACA recipients compare favorably to American citizens. A survey of more than 3,000 DACA recipients conducted in the summer found that roughly 91 percent of them are employed at a median annual salary of $32,000. The survey found that 36 percent of DACA recipients have received a bachelor's degree or more, slightly higher than the percentage among the general population (32.5).

The narrow focus on taxes and benefits also obscures the bigger-picture findings economists on the left and right have made about immigration and economic activity: More immigration means more GDP, both at the aggregate and per capita levels. That means more income for the government to tax, which means more benefits to distribute to those, both native and foreign-born, who need them.

Overall, Kobach's remarks in support of the DACA repeal flout mainstream economic thought about immigration, which is best summarized in a letter signed by 1,470 economists on the left and right, including six Nobel laureates, earlier this year. That letter asserts a "near universal" agreement among economists on the "broad economic benefit that immigrants to this country bring." They summarize those benefits as follows [wording is directly from the letter]:

- Immigration brings entrepreneurs who start new businesses that hire American workers.

- Immigration brings young workers who help offset the large-scale retirement of baby boomers.

- Immigration brings diverse skill sets that keep our workforce flexible, help companies grow, and increase the productivity of American workers.

- Immigrants are far more likely to work in innovative, job-creating fields such as science, technology, engineering, and math that create life-improving products and drive economic growth.

Under Trump's order, unless Congress takes action, the DACA program will be phased out in six months.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - As Hurricane Irma barrels toward Haiti, the impoverished island nation that's been crippled by two major natural disasters in a decade now faces another grim prospect: The most powerful storm recorded in the Atlantic Ocean smashing into the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere.

Although the eye of the Category 5 hurricane was on track to pass offshore Thursday, even a glancing blow could flood roads and bridges, bring mudslides and topple rickety housing, a devastating deja vu of destruction caused by an earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew last October.

Haiti struggles to provide its nearly 11 million residents with basic shelter. How can it protect them from the punishing winds and calamitous aftereffects of Irma?

"I guess we are worried, but we are already living in another hurricane, Hurricane Misery," said Nadeige Jean, a 35-year-old mother of three who was selling fruit at the Olympic Market in the capital city. "How much worse can our lives get? . . . So they say I should board up my house? With what? Wood? Who's going to pay? With what money will I buy it? Ha! I don't even have a tin roof. If the winds come, I can't do anything but hope to live."

Irma's toll could be felt long after the wind and rain are gone. If infrastructure collapses after the storm, another major concern will be the potential resurgence of a cholera outbreak that has already killed thousands.

On Thursday, Haiti raised its hurricane alert level to red, its highest. The flood-prone north coast remained under a hurricane watch and the central coast faced the threat of tropical storm force winds and rain.

Nevertheless, aid groups worry that the national hurricane response was too slow.

"Hurricane Irma could be a monster storm in Haiti, particularly on the heels of Hurricane Matthew's deadly destruction in the southern part of the country just last October," warned Karl Paul, CARE Haiti's country director.

Many evacuations in the north had not been completed as Irma's first rains began to pelt the island. Low-quality shelters remain incomplete.

National warnings went out through social media, radio and television, but in some remote towns, the official word to take shelter was being spread largely via bullhorn.

A preview of the potential devastation lay to the east, where the island of Barbuda was left "barely habitable," according to Antigua and Barbuda's Prime Minister, Gaston Browne. Following a flyover of his devastated Caribbean country, Browne estimated that 95 percent of all properties were destroyed. Parts of the 62-square mile island, he said were "literally underwater."

All that despite his statements earlier that "no other country in the Caribbean would have been as well prepared as we were."

Seven hundred miles away, in Haiti, the shelter situation is more dire.

According to Amnesty International, more than 123 camps for people displaced by the earthquake remained open in 2014, housing more than 85,000 people. A third of those didn't have access to a latrine and an average of 82 people shared one toilet.

By 2015, roughly 37,000 houses had been repaired or rebuilt after the earthquake, but only 20 percent of those were "seen as long-term, or sustainable."

As Nixon Boumba, a native Haitian and in-country consultant to the international aid and human rights organization Jewish World Service, wrote in 2015, "despite billions of dollars earmarked for Haiti, nearly 100,000 people still live under plastic tarps in displacement camps."

And Irma could not only destroy homes and businesses, but it could also cripple Haitians' ability to rebuild.

"Two-fifths of all Haitians depend on the agricultural sector, mainly small-scale subsistence farming, which remains vulnerable to damage from frequent natural disasters," according to the CIA World Factbook.

In one sense, Haiti's series of major disasters gave the nation at least one benefit: a large existent presence by international aid groups that would be part of a rebuilding effort.

Many groups said they were poised with teams and vehicles to help bring in medical and food aid. CARE International's emergency teams, for instance, were on the ground, readying to bring in clean drinking water, food and emergency supplies, including tarps for shelter.

As the hurricane neared, Jean, the fruit seller, conceded that she was living on the razor's edge. She had begun to worry about what would happen if heavy rains came and she couldn't sell her stock of produce.

"I bought this on credit to sell here, and if I can't sell it, I'm finished," she said. "But we are always living like this here, just one step away from disaster. We get used to it."
The striking images in the portfolio of the photographer going by the name of "Eduardo Martins" captured the strife of refugees in Iraq and children in Gaza, of families fleeing destroyed towns in Syria.

The blue-eyed Brazilian portrayed himself as an intrepid photojournalist who risked his life on the front lines of war to "show the public the reality of these places" and move viewers to "make a difference," he said in one interview. His name appeared alongside images published in international media outlets such as the Wall Street Journal, Vice and BBC Brasil. He claimed he did humanitarian work for the United Nations. He had almost 125,000 Instagram followers, including revered photographers worldwide.

And when he wasn't documenting conflict zones, he was jet-setting in tropical destinations and surfing.

As if the 32-year-old's supposed career wasn't compelling enough, his backstory made it better.

The man who called himself Martins said he was diagnosed with leukemia at 18 and spent seven years bedridden in intensive care. "It was chemo or college," he told a Brazilian surfing website. His said his father died of liver failure.

All of this, it turns out, was false.

When a Brazilian BBC correspondent became skeptical of Martins's story, she began to unravel the truth. For years, the person calling himself Eduardo Martins was stealing and using someone else's photographs, according to a BBC investigation. Many of the images he sent to photo agencies and news websites were actually taken by other professional photographers, such as U.S. photojournalist Daniel C. Britt.

The real name of the impostor is still unknown.

The photos were often inverted or tweaked just enough to sneak through software meant to identify plagiarism, the BBC reported. Many of them were taken by photographers in different locations than the captions purported.

He faked not only his portfolio, but also his identity. Pictures of "Eduardo Martins" on his Instagram actually showed the face of a British surfer named Max Hepworth-Povey.

Hepworth-Povey's face appeared on the body of a photographer in places such as Aleppo and Somalia. In fact, those photographs were taken about five years ago, showing Hepworth-Povey surfing, hanging out or "blowing a kiss to an ex-girlfriend," Hepworth-Povey told The Washington Post on Thursday.

Most of the photographs were from Hepworth-Povey's Facebook account, which he deleted three years ago after a fake profile of him emerged on the social network.

"It's just mad," Hepworth-Povey said. "It's like seeing an evil twin, like an identical nemesis. . . . I'm surprised no one really saw my face sooner." He added that taking his face out of beachfront photographs and editing it into devastated war zones "just was so inappropriate."

The revelations in the BBC story have stunned members of the international photojournalism community, and caused a number of agencies and websites to take down Martins's "work."

BBC Brasil, which had initially published a story about his photography career, removed the story and issued an apology to readers, the BBC reported.

In a statement to the Guardian, Getty Images said it had removed all images credited to Martins.

"Eduardo Martins . . . was identified as a collaborator and content supplier for one of our partners who has already been notified about this infraction," the statement read. "While we work together with all our internal departments to urgently clarify this issue, we are removing all the material involved from the air."

The U.N. Refugee Agency confirmed to the BBC that Martins was not an employee. Various other organizations he claimed to have worked for said they did not recognize him.

Moreover, editors and photojournalists who had communicated with Martins virtually said they never met him in person.

Britt, the photographer whose images were allegedly stolen by Martins, said in a statement to a Mashable reporter that many of the photos legally belonged to Playboy magazine.

"Once a story is done, I don't really follow my content online, so I had no idea my photos were being resold by a social media geek for the last two years," Britt said. "Eduardo Martins, whoever he is, was clever enough to slip past the editors of several magazines and The Wall Street Journal. . . . I am just disappointed that Eduardo Matins bastardized the photo captions and gave people yet another reason to distrust the news."

"Some of the people depicted in them are no longer with us," he added. "Their lives mattered. The lives of my interpreters, fixers and everyone who helped us along the way mattered. The value of these photos is more than the pittance Eduardo got from the agencies or his number of 'Likes' on Facebook."

BBC Brasil reported that at least six young women said they had romantic online relationships with Martins. None of them met him in person.

Some of these women have reached out to Hepworth-Povey in the days since the BBC investigation, he said. They approached him "slightly traumatized," telling Hepworth-Povey they believed they were speaking to him for the past six months.

In recent days, he has gained about a thousand Instagram followers, along with a few marriage proposals.

"I'm flattered, you know," Hepworth-Povey said. "It's just a bit weird."

But it was also troubling that Martins would "glamorize" and take credit for work performed by people "risking their lives," Hepworth-Povey said.

A trail of photographs and stories about Martins remain on the Internet, detailing the fictional life he portrayed. In one interview published in Recount magazine, Martins described the challenges of working in conflict zones. He claimed he was nearly shot in clashes between the Free Syrian Army and opposition forces. He spoke of doing humanitarian work for NGOs.

When asked what he thinks of photo editing tools, he said: "I personally do not use any program like Photoshop; I believe that a good real photographer does not need to edit the image, he does a good job even without these tools."

Larisa Karr, a 26-year-old mass communications student at the University of North Carolina at Asheville, conducted the interview for Recount magazine, which she co-founded. She told The Post she reached out to him via Instagram after seeing his photos shared by a news agency.

"They told really effective stories," Karr told The Post. He asked to conduct the interview over email. "There were really no red flags. The interview was pretty candid."

When Karr heard the news that Martins appears to have faked his photographs, she was "taken aback," she said. "It really shocked me in the sense that someone would pretend to go to this place and sort of trivialize and tokenize people's struggles. . . . It gives photojournalists a bad name for sure."

Sergey Ponomarev, a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer from Russia, agreed that everyone latched on to Martins's scheme. Ponomarev said he followed the Instagram account but never met Martins.

"And in the era of digital millennium we have to develop different or new background check procedures," Ponomarev told The Post. "Right now everyone can say that he is doing something and people will believe him. Usually people don't go deep to check."

Martins's ability to elude members of the industry should serve as a lesson to journalists, Ponomarev said: "Double check. Be suspicious."

Plagiarism in journalism is, of course, not new. But as technology improves, more tools have become available to trick the system.

As recently as May of this year, Souvid Datta, an award-winning photojournalist, admitted to doctoring pictures and appropriating the work of other photographers.

For now, it remains unclear who exactly "Eduardo Martins" is, and where he resides.

Photographer Fernando Costa Netto interviewed Martins for a story in the Brazilian surfing publication Waves. He had been talking to Martins on the Internet for over a year, the Guardian reported.

When Costa Netto told Martins that people were questioning his legitimacy, Martins sent one last message before taking down his social media accounts and deleting his WhatsApp, the BBC reported.

"Hey bro. I'm in Australia. I made the decision of spending a year travelling around the world in a van. I will cut off everything, including the Internet, and I deleted my IG [Instagram]," he wrote.

"I want to be [left] in peace. We'll speak again when I'm back. Hugs."
With Washington already riveted by looming fights over the budget and immigration, another drama began unfolding 220 miles north where the bribery trial of Sen. Robert Menendez got under way and his lawyer contested charges that the New Jersey Democrat was corrupt.

Menendez's attorney Abbe Lowell denied that the lawmaker used his position to advance the business interests and personal whims of a Florida eye doctor in exchange for lavish trips and hundreds of thousands of dollars in campaign donations. Lowell said Menendez and the doctor, Salomon Melgen, had a warm friendship spanning two decades and that they never agreed to break the law.

"Acting out of friendship is not improper, it's not corrupt and it's certainly not a crime," Lowell told federal jurors in Newark. The senator's "only relationship with Dr. Melgen was one of friendship. Friends listen to friends and they try to help friends if they think friends are right."

An attorney for Melgen, who is on trial with Menendez, said he doesn't dispute that the doctor gave the lawmaker gifts, but said prosecutors have mistaken their meaning and falsely accused two innocent men.

"Where's the evidence of why these men did what they did?," said Melgen's lawyer Kirk Ogrosky. "There's no corrupt agreement."

The trial began in federal court in Newark, with a prosecutor laying out the accusations first unveiled with the indictment of the two men in April 2015. Menendez reaped benefits over seven years from Melgen, a friend who sought his help to get visas for three of his foreign girlfriends, prosecutor Peter Koski said. Melgen also requested the senator's influence when the U.S. accused him of overbilling Medicare by $8.9 million and the Dominican Republic refused to honor a contract to screen shipping containers, Koski said.

Koski said Melgen treated Menendez to trips on his private jet to Florida and the Dominican Republic, and paid for the senator and a girlfriend to stay at a luxury Paris hotel. Melgen also gave more than $750,000 to help the senator's campaign in 2012.

"This case is about a corrupt politician who sold his Senate office for a life he couldn't afford, and a greedy doctor who put him on his payroll," Koski told the jury of seven women and five men. "Senator Menendez went to bat for Dr. Melgen at the highest levels of the United States government."

The jury's verdict could have important implications in the Senate, where Republicans hold 52 seats, while Democrats control 46 and count on two independents who caucus with them. If he's convicted, two-thirds of the Senate would have to vote to expel him.

Menendez and Melgen, both 63, have pleaded not guilty to charges of bribery, conspiracy and honest services fraud. The senator also is accused of false statements on his ethics disclosure forms. Melgen was convicted this year on health care fraud charges in Florida. He chose to go to trial in Newark rather than plead guilty and implicate the senator.

"I have committed my entire adult life, since I was 19, to fighting for the people of New Jersey," Menendez said, talking to reporters outside the courthouse before the trial began. "Never, not once, not once, have I dishonored my public office."

The senator may have to decide whether to skip some trial days to be in Washington for crucial votes. He said he'll make the decision based on the "gravity of the situation."
Zion Dirgantara can easily recall his first day of school in the United States. It was a bright, sunny Tuesday, and terrorists hijacked four commercial planes.

Class for Indonesian-born Dirgantara, then 12, was canceled as parents scrambled to pick up fellow students in Philadelphia. The city was bracketed midway between the ash cloud choking Manhattan and a flaming hole punched through the Pentagon. To the west of Philadelphia, United 93 disintegrated into a Pennsylvania field.

"I realized there was evil in this world, and you have to fight for what is right," Dirgantara, now 28, told The Washington Post.

Fluent in Indonesian and English, he enlisted in the Army in March 2016 and swore an oath to defend the United States. He has drilled as a reservist cargo specialist since last September.

But Dirgantara's future in the military and the country now hinges on the ability of Congress to find a way to replace the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

President Donald Trump's decision to end the Obama-era measure sparked fears among advocates that nearly 800,000 immigrants who have lived illegally in the U.S. since they were children would be subject to removal once their government-issued work permits expire under DACA.

It would be a loss for the Army to bar these recruits, especially as the service struggles to meet recruiting goals. And experts say the relatively small number of foreign recruits have skills with outsize importance to the military's mission.

The move could affect not only the children of immigrants who crossed the southern border illegally, but those who overstayed visas at a young age, with no other option but to remain here.

Dirgantara, who still lives in Philadelphia, said family problems led his mother to bring him and his brother to the United States on travel visas in the months before Sept. 11, 2001. He did not know he had an unlawful status until he applied for a driver's license, he said.

As a DACA recipient, Dirgantara enrolled in a Pentagon program, Military Accessions Vital to National Interest (MAVNI) - an initiative designed to exchange fast-tracked citizenship for crucial medical and language skills among foreign-born recruits. The program has rotated 10,400 troops into the military since 2009.

Additional stringent background investigations introduced last September overwhelmed investigative resources as the Pentagon reviews an internal recommendation to completely shutter the program, leaving open the possibility of the deportation of more than 1,000 recruits who do not have legal status, The Washington Post reported in June.

Dirgantara's DACA status runs through March 2019, but he still must clear those additional background investigations.

Pentagon spokesman Lt. Col. Paul Haverstick said in an emailed statement that "less than 900" DACA recipients are either serving or have signed contracts to serve through the MAVNI program.

"The Department of Defense is coordinating with the Departments of Justice and Homeland Security regarding any impact a change in policy may have for DACA recipients," he said, though it remains unclear what steps those agencies have taken to quell fears of deportation.

Additionally, adversarial nations such as China or Russia could learn any potential DACA deportees attempted to enlist in the U.S. military, leaving them exposed to the possibility of harsh treatment or interrogation. Some foreign-born recruits have already sought asylum to avoid deportation, including at least one Iraqi national who fled to Canada to prevent a confrontation with Islamic State militants.

The new Pentagon regulations also have prohibited Dirgantara from reporting to basic training until the background investigation is complete, even though he now serves in uniform.

"Some of us can't wait for two or three years," he said.

Margaret Stock, a retired Army officer and immigration lawyer who led MAVNI's design and implementation, told The Post that drilling reservists like Dirgantara are in a better position to achieve citizenship, but DACA recruits waiting for orders for active duty training are the most exposed. They must maintain their DACA status, and if the program ends, they have no further legal status to qualify for service.

That puts Dirgantara and hundreds of others in a race against time to avoid deportation back to now unfamiliar nations.

"By definition, DACA recipients are a prescreened pool of people of a higher quality than the average recruit," Stock said. "They have no criminal background and graduated from high school. And they're highly motivated to join the military because it's their only option to stay in the country."

One recruit told The Post he learned he was undocumented after he told his mother about plans to enlist, but she explained he had no Social Security number. He received DACA status and enlisted for active duty Army service in 2016, though he too has been slowed by the background investigation process.

"I signed the contract in good faith knowing that I may die and pay the ultimate sacrifice for a country that's trying to kick me out," the recruit said, under condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal from the government. He also would not disclose his home country.

"Give me a chance to pay for my parent's sins," he said.

Dirgantara, who has spent more than half his life in the United States, is trying to keep busy in his civilian job as a chef while gearing up to watch his beloved Philadelphia Eagles take on the Washington Redskins on Sunday.

His mother died seven years ago, leaving few connections to Indonesia, where he hasn't been since arriving in the United States 16 years ago. He is at a loss to describe what he would do if he were deported there.

"Indonesia is a foreign country to me," he said.
Aung San Suu Kyi won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 for her campaign for democracy in Myanmar. At the time, it wasn't clear if she even knew she had won the prize: Suu Kyi had been placed under strict house arrest by the country's military dictatorship, as she would be for a total of 15 years.

A quarter century later, Myanmar is a democracy, and Suu Kyi is its de facto leader. However, over the past few weeks, there have been widespread calls for her prize to be revoked due to her silence and alleged complicity over the Myanmar government's treatment of the Rohingya, a largely Muslim ethnic minority now fleeing the country.

At the time of writing, more than 360,000 people have signed a petition asking for the prize to be withdrawn. George Monbiot, a columnist with the Guardian, urged more to do so. "Why? Because we now contemplate an extraordinary situation: a Nobel peace laureate complicit in crimes against humanity," Monbiot wrote.

No matter the grim realities of the Rohingya crisis, a withdrawal of Suu Kyi's Nobel Peace Prize is unlikely. In an interview with Agence France-Presse, Olav Njolstad, head of the Nobel Institute, said it was not possible for Nobel laureates to be stripped of their prizes after they had been bestowed.

"Neither Alfred Nobel's will nor the statutes of the Nobel Foundation provide for the possibility that a Nobel Prize - whether for physics, chemistry, medicine, literature or peace - can be revoked," Njolstad said. "Only the efforts made by a laureate before the attribution of a prize are evaluated by the Nobel committee."

A statement published to the Nobel Prizes' official website made a similar argument, noting that it is not possible to revoke a Nobel Peace Prize because the statutes of the Nobel Foundation specifically prohibit any such considerations.

"This is something we try to follow closely; sometimes with great concern," the statement said generally of the criticism of winners. "However, as a matter of principle the Norwegian Nobel Committee never comment upon what the Peace Prize Laureates may say and do after they have been awarded the prize."

The Nobel Peace Prize has been awarded most years since 1901 to those who have "done the most or the best work for fraternity between nations, for the abolition or reduction of standing armies and for the holding and promotion of peace congresses." The prize has never been revoked since it began.

However, there have been a number of controversial Nobel Peace Prize decisions. In 2015, one former Nobel official expressed regret that President Barack Obama had been awarded the prize at the start of his presidency. There have also been notable omissions: Famously, Indian independence leader Mohandas Gandhi never won the prize despite being nominated multiple times.

Even so, Suu Kyi's situation is especially problematic. Her pro-democracy movement had earned her widespread respect internationally and led to 15 years of strict house arrest and only limited contact with her family. However, since the military government began to relinquish control in 2011, she has failed to speak out against escalating anti-Muslim and anti-Rohingya violence in the eastern state of Rakhine, some of which is said to have been carried out by her own government forces, and refused to let the United Nations investigate.

Some former supporters say that Suu Kyi is being forced to make compromises due to the precarious political situation in Myanmar. Others, however, say that she has long exhibited her own authoritarian streak.

Fellow Nobel peace laureate Shirin Ebadi, an Iranian lawyer and human rights activist, is among those who have criticized Suu Kyu, but she also says that the Nobel Peace Prize cannot be revoked. "Suu Kyi received this prize for her peaceful resistance in the face of oppression. She deserved to win it," Ebadi told Deutsche Welle. "How the Nobel peace laureates behave after taking the prize has nothing to do with the Nobel committee. It is up to the laureates to honor the award. Aung San Suu Kyi fails to do."
President Xi Jinping called the Arab states "good friends" and important partners in constructing the Belt and Road in his letter of congratulations to the 2017 China-Arab States Expo.

The expo, which brings together Chinese and Arab business leaders to cooperate on science, finance, energy, agriculture, healthcare, tourism and culture, opened on Wednesday in Yinchuan, capital of the Ningxia Hui autonomous region.

The president also hailed the cooperation and achievements between the two sides.

Xi said the Arab world actively responded to and widely supported his proposal that the Belt and Road should be built as a road of peace, prosperity, opening-up as well as innovation, and one that connects different civilizations, during the Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing in May.

The expo is an important platform for China and Arab countries to expand cooperation, he said. During construction of the Belt and Road, China is open to promote shared opportunities with other nations, including Arab states, and to promote peace, Xi added.

The Belt and Road Initiative, which refers to the Silk Road Economic Belt and 21st Century Maritime Silk Road, has made landlocked Ningxia the frontier for opening-up and taking the lead in economic cooperation with Arab countries, said Shi Taifeng, Party chief of Ningxia.

So far, at least 1,080 company representatives are participating in the four-day 2017 CAS Expo.

Liu Zhenfang, deputy general manager of China Railway Corp, said rail cooperation has development prospects between China and Arab nations.

"Today, a new page is opened here for the economic cooperation between China and Arab countries, thanks to the Belt and Road Initiative proposed by President Xi Jinping," Kamal Hassan Ali, assistant secretary-general of the League of Arab States, said during the China-Arab Railway Conference of the 2017 CAS Expo.

Contact the writers at wuyunhe@chinadaily.com.cn
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The Texas Education Agency has removed Amanda Gonzalez from the board of managers it appointed to oversee Edgewood ISD a year ago, notifying her by email Thursday after word of it had already spread before its regular mailed notification could arrive.

The agency also notified the rest of the board and Superintendent Emilio Castro on Thursday afternoon. Gonzalez said she was informally warned of the development last week by local elected officials who had been told by the TEA.

Im very surprised, Gonzalez said. I wanted to provide the community with a desperately needed sense of transparency and accountability. But I strongly feel that TEA did not like the fact that I am vocal and I question things, as a young Latina.

Timothy Payne, a consultant who is on the board of directors for Habitat for Humanity, has been selected to replace her. He did not respond to a request for comment after the TEA publicly announced his appointment Thursday afternoon. Payne ran for Edgewood school board in 2021 and again in 2014, but lost by over 1,000 votes to incumbent Mary Lou Mendoza.

The message from the agency thanked Gonzalez for her service but gave no reason for her removal.

I wouldve really appreciated the professional courtesy of notifying me if I was going to be removed or replaced, and the reasons why, Gonzalez, who works for the nonprofit Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, said.

State Sen. Jose Menendez, who represents an area that includes Edgewood ISD, sent a letter to Texas Education Commissioner Mike Morath questioning the decision to remove Gonzalez and requesting a meeting with Edgewood and TEA officials. He said to appoint and then remove a board manager with no explanation was unfair.

Your actions must be an acknowledgment that your selection process and training was inadequate and ineffective, the letter said, adding that it now casts a shadow over your entire role with Edgewood ISD.

The community perception is that your action is about avoiding scrutiny and transparency, the letter said.

TEA officials declined to provide a reason for Gonzalezs removal or say whether the agency normally notifies elected officials of such a removal days before telling the affected board members.

I believe, yes, (state representatives) should have been notified  but I wouldve really appreciated the professional courtesy of notifying me if I was going to be removed or replaced and the reasons why, Gonzalez said.

Board President Roy Richard Soto said he was somewhat surprised by the TEA action but noted that Gonzalez has gained a reputation as a voice of dissent on the board, having disagreed with a change in the districts law firm this year and voting against the hiring of Castro, who the board hired at the end of last year.

Soto said there had been a disconnect between Gonzalez and the other board members.

Shes very bright  a very, very impressive young lady. And shes very aggressive, Soto said. And shes very knowledgeable. So she has her opinions and she doesnt hold back. Youre always going to know how she feels about everything.

He said that while he respects her and admires her as a person, she clashed with other board members and didnt place enough faith and trust in Castro to manage the district.

But Menendez and Gonzalez both said they found the lack of explanation from the TEA as to why she was removed troubling.

Was this person removed just because they wouldnt completely follow the actions of the rest of the board members? Menendez said in an interview. Is there something much worse going on that people dont want us to know?

sfosterfrau@express-news.net
Dozens of suspects in jail on felony charges, some as violent as murder or child molestation, may soon be free on minimal bail after the Harris County District Attorney's Office missed deadlines to indict, largely because of Hurricane Harvey.

The technical snag, being raised by defense attorneys across Houston, means 56 people who are in jail suspected of felonies, including armed robberies and causing drunk driving wrecks, could be released on personal recognizance bonds because they were not indicted, or formally charged, by a grand jury within the 90-day window required by law.

"This is not a procedural nicety," said Troy McKinney, a past-president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "This is substantive. People who do not have other holds are being held unlawfully, and they need to be given PR bonds or a bond they can make."

BUYOUTS: FEMA may buy often-flooded Houston homes

Prosecutors at the district attorney's office are trying to keep these accused criminals behind bars. They will be filing motions arguing to trial judges to extend the deadlines because Texas was under a state of emergency during the flood. The record storm closed the county's courthouses, cancelling court proceedings since Aug. 28. Grand juries, which typically meet twice a week, have not been able to convene.

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"The bottom line is that I don't believe that anyone is getting out of jail because of the delay caused by the hurricane," said David Mitcham, the chief over the DA's trial bureau. "We believe this is an issue that we are going to be able to resolve without any exposure of the public to any danger."

He is basing his argument on an order issued Aug. 28 by the Court of Criminal Appeals saying, "All courts in Texas should consider disaster-related delays as good cause for modifying or suspending all deadlines and procedures - whether prescribed by statute, rule, or order - in any case, civil or criminal."

If an attorney pursues the issue, they will have to go before a judge and request their client be released because their client has not been indicted.

If that happens, the district attorney's office will argue that the high court's order inoculates them against missing the deadline.

"The reason the deadline wasn't met was because it couldn't be met," Mitcham said. "We were in an impossible situation, there were no grand juries, there was no court."

HCCLA lawyers said they want the law followed as it is written.

McKinney, one of Houston's most respected criminal law scholars, said Mitcham was making "a creative argument but one that has no legal basis in reality."

"Neither the Texas Supreme Court nor the Court of Criminal Appeals have blanket authority to override the Constitution or state statute, no matter how much they want to," he said.

DON'T BE FOOLED: Tips to avoid scam contractors

He said the Texas Constitution limits the government's ability to hold people in custody without cause, and state laws have been written with that in mind.

"The statute is there for a reason," he said. "It is there to ensure that people are not held excess periods of time without cause, and if the state hasn't indicted somebody in 90 days - the law has been clear for decades - that they are entitled to a PR bond."

A personal recognizance bond, which is sometimes called a free bond because no money changes hands, allows people to get out of jail with just the promise to return for court. They may sign documents making them responsible for a money bond if they don't make their court appearance, but no money is required to get out. It is generally reserved for low-level non-violent offenders with no criminal history.

The issue is expected to linger until next week when Harris County courts re-open on Monday. Since the criminal courthouse will be closed for the next 6 to 9 months, the county's 22 felony courts will be re-open in courtrooms in the civil courthouse at 201 Caroline. Grand juries began convening Thursday in Houston's historic 1910 Courthouse.

After judges are back in courtrooms, defense lawyers will be able to get to court to argue that their clients should be released on personal recognizance bonds. Some are expected to argue that even if their clients were indicted after the 90 day window, it does not matter.

They are also expected to argue that the district attorney's motion to suspend deadlines is unconstitutional.

"There are procedural rights, and there are fundamental rights," said Tucker Graves, president of the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association. "The fundamental rights include the 4th, 5th and 6th Amendments and that's what this falls under."

Graves said individual lawyers in HCCLA are trying to determine the best course of action for their clients. He said lawyers will be in contact with specific prosecutors to work on the issue in light of the havoc wrecked by the storm.

"We want to digest this and talk among our members because we understand we are in a unique set of circumstances," he said. "And we are trying to work hand-in-hand with the district attorney's office to help everyone in this time of crisis."

Members of the defense bar were also circulating a list of almost 100 possible suspects who appeared to have missed the deadline.

The district attorney's office drafted a motion late Wednesday with a preliminary list of 96 defendants, but that number fell Thursday as officials reviewed the files and determined that 56 people may be affected. The others are either being held because they were lawfully indicted on other charges or were not in custody for 90 days before the storm began, according to a breakdown provided to the Houston Chronicle.

Two of the suspects on the longer list are Philip Battles, 18, Ferrell Dardar, 18. The two teens with 17-year-old Marco Alton Miller are accused of a crime spree last year that included several armed robberies and two capital murders allegedly committed while two of them were out on bail for other crimes. Since they have other cases that have been lawfully indicted, they will not be eligible for release.
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Houston's misdemeanor and felony courts will be relocated for the next six to nine months because of storm damage to the Harris County criminal courthouse, the county's judges announced Wednesday.

The courthouse, which sits on the Buffalo Bayou at 1201 Franklin, had sewage explode out of bathrooms throughout the building, and rain and winds shattered windows and disrupted a chilling system that caused several water leaks.

"The business of the Harris County District Courts is for the most part open," Judge Robert Schaffer told reporters. "But we've had this little storm come about that has caused us to relocate to many places."

The logistics of moving courtrooms means more than just having judges and lawyers report to a different building. It means physically relocating clerks, probation officers and inmates to facilities that weren't designed to accommodate criminal court proceedings.

More Information For information Questions about jury duty can be addressed by the Harris County District Clerk at www.hcdistrictclerk.com or call: 832-927-5800 Specific locations for courts will be posted as soon as possible at the following websites and social media sites: The Harris County Criminal District Courts Facebook Page The Harris County District Clerks Facebook Page www.justex.net www.ccl.hctx.net/criminal See More Collapse

It also means the business of the displaced courts will be disrupted.

The announcement comes on the heels of a list of aspirations released by the Harris County Criminal Lawyers Association including eliminating court settings except for trials, pleas and contested hearings. Typically, defendants in Harris County come to court regularly, every month or six weeks, to check in. These routine settings can go on for months waiting for things like DNA test results or mental health testing.

"The financial cost to Harris County economy of lost productivity because of court appearances at which defendants' appearance is required for no good reason has always been huge," the organization said. "This might have been bearable in ordinary times, but during this emergency Harris County needs every productive person working to rebuild."

The organization also called for bail amounts to be lowered, except in extraordinary cases, to take into account the financial drain of the storm.

The courts have effectively been closed for two weeks when docket calls for suspects free on bail resume on Monday. People who missed their court date from Aug. 28 to Friday will not lose their bond for not appearing, officials said.

Houston has dozens of state district courts, which are tasked with handling serious crimes, juvenile crime, divorces and child custody cases and high-dollar lawsuits.

The 22 district courts that handle felonies will move to courtrooms in the civil courthouse across the street at 201 Caroline and a block away at the juvenile courthouse at 1200 Congress.

The 16 county courts at law that handle misdemeanor crimes, like shoplifting and minor drug possession, will move across the street to the Family Law Courthouse at 1115 Congress.

The civil courts, family law courts and probate courts will combine courtrooms to make room, officials said.

The gathering of judges on Wednesday emphasized that people with jury summonses up to Sept. 15 need not appear and said there would be few if any jury trials until mid-October. Those trials would likely be civil trials or family law trials, because there are precious few courtrooms with the ability to hold adult suspects in custody while on trial.

The judges also said defendants who are free on bail and have missed court because of Hurricane Harvey, or may miss court in the near future, can expect judicial leniency as long as they are in contact with the court, their bail bondsman or Harris County's District Clerk's Office.

Those officials included state District Judge Susan Brown, County Court at Law Judge Paula Goodhart, Family Court Judge David Farr, Juvenile Judge Mike Schneider and District Clerk Chris Daniel.
CASEY STINNETT / Dayton News

AUSTIN  Republican Gov. Greg Abbott has tapped the chancellor of Texas A&M University, John Sharp, to oversee the state and local rebuilding efforts in the wake of hurricane Harvey, which devastated coastal areas from Corpus Christi to Beaumont.

Abbott announced Thursday Sharp will head the newly formed Governors Commission to Rebuild Texas to coordinate resources and assist local officials reconstruct damaged public infrastructure, such as roads, bridges and buildings.
San Antonio police used DNA on a syringe found at the crime scene to track down a suspected burglar accused of stealing more than $100,000 in jewelry from a North Side home.

John Saenz, 27, was arrested Tuesday morning on a $20,000 bond and charged with burglary of a habitation.
Argentina expects its commerce and relations with China to further benefit from the growing Chinese domestic market as well as the nation's increasing role on the global stage, Buenos Aires' top envoy to Beijing said.

"I really think that in the last 30 years, the process of opening and reform in China has no comparison with any other process in world history," Diego Ramiro Guelar, Argentina's ambassador to China, told China Daily.

Guelar said he is interested in how the country's leadership will consolidate the domestic market at the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October.

"Many people, inside and outside China, are not aware that imports are growing twice as fast as exports... because the huge middle class demands more products from overseas," he said. That, he added, is very good for countries like Argentina that are increasing exports.

In the first six months of this year, two-way trade between China and Argentina reached $5.25 billion, with Argentina's exports to China, mainly soy products, crude oil and leather, accounting for $1.37 billion.

This year marks the 45th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Argentina. But trade between the countries started much earlier.

China imported large amounts of wheat from Argentina in the 1960s. "That was the beginning of our relationship," Guelar said.

It was announced late last month that China will further open the beef market and reopen its soy oil market to Argentina, a major producer of agricultural products, he added.

Argentina is renewing the country's railroad network "basically through cooperation with China".

Guelar said he will concentrate on further boosting the relationship, especially in terms of cultural exchanges and tourism, during the two years that he has left at his post in China.

He hopes more than 100,000 Chinese people will visit Argentina in the next couple of years.

Progress, peace and win-win relations are the three words Guelar used to summarize China's current situation.

"The well-being of China is not at the expense of the development of third countries or partners in any way," he said. "This is original. It's never happened in world history, and is very positive for all the members of the planet."

He also said Argentina agreed with China that the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula should be solved through peaceful negotiations and not through conflict.

"China is the first superpower in the world that has peaceful proposals."

According to Guelar, China's presidency of the G20 in 2016, the Belt and Road Forum in May and the BRICS Summit in Xiamen "are all different aspects of this new role of China as a world leader".

"What China has achieved, especially during the last five years, is extraordinarily positive," he added.

Zhou Jin contributed to the story.

mojingxi@chinadaily.com.cn
When todays historians look at the confrontation between the United States and North Korea, theyre likely to hear echoes of ultimatums, bluffs and botched messages that accompanied conflicts of the past, often with catastrophic consequences.

The one thing thats certain when you choose war as a policy is that you dont know how it will end, says Mark Stoler, a diplomatic and military historian at the University of Vermont. This fog of uncertainty should be a caution for policymakers now in dealing with North Korea.

History teaches that wars often result from bellicose rhetoric and bad information. Sometimes leaders fail to act strongly enough to deter aggression, as in Munich in 1938. But more often, as in August 1914, conflict results from a cascade of errors that produces an outcome that no one would have wanted.

World War I is probably the clearest example of how miscalculation can produce a global disaster.

It was a tragic sequence: After the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand, Austria asked for Germanys support against Serbia; Kaiser Wilhelm foolishly offered a blank check. Russia, Serbias ally, began mobilizing forces; Germany countered with its own mobilization, as did France and then Britain.

In the nuclear age, the costs of miscalculation are much greater, but good sense (and luck), have prevailed, so far. Evan Thomas explains in Ikes Bluff that President Eisenhower appeared close to the brink in the Korean War in 1953. If the Chinese and North Koreans failed to come to terms, American diplomats were to broadly hint, the United States would expand the war with nuclear weapons, he writes. Whether Eisenhower would have dropped the bomb is anyones guess; amazingly, its not clear his ominous messages were even passed or understood.

Eisenhower played chicken again in 1958, when Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev gave him an ultimatum that the U.S. must remove its troops from Berlin. Ike promised his aides that he was all in against this threat. But soon after, he invited the Soviet leader to visit America, and after an intimate weekend with the presidents grandchildren at his farm in Gettysburg, Khrushchev backed off.

The Cuban missile crisis is the ultimate moment of nuclear brinkmanship. But this story is murkier than its sometimes described, says Philip Zelikow, co-author with Graham Allison of Essence of Decision, the classic study of the event. President Kennedy made an ultimatum to Khrushchev on Oct. 27, 1962, that averted war. But that was only after Khrushchev ignored an earlier Sept. 13 warning against putting nuclear weapons in Cuba. Would Kennedy really have gone to war if Khrushchev hadnt backed down? He told a Navy commander later that he would have started combat operations on Oct. 30.

Modern history shows how wars are interwoven with promises and ultimatums, some honored and others ignored, Zelikow explains. Germany offered the 1916 Sussex Pledge that its submarines wouldnt attack American ships and then did so anyway, drawing the U.S. into war. China warned in 1965 that an American invasion of North Vietnam would bring Chinese intervention, and U.S. troops stayed below the DMZ. America advised Iraq in 1991 that unless its troops left Kuwait, the U.S. would attack. The Iraqis didnt, and America did. And in a folly whose consequences persist to this day, America invaded Iraq in 2003 because of false intelligence that it had weapons of mass destruction.

How should we apply history to the current standoff with North Korea? First, messaging is critically important. With so much at stake, its crazy for President Trump to be sending sensitive signals about war and peace in 140-character public tweets. Second, evidence suggests that North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is a genuinely dangerous risk-taker.

Is Kims position a charade? Lets find out. No new U.S.-South Korean exercises are scheduled until next March. That offers a six-month window to push Pyongyang to explore options. As history shows, the consequences of making a mistake in war are calamitous.

davidignatius@washpost.com
Lets be clear about what just happened to the program that shielded immigrants brought here as children from deportation.

The Trump administration, after the president feigned sympathy for so-called Dreamers, announced Tuesday it is phasing out the program but giving Congress six months to come up with a substitute  a Congress that has been so dysfunctional it hasnt been able to approve legislation with an iota of controversy.

And controversy is written all over this program specifically, as much as with immigration generally.

For instance, amnesty is what critics label more recent immigration reform efforts. So, President Donald Trump, in announcing this end, called it an amnesty-first program, also invoking the rule of law.

But under what rule of law should children be held liable for the alleged lawbreaking of their parents? And the evidence is that Dreamers are not threats to the community.

This is what President Barack Obama understood. This country has essentially been the only home these immigrants know. Theyve been educated at public expense in our schools. They are assets in which weve invested  to be nurtured, not deported.

This is why Obama started the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. It allowed an estimated 800,000 immigrants to gain work permits and other benefits. But in signing up for the program, they gave the government their personal information. So, imagine the fear that this immigrant is now feeling, though the administration says it will not specifically be targeting this community for deportation. However, it simultaneously stressed that they wont necessarily be shielded from it either.

Some of the immigrants who got their work permits will be able to renew their two-year legal stays if their permits expire before March 5. But those whose permits expire after March 6 will be deportable if Congress doesnt act. And this, unfortunately, is the majority of that 800,000 who got the permits.

President Trump tried to distance himself from this decision, letting Attorney General Jeff Sessions, an immigration hardliner, do the heavy lifting in announcing it. But it comes on the heels of his pardon for Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who made his reputation targeting immigrants and Latinos. Got it? Children brought here by their parents and are now contributing to our society might get deported, but the sheriff who illegally targeted and detained Latinos received a pardon.

Trump owns this.

Trump says he will sign a Dream Act if Congress approves it. Our hope is that Congress surprises us on this. It must  led by Texas delegation.
Congratulations to San Antonios latest police class.

The city graduated 32 officers on Sept. 1. May each of these graduates serve this community with distinction and honor. May they be safe as they put the community first in their work.

We need them  not just to respond to calls and help keep neighborhoods safe. But to ease tensions within the community. To heal divisions and to recognize the extraordinary in the daily work of policing.

They will touch many lives in many ways and be the face of the city. They will be a reassuring and calm voice for crime victims and those in crisis. They will likely be yelled at or, perhaps, even assaulted  but will always be expected to stay calm.

Just in June, Officer Miguel Moreno was killed while on patrol. In November, Det. Benjamin Marconi was killed while issuing a traffic citation. In 2016, five police officers were ambushed and killed in Dallas. Some would have looked at that violence, and opted for a different path. These cadets choose to serve.

Concerns abound about police use of force. Each incident, and each powerful video of possible police misconduct, has the potential to set communities on fire. Instead of looking at that tension as too intense or too volatile, these cadets chose to serve.

They are joining the San Antonio Police Department when murders have been on the rise, and staffing, while improving thanks to people like them, has been somewhat low.

At times, the job will wear on them. But they are part of something bigger now. Something vital to our community. Their service, with honesty and fairness, will ripple through many lives. This community is grateful for their decision.
I am amazed at the outpouring of support for victims of Hurricane Harvey. I see volunteers everywhere, some clearing debris and others passing out meals and water.

We received a photo from Rockport, Massachusetts, showing their support for us and donating more than $30K to our city. I am currently in a San Antonio hotel and just found out local celebrities have paid for the evacuees rooms here!

For once, I am at a loss for words, but thank you to all these wonderful volunteers!

Lloyd R. Mathews, Rockport

No teenage voters

I totally disagree with registering high school students to vote. This is just another ploy to increase Democratic votes. High school students are easily influenced by their liberal teachers and do not have the maturity to make informed decisions. No teenager should be allowed to vote!

Carol Fleming

Bulldoze Alamo?

I am appalled at the removal of reminders of  not tributes to the Confederacy, Civil War, and the immense human suffering that ensued. These statues and monuments are meant to remind us of a terrible time in history when brother fought brother, father killed son, mankind destroyed mankind; hence the slogan Lest we forget in hopes that history does not repeat itself.

Yes, slavery was immoral and shameful. But it was a part of history that cannot be forgotten by removing statues so wrongly perceived to represent it.

We are removing pieces of American history that future generations have a right to view and to contemplate, in helping to learn about what happened and why.

So after removing the Confederate statue and cannons from Travis Park  why not bulldoze the Alamo?

After all, the backbone of the Confederacy was the adamant belief of a group of people in their fight for independence. So was the Alamo.

Carl Hellejeis

Not a luxury

Re: Its supply and demand, not price gouging, Another View, Monday :

In Mondays op-ed by Christopher Baecker, he argues that the free market justified raising prices on bottled water in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. He compares it to his favorite ice cream, which would increase in value with scarcity.

Ice cream, however, is a luxury. Water is a necessity and the free market also allows consumers who feel that they have been taken advantage of in a crisis to take their business elsewhere when things return to normal.

Ed Farmer, Floresville

Great again?

By escalating the rhetoric with North Korea and threatening to end the trade agreement with our ally South Korea.

Ending DACA and with it, causing negative economic consequences and loss of young talent.

Pushing tax cuts for the wealthy with minimal benefits to the middle class.

Forgetting infrastructure legislation that might save our bridges and roads, plus add employment opportunities.

Enabling the demise of the ACA.

Denying climate change with the grim evidence of fires, hurricanes, and Arctic ice melts.

America is greatly imperiled!

Barbara Moschner

Step up, Mr. Mayor

It seems quite evident that our new mayor when faced with the gas shortage, a crisis dealing in supply and demand, was way out of his league.

He seems to be better suited for bowing down to a minority group and removing a statue that was erected to honor veterans.

Like the old saying goes, you get what you pay for. In this case, you get what you voted for.

Step up, Mr. Mayor, and do the job you were elected to do. Tweeting on social media is not a solution.

James Woolums

J.J. for president

Let me be the first to say, J.J. Watt for President!

Watching him as he goes about the task of helping out the people of Houston in their time of great need; he makes America great again (Houston, in particular) with his hands-on action. No platitudes and gimmicky caps.

God bless you, J.J.

Rachel Diaz-Kennon

Climate change

I cant claim to have read or watched every news piece this past week with regard to events relating to weather: Hurricane Harvey, Los Angeles fires, British Columbia fires, Hurricane Irma.

One thing stands out: The media seems totally unwilling to draw lines between the dots. Human emissions of carbon dioxide are causing the Earth to warm. The warming Earth is driving the severity of these events.

Are they afraid of offending the Trumpees? Do they simply lack reasoning abilities? Are they happy at the prospect of more news stories of tragic loss?

The missed opportunity to educate and to do something about this trend is totally depressing to me. The future of humanity seems hopeless in the face of this ignorance.

Dale Stevens, Plantersville

No DACA repeal

Imagine you had grown up here in the U.S., but one day when you were in high school your mom and dad sat you down at the kitchen table and said, Honey, youre not really from here. You were born in Mexico. We snuck you in when you were a baby. You cant get a drivers license, Social Security card or a job. If immigration catches you, they can deport you home to Mexico.

You would respond, Home to Mexico? I know nothing about Mexico. I am an American! This is my country!

This is the plight of the Dreamers. It was terrible of Trump to end DACA. Congress needs to take care of these young people who love the U.S. and want to contribute to our society.

Joe De Mott
In a sense, we are indeed post-racial  images of torch-bearing neo-Nazis, white nationalists and supremacists notwithstanding.

Yes, there are more of these n-word spouting, Jew-hating, Mexican-insulting, gun-toting folks than most of us would like. You may disagree, but I believe they are a fringe minority and are, at least, out in the open. That means they can be faced (nonviolently) and denounced out in the open.

But what do we do when faced with the distinct possibility that, though the epithets are absent, another kind of racism is still virulently present? Once removed but akin to the Jim Crow laws of the not-so-distant past.

Here is a disturbing conclusion possible to be derived from recent events: big, meaningful parts of our government act with racist intent, though they call it something else.

The evidence is there in black and white: several court rulings now that either say it outright or point to intentional discrimination by the Texas Legislature in crafting its voter ID law and in drawing congressional and state House redistricting maps. And the evidence will be there even if another court disagrees.

Its there in black and white in the U.S. Department of Justices reversal on such cases. Before, it fought Texas on such matters; now, it backs the state, as if Texas long history of denying access at the polls and denying fair representation for minorities is not also in the black and white of official writs spanning over more than a century.

Intentional discrimination. Is this not in that so-called textbook definition of racism?

Its there in black and white in the presidents pardon of an Arizona sheriff who built his reputation on harassing, intimidating and demeaning Maricopa Countys Latino population, putting many of them in his infamous tent city, which he once openly termed a concentration camp.

Are not Joe Arpaios actions and Trumps clear endorsement of them also in that textbook definition?

I understand the emotional tumult that marching white supremacists spark. But why no such tumult when courts find that these textbook definitions have been at work in our institutions? Is this not even worse given that it is more impactful  and official?

An educated guess, likely none of the players in these decisions view themselves as racists or anti-Semites.

But its said that actions speak loudly. And those words  intentional discrimination  are as if blaring from a bull horn. The finding is based on court analyses of legislative process in which Texas knowingly gored minorities  in the name of partisan advantage in gerrymandering; with voter ID, it approved forms of ID it knew many minorities were likely not to have. And Trumps Justice Department says thats all perfectly acceptable.

And that presidential pardon didnt occur in a vacuum. Arpaios actions against Latinos have been in headlines, in court documents and bragged about out of his own mouth. The courts have said these were intentional and unconstitutional infringements of rights.

No torches in the middle of night were involved, but all nonetheless bearing the official imprimatur of the government  allegedly the government of Americans of color, too.

Heres how it works when racist intent is official: the damage is inflicted; if we are lucky, it is reversed in the courts; then appealed; replicated in the Legislature; challenged again; reversed by the courts and  repeat ad nauseum. No real penalties exacted and no immediate solutions in sight.

The solution, of course, is the ballot box. Not coincidentally, however, this is an avenue undermined by the very instruments Texas officially employs to keep certain people in power and others out. That would be voter ID, restrictions on third-party voter registration, gerrymandering and underfunded public schools  because income and education increase the chances that you vote. All done officially and, to the naked eye, benignly.

That intolerant torch-bearing yahoo deserves denunciation. But so do the people who make it all official and do so while saying they represent you and me.

The question we all need to ask: do they? Really?

o.ricardo.pimentel@express-news.net
Ambassador Liu Xiaoming gets his honorary degree from David Greenaway, vice-chancellor of Nottingham University. [Photo by Kevin Wang / China Daily]

The University of Nottingham marked its strong links with China by conferring an honorary doctorate degree on the country's ambassador to the UK.

Liu Xiaoming, who has been China's senior diplomat in Britain since 2009, received a Doctor of Laws on Wednesday in recognition of his contribution to Sino-UK relations and his support for the university's endeavors to contribute to education in China.

"We wanted to recognize Ambassador Liu's achievements in promoting education cooperation between our two countries, but also helping us to build links in China," said David Greenaway, vice-chancellor of the University of Nottingham.

A plaque was also unveiled marking the Nottingham Confucius Institute as a model Confucius Institute.

Liu has made tremendous contributions to bilateral political, economic and social exchanges during his time in the UK, which reached a milestone in 2015 with President Xi Jinping's state visit to Britain.

Liu said that he was pleased to receive the honorary degree, although he stressed that as a diplomat, his personal achievements would have little significance without the great prosperity of his country.

He said the creation of a sound UK-China relationship was not easy as China and Britain have different heritage and social systems, but the two countries have worked hard to build harmony.

Cultural exchanges and visits between China and Britain benefit both nations, he added.

Liu first visited the University of Nottingham in 2010 to meet the Nottingham Confucius Institute's staff.

He returned in 2012 to open the university's Si Yuan Centre, which houses the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies, China Policy Institute and Nottingham Confucius Institute.

The Nottingham Confucius Institute, established jointly by the University of Nottingham and Fudan University in 2007, has taught Mandarin to more than 7,000 university students.

The University of Nottingham opened its Ningbo campus in China's Zhejiang province in 2004.

Also on Wednesday, a group of around 100 scholars gathered at the university for an economic forum themed at China's economic development and collaboration with the UK.

cecily.liu@mail.chinadailyuk.com
SHELTON - Police say a Seymour father paid someone to file a false robbery report in the hope that a man dating his daughter would go to jail.

Philip Prokop, 47, of Seymour, was charged with conspiracy to commit to giving a false statement in the second degree.

According to Shelton Detective Richard Bango on July 31, Thomas Owen, 20, stated that he was robbed at knife point by the man and gave a sworn written statement and picked the man out of a line up.

Bango said Shelton detectives investigated the claim and during the investigation it was revealed that Philip Prokop, of Seymour, and his mother, paid Owen to file the complaint.

During the investigation it was learned that Prokop was upset because his daughter was dating the accused Shelton man, the detective said.

Prokop then came up with a plan to have the boyfriend arrested for armed robbery in the hopes he would be arrested and subsequently sent to jail. Detectives learned that Prokop and his mother met with Owen and paid him cash then drove him to the Shelton Police Department to make the false complaint.

Additional arrests are expected in the case.

Bango said Prokop was arrested by the Shelton Police Department in 2012 for a similar incident where he paid people to beat up his daughters juvenile enemies.

Prokop posted a $5,000 bond and will appear in Derby Superior Court on Sept. 21.
Have you been involved in an accident and suffered an injury that requires medical treatment? When you are considering whether to accept a settlement offer from the at-fault party's insurance company, there are many factors that can affect your decision.

Generally, we advise injured people to seek legal counsel with an experienced injury attorney before dealing with insurance companies. Sometimes it may seem that the insurance company cooperating with you and presenting you with fair settlement offers. Retaining an attorney can help you maximize your compensation and protect your rights.

Why You Should Not Accept a Settlement Offer

Insurance company claims adjusters aim to pay out as little as possible in every claim. Simply put, it is their job to try and settle a claim as quickly as possible for the smallest amount possible. Adjusters will reach out to injured individuals (who may not have had time to retain an attorney yet) in hopes to resolve the issue for a fraction of what the claim may actually be worth.

When you accept a settlement offer from the insurance company, you will not be able to collect any further compensation. After accepting the settlement, you may discover additional medical problems or require more surgeries, treatment, and therapy. Unfortunately, if you took a settlement, you cannot be compensated for these medical costs. This is one of the biggest factors in determining whether or not to accept an early settlement offer from an insurance company.

It is important to remember that serious injuries may become apparent days, weeks, or months after an accident occurs. Seek medical attention immediately after an accident and continue to monitor your health for the days and weeks that follow. Keeping a record of your condition can help protect your rights as an accident victim and receive the compensation you need. This is why it may be beneficial to reject any early settlement offers from an adjuster and to hire a personal injury attorney. An attorney will meet with you, your doctors, and a life care planner to determine how much future medical care may cost you.

Another thing to consider is how an injury has affected your ability to return to work. You are entitled to receive compensation for your past and future lost wages after being injured in an accident. If a settlement offer does not take those damages into account, you should not accept that offer. A lawyer can help negotiate on your behalf and make sure the insurance company is acting in your best interests.

Accepting an Insurance Company's Settlement Offer

Although we believe the best way to protect your rights as an accident victim and maximize your recovery is to contact a lawyer, there may be cases that you can handle on your own. In a relatively minor accident with a small amount of damages, you could attempt to negotiate with the insurance adjusters directly and quickly. Remember: insurance adjusters are trained to handle claims negotiations  and you are not. If you fear being taken advantage of or not receiving a sufficient settlement to cover your damages, our firm implores you to seek out an injury attorney to represent you.

In situations where your case is complex, results in catastrophic injuries, or involves a large business or corporation, you should hire an injury lawyer immediately to represent you and never negotiate with insurance adjusters by yourself.

Contact an Experienced Injury Attorney

Making these decisions on your own can be confusing and difficult. An experienced injury attorney can help protect your rights and make sure the insurance company is looking after your well-being and best interests. If you or a loved one have been injured, contact Thomas J. Henry today for a free case consultation.

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HARTFORD >> A former juvenile detention officer was sentenced Thursday to three years of probation along with 150 hours of community service for his role in a steroids and prescription pill distribution conspiracy.

Jeffrey Gentile, 35, of Ansonia, previously pleaded guilty to one count of using a telephone to facilitate the distribution of amphetamine.
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A Budiriro family in Harare is living in fear following attacks on children and property by what they termed invisible creatures.

Ruvimbo Mandizha, the mother to Kudzanai chronicled to the ZBC News how all this started.

Kudzanai, who is a grade 5 pupil at a local school, was attacked during the presence of the ZBC News crew.

Scars all over his hands tell a story of a minor who is suffering greatly.

The invisible creatures have also not spared the Chigega property as there is evidence of a trail of destruction.

An uncle of the family, Resheni Chigega said they have tried in vain to end this calamity including consulting sangomas and the apostolic sects but all has been in vain.

This may sound stranger than fiction, but this is happening here in Harare.

 ZBC

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ZIMBABWEANS living in South Africa (SA) have expressed concern over their safety after a top African National Congress (ANC) official said Pretoria could not guarantee the safety of foreign nationals anymore.

ANC spokesperson Pule Mabe made the statement last week, claiming that foreigners illegally residing in SA were to blame for various crimes.

Mabe was addressing ANC members who were picketing at a police station over increased crime allegedly committed by undocumented foreign nationals.

But chairperson of the Zimbabwe Community in SA, Ngqabutho Mabhena described Mabes utterances as unfortunate, and stoking xenophobic attacks.

The constitution of South Africa guarantees the safety of any foreigner in the country and Mabes statement is just unfortunate, Mabhena said, adding that Mabes utterances rekindled memories of the xenophobic horror attacks directed at Zimbabweans in that country over the years.

In April, a Zimbabwean, Elvis Nyathi was stoned and set on fire by seven South Africans who accused him of theft.

The constitution is very clear on how those who are not documented should be treated. As a spokesperson of the ruling party, Mabe should have realised the impact of his utterances although we believe that he said this out of excitement and not from the ANC point of view, Mabhena added.

Foreign Affairs ministry spokesperson Livit Mugejo did not respond to questions sent to him. Efforts to obtain a comment from the Zimbabwe Consulate in South Africa were also fruitless.

However, critics have said ANCs position on illegal immigrants, particularly Zimbabweans, was connected to the partys election campaign.

In 2019, the party announced that it was getting tough on illegal immigrants, claiming that is what the South African society wanted.

In June this year, the ANC identified illegal migration as one of the issues that threaten peace and stability in that country.

 NewsDay

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MDC-T leader Morgan Tsvangirai has censured his secretary general Douglas Mwonzora over his claims that the party was going ahead with the selection of candidates for next years elections in violation of a coalition agreement with other parties.

Tsvangirai was forced to react after his MDC Alliance partners accused the MDC-T of dishonesty and trying to collapse the coalition.

The MDC Alliance is a composition of seven parties namely MDC-T, Transform Zimbabwe, Multiracial Christian Democrats (MCD), ZimPF, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Zanu Ndonga and MDC.

Mwonzora had said MDC-T would embark on a process to select candidates in all the constituencies as there was no agreement as to the distribution of seats.

However, in a statement yesterday, Tsvangirai said Mwonzoras utterances were unfortunate and misleading.

I would like to state categorically that the MDC-T has entered into an electoral alliance agreement in good faith with its partners on August 5 2017. That agreement includes seats allocation and is binding to all parties, the MDC-T leader said.

The MDC-T elections directorate will issue guidelines on candidate selection for seats allocated to it, and such guidelines are yet to be issued out.

Tsvangirai said the agreement was informed by the MDC-Ts national council resolutions of December 2016 and August 2017 and therefore, could not be rescinded by a personal opinion of a leader.

The national council, the supreme decision making body in between congresses, has been appraised of every turn on the negotiations with our Alliance partners, he said.

In addition, our secretary general or any other leader other than the president has no authority to speak on matters pertaining to the Alliance unless authorised to do so by myself and such authority was not given to him.

Tsvangirai said there was no going back on the alliance as elections loom mid-next year. The Standard

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Global discount chain has partnered with FE-Trading to open unmanned stations next to Aldi stores.

FRANKFURT, Germany  LZ Retailytics reports that Aldi Sud in Germany has entered a deal with FE-Trading to operate unmanned petrol stations next to Aldi stores. The pilot project includes 10 stations in and around Munich, Nuremberg and Stuttgart.

FE-Trading, a subsidiary of Austrian oil company OMV, has a similar operation with Aldi Sud affiliate Hofer in Austria, which comprises a network of 79 unmanned petrol stations in the country.

In Germany, the stations will be trading under the Avanti brand, FE-Trading communicated to LZ Retailytics. At the 10 sites, Aldi Sud is also offering free electric vehicle charging stations to shoppers.

The news source writes that Aldi Sud wants to become a one-stop shopping destination, adding that petrol stations will attract more car owners and shoppers on bulk-buying missions. Together with its assortment widening, the discounter now has more potential than ever to cater for this target group, the LZ Retailytics says.
Scanning tunneling microscopy images show active sites on catalysts (Nanowerk News) Chemistry live: Using a scanning tunneling microscope, researchers at the Technical University of Munich (TUM) were able for the very first time to witness in detail the activity of catalysts during an electro-chemical reaction (Nature, "A direct instrumental identification of catalytically active surface sites"). The measurements show that the surface structure of the catalyst has a strong influence on their activity. The new analysis method can now be used to improve catalysts for the electrochemical industry.

No energy transition without catalysts: On their own, the chemical processes necessary in order to manufacture hydrogen gas using electricity, to convert the hydrogen back into electrical energy in fuel cells, or to convert carbon dioxide into fuel are much too slow to be of practical use. Catalysts accelerate the reaction without being used up themselves.

"Catalysts are of enormous importance for the industry. Hence, the industry has a great interest in further improving the materials in order to increase the efficiency of the processes", explains Aliaksandr Bandarenka, Professor for the Physics of Energy Conversion and Storage at the TUM.

Working together with his team, the chemist has now provided a crucial prerequisite for doing so: For the first time, a scanning tunneling microscope has successfully been used to examine the surface during a catalytic process. In this manner, it was possible to determine in detail the locations at which the reaction speed and hence the activity of the catalysts is the highest. The findings have been published in the journal "nature".

On the search for active centers

For a long time now, researchers have suspected that there is a relationship between the surface structure and the activity of heterogeneous catalysts, where chemical reactions take place at the boundary surface between a solid and a liquid or gas. Heterogeneous catalysts are used for example in the electrolytic production of hydrogen gas or for cleaning vehicle exhaust gases. "However, the chemical reactions do not take place at the same speed at all locations. Instead, there are active centers on the surface of the catalysts", reports Bandarenka. "Previously, we had to rely on model calculations and indirect measurements to localize these centers."

With the new analysis procedure, the existence of the active centers can now be proven experimentally. Samples with catalyst materials  including platinum and a combination of gold and palladium  are covered with a liquid electrolyte layer and examined using a scanning tunneling microscope. While hydrogen ions (i.e. protons) receive electrons from the electrode at the surface of the catalyst and form hydrogen gas, the tip of the microscope scans the surface of the catalyst at a distance of just a few angstroms. Point for point, the "tunneling current" which flows between the surface and the tip is now measured. A computer connected to the device registers the signals.

A "noisy" mystery

"Interestingly, the tunneling currents are not the same everywhere. There are areas where the current is stronger, but flows unevenly  it is 'noisy' ", reports Bandarenka. The existence of this noise has been known for a long time, but to date, nobody had investigated what causes it.

During the evaluation of the data, the TUM team discovered a distinct relationship between the intensity of the noise and defects on the surface of the catalysts  microscopically small steps, edges, or corners. "As the number of defects increases, so does the noise  more electrons flow and hence more current as well", explains Bandarenka.

The fast food principle

The researcher likes to compare the behavior of the ions with that of guests at a fast food restaurant. When they are only able to find uncomfortable seating, they leave right away without consuming anything. On the other hand, if the seats are exceedingly comfortable, they remain seated for a long time and occupy the seating such that there are no new guests. It is only when the seating is neither too comfortable nor too uncomfortable that customers come, eat, and leave again.

Viewed in terms of the chemical processes during electrolysis, this means the following: If the surface of the catalyst is too chemically attractive or repellent for the hydrogen ions, the reaction breaks down. The most effective areas are where ions are attracted, but do not remain for too long.

Fewer neighbors make for better reactions

Small defects in the atomic lattice, but also borders between materials  for example palladium on gold  appear to create these ideal conditions for catalysis. But why? "Our experiments show that the number of neighboring atoms and the resulting strength of the bond is a crucial factor for activity", explains Oliver Schneider, one of the co-authors of the publication.
New research efforts accelerate 3-D printing journey (w/video)

(Nanowerk News) With the development of additive manufacturing  often referred to as 3-D printing  engineers are limited only by their imagination  and the quality of the part that they can produce. By heating plastic or metal powders with lasers, scientists have already built cars, pedestrian bridges and even artificial jawbones layer by layer. This technology has the potential to transform manufacturing as engineers use titanium and other metal alloys to tap raw materials more efficiently, which in turn will reduce product costs and weight and shorten supply chains.

Yet metal additive manufacturing faces roadblocks. Printed materials often contain structural defects and vary from their designs, forcing engineers to repair their finished pieces or start over from scratch. And not all physics behind the process are well understood. Much of the research in this area involves trial and error  a costly and time-consuming way to innovate.

In these high-speed x-ray images, the 3-D printer is using a laser to melt metal powder, which causes a keyhole defect within the cooled material. Researchers at Argonne are studying this process and developing guidelines to avoid such errors. (Image: Argonne National Laboratory) (click on image to enlarge)

To address these problems, scientists from the U.S. Department of Energys (DOE) Argonne National Laboratory, Carnegie Mellon University, and Missouri University of Science and Technology are investigating the entire 3-D printing process, including the material properties of the metal powders and how the laser melts and shapes those powders into the desired components, to discover both how defects form and methods to avoid them.

For the first time, scientists recently peered inside materials formed by 3-D printing in real-time as the laser molded the metal powders into shapes (Scientific Reports, "Real-time monitoring of laser powder bed fusion process using high-speed x-ray imaging and diffraction"). As the laser prints metal components, Argonne physicist Tao Sun and his collaborators have a front-row seat to its inner workings via the intense synchrotron X-rays at the Advanced Photon Source, a DOE Office of Science User Facility located at Argonne.

The laser-metal interaction happens very quickly, said Sun. Fortunately, we captured the process at 50,000 frames a second using the high-speed X-ray instrument at the Advanced Photon Source. We can study the resulting movie frame by frame to examine how the materials microstructure, especially defects and pores, form.

The team showed they can observe and quantify many metal 3-D printing characteristics  including melt pool size/shape, powder ejection, solidification, porosity formation and phase transformations.

Sun will share his conclusions with partners in academia and other national laboratories who are building models to reliably predict the characteristics of the printed materials. These models also predict the dynamics of the process  such as how the laser melts the powder, when the powder changes into gases and liquids, and so on.

Meanwhile, Aaron Greco, a principal materials scientist at Argonne and project co-leader for Argonnes additive manufacturing effort, enhances the models from a different angle. After printing, we examine the products resulting microstructure and defects, said Greco. We use a variety of techniques including optical and electron microscopy and even tomography at the Advanced Photon Source, to validate the models.

The result is a virtuous loop in which the experimental data feeds into models of additive manufacturing, and then the improved models are tested by more elaborate and insightful experiments. This interplay between modelers and experimentalists is essential to clearly and accurately understanding the underlying materials physics required to make 3D-printing truly reliable.

Although this loop is vital to their fundamental understanding of additive manufacturing, the researchers ambitions extend further.

Our goal is to explore new possibilities, said Greco. Industries are currently limited to a certain set of metal alloys. But what about new ones? If you understand the physical properties related to how to print new alloys, you can adopt these into the process and speed up the reliability of printing.

Industries are also limited by the extremely detailed models currently required to define the printing process for complex parts. By reducing these models to just the handful of elements that affect quality and reliability, the team hopes to make the models faster and more suitable for industry.

Ultimately, Argonnes efforts will achieve the best of both worlds: Scientists will uncover the dynamic mysteries of metal additive manufacturing, while industries will thrive with blueprints to rapidly print cost-effective and reliable products.
Proposal for a new legislative framework for regulating nanomaterials

(Nanowerk Spotlight) There is a proposal for a new legislative framework tailored for nanomaterials and their applications called Registration, Evaluation, Authorization, Categorization and Tools to Evaluate Nanomaterials  Opportunities and Weaknesses (REACT NOW).

REACT NOW is the first attempt to present a truly comprehensive and transparent regulatory decision-making framework tailored for nanomaterials.

"It might seem premature to implement a proposal like REACT NOW that is so fundamentally different in the sense that it ends up with semi-qualitative conclusions and non-quantitative estimations about risks," Steffen Foss Hansen at the Department of Environmental Engineering, Technical University of Denmark, tells Nanowerk. "I would, however, argue that we have many of the pieces needed in order to set up a whole new legislative framework for nanomaterials. REACT NOW put them together and provides a flexible and holistic framework that is able to provide timely decision support before the risks of nanomaterials have materialized themselves.

"Furthermore" he adds, "REACT NOW limits the administrative burden on regulators as importers of nanomaterials and producers of nanomaterial products will only register truly necessary applications of nanomaterials, and manufacturers are pushed to innovate and create nanomaterials and products that are truly safe-by-design."

Hansen proposes his new legislative framework that combines registration, evaluation, authorization and categorization of nanomaterials in a commentary in Nature Nanotechnology ("React now regarding nanomaterial regulation").

Hansen argues that many pieces of existing legislative frameworks, in the U.S. as well as in Europe, still hold a vast amount of weaknesses.

For instance, in Europe, there exist several different nanomaterial definitions in areas such as cosmetics, biocidal products, food and feed, which have all been hard to operationalize.

Complicating any regulatory effort is the fact that there still is no overview of what and how much nanomaterials are produced and used and why.

"Another crucial aspect is that we lack understanding of how different nanomaterials interact with living systems and how to assess the relevant end-points for nanomaterial toxicity and we have a paucity of usable data on, especially, the exposure and environmental hazards of nanomaterials," Hansen points out.

Finally, researchers still lack test methods that would enable safety assessment of the numerous novel nanomaterials.

Under REACT NOW, the following rules would apply:

Manufacturers and importers of nanomaterials are required to register their nanomaterials prior to commercialization, independent of production and import volumes. For nanomaterials already in commerce, manufacturers and importers should be required to register and fulfil the REACT NOW requirements within six months of the adoption of REACT NOW, whereas product and process activities related to research and development activities are exempted from registration, as is general practice in the EU. In REACT NOW, a material is considered to be a nanomaterial when >0.15% of the particle size distribution is <100 nm or, for dry materials, when the volume-specific surface area is >60 m 2 cm 3 , as suggested by the European Commissions Scientific Committee on Emerging and Newly Identified Health Risks (SCENIHR) (Hansen argues that the reason that SCENIHRs definition is preferred is that there is a serious risk that some nanomaterials will not be captured by the definition recommended by the European Commission if a 50% threshold is applied, as noted by the European Parliament). Primary particle size distribution, shape (including aspect ratio), specific surface area and surface treatment are considered unique, which means that any variation of a nanomaterial's size, shape, surface area and surface-treatment that is commercialized has to be identified, named, registered and safety-evaluated separately (This requirement is in line with the recommendation made in 2011 by the non-industry stakeholders involved in the so-called REACH Implementation Project on Nanomaterials). The burden of proof of safety should be placed on industry to ensure that user-relevant data are generated on time. In order to ensure protection of health and the environment, Hansen recommends that the registrant is required to explain the functional use and effectiveness of their nanomaterial and justify the necessity of the specific use(s) prior to commercialization. In cases of doubt, the European Commissions Joint Research Centre (EC JRC) should provide technical and scientific support, especially to small- to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Once registered, all nanomaterials have to be evaluated according to the NanoRiskCat safety evaluation framework.

"We do not have all the answers to the scientific questions that are relevant to raise, but we know enough to start asking producers and importers to provide information about the nanoform that they produce and/or use in their products," concludes Hansen. "We can provide them with guidance on how to submit this information, which methods to use and how they should explain the opportunities and weaknesses of their characterization and test methods. We also know how to evaluate the applicability of the submitted information and we have clear ideas about how the information itself and the quality of it can be assessed and evaluated and can subsequently provide the basis of an authorization procedure."
Five families campaigning to secure a primary school bus service for 8 of their children attending Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal in New Inn are this week waiting to hear if their direct appeal to Minister John Halligan will deliver results.

The elder children of two of the families from the Lagganstown area of New Inn have school bus tickets but their younger children have been refused tickets even though they meet the distance qualifying criteria.

And two other families maintain they also meet the distance criteria to be classified as "eligible" to secure school bus tickets but their application has also been rejected.

The families met with the Minister of State for Training and Skills at Comeragh College last Monday, August 28 and he promised to look into their cases and come back to them within the next week or two.

Minister Halligan was presented with copies of the appeals the families have submitted to the School Transport Appeals Board, the independent body appointed by the Minister. Independent TDs Mattie McGrath and Michael Lowry and Cllr Michael Fitzgerald accompanied the families to the meeting.

The Lagganstown families spokesperson Mary Newman said at the moment the children from the families who have school bus tickets are travelling on the bus and they car pool to transport the rest of their children to school.

She said the ultimate solution to their difficulties is a larger school bus to accommodate their children.

She outlined that children from the Lagganstown area have been served by school bus transport to New Inn National School since the closure of Lagganstown National School in the 1970s. Lagganstown is in the same parish as New Inn and New Inn is where their children traditionally attend school and where families go to Mass.

Difficulties in securing bus tickets for children in their area has arisen over the past number of years due to an increase in student numbers at New Inn NS and a Primary School Transport Scheme rule change in 2012 that changed the criteria for eligibility from parish based catchment areas to living more than 3.2km from your "nearest" school.

Two of the families, the Fitzgeralds and Moloneys, have older children who have school bus tickets as they are classified as "eligible" to receive them. But their younger children have been unable to secure bus tickets as they are classified as "ineligible" and entitled to only "concessionary" tickets. This means they will only receive a ticket if there are seats left on the bus after all eligible children are catered for. At the moment there are no spare places available

Mary said classifying some members of the same family as eligible and issuing them tickets while classifying other siblings as concessionary didn't make sense and showed the system wasn't fit for purpose.

The other three families, including Mary's, have been refused school bus tickets to New Inn because they are classified as entitled only to concessionary tickets on the New Inn bus.

Mary said in her family's case she accepted her children were entitled only to concessionary tickets according to the school transport rules which deemed they are closer to Golden NS. However, they live in New Inn Parish and for them and their neighbours New Inn is the local school. The other two families, the Corcorans and Lawrences, are adamant New Inn is their nearest school and that they meet the required distance criteria.

Mary pointed out the New Inn school bus has collected members of the Corcoran family for 47 years and a child from the family had an eligible ticket for the New Inn bus after the 2012 rule change but is now classified as concessionary. A member of the Lawrence family had an eligible school bus ticket prior to 2012.

Mary criticised the on-line method used to calculate a household's distance from the local national school whereby applicants are asked to pinpoint their house on an inter-active map of their area. This was open to human error, she said. She suggested the use of a family's Eircode was a more accurate way to calculate distance.

Minister Halligan's spokeswoman said the Minister met with School Transport officials in the Department of Education & Skills last Wednesday to discuss the Lagganstown families' cases. Their appeals are currently being examined.

Bus Eireann said it operates all services within the parameters of the School Transport Scheme and any appeal of a school bus application decision was a matter for the Department of Education and Skills. The School Transport Appeals Board was an independent body appointed by the Minister of State at that Department.

It said children are eligible for primary school transport where they reside not less than 3.2 kms from and are attending their nearest national school, having regard to ethos and language. After all eligible applicants have been accommodated, ineligible children may apply for remaining spare seats on a concessionary basis.

Bus Eireann pointed out that under the Primary School Transport Scheme, the availability of concessionary transport varies from year to year. In situations where there are more concessionary ticket applicants than bus seats, the rules were that school bus routes will not be extended or altered; additional vehicles will not be introduced, nor will larger vehicles or extra trips using existing vehicles be provided to cater for children travelling on a concessionary basis. And no extra State cost will be incurred.
A worldwide movement of stylish motorcycles and even more stylish motorcycle riders hopes to raise awareness and much needed funds for mens health.

The Distinguished Gentleman's Ride will see beautiful classic (and classic style) motorcycles take to the roads of South Tipperary in an effort to raise funds for the Movember Foundation and its work in the areas of mens mental health and prostate cancer.

Anyone with a classic or classic style motorbike is invited to take part - and dress in their most dapper clothes for the occassion!

This is the second year that a Tipperary event will take place, joining with thousands of men and woman across the world on their Distinguished Gentleman's Rides - last year over 56,000 participants in 505 cities in 90 countries raised over $3.6M!

Local organisers are Cyril Helnwein and his wife Kojii, from Kilsheelan, who will both be dressing up and taking part in the Clonmel event - Cyril on a Triumph Bonnville and Kojii on a Royal Enfield.

Cyril explained that he had taken part in the Dublin DGR for three years but his classic motorcycle is from the 1970s and he didn't want to drive that so far every time. Or to the other Irish DGR in Cork. So he started the Clonmel DGR last year.

He said his motivation to take part is that men don't talk about their problems and don't seek help. He and his wife know two young men, with children, who have died by suicide in the last two years. It's such a terrible thing because it affects so many people.

The event also raises funds for prostate cancer awareness and, Kojii highlighted, it is the second most common cancer in Ireland.

The Clonmel Distinguished Gentleman's Ride will take a scenic route through the countryside, on Sunday, September 24.

To take part you must register on the DGR website as no funds will be collected on the day. Once registered family and friends can 'sponsor' you through the website .

The ride will make it's way from Clonmel through Cahir, Cashel and on to Fethard. There are stops in each town where people are encouraged to come out at see these special bikes you don't see every day, and also find out a bit more about the causes the ride supports.

The Distinguished Gentlemans Ride was founded in Sydney, Australia, by Mark Hawwa. It was inspired by a photo of Mad Mens Don Draper astride a classic bike and wearing his finest suit. Mark decided a themed ride would be a great way to combat the often-negative stereotype of men on motorcycles, whilst connecting niche motorcycle communities together.

Clonmel DGR Route

(Times are approx based on leaving Applegreen, Moangarriff by 12noon)

12.15pm: Main Guard, Clonmel.

1pm: Swiss Cottage

1.45pm: Cahir Castle

2.35pm: Rock of Cashel

3.20pm: McCarthys, Fethard

Tips for taking part in the Clonmel DGR!

Think: Monocles, jaunty trimmed moustaches, silk vests, crisp shirts and tailored suits.

Ride: Cafe' Racer, Bobber, Classic, Tracker, Scrambler, Old School Chopper, Modern Classic, Sidecar, Classic Scooter, Brat Styled motorcycles. Visit the online style guide to check out the bikes that make The Distinguished Gentlemans a unique event.

Pay: The ride is free however those riding are encouraged to make a donation to the cause as well as consider getting friends, family and colleagues to donate via your personal fundraising page.

If our readers spot any of the riders passing, or go out to see them at any of the stops, organisers would like you to post the pics to social media using #DGRClonmel so everyone can see them!

Register for the event, get style tips and see photographs from events around the world last year at www.gentlemansride.com
Independent councillor Denis Leahy has called on Iarnrod Eireann to give the LWaterford Limerick railway line a chance before it considers closing it.

Cllr.Leahy called on Iarnrod Eireann to put on a practical timetible , offer a service that would actually enable people to get to work , meet hospital appointments and c conduct their business in towns between tipperarytown and Waterford.

At the moment the timetable is absolutely no use to anbyody..It is not being used because the times are totally out of kilter with every day demands such as getting to work and meeting hospital appointments.At the moment it just does not work because the times do not suit the general public, it is as simple as that insisted Cllr.Leahy.

Cllr.Leahy, a Tipperary town businessman, said the line should be customer driven.

He made his call following the release of a report which identified the line as one of four earmarked for closure in the country.

At the moment this line is not run for the convenience of the customer.If somebody living in Tipperary Town needs to get to work in Cahir,Clonmel,Carrick or Waterford they cannot use the train because it leaves Tipperary town at 10am, how useless a service is that? asked Cllr.Leahy.

Cllr.Leahy said the people of Tipperary deserved a much better service.

He pointed out that because of the high unemployment rate in Tipperary Town and the catchment area a lot of people had to commute to other towns.

I would imagine if the timetable was more practical that a lot of people would actually use the service.At the moment they can't,they are forced to travel on very poor roads, said Cllr.Leahy.

He said it would be much better if a train left Tipperary town at 7am rather than 10am as it would allow people to meet work schedules, hospital appointments and attend to other business.

Also at the moment the train from Waterford to Tipperray Town leaves at 4.25 which was again just not suitable as it would not give people a chance to use a train as they might not finish work until 5pm.

Nobody finishes work before 4.25There is a very simple reason why people are not using the service at the moment.it is just not practical for them to do so said Cllr.Leahy.

Apart from accommodating work cllr.Leahy said a significant number of people from Tipperary attend medical appointments in Waterford Regional Hospital and the train schedule did not suit them either.

The train that leaves Tipperary at 10 am does not get into Waterford until 11.30am which is too late for people try ing to mak clinics and medical appointments he said.

As it stands this service just does not work for people .To give it a chance they should provide a more practical timetable.Closing the line is not the right answer said Cllr.Leahy.

He believes that Iarnrod Eireann, along with providing a more practical timetable, should market the line , advertise it and make it easy for people to use it.

Iarnrod Eireann has to market this, they would have to drive it on and make it work.This line should be a thriving one connecting Rosslare and Limerick and all the towns in between.They have to make it work for people not close it down insisted Cllr.Leahy.
A Bay Area search and rescue team that returned from Texas on Monday is now on a flight heading toward Florida as Hurricane Irma looms.

The 80-member California Task Force 4 worked 14-hour days to ease some of the misery from Hurricane Harvey, and helped rescue not only people, but also cattle, horses, dogs, cats and birds.

Less than 48 hours later, the same unit was asked to prepare for redeployment.



Fifty-two personnel from 18 agencies on Thursday boarded a flight out of Oakland, which took them first to Atlanta and then to a military base on the Florida-Georgia border.

Another 27 task force members, who were driving from Texas to the Bay Area, made it to New Mexico on Wednesday before being rerouted. One member, who happened to be in Atlanta, is also en route to Florida. Everyone will connect at the base and await instructions.

California Task Force 4 arrived in the Bay Area late Monday after assisting in rescue efforts in flooded Texas. A little over two days later, the urban search and rescue team is being redeployed, this time to aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

The group's equipment will include four rescue boats, tool for breaching and shoring up collapsed structures, audio and visual aid for finding trapped survivors, and four K-9 teams. While most members belong to East Bay fire departments, the team also includes two civil engineers and two doctors.

When asked how the group prepares for something that is utterly unpredictable, Dr. Neil Jayasekara replied: "Years of preparation."

In Menlo Park, a caravan of emergency vehicles with California Task Force 3 rolled in shortly after noon Thursday after a physically and emotionally exhausting mission in Texas. But that team was already preparing to head to Hurricane Irma territory.

It was a happy homecoming for 15 water rescue firefighters from around the Peninsula and San Jose.

"Oh it's fantastic to be home," said John Stevens, task force leader. "You know, as much as we all want to be there and all want to help, it really is a lot of work."

A caravan of emergency vehicles, belonging to California Task Force 3, on Thursday rolled into Menlo Park after a physically and emotionally exhausting mission in Texas. Now the unit is on standby to head into Hurricane Irma territory. Robert Handa reports.

That workload was massive as was shown in aerial footage of Wharton, Texas, taken by the team's drone.

"Obviously we didn't know the streets, the town, and we didn't know the effects of the flooding," said Capt. Tony Eggimann, logistics manager. "So we were able to quickly put that drone in the air and get some aerial recon ... try to figure out the layout of the city and where the greatest amount of damage was."

Task Force 3 late Thursday night was cleaning and repairing equipment for Hurricane Irma.

"We don't know when, and we don't know where, and we don't know if we are flying or driving or a combination of both," said Menlo Park Fire District Chief Harold Schapelhouman. "But we know it's going to happen."

Further south, the California Air National Guard from the 129th Rescue Wing on Friday will deploy from Moffett Field in Mountain View to Irma's projected path. The 100-member highly-trained search and rescue unit will be needed especially due to their para-rescue skills. They are expected to fly choppers into flooded neighborhoods and pull people out to safety.

They team is being sent out again just days after returning from Texas, where it completed over 100 successful rescue operations in Harvey impacted areas.

"We'll be staging in western Florida and will assess the damage and where to put our skills into action," said Capt. Roderick Bersamina. "This isn't our first storm. We definitely have what it takes in the readiness we bring to the table."

California Task Force 4 arrived in the Bay Area late Monday after assisting in rescue efforts in flooded Texas. A little over two days later, the urban search and rescue team is being redeployed, this time to aid in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma. Bob Redell reports.

As of Friday, Irma, one of the most powerful hurricanes in recorded history, has claimed 11 lives as it barreled across the Caribbean, officials say.

The Bay Area is also offering other kinds of support.

Second Harvest Food bank in San Jose is part of a nationwide network getting ready to ship out more food to victims of Hurricane Harvey. The group is now preparing for Irma.

Separately, PG&E is getting ready to send roughly 100 employees  line workers, equipment operators and support staff  to Florida on Friday. The goal is to get the crews on the ground so they can help local power workers respond to the havoc Irma is expected to wreak on parts of the state.

Bay Area crews will carry some equipment, but plan to use Florida power trucks to do repair work.

A Bay Area search and rescue team that returned from Texas on Monday is now on a flight heading toward Florida as Hurricane Irma looms. Rick Boone reports.
The wave of optimism that the Mavericks big wave surf contest would resurface seems to have crashed again.

The world famous surf contest held at Pillar Point, near Half Moon Bay, had been in limbo after the current organizer, Cartel Management, filed for bankruptcy protection.

Hopes were raised in August, when Cartel asked the bankruptcy court to approve a $525,000 sale to the World Surf League, which runs other major surfing competitions.

But some of Cartel's past legal battles have come back to threaten the deal.

According to court papers filed Wednesday, Segler Holdings LLC, a Texas company, objected to the sale, saying it is not in the best interest of the bankruptcy estate.

As NBC Bay Area reported, Segler sued Cartel and its client model-actress Marisa Miller for breach of contract in June 2015 after a failed promotion of a sunless tanning line.

After a jury trial, the court awarded Segler $700,000 plus interest, which Segler said totaled nearly $812,000.

Segler approved delays to allow cartel to hold an auction in May 2016 to sell the contest permit and other assets. But Cartel canceled the auction at the last minute.

Court papers indicate Cartel canceled the aucition because another group seeking money and ownership, Mavericks Invitational Inc., had interfered with the sales efforts by filing what Cartel called, a "frivolous" claim for $2.145 million.

Segler wants to stop the WSL deal because it says the $525,000 is less than 20 percent of the total money owed and barely half of the court-approved minimum auction bid of $1 million.

The new legal twist will not only complicate ownership of the contest but also will resurrect a hotly disputed issue when the harbor district issued a 5-year permit to Cartel instead of a standard one-year deal, which some board members, including Commissioner Sabrina Brennan, said caused the legal turmoil.
Alameda County sheriff's officials have released additional photos of one of the two women who walked away from a minimum-security prison camp in Dublin on Monday evening.

Sheriff's officials said on social media that Irene Alina Mitchell, 37, was spotted Wednesday in rural Livermore, but she remains at large. She is described as a Native American woman, 5 feet 8 inches tall, 180 pounds with brown hair and brown eyes and a tattoo on her neck that says "Adan."

ESCAPED federal prisoner Irene Alina Michell spotted today in rural Livermore. See her call 911 or contact US Marshal. pic.twitter.com/dpIGtskXdt  Alameda County Sheriff (@ACSOSheriffs) September 7, 2017

Mitchell was serving 110 months in prison and her criminal record includes theft, assault, fraud and identity theft in Montana and Washington.

According to the U.S. Marshals Service, on Monday at 7:15 p.m. Mitchell and 34-year-old Anna Armstrong walked away from the Federal Correctional Institution at 5701 Eighth St. in Dublin. They were serving time on federal narcotics charges and are actively being sought by marshals as well as state authorities.

Armstrong is described as a white woman, about 5 feet 5 inches tall, 175 pounds with brown hair and hazel eyes. She's serving 63 months in prison, and is thought to have ties to Lancaster in Los Angeles County and Yuma, Arizona.

Anyone who sees Mitchell or Armstrong or has information about their whereabouts is asked to call 911 or the U.S. Marshals Service at (877) 926-8332. Tips can also be submitted anonymously online.
The murder trial for the man accused of killing Kate Steinle is set to start in a matter of weeks, but on Wednesday there were serious questions in court about key evidence and whether it will make it to trial.

The weapon fired on San Francisco's Pier 14 in July 2015, killing 32-year-old Steinle, may prove to be the focal point of the criminal trial of the shooter.

But any comments made by defendant Jose Ines Garcia-Zarate about that weapon during police interrogation could come off the record, according to defense attorneys.

"We intend to call witnesses that are court-certified interpreters as to what was on that video," said Matt Gonzalez, attorney with the San Francisco Public Defenders Office. "So its not over yet."

The defense is arguing Garcia-Zarate wasnt properly informed of his constitutional right to remain silent or seek counsel. An exchange with the San Francisco police officer who translated the Miranda warning was shown in court Wednesday.

Defense attorneys asked, "Would you agree that if you said, You have a right to wait for silence that wouldnt be a correct admonition?

"This is why we we're told over and over (by instructors) to read the Miranda cards verbatim," Gonzalez said. "Because its important."

Assistant district attorney Alex Bastian provided context.

"The arguments in court are made for a reason, and the judge will be the ultimate arbiter based on the facts and based on the law," Bastian said.

What transpired after the Miranda rights were read also could play a pivotal role in the judges decision. In court, the officer acknowledged Garcia-Zarate said multiple times, "I dont want to talk to you; Im done."

"If a person communicates to a police officer they do not want to subject themselves to questioning about a crime, that triggers a right to remain silent," said Francisco Ugarte of the Public Defenders Office.

Prosecutors may argue its about meaning and, for someone whos already been arrested multiple times, that Garcia-Zarate understood what was asked of him.

The judge's decision could come as soon as Monday when court is back in session.
A Mountain View school district is bracing for an influx of students as new housing units are planned citywide.

A report for the Mountain View-Whisman school district indicates that three new neighborhoods  Joaquin, Shorebird Way and Pear  could add 9,800 homes to the north Bayshore area. School board officials anticipate that the new construction could send more than 2,300 new students their way, according to the Daily News.

Currently, the district's population stands at 5,132 students, from transitional kindergarten through eighth grade, across 10 campuses.

These estimates don't include NASA's plan to build 1,900 residences on Moffett Field and the potential of new students streaming in from those homes.

Ayinde Rudolph, superintendent of the Mountain View Whisman School District, told the Daily News that while the spike in student population presents a challenge, it can also be viewed as an opportunity.

The impact of the north Bayshore development is not on the agenda for Thursday's school board meeting, but it could come up in public comment.
The discovery of a suspicious device early Thursday prompted San Francisco police to briefly issue a shelter in place near Potrero Hill.

The city's Department of Emergency Management on Twitter asked people to avoid the area of Arkansas Street between 16th and 17th streets. Citizens were also urged to stay indoors and away from windows.

Police said the device was found around 7 a.m. and a bomb squad responded to check out the device. The incident was resolved around 8:30 a.m. and the scene cleared, but people were warned of residual delays.

Further details were not immediately available.
A deputy in a shootout at a Sacramento-area hotel was killed on the 10th anniversary of his parents' death in a plane crash.

The children of Robert French tell the Sacramento Bee that on Aug. 30, 2007, his parents crashed and died in a small plane at a small Northern California airport as they were taking off for a scuba trip to Ensenada, Mexico.

Ten years later to the day, the 52-year-old Sacramento County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in a shootout with a suspect that also resulted in two California Highway Patrol officers being shot and wounded.

A public memorial for French is scheduled for Thursday at a church in Roseville.

"It's been horrendous," Nicholas French, 30, told the Bee in an interview Wednesday that included his sister Kaylen Bynoe and stepbrother Kosai French. "Nobody wants to hear what we all had to hear."

He said he remembers getting the phone call from his father about his grandparents.

"I knew there was something wrong because he was crying," Nicholas French said.

The three remembered their father as a devoted dad and detective who grew up all over the United States and had a love of country music and the Dallas Cowboys.

Bynoe said he got great joy in the last years of his life from his girlfriend Kara Merino.

"He just loved her so much," Bynoe said. "He looked like a different person when he was with her."

French, a 21-year veteran of the sheriff's department, died on his way to the hospital.

The shootout began when two women led CHP officers on a 20-mile vehicle chase in what was believed to be a stolen car.

The pursuit ended in Elk Grove, and officers then returned to a Sacramento Ramada Inn to continue their investigation, sheriff's officials said.

After CHP officers announced their presence outside one of the rooms, a male suspect armed with a high-powered assault rifle opened fire through the front door and walls of a room, striking the two CHP officers, sheriff's officials said.

The suspect then tried to exit the rear of the room and engaged sheriff's deputies in gunfire, striking French.

The suspect was eventually taken into custody and transported to a local hospital where he died from gunshot wounds. He was later identified as 32-year-old Thomas Daniel Littlecloud.
The San Francisco Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing in November on whether to rescind the controversial sale of a private street.

Presidio Terrace, a small, highly-affluent private street on the edge of the Presidio, was owned by the homeowner's association until 2015.

However, possibly due to an incorrect mailing address, the association failed to pay its property taxes and the property was auctioned off by the city for $90,000 in 2015.

It was bought by a San Jose couple, Tina Lam and Michael Cheng, but property owners only learned of the sale recently, when they were contacted by the new street's owner.

The homeowners association has since filed a lawsuit challenging the sale and is asking the Board of Supervisors to rescind it.

Supervisor Mark Farrell, who represents the district that includes Presidio Terrace, today said the board should "get to the bottom of what happened," including whether property owners were properly notified.

"I want to make sure we have all the facts," he said. "I want to understand what we can do better and put forward legislation to close any loopholes."

The hearing is scheduled for Nov. 28 at 3 p.m.
San Francisco residents will be asked to vote on a recently approved ban on flavored tobacco after the Board of Supervisors voted Wednesday to reject a bid to have it repealed.

The board voted unanimously today to reaffirm its support for the ban on all flavored tobacco products after a tobacco-industry funded group submitted enough signatures in early August to put a measure seeking to repeal it on the ballot.

The measure is backed by a committee called Let's Be Real San Francisco, which includes the Arab American Grocers Association, a number of vaping outlets and the National Association of Tobacco Outlets.

Funded almost entirely by the R.J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, the committee was able to collect almost $700,000 in contributions and collect just under 20,000 valid signatures in barely a month after the ordinance was signed in early July.

The group has argued that the issue is one of freedom of choice for adult consumers and that the measure will harm corner stores and other small retailers who sell tobacco products.

Supervisor Malia Cohen, who introduced the measure, called R.J. Reynolds a "notorious killer."

"A company that kills people is bankrolling a campaign they claim is about freedom of choice," she said. "Their campaign is about protecting profits."

Proponents for the ban argue that flavored tobacco products are heavily marketed to youth, minorities and the LGBTQ community. Flavored tobaccos can help hook new smokers by masking the harsh flavors of tobacco, encourage deeper inhalation and are considered harder to quit, according to statements from the University of California at San Francisco.

Tobacco-related cancers are the leading cause of cancer deaths in San Francisco for both men and women, and they cost the city around $380 million per year in direct healthcare costs and lost productivity, according to city officials.

The ballot measure seeking to repeal the ban will now be set either for a special election at a date yet to be determined or will go on the ballot at the next regularly scheduled city election in June 2018. The ban will remain on hold until the election.
Sacramento police say a suspect wanted in a double-homicide has been killed in a shootout that also left two officers injured.

Police said the two officers were shot late Thursday morning but are recovering from non-life-threatening injuries.

The police department said on its official Twitter account that the shooting near police headquarters in south Sacramento involved a suspect wanted in a double killing last week. They did not immediately name the suspect or the officers.

The shootout came as hundreds of law enforcement officers were in nearby Roseville for the memorial service for Sacramento County Sheriff's Deputy Robert French, who was killed in a shootout last week in which the suspect also died.

Check back for updates.
Authorities on Wednesday were searching for two federal inmates who walked away from a prison camp in Dublin two days earlier.

The United States Marshals Service said Anna Armstrong, 34, and Irene Michell, 37, walked away from the minimum security federal prison camp in Alameda County at around 7:15 p.m. Monday.

Armstrong was serving a 63-month prison sentence for federal narcotics charges. Investigators said she may have extensive family ties at Lancaster in Los Angeles County and to Yuma Arizona. Armstrong is described as standing 5 feet 5 inches tall, 175 pounds, and having brown hair and brown eyes.

Michell was serving a 110-month prison sentence for federal narcotics charges, officials said, adding she has a lengthy criminal record in several states. She is described as standing 5 feet 8 inches tall, 180 pounds, and having brown hair and brown eyes. Michell also has a neck tattoo which reads "Adan."

Federal and state authorities are actively searching for Armstrong and Michell. Anyone with information can call the U.S. Marshals Service fugitive tipline at 1-877-926-8332.
Danny Munoz doesn't remember her so-called "home country." The 18-year-old doesn't remember her parents taking her across the Mexican border, or the first few anxious years they spent struggling to lay down roots in the U.S.

But she does know she can't go back. She moved to Fresno when she was only two, and all of her memories, friends, and close family are here.

"My mom would clean houses and work two jobs just to pay rent," said Munoz, who is one of an estimated 400 DACA recipients studying at UC Berkeley. "My parents always told me that I was going to be their hope and that their sacrifices were going to be worthwhile for me."

"But now," she said, wiping away tears, "everything feels so uncertain."

Munoz isnt alone in her uncertainty. President Donald Trump's announcement that he would be phasing out the immigration program known as DACA  short for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  sent shockwaves throughout the immigrant community on Tuesday, confirming the worst fears many had about a federal administration helmed by the blustery business mogul. The Obama-era immigration program had authorized young people, who were brought to this country illegally by their parents, the opportunity to work, study and live in the U.S. without the threat of deportation.

Trump has given Congress six months to formulate and pass an alternative immigration plan. Hanging in the balance are the 800,000 DACA recipients in the U.S., an estimated 50,000 of whom live in the Bay Area.

Following the announcement, students at local schools said they feared what it meant for themselves, their family and their friends. Meanwhile, teachers and administrators grappled with how to address a weighty, politicized topic that affected many of their students directly.

Ive been emotional all day, said Roxy Cruz, a graduate student at UC Berkeley whose brothers and stepmom are DACA recipients. Ive been crying all day about this. Its really exhausting to feel, all the time, like you dont belong. Like your family doesnt belong.

Carlos Garcia came to the Bay Area from Mexico when he was six, the average age of most DACA recipients when they first arrive in the U.S. He said the renewed threats of deportation had made him second guess applying to graduate programs this year.

"We're not criminals," Garcia said. "To send us back would be cruel. Not only would I not be able to finish my education here, but I wouldn't know how to live in Mexico City. I'm not even fluent in Spanish."

After the announcement, several Bay Area school districts sent out letters to parents and students, reminding them of the spate of sanctuary campus resolutions that were passed immediately after Trumps inauguration.

Yaquelin Lombera, who works at Pinole Valley High Schools health intervention center and is also a DACA recipient, said attempts to ignore the issue in classrooms would be futile, especially as news of walkouts and student-led protests across the country lit up social media. She believes schools need to do more than send out a memo to assure students that they are still protected.

"We can't just say we're a safe space, she opined. We have to actually create one. I want to see an action plan."

Yvette Felarca, a Berkeley middle school teacher and activist, led a demonstration at Sproul Plaza on UC Berkeley's campus Tuesday evening in support of DACA.

"'Dreamers' have a right to be free from the fear of deportation or being separated from their communities as much as anyone else," Felarca said, using the common nickname for DACA recipients. "We have to stand up and protect our communities."

Aware that the decision to end DACA signaled a pivotal moment in U.S. immigration policy, other teachers scrambled to incorporate the topic into class curriculum. Meg Honey, an A.P. history teacher at Northgate High School in Walnut Creek, asked students to come to class on Wednesday having read coverage of the decision from a variety of news sources.

Were looking at DACA as to how it fits in with the long history of immigration policy in this country, Honey said. It will allow us to engage some historical thinking skills in comparing and contrasting, looking at both progress and regression.

Noting that she saw higher levels of anxiety among some students since the election, Honey also said that she was using guidance published by the Southern Poverty Law Center on teaching with tolerance to help steer difficult conversations in the classroom.

For Munoz, those conversations are important. Knowing that she has a community rallying behind her has lifted her spirits, though the threat of uncertainty remains.

We cant let our hopes and our dreams be ripped apart, Munoz said. Were here to dream; were here to accomplish better things for our family and our kids.

Garcia expressed similar sentiments.

I really dont think Trump knows what hes up against, he said. Our families fought hard to give us a better life, and were going to fight to keep it, too.
A New Hampshire school was placed on lockdown as police investigating a nearby shooting at a rooming house on Thursday morning.

Manchester police said multiple officers responded to a call about a possible gunshot on Beech Street just before 8 a.m. after the caller claimed a man had been shot and needed help.

Officers searched the area for the victim and a possible crime scene, which is near Central High School and sparked a temporary lockdown. The lockdown was lifted about 15 minutes after it began.

An officer found the victim around 8:15 a.m. on Central Street. Police did not give the victim's condition, but said their investigation has determined it wasn't a random act of violence.

Detectives also searched for a possible shooter at an Amherst Street rooming house. The suspect wasn't there, but detectives are in contact with the suspect as they continue to investigate.
The family of an NBC 5 photographer is desperately trying to get out of Florida as Hurricane Irma continues on a path toward the state, leaving massive destruction in its wake.

The family of nine, including photographer Joe Amigleos wife and six daughters, are traveling in their minivan after being unable to find airline tickets out of the state.

Amigleos wife, Misty, suffers from ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that affects the spine and large joints. She had recently moved her family to Cape Coral, Florida because the warm weather helps ease her pain, but her husband was forced to stay in Chicago to help pay for their medical bills.

As they begin their urgent trek out of the state, Misty Amigleo said little water has been left on store shelves and many gas stations have run out of gas. Some stations, she said, had police officers guarding pumps after fights were reported.

After days of shopping at numerous stores searching for water and traveling to find gas, the Amigleo family hopes to make their escape from the storms potential path.

But many of their neighbors are staying in their homes, hoping for the best.

The Amigleos hope to arrive in Chicago by Friday evening.

Hurricane Irma has killed at least 10 people as the dangerous Category 5 storm continued its destructive march across the Caribbean early Thursday.

The storm was increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday, prompting the governor to declare an emergency and officials to impose mandatory evacuation orders for parts of the Miami metro area and the Florida Keys. Forecasters said it could punish the entire Atlantic coast of Florida and rage on into Georgia and South Carolina.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott declared a state of emergency in all 67 counties to give local governments "ample time, resources and flexibility" to prepare for the storm. President Donald Trump also approved a federal emergency declaration for the state ahead of the storm, according to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

Throughout South Florida, officials readied evacuation orders and people raided store shelves, buying up water and other hurricane supplies. Long lines formed at gas stations and people pulled shutters out of storage and put up plywood to protect their homes and businesses.

Thousands of flights had already been canceled by Thursday morning.

The last major storm to hit Florida was 2005's Wilma, its eye cutting through the state's southern third as it packed winds of 120 mph. Five people died.
The FBI is investigating an explosion at an East Chicago, Indiana post office Wednesday, authorities said.

The FBI in Indianapolis said was leading the ongoing investigation into the explosion that left at least one employee injured.

"At this early stage in the investigation it has yet to be determined if this is an act of domestic or international terrorism, but at this time there is no ongoing public safety concern," the FBI said in a statement.

One employee suffered minor injuries when "one, possibly two explosive devices detonated" at the East Chicago Main Passport Post Office around 6 p.m. at 901 E. Chicago Ave., according to an ATF spokesperson.

Right now the FBI, ATF, all the agencies are here, were investigating, acting East Chicago Fire Department Chief Francisco Mendez said. I can confirm there was at least one detonation.

He said he could not confirm if there were any other explosions but bomb technicians were preparing to sweep the post office for more explosive devices.

I cannot tell you exactly where, but it was inside and we believe it was a package, Mendez said, adding that he could not confirm what kind of device or devices were found. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported a fire official confirmed there were two pipe bombs found in the building.

There were two people, including the injured employee, inside the building when the explosion occurred, Mendez said. A third person was outside of the building "making deliveries." He added that he believed the post office was closed for the day during the explosion.

Part of Chicago Avenue was closed to traffic as emergency response vehicles with red and blue flashing lights formed a perimeter around the facility.

Calls to the East Chicago Police Department went unanswered.
Yet another man has stepped forward claiming years of sexual abuse at the hands of a former Chicago school employee and mentor.

The alleged victim, referred to as John Doe in a new lawsuit against the Chicago Board of Education, joins a growing number of men who argue the board should be held accountable for what happened to them as children.

John Doe is the 20th man to come forward claiming to be abused by former Board of Education employee Marvin Lovett.

The alleged abuse occurred in late 1988 and 1993 while John Doe was a student at James Weldon Johnson Elementary School and Collins Academy High School.

He said the memories still haunt him nearly 25 years later.

I go through a lot. It had me stressed out. I be depressed a lot, said John Doe.

According to the lawsuit, the Board of Education allowed Lovett to perform various jobs at Johnson Elementary that involved and required Lovett to interact with minor students.

The lawsuit alleges the Board of Education knew Lovett was not fit to work with children and continued to employe him despite receiving warnings that Lovett was acting inappropriately towards male minors.

Part of the allegations of our complaint is he was allowed to remove children during their school day to take them to various areas of the school unsupervised, said attorney Lyndsay Markley. He would also leave the school with children and take them to his home.

This is the first lawsuit involving Lovett that is only against the Board of Education. A spokesperson for Chicago Public Schools said the board does not comment on pending litigation.

The other 19 plaintiffs claim they were abused during Lovett's employment with the United Believers after school mentor program. United Airlines has said it disagrees that its donations constitute the reprehensible acts of one individual involved in the program.

Lovett was shot to death in 2000. A United Believers participant named Sylvestor Jamison pleaded guilty to murder. Police said they found 140 videotapes showing Lovett sexually abusing minors, including Believers participants.

The lawsuit involving the United Believers program is expected to go to trial next August.

John Doe said he hopes he will find closure by speaking out.

I feel like it's time for me to tell my story about what happened to me to make me kind of feel a little better, said John Doe.
At least one employee suffered minor injuries Wednesday when "one, possibly two explosive devices detonated" in a post office in East Chicago, Indiana, according to an ATF spokesperson.

The fire department received the call of a possible explosion at the East Chicago Main Passport Post Office around 6 p.m. at 901 E. Chicago Ave., acting East Chicago Fire Department Chief Francisco Mendez said.

Right now the FBI, ATF, all the agencies are here, were investigating, Mendez said. I can confirm there was at least one detonation.

He said he could not confirm if there were any other explosions but bomb technicians were preparing to sweep the post office for more explosive devices.

I cannot tell you exactly where, but it was inside and we believe it was a package, Mendez said, adding that he could not confirm what kind of device or devices were found. The Times of Northwest Indiana reported a fire official confirmed there were two pipe bombs found in the building.

There were two people, including the injured employee, inside the building when the explosion occurred, Mendez said. A third person was outside of the building "making deliveries." He added that he believed the post office was closed for the day during the explosion.

The FBI in Indianapolis said was leading the ongoing investigation into the explosion.

"At this early stage in the investigation it has yet to be determined if this is an act of domestic or international terrorism, but at this time there is no ongoing public safety concern," the FBI said in a statement.



Part of Chicago Avenue was closed to traffic as emergency response vehicles with red and blue flashing lights formed a perimeter around the facility.

Calls to the East Chicago Police Department went unanswered.
China supports further United Nations action in response to North Korea's latest nuclear test but also wants to see renewed efforts to begin dialogue involving all sides, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Thursday.

China hopes North Korea will "see the situation clearly and come to the right judgment and choice," Wang said.

He said the U.N. should take "necessary measures," but added that sanctions and pressure should spur dialogue and negotiation between the sides toward the goal of a peaceful solution on the Korean Peninsula.

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the nuclear issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation. Only when the two are put together can it unlock the nuclear issue of the Korean Peninsula," Wang said.

China is a veto-wielding permanent member of the U.N. Security Council, as well as North Korea's main trading partner and source of food and fuel aid.

Also Thursday, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang reiterated China's opposition to South Korea's deployment of a U.S. Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense System, also known as THAAD, which is intended to protect against North Korean missile attacks. Beijing says the system's powerful radars will be able to monitor flights and missile launches deep inside northeastern China.

Two of the system's launchers are already operational, and the remaining four were added Thursday amid protests by residents living near the site in South Korea.

Geng told reporters that China had complained to the U.S. and South Korea and urged them to "take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and other regional countries."

The U.S. and South Korea should "immediately stop the deployment process and withdraw relevant equipment," Geng said.

China's opposition to the THAAD deployment has sent formerly strong relations with South Korea into a tailspin, cutting deeply into the crucial economic relationship between the two countries.

South Korean carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. said its China plant halted operation due to a supply disruption on Tuesday, its second shutdown in China in less than a month.

While China has not discussed military planning for a crisis on the Korean Peninsula with the U.S. or others, its defense ministry reported that the armed forces carried out drills in nearby waters two days after North Korea said it exploded a hydrogen bomb on Sunday.

The ministry said the exercise in the Bohai Gulf was aimed at "boosting the forces expulsion mission capability" and not at any specific nations or targets, according to a statement posted on the ministry's official Sina Weibo microblog account. The ministry said the exercises had been planned well in advance.

China has repeatedly said it will not tolerate an armed conflict on its doorstep and that there can be no military solution to the current tensions on the Korean Peninsula.

The Bohai Gulf lies just west of the Yellow Sea, which separates China from the Korean Peninsula.
Airlines are canceling many Florida flights that are in the path of Hurricane Irma as it approaches the U.S. East Coast, on track to hit Florida by early Sunday.

American Airlines says it will begin wind down operations in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, Sarasota and West Palm Beach by Friday afternoon and cancel flights through the weekend. The airline has canceled more than 2,000 flights Sept. 7-11.

JetBlue Airways said Wednesday afternoon that it had canceled about 130 flights.

United said in a statement that it offered additional flights out of Florida on Thursday and Friday to allow more customers to leave the area.



American, JetBlue, United and Delta also offered waivers letting customers change travel plans to Florida and the Caribbean without the usual charges for changing a ticket. Dates and covered locations varied.

Some airlines are even altering prices for customers fleeing Florida. JetBlue told Yahoo Finance it will charge a maximum of $99 up to the last available seat for direct flights and a maximum of $159 up to the last available seat for connecting flights, including government taxes.

American Airlines said in a statement it would cap pre-tax fares out of Florida for direct, single-leg flights at $99 in the main cabin.

Delta is reducing the price level of its highest fares, a spokesman told Yahoo Finance.

United said in a statement it "did not change how we priced our seats for flights out of Florida," but added that for the additional flights the airline added, fares were reduced "beyond what a regular last minute fare would be."

FlightAware.com reported that about 170 flights, roughly two-thirds of those scheduled, were canceled by late Wednesday afternoon at Luis Munoz Marin Airport International Airport near San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Cancellations at Miami International Airport were minimal on Wednesday but already topped 300 flights for Friday, according to the tracking service.
With Hurricane Irma now a Category 5, people in Connecticut are now worried about their loved ones who may be in the storms path.

Melinda Echevarria, of East Hartford, spoke with NBC Connecticut minutes after she spoke with her mother, Janette Hernandez, who lives in Yabocoa, Puerto Rico.

Even though the eye is expected to remain north of Puerto Rico, its still a dangerous storm. Echevarria has been on the phone with her mother constantly.

Because of the way the lines, the phone lines go in Puerto Rico, its going to be hard to reach anybody so its going to be a lot of unknowing, a lot of waiting to hear from her to see if shes OK, she said. And all we have is to watch the news and see if we can get a glimpse of whats going on over there.

Melinda said her mother will stay inside the home as Irma passes.

Its kind of hard on an island because you have nowhere to go, she said.

Its too early to know if Irma will make a direct hit on South Florida, where Danbury native Kemar Tucker lives. NBC Connecticut caught up with him at Bradley International Airport. He was visiting the state to see his friends.

I live right by the water, as well, in Ft. Lauderdale so thats a big concern. We already started stocking up on water there. My family is still there. So I hope they are fine while Im gone for a minute.

Tucker is supposed to leave on Sunday, but that could change depending on Irmas direction.

Obviously I dont want to be stuck here for an extended period of time because thats kind of concerning, he said.

Shelley Sweeney, a native of Watertown who lives in Miami, was picked up by her mother Janice today.

Sweeney will head back to Miami on Thursday and has no idea where she and her family would go.

I dont know. It depends on what the path is going to be, said Sweeney. I may get down there and wish I was here but I dont know if Im going to able to because they close all the airports, so Im really not sure whats going to happen.

She has to do what she needs to do, but of course Id like her to stay, said Sweeneys mother, Janice Pond.
Some of Connecticuts Latino lawmakers are planning a series of events for Hurricane Irma relief.

New Britain Representative Robert Sanchez has family all over Puerto Rico. While they dodged a direct hit from Irma, the cash-strapped nation could have a tough time cleaning up any flood or wind damage.

"We sat around the table and we said what can we do to help our island," Sanchez said.

The goal of the fundraisers is to ease any financial burden the storm may bear. Still waiting on an updated status from her own relatives, Representative Minnie Gonzalez said the hope to raise funds fast and distribute them effectively.

"We want to be sure that if we collect $5, Puerto Rico will receive five dollars," Gonzalez said.

The first event will take place Saturday, Sept. 9 at the New Britain Puerto Rican Festival.

Other events are scheduled on the following:

New Haven

Grand Avenue & Ferry Street

Sept. 16

Waterbury

East Main Street

Sept. 23

Hartford

Park Street

Sept. 30

Bridgeport

TBA

New London

TBA
'ASIAN' = MUSLIM 99% OF THE TIME





The politically correct term 'Asian' is used by the leftist UK media as a way to cast suspicion on a wider group of people and take some of the negative attention away from the group usually responsible for committing the heinous acts.

A perfect example would be the Muslim grooming gang epidemic which are constantly referred to by the press and authorities as 'Asian' grooming gangs.

It isn't people from China, Japan or any Far Eastern Asian place.

Nor is it Sikhs, Hindus, Buddhists,Christians Etc....

They are Muslims!!!!
An Essex attorney who is accused of stealing nearly $300,000 from clients and fleeing to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico and San Diego, California has been arrested in Connecticut and charged with embezzlement.

Police said the attorney, 72-year-old John Carta Jr., of Essex, transferred nearly $300,000 from a client fund account to his own accounts instead of paying the clients title insurance for property in Essex.

The investigation started in March and the San Diego County sheriffs department took Carta into custody on Aug. 17, with help from U.S. marshals, while he was trying to re-enter the country, according to state police.

He waived extradition and was brought back to Connecticut to answer to a first-degree larceny charge.

He was held on a $50,000 cash-only bond.
David Lopez already planned on traveling to Connecticut for his family to meet his new newborn baby, but he never anticipated he'd be leaving behind his Florida home to potentially one of the strongest storms to hit the area.

"We boarded everything up, we got water just in case because I don't know what I'm going to face when I go back," Lopez said.

While many travelers are thankful to be on Northeastern ground, passengers like Moses Harvin are headed toward Hurricane Irma to check on family.

"Make sure everything is secure and then we will hunker down for the storm," Harvin said.

Others like Lillian Smith have family in Connecticut flying them away from Florida and out of harms way.



"We didn't make the decision, my daughter did," Smith said. "She bought the tickets already, she said, 'You're going because I already got the tickets'," Smith said.

Smith is leaving behind her dog and cat at a kennel and moving her photo albums to higher ground.

"We didn't board anything up," Smith said.

As the travelers count down the days until Irma could hit their home state, they know theres only so much they can do until they know how the hurricane plays out.

"I've been a little stressed out over there so I want to relax I'll start my stress on Tuesday when it's time to come," Lopez said.
As Hurricane Irma inches closer to Florida, many islands in the Caribbean have been left with catastrophic damage.

Some of the places hit worst include Anguilla, Barbuda and St. Maarten.

NBC Connecticut spoke with a Hartford family, originally from St. Maarten, who is anxiously awaiting word from their loved ones on the island.

"I lived there for almost 10 years. I know the place very well. And pictures Ive seen- its just heartbreaking," Elon Munroe said.

Munroe and his cousin, Melissa Clarke, spoke to NBC Connecticut on the same day the Dutch Government confirmed that Hurricane Irma caused devastating damage on the former independent Dutch colony: from destroying homes to the Princess Juliana Airport.

The family has been glued to their phones since Sunday, which is the last time they heard from Elons sister-in-law and niece or Melissas brother.

"I try to call them, but I aint getting through to them because maybe the power down or something," Clarke said.

The pair is trying their best to keep busy by working inside Elons cellphone repair shop in Hartford. Their family is on the Dutch side of the island in the town of Saint Peters.

"I know my wifes sister is going to the fire station shelter. But thats the last we hear from them. After that, we cant get through to them," Munroe said.

"Calling, calling, calling. Every day I try to call," said Clarke. "The last thing I texted him was, are you good? Are you safe? But no reply."
One of the things that cleanup crews will need as the recovery from Hurricane Harvey begins is dumpsters.

A Killingworth company is hoping to meet some of that need and getting a head start on the cleanup efforts by shipping thousands of their product, the Bull Bag, to areas of Texas impacted by the storm.

The Bull Bag, a collapsible dumpster thats soft-sided and easy to transport. Thousands of bags are headed to Texas for the Hurricane Harvey aftermath during the first week of September.

Who knows in a disaster how long its going to take to get a traditional dumpster, Paul DiSpazio, northeastern general manager for Bull Bag, said.

The company is preparing to ship about 5-thousand of the bags which can hold up to 4,500 pounds of debris; Things like drywall, sheetrock and all of the water-logged elements that made up the countless homes flooded by the storm.

The company is sending their trucks like this one down south to pick up the bags when theyre full. DiSpazio said theyre making the trip because theres a good chance local dumpster businesses cant.

The dumpster companies that are down there who knows what happened to their dumpsters. With the flooding and everything, a lot of trucks and dumpsters couldve been destroyed, the general manager said.

Bull Bags leaders said theyre proud that something made in the nutmeg state will have a hand in helping a region as it begins to rebuild.

One part of their whole business is at a standstill. If they cant get a dumpster, they cant continue to do their work and they cant continue to build these peoples houses so they can get back in, DiSpazio said.

Bull Bag is expecting to hire a team of workers in Texas once theyre on the ground in Houston and San Antonio. Its possible the companys team could be there for several months.
The lifeguard who was on duty while a 5-year-old nearly drowned at Chelsea Piers in Stamford on Aug. 3 was arrested on Wednesday, police said.

Stamford firefighters responded to the scene at Chelsea Piers' Splash Zone on Blackley Road at 12:37 p.m.

Zachary Stein, who was one of three lifeguards on duty, had pulled the boy from the water and were performing patient care upon firefighters' arrival.

Officials found that the child was unconscious but breathing on his own before transporting him to Stamford Hospital.



The 23-year-old lifeguard was assigned to the pool where the incident occurred.

Video shows that the child was under water for about four minutes before Stein saw him, police said.

NBC Connecticut reached out to Stamford police after the press release was sent out and they said they do not believe the boy's parents were present.



The Stamford Police Department collaborated with the Attorneys Office and a warrant was issued for Stein, of New Canaan.

Stein turned himself in on Wednesday for reckless endangerment and risk of injury to a minor.

He was released on his own recognizance and is scheduled to appear in court on Sept. 19 in Stamford.



The 5-year-old victim "is home and shows signs of an excellent recovery," Stamford police said.
A Milford, Connecticut man who stabbed a high school classmate to death after she rejected his prom invitation has agreed to settle a wrongful death lawsuit filed by the victim's mother.

A court document says 20-year-old Christopher Plaskon and his parents reached agreements with Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez. Details have not been disclosed, and the settlement still needs to be approved in a probate court.

Plaskon fatally stabbed 16-year-old Maren Sanchez in a hallway of Jonathan Law High School in Milford on the morning of April 25, 2014, the day of the prom. Plaskon was 16 at the time. He was sentenced to 25 years in prison last year after pleading no contest to murder.

A lawsuit against the city of Milford and its school board remains pending.
A man is dead after an uprooted tree came down and landed on the car he was driving in New London Wednesday morning, according to the New London's acting police chief, Peter Reichard.

The incident happened on Pequot Avenue around 10 a.m. as storms moved through and Reichard said the driver was pronounced dead at the scene.

The driver was later identified as Arthur Falconi, 65, of New London.

Neighbors said Falconi was there to transport a man to a medical appointment.

The other man was in the back seat of the car when the tree came down. He was trapped in the vehicle but only suffered a scratch.



Eugene Gibson lives in an apartment on Pequot Avenue and rushed over to help when he saw what happened, but the driver did not have a pulse. He then tried to help the 25-year-old man trapped in the backseat, but the man said he could not move.

Fire responders were able to free the passenger and transported him to Lawrence & Memorial Hospital. His injuries were minor, described as a scratch, and he was released from the hospital.

Fire officials said several trees are down on Pequot Avenue. Reichard said a building on Pequot Avenue was struck by lightning and no injuries are reported.
The city of Hartford could have to file for bankruptcy if the state fails to pass a budget or doesn't provide additional state funding, according to the mayor, treasurer, and president of the court of common council, and they are calling on the state to step in and help get the city on the right path.

Mayor Luke Bronin, Treasurer Adam Cloud and Court of Common Council President Thomas Clarke II wrote a letter to the governor and state legislative leaders Thursday alerting them to the dire financial situation the capital city is in.

They said the city will not be able to meet its financial obligations in around 60 days if there is no state budget.

For the past year, we have highlighted the urgency of Hartfords fiscal crisis. The time has come to decide, together, what future we want for our Capital City. If the State fails to enact a budget and continues to operate under the Governors current executive order, the City of Hartford will be unable to meet its financial obligations in approximately sixty days. If there is no budget or additional State funding in place at that time, we anticipate seeking authority to file Chapter 9, the city leaders wrote.

The Hartford officials said that over the last 18 months they have already done what other cities and towns are thinking about doing, including using their fund balance, enacting a large number of layoffs and cutting services.

They added that they cannot make cuts to get out of the fiscal crisis and they cannot tax their way out.

Our property taxes on commercial property are the highest in the State and may be the highest in the nation. With a mill rate of 74.29, our long-term growth and sustainability depends on reducing, not raising, the property tax, city leaders wrote.

The mayor, treasurer, and president of the court of common council laid out what they consider to be options fior the state to help the city.

Connecticut would be the first State in the nation to have its Capital City go bankrupt. We want to avoid bankruptcy, if possible  and filing for bankruptcy because the State has failed to adopt a budget, rather than because we have collectively determined that it is the best way to achieve sustainability, would be a sad commentary on the States budgetary gridlock. That said, a well-planned bankruptcy is a tool that can be used to address long-term liabilities like debt and pension obligations. If we are unable to find an alternative path to sustainability together, then we should all be prepared to use that tool rather than condemn Hartford and the Greater Hartford region to a future of decline, Bronin, Cloud and Clarke wrote.

Meg Green, a spokesperson for Gov. Dannel Malloy released a statement Thursday afternoon.

We could not agree more with the urgency of the situation, particularly for the City of Hartford. With rising fixed costs, eroding revenues, and limited powers, executive authority does not provide flexibility for allotting funds in the absence of a budget passed by the General Assembly. Inaction was not an option and we needed to sharply reduce spending in many areas  including spending that we all agree is important and worthwhile, such as municipal aid. We recognize this is difficult for the municipalities as many communities will face cash shortfalls if we continue forward without a state budget. We continue to hope to have a full budget adopted by October to mitigate the harm and avoid having towns or cities go through reorganization, Green said in an emailed statement.
Getting morning severe thunderstorms in southeastern Connecticut is not terribly unusual. There have been other example of storms racing north from Long Island and causing mischief in New London County and South County, Rhode Island. Today's storms were no exception.

The storm was not preceded by an official warning for some reason but we knew these storms looked like trouble. Prior to the storm's arrival we began streaming coverage and sending out social media messages for people to watch out.

What was so concerning to us was the extreme velocities being picked up by doppler radar. A "bowing segment" was accompanied by winds over 80 mph at the bow's apex several thousand feet above the ground. In essence, the strong winds in the storm were forcing the storm to bow out or race forward.

In fact, as this storm moved over Groton it produced a 95 mph wind gust on the north crane at Electric Boat. Just nearby, you can see the incredible display on a street corner as the winds picked up, transformers blew, and trees snapped below.

The storm was a classic morning severe weather event along the shoreline. Very moist and humid air with a somewhat unstable atmosphere (CAPE values of about 1,000 j/kg indicate some instability). Above the ground very strong winds produced strong shear values which allowed storms to organize and mix some of this high momentum air to the ground. This was maximized near the bow segment's apex which tracked from Waterford into New London, Groton, and Ledyard.

The weather balloon launch (pictured above) from Long Island shows the instability and strong winds throughout the atmosphere. The lack of a stable layer (inversion) at the surface allowed winds to mix readily to the surface.

Sadly, 1 man was killed when a tree fell on his car. This narrow band of destructive winds moved through a populated part of the state knocking down trees and wires in too many neighborhoods to count.
Start packing your bags for Europe, but be sure to pack light.

Beginning in May 2018, seasonal non-stop service to Reykjavik, Iceland, begins from Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport on WOW air, Iceland's low-cost carrier.

"We think Dallas is a great destination in its own right," said Skuli Mogensen, CEO and founder of WOW air.

WOW air will become the first international low-cost carrier to fly from D/FW Airport, offering three flights a week to Reykjavik. Tickets will cost just $99 to Iceland and $149 to Paris, London and five other cities in Europe served by the airline.

"I fully expect Dallas be a success, and assuming it is, then we will increase capacity and expand the flight period," Mogensen said.

The airline will use the Airbus A330 aircraft for the flights, with seating for 340 passengers.

Two domestic ultra low-cost carriers, Spirit and Frontier, already fly out of D/FW Airport, and pricing on WOW is similar.

"You get one personal item for free, you pay for the other carry-on, you pay for checked baggage, you pay for seats, you pay for meals," said Steve Cosgrove, with Dynamic Travel & Cruises, who predicts other European low-cost airlines may soon follow to D/FW.

"They'll be watching it to see how successful it is and how it does. And, if so, then yeah, they'll be adding flights, and that's going to put pressure on American, British Air, Lufthansa and the other carriers out of there from a low-cost perspective," Cosgrove said.

WOW's service to D/FW begins May 24, 2018.
Apart from hosting and possible maintenance costs, there are not exactly downsides to having your own website. Even if its just a personal blog it can always become more useful down the line, if you utilize it in the right manner. In other words, more
Sheriff's officials in Arizona say they've arrested an elementary school principal after an investigation into online ads soliciting teen girls to go skinny dipping.

Four Peaks Elementary School Principal Karl Judd Waggoner was arrested on charges of luring a minor Tuesday. Officials say an undercover officer posing as a 14-year-old girl engaged Waggoner in an online conversation after spotting one of the ads.

Waggoner allegedly engaged in sexually inappropriate conversations and discussed engaging in sex acts with the undercover detective.

Sheriff Mark Lamb says in a statement that the 59-year-old educator was still posting online ads seeking underage girls this weekend. The sheriff says Waggoner spent decades teaching middle and high-school students in Texas and deputies are checking for victims there.

It's unclear if Waggoner has an attorney.
Some of those in the path of Hurricane Irma are seeking refuge with family in North Texas.

Those family members eagerly awaited loved ones at DFW Airport on Wednesday.

Im relieved that shes coming home, said Kevin Fischer.

Fischer was in Terminal C waiting on his wife who had been visiting her parents in Puerto Rico.

She was on the last flight bound for DFW out of San Juan.

Karen Maytan waited for her mother-in-law to arrive from Miami as well.

Her mother was also on her way to North Texas from her home in Homestead, Florida.

Andrew came through in 1992 and it was hard and I just dont want them there by themselves, Maytan.

Allison Findlay also arrived on the Miami flight with her baby boy.

They live in Key West and came to stay with her parents near Fort Worth.

[Im] scared because my husbands still there, she said.

Nick Harvey was on vacation in Puerto Rico.

I think we were on one of the last flights out, he said. Its crazy how quickly you go from panicking to not a worry in the world. I hope everyone there is safe.

Lisbeth Fischer was overcome with emotion when her husband greeted her at baggage claim.

I just texted my mom. She said they have rain now and some winds, said Fischer.

The spokesman for DFW Airport urges passengers or those with family in the affected regions trying to take flights out of harms way, to keep a close watch on their airlines online.

Flights can and will likely be affected in the coming days.
A 20-year-old Massachusetts man accused of stabbing and killing his brother during a fight over the family's Wi-Fi connection was ordered held without bail at his arraignment Wednesday.

Showing no emotion, Timothy Record stood in front of the judge wearing a suit jacket, no shoes and pajama pants while he pleaded not guilty to the murder of his older brother, Nathan, at their family's Leominster home on Lakeshore Drive just before 7:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

Police, after spending the night examining the crime scene, said the 23-year-old victim was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Although Timothy Record's attorney wouldn't comment on a motive, court documents show a physical fight broke out between Record and his older brother over the use of devices overwhelming the Wi-Fi that culminated in the defendant grabbing a kitchen knife and using it to stab Nathan Record in the chest.

"I would say the family is in mourning at this point," defense attorney Blake Rubin said. "That's probably the best way to describe their situation. Very sad, very tragic."

Rubin added that the brothers lived with their mother and stepfather.

Record was wearing blue, jail-issued clothing as he was escorted into the courthouse Wednesday morning.

He's due back in court on Oct. 6 for a status hearing.

The investigation into Nathan Record's stabbing death is ongoing.
A temporary restraining order (TRO) preventing the city of Dallas from removing a statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee from Lee Park was lifted Thursday, clearing the way for the statue's removal.

A hearing was held Thursday afternoon in U.S. District Judge Sidney Fitzwater's courtroom, hours after the city filed a response to the TRO saying the plaintiff's rights were not violated, that due process was not denied and that removing the statue does not cause them due harm.[[290815791, R]]

"It's a part of history, and history can be good, bad, and the ugly. Tearing it down doesn't make the ugly go away," said statue supporter Beth Biesel.

Outside the hearing, John Lee, a great-great-grandson of Gen. Lee, accused the city of violating original restrictions on the statue.



"The city of Dallas does not hold title to that statue, OK? And they have taken that statue from the citizens of Dallas," Lee said.

The judge ruled against the plaintiffs on all of their claims.

[[443158093,C]]

"I think the judge's ruling today recognized the legality and appropriateness of the process, and as we move forward we'll continue to remain open and transparent," Dallas City Attorney Larry Casto said.

Opponents said the statue represents Confederate issues that Dallas no longer wants publicly displayed.



"It's a clear message of white supremacy. It's time that we take the moral high ground and proclaim to all of our youth and all of our families that we're all one," said Larry James, with the Dallas non-profit group CitySquare.

It is not yet clear when the city will remove the statue, but Thursday's court ruling gives the city clear authority to do so.

"We will allow some time to get ourselves together and begin to determine what the next move will be. The statue will eventually be removed. When? We will not be able to say at this point," Councilman Dwaine Caraway said.

Overnight, Dallas police officers were seen guarding the statue of Confederate General Robert E. Lee at Lee Park in Oak Lawn.

Mayor's Task Force Discusses Next Step for Statues, Parks



Thursday night, the Mayor's Task Force on Confederate Monuments met to discuss what's next for statues, parks and streets in Dallas that bear the names of Confederate figures.

"We're not here to destroy history. We're not here to erase history," said Task Force Chair Frances Cudjoe Waters. "We're here to make some decisions in 2017."

Among those decisions, the Task Force recommended changing the name of Robert E. Lee Park. If that recommendation is followed, the park would revert to its original placeholder name of Oak Lawn Park until a permanent name is chosen.

The task force also talked about whether Confederate Cemetery in South Dallas should be renamed.

"That isn't really glorification of what those people fought for," said Task Force member Buddy Apple. "It's a place where they are buried."

[[443101263,C]]

"Renaming that cemetery can preserve it while at the same time reflecting where the city can and needs to go, if we do not want to re-fight the Civil War," said Task Force member Dr. Frederick Haynes.

The Mayor's Task Force on Confederate Monuments will meet again Sept. 15 at 2 p.m. to discuss streets in Dallas named after Confederate figures.

Dallas City Council Votes to Remove Lee Statue

The City Council voted 13-1 Wednesday morning to immediately remove the statue. City crews arrived at Lee Park a short time later and began preparing the statue for removal. At about 4:30 p.m., word of the TRO had been received, and work at the site stopped.

Workers were having trouble with the job when they stopped.

"It's been installed since 1936. Who knows what to expect," Caraway said.

Hiram Patterson and members of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans filed the TRO lawsuit Wednesday. Patterson later told NBC 5, "It's a historical figure. I don't believe in taking down historical figures, right or wrong, for what they did."

Gary Bray, the former commander of the Texas Division of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, raced to deliver the TRO and stop the statue's removal.

"The monument means a lot to me," Bray said. "Had to hit that first line of police and tell them I had an order from the judge."

The city plans to store the Lee statue at Hensley Field, the former Dallas Naval Air Station, while a Mayor's Task Force discusses options for a future location.

"It will not be destroyed," Caraway said. "It's very important that folks know, this will be stored."

Before the TRO was announced Wednesday, Lee Park and the Arlington Hall Conservancy issued a statement supporting the council's decision to move the city-owned statue while bringing up what to do with the signature corner once the statue is gone.

The Conservancy stands ready to work with the City on the next generation for one of the most treasured parks in Dallas. This statue is owned by the City, not the Conservancy. We are entrusted with the parks beautification and maintenance, and over twenty years, the Conservancy has helped build a solid foundation and created a true urban oasis.

There are a couple of important issues for this transition. First, there are established and lengthy protocols for park naming. We are hoping that process can be expedited, and the Council will simply return the parks moniker to Oak Lawn Park which was the original designation of the property when the park was established in the early 1900s. Secondly, the monuments departure will leave a prominent, signature corner empty; its a vacancy we will need to address. Overall, our board is committed to the preservation of what we call a mini-Arboretum that is close to thousands of homeowners and businesses. Finally, we do applaud the Councils commitment to make this decision a healing cornerstone and a positive for our collective future.

Judge Grants Temporary Restraining Order and Dallas Responds to TRO



[[442933423,C]]

Dallas Responds to TRO

[[443059583,C]]

NBC 5's Ken Kalthoff, Ben Russell and Noelle Walker contributed to this report.


Scientists assessing long-term efforts to eradicate invasive ants on the Channel Islands off the Southern California coast have enlisted a four-legged expert to make sure a project to kill off the destructive pests has succeeded.

A yellow Labrador named Tobias has lived for three months with a handler on Santa Cruz Island. The specially trained dog keeps its snout to the ground, rooting through more than 1.6 square miles (4.1 square kilometers) of underbrush, searching for nests of Argentine ants that threatened the ecosystem after they were introduced decades ago.

Christina Boser, an ecologist with the Nature Conservancy group, said Tuesday that Tobias has not yet discovered any new ant populations  a sign that a project started in 2009 to wipe out the unwanted insects has probably worked.

"The ants are very hard to find," said Boser, adding that researchers decided to try a detection dog after first using lures made with a synthetic ant pheromone. "He's good at his job, and he enjoys it a lot."

Researchers speculate the ants arrived in the Channel Islands more than 30 years ago when boats used by contractors did work there.

Boser researchers have not destroyed several old nests to make sure Tobias has something to sniff out so he can get his work reward: A favorite ball.

Argentine ants found in the country and in other South American nations have crossed borders and bedeviled homeowners and farmers along the U.S. West Coast for decades.

In a protected environment like Santa Cruz Island, part of Channel Islands National Park, the tiny pests aggressively compete with local ants for nectar, Boser said. Ultimately they can prevent bees from pollinating flowers  stopping seed production and killing off plant species, she said.

Starting seven years ago, teams began using helicopters to distribute beads containing a low dose of pesticide mixed with sugar water across infested areas of the islands northwest of Los Angeles. Seduced by the sweetness, foraging worker ants gobbled up the bait and headed back to their nests, where they poisoned ant queens. Without queens, the colonies eventually died off.

"We're now at the point that we're going back in there to see if it worked," Boser said.

The fact that Tobias' searches are coming up empty gives scientists hope, she said, but it will take further study of long-term data for them to declare the ants "functionally eradicated."

Tobias, owned by the Working Dogs For Conservation group, previously sniffed out invasive quagga mussels at a lake in Montana.

When the stint on Santa Cruz Island ends, the dog will eventually be dispatched for the same ant-sniffing job on San Clemente Island, the southernmost link in the Channel Islands chain.

"We're happy to keep him working, and he's happy to do it," Boser said.
Members of the Los Angeles Fire Department preparing to return from Texas after assisting with Hurricane Harvey rescue efforts were redeployed to Alabama to prepare for Hurricane Irma Wednesday.

More than 70 members of LAFD who were deployed as part of a Federal Emergency Management Agency Urban Search & Rescue Task Force were deployed to Texas on Aug. 27 in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey.

Known as FEMA's California Task Force 1, the team rescued people, pets and livestock in the storm-battered region.

Several crews from the Los Angeles County Fire Department returned from Texas on Wednesday, but members of the Los Angeles City Fire Department are preparing to aid victims of Hurricane Irma.

"A lot of members today had to tell their loved ones we're changing course, we're heading back," LACFD Chief Carlos Cavillo said. "It was harder on the home front than for members on the team."

The team was demobilized on Tuesday and began making plans to return to Los Angeles, but was rerouted to Montgomery, Alabama, on Wednesday, to stage in preparation for a response to damage caused by Hurricane Irma, the department said.

CA-TF1 is expected to arrive in Alabama around midnight on Sept. 7.

"The team is rested, in good spirits and prepared to continue helping those in need," a department news release stated.
Two Florida airports on Thursday announced they will halt operations in advance of Hurricane Irma.

Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport will suspend operations on Friday, wih the last flight departing at 7:45 p.m. The airport will be closed Saturday and Sunday.

The Orlando International Airport will close at 5 p.m. Saturday.

Meanwhile, airlines were adding last-minute flights out of Florida after people snapped up seats to escape Hurricane Irma.

American, United and Delta all said Thursday that they were adding flights leaving from South Florida in the next couple days.

Some airlines capped their fares amid reports of price-gouging. Hotel rooms in northern Florida were reportedly booking up quickly, and some gas stations ran out of fuel.

More than 4,000 flights have already been canceled through Saturday in the Caribbean and Florida, according to FlightAware.com. The storm is expected to hit Florida over the weekend.

Until then, extra flights will help a few thousand people beat the hurricane out of town.

American Airlines said it added 16 flights from Miami to Dallas, New York and Philadelphia  a total of 3,600 seats.

The airline said it would shut down after Friday in Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and West Palm Beach and on Saturday afternoon in Orlando and cancel flights the rest of the weekend.

A JetBlue spokesman said flights leaving Florida through next Wednesday were sold out.

United was sold out through Friday and added six flights, according to a spokesman. United expected to cancel most flights to and from southern Florida from Saturday through Monday.

Delta Air Lines had seats on "very few flights" in South Florida but more at airports farther north including central Florida, said spokesman Anthony Black.

Delta said it was adding flights and would use larger planes to add more than 2,000 seats for passengers in Irma's path in Florida  including Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando  and the Bahamas and the Dominican Republic.

Southwest Airlines said it would cancel all flights in Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers and West Palm Beach from Friday evening though Sunday, and suspend Orlando flights Saturday afternoon. The airline extended cancellations in Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic through Friday and scrubbed flights in Cuba and the Bahamas Friday and Saturday.

Before selling out, JetBlue had capped fares on Florida flights at $99 to $159 each way. American capped prices at $99 in economy and $199 for premium one-way through Sept. 17, a spokesman said.

Some passengers have gone on social media this week to accuse airlines of exorbitant price hikes ahead of the storm.

Steve MacQueen, artistic director of a performing-arts center in Burlington, Vermont, said he was shocked to pay $1,725 to fly his 87-year-old mother from Fort Myers to Charlotte, North Carolina  under two hours  on Thursday.

"I understand when you buy at the last minute the price is always ghastly," he said in an interview. "I was expecting to pay $700, not $1,725."

A public relations consultant said a Delta ticket from Miami to Phoenix on Expedia for her friends' daughter jumped from $547 to more than $3,200.

Expedia spokeswoman Sarah Gavin said her company couldn't replicate the woman's story because one of the flights had sold out. She said it's likely that the first ticket was economy on both legs but that the higher price included a flight in pricier business class after economy sold out.

On any given flight, airlines sell batches of tickets with different restrictions and prices. They use algorithms to adjust prices constantly based on supply and demand. Usually the lower fares sell out first, and that happened quickly this week with flights leaving Florida, Gavin said.

Meanwhile, Amtrak announced it will temporarily suspend services in Florida.

The Silver Star Train 92 and Silver Meteor Train 98 (Miami - New York City) are canceled for Sept. 9-11. The Silver Star Train 91 and Silver Meteor Train 97 are canceled for Sept. 8-10.

The Auto Train 53 (Lorton, Va. - Sanford, Fla.) is canceled for Friday, Sept.8, and Saturday, Sept. 9. The Auto Train 52 (Sanford, Fla. - Lorton, Va.) is canceled on Sept. 9-11.

Before some airlines capped fares, checks on travel search engines showed rapid increases in flights out of Miami, with some tickets costing more than $1,000. Travel site Kayak said earlier this week that its analysis showed prices for last-minute departures from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and Orlando rose more than 25 percent from last week, when they were in the mid $300s.

Two Democrats in the U.S. Senate, Richard Blumenthal of Connecticut and Edward Markey of Massachusetts, asked for a federal investigation.

"Price gouging practices can take root during emergencies, so we further urge you to keep a close and watchful eye on airlines over the coming week to ensure airlines are not trying to make a dime off disaster," the senators said in a letter to Transportation Secretary Elaine Chao.

The airlines denied price-gouging.

George Hobica, founder of airfarewatchdog.com, said he checked several routes and did not believe that prices were out of line for last-minute tickets, which almost always cost more.

"I don't think airlines would be dumb enough to consciously gouge passengers in a crisis," he said.
Two radio motor patrol officers riding in a NYPD police car were injured Wednesday night when a vehicle speeding away from a crime scene barreled into them in Brooklyn, officials say.

Around 10:30 p.m., a plain clothed officer and sergeant were on foot in the area of Saratoga and Howard avenues in Bed-Stuy when they heard approximately four shots being fired, according to police.

The two officers then noticed a dark-colored Nissan sedan with North Carolina plates speeding down the street, officials said. The sergeant attempted to stop the speeding car on MacDonough Street using hand gestures, but the driver ignored his signals and kept driving.

A short time later, the Nissan t-boned the RMP vehicle, which was traveling on Ralph Avenue and had a steady green light, police said. The RMP vehicle was on routine patrol and was not responding to a call, according to the NYPD.

The two injured RMP officers were taken to an area hospital to be treated for their injuries. They are there in stable condition.

Two men were inside the Nissan when it crashed, cops said. The 29-year-old and a 19-year-old were both taken to an area hospital in stable condition. Police have not charged the duo.

Police said a .40-caliber handgun was found on the ground at the scene of the crash. They said .40-caliber shell casings were found at the original scene and matched the gun.

Video from the scene shows the wrecked cruiser on the sidewalk with its trunk and doors open.

The two plain clothed officers were not injured, according to police.

The investigation continues.
New York's ban on assisted suicide will stand after the state's highest court on Thursday rejected arguments from terminally ill patients who say they should have the right to seek life-ending drugs from a doctor.

The Court of Appeals ruled Thursday that state lawmakers had a rational reason for passing a ban on assisted suicide and that the ban doesn't violate the state constitution.

The case was brought by three people with terminal illnesses. Two have since died. The plaintiffs had argued that the state's existing ban on assisting a suicide shouldn't apply to those seeking merciful ends to incurable illnesses.

The court disagreed, noting that while state law allows terminally ill patients to decline life-sustaining medical assistance, it does not allow anyone to assist in ending patients' lives.

"The assisted suicide statutes apply to anyone who assists an attempted or completed suicide," the court wrote in its unanimous decision. "There are no exceptions."

The decision disappointed groups that have long pushed, unsuccessfully, for legislation that would permit physician-assisted suicide as an option for the terminally ill. They'll try again in January when lawmakers reconvene in Albany.

"We will continue to fight to establish the right to aid in dying in the New York State legislature," said Laurie Leonard, executive director of the group End of Life Choices New York. "So that we can join the six other states and the District of Columbia in which aid in dying is legal."

Critics of proposals to allow physician-assisted suicide were pleased with the ruling.

"The decision is a significant victory for those who would be most at risk of abuse and most susceptible to pressure to take their own lives, including the isolated elderly, persons with disabilities and those who are depressed and overcome with hopelessness," said Kathleen Gallagher of the New York State Catholic Conference.

The bill before lawmakers would allow someone with a terminal illness to request life-ending medication from a physician. Two physicians would have to certify that the patient has a terminal condition and is mentally competent to make the decision. It did not receive a vote last session.

Colorado, Washington, Vermont, California, Oregon and the District of Columbia have laws allowing people to request life-ending medication from physicians. In Montana, a 2009 state Supreme Court decision shielded doctors from prosecution if they help terminally ill patients die.
What to Know A man was shot and killed by police in the Bronx when he advanced on officers with a knife in one hand and kept his other hand hidden

Police were conducting a wellness check at the 31-year-old man's home because his landlord hadn't seen him in some time

The shooting is the first one to be captured on NYPD body cameras, according to officials

A man was shot and killed by police in the Bronx, the first police shooting in New York City captured on official NYPD body cameras, according to police.

Police say officers were called to a Pratt Avenue home Wednesday by a landlord who was concerned that he hadn't seen his tenant in awhile.

When the landlord opened the door to the tenant's apartment, officers found the tenant with a knife in one hand, and his other hand behind his back, according to NYPD Chief of Department Carlos Gomez.

Officers shouted at the man for several minutes, ordering him to drop his knife and asking what was in his other hand, insisting they didn't want to hurt him, Gomez said.

The man would not drop the knife and began to approach the officers. One officer deployed a stun gun on the man, and two other officers opened fire, shooting and killing him.

No officers were injured.

The weapon recovered from the man's other hand turned out to be a fake gun, police said.

Officials say the shooting was all captured on NYPD body cams, which were deployed in April starting in Washington Heights. NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill said at the time the cameras will enhance transparency and accountability.

The suspect has not yet been identified.
UPDATE: Cosmo DiNardo waived his preliminary hearing during a brief appearence.

Two cousins charged with killing four young men on a farm in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, in early July will be in court Thursday for separate preliminary hearings, previously postponed.

Cosmo DiNardo and Sean Kratz, both 20, each face multiple counts of criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide, according to court records. DiNardo is charged with all four of the slayings while Kratz is charged on three.

Bucks County District Attorney's Office via AP

DiNardo allegedly admitted to authorities that he was involved in killing all four men between July 5 and July 7. They were identified as Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County; Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township.

DiNardo is set to appear via video at 11 a.m. Thursday while Kratz is expected to appear in person at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown at 1:30 p.m., the Bucks Cuonty District Attorney's Office said.

Attorney Neils Eriksen, of Langhorne, declined to comment specifically on the proceedings.

Both men are being held without bail.

[PHOTOS]Timeline: Murder of Four Young Men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

DiNardo lawyer Michael Parlow previously said his client gave a "full confession" to police days after an investigation led to DiNardo's arrest after the grim discovery of four bodies at a farm in Solebury.

Investigators believe the victims were killed at the 70-acre property owned by the DiNardo family. It is a few miles outside of the borough of New Hope on the Delaware River.

Bucks County District Attorney's Office

Newtown Township Police, Middletown Township Police

Patrick was shot to death by DiNardo on July 5 as the two were alone on the farm, according to the affidavit. DiNardo told authorities that he and Patrick had arranged to meet on the farm for a marijuana drug deal, but once Patrick had arrived, DiNardo fatally shot him instead. He said he used a backhoe to dig the hole in which he buried Patrick's body.

The other three victims were killed July 7 in two separate incidents at the farm, both of which were under the guise of a drug deal, according to the criminal affidavit.

Kratz and DiNardo had planned to rob Finocchiaro after luring him to the farm, but instead Kratz shot him in the head, the affidavit said. Later in the day, Kratz and DiNardo met up with Sturgis and Meo and shot them to death in a similarly sudden manner, the charging document said.

After killing Finocchiaro, Sturgis and Meo, DiNardo and Kratz put their bodies into a large container  what DiNardo called a "pig roaster"  and burned them using gasoline, according to the affidavit.

All four men's remains, however, were found by law enforcement in a common grave on the property.
Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said that an officer used poor judgment during a deadly June police-involved shooting where the man posed no immediate threat when he was gunned down.

Ross plans to suspend Officer Ryan Pownall for 30 days with the intent to dismiss the officer.



The June 8 shooting along Whitaker Avenue in North Philadelphia that left David Jones dead lasted only about 25 seconds.

Pownall, a 12-year veteran of the police department, shot the 30-year-old Jones in the back and buttocks following a struggle after the officer stopped Jones for riding an illegal dirt bike recklessly, Ross said.

Family Photo

During a pat down, Pownall felt a gun in Jones' waistband, police said.

A witness in back of Pownall's police vehicle watched Pownall pull his service weapon and warn Jones not to touch the gun, police said. The two men then briefly scuffled as Jones turned his back on Pownall and fled, investigators said.

Surveillance video obtained by NBC10 appears to show Jones running away when he was shot.

Pownall shot Jones after clearing a jam in his firearm, Ross said.

Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross wants Officer Ryan Pownall fired after an investigation found that the officer shot David Jones from a distance during a deadly June police stop.

The first attempt to fire was reasonable, Ross said, But, the second and third shots fired from about 10 and 35 feet -- striking Jones -- were not, Ross said.

"Jones was running away from Pownall with nothing in his hands," Ross said.



The witness later told NBC10 that Jones had dropped the gun before running, according to earlier reports. A fully loaded 9 mm handgun was recovered about 5 to 6 feet away.

Jones died at Temple University Hospital.



The shooting had remained under investigation by both police and the Pennsylvania attorney general's office. Earlier, Ross said the department would look into whether protocol was followed.

"Sadly two parallel lanes of poor judgment crossed on that evening," Ross said.

Pownall used poor judgment in making the stop and in not taking cover when Jones broke away from him, Ross said.

"He elected to take aim and take two shots at Jones while he was running away," Ross said.

Jones also used poor judgment by illegally carrying a gun, operating a dirt bike illegally on a city street and field to comply with the officer's orders, Ross said.

Pownall has remained on administrative leave.

Ross said that Pownall failed to show the decision-making and leadership needed in the moment.



Pownall broke department policy by making a traffic stop with a witness in his vehicle, Ross said. Pownall also failed to notify police radio of the traffic stop or call for backup.

It will be up to the district attorney to decide on charges in the case.

Members of Black Lives Matter demonstrated outside the home of a Philadelphia police officer calling for him to be charged in the shooting death of a man. NBC10s Brandon Hudson reports.

Several groups have since demonstrated, demanding answers in the deadly police-involved shooting.

After a Black Lives Matter protest outside Pownall's home, the city police union president called the protesters a "pack of rabid animals."

Ross said some of the protests outside the officer's home were "out of bounds."

Ross said he understands people being upset over Jones' death but said his department needed time to investigate the incident before acting.



Philadelphia Police Department policy directs the release of officers' identities within 72 hours of a police-involved shooting if there is no credible threat against the officer. The policy falls in line with U.S. Department of Justice guidelines.
On an overcast winter day 24 years ago, a worker walking into a brick contracting business in Wyndmoor, Pennsylvania came across a grisly scene: a mans body wrapped in a trash bag.

It was Jan. 21, 1993 when the body of Octavio Hupperterz, father of Temple University killing suspect Josh Hupperterz, was discovered outside the Altomare Sewer Brick Contracting Company along Queen Street, a Philadelphia Inquirer report from the time said.

The 32-year-old died from a gunshot to the back of the head. The 5-foot-9 man had his hands tied behind his back when he was shoved into the garbage bag.

A month later, 4-year-old Josh Hupperterz would learn his father was gone forever after his mother identified the body.



Sources tell NBC10 that investigators believed the elder Hupperterz, who lived in Philadelphias Germantown section, was killed at another location and his body dumped in Montgomery County.

His murder remains unsolved.

Kate Delano, spokeswoman for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, stopped short in calling the case cold, saying that investigators are "always working all outstanding murder cases."

The fatal shooting wasnt the first time Octavio Hupperterz ended up on the wrong end of a gun barrel. A Inquirer report from October 1989 said he took the brunt of a shotgun shell to the stomach as he walked into his home along the 5100 block of Pulaski Avenue. He was returning home from work as manager of Splash, a restaurant in Center City.

The shooting left Hupperterz critically hurt, but he survived only to be gunned down three years later.



While Octavio Hupperterzs killer remains at large, the mans son is confined to a Philadelphia jail cell.

Police contend the 29-year-old murdered Temple student Jenna Burleigh inside his apartment just off the university's North Philadelphia campus early Thursday. The 22-year-old's body was then stuffed in a plastic storage bin and transported to Wayne County, Pennsylvania in the trunk of a Lyft ride-hailing car, sources said.

Josh Hupperterz's grandfather discovered Burleigh's body Saturday while doing maintenance in a lakeside shed on the property.



Investigators are looking into whether others were involved in Burleigh's killing.

It's unclear what kind of relationship Josh Hupperterz had with his father.

NBC10 has not yet been able to speak with him or his family about the cases.
Counselors at a college in Oceanside, California are preparing to help any students who may be affected if the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrival, or DACA, is rescinded by President Donald Trump Tuesday.

Two people familiar with Trump's decision making told NBC News that the president was preparing to announce an end to the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA program, but with a six-month delay.



"Its frustrating," said MiraCosta College counselor Sinar Lomeli.

Lomeli told NBC 7, as of Monday night, educators on campus are continuing to help students per usual until an official announcement from the White House declares a change in the temporary relief program.

She explained she has seen students work extremely hard to pursue an education.

"Some students take two buses and the Sprinter to get here," said Lomeli. "And then two buses and the Sprinter back, and then they have to go to work."

She added that many are financially supporting their families because they are the only members of the family who have legal permits to work.

"Some students, they're the only ones left because their family has been deported and they are working really hard to send money back to their parents," she told NBC 7.

MiraCosta College is providing support and referrals for students who will be affected by the potential change.

Lomeli stressed it's necessary to help those dealing with the fear and concern over the uncertainty of their future.

"The question we get right now is 'What are we going to do?'" said Lomeli.

If need be, Lomeli said the college will hold community forums where the students can get legal information on how to move forward.

A six-month delay would be intended to give Congress time to pass legislation that would address the status of the hundreds of thousands of immigrants covered by the program.

The White House has said Trump's decision would be announced Tuesday. The Justice Department announced late Monday that Attorney General Jeff Session would address the program at a morning briefing.

The program has given nearly 800,000 young immigrants a reprieve from deportation and the ability to work legally in the country in the form of two-year, renewable permits.


What to Know Hurricane Irma is moving through the Caribbean on its way to a possible devastating hit on Florida.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.

National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds may fluctuate, but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two

9/7/17 UPDATE: According to a family friend, the Madsen family is still stranded in the British Virgin Islands.

They are trying to get to St. Thomas so that they can take a flight to Charlotte to stay with family members Monday, and hopefully get back to Scripps Ranch by Tuesday.

However, they said the airport on the island of Tortola where they are has been destroyed in Hurricane Irma. They are not sure if their flight will be canceled.

The family only has access to text messages and are helping local homeless by giving them shelter in their hotel room.

____________________________________________________________

A San Diego-area family survived an extremely crazy night as Hurricane Irmas powerful winds battered the Caribbean.

Jennifer Engels Madsen, her husband John Madsen and her sons Andy Madsen, a Cal Poly student and Ryan Madsen, a UC Davis student are vacationing in the British Virgin Islands.

The Scripps Ranch family rented a boat to hop from tiny island to tiny island on what should have been a dream vacation. However, they spent the last 24 hours seeking refuge on Tortola, the largest of the British Virgin Islands.

Ryan Madsen reached out to NBC 7 on Tuesday, to let us know he and his family were preparing for the approaching hurricane and its Category 5 winds.

The strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever measured has been described as a monster by some experts.



Hours after the storm passed the British Virgin Islands, churchgoers learned the family had survived the night.

Made it through the worst, read the post attributed to Jennifer Engels Madsen. Extremely crazy. A lot of our hotel was destroyed and we took in other displaced people.

She went on to say, Never been through anything so scary in my life.

Members of Canyon Springs Church spent the day Wednesday sharing news about and praying for the Madsen family.



Because of the damage, the family has been able to make only a limited number of phone calls so they are communicating through their church to spread the word to friends and family that they have survived the hurricane.

Pastor Jack Hawkins said because they had planned on spending the vacation on boats, the family didnt have a place to stay. So the Madsens wandered into a hotel, barricaded themselves in a bathroom with mattresses up against the wall and charged their phones before the hurricane hit.

We've just been gathering everyone we can and praying for them and hoping, Hawkins said.

Associate Pastor Paul Murray said the church will be posting updates on its Facebook page.

If we hear anything we're just adding it to our Facebook account so people can know what to be praying for, not just be praying for them but for other people in the same situation," Murray said.

With damage throughout the island, the family is unsure when they will be able to return to California.

The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.


The role of Sean Kratz, the alleged accomplice in three of four slayings that took place at a Bucks County farm in early July, was painted by his attorneys Thursday at an initial hearing as that of surprised bystander to a "massacre."

That's the word he used in describing the shootings, allegedly perpetrated by his cousin Cosmo DiNardo, to detectives in the days after the murders that took place July 5 and July 7 on the DiNardo family estate in Solebury.

DiNardo also had a preliminary hearing Thursday, except he appeared via closed-circuit video from Bucks County Jail.

Both men are being held without bail for the alleged drug deals-turned-murders of Dean Finocchiaro, 19, of Middletown Township; Mark Sturgis, 22, of Pennsburg, Montgomery County; Tom Meo, 21, of Plumstead Township; and Jimi Taro Patrick, 19, of Newtown Township.

Bucks County District Attorney's Office

Newtown Township Police, Middletown Township Police

Kratz, 20, walked with a limp in and out of the courtroom in Doylestown and his lawyers said he suffered serious injuries in an unrelated shooting in Northeast Philadelphia a few months prior to the Bucks County murders.

"Philadelphia police are investigating a shooting in March, which apparently he was shot 19 times," one of his attorneys, Neils Eriksen said following the hearing.

Eriksen, who along with another attorney Craig Penglasse took over as defense lawyers for Kratz last month, said details of that shooting remain unknown.

"We're still trying to figure it out," Eriksen said.

Kratz, of Northeast Philadelphia, and DiNardo, also 20, who lived in Bensalem, each face multiple counts of criminal homicide and conspiracy to commit homicide, according to court records. DiNardo is charged with all four of the slayings while Kratz is charged on three.

One new revelation to come from the hearings is that DiNardo and Kratz, after allegedly shooting Finocchiaro, Meo and Sturgis to death and burning their bodies on July 7, went to Steve's Prince of Steaks in Northeast Philadelphia for a late dinner. Kratz then slept over DiNardo's Bensalem house.

"The evidence will show that they went from the murder scene to go have cheesesteaks," Bucks County Assistant District Attorney Gregg Shore said after the hearings.



Bucks County District Attorney's Office via AP

Another revelation included the fact that the two, described by investigators as cousins, had only known each other for a few weeks or months, according to Bucks County Detective Martin McDonough, who was the only person to testimony at Kratz's preliminary hearing.

McDonough also testified that the day of the alleged killings also was the first time Kratz said he had visited the DiNardo farm.

Kratz, in fact, told McDonough during his initial interviews with police that he threw up after Finocchiaro was shot to death.

While DiNardo confessed to three of the murders in the days after investigators began searching his family's estate in Solebury Township, according to his attorney Michael Parlow in July, he has claimed Kratz took part in the shooting of Finocchiaro. According to testimony Thursday by a Bucks a county detective, Kratz gave a statement that DiNardo pulled the trigger that killed Finocchiaro.

DiNardo spoke in short garbled answers to a judges questions at his hearing.

My lawyer explained it to me and thats what Id like to do, your honor, he said when Common Pleas Judge Maggie Snow asked if DiNardo would like to waive his preliminary hearing in three separate cases.

A couple dozen family members of the victims in the cases were present at the Bucks County Courthouse in Doylestown along with two well-known Philadelphia attorneys representing the Finocchiaro and Meo families in potential future civil litigation.

Attorney Thomas Kline, who is representing the Finocchiaros, described DiNardos appearance and responses on the television screen in the front of the courtroom as odd and awkward.

It was short, Kline said of the hearing. Rather than describe it as short and sweet, I would say it was short and bitter.

He said the Finocchiaros are determined to see DiNardo serve the rest of his life in prison, adding that they remain shocked and saddened.

DiNardo allegedly confessed to the murders in return for the Bucks County District Attorneys promise not to seek the death penalty. DiNardo also provided investigators with the locations of all four young mens bodies on the sprawling 70-plus-acre farm.

Kratz's attorney Neils Eriksen, of Langhorne, declined to comment specifically on the proceedings.

Both men are being held without bail. DiNardo faces a charge of unlawful possession of a weapon, receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing one of his victim's cars and multiple counts of criminal homicide, conspiracy and abuse of a corpse.

[PHOTOS]Timeline: Murder of Four Young Men in Bucks County, Pennsylvania

DiNardo lawyer Michael Parlow previously said his client gave a "full confession" to police days after an investigation led to DiNardo's arrest after the grim discovery of four bodies at a farm in Solebury.

Investigators believe the victims were killed at the 70-acre property owned by the DiNardo family. It is a few miles outside of the borough of New Hope on the Delaware River.

Patrick was shot to death by DiNardo on July 5 as the two were alone on the farm, according to the affidavit. DiNardo told authorities that he and Patrick had arranged to meet on the farm for a marijuana drug deal, but once Patrick had arrived, DiNardo fatally shot him instead. He said he used a backhoe to dig the hole in which he buried Patrick's body.

The other three victims were killed July 7 in two separate incidents at the farm, both of which were under the guise of a drug deal, according to the criminal affidavit.

Kratz and DiNardo had planned to rob Finocchiaro after luring him to the farm, but instead Kratz shot him in the head, the affidavit said. Later in the day, Kratz and DiNardo met up with Sturgis and Meo and shot them to death in a similarly sudden manner, the charging document said.

Kratz initially told police that DiNardo killed all three, that he was not present inside a barn on the property when DiNardo shot Finocchiaro, according to testimony by McDonough at Kratz's preliminary hearing Thursday.

After killing Finocchiaro, Sturgis and Meo, DiNardo and Kratz put their bodies into a large container  what DiNardo called a "pig roaster"  and burned them using gasoline, according to the affidavit.

Three of the men's remains, however, were found by law enforcement in a common grave on the property. A fourth, Patrick, was found in a very remote section of the property.
The Maryland Board of Public Works voted unanimously Wednesday to approve $61 million in budget cuts from Gov. Larry Hogan, a Republican, after abandoning a proposal to level aid in lower-income jurisdictions.

State Treasurer Nancy Kopp said the board heard the public's response to the original budget cuts -- totalling $67 million -- and made changes accordingly, posting them the morning of the meeting. Democrat lawmakers had argued the previous proposal took funding from cash-strapped districts like Prince George's County and Baltimore.

The updated cuts, the board said, are part of an effort to decrease spending ahead of an expected shortfall of $742 million.

"This pattern of overspending is simply unsustainable," said David Brinkley, Maryland's secretary of budget and management.

"We can't forget the fact that we continue to live in very uncertain financial times,'' Comptroller Peter Franchot said. Franchot and Kopp, both Democrats, serve on the Board of Public Works with Hogan. The board is available, when the General Assembly is not in session, to rein in state spending, said Sheila McDonald, the board's executive secretary.

The governor, by law, is not permitted to reduce any appropriation by more than 25 percent. His biggest cut, percent-wise, would have been a 3.6 percent reduction to a type of local aid known as disparity grants. He rescinded about $6 million of these planned disparity grant cuts this week.

Instead, all budget cuts now hover between 0.1 and 2.5 percent. The $61 million in cuts represents a tiny fraction of the state's $43.5 billion budget.

The largest dollar reduction -- $22 million -- hits the Department of Health. But close to half of that number, Brinkley said, comes from $10 million in Medicaid savings due to shorter hospital stays.

In addition, 30 vacant positions at public colleges and universities are being eliminated, saving $8 million, while another $8 million is being cut from the Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services.

Though aid to K-12 public schools is not impacted by the cuts, a planned increase in funding to private colleges under the Sellinger Program, a state formula to distribute aid to private, nonprofit colleges, has been sliced in half -- from $4 million to $2 million. (Though the program itself is still getting $48 million, according to the Department of Budget and Management.)

State officials will likely release a forecast of Maryland's finances in late September, when the Board of Revenue Estimates gives its report on tax collections. That forecast often influences budget decisions in the General Assembly when the legislative session reconvenes in the winter

In other action:
Members of a multi-racial coalition of faith, student and community activists from Charlottesville, Virginia, arrived in D.C. Wednesday after a march in response to what they call President Donald Trump's failure to confront the white supremacy on display at a violent rally in the Virginia city earlier this month.

The March to Confront White Supremacy arrived at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial about 4 p.m.after a 10-day, more than 110 mile walk.

"I was there last month when the Nazis and the White Supremacists were marching through my hometown," Ben Doernberg, who marched with the group, told News4's Erika Gonzalez. "You reach a point where you say, okay, this has to stop."

Demonstrators continued on to McPherson Square, where they set up tents.

Tania Maduro, a protester, said the marchers plan to stay in the park until the March for Racial Justice. According to the Facebook event, that march will take place on Sept. 30.

A group of over 100 people -- many wearing rain gear -- left Jefferson, Virginia Wednesday morning, organizers said on Twitter.

More people joined at a rally at Gateway Park in Arlington before the group crossed Key Bridge and continued to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial on the National Mall.

Since the march began on Monday, Aug. 28, participants walked up to 17 miles per day and slept in churches along the route. The march passed through Ruckersville, Culpeper, Manassas, Fairfax and Falls Church, an online timeline said.

"We are marching from Charlottesville to Washington, D.C. to demonstrate our commitment to confronting white supremacy wherever it is found," the website for the march says. "It's clear that we can no longer wait for Donald Trump or any elected official to face reality and lead. We are coming together to reckon with America's long history of white supremacy, so that we can begin to heal the wounds of our nation."

Organizers say white supremacist violence, rhetoric and policies have intensified since Trump's 2016 presidential campaign and must be confronted. They say they want a political agenda "that repairs the damage done" by the legacy of white supremacy in America.
There will be no charges filed against a police officer who shot a man dead during a domestic disturbance on Christmas last year, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia announced Thursday.

Officials said in a statement that there is not enough evidence to charge the officer who shot Gerald Javon Hall under federal criminal civil rights or local D.C. laws.

The name of the officer was not released by the U.S. Attorney's office, but the statement detailed an official timeline of the events leading up to the death of Hall, 29, of Northeast D.C.

Hall was at his girlfriends home on the 3200 block of Walnut Street NE around 10:30 a.m. the morning of Dec. 25, 2016. The couple began to argue, and Halls girlfriend told him to leave.

The woman walked away. Hall turned on the stovetop burners and lit a paper towel on fire, officials said.

About 11 a.m., a neighbor called 911 to report a disturbance in the home.

My neighbors getting beat up over there, the caller said, according to the U.S. Attorneys statement. The caller said the woman was screaming for help.

The D.C. police officer who ultimately shot Hall arrived at the scene with his partner moments after the 911 call, the U.S. Attorney said.

Police said they saw no injuries on Halls girlfriend when they first visited her home. The woman denied a physical fight had occurred, and told police she had contacted her sister and would leave with her, officials said. Both police officers left the scene.

The sister arrived some time later. The women were outside, and then tried to get back into the house. Officials say Hall was blocking the door, preventing the women from entering.

Eventually, the sisters entered the house, where they found Hall holding a large knife with a grey handle, officials said.

Hall approached his girlfriends sister, who picked up another large knife with a black handle to defend herself. Halls girlfriend put herself between her boyfriend and her sister, and started tussling Hall so the sister could escape, officials said.

The sister left the home and walked out onto the stoop, and Hall locked the door behind her, officials said.

Inside, Hall broke the tip of the grey-handled knife as he slammed it down on the table. Then, he picked up another knife -- this one, a large carving knife with a brown handle, officials said.

After being locked out, the sister dropped her knife outside the door and called 911 at 11:22 a.m.

My sister is locked in the house. Her boyfriend is crazy. He got a knife. He turned on the gas and Im locked out, she told 911, according to the U.S Attorneys statement.

Simultaneously, emergency dispatchers received another call from a neighbor, who said, he is beating her up!

The neighbor sent her son went to the house. As he approached, Halls girlfriend opened the door and dropped the knife with the grey handle outside, officials said.

The same D.C. officer and his partner who visited the home on Walnut Street earlier were dispatched to the home for a man with a knife, officials said. Both officers activated their body cameras en route.

The officers arrived within five minutes, lights on and sirens blaring.

Officers saw two large knives -- one with a black handle and one with a grey handle -- on the landing when they arrived at the scene. The neighbors son warned officers that Hall had a knife on him, officials said.

Officials say the officer looked through the door and saw Hall, holding a knife and standing near his girlfiend. The officer told Hall to put down the knife.

Put the knife down, put the knife down, put the knife down, the officer said.

The girlfriend moved towards the door.

Hes all right, hes all right, the girlfriend said, according to officials.

Hall pushed his girlfriend outside and closed the door, officials said. The girlfriend sat down on the stoop, and officers said they saw a large cut on her arm.

The officers ordered the girlfriend and the neighbor to move away from the doorway.

The girlfriend stood up, and the door to the house opened. Hall stood in the doorway with a large knife in his hand, which was near his hip, video of the incident obtained by News4 shows.

The officer immediately fired his weapon four times, and Hall fell to the floor inside the house, officials said.

Thirty-five seconds elapsed between the officers climbing the stairs to the front door and Hall being shot, officials said.

Hall was black. Police have not released the names of the officers involved in the shooting, but in the videos they appear to be black.



Hall was transported to MedStar Washington Hospital Center, where he was later pronounced dead, officials said.

The D.C. medical examiner concurred that Hall was shot four times, and determined he was shot twice in the chest, the U.S. Attorneys office said.

Hall was a father to four children, who were ages 5, 7, 8 and 10 when he died.

After a careful, thorough, and independent review of the evidence, federal prosecutors have found insufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the officer used excessive force under the circumstances. To the contrary, there is sufficient evidence that the officer was acting in self-defense and defense of others at the time of the shooting, the U.S. Attorneys office said in the statement.

Officials said the body cameras remained on during the entire incident. However, people still had questions.

Hall's mother, Angela McCain, told News4 in December that she believes police used excessive force on her son and they should not have shot him.

"He was inside of the house in the door and they was outside at the bottom of the steps. And so, they weren't threatened for their life. They were nowhere near threatened for their life," McCain told News4.

After the body camera footage was released, Mayor Muriel Bowser responded to citizens who believed Hall may not have been carrying a knife when he was shot. Bowser said she understands how someone viewing the video at regular speed might not see the weapon.

"I've seen it many times. I've seen it slowed. I've seen it frame by frame. But if you're seeing it quickly, you may not see the same thing you have seen after reviewing it many times," Bowser said.

Halls family held a vigil on what would have been his 30th birthday, News4 previously reported.

The U.S. Attorneys statement said the office reviews all officer-involved deaths. Prosecutors must prove that officers willingly used excessive force to charge and convinct in cases like Hall's.

Prosecutors must not only prove that the force used was excessive, but must also prove, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the officer acted with the deliberate and specific intent to do something the law forbids, the U.S. Attorneys office said.
Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon sharply criticized the Vaticans support of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, saying in an interview the Catholic Church relies on illegal aliens to fill the churches, NBC News reported.

Bannon, who returned as chairman of Breitbart News after being ousted as one of Trumps top aides last month, added that the Catholic Church had an economic interest in unlimited immigration.

The bishops have been terrible about this. By the way, you know why? You know why? Because, unable to come to grips with the problems in the church, they need illegal aliens, Bannon told CBS' 60 Minutes.

They need illegal aliens to fill the churches. That's  it's obvious on the face of it, continued Bannon, who is Catholic. They have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration."
Pope Francis received a spirited and symbolic welcome as he arrived in Colombia on Wednesday, saying he wants to bring a message of hope for Colombians as they work to heal the wounds and divisions left by Latin America's longest-running armed conflict.

Francis' white popemobile was nearly mobbed by jubilant crowds who flooded the 15-kilometer (9-mile) road into Bogota from the airport, and his security detail struggled to keep them at bay without a police barricade in sight. Francis relishes diving into crowds and didn't seem at all fazed by the flower-tossing masses, even giving a few high-fives to some young people who got a little too close.

The first pope from Latin America looked thrilled to be back in Colombia, the first country he visited after he was ordained a priest and where he exerted a good deal of effort encouraging peace negotiations that spanned his papacy.

One of the gifts he received on the tarmac had particular symbolic significance: a sculpted peace dove offered to him by the young son of a rebel father and politician mother who was taken captive by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, in 2002. The boy was taken from his mother, Clara Rojas, now a congresswoman, and didn't see her again until he was 3 years old.

In his only public remarks on his first day in Colombia, Francis begged young Colombians who gathered outside the Vatican embassy to serenade him: "Don't ever lose happiness and hope."

Hope is a major theme for the visit, as Francis seeks to encourage Colombians to reconcile with one another after five decades of armed rebellion. It's a message he is expected to press on Thursday, when he addresses President Juan Manuel Santos and Colombia's political elites, followed by hundreds of thousands of ordinary Colombians at a huge outdoor Mass in Bogota's Simon Bolivar park.

During his visit, Francis is expected to call on Colombian leaders to address the social and economic disparities that fueled the long civil conflict, and to encourage ordinary Colombians to balance their need for justice with forgiveness.

In a video message on the eve of his departure, Francis urged all Colombians to take a "first step" and reach out to one another for the sake of peace and the future.

"Peace is what Colombia has been looking for and working for for such a long time," he said. "A stable and lasting peace, so that we can see one another and treat one another as brothers, not as enemies."

A year after the Colombian government signed the peace accord with the FARC, the nation remains bitterly divided over the terms of the deal even as guerrillas have laid down their arms and begun returning to civilian life. Even the Catholic Church hierarchy, which was instrumental in facilitating the peace talks and is now spearheading the process of reconciliation, was divided over what many Colombians saw as overly generous terms offered to rebels behind atrocities.

Santos, the winner last year of the Nobel Peace Prize, thanked Francis for pushing negotiators during difficult moments of the four-year talks and said he was hopeful the pope's visit would inspire Colombians to take the next step in the path to true peace.

"Peace needs a solid foundation, and reconciliation is one of those pillars that we hopefully we will not only plant but also strengthen," Santos said.

Former President Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of the peace deal, wrote a letter to the pope Tuesday expressing concern that the deal with the rebels had fueled a rise in drug trafficking and created economic uncertainties with the potential to destroy Colombia's social fabric.

Meanwhile, the nation's top drug fugitive, the target of a $5 million manhunt by U.S. authorities, appealed to the pope to pray that he and his fellow combatants be allowed to lay down their weapons as part of the peace process  a proposal the Colombian government has rejected.

"I'm convinced that the only way out of the conflict is dialogue," said Dairo Usuga, appearing publicly for the first time in a video published on social media. "The Catholic Church is a moral reference and we believe that with its prayers we can move forward in our goal of abandoning our weapons."

The plane flying Francis to Colombia left Rome on Wednesday morning and had to change its flight path to avoid Category 5 Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.

A half-hour into the flight, Francis told journalists he wanted to "help Colombia in its path of peace."

He also asked for prayers for Colombia's neighbor Venezuela, whose problems are likely to demand some of his attention, hoping it finds "a good stability and dialogue with everyone." The Vatican last year sponsored dialogue between President Nicolas Maduro's government and the opposition and bishops from the country are slated to meet with Francis in Colombia as pressure builds on Venezuela's embattled socialist leader to yield power.

The highlight of Francis' trip comes Friday with a meeting and prayer of reconciliation between victims of Colombia's conflict and former guerrillas in Villavicencio, a city south of Bogota surrounded by territory long held by the FARC.

Francis will beatify two Colombian priests killed during decades of guerrilla warfare, declaring them martyrs who were killed out of hatred for the Catholic faith.

And the meeting will be framed by one of the most poignant symbols of the conflict: a mutilated Christ statue that was rescued from a church in the western town of Bojaya after a FARC mortar attack in 2012. Some 300 people were sheltering in the church when it was hit during a three-way firefight between FARC rebels, right-wing militias and the army. At least 79 people died and 100 were injured.

In total, the conflict left more than 250,000 people dead, 60,000 missing and millions more displaced.

Ahead of Francis' arrival, Santos' government and the last remaining major rebel group, the National Liberation Army, or ELN, signed a bilateral cease-fire agreement, a significant step toward negotiating a permanent peace deal.

The Vatican No. 2, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said the key message of the trip is "the capacity to forgive: to forgive, and receive forgiveness."

Francis is the third pope to visit Colombia, following Pope Paul VI in 1968 and St. John Paul II in 1986. Both used their visits to show solidarity with victims of violence, discrimination and poverty and to urge government authorities to fix the structural and societal problems that have made Colombia one of the most unequal countries in Latin America.

Associated Press writer Juan Zamorano contributed to this report.
Police in Somerville, Massachusetts are investigating what they are calling messages of hate found scattered around a largely Latino populated school.

Near the East Somerville Community School handwritten fliers were recently found reading: "ICE IS COMING FOR YOU, BE PREPARED NOW. PREPARE YOUR FAMILY NOW."

"We are taking this as a threat," said Somerville Mayor Joseph Curtatone.

After a parent found a flier Wednesday afternoon, the superintendent reported it to police.

Officials said about a dozen fliers were discovered near the K-8 school which has a large Latino population and bilingual education programs.

Curtatone believes the fliers were made in response to the announcement of the end of DACA, an Obama era program allowing about 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to live and work in the United States.

"I think its important that we stand up and speak out against this kind of language and be intolerant towards it," said Curtatone.

Police are now searching for whoever is responsible.

"Its a public safety investigation," said Police Chief David Fallon. "You are always concerned about schools in your city and your worried about the youth in your city and the messaging they are receiving."
A police chief is asking the Rhode Island State Police to investigate possible steroid use in his department after a former officer pleaded guilty to trafficking steroids and money laundering.

Charlestown Chief Jeffrey Allen is asking the state police to investigate his department based on information from federal authorities. Allen says an inquiry by the state police will help avoid conflicts of interest.

His request comes after the conviction of former Charlestown officer Evan Speck last month. The 34-year-old resigned after federal agents raided his home in Westerly in March.

Prosecutors say Speck received $536,000 from the sale of steroids and other drugs.

Allen says if state police find wrongdoing, "the chips will fall where they may."
A Vermont judge refused to accept a plea deal in the case of a former police officer accused of betraying his badge, because she believed the proposed punishments were not severe enough.

This is a case that really strikes at the heart of the administration of justice, Judge Alison Arms of the Vermont Superior Court said Thursday about the case against ex-Burlington cop Christopher Lopez.

Newly-filed court paperwork shows Lopez claimed he and fellow police officers routinely turned off their body cameras to talk privately about investigations, and avoid giving defense attorneys ammo.

Lopez appeared to want his camera off during a traffic stop last fall, but the camera did capture him admitting to a coworker there was no smell of marijuana on a suspect.

Im just trying to get creative about how Im going to get in this car, Lopez could be heard saying at one point during the October 2016 traffic stop.

Lopez later wrote in formal paperwork that he did, in fact, smell pot.

The disconnect over the odor of marijuana sparked a perjury probe earlier this year, leading to Lopezs resignation and forcing Chittenden County States Attorney Sarah George to toss drug cases Lopez was involved in.

The former officer pled not guilty Thursday to a charge of lying to law enforcement.

Defense attorney Lisa Shelkrot pointed out that her client maintains he believed he did smell marijuanalater in the traffic stopafter making that initial comment about not smelling it.

In documents filed with the court by the Vermont Attorney Generals office, an investigator said Lopez previously used the smell of marijuana as a ruse during traffic stops to ask for consent.

In July, necn reported that the driver involved in the traffic stop with Lopez won a six-figure settlement, but was arrested on different drug charges in Rutland.

Lopez was ready to plead no contest and settle the misdemeanor charge, but the court said no, wanting stiffer punishments than what the plea deal called for.

Judge Arms wanted to see punishment include a year of probation, letters of apology, a monetary fine, and 80 hours of community servicesome of which must have featured speaking presentations by Lopez to current police officers or recruits about where Lopez went wrong on the job.

After negotiations over the terms of the plea agreement between Lopez, Shelkrot, and Assistant Attorney General Evan Meenan, Lopez would not agree to pay a cash fine, so Judge Arms declined to accept the plea deal.

Arms said the court wanted to see a punishment that sent more of a message of deterrence.

Thanks, fellas, Lopez said after the hearing, declining to answer a question from necn about whether he was disappointed the case did not get resolved Thursday.

Were actually not going to make any comment, added Shelkrot.

Another hearing for the case is scheduled for next month.

This case will show that kind of behavior is not tolerated, and if a law enforcement officer engages in it, they wont be a law enforcement officer again, Meenan told reporters after the hearing.

Judge Arms noted that for the hearing in October, Lopez may well go before a different judge, who could have different views on how the case should proceed.

Burlington Police Chief Brandon del Pozo chose not to comment for this story, because the case against Lopez had not been adjudicated.
From the school bus, to the school bell, dont be alarmed that the morning routine is starting later in South Portland, Maine. Its the latest school district to push back start times for students, giving them 35-40 minutes extra minutes in the morning to sleep.

"There was a lot of support for making the change," said Superintendent Ken Kunin. South Portland Middle School students are now starting their school day 35 minutes later, at 8:30 a.m., and high schoolers start 40 minutes later, at 8:10 a.m.

"I think it does make a difference, being able to sleep more," said sixth grade student Megan Dearborn.

"Sleep is one of those things we've lost track of as a society, and its even more important for kids," said parent Patrick Cyr.

Some students say they arent seeing the benefits yet.

"It's frustrating to go to school later  I mean our parents are just going to wake us up at the same time anyway," said Gavin McGillicuddy.

"After school I have stuff to do, and the later time gives me less time to get ready for that," said Sophie Delenick.

The superintendent said the evidence from scientific journals and the Center for Disease Control was overwhelming: adolescents are sleep deprived, and need to start school later in the day to improve health and academic performances.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends middle and high school students start the school day no earlier than 8:30 a.m.

Kunin said these changes do pose a challenge in transportation. There is now less time between middle and high school bus routes, so they have had to consolidate bus stops to make the routes more efficient. Some students may have to walk further to get to their stops.

According to a new study by the Rand Corporation, school districts implementing later school start times should expect to pay $150 more per student per year for adjusted bus routes.

"It's absolutely worth the investment," said Kunin. "We want better results for our kids, better physical health, better mental health, and better academic outcomes."
Good News for Norwich and Norfolk

The Good News for Norwich & Norfolk tabloid newspaper is published four times a year by an independent editorial team, representing churches across Norwich & Norfolk.

The aim is to give every person in the county the opportunity to respond to the good news of Jesus Christ and to bring the message of Christ to bear on the social, cultural, educational, industrial and professional life of the city and county.

The newspaper is a sister publication to the Network Norwich & Norfolk website.
Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Not made your Christmas pudding yet? Don't know where to start? Come along to a Christmas pudding workshop at Norwich Central Baptist Church on November 21 with MasterChef contestant Jane Wyndham.

Norwich Foodbank provides over 4,700 food parcels Norwich Foodbank gave out 4,793 emergency food parcels to people across Norwich in the last year  with 1,790 of these going to children. Read more

Poppies cascading in Sheringham church A fall of poppies cascades from the pulpit in St Andrews Methodist Church in Sheringham, and anyone is welcome to come and see them. Read more

Bishop Graham's prayers for COP27 climate conference Bishop Graham is publishing daily prayers on social media for the current COP27 climate conference, and is asking all to join. Read more

Discovering the Orange in your life The vibrant colours of autumn have been inspiring regular contributor Jane Walters to focus on the positive. Read more

YMCA annual celebration set to inspire YMCA Norfolk is set to hold its much anticipated 2022 annual celebration and awards ceremony on November 17, after almost 3 years since the last event due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more

Hub manager vacancy at community shop Earlham Community Shop Community Interest Company is looking to appoint a manager for this new venture being developed in the heart of NR5 Norwich. Read more

Abbey Days brings Christmas Magic to Wymondham Visitors to Wymondham Abbeys Christmas fair will be able to treat their children to a magic show and fun baking workshop while they browse more than 60 stalls. Read more

Salvation Armys new Christmas Appeal in Norfolk The Salvation Army has launched their new Christmas appeal across Norfolk which, this year, has evolved from the much-loved Toys and Tins appeal. Read more

Are we storing up treasures on earth? Rising prices affect us all, and Anna Heydon urges us to spare a thought for those who will be struggling with the cost of living this winter. Read more

Latest Norfolk Christian community events Events of interest to the Norwich and Norfolk Christian community happening over the next few weeks are listed. Read more

Covid leaf memorial at Norwich church St Peter Mancroft Church Norwich Presents The Leaves of the Trees an installation by sculptor Peter Walker which provides a memorial for those who died of Covid-19 Read more

Community Chaplaincy Norfolk begins a new chapter Community Chaplaincy Norfolk (CCN) celebrated the beginning of a new chapter this week, as the new chair of trustees Chris Tomlinson led his first annual meeting. Read more

Lowestoft Christians launch on-line bible helps app The Lowestoft and Great Yarmouth branch of Good News for Everyone (GNFE), formerly the Gideons, have introduced a new mobile phone app called On-line Bible Helps. Read more

Addicts' rehabilitation centre plan for Drayton Hall Christian addiction charity Teen Challenge London is planning to turn Drayton Hall near Norwich into its headquarters and a rehabilitation centre for men, after it was gifted the freehold of the hall by its owner, the Lind Trust. Read more

The power of positive protest Philip Young encourages us to take a stand for what we believe, and has just written to Therese Coffey regarding climate change and the forthcoming COP 27. He explains why we should be prepared to protest. Read more

Norwich church celebrates with cribs and trees Rosebery Road Methodist Church in Norwich will be holding its annual Cribs and Trees Festival in December. Read more

Transforming Norwich lunch offers ministry tips Ex-Brighton vicar, Rev Phil Moon, will offer tips on how to keep going in ministry to the Transforming Norwich leaders lunch on Wednesday November 16. Read more
FILM REVIEW: Rough Night

Rough Night (15)

Running time 1hr 41min

Rating ***

ITS always great to see woman-fronted comedy in the spotlight, but the Scarlett Johansson-starring Rough Night is no

Bridesmaids, with a dark edge that veers wildly between minor ingenuity and sorority-gal mean-spiritedness. While theres fun to be had with the ink-black premise, the glitzy presentation deprives it of any especially subversive dimensions; by the end, were firmly in Hangover territory, with all the gross-out triteness (and, of course, the guilty laughs) that necessarily come with that dubious honour.

To be fair, the rickety screenplay, entailing a predictable string of filthy gags, is buoyed by a stellar cast, as bride-to-be Jess (Johansson) takes to the streets of Miami with girlfriends Pippa (Kate McKinnon), Blair (Zoe Kravitz), Alice (Jillian Bell) and Frankie (Ilana Glazer) in what promises to be a dissolute, druggy weekend. Soon, however, the antics of saucy Alice lands them the body of a dead stripper (Ryan Cooper). Hilarity ensues.

Rough Night gets its mission statement in early on, with several spectacularly sordid setups leaving us in no doubt as to the scatological capacities of the female of the species; unfortunately, its never content to move beyond that. The funniest material (pop culture riffs, some toe-curling interpersonal jabs) is all on the periphery, while it packs in more than enough cheap smut and profanity to satisfy the 21st-century date-night crowd. To its credit, it places itself above the bulk of its macho contemporaries in eschewing biofluid dependence, but the tone really isnt MUCH above that sort of fare. In fact, it very much feels like a studio-engineered attempt to outdo the menfolk on their own turf; while that concept alone offers some captivating possibilities (in one of the more pleasantly amusing segments, Paul W Downs fiance escapes his bachelor party largely unscathed), Rough Night mostly fails to deliver the goods, settling into the familiar, uneven routine weve all seen a million times before.

But this isnt the first time the leading ladies of Hollywood have sought to take on the bad boys, so lets set the record straight: Rough Night is infinitely better than Cameron Diazs noxious vehicles (*cough* Bad Teacher *splutter*). Bell is, without a doubt, the movies selling point  having cameoed in virtually every naughty farce of the past five years, she reveals herself here to be a stick of foul-mouthed dynamite, carrying all the key sequences with her own brand of raucous energy (which isnt to say the rest of the gang arent on superb form). But, once its got its big set- piece out of the way, youll likely find yourself craving the intimacy of Trainwreck, or even the warmth of Bad Moms.
Mr. Ciruli is the Director of the Crossley Center for Public Opinion Research at the University of Denvers Josef Korbel School of International Studies. He is an adjunct professor teaching public opinion and foreign policy. The Crossley Center conducts research and presents live and virtual programs on foreign policy, politics, public policy and public opinion.





Mr. Ciruli holds a law degree from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. and a bachelors degree cum laude in political science from UCLA. He is a member of the American Association of Public Opinion Research (AAPOR), and is the past-president of the Pacific Chapter of AAPOR (PAPOR). Mr. Ciruli is a board member of the Social Science Foundation of the University of Denver Josef Korbel School of International Studies and past-president of the Georgetown Law Alumni Board and the Denver Athletic Club.




There should be an active campaign of non-cooperation"

NEWBURY MP Richard Benyon has urged Ulster army veterans living in West Berkshire to ignore requests from the Government to assist with fresh investigations into Troubles-era killings.

Some shootings date back 30 or 40 years, with the Ministry of Defence (MoD) now sending letters to former soldiers asking them to be witnesses in new inquests into the deaths.

However, Mr Benyon, who served in Northern Ireland during the Troubles, has branded the investigations a witch hunt and says veterans should not comply with MoD requests.

He told the Newbury Weekly News: The police force in Northern Ireland have been asked to set up an investigative body to look into these killings, some of which have been investigated numerous times before, and the MoD has been asked to write to people, some of them now in their 70s and 80s, and its totally wrong.

I have said quite clearly that any one in my constituency should ignore these letters.

I have asked them to send me the details and the regimental associations should be giving advice to its members over this.

There should be an active campaign of non-cooperation.

The MoD has had to operate in a particular way. It has to co-operate with the devolved government in Northern Ireland, but the individuals do not.

The conflict ran from the late 1960s and is generally accepted to have ended with the Good Friday Agreement in 1998.

During that time there were 3,500 deaths, with around 10 per cent said to have been at the hands of the security forces.

However, Mr Benyon claimed the fresh wave of investigations were politically motivated.

He said: The police services in Northern Ireland do not want to do this.

They havent got the resources, but they are being required to do it by the criminal justice system, who are politically motivated.

Im amazed that were still talking about this.

I understand the politicians dont want it to derail the peace process, but Im equally determined that the peace process should not ride roughshod over people that have served this country.

Mr Benyon served as a lieutenant in the Royal Green Jackets and was stationed in Northern Ireland between 1981 and 1983, both at the border and in Belfast.

He said: I saw myself, the incredible restraint that soldiers showed. Seven members of my battalion were murdered and as the news came through I was on patrol in Belfast.

We were subject to incredible taunts about those murders and not one soldier did anything unprofessional.

These are the stories we should be talking about and not reheating decades-old cases.

Mr Benyon is now calling for a 10-year statute of limitations where no deaths perpetrated by a member of the armed forces can be investigated after 10 years.

That reflects that evidential leads run cold after 10 years, but also people, veterans, can live in peace.

Yesterday, Mr Benyon was able to raise the issue during Prime Ministers Questions, to which Theresa May said the Government was unstinting in its admiration for the role the armed forces played in Northern Ireland, adding that any new investigations into legacy killings would be fair, balanced and proportionate and veterans would not be unfairly treated or disproportionately investigated.

However, referring to Mr Benyon, she told the Commons: But, of course as he will understand, and he will appreciate the investigations by Police Service of Northern Ireland are of course a matter for them as they are independent of Government.

Mr Benyon can be contacted at Richard@richardbenyon.com
Thirteen West Berkshire Park Mark safety awards from national association

CAR parks across West Berkshire have been recognised as being some of the safest in the country.

Thirteen car parks in Newbury, Thatcham and Pangbourne have been awarded the prestigious Park Mark Award by the British Parking Association.

To be considered, car parks undergo a rigorous risk assessment by a police assessor, who looks at surveillance, prompt repairs, lighting, signage and cleanliness.

A BPA area manager then assesses the management of the car park and, if it passes, the police award a Park Mark.

West Berkshire Councils executive member for highways and transport Jeanette Clifford was presented with Park Mark awards for 13 car parks by Michael Gardner, from the British Parking Association, on August 17.

She said: Were delighted with these awards.

We know that our residents and visitors want to leave their cars in safe, well-managed car parks.

The Park Mark awarded to our car parks gives confidence that, in West Berkshire, they can do just that.

The car parks in Newbury were: Market Street; Central; Kennet Centre; Library; Northbrook multistorey; Corn Exchange; Northcroft Lane; Pelican Lane; West Street; Wharf Road.

Thatchams Kingsland Centre and station car park also picked up the award, as did the one in Station Road, Pangbourne.

Michael Gardner, from the BPA, said: These awards are very well deserved and testament to the hard work and enthusiasm that goes on behind the scenes to maintain the standards required.

Having worked with the West Berkshire car park team over a number of years, it is always impressive to see their professionalism and conscientious approach in how they manage these car parks and they are congratulated in that respect.

Romy Freiburghaus, from Thames Valley Police, said: The distinctive Park Mark signage helps drivers find car parks where they can confidently leave their vehicle, knowing the environment is safer.

We award the car park, not the organisation.

We look at their security measures, such as lighting, natural surveillance and clear signage.

Thames Valley Police is proud to work with West Berkshire Council in providing car park facilities which have achieved the required standard to be awarded the Park Mark signage.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: The National Company Law Tribunal today dismissed a plea by Vikram Bakshi challenging termination of franchise agreement by McDonald's, while at the same time issued a show-cause notice to Mcdonald's Corporation over contempt petition by its estranged partner.

NCLT, which yesterday reserved its orders over two contempt pleas filed by Bakshi in his ongoing fight against McDonald's, asked his counsel to seek relief from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) where matter is already pending.

Bakshi had filed a contempt plea before the NCLT against termination of franchise license of 169 outlets in the north and east India last month by McDonald's. He had also filed another plea against McDonald's Corporation alleging interference into the affairs of their 50:50 joint venture -- Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL). Bakshi has been at loggerheads with the fast food chain over the management of CPRL after he was ousted from the post of MD of the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013.

McDonalds's India had asked CPRL not to use its brand system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others, within 15 days of the termination notice which gets over on September 6. Bakshi had moved the NCLT following termination of license by McDonald's India Pvt Ltd (MIPL). In June, 43 outlets of the fast food chain were closed in the capital following expiry of eating house licenses.

NEW DELHI: The National Company Law Tribunal today dismissed a plea by Vikram Bakshi challenging termination of franchise agreement by McDonald's, while at the same time issued a show-cause notice to Mcdonald's Corporation over contempt petition by its estranged partner. NCLT, which yesterday reserved its orders over two contempt pleas filed by Bakshi in his ongoing fight against McDonald's, asked his counsel to seek relief from the National Company Law Appellate Tribunal (NCLAT) where matter is already pending. Bakshi had filed a contempt plea before the NCLT against termination of franchise license of 169 outlets in the north and east India last month by McDonald's. He had also filed another plea against McDonald's Corporation alleging interference into the affairs of their 50:50 joint venture -- Connaught Plaza Restaurant Ltd (CPRL). Bakshi has been at loggerheads with the fast food chain over the management of CPRL after he was ousted from the post of MD of the McDonald's franchisee in August 2013. McDonalds's India had asked CPRL not to use its brand system, trademark, designs and its associated intellectual property, among others, within 15 days of the termination notice which gets over on September 6. Bakshi had moved the NCLT following termination of license by McDonald's India Pvt Ltd (MIPL). In June, 43 outlets of the fast food chain were closed in the capital following expiry of eating house licenses.
By PTI

NEW DELHI: About 7 lakh low skilled workers in IT and BPO industry in India are likely to lose their jobs to automation and artificial intelligence by 2022, says a report by US-based research firm HfS Research.

However, it is not a bad news for everyone, as the report predicts that medium and high skilled jobs will see a rise during the said period. Due to a rise in adoption of automation and artificial intelligence, the number of low skilled workers in India's IT and BPO service sectors could fall from 2.4 million in 2016 to 1.7 million in 2022, it said.

However, the number of medium skilled jobs in IT/BPO industry in India could rise from 900,000 to 1 million by 2022, while the number of high skilled jobs could rise to 510,000 in 2022 from 320,000 in 2016. The trend in India reflects the global scenario, as globally low skilled IT/BPO jobs are expected to fall by 31 per cent, while medium skilled jobs may increase by 13 per cent and high skilled jobs may rise by 57 per cent.

Following the adoption of automation, the net job loss in Indian IT/BPO sector across skill levels is expected to be around 450,000, from 3.65 million in 2016 to 3.2 million in 2022. The report noted that following the adoption of automation, globally total jobs in the IT/BPO space are expected to fall by 7.5 per cent with major countries like India, the US and the UK being hit.

According to the report, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is merely accelerating the elimination of rote jobs (routine jobs). "The emergence of RPA is eventually going to sound the death knell for most high-throughput, high-intensity jobs, as both service providers and enterprises master the ability to apply these technologies effectively," it said. It further said, "the next five years we can manage, it's the five after that when the impact on labour becomes much more challenging."

NEW DELHI: About 7 lakh low skilled workers in IT and BPO industry in India are likely to lose their jobs to automation and artificial intelligence by 2022, says a report by US-based research firm HfS Research. However, it is not a bad news for everyone, as the report predicts that medium and high skilled jobs will see a rise during the said period. Due to a rise in adoption of automation and artificial intelligence, the number of low skilled workers in India's IT and BPO service sectors could fall from 2.4 million in 2016 to 1.7 million in 2022, it said. However, the number of medium skilled jobs in IT/BPO industry in India could rise from 900,000 to 1 million by 2022, while the number of high skilled jobs could rise to 510,000 in 2022 from 320,000 in 2016. The trend in India reflects the global scenario, as globally low skilled IT/BPO jobs are expected to fall by 31 per cent, while medium skilled jobs may increase by 13 per cent and high skilled jobs may rise by 57 per cent. Following the adoption of automation, the net job loss in Indian IT/BPO sector across skill levels is expected to be around 450,000, from 3.65 million in 2016 to 3.2 million in 2022. The report noted that following the adoption of automation, globally total jobs in the IT/BPO space are expected to fall by 7.5 per cent with major countries like India, the US and the UK being hit. According to the report, Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is merely accelerating the elimination of rote jobs (routine jobs). "The emergence of RPA is eventually going to sound the death knell for most high-throughput, high-intensity jobs, as both service providers and enterprises master the ability to apply these technologies effectively," it said. It further said, "the next five years we can manage, it's the five after that when the impact on labour becomes much more challenging."
By Reuters

NEW DELHI: India needs to partner with other countries to tap cheaper funds for cleaner coal technologies as the South Asian nation is expected to use the fuel to produce over half of its power in the next two decades, the World Coal Association chief said on Thursday.

India, the world's second-largest coal importer, relies on the fuel for about 78 percent of its electricity generation. The federal think tank NITI Aayog has projected coal's share in the country's overall energy mix will reduce to 48-54 percent by 2040 from around 55 percent in 2015.

India will need to ally with countries including the United States, Japan, and Australia, to get cheaper funding from multilateral development banks to access cleaner technology and catch up with Japan and China, Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association told Reuters in an interview.

Last month, India's chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian, supported the cause of a "green coal coalition" in various media reports.

Sporton said India's reliance on imported coal would be significant in the coming years to power the nation's economic expansion.

"For many power plants designed to take imported coal, it will be very difficult to shift those over to domestic coal supply and one of the other reasons is India's coal tends to be of slightly lower quality than what is available in the international market," he said.

In July, the U.S. Treasury issued guidance on promoting the use of fossil fuels cleanly and efficiently through funding from multilateral development banks. In 2013, the Obama administration said the United States would oppose most coal projects, guidance altered by the Trump administration.

RENEWABLES GAIN GROUND

Sporton said India will need to be on board with a global partnership to develop its domestic coal expertise.

"India has huge challenges when it comes to energy," he said, adding that the govenrment should look at using funds from the National Clean Energy Fund, which has over $4 billion accumulated through the levy of a surcharge on coal.

"Coal has a critical role in India today no matter how much money is pumped into renewables," Sporton said.

India, Asia's third biggest economy, is gradually raising the share of renewable power in its energy mix.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government aims to raise solar power generation capacity nearly 30 times to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2022. The capacity has already more than tripled in three years to more than 12 GW but

Sporton expects coal demand in India to rise despite companies offering vey low tariffs for solar power. Global output for coal is also expected to rise in 2017, led by U.S. and China, he said.

In addition, Sporton said he did not expect India's low solar tariffs to be sustained.

"I think they (solar tariffs) have got to a point where they are far too low and there is a genuine question whether the projects bid at very low prices will be built, and if they are built, whether they are economic."

NEW DELHI: India needs to partner with other countries to tap cheaper funds for cleaner coal technologies as the South Asian nation is expected to use the fuel to produce over half of its power in the next two decades, the World Coal Association chief said on Thursday. India, the world's second-largest coal importer, relies on the fuel for about 78 percent of its electricity generation. The federal think tank NITI Aayog has projected coal's share in the country's overall energy mix will reduce to 48-54 percent by 2040 from around 55 percent in 2015. India will need to ally with countries including the United States, Japan, and Australia, to get cheaper funding from multilateral development banks to access cleaner technology and catch up with Japan and China, Benjamin Sporton, chief executive of the World Coal Association told Reuters in an interview. Last month, India's chief economic adviser, Arvind Subramanian, supported the cause of a "green coal coalition" in various media reports. Sporton said India's reliance on imported coal would be significant in the coming years to power the nation's economic expansion. "For many power plants designed to take imported coal, it will be very difficult to shift those over to domestic coal supply and one of the other reasons is India's coal tends to be of slightly lower quality than what is available in the international market," he said. In July, the U.S. Treasury issued guidance on promoting the use of fossil fuels cleanly and efficiently through funding from multilateral development banks. In 2013, the Obama administration said the United States would oppose most coal projects, guidance altered by the Trump administration. RENEWABLES GAIN GROUND Sporton said India will need to be on board with a global partnership to develop its domestic coal expertise. "India has huge challenges when it comes to energy," he said, adding that the govenrment should look at using funds from the National Clean Energy Fund, which has over $4 billion accumulated through the levy of a surcharge on coal. "Coal has a critical role in India today no matter how much money is pumped into renewables," Sporton said. India, Asia's third biggest economy, is gradually raising the share of renewable power in its energy mix. Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government aims to raise solar power generation capacity nearly 30 times to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2022. The capacity has already more than tripled in three years to more than 12 GW but Sporton expects coal demand in India to rise despite companies offering vey low tariffs for solar power. Global output for coal is also expected to rise in 2017, led by U.S. and China, he said. In addition, Sporton said he did not expect India's low solar tariffs to be sustained. "I think they (solar tariffs) have got to a point where they are far too low and there is a genuine question whether the projects bid at very low prices will be built, and if they are built, whether they are economic."
By Express News Service

NEW DELHI: Nestle has set up Nestle Food Safety Institute (NFSI) in India to offer specialised training to food inspectors, undertake research and also to provide postgraduate degrees in future. This is the second such institute globally, after the one in China.

Built at a cost of Rs 250 crore at Manesar in Haryana, which includes Rs 7 crore on latest testing equipment, NFSI is also the global research and development centre for Noodles across the world. Food has a significant influence on our health and there should be collaborative efforts between regulatory bodies and industry to cater to the health and safety of consumers, said Nestle Indias chairman and managing director Suresh Narayanan.

He is confident that this initiative will help other food companies to use this facility to test and undertake research and also set up their own R&D units on food quality and safety. He explained that NFSI is not funded by Nestle India and, hence, has no control over it. It will be an integral part of Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland.

While inaugurating NFSI, Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer of Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Agarwal said theres no conflict of interest. FSSAI is not like USFDA which has many years of experience, has huge staff and latest technology. It is an independent initiative that will help the consumers get safe and quality food, he added. nest

NFSI India will serve as the local interface of Nestle global food safety and research capabilities and will leverage expertise in food safety to collaborate with reputable academics, government agencies and research institutes in the country. It will use high-end data analytics to research an issue on food anywhere in the world and disseminate it to the companies in the food business, said Richard Stadler, head, Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Science, Nestle Research Centre (NRC), Lausanne.

Stadler noted that in Europe, NRC has helped in developing a tool kit that has helped many firms to meet safety standards.

Product portfolio to be pruned

Nestle India will consolidate its product portfolio to focus on performing brands. The process will include launch of new products in chocolate, confectionery, coffee, and milk categories. The products launched by Nestle in the past 15-18 months would also be reviewed. Now we are in the process to see what is working and what is not working. We cannot support so many products going forward, said Suresh Narayanan, CMD,Nestle India.

Nestle India eyes volume led growth

Nestle India is bullish on volume-led growth. However, its value would decline due to GST, because the excise duty is subsumed into GST itself. It hits the sales side straight away. As a company, on an average, 525 basis points of sales would be reduced. If it was about to grow 10 per cent, this could show 4.75 per cent, said Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director, Nestle India said. This would carry on till June quarter next year, he added.

NEW DELHI: Nestle has set up Nestle Food Safety Institute (NFSI) in India to offer specialised training to food inspectors, undertake research and also to provide postgraduate degrees in future. This is the second such institute globally, after the one in China. Built at a cost of Rs 250 crore at Manesar in Haryana, which includes Rs 7 crore on latest testing equipment, NFSI is also the global research and development centre for Noodles across the world. Food has a significant influence on our health and there should be collaborative efforts between regulatory bodies and industry to cater to the health and safety of consumers, said Nestle Indias chairman and managing director Suresh Narayanan. He is confident that this initiative will help other food companies to use this facility to test and undertake research and also set up their own R&D units on food quality and safety. He explained that NFSI is not funded by Nestle India and, hence, has no control over it. It will be an integral part of Nestle Research Center in Lausanne, Switzerland. While inaugurating NFSI, Pawan Agarwal, chief executive officer of Food Safety Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), Agarwal said theres no conflict of interest. FSSAI is not like USFDA which has many years of experience, has huge staff and latest technology. It is an independent initiative that will help the consumers get safe and quality food, he added. nest NFSI India will serve as the local interface of Nestle global food safety and research capabilities and will leverage expertise in food safety to collaborate with reputable academics, government agencies and research institutes in the country. It will use high-end data analytics to research an issue on food anywhere in the world and disseminate it to the companies in the food business, said Richard Stadler, head, Institute of Food Safety and Analytical Science, Nestle Research Centre (NRC), Lausanne. Stadler noted that in Europe, NRC has helped in developing a tool kit that has helped many firms to meet safety standards. Product portfolio to be pruned Nestle India will consolidate its product portfolio to focus on performing brands. The process will include launch of new products in chocolate, confectionery, coffee, and milk categories. The products launched by Nestle in the past 15-18 months would also be reviewed. Now we are in the process to see what is working and what is not working. We cannot support so many products going forward, said Suresh Narayanan, CMD,Nestle India. Nestle India eyes volume led growth Nestle India is bullish on volume-led growth. However, its value would decline due to GST, because the excise duty is subsumed into GST itself. It hits the sales side straight away. As a company, on an average, 525 basis points of sales would be reduced. If it was about to grow 10 per cent, this could show 4.75 per cent, said Suresh Narayanan, chairman and managing director, Nestle India said. This would carry on till June quarter next year, he added.
By Express News Service

BENGALURU: Braving the rain, thousands of people from different walks of life including writers, journalists, politicians, theatre and movie personalities, religious leaders and college students paid their last respects to journalist Gauri Lankesh at Ravindra Kalakshetra on Wednesday where her body was kept for public viewing for more than two hours.Amidst tight security, over 8,000 people bid farewell to Lankesh. Her sister Kavitha Lankesh was unconsonable. Other family members were also present.

One of the early visitors, centenarian and freedom figher H S Doreswamy, said there are various kinds writers including radical writers. Murdering people over differences in ideology is not the solution. The government can prevent such incidents by talking to them, he said. Though it was pouring outside, people waited in the long queue to pay their respects. Some had umbrellas, some used their duppattas and plastic chairs while others got drenched in the rain. We were avid readers of P Lankeshs writings. After his death, we started reading Gauris pieces. I never met her in person, unfortunately I have to see her like this, Lakshmi from M S Ramaiah Nagar told Express.

Hundreds of people in the queue were carrying posters which read I am also Gauri. Slogans like Gauri Amar Rahe and Gauri Lankesh Zindabad were shouted. Noted theatre person and former Rajya Sabha member B Jayashree said they can silence one Gauri, but thousands of Gauris will be born. Gauri might be dead. But her writing will not die. This unfortunate incident will give birth to many Gauris. People are sad and angry. One cannot assume that by killing one person, they can end radical thinkers, Shwetha, from JP Nagar, said.

Actors Prakash Rai, Prakash Belawadi, Bhavana, Raghavendra Rajkumar, noted director T N Seetharam, Veerashaiva Mahasabha vice-president Thippanna, environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti activists and others were present. Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree was on the stage till body was taken away. Later, the body of Gauri Lankesh was buried with a police guard of honour and gun salute at T R Mill Grounds in Chamarajapet on Wednesday afternoon. No rituals were performed. CM Siddaramaiah, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar, Chamarajpet MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan attended.

Protests erupt across the nation

People hold a candlelight vigil to

condemn the killing of journalist

Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on

Wednesday | Pushkar V

Bengaluru: Protests against journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder were held all over the country on Wednesday. In Bengaluru, kannada writers, activists and about a hundred citizens gathered in front of Town Hall around 10am to protest. Writers Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa), K Maralusiddappa, and activist K Neela were there too. Citizens held banners condemning the murder. Crowd raised slogans saying I am Gauri, I am Kalburgi. Protests were also held at Press Club and Mysore Bank Circle by Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI).

Another protest was held near Lankeshs residence at Rajarajeshwari Nagar. The Editors Guild of India gave a written statement condemning the murder. In Karnataka, protests were held at Mysuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Mandya, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Hubballi, Gadag. Protests also erupted in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Gorakhpur and Thiruvananthapuram among other places. In New Delhi, civil rights activists and people from other fields took part in the protest. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, author Githa Hariharan and JNU student Umar Khalid participated.

BENGALURU: Braving the rain, thousands of people from different walks of life including writers, journalists, politicians, theatre and movie personalities, religious leaders and college students paid their last respects to journalist Gauri Lankesh at Ravindra Kalakshetra on Wednesday where her body was kept for public viewing for more than two hours.Amidst tight security, over 8,000 people bid farewell to Lankesh. Her sister Kavitha Lankesh was unconsonable. Other family members were also present. One of the early visitors, centenarian and freedom figher H S Doreswamy, said there are various kinds writers including radical writers. Murdering people over differences in ideology is not the solution. The government can prevent such incidents by talking to them, he said. Though it was pouring outside, people waited in the long queue to pay their respects. Some had umbrellas, some used their duppattas and plastic chairs while others got drenched in the rain. We were avid readers of P Lankeshs writings. After his death, we started reading Gauris pieces. I never met her in person, unfortunately I have to see her like this, Lakshmi from M S Ramaiah Nagar told Express. Hundreds of people in the queue were carrying posters which read I am also Gauri. Slogans like Gauri Amar Rahe and Gauri Lankesh Zindabad were shouted. Noted theatre person and former Rajya Sabha member B Jayashree said they can silence one Gauri, but thousands of Gauris will be born. Gauri might be dead. But her writing will not die. This unfortunate incident will give birth to many Gauris. People are sad and angry. One cannot assume that by killing one person, they can end radical thinkers, Shwetha, from JP Nagar, said. Actors Prakash Rai, Prakash Belawadi, Bhavana, Raghavendra Rajkumar, noted director T N Seetharam, Veerashaiva Mahasabha vice-president Thippanna, environmentalist Saalumarada Thimmakka, Dalit Sangharsha Samiti activists and others were present. Kannada and Culture Minister Umashree was on the stage till body was taken away. Later, the body of Gauri Lankesh was buried with a police guard of honour and gun salute at T R Mill Grounds in Chamarajapet on Wednesday afternoon. No rituals were performed. CM Siddaramaiah, Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy, Health Minister K R Ramesh Kumar, Chamarajpet MLA B Z Zameer Ahmed Khan attended. Protests erupt across the nation People hold a candlelight vigil to condemn the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on Wednesday | Pushkar VBengaluru: Protests against journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder were held all over the country on Wednesday. In Bengaluru, kannada writers, activists and about a hundred citizens gathered in front of Town Hall around 10am to protest. Writers Chandrashekhar Patil (Champa), K Maralusiddappa, and activist K Neela were there too. Citizens held banners condemning the murder. Crowd raised slogans saying I am Gauri, I am Kalburgi. Protests were also held at Press Club and Mysore Bank Circle by Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Another protest was held near Lankeshs residence at Rajarajeshwari Nagar. The Editors Guild of India gave a written statement condemning the murder. In Karnataka, protests were held at Mysuru, Mangaluru, Udupi, Mandya, Kalaburagi, Dharwad, Hubballi, Gadag. Protests also erupted in New Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Hyderabad, Chennai, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Ahmedabad, Gorakhpur and Thiruvananthapuram among other places. In New Delhi, civil rights activists and people from other fields took part in the protest. Advocate Prashant Bhushan, author Githa Hariharan and JNU student Umar Khalid participated.
Zumbish By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Telangana migrant workers returning from the Gulf find themselves deleted from their family ration cards. They complain that they are unable to re-register themselves as the tehsildars are not cooperative. The tehsildars, on the other hand, say that they are unable to access the feature to plug fake ration card enrollments digitised by state civil supplies department anymore. Rebbas Rajanna from Devampally village in Jagtial district, who ran away from eight years of slavery under his employer in Bahrain in 2015, finds himself in hot waters as he is unable to buy subsidised food and fuel anymore.

"I was unable to save any money during my stay in Bahrain, instead I was forced in jail for days on grounds of false charges from my Kafil. With the help of relief workers, I came home and immediately took to working in the farms as I had mouths to feed. My kids have grown up and our family's annual income is not more than Rs 8,000. I have to marry my kids also. I used to be a white ration card holder and now I am being told that my name is not there on it. When I approached the tehsildar, he said there is no system for including the names of those like me in the state at pre," he said.



23-year-old Bollam Narsaiah from Rajanna's village, who had gone missing while working as a shepherd in the deserts of Saudi Arabia for six years, said he received his Aadhar card after he was returned home in 2017 but is still unable to re-register his name on ration card. According to the Civil Supplies department, such cases exist because the dealers and brokers went on the rampage to enroll new beneficiaries, following the introduction of the EPOS biometric machines in April this year.



However, Chandramohan, tehsildar with Raikal Mandal in Jagtial said that since the last five months, the website for rectificationepds.telangana.gov.in could be accessed by Telangana State Civil Supplies Department only. Commenting on this, Commissioner of Telangana State Civil Supplies Department CV Anand said, "There might be a delay happening in developing a system presently because we have been directed by the government to not alter the status of the cards with names deleted or to issue new cards till the completion of the Electronic Point of Sale digital system project in October, 2017."

The estimated 10 lakh migrants from Telangana contribute to remmitance in crores to the state fund every month.



Representatives of organisations like Telangana Gulf Workers' Association, questioned the "failure" of Telangana government for not coming up with an effective NRI policy to look into issues like denial of ration card to them. Gulf Victims' rights activists N Devendar Reddy and Bheem Reddy also underlined that the inavailibility of a system for inclusion of many poverty-stricken returnees from the Gulf is beyond technological limitations, it is a question of denying numbers of individuals of their fundamental rights.

HYDERABAD: Telangana migrant workers returning from the Gulf find themselves deleted from their family ration cards. They complain that they are unable to re-register themselves as the tehsildars are not cooperative. The tehsildars, on the other hand, say that they are unable to access the feature to plug fake ration card enrollments digitised by state civil supplies department anymore. Rebbas Rajanna from Devampally village in Jagtial district, who ran away from eight years of slavery under his employer in Bahrain in 2015, finds himself in hot waters as he is unable to buy subsidised food and fuel anymore. "I was unable to save any money during my stay in Bahrain, instead I was forced in jail for days on grounds of false charges from my Kafil. With the help of relief workers, I came home and immediately took to working in the farms as I had mouths to feed. My kids have grown up and our family's annual income is not more than Rs 8,000. I have to marry my kids also. I used to be a white ration card holder and now I am being told that my name is not there on it. When I approached the tehsildar, he said there is no system for including the names of those like me in the state at pre," he said. 23-year-old Bollam Narsaiah from Rajanna's village, who had gone missing while working as a shepherd in the deserts of Saudi Arabia for six years, said he received his Aadhar card after he was returned home in 2017 but is still unable to re-register his name on ration card. According to the Civil Supplies department, such cases exist because the dealers and brokers went on the rampage to enroll new beneficiaries, following the introduction of the EPOS biometric machines in April this year. However, Chandramohan, tehsildar with Raikal Mandal in Jagtial said that since the last five months, the website for rectificationepds.telangana.gov.in could be accessed by Telangana State Civil Supplies Department only. Commenting on this, Commissioner of Telangana State Civil Supplies Department CV Anand said, "There might be a delay happening in developing a system presently because we have been directed by the government to not alter the status of the cards with names deleted or to issue new cards till the completion of the Electronic Point of Sale digital system project in October, 2017." The estimated 10 lakh migrants from Telangana contribute to remmitance in crores to the state fund every month. Representatives of organisations like Telangana Gulf Workers' Association, questioned the "failure" of Telangana government for not coming up with an effective NRI policy to look into issues like denial of ration card to them. Gulf Victims' rights activists N Devendar Reddy and Bheem Reddy also underlined that the inavailibility of a system for inclusion of many poverty-stricken returnees from the Gulf is beyond technological limitations, it is a question of denying numbers of individuals of their fundamental rights.
By PTI

MUMBAI: In an exemplary gesture, the parents of a brain dead 14-month-old boy from Surat donated his organs, including heart, giving a new lease of life to a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Mumbai.

This makes the toddler the youngest donor in western India, claimed a release issued by the Mumbai-based Fortis Hospital.

The little boy was rushed to Surat's New Civil Hospital after he suffered a fall while playing. He was declared brain dead after which a local NGO counselled his parents to donate his organs, the release said.

Following the consent of the child's parents, his kidneys were retrieved and transported to the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre in Ahmedabad.

The little one's heart was retrieved and transported yesterday to Fortis Hospital in suburban Mulund via a green corridor, through a commercial flight covering 331.7 kms in 1.25 hrs, the release said.

The heart was then transplanted into the three-and-a-half year girl, a resident of Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition in which the heart's ability to pump blood is decreased) and was wait-listed since August 2016, it said.

Besides, a 45-year-old woman from Karjat in neighbouring Raigad district was yesterday declared brain dead at the J J Hospital in Mumbai, after she fell unconscious due to a shortage of blood supply to her brain.

Her husband then decided to donate her vital organs, making it Mumbai's 39th cadaveric donation this year, the release said.

The woman's heart was transported from J J Hospital to Fortis Hospital by road, via a green corridor enabled by Mumbai's traffic and police authorities, covering a distance of 31 kms in 23 minutes, it said.

The heart was transplanted into a 38-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai who was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in June 2016 and was put on the wait list in March this year.

"Our team of medical experts, medical social workers and nursing units have enabled the two landmark transplants within a tiny time frame," said Fortis Hospital's Dr Anvay Mulay, who conducted both the transplants.

"We would not have been able to reach this far without the consent of the families of donors, who have forever changed the lives of the recipients and their families," said Mulay, who is the head of cardiac transplant team at Fortis.

"We salute the brave parents of the 14-month-old boy from Surat and the husband of the 45-year-old old female from Karjat, for consenting to donate; their kin lives on in the form of the recipients," the hospital's zonal director Dr S Narayani said.

"There has been a considerable rise in the number of cadaveric donations this year. We hope to keep progressing on that front to help more such patients of end-stage organ failure," Narayani said.

MUMBAI: In an exemplary gesture, the parents of a brain dead 14-month-old boy from Surat donated his organs, including heart, giving a new lease of life to a three-and-a-half-year-old girl in Mumbai. This makes the toddler the youngest donor in western India, claimed a release issued by the Mumbai-based Fortis Hospital. The little boy was rushed to Surat's New Civil Hospital after he suffered a fall while playing. He was declared brain dead after which a local NGO counselled his parents to donate his organs, the release said. Following the consent of the child's parents, his kidneys were retrieved and transported to the Institute of Kidney Diseases and Research Centre in Ahmedabad. The little one's heart was retrieved and transported yesterday to Fortis Hospital in suburban Mulund via a green corridor, through a commercial flight covering 331.7 kms in 1.25 hrs, the release said. The heart was then transplanted into the three-and-a-half year girl, a resident of Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai, who was suffering from dilated cardiomyopathy (a condition in which the heart's ability to pump blood is decreased) and was wait-listed since August 2016, it said. Besides, a 45-year-old woman from Karjat in neighbouring Raigad district was yesterday declared brain dead at the J J Hospital in Mumbai, after she fell unconscious due to a shortage of blood supply to her brain. Her husband then decided to donate her vital organs, making it Mumbai's 39th cadaveric donation this year, the release said. The woman's heart was transported from J J Hospital to Fortis Hospital by road, via a green corridor enabled by Mumbai's traffic and police authorities, covering a distance of 31 kms in 23 minutes, it said. The heart was transplanted into a 38-year-old woman from Navi Mumbai who was diagnosed with dilated cardiomyopathy in June 2016 and was put on the wait list in March this year. "Our team of medical experts, medical social workers and nursing units have enabled the two landmark transplants within a tiny time frame," said Fortis Hospital's Dr Anvay Mulay, who conducted both the transplants. "We would not have been able to reach this far without the consent of the families of donors, who have forever changed the lives of the recipients and their families," said Mulay, who is the head of cardiac transplant team at Fortis. "We salute the brave parents of the 14-month-old boy from Surat and the husband of the 45-year-old old female from Karjat, for consenting to donate; their kin lives on in the form of the recipients," the hospital's zonal director Dr S Narayani said. "There has been a considerable rise in the number of cadaveric donations this year. We hope to keep progressing on that front to help more such patients of end-stage organ failure," Narayani said.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Condemning the murder of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru, a group of journalists and civil society activists staged a protest and held a candle march on Wednesday. The speakers opined that freedom of expression is being suppressed in this country. Activists of atheist society, human rights forum and communist ideologues accused the Siddaramaiah led Congress government and the Union government for not taking any security measures after Kalburgis murder in the same city.

It is high time that writers and all progressive sections come forward to stand against the communal forces. Extremism in any form is highly condemnable. This act once again proved critical thinking souls dont have space in this country, Charan Teja, a scribe, said while speaking to Express. He added, After all, she was just a journalist, not a cow that the government should give much importance.

Rahul Maganti, a freelance journalist, said, We have to perceive that it is the attack on her stories, in which she has been bringing out the truth. If we see this instance in isolation, we will miss the logic behind. It is also an attack on the journalist community, as the saffron brigade targets students, Dalits, Muslims, activists and journalist. A state government employee, on condition of anonymity said, Very scary that women in respectable professions also do not have security. You never know who will come and attack you. This is no longer a democratic country as it is intolerant to freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right of media.

VIJAYAWADA: Condemning the murder of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her residence in Bengaluru, a group of journalists and civil society activists staged a protest and held a candle march on Wednesday. The speakers opined that freedom of expression is being suppressed in this country. Activists of atheist society, human rights forum and communist ideologues accused the Siddaramaiah led Congress government and the Union government for not taking any security measures after Kalburgis murder in the same city. It is high time that writers and all progressive sections come forward to stand against the communal forces. Extremism in any form is highly condemnable. This act once again proved critical thinking souls dont have space in this country, Charan Teja, a scribe, said while speaking to Express. He added, After all, she was just a journalist, not a cow that the government should give much importance. Rahul Maganti, a freelance journalist, said, We have to perceive that it is the attack on her stories, in which she has been bringing out the truth. If we see this instance in isolation, we will miss the logic behind. It is also an attack on the journalist community, as the saffron brigade targets students, Dalits, Muslims, activists and journalist. A state government employee, on condition of anonymity said, Very scary that women in respectable professions also do not have security. You never know who will come and attack you. This is no longer a democratic country as it is intolerant to freedom of expression, which is a fundamental right of media.
By Express News Service

VIJAYAWADA: Los Angeles-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), one of the two firms designing the revolutionary transportation system, announced Wednesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to develop a Hyperloop route between Vijayawada and Amaravati. If successful, it could well be the first Hyperloop in the world and reduce the one-hour journey from the city square in Vijayawada to the Secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati to just five minutes.



The project will be built on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding coming primarily from private investors. We are extremely delighted to have entered into a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India, said Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder of HTT. In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation, he added.



Under Phase 1 of the project, HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility study beginning next month. Working with partners in public and private sectors, HTT will analyse the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities while identifying all pertinent stakeholders in the region. The actual construction of Hyperloop will begin in Phase 2 after the feasibility study.



APEDB Chief Executive Officer Krishna Kishore told TNIE, Major cities in the world have seen a substantial decline in good living conditions and transportation has been a major contributor to it causing as it does air pollution and congestion among others. Andhra Pradesh is showing the way forward. By collaborating with Hyperloop, Amaravati is embracing a prototype for the mobility of tomorrow.



Though the company was tight-lipped about the proposed investment and other details, Krishna Kishore said investment could be around Rs 1,285 crore. It is learnt that a track covering 2.16 km could be laid in the initial stage. It is not clear where the testing track of the Hyperloop pod will be laid. HTT expects to generate direct employment to 500 people and indirect employment to 2,000 people through the project.

The APEDB along with the government of Andhra Pradesh will assist HTT with all regulatory requirements to develop and implement Hyperloop in Amravati.The project will be a big boost for the State and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as it is the first of its kind agreement in India and helps AP emerge as a technology hub at the global level.Elaborating on it, APEDB advisor Aviruk Chakraborty said, Climate change is an inevitable reality... India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action.



The step towards implementing Hyperloop is Indias commitment to Kyoto Protocol. India is entering into a new era in terms of technology and our goal is to put India on the global map by developing and implementing green technologies, the first Hyperloop in Amravati.

The negitiations for the project have been going on for the last few months. HTTs rival Hyperloop One has successfully tested its high-speed pod in Nevada earlier this year.

VIJAYAWADA: Los Angeles-based Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT), one of the two firms designing the revolutionary transportation system, announced Wednesday that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB) to develop a Hyperloop route between Vijayawada and Amaravati. If successful, it could well be the first Hyperloop in the world and reduce the one-hour journey from the city square in Vijayawada to the Secretariat at Velagapudi in Amaravati to just five minutes. The project will be built on Public Private Partnership (PPP) model with funding coming primarily from private investors. We are extremely delighted to have entered into a MoU with the Government of Andhra Pradesh to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India, said Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder of HTT. In partnering with Andhra Pradesh, HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation, he added. Under Phase 1 of the project, HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility study beginning next month. Working with partners in public and private sectors, HTT will analyse the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities while identifying all pertinent stakeholders in the region. The actual construction of Hyperloop will begin in Phase 2 after the feasibility study. APEDB Chief Executive Officer Krishna Kishore told TNIE, Major cities in the world have seen a substantial decline in good living conditions and transportation has been a major contributor to it causing as it does air pollution and congestion among others. Andhra Pradesh is showing the way forward. By collaborating with Hyperloop, Amaravati is embracing a prototype for the mobility of tomorrow. Though the company was tight-lipped about the proposed investment and other details, Krishna Kishore said investment could be around Rs 1,285 crore. It is learnt that a track covering 2.16 km could be laid in the initial stage. It is not clear where the testing track of the Hyperloop pod will be laid. HTT expects to generate direct employment to 500 people and indirect employment to 2,000 people through the project. The APEDB along with the government of Andhra Pradesh will assist HTT with all regulatory requirements to develop and implement Hyperloop in Amravati.The project will be a big boost for the State and Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu as it is the first of its kind agreement in India and helps AP emerge as a technology hub at the global level.Elaborating on it, APEDB advisor Aviruk Chakraborty said, Climate change is an inevitable reality... India has ratified the second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol that commits countries to contain the emission of greenhouse gases, reaffirming its stand on climate action. The step towards implementing Hyperloop is Indias commitment to Kyoto Protocol. India is entering into a new era in terms of technology and our goal is to put India on the global map by developing and implementing green technologies, the first Hyperloop in Amravati. The negitiations for the project have been going on for the last few months. HTTs rival Hyperloop One has successfully tested its high-speed pod in Nevada earlier this year.
By Express News Service

We all know that Odiyan, touted as Mohanlal's most expensive film so far, is progressing in Kashi. The makers haven't revealed much about the storyline and now the star has taken to facebook to talk about Manikyan, his character in the film. We are here for Odiyan, but Manikyan's story doesn't happen here, it happens in the village of Thenkurissi, he says through a video shot in the shores of Ganges.

Caption

In the video, that also features some beautiful visuals of the place replete with Kashi flavour, he talks about Manikyan's connection with the spiritual capital. He ends up here severing all ties with his earlier life and lives here for a long time. But now he has to return where a lot of characters and circumstances await him, he says.

The action-packed fantasy thriller is said to be built on the myth of 'Odiyan', the shape-shifting assasins in North Kerala folklore. As per legend, they can take the form of any animal they like and were hired to kill and scare people. It was earlier reported that the film shows Thenkurissi in three different eras and Mohanlal will be sporting three different looks from 30s to 60s for the film. Recently a picture of the actor clad in saffron with long unkempt locks surfaced in social networking sites and we also hear that he will appear with a tonsured head as well.

In the facebook video the actor also introduces the crew members  Shaji Kumar who handles camera, action choreographer Peter Hein, scenarist Harikumar and director Shrikumar Menon. While Manju Warrier plays the female le ad, Tamil actor Pakash Raj will appear in another key role in the film produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas. The second schedule of the film is expected to start in Palakkad soon and the major portions of the film will be shot there.

We all know that Odiyan, touted as Mohanlal's most expensive film so far, is progressing in Kashi. The makers haven't revealed much about the storyline and now the star has taken to facebook to talk about Manikyan, his character in the film. We are here for Odiyan, but Manikyan's story doesn't happen here, it happens in the village of Thenkurissi, he says through a video shot in the shores of Ganges. Caption In the video, that also features some beautiful visuals of the place replete with Kashi flavour, he talks about Manikyan's connection with the spiritual capital. He ends up here severing all ties with his earlier life and lives here for a long time. But now he has to return where a lot of characters and circumstances await him, he says. The action-packed fantasy thriller is said to be built on the myth of 'Odiyan', the shape-shifting assasins in North Kerala folklore. As per legend, they can take the form of any animal they like and were hired to kill and scare people. It was earlier reported that the film shows Thenkurissi in three different eras and Mohanlal will be sporting three different looks from 30s to 60s for the film. Recently a picture of the actor clad in saffron with long unkempt locks surfaced in social networking sites and we also hear that he will appear with a tonsured head as well. In the facebook video the actor also introduces the crew members  Shaji Kumar who handles camera, action choreographer Peter Hein, scenarist Harikumar and director Shrikumar Menon. While Manju Warrier plays the female le ad, Tamil actor Pakash Raj will appear in another key role in the film produced by Antony Perumbavoor under the banner of Aashirvad Cinemas. The second schedule of the film is expected to start in Palakkad soon and the major portions of the film will be shot there.
By ANI

UDHAMPUR (JAMMU AND KASHMIR): Showing a firm stand on border disputes and continuous ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC), Northern Command, warned Pakistan of a similar action if it doesnt limit its terror activities.

Speaking in a press conference here today, the GOC said, The surgical strike was a point we wanted to drive home across that the Line of Control (LoC) is not a line that cannot be breached. When we want to, we will be able to breach it [LoC], go across and strike when we need.

Talking about the NIA action against the separatists in the terror-funding case, he said the action has led to decrease in the stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir.

He further said that the launch pads and terrorist camps have increased since last year.

Large number of terrorist camps and launch pads exist across the south and the north of Pir Panjal and they have not decreased, he added.

Anbu further said, Our counterpart is very strong in Jammu and there is not even a single militant active in the Jammu province.

Talking about the situation across the LoC, he said that there are lots of attempts to infiltrate into the Kashmir valley and Jammu, but most are unsuccessful and we are firmly dealing with it.

Assuring peace in the region, he said the situation in Leh is under control and the dispute over the position has been resolved.

The GOC said, There is a hotline present to discuss in regard with East Ladakh and meetings are taking place, so there will not be a Doklam type situation."

He also said that the eight soldiers of surgical strikes squad which crossed LoC in September last year and destroyed terror launch pads have been honoured with the Surya Chakra and the Sena Medal today at the Northern Command.

UDHAMPUR (JAMMU AND KASHMIR): Showing a firm stand on border disputes and continuous ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side, Lieutenant General Devraj Anbu, General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC), Northern Command, warned Pakistan of a similar action if it doesnt limit its terror activities. Speaking in a press conference here today, the GOC said, The surgical strike was a point we wanted to drive home across that the Line of Control (LoC) is not a line that cannot be breached. When we want to, we will be able to breach it [LoC], go across and strike when we need. Talking about the NIA action against the separatists in the terror-funding case, he said the action has led to decrease in the stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir. He further said that the launch pads and terrorist camps have increased since last year. Large number of terrorist camps and launch pads exist across the south and the north of Pir Panjal and they have not decreased, he added. Anbu further said, Our counterpart is very strong in Jammu and there is not even a single militant active in the Jammu province. Talking about the situation across the LoC, he said that there are lots of attempts to infiltrate into the Kashmir valley and Jammu, but most are unsuccessful and we are firmly dealing with it. Assuring peace in the region, he said the situation in Leh is under control and the dispute over the position has been resolved. The GOC said, There is a hotline present to discuss in regard with East Ladakh and meetings are taking place, so there will not be a Doklam type situation." He also said that the eight soldiers of surgical strikes squad which crossed LoC in September last year and destroyed terror launch pads have been honoured with the Surya Chakra and the Sena Medal today at the Northern Command.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: Twenty-two journalists have been killed so far this year across the world, including Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead at her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Whatever may be the motive, the murder of any journalist raises questions about the state of the freedom of the press in that country and the political atmosphere prevailing at the time. At a time when India's ranking on the Freedom of the Press index is a lowly 136, the Gauri Lankesh murder is likely to lead to a further slippage.

Here's a look at some sensational murders of journalists that became huge political controversies in their time.

Shivani Bhatnagar

She was a principal correspondent for Indian Express at the time of her murder in 1999. She was a member of the newspapers Special Investigation Unit. Her colleagues described her as an intrepid reporter. To her employer she was one of the newspapers finest reporters with several exclusive stories to her credit.

Shivanis body was found inside her East Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999. Her assailants had stabbed her in the chest and abdomen. Police found that her residence was ransacked by the assailants in a bid to retrieve sensitive documents related to the St Kitts case.

In 2002, the Delhi police named IPS officer RK Sharma as the prime accused in the murder case. Later, a Delhi court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder. It was known that Sharma had leaked sensitive documents relating to the St Kitts case to Shivani. The prosecution argued that when Shivani threatened to expose him, he decided to eliminate her.

Sandeep Kothari

A freelance investigative journalist, Sandeep Kothari dug up high-profile scams involving the mining mafia and political bigwigs in Katangi, Madhya Pradesh.

He was murdered on June 19, 2015, in Balaghat district. He was abducted and was set on fire by three youth -- Rakesh Nasvani, Vishal Dandi and Brijesh Duharwal -- who were allegedly involved in sand mining activities. Later, police arrested the three and they confessed to murdering Kothari.

Prior to his death, Kothari had filed cases against some persons in connection with sand mining. Police officers who investigated his murder said there was pressure on him to withdraw the cases. In fact, in the weeks prior to his death, Kothari repeatedly approached the police informing them of the threats to his life from the mining mafia.

Rajdev Ranjan

On May 13, 2016, Rajdev Ranjan, bureau chief of a Siwan-based Hindi daily called Hindustan, left his office at peak hour. A little later, he was shot dead by unknown assailants near the Siwan railway station, barely half a km away from the town's police station.

Ranjan, who started off his 24-year journalistic career as a stringer, focused mainly on crime and political reporting. He was known to be vocal against gangster and former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Shahabuddin.

The journalists widow Asha Devi claimed that Ranjan was killed as retribution for his scathing reports on the RJD MP who was currently serving prison time for dozens of charges including murder, illegal possession of arms and voter intimidation.

Reportedly, three years ago intelligence agencies gathered information that Shahabuddin had compiled a list of 23 persons that he wanted eliminated. The list allegedly contained names of people he wanted killed in order of priority and Ranjan featured seventh in it.

Devi said her husband had warned her that he too might be targeted after another person who was on the list  Shrikant Bharti, press adviser to BJP MP Om Prakash Yadav  was killed.

Following Ranjan's murder, police arrested five suspects in June last year. They named one Laddan Mia as the man who had hired them to carry out the hit. Mohammad Kaif, another accused, was granted bail by the Siwan court earlier in the year.

Recently, the CBI filed a charge-sheet against Mohammad Shahabuddin and six others in the case.

Karun Misra

Soldier-like, driven and idealistic  thats how Karun Misras friends described the journalist who was shot dead by three gunmen on motorcycles in broad daylight when he was returning to his home district. Misra was the Ambedkarnagar bureau chief of Hindi daily Jan Sandesh and had written stories about a particularly dangerous business  illegal mining.

He had ruffled quite a few feathers of people in the illegal mining business and according to an IndiaSpend report, by February 5, Misra knew that something was going to happen on either February 11 or 12. This realisation followed after Karun refused bribes and ignored a series of threats urging him to steer clear of the topic.

Following the murder, inspector-general A Satish Ganesh issued a statement saying that two mining contractors in the area were upset with Misras coverage in the paper.

On February 18, 2016, police arrested five people in connection with the murder and named two local mining contractors  Rahul Singh and Pawan Singh  as the masterminds behind the Misras murder. The pair allegedly paid Rs 1 lakh to the assailant for killing the scribe.

Parag Kumar Das

He was gunned down in broad daylight, reportedly by surrendered members of the separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). At the time of his death, he was the executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin. He was a human rights activist and documented cases of human rights abuse by members of the Assam police.

An editorial in the Assam Times said he was killed because he was critical of some of the policies adopted by New Delhi. He had widely criticised human rights violations by security forces stationed in Assam.

He was arrested under the National Security Act in 1992. Amnesty International said: "We has received reports of connections between police officials and SULFA activists. The absence of key police officers after the incident appears to support allegations of links between SULFA activists and officials in the state."

The investigation of Parag Das's murder is still on.

Ram Chander Chhatrapati

Reddy Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a journalist who ran a local Hindi-language evening daily Poora Sach in Sirsa, Haryana, was shot dead at point blank range by two men riding a motorcycle outside his residence on October 24, 2002. The journalist succumbed to his injuries four weeks later.

Chhatrapati was the journalist who first published the anonymous letter accusing Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of sexually exploiting women finding solace in the Dera as sadhvis. In September 2002, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of the letter.

Chhatrapatis son Anshul fought the legal battle that reached a final outcome when a CBI special court found Ram Rahim Singh Dera guilty of rape on August 25.

Anna Politkovskaya

A fierce critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian investigative journalist was murdered on October 6, 2006, coincidentally President Putins birthday. Like Gauri Lankesh, she was an intrepid journalist who challenged the illicit agenda of those in power.

On October 7, 2006 her body was found inside the elevator of her apartment building in Central Moscow. She was shot at four times, police found.

Anna made a career by criticising the Russian government and the military. She publicly condemned Russias military's conduct during the Chechen war. She was also a champion of human rights, rule of law and had written extensively on Kremlins crackdown on these.

Her 2004 book Putins Russia: Life in falling democracy won her international acclaim. The New York Times went as far as to bravest of the journalists.

She believed in reporting the truth fearlessly regardless of who you are up against. However, she was aware of the consequences of doing so in Russia. People sometimes pay with their lives for saying aloud what they think. In fact, one can even get killed for giving me information. I am not the only one in danger. I have examples that prove it, she said.

Her professional work as a journalist and a critic of Kremlin earned her the wrath of President Putin. She once lamented that Russia under Putin was harking back to the Soviet-era, known for its repression of free speech.

We are hurtling back into a Soviet abyss, into an information vacuum that spells death from our own ignorance. All we have left is the internet, where information is still freely available. For the rest, if you want to go on working as a journalist, it's total servility to Putin. Otherwise, it can be death, the bullet, poison, or trial-whatever our special services, Putin's guard dogs, see fit, she told during an interview.

Carmine Pecorelli

The Guardian described him as a maverick journalist with excellent secret service contacts. His murder landed an Italian Prime Minister in jail.

At the time of his death in March 1979, he was the editor of an Italian language magazine named Observatorio Politico (Political Observer).

One of the prime accused in his murder was Massimo Carminati, an Italian don who headed criminal gang Banda della Magliana and was linked to the death of a former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. The bullet that was used to slay Picorelli was the one typically used by Carmanatis gang.

Giulio Andreotti who was Italian Prime Minister at the time was also implicated in the crime. Reports surfaced in the days following his death that Andreotti had ordered his assassination as he was about to publish information that would have destroyed his political career. It is not clear what the information was. Going by the Guardians version, Picorelli had accessed a former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moros startling revelations about Andreotti government.

CHENNAI: Twenty-two journalists have been killed so far this year across the world, including Gauri Lankesh who was shot dead at her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday. Whatever may be the motive, the murder of any journalist raises questions about the state of the freedom of the press in that country and the political atmosphere prevailing at the time. At a time when India's ranking on the Freedom of the Press index is a lowly 136, the Gauri Lankesh murder is likely to lead to a further slippage. Here's a look at some sensational murders of journalists that became huge political controversies in their time. Shivani Bhatnagar She was a principal correspondent for Indian Express at the time of her murder in 1999. She was a member of the newspapers Special Investigation Unit. Her colleagues described her as an intrepid reporter. To her employer she was one of the newspapers finest reporters with several exclusive stories to her credit. Shivanis body was found inside her East Delhi apartment on January 23, 1999. Her assailants had stabbed her in the chest and abdomen. Police found that her residence was ransacked by the assailants in a bid to retrieve sensitive documents related to the St Kitts case. In 2002, the Delhi police named IPS officer RK Sharma as the prime accused in the murder case. Later, a Delhi court found him guilty of criminal conspiracy and murder. It was known that Sharma had leaked sensitive documents relating to the St Kitts case to Shivani. The prosecution argued that when Shivani threatened to expose him, he decided to eliminate her. Sandeep Kothari A freelance investigative journalist, Sandeep Kothari dug up high-profile scams involving the mining mafia and political bigwigs in Katangi, Madhya Pradesh. He was murdered on June 19, 2015, in Balaghat district. He was abducted and was set on fire by three youth -- Rakesh Nasvani, Vishal Dandi and Brijesh Duharwal -- who were allegedly involved in sand mining activities. Later, police arrested the three and they confessed to murdering Kothari. Prior to his death, Kothari had filed cases against some persons in connection with sand mining. Police officers who investigated his murder said there was pressure on him to withdraw the cases. In fact, in the weeks prior to his death, Kothari repeatedly approached the police informing them of the threats to his life from the mining mafia. Rajdev Ranjan On May 13, 2016, Rajdev Ranjan, bureau chief of a Siwan-based Hindi daily called Hindustan, left his office at peak hour. A little later, he was shot dead by unknown assailants near the Siwan railway station, barely half a km away from the town's police station. Ranjan, who started off his 24-year journalistic career as a stringer, focused mainly on crime and political reporting. He was known to be vocal against gangster and former Rashtriya Janata Dal MP Mohammad Shahabuddin. The journalists widow Asha Devi claimed that Ranjan was killed as retribution for his scathing reports on the RJD MP who was currently serving prison time for dozens of charges including murder, illegal possession of arms and voter intimidation. Reportedly, three years ago intelligence agencies gathered information that Shahabuddin had compiled a list of 23 persons that he wanted eliminated. The list allegedly contained names of people he wanted killed in order of priority and Ranjan featured seventh in it. Devi said her husband had warned her that he too might be targeted after another person who was on the list  Shrikant Bharti, press adviser to BJP MP Om Prakash Yadav  was killed. Following Ranjan's murder, police arrested five suspects in June last year. They named one Laddan Mia as the man who had hired them to carry out the hit. Mohammad Kaif, another accused, was granted bail by the Siwan court earlier in the year. Recently, the CBI filed a charge-sheet against Mohammad Shahabuddin and six others in the case. Karun Misra Soldier-like, driven and idealistic  thats how Karun Misras friends described the journalist who was shot dead by three gunmen on motorcycles in broad daylight when he was returning to his home district. Misra was the Ambedkarnagar bureau chief of Hindi daily Jan Sandesh and had written stories about a particularly dangerous business  illegal mining. He had ruffled quite a few feathers of people in the illegal mining business and according to an IndiaSpend report, by February 5, Misra knew that something was going to happen on either February 11 or 12. This realisation followed after Karun refused bribes and ignored a series of threats urging him to steer clear of the topic. Following the murder, inspector-general A Satish Ganesh issued a statement saying that two mining contractors in the area were upset with Misras coverage in the paper. On February 18, 2016, police arrested five people in connection with the murder and named two local mining contractors  Rahul Singh and Pawan Singh  as the masterminds behind the Misras murder. The pair allegedly paid Rs 1 lakh to the assailant for killing the scribe. Parag Kumar Das He was gunned down in broad daylight, reportedly by surrendered members of the separatist group United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA). At the time of his death, he was the executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin. He was a human rights activist and documented cases of human rights abuse by members of the Assam police. An editorial in the Assam Times said he was killed because he was critical of some of the policies adopted by New Delhi. He had widely criticised human rights violations by security forces stationed in Assam. He was arrested under the National Security Act in 1992. Amnesty International said: "We has received reports of connections between police officials and SULFA activists. The absence of key police officers after the incident appears to support allegations of links between SULFA activists and officials in the state." The investigation of Parag Das's murder is still on. Ram Chander Chhatrapati Reddy Ram Chander Chhatrapati, a journalist who ran a local Hindi-language evening daily Poora Sach in Sirsa, Haryana, was shot dead at point blank range by two men riding a motorcycle outside his residence on October 24, 2002. The journalist succumbed to his injuries four weeks later. Chhatrapati was the journalist who first published the anonymous letter accusing Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh of sexually exploiting women finding solace in the Dera as sadhvis. In September 2002, the Punjab and Haryana High Court took suo motu cognisance of the letter. Chhatrapatis son Anshul fought the legal battle that reached a final outcome when a CBI special court found Ram Rahim Singh Dera guilty of rape on August 25. Anna Politkovskaya A fierce critic of Russian president Vladimir Putin, Anna Politkovskaya, a Russian investigative journalist was murdered on October 6, 2006, coincidentally President Putins birthday. Like Gauri Lankesh, she was an intrepid journalist who challenged the illicit agenda of those in power. On October 7, 2006 her body was found inside the elevator of her apartment building in Central Moscow. She was shot at four times, police found. Anna made a career by criticising the Russian government and the military. She publicly condemned Russias military's conduct during the Chechen war. She was also a champion of human rights, rule of law and had written extensively on Kremlins crackdown on these. Her 2004 book Putins Russia: Life in falling democracy won her international acclaim. The New York Times went as far as to bravest of the journalists. She believed in reporting the truth fearlessly regardless of who you are up against. However, she was aware of the consequences of doing so in Russia. People sometimes pay with their lives for saying aloud what they think. In fact, one can even get killed for giving me information. I am not the only one in danger. I have examples that prove it, she said. Her professional work as a journalist and a critic of Kremlin earned her the wrath of President Putin. She once lamented that Russia under Putin was harking back to the Soviet-era, known for its repression of free speech. We are hurtling back into a Soviet abyss, into an information vacuum that spells death from our own ignorance. All we have left is the internet, where information is still freely available. For the rest, if you want to go on working as a journalist, it's total servility to Putin. Otherwise, it can be death, the bullet, poison, or trial-whatever our special services, Putin's guard dogs, see fit, she told during an interview. Carmine Pecorelli The Guardian described him as a maverick journalist with excellent secret service contacts. His murder landed an Italian Prime Minister in jail. At the time of his death in March 1979, he was the editor of an Italian language magazine named Observatorio Politico (Political Observer). One of the prime accused in his murder was Massimo Carminati, an Italian don who headed criminal gang Banda della Magliana and was linked to the death of a former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moro. The bullet that was used to slay Picorelli was the one typically used by Carmanatis gang. Giulio Andreotti who was Italian Prime Minister at the time was also implicated in the crime. Reports surfaced in the days following his death that Andreotti had ordered his assassination as he was about to publish information that would have destroyed his political career. It is not clear what the information was. Going by the Guardians version, Picorelli had accessed a former Italian Prime Minister Aldo Moros startling revelations about Andreotti government.
Fayaz Wani By

Express News Service

SRINAGAR: Two days ahead of a visit of Union Home Minister to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation, Pakistani troops on Thursday breached border ceasefire and fired on army positions in Poonch sector of the State injuring two army porters.

Defence spokesman in Jammu, Lt Colonel Manish Mehta, said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms and automatic weapons towards army positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu province at around 11.45 am.

He said the army men effectively returned the fire and both sides exchanged gunfire for about 15 minutes.

Mehta said in the Pakistani troops firing, two porters working for army were injured.

They were evacuated to nearby hospital, where doctors are attending on them. There condition is now stable, he said.

Another army official said the main aim of the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops is to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir to cause disturbances in the State.

He said the security apparatus across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in J&K has been beefed up to foil infiltration attempts by militants and prevent militants from sneaking into the State.

The counter infiltration grid along the LoC and IB has been further strengthened, the official said adding, Ahead of the winter, Pakistan may attempt to push as many militant as possible to the State for fomenting trouble.

The ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops comes two days ahead of visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to J&k.

Singh is arriving on three-day visit to the State on September 9 (Saturday) to review the security situation in the State.

Earlier, on September 4, BSF men had foiled an infiltration bid of militants along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu.

The militants tried to infiltrate to this side of J&K in Arnia sector under the cover fire of Pakistani Rangers. However, the BSF men guarding the frontline had engaged the Pakistani Rangers in the gunfire and also foiled the infiltration attempt of militants by killing a militant.

On September 1, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of BSF Kamaljit Singh was killed in the Pakistani troops firing in Krishna Ghati (KG) sector of Poonch.

SRINAGAR: Two days ahead of a visit of Union Home Minister to Jammu and Kashmir to review the security situation, Pakistani troops on Thursday breached border ceasefire and fired on army positions in Poonch sector of the State injuring two army porters. Defence spokesman in Jammu, Lt Colonel Manish Mehta, said Pakistan army resorted to unprovoked and indiscriminate firing from small arms and automatic weapons towards army positions along the Line of Control (LoC) in Poonch sector of Jammu province at around 11.45 am. He said the army men effectively returned the fire and both sides exchanged gunfire for about 15 minutes. Mehta said in the Pakistani troops firing, two porters working for army were injured. They were evacuated to nearby hospital, where doctors are attending on them. There condition is now stable, he said. Another army official said the main aim of the ceasefire violations by Pakistani troops is to push militants into Jammu and Kashmir to cause disturbances in the State. He said the security apparatus across the Line of Control (LoC) and International Border (IB) in J&K has been beefed up to foil infiltration attempts by militants and prevent militants from sneaking into the State. The counter infiltration grid along the LoC and IB has been further strengthened, the official said adding, Ahead of the winter, Pakistan may attempt to push as many militant as possible to the State for fomenting trouble. The ceasefire violation by Pakistani troops comes two days ahead of visit of Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh to J&k. Singh is arriving on three-day visit to the State on September 9 (Saturday) to review the security situation in the State. Earlier, on September 4, BSF men had foiled an infiltration bid of militants along International Border (IB) in Arnia sector of Jammu. The militants tried to infiltrate to this side of J&K in Arnia sector under the cover fire of Pakistani Rangers. However, the BSF men guarding the frontline had engaged the Pakistani Rangers in the gunfire and also foiled the infiltration attempt of militants by killing a militant. On September 1, Assistant Sub Inspector (ASI) of BSF Kamaljit Singh was killed in the Pakistani troops firing in Krishna Ghati (KG) sector of Poonch.
Ajit Ranade By

The conventional definition of demonetisation is discontinuation of high-value notes. These notes are hardly used for day-to-day transactions; they are used mainly by tax evaders or for hoarding black money, since currency notes confer anonymity and leave no trail. High-value notes make it convenient to move large illegal amounts.

It is known that not just tax evaders, but terror financiers, child prostitution rings and drug dealers all use them. So there is a global movement to discontinue high-value notes. It has received high-profile support, even in forums such as G20. In India, too, this campaign has been articulated by many people (including this columnist), and most notably by the Pune-and-Nashik-based group, Arthakranti, for several years prior to 2016. The discontinuation is to be done in a phased manner over 12-18 months. Of course, demonetisation is not a single silver bullet to eradicate black money forever.

So clearly what we got on 8 November 2016 was no demonetisation in its conventional sense. It was a huge currency swap with Rs 1,000 notes replaced by Rs 2,000 notes. It was abrupt and unexpected. The initial narrative around itan attack on black money and corruption. Those with illegal hoards of cash would be caught with their pants down, and perhaps Rs 3-4 lakh crore of the Rs 15.4 lakh crore invalidated would not return to the banking system.

We now know from the RBIs published data that nothing of that sort happened. The report says 99 per cent of the banned notes came back into the system. Black money hoarders used ingenuity to smuggle their notes back, probably by stuffing notes into the Jan Dhan accounts which saw a three-fold jump in deposits. So how do we evaluate the success or failure of demonetisation?

Since the metric was not specified upfront, we need to decide on the criteria. Of course, the PMs speech on Nov. 8 focused on black money. To that extent it did not serve its purpose. The cost of printing new notes, unpreparedness of the banking system, delay in restocking branches and ATMs, long waiting lines for months, inability of people to access their own moneyall these costs were immediate and significant for the economy and the people. The slowdown in GDP growth for the next two quarters was also made worse because of cash shortage. Much of the rural and informal economy works on cashnot to evade taxes, but merely for convenience. In fact, switching to cashless could be costly to many micro and small entrepreneurs in the short run. Hence the informal and rural economy was hit badly.

Black money has two components: stock (accumulated hoard) and flow (fresh generation). The former is mostly in the form of non-cash as corroborated by the governments own data from their tax raids. More than 93 per cent of confiscated ill-begotten wealth is in the form of gold, benami property or foreign bank accounts. The flow of fresh black money was dented a bit by demonetisation, but thats only temporary. The Rs 2,000 note is not helping. The flow of black money is most pronounced in sectors such as real estate, election funding and education (capitation fees). Much more is required to curb the flow of tainted money in these sectors.

The data so far also shows limited success as far as the impact on reducing terror financing and fake currency are concerned. So which other criteria show that demonetisation was a success? These are (a) unearthing black money through suspicious deposits; (b) widening of the taxpayer base; (c) promoting cashless transactions; (d) moving the informal economy toward formal; (e) future deterrence. About 18 lakh accounts have been identified with deposit amounts which are suspiciously large, and need explanation. There is a 345 per cent increase in transactions under the scrutiny of the Financial Intelligence Unit. All these will eventually lead to some unearthing. But it needs to go through stages of inquiry investigation, charges, tribunals, courts and appeals, before the final result. Even a handful cases revealed by the Panama Papers leak have still not led to a decisive result. So one can only imagine the litigation and delay in processing lakhs of accounts.

As far as promoting cashless transactions are concerned, the data shows a 100 per cent jump. If this sustains, it would be very good. As such the stock of currency in circulation is down by 20 per cent compared to pre-demonetisation. The spread of Fintech companies and payment banks will anyway ensure growth in the digital economy. So not all of it can be attributed to demonetisation. The increase in the taxpayer base as a result of cash being deposited in banks, could be to the extent of Rs 50-90 lakh. This is not a small number. The rollout of Goods and Services Tax is also increasing tax compliance in a big way.

Finally moving the informal to the formal economy is a longer-term agenda. It may have got a small push, but it needs many more instruments and policies for it to succeed. In summary, demonetisation imposed significant costs on the economy, did not lead to large disclosure of stock or flow of black money, nudged the economy toward formal and less cash-based transactions, and put a spotlight on new taxpayers. The most outstanding fact is that the worlds third largest economy (in PPP terms), was able to take 86 per cent cash out of circulation, and manage the transition to new notes, with tacit support of the public, and without social or political unrest. Even a tiny country like Venezuela had to call off their demonetisation within 24 hours. India on the other hand took the huge disruption in its stride, and continues its onward march, with faith and optimism.

(Syndicate: The Billion Press)

Ajit Ranade

Economist and Senior Fellow, Takshashila Institution

Email: editor@thebillionpress.org

The conventional definition of demonetisation is discontinuation of high-value notes. These notes are hardly used for day-to-day transactions; they are used mainly by tax evaders or for hoarding black money, since currency notes confer anonymity and leave no trail. High-value notes make it convenient to move large illegal amounts. It is known that not just tax evaders, but terror financiers, child prostitution rings and drug dealers all use them. So there is a global movement to discontinue high-value notes. It has received high-profile support, even in forums such as G20. In India, too, this campaign has been articulated by many people (including this columnist), and most notably by the Pune-and-Nashik-based group, Arthakranti, for several years prior to 2016. The discontinuation is to be done in a phased manner over 12-18 months. Of course, demonetisation is not a single silver bullet to eradicate black money forever. So clearly what we got on 8 November 2016 was no demonetisation in its conventional sense. It was a huge currency swap with Rs 1,000 notes replaced by Rs 2,000 notes. It was abrupt and unexpected. The initial narrative around itan attack on black money and corruption. Those with illegal hoards of cash would be caught with their pants down, and perhaps Rs 3-4 lakh crore of the Rs 15.4 lakh crore invalidated would not return to the banking system. We now know from the RBIs published data that nothing of that sort happened. The report says 99 per cent of the banned notes came back into the system. Black money hoarders used ingenuity to smuggle their notes back, probably by stuffing notes into the Jan Dhan accounts which saw a three-fold jump in deposits. So how do we evaluate the success or failure of demonetisation? Since the metric was not specified upfront, we need to decide on the criteria. Of course, the PMs speech on Nov. 8 focused on black money. To that extent it did not serve its purpose. The cost of printing new notes, unpreparedness of the banking system, delay in restocking branches and ATMs, long waiting lines for months, inability of people to access their own moneyall these costs were immediate and significant for the economy and the people. The slowdown in GDP growth for the next two quarters was also made worse because of cash shortage. Much of the rural and informal economy works on cashnot to evade taxes, but merely for convenience. In fact, switching to cashless could be costly to many micro and small entrepreneurs in the short run. Hence the informal and rural economy was hit badly. Black money has two components: stock (accumulated hoard) and flow (fresh generation). The former is mostly in the form of non-cash as corroborated by the governments own data from their tax raids. More than 93 per cent of confiscated ill-begotten wealth is in the form of gold, benami property or foreign bank accounts. The flow of fresh black money was dented a bit by demonetisation, but thats only temporary. The Rs 2,000 note is not helping. The flow of black money is most pronounced in sectors such as real estate, election funding and education (capitation fees). Much more is required to curb the flow of tainted money in these sectors. The data so far also shows limited success as far as the impact on reducing terror financing and fake currency are concerned. So which other criteria show that demonetisation was a success? These are (a) unearthing black money through suspicious deposits; (b) widening of the taxpayer base; (c) promoting cashless transactions; (d) moving the informal economy toward formal; (e) future deterrence. About 18 lakh accounts have been identified with deposit amounts which are suspiciously large, and need explanation. There is a 345 per cent increase in transactions under the scrutiny of the Financial Intelligence Unit. All these will eventually lead to some unearthing. But it needs to go through stages of inquiry investigation, charges, tribunals, courts and appeals, before the final result. Even a handful cases revealed by the Panama Papers leak have still not led to a decisive result. So one can only imagine the litigation and delay in processing lakhs of accounts. As far as promoting cashless transactions are concerned, the data shows a 100 per cent jump. If this sustains, it would be very good. As such the stock of currency in circulation is down by 20 per cent compared to pre-demonetisation. The spread of Fintech companies and payment banks will anyway ensure growth in the digital economy. So not all of it can be attributed to demonetisation. The increase in the taxpayer base as a result of cash being deposited in banks, could be to the extent of Rs 50-90 lakh. This is not a small number. The rollout of Goods and Services Tax is also increasing tax compliance in a big way. Finally moving the informal to the formal economy is a longer-term agenda. It may have got a small push, but it needs many more instruments and policies for it to succeed. In summary, demonetisation imposed significant costs on the economy, did not lead to large disclosure of stock or flow of black money, nudged the economy toward formal and less cash-based transactions, and put a spotlight on new taxpayers. The most outstanding fact is that the worlds third largest economy (in PPP terms), was able to take 86 per cent cash out of circulation, and manage the transition to new notes, with tacit support of the public, and without social or political unrest. Even a tiny country like Venezuela had to call off their demonetisation within 24 hours. India on the other hand took the huge disruption in its stride, and continues its onward march, with faith and optimism. (Syndicate: The Billion Press) Ajit Ranade Economist and Senior Fellow, Takshashila Institution Email: editor@thebillionpress.org
Nilesh V By

Express News Service

HYDERABAD: Two state varsities  Andhra University (AU) and Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) have made it to top 1,000 universities in the world as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Both the AP universities have been ranked in the same brand as Osmania University in Telangana, in the 801-1000 group.Apart from the two, AP has two more universities in the 1001+ category of ranking, Gitam University in Visakhapatnam, a private university, and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Anantapur. JNTU Hyderabad did not make it to the rankings.



OU, AU and SVU had the same overall score of 21.4. However, SVU had the highest citation score of 20.2, compared to 14.5 of OU and a meagre 4.3 of AU, indicating better quality of research than the other two varsities.While SVU had highest score in other parameters which includes - teaching, research and international outlook, OU had slightly higher industry income than the two state varsities.

The performance of AP universities has also gone down as when compared to last years edition of the rankings, AP had three universities in top 1000, including Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) apart from AU and SVU. ANU did not figure in this years rankings. Moreover, SVUs ranking fell from last years -- from 601-800 band to this years 801-1000 band. OU and AU were ranked in the same band last year.



While the ratio for AU stood at 42:58, in OU the ratio stood at 29:71, showing a steep gender gap. Overall, the performance of Indian universities in this years ranking was either poor or almost same as compared to last year. The top-most rank was grabbed this year again by Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore but its ranking fell from 201-250 band to 251-300 band this year.Similarly, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur got knocked down to the 501-600 band from 401-500 band from last year.

HYDERABAD: Two state varsities  Andhra University (AU) and Sri Venkateswara University (SVU) have made it to top 1,000 universities in the world as per the Times Higher Education World University Rankings. Both the AP universities have been ranked in the same brand as Osmania University in Telangana, in the 801-1000 group.Apart from the two, AP has two more universities in the 1001+ category of ranking, Gitam University in Visakhapatnam, a private university, and Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University in Anantapur. JNTU Hyderabad did not make it to the rankings. OU, AU and SVU had the same overall score of 21.4. However, SVU had the highest citation score of 20.2, compared to 14.5 of OU and a meagre 4.3 of AU, indicating better quality of research than the other two varsities.While SVU had highest score in other parameters which includes - teaching, research and international outlook, OU had slightly higher industry income than the two state varsities. The performance of AP universities has also gone down as when compared to last years edition of the rankings, AP had three universities in top 1000, including Acharya Nagarjuna University (ANU) apart from AU and SVU. ANU did not figure in this years rankings. Moreover, SVUs ranking fell from last years -- from 601-800 band to this years 801-1000 band. OU and AU were ranked in the same band last year. While the ratio for AU stood at 42:58, in OU the ratio stood at 29:71, showing a steep gender gap. Overall, the performance of Indian universities in this years ranking was either poor or almost same as compared to last year. The top-most rank was grabbed this year again by Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore but its ranking fell from 201-250 band to 251-300 band this year.Similarly, IIT-Delhi and IIT-Kanpur got knocked down to the 501-600 band from 401-500 band from last year.
Ganesh Mavanji By

Express News Service

MANGALURU: BJP and Mangaluru City Police are all set for a face off here on Thursday as the former has decided to take out a bike rally from Ambedkar Circle to Nehru Maidan as part of its Mangaluru Chalo rally despite the police not permitting it. Police have only permitted BJP to hold a public meet at Nehru Maidan between 11 am and 2 pm on Thursday. The party has been strictly instructed not to hold any bike rally. BJP leader and former minister Aravind Limbavali told reporters here on Wednesday that it was their constitutional right to organise protests, for which the government should give permission.

Whether they permit or not, we will go ahead with the bike rally, he said. To a query on whether they have permission for it, he retorted, Who wants police permission? We have just asked for protection to conduct a peaceful bike rally.He said over 1,000 bikes will take part in the rally and over 5,000 people will participate in the public meeting. A message has been circulating in social media asking BJP workers to join Mangaluru Chalo bike rally and public meeting in large numbers.

Though police have asked BJP not to gather people from outside the district, sources said that several party workers has already arrived.Security has been beefed up in order to prevent any untoward incidents. Along with RAF and KSRP platoons, City Armed Reserve platoons, 10 DySPs and Inspectors, six superintendents of police from other districts, have turned city into a fortress.

HC refuses to ban bike rally

Bengaluru:Refusing to intervene in the matter of law and order within the domain of the state government, the High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a ban over the Mangaluru Chalo rally proposed by the BJP Yuva Morcha. The judges orally observed that law and order is completely within the domain of the State Government and the court cannot issue directions as sought by the petitioners. Petitioners Suhail Khan of Mulki and five others from Dakshina Kannada district had demanded a ban on the rally citing the recent unrest in the coastal town due to communal clashes.

MANGALURU: BJP and Mangaluru City Police are all set for a face off here on Thursday as the former has decided to take out a bike rally from Ambedkar Circle to Nehru Maidan as part of its Mangaluru Chalo rally despite the police not permitting it. Police have only permitted BJP to hold a public meet at Nehru Maidan between 11 am and 2 pm on Thursday. The party has been strictly instructed not to hold any bike rally. BJP leader and former minister Aravind Limbavali told reporters here on Wednesday that it was their constitutional right to organise protests, for which the government should give permission. Whether they permit or not, we will go ahead with the bike rally, he said. To a query on whether they have permission for it, he retorted, Who wants police permission? We have just asked for protection to conduct a peaceful bike rally.He said over 1,000 bikes will take part in the rally and over 5,000 people will participate in the public meeting. A message has been circulating in social media asking BJP workers to join Mangaluru Chalo bike rally and public meeting in large numbers. Though police have asked BJP not to gather people from outside the district, sources said that several party workers has already arrived.Security has been beefed up in order to prevent any untoward incidents. Along with RAF and KSRP platoons, City Armed Reserve platoons, 10 DySPs and Inspectors, six superintendents of police from other districts, have turned city into a fortress. HC refuses to ban bike rally Bengaluru:Refusing to intervene in the matter of law and order within the domain of the state government, the High Court on Wednesday dismissed a public interest litigation seeking a ban over the Mangaluru Chalo rally proposed by the BJP Yuva Morcha. The judges orally observed that law and order is completely within the domain of the State Government and the court cannot issue directions as sought by the petitioners. Petitioners Suhail Khan of Mulki and five others from Dakshina Kannada district had demanded a ban on the rally citing the recent unrest in the coastal town due to communal clashes.
By Express News Service

KOCHI: Meetings and rallies were organised by political parties, cultural activists and journalists here in protest against the murder of veteran Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh. Artists protested in front of Durbar Hall by drawing pictures. Litterateur M K Sanu, CPM district secretary P Rajeev and Kerala Lalithakala Akademi chairman Sathyapal addressed the gathering.People should join hands to ensure incidents akin to Gouris murder do not take place in the future, said M K Sanu. CPM district secretary P Rajeev said attempts to suppress dissenting voice should be resisted. Njaralath Hari Govindan sang a protest song.

CPM: Sangh Parivar eliminates dissenting voices

The CPM organised a protest meeting at Vyttila as well as a rally which had participants gagging their mouth to register their protest at the attempt to silence voices of dissent. CPM district secretary P Rajeev said the Sangh Parivar was eliminating those who raised their voice against the ultra-Hindutva policy of the BJP-NDA Government. N Satheesh presided. CPM state committee member C M Dinesh Mani, area secretary K D Vincent and M V Thulasidas spoke.

Members of The People Against Fascism organise a

protest meet in Kochi against the murder of Gauri

Lankesh on Wednesday | Melton Antony

NCP: Arrest culprits

NCP district block committee demanded the early arrest of killers of Gauri Lankesh. District block committee president V Ramkumar presided. District secretaries Murali Puthenveli, K K Jayaprakash, Iqbal Elamakkara, T P Murali, Binu, and Lawrence spoke.

Warning for future: AAP

"The murder of Gauri Lankesh signals a warning for the future. The murder of an intreprid journalist like Gouri who advocated freedom of the press and fought for the marginalised sections certainly does not bode well for the future. Fascists have always feared writers and thinkers.They think eliminating writers and thinkers will put an end to protests. To save the society everyone should rise up against fascism, said the Aam Admi Party(AAP) state political committee. AAP state convener C R Neelakantan presided. Vinod Mekoth, Shoukath Ali Eroth, K S Padmakumar, Jaffer Atholi, Shabu Madathil, Karthikeyan Damodaran and V P Saidalavi spoke.

Continue fight against fascism

The protest meeting organised by the Ernakulam Press Club was inaugurated by former MP Sebastian Paul. He said the fight against fascism should go on. Press Club president D Dileep presided. The journalists later took out a protest march.

KOCHI: Meetings and rallies were organised by political parties, cultural activists and journalists here in protest against the murder of veteran Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh. Artists protested in front of Durbar Hall by drawing pictures. Litterateur M K Sanu, CPM district secretary P Rajeev and Kerala Lalithakala Akademi chairman Sathyapal addressed the gathering.People should join hands to ensure incidents akin to Gouris murder do not take place in the future, said M K Sanu. CPM district secretary P Rajeev said attempts to suppress dissenting voice should be resisted. Njaralath Hari Govindan sang a protest song. CPM: Sangh Parivar eliminates dissenting voices The CPM organised a protest meeting at Vyttila as well as a rally which had participants gagging their mouth to register their protest at the attempt to silence voices of dissent. CPM district secretary P Rajeev said the Sangh Parivar was eliminating those who raised their voice against the ultra-Hindutva policy of the BJP-NDA Government. N Satheesh presided. CPM state committee member C M Dinesh Mani, area secretary K D Vincent and M V Thulasidas spoke. Members of The People Against Fascism organise a protest meet in Kochi against the murder of Gauri Lankesh on Wednesday | Melton AntonyNCP: Arrest culprits NCP district block committee demanded the early arrest of killers of Gauri Lankesh. District block committee president V Ramkumar presided. District secretaries Murali Puthenveli, K K Jayaprakash, Iqbal Elamakkara, T P Murali, Binu, and Lawrence spoke. Warning for future: AAP "The murder of Gauri Lankesh signals a warning for the future. The murder of an intreprid journalist like Gouri who advocated freedom of the press and fought for the marginalised sections certainly does not bode well for the future. Fascists have always feared writers and thinkers.They think eliminating writers and thinkers will put an end to protests. To save the society everyone should rise up against fascism, said the Aam Admi Party(AAP) state political committee. AAP state convener C R Neelakantan presided. Vinod Mekoth, Shoukath Ali Eroth, K S Padmakumar, Jaffer Atholi, Shabu Madathil, Karthikeyan Damodaran and V P Saidalavi spoke. Continue fight against fascism The protest meeting organised by the Ernakulam Press Club was inaugurated by former MP Sebastian Paul. He said the fight against fascism should go on. Press Club president D Dileep presided. The journalists later took out a protest march.
By Express News Service

KOZHIKODE: A 20-year-old youth who arrived at the Calicut International Airport was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here after he smuggled gold coins after swallowing them. Navas, a native of Koduvally, was nabbed by the Customs officers when he arrived at the airport from Dubai on Monday night. Acting on a tip-off, the Customs officers confronted the man at the airport. Though they tried to locate the gold using a metal detector, the effort turned futile. However, the officers scanned him with an X-ray following which seven gold coins were found inside his stomach.



We are yet to assess the exact amount of gold in his stomach and have sought the help of medical experts to take the metal out, said an officer. According to hospital sources, he has been shifted to the ward. Efforts are on to take the gold coins out of the stomach with the help of surgeons, sources said.

KOZHIKODE: A 20-year-old youth who arrived at the Calicut International Airport was admitted to the Medical College Hospital here after he smuggled gold coins after swallowing them. Navas, a native of Koduvally, was nabbed by the Customs officers when he arrived at the airport from Dubai on Monday night. Acting on a tip-off, the Customs officers confronted the man at the airport. Though they tried to locate the gold using a metal detector, the effort turned futile. However, the officers scanned him with an X-ray following which seven gold coins were found inside his stomach. We are yet to assess the exact amount of gold in his stomach and have sought the help of medical experts to take the metal out, said an officer. According to hospital sources, he has been shifted to the ward. Efforts are on to take the gold coins out of the stomach with the help of surgeons, sources said.
By Express News Service

BHUBANESWAR: Launching a broadside against the ruling BJD for keeping Odisha underdeveloped in the last 17 years, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the intelligentsia of the State to support the saffron party in its bid to dislodge the ruling dispensation in the 2019 elections.

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has never had the intention for a prosperous Odisha despite its abundant natural resources and huge youth force as his only goal is to stay in power, Shah told a meeting of intellectuals, in presence of Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Dharmendra Pradhan, here.

Explaining the speed at which the Narendra Modi Government is working to bring rapid transformation in the country that was ruined by the Congress-led UPA regime, Shah said, Naveen Patnaik Government is running like a defunct transformer, while the Modi Government is like a power-house.

Asserting that development of Odisha is not possible under the BJD, Shah said, in contrast, the BIMARU States have made much progress under the BJP rule. Assuring that his party has the energy and dedication to bring a change, he called upon the people to throw out the incompetent BJD Government in the next election.

Coming down heavily on major political parties for promoting dynastic politics, Shah said, Neither the Congress nor the BJD has internal democracy. Both the parties are driven by dynastic politics.

To drive his point home, the BJP chief sought a response from the audience as to who they think will be the president of Congress after Sonia Gandhi. Pat came the reply: Rahul Gandhi. However, the audience was silent when he asked to name a person of the BJP to take charge of the party after him. This is the difference between BJP and other political parties, he said, adding that merit matters in BJP.

Since people of the country have rejected dynastic politics, major political parties, including the Congress, are getting squeezed providing their space to the BJP to grow exponentially, he maintained.

Exuding confidence that the BJP will win more than 120 Assembly seats in the State much to the chagrin of his opponents, Shah said the Chief Minister will come to realise it only when the results of 2019 election will be out. When the counting begins after the 2019 elections, BJP will have notched up 120 seats. Naveen would only be watching, he said.

CM doubts BJP target of winning 120

Bhubaneswar: While BJP president Amit Shah began his three-day visit to the capital city to interact with the office-bearers from booth to State levels to encourage them to work for winning 120 seats in the next Assembly election, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expressed doubts over the saffron partys claim of winning so many seats. I doubt very much whether they (BJP) will get so many seats, the Chief Minister told mediapersons replying to a question. However, welcoming the Chief Ministers doubts over BJP winning so many seats in the 2019 Assembly election, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, the people of Odisha will decide on the issue.

BHUBANESWAR: Launching a broadside against the ruling BJD for keeping Odisha underdeveloped in the last 17 years, BJP president Amit Shah on Wednesday appealed to the intelligentsia of the State to support the saffron party in its bid to dislodge the ruling dispensation in the 2019 elections. Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has never had the intention for a prosperous Odisha despite its abundant natural resources and huge youth force as his only goal is to stay in power, Shah told a meeting of intellectuals, in presence of Union Ministers Prakash Javadekar and Dharmendra Pradhan, here. Explaining the speed at which the Narendra Modi Government is working to bring rapid transformation in the country that was ruined by the Congress-led UPA regime, Shah said, Naveen Patnaik Government is running like a defunct transformer, while the Modi Government is like a power-house. Asserting that development of Odisha is not possible under the BJD, Shah said, in contrast, the BIMARU States have made much progress under the BJP rule. Assuring that his party has the energy and dedication to bring a change, he called upon the people to throw out the incompetent BJD Government in the next election. Coming down heavily on major political parties for promoting dynastic politics, Shah said, Neither the Congress nor the BJD has internal democracy. Both the parties are driven by dynastic politics. To drive his point home, the BJP chief sought a response from the audience as to who they think will be the president of Congress after Sonia Gandhi. Pat came the reply: Rahul Gandhi. However, the audience was silent when he asked to name a person of the BJP to take charge of the party after him. This is the difference between BJP and other political parties, he said, adding that merit matters in BJP. Since people of the country have rejected dynastic politics, major political parties, including the Congress, are getting squeezed providing their space to the BJP to grow exponentially, he maintained. Exuding confidence that the BJP will win more than 120 Assembly seats in the State much to the chagrin of his opponents, Shah said the Chief Minister will come to realise it only when the results of 2019 election will be out. When the counting begins after the 2019 elections, BJP will have notched up 120 seats. Naveen would only be watching, he said. CM doubts BJP target of winning 120 Bhubaneswar: While BJP president Amit Shah began his three-day visit to the capital city to interact with the office-bearers from booth to State levels to encourage them to work for winning 120 seats in the next Assembly election, Chief Minister and BJD supremo Naveen Patnaik on Wednesday expressed doubts over the saffron partys claim of winning so many seats. I doubt very much whether they (BJP) will get so many seats, the Chief Minister told mediapersons replying to a question. However, welcoming the Chief Ministers doubts over BJP winning so many seats in the 2019 Assembly election, Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan said, the people of Odisha will decide on the issue.
By Express News Service

CHENNAI: After nearly a decade, the Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside an order of a trial court in Chennai discharging former DMK transport minister K Ponmudi and his family members from a land grab case.A perusal of the final report filed under section 173(2) CrPC and the documents sent with it, would disclose a prima facie case against the accused, Justice P Velmurugan observed.

According to prosecution, during his tenure as Transport Minister, Ponmudi had illegally grabbed a land measuring 3,630 sqft in North Avenue, Srinagar Colony at Saidapet, by means of fabricated documents in the name of his mother-in-law P Saraswathi, as if the plot was sold to her by one K Kannan @ Kannappan for about `8 lakh. Subsequently, Ponmudi constructed a house worth about `35 lakh on the plot and started living there. Based on information, after observing the due process of law, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption registered a case for offences under various sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against him and nine others.

At the stage of framing of charges, the accused filed a petition before the Third Additional Sessions, who on April 26, 2007 discharged Ponmudi and all the other accused from the case. Challenging this, the DV&AC Wing filed the revision petition. Allowing it, Justice Velmurugan observed there are sufficient grounds which makes prima facie to proceed against the accused. The trial judge had discussed the merits of the case beyond the scope of 239(1) CrPC and discharged them. It is settled law that at the stage of framing the charges, the court has to prima facie consider whether there is sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused.

The court is not required to appreciate evidence and arrive at the conclusion that the material produced are sufficient or not for convicting the accused. If the court is satisfied that a prima facie case is made out for proceeding further, then a charge has to be framed.At the stage of framing the charge, inquiry must necessarily be limited to deciding if the facts emerging from such material constitute the offence with which the accused could be charged. The court may examine the records for that limited purpose, but it is not required to marshal with a view to decide the reliability thereof. At this stage, the court is not expected to go deep into the probative value of the material on record. What needs to be considered is whether there is a ground for presuming that the offence has been committed and not a ground for convicting the accused has been made out, the judge said and allowed the revision petition of DV&AC.

Lower court directed to certify fee bills of woman APP

Chennai: A Madras High Court judge has come to the help of a woman Additional Public Prosecutor working in a lower court with a direction to the lower court judge to certify her fee bills! M Prabhavathy has been appointed as APP in July 2011. She submitted her fee bills for her appearance before the courts up to April this year, before the IV Additional Judge, City Civil Court, for clearance. But the judge returned the bills on the ground that her tenure had expired and hence she did not have the authority to present the bills. Aggrieved, the APP filed a criminal original petition for a direction to the lower court judge. When the matter came up for hearing on July 17, Justice M S Ramesh, held that the tenure of Prabavathy was not determined with any expiry date and as such the bills produced were valid. Since the HC had indicated to the lower court that the tenure of the APP has not come to an end as there was no mention about the expiry date of her appointment, the reasoning of the lower court judge was not proper, Justice Ramesh said. ens

CHENNAI: After nearly a decade, the Madras High Court on Wednesday set aside an order of a trial court in Chennai discharging former DMK transport minister K Ponmudi and his family members from a land grab case.A perusal of the final report filed under section 173(2) CrPC and the documents sent with it, would disclose a prima facie case against the accused, Justice P Velmurugan observed. According to prosecution, during his tenure as Transport Minister, Ponmudi had illegally grabbed a land measuring 3,630 sqft in North Avenue, Srinagar Colony at Saidapet, by means of fabricated documents in the name of his mother-in-law P Saraswathi, as if the plot was sold to her by one K Kannan @ Kannappan for about `8 lakh. Subsequently, Ponmudi constructed a house worth about `35 lakh on the plot and started living there. Based on information, after observing the due process of law, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti Corruption registered a case for offences under various sections of IPC and the Prevention of Corruption Act against him and nine others. At the stage of framing of charges, the accused filed a petition before the Third Additional Sessions, who on April 26, 2007 discharged Ponmudi and all the other accused from the case. Challenging this, the DV&AC Wing filed the revision petition. Allowing it, Justice Velmurugan observed there are sufficient grounds which makes prima facie to proceed against the accused. The trial judge had discussed the merits of the case beyond the scope of 239(1) CrPC and discharged them. It is settled law that at the stage of framing the charges, the court has to prima facie consider whether there is sufficient ground for proceeding against the accused. The court is not required to appreciate evidence and arrive at the conclusion that the material produced are sufficient or not for convicting the accused. If the court is satisfied that a prima facie case is made out for proceeding further, then a charge has to be framed.At the stage of framing the charge, inquiry must necessarily be limited to deciding if the facts emerging from such material constitute the offence with which the accused could be charged. The court may examine the records for that limited purpose, but it is not required to marshal with a view to decide the reliability thereof. At this stage, the court is not expected to go deep into the probative value of the material on record. What needs to be considered is whether there is a ground for presuming that the offence has been committed and not a ground for convicting the accused has been made out, the judge said and allowed the revision petition of DV&AC. Lower court directed to certify fee bills of woman APP Chennai: A Madras High Court judge has come to the help of a woman Additional Public Prosecutor working in a lower court with a direction to the lower court judge to certify her fee bills! M Prabhavathy has been appointed as APP in July 2011. She submitted her fee bills for her appearance before the courts up to April this year, before the IV Additional Judge, City Civil Court, for clearance. But the judge returned the bills on the ground that her tenure had expired and hence she did not have the authority to present the bills. Aggrieved, the APP filed a criminal original petition for a direction to the lower court judge. When the matter came up for hearing on July 17, Justice M S Ramesh, held that the tenure of Prabavathy was not determined with any expiry date and as such the bills produced were valid. Since the HC had indicated to the lower court that the tenure of the APP has not come to an end as there was no mention about the expiry date of her appointment, the reasoning of the lower court judge was not proper, Justice Ramesh said. ens
By Associated Press

SAN JUAN: Hurricane Irma has killed at least eight people and injured 23 in French Caribbean island territories as the dangerous Category 5 storm roared over the Caribbean, France's interior minister said on Thursday.

Speaking on French radio France Info, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams are yet to finish their inspection of the islands.

"The reconnaissance will really start at daybreak," Collomb said.

Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, raking the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea, and it headed early on Thursday toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

To the east, authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands devastated by the storm's record 185 mph (298 kph) winds earlier on Wednesday, while people in Florida rushed to get ready for a possible direct hit on the Miami area.

Communications were difficult with areas hit by Irma, and information on damage trickled out.

Nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early on Wednesday and about 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press.

"It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP.

On St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and one-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters. Many of their neighbours' homes were damaged and once-dense vegetation was largely gone.

"There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone," Strickling said. "It will take years for this community to get back on its feet."

Significant damage was also reported on St. Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. France sent emergency food and water there and to the French island of St. Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out electricity.

By early Thursday, the center of the storm was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moving west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph).

More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power, leaving 900,000 in the dark and nearly 50,000 without water, the U.S. territory's emergency management agency said in the midst of the storm. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads.

Puerto Rico's public power company warned before the storm hit that some areas could be left without power from four to six months because its staff has been reduced and its infrastructure weakened by the island's decade-long economic slump.

State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. "I expect the same from this storm. It's going to be bad," he said.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government.

Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Florida visiting Puerto Rico, said she had tried to leave before the storm but all flights were sold out.

She has a reservation to fly out on Friday and is worried about her home in Tampa. "When you're from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane," she said.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as passes just to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and skirts Cuba on Friday night into Saturday. It will then likely head north toward Florida.

The storm is expected to hit Florida sometime on Sunday, and Gov. Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday. He warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew, which wiped out entire neighbourhoods in south Florida 25 years ago.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

"This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

SAN JUAN: Hurricane Irma has killed at least eight people and injured 23 in French Caribbean island territories as the dangerous Category 5 storm roared over the Caribbean, France's interior minister said on Thursday. Speaking on French radio France Info, French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said the death toll in Saint-Martin and Saint-Barthelemy could be higher because rescue teams are yet to finish their inspection of the islands. "The reconnaissance will really start at daybreak," Collomb said. Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, raking the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea, and it headed early on Thursday toward the Dominican Republic and Haiti. To the east, authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands devastated by the storm's record 185 mph (298 kph) winds earlier on Wednesday, while people in Florida rushed to get ready for a possible direct hit on the Miami area. Communications were difficult with areas hit by Irma, and information on damage trickled out. Nearly every building on Barbuda was damaged when the hurricane's core crossed almost directly over the island early on Wednesday and about 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press. "It is just really a horrendous situation," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighbouring island. He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery would take months, if not years. A two-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP. On St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and one-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters. Many of their neighbours' homes were damaged and once-dense vegetation was largely gone. "There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And it's gone," Strickling said. "It will take years for this community to get back on its feet." Significant damage was also reported on St. Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. France sent emergency food and water there and to the French island of St. Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out electricity. By early Thursday, the center of the storm was about 140 miles (225 kilometers) northwest of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and moving west-northwest near 16 mph (26 kph). More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power, leaving 900,000 in the dark and nearly 50,000 without water, the U.S. territory's emergency management agency said in the midst of the storm. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads. Puerto Rico's public power company warned before the storm hit that some areas could be left without power from four to six months because its staff has been reduced and its infrastructure weakened by the island's decade-long economic slump. State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo in 1989. "I expect the same from this storm. It's going to be bad," he said. President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government. Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Florida visiting Puerto Rico, said she had tried to leave before the storm but all flights were sold out. She has a reservation to fly out on Friday and is worried about her home in Tampa. "When you're from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane," she said. The U.S. National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as passes just to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and skirts Cuba on Friday night into Saturday. It will then likely head north toward Florida. The storm is expected to hit Florida sometime on Sunday, and Gov. Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday. He warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew, which wiped out entire neighbourhoods in south Florida 25 years ago. Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas. "This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.
By PTI

BEIJING: China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today.

In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Wang said bilateral relations were "affected and undermined" during the past few months "for clear reasons".

Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Wang said, "going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track."

Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the Sino-India relationship "should not be derailed".

"Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice" for both, Wang said.

"There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said. Both the countries should also "make sure that differences do not go out of control", Wang said.

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said.

After the end of the Dokalam standoff, Modi and Xi had a positive meeting at Xiamen.

Putting behind the standoff, India and China had agreed to move forward in their ties with President Xi telling Prime Minister Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the "right track".

BEIJING: China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today. In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Wang said bilateral relations were "affected and undermined" during the past few months "for clear reasons". Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Wang said, "going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track." Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the Sino-India relationship "should not be derailed". "Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice" for both, Wang said. "There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said. Both the countries should also "make sure that differences do not go out of control", Wang said. "Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said. After the end of the Dokalam standoff, Modi and Xi had a positive meeting at Xiamen. Putting behind the standoff, India and China had agreed to move forward in their ties with President Xi telling Prime Minister Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the "right track".
By AFP

BEIJING: China said on Thursday that it had lodged a diplomatic protest with South Korea following its announcement that it would increase deployments of a US anti-missile system in the wake of North Korea's recent nuclear test.

"We urge the Republic of Korea and the United States to take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and regional countries, halt deployment progress and withdraw all the relevant equipment," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing.

Beijing has "lodged stern representations with the Republic of Korea," he added.





BEIJING: China said on Thursday that it had lodged a diplomatic protest with South Korea following its announcement that it would increase deployments of a US anti-missile system in the wake of North Korea's recent nuclear test. "We urge the Republic of Korea and the United States to take seriously the security concerns and interests of China and regional countries, halt deployment progress and withdraw all the relevant equipment," foreign ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a regular press briefing. Beijing has "lodged stern representations with the Republic of Korea," he added.
By AFP

BRUSSELS: There is a "real risk" of increased funding for attacks in Europe as the Islamic State (IS) group loses ground in Iraq and Syria, the EU's security chief warned on Thursday.

IS, which is also known as Daesh, has lost an estimated 90 percent of its territory in Iraq. At one time, the group held around half of Syria but today controls just 15 percent, according to estimates.

"As we have success against Daesh on the ground in Iraq and Syria, they are moving funds out of Iraq and Syria," Julian King told the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament.

"There is a real risk of a new influx of funding for terrorism. We need to be conscious of that and we need to work together to see what we can do about it," he added.

Last month, a UN report said that IS was continuing to send remittances abroad -- often small sums, making them difficult to detect -- as part of a bid to step up its international efforts "as demonstrated by the higher pace of attacks in Europe."

The report said funding sources were still based on oil profits and the imposition of taxes on local populations in the areas under its control.

However, it said the financial situation of the IS "core continues to deteriorate," mainly due to military pressure on the group.

In the last two or three years, EU member states have been hit by an increasing number of attacks claimed by IS which have taken place in Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany.

King said the EU is also stepping up efforts to "respond to the unprecedented scale and speed of radicalisation that we now face in our societies," including online and offline.

BRUSSELS: There is a "real risk" of increased funding for attacks in Europe as the Islamic State (IS) group loses ground in Iraq and Syria, the EU's security chief warned on Thursday. IS, which is also known as Daesh, has lost an estimated 90 percent of its territory in Iraq. At one time, the group held around half of Syria but today controls just 15 percent, according to estimates. "As we have success against Daesh on the ground in Iraq and Syria, they are moving funds out of Iraq and Syria," Julian King told the civil liberties committee in the European Parliament. "There is a real risk of a new influx of funding for terrorism. We need to be conscious of that and we need to work together to see what we can do about it," he added. Last month, a UN report said that IS was continuing to send remittances abroad -- often small sums, making them difficult to detect -- as part of a bid to step up its international efforts "as demonstrated by the higher pace of attacks in Europe." The report said funding sources were still based on oil profits and the imposition of taxes on local populations in the areas under its control. However, it said the financial situation of the IS "core continues to deteriorate," mainly due to military pressure on the group. In the last two or three years, EU member states have been hit by an increasing number of attacks claimed by IS which have taken place in Spain, Britain, France, Belgium, and Germany. King said the EU is also stepping up efforts to "respond to the unprecedented scale and speed of radicalisation that we now face in our societies," including online and offline.
By AFP

VLADIVOSTOK: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Thursday for the world to put the "greatest possible pressure" on North Korea to abandon its nuclear missile programme.

"The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea," he said just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, which it described as a "perfect success".

"We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe insisted.

"North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world."

His remarks were made on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok which is also being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea's Moon Jae-In.

On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off.

South Korea has also pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia has dismissed such a call, while China is also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.

VLADIVOSTOK: Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe called Thursday for the world to put the "greatest possible pressure" on North Korea to abandon its nuclear missile programme. "The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea," he said just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, which it described as a "perfect success". "We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe insisted. "North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world." His remarks were made on the sidelines of an economic forum in the Russian port city of Vladivostok which is also being attended by Russian President Vladimir Putin and South Korea's Moon Jae-In. On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off. South Korea has also pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia has dismissed such a call, while China is also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.
By AFP

MADRID: The Catalan government signed a decree on Wednesday calling an independence referendum on October 1, which Madrid has vowed to stop.

Here are the key dates in the history of the wealthy Spanish region's independence drive.

2006

March: Catalans approve a new autonomy charter, negotiated with the Socialist government and approved by the national parliament, increasing their fiscal and judicial powers and describing Catalonia as a "nation".

July: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP), which has only marginal support in Catalonia, appeals the autonomy charter, accusing it of "privileging" Catalonia.

2010

June: Spain's Constitutional Court strikes down parts of the 2006 autonomy charter in response to the PP's appeal. It rules that the word "nation" to describe the region has "no legal value" and rejects the "preferential" use of the Catalan language in municipal services.

July: Hundreds of thousands of people protest in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, against the court ruling amid chants of "We are a nation, we decide".

2012

September 11: At the height of Spain's economic crisis, more than a million people protest in Barcelona demanding independence for Catalonia.

Major demonstrations are held in the following years on the same date, marking Catalonia's national day.

September 20: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy rejects Catalan President Artur Mas's call for greater tax-and-spend powers for the region. Five days later, Mas calls a snap regional election promising to hold a referendum on Catalonia's future.

November 26: Mas's centre-right CiU alliance wins the snap election overall but fails to secure an absolute majority in the regional parliament.

2013

September 11: Hundreds of thousands of Catalans join hands to form a human chain stretching more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) across the Mediterranean coast to push for independence.

2014

November 9: Catalonia defies Madrid and presses ahead with a symbolic vote on independence. Turnout is just 37 percent, of which over 80 percent -- 1.8 million people -- vote in favour of independence.

2015

September 27: The pro-independence Together For Yes alliance secures 62 seats in the regional assembly and the radical leftwing separatist group CUP wins 10, giving them an absolute majority.

But the separatist block falls short of winning a majority of votes in the election, which is portrayed as a proxy vote on independence, capturing just 47.8 percent of the ballot.

November 9: All 72 pro-independence lawmakers in the Catalan parliament -- the majority -- vote for a resolution that kicks off the process to secede from Spain. The country's Constitutional Court will later strike it down.

2016

January 10: A longtime separatist, Carles Puigdemont, becomes president of Catalonia.

2017

March: Former Catalan president Artur Mas is found guilty of "disobedience" for staging the symbolic independence referendum in 2014 even after it was banned by Spain's Constitutional Court. He is banned from holding public office for two years.

June: Puigdemont announces a referendum on independence to be held in Catalonia on October 1 with the following question posed to voters: "Do you want Catalonia to be an independent country in the form of a republic?" Spain's central government says it will block the referendum.

July: Puigdemont dismisses a member of his regional government who had raised doubts about the viability of the referendum. Three other members of his government whose support for the vote was in doubt also step down, as does the head of the regional Catalan police.

Rajoy accuses the Catalan government of harbouring "authoritarian delusions".

MADRID: The Catalan government signed a decree on Wednesday calling an independence referendum on October 1, which Madrid has vowed to stop. Here are the key dates in the history of the wealthy Spanish region's independence drive. 2006 March: Catalans approve a new autonomy charter, negotiated with the Socialist government and approved by the national parliament, increasing their fiscal and judicial powers and describing Catalonia as a "nation". July: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy's conservative Popular Party (PP), which has only marginal support in Catalonia, appeals the autonomy charter, accusing it of "privileging" Catalonia. 2010 June: Spain's Constitutional Court strikes down parts of the 2006 autonomy charter in response to the PP's appeal. It rules that the word "nation" to describe the region has "no legal value" and rejects the "preferential" use of the Catalan language in municipal services. July: Hundreds of thousands of people protest in Barcelona, the capital of Catalonia, against the court ruling amid chants of "We are a nation, we decide". 2012 September 11: At the height of Spain's economic crisis, more than a million people protest in Barcelona demanding independence for Catalonia. Major demonstrations are held in the following years on the same date, marking Catalonia's national day. September 20: Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy rejects Catalan President Artur Mas's call for greater tax-and-spend powers for the region. Five days later, Mas calls a snap regional election promising to hold a referendum on Catalonia's future. November 26: Mas's centre-right CiU alliance wins the snap election overall but fails to secure an absolute majority in the regional parliament. 2013 September 11: Hundreds of thousands of Catalans join hands to form a human chain stretching more than 400 kilometres (250 miles) across the Mediterranean coast to push for independence. 2014 November 9: Catalonia defies Madrid and presses ahead with a symbolic vote on independence. Turnout is just 37 percent, of which over 80 percent -- 1.8 million people -- vote in favour of independence. 2015 September 27: The pro-independence Together For Yes alliance secures 62 seats in the regional assembly and the radical leftwing separatist group CUP wins 10, giving them an absolute majority. But the separatist block falls short of winning a majority of votes in the election, which is portrayed as a proxy vote on independence, capturing just 47.8 percent of the ballot. November 9: All 72 pro-independence lawmakers in the Catalan parliament -- the majority -- vote for a resolution that kicks off the process to secede from Spain. The country's Constitutional Court will later strike it down. 2016 January 10: A longtime separatist, Carles Puigdemont, becomes president of Catalonia. 2017 March: Former Catalan president Artur Mas is found guilty of "disobedience" for staging the symbolic independence referendum in 2014 even after it was banned by Spain's Constitutional Court. He is banned from holding public office for two years. June: Puigdemont announces a referendum on independence to be held in Catalonia on October 1 with the following question posed to voters: "Do you want Catalonia to be an independent country in the form of a republic?" Spain's central government says it will block the referendum. July: Puigdemont dismisses a member of his regional government who had raised doubts about the viability of the referendum. Three other members of his government whose support for the vote was in doubt also step down, as does the head of the regional Catalan police. Rajoy accuses the Catalan government of harbouring "authoritarian delusions".
By Associated Press

DODOMA: A prominent opposition figure in Tanzania was shot near his home in the capital, a government official said on Thursday, in an attack that shocked the East African nation known for its relative peace and stability.

Lawmaker Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party, who recently faced criminal charges after he called President John Magufuli a dictator, was wounded by an unknown assailant in Dodoma, said Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba.

The minister, who spoke to reporters outside the hospital where Lissu was being treated, said the government would issue a statement after receiving a medical report.

Lissu, one of Tanzania's most vocal opposition politicians, was shot in the stomach, leg and arm, Dr. Charles James, a regional medical officer, told reporters.

Lissu had appeared in the national assembly earlier on Thursday and apparently was being driven home when the attack occurred.

There was no immediate comment from the police.

In July, Lissu was criminally charged with using abusive language after he called President John Magufuli a dictator over alleged attacks on the opposition and the media.

Magufuli has faced growing accusations by rights groups and others of being intolerant of criticism since he was elected in 2015. Live transmission of parliamentary debates has stopped, and opposition rallies have been banned until the next election cycle in 2020.

DODOMA: A prominent opposition figure in Tanzania was shot near his home in the capital, a government official said on Thursday, in an attack that shocked the East African nation known for its relative peace and stability. Lawmaker Tundu Lissu of the Chadema party, who recently faced criminal charges after he called President John Magufuli a dictator, was wounded by an unknown assailant in Dodoma, said Home Affairs Minister Mwigulu Nchemba. The minister, who spoke to reporters outside the hospital where Lissu was being treated, said the government would issue a statement after receiving a medical report. Lissu, one of Tanzania's most vocal opposition politicians, was shot in the stomach, leg and arm, Dr. Charles James, a regional medical officer, told reporters. Lissu had appeared in the national assembly earlier on Thursday and apparently was being driven home when the attack occurred. There was no immediate comment from the police. In July, Lissu was criminally charged with using abusive language after he called President John Magufuli a dictator over alleged attacks on the opposition and the media. Magufuli has faced growing accusations by rights groups and others of being intolerant of criticism since he was elected in 2015. Live transmission of parliamentary debates has stopped, and opposition rallies have been banned until the next election cycle in 2020.
By AFP

WARSAW: Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Wednesday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of "trying to introduce protectionism" amid their clash over his proposals to overhaul a controversial EU rule on sending workers abroad.

"It really worries me that the French president is currently undermining the pillars of the European Union and trying to introduce protectionism, striking at the free market and the circulation of people and services," Szydlo said on the TVP Info news channel.

"These are worrisome signals. I think now is the time when at least some of the EU's leaders must answer the question of whether unity is important to them... or whether some of these leaders want to divide the European Union."

Macron made overhauling the so-called Posted Workers Directive one of his key election promises, and is set to push for it at an EU summit on October 19-20.

The regulation lets companies send workers from low-wage countries like Poland to wealthier economies on short-term assignments without paying the host country's social charges.

The rule has caused resentment in western countries like France, Germany and Austria, which argue it amounts to "social dumping" that creates unfair competition on their labour markets.

But there has been staunch resistance in eastern and central Europe, where most of the less expensive workers come from. Poland is the EU member that benefits most from the regulation.

Addressing Warsaw's opposing views on the matter last month, Macron said Poland was "a country that has decided to go against European interests in many areas" and risks finding itself "on the margins" of the EU in the future.

Szydlo responded at the time by calling Macron's criticisms "arrogant", but on Tuesday she spoke of the possibility of a "compromise".

WARSAW: Polish Prime Minister Beata Szydlo on Wednesday accused French President Emmanuel Macron of "trying to introduce protectionism" amid their clash over his proposals to overhaul a controversial EU rule on sending workers abroad. "It really worries me that the French president is currently undermining the pillars of the European Union and trying to introduce protectionism, striking at the free market and the circulation of people and services," Szydlo said on the TVP Info news channel. "These are worrisome signals. I think now is the time when at least some of the EU's leaders must answer the question of whether unity is important to them... or whether some of these leaders want to divide the European Union." Macron made overhauling the so-called Posted Workers Directive one of his key election promises, and is set to push for it at an EU summit on October 19-20. The regulation lets companies send workers from low-wage countries like Poland to wealthier economies on short-term assignments without paying the host country's social charges. The rule has caused resentment in western countries like France, Germany and Austria, which argue it amounts to "social dumping" that creates unfair competition on their labour markets. But there has been staunch resistance in eastern and central Europe, where most of the less expensive workers come from. Poland is the EU member that benefits most from the regulation. Addressing Warsaw's opposing views on the matter last month, Macron said Poland was "a country that has decided to go against European interests in many areas" and risks finding itself "on the margins" of the EU in the future. Szydlo responded at the time by calling Macron's criticisms "arrogant", but on Tuesday she spoke of the possibility of a "compromise".
By AFP

VOSLOORUS: South African chef Nthabiseng Mabuza, 35, was on her way to work and the only passenger in a public mini-bus taxi when she was raped by the driver.

Her alleged attacker was arrested at the scene after she shouted for help to a passerby who flagged down a police patrol car. Although the suspect was held in custody for several months, he was later freed on bail.

Two years on, the case has not yet come to court and the accused has vanished.

Mabuza, a pseudonym as she did not want to be identified by her real name, is dumbfounded and angry at the police for releasing the alleged rapist and says she lives in fear that he is roaming the streets.

Her case is one example of the struggles that rape victims face and how they are treated by the police in South Africa, where tens of thousands of people are sexually assaulted each year.

"The day when I was supposed to testify, he (the alleged rapist) was nowhere to be found," Mabuza told AFP, recounting the day last year when she went to court hoping the trial would finally start after being repeatedly postponed.

"Since then, nothing has happened," she said, flanked by her husband, 45, at their home in Vosloorus, a middle-class township east of Johannesburg.

Her efforts to find out what was going on from the investigating officer proved futile, despite what she believes is overwhelming evidence of the brutal pre-dawn attack not far from Vosloorus.

Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has vowed to overhaul the system after admitting there is something "wrong in the administration of justice at our police stations."

"We need to respond to the outcries of millions of our people that our police force does not respond adequately (to rape cases)," the minister told AFP in an interview.

He said his department would now do "what we are supposed to do so our police stations are functional and they do everything at their disposal to assist victims of abuse".

Blaming the victim

Mabuza's husband flips through photographs showing images of his wife, the bloodied mini-bus in which she was raped, her earring ripped off during the assault and a piece of synthetic hair extension lying in the grass.

"This happened in 2015, now it is 2017, the guy was apprehended on the same day," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh.

The couple is bewildered at how an alleged rapist could have been freed on bail.

South African police are accused by NGOs, women's and human rights groups, academics, the media and some lawmakers of being insensitive to victims and slow in their investigations.

Conviction rates from the reported cases are low at under 10 percent, according to several independent studies.

A soon-to-be-published report, of which AFP was given an advance copy, entitled Rape Justice in South Africa, studied data from 2012 and found only 8.6 percent of cases that went to trial ended in a guilty verdict.

Prosecutors declined to prosecute 47.7 percent of the cases referred to them by the police, due to the likely success rate based on the available evidence, according to the report conducted by the South African Medical Research Council, a government-funded research agency.

It concluded that there was "substantial" under-reporting by victims due to "discriminatory police attitudes and the fear of secondary victimisation."

Victims are "not happy with the way in which police handle their cases. There is a general lack of trust," said Marike Keller, an activist with an advocacy charity, Sonke Gender Justice.

"There is a lot of insensitivity, a lot of victim-blaming," she said, adding police often ask questions such as what the victim was wearing "which imply it was the victim's fault."

Under-reporting

Another survivor Lu-Meri Kruger, 35, agrees that police ask "extremely difficult questions -- over and over. You become the guilty person."

"Walking into a police station is the coldest, darkest, dustiest, most difficult time ever," she told AFP. "That is the most difficult part of being raped."

"You don't know where to go to," said Kruger, who was raped aged 15 by a man, who barged into a communal bathroom where she was taking a shower at a Cape Town backpackers lodge.

South African police not only suffer from inadequate training on how to handle rape victims, but also face high levels of work stress and a lack of transport, the Medical Research Council's report said.

"Higher work stress was associated with holding generally less equitable and sympathetic attitudes to rape victims," it stated.

Official crime statistics show that 51,895 cases of rape were recorded between April 2015 and March 2016.

But activists estimate that only a small fraction of rape cases are reported.

Out of dozens of NGOs helping abused women in South Africa, one single Johannesburg-based 24-hour helpline for victims, TEARS, said it had received more than 31,000 calls for the 12-month period ending in February from victims of rape and domestic abuse.

The incidence of rape in South Africa is "driven by a violent political history, as well as by structural and gender inequality," warned the Medical Research Council study.

South Africa has in recent years created specialised sexual offences courts and 57 have so far opened, but activists say more are needed.

VOSLOORUS: South African chef Nthabiseng Mabuza, 35, was on her way to work and the only passenger in a public mini-bus taxi when she was raped by the driver. Her alleged attacker was arrested at the scene after she shouted for help to a passerby who flagged down a police patrol car. Although the suspect was held in custody for several months, he was later freed on bail. Two years on, the case has not yet come to court and the accused has vanished. Mabuza, a pseudonym as she did not want to be identified by her real name, is dumbfounded and angry at the police for releasing the alleged rapist and says she lives in fear that he is roaming the streets. Her case is one example of the struggles that rape victims face and how they are treated by the police in South Africa, where tens of thousands of people are sexually assaulted each year. "The day when I was supposed to testify, he (the alleged rapist) was nowhere to be found," Mabuza told AFP, recounting the day last year when she went to court hoping the trial would finally start after being repeatedly postponed. "Since then, nothing has happened," she said, flanked by her husband, 45, at their home in Vosloorus, a middle-class township east of Johannesburg. Her efforts to find out what was going on from the investigating officer proved futile, despite what she believes is overwhelming evidence of the brutal pre-dawn attack not far from Vosloorus. Police Minister Fikile Mbalula has vowed to overhaul the system after admitting there is something "wrong in the administration of justice at our police stations." "We need to respond to the outcries of millions of our people that our police force does not respond adequately (to rape cases)," the minister told AFP in an interview. He said his department would now do "what we are supposed to do so our police stations are functional and they do everything at their disposal to assist victims of abuse". Blaming the victim Mabuza's husband flips through photographs showing images of his wife, the bloodied mini-bus in which she was raped, her earring ripped off during the assault and a piece of synthetic hair extension lying in the grass. "This happened in 2015, now it is 2017, the guy was apprehended on the same day," he said, letting out an exasperated sigh. The couple is bewildered at how an alleged rapist could have been freed on bail. South African police are accused by NGOs, women's and human rights groups, academics, the media and some lawmakers of being insensitive to victims and slow in their investigations. Conviction rates from the reported cases are low at under 10 percent, according to several independent studies. A soon-to-be-published report, of which AFP was given an advance copy, entitled Rape Justice in South Africa, studied data from 2012 and found only 8.6 percent of cases that went to trial ended in a guilty verdict. Prosecutors declined to prosecute 47.7 percent of the cases referred to them by the police, due to the likely success rate based on the available evidence, according to the report conducted by the South African Medical Research Council, a government-funded research agency. It concluded that there was "substantial" under-reporting by victims due to "discriminatory police attitudes and the fear of secondary victimisation." Victims are "not happy with the way in which police handle their cases. There is a general lack of trust," said Marike Keller, an activist with an advocacy charity, Sonke Gender Justice. "There is a lot of insensitivity, a lot of victim-blaming," she said, adding police often ask questions such as what the victim was wearing "which imply it was the victim's fault." Under-reporting Another survivor Lu-Meri Kruger, 35, agrees that police ask "extremely difficult questions -- over and over. You become the guilty person." "Walking into a police station is the coldest, darkest, dustiest, most difficult time ever," she told AFP. "That is the most difficult part of being raped." "You don't know where to go to," said Kruger, who was raped aged 15 by a man, who barged into a communal bathroom where she was taking a shower at a Cape Town backpackers lodge. South African police not only suffer from inadequate training on how to handle rape victims, but also face high levels of work stress and a lack of transport, the Medical Research Council's report said. "Higher work stress was associated with holding generally less equitable and sympathetic attitudes to rape victims," it stated. Official crime statistics show that 51,895 cases of rape were recorded between April 2015 and March 2016. But activists estimate that only a small fraction of rape cases are reported. Out of dozens of NGOs helping abused women in South Africa, one single Johannesburg-based 24-hour helpline for victims, TEARS, said it had received more than 31,000 calls for the 12-month period ending in February from victims of rape and domestic abuse. The incidence of rape in South Africa is "driven by a violent political history, as well as by structural and gender inequality," warned the Medical Research Council study. South Africa has in recent years created specialised sexual offences courts and 57 have so far opened, but activists say more are needed.
By AFP

CAMP SHORAB: Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand say Donald Trump's decision to keep boots on the ground indefinitely gives them "all the time in the world" to retake the province, once the symbol of US intervention but now a Taliban stronghold.

They may need it. At the hot, dusty Camp Shorab, where many of the recently deployed Marines train their Afghan counterparts in flat, desert terrain, the Afghans admit their army still cannot fight alone.

The Taliban control or contest 12 out of Helmand's 14 districts and continue to inflict stinging blows on Afghan forces, who have been struggling to beat back the insurgents across the country since taking the lead on security from NATO forces at the end of 2014.

Sixteen years since the American-led invasion, and after decades of near-constant war in the country, the Islamist extremists show few signs of flagging, despite being heavily out-gunned by the might of the US military.

With no need to pay attention to four-year election cycles, the Taliban's fight against their technologically-superior foes is often summed up in the proverb: "You may have the watches, but we have the time".

But Trump's announcement that the US committment to Afghanistan is open-ended might just be enough to reverse the tide.

"We have all the time in the world... to accomplish the mission the right way," said Staff Sergeant George Caldwell, one of the Marines based at Camp Shorab.

Around 300 Marines returned to Helmand in April, a fraction of the more than 20,000 stationed in the poppy-growing province when it was the centrepiece of the US invasion.

Previously, they were on the frontline against the Taliban. Now they are part of NATO's "train, advise and assist" mission, focused on making Afghan security forces strong enough to beat back the insurgents on their own.

Progress

Afghan troops are drilled in clearing insurgents from mud-brick compounds, evacuating wounded soldiers by helicopter and locating improvised explosive devices hidden in the ground.

It is part of the "operational readiness cycle" launched by the Marines that takes war-weary Afghan soldiers off the battlefield for 12 weeks of training and rest.

US trainers say the Afghans are making progress, retaking Nawa district in July after nine months in Taliban hands.

But the insurgents are still on the offensive, carrying out a number of suicide attacks in Helmand in recent weeks.

In the province -- as in the rest of the country -- shockingly high casualties, along with desertions, corruption and exhaustion have eroded the morale of Afghan forces.

Major General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, who was appointed to lead the Afghan army's 215th Corps in Helmand last year, said the continued US support outlined by Trump was crucial.

"Our army is not mature enough to fight alone," said Ahmadzai.

Breathing space

In his speech last month Trump refused to offer specifics, but officials have said the additional US troops could number some 4,000, on top of the 11,000-strong force already on the ground.

US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week he had "signed orders" for the fresh deployment of troops "to enable the Afghan force to fight more effectively".

But critics have questioned what a few thousand fresh US troops can do that previous forces -- who numbered some 100,000 at the height of the fighting -- have not.

Despite the lack of details -- including any indication of how many more troops would be sent to Helmand, and when -- the Marines at Camp Shorab said the fresh forces would make a difference.

"What additional troops (would) give us is the capability to move faster -- if you add more resources and advisers we would be able to achieve effects faster," said Brigadier General Roger Turner, commander of the Helmand mission.

It is thought that the faster Afghan forces, who number some 330,000, can be brought to what Ahmadzai described as "maturity", the more effective they will be against the insurgents.

Trump has refused to define the conditions for "winning", and Turner said outright victory was unlikely -- even with the extra ability.

"I don't know that they (Afghan security forces) are going to have the capacity to control every single area in the country," he said.

More likely is an imperfect peace with the Afghan government controlling the major population centres while the Taliban hold onto rural areas -- a view shared by many analysts.

"This strategy only gives the (Afghan) government breathing space. It's not a strategy for winning or defeating the Taliban," Kate Clark, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, told AFP.

Others have not lost hope.

A 29-year-old Afghan commando holding a machine gun as he lay on the flat roof of a compound near Camp Shorab said "God willing" they would defeat the Taliban.

"They are trying to destroy the country... we are sure we can win," said the commando, who cannot be identified.

CAMP SHORAB: Marines in Afghanistan's Helmand say Donald Trump's decision to keep boots on the ground indefinitely gives them "all the time in the world" to retake the province, once the symbol of US intervention but now a Taliban stronghold. They may need it. At the hot, dusty Camp Shorab, where many of the recently deployed Marines train their Afghan counterparts in flat, desert terrain, the Afghans admit their army still cannot fight alone. The Taliban control or contest 12 out of Helmand's 14 districts and continue to inflict stinging blows on Afghan forces, who have been struggling to beat back the insurgents across the country since taking the lead on security from NATO forces at the end of 2014. Sixteen years since the American-led invasion, and after decades of near-constant war in the country, the Islamist extremists show few signs of flagging, despite being heavily out-gunned by the might of the US military. With no need to pay attention to four-year election cycles, the Taliban's fight against their technologically-superior foes is often summed up in the proverb: "You may have the watches, but we have the time". But Trump's announcement that the US committment to Afghanistan is open-ended might just be enough to reverse the tide. "We have all the time in the world... to accomplish the mission the right way," said Staff Sergeant George Caldwell, one of the Marines based at Camp Shorab. Around 300 Marines returned to Helmand in April, a fraction of the more than 20,000 stationed in the poppy-growing province when it was the centrepiece of the US invasion. Previously, they were on the frontline against the Taliban. Now they are part of NATO's "train, advise and assist" mission, focused on making Afghan security forces strong enough to beat back the insurgents on their own. Progress Afghan troops are drilled in clearing insurgents from mud-brick compounds, evacuating wounded soldiers by helicopter and locating improvised explosive devices hidden in the ground. It is part of the "operational readiness cycle" launched by the Marines that takes war-weary Afghan soldiers off the battlefield for 12 weeks of training and rest. US trainers say the Afghans are making progress, retaking Nawa district in July after nine months in Taliban hands. But the insurgents are still on the offensive, carrying out a number of suicide attacks in Helmand in recent weeks. In the province -- as in the rest of the country -- shockingly high casualties, along with desertions, corruption and exhaustion have eroded the morale of Afghan forces. Major General Wali Mohammad Ahmadzai, who was appointed to lead the Afghan army's 215th Corps in Helmand last year, said the continued US support outlined by Trump was crucial. "Our army is not mature enough to fight alone," said Ahmadzai. Breathing space In his speech last month Trump refused to offer specifics, but officials have said the additional US troops could number some 4,000, on top of the 11,000-strong force already on the ground. US Defense Secretary Jim Mattis said last week he had "signed orders" for the fresh deployment of troops "to enable the Afghan force to fight more effectively". But critics have questioned what a few thousand fresh US troops can do that previous forces -- who numbered some 100,000 at the height of the fighting -- have not. Despite the lack of details -- including any indication of how many more troops would be sent to Helmand, and when -- the Marines at Camp Shorab said the fresh forces would make a difference. "What additional troops (would) give us is the capability to move faster -- if you add more resources and advisers we would be able to achieve effects faster," said Brigadier General Roger Turner, commander of the Helmand mission. It is thought that the faster Afghan forces, who number some 330,000, can be brought to what Ahmadzai described as "maturity", the more effective they will be against the insurgents. Trump has refused to define the conditions for "winning", and Turner said outright victory was unlikely -- even with the extra ability. "I don't know that they (Afghan security forces) are going to have the capacity to control every single area in the country," he said. More likely is an imperfect peace with the Afghan government controlling the major population centres while the Taliban hold onto rural areas -- a view shared by many analysts. "This strategy only gives the (Afghan) government breathing space. It's not a strategy for winning or defeating the Taliban," Kate Clark, a senior analyst at Afghanistan Analysts Network, told AFP. Others have not lost hope. A 29-year-old Afghan commando holding a machine gun as he lay on the flat roof of a compound near Camp Shorab said "God willing" they would defeat the Taliban. "They are trying to destroy the country... we are sure we can win," said the commando, who cannot be identified.
By PTI

WASHINGTON: The US has selected Nepal for one of its most high-profile projects that aims to promote economic growth, regional stability and increase connectivity within the Indo-Pacific region, a top American diplomat said.

In her prepared testimony, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells told Congress the US aims to help Nepal "pave the path to a stronger democracy that could address persistent ethnic conflicts, achieve justice for abuses resulting from Nepal's decade-long civil war, and promote economic growth and regional stability".

"Nepal has been selected for one of the US' most highprofile projects to increase regional connectivity within the Indo-Pacific," Wells told a Congressional subcommittee in a written submission yesterday.

Wells is scheduled to testify later before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on 'Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The 2018 Budget'.

"If these efforts succeed, Nepal will serve as a model for other fragile post-conflict democracies. In addition to supporting a stable, democratic government that respects the rule of law, the United States promotes investor-friendly energy development and regional connectivity," Wells said.

In August, she said, the Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC) Board of Directors approved a USD 500 million compact with Nepal, MCC's first compact in South Asia.

Nepal has committed to contributing an additional USD 130 million to support MCC's investment, and pending congressional notification.

"This compact will be signed this September by both governments," she added.

The compact will focus on two projects: an Electricity Transmission Project and a Road Maintenance Project.

The Electricity Transmission Project would strengthen the high voltage electricity transmission network to support new investments in generation, which would not only address serious power shortfalls domestically but also permit the country to export surplus hydroelectricity in the future.

This project also will offer significant opportunities for American firms both in project implementation and downstream, electricity-dependent sectors.

The Road Maintenance Project is designed to improve the maintenance regime in Nepal and will complement existing efforts by others to build new roads, the US official said.

In addition, the US foreign assistance request of USD 38.8 million aims to strengthen democracy and improve government transparency and accountability.

Programmes will increase food security and help foster an environment conducive to increased US business opportunities.

For the year 2018, resources will work to improve education service delivery as well as maternal and child and nutrition health services, efforts that are essential to support a skilled workforce and long-term sustainable economic growth.

Funding will also increase the Nepalese government's capacity to manage and monitor their borders, Wells said.

WASHINGTON: The US has selected Nepal for one of its most high-profile projects that aims to promote economic growth, regional stability and increase connectivity within the Indo-Pacific region, a top American diplomat said. In her prepared testimony, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells told Congress the US aims to help Nepal "pave the path to a stronger democracy that could address persistent ethnic conflicts, achieve justice for abuses resulting from Nepal's decade-long civil war, and promote economic growth and regional stability". "Nepal has been selected for one of the US' most highprofile projects to increase regional connectivity within the Indo-Pacific," Wells told a Congressional subcommittee in a written submission yesterday. Wells is scheduled to testify later before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on 'Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The 2018 Budget'. "If these efforts succeed, Nepal will serve as a model for other fragile post-conflict democracies. In addition to supporting a stable, democratic government that respects the rule of law, the United States promotes investor-friendly energy development and regional connectivity," Wells said. In August, she said, the Millennium Challenge Corporation's (MCC) Board of Directors approved a USD 500 million compact with Nepal, MCC's first compact in South Asia. Nepal has committed to contributing an additional USD 130 million to support MCC's investment, and pending congressional notification. "This compact will be signed this September by both governments," she added. The compact will focus on two projects: an Electricity Transmission Project and a Road Maintenance Project. The Electricity Transmission Project would strengthen the high voltage electricity transmission network to support new investments in generation, which would not only address serious power shortfalls domestically but also permit the country to export surplus hydroelectricity in the future. This project also will offer significant opportunities for American firms both in project implementation and downstream, electricity-dependent sectors. The Road Maintenance Project is designed to improve the maintenance regime in Nepal and will complement existing efforts by others to build new roads, the US official said. In addition, the US foreign assistance request of USD 38.8 million aims to strengthen democracy and improve government transparency and accountability. Programmes will increase food security and help foster an environment conducive to increased US business opportunities. For the year 2018, resources will work to improve education service delivery as well as maternal and child and nutrition health services, efforts that are essential to support a skilled workforce and long-term sustainable economic growth. Funding will also increase the Nepalese government's capacity to manage and monitor their borders, Wells said.
By Associated Press

PHILADELPHIA: A Philadelphia mother who admitted to plotting to travel to Syria to aid the Islamic State group and spent years spreading the terrorist organization's message online said she isn't an evil person before being sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday.

Authorities said Keonna Thomas lived a double life, one as a hardworking mother of two children, the other as an outspoken online personality who spread violent propaganda, took steps to travel to the Middle East and maintained close relationships with radicalized figures, including an Islamic State fighter who prosecutors said she married online.

"I'm not a evil or malicious person," Thomas, 33, said. "I'm just someone who, I guess, at one point, was impressionable."

She was arrested in 2015 and pleaded guilty last year to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group.

Prosecutors compiled Thomas' social media postings and her correspondence with a known overseas Islamic State fighter, a radical Islamic cleric and a Somalia-based jihadi fighter to establish evidence of her willingness to support and join the terrorist organization.

In 2015, she said it "would be amazing" to participate in a martyrdom operation around the same time she bought an electronic visa and conducted online research regarding indirect routes into Turkey, a frequented point of entry for people seeking to slip into Syria and join the Islamic State group, according to an affidavit that cited a Islamic State group manual.

Thomas, who went by the online moniker "YoungLioness," also sought to raise money for the terrorist organization, re-posting a statement from a Twitter user that read, "Did you know... For as little as $100 you can provide a #Mujahid with his basic necessities for 1 month?" A mujahid is person who engages in jihad.

But as prosecutors lined up examples of her descent into racialization, Thomas' attorneys depicted her as woman with a troubled soul. They said she fell prey to promises of an Islamic utopia in Syria that could give her the kind of pious life she couldn't get in the local Muslim community.

"She lost her way, in a very, very real way," her attorney, Kathleen Gaughan, said at Thomas' sentencing hearing.

Thomas spent countless hours between 2013 and 2015 absorbing Islamic State propaganda and became enthralled with the idea of marrying a faithful Muslim man, according to a her attorneys. And when she found what she was looking for through communications with a member of the Islamic State group, Thomas made arrangements to join him in the Middle East.

"Trust me u haven't seens anything yet," the Islamic State member wrote to her in December 2014 after she congratulated him for starting to train with the terrorist group in Raqqa, Syria, according to an affidavit. "U need to be here to see it."

PHILADELPHIA: A Philadelphia mother who admitted to plotting to travel to Syria to aid the Islamic State group and spent years spreading the terrorist organization's message online said she isn't an evil person before being sentenced to eight years in prison Wednesday. Authorities said Keonna Thomas lived a double life, one as a hardworking mother of two children, the other as an outspoken online personality who spread violent propaganda, took steps to travel to the Middle East and maintained close relationships with radicalized figures, including an Islamic State fighter who prosecutors said she married online. "I'm not a evil or malicious person," Thomas, 33, said. "I'm just someone who, I guess, at one point, was impressionable." She was arrested in 2015 and pleaded guilty last year to attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group. Prosecutors compiled Thomas' social media postings and her correspondence with a known overseas Islamic State fighter, a radical Islamic cleric and a Somalia-based jihadi fighter to establish evidence of her willingness to support and join the terrorist organization. In 2015, she said it "would be amazing" to participate in a martyrdom operation around the same time she bought an electronic visa and conducted online research regarding indirect routes into Turkey, a frequented point of entry for people seeking to slip into Syria and join the Islamic State group, according to an affidavit that cited a Islamic State group manual. Thomas, who went by the online moniker "YoungLioness," also sought to raise money for the terrorist organization, re-posting a statement from a Twitter user that read, "Did you know... For as little as $100 you can provide a #Mujahid with his basic necessities for 1 month?" A mujahid is person who engages in jihad. But as prosecutors lined up examples of her descent into racialization, Thomas' attorneys depicted her as woman with a troubled soul. They said she fell prey to promises of an Islamic utopia in Syria that could give her the kind of pious life she couldn't get in the local Muslim community. "She lost her way, in a very, very real way," her attorney, Kathleen Gaughan, said at Thomas' sentencing hearing. Thomas spent countless hours between 2013 and 2015 absorbing Islamic State propaganda and became enthralled with the idea of marrying a faithful Muslim man, according to a her attorneys. And when she found what she was looking for through communications with a member of the Islamic State group, Thomas made arrangements to join him in the Middle East. "Trust me u haven't seens anything yet," the Islamic State member wrote to her in December 2014 after she congratulated him for starting to train with the terrorist group in Raqqa, Syria, according to an affidavit. "U need to be here to see it."
By PTI

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May today reiterated her 'unwavering support' for Venezuela's opposition-held National Assembly, as she met with its leader Julio Borges in London. "We have been consistent in our condemnation of the actions of the Venezuelan government and in our unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution," May said after the meeting.

The meeting is the latest in a European tour that has seen Borges meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday. Borges leads the opposition-dominated assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has effectively shut down. International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in order to resist opposition pressure for him to quit, amid an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food and medicine. "Today's meeting is an unambiguous signal that the UK will continue to work with our international partners to put pressure on the authorities to decrease tension in Venezuela and prevent the country from being taken further away from democracy," May said.

The prime minister also expressed "great concern" for the continued detention of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, whose mother accompanied Borges on the trip. "I once again urge the Venezuelan government to ensure that human rights, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the integrity of democratic institutions are respected," May said.

LONDON: British Prime Minister Theresa May today reiterated her 'unwavering support' for Venezuela's opposition-held National Assembly, as she met with its leader Julio Borges in London. "We have been consistent in our condemnation of the actions of the Venezuelan government and in our unwavering support for the National Assembly as a democratic institution," May said after the meeting. The meeting is the latest in a European tour that has seen Borges meet with French President Emmanuel Macron on Monday, Spanish Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy on Tuesday and German Chancellor Angela Merkel on Wednesday. Borges leads the opposition-dominated assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has effectively shut down. International powers accuse Maduro of dismantling democracy by taking over state institutions in order to resist opposition pressure for him to quit, amid an economic crisis that has caused shortages of food and medicine. "Today's meeting is an unambiguous signal that the UK will continue to work with our international partners to put pressure on the authorities to decrease tension in Venezuela and prevent the country from being taken further away from democracy," May said. The prime minister also expressed "great concern" for the continued detention of opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez, whose mother accompanied Borges on the trip. "I once again urge the Venezuelan government to ensure that human rights, the rule of law, the separation of powers and the integrity of democratic institutions are respected," May said.
T

In our recent round-up of articles about the irreversible speech , I wrote the following in regard to Fr Zuhlsdorfs take on the matter: (he) begins his very useful commentary by stating Given what I have seen and heard in Italy, my mind reels in dread at the very notion of a room full of Italian liturgists. This is a completely reasonable reaction; the state of the liturgy in Italy is appalling, with a particular emphasis on very bad music.Just two days ago, the Italian newspaper La Stampa reported on a conference of choir directors , some of them quite prominent, recently held in Rome in honor of Card. Domenico Bartolucci for the centenary of his birth; they are also deeply pessimistic about the general state of music in Italian churches. (The translation of the following excerpts is my own.)he Catholic Church is mute. When it sings, it does so badly, in a way that profanes the liturgy. ... isnt it time to calm down and return to singing the Word of God, instead of the horrendous repertoires which are heard in the choirs of our parishes? The question is posed by Don Valentino Donella, director emeritus of the choir of Santa Maria Maggiore in Bergamo.In (liturgical) functions, a populist attitude dominates. But singing the liturgy isnt about livening up a meeting of friends, which is the order of the day, unfortunately. Sacred music must possess three characteristics: it must be holy, true art, and universal. Our land is overgrown with weeds; this, the denunciation, with all his authority, of Monsignor Valentino Miserachs Grau, director emeritus of the choir of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome.  Michele Manganelli, director of the Choir of Santa Maria del Fiore in Florence, () and a professor at the Pontifical Institute for Sacred Music in Rome, insists (that the problem lies in) the absence of musical training in seminaries. The first to not know what they want are the liturgists, the parish priests, the bishops. They dont know what should be done, and they dont sing. They push the buttons on the liturgical animator and play recorded music, (.) but the celebrant doesnt sing, the assembly doesnt sing either, and the rite is cut in half. We lack poets, we lack writers. Catholic publishing houses print texts that would be fine for Sanremo, (), which speak indistinctly of love, or separation from him, from her, with no reference to the sacred, adds the President of the St Cecilia Association, Monsignor Tarcisio Cola, who concluded the conference by officiating at a Mass sung very worthily, in the Choir Chapel of St Peters Basilica. The choice of location was deliberate: here, where the Cappella Giulia sings, is buried the body of Pius X. () He was the Pope who, with his 1903 Motu Proprio on sacred music ( Tra le sollecitudini ) set the stage for a reform in the name of the true identity of liturgical music, which is called to distinguish itself from other styles, especially that of the opera. ...A century later, his strategy has not succeeded.  but even within the Catholic Church, the Italian churches are outstanding for their mediocrity. In a study soon to be published by Treccani, don Alberto Brunelli, a music historian and well-known organist, writes, Every parish has its own collection of songs, which is in continual evolution or degeneration. (evoluzione o involuzione.) The culture of the ephemeral has also taken over the liturgy. We know full well that the Second Vatican Council did not prohibit anything at all that was old, while happily opening up to the modern. This absolute liberty has brought us down to a level from which it will be difficult to rise up. What about Pope Francis? Paul VI, tone deaf as he was, always sang. Benedict XVI knows and loves music, and knows how to sing. Pope Francis does not sing, unfortunately, says Don Donella, with sadness.
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Ashok Leyland Defence Systems (ALDS) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Cooperation with Russia's Rosoboronexport, on the sidelines of the International Military Technical Forum Army - 2017 held at Kubinka, near Moscow, on 25th August 2017. The Indian delegation to this forum was led by Mr Ashok Gupta, Secretary (Defence Production) Government of India.Rosoboronexport (ROE) is the only state organisation in Russia for export of the entire range of military products and technologies. ROE represents Russian companies who are manufacturers of Infantry Fighting Vehicles and Main Battle Tanks, currently working with the Indian Army.ELCOM Group is emerging as a significant player in strategic electronics, avionics and tactical communication globally.Ashok Leyland (AL) is one of the world largest manufacturer of vehicles and has been a supplier of Logistics and Special Role Vehicles to the Indian Army for the past 25 years.Congratulating ALDS, ELCOM and the Rosoboronexport team, Mr. Vinod K. Dasari, Managing Director of Ashok Leyland, said, Ashok Leyland is fully committed to make Honble Prime Minister's Make in India in Defence sector, a resounding success. The signing of this MOU is a step in the direction as this new partnership allows Ashok Leyland to provide all types of Tracked Vehicle Solutions to the Armed ForcesSigning the MOU on behalf of ALDS, Mr. Amandeep Singh, Head - Defence, Ashok Leyland, said, "We are happy that Rosoboronexport has chosen ALDS and ELCOM as its partners in India to address the Tracked Vehicle Upgrade Programs of Indian Armed Forces. The issue of indigenisation and availability of service and parts, which has been an area of concern, will now be addressed as ALDS and ELCOM will be responsible for manufacturing in India and also for providing life cycle support.
New Delhi: The United Nations' body on food and agriculture IFAD said it will invest over $ 75 million to mitigate drought in Andhra Pradesh.



The International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Government of India have signed an agreement on Thursday to improve incomes and strengthen drought resilience for 1,65,000 farming households in five driest districts in Andhra Pradesh, the IFAD said in a statement.



Total cost of the project is $ 148.8 million and IFAD will invest $ 75.5 million into this.



"The project aims to build small-holder farmers' adaptive capacity to drought. It will also help farmers shift to more diversified yet profitable cropping systems which require less water," IFAD Country Director and Representative Rasha Omar said.



It will also help to diversify income and food sources of farmers by integrating small ruminants into farm production systems, Omar added.



Southern region of Andhra Pradesh is one of most vulnerable areas in India due to changes in climate patterns.



Rainfall here is low and unreliable coupled with frequent droughts, soil have low water-holding capacity and groundwater is depleted.



"In the past, farmers have not had access to the information and techniques that would help them adapt to changing weather conditions and secure food for their households throughout the year," the IFAD said.



The UN body said this project will help farmers in the region in producing drought-tolerant crop varieties, as well as help them manage soil fertility and moisture and access weather information.



Farmers will also be taught about harvesting and storing rainwater, rangelands management to prevent overgrazing, and backyard poultry-raising.



The project area will include Anantapur, Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool (in the Rayalaseema region) and Prakasam.



IFAD has financed 28 rural development programmes and projects in India since 1979, with a total IFAD investment of $ 1 billion or $ 2.75 billion with co-funding from the Indian government and others are included.
New Delhi: Exporters' body FIEO on Thursday said there is a huge potential to increase bilateral trade between India and Singapore to $ 25 billion by 2019-20.



India's export to Singapore grew by 23 percent last fiscal, though overall exports expanded by only 4 percent.



However, bilateral trade with Singapore is only 2.52 percent of India's overall trade, Federation of Indian Export

Organisations (FIEO) President Ganesh Gupta said in a statement.



"We can easily reach $ 25 billion trade with Singapore by 2019-20 from the current level of $ 17 billion," he said.



FIEO is there in Singapore to participate in the Singapore International Expo.



Gupta said the expo is providing an opportunity to MSMEs to showcase wide range of quality products to high demanding customers in Singapore.



Participants from 89 companies are representing their products from sectors including apparel, gems and jewellery, furnitures, handicrafts and textiles.
Shocking and blood curdling to hear about the murder of Gauri Lankesh. These monstrous criminals must be nailed n dealt with sternly  Kiran Mazumdar Shaw (@kiranshaw) September 5, 2017

As a friend, colleague & admirer for decades shocked & shattered to hear of the murder of Gauri Lankesh,one of India's gutsiest journalists  vir sanghvi (@virsanghvi) September 5, 2017

Numbed by news of Gauri Lankesh's murder. She was gutsy, level-headed, defianteverything we need in a journalist in these troubled times.  Siddharth (@svaradarajan) September 5, 2017

Another liberal, rational voice snuffed out by "unidentified assailants". Gauri Lankesh RIP. Dabholkar, Kalburgi, Pansare. Who killed them?  Renuka Shahane (@renukash) September 5, 2017

So, Commy Gauri Lankesh has been murdered mercilessly. Your deeds always come back to haunt you, they say. Amen.#Bengaluru#GauriLankesh  Jagrati Shukla (@JagratiShukla29) September 5, 2017

Those who blv in bloody Revolution now mourning fate of Gauri Lankesh. How does it feel to be on the receiving end?#Bengaluru#GauriLankesh  Jagrati Shukla (@JagratiShukla29) September 5, 2017

Jaisi karni vaisi bharni https://t.co/SXNewq0Tz1  Ashish Mishra pune (@aashish81us) September 5, 2017

I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that.  Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi because he lies to the country. Repeatedly. Zero apologies, zero accountability, deliberate lies misleading country. pic.twitter.com/JB4MGuAS7C  Vidyut (@Vidyut) September 6, 2017

An absentee PM who cant care about d country that voted him to power & follows venomous people on Twitter. #BlockNarendraModi is a good idea pic.twitter.com/MAjXNL1lbB  Akshay Bajaj (@villagerurbaine) September 6, 2017

Friends, lets make it a record by blocking this manto the max... #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/GbhSs0bxa1  RajasekarChem (@RajasekarASho7) September 6, 2017

I too can't follow someone who inspires filthy abusive trolls to threaten & harm dissent voices #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/Lquj8Hih2N  Sahil Prasad (@laxmi407) September 6, 2017

Albeit I have unfollowd Mr. Modi long back but today I blocked him as my PM is a follower of Scoundrels & sick mindset.#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/tqMogJmwa1  Bishnu (@bishnu467) September 6, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi until he blocks hatred and the hate mongers, trolls and trouble makres, the cow vigilantes and the moral brigades pic.twitter.com/bfpD3lru8f  #iStandWithFarmers (@suresh_ediga) September 6, 2017

Do you hesitate to block people on social networks? If so, you shouldnt. Blocking is a virtue.#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/sFzF8Nu1n4  Er.Gopal Krishan (@Gop_krishan) September 6, 2017

After a huge campaign #BlockNarendraModi

Coward deletes "Honoured 2b Folowed by Narendra Modiji"

Not sure if our PM has unfollowed him yet! pic.twitter.com/NDX6sTzDpT  Arnaz Hathiram (@Milkyway1955Z) September 7, 2017

Do you hesitate to block people on social networks? If so, you shouldnt. Blocking is a virtue.#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/sFzF8Nu1n4  Er.Gopal Krishan (@Gop_krishan) September 6, 2017

Don't agree with people who #BlockNarendraModi. Blocking just signals the end of dialogue. Criticise him but don't block.  Meghnad  (@Memeghnad) September 7, 2017

Sorry, won't #BlockNarendraModi.



Will raise my voice and make sure that he listens to it.  Ankit Lal (@AnkitLal) September 7, 2017

I'm proud of not being followed by PM Modi. Are you? pic.twitter.com/2pFIiFdEzk  Ankit Lal (@AnkitLal) September 7, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi cz u don't deserve development,

U guys deserve that Italian Sh**, who try to break India for their own benefit..  Kajol (@kajol_0714) September 7, 2017

OPP trendng #BlockNarendraModi as if it will affect his popularity

How will thr trollers earn den#BlockArvindKejriwal#BlockOfficeOfRG pic.twitter.com/DzCnCIymsx    (@swetasinghsinha) September 7, 2017

Veteran Kannada journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants inside her home in Bengaluru on Tuesday.Lankesh was a well-known critic of right-wing politics in the country, particularly Hindutva, and was the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada tabloid.Ms. Lankesh collapsed after she was shot at by three assailants as she was entering her house at around 8 pm. Her death comes two years after and bears a striking resemblance to the killing of leading progressive thinker and researcher MM Kalburgi, who was shot dead in Dharwad in August 2015.He wrote:"I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh. Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that."While the nation was mourning, Nikhil Dadhich (@nikhildadhich), a Twitter user, used an abusive reference to the journalist's death. Dadich who claimed to be a garment manufacturer on his Twitter profile.According to his Twitter bio (now removed), Nikhil is a businessman, Hindu Nationalist and feels Honored To Be Followed By PM Sh @narendramodi Ji."Ek kuttiya kutte ki maut kya mari, saare pille ek sur mein bilbila rahe hain" (It took a bitch to die a dog's death, for all pups to howl in the same tune)Apart from the anger over Lankesh's murder, there was a rise in anger over the fact that Prime Minister Modi was following abusive trolls on Twitter. This anger converted into a movement of sorts with people tweeting a screenshot of blocked verified account of Modi with the hashtag #BlockNarendraModi."Don't agree with people who #BlockNarendraModi. Blocking just signals the end of dialogue. Criticise him but don't block, " a user wrote."Proud not to be followed by PM Modi!"
OP Chatwal, the retired Director General of Investigation (DGI), CBI, vividly remembers how Arsalan Mohsin Ali (Abu Salem), a Pakistani national was extradited along with Sana Malik Kamal (Monica Bedi) to India from Lisbon, Portugal in November 2005.Chatwal was the man who led the eight-member CBI team to Lisbon to bring Salem and Monica back to Mumbai.Speaking to News18, he recalls Salem had used the fake identity of a Pakistani national to escape the gallows in India and how an amendment was made to the Indian Extradition Act of 1962 to facilitate his extradition.We had to give an assurance to Portugal that he will not be given death sentence. Without this assurance he could not have been extradited. Once life imprisonment is given in Portugal, he cannot be kept imprisoned beyond 25 years. He has been convicted of Section 123 of the IPC added with 302, and Section 32 of TADA. The maximum sentence under these sections is death, but Salem cannot be awarded death because of the amendment in the law in 1993, said Chatwal.He is brought from a country which bars capital punishment. The 1993 amendment to the Indian Extradition Act, 1962 and Section 34 (c) was needed because the government of India was facing problems in getting Salem extradited from a country which had banned death sentence. Hence, this amendment acted as an assurance to those countries, Chatwal told News18.Yakub Memon, brother of prime absconding accused Tiger Memon, was hanged in 2015, and the others have served or are serving time.Among the important cases that Chatwal has handled was the Indian Airlines IC-421 hijacking in August 1984 at the height of the Punjab militancy. Chatwal and his team nailed the six terrorists and ensured that they got life imprisonment.The investigation in the 1993 Bombay Blasts Case was long-drawn, said Chatwal, and the procedure began after a Red Corner Notice was issued against Salem.We were searching for him throughout the world. We were informed that he is in Portugal in 2002 and we got in touch with Portuguese forces, said the former CBI investigation expert.The main hurdle for the police was the aspect of dual criminality as Salem had faked his identity in Portugal. After crossing this hurdle, the government stumbled upon the fact that there is no death sentence in Portugal and life imprisonment is only for 25 years.We needed some strong identity documents to prove that he was indeed Salem as he had changed his identity and nationality. On the basis of inputs given by us, Salem was arrested by Portuguese police. We had sent them the fingerprints of Salem from the Bombay Police to Portugal to find out his identity. He had made a fake Pakistani passport in the name of Arsalan Mohsin Ali. But because of his fingerprints, his identity was established, along with that of Monica Bedi. She had also used a fake passport in the name of Sana Malik Kamal. She was tried by a different CBI court in Hyderabad, said Chatwal.After a long-drawn legal battle, Salems extradition happened in 2005. Our request for deportation was not agreed to by the Government of Portugal. Then after the amendment in the law, we got his custody and he was brought to India in November 2005, said Chatwal.
While we fight trolls, PM Modi ignites them. The only thing that is contorted is his silence on issues that haunt the nation. pic.twitter.com/yp1rZ9XWae  Congress (@INCIndia) September 7, 2017

The controversy over PM following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted: Shri @malviyamit, National Head - Information & Technology pic.twitter.com/8Ss6fgCOj2  BJP (@BJP4India) September 7, 2017

Hours after BJP issued a statement which referred to the Indian National Congress VP Rahul Gandhi as an accused in loot and fraud, the INC hit back calling BJPs statement rabid and sinister and its agenda Fanatical and Dangerous.The INC accused PM Modi and BJP President Amit Shah of following the ideology that led to the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi by Nathuram Godse. Taking a dig at RSS, the statement said that It is for this very reason that Sardar Patel as India Home Minister banned the RSS.The statement ends by accusing the Bharatiya Janata Party of propagating a culture of hate, abuse, division, and murder. The Congress also alluded to the fact that the Prime Minister is yet to Tweet/condemn the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh and called it PM Modis conspiratorial silence.Read the full statement here:The BJP had earlier called the controversy regarding #BlockNarendraModi as mischievous and contorted even as its IT head on Thursday dragged Indian National Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal into the raging debate over who PM Modi follows on Twitter.Read BJPs statement here:
Woh pahaad ke upar hi sojata tha main, lekin us din ghar chala gaya. Tabse berozgaar hoon (I used to sleep on the top of the mountain, but that day I went home. Since then, I have been unemployed), said Ansarul Alam, a 13-year-old boy, in broken Hindi with occasional usage of Bengali words.Alam, like many others, is a garbage collector and a rag picker who remembers spending his childhood either chasing broken glass bottles rolling down the garbage mountain or playing the game of collecting the maximum number of usable thermocol boxes.Despite entry of rag pickers being prohibited in the landfill area, generations have survived on the mountain of garbage.But after Lieutenant Governor of Delhi, Anil Baijal, ordered an immediate prohibition on dumping of waste following the September 1 landfill collapse, which claimed two lives and injured five others, the worst hit have been the rag pickers, who have no other means to earn livelihood.Its, however, imperative to note that the East Delhi Municipal Corporation continues to dump waste at Ghazipur, despite the ban imposed by L-G after strong protest by residents at the alternative dumping site Rani Khera.Alam and others stay at a slum near the end of Road No 6 towards the Ghazipur dairy. Located beside a row of buffalo sheds, lies a patch of land covered with waste collected from the Ghazipur landfill. The land has a part covered with garbage and plastic waste creating an illusion of a solid land though there is a a pool of sewage and biomedical waste beneath.(The settlement of rag pickers where live near the Ghazipur landfill. Image: Debayan Roy)After crossing a heap of broken plastic bottles and pungent smelling torn clothes, there is a small makeshift shelter. Sheikh Moinuddin, a rag picker, points out to one such structure, made using various pieces of thermocol. Ive been a rag picker in Delhi for the last 15 years. I came to the city looking for a job from Haldia district in West Bengal, he told News18.We usually spend our days and nights in the garbage mountain looking for items we can sell. On Thursday night, while collecting garbage, we felt the mountain was moving but did not pay heed to it. But next day, while we were approaching the place, a part of it crashed. Since then we are not allowed to go near the garbage point. Even trucks carrying garbage have stopped coming. Since then most of us are unemployed, Moinuddin said.Moinuddin now works near an industrial plant where he collects the waste but gets paid very less. I can stay hungry, but how will my wife and children remain hungry? This work hardly pays me anything, but at least they can have some rice, he said.When asked whether officials have taken note of the situation, Moinuddin is quick to respond with a No. How can they enquire about us? Do they even know we exist? said the father of three.The Ghazipur landfill is among the four dumpsites in Delhi and the collected waste had reached a height of 50m, as tall as a 15-storey building.(A view of the garbage mountain in Ghazipur. Image: Debayan Roy)Rag pickers usually sustain themselves by collecting, sorting, segregating waste and then trading it. In doing so, they help clean up a significant proportion of the 62 million tonnes of waste generated annually in India. Given that rag-picking is a totally informal sector, it is hard to quantify how much waste is collected in this manner. However, according to IndiaSpend, only 75-80% of the waste generated in India is collected by municipal bodies. And more than 90% of India does not have a proper waste disposal system.A lot of garbage clearing thus is the done informally, by rag pickers who work without any job security, salary or dignity, and expose themselves to various health hazards, like respiratory diseases, cuts, infections and even tuberculosis. An IndiaSpend report suggested the humiliation, harassment, and sexual abuse they face on the streets.Sheikh is lucky to have found a way to keep the pot boiling when others are only dreaming of work. Mansura, mother of four, is the sole bread- winner of a family of 10, which include her children and her paralysed husband. She cannot remember a day when she did not have to make her way through the pile of garbage looking for recyclable material but now with no income, she and her children stare towards a future of nothing.I have been a rag picker since I was eight years old. I am neither a tailor, nor a skilled worker. There arent any flats here where I can work as a maid. So, I have nothing to do as of now. My husband waits for medicine and my children wait for food, said Mansura.She also spoke of the growing suspicion among the urban elites which prevents them from being hired as permanent labourers. We are from West Bengal and hence we speak Bengali. But we are often thought of as Bangladeshis. Second, whenever they come to know that we have been rag pickers, they form an opinion that we would steal things. These are the two reasons why we are mostly denied a job, Mansura said.But can people like Mansura, Moinuddin and others, who spend their life collecting sacks of hair, soiled sanitary napkins in newspapers, human excreta in polythene, and shards of glass, syringes or nails, claim help from government?Sashi Pandit, Chairman of All India Kabadi Majdoor Mahasangh (AIKMM), told News18 that the government will neither give them an alternative employment or aid as for the authorities, this class of workers is simply absent in the area.Rag pickers are not allowed in landfills as per law. But still generations have lived picking garbage from landfills. Even if they need help, the government can turn a blind eye. Unorganised Workers' Social Security Act 2008 only remains on paper to provide social security and welfare to this sector, Pandit said.Even the waste management rules demand the informal sector to be included, but that is far away from the reality. The latest such move was to give rag pickers an identity card under Swachh Bharat mission, but even that has only remained on paper. Laws are followed in the country only as per ones convenience, he added.Pandit also said that now either NGOs can lend a helping hand to them or they can look for other work. But we dont know anything else other than picking garbage. What do we do? Sheikh asked.
Hyderabad: A local court has sentenced former Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N T Rama Rao's son Nandamuri Jayakrishna to six months' simple imprisonment in connection with a 2015 cheque bounce case.



The tenth Special Magistrate court on Wednesday found Jayakrishna, proprietor of Rama Krishna Theatre at Abids, guilty under Section 138 of the Negotiable Instruments Act.



After hearing the complainant and the accused, Special Magistrate K Raveendra Singh sentenced Jayakrishna to simple imprisonment for six months.



The court also imposed a fine of Rs 25 lakh on him.



"The complainant is entitled to Rs 19 lakh out of the fine amount," the special magistrate said.



The court said if Jayakrishna failed to pay the fine, he would have to undergo simple imprisonment for one more month.



Following requests from Jayakrishna's counsel, the court suspended the sentence till October 5 and granted him bail on a surety of Rs 10,000 to enable him to appeal against the order in a higher court.



The complainant, G S Narsing Rao, said he had leased a canteen and parking place on the premises of Jayakrishna's theatre on a monthly rental basis for 30 years.



He had given Rs 27 lakh towards security deposit.



"But Jayakrishna terminated the lease and agreed to return the security deposit of Rs 27 lakh.



"On June 15, 2015, he issued two cheques -- one for Rs 19 lakh and another for Rs 8 lakh in favour of my client but both the cheques were dishonoured on grounds of insufficient funds," Rao's advocate S Someswar Rao said.



Subsequently, Rao filed a complaint in the court seeking a refund of the deposit amount.
Hyderabad: What was an hour-long journey between Vijayawada and Amaravati, could soon be a 5-minute ride, with Hyperloop Transportation Technologies (HTT) signing an agreement with the Andhra Pradesh government to build a connecting road between the two cities.



The proposed route for the connector would be between the city centres of Vijayawada and Amravati.



The Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that HTT, an American research firm, has signed with the Andhra Pradesh Economic Development Board (APEDB), is a first of its kind in India. The project will use a Public Private Partnership model with funding primarily from private investors.



Bibop Gresta, Chairman & Co-founder, Hyperloop Transportation Technologies said in a statement, We are extremely delighted to bring the HTT Hyperloop to India in partnership with Andhra Pradesh. HTT will work with local stakeholders to build the regulatory standards necessary for safe and efficient operation.



During the first phase of the project, HTT will conduct a six-month feasibility study commencing in October.



Working with partners in the public and private sector, HTT will analyze the surrounding cityscapes to create the best route between the two cities, while identifying all pertinent stakeholders in the region.



After conducting the initial six-month feasibility study, the second phase of the project will construct the road.



Krishna Kishore, Chief Executive Officer, APEDB said, "Major cities of the world has seen a decline in livability and transportation has been a major contributor to the congestion, air pollution and accessibility. Andhra Pradesh is shaping the way it approaches transportation in the future. By collaborating with Hyperloop, Amravati is embracing a prototype for the mobility of future."



The project is expected to create 2,500 jobs and develop the region with its ultra-high-speed transportation.
New Delhi: Just a day after Army chief General Bipin Rawat said that the possibility of a two-front war with China and Pakistan could not be completely sidelined, commander of the northern command Lt Gen Devraj Anbu on Thursday has said that the Army will cross the Line of Control (LoC) if required.



In a stern message, Lt General Anbu said that the LoC was an imaginary line. The surgical strikes were a message that the Line of Control was imaginary and can be crossed whenever required, he said.



Lt Gen Anbu also said that launch pads and terrorists camps had increased since last year. Camps have increased but we have not let them enter our country. Entry of terrorists has reduced, he added.



Talking on Kashmir militancy, he said that youth will not pick up guns because the funds of the separatists were being choked. The choking of funds will have a major impact on terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir. Itll only lead to a better situation, he said.



His statement comes a day after General Bipin Rawat on Monday cautioned that China is silently taking over territory and testing India's threshold, and warned of a two-front war on the western and northern borders.



Lt Gen Anbu, however, said that minor differences with China will be solved with regular meetings and dialogue. There is no Doklam-like problem with China in Ladakh, he said.
New Delhi: Indian and Chinese troops are still at the face-off site on the Doklam plateau and are separated by just 300 metres even after the disengagement announced by the two governments on August 28.



Soldiers from the two sides retreated just 150 metres each, but sources say this is in complete accordance with the statements issued by the external affairs ministry, Indian Express reported.



Sources said that this withdrawal of troops is the first stage of disengagement and the current stage is intermediary in a sequential removal. The government is hopeful that the two sides will further back off and return to the status quo of June 16, when the standoff had started.



There is no firm date on completion of a full withdrawal, but authorities are hopeful that it could be in a matter of weeks, if not days. They said it is dependent on the internal Chinese political calendar, which includes the Communist Party Congress next month.



The first stage of disengagement had allowed Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have a frank discussion with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Xiamen on Tuesday.



According to official sources, the terms for disengagement were decided in diplomatic negotiations at Beijing, which were led by the Indian ambassador to China, Vijay Gokhale. The top brass of the government in Delhi closely monitored the negotiations. The Army headquarters was closely involved in the consultations.



In its statement, the MEA had said that expeditious disengagement of border personnel at the face-off site at Doklam has been agreed to and is ongoing. The process (of expeditious disengagement) has since been almost completed under verification, it had said later.



China's defence ministry has said that it will beef up patrols in the Doklam region, but was also ready to adjust deployments.



The Chinese military will continue to carry out its mission and responsibilities, strengthen its patrols and garrisons in the Donglang area and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and security, Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqing had said last week.



In light of the changes in the situation on the ground, Chinese border forces will carry out adjustments to deployments, Ren told a monthly news briefing, without elaborating.



The trouble had started in June when India sent troops to stop China building a road in the Doklam area, known in China as Donglang, which is remote, uninhabited territory claimed by both China and Bhutan.



India has maintained that it sent its troops because Chinese military activity was a "threat to the security of its northeast region".
Kolkata: Two people were arrested in Delhi in connection with the fake doctor racket in West Bengal by the state CID on Thursday.



The two accused, Suresh Kumar Agarwal and Chandan Kumar Agarwal, were produced at Delhi's Patiala Court and they will be brought to Kolkata on transit remand on Friday.



According to the CID, Suresh and Chandan used to run an organisation under the banner of Indian Medical Board and sold forged medical certificates to several people in India.



In last six months, we have conducted raids at several places and seized Indian Medical Boards certificate. We came to know that these certificates were issued by Suresh and Chandan. We summoned them for examination but they fled away. Two days ago we got a clue that they are hiding in Delhi. We sent a team and successfully managed to arrest them, a senior CID official said.



He said, We have conducted raids at their office at 80-Chowringhee Road in Kolkata and seized several documents, scanner, computer, stamps, printers etc.



In April 2017, the West Bengal Medical Council (WBMC) tipped the state CID that several fake doctors are operating in Bengal and requested them to initiate an investigation.



Since then, several fake doctors were arrested from West Bengal and adjoining states. Investigation revealed that most of the arrested fake doctors were attached to some of the well-known hospitals in Kolkata, including Kothari Medical, Belle Vue Clinic, Ruby General Hospital, Kalpana Women and Child Care, ILS Hospital.



One of the fake doctors Subhendu Bhattacharya who was arrested recently even received an award from former President of India, Pranab Mukherjee. He used to run a private nursing home - Kalpana Women and Child Care - in Howrah district.



Others who were arrested in last six months are: Naren Pandey attached to Kolkatas well known Belle Vue Clinic, Ajay Tewary (his prescription letterhead reads 'consultant gastroenterologist' and he was attached with the Kothari Medical Centre and ILS Hospital, Dum Dum), Ram Shankar Singh (private chamber in Howrah), Kaiser Alam, (used to work as an RMO at Ruby General Hospital) and Khusinath Haldar (employed in Madarihat block primary health centre in Alipurduar in North Bengal).



The lid of fake doctors was opened with the arrest of Alam from North Bengal in May. He was working as an RMO at Kolkata's Ruby General Hospital since 2015.



Nirmal Maji, chairman of the West Bengal Medical Council, had said, A large numbers of doctors have not renewed their registration and there are also doctors who have stopped practising or have passed away. Therefore, to keep a tab on all those who are practising and who all are not  we have asked all of them to renew their registration at the earliest.






Rahul Gandhi plans travelling to the United States to deliver a lecture at the Berkeley University and then to the Silicon Valley to acquaint himself with advances being made in the field of artificial intelligence. This will be the Congress Vice-Presidents second visit abroad in rapid succession, and comes on the heels of his weeklong visit to Norway earlier this month.



At a time when Congress party is facing two crucial elections in Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat and when the government should be made to answer some tough questions on demonetisation, the Congresss interests would be better served if its Vice-President leads from the front, rather than delivering and attending lectures abroad.



Rahul has already travelled abroad eight times this year. While there is nothing in the book that prevents leaders of political parties from travelling abroad, the timing and the frequency of these visits do raise questions, about ones priorities. Even his die-hard supporters have, in private, begun questioning the wisdom of the Gandhi scion.



It was with great fanfare that Rahul Gandhi along with Digvijay Singh, Kamal Nath and Sachin Pilot travelled to Mandsaur in Madhya Pradesh in the wake of the police firing that killed several farmers. This was a tailor-made issue for the Congress party to highlight the governments failure, both in the state and at the Centre. Congress supporters had hoped that the party would make this into a big pro-framer issue through a sustained agitation-led movement on the ground. Rahul made a high voltage visit to the area, courted arrest, generated a fair amount of traction, but just as it appeared that the party and its leader had finally got their act together, he decided to spend time with his grandmother in Italy.



The steam that the party has built over the issue dissipated soon after that. It was a huge opportunity lost. MP and Rajasthan, the states where Congress fancies its chances, will go to polls next year in the autumn. However, Congress inability to set its house in order and to mount a campaign against the sitting chief ministers threatens to nullify the advantage that could have come its way on account of the failings of the state governments.



Rahul is expected to formally take charge and become Congress president at some point later this year. That notwithstanding, most of the major decisions are routed through him. His party workers would much rather prefer that Rahul Gandhi spends a greater amount of time not just interacting with the party leaders, but also usher in the changes that he has only spoken about. Above all, the cadres would want Rahul to devote his entire attention to build up a sustained movement against the government. For the past six months there has been talk of sending either Kamal Nath or Jyotiraditya Scindia to head the party unit in Madhya Pradesh. The Congress VPs delay in settling the leadership issue has led to a sense of drift in the state unit.



Rahuls frequent trips abroad have raised questions not just from his opponents but also from independent analysts about lack of consistency and inability to take an issue to its logical end. I have no doubts about his determination to fight this government, but now he needs to do it in a sustained manner. says former JD(U) chief Sharad Yadav. The two leaders have, off late, been interacting frequently, following Yadavs break with Nitish Kumar.



The Congress party is going through the worst phase in its 132 years old history. It has only 44 MPs in the Lok Sabha, an all-time low. Politically and geographically its area of influence is shrinking dramatically, and today it has state governments in only 5 states. Indias Grand Old Party faces an existentialist crisis. Rahul Gandhi needs to realize that the battle for who governs the country for the next five years will be decided in the dust bowls of India and not in Berkely and Silicon Valley.



(All views are personal)
New Delhi: A fire broke out at the Armys Field Ammunition Depot in Bathinda around 5 am on Thursday. The blaze took 1.5 hours to contain.



Officials say that a major tragedy has been avoided and there is no reported loss of life yet. Though the ammunition for 105 mm and 155 mm guns have been damaged.



The Army has ordered an enquiry into the matter, said an official.







More details awaited
Bangaluru: Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead at her Bengaluru home on Tuesday evening, had noticed some people suspiciously lurking near her home but did not inform the police, her sister Kavitha Lankesh told the police.



In her statement, Kavitha said that Gauri had voiced safety concerns to her aged mother, Indira Lankesh, during a visit last week. Both Kavitha and her mother had advised Gauri to report the matter to the police but she brushed it off and said she would do so if she came across any such activity again, Bangalore Mirror reported.



A police officer involved in the investigations said that Kavitha stated that she had met Gauri on Tuesday afternoon at her Gandhi Bazaar office. She learnt about her sisters death around 8.26 pm after reaching home.



When she came to RR Nagar (Gauris home), she found Gauri's car was parked outside with the gates half opened. When she went inside the compound, she found Gauri's body with empty cartridges next to it," the officer said based on the statments by Kavitha, who is the complainant in the case.



Chief Minister Siddaramaiah had said that there was no threat perception and Gauri had never complained about it to the police despite meeting the police chief several times.



Police have registered a case under sections 302 (murder) of the IPC and sections of the Arms Act. Gauri, 55, lived alone in her duplex in RR Nagar. The only streetlight in the lane is right outside her house but it had been switched off on the night of the murder, leaving police with grainy images of the crime.



The close circuit television (CCTV) footage sourced from Gauri's house showed a man wearing a helmet coming to the gate and firing at her. The police though did not rule out the possibility of another man being present.



The Karnataka government has set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the killing. Nearly 100 officers are working on the case, including ten inspectors.
New Delhi: The resolution of the Doklam standoff has been satisfactory for India but a similar situation may not have a similar ending, says former Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran.



In a wide-ranging conversation with CNN-News18s Anubha Bhonsle, Saran, whose book How India Sees the World was released on Thursday by the Former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, said that India should be both prudent and firm in its ties with China.



The lesson we should not draw is that we are capable of handling it, he said, adding that the government should be relieved the standoff did not escalate further.



Here are excerpts from the conversation with Shyam Saran, who was also PM Manmohan Singhs special envoy on Nuclear Affairs and Climate Change.



The Doklam Disengagement



Saran: My own opinion is that this was targeted at convincing Bhutan that it should move ahead with the border settlement between the two countries that has been in the works for quite some time. Bhutan has not agreed to the terms offered by China. China as you know has been interested in establishing diplomatic relations and trade with Bhutan.



My sense is that the issue of Doklam came off as a nudge to China to not go ahead on this. Maybe there was a collateral benefit in terms of Chinas relation with India as well but I dont think that was the primary target. And I think the very strong and vitriolic reaction was because of the surprise element as they did not expect this kind of confrontation with Indian forces on Bhutanese territory.



From the Indian point of view, it has been a satisfactory diffusion of the situation as we wanted a restoration of the status quo. Also, the timing of the BRICS summit made sure it was in Chinas interest that there were no disagreements. The important outcome of Xiamen meeting is that we can be encouraged and hopeful.



What if Doklam-Like Situation Happened Again?



Anubha: Since the disengagement happened it has been assumed it was due to resolve and tough-minded diplomacy. And there is an underlying assumption that we can pull this off again if there is a standoff.



Saran: I do not think we should do that. We should be relieved as it could have escalated. We should try and make certain we should not get into a similar situation. We shouldn't assume that we can resolve it.



We should consider the fact that the context in which we handle relations with China has changed. When I used to negotiate on climate change, our ally was China. Ten years later, when you have the Paris agreement it is US and China that have their template.



We should handle this relation with a degree of prudence and firmness. This is something that needs constant attention. The lesson we should not draw is that we are capable of handling it. We should manage our infrastructure at the border well or we would not be able to handle it as well as we should.



The China Relationship



Anubha: What according to you are the irritants and annoyances and what should we pay attention to?



Saran: Take the example of NSG issue. Substantially, we got we wanted through the waiver. It would be important to have membership. If problems dont arise out of Chinas opposition, it should not become a critical issue in our relationship with them. The listing of terrorist group in UN is more China's problem as it is seen as them standing against fight on terror the world over.



I am very encouraged by the meeting and the statement. It is a complex relationship. There has always been elements of cooperation and confrontation. The challenge that lies now is how we raise the salience of those areas where we have common interest and how do we minimize the possibility of some contested issues becoming larger than life.



Diplomacy, Modi Style



Anubha: Is there a substantive difference in the way this government looks at Beijing vis-a-vis the previous regime?



Saran: Every government has its own style. Modi believes personal leader to leader relations play a very important role. Also, there is a more energetic pursuit and greater focus on economic issues. Much of India's foreign policy is how much continuity there is. The parameters haven't changed much but international issues keep evolving and you have to adjust to the change. The basic foreign policy has been consistent.



Break the Disruption-Dialogue-Disruption Pattern



Saran: Pakistan is a big challenge. We need to get out of the pattern of dialogue, disruption, dialogue, disruption. Whatever problems, engagement with Pakistan is important precisely for the reason that you have major issues.



We need to not only have pressure points to change these strategic calculus in Islamabad, but at the same time we should ensure that the assets we have in dealing with Pakistan like trade or dealing people to people relations are not affected. If Pakistani actors want to come, welcome them, if authors want to come, then why not. It should be a two track approach. They need resources in terms of attention to sustain the kind of engagement that we need. But Pakistan should not take the attention we need to give to all neighbours.



Can India Take the Lead on Climate Change



Saran: I think we have done well to say that we remain committed to the Paris agreement. I think we forget that India has a good story to tell in terms of global energy. The PM has put personal commitment in international solar reliance or technology network. They are important initiatives. India's energy intake is declining. It is important to note that. Even historically, we have always seen nature as nurture and not a dark force to be conquered.



Indias No First Use Policy



Saran: The nuclear doctrine has served us well and built up our nuclear capabilities. If you change the doctrine, the infrastructure of nuclear strategic programme will also have to shift. It is necessary and it has served us well to fix things.
Karnataka BJP president BS Yedyurappa was detained and several other party leaders were arrested on Thursday as they attempted to march towards the office of the district collector as part of its Mangaluru Chalo rally. Several thousand BJP workers had gathered in the heart of Bengaluru for a protest that did not have police permission. The city had turned into a fortress ahead of the protest with over 5,000 security personnel, including RAF, deployed to control the rally.

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Yangon: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has justified demonetisation asserting that his government was not afraid of taking big and tough decisions in the interest of the country.



Modi, who was addressing the Indian diaspora in Yangon on Wednesday, said his government could take such decisions because it considers the country above politics.



Along with demonetisation announced on November 8 last year, the PM named the surgical strikes in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir last year and the Goods and Services Tax (GST), which was rolled out on July 1 as the big decisions taken by his government.



In the national interest, we are not afraid of taking big and tough decisions because for us, the country is above politics. Whether it be the surgical strikes, demonetisation or GST, all decisions were taken without any fear or hesitation, he said.



Referring to the note ban, Modi said the step was taken to curb black money and that it had helped identify lakhs of people who had crores of rupees in bank accounts but never paid income tax.



He also said that registration of over two lakh companies had been cancelled in last three months as those had been found to be indulging in laundering of black money.



To deal with corruption, we banned currency notes of Rs 500 and Rs 1000 denomination. A handful of corrupt people were making 125 crore people pay for their misdeeds. This was not acceptable to us, Modi said in 35-minute address.



There used to be no clue as to from where black money was coming and where it was going, he said.

His justification of demonetisation came against the backdrop of criticism of the decision by the Opposition.



The Congress has dubbed the note ban as a disaster and said it had utterly failed while the corrupt made windfall gains.

The PM also talked about GST, saying an atmosphere of doing business with honesty had been created in the country within a span of two months after its launch.



Modi said over the last three years, his government had initiated massive changes and rules were being eased to unshackle the potential of the country. Now, the people of the country have begun believing that India can move forward. The shackles can be broken, he said.



We are not merely reforming India but transforming India. We are not changing India, but we are building a new India, he said, adding 2022 was the target year to achieve this as it coincides with the 75th anniversary of the countrys independence.



In the context of building a new India, he talked about the pledge to rid the country of problems like terrorism, communalism and corruption. The PM also said that India believes in sharing the benefits of its development with its neighbours and also help them in the times of need.



(with inputs from PTI)
Prime Minister Narendra Modis personal wealth has gone up by over 15% from the previous year, according to a disclosure made by him.



For the financial year 2016-17, the PMs total wealth is estimated at just over Rs 2 crore. In 2014-15 and 2015-16, his moveable and immoveable assets were estimated at Rs 1.41 crore and Rs 1.73 crore, respectively.



The PMs cash in hand has increased from Rs 89,700 to Rs 149,700, marking a rise of over 66 per cent from the previous year.



Modi continues to have four gold rings weighing 45 grams, whose value is estimated at Rs 1.28 lakh, compared with Rs 1.27 lakh last year.



His savings account  at the State Bank of Indias Gandhinagar branch  has Rs 1.33 lakh in balance, while fixed deposits at the same branch are at Rs 90.26 lakh.



Among other investment instruments, the PM has opted for tax-saving L&T bonds, Life Insurance Corporation of India instruments and National Savings Certificates totaling Rs 5.75 lakh.



Modis Gandhinagar property is valued at Rs 1 crore  the same as last year.



The PM neither owns a car nor has he inherited any property.



Financial details of the PMs wife, Jashodaben, continue to be listed as not known.



According to the Code of Conduct issued by the Ministry of Home Affairs, it is mandatory for the ministers to furnish details of their assets and liabilities every year by August 31. The code applies to states as well.
Beijing: A day after Army chief Gen Bipin Rawat's said that Beijing was employing 'salami slicing' and silently taking over territory and testing India's threshold, China on Thursday said the General's remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.



"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang.



Reacting to the comments, Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."



Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.



Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started "flexing its muscles", while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.



Reacting to the comments, Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."



Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.



"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said.



Stressing that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries. This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.



At the just concluded BRICS summit, Chinese President Xi stressed to PM Modi that it's important for relations between the two countries to get on "the right track." Xi also mentioned Jawahar Lal Nehru's Panchsheel treaty, saying that China was prepared to work with India to seek guidance from five principles of Panchsheel.



"We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit.



Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.



"We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.



"Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks.



The army chief said that there was no denying that India has to stay prepared for conflict on its northern and western borders.



The troops of the two countries had been locked in a standoff in Doklam since June 16, which ended recently, after Indian troops stopped the Chinese Army from building a road in the disputed area. India had deployed about 350 Army personnel in the area.




Mangalore: Hours after the BJP's Mangalore Chalo rally, a video of an irate party MP threatening a police inspector of shutting down the city over the arrest of senior leaders has come to light.



Nalin Kumar Kateel, MP from Dakshina Kannada, is seen in the video intimidating the police inspector of Kadri police station in Mangalore.



The incident happened around 3 pm after the BJP rally, where BJP state president BS Yeddyurappa and a host of other leaders addressed a large gathering about failing law and order situation in the State.



After this, the leaders asked the BJP workers to take out a procession despite the fact that permission had been denied by the police for this.



The rallyists were taken away by the police and detained at the Kadri Gorakhnath temple.



When police attempted to register cases against the BJP cadre, some of them turned to their MP for help, who rushed to the scene immediately.



The MP, with fingers waving, allegedly threatened the Inspector that if any cases are lodged, he would 'shut down the city'.



The Inspector seen in the video at the receiving end of all this aggression was identified as Inspector Maruti Nayak.








Hyderabad: The Telangana government has finally released the blueprint of the much-talked about new Secretariat complex, which the government wants to build at the Bison Polo grounds.



The new Secretariat will cost over Rs 300 crore and would have modern facilities. According to the proposed plan, the Chief Ministers Office will be in the main building, along with offices of various ministers. The three-floor building will house all departments and secretaries.



Minister of Roads and Building Tummala Nageswara Rao said, "The Centre has agreed to give 38 acre of land, and in lieu of this the state government would give 596 acre to Centre."



The new secretariat will bring together several departments under one roof, which will ease administration work and also be convenient to the visiting. The government can avoid paying crores of rupees as rent, he added.



The Telangana government sparked controversy after Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao decided to abandon the existing Secretariat building due to vaastu reasons and ordered construction of new building.



Calling the decision anti-people and anti-environment, the Telangana unit of the Congress has been staging protests.



Speaking to CNN News 18, Congress spokesperson Krishank said, This area is an environmental jungle and KCR wants to make it concrete jungle because of his vaastu. Since he became CM, he is wasting public money for his fantasies."



"What is the need to shift present Secretariat. Now, even Andhra Pradesh government has vacated and there is more space which can be used. We will not allow the Secretariat to be shifted here, he added



The BJP has also opposed the Telangana governments decision to shift the Secretariat. BJP spokesperson Krishna Sagar Rao said, "Chief Minister KCR lacks priority. He is wasting time and money and doing nothing for the welfare of the state and the people. We even doubt if the Defence Ministry has allocated any land to state government. Only CMs office is saying and it cannot be trusted".



Last year, the CM created controversy when he shifted to new swanky Vaastu compliant residence-cum-office costing over Rs 50 crore.



In the past, CM's obsession with astrology, like official vehicles going for a change of colour from black to white or offerings to temple to fulfil his personal vows, had drawn stark criticism from opposition, activists and citizens over wasting public money.
Mumbai: September 7, 2017 is a big day in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. The designated TADA court in Mumbai has pronounced the quantum of sentence against five gangsters  Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Mohammed Dossa, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and Karimullah Sheikh. Mustafa Dossa died on June 28, just a few days after being convicted in the case.

The 12 blasts that rocked Mumbai, introduced the world to Dawood Ibrahim, Indias most-wanted man, and Tiger Memon. Both terrorists are absconding and are wanted for the first terrorist attack in the world where RDX was used.

A death sentence has been handed out to two and life sentences to the other three convicts in the attack that killed 257 persons and injured more than 700.

"All the seven accused tried to thwart my attempts to bring them to book. They kept filing new applications every day. It was very challenging," Special Counsel DN Salvi told News18.

The five convicts are the tier-II of the conspiracy. The tier-I, the primary group which conspired to carry out the terror attack, is still absconding. It includes Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon. "The only person from tier-I who has been convicted and sent to the gallows is Yakub Memon," Salvi said.

During the earlier part of the trial, the court had convicted 100 of the 126 accused it had examined. "It had consisted mainly of the foot soldiers, except Yakub Memon," he said.

Lets look at the five convicts and their roles in the attack:

Riyaz Siddique  10-year jail term. Drove a car from Mumbai to Bharuch to deliver Maruti van and money to Abu Salem. Special cavities were made inside the van to fit the arms and ammunition.

Abu Salem  Extradited to India from Portugal, a treaty between both countries does not allow for death penalty or term above 25-years in jail, so the court handed him the life imprisonment. He knew of the conspiracy and participated actively in it. He bought arms and ammunition to Mumbai from Bharuch, Gujarat with the knowledge that itll be used for a terror attack.

Tahir Merchant  Death sentence. He sent Indian youth for weapons training to Pakistan.

Feroz Khan  Death sentence. Dossas gang partner, Khan, ensured landing of arms and ammunition in Dighi. Managed police and customs and after the blasts, destroyed the arms and ammunition.

Karimullah Khan  Life sentence till death. Was a close associate of prime accused Tiger Memon, who is absconding. He ensured smooth landing of RDX at Shekhadi in coastal Maharashtra.

Mustafa Dossa  Died after conviction. Order of abetment of blast was already passed and his role was mentioned in the judgment. Kingpin of the conspiracy in Mumbai. Brought all the arms and ammunition to Mumbai.
A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activity (TADA) Court on Thursday sentenced gangster Abu Salem to life imprisonment for his role in the 1993 Mumbai blasts. Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005. The treaty with Portugal does not allow for a death penalty, so he got away with life imprisonment. Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan were given death sentence while Karimullah Khan was handed a life sentence.

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Trust actress Kareena Kapoor Khan, who has been making headlines for her impressive fashion choices and nailing each look before and after the birth of her little munchkin Taimur Ali Khan, to make you go weak in the knees with her sensuous, sexy and dreamy avatar at a time when you aren't really expecting her to.The Udta Punjab star, who has shed all the extra kilos post delivery (we saw her hitting the gym regularly with her bestie Amrita Arora), recently graced the cover of Filmfare magazine, her first after the birth of Taimur.On the latest issue of the magazine, the actress is seen showing off her post pregnancy physical transformation and her fashionable self in a Paule Ka blush pink spaghetti dress. Kareena, who has been styled by celebrity stylist Mohit Rai for the project, looks smoking hot on the cover with bold kohled-eyes, danglers and her tresses left open.Credit: @ Mohit Rai In fact, in the photos that have surfaced on the Internet, Kareena looks like a dream in the various outfits that she has donned for the magazine's photoshoot.The 36-year-old looks like a vision in a custom Swapnil Shinde ensemble featuring a plunging neckline and a thigh-high slit."This is Kareena's first magazine cover shoot post delivery, she wasn't shy of the cameras when the actress was pregnant nor is she now. The idea was to portray an image of the modern Indian woman where she is free to wear what she chooses to at any given stage of her life," said designer Swapnil Shinde to News18.com in an exclusive chat when asked about Kareena's look where she is seen sporting an ensemble from the designer's label."The keywords for Kareena's garment were strong, sexy, powerful and independent. The look that the actress is sporting takes cue from the 90s with raised shoulder pads and a plunging neckline which is made even sharper and stronger with the thigh-high slit," he added.Credit: @ Swapnil Shinde In the other looks that Kareena donned for the photoshoot, she looked a diva in a candy pink one-shoulder attire by House of CB with her hair tied in a messy ponytail and a dream in the several Paule Ka outfits which she sported during the photoshoot. Take a look.Credit: @ Kareena Kapoor Khan FC Credit: @ Kareena Kapoor Khan FC To decode Kareena's personal style and her look for her latest magazine photoshoot, we spoke to celebrity stylist Mohit Rai, who worked with the actress on the project."It is always a joyride working with Kareena because she is an extremely nice person and more importantly very experimental with her style and I think, since it is her first cover after she has had Taimur in her life, it was very important to make sure that she was looking the best version of herself because in India we have this misconception that a woman, after she has had a child can't work or can't look good," said Mohit in an exclusive chat with News18.com when asked about his experience of working with Kareena on the project and the idea behind the romantically sexy photoshoot."I think she has broken all those norms. She has set a standard after her delivery, how to retain an amazing body, how to workout and get into shape and still continue working and doing a really good job with it, just like how she was so effortless with her maternity style and airport looks throughout her pregnancy," he added.Credit: @ Kareena Kapoor Khan FC While talking about Kareena's personal style and fashion sense Mohit added, "One of the best things about working with Kareena is that she's got a great sense of self surety, she is not insecure at all and is very open to experimentation." "If you see, in the recent past, there has been a lot of variation to her look - classic, feminine, soft and beautiful. So, she doesn't have any restrained sense of style because she is very forthcoming and experimental. Her style is very effortless and she makes everything looks stylish even if it is one of the most basic attires or a heavy couture outfit, it never looks like it's too much on her," he added.Credit: @ Mohit Rai Talking about the sexy, bold and sensuous outfits that Kareena sported for her latest magazine photoshoot and the entire look and feel of the shoot, Mohit said that the idea was to keep it very soft and romantic because that's probably one of the best ways to present someone like Kareena. "She is one of the most naturally beautiful woman, so to do a natural, soft, beautiful, pure, white palette with very few accents of blush , that was a natural choice," said Mohit.Credit: @ Swapnil Shinde He added that since it is her first cover after she has delivered a child, it was extremely important to present her in the best version of herself. "Honestly, she is in her best version all the time, but, this was, I think a great way to present her and I think she did great justice to it. We did experiment a lot with silhouettes (for the project), we tried something with a power shoulder, off-shoulder neckline, a completely strapless outfit and I think she pulled off each one of them very gracefully and effortlessly."When asked if Kareena had any strict do's and don't, since it was her first cover shoot after pregnancy, Mohit said that the actress never has any do's and don'ts and it's because she loves experimenting and is very open to ideas from anyone. "I think as long as she is feeling the outfit, she will make it work, even if it is an impractical outfit or a very comfortable one."During the same time last year, Kareena had set the internet on fire by flaunting her maternity style and pregnancy weight gain like a pro. She even walked the ramp for designer Sabyasachi when she was heavily pregnant and graced the cover of another fashion magazine with sister Karisma during the same period.
The idea and vibe of a sari has undergone a drastic change from the era before. While for our mothers, it meant the combination of fine pleats, matching petticoat and a well-fit blouse, for the younger lot, its only the romanticism of this six-yard textile that matters.These days, women dont choose traditional patterns and often set out for unconventional dressing styles to reinvent the age-old garment. And theyre always on the lookout for means and measures to avoid draping hassles that accompany the quintessential sari. The more fuss-free, lighter and approachable a sari, the more chances of a young woman donning it to work on a day-to-day basis.Pertaining to this thought, ace designer Payal Khandwala decided to come up with The Little Sari. The idea, as she says, was to redefine an Indian essential in a way that was more contemporary, younger and with just a little more spirit.I wanted to be able to colour block my saris and wear them differently each time. So, I started wearing them on trousers, palazzos and even jeans. But the length of the sari was prohibitive, inhibiting even, so I shortened it and found that now, I could take a shirt and culotte look from desk to dinner if I just added The Little Sari, explains Khandwala.She adds that with the incorporation of closet staples, one can easily do away with the drudgery of pleating and handling. I didn't even need a mirror for the pleating, no drawstring was necessary because the sari was much lighter and I could elevate my look effortlessly. Plus, I could wear it with different separates each time.Khandwala admits that The Little Sari will resonate with an audience more experimental, if not the younger one and the kind that wishes to infuse it with their own personalities and wants a certain amount of flexibility.I suppose women who want their sari to serve a familiar and comforting purpose may not take to it, at least initially, but perhaps it will speak more to a generation that is intimidated by the conventional sari, she says.She points out that sari has been and will always remain a versatile garment and continue to evolve to maintain its relevance. In that, it is one seamless, unstitched garment that can be draped based on the wearer's mood and creativity. Its also one of the key garments that make our fashion landscape distinct. In my opinion, it will continue to gently evolve, to keep itself relevant and continue to inspire designers, homegrown and around the world.Khandwala adds that its the romance of a seamless garment and the poetry of its drape that can make magic if we allow the canvas to be redefined.Even though the designers contribution in keeping the garment alive is paramount, the Bollywood celebrities who step out in drapes cant be left behind.Bollywood celebrities are big influencers in our popular culture today. So any focus on the sari is a contribution in itself. Especially if it is hand-woven because the attention it garners can have the power to support a plethora of indigenous artisans.Plus, there have always been true champions of the sari like Rekha, for whom the sari is an extension of her personal style and not one of many options, she adds.
There's been a shakeup in the latest edition of the Expat Insider survey, with a country that barely cracked the top 20 list last year taking the top spot as the best expat destination for 2017: Bahrain.



It may not be top of mind, but the small country in the Persian Gulf managed to leapfrog its way from 19th place in 2016 to the top spot this year, due mostly to the ease of settling in and high career satisfaction, as reported by its expat citizens.



For the survey, conducted by networking site InterNations, 13,000 expats representing 166 nationalities, living in 188 countries or territories, were asked to rate 43 different aspects of life in their host country, which were then pooled into six categories: quality of life; ease of settling in; working abroad; family life; personal finance; and the cost of living index.



Expats in Bahrain described the country as a "beautiful melting pot of many different cultures," and local Bahrainis as friendly and welcoming to foreigners.



Because most speak English, respondents said it was easy to settle in, with a quarter of respondents saying they felt at home right away -- particularly noteworthy given that a third of these expats had never lived abroad before.



Bahrain also ranked highly in subcategories like job and career, work life balance, along with family life.



Meanwhile, expats in Costa Rica and Mexico reported high levels of satisfaction with their new homes as well, putting their host countries in second and third places respectively.



If making new friends is a high priority in your second life, Costa Rica is the place for you, as it ranks first in the "Finding friends" subcategory.



The sun-soaked country also ranked highly in indices for quality of life, ease of settling and family life.



Of note, nearly a third of respondents in Costa Rica described themselves as retirees.



In third place, perennial favorite Mexico rounds out the podium, with expats giving the country high marks for ease of settling in, personal finance and cost of living.



"The climate is almost perfect, the people are friendly, and the food is to die for," said one Filipino respondent.



Where the country performs poorly, however, is safety and healthcare.



In the all-important quality of life metric, Portugal, Taiwan and Spain took the top three spots.



Overall, the top 10 list of best expat destinations is mostly made up of countries in sun-soaked, warmer climes, that are rich in culture.



With the exception of New Zealand, conspicuously absent from the top spots are Western, English-speaking countries like the US (43), Canada (16), and the UK (54).



Here are the top 10 expat destinations of 2017, according to InterNations:



1. Bahrain



2. Costa Rica



3. Mexico



4. Taiwan



5. Portugal



6. New Zealand



7. Malta



8. Colombia



9. Singapore



10. Spain



At the bottom of the list are Greece, Kuwait and Nigeria.
Mumbai: Comedian Kiku Sharda, who was arrested last year for hurting the sentiments of the followers of Dera Sacha Sauda leader Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, on Wednesday took a dig at the convicted sect chief.



Kiku said justice was bound to happen in the case of Ram Rahim, who was convicted of for the rape of two female disciples and sentenced to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment by a CBI special court on August 28.



At a song launch of the film 2016 The End here, Kiku was present with co-actors Divyendu Sharma, Rahul Roy, Priya Banerjee, Narendra Jha and director Jaideep Chopra.



The event started with an interactive fun session between Divyendu and Kiku.



Kiku introduced Divyendu as "He was last seen in Toilet (referring to the film 'Toilet: Ek Prem Katha')."



Divyendu responded: "Yes, and you were living in jail."



Kiku then quipped: "I went to jail for a day and now sir has gone for 20 years."



Divyendu asked what Kiku wants to say by that.



He replied: "No, no, I am not taking any credit for that."



When the media asked Kiku to comment on the CBI court's decision about his imprisonment, he said: "Well, things have been proven in the court and now we all know what he did. Justice happened and it was bound to happen, it's karma. But whatever violence took place (following Ram Rahim's conviction) was really sad."



"We shouldn't have room for violence, we are peace-loving people, and we should stay in peace."




Patna: The trouble for the Bihar Congress unit doesn't seem to be getting over. Party state president Ashok Chaudhary on Thursday accused "some senior leaders" of conspiring against him and fuelling the rumor of an imminent split in the state unit.



Chaudhary, along with 8 other MLAs, defied the Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, by not attending a meeting called by him. I have already apprised the party high command and explained my position when I met Sonia ji. Why should I go again?" he said.



Rahul had summoned all MLAs and MLCs for a one-on-one meeting in Delhi after reports of an imminent split in the state unit surfaced. More than 15 MLAs, including some close to Chaudhary, turned up in Delhi.



Congress has 27 MLAs in Bihar assembly, and they have been airing differing voices after chief minister Nitish Kumar walked out of Mahagathbandhan on July 26. Many of them are not willing to go with the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).



Chaudhary accepted this and said he was not sure about the future. I spent more than 15 years in the party and tried to strengthen the organization during my present tenure as the party president. But there are a few leaders who are conspiring to topple me and regrettably few senior AICC leaders are also behind this plot, he said and broke down.



Senior congress leader Sadanand Singh, who met Rahul Gandhi, said that if Chaudhary had any grievances, he should have shared this on the party platform. I dont know why he (Chaudhary) chose not to go to Delhi and meet Rahul Gandhi. We have apprised the high-command of the political situation in the state. We shared our thoughts again today, he said.



Contrary to Chaudharys views, Sadanand Singh was all praises for RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav, hailing him as the champion of secular forces, an issue which is at the core of simmering crisis in the party.



Ashok Chaudhary has been close to Bihar chief minister Nitish Kumar, and he urged his party members to refrain from attacking Kumar in the assembly when the RJD raised Srijan scam and sought the resignation of the CM and deputy CM Sushil Modi.


New Delhi: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) on Thursday summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav regarding the probe in the railways irregularities case.



The CBI has summoned Lalu on September 11 and Tejashwi on September 12.



On July 7, the CBI carried out searches at 12 locations after registering a corruption case against former railway minister Lalu and his family members, including wife Rabri Devi and his son former deputy chief minister of Bihar Tejashwi.



Lalu has been accused of accepting three acres of land for awarding an IRCTC contract to Sujata Hotel Private Limited to develop hotels in Ranchi and Puri. His family allegedly used a benami property to acquire the land.



Heres a look at the case:



The Genesis



Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) was created by the Railways in 1999. In 2001, it was decided that the management of catering services, including hotel properties, will be given to IRCTC.



An MoU was signed in March 2004 wherein the management of two hotels  one in Ranchi and the other in Puri  would be taken care of by IRCTC.



Lalu became the railway minister in May 2004. He allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with Sujata Hotel Private Limited directors Vijay Kochar and Vinay Kochar, and Sarla Gupta, the wife of his close aide Prem Chand Gupta.



How the Alleged Scam Unfold



On February 25, 2005, the Kochars sold a commercial property measuring of three acres to Delight Marketing Company Pvt Ltd for Rs 1.47 crore, an amount much lower than the circle or market rate of Rs1.93 crore. Sarla Gupta was the director of Delight Marketing, an alleged shell company. The commercial plot was also allegedly shown as agricultural land to evade stamp duty.



The CBI further says that Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia, promoter of Ahluwalia Contracts, bought shares of Delight Marketing, which is how and thus how the shell company purchased the land.



The day the Kochars sold the land to Delight Marketing is reportedly the same day when the Railway Board said that the operation of BNR Hotels was being transferred to IRCTC.



Lalu and PK Goel, the then managing director of IRCTC, allegedly got the development, maintenance and operation of two BNR Hotels transferred to Sujata Hotel Private Limited through a rigged and manipulated tender process.



The Tender Trail



The notice inviting the tender allegedly only made a passing reference about the commencement of sale of bid for BNR Hotels. According to the CBI, the qualification bid was changed by issuing corrigendum to make it favourable for the Kochars. The CBI has said that Lalu as the railway minister was aware about the developments and allegedly kept a track of the tender proceedings.



While the IRCTC claimed that there were 15 bids for BNR Ranchi and 17 for BNR Puri, the only details with IRCTC were those of Sujata Hotels and Dinanath Hotels. But when the CBI asked for bid documents of Dinanath Hotels, no documents were available with IRCTC.



In case of BNR Puri, there were two bidders. Sujata Hotels and Hotel Kesari. The CBI has alleged that low marks were given to Hotel Kesari during technical evaluation to help Kochars win the bid.



The Follow-up



Once Lalu demitted office as railway minister, shares of Delight Marketing were allegedly transferred from Sarla Gupta to Rabri Devi and her son Tejashwi Yadav. The name of Delight Marketing was changed to LARA Projects then to LARA Projects Limited Liability Partnership firm. LARA partners and authorised signatory are family members of Lalu Prasad Yadav. It is believed that LARA is named so for LAlu and RAbri.



Between 2010 and 2014, Lalu's family allegedly virtually took over Delight Marketing. The circle rate of the property was Rs 32.5 crore whereas the market rate was Rs 94 crore. According to the CBI, shares of Delight Marketing, with net worth of around Rs 32.5 crore, in form of real estate, were sold by Guptas family to Lalu family members for Rs 64 lakh.



Lalu has denied the allegations and accused the BJP of using the CBI to settle political scores.
Hike Messenger today announced the launch of its hyperlocal strategy wherein personalized stickers have been created for over 500 colleges across India. The stickers are available for download in the sticker shop within the app on both Android and iOS from September 12, 2017.Special sticker packs were created for 18 colleges in Delhi, Bangalore, Pune and Ahmedabad. As per Hike, the engagement on the platform went up by over 40 percent and multiple new groups joined Hike across cities. The Hike team received requests from other college students for localized and specific stickers for their colleges. Because of this, Hike plans to extend the initiative to 1000 colleges by the end of 2018.A large percentage of the Hikers are between 18-21 years of age and in college. College sticker packs are aimed to make their conversations more personal by adding a sense of pride and a sense of belonging to their college and the groups that they are associated with. The Sticker Team at Hike has curated and designed these sticker packs to give Hikers a way to express college culture in their conversations with peers and in their groups. Instead of typing Lets meet in the auditorium or during college fests cheer for their college or meet their friends at a hangout one can simply say it with a custom college sticker.The Spokesperson at Hike Messenger said, We plan to introduce sticker packs for several thousand colleges across India before the end of the year.
Creation of indigenous tools along with building human capacity with relevant capabilities is imperative for India's cyber security, a report by business consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in collaboration with industry chamber Assocham said on Wednesday. According to the report titled "Securing the Nations Cyberspace," businesses should not limit their efforts towards cyber resilience merely for compliance, but practice self-regulation, while the government should create robust policy environment and ensure adequate technology support."It is critical that all economic participants in a country pay attention to cyber security and develop adequate measures to identify, protect, detect, respond and recover processes and capabilities in the face of threats," said Sivarama Krishnan, Partner and Leader, Cybersecurity, PwC India, in a statement. The report underlines the need for citizen participation in mitigating cyber risks and an inclusive approach to creating a secure business ecosystem, where the government, industry sectors, standard bodies and businesses must play a role.Last week, at a summit on cyber and network security organised by Assocham, Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju said that there is a huge gap in India's capability and capacity when it comes to cyber warfare and it is imperative to narrow down this difference to discourage cyber attackers.
Finnish telecom equipment maker Nokia said on Wednesday it could cut 597 jobs in France by end-2019 as part of a plan to save 1.2 billion euros at group level. The job cuts would concern central and support functions within Alcatel-Lucent International and Nokia Solutions Networks France, which employ a combined 4,200 people in the country, a Nokia spokeswoman told Reuters in an e-mail.R&D functions were excluded from the plan and Nokia, which bought former rival Alcatel-Lucent in 2016, will seek to limit as much a possible forced redundancies, she said. The CFDT, CFE-CGC, CGT, and CFTC unions said the plan was "unacceptable" and asked for a meeting at the Economy Ministry. The Ministry told Reuters it would convene in the coming weeks a committee made of union and company representatives to monitor the issue.
For the first time, the giant of Cupertino is set to unveil its latest iPhones in the Apple Park campus at a keynote to be held on Tuesday, September 12. As a video recently posted on YouTube shows, construction work at Apple Park is all but finished. American Duncan Sinfield, a videographer specialized in spectacular drone footage, has posted an aerial exploration of Apple Park, just a few days before the event. The campus now appears to be perfectly functional, with only a few roads and green spaces still under construction. For its part, the Steve Jobs Theater looks to be ready for a full press launch on September 12.Begun in 2013, work on the colossal Apple Park project will have taken more than four years to complete. It was not until April 2017 that the first Apple employees were able to move into the main campus building, a vast 260,000 square meters doughnut-shaped construction covered by the largest curved glass panels in the world. Located on a 70-hectare site, the building will ultimately welcome some 12,000 staff. The campus also includes a visitor centre with an Apple Store and a cafe that are open to the public.Along with workspace and research and development facilities, the campus also features a 10,000-square meter fitness centre for Apple's employees, who will also have the opportunity of relaxing in the site's extensive surrounding green spaces, not to mention the orchard, fields and pond in the main building's interior courtyard. For its part, the Steve Jobs Theater, which can seat up to 1,000 people, is an apt monument to the former Apple CEO, who initiated the Apple Park project before he died in 2011. It takes the form of a 6-meter high glass cylinder with a diameter of 50 meters, under a vast carbon fiber roof.
New York: Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the US government to block US President Donald Trumps plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants who New York's attorney general labeled the best of America.



The lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn on Wednesday asked a judge to strike down as unconstitutional the presidents action involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA.



It called the move a culmination of President Trumps oft-stated commitments ... to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots.



Repealing of the DACA puts more than 20,000 Indian-Americans at risk of immediate deportation, placing India in the top ten countries for DACA eligibility.



Over 27,000 Asian Americans, including 5,500 Indians and Pakistanis, have already received DACA. An additional estimated 17,000 individuals from India and 6,000 Pakistan respectively are eligible for DACA, the South Asian Americans Leading Together (SAALT) said in a statement.



The attorneys general who brought the lawsuit all Democrats represent states where the population of DACA participants known as dreamers ranges from hundreds to tens of thousands. They were brought to the US illegally as children or came with families who overstayed visas.



Trumps plan is cruel, shortsighted, inhumane and driven by a personal bias against Mexicans and Latinos, New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman said.



He said the 42,000 New Yorkers with protected status under the program are largely model citizens."They are the best of AmericaDreamers play by the rules. Dreamers work hard. Dreamers pay taxes. For most of them, America is the only home theyve ever known. And they deserve to stay here, he added, using the term that came from a failed piece of legislation called the DREAM Act.



Oregon Attorney General Ellen Rosenblum called the governments action indefensible and said Trump was playing chicken by giving Congress six months to improve DACA or cancel it.



Devin M. OMalley, a Justice Department spokesman, said the agency looks forward to defending the administrations position.



Under former President Barack Obama, Justice Department lawyers concluded in 2014 that DACA is lawful. The lawsuit filed says rescinding DACA will injure state-run colleges and universities, upset workplaces and damage companies and economies that include immigrants covered under the program.



The lawsuit noted that Harvard University has over 50 DACA students while Tufts University has more than 25. Both schools are in Massachusetts. The consequence of the presidents animus-driven

decision is that approximately 800,000 persons who have availed themselves of the program will ultimately lose its protections and be exposed to deportation, the lawsuit says.



Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday the program will end in six months so Congress can have time to find a legislative solution for people in the program. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit are New York, Massachusetts, Washington, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont and Virginia.



California, one of the most solid Democratic states, was noticeably absent. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra plans to file a separate lawsuit because a quarter of DACA recipients are California residents, his spokeswoman Bethany Lesser said.



Under Trumps plan, people already enrolled in DACA remain covered until their permits expire. If that happens before March 5, they are eligible to renew them for another two years as long as they apply by October 5. But the program isnt accepting new applications.



Opponents of the program said they are pleased with the Trump administration's decision. They called DACA an unconstitutional abuse of executive power. Washington Gov. Jay Inslee and Attorney General Bob Ferguson, both Democrats, called Trumps action cruel and outrageous, given that the decision was announced by Sessions rather than the president himself.



A half-dozen beneficiaries of DACA young adults from Mexico, Venezuela, Peru and elsewhere, including some now working at law firms or for the state Legislature  flanked Inslee and Ferguson at a news conference in Seattle announcing the lawsuit.



Its outrageous, its not right, an emotional Ferguson said. As attorney general for the state of Washington, I have a hammer, its the law.



Inslee said, This is one more of a long train of abuses that this president has attempted to foist on this great nation.



Earlier this year, Ferguson sued Trump over his travel ban, prompting a federal judge to block nationwide enforcement.
Washington: A gurdwara in the US state of California has been vandalised with hate messages scrawled on its walls, including one calling for 'nuking' Sikhs.



The incident took place at the Vermont Gurdwara in Los Angeles, also known as the Hollywood Sikh Temple.



A witness confronted the vandal and caught him on cell phone footage walking away from the gurdwara's wall without any explanation, NBC Los Angeles reported.



"I said I was going to call the police on him at which point he said he felt threatened," Karna Ray, the witness who filmed the vandalism, said. "He said, I will slit your throat".



Hollywood police were investigating the hate messages written on the side of the gurdwara.



Ray, who is from New York, was visiting a friend on Thursday when he saw the man writing long incoherent messages with a black marker on the pristine white wall of the gurdwara and started recording him with his cell phone.



He then uploaded the video on Facebook and received thousands of comments.



Ray was particularly disturbed by one of three separate passages calling for the "nuking" of Sikhs, according to Fox 11.



According to a Facebook post by Ray, the vandal flashed a razor at him as he made his threat.



Ray said the hateful message left on the walls of the Gurdwara counters everything the Sikh community stands for.



A member of the gurdwara hoped to invite the vandal to a service so he could experience what the community believes in.



"I would love to invite the person in the temple, make him, show him what he is missing," Sarab Gil was quoted as saying.



Nirinjan Singh Khalsa of California's Sikh Council is in close contact with the Los Angeles Police Department about the case.



"This particular incident isn't a matter of swastikas and 'go home, ragheads,' which we get sometimes," Khalsa said.



"This seems to be a diatribe by someone who may or may not be mentally imbalanced," he said.
Beirut/Jerusalem: Israel attacked a military site in Syria's Hama province early on Thursday, the Syrian army said, and a war monitoring group said the target could be linked to chemical weapons production.



The air strike killed two soldiers and caused damage near the town of Masyaf, an army statement said. It warned of the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region".



The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the war, said the attack was on a facility of the Scientific Studies and Research Centre, an agency which the United States describes as Syria's chemical weapons manufacturer.



It came the morning after UN investigators said the Syrian government was responsible for a sarin poison gas attack in April.



Syria's government denies using chemical arms. In 2013 it promised to surrender its chemical weapons, which it says it has done.



The Observatory said strikes also hit a military camp next to the centre that was used to store ground-to-ground rockets and where personnel of Iran and its ally, the Lebanese Hezbollah group, had been seen more than once.



An Israeli army spokeswoman declined to discuss reports of a strike in Syria.



In an interview in Israel's Haaretz daily last month on his retirement, former Israeli air force chief Amir Eshel said Israel had hit arms convoys of the Syrian military and its Hezbollah allies nearly 100 times in the past five years.



Israel sees red lines in the shipment to Hezbollah of anti-aircraft missiles, precision ground-to-ground missiles and chemical weapons.



ISRAELI SIGNAL?



The reported attack took place on the 10th anniversary of Israel's destruction of a nuclear reactor in Syria.



Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is due to address the UN General Assembly on Sept. 19, and is widely expected to voice Israel's concern over what it sees as attempts by Iran to broaden its military foothold in Syria and threats posed by Hezbollah



Israeli officials have said that Russia, another Assad ally, and Israel maintain regular contacts to coordinate military action in Syria.



Some Israeli commentators saw the latest strike - a departure from the previous pattern of attacks on weapons convoys - as a show of Israeli dissatisfaction with the United States and Russia.



Last month, Netanyahu met Russian President Vladimir Putin, but came away without any public statement from Moscow that it would curb Iranian influence.



Hezbollah and Israel fought a brief war in 2006 in which more than 1,300 people died. Both have suggested that any new conflict between them could be on a larger scale than that one.



Hezbollah has been one of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's most important allies in the war and last month its leader Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah said he had recently travelled to Damascus to meet the Syrian president.



Israel is conducting military exercises in the north of the country near the border with Lebanon.



Yaakov Amidror, a retired Israeli general and former national security adviser, told reporters he assumed Thursday's strike was linked to Nasrallah's visit to Damascus.



"Weapons systems have been transferred from this organisation (the Scientific Studies and Research Centre) into the hands of Hezbollah during the years," he said.



HEZBOLLAH



In May, an official in the military alliance backing Assad said that Hezbollah drew a distinction between Israel striking its positions in Syria and at home in Lebanon. "If Israel strikes Hezbollah in Lebanon, definitely it will respond," the official said.



The Syrian army statement said the Israeli strike came at 2.42 am from inside Lebanese airspace. It said it had been launched in support of Islamic State.



Jets flying over Lebanon overnight broke the sound barrier and Lebanese media reported that Israeli warplanes had breached Lebanese airspace.



The Observatory reported that seven people were killed or wounded in the strike.



"The factory that was targeted in Masyaf produces the chemical weapons and barrel bombs that have killed thousands of Syrian civilians," Amos Yadlin, a former head of Israeli military intelligence, said in a tweet.



The strike sent a message that Israel would not let Syria produce strategic weapons, would enforce its own red lines, and would not be hampered by Russian air defence systems in Syria, he added.



The UN Commission of Inquiry on Syria said on Wednesday a government jet dropped sarin on Khan Sheikhoun in Idlib province in April, killing more than 80 civilians, and that government forces were behind at least 27 chemical attacks.
Cox's Bazar: More than a quarter of a million mostly Rohingya refugees have entered Bangladesh since fresh violence erupted in Myanmar last October, the United Nations said on Thursday, as more bodies washed up a day after boats sank attempting to cross the river that divides the two countries.



In the last two weeks alone 1,64,000 mostly Rohingya civilians have fled to Bangladesh, overwhelming refugee camps that were already bursting at the seams and triggering warnings of a humanitarian crisis.



Scores more have died trying to flee the fighting in Myanmar's Rakhine state, where witnesses say entire villages have been burned to the ground since Rohingya militants launched a series of coordinated attacks on August 25, prompting a military-led crackdown.



Police in Bangladesh say they have recovered the bodies of 17 people, many of them children, who drowned when at least three boats packed with Rohingya refugees sank at the mouth of the Naf river that runs along the border.



Bangladesh border guards say desperate Rohingya are attempting to cross the river using small fishing trawlers that are dangerously overcrowded.



At least five have capsized leaving more than 60 people dead, police and border guards say.



Rohingya refugee Tayeba Khatun said she and her family had waited four days for a place on a boat to take them to Bangladesh after fleeing her township in Rakhine.



"People were squeezing into whatever space they could find on the rickety boats. I saw two of those boats sink," she told AFP.



"Most managed to swim ashore but the children were missing."



Those flocking into Bangladesh have brought with them harrowing testimony of murder, rape and widespread arson by Myanmar's army.



Most have walked for days to reach Bangladesh and the United Nations says many are sick, exhausted and in desperate need of shelter, food, and water.



Existing camps which hosted around 400,000 refugees before the latest influx are now completely overwhelmed, leaving tens of thousands of new arrivals with nowhere to shelter from the monsoon rains.



Mazor Mustafa, a Bangladeshi businessman handing out food and rehydration fluids, said the situation was getting worse as more people arrived.



"It is not at all enough food," he told AFP of the ration kits being distributed.



"These people are hungry, starving to death together."



The latest figures mean that nearly a quarter of Myanmar's 1.1 million Rohingya Muslims have fled since fighting first broke out last October.



Impoverished Bangladesh initially tried to block them from entering, but has now given up attempting to stem the tide.



Yesterday its foreign ministry summoned the Myanmar ambassador to demand immediate measures to curb the violence.



The Rohingya are denied citizenship in mainly Buddhist Myanmar, which is under growing international pressure over its apartheid-like treatment of the stateless minority.



UN investigators have said a military crackdown that followed ambushes by Rohingya militants in October last year may amount to ethnic cleansing.



The recent fighting is the fiercest in Rakhine, Myanmar's poorest state, in years.



Cattle rancher Mohammad Shaker, 27, crossed into Bangladesh today suffering a gunshot wound to his chest that he said was inflicted by Myanmar soldiers.



"I tried to flee with our stock near the river when the military started shooting at us," he told AFP, nursing his untreated wound.



"I fell on the ground and later my relatives found me. We hid in the hills for days, and this morning managed to come here."



Scores of refugees have arrived in Bangladesh needing treatment for serious bullet wounds, while others have lost limbs after apparently setting off landmines along the border.



Today a mass funeral was held at a mosque near the border for five men whose relatives said they had been shot dead by the Myanmar military. The relatives carried their bodies over the border so they could be buried in Bangladesh.



Myanmar says some 27,000 mainly ethnic Buddhist Rakhine have also fled in the opposite direction since August 25, accusing Rohingya militants of targeting their communities.



Myanmar's government, led by Nobel peace prize laureate Aung San Suu Kyi, has rejected allegations of atrocities, accusing the international media, NGOs and the UN of fabrications.



It has placed the blame for the violence squarely on the militants, saying they are setting fire to their own homes.



Myanmar said on Thursday that 6,600 Rohingya homes and 201 non-Muslim homes had been burned to the ground since August 25.



They added some 30 civilians had been killed -- seven Rohingyas, seven Hindus, and 16 Rakhine Buddhists -- in the fighting.



Myanmar's army has previously said around 430 people had been killed in the fighting, including militants and soldiers.
Before he slithered out of the White House, President Trumps former chief strategist Steve Bannon gave Democrats a piece of advice that Trump himself shows no desire to follow: Dump the identity politics.

The Democrats, Bannon said in an interview with Robert Kuttner of the liberal American Prospect, the longer they talk about identity politics, I got em. I want them to talk about racism every day. If the left is focused on race and identity, and we go with economic nationalism, we can crush the Democrats.

Here Bannon shows a keen grasp of the obvious. In theory, if the left focuses on race and identity while Team Trump focuses on bread-and-butter economic issues like trade, tariffs and immigration policy, even I  who would prefer to see the Trump regime take a long walk off of a short pier  would give Team Trump favorable odds for re-election, provided the economy is doing well and Trump himself avoids indictment.

But so far Trump has played a more shoot-from-the-lip approach. Instead of focusing our attention on economic nationalism, he has exploited racial anger, fears, resentments and suspicions vigorously enough to alienate voters and scuttle his own economic message and legislative agenda.

A quick review: Trumps White House quest began with a bogus challenge to Barack Obamas birth certificate, a scam that Trump perpetrated for almost five years. He jumped to the front of the GOP pack by portraying Mexican immigrants as mostly rapists and murderers  and some, he added, I presume are good people. He called a federal judge disqualified for a case based on his Mexican-American ethnicity. He waffled on recent deadly violence between white supremacist and white nationalist protestors and anti-racist counter-protesters in Charlottesville and then decided there were very fine people on both sides.

Does Trumps racial flame throwing work for him? Like a charm. Polls show hes lost most of his swing voters, but his base remains solid at about 40 percent or less. Even during the presidential campaign, Bannon told Bloombergs Joshua Green, as recounted in Greens new best-seller Devils Bargain: Steve Bannon, Donald Trump and the Storming of the Presidency: We polled the race stuff and it doesnt matter. It doesnt move anyone who isnt already in [Clintons] camp.

No, but the election was not just about race and racism, either. Of the nearly 700 counties that voted twice for Obama, 207 flipped last November to vote for Trump.

Obamas race didnt change, but the voters minds did. In hindsight, its easy to see how Democrat Hillary Clintons campaign blundered by paying too little attention to anxious and frustrated working-class and middle-class voters, especially in the crucial Rust Belt swing states like Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio and Pennsylvania.

Against that backdrop, when Republicans say identity politics, to some ears its just another way to say people who are not like you. That might help explain an August poll by liberal-leaning Public Policy Polling that asked which racial group faces the most discrimination in America  45 percent of Trump voters said white people. Another 17 percent said Native Americans, 16 percent picked African-Americans and 5 percent said Latinos.

When host Bill Maher asked the Rev. Jesse Jackson on HBOs Real Time about those numbers, Jackson said, There may be something else going on besides racism. He recited figures from an August study by CareerBuilder, showing rising economic anxiety in all racial groups.

Seventy-eight percent of Americans live paycheck to paycheck, 51 percent make $30,000 a year or less, Jackson said. Theres a deep sense of anxiety where youve had a globalized economy. These people feel locked out. And they start scapegoating. ... So, yes, theyre being exploited but they have tremendous economic anxiety underneath that must not be ignored.

Indeed, the smart message to take away from Bannons advice, in my view, is dont let voters feel ignored. Everyone likes to be asked for their vote, according to an old political motto. No one likes to be taken for granted, either.

Liberal Mark Lillas widely discussed new best-seller, The Once and Future Liberal: After Identity Politics, advises Democrats to come up with a new grand and engaging vision to match that of conservative Ronald Reagan. Barack Obamas hope and change themes connected with voters at a time when they were looking for both. So far, todays Democrats echo George H.W. Bushs problem with the vision thing. But theres still time.

Page is a Chicago Tribune columnist. Email him at cpage@chicagotribune.com.
The complexities of our history

When will the PC madness on statues and names of buildings cease?

I just read that officials in Roanoke are considering renaming Stonewall Jackson Middle School, presumably because he was a Confederate general and therefore assumed to be a proponent of slavery.

If the officials are concerned that the schools name will cause discomfort among its African-American students, let them consider this: Before Stonewall Jackson was a soldier; he was a teacher, not only at VMI, but also at Lexington Presbyterian Church in Lexington. He was instrumental in organizing Sunday School classes for slaves and their children, defying Virginia segregation laws and risking punishment for doing so.

According to History.com, in 1906 the Rev. L.L. Downing, whose parents had been among the slaves in Jacksons Sunday school, raised money to have a memorial window dedicated to Jackson in the Fifth Avenue Presbyterian Church of Roanoke.

If an African-American church in Roanoke can honor the memory of a man who tried to make the lives of slaves better, cannot the local school board of Roanoke honor the same man for his belief in the power of education, whether biblical or secular, to lift people up, regardless of race?

There is a lesson here, if anyone is principled enough to teach it.

GEORGIE EASTER

Lynchburg

Hogg for Campbell supervisor

I am a teacher in and a resident of the Timberlake District. I am writing to express my excitement over Susan Hoggs candidacy for Campbell County Board of Supervisors.

Our current supervisor, Mike Rousseau, has done very little to advance our county and has done even less to make our public schools successful. While Hogg is an active member of our community, I have never seen Rousseau at a single school game, registration or community event. While Hogg frequents our schools to thank teachers for their service and get our perspective on the countys needs, I have never seen Rousseau in the building where I work and have only heard reports of him walking down one hallway of a local school, ever, in his four-year tenure as my supervisor.

In more than a decade as a teacher in the Brookville schools, I have continually seen Hogg in the community and schools in her role as School Board member and mother of four Brookville students. In stark contrast, I wouldnt even recognize Rousseau if I didnt attend Board of Supervisors meetings.

For these reasons, I am completely and excitedly backing Hogg as Timberlakes next supervisor and ask my fellow community members to consider doing the same.

CHRISTEL REAVES

Lynchburg
Dozens of landowners potentially affected by the Mountain Valley Pipeline or the Atlantic Coast Pipeline and other foes of the controversial projects have filed a federal lawsuit that challenges eminent domain provisions of the Natural Gas Act.

The suit contends that these provisions, as implemented by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, violate Fifth Amendment constitutional protections by allowing private, for-profit pipeline companies to wield eminent domain to acquire easements across private properties without evidence that the projects are needed or will serve the public good.

The lawsuit, filed Tuesday, contends that FERCs approval of the pipelines is virtually certain and imminent and it asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to intervene. The plaintiffs and their attorney, Carolyn Elefant, a former FERC lawyer, implore the court to stop FERC from issuing the certificates of public convenience and necessity  which the pipeline companies need to begin construction or to exercise eminent domain  until the lawsuit can be litigated.

Defendants include the two pipeline companies, each a limited liability company incorporated in Delaware, as well as FERC and its three commissioners.

A few of the plaintiffs and Elefant gathered Wednesday morning outside the FERC building in Washington, D.C., for a news conference. The group included Carolyn and Ian Reilly, co-owners of a farm in Franklin County that is on the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline. Carolyn Reilly works with Bold Alliance, which is also a plaintiff.

Tamara Young-Allen, a FERC spokeswoman, said the agency does not comment on court cases or matters pending a commission decision.

Other plaintiffs include Jerry and Jerolyn Deplazes, whose Giles County property would be affected by the Mountain Valley Pipeline.

Jerolyn Deplazes said there is no proven need for the project.

This is a private company asking the government for other peoples land for profit, Deplazes said. This must not stand.

Both the 303-mile, $3.5 billion Mountain Valley Pipeline and the 600-mile, $5.1 billion Atlantic Coast Pipeline would transport natural gas at high pressure. Each would bury a 42-inch diameter pipeline that would begin in West Virginia and travel into Virginia. The Atlantic Coast project would continue into North Carolina.

Aaron Ruby, a spokesman for Atlantic Coast, responded Wednesday to the lawsuit.

First, the Atlantic Coast Pipeline will serve a critical public need, Ruby said. It will provide cleaner electricity and home heating for millions of Virginians and North Carolinians, and it will power local businesses across the two states.

Ruby said existing pipelines in the regions served by the Atlantic Coast project are fully tapped and are unable to meet the growing energy needs of public utilities and the economy. He said a FERC order granting approval of the pipeline will evaluate public need.

Mountain Valley did not respond to a request for comment.

Executives with RGC Resources, whose subsidiaries include a partner in the Mountain Valley project and Roanoke Gas, have said Roanoke Gas plans to install two taps on the pipeline, including one to supply more natural gas for the Roanoke Valley and another to provide gas to Franklin County. The company has said the two transmission pipelines that currently supply its natural gas are at full capacity.

The lawsuit alleges that FERCs standard of proof for project need is so low as to be meaningless.

When former FERC Chairman Norman Bay resigned in February he suggested the commission ought to consider refining its evaluation of the need for new natural gas pipelines to guard against overbuilding.

Bay observed that private property advocates have alleged land is being taken by for-profit companies for projects that do not serve a public use. And he referenced the debate about which criteria FERC should examine to establish need, including considering whether agreements to reserve capacity on the pipeline are largely signed by affiliates.

A federal lawsuit filed in Roanoke in July by lawyer Justin Lugar on behalf of property owners along the route of the Mountain Valley Pipeline also targeted FERCs authority to grant private companies the power of eminent domain. The suit noted that FERC has allowed supply contracts with affiliates of companies building pipelines to demonstrate need.

Five of six shippers on the Atlantic Coast Pipeline are affiliates of partners in the joint venture building the project. All shippers on the Mountain Valley Pipeline are affiliates.

A hearing has not been scheduled for the lawsuit filed by Lugar.

The suit filed Tuesday also targets what it describes as FERCs encouragement of pipeline companies to negotiate easement agreements with landowners in advance of the agencys issuance of a certificate. That support for pre-certification easement agreements can lead landowners to feel intimidated into negotiating with pipeline companies before the power of eminent domain kicks in, the complaint alleges.

Ruby countered that Atlantic Coast has reached mutual easement agreements with more than 70 percent of landowners along its route.

All of these agreements were signed voluntarily by the landowners, after mutual negotiation and concessions on both sides, Ruby said.

Meanwhile, Bill Limpert, whose family farm in Warm Springs would be impacted by the Atlantic Coast Pipeline, noted that FERC is funded by the industries it regulates, a reality he said makes the commissions power to authorize eminent domain even harder to take.
Espinet: Petrotrin not viable in current form

Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley announced the appointment of the new board during an early morning news conference at Piarco International Airport on September 1 as he left the country for a week-long vacation and medical checkup in California, USA.

Rowley said achieving this turnaround will call for a certain amount of resolution, a certain amount of robust examination and a certain amount of acceptance that the situation is very serious. He said that Petrotrin had run up huge debts, significant liabilities which the company cannot now discharge and those liabilities have to be paid by the Minister of Finance even while the minister is struggling to pay other expenses of the country.

He said the first of those debts is a single payment of US$850 million which comes due in 2019, with a similar but smaller payment to be paid shortly afterwards. While the company is carrying these huge debts, Rowley pointed out that its oil production has been falling considerably and its infrastructure is old and poses concerns, including safety issues and the risk of oil leaks into the Gulf of Paria which could pollute the Venezuelan coastline with huge consequences. Rowley said the cost of cleaning up an oil spill of such magnitude could bankrupt the country.

He said the companys refinery was also a cause for concern, because at current oil prices, it was refining oil at a loss. He said it was questionable whether the current arrangement under which the State has to give Petrotrin money to buy oil to refine and lose money doing so was sustainable.

He described them as serious issues, adding if they are not addressed promptly and creatively they can threaten the countrys financial arrangements and result in the downgrade of Trinidad and Tobago as a whole, which in turn would increase the cost of borrowing when the country needs to borrow.

Rowley said that Petrotrin needs to begin drilling for oil almost immediately.

Oil is in the ground and if you dont drill you dont get it. Petrotrin has not been drilling, has not been able to drill largely because of its serious financial constraints, and if you dont treat with those financial constraints your very existence is to be questioned because if you cannot drill...an oil company that cannot execute a drilling programme and bring oil onto the market is on the wrong track. He said significant sums of money would have to be spent to upgrade Petrotrins infrastructure, beginning with the parts which are of greatest priority and is one of the earliest matters the board will have to deal with.

He named Reynold Ajodhasingh as vice chairman. Other Board members are: Joel Harding; Nigel Edwards; Anthony Chan Tack; Linda Rajpaul; Eustace Nancis; Randhir Rampersad and Selwyn Lashley Rowley said these men and one woman had been carefully selected for their business experience and expertise in their chosen fields. It was not a clean sweep, as the prime minister admitted that two members of the previous board had been re-appointed. We were looking for a particular skillset and in looking at the skillset we brought in new people and we kept some people. He said in the Cabinet discussions it had been decided to rotate the board members so that the entire board is not changed at the same time. He added that it wasnt possible to do it this time but in the future a certain number of persons would come off the board and a certain number would stay so that at any given point in time you would have continuity on the board. Reached by Business Day for comment, Espinet said the board had not been appointed nor sworn in as yet and so he could not speculate as to what their priorities would be. He said that upon being sworn into office he imagined the Government would give directions on its objectives for the company. He declined to discuss the operational requirements, saying they all seem pressing. Nevertheless, Espinet said it was clear that Petrotrin is not viable in its current form and the first thing the board will have to do is establish credibility so that it could bring governance to the process of managing the company.

He said the committee set up by the government to study the company was very clear that nobody could come in from the outside, read a few reports and come up with a solution for Petrotrin.

He added that Petrotrin is very big and complex, and the committee was very clear that a system and structure of proper governance is what is required. The question is how to give the companys stakeholders the comfort that what is going to be done is going to be done properly.

According to Espinet, the board will have to get clear in its mind what are the companys objectives because there was confusion over Petrotrins objectives. However, he said when they get their instruments of appointment they will be given clarity on what are the objectives of the company and then the directors will have to respond, first and foremost to the company.

Wilfred Espinet Wilfred Espinet, named by Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley as the new chairman of the Board of Petrotrin, has extensive international experience in manufacturing, shipping and retail in several countries. He is currently chairman of Trinidad Cement Limited; Aeromarine International Logistics company; Mayfair Trinidad Limited; Caribbean Express Limited; and Towers Marina Limited. He was executive director/ vice president of Associated Brands Company Limited from 1974  1993.

Reynold Adjodhasingh Petrotrins new vice chairman, Reynold Adjodhasingh has 34 years of experience in the oil and gas industry in Trinidad and Tobago; Egypt and Azerbaijan. He has worked with Texaco; Amoco and BP and says his experience is mainly in finance, accounting, control, systems implementation and ethics and compliance.

I have held executive leadership positions at BP in Trinidad and Tobago and Azerbaijan, managing large teams in diverse cultural settings, building talent, driving change and efficiency, delivering results with high standards of ethics, compliance and integrity. He holds a BSc in Industrial Management with Honours from the University of the West Indies; was BPs Regional head of Control and Financial operations for its Azerbaijan, Georgia and Turkey region from 2010-2016 and from 2001 to 2010 was head of Control and Financial Operations at BP Trinidad and Tobago.

Joel Harding Joel Harding has been an international Commercial/Contract and Procurement manager with over 30 years in commercial management of projects in energy, commercial, mixed-use and residential markets in Trinidad and Tobago for British Gas and served in Dubai and Azerbaijan for Mace International. In Dubai, he was senior procurement specialist on the construction of the Dubai World Trade Centre and was responsible for all Mace Internationals procurement in Azerbaijan. He served as Contracts and Procurement manager with British Gas Trinidad and Tobago from 2004-2007.

Nigel Edwards Nigel Edwards has been vice president, Finance, of the Trinidad and Tobago Unit Trust Corporation since 2013. He has held positions of chief executive officer at TATIL Life Assurance Limited; executive director - Investments at TATIL Life Assurance; and Finance director at ANSA Merchant Bank. He is a member of the Association of Chartered, Certified Accountants (ACCA), holds an MSc in Finance from the London Business School and a BSc in Management Studies with Second Class Honours from the University of the West Indies.

Selwyn Lashley Selwyn Lashley is Permanent Secretary in the Ministry of Energy and Energy Affairs.

A lawyer, he also holds an MSc in Natural Gas Engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology in Chicago and a BSc in Chemical Engineering from the University of the West Indies.

Linda Rajpaul Linda Rajpaul is an attorney with the law firm B.D. Hewitt and Company and holds certifications in Pension Administration, Alternative Dispute Resolution and Procurement. She has served as legal consultant specialising in corporate, succession and land law; provided legal consultancy services to the Port of Spain City Corporation; the Housing Development Corporation; the Vehicle Maintenance Corporation of Trinidad and Tobago (VMCOTT). Among other things, she also served on a team to negotiate and make recommendations for the upgrade of Petrotrins Pointe a Pierre refinery.

Anthony Peter Chan Tac k Anthony Peter Chan Tack is a chemical engineer who has served as chief executive officer at TITAN Methanol Company; managing director of Methanex Trinidad Unlimited and president of Atlas Methanol Unlimited. In his resume, he cites four years of experience in project management and plant management of world scale methanol plants; and 34 years of experience in process and project engineering. He served as a director of Petrotrin from 2002  2008 and held various senior and executive management positions for some 26 years.

Eustac e Nancis Entrepreneur Eustace Nancis describes himself as a strategic thinker and planner with outstanding leadership and team building strengths which generates optimum productivity and performance.

He is committed to accomplishing corporate objectives with a proven history of delivering exceptional profit results, he says in his resume. He started his first business, a welding shop, in 1980, then established the Arima Door Centre in 1984.

In 1994, he formed Arima Door Centre Holding Company Limited as a real estate development company; then in 1999 he formed General Farms Limited to supply poultry products and in 2001 he established Polyplas (2002) Limited to manufacture plastic water tanks. In 2007, he founded the Savannah Greens Development Company, a land development company.

Randhir Rampersad Randhir Rampersad is a mechanical engineer with a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Florida Institute of Technology. He is operations manager at Industrial Engineering Specialists Limited; Import Sales manager at Heavy Equipment Imports and Logistics Limited.
Shell working to mitigate effects of Hurricane Harvey

They are among the nearly 10,000 employees in the United States (US) who are working to get operations back to normal.

This was the September 5 response of Shell Trinidad Limited to questions posed by Business Day about the impact of Harvey on its operations.

We have all seen the devastating effects that Category 4 Hurricane Harvey had on the city of Houston. Our employees and operations in Houston have also been impacted, in fact, nearly half of our 20,000 employees in the US are now dealing with Harvey-related impacts in varying levels of severity. This number also includes five Houstonbased Trinidad and Tobago nationals who are all safe. The safety of our employees remains our number one priority and we have activated several support programmes for impacted staff, including temporary living supplement and nonurgent medical guidance and support. Shell Trinidad said its US office has made donations to several agencies, including a US $1 million donation to the American Red Cross and a $250,000 donation to the United Way of the Texas Gulf Coast.

The company has also activated the Shell Disaster Relief Fund (DRF) which is a stand-alone programme through which Shell employees and pensioners can make credit card donations to organisations supporting disaster relief efforts and have those donations matched by Shell on a 2:1 ratio.

Hurricane Harvey may have been downgraded to a tropical storm but by the time the slow moving, powerful weather system made landfall, refineries owned by Shell and ExxonMobil; among others, had been shut down.

According to S&P Global Platts, this removed 2.2 million barrels per day of capacity.

In addition, oil production was suspended at wells in the Eagle Ford shales and at offshore platforms.

Getting refineries, platforms and wells back to full operating capacity takes time.

Business Day asked if this and damage caused by Harvey might have an impact on operations in Trinidad and Tobago (TT).

Vice president of Shell and country chair of Shell Trinidad Limited, Derek Hudson, said, While our TT operations are not directly impacted, our Houston business is an important part of our global portfolio and we are in contact with our colleagues to offer moral, emotional and other support to them. As a company, we have a lot of experience with gulf coast weather events and well-grooved processes in place to manage the phased approach to bringing our business fully back online. Caring for our people negatively impacted by Hurricane Harvey remains our top priority, Hudson assured.

Regarding the expected time frame in which its Houston operations are expected to return to normal, Shell said, The safety of our people and the environment are top concerns and we are taking a safe, systematic, phased approach to bring the facility back online. As such, the companys Houston offices were expected to open on Tuesday (September 5) for essential staff. In terms of employees whose homes may have been damaged or destroyed during Harvey, Shell told Business Day that because its employees, like all Houstonians, were impacted differently, this is being managed according to individual circumstances. Asked if it would have to bear the cost of these home repairs, whether in part or full, Shell said it is working with impacted employees to facilitate their return to normalcy as soon as possible. Shell has therefore established a support system for its employees, which includes access to interest-free loans to assist in the recovery process. While travel to and from Houston was delayed by Harveys passage, Shell said it has no reports of any employees being stuck in either Houston or Trinidad at that time.

Asked if it is considering transferring staff to TT until operations in Houston are back to normal, Shell told Business Day this would not be necessary.

Our Houston office is efficiently managing this process. The safety of our employees is our number one priority and many who are able to, have been working remotely. Shell then reiterated that its Houston offices would re-open this past Tuesday with essential staff. The company explained that superstars can vary from one Shell business to another, depending on an individuals role and responsibilities.

Business Day also asked if Shell is importing oil from its other refineries to make up for the shortfall out of Houston while its Deer Park Refinery is closed.

Emphasising the importance of safety once again, Shell replied, Our goal is to ensure a safe, reliable supply of Shell-branded gasoline in every market we serve. In the aftermath of Harvey, we will work in close co-ordination with our Shell-branded wholesalers to tackle any supply and logistical challenges that may arise, Shell stated.

Business Day also spoke to CEO of the Energy Chamber of TT, Dr Thackwray Dax Driver, about Harveys impact on the energy sector.

Driver noted that Houston is the global capital of the oil and gas industry. Most of the major oil and gas companies have offices in Houston, as do the major international service companies and engineering firms. Some people have wondered if the disaster in Houston would lead to a boost in the price of West Texas Intermediate (WTI), also known as Texas light sweet; a grade of crude oil used as a benchmark in oil pricing.

This is not likely to happen, however, due to a drop in demand for oil.

Asked to explain this for those not familiar with the situation, Driver said, Refineries buy crude oil and refine it to make products, such as gasoline, diesel and jet fuel, which is then sold to consumers. With many of the major US oil refineries being offline, due to the storm and flooding, the demand for crude oil will obviously decrease, hence the downward pressure on US crude oil prices (WTI being the benchmark price). Because the refineries are offline, the supply of gasoline and diesel to consumers will decrease, as less is being produced, hence the sharp increase in prices for petroleum products.
Can one say too much about disaster preparedness?

Only recently, the world watched in horror as Hurricane Harvey made landfall in the southwest region of the United States. Then, as the full devastating effects became apparent, rescue operations kicked in. While not without its controversies owing to the sheer scale of the crisis, response eff orts in the face of Hurricane Harvey could off er us a few lessons.

Climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing the world today. Incidentally, the US was not the only country severely affected within recent times; sadly, the same is true for Sierra Leone on the west coast of Africa, and countries in Southeast Asia.

Changing weather patterns, coastal erosion, the destruction of reefs and natural habitats, and other environmental impacts are our realities. These are likely to become more pronounced as the years wear on, with dire consequences for island state populations such as ours.

Climate disruption is likely to cause more intense disasters and even new types. Consider heat waves and drought, salt water intrusion into fresh groundwater, increased rainfall and more powerful weather patterns the list seems endless and very daunting, to say the least.

To make bad matters worse, indiscriminate human behaviour can worsen the negative effects of a disaster such as heavy flooding. Time and again, we have been urged to practice responsible waste disposal routines. Yet we ignore these calls and continue to use watercourses, pavements and abandoned lots as garbage dumps.

Our general apathy and dismissive attitude towards impending crises has now become quite expected. But local and global realities demand that we treat with every threat as a serious possibility.

Evacuation plans for our capital do in fact exist, but are citizens sufficiently educated about what to do in case of an emergency? Are plans in place for our other main city centres? Have we sought to close the gap on our emergency response times? Are our first responders fully resourced and well equipped? Are we consistently building resilience and capacity within our communities? In April last year, the Government of Trinidad and Tobago joined one 174 other nations in signing the Paris Climate Change Agreement at the Headquarters of the United Nations. This signalled our countrys commitment to adopt ng measures to address climate change through sustainable and targeted domestic policies. It would be good to know what further steps have been taken, to draw us closer to our objectives for the benefit of present and future generations.

While we seem to be moving rather sluggishly, yet another Hurricane  Irma - appears to be rapidly intensifying, in the northern Caribbean at the ti me of writi ng. Our only hope is that that our region and further afifi eld will be spared any serious damage.
Ife seeks fashion empire

Muhammads clothing label is called Ayana Ife, and thats the name she uses on PR16.

Ife, 27, who resides in Salt Lake City, Utah, was born in Brooklyn, New York and grew up with her parents and siblings in upstate New York.

Her parents raised six of their 11 children in TT before migrating. The other five siblings were born in the US.

Because I have such a huge family it was very eventful. Never a dull moment. We all grew up together then moved once we became adults, for work or school. My siblings are all spread out over the US, in Alaska, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, LA, Utah, Ife revealed in an online interview.

Ife was home-schooled by her mother. She then attained a Bachelor of Science degree in Apparel Design from Middle Tennessee State University.

To date, she has been awarded the Outstanding Senior award for her designs and work ethic in the universitys Fashion Design Department.

Ife first set her eyes on designing long before her teenage years and began by jazzing-up her siblings clothes which she inherited.

I learned to sew at age six. When I turned ten I knew it was what I wanted to do. Designing was always something I felt very strongly about.

It started as a necessity....I have three brothers and seven sisters. I am the eighth child, so I would up-cycle and redesign my hand-me-downs  And indeed, by fifth grade Ife sold her first freelance garment to a classmate.

She soon discovered that her designing ability and fashion perspective could grow into a livelihood both fulfilling and lucrative. She plunged herself into the fashion world, doing research, attending workshops, summer courses, volunteering, sewing for neighbours, giving styling advice, shadowing professionals, outfitting men, women, children and building a clientele of loyal customers.

Was there another profession she would have considered instead of designing? I was originally expected to attend nursing school, (but) when I was taking prerequisites, I felt very unfulfilled. Like I was leaving a special part of myself behind. In that moment, I knew it was time to follow my calling. So I decided to put my all into designing, and that was in the summer of 2013. Ife said by fall she was enrolled in a fashion programme at Middle Tennessee State University, where she was living at that time, and subsequently transferred credits from the college she attended in upstate NY, as well as a couple prerequisite courses for nursing, and graduated in two years. She said triumphantly: I continued moving forward with my dreams and here I am today. On being a Muslim designer she said: The experience has been incredible! Her feelings as a contestant on PR16? The Project Runway experience is the most surreal experience of my existence. Ife applied to Project Runway four times and auditioned twice before she was selected. Her family and friends are extremely supportive and encouraging, and she has made so many friends on the show.

I design trendy, modest fashion.

I am inspired by the needbecause I am my target market. I start with pieces I know are tricky to find. I put my own modest design spin on classic pieces like blazers and button ups.

I hope the exposure from Project Runway will help me get picked up by an acclaimed designer working heavily in the fashion world who wants to mentor me and essentially show me the ropes, she said. Her ultimate goal is to create a very successful clothing label which caters to the modest market.

Trendy, easily accessible looks.

I want to be such a force, that I am internationally acclaimed and respected for my inventive approach to modest fashion. I want my modest fashion lovers, my sisters to feel influential, fearless, and elegant! I want to create a fashion empire. PR16 can be seen on Lifetime every Thursday at 8.30 pm.
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Facebook says a Russian "troll farm" appears to have spent $100,000 on 3,300 digital ads targeting American voters in the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, the Washington Post reports. While some of the ads expressly mentioned Donald Trump or Hillary Clinton, the majority simply promoted "divisive" views on things like gun and gay rights, discrimination, and immigration. According to Reuters, the ads were linked to 470 "inauthentic" accounts and pages that have since been suspended. While Facebook isn't releasing the ads, the names of the suspended pages featured words like "patriot" and "refugee," the Guardian reports. The Russian company linked to the ads has a history of spreading pro-Kremlin propaganda.

Facebook said it also found $50,000 spent on 2,200 "potentially politically related" ads that may be tied to Russia. The company's findings are more evidence to back the conclusion of US intelligence agencies that Russia influenced the election. The findings are also likely to make investigators question whether the Russians were getting input on ad buys from people in the US. The ad buys may have been a violation of US election law by Facebook and others involved. It is unlawful for foreign nationals to be spending money in connection with any federal, state, or local election, directly or indirectly, a member of the US Federal Election Commission tells Reuters. Facebook found no evidence tying the ads to any presidential campaign. (Read more Facebook stories.)
Hurricane Irma continued to sweep through the Caribbean with devastating force early Thursday, knocking out power to an estimated 1 million people in Puerto Rico. The storm didn't make landfall on the island, but the National Hurricane Center says it could still get up to 20 inches of rain, making flooding a serious danger, NBC News reports. Before the storm's arrival, authorities warned that the poor state of much of Puerto Rico's infrastructure meant that the storm could lead to some areas losing power for up to six months. Irma is expected to move north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti later Thursday and approach the Bahamas by evening. The latest:

The storm dealt what Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne called "heart-wrenching" devastation to Barbuda, the smaller of the country's two islands, the New York Times reports. He said the island, home to around 1,600 people, is "literally rubble," with 95% of all structures damaged or destroyed. He said a 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said Thursday that at least eight people were killed and 23 injured in the French territories of St. Martin and St. Barthelemy, though daybreak could reveal a far higher toll, the AP reports. "It's a tragedy, we'll need to rebuild both islands," he said. "Most of the schools have been destroyed."

The British territory of Anguilla was also hit hard by the storm, the Guardian reports. "Anguilla is utterly devastated. We are very familiar with hurricanes, but this particular one, Hurricane Irma, was off the charts in terms of strength," says Josephine Gumbs-Connor, a lawyer from the territory who accuses the British government of doing little to help.

The National Hurricane Center says the chances of a direct hit on Florida have increased. "South Florida and Central Florida will be impacted. We're confident with that right now," a center spokesman tells the Miami Herald. "What we're not confident with is exactly where that center is going to go. But remember a hurricane is not a dot on the map. They're large storms that cover a large area."

In Florida, the Polk County Sheriff's Office warned sex offenders and people with arrest warrants against going to storm shelters, the Tampa Bay Times reports. "If you go to a shelter for #Irma and you have a warrant, we'll gladly escort you to the safe and secure shelter called the Polk County Jail," the office tweeted.

CNN reports that Florida is gearing up for what could become one of the largest mass evacuations in US history. The hurricane's cone could potentially include the entire state, and mandatory evacuation orders have already been issued for the Florida Keys and areas of Broward County, which includes Fort Lauderdale. Evacuations from Miami-Dade and Palm Beach counties could bring the number of people affected up to 6 million.

AccuWeather looks at two more hurricanes that have formed in the region: Jose, which could hit some islands affected by Irma within days, and Katia, which is currently in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico.

(Read more Hurricane Irma stories.)
Fifteen states and the District of Columbia sued the US government Wednesday to block President Trump's plan to end protection against deportation for young immigrants, saying it was motivated by prejudice against Mexicans. Legal experts, however, say evidence of bias is not strong in the case involving the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA. "It might be able to muck up the works, maybe push off the effective date of the repeal, but I don't see litigation being successful in the same way as the travel ban," Kari Hong, an immigration expert at Boston College Law School tells the AP, referring to the lawsuit that limited Trump's ban involving predominately Muslim nations.

As indications of Trump's bias, the suit cited his previous statement referring to some Mexican immigrants as rapists and his decision to pardon former Arizona Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who was convicted of contempt for ignoring a federal court order to stop traffic patrols that targeted immigrants. "Ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin, is a culmination of President's Trump's oft-stated commitments ... to punish and disparage people with Mexican roots," the lawsuit filed in federal court in Brooklyn said. California plans to file a separate lawsuit with similar arguments. Plaintiffs in the lawsuit include New York, Hawaii, Washington, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Iowa, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia. (Trump says he might revisit his decision if Congress fails to "legalize" DACA.)
Sen. Bob Menendez "sold his office for a lifestyle he couldn't afford" by accepting luxury trips and other favors from a wealthy doctor seeking political influence, a government prosecutor told jurors Wednesday during opening statements of the Democrat's corruption trial. Menendez's attorney responded that gifts from Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, Menendez's longtime friend, didn't equate to a bribery agreement, the AP reports. Menendez's meetings with government officialsthough they could have aided Melgen's business interestswere "what members of Congress do" and were meant to influence future policy, attorney Abbe Lowell said, displaying a chart that showed alleged bribes by Melgen in 2006 but no alleged official acts by Menendez, and vice versa in 2009. "A bribery case is not a mix-and-match event," he said.

Before court began, Menendez, who faces multiple fraud and bribery charges, said: "Not once have I dishonored my public office." But during the government's opening statement, Justice Department attorney Peter Koski described Menendez pressuring government officials to help Melgen secure visas for his foreign girlfriends, as well as intervening in a lucrative port security contract in the Dominican Republic and a multimillion-dollar Medicare dispute. Melgen also contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Menendez's legal defense fund and entities that supported his 2012 re-election, Koski said. Menendez "went to bat when Dr. Melgen asked, and Dr. Melgen asked frequently," said Koski. "There's no friendship exception to bribery. There's no friendship exception to breaking the law." (Read more Robert Menendez stories.)
The Syrian army says an Israeli air raid on a military position in western Syria has killed two soldiers and caused material damage. The army says the attack early Thursday hit a facility near the western town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast. The army says the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while in Lebanese air space, the AP reports. A statement from the army warned of the "dangerous repercussion of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region." While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside Syrian forces. (Read more Syria stories.)
Jasmine Block is "an unbelievable young woman." That's what a police chief has to say after the 15-year-old escaped from captors who allegedly assaulted her over the course of a month. Block reportedly left her home in Alexandria, Minn., on Aug. 8 with a family acquaintance who said he needed her help, reports the Echo Press. When Jasmine arrived at Thomas Barker's home in Carlos, however, she encountered a "nightmare," says Alexandria Police Chief Rick Wyffels. Barker, 32soon joined by his roommate and later a friendrestrained the teen with zip ties. At no point over the next 28 days was Jasmine left alone as she was physically and sexually assaulted and moved to a cornfield and then a home on a lake in Grant County, Wyffels says. But on the 29th day, Jasmine saw an opportunity to escape.

When her captors left to get lunch on Tuesday, Jasmine escaped and "bravely ran door to door" without finding help, Wyffels says. Finally, she swam across the 150-acre lake to a property and encountered its owner, who'd just returned from work because he'd forgotten something. "It was like somebody shined a big beam of light on me," the man tells WCCO. "I was in the right place at the right time." Just as police arrived, Jasminelater treated for minor injuries, per NBC Newsspotted a car belonging to one of her captors whom police quickly apprehended, the property owner adds. All three alleged captors are now in custody. Barker; Joshua Holby, 31; and Steven Powers, 20, are each held on probable cause for false imprisonment, kidnapping, and assault. Wyffels says authorities are still trying to determine a motive. (Read more kidnapping stories.)
President Trump's oldest son is set for his first appearance on Capitol Hill on Thursday as part of a Senate probe into Russian meddling in the 2016 election and a meeting he had with Russians during the campaign. Donald Trump Jr. will be interviewed by staff on the Senate Judiciary Committee, reports the AP. Trump Jr. released a series of emails in July detailing preparations for the June 2016 meeting; they show he took the meeting expecting he'd receive damaging information about Hillary Clinton in what was described to him as a Russian government effort to aid the Trump campaign. Special counsel Robert Mueller and the House and Senate intel committees are also investigating that meeting, and a grand jury has heard testimony on it. Per Politico, Trump Jr. may have violated federal criminal statutes prohibiting solicitation or acceptance of anything of value from a foreign national.

Staffers are expected to focus on the 2016 meeting, also attended by Trump son-in-law Jared Kushner and then-campaign head Paul Manafort, but they could also probe other possible connections Trump's family had with Russia. Trump Jr. agreed to the interview in July after the Senate Judiciary Committee subpoenaed him and Manafort (subpoenas were withdrawn after the two agreed to be interviewed privately). Committee Chair Chuck Grassley said they'd both eventually be questioned in a public hearing. Per Politico, Trump Jr. has also agreed to hand over relevant documents. Manafort met privately with Senate intel staff in July; Kushner met with Senate intel staff and House Intelligence Committee members. Trump Jr. is also expected to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee. The House intel panel has sought to talk to him as well, though that's reportedly being negotiated. (Read more Donald Trump Jr. stories.)
China's Qinghai province may be remote, but it's a heck of a lot less remote than Mars. So for those looking to experience the latter but willing to travel to the former, good news: China in July announced that it intends to build a Mars replica on what the Guardian describes as "a spectacular, sandswept corner of the Tibetan plateau." The South China Morning Post has the latest on the so-called "Mars Village," which it reports will cost about $60 million, following recent meetings between government officials and scientists.

The desert locale has been described as Mars-like, thanks in part to the oddly shaped wind-eroded rocks, called yardang, found there, reported the Morning Post. The vision to cater to two types of voyagers: The 36,000-square-mile high-altitude camp will serve as a training ground for Chinese astronauts and tourists looking to experience a "high-end," glamping-like version of life on Mars. The Guardian tried to talk to project head Liu Xiaoqun about the plans, but got the cold shoulder from a rep for the Chinese Academy of Sciences: "Liu ... isn't in Beijing and he doesn't want to take any interviews." (America's version of Mars is on Hawaii.)
Once asked why he risked his life to photograph war-torn countries, Eduardo Martins expressed his desire to "show the public the reality of these places." The problem is the supposed Brazilian photojournalist didn't actually know the reality of places like Syria and Iraq because  he hadn't visited them. A BBC investigation reveals Martins' photos showing the devastation affecting Iraqi refugees, Syrian families, and those in the Gaza Strippublished in outlets like the Wall Street Journal and sold on Getty Imageswere actually the work of other photojournalists, flipped horizontally to fool software used to detect plagiarism. Even selfies posted to Martins' since-deleted Instagram account were faked with a face stolen from the Facebook account of British surfer Max Hepworth-Povey.

"It's just mad. It's like seeing an evil twin," Hepworth-Povey tells the Washington Post, which unravels Martins' touching backstory. (Eduardo Martins doesn't actually exist, though the imposter's real name is unknown.) Like his photos, Martins' claims that he spent his early adulthood battling leukemia, suffered the death of his father due to liver failure, and worked at the UN Refugee Agency turned out to be false. As apparently did this account he gave to Recount last October: While in Iraq, "I stopped shooting to help a boy who was hit by a Molotov  and helped get him out of the conflict area." A journalist who alerted Martins to surfacing doubts is the last known person to hear from him. According to the BBC, Martins said he was "traveling around the world in a van" and wanted to be left "in peace." (Read more plagiarism stories.)
The Trump administration will do away with the Obama administration's guidance on sexual assault and harassment in schools because, according to Betsy DeVos, it's unfair to students accused of such actions, Politico reports. Every student accused of sexual misconduct must know that guilt is not predetermined," the Washington Post quotes the education secretary as saying during a speech Thursday at George Mason University. The guidance issued in 2011 threatened schools with loss of funding under Title IX if they didn't do enough to protect their students from harassment, assault, and rape. But DeVos says the new policy "weaponized the Office for Civil Rights" against schools and students. She says she wants it replaced with a "fair system," USA Today reports.

DeVos said the Obama-era guidance created "kangaroo courts," relied on a lower standard of proof than criminal courts, and used an "overly broad definition of sexual assault and harassment." "If everything is harassment, nothing is," she said. It's unclear what the Trump administration will replace the guidance with, though the process is expected to take months and the results to anger advocates for victims of sexual assault. Fatima Goss Graves, president and CEO of the National Women's Law Center, says repealing the Obama-era guidance is a "blunt attack on survivors of sexual assault." "It sends a frightening message to all students: Your government does not have your back if your rights are violated," she tells Politico. (Read more sexual assault stories.)
Newsweek's headline doesn't pull any punches: "Russia Is Preparing for a Massive War, but We Don't Know Where, Warns Ukrainian President." The story is based on comments that president, Petro Poroshenko, made in a Thursday address to parliament regarding Russia's Zapad-2017 exercises in Belarus. The drill is scheduled to begin next Thursday, involve up to 13,000 troops, and last a week, but "some 2,000 transporters with soldiers and equipment have approached and are approaching our borders," says Poroshenko. "There is no guarantee that after the end of these maneuvers all this will return to Russia." More on the wariness in the region, which has been building for weeks:

Russia has said 5,500 Russian and 7,200 Belarusian troops will participate in the maneuvers, along with aircraft, tanks, and navy ships. But the AP reports officials in other countries think that number is BS. Estonian Defense Minister Juri Luik in July predicted as many as 100,000 troops would be present; Poland's Deputy Defense Minister Michal Dworczyk also expressed skepticism about the count.

The BBC boils Poroshenko's fears down to these comments: That the maneuvers might be "a smokescreen to create new Russian army assault groups to invade Ukrainian territory. ... There is more and more proof of its preparations for an offensive war on a continental scale."

In August, the former president of Georgia speculated that Belarus could be a target, per an earlier Newsweek article. His key line: "What we are seeing in Belarus, I think that Russia is planning to take and annex Belarus."

Russia has promised its drill isn't a cover for any such nefarious plot, but the Financial Times notes there's precedent at play: Russias 2008 invasion of Georgia came as its war games ended in the Caucasus, and in 2014, troops deployed as part of a "snap exercise" kicked off the annexation of Crimea. But the FT thinks Russia is at most trying to intimidate its neighbors. "Putin might, in theory, benefit from a 'small, victorious war' six months before he must face elections. In practice, a conflict in north-east Europe is unlikely to be small, or containable, and would carry extraordinary risk."

(Read more Russia stories.)
The Social Security numbers and birth dates of up to 143 million US consumers were stolen from Equifax in what appears to be one of the largest data breaches in history, Bloomberg reports. According to the Los Angeles Times, Equifax, one of the three major credit reporting firms in the US, discovered the breach July 29 and announced it Thursday. In addition to birth dates and Social Security numbers, hackers had access to names, addresses, and driver's license numbers. Hackers also potentially got their hands on credit card numbers belonging to 209,000 US consumers and dispute documents tied to another 182,000 people. In all, the breach may have affected 44% of all US residents, CNBC reports.

Equifax says the data breach happened between May and July. "Criminals exploited a US website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files," the company said in a statement. Equifax says it's alerting affected customers by email and has also set up a website where people can see if their data was potentially stolen. An internal investigation is ongoing. "This is clearly a disappointing event for our company," says Equifax CEO Richard Smith, adding he apologizes for "the concern and frustration this causes." (Read more Equifax stories.)
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New Delhi:

Temporary workers of Tata Motors, Jamshedpur plant, are on agitation for the consecutive day on Thursday to force in their demands for payments of wage according to revised wages.

The agitation has impacted the production of commercial vehicles.

Temporary workers on agitation have claimed that the production from Tata Motors Jamshedpur unit produces around 300 commercial vehicle per day in three shifts. The production has been impacted.

The workers on agitation are staging a sit-in at the main entrance gate of the plant since Tuesday afternoon.

The temporary workers are demanding payment of wages in accordance with the new three-year wage agreement signed with the permanent workers union last month.

The issue between the management and temporary workers over the payment of revised wages has not been resolved. Due to the agitation the productions have been affected, said a temporary worker not willing to named said.

Tata Motors spokesperson in a statement said, It is important to note that the production continues and the company will take necessary remedial measures to make up for any potential delays.

The statement added, These are internal matters between the workmen and the company and will be resolved as the company is in constant dialogue with the agitating workers.

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New Delhi:

Kolkatas Jadavpur University has retained its top position among Indias state funded universities in Times Higher Education ranking for 2017-18.

Though other universities slipped in their rankings, Jadavpur University continued to perform well on the Times index.

"This ranking reconfirms the National Institute Ranking Framework (NIRF), which had awarded the first rank to JU among all state universities in India.Wednesday's ranking only reconfirmed the point," TOI quoted JU vice-chancellor Suranjan Das as saying.

"We have been able to attain this rank despite very paltry financial assistance from UGC and central government, while all the three other institutes above JU are all centrally-funded institutes and receive considerably higher funding from the UGC," he said.

Also Read | Karnataka government to provide free education to all girls till graduation

However, the rankings have been disappointing on the world level and no Indian varsity could manage to feature in top hundred. Not even in top 200.

Bangalores IISc university ranked between 251 and 300 and IIT Bombay 351 and 400. Other IITs such as Delhi, Kanpur, Kharagpur, and Roorkee were ranked between 501 and 600.
New Delhi:

Gangster Abu Salem has been sentenced to life imprisonment by the TADA court in connection with 1993 Mumbai blast case. Over 250 people were killed in the incident. The special court awarded life sentence to Karimullah Khan and 10 years imprisonment to Riyaz Siddiqui.

Apart from this incident, gangster Abu Salem was also in headlines for his love affair with Monica Bedi. It is believed that Abu had married Monica in Los Angeles in November, 2000.

Herere 8 facts about Abu Salem-Monica Bedi relationship:

In 1998, Monica Bedi came in contact with Abu Salem over the phone for the first time. Salem fall in love with Monica and wanted to marry her and take her with him to United States. But, before that he wanted her to reach on top list of Bollywood actress. Reportedly, Abu used his influence over producers and pressurized them to give Monica a role in films like Jaanam Samjha Karo and Jodi No 1. Monica and Abu were serious about each other and wanted to start new life together. But in an interview, she admits that Abu tried really hard to change but his past was something which he couldnt erase Monica lied to her family about her relationship with Abu. She said that her boyfriend was from America and his name is Sanjay and he was a show organiser. Monica was also a contestant in the second season of Bigg Boss but for a short period of time. Later, Abu Salem married a Mumbra-based woman, to which Monica said, "I'm happy for him and I wish him all the best in life. I still respect our relationship, but he's moved on and so have I. Their relationship came to an end on July 4, 2007 after she served the sentence with Salem in many countries.

For all the Latest Entertainment News, Bollywood News, Download News Nation Android and iOS Mobile Apps.
Mumbai:

A Special TADA court on Thursday awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case but gangster Abu Salem escaped the noose and handed down life imprisonment due to a provision in the Extradition Act.

Besides Salem, the court sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment, while awarding 10 years in jail to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

The court also imposed a fine on the five accused totaling Rs 27.09 lakh. Firoz Khan was fined Rs 4.75 lakh, Karimullah Khan Rs 8.88 lakh, Tahir Merchant Rs 4.85 lakh, Abu Salem Rs 8.51 lakh and Riyaz Siddiqui Rs 10,000.

The court had in June convicted six persons, including a prime accused Mustafa Dossa and Salem, 24 years after the blasts left 257 people dead.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum for want of evidence.

Salem, a notorious gangster considered close to fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, escaped death sentence at the Extradition Act bars India from seeking capital punishment for an accused extradited from a country where the practice is not in force.

Before Salems extradition in 2004 following his arrest in 2002 in Portugal, India had assured Lisbon that he would not be awarded capital punishment if convicted in the case.

This was the second set of trial in the case.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder.

The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial).

Also Read | 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Abu Salem may not spend entire life in jail

Salem, who was close to absconding accused Dawood Ibrahims brother Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court had said.

This was vital towards the achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India, the court had said.

The trial of Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested after the first set of the trial had already started.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.

The court had held that Tahir Merchant was amongst the main conspirators.

The evidence proves the anguish, agitation, and frustration expressed by Tahir due to the situation prevailing in Bombay during the period of riots in January 1993, it had noted.

He worked with (absconding conspirator) Tiger Memon, participated in several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co-accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy, the court said in its ruling on June 16.

The court had rejected Firozs defence that he was not Firoz Khan but Hamza.

The prosecution proved that he was a prominent and trusted member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the landings of weapons affected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district, the court had held.

Firoz was present for negotiations with customs officers for a smooth landing of arms and ammunition. He, with vengeful perseverance in his sinew with a view to carry the blueprint of the plan into reality spearheaded the pre-landing arrangements, said the verdict of June 16.

The prosecution proved that he was one of the main conspirators, the court had held.

On victims compensation, the court said that 257 died and 718 suffered grievous injuries and some of the victims have become disabled.

The victims in the Bombay blasts case, deceased and injured/disabled are entitled to get compensation as per the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the victim compensation scheme of the Government of Maharashtra, observed judge G A Sanap.

The court said as per its record the prosecution has submitted a list of 232 persons who died and 638 who were injured and disabled in the blasts.

In view of the finding on the point of entitlement of the victims of the blast for compensation this court is satisfied that the compensation which could be paid out of the fine amount would be very meagre and inadequate for the rehabilitation of the victims, the court said.

The court also recommended District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to decide and award compensation to the victims. It said CBI shall extend all possible assistance to DLSA.

The court held that CBI must pursue the matter in proper perspective before the DLSA, adding the agency shall make all the record available to the legal authority as and when required.

The court said there are still 33 absconding accused and CBI shall take necessary steps to expedite proceedings initiated for the sale of attached property in public auction.

Court also said that CBI shall initiate further proceedings for attachment of the properties of the absconding accused in Mumbai or any part of India.

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Mumbai:

Twenty-four years after 12 coordinated blasts rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, claiming 257 lives and injuring over 700, a special TADA court here on Friday convicted six persons and acquitted one accused in the second leg of the trial in the case.

Following is the chronology of events in the case in which the main trial ended in 2007. The trial of seven accused in the case was separated, out of which six were held guilty on Friday.



* March 12, 1993: A series of 12 explosions rock Mumbai resulting in 257 fatalities and injuries to 713 others.



* April 19, 1993: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt (accused number 117) arrested.



* November 4, 1993: Over 10,000 page-long primary charge sheet filed against 189 accused, including Dutt.



* November 19, 1993: Case handed over to CBI.



* April 10, 1995: 26 accused discharged by the TADA court. Charges framed against the remaining accused.

Supreme Court discharges two more accused, travel agent Abu Asim Azmi (Samajwadi Party leader) and Amjed Meher Baux.

Read more: 1993 bomb blasts: Special TADA court convicts Abu Salem and 5 others

* April 19, 1995: First leg of trial commences.

* June 30, 1995: Two accused, Mohammed Jameel and Usman Jhankanan, turn approvers in the case.



* October 14, 1995: Dutt granted bail by SC.



* October 2000: Examination of 684 prosecution witnesses (in first leg of trial) ends.



* March 9-July 18, 2001: Accused record their statements.



*August 9, 2001 to August 22, 2002: Prosecution and defence arguments take place.



*September 18, 2002: Abu Salem detained in Lisbon, Portugal.



*March 20, 2003: Accused Mustafa Dossa arrested by CBI at IGI Airport, New Delhi on his arrival from Dubai.



* September 2003: Main trial ends. TADA court in Mumbai reserves judgement.



*January 9, 2004: Charges framed against Dossa.



*November 11, 2005: Salem extradited to India.



* December 9, 2005: Charges framed against Salem.



* June 13, 2006: Abu Salem's trial separated.



* August 10, 2006: Judge P D Kode says judgement will be pronounced on September 12.



* September 12, 2006: Court starts delivering the judgement, pronounces four members of the Memon family guilty, and acquits three. Later, 12 convicts were awarded death penalty while 20 were given life sentence. Other convicts were handed over different sentences.



*February 2007: Main trial concludes. Second leg involving seven accused begins.



*July 25, 2010: Salem attacked by Dossa inside Arthur Road jail.



* November 1, 2011: Supreme Court begins hearing on appeals filed by 100 convicts as well as the state in the case.

Read more: Sanjay Dutt gave me a bag containing 2 rifles, bullets: Abu Salem



* August 29, 2012: Supreme Court reserves its order on the appeals.



* March 16, 2013 : Sanjay Dutt surrenders before court after SC upholds conviction.



* March 21, 2013: Supreme Court upholds death sentence of convict Yakub Memon, brother of Tiger Memon, and commutes death sentence of 10 convicts to life term. Life imprisonment of 16 out of 18 convicts also upheld.



*June 28, 2013: Salem shot at in Taloja Central jail in Navi Mumbai allegedly by gangster Devendra Jagtap alias JD, an accused in the murder case of advocate Shahid Azmi, who had represented a 26/11 Mumbai attack accused.



*August 13, 2013: TADA court drops certain charges against Salem.



*February 25, 2015: Salem sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with murder of city based builder Pradeep Jain.



*July 30, 2015: Key conspirator and lone death row convict in the case, Yakub Memon hanged.



*December 7, 2015: The court ends recording of the statement of the (seven) accused and starts hearing final arguments in the case.



*February 25, 2016: Dutt released from Yerwada jail.



*June 8, 2016: Court rejects plea of accused Firoz Abdul Rashid in which he said that he wants to become an approver.



*March 2017: Trial concludes and case reserved for judgement.



*June 16, 2017: TADA court in Mumbai convicts six accused including Dossa and Salem in second leg of trial in the blasts case; acquits one.

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New Delhi:

Complaints have been lodged on Thursday against hair stylist Jawed Habib accusing him of insulting and demeaning Hindu Gods in a newspaper advertisement for his salon.

Total of two complaints have been filed against the hair stylist.

One of the complaints was lodged by one K Karuna Sagar, a practising advocate, filed a complaint with the Saidabad police stating that while browsing through social media sites he came across a photo of an advertisment issued by Jawed Habib in a newspaper allegedly depicting the HIndu Gods and Goddesses in derogatory and insulting way.

According to the complaint the ad, which carried the caption aGods too visit JH Saloona insulted his religious sentiments.

A police official of Saidabad Police Station said, aWe are verifying. NO case has been registered so far.a

The second complaint against Habib was lodged by University of Hyderabad student with Gachibowli Police. The student too had accused the hair stylist of hurting religious sentiments.

We should boycott #JavedHabib We made him what he is & as a natural trait showing his color by insulting us.Will make one for Prophet? pic.twitter.com/HEOXoQ1KVv a Anup Sharma (@anup_sri1) September 5, 2017

A police official from Gachibowli Police station said that they have made a General Diary entry and were seeking legal opinion.

Habib offered an apology through a video message posted on his Twitter handle.

In the video he said that one of his partners released the advertisement without permission in Kolkata.

aOur system is through franchise and sentiments have been hurt. I have been working for 25 years. My only religion is scissora I apologise,a said the Habib.

A letter was also posted on the social media handle in name of Jawed Habib Hair and Beauty limited which read, aWe never ever intended to hurt the sentiments of any community. It was done without our knowledge of the company by some local people in West Bengal. We undertake to remove all such advertisement material from the media."

The letter further added, "If our ad campaign had inadvertently hurt anyone's sentiments we apologise for that to the public at large.a

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Nine soldiers of the Indian Army who participated in surgical strikes at terror launch pads across in the Line of Control (LoC) were decorated with gallantry medals on Thursday at Northern Command headquarters in Jammu and Kashmirs Udhampur.

Along with nine soldiers, 99 more Army personnel were decorated with gallantry medals.

The citation read out during the award presentation ceremony said, Naib Subedar Vipin Chandra, Havaldars Rankesh Chandra, Shuru Chaken and Dalip Kumar, Naik Yogesh Kumar and Paratrooper Iqbal Singh were instrumental in destroying the launching pads on September 16 last year.

The citation further said that Paratrooper Om Prakash facilitated strike team by engaging the guards to destroy the launch pads.

During the ceremony it was also announced that two soldiers  Paratrooper Devash Kumar and Havaldar K Ati  were not only instrumental in destroying the of launch pads but also killed one militant each.

Also Read| Will breach LoC and strike whenever needed: Indian Army



One Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, two Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 76 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 10 Sena Medals(Distinguished Service) and 17 Vishisht Seva Medals were given away at an investiture ceremony were presented by Northern Army commander Lt Gen D Anbu.

Also Read| People of India should be ready for two-front war with China and Pakistan: Army Chief Bipin Rawat



Four Jammu and Kashmir police personnel were honoured during the ceremony for their acts of gallantry and devotion.

The Army Commander awarded 14 civilians with Certificate of Appreciation and cash awards for their yeoman service.

(With PTI inputs)

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New Delhi:

Bihar congress president Ashok Choudhary on Thursday alleged that a few senior party leaders are orchestrating allegations against him. He said he is clueless that why the party high command did not invite him for the meeting of Bihar Congress MLAs with Rahul Gandhi which took place on Wednesday evening.

Choudhary said that he is upset with the partys move. He alleged that a few senior party leaders in Delhi are lobbying for change of guard in the state.

It is said that the party high command is not pleased with Choudhary who reportedly tried to create defection and Rahul Gandhi has hinted that party may change leadership in the state during the meeting with Bihar MLAs. It is also believed that party MLAs suggested Rahul Gandhi to part ways with RJD. Sources say MLAs have told Congress vice-president that party may face loss if they continue alliance with RJD.

On Wednesday, Bihar Congress MLAs had met Congress party vice-president Rahul Gandhi in the national capital.

Congress MLA Amit Kumar rejected reports of split in party, saying they discussed only future course of action with the party vice-president.

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New Delhi:

The Border Security Force (BSF) apprehended three Pakistani fishermen and have seized 18 boats from Harami Nala creek area along the Indo-Pak border in Gujarat's Kutch district on Thursday.

BSF officials said that their patrolling unit fired two rounds in self defence and to prevent other fishermen from escaping.

The official added that many Pakistani fishermen managed to flee.

In an official statement by BSFs Gujarat Frontier said, With this Thursdays operation, a total of five Pakistani nationals have been arrested in the last two days and 21 boats have been seized in the area."

The statement further added that after Wednesdays arrest and seizure in the Harami Nala creek BSF continued search operation in the apprehension of three Pak nationals and seizure of boats.

Also Read: J-K: Intruder killed as BSF foils infiltration bid in Arnia sector



The apprehended have been identified as Yusuf Ali, 19, Shehajad Mohammad, 20, and Imam Ali, 20. The three are residents of Pakistans Sindh province.

Also Read: J&K: Pakistan violates ceasefire in Poonch district; one BSF soldier martyred



The Harami Nala is 22 km long and 1.5 km wide a sluggish and shallow water channel within the territorial border of India. It is easily accessible from Pakistan side through a canal which wis two kilometers long and 30 meters wide. While it is difficult to access from the Indian side as it is marshy.

(With PTI inputs)





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New Delhi:

Maharashtra chief minister Devendra Fadnavis sought an explanation from his colleague and social justice minister Raj Kumar Badole after the latters daughters name featured in the scholarship list for foreign education which is sponsored by the state government.

A controversy erupted after Badoles daughters name and sons of two senior bureaucrats featured in the list of 35 candidates. The state government sponsors these scholarship to the students of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribe.

The social justice ministers daughter Shruti Badole, who is graduated from IIT Madras, said that she would not accept the state government scholarship. She defnded her decision to apply for the scholarship, saying that the University Of Manchester does not provide scholarship so she had applied for it.

It is my fault that I happened to be the ministers daughter, she said.

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New Delhi:

The day of March 12, 1993, was indeed a black Friday for Mumbai when 12 coordinated blast shock the metropolitan city resulting in the death of 257 innocent people and injuring over 700.

The blast took place at the following places Bombay stock exchange, Fisherman's Colony in Mahim causeway, Zaveri Bazaar, Plaza Cinema, Century Bazaar, Katha Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, Terminal at Sahar Airport (now known as CSIA), Air India Building, Hotel Juhu Centaur, Worli, Passport Office, Masjid- Mandvi Corporation Bank Branch.

After 24 years on Thursday a special TADA court sentenced convicts, Abu Salem to life imprisonment, Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan sentenced to death. Karimullah Khan, the mastermind was sentenced to life imprisonment in 1993 Mumbai blast case.

Lets take a look at the timeline of events from the dreadful day of the blast to the sentencing of the accused.

*March 12, 1993: A series of 12 explosions rock Mumbai resulting in 257 fatalities and injuries to 713 others.

* April 19, 1993: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt (accused number 117) arrested.

* November 4, 1993: Over 10,000 page-long primary charge sheet filed against 189 accused, including Dutt.

* November 19, 1993: Case handed over to CBI.

* April 10, 1995: 26 accused discharged by the TADA court. Charges framed against the remaining accused.

Supreme Court discharges two more accused, travel agent Abu Asim Azmi (Samajwadi Party leader) and Amjed Meher Baux.

* April 19, 1995: First leg of trial commences.

* June 30, 1995: Two accused, Mohammed Jameel and Usman Jhankanan, turn approvers in the case.

* October 14, 1995: Dutt granted bail by SC.

* October 2000: Examination of 684 prosecution witnesses (in first leg of trial) ends.

* March 9-July 18, 2001: Accused record their statements.

*August 9, 2001 to August 22, 2002: Prosecution and defence arguments take place.

*September 18, 2002: Abu Salem detained in Lisbon, Portugal.

*March 20, 2003: Accused Mustafa Dossa arrested by CBI at IGI Airport, New Delhi on his arrival from Dubai.

* September 2003: Main trial ends. TADA court in Mumbai reserves judgement.

*January 9, 2004: Charges framed against Dossa.

*November 11, 2005: Salem extradited to India.

* December 9, 2005: Charges framed against Salem.

* June 13, 2006: Abu Salem's trial separated.

* August 10, 2006: Judge P D Kode says judgement will be pronounced on September 12.

* September 12, 2006: Court starts delivering the judgement, pronounces four members of the Memon family guilty, and acquits three. Later, 12 convicts were awarded death penalty while 20 were given life sentence. Other convicts were handed over different sentences.

*February 2007: Main trial concludes. Second leg involving seven accused begins.

*July 25, 2010: Salem attacked by Dossa inside Arthur Road jail.

* November 1, 2011: Supreme Court begins hearing on appeals filed by 100 convicts as well as the state in the case.

* August 29, 2012: Supreme Court reserves its order on the appeals.

* March 16, 2013: Sanjay Dutt surrenders before the court after SC upholds the conviction.

* March 21, 2013: Supreme Court upholds death sentence of convict Yakub Memon, brother of Tiger Memon, and commutes death sentence of 10 convicts to life term. Life imprisonment of 16 out of 18 convicts also upheld.

*June 28, 2013: Salem shot at in Taloja Central jail in Navi Mumbai allegedly by gangster Devendra Jagtap alias JD, an accused in the murder case of advocate Shahid Azmi, who had represented a 26/11 Mumbai attack accused.

*August 13, 2013: TADA court drops certain charges against Salem.

*February 25, 2015: Salem sentenced to life imprisonment in connection with the murder of city based builder Pradeep Jain.

*July 30, 2015: Key conspirator and lone death row convict in the case, Yakub Memon hanged.

*December 7, 2015: The court ends recording of the statement of the (seven) accused and starts hearing final arguments in the case.

*February 25, 2016: Dutt released from Yerwada jail.

*June 8, 2016: Court rejects plea of accused Firoz Abdul Rashid in which he said that he wants to become an approver.

*March 2017: Trial concludes and case reserved for judgement.

*June 16, 2017: TADA court in Mumbai convicts six accused including Dossa and Salem in second leg of trial in the blasts case; acquits one.

*June 28, 2017: Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai,shortly after being convicted

On September 7, 2017: TADA court sentences convict Feroz Khan to death, Tahir Merchant to death, Riyaz Siddiqui to 10 years imprisonment, Abu Salem to life imprisonment and Karimullah Sheikh has been given life imprisonment along with Rs 2 lakh fine.

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New Delhi:

The Special Investigating Team (SIT) on Thursday started its probe into the murder of staunch journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.

After the SIT probe, Karnataka government said it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible.

The state government had on Wednesday announced the formation of a 21-member SIT team headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh with DCP (West) M N Anucheth as the Investigating Officer to probe the killing of Gauri that led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.

SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible, state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters in Bengaluru.

Reddy said the Inquiry Officer has been given full freedom to probe the matter and make public information as and when required.

Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, The duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public.

He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV which was fixed at the location where the 55-year-old outspoken journalist was gunned down.

Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe into the murder of Gauri Lankesh, Reddy said, Who said this We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it.

Gauri Lankesh, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of September 5.

Reddy said senior police officials are working on getting some more leads into the killing of progressive Kannada writer and rationalist Dr M M Kalburgi, 77, and that the government is hopeful of cracking this case as well.

The Kalburgi case has come to a certain stage, but we still need to gather evidence. Senior officials are working on it. I am hopeful that the government will solve this case, as well as 99 per cent of such cases across the country, have been solved and this will be no exception either, he said.

Gauris murder comes just days after the second anniversary of the killing of Kalburgi, who fell to bullets fired by two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka on August 30, 2015.

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New Delhi:

A leading human rights organisation has called for prompt investigation into the killing of outspoken Indian journalist Gauri Lankesh, saying the possibility that it is a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully probed. Lankesh, 55, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, was shot dead by unidentified assailants in Bangalore on Tuesday.

The Human Rights Watch said Indian authorities should promptly act on the announced investigation into the killing by unidentified gunmen of Lankesh, an outspoken journalist who campaigned for democracy, secularism, and civil liberties and was a vocal critic of the Hindu nationalism.

The motives for Gauri Lankeshs killing are not yet known, but the possibility of a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly investigated, said Meenakshi Ganguly, South Asia director at Human Rights Watch. Authorities in India need both to bring Lankeshs killers to justice and to protect media freedom and the right to free expression, she added.

Lankesh was the publisher and editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly. Witnesses reported that she was fatally shot outside her home. Police said that the gunmen on motorbikes fired seven bullets at Lankesh as she was walking into her home from the front gate after returning from work. The gunmen escaped.

Indian artists and writers have previously launched powerful campaigns to protest assaults on free expression, including by returning their national awards, leading to a country-wide conversation on intolerance, Ganguly said. People have the right to pursue their own brand of faith and patriotism, but the government should ensure that these are not forced upon others through threats and violence, she added.

Karnatakas state government has announced that a Special Investigative Team headed by an inspector general of police would investigate the killing. It added that the police have secured footage from closed circuit television installed in Lankeshs home. The state government should ensure that the investigation is carried out in an impartial, time-bound manner, Human Rights Watch said.

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New Delhi:

The Karnataka police on Thursday detained several BJP workers and party leaders who were staging protest against the alleged killing of Hindu activists in the coastal region of the state.

The Yuva Morcha of the saffron party organised "Mangaluru chalo" rally in their protest.

Senior party leader and former CM B S Yeddyurappa, former BJP President Prahlad Joshi, former deputy chief minister R Ashoka and KS Eshwarappa, Lok Sabha member Pratap Simha and Nalin Kumar Kateel, and former minister Katta Subrahmanya Naidu were detained by the police.

The locals witnessed heavy traffic jam between Ambedkar Circle and Deputy Commissioner's Office due to agitation. The office goers faced hard time in the morning.

The police denied permission to BJP leaders who wanted to take out bike rally and procession. The denial led to arguments between the police and and BJP leaders. As many as 2,500 party workers were gathered at Ambedkar circle.

Also Read: BJP protests against Mamata govt in Kolkata; police lathicharge to disperse protesters

The police took party leaders in custody when they started moving towards DC office from Ambedkar Circle in the afternoon. The police also deflated tyres of the buses carrying party leaders and workers to the venue.

Also Read: Tipu Jayanti celebrated in Karnataka amidst state wide protests by BJP

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New Delhi:

A Mumbai court on Thursday sentenced Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in 1993 Mumbai blast case.

The court had already convicted six persons including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead.

As it happened:

# Abu Salem files application in Mumbai's special TADA Court seeking jail transfer to Delhi so that he can attend pending proceedings in Delhi

# Convicts have been given sentences for different offences, all punishments will run concurrently

# Convicts will get set-off for the time they have served in jail: Ujjwal, Public Prosecutor on 1993 Mumbai Blasts case sentence

# TADA court sentences convict Feroz Khan to death

# Riyaz Siddiqui sentenced to 10 years

# TADA court sentences convict Tahir Merchant to death

# Court sentences Abu Salem to life imprisonment

# Karimullah found guilty of supplying weapons

# Karimullah Sheikh has been given life imprisonment along with Rs 2 lakh fine

# Abu Salem and 4 other convicts reach court for quantum of sentence hearing in 1993 blast case

The court, however, had let off one accused  Abdul Quayyum  for want of evidence.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder. In the first leg of the trial that concluded in 2007, the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted.

Following is the detailed role of the six convicts in the case, whose trial was separated from the main one, which concluded in 2007:

Abu Salem: He went to Baruch in Gujarat in January 1993 along with an absconding accused for receiving arms, explosives and ammunitions. He got nine AK-56 rifles, 100 hand grenades and some bullets from Baruch in Gujarat and transported them to Mumbai by concealing them in fake cavities of a Maruti Van which was allegedly given to him by accused Riyaz Siddiqui.

Salem also delivered (along with two others) some arms and ammunitions to Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt at his residence on January 16, 1993 and took back some of them two days later.

On August 13, 2013, TADA court let CBI drop some charges against Salem as per an extradition treaty between India and Portugal. His another application to marry a 26-year-old woman is pending with the court.

Mustafa Dossa: One of the masterminds of the March 12, 1993 serial terror blasts, he smuggled firearms, ammunitions, detonators, hand grenades and highly explosive substances like RDX into India.

Dossa along with Tiger Memon and Chhota Shakeel organized training camps in Pakistan and in India to impart and undergo weapon and arms training and handling of explosives. They also sent men from India to Pakistan via Dubai for arms training. He also attended many conspiracy meetings.

Tahir Merchant alias Taher Taklya: He attended conspiracy meetings in Dubai and motivated his associates to arrange men from Mumbai to be sent to Pakistan for arms training. He collected funds to procure arms and planned to set up an illegal arms manufacturing factory in India.

Riyaz Siddiqui: He arranged for a van with specially-crafted secret cavities, which had been used for transporting 9 AK-56 rifles, 100 hand grenades and some boxes of magazines from the godown at Baruch to Mumbai.

Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan: On January 8, 1993, two months ahead of the blasts, Mohammed Dossa (absconding brother of Mustafa Dossa) sent Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and another accused to Alibagh and Mhasla to inform Customs officials and landing agents about the landing (of arms and explosives) that was to take place the next day. He also attended conspiracy meetings.

During the fag end of the trial, in May last year, he sought to become an approver. However, the court rejected his plea after the CBI told the court that it has enough evidence against all the accused and they dont need any approval.

Karimulla Khan: Karimullah attended conspiracy meetings. He also played an active role in the landing of consignments comprising arms, ammunitions, detonators, hand grenades and RDX that took place in Shekhandi in Raigad Maharashtra ahead of the blasts. According to the prosecution, Karimulla had informed another accused that he was going to Pakistan for arms training via Dubai.

One accused Abdul Qayyum, was let off for want of evidence against him.





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New Delhi:

One civilian died while fourteen others were critically injured in a grenade attack by terrorists in Jehangir Chowk area of Srinagar, Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday.

One of the attackers was also injured in the attack as the grenade he threw exploded near to him, said SSP Srinagar.

aSome miscreant tried to throw a grenade on the deployment but reportedly it exploded close to him and he (miscreant) is injured,a SSP Srinagar told ANI.

Some miscreant tried to throw a grenade on the deployment but reportedly it exploded close to him and he (miscreant) is injured:SSP Srinagar pic.twitter.com/niQE6m94n2 a ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

All the persons injured in Jehangir Chowk grenade attack brought to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for treatment.

Jammu and Kashmir: Persons injured in Jehangir Chowk grenade attack brought to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for treatment. pic.twitter.com/6hwMOljiYl a ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

Earlier on Wednesday, some miscreants hurled a grenade on a Police station in Shopian. However, no casualties were reported as the grenade didnat explode.

The Jammu and Kashmir police have lodged an FIR in this regard and investigation is underway.

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New Delhi:

Indian media fraternity was yet to come over from the shock of the gruesome murder of a senior journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on Thursday late evening, unknown assailants now have targeted a scribe in Bihar.

According to intial reports, motorbike-borne criminals opened fire at a journalist in Bihars Arwal district on Thursday evening.

The journalist has been identified as Pankaj Mishra. He is associated with a Hindi daily Rashtriya Sahara.

Police have arrested one of the accused, who opened fire at Mishra.

Superintendent of Police (SP) Arwal Dilip Kumar said, It is a case of personal enmity.

Also Read: Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh shot dead in Bengaluru



The SP added that Pankaj Mishra was shot by two people from his village.

He was was leaving bank with Rs 1 lakh cash which was robbed by him, said a police official.

Also Read: Human Rights watch demands prompt probe in journalist Gauri Lankeshs murder



Mishra has been rushed to a local hospital for medical attention where doctors have state his condition to be critical.

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News:

Two youths have been arrested for allegedly gang raping and murdering a 22-year-old techie from Nagpur at Maharashtra Ambernath, claimed Mumbai Police on Thursday.

Police said, the accused had packed the IT engineers body is a suitcase and dumped it at a drainline in Karnatakas Belagaum.

The accused identified as Nikkhilesh Patil,24, and Akshay Valode, 25, surrendered before Ratnagiri police and confessed to the crime.

Later the police arrested the duo under relevant Indian Penal Code (IPC) sections.

According to the police, the one of the accused Akshay, and the victim knew each other and had planned to meet at Pune and travel to Mumbai last Sunday. According to the plans the accused accompanied by Nilesh met her and decided to go to Akshays resident in Ambernath.

Also Read: SC allows 13-year-old Mumbai rape victim to abort 32-week



A police officer investigating the case said, The duo gang raped the victim at Ambernath. The duo strangulated her and stuffed her body into a suitcase.

Police further added that they were accompanied by another friend Nilesh Khobragade who had left the place at the time of murder and gang rape.

On their return trip they informed Khobragade that they are going to Goa for a trip. On way the duo dumped the suitcase at a secluded place. Raising suspicion Khobragade enquired about the girl. The two on being repeatedly asked about the girl confessed their crime to him.

Also Read: Uttar Pradesh girl accuses father of raping her after school session on good touch, bad touch



Police have retrieved the body and handed it over to the family after post mortem.

The victims father is a police officer with Mumbai Police and is posted at Nagpur.

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New Delhi:

NASAs Cassini spacecraft is inching closer to embrace death. On September 15, the USD 3.26 billion spacecraft will finally be destroyed as it will crash into Saturns atmosphere making an end to its 13 years of journey in the orbit around the ringed-planet. Cassini has made a number of revelations about Saturn and its moon.

Why is NASA killing its baby?

NASA has decided to safely dispose off Cassini in Saturns atmosphere fearing it could someday collide with one of the moons Enceladus and Titan and may possibly contaminate future studies of habitability and potential life on these celestial bodies. Both Enceladus and Titan were reported to be home to habitable or atleast "prebiotic  environments.

What all NASA Cassini probe will do during its last seven days of journey:

September 9, Saturday: Cassini spacecraft will make last 22 flybys between Saturn and its rings when it will be just above 1680 kilometres the cloud tops of the planet.

Sept 11, Monday: Cassini will pass by the largest moon of Saturn, Titan, for the last time. The gravitational influence of Titan will slightly slow down the spacecraft as it speeds fast even as the probe will be 119,049 kilometres away. A few days later, Cassini will dive in too deep to survive the friction and heating instead of passing through the outermost fringes of Saturns atmosphere.

Sept 14, Thursday: Cassini, which has been sending back pictures, will take last images of moons Titan and Enceladus. It will also capture the hexagon-shaped jet stream around the planet's north pole, and features in the rings.

5:45 pm EDT: Cassinis antenna will turn towards the Earth. The spacecraft will then beam back final images and data.

Sept 15, Friday; 4:37 am EDT: The final plunge will start and during this phase, Cassini will begin sending real time data. It will roll itself for optimal sampling of the atmosphere.

7:53 a.m. EDT: The spacecraft will step into the atmosphere of Saturn. After making an entry, the thrusters would be firing at 10% capability to maintain directional stability. Till this time, it will be sending the data.

7:54 am EDT: Cassinis thrusters will be at their full capacity and the communication link to Earth will break and at this moment the spacecraft will say goodbye to Earth.

Launched in 1997, Cassini took seven years to reach Saturn. "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 Grand Finale represents the culmination of a seven-year plan to use the spacecrafts remaining resources in the most scientifically productive way possible. By safely disposing of 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."

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New Delhi:

A woman presumed to be dead by relatives spent at least an hour at a mortuary after her relatives presumed her to be dead in Keralas Idduki.

One Rathnam, a 40-year-old woman, from Keralas Idukki district was shifted to a mortuary and kept in a freezer for nearly an hour by relatives believing her to be dead.

She was rescued only after an hour after family members returned to collect her body for last rites. Then they realised Rathnam was breathing and making movements.

According to a report by The News Minute, Rathnam was undergoing medical treatment at a hospital for severe jaundice. Where, doctors had asked her family to take her home as there was no point keeping her in hospital as her internal body parts had stopped functioning.

On way home relatives thought Ratnam died as they did not find any movement and decided to shift her to a mortuary.

The Kerala Police was informed about the incident, who later shifted the 40-year-old woman to a private hospital in Kattappana.

According to police Rathnam was shifted to the mortuary without any confirmation of death by a doctor.

According to hospital doctors the woman would hardly survive for a few more hours or days as her internal organs have stopped functioning.

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Beirut:

An Israeli air raid on a military position has killed two soldiers in western Syria, according to the Syrian army. The air raid also triggered material damage.

The attacked which took place early on Thursday, hit a facility near the western town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast. The Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while in Lebanese air space.

It warned of the "dangerous repercussions of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region".

While most of the countries trying to maintain distance from Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Lebanon'shezabollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces.

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New Delhi:

The Syrian army said Israel targeted a military site in Hama province early on Thursday which a war monitor said could be linked to chemical weapons production. Two soldiers were killed in the air raid which also caused heavy material damage. The army said in a statement that the attack hit a facility near the western town of Masyaf, close to the Mediterranean coast.

They further said that the Israeli warplanes fired several missiles while in Lebanese air space.It warned of the "dangerous repercussion of such hostile acts on the security and stability of the region.

"While largely staying out of the Syrian civil war, Israel has carried out a number of airstrikes against suspected arms shipments believed to be headed to Lebanon's Hezbollah militant group, which is fighting alongside President Bashar Assad's forces.

Israel has always warned it would not allow the transfer of sophisticated weaponry to Hezbollah and has accused the groups sponsor Iran of building sites to produce precision-guided missiles in both Syria and Lebanon.

Syria`s government claims it no longer possesses chemical weapons after a 2013 agreement under which it pledged to surrender its chemical arsenal.

However, in 2016, a UN-led investigative body said the Syrian government was behind at leat three chemical attacks in northern Syria in the previous two years.

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Yangon:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon Pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the on last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country. He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"A moment with timelessness. PM @narendramodi visits 2,500-years-old Shwedagon Pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage," External affairs ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics. Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

From a humble beginning of 8.2 meters, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters. Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72-carat diamond.

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New Delhi:

Shunning its popular stand of being in denial of existence of terrorist organisations in the country, Pakistan has admitted that Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed were operating from its territory. The admission has come for the first time in the history.

As per reports in Times of India, Pakistans Foreign Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif admitted existence of Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Muhammed on its soil and called for tougher actions against these groups.

"We should impose restrictions on activities of elements like LeT and JeM so that we can show the global community that we've put our house in order," Asif told.

Asif also asserted that Pakistan could no longer afford to test its friends on the issue of terrorism.

"Friends like China should not be tested every time, particularly in the changed (global) scenario," Asif said.

Army chief Qamar Javed Bajwa also defended Pakistans role in the fight against terrorism, saying we have done our part, as the country faced criticism for not doing enough to combat the menace.

Bajwa was addressing a Defence Day ceremony at General Headquarters. His comments days after US President Donald Trump criticised Pakistan for providing safe havens to terrorists.

BRICS nations too expressed concern over threat posed by terror groups, including those based in Pakistan.

Bajwa said that Pakistan made countless sacrifices in the war against terrorism but still we are told that we have not done enough.

We have done our part and now the world must do more instead of telling us to do more, he said.

He highlighted Pakistan success against terrorism by launching successive successful military offensive.

With PTI inputs

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New Delhi:

At least 9 people died as powerful Hurricane Irma ripped through the Caribbean turning the tropical island into a mountain of debris.

The officials said the Hurricane was as devastating as it almost destroyed island of Saint Martin and left Barbuda barely habitable.

A highest possible category five Hurricane Irma is currently in north-east of the Dominican Republic and moving towards Turks and Caicos.

With a wind speed of 285km/h (180mph), Irma is the most powerful storm in a decade.

Irma first struck the dual-island nation of Antigua and Barbuda and the Prime Minister Gaston Browne said 95% of the buildings had some damage.

Also Read | How dangerous is Hurricane Irma? All you need to know

"It's absolute devastation, Prime Minister Gaston Browne told BBC.

"The island is literally under water. In fact, I'm of the view that, as it stands now, Barbuda is barely habitable," he said.

Its an enormous catastrophe. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed, top local official Daniel Gibbs said in a radio interview.

Im in shock. Its frightening.

Guadeloupe prefect Eric Maire called the situation in St Martin dramatic, saying the islandwhich is divided between the Netherlands and Francewas without drinking water or electricity, and warning the death toll was almost certain to rise.

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New Delhi:

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that the issue of Rohingya Muslims is the biggest challenge that is in front of them.

Suu Kyi said that it is little unreasonable to think that the issue will be solved in 18 months as the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades, goes back to pre-colonial times.

On the issue of taking refugees into India, Suu Kyi said that it is up to them to decide how to differentiate terrorists from innocents. She added that people in India would be well-versed with this.

"Our duty is to take care of our citizens and will try our best in this regard. Our resources are not complete and adequate as we would like them to be. We want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law," said Suu Kyi.

Earlier on Wednesday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday met Aung San Suu Kyi and the two leaders discussed ways to further cement the bilateral relations.

The Indian government is also concerned about Rohingya immigrants in the country and has been considering deporting them. Around 40,000 Rohingyas are said to be staying illegally in India.

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New York:

US banking regulators ordered Pakistan's Habib Bank to shutter its New York office after nearly 40 years, for repeatedly failing to heed concerns over possible terrorist financing and money laundering, officials said on Thursday.

Habib, Pakistan's largest private bank, neglected to watch for compliance problems and red flags on transactions that potentially could have promoted terrorism, money laundering or other illicit ends, New York banking officials said.

The state's Department of Financial Services, which regulates foreign banks, also slapped a $225 million fine on the bank, although that is much smaller than the $629.6million penalty initially proposed.

Habib has operated in the United States since 1978, and in 2006 was ordered to tighten its oversight of potentially illegal transactions but failed to comply.

New York regulators said Habib facilitated billions of dollars of transactions with Saudi private bank, Al Rajhi Bank, which reportedly has links to al Qaeda, and failed to do enough to ensure that the funds were not laundered or used for terrorism.

Read more: Israel hit Syria target reportedly tied to chemical weapons, 2 killed

"DFS will not tolerate inadequate risk and compliance functions that open the door to the financing of terrorist activities that pose a grave threat to the people of this state and the financial system as a whole", DFS Superintendent Maria Vullo said in a news release.

"The bank has repeatedly been given more than sufficient opportunity to correct its glaring deficiencies, yet it has failed to do so."

Habib permitted at least 13,000 transactions that were not sufficiently screened to ensure they did not involve sanctioned countries, the agency said.

And the bank improperly used a "good guy" list to rubber stamp at least USD 250 million in transactions, including those by an identified terrorist and an international arms dealer, regulators said.

In an August letter to the Pakistan Stock Exchange, Habib company secretary Nausheen Ahmad called the proposed fine of USD 629.6 million "outrageous" and "capricious" and said the bank had decided to close its New York operations "in an orderly manner."

But DFS said Habib will have to surrender its license after it meets the agency's requirements.

"DFS will not stand by and let Habib Bank sneak out of the United States", Vullo said.

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United Nations:

The United States is determined to have a vote at the UN Security Council on Monday on imposing tough new sanctions against North Korea despite resistance from China and Russia, UN diplomats have said.

Washington has presented a draft UN resolution calling for an oil embargo on North Korea, an assets freeze on Kim Jong-Un, a ban on textiles and an end to payments of North Korean guest workers.

UN diplomats did not rule out the possibility that China or Russia could veto the measure but stressed that the US administration had launched a major push to win approval.

"The US intent is so strong on this issue and clearly they are throwing a lot at this", said a Security Council diplomat.

"I would expect the central scenario to be that they throw anything they have to throw at it to have it voted on Monday", he said.

The council diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said he expected negotiations on the draft resolution to lead to some changes that could address Russian and Chinese concerns.

Read more: US shuts down Pakistan's Habib Bank amid money laundering concerns

China's UN Ambassador Liu Jieyi cut short a visit with other council envoys to the African Union headquarters in Addis Ababa to return to New York and take part in negotiations on the draft text.

Russia's Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia this week said a vote on Monday would be "a little premature."

The United States wants tough sanctions to be imposed to maximize pressure on Pyongyang to come to the table and negotiate an end to its nuclear and missile tests.

The proposed raft of sanctions would be the toughest-ever imposed on North Korea and seek to punish Pyongyang for its sixth and largest nuclear test.

Britain on Thursday backed the measures, saying the sanctions resolution was "a proportionate response to North Korea's illegal and reckless behavior."

"To give a chance for diplomacy to end this crisis, we need DPRK to change course now. That means the maximum possible pressure", said British Ambassador Matthew Rycroft.

UN diplomats said that a ministerial-level Security Council meeting on North Korea could be held during the high-level debate of the General Assembly starting on September 19.

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Japan's tourism ministry plans to urge local governments to set ordinances to exempt historic buildings, such as "kominka" traditional folk houses, from the building standards law, to better promote the use of such structures for tourism.

The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will compile guidelines, including know-how for making such ordinances, within this year, hoping to help local governments carry out renovation work for old buildings, officials said.

The Japanese government has set a goal of starting projects to attract more tourists through better use of historic buildings at 200 locations across the country by 2020.

By utilizing old buildings as lodging facilities or restaurants, the ministry aims to create local jobs and increase the number of visitors, according to the officials.

Many historic buildings are made of wood or brick by traditional methods.
The Lefts war on science goes into high gear as Univ. of Illinois BANS co-discoverer of DNA for his non-conformist views

The University of Illinois has recently made the decision to rescind a speaking invitation made to Nobel Laureate James Watson because of controversial comments he has made in the past about race.

Watson is best known for the co-discovery of the double-helix structure in strands of DNA, but even so, Watson pledged to give a narrowly focused scientific talk at the University of Illinois. Gene Robinson of the schools Institute for Genomic Biology told The News-Gazette of Champaign-Urbana that Watson had considered the offer very carefully before accepting.

Robinson said that he had expected there to be objections to Watsons speech, and attempted to make it clear in an emails sent out to students that the invitation was by no means an endorsement of the comments Watson has made in the past.

We tried to consider this very carefully in going forward, and different perspectives on the possibilities of him giving a science-based lecture, Robinson said. With respect to his past, the email that I sent out stated very clearly that we didnt condone any of his past comments, racist comments and sexist comments. And we noted that he had apologized and thought about all those very carefully.

We support Dr. Watson for his discovery and work, and believe that his remorse and subsequent apology to these groups he spoke against are genuine, the email explained, but the IGPs stance is unchanged  we do not condone discrimination of any form, and the respect that we give to each individual in our community is paramount.

But even though the school made it abundantly clear that the invitation was not an endorsement of Watsons past comments, that doesnt change the fact that they were still said in the first place. In a 2007 interview, for example, Watson said that people living in Africa are generally less intelligent than those living in the United States. He has also said that bosses who have black employees find it hard to believe that everyone is equal. There have been other isolated comments made over the years as well, most of which were sexist or extremely controversial in one way or another.

For biological anthropology professor Kate Clancy, these comments arent just words that can be swept under the rug. Professor Clancy launched a series of tweets proposing a protest against Watsons speech, and less than one hour later, the Institute officially announced that the lecture was cancelled.

A recent article published by the Chicago Tribune Editorial Board came to Watsons defense, arguing that Watsons past comments do not detract from his scientific expertise. The Chicago Tribune reminded readers that the speech would have been purely scientific, and would have stayed clear of anything that could have been considered even remotely controversial.

This seems to be a pattern on college campuses across the country. More and more often, schools are denying the right of certain speakers to give presentations, even if the content of the lectures are entirely factual and accurate. To stomp out opposing viewpoints on campus, all students and faculty have to do is claim that the invited speaker is racist, sexist or bigoted in some way, and then nine times out of ten the school will cancel (Related: Read about a high school that has confiscated a year book due to a politically incorrect quote from a student.)

We saw this most recently at UC Berkeley, when students threatened to organize a protest against Ann Coulter after the conservative firebrand had been invited to speak by the schools college republicans group in partnership with Young Americas Foundation. Ben Shapiro and Milo Yiannopoulos have experienced similar pushback from students at CSULA and UC Berkeley, respectively. It is quite literally a war against science, and a battle against the truth.

Sources include:

ZeroHedge.com

CampusReform.org

ChicagoTribune.com

FoxNews.com

Submit a correction >>
Photo credit: Trent Bell (PRNewsfoto /Lockheed Martin)

The County of Los Angeles Fire Department is buying two Sikorsky S-70i Black Hawk helicopter variants for use fighting fires and medical transport, with the financial terms of the contract not disclosed immediately.

Stratford-based Sikorskys S-70i variant will be configured with wider rotor blades to enable it to lift four tons of water, a stronger airframe, a black box flight recorder and a digital glass cockpit flight management system.
DANBURY  The local health network will be participating in a state-wide program aimed at reducing early elective deliveries that arent medically necessary.

The Connecticut Hospital Association has received a $30,000 grant from the March of Dimes Foundation and the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation to support the associations project.

The hospital association will work with the states 25 birthing hospitals, including Danbury and Norwalk hospitals, which are part of the Western Connecticut Health Network. The aim is to identify reasons for early elective deliveries  meaning those before 39 weeks  and to reduce their occurrence.

Among the reasons why women choose to have early deliveries that arent medically necessary are discomfort in the last weeks of pregnancy and the desire to have the baby born on a certain day.

In 2011, elective deliveries occurred in 13.6 percent of births nationwide. That number has decreased over the years to 2.3 percent in 2015, according to The Joint Commission, a nonprofit organization that accredits and certifies about 21,000 health care organizations and programs nationwide.

There were no elective early deliveries at Danbury Hospital during the 2016 fiscal year, which covered Oct. 1, 2015 to Sept. 30, 2016. At Norwalk Hospital, there was one, which equated to 3.1 percent of its births that year.

Individual hospitals have been working for years to reduce these numbers, after the medical community began focusing on the high rates of these deliveries, which can harmful to newborns and their mothers.

Years ago, they used to do 38-week inductions a lot, said Orleen Dawes-Slater, administrative director for maternal child health services for the Western Connecticut Health Network.

Dawes-Slater said these early elective deliveries pose risks to both the baby and mother.

The baby is at risk for respiratory distress, feeding problems and they may have complications related to the brain, liver and other organs that arent fully developed, she said.

Risks to the mother include an increased chance of a caesarean delivery, which carries its own dangers. These include a longer recovery time  weeks rather than days  as well as risks associated with major surgery, including infection.

Labor induction can also cause complications, such as increased risk of infection and postpartum hemorrhage due to prolonged labor, according to CHA.

CHAs project, known as INDEED, which stands for Improving Knowledge to Decrease Early Elective Deliveries, hopes to lower the state rate from 3 percent to 2 percent.

The information gathered through the project will be used to create training materials to prevent these deliveries through staff and patient education, as well as to reduce the variation of care and standardize care across the state.

This project is one of the hospital associations initiatives focused on improving the health and care of mothers and infants across the state.

We are grateful for the support provided by the March of Dimes Foundation and the Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield Foundation as we work to reduce non-medically necessary early term elective deliveries throughout Connecticut, said Jennifer Jackson, CEO of the hospital association. This grant will provide funding for critical education to patients and providers that will help improve safety and quality of care for mothers and infants.
/ Contributed photo

BROOKFIELD  An reenactor will detail a Revolutionary War era battle at an upcoming multimedia presentation through the Brookfield Historical Society.

Speaker Joseph Cerreto will discuss the Battle of Long Island at 7:30 p.m. Sept. 11 at the Brookfield Museum. The fight on Aug. 27, 1776 was the first major battle in the United States after the colonists declared independence on July 4. It was also the largest of the entire war.
As the Islamic State battles to hold what remains of its capital in Syria, the terror group - as it did during the fight for Mosul - has released propaganda footage highlighting their defense. The 38-minute video, filmed in Raqqa and released Tuesday, cycles through the Islamic State's standard fare of suicide bombings, sniper attacks and streetfighting.

In the film's segment showcasing the militants' sniper detachment, one U.S.-made rifle is featured prominently. The type of weapon, a modified 7.62mm M14 called an Enhanced Battle Rifle, has appeared with the Islamic State before, along with a Syrian rebel group that once had backing from the Pentagon and Iraqi Special Operation forces.

Militants on battlefields from Sudan to Syria have long-displayed western-made arms in their propaganda. The weapons are usually given to commanders and elite fighters to distinguish them from regular foot soldiers. The most prevalent American weapon found on foreign battlefields is arguably the gas-operated M16 rifle, a mainstay in U.S. armories since the Vietnam War and sold and lost by the United States and its proxy forces ever since. The black rifle, with its hallmark triangular front sight, has been a staple with the Islamic State since it overran large swathes of Iraq in 2014, routing Iraqi security forces and taking large stores of U.S.-supplied weapons and ammunition.

What makes the appearance of the M14 somewhat unique is its age and relative rarity in the U.S. military compared to the widely issued M-16. Though the M14 appears in the Islamic State video with a scope and a modern furnishing, allowing the shooter to attach accessories, the core, or action, of the weapon derives from the World War II-era M1 Garand rifle.

The M14 was designed to replace the M1 Garand in the years following the Korean War. Unlike the M-16 and its carbine variants, the M14 was only widely issued for less than a decade. Weighing more than 10 pounds loaded and roughly 3-feet long, the M14 was introduced when rifle designs were rapidly evolving. In the late 1950s the Soviets were busy adopting and fielding the Kalashnikov series of rifles.

Kalashnikovs fire a smaller round than the M14's 7.62x51mm, are around 10 inches shorter and significantly lighter. The Americans, believing that their troops needed a weapon that packed more of a punch and could shoot farther, quickly found in the jungles of Vietnam that the M14s size and weight were no match for the portability and lethality of a weapon like the Vietnamese's AKs.

In the mid-1960s the M-16 entered the U.S. arsenal and the M14 was quickly sidelined, becoming a boutique weapon with few units until the Sept. 11 attacks, after which the weapon regained prominence as a marksman's rifle. To help retain their accuracy in combat environs the M14s were eventually fitted with special chassis - much like the one seen in the Islamic State's video. In the past several years, however, the specialized M14s in use by the U.S. military have been replaced by heavier caliber M16 variants.

With the rise of the Islamic State in 2014 and a renewed flow of American weapons into the region, M14 variants have repeatedly appeared with armed groups in Iraq and Syria. In 2015, Armament Research Services documented a modified M14, much like the one in the ISIS Raqqa video, in use by U.S.-supplied Syrian rebels called Division 30.

Based off markings on the weapon, Division 30's M14 was one of 6,200 M14 Enhanced Battle Rifles built by Rock Island Arsenal in Illinois and supplied to the U.S. Army, according to the research group. It is unclear if the rifle in the Islamic State video is from the same cache, as no markings are distinguishable and the scene is poorly lit.
New Hampshire Fish and Game Department / Heidi Holman / Via AP

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Everyone has heard of the movie Snakes on a Plane.

Now there are Sharks in a Pool, except this story is real.

State Environmental Conservation officers on Aug. 23 found seven sandbar sharks in a 15-foot above-ground pool that had been set up in the basement of a home in Langrangeville in Dutchess County, N.Y.

The officers also found two dead leopard sharks and a dead hammerhead.

The officers, acting on a search warrant based on suspicion that there was illegally held wildlife in the residence, were accompanied by other DEC people as well as staffers from the Wildlife Conservation Society as well as the New York and Long Island aquariums.

The sharks, after being assessed by a veterinarian, were transported in tanks to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead.

They will be held there until the case, which is still under investigation, is closed.
Mike Tyson once said that everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. Business owners and entrepreneurs get punched in the face far too often and are far too surprised when they do.

Traditionally, business owners have relied on third-party reports and gut instinct when evaluating market research. Unfortunately, a few Google searches and conversations with friends dont constitute true market research.

According to a FORTUNE Knowledge Group study, 62 percent of executives believe gut feelings and other soft factors are key to running a company. However, developing strategies without supporting data cant account for unique factors such as how the market feels about a new product or whether the pain point is worth solving.

Todays market demands data-driven decisions made in real time, requiring access to a continuous flow of reliable data to keep operations running smoothly.

In China, Alibaba recently introduced a new marketing system (dubbed Uni Marketing) to provide companies with real-time data about consumer behaviors. This ability to target demographics as they shift will help Chinese businesses make more informed marketing decisions.

Dont trust instincts -- listen to your market. Solicit feedback and translate it into usable data that empowers you to make better decisions.

Separating feelings from facts.

One of our clients recently wanted to use digital marketing to ramp up revenue for one of their products, which solves pain points in business intelligence software.

They were spending about $5,000 a month on Google AdWords and Facebook and wanted to use that budget to validate new audiences to target. While they aimed to expand their scope to include targets in new job roles, they had no data indicating whether that strategy would impact their return on investment -- nor any defined method to discover that information.

In the end, we built a new market research framework that clarified which audience would respond best to their campaigns, increasing ROI by 200 percent and scaling up marketing spend to $20,000 per month. Had the companys leaders gone with their instincts and expanded campaigns to include more users, those results would have been difficult to achieve.

Increasing scale and ROI through research.

Gathering and relying upon concrete data increases your marketing ROI without the guesswork. Follow these four strategies to leave instinct behind and start building a system of repeatable, scalable success.

1. Don't assume you know the answers.

To discover an approach that works for you, implement tests across multiple channels with varying messages. What works well on Instagram, but not on Facebook? Why does this email have a high click-through rate, but the same content on the website gets ignored? Try personal and creative messaging and see whether your response rates improve.

Beyond testing your messaging, find unique ways to reach the customers you wouldn't normally think of. Don't assume that tactics such as web scraping won't work -- try it and evaluate the results. For example, when we launched our last cold email campaign, we didnt send out a shotgun blast. Instead, we spent time researching the contact information of local restaurant owners through Yelp, which helped us gain around 50 new contracts with venues, thousands of prelaunch customers and a six-figure angel investment.

Related: Five Things You Should Never Assume When It Comes To Your Business

2. Stop sinking money into low-ROI time sucks.

Your executive team might love releasing new videos every week, but if no ones watching them, ditch the waste of expensive resources and direct that money and manpower elsewhere.

Examine the results of your channel tests and see which ones produce the highest ROI. Dont overlook a channel because its outdated or boring or for another nonmonetary reason. Identify activities with low ROI to change or eliminate, and put more money toward high-ROI endeavors. When ROI starts to taper off, maintain your spending at the optimal level and start investing in other areas with high promise.

For example, we always thought AdWords was too expensive, too crowded and too inefficient for our company. For the sake of being thorough, we gave it a shot -- only to see an immediate spike in earnings. Today, we spend about $3,000 per month on AdWords to the tune of 600 percent ROI.

3. Price test to find the sweet spot.

Over the duration of your customer interactions, how much is each conversation worth? You control that number through the price of your product or service. By finding the sweet spot between selling yourself short and pricing out customers, you can maximize your ROI.

In the early stages, you might think that simply having customers validates the price your gut told you was correct. What if that price is preventing you from scaling, or leaving out thousands of customers who think your product is just a bit out of their range? Until you conduct price tests, you cant know.

Related: Why Some Prices Are More Right Than Others

Fortunately, finding the right price is easy. Start by running campaigns to convert customers at a lower monthly price. Achieve early conversions, and then seek the price point that works best for you. At my last startup, we assumed $10 per month was the appropriate price for years until a round of price testing discovered that doubling the price effectively doubled ROI without sacrificing conversions.

4. Make a big splash with one-time initiatives.

As long as you have the right product-market fit, you can benefit from some out-of-home (OOH) marketing, such as television ads, events and other nondigital marketing initiatives. Although direct attribution gets murky outside the digital plane, you can boost the ROI of your existing campaigns by placing messaging in unexpected places to draw more eyes to your digital pieces.

Creative execution is key on out-of-home pieces. When you create copy to persuade your target audiences with OOH marketing, the language and creative directions you choose become critical. Launch a small set of ads targeting your best demographic, testing multiple copy and creative approaches as you do.

Monster, for example, used OOH initiatives in the form of outdoor advertising to introduce a younger generation, which hadn't experienced the brand's earlier marketing efforts, to the purple monster character, its new brand ambassador. The campaign incorporated ads on buses, in shopping centers and in underground Tube stations, as well as commissioned street art in high-traffic public sites around England.

With 77 percent of its target audience viewing the ads, Monster reported higher than average recall and corresponding significant increases keyword traffic. This illustrates how OOH efforts can be effectively leveraged to drive greater awareness on digital and other channels, consequently boosting awareness and conversions.

Related: Lessons Outdoor Ad Media Needs to Learn from Mobile's Woes

The more data you have, the better decisions you and your ground-level employees can make. Next time you face a marketing decision, dont wing it. Don't trust instincts. Get as close to your market -- and the people that define it -- as you can. Demonstrate that you are listening to them by translating their actual feelings into data that will inform your decisions. Follow these strategies to collect and act upon data that will boost your ROI and grow your business without guesswork.

Related:

#7 Brand Strategies to Build a Great Online E-commerce Brand

Five Awesome Apps To Take Your Instagram Stories Game To The Next Level

Content as a Service Is the Next Evolution for Marketing



Copyright 2017 Entrepreneur.com Inc., All rights reserved



This article originally appeared on entrepreneur.com


Conceived by Montreal urban artist Bryan Beyung and created with artists FONKi, Ankh One, and Benny Wilding of the Ashop art collective, the monumental mural commissioned by CSL is a tribute to Canada's 150th birthday, the 375th anniversary of the City of Montreal, and the roles of marine transportation and CSL in building the nation and the City.

The Seakeeper caught the eye of the Corporate Art Awards nominating committee for its unique fusion of urban art, corporate functionality and social significance.

"We were particularly impressed by the original involvement of urban artists in the celebration of such important events" said Luca Desiata, the curator of the Corporate Art Awards. "From a corporate art point of view, this project represents the perfect integration between the technical skills of a corporate team and the artistic creativity of urban artists."

The Corporate Art Awards were developed by pptArt in collaboration with the LUISS Business School in Rome, Italy, with the support of the Italian Ministry of Culture. They aim to promote excellence and best practices in the collaboration between the corporate and the art worlds.

Among the award categories is the "Social Media Corporate Art Award" that is presented to the art project that receives the most 'likes'. To vote for The Seakeeper and for more information on the Corporate Art Awards, go to https://www.pptart.net/participants2017.

Over 50 companies from 15 countries have confirmed their participation in the 2017 edition of the International Corporate Art Awards. The Awards ceremony will be held in November 2017, in Rome.

For more information on The Seakeeper, go to https://www.cslships.com/en/our-company/sea-keeper.

The CSL Group is the largest owner and operator of self-unloading ships in the world. Headquartered in Montreal with divisions operating throughout the Americas, Australia, Europe and Asia, CSL delivers more than 78 million tonnes of cargo annually for customers in the construction, steel, energy and agri-food sectors.

SOURCE The CSL Group Inc.

For further information: MEDIA CONTACTS: Annunziata Tricarico, pptArt, +32-487-212902, [email protected], CorporateArtAwards.it; Brigitte Hebert, The CSL Group, 514-982-3854, [email protected], cslships.com

Related Links

http://www.cslships.com/en


CHICAGO, IL, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Boyd Group" or "Boyd") today announced the acquisition on September 1, 2017 of a collision repair center in Westerville, Ohio, previously operated as Glassburn Body Shop, Inc. Westerville is located 10 miles north of Ohio's capital city of Columbus and six miles southeast of John Glenn Columbus International Airport.

"With this center we continue to fortify our strong presence in the state of Ohio. The Westerville location is the sixth repair center in a 25 mile radius and this comprehensive coverage will allow for us to better serve our customers and insurance partners in the area," said Tim O'Day, President and COO of the Boyd Group's U.S. operations. "We look forward to becoming part of this growing community and continuing to provide the quality service this center has delivered over its 20-year history."

The Boyd Group is continuously looking to add new collision repair locations to its existing network in Canada and the U.S. Interested collision repair center owners are asked to contact Kim Allen at the contact coordinates below for more information.

About The Boyd Group Inc.

The Boyd Group Inc. (the "Company"), directly and through subsidiaries, is one of the largest operators of non-franchised collision repair centres in North America in terms of number of locations and sales. The Company operates locations in five Canadian provinces under the trade names Boyd Autobody & Glass (http://www.boydautobody.com) and Assured Automotive (http://www.assuredauto.ca), as well as in 20 U.S. states under the trade name Gerber Collision & Glass (http://www.gerbercollision.com). The Company uses newly acquired brand names during a transition period until acquired locations have been rebranded. The Company is also a major retail auto glass operator in the U.S. with locations across 31 U.S. states under the trade names Gerber Collision & Glass, Glass America, Auto Glass Service, Auto Glass Authority and Autoglassonly.com. The Company also operates a third party administrator, Gerber National Claims Services ("GNCS"), that offers glass, emergency roadside and first notice of loss services. GNCS has approximately 5,500 affiliated glass provider locations and 4,600 affiliated emergency roadside services providers throughout the U.S. For more information on The Boyd Group Inc. or Boyd Group Income Fund, please visit our website at (http://www.boydgroup.com).

SOURCE Gerber Collision & Glass

For further information: Stephen Boyd, Vice President, Corporate Development, Tel: (204) 594-1776, [email protected]; Kim Allen, Director of Business Development, Tel: (847) 410-6003, [email protected]
TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Sunwing continues to closely monitor Hurricane Irma and its impact on the destinations that we fly to. Eastern Cuba is now under a hurricane watch and tropical storm warning. The Cuban Government has prioritized evacuation from the cayos (or islands) where we currently have customers: Cayo Coco and Cayo Santa Maria. We have also been informed that all airports in the affected region will be closing this evening at 5pm. Consequently, the local authorities have advised us to make arrangements to transfer our passengers from the above destinations to Varadero where we will overnight them in all-inclusive hotels and fly them home the next day. Varadero International Airport is expected to remain open during this period. To summarize, we will be adding 10 flights to repatriate our customers as follows:

Special flights to Cayo Coco , Holguin and Cayo Santa Maria will now be operating today to repatriate customers originally scheduled to return Friday September 8 th .



, Holguin and Cayo Santa Maria will now be operating today to repatriate customers originally scheduled to return . Customers that were scheduled to return to Canada from Cayo Coco or Cayo Santa Maria on September 9 th or 10th will be transferred by bus today, September 7 th, to alternative all inclusive hotels in Varadero. Special flights will then operate from Varadero tomorrow, September 8 th, to bring those passengers home early.

All southbound flights to these destinations between September 6th and 10th have been cancelled. Flights to Varadero and Manzanillo are currently scheduled to operate as normal, however more flexible policies are in effect for customers seeking to rebook or change destination. Our local representatives are available on site or by phone to provide assistance to customers in making changes to their travel arrangements.

All new flight times are being posted at http://www.sunwing.ca/arrdepinfo.asp as they become available.

About Sunwing

As the #1 to the sun and North America's largest vertically integrated travel company, Sunwing has more flights to the south than any other leisure carrier with convenient direct service from over 34 airports across Canada to over 50 popular sun destinations. This scale enables Sunwing to negotiate the best deals and exclusive offers at all of the top-rated resorts across the Caribbean, Mexico, and Central America. Renowned for its award-winning service, Sunwing is consistently voted the #1 leisure airline by travel agents and is the perennial winner of the Consumer Choice Award. Customers can look forward to starting their vacation off in style with award-winning inflight service, which features a complimentary glass of sparkling wine, tea and coffee and non-alcoholic beverage service; together with a buy on board menu of light meals and snacks (including kids' choices) inspired by Food Network Canada Celebrity Chef, Lynn Crawford. Sunwing customers also benefit from the assistance of the company's own knowledgeable destination representatives, who greet them upon arrival and support them throughout their vacation journey.

*on board service varies dependent on destination

SOURCE Sunwing Vacations Inc.

For further information: For media enquiries, please contact: Rachel Goldrick, Senior Corporate Communications Manager, Sunwing Vacations, 1-800-387-5602 | [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.signature.ca


TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Digital education leader Groupe Media TFO, in its bid to focus on French language educational priorities in Ontario, has signed a strategic agreement with Paris-based company Beneylu. The company operates the school platform Beneylu Spot. With this new exportation agreement for its French-language educational content, TFO's reach will grow to include the 34,000 French classrooms connected to Beneylu, publisher of Beneylu School, the digital elementary school classroom, and Beneylu Spot, a catalogue of 500 digital resources for elementary schools.

Starting in September 2017, five series, for a total of 150 episodes produced in TFO's production studios in Toronto, will become available to over a million teachers and students (ages 5-12). In the months to come, new series currently in production by Creations TFO could be added to TFO's offer, including Minivers (financed by the Canadian Media Fund) and Lorenzo.

"It's wonderful to see TFO's creative francophone educational content, developed right here in Ontario, being made accessible to audiences all over the world. This agreement is testament to the great work that TFO is doing to help education young people to succeed in a global, inter-connected world."

 The Honourable Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education of Ontario

"Groupe Media TFO is a visionary and innovative organization which makes the Ontarian Francophonie shine in the four corners of the world. This agreement with French company Beneylu will ensure that Groupe Media TFO's contribution to the international Francophonie will expand. This new collaboration will enrich the learning world of young European Francophones and Francophiles."

 The Honourable Marie-France Lalonde, Minister for Francophone Affairs

Groupe Media TFO is expanding its influence as a producer and supplier of high value-added educational content and is confirming its role as a leader in digital education for the Canadian and International Francophonie. Groupe Media TFO also exports its content in the United States on the PBS LearningMedia platform.

"Groupe Media TFO is pursuing a commercial process focused on new collaborative partnerships in digital learning in Canada, the United States, France and elsewhere internationally to reinforce its capacities and fully meet the potential of its educational mandate in Ontario. The growing presence of our Ontarian educational productions on the international scene confirms Ontario's strong potential as an actor in the Organisation internationale de la francophonie following its recent admission as an observer member of the OIF."

 Glenn O'Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Media TFO.

As a Canadian public media company, a leader in the production and broadcasting of Francophone educational resources, GMTFO has become a leader in the production of educational series with its new division, Creations TFO, led by Nadine Dupont and her reputable team of talents.

"The Beneylu team is very proud to count Groupe Media TFO, the largest producer of Canadian Francophone educational digital content, in its Beneylu Spot catalogue of digital resources! For the first time, 34,000 French elementary classes will enjoy Canadian Francophone educational content through Beneylu School, a platform perfectly suited to run a classroom. Students and teachers will benefit from the work of a vibrant, talented Francophone editor and an essential partnership."

 Eymeric Taelman, Co-Founder, Beneylu

This new agreement between two important digital education players paves the way for future collaborations between Canadian producers and new markets in the Francophonie, which gives weight to investing in the field of education. This partnership is also a new example demonstrating the excellence of Ontario's educational system, its economic benefits and its affirmation in foreign markets demonstrating interest.

About Beneylu

Beneylu is the editor of Beneylu School, the digital classroom for real elementary school students, with the best applications to work well, and Beneylu Spot, a catalogue of 500 digital resources for elementary schools. 34,000 classes in 34 countries use Beneylu in 2017. 38 French departments manage projects. Beneylu is available in French, English and Spanish. For more information, visit https://beneylu.com/school/

About Groupe Media TFO

Groupe Media TFO is an essential destination for audiences seeking innovative educational and cultural content in French, at the vanguard of digital learning. TFO's channel is the number one French-language YouTube channel in Canada. Its content has been awarded multiple prizes, from Austin to Amsterdam (Kidscreen Awards, Gemini Awards, Cassies, IBC Awards, SXSW Film Design Awards, and many more). Proud of its public heritage, TFO celebrates the French fact in Ontario and beyond. For more information about Groupe Media TFO, visit www.groupemediatfo.org or follow Groupe Media TFO on Facebook and Twitter.

SOURCE Ontario French Language Educational Communications Authority (TFO)

For further information: For more information and interview requests: Alexandre Vignola Cote, Advisor, Citoyen Optimum, [email protected], o : 514 282-4793, Cell: 514 830-1226; Carole Nkoa, Groupe Media TFO ,Communications Director and Chief of Missions - Franco-Ontarian Communities, [email protected], o : 416-968-8313, Cell : 416-606-5113

Related Links

www.tfo.org


Project will bring affordable, reliable natural gas service to local communities

CHATHAM, ON, Sept. 7, 2017 /CNW/ - Representatives from Union Gas and the Township of Perth East gathered today to celebrate the beginning of construction of a $5M pipeline project that will soon deliver affordable energy to local residents and businesses in Milverton, Rostock and Wartburg.

"Union Gas is looking forward to delivering affordable energy to residents in Milverton, Wartburg and Rostock in 2017-2018," said Steve Jelich, Union Gas district manager. "Extending service to customers in Perth East would not have been possible without the support of members of the community and Council."

Residents and businesses looking to make the switch to natural gas can learn more at savewithgas.com, watch for a package in the mail, and/or visit the Union Gas information booth at Perth East Recreation Centre, 40 Temperance St., Milverton on the dates listed on the website. Applications will be gathered and processed through the fall and installation of gas service at homes and businesses will begin in late fall.

There are plenty of reasons to make the switch to natural gas. Residents who heat their home and water with natural gas can save up to $1,500 on average every year, compared to using electricity, oil or propane. And with massive supplies in North America, the price of natural gas will remain low for years to come. In addition, with a constant supply and unparalleled reliability, the natural gas system is available year-round with no fill-ups needed, even in the harshest winter months.

"The availability of affordable natural gas presents an opportunity to significantly reduce energy costs for local citizens and businesses and drive economic development and job creation," said Bob McMillan, Mayor, Township of Perth East.

"Union Gas has been delivering affordable natural gas to homes and businesses throughout Ontario safely and reliably for more than a century and we will be applying all that experience to this project," added Jelich. "Union Gas will also use as many local resources as practical to build the pipeline and where possible will procure materials from the local community."

This project represents the first wave of a multi-year expansion effort to provide natural gas service to more communities throughout the province.

About Union Gas

Union Gas Limited is a major Canadian natural gas storage, transmission and distribution company based in Ontario with over 100 years of experience and service to customers. The distribution business serves about 1.4 million residential, commercial and industrial customers in more than 400 communities across Ontario. Union Gas is one of Canada's Top 100 Employers for 2017, and has assets of $8.2 billion and approximately 2,300 employees. For more information, visit uniongas.com or find us on Twitter: twitter.com/uniongas, Facebook: facebook.com/uniongas and YouTube: youtube.com/user/uniongas.

SOURCE Union Gas Limited

For further information: Union Gas Limited, Andrea Stass, Manager, External Communications and Media Relations, Ph: 519-436-5490 or 1-800-571-8446 ext. 5005490, Cell: 519-365-1010, [email protected]

Related Links

http://www.uniongas.com


Maritime festival puts on a show of military vessels, schooners

NEW LONDON >> The Naval Submarine Base here and the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in Groton join forces to propel the Connecticut Maritime Heritage Festival to its status as an impressive on-water show on the New London waterfront.

The festival, which runs Sept. 8-10, will feature visits by the fighting ship USS Cole, an Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer and the United States Coast Guard Cutter Thunder Bay, one of the Coast Guards powerful fleet of ice breakers. They will be berthed at Fort Trumbull State Park, where they will be open for tours.

The ships will be joined by two other Coast Guard vessels, USCGC Albacore, an 87-foot coastal patrol boat home ported in New London, a 65-foot small harbor ice-breaking tug Bollard out of New Haven and a security patrol craft from Sub Base New London, organizers say.

In what promises to be a spectacular first for the festival, the Coast Guard will stage a search-and-rescue demonstration on Thames River with a MH-60-T Jayhawk helicopter and small boat participation in full view from Waterfront Park, it was announced, scheduled for Saturday at 1 p.m.

Military vessels will be joined by a number of schooners and other ships. Additional features include the annual Great New London Chowder Challenge and dockside maritime educational displays, and an off-shore race among participating schooners, including the defending champion, Columbia, out of Panama City, Florida.

Water taxis will run on a regular basis with stops at City Pier, Fort Trumbull and Fort Griswold. The hours are Friday from noon to 4 p.m., Saturday 10 a.m.-4 p.m. and Sunday 9 a.m.-4 p.m.
HARTFORD >> If you havent spent a lot of time around Chicago in recent years, Rockin Johnny Burgin may be among the best blues guitarists youve never heard of.

If you were in Chicago in the 90s and again in recent years, you couldnt help but know him  Burgin and his Rockin Johnny Band were a bunch of younger guys who played as much in the spirit of the classic, post-war 40s and 50s Chicago blues as anyone who was there at that time.

He released several albums on Chicagos venerable Delmark Records label and became a Monday night fixture with the Rockin Johnny Band (with guest vocalist Jimmy Burns) at the Smoke Daddy barbecue joint and bar in Chicagos Wicker Park neighborhood.

But aside from an occasional trip to perform in Europe, he didnt get out much.

Now, on the tails of a move to the Bay Area just about a year ago  and with a goal to get out and be a national touring bluesman rather than just one of Chicagos great secrets  hes out to change that.

Im late to the party, but Im coming, said Burgin, 48, who will perform at Black-Eyed Sallys in Hartford in a special Sunday evening show Sept. 10 at 7:30. He spoke by phone from Chicago  where he was staying with a friend before driving east via a gig in Akron, Ohio.

While he no longer lives in Chicago, Im a homeboy in Chicago, he said. Thats where Burgin, originally from Mississippi, had lived on and off since 1988, performing at little-known joints on the West Side and making his name by backing Chicagos quirky, full-of-personality James Taildragger Jones, one of the great original bluesmen still on the scene.

Hell be back performing with Taildragger on his current tour at the King Biscuit Blues Festival in Helena, Arkansas, on Oct. 6.

And if you miss him at Black-Eyed Sallys, Burgin also will perform at The Stomping Ground in Putnam on Wednesday and at a barbecue at the Deacon Timothy Pratt Bed & Breakfast in Old Saybrook at noon next Saturday and at Daddy Jacks in New London at 8:30 p.m. next Saturday.

So why leave Chicago for Petaluma, California?

I needed the change, Burgin said. I needed more stimulation, because ... I was like a really good local musician ... and I really wanted to become more of a national musician...

It just got to be, to me it was time, he said. I mean, Ive worked the Midwest for a very long time, and every time I went to California its like they were hungry for me. ... Im glad I did it. ... I had been touring in the Bay Area since about 2013 and it kept getting bigger and better. I mean, people really were responding to what I was doing.

In 2015, he recorded an independently released album, Greetings From Greaseland, in San Jose, California, that was well received. This record made me cool all over again, he said. He now has seven CDs to his credit.

So he made the move  and this year released another indie album, called Neoprene Fedora.

Sometimes, you really have to shake it up, Burgin said.

While he mostly stayed around Chicago until recently, Burgin has been featured in major media outlets such as The Chicago Tribune, WGNs After Hours with Rick Kogan, The Illinois Times, and KPFAs Blues by the Bay.

He has recorded with many blues greats, including Billy Boy Arnold, Taildragger, Paul DeLay, Jimmy Burns, Andre Williams, Eddie Taylor Jr., Jimmy Lee Robinson and toured with such artists as Muddy Waters late, longtime piano man Pinetop Perkins and Howlin Wolf drummer Sam Lay.

Burgin grew up in Starkville, Mississippi, and Greenville, South Carolina. He went to the University of Chicago with the intention of becoming a writer, but ended up diving deep into the Chicago blues scene.
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ANSONIA  For the third time in two years, a company has left Bridgeport to take advantage of lower taxes in Ansonia.

RugPadUSA, now at 1085 Connecticut Ave., Bridgeport, announced Thursday it is leasing two former Farrel factory complexes downtown. The buildings are at 1 West Main Street and 35 Main St.

The two structures have been vacant for more than a decade and once held massive extrusion machinery for what is now Farrel Pomini. Last year, Farrel Pomini moved into a new 60,000-square-foot building as the first tenant in the Fountain Lake Commerce Park.

The city, along with help from the state and federal government was able to keep the company, which had been in Ansonia for 171-years, from moving to another state.

The RugPadUSA deal which has been in the works for at least two months is expected to bring 56 immediate jobs into the downtown with a possible 50 more in the next year.

RugPadUSA makes padding for industrial and residential carpeting, and according to sources has thousands of worldwide customers, including Mohawk Carpet.

The company is in the process of moving 275 feet of machinery into one of the facilities. Company owners were impressed by the size of the facility, its bays and its ability to expand, according to city officials.

"They are looking for a site where they could grow," said Sheila O'Malley, the city's economic development director and grants writer. "These two buildings are in good shape. To have to build something this size would be very expensive."

RugPadUSA is the third Bridgeport business to move to Ansonia since 2016.

It joins Road Ready Used Cars Inc. which after 29 years in Bridgeport, last year moved into the former Healey Ford site at 520 Main St.

And Fletcher Thompson, a former Bridgeport architectural and engineering firm, this summer took over the third floor of what was once Glazer's Appliance and Furniture on 200 Main Street.

"At a time when businesses are fleeing the state we are keeping them here," said Mayor David Cassetti.

One reason could be Ansonia's mill rate, which is 37.32 and has not increased in Cassetti's four years in office. Bridgeport's mill rate was 54.37 for 2016-17.

Future development plans

And this may not be the only new businesses coming here. A yogurt manufacturing distributor is eyeing a former warehouse on Howard Avenue, while plans are moving forward to develop a section near the Target Shopping Center to include a pet supply store and a chain restaurant.

Additionally, the city is moving forward with plans to demolish and remediate 45 acres of riverfront property now housing the vacant Ansonia Copper and Brass/Anaconda American Brass complex. They are hoping to secure at least $8 million in federal and state money along with help from British Petroleum, a former owner, and assistance from the Connecticut Brownfield Land Bank to demolish the remaining six rusting structures.

The city is considering taking over the property in exchange for $1.5 million owed in taxes and Water Pollution Control Authority fees.

But combine that complex with another portion of the vacant Farrel buildings and the adjacent vacant SHW Casting Co. and the site increases to 60 acres, stretching from Liberty Street to Maple Street and Riverside Drive all the way up Wakelee Avenue and the Route 8 entrance to Seymour. An active rail line runs through it.

"That is the biggest project among many that we have in the works," Cassetti said. "We want to get the highest and best use for it."

That's why Corporation Council John P. Marini said the city will be a watchdog in the process.

"This is not Sim City," Marini said referring to the simulated computerized city and family building game. "We want to make sure whatever use it (Ansonia Copper and Brass) becomes is sustainable over the long term."

So a master plan which could take up to six months is expected to be developed.

To do so the city will be working with a group of business students from Sacred Heart University in Fairfield. An Ansonia City Hall office will be refurbished to house the students who are expected to begin work next month.
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MILFORD - The family of a local teenager who fatally stabbed a female classmate to death at Jonathan Law High School three years ago after she rebuffed his invitation to the prom has tentatively agreed to pay a settlement to the mother of the victim.

I can confirm settlement discussions are proceeding, said Edward Gavin, the lawyer for Christopher Plaskon and his parents, David and Kathleen Plaskon on Thursday. Ultimately, in any case of this type, a settlement must be approved in probate court.

Christopher Plaskon was sentenced June 7, 2016, to 25 years in prison after he pleaded no contest to murder for stabbing 16-year-old Maren Sanchez to death on April 25, 2014, with a steak knife in the hallway of the high school.

A week later Sanchezs mother, Donna Cimarelli-Sanchez filed suit in Superior Court here against the Plaskon family and the Board of Education seeking damages for her daughters death.

The case against the Board of Education is scheduled to go to trial in May 2018.

Earlier this week however, the lawyers for Cimarelli-Sanchez asked a judge to modify the case schedule because they had worked out a settlement with the Plaskons.

Plaintiff has worked out a settlement with three of the five defendants: Christopher Plaskon, David Plaskon and Kathleen Plaskon. That settlement is pending in probate court, with a hearing scheduled for September 19, 2017, and will require some time to complete even after the probate hearing, assuming probate approval of the settlement is granted, their motion states.

Cimarelli-Sanchezs lawyer, David Golub, did not return calls and emails for comment.

Sanchez was stabbed to death on the day of the Law High School junior prom.

Security video showed Plaskon arriving at school early that morning and wandering about the hallways, waiting for Sanchez. When he met up with her, Plaskon followed Sanchez into a stairwell and, out of sight of the cameras, he stabbed her in the chest and neck.

The lawsuit states in November 2013, Maren Sanchez reported to the high school guidance department her concern that Plaskon was emotionally disturbed and was threatening to commit suicide or acts of serious self-harm by cutting himself with a knife, and that she believed it was important for high school personnel to help Plaskon to prevent him from engaging in potentially violent conduct dangerous to himself or to others.

Plaskon was absent from school for a week after Sanchez's report about him to the school guidance counselor, then returned to school and continued to engage in self-destructive behavior, including cutting himself with a knife, and began bringing a knife to school with him, the suit states.

Plaskon's guidance counselor failed to advise the principal, school security or others in the school administration or the state Department of Children and Families of Sanchez's report, in violation of mandatory school policies and state law, the lawsuit states.

The lawsuit further alleges Plaskon's parents were aware that their son was engaging in self-destructive conduct with knives that was potentially dangerous to himself and others and failed to obtain proper medical treatment for him, nor did they try to prevent him from having access to knives.
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WASHINGTON  Sen. Richard Blumenthal was among those in the room Thursday for five hours of questions to Donald Trump Jr. on the controversial 2016 meeting with a woman that had been described to the presidents son as a Russian government attorney.

There was substance but also a lot of questions without answers, said Blumenthal, D-Conn., who left the questioning to staff members under an agreement among Senate Judiciary Committee members. The testimony raised as many questions as it answered.

President Donald Trumps oldest son is a pivotal figure in ongoing congressional probes of whether there was collusion between the Trump campaign and the Russian government to help Trump defeat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election. Special Counsel Robert Mueller is overseeing a criminal investigation of the matter.

After the Q&A session, Blumenthal said the information Trump Jr. provided helped to advance our investigation, but there is still a lot of ground to be covered.

Blumenthal is pushing for Trump Jr. to return and testify under oath at an open committee hearing. The testimony of other key players also is crucial, Blumenthal said. He singled out New Britain-native Paul Manafort, who also attended the meeting at Trump Tower on June 9, 2016.

There is almost never a bombshell or breakthrough moment in these investigations, said Blumenthal, himself a former U.S. attorney in Connecticut and state attorney general. Its piece by piece or step by step, and that was true today.

In a prepared statement confirmed by Blumenthal, Trump Jr. said he was skeptical when a friend and former business associate, Robert Goldstone, contacted him about meeting with a Russian lawyer who would provide information very useful to your campaign. The information, Goldstone said, would implicate Hillary Clinton in dealings with Russia.

I had no way to gauge the reliability, credibility or accuracy of any of the things he was saying, Trump Jr. said.

Nonetheless I thought at the time I should listen to what Rob and his colleagues had to say, Trump Jr. said. To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out.

As he has on past occasions, Trump Jr. insisted the meeting was a bust and the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, had no damaging information and simply wanted to talk about a U.S.-Russia dispute that had resulted in the suspension of U.S. adoptions of Russian children.

I have no recollection of any documents being offered or left for us, Trump Jr. said.

Blumenthal said that even if nothing of substance changed hands at the meeting, it could be seen as an overture or prelude to the following wave of Russian hacking of the Democratic National Committee and the email account of Clinton campaign chairman John Podesta.

The question is, what collusion was there afterward? he said. Notwithstanding Trump Jr.s denial of wrongdoing, the reason we need public hearing is for the American people to judge the credibility of those kinds of contentions, Blumenthal said.

dan@hearstdc.com
wallingford >> Gaylord Specialty Healthcare has a new care unit to treat patients who have suffered strokes.

The Wallingford-based hospital recently opened a speciality unit focused on treating some of the health care complexities associated with having suffered a stroke. To create the new unit, hospital officials spent $125,000 installing monitoring equipment and renovating a space that previously had housed a pulmonary and wound unit, according to Tara Knapp, vice president of development, public relations and marketing for Gaylord.

The hospital also added five full-time monitoring technicians to its staff, according to Knapp. The unit has 24 beds, she said.

The hospital treated 272 stroke patients in fiscal year 2016, Knapp said, and 75 percent of that group is considered complex stroke upon admission. Complex stroke patients are defined as those who require advanced diagnostic and treatment procedures performed by specially trained doctors.

When patient populations are cohorted by diagnosis, staff become accustomed to treating the unique needs of that population, she said. Education/support groups are more organic as patients recover together. Peer support is critical to any program.

Sonja LaBarbera, vice president of operations and strategy for Gaylord, said the hospital has the only stroke program in Connecticut to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Rehabilitation Facilities.

With individuals being discharged from acute care hospitals sooner, were finding that stroke patients are arriving at Gaylord with more complex medical needs than ever before, LaBarbera said. Our most medically fragile stroke patients will benefit from coordinated, multidisciplinary care from nurses, therapists, hospitalists and physiatrists who are experienced and trained in providing the highest level of stroke care.

Gaylord is a 137-bed specialty hospital that treats individuals with complex medical and intensive rehabilitation issues. It also operates outpatient therapy centers in Wallingford, North Haven and Cheshire.

Call Luther Turmelle at 203-680-9388.
I recently read the article written by David A. Crombie titled, We must learn from the lessons of history. Good article until I got to the sentence, The Nazis, with help from Polish accomplices, put the Jews into gas chambers and dragged their dead bodies into crematoriums. I believe that because of the German-Soviet Pact of August 1939 the Nazis invaded Poland on Sept. 1, 1939, without any fear of Soviet intervention. As an American of Italian-Polish descent I found the word accomplice extremely offensive. Accomplice, one who aids or abets a lawbreaker in a criminal act either as a principal or an accessory. This sentence seems to imply that all the Polish people were willing participants in the murder and extermination of Jews. Remember it was Nazi Germany that invaded Poland because Hitler viewed Poles as sub-human. It was Trawnikis who were recruited from Eastern European POW camps to shoot Jews along with the SS. Poland as a country suffered terribly under the Nazis and to suggest that the Poles willingly were accomplices with the Nazis is an outrage to all people of Polish descent. In 1997, I was able to visit the Majdanek extermination camp in Lublin, Poland. It is the most intact camp in Europe. One cannot comprehend the horror that Nazis inflicted on Jews until one has set foot in such a place. Crombie owes an apology to every person in America of Polish descent. Shame on you, Crombie, as a veteran you should know better.

 Anthony Griego
Happy New Month Nigeria! Welcome to the month of June. As the world searches for a respite from all its troubles since 2020 began, one can ...
Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayodele Fayose, has faulted claims by the Federal Government that Nigeria was out of economic recession, saying, The reality is that Nigerians are suffering and dying, with foods and drugs out of their reach and no among of economic statistics will make meaning to people who cannot afford to eat once daily.Speaking through his Special Assistant on Public Communications and New Media, Lere Olayinka, Governor Fayose said, Claiming that Nigeria is out of economic recession without any corresponding effect on theliving condition of the people is just like they said Boko Haram had been defeated and over 400 people were killed by the insurgents in the last five months.The governor, who also described the reason given for the cancellation of Federal Executive Council meeting slated for today as funny, said;Is it not funny that the same federal government that declared public holiday forgot that there would be a Tuesday after the public holiday and FEC meeting will be held on Wednesday?I think they should look for another lie next week because the reality is that President Muhammadu Buhari does not have the required mental capacity and strength to rule Nigeria and I maintain that heshould consider his health as well as the overall interests of Nigeria and resign.On the news of Nigeria exiting recession being promoted by the federal government, Governor Fayose asked; If Nigeria is indeed out ofeconomic recession, has price of foodstuffs like rice reduced to N7, 000 per bag that it was when Buhari took over power? Is dollar now N197 to $1? Is petrol now back to N87 per litre that Buhari met it in May 2015? Are Nigerians now feeding comfortably, even if it is once in a day?Most importantly, are States now getting enough allocation from the federation account to be able to meet their obligations, especially payment of salary?He said the claim was nothing but another attempt by the President Buhari-led APC to deceive Nigerians ahead of the 2019 elections.It must be stated that Nigerias foreign reserves, which stood at $28.6 billion by May 2015 that President Buhari took over power declined steadily to $23.89 billion by the last quarter of 2016. It was in 2016 that Nigeria slipped into recession, owing to the badeconomic policies and repressive actions of President BuhariIt is sad that the APC government has remained on the path of lies and propaganda and I wonder why the government cant be truthful for once.However, if this latest lie is about 2019 general elections, they have missed it because Nigerians can no longer be received by the APC lying government.Nigerians should therefore disregard their lies and keep praying for God intervention in the affairs of the country, the governor concluded.
The solutions are there, our own makers have in their boxes the means to fulfill this promise, said Mr Hulot, calling it a public health issue.

P aris, Lyon, Grenoble and other French cities have a chronic smog problem.

France is by no means the only country aiming to ban combustion-powered cars in some form. Germany wants to do away with 100 per cent combustion-powered vehicles by 2030, as does India. The Netherlands and Norway wish to do so by 2025.

Diesel and gasoline vehicles represented about 95.2 percent of French new car fleets in the first half of year, while electric vehicles hold 1.2 percent of the market. Hybrid cars make up about 3.5 percent.

Mr Hulot said that even if France lagged countries such as Sweden and Costa Rica on this front, it would nevertheless embrace that "spirit" and look to end the sale of diesel and petrol cars by 2040.
Stanbic IBTC, a member of the Standard Bank Group facilitated a $589.84m capital inflow into the country, ranking it first among financial institutions that imported capital into Nigeria in the second quarter of 2017.

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), in its Capital Importation Q2 2017 Report, stated that Stanbic IBTC accounted for 32.91 per cent of ($589.84m or N216.47b) of the total share during the period.

This represented an increase of 9.12 per cent over the $536.78m it posted in the first quarter. That brings to $1.127b or N413.62b capital import by the bank in the first six months of 2017.

Stanbic IBTC, Citibank Nigeria and Standard Chartered Bank accounted for 70.7 percent or $1,267m of the total $1.792b capital importation during the quarter, while the other 22 banks generated the remaining.

The report stated that Portfolio Investments was the key mover of capital during the quarter, growing by 145.7 per cent, followed by Other Investments, which rose by 95.02 per cent and Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by 29.8 per cent over the first quarter.

Details of the figures showed that Portfolio Investment accounted for $770.5m, or 43.0 per cent of the total. Other Investments came second with $747.5m or 41.7 per cent while FDI amounted to $274.4m or 15.3 per cent.

The figures reflect Stanbic IBTC strength, leadership and support of its parent company.

The NBS report showed that the bulk of capital inflows into Nigeria in Q2 came from the United Kingdom (UK), which accounted for $696.7m or 38.87 per cent of the total. The second largest value of capital importation came from the United States (U.S.) with $287.82m or 16.06 per cent.


The National Association of Resident Doctors on Thursday refused to call off its strike despite holding a 13-hour meeting with representatives of the Federal Government.The meeting, which held at the Federal Secretariat in Abuja, ended in the early hours of Thursday, had in attendance the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige; the Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; and the Minister of State for Health, Dr. Osagie Ehanire.According to a statement by the Ministry of Labour, the strike would continue until at least Friday when the doctors are expected to meet to review the offer by the government on their demands including payment of salary arrears owed.The meeting agreed that NARD national officers will present the outcome of the re-negotiated Memorandum of Terms of settlement to an emergency meeting of its members by Friday September 8, 2017 with a view to suspending the strike once there is evidence of payment of the mandate as presented to the meeting, to the affected institutions, the statement noted.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi will not appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the management of the st...

Former Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi will not appear before the Judicial Commission of Inquiry investigating the management of the state finances during his administration, his lawyer has said.

At the panels sitting, Fayemis counsel, Chief Rafiu Balogun, said he was entering a conditional appearance in protest for his client.





He explained that Fayemi, who is now Minister of Mines and Steel Development, received summons of the panel but would not appear in view of circumstances that predated the constitution of the panel.

Balogun applied to make an oral application but was advised by the Commission Chairman, Justice Silas Oyewole, to make a formal application in line with the rules of the panel.





The panel, however, ordered Balogun to file an application excusing the former governor from appearing on Monday, September 11.





The panel also ordered the appearance of Commissioner for Finance during the Fayemi administration, Mr. Dapo Kolawole, to appear before it on September 11.





This was after Balogun had prayed for an adjournment for Kolawole, who was summoned to give evidence on Wednesday (yesterday).





Counsel to the panel, Mr. Sunday Bamise, had earlier claimed that a lawyer, Mr. Ibrahim Olanrewaju, received the summons on behalf of Kolawole, a claim which was vehemently refuted by another counsel, Mr. Adeoye Aribasoye.





Aribasoye argued that he, Olanrewaju and Mr. Tajudeen Akingbolu announced appearances as observers at the last sitting of the panel and never appeared for Fayemi and Kolawole and never received processes on their behalf.





Justice Oyewole said record before the panel showed that Olanrewaju signed to receive the summons on Kolawoles behalf which may not be to the knowledge of Aribasoye.





He said the panel was on a fact-finding mission and not raised to crucify anybody.





The counsel explained that the ex-commissioner was not properly served.





Other parties which appeared at Wednesdays sitting were CASA Nigeria Limited, Securities and Exchange Commission, Jichengi Yuyan Limited and officials of Ministry of Works and Transportation.
























































































The senator representing Ogun East Senatorial District, Buruji Kashamu, on Wednesday urged the Chairman, National Caretaker Committee of the Peoples Democratic Party, Ahmed Makarfi, to stop threatening him with expulsion from the party.This, Kashamu said in a statement, was because he had done nothing to warrant being expelled from the PDP.He said, The threat to expel me and others perceived not to fall in line with exco creation for your presidential agenda has become topical in the party. If you unjustly expel us from the party, you cannot expel us from the hearts of our people. Certainly, you cannot also expel us from the courts as bonafide Nigerians and law-abiding citizens.More importantly, any attempt to expel us from our party for resisting this unfair and callous exploitation of our rights shall fail because all foundation of its illegality and vindictiveness is clear via your actions. Democracy is not about dogmatism. It is about expression of rights and freedom to align to logical beliefs. All these enforcement of your wish as the choice excos of our people cannot and would not stand. I wonder why you cannot use this caretaker committee opportunity righteously with the fear of God. I refuse to be intimidated by anybody, as I fear only the almighty Allah; my creator.Kashamu advised the former governor of Kaduna State to use the temporary nature of your present position to unite members of the party by being forthright to solve the problems rather than compounding issues.He said, If you refuse, along with your caretaker committee members, to do justice by inviting the two sides of a conflict to objectively analyse contending matters ostensibly to find mutually acceptable solution, how can that become my fault?It is empirical truth that these court judgments existed before your appointment as the Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of our great party. Also, it is on record that the affected party has written multiple letters to you explaining the facts of the case in anticipation of your being equitable and just.These people have also been writing to the police for necessary protection to prevent any negative decision you might take that could result into anarchy and breakdown of law and order.Unfortunately, you chose to be partisan and unfair to them by dissolving the validly constituted state executive committees against subsisting judgments and constituted a one-sided caretaker committee populated by 100 per cent of their adversaries.Those you have sidelined, though political allies of mine, are eminent political leaders and important personalities in their own rights. They cannot easily be suppressed and coerced into concurrence of obvious rights abuse without reactions.It is worse when it is an open secret as we all know that all these manipulations in the mould of reconciliation are meant to create loyal South-West executive committees for your presidential ambition.
A former minister, Jibril Aminu, has said that hate speeches caused Nigerias 1967 civil war.

A former minister, Jibril Aminu, has said that hate speeches caused Nigerias 1967 civil war.

Aminu condemned those making divisive comments, warning that war was not what any sane person should toy with.





He spoke during the 4th annual conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria in Kano on Wednesday.





The former federal lawmaker noted that those behind such should bear in mind that no one will be spared if the country boils.





Nigerians should be wary of being drawn into the same trap that led to the civil war, Aminu warned.





The professor appealed to the media to be proactive in its reportage and avoids acts capable of further dividing the nation.





In his remark, Minister of Information, Lai Mohammed, lamented the trend of hates speeches from various individuals and groups.





He added that the government is addressing the issue of hate speech, fake news and misinformation.

Enemies of the government are responsible for the mischievous speeches aimed at causing unnecessary distractions and heating the polity, he said.





Mohammed, however, assured that government would not gag the media or free speech.
CAMDEN -- Holtec opened the doors of its new waterfront facility here Thursday.

The 600,000-square-foot manufacturing and design facility is expected to bring more jobs to the area, boosting revitalization efforts in the city, state and local officials as well as Holtec says. The energy company, known for its work with carbon-free power generation in commercial nuclear and solar energy, began the move from its Marlton facility earlier this year.

Governor Chris Christie, State Senate Majority Leader Steve Sweeney and Camden Mayor Dana Redd attended Thursday's inaugural event at the new plant.

"The $260 million investment that we are making here with [Holtec Technology Campus CEO] Dr. [Krishna] Singh represents the largest single investment of private capital in the history of the City of Camden," Christie told the crowd. "This is a project that is investing in the people of Camden. The company anticipates training and employing over a thousand employees from the city and nearby towns. That creates hope for the city of Camden."

Extremely pleased to be here for todays ribbon cutting to rename the Holtec Technology Campus after its founder and CEO, Dr. Krishna Singh. pic.twitter.com/xELuEjCvLw  Governor Christie (@GovChristie) September 7, 2017

Holtec received a $260 million Grow NJ tax credit for making the move. The plant expects to initially employ 400 welders, machinists, laborers, engineers and corporate staff, and said that number could grow to as many as 2,000 over the next 10 years.

Some of the facility's employees have transferred from the former Marlton plant, but the company has plans to hire within the city, too. Holtec has said it will train Camden residents for jobs, but officials Thursday did not have specific numbers of how many the facility has hired thus far, Newsworks reported.

Other companies, including Subaru and Aerofarms, have followed suit, moving to the city that has long had a reputation as one of the most impoverished and dangerous in the nation in exchange for tax breaks.

But not everyone is thrilled about the deal, and some say the tax cuts place the burden on hard-working residents while large companies profit.

"Yes, Holtec's new facility is an exciting development for the state of New Jersey and the city of Camden. But there is no reason that New Jersey taxpayers should be paying so much for it - particularly without airtight guarantees of benefits for the city's residents," Jon Whiten, vice president of New Jersey Policy Perspective, a group that opposed the incentives, said in a statement.

"New Jersey's lucrative corporate tax subsidies have gone completely off the rails, and it's beyond time for policymakers to get the state's economic-development strategies back on the right track."

Amanda Hoover can be reached at ahoover@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @amahoover. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
CAMDEN -- Lamar Abdul Thompson, 27, didn't have an easy life in the city, despite unwavering support from his family across the river in Philadelphia.

That life was cut short when he was gunned down Saturday night, along with another man who survived the shooting.

Victor Ruiz Jr., 26, is charged with the killing, but authorities have not released information about a possible motive.

Thompson's death has devastated family and friends in both cities, said his cousin, Rhonda Sharee Harvey.

"Lamar tried his best to overcome every obstacle he faced as a man and will be remembered for his beautiful smile, silly spirit, light hazel eyes and his desire to not give up or be ashamed of anything," she said.

Lamar A. Thompson, 27, poses for a photo with one of his children.

Harvey said her cousin grew up in Philadelphia and attended Lamberton High School before moving to Camden several years ago. She said he wanted to "make his own way" there and be closer to his three children.

He loved his kids, Harvey said, and always tried to do right by them, even when he was having a tough time.

"He struggled with homelessness for a period of time," she said. His family tried to help him. "He was too prideful at times and liked to handle things on his own."

She said he was happy to do any honest work he could get, but wanted to have his own construction business someday.

"Lamar was witty, optimistic, charming and was always driven to be a better person," Harvey said. "He was fascinated with cars, loved dirt bikes and enjoyed eating good food. He wasn't a shy person -- he loved to be different and had no problem with being himself."

Thompson is the 15th shooting death in Camden this year, compared to 44 homicides in the city last year.

Most of the 15 killings are unsolved, but it didn't take police long to arrest Ruiz.

According to the Camden County prosecutor's office and a probable cause statement, Ruiz parked his car at the gas pumps of the Gulf gas station at 1033 Kaighn Blvd. around 9:40 p.m. He then walked behind the station, where he shot Thompson and a man identified only as R.B., then got back in his car and left the area, detectives allege.

An officer heard the shooting, found R.B. with gunshot wounds to his face and shoulder, and rushed him to the Cooper University Hospital, the statement said. Other officers who responded found Thompson, who died from multiple gunshot wounds at the hospital.

No update was available on the condition of the man identified as R.B.

Rebecca Everett may be reached at reverett@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @rebeccajeverett. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
A temporary ban on fracking in the Delaware River basin is on the verge of becoming permanent.

The Associated Press reports that the Delaware River Basin Commission could vote on the move as early as next week. The move would be a victory for environmental groups who have opposed fracking in the region for nearly a decade.

The Delaware River Basin Commission, which is made up of representatives from New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Delaware and the federal government, is responsible for managing the river basin's water. The Delaware River Basin supplies water for Trenton, Philadelphia and half of New York City, among other cities and towns.

"This is great news because we've been fighting for a ban on fracking in the Delaware Basin for ten years," said Jeff Tittel, the director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, in a press release sent just after the Associated Press report. "This will help protect the region from the dangerous and polluting fracking that threatens the water supply for 17 million people."

The commission had no comment when asked about the Associated Press report.

Fracking, a short-hand term for hydraulic fracturing, is a controversial method of extracting oil and gas that couldn't be reached by other types of drilling. The commission has had a temporary moratorium on fracking within its jurisdiction since 2010.

Environmental groups like Tittel's have recently renewed their push for a permanent fracking ban in the river basin. The new push is spurred on by the election of President Donald Trump and his administration's promises to increase American energy production.

There are currently no fracking activities in the state of New Jersey, but there is no statewide ban. The state had a one-year moratorium in place between 2012 and 2013. Governor Chris Christie has repeatedly vetoed measures that would ban the dumping of fracking waste in New Jersey.

New York already has a statewide ban on fracking. This new ban would apply to two Pennsylvania counties, Wayne and Pike, that are part of the Marcellus Shale, the nation's largest natural gas field.

Michael Sol Warren may be reached at mwarren@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MSolDub. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- The former boyfriend of a popular East Orange teacher was sentenced to life in prison Wednesday for gunning her down outside her residence in 2015 as she flagged down a police officer to seek help.

Andre Higgs, 45, of Watchung, was convicted in June in the killing of Latrena May, a teacher at Pride Academy Charter School and the mother of Higgs' daughter.

Superior Court Judge Ronald D. Wigler sentenced Higgs to life on the murder charge plus another 10 years for possessing a weapon as a convicted felon. He will be ineligible for parole for 68 years.

Latrena May. (Facebook)

During an emotional three-hour hearing, May's sisters recounted her attempts to break away from Higgs.

"She was enjoying her independence, and was through with the jealous, possessive and manipulative behavior," said Tanya May, who has custody of her now-6-year-old niece.

The couple's daughter was inside the East Orange home at the time of the shooting.

Higgs, in shackles and suit and tie, continued to maintain his innocence in a cryptic statement to May's family.

"I want y'all to know, I would never hurt Latrena," he said. "Look into the situation. Look into it."

Higgs shot and killed May on the steps of her two-family home on May 1, 2015.

An East Orange Police officer, Det. Kemon Lee, happened to be driving past the house and saw May flag him down.

Prosecutors say Higgs shot her three times as she was heading down the steps of the porch toward Lee.

Lee then shot Higgs four times, wounding him and forcing him into the hallway of the house, where he hid his gun under a bag of rock salt.

Higgs's lawyers said he owned the home where May lived with their daughter, even though he lived in Watchung with a longtime fiance who had several children with him.

Higgs' lawyer, veteran defense attorney Joseph Rem, told the judge, "I have no explanation for what happened," or what motivated his client to go to May's home, armed, that night.

May's sisters were among several friends and family who gave statements during the sentencing. Higgs' mother, Darlene Higgs, recalled how as a child, he stayed by her side in the hospital 40 years ago after she suffered a stroke.

Others testified that Higgs had been a good provider and an active member of the community, and that his positives outweighed his negatives.

Assistant Essex County Prosecutor Justin Edwab sharply disagreed, however, saying Higgs had an extensive record that included three prior domestic assaults, including one against May and two against the other mother of his seven children.

Judge Wigler castigated Higgs for failing to accept what he had done even during his statement at Thursday's hearing. He also seemed to agree with May's sisters about why Higgs shot the mother of his child.

"You weren't willing to let her move on,"Wigler told him.
NEWARK -- Amid the chants and drumming echoing outside the Peter W. Rodino Federal Building on Wednesday, Dulce Gomez thought of her younger brother.

Gomez is one of about 22,000 young undocumented immigrants living in New Jersey granted a temporary protection from deportation under a program known as deferred action for childhood arrivals, or DACA. On Tuesday, the Trump Administration rescinded those protections, leaving Gomez once again vulnerable to deportation.

"My brother is only 13 and he's really aware of the situation. You're supposed to be the older sibling and you don't know how to react," Gomez, 19, said as tears streamed down her face. "He asked me, 'What's going to happen to you?' and it's the hardest question to answer."

About a hundred people gathered in Newark Wednesday vowing to fight for the "Dreamers," the group of young undocumented immigrants who were brought to the U.S. as children by their parents and who were protected under President Obama's deferred action program.

The deferred action program, enacted through executive action, allows undocumented immigrants who came to the U.S. before they were 16 years old and meet certain requirements to obtain a two-year work permit and deferred action from deportation.

"It's devastating news but it's also news that's galvanizing a movement to fight back," Sara Cullinane, state director for Make the Road New Jersey said of DACA's revocation.

Supporters of the Dreamers filled the sidewalk outside the federal immigration building chanting, "I believe that we will win" and temporarily blocking traffic down Broad Street.

U.S. Robert Menendez, D-N.J., also spoke at the rally after leaving his federal corruption trial next door. Menendez calling President Trump's decision "heartless" and a strike against young immigrants who don't know any other home but the U.S.

Advocates called on Congress to extend protections to Dreamers without tying such measures to funding for a border wall or immigration enforcement. Rallies have been held in New York City, in Washington D.C. and elsewhere, with more to come.

According to the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, New Jersey had 22,024 DACA recipients through March 2017. DACA recipients have been able to get jobs, provide for their families, get driver's licenses and no longer fear deportation.

"I'm worried about us being the first targets of deportation and putting my family at risk for it, it's not just me, it's my parents," said Gomez who has worked for Audible and for Essex County Executive Joseph N. DiVincenzo. "My siblings will be alone."

Gomez, of Newark, said she came to the U.S. from Mexico when she was 1 year old. Her siblings are U.S. citizens.

"If you're a dreamer and you're asking yourself what to do, the only answer is to fight back," she said. "This is the only country I know."

Karen Yi may be reached at kyi@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter at @karen_yi or on Facebook.
JERSEY CITY -- A man crossing a Jersey City street while smoking a marijuana cigarette quickly drew the attention of undercover officers who then arrested a man he was with on multiple drug charges Sunday, police said.

Officers saw the man crossing the street with three others at 10:25 p.m. at First and Erie streets and approached them. The man tossed the cigarette but police smelled a strong odor of marijuana a man in the group -- later identified as Rahssan R. Morrison, 37, of Montgomery Street -- the criminal complaint says.

A search revealed Morrison had three bags of suspected marijuana. The officers then received permission to search his home and found two digital scales, numerous small plastic bags, a marijuana grinder, 28 grams of suspected cocaine and 33 grams of suspected marijuana, according to a criminal complaint.

Morrison was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana and cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of each with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property and within 500 feet of public property, according to the document.

He made his first appearance on the charges on Tuesday in Criminal Justice Reform Court in Jersey City via video link from Hudson County jail in Kearny. At the hearing, he was ordered released with conditions of supervision pending trial.

The man believed to be smoking a blunt was taken into custody as part of the investigation Morrison's complaint does not list any charges against him.
FORT MYERS, Fla. (AP)  Survivors of Hurricane Ian face a long emotional road to recover from one of the most damaging storms to hit the U.S. mainland. For those who lost everything to disaster, the anguish can be crushing to return home to find so much gone. Grief can run the gamut from frequent tears to utter despair. The Lee County medical examiner says two men in their 70s even took their own lives a day apart after viewing their losses. Experts say suicides climb after disasters and more funding for mental health should be provided as climate change makes storms and fires more frequent and devastating.
The federal government plans to pour $125 million into the fight against a mysterious disease that has ravaged corals in Florida and much of the Caribbean, and now poses a dire threat to the treasured reefs off the Louisiana and Texas coasts.
The study looks at two smaller-scale projects that are in some ways predecessors to the Mid-Barataria Sediment Diversion, the $2 billion plan to slow land loss erasing Louisiana's coast. Construction on that project could begin as early as next year, while a similar one on the opposite side of the river known as the Mid-Breton Diversion could follow.
Donate your eclipse glasses so kids in South America, Asia can watch the next one
Amber Barr of Council Bluffs is one of hundreds of American Red Cross volunteers from around the country heading for Florida to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma.

While Barr is the first Council Bluffs Red Cross volunteer to be deployed to Florida to help in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, Jill Orton, regional chief executive officer, American Red Cross Kansas/Nebraska/southwest Iowa region, said her region has deployed a record number of more than 70 volunteers to Hurricane Harvey. The Council Bluffs Omaha Metro has currently about 20 volunteers deployed.

Hurricane Irma grew into a dangerous Category 5 storm on Tuesday and showed no signs of losing strength. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma was a potentially catastrophic storm with winds that extend 50 miles from the center.

The center of the storm is expected to cross near Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba and possibly Florida. It could arrive in South Florida this weekend as a Category 4 or 5 storm. The last major hurricane to hit Florida was in 2005.

Barr said she will be flying to a staging area being established in Orlando and then will likely be reassigned to a shelter location elsewhere in Florida. She expects to be in Florida for two weeks, possibly longer.

Although new to volunteering with the Red Cross, Barr is no stranger to travel and volunteer work.

A 2007 Lewis Central High School graduate, Barr enrolled at the University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls where she majored in marketing and advertising, graduating in 2011. During her junior year, she spent six months studying management and marketing in New Castle, Australia, as part of a UNI overseas study program. The Australian experience, she said, was the beginning of her love of travel.

She joined the corporate world after graduating from UNI, working for five years for Sherwin-Williams.

To create more time to travel, she left Sherwin-Williams and went to work for Arbonne, an online supplier of health and wellness products.

You could call me a free spirit. The fact that Arbonne is an online business allows me to work from anywhere  to travel and volunteer until I decide to settle down, Barr said. Though she currently owns a home in Portland, Oregon, shes yet to decide where shell land when the urge to travel and see the world settles down.

Last year, freed from the corporate world, Barr volunteered at a refugee camp in Greece, spent six months backpacking through southeast Asia and another three months backpacking through Europe.

Her volunteer work with the American Red Cross began when Hurricane Harvey thwarted her plans for an extended backpacking trip through Central America.

I was supposed to fly through Houston on Aug. 29, but Hurricane Harvey closed the airport there, Barr said. I wanted to do something to help, so I volunteered with the American Red Cross.

While her plans remain flexible depending on the time she remains in Florida volunteering with the Red Cross, she said the next stop will be volunteering at an orphanage in Guatemala that was started by her employer, Arbonne. She said shell probably be there for a couple of weeks  but thats not carved in stone.

Whats next?

Africa is on the top of my list, Barr said.

Im a free spirit, she said. I like helping people, and I love traveling.
Iowa Western Community College has four uncontested races in Tuesdays school elections, along with a two-way race to for the District 7 seat on the Board of Trustees.

Bryan Jack Holder is challenging incumbent Kirk Madsen for the District 7 seat, which spans several precincts of Council Bluffs within the Council Bluffs Community School District as well as Carter Lake and Lake, Crescent and Hazel Dell Townships, according to the college.

Four incumbents are asking voters to reaffirm their seats as well for Iowa Western Community College, which appears on the ballot as Merged Area XIII:

 Scott Robinson of Atlantic is running for District 4, which covers the area of the Atlantic, CAM, Griswold and Riverside school districts.

 Brent Siegrist of Council Bluffs is running for District 5, which covers several precincts of Council Bluffs within the Council Bluffs Community School District.

 Kathy Rieger of Council Bluffs is running for District 6, which covers several precincts of Council Bluffs within the Council Bluffs Community School District.

 Randy Pash of Harlan is running for District 6, which covers the colleges territory in the AHSTW, Exira-EHK, Harlan, IKM-Manning and Tri-Center school districts.

The Nonpareil has previously reported on the District 7 candidates. The paper spoke with each of the candidates about their desire to continue serving on the board.

Scott Robinson

A retired Air Force Guard pilot, Robinson was first elected to Iowa Westerns board in 1995. He is now retired but works part-time with challenged young people.

I have always been interested in school, learning, teaching and making schools better, he said. This is one way of returning my service back to my country and my state.

Robinson said hes a patriot, and he said state aid fluctuates with the price of corn  which is trending down and squeezing the colleges budget.

It is getting more expensive to operate the school, go to school or to keep up with the new demands to have a successful life, Robinson said. The only way to adjust for state aid going down is to raise tuition.

Brent Siegrist

Serving as the executive director for Iowas Area Education Agencies, along with prior service in the Iowa Legislature, Siegrist brings a unique perspective as a college trustee.

Iowa Western is such a pivotal part of the community, he said. Its a well-run college, its growing and its fun to be part of it.

First appointed to Iowa Westerns board in 2004, Siegrist said funding from the state hasnt kept pace with costs, shifting a larger burden onto students and their families.

Enrollment was way up, and now its dropped and leveled off a little bit, he said. The funding is really the major concern that we all have and that we keep the student debt burden as small as possible.

Cutting programs is the least fun part of the job, he said, but at times it is needed and the college takes a thoughtful approach to evaluations.

Kathy Rieger

The boards newest member, Rieger was approached by board members to step up to fill a vacancy.

The director of the Council Bluffs Public Library, Rieger knows how a board of trustees works with its leader  she has her own board at the library. She said the college is a much bigger operation, but the skills are still transferable.

Governance is one of those things that you learn when you work with a board of trustees, she said.

A member of the board since May, Rieger said shes still learning the ropes. Her background with budgets and setting policies is helpful.

I definitely want to stick with it, she said. I really believe in community college. They really help educate the kind of people that the American workforce needs today.

Her priorities include working to secure adequate funding from state lawmakers, encouraging high school students to enroll in classes and promoting the colleges value.

At a training conference for new trustees across the state, Rieger said she found out how Iowa Western is viewed by other college leaders.

I could tell immediately that Iowa Western is very well-respected by others in the state.

Randy Pash

First elected in 1994, Pash said he wants to continue to share his insight as a long-serving trustee.

There is obviously a lot of good things in process, he said. There are a lot of great things happening there, and I like being a part of it.

Pash highlighted the colleges health care programs  a staple that trains many professionals in southwest Iowa  along with the current emphasis on technology, such as robotics and manufacturing.

There are a lot of jobs out there that require some technical training that people just dont get without a community college, Pash said. When you look at who can provide that for an affordable cost, we can do a great job of that.

Pash said his goals are to work to maintain state funding so the community college can remain affordable and provide access to as many students as possible.
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Council Bluffs Mayor Matt Walsh on Wednesday spoke with pride about whats been happening on this side of the Missouri River.

We need to make the riverfront a destination and were well on the way on our side, he said. We have a park and new developments. I think what Council Bluffs has done on its side has made Omaha take notice to activate their side.

Nevertheless, to the north and south of the Tom Hanafans Rivers Edge Park that Walsh referred to are wooden areas that could see some improvements for public use, he said. And, there are opportunities for more revitalization on the Omaha side, he added.

With that in mind, a meeting is being held on Monday in which the public can offer input on future plans for the Council Bluffs/Omaha riverfront. The mayors of both communities, along with a group of community leaders have been working together with other government officials and stakeholders to improve both sides of the river.

A nationally-known firm, OJB Landscape Architecture has been hired to develop a master plan in and around Gene Leahy Mall, Heartland of America Park and Lewis and Clark Landing in Omaha, and the Rivers Edge from north of Hanafan Park to the Union Pacific Bridge in Council Bluffs, according to Walsh.

Its a three-mile stretch of the riverfront, he said.

The meeting will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Holland Performing Arts Center in downtown Omaha. A formal presentation on riverfront possibilities will be held at 6:30 p.m. Paid on-street and free garage parking will be available at 13th and Capitol Streets near the venue. The Holland Center may also be reached through the metro bus system.

Attendees will be provided an overview of opportunities and constraints within the project area and be asked for their input. The ideas generated will inform the project team regarding preferences, priorities and concerns. For those unable to attend in person, all meeting information will be available following the meeting, online at RiverfrontRevitalization.com.

Additional open houses will be held as the plan is developed over the next six months. The study is being privately funded by the nonprofit Downtown Riverfront Trust LLC.
An Omaha man suffered serious injuries Thursday morning after police said he was hit by a vehicle while collecting trash.

Council Bluffs police and emergency personnel were sent to the 3800 block of Avenue G at about 7:30 a.m. According to reports, Mario Rodrigues, who works for Red River Waste Solutions, was struck by a car while he was emptying a canister into a garbage truck.

The Council Bluffs driver of the vehicle, who was driving eastbound when police say she struck Rodrigues, told authorities she was blinded by the sun and was putting down her visor when the collision happened.

Rodrigues was trapped between the two vehicles for a short time. He suffered leg injuries and was transported to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha. His condition was unavailable Thursday morning.

Rodrigues was wearing his required reflective vest at the time of the accident, police said, and the garbage trucks lights were flashing. The woman was cited for failure to maintain assured cleared distance.
On Aug. 21, as the region prepared for the total solar eclipse, Judge Donald Rowlands held a special Lincoln County District Court motion date outside of the years schedule, after time away from work earlier this summer.

About half of the docket  less than one page long, compared with a typical motion days docket that fills up to three pages  consisted of defendants who violated their post-release supervision, Lincoln County Attorney Rebecca Harling said later.

The numbers were nothing new after a summer of frustrations, often expressed in open court both by judges and the county attorney.

In 2015, Legislative Bill 605 aimed to reduce prison populations by reducing sentences for the lowest classifications of felonies. Becoming law on Aug. 31 that year, it sent those felons to probation or jail instead of prison, with mandatory post-release supervision after a jail sentence.

After being found guilty of a crime, defendants are either sentenced the same day or receive a pre-sentence investigation. The PSI may show that a defendant does not want probation.

Because you dont want to stop using, Harling said, or you dont want someone telling you what to do.

She added that other defendants dont qualify for probation, because they have numerous past convictions or are deemed at high risk to reoffend.

But after serving jail time, defendants receive mandatory probation anyway and have violated it in droves, Harling said.

There are three ways to violate your post-release supervision as a defendant: if you cant be found for 14 days, if you commit a new law violation, or if you have up to 90 days of other violations such as failing to show up for treatment or meetings.

The problem is, Harling said, youre putting people on PRS who dont want it, who are going to violate pretty quickly. So youre jailing them twice, really, and youre clogging the system.

Harling gave the example of a man who was sentenced to 300 days in jail for a 3A felony. His mandatory nine months of post-release supervision began June 10. On June 11, he was arrested for trespassing and was resentenced to 269 more days.

This guy did 569 days on a 3A felony, Harling said.

Later, a woman was sentenced to 300 days in jail, and within a month of her release was arrested for shoplifting and tested positive for methamphetamine. The new law violation meant the woman was no longer able to go to treatment. She was resentenced to 329 more days.

The longest time a person can spend in a Nebraska county jail for one sentence is one year.

Harling acknowledged that without mandatory supervision, defendants may commit the crimes after jail anyway, without the accountability.

Do I want people who are putting people at risk incarcerated for putting people at risk? Yeah, she said. Still, she said, double prosecuting doesnt feel all that good.

Rowlands agreed, saying he hopes the Nebraska Legislature changes the mandatory post-release supervision in upcoming sessions. Rowlands would like post-release supervision for lower-level felonies to be discretionary, leaving the option to impose it in the judges hands.

Rowlands said he and District Judge Richard Birch often meet with state senators, and he hopes to bring up the issue to North Platte state Sen. Mike Groene ahead of the 2017 legislative session.
LINCOLN  The Port of San Diegos police chief has been named the new superintendent of the Nebraska State Patrol, an agency reeling from the firing of its top commander and a federal investigation into possible mishandling of internal investigations.

Gov. Pete Ricketts announced today he had selected Harbor Police Department Chief John A. Bolduc as the new colonel at the State Patrol.

Bolduc will replace former Col. Brad Rice, whom Ricketts appointed two years ago but fired June 30 after learning of possible improprieties in the agency.

Bolduc most recently led the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego, a department of 141 sworn officers and 25 civilians who provide law enforcement and marine firefighting services on San Diego Bay, at San Diego International Airport and along the tidelands within the Port of San Diegos jurisdiction. He has held that position since 2010.

He spent the previous 23 years in various law enforcement positions in Minnesota. He worked as chief of the cities of Brainerd and Mora for almost 13 years and also worked in patrol, investigations, training and tactical operations in the Twin Cities area, according to the Port of San Diego website.

In introducing Bolduc, Ricketts noted the extensive search process that involved a committee of four law enforcement officials from across the state and a wide search.

He praised Bolduc's background in improving groups.

"He has a lot of experience in working with organizations to improve how they operate," Ricketts said.

Ricketts said the committee was looking for somebody with the right law enforcement experience, "unimpeachable integrity" and experience making organizational changes.

Bolduc said he looked forward to "overcoming past challenges."

State Patrol troopers, he said, "want and deserve quality leadership."

"I will give my all," he said to ensure that quality leadership.

Bolduc holds a bachelors degree from Bemidji State University in Minnesota. He is also a graduate of the FBI National Academy.

He and his wife, Dawn, have two grown children. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, fishing and other outdoor activities.
The Revenue and Appropriations Committees met last month to hear the Revenue Departments annual report on Nebraskas tax incentive programs.

The cost to the states tax receipts was over $295 million in 2016.

The breakdown of tax credits for the two major programs, the Advantage Act and LB 775, is:

 Corporate income tax: $115 million (to put that number in perspective, the state only collected $235 million in corporate income taxes)

 Individual income tax : $10.4 million

 Employee income tax withholdings: $22 million

 State sales taxes: $59 million

 Another unreported $16 million in local sales taxes was given away.

The Advantage Act will sunset in 2020; there is movement in the Legislature to examine the cost-benefit of the incentive program. The economic advantage of the program leans heavily to eastern Nebraska, where the jobs, retail sales and property tax growth occur. Meanwhile, rural taxpayers help absorb the lost state revenue without economic benefits.

We were also briefed by the Department of Economic Development on Nebraska being one of 15 states under consideration for a Toyota-Mazda auto manufacturing plant.

Requirements for the project include availability of more than 1,500 acres of land with major rail services, four-lane highways, competitive-available electric power and a reliable workforce of 200,000 within a 60 mile-radius of the plant.

I pointed out to the director of DED that Lincoln County had plenty of open land, was the site of the largest freight classification railyard in the world, had Interstate 80 and a soon-to-be-expanded U.S. Highway 83; plus we have the underutilized Gerald Gentleman power plant  one of the most efficient and reliable sources of electricity in the nation. We also have a solid work ethic. History of free market activity shows that workers will migrate to jobs and that the infrastructure of housing and government services will follow.

She made it obvious the plant was going to be pursued for eastern Nebraska. I made it clear that rural Nebraska needs to be included in the discussions.

It is ironic that urban areas of the state have not been willing to help the economy of rural Nebraska by addressing high property taxes but assume we will jump on the bandwagon of new tax incentives that focus on urban growth. The odds of landing the Mazda-Toyota plant are small, but it is worth a try. Lincoln County would be a good location.

A couple of closing comments on the informative LB 98 property tax debate we are having with the North Platte Natural Resources District management. On one side of the issue stands the NPNRD with the highest property tax rate ($0.063545 per $100 of taxable valuation) of the states 23 NRDs, and on the other side stands my belief of fiscally responsible government. Local control starts and ends with legislation enacted by the Unicameral. The Legislature gave for a period of time the levy authority in question; it is set to sunset next year. The Legislature has since given NRDs the authority to assess up to a $10-per-acre occupation tax on irrigated land. NPNRD has yet to use their local control to assess the occupation tax to address their overuse of groundwater. It was a local control decision by the NPNRD that accentuated the problem when they allowed a massive increase in well permits in 2003 in anticipation of enactment of LB 962. When the results of those local decisions came home to roost, they disingenuously attempted to blame state and federal governments for their problem.

There are ways to alleviate the problem by using tax dollars wisely. For example, I introduced LB 488, which would have created a voluntary program for land owners to choose to farm irrigated land as dry land for one year. This new local control tool was opposed by the NRDs. Unlike NPNRDs program to pay excessive and panicked prices to land owners for their water allotments to permanently retire irrigated acres, LB 488 would keep irrigated acres in production long-term.

I will continue to fight for property tax relief by opposing LB 98.

Contact us: mgroene@leg.ne.gov or 402-471-2729.
Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) and McDonald's (NYSE: MCD) are two of the most renowned dividend stocks, with dividend histories stretching back decades. But which consumer goods juggernaut is the better bet for the next 10 years?

Dividend history

Both Coca-Cola and McDonald's have outstanding dividend track records, but Coca-Cola's dividend history tops McDonald's.

Coca-Cola has paid a quarterly dividend since 1920, and has increased its dividend every year for the past 55 years. This beats McDonald's, which has raised its dividend every year since initiating its first dividend in 1976.

Coca-Cola also outperforms McDonald's when it comes to more recent dividend history. Over the past three years, Coca-Cola's dividend increased each year by an average rate of 6.7%. During this same period, McDonald's average increase was 5.1%. Similarly, Coca-Cola's most recent dividend hike of 5.7% was higher than McDonald's increase of 5.6%.

Dividend yield

As recently as a few years ago, McDonald's dividend yield was regularly higher than Coca-Cola's. But as McDonald's stock surged 70% higher in the past three years while Coca-Cola's only climbed about 10%, McDonald's dividend yield has subsequently fallen well below Coca-Cola's.

McDonald's currently has a dividend yield of about 2.4%. This compares to Coca-Cola's tastier dividend yield of about 3.1%.

Coca-Cola is the clear winner when it comes to dividend yield.

Dividend quality

Of course, investors should be sure to look beyond a dividend's yield to judge how good it is. Investors should also be interested in a dividend's sustainability and growth potential.

As far as sustainability goes, both Coca-Cola and McDonald's annual dividend payments are far enough below free cash flow to be sustainable. Coca-Cola paid out 73% of its trailing-12-month free cash flow in dividends and McDonald's dished out 77% of free cash flow during the same period.

But McDonald's business seems to be performing better recently, helping explain the company's rising stock price. McDonald's adjusted trailing-12-month EPS is up about 16% while Coca-Cola's is down 3% during the same period. Given these trends, McDonald's dividend could see more growth than Coca-Cola's thanks to the company's better-performing bottom line. Of course, any dividend growth outperformance for McDonald's in the near term would likely only be slight given Coca-Cola's advantage of currently paying out a smaller portion of free cash flow.

Considering Coca-Cola's greater wiggle room for its dividend payments and McDonald's recent impressive bottom-line growth, it's a tough call to say which company has a higher-quality dividend. But considering how important earnings-per-share growth is to both a dividend's sustainability and its future growth potential, McDonald's dividend looks slightly more attractive when it comes to quality.

So, which stock is ultimately the better bet for dividend investors? Thanks to a meaningfully higher dividend yield, more free cash flow wiggle room for dividend increases, and greater dividend growth in recent years, I'd bet on Coca-Cola stock over McDonald's. McDonald's is a great dividend stock, but its 70% surge in the past three years has suppressed its dividend yield too low to compete with Coca-Cola.

Editor's note: A previous version of this article contained incorrect EPS figures, which have been amended. The Fool regrets the error.

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The hair care industry plans to gather next month in Schererville at The Crossroads Barber and Beauty Expo.

The exposition, staged by Team Barber Indiana, is open to the public and will take place between 2 and 10 p.m. Oct. 1 at the Patrician Event Center, 410 U.S. 30 in Schererville. An educational class for professional hair stylists also will be offered from 9:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Rachel Langford, Ivan Zoot, Rob the Original, Bryan K. Bullock, Wallace Lee Barlow and Miguel Rosas will appear at the expo. It will include hands-on demonstrations and barber competitions such as for best fade, kid's total look, freestyle design and glamour makeup.

"The expo is Indiana's largest hair care event in our state," organizer Eric Hanspard said.

The long list of sponsors includes barber shops throughout the state, including Jerrell's Barber Shop in Fort Wayne and the Cutting Cafe Barbershop in Hammond.

Tickets range from $30 for the general public to $135 for barbers or cosmetologists who also want to attend the class. The expo also is still looking for vendors.

For more information or to buy tickets, visit http://teambarberindiana.com/ or visit 219-512-3424.
Carol Estes, co-curator of Michigan Citys Southern Shore Art Associations Lyrical Suites, hopes that the photographs that make up her exhibit put a song in its viewers heads.

Or vice versa.

Out of the human senses, sights and sound will trigger memories, and memories and music are tied in together, she said. There are many times where we will take a picture and we have this personal connection where it will resound and connect. And that's where we tie that in and are able to have other people experience that.

Suites is Southern Shore Art Associations annual photography exhibit. More than a dozen photographers from Indiana, Michigan and Illinois contributed original works for the exhibit.

Last fall, Estes helped put together Southern Shores Memories Evoked, which encouraged both the photographers and exhibit-goers to interpret the word memory in their own way for each piece.

For Suites, the artists are considering songs with their pieces.

It's where the photographer ties in an idea out of the photo that puts something together that speaks to them. Its not random, Estes said. "We're taking snippets of the images and the imagery in the story and the picture, and how personally as photographers we can see songs in our head that connect with the things we shoot.

More than three dozen photographs make up Southern Shores Suites.

Sometimes a voice or a sound takes you to a song or a phrase in a lyric, Estes said. What we're doing is expanding the senses to sight.

Lyrical Suites is scheduled to run at Southern Shore Art Association through Oct. 1. Southern Shores gallery is open noon to 5 p.m. Friday through Sunday.

Southern Shores next exhibit, La Nouvelle Femme, is scheduled to open Oct. 6.
Some local educators are disappointed with the results of the latest ISTEP (Indiana Statewide Testing for Educational Progress)-Plus exam released to the public Wednesday afternoon.

The Indiana Department of Education released the results of the test showing the scores flatlined between 2017 and 2016; some local schools showed a dip at some grade levels, while other schools managed to maintain their scores.

The test assesses English/language arts and math for students in grades three through eight and 10; science in grades four, six and 10; and social studies in grades five and seven.

Statewide, 60.7 percent of the students in grade 10 passed the tests this year compared with 59 percent in 2016, a slight increase. In grades three through eight, 65.2 percent of the students passed both sections of the test; last year, 66.1 percent of the students passed.

In the Gary Community School Corp. only 16.8 percent of the students in grades three through eight who took the test passed both the English/language arts and math sections. In the Crown Point Community School Corp. that number was 67.6 percent; MSD of Boone Township (Hebron), 59.8 percent; Michigan City Area Schools, 37.4 percent; and the School Town of Highland, 54.3 percent.

Highland schools Superintendent Brian Smith said there seems to be a "huge disconnect" between the exam and what students are learning.

"The 38.9 percent passage for our students in grade 10 was low for us. Our ACT and SAT scores are just as high as they've always been, but the results of this latest ISTEP exam are low and that's all over the state," he said Wednesday.

"Even the state average is low. It's just crazy," Smith said. "It was a totally different test and it was a very difficult test. That's why you're hearing such an outcry from superintendents across the state who are questioning this test."

Lake Central schools Superintendent Larry Veracco declined to comment saying he needs to review the results.

Questions raised

Kevin Teasley, president/founder of Indianapolis-based GEO Foundation that operates the 21st Century Charter School in Gary and Gary Middle College, said he questions the test and the results.

"We do internal testing and we use NWEA (Northwest Evaluation Association) and the results of those tests led us to believe we would have a much better result from ISTEP than what we had," he said. "I question the validity of the results. It's very, very frustrating. It was a new test and teachers had very little time to prepare for it. I think the last four or five years of testing in Indiana has done more harm than good for students."

Michigan City Area Schools Superintendent Barbara Eason-Watkins said, "Like many schools across Indiana, MCAS did not see increases in ISTEP scores last spring, as we had hoped. We will closely examine ISTEP results for each student, along with other data that helps us monitor their academic growth and achievement. Were optimistic that a new math curriculum adopted last year, additional assessments throughout the school year to ensure students are on track, and added professional training for our teachers will help us see a larger increase in scores next spring."

Three years, three different tests

Hebron schools Superintendent Nathan Kleefisch said the results of the ISTEP-Plus test, on average for the district, remained the same as last year. This year, 59.8 percent of all students in grades three through eight passed both sections of the test and 35 percent of all students in grade 10 passed the exam.

"There were areas in which our students showed some improvement, and there were areas where our students lost ground when compared to previous ISTEP test scores," he said.

"Many factors resulting from previous ISTEP testing such as the time that it has taken to receive the results, the countless errors found in the scoring and the discrepancies between the paper/pencil versus the computer version of the test have caused many teachers to lose confidence in the ISTEP results," Kleefisch said.

State leaders said this year's state-mandated exam assessed more rigorous Indiana Academic Standards adopted in 2014 for English/language arts and mathematics. The state has given students three different assessments in the last three school years, meaning teachers had to prepare students for three different tests in each of those years.

IDOE spokesman Adam Baker said, "If you look at the numbers statewide, they have pretty much flatlined the past three years. What we would say is from our assessment office to accountability to school improvement and down to our transportation division, we are always available and will provide whatever support is needed to work towards improvement."

The last time the ISTEP-Plus test will be offered will be in the spring of 2018, and the department will be working toward the transition to ILEARN in 2018-19. ILEARN will assess the same Indiana Academic Standards as ISTEP-Plus.
Editor's note: Charges against Andre D. Johnson, 39, were dismissed Sept. 14 after he was inadvertently charged because of distinct similarities between him and his son, Hobart police said. Andre D. Johnson Jr., 20, was charged Sept. 14 in connection with this robbery.

HOBART  Two men dressed in women's clothing fought with security officers and escaped last month during a robbery at a department store at Southlake Mall, police said.

Andre D. Johnson, 39, and Darius A. Sims Jr., 22, each face two felony counts of robbery resulting in bodily injury, two counts of robbery and one count of misdemeanor theft, Lake Criminal Court records show.

Security officers at the Macy's store in Hobart noticed Johnson and Sims concealing items in their bags Aug. 20 and began video surveillance, court records say.

Security officers attempted to stop Sims and Johnson after they left the store, but the two wrestled with the officers, records say. Johnson punched a female security officer in the eye, and he and Sims fled in Sims' silver 2010 Hyundai Elantra, police said.

Detective Lt. James Gonzales said he was able to identify the pair after receiving tips about surveillance photos released to the media. Gonzales contacted Sims, who admitted to taking items from the store, struggling with a security officer and fleeing in his car, court records said.

Items taken included Polo brand underwear, T-shirts and socks totaling about $248, records say. Sims allegedly told police he left them in a dumpster in Lansing after the confrontation with security officers, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Johnson and Sims were not in custody as of Wednesday night. They are known to frequent the area of 822 174th Ave. in Hammond and the 5400 block of Mary Ann Lane in Merrillville, police said. Sims' silver Hyundai Elantra has Indiana plate number 207MIY, police said.

Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to call police.
EAST CHICAGO  The FBI is asking anyone with information about Wednesday's explosion at the U.S. post office that injured one person to call the federal agency.

The FBI can be reached at 800-225-5324 or via email at www.fbi.gov/tips.

The East Chicago post office at 901 E. Chicago Ave. was open for business the morning after an explosion, officials said. The explosion occurred inside the building, injuring one postal worker.

There was no disruption in mail service, and the single pipe bomb did not cause damage to the building, U.S. Postal Inspector Mary Johnson said in a statement.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the explosion, which was reported about 6 p.m. Wednesday, Fire Chief Anthony Serna said.

East Chicago firefighters remained at the post office until 12:05 a.m. Thursday, Serna said.

The female postal worker was transported to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago with minor injuries, according to the FBI.

Investigators were working to determine a motive and identify suspects, but there were no ongoing public safety concerns, FBI spokeswoman Chris Bavender said.

The FBI always considers whether an attack on a federal building could be an act of domestic or international terrorism, Bavender said.

The investigation still is in the early stages and that determination has not yet been made, she said.

The U.S. Postal Inspection Service; U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosions; Indiana State Police; Indiana fire marshal's office; East Chicago Police and Fire departments; Porter County Sheriff's Department bomb squad; Lake County Sheriff's Department; Hammond Police Department; and Crown Point Police Department assisted at the scene or are helping with the ongoing investigation, officials said.

An ATF spokeswoman confirmed agents from the bureau's Chicago field office responded to East Chicago, but referred all other questions to the FBI.

East Chicago Avenue between Melville Avenue and Huish Drive was closed to traffic during the investigation.

In a statement issued Thursday, the FBI reminded the public to immediately call 911 if they receive a suspicious package or mailing and also contact their local FBI office, as well as the U.S. Postal Inspection Service at 1-877-876-2455.
CROWN POINT The former "mayor" of south Lake County would now like to be the whole county's sheriff.

Gerry Scheub, who served two decades as county commissioner of Lake's suburban and rural areas, filed Wednesday to fill a vacancy left by the departure of former sheriff John Buncich.

A U.S. District Court jury convicted Buncich on Aug. 24 of bribery, wire fraud and honest services wire fraud after a 14-day trial.

Scheub, 81, a Crown Point Democrat, is asking for the support of more than 500 precinct committee members who are being called to gather at the Lake County Government Center on Sept. 16 to name someone to fill the remaining 15 months left in Buncich's term of office.

Scheub's political career includes more than 20 political victories dating back to his years as St. John Township trustee from 1975 to 1994. He was county commissioner for the county's south suburban and rural areas from 1996 until his defeat last year by Schererville Republican Jerry Tippy.

As commissioner, Scheub used to say he functioned as the mayor of unincorporated rural areas by ensuring roads were plowed in the winter, repaved in the summer and sand bags were available during spring floods.

Scheub first signaled his interest in the job last January when he called on then Sheriff John Buncich to step aside for a "retired administrative person" in a letter to Democratic Party leaders.

Others who have filed for sheriff include: Schererville Police Chief David Dowling, Lake County Deputy Police Chief Daniel Murchek, retired San Diego Harbor police Lt. Todd Rakos, of Munster; and Lake County sheriff's Cpl. Maria Trajkovich, retired federal law enforcement agent Richard Ligon and Gary landlord Jim Nowacki.
CROWN POINT  Lake County government elected officials and department heads want more of everything in the coming year.

Dozens of administrators appeared Wednesday before the Lake County Council requesting $21 million in additional property tax revenues for salary increases, additional money for outside professional services and office supplies over this year's spending goals of $129 million.

Council members listened for more than five hours with few questions or comment.

It is the first step of a state-mandated process that gives those authorized to spend taxpayer money their day to make their petitions for 2018.

It will be the council's job to whittle down this wish list, beginning today with the first of 10 scheduled workshop meetings. They could take a final vote on a proposed budget by Oct. 10 and submit it to the Indiana Department of Local Government Finance for its approval before tax rates are set next year.

County Clerk Mike A. Brown, Recorder Mike B. Brown, Prosecutor Bernard A. Carter, Coroner Merrilee Frey and County Assessor Jerome Prince didn't ask for salary increases for themselves.

Nor did anyone request a pay hike for whoever will be named county sheriff later this month in the wake of former sheriff John Buncich's conviction.

But the council did receive pay hike requests ranging from 3 percent for the sheriff's and prosecutor's support staff to 27 percent for some deputy recorders.

Carter said he is asking the council to free up money for his deputy prosecutors. "Some of them have doctorate degrees and student loan debts. If we don't pay them more they will leave," Carter said.

Surveyor Bill Emerson didn't ask for a pay raise for himself, after receiving a $30,000 boost in his base salary for earning a license in professional engineering. He is asking for raises for seven of his 12 employees of between 5 and 17 percent.

County Auditor John Petalas is requesting a 3 percent increase for himself and his staff. Petalas said he expects the county to save $600,000 next year in debt repayment.

County Treasurer Peggy Katona and Elections Director Michelle Fajman requested 5 percent raises for themselves and their staffs.

The council froze public salaries and reduced the county government's payroll between 2007 to 2013 when property tax revenues shrank. The economy's recovery and a local income tax has generated enough money to grant a 3 percent across-the-board raise for full-time employees in 2014 and again for this year.

The council is still being sued by many of the county's judges who want to mandate the payment of thousands of dollars in raises for each of more than 350 secretaries, bailiffs, office managers, stenographers and other court administrators.
INDIANAPOLIS  Hoosier lawmakers appear keen to do something to eliminate Indiana food deserts, but a legislative study committee has discovered there may not be any quick or easy solutions.

A food desert is defined by the federal government as an area where at least 20 percent of residents are in poverty and a third live at least a mile away from a supermarket if it's an urban neighborhood, or more than 10 miles away in rural areas.

Large swaths of northern Lake and LaPorte counties already are classified as food deserts. More Region census tracts are likely to qualify once federal data is updated to reflect the recent closure and consolidation of numerous Northwest Indiana grocery stores.

Earlier this year, the Indiana Senate voted 42-7 for the state to provide grants and loans to new and existing businesses that agree to sell fresh produce and other healthy foods to Hoosiers living in food deserts.

However, Senate Bill 277 died in the House Ways and Means Committee, as similar efforts have in prior years, due to an unwillingness to appropriate the required funds.

Several experts testifying Wednesday to the General Assembly's Interim Study Committee on Government said the failure to approve retailer subsidies is not necessarily a bad thing, since the state should instead be taking a holistic approach to food security.

For example, expanding access to public transportation would put more grocery stores in reach for food desert residents while potentially pulling them out of poverty by making now-distant employment opportunities obtainable.

Increasing state support for food banks and farmer's markets also was suggested as a way to get fresh produce into food deserts without relying on traditional grocers.

In addition, lawmakers were urged to go beyond merely making healthy food available by funding community programs that teach Hoosiers why and how to cook foods they may never have previously encountered.

The committee chairman, state Sen. John Ruckelshaus, R-Indianapolis, said the panel will digest those suggestions over the coming weeks and meet again Oct. 4 to decide whether to recommend any of them for action by the 2018 General Assembly.
EAST CHICAGO  The FBI is leading an investigation into Wednesday's explosion inside a U.S. post office building that sent one postal worker to the hospital.

The female employee was transported to St. Catherine Hospital in East Chicago, according to FBI Special Agent Bob Ramsey.

She suffered minor injuries according to an official on scene.

Federal agents, along with local law enforcement and firefighters, were on scene at the federal building, 901 E. Chicago Ave., according to the city's fire chief, Anthony Serna.

A re official at the scene confirmed there was at least one explosive device.

The Porter County's bomb squad was on scene with a bomb disposal robot.

At least two bomb-sniffing dogs with the Lake County Sheriff's Department were on the scene as well.

The fire department received the call of a possible explosion at 5:59 p.m., Serna said. At least one employee was inside the building at the time of the explosion.

About 8:30 p.m., bomb squad officials could be seen huddled outside the post office building. As of press time, no official had yet entered the building.

Agents from the FBI and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were on the scene.

East Chicago Avenue between Melville Avenue and Huish Drive was closed to traffic during the investigation.

A police spokeswoman did not immediately return a call from The Times.
PORTAGE  Officials here are clamping down on the use of take-home vehicles by city employees and elected officials.

The City Council this week passed an ordinance, on a 6-1 vote, establishing rules and regulations for the use of city vehicles. In addition, they introduced a companion ordinance regulating travel by city officials and reimbursement of travel expenses.

The travel ordinance stalled after councilman John Cannon, R-4th, voted against suspending the rules, which would have allowed the ordinance's adoption on its first reading.

Cannon said he delayed action on the travel ordinance and voted against the take-home vehicle ordinance after Council President Mark Oprisko, D-at-large, offered several amendments to the take-home vehicle ordinance at the council meeting. Cannon said the take-home vehicle ordinance, including its amendments, was not the same ordinance agreed upon at a committee meeting, and he didn't want last-minute amendments introduced into the travel ordinance without further review.

"The amendments eliminate the executive branch, which was not the intent at the ordinance committee," Cannon said following the adoption of the take-home vehicle ordinance.

That ordinance will require the mayor to submit a list of take-home vehicles to the council by Jan. 1 of each year for council approval. It also tightens up regulations as to when and where city employees and elected officials can use city-owned vehicles.

Oprisko introduced five amendments to the ordinance, including restricting take-home vehicles to employees who live within the city limits. The exceptions are some police and fire vehicles. The amendments also give the council president the power to strip the use of a take-home vehicle from any employee deemed misusing the privilege and gives the council approval powers for any city vehicle used for overnight or out-of-town travel.

The travel ordinance, said Clerk-treasurer Chris Stidham, tightens up a previous ordinance, including adding language that prohibits officials from using police as security details.

Stidham said the ordinances came under review several months ago following criticisms of Mayor James Snyder's use of a city vehicle, expense reimbursement requests and use of Portage police as security in January during a trip with his family to the inauguration of President Donald Trump in Washington D.C.
SEOUL  Donald Trump doesnt get it. He warns South Korea about appeasement, but whos appeasing whom?

Yes, President Moon Jae-in, hero of the candlelight protests that lofted him as the liberal darling into the presidency after the ouster of the conservative Park Geun-hye, would love to go down in history as the one who brought about reconciliation on this conflicted peninsula.

No, thats not going to happen any time soon, much to the chagrin of some of the ideologues and idealists counting on him to say yes to just about anything North Korea wants.

Confounding many of his more left-leaning followers, Moon is talking as tough as the conservatives who ruled for nearly 10 years until Parks downfall. Hes chatting with the hated Japanese, and hes vowing no more advances in North Korean technology for fixing a missile capable of delivering a warhead to the United States.

Hes also calling for strengthening the South Korean armed forces.

What do a legion of progressives have to say about their hero now?

With 72 percent of South Korean voters still enthusiastic about him, Moon advocates say hes trying to have it both ways  talking tough to the north while hoping Kim Jong-un will calm down enough to make a deal with the south.

Trouble is, Trump, the ultimate wheeler-dealer, seems unwilling to make a deal that will satisfy the Moon government, much less the North Koreans.

Having spoken on the phone with Japans Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, Moon did get Trump on the line to agree, sure, South Korea should develop a missile thats twice as powerful as the Hyunmoo in the souths inventory.

But did they get around to the Korea-U.S. Free Trade Agreement, KORUS, that Trump would jettison along with all the other unfair deals of his predecessors?

Just as Moon is standing tough on North Korea, hes not bowing to the United States on trade.

One good sign is that U.S. officials, keenly aware of Korean sensitivities, while not openly deriding Trumps appeasement tweet, dissociate themselves with off-record comments like, You know how he is  he doesnt always mean what he says  dont take him literally.

Beneath the level of the White House and the Blue House, South Korean diplomats and officials at the unification ministry, responsible for carrying out policy with the north, are busy coordinating in Washington and other capitals from Tokyo to London. The goal is to line everyone up against North Korea.

Nobody seriously believes, of course, that Kim Jong-un might abandon his program for turning North Korea into a nuclear power. But what about that red line that Moon said North Korea must not cross? Its far from clear exactly where that line is.

Such talk leaves one wild card, namely the Trumpster himself. On the streets of Seoul, no one quite trusts him not to take matters in his own hands and fire away.

Is Trump fully aware that North Korea might gain revenge by pouring conventional, old-fashioned artillery shells over the northern tier of South Korea, including Seoul and the industrial port city of Incheon?

What South Koreans want, though, is often about as unclear as what Trump will do.
Fraud in its many varieties should be slapped with the heavy hand of state and federal law. Period.

It's the message government regulators and law enforcement must heed if businesses  especially in our crucial construction trades  are to compete on a level playing field.

The problem was detailed in Times business reporter Andrew Steele's front-page Sunday article.

To secure a significant competitive advantage, some building firms are classifying workers as independent contractors rather than as employees  even though many of these workers meet the definition of employees under federal law.

Unscrupulous businesses misclassify employees to circumvent payroll taxes, worker's compensation and unemployment insurance premiums.

It's bad enough that firms engaging in this practice bilk our government of tens of millions of dollars every year.

It's also giving cheaters an unfair advantage over law-abiding firms.

It's a problem throughout our country, and Northwest Indiana is no exception.

The Region carpenters union recently succeeded in filing a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board regarding a LaPorte hotel construction project.

The complaint resulted in a settlement requiring the contractor to reclassify its workers as employees and to inform those employees of various federal rights.

Though it marked a victory against a bad business practice, local unions concluded the consequences for the business were a slap on the wrist.

Misclassification of employees often is referred to as payroll fraud.

In our state and federal court system, evidence of fraud leads to criminal charges, and those found guilty face prison and fines.

Serious consequences must be brought to bear in cases of payroll fraud, or unscrupulous companies will continue to use it for unfair competitive advantages.

It's not just a union issue. Employee misclassification hurts union and non-union firms that obey the law.

What message is sent to law-abiding firms if cheating businesses face little to no consequence for committing payroll fraud?

Doing little or nothing equates to tacit approval of the unfair practices  no doubt, leading to more fraud, lost revenue and Wild West business tactics.
The Dillinger museum in Crown Point was not going to be a success simply because it was named after a criminal/killer who had murdered an East Chicago policeman.

Despite what some people stated  that the museum was really about "crime doesn't pay"  it was still named after Dillinger, thus giving him an honor that he does not deserve.

What we do need is a museum named in honor of Eliot Ness and his team of special federal agents, known to the world as "The Untouchables," because they never accepted a bribe from the Capone mob. These Prohibition agents spent their time raiding Capone's illegal operations and fighting his gang daily on the streets of Chicago during the early 1930s.

Now this would be one heck of a museum for Lake County, the nation and the world.

Roger Borroel, East Chicago
The NYPD fatally shot a man in the Bronx on Wednesday afternoon in the first police-involved shooting in the city that body cameras captured, according to police officials.



Police said they were called to a home on Pratt Ave. near Conner St. in Edenwald around 4 p.m.

They said the landlord was concerned about one of his tenants, so he called police to perform a wellness check.

When they arrived at his apartment, according to officials, a 31-year-old man confronted them, brandishing a knife in one hand, with the other hand behind his back.

Police said the officers told the man to drop the knife, and the man showed what appeared to be gun.



The responding officers asked the man if the gun was real and ordered him to drop it, but he raised it in the direction of the officers, the NYPD said.



One officer then fired a taser as two other officers shot the 31-year-old man, hitting him several times, police said.

According to officials, the man later died. It was later determined that he was holding a fake pistol.

The NYPD Chief of Department Carlos Gomez said the police commissioner will consult with the Bronx district attorney before officials release the footage.

No officers were reported injured.
NEW YORK - A well-known piece of art has come back to the World Trade Center site.

The Koenig Sphere was unveiled in Liberty Park Wednesday morning.

The 25-foot globe used to stand between the Twin Towers, and was buried in rubble during the terror attacks.

It was uncovered and moved to Battery Park in 2002, but the Port Authority has moved it back to its old location - creating some mixed feelings.

"I'm a little ambivalent about it to tell you the truth," said one passerby. "Because I was here. I went through it. It's beautiful in its own way, but it's an interesting thing to walk past in the morning."

"I think it's appropriate. I think we need to remember what happened on that awful day, and so I'm glad they put it there," noted another observer.

The sphere was created by German artist Fritz Koenig to symbolize world peace.

He died this past February.
Record Number of Black Candidates Seeking History During Midterm Elections

While some already are household names like Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Val Demings in Florida, and Anthony Brown in Maryland, others like Natalie James in Arkansas, Will Boyd in Alabama,...

Tell the Supreme Court: We Still Need Affirmative Action

One of the great joys of my life is teaching. Im fortunate to teach classes on social justice at the University of Pennsylvania, one of the most respected schools in...
Last Friday, Muslims celebrated Eid al-Adha (the feast of sacrificing), the second of the two annual Islamic holy days. The first is Eid al-Fitri which comes at the end of Ramadan.

Unlike Eid al-Fitri, festivities to mark Eid-al-Adha last three days, the 10th to 12th of Dhul-Hijja, the last month of the Islamic calendar. During that time, Muslims are encouraged to slaughter a lamb, goat, cow or camel in commemoration of Prophet Ibrahims willingness to sacrifice his son. Ibrahim is revered as the founder of Islamic monotheism.

His story is greatly associated with Hajj (annual pilgrimage to Mecca) and every act of the Hajj is reminiscent of the story of Ibrahim, his wife Hajara and son Ismail.

Muslims celebrate Eid by slaughtering animals

Muslims both at the Hajj and those back home have to slaughter a healthy animal.

The slaughtered animal is offered as a sacrifice to honour IbrahimThis prophet that everyone of us; Muslims, Christians and Jews respect as the grandfather of all believers, Sheikh Twaha Bugembe said in his sermon to hundreds of Muslims that attended Eid al-Adha prayers at Masaka Main Mosque square.

The sacrificed animal is divided into three parts: one third is given to the poor and needy, another third is given to relatives, friends and neighbours; and the remaining third is retained by the family.

In sharing the joy of Eid al-Adha, several organisations slaughtered several head of cattle and distributed them across Uganda.

Nile Humanitarian Development Agency, for example, slaughtered more than 1,000 cows, while Humanitarian Efforts and Relief Uganda (HEAR Uganda) slaughtered about 200 cows and distributed the meat to mosques, needy

households and corporate organisations.

sadabkk@observer.ug
They say when life serves you lemons, make lemonade; and city tycoon Sudhir Ruparelia knows how to make some really tasty fluids from the unpleasant fruits life has been delivering in his businesses this year!

Ruparelia left Kampalas unpleasantness behind and flew to London, UK, to throw his son Rajiv one hell of a wedding.

The businessman lost his Crane bank and sizeable assets earlier this year in a liquidation move by the central bank, and is still embroiled in court cases over the same.

Rajiv, whose parents have been married for 40 years, is being groomed to step into his fathers big shoes and last week he demonstrated that he can emulate the senior Ruparelia both in business and his personal life.

In a beautiful wedding, he exchanged vows with his university sweetheart Naiya Khagram at Grosvenor House, Park Lane, London.

The bride is a daughter to Sudheer and Ritaz Khagram, a wealthy family based in London. The Khagram family is into real estate.

Like all Ruparelia weddings, this one did not go down without a big budget that involved weeklong celebrations.

They seem to understand the meaning of go big, or go home. Stag parties started in Spain, before moving to London where at least 100 guests, including business associates, diplomats, ministers, MPs and friends flew in from Uganda.

The two families pose for a photo

The guest list included businessmen Tom Mugenga, Patrick Bitature, Ham Kiggundu and Godfrey Kirumira with his wife, as well as artiste Bebe Cool and former minister John Nasasira, among others.

Rajiv and his entourage wore grey suits, white shirts and peach bow ties (matching ties for the groom and his proud father) while the bride wore a beautiful off shoulder white gown.

The groom later changed into a black tuxedo with matching bow tie while Naiya changed to a gold sequined gown for the reception.

Festivities are expected to continue at Commonwealth Resort Munyonyo when the family returns to celebrate with their Ugandan friends. Sudhirs other children, Meera and Sheena, are married to Ravi Kotecha and Jay Sakaria, respectively.



barangasam@gmail.com
President Museveni has warned Best Kemigisa, the Queen Mother of Tooro kingdom against carrying out illegal land evictions.

Museveni issued the warning while on appearing on Voice of Tooro radio station in Fort Portal on Wednesday night as part of his nationwide campaign to explain the proposed constitutional amendments on land laws.

The warning stems from complaints from some callers against the Queen mother. Steven Mugurusi, a resident of Kitumba requested the president to rein in on Kemigisa.

In his response Museveni directed Kemigisa to stop the evictions, saying they are contrary to the law.

President Museveni has warned Queen Mother Kemigisa against any further evictions

"The law is very clear; no one should be evicted from their land. That person (Kemigisa) should stop," Museveni said.



Kemigisa has in the past come under criticism for evicting families using Uganda People's Defense Force (UPDF) soldiers attached to the security detail of King Oyo.

Some of the families are in Kitumba and Kidukuru villages in Fort Portal. Last year, Kemigisa threatened to evict more than 70 families from a piece of land measuring 25 acres in Kitumba. She said that she wants to use the land to construct a school.



Museveni also said that should the evictions persist, the actions of Kemigisa should be brought to the attention of the local leaders in the district and action taken.

"It's good you have told me who is evicting people from their land. This should stop and the leaders in the district should take note and do something", Museveni said.



In May this year, Tooro elders under their umbrella body, Isaazi lyAbaantu Bakuru Ba Tooro petitioned the Justice Catherine Bamugemereire-led Land Probe Commission over Kemigisa's actions.

On the controversial leasing of crater lakes to Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited by Kabarole district local government, Museveni said that the investor should have thoroughly consulted the community surrounding the lakes before restocking the lakes.



"The fishermen have been using the lakes for a long time, they should have been consulted before restocking started. I don't see any problem with both parties sitting to find an amicable solution", Museveni said.

Kabarole district Local Government in 2015 allegedly leased twenty crater lakes to Ferdsult Engineering Services Limited to restock them with Fish.



This prompted Kichwamba sub-county residents to challenge the matter in court. In June Fort Portal High court resident judge, Anthony Ojok Ayuko cancelled the deal citing irregularities. Ferdsult and Kabarole district local government have since appealed the judgment.
65-year-old Zhang Kehua, a retired mason from Qianjiang, China, has a very unique skill  he can assemble realistic Chinese vases out of thousands of folded plastic playing cards.

Weve seen people create all kinds of impressive structures by expertly stacking playing cards, but what Zhang Kehua does is on a whole other level. The Chinese retiree has taught himself several methods of folding plastic playing cards so that they can be assembled into life-size vases that even feature traditional decorative patterns. His creations are so flawless that seen from a far, you could swear that they are made of porcelain.

I stumbled upon a photo of Zhang Kehuas incredible vases on an English version of the China Daily newspaper, but the page didnt really provide any information about how the amateur artist discovered this technique, or how he put all the folded cards together. So I had to rely on Google Translate to search for more information on Chinese websites, and while the translation was less than perfect I was able to learn a bit more about this incredible man and his unique craft.

Working as a mason, Zhang Kehua, of Qianjiang, Hubei Province, spent most of his life restoring ancient buildings in Jianli district. This meant that he got the opportunity to admire lost of ancient relics, his favorite of which were vases. The combination of white and blue porcelain, and the intricate patterns always appealed to him, but he never dreamed that he would one day make his own, let alone out of playing cards.

The idea for the unusual art form came to him a few years ago, after seeing a child in the streets playing with a plastic playing card by folding it into small triangles. He realized that using this technique, one could theoretically fold the card into multiple shapes. The first thing that popped into his mind was a Chinese vase, so he went home and started practicing.

As you can imagine, figuring out a way to fold and then assemble plastic playing cards into realistic porcelain vases was a challenging feat, but after about a month of trial and error, he made his first vase. Once he got the building process all figured out, he focused on aesthetics, trying to emulate the intricate patterns he saw on actual Chinese porcelain vases. In time, he created two distinct styles, one geometric, featuring shapes like squares, diamonds and triangles, and the other artistic, with traditional Chinese elements like dragons and phoenixes.

When starting work on a project, Zhang Kehua always draws up a blueprint of how the cards should be folded and assembled to create the desired effect. He has created playing card vases of up to 106 centimeters tall, which contain around 5,000 playing cards and take over a week to complete.

The self-taught artist spends a lot of his time collecting colored playing cards to use for his unique craft. In the beginning, he sold his creations as home decorations and wedding gifts, but after getting featured by large publications in China, he started getting contacted by collectors as well.

Photos: KK News, Facebook
Public servants should provide the same protection to school children and staff as firefighters have sought for themselves, Mass. lawmakers were told Sept. 5.

Parents, teachers and elected officials told the Mass. Joint Committee on Education that the Intl Assn. of Fire Fighters has removed cell towers on firehouses because they were causing cognitive impairment, insomnia, and other health issues to their members. IAFF has issued a position paper opposing cell towers on firehouses.

Los Angeles Times on July 5th ran an editorial denouncing the "Audacious Power Grab" of the telecoms in rolling out "5G."

They presented information on the lack of safety testing before wireless products were rolled out, the vulnerability of children and fetuses who absorb more radiation than adults, and the fertility studies that show male human sperm exposed to a laptop caused DNA damage, slower motility and fewer viable sperm in just four hours of exposure.

They asked for the application of biologically based non-thermal public exposure limits instead of the FCC's 30-year old outdated thermal exposure limits. They called upon the state to request the FCC to complete the review initiated by the U.S. Government Accountability Office in 2012 to assess FCC limits and bring them in line with current science.

They indicated 900+ comments have been formally filed by doctors, scientists, the American Academy of Pediatrics, the American Academy of Environmental Medicine and others calling for biologically safe limits to which the FCC has not responded.

They also spoke of the formal position of the IAFF and asked that local schools similarly protect children from wireless radiation exposure. They want plans this year to transition to hard-wired technology with the wireless systems turned off except in emergencies.

Hardwiring Is Safer, Faster

They thanked the districts of Ashland, Worcester, Southborough, Medway, North Middlesex Regional and others for examining this issue and asked the Dept. of Elementary and Secondary Education to investigate non-industry funded scientific findings and protect students and staff accordingly.

They emphasized that hard-wiring iPads, Chromebooks, smartboards and other wireless technology is not only possible and safer, but also brings faster speeds, better data security, and more reliable connections.

Others were encouraged to send in written testimony to help educate the legislators on the need to provide safe technology access in schools.

The mainstream media is almost silent on this topic because of the advertising power of AT&T, Comcast, Time-Warner, Spectrum, CenturyLink and other large telecoms.

Health advocates note the Los Angeles Times on July 5 ran an editorial denouncing the Audacious Power Grab of the telecoms in pushing 5G (Fifth Generation) Wi-Fi transmission equipment but only mentioned the large size of the devices and not their effect on health from microwave radiation.

This was proof, if any were needed, that major media are unduly influenced by the telecoms, say health advocates.

Said the LAT editorial:

Telecommunications companies are preparing to roll out the next generation of wireless networks, dubbed 5G, which promise an enormous increase in capacity and connectivity. These networks not only will increase competition in broadband, they are a key enabling technology for a host of advanced products and services. They also represent a gateway to better economic opportunities in inner-city areas that are underserved by broadband today.

But these new networks are different in structure and appearance too. Instead of high-powered antennas on tall towers, they rely on an array of lower-power transmitters closer to the ground that serve much smaller cells. Thats why mobile phone companies are concerned that cities and counties will throw up bureaucratic or financial roadblocks to 5G in their communities. Its not a groundless worry; wireless companies already have encountered local resistance in places where they have introduced the new technology.

LAT is owned by Tronc which is buying The New York News.
Retired Canadian Army Captain Jerry Flynn has spelled out the dangers of microwave radiation in a 1,300-word letter to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Minister of Health Ginette Taylor.

Flynn, who worked on the use of electromagnetic radiation for national defense, sent his letters Aug. 6. He has long sought to bring the issue to government and health officials in Canada and the U.S. without success.

Inconceivably, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada and Health Canada want to, yet again, follow the lead of the notoriously corrupt Federal Communications Commission, a pawn of the broad communications and electronics industries, the very organizations FCC are supposed to regulate! he wrote. Like FCC in the USA, HC and ISEDC are drooling at the prospect of bringing unproven, untested (for 'safety,' both biologic and health effects on humans) "5G" technology to an unsuspecting, trusting, already wirelessly-addicted, and utterly defenseless Canadian population, who don't seem to have a clue what is happening to them!

Flynn Letter Reprinted

Justin Trudeau

Flynns entire letter follows. It should be required reading in schools, libraries and other public and private institutions.

Dear Prime Minister Trudeau:

Youth - especially those of future generations - have never been in greater peril than they are today, thanks to the pandemic corruption that is, and has been, going on for decades within the Western world's cartel of so-called 'health agencies,' which includes Health Canada's 'Radiation Protection Bureau. Please see my letter, below, to Canada's new Health Minister, in which I provide facts and evidence to support these most serious allegations! Respectfully, Mr. Prime Minister, leadership from your office is tragically long, long overdue!

August 31, 2017

The Hon. Ginette, Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Health

272 St-George Street, Suite 110

Also sent via Registered Mail to the Minister

Moncton, New Brunswick E1C 1W5

Dear Minister, Preposterous though it sounds, look at the evidence. See the corruption for yourself! This is what you have inherited! The entire population of Canada depends on you to restore honesty, decency and democracy! This most evil crime against humanity must end! (During my long military career, I twice served at HMCS Coverdale, in Moncton, NB.)

Health Canada's Radiation Protection Bureau is Corrupt, Cruel and Evil - - - Beyond Belief!

EMF (electro-magnetic field) scientists around the world know that life on earth, as we know it, is under serious threat from invisible, virtually undetectable, manmade EMF radiation, which comes in two forms: 1). extremely low frequency (ELF) or powerline (60 Hz) EMFs - which are produced in anything that is conducting electricity, i.e., overhead power lines, distribution lines, substations, power transformers, 'smart' meters, household electricity and all electrical appliances, tools, machinery, electric vehicles, etc.; and, 2) radio frequency (RF) EMFs - which are produced by wireless radio products, i.e., baby monitors, 'smart' meters, 'smart' appliances, 'smart' phones, cell phones, cordless phones, cell phone towers, Wi-Fi routers, Wi-Fi and Wi-MAX zones, Bluetooth, tablet and laptop computers, 'collision-avoidance' radars in newer vehicles, driverless vehicles, etc. Scientists also say that with today's Fourth Generation ("4G") technology, mankind could be headed for extinction! Fifth Generation ("5G") technology would simply expedite things. [1] [2]

Fifty years ago, autism, ADHD, leukemia and many other cancers, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ALS, suicides, depression, birth defects, Tinnitus (ringing in the ears), other neurological diseases, and diseases of the central nervous system and immune system were seldom heard of in Canada.

Today many of them are disease epidemics - especially cancers and autism! Yet no health authority and no cancer agency anywhere even mentions EMFs being a possible culprit?

Likewise, 50 years ago, it was unheard offor schools to require 'special-needs' teachers; whereas today it seems to be the norm! Informed people know that today's insanity is caused by the US-driven corporate push for profit - at any price, including our health!

The evidence speaks for itself! (See Appendix 1.)

History will show that we are living in the darkest, ugliest, most unbelievable - and perhaps even the last - chapter in Canada's history as a nation! Health Canada (HC), whose mandate is to protect the health of Canadians, has long prostituted itself to Industry and to the USA! No honest independent, morally-upright HC could possibly ignore the Mount Everest of evidence, from all corners of the globe, which shows that non-thermal EMFs:

1) are hazardous to humans and all life forms; and, 2) should be classified a Class 1A or Known Human Carcinogen! [5] [6] (See Appendix 1 for Evidence). (See Appendix 2 for Defenders of present day ELF and RF EMF technologies.)

Not once has Health Canada ever seen fit to impose the 'Precautionary Principle' (i.e., Where there are threats of serious or irreversible damage to the public's health and/or safety, the lack of full scientific certainty shall not be used as a reason for taking no action to protect the public.)

Governments must always err on the side of protecting the public!

HC however remains stubbornly deaf to all criticism! It continues to claim, fallaciously, that Safety Code 6 is "SAFE", that it has a wide safety margin, that it protects against non-thermal as well as thermal RF EMF radiation. In fact, Safety Code 6 protects only against thermal radiation on frequencies above 100 kHz!

HC (like its US-led Western allies) would also have the public believe that ELF (powerline) magnetic fields are safe, saying that there is no 'conclusive' proof of harm! For that reason, HC has set no upper limit to the amount of magnetic fields Canada's population can be exposed to!

Instead, HC follows ICNIRP's 'Guidelines' and recommends other nations do so as well. (Note: HC's own former scientist, the now infamous Dr. Michael Repacholi, PhD., with the help of electric power industry representatives, established - for the world - today's outrageously-high 'safe' ambient levels of ELF magnetic fields)! Contrast what non-industry scientists say is a 'safe' ambient level of ELF magnetic field in a home i.e., 1 mG (or not more than one thousandths of a Gauss) with what Dr. Michael Repacholi established for ICNIRP - 2,000 mG for the pubic, and 10,000 for workers! Both HC and the WHO follow ICNIRP's 'standard' and recommend that other countries do so as well! Meanwhile, Russian researchers say 1/1000th of 1mG is safe! [7] [8] [9] Someone is lying.

Inconceivably, Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada (ISEDC) and Health Canada want to, yet again, follow the lead of the notoriously corrupt FCC, who are but a pawn of the broad communications and electronics industries, the very organizations FCC are supposed to regulate! Like FCC in the USA, HC and ISEDC are drooling at the prospect of bringing unproven, untested (for 'safety,' both biologic and health effects on humans) "5G" technology to an unsuspecting, trusting, already wirelessly-addicted, and utterly defenseless Canadian population, who don't seem to have a clue what is happening to them!

In summary, the above shows clearly that HC's Radiation Protection Bureau has shamefully allowed itself to be 'captured' by Canada's electric power utilities and wireless and telecom industries. Even more unforgiving, HC elected many years ago to abandon the people of Canada in order to curry favour with the USA so that it could reap new, obscene profits which both countries believed wireless technology would bring!

By its actions, HC's Radiation Protection Bureau is guilty of: 1) facilitating genocide of its own people; and, 2) violating the Nuremburg Code (by allowing Industry to constantly irradiate an unsuspecting, trusting and defenseless public with pulsed microwave radiation without either their knowledge or consent).

No honest, informed person today can dispute that ELF and/or RF EMFs cause - repeat - cause a host of cancers and most, if not all, of today's other disease epidemics! HC's Radiation Protection Bureau must be purged immediately of all 'industry-friendly' scientists and replaced by independent, apolitical, morally-strong, incorrigible EMF scientists who truly believe that a government's first duty is to protect its people!

Justice must be meted out! In due course, all existing wireless products / devices must be replaced with hard-wired technology. In the meantime, however, the 'Precautionary Principle' should be imposed on all current wireless communications products / devices, until such time as Industry can prove they are safe, biologically and health-wise! Similarly, all licensed and operating radio transmitters (from AM/FM radio towers, to UHF/VHF TV towers, to cell phone towers, to cell phones, to Wi-Fi routers) should be made to comply with the ALARA principle (reduce power to "As Low As Reasonably Achievable").

Finally, no products, wireless or otherwise, should be allowed in Canada unless and until they are first independently proven(by qualified experts having no ties or connections whatsoever to industry) to be biologically and health-wise safe to be used by, on and around people of all ages, of all sizes, of all levels of wellness 24/7/365 in perpetuity.

Sincerely,

J.G. ("Jerry") Flynn, Captain (Retired)

5181 Gainsberg Road

Bowser, BC, V0R 1G0
Ann Bartling

Huntsworth Health unit Tonic Life Communications has named Edelman alum Ann Bartling managing director of the healthcare agencys European region.

Bartling joined Edelman in 2003 as health VP in that number-one independent agencys Chicago office. She was later named health director in Edelmans London outpost and most recently led the firms UK and European health practice as health brands managing director.

Bartling now assumes the leadership of Tonics EU offering and will provide counsel and direction to the agencys roster of healthcare clients while steering its growth. Shell report to CEO Maryellen Royle.

Tonic Life maintains dual headquarters in Philadelphia and London.
LINCOLN  Like a rocket on a launching pad, a long-discussed niobium mine in southeast Nebraska is ready for liftoff  but only if it gathers $1 billion in financing.

The process of gathering financial commitments is underway in earnest, officials say, with the recent completion of a feasibility study of the project to extract niobium, scandium and titanium from deep mines south of Tecumseh.

By the first quarter of 2018, it should be clear whether all or portions of the mining operation will proceed and the hiring of construction workers can begin, according to Scott Honan and Jim Sims, the president and vice president, respectively, of NioCorp Development Ltd.

Both officials expressed optimism that the unique project will obtain the necessary investments and loans to move forward after eight years of tests and planning.

It might come in pieces, it might come all together, said Sims, of the financing. The economics of the project are very strong.

I wish we could give you a more definitive answer as to when, Honan said.

To update local residents about the status of the project, NioCorp is holding a town hall meeting today at 6 p.m. at the Kimmel Ag Expo Center in Syracuse.

The mine has been discussed for decades in the region, but activities accelerated in 2014 when NioCorp began drilling test holes up to 3,000 feet deep to better determine the extent of the rare earth mineral deposits beneath farmland.

Officials say the mine has the largest niobium deposits in North America, and that if opened, it would become the worlds largest producer of scandium, which is used to make lightweight aluminum used for aircraft and vehicles.

The company has already spent about $30 million on the project, which it estimates will require up to 1,200 construction workers, create up to 466 permanent jobs and generate $27 million a year in state and local taxes over the 30-year-plus lifespan of the project.

This could put Nebraska on the map, said former State Sen. Lavon Heidemann of Elk Creek, a former miner who has worked as a business development adviser for NioCorp for several years.

The company has contracts to mine under 4,800 acres of land, but its headquarters and processing facilities would be on 640 acres at the intersection of State Highways 50 and 62, just west of the village of Elk Creek.

NioCorp has already discussed the possibility of locating a temporary work camp for construction workers in Tecumseh, according to Tecumseh Mayor Bill Montz Sr.

Its a plus all the way around, Montz said. I have high hopes and I think most of the people do.

Niobium, which is used to harden steel, is the primary product to be extracted, and NioCorp officials say they already have commitments from two companies to buy 75 percent of the niobium output during the mines first 10 years.

But the officials said that scandium would provide 60 percent of the mines revenue. Sims said that very little scandium is produced worldwide, but it is a much-sought-after mineral because it allows aircraft and vehicles to use lighter-weight aluminum, reducing fuel costs and exhaust emissions.

I call it the lightweighting revolution, he said. Its expanding.

The titanium extracted from the mine would be sold for pigments in paints and for metals used by the defense industry.

Concerns already have been raised about NioCorps plans to dispose of salty wastewater that will be used in the mining process.

Honan said deep wells will extract water to keep the 1,500- to 2,400-foot-deep mine from flooding. The company has proposed piping the wastewater to the Missouri River. Honan said that modeling by NioCorp and the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality has indicated that the salty water will quickly mix in and be diluted by the river.

Were going to increase (the salt content) but it wont be close to the regulatory limit, Honan said.

Brian McManus, a spokesman for the Nebraska Department of Environmental Quality, confirmed that preliminary discussions and modeling have been done by NioCorp and the department, but he said he could not comment on the results because the company has not yet submitted any applications to discharge wastewater.
A 53-year-old worker who was collecting garbage Thursday morning in Council Bluffs was struck by a vehicle and seriously injured.

Bluffs police said Mario Rodrigues of Omaha, who was making a curbside collection for Red River Waste Solutions of Glenwood, Iowa, was struck about 7:30 a.m. in the 3800 block of Avenue G.

Rodrigues was behind a garbage truck, which was facing east, emptying a canister when he was struck by the eastbound vehicle, police said.

Chantel Wachner, 27, of the Bluffs told police that she was blinded by the sun and was putting down her visor when the crash occurred.

Rodrigues was briefly trapped between the vehicles, police said. He was taken to the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha, where a spokeswoman said he was in serious condition.

The trucks lights were flashing, and Rodrigues was wearing a reflective vest at the time of the crash, police said.

Wachner was cited on suspicion of failure to maintain an assured, cleared distance.
The saga of Leslie Arnold would be an astonishing story even if that was all there was to tell. But what started off as a true crime drama would ultimately turn into a deeper mystery  one that still has authorities baffled today.
A 15-year-old North High School student was cited with two counts of misdemeanor sexual assault after being accused of groping a classmate on a school bus on two separate occasions.

A North High assistant principal contacted the school resource officer on Sept. 1 after a 15-year-old girl told her she was touched inappropriately on the bus by another student.

During the first incident, on Aug. 30, the boy allegedly grabbed her legs and held them in his lap, according to a police report. He proceeded to touch and rub her inner and upper thigh and buttocks, and tried to stick his hands down her pants, all while she told him to stop several times.

The girl tried to get away from him, but the bus driver told her to sit down, she told police. Another student witnessed the assault and tried to intervene, police said.

The next afternoon, on Aug. 31, the boy grabbed her inner thigh and leg again several times, prompting another student to stand up and make sure the girl was OK.

The boy told police that he was just trying to get his phone back from the girl, and only touched her arm. Then, he said, he grabbed her pants and leg, too. When contacted by police, his mother said he didnt have his phone on Aug. 30  she had confiscated it because of bad behavior at school.

The boy was released to his family and ticketed on misdemeanor sexual assault or contact. Police have also requested surveillance video from the bus.

Omaha Public Schools spokeswoman Monique Farmer said she couldnt comment on the specifics of the case, citing student privacy laws. But the student in question has been disciplined, she said.

We take reports of inappropriate contact very seriously, she said in a statement. Once school administration was alerted about the situation, the police were contacted immediately and a police report was filed. We have been working directly with the parents of the students involved.

A representative for Student Transportation of America, OPSs busing contractor, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Omaha school board approved a $36,800 contract with its new superintendent search consultant Wednesday night.

The Cedar Rapids, Iowa-based firm Ray and Associates will head Round 2 of the OPS superintendent search, which was scuttled this spring after all three finalists for the top job dropped out.

The contract was approved via consent agenda on an 8-0 vote.

The board cut ties earlier this summer with McPherson & Jacobson, the Omaha-based firm that led the first search to replace Superintendent Mark Evans.

Evans, who opted to stay on for an additional year after the search ended without a hire, is set to retire at the end of June.

The cost of the new search does not include advertising expenses or travel costs for superintendent finalists who travel to Omaha for board and community interviews.

Similar to the contract with McPherson & Jacobson, Ray and Associates will be paid half its fee upfront and the remainder after the completion of a successful search and hire.

If the search ends without the selection of a new superintendent, the board can choose to have Ray and Associates keep working, without incurring additional fees.

The total paid to McPherson & Jacobson for the first search was $26,406  that doesnt include the second half of the firms fee for a successful search.

Ray and Associates has handled several other recent superintendent searches, helping the Bellevue, Council Bluffs and Papillion-La Vista school districts hire new leaders.

Search firms help advertise, find and recruit candidates. They also help vet the resumes and backgrounds of interested applicants and help the board organize candidate interviews and meetings with members of the community.

Board members have said they would like the search for Evans successor to get underway this fall. Board Vice President Marque Snow said his goal is to hire a new superintendent by December.

The board subcommittee leading the superintendent search meets today to talk more about the timeline for the search.

Right now, were ahead of schedule, Snow said.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts is seeking applicants to serve the final year of State Sen. Joni Craigheads term in the Nebraska Legislature.

The governor set a Sept. 29 deadline to apply for the vacancy in the 6th Legislative District in west-central Omaha. Applicants must be able to show they are at least 21, have lived in the district for at least one year and are registered to vote.

Craighead abruptly announced her resignation last Friday, just days after saying she intended to seek a second term. The 63-year-old Republican, through a campaign consultant, said she decided she needed to focus on her family and her real estate career.

The appointed senator will serve until January 2019 and would have the option of seeking election to the seat. Online applications can be found at www.governor.nebraska.gov.
A father of five who had moved to Omaha to look for construction work was remembered Wednesday for his easygoing nature.

Robert J. Vargas, 36, died at the Nebraska Medical Center on Tuesday about a half-hour after he was shot near 18th Street and Victor Avenue. His younger brother, James Vargas of Omaha, said the family is hoping to hear what led to the citys 20th homicide in 2017.

We dont know anything yet about what happened, Vargas said. Robert was a good person who worked hard and liked to be around people.

Police had not announced an arrest late Wednesday.

Robert Vargas grew up in Memphis and came to Omaha four months ago to be with his mother, Robin Vargas. His five children, all age 10 and under, were divided between homes in Memphis and South Haven, Mississippi. Robert Vargas is also survived by two sisters, who live in Massachusetts and New Mexico.

My brother was fun to be around. I wanted to be like him. Whatever he did, I did, James Vargas said. He enjoyed people, and he was always the life of the party.

Robert Vargas had a flair for drawing and was also an accomplished tattoo artist, his brother said. Relatives will cherish many of his drawings. But first they will have to raise funds for a funeral. James Vargas said he and his mother are looking into ways to pay expenses. They have set up this page to raise money: https://www.gofundme.com/robertvargas

Right now, were trying to figure out what to do, he said. We dont want to just have (the county) cremate him.

Several people were arguing before Vargas was shot, police have said.

Dave Gehrls, an organizer of prayer gatherings after many homicides in the city, led one for Vargas on Wednesday night near the scene. He excoriated the flare of violence that left Vargas dead.

Father, were crying, he prayed.

World-Herald staff writer Emerson Clarridge contributed to this report.
Omahas mayor and police chief say that moving forensic testing services to the University of Nebraska Medical Center will produce faster test results and more public confidence in evidence used in court.

Chief Todd Schmaderer and Mayor Jean Stothert announced Thursday that they plan to contract with UNMC for several services currently provided by the Douglas County Sheriffs Office.

Those include drug sampling and toxicology tests of blood and urine samples, according to a proposed agreement between the university and the city. It would need City Council approval.

The move has been in the works for several months, since talks for a merged city-county crime lab fell through last winter. Schmaderer said Thursday that the city gave notice to Douglas County on Wednesday that the city would terminate its agreement with the county crime lab in 90 days.

Schmaderer has said the county crime lab takes too long to return results, often longer than the target of two weeks called for in the citys contract with the county.

Dr. Steven Hinrichs of UNMC said the facilitys lab, which has done DNA testing for Omaha police investigations for more than a decade, will routinely return results within four or five days. The proposed agreement between the city and UNMC requires the university to provide a usual turnaround time between five and seven days.

Douglas County Sheriff Tim Dunning has disputed Schmaderers assertion that the countys crime lab takes too long to return results.

Our turnaround time is about 14.7 days, and thats the industry standard, Dunning said.

His crime lab, he said, provides good services and is cost-effective, but its the citys prerogative to take its business elsewhere.

I have no anger over it; its just fine, Dunning said.

Schmaderer thanked the county for filling a void in providing the forensic testing services, but he said it was time to improve services further and that moving them to UNMC will do so.

Stothert said the agreement provides tools and independent staff that we think are so important at an institution that is nationally recognized for its excellent quality of work and high standards.

She predicted that the testing at the UNMC lab will result in reliable and accurate evidence that will lead to a conviction rate that matches our clearance rate.

Juries will trust the evidence, Stothert said.

She and Schmaderer said they expect the services from UNMC to cost about the same as they do from the county. Thats $135,000 a year for the current services. Schmaderer said more services from UNMC could be added in the future.

The Omaha Police Department also is seeking accreditation for its crime lab that processes crime scene evidence, Schmaderer said.

He, Stothert, Douglas County Attorney Don Kleine, some state legislators and others had pressed for a single, one-stop shop independent crime lab at UNMC. But a source of funding for such a lab was never identified, and talks between city, county and state officials fizzled.

Some Police Department lab services now provided by the Nebraska State Patrols crime lab also will be moved to UNMC, although Schmaderer said the city would still occasionally use the state lab.

Schmaderer stressed the independence of the UNMC lab.

What this does for the citizens of our city is it allows them to know that the evidence testing and the evidence process that goes to court eventually is there to determine not just guilt, but also innocence, Schmaderer said. Its impartial. Its untainted, and its at a level with timeliness and efficiency that is becoming of what this community deserves.

He said he didnt mean that evidence coming from the county crime lab is tainted.

The county crime lab recently earned accreditation. UNMCs lab is accredited by one organization and may seek accreditation from another, said Hinrichs, chair of the UNMC Department of Pathology and Microbiology.

University officials also plan to create a new masters degree program in forensic laboratory sciences that would be connected with the laboratory. Currently, no such program exists in Nebraska, UNMC Chancellor Jeffrey Gold said.

He said UNMC is working with criminal justice programs at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the University of Nebraska at Omaha to create the program. It could be approved this fall, Gold said, with student recruitment beginning in the spring and classes starting a year from now.

The county and Omaha had been discussing the possibility of merging their crime labs for about a decade. The matter became more urgent after former Douglas County crime lab director David Kofoed was convicted in 2010 of planting evidence in a murder case. Questions about problems with the citys in-house crime analysis have also been raised.

The merger talks gained momentum again in 2016 because of the proposal to house a new, independent, merged lab at UNMC.
A pet pig named Tori that had been on the lam for a week in Papillion has been caught.

Jo Ann Hagan, whose family owns the potbellied pig, said Tori was caught Wednesday evening about a mile from home near a cornfield at East First and 72nd Streets in Papillion.

Were so thankful, she said. Were just glad shes home.

Kris Epps-Martinez said she caught Tori about 5 p.m. Wednesday. Epps-Martinez said she and her two kids went to the cornfield to see if they could spot the pig.

She said the pig shot out of the cornfield and eventually ran into 72nd Street and was clipped by a car but kept running.

Epps-Martinez said she was able to scoop up the pig as it ran and took it to her car. Hagan was contacted and came and picked it up.

Hagan said the pig has scrapes on its legs. She said she called her vet, who told her to watch the animal overnight and bring it in this morning.

Hagan said Tori was thirsty and exhausted but otherwise OK.

She said Tori got loose Aug. 29 from the familys yard.

She said the pig, who was in a small fenced enclosure, lifted the fence up with her snout and bolted.

Shes faster than wind, Hagan said.

The 5-month-old potbellied porker had been spotted this week near the Papillion Police Station and the cornfield.

The Nebraska Humane Society and a local group that searches for lost pets helped look for her.

Pam Wiese, spokeswoman for the Humane Society, said pigs are quick and agile, making them tricky to catch.

Theres been a buzz on social media about the little piggy, and the City of Papillion even flew a drone over the cornfield Wednesday hoping to spot the animal.
LINCOLN  The president of Nebraska state troopers labor union is calling for the reinstatement of three officers put on leave two months ago under suspicion of possible misconduct.

Brian Petersen, a patrol sergeant who leads the State Troopers Association of Nebraska, this week strongly defended the officers from accusations of dishonesty and dereliction of duty made in a report issued recently by Gov. Pete Ricketts.

When informed of the union leaders statements, Luke Robson, the governors media relations director, said we are not going to comment on the investigation. The governor has previously said he turned over the findings to the FBI, which is thought to be conducting a probe of the Nebraska State Patrol.

Robson did not address questions about a timeline for action on the officers future with the agency.

The governor placed the three union members plus three command staff officers on paid administrative leave on June 30, the same day he fired Col. Brad Rice from the top post at the patrol. The governor expressed concerns that Rice and other patrol officers interfered with internal use-of-force investigations.

While the union has supported Rices termination, Petersen was adamant that his members did nothing to warrant their continued status on leave.

These are not terminable actions, and these people should come back to work, Petersen said. Thats clear to us.

Union leaders are at odds with the governor over several conclusions in a 15-page report that found potential criminal wrongdoing within the agency. The review and report were conducted by Jason Jackson, the states chief human resources officer.

Jackson wrote that his review included interviews with current and former command staff and troopers, but Petersen said the personnel chief did not talk to the three union members whove been placed on leave. On Aug. 28, the troopers association board of directors delivered a letter to the governor listing what the board said were errors in the Jackson report.

The Governors Office has identified only one suspended officer, Lt. Col. Thomas Schwarten, who has served as Rices second-in-command. Through multiple sources, The World-Herald has confirmed the others as:

 Maj. Mike Gaudreault, who commands the field services division and is responsible for patrol troopers, carrier troopers, police service dog handlers and pilots. He is stationed in the headquarters office in Lincoln.

 Capt. Jamey Balthazor, commander of Troop E, which encompasses 11 counties in the Panhandle and is staffed by 34 troopers.

 Sgt. Kevin Waugh, a supervisor in the patrols Chadron office, which is part of Troop E.

 Sgt. Travis Wallace, an investigator and accident reconstructionist stationed in Scottsbluff.

 Trooper Tim Flick, who is based in Chadron.

Waugh, Wallace and Flick are members of the union, which represents roughly 400 uniformed employees. Officers with ranks above sergeant are not eligible for union membership.

While the union doesnt represent Schwarten, Gaudreault and Balthazor, Petersen said he is aware of no information supporting their continued placement on administrative leave.

Based upon the Jackson report, the suspended officers had roles in one or both of two use-of-force investigations that originated in the Troop E area in 2016. The report stated that the patrols chain of command engaged in conduct that gives rise to a reasonable suspicion of dishonesty and/or dereliction of duty.

If it is determined that state law or NSP policy was violated, discipline will be imposed, the report said.

The World-Herald has investigated the two use-of-force cases, which were detailed in stories published prior to and immediately after Rices termination.

The first incident occurred March 4, 2016, in Sioux County at the conclusion of a high-speed chase. A trooper used the butt of his patrol-issued rifle to strike the drunken driver, who was unarmed but refusing orders to drop to the ground. The man was not seriously injured.

The trooper has since resigned, but the Jackson report concluded that Rice and others downplayed the shocking use of force.

The personnel report said the trooper who delivered the blow put in his report that a small amount of force was used. Jackson wrote that a sergeant and lieutenant signed the report, even though both knew or should have known that it was a misrepresentation.

The unions letter to the governor said the phrase small amount of force never appears in the internal report in question.

The other use-of-force case involved a different chase in October that ended with the death of the driver of the vehicle chased by a patrol cruiser. On the dashcam video, Trooper Flick can be heard saying he used whats called a tactical vehicle intervention, or TVI, to bump the fleeing vehicle in an effort to cause it to safely spin out.

But the official narrative changed as command staff got involved and Rice eventually concluded that the fleeing vehicle swerved into the trooper.

While some within the patrol said the video showed that Flick used a TVI, union leaders disagreed. They argue that the pursuit video shows that the fleeing vehicle made contact with the patrol cruiser as Flick was maneuvering to attempt the TVI.

A Sheridan County grand jury investigation cleared the trooper of wrongdoing.
WASHINGTON  President Donald Trump confounded leaders from his own party on Wednesday by siding with Democrats on plans to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling.

The presidents action could upend negotiations on a variety of crucial policy areas this fall and further damage relationships with Republicans on Capitol Hill.

Trump made his position clear at a White House meeting with congressional leaders, agreeing with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., by voicing support for a three-month bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for the same amount of time.

We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump told reporters Wednesday on Air Force One while traveling to North Dakota.

We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred  very important  always well agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it.

The White House meeting took place just as the House approved a $7.85 billion aid package for victims of Hurricane Harvey, its first major order of business after the August recess.

The measure providing $7.4 billion for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and $450 million for a disaster loan program for small businesses passed 419-3, with 12 representatives not voting.

Reps. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., Justin Amash, R-Mich., and Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., voted no.

The measure now moves to the Senate, where leaders plan to hold a vote by the end of the week.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said after the White House meeting that he would add provisions extending government funding and the debt limit through mid-December to the House legislation.

The president agreed with Sen. Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi to do a three-month funding extension and a debt ceiling into December, and thats what I will be offering, based on the presidents decision, to the bill. And well try to get 60 votes and move forward, McConnell told reporters Wednesday afternoon.

Nebraska Republican Sen. Ben Sasse expressed disappointment in the agreement.

The Pelosi-Schumer-Trump deal is bad, he said in a one-sentence press release.

The presidents decision came barely an hour after House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., panned the idea of a brief debt ceiling increase and accused Democrats of playing politics with much-needed aid for Hurricane Harvey victims by trying to create pressure for their agenda.

Lets just think about this: Weve got all this devastation in Texas. Weve got another unprecedented hurricane about to hit Florida, and they want to play politics with the debt ceiling? Ryan told reporters. I think thats ridiculous and disgraceful that they want to play politics with the debt ceiling at this moment when we have fellow citizens in need, to respond to these hurricanes so we do not strand them.

Trump, apparently, disagreed.

We essentially came to a deal, and I think the deal will be very good, he said. We had a very, very cordial and professional meeting.

At the White House, Republican leaders pushed for an 18-month debt limit increase and then floated doing a six-month extension, according to two aides briefed on the meeting.

But Pelosi and Schumer dismissed the six-month proposal, and Trump then agreed to the three-month increase that Democrats put on the table.

Democrats believe kicking the debt limit debate into December would increase their leverage on Republicans to secure stabilization funds for health care markets and resolve the legal status of undocumented immigrants brought to the United States as children.

An agreement to fund the government into December accomplishes a goal for Trump and his allies, who have long sought a showdown with Democrats over the $1.6 billion he wants to start construction of a wall along the Mexico border.

White House officials recognized that they were unable  given the confluence of issues colliding in September  to have that fight with Democrats now, but they planned to regroup in December with allies and mobilize their base of supporters.

But by agreeing to also suspend the debt ceiling until Dec. 15, Trump has given Democrats more leverage in a series of upcoming negotiations. Some Senate Republicans wanted the debt ceiling to be suspended for 18 months so that it wouldnt loom over them before the midterm elections next year.

The short-term extensions for the debt ceiling and government funding could further cloud the prospects for pushing through a major tax cut, which is Trumps top domestic priority at the moment.

Meanwhile, Republican leaders said the House would not leave Washington until Harvey relief is passed, leaving open the possibility of Saturday votes, depending on Senate action.

We will not leave until we get this done, Ryan said.

Help is on the way, Texas GOP Rep. John Culberson, whose Houston district was slammed by the storm, said after the House vote.

This is a chance to be your brothers keeper, said Houston Democratic Rep. Al Green. This is chance for the unity that we express when were before the cameras to manifest itself in the votes that we cast here in Congress.

Some Democrats from the New York delegation reminded Texas Republicans about their opposition to a larger aid bill for those harmed by Superstorm Sandy five years ago.

This report includes material from the Associated Press.
North Carolina man who took cold medicine, woke up to find wife stabbed to death, could face death penaltyWASHINGTON POSTFirst posted: Wednesday, September 06, 2017 09:19 AM EDT | Updated: Wednesday, September 06, 2017 10:38 AM EDTA North Carolina man who told a 911 operator that he took cold medicine and woke up to find his wife fatally stabbed appeared in court Tuesday.Matthew Phelps, 28, was arrested last week and has been charged with one count of murder in the death of his 29-year-old wife, Lauren Phelps. He did not enter a plea and is being held without bond at the Wake County jail, according to court records.Phelps' attorney Joseph Cheshire did not immediately respond to a request for comment, but he spoke with local media after the Tuesday hearing. He asked that people reserve their judgment until more about the case becomes clear."We're just at the beginning of understanding what is happening here," Cheshire said."It's a very tragic situation, sad and tragic," he added. "There's a lot to this story I believe that will be told in the future."If convicted, Phelps could face the death penalty or life in prison without possibility of parole, according to the judge. His next court appearance is scheduled for Sept. 25.In a disturbing 6-minute call, made just after 1 a.m. Friday, Phelps appears to confess to killing his wife, Raleigh police said."I think I killed my [wife] . . ." a man's low voice says on the phone.The 911 operator asks him to elaborate: "What - what do you mean by that? What happened?""I had a dream and then I turned on the lights and she's dead on the floor," the man says. "Um, I have blood all over me and there's a bloody knife on the bed and I think I did it."Phelps also said he took cough medicine before he went to bed, according to the call audio published by the Raleigh News & Observer."I took more medicine than I should have," Phelps says. "I took Coricidin . . . because I know it can make you feel good. So a lot of times I can't sleep at night, so I took some. . . . She's not moving. Oh, my God."The dispatcher repeatedly asks Phelps to check to see if his wife is breathing. Phelps tells him she is not, and that he's scared to get too close to her."There's all this blood," he says. "She didn't deserve this."When police arrived at the home in northeast Raleigh, they discovered his wife with multiple stab wounds. She was taken to a hospital, where she was pronounced dead, a police spokeswoman told the News & Observer.The couple's Facebook pages indicated that they shared a love for Star Wars and had just gotten married in November. Online albums for both of the Phelpses were filled with photos of the two of them together: at their fall wedding, posing with light sabers, holding a dog and goofing off for the camera.Matthew Phelps worked at a lawn service company and had studied missions and evangelism at Clear Creek Baptist Bible College in Pineville, Ky., according to the News & Observer. He was studying to be a pastor while Lauren Phelps was a Sunday school teacher, ABC News reported.Coricidin is marketed as a line of cold and cough medicine for people with high blood pressure. Bayer, the pharmaceuticals company that makes Coricidin, told ABC News in a statement that it extended its "deepest sympathies" to the family."Patient safety is our top priority, and we continually monitor adverse events regarding all of our products," Bayer told the network. "There is no evidence to suggest that Coricidin is associated with violent behavior."Cheshire offered condolences to the victim's family while also saying that Phelps is grappling with the death."I know this is difficult for people to understand, but he is going through a terrible trauma," Cheshire said. "You know there are all kinds of stages to these things and he's at the beginning of those stages. So there's a lot of trauma to go around in all of this, in all of these cases, always."Meanwhile, a YouCaring fundraising page and a Facebook memorial page were set up for Lauren Phelps."My heart sank yesterday when I heard the passing of Lauren. I am in disbelief," one friend wrote Saturday on her Facebook remembrance page. "She was one of the purest souls one could ever meet. Her kind heart and sweet nature are an extremely rare find. She was a great friend to anyone lucky enough to call her one."A memorial service for Lauren Phelps was held Monday in Wake Forest, North Carolina, according to a post on her Facebook page.[youtube]QNlEv9BGA5A[/youtube][youtube]3tLG0KGh2Mg[/youtube][youtube]WL4CCTiYQVg[/youtube]he took too much homicidin.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts looked to Southern California for a new commander to lead the Nebraska State Patrol through a period of unprecedented scandal that has left the agency under federal investigation.

The governor announced Thursday that he has appointed John A. Bolduc, chief of the Harbor Police Department for the Port of San Diego, as the new superintendent of the State Patrol. Members of the selection committee who worked with the governor said they were unanimous in their choice of Bolduc to replace former Col. Brad Rice, who was fired by Ricketts two months ago.

The 52-year-old Minnesota native, who will be paid $150,000 annually in his new position, said he has taken the helm of three smaller agencies as an outsider. While he knows he will face skepticism from some of the 450 uniformed officers he will soon lead, he said listening and learning will help him transform the patrol into an agency that serves with the utmost integrity and utmost professionalism.

The citizens of Nebraska deserve and pay for outstanding public safety service, Bolduc said during a press conference at the State Capitol. We will provide that service.

Bolduc indicated he met with the patrols command staff before his appointment was publicly announced.

The announcement was greeted with cautious optimism from Brian Petersen, president of the labor union that represents about 400 of the agencys officers. Petersen expressed confidence in the search committee, which was chaired by Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer.

The only reservation we have is we simply do not know Chief Bolduc, Petersen said. We welcome him and wish him well in his transition.

The governor said he was impressed by Bolducs experience in dealing with challenges and making improvements at several law enforcement agencies. Time will tell if the outsider can help achieve the governors goal of restoring the patrols reputation to one above reproach.

He has a great background, a great fit for this and obviously a track record of success, the governor said.

Its a crucial appointment for Ricketts, who stood by Rice two years ago even though warning signs quickly emerged about his attitudes toward female officers and his habit of forcing Christian beliefs on co-workers.

The governor fired Rice on June 30 for allegedly interfering in internal affairs investigations and ignoring a complaint by a female trooper who said she underwent a sexually invasive examination during a pre-employment physical. Ricketts also placed six other officers on paid administrative leave and turned over the results of a personnel review to the FBI, which is believed to be looking into the matter.

State Sen. Burke Harr of Omaha, who has been calling for a state investigation of the problems at the patrol, commended the governor for making an outside hire.

Hopefully he can rebuild trust and integrity within the agency, Harr said.

Sen. Ernie Chambers of Omaha, an unrelenting critic of the governor, said he would withhold judgment on the appointment until he sees how Bolduc performs. He has a very hard job to do, the senator said.

Bolduc will head a 730-employee, $85 million-a-year agency. His $150,000 salary is $60,000 more than Rice was paid but compares to the $209,000 Bolduc makes in San Diego, according to a spokeswoman for his current employer.

For more than seven years, Bolduc has led the law enforcement arm of the Port of San Diego, a department of 141 sworn officers and 25 civilians with an annual budget of $38 million. The department provides police and marine firefighting services on San Diego Bay, at San Diego International Airport and along the tidelands within the ports jurisdiction.

The port is losing a dedicated leader who is respected and admired by people throughout the organization, said Randa Coniglio, chief executive officer of the Port of San Diego.

Bolduc spent 23 years in various law enforcement positions in Minnesota. He worked as chief for police departments in Brainerd and Mora for almost 13 years and also worked in patrol, investigations, training and tactical operations in the Twin Cities area, according to the Port of San Diego website.

He holds a masters degree in organizational leadership from National University in San Diego and a bachelors degree in criminal justice from Bemidji State University.

Bolduc said returning to the Midwest was one factor that prompted him to apply with the patrol after a national job posting was sent to him by a colleague. He and his wife, Dawn, have two adult children: one in Kansas, the other in Minnesota.

In response to a reporters question, Bolduc said he has dealt with challenges similar to those facing the patrol. He did not, however, offer details.

Law enforcement officers are the best problem solvers on the planet, he said. Sometimes we create some of our own challenges, but we definitely can overcome those by working together.

Bolduc will take over the patrol on Oct. 16. Sometime after the State Legislature convenes in January, he will undergo a confirmation process that will include appearing before a legislative committee for questions and then a floor vote by the senators.

What I hear so far is impressive, but I look forward to having an opportunity to make sure the gentleman is thoroughly vetted, said Sen. John Murante of Gretna, chairman of the Government, Military and Veterans Affairs Committee, which will hold Bolducs confirmation hearing.

Schmaderer, the Omaha police chief, said Bolduc distinguished himself from a field of highly qualified candidates with his executive leadership abilities and his law enforcement acumen. Other qualities that emerged included a knack for problem solving, a measured personality and a general likability, Schmaderer added.

He can be an agent of change because he knows how to listen, said Schmaderer, who was joined on the search committee by retired FBI executive Weysan Dun, retired U.S. Attorney Deb Gilg and Hall County Public Defender Gerry Piccolo.

The governor declined to say Thursday how many applicants expressed interest in the job, saying there was time only for questions related to his new appointment.
LINCOLN  Gov. Pete Ricketts traveled to Columbus on Thursday for the expansion of a program aimed at helping food assistance recipients get new and better jobs and reduce their need for public benefits.

The pilot program started last year in Grand Island and is expected to go statewide eventually. It is a collaboration between the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Labor.

Columbus-area residents getting Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program benefits while working will be offered a chance to sign up for the pilot employment program. SNAP benefits are commonly known as food stamps.

In the program, workers from both HHS and Labor will meet with participants to identify employment barriers and figure out ways to overcome them.

Ricketts said 27 people are involved with the Grand Island program. Of those, 14 have succeeded at getting jobs that pay better, have better benefits or have more family-friendly work hours.
Trump sides with Democrats on fiscal issues, throwing Republican plans into chaos

By Mike DeBonis, Kelsey Snell, Philip Rucker and Elise Viebeck September 7 President Trump, a man of few allegiances who seized control of the Republican Party in a hostile takeover, suddenly aligned himself with Democrats on Wednesday on a series of key fiscal issues  and even gave a lift to North Dakotas embattled Democratic U.S. senator.Trump confounded his partys leaders when he cut a deal with Democratic congressional leaders  Chuck and Nancy, as the president informally referred to them  on a short-term plan to fund the government and raise its borrowing limit this month.The presidents surprise stance upended sensitive negotiations over the debt ceiling and other crucial policy issues this fall and further imperiled his already tenuous relationships with Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.).The episode is the latest turn in Trumps separation from his party as he distances himself to deflect blame for what has been a year of gridlock and missed opportunities for Republicans on Capitol Hill. It follows a summer of presidential stewing over McConnell and Ryan, both of whom Trump views as insufficiently loyal and weak in executing his agenda, according to his advisers.Trump made his position clear at a White House meeting with both parties congressional leaders, agreeing with Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) and House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on plans for a bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling for three months.That effectively postpones until December a divisive fight over fiscal matters, including whether to fund construction of Trumps long-promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border.We had a very good meeting with Nancy Pelosi and Chuck Schumer, Trump told reporters Wednesday aboard Air Force One as he traveled to North Dakota. We agreed to a three-month extension on debt ceiling, which they consider to be sacred  very important  always well agree on debt ceiling automatically because of the importance of it.In siding with Democrats, Trump overruled his own treasury secretary, Steven Mnuchin, who was in the middle of an explanation backing a longer-term increase when the president interrupted him and disagreed, according to a person briefed on the meeting who was not authorized to comment publicly and spoke on the condition of anonymity. Trump was in deal-cutting mode, the person said.After the gathering, McConnell said he would add provisions extending government funding and the debt limit through mid-December to legislation passed by the House on Wednesday providing $7.85 billion in Hurricane Harvey relief. McConnell introduced the legislation late Wednesday night, setting up a Senate vote as early as Friday.The president agreed with Senator Schumer and Congresswoman Pelosi to do a three-month [funding extension] and a debt ceiling into December, and thats what I will be offering, based on the presidents decision, to the bill, McConnell told reporters. The president can speak for himself, but his feeling was that we needed to come together to not create a picture of divisiveness at a time of genuine national crisis.Later in the evening, McConnell introduced legislation to extend current spending levels and the federal borrowing limit until Dec. 8 and increase disaster funding to $15.25 billion. The funding boost includes several provisions to address potential damage from Hurricane Irma, which is expected to make landfall in the continental United States over the weekend.Oh dear.So, what say you, tighty whitie righties? Is Trump still the Second Coming now that he's made a deal with them evil commie traitor faggot Democrats?And how bout our loosey liberal lefties? Is Trump still the Devil incarnate now that he's provided the Dems with some desperately-desired attention?
The Nebraska State Fair continues to shine in its central Nebraska location. Attendance in Grand Island this year for the 11-day event was 379,108  an increase of 18,001, or nearly 5 percent, over 2016. This years total exceeded the attendance of 367,203 in 2009, the last year the State Fair was held in Lincoln. Fair organizers and the Grand Island community  particularly the fairs many energetic volunteers  are contributing impressively to this ongoing success.
Known as 'Dr Bomb', 1993 Mumbai blasts convict Ansari who jumped parole arrested in UP

Abu Bakar, 1993 Mumbai blasts accused, held in UAE; likely to be extradited to India soon

Abu Salem won't be put behind bars for more than 25 yrs as per extradition treaty with Portugal, rules SC

1993 Mumbai blasts case: Why death penalty for Tahir Merchant?

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

A special TADA court on Thursday awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Feroz Khan in connection with the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

Gangster Abu Salem and another convict Karimullah Khan were sentenced to life imprisonment. The court fined both Abu Salem and Karimullah Rs 2 lakh.

Why Tahir Merchant awarded death sentence?

After the announcement of quantum of punishment, Public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam, said " Tahir Merchant, who was handed death penalty, "ensured Indian youths were given arms and ammunition training in Pakistan and safely sent back to Mumbai".

"He also managed to bribe the police and custom officials. After the blast, he carried out the destruction of the arms and ammunition which weren't used in the blast," said Nikam.

When TADA court convicted Merchant in June 2017, it had its own observations.

Merchant was amongst the main conspirators. He worked close with Tiger Memon. It is proved that he was upset with the (post-Babri demolition) riots in Mumbai. He made arrangements, financed and arranged for arms training for other accused.

He also attended many meetings organised by Tiger Memon in Dubai. It was in these meetings, that the men decided to take revenge for the Mumbai and Surat riots that took place in the wake of the Babri demolition, according to Indiatoday reports.

OneIndia News
1993 Mumbai blasts verdict: Who is Abu Salem, his role in blasts

India

oi-Chennabasaveshwar

By Chennabasaveshwar

Abu Salem is one of the six convicts in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.The TADA court will announce the quantum of punishment on Thursday. The series of blasts in the financial capital of India claimed 257 lives and left 713 grievously injured.

Abu Salem was born in a lower-middle-class family in Sarai Mir village of Azamgarh district, Uttar Pradesh. However, there is no clarity on the date of birth. According to the CBI he was born in 1969; although the Mumbai police says, 1962 and some reports suggests 1968.

Salem worked in the Dawood Ibrahim gang as a driver transporting weapons and contraband. He introduced a new strategy of hiring unemployed Muslim youths from his hometown Azamgarh to come to Mumbai, execute shoot-outs and return to Azamgarh the next day remaining untraced by the Mumbai police.

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Salem is infamous for terrorizing the Bollywood film industry by extorting money from film producers and usurping the overseas distribution rights

Abu Salem, Monica Bedi sentenced to jail in Portugal

Abu Salem and his girl friend Monica Bedi were arrested on 20 September 2002 in Lisbon, Portugal. Both were extradited to India on November 11, 2005, after a prolonged legal battle in Portugal that went on for three years.

What TADA court said about Abu Salem?

According to Indiatoday reports, Salem was close to Anees Ibrahim and Mustafa Dossa (he died due to heart attack in July 2017). He went to Bharuch to get arms and ammunition, and brought to Mumbai, where the haul was stored in the suburb of Bandra. On Anees' instruction gave it to actor Sanjay Dutt (he served time in jail for possession of arms) and others.

Salem then went back to Dutt and recovered the arms. The arms and ammunition were part of the goods that were sent from outside of India and had landed in Mumbai via the sea route.

The use of these weapons was to terrorise. He wilfully, consciously, deliberately gave it to Sanjay Dutt, Baba Chauhan and others to spread terror in keeping with the conspiratorial design. After the blasts these arms were kept at Bandra resident Zaibunnissas's house, said the report.

OneIndia News
2 crore illegal immigrants in India: Nation faces security threat, change in demographic pattern

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

There are over 2 crore illegal immigrants in India. While the Centre has stated that many pose a security threat, the other concern is that these persons are sourcing ration, Aadhaar and voter identity cards. This will change the demographic pattern in the country, senior officials in the Home Ministry say.

Home Ministry estimates suggest that there are nearly 40,000 Rohingya Muslims across India. The highest number is found in Jammu and Kashmir and as per records 11,000 are registered with the UNHCR. Data also suggests that there are nearly 2 crore illegal immigrants from Bangladesh and in its submission to the Supreme Court, the centre would say that it intends to deport all of them.

Most of the illegal immigrants had take shelter in Haryana, Jammu, Hyderabad, Uttar Pradesh and Delhi, the Centre says.

The Supreme Court while hearing a petition filed by two Rohingya Muslims had sought the Centre's stand on the issue of deportation. The Centre will submit its reply on September 11 when the court hears the matter. In its submission the Centre will not only provide data, but is also likely to elaborate on the security threat that the illegal immigrants pose.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 7:26 [IST]
Manipur: How Facebook helped Imphal friends to come together to reduce accidents on roads

Biggest killer? 400 people die in road accidents in India every day, says report

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Sep 7: If figures are mind-boggling, then so are our lack of awareness regarding the number of lives lost in road accidents in India on a daily basis.

According to the just released report--Road Accidents in India 2016--last year India lost 400 people every day due to road crashes. Nearly, half of the victims belong to the age group of 18-35.

The report said 13 states accounted for 86 per cent of accidents. These are Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Telangana, Chhattisgarh, West Bengal, Haryana, Kerala, Rajasthan and Maharashtra.

Releasing the report, Union minister Nitin Gadkari on Wednesday said that in order to curb road accidents, all states should utilise a portion of the central road fund (CRF) to fix "accidental spots".

The road transport and highways minister added that while overall road accidents last year declined by 4.1 per cent, the fatalities were up by 3.2 per cent, meaning more than 400 people lost their lives daily on roads.

The report mentioned that as many as 17 people died in 55 road accidents per hour on an average last year, with 46.3 per cent of them in the 18-35 age group. The working age group of 18-60 years constituted 83.3 per cent in the total road accident fatalities, it added.

Overall, 4,80,652 road accidents took place in India last year resulting in the loss of 1,50,785 lives and inflicting serious injuries on 4,94,624 persons. "We are working to reduce fatalities not only on national highways but on state highways and district roads as well. I have asked all state governments to utilise 10 per cent of the CRF in addressing flaws at accidental spots," Gadkari said.

Besides, Road Safety Committees should be constituted in districts, headed by senior most members of Parliament (MPs) with Deputy Collector as secretary, and they will look into all aspects of accidents at that level, the minister added.

The minister said the target is to reduce the fatalities by 50 per cent in the next two years and Road Safety Bill pending in Parliament, if cleared in the next session, will prove to be a milestone in addressing the issue.

Indicating a slew of steps to minimise accidents, Gadkari said these included installation of crash barriers and correcting design and engineering flaws in projects besides identifying about 786 black accidents spots and steps to correct these through an expenditure of about Rs 12,000 crore.

"I have no hesitation in admitting that faulty road engineering is also responsible for road accidents which we are now amending," he said, citing the example of Delhi-Jaipur highway where underpasses were constructed.

Based on the data reported by the police, drivers' fault was the single most important factor responsible for road accidents (84 per cent), killings (80.3 per cent) and injuries (83.9 per cent).

It said: "The number of road accidents relative to population, registered vehicles and road length are on a general declining trend from 2010.

"Number of accidents per lakh population declined from 42.5 in 2010 to 37.9 in 2016. Number of persons injured per lakh population decreased from 44.8 in 2010 to 39.0 in 2016. Number of persons killed per lakh population marginally increased from 11.4 in 2010 to 11.9 in 2016."

The National Highways constitute about 2 per cent of the total road network of India, but they accounted for 29.6 per cent of total road accidents and 34.5 per cent of total number of persons killed.

The State Highways accounted for 25.3 per cent of total accidents and 27.9 per cent of the total number of persons killed in road accident in 2016.

The report said maximum number of accidents occurred on two lane roads (1,90,800) followed by single lane (1,77,067) , four lane with median (67,179) and more than two lanes road without median (35,290) in the calendar year 2016.

Among the vehicle categories, two wheelers accounted for the highest share in total number of road accidents (33.8 per cent), followed by cars, jeeps and taxis (23.6 per cent), trucks, tempos, tractors and other articulated vehicles (21 per cent), Buses (7.8 per cent), Auto-Rickshaws (6.5 per cent) and other motor vehicles (2.8 per cent).

The report said the share of two wheelers in total road accidents has increased from 28.8 per cent in 2015 to 33.8 per cent in 2016.

"Any road accident is multi-causal... Within drivers' fault category, exceeding lawful speed accounted for a highest share of 66.5 per cent in accidents and 61.0 per cent of accident deaths," it said.

"However, in the total road accidents and total road accident killings, over speeding accounted for 55.9 per cent and 49.0 per cent respectively," it added.

The report on road accidents across India is quite extensive, said an official involved in preparing the report.

"If all the suggestions are applied by all the state governments under the guidance of the road transport and highways ministry, the country can definitely bring down the casualty figures due to accidents to a great extent," added the official.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 8:58 [IST]
Several thousand DACA applicants have already served in the military with many more on the way. If Congress decided to enact legislation that would legally void that program completely, it will mean the exile of a great many veterans and current military personnel. It will be very interesting to see how they approach this matter. My own feeling is that Congress will exercise restraint owing to the fact that thousands of vets, military personnel, and medical students/practitioners among others will invoke the legal doctrine of substantive and procedural due process (14th Amendment considerations). This will likely tie up the federal courts for years if not decades as this matter must be decided on a case by case basis.
With the number of anonymous rogues from Pak rising, here's how BSF is beating down the drones

BSF apprehends Pakistan fishermen, 14 boats off Gujarat coast

India

pti-PTI

Kutch, Sep 7: Border Security Force (BSF) has apprehended three fishermen and 14 fishing boats of Pakistan off Gujarat coast. The fishermen were caught near Dayapar in Kutch district along the Indian Pakistan border.

The border guarding force had yesterday also apprehended two Pakistani fishermen and three boats from the same area. A patrol party of the BSF's 79th battalion, deployed to guard the Indo-Pak border, apprehended three fishermen early today from the "general area of the Harami Nala creek", a senior BSF official said.

The men and a few items seized from the boats have been handed over to the local police, the official said. Several fishing boats and Pakistani fishermen have been caught in the past while fishing in the Indian side of the creek area.

Given the sensitive nature of the area, even Indian fishermen are barred from fishing in the creek. However, Pakistani fishermen often venture into the Indian waters for a catch.

PTI
Mehbooba Mufti gets notice to vacate official bungalow 'meant for J&K CMs'

Accession Day: Valley lights up on this day when J&K became part of India

2 non-local labourers shot at by terrorist in J&K's Anantnag

Indias first floating financial literacy camp in Dal Lake

AAP "merely a party of UT Delhi", only Cong can challenge BJP in Gujarat, HP: Azad

Civilian killed, 14 injured in grenade attack in Srinagar

India

oi-Deepika

By Deepika

A civilian was killed and fourteen others were seriously injured in a grenade attack by militants at Jahangir Chowk in Srinagar on Thursday.

"Some miscreant tried to throw a grenade on the deployment but reportedly it exploded close to him and he (miscreant) is injured" said SSP Srinagar.

Jammu and Kashmir: Persons injured in Jehangir Chowk grenade attack brought to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for treatment. pic.twitter.com/6hwMOljiYl  ANI (@ANI) September 7, 2017

Persons injured in Jehangir Chowk grenade attack brought to SMHS Hospital in Srinagar for treatment.

In a failed attempt on Wednesday, a group of terrorists attacked a police post in the Shopian district of Jammu and Kashmir.

As per a report, the terrorists hurled a grenade at the police station however, the grenade failed to explode.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 18:59 [IST]
Gauri Lankesh murder: Killers had followed her for a month

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Initial investigations being conducted into the murder of journalist Gauri Lankesh suggests that she had been followed by her killers since the past 15 days. Sources in the investigation agency tell OneIndia that she had decided to install CCTV cameras at her home in Bengaluru after she noticed that she was being followed closely.

On Tuesday three bike borne persons had shot at her, killing her instantly. She is believed to have confided in her mother about these persons following her. The killers are said to have followed her from her office at Gandhi Bazaar to her residence at Rajarajeshwari Nagar.

Gauri Lankesh murder: 3 bullets pierced abdomen, chest suggests postmortem report

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The Special Investigation Team is now looking into the CCTV footage. The footage is grainy and the probe agency would seek for enhancement of the images. Investigators say that the CCTV cameras were installed after she had found she was being followed.

She is said to have confided about the same with her mother, but never informed the police about the same.

Gauri Lankesh an extortionist, we condemn the killing: Sanatan Sanstha

She was also scheduled to meet with the Home Minister of Karnataka on Monday, but did not turn up. The police presume she wanted a meeting with the Home Minister to appraise him about the incident.

The police say that the murder was a planned one. Two persons are said to have conducted the reconnaissance for the past month. They had followed her for nearly one month, the probe suggests.

OneIndia News
Gauri Lankesh murdered: When politicians at Press Club left journalists disappointed

India

oi-Oneindia

By Smita Mishra

The presence of many senior as well as young politicians at the Press Club of India in New Delhi on Wednesday left the larger section of the journalist fraternity disappointed. The Press Club had organized a protest gathering against the brutal murder of journalist\activist Gauri Lankesh who was gunned down on Tuesday evening in Bengaluru.

To express their shock and anger and express solidarity, the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) and Press Association also joined the protest as they have done several times earlier. As journalists started gathering at Raisina Marg, they realized it was not exactly a 'media' protest. Everyone noticed the presence of former JNUSU president and CPI worker Kanhaiya Kumar, his comrades Shehla Rashid and Anirban at the venue. They also noticed CPM General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, senior leader and MP Mohd Salim, CPI leader Atul Anjaan, activist Swami Agnivesh and AAP leader Ashutosh.

A few of the above such as Kanhaiya Kumar and Agnivesh also addressed from the dais, meant essentially for media persons to express their thoughts, anger and solidarity.

Fingers are also being raised at Aam Admi Party leader and spokesperson Ashutosh addressing the gathering. Many journalists were vocal and questioned the presence of these full time politicians. Some of them took to social media and openly voiced their disappointment. While most others preferred to register their disapproval silently by simply leaving the venue. A senior print journalist explained it like this, 'this was a very sad and solemn occasion. It was not the right time to raise voice over differences.

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However, the presence of so many active political workers made me uneasy therefore I simply the place with other friends after a short while.'

A woman journalist and former office bearer of the PCI also said what happened was completely unexpected and deeply disturbing.

A top office bearer of the PCI management who was managing things on the dais admitted that the protest 'did not quite go as it should have'. He said that active politicians and workers should not have addressed the gathering but did not quite explain why they were allowed. He added that nobody was invited but people from all segments including politicians turned up on their own. On hindsight, he said, they would more careful next time.

While it is understandable that political workers and activists who were friends or ideologically aligned to Gauri Lankesh should feel angry, they would have done better to hold their own protest elsewhere.

(Smita Mishra is an Adviser with Prasar Bharati)
Gorkha outfit claims responsibility for triggering blasts in hills

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling, September 7, 2017: The Gorkhaland Liberation Army (GLA) resurfaced after a long lul claiming responsibility for the series of recent blasts in the Hills, they have warned all political outfits and leaders against compromising on the Gorkhaland issue.

The GJM on Thursday rushed a team to Delhi to hold talks with the Union Home Minister for tripartite talks.

A handwritten poster appeared at the Bakery-golai in Mirik Bazar in the wee hours of the Thursday. Written in black on pink poster paper the poster claimed that the GLA can go to any length for Gorkhas and Gorkhaland.

"We can kill and are ready to die for Gorkhaland. The West Bengal Government has to take note of this. We will not spare any party whether GJM, GNLF, TMC, JAP or any leader who compromises the Gorkhaland issue. Let the GLA not have to explode bombs in such leaders houses. Whatever explosion is occurring in the Hills is being done by the GLA" claimed the poster.

The posters asked the general public not to be afraid. "The GLA is not connected with any political party. The GLA's organization is active in the Gorkhaland area. The GLA comprises of people who have come out for the Gorkhas and Gorkhaland. GLA is not antinational" stated the poster.

"We are verifying the posters. We are looking into the matter seriously," said Anuj Sharma, ADG (law and order).

Incidentally there have been near regular blasts in the Hills since August 19. Blasts have occurred in Darjeeling motor stand; Kalimpong police station; Sukhiapokhari police station; Lhodama; Peshok Bridge; 27th Mile on the National Highway 10; 6th Mile police outpost; Mirik Municipality; Mirik PWD bungalow and a Municipal Councillors house in Mirik.

The blast at the Kalimpong police station on August 19 killed one Rakesh Raut, a civic police and injured a Home Guard constable. On Tuesday the police had unearthed an IED manufacturing unit at Dabaipani in the Lebong Valley in Darjeeling.

Not much is known about the GLA except that there have been posters threatening armed movement for Gorkhaland in the past in the name of GLA.

A police report on June 28, 2017 at the State Secretariat claimed that the GLA was planning an armed movement and were being aided by a neighbouring country. The report further claimed that the GLA was stockpiling arms in the Kalimpong district.

On November 8, 2014, along with some incriminating documents and cash of Rs 10,000, the Assam Police had recovered an M-16 rifle, two Beretta pistols, three .32 pistols, 300 rounds of 9 mm pistol, 80 rounds of AK series assault rifles, 198 rounds ammunitions of M-16 and 60 rounds of .32 pistol from a vehicle bearing West Bengal registration Number (WB74A 4788) traveling from Dimapur in Nagaland to West Bengal.

One Ganesh Chettri (53), resident of Baksa district of Assam along with Umesh Kami (29) of Lankapara, Alipurduar District of West Bengal were arrested from the vehicle.

During interrogation the two had revealed that 15 Gorkhaland Personnel (GLP, a voluntary force affiliated to the Gorkha Janmukti Morcha) along with others had undergone 14 days arms training in Nagaland in 2013 with the intention of launching an armed movement for separate state of Gorkhland, under the banner of Gorkha Liberation

Army (GLA.)

The duo had further revealed that members of the banned militant outfit of Nagaland - the NSCN had held a number of meetings in Darjeeling Hotels.

On January 18, 2009, posters laced with threats appeared in all major towns of the Darjeeling Hills heralding the launch of an armed struggle- that too not with "Khukuris" and Khaduas" (improvised guns) but with sophisticated automatic arms. The posters were signed as Gorkha Liberation Army (GLA).

The posters had appeared this morning in Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Kurseong and Mirik. 4 posters in Kalimpong had then stated "Gorkhaland cannot be achieved with Khukuris and Khaduas. We have already descended upon the battlefield armed with sophisticated automatic weapons." Posters in Mirik and Kurseong criticized and warned the GJM and specially Bimal Gurung for his policies lined on Gandhi's ideology. "Bimal Gurung's Gandhibadi policies will not fetch us Gorkhaland. We will get it using automatic arms" claimed the posters. All the posters bore the signature GLA.

The GLA is considered a hardcore militant outfit in the North East. Not much is known about them except that they have strongholds in certain regions of Assam in the Sonitpur area and also had tried to spread their wings to Nagaland, especially in the Dimapur region.

The GLA first came into picture in September 1999 before the ensuing Lok Sabha elections when their Sonitpur unit had threatened Lok Sabha candidates with dire consequences for betraying the Nepali community by making false promises before elections. They had chided both the Congress and BJP for allegedly remaining deaf to the pangs of the Gorkhas and treating the Gorkhas as a mere vote bank.

Again in January 2007 the commander-in-chief of the GLA Ajay Subba was arrested in Dimapur, Nagaland and had disclosed his outfits close links with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). Subba during interrogation had disclosed that the GLA is a front operating as one of ULFA's intelligence wings and was set up in Nagaland, functioning as ULFA's link in Nagaland. Its prime job is to coordinate the safe passage of ULFA recruits to Myanmar for training.

On the 13th September 2008 one Arjun Chetri of Nagaland allegedly a hardcore member of the GLA was arrested in Dekhiajule in the Sonitpur district of Assam along with an AK47, Chinese pistols and hand grenades.

GJM President Bimal Gurung who has been implicated in a number of blast cases under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA) in a telephonic conversation from his hideout demanded stringent action against any individual or outfit triggering the blasts.

"Our agitation has always been non-violent and democratic. It is the West Bengal Government conspiring to malign me and the party and trying to derail the Gorkhaland agitation" claimed Gurung.

He stated that the Union Home Minister had called the GJM to Delhi.

"I have sent a team to Delhi on Thursday. The Home Minister has called us. We will ask him to initiate tripartite talks for Gorkhaland. Based on the outcome we will decide on the strike" stated Gurung.

The team that left for Delhi include MLAs Sarita Rai and Rohit Sharma; Swaraj Thapa along with GMCC members Kalyan Dewan and Dawa Pakhrin.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 23:10 [IST]
How trolls shamelessly celebrated murder of Gauri Lankesh

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia

New Delhi, Sep 7: What is more cruel, inhuman and outrageous--the ghastly murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh or the blatant and shameful celebrations of the heinous crime by using some of the worst cuss words one could ever imagine on social media?

Yes, you have heard it right. Many on social media, who are known as trolls, rejoiced the death of the 55-year-old editor of the popular Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, known for its anti-establishment stand.

During her lifetime, Lankesh had vociferously spoken and written against the rise of communalism and right-wing politics and supported the causes of Dalits, women and transgenders.

In doing so, she made several friends and equal number of enemies. Only a few months ago, a court in Karnataka convicted her in a criminal defamation case filed by a few Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. She was out on bail.

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When she was alive, she had on many occasions spoke that she knew that forces against her want her to be "silenced". Probably, deep-within Lankesh felt that like scholar and rationalist from Dharwad, MM Kalburgi, she would be one day killed by her opponents. But as she was a brave and a firebrand spokesperson of minority voices, Lankesh did not took threats too seriously.

On Tuesday evening, when the news of her murder by unidentified assailants at her home in Bengaluru came to light, many took to Twitter to express their shock, anger and pain at the horrific and bone-chilling crime done with great impunity. Then there were many who welcomed the news with great happiness.

Sample this tweet:

So, Commy Gauri Lankesh has been murdered mercilessly. Your deeds always come back to haunt you, they say. Amen.#Bengaluru#GauriLankesh  Jagrati Shukla (@JagratiShukla29) September 5, 2017

The Twitter user identified herself as a journalist and she is also a woman like Lankesh. The "messenger of hatred" strongly feels that it was Lankesh's "karma" because of which she was killed.

Thus, in a way, for people like Jagrati Shukla, murders are fine if one is a "commi" (communist) and had allegedly committed "bad karma".

Then there was another tweet by a man named Nikhil Dadhich, who introduces himself as a "businessman, garments manufacturer, Hindu nationalist" and says: "Honored To Be Followed By PM Sh. @narendramodi Ji."

Dadhich tweeted in Hindi on Tuesday night that a ***** (a word that means a canine but is also used as an expletive) had died a dog's death and all the pups were bawling. The tweet had two winking emoticons with their tongues sticking out.

The tweet has been deleted after it was criticised widely for use of such derogatory words, which many can't even utter to their horror. The one more "hater" of Lankesh, Dadhich takes great pride in being followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, one of the most popular world leaders on Twitter.

Perhaps that is why like those killers, Dadhich had no fear before posting such a malicious tweet about a slain journalist who was just killed. Thus many journalists and activists on Wednesday asked Modi to take note of whom he is following as it brings great disgrace to his chair.

"A person called Nikhil Dadhich, who is followed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Twitter, wrote that all the pups were raging against the death of a dog. Will the Prime Minister care to explain what is his compulsion behind following such people?'' asked journalist Ravish Kumar, during a meeting to protest the killing of Lankesh in Delhi.

Moreover, PM Modi is yet to tweet on the murder of Lankesh which has already become a big political issue in the country. Modi is currently out of India, but on September 5 he had tweeted three tweets to wish teaching community of India on the occasion of Teacher's Day.

On Teachers' Day, I salute the teaching community that is devoted to nurturing minds & spreading the joys of education in society.  Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) September 4, 2017

Hours after the murder, information and broadcasting minister Smriti Irani posted a tweet and said, "Condemn killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Hope speedy investigation is conducted and justice delivered. Condolences to the family."

Otherwise, hardly anyone from the ruling BJP spoke about the murder that witnessed large-scale protests across the nation. However, as the bile against Lankesh continued unabated on social media, late on Wednesday evening, IT minister Ravi Shankar Prasad decided to condemn the "happiness expressed on the dastardly murder".

"I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh. Expressing happiness on the killing of anyone is shameful, regrettable and totally against Indian traditions. Social media is not for that," tweeted Prasad.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 12:12 [IST]
With Islamic radicalisation running so deep, why an NIA branch in every state matters

Hurriyat terror funding: NIA recovers Rs 2.20 crore cash following raids

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The National Investigation Agency which conducted raids in Delhi and Srinagar has recovered Rs 2.20 crore cash in connection with the Hurriyat terror funding case.

The places searched include houses and business establishments of those (traders/hawala operators etc.) who are suspected of channelising funds to fuel secessionist and anti-India activities. During the searches, cash amounting to approximately Rs. 2.20 Crores had been recovered besides incriminating documents pertaining to financial transactions.

Digital devices including laptops, mobile phones and hard discs have also been seized during the search. The diaries pertaining to contacts of hawala operators/ traders, ledger books containing accounts of cross border LOC trade of various trading companies had been recovered.

Some details of bank accounts of Jammu and Kashmir were also recovered. Travel documents of some entities showing their visits to the UAE has also been recovered.

On Wednesday a photo journalist from Kashmir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on the charge that he was involved in incidents of stone pelting. Kamran Yousuf, the journalist was arrested along with Javed Bhat from Kulgam by the NIA.

Terming them as alleged ring leaders, the NIA said that the duo also facilitated stone pelting in the Valley. The arrests come in the midst of an NIA probe in the Hurriyat terror funding case.

NIA officials say that Yousuf was not just mobilising the stone pelters, but also clicking pictures and circulating them among the local and national newspapers. They also circulated the pictures widely on the social media and chat groups, the NIA also said.

The latest arrests come in the backdrop of reports that the premier probe agency has identified 117 suspects who allegedly used 70 Whatsapp groups to organize stone-pelting protests in the valley.

The NIA would seek from these persons details of the persons who paid them to undertake the job. The NIA says that these stone pelters were on the pay rolls of the separatists and would undertake the job upon being paid.

During the probe the NIA had learnt that stone pelters were paid anything between Rs 300 to Rs 1,000 per day.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 6:06 [IST]
In Modi's India, why is law and order "conveniently" not a state subject?

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

In Narendra Modi's India, law and order is conveniently not a state subject. Awards were returned when rationalist M M Kalburgi was killed. Several sections went outright and blamed the centre following the death of journalist Gauri Lankesh.

Before getting into any further details, do read what the Seventh Schedule of the Indian Constitution says:

Public Order' and Police' figure as entries 1 and 2 respectively in the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution. Each State has, therefore, exclusive power to legislate in regard to its police system and also has full administrative control over the police in the State. The Central Government can exercise similar power in regard to Public Order' and Police' in the Union Territories only. Under entry 80 of the Union List, the Centre has powers to extend the jurisdiction of the members of the police force of one State to another State, but it can be done only with the consent of the latter State.

The recent outbreaks of violence in West Bengal were once again blamed on the Centre. It is the state which has complete control over policing and in case the law and order machinery breaks down, it is the state that is responsible for the same.

The probes into the murders of Kalburgi and Gauri are both being handled by the state. While it is too early to comment on the Gauri Lankesh murder, the fact is that there has been no lead what so ever in the Kalburgi case, barring the fact that a pistol was used.

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In the midst of the all the centre bashing and the tortoise speed probe, it would be pertinent to ask if the Karnataka government has pulled up its officers for such a slow probe?

When Kalburgi was murdered, many of us felt that the probe would be wound up in quick time. Siddaramaiah is the only Chief Minister of Karnataka to have broken tradition and met with writers and intellectuals just after he was sworn in as the Chief Minister.

All other Chief Ministers have met with religious leaders and pontiffs after being administered oath of office. It was only natural for Siddaramaiah to ensure that the matter was probed in quick time so that the family of the deceased attained a closure.

Moreover, it would have also sent a very strong message that such intolerance would not be allowed in a state which is run by a Chief Minister who sought the blessings of writers after taking oath.

Another interesting point in the Kalburgi incident was that his security had been withdrawn by the state government.

It came as quite a surprise that the security of the writer was withdrawn just a couple of months before the murder. The Karnataka government went on to clarify that it was Kalburgi himself who had written for the security to be withdrawn. Moreover, his daughter too had said that her father had asked for the security to be withdrawn. While this may be a justified explanation, the Karnataka government cannot take cover under the fact that the security was withdrawn just because the person had asked for it.

There were enough and more intelligence alerts suggesting that Kalburgi's life was under immense threat. In matters of security, it is the state which should have rejected the letter written by Kalburgi citing a threat. It is the discretion of the state government whether or not to withdrawn security.

If the government was quick to suggest that the Gauri Lankesh murder had similarities with that of Kalburgi, Govind Pansare and Narendra Dabholkar, then it would only be apt to hand over the probe to the CBI. History has shown that the police of different states do not often cooperate. Jurisdiction constraints and multiple bureaucratic hurdles often come in the way of a speedy probe. The CBI a centralised agency does face such constraints thanks to the powers vested in it. Considering these cases have inter-state ramifications, it would only be apt to hand over the probe to the CBI.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 8:40 [IST]
FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir

J&K: Ceasefire violation by Pakistan leaves two porters injured

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

Two porters were killed in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's Poonch sector on Thursday.

The firing by the Pakistan side is said to have begun at 11:45 am and ended at 11:55 pm. The Indian side has retaliated to the violation.

On Sunday, Pakistan troops resorted to a violation in Mankot sector of Poonch district.

On August 25, one BSF jawan was injured in the ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir's RS Pura sector.

Last month, one woman was injured in a ceasefire violation by Pakistan in Baaz and Nambla areas of Uri sector in Jammu and Kashmir's Baramulla district.

On August 13, three Army jawans got injured in firing along the Line of Control (LoC) in Uri of Jammu and Kashmir.

There has been an increase in the number of cease fire violations by Pakistan as it is trying to help terrorists infiltrate into the Valley. Intelligence Bureau officials report that there is a major push being made to enhance infiltrations.

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 15:54 [IST]
In the name of charity, Rs 50 lakh transferred to personal A/C: ED in chargesheet against Rana Ayyub

Rana Ayyub used money collected for charity for her own use

Journalist shot at in Bihar

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

A journalist was shot at by bike-borne assailants on Thursday in Bihar's Arwal region, said reports. The police suspects that personal enimity could be the motive behind the attack.

Pankaj Mishra, a journalist working for Rashtriya Sahara newspaper, was shot at by two attackers on a motorcycle. His condition is said to be serious.

"Pankaj Mishra was shot by two people from his village. Mishra was leaving the bank with Rs 1 lakh cash which was robbed by them...One accused who shot journalist Pankaj Mishra has been arrested. It is a case of personal enmity," news agency ANI quoted Arwal Superintendent of Police, Dilip Kumar, as saying.

The incident comes at a time when there is an uproar across the nation over the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh on Tuesday in Bengaluru. The attackers on bike shot Lankesh outside her home in Bengaluru's RR Nagar. Seven bullets were fired at her out which three hit her and four missed.

OneIndia News
Exclusive: Police Report Indicates Wasserman Schultz IT Aide Planted Computer For Investigators To FindA laptop that Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz has frantically fought to keep prosecutors from examining may have been planted for police to find by her since-indicted staffer, Imran Awan, along with a letter to the U.S. Attorney.U.S. Capitol Police found the laptop after midnight April 6, 2017, in a tiny room that formerly served as a phone booth in the Rayburn House Office Building, according to a Capitol Police report reviewed by The Daily Caller News Foundations Investigative Group. Alongside the laptop were a Pakistani ID card, copies of Awans drivers license and congressional ID badge, and letters to the U.S. attorney. Police also found notes in a composition notebook marked attorney-client privilege.The laptop had the username RepDWS, even though the Florida Democrat and former Democratic National Committee chairman previously said it was Awans computer and that she had never even seen it.Wasserman Schultz's laptop was left in an old phone booth in the Rayburn building like this one. / Photo: DCNF RosiakWasserman Schultzs laptop was left in an old phone booth in the Rayburn building like this one. / Photo: DCNFAwan was banned Feb. 2, 2017, from the congressional computer network because he is a suspect in a cybersecurity investigation, but he still had access to House facilities because Wasserman Schultz continued to employ him.The laptop was found on the second floor of the Rayburn building  a place Awan would have had no reason to go because Wasserman Schultzs office is in the Longworth building and the other members who employed him had fired him.Wasserman Schultz used a televised May 18, 2017 congressional hearing on the Capitol Police budget to threaten consequences if Chief Matthew Verderosa did not give her the laptop. If a member loses equipment, it should be given back, she said.Verderosa told her the laptop couldnt be returned because it was tied to a criminal suspect. Wasserman Schultz reiterated that, while Awan was a suspect, the computer should be returned because it is a members  if the member is not under investigation.Looks like the democrats are about to completely unwind now
Nagpur cop's daughter raped, body stuffed in suitcase; accused arrested

India

oi-Madhuri

A 22-year-old Nagpur woman was killed by two of her friends in Ambernath after being gang raped on Monday. The accused later packed the body in a suitcase and dumped it near Belgaum in Karnataka. It is learnt that the woman was working with an IT firm in Mumbai.

The accused has been identified as Nikhilesh Patil (24) and Akshay Valode (25) who surrendered themselves before Ratnagiri police station and confessed to the crime. They were later arrested under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code.

The police revealed that the two accused along with another friend Nilesh Khobragade took the girl to Akshay Valode's residence in Ambarnath. However, Nilesh left saying that he has some urgent work.

Nikhilesh and Akshay then took turns raping the girl. When the woman told them that she would go to the police and file a complaint against them. "Scared at the prospect of police arrest, the duo caught her mouth and strangled her to death. Later, they put the dead body in a bag and left after dumping it in a vehicle," the official added.

OneIndia News
FM Nirmala Sitharaman hints at possibility of Centre considering restoration of state status to J&K

In J&K, 14,000 dropouts find their way back to schools

One Jaish-e-Mohammad terrorist gunned down in Jammu and Kashmir

Terror funding case: NIA raids houses of two separatists in Kashmir

India

oi-Vikas

By Vikas

The NIA on Thursday raided the house of separatist leader Shabbir Shah's aide Zameer Thakur in connection with the terror funding case.

Earlier today, NIA raided Hurriyat leader Aga Hassan's residence in Jammu and Kashmir's Budgam. The NIA has been probing several separatist leaders in the terror funding case.

Aga Hassan is said to be close to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The NIA on Wednesday conducted raids at 11 locations in Srinagar and 5 in Delhi in connection with the Hurriyat Terror Funding case. The raids are being conducted to unearth documents following the second round of investigations that took place.

[Hurriyat Terror Funding: NIA raids 11 locations in Srinagar, 5 at Delhi]

On Friday a photo journalist from Kashmir was arrested by the National Investigation Agency on the charge that he was involved in incidents of stone pelting. Kamran Yousuf, the journalist was arrested along with Javed Bhat from Kulgam by the NIA.

Aga Hassan, the former president of Anjuman-e-Shar-e-Shian, had joined Geelani-led Hurriyat Conference in 2015.

Last month, the NIA has unearthed incriminating documents pertaining to Zahoor Watali, who was arrested by the investigating agency earlier. The seized documents reportedly contain details of Watali's financial transactions which can significantly strengthen NIA's case against Watali.

OneIndia News
Peace Rallies rule Hill politics

India

oi-Amitava

By Amitava

Darjeeling, September 8, 2017: Peace rallies ruled Hill politics on Wednesday with the TMC taking out a rally in the foothills and rebel GJM leader Binay Tamang leading one in the Hills. Both the rallies were aimed at restoring peace and normality in the Hills.

Voice recording claimed to be that of GJM President Bimal Gurung blared on the microphone in a routine GJM rally in the Chowk Bazar. A mellowed Gurung appealed to Tamang and central committee member Anit Thapa to return to the GJM folds.

"I know you have made a mistake. Mend your ways and return. You have been trapped in a West Bengal Government conspiracy. It is time for you all to return to the GJM folds and united carry forward the Gorkhaland demand" stated the voice recording.

Binay Tamang led a candle light vigil in Darjeeling on Wednesday evening. The silent rally devoid of any party flags started from the Chowrasta and culminated at Chowk Bazar.

When questioned on Gurung's appeal to him to return, Tamang countered "Where should I return? I cannot go to Sikkim. I am leading the GJM's Gorkhaland agitation in the Darjeeling Hills. I appeal to Bimal Gurung to return to Darjeeling and lead the agitation."

He stated that the candle light vigil was apolitical in nature. "Very soon we will organize a political rally at the Chowk Bazar in Darjeeling" added Tamang.

The rally is slated for the 9th of this month. "We are happy with the turnout. More people would have come if there was no Talibani diktat issued from a public meeting on Wednesday. They had ordered everyone to stay indoors after 4pm" alleged Binay Tamang.

Meanwhile West Bengal Tourism Minister Gautam Deb replicated the Panighatta, Mirik model in Garidhura on Wednesday.

The TMC organized a peace rally in Garidhura in the foothills under the Mirik sub division. Following the rally, shops and business establishments opened up in Garidhura defying the ongoing indefinite bandh clamped by the GJM. The bandh hit the 84 day mark on Wednesday.

"This rally is for restoration of peace and normalcy. People are not getting food in the Hills so we distributed food. Many families owing allegiance to the GJM joined TMC. We want normalcy to return. We will visit the Hills after the foothills" stated Minister Deb.

Food grains including rice and whole wheat was distributed by the TMC. Many families from Garidhura, Rohini, Longview, Pankhabari and nearby places owing allegiance to the GJM joined the TMC on Wednesday.

Incidentally similar rallies had resulted in the opening up of Panighatta and Mirik on Monday.

An IED blast had rocked Mirik on Wednesday night and another IED was lobbed at the residence of TMC Municipal Councillor on Tuesday night (which did not explode.)

"The IEDs are being exploded in order to instill fear amongst the public so that the bandh can be clamped once again as the people of Mirik were brave enough to defy the bandh and open up" claimed LB Rai, Chairman, Mirik Municipality.

Along with others GJM Chief Bimal Gurung has been implicated in the Mirik IED case and charged under the Unlawaful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA.).

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 10:59 [IST]
Salami slicing: Indian Army chief warns of two-front war

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

India must be prepared for a two-front war, Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat has warned. Not only did he warn of Chinese threats from the north as the communist nation was flexing its muscles attempting salami slicing, but also said that India must be ready for a two-front war as Pakistan may try and hit out.

"As far as the northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started. Salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of the threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations which could gradually emerge into conflict," Rawat said at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies here.

In military terms, 'salami slicing' refers to a number of small, secretive operations that are strung together to achieve a larger goal that would be difficult to accomplish in a single operation.

The Army chief hinted at the possibility of Pakistan coming forward to aid its ally China in case a conflict breaks out.

"Whether these conflicts will be confined or limited in space and time or whether they can expand into an all-out war along the entire front (remains to be seen). The western adversary taking advantage of the situation developing along the northern border is very much likely," he said.

On the nuclear deterrence, the Army Chief said, having the nuclear weapons wouldn't prevent anyone to go for a war. "Credible deterrence does not take away the threat of war. Nuclear powers don't go to war and that nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence, yes they are. But to say that they can deter war, they will not allow nations to go to war, in our context that may also not be true," the Army Chief also said.

On Pakistan Gen Rawat said, "We don't see any scope of reconciliation, because their military, the polity, and the people in that nation have been made to believe that there is an adversary, India, which is all out to break their nations into pieces."

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 6:12 [IST]
Can't say if odd-even scheme has led to less pollution: SIAM

SIAM demands ban on vehicles more than 15-years-old

India

pti-PTI

New Delhi, Sep 7: In a bid to check the rising pollution levels in the country, automobile industry body SIAM on Thursday asked the government to ban vehicles that are 15 years old.

The industry body urged the government to come up with a legislation to ban such old polluting vehicles across the country.

"Auto industry is doing a lot of work to reduce pollution. We are working to move to BS-VI emission norms. In order to reduce pollution, we request the government to ban vehicles which are 15 years old," SIAM President Vinod K Dasari said in the national capital.

Speaking at the annual convention of SIAM, he also asked the government to create a national automotive board and to increase design capability which would aid Make in India programme.

Dasari also said the auto industry has been going through one of the most challenging and disruptive times due to frequent changes in policies for the sector.

He said every developed country has a strong automotive industry and India must look to strengthen the sector, which today accounts for nearly 50 per cent of the country's manufacturing GDP.

PTI
Siddaramaiah is chief guest at Indo-China Friendship event? I have declined says former CM

Rahul Gandhi invites Siddaramaiah for sprint during Bharat Jodo Yatra and this happens next [watch]

In 'Killer Karnataka," was Gauri Lankesh set to expose nexus of corruption?

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

Another unfortunate death in Karnataka and this time a journalist. Serious questions are being raised about the law and order situation in Karnataka today. The deaths of RSS activist Rudresh and M M Kalburgi a rationalist from North Karnataka has cast a cloud over the state's handling of law and order.

Taken into account the number of such incidents that take place in the state some have coined the termed "Killer Karnataka."

A senior Indian journalist and activist shot dead outside her home in Bengaluru. Gauri Lankesh was the editor of a Kannada-language tabloid that has frequently been critical of Right Wing and Hindu organization.

Police said Lankesh, who was in her 50s, was shot by three assailants as she was entering the property on Sept 5, 2017 evening and died shortly after. Officers said it was too early to speculate on the motive. Gauri never spoke of threat to her life, says T Suneel Kumar, Bengaluru police commissioner.

A small group of protesters formed outside her home as news of the killing spread. She is the second scholar-rationalist to be assassinated in Karnataka in less than two years after former vice-chancellor of Hampi University M M Kalburgi.

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Gauri Lankesh Investigation : How Bengaluru police made mess of the situation | Oneindia News

Key points:

Journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in Bengaluru Sept 5,2017

Ms Lankesh was fired at 7 times outside her home, 4 bullets hit her

The 55-year-old was found lying on her porch by neighbours

In 2016, she was convicted in a defamation case filed by MP Prahlad Joshi, who had objected to a report against BJP leaders.

She had expressed views against her 'own' people on social media pointing to serious differences with her ideological friends.

She had shared with friends how she was working on a series of stories exposing the nexus of corruption in her Karnataka. The stories were expected to be out after some time.

Even before the police could come out with a theory, the CM Siddaramaiah and his ministers issued loaded statements against journalists who profess or support or identify with the 'nationalist' thought.

Law and order in Killer Karnataka:

Mar 15, 2017: A Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member of the Bommanahalli municipal council and Dalit leader - Srinivas Prasad alias Kithaganahalli Vasu was bludgeoned to death in Bengaluru .

In the last two years 10 RSS-VHP-BJP members in Karnataka have been killed. Prasad's murder is the tenth in the series of politically-motivated killings.

Killing of writers and thinkers:

In 2015: Karnataka, an outspoken scholar and critic of religious groups, M M Kalburgi, was also shot dead by unidentified assailants.

The Supreme Court lambasted the Siddaramaiah govt for lack of progress in the investigation.

Officers who died suspiciously:

Anurag Tewari: A 2007 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, Anurag Tewari was found dead on his birthday on May 17, 2017 in Lucknow's Hazratganj area. He was a resident of Bahraich and was the commissioner of the food civil supplies and consumer affairs department in Bengaluru. His friends indicated that he was under pressure for taking on some corrupt elements in the state.

A 2007 batch Karnataka cadre IAS officer, Anurag Tewari was found dead on his birthday on May 17, 2017 in Lucknow's Hazratganj area. He was a resident of Bahraich and was the commissioner of the food civil supplies and consumer affairs department in Bengaluru. His friends indicated that he was under pressure for taking on some corrupt elements in the state. DK Ravi: He was found hanging by the fan in the bedroom of his private apartment in Tavarekere in South Bengaluru in Nov 2015. While it appears to be a suicide, Ravi was known for taking on the local sand mafia of Karnataka, and there are rumors of his death being linked to his aggressive stance on the mafia's most powerful men. The 36-year-old D K Ravi was the Additional Commissioner on deputation with the Commercial Tax department

He was found hanging by the fan in the bedroom of his private apartment in Tavarekere in South Bengaluru in Nov 2015. While it appears to be a suicide, Ravi was known for taking on the local sand mafia of Karnataka, and there are rumors of his death being linked to his aggressive stance on the mafia's most powerful men. The 36-year-old D K Ravi was the Additional Commissioner on deputation with the Commercial Tax department S P Mahantesh: An administrative officer in the Karnataka government, he exposed irregularities in the allocation process of co-operative societies. He was beaten up by rods and succumbed to his injuries a few days later.

An administrative officer in the Karnataka government, he exposed irregularities in the allocation process of co-operative societies. He was beaten up by rods and succumbed to his injuries a few days later. Mallikarjun Bande: An Indian Police Sub Inspector who served in Karnataka Police. During a gun fight between the police and a wanted underworld sharpshooter Munna Darbadar, Bande was shot in the head by Munna. The only consolation was that the killer also perished during the same.

An Indian Police Sub Inspector who served in Karnataka Police. During a gun fight between the police and a wanted underworld sharpshooter Munna Darbadar, Bande was shot in the head by Munna. The only consolation was that the killer also perished during the same. Kallappa Handibagh: On July 5, 2017, Kallappa Handibagh, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Chikkamagaluru, who was accused of taking Rs. 10 lakh as bribe to release a man involved in gambling, was found dead at his relative's place at Muragod in Belagavi.

On July 5, 2017, Kallappa Handibagh, Deputy Superintendent of Police of Chikkamagaluru, who was accused of taking Rs. 10 lakh as bribe to release a man involved in gambling, was found dead at his relative's place at Muragod in Belagavi. MK Ganapathy: On July 8, 2017, MK Ganapathy, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, was found hanging in a hotel. His suicide led to a political controversy as the 51-year-old officer, in his suicide note, had accused state home minister KJ George and two police officers of harassing him. George was forced to resign amid opposition protests but he was reinstated later. MK Ganapathy was a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Karnataka's Kodagu district. KJ George will be investigated by the CBI to determine if he tortured MK Ganapathy.

On July 8, 2017, MK Ganapathy, a Deputy Superintendent of Police, was found hanging in a hotel. His suicide led to a political controversy as the 51-year-old officer, in his suicide note, had accused state home minister KJ George and two police officers of harassing him. George was forced to resign amid opposition protests but he was reinstated later. MK Ganapathy was a Deputy Superintendent of Police in Karnataka's Kodagu district. KJ George will be investigated by the CBI to determine if he tortured MK Ganapathy. Raghavendra: Raghavendra, a police inspector, was found dead in his office at a police station in Kolar, around 70 km from state capital Bengaluru. He allegedly shot himself with his service revolver on Oct 18, 2016.

A loaded statement:

Karnaka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said he was 'Shocked to learn about murder of tall progressive force and senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Such cold blooded acts deserve highest condemnation.'

Later he also said the state govt would provide protection to all 'progressive' journalists. The question being asked is how will the state government identify and determine who is a 'progreesive' journalist and who is not?

This comment of the CM is a clear case of singling out a certain section of journalists who are ideologically inclined to the nationalist thought or do not identify themselves with the incorrectly termed 'progressives'.

An early view:

Even before the police could get any clues, Karnataka Law Minister TB Jayachandra remarked that there are similarities with the 2015 murder of renowned scholar M M Kalburgi, who was shot dead by two bikers who knocked on his door in Dharwad, around 400 km from Bengaluru. The two-year-old murder is yet to be solved. The links between the two murders cannot be ruled out, said Jayachandra.

Committee to protect journalists:

The Committee to Protect Journalists said in a report 2016 that 27 journalists had been killed "with complete impunity" in India since 1992.

It listed another 25 murders it was investigating to ascertain a connection to the journalist's work.

OneIndia News
Chandra Shekhar Aazad likely to attend Gauri Lankeshs birth anniversary on Jan 29 in Bengaluru

Why India vehemently protested against the killing of Gauri Lankesh?

India

oi-Oneindia

By Oneindia Staff Writer

Once in a while we see pan-India unity over an issue. On Wednesday, when people in hundreds took to the streets to raise their protest over the brutal murder of Bengaluru-based noted journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, we knew India was not only shocked, pained and angry, but the countrymen wanted justice for the slain editor and an end to the cycle of political killings of dissenters.

From Bengaluru (hometown of Lankesh, where the 55-year-old was shot dead by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her house), Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Chandigarh, Tiruvananthapuram to Kolkata, journalists, activists, commoners and politicians took part in protest marches to express their grief over the tragedy.

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Gauri Lankesh Investigation : How Bengaluru police made mess of the situation | Oneindia News

At the same time the protesters demanded speedy investigation into the ghastly killing and punish the culprits at the earliest. The murder of Lankesh, who was a well-known anti-establishment voice, was seen by many as an attempt to muzzle the voices of dissent.

Here we bring you a glimpse of the protests from various parts of the country...

I am Gauri Journalists in Bengaluru silently protested against the murder of Lankesh by holding placards with the message, "I am Gauri". Picture credit: PTI Mumbai cries for Lankesh Several well-known personalities in Mumbai, including actor-activist Shabana Azmi and journalist-activist Teesta Setalvad, too took part in the protest rallies. Picture credit: PTI A candlelight protest in Kolkata Chief Minister of West Bengal Mamata Banerjee took part in a candlelight protest in Kolkata to demand justice for Lankesh. Picture credit: PTI Delhis India Gate protest Swaraj Abhiyan founder Yogendra Yadav and noted anti-corruption crusader Prashant Bhushan with others during a candlelight vigil at India Gate in New Delhi on Wednesday against killing of journalist Lankesh. Picture credit: PTI Patna pained at Lankeshs death Members of different organisations during a silent protest against the killing of Lankesh in Patna on Wednesday. Picture credit: PTI

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China, India shouldn't see each other as rivals: Chinese Foreign Minister

International

oi-PTI

Beijing, September 7: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday said China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control.

In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Wang said bilateral relations were "affected and undermined" during the past few months "for clear reasons".

Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Dokalam, Wang said, "going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track."

Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the Sino-India relationship "should not be derailed". "Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice" for both, Wang said.

"There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said. Both the countries should also "make sure that differences do not go out of control", Wang said.

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said.

After the end of the Dokalam standoff, India and China had agreed to move forward in their ties with President Xi telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi that he wants to put the relationship on the "right track".

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 16:30 [IST]
The Western bias and why it cannot digest Indias success

Explained: Why has US removed India from its currency monitoring list

BRICS joint declaration against terror groups is not China's official stance: Pakistan

International

oi-PTI

Washington, September 7: The BRICS concerns about the militant groups in Pakistan should not be considered as China's official stance, said Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif told a news channel.

The BRICS Summit in their joint declaration named Pakistan-based terrorist groups as a concern for regional security and called for action against them. After the joint declaration in BRICS Summit, the US on Thursday said Pakistan must "change its approach" towards terror groups operating from its soil and take a decisive action against them.

"As the administration has said, Pakistan must change its approach," a State Department spokesperson told PTI in response to a question on the BRICS statement that named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among the terror groups that create problems in the region.

"We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region," the spokesperson said. Pakistan has denied allegations it harbours these groups.

The BRICS declaration in the Chinese city Xiamen was significant given that China previously repeatedly stonewalled any reference to Pakistan or terrorist groups based there.

PTI
India has become center point to world's desires, says PM Modi

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PM Modi visits 2,500-year-old Shwedagon pagoda in Myanmar

International

oi-PTI

Yangon, September 7: On the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to Myanmar Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda.

The pagoda is considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the on last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist- majority country.

He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

"A moment with timelessness. PM @narendramodi visits 2,500-years-old Shwedagon Pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

The Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics. Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.

PTI

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Story first published: Thursday, September 7, 2017, 11:50 [IST]
One is too many.

But on average one person dies by suicide every 1.5 days in the state of Nebraska, according to data obtained from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention.

Suicide effects young people across the state at an alarming rate as it ranks the 1st leading cause of death for children ages 10-14, and 2nd leading cause of death among people ages 15-34 across the state.

September is National Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, and Lutheran Family Services of Nebraska (LFS) provides a number of crucial services that save lives and help individuals suffering from mental health disorders and suicidal thoughts.

Suicide rates across the nation saw a 40-year high in 2015, with many vulnerable populations including young women, rural communities and veterans being the hardest hit.

But these trends can be reversed.

Mental illness and suicidal thoughts are treatable, but sufferers often dont know where to reach out for help, or are apprehensive or fearful of reaching out due to social stigmas surrounding suicide and mental health in the U.S.

According to Lindsay Kroll, the LFS Crisis Response Programs Clinical Supervisor, people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts are not alone and should not be afraid to seek help or tell someone.

This is not a secret they have to keep, and they should not worry about being judged. There are so many people in our community who are willing to listen and provide support and help, Kroll said. It is ok to have these thoughts, and it is what we do about them that makes all the difference. There are other options to relieve the pain and suffering they are experiencing, but sometimes it is just harder for them to see those options on their own.

LFS helps those suffering from mental illnesses and suicidal thoughts by providing confidential, individualized counseling services, regardless of the ability to pay.

Whether a person has an alcohol abuse problem or is suffering from a traumatic event from their childhood, LFS therapists can provide them with specialized counseling, mental health therapy, peer engagement or other tailored services. LFS provides a 24-hour mobile crisis response program to provide intervention and resources to those who are experiencing a behavioral health crisis.

LFS providers work hard to establish individualized safety plans for each individual to assist them in their time of need, Kroll said. We assist them in exploring what could be motivating their suicidal thoughts and how to better address those underlying concerns. We want to support the individual to develop additional coping mechanisms that could help alleviate that emotional pain that could be the driving force for suicidal ideation.

The LFS 24-hour mobile crisis response program offers onsite services such as: de-escalation, safety assessment, crisis counseling, short-term safety plan development and making community referrals.

Referrals to the LFS Mobile Crisis Response team can be made by any law enforcement agency in Dodge, Douglas and Washington Counties, area homeless shelters, The Nebraska Family Helpline, and Omaha Police Peer Support Specialist.

In Fremont, LFS is located at 1420 E Military Avenue #100 and their phone number is 402-721-1774. For more information about LFS programs, please visit LFSNeb.org or call 402.292.9105.

Talking to a loved one about their feelings and behaviors may reduce their risk of acting on suicidal thoughts. If you feel a loved one is in immediate danger, seek emergency help by calling 911, contact a mental health professional, or call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.
Rohingya crisis is the biggest challenge, says Aung San Suu Kyi

International

oi-Madhuri

Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday said that Rohingya crisis is the biggest challenge which the country is facing and it is unreasonable to expect to solve the issue in 18 months.

While answering to ANI's question on Rohingya Muslims, Aung San Suu Kyi said,''It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months.''

''As the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades, goes back to pre colonial times,'' Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Aung San Suu Kyi further said,''We have to decide how to differentiate terrorists from innocents. You in India would be well versed with this.''

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Malala Yousufzai criticises Aung San Suu kyi over plight of Rohingyas | Oneindia News

''Our duty is to take care of our citizens and we will try our best. Our resources are not as complete and adequate as we would like them to be. We want to make sure that everyone is entitled to the protection of the law,'' Aung San Suu Kyi said.

Nearly 126,000 civilians from the Rohingya Muslim minority have now taken refuge in the squalor of overburdened relief camps in Bangladesh to escape a two-week "clearance operation" by the Burma security forces that have razed villages to the ground and left hundreds dead.

The latest violence in Myanmar's northwestern Rakhine state began on Aug. 25, when Rohingya insurgents attacked dozens of police posts and an army base.

Aung San Suu Kyi has been accused by Western critics for not speaking out for the minority that has long complained of persecution. Meanwhile, Myanmar officials blamed Rohingya militants for the burning of homes and civilian deaths but rights monitors and Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh say the Myanmar army is trying to force Rohingya out with a campaign of arson and killings.

OneIndia News
At UNSC, US calls on world to tell Russia to stop its nuclear threats

US authorises 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan

International

oi-PTI

Washington, September 7: In line with President Donald Trump's Afghan policy, the US will deploy additional 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, taking the total number of soldiers stationed in the war-torn country to 14,500.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis authorised the new deployment Trump's Afghan policy, which did not set a timeline for the withdrawal US troops from the country, defence department official said on Wednesday.

The official said that Mattis has authorised about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan. Last week, the Pentagon had revised its earlier figure of 8,400 troops to about 11,000 troops.

On Friday, Mattis had told reporters that he had signed paper work for deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan but did not reveal the exact figures.

The additional troops deployment come after Mattis, along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, briefed members of the Congress on the new Afghan strategy and also about North Korea.

They were joined by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

"The US military presence in Afghanistan should be based on our national security interests, the advice of our commanders, and the facts on the ground. We must ensure that terrorists can never again use Afghanistan as a training ground and launching pad for terrorist attacks against our homeland," Senator Todd Young said.

"Afghanistan is not a short-term circumstance we face. Despite encouraging signs I saw, it doesn't mean we are departing from Afghanistan soon," Senator Jerry Moran told Military Times in a interview after his return from Afghanistan.

Alice G. Wells, acting assistant secretary, Bureau of South and Central Asian Affairs, will testify before the Congressional Committee which will be hearing on budget request for Afghanistan and Pakistan on September 13.

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Joslyn Art Museums first-ever exhibition devoted to jewelry will soon be coming to a close.

Sunday will be the last day for visitors to view the exhibition, Bijoux Parisiens: French Jewelry from the Petit Palais, Paris.

In France, Paris has long been considered a center of innovation in fashion, the visual arts and jewelry production. Bijoux Parisiens charts the course of jewelry design in France over four centuries, tracking the countrys evolving jewelry aesthetic as it responded to historical events and art historical movements.

The exhibition tells the story of dozens of talented artists, designers and entrepreneurs, who created works of art using the most precious materials on earth.

Drawn from the exceptional holdings of the Petit Palais, Paris, with contributions from lenders, the exhibition features nearly 70 pieces of fine jewelry and objet dart, over 100 technical and creative design drawings and numerous fashion prints that demonstrate the relationship between jewelry and fashion.

The objects presented in Bijoux Parisiens reveal the wealth and social fabric of France as the countrys shifting tastes and ever-changing political situations, from the reign of Louis XIV (r. 1643-1715) to World War II, impacted how jewelry was worn and by whom.

Necklaces, pendants, bracelets and brooches made with precious and semi-precious materials like platinum, gold, diamonds and gemstones reflected both the wearers position in society and the designers creativity and skill.

Many artistic styles are shown together, including the severe aesthetic of Neoclassicism, the natural forms of Art Nouveau and the sleek, geometric lines of Art Deco, demonstrating how Parisian preferences changed over time.

Design drawings also show the endless imagination of artists and entrepreneurs, who first designed for the aristocracy and later for the famous jewelry maisons of Paris.

Bijoux Parisiens is a ticketed exhibition. Tickets are $10 for adults. Admission is free for youth ages 17 and younger, and college students with ID.

Guests are invited to use their own web-enabled mobile device or borrow one of Joslyns to access the dual language Bijoux Parisiens mobile tour.

Another exhibition, featuring works by Janet Biggs, also will be closing on Sunday at Joslyn Art Museum.

Biggs has traveled to some of the most extreme environments in the world over the last 10 years, including the remote arctic Norwegian archipelago Svalbard, the Taklamakan Desert in western China, and, most recently, a contested territory in northern Ethiopia known as the Danakil Depression.

Through moving image, photography and performance, Biggs studies the human response to physical and psychological demands. Her Riley CAP Gallery exhibition grapples with this theme through the lens of three video works that examine how individuals push themselves to the limit and the bodys ability to adapt when confronted with adversity.
Opalesque Industry Update - Fred Alger Management, today announced notable developments, including a name change and new share class, in its suite of high conviction, focus portfolios. Alger has expanded its suite of focus portfolios over the past five years, most recently with its acquisition of Weatherbie Capital, LLC ("Weatherbie") earlier this year. Weatherbie manages high conviction, focused, and smaller capitalization growth equity strategies. Upon the acquisition, Weatherbie was appointed subadvisor for the Alger SMid Cap Growth Fund, which was renamed Alger SMid Cap Focus Fund on August 30, 2017. Since 1995, the Weatherbie investment team has invested according to the "Weatherbie Way." This time-tested process enables the team of analysts to identify their best ideas, "The Weatherbie 50." Weatherbie differentiates itself by "fishing in a different pond" of less followed, smaller cap companies across the most dynamic areas of the market. Weatherbie has a proud history of managing institutional separate accounts for nearly 25 years. "There is significant interest in focused "best ideas" strategies that are meaningfully differentiated from their benchmarks and peers. Alger and Weatherbie are well-suited for this style of management," said Jim Tambone, Executive Vice President, Chief Distribution Officer at Alger. "Our experienced investment professionals follow well-defined research processes to identify attractive investment opportunities. We are fortunate to have clients entrust with Alger nearly $2 billion in focus strategies." As further testament to Alger's commitment to focus portfolios, two strategies, Alger Capital Appreciation Focus and Alger Small Cap Focus, will reach important milestones by achieving their five- and three-year records, respectively, over the next several quarters. These focus strategies are available to institutional investors in a separate account and to retail investors in mutual funds and separately managed accounts (SMA). In addition, Alger has introduced an institutional share class for Alger Capital Appreciation Focus, Alger Small Cap Focus, and Alger SMid Cap Focus funds. Class Y shares are available for purchase by institutional investors, including qualified and non-qualified retirement plans. Alger also offers Class Z shares, which are a no-load institutional share class that is generally available to investors or platforms investing more than $500,000. "We recognize that fees and expenses are important for retirement plan sponsors, advisors, consultants, and institutional investors. These lower cost share classes enable us to offer differentiated, actively managed products at a competitive price point," added Tambone.
DAKA CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING ANNOUNCES ITS NEW WEBSITE!

DAKA CONSTRUCTION & REMODELING ANNOUNCES ITS NEW WEBSITE!

www.DakaConstruction.com

www.DakaConstruction.com

Daka Construction and Remodeling Launch Its New Dynamic WebsiteTexas-based quality flooring company improves online experience for valued customers while vividly showcasing myriad of superior, hassle-free and affordable home flooring solutions.Daka Construction & Remodeling WebsiteFort Worth, TX  September 1, 2017  Daka Construction and Remodeling, a high-quality flooring company and one-stop-shop for superior, hassle-free and affordable home flooring solutions based in Fort Worth, Texas, announced the launch its new website, located at. From interactive, regularly-changing home page images showcasing Dakas intricate work to easier-to-navigate elements, the new online portal  designed and executed by Click4Corp  is poised to create an ideal web experience for the companys current and future clients.In business for more than 25 years, Daka Construction and Remodeling provides expert and professional overview in home remodeling, exuding a passion for quality, honesty and customer service in each project its representatives tackle. The companys trusted team of service experts, design consultants and installation specialists put forth every effort to ensure that a clients experience is nothing short of perfection, guiding customers through the floor design, material selection and budget management stages so they achieve the home of their dreams.Daka Construction & Remodeling WebsiteIt is our goal to afford all of our customers flooring solutions that go far beyond meeting their expectations, says a Daka senior company representative. From finished product to final price, we deliver flooring with passion and service with pride, and our newly-redesigned website is a reflection of this dedication; a canvas on which we are able to paint our flooring masterpieces and explain to current and future customers that were number one for a reason.Daka Construction and Remodeling offers services in the areas of A/C repair, bathroom remodeling, carpentry, fencing, flooring, kitchen remodeling, plumbing and roofing, with the company specializing in all varieties of flooring, from hardwood to laminate. In the area of hardwood flooring, Daka representatives state that these are the easiest types to maintain, as there is no shampooing, caulking or strength factors to consider; additionally, hardwood floors are known for standing the test of time, being resistant to deterioration and remaining like new for years.Likewise when it comes to laminate flooring, Daka Construction and Remodeling offers laminate options that arent complex, difficult or time-consuming to maintain, with rich and lustrous finishes that successfully replicate the appearances of many kinds of natural hardwoods. Further, these floors, according to Daka reps, discourage the presence of potential health concerns such as bacteria and mold.Daka Construction and Remodeling is located at 7549 Blue Sage Circle in Fort Worth and can be reached by calling (214) 997-6899. For more information visitDaka Construction and Remodeling's expertise in the business is more than 25 years. We offers a one stop, hassle free kitchen and bathroom remodeling solution. We provide an expert and professional overview in remodeling your home. Daka Construction and Remodeling is where quality, honesty, and customer service come together, Experience the difference. Call 214-997-6899 today.Address:7549 Blue Sage CirFort Worth, TX 76123
Ferguson Case Orr Paterson Launches New Website

www.fcoplaw.com

Ventura Countys largest law firm, Ferguson Case Orr Paterson, recently launched its new website at. Designed to offer quick and easy access to essential information, the new site features a more comprehensive profile of the firms practice areas and expertise, attorney listings with full bios, and a news section with timely updates on attorneys, events and community activities.The new website has a clean uncluttered design, improved functionality and enhanced content focused on the firms mission to guide clients through complex transactions and legal challenges without sacrificing the personal service that has made FCOP the leading choice for businesses and individuals for the past 35 years."We are excited about our new website and the centralized information it provides for businesses, individuals and other law firms looking for collaboration," said Michael Velthoen, FCOP managing partner. "We believe that the new site will allow our visitors to have a very informative experience as we continue to grow and increase our firms presence."For over 35 years, FCOP has been providing quality solutions and personal attention to clients throughout California. Conveniently located in Westlake Village and Ventura, our two full-service offices offer expert counsel across 15 specialized practice groups. With commitment and pride, we also serve the community through pro bono services and by volunteering and sponsoring a variety of civic, professional and charitable organizations.Michael Velthoen, Managing Partner: (805) 659-6800, mvelthoen@fcoplaw.com1050 South Kimball Road, Ventura, CA 93004
Cold Rolled Ice Cream Company Grand Opening September 2nd, 2017

www.coldrolledicecream.com

The revolutionary ice cream store will offer a unique experience in product, environment, and flavor.For Immediate Release September 1st, 2017 - Los Angeles, CA: Cold Rolled Ice Cream Co., a brand-new store featuring unique, innovative, and freshly made ice cream, will make its debut on Saturday September 2nd, 2017 in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue. The company was founded by four gentlemen with a passion for fine ice cream, and after traveling the world sampling, tasting, and experiencing as much ice cream as they could, decided on a preparation process from the Far East known as Thai rolled ice cream for their frozen creations.Founders Tim Hinds, Paul Silver, Takayuki Fujiwara, and Terry Guo bring the unique Thai rolled ice cream technique to life in the posh, trendy fashion area of L.A. Each of the men has a long-time passion for agile ice cream technology, along with a favorite Cold Rolled ice cream creation. From Matcha Green Tea to Pistachio, and from Mint Chip Monster to Red Eye, there are infinite flavor possibilities available for everyone to experience.The rolled ice cream is prepared on a chilled plate that is cooled to -15 degrees Fahrenheit, and it is freshly made for each and every order, right in front of their patrons. Every flavor is customized to the personal tastes of the customer, and everything from the latest trend flavors to the tried and true classics are available. The customer is in charge at Cold Rolled Ice Cream Co.  there is no chalk board of pre-made flavors from which to order but instead, every serving is made to order to the customers liking.The new store for Cold Rolled Ice Cream Co. offers something for everyone and provides a unique experience in product and in environment: There is an ice cream workshop on-site, complete with interactive elements like street artist wall murals and an ice cream preparation viewing area.Cold Rolled Ice Cream Co. will make its debut on Saturday September 2nd, 2017 in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue. To learn more about the new company, its owners, and its unique ice cream, interested parties can visit the official company website atCold Rolled Ice Cream Co. was born out of four guys love for ice cream and the search for the most innovative preparation and flavors in existence. Our founders spent time traveling the world sampling, tasting, and experiencing as much ice cream as they could, after which they finally decided on a preparation process from the Far East called Thai Rolled Ice Cream for their creations.Cold Rolled Ice Cream7266 Melrose AveLos Angeles, CA 90046Phone number (310) 890-8099coldrolledicecream.com
Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017

Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017

https://www.qyresearcheurope.com/goods-707179.html

http://www.qyresearchglobal.com/

The Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017 is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Spinal Non-Fusion Device industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Spinal Non-Fusion Device market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Spinal Non-Fusion Device industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.In this report, the global Spinal Non-Fusion Device market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split global into several key Regions, with sales (K MT), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Spinal Non-Fusion Device for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesChinaEuropeJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Spinal Non-Fusion Device market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Spinal Non-Fusion Device sales volume, Price (USD/MT), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingMedtronic...On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoMetalPolymerOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Spinal Non-Fusion Device for each application, includingHospitalMedical CenterTo get a free professional report sample, please email to tinaning@qyresearch.com or Browse our detailed product page:Table of contents:1 Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Overview2 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)4 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Analysis by Application7 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis8 Spinal Non-Fusion Device Manufacturing Cost Analysis9 Industrial Chain, Sourcing Strategy and Downstream Buyers10 Marketing Strategy Analysis, Distributors/Traders11 Market Effect Factors Analysis12 Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Forecast (2017-2022)13 Research Findings and Conclusion14 AppendixList of Tables and Figures:Figure Picture of Spinal Non-Fusion DeviceFigure Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Product Picture of MetalTable Major Manufacturers of MetalFigure Product Picture of PolymerTable Major Manufacturers of PolymerFigure Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Consumption (K Units) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Spinal Non-Fusion Device Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Hospital ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in HospitalFigure Medical Center ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Medical Center......Related Reports:Europe Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017China Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017USA Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017Korea Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017Japan Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017India Spinal Non-Fusion Device Market Research Report 2017Contact Details:Tina| Sales ManagersCompany Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITED | focus on Market Survey and ResearchEmail: tinaning@qyresearch.com Tel: 0086-20-22093278(CN)Web:QYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, data base and seminar services. The company owned a large basic data base (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business.Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe District
Street Cleaning Equipment Global Market Research 2017-2022 ZOOMLION, Elgin, Hako, Aebi Schmidt, Alamo Group

Street Cleaning Equipment Market

http://bit.ly/2gLrmff

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-street-cleaning-equipment-market-2017-demand-insights-key-palyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

Street Cleaning Equipment Market Research ReportA market study  Global Street Cleaning Equipment Market  examines the performance of the Street Cleaning Equipment market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Street Cleaning Equipment market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Street Cleaning Equipment market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Street Cleaning Equipment Market 2017 report includes Street Cleaning Equipment market Size, Revenue, market Share, Street Cleaning Equipment industry volume, market Trends, Street Cleaning Equipment Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Street Cleaning Equipment Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Street Cleaning Equipment Market 2017:Bucher(Johnston)ZOOMLIONElginHakoAebi SchmidtAlamo GroupFULONGMATennantAlfred K?rcherFAYAT GROUPGlobal SweeperTYMCOAEROSUNFAUNDulevoBoschungKATOHengrun TechMadvacYantai HaideHubei ChengliHenan SenyuanStreet Cleaning Equipment Market : Application AnalysisUrban RoadHighwayAirportStreet Cleaning Equipment Market : Type AnalysisStreet SweeperStreet WasherFirstly, the report covers the top Street Cleaning Equipment manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Get Full Research Report of Street Cleaning Equipment Market @Further, the Street Cleaning Equipment report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Street Cleaning Equipment industry, Street Cleaning Equipment industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Street Cleaning Equipment Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Street Cleaning Equipment research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Street Cleaning Equipment market revenue worldwide.Finally, Street Cleaning Equipment market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Smart Washing Machine Global Market Research 2017-2022 Whirlpool, LG Electronics, Bosch, Samsung

Smart Washing Machine Market

http://bit.ly/2f3K2Dg

http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-smart-washing-machine-market-2017-demand-insights-key-palyers-segmentation-and-forecast-to-2022/

Smart Washing Machine Market Research ReportA market study  Global Smart Washing Machine Market  examines the performance of the Smart Washing Machine market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Smart Washing Machine market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Smart Washing Machine market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Smart Washing Machine Market 2017 report includes Smart Washing Machine market Size, Revenue, market Share, Smart Washing Machine industry volume, market Trends, Smart Washing Machine Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Smart Washing Machine Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Smart Washing Machine Market 2017:WhirlpoolLG ElectronicsBoschSamsungGE AppliancesHaier ElectronicsElectrolux ABSiemens AGTCL Corp.PanasonicSmart Washing Machine Market : Application AnalysisDomestic UseCommercial UseSmart Washing Machine Market : Type AnalysisTop LoaderFront LoaderFirstly, the report covers the top Smart Washing Machine manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Get Full Research Report of Smart Washing Machine Market @Further, the Smart Washing Machine report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Smart Washing Machine industry, Smart Washing Machine industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Smart Washing Machine Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Smart Washing Machine research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Smart Washing Machine market revenue worldwide.Finally, Smart Washing Machine market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Paint Spraying Machines Global Market Size 2017-2022 Wagner, Graco, BLACK& DECKER, Wilhelm Wagner

Paint Spraying Machines Market

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Paint Spraying Machines Market Research ReportA market study  Global Paint Spraying Machines Market  examines the performance of the Paint Spraying Machines market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Paint Spraying Machines market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Paint Spraying Machines market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Paint Spraying Machines Market 2017 report includes Paint Spraying Machines market Size, Revenue, market Share, Paint Spraying Machines industry volume, market Trends, Paint Spraying Machines Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Paint Spraying Machines Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Paint Spraying Machines Market 2017:WagnerGracoBLACK& DECKERWilhelm WagnerWalther PilotLariusECCO FINISHINGRIGOShanghai TelansenHomeRightDino-powerChongqing ChangjiangFuji SprayGolden JubaAirprotoolPaint Spraying Machines Market : Application AnalysisAutomobileConstructionShip & OffshoreMachinery & EquipmentFurniturePaint Spraying Machines Market : Type AnalysisConventional SprayersHigh Volume Low Pressure SprayersAirless SprayersFirstly, the report covers the top Paint Spraying Machines manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Get Full Research Report of Paint Spraying Machines Market @Further, the Paint Spraying Machines report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Paint Spraying Machines industry, Paint Spraying Machines industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Paint Spraying Machines Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Paint Spraying Machines research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Paint Spraying Machines market revenue worldwide.Finally, Paint Spraying Machines market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Naturally Aspirated Engine Global Market Size 2017-2022 Toyota, Hyundai, Chevrolet, Cadillac

Naturally Aspirated Engine Market

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Naturally Aspirated Engine Market Research ReportA market study  Global Naturally Aspirated Engine Market  examines the performance of the Naturally Aspirated Engine market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Naturally Aspirated Engine market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Naturally Aspirated Engine market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Naturally Aspirated Engine Market 2017 report includes Naturally Aspirated Engine market Size, Revenue, market Share, Naturally Aspirated Engine industry volume, market Trends, Naturally Aspirated Engine Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Naturally Aspirated Engine Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Naturally Aspirated Engine Market 2017:ToyotaHyundaiChevroletCadillacBMWFordNissanAMGVolkswagenMitsubishiMazdaPsa Peugeot CitroenGESuzukiNaturally Aspirated Engine Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Naturally Aspirated Engine Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIFirstly, the report covers the top Naturally Aspirated Engine manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Get Full Research Report of Naturally Aspirated Engine Market @Further, the Naturally Aspirated Engine report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Naturally Aspirated Engine industry, Naturally Aspirated Engine industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Naturally Aspirated Engine Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Naturally Aspirated Engine research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Naturally Aspirated Engine market revenue worldwide.Finally, Naturally Aspirated Engine market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Global Market Size 2017-2022 Sharp, Kyocera, Clarion, Aptina

Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market

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Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market Research ReportA market study  Global Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market  examines the performance of the Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market 2017 report includes Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market Size, Revenue, market Share, Intelligent Parking Assist Systems industry volume, market Trends, Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market 2017:SharpKyoceraClarionFujitsu Ten/Fujitsu SemiconductorAptinaOmniVisionMurata ManufacturingRenesas ElectronicsToshibaFreescaleValeoBoschDensoAisin SeikiMagna InternationalPanasonicSonyIntelligent Parking Assist Systems Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIFirstly, the report covers the top Intelligent Parking Assist Systems manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Get Full Research Report of Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market @Further, the Intelligent Parking Assist Systems report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Intelligent Parking Assist Systems industry, Intelligent Parking Assist Systems industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Intelligent Parking Assist Systems Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Intelligent Parking Assist Systems research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market revenue worldwide.Finally, Intelligent Parking Assist Systems market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Automotive Tyre Global Market Share 2017-2022 Bridgestone, Michelin, GoodYear, Continental

Automotive Tyre Market

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Automotive Tyre Market Research ReportA market study  Global Automotive Tyre Market  examines the performance of the Automotive Tyre market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Automotive Tyre market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Automotive Tyre market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Automotive Tyre Market 2017 report includes Automotive Tyre market Size, Revenue, market Share, Automotive Tyre industry volume, market Trends, Automotive Tyre Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Automotive Tyre Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Automotive Tyre Market 2017:BridgestoneMichelinGoodYearContinentalSumitomoPirelliHankookYokohamaCheng Shin Rubber (Maxxis)Zhongce RubberGitiCooper TireKUMHO TIRESTOYO TyreTriangle groupLinglong TyreApollo TyresMRFNokian TyresDouble CoinXingyuanNexen TireAEOLUS TYREAutomotive Tyre Market : Application AnalysisCommercial AutoPassenger AutoAutomotive Tyre Market : Type AnalysisWinter TyreSummer TyreAll Season TyreFirstly, the report covers the top Automotive Tyre manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for Buying Report of Automotive Tyre Market @Further, the Automotive Tyre report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Automotive Tyre industry, Automotive Tyre industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Automotive Tyre Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Automotive Tyre research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Automotive Tyre market revenue worldwide.Finally, Automotive Tyre market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Bath Heater Global Market Share 2017-2022 Aupu, OPPLE, Media, Feidiao

Bath Heater Market

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Bath Heater Market Research ReportA market study  Global Bath Heater Market  examines the performance of the Bath Heater market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Bath Heater market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Bath Heater market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Bath Heater Market 2017 report includes Bath Heater market Size, Revenue, market Share, Bath Heater industry volume, market Trends, Bath Heater Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Bath Heater Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Bath Heater Market 2017:AupuOPPLEMediaFeidiaoCherry blossomsPhilipsSampuxPanasonicTCLBath Heater Market : Application AnalysisApplication 1Application 2Bath Heater Market : Type AnalysisType IType IIFirstly, the report covers the top Bath Heater manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for Buying Report of Bath Heater Market @Further, the Bath Heater report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Bath Heater industry, Bath Heater industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Bath Heater Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Bath Heater research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Bath Heater market revenue worldwide.Finally, Bath Heater market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Global Market Forecast 2017-2022 Sony, TOMOON, Maibu, Weloop

Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market

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Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market Research ReportA market study  Global Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market  examines the performance of the Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market 2017 report includes Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch industry volume, market Trends, Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market 2017:SonyTOMOONMaibuWeloopIwownPeppleElectronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market : Application AnalysisSelf-useGiftElectronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market : Type AnalysisBlack and WhiteColorFirstly, the report covers the top Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for Buying Report of Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market @Further, the Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch industry, Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electronic Ink Screen Smart Watch market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Guitar Tuners Global Market Forecast 2017-2022 Korg, Peterson, Boss, Intellitouch

Guitar Tuners Market

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Guitar Tuners Market Research ReportA market study  Global Guitar Tuners Market  examines the performance of the Guitar Tuners market Size 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Guitar Tuners market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Guitar Tuners market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.Request For Sample Report:The Global Guitar Tuners Market 2017 report includes Guitar Tuners market Size, Revenue, market Share, Guitar Tuners industry volume, market Trends, Guitar Tuners Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Guitar Tuners Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Guitar Tuners Market 2017:KorgPetersonBossIntellitouchPlanet WavesSnarkTC ElectronicFender AccessoriesIbanezBehringerDAddarioFishmanGroverHotoneKalaRocktronSweetwaterT-RexGuitar Tuners Market : Application AnalysisProfessional PlayerIntermediate PlayerBeginner PlayerGuitar Tuners Market : Type AnalysisClip-onPedalPortableRackmountFirstly, the report covers the top Guitar Tuners manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Enquiry for Buying Report of Guitar Tuners Market @Further, the Guitar Tuners report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Guitar Tuners industry, Guitar Tuners industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Guitar Tuners Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.The Guitar Tuners research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Guitar Tuners market revenue worldwide.Finally, Guitar Tuners market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Food Processing Industry Outlook  Increasing Urbanization and Changing Lifestyle Driving the Market

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Netscribes, Inc. launches a report on Food Processing Industry in India 2017 covering a market with strong growth potential. It is a part of Netscribes Food & Beverage Industry Series.Mumbai, India  September 07, 2017  Global market intelligence firm, Netscribes, Inc. released its latest report on the Food Processing Industry in India 2017 (). Increased purchasing power on account of growth in disposable income is resulting in increased spending on processed food in the country. Although processing levels in the country has traditionally been low, the processed food industry has been experiencing increased demand in the past few years. The market is expected to grow strongly over the next five years.Netscribes' latest market research report titled Food Processing Industry in India 2017 provides an overview of the current status of the industry. Increased urbanization and changing lifestyle of individuals have played a major role in spurring growth in this sector. Despite processing levels being abysmally low in the country, the rising income and resultant increased spending on food items have ensured that volume of processed food consumed in the country has remained high. Increased penetration of organized retail is also helping in driving demand for processed food as more individuals are becoming aware of their availability. Moreover, processed food is an attractive option to a large number of nuclear families and increasing number of working women in India as it helps them save time and requires less effort for preparation.A major problem being faced by the industry is the gaps in the supply chain. The country lacks proper storage and distribution facilities. Moreover, the inadequate and high cost of credit is one of the major reasons for the subdued growth of the agricultural sector, the key raw material supplying industry. However, the Government of India has been playing a proactive role in developing the sector and reducing infrastructural hurdles. Through the Ministry of Food Processing Industries (MoFPI), it is providing ample support to the industry. In the Union Budget 2015-16, the government allocated INR ~3.29 bn for infrastructural development. Also, the National Mission on Food Processing, a centrally sponsored scheme launched by MoFPI, is promoting the development of facilities for post-harvest operations in the country. India already has 14 mega food parks, and an additional eight food parks are expected to be operational by the end of this year. This will further aid in the development of the countrys food processing industry.Customizations AvailableWith the given market data, Research on India offers customizations according to specific needs. Write to us at support@researchonindia.comFor more details on the content of each report and ordering information please contact:Phone:+91 33 4027 6243/6222; +91 33 4027 6200/6207; +91 22 4098 7600E-Mail: support@researchonindia.com ; info@netscribes.comAbout NetscribesNetscribes () is a global market intelligence and content management firm with services across the research and information value chain. Venture-funded by US and Singapore private equity firms, the company provides tactical and actionable insights to its clients and enables effective decision-making and strategic implementation.For more information please write to info@netscribes.com- Netscribes (India) Pvt Ltd.- Office No. 504, 5th Floor, Lodha SupremusSenapati Bapat Marg, Railway Colony, Lower Parel, Mumbai - 400 013, Maharashtra, India- Alina Lewis- marketing@netscribes.com
India Air Conditioning Market 2017 Share, Trend, Segmentation and Forecast to 2021

India Air Conditioning Market Outlook, 2021, Indias air conditioning market was growing with a CAGR of 6.82% over a period 5 Yrs

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India Air Conditioning MarketAir conditioning systems comprise the largest share of total HVAC system demand globally. Growing urbanization is fuelling the construction of retail, hospitality and commercial properties and, in turn, expanding the market for air conditioning systems in India. Sudden spurt in mercury levels in central, western and southern regions in the country have increased month-on-month sales for most manufacturers. The market is mainly driven by the increasing demand of room air conditioners in residential and commercial areas. Most of the current market for air conditioning systems is concentrated in Tier-I and Tier-II cities where construction activity is the highest. As a result of the growing momentum towards smart cities, it is expected that the demand for air conditioning systems will continue to grow.Request a sample report @According to India Air Conditioning Market Outlook, 2021, Indias air conditioning market was growing with a CAGR of 6.82% over a period of five years. The India air conditioning market consists of a range of product categories such as central plant systems, VRF systems, packaged/ducted systems as well as room air conditioners. Room air Conditioners account for majority of the market share, followed by central plant, duct and VRF systems. The Tatas-owned Voltas has taken the top slot in the Indian air conditioning market, overtaking Korean white goods giant LG that has dominated the business for over a decade. The AC business is split into multiple segments: Room air-conditioners that are sold through multi-brand retailers and dedicated dealerships; Variable Refrigerant Volume (VRV) and duct ACs, which are used in commercial spaces such as offices and restaurants; and chillers for large building projects like airports and shopping malls are institutional sales.Foreign manufacturers are continuously establishing capabilities in India to capture the room air conditioners market that is propelled by growth factors such as high disposable incomes, large base of middle-class households, and the propensity of the young workforce to spend on electrical and electronic goods. North, northwest and central India contributes over one-third of AC sales in the country. In India, six major cities account for almost 80% sales of room air conditioners. Delhi is the largest market in Northern India while Hyderabad is the largest market in Southern India, followed by Chennai and Bangalore.In room air conditioning segment, the market share of window air conditioners has been witnessing a continuing decline over the last few years on account of decreasing price gap and lower energy-efficiency in comparison with split air conditioners. Consumers are buying more energy-efficient products and hence the 4-Star and 5-Star ACs are selling faster. Apart from these conventional air conditioners, inverter AC is the newest on the block and fast catching the Indian market. Manufacturers are also aggressive pushing the inverter ACs in the market.Complete report details @Key points in table of content1. Executive Summary2. Global Air Conditioning Market Outlook2.1. Market Size By Value2.1.1. Overall Market2.2. Market Size By Volume2.2.1. Overall Market2.3. Market Share2.3.1. By Company2.3.2. By Region2.3.3. By Country2.3.4. By Type3. India Air Conditioning Market Outlook3.1. Market Size By Value3.1.1. Overall Market3.1.2. Central Air Conditioning Plant Market3.1.3. Duct Air Conditioning Market3.1.4. VRF Air Conditioning Market3.2. Market Share3.2.1. By Company3.2.2. By Segment3.2.3. By Sales Channel3.3. India Room Air Conditioning Market3.3.1. Market Size By Value3.3.1.1. Overall Market3.3.1.2. Spilt Air Conditioner Market3.3.1.3. Window Air Conditioner Market3.3.2. Market Size By Volume3.3.3. Market Share3.3.3.1. By Company3.3.3.2. By Region3.3.3.3. By City3.3.3.4. By Geography3.3.3.5. By Type3.3.3.6. By Application3.3.3.7. By Split AC Types4. Pricing Analysis5. India Economic Snapshot6. Raw Material7. Market Penetration8. PEST Analysis9. Policy & Regulatory Landscape10. Trade Dynamics10.1. Import10.2. Export11. Channel Partner Analysis12. India Air Conditioning Market Dynamics12.1. Key Drivers12.2. Key Challenges13. Market Trends & Developments13.1. Room AC Segment Fast Catching Up13.2. Competition between Split AC and Window AC13.3. Players Focusing on Tier II and Tier III Cities13.4. Inverter Technology: The Newest on the Block13.5. Solar Powered Air Conditioning14. Competitive Landscape14.1. Porters Five Forces14.2. Company Profiles14.2.1. Voltas Limited14.2.2. Samsung India14.2.3. LG Electronics India Pvt. Ltd.14.2.4. Panasonic India Pvt. Ltd.14.2.5. Godrej & Boyce Mfg. Co. Ltd.14.2.6. Daikin Air Conditioning India Pvt. Ltd.14.2.7. Haier Appliances India Ltd.14.2.8. Carrier Midea India Private Limited14.2.9. Blue Star Limited14.2.10. Videocon Consumer Electronics & Home Appliances15. Strategic Recommendations16. DisclaimerGet this report @Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt LtdPune  411028Maharashtra, GlobalPh: +91 841 198 5042
Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market Size 2017-2022: Hytera, Harris, Motorola, Nokia, Ericsson

Public Safety Wireless Communication System

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-public-safety-wireless-communication-system-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022

Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market Research 2017A market study  Global Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market  examines the performance of the Public Safety Wireless Communication System market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Public Safety Wireless Communication System market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Public Safety Wireless Communication System market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market 2017 report includes Public Safety Wireless Communication System market Revenue, market Share, Public Safety Wireless Communication System industry volume, market Trends, Public Safety Wireless Communication System Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Public Safety Wireless Communication System Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market 2017 :MotorolaJVCKENWOOD CorporationCiscoHarrisNokiaEADSHyteraICOMSepuraEricssonPublic Safety Wireless Communication System Market : By ApplicationIn-Building Public Safety Wireless Communication SystemOutdoor Public Safety Wireless Communication SystemPublic Safety Wireless Communication System Market : By TypeAnalog Public Safety Wireless Communication SystemDigital Public Safety Wireless Communication SystemFirstly, the report covers the top Public Safety Wireless Communication System manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Public Safety Wireless Communication System report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Public Safety Wireless Communication System industry, Public Safety Wireless Communication System industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Public Safety Wireless Communication System Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Public Safety Wireless Communication System research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Public Safety Wireless Communication System market revenue worldwide.Finally, Public Safety Wireless Communication System market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Pyroligneous Acids Market Size 2017-2022: Jforest, Doishouten, Shenglong, Huazhuo, Seirogan

Pyroligneous Acids

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http://www.spiremarketresearch.com/global-pyroligneous-acids-market-2017-share-size-forecast-2022

Pyroligneous Acids Market Research 2017A market study  Global Pyroligneous Acids Market  examines the performance of the Pyroligneous Acids market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Pyroligneous Acids market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Pyroligneous Acids market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Pyroligneous Acids Market 2017 report includes Pyroligneous Acids market Revenue, market Share, Pyroligneous Acids industry volume, market Trends, Pyroligneous Acids Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Pyroligneous Acids Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.To Get Sample Report Click Here:Manufacturers Analysis and Top Sellers of Global Pyroligneous Acids Market 2017 :DoishoutenDaeSeungSeiroganWin-YecNohken-technoLovesootNaratankaAoki-bussanJforestShinlim ChamsootFang Zhou Bio-technologyYixin Bio-energyLongquan A&I TradeShenglongTagrowHuazhuoPyroligneous Acids Market : By ApplicationAgricultureFood processingHealthcarePyroligneous Acids Market : By TypeFood GradeIndustry GradePharmaceutical GradeFirstly, the report covers the top Pyroligneous Acids manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Pyroligneous Acids report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Pyroligneous Acids industry, Pyroligneous Acids industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Pyroligneous Acids Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Browse Full Report Here:The Pyroligneous Acids research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Pyroligneous Acids market revenue worldwide.Finally, Pyroligneous Acids market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About Us:"Spire Market Research" is a leading market intelligence team which accredits and provides the reports of some of the top publishers in the field of technology industry. We are as a firm expertise in making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact Us5001 Spring Valley Road,Suite 400 East,Dallas, TX 75244, USA
Seed Industry in India Driven by Government Support and Favourable Policies

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Currently, the seed industry in India is experiencing a healthy growth. This growth can be attributed to the provisions made by the government in its favour, commercialization of agriculture and rising investments by the private sector.Request sample report @According to the latest report by IMARC Group titled, Seed Industry in India: Market Trends, Structure, Growth, Key Players and Forecast 2017-2022, the Indian seed market reached a value of more than US$ 3 Billion in 2016, exhibiting a CAGR of around 17% during 2009-2016. Seed is the most important component for sustainable farming, and its availability and quality define the growth of the agricultural sector. The production and supply of seeds are also crucial for food security in a region. As agriculture is a major occupation in India, it offers plentiful opportunities for the development of enhanced varieties of seeds. With the help of advance technology and modern agricultural methods, the seed industry in India has witnessed a healthy growth over the past several years.Highlights of the Seed Industry in India:Government support and introduction of progressive policies for the seed production remain the major growth driving factor.Grain seed dominates the market and represent the most popular product type.North India represents the largest producer of seeds, accounting for one-third of the total market share.Implementation of progressive policies by the government has strengthened the Indian seed industry in terms of R&D, product development, supply chain management and quality assurance. Some of these policies are Seed Development, 1988 and National Seed Policy, 2002 which are responsible for the reformation of the Indian seed industry and have opened doors for numerous multinational and domestic seed companies. Significant participation of both, public and private sectors is also driving the industry, thereby, providing better market access to foreign seed companies as well. Growth in income levels, commercialization of agriculture, patent protection systems and intellectual rights over plant varieties are some of the other factors that have given a push to the market. Due to the aforementioned factors, the seed industry in India is further expected to reach a value of more than US$ 7 Billion by 2022.On the basis of type, the report has segmented the Indian seed industry into grain seeds, oil seeds, vegetable seeds and fruit seeds. Currently, grain seeds dominate the market, accounting for more than a half of the total seed production. Region-wise, North India is the largest producer of seeds, accounting for around one-third of the total market share. Other major regions include West India, South India and East India. On evaluating the competitive landscape, it is found that Advanta Seeds, Nuziveedu Seeds, Kaveri Seeds, PHI Seeds and National Seeds Corporation are some of the key players operative in the market.Read full report with TOC @The report by IMARC Group has examined the Seed Industry in India on the basis of:Seed type:Grain seedsOil seedsVegetable seedsFruit seedsRegion:North IndiaWest IndiaSouth IndiaEast IndiaKey players:Advanta SeedsNuziveedu SeedsKaveri SeedsPHI SeedsNational Seeds CorporationMahyco Monsanto BiotechMahyco SeedsSyngenta SeedsState Farms Corporation of IndiaAnkur SeedsBrowse related reports :Agriculture Industry in India @Indian Agricultural Equipments Market @About usIMARC Group is a leading market research company that offers management strategy and market research worldwide. We partner with clients in all sectors and regions to identify their highest-value opportunities, address their most critical challenges, and transform their businesses.IMARCs information products include major market, scientific, economic and technological developments for business leaders in pharmaceutical, industrial, and high technology organizations. Market forecasts and industry analysis for biotechnology, advanced materials, pharmaceuticals, food and beverage, travel and tourism, nanotechnology and novel processing methods are at the top of the companys expertise.Contact usIMARC Group309 2nd St, Brooklyn, NY 11215, USAWebsite:Email: sales@imarcgroup.comUSA: +1-631-791-1145Follow us on twitter: @imarcglobal
TREDS over-the-boots featured on buildconstructpros.com!

www.familyhandyman.com

https://www.buildconstructpros.com/tools-materials/2017-hardware-show-round

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TREDS was excited to be a part of the National Hardware Show this May, at one of our favorite trade show locations, LAS VEGAS! We were part of the Made in the USA product sections, which made it super easy to find us on the show floor. TREDS had a great time meeting new people, demonstrating our product AND enjoying the week in Vegas.One of our show highlights: The Family Handyman (which is a well-known, oldest and largest publication for DIYers,) stopped by for a quick demo of our product. SOOO we were super excited when we found out they decided to feature TREDS in their 2017 Hardware Show Roundup. The roundup was a list of products they saw at the show that they felt were innovative or state-of-the-art!Take a minute to read their post!Thank you Family Handyman! We appreciate the shout out!TREDS Rubber Footwear is a family owned and run rubber overboot manufacturer. Rob Weber, the founder of TREDS Rubber Footwear realized that there was a need on the market for tougher, stronger, and more flexible overboots that would not tear, would be easy to get on and off, and would be comfortable. The imported brands were just too heavy and prone to puncturing and tearing.Company - Advantage Products Corp. (TREDS Rubber Footwear)Address: 11559 Grooms Rd., Blue Ash, OH, 45242Telephone - 513-489-0363Email: kath@treds.comWebsite:
Global Marine Biotechnology Premium Market Developments 2022 - Marine Biotech Limited, PharmaSea, Nofima

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http://www.qyresearchreports.com/report/global-marine-biotechnology-market-size-status-and-forecast-2022.html

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022" to its huge collection of research reports.The global market for Marine Biotechnology is expected to grow due to evolving technology and rising demands for advanced products and services. This report is intends to offer a 360 degree view into the various aspects of this industry. This report provides the estimated market value at the end of forecast period 2017-2022 and includes the CAGR value at which this market is expected to grow over the forecast period. This report includes segmentation of the market on the basis of various aspects such as technologies, services, products, end users, and applications. These segmentations are expected to provide readers a complete guide to the global Marine Biotechnology market. Furthermore, the market values for each segments are included along with their growth projections over the forecast period.This report studies the global Marine Biotechnology market, analyzes and researches the Marine Biotechnology development status and forecast in United States, EU, Japan, China, India and Southeast Asia. This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeUMBCABTMarinova PtyNorth CarolinaNEBDSMSEPPICGlycoMarPorifarmaSRSLZFINMarine Biotech LimitedPharmaSeaFor more info, get a Sample PDF with TOC:This report on Marine Biotechnology market is developed by professional market researchers who have keen eyes on details. These professionals have considered every important aspect of the market to develop most precise projection of the global Marine Biotechnology market. The global market is also segmented for key regions such as the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America. This segmentation provides the growth projections of the Marine Biotechnology market in these regions. The estimated market shares by value are included along with the CAGR to anticipate the growth of market in each of these regions. As local trends and regional government policies affect the Marine Biotechnology market, trends and regulations poised by governments in these regions are included. To comprehensively give insights into this market, various tables and graphs are included.Table of ContentsGlobal Marine Biotechnology Market Size, Status and Forecast 20221 Industry Overview of Marine Biotechnology1.1 Marine Biotechnology Market Overview1.1.1 Marine Biotechnology Product Scope1.1.2 Market Status and Outlook1.2 Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size and Analysis by Regions1.2.1 United States1.2.2 EUBrowse Complete Report with TOC @2 Global Marine Biotechnology Competition Analysis by Players2.1 Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Value) by Players (2016 and 2017)2.2 Competitive Status and Trend2.2.1 Market Concentration Rate2.2.2 Product/Service Differences2.2.3 New Entrants2.2.4 The Technology Trends in Future3 Company (Top Players) Profiles3.1 UMBC3.1.1 Company Profile3.1.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.1.3 Products, Services and Solutions3.1.4 Marine Biotechnology Revenue (Value) (2012-2017)3.1.5 Recent Developments3.2 ABT3.2.1 Company Profile3.2.2 Main Business/Business Overview3.2.3 Products, Services and SolutionsEnquiry For Discount Visit @4 Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Marine Biotechnology in FutureList of Tables and FiguresFigure Marine Biotechnology Product ScopeFigure Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Marine Biotechnology Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Southeast Asia Marine Biotechnology Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Computer Peripherals Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2013 - 2019

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A peripheral device is mainly defined as an auxiliary device such as keyboard and mouse and it connects with computer in some way. Other examples of peripherals include loudspeakers, webcams, graphics cards, digital cameras, microphones, expansion cards, and tape drives. Devices those are inside the case name as internal peripherals these include CD-ROM drives, hard drives.Obtain Report Details @The devices which are used to refer to a device external to the computer case such as scanner are called external peripherals or auxiliary components. The computer peripherals generally refer to electronic equipment and connected to a computer by cables. The global computer peripherals market is categorized by strong competition among many players those are offering various products and services to improve consumer use of computers.The global computer peripherals market is segmented into two major categories, on the basis of products into computer storage devices, input and output peripherals, computer terminals, parts, sub assemblies and accessories for peripherals and other point of sale terminals and fund transfer devices. On the basis of type the market is segmented into computer monitor, mouse-device, keyboard, printer, scanner, digital camera, ATM, and point of sale terminal. The market is further segmented by geography into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe and rest of the world regions.Make an Enquiry @There are various trends in the global computer peripherals market are more touchscreen PCs are expected to launch, Microsoft continues to make W8 more user friendly for consumers, majority of consumers still view tablets as additive especially for complex task. Increasing use of multiple screens and emerging new input technologies are also driving the demand for computer peripherals market. Some of the key players dominating the market are Toshiba, Microsoft, Lexmark, Western Digital, HP, Apple, Dell, Samsung, Seagate, Logitech, UNIHA and IBM.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Market Premium Shares, Capacity & Applications

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.To stay competent in the global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market, this report provides a complete guide to the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market. This report consists of various trends that are affecting this market both in positive or negative manners. These trends are completely evaluated to predict their precise effects on the growth of the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market. Along with the opportunities present in this market, the pitfalls that can hinder the growth of this market are also included. This report estimates the market value of the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market by end of the forecast period along with the expected CAGR for the growth over the forecast period 2017-2022. The market is segmented based on various aspects such as product types, technologies, raw materials, end users, applications, and services. For all these segments the opportunities for the growth are evaluated. The market share of these segments are tabulated by vigorous research and with the help of both primary and secondary sources.Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingNXPTexas InstrumentsSemtechIntersilAnalog DevicesROHM SemiconductorCactus SemiconductorSkyworks Solutions, Inc.ON SemiconductorTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Geographically, the global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market can be segmented into key regions such as the Middle East and Africa, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and North America. Growth trajectories for these regions over the forecast period. The local trends and local competitive landscape is included, which provides the opportunities and hurdles affecting the regional market. Due to various technological advancements and changing processes, this market is going through a major transition. However, this report provides insights into various vertices of the Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) market, which help the readers to find hidden opportunities. Company profiles of prominent players in this market are included.Table of ContentsGlobal Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Market Research Report 20171 Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC)1.2 Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category) (2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Voltage RegulatorObtain Report Details @2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)Enquiry For Discount Visit @4 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)5 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type5.1 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.2 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Revenue and Market Share by Type (2012-2017)5.3 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Price by Type (2012-2017)5.4 Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production Growth by Type (2012-2017)List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production (K Units) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure India Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity, Production (K Units) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Major Players Product Capacity (K Units) (2012-2017)Table Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity (K Units) of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)Table Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2012-2017)Figure Global Power Management Integrated Circuit (PMIC) Capacity (K Units) of Key Manufacturers in 2016About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Offshore Industry Production and Capital Expenditure Outlook for Key Planned Upstream Projects, Q1 2017 - Petrobras Leads Globally with Most Offshore Planned Oil and Gas Projects

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http://www.researchmoz.us/q1-2017-production-and-capital-expenditure-outlook-for-key-planned-upstream-projects-in-global-offshore-industry-petrobras-leads-globally-with-most-offshore-planned-oil-and-gas-projects-report.html

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Globally, a total of 279 key planned offshore crude and natural gas projects are expected to start operations in 46 countries. They are expected to contribute around 6,990 mbd to global crude production and about 48 bcfd to global gas production in 2025. Among countries, the highest capex spending is expected to be majorly contributed by Brazil, Mozambique, and the US. About US$586 billion is expected to be spent between 2017 and 2025 to bring the planned projects online. Among companies, Petroleo Brasileiro S.A. would be the highest capex spending company followed by Eni S.p.A. and Royal Dutch Shell plc.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:Scope- Oil and gas production outlook by key countries and companies in the global offshore industry up to 2025- Planned projects count and starts by key countries and companies in the industry- Details of key planned crude and natural gas projects in the global offshore industry- Capex and opex outlook by key countries and companies in the industryBrowse more details at:Reasons to buy- Understand oil and gas production outlook from key planned fields in the global offshore industry- Keep abreast of key planned production projects in the industry- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong global offshore oil and gas production forecast- Develop business strategies with the help of specific insights on global offshore production and capex outlook- Assess your competitors planned offshore oil and gas production projectsTable of Contents1 Table of Contents1.1. List of Tables1.2. List of Figures2. Key Planned Upstream Projects in Global Offshore Oil and Gas Industry2.1. Key Highlights2.2. Key Offshore Planned Projects Count by Country2.3. Planned Offshore Project Starts by Country2.4. Production Outlook for Key Global Offshore Planned Project2.5. Key Global Planned Offshore Crude Projects2.6. Key Global Planned Offshore Gas Projects2.7. Key Global Offshore Discovered Fields2.8. Capex Outlook for Key Global Offshore Planned Projects by Country2.9. Opex Outlook for Key Offshore Planned Projects by Country2.10. Global Key Planned Offshore Projects by Company2.11. Production from Key Global Planned Offshore Crude and Gas Projects by Company2.12. Capex and Opex Outlook for Key Global Offshore Planned Projects by CompanyAbout UsResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Research report explores the Biometrics Services Market for the forecast period, 2016 - 2024

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Global Cement Market: OverviewThe cement market is expected to soon witness an annual increase in demand, which could exceed supply, with the recent decline in capacity addition, especially in Asia Pacific (APAC) countries such as India. This may also prepare a platform for an imposing price appreciation in the future. However, new government regulations or changes in the nations financial system could affect the demand; for instance, the recent demonetization in India. Nevertheless, even with a small revival in the cement industry, the volume growth is anticipated to improve.Obtain Report Details @Some of the African cement companies have taken a new route to better their market penetration tactics. BUA Cement in Nigeria would be embarking on productive operational framework and effective service delivery to augment its market share and reach a mammoth production target in a few years time.In a comprehensive report, Transparency Market Research (TMR) analyzes the global cement market through conclusive segmentation. One of the key classifications mentioned in the report is type, which introduces two significant varieties of cement.An in-depth evaluation of the international cement market discussed in the report explores the product value chain and intensity of competition on the basis of Porters five forces model. Taking into account decisive factors such as the threat of new entrants, bargaining strength of buyers, and alternative products, the report presents an all-encompassing study of the markets competitive landscape. It also studies the vital elements of the market using SWOT analysis, including the impact of their presence.Global Cement Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe cement industry immensely relies on construction and building activities. Concrete and mortar are two of the most common products in the construction industry that use cement as a major ingredient. Any escalation in the global construction or building activities will spur the market largely. Other factors that could influence the rise in the worldwide market include escalating number of nuclear families, rising need for accommodation, development in technology, and excessive disposable income.If the restraints are considered, the global cement market could experience a cutback in its flourish in terms of expansion with the energy-intensive manufacturing procedure for cement production. The danger of getting exposed to diseases such as lung cancer is another restraint that could arrest the growth of the market.Global Cement Market: Regional OutlookIn terms of consumption, APAC outpaces other regions in the global cement market by securing the largest share on the back of developing economies of countries such as China and India. With a considerable increase in the number of business and residential installations, APACs emerging nations have remarkably added to the demand for cement in the region. North America and Europe are predicted to invite a stable demand in the market with a profitable growth rate. Riding on disposable income and swift industrialization and urbanization, Brazil is foreseen to witness a tremendous growth potential.Global Cement Market: Company ProfilingIn a detailed study about the leading vendors in the international cement market, the report interprets their sales and marketing schemes, top mergers and acquisitions, latest innovations, and other critical factors. CNBM, Dangote, Mitsubishi Materials, CEMEX, Siam, Jaypee Cement, China National Materials Co., Lafarge SA, and Titan are the key players evaluated.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global E-SIM Card Market Viewpoint & Prospects Target Growth at 13.5% CAGR during 2017  2025

MRRSE

http://www.mrrse.com/sample/3198

http://www.mrrse.com/e-sim-card-market

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It is important to note that, E-SIM card permits changing mobile network operator only under a few clicks. To be precise, it offers the ability to switch network providers over the air in machine to machine systems like connected cars and smart meters connected cars. Presently, the market for E-SIM card market is gaining traction due to its advantages over conventional SIM cards. To study further, a new report has been included in the wide online repository of Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE). This research report is titled E-SIM Card Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017  2025, which includes information about the current as well as future trends prevailing in the E-SIM card market on the global scale.Request For Sample Report:The compact design of E-SIM, as well as standardization of technical specifications for Embedded SIM technology, is noticed as one of the distinct features that set E-SIM cards differently from conventional SIM cards. As per report findings, the global E-SIM card market is projected to surge at a healthy 13.5% CAGR between 2017 and 2025. Rising at this rate, the concerned market is anticipated to portray a prominent opportunity of US$14,613.1 mn by 2025.This research study starts with a precise knowledge about the market overview followed by the market dynamics and trends linked to the global E-SIM card market. The readers can learn about the market drivers, restraints, and opportunities in a detailed form. As the report proceeds, the market segmentation assessment can be accessed for the present as well as forecast scenario. On the basis of application, the global market for E-SIM card is bifurcated into Machine to Machine (M2M), which comprises connected cars, utility, and others. Moreover, the other mentioned applications are smartphones, wearable & companion devices, and tablets & laptops.Geographically, the global E-SIM card market is divided into prime regions which are analyzed on the basis of market size (US$ Mn) forecast by region, 2015  2025 and market attractiveness. The major regions targeted in the report are North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa and South America. Out of these, the key countries are Canada, Germany, the U.S., France, the U.K., China, GCC, Japan, South Africa and Brazil.The concluding section of the report talks about the competitive landscape for the global E-SIM Card market. This section lists all the major players evaluated on the basis of geographic presence, market attractiveness, and recent key developments. Apple Inc., Giesecke & Devrient GmbH, Samsung, Gemalto NV, Telefonica S.A., OT-Morpho, Sierra Wireless, Inc. and Deutsche Telekom AG, are underlined are the chief companies for this study.Browse Full Report with TOC :About UsMarket Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.ContactState Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comWebsite:
Optical Amplifiers Market Intelligence Report Offers Growth Prospects by 2023

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Optical amplifiers are a key technology used for optical communication. It is a device used to amplify any input optical signal without the need to first transform it into an electronic signal. Together with the technology of wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) which allows the communication of various channels over the same optical fiber, now it is possible to transmit many terabits of data covering a distance of few hundred kilometers to transoceanic distances with the help of optical amplifiers. Generally an optical communication comprises of a transmitter and a receiver connected with an optical fiber. Although the signals transmitted through optical fiber suffer far less disturbances than in other mediums like copper, there is always distance of 100 kilometers a signal can travel before the signal becomes too noisy.Obtain Report Details @Before the introduction of optical amplifiers, it was mandatory to regenerate the optical signals every 80-100 km in order to attain transmission over long distances. It includes receiving of optical signal, cleaning and amplifying it electronically and then again transmitting it over the next segment of communication link. Optical amplifier made it possible to amplify together all the WDM channels, their bit rate, modulation format and protocols which are completely transparent to all the communication channels. So, multiple components which are required for regeneration of electronic signals can be replaced with the help of a single optical fiber.Constant availability of 100Gbps devices and massive increase in the internet traffic over the communication network is playing the role of key drivers in the optical amplifiers market. The growth of internet traffic comes from the fact that everything is going mobile nowadays with the growth of various smart phones and tablets providing universal connectivity. This results in demand of different optical components in order to ensure smooth communication over the network consisting of lakhs of users.There are primarily two types of optical amplifiers, semiconductor laser amplifiers and fiber amplifiers. Semiconductor laser amplifier is further divided into Travelling wave amplifier (TWA) and Fabry-perot amplifier. Fiber amplifiers include Erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA). Semiconductor optical amplifiers (SOA) are basically laser diodes which can amplify any optical signal coming from either side of the fiber-end and send the amplified version of the signal out of the fiber attached through the other end. They are constructed in a small package and transmit bidirectional reducing the size of a device. However, it has some limitations which include high coupling loss, dependence of polarization and a high noise figure. It requires very high quality of anti-reflective coatings. Fiber amplifiers are silica fibers doped with an earth element Erbium. It consists of a reliable and compact high power semiconductor pump lasers which is used for fast communications over the large area of network. Further, it introduces no crosstalk when amplifying the WDM signals.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @The opportunity of this market lies in the 4G facilities which are gradually being introduced by various mobile telecom companies in order to reduce the internet traffic and deliver the best communication services to all the mobile operators across the globe. Also, the optical amplifiers see strong potential in the field of laser physics involving all the quantum mechanics and photonics instrumentation. The key players in the market include Finisar corp., Avago technologies Ltd, Furukawa co. Ltd., NEC corporation, Sumitomo Heavy industries, Ltd., and Source Photonics., Inc., among others.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
1099s vs. W-2s: Avoiding Employee and Independent Contractor Misclassification

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Edupliance announces webinar titled, 1099s vs. W-2s: Avoiding Employee and Independent Contractor Misclassification that aims to update attendees on how to avoid misclassification of workers to prevent fines and lawsuits by filing correct W2 and 1099 for employee and independent workers. The event goes LIVE on Thursday, September 14, from 01:00 PM to 02:30 PM, EST / 10 AM to 11:30 AM PST.Companies that intentionally classify workers as independent contractors, rather than employees, save on expenses. However, if misclassified, these workers dont receive their entitled benefits and neither does the government receive its employee-related income, such as unemployment, disability and Social Security taxes, and workers compensation premiums. Misclassifying employees and independent contractors are getting more costly by the day. With federal and state agencies joining forces to combat misclassification, fines and penalties have skyrocketed. And every day the misclassification continues the penalties mount up and then it might be too late for your company!The 90-minute webinar will be conducted by Vicki Lambert, CPP, who has over 35 years of hands-on experience in all facets of payroll functions as well as over 20 years as a trainer and author. Ms. Lambert has become the most sought-after and respected voice in the practice and management of payroll issues. She has conducted open market training seminars on payroll issues across the United States that have been attended by executives and professionals from some of the most prestigious firms in business today.Webinar attendees will learn: What classifications of workers are permitted under the IRS Rules What is the common law rule and how is it used to determine worker status What are the three factors the IRS uses to determine worker status and how to apply them correctly How the FLSA rules differ from the IRS rules and why you have to follow both How does the state trump both the IRS and the FLSA on determining independentcontractor status with the ABC test for SUI What are the latest agreements or programs being used by the IRS, DOL, and the states to find misclassified employees Using the Form SS-8 to your advantage to determine worker status Who gets a W-2 and who gets a 1099 and why it should never be the same worker Find out how easily a 1099 audit can be triggered and why the chances of getting one are on the rise What are the penalties for misclassifying an employee as an independent contractor and who assesses them? Its not just the IRS you have to worry about. You found out you have a misclassified employeenow what?To register for the webinar, visitAbout EduplianceEdupliance is a online information provider which offers webinars (Live and On-Demand), DVDs and downloadable resources that cover concurrent topics pertaining to various industries. With an expert panel of guest speakers, Edupliance brings state-of-the-art virtual technology solutions and industry-leading training sessions that are easy to learn, easily accessible and cater to people with varied interests. Edupliance is privately held and located in Hillsboro, Oregon. For more information, visitMedia Inquiriessupport@edupliance.comP:- +1-844 811 1150A:- Edupliance - #101, 4660, NE Belknap Court, Hillsboro, OR 97124 |
DDI Market worth 467.8 Million USD by 2022

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http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/dns-dhcp-ip-address-management-ddi-market-162005891.html

The report "DDI Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Application (Network Automation, Virtualization and Cloud, Data Center Transformation, Network Security, and Others), Deployment Type, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022", The DDI market size is estimated to grow from USD 219.8 Million in 2017 to USD 467.8 Million by 2022, at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 16.3% during the forecast period.Browse 57 market data tables and 53 figures spread through 120 pages and in-depth TOC on "DDI Market by Component (Solutions and Services), Application (Network Automation, Virtualization and Cloud, Data Center Transformation, Network Security, and Others), Deployment Type, Organization Size, Vertical, and Region - Global Forecast to 2022"Download PDF Brochure @Early buyers will receive 10% customization on reports.The ever-growing need for increased security measures, rise of IoT platforms, increase attacks on DNS server, and proliferation of BYOD at workplace, has led to the adoption of DDI. With the increase in the adoption rate of DDI among Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs), the DDI market is expected to gain major traction during the forecast period.Rapid adoption of DDI due to a strong and well established economy makes North America the largest market in terms of global shareThe DDI market has demonstrated the capabilities to maintain network dynamics securely and smoothly, which has helped organizations to reduce their maintenance and operational expenses. The North American region accounts for the major chunk of the DDI solutions and services market, and the region is considered to be one of the most advanced regions with regards to the technology adoption and infrastructure. Furthermore, various verticals operating in the region such as IT & Telecom has been increasingly moving towards adopting new ways to monitor network security and IPAM. They relied on traditional methods such as maintaining documents and spreadsheets to record IP address allocations.Telecom and IT industry segment is expected to contribute to the largest market share during the forecast periodAll the IT and telecom industries use computers and mobile devices to execute their operations, each of these devices uses network to communicate data making network the most significant part of the workflow. DDI makes it easy for IT and telecom industries to support their current and evolving needs, while achieving the highest standards for service uptime, network reliability, and operational efficiencies.The SME market for DDI is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast periodThe Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) segment is expected to grow at the highest CAGR in the DDI market during the forecast period. SMEs had been majorly depended on manual records and spreadsheets to maintain their network. This was majorly due to the lack of awareness and budget constraints. However, with the proliferation of mobile devices and advent of IPv6, benefits of adopting DDI solutions and services is expected to drive the adoption of DHCP, DNS, and IPAM in SMEs during the forecast period.The major vendors that offer DDI solutions and services across the globe are Nokia Corporation (Alcatel-Lucent Enterprise) (France), BlueCat Networks (Canada), Microsoft Corporation (U.S.), Infoblox Inc. (U.S.), Cisco Systems, Inc. (U.S.), Men & Mice (Iceland), EfficientIP (U.S.), BT Diamond IP (U.S.), FusionLayer, Inc. (Finland), Apteriks (Netherlands), SolarWinds (U.S.), NCC Group (U.K.), TCPWave Inc. (U.S.), PC Network (Philadelphia), and ApplianSys (U.K.).Read More @MarketsandMarkets provides quantified B2B research on 30,000 high growth niche opportunities/threats which will impact 70% to 80% of worldwide companies revenues. Currently servicing 5000 customers worldwide including 80% of global Fortune 1000 companies as clients. Almost 75,000 top officers across eight industries worldwide approach MarketsandMarkets for their painpoints around revenues decisions.Our 850 fulltime analyst and SMEs at MarketsandMarkets are tracking global high growth markets following the "Growth Engagement Model  GEM". The GEM aims at proactive collaboration with the clients to identify new opportunities, identify most important customers, write "Attack, avoid and defend" strategies, identify sources of incremental revenues for both the company and its competitors. MarketsandMarkets now coming up with 1,500 MicroQuadrants (Positioning top players across leaders, emerging companies, innovators, strategic players) annually in high growth emerging segments. MarketsandMarkets is determined to benefit more than 10,000 companies this year for their revenue planning and help them take their innovations/disruptions early to the market by providing them research ahead of the curve.MarketsandMarketss flagship competitive intelligence and market research platform, "RT" connects over 200,000 markets and entire value chains for deeper understanding of the unmet insights along with market sizing and forecasts of niche markets.Mr. RohanMarketsandMarkets701 Pike Street,Suite 2175, Seattle,WA 98101, United States1-888-600-6441Email: sales@marketsandmarkets.com
Reprocessed Medical Devices Market in APAC, 2017-2027: Cardiology Devices Segment Slated to Dominate the Regional Market Through 2027

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The Cardiology Devices segment is likely to create absolute $ opportunity of a little more than US$ 15 Mn in 2018 over 2017. By the end of 2027, Cardiology Devices segment is projected to reach a market valuation close to US$ 700 Mn, expanding at a CAGR of 18.4% over the forecast period. The Cardiology Devices segment dominated the Asia Pacific reprocessed medical devices market in terms of revenue in 2016, and the trend is projected to grow throughout the forecast period. Cardiology Devices segment is anticipated to be the most attractive segment, recording an attractiveness index of 4.3 over the period of assessment.Click to get sample PDF with TOC:There has been an increasing healthcare spending by the governments of some of the developing countries such as Australia, India and China owing to a growing geriatric population and growing awareness among the population regarding health-related issues. However, despite increased healthcare spending in the Asia Pacific region, the growth rate is slow, which creates a requirement for healthcare facilities to focus on cost cutting in order to stay in tune with the universal healthcare system. Increasing healthcare spending in response to growing healthcare problems is the driving factor for the cardiology devices segment.Browse more details at:Most of the prestigious hospitals in Asia Pacific are focussing on reducing the cost of medical devices for better results with the smarter use of their resources. Many hospitals are using cardiology devices as a supply chain cost reduction strategy. This fuels the growth of the cardiology devices segment in the Asia Pacific reprocessed medical devices market. Stringent regulations by various local regulatory bodies provides assurance to hospitals and practitioners regarding the quality of cardiology devices. The need to maintain quality, safety, manufacturing standards and effectiveness as specified by regulatory bodies is estimated to invoke trust in healthcare facilities and practitioners. For instance, in Australia, SUDs are considered as new distinct medical devices. The reprocessing companies are responsible for all conformity assessments, safety, efficacy standards and all the legal liabilities of the remanufactured product.Growing awareness regarding the use of reprocessed medical devices particularly cardiology devices and growing concerns regarding safety and efficacy is driving the growth of the cardiology devices segment. Due to regulatory hurdles regarding in-house reprocessing, hospitals are focussing on entering into agreements with companies for reprocessing of their medical devices. This is driving growth in the third party cardiology devices segment. Increasing awareness about cardiology devices helps save healthcare expenses each year. Reprocessed medical devices such as cardiology devices are sold at approximately half the price of a new product. Availability of cardiology devices at less prices is propelling the demand in the cardiology devices segment.Cardiology devices segment in India is anticipated to expand at an attractive CAGR of 23% over the period of forecastThe cardiology devices segment is estimated to account for more than 50% revenue share of the Australia reprocessed medical devices market by 2017 end and is predicted to gain more than 1000 BPS in its market share by 2027 over 2017. Cardiology devices segment is likely to create absolute $ opportunity of more than US$ 1 Mn in 2018 over 2017 in the country. By the end of 2027, cardiology devices segment is projected to reach more than US$ 70 Mn, expanding at a CAGR of 18% over the calculated period. In New Zealand, the cardiology devices segment is projected to reach close to US$ 16 Mn by the end of 2027, expanding at a CAGR of 16% over the forecast period. In China, revenue from the cardiology devices segment is anticipated to register a CAGR of 24.8% over 20172027, to reach more than US$ 180 Mn by 2027. The cardiology devices segment in the India reprocessed medical devices market is estimated to create absolute $ opportunity of close to US$ 2 Mn in 2018 over 2017.About UsResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:
Urgent Care Centers Market is expected to witness a 3.80% CAGR till 2020

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A new Transparency Market Research report states that the global urgent care centers market stood at US$23.5 bn in 2013 and is predicted to reach US$30.5 bn by 2020. It is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 3.80% from 2014 to 2020. The title of the report is Urgent Care Centers Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast, 2014 - 2020.View Full Report:Urgent care is a type of walk-in clinic providing ambulatory care within a dedicated medical facility outside of a conventional emergency room. Urgent care centers majorly treat illnesses or injuries that need immediate care. However, these types of illnesses are not serious enough and thus do not need an ER visit. Urgent care centers thus allow easy access to an affordable healthcare experience to patients. Nowadays, urgent care centers are equipped with cutting-edge technology and offer life-saving procedures for the fast recovery of patients. In terms of service, the market for urgent care centers is segmented into injury, illness, physical, diagnostic, screening, and vaccination.Request to view Sample Report:As stated in the report, the increasing aging population and the emergence of cost-effective medical care are amongst the prime drivers stimulating the market for urgent care centers. In addition, the reduction in waiting time and the flexibility in appointment provided by urgent care centers attract huge patient pool, thus augmenting the growth of the market. Furthermore, the rising investments in the market for urgent care centers has been resulting in the rise in number of advanced urgent care centers across the world, thus impacting the market positively. On the other hand, the absence of physicians and the increasing initial establishment costs of urgent care centers may inhibit the growth of the market in forthcoming years.Download Brochure link:In terms of geography, the global urgent care centers market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World (RoW). Amongst these, North America led the market in 2014 and was trailed by the region of Europe, which accounted for the second-largest share in the market. The region of North America is anticipated to maintain its superiority throughout the forecast horizon. This is owing to the rising demand for walk-in health services and the increasing preference for cost-effective medical care facilities within North America. In addition, the use of urgent care centers in case of non-emergency conditions is also a prime factor augmenting the growth of the market in North America.Global Urgent Care Centers Market Report is available @ US$ 5795On the other hand, countries such as that of India, Japan, New Zealand, Australia, and China are the prime countries within the region of Asia Pacific offering great opportunities for the companies dominant in the market for urgent care centers. Within RoW, countries such as that of Mexico, South Africa, Israel, UAE, and Turkey are the prime countries in which the market for urgent care centers is predicted to grow exponentially in forthcoming years.The report states that the market for urgent care centers is fragmented in nature and small vendors such as physician groups or physicians account for about 35% of the these centers. As per the report, the prime players operating in the market are CareSpot Express Healthcare LLC, FastMed Urgent Care, MedExpress, and Patient First and U.S. HealthWorks, Inc., among others.About Us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ovarian Cancer Diagnostics Market Predicted to Surpass US$ 966 Mn by 2022

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As scientists in cancer research organizations continue to develop more advanced diagnosis tests for ovarian cancer, medical device manufacturers are expected to face challenges in adapting to such changes. In the long run, the demand for ovarian cancer diagnostics is expected to gain traction, on the account of rising awareness of ovarian cancer symptoms and higher adoption of screening tests as a preventive measure.The Fact.MR report on global ovarian cancer diagnostics market projects that by the end of 2017, around US$ 638 Mn worth of revenues will be procured globally through diagnosis of ovarian cancer. Emergence of multi-purpose diagnosis tests on ovarian cancer is expected to boost the markets expansion in the future. Towards the end of 2022, the global market for ovarian cancer diagnostics is anticipated to expand at 8.7% CAGR, bringing in revenues worth a little over US$ 966 Mn.Key Insights on Global Ovarian Cancer Diagnostics Market:According to the report, diagnosis of epithelial tumors will procure largest share in the global ovarian cancer diagnostics market. With more than 90% share, over US$ 875 Mn revenues are anticipated to be procured by diagnosis of epithelial tumors in the global market.Request For Sample Report @Presence of prominent cancer research societies in the US and Canada is anticipated to boost the contribution of North America towards growth of the global ovarian cancer diagnostics market. In 2017, North America will remain dominant region, procuring nearly US$ 240 Mn in revenues. The ovarian cancer diagnostics market in North America is also pegged to exhibit rapid growth by reflecting an estimated CAGR of 8.7%.Europes ovarian cancer diagnostics market is expected to showcase a relatively faster growth in terms of revenues. Robust healthcare infrastructure in a majority of European countries is observed to boost the adoption of ovarian cancer diagnostics in this region. Towards the end of 2022, Europe will record revenues worth a little over US$ 315 Mn in its ovarian cancer diagnostics market.The report anticipates fastest growth in the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region. Expanding at an estimated 9.5% CAGR, the ovarian cancer diagnostics market in APEJ region will have procured close to US$ 127 Mn by the end of the forecast period.Check Discount @On the basis of test-types, CA 125, HER2 and BRCA are anticipated to be prominent diagnostic tests in the global market. Diagnosis of ovarian cancer through CA125 is expected to account for more than 40% of revenues procured throughout the forecast period. Demand for HER2 testing is also expected to gain traction, reflecting an estimated revenue growth at 9.5% CAGR.The report also observes hospital associated labs as the largest end-users of ovarian cancer diagnostics. In 2017, close to US$ 300 Mn worth of revenues will be procured from hospitals associated labs on ovarian cancer diagnostics.The report has also profiled leading players in the global ovarian cancer diagnostics market. Companies such as Abbott Laboratories, Thermo Fischer Scientific Inc., Roche Holding AG, Siemens AG, Epigenomics AG, Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., Illumina, Inc., Myriad Genetics Inc., AstraZeneca plc. and Quest Diagnostics Incorporated are expected to remain active in the growth of global ovarian cancer diagnostics market through 2022.Click to View Complete Report @About UsFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MROffice: Dublin 2Suite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTel: +353-1-6111-593( Dublin 2 )Email: sales@factmr.comWeb:
DES MOINES (AP)  Zachary Hageman moves through the almost-done luxury apartments near downtown Des Moines and points to the studs and wiring, the drywall and cabinets.

The 18-year-old is part of the cleanup crew, an entry-level position that's part of a new school program designed to give hands-on experience to high school students and recent graduates.

Once unsure of his future, the recent North High School graduate now plans to become an electrician. It's an in-demand job. In Iowa, experienced electricians average $30 an hour, or more than $62,000 a year, according to the Iowa Wage Report 2016.

That's more than the state's average wage of $20.12 an hour.

"I know what I want to be doing," Hageman said. In construction, at the end of the day, "you've done something that you can be proud of."

State and industry leaders want more teens to follow Hageman's lead into so-called "middle skills" jobs  those requiring additional training beyond high school but less than a four-year college degree.

As Iowa students head back to school, one of the hottest focuses is an effort to expand and elevate vocational and technical training in high school.

More than half of all Iowa jobs are for middle-skilled workers, but only one-third of Iowa workers are prepared to fill those positions, leaving a skills gap that spans multiple industries, according to a 2015 Iowa Workforce Development report.

Championed by Gov. Kim Reynolds, the state's Future Ready Iowa initiative set a goal to have 70 percent of Iowa's labor force earn training beyond high school by 2025. Currently, 58 percent of the state's workforce, defined as ages 25 to 64, meets that benchmark.

More K-12 schools and Iowa companies are partnering to add and expand skilled-trades programs; from creating the Skilled Trades Academy in Des Moines to a pre-apprenticeship program in Boone that can reduce the amount of time it takes a student to complete a traditional apprenticeship.

"The ability to earn a high-quality living with little debt  when you can give that hope to students and families, it inspires them to be engaged in their learning," said Aiddy Phomvisay, director of Central Campus in Des Moines.

Particularly in construction trades  where projected retirements are compounding hiring demands  businesses, industry associations and trade unions are working with educators to attract more students.

"We see help wanted signs out there all the time," said Dan Knoup, executive officer of the Greater Des Moines Home Builders Association. "The jobs are out there. The careers are available."

To meet the growing demand, Des Moines Public Schools created a new three-year Skilled Trades Academy at Central Campus.

The school, which once housed the district's Technical High School, already had classes in welding, painting and drywall, and homebuilding. It is adding HVAC and plumbing classes this school year, and it plans to add electrical the following school year.

"We have individual welding booths. We have state-of-the-art ventilation systems, all the capabilities that they have with an apprentice shop," Phomvisay said.

That includes close access to a loading dock so students can work on heavy pieces of metal. In addition, specialized equipment will allow students to learn more advanced skills, such as powder coating and pipe welding.

The expansion is possible thanks to a partnership with more than 30 business and industry leaders, who will donate more than $1.5 million over three years to pay for equipment and additional teaching positions. The program will eventually grow from three to six teachers.

"It's critical for businesses to step up and help facilitate this," said Gary Scrutchfield, owner of Lumbermans Drywall & Roofing Supply. "This is the future of our industry, and the future of the state. We need to participate and help (schools) move forward on this."

Lumbermans is part of the Skilled Trades Alliance, an industry group that formed to raise donations and support and advise the program.

In addition, Des Moines schools spent more than $6 million renovating classrooms, creating space to grow its existing skilled-trades program from about 90 to 300 students in three years. Students from 26 nearby districts as well as Des Moines high schools may enroll in Central Campus classes.

"We want to be the best," Phomvisay said. "We want to provide the very best to our students so they're inspired and get to work in a world-class facility, with world-class training and certificates that will make them far more competitive."

As part of the Skilled Trades Academy, teens can earn certain safety and industry credentials while still in school, as well as apartment maintenance technician certification, helping some find work immediately after graduation.

For other students, the classroom training can lead directly to a trade apprenticeship program, and ultimately a high-paying job.

Across Iowa, for example, plumbers, pipe fitters and steamfitters can earn, on average, $31 an hour with experience, or more than $64,000 a year, according to a 2016 Iowa Wage Report. And there's often opportunity for overtime.

In central Iowa, after completing the five-year apprenticeship program with Plumbers and Steamfitters Local 33 and obtaining certain state licenses and certifications, a journey worker earns $33.65 an hour plus benefits.

The union's apprentice pay scale begins at $15.14 with regular increases after the first year.

"We're getting paid well," said Trevor Campbell, an apprentice about to start his fourth year of training with Local 33.

Campbell said his career as a welder and steamfitter is opening financial doors. "By the time you're a journeyman, you've got all the qualifications you need to perform a job and make a really good, middle-class wage and live the American dream."

To recruit teens into the trade, Local 33 partnered with Central Campus to allow students to work as helpers alongside journeymen. The students learn tool-handling, and math skills, such as adding and subtracting fractions, are reinforced.

"You're starting to learn the trade," said Eric Smith, the union's training director. "It's about getting better-quality candidates. They come out with the foundation that they need."

Such school-industry partnerships are becoming more common across Iowa.

In Boone, for example, Kruck Plumbing and Heating, a mechanical contractor, is partnering with Boone High School as part of a new pre-apprenticeship program.

"Our goal is to eliminate a year or two off their apprenticeship program," Boone Principal Kris Byam said. "They (will) have an opportunity to cut down on the amount of time it takes them to become a journeyman plumber."

Most registered apprenticeship programs offered by the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa take four years to complete, for example. Across industries and jobs, however, apprenticeships can range from one to six years depending on the complexity of work, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.

In Boone, students are introduced to a range of trades, including plumbing, HVAC, sheet metal and electrical work. They will complete hands-on training at a nearby apprentice shop.

"It's like a kid who changes his major four times when they're in college," said Chad Houston, Kruck's president. "We want them to see all different kinds and let them see which path fits them best."

A 2016 law that redesigns vocational school programs  now called career and technical programs  requires schools to partner with local business and industry leaders in an effort to better align school programs with the marketplace.

"If you're going to have a program in skilled trades or construction, you need to have a robust advisory committee and business people saying: 'Here are the skills we need,'" said Jeremy Varner, the Iowa Department of Education's administrator for the Division of Community Colleges and Workforce Preparation.

The law also addresses the uneven access Iowa students have to programs by establishing regional partnerships between schools and community colleges. Such programs often require a heavy investment in equipment, or a certain number of students to make the program viable.

"It's hard for institutions to do it alone," Varner said.

But it's not just the infrastructure and programming that pose a challenge. Many parents and teachers remain skeptical of so-called blue-collar work and encourage students to attend college instead.

In the last 30 years, the "status of vocational education plummeted," said Marc Tucker, president of the National Center on Education and the Economy, a Washington, D.C., think tank.

"The message that went out was that vocational education was for kids who can't do academics, and that academics is crucially important because if you don't have academics you can't support a family," he said.

Yet in countries such as Switzerland, vocational training has taken a different route, including higher academic expectations and lessons, he said.

Industry leaders are confronting negative stereotypes head-on.

"Parents will say, 'Use your brain. You don't want to work with your hands,' but in this industry you have to have both motor skills, and math is critical," said Scrutchfield, owner of Lumbermans Drywall & Roofing Supply. "You have to be able to think."

A key element is sharing what career advances are available, said Ginny Shindelar, vice president of education and training at the Associated Builders and Contractors of Iowa.

While students may start as apprentices, they can become a journeyman or master in their trade, or move into the management side and become an estimator, project manager or superintendent.

"There's a whole lot of options out there," Shindelar said. "Sometimes, when you think of construction, you don't think of all the possibilities."

Houston went the four-year route, graduating from Iowa State in 2004 before switching gears and starting an apprenticeship with Kruck, where he was working part time.

He worked his way up, earning his journeyman's and master's licenses in plumbing, HVAC and sheet metal. Today, he's the company's president.

"Everybody has their own path," Houston said. "If you like to work with your hands, if you like to work outside, there are many, many opportunities out there to be successful with a skilled trade."

But industry leaders also don't want to sugar-coat the work ethic that trades require.

"There's very high-paid, high-skilled jobs that require effort," Scrutchfield said. "In the trades, when it's 20 below zero we work, when it's 100 degrees we work."

Kort Kern thought about going directly into a trade after graduating from Des Moines Lincoln in 2012.

He'd spent his senior year taking a half-day welding class at Central Campus  a needed break "away from pushing papers" for other classes, he said.

But when it came time to decide a career route, he met resistance from his parents. Both had college degrees and envisioned the same for their son.

It would "never hurt" to finish college, they told him.

Kern graduated from the University of Iowa with a bachelor's degree in psychology but had trouble imagining himself at a desk job.

"I missed getting to work with my hands after being in school for four years," Kern said.

Kern got in touch with his former welding teacher, who suggested an apprenticeship program.

The 23-year-old doesn't regret his college experience  he still might use it one day, he said  but his perspective has changed.

Kern now sees his future as a pipe fitter, a career that doesn't require a college degree but does require specialized training.

"You've got to be thinking about what you like," he said. "Do you like being on the computer? Do you like working with your hands?"

Kern was recently accepted into the five-year apprenticeship program with the Plumbers and Steamfitters Local Union 33. He now works at Excel Mechanical.

"I'd just say, there's nothing wrong with an honest day of hard work."
Global Bathroom Master Market 2017 by Key Players: Cummins Allison, Crane Payment Innovations and South East Asia Cash Machine

Global Bathroom Master Market

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This report on global Bathroom Master market precisely studies the various aspects of Bathroom Master industry.At Forefront the report proffers prudent insights into the trends in Bathroom Master market along with the market dimensions and forecast for the duration 2016 to 2022.Along with this,research study on Bathroom Master market also integrates detailed analysis of various market segments on the basis of product type, applications and geography.Further this report incorporates both quantitative as well as qualitative data sets which include market framework, executive summary for the global Bathroom Master market.The report also includes key players profile description, details on fiscal & accounting , business tactics and fresh developments in global Bathroom Master Market.Tools for competition mapping are also inculcated in the report as an assitance to the end users.Do Inquiry Before Purchasing Report at :Illustratation of each segment is precisely done in further section of research study.Global Bathroom Master Market report is primarily segmentized into three major segments i.e product type, applications and geographical/region.Key Players/Manufacturers in the Bathroom Master Market are also enlisted in report.Key Dominant players enlisted in Bathroom Master market:Crane Payment InnovationsCummins AllisonSouth East Asia Cash MachineFraud?FighterGlobal Payment Technologies (GPT)JofemarInnovative Technology Ltd (ITL)CoincoCassidaGlory Global SolutionsInternational Currency TechnologiesMagnerHenry-techBaijiaShanghai Guao ElectronicWeirongKangyiBst-counterCometRongheJulongSMS-TORKBrayMarket SegmentationRequest for Sample Pages Of Report at :Geographical distribution of Bathroom Master MarketThe global Bathroom Master Market is studied for five major geographic regions namely: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.Market dimensions and prognosis for each regional and country-level market are added in the report for the examined periods.1.North America*United States*Canada*Mexico2.Asia-Pacific*China*Japan*Southeast Asia*India*Korea3.Europe*Germany*UK*France*Italy*Russia etc.4.South America*Brazil*Chile*Peru*Argentina5.Middle East and Africa*Egypt*South Africa*Saudi ArabiaFurther the global Bathroom Master Market is segmented into Product Types, applicationsSplit by Product TypesBathtubClosestoolBasinSplit by applicationsOverall, this report will guide Bathroom Master manufacturers, system integrators and related business partners to identify key investment regions and define their strategies.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Automotive Seating Market to Reach a Valuation of US$ 10 Billion by 2022

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Comfort is of paramount significance for drivers as well as passengers of automobiles. Automakers are adopting innovative seating designs to cater to this stipulation. From passenger cars to heavy commercial vehicles, automotive seats are attracting the attention from manufacturers and customers, alike. Improvement in automotive seating of vehicles is also expected to lower post-accident traumas for vehicle occupants. Advanced seats are also observed as critical tools for ensuring a safe road travel for passengers. Fact.MRs new report on the global market for automotive seats assesses multiple factors that will impact the markets growth through 2022.According to Fact.MR, the global market for automotive seats will reach an estimated value of US$ 31.5 Bn by the end of 2017. Fluctuating commodity prices are expected to impact procurement of raw materials & fabric for production of automotive seats. Moreover, the report also indicates that advancements in production technologies and adoption of modular designs might compel some automotive seats manufacturers towards outright remodeling of their manufacturing infrastructure. By the end of 2022, more than US$ 40 Bn worth of automotive seats will be sold across the world, reflecting a steady revenue growth at steady CAGR.Request For Sample Report @Following excerpts from the report provide insightful projections on the growth of global automotive seats market during 2017-2022.Globally, the demand for split-bench or bench seats is expected to gain traction. In 2017, these products will account for largest share of 80.1% on global automotive seats market revenues.Hatchbacks and sedans will reflect leading vehicle segments in the global automotive seats market, collectively accounting for more than half of global revenues through 2022.A region-wise analysis in the report projects that majority of global automotive seats sales will be registered in the Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region. Through 2022, the APEJ automotive seats market is pegged to soar at a steady CAGR.Check Discount @North Americas automotive seats market is expected to reach US$ 7.1 Bn in value by the end of 2017.In Japan, strict regulations are curbing automobile production, and limitations on dumping industrial material leftovers is restraining the use of advanced seating materials. These factors to lower the presence of Japan in growth of global automotive seats market.In 2017, Japans automotive seats sales are expected to contribute approximately lowest share of global revenues.In 2017, global sales of automotive seats made from genuine leather will come about 10% of global market value. Synthetic leather has successfully replaced genuine leather, and will bring in global revenues worth over US$ 26 Bn towards the end of 2022.While automotive seats developed on standard technology are currently dominating the global market with over two-third share, demand for powered automotive seats is expected to gain momentum towards the end of the forecast period.Lear Corporation, Faurecia SA, TACHI-S Co., Ltd., TS TECH Co. Ltd., Toyota Boshoku Corporation, IFB Industries Limited, Adient Plc., and Gentherm Inc. are profiled in the report as key players of global automotive seats market.Click to View Complete Report @About UsFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MROffice: Dublin 2Suite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTel: +353-1-6111-593( Dublin 2 )Email: sales@factmr.comWeb:
Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market is likely to worth US$21.2 bn by 2023 - Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015-2023

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market (By Application - Care Management, Administration, and IT Infrastructure Management; By End-use - Healthcare payers and Healthcare Providers) - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023 " to it's Large Report database.This report provides an analysis of the global healthcare IT outsourcing market for the period 2013  2023, wherein the period from 2015 to 2023 comprises the forecast period and 2014 is the base year. Data for 2013 is provided as historical information. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing a major role in the growth of the healthcare IT outsourcing market over the forecast period. It also highlights various drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence the market growth during the said period. The study provides a holistic perspective of the growth of the healthcare IT outsourcing market throughout the forecast period in terms of revenue estimates (in US$ Bn), across different geographies, which include Asia Pacific (APAC), Latin America (LATAM), North America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA). The report provides a cross-sectional analysis of the global healthcare IT outsourcing market in terms of market estimates and forecasts for all the segments across different geographic regions.As a result of the increasing IT outsourcing in healthcare industry, the quality of individual care has increased with greater access to latest means of healthcare IT administration technologies. With the ever-growing patient base across the globe and also due to limited human resources for personalized patient care and rising operational costs, IT outsourcing plays an important role in improving the productivity and quality offered by healthcare providers/payers.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:With the implementation of customized and advanced outsourced IT platforms, healthcare organizations can focus on their core responsibilities without dedicating their resources to manage IT infrastructure. IT outsourcing also encourages a data driven approach with advanced patient data management and analytics. Large amount of data generated in the healthcare industry is well managed by outsourced IT service providers. The growing demand for affordable care and rising government compliance are supporting factors for the growth of the healthcare IT outsourcing market, globally. As a result of enhanced competition among technology vendors, the standards for healthcare administration are increasing. With growing technology partnerships, the healthcare industry as a whole offers ample opportunities for implementation of high-end IT infrastructure, advanced care, and cost effective administration, which would collectively result in a better healthcare ecosystem worldwide.On the basis of applications, the healthcare IT outsourcing market is categorized into care management, administration, and IT infrastructure management. Healthcare IT outsourcing market by end-use is categorized into healthcare providers and healthcare payers.Browse more details @Table of Content1. Preface1.1. Research Scope1.2. Market Segmentation1.3. Research Methodology2. Executive Summary2.1. Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market Snapshot2.2. Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market Revenue, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn) and Year-on-Year Growth (%)3. Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market Analysis, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.1. Key Trends Analysis3.2. Market Dynamics3.2.1. Drivers3.2.2. Restraints3.2.3. Opportunities3.3. Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market Analysis, By Application, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.3.1. Care Management3.3.2. Administration3.3.3. IT Infrastructure Management3.4. Global Healthcare IT Outsourcing Market Analysis, By End-use, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.4.1. Healthcare Providers3.4.2. Healthcare Payers3.5. Competitive Landscape3.5.1. Market Positioning of Key Players, 20143.5.2. Competitive Strategies Adopted by Leading PlayersAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Vehicle Anti-theft System Market to Reach an Estimated Value of US$ 9,670.5 Mn by 2022

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According to the latest report by Fact.MR, the global market for vehicle anti-theft systems is expected to reach revenues worth US$ 6.764.1 Mn in 2017, with sales expected to expand at an impressive 7.4% CAGR during the forecast period 2017 to 2022. The market is further projected to account for revenues worth US$ 9,670.5 Mn by 2022-end.Recent developments in anti-theft systems for vehicles have shown the possibility of integrating smartphones & smartwatches in vehicle systems. This is further expected to enable linking with many other features, enhancing the driving experience for vehicle owners. For example  this technology will offer information related to distances, amount of fuel left in vehicles, and maps of places nearby. The growth of biometric technology has promised to develop anti-DUI enforcements as well as anti-theft measures. Factors such as these are expected to drive growth of the global market for vehicle anti-theft systems.Request For Sample Report @The technological advancements in anti-theft systems for vehicles have registered a robust expansion over the recent past, owing to rising focus of vehicle manufacturers in offering convenience & safety to passengers. OEMs are concentrating on boosting their production capacity, coupled with expansion of their technical centers, with an aim to fulfil increasing vehicle demand worldwide. These factors are further estimated to fuel growth of the market over the forecast period.10 Projections for the Global Vehicle Anti-Theft System MarketImmobilizer anti-theft systems are expected to remain preferred among products, to account for largest revenues by 2022-end.Sales of central locking systems are expected to exhibit the fastest expansion, to be the second most lucrative product in the global market for vehicle anti-theft systems by 2022-end.Sales of steering locks, and biometric capture devices in the global vehicle anti-theft system market are estimated to register similar CAGRs through 2022. Revenues from steering locks are expected to remain comparatively larger than the biometric capture devices.Check Discount @Vehicle anti-theft systems will witness largest adoption in passenger cars, exhibiting a high single-digit CAGR over the forecast period. Revenues from vehicle anti-theft systems sold in passenger cars will account for nearly 3/4th share of the market, on the basis of vehicle type.Face-detection technology is estimated to be dominant in the global market for vehicle anti-theft systems.Sales of the automotive biometric technology are expected to exhibit the highest CAGR through 2022.Real time location will continue to be the second largest adopted technology for vehicle anti-theft systems during the forecast period.In terms of revenues, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) is expected to remain the most lucrative market for vehicle anti-theft systems.Vehicle anti-theft systems sales in North America are estimated to register the highest CAGR through 2022. However, market in Europe will continue to be comparatively more lucrative than the market in North America during the forecast period.Key players profiled in the global market for vehicle anti-theft systems include Denso Corporation, Continental AG, OMRON Corporation, Robert Bosch GmbH, ZF TRW Automotive Holdings Corporation, Delphi Automotive Plc, TOKAI RIKA, CO, LTD., Mitsubishi Electric Corporation, VOXX International Corporation, Lear Corporation, and HELLA KGaA Hueck & Co.Click to View Complete Report @About UsFact.MR is a fast-growing market research firm that offers the most comprehensive suite of syndicated and customized market research reports. We believe transformative intelligence can educate and inspire businesses to make smarter decisions. We know the limitations of the one-size-fits-all approach; that's why we publish multi-industry global, regional, and country-specific research reports.Contact UsFact.MROffice: Dublin 2Suite 988427 Upper Pembroke Street,Dublin 2, IrelandTel: +353-1-6111-593( Dublin 2 )Email: sales@factmr.comWeb:
Bakery Filling Market with Worldwide Industry Analysis to 2024

Bakery Filling Market

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With the rise in the demand for desserts and bakery products, the bakery market is growing at rapid paste. Bakery products are high in demand various developing and developed economies, and often consumed as snacks and post lunch/dinner desserts. Bakery Fillings are very important ingredients of various delicious bakery products which also adds color, texture, taste and longevity to a variety of desserts and bakery products, such as cakes, pastries and mousse. Bakery Fillings are available with different manufacturer, in different flavours and forms includes custard creams, fruit-based fillings, nut and seed-based fillings and more. Bakery fillings are versatile products which inspires creative applications, and are used mainly for various traditional bakery products such as layer cakes, cookies, eclairs, pies, turnovers etc.Global Bakery Filling Market: SegmentationThe global bakery filling market is segmented on the basis of type, application and region type. The bakery filling is segmented on the basis of type mainly includes fruit-based fillings, nuts and seeds based fillings, and cream based fillings. Among these types, fruit-based and cream-based fillings are consumed more as compared to nut and seed-based fillings. The global bakery filling market can be further segmented on the basis of applications, such as pie and tart fillings, turnover fillings, donut fillings, tropical fillings and others. Each application is varies on the taste and preference of the customers and demand trends.Browse Market Research Report @The bakery fillings are also used in bakery products to improve and retain the taste of the product longer and also increases the shelf life of the products in some cases.Global Bakery filling: Regional OutlookGeographically, the global bakery filling market is fragmented and the major players dominates the market whilst several domestic players enter the market every year. Bakery filling market can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa. Globally, among all regions, North America has developed as the most dominant market and accounts for highest share in terms of consumption, followed closely by Europe. Thus, changing food habits and increasing health concerns is expected to force the manufacturers to innovate and offer bakery filling products, with less or no artificial sugar, and less fat content. Furthermore the increasing demand for non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) products will also result in growing preference towards health oriented bakery filling launches in the developed economies. With the rise in global bakery product demand and increasing snacking habits globally, has strengthened the growth of global bakery filling market and hence is projected to significantly expand the revenue contribution of the global bakery filling over the forecast period.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Global Bakery filling: Growth DriversThe global bakery filling driving factors differs from region to region, however certain factors like, increasing health concerns, growing snacking habits of consumers and increasing demand of bakery products is expected to drive the growth of bakery filling market across the globe. Another factor which is expected to contribute significantly to the growth of bakery filling market is increasing use of low calorie fillings and innovation in food industry, which can help the manufacturers to offer bakery fillings as per preference of health conscious consumers.Global Bakery filling: PlayersSome of the major players identified across the value chain of the global bakery filling include Tech Food Sdn Bhd., CSM Bakery Solutions, EFCO Products, Inc., Dawn Food Products, Inc., Rice & Company, Inc., Doris Italian Market & Bakery, Tereos Starch & Sweeteners s.a.s., Avebe, Calprofoods, Baker Food Processors Ltd., and Trisco Foods.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Global Healthcare Business Intelligence (BI) Platform Market to Reach US$3.91 bn by 2023 - Cloud Solutions and Self-service BI Trends

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ResearchMoz added Latest Research Report titled " Healthcare BI Platform Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023 " to it's Large Report database.Business Intelligence (BI) platforms help build BI applications by providing competences in analysis, platform integration, and information delivery. As healthcare organizations are realizing the untapped potential of huge amounts of data, they are implementing solutions that utilize business intelligence to help collect, sort, and mine valuable insights from this data. The complex data gathered from numerous sources (operational, patient data) is analyzed and used by healthcare providers with the aid of BI platforms for the larger population.This research report provides a detailed analysis of trends in the healthcare BI platform market. It also comprises a broad analysis of the industry drivers, restraints, and opportunities. The report also provides a comprehensive assessment of key market player strategies. The market for healthcare BI platform has been segmented into various functions: clinical analytics, financial analytics, operational analytics, and others. Financial analytics is expected to be the largest healthcare BI platform function over the forecast period, whereas clinical analytics is expected to be the fastest growing functional segment over the forecast period.Request for Sample PDF of Premium Research Report with TOC:The global healthcare BI platform market has been extensively analyzed on the basis of deployment type into on-premise and cloud. Cloud is expected to be the fastest growing healthcare BI platform segment by deployment type over the forecast period. On the basis of model type, the healthcare BI platform market is segmented as self-service BI and corporate BI. Self-service BI is the latest trend in the BI market and is expected to be the fastest growing segment over the forecast period. The market size and forecasts in terms of revenue (US$ Mn) for each of these segments have been provided for the period 2013 to 2023, considering 2013 and 2014 as the base years. The report also provides the compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) for each segment of the market for the forecast period 2015 to 2023.The healthcare BI platform market is segmented based on geography into North America, Europe, Middle-East and Africa, Asia Pacific, and Latin America, and a detailed regional analysis is provided. A country-level analysis is also included in the report, covering the countries in each region. North America is expected to be the largest and fastest growing healthcare BI platform market among all regions. Europe is one of the mature markets for healthcare BI platform, whereas Asia Pacific is expected to be one of the most attractive markets in the near future.Browse more details @Table of ContentChapter 1 Preface1.1 Report Description1.2 Report Scope1.3 Research MethodologyChapter 2 Executive Summary2.1 Market Snapshot: Global Healthcare BI Platform Market2.2 Global Healthcare BI Platform Market Revenue, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn) and Y-o-Y Growth (%)Chapter 3 Global Healthcare BI Platform Market Analysis, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.1 Overview3.2 Market Dynamics3.2.1 Drivers3.2.2 Restraints3.2.3 Opportunities3.3 Key Trends Analysis3.4 Global Healthcare BI Platform Market Analysis, By Function, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.4.1 Clinical Analytics3.4.2 Financial Analytics3.4.3 Operational Analytics3.4.4 Others3.5 Global Healthcare BI Platform Market Analysis, By Deployment Type, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.5.1 On-premise3.5.2 Cloud3.6 Global Healthcare BI Platform Market Analysis, By Model Type, 2013  2023 (US$ Mn)3.6.1 Self-service BI3.6.2 Corporate BIAbout ResearchMozResearchMoz is the world's fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMoz's service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Contact Us:Mr. Nachiket Ghumare90 State Street, Albany NY, United States - 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074 / Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Email: sales@researchmoz.usFollow us on LinkedIn at:Follow me on Blogger at:
Global Membrane Air Dryers Market 2017-2022 Parker, Pentair, Graco, SMC, PUREGAS, WALMEC, HANKISON

Membrane Air Dryers

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The latest report Membrane Air Dryers Market by QY Research added to it's database and brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of global market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography. The Membrane Air Dryers research report offers a comprehensive assessment of the Membrane Air Dryers market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques.The report focuses on regional as well as global market, its key players, along with market segments including detailed study on various divisions and its applications. The report provides comprehensive information on each and every segment covered of the Membrane Air Dryers market.Request for FREE SAMPLE Report @The report includes rigorous data, in-depth analysis in two ways, namely, quantitative and qualitative, industry professionals inputs and data given by the industry members and industry analysts involved in the complete value cycle. The report features thorough study of important market and their current trends, coupled with respective market segments. Information about the numerous factors and their influence on the global market and its segments is also mentioned in the Membrane Air Dryers report.The study report evaluates the range of factors of the Membrane Air Dryers industry, such as definition, demands, share, analysis, supply, sales, size, specification, forecast trends, production, classification, industry policy, news, and application. The global Membrane Air Dryers market report will provide significant and reliable information on the market clearly in structured format. The report will offers you a key manufacturer of the products, applications, DROS and others.The Membrane Air Dryers report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as investment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the key global market playersgrowth in the Membrane Air Dryers industry.Browse Complete report With TOC available @Moreover, the report assessed key market features, including price, revenue, capacity utilization rate, growth rate, capacity, production, gross, supply, consumption, cost, market share, demand, import, gross margin, export, and much more.The Membrane Air Dryers report is a useful documentation that aids distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, customers, investors & individuals who are interested in this market.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market.Important changes in market dynamics.Market segmentation up to the second or third level.Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume.Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments.Market shares and strategies of key players.Emerging niche segments and regional markets.MRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting. It consists of head such as, latest report, category, niche market and news. Reports published on the million of category like chemical, machinery and equipment, consumer goods, manufacturing and construction etc. Latest national, international, business News published under news portal.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Market Forecast Report on Crash Barrier Systems Market 2016 - 2024

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Global Crash Barrier Systems Market: OverviewThe global crash barrier systems market is estimated to grow at a progressive rate, owing to the rising opportunities in emerging economies across the globe. Furthermore, the rising investment in infrastructure development, including airports and roads, especially in developing nations and the high growth of the automotive industry are some of the key factors estimated to accelerate the growth of the global market. The research report analyzes the global crash barrier systems market on a global basis and throws light on the key growth prospects and the latest trends in the market.The report talks about the market dynamics that are expected to affect the overall industry and examines their impact in the next few years. Furthermore, the key segmentation of the global crash barrier systems market has been presented in the study in order to offer a strong understanding of the overall market. The key growth factors, recent developments, restraints, and the limitations in the market have been highlighted. Furthermore, a thorough overview of the competitive landscape of the market, presenting insights into the company profiles and their product portfolios.Obtain Report Details @Global Crash Barrier Systems Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe rising awareness among consumers regarding the importance and benefits of safety measures is one of the vital factors expected to encourage the growth of the global crash barrier systems market in the forecast period. In addition, the growing focus of key players on offering additional rigidity to the barrier system in order to maximize safety is likely to drive the demand for crash barrier systems in the near future.On the other hand, the high-cost severity owing to the barrier collision is one of the vital factors projected to restrict the growth of the global market crash barrier systems in the forecast period. In addition, the volatility in the cost of raw materials and the interference of highway agencies are some of the other factors likely to hamper the growth of the market in the near future. Nevertheless, the rising popularity and demand for flexible crash barriers are estimated to generate promising opportunities for the key players in the global market.Global Crash Barrier Systems Market: Region-wise OutlookAccording to the research study, the global market for crash barrier systems can be classified in terms of geography into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Among these regions, Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a fast pace throughout the forecast period and account for a massive share of the global crash barrier systems market. The tremendously rising population and the growing need to offer safety systems are some of the key factors estimated to encourage the growth of the crash barrier systems market in Asia Pacific.Furthermore, the rising number of accidents taking place in developing economies in Asia Pacific, owing to the casual approach towards road safety regulations is anticipated to generate promising opportunities for the key players operating in the market. In addition, the growing focus on industrialization and the rapid growth of the construction sector are some of the primary factors estimated to fuel the growth of the overall market in the next few years.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Key Players Mentioned in the Research Report are:Some of the leading players operating in the crash barrier systems market across the globe are Nucor Corporation, Arbus Limited, Hill & Smith Holdings PLC, NV Bekaert SA, Valmont Industries, Inc., Transpo Industries, Inc., Lindsay Corporation, Trinity Industries, Inc., Avon Barrier Corporation Ltd., and Tata Steel Limited. With the increasing number of players, the global market for crash barrier systems is expected to witness stiff competition in the next few years. The growing emphasis on new product development is expected to generate promising opportunities for the growth of the overall market throughout the forecast period.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma  US market revenue will increase by double fold by 2025

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The estimated total number of incident cases of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) in the US is expected to reach 713,294 by 2025 as per the latest report of DelveInsight. Non-melanoma skin cancer is the most common skin cancer in the United States. It is broadly classified into Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Basal cell carcinoma accounts for 75-80% of non-melanoma cancers and Squamous cell carcinoma accounts for about 20% of non- melanoma cancers. Remaining 5% of non-melanoma cancer includes- actinic keratosis, etc. The cSCC market is expected to see a growth at a CAGR of 5.5% in the 7MM.According to Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) - Market Insights, Epidemiology and Market Forecast-2025, US has the maximum market share in the 7MM market of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma due to the maximum number of recorded cSCC incident cases. With more than 60% of the total market share US will see a steady growth in the upcoming future. Spain has the minimum number of incident cases and minimum market share of about 3.1% among the 7MM. The market revenue of US was more than the rest 6MM collective revenue and the US market revenue will increase by 2 folds by 2025 as compared to that in 2016. There are various off-label drugs available for the treatment of the given indication but no approved drugs are available in the market yet.There are various treatments available for the treatment of cSCC. Several guidelines have been published for the treatment as per the patient diagnosis and other factors. Electrodessication and curettage is a simple technique that can be used to treat localized, superficial cSCC, while surgical excision and Mohs micrographic surgery are the two primary treatment options for invasive cSCC. Radiation therapy is typically used as an adjuvant to surgery, with primary radiation therapy typically reserved for patients who are unable to undergo surgical excision. Chemotherapy may be considered as adjuvant therapy in select highest-risk cases of cSCC. Some marketed drugs are Fluorouracil, Xeloda, Cisplatin and many others but no approved drugs available yet.The latest report has covered complete information about the cSCC including region-wise incident cases with special emphasize on the 7MM. Country-wise market analysis to identify the regions which will provide maximum market growth. Complete treatment algorithm is provided with marketed drugs profiling covering all the details to understand drug specific details. All the unmet needs are captured to identify the areas of improvement in the field of cSCC. All these information provides in-depth insight into the cSCC market which helps in identifying the possible market movers and barriers to maximize the market share and frame the planning strategies accordingly.Reasons to buy: The report will help in developing business strategies by understanding trends shaping and driving the cSCC market. To understand the future market competition in the cSCC market and Insight reviews of the key market drivers and barriers. Organize sales and marketing efforts by identifying the best opportunities for cSCC in the US, Europe (Germany, Spain, Italy, France and the United Kingdom) and Japan. Identification of strong upcoming players in the market will help in devising strategies that will help in getting ahead of competitors. To understand the expected market scenario of the upcoming therapies in the market.Table of Content:Report IntroductionTable of ContentsMarket Overview at a GlanceTotal Market Share Distribution of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma for 7MM in 2016Total Market Share Distribution of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma for 7MM in 2025IntroductionSigns and SymptomsPathophysiologySub-types of cSCCRisk FactorsStaging of cSCCDiagnosisEpidemiology and Patient PopulationTotal number of Incident cases  Region Wise  (2016 & 2025)Total number of Incident cases  7MM Countries  (2016 & 2025)United StatesGermanyFranceUnited KingdomSpainItalyJapanTreatment AlgorithmUnited StatesNCCN GuidelinesEuropeBritish Association of dermatology (BAD) GuidelinesFrench Dermatology Recommendations Association (aRED)European Dermatology Forum London Cancer Skin Pathway BoardNational Cancer InstituteUnmet NeedsMarketed Drugs5-Fluorouracil (5-FU)MOAStudyXelodaMOAStudyCisplatinMOAStudyBleomycinMOAStudyDoxorubicinMOACetuximabMOAStudyGefitinibMOAStudyCutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC): Country-Wise Market Analysis7 Major Market Size of Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) (2015-2025)Region-Specific Market Distribution and ComparisonOverview on Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) (2016)Overview on Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC) (2025)Global Cutaneous Squamous Cell Carcinoma (cSCC): Market AnalysisUnited States Market SizeEurope Market OutlookGermany Market SizeFrance Market SizeUnited Kingdom Market SizeSpain Market SizeItaly Market SizeJapan Market SizeMarket DriversMarket BarriersAppendixFor more details please visit:DelveInsight is a leading Business Consultant and Market Research Firm focused exclusively on life sciences. We support companies by providing end to end comprehensive solutions to improve their performance and in making a long lasting decision for their businesses.We advise leading decision makers on their critical issues and opportunities; Research & Development, Strategy Making, Commercial, Operations, Competitive Intelligence, Competitive Landscaping and Mergers & Acquisition across all the Pharma and Biotech industries and geographies. We serve our clients by delivering practical and enduring results and equipping our clients to grow and lead.Tel: +91-11-4568 9769 | +91 9650213330Email: info@delveinsight.comDelveInsightNew Delhi
Global Cyclopentane Market 2017 by Key Players: Chevron Phillips, YNCC, South Hampton Resources, Pure Chem, HPL and Haltermann

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This report on global Cyclopentane market precisely studies the various aspects of Cyclopentane industry.At Forefront the report proffers prudent insights into the trends in Cyclopentane market along with the market dimensions and forecast for the duration 2016 to 2022.Along with this,research study on Cyclopentane market also integrates detailed analysis of various market segments on the basis of product type, applications and geography.Further this report incorporates both quantitative as well as qualitative data sets which include market framework, executive summary for the global Cyclopentane market.The report also includes key players profile description, details on fiscal & accounting , business tactics and fresh developments in global Cyclopentane Market.Tools for competition mapping are also inculcated in the report as an assitance to the end users.Do Inquiry Before Purchasing Report at :Illustratation of each segment is precisely done in further section of research study.Global Cyclopentane Market report is primarily segmentized into three major segments i.e product type, applications and geographical/region.Key Players/Manufacturers in the Cyclopentane Market are also enlisted in report.Key Dominant players enlisted in Cyclopentane market:HaltermannChevron PhillipsHPLPure ChemYNCCSouth Hampton ResourcesINEOSLG ChemecialBEACTMaruzen PetrochemicalMeilong Cyclopentane ChemicalPuyang Lianzhong Industrial ChemicalJilin Beihua Fine ChemicalLiancheng ChemicalMarket SegmentationRequest for Sample Pages Of Report at :Geographical distribution of Cyclopentane MarketThe global Cyclopentane Market is studied for five major geographic regions namely: North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa.Market dimensions and prognosis for each regional and country-level market are added in the report for the examined periods.1.North America*United States*Canada*Mexico2.Asia-Pacific*China*Japan*Southeast Asia*India*Korea3.Europe*Germany*UK*France*Italy*Russia etc.4.South America*Brazil*Chile*Peru*Argentina5.Middle East and Africa*Egypt*South Africa*Saudi ArabiaFurther the global Cyclopentane Market is segmented into Product Types, applicationsSplit by Product Types95-100 % (Including 95 %) of Cyclopentane70-95 % of CyclopentaneOtherSplit by applicationsFoams AgentsOtherOverall, this report will guide Cyclopentane manufacturers, system integrators and related business partners to identify key investment regions and define their strategies.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:James JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4, Vishwa Arcade,Near Navale Lawns, Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Iowas attorney general has joined with 15 other attorneys general to sue the federal government over Tuesdays decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

Established by executive order under President Barack Obama, the program offered a level of protection to certain immigrants brought to the United States illegally as children. The protections allowed those immigrants to receive work authorization and live in the country legally.

On Tuesday, the Trump administration announced it would end DACA within six months.

About 2,800 Iowa residents have been approved for the program, with another 3,100 having submitted applications as of March, according to U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services data.

In a statement Tuesday, Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller said DACA has protected those residents who arrived illegally as children, grew up following the rules and are very much a part of our fabric.

Miller told The Gazette he doesnt know how long it will take the court to rule on the case, but said courts can move pretty quickly in preliminary decisions as they did in the case of President Donald Trumps ban on travelers from predominantly Muslim countries.

It doesnt need to move quite as quickly as the travel ban when people were being held at the airports, but clearly there is some urgency here, Miller said. Theres just great fear and concern about the people it affects.

He claimed in the lawsuit the state stands to lose $258 million in tax revenues over 10 years if DACA recipients in the state lose their authorization to work.

Iowa Republicans largely praised the Trump administrations decision. For instance, U.S. Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, said DACA is an example of Obamas executive overreach and Trumps move means its up to Congress to sort it out.

President Trump should continue to work with Congress to pass reforms through the legislative process that encourage lawful immigration, Grassley said in a statement.

Other attorneys general involved in the suit include those from New York, District of Columbia, Massachusetts, Illinois, New Mexico and Pennsylvania, among others.

In the lawsuit, the attorneys general ask a federal judge to declare the rescission of DACA contrary to the Constitution and unlawful.

They also ask a judge to prevent the federal government from using information obtained through DACA applications to identify, apprehend, detain, or deport any of those applicants or their family members.
Global Photodiode Market Revenue Predicted To Go Up by 2022

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In This Report, The Global Photodiode Market to Maintain Healthy CAGR During 2022. Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Photodiode in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanBrowse complete report atGlobal Photodiode market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingOSRAMVishayFAIRCHILDROHMEverlightHamamatsuFirst SensorKodenshiTTE(OPTEK)Lite-On OptoOpto DiodeAPINJRMoksanCentronicOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoby ModePhotovoltaic ModePhotoconductive ModeOtherby MaterialSiliconGermaniumIndium Gallium ArsenideLead(II) Sulfideby ProductAvalanche PhotodiodeSchottky PhotodiodeOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Photodiode for each application, includingElectronicsMedicalSafety EquipmentAutomotiveCommunications IndustryIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Request for sample atTable of ContentsGlobal Photodiode Market Research Report 20171 Photodiode Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Photodiode1.2 Photodiode Segment by Mode1.2.1 Global Photodiode Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Mode (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Photodiode Production Market Share by Mode (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 Photovoltaic Mode1.2.4 Photoconductive Mode1.2.5 Other1.3 Photodiode Segment by Material1.3.1 Silicon1.3.2 Germanium1.3.3 Indium Gallium Arsenide1.3.4 Lead(II) Sulfide1.4 Photodiode Segment by Product1.4.1 Avalanche Photodiode1.4.2 Schottky Photodiode1.5 Global Photodiode Segment by Application1.5.1 Photodiode Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.5.2 Electronics1.5.3 Medical1.5.4 Safety Equipment1.5.5 Automotive1.5.6 Communications Industry1.6 Global Photodiode Market by Region (2012-2022)1.6.1 Global Photodiode Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.6.2 United States Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6.3 EU Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6.6 South Korea Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.6.7 Taiwan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.7 Global Market Size (Value) of Photodiode (2012-2022)1.7.1 Global Photodiode Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.7.2 Global Photodiode Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Request for discount at2 Global Photodiode Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Photodiode Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Photodiode Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Photodiode Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Photodiode Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Photodiode Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Photodiode Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Photodiode Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Photodiode Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Photodiode Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, ExpansionWho we are:Research Trades has team of experts who works on providing exhaustive analysis pertaining to market research on a global basis. This comprehensive analysis is obtained by a thorough research and study of the ongoing trends and provides predictive data regarding the future estimations, which can be utilized by various organizations for growth purposes.We distribute customized reports that focus on meeting the clients specific requirement. Our database consists of a large collection of high-quality reports obtained using a customer-centric approach, thus providing valuable research insights.Contact Us:Email: sales@researchtrades.comCall us: +1 6269994607 / +91 7507349866Skype ID: researchtradesconWeb:
Future Of Global Industrial PC Market 2017 Analyzed By Top Research Firm

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Industrial PC Market research report helps to get access to industry data and upcoming trends which will give you avenues to know about the market. This report gives opportunities to go through with industry analysis, share and forecast, Providing brief description about the market size its competitors and product identification.In this report, the global Industrial PC market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Request For Free Sample Of The Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Industrial PC in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGlobal Industrial PC market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAdvantech Co., Ltd.Beckhoff Automation GmbH & Co. KgBernecker + Rainer Industrie Elektronik Ges.m.b.H.Captec Ltd.Industrial PC, Inc.Kontron AGLanditec Distribution GmbHLanner Electronics IncorporatedMiTAC International Corp.Mitsubishi Electric CorporationOmron CorporationRockwell Automation, Inc.Siemens AGSchneider Electric S.E.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoPanel Industrial PCBox Industrial PCEmbedded Industrial PCDIN Rail Industrial PCRack Mount Industrial PCThin Client Industrial PCObtain Report Details @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Industrial PC for each application, includingCommunication and Network InfrastructureDigital SignageDigital Security and SurveillanceMedicalAerospace and DefenceRetail AutomationTransportationOthersAbout UsAlltake Market Research is division of the Alltake LLC. that offers premium quality market intelligence, market research, industry analysis reports & forecast data for different domains across the business industry.Alltake Market Research understands the importance of market analysis for any strategy that is implemented in any organization or association. In order to provide the best solution, Alltake Market Research have associated with major organizations within market research and consultancy firm. This portfolio offers market analysis report at one place for different business verticals. Alltake Market Research ensures to offer you with the most reliable and quality market research available.Contact UsAlltake Market Research16192, Coastal Highway Lewes,DE 19958, United StatesUS - 188 8587 9717UK - 4480 0680 0195Email sales@alltakemarketresearch.com
OpenBooking supports relaunch of Ticino Tourism apartment platform

Ticino Tourism responsive metasearch interface

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(Zurich, 07.09.2017) Since August 2017, all apartments of Reka, e-domizil and Interhome in Ticino can be booked directly via the official tourism website. Thanks to the white label solution of OpenBooking, the relaunch of the holiday houses portal was realized with minimum development costs.Implement OpenBooking in 3 easy steps:Link to Ticino Tourism Webseite:Open Booking White Label:Since 1999, PIXELTEX has stood for individual and customer-oriented implementations of digital presences. Our clients become a creative team with us. Together we build innovative solutions and realize successful projects.OpenBooking is the only product that provides availabilites and master data from multiple vendors in Swiss tourism within a single source. It's a simplistic, platform- and vendor-neutral web interface for real-time querying of bookable availabilites and stock data.Christian NambergerPIXELTEX (Schweiz) GmbHSeestrasse 1608002 ZurichTel: +41445159710Email: info@pixeltex.comWeb:
Fixed Broadband Market 2017 Global Market Trends, Statistics, Progress, Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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Fixed Broadband Market 2017Executive SummaryFixed broadband is a key infrastructure for future progress It has become very clear that innovation related to ICT and digital technologies is one of the key components for future economic and social strength. Countries with a sophisticated fixed and mobile telecoms infrastructure are well placed to take advantage of these future technological and societal developments.Countries without the necessary infrastructure however are expected to lag behind, especially once innovations around the Internet of Everything, M2M and Big Data gather pace. We are already seeing the beginnings of sophisticated Smart Cities emerge in some parts of the world.Asia makes a strong claim to be leading the world when it comes to the general development of broadband internet. While mobile broadband is already a large and fast growing segment of the regions internet market, fixed broadband continues to underpin the delivery of internet services to households and businesses. Fibre-based fixed broadband services have taken on a major significance and are shaping up to define the broadband market of the future.Request a Sample Report @South Korea and Japan are the leading two countries in Asia in regards to internet penetration with levels reaching over 90% in 2017.The legacy and impact of Google Fiber has been profound.International bandwidth continues to be primarily connected via US and Canada  however North Americas long held dominant position in this regard is declining and Europes role is increasing.The European Commission (EC) has for some years promoted a vision to provide broadband as a universal service.The Irish government is poised to award a contract as part of its National Broadband Plan by which all premises will receive a service of at least 30Mb/s by 2022.With IP networks forming the foundation of the burgeoning market for bundled services, broadband has become one of the fastest growing sectors of the overall telecoms market in the USA.On the whole, the size of the overall Latin American market, and its potential for prolonged growth, continues to attract investment from international telcos. The results of these investments can be seen in upgraded networks, particularly in relation to LTE and FttP infrastructure.Complete Report Details @Table of Contents Analysis of Key Points1. Broadband infrastructure - impact on the economy and progress of NBNs1.1 Global progress towards national broadband networks1.1.1 Why National broadband Networks are so important1.1.2 The many aspects of broadband infrastructure1.1.3 World Bank pushing for broadband1.1.4 United Nations sustainable development goals1.1.5 IoT and M2M require broadband1.1.6 Technology critical consideration1.1.7 National Broadband Network Company1.1.8 Wireless broadband1.1.9 Other quick-win areas1.1.10 Trans-sector government1.1.11 National broadband; leadership required1.1.12 National broadband network examples2. Broadband and internet Governance2.1 Net neutrality and internet Governance: a key issue2.1.1 Complex societies depend on ICT infrastructure2.1.2 The Internet and the economy  in statistics2.1.3 We urgently need a new internet2.1.4 Control of the internet2.1.5 Case study  USA and Network neutrality2.1.6 The two sides of Net Neutrality2.1.7 E-security2.1.8 Cybercrime2.1.9 Security developments2.1.10 Be prepared with robust national infrastructure2.1.11 Conclusion - infrastructure essential for the digital economy3. Global fixed broadband statistics and trends3.1 Introduction3.2 FttP is the only long-term solution3.3 Demand for FttP is increasing around the world3.4 Google Fiber and the future of FttH3.5 Mobile broadband: killer app for FttP3.6 Positive outlook for investments in backbones3.7 International bandwidth usage3.8 Global submarine cable overview3.9 Global fixed broadband market summary and statistics3.10 Stretching out the life of copper cables3.11 Broadband speeds3.12 Broadband revenue3.13 Fibre optic technologies for the next 50 yearsTable 1  Global - fixed broadband subscribers and annual change  2005 - 2017Table 2  Regional  market share of fixed broadband subscribers  2014; 2015Table 3  Global - Internet users and annual change  2010 - 2017Table 4 Global IT security spending  2011 - 2016Table 5  Global Internet Bandwidth Growth by Tb/s  2010  2015; 2019Table 6  Global - Internet users and annual change  2010 - 2017Table 7  Global - fixed broadband subscribers and annual change  2005  2017Table 8  Regional - average fixed broadband prices - 2015Table 9  Regional  historical market shares of fixed broadband subscribers  2014; 2015Table 10  Regional  market shares of fixed broadband subscribers  2016Table 11  Top 10 countries by fixed broadband subscribers and global market share  2016....ContinuedBuy Now @Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Robotic Flexible Washer Market Analysis- Size, Share, Growth, Forecast, Segment, Application Analysis To 2022:

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A trending newest report published by Global Info Reports titles, Global Robotic Flexible Washer Market, estimates that the Robotic Flexible Washer market size is predicted to mature at a substantial Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the forecast period, and this is credited to the increase in need for this product across the globe accompanied by new market inventions.Book Your Sample Copy of the Report here Why Purchase this Report you ask?Because, this market research report gives a thorough analysis of the global Robotic Flexible Washer Market by product segmentation, application, geographic and end user market. The report includes the current market size of this industry. The future outlooks and existing overall market summary of this sector have been greatly analyzed in this report. Also, key market manufacturers of Robotic Flexible Washer are assessed on several factors such as company overview, product portfolio, sales analysis and revenue generation during the forecast period. Additionally, the complete market potential is described in this report coupled with various countries across the globe.Report Magnitude:This report centers on the Robotic Flexible Washer Market, predominantly in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment based on key Manufacturers, this report covers the topmost manufacturers of Intra-aortic Balloon Pump (IABP): BvL Oberflachentechnik Durr Ecoclean Fives Cinetic Corp Cleaning Technologies Group (CTG) Valiant Stubli MTM Clean Solutions Harry Major Machine Sugino TecnofirmaTo Grab the Complete Report, Please Visit:About Global Info Reports:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market to Reach US$25.11 Billion by 2023, While Exhibiting a Steady CAGR of 8.3%

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Transparency Market Research has estimated that the HPAPI market valued at US$2.64 bn in 2014 and expected to reach US$25.11 bn by 2023, while exhibiting a steady CAGR 8.3% during the forecast period 2015-2023.View Full Report:The vendor landscape of the global high potency active pharmaceutical ingredient (HPAPI) market is highly fragmented due to presence of a large number of players. Some of the prominent players in this market are WuXi AppTec, Pfizer, Inc., Novartis AG, Lonza Group, Novasep, Dr. Reddys Laboratories Ltd., Cambrex Corporation, and Sigma-Aldrich Corporation. Transparency Market Research has estimated that the individual revenue share of these players range between 3% and 4% of the overall market. These players are focusing on cost containment to sustain their profit margins. Furthermore, various companies in this market are involving in strategic partnerships to remain significant occupant and gain the first-mover advantage in the market.Extensive Research and Development Aimed at Cost-efficiency to accelerate the Market GrowthThe high potency active pharmaceutical ingredient market is expected to grow exponentially over the next few years due to rising cases of diabetes, cancer, and various cardiovascular diseases and the booming ongoing oncology research. The cost of drugs have been reduced due the cost containment strategies followed by the players in this market. This has in turn made these drugs more affordable to a larger audience. This trend has boosted the market and is expected to help the market grow in the coming years. Furthermore, promising pipeline of targeted therapeutic drugs is most likely to add advantage to the market growth. Without any lingering after effects, these drugs help patients to impact targeted areas and recover faster. Continuous development and research going on in mimic branded drugs are envisioned to create cost-effective treatments, further accelerating the growth of the market.Request to view Sample Report:Post treatment effects of chemotherapy such as infection to non-cancerous cells are motivating numerous health facilities to adopt targeted therapy as they do not harm non-cancerous cells. This trend is expected to fuel the market growth during the forecast period. HPAPI are extensively used in hormonal drugs that are used for treatment of breast cancer. The other prominent applications of HPAPI is for the treatment of glaucoma. The increasing incidences of glaucoma is most likely to poise to the growth of the market. Applications of HPAPIs in musculoskeletal drugs, central nervous system drugs, and cardiovascular drugs are increasing adding benefits to growth of the market.High Labor Cost for Drug Manufacturing Could Impede Market GrowthThe capital intensive nature of manufacturing activities of high potency active pharmaceutical ingredient have been a major subject of concern for the players in this market. Furthermore, the manufacturing of these drugs need highly skilled labors, which could increase the labor cost hence the cost of the pharmaceutical ingredient. This can act as a restraining factor for growth of the market. In addition, the absence of norms pertaining to environmental, health, and occupational safety while manufacturing and researching potency APIs is threatening the market growth.Request to download and view full ToC -Nevertheless, the increasing incidence of cancer are expected to help the market sustain its growth. The escalating occurrence of cancer have augmented the research and development activities in healthcare sectors of various regions such Asia Pacific and North America. This has resulted in the increased demand for effective anticancer drugs, assisting growth of the high potency active pharmaceutical ingredient market.Regionally, Asia Pacific is expected to show significant opportunities to the market due to soaring contract manufacturing activities in the region. Within this region, Japan contributes the leading share. However, due to supportive foreign exchange policies, well-equipped manufacturing plants, and low labor costs, China is expected to surpass Japans total revenue in the forthcoming years.Global High Potency Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient (HPAPI) Market Report is available @ US$ 5795:About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
2017 Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Industry Report  Global Market Scenario and Growth strategies

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Global Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market Overview: Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade is a kind of band saw blade that combines two types of steel by electron beam welding, machining, and another process. The material of its teeth is often high-speed steel or other high-performance steel while the material of its band is alloy steel. It is usually used with a band sawing machine and mainly used to cut steel, copper, aluminum and other non-ferrous metals.Global Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market report provides a comprehensive analysis of the Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade industry market by types, applications, players and regions. This report also displays the production, Consumption, revenue, Gross margin, Cost, Gross, market share, CAGR, and Market influencing factors of the Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade industry in USA, EU, China, India, Japan and other regions, and forecast to 2022, from 2017.Get Sample Copy:A comprehensive analysis of the global Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade market is been done in this intelligence report. It includes the investigations done on the past progress, ongoing market scenarios, and future prospects. An accurate data of the products, strategies and market shares of leading companies in this particular market is mentioned. This report presents a 360-degree overview of the competitive scenario of the market. The report further projects the size and valuation of the global Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade market in the coming forecast period. The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data affecting to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects.Scope of the ReportThis report focuses on the Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.The major players profiled in this Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market report include: AMADA, WIKUS, LENOX, Starrett, BAHCO, Benxi Tool, M. K. Morse, EBERLE, DOALL, Bichamp, Simonds International, Robert Rontgen, SMG, TCJY, Bipico, Dalian Bi-Metal, Dsspc-sandaThis Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market report focuses on the status and outlook for major Applications: Ferrous metallurgy industry, Machining, Automobile industry, AviationMake Enquiry for thie Report:This Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade Market Report Studied On the basis of Types: High-speed steel band saw blade, Tungsten carbide band saw bladeIn addition, market attractiveness according to country, end-user, and other criteria is also provided, allowing the reader to gauge the most promising or profitable areas for investments. The Bimetallic Bandsaw Blade market report also provides a detailed overview of the competitive landscape, wherein detailed business profiles of some of the key companies in the market are included. The intensity of competition in the market, threat of new players, entry barriers for new players, and areas of improvement based on previous data about popular strategies observed in the past few years are also examined in detail.Access Complete TOC:About Us: Reports Monitor is a platform to meet the market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact usJay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Global Waste to Energy (WTE) Market Analysis- Size, Share, Trends, Growth and Forecasts Report To 2022

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A trending newest report published by Global Info Reports titles, Global Waste to Energy (WTE) Market, estimates that the Waste to Energy (WTE) market size is predicted to mature at a substantial Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) during the forecast period, and this is credited to the increase in need for this product across the globe accompanied by new market inventions.Book Your Sample Copy of the Report here Why Purchase this Report you ask?Because, this market research report gives a thorough analysis of the global Waste to Energy (WTE) Market by product segmentation, application, geographic and end user market. The report includes the current market size of this industry. The future outlooks and existing overall market summary of this sector have been greatly analyzed in this report. Also, key market manufacturers of Waste to Energy (WTE) are assessed on several factors such as company overview, product portfolio, sales analysis and revenue generation during the forecast period. Additionally, the complete market potential is described in this report coupled with various countries across the globe.Report Magnitude:This report centers on the Waste to Energy (WTE) Market, predominantly in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment based on key Manufacturers, this report covers the topmost manufacturers of Intra-aortic Balloon Pump (IABP): Sanfeng Covanta China Everbright Tianjin Teda Grandblue Shanghai Environmental Shenzhen EnergyTo Grab the Complete Report, Please Visit:About Global Info Reports:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
Parenteral Nutrition Market Will be Worth US$6,874.1 Million by the End of 2023

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Braun Melsungen AG, Fresenius SE & Co. KGaA, and Baxter International, Inc., who collectively held 71% of the global parenteral nutrition market, are focusing on improving their line of products, reports Transparency Market Research. The trend of winning approvals for their new formulations from concerned authorities is also helping them gain a significant footprint in the market, observes TMR.View Full Report:Strategic joint ventures are also being considered by companies to expand their businesses and enhance their product portfolio in the near future. Plans to expand manufacturing facilities are also underway. This move will help companies ensure utmost safety, unquestionable quality, and remarkable efficiency of the product, asserts the head analyst of this report.Parenteral Nutrition Becomes Critical to Saving Lives - A Key Growth EnablerThe focal point of parenteral nutrition is to provide chronically ill patients adequate nutritional support. The high incidence of chronic conditions such as cancer, gastro-intestinal disorders, ischemic bowel disease, diabetic complications, and Crohns disease amongst others is propelling the demand for parenteral nutrition. As this form of oral nutritional supplement becomes the only way of treating the immobilized patient, the demand for these nutrients is witnessing a phenomenal rise.Request to view Sample Report:According to the World Health Organization about 11% of the global burden of disease is due to malnutrition and is considered to be a huge risk to human life. As this number will increase in the coming years citing issues of political unrest, food security, and changing environmental conditions, the demand for parenteral nutrition will remain persistent.Side Effects of Parenteral Nutrition Hamper Market GrowthThe global parenteral nutrition market faces the huge risk of health complications due to poor monitoring. The American Society for Nutrition also stated that prolonged usage of parenteral nutrition therapy can lead to metabolic complications and liver diseases. Furthermore, shortness of breath, allergic reactions, muscle pain, and unexplained weight gain are also hampering the growth of this market.Request to download and view full ToC -However, a large patient pool in emerging economies of China, Brazil, India, and Brazil offer a tremendous scope for growth to the parenteral nutrition market. Furthermore increasing investment by leading players in the developing regions of Asia Pacific and Latin America to increase production of parenteral nutrition is also expected to create large opportunities to register a high growth.Large Patient Pool in Asia Pacific Makes it Leading SegmentThe research suggests that the opportunity of the global parenteral nutrition market will be worth US$6,874.1 mn by the end of 2023 from US$4,097.4 mn in 2014. The market is expected to expand at a steady CAGR of 5.7% from 2015 and 2023. On the other hand, Asia Pacific will the key geographical segment as it will expand at a CAGR of 7.3% in the forecast period due to growing cases of chronic diseases such as cancer and AIDS. The parenteral lipid emulsion nutrient segment will grow at the highest CAGR of 6.2% during the same forecast period, leading the overall nutrient segment.Global Parenteral Nutrition Market Report is available @ US$ 5795:About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Manual Torque Multipliers Market  Key Futuristic Trends and Opportunities 2022

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"Manual Torque Multipliers is a tool used to provide a mechanical advantage in applying torque to turn bolts, nuts or other items designed to be actuated by application of torque, such as the actuation of valves, particularly where there are relatively high torque requirements. Torque multipliers can also be used to ease manual tube expansion in drums of water tube boilers or to expand tubes in restricted space. The manually operated torque multipliers made are ideal for applications without a third-party power source  an effective tool for loosening and tightening bolts that is suitable for use anywhere and at any time.Get a Sample of Manual Torque Multipliers Market research report from Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Manual Torque Multipliers in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Major Players Included in Manual Torque Multipliers Market:Actuant CorporationGedore ToolsNorbarApex Tool GroupStanley Black & DeckeralkitronicMaschinenfabrik Wagner GmbH & Co. KGColumbus McKinnonTohnichiAIMCOMountzPowermaster EngineersAnd Many OthersScope of the Manual Torque Multipliers Industry on the basis of region:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)Browse full Report with table of contents and data tables For Manual Torque Multipliers Market Report @Market Segment by Type, coversReaction Bar MultiplierReaction Plate MultiplierMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoTransportationEngineering & ConstructionIndustrialManufacturingOthersAbout Global Info Reports:GIR Market Research is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. GIR Market Research is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the worlds most complete and current database of expert insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:+1-888-376-9998 (US)Email- sales@globalinforeports.comWeb-Blogs-
MASON CITY | The Mason City Chamber of Commerce says a San Diego developer who failed to build a downtown hotel has "unclean hands," according to court documents.

In a lawsuit filed against the city and the Chamber July 18 in Cerro Gordo County District Court, Philip Chodur of G8 Development makes several claims, namely that the city was in breach of contract.

The Mason City Chamber of Commerce, in recent court filings, responded that G8 Developments contract is with the city of Mason City, not with the Chamber.

Much like the city, the Chamber in court documents rejected almost all of the claims made in lawsuit filed by G8, which failed to build a downtown hotel.

"Plaintiff's claims are barred by the doctrine of unclean hands," the response said.

The doctrine argument is a defense in which the defendant argues that the plaintiff is acting unethically or has acted in bad faith, with "unclean hands.

The term is used within contract law. Through the doctrine, the plaintiff is not entitled to a remedy since the plaintiff has unclean hands.

The Chamber claims G8 acted in bad faith with the city of Mason City, court documents say, and asks the suit be dismissed with costs assessed to the developer.

Seth R. Delutri, the Chamber's Des Moines-based attorney, also requested a jury trial.

G8's petition names Chamber Director Robin Anderson and her alleged role in the interference.

Upon information and belief, the Chamber intentionally and improperly interfered with the Development Contract by, among other things, Robin Anderson, in her capacity as Director of the Chamber, having secret meetings with certain members of the City Council and encouraging them to terminate the G8 Development Contract in favor of another proposal being offered by an entity known as Gatehouse Capital," the petition states.

G8 Development claims that the interference and alleged secret meetings caused the city to terminate the development contract, affecting the company's ability to perform and complete its obligations under the contract.

The Chamber denied the existence of secret meetings and denies that it interfered with the contract.

When the city terminated the development contract, G8 Development claims the termination was not in good faith. At that time, the city said the developer had defaulted on the project.

Defendant City of Mason City properly terminated the Contract because Plaintiff materially breached the Contract by not performing as required and/or because it failed to act in good faith in performance of the Contract, the Chambers response said.

Chodur filed a similar lawsuit alleging the city of Vista, California, breached its contract with him on a condominium, commercial and office space project, according to an article published in the San Diego Union Tribune in October 2015. The suit claimed the city changed agreements for the project.

Chodur filed a claim with the city for $3 million, which was rejected. He then filed a suit for breach of contract, which is still pending.
World Hemodialysis Machine Market Analysis 2011-2017 and Forecast 2018-2023

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Bharat Book Bureau provides the Trending Market Research Report; on Global Hemodialysis Machine Market Analysis 2011-2017 and Forecast 2018-2023SnapshotHemodialysis is used for hemodialysis equipment. Referred to hemodialysis, also known as the popular saying artificial kidney, dialysis is a blood purification technology. The principle of using semi-permeable membrane, by diffusion, convection, and the body of harmful metabolic wastes and excess electrolytes too much out of the body, to achieve the purpose of purifying the blood and suck up water and electrolyte and acid-base balance correction purposes. According to the different treatment methods, divided into intermittent hemodialysis and continuous hemodialysis treatment. In addition to chronic renal failure replacement therapy used, but also widely used in different causes of acute renal failure, multiple organ failure, severe trauma, acute necrotizing pancreatitis, hyperkalemia, hypernatremia, acute alcoholism, etc. . Hemodialysis can reduce the symptoms and prolong survival time, and it is the effective measures to rescue of acute and chronic renal failure.Request A Sample copy of Hemodialysis Machine Market @The global Hemodialysis Machine market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 and CAGR xx% 2011-2017. The report begins from overview of Industry Chain structure, and describes industry environment, then analyses market size and forecast of Hemodialysis Machine by product, region and application, in addition, this report introduces market competition situation among the vendors and company profile, besides, market price analysis and value chain features are covered in this report.Product Type Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Major Company of Product Type etc.): Hemodialysis Machine (HD) Hemodiafiltration machine (HF) Bedside hemodiafiltration machines (bedside machines or bedside blood filtration)Company Coverage (Sales Revenue, Price, Gross Margin, Main Products etc.): Fresenius Nikkiso Diaverum(Gambro) Asahi Kasei Nipro B.Braum Nxstage Toray Bellco Allmed WEGO JMS ShanwaishanApplication Coverage (Market Size & Forecast, Different Demand Market by Region, Main Consumer Profile etc.): Hemodialysis Machine Hemodiafiltration machine Bedside hemodiafiltration machinesRegion Coverage (Regional Output, Demand & Forecast by Countries etc.): North America Europe Asia-Pacific South America Middle East & AfricaTo Browse the Entire Report, Visit:About Bharat Book Bureau:Bharat Book Bureau is the leading market research information provider for market research reports, company profiles, industry study, country reports, business reports, newsletters and online databases Bharat Book Bureau provides over a million reports from more than 400 publishers around the globe. We cover sectors starting from Aeronautics to Zoology.Contact us at:Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:Follow us on: Twitter|Facebook|Linkedin|Google Plus
Global Artificial Flower Market Size, Industry Study & Forecast Report 2017

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In this report, the Global Artificial Flower Market is valued at USD million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Artificial Flower in these regions,From 2012 to 2022 (forecast), covering :- North America- Europe- China- Japan- Southeast Asia- IndiaRequest a sample copy of Artificial Flower Market Reports @Global Artificial Flower market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer;The top players including :- Tongxin Artificial Flowers- FuLi Silk Flower Factory- Suqian Hollia Arts & Crafts- Florist Industrial- Ngar Tat- J.S. Flower- Charles Lubin- Yiwu E-Sun Artificial Flower FactoryClick the link below to read the complete report :On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type,Primarily split into :- Plastic- Paper- Silk- Glass- OthersOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate ofArtificial Flower for each application, including :- Commercial- ResidentialAbout Bharat Book Bureau:Bharat Book Bureau is the leading market research information provider for market research reports, company profiles, industry study, country reports, business reports, newsletters and online databases Bharat Book Bureau provides over a million reports from more than 400 publishers around the globe. We cover sectors starting from Aeronautics to Zoology.Contact us at:Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:Follow us on : Twitter|Facebook| Linkedin |Google Plus
Mandawa Haveli offers World-Class services with a touch of cultural heritage

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Hotel Mandawa Haveli, a luxury hotel in Mandawa in Shekhawati region is the best escapade from city life. This 200 year old house renovated into a heritage hotel has designed a bevy of services that can guarantee a memorable stay for all its patrons. Right from naming and designing the rooms in traditional flavor to including activities that take the tourists closer to typical life of the inhabitants of this region, this hotel offers the customers with the classiest of options.This luxury hotel in Mandawa is hospitality and cultural heritage of Rajasthan exemplified. You find here rooms spacious for small family, for singles as well as for couples, with views of courtyard, city and Haveli. You may find Wi-Fi connectivity, room service and free breakfast service as per the package features.Local cuisine and its heavenly taste is another region that brings the tourists from all the places to this luxury hotel in Mandawa. While foreigners can enjoy their tea and coffee and meals at rooftop restaurants amidst dance performances, the locals also come to this luxury hotel in Mandawa to spend quality time with their family members and to celebrate occasions. There is a Rasoi restaurant that serves Indian and Continental foods too, apart from local cuisine.The foreigners as well as other interested visitors may book a cooking demonstration session, too, to have the firsthand learning of ageless recipes. Both vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes are demonstrated with stepwise cooking.Apart from this, there are facilities like laundry, carom room and library, Massage room and Shops selling local handmade items. All these featured services offer awesome means to wind down and relish the free time. These facilities give a home-away-from-home feel to the guests. The beauty of this place and services is evident from the fact that many visitors have extended their visits after coming to this luxury hotel in Mandawa.Rooms with Wi-Fi and conference rooms and a string of activities like camel cart and donkey cart ride are ideal option to consider for group stays and corporate annual gatherings. You get to enjoy cultural programs performed by renowned folk artiste in evening. The visitors with zeal to discover can enjoy camel safaris, folk songs and cultural dance performances, kite flying activities and other attractions that show the real color of Rajasthan and exports them to an entirely different atmosphere.Mandawa Haveli is a proven hospitality expert in Rajasthan where culture meets modern amenities. Its bouquet of services is true reflection of the hospitality that Rajasthan is famous for. Luxury, comfort and culture  all come wrapped in their services plans.To know more about Mandawa Haveli services, Please visitHotel Mandawa Haveli is one of the best heritage hotel in Mandawa having a history of its own. The hotel provides you the experience of both the traditional as well as the modern amenities blended into one. A Marwari Jeweler had built this haveli for his family in the 18th century. This was purchased by Mr. Dinesh Dhabhai in 1984. Initially the family operated a handicrafts shop from here but gradually converted it into a heritage haveli. Having started with just one room, today the Hotel has 20 well appointed rooms. Each of the rooms have unique traditional names including Gopika, Kanha, Mormukut, Gwala, Nagesh etc. The hotel has three dine in restaurants with different gastronomical delights and cuisines to choose from. The hotel keeps its promise of providing you a lifetime experience to relish throughout your life.Business Name: Hotel Mandawa HaveliAddress: Near Sonthaliya Gate, Mandawa, Jhunjhunu, Rajasthan (333704), IndiaContact No: 01592-223088,8890841088
Global Human Microbiome Market is Anticipated to Grow at a CAGR of 17.05% During 2017  2022

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Human Microbe market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 17.05% over the forecast period to grow to US$635.829 million by 2022, growing from US$289.411 million in 2017. Major factors responsible for global human microbiome market growth are increasing instances of life style diseases, diarrhoeal infections, predominant changes in the life style of the global population and increase in aged population. Moreover, technological enhancements in biomedical sciences and growing research investment in technology and product sectors also impact the market growth positively. However, lack of awareness about the use and advantage of prebiotics and probiotics and government restrictions on their usage may impair the market growth. Geographically, North America would contribute considerably to the market growth of human microbes on account of the expansion of health care industry and strengthening of medical infrastructure. Moreover, increased investments by leading players will also impact the market growth. Europe is also expected to drive the market growth on account of investments by private players and government.Request a Sample Report @This research study examines the human microbiome market on the basis of various segments  by disease, by application, by product, and by geography. Major drivers, restraints, and opportunities have been mentioned to provide an exhaustive picture of the market. Furthermore, the current market trends related to the demand, supply, and sales, in addition to the recent developments, have been provided in this report. The report also analyzes key players in the human microbiome market. The report provides comprehensive forecast up to the period 2022 for various key segments, with 2016 as the base year.The analysis presents in-depth information regarding the development, trends, and industry policies and regulations implemented in each of the geographical segments. Moreover, the research study analyzes the overall regulatory framework of human microbiome market, offering stakeholders a better understanding of the key factors affecting the overall market environment.The first step towards determining the human microbe market size involves identifying key players and the revenue contribution of the overall business or relevant segment aligned to the study in consideration through extensive secondary research. This also includes various studies and data published by industry associations, analyst reports, investor presentations, press releases and journals among others. Both bottom-up and top-down approaches are utilized to determine the market size of the overall market and key segments. The values obtained are correlated with the primary inputs of the key stakeholders in the human microbiome value chain, such as C-Level Executives, Directors, and Managers among others across key enterprises operating as manufacturers, suppliers, and distributors. The last phase is providing intelligence in the form of presentation, charts, graphics and other different formats helping the clients in faster and efficient understanding of the market. Under this phase complete market engineering is involved which includes analyzing the gathered data from different sources and existing proprietary datasets while using various data triangulation methods for market breakdown and forecasting.Segments covered under the human microbiome market report are as below:By DiseaseDiabetesCentral Nervous System DisordersCancerObesityOthersBy ApplicationTherapeuticDiagnosticBy ProductMedical FoodProbioticsPrebioticsSupplementsOthersBy GeographyAmericasNorth AmericaSouth AmericaEurope Middle East and AfricaEuropeMiddle East and AfricaAsia PacificAccess Complete Report @Key industry players profiled as part of this section are uBiome, Inc, Second Genome, and Vedanta Biosciences among other.Table of Content1. Introduction2. Research Methodology3. Executive Summary4. Market Dynamics4.1. Segmentation4.2. Drivers4.3. Restraints4.4. Opportunities4.5. Supplier Outlook4.6. Industry Outlook4.7. Porters 5 Forces Analysis4.8. Industry Value Chain Analysis4.9. Industry Regulations4.10. Scenario Analysis5. Global Human Microbiome Market Forecast by Disease (US$ billion)5.1. Diabetes5.2. Automimmune Disorder5.3. Cancer5.4. Obesity5.5. Others6. Global Human Microbiome Market Forecast by Application (US$ billion)6.1. Therapeutic6.2. Diagnostic7. Global Human Microbiome Market Forecast by Product (US$ billion)7.1. Medical Food7.2. Probiotic7.3. Prebiotic7.4. Supplements7.5. Others 8. Global Human Microbiome Market Forecast by Geography (US$ billion)8.1. Americas8.1.1. North America8.1.2. South America8.2. Europe Middle East and Africa8.2.1. Europe8.2.2. Middle East and Africa8.3. Asia Pacific9. Competitive Intelligence9.1. Market Share Analysis9.2. Investment Analysis9.3. Recent Deals9.4. Strategies of Key Players10. Company Profiles10.1. Seres Therapeutics10.2. Microbiome Therapeutics, LLC,10.3. uBiome, Inc10.4. Second Genome10.5. Vedanta Biosciences10.6. Blue Turtle Bio10.7. Metabiomics10.8. Rebiotix Inc.ContinuedPurchase Report @Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Contact Us:Norah TrentPartner Relations & Marketing ManagerSales@Wiseguyreports.ComPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US)Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)
Power Electronics Market 2017 : Future Trends Upto 2022 Examined In New Market Research Report

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Power Electronics Market research report helps to get access to industry data and upcoming trends which will give you avenues to know about the market. This report gives opportunities to go through with industry analysis, share and forecast, Providing brief description about the market size its competitors and product identification.In this report, the global Power Electronics market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Request For Free Sample Of The Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Power Electronics in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringUnited StatesEUChinaJapanSouth KoreaTaiwanGlobal Power Electronics market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingTexas InstrumentsInfineon Technologies AGSTMicroelectronics NVFuji Electric Co.QualcommMitsubishi Electric Corp.ABB GroupMaxim Integrated Products, Inc.Microsemi CorporationMitsubishi Electric Corp.NXP Semiconductor N.V.Renesas Electronics Corp.On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoDiscreteModuleICObtain Report Details @On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Power Electronics for each application, includingICTConsumer ElectronicsPowerIndustrialAutomotiveAerospace & DefenseAbout UsAlltake Market Research is division of the Alltake LLC. that offers premium quality market intelligence, market research, industry analysis reports & forecast data for different domains across the business industry.Alltake Market Research understands the importance of market analysis for any strategy that is implemented in any organization or association. In order to provide the best solution, Alltake Market Research have associated with major organizations within market research and consultancy firm. This portfolio offers market analysis report at one place for different business verticals. Alltake Market Research ensures to offer you with the most reliable and quality market research available.Contact UsAlltake Market Research16192, Coastal Highway Lewes,DE 19958, United StatesUS - 188 8587 9717UK - 4480 0680 0195Email sales@alltakemarketresearch.com
Genome Engineering Market is Anticipated to Reach a Valuation of US$7.21 Billion by 2023

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A new study by Transparency Market Research indicates that the degree of competitive rivalry in genome engineering rivalry market is likely to remain moderate over the forecast period owing to the presence of a limited number of international and regional players. Sigma-Aldrich Corporation, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., and Sangamo Biosciences Inc. are among the prominent revenue contributors to the market. The entry of small regional players in the arena is prompting global players to pay high attention to product innovation.To develop innovative, technologically advanced and differentiated products, the leading companies are banking on agreements with laboratories and research institutes and pouring funds into ongoing research and development projects, says the author of the report. The global genome engineering market is anticipated to reach a valuation of US$7.21 bn by 2023 from US$2.30 bn in 2015, expanding at a remarkable CAGR of 14.2% from 2015 to 2023.View Full Report:North America to Remain Ahead through 2023, thanks to Upswing in Research and Development ActivitiesBy end user, the market will be dominated by the biotechnology and pharmaceutical companies throughout the forecast period. The growth of the segment can be attributed to the rising use of genome engineering technologies in drug discovery and therapeutics. North America will continue to be the frontrunner in the global arena until 2023, rising to a valuation of US$3.68 bn. The widening applications of genome engineering resulting from the increasing research and development activities are contributing to the growth of the region. Asia Pacific will be the most promising regional market, thanks to the increasing government incentives.Request to view Sample Report:Increasing Funding by Biotechnology and Pharmaceutical Organizations to Augment Genome Engineering MarketPharmaceutical and biotechnology companies worldwide are increasingly realizing the need for advanced gene editing technologies for detecting genetic anomalies. As a result, the number of research and development activities is rising at a significant pace. Large organizations are focusing towards cell mutation to curb genetic and cell diseases. To encourage the development of technologies relating to gene editing, pharmaceutical companies are either funding ongoing projects of medical firms or entering into a collaboration with them, says a TMR analyst. Therefore, the increasing research and development activities in the field of gene editing is paving for genome engineered techniques.The growing investments by governments and non-government organizations in genome research and technological advancements along with the funding by pharmaceutical and biotechnology are providing a fillip to the global genome engineering market.Request to download and view full ToC -Rising Opposition on Ethical Grounds to Hamper Growth ProspectsOver the past few years, genetic engineering has received a lot of opposition on ethical grounds from several health, social, and religious organizations. According to the U.S. National Institute of Health (NIH), genetic engineering of human embryos leads to complications in human genes and has, therefore, prohibited its funding. In addition, various social organizations are persistent about the ban of genetic engineering as the alteration in animal genes can adversely affect the genetic makeup of the coming generations of the animal along with hampering the lifespan of the genetically engineered animal.Along with the rising ethical concerns, the stringent regulatory framework for the approval of genetic modifications in plants, animals, and human genome are acting as a major bottleneck in the growth of the global genome engineering market. Nevertheless, the growing adoption of genome engineering technologies in agriculture for crop improvement is opening new avenues for players in the market.Global Genome Engineering Market Report is available @ US$ 5795:About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Baby Food Sector in South Africa Market 2017- Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Research Report 2017

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled The Baby Food Sector in South Africa."The Baby Food Sector in South Africa 2017", is an analytical report by which provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the South African market.The South African baby food market has remained vibrant despite a poor economic climate over the last three years. Total consumption has also risen in all sectors, except drinks. In 2016, retail sales are up by 88.4% on 2010 and in terms of volume, total consumption stood at 7.4% higher than in 2010. Milks, however, remains the dominant product group, accounting for 69% of retail sales and 52% of volume in 2016. Baby food is distributed through a variety of outlets in South Africa and there are no restrictions on its sale. The market is expected to increase by 54.5% in current price terms and 4.1% in volume terms between 2016 and 2022. Consumption will be constrained by the expected fall in the number of live births, but it should be encouraged by growing incomes and product innovation.What else does this report offer?- Consumption data based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing work and our in-house expertise to offer extensive data about the trends and dynamics affecting the industry.- Detailed profile of the companies operating and new companies considering entry in the industry along with their key focus product sectors.- Market profile of the various product sectors with the key features & developments, segmentation, per capita trends and the various manufacturers & brands.- Overview of baby food retailing with a mention of the major retailers in the country along with the distribution channel.- Future projections considering various trends which are likely to affect the industry.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- The baby food market remained vibrant despite a poor economic climate over the last three years.- The top three socio-economic groups are the main purchasers of commercially prepared baby food, but represent just 25% of the population.- The highest growth rates over the period 2010 to 2016 have been registered by wet meals, where retail sales more than doubled and volume sales rose by 17.9%.- The market is dominated by Nestle, which claims over half of all retail sales, although it has faced increasing competition recently.- There is significant domestic production, and imports have fallen considerably in recent years.- Supermarkets are the main source of supply, accounting for over half of volumes, while hypermarkets are growing in importance.- The market is expected to increase by 54.5% in value terms between 2016 and 2022, fuelled by price rises.Key points to buy- Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation.- Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit.- Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.- Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.Table of ContentsIntroductionExecutive SummaryDefinationsBackground to the MarketBirth: Live Birth RatesBirths: Live Births by RegionThe ConsumerSocio-Demographic TrendsWorking WomenRegulationsBreastfeeding TrendsMarket OverviewMarket OverviewManufacturers SharesThe FutureSector AnalysisBaby MilksBaby Cereals..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
2017 Global Software Defined Data Center Market Cisco Systems, Hitachi, Citrix Systems,

Software Defined Data Center

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Top Key Playesr Of Software Defined Data Center Market 2017 - Microsoft Corporation, Hewlett Packard Enterprise Co.?, EMC Corporation?, Cisco Systems, Inc.?, Hitachi, Ltd.?, International Business Machines Corporation?, Fujitsu, Ltd.?, NEC Corporation?, Citrix Systems, Inc..A market study  Global Software Defined Data Center Market  examines the performance of the Software Defined Data Center market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Software Defined Data Center market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Software Defined Data Center market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Software Defined Data Center Market 2017 report includes Software Defined Data Center market Size, Revenue, market Share, Software Defined Data Center industry volume, market Trends, Software Defined Data Center Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Software Defined Data Center Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Inquiry here:Firstly, the report covers the top Software Defined Data Center manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Further, the Software Defined Data Center report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Software Defined Data Center industry, Software Defined Data Center industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Software Defined Data Center Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Table Of Content :The Software Defined Data Center research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Software Defined Data Center market revenue worldwide.Finally, Software Defined Data Center market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsMarketsResearch.Biz is a leading market intelligence team which making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact UsWeb :
4G LTE : Current State, Spectrum Holding and Market Scenario in Asia-Pacific

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4G LTE: Current State, Spectrum Holding and Market Scenario in Asia-Pacific September 2017 edition report provides an overview of the Global Fixed Telephony, Fixed Broadband, Mobile Telephony and Mobile Broadband subscription trends. Summarized version of the global LTE deployment trends has also been discussed in the report. It also provides a snapshot overview of the frequency holding by Telcos, leading vendors operating and select recent initiaves and developments by Government and Regulatory bodies, Service providers and Key technology vendors in select countries of the Asia-Pacific region.Salient Features of the Report and Key Finding included: The report provides a summarized version of spectrum holdings of leading telcos across various frequency bands-including the details like bandwidth holding and corresponding uplink/downlink frequency details. Information regarding the frequency bands and Service type offered on each of these spectrum bands has also been provided in tabular format.Please continue to read the complete report at : Major telcos operating, leading vendors operating and tower infrastructure providers operating in these countries has also been included in pictorial format. The report enables the readers to understand the market scenario and understand the competitive landscape wrt to major telcos, vendors and tower infrastructure providers in specific countries. The global mobile subscription continues to witness significant growth over the past decade (2206-2016). A major reason for the growth globally in the recent 5-7 years, is owing to the growth in developing countries, primarily India and China, which accounts for nearly 30% of the global mobile subscriptions and more than 50% of the mobile subscriptions in developing countries.Request A Sample copy of 4G LTE : Current State, Spectrum Holding and Market @ By the end of year 2018, China is estimated to have the highest number of 4G subscriptions followed by India. During the year 2016, 22 new LTE networks became active in the region, thereby increasing the total number of live LTE networks in the region to 106 by March 2017. The region also has ~36 live LTE-A networks across 18 countries. VoLTE services are also live on 34 networks in 15 countries. The region is also expected to witness the deployment of 71 4G LTE networks during the next 2 years. Despite Australia, South Korea and Japan dominating the other countries in the region in terms of 4G penetration, the region will further witness increased 4G penetration driven by the exponential growth across the countries like Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, India etc. 4G LTE development initiatives snapshots of leading Service Providers and details pertaining to Vendors & Tower Infrastructure Providers of more than 35 countries in the Asia-Pacific region has been included in the report. 4G LTE snapshots details of countries mentioned in the report includes Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Georgia, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Japan, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, New Zealand, Pakistan, Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam, Afghanistan, Laos, Mongolia, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands, Uzbekistan, Macau, Kazakhstan, India, Fiji, Guam, Maldives, Tokelau, French Polynesia etc.About Bharat Book Bureau:Bharat Book Bureau is the leading market research information provider for market research reports, company profiles, industry study, country reports, business reports, newsletters and online databases Bharat Book Bureau provides over a million reports from more than 400 publishers around the globe. We cover sectors starting from Aeronautics to Zoology.Contact us at:Bharat Book BureauTel: +91 22 27810772 / 27810773Email: poonam@bharatbook.comWebsite:Follow us on : Twitter, Facebook, Linkedin, Google Plus
Childcare Software Global Market Key Players  SofterWare, Ladder Software, Procare Software, Hi Mama, Kindertales Analysis and Forecast to 2022

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SummaryChildcare Software, also called child care management software, is a type of technology that used for all kinds of child care centers, homes, associations to save child care time, make the work and life easier.The global States Childcare Software market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The objective of report is to define, segment, and project the market on the basis of product type, application, and region, and to describe the content about the factors influencing market dynamics, policy, economic, technology and market entry etc.Leading vendors in the market are included based on profile, business performance etc. Vendors mentioned as follows:SofterWareLadder SoftwareProcare SoftwareHi MamaJackrabbit TechnologiesLedger SoftwareKindertalesPersonalized SoftwareChildcare SageSmartCareINursery.net LimitedConnect Software SolutionsAstec SolutionsKonvervEntLogics TechnologiesR&I Software SolutionsKigaRooAVI.DATOgustChenlongYikangBeiying NetworkRequest a Sample Report @Based on products type, the report describes major products type share of regional market. Products mentioned as follows:Cloud BasedInstalled-PCInstalled-MobileBased on Application, the report describes major application share of regional market. Application mentioned as follows:Nursery SchoolFamilyOthersBased on region, the report describes major regions market by products and application. Regions mentioned as follows:Asia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaAt any Query @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Objectives of Research1.1.1 Definition1.1.2 Specifications1.2 Market Segment1.2.1 by Type1.2.1.1 Cloud Based1.2.1.2 Installed-PC1.2.1.3 Installed-Mobile1.2.2 by Application1.2.2.1 Nursery School1.2.2.2 Family1.2.2.3 Others1.2.3 by Regions6 Market Segmentation by Region6.1 Market Size6.1.1 Asia-Pacific6.1.1.1 Asia-Pacific Market, 2011-20166.1.1.2 Asia-Pacific Market by Type6.1.1.3 Asia-Pacific Market by Application6.1.2 North America6.1.2.1 North America Market, 2011-20166.1.2.2 North America Market by Type6.1.2.3 North America Market by Application6.1.3 Europe6.1.3.1 Europe Market, 2011-20166.1.3.2 Europe Market by Type6.1.3.3 Europe Market by Application6.1.4 South America6.1.4.1 South America Market, 2011-20166.1.4.2 South America Market by Type6.1.4.3 South America Market by Application6.1.5 Middle East & Africa6.1.5.1 Middle East & Africa Market, 2011-20166.1.5.2 Middle East & Africa Market by Type6.1.5.3 Middle East & Africa Market by Application6.2 Market Forecast6.2.1 Asia-Pacific Market Forecast, 2017-20226.2.2 North America Market Forecast, 2017-20226.2.3 Europe Market Forecast, 2017-20226.2.4 South America Market Forecast, 2017-20226.2.5 Middle East & Africa Market Forecast, 2017-20228 Major Vendors8.1 SofterWare8.1.2 Profile8.1.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.2 Ladder Software8.2.1 Profile8.2.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.3 Procare Software8.3.1 Profile8.3.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.4 Hi Mama8.4.1 Profile8.4.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.5 Jackrabbit Technologies8.5.1 Profile8.5.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.6 Ledger Software8.6.1 Profile8.6.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.7 Kindertales8.7.1 Profile8.7.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.8 Personalized Software8.8.1 Profile8.8.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.9 Childcare Sage8.9.1 Profile8.9.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.10 SmartCare8.10.1 Profile8.10.2 Business Performance (Sales Revenue, Cost, Gross Margin)8.11 INursery.net Limited8.12 Connect Software Solutions8.13 Astec Solutions8.14 Konverv8.15 EntLogics Technologies8.16 R&I Software Solutions8.17 KigaRoo8.18 AVI.DAT8.19 Ogust8.20 Chenlong8.21 Yikang8.22 Beiying NetworkBuy Now @Continued....Contact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US) ; Ph: +44 208 133 9349 (UK)ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.ADDRES:WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
MASON CITY | Business has been good to Darin Reynolds since he moved from downtown Mason City to the city's North End.

Reynolds, 52, owns Little Chicago Pizza. He re-opened his store in April, after he was forced to leave an 100-year-old building on Second Street N.E. near North Commercial Alley to make way for downtown condos proposed by G8 Development.

The condos have not been built.

He was closed for about nine months before he settled in at 1343 N. Federal Ave. Storing all of his kitchen equipment cost him a little more than $1,000, Reynolds said.

He still serves gyros calzones, pasta and pizza and serves about 40 on Friday nights, he said. Weekends are typically his busiest times, Reynolds added.

The restaurant is a decent-sized space with photos of famous mobsters, including Bonnie and Clyde. Plants still line the windows at the front of the building.

Reynolds' new spot sits across the street from the Blue Heron, a new restaurant that opened last week. Cook Scotty Ream, 47, said it's a good sign for businesses on the city's North End.

"The old buildings are in pretty good shape ... it'd be more affordable for a new business to move into one of them instead of building something new," he said.

Ream added that outside of parking, customers have enjoyed Little Chicago and the business is doing the best it ever has.

Reynolds said most of his customers from his old downtown location has continued to come dine at his new location. Outside of that, he sees some customers from Manly.

One of the challenges he faces is cars speeding by and missing the fact that he is open.

"I don't like the way the traffic goes zooming by here at 40 miles per hour," Reynolds said. "An old guy was sitting out front and he said, 'Maybe they should name it the North Federal Speedway.'"

Still, he's happy to be back open to customers.

"I'm grateful that they waited for me and I get to serve everybody again," he said.

The restaurant is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday. It's closed Sunday and Monday.
uCertify is closing its Labor Day sale on September 7, 2017

Pleasanton, California - September 7, 2017 - uCertify, an award winning e-learning platform designed to deliver career, vocational, workforce development & readiness, and corporate training programs; is closing its Labor Day sale on September 7, 2017.So, you have only one day left to avail 25% site-wide off! Rush now and browse through our rich library of 400+ ready to use titles. Enhance your career prospects by selecting the best-suited courses for you. Dont forget to enter the promo code LD25 while checking out. Get going now.About uCertify: uCertify is a highly interactive, cloud-based and device-enabled, teaching and learning management platform for online, anywhere, anytime traditional and competency-based learning. We are the leading provider of online Test preps, Courses & Labs for IT and Project Management certification exams. Our platform is equally effective for self-paced, instructor-led or blended learning. In addition to the learning platform, we come complete with over 400 ready to use titles. Also, we are the reigning champions and honored by 19 SIIA CODiE awards for 4 years in a row.For further information, please contact us at +1-415-763-6300 or email to support@uCertify.com.uCertify,4000, Pimlico Drive, Suite #114-294 Pleasanton, CA 94588
Global Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017

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SummaryThe Global Fish Oil Industry 2017 Market Research Report is a professional and in-depth study on the current state of the Fish Oil industry.Firstly, the report provides a basic overview of the industry including definitions, classifications, applications and industry chain structure. The Fish Oil market analysis is provided for the international market including development history, competitive landscape analysis, and major regions development status.Secondly, development policies and plans are discussed as well as manufacturing processes and cost structures. This report also states import/export, supply and consumption figures as well as cost, price, revenue and gross margin by regions (United States, EU, China and Japan), and other regions can be added.Then, the report focuses on global major leading industry players with information such as company profiles, product picture and specification, capacity, production, price, cost, revenue and contact information. Upstream raw materials, equipment and downstream consumers analysis is also carried out. Whats more, the Fish Oil industry development trends and marketing channels are analyzed.Finally, the feasibility of new investment projects is assessed, and overall research conclusions are offered.In a word, the report provides major statistics on the state of the industry and is a valuable source of guidance and direction for companies and individuals interested in the market.Ask a sample or any question, please email to:hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comGlobal Fish Oil market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the players list(Partly, Players you are interested can also be added):TripleNine GroupCOPEINCAAustevoll Seafood ASAChina Fishery GroupFF Skagen A/SPesquera Diamante S.A.CamanchacaOLVEA Fish OilsOmega Protein Corporation...Key Topics Covered:Chapter One Industry Overview of Fish OilChapter Two Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Fish OilChapter Three Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Fish OilChapter Four Capacity, Production and Revenue Analysis of Fish Oil by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Five Price, Cost, Gross and Gross Margin Analysis of Fish Oil by Regions, Types and ManufacturersChapter Six Consumption Volume, Consumption Value and Sale Price Analysis of Fish Oil by Regions, Types and ApplicationsChapter Seven Supply, Import, Export and Consumption Analysis of Fish OilChapter Eight Major Manufacturers Analysis of Fish OilChapter Nine Marketing Trader or Distributor Analysis of Fish OilChapter Ten Industry Chain Analysis of Fish OilChapter Eleven Development Trend of Analysis of Fish OilChapter Twelve New Project Investment Feasibility Analysis of Fish OilChapter Thirteen Conclusion of the Global Fish Oil Industry 2017 Market Research ReportRelated Reports:US Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017Europe Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017India Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017China Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017Korea Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017Japan Fish Oil Industry Market Research Report 2017Note:We also offerGermany/Korea/Australia/Brazil/Russia/India/Indonesia/ Malaysia/Saudi Arabia/Middle East/Europe/Asia/Asia-Pacific/Southeast Asia/North America/ Latin America/South America/AMER/EMEA/Africa etc Countries/Regions and Sales/Industry Versions RespectivelyWoul like to place an order or any question, please feel free to contact me~O(_)O~Hebe | Sr. Manager  Global SalesProfessional Market Research Report PublisherQYResearch Co.LtdQYResearch focus on Market Survey and ResearchPhone: +86-20-22093278Email: hebe@qyresearchglobal.com or hebe@qyresearch.comWeb:About QYResearch Co.LtdQYResearch established in 2007, focus on custom research, management consulting, IPO consulting, industry chain research, database and seminar services. the company owned a large basic database (such as National Bureau of statistics database, Customs import and export database, Industry Association Database etc), experts resources (included energy automotive chemical medical ICT consumer goods etc industries experts who own more than 10 years experiences on marketing or R&D), professional survey team (the team member with more than 3 years market survey experience and more than 2 years depth expert interview experience),Excellent data analysis team (SPSS statistics and PPT graphics process team); QYResearch has always pursuit product quality, adhere to the quality is the soul of business. Through the companys years of effort and a lot of customer support, QYResearch consulting group creative design method of many high-quality markets investigation and research team with rich experience. Today, QYResearch brand has become the consulting industry with quality assurance consulting brand. The company has 2500 global well-known customers, covering energy automobile pharmaceutical chemical agriculture more than 30 industries, services from the data analysis and recommendations-Consulting landing one-stop solution, and research regions cover China,US,EU,Asia,Middle East and Africa,South America,Australia,etc Global all regions,and also built research or marketing center in China USA UK France Hongkong etc regions. currently, QYResearch has become the first choice and worth trusted consulting brand in Global and China business consulting services.Media ContactCompany Name: QYResearch CO.,LIMITEDContact Person: HebeEmail: hebe@qyresearchglobal.comPhone: +86-20-22093278Address: Room 2311 VILI International Building No.167 Linhe West Road Tianhe DistrictCity: GuangzhouCountry: ChinaWebsite:(US) |(EU) |(JP)
Teleradiology Market to Expand at a Favorable 11.3% CAGR by 2023

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The highly fragmented market for teleradiology features the presence of a large number of regional players, with the exception of some large companies with international presence, such as vRad, Inc., Radiology Reporting Online, and USA Rad. North America and Europe, the regions with some of the largest vendors in the global teleradiology market, will be the key enablers of teleradiology practices across the world and play a central role in the overall development of the global market, notes a recent report by Transparency Market Research (TMR).Acquisitions of small, regional players, and long-term contracts with remotely located community hospitals and other healthcare service providers, especially across emerging markets such as Asia Pacific and Latin America, will allow teleradiology companies to expand their global footprint. Although less in number than in the European market, teleradiology companies in North America will contribute the largest share in the overall revenues of the global teleradiology market from 2015 through 2023, thanks to their global presence.View Full Report:Rise in Healthcare Expenditure and Improved Healthcare Infrastructure to Enable Widespread Adoption of TeleradiologyThe vast improvement in telecommunication networks, enhanced data transfer speeds, and improved digital infrastructure of remote parts of the world has revolutionized the global teleradiology market in the past few years. In the next few years as well, developments across the data transmission field will be prove to be a major driver of the global teleradiology market, allowing its evolution from an ancillary radiology discipline to a mainstream practice.Request to view Sample Report:Radiology is a cost-intensive diagnostic modality owing to the high prices of the technologically advanced medical imaging machines central to the field. This factor, in combination with the factor of unavailability of broadband networks in urban dwellings has remained one of the toughest challenges for the teleradiology market in the past years. However, substantial rise in healthcare expenditures and widened broadband networks in the past few years have enabled the widespread expansion of teleradiology practices on a global front. These factors have especially allowed the teleradiology market in extending its reach to emerging economies such as Latin America and Asia Pacific, considered to be the regional markets with the most lucrative growth opportunities.Asia Pacific to Provide Most Attractive Growth OpportunitiesNorth America is currently the leading regional market for teleradiology and is expected to provide considerable growth opportunities over the next few years as well. The market in the region will be driven by the digitally advanced healthcare infrastructures, integration of teleradiology services in the workflow of a vast number of medical imaging service providers, and high healthcare awareness among the population. The rising prevalence of a number of cancers in the region has also led to an increased need for effective teleradiology services in the region.Request to download and view full ToC -Nevertheless, Asia Pacific will provide the most lucrative growth opportunities for the global teleradiology market in the coming years. Factors fueling demand for teleradiology services in the region will be the rising expenditure on health and wellbeing, improving healthcare infrastructure, and widening network of high-speed broadband services.Global Teleradiology Market Report is available @ US$ 5795:About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Encapsulated Flavours Market: Spice Flavours Segment Projected to Grow at a Relatively High CAGR During the Forecast Period 2017-2027

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Chocolate flavours segment expected to grab maximum revenue share in the global encapsulated flavours market during the period of forecastThe chocolate flavours segment is estimated to be valued at more than US$ 800 Mn by 2017 end and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.3% over the forecast period. The segment is expected to be valued at more than US$ 1,300 Mn by the end of 2027, creating an absolute $ opportunity of more than US$ 35 Mn in 2017 over 2016 and an incremental $ opportunity of a little more than US$ 550 Mn between 2017 and 2027. The general fruit flavours segment is expected to account for a relatively high value CAGR in the global encapsulated flavours market over the forecast period. The segment is expected to be valued at more than US$ 1,000 Mn by the end of 2027, creating absolute $ opportunity of about US$ 29 Mn in 2017 over 2016 and an incremental $ opportunity of more than US$ 400 Mn between 2017 and 2027.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Growing demand for savoury flavours and increasing demand for flavoured drinks are the major factors boosting the flavour type segment during the period of assessmentDemand for encapsulated flavours in convenience food has grown rapidly and continues to increase at a significant rate. In developed markets, preference for readymade meals, savoury soups and snacks is increasing, leading to higher demand for spicy, ethnic and exotic flavours. The addition of spicy and exotic flavours to existing product lines continues to be one of the key strategies adopted by global manufacturers to attract consumers' attention in more mature markets of the U.S. and Canada. Growing prevalence of ethnic food and drinks has led to the incorporation of hotter, spicier and more striking flavour profiles, thereby driving revenue growth of the flavour type segment in the global encapsulated flavours market.The trend towards natural, wholesome and healthy products is increasing, but poor properties of these ingredients are major challenges in the food industry. To avoid such issues, companies are focussing on trapping the original flavour of the products by encapsulating it using different techniques. The addition of flavours in different types of food products such as biscuits, cookies, and ice-creams is preferred by consumers these days, which is also expected to increase demand for encapsulated flavours. Moreover, growing health awareness and time constraints along with the ensuing demand for functional and convenience foods is expected to continue to fuel the growth of the flavour type segment.Consumers have started preferring fizzy and flavoured drinks that are expected to lead to an upsurge in revenue growth of the flavour type segment across the assessed regional markets. Due to the known poor health effects of artificial flavours, consumers have opted to switch to drinks that contain artificial flavours. Health conscious individuals are preferring plant-based drinks over other beverages. This is a major factor that is anticipated to drive revenue growth of the flavour type segment.Browse Market Research Report @Global Encapsulated Flavours Market StructureThe global encapsulated flavours market is primarily characterised by the presence of a large number of regional and multinational companies that operate in the global market. An approximate share of 70%-75% is accounted for by multinational players, who are also the price regulators of the market. North America and Western Europe are the two main regions targeted by these companies due to increasing number of health conscious consumers and a growing demand for food and beverages in the market.About Future Market InsightsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact FMI3rd Floor, 207 Regent Street,London W1B 3HHUnited KingdomT: + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790D: +44 (0) 20 3287 4268Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.com
Global Glufosinate Market worth 2.15 billion USD by 2021.

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The Global Glufosinate Market was worth USD 1.38 billion in 2016 and estimated to be growing at a CAGR of 9.28%, to reach USD 2.15 billion by 2021.The market is showcasing evident potential in the mentioned forecasting period. The market continues to gain momentum due to factors such as glufosinates high efficacy and broad weed spectrum. glufosinate finds varied applications in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors.Glufosinate is a kind of herbicide with high effectiveness, generally used for weed control in various types of crops all over the globe. Farmers rely on Glufosinate because it helps in providing high degree of crop safety and its vast area of effect avoiding the need for different herbicides for different kind of weeds on a given crop.View Full report @The rise in the demand for Glufosinate as a substitute for paraquat and glyphosate has resulted in the Glufosinate market to show immense potential in the recent years. Other major factors driving the market include, steady expansion of herbicide tolerant crops usage, herbicide contribution in securing food bowl, GM crop acceptance and approval trend. The market also faces some challenges and restraints which hold it back from showing even better growth. Some of the important ones are, toxic effects of Glufosinate, stringent government regulations. Moreover, the European market has banned the business of Glufosinate.The Global market for Glufosinate is segmented on the basis of Crop Type, Form and Application. Based on crop type, the market in segmented into two parts namely, genetically modified crops and conventional crops. The Genetically modified crops dominates the Glufosinate market. By form, the market is segmented into liquid and dry forms. On the basis of application, the market is segmented into agricultural and non-agricultural. The agricultural segmented is further fragmented into grains & cereals, oilseeds & pulses, fruits & vegetables and others.Get Free Sample report @Based on geography, the global market is analysed under various regions namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of the World. The Glufosinate market was dominated by North America, with the overall market share of over 36% globally. North America was followed by Europe and Asia-Pacific. Latin America is predicted to show highest growth rate in the years to come.Some of the major companies dominating the Glufosinate market include Bayer AG, The Dow Chemical Company, E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Syngenta AG, UPL, Nufarm Ltd, Jiangsu Huangma Agrochemicals Co Ltd., Jiangsu Seven continent Green Chemical Co Ltd., Hebei Veyong Bio-Chemical Co Ltd., Zhejiang Yongnong Chem. Ind. Co. Ltd.Inquire before buying @About Market Data Forecast:Market Data Forecast is a firm working in the area of market research and business intelligence. With rich experience in research across various business domains, they cater to the needs of both individual and corporate clients. From all-encompassing umbrella markets to extremely specific niche markets covering all the major regions across the globe as part of the research scope, their research services offer one of a kind specialities with competitive pricing options. For more information, kindly visit,Contact:Abhishek ShuklaSales Manager (International Business Development)Market Data ForecastDirect Line: +1-888-702-9626Mobile: +91 998 555 0206Mail: abhishek@marketdataforecast.comVisit MarketDataForecast Blog @View latest Press Releases of MDF @
Chinese Influence on Global Infrastructure

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"The Latest Research Report Chinese Influence on Global Infrastructure provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Chinese Influence MarketThis report outlines and analyzes all infrastructure projects around the world in which Chinese companies including owners, financers, and contractors are involved.SummaryThroughout the 21st century, China has been a world leader in expanding its infrastructure base, creating the worlds largest high-speed rail (HSR) network with over 20,000km of track spread throughout the country, growing its national trunk highway system to over 100,000km and becoming the worlds largest energy producer. In recent years, the domestic construction sector has begun to cool off, and China has looked beyond its borders to export its excess contractor capacity and have a wider influence on infrastructure more globally.Get Sample copy of this Report @The One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative epitomizes this philosophy, which seeks to improve infrastructure in emerging nations across Asia, the Middle East and Africa and Europe. The initiative aims to facilitate massive economic development through companies being able to transport goods more easily and cheaply between the provinces and countries along the route connecting China to Europe. The Infrastructure Intelligence Center (IIC) is currently tracking 111 large-scale OBOR infrastructure projects with a combined total value of US$688 billion.ScopeAll infrastructure projects in which Chinese companies have a role, inside and outside of China.Details of each region's involvement of Chinese companies, and ranking of the leading Chinese contractors in each region.Analysis of the One Belt, One Road (OBOR) initiative, and progress on projects encompassed by the initiative.Listing of major projects taking place in each region with Chinese involvement and an update on their progress.View Sample PDF @Reasons To BuyAssess the current state of Chinese involvement in global infrastructure construction.Better understand projects currently under construction with Chinese involvement and those that are likely to begin construction in the near future.Gain insight into which Chinese construction companies are most heavily involved in infrastructure construction outside it country borders.Key HighlightsCurrently Chinese contractors are involved in 1,034 projects in other countries, the majority being found in Emerging Asia, the Middle East and Africa. China appears to be particularly interested in large-scale mega projects. While projects with Chinese contractor involvement only make up 16% of the global total, the size of many of the infrastructure initiatives means this corresponds to 31% of the total global infrastructure project pipeline value, US$17.1 trillion as of 2017.A recent Timetric survey on Globalization and Construction provides an outlook on trends relating to globalization in construction based on responses from construction companies operating in all major regions throughout the world. Respondents reported that China, with 31% of the vote, to be the greatest foreign threat to their construction businesses, with the US a close second at 25%.Emerging Asia, due to its close proximity to China and high number of fast growing, developing nations receives the bulk of investment and involvement from Chinese companies. According to the IIC, Emerging Asia is home to 430 projects, valued at US$1.2 trillion, in which China is at least partially involved. Many of these projects are related to the OBOR initiative, with Pakistan in particular the site of 43 OBOR construction projects, as currently tracked by the IIC.Send An Enquiry Request @Table of Contents1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY2. CHINESE CONSTRUCTION INFLUENCE AROUND THE GLOBE2.1. In China2.2. Rest of the World2.2.1. Chinas One Belt, One Road Initiative2.3. Timetrics Globalization and Construction Survey3. CHINESE INFLUENCE BY REGION3.1. Emerging Asia3.2. Sub-Saharan Africa3.3. The Middle East and North Africa3.4. Eastern Europe3.5. Developed Asia-Pacific3.6. Western Europe3.7. The Americas4. APPENDIX4.1. Definitions4.2. Methodology4.3. Further Information4.4. DisclaimerAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Develop Business Strategies Of Nikkiso Co., Ltd. (6376) - Product Pipeline Analysis And Forecast 2017

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"The Latest Research Report Nikkiso Co., Ltd. (6376) - Product Pipeline Analysis, 2017 Update provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Nikkiso Co., Ltd. (6376) MarketNikkiso Co., Ltd. (Nikkiso) is a diversified company, which develops, manufactures and markets medical equipment and industrial instruments. The companys product portfolio includes pumps, sampling systems and chemical feed systems; particle size characterization; equipment for electronic components; aerospace composite products and medical equipment including hemodialysis machines, dialyzers, blood glucose controller and powder dialysate for hemodialysis treatment. Nikkisos customers include hospitals and medical institutions, petrochemical, energy, and engineering contractors, electronics, environmental and healthcare equipment manufactures; and commercial aircraft manufacturers. It has manufacturing facilities in Higashimurayama, Kanazawa and Hakusan in Japan. The company sells its products through its subsidiaries in Asia, Europe and North America. Nikkiso is headquartered in Tokyo, Japan.Get Sample copy of this Report @This report is a source for data, analysis, and actionable intelligence on the companys portfolio of pipeline products. The report provides key information about the company, its major products and brands.The report enhances decision making capabilities and help to create effective counter strategies to gain competitive advantage.Scope:- The report reviews detailed company profile with information on business description, key company facts, major products and services, key competitors, key employees, locations and subsidiaries and recent developments- The report analyzes all pipeline products in development for the company Nikkiso Co., Ltd.- The report provides pipeline analysis on all pipeline products of the company (by equipment type, by indication, by development stage, and by trial status)- The report covers detailed information on each pipeline product with information on pipeline territory, stage of development, device class, regulatory path, indication(s), application(s) and estimated launch date- The report provides detailed description of products in development, technical specification and functions- The report also covers ongoing clinical trials (wherever applicable) with information on trial name, trial objective, sponsor, trial design , trial status and phase, estimated start and end date.View Sample PDF @Reasons to Buy:- Develop business strategies by understanding the trends and developments driving the medical devices pipeline and technology landscape- Design and develop your product development, marketing and sales strategies by understanding the competitor portfolio- To formulate effective Research & Development strategies- Develop market-entry and market expansion strategies- Exploit in-licensing and out-licensing opportunities by identifying products, most likely to ensure a robust return- Plan mergers and acquisitions effectively by identifying key players of the most promising pipeline- Identify emerging players with potentially strong product portfolio and create effective counter-strategies to gain competitive advantage- Develop competition strategies by identifying the status and likely launch of the competitors pipeline products through review of the clinical trials, stage and of development, etc- Identify, understand and capitalize the next high-value products that your competitor would add in its portfolioTable of ContentsTable of Contents 2List of Tables 3List of Figures 3Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Company Overview 4Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Company Snapshot 4Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Pipeline Products and Ongoing Clinical Trials Overview 4Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Pipeline Analysis Overview 7Business Description 7Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Key Facts 7Send An Enquiry Request @Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Major Products and Services 8Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Pipeline Products by Development Stage 10Nikkiso Co., Ltd. Pipeline Products Overview 12Artificial Kidneys 12Artificial Kidneys Product Overview 12Artificial Pancreas 13Artificial Pancreas Product Overview 13Blood Volume Monitor For DCG-03 / DBG-03 14Blood Volume Monitor For DCG-03 / DBG-03 Product Overview 14Cardiopulmonary Bypass Pump 15Cardiopulmonary Bypass Pump Product Overview 15Micro Fluidic Device 16Micro Fluidic Device Product Overview 16Next Generation Dialysis Machine 17Next Generation Dialysis Machine Product Overview 17Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Key Competitors 18Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Key Employees 19Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Key Employee Biographies 20Nikkiso Co., Ltd. - Locations And Subsidiaries 21About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
2017 Global Electrostatic Headphone Market STAX, Sennheiser, SONY, YAMAHA, EDIFIER

Electrostatic Headphone

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Electrostatic Headphone Market Research ReportA market study  Global Electrostatic Headphone Market  examines the performance of the Electrostatic Headphone market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electrostatic Headphone market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electrostatic Headphone market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Electrostatic Headphone Market 2017 report includes Electrostatic Headphone market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electrostatic Headphone industry volume, market Trends, Electrostatic Headphone Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electrostatic Headphone Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Inquiry here:Firstly, the report covers the top Electrostatic Headphone manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Key Playesr Of Electrostatic Headphone Market 2017:1. STAX2. Sennheiser3. Koss4. AKG5. SONY6. YAMAHA7. EDIFIERFurther, the Electrostatic Headphone report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electrostatic Headphone industry, Electrostatic Headphone industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electrostatic Headphone Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Table Of Content :The Electrostatic Headphone research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electrostatic Headphone market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electrostatic Headphone market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsMarketsResearch.Biz is a leading market intelligence team which making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact UsWeb :
2017 Global Electronic Pipettes Market Socorex Isba, Bio Rad, Hirschmann, Capp ApS

Electronic Pipettes

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Electronic Pipettes Market Research ReportA market study  Global Electronic Pipettes Market  examines the performance of the Electronic Pipettes market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Electronic Pipettes market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Electronic Pipettes market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Electronic Pipettes Market 2017 report includes Electronic Pipettes market Size, Revenue, market Share, Electronic Pipettes industry volume, market Trends, Electronic Pipettes Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Electronic Pipettes Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Inquiry here:Firstly, the report covers the top Electronic Pipettes manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Key Playesr Of Electronic Pipettes Market 2017:1. Sartorius Group2. Socorex Isba3. Eppendorf AG4. Integra Biosciences AG5. Dragon Laboratory Instruments6. Bio Rad7. Hirschmann8. Labnet International9. Capp ApS10. AHN Biotechnologie11. Biosigma12. Cole-Parmer13. Gilson14. Hamilton Laboratory Products15. Hecht Assistent16. MICROLIT17. Ratiolab GmbH18. Topscien Instrument (Ningbo)19. VWRFurther, the Electronic Pipettes report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Electronic Pipettes industry, Electronic Pipettes industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Electronic Pipettes Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Table Of Content :The Electronic Pipettes research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Electronic Pipettes market revenue worldwide.Finally, Electronic Pipettes market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsMarketsResearch.Biz is a leading market intelligence team which making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact UsWeb :
Global Asphalt Transfer Vehicles Market 2017-2022 Vogele (Germany), Roadtec (US), XCMG (China), Beijing Ca-long Engineering Machinery (China)

Asphalt Transfer Vehicles

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The latest report Asphalt Transfer Vehicles Market by QY Research added to it's database and brings to light the comprehensive study and factual information of global market. The report also provides the global market segmentation based on applications, end-users, technology, and geography. The Asphalt Transfer Vehicles research report offers a comprehensive assessment of the Asphalt Transfer Vehicles market and consists of historical data, scope, significant approaches and statistical data of the global market. Besides these, it also includes anticipated facts that are assessed with the aid of an appropriate set of postulations and techniques.The report focuses on regional as well as global market, its key players, along with market segments including detailed study on various divisions and its applications. The report provides comprehensive information on each and every segment covered of the Asphalt Transfer Vehicles market.Request for FREE SAMPLE Report @The report includes rigorous data, in-depth analysis in two ways, namely, quantitative and qualitative, industry professionals inputs and data given by the industry members and industry analysts involved in the complete value cycle. The report features thorough study of important market and their current trends, coupled with respective market segments. Information about the numerous factors and their influence on the global market and its segments is also mentioned in the Asphalt Transfer Vehicles report.The study report evaluates the range of factors of the Asphalt Transfer Vehicles industry, such as definition, demands, share, analysis, supply, sales, size, specification, forecast trends, production, classification, industry policy, news, and application. The global Asphalt Transfer Vehicles market report will provide significant and reliable information on the market clearly in structured format. The report will offers you a key manufacturer of the products, applications, DROS and others.The Asphalt Transfer Vehicles report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such as investment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the key global market playersgrowth in the Asphalt Transfer Vehicles industry.Browse Complete report With TOC available @Moreover, the report assessed key market features, including price, revenue, capacity utilization rate, growth rate, capacity, production, gross, supply, consumption, cost, market share, demand, import, gross margin, export, and much more.The Asphalt Transfer Vehicles report is a useful documentation that aids distributors, manufacturers, suppliers, customers, investors & individuals who are interested in this market.Highlights of the report:A complete backdrop analysis, which includes an assessment of the parent market.Important changes in market dynamics.Market segmentation up to the second or third level.Historical, current, and projected size of the market from the standpoint of both value and volume.Reporting and evaluation of recent industry developments.Market shares and strategies of key players.Emerging niche segments and regional markets.MRS Research Group is the worlds giant collection of the Market research Reports. Where we specialized in global publisher, tailor made reports and specialists consulting. Global Publisher provides in-depth analysis of global and Chinese market. Tailor-made reports represent methodologies deliverable to proper insight of the client. While, expertise research specialist helps to provide strategic solution in specialists consulting. It consists of head such as, latest report, category, niche market and news. Reports published on the million of category like chemical, machinery and equipment, consumer goods, manufacturing and construction etc. Latest national, international, business News published under news portal.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
CLEAR LAKE | A Clear Lake man was found dead after an apparent motorcycle accident in rural Clear Lake Wednesday night.

Cerro Gordo County deputies responded to a report of suspicious vehicles in the area around 270th Street and Eagle Avenue.

Those in the vehicles were found to be friends of a missing person who were searching for a man who had not been seen since Saturday night, the sheriffs department said in a press release.

Deputies assisted in a search of the area and found a motorcycle around 9:30 p.m.

The driver, Nathan Lee Higgins, 26, was found dead at the scene, the sheriff's office said. The cause of the accident is under investigation by the department and the Medical Examiners Office.

Deputies were assisted by Iowa State Patrol, Clear Lake Fire Department and Mason City Fire medics.

 Courtney Fiorini
Cell Culture Media Industry Analysis of Growth, Trends Progress and Challenges 2017

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SummaryThis report helps to analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the United States Cell Culture Media Market 2017 Industry Trend and Forecast 2022DescriptionAccording to the United States Cell Culture Media Market report, the market is expected to keep rising at a substantial rate throughout the forecast period owing to the massive influx of trade and favorable conditions in the market. This is expected to keep boosting the United States Cell Culture Media Market through the period as international trade is picking up, along with lots of SMEs venturing into the United States Cell Culture Media Market.The United States Cell Culture Media Market report covers a horde of information about the United States Cell Culture Media Market that will be beneficial for the customers such as the key drivers, challenges, and trends that are influencing the market. The customers of the report can make great use of the invaluable information to gain an upper hand among the competition.Get a PDF Sample of Report at:Some of the important information that the United States Cell Culture Media Market report contains is as follows:Product overview and scopeProduct category classificationMarket size in terms of volume salesMarket size in terms of revenueSegmentation of the United States Cell Culture Media Market by various parametersRegional segmentation of the marketDetailed company profiles of the key players in the United States Cell Culture Media MarketThey report also contains statistics in a tabular and graphical format for the customers to absorb the information with increased ease. Our team of top subject level experts and research specialists ensure that the United States Cell Culture Media Market report for our customers is top notch and accurate to the T to aid in their business decisions through actionable insights about the United States Cell Culture Media Market.The United States Cell Culture Media Market is segmented on the basis of various parameters such as region, application, product type, and market share among others.The basis of region, the United States Cell Culture Media Market is segmented into the following:The WestSouthwestThe Middle AtlanticNew EnglandThe South, andThe MidwestTo Browse the Entire Report, Visit :Some of the top players in the United States Cell Culture Media Market report are:Life Technologies (USA)Corning (Cellgro) (USA)Sigma-Aldrich (USA)Thermo Fisher (USA)Merck Millipore (Germany)GE Healthcare (UK)LonzaThe detailed company profiles of the top players enables the customer to attain firm understanding of the United States Cell Culture Media Market situation and hence plan accordingly for an efficient method to garner the maximum market share within a shorter span of time.The United States Cell Culture Media Market report finishes off with a customary SWOT analysis of the market thus enabling the customer summarize the information of the United States Cell Culture Media Market in a concise manner. The wide array of information thus being made available to the customer such as the cost analysis, industrial chains, sourcing strategy, marketing strategy, distributors, and upstream and downstream trends together makes the report a source of information which is must have for the matured and new ventures in the United States Cell Culture Media Market alike.Got any Query? Feel free to ask us at :No. of Report Pages: 114List Of Tables:Figure Product Picture of Cell Culture MediaFigure United States Cell Culture Media Market Size (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure United States Cell Culture Media Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Classical Media & Salts Product PictureFigure Serum-free Media Product PictureFigure Stem Cell Media Product PictureFigure Other Product PictureFigure United States Cell Culture Media Market Size (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure United States Sales Market Share of Cell Culture Media by Application in 2016Figure Biopharmaceutical Manufacturing ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Biopharmaceutical ManufacturingFigure Tissue Culture & Engineering ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Tissue Culture & EngineeringFigure Gene Therapy ExamplesTable Key Downstream Customer in Gene TherapyFigure Cytogenetic ExamplesPlace a Purchase Order for this Report at:About Us:Orbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Contact Information:Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Global Cheese Market Share By Players, By Product Type, By Consumers 2017-2022

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"The Latest Research Report Global and United States Cheese In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Cheese MarketThe report is based on the market historical data from 2012 to 2016 and forecast the market trend from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses on the U.S. market and presents volume and value of market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also changes in prices. As an in-depth report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinions in Cheese industry.Get Sample copy of this Report @Major CompaniesLactalis Group(U.S.)Fonterra (New Zealand)Friesl and Campina (Netherlands)Dairy Farmers of America (U.S.)Arla Foods (Denmark)Bongrain SA (France)Land O'Lakes (U.S.)Hilmar Cheese Company (U.S.)Molkerei Ammerland (Germany)Cabot Creamery (U.S.)Cowgirl Creamery (U.S.)Grafton Village Cheese (U.S.)Kraft Foods (U.S.)Vermont Shepherd (U.S.)Willow Hill Farm (U.S.)Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCaliforniaTexasNew YorkOthersCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersView Sample PDF @Main types of productsCheese Market, by MoistureSoft cheeseSemi-soft cheeseMedium-hard cheeseSemi-hard or hard cheeseCheese Market, by MoldSoft-ripenedWashed-rindSmear-ripenedBlueCheese Market, by Key ConsumersCafeRestaurantRetailOthersTable of ContentsGlobal and United States Cheese In-Depth Research Report 2017-2022Chapter One Global Cheese Market Overview1.1 Global Cheese Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20171.2 Cheese, by Moisture 2012-20171.2.1 Global Cheese Sales Market Share by Moisture 2012-20171.2.2 Global Cheese Revenue Market Share by Moisture 2012-20171.2.3 Global Cheese Price by Moisture 2012-20171.2.4 Soft cheese1.2.5 Semi-soft cheese1.2.6 Medium-hard cheese1.2.7 Semi-hard or hard cheese1.3 Cheese, by Mold 2012-20171.3.1 Global Cheese Sales Market Share by Mold 2012-20171.3.2 Global Cheese Revenue Market Share by Mold 2012-20171.3.3 Global Cheese Price by Mold 2012-20171.3.4 Soft-ripened1.3.5 Washed-rind1.3.6 Smear-ripened1.3.7 BlueSend An Enquiry Request @Chapter Two United States Cheese Market Overview2.1 United States Cheese Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20172.2 Cheese, by Moisture 2012-20172.2.1 United States Cheese Sales Market Share by Moisture 2012-20172.2.2 United States Cheese Revenue Market Share by Moisture 2012-20172.2.3 United States Cheese Price by Moisture 2012-20172.2.4 Soft cheese2.2.5 Semi-soft cheese2.2.6 Medium-hard cheese2.2.7 Semi-hard or hard cheese2.3 Cheese, by Mold 2012-20172.3.1 United States Cheese Sales Market Share by Mold 2012-20172.3.2 United States Cheese Revenue Market Share by Mold 2012-20172.3.3 United States Cheese Price by Mold 2012-20172.3.4 Soft-ripened2.3.5 Washed-rind2.3.6 Smear-ripened2.3.7 BlueAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
2017 Global Aero Engineering Service Market Sabena Aerospace, Geometric, Hyde Group, Geometric

Aero Engineering

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Aero Engineering Service Market Research ReportA market study  Global Aero Engineering Service Market  examines the performance of the Aero Engineering Service market 2017. It encloses an in-depth Research of the Aero Engineering Service market state and the competitive landscape globally. This report analyzes the potential of Aero Engineering Service market in the present and the future prospects from various angles in detail.The Global Aero Engineering Service Market 2017 report includes Aero Engineering Service market Size, Revenue, market Share, Aero Engineering Service industry volume, market Trends, Aero Engineering Service Growth aspects. A wide range of applications, Utilization ratio, Supply and demand analysis are also consist in the report.It shows manufacturing capacity, Aero Engineering Service Price during the Forecast period from 2017 to 2022.Inquiry here:Firstly, the report covers the top Aero Engineering Service manufacturing industry players from regions like United States, EU, Japan, and China. It also characterizes the market based on geological regions.Top Key Playesr Of Aero Engineering Service Market 2017:1. Aero Engineering & Manufacturing Co.2. Aero Engineering Services3. Aero Engineering Support Group4. PT JAS AERO-ENGINEERING SERVICES5. Dar Corporation6. International Aero Engineering, LLC7. Affordable Engineering Services8. Sabena Aerospace9. STS Aviation Group10. Atkins11. Hyde Group12. Creative Aero Engineering Solutions13. Geometric14. Spirit Aerosystems15. Aeronautical Engineers, Inc.16. HCl Technologies17. Aleut Aerospace Engineering (AAE)18. Advatech Pacific19. Belcan Engineering Services20. Aircraft Engineering & Installation Services IncFurther, the Aero Engineering Service report gives information on the company profile, market share and contact details along with value chain analysis of Aero Engineering Service industry, Aero Engineering Service industry rules and policies, circumstances driving the growth of the market and compulsion blocking the growth. Aero Engineering Service Market development scope and various business strategies are also mentioned in this report.Table Of Content :The Aero Engineering Service research report includes the products that are currently in demand and available in the market along with their cost breakup, manufacturing volume, import/export scheme and contribution to the Aero Engineering Service market revenue worldwide.Finally, Aero Engineering Service market report gives you details about the market research findings and conclusion which helps you to develop profitable market strategies to gain competitive advantage.About UsMarketsResearch.Biz is a leading market intelligence team which making extensive reports that cover all the necessary details about the market assessments such as major technological improvement in the industry.Contact UsWeb :
2017 Global Aluminum Nitride Market analysis and Industry Forecast

Global Aluminum Nitride Market

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2017 Global Aluminum Nitride Market Report is a proficient, and rigorous research report on the world's major regional market conditions of the Aluminum Nitride industry, focusing on the key regions (USA, Europe, China, Japan, India, South East Asia) and the dominant countries (United States, Germany, Japan and China).The report primarily presents the Global Aluminum Nitride Market fundamentals: definitions, categorization, applications and industry chain overview, business policies and strategies, product specifications, manufacturing operations, cost framework.Further it scrutinizes the world's vital region market conditions, including the product price, capacity utilization,profit, capacity, industry growth rate, production, supply and demand. Lastly the report covers SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.Do Inquiry Before Buying Report at:Further the industry report enlists the prominent competitors and offers the substantial industry Analysis of the chief terms impacting the market.The report includes the prophecy, Analysis and discussion of current and forthcoming industry facts, market dimensions, market share evaluations and profiles of the key industry vendors.Prominent players in Aluminum Nitride market include:Tokuyama CorporationH.C StarckToyo Aluminium K.KAccumet MaterialsSurmet CorpTHRUTEK Applied MaterialsHeFei MoK Advanced MaterialEno High-Tech MaterialPengcheng Special CeramicsDesunmet Ceramic MaterialMaite KechuangGlobal Aluminum Nitride Market SegmentationThe Global Aluminum Nitride market is sectioned into USA, Europe, China, Japan, India, South East Asia and etc. Asia Pacific has the major market share followed by Europe. Europe will have higher market growth in Aluminum Nitride market during forecast period.Get Sample Copy Of Report at:This report analyzes the Aluminum Nitride market by the following segments:Country level analysis:1.USA2.Europe3.Japan4.China5.India6.South East AsiaGlobal Aluminum Nitride Market, by TypeDirect nitridation methodCarbothermal reduction and nitridation methodOthersGlobal Aluminum Nitride Market, by ApplicationsElectrical componentThermal conductive materialOthersOverall the report on Global Aluminum Nitride Market acts as valuable and profitable guide for industry players and other individuals who are keen in studying the Aluminum Nitride market.KEY PERKS OF THE REPORT1. Thorough understanding of the blueprints followed by the leading players in this market to stay competitive2. Extensive analysis about the growth map of the market in upcoming five years.3. Detailed analysis of the dominant market players and their market share.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4,Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns,Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041.Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Global Packaging Automation Systems Market Production & Consumption Forecast 2017 : Rockwell Automation, Systempack, Invata Intralogistics, Siemens

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Packaging Automation Systems Market Professional Survey Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.This report on the global Packaging Automation Systems market is highly useful as it covers all the aspects which are important in determining the future of this industry. The report is collated by experienced analysts who have made use of their market intelligence to cover all basic and important data about the global Packaging Automation Systems industry. The report makes use of tables, charts, graphs, maps, and statistics to present the data in the most easy to understand way. The report is a comprehensive analysis of the key factors impacting the global Packaging Automation Systems industry. This includes both the driving factors as well as the restraining factors that are influencing the market's performance positively and negatively, respectively. The current trends shaping the global Packaging Automation Systems market and how it will influence the market in the future are also studied. In addition to this, the future opportunities within the market that have the potential to help the market to expand are also given in the report.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringRockwell AutomationSystempackInvata IntralogisticsSiemensSchneider ElectricJS AutomationTekpak AutomationMitsubishiStora EnsoTaylor ProductsULMA GroupABBSample of this report is available upon request @The segments within the global Packaging Automation Systems industry and their sub-segments are also studied in detail. This ensures that the entire market is covered. The leading segment along with the declining segment and the most promising segment have been given in this report. This helps the readers, investors, new entrants, and established players to decide which segment or sub-segment to invest on so as to reap maximum profits. The report discusses the degree of competition, bargaining power of suppliers, bargaining power of buyers, and threat of substitutes, both internal and external substitute. The threat of new entrants or the barriers faced by new players in entering the global Packaging Automation Systems market have been discussed. This gives new players an idea as to whether they can survive in the competitive Packaging Automation Systems market.Table of ContentsGlobal Packaging Automation Systems Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Packaging Automation Systems1.1 Definition and Specifications of Packaging Automation Systems1.1.1 Definition of Packaging Automation Systems1.1.2 Specifications of Packaging Automation SystemsAccess the Report and full TOC @2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Packaging Automation Systems2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Packaging Automation Systems2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Packaging Automation Systems2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Packaging Automation Systems3 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Packaging Automation Systems3.1 Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.2 Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.3 R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 20163.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 20164 Global Packaging Automation Systems Overall Market Overview4.1 2012-2017E Overall Market Analysis4.2 Capacity Analysis4.2.1 2012-2017E Global Packaging Automation Systems Capacity and Growth Rate Analysis4.2.2 2016 Packaging Automation Systems Capacity Analysis (Company Segment)4.3 Sales AnalysisRequest A Discount on This report @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Packaging Automation SystemsTable Product Specifications of Packaging Automation SystemsTable Classification of Packaging Automation SystemsFigure Global Production Market Share of Packaging Automation Systems by Type in 2016Figure Liquid Packaging Automation Systems PictureTable Capacity and Commercial Production Date of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Manufacturing Plants Distribution of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 2016Table R&D Status and Technology Source of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Packaging Automation Systems Major Manufacturers in 2016Table Global Capacity, Sales , Price, Cost, Sales Revenue (M USD) and Gross Margin of Packaging Automation Systems 2012-2017About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact Us1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Global Constipation Market: Industry Analysis, Growth & Outlook 2017-2021

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"The Latest Research Report Global Constipation Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Constipation MarketConstipation is a chronic medical condition which makes a person unable to pass fecal content properly. In this condition, the stool is often dry, hard and painful to pass. Bowel movements vary person to person but, if the bowel movement is missing for more than 3 days in adults and 4 days in children, then it is considered as constipation. Constipation can be of three types; irritable bowel syndrome-constipation (IBS-C), chronic idiopathic constipation and opioid-induced-constipation (OIC).The U.S. is a major contributor to the global constipation market supported by rising opioid usage among chronic disease patients and increasing prescription drugs volumes. The U.S. is likely to experience further growth in constipation market with increasing ageing population and rapid development of new drugs in the market.There exist vast opportunities for prescription drugs in the constipation market. However, OTC drugs and laxatives are generally used for treating constipation, patients and physicians have started recognizing the importance of branded drugs. Future growth of the constipation market is based on continued growth of prescription therapies to treat constipation, increased research and development of novel drugs by biopharmaceutical companies, increasing patient and physician awareness of effective prescription alternatives to Over-the-Counter medications.Get Sample copy of this Report @The global constipation market is expected to grow in future with rising constipation prevalence, increasing ageing population, rise in health expenditure, mounting spinal cord injury patient population, growing spending on medicines and pharmaceutical R&D expenditure. Key trends of this market include progressing drugs under pipeline and adoption of unhealthy lifestyle. However, there are some factors which can hinder growth of the market including stringent regulations and low awareness of prescription drugs.The report Global Constipation Market: Industry Analysis & Outlook (2017-2021) by Koncept Analytics provides an extensive research and detailed analysis of the present market along with future outlook. The report discusses the major growth drivers and challenges of the market, covering the U.S., Japan, China and Europe. The report profiles the key players of the market including Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc., Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc., Synergy Pharmaceuticals Inc. and ARDELYX Inc.Table of Content1. Overview1.1 Constipation2. Constipation Market Analysis2.1 The U.S.2.1.1 The U.S. Constipation Market by Value2.1.2 The U.S. Constipation Market by Type2.1.3 The U.S. Constipation Market Forecast by Value2.1.4 The U.S. Constipation Market Forecast by Type2.1.5 The U.S. Constipation Market by Drug2.1.6 The U.S. Constipation Branded Drugs Prescription Volume2.1.7 The U.S. Constipation Branded Drug Prescription Volume by Type2.1.8 The U.S. Constipation Patient Population Forecast2.2 Europe2.2.1 Europe CIC Patient Population Forecast2.2.2 Europe IBS-C Patient Population Forecast2.2.3 Europe OIC Patient Population Forecast2.2.4 Europe Plecanatide Sales Forecast2.3 Japan2.3.1 Japan Constipation Patient Population Forecast2.3.2 Japan Amitiza Sales Forecast2.4 China2.4.1 China Constipation Patient Population Forecast2.4.2 China Amitiza Sales ForecastView Sample PDF @3. Market Dynamics3.1 Growth Drivers3.1.1 Rising Prevalence of Constipation3.1.2 Increasing Ageing Population3.1.3 Rising Healthcare Expenditure3.1.4 Rising Spending on Medicines Worldwide3.1.5 Rising Cases of Spinal Cord Injury3.1.6 Increasing Pharmaceutical R&D Spending3.2 Key Trends & Developments3.2.1 Progressing Drugs Under Pipeline3.2.2 Adoption of Unhealthy Lifestyle3.3 Challenges3.3.1 Stringent Regulations3.3.2 Low Awareness of Prescription Constipation Drugs4. Competitive Landscape4.1 Global Market4.1.1 Revenue Comparison of Key Players4.1.2 Market Cap of Key Players4.2 The U.S.4.2.1 The U.S. Constipation Market Share by Company4.2.2 The U.S. Constipation Market Share Forecast by CompanySend An Enquiry Request @5. Company Profiles5.1 Ironwood Pharmaceuticals Inc.5.1.1 Business Overview5.1.2 Financial Overview5.1.3 Business Strategies5.2 Sucampo Pharmaceuticals Inc.5.2.1 Business Overview5.2.2 Financial Overview5.2.3 Business Strategies5.3 ARDELYX, Inc.5.3.1 Business Overview5.3.2 Financial Overview5.3.3 Business Strategies5.4 Synergy Pharmaceuticals, Inc5.4.1 Business Overview5.4.2 Financial Overview5.4.3 Business StrategiesAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Edge Computing Market Analysis, Segments, Key Players, Drivers and Trends by Forecast to 2023

Edge Computing Market

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Market Highlights:The success of cloud services such as SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS and the proliferation of IoT have pushed the new computing paradigm towards edge computing. Edge computing refers to the computing infrastructure which exist closer to the data sources. Edge computing can address the concern of response time requirement, battery life issues, and cost saving bandwidth occurred with cloud computing. Moreover, it also reduces the energy consumption by 30-40%. Therefore, with proliferation of IoT devices, the data generation has increased which thereby need to store on public cloud making it anytime accessible. However, this huge data storage has reduced the response time of cloud which thereby requires technology like Edge computing which will take care of the local data storage and would increase the network response time.With increasing data traffic on cloud, the industrial applications are in search of an alternative to cloud data storage to increase data security, and to reduce any kind of bottleneck in any kind of transaction. Edge computing provides physical location for computing closer to the data source. Edge computing can be deployed by two methods namely on-premise and on-cloud. On-premise deployment method is dominating the market with more than 40% of market share by deployment Whereas, on-cloud deployment method is expected to grow with fastest CAGR during forecast period 2017-2023The global Edge Computing Market is expected to grow at USD 19.4 billion by the end of year 2023 with 17.9% CAGR during forecast period 2017-2023.Major Key Players: Amazon (U.S.) General Electric (U.S.) Microsoft Incorporation (U.S.) Intel Corporation (U.S.) SAP SE (Germany) Alphabet Inc. (U.S.) Aricent (U.S.) IBM Corporation (U.S.) Huawei Technologies (China) Integrated Device Technology (U.S.)Request a Sample Report @Market Research Future Analysis:Edge computing is an emerging solution for data storage and data retrieving from cloud. Its concept is designed to the address the challenge of data centric workload on cloud, faced by enterprises. Edge computing enables IT to retain sensitive data of enterprise on-premise while taking advantage of the cloud technology. Edge computing enables each device on the network to perform its operation on its own and process the information. This is achieved by connecting sensors to such as programmable automation controllers to handle processing and communication.By components, the market has been segmented as hardware and software where hardware segment has emerged as largest market accounting more than 55% of total market in the year 2016, whereas software segment is expected to grow with fastest CAGR during the forecast period.Regional Analysis:Global Edge computing market, by region is being dominated by North America which accounted for more than 45% of market share in the year 2016. Technological advancement in data center and network architecture is expected to drive the edge computing market in North America.Europe has successfully counted on second position in edge computing market globally by occupying more than 25% of market share in 2016. Asia-Pacific among all region is considered to be the fastest growing region in edge computing market due to evolution of cloud computing and big data analytics architecture which thereby fuelling the market growth of edge computing.Browse Full Report Details @Intended Audience: System Security Edge Computing devices Edge Computing certification providers Edge Computing lifecycle service providers Product manufacturers Research organizations Edge computing manufacturers Technology investors Technology standards organizations Consultancy firmsTable of Contents1 Executive Summary2 Market Dynamics2.1 Introduction2.2 Market Growth Factors2.2.1 Proliferation of IOT2.2.2 Increasing security concerns at public places2.3 Market Challenges2.3.1 Complex Infrastructure2.3.2 Privacy & Security2.4 Edge Computing Architecture2.5 Porters Five Forces AnalysisContinued..List of TablesTable 1 Global Edge Computing Market by Technology, 2017-2023 (Usd Billion)Table 2 Global Mobile Edge Computing Market, 2017-2023 (Usd Billin)Table 3 Global Fog Edge Computing Market, 2017-2023 (Usd Billion)Continued..List of FiguresFigure 1 Global Edge Computing Market: Drivers & ChallengesFigure 2 Global Edge Computing ArchitectureFigure 3 Global Edge Computing Market: Porters Five Forces AnalysisContinued..About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Japan Oil and Gas Industry Market 2017 - Identify Opportunities and Challenges 2022

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Japan Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook."Japan Midstream Oil and Gas Industry Outlook to 2022 - Market Forecasts for Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG), Oil Storage, Pipelines, Underground Gas Storage and Gas Processing", is a comprehensive report on midstream oil and gas industry in Japan. Further, the report provides details such as name, type, operational status and operator for all active and planned (new build) LNG terminals, oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, underground gas storage sites and gas processing plants in Japan till 2022. Further, the report also offers recent developments and latest contracts awarded in the countrys midstream sector.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Updated information related to all active and planned LNG terminals, oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, underground gas storage sites and gas processing plants in the country, including operator and equity details- Latest developments and awarded contracts related to midstream oil and gas industry in the countryKey points to buy- Gain a strong understanding of the countrys energy sector and midstream oil and gas industry- Facilitate decision making on the basis of strong historic and forecast of capacity data- Assess your competitors major LNG terminals, oil storage terminals, major trunk pipelines, underground gas storage sites and gas processing plants in the country- Analyze the latest developments and awarded contracts related to the countrys midstream oil and gas industryTable of Contents1 Table of Contents2. Introduction3. Japan LNG Industry4. Japan Oil Storage Industry5. Japan Oil and Gas Pipelines Industry6. Japan Underground Gas Storage Industry7. Japan Gas Processing Industry8. Recent Contracts9. Recent Developments10. Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
Automotive LED Lighting Market  Challenges, Key Vendors, Drivers and Trends by Forecast to 2022

Automotive LED Lighting Market

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Market Highlights:Along with technology development in the vehicles, automated LED lighting is one of them. Increased consumption of these can be seen from two wheelers to four wheelers. The adoption of it is growing day by day. The segmentation of it on the basis of position in the vehicle is done. It can be fixed in the front, rear, side and interior of the vehicles. LED lighting ability is to improve total plant productivity. By connecting advanced lighting controls to industrial automation systems, LED lighting can save time and costs, and also provide business intelligence data, reduce waste and redundancies, and enhance plant operations.The automotive light emitting diode lighting market is growing because of the low cost of the LED and efficient working of it. LEDs are small, solid light bulbs which are extremely energy efficient and long lasting. The long life of LED lamps was initially attractive, however, low brightness and high cost meant that they were generally restricted to use in dashboards.The Automotive LED Lighting Market is growing rapidly at approx. 9% CAGR and is expected to reach approximately USD 20 Billion by the end of forecast period.Request a Sample Report @Major Key Players: Osram Licht AG (Germany) Magneti Marelli S.P.A (Italy) Koito Manufacturing Co.Ltd (Japan) Stanley Electric Co.Ltd (Japan) Mercedes-Benz (Germany) Koninklijke Philips N.V. (Netherlands) Hyundai Group (South Korea) Toyota Motor Corporation (Japan) Tata Motors Limited (India) Zizala Lichtsysteme Gmbh (Austria)Market Segmentation:The Automotive LED Lighting Market has been segmented on the basis of type of position, vehicle type and adaptive lighting. On basis of adaptive lighting the market is segmented into of front adaptive lighting, rear adaptive lighting and ambient adaptive lighting. The front adaptive lighting technology implementation is seen first on Audi top of the line A8 model. Improving night-time visibility with adaptive front-lighting systems and improving automotive lighting.Segments: Automotive LED lighting market for segment on the basis of position, vehicle type and adaptive lighting.Automotive LED Lighting Market by Position: Front Rear Side InteriorAutomotive LED Lighting Market by Vehicle Type: Passenger Car Light Commercial Vehicle (LCV) Heavy Commercial Vehicle (HCV)Automotive LED Lighting Market by Adaptive Lighting: Front Adaptive Lighting Rear Adaptive Lighting Ambient Adaptive LightingTaste the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 100 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Automotive LED Lighting Market -Forecast to 2022.Regional Analysis:The regional analysis of automotive LED Lighting market is being studied for region such as Asia pacific, Americas, Europe and Rest of the World. Asia- Pacific region owing to the fast growing automotive industry in developing countries such as India, China and South Korea is expected to show a significant growth in the automotive LED lighting market.Europe and North America are anticipated to dominate the LED lighting market in terms of demand. Increasing automotive production paired with adoption of energy efficient lighting source such as LED is driving the growth of automotive lighting industry in the European region. Also government enforcing to lesser CO2 emission from the vehicle is driving the LED market in that region.Intended Audience: Investors and consultants System Integrators Government Organizations Research/Consultancy firms Technology solution providers Automobile ManufacturersMarket Research Analysis:Market Research Future Analysis shows that new adoptions of LED lights and technologies, revolution in automotive infrastructure is driving the automotive LED lighting market. Regional analysis for automotive LED lighting market is studied in different geographic regions as Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Rest of world.North America region followed by Asia-Pacific and Europe is estimated to be the leader in automotive LED lighting market. The Asia-Pacific region is estimated to account for largest share in the automotive LED lighting market both in total general lighting and LED lighting. Heavy demand for new construction and increasing LED affordability will strengthen the market.Browse Full Report Details @Table of Contents1 Market Introduction1.1 Introduction1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions1.2.3 Limitations1.3 Market StructureContinuedList of TablesTable 1 Automotive Led Lighting Market, By PositionTable 2 Automotive Led Lighting Market, By Vehicle TypeContinuedList of FiguresFigure 1 Research Network SolutionFigure 2 Automotive Led Lighting: By Position (%)ContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Power System Analysis Software Market Is Expected To Be Worth US$10,245.6 mn By 2024 Rising At A CAGR Of 12.6%

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Power System Analysis Software Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2017 - 2025" to its huge collection of research reports.Global System Analysis Software Market: OverviewThe power system analysis software market report provides analysis for the period 20152025, wherein the period from 2017 to 2025 is the forecast period and 2016 is the base year. The report covers all the major trends and technologies playing a key role in power system analysis software market growth over the forecast period. It also highlights the drivers, restraints, and opportunities expected to influence markets growth during the said period. The study provides a holistic perspective on the power system analysis software markets growth throughout the above mentioned forecast period in terms of revenue (in US$ Mn), across different geographies, including Asia Pacific, Latin America, North America, Europe, and Middle East & Africa (MEA).To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The market overview section of the report demonstrates the market dynamics and trends, such as the drivers, restraints, and opportunities that influence the current nature and future status of this market. An attractiveness analysis has also been provided for every geographic region in the report, in order to give a thorough analysis of the overall competitive scenario of the w power system analysis software market, globally. Moreover, the report provides an overview of the various strategies of key players present in the market. Product definition and introduction chapter helps in understanding different technologies of power system analysis software along with their applications which are included in the report.The report also highlights the competitive landscape of the power system analysis software market, thereby positioning all the major players according to their geographic presence and recent key developments. The comprehensive power system analysis software market estimates are the result of our in-depth secondary research, primary interviews, and in-house expert panel reviews. These market estimates have been analyzed by taking into account the impact of different political, social, economic, technological, and legal factors along with the current market dynamics affecting the power system analysis software markets growth.Global System Analysis Software Market: Market SegmentationThe report segments the global power system analysis software market on the basis of implementation model into on-premise and cloud -based. By application, the market has been classified into distribution and transmission. Thus, the report provides in-depth cross-segment analysis of the power system analysis software market and classifies it into various levels, thereby providing valuable insights at the macro as well as micro levels.On the basis of geography, North American market is divided into the U.S., and Rest of North America. Similarly, Europe market is divided into EU7, CIS, and Rest of Europe. Asia Pacific has been segmented into Japan, China, South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka), Australasia (Australia, NZ, and Guinea), and Rest of Asia Pacific. Middle East and Africa covers the G.C.C., South Africa and Rest of Middle East and Africa. Similarly, Latin American region includes Brazil, and Rest of Latin America. This report provides all the essential information required to understand the power system analysis software and its components. Also, the report provides insights related to the policies and regulations according to the various geographical regions mentioned above. These policies and regulations are directly or indirectly influencing the power system analysis software market.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Global System Analysis Software Market: Competitive LandscapeABB Ltd., Siemens AG, General Electric Company, Schneider Electric DMS NS, ETAP/Operation Technology, Inc., Atos SE, Artelys SA, PSI AG, Operation Simulation Associates, Inc., Unicorn Systems, Energy Exemplar, Electricity Coordinating Center Ltd., PowerWorld Corporation, Open Systems International, Inc., Nexant Inc., Electrocon International Inc., Poyry, DIgSILENT GmbH, Eaton Corporation Plc, and Neplan AG. are some of the major players operating within the global power system analysis software market profiled in this study. Details such as financials, business strategies, recent developments, and other such strategic information pertaining to these players have been duly provided as part of company profiling.The global power system analysis software market is segmented as follows.Power System Analysis Software Market, by Implementation Model- On-premise- Cloud-basedPower System Analysis Software Market, by Application- Distribution- TransmissionPower System Analysis Software Market, by Geography- North America- The U.S.- Rest of North America- Europe- EU7- CIS- Rest of Europe- Asia-Pacific- Japan- China- South Asia (India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka)- Australasia (Australia, NZ, and Guinea)- Rest of Asia Pacific- Middle East and Africa (MEA)- GCC Countries- South Africa- Rest of the Middle East & Africa- Latin America- Brazil- Rest of Latin AmericaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
MASON CITY | City Administrator Brent Trout will meet with citizens concerned about safety issues related to the closing of the Ninth Street railroad crossing.

Closing the crossing is in conjunction with the city's quiet zones project that will reduce the amount of train whistle noise throughout the city. It is part of an agreement with Union Pacific Railroad.

Mason City divided on quiet zones project MASON CITY | Last November, Mason City council members unanimously approved a contract that 

But Jim Ewalt and others worry that some citizens, including children, will not realize the crossing is closed and will cross it at their own peril.

Ewalt told the City Council Tuesday night he has voiced his concerns for years without much response.

"I am not against quiet zones," he said. "I am against the process."

Mason City Council OKs quiet zones project MASON CITY  The City Council unanimously approved awarding of a contract for a quiet zones 

He said there has not been enough discussion about public safety, particularly west of the tracks, and asked for a meeting with city officials to talk about his concerns.

One idea he suggested is constructing an overhead walkway for pedestrians.

Councilman Bill Schickel said he supported the project but understood the neighbors' concerns.

Councilman Travis Hickey said trespassing is always a problem. "Some of this is personal responsibility. You can't 'what if' everything," he said.

Trout said he was willing to meet with Ewalt and others but said safety issues have been discussed from the beginning. "We've worked a lot with engineering and talked with police and fire early on," he said.
Global SAR Sales Market 2017 key Players Analysis - Lockheed Martin, Airbus Defence and Space, Raytheon, Thales

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The report titled SAR Sales is an in-depth and a professional document that provides a comprehensive overview of the global SAR Sales market.The report provides an executive-level blueprint of the SAR Sales market beginning with the definition of the market dynamics. The analysis classifies the SAR Sales market in terms of products, application, and key geographic regions. Presenting a detailed value chain analysis, the study evaluates the set of region-specific approaches forged by the industry. To determine the market potential for SAR Sales in the international scenario, the study delves into the competitive landscape and development landscape exhibited by the key geographic regions.Download Free Sample Report @The reports analysis is based on technical data and industry figures sourced from the most reputable databases. Other aspects that will prove especially beneficial to readers of the report are: investment feasibility analysis, recommendations for growth, investment return analysis, trends analysis, opportunity analysis, and SWOT analyses of competing companies. With the help of inputs and insights from technical and marketing experts, the report presents an objective assessment of the SAR Sales market.This report also presents product specification, manufacturing process, and product cost structure etc. Production is separated by regions, technology and applications. Analysis also covers upstream raw materials, equipment, Downstream client survey, Marketing channels, Industry development trend and proposals. In the end, the report includes SAR Sales new project SWOT analysis, Investment feasibility analysis, Investment return analysis, and Development trend analysis. In conclusion, it is a deep research report on Global SAR Sales industry. Here, we express our thanks for the support and assistance from SAR Sales industry chain related technical experts and marketing engineers during Research Teams survey and interviews.Access Full Report @Other important aspects that have been meticulously studied in the SAR Sales market report are: Demand and supply dynamics, import and export scenario, industry processes and cost structures, and major R&D initiatives. The new opportunities they present to market players have been mentioned in the report.If you have any special requirements, please contact to our sales team : sales@fiormarkets.comAbout Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Antimicrobial Textiles Market Dynamics, Segments and Supply Demand 2016-2026

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Global Antimicrobial Textiles Market: OverviewThe use of antimicrobial textiles is a new practice from the traditional use of antimicrobial products predominantly in healthcare environments. The antimicrobial textiles market is propelled by the need for hygiene products to counter the increasing number of infections. Technological advances for the development of superior antimicrobial fabrics, high demand in Asia Pacific, and increasing end-use applications are leading to the high growth of the antimicrobial textiles market.The production of antimicrobial textiles involves treatment with additives during the intermediate or finishing stage of production of the fabric. The method used is dependent on a multitude of factors, which includes the final utilization of the fabric, manufacturers capability, and budget considerations.Obtain Report Details @Global Antimicrobial Textiles Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe top driver of the global antimicrobial textiles market is the increasing demand for high-performance and microbe resistant fabrics for an increasing number of application areas and technological developments for the production of such textiles. The entry of a large number of local players and persistent research and development efforts for the development of active ingredients that do not pass through the skin and are not harsh on the skin are further driving the markets growth.Medical is expected to be the fastest-growing application segment of the market due to the rapid expansion of the healthcare industry worldwide, increasing usage of antimicrobial textiles in hospital settings, and rising consumer awareness about health and hygiene. Apparel is also expected to rise at a significant rate due to the growing demand for antimicrobial textiles for sportswear and inner garments.On the flip side, the availability of chemicals such as triclosan that are commonly used in antimicrobial products for industrial operations could hamper the markets growth to some extent. Moreover, strict environmental regulations in regional markets for the use of antimicrobial products that contain harmful chemicals will present growth challenges to the antimicrobial textiles markets in these regions. Fluctuations in raw material prices will further hinder the growth of this market.Make an Enquiry @Global Antimicrobial Textiles Market: Regional OutlookAsia Pacific has emerged as one of the most promising markets for antimicrobial textiles over the past few years. The regional market of Asia Pacific has displayed the fastest growth in terms of volume as well as value and has been the focal point of technological advancements. In this region, the flourishing industrial sector, changing lifestyles, increasing demand for innovative textiles, and rise of affluent consumers are some of the major factors bolstering the demand for antimicrobial textiles. Moreover, the modernization of the healthcare industry in this region in response to the growing demand for hygienic and healthier products is further expected to boost the antimicrobial textiles market in the region.Global Antimicrobial Textiles Market: Competitive LandscapeSome of the leading companies in the antimicrobial textiles market include SANITIZED AG, Sciessent LLC, The Dow Chemical Company, Trevira GmbH, Life Threads LLC, Unitika Trading Co. Ltd., BASF SE, Microban International Ltd., Milliken Chemical, Lonza Group AG, Herculite Products Inc., PurThread Technologies Inc., BioCote Ltd., and Vestagen Protective Technologies Inc. among others.Due to the high degree of competition and rising threat from local players, established players in this market are focused on mergers and collaborations, partnerships, and strategic alliances to enhance their geographical presence and improve product offerings. In the next few years, established players are expected to enter into strategic collaborations with vendors in Asia Pacific and Latin America as companies strive to exploit growth opportunities in these high-potential regions.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact UsTransparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Military Robots Market Report by Players, Regions, Product Types & Applications 2017-2022

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"The Latest Research Report Global Military Robots Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types & Applications provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"About Military Robots MarketThe global Military Robots market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.This report offers an overview of the market trends, drivers, and barriers with respect to the Military Robots market. It also provides a detailed overview of the market of different regions across United States, Europe, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Others. The report categorizes Military Robots market by By Platform, By Mode of Operation, and application. Detailed analysis of key players, along with key growth strategies adopted by them is also covered in this report on Military Robots market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Get Sample copy of this Report @This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Key PlayersKongsberg Gruppen (Norway)Lockheed Marin Corporation (US)Saab AB (Sweden)Elbit System Ltd. (Israel)Northrup Grumman Corporation (US)Thales Group (France)Qinetiq (UK)Endeavor Robotics (US)Cobham PLC (UK)General Dynamics Corporation (US)Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. (IL)Aerovironment, Inc. (US)Bae Systems (UK)Boston Dynamics (US)Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersView Sample PDF @Main types of productsMilitary Robots Market, by PlatformLand RobotsMarine RobotsAirborne RobotsMilitary Robots Market, by Mode of OperationHuman OperatedAutonomousMilitary Robots Market, by Key ConsumerIntelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR)Search and RescueCombat SupportTransportationEODMine ClearanceFirefightingOthersTable of ContentsGlobal Military Robots Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types & ApplicationsChapter One Methodology and Data Source1.1 Methodology/Research Approach1.1.1 Research Programs/Design1.1.2 Market Size Estimation1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.2 Data Source1.2.1 Secondary Sources1.2.2 Primary Sources1.3 DisclaimerChapter Two Military Robots Market Overview2.1 Market Coverage2.2 Global Military Robots Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-2017Send An Enquiry Request @Chapter Three Military Robots by Key Players 2012-20173.1 Global Military Robots Sales Volume Market Share by Key Players 2012-20173.2 Global Military Robots Revenue Share by Key Players 2012-20173.3 Global Key Players Military Robots Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Key Players Military Robots Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.ContactMr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074USA: Canada Toll Free: 866-997-4948Website:E: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Market For Fuel Additives Is Expected To Reach US$2.64 bn By The End Of 2023 At A CAGR Of 8.3%

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Fuel Additives (Deposit Control Additives, Cetane Improvers, Antioxidants, Stability Improvers, Lubricity Improvers, Corrosion Inhibitors, Cold Flow Improvers, and Others) Market for Gasoline, Diesel, Aviation Fuels, and Other Applications - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2015 - 2023" to its huge collection of research reports.The report analyzes and forecasts the fuel additives market on the global and regional level. The study provides historical data for 2014 along with the forecast from 2015 to 2023 based on volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). The report provides a decisive view of the fuel additives market by segmenting it in terms of product, application, and region.This report provides detailed industry analysis of the fuel additives market. Industry analysis includes product information and applications that itserves along with its function. Fuel emission standards in some key regions and countries are also included to help understand the market dynamics. We have included detailed value chain analysis of the fuel additives market to provide a comprehensive view of the fuel additives market. The analysis of value chain includes information such as integration in the market, distribution channels, and end-user industries. The study also comprises drivers and restraints of the fuel additives market and their impact on demand during the forecast period. The report also analyzes the opportunities in the fuel additives market on the global and regional level. Drivers, restraints, and opportunities mentioned in the report are justified through qualitative and quantitative information. These factors have been verified through primary and secondary resources.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report includes Porters Five Forces Analysis that describes the competitiveness in the fuel additives market. The study comprises market attractiveness analysis, which has been benchmarked based on market size, compound annual growth rate (CAGR), general attractiveness, and company market share. We have also incorporated company market share analysis to provide detailed analysis of the market.The study provides a decisive view of the fuel additives market by segmenting it on the basis of product and application. Product and application segments have been analyzed based on current and future trends, and the market has been estimated from 2015 to 2023 in terms of volume (kilo tons) and revenue (US$ Mn). Regional segmentation includes current and forecast demand for fuel additives in North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. It also includes demand for individual products and applications in major countries in the respective regions.The report provides detailed competitive outlook that includes profiles of Afton Chemical Corporation, Akzo Nobel N.V., Baker Hughes Incorporated, BASF SE, Chemtura Corporation, Evonik Industries AG, Huntsman Corporation LLC, Innospec, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (PETRONAS), The Dow Chemical Company, The Lubrizol Corporation, and Total S.A. Company profiles include attributes such as company overview, brand/product portfolio, financial overview, business strategy, and key/recent developments related to the market.Constant currency rates have been considered while forecasting the market. Prices of fuel additives by product vary in each region. Hence, a similar volume-to-revenue ratio does not follow for each individual region. Regional average price has been considered while breaking down the market by product segment and application in each region. Models and estimates have been used to produce comprehensive datasets where hard data was not available. We have used the bottom-up approach by considering product and application segments, and integrating them to arrive at the global market. Products and applications have been further divided using the top-down approach to derive the consumption of fuel additives in the regional market.We conducted in-depth interviews and discussions with a wide range of key industry participants and opinion leaders to compile this research report. Primary research represented the bulk of research efforts, supplemented by an extensive secondary research. We reviewed key players product literature, annual reports, press releases, and relevant documents for competitive analysis and market understanding. Secondary research includes a search of recent trade, technical writing, internet sources, and statistical data from government websites, trade associations, and agencies. This has proven to be the most reliable, effective, and successful approach for obtaining precise market data, capturing industry participants insights, and recognizing business opportunities.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @The global fuel additives market has been segmented into:Fuel Additives Market  Product Analysis- Deposit control additives- Cetane improvers- Antioxidants- Amines- Hindered phenols- Others (mixture of alkyl phenols and aromatic diamines)- Stability improvers- Lubricity improvers- Corrosion inhibitors- Cold flow improvers- Others (Including dyes and markers, metal deactivators, fuel dehazers, etc.)Fuel Additives Market  Application Analysis- Gasoline- Diesel- Aviation fuel- Others (Including heating oils, etc.)Fuel Additives Market  Regional Analysis- North America- U.S.- Rest of North America- Europe- U.K.- Germany- France- Spain- Italy- Rest of Europe- Asia Pacific- China- Japan- ASEAN- Rest of Asia Pacific- Latin America- Brazil- Rest of Latin America- Middle East & Africa (MEA)- GCC- South Africa- Rest of Middle East & AfricaMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Market: Trends and Opportunities for the Industry by 2023

Active Pharmaceutical Ingredient Market

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The opportunity in the global active pharmaceutical market was pegged at US$134.7 bn in 2015 and is poised to rise to US$219.60 bn by 2023, progressing at a CAGR of 6.3% between 2015 and 2023.On the basis of therapeutic area, the global API market will be dominated by cardiovascular disorders throughout the forecast period. The segment is also expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 6.63% during the same period. Geographically, North America will be at the forefront of growth in terms of revenue until 2023. The domicile of some pharmaceutical giants and the advent of biosimilars is providing a competitive edge to North America over other regions. Emerging countries such as China, India, and South Korea will offer ample of lucrative growth opportunities to market players.View Full Report:With exponentially rising demand for drugs, the global API market is expected to follow a notable growth trajectory during the forecast period. Considering the rapidly growing global population, technological advancements, and widening pool of patients suffering from chronic diseases, the pace of development of drugs is likely to increase by leaps and bounds, says a TMR analyst. The rising geriatric population worldwide is also escalating the demand for various types of drugs, which in turn working in favor of the global market.Moreover, the improving access to healthcare in emerging countries coupled with the increasing penetration of information and communication technology in the healthcare sector is positively impacting the growth of the market. In addition, the increasing healthcare budgets in both developed and developing countries are also triggering the sales of API. Besides this, the increasing efforts by Indian API manufacturers to comply with the U.S. FDA norms are also stoking the growth of the overall market.Request to view Sample Report:The burgeoning sales of generic drugs are acting as a major bottleneck in the development of the global API market. The patent expiry along with the shortage of blockbuster drugs, poor accessibility in remote areas of several emerging countries, and unaffordability are fuelling the consumption of generic drugs. However, several government organizations are taking measures to mitigate this issue. The European Union (EU) are setting up manufacturing facilities that not only help in improving the quality of the drugs sold in the market, but also in ensuring the sales of government-approved and quality-checked scientifically-developed drugs.Request to Download Brochure link:The frontrunners in the global active pharmaceutical ingredients (API) market in 2015, according to a study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), were North China Pharmaceutical Group Corp. (NCPC), Zhejiang Medicine Co. Ltd and Zhejiang NHU Co. Ltd., Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., and Northeast Pharmaceutical Group Co. Ltd. Key players are banking on strategic mergers and acquisitions to expand their presence across different geographies. Besides this, players are also focusing towards research and development activities to deliver result-oriented drugs.Global Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (API) Market Report is available @ US$ 5795 :About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Primary Care Doctor Market Regulations and Competitive Landscape Outlook to 2023

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Primary care doctors are the licensed healthcare professionals who diagnose and treat individuals, and help them in restoring their health condition, and thus bring them back to the active life through reducing the physiological complications and restoring the body functions. They are the primary point of advice for the patients due to a number of factors like easy communication, familiarity and the need of cost management. They may refer the patients to a specialized care for the further treatment process. They prescribe a particular diagnosis for the patient and interpret results from it, and thus they formulate a plan, a medication, therapy, referral to specialist and follow-up the results of treatment. Primary care doctors are present in hospitals, private practices, outpatient clinics, home health agencies, and nursing homes. The activities by the doctors in the industry includes examining the patients history, designing the technique or management plan, incorporating the results and providing therapy and education.Obtain Report Details @Based on various types of treatment, the Primary care market can be segmented as follows:Family Medicine Doctors: They are board certified to check-up people of all ages.Internal Medicine Doctors: They check-up people above 14 years of age. They check internal organs of the body and prescribes medicine for it. Some of them can also provide care for gynecology and dermatology.Gynecologist or Obstetrician: These physicians provide special care to the women during and after the reproductive phase. Almost all Gynecologists have specialty in Obstetrics.Geriatricians: These physicians have special education to treat adults over 60. They provide medication management and mental assessment related falls and other aging issues.Pediatricians: There are certified to diagnose and treat children from newborn through age 21, through a wide range of diseases.Some of the major driving factors for the market growth include rising aging population and increasing prevalence of chronic health conditions. Due to the federal healthcare reform, there is high rate of private insurance which made the private healthcare services much affordable for the U.S. population.Fill the Form to Gain Deeper Insights on this Market @Geographically, the Primary care doctors market can be segmented into six major regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Rest of the World (RoW). North America holds the leading position in the Primary care doctors market followed by Europe. Stronger primary care would be an important policy goal by the Senate Finance Committee and House Ways and Means Committee in U.S. because primary care practices that have been redesigned to ensure the provision of patient-centered, coordinated care is a key of high-performance health system. Key factors responsible for their dominance in this market are high aging population, increasing active lifestyle of people, high healthcare expenditure by the government, reimbursement policy and the presence of huge number of physicians. In 2015, there are around 176,893 primary care doctors in Internal Medicine licensed in the U.S. Asia Pacific is the most promising market for the growth of Primary care doctors market due to various emerging economies. Although there are many challenges for primary care physicians like misdistribution and decreasing quality of care measures, key factors contributing towards the growth of the market in these regions include easy market penetration, favorable reimbursement scenario, cheap medication and development of various healthcare infrastructures such as hospitals, clinics, etc.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Global Paints and Coatings Market: Industry Size, Share, Growth, Forecasts

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Latest industry research report on: Global Paints and Coatings Market | Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsPaint is any liquid, liquefiable, or mastic composition which when applied to any object in a thin layer, turns or convert to solid film. Paints are commonly used to protect, color and to provide texture to the objects. Paints are available in many colors and types such as watercolor or artificial. Coating is referred to a covering which is applied to the objects with the purpose of decorating or protecting the objects. Coating can be applied to cover the objects partially or completely. Product label on drinks bottles where one side depicts the function of the product and other side has decorative coating in the form of word or images to make the bottles attractive is the best example in current era. Major Industries use thin film coating such as paper, fabric, film, foil or sheet stock to the objects to make it attractive.Complete Report Details @Based on end-use, the paints and coatings market is segmented into three categories: architectural and decorative; industrial; and marine. Architectural and decorative paints and coatings can be further segmented into water-based and solvent-based. Similarly, industrial paints and coatings can be further classified into water-based, solvent-based, powder, and UV-based.Request For Sample Report @Asia-Pacific leads the global paints and coatings market followed by Europe and North America. In developing countries of Asia-Pacific, Latin America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, construction of new residential and commercial buildings is at boom and is expected to increase in coming future. Increasing population, growing urbanization and increase in average disposable income are some of the major drivers for the paints and coatings market.According to Housing Active, a U.K.-based magazine, publishing in construction and housing domains, the European Union construction market grew a mere 1.4% in 2011 compared to that in 2010 when the economic crisis in the region was at its peak. For the same year, the public component of non-residential construction declined by 2.5%, while civil engineering and rehabilitation and maintenance activities grew by 0.7% and 1.5% respectively. The private component of the non-residential construction segment increased by 1.5% in 2011 compared to 2010. This decline in the construction industry was one of the key reasons for the declined growth rate of the paints and coatings industry in the regionView Sample PDF @Asia Pacific was the largest market for paints and coatings in 2013. The increasing population, growing need for houses, and consumer goods and automotives are driving the paints and coatings market in the region. In 2010, China surpassed the U.S. to become the largest passenger car market globally. China has also been focusing on its housing and construction sector due its increasing population. The Chinese government has been inviting public-private partnerships in the recent years for several commercial construction projects in the country.The real estate sector has taken a huge leap forward in India in the last decade on account of increasing per capita income in the country. The increasing urbanization and entry of multinational companies in the region has increased corporate construction activities. However, there remains a large untapped market for all these consumer needs which is expected to grow by 2020 and boost the paints and coatings industry in the region. The change of government in India in 2014 has attracted many neighboring countries to develop trade relations with the country, which is expected to positively boost the commerce in the sub-continent. This is expected to propel the growth rate of paints and coatings industry in India between 2014 and 2020.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @Apart from the large Asian economies, the smaller ones are also witnessing a spurt in construction activities. According to the Australia and New Zealand Banking Group Limited (ANZ), the implementation of a 10-year economic plan (2011  20) in Malaysia known as Economic Transformation Program (ETP) has increased construction activities wherein the private sectors and foreign investors are backed by the government. Similarly, in Philippines, the government announced its public-private partnership strategy in 2010 to facilitate development projects both at local and national levels. In Thailand, after becoming the prime minister, Yingluck Shinawatra announced plans to develop infrastructure in seven years time with an investment of USD 67 billion in 2011.The global paints and coatings industry has moderate degree of competition; however, the industry is moving towards consolidation through large number of mergers and acquisitions taking place in the recent years. Some of the major paints and coatings companies include AkzoNobel N.V., PPG Industries, The Sherwin-Williams Company, RPM International, Valspar Corporation, and Kansai Paint Company.Company Profiles:AkzoNobel N.V.PPG Industries, Inc.The Sherwin-Williams CompanyRPM International, Inc.Valspar CorporationKansai Paint Company LimitedAxalta Coating SystemsHenkel AG & Co., KGaABASF SE (Badische Anilin- und Soda-Fabrik)Asian Paints LimitedOtherAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Farm Tractors Market Research Report 2017 To Continue Exhibiting Strong Growth

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Farm Tractors Market research report helps to get access to industry data and upcoming trends which will give you avenues to know about the market. This report gives opportunities to go through with industry analysis, share and forecast, Providing brief description about the market size its competitors and product identification.In this report, the global Farm Tractors market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Farm Tractors in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaRequest For Free Sample Of The Report @Global Farm Tractors market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingDeere & CompanyAGCO CorporationCNH Industrial N.V.Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd.Claas KGaA mbHIseki & Co., Ltd.J C Bamford Excavators Ltd.Kubota CorporationSame Deutz-Fahr Italia S.P.A.Yanmar Co., Ltd.Bucher IndustriesEscorts Ltd.Zetor Tractors A.S.Alamo Group, Inc.Tractors and Farm Equipment LimitedNew HollandOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoWheel TractorCrawler TractorOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Farm Tractors for each application, includingHarvestingHayingPlanting & FertilizingPlowing & CultivatingSprayingOthersObtain Report Details @If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.About UsAlltake Market Research is division of the Alltake LLC. that offers premium quality market intelligence, market research, industry analysis reports & forecast data for different domains across the business industry.Alltake Market Research understands the importance of market analysis for any strategy that is implemented in any organization or association. In order to provide the best solution, Alltake Market Research have associated with major organizations within market research and consultancy firm. This portfolio offers market analysis report at one place for different business verticals. Alltake Market Research ensures to offer you with the most reliable and quality market research available.Contact UsAlltake Market Research16192, Coastal Highway Lewes,DE 19958, United StatesUS - 188 8587 9717UK - 4480 0680 0195Email sales@alltakemarketresearch.com
Power Distribution Unit (PDU) Market - Installation to Surge As Organizations Seek Cloud-computing

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Global Power Distribution Unit Market: OverviewThis report provides strategic analysis of the global Power Distribution Unit (PDU) market. The scope of the report includes competitive analysis of various market segments based on the types of PDU, power phases, applications of PDUs in various industry verticals and in-depth scrutiny of the PDU market across different geographic segments. The major objective of a PDU is to provide power to various network components of a server rack present in a data center. Modern PDUs has functionalities such as a display of power input and output, controlling of power usage through remote monitoring, alarm sensors for alerting any deviation from standard power consumption. PDU models having high amperage plugs can provide multiple low amperage outlets from high amperage outlets. Certain new PDUs such as standalone PDUs are being deployed by military forces, which account for a very niche market. Growing need of data centers to optimize power consumption and the increasing cost of power have led to the need for effective and monitored power distribution. This has led to the increase in the demand for PDUs.Browse The Report:The report also breaks down and reviews the various factors impacting the market growth, which can be appropriately described as market drivers, restraints, and opportunities. The market drivers are further segmented into supply side drivers, demand side drivers and economic drivers. These factors help to determine the various existing trends and their impact on the market growth. Overall, taking into consideration the various factors affecting the PDU market, the report includes a holistic analysis of the global PDU market, and provides an estimate of growth for the period 2016 to 2024.Global Power Distribution Unit Market: Trends and OpportunitiesThe global PDU market is primarily driven by an increase in the amount of data generated globally. Growing population across the globe, in turn, is increasing the amount of data being generated across various sectors such as Telecom & IT and banking, financial services and insurance (BFSI), healthcare, government, among others. Generation of data is triggered by multiple factors such as an increase in penetration of process automation in the power industry, rising volume of unstructured data from operations and increase in volume of machine sensor data among others. Increasing volume of data has automatically increased the demand for data centers across the globe. Furthermore, the overall economic growth, increase in the number of internet users and increasing preference for online shopping globally has increased the demand for data centers. Additionally, increased acceptance of cloud computing and virtualization across all industry verticals globally has also increased the demand for data centers. The increase in demand for data centers has positively impacted the PDU market.Global Power Distribution Unit Market: Key SegmentsThe global power distribution unit (PDU) market, by power phase, has been divided into two types: single phase and three phase. The global power distribution unit (PDU) market, by types, has been divided into basic, metered, monitored, switched and others. The global Power Distribution Unit (PDU) market, by applications has been divided into telecommunication & information technology (Telecom & IT), banking, financial services & insurance (BFSI), healthcare, government, energy, and others. The global market has been segmented into five regions: North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America. The market revenue for PDU has been provided in terms of (USD Million), along with the CAGR for the forecast period from 2016 to 2024.Companies Mentioned in the ReportThe report also includes competitive profiling of leading players in the industry and their market share to aid in strategic decision making. The market attractiveness analysis and company market share analysis included in the report provide insight into market dynamics, industry competition and strategies adopted by market leaders.Make an Enquiry @Some of the leading players in the market are Cyber Power Systems (Taiwan), Eaton Corporation (Ireland), Emerson Electric Co. (US), Raritan Inc. (U.S.), Tripp Lite (US), Leviton Manufacturing Company, Inc. (U.S.), Server Technology, Inc. (U.S.), Enlogic Systems LLC. (UK), Cisco Systems, Inc. (US), and Schneider Electric (France) among others.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Email Encryption Market- Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2014-2025

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Email Encryption Market- Size, Trend, Share, Opportunity Analysis & Forecast, 2014-2025, the industry is expected to increase at a CAGR of 22% during the period, 20172025. The research offers comprehensive analysis of factors that fuel or impede growth of the market.Request Sample At:The study offers introduction of the global email encryption market in respect to scope. It includes executive summary of the industry, such as recent developments, trend analysis, competitive landscape, and market attractiveness. It incorporates Porters Five Forces Analysis (PFFA) to assess rivalry among manufacturers. The report evaluates bargaining power of buyers & suppliers, threat from substitutes & new entrants, and competition in the industry. It segments the market into deployment, end-user, and geography.The research bifurcates the global email encryption market on the basis of deployment into on premises and cloud. As per it, the industry finds its application in BFSI, government, healthcare, retail, education, IT & telecom, and manufacturing. Regionally, it classifies the market into North America, Asia-Pacific, Europe, and Latin America Middle East & Africa (LAMEA). It assesses industry share of type, application, and geography for the period, 20142025.Enquire About Report At:The study analyzes size of the global email encryption market of each type and application by regions for the historic period as well as forecast period, 20142016 and 20172025, respectively. It discusses leading manufacturers of the industry, such as HP, McAfee, Symantec, Sophos, Cisco, TrendMicro, Proofpoint, Zix Corporation, Microsoft Corporation, and Entrust. It explores these firms based on criterions set which include finance & business segment and recent advancements of every company. Further, the report offers description of factors that accelerate progress of the market which include increase in demand of encryption software. It also explores alternative aspect that propel growth of the industry, such as rise in mobility and data breach.Request Customization At:The study discusses features that slow down prosperity of the global email encryption market, such as high price of encryption solution. It depicts abovementioned parameters of the industry through tables and figures. For instance, there are tables that show revenue generated by all segments of the market. The experts maintain that strict norms by government related to data privacy would increase demand of the industry. The report also offers various key takeaways of the market, such as anticipation of present market trends. It also provides insightful information of the future market potential.Progressive Markets is the answer to every possible business query. It is a market research and business consulting firm, headquartered in India with an aim to deliver up-to-date executive support to foster overall growth of an organization in its domain. Progressive Markets was found with an initiative to bridge the gap between enterprises and global opportunities.Contact Us:Asia Pacific Intelligence CentreUnited StatesEAST COAST U.S.Direct: +1-646-564-2246Toll Free + 1-888-906-9222Email: help@progressivemarkets.comWeb:
Global Identity And Access Management-As-A-Service (IDaaS) Market To Grow At A CAGR Of 36.50% During The Period 2017-2021 Key Vendors - CA Technologies, IBM, Microsoft, Ping Identity, Salesforce

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Identity and Access Management-as-a-service (IDaaS) Market 2017-2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Identity and access management-as-a-service (IDaaS) is a cloud-based identity and access management (IAM) solution and service, which is deployed in enterprises for security systems. IDaaS solutions are usually deployed through security-as-a-service (SaaS)-based IT deployment models in cloud computing services. Recent advances in technology have led to frequent changes and challenges for the IT infrastructure of organizations. However, it is necessary for enterprises to upgrade their IT infrastructure to stay ahead of the competition.Technavios analysts forecast the global identity and access management-as-a-service (IDaaS) market to grow at a CAGR of 36.50% during the period 2017-2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Covered in this reportThe report covers the present scenario and the growth prospects of the global identity and access management-as-a-service (IDaaS) market for 2017-2021. To calculate the market size, the report considers IT support services to implement IDaaS.The market is divided into the following segments based on geography:AmericasAPACEMEAGlobal Identity and Access Management-as-a-service (IDaaS) Market 2017-2021, has been prepared based on an in-depth market analysis with inputs from industry experts. The report covers the market landscape and its growth prospects over the coming years. The report also includes a discussion of the key vendors operating in this market.Key vendorsCA TechnologiesIBMMicrosoftPing IdentitySalesforce.comBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Other prominent vendorsBitiumCentrifyExostarGoogleFischer International IdentityForgeRockILANTUS TechnologiesiWelcomeOktaOneLoginOracleSAPSimeio SolutionsMarket driverShift to OPEX business modelFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket challengeTechnical implementation concernsFor a full, detailed list, view our reportMarket trendEvolution of SaaS-based IAM deploymentFor a full, detailed list, view our reportKey questions answered in this reportWhat will the market size be in 2021 and what will the growth rate be?What are the key market trends?What is driving this market?What are the challenges to market growth?Who are the key vendors in this market space?Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles Market 2017 : Texas Instruments, Toshiba, Stmicroelectronics, NXP Semiconductors

Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles

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Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles Market 2017A market study based on the " Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles Market " across the globe, recently added to the repository of Market Research, is titled Global Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles Market 2017. The research report analyses the historical as well as present performance of the worldwide Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles industry, and makes predictions on the future status of Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Top Manufacturers Analysis Of This Research Report1. Infineon Technologies2. Mitsubishi Electric3. Fuji Electric4. SEMIKRON5. ON Semiconductor6. Renesas Electronics7. Vishay Intertechnology8. Texas Instruments9. Toshiba10. Stmicroelectronics11. NXP Semiconductors12. Microsemi CorporationThe report studies the industry for Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market & dynamics of demand and supply of Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles into consideration. The ' Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles ' research study covers each and every aspect of the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market globally, which starts from the definition of the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles industry and develops towards Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market is classified and analysed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market. The geographical segmentation of the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles industry has also been covered at length in this report.The competitive landscape of the worldwide market for Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles is determined by evaluating the various industry participants, production capacity, Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market worldwide.Enquire Here :The global Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles market 2017 is also analysed on the basis of product pricing, Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles production volume, data regarding demand and Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the industry for Power Electronics for Electric Vehicles across the globe.About Us :Market and Research are a trusted brand in the research industry with capability of commissioning complex projects within a short span of time with high level of accuracy. At Market and Research, we believe in building long term relations with our clients. Our services cover a broad spectrum of industries including Energy, Chemicals and Materials, Automotive and Aerospace.Contact Us :Market and ResearchUnited States
Medical Education Market: Future market projections for forthcoming years

Medical Education Market

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Expanding at a 4.3% CAGR over the course of the forecast period, the global medical education market is poised to rise from a value of US$25.9 bn in 2015 to US$38.4 bn by 2024. By mode of education, the medical education market is led by on-campus training. Changing student preferences will restrict the demand for distance training by 2024, TMR predicts. However, online training is fast emerging as a lucrative mode of medical education and this segment is likely to register the highest CAGR of 7.29% from 2016 to 2024.By type of training, the demand for cardiothoracic training has surpassed the rest, while training in radiology presents the highest scope for growth. By geography, North America led the overall medical education market with Asia Pacific as the most rapidly expanding regional segment through the forecast period.View Full Report:The demand for medical education is primarily driven by the growing preference for online education. Online education is a highly lucrative investment avenue, a TMR analyst observes. The exposure to modern technologies around the world and the increasing penetration of the internet has greatly fueled the preference of students for online education. Moreover, online training presents several advantages over traditional modes of education, including variation in training and educational programs, lower cost, comfortable and flexible learning programs, and opportunities for improved technical skills.In line with this growing trend, TMR predicts that the emergence of e-learning markets in several developing countries will be a major opportunity for players in the medical education market.Request to view Sample Report:The cost of higher education, especially in developed countries, continues to pose a key challenge for low-income students. Medical education is one of the most expensive fields and the tuition fee for classroom courses as well as on-campus training is extremely high. This acts as a major barrier for the medical education market, the author of the study says.In addition to this, the declining preference for distance education in medicine and paramedical training is likely to restrict the growth of the medical education market to an extent.Request to Download Brochure link:The global medical education market has a handful of players such as Apollo Hospitals, TACT Academy for Clinical Training, Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. (Zimmer Institute), Olympus Corporation, Gundersen Health System, GE Healthcare, and Medical Training College. Transparency Market Research identifies Apollo Hospitals as the leading contributor to the growth of the overall market owing to its extensive course portfolio, strong market penetration in countries in Asia Pacific, and vast scope for practical hospital experience.Global Medical Education Market Report is available @ US$ 5795 :About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Load Cell Market - Europe to Register Lead with 2.9% CAGR between 2016 and 2024

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According to a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global load cell market demonstrates a highly competitive and a fragmented structure due to the presence of a large number of players. The top three players, namely, Mettler-Toledo International Inc., Precia Molen, and Vishay Precision Group Inc., could hold only 20% of the overall market in 2015.Hitherto, product innovations, strategic acquisitions and diversifying production operations have been the key strategies adopted by the leading players in this market to remain competitive. They are also expected to focus aggressively on OEM customers and the decreasing of manufacturing cost through relocation of production plants in emerging economies, notes the research study.Browse The Report:Analysts at TMR estimated the global market for load cells to rise at a CAGR of 3.50% during the period from 2016 to 2024, increasing the markets opportunity from US$1.87 bn in 2015 to US$2.55 bn by the end of the forecast period. Currently, analog load cells have been registering a higher demand than digital load cells and the scenario is projected to remain so throughout the period of the forecast.Europe to Register Lead with 2.9% CAGR between 2016 and 2024Geographically, the global market for load cells has been classified into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America in this research report. Among these, Europe has acquired the leading position, thanks to the increased application of these cells in the oil and gas, automotive, aerospace and defense, and the bulk material handling industries. Analysts project this regional market to remain leading throughout the forecast period, rising at a CAGR of 2.90%.The presence of a large pool of companies, catering to bulk material handling industries, such as the cement, coal and iron ore mining, and railway sectors, is also expected to support the Europe market for load cells in the years to come. Germany and the U.K. are anticipated to surface as the prime domestic players in this regional market over the next few years.The report considers the bulk material handling, retail, healthcare, agriculture equipment, oil and gas, aerospace and defense, and the automotive industries as the key end users of load cells. The oil and gas industry has been recording a greater demand for load cells than other end user and is expected to continue doing so over the forecast period, states the research report.Increasing Usage of Digital Load Cells in Heavy Lifting Industry to Boost Markets GrowthWith the growing demand for home hemodialysis (HHD) machines, the usage of load cells has increased phenomenally in the medical and healthcare sector, impacting the global load cell market greatly, says a TMR analyst. The rising need for infusion pumps, on account of the increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, surging geriatric population, and the upswing in the number of surgical procedures, is likely to drive this market further in the near future.Although the future of this market looks thriving, it may face obstacles, such as the declining demand for analog load cells across various industries over the forecast period. However, the augmenting demand for digital load cells in the heavy lifting industry will create new growth opportunities for market players in the years to come, report the market study.Make an Enquiry @The study presented here is based on a report by Transparency Market Research (TMR), titled Load Cell Market (Technology - Analog Load Cells and Digital Load Cells; Type - Single-point, S-type, and Shear Beam; End-use Industry - Healthcare, Agriculture Equipment, Oil & Gas, Aerospace & Defense, Automotive, Bulk Material Handling, and Retail) - Global Industry Analysis Size Share Growth Trends and Forecast 2016 - 2024Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendationsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nuclear New Build Summit Egypt 2018

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The annual Nuclear New Build Summit Egypt 2018 (NNBS Egypt 2018) will be held from January 30 to 31 of 2018 in Cairo, Egypt. It is the largest commercial NPP new build event which is focusing on Egypt, Jordan and Turkey. With our strong experiences of organizing nuclear events all over the world, we estimate that there would be more than 250 c-level attendees to participate this event.Event Background:On August 7, 2018, Egypt and Russia have completed their talks on contracts to build a nuclear power plant at Daba'a. On August 7, 2018, Jordan said talks were still ongoing with Russia to secure the best financing solutions to build the country's first nuclear power plant. Turkey will put three nuclear power plants  the Akkuyu, Sinop and one other between 2023 and 2030.Thus, InforValue Consulting who has been rooting in organizing nuclear events all over the world is dedicating to organize this event to help regional promotion of NPP new build activities.Event Objectives:Considering the link between NPP new build country and vendor companies as a very important pillar in ensuring the competence in the nuclear field, the Conference has contributed to stimulating the interest of vendors in nuclear area and the initiation of new collaborative projects.NNBS Egypt 2018 invites the policy makers, international reactor vendors, engineering companies, law firms, insurance and banking companies, inspection firms, simulation solution vendors, NSSS suppliers, nuclear fuel cycle companies and all relevant vendors to share the most recent and original results on the key topics of the NPP new build progress.Event Agenda Highlights:El-Dabaa Nuclear Power Plant (Egypt)Qasr Amra Nuclear Power Plant (Jordan)Akkuyu Nuclear Power Plant (Turkey)Nuclear & Radiation Regulatory SectorTurnkey EPC ContractNuclear Fuel Supply & Spent Fuel Storage FacilityNPP Operation & MaintainsEconomics and Financing Strategies of Nuclear ProjectsEducation and Man Power TrainingVendor Selection (Engineering Consulting, Radiations, Testing, Equipment, Professional Service, Law firm etc.) for ConstructionPart of Inviting Speakers:Mohamed Shaker, Minister, Ministry of Electricity and Energy (MOEE), EgyptSamy Shaaban, Chairman, Egyptian Nuclear and Radiological Regulatory Authority (ENRRA), EgyptKhalil Yasso, CEO, Nuclear Power Plants Authority (NPPA), EgyptAtef A. Abdel-Fattah, Chairman, Egyptian Atomic Energy Authority (EAEA), EgyptIlker Sert, Deputy Undersecretary, Turkish Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (ETKB), TurkeyZafer Alper, President, Turkish Atomic Energy Authority (TAEC), TurkeyYuriy Fedorovich Galanchuk, CEO, Akkuyu Nuclear JSC, TurkeyKhaled Toukan, Chairman, Jordan Atomic Energy Commission (JAEC), JordanNansi Karashai, Head of International Cooperation, Energy and Minerals Regulatory Commission (EMRC), JordanName TBA, Rosatom OverseasName TBA, CNNCEvent Registration and Exhibition:NNBS Egypt 2018 will allocate 20 keynote presentations in which 15 speakers are invited and 5 sponsoring speaking slots are left for Reactor Vendor, Engineering Company, Law Firm, Simulations Vendor, Geography Vendor or who is interested in presenting industry latest technical developments.NNBS Egypt 2018 will set up 10 booths for exhibitors to showcase your products, educating your targets onsite or organize small meeting in your area.NNBS Egypt 2018 is accepting registration now and first round of early bird discount will end by September 15th.Event Contact:Jay Teo - Conference ManagerOffice: + 86 21 54851027Mobile: +86 136 7153 2083Email: jay.teo@inforvalue.comWeb:InforValue Consulting Company (InforValue) is a professional event organizer in Asia, producing and delivering innovative and market-leading events around the globe.Room 1409, Building 1, No.1505, Lianhang Road, Minhang District, Shanghai, China+86 21 54851027info@inforvalue.comEveryday 09:00-18:00
GOTS-certified organic cotton contains gene-manipulated organisms (GMO)

Genuine organic cotton GMO-free from Cotonea

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GOTS-certified organic cotton contains gene-manipulated organisms (GMO). The guidelines prohibit this. However, GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard) does not pursue these accusations, but rather contests the testing process.Not only we have been warning for a long time: at some point, there will be neither GMO-free cotton, nor clean seed in India, as manipulated genes reach non-manipulated plants of the same species through pollination and thus become part of the seed. Especially India, where GMO cotton was first cultivated in 2002 and where the percentage has in the meantime reached more than 90%, now has a greater problem. GMO contamination has now been found in GOTS-certified cotton thread from India.The suspicion that certified organic cotton contains GMO was voiced by the state-run Indian export organisation Apeda in April 2009. During his time with the organisation, director Sanjay Dave spoke about a case of fraud of gigantic proportions. It was written in an article of the Financial Times Germany, that dozens of villages had introduced large amounts of genetically-manipulated cotton to the market together with Western certification companies. Back then it was assumed that the organic textile industry would not bite the hand that feeds it, and that the industry would start to monitor the production process more closely. However, this sadly did not happen.Now, the Swiss magazine Saldo (similar to the German Okotest-Magazin) has conducted research in India and has had GOTS-certified organic cotton thread tested. The result: the German laboratory has detected high amounts of GMO contamination. When confronted with the results, a GOTS spokeswoman opposed the results, saying GMO can only be detected in the raw cotton, not in cotton thread. This statement is true as long as only cheap, fast tests are conducted. If one really wants to get to the bottom of the matter and if more money is spent on reliable tests, this statement is false.read more:Since the cotton weaving mill Elmer & Zweifel was founded in 1855, the natural fibre cotton accompanies the enterprise. Until 2003 they produced almost excluding cotton articles for medical purposes as well as technical fabrics for the automobile industry.In addition to technical textiles, the enterprise today concentrates on biologically cultivated cotton and the production of home and house textiles as well as clothing. Since 2006 organic cotton bedclothes and bath laundry, bed goods and baby clothes as well as clothing for adults are produced and distributed under the brand Cotonea. The organic cotton comes from own orcanic cotton projects in Uganda and Kyrgyzstan.Cotonea - Gebr. Elmer & Zweifel GmbH & Co KGRoland StelzerAuf dem Bruhl 1-9D-72658 Bempflingenroland.stelzer@elmertex.depress contact:indivisioHannelore OhleHohnerstr. 25D-70460 Stuttgart++49 711 75881374hannelore.ohle@indivisio-pr.de
Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market Key Players - Cardinal Health, Al-Salehiya Medical Estableshment, Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corporation, Forecast to 2023

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Market Research Future Publish a New Report on - Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023Exclusive Summery About Report:A medical device is any instrument, appliance including any software, biologic or non-biologic compatible material, to be used for the diagnostic or therapeutic use for management of diseases and disorders. The medical device industry is one of the fastest growing segment of healthcare industry chiefly driven by innovation and new technologies. The sector had witnessed an unprecedented growth and has revolutionized healthcare by the development of state-of-the-art medical devices. The medical devices industry has also resulted in the successful combination of information technology and healthcare and has catalyzed growth in both sectors.Technology and product development remain the main pillars for the growing market for medical devices. Although there has been application of new knowledge to medical devices but most innovations in medical devices are based on solving engineering problem. Development of stronger and biocompatible materials led the growth of bio-implants segment, while advancements in connectivity and processing power led the growth of diagnostic imaging sector. The other drivers of medical device market are rising cost of healthcare which stimulated development of innovative connected products such as wearable medical devices, falling cost of production and rising manufacturing capacities in electronic industry, demand for early detection and noninvasive therapies etc.Test the market data and market information presented through more than 30 market data tables and figures spread over 45 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023.The market constraints are strict and ambiguous regulatory framework, growing concern for security especially data security, differential availability between developed and developing regions, connectivity issues in poor regions of the world etc.Taking all factors into consideration, we expect the Saudi Arabia medical devices market to reach around $ 3870 million from $ 2250 million in 2017, by the end of the forecast period at a CAGR of ~9.5%.Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingJohnson & Johnson,General Electric,Medtronic,Koninklijke Philips Electronics NV.,Baxter Internationa,Fresenius Medical Care AG & Co.,Cardinal Health,Al-Salehiya Medical Estableshment,Saudi Pharmaceutical Industries & Medical Appliances Corporation (SPIMACO),Al Amin Medical Instruments Company (AMICO),Al Faisaliah Medical Systems (FMS),Siemens LtdRequest a Sample Report @Intended Audience:Medical Devices ManufacturersMedical Devices SuppliersPrivate Research LaboratoriesResearch and Development (R&D) CompaniesMarket Research and Consulting Service ProvidersGovernment Research LaboratoriesContract Manufacturing OrganizationsSegments:Saudi Arabia medical devices market has been segmented on the basis of product type which comprises monitoring devices, diagnostic devices, diagnostic molecular devices, drug delivery devices, surgical devices, bio implants and stimulation devices, automation and robotics and others. On the basis of therapeutic application; market is segmented into general surgery, diagnostic imaging, respiratory, orthopedics, cardiovascular, dental, neurology, ophthalmology, ear-nose-throat (ENT), nephrology and urology, and others. On the basis of end users; market is segmented into hospitals, ambulatory, home and others.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit @Regional Analysis of Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market:The healthcare sector of Saudi Arabia is divided between private and state. The public healthcare expenditure accounts for approximately 75% of total health expenditure in 2014. Local manufacturing represents a poor outlook which is limited to consumables and ordinary articles. The government has established some of the best hospitals in the region such as King Faisal specialist hospital and research center, Riyadh military hospital, Saudi Arabias National Guard health affairs hospital etc. Saudi Arabia is extremely dependent on imports for medical devices and imports account for approximately 92% of total market for medical devices. U.S. medical device suppliers dominate the scenario with European vendors in the second position. Among the regions of Saudi Arabia Riyadh tops the healthcare expenditure list followed by Tabuk, Makkah and Madina.The report for Saudi Arabia Medical Devices Market of Market Research Future comprises extensive primary research along with the detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insights of the market and industry performance.List of TablesTABLE 1 SAUDI ARABIA MEDICAL DEVICES MARKET, 2013-2022 (USD MILLION)TABLE 2 SAUDI ARABIA MEDICAL DEVICES MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPE, 2013-2022TABLE 3 SAUDI ARABIA MEDICAL DEVICES MARKET, BY THERAPEUTIC APPLICATION, 2013-2022Continued.List of FiguresFIGURE 1 RESEARCH PROCESSFIGURE 2 PORTERS FIVE FORCES MODELFIGURE 3 SAUDI ARABIA MEDICAL DEVICES MARKET, BY PRODUCT TYPEContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Farm Tire Market - North America Industry Size, Share, Growth, Trends, and Forecast 2017 - 2025

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North America Farm Tire Market: SnapshotFarm tires are a sub-segment of specialty tires that are used by vehicles and machines employed in farm activities in the agriculture sector. Farm machineries such as sprayers, tractors, trailers, and harvesters some of the most common and key users of farm tires. Choosing the right farm tire depends on numerous different factors such as the size of the tractor tire, soil compaction, fuel economy, traction requirements, and weight of the equipment. The market for farm tires in North America is witnessing growth at a moderate pace, with the rising preference to radial tires bringing vast changes to the markets overall growth dynamics.Characteristically better, radial tires cost significantly higher than bias tires of the same dimensions. The disparity has forced several farmers to buy old second-hand tires instead, negatively impacting the sales of new tires and the growth prospects of the overall market for farm tires in North America. However, rising demand from hobby farmers and the increased awareness about the need for mechanization in the field of farming are allowing radial tires good growth prospects.Download Research Brochure For More Information@According to Transparency Market Research, the North America farm tire market is expected to exhibit a moderate CAGR of 5.5% from 2017 to 2025 in terms of volume, rising from 2,948 thousand units in 2016 to 4,750 thousand units in 2025.Despite Lower Sales Volumes, Radial Tires to Account for Larger Revenue ShareIn terms of type, the North America farm tires market has been segmented into bias tires and radial tires. Of these, the segment of radial tires is expected to witness the dominance, in terms of revenue contribution, of radial tires throughout the forecast period. The high costs of these technologically advanced tires allow them to account for a larger share in the overall revenue of the market despite holding a much smaller volume-wise share as compared to the segment of bias tires. The segment of radial tires is expected to continue to hold a higher share in the North America farm tire market in terms of revenue contribution over the forecast period.Nevertheless, the trend of higher sales volumes of bias tires compared to those of radial tires, is expected to continue over the forecast period as well. The vast disparity in costs of bias tires and radial tires, with radial tires costing as much as 10 times the cost of bias tires of same dimensions, plays a major role in cost-sensitive farmers preferences. However, the segment of radial tires is steadily gaining traction, with its growth rate, in terms of volume, expected to be higher than that of the segment of bias tires over the reports forecast period. In terms of revenue-wise growth, both the segments will remain equally competitive, expanding at CAGRs of 11.8% (bias tires) and 11.9% (radial tires) over the forecast period.U.S. Market to Continue to Contribute Massive Share in Revenue to North America Farm Tire MarketIn terms of geography, the report examines the market for farm tire across the U.S., Canada, and the rest of North America. Of these, the U.S. is presently the leading revenue contributor to the North America farm tire market and the country will continue to hold its top spot owing to the larger scale of the agriculture sector as compared to other countries in the region and presence of several leading vendors. In terms of rate of growth, however, the market in Canada is expected to register a better pace of growth, in terms of both revenue as well as volume.Browse Report@Some of the leading players operating in the North America farm tire market are BKT Tires USA Inc., Bridgestone Corporation, Continental AG, The Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company, Michelin, Mitas Tires Global Inc., TBC Corp., and Titan International.About Us:-Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a next-generation provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact Us:-Transparency Market ResearchState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.com
Global Organic Virgin Olive Oil Market 2017- Lamasia (Es), Sovena Group (Pt), Gallo (Pt), Grup Pons (Es), Maeva Group (Es), Ybarra (Es)

Organic Virgin Olive Oil Market

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Global Organic Virgin Olive Oil Market 2017 Survival Strategies explore Economic Impact in Global Industries Manufactures, Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Development Challenges and Opportunities till 2022A Research study on " Global Organic Virgin Olive Oil Market 2017-2022 " represent the market share and size of Organic Virgin Olive Oil in international Industry. MRS Research Group added latest market research report by QY Research. Research Report provides an essential information and statistically evaluated data about the Organic Virgin Olive Oil. The research report provides a detailed study of the Organic Virgin Olive Oil market, enlightening the major areas such as future market scenario, market growth factors, market growth restraints, and others. The advanced technological trends and various new opportunities are also provided in this research report.Research Report Analysis by Important Manufacturers in Global Market Include:Lamasia (Es), Sovena Group (Pt), Gallo (Pt), Grup Pons (Es), Maeva Group (Es), Ybarra (Es), Jaencoop (Es), Deoleo (Es), Carbonell(Es), Hojiblanca (Es), Mueloliva (Es), Borges (Es), Olivoila (It), Betis (Es), Poulina (Tun), Minerva (Gr)Get Free Sample Copy Of Report @The research report provides the Organic Virgin Olive Oil markets classification in detail. The Organic Virgin Olive Oil market is bifurcated into a number of segments on the basis of materials,types,applications,and end-users. The geographical analysis of the global Organic Virgin Olive Oil market is also coveredin the report. The vital information mentioned in the research report helps in significantly predicting the future scope of the global market.The various segmentation of the global market is based on the overall product profit, costing, global market growth, and manufacturing processes. The report covers a region-wise analysis which provides the customer with different market studies that give a detailed analysis of the product and its impact on the global market. The Organic Virgin Olive Oil report also highlights the growth statistics depending on the supply and demand in the different regions.Read Complete Report with TOC @The Organic Virgin Olive Oil report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such asinvestment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the keyglobal market players growth in the Organic Virgin Olive Oil industry.Abou Us: MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Dental Implants Market Key Players - Institut Straumann AG , 3M , Osstem Implant, Nobel Biocare , Dentsply Sirona , Forecast to 2022

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Market Research Future Publish a New Report on - Dental Implants Market Research Report- Global Forecast to 2022Exclusive Summery About Report:Dental implants are replacement of tooth roots. A dental implant is a metal post mainly made up of titanium or zirconium which is surgically positioned into the jawbone beneath the gums. Once these implants are placed into the jawbone, they allow the dentist to mount the replacement teeth over them. The dental implant acts like an artificial root into the jaw so as to hold a replacement tooth or a bridge and it does not affect nearby teeth. Dental implants as an option are for those people who have lost tooth/teeth as a result of a periodontal diseases or an injury.The global market for Dental implants is growing rapidly due to various factors like, increasing aging population and increasing awareness about oral health are driving the growth for dental implant market. Medical devices manufacturers are developing new and innovative products to provide more advance solutions to the dental professionals. Cosmetic dentistry treatment market is growing rapidly because of dissatisfaction and cavities. It is niche market and growing steadily.Globally the market for Dental Implants is growing steadily and has a bright future. The market for Dental Implants is expected to grow at the CAGR of ~4.6% from 2016 to 2024.Test the market data and market information presented through more than 120 market data tables and figures spread over 95 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Dental Implants Market Research Report  Global Forecast to 2022.Dental Implants Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingInstitut Straumann AG (Switzerland),3M (US),Osstem Implant (South Korea),Nobel Biocare (Part of Danaher corporation)(US),Dentsply Sirona (US),Zimmer Biomet (US),CAMLOG Biotechnologies AG (Switzerland),Neobiotech USA. Inc. (US)Request a Sample Report @Rapidly increasing aging population is another important driver for the dental implants market, because after certain age, elderly people may face some dental problems and it is necessary to take some dental treatments. Dental implant manufacturers and solutions providers are investing huge money in R&D to develop more innovative product or solution for the growing dental implant market. Hospitals are also providing advance facilities to the patients which are helping them to attract more number of patients. Global Dental Implants Market was around US$ 4.3 billion in 2015 and it is expected to reach USD 5.9 billion by 2022 at a CAGR of 4.6% during the forecast period.Segmentation:Dental Implants market has been segmented on the basis of Material type which comprises of Titanium dental implants, Zirconium dental implants and others. Titanium implants holds 75.8% of global dental implant market by type of material and expected to continue its growth during the forecast period. Zirconium dental implant is growing and expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% during the forecast period. On the basis of procedure type it is segmented into Root-Form dental implant, Plate-Form dental implant, and others. Root-form dental implants are most commonly used throughout the World, while plate-form implants are expected to grow at fast pace during the forecast period. On the basis of End User it is segmented into Dental Hospitals & Clinics Market, Dental Research Laboratories, and others. Dental hospitals and clinics holds largest market share in end user segment of dental implants market. Dental research laboratory is expected to grow at fast pace, Dental research laboratory is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.9% during the forecast period.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit @Regional Analysis:Considering the global scenario of the market, North America region is believed to be the largest market for Dental Implants. Moreover the European market is also growing and second largest market for Dental Implants. On the other hand, Asia-Pacific market is expected to grow at fast rate in the Dental Implants during the forecasted period. Middle East and Africa is likely to have a limited but steady growth in the market.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research Future+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Shrimp Market: Farmed Whiteleg Shrimps Species Type to Hold High Market Share

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Demand for farmed whiteleg shrimps to reign supreme in the global shrimp marketThe farmed whiteleg shrimps segment is estimated to be valued at about US$ 14 Bn by 2017 end and is expected to increase at a CAGR of 5.8% over the forecast period. The segment is expected to be valued at just under US$ 25 Bn by the end of 2027, creating absolute $ opportunity of more than US$ 700 Mn in 2017 over 2016 and an incremental $ opportunity of a little over US$ 10 Bn throughout the assessment period. The farmed whiteleg shrimps segment is estimated to account for a relatively high value share of more than 35% by the end of 2017. In terms of value, the market for farmed whiteleg shrimps is projected to be the most attractive in the global shrimp market during the forecast period.For more information on this report, fill the form @Increasing demand for shrimps over other seafood products fuelling market growth of different types of speciesTrending demand for seafood products is one of the major factors that is fuelling the growth of different species of shrimps. Consumers across the globe are shifting their food habits towards consumption of healthier food products. Seafood is considered as a healthy source of animal protein and this is boosting global market demand for different types of shrimps.Increasing urban population in developing regions leads to an increase in the demand for sea food products. Moreover, the rising tendency of spending on seafood products is expected to drive demand for various types of species of shrimps during the forecast period. Setting up of a variety of food processor plants by manufacturers in various regions is anticipated to further boost the demand for seafood products. In many regions there are favourable regulations to set up these plants and this is likely to contribute to the growth of the species segment in the global shrimp market.Consumer demand for fresh and frozen seafood is also a major contributor towards the growth of the species segment in the global shrimp market. It is reported that more than three-fourths of the seafood products consumed in the U.S. are in fresh and frozen form. Demand for shrimps among U.S. consumers while preparing seafood at home and even while ordering seafood in restaurants has increased remarkably. The main reason being shrimps are available at cheaper prices and have a high nutritional content. Other seafood products such as salmon, tuna, crabs, and lobsters struggle to hold a high market share due to increasing product prices and lower supply.Browse Market Research Report @In many parts of the world, sea food is a staple food. It is consumed by a large part of the population living near the sea shore. This has resulted in the formation of a strong consumer base for shrimp products as a huge part of this population depends on seafood as a source of their daily protein intake. On the other hand there are many such regions where due to lack of availability of other types of food products, there is an increasing demand for sea food and this factor is also contributing to the growth of the global shrimp market.Global Shrimp Market: Forecast and AnalysisRevenue from the global shrimp market stood at US$ 37 Bn in 2016 and is expected to reach about US$ 39 Bn by the end of 2017. By 2027 end, the global shrimp market is expected to reach a value of more than US$ 67 Bn, growing at a CAGR of 5.6% over the forecast period. In terms of volume, the global shrimp market is estimated to be pegged at 9,119 KT by 2017 end, and is expected to reach 14,259 KT by 2027 end at a CAGR of 4.6%.About Future Market InsightsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact FMI3rd Floor, 207 Regent Street,London W1B 3HHUnited KingdomT: + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790D: +44 (0) 20 3287 4268Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.com
LTE And LTE Advance Market Size, Share, Trends, and Opportunity Analysis by Future Market Insights

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Long term evolution (LTE) and its technology extension LTE Advanced (LTE-A) are widely used cellular technologies that significantly improve spectral efficiency by increasing the performance of cellular networks to the highest theoretical downlink speed up to 1 GBPS and reducing latency. With LTE and LTE-Advance the end users of mobile devices get benefitted from enhanced bandwidth and superior performance combined with advanced features. LTE networks enhances content deliver performance to mobile applications such as end-to-end mobile video transmission, social networking, YouTube, wide area interoperable mobile data access, situational awareness etc. LTE is associated with 3GPP standards and provides easier network upgradation as compared to most of other technologies. LTE and LTE-A networks market is driven by growth in cellular market. LTE and LTE-Advance network finds its applications in video telephony, Live TV, browsing, sharing, gaming etc.Global LTE and LTE Advance Market SegmentationGlobal LTE and LTE Advance market is segmented on the basis of type and applications. On the basis of type, global LTE and LTE Advance market is classified into  infrastructure, end-user device. Infrastructure is segmented into  evolved packet core (EPC), user equipment (UE) and evolved UMTS terrestrial radio access network (E-UTRAN). End user devices includes smartphones, USB modems, notebooks, tablets, routers and card modules. At present, infrastructure holds the highest revenue contribution share in global LTE and LTE advance market. On other hand, end-user device segment is expected to reflect the highest CAGR over the forecast period. At present among end-user devices, router dominates the segment.Request For Report Sample@Global LTE and LTE Advance Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global LTE and LTE Advance market is divided into seven geographical regions  North America, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Eastern Europe, Western Europe and Middle East & Africa. The global LTE and LTE Advance market is expected to reflect a significant CAGR over the forecast period. LTE and LTE-A networks are continuously deployed in countries of North America, Asia-pacific and Western Europe. At present, North America is dominating the market in terms of revenue contribution share followed by Western Europe. Among all the regions, APEJ is expected to create huge market opportunity for major players operating in the LTE and LTE advance market during the forecast period.Latin America and Middle East & Africa regions are reflecting comparatively slow growth during the forecast period.Global LTE and LTE Advance Market: DriversLTE and LTE advance solution offers resolution to substantial capacity constraints and at the same time address affordable profitability issues in the current pricing composition. One of the most dominating factor which is projected to drive the market is enhance spectrum efficiency offered by LTE and LTE Advance network. Rising data traffic has put pressure on current infrastructure to shift towards LTE and LTE advance solutions. LTE significantly reduces long-term cost of infrastructure, which resulted in considerable increase in deployment of LTE in countries of North America, Western Europe and Asia-pacific region. With the emergence of new applications and smart devices, the demand of LTE and LTE Advance is expected to gain significant pace in upcoming years.On other hand, complexity of the network and device compatibility issues are expected to hinder the growth of LTE and LTE advance market.Tremendous opportunities lies in providing standardization of infrastructure and high data transfer rates in LTE spectrums.Visit For TOC@Global LTE and LTE Advance Market: Key PlayersThe LTE and LTE Advance market is highly competitive market, characterised by active presence of many big players. Verizon Wireless, AT&T Inc., Ericsson, Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., Sprint Corporation, China Mobile Ltd., T-Mobile US Inc., Alcatel-Lucent, Nokia Solutions, Networks B.V. (NSN) and Bharti Airtel Ltd., are some of the major players in global LTE and LTE advance Market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
MVNOs In Latin America: M2M Growth And Enhanced Customer Care For Niche Segments To Drive MVNO Share | New Telecom Insider Report With Forecasts Of Key Indicators up to 2022

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "MVNOs in Latin America: M2M Growth and Enhanced Customer Care for Niche Segments to Drive MVNO Share" to its huge collection of research reports."MVNOs in Latin America: M2M Growth and Enhanced Customer Care for Niche Segments to Drive MVNO Share", a new Telecom Insider Report by GlobalData, provides an executive-level overview of the MVNO market in Latin America, with forecasts of key indicators up to 2022. It delivers deep quantitative and qualitative insight into the MVNO market, assessing business MVNOs' business models and value propositions, and the main drivers and challenges for MVNOs to increase their share in the mobile space in the region.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The presence of MVNOs in the Latin American region has been very limited thus far, particularly when compared to more mature regions such as Western Europe and North America, where MVNOs have attracted a considerable number of subscribers. Nevertheless, at 1.3% by year-end 2017, MVNOs market share of mobile subscriptions in Latin America will be higher when compared to other emerging regions such as Africa & the Middle East (0.8%) and Central and Eastern Europe (1.1%). Over the last few years, there has been a resurgence of interest in the MVNO model in Latin America and regulators and policy makers across the region, looking for ways to stimulate competition in their respective mobile markets.The report is structured as follows -- Section 1: MVNO definition, main business models and regulatory framework. This section provides information regarding the definition of MVNO, the different business models and value proposition built by MVNOs and the MVNO regulatory framework in the region.- Section 2: MVNO market context. This section explores MVNO market size and growth in Latin America, showcasing the different types of MVNOs business models acting in the region.- Section 3: Drivers and inhibitors impacting MVNO subscription growth in Latin America. This section details the drivers and inhibitors impacting in the growth of MVNO subscriber numbers, showcasing how MVNOs are taking advantage of the drivers and overcoming the market challenges.- Section 4: Case studies. We continue with a review of the strategies, positioning and product portfolio of a number of MVNOs that are succeeding in the region.- Section 5: Key findings and recommendations. We conclude the report with a set of key findings and recommendations for MNOs, MVNOs and regulators.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Scope- Increasing number of MVNOs and low-tariffs offered by MNOs in Latin America have forced MVNOs to come up with new products and strategies to improve their competiveness. These strategies involve improving their customer services and developing business models geared towards M2M.- MVNOs will account for only 1.3% of the total mobile subscriptions in Latin America at 2017-end. Looking ahead, we estimate that MVNO subscription will record a CAGR of 18% over 2017-22 to reach 21.1m by the end of 2022.- Colombia will be the largest MVNO market by 2017-end in terms of subscription number; with a 37.8% CAGR between 2017 and 2022, Mexico MVNO market will be the largest by year-end 2022, driven by favorable regulatory environment and the nationwide LTE wholesale network in 2018-2020, named Red Compartida.Reasons to buy- This Insider Report provides a comprehensive examination of the MVNOs business models in the Latin America market to help executives fully understand market dynamics, determine what works and what doesnt, formulate effective product development plans and optimize resource allocation and return on investments.- This report also provides a five-year forecast of the MVNO market in Latin America, developed using GlobalDatas rigorous bottom-up modeling methodologies, to enable executives to effectively position their companies for growth opportunities and emerging trends in demand for their products.- Three case studies illustrate the business model and strategy of select MVNOs in Latin America, this will help the reader understand both the challenges confronted in the real world and the strategies employed to overcome those challenges.- The report discusses concrete opportunities in the MVNO market in Latin America, providing a number of actionable recommendations for MNOs, MVNOs and regulators.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Automotive Wires and Cable Materials will Exhibit a Steady 6.3% CAGR through 2026

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Global automotive wire and cable materials market revenues will grow by 7.3% in 2016, reaching nearly US$ 4 billion in revenues. Growth will be supported by increasing emphasis on safety and vehicle maintenance, as well as increasing installation of infotainment and navigation systems. Steady automotive sales will continue to serve the market well, especially in Asia Pacific, where China and India will witness heightened demand.While growth of the automotive wire and cable materials market will remain stable over 2016, emerging trends will continue to play an important role in shaping up the market. Innovations in connected and hybrid vehicles and substitution of copper with aluminium are expected to influence manufacturing process in 2016 and beyond.Automotive Wires and Cable Materials Market Report Overview @Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) will continue to be the most sought-after material for manufacturing automotive wires and cables. This segment will witness a year-over-year growth of 5.6% and reach US$ 1.9 Bn in revenues in 2016. Polypropylene (PP), the second-largest segment by material type, will witness a growth rate of 6.8% in 2016.A Sample Report is Available Upon Request @While passenger cars will remain the largest segment in terms of vehicle type, development of rapid transit routes and increasing adoption of hybrid power trains will create opportunities in the light commercial and heavy commercial vehicles segment. Light commercial vehicles segment is anticipated to grow by 4.7% in 2016 over 2015 to reach US$ 0.7 Bn in revenues.Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is the largest market for automotive wire and cable materials and the status quo will remain so in 2016 and beyond. Growth of the automotive wire and cable materials market in APEJ will be supported by the resurgent automotive sector in the region. Increasing emphasis on safety and functionality and implementation of vehicle safety regulations will influence demand positively. The APEJ automotive wire and cable materials market will grow by 6.2 % in 2016 to reach US$ 2.1 Bn in revenues. North America and Western Europe, the other key markets for automotive wire and cable materials will also witness significant growth in 2016.Leoni AG, Coficab Tunisie SA and Sumitomo Corporation are the top 3 players in the global automotive wire and cable materials market. These 3 players collectively accounted for 46.2% revenue share of the market in 2015. In addition to these marquee players, Delphi Automotive PLC, Draka Holdings B.V., Lear Corporation, Coroplast Fritz Muller GmbH & C. KG, Yazaki Corporation and Allied Wire and Cable Inc. etc. are the other leading players in this market.Get More Information About this Report @Long-term Outlook: The global automotive wire and cable materials market is expected to increase at a CAGR of 6.3% during the forecast period 2016-2026 and reach US$ 3.9 Bn in revenues in 2016. APEJ will continue to be the largest market throughout the forecast period.Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Tattoo Removal Market Key Players - Astanza, Cutera Inc, CynoSure, Dimyth, Lutronic, Syneron Medical Ltd., and Quanta System S.p.A. Forecast to 2023

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Market Research Future Publish a New Report on - Tattoo Removal Market Research Report - Global Forecast to 2022Exclusive Summery About Report:Tattoos are permanent markings in the skin made by injecting ink using needles into the second layer of skin called dermis. The practice of tattooing is now an acceptable form of body art. Tattoo is sported to mark special events, to pay honor or respect, to celebrate life, choices, and to pay tribute and memorial to life's purpose and companions. Over the past years, the tattoo has become an attractive, artistic and expression among the people. Having said that, most of the people getting their skin inked are between the ages 18 to 24. About 80% of these decisions are made from immaturity. There has been a tremendous growth in the number of people getting their skin inked and so do in the number of people getting it removed. Current employment policies do not expressively prohibit the tattoos but the presence of tattoo on an employ can leave a differentiating impression, mostly negative as a result, persons professional life is affected by it.The reality of todays employment market is fuelling the laser tattoo removal market significantly. Moreover, the poor art work, personal makeover has driven market for tattoo removal. Globally the market for tattoo removal is growing rapidly. Globally the market for tattoo removal is expected to grow at the rate of about 15.6% from 2017 to 2023.Test the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 80 numbers of pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Global Tattoo Removal Market Research Report -Forecast to 2027.Tattoo Removal Market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAstanza,Cutera Inc,CynoSure,Dimyth,Lutronic,Syneron Medical Ltd.,Quanta System S.p.A.Request a Sample Report @Segments:Tattoo Removal market has been segmented on the basis of treatment method which comprises of Laser Therapy, Surgical Method, Topical Creams and others. Laser therapy accounted for the largest market share of 66% of total market in 2016. On the basis of end user, market is segmented into Laser centers, dermatology clinics, and other. Laser centers dominated the global market with the largest market share of 60.9% of the total market in 2016.Regional Analysis of Tattoo removal Market:Globally North America is the largest market for Tattoo removal. This large share is majorly due to the large number of tattoo studios in the United States and the huge tattoo loving population. Number of people getting their skin inked is more in North American region which ultimately helps in growth of the tattoo removal market in the region. Europe is the second-largest market majorly due to recent advancements in the laser technology and the increasing adoption of the laser technology by the European countries for the purpose of body aesthetics. Furthermore, Asia-Pacific market is expected to be the fastest growing market for Tattoo removal due to continuous developments in developing countries like India and China. China and Japan are the countries having cultural connection with the tattoos that goes long back in the history. Rising number of people opting to go for Laser therapy in order to get rid of tattoos is boosting the tattoo removal market in this region. On the other hand, Middle East & Africa are the countries with less craze for the art of a tattoo making and also due to the affordability issues and hesitant approach of people towards body aesthetics is slowing the growth of the tattoo removal market in the region.If you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.For further information on this report, visit @Table of Content1 Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope Of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.2.2.1 Assumptions1.2.2.2 Limitations1.3 Market Structure:2 Research Methodology2.1 Research Process:2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research:3 Market Dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators4 Market Factor Analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.2 Bargaining Power Of Suppliers4.3 Bargaining Power Of Buyers4.4 Threat Of New Entrants4.5 Threat Of Substitutes4.6 Intensity Of Rivalry5 Global Tattoo Removal Market, By MethodContinuedAbout Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact Info:Name: Akash AnandOrganization: Market Research FutureAddress: Market Research Future Office No. 524/528,Phone: +1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Food and Beverage Category Market 2017- Nestle, Cargill, Unilever, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, InBev, Mars

Food and Beverage Category Market

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Global Food and Beverage Category Market 2017 Survival Strategies explore Economic Impact in Global Industries Manufactures, Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Development Challenges and Opportunities till 2022A Research study on " Global Food and Beverage Category Market 2017-2022 " represent the market share and size of Food and Beverage Category in international Industry. MRS Research Group added latest market research report by QY Research. Research Report provides an essential information and statistically evaluated data about the Food and Beverage Category. The research report provides a detailed study of the Food and Beverage Category market, enlightening the major areas such as future market scenario, market growth factors, market growth restraints, and others. The advanced technological trends and various new opportunities are also provided in this research report.Research Report Analysis by Important Manufacturers in Global Market Include:Nestle, Cargill, Unilever, PepsiCo, Kraft Foods, InBev, Mars, Coca-Cola, Tyson, SABMiller, Danone, Heineken, Perfetti Van Melle S.P.A, LOTTE, Wyeth, Heinz, General Mills, Danisco, Kerry Group, Korea Nongshim.Co.,Ltd., Ting Hsin International GroupGet Free Sample Copy Of Report @The research report provides the Food and Beverage Category markets classification in detail. The Food and Beverage Category market is bifurcated into a number of segments on the basis of materials,types,applications,and end-users. The geographical analysis of the global Food and Beverage Category market is also coveredin the report. The vital information mentioned in the research report helps in significantly predicting the future scope of the global market.The various segmentation of the global market is based on the overall product profit, costing, global market growth, and manufacturing processes. The report covers a region-wise analysis which provides the customer with different market studies that give a detailed analysis of the product and its impact on the global market. The Food and Beverage Category report also highlights the growth statistics depending on the supply and demand in the different regions.Read Complete Report with TOC @The Food and Beverage Category report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such asinvestment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the keyglobal market players growth in the Food and Beverage Category industry.Abou Us: MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
7.3% CAGR Anticipated for Branded Generics Market During 2016 2026

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A recent research conducted by Future Market Insights predicts that the global market for branded generics will witness a steady growth in terms of revenues. Over a ten-year forecast period from 2016 to 2026, the size of global branded generics market has been estimated to expand at a steady CAGR of 7.3%. Brand-name prescriptions will continue to be ubiquitous among aged people in the world, and since geriatric demographics account for a large portion of global drug-consuming population, demand for branded generics will also rise substantially. In 2016, the global branded generics market has been valued at nearly US$ 200 billion, and is projected to reach US$ 413.8 Bn market value by the end of forecast period.Some of the leading manufacturers of branded generics are based in Asian countries, and are extending their production capacity to keep up with the surging global depend. In Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region, about US$ 150 billion revenues are expected to be procured by the end of 2026. During the forecast period, branded generics market in the APEJ region will attain fastest growth, registering a 10% CAGR, contributing over 35% of global branded generics revenues. North America, Eastern Europe and Latin America are also expected to be lucrative for growth of branded generics sales, while revenues in Western Europe, Japan and Middle East & Africa (MEA) are likely to incur a considerable dip by 2026-end.Branded Generics Market Report Overview@Competitive Timeline in Global Branded Generics MarketSince 2015, Abbott Laboratories, a leading drugmaker in the global pharmaceuticals industry, has aimed at capitalizing from branded generics businesses in developing regions.Teva Pharmaceuticals acquired Allergans branded generics vertical, while Pfizer Inc. bought Hospira Inc.  both acquisitions have been strategically carried out for repositioning market standings of Teva and Pfizer respectively.In December 2016, India-based Sun Pharmaceuticals Industries Ltd. agreed to buy Swiss drugmaker Novartis AGs branded generics portfolio on cancer medications.Another leading branded generics manufacturer, Mylan N.V. recently launched anti-allergy devices which are expected to be half the price of its branded EpiPens.Other prominent companies partaking in the growth of global branded generics market include, Aspen Pharmacare Holding Ltd. and Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.A Sample Report is Available Upon@Research Highlights on Global Branded Generics MarketThe report includes a segmental analysis of the global branded generics market, fragmenting its growth on the type of drug formulation, major drug classes, therapeutic applications, and distribution channels. Based on such segmentation, some of the key findings compiled in the report are:Nearly three-fifth of the global branded generics revenues estimated in 2016 are expected to be accounted by oral-type formulations, with parenteral, topic and other formulation types collectively accounting for 8% market value share.Hospital pharmacies & retail pharmacies will remain as the largest distribution channels for branded generics throughout the globe.In 2016 and beyond, the demand for branded generics in therapeutic treatment of cardiovascular diseases will be significant, revenues from which are expected to increase at more than 8% CAGR over the forecast period.Global revenues of branded generics accounted by anti-hypertensive drug class are predicted to surpass US$ 25 billion by 2026-end.Get More Information About this Report@ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite :
Comprehensive Industry Report Offers Forecast and Analysis on Fortified Milk and Milk Products Market

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Fortification is a process where vitamins and minerals are added to food products in order to make the food more nutrient. Milk and milk products are broadly used for fortification owing to make a complete nutrient food product. Vitamin D, Vitamin A and Iron are usually fortified into milk and milk products. Fortification in milk and milk products is done to reduce the rate of common diseases and deficiencies among people especially among children. Federal regulation has mandated the fortification of milk with Vitamin A and Vitamin D in U.S. According to World Health Organization (WHO) there are many preschool children who are afflicted with vitamin A deficiency thus vitamin A fortified milk and milk products continuously reduce the deficiency among children. Moreover vitamin D improves the absorption rate of calcium and also helps to maintain calcium level in blood. Some others Vitamin and minerals such as vitamin C, zinc, copper, DHA, selenium are fortified to enrich milk and milk products. Folic acid fortified milk is also getting traction among the pregnant women. Some of the milk products that are fortified with vitamin and minerals includes milk power, yogurts, cheese, butter and buttermilk. Overall fortified milk and milk products market is expected to witness robust growth during the next five to six years.Fortified Milk and Milk Products Market Segment:On the basis of product types fortified milk and milk products market is segmented into liquid milk and milk products. Furthermore, liquid milk and milk products is sub segmented by the fortified nutrition, such as vitamin and minerals. Further vitamin and mineral segment is categorized by the ingredient of nutrition, for instance vitamin segment is categorised with vitamin A, vitamin D, Vitamin C and others, and minerals segment is categorised with iron, zinc, copper, iodine, Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), selenium, folic acid and others.Request For Report Sample@Geographically fortified milk and milk market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa. North America, Western Europe are the most target market for the fortified milk and milk producer companies.Fortified Milk and Milk Products Market Dynamics:Disposable income and employment leads to enhanced livelihood among population, thus, driving the demand for fortified milk and milk products especially in emerging economies. Price is another factor that somewhat restraints the fortified milk and milk products market as economic and lower middle class population may not afford these products. Milk and milk product industry is very dynamic, where fortified milk and milk products are very niche segment. Fortified milk and milk products are very popular over North America, Western Europe and Japan. However with rapid urbanization, these products are gaining traction across other economies.Visit For TOC@Fortified Milk and Milk Products Market Key Players:Some of the key market players identified across the value chain in this market are Arla Foods UK Plc., GCMMF ltd, Dean Foods Company, Fonterra Group Cooperative Limited, Kraft Foods Group, Inc., Nestle SA, Sancor Cooperativas Unidas Limited and Royal FrieslandCampina N.V.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Biodegradable Stents Market progresses at a CAGR of 30.1% till 2024

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According to the research report, the global biodegradable stents market is anticipated to be worth US$1.7 bn by 2024 as compared to US$18 mn in 2015. During the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the global market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 30.1%.Rise in Cardiovascular Diseases Spikes Demand for Biodegradable StentsThe Centers of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that coronary artery diseases are responsible for 370,000 deaths across the U.S. every years. The global biodegradable stents market has been growing against the backdrop of high incidence of cardiovascular diseases, which are related to coronary artery diseases. The market is also being driven by the high prevalence of chronic conditions and rising geriatric population, which is prone to cardiovascular disorders. The growing preference for stenting procedures for treating coronary artery diseases over bypass surgeries is also anticipated to boost the sales in the global market, estimates the lead author of this research report. This trend is likely to be a key trend in the market as stenting reduces complications, assures better success rate, fastens recovery time, and costs less.View Full Report:Bare metal stents (BMS) and drug eluting stents (DES) continue to remain in the artery long after it has eluted the drug. This can lead to thrombosis, in-stent restenosis, and other complications, which can require surgical removal of the stent. Thus, use of biodegradable stents are remarkable safer as they get completely absorbed in the artery soon after the drug is eluted. This factor has won the biodegradable stents incredible traction over the past few years.Europe Emerges as Leading Regional Market Backed by German DemandThe two types of stents available in the global biodegradable stents market are coronary artery stents and peripheral artery stents. Of these, the coronary artery stents are expected to progress at a CAGR of 30.9% during the forecast period. The high incidence of coronary artery diseases is expected to drive this segment in the coming years.Request to view Sample Report:In terms of regions the global market is divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. The report indicates that Europe will emerge as the dominant segment in the global market in the coming years. This regional market is expected to surge at a CAGR of 27.2% during the forecast period. Germany will lead the Europe biodegradable stents market in the coming few years.Unaffordability of Biodegradable Stents Dissuades PatientsAlthough the global biodegradable stents has a noteworthy CAGR, the market is likely to suffer due to the high cost of the products. Thus, the advantages of biodegradable stents are getting stymied due to their unaffordability. The premium pricing of these stents is expected to restrain the overall markets growth in the coming years. Furthermore, the slow adoption rate of these stents in regions and countries where medical awareness is relatively low is also hampering the progress of the global market.Download Brochure link:The competitive landscape in the global biodegradable stents market is quite consolidated as major players in the market hold a massive chunk. In 2015, Abbott Laboratories, Boston Scientific, Inc., and Biotronik led the pack with a 61.5% share in the global market. The unwavering focus of these companies on expanding their business in newer territories has enabled them to dominate the global market. In the coming years, the players are expected to invest in advanced and sophisticated products to offer better products to the overall healthcare industry.Global Biodegradable Stents Market Report is available @ US$ 5795About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
datango at the DSAG Congress 2017: digital learning, working and living

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datango performance suite" (dps) and smart bots for employee support and digital TrainingKaarst, September 7th, 2017  Digital transformation requires us to create new ways of training and employee qualification. From 26th to 28th September, PARIS AG () will be showing new methods of employee education, process analytics, and transformation support at this years DSAG Congress in Bremen. Visitors are welcome to inform themselves at PARIS booth D17 as well as listen to an exclusive lecture about digital platforms: "My Bot and I - Digital Learning, Working and Living". In addition, PARIS will be presenting solutions for the digitization of business and learning processes on 26th September at the "Digital Learning" web conference.The DSAG 2017 annual convention, which is taking place for the 20th time this year, presents a broad range of industry solutions, innovative technologies, business services and more. The focus of the event will be digital transformation and platforms, as well as the increasing challenges of business and IT. Together with its solutions and the division datango, PARIS AG combines innovative and cognitive technologies in the areas of enterprise education and process documentation, process-integrated real-time support as well as automation. The solutions support individual ways of learning, working and living in the digital age.Digital training, process support and accelerationPARIS's solutions for knowledge transfer and immediate user support can be used to document and simulate corporate processes, create training content, and navigate employees with online live support through their workflows. The users adoption of new applications, technologies, business processes etc. is efficiently promoted. The "datango performance suite (dps)" is an effective authoring tool for embedded learning and digital education - thanks to its user-friendliness, a high level of learner, user and authoring experience, and the so-called Playback Anywhere functionality.In addition, PARIS AG has developed a Bot-suite, which is used for integrated process support and acceleration. Bots are playing an increasingly important role in the field of machine learning and cognitive computing. They will be indispensable in the long term for employee training and general task guidance. The Bot-Suite includes smart assistants, which, for example, provide process support, proactive advisory and mediation of action recommendations, as well as the reactive response to user questions. The Bot-suite will be gradually expanded. With the use of such bots, ap-proximately 90 percent time savings are possible, for example, in repetitive and time-consuming office activities.Markus Rosskothen, Chief Executive Officer of PARIS AG, explains: "'My Bot and I' is no longer a vision. The growing number of robots in the shared services or BPO sector and even in private households speaks for itself. Since the founding of PARIS AG, we have been working intensively on setting up a cognitive platform for targeted employee support through automation. Sebastian Grodzietzki, PARIS AG's Chief Growth Officer, adds: "Fast innovation cycles are part of our DNA. And thanks to our continuous integration and delivery, we can react quickly and flexibly to market devel-opments, and new customer requirements.More about the developments and visions: Speech "My Bot and I - Digital Learning, Working and Living"27th September, 17:45 - 18:30, VP019, DSAGSpeakers: Sebastian Grodzietzki and Yalim Boran (PARIS AG) Web Conference "Digital Learning"26th September, 10:00-10:45, online eventSpeakers: Sebastian Grodzietzki and Yalim Boran (PARIS AG)Please register here:Further information on solutions from PARIS, its division datango, and the PARIS Innovation Lab are also available to visitors at the DSAG annual congress at booth D17 or atandCharacters: 3,999datango at a glance:datango is a division of PARIS AG - Process Automation Robotics Intelligence Systems - and provides leading technologies for process navigation, automation, documentation and elearning. Among other things, datango solutions support organizations through targeted qualification of employees during rapid rollouts, and smooth operation of enterprise applications. The software solutions provide a navigation aid in the live system, and facilitate the automatic generation and translation of process documentation, training manuals, software simulations, and real-world e-learning environments. Functionalities as featured in the datango performance suite are an integral component of business applications in many companies all around the world. As a result, datango helps reduce input errors, and supportt costs and thus increases user acceptance of business applications in companies across various industries and sizes.Further information:datangoA division ofPARIS AGBruchweg 9641564 KaarstContact person:Sebastian Grodzietzki-Chief Growth Officer-Tel.: +49 (0)2131-762010E-Mail: s.grodzietzki@paris-ag.com | s.grodzietzki@datango.comPR agency:punctum pr-agentur GmbHNeuer Zollhof 340221 DusseldorfContatc person:Ulrike Peter-Managing Director-Tel.: +49 (0)211-9717977-0E-Mail: pr@punctum-pr.de
FORT ST. JOHN, British Columbia, Sept. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Macro Enterprises Inc. (TSX-V:MCR) (the Company or Macro) confirms that, as set out in the September 6, 2017 press release by Kinder Morgan Canada Limited, a joint venture consisting of Macros wholly-owned subsidiary, Macro Pipeline Services Inc., and its joint venture partner, Spiecapag, (a French-based pipeline contractor) has been named as one of several contractors selected for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project.



The memorandum of understanding with the Macro Spiecapag Joint Venture is for the construction of approximately 85 kilometers of pipeline along the Coquihalla-Hope corridor in British Columbia referred to as pipeline Spread 5B. The parties are currently negotiating the terms and conditions of the definitive commercial agreement for construction. The Company will provide more details once the terms and conditions of the construction contract have been fully negotiated and settled.

The Company

Macros core business is providing pipeline and facilities construction and maintenance services to major companies in the oil and gas industry in northeastern B.C. and northwestern Alberta. The Companys corporate office is in Fort St. John, British Columbia. Its shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol MCR. Information on the Companys principal operations can be found at www.macroindustries.ca

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements involve risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results, performance, prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the outcome of the Joint Ventures negotiations with Kinder Morgan Canada for construction work on the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion project, statements regarding the joint venture with Spiecapag SA and statements concerning the expected construction of the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project, including the timing of the start of construction. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the inability to settle acceptable contract terms and conditions with Kinder Morgan, the continuing political and legal uncertain relating to the Kinder Morgan Trans Mountain Expansion Project, and the Company's ability to obtain any necessary permits, consents or authorizations required for its planned activities. Readers are referred to the Company's public disclosure record which is available on SEDAR (www.sedar.com). Although the Company believes that the assumptions and factors used in preparing the forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on these statements, which only apply as of the date of this news release, and no assurance can be given that such events will occur in the disclosed time frames or at all. Except as required by securities laws and the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange, the Company disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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.
Keloid Treatment Market -

Keloid Treatment Market

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Global Keloid Treatment Market: OverviewThe British Skin Foundation describes a keloid scar as an overgrown scar that spreads beyond the original area of the damaged skin. It is a growth of extra scar tissue in the place where the skin has healed post-injury. Keloids can appear anywhere on the body and affect an estimated 10-15% of all wounds. There are several established treatment options available for keloid scars, including laser treatment, surgery, radiation, steroid injections, cryotherapy, and interferon. Moreover, there are a number of products available in the market today to hasten the healing of keloids. These include creams, sprays, gel sheets, ointments, elastic wraps, oils, and topical gels.While most keloid scars are benign, the continuous growth of the scar may result in skin cancer and this is a key factor driving the market for keloid treatment. Several pharmaceutical and biopharmaceutical companies, medical centers, and universities have been conducting clinical trials for the development of drugs and treatment options for keloid scars.The report offers readers a detailed assessment of the ongoing economic, technical, consumer, regional, and political trends impacting the trajectory of the global keloid treatment market. The bargaining power of prominent buyers and suppliers, the threat presented by new entrants and substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among key players have been thoroughly evaluated in the report with the help of the Porters Five Forces analysis model. An extensive overview of the competitive landscape of the keloid treatment market has also been provided, which focuses on the business overview, recent developments, product and service portfolio, and financial outlook of the leading companies.Obtain Report Details @Global Keloid Treatment Market: Growth Drivers and RestraintsThe global keloid treatment market is primarily driven by rapid technological advancement in skin care as well as in keloid scar removal and the growing awareness among patients regarding the availability of these products and treatment options. Changing lifestyles, the ever-rising focus on appearance and aesthetics, and the increasing expenditure on personal care products and services have also significantly contributed toward the expansion of the keloid treatment market. Demand for radiation therapy, surgical intervention, and steroid injections is supported by the growing trust and acceptance of the patients, thereby ensuring that the keloid treatment market registers a healthy growth over the forecast period.On the flip side, however, this market is being hampered by the possible side effects of keloid treatment, the high cost of various treatment options, and the risk of extreme pain and complications during treatment.Global Keloid Treatment Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global market for keloid treatment is segmented on the basis of geography into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World. North America is the dominant regional market for keloid treatment and is likely to retain its lead through 2024. High disposable income of people in this region, coupled with the comparatively high availability as well as acceptance of new technologies, products, and treatment alternatives are responsible for the rapid growth of the North America keloid treatment market. Europe is also a major market for keloid treatment driven mainly by the favorable reimbursement scenario for skin treatment and the increasing awareness of the consumer.Make an Enquiry @Asia Pacific is an immensely promising market for keloid treatment owing to the increased focus on appearance and aesthetics in several emerging economies. The rapid growth in population, increasing disposable incomes, and improving healthcare facilities in the region are also anticipated to boost the market for keloid treatment in Asia Pacific.Global Keloid Treatment Market: Competitive LandscapeThere are a number of players competing in the global keloid treatment market. These include Pacific World Corporation, Revitol Corporation Inc., GlaxoSmithKline plc., Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, Novartis AG, Renovo Group plc., Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., Galena Biopharma, Inc., RXi Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Avita Medical.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Vitality & Balance Market 2017 Consumer Trends And Attitudes That Drive And Support Innovation Success

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "TrendSights Analysis: Vitality & Balance - Helping consumers achieve a more balanced lifestyle and improve their emotional wellbeing" to its huge collection of research reports."TrendSights Analysis: Vitality & Balance", explores what the trend is, why it is important, who is most influenced by it, and how brands and manufacturers can capitalize on it. The research concludes by identifying where the trend is heading next and how long it will last.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The intensification of time scarcity and work pressures are leading to increasing stress levels. Conscious of the negative health implications of imbalanced lifestyles, consumers are increasingly concerned with stress and have become more interested in improving or maintaining emotional wellness. This in turn is fueling demand for products and services that help consumers achieve a more balanced lifestyle.Scope- 75% of global consumers are concerned about stress, with the same amount feeling the same about tiredness/fatigue.- 89% of global consumers consider rest and relaxation either very important or important in creating a feeling of wellbeing or wellness.- 86% of global consumers think reducing stress can be effective in making you look younger.Reasons to buy- Understand the relevant consumer trends and attitudes that drive and support innovation success so you can tap into what is really impacting the industry.- Gain a broader appreciation of the fast-moving consumer goods industry by gaining insights from both within and outside of your sector.- Access valuable strategic take-outs to help direct future decision-making and inform new product development.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Table of ContentsExecutive SummaryTrend snapshotWhat is Vitality & Balance?Why is Vitality & Balance important?Who is driving Vitality & BalanceHow can Vitality & Balance be capitalized on?What next in Vitality & Balance?AppendixMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Gourmet Salts Market Set to Witness Steady Growth through (2015 - 2025)

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Gourmet salts are unrefined and high quality salts used in cuisine in order to enhance taste and appeal of the food. Gourmet salts are used for to enhance the texture and flavor. In addition, these type of salts possess better solubility and also high mineral content. Gourmet salts are also blended with other type of herbs, spices and flavors in order to enhance the flavor and color of spices. Gourmet salts are used in various applications such as bakery, savoury, confectionery, poultry and sea food. Fleur de sel is one of the widely used gourmet salts, which is used in variety of food products such as roasted meat, vegetable dishes and salads. Gourmet salts are also used in for preserving canned food products in order to store food item for longer duration.Gourmet Salts Market: SegmentationGlobal Gourmet salts market is segmented on the basis of product type, application and region. Based on the product type segmentation includes fleur de sel, Himalayan salts, sel gris, and flake salts. Of which, fleur de sel is used widely in various food applications such as meat and salads. Fleur de sel is anticipated to be the dominating segment during the forecasted period, followed by other gourmet salts. On the basis of application, gourmet salts is segmented into savoury, bakery and confectionary, poultry and seafood products and others. However, among all the segments, bakery and confectionary segment is expected to contribute maximum revenue to the overall gourmet salts market. Global gourmet salts market is segmented on the basis of regions into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Middle East and Africa and Japan. Gourmet salts market is dominated by European region, followed by North America and Asia Pacific excluding Japan. In Europe, France and Spain are expected to contribute maximum revenue share to the overall gourmet salts market. However North America is projected to witness fastest growth in the next four to five years owing to the high disposable income of consumers in this region.Request For Report Sample@Gourmet Salts Market: Region-wise OutlookThe Global gourmet salts market is expected to witness vigorous growth during the forecasted period due to the rising awareness among consumers related to changing food or cuisine preferences among consumers .Globally, among all regions, Europe is expected to witness significant growth in the gourmet salts market and contribute maximum market share, followed by North America and Asia Pacific over the forecasted period. However, North America is expected to experience fast growth due the high disposable income of the consumers, which results in buying patterns for products rich in gourmet salt. Since, these products are expensive in nature.Gourmet Salts Market: DriversVarious factors that fuel the growth of gourmet salts market includes rising living standard of consumers, increasing commercialisation of food industry by various media shows and also awareness regarding benefits of gourmet salts in the traditional food. However, factors that hampers the growth of gourmet salts market are high price associated with gourmet salts in comparison to conventional salts. Other major factor that restraints the growth of gourmet salts market that hinder the growth of gourmet salts market is lack of awareness among consumers in developing countries. Companies operating in gourmet salts market are mainly adopting new product development strategy in order to enhance their product portfolio and also to expand into new markets.Visit For TOC@Gourmet salts Market: Key PlayersMajor companies that operate in gourmet salts market includes Cargill Inc., Morton Salt Inc., Murray River Salt, Alaska Pure Sea Salts Co., Infosa, Amagansett Sea Salt Co., Maldon Crystal Salt Co., Pyramid Salt Pty. Ltd.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Personal Accident and Health Insurance in Slovenia, Trends, Investment Income and Retentions and Forecast Until 2020

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Market Research Hub (MRH) has recently publicized a new study to its vast repository, which is titled as Personal Accident and Health Insurance in Slovenia, Key Trends, and Opportunities to 2020. It provides key performance indicators such as written premium, incurred loss, loss ratio, commissions and expenses, combined ratio, total assets, total investment income and retentions during the review period (20112015) and forecast period (20152020). The report also analyzes distribution channels operating in the segment, gives a comprehensive overview of the Slovenian economy and demographics, and provides detailed information on the competitive landscape in the country.Request Free Sample Report @Market Research Hub 'Personal Accident and Health Insurance in Slovenia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides a detailed outlook by product category for the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment, and a comparison of the Slovenian insurance industry with its regional counterparts.The report brings together Market Research Hub research, modeling, and analysis expertise, giving insurers access to information on segment dynamics and competitive advantages, and profiles of insurers operating in the country. The report also includes details of insurance regulations and recent changes in the regulatory structure.SummaryMarket Research Hub 'Personal Accident and Health Insurance in Slovenia, Key Trends and Opportunities to 2020' report provides in-depth market analysis, information and insights into the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment, including:An overview of the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segmentThe Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segments growth prospects by categoryA comprehensive overview of the Slovenian economy and demographicsA comparison of the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment with its regional counterpartsThe various distribution channels in the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segmentDetails of the competitive landscape in the personal accident and health insurance segment in SloveniaDetails of regulatory policy applicable to the Slovenian insurance industryScopeThis report provides a comprehensive analysis of the personal accident and health insurance segment in Slovenia:It provides historical values for the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment for the reports 20112015 review period, and projected figures for the 20152020 forecast period.It offers a detailed analysis of the key categories in the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment, and market forecasts to 2020.It provides a comparison of the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment with its regional counterparts.It provides an overview of the various distribution channels for personal accident and health insurance products in Slovenia.It profiles the top personal accident and health insurance companies in Slovenia, and outlines the key regulations affecting them.Browse Full Report with TOC @Reasons to BuyMake strategic business decisions using in-depth historic and forecast market data related to the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment, and each category within it.Understand the demand-side dynamics, key market trends and growth opportunities in the Slovenian personal accident and health insurance segment.Assess the competitive dynamics in the personal accident and health insurance segment.Identify growth opportunities and market dynamics in key product categories.Gain insights into key regulations governing the Slovenian insurance industry, and their impact on companies and the industry's future.Key HighlightsSlovenias personal accident and health segment is concentrated, with the seven insurers accounting for 100.0% of the segments gross written premium in 2015.Health insurance was the leading category and accounted for 80.4% of the segments gross written premium in 2015.In January 2017, the Slovenian Minister of Health proposed a new health reform which seeks to abolish voluntary complementary health insurance and introduce a new compulsory levy.The segments penetration marginally increased from 1.5% in 2011 to 1.6% in 2015.Make an Enquiry @About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of Research Reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of insurance market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (US-Canada)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite: marketresearchhub.com
Specialty Chemicals Market (Size of $828.9 Billion in 2015) to Witness 5% CAGR During 2016  2022

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The global specialty chemicals market was valued at $828.9 billion in 2015, and it is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% during 2016 - 2022. The factors driving the growth of the global market include large base of end-use industries, high demand from Asia-Pacific, increasing demand from automotive industry, and technological advancements in the global specialty chemicals market. The growth of the global specialty chemicals market is largely driven by high demand for specialty chemicals agriculture and construction industries. The growing construction activities in Asia-Pacific and development of environment friendly products offer ample revenue generation opportunities to the manufacturers of specialty chemicals.Explore Full Report at:Among the various types of specialty chemicals, the agrochemicals segment held the largest share (15.9%) with the market size of $131.4 billion in 2015 in the global specialty chemicals market. The construction chemicals segment is anticipated to witness the highest growth at a CAGR of 6.8% during the forecast period. The construction chemicals segment in the global specialty chemicals market was valued at $79.3 billion in 2015, and it is anticipated to reach $125.6 billion by 2022. The high growth in the construction chemicals segment is attributed to the increasing construction activities in Asia-Pacific, and increasing focus on buildings renovation in developed economies and government initiatives for green buildings.In 2015, Asia-Pacific held the largest share (39.7%) in the global specialty chemicals market with a market size of $340.4 billion. The specialty chemicals market in the region is anticipated to witness the highest growth at a CAGR of 7.2% during the forecast period. The major reasons behind the growth of the specialty chemicals market in the region include increasing infrastructure investment, and high demand in major end markets, such as construction, automotive, agriculture, packaging, textiles, and personal care. In addition, the high demand for specialty chemicals in China and India are creating ample growth opportunities for the Asia-Pacific specialty chemicals market. The specialty chemicals market in India and China are expected to grow at a CAGR of 14.6% and 7.3% respectively during the forecast period.Ask For Sample Pages:The information and data in the publication Global Specialty Chemicals Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast to 2022, represents the research and analysis of data from various primary and secondary sources. An amalgamation of bottom-up and top-down has been used to calculate the market size. P&S Market Research analysts and consultants interacted with leading companies of the concerned domain to substantiate every value of data presented in the report. The company bases its primary research on discussions with prominent professionals and analysts in the industry, which is followed by informed and detailed, online and offline research.Some of the major players operating in the global specialty chemicals market include Albemarle Corporation, Akzo Nobel N.V., Ashland, BASF SE, Clariant AG, Evonik Industries, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, Eastman Chemical Company, Huntsman Corporation, INEOS Group, and The Dow Chemical Company.P&S Market Research is a market research company, which offers market research and consulting services for various geographies around the globe. We provide market research reports, industry forecasting reports, business intelligence, and research based consulting services across different industry/business verticals.As one of the top growing market research agency, were keen upon providing market landscape and accurate forecasting. Our analysts and consultants are proficient with business intelligence and market analysis, through their interaction with leading companies of the concerned domain. We help our clients with B2B market research and assist them in identifying various windows of opportunity, and framing informed and customized business expansion strategies in different regions.Contact:AbhishekManager  Client Partner347, 5th Ave. #1402New York City, NY - 10016Toll-free: +1-888-778-7886 (USA/Canada)Email: enquiry@psmarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Mobile Antivirus Market 2022 - McAfee, Kaspersky, Webroot Secure, ESET, Bitdefender, F-Secure

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 to its huge collection of research reports.The report on the Mobile Antivirus market is prepared with the help of a wide array of primary and secondary research incorporating inputs from leading market experts, industry strategists, research organizations, and business executives. The report titled Mobile Antivirus market research report offers in-depth insights into the current market status, share and size of major segments, notable trends, emerging business risks, and competitive landscape. The Mobile Antivirus market dynamics is undergoing several interesting shifts invigorated by constant technological advances and favorable changes in government policies in some regions. The report takes a closer look at the emergent strategic and tactical risks driven by changes in regulatory framework in key regions. In addition, it covers major research and development activities in recent decades expected to unlock exciting opportunities for market players.Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeMcAfeeKasperskyWebroot SecureESETBitdefenderF-SecureTrend MicroGleaning through the report, market participants can get clear indications of various trends anticipated to gain traction and those that are likely to lose their sheen in the coming years. The report employs a host of industry-wide quantitative tools to assess the strategic landscape. Based on the volumes of data collected over the historic period and insights offered by the vast current statistics, the study presents a 360 degree view of the growth dynamics of the Mobile Antivirus market over the forecast period. Using Porters five forces analysis and SWOT analysis, the report offers a holistic overview of the vendor landscape. The study is unique in its approach as it offers crystal clear view of the factors likely to tilt in favor of new entrants, thereby altering the intensity of competition in the Mobile Antivirus in the not-so-distant future.Get discount copy @Table of Contents4 Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size by Type and Application (2012-2017)4.1 Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size by Type (2012-2017)4.2 Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size by Application (2012-2017)4.3 Potential Application of Mobile Antivirus in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Mobile Antivirus5 United States Mobile Antivirus Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Mobile Antivirus Market Size (2012-2017)5.2 United States Mobile Antivirus Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)6 EU Mobile Antivirus Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Mobile Antivirus Market Size (2012-2017)6.2 EU Mobile Antivirus Market Size and Market Share by Players (2016 and 2017)Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Mobile Antivirus Product ScopeFigure Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) (2012-2017)Table Global Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Global Mobile Antivirus Market Share by Regions in 2016Figure United States Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure EU Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure Japan Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure China Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)Figure India Mobile Antivirus Market Size (Million USD) and Growth Rate by Regions (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Practice Management Systems Market - Analysis by Segments, Size and Forecast 2024

Practice Management Systems Market

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Global Practice Management Systems Market: SnapshotMedical practice is characterized as the science and the specialty of mending as per logical determination of the infection. Restorative practice along these lines, requires huge volume of patient information which is hard to keep up over the long haul particularly if it's recorded in the physical type of archives and documents. The passage of computer programming and programming frameworks like SaaS (Software as a Service) has extraordinarily aided the general procedure of patient information and restorative practice information administration.Medicinal Practice Management System (PMS) is a product that helps restorative association (or facility) to record persistent information, settle meetings with specialists, keep up record of protection installment organizations (and reaching them when required), perform charging related undertakings and create last reports. PMS these days are incorporated with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) that arrangements entirely with understanding therapeutic information (restorative and treatment history) as a comprehensive information administration framework.PMS is planned by the volume of information that should be kept up, the measure of the association and their money related limit. For the most part PMS are named; desktop variations for restricted PCs, client server (physical servers) for expansive foundations with solid fund and prerequisite for simple access to patient's private information, and web server (virtual/cloud servers) for establishments that require cost sparing options. Software companies offer administrations in various value ranges differing from couple of hundreds to thousands of dollars relying on previously mentioned parameters. Incorporated frameworks (EMR and PMS) are more costly in contrast with independent administrations.Obtain Report Details @Practice Management Systems Market: OverviewMedical practice is defined as the science and the art of healing in accordance with scientific diagnosis of the disease. Medical practice therefore, requires significant volume of patient data which is difficult to maintain in the long run especially if its recorded in the physical form of documents and files. The entry of computer software and software systems like SaaS (Software as a Service) has greatly assisted in the overall process of patient data and medical practice data management. Medical Practice Management System (PMS) is a software that helps medical organization (or clinic) to record patient data, fix appointments with practitioners, maintain record of insurance payment companies (and contacting them when required), perform billing related tasks and generate final reports. PMS nowadays are integrated with Electronic Medical Records (EMR) that deals strictly with patient medical data (medical and treatment history) as an all inclusive data management system.PMS is designed according to the volume of data that needs to be maintained, the size of the organization and their financial capacity. Generally PMS are classified as; desktop variants for limited computers, client-server (physical servers) for large institutions with strong finance and requirement for easy access to patients confidential data, and internet server (virtual/cloud servers) for institutions that require cost saving alternatives. Software companies offer services in different price ranges varying from few hundreds to thousands of dollars depending upon aforesaid parameters. Integrated systems (EMR and PMS) are more expensive in comparison to standalone services. Some companies that provide these services are Acrendo Softwares, Allegiance MD, WRS Health, Practo Ray and Athena Health to name a few.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @Practice Management Systems Market: Opportunities and TrendsPMS have a great future ahead, as medical institutions worldwide see it as a better alternative to physical document records which have a very high error rate bringing into light the nature of human incompetency, that are minimized to a great extent in PMS. Also, medical errors result in severe adverse events and death, this is efficiently tackled by the presence of automated programmed software. Cost saving is another financial reason for a shift into PMS, it reduces data management costs and as a result the overall medical treatment costs. Medical insurance claims and payouts also see a positive change with fast processing times. Countries like the U.S. also offer subsidies to hospitals opting for such systems.Practice Management Systems Market: RestraintsPMS however, is useful only as long as the personals are trained in the dynamics of the software, this requires training and practice. Many countries also have strict patient confidentiality laws, any breach or leak patient records may pose a great threat to the integrity of the whole process and shall render an institution liable for prosecution by the law. In such a situation, PMS becomes more of a liability than assistance. However, with entry of Asian software companies like Practo Ray who have developed portable android based software systems can be easily accessed and require minimum training. Cost effective alternatives are on the rise along with better algorithms to integrate the complete process of medical practice.Practice Management Systems Market: Regional InsightPMS market is expected to increase owing to the presence of virtual/cloud based service systems, these enable companies far offshore to provide services at competitive prices. Service providers are at present largely based in the North America and European region, where the demand is the highest owing to large population patients with health insurance. The PMS market in Asia-Pacific is estimated to grow at the highest CAGR owing to more number of companies establishing business in this region coupled shift in service providers from the North American region to emerging economies. Also, with greater returns on investment a large number of Asian medical institutions are now opting for PMS.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.ontact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Military Drone Markets At $3 Billion In 2014 Are Anticipated To Reach $11 Billion By 2021

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Military Drones: Market Shares, Market Strategies, and Market Forecasts, 2015 to 2021" to its huge collection of research reports.Next generation drones leverage better technology, launching from ships anywhere and from the battlefield should that be necessary. The drone technology is evolving: better launching, better navigation, softer landings, longer flights, better ability to carry different payloads are available. The study has 881 pages and 415 tables and figures.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The military drones are able to achieve terrorist control tasks. They have been evolving air camera integration for surveillance systems capability. They are used for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence missions. They do 3D mapping and support ground troops. These are more energy efficient, last longer and have a significantly lower cost of operation than manned aircraft.Drone aircraft are sophisticated and flexible. They take off, fly and land autonomously. Theyenable engineers to push the envelope of normal flight. Reconnaissance drones can fly for days continuously. Remote, ground-based pilots can work in shifts.Drone technology extends everywhere, even to airline control towers. Drones evolving technology is extending uses, making units combat enabled. The use of drone technology to control moving devices remotely extends the notion of drones, creating a larger potential drone market. Military drones will make every navy ship an aircraft carrier. They can be launched from anywhere, not needing an airfield in many cases.Drone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has reached a level of maturity that has put these systems at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing. Procurement around the world is adapting to drone availability. Use in the global war on terrorism has demonstrated unique usefulness for military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay.Removal of the need for an onboard pilot ushers in an era of low cost drone aerial craft. The drone elimination of the need for human support systems on aircraft dramatically reduces the aircrafts size, complexity, and power requirements. The drones effectively reduce overall program cost, development time and risk. Many advanced flight technologies are for piloted craft. These are initially tested using unmanned subscale demonstrators.Designers work to simplify the aircrafts configuration, making systems that are adaptable to different payloads on different days. Drones can be redesigned and tested at reduced risk than with development of manned aircraft. Drones allow configurations that would be impossible or impractical for human occupation. Drones are becoming easier to control.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @A common issue with UAV platforms is the need to optimize these aircraft. UAVs need to carry useful payloads. These platforms are flexible as to payload, permitting interchangeable or additional sensors and other electronics, extra fuel or weapons systems. The sole function of an unmanned aircraft is to get to a target location, perform a task, and then return in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Without a pilot aboard, the return trip is optional. Light weight is central to UAV design.Drones represent a way to use air to travel faster and at less cost. The market is divided between large and small military drones. Military drones represent the future of the national security presence for every nation. Increasing technology sophistication and lower costs are achieving dramatic market shifts.Unmanned aircraft systems are achieving a level of relatively early maturity. Fleets of unmanned aircraft systems have begun to evolve. The U.S. Army has achieved one million flight hours for its unmanned aircraft systems fleet. Unmanned aerial systems have good handling characteristics. UAS units are designed to perform high-speed, long-endurance, more covert, multi-mission intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) and precision-strike missions over land or sea.Quantities of fielded military and commercial systems of every size and description are set to increase. Every ship can become an aircraft carrier with drones, Military drone units feature a variety of internal loads, including 2,000 lb payload, an Electro-optical/Infrared (EO/IR) sensor, and an all-weather GA-ASI Lynx synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator (SAR/GMTI), maximizing long loiter capabilities.Military drone markets at $3 billion in 2014 are anticipated to reach $11 billion by 2021. Segments are persistent, penetrating, tactical, small tactical, and mini, Persistent drones represent the largest revenue segment in 2015 and remain the biggest throughout the forecast period.Companies ProfiledMarket Leaders- Northrop Grumman- AeroVironment- Boeing / Insitu- General Atomics- Lockheed Martin- Draganflyer- Textron / AAI- IAIMarket Participants- AeroVironment- ASN Technologies- Aurora Flight- Aviation Industry Corp (Avic)- BAE Systems- Boeing- Challis UAV Inc.- China Aerospace- Denel Dynamics- DJI- Draganflyer- Finmeccanica- Flirtey- General Atomics- General Dynamics- Google- GoPro- Honeywell- Integrated Dynamics- Israel Aerospace Industries- L-3 Communications- Laird / Cattron Group International- Lockheed Martin- Marcus UAV- MMist- Northrop Grumman- Parrot/senseFly- Prox Dynamics- Proxy Technologies- RUAG Aerospace- Safran Morpho- SAIC- Scaled Composites- Schiebel- Textron- TRNDlabs- Wing LoongMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
New Study Offers Detailed Insights on Savory Ingredient Market

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Savory ingredients are kind of flavor enhancer which possess the property to modify flavors in food without contributing to any separate flavor of their own. Savory flavors are primarily used while manufacturing processed savory products such and snacks, frozen savory meal and others. Savory ingredient enables to provide pleasant sense of taste and smell especially by reason of effective seasoning. Savory ingredient play an important role in enhancing the umami flavor of the product which is supporting its growth in the current scenario.Savory Ingredient Market SegmentationSavory ingredient market is segmented on the basis of form which includes liquid, powder, paste and spray dried. Among all these segments powder is expected occupy the major position on the pie. Easy usage and mixing properties with other ingredient is expected to drive its growth during the forecast period. Moreover, liquid is expected to show healthy growth in savory ingredient market in the near future. In addition spray dried savory ingredient is currently an emerging product in savory ingredient market, however it is expected to account for substantial growth within next five to six years.Request For Report Sample@Savory ingredient is also segmented on the basis of ingredient type which includes yeast extract, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP), hydrolyzed animal protein (HAP), monosodium glutamate (MSG), nucleotides and others. Among all these segments monosodium glutamate is expected to contribute highest in terms of revenue. Monosodium glutamate properties such as it act as thickening and stabilizing agent in food products. Moreover it is cost effective which are supporting monosodium glutamate growth in the near future. In addition, yeast extract act as a fermenting ingredient. It also enables to reduce salt level from food content. Thus yeast extract is expected to account for substantial growth in next five to six years.Savory ingredient market is further segmented on the basis of application which includes food Industry pet food industry, others. Among all these segments food industry is expected to have a strong presence in savory ingredient market as compared to remaining segments. Increased consumption of processed savory and culinary food products across the globe is expected to be the prime factor driving the growth of savory ingredient market during the forecast period. Also, pet food industry is expected to show a substantial growth in the near future. Food industry is further sub-segment as dips, soups, instant noodle & sauces, meat & seafood, bakery products & savory snacks, others (baby food). Among all these sub- segment meat and sea food is expected to be dominant in terms of revenue contribution followed by savory snacks. Increased consumption of frozen and processed meat and sea food is predicted be the major factor contributing to the market growth of savory ingredient.Geographically, North America is expected to be the major contributor in terms of value followed by Europe. However these region is predicted to show a stable growth in the near future. Increasing awareness among the consumer regarding the ill effects of consuming processed food may affect the growth of savory ingredient in these regions. In developing countries of Asia Pacific region China is expected to dominate the market in terms of savory product consumption followed by India. Moreover Japan is expected to show a substantial growth during the forecast period. High volume consumption of sauces and noodles is predicted to be the supporting factor in the growth of savory ingredient market across the country.Savory Ingredient Market DriversRising disposable income in developing regions has led the consumer to get inclined towards processed savory and culinary food product which is predicted to support the growth of savory ingredient market in the near future. Moreover, savory ingredient is cost effective, due to which manufacturers is using it various reason such as stabilizer, emulsifier, thickening agent and others in food products which also expected to fuel its growth during the forecast period.Visit For TOC@Savory Ingredient Market Key PlayersSome of the key companies operating in savory ingredient market includes Tate & Lyle PLC, Kerry Group Plc., Lesaffre Group, Royal DSM, Synergy Flavors and Diana Group among others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Networked Audio Product Market 2022 - AdMob, Chartboost, Flurry, InMobi, Baidu, Byyd, Google

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Networked Audio Product Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 to its huge collection of research reports.The global Networked Audio Product market trajectory is influenced by a variety of factors and trends, an elaborate assessment of which is covered in the report Networked Audio Product research report. The research presents in-depth investigation of notable drivers and restraining factors, major challenges, recent technological advances, winning strategies, and lucrative avenues. The study offers a comprehensive analysis of key business risks emerging in key regions and major changes in governments regulations impacting the players response to them. The study takes a closer look at recent technological advancements and models of service delivery likely to gain traction in the next few years. The research employs industry-leading quantitative and qualitative tools to ascertain the overall market competitiveness in emerging regions.Order a copy of complete Research Report @This report focuses on the top players in global market, likeAdMobChartboostFlurryInMobiMillennial MediaMoPubPandora MediaAmobeeThe report is prepared with the aid of inputs from industry experts and mirrors projections from a wide spectrum of primary sources. The study filters reliable and relevant information from a plethora of industry-wide data, to provide growth estimations of key segments. The findings offered in the report help investors and new entrant players gain reliable insights into imminent investment pockets in the Networked Audio Product market. The key takeaways of the report include the share and size of various application or end-user segments and include the revenue sizing of major regional markets. The study offers valuable insights into strategic landscape by using tools, such as competitive profile matrix, and presents them in easy-to-comprehend format. Furthermore, the advent of disruptive technologies and innovative offerings, which is expected to alter the course of the Networked Audio Product market growth trajectory, is evaluated in detail.Request A Discount on This report @Table of Contents4 Global Networked Audio Product Market Size by Type and Application (2011-2016)4.1 Global Networked Audio Product Market Size by Type (2011-2016)4.2 Global Networked Audio Product Market Size by Application (2011-2016)4.3 Potential Application of Networked Audio Product in Future4.4 Top Consumer/End Users of Networked Audio Product5 United States Networked Audio Product Development Status and Outlook5.1 United States Networked Audio Product Market Size (2011-2016)5.2 United States Networked Audio Product Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)6 EU Networked Audio Product Development Status and Outlook6.1 EU Networked Audio Product Market Size (2011-2016)6.2 EU Networked Audio Product Market Size and Market Share by Players (2015-2016)Read Comprehensive Overview of Report @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Networked Audio Product Product ScopeFigure Global Networked Audio Product Market Size (2011-2016)Table Global Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Global Networked Audio Product Market Share by Regions in 2015Figure United States Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure EU Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure Japan Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure China Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)Figure India Networked Audio Product Market Size and Growth Rate by Regions (2011-2016)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
BRENTWOOD, Tenn., Sept. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Corizon Health announced today the decision of Chief Executive Officer Karey Witty to resign his position effective immediately.



A national search will be conducted to find a successor for Mr. Witty. Mr. Witty led the company for the past two years, successfully completing a recapitalization that resulted in new capital, a new ownership group, and a majority of independent board of directors.

During the interim, an Operating Committee of the Board composed of Board Chairman Jeffrey D. Goldberg, Kenneth H. Paulus, and Daniel S. Slipkovich, will lead the company. The companys current senior executive leadership team will continue in their roles, reporting to the operating committee.

Over the past two years that Karey has served as Corizon Healths CEO, he has done yeomans work leading the company through our recent recapitalization and creating a foundation for excellence in patient care and client service. We deeply appreciate his service, Goldberg said. Our efforts in running the company will be to stay focused on serving our patients and providing excellent service to our clients.

Operating Committee Member Bios

Jeffrey D. Goldberg is a former executive of several healthcare companies and also serves as board chairman for LifeCare Holdings, a national long-term acute hospital system, and board chairman for M*Modal, a leading clinical documentation and technology company. His experience includes board and executive roles in medical technology and healthcare services, and he holds a J.D. from UCLA School of Law and graduated cum laude from Harvard College with a general studies degree.

Kenneth H. Paulus is the former President and CEO of Allina Health, one of the nations largest integrated delivery systems. Under Paulus leadership, Allina Health grew to 13 acute care hospitals, 100 ambulatory care clinics, and 1,500 physicians serving Minnesota and Wisconsin. The company received the Davies award for offering one of the industrys most integrated and advanced information systems. Prior to joining Allina, Paulus was president and CEO of Atrius Health System, the largest integrated physician group in New England and a teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School. He also served as chief operating officer of Partners Community Healthcare, a major teaching and research affiliate of Harvard Medical School. He holds a Masters of Healthcare Administration from the University of Minnesota and an undergraduate degree in biology from Augustana College.

Daniel S. Slipkovich, a nationally recognized leader within the healthcare industry, is a founder of Capella Health serving as its CEO and Chairman of the Board from 2005 to 2013 and Executive Chairman in 2016. He has more than 30 years of experience leading hospitals throughout the country from small, rural facilities to large, urban academic centers. Slipkovich began his career as a Certified Public Accountant, holding key positions for HCA, HealthTrust and LifePoint. He then became President and Chief Operating Officer of Province Healthcare, a non-urban hospital company. He holds a bachelors degree in Business Administration from West Virginia University.

About Corizon Health

Corizon Health provides quality healthcare services to states and municipalities across the country, offering a comprehensive solution for physical care, behavioral care and pharmaceutical services. With its corporate headquarters in Brentwood, Tennessee, Corizon Health is the leading provider of correctional healthcare services in the United States. For more information, please visit www.corizonhealth.com.
Automotive Composites Market Size to Rise at a Moderate CAGR of (8.8%.) BY 2022

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According to latest market report published by Persistence Market Research Global Market Study on Automotive Composites: Polymer Matrix Composites to be the Largest Segment by 2022, the global automotive composites market was valued at US$ 3,062.7 Mn in 2014, which is expected to increase to US$ 7,019.7 Mn by 2022 at a CAGR of 8.8%.Increasing urban population due to rising industrialization, particularly in developing countries such as India and China, is encouraging the establishment of automotive manufacturing facilities in these regions. Increasing automobile production is expected to fuel the overall demand for carbon composites in the near future. In 2014, 16.5 million vehicles were manufactured in the U.S., compared to 15.6 million in 2013. This number is expected to increase to 17.0 million by the end of 2015. In addition, increasing carbon emissions due to rising number of vehicles over the last few decades is prompting governments worldwide to revamp various aspects in order to adhere to environmental norms and regulations, particularly with emphasis on reduction of carbon emissions from vehicles.Request to view table of content @Automakers are focused towards using lightweight materials to manufacture external and internal parts of vehicles in order to reduce vehicle weight, and in turn improve fuel efficiency. This is a major factor driving growth of the automotive composites market.Additionally, consumers are more inclined towards purchasing lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles due to increasing fuel prices over the last decade. This is influencing automakers to invest in R&D initiatives with regard to lightweight materials to manufacture exterior as well as interior parts of vehicles. Composites with properties such as easy to process, high tensile strength, lightweight, good corrosion resistance and surface tension are ideal for manufacturing lightweight and fuel-efficient vehicles.A sample of this report is available upon request @Region-wise, the report covers North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World. Asia-Pacific is the largest market for automotive composites. Increasing domestic production of vehicles along with increasing disposable income is driving growth of the automotive composites market in Asia Pacific. However, one of the major factors contributing to growth of the automotive composites markets in North America and Europe is stringent CO2 emission norms in these regions.In this report, the automotive composites market has been segmented on the basis of composite material (polymer matrix composites, metal composites, and ceramic matrix composites), manufacturing process (manual, compression, injection and continuous, and other), composite component (interior components, exterior components, engine and drivetrain components, and others) by value (US$ Mn), and region (North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and Rest of the World).Browse Complete Report @The global automotive composites market revenue increased from US$ 3,062.7 Mn in 2012 to US$ 3,593.6 Mn in 2014 at a CAGR of 8.3%. Under regional segment, the Asia Pacific automotive composites market (the largest market in 2014) revenue increased from US$ 1,543.6 Mn in 2012 to US$ 1,825.5 Mn in 2014 at a CAGR of 8.7%.The global automotive composites market is highly consolidated, with the top four players  Toray Industries, Toho Co. Ltd., Mitsubishi, and SGL  accounting for between 70 and 75% market share. Other players operating in the global automotive composites market include Cytec Industries Inc., SAERTEX GmbH & Co. KG, Koninklijke Ten Cate N.V., Johns Manville, Johnson Controls, Inc., Scott Bader Company Ltd., Teijin Limited, E.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, and UFP Technologies, Inc.Global market study on Automotive Composites is available at $4900 @About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Fruit Juice Packaging 2017 Global Market Challenge, Driver, Trends & Forecast to 2021

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Pune, India, 7thSeptember 2017: WiseGuyReports announced addition of new report, titled Global Fruit Juice Packaging Market Outlook 2024: Global Opportunity and Demand Analysis, Market Forecast, 2016-2024.Global Fruit Juice Packaging Market OutlookMarket OverviewPackaging helps in protection of fruit juices from external environmental factors and contamination of bacteria. Appropriate fruit juice packaging helps in proper storage and distribution among consumers and reduces the risk of damaging. Growing consumption of packaged food and beverages across the world is increasing the demand for juice packaging market. However, government regulations associated with material used in juice packaging is hindering the growth of global fruit juice packaging market. Several government policies are made to reduce the usage of metal and plastic containers for packaging of food and beverages and also providing tax exemption on the use of environmentally friendly materials for packaging. As per our research, metal cans and pet bottles take over 500 to 30,000 years to degrade completely which results in the mounting demand for environment friendly packaging material for food and beverages.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Paper or cartons are preferred for packaging of fruit juices as cartons are biodegradable and cause less harm to environment. Many companies and state government authorities are supporting and taking initiatives to use biodegradable materials for packaging. For instance, in 2016, European Fruit Juice Association (AIJN) organized an international workshop where several bio-plastic materials were introduced which can be used for packaging fruit juices.Market SegmentationThe global fruit juice packaging market is classified on the following basis:Based on Packaging TypePaper/Carton packagingPlastic packagingGlass packagingMetal PackagingBased on GeographyNorth America (U.S. & Canada) {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Latin America ( Brazil , Mexico & Rest of Latin America) {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Europe (The U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, Sweden & RoE) {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Asia-Pacific (China, India, Japan, Singapore, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, Rest of Asia) {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Middle East & Africa (GCC, South Africa, North Africa, RoMEA) {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Rest of World {Market Size (USD Billion), Growth Analysis (%) and Opportunity Analysis}Market Size and Forecast (2016-2024)Global fruit juice packaging market valued USD 20.63 billion in 2016 and projected to reach USD 26.46 billion by 2024. Further, the market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.16% during the forecast period i.e. 2016-2024.Europe region dominated the global fruit juice packaging market with a market share of 40.2% in 2016 followed by North America and is expected to maintain its dominance over the forecast period. High consumption rate of fruit juice and stringent regulations in European countries such as the UK, Germany and France is likely to fuel the Europe fruit juice packaging market. Europe is projected to hold 44.2.0% market share of global fruit juice packaging market by the end of 2024. On the other hand, North America is expected to occupy 29.0% market share in global fruit juice packaging market by 2024. Moreover, rising health consciousness and shift towards healthy beverages is boosting the consumption of fruits juices in United States and Canada.Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing region in fruit juice packaging market, owing to the rising disposable income and changing lifestyle in emerging economies such as China and India. Asia-Pacific region held 20.0% revenue share of global fruit juice market in 2016 and is expected to register the notable growth during the forecast period.Market Drivers and ChallengesGrowing consumption of packaged beverages and rise in personal disposable income are some driving factors which are shifting the consumers towards packaged beverages and juices. Thus, these factors are fostering the growth of global fruit juice packaging market. Light weight packaging provides the convenience in carrying and transportation of fruit juices.Increasing price of raw materials and stringent regulations on using non-biodegradable material for packaging and targeting to adopt for sustainable packaging are major factors, hindering the growth of fruit juice packaging market. Government policies for increment in the carbon footprint which is produced by different packaging material is likely to obstruct the juice packaging business expansion in the near future.Key Market PlayersAmcor LimitedSynopsisBusiness StrategyProduct PortfolioSWOT AnalysisBall CorporationSmurfit Kappa GroupTetra Laval International S.A.Evergreen Packaging Inc.MeadWestvaco CorporationInternational Paper CompanyCrown HoldingsBemis Company, Inc.Ardagh GroupCan-PackEvergreen PackagingOwens-IllinoisSonoco ProductsStora EnsoGenpakScope BackgroundMarket SynopsisMarket SegmentationThe Global Fruit Juice Packaging Market is segmented as follows:By Packaging Types (Market Size, Demand Analysis and Growth Analysis)ContinuedACCESS REPORT @Get in touch:LinkedIn:Twitter:Facebook:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Asia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market will Expand at a Healthy Pace of 7.6% CAGR by 2024

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The Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market features a moderate level of consolidation, with the top four vendors collectively accounting for over 60% of the overall market in 2015, states Transparency Market Research in a recent report. These companies, including Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Boston Scientific Corporation, Olympus Corporation, and Stryker Corporation, compete with a large number of small- and medium-sized companies operating across specialty segments, giving rise to an intense level of price competition.The rising demand for technologically advanced products across developing economies in Asia Pacific could further fuel rivalry among key vendors in the market. So as to stay ahead of the competition in the market, key vendors are adopting the course of innovation and introduction of technologically advanced products. Most of countries in the region being developing economies and having a large base of cost-conscious consumers, focusing on ways of reducing product costs could also enable vendors to reach-out to a larger consumer base.View Full Report:Transparency Market Research states that the endoscopy devices market in Asia Pacific will expand at a healthy pace of 7.6% CAGR over the period between 2016 and 2024. The market, which had a valuation of US$7.76 bn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$14.8 bn by 2024.Rise in Investments and Mergers and Acquisitions to Have Far-reaching Impact on Markets TrajectoryOn a global scale, the endoscopy devices market has witnessed a vast rise in investment in companies already operating in the endoscopy devices business and acquisition of a large number of specialty medical device makers by many global medical device giants. A recent instance is the April 2016 acquisition of Stanmore Implants Worldwide Limited by Stryker Corporation. The vast numbers of mergers and acquisitions have helped the market gain notable level of maturation. This has also allowed global players to increase their scope for market expansion and pay more focus on lucrative regional markets such as Asia Pacific.Request to view Sample Report:The Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market is also driven by the vast rise in the regions geriatric population, rising disposable incomes, increased emphasis on minimally invasive surgeries, increased healthcare expenditures. With the vast rise in geriatric population, especially in countries such as Japan and China, the number of surgeries employing a variety of endoscopy devices has also skyrocketed.High Costs of Treatment and Dearth of Trained Surgeons Still Key Challenges for MarketA vast share of population in Asia Pacific still belong to middle class or lower middle class income group. The relatively higher costs of endoscopy devices and inevitably the surgeries and diagnostic methods involving these devices is a huge setback when it comes to serving this demographic. The factor is a key restraint to the overall development of the Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market presently and is expected to remain a key-impact factor for the market for the next few years as well.Request to download and view full ToC -Along with this, the factor of lack of adequate specialist surgeons and physicians trained and qualified for using complex medical devices such as endoscopes is also a prominent restraint for the Asia Pacific endoscopy devices market. According to the World Bank, China, India, and Indonesia had 1.8, 0.6, and 0.3 physicians per 1,000 people, including general and specialist medical practitioners.Nevertheless, factors such as the rising awareness regarding the availability of effective medical devices for treating complex health conditions and rising prevalence of a number of chronic conditions will continue to drive the increased demand for endoscopy devices in Asia Pacific in the next few years. On the basis of geography, Japan led the market in 2015, accounting for a 35% share in markets overall revenues. The product segment of endoscopy visualization systems dominated, accounting for over 46% of markets overall revenues in 2015Asia Pacific Endoscopy Devices Market Report is available @ US$ 5795;About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Brake System Market Segmented by Product Type, Top Manufacturers, By End-User Industry, Geography Trends & Forecast 2022

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MarketStudyReport.com adds a new Brake System Market research report that provides a detailed market overview as well as industry analysis for / of companies, manufacturers and distributors covering data on gross margin, cost structure, consumption value, sale price and more.A typical automotive brake system or braking system comprises of a brake device having different components, which are used for slowing or stopping down a vehicle. More precisely, these devices decrease or stop the speed of a moving or rotating body by absorbing kinetic energy mechanically or electrically.Request a Sample Copy of Global Brake System Market Research Report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Brake System in Global market, especially in North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific, South America, Middle East and Africa. This report categorizes the market based on manufacturers, regions, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, Global Brake System Market report covers such as ZF, Aisin, Akebono Brake Industry, CBI, Continental, Nissin Kogyo, Mando, APG, Knorr-Bremse, Wabco, XinYi and Shandong Aoyou.Market Segment by Regions, regional analysis covers:North America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa).Global Brake System Market Segment by Type, covers as Disc brakes and Drum brakesGlobal Brake System Market Segment by Applications, can be divided into: Passenger Vehicle and Commercial VehicleEnquire Now for Global Brake System Market Research Report @There are 15 Chapters to deeply display the global Brake System market.Chapter 1, to describe Brake System Market Introduction, product scope, market overview, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the top manufacturers of Brake System, with sales, revenue, and price of Brake System, in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the global Brake System market by regions, with sales, revenue and market share of Brake System, for each region, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9, to Brake System Industry analyze the key regions, with sales, revenue and market share by key countries in these regions;Chapter 10 and 11, to show the Brake System Market by type and application, with sales market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 12, Brake System market forecast, by regions, type and application, with sales and revenue, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, 14 and 15, to describe Brake System Industry sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers, Research Findings and Conclusion, appendix and data source.Related Reports: -United States Modular Brake System Market Report 2017In this report, the United States Modular Brake System market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:
Systech Illinois Oxygen and carbon dioxide headspace gas analyser GS Waterproof.

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Robust, portable and waterproof headspace gas analyser for factory packing environments.Designed to be the toughest headspace gas analyser on the market, the GS Waterproof can be conveniently transported between packing lines and factory locations.. The case is IP67 rated which provides NEMA 6 protection and is corrosion proof, crush proof and waterproof when closed. Now, with its bright yellow casing, it is truly visible on the factory floor.Full of the most advanced features available in headspace analysis including automatic calibration, diagnostics and control. The GS Waterproof offers consistently reliable results for the food and pharmaceuticals industry and simplicity in operation allows full maximization of production efficiency.There are various options available to you when you purchase one of our waterproof headspace gas analysers. Options include PC software, a printer, a can piercing station but the essential option is a flexible packaging kit which will include a needle probe, various needles, filters and septas to enable you to choose the right parts for your application. The instrument has the following features and benefits:Portable with an ergonomic handleWaterproof (when case is closed), corrosion proof and crush proofDurable and robust, IP67/NEMA 6 caseEasy to set up and use with a touch screen5 different sample test methodsAuto calibrate and diagnosisSet tests for pass or failCan piercing station for analysis of rigid cans and jarsData transfer software for configuration and importing logged data into ExcelDepending upon which kind of packaging you need to test you will find that our headspace gas analyzer range offers fast, reliable Modified Atmosphere Packaging testing of headspace in gas flushed food and pharmaceutical packaging. Our oxygen and carbon dioxide headspace analyzers provide reliable results for shelf life testing and quality control.Systech Illinois specialises in online, portable and laboratory gas analysis equipment. With 30 years as one of the leading experts in gas and moisture measurement, Systech Illinois' application and technology knowledge provides efficient gas analysis solutions in many industry sectors worldwide. In addition, Systech manufacture intrinsically safe units for use in hazardous areas.Systech Illinois is a multinational company with offices and gas analysis equipment manufacturing facilities in the UK and the U.S. Systech is very proud of its well developed and well trained workforce, which enables it to offer customers a continuing high level of service, and become known globally as a leading supplier of gas analysis instrumentation.Systech IllinoisBeth FaulknerPhone: +44 01844 216838Web:Systech Illinois17 Thame Park Business CentreWenman RoadThameOX9 3XA
Interactive Projector Market Intelligence and Analysis for Period (2015 - 2025)

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Interactive projector is an interactive institutional tool, which makes any surface interactive. It eliminates the need of any type of special screen, rather it can display images on white board, projector screen or on wall directly. It also allows user to control the projection activities with the help of pen, stylus or with his own finger. Interactive projectors makes learning more interactive, fun and therefore more productive. Interactive Projector offers various advantages such as real time learning needs, efficient user interaction, easy integration of materials, multi touch collaboration, multi-user standards and PC-free interactivity.Interactive Projector Market: Drivers and RestraintsWorldwide popularity of interactive projector is increasing. Global interactive projector market is expected to grow rapidly during the period of forecast. Factors which are driving the growth of global interactive projector market are increasing adoption of interactive projectors in class rooms and conference rooms, increasing government spending on education sector, increasing adoption of e-learning & virtual learning and growing technological advancement across various application segments. On the other hand, factors which are restraining the growth of global interactive projector market are high installation cost and lack of awareness are the few factors restraining the growth of global interactive projector market. However, increasing application specific solutions expected to create great opportunity for global interactive projector market.Request For Report Sample@Interactive Projector Market: SegmentationGlobal interactive projector market is segmented on the basis of product type and applications. By product type the global interactive projector market can be segmented into short throw projector, flexible projector, multi-purpose projectors and others. Out of all these types, short throw projectors are in great demand as it eliminates various problems associated with interactive system such as intrusive footprint and eye glare.On the basis of application, the global interactive projector market can be segmented into various sectors such as government, education and corporate. Out of all these application, education sector dominates the global interactive projector market. Increasing adoption of advanced technology into education sector, growing government spending & support are some of the factors responsible for this growth. Despite corporate sectors contribution to total interactive projector market anticipated to be small, the sector is expected to exhibit highest growth rate during the period of forecast. Market Players are focusing on developing specific solution for corporates.Interactive Projector Market: Region wise outlookGlobal interactive projector market can be segmented into seven regions which includes, North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia Pacific (excluding Japan), Japan as a separate region and Middle East and Africa. Out of all these regions, present global interactive projector market is dominated by North America and Western Europe Region in terms of high usage rate of interactive projectors. High technological developments in countries such as U.S. and UK, consumer awareness and increasing government funding and support to education sectors are some of the factors driving the growth of interactive projectors in North America & Western Europe. Furthermore, Asia-pacific region is expected to grow rapidly during the period of forecast due to increasing consumer awareness, gradual increase in government spending on education sector and development of education sector. However, price will play important role in this price sensitive region.Visit For TOC@Interactive Projector Market: Key PlayersKey players in global interactive projector market are Epson America, Inc., ProVision Technologies, SMART Technologies, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Mitsubishi Electric Visual and Imaging Systems, InFocus Corporation, Sony Electronics Inc., BenQ Corporation, Hitachi, Ltd., Touchjet, Inc. and CASIO AMERICA INC. among others. Key market players are focusing more on application specific requirements in order to increase the market share among different application segments. They are also concentrating more on product development in order to be competitive into market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Spectrophotometers Market Intelligence Study for Comprehensive Insights

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Spectrophotometers are the instruments that send an electromagnetic radiation into the target and measure the resulting interaction of the energy and the target.Spectrometry is a quantitative technique which is used for determination of compounds by measurement of the radiations emitted by an object within a specified electromagnetic spectrum or wavelength. Spectrometry Plays very important role in the chemical analytical industry and Life sciences. Spectrophotometry has a wide range of applications such as Pharmaceutical applications, Food and beverages testing, Biotechnological Testing. Atomic spectrometers generally provide information about elemental composition of samples based on emission of lights and their wavelength determines the characteristics of elements present in that sample. Mass spectrometry plays a pivotal role in the drug discovery and determining unknown compounds, isotopic composition in of elements in a molecule and determine structure of compound.Spectrophotometers Market: Drivers and restraintsSpectrophotometry has used in majority of laboratories for detection of chemicals. The majority of clinical chemistry procedures have been developed to a color end product. Which can be detected to and measured by photometer. Increasing demand for drug discovery and development and bimolecular analysis from life science industry is boosting Spectrometry market. Innovation in spectrometry applications such as environmental and Space applications such as not only understanding solar system but also helped to land a man safely in space are creating demand for spectrometry. Research and Development in pharmaceutical and biotechnological sector is also a great driver of market. Increasing applications of spectrometry devices in toxicology and proteomics and disease marker is contributing wide range of growth in global spectrophotometer market. Spectrophotometers are highly expensive and lack of skilled professionals are the restraints of spectrometry market.Request For Report Sample@Spectrophotometers Market: SegmentationGlobal Spectrophotometer market can be segmented as following typesBy Technology:Molecular Spectrometry:UV-Visible SpectrometryIR- SpectrometryNuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)Near Infrared SpectrometryRaman SpectrometryAtomic Spectrometry:Atomic absorption SpectrometryElemental AnalyzersX- Ray diffraction SpectrometryX-Ray fluorescence SpectrometryInductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission SpectrometryMass Spectrometry:Liquid ChromatographyGas ChromatographyMatrix Assisted Laser DesorptionTriple Quadra pole Liquid ChromatographyQuadra pole Time of flight LiquidInductively Coupled Plasma MassBy Application:Pharmaceutical ApplicationBiotechnological ApplicationsIndustrial ApplicationsSpace ApplicationsEnvironmental ApplicationsSpectrophotometers Market: OverviewSpectrophotometers are having wide range of applications in various categories such as Pharmaceutical drug discovery, Chemical Analysis, Biotechnological Applications. Now a days these spectrometry has creating an innovative applications in space. So these Global Spectrometry market has a tremendous growth rate in forecasting period.Spectrophotometers Market: Region-Wise OutlookDepending upon the geographic regions Spectrophotometer market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia pacific excluding japan, Japan, Middle East and AfricaAdvanced regions like North America and Europe are having high market share due to significant spending power and technological advancement and widening applications in various segments will contributes good market. Asia Pacific countries are anticipated to witness lucrative growth rate in spectrophotometers market.Visit For TOC@Spectrophotometers Market: Key playersSome of the key players in Spectrophotometers market are Agilent Technologies, Bruker Corporation, Perkin Elmer, Inc.ThermoFisher Scientific, Inc., Danher, Inc. Water Corporation, Shimadzu Corporation, Bio Rad Corporation and others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Vertebroplasty And Kyphoplasty Devices Market Intelligence Research Reports for Actionable Insights

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Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty are minimally invasive, image guided surgical procedures performed to treat the Vertebral Compression Fracture (VCF). VCFs can lead to back pain, reduced physical activity, depression, loss of independence, decreased lung capacity, and difficulty sleeping. Bone cement is injected into the back bone (vertebra) to provide support to the broken bone. Due to osteoporosis, vascular malformatins or, less commonly, cancer fractures can be caused in the vertebra. Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty help the patient to regain the functional abilities and avoid further vertebral collapse. Kyphoplasty is an advanced version of Vertebroplasty which can stabilize the fracture, restore heights and reduce deformities.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Drivers & RestraintsVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market is growing due to limitations in the traditional techniques for the treatment of vertebral compression fractures. Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty are advanced procedure which result in pain relief, stabilization of the fracture and avoid Downward spiral of untreated osteoporosis. Due to increase in ageing population, patients suffering from osteoporosis are also increasing.Request For Report Sample@Additional benefits of the surgery which are the key drivers for this market are:Short surgical time. Patient gets discharged in less than one day.General anaesthesia required. No bracing required.Patients can quickly return to the normal activities of daily living.Complications like bleeding, infection post-surgery and chances of occurrence of another fracture are few restraints for the Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: SegmentationVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market is classified on the basis of Surgery type, product type and geography.Based on surgery type, the global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into the following:VertebroplastyKyphoplastyBased on product type, the global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into the following:Vertebroplasty devicesNeedleCement mixing and delivery devicesX- ray DeviceKyphoplasty DevicesBalloonNeedleX- ray DeviceVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: OverviewVertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market is growing due to increased incidence of Vertebral Compression Fractures (VCF) occurring due to increase in the ageing population. VCF is a major issue in the western countries driving the market growth. Overall Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty devices market will grow globally, however the growth rate in Asia Pacific region will be more as compared to European and North American market.Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Region-wise OutlookDepending on geographic regions, global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. North America is the leading region in Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market due to the high volumes of surgical procedures being performed. Also, the availability of established healthcare infrastructure, high contribution of healthcare to economy, patient compliance are the reasons for the high demand in North America. Europe has the second largest Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market due to vast technological advancement in terms of healthcare sector. Asia Pacific market is expected to grow at a good rate as compared to NA and Europe as there is ample market opportunity in countries like India and China.Visit For TOC@Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in global Vertebroplasty & Kyphoplasty Devices market are Depuy Synthes, Stryker Corporation, CareFusion Corporation, Osseon LLC., Alphatec Spine, Inc., TAEYEON MEDICAL Co., Ltd., G-21 s.r.l., BMK Global Medical Company, Medtronic, Inc., Globus Medical, Inc. and SOMATEX to name a few.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market 2017 - Autoliv Inc, Continental Ag, Mobileye NV

Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market

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Apex Research, recently published a detailed market research study focused on the "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market" across the global, regional and country level. The report provides 360 analysis of "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market" from view of manufacturers, regions, product types and end industries. The research report analyses and provides the historical data along with current performance of the global Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) industry, and estimates the future trend of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market on the basis of this detailed study. The study shares "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market" performance both in terms of volume and revenue.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here:Top Manufacturers Analysis of This ReportContinental AgDelphi Automotive PLCRobert Bosch GmbhAisin Seiki Co. Ltd.Autoliv IncDenso CorporationValeoMagna InternationalTrw Automotive Holdings Corp.Hella Kgaa Hueck & Co.Ficosa International S.A.Mobileye NVMando Corp.Texas Instruments Inc.TassinternationaThe market research report explores the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market across the globe along with major regions and countries. The research report provides a detailed study on each and every aspect of "Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) Market". The research report studies the entire value chain from raw material to end user industries. The report also shares import/export statistics along with production and consumption for all major regions and countries. Moreover, the research study classifies the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market based on major product types, application and end users industries of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS). Besides, the report also covers geographical segmentation for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market. The report further provides production, capacity, price per region, gross margin, production cost, for all major regions and countries listed in report.The competitive landscape of the global market for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) is determined by assessing the major industry participants, production capacity, production capacity utilization rate, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market's production chain, pricing by each manufacturer and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market globally.Enquire Before Buying @The worldwide Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) market 2017 is further analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) production volume, data pertaining to demand and Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. The report provides upstream and downstream analysis covering major raw material used in manufacturing of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) along with detailed manufacturing sources. The report also shares list of major raw material manufacturers along with their manufacturing locations. Detailed raw material price trend analysis along with manufacturing cost analysis is also incorporated into the report. Various methodical tools such as investment returns, feasibility, SWOT analysis and market attractiveness analysis has been implemented in the research study to present a comprehensive, detailed study of the industry for Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) across the world.About UsApex Research offer latest market research reports and update to serve you with immediate on-line access to professional insights on global industries, companies, products, and trends. Customers can buys different reports across various categories such as Chemica1l and Material, Biotechnology, Healthcare, Food and beverages, Automobile and various sectors. Our Website offers safe and secure online ordering experience, convenient payment options.Contact UsFrank ValadezBusiness Development Executive| sales@apexresearch.bizPhone: +177390426831155 North Wacker Drive, Suite 4250Chicago, IL 60606
Forecast on Fragrance Product Market for the Period (2015 - 2025)

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Fragrance products make up one of the largest segments in personal care industry and is expected to grow at a double digit CAGR over the forecast period 2015-2025. The global fragrance product market is largely driven by the westernized daily grooming routines and increasing consumer spending on personal care products across the globe.Perfumes and deodorants are the two main categories of fragrance products among which deodorant is the fastest growing segment when compared to the perfumes. Deodorants are cheaper in price in comparison of perfumes and affordable for all category of consumer.Speedily increasing demand of fragrance products by young population is one of the major factor driving growth of the fragrance product market all over the world. Deodorants and perfumes are of utmost importance for young generation especially in female category for daily grooming routines.Request For Report Sample@Global Fragrance Product Market: Drivers and RestraintsVariety of fragrances offered by fragrance product manufacturing companies, innovative technology used in perfume and deodorant bottles, increasing consumer spending on fragrance products, various offers and discounts offered by fragrance product companies and various functional advantages of fragrance products are some of the prime factors that are ballooning the demand for fragrance products. These factors are expected to drive fragrance product market to a great extent during the forecast period.However, skin problems such as skin irritation and darkening of skin, caused by some harmful ingredients used in fragrance products may hamper the demand of perfumes and deodorants. In addition, environmental concern due to parabens that release out of deodorant spray which are responsible for the ozone layer depletion, may act as a restraining factor for the growth of global fragrance product market.Global Fragrance Product Market: Market SegmentationPerfumesDeodorantsThe Fragrance product market is broadly classified into three segments on the basis of demographyMale Fragrance productsFemale Fragrance ProductsUnisex fragrance productsThe Fragrance product market is broadly classified into three segments on the basis of product pricesHighMediumLowGlobal Fragrance Product Market: Regional outlookDepending on geographic regions, global fragrance product market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific, Japan, and Middle East & Africa. Maximum population of developed countries use fragrance products on daily basis and these countries are faring better in global fragrance product market.As of 2014 North America dominated the global fragrance product market followed by Western Europe and both of these regions are lucrative market for fragrance products. Moreover, Asia Pacific region is anticipated to be the fastest growing region during the forecast period owing to the increasing per capita spending power and westernization of the daily grooming routines. Furthermore, young population of growing economies such as India and China is expected to drive the demand for fragrance products in Asia Pacific region.Visit For TOC@Global Fragrance Product Market: Market PlayersThe key players operating in global fragrance market are Lutens Borneo, Eau de Vert Eau de Parfum, Leau Serge Lutens, Clive Christian, LOreal SA, Floris, Coty Inc., Revlon Inc. Eastee Lauder, Aramis, Christian Dior, BulgariS.p. A., Louis Vuitton, Calvin Kelin, LVMH Group, Chanel, Fifth & Pacific Companies, Procter and Gamble, Gucci, Bourjois, Prada. These market players are offering variety of fragrances with multiple advantages in order to get the competitive advantages.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
ATLANTA, Sept. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) will present at RBC Capital Markets 2017 Global Industrials Conference. The presentation will take place Wednesday, September 13, 2017 at 11:25 a.m. local time in Las Vegas.

The presentation will be webcast on Mueller Water Products websitewww.muellerwaterproducts.comand will be archived for approximately 90 days.

About Mueller Water Products

Mueller Water Products, Inc. (NYSE:MWA) is a leading manufacturer and marketer of products and services used in the transmission, distribution and measurement of water in North America. Our broad product and service portfolio includes engineered valves, fire hydrants, metering products and systems, leak detection and pipe condition assessment. We help municipalities increase operational efficiencies, improve customer service and prioritize capital spending, demonstrating why Mueller Water Products is Where Intelligence Meets Infrastructure. For more information about Mueller Water Products, visit www.muellerwaterproducts.com.
Ceiling Lights Market- Detailed Analysis by Regions, Type, Application and Key Players Forecast to 2022

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A new research document with title 'Global Ceiling Lights Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022 ' covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like USA, Europe, Japan, China, India, South East Asia and important players/vendors such as Simon, ALLIGATOR, CREE, THORN . The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2022This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in Ceiling Lights industry.Request a sample report @This report splits Ceiling Lights market By Control Method, By Light Source, By Voltage, By Shade Shape, By Irradiation Area, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesPHILIPS(Netherlands)Panasonic(Japan)OSRAM(Germany)GE(US)Simon(Spain)ALLIGATOR(Germany)CREE(US)THORN(UK)OPPLE(China)NVC(China)TCL(China)FSL(China)PAK(China)AOZZO(China)DELIXI(China)Midea(China)Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersBuy this report @Main Product TypeCeiling Lights Market, by Control MethodSound ControlInduction ControlGeneral Switch ControlIntelligent ControlRemote ControlCeiling Lights Market, by Light SourceLedHalogen Tungsten LampIncandescent LampEnergy saving LampOthers (Fluorescent, High Pressure Sodium Lamp)Ceiling Lights Market, by Voltage 36V37V-110V (Inclusive)111V-240V (Inclusive)241V-380V (Inclusive)> 380VCeiling Lights Market, by Shade ShapeRoundSquareDimensionalRectangleOthersCeiling Lights Market, by Irradiation Area1-5 (Inclusive) Square Meters5-10 (Inclusive) Square Meters10-15 (Inclusive) Square Meters15-30 (Inclusive) Square Meters30 Square Meters or MoreMain ApplicationsFamilyOfficeCultural VenuesGet customization & check discount for report @Table of ContentsGlobal Ceiling Lights Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One Ceiling Lights Market Overview1.1 Global Ceiling Lights Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 Ceiling Lights, By Control Method 2012-20221.2.1 Global Ceiling Lights Sales Market Share by Control Method 2012-20221.2.2 Global Ceiling Lights Revenue Market Share by Control Method 2012-20221.2.3 Global Ceiling Lights Price by Control Method 2012-20221.2.4 Sound Control1.2.5 Induction Control1.2.6 General Switch Control1.2.7 Intelligent Control1.2.8 Remote Control1.3 Ceiling Lights, by Light Source 2012-20221.3.1 Global Ceiling Lights Sales Market Share by Light Source 2012-20221.3.2 Global Ceiling Lights Revenue Market Share by Light Source 2012-20221.3.3 Global Ceiling Lights Price by Light Source 2012-20221.3.4 Led1.3.5 Halogen Tungsten Lamp1.3.6 Incandescent Lamp1.3.7 Energy saving Lamp1.3.8 Others (Fluorescent, High Pressure Sodium Lamp)1.4 Ceiling Lights, by Voltage 2012-20221.4.1 Global Ceiling Lights Sales Market Share by Voltage 2012-20221.4.2 Global Ceiling Lights Revenue Market Share by Voltage 2012-20221.4.3 Global Ceiling Lights Price by Voltage 2012-20221.4.4  36V1.4.5 37V-110V (Inclusive)1.4.6 111V-240V (Inclusive)1.4.7 241V-380V (Inclusive)1.4.8 > 380V1.5 Ceiling Lights, by Shade Shape 2012-20221.5.1 Global Ceiling Lights Sales Market Share by Shade Shape 2012-20221.5.2 Global Ceiling Lights Revenue Market Share by Shade Shape 2012-20221.5.3 Global Ceiling Lights Price by Shade Shape 2012-20221.5.4 Round1.5.5 Square1.5.6 Dimensional1.5.7 Rectangle1.5.8 Others1.6 Ceiling Lights, by Irradiation Area 2012-20221.6.1 Global Ceiling Lights Sales Market Share by Irradiation Area 2012-20221.6.2 Global Ceiling Lights Revenue Market Share by Irradiation Area 2012-20221.6.3 Global Ceiling Lights Price by Irradiation Area 2012-20221.6.4 1-5 (Inclusive) Square Meters1.6.5 5-10 (Inclusive) Square Meters1.6.6 10-15 (Inclusive) Square Meters1.6.7 15-30 (Inclusive) Square Meters1.6.8 30 Square Meters or More....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218
Next Generation Technologies and Solutions for Wireless Communications Market 2017 Global Analysis,Opportunities and Forecasts to 2019

Next Generation Technologies and Solutions for Wireless Communications Market

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Next Generation Technologies and Solutions for Wireless Communications Market 2017 Global Analysis,Opportunities and Forecasts to 2019.Report OverviewNext generation communications will be highly interactive, flexible, and place applications, content, and commerce at the fingertips of the masses in a way that makes smartphones and OTT of today pale in comparison.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comThis report evaluates three key technologies and solutions for next generation service delivery including:WebRTC: Applications, Solutions, and the Future of Real-time CommunicationsHypervoice: Challenges and Opportunities for Value-added Voice ServicesEverything as a Service (XaaS): Leading Solution Areas and Companies Poised for SuccessThis report is a must read for anyone that needs to stay ahead of the curve in terms of market developments that will drive the future of telecommunications.Report Benefits Identify the future of communications Learn about three key technologies impacting telecom Understand the impact of WebRTC, Hypervoice, and Xaas Learn about practical applications and integration of these solutionsReport Audience Cloud Services Companies Mobile Cellular Carriers Wireless Device Manufacturers Wireless Infrastructure Providers Commerce, Content and Application ProvidersComplete Report Details @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1 Introduction 51.1 Executive Summary 62 Overview of OpenSource and WebRTC Technology 82.1 The Evolution of Real-Time Communications 82.1.1 Native Apps versus WebRTC 92.1.2 HTML5 92.1.3 LTE and Media Application in WebRTC 112.1.4 LTE, RCS and WebRTC 132.2 WebRTC Architecture 142.3 WebRTC Functionality 152.3.1 Voice Calling 162.3.2 The Role of Mobile Operators 163 Effect on the Enterprise Applications 213.1 WebRTC Functionality for the Enterprise 213.1.1 WebRTC for Customer Facing Enterprise 223.1.2 In-house licensed Development vs. WebRTC 223.1.3 WebRTC Application and Security 234 WebRTC API 244.1 Session Description Protocol (SDP) 254.2 Open Real-time Communications API (ORCA) 254.3 WebRTC Security 254.4 Chrome 264.5 Firefox 264.5.1 Media Stream (getUserData) 264.6 Hookflash 274.7 MediaStream API 274.7.1 RTCDataChannel API 285 Case Study: Creating WebRTC Application 305.1 Getting Started 305.2 Creating Video Audio Calling 305.3 Using Text 315.4 File Sharing 326 WebRTC Applications 336.1 Use of WebRTC in E-learning 336.2 WebRTC in Corporate Meetings 367 Future of WebRTC 377.1 WebRTC and HTML5 Developments 377.2 WebRTC for the Mobile Applications 407.3 Beyond Voice/Video and Browsers: WebRTC and CDNs 407.4 Hybrid P2P and Server-based CDN 427.5 WebRTC Challenges 437.6 WebRTC Implementation Status 43Continue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comBuy 1-User PDF@ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Disposable Medical Sensors Market Intelligence and Forecast by Future Market Insights

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Disposable medical sensors are portable scanning devices intended for diagnosis, patient monitoring and therapeutic processes. Disposable medical sensors are designed to detect and provide information in the form of electrical signals by converting patients various forms of stimulations. Disposable medical sensors facilitate continuous patient monitoring through the measurement of basic vital signs, for instance heart rate, breathing rate, blood oxygenation level, pulse rate and temperature. Disposable medical sensors are used in different specialties such as cardiology, radiology, general medicine, neurology, ophthalmology, urology and so on. Currently the trend witnessed in the global disposable medical sensors market is the development of products in ablation treatments for cancer, cardiac arrhythmia, point of care diagnosis, pain free glucose monitoring, wireless insulin delivering procedures, etc.Disposable Medical Sensors Market: Drivers and RestraintsDisposable medical sensors market is projected to grow rapidly due to increasing incidence of chronic diseases such as cancer, acute myocardial infarction and diabetes mellitus particularly in geriatric population, as well as increasing number of postoperative rehabilitation patients across the globe. Major drivers for the disposable medical sensors market are technological advancements and increasing innovations in the development of point of care medical sensors for diagnosis and monitoring outside hospitals. At the same time increasing the need of remote patient monitoring and next generation disposable medical sensors such as painless diabetes monitors, wearable wrist watches, etc. are other opportunities to manufacturers. Large number of regulatory approvals for biodegradable sensors are also booming the global disposable medical sensors market. However lack of adequate reimbursement policies for novel technologies and stringent regulatory procedures are the major factors that can hamper the global disposable medical sensors growth over the forecast period.Request For Report Sample@Disposable Medical Sensors Market: SegmentationThe global disposable medical sensors market has been classified on the basis of application, placement type, type of sensors, end user and region.Based on application, the global disposable medical sensors market is segmented into the following:Patient monitoringContinuous Blood Pressure MonitoringImplantable Loop RecorderCardiac Monitoring ElectrodePulse OximeterSmart PillContinuous Blood Glucose MonitoringDiagnosticsCapsule EndoscopesHIV Test Strip SensorsPregnancy Test Strip SensorsDrug And Alcohol Test Strip SensorsBlood Glucose Test Strip SensorsImmunoassay BiosensorsTherapeuticsInsulin Pump SensorsDialysis SensorsCardiac Therapeutic Electrode SensorsCardiac Catheter SensorsBased on Placement Type, the global disposable medical sensors market is segmented into the following:Implantable sensorsInvasive sensorsIngestible sensorsStrip sensorsWearable sensorsBased on Type of Sensors, the global disposable medical sensors market is segmented into the following:BiosensorsAccelerometersImage sensorsPressure sensorsTemperature sensorsMR Position SensorsForce SensorsHumidity SensorsBased on End User, the global disposable medical sensors market is segmented into the following:HospitalsHome CareDiagnostic LaboratoriesClinicsDisposable Medical Sensors Market: OverviewThe United States represents the largest market for disposable medical device sensors in North America, followed by Canada. Europe is expected to be the second largest region in the global disposable medical sensors market. Germany, France, and the U.K. are estimated to account for a major share in the Europe disposable medical sensors market over the forecast period. APAC is anticipated to represent a high growth rate in the next five years. By application type, monitoring devices particularly cardiac pacemakers and blood glucose monitorsare the dominant segment across globe due to high incidences of diabetes and cardiac diseases. The diagnostic strips for HIV test, pregnancy test, blood glucose test and immunological test are anticipated to hold a high collective share in the global disposable medical sensors market. By end use, the hospitals and home care segments are projected to account for around 50% share in the global disposable medical sensors market and the trend is forecast to continue through the forecast period. By placement of sensors type, wearable sensors and strip sensors are estimated to register above average CAGR over the forecast period owing to its affordable price due to miniaturization of equipment.Visit For TOC@Disposable Medical Sensors Market: Key PlayersKey players of Mayo Clinic and Gentag, Sensirion AG, Measurement Specialities, Smiths Medical, ST Microelectronics, Philips Helathcare, Medtronic, Freescale Semiconductor, Inc., GE Healthcare, Analog Devices, Inc., Given Imaging, Honeywell International, Inc. and Coividien, plc. For instance, Gentag Company extended the near field communication (NFC) technology to accomplish remote patient monitoring worldwide. Freescale Semiconductor, Inc is developing lower-cost, semiconductor-based sensors with high sensitivity. The Measurement Specialities is developing customized products to satisfy patient need. Analog Devices, Inc. is collaborating with customers to accelerate the pace of innovation and produce breakthrough solutions for impossible conditions.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Camera Module Market Projected to Grow Steadily During (2015 - 2025)

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In the todays era, camera module market is expanding its roots, now its not only limited to traditional digital camera applications also has other application sectors as medical, security, automotive and others. Camera is among the important parameter for mobile device manufacturers as now the consumers decision to buy the phone depends upon the pixel and type of camera in the mobile phone. There is a very bright future of the camera module market due to rising use of cameras in every sector.Drivers, Trends and Restraints:The rising trend of selfie has led the market players to integrate cameras in almost most of the consumer electronics. Another trend of installing security cameras in commercial and residential places is trending.Request For Report Sample@The major driver of the camera module market is the consumer electronics sector as due to exponential growth in consumer electronics applications due to augmented demand for smartphones, tablets and cameras. The use of 3D image sensors in indoor navigation and advancement in image storing are forthcoming opportunities or this market. The companies are using 3D imaging technology and innovating new products for the camera module market.The advancement in technologies is boosting the market for camera module market as increase in rise of virtual changing rooms and use of cameras embedded in smart mirror especially for medical sector is helping the market to grow.The increasing market of advanced driver assistance system in vehicles is increasing the demand for camera modules market. Machine vision technology is another factor boosting the camera module market as it is helpful in positioning, identification, measurement, verification and in flaw detection in various industries.The high cost and heavy maintenance of camera module restraint the growth of camera module market.Camera Module Market Segmentation:Camera module market is segmented by sensor type, by application, by region. Camera Module Market segmentation by sensor type is done into CMOS camera module and CCD camera module. Camera Module Market Segmentation by application is consumer electronics, automotive, medical and industrial & security and defense & aerospace. On the basis of region global camera module market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.Visit For TOC@Key Players of Global Camera Module Market:The key players of the global Camera module market are Chicony Electronics Co., Ltd, - Foxconn Electronics Inc., Lite-On Technology Corporation, Sharp Corporation, Sunny Optical Technology (Group) Company Limited, Cowell E Holdings Inc., Partron Co., Ltd, Toshiba Corporation, Samsung Electro-Mechanics Co., Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Aerial Work Platforms Market is Projected to Bring in US$ 15.3 Bn Revenues by 2026

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The global aerial work platforms (AWP) market is poised to reach a market value of US$ 15.3 Bn by 2026, expanding at a CAGR of 6.5% over a 10-year forecast period (2016-2026). Global AWP sales are expected to touch 88,622 units by the end of 2016, valued at US$ 8.1 Bn. Increasing sophistication and mechanisation of the global construction industry is likely to boost the demand for aerial work platforms throughout the world. In a new report titled Aerial Work Platforms (AWP) Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, Future Market Insights analyses the market dynamics affecting the global aerial work platforms market and forecasts trends likely to shape this market in the next 10 years.A steady growth of the global aerial work platforms market can be attributed to a booming construction industry, stringent labour laws and government regulations, and strict adherence to human safety concerns. The market is also likely to receive a boost from simple and attractive equipment financing options, a diversified product portfolio offered by manufacturers while meeting the customised demands of AWP buyers, and a rising demand for AWP equipment from the telecommunication and electrical lines maintenance business vertical.Aerial Work Platforms Market Report Overview @Market projections based on segmentationBy Product Type (Boom lifts, Scissor lifts): The boom lifts segment is estimated to account for 42.8% revenue share in the global AWP market by the end of 2016. The scissor lifts segment is estimated to dominate the global AWP market with 57.2% market revenue share by the end of 2016.By Ownership (Rental service providers, End-use industries): The rental service providers segment is expected to create total incremental opportunity of US$ 5.9 Bn between 2016 and 2026. The end-use industries segment is expected to create total incremental opportunity of US$ 1.2 Bn between 2016 and 2026.By Motive Mechanism (Self-propelled, Manually propelled, Vehicle mounted): The self-propelled segment is anticipated to expand at a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period. The manually propelled segment is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 3.7% over the forecast period.The global aerial work platforms (AWP) market is expected to be valued at US$ 15.3 Bn by the end of 2026, increasing at a CAGR of 6.5% during the forecast period. North America is likely to dominate the global AWP market with a 48.3% market revenue share, valued at US$ 3.9 Bn by the end of 2016. In terms of revenue, North America is estimated to account for 45.5% revenue share of the overall AWP market by the end of the forecast period, expanding at a CAGR of 5.9%. The North America and Western Europe markets are collectively likely to account for over two-thirds of the global aerial work platforms market share by the end of 2016. Sales revenue in the APEJ market is poised to increase at the fastest CAGR of 11.7% between 2016 and 2026. China is expected to lead overall market growth in this region.A Sample Report is Available Upon Request @The leading players operating in the global aerial work platforms market are Linamar Corporation, JLG Industries, Inc., MEC Aerial Work Platforms, Terex Corporation, Tadano Ltd., Haulotte Group, Mtandt Limited, V-tech Hydraulics, Zhejiang Dingli Machinery Co. Ltd., and Snorkel International, Inc.Get More Information About this Report @Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Welding Materials Market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 5%

Welding Materials Market

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Synopsis of the Global Welding Materials Market:Market Scenario:The Market for Welding Materials is driven by the increasing demand for such materials from the transportation, manufacturing, and building & construction industries. The market is highly application based and is dominated by demand from the end-use industries. It is used extensively in all the processes that consume steel across various industries.Electrode accounts for the largest share in the Welding Materials Market by type in 2015. The market for electrodes is highly driven by its demand and cost effectiveness across various applications. The trend is expected to be similar by 2022. The market is expected to grow rapidly both in value and volume.Request a Sample Report @Furthermore, Transportation is leading the Welding Market by application due to high demand for Welding Materials from the automobile industry. Welding technology is used in almost every step of automobile manufacturing. The largest and fastest growing region is seen as APAC with increasing consumption of such materials across all the industries. The Global Welding Materials Market is expected to cross USD 16 Billion by 2022. The market is expected to grow at a CAGR of approximately 5% in the forecasted period.Study Objectives of Global Welding Materials Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of various segments and sub-segments of the Global Welding Materials Market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the global Welding Materials market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, APAC, and Rest of the World (ROW) To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segment by Type, Application and by Region. To provide strategic profiling of the key players in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Welding Materials market.Make an Enquiry before buying @Key Players:The key players of Global Welding Materials Market report include- Air Products and Chemicals Inc., Illinois Tools Works Inc., Sandvik AB, Praxair Incorporated, Air Liquide S.A., Colfax Corporation, The Linde Group, Lincoln Electric Holdings, Inc., and Tianjin Bridge Welding Materials Group Co., Ltd.Intended Audience: Welding Materials manufacturers Traders and distributors of Welding Materials Production Process industries Potential investors Raw material suppliers Nationalized laboratoryKey Points from Table of Contents:10. Company Profiles10.1 Air Products and Chemicals Inc.10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financials10.1.3 Product Portfolio10.1.4 Business Strategies10.1.5 Recent Development10.2 Illinois Tools Works Inc.10.2.1 Overview10.2.2 Financials10.2.3 Product Portfolio10.2.4 Business Strategies10.2.5 Recent Development10.3 Sandvik AB10.3.1 Overview10.3.2 Financials10.3.3 Product Portfolio10.3.4 Business Strategies10.3.5 Recent Development10.4 Praxair Incorporated10.4.1 Overview10.4.2 Financials10.4.3 Product Portfolio10.4.4 Business Strategies10.4.5 Recent DevelopmentBrowse Full Report Details @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Baby Vitamin D Drops Market 2017 - Ostelin, Baby Ddrops, Davitamon, Enfamil, Livol, Puria

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report Global Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Market Report 2017 to its huge collection of research reports.The examination uncovered here chronicles a lot of factors in observance with the general Baby Vitamin D Drops market which conveys the present and future desires concerning the dynamically changing forces at play. The basic factor behind the examination is to offer readers with a wide idea of the market and make open the prominent data and records. The specific investigative examination past showing data on issues, for example, drivers, limitations, and projections to research the repercussions of the general Baby Vitamin D Drops market through indicated length in the report. The examination effectively highlights a brief and world class record of the predefined show, which melds a few occasions of the affirmed focuses at work that are concentrated to trigger movement in the market or may cause any negative effect.For more info, get a Sample PDF with TOC:This report additionally stations into the general Baby Vitamin D Drops market by demandingly looking over the pass on and industrialized chain of the continuing on business division. This is required to what's more guide in offering capable information and data on compound parts of the appropriate market, for example, material relating to frameworks for the party in the regular and general strata, pass on and transmission structure, creation compel, mass sold, and great conditions gotten for the contributed mean.The report utilizes two or three demonstrated involved examination and complete operational equipment of the business. They enable the response to retain an uncovered basic evaluation of the general Baby Vitamin D Drops market and help endorser and market troupes to be told with respect to hypothesis and business conclusions. The broad depiction of the report's framework offers a market position on an unmistakable and minute scale. It maddens essential and optional research frameworks in this way. The masters have separated the present situation of the market and created it from the forward and in reverse advancement indicate condition to plot a strategy for the general Baby Vitamin D Drops market in future years.To Get Discount Of This Report Click here @Table of Contents5 Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5.1 Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Value (2012-2017)5.1.1 Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.2 Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)5.1.3 Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)6 Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6.1 Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Value (2012-2017)6.1.1 Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.2 Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)6.1.3 Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)7 Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7.1 Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Value (2012-2017)7.1.1 Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.2 Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2017)7.1.3 Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Price Trend (2012-2017)To Browse a Full Report with TOC:List of Tables and FiguresFigure Global Baby Vitamin D Drops Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure United States Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure China Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Europe Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Japan Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Southeast Asia Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure India Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Volume (K G) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Baby Vitamin D Drops Revenue (Million USD) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Figure Global Market Major Players Baby Vitamin D Drops Sales Volume (K G) (2012-2017)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact usBrooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Web:Email: sales@qyresearchreports.com
Temperature Controlled Pharmaceutical Packaging Solutions Market : Novel Therapies, New Drug Development and Increasing Clinical Trials

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Temperature-controlled packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals are used for packing of highly reactive and temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products such as medicines for treatment of rare diseases and injections.Drivers and TrendsTemperature-controlled packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals market is indirectly related to GDP of various countries across the globe due to their widespread application in storage and transportation of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products. Due to surge in manufacture and supply of temperature-sensitive pharmaceutical products, the TCPSP market is estimated to expand at a CAGR of 9.3% over 20162026, in terms of revenue. With an anticipated increase in manufacturing in North America and APEJ over the next few years, demand for temperature-controlled packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals in the aforementioned regions is expected to increase significantly through 2026.For more information on this report, fill the form @Some major factors driving growth of the global temperature-controlled packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals market are rising focus on reducing wastage of critical biologics, increasing demand for temperature-controlled packaging in developing countries, development of novel therapies, new drug development and increasing clinical trials catapulting demand for cold chain packaging solutions for pharmaceuticals, among others. Major trends identified in the market are outsourcing packing and transportation to avoid complexities, increasing focus on use of reusable packaging containers, increased focus of renting of insulated containers, among others.Market TaxonomyFuture Market Insights, in its report titled, Temperature-controlled Packaging Solutions for Pharmaceuticals Market: Global Industry Analysis and Opportunity Assessment, 20162026, has categorized the TCPSP market into key segments based on product type, application, and region. On the basis of product type segment, the global TCPSP market is divided into four segments: insulated shippers, insulated protective shippers, insulated containers and others. Insulated shippers segment further consist of three sub-segments: panels and envelopes, EPS foam container, fibreboard and PUR. Insulated containers segment is further segmented into chest style and upright style sub-segments. On the basis of application, the global TCPSP market is divided into frozen, chilled, and ambient. On the basis of region, the global TCPSP market is segmented into North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ), Western Europe, Eastern Europe, MEA and Japan.Analysis, by RegionThe TCPSP market in APEJ is expected to expand at a robust CAGR in terms of value during the forecast period. The region is expected to account for a value share of around 22.8% of the global TCPSP market by the end of the 2026. In terms of value, North America is expected to account for a major value share of the global TCPSP market during the forecast period.Browse Market Research Report @Analysis, by Product TypeBy product type, insulated shippers segment in the global TCPSP market is slated to expand at the fastest CAGR during the forecast period in terms of value. Growth of this segment is primarily driven by increase in safety of pharmaceutical products when stored in these boxes, high stability, and ease of transportation. In terms of market value, insulated containers segment is expected to expand at a moderate CAGR during the forecast period.Some of the market players featured in this report are as follows:Sonoco Products CompanyPelican BiothermalSofrigam SA Ltd.CryopakCold Chain TechnologiesEnvirotainer Ltd.va-Q-tec AGInmark PackagingAmerican Aerogel CorporationAbout Future Market InsightsFuture Market Insights is the premier provider of market intelligence and consulting services, serving clients in over 150 countries. FMI is headquartered in London, the global financial capital, and has delivery centres in the U.S. and India.FMIs research and consulting services help businesses around the globe navigate the challenges in a rapidly evolving marketplace with confidence and clarity. Our customised and syndicated market research reports deliver actionable insights that drive sustainable growth. We continuously track emerging trends and events in a broad range of end industries to ensure our clients prepare for the evolving needs of their consumers.Contact FMI3rd Floor, 207 Regent Street,London W1B 3HHUnited KingdomT: + 44 (0) 20 7692 8790D: +44 (0) 20 3287 4268Email:sales@futuremarketinsights.com
Tile Adhesives Market will cross USD 4.5 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of approximately 10%

Tile Adhesive Market

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Market Synopsis of Tile Adhesives Market:The Global Tile Adhesives Market has observed a noteworthy growth over the past decade due to its increasing demand from residential and non-residential properties. It has been projected that the global tile adhesives market will cross USD 4.5 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of approximately 10%. The rising demand of tile adhesives in residential properties has augmented its market across the globe and also there has been a boom in the housing residential construction projects in the major regions of North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific which is one of the major growing factors. Geographically, Asia-Pacific is anticipated to be the leading market followed by North America and Europe. APAC is considered as the fastest growing region where the market would be having ample of opportunities due to existing emerging economies and huge number of ongoing construction projects in China, India, Japan and Indonesia.Request Sample Research Report @Key Players for Tile Adhesives Market:Some of the key players in this market are Ardex Group, Bostik, Terraco, Sika AG, H.B. Fuller, Pidilite Industries, Mapei S.P.A, Laticrete International, Saint-Gobain Weber, Fosroc and among others.Study Objectives of Tile Adhesives Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Tile Adhesives Market. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth. To analyze the Tile adhesives market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to four main geographies and their countries- North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, and RoW. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective. To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by product types, applications and regions. To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global market.Request for Discount @Key Points from Table of Content:10. Company Profiles10.1 Ardex Group10.1.1 Overview10.1.2 Financials10.1.3 Product Portfolio10.1.4 Business Strategies10.1.5 Recent Development10.2 Bostik10.2.1 Overview10.2.2 Financials10.2.3 Product Portfolio10.2.4 Business Strategies10.2.5 Recent Development10.3 Terraco10.3.1 Overview10.3.2 Financials10.3.3 Product Portfolio10.3.4 Business Strategies10.3.5 Recent Development10.4 Sika AG10.4.1 Overview10.4.2 Financials10.4.3 Product Portfolio10.4.4 Business Strategies10.4.5 Recent Development10.5 H.B. Fuller10.5.1 Overview10.5.2 Financials10.5.3 Product Portfolio10.5.4 Business Strategies10.5.5 Recent DevelopmentInquire more about this Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by Components, Application, Logistics and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Market Research FutureOffice No. 524/528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: salesteam@marketresearchfuture.com
Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics Market to reach $35.6 billion by 2022 with CAGR of 7.3%

Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics Market

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A new research document with title 'Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics - Global Market Outlook (2016-2022) covering detailed analysis, Competitive landscape, forecast and strategies. The study covers geographic analysis that includes regions like North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Rest of the World and important players/vendors such as Stryker Corporation, GE Healthcare, Medtronic plc etc. The report will help user gain market insights, future trends and growth prospects for forecast period of 2016-2022.Request a sample report @According to Research, the Global Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics market is accounted for $21.6 billion in 2015 and is expected to reach $35.6 billion by 2022 growing at a CAGR of 7.3% from 2015 to 2022. Factors such as technological advancement, growing aging population, and people suffering from diabetes, increasing health expenditure, hypertension and also increasing tobacco users will boost the market growth. However, factors such as unfavorable reimbursement scenario and high cost of treatments are restraining the market growth.North America commanded the largest market due to technologically advanced equipment for the diagnosis and improved healthcare infrastructure in this region. Asia Pacific is anticipated to witness fastest growth rate during the forecast period due to ongoing R&D activities for drug discovery and development and increasing government initiative in funding.Some of the key players in global Stroke Diagnostics and Therapeutics market are Abbott Laboratories, Siemens AG, Stryker Corporation, GE Healthcare, Medtronic plc, Cordis Corporation, Genentech Inc., Boston Scientific Corporation, Coaxia Inc and Philips Healthcare.Types Covered: Diagnosticso Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)o Computed Tomography Scan (CT scan)o Electrocardiographyo Carotid Ultrasoundo Others Therapeuticso Tissue Plasminogen Activatoro Antiplateleto Antihypertensiveo AnticoagulantApplications Covered: Haemorrhagic Stroke Ischemic StrokeBuy this report @Regions Covered: North Americao USo Canadao Mexico Europeo Germanyo Franceo Italyo UKo Spaino Rest of Europe Asia Pacifico Japano Chinao Indiao Australiao New Zealando Rest of Asia Pacific Rest of the Worldo Middle Easto Brazilo Argentinao South Africao EgyptWhat our report offers:- Market share assessments for the regional and country level segments- Market share analysis of the top industry players- Strategic recommendations for the new entrants- Market forecasts for a minimum of 7 years of all the mentioned segments, sub segments and the regional markets- Market Trends (Drivers, Constraints, Opportunities, Threats, Challenges, Investment Opportunities, and recommendations)- Strategic recommendations in key business segments based on the market estimations- Competitive landscaping mapping the key common trends- Company profiling with detailed strategies, financials, and recent developments- Supply chain trends mapping the latest technological advancementsGet customization & check discount for report @1 Executive Summary2 Preface2.1 Abstract2.2 Stake Holders2.3 Research Scope2.4 Research Methodology2.4.1 Data Mining2.4.2 Data Analysis2.4.3 Data Validation2.4.4 Research Approach2.5 Research Sources2.5.1 Primary Research Sources2.5.2 Secondary Research Sources2.5.3 Assumptions3 Market Trend Analysis3.1 Introduction3.2 Drivers3.3 Restraints3.4 Opportunities3.5 Threats3.6 Application Analysis3.7 Emerging Markets3.8 Futuristic Market Scenario4 Porters Five Force Analysis4.1 Bargaining power of suppliers4.2 Bargaining power of buyers4.3 Threat of substitutes4.4 Threat of new entrants4.5 Competitive rivalry....ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @Thanks for reading this article, you can also get individual chapter wise section or region wise report version like North America, Europe or Asia.HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact Us:HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road, Edison, NJ USA - 08837sales@htfmarketreport.comPh: +1 (206) 317 1218
BURNABY, British Columbia, Sept. 06, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Pacific Blue Cross broke the law when it indefinitely postponed the PBC Societys annual general meetingdue no later than this monthbecause of an ongoing labour dispute, claims a petition filed today at the Supreme Court of British Columbia.



The petition, filed by the Vancouver legal firm McGrady & Company on behalf of two PBC members, argues that it is contrary to the Societies Act and against the law to indefinitely defer the PBC Societys AGM. The petition, asking that the time limit provisions for holding the meeting be suspended, calls for the AGM to be held within 30 days of the petition being heard.



This petition makes clear that the only reason PBC took this extraordinary step was so that its current board of directors would not have to be held accountablenor, indeed, would the PBC leadership groupfor the consequences of the labour dispute with CUPE Local 1816, said CUPE BC President Paul Faoro.

PBC must not be allowed to circumvent the democratic process of its own society in order to shirk its responsibilities. This deferment has only enabled the current Board and leadership group to avoid reporting to members or providing important information on bargaining, and avoid criticism or having to adopt alternate courses of action at the members direction.

Section 71(1) of the Societies Act includes a bylaw stating that a Society must hold its AGM once every calendar year and no more than 15 months apart. The next AGM for the PBC Society was due on September 22.

Pacific Blue Cross cancelled the September meeting only one day after one of the petitioners, Andrew Healey, mailed to the PBC Health Benefits Society special resolutions calling for the removal of seven directors from the board.

CONTACT:

Paul Faoro, President of CUPE BC: (604) 202-1829

James Richardson, CUPE Servicing Representative: (604) 831-6210

Dan Gawthrop, CUPE Communications Representative: (604) 999-6132
Global Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) Market 2017 by Key Players - Apriso, Wonderware, Schneider, Iconics, Rockwell

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Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry research report provides the newest market data and industry future trends, allowing you to identify the products and end users driving Revenue growth and profitability also lists the leading competitors and provides the insights strategic industry Analysis of the key factors influencing the industry.Download Free Sample Report @The Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. Furthermore, the extensive primary and secondary research data with which the report has been composed helps deliver the key statistical forecasts, in terms of both revenue and volume. In addition to this, the trends and revenue analysis of the global Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry has been mentioned in this report. A detailed segmentation evaluation of the Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry has been provided in the report. Detailed information about the key segments of the market and their growth prospects are available in the report.The Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry in the globe is examined on the basis of pricing of the products, total volume produced, the dynamics of demand and supply and the revenue generated by the products. Various analytical tools such as investment return, feasibility and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the report to provide a comprehensive picture of the global Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry.Access Full Report @The regional markets for the global Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) market are examined by analyzing the pricing of products in the region compared to the profit generated. The production capacity, demand and supply, logistics and the historical performance of the market in the given region is also evaluated in this market report.The findings of this Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) report will prove valuable in formulating new market entry plans, financial models and competition tracking. The Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) industry research study has been composed using key inputs from industry experts. This will give a clear perspective to the readers how the Enterprise Manufacturing Intelligence(EMI) market will fare globally.About Fior MarketsFior Markets is a leading market intelligence company that sells reports of top publishers in the technology industry.Our extensive research reports cover detailed market assessments that include major technological improvements in the industry. Fior Markets also specializes in analyzing hi-tech systems and current processing systems in its expertise.We have a team of experts that compile precise research reports and actively advise top companies to improve their existing processes. Our experts have extensive experience in the topics that they cover.Fior Markets provides you the full spectrum of services related to market research, and corroborate with the clients to increase the revenue stream, and address process gaps.Contact UsMark StoneSales ManagerOffice-102, Sanskriti AspirationsBaner Road, Pune,MH 411045IndiaPhone: (201) 465-4211Email: sales@fiormarkets.comWeb:Blog:
Global Tele-Care Medical Equipment Market 2017- Dragerwerk, GE Healthcare, Medtronic, Inc, Mindray Medical, Nihon Kohden

Tele-Care Medical Equipment Market

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Global Tele-Care Medical Equipment Market 2017 Survival Strategies explore Economic Impact in Global Industries Manufactures, Growth, Size, Share, Trends, Development Challenges and Opportunities till 2022A Research study on " Global Tele-Care Medical Equipment Market 2017-2022 " represent the market share and size of Tele-Care Medical Equipment in international Industry. MRS Research Group added latest market research report by QY Research. Research Report provides an essential information and statistically evaluated data about the Tele-Care Medical Equipment. The research report provides a detailed study of the Tele-Care Medical Equipment market, enlightening the major areas such as future market scenario, market growth factors, market growth restraints, and others. The advanced technological trends and various new opportunities are also provided in this research report.Research Report Analysis by Important Manufacturers in Global Market Include:Biotronik SE & Co KG, Boston Scientific Corporation, CAS Medical Systems, CONTEC MEDICAL, Dragerwerk, GE Healthcare, Guangdong Biolight Meditech, Medtronic, Inc, Mindray Medical, Nihon Kohden, Philips Healthcare, Spacelabs Healthcare, St Jude Medical, IncGet Free Sample Copy Of Report @The research report provides the Tele-Care Medical Equipment markets classification in detail. The Tele-Care Medical Equipment market is bifurcated into a number of segments on the basis of materials,types,applications,and end-users. The geographical analysis of the global Tele-Care Medical Equipment market is also coveredin the report. The vital information mentioned in the research report helps in significantly predicting the future scope of the global market.The various segmentation of the global market is based on the overall product profit, costing, global market growth, and manufacturing processes. The report covers a region-wise analysis which provides the customer with different market studies that give a detailed analysis of the product and its impact on the global market. The Tele-Care Medical Equipment report also highlights the growth statistics depending on the supply and demand in the different regions.Read Complete Report with TOC @The Tele-Care Medical Equipment report covers the precisely studied and evaluated data of the global market players and their scope in the market using a number of analytical tools. The analytical tools such asinvestment return analysies, SWOT analysis and feasibility studyare used to analyze the keyglobal market players growth in the Tele-Care Medical Equipment industry.Abou Us: MRS Research Group provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Prof Research cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Joel John3422 SW 15 Street,Suit #8138Deerfield Beach,Florida 33442United StatesToll Free : +1-855-465-4651 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-386-310-3803Email: sales@mrsresearchgroup.com
Ferrochrome Market by Manufacturers, States, Type and Application- United States Forecast to 2022

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HTF Market Intelligence released a new research report of 119 pages on title 'United States Ferrochrome Market by Manufacturers, States, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022' with detailed analysis, forecast and strategies. The study covers key regions that includes California, Texas, New York, Florida, Illinois and important players such as Hernic Ferrochrome, IFM, FACOR, Mintal Group ..................Ferrochrome also called ferro chrome, or charge chrome, is a type of chromium and iron alloy, it is an essential ingredient in producing stainless and specialty steels.Request a sample report @Scope of the Report:This report focuses on the Ferrochrome in United States market, to split the market based on manufacturers, states, type and application.Market Segment by Manufacturers, this report coversGlencore-MerafeEurasian Resources GroupSamancor ChromeHernic FerrochromeIFMFACORMintal GroupTata SteelIMFAShanxi Jiang County MinmetalJilin Ferro AlloysEhui GroupOutokumpuMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisMarket Segment by Type, coversHigh Carbon TypeLow Carbon TypeOtherMarket Segment by Applications, can be divided intoStainless steelEngineering & alloy steelOtherBuy this report @There are 17 Chapters to deeply display the United States Ferrochrome market.Chapter 1, to describe Ferrochrome Introduction, product type and application, market overview, market analysis by States, market opportunities, market risk, market driving force;Chapter 2, to analyze the manufacturers of Ferrochrome, with profile, main business, news, sales, price, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 3, to display the competitive situation among the top manufacturers, with sales, revenue and market share in 2016 and 2017;Chapter 4, to show the United States market by States, covering California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida, with sales, price, revenue and market share of Ferrochrome, for each state, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 5 and 6, to show the market by type and application, with sales, price, revenue, market share and growth rate by type, application, from 2012 to 2017;Chapter 7, 8, 9, 10 and 11, to analyze the key States by Type and Application, covering California, New York, Texas, Illinois and Florida, with sales, revenue and market share by types and applications;Chapter 12, Ferrochrome market forecast, by States, type and application, with sales, price, revenue and growth rate forecast, from 2017 to 2022;Chapter 13, to analyze the manufacturing cost, key raw materials and manufacturing process etc.Chapter 14, to analyze the industrial chain, sourcing strategy and downstream end users (buyers);Chapter 15, to describe sales channel, distributors, traders, dealers etc.Chapter 16 and 17, to describe Ferrochrome Research Findings and Conclusion, Appendix, methodology and data source.Make an enquiry before buying this Report @Table of Contents1 Market Overview1.1 Ferrochrome Introduction1.2 Market Analysis by Type1.2.1 High Carbon Type1.2.2 Low Carbon Type1.2.3 Other1.3 Market Analysis by Applications1.3.1 Stainless steel1.3.2 Engineering & alloy steel1.3.3 Other1.4 Market Analysis by States1.4.1 California Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.2 Texas Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 New York Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 Florida Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Illinois Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Market Dynamics1.5.1 Market Opportunities1.5.2 Market Risk1.5.3 Market Driving Force......ContinuedView Detailed Table of Content @HTF Market Report is a wholly owned brand of HTF market Intelligence Consulting Private Limited. HTF Market Report global research and market intelligence consulting organization is uniquely positioned to not only identify growth opportunities but to also empower and inspire you to create visionary growth strategies for futures, enabled by our extraordinary depth and breadth of thought leadership, research, tools, events and experience that assist you for making goals into a reality. Our understanding of the interplay between industry convergence, Mega Trends, technologies and market trends provides our clients with new business models and expansion opportunities. We are focused on identifying the Accurate Forecast in every industry we cover so our clients can reap the benefits of being early market entrants and can accomplish their Goals & Objectives.Contact US :Craig Francis (PR & Marketing Manager)HTF Market Intelligence Consulting Private LimitedUnit No. 429, Parsonage Road Edison, NJNew Jersey USA  08837sales@htfmarketreport.com+1 (206) 317 1218
Global Bioreactors and Fermenters Market 2017: Sartorius AG BBI, Merck KGaA and Thermo Fisher

Global Bioreactors and Fermenters Market

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The report 2017 Global Bioreactors and Fermenters Market principally highlights thoughtful facts and intelligence of Bioreactors and Fermenters market along with prevailing and upcoming market trends during the forecast period from 2017 to 2022. It also executes the comprehensive study of cost, current geographical zones, technology, demand-supply and the consequences it would have on the market growth of Bioreactors and Fermenters industry.The graph of Bioreactors and Fermenters industry will show increase growth rate within next five years which will, in turn, lead to the conclusive outlook of future for various marketing players considering the profit chain of Bioreactors and Fermenters market. The report also performs in-depth analysis and appraisal of Bioreactors and Fermenters industry that will embellish consumers to have a considerable share in the Bioreactors and Fermenters market.Do Inquiry Before Buying Report at:The report wraps major countries involved in Bioreactors and Fermenters market. It also imparts effective study on various sections of Bioreactors and Fermenters market such as opportunities and market arrangement of top leading players.The global Bioreactors and Fermenters market is well- organized according to leading players/manufacturers, geographical zones, applications and product types. Thorough analysis for each category is provided in the report along with its forecast period and market volume. Analyzing each category helps investors to gain knowledge about the particular market for a particular area.Bioreactors and Fermenters market analysis based on leading market players:*Sartorius AG ?BBI?*Thermo Fisher*Merck KGaA*GE Healthcare*Danaher (Pall)*Eppendorf AG*Praj Hipurity Systems*Pierre Guerin (DCI-Biolafitte)*ZETA*Applikon Biotechnology*Bioengineering AG*Infors HT*Solaris*OtherBioreactors and Fermenters Report SegmentationBioreactors and Fermenters market analysis based on geographical zones:1. North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)2. Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Korea)3. Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Russia etc.4. South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina)5. Middle East and Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia)Bioreactors and Fermenters market analysis based on applications:*Biopharmaceutical Companies*CROs*Academic and Research Institutes*OthersBioreactors and Fermenters market analysis based on product types:*Single-use Bioreactors*Multiple-use BioreactorsThe report highlights the efforts taken by survey team to analyze discrete various system accommodations, vendors, dealers and business associates will get benefitted with this report.Get Sample Copy Of Report at:The report also covers profiles of the key Bioreactors and Fermenters vendors in the global market along with their financial survey, market winning tactics, newfangled developments and product offerings in the global Bioreactors and Fermenters market.Hence, this report will helpful for Bioreactors and Fermenters vendors, system integrators, and related business partners to recognize key investment regions and define their strategies.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4,Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns,Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Welding Consumables Market will Account for Around US$ 8,295.4 Mn by the end of 2026

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The extensive use of arc welding and oxy-fuel welding processes in the manufacturing of automobiles and machinery has generated considerable demand for flux and filler metals as welding consumables. As a result, the global market for welding consumables is expected to witness a significant growth in 2016, reaching the market value of US$ 11,835.8 Mn at a y-o-y growth rate of 5.4% over 2015. Furthermore, the global demand for welding consumables will also be influenced by the rising trend of automating welding processes in automobile and construction industries.The lack of skilled labour for fabrication welding processes is expected to trigger the need for welding automation technology and generate mounting demand for welding consumables. The growth of the global welding consumables market is also expected to be driven by the rapid industrialisation, the surging real estate sector and the rising number of end-use welding applications. On the contrary, the stagnant adoption levels of advanced welding technologies in developing countries is anticipated to curb the overall growth of the global welding consumable market.Welding Consumables Market Report Overview @Based on the type of welding consumables, the global market is anticipating a stellar growth by the stick electrodes consumables. The stick electrode segment will continue the dominance in terms of the global market share and account for over 40% by the end of 2016. However, the segment is expect to contend with stiff competition from flux-cored wires and solid wires due to their cost-effectiveness.Based on the welding techniques, the arc welding segment will continue to dominate the global market and account for US$ 8,256.4 Mn revenues by 2016-end. On the other hand, the booming automotive industry and the growing production of multipart machineries will incite the use of resistance welding and oxy-fuel welding in 2016 and beyond.By applications, the use of welding consumables will be elevated in the building & construction industries and the automotive& transportation sector. Also, the soaring consumption of welding consumables in marine applications is anticipated to develop additional growth opportunities for the global welding consumables market.A Sample Report is Available Upon Request @In 2016, Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) is projected to be the most lucrative region for the growth of the global welding consumables market and will exhibit more than 30% of the global market share. The booming real estate sector in APEJ countries such as China and India will drive the demand for welding consumables in the construction industries. North America and Latin America are also expected to favour the growth of the welding consumables market, owing to the rising adoption of advanced welding technologies in manufacturing industries.The increasing need for automating the welding processes has influenced the business expansion of major welding consumable manufacturers. Hyundai Welding Co., Panasonic Corporation, Fronius International GmbH, The Lincoln Electric Company, Denyo Co. Ltd., Kemppi Oy, Tianjin Bridge Welding Materials Co. Ltd., Colfax Corporation, Air Liquide, voestalpine AG, Arcon Welding Equipment, and Illinois Tool Works Inc., among others, represent the key players of the global market for welding consumables.Long-term Outlook: In terms of market value, the global welding consumables market is forecasted to register a 5.5% CAGR and generate absolute $ opportunity of US$ 8,295.4 Mn during the forecast period 2016-2026. APEJ region will continue to be the most lucrative region, expanding at a CAGR of 6.7% over the forecast period.Get More Information About this Report @Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Retailing in Austria Market 2017- Revenue, Price and Gross Margin Research Report 2017

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Service Station Retailing in Austria."Service Station Retailing in Austria 2017", a Sector Report by provides an executive-level overview of the Austrian service station market today, with values and volumes up to 2017. It delivers quantitative and qualitative insight into the fuel market, based on in depth interviews with major fuel operators across Europe and proprietary data from service station retail databases. It provides: National Fuel Volumes (2012 to 2022e) and Values. Breakdown of the top five fuel retailers shop, car wash, company owned, motorway and unmanned sites. Company Fuel Volumes, Values and Market Shares. Major competitor analysis by country.Total fuel consumption in Austria declined by 0.8% in 2016 compared to the previous year. OMV has the largest service station network, at 319 sites, amounting to 11.9% of the national network. The top five retailers in Austria made up 74.0% of service station shop sites in 2016, with OMV representing over 20.4% of all sites. 43.8% of service stations in Austria feature a car wash.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Total fuel consumption in Austria declined by 0.8% in 2016 compared to the previous year.- OMV has the largest service station network, at 319 sites, amounting to 11.9% of the national network.- The top five retailers in Austria made up 74.0% of service station shop sites in 2016, with OMV representing over 20.4% of all sites. 43.8% of service stations in Austria feature a car wash.Key points to buy- Identify who are the top five players in Austria and how many fuel outlets, motorway & unmanned sites, shops & car wash they have.- Plan effect market strategies by uncovering market share and average fuel throughput per site of the top five players in the market.- Understand how the service station network evolving and which players are opening new outlets as well as incresing forecourt shops and car washes.- Identify what strategies the key players have across their fuel and non- fuel offerings in terms of products sold, branding, promotions, partnerships and suppliers used.Table of ContentsService Station Competitor OverviewService Station Market OverviewCompetitor ranking in 2015 compared to 2016Market SizeService Station Shop NetworkService Station Car Wash NetworkAppendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
Global Artificial Intelligence Software Market is Anticipated to Show the Robust Growth During 2017-2022

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Market Study Report Add New Global Artificial Intelligence Software Market Size, Status and Forecast 2022 to its research database. The report presents a deep study of the market growth factors and drivers. The report spread across 90 pages with table and figures in it.The research report analyzes the global Artificial Intelligence Software market in an inclusive method by clarifying the key aspects of the market that are expected to have a measurable influence on its developmental prospects during the forecast period. This report focused on the primary and secondary market research methodologies which will further help organizations for making effective decision.Get Sample Copy on this Report:This report includes massive data relating to the product or technological developments observed in the market, complete with an analysis of the impact of these advancements on the markets future development. Moreover, the report presents a 360-degree overview and SWOT analysis of the competitive Global Artificial Intelligence Software market has been carried out. This report analysis will help organizations understand the major threat and opportunities that vendors have to deal in the market.The report also presents a thorough qualitative and quantitative data pertaining to the projected impact of these factors on markets future growth prospects. With the inclusive market data concerning the key elements and segments of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market that can influence the growth prospects of the market, the report makes for a highly informative document. The report also identifies United States, EU, Japan, China, India, Southeast Asia as the prime regional markets for this market across the world.In this report data of the top performing companies, geographical regions, as well as segments, can be obtained. A clear idea has been provided about the market growth during the forecast period. Furthermore, the major attracting drivers, challenges, and trends influencing the global Artificial Intelligence Software market are examined at length. This report focuses on the top players in global market, like H2O, Braina, nanoRep, Reach Accountant, IPsoft, A.L.I.C.E. AI Foundation, Ada Support, Astute Solutions, Axonize, Ideal.Get Discount on this Report:The report on the Global Artificial Intelligence Software market is an accurate piece of work and is collated by conducting both primary as well as secondary research. The top segments of the market have been highlighted in this report. These segments have been presented by giving information on their current and predicted state by the end of the forecast horizon. This information helps the upcoming players to gauge the investment scope within the segments and sub-segments of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market.Market segment by Type, Artificial Intelligence Software can be split into Deep Learning, Robotics, Digital Personal Assistant, Querying Method, Natural Language Processing, Context Aware Processing.Market segment by Application, Artificial Intelligence Software can be split into Retail, Transportation, Automation, Manufacturing, Others.The geographical segmentation of the global Artificial Intelligence Software market entails the dominant regions in the market during the forecast period. Information on the region leading this market and the reasons for the dominance of this region are also some of the aspects highlighted under this section of the report. The competitive landscape section of the report presents the major vendors operating in the global Artificial Intelligence Software market. These vendors are analyzed based on attributes such as their product profile, product introductions, and contact information. Analysis tools such as Porters five forces analysis and SWOT analysis have also been utilized for analyzing the market data.Related Report:North America Artificial intelligence (AI) Market by Manufacturers, Countries, Type and Application, Forecast to 2022Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence exhibited by machines. In computer science, an ideal "intelligent" machine is a flexible rational agent that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its chance of success at some goal. Colloquially, the term "artificial intelligence" is applied when a machine mimics "cognitive" functions that humans associate with other human minds, such as "learning" and "problem solving.About Us:Marketstudyreport.com allows you to manage and control all corporate research purchases to consolidate billing and vendor management. You can eliminate duplicate purchases and customize your content and license management.Contact Us:Market Study ReportThe Green Suite #4594,Dover, DE 19901United StatesPhone: 1-201-355-0868US Toll Free: 1-866-764-2150Email: sales@marketstudyreport.comWebsite:News:
Halal Cosmetic Products 2017 Global Market Size, Sales, Supply, Demand, Growth and Top Key Players Analysis

Halal Cosmetic Products Market

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Halal Cosmetic Products Market 2017Executive SummaryGlobal Halal Cosmetic Products market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAmara CosmeticsIBA Halal CareClara InternationalKose (M) Sdn. BhdInikaWardah CosmeticsSampure MineralsOne PureMENA CosmeticsHalal Cosmetics CompanyRequest a Sample Report @Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Halal Cosmetic Products in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoSkincareHaircareColor CosmeticsFragrancesSoaps & Shower GelsOtherOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Halal Cosmetic Products for each application, includingHyper Markets/Super MarketsInternet RetailingDirect SellingSpecialty StoresOtherComplete Report Details @Table of Contents Analysis of Key Points1 Halal Cosmetic Products Market Overview2 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Market Competition by Manufacturers3 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-17)4 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)5 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Production, Revenue (Value), Price Trend by Type6 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Market Analysis by Application7 Global Halal Cosmetic Products Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Amara Cosmetics7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Halal Cosmetic Products Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Amara Cosmetics Halal Cosmetic Products Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 IBA Halal Care7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Halal Cosmetic Products Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 IBA Halal Care Halal Cosmetic Products Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Clara International7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Halal Cosmetic Products Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Clara International Halal Cosmetic Products Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Kose (M) Sdn. Bhd7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 Halal Cosmetic Products Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Kose (M) Sdn. Bhd Halal Cosmetic Products Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Inika7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 Halal Cosmetic Products Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B....ContinuedBuy Now @Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.WISE GUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, HadapsarPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
Global Healthcare Workforce Management System Market 2017 : Oracle, GE Healthcare (Api Healthcare), Kronos and Infor

Global Healthcare Workforce Management System Market

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The report 2017 Global Healthcare Workforce Management System Market principally highlights thoughtful facts and intelligence of Healthcare Workforce Management System market along with prevailing and upcoming market trends during the forecast period from 2017 to 2022. It also executes the comprehensive study of cost, current geographical zones, technology, demand-supply and the consequences it would have on the market growth of Healthcare Workforce Management System industry.The graph of Healthcare Workforce Management System industry will show increase growth rate within next five years which will, in turn, lead to the conclusive outlook of future for various marketing players considering the profit chain of Healthcare Workforce Management System market. The report also performs in-depth analysis and appraisal of Healthcare Workforce Management System industry that will embellish consumers to have a considerable share in the Healthcare Workforce Management System market.Do Inquiry Before Buying Report at:The report wraps major countries involved in Healthcare Workforce Management System market. It also imparts effective study on various sections of Healthcare Workforce Management System market such as opportunities and market arrangement of top leading players.The global Healthcare Workforce Management System market is well- organized according to leading players/manufacturers, geographical zones, applications and product types. Thorough analysis for each category is provided in the report along with its forecast period and market volume. Analyzing each category helps investors to gain knowledge about the particular market for a particular area.Healthcare Workforce Management System market analysis based on leading market players:*Kronos*Infor*Oracle*GE Healthcare (Api Healthcare)*McKesson*Allocate Software*SAP*Cornerstone Ondemand*Workday*TimewareHealthcare Workforce Management System Report SegmentationHealthcare Workforce Management System market analysis based on geographical zones:1. North America (United States, Canada and Mexico)2. Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Southeast Asia, India and Korea)3. Europe (Germany, UK, France, Italy and Russia etc.4. South America (Brazil, Chile, Peru and Argentina)5. Middle East and Africa (Egypt, South Africa, Saudi Arabia)Healthcare Workforce Management System market analysis based on applications:*Payroll*Staffing and Scheduling*Time and Attendance*Patient Classification*AnalyticsHealthcare Workforce Management System market analysis based on product types:*Software*Hardware*ServiceThe report highlights the efforts taken by survey team to analyze discrete various system accommodations, vendors, dealers and business associates will get benefitted with this report.Get Sample Copy Of Report at:The report also covers profiles of the key Healthcare Workforce Management System vendors in the global market along with their financial survey, market winning tactics, newfangled developments and product offerings in the global Healthcare Workforce Management System market.Hence, this report will helpful for Healthcare Workforce Management System vendors, system integrators, and related business partners to recognize key investment regions and define their strategies.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the worlds most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4,Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns,Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Smartphone 2017 Global Market to Reach US$ 698.4 billion and Growing at CAGR of 11.2% by 2020

Smartphone Market 2017

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Smartphone 2017 Global Market to Reach US$ 698.4 billion and Growing at CAGR of 11.2% by 2020.The global smart-phone market is expected to reach USD 698.4 billion by 2020, with a CAGR of 11.2%. The global smart-phone market is dominated by Asia-Pacific region with 40.7% market share, followed by Europe with 32.2% market share. Global smart-phone shipment is expected to reach 2,968.9 million units by 2020.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comSo far, increasing usage of mobile internet and services in major European and Asian countries such as UK, Germany, India, China, Indonesia and South Korea is driving the growth of global smart-phone market. In addition, fall in average selling price of smart-phones is expected to fuel the growth of the market over the forecast period. However, decreasing demand of smart-phones in matured countries such as Japan and U.S. is expected to hinder the growth of smart-phone market to some extent from 2014 through 2020.Smart-phone providers have been following price differentiation as their key market strategy to outperform their competitors. Some of the major players in global smart-phone market include Samsung Electronics Company Ltd., Apple Inc., Sony Corporation, Nokia Oyj, Micromax Informatics Ltd., LG Electronics Inc., Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd., OPPO Electronics Corp., Beijing Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. and Lenovo Group Ltd among others. Among all the key players, Samsung Electronics, Nokia Oyj, Apple Inc., Xiaomi Technology Co. Ltd. and LG Electronics Inc. collectively accounted for more than 50% of overall market share in 2013.Complete Report Details @Table Of Contents  Major Key Points1. Abstract1.1. Executive Summary1.2. Scope of the Report1.3. Market Research Methodology2. Market Landscape2.1. Market Overview2.2. Market Growth Drivers and Restraints2.3. Market trends3. Market Size and Forecast by Revenue3.1. Market Size and Forecast by Volume3.2. Porters Five Forces Analysis4. Competitive landscape4.1. Value chain Analysis5. Market Size and Forecast5.1. Global Smart-phone Market by Operating System5.2. Android Global Smart-phone Market5.3. iOS Global Smart-phone Market5.4. Windows Global Smart-phone Market5.5. Others Global Smart-phone Market6. Global Smart-phone Market by Screen Size6.1. Less than 4 inches Smart-phone6.2. 4 to 5 inches Smart-phone6.3. Above 5 inches Smart-phone7. Global Smart-phone Market by Display Technology7.1. LCD Technology7.2. OLED Display7.3. Other Display Technologies8. Global Smart-phone Market by Regions8.1. North America Smart-phone Market8.2. Europe Smart-phone Market8.3. Asia-Pacific Smart-phone Market8.4. Middle-East and Africa Smart-phone Market8.5. Latin America Smart-phone MarketContinue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comBuy 1-User PDF@ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Sydney, Australia, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Heron Resources Limited (ASX:HRR TSX:HER, Heron or the Company) is pleased to announce the successful completion of its A$141 million1 Equity Funding as part of the full A$240 million total Woodlawn development funding package announced to the ASX & TSX on Friday, 30 June 2017.

Highlights

Woodlawn is fully funded through construction and ramp-up

Global mining and private equity cornerstone investors Greenstone, Orion and Castlelake, on behalf of funds it manages, secure strategic shareholdings

Institutional placement heavily oversubscribed and supported by a number of high quality existing and new institutional investors

Full A$5 million raised from the Share Purchase Plan through take-up by existing shareholders and placement of shortfall

Progressing the remaining conditions precedent for the US$60 million senior debt facility and US$16 million silver prepayment facility

Orions Peter Rozenauers and Castlelakes Ricardo De Armas to be welcomed to the Board as Non-executive Directors

Heron on track for first production targeted late 2018 / early 2019

The Equity Funding comprises a A$104 million1 Cornerstone Investor Placement to Greenstone Resources LP and co-investors, Orion Mine Finance Group (Orion) and Castlelake LP (Castleake), on behalf of funds it manages, as well as a A$32 million Institutional Placement. The Equity Funding Package also includes a A$5 million Share Purchase Plan of which approximately A$3.48 million was subscribed for by existing Heron shareholders with the shortfall balance of approximately A$1.52 million subsequently placed to various investors.

A total of approximately 2,001 million shares were issued pursuant to the Equity Funding at an issue price of $0.07 per share which rank equally with existing shares on issue.

The other components to the full Woodlawn development funding package include the US$60M senior debt facility and the US$16M silver prepayment facility (combined A$100 million1), both being provided by Orion. The Company is working through the remaining conditions precedent to these facilities which include, the establishment of the underground mining and port facility contracts, an independent engineers report covering the costs to completion, and other customary requirements for facilities of this nature. The Company expects to have these completed well prior to the requirement to draw on these funds and in the case of the silver prepayment this is expected to be drawn at the end of 2017, with the senior debt facility being drawn during the first half of 2018.

In conjunction with completion of the Equity Funding, in the next few days Heron will welcome Orions nominee director, Mr Peter Rozenauers, and Castlelakes nominee director, Mr Ricardo De Armas, to the Heron Board as Non-executive Directors.

About Heron Resources Limited

Heron is engaged in the development of base and precious metal deposits in Australia. Herons primary development project is the high-grade Woodlawn Zinc-Copper Project located 250km southwest of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.





[1] Assumes exchange rate of AUD/USD 0.76 as per announcement on 30 June 2017





CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING INFORMATION



This report contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws, which are based on expectations, estimates and projections as of the date of this report. This forward-looking information includes, or may be based upon, without limitation, estimates, forecasts and statements as to managements expectations with respect to, among other things, the timing and amount of funding required to execute the Companys exploration, development and business plans, capital and exploration expenditures, the effect on the Company of any changes to existing legislation or policy, government regulation of mining operations, the length of time required to obtain permits, certifications and approvals, the success of exploration, development and mining activities, the geology of the Companys properties, environmental risks, the availability of labour, the focus of the Company in the future, demand and market outlook for precious metals and the prices thereof, progress in development of mineral properties, the Companys ability to raise funding privately or on a public market in the future, the Companys future growth, results of operations, performance, and business prospects and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as anticipate, believe, expect, intend, may and similar expressions have been used to identify such forward-looking information. Forward-looking information is based on the opinions and estimates of management at the date the information is given, and on information available to management at such time. Forward-looking information involves significant risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from the results discussed or implied in the forward-looking information. These factors, including, but not limited to, fluctuations in currency markets, fluctuations in commodity prices, the ability of the Company to access sufficient capital on favourable terms or at all, changes in national and local government legislation, taxation, controls, regulations, political or economic developments in Canada, Australia or other countries in which the Company does business or may carry on business in the future, operational or technical difficulties in connection with exploration or development activities, employee relations, the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, obtaining necessary licenses and permits, diminishing quantities and grades of mineral reserves, contests over title to properties, especially title to undeveloped properties, the inherent risks involved in the exploration and development of mineral properties, the uncertainties involved in interpreting drill results and other geological data, environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected formations, pressures, cave-ins and flooding, limitations of insurance coverage and the possibility of project cost overruns or unanticipated costs and expenses, and should be considered carefully. Many of these uncertainties and contingencies can affect the Companys actual results and could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by, or on behalf of, the Company. Prospective investors should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. Although the forward-looking information contained in this report is based upon what management believes, or believed at the time, to be reasonable assumptions, the Company cannot assure prospective purchasers that actual results will be consistent with such forward-looking information, as there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended, and neither the Company nor any other person assumes responsibility for the accuracy and completeness of any such forward-looking information. The Company does not undertake, and assumes no obligation, to update or revise any such forward-looking statements or forward-looking information contained herein to reflect new events or circumstances, except as may be required by law. No stock exchange, regulation services provider, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained in this report.
New Study Offers Detailed Insights on Schizophrenia Treatment Market

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Schizophrenia is a chronic mental disorder, characterized by poor emotional responses, breakdown of thinking and lack of social and physical motivation. The prominent causes of the disease include genetic malignancies, neuro-trauma, shocking incidence in life, drug and alcohol abuse and many others. Schizophrenia is a serious disorder which affects how a person thinks, feels and acts. Successful treatment for schizophrenia aims to relieve current symptoms, prevent future psychotic episodes and restore ones ability to function and enjoy a meaningful life. The signs of schizophrenia are different for everyone. Symptoms may develop slowly over months or years, or may appear very abruptly. The disease may come and go in relapse and remission.Hence, recovery from schizophrenia is a lifelong process.SchizophreniaTreatment Market:Drivers and RestraintsThe schizophrenia treatment market is primarily driven by increased prevalence of schizophrenic disorders due to change in lifestyle, extensive R&D, increase in incidence of various addictions such as alcohol, narcotics and others. Demand of sophisticated therapy by physicians and patients is also driving the schizophrenic treatment market to a great extent. On the contrary, huge cost of R&D and therapy, lack of medical infrastructure, and lack of awareness in certain regions of the world are some of the hurdles that are expected to restrict the growth of this market.Request Report Sample@SchizophreniaTreatment Market:SegmentationSchizophrenia treatment market is segmented on the basis of product type, distribution channel and geography.Based on product type, schizophrenia treatment market is segmented as follows:MedicationsConventional or typical antipsychotic drugsAtypical antipsychotic drugsTherapiesBased on distribution channel, schizophrenia treatment market is segmented as follows:Hospitals including hospital pharmaciesClinicsRetail pharmaciesRehabilitation CentersSchizophreniaTreatment Market:OverviewAccording to WHO, there are around 24 million people suffering from either schizophrenia or similar symptoms. Moreover, due to strong R&D activities, newer drugs and treatments are being introduced in the market, such as ziprasidone hydrochloride. Medications are the cornerstone for the treatment of schizophrenia. However, medications may lead to side effects. Hence, medication with supportive services and therapies is a perfect combination to treat schizophrenia. Relationship problems, risk of attempting suicide, alcohol and drug abuse and consequently, disruption to normal daily activities has led to the growth of schizophrenia treatment market.Visit For TOC@SchizophreniaTreatment Market:Region-wise OutlookThe schizophrenia treatment market is also segmented on the basis of geography, such as North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific, Japan, Middle East and Africa. The North American region is considered as the largest market, followed by Europe. However, Asia-Pacific region is considered as the most promising market in the upcoming future.SchizophreniaTreatment Market: Key PlayersSome of the top key players in schizophrenia treatment market include Novartis AG, AbbVie, Inc., PsychoGenics, Inc., Pfizer, Inc., Eli-Lilly and Company, Bristol-Myers Squibb Company, AstraZeneca Plc., Avineuro Pharmaceuticals, Inc. and Merz Pharmaceuticals GmbH.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Solid State Relay Market Intelligence with Competitive Landscape

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Solid state relay market: Introduction & OverviewPower or electricity is the vital component of the society. Considering the amount of power used for completing the day-to-day activities and industrial operations, power outage can bring all the regular operations to standstill. Strong industrial growth across the globe is also leading to increasing usage and congestion of electricity. Solid state relays are invented to resolve these issues.Solid state relay is an ON-OFF semiconductor device which is used to switch electricity to the load when an external voltage is applied across its terminals. In solid state relay there is no movable part alike mechanical relays. Some of the examples of solid state relays are given as; an SCR, power transistor & TRIAC. Solid state relays are often more energy efficient switches as it consumes less energy in triggering from ON condition to OFF or vice versa. Solid state relays are often used in electrical industries because of the advantages provided as; low switching time, higher breakdown voltage & low switching loss in order to make electric current system more efficient.Request For Report Sample@Solid state relay market: DynamicsNow a days, Research and development is more oriented towards automated, compact and low maintenance products. The solid state relay market acquires a great potential across various applications. The key drivers responsible in the growth of solid state relay market include the demand of upgrading aging power of infrastructure in developed regions, increment in the establishment of offshore Wind farm, also the more number of startup companies providing solutions along with the advantages provided by sold state relay as more flexible &/or higher performance nature, small in size & less maintenance are some of them. On the contrary side higher cost factor, higher level of expenditure, higher thermal dissipation of solid state relay are proving to be the key restraints for solid state relay market.Solid state relay market: SegmentationSegmentation of solid state relay market is done on the basis of packaging type, output type, power rating type, applications & by Geography. On the basis of packaging type solid state relay market is segmented into three segments Panel mount, Din rail mount & PCB mount.On the basis of output type, segmentation of solid state relay market is done as; AC solid state relay, DC solid state relay & AC/DC output relay. By power rating the market of solid state relay is segmented as; low power (0-20A), medium power (20A-50A) & high power (50A & above).By solid state relay applications, its market is segmented into following segments; consumer application as to control power distribution, handling electrical devices, access control, elevator control & others, in food & beverages sector; in cooking appliances like microwave oven, automatic coffee machines & others, in medical & health sector care; in diagnosis & analysis devices, incubators & others, in automotive and transportation sector as in electric vehicles, train control systems, I/O interfaces & others.On the basis of Geography, segmentation of solid state relay market is done as; North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Japan, Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ), and Middle East and Africa (MEA). Among which Asia pacific is having largest market share of Solid state relay & Western Europe is the second largest Market of solid state relay & in the forecasting duration Asia Pacific is going maintain its leadership in market of solid state relay.Visit For TOC@Solid state relay market: Key playersThe key players of the Solid state relay market are Crydom Inc., ABB Ltd., International Rectifier, Infineon Technologies AG, Carlo Gavazzi Holding AG, Vishay Intertechnology (Siliconix), Fairchild Semiconductor, STMicroelectronics, Texas Instruments Incorporated, Rockwell Automation, Inc., Linear Technology & others.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Beer in China: Market Sales, Consumption, Demand and Forecast 2017  2019

Beer in China Market 2017

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WiseGuyReports.Com Publish a New Market Research Report On - Beer in China: Market Sales, Consumption, Demand and Forecast 2017  2019.Chinas beer industry is the largest in the world by production volume and consumption volume. The past three decades has seen an impressive growth in the development of China's beer industry and market. This report focuses on industry statistics, market size/shares, imports/exports, industry analysis, and business trends in Chinas beer production industry and consumption market. All the statistic and projected data cover the performance of the industry in mainland China only, not including any data from Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan.Get a Sample Report @For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comHistorical data include five years or ten years before the report year (2014) and long-term development trends are projected to five years (2014-2019) over the report year. In spite of its great achievements, the nation's beer industry now faces serious challenges and obstacles, including the shortage of raw material supplies, slowing-down growth rates, and lack of high-end beer products.This report provides in-depth understanding, all-through analysis of the industry data, and precise predictions for the development trends. It reveals emerging market & competitive threats, recognizes Highly Growing Points (HGP), and suggests fresh strategies to conquer the challenges and obstacles in China's beer industry.Complete Report Details @Table Of Contents  Major Key PointsCHAPTER I. INTRODUCTIONI-1. Industry Definition and ScopeI-2. Research MethodologyI-3. Executive SummaryCHAPTER II. PRODUCTIONII-1. Industry ProcessII-2. Historical Performance of Chinas Beer Production by Volume 2004-2014II-3. Historical Performance of Chinas Beer Production by Value 2004-2014II-4. Share of Chinas Beer Production in Global Market 2004-2014II-5. Major PlayersII-6. Production Capacity Expansion of Major Producers in China 2013 & 2014II-7. Geographic Spread of ProductionII-8. Foreign EntriesII-9. Historical and Predicted Growth Rates of Chinas Beer Production 1980-2019II-10. Outlook of Chinas Beer Production by Volume 2014-2019II-11. Outlook of Chinas Beer Production by Value 2014-2019II-12. Outlook of Chinas Beer Output Share in Global Market 2014-2019II-13. Summary of Worldwide and China Beer Output 2004-2019CHAPTER III. DEMAND AND CONSUMPTIONIII-1. Beer Consumption Worldwide and in China by Volume 2004-2014III-2. Annual Per Capita Beer Consumption in China by Volume 2004-2014III-3. Total Beer Demand in China by Value 2004-2014III-4. Chinas Urbanization Progress 2009-2019III-5. Increase of Per Capita Income in China 2009-2019III-6. Increase of Customer Goods Sales in China 2009-2019III-7. Historical and Predicted Growth Rates of Chinas Beer Consumption 2004-2019III-8. Outlook of Worldwide and China Beer Consumption by Volume 2014-2019III-9. Annual Per Capita Beer Consumption in China by Volume 2014-2019III-10. Outlook of China Beer Demand by Value 2014-2019III-11. Summary of Chinas Beer Consumption 2004-2019CHAPTER IV. REVENUE AND SALESIV-1. Total Revenue of Beer Industry in China 2009-2019IV-2. Revenue Shares of China Beer Industry by Beer Package Category 2009-2019IV-3. Sales Shares of China Beer Industry by Distribution Channel 2009-2019IV-4. Annual Sales by Beer Variety in Chinas Market 2009-2019IV-5. Annual Sales by Beer Brand in Chinas Market 2014IV-6. Profit and Profit Rate in China Beer Industry 2009-2019IV-7. Enterprises, Employment and Wages in China Beer Industry 2009-2019IV-8. Cost Structure of Chinas Beer Manufacture in 2014IV-9. Summary of Beer Sales and Revenue in Chinas Market 2009-2019CHAPTER V. IMPORTS AND EXPORTSV-1. Historical Performance of China Beer Imports by Volume and Value 2004-2014V-2. Major Beer Import Origins and Shares in 2014V-3. Historical Performance of China Beer Exports by Volume and Value 2004-2014V-4. Major Beer Export Destinations and Shares in 2014V-5. Major Importers and ExportersV-6. Outlook of China Beer Imports by Volume and Value 2014-2019V-7. Outlook of China Beer Exports by Volume and Value 2014-2019V-8. Summary of Beer Imports and Exports in China 2009-2019CHAPTER VI. CHALLENGE AND OPPORTUNITYVI-1. Big Concern: Beer Barley Supply 2009-2014VI-2. High-end Beer: the Increasingly Attractive Segment in China's Market 2009-2019Continue.For more information or any query mail at sales@wiseguyreports.comBuy 1-User PDF@ABOUT US:Wise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe. Wise Guy Reports features an exhaustive list of market research reports from hundreds of publishers worldwide. We boast a database spanning virtually every market category and an even more comprehensive collection of market research reports under these categories and sub-categories.Office No.528,Amanora Chambers,Magarpatta Road,Hadapsar,Pune-411028.
Veterinary Drugs Market to exhibit a CAGR of 5.1% till 2024

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According to Transparency Market Research (TMR), the global veterinary drugs market is expected to exhibit a steady 5.1% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. The valuation of the veterinary drugs market is likely to rise from US$17.2 bn to US$26.7 bn over the timeframe.Livestock Animals Likely to Dominate Demand from Veterinary Drugs MarketThe global veterinary drugs market is segmented into livestock animals and companion animals in terms of animal type. Of these, livestock animals are likely to remain the dominant consumers in the global veterinary drugs market due to the growing demand for high-quality protein and several other animal products. Rising meat consumption in new regional markets is likely to remain a key driver for the global veterinary drugs market over the 2016-2024 forecast period. Nevertheless, companion animals are also likely to account for a growing share in the global veterinary drugs market due to the rising demand for pet animals among urban consumers. The growing use of advanced pet care products in developing countries is likely to be a key driver for the global veterinary drugs market.View Full Report:By product type, the global veterinary drugs market is segmented into anti-infective drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, parasiticides, and others. Anti-infective drugs dominate demand from the global veterinary drugs market and are likely to remain the leading contributor to the global market over the coming years. However, parasiticides are likely to emerge with renewed importance in the global veterinary drugs market and are expected to exhibit a strong 6.1% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.Growing Animal healthcare Expenditure Likely to Drive Veterinary Drugs Market in North AmericaRequest to view Sample Report:Regionally, North America is likely to remain the leading contributor to the global veterinary drugs market. This is mainly due to the widespread presence of veterinary drugs market players in the region, the growing popularity of a variety of companion animals, and the steady demand for a variety of meat and other animal products. The high disposable income of consumers in the region has also allowed for increased expenditure on animal care, which is likely to remain a key driver for the veterinary drugs market in North America. The North America accounted for more than 30% of the global veterinary drugs market in 2015 and is likely to retain a similarly dominant share through the 2016-2024 forecast period.Download Brochure linkThe rapid entry of new products in the veterinary drugs market has led to a risk of counterfeit products establishing dominant shares in the market. The increasing awareness about the adverse effects of some veterinary drugs on humans has also restricted the global veterinary drugs market in some regions.The global veterinary drugs market is reasonably consolidated, with the top ten companies accounting for more than 70% of the overall market in 2015. Leading companies in the global veterinary drugs market include Merck Animal Health, Elanco Animal Health, Zoetis Inc., Bayer Animal Health, and Merial Animal Health. Fierce competition is the norm in the global veterinary drugs market due to the increasing commercial potential of the market and the lucrative opportunities on offer in developing regions, where specialty medical sectors such as the veterinary drugs market are yet to undergo smooth development and widespread adoption.Global Veterinary Drugs Market Report is available @ US$ 5795Many companies in the global veterinary drugs market are likely to focus on fostering closer relationships with individual customers in the coming years instead of developing a vast consumer base. This has emerged as a successful strategy in the global veterinary drugs market due to the intensifying competition; direct assistance is likely to remain a key tool in the repertoire of successful veterinary drugs market players in the coming years.About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Plastic Healthcare Packaging Market: Opportunity Assessment Research Study

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Packaging is one of the major industry in the world in which healthcare packaging represents miniscule share. The pharmaceutical packaging has rapidly become a vital part of drug delivery system as well as a major element of the marketing mix, though which manufacturers can distinguish their products from that of their competitors. Healthcare packaging protects products from materialistic damage, biological contamination and from all unfavorable external influences which can destruct the properties of the healthcare products. In material terms, healthcare packaging comprises of primary packaging, secondary packaging and tertiary packaging system. Primary packaging includes cap, labels, bottles, cap liner and others such as vials, ampoules, blisters, tubes, syringes and inhalers. Other than that, secondary packaging system consist of corrugated shippers, pallets and cartoons. Plastic healthcare packaging is generally a practice of packaging of devices, drugs, tools, and other pharmaceutical products. Inclination in the demand for healthcare practices strengthen the growth of healthcare packaging. Amongst the overall healthcare packaging, the plastics segment holds the highest share due to its high-adaptability and cost-effectiveness. The plastic healthcare packaging is anticipated to grow at a significant CAGR during the period 2015-2025.Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging: Market SegmentationThe Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging market is segmented on the basis of type of healthcare industry such as medical device and pharmaceutical. The global plastic healthcare packaging is also bifurcated on the basis of end markets which include blister packs, plastic bottles, pre-fill syringe, caps and closure and others. The plastic healthcare packaging is further segmented on the basis of type of drug delivery which includes pulmonary, oral drugs, transdermal, injectable, nasal, topical, ocular and IV drugs.Request For Report Sample@Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging Market: Growth DriversSignificant growth in pharmaceutical domain all across the world and inclining functional necessities for healthcare packaging products are some of the drivers in the global plastic healthcare packaging market. The anti-ageing population, inclining prevalence of chronic diseases and changing lifestyles will bolster the demand for healthcare related products and services and will further stimulate the growth of plastic healthcare packaging all across the globe. The advancement in technology in packaging and integration and advanced process of manufacturing are also fostering the growth of global plastic pharmaceutical packaging all over the world. Apart from this, escalating personal disposable income and higher standard of living in emerging countries such as India and China is also expected to grow the global plastic healthcare packaging market over the period 2015-2025.Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging Market: Regional OutlookGeographically, the Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging industry can be divided by major regions which include North America, Latin America, Western and Eastern Europe, Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Middle East and Africa. Amongst all the mentioned regions, North America captured the major share in the plastic healthcare packaging market in 2014. This is majorly due to presence of health conscious people and their spending power. Strong innovation, rising ageing population and inclining consumer demand for sophisticated packaging is likely to foster the growth of plastic healthcare packaging in American region. Rising chronic diseases in Asian region is expected to intensify the growth of plastic healthcare packaging in the region by 2025.Visit For TOC@Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging Market: PlayersSome of the major companies grabbing the substantial market share in the Global Plastic Healthcare Packaging market includes Tekni-Films Inc., Sealed Air Corporation, United Drug Plc, Aphena Pharma Solutions, Vetter Pharma International, Beacon Converters Inc., Catalent Pharma solutions, and others. The plastic healthcare packaging manufacturers are anticipated to focus on development of new and innovative packaging for healthcare products in order to gain the competitive advantage in the global plastic healthcare packaging market.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Ophthalmic Lasers Market is rising at a CAGR of 4.60% till 2024

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TMR estimates that the global ophthalmic lasers market will exhibit a healthy CAGR of 4.60% over the period between 2016 and 2024 and witness a rise from a valuation of US$0.97 bn in 2015 to US$1.44 bn by 2024.Increased Awareness Regarding Treatment Options for Ophthalmic Conditions to Boost Growth OpportunitiesOne of the chief factors leading to the increased need for niche medical devices such as ophthalmic lasers is the vast rise in population of patients with a number of eye diseases across the globe. Studies show that the rate of incidence of partial and complete blindness has significantly increased over the years and could rise to twice its present volume by 2020, chiefly owing to the rise in conditions such as diabetes, glaucoma, and cataract. The rising awareness regarding the fact that timely diagnosis and effective medical intervention such as laser surgeries could avoid these conditions is a key factor augmenting the global demand for ophthalmic lasers. Rising awareness among global population regarding the effectiveness of available treatment methods could also boost adoption of ophthalmic lasers globally.View Full Report @The rising population of geriatrics, a demographic more prone to ophthalmic disorders and vision defects, also provides significant scope for the development of the global ophthalmic lasers market. The market especially holds significant promise in regional markets such as Asia Pacific and Latin America with vast untapped growth opportunities and technologically maturing healthcare infrastructure.Request to view Sample Report:North America Market for Ophthalmic Lasers Anticipated to Continue to DominateOf the key end-use sectors that employ ophthalmic lasers, including ophthalmic clinics, ambulatory surgical centers (ASCs), and hospitals, the segment of ophthalmic clinics is presently the leading demand driver. The segment is also likely to remain the top demand driver as well as the leading revenue generator in the next few years.From a geographical perspective, the global ophthalmic lasers market in North America is presently the dominant contributor of revenue to the global market and is expected to retain its dominant leading streak over the reports forecast period as well; it accounted for a massive 40% of the global market in 2016. In the near future, the regional market will benefit from factors such as the presence of a large number of well-established ophthalmic laser companies, state-of-art healthcare infrastructure, and strong regulatory support to the medical devices industry.Download Brochure link:The global ophthalmic lasers market features a moderate level of competition and a largely fragmented vendor landscape with the top five vendors cumulatively accounting for a marginal 35% of the market in 2015, observes Transparency Market Research (TMR) in a new report. The high demand for effective surgical products to serve a rising global consumer base of ophthalmic conditions is expected to compel an increasing number of companies from the pharmaceutical sector to foray into the promising ophthalmic lasers market in the near future.This could intensify the level of competition in the market, fuel development of new product varieties featuring advanced technologies, and lead the market towards maturity. Some of the leading vendors in the market presently are Ellex Medical Laser Ltd., Alcon, Quantel Group, Lumenis Ltd., and Carl Zeiss.Global Ophthalmic Lasers Market Report is available @ US$ 5795About us:Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a U.S.-based provider of syndicated research, customized research, and consulting services. TMRs global and regional market intelligence coverage includes industries such as pharmaceutical, chemicals and materials, technology and media, food and beverages, and consumer goods, among others. Each TMR research report provides clients with a 360-degree view of the market with statistical forecasts, competitive landscape, detailed segmentation, key trends, and strategic recommendations.Contact us:Transparency Market Research90 State Street,Suite 700,AlbanyNY - 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Medical Robots Market: Analysis and Forecast by Future Market Insights

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Medical Robot is a robot which enables the surgeons to perform surgeries with more precision. Medical robotics is emerging field. There are a wide variety of medical applications had emerged such as Surgical robots, laboratory robots, telesurgery, remote surgery, and teleconsultation robots, rehabilitation robots to help for the deaf and the blind. Medical robots assist in surgeries and make possible to decrease risk of infection. Medical robots are enables to increases accuracy of surgeons and reduce risk of patients For instance, heart bypass surgery requires, patients chest to be open and that long incision be made. The surgeon first cuts through skin, then tissue, and muscle, fascia, and then reaches to the heart. Through Medical robots it become easy to perform critical surgeries with precision. Medical robots are has advantages such as decrease post-operative pain, decrease risk of infection, decreases blood loss and minimum level of anesthesia. Medical robots have many challenges in the application of robotics in the medical field, such as safety, cost and reluctance to accept this technology.Medical Robots Market: Drivers and restraintsGlobal medical robots market can be driven by following drivers, Medical robots has gained widespread of acceptance by diverse range of fields such as Interventional cardiological surgery, Neurological surgery and orthopedic surgery etc., are provides lucrative market opportunities. Medical robots provides greatest contributions in more complex cases with more precision. Increasing technological innovations in medical field propels the global medical robots market. Major restraints of the market, Medical robots are expensive and need a technical professionals to perform surgeries.Request For Report Sample@Medical Robots Market: SegmentationGlobal Medical Robots Market can be segmented as following typesGlobal Medical Robots by Products:Instruments and AccessoriesRobotic SystemsSurgical RobotsNeurological Surgery Robotic SystemsCardiology Surgery Robotic SystemsLaparoscopic Surgical Robotic SystemsOrthopaedic Surgical Robotic SystemsSteerable RoboticsRehabilitation RobotsTherapeutic RobotsProsthetic RobotsAssistive RobotsExoskeleton RobotsNon-invasive Radiosurgery RobotsHospital and Pharmacy automation robotsPharmacy automation robotsIV RobotsGlobal Medical Robots Market, by ApplicationNeurology ApplicationsOrthopaedic ApplicationsCardiology ApplicationsLaparoscopic ApplicationsOther ApplicationsMedical Robots Market: OverviewIncreasing the demand for advanced treatment methods for various severe diseases, increasing the prevalence of cardiac and neurological disorders and cancer are provides a robust market growth. Increasing the technological advancements and applications of these advancements in critical surgeries propels medical robots market over the forecast period.Medical Robots Market: Region-Wise OutlookDepending upon the geographic regions medical robots market is segmented into seven key regions: Those are North America, Latin America, and Eastern Europe, Western Europe, and Asia pacific excluding japan, Japan, Middle East and Africa.North America dominating the global medical robots market. Increasing awareness among the people towards the use of innovative technologies providing lucrative market. Asian Pacific region market is considered to rapidly evolving healthcare infrastructure, this region is anticipating providing a robust growth of global medical robots market.Visit For TOC@Medical Robots Market: Key playersSome of the key players in Market are Stryker Corporation, Intuitive Surgical, Inc., Houston Medical Robotics, Inc., Hansen Medical, Inc., Kirbey lester, Otto Bock Healthcare, Kinova robotics, Varian Medical Systems, Hocoma AG, Vecna Robotics, Globus Medical, IRobot Corporatin, Titan Medical, Inc, KB Medical S.A.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Scar Treatment Market is projected to Reflect 10.3% CAGR throughout 2015-2022

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A market research report recently published by Persistence Market Research (PMR) projects healthy growth prospects for the global scar treatment market. The report, comprising a detailed analysis of the key elements, key factors impacting growth and development, popular trends of past and present, regulatory landscape, and competitive landscape of the market, states that the market will expand at a 10.3% CAGR between 2015 and 2022.Growing at this pace, the market, with a valuation of US$16,048.7 mn in 2015, is expected to rise to US$31,904.8 mn by 2022.The report is titled Global Market Study on Scar Treatment: Asia to Witness Highest Growth by 2022 and is available at the company website for sale.The report states that the global market for scar treatment is witnessing significant growth owing to the rising prevalence of a number of skin diseases across all age-groups and the rising expenditure on personal care. Technological advancements in the field of scar treatment, innovations in products, and the rising consciousness about ones appearance among the global population are also some of the key factors driving the global scar treatment market. However, the markets growth is inhibited to a certain level owing to the high costs of advanced scar treatments and side effects associated with a few treatment methods.Request to view table of content @The report segments the global scar treatment market on the basis of four criteria: treatment type, product type, scar type, and geography.On the basis of product type, the market is further segmented into oils, creams, gels, sprays, gel sheets, and elastic wraps. On the basis of treatment type, the market is segmented into cryosurgery, laser treatment, tissue fillers, invasive surgical treatment, steroid injections, and chemical peeling. On the basis of scar type, the market is segmented into post-surgical scars, keloid scars, contracture scars, hypertrophic scars, acne scars, and stretch marks. Regionally, the market is segmented into Europe, North America, Asia, and Rest of the World (RoW).A sample of this report is available upon request @The high disposable income of people in North America is a chief factor behind the high spending on personal care in the region. In 2014, nearly 10 mn surgical and nonsurgical cosmetic surgeries were performed in the U.S.The market for scar treatment in Europe benefits from the high disposable income of population in Western European countries, increasing incidence of injuries in the region, and rising awareness about scar treatment.Browse Complete Report @However, due to the presence of several emerging economies, Asia Pacific exhibits excellent growth prospects for the global scar treatment market. Factors such as rising geriatric population, rising disposable incomes, mounting population, and improving state of healthcare facilities are some factors propelling the scar treatment market in the region.The report includes a detailed discussion about the competitive landscape of the global scar treatment, wherein detailed company overview, details about products and services in the companys portfolio, financial performance of the company, and key developments are discussed. Some of the key companies operating in the market are Merz Pharma GmbH & Co. KGaA, Valeant Pharmaceuticals International Inc., Pacific World Corporation, Oculus Innovative Sciences, Inc., Scarguard Labs LLC, Avita Medical Limited, CCA industries Inc., Enaltus, LLC, Quantum, Inc., and Revitol Corporation Inc.Global Market Study on Scar Treatment is available at $4900 @Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Persistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA,Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Retailing in Germany Market 2017 - Current and Future Plans

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Service Station Retailing in Germany."Service Station Retailing in Germany 2017", a Sector Report by provides an executive-level overview of the German service station market today, with values and volumes up to 2017. It delivers quantitative and qualitative insight into the fuel market, based on in depth interviews with major fuel operators across Europe and proprietary data from service station retail databases. It provides: National Fuel Volumes (2012 to 2022e) and Values. Breakdown of the top five fuel retailers shop, car wash, company owned, motorway and unmanned sites. Company Fuel Volumes, Values and Market Shares. Major competitor analysis by country.Total fuel consumption in Germany increased by 1.8% in 2016 compared to the previous year. Aral has the largest service station network, at 2,335 sites, amounting to 16.2% of the national network. The total number of service stations with a car wash in Germany increased by 0.4% to 10,344 sites. The total number of service stations with a shop marginally increased by 1.1% to 13,141 sites.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Total fuel consumption in Germany increased by 1.8% in 2016 compared to the previous year.- Aral has the largest service station network, at 2,335 sites, amounting to 16.2% of the national network.- The total number of service stations with a car wash in Germany increased by 0.4% to 10,344 sites. The total number of service stations with a shop marginally increased by 1.1% to 13,141 sites.Key points to buy- Identify who are the top five players in Germany and how many fuel outlets, motorway & unmanned sites, shops & car wash they have.- Plan effect market strategies by uncovering market share and average fuel throughput per site of the top five players in the market.- Understand how the service station network evolving and which players are opening new outlets as well as incresing forecourt shops and car washes.- Identify what strategies the key players have across their fuel and non- fuel offerings in terms of products sold, branding, promotions, partnerships and suppliers used.Table of ContentsService Station Competitor OverviewService Station Market OverviewCompetitor ranking in 2015 compared to 2016Market SizeService Station Shop NetworkService Station Car Wash NetworkAppendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
Global L-carnitine Market Information Report in 2017 added on Reports Monitor

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ReportsMonitor.Com Adds Global L-carnitine Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022 to Its Database.This report mainly introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details. As a Detailed Analysis report, it covers all details inside analysis and opinion in L-carnitine industry.This report splits L-carnitine market By Grade, By Source, which covers the history data information from 2012 to 2016 and forecast from 2017 to 2022.This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following:Major CompaniesLonza Group (Switzerland)Northeast Pharmaceutical (China)Hengtai Chemical (China)Chengda Pharmaceutical (China)Koncepnutra (China)HuaYang (China)Biosint (Italy)Hongjing Chemical (China)KangXin Chemical (China)Kangjian Chemical (China)AIDP (US)Main RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysiaOthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthersGET SAMPLE REPORT @Main Product TypeL-carnitine Market, by GradeL-Carnitine Food GradeL-Carnitine Feed GradeL-Carnitine Pharmaceutical GradeL-carnitine Market, by SourcePlantsAnimalsMain ApplicationsAnimal FoodHealth Care ProductFunctional DrinkMedicineOtherTable of ContentsGlobal L-carnitine Detailed Analysis Report 2017-2022Chapter One L-carnitine Market Overview1.1 Global L-carnitine Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-20221.2 L-carnitine, By Grade 2012-20221.2.1 Global L-carnitine Sales Market Share by Grade 2012-20221.2.2 Global L-carnitine Revenue Market Share by Grade 2012-20221.2.3 Global L-carnitine Price by Grade 2012-20221.2.4 L-Carnitine Food Grade1.2.5 L-Carnitine Feed Grade1.2.6 L-Carnitine Pharmaceutical Grade1.3 L-carnitine, by Source 2012-20221.3.1 Global L-carnitine Sales Market Share by Source 2012-20221.3.2 Global L-carnitine Revenue Market Share by Source 2012-20221.3.3 Global L-carnitine Price by Source 2012-20221.3.4 Plants1.3.5 AnimalsBROWSE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS and REPORT DESCRIPTION @About Us:Reports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform to meet the market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Us:Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
Press Release



Multiple access technologies using licensed and unlicensed spectrum give enterprises access to highly secure, reliable networks with guaranteed low-latency

Small cells, Multi-access Edge Computing, and Packet Core enhancements offer businesses flexibility to either self-manage networks or work with operators

Nokia technology lets enterprises connect and track assets, automate workflows and leverage advanced analytics capabilities to streamline operations

Portfolio expansion supports Nokia strategy to provide carrier-grade communications for the enterprise digital transformation

7 September 2017

Espoo, Finland - Nokia is extending its portfolio of access and core technologies to support the digital transformation of industries and enterprises. New small cells, Wi-Fi connectivity, Multi-access Edge Computing and Cloud Packet Core capabilities will allow businesses to manage and operate their own private wireless networks as they transform operations.

To enable a truly digital enterprise, businesses today require a layer of network connectivity based on mobile broadband technologies like LTE. These networks offer the high reliability, coverage and guaranteed low-latency needed for industrial applications such as factories, ports and mining operations to connect myriad assets and take advantage of capabilities such as asset tracking, automated workflows and advanced analytics.

New features on the industry-first Nokia Flexi Zone Citizen Band Radio Service (CBRS) small cells will allow companies in the United States to leverage 3.5 GHz CBRS shared spectrum as it becomes available. These features offer compatibility with Spectrum Access Servers, which monitor and assign usage of available CBRS shared spectrum to ensure enterprises are using available spectrum in compliance with FCC regulations.

Nokia will also launch a virtualized Multi-access Edge Computing solution, making it possible for enterprises to run MEC over commercial off-the-shelf IT servers, easing integration with existing IT infrastructure in the process. MEC processes data closer to where it is generated, ensuring the network delivers the guaranteed low latency required by business-critical enterprise applications and for an interactive user experience in busy venues. By processing data locally, MEC applications can also significantly reduce data transfer costs.

A local breakout function in the virtualized MEC will allow operators to deliver private LTE networks to enterprises over their 4G network. Alternatively, the virtualized MEC is complemented by a range of Nokia virtual core solutions, providing greater flexibility for enterprises in the way they manage their own networks.

Wi-Fi will continue to support non-critical office applications and Nokia is also offering companies greater flexibility in Wi-Fi performance and coverage with a new, compact, cost-efficient outdoor AirScale Wi-Fi Access Point.

Companies operating in remote locations could face additional challenges in terms of expanding their support of business-critical operations. Nokia is solving this challenge by enhancing the flexible multi-access Cloud Packet Core with a Hybrid Access Gateway capability. In addition to providing packet core functionality, this will allow mining, oil and gas and other industries, which operate private wireless networks, to seamlessly integrate multiple access technologies including licensed and unlicensed wireless, fixed and satellite, to deliver increased capacity and resilience and to extend mission-critical and collaborative services and applications to the required locations.

Commenting on Nokia's new capabilities for enterprises, Monica Paolini, Principal, Senza Fili, said: "Enterprises today need a higher degree of flexibility to leverage private wireless networks to meet their specific service needs. With these new solutions, Nokia addresses these needs and offers a choice for businesses to integrate licensed, unlicensed and shared spectrum to support the various latency and quality demands of all their applications."

Thorsten Robrecht, Head of Advanced Mobile Networks Solutions at Nokia, said: "We want to support the evolution toward the fourth industrial revolution by giving companies the ability to leverage private wireless networks for their critical communications needs and rapidly ramp-up business applications that improve efficiency. We continue to evolve our end-to-end solutions and services to allow enterprises to transition towards digitalization in a smooth and cost-efficient way in preparation for 5G automation in the future."

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Global Fuel Card Market share driven by increasing Industry growth 2017-2021

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Latest industry research report on: Global Fuel Card Market | Industry Size, Share, Research, Reviews, Analysis, Strategies, Demand, Growth, Segmentation, Parameters, ForecastsThe report entitled Global Fuel Card Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2017-2021) provides an in-depth analysis of the global fuel card market with detailed description of market size and growth. The analysis includes market size in terms of value, market share by region and, addressable market. Fuel card penetration rate by region, on the basis of types of vehicle has also been provided.Complete Report Details @The report also provides brief regional/country analysis of Europe. The analysis include market sizing in terms of value and fuel spending. Europe is expected to dominate the global fuel card market in the forecasted period also.Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities available in the market and outlines the market dynamics that are and will be accountable for growth of the industry. Growth of the global fuel card market has also been forecasted for the period 2017-2021, taking into consideration previous growth outlines, growth drivers and the existing and forthcoming trends.Request For Sample Report @A brief company profiling of major players namely BP, WEX Inc., FLEETCOR and, Royal Dutch Shell has been provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by respective companies.Company CoverageBritish Petroleum (BP)WEX Inc.FLEETCORRoyal Dutch ShellView Sample PDF @Region CoverageEuropeExecutive SummaryA card especially designed for the payment the fuel stations are known as fuel cards or fleet cards. The card is similar in appearance like a credit card, and works in a similar way.A wide variety of fuel cards are available in the market and each with different features and specifications. The most common types of fuel cards are: Branded Fuel Cards, Universal Fuel Cards and, Merchant Branded Cards. On the basis of type of vehicles, fuel cards are available for light fleets and heavy fleets.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @The global fuel card market has increased at a significant growth rate over the past few years and projections are made that the market would rise in the next four years i.e. 2017 to 2021. The global fuel card market is expected to increase on the back of rising demand for cashless fuel transactions, consolidation of the fragmented market, availability of a large number of value added services associated with fuel cards, etc. Yet the market faces some challenges such as rising competition from new entrants, changing legal framework, volatile oil prices, rising consumer expectations, etc.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Contact UsState Tower90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207United StatesTel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Rapid Advancements will boost Business Email Market Size Further

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Electronic mail solution or preferably called email solution, specializes in the day-to-day management of your email services which allows users to remain focused on more critical operations of business. Email solution providers make it simple for organizations and enterprises to communicate across as well as get tasks implemented by offering a reliable, business suited email software to meet such needs. The business email solution offers multiple layers of premium virus and spam protection and keep hosted email advertisement free. Business organizations across the globe are now steadily adopting the strategy of migrating their email to cloud to reduce costs. The enumeration of organizations migrating to cloud-based email and collaboration services has continued to build over the past few years, where previously small and medium business (SMB) were the key end-users of business email solutions, now larger organizations are aggressively moving to the cloud. The current number of email users worldwide in 2015 is recognized to be about 2.6 billion, and this figure is expected to grow at a healthy CAGR till 2026. While total worldwide email traffic estimated to about 200 billion email per day in 2015, the corporate emails represent the major share of this total value.Business Email Market: SegmentationBusiness email market is segmented on the basis of deployment model, end-user and region. According to deployment model, business email market can be segmented into on-premise and cloud-based deployment. On the basis of end-user, business email market can be segmented into small business, medium business and large enterprises. Regionally, business email market can be segmented into North America, Latin America, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, Middle East & Africa (MEA), Asia Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) and Japan.Request For Report Sample@Business Email Market: Regional OutlookBusiness email market is witnessing stable growth and is expected to grow steadily during the projected period. North America is the dominating region in business email market and is expected to remain dominant followed by Western Europe during the forecast period. Asia-Pacific is expected to exhibit highest CAGR due to rapid progress in enterprise sector across evolving economies of countries like India, China and Philippines.Business Email Market: DriversBusiness email market is being primarily driven by organizations need for a formal communication platform. Growing influx of SOHO (Small Office/Home Office) and SMBs (Small and Medium Businesses) across the globe is driving the growth of business email market. Furthermore, increasing popularity of cloud-based business email solutions is expected to fuel the growth of business email market during the projected period. However, security concerns regarding cloud-based email solutions coupled with need for dedicated internet connection are expected to restrain the growth of business email market amidst the forecast period 2016-2026.Visit For TOC@Business Email Market: Key PlayersThe key vendors in the Business email market include Google Inc., Microsoft Corporation, Yahoo Inc., Rediff.com India Ltd., Rackspace Hostings Inc., GoDaddy Inc., IBM Corporation, Intermedia.net Inc., Fastmail, Zoho Corporation and others. Major players in the business email market boost their market share by mergers & acquisitions with other players in the market. Furthermore, long-term collaboration with cloud-based storage providers is another strategy followed by major business email providers to gain competitive edge.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Coal Mining in Australia Market 2017- Obtain the State-Wise most up to Date Information for Active, Exploration and Development Coal Mining Projects 2021

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Coal Mining in Australia."Coal Mining in Australia to 2021 - Increase in production supported by Commencement of New Projects", report covers comprehensive information on Australias coal mining industry, coal reserves and reserves by grade, the historical and forecast data on coal production, by type, by grade, by state and prices. The report also includes the historical and forecast data on coal consumption, consumption by type; exports, exports by type and exports by country. Detailed analysis of the Australian mining industrys regulatory structure, factors affecting the demand for coal, competitive landscape, and mining projects at various stages (active, exploration and development) of the supply chain is provided.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Summary of the countrys mining industry across various parameters - reserves, production, consumption, trade, competitive landscape, regulatory scenario and the future potential.- Coal production, consumption and exports numbers from 2000-2016 and forecast for next five years to 2021.- Coal prices; production split by type and grade; consumption split by type and exports split by type.- Policies and regulatory framework governing the industry. Company details, including company overview, business description and data on major active, exploration and development coal projects.Key points to buy- Gain an understanding of Australias coal mining industry.- Facilitate decision-making based on strong historic and forecast data- Obtain the state-wise most up to date information for active, exploration and development coal projects.- Develop strategies based on the latest regulatory events- Identify various factors affecting the coal demand.- Identify key operating companies and obtain the business structure, strategy and prospects.Table of Contents1 Table of Contents2. Coal Mining in Australia3. Coal Mining in Australia: Reserves, Production, Consumption and Trade4. Coal Mining in Australia: Major Coal Producers5. Coal Mining in Australia: Fiscal Regime6. Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
Energy Management Systems (EMS) In Global Market By Component and By Application, 2016 - 2024

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Energy Management Systems (EMS) In Global Market By Component and By Application, 2016 - 2024" to its huge collection of research reports.This research study analyzes the energy management systems market in terms of revenue (US$ Mn). The energy management systems market has been segmented on the basis of component, application, and geography. The regional segment has been further divided into 15 sub-segments that comprise 11 countries which are major players in the global energy management systems market. For the research, 2014 has been taken as the base year while all forecasts have been given for the 20152024 period. Market data for all the segments has been provided at the regional as well as country-specific level for the 20142024 period. The report provides a broad competitive analysis of companies engaged in energy management systems manufacturing and installation business.The report also includes the key market dynamics such as drivers, restraints, and opportunities affecting the global energy management systems market. These market dynamics were analyzed in detail and are illustrated in the report with the help of supporting graphs and tables. The report also provides a comprehensive analysis of the global energy management systems market with the help of Porters Five Forces model. This analysis helps in understanding the five major forces that affect the market structure and profitability of the global energy management systems market. The forces analyzed are the bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers, threat of new entrants, threat of substitutes, and degree of competition.The report provides detailed insights into the energy management systems business globally. There are currently numerous drivers for the energy management systems market. One of the most prominent drivers is the stringent norms and regulations to reduce carbon footprints globally, mandating higher investments in energy management systems based solutions. Apart from this, energy management systems enables organizations to increase efficiency and reduce operational costs. Market attractiveness analysis was carried out for the energy management systems market on the basis of geography. Market attractiveness was estimated on the basis of common parameters that directly impact the market in different regions.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The scope of energy management systems is vast and extends from heating, ventilation, air conditioning and infrastructure to supply chain. Growth potential for the energy management systems market is provided by these energy consumption avenues. With the development of software, and equipment technologies, the market for energy management systems is expected to expand substantially. Growth in the market for energy management systems can be attributed to higher focus on increasing energy efficiency and achieving operational targets at low costs. The market has received further impetus from rising environmental concerns to reduce carbon footprints. Energy management systems eco system is evolving with availability of several technologies and solutions, however, users of energy management systems have been selective in terms of implementation. Regulations related to energy consumption and environment concerns are shaping the next wave of the energy management systems. These regulations would have a significant impact on the energy management systems market in terms of implementing energy management plan as a part of a companys sustainability strategy.The energy management systems market is segmented in terms of component, application and geography. By component the energy management systems market is segmented into hardware components, software, communication networks, control system and sensors and other equipment. By application the market is segmented into industrial, building and home. The energy management systems market was analyzed across five geographies: North America, South & Central America, Europe, Asia Pacific, and Middle East & Africa. North America, held the largest market share followed by Europe in 2014. Rise in awareness about the benefits of energy management systems coupled with huge investments in energy management systems solutions is the primary driver for the energy management systems market in North America. South & Central America and Middle East & Africa have experienced sluggish growth in the year 2014.Regional data has been provided for each sub-segment of the energy management systems market. Key market participants in the energy management systems market include Emerson Process Management, Eaton Corporation Plc, General Electric Company, Honeywell International, Inc., Johnson Controls, Inc., Mitsubishi Electric Automation, Pacific Controls, Rockwell Automation, Inc., Schneider Electric SE and Siemens AG.Energy Management Systems Market: By ComponentHardware ComponentSoftwareCommunications NetworksControl SystemSensors and EquipmentEnergy Management Systems Market: By ApplicationIndustrialBuildingHomeEnergy Management Systems Market: By RegionNorth AmericaU.S.CanadaMexicoEuropeGermanyBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Drones Research Report (to reach $16.1 billion by 2021) in Surveillance, Reconnaissance and Intelligence Missions With Market Leaders - AeroVironment Lockheed Martin, Textron, Boeing / Insitu, Northrop Grumman

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"Drones: Even Trains and Planes Use Remote Control Like Drones, Market Shares, Market Strategies, and Market Forecasts, 2015 to 2021" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-Drones: Trains, Planes, and Drones Use Remote Control: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021. Next generation drones leverage better technology, launching from ships anywhere. The technology is evolving better navigation, softer landings, longer flights, better ability to carry different payloads.Get Sample Report With TOC @The drones are able to achieve military and commercial tasks. They have been evolving airfreight delivery systems capability. They are used for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence missions. They do 3D mapping, commercial pipeline observation, border patrol, package delivery, photography, and agriculture. These are more energy efficient, last longer and have a significantly lower cost of operation than manned aircraft.Drone technology extends everywhere, even to airline control towers. Drones evolving technology is extending uses, even evolving to trains and planes. The use of Drone technology to control moving devices remotely extends the notion of drones, creating a larger potential drone market. Military drones will make every navy ship an aircraft carrier. They can be launched from anywhere, not needing an airfield.In the recent Germanwings airline crash, the control tower knew for 10 minutes that the airliner was set to destruct with all the passengers on board but the controllers in the tower were powerless to help. This crash represents an instance of how security systems and sensors might be used from a control tower to effect remote control in response to a security issue.Headlines like Amtrak train derailed going 106 M.P.H. on sharp curve; at least 9 killed, represent another instance of where remote control of a transport unit would improve safety in train operations. Remote monitoring. and remote piloting offer guidelines on the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems . Drone commercial uses will provide billions of dollars in economic growth.Drone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has reached a level of maturity that has put these systems at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing. Procurement around the world is adapting to drone availability. Use in the global war on terrorism has demonstrated unique usefulness for military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay.Relatively low-cost of drones make them work for civilian applications. Law enforcement, mapping, video making, movie making, environmental monitoring, and aerial survey become compelling applications in the future.Drone aircraft are sophisticated and flexible. They take off, fly and land autonomously. They enable engineers to push the envelope of normal flight. Reconnaissance drones can fly for days continuously. Remote, ground-based pilots can work in shifts.Removal of the need for an onboard pilot ushers in an era of low cost aerial craft called drones. The drone elimination of the need for human support systems on aircraft dramatically reduces the aircrafts size, complexity, and power requirements. The drones effectively reduce overall program cost, development time and risk. Many advanced flight technologies are for piloted craft. These are initially tested using unmanned subscale demonstrators.Removing the pilot allows designers to simplify the aircrafts design and then test it at reduced risk. It allows configurations that would be impossible or impractical for human occupation.A common issue with UAV platforms is the need to optimize these aircraft. UAV are used to carry useful payloads. These platforms are flexible as to payload, permitting interchangeable or additional sensors and other electronics, extra fuel or weapons systems. The sole function of an unmanned aircraft is to get to a target location, perform a task, and then return in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Without a pilot aboard, the return trip is optional. Light weight is central to UAV design. NORTHROP GRUMMAN GLOBAL HAWKLEXINGTON, Massachusetts (July 30, 2015)  WinterGreen Research announces that it has published a new study Drones: Trains, Planes, and Drones Use Remote Control: Market Shares, Strategy, and Forecasts, Worldwide, 2015 to 2021. Next generation drones leverage better technology, launching from ships anywhere. The technology is evolving better navigation, softer landings, longer flights, better ability to carry different payloads.The drones are able to achieve military and commercial tasks. They have been evolving airfreight delivery systems capability. They are used for surveillance, reconnaissance and intelligence missions. They do 3D mapping, commercial pipeline observation, border patrol, package delivery, photography, and agriculture. These are more energy efficient, last longer and have a significantly lower cost of operation than manned aircraft.Drone technology extends everywhere, even to airline control towers. Drones evolving technology is extending uses, even evolving to trains and planes. The use of Drone technology to control moving devices remotely extends the notion of drones, creating a larger potential drone market. Military drones will make every navy ship an aircraft carrier. They can be launched from anywhere, not needing an airfield.In the recent Germanwings airline crash, the control tower knew for 10 minutes that the airliner was set to destruct with all the passengers on board but the controllers in the tower were powerless to help. This crash represents an instance of how security systems and sensors might be used from a control tower to effect remote control in response to a security issue.Headlines like Amtrak train derailed going 106 M.P.H. on sharp curve; at least 9 killed, represent another instance of where remote control of a transport unit would improve safety in train operations. Remote monitoring. and remote piloting offer guidelines on the commercial use of unmanned aircraft systems . Drone commercial uses will provide billions of dollars in economic growth.Drone unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technology has reached a level of maturity that has put these systems at the forefront of aerospace manufacturing. Procurement around the world is adapting to drone availability. Use in the global war on terrorism has demonstrated unique usefulness for military intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and communications relay.Relatively low-cost of drones make them work for civilian applications. Law enforcement, mapping, video making, movie making, environmental monitoring, and aerial survey become compelling applications in the future.Drone aircraft are sophisticated and flexible. They take off, fly and land autonomously. They enable engineers to push the envelope of normal flight. Reconnaissance drones can fly for days continuously. Remote, ground-based pilots can work in shifts.Removal of the need for an onboard pilot ushers in an era of low cost aerial craft called drones. The drone elimination of the need for human support systems on aircraft dramatically reduces the aircrafts size, complexity, and power requirements. The drones effectively reduce overall program cost, development time and risk. Many advanced flight technologies are for piloted craft. These are initially tested using unmanned subscale demonstrators.Removing the pilot allows designers to simplify the aircrafts design and then test it at reduced risk. It allows configurations that would be impossible or impractical for human occupation.A common issue with UAV platforms is the need to optimize these aircraft. UAV are used to carry useful payloads. These platforms are flexible as to payload, permitting interchangeable or additional sensors and other electronics, extra fuel or weapons systems. The sole function of an unmanned aircraft is to get to a target location, perform a task, and then return in the most efficient and cost-effective way. Without a pilot aboard, the return trip is optional. Light weight is central to UAV design.Drones represent a way to use air to travel faster and at less cost. The market is divided between military and commercial drones. Military drones represent the future of the national security presence for every nation. Increasing technology sophistication and lower costs are achieving dramatic market shifts.Remote operation occurs in a control tower. The control tower knew for ten minutes that the Germanwings flight was headed for disaster and could do nothing about it, the same was true during the airliner participation in the 911 terrorist bombings. What this study is about is control towers that have the ability to stop trains, planes, and control drones.Control towers are set to become a way of life and drones light the way. Other technologies will follow. If a train is approaching a curve at 100 miles per hour when it should be going 50 miles per hour, there in the future there will be a way to remotely take over the train and slow it or stop it.If a plane is hijacked, if there is a bad guy in the pilots seat, then in the future, the control tower will take over the plane. Drones lead the way in this regard. Drones provide a way to permit a plane to enter an airspace and to be controlled remotely. It is the drone technology that will be adopted by the trains and planes in the future of control tower expansion.In this study, we illustrate how drones achieve doing work even though they are remotely controlled. Remote operation of trains is now possible. A speeding train can be stopped by trained staff watching remotely. The rules for this have yet to be fully implemented.Transportation Trades AFL-CIO Endorses Federal Mandates To Require At Least Two Crew Members On U.S. Freight TrainsDrone market forecasts indicate strong growth anticipated Markets at $3.6 billion in 2014 are anticipated to reach $16.1 billion by 2021. A $3.6 billion market is substantial indicating the presence of many reference accounts for vendors. The wide variety of models and applications speak to the strong foothold in the market. With many vendors pushing products, the aggregate marketing will contribute to building a huge market for drones.Commercial drone agricultural markets will grow significantly as the aircraft are able to perform more cost efficiently than other ways of farming, ranching, and orchard tending. Package delivery is evolving as a nascent market for commercial drones.Military markets for drones with strike capability will grow rapidly. Every segment of drone market applications is poised for strong growth as the designs become more mature and vendors spread throughout the world..Military drones will be used on ships to replace missiles. Drones will master becoming more elusive and able to fly faster to get out of the way of armies firing at them. Drones will be launched from the decks of ships and controlled remotely to deal with trouble anywhere.Drones markets promise to grow significantly because of the more economical visualization and navigation provided by systems. Visualization includes mapping from the air, inspection from the air, surveillance from the air, and package delivery from the air. The unmanned aircraft equipped with cameras are able to do things that cannot be done in any other way. This bodes well for market development.Unmanned aircraft systems promise to achieve a more significant aspect of commercial market presence. Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems flying of 3 million flight hours gives drones market credibility. Eighty eight percent of those hours were logged in combat situations in Iraq and Afghanistan, paving the way for commercial drone markets to develop.According to Susan Eustis, leader of the team that prepared the study, Quantities of fielded military and commercial systems of every size and description are set to increase. Every ship can become an aircraft carrier with drones, every commercial endeavor can be made to operate more efficiently with drones. Police departments, the oil and gas industry, border patrol, and utilities are all using commercial drones. Units are used for agriculture. Vendors continue to improve the capabilities of drone aircraft. Governments continue to improve the rules and regulations controlling drones. Their ability to support the military and commercial endeavors is increasing. Unmanned aircraft have fundamentally changed the accuracy of utility and oil and gas inspections. The drones are set to fundamentally change how agriculture is conducted.WinterGreen Research is an independent research organization funded by the sale of market research studies all over the world and by the implementation of ROI models that are used to calculate the total cost of ownership of equipment, services, and software. The company has 35 distributors worldwide, including Global Information Info Shop, Market Research.com, Research and Markets, Bloomberg, electronics.ca, and Thompson Financial. WinterGreen Research is positioned to help customers facing challenges that define the modern enterprises. The increasingly global nature of science, technology and engineering is a reflection of the implementation of the globally integrated enterprise. Customers trust wintergreen research to work alongside them to ensure the success of the participation in a particular market segment.WinterGreen Research supports various market segment programs; provides trusted technical services to the marketing departments. It carries out accurate market share and forecast analysis services for a range of commercial and government customers globally. These are all vital market research support solutions requiring trust and integrity. Companies Profiled Market LeadersAeroVironment Lockheed MartinTextronBoeing / InsituNorthrop GrummanDraganflyerAeroVironment Market ParticipantsAeroVironmentASN TechnologiesAurora FlightAviation Industry Corp (Avic)BAE SystemsBoeingChallis UAV Inc.China AerospaceDenel DynamicsDJIDraganflyerFinmeccanicaFlirteyGeneral AtomicsGeneral DynamicsGoogleGoProHoneywellIntegrated DynamicsIsrael Aerospace IndustriesL-3 CommunicationsLaird / Cattron Group InternationalLockheed MartinMarcus UAVMMistNorthrop GrummanParrot/senseFlyProx DynamicsProxy TechnologiesRUAG AerospaceSafran MorphoSAICScaled CompositesSchiebelTextronTRNDlabsWing Loong Key TopicsMilitary DronesAutonomous trainsAutonomous systemsDronesAutonomous planesRoboticsUASPlanesTrainsCommercial DronesDrone Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS)Drone 3D MappingDrone Commercial Pipeline ObservationDrone Border PatrolDrone Package DeliveryDrone PhotographyDronr AgricultureRemote ControlDrone SurveillanceDrone ReconnisanceDrone IntelligenceDrone MisselsDrone LaunchersFull Report @ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Growing Industrialization will influence the Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market Growth

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According to World Health Organization (WHO) accounts, 347 million people suffering from diabetes around the world and raised blood pressure is estimated to cause 7.5 million deaths around the world.Traditional treatment for monitoring glucose in diabetic patients requires periodic poking with needles. Presently, advanced technologies are available to overcome traditional treatment problems. Needle free glucose monitoring devices, wearable devices, and biosensors are the examples for Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices.Wearable devices such as wrist bands, necklace are available for self-monitoring of health includes heart rate, miles cycled, calories consumed, and counting steps.Frictionless remote monitoring device components include sensors, recorder and GPS systems, and mobile phones. Using of frictionless remote monitoring devices reduces the hospitalization by providing the useful health data to the patient to monitor health themselves.Request For Report Sample@Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market: Drivers and RestraintsPresently, Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market are driven by increasing the prevalence rate of chronic disorders such as diabetes and hypertension. Rapid growth in wireless technology, raised awareness among the people, increased geriatric population also drivers for Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market.The devices are also available in new styles with customization options, this is the new trend in frictionless remote monitoring devices market.Health self-Monitoring Devices cost is very high, sometimes give wrong readings because of software problems and Mobile Apps disadvantage is the privacy of the patients health information. Not all healthcare service providers can be trust worth.Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market: SegmentationFrictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market further segmented into following typesBased on Product type:Wrist bandsGlucose monitoring devicesNecklaceBased on Application:DiabetesHigh Blood PressureCaloriesFitnessCounting stepsMiles cycledFloors climbedCalories consumedHeart rateBlood pressureFrictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market: OverviewWith rapid growth in wireless technology and raised awareness about personal health care, the global Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Marketis expected to have a double digit growth in the forecast period (2015-2025).Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market: Region- wise OutlookThe global Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market is expected to register a double digit CAGR for the forecast period. Depending on geographic regions, global Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market is segmented into seven key regions: North America, South America, Eastern Europe, Western Europe, Asia Pacific excluding Japan, Japan and Middle East & Africa.North America dominates the global Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market due to the technical advancements and good awareness of healthcare in people. Europe occupies second place in this market due to well healthcare setup and good awareness about health. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a remarkable CAGR.Visit For TOC@Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players in Frictionless Remote Monitoring Devices Market areNikeAbbott LaboratoriesMedtronicFitbitLG ElectronicsiHealth Lab IncDexicomPhilips HealthcareABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Sawmill Global Overview 2017 with Industry Chain and Supply Chain growing at a CAGR 2017-2022

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"Global Sawmill Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types & Applications" The Report covers current Industries Trends, Worldwide Analysis, Global Forecast, Review, Share, Size, Growth, Effect.Description-The global Sawmill market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.This report offers an overview of the market trends, drivers, and barriers with respect to the Sawmill market. It also provides a detailed overview of the market of different regions across United States, Europe, China, Japan, India, Southeast Asia and Others. The report categorizes Sawmill market by By Lumber Source, By Size, and application. Detailed analysis of key players, along with key growth strategies adopted by them is also covered in this report on Sawmill market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Get Sample Report With TOC @ This report focuses Global market, it covers details as following: Key PlayersWest FraserCanforWeyerhaeuserStora EnsoGeorgia-PacificInterforSierra Pacific IndustriesHampton AffiliatesAraucoTolkoHolzindustrie SchweighoferPheiferKlausner Holz ThringenSodraSCAAnte-holz GmbHTembecMoelvenRettenmeier GroupHyne Timber Key RegionsNorth AmericaUnited StatesCanadaLatin AmericaMexicoBrazilArgentinaOthersEuropeGermanyUnited KingdomFranceItalySpainRussiaNetherlandOthersAsia & PacificChinaJapanIndiaKoreaAustraliaSoutheast AsiaIndonesiaThailandPhilippinesVietnamSingaporeMalaysia OthersAfrica & Middle EastSouth AfricaEgyptTurkeySaudi ArabiaIranOthers Main types of productsSawmill Market, by Lumber SourceSoftwood LumberHardwood LumberSawmill Market, by SizeLog Diameter:36 (90 cm) Log Diameter:29" (72 cm)Other Sawmill Market, by Key ConsumerConstructionFurniturePackaging and joinery industriesOthers Table of ContentsGlobal Sawmill Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types & ApplicationsChapter One Methodology and Data Source1.1 Methodology/Research Approach1.1.1 Research Programs/Design1.1.2 Market Size Estimation1.1.3 Market Breakdown and Data Triangulation1.2 Data Source1.2.1 Secondary Sources1.2.2 Primary Sources1.3 DisclaimerChapter Two Sawmill Market Overview2.1 Market Coverage2.2 Global Sawmill Market Sales Volume Revenue and Price 2012-2017Chapter Three Sawmill by Key Players 2012-20173.1 Global Sawmill Sales Volume Market Share by Key Players 2012-20173.2 Global Sawmill Revenue Share by Key Players 2012-20173.3 Global Key Players Sawmill Key Product Model and Market Performance3.4 Global Key Players Sawmill Key Target Consumers and Market PerformanceChapter Four Sawmill by Regions 2012-20174.1 Global Sawmill Sales Market Share by Regions 2012-20174.2 Global Sawmill Revenue Market Share by Regions 2012-20174.3 Global Sawmill Price by Regions 2012-20174.4 North America4.4.1 United States4.4.2 Canada4.5 Latin America4.5.1 Mexico4.5.2 Brazil4.5.3 Argentina4.5.4 Others in Latin America4.6 Europe4.6.1 Germany4.6.2 United Kingdom4.6.3 France4.6.4 Italy4.6.5 Spain4.6.6 Russia4.6.7 Netherland4.6.8 Others in Europe4.7 Asia & Pacific4.7.1 China4.7.2 Japan4.7.3 India4.7.4 Korea4.7.5 Australia4.7.6 Southeast Asia4.7.6.1 Indonesia4.7.6.2 Thailand4.7.6.3 Philippines4.7.6.4 Vietnam4.7.6.5 Singapore4.7.6.6 Malaysia4.7.6.7 Others in Southeast Asia4.8 Africa & Middle East4.8.1 South Africa4.8.2 Egypt4.8.3 Turkey4.8.4 Saudi Arabia4.8.5 Iran4.8.6 Others in Africa & Middle EastChapter Five Sawmill Market by Product Types5.1 Sawmill, by Lumber Source 2012-20175.1.1 Global Sawmill Sales Market Share by Lumber Source 2012-20175.1.2 Global Sawmill Revenue Market Share by Lumber Source 2012-20175.1.3 Global Sawmill Price by Lumber Source 2012-20175.1.4 Softwood Lumber5.1.5 Hardwood Lumber5.2 Sawmill, by Size 2012-20175.2.1 Global Sawmill Sales Market Share by Size 2012-20175.2.2 Global Sawmill Revenue Market Share by Size 2012-20175.2.3 Global Sawmill Price by Size 2012-20175.2.4 Log Diameter:36 (90 cm)5.2.5 Log Diameter:29" (72 cm)5.2.6 OtherChapter Six Global Key Players Profile6.1 West Fraser6.1.1 West Fraser Company Details and Competitors6.1.2 West Fraser Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.1.3 West Fraser Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.1.4 West Fraser Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.2 Canfor6.2.1 Canfor Company Details and Competitors6.2.2 Canfor Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.2.3 Canfor Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.2.4 Canfor Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.3 Weyerhaeuser6.3.1 Weyerhaeuser Company Details and Competitors6.3.2 Weyerhaeuser Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.3.3 Weyerhaeuser Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.3.4 Weyerhaeuser Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.4 Stora Enso6.4.1 Stora Enso Company Details and Competitors6.4.2 Stora Enso Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.4.3 Stora Enso Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.4.4 Stora Enso Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.5 Georgia-Pacific6.5.1 Georgia-Pacific Company Details and Competitors6.5.2 Georgia-Pacific Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.5.3 Georgia-Pacific Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.5.4 Georgia-Pacific Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.6 Interfor6.6.1 Interfor Company Details and Competitors6.6.2 Interfor Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.6.3 Interfor Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.6.4 Interfor Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.7 Sierra Pacific Industries6.7.1 Sierra Pacific Industries Company Details and Competitors6.7.2 Sierra Pacific Industries Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.7.3 Sierra Pacific Industries Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.7.4 Sierra Pacific Industries Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.8 Hampton Affiliates6.8.1 Hampton Affiliates Company Details and Competitors6.8.2 Hampton Affiliates Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.8.3 Hampton Affiliates Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.8.4 Hampton Affiliates Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.9 Arauco6.9.1 Arauco Company Details and Competitors6.9.2 Arauco Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.9.3 Arauco Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.9.4 Arauco Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.10 Tolko6.10.1 Tolko Company Details and Competitors6.10.2 Tolko Key Sawmill Models and Performance6.10.3 Tolko Sawmill Business SWOT Analysis and Forecast6.10.4 Tolko Sawmill Sales Volume Revenue Price Cost and Gross Margin6.11 Holzindustrie Schweighofer6.12 Pheifer6.13 Klausner Holz Thringen6.14 Sodra6.15 SCA6.16 Ante-holz GmbH6.17 Tembec6.18 MoelvenFull Report @ResearchMoz is the worlds fastest growing collection of market research reports worldwide. Our database is composed of current market studies from over 100 featured publishers worldwide. Our market research databases integrate statistics with analysis from global, regional, country and company perspectives. ResearchMozs service portfolio also includes value-added services such as market research customization, competitive landscaping, and in-depth surveys, delivered by a team of experienced Research Coordinators.Researchmoz Global Pvt. Ltd.90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United States,Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free),Tel: +1-518-621-2074
Global White Box Servers Market Outlook and Forecast 2017-2022

White Box Servers

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Orbis Research has recently announced the addition of a fresh report, titled Global White Box Servers Market Research Report 2017-2022 by Players, Regions, Product Types and Applications to its report offerings. The report introduces volume and value market share by players, by regions, by product type, by consumers and also their price change details.DescriptionThe Global White Box Servers Market report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the Global White Box Servers industry. This report evaluates the Global market for "Global White Box Servers".The Global White Box Servers Market report provides complete analysis of the Global White Box Servers Market by analysing all round market dynamics such as regional market opportunities, drivers, challenges, constraints, threats, and other market trends.The Global White Box Servers Market report contains latest Business Data resulting from various Research sources that helps Decision Makers to deliver a Distinctive and Trustworthy Analysis for Companys Growth.Get a PDF Sample of Global White Box Servers Market report at:The Global White Box Servers Market Survey starts with Industry overview of Global White Box Servers Market covering Major Regions Status, Industry Chain Structure, Definitions and Specifications, with a detailed focus on Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis including Raw Material Suppliers, Equipment Suppliers and Manufacturing Process.In Next Part, the researchers has collected and presented information on Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis which comprises of Capacity and Commercial Production Date, Manufacturing Plants Distribution, R&D Status and Technology Source of Major Manufacturers in 2017.In following segment, with Sales, Ex-factory Price, Revenue, Gross Margin, Business Region Distribution Analysis, Competition between various Company Profile has been given along with Product Pictures and Specifications in Global White Box Servers Industry Report.The Key Players Mentioned in Global White Box Servers Market Report are: Quanta Computer (Taiwan) Wistron (Taiwan) Inventec (Taiwan) Hon Hai Precision Industry (Taiwan) MiTAC Holdings (Taiwan) Celestica (Canada) Compal Electronics (Taiwan) Hyve Solutions (US) Penguin Computing (US) Servers Direct (US) Stack Velocity Group (US) Super Micro Computer (US) Silicon Mechanics (US) ZT Systems (US)Key Regions North America United States Canada Latin America Mexico Brazil Argentina Others Europe Germany United Kingdom France Italy Spain Russia Netherland Others Asia & Pacific China Japan India Korea Australia Southeast Asia Indonesia Thailand Philippines Vietnam Singapore Malaysia Others Africa & Middle East South Africa Egypt Turkey Saudi Arabia Iran OthersMain types of productsWhite Box Servers Market, by Form Factor Rack-mount Server Blade Server Whole Cabinet ServerWhite Box Servers Market, by Processor X86 Server Non-X86 ServerWhite Box Servers Market, by Operating System Linux UNIX Windows OtherWhite Box Servers Market, by Key Consumer Data Centers Enterprise Customers OtherThe Global White Box Servers Industry Report is also a Great Source of Marketing Type Analysis consisting:1. Global White Box Servers Regional Marketing Type Analysis2. Global White Box Servers International Trade Type Analysis3. Traders or Distributors with Contact Information of Global White Box Servers by Regions4. Global White Box Servers Supply Chain AnalysisFor Any Query, before Purchasing Report Click Here:Major Points from Table of Contents:Chapter One: Methodology and Data SourceChapter Two: White Box Servers Market OverviewChapter Three: White Box Servers by Key Players 2012-2017Chapter Four: White Box Servers by Regions 2012-2017Chapter Five: White Box Servers Market by Product TypesChapter Six: Global Key Players ProfileChapter Seven: White Box Servers by Appliance 2012-2017Chapter Eight: Industry Chain and Supply ChainChapter Nine: Global White Box Servers Market Size (Sales and Revenue) Forecast (2017-2022)Chapter Ten: Development Trend and Research ConclusionLastly, the Report provides Development Trend Analysis for 2017-2022 years which will forecast Market Size (Volume and Value), Sales Price, Consumption Forecast, Market Trend (Product Type) and Market Trend (Application). Also the List of Major Consumers is analyzed and Contact Details are provided to easy communicating.Finally, the Report is concluded with Various Methodology, Analyst Introduction and Data SourcesOrbis Research (orbisresearch.com) is a single point aid for all your market research requirements. We have vast database of reports from the leading publishers and authors across the globe. We specialize in delivering customized reports as per the requirements of our clients. We have complete information about our publishers and hence are sure about the accuracy of the industries and verticals of their specialization. This helps our clients to map their needs and we produce the perfect required market research study for our clients.Hector CostelloSenior Manager  Client Engagements4144N Central Expressway,Suite 600, Dallas,Texas  75204, U.S.A.Phone No.: +1 (214) 884-6817; +9164101019Follow Us on LinkedIn:
Latin America and MEA likely to Surpass Europe in Pool Maintenance and Equipment Market during 20162022

Pool Equipment and Maintenance Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2017 - 2022

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North America is likely to remain the largest market. Together, Latin America and the MEA region are likely to merge as the major largest revenue contributors in the global pool maintenance and equipment market at the end of the forecast period.The pool equipment and maintenance market  Global Outlook and Forecast 20172022, the latest report published by Arizton states that the pool maintenance and equipment market in Latin America and MEA regions are going to witness a high growth during the period 20162022. The market research report, which consists of 150 pages of critical analysis of global pool maintenance and equipment market provides an in-depth study of the market and analysis of the key regions.View Report:The analysts team at Arizton says that the global pool maintenance and equipment market is going to witness tremendous growth during the forecast period. The market is likely to cross 17 billion, growing at a CAGR of 10.8%, in terms of revenue during 20162022. The report includes the market size and growth forecast of the major geographies such as APAC, Europe, North America, and Row. The analysts also stated that North America will dominate the global pool maintenance and equipment market.Pool Maintenance and Equipment Market in EuropeEurope held the second position in terms of number of swimming pools and contributed the highest average revenue per pool in 2016. The retail environment in the Western European countries is known to be characterized by heavy discounting. Also, the improving economy in many European countries has increased the disposable income in the region. This is likely to become a favorable factor for the pool maintenance and equipment market in this region. A high per capita disposable income is one of the major reasons behind the leading position of this region in the global pool equipment and maintenance market.Pool Maintenance and Equipment Market in RoWRoW, which constitutes Latin America and MEA, accounted for more than 18% of market share, both in terms of revenue and installed pool base, in 2016. Brazil was the largest revenue contributor in this region, apart from Argentina and Mexico. Brazil is expected to contribute the maximum of the revenue generated by 2022.Improving economic conditions and growing the travel and tourism industry are the main drivers for the growth in this region. The region is likely to account for more than 28% of market share both in terms of revenue and installed pool base in 2022. RoW is likely to merge as the second largest revenue contributor to the global pool equipment and maintenance market at the end of the forecast period. The region is expected to surpass Europe by 2022 in terms of revenue and installed pool base. The main reason for this growth can be attributed to multiple factors, including a rapid increase in the construction of swimming pools in this region, favorable weather conditions, improved economy, and increased tourism activities.Related Report:Robotic Lawn Mower Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2017-2022Link:Human Machine Interface (HMI) Market - Global Outlook and Forecast 2017-2022Link:About AriztonArizton  Advisory and Intelligence is an innovation and quality-driven firm, which offers cutting-edge research solutions to clients across the world. We excel in providing comprehensive market intelligence reports and advisory and consulting services.Arizton has gained a paramount standpoint in the market research arena as it offers top of the line solutions to clients to assess market landscape and finalize foolproof business strategies. We are committed to provide inclusive market research reports and consulting services to clients from diversified industries including  Consumer Goods & Retail Technology, Automotive and Mobility, Smart Tech, Healthcare and Lifesciences, Industrial Machinery, Chemicals and Materials, IT and Media, Logistics, and Packaging.Arizton comprises a team of exuberant and well-experienced analysts who have mastered in generating incisive reports. Our specialist analysts have exemplary skills in market research. We train our team in advanced research practices, techniques, and ethics to outperform in fabricating impregnable research reports.Arizton - Advisory and IntelligenceChicago, 60605Mail: enquiry@arizton.comCall: +1-312-465-7864
Inbound Tourism Market 2017-Facilitate Decision-Making Based on Strong Historic and Forecast Data 2017

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled CIVETS: Emerging tourism giants? Tourism Flows in Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa."CIVETS: Emerging tourism giants? Tourism Flows in Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa", provides key insights on the inbound tourism. It covers key trends and issues, in-depth analysis and outlook for these six markets.Inbound tourism showed mixed trends in CIVETS economies in 2016 with few showing strong growth, while others fell steeply. Turkey and Egypt reported a sharp decline due to security concerns. However, with Russia agreeing to resume flights to Egypt and improved Turkish-Russian relations, expects these markets to recover in 2017.What else does this report offer?- Historic and forecast inbound tourism flows and spending covering data at granular level for six markets - Colombia, Indonesia, Vietnam, Egypt, Turkey and South Africa.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Vietnam recorded the highest growth of the CIVETS economies in 2016. A simplified visa policy and strong rise in Chinese tourists, the countrys largest source market, supported this growth. Vietnam has benefitted slightly from the conflict between China and South Korea over the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) missile that led many Chinese to choose Vietnam as an alternative to South Korea- Colombias inbound tourism posted double digit growth over the last couple of years, fueled by favorable exchange rates and efforts to improve safety. A cease fire agreement was signed between the government and Marxist rebels FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) in 2016. This marked the end to a 50-year armed conflict between the two groups, which has resulted in travel warnings from Europe and the US, naturally affecting tourism- Inbound trips to Indonesia registered healthy growth of 11%, supported by the governments new visa policy that came in 2015, granting visa-free travel to 45 more countries. The country aims to attract 15 million foreign tourists in 2017 with focus on enhancing air connectivity.Key points to buy- Predict how the CIVETS markets are expected to grow using historic and forecast market data related to inbound tourism- Understand the demand-side dynamics within the industry to identify key market trends, growth opportunities- Direct the promotional efforts on most promising markets by identifying the key source and destination countries.Table of ContentsSnapshotInbound tourism: key trends and issuesColombiaIndonesiaVietnamEgyptTurkeySouth AfricaOutlook and actionsAppendixReferencesTerminology and definitionsAbout the author..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra
TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lydian International Limited (TSX:LYD) (Lydian or the Company) announced today that the Company will attend the 2017 Precious Metals Summit to be held September 18  20, 2017 in Beaver Creek, Colorado. Howard Stevenson, Chief Executive Officer of Lydian, will host one-on-one meetings during the conference and present to attendees on Monday, September 18, 2017 at 8:45 a.m. The presentation will provide an update on construction and upcoming activities at the Companys Amulsar Gold Project in Armenia.



The presentation will be available on Lydians website at www.lydianinternational.co.uk.

About Lydian International Limited

Lydian is a gold developer, focusing on construction at its 100%-owned Amulsar Gold Project, located in south-central Armenia. Amulsar presents an opportunity for a large-scale, low-cost operation with production expected to begin in mid-2018. Open pit mining and conventional heap leach processing contribute to excellent scale and economic potential. Amulsar will be Armenias largest gold mine, with estimated mineral resources containing 3.5 million measured and indicated gold ounces and 1.3 million inferred gold ounces. Gold production is targeted to average approximately 225,000 ounces annually over an initial 10-year mine life. Existing mineral resources and open extensions provide opportunities to improve average annual production and extend the life of mine. The Company is committed to good international industry practices in all aspects of its operations including production, sustainability, and corporate social responsibility. For more information and to directly contact us, please visit www.lydianinternational.co.uk.

Caution regarding forward-looking information

Certain information contained in this news release is forward looking. All statements in this news release, other than statements of historical fact, that address events, results, outcomes or developments that the Company expects to occur are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts and are generally, but not always, identified by the use of forward-looking terminology such as plans, expects, intends, anticipates, proposed or variations of such words and phrases or statements that certain actions, events or results will, may, could, would, should, or occur or the negative connotation of such terms. Forward-looking statements in this news release include, among others, statements with respect to: the realization of mineral resource estimates and the timing of development of the Amulsar Gold Project, including the expected start date of production; the potential improvement of average annual production and extension of the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of currently defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; the commitment to and implementation of good international industry practices; the expected gold production from, and life of mine of, the Amulsar Gold Project; the expected mining methods at the Amulsar Gold Project; the estimated cash cost per ounce of gold over the life of mine of the Amulsar Gold Project; and the expected cost of operations at the Amulsar Gold Project. Statements concerning mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates may also be deemed to constitute forward-looking information to the extent that they involve estimates of the mineralization that will be encountered when the property is developed.

Forward-looking statements are necessarily based on estimates and assumptions that are inherently subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such risks, uncertainties and factors include, without limitation: changes in gold and silver prices; adverse general economic, market or business conditions; regulatory changes; failure to improve average annual production and extend the Amulsar Gold Project mine life through the evaluation of defined inferred resources and from open extensions at depth; as well as Risk Factors included in the disclosure documents filed on and available at www.sedar.com. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and actual results and future events could materially differ from those anticipated in such statements. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. All of the forward-looking statements contained in this news release are qualified by these cautionary statements. The Company expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, events or otherwise, except in accordance with applicable securities laws.
Global Motor Management Market 2017 : Analog Devices Inc., Eaton Corporation Plc, Texas Instruments, Rockwell Automation

Motor Management

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Global Motor Management Market Research Report 2017-2022A market research based on the "Motor Management Market" across the globe, recently added to the archive of Market Research Explore, is titled Global Motor Management Market 2017. The research report analyzes the ancient as well as present performance of the global Motor Management market, and makes predictions on the future status of Motor Management market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Major Manufacturers Analysis of Motor Management are :General Electric (US)Texas Instruments (US)Siemens AG (Germany)Schneider Electric SE (France)ABB Ltd. (Switzerland)Analog Devices, Inc., (US)Eaton Corporation Plc (Ireland)Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan)Rockwell Automation (US)Hitachi, Ltd (Japan)The report studies the market for Motor Management across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Motor Management market & dynamics of demand and supply of Motor Management into consideration. The 'Motor Management' research study covers each and every aspect of the Motor Management market globally, which starts from the definition of the Motor Management market and develops towards Motor Management market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Motor Management market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Motor Management market. The geographical segmentation of the Motor Management market has also been covered at length in this report.On the basis of product, the Motor Management market is primarily split intoSynchronous MotorAsynchronous MotorOn the basis of the end users/applications, this Motor Management market report coversOil & GasWater Supply & Wastewater TreatmentMetals & MiningChemicalsOthersThe competitive landscape of the global market for Motor Management is determined by evaluating the various market playors, production capacity, Motor Management market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Motor Management market worldwide.Read More Research with TOC :The global Motor Management market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Motor Management production volume, data regarding demand and Motor Management supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various meticulous tools such as investment returns, usefulness, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for Motor Management across the globe.About Us :Industry QY provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Industry QY cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us :Enid SteelUnited States
Agribusiness Global Industry, 2017: Major Players - Mahindra, China Green, Xinjiang Talimu agriculture, Dow AgroSciences & Monsanto

Market Research Report

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Agribusiness Global Industry, 2017: Major Players - Mahindra, China Green, Xinjiang Talimu agriculture, Dow AgroSciences & Monsanto" to its huge collection of research reports.Agribusiness Report by Material, Application, and Geography Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and comprehensive research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, United Kingdom,Japan, South Korea and China).In this report, the global Agribusiness market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is projected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2021, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the period 2017 to 2021.The report firstly introduced the Agribusiness basics: definitions, classifications, Applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The major players profiled in this report include:MahindraChina GreenXinjiang Talimu agricultureDow AgroSciencesMonsantoAgrokorSyngenta AGThe end users/Applications and product categories analysis:On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into-Cotton and RiceDairyFruit and vegetableTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis on the end users/Applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major Applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Agribusiness for each application, including-Crop productionBreedingAgrichemicalsTable of ContentsPart I Agribusiness Industry OverviewChapter One Agribusiness Industry Overview1.1 Agribusiness Definition1.2 Agribusiness Classification AnalysisCotton and RiceDairyFruit and vegetable1.2.1 Agribusiness Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Agribusiness Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Agribusiness Application AnalysisChapter Two Agribusiness Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market TrendBrowse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global and Japan Elevators and Escalators Market, 2017 - 2022: Major Players - KONE Corporation (Finland), United Technologies (U.S.), Schindler (Switzerland) & Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan)

Market Research Report

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ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Global and Japan Elevators and Escalators Market, 2017 - 2022: Major Players - KONE Corporation (Finland), United Technologies (U.S.), Schindler (Switzerland) & Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan)".The global Elevators and Escalators market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2017, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Japan plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2017, with a CAGR of xx%.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the Elevators and Escalators market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits Elevators and Escalators market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includeKONE Corporation (Finland)United Technologies (U.S.)Schindler (Switzerland)Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (Japan)ThyssenKrupp AG (Germany)FUJITEC (Japan)Hitachi Ltd. (Japan)Hyundai Elevator Co., Ltd. (South Korea)Toshiba Corporation (Japan)Electra Ltd. (Israel)KUIKO (U.K.)VOLKSLIFT China (China)Canny Elevator (China)SJEC (China)DNDT (China)Geographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaIndiaOthersEuropeTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, the Elevators and Escalators market is primarily split intoBy Elevator TypeElevatorsEscalatorMoving walkwaysBy ServiceNew installationMaintenance & repairModernizationBy TechnologyTraction with a roomMachine room less tractionHydraulicKey ApplicationsResidentialCommercialInstitutionalInfrastructureIndustrialOthersTable of Contents2017-2022 Global and Japan Elevators and Escalators Market Analysis Report1 Elevators and Escalators Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Elevators and Escalators1.2 Global and Japan Elevators and Escalators Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan Elevators and Escalators Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.1 Japan Elevators and Escalators Sales (K Units) and Market Share by Applications (2012-2017)1.2.1.2 Japan Elevators and Escalators Sales Growth Rate (%) by Applications (2012-2017)Browse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Network-Attached Storage Market 2017 : Dell EMC, Seagate Technology PLC., Buffalo Americas, Western Digital Corporation

Network-Attached Storage

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Global Network-Attached Storage Market Research Report 2017-2022A market research based on the "Network-Attached Storage Market" across the globe, recently added to the archive of Market Research Explore, is titled Global Network-Attached Storage Market 2017. The research report analyzes the ancient as well as present performance of the global Network-Attached Storage market, and makes predictions on the future status of Network-Attached Storage market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Major Manufacturers Analysis of Network-Attached Storage are :Dell EMC (US), NetApp, Inc. (US)Hewlett-Packard Enterprise Company (US)Hitachi Data Systems Corporation (US)Western Digital Corporation (US)NETGEAR, Inc. (US), Synology, Inc. (Taiwan)Buffalo Americas (US)Seagate Technology PLC. (US)QNAP Systems, Inc. (Taiwan)The report studies the market for Network-Attached Storage across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Network-Attached Storage market & dynamics of demand and supply of Network-Attached Storage into consideration. The 'Network-Attached Storage' research study covers each and every aspect of the Network-Attached Storage market globally, which starts from the definition of the Network-Attached Storage market and develops towards Network-Attached Storage market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Network-Attached Storage market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Network-Attached Storage market. The geographical segmentation of the Network-Attached Storage market has also been covered at length in this report.On the basis of product, the Network-Attached Storage market is primarily split intoScale-upScale-outOn the basis of the end users/applications, this Network-Attached Storage market report coversBFSITelecommunications & ITeSConsumer Goods & RetailOthersThe competitive landscape of the global market for Network-Attached Storage is determined by evaluating the various market playors, production capacity, Network-Attached Storage market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Network-Attached Storage market worldwide.Read More Research with TOC :The global Network-Attached Storage market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Network-Attached Storage production volume, data regarding demand and Network-Attached Storage supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various meticulous tools such as investment returns, usefulness, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for Network-Attached Storage across the globe.About Us :Industry QY provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Industry QY cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us :Enid SteelUnited States
Eyewear Market to exceed 1.3 billion units by 2024 registering 7% CAGR

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Growing proportion of sight deficiencies and increasing geriatric population are predicted to stimulate the global eyewear market in future. Demand for corrective lenses like spectacles and contact lenses are predicted to grow due to growing consciousness regarding the significance of regular inspections/checks.The global eyewear market size is predicted to touch $ 165 million mark by end of the forecasted period and register CAGR of 7%.Request for sample of this report@Rise in disposable incomes, growing consciousness among the people about eye protection and growing purchasing capacity of the people is yet another key driving aspect predicted to fuel the growth of the global industry during anticipated period. In addition to this, fast growing eye wear support along with rising proportion of presbyopes is the biggest factor promoting the growth of the market.But the growing amount of refractive surgical operations like LASIK is a key inhibiting factor hindering the growth of the global market as it removes the individual dependence on corrective eyewear treatment. LASIK surgeries can affect the sale of corrective lenses during the estimated period. Further, there is a high level of consciousness about LASIK surgical operations among the people as they are becoming more cost effective for large amount of population.The global eyewear market product is segmented into spectacles lenses, spectacles, Plano sunglasses, spectacles frames, polarized sunglasses and contact lenses.Browse Source Report:Spectacles section leads the product segment of the global market. It also dominated the product segment of industry in 2011 by contributing maximum market share. The section is also projected to exhibit widespread development during forecasted period. Growing number of persons using spectacles for sight correction is one of the main reasons contributing for the growth of the section.The contact lenses section is predicted to display enormous growth during forecasted span owing to growing consciousness about the use of these products and due to its user friendly features.Spectacles lenses and frames section led the product segment of the market in 2012. The demand for the lenses & frames is predicted to remain in future.Plano sunglasses section is predicted to expand substantially during forecasted period. The demand for high end sun glasses is the main aspect adding to the high revenue growth of this section.The global market is segmented into North American subcontinent, European continent, APAC zone and rest of the world.The North American subcontinent led the market in 2012 in terms of demand. High demand for products like contact lenses and sunglasses in the subcontinent along with high level of consciousness about eye examinations were the key factors driving the growth of the eyewear market in North America.Make an inquiry to purchase this report@Europe led the global market for 2012 in terms of revenue. High demand for sunglasses and high awareness levels about eye checkups are key factors driving the growth of market in Europe.Customers going for UV coatings, scratch resistant coatings and anti reflective coatings are predicted to fuel the demand and growth of the market in the regions of Europe and North America.The market of APAC zone is predicted to expand rapidly during forecasted period. The factors adding to the growth of the market in APAC zone include growing purchasing capacity of the people, rising use of eye wear and increase in density of population in the regions of the APAC zone.Key industry players are implementing different business growth strategies like efficient distribution channels and vertical integration to increase their profit margins, gain maximum market share, gain competitive advantage and grow their business.Read Our News on Globenewswire:Major industry participant profiles includeCarl Zeiss AGSafilo Group SpAEssilor InternationalMarchonAcuvueShamirBausch & LombLuxottica Group SpACrizalRodenstockJohnson & Johnson Vision CareCooperVisionHoya CorporationChemilensFielmann AGCharmant GroupCIBA Vision IncorporationDe Rigo SpAMarcolinSeiko CorporationDaemyungAbout Global Market Insights, Inc.:Global Market Insights, Inc., headquartered in Delaware, U.S., is a global market research and consulting service provider; offering syndicated and custom research reports along with growth consulting services. Our business intelligence and industry research reports offer clients with penetrative insights and actionable market data specially designed and presented to aid strategic decision making. These exhaustive reports are designed via a proprietary research methodology and are available for key industries such as chemicals, advanced materials, technology, renewable energy and biotechnology.Contact us:Arun HegdeCorporate Sales, USAGlobal Market Insights, Inc.Phone:1-302-846-7766Toll Free: 1-888-689-0688Email: sales@gminsights.comWeb:
Global Refrigerated Trailers Market to Witness a Rise of US$ 7.1 Billion by 2021

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Persistence Market Research (PMR), delivers key insights on the refrigerated trailer market in its latest report titled, Global Market Study on Refrigerated Trailer: Expansion of Cold Chain Capacities in Asia Pacific to Drive Demand through 2021. According to the report, Global refrigerated trailer market was valued at US$ 5434.9 Mn in 2014 and projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.4% during forecast period to account for US$ 7171.4 Mn by the end of 2021.Assessing the various factors driving market growth, the global refrigerated vehicle market is growing significantly at annual growth rate of 3%5%. The refrigerated trailer is one of the prominent segments in this market, which is gaining traction due to the implementation of various advanced technologies and growing application across various industries worldwide. The China market is projected to exhibit the fastest growth over the forecast period due to the favorable economic environment, low cost of labor and operations and rapid technological advancements in the country.TOC Sentence Request to View Tables of Content @From a regional perspective, North America was the largest market for refrigerated trailers, accounting for approximately 38.5% market volume share in 2014. Western Europe is projected to contribute second largest volume share to the global refrigerated trailer market and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 4.8% over the forecast period due to various technological advancements and imposition of government regulation regarding safe refrigerated transportation of food.By product type, Chilled was the largest segment for the refrigerated trailer, accounting for 61.3% market share in 2014. This product type continues to dominate the segment and the trend is expected to continue over the forecast period. Globally, meat & seafood is the predominant end use segment, accounting for 32.6% share in the global refrigerated trailer market in 2014 and is estimated to account for 31.7% by 2021 due to increasing demand for packaged meat and seafood across various geographies.Key driving factors identified in the global refrigerated trailer market include expansion of cold chain capacity to boost demand for efficient refrigerated transportation, increasing the capital expenditure of third-party logistics business across the globe. However, increasing trucking operational costs and close proximity of transportation destinations and lack of government legislation and infrastructure in emerging economies could pose some challenges. Some major trends identified in the refrigerated trailer market are rapid product innovation and technology integration to bolster sales and focus of Manufacturers on reducing emissions through weight reduction of trailersA Sample of this Report is Available Upon Request @The global refrigerated trailer market is segmented on the basis of regions, product type and end use. The product type is further sub-segmented to chilled type refrigerated trailers and frozen type refrigerated trailers. On the basis of end use, the market is further sub-segmented to dairy, fruits & vegetables, meat & sea food and others (confectionary, bakery and medicinal products). Key regions covered in this report include North America (U.S. and Canada), Latin America, Europe (Eastern and Western Europe), Asia-Pacific and the Middle East & Africa.Buy Now: You can now buy a single user license of the report @Key market participants covered in the report includeWabash National Commercial Trailer Products, Great Dane Trailers, Inc., Utility Trailer Manufacturing Company, Schmitz Cargobull AG, Fahrzeugwerk Bernard KRONE GmbH, Kogel Trailer GmbH & Co. KG, Lamberet Refrigerated SAS, Montracon Ltd., Gray & Adams Ltd. and Randon Implementos.The report analyses the global refrigerated trailer market in terms of value (US$ Bn) and volume (Units) by region, product type and end use and provides insightful information regarding market dynamics, value chain, competitive landscape, current trends, market estimations and forecast.To Know About Latest Report Click Here:About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a U.S.-based full-service market intelligence firm specializing in syndicated research, custom research, and consulting services. PMR boasts market research expertise across the Healthcare, Chemicals and Materials, Technology and Media, Energy and Mining, Food and Beverages, Semiconductor and Electronics, Consumer Goods, and Shipping and Transportation industries. The company draws from its multi-disciplinary capabilities and high-pedigree team of analysts to share data that precisely corresponds to clients business needs.PMR stands committed to bringing more accuracy and speed to clients business decisions. From ready-to-purchase market research reports to customized research solutions, PMRs engagement models are highly flexible without compromising on its deep-seated research values.ContactPersistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.commedia@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Global Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Market In Japan, 2017 To 2022: By System Type - Chain Conveyor Systems, Slat Conveyor Systems, Belt Conveyor Systems & Skate Conveyor Systems

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ResearchMoz presents this most up-to-date research on "Global Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Market In Japan, 2017 To 2022: By System Type - Chain Conveyor Systems, Slat Conveyor Systems, Belt Conveyor Systems & Skate Conveyor Systems".The global Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) market is valued at XX million USD in 2016 and is expected to reach XX million USD by the end of 2017, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Japan plays an important role in global market, with market size of xx million USD in 2016 and will be xx million USD in 2017, with a CAGR of xx%.This report, with focus on top players in the global and Japan, studies the Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) market's development status and future trend in the global and Japan. It splits Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) market by type and by applications to fully and deeply research and reveal market profile and prospect.The major players includeActiw Oy (Finland)GEBHARDT Fordertechnik GmbH (Germany)HAVER & BOECKER OHG (Germany)ATLS Ltd. (Spain)Joloda International Ltd. (U.K.)C&D Skilled Robotics, Inc. (U.S.)VDL Systems B.V. (Netherlands)Reno Forklift, Inc. (U.S.)FLSmidth (U.S.), Inc.Loading Automation (U.S.)FLSmidth, Inc. (U.S.)Beacon Industries, Inc. (U.S.)A J Roberts Industrial (U.S.)Dynatek Articulating Loading Systems (U.S.)Heico Companies LLC (U.S.)Geographically, this report splits the Global market into the following regions:Asia PacificJapanTokyoYokohamaOsakaNagoyaOthersChinaKoreaTo Get Sample Copy of Report visit @On the basis of product, the Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) market is primarily split intoBy Loading DockFlush DockEnclosed DockSaw tooth DockOthersBy Software and ServiceSoftwareServicesBy System TypeChain Conveyor SystemsSlat Conveyor SystemsBelt Conveyor SystemsSkate Conveyor SystemsRoller Track SystemsBy Truck TypeModified Truck TypeNon-modified Truck TypeKey ApplicationsAviationAutomotiveTextilePharmaceuticalTable of Contents2017-2022 Global and Japan Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Market Analysis Report1 Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS)1.2 Global and Japan Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Market by Applications/End Users1.2.1 Japan Automated Truck Loading System (ATLS) Sales (K Units) and Market Share Comparison by Applications (2012-2017)Browse More Details @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Austenite Steel Market is Anticipated to Show Growth by 2022

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ReportsMonitor.Com Adds Global Austenite Steel Market Professional Survey Report 2017 to Its Database.This report studies Austenite Steel in Global market, especially in North America, China, Europe, Southeast Asia, Japan and India, with production, revenue, consumption, import and export in these regions, from 2012 to 2016, and forecast to 2022.This report focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringPenn Stainless Products Inc The U.S)Sandvik(Sweden)AK Steel Holding The U.S)Acciaierie Valbruna ItalyRolled Alloys The U.SOutokumpu FinlandNippon Steel & Sumitomo MetalPOSCO KoreaGET SAMPLE REPORT @By types, the market can be split into304 Type310 Type321 TypeBy Application, the market can be split intoIndustrialAerospaceMedical CareAutomobileOthersBy Regions, this report covers (we can add the regions/countries as you want)North AmericaChinaEuropeSoutheast AsiaJapanIndiaTable of ContentsGlobal Austenite Steel Market Professional Survey Report 20171 Industry Overview of Austenite Steel1.1 Definition and Specifications of Austenite Steel1.1.1 Definition of Austenite Steel1.1.2 Specifications of Austenite Steel1.2 Classification of Austenite Steel1.2.1 304 Type1.2.2 310 Type1.2.3 321 Type1.3 Applications of Austenite Steel1.3.1 Industrial1.3.2 Aerospace1.3.3 Medical Care1.3.4 Automobile1.3.5 Others1.4 Market Segment by Regions1.4.1 North America1.4.2 China1.4.3 Europe1.4.4 Southeast Asia1.4.5 Japan1.4.6 India2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Austenite Steel2.1 Raw Material and Suppliers2.2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Austenite Steel2.3 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Austenite Steel2.4 Industry Chain Structure of Austenite SteelBROWSE FULL TABLE OF CONTENTS and REPORT DESCRIPTION @About Us:Reports Monitor (ReportsMonitor.com) is a platform to meet the market research and business intelligence requirements. Our aim is to change the dynamics of the Market Research industry by providing quality intelligence backed by data. Your requirement for market forecasting is fulfilled by our exclusive quantitative and analytics driven intelligence. We have a vast collection of reports, covering maximum industries worldwide. Our process is meticulously planned and executed in order to use maximum resources and explore the market for getting genuine insights. Decision makers can now rely on our distinct data gathering methods to get factual market forecasting and detailed analysis.Contact Us:Jay MatthewsDirect: +1 513 549-5911Email: sales@reportsmonitor.comWebsite:
UK Commercial Motor Insurance Market Dynamics & Opportunities 2017

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"The Report UK Commercial Motor Insurance: Market Dynamics & Opportunities 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz""UK Commercial Motor Insurance: Market Dynamics & Opportunities 2017", analyzes the UK commercial motor insurance market, looking at market size as well as changes in premiums, claims, road casualties, the motor parc, regulations, and opportunities. It discusses competitors in the market, how the market is likely to change due to telematics and driverless cars, and provides future forecasts of market size up to 2021.The commercial motor insurance market grew slightly in 2016. This was a result of economic growth, which in turn increased business prosperity and therefore the investment in commercial vehicles to support business expansion. Despite growth in commercial motor, the market is heading towards unprofitable territory as it is expected that rates will begin to harden over the next few years, until further government reforms are introduced that might lower claims costs. As reported last year, claims costs fell initially when LASPO was implemented back in 2013, but the claims environment has now stabilized. Some insurers continue to report rises as the market has adjusted to the legislation. The commercial motor parc continued to increase in 2016, with light goods vehicles and company cars driving the majority of growth. However, with the UKs vote to leave the EU it is expected that motor parc growth will slow, as businesses will have less confidence and money to invest in new commercial vehicles until the economy begins to recover. While reforms will provide instant benefits upon implementation, telematics and driverless technology will help reduce the frequency of claims in the longer term.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Scope- Gross written premiums for the commercial motor insurance market grew by 4.5% to 4.17bn in 2016.- The claims environment, alongside personal motor insurance, remains in a state of uncertainty around the impact of the discount rate reduction to -0.75% and whiplash claim reforms.- There are concerns among industry experts around longer-term market profitability and the availability of reserves to bolster combined operating ratios, particularly if the predicted negative impacts of leaving the EU come to fruition.View Report @Reasons to buy- Benchmark yourself against the rest of the market.- Ensure you remain competitive as new innovations and insurance models begin to enter the market.- Be prepared for how regulation will impact the commercial motor insurance market over the next few years.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
New Study Offers Detailed Insights on Aroma Ingredients Market

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Aroma chemical is a complex fusion of natural and/or synthetic ingredients that are added to various products in order to incorporate desired odor. These ingredients are widely used in consumer care and personal care products. Personal care industry is one of the major application industry for aroma ingredients market. The global aroma ingredients market has witnessed steady growth over the recent past owing to increasing demand for natural aroma ingredients. Soaps and detergent is estimated to account for a significant share in the global aroma ingredients market followed by cosmetics and toiletries applications. The global aroma ingredients market is expected to register a steady growth during forecast period.Global Aroma Ingredients Market: DriversIntroduction of innovative and novel products especially in cosmetics, toiletries, and skin care and hair care products has driven the overall growth of the global aroma ingredients market. The increasing demand for natural ingredients coupled with change in consumer preferences are considered to be the important driver for global aroma ingredients market. Furthermore, significant technological advancements have also fuelled the growth of the market. Moreover, the increase in demand from the emerging and developing nations for natural fragrance due to health concerns related to synthetic chemicals is likely to act as an opportunity for the growth of the global aroma ingredients market. These factors are likely to drive the global aroma ingredients market during the forecast period. A key trend witnessed in global aroma chemicals market is that the key aroma chemical producers are responding to growing opportunities by expanding their global presence. One of the major factor that is likely to restrict growth in demand for natural aroma ingredients is high costs associated with switching from synthetic chemical to natural ingredients.Request Report Sample@Global Aroma Ingredients Market: SegmentationThe global aroma ingredients market can be segmented on the basis of type, application and region. On the basis of type, the global aroma ingredients market can be segmented intoessential oilsaroma chemicalsEssential oils segment can further be sub-segmented into menthe arvensis, cedar wood, orange, eucalyptus, citronella and others (basil, clove, jamrosa, litsea cubica, sassafras, coriander, patchouli, camphor and lemon grass) Whereas, aroma chemicals segment can further be sub-segmented into turpenes, musk chemical, benzenoids and others (alicyclic, heterocyclic and aliphatic compounds).On the basis of application, the global aroma ingredients markets can be segmented intocosmetic and toiletriessoap and detergentsfine fragranceOthers (household products, aroma therapy and pesticides).Visit For TOC@Global Aroma Ingredients Market: Region Wise OutlookOn the basis of regions, Europe is expected to be a promising revenue generating region for the global aroma ingredients market and is expected to grow at steady growth rate during forecast period. Latin America and Asia Pacific are anticipated to witness relatively faster growth both in terms of value and in terms of volume. Potential opportunities in Asia Pacific and Latin America due to availability of labor and low cost of raw materials are expected to drive growth in these regions over the forecast period. North America and Middle East & Africa are also expected to show positive growth in the near future.Global Aroma Ingredients Market: Key PlayersSome of the key players identified in the global aroma ingredients market are as follows:BASF SEMane SAInternational Flavors and Fragrances Inc.Givaudan SAFermenich International SAFrutarom Industries Ltd.Symrise AGAgilex Flavors and Fragrances, Inc.Hindustan Mint & Agro Products Pvt. Ltd.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
MINNEAPOLIS, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Elevate, a one-of-a-kind insurance sales and marketing conference, returns June 24-26, 2018 at the Hilton Cleveland Downtown. The insurance industrys cant miss event will draw over 700 insurance practitioners, thought-leaders and technologists from around the world for three days of learning and networking.



Elevate 2018 is presented by Agency Nation, the leading insurance industry media company focused on the independent agency channel and hosted by Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA). Registration for Elevate 2018 is now open with early pricing available while tickets last. Learn more at www.elevateconference.com.



Our goal in creating Elevate was to generate an electric atmosphere, designed specifically for the independent agents, carriers and technologists driving our great industry forward, explains Ryan Hanley, Editor-in-Chief, Agency Nation. Were thrilled to not only be partnering with the OIA, but also welcoming the talented headliners taking the stage to share their expertise.

Elevate 2018 keynote speakers include: Bill Purmort, CEO of Central Insurance; Ed Largent, CEO of Westfield Insurance; Mike LaRocco, CEO of State Auto Insurance; Joey Coleman, CEO of Design Symphony; Anthony Iannarino, best-selling author; Marcus Sheridan, president of The Sales Lion; Ryan Walter, Stanley Cup Championand over 20 more.

As the independent insurance industry evolves within the modern marketplace, its critical we have a place to showcase innovation, said Chip Bacciocco, CEO of TrustedChoice.com. Elevate is the place where wild ideas are explored and passion for the business of insurance is celebrated.

A video accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/ce899441-b875-45b6-bfa6-abfc4c1cf4ff

About Agency Nation

Agency Nation, a TrustedChoice.com affiliate, is an insurance media company focused on the independent agency (IA) channel. Its mission is to enable the IA community to learn, ask, network and grow through its online publications, learning platform and annual conference, all designed to help IAs thrive in the modern insurance world.

About Ohio Insurance Agents

Ohio Insurance Agents Association (OIA) is the collective voice of more than 1,300 independent agencies that employ nearly 10,000 Ohioans. We promote, progress and protect the professional advice and guidance only independent insurance agents provide. OIA members write 82 percent of the commercial insurance policies and 44 percent of personal insurance policies in Ohio.
US Drug Eluting Sinus Stent (DESS) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2021) Company Coverage - Intersect ENT, Medtronic (Xomed), Entellus Medical, Acclarent (J&J)

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "US Drug Eluting Sinus Stent (DESS) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2021)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report entitled US Drug Eluting Sinus Stent (DESS) Market: Size, Trends & Forecasts (2016-2021), provides analysis of the US DESS market, with detailed analysis of market size and growth, penetration, market share and economic impact of the industry. The analysis includes the market by value (TAM), by volume and by utilization. The report also provides the analysis of the US sinus surgery market, including analysis of FESS market and BSD market.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @Furthermore, the report also assesses the key opportunities in the market and outlines the factors that are and will be driving the growth of the industry. Growth of the overall US DESS market has also been forecasted for the years 2016-2021, taking into consideration the growth pattern of sinus surgery market, the growth drivers and the current and future trends.Intersect is the only company manufacturing drug eluting sinus stents, but the competitive landscape of the market includes other indirect competitors, such as Medtronic, Entellus Medical and Acclarent (J&J), whose company profiling has been done in the report. In this segment of the report, business overview, financial overview and business strategies of the companies are provided.Company CoverageIntersect ENTMedtronic (Xomed)Entellus MedicalAcclarent (J&J)Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Executive SummarySinuses are the hollow cavities located in the bones of the face and around the nose. There are four sinus cavities: frontal, maxillary, ethmoid, and sphenoid, each with different features. Under normal conditions, the secretion (mucous) flow through the nasal passages, but with the onset of sinusitis, the secretion gets blocked in the sinuses due to inflammation. Sinusitis disturbs the normal lifestyle of a person and sometimes become frustrating, as it affects the persons breathing, sleeping and eating.Sinusitis can be divided into Acute Sinusitis, Recurrent Acute Rhinosinusitis (RARS) and chronic Rhinosinusitis (CRS), on the basis of the duration of the episode of sinusitis and its severity. The treatment options for the sinusitis can be over-the-counter treatment, medical management and surgery. The OTC treatment includes decongestants, antihistamines, pain relievers and nasal irrigation. Medical management includes antibiotics and oral and nasal steroids. The sinus surgeries are mainly of two types: Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) and Balloon Sinus Dilation (BSD).Intersect, is the only company that has developed drug releasing bio-absorbable implants (drug eluting sinus stents- DESS) that enable targeted and sustained release of therapeutic agents, increasing the effectiveness of the sinus surgery.The US DESS market is expected to increase at a significant growth rate during the forecasted period (2016-2021). The US DESS market is supported by various growth drivers, such as limitations of FESS treatment, benefits of DESS, increasing per capita healthcare expenditure, cost effectiveness of DESS, etc. Yet, the market faces certain challenges, such as, reimbursement issues, dependability on individual physicians experience, limited trials after BSD, etc.Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Tooth Replacement Market Is Worth USD 13,035.2 Million By 2022

Global Tooth Replacement Market, by Product Type, 2017-2022

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The global tooth replacement market will grow at a CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period to reach USD 13,035.2 million by 2022, according to the latest publication from Meticulous Research. The growth of tooth replacement market is mainly attributed to the rising geriatric and edentulous population, growing dental tourism for advanced dental solutions, increasing disposable incomes in the developing countries, growing dental clinics with advanced dental treatments, and increasing demand of cosmetic dentistry. In addition, growing CAD/CAM industry and increasing number of integrated dental clinics provide significant opportunities for the various stakeholders in this market. However, the high cost of CAD/CAM treatment and limited reimbursement hinders the adoption of tooth replacement solutions to some extent.Global tooth replacement market is segmented by product type into implants, prosthetics, abutments, biomaterials, CAD/CAM systems, imaging & surgical systems, and scanners). The dental implants market is further segmented into tapered implants and parallel walled implants, whereas the prosthetics market is further segmented into crowns, bridges, dentures, veneers, and inlays & onlays. The dental biomaterials market is also further analyzed by segmenting into bone grafts, tissue regeneration materials, and membranes. The dental scanners market is also further categorized into intra-oral and extra-oral scanners.Browse In-Depth report onDental implants hold the largest share in the global tooth replacement market. The penetration of implants is further expected to increase significantly, primarily due to the factors such as growing patient knowledge about improved clinical outcomes, a significant reduction in treatment period due to technological innovations, and increasing number of dentists (general practitioners) offering dental implants procedures.Geographically, the global tooth replacement market is segmented into five major regions, namely North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Middle East & Africa. These regions are further analysed at a country level with the detailed qualitative and quantitative analysis. Europe holds the major share in the global tooth replacement market followed by North America and Asia-Pacific region. However, The Asia-Pacific (APAC) region is expected to witness the fastest growth during the forecast period, mainly due to less stringent regulations, increasing number of hospitals and clinics, growing demand for advanced dental procedures, growing dental tourism and adoption of digital dentistry, growing healthcare expenditure, and rising demand for better healthcare services from large pool of patient population.The major players in the global tooth replacement market are Institut Straumann AG, Dentsply Sirona Inc., Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc., Danaher Corporation, Osstem Implant Co., Ltd., 3M Company, CAMLOG Biotechnologies AG, Bicon, LLC., Neoss Limited, Anthogyr SAS, Cortex Dental Implants Industries Ltd., Ivoclar Vivadent AG, Mitsui Chemicals Inc., Heraeus Kulzer, AVINENT Implant System SL, Planmeca OY, Align Technology Inc., and Soredex among others.About Meticulous ResearchMeticulous Research is one of the leading independent full service global market research and consulting companies focusing on medical devices, biotechnology, healthcare IT, pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, and agriculture domains. Meticulous Research produces global reports and custom studies for North America, Europe, Latin America, Asia-Pacific, and Middle East and Africa regions.Meticulous ResearchOffice No-402, 4th Floor, Pushpak Business Hub, Wakad,Pune-411057, Maharashtrasales@meticulousresearch.com+91 744-7780008
C2C E-commerce Market - Key Growth Factors and Industry Analysis 2024

C2C E-commerce Market

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C2C is a category of e-commerce which allows consumers to interact with each other. This model of e-commerce facilitates transactions of products or services between consumers. In business to consumer model, a consumer approaches a business to purchase goods or services. In C2C model, the business provides a platform where consumers can sell products or services to each other. The main goal of C2C is to help buyers find sellers. This benefits both the parties.A buyer finds a product or a service which would have otherwise been hard to find and a seller benefits by selling the product or a service. The platforms for such transactions are usually provided by third parties, which act as intermediaries between the sellers and buyers. For instance, online portals such as E-bay facilitates sellers to post their goods or services online that is available for consumers to purchase. In such transactions, the third party may charge a transaction fee or commission. Products sold on these websites can be new or second hand.Obtain Report Details @The proliferation of Internet services across the world and the significant increase in the use of smartphones can be attributed as major factors to facilitate the C2C e-commerce market growth. Users can sign-up on online portals providing C2C services and begin to buy or sell desired products or services. The reduction in the costs of these products and services, due to the absence of middlemen, wholesalers and retailers involved in the transaction has further aided to the growth of global C2C e-commerce market. Moreover, sellers are no longer restricted to local regions and can reach national and international audiences. Furthermore, the need of capital investment on outlet stores is eliminated and the inventory costs are reduced.This enables the sellers to sell their products at higher prices and at the same time buyers can purchase them at comparatively cheaper prices. Also, the convenience associated with this model with regards to ample choices available to buyers is an advantage for the subscribers of such portals. The advent and increasing popularity of online payment systems is expected to fuel the growth of C2C e-commerce, globally. However, Internet frauds and identity threats, absence of payment guarantees are the hurdles in adoption of these services. C2C websites have no control over the quality of goods being sold on them as they only act as intermediaries. The possibility of illegal or pirated products sold through such websites is a threat to the C2C market.Enter your information below to receive a sample copy of this report @On the basis of source of revenue, the C2C e-commerce market can be broadly segmented into classifieds and auctions. Classifieds can be further segmented into products and services. In terms of geography, C2C e-commerce market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa (MEA) and Latin America. North America is one of the leading regions in the global market because of high penetration of Internet and a large number of smartphone users. Asia Pacific is expected to witness rapid growth in the coming years due to the rise in Internet and smartphone users, mainly in China and India.About Us:-Transparency Market Research is a market intelligence company providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers.We are privileged with highly experienced team of Analysts, Researchers and Consultants, who use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Contact Us:-Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700, Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:Visit Blog:
Global Digital Music Market with Focus on Live Streaming: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) Company Coverage - Apple Inc., Spotify Limited, Deezer, Pandora Media Inc.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Digital Music Market with Focus on Live Streaming: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020)" to its huge collection of research reports.The report entitled Global Digital Music Market with Focus on Live Streaming: Size, Trends and Forecasts (2016-2020) analyzes the global digital music market with detailed analysis of market sizing and growth. It analyzes market by value and market share by sources with focus on streaming music.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @A detailed overview of streaming music market is also discussed in the report. Streaming music market analysis has been done on the basis of value, volume and market segment. The report also provides an analysis of consumer behavior on the basis of consumer preference, spending nature of consumer, consumer interest in streaming services, consumer listening hours and consumers respond towards top streaming music players.A brief regional analysis of the US and Germany digital music market is also being done in the report. The US is the largest market for digital music globally with the highest revenue. Germany is the largest digital music market within the European region and third largest in the world. The report provides detailed description of the US and Germany on the basis of value, volume and market share by segment.The report also assesses the key opportunities available and summarizes the driving forces that are and will be accountable for growth of the industry. Growth of digital music market has also been forecasted for the period 2016-2020, taking into consideration previous growth outlines, growth drivers and the existing and forthcoming trends.Furthermore, the report portrayed a competitive landscape of the digital music market with detailed comparison of top market players. Apple music is the market leader with highest revenue and number of paid subscribers in 2015.A brief company profiling of major market players namely Apple Inc., Spotify Limited, Deezer and Pandora Media Inc. has provided in the report on the basis of aspects like business overview, financial overview and business strategies adopted by these companies.Country CoverageThe USGermanyCompany CoverageApple Inc.Spotify LimitedDeezerPandora Media Inc.Browse Detail Report With Full TOC @Executive SummaryMusic market has two major segments: Physical and digital. Physical music market comprises of music in the form of CD or vinyl whereas digital music market composed of audio content that is distributed to the music lovers through internet. Digital sector includes downloads as well as on demand digital streaming. Digital streaming is either subscription based or ad-supported which is free of charge. In ad-supported music, advertiser is liable to pay for the music streaming on behalf of customers. Current music marketplace offers a wide variety of digital options like download, streaming, cloud, music videos and ringtones.The global digital music market is growing tremendously with astonishing growth rates over the past few years and is anticipated to grow further over the forecasted period (2016-2020). Major factors contributing in the growth of the market are rising smartphone penetration globally specially in developing economies, availability of cheap internet services, expansion of streaming format, technological advancements, change in consumer behavior and consumer desire to access latest music etc.In the forecasted period, market will be pushed by increasing number of on- demand consumers, collaboration between music providers with social media platform, rising number of catalog software and blending of streaming music with wearable technology. In spite of high growth, market is still facing certain challenges that are hampering the growth of the market. Challenges encountered by the market are lack of unique services, rampant piracy, legal complexity and intense competition.Table Of Content1. Executive Summary2. Introduction2.1 Sinus Overview2.1.1 Types of Sinus2.2 Sinusitis Overview2.2.1 Types of Sinusitis2.2.2 Treatment Options2.3 Drug Eluting Sinus Stents (DESS) Overview3. US Market Analysis3.1 US Sinus Surgery Market: An Analysis3.1.1 US Sinus Surgery Market by Addressable Population3.1.2 US Sinus Surgery Market by Sinusitis Patients3.1.3 US Sinus Surgery Market by Chronis Sinusitis Patients3.1.4 US Sinus Surgery Market by Annual Office Visits3.1.5 US Sinus Surgery Market by Number of ENT Eligible Patients3.1.6 US Sinus Surgery Market by Patient Segmentation3.1.7 US Sinus Surgery Market by Number of Procedures3.2 US Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) Market Analysis3.2.2 US FESS Market by Number of Procedures3.3 US Balloon Sinus Dilation (BSD) Market Analysis3.3.1 US BSD Market by Number of Procedures3.3.2 US BSD Market by Penetration and ASP3.3.3 US BSD Market by Value3.3.4 US BSD Market by Segments3.3.5 US Operating Room (OR) BSD Market Analysis3.3.6 US Office BSD Market Analysis3.4 US Drug Eluting Sinus Stent (DESS) Market: An Analysis3.4.1 US DESS Market by TAM3.4.2 US DESS Market by Utilization and ASP3.4.3 US PROPEL Market Analysis4. Market Dynamics4.1 Growth Drivers4.1.1 Rising Per Capita Healthcare Expenditure4.1.2 Limitations of FESS4.1.3 Benefits of DESS (PROPEL)4.1.4 Cost Effectiveness4.2 Challenges4.2.1 Use of Oral Steroids and Packaging Material4.2.2 Reimbursement Issues with Drug Eluting Sinus Stent (DESS)4.2.3 Dependability on Individual Physicians Experience4.2.4 Limited Trials for BSD4.3 Market Trends4.3.1 Treatment in Physicians Office4.3.2 Move from FESS to BSD4.3.3 Use of BSD in Frontal Sinuses4.3.4 3D Technology4.3.5 Outside US (OUS) DESS Market Opportunity5. Competitive Landscape5.1 US Sinus Surgery Market Competitive Landscape5.1.1 US Sinus Surgery Market Players Financial Comparison5.2 US BSD Market Competitive Landscape5.2.1 US BSD Market Share by Players5.2.2 US BSD Market Segmentation by Players6. Company Profiling6.1 Intersect ENT6.1.1 Business Overview6.1.2 Financial Overview6.1.3 Business Strategy6.2 Medtronic (Xomed)6.2.1 Business Overview6.2.2 Financial Overview6.2.3 Business Strategy6.3 Entellus Medical6.3.1 Business Overview6.3.2 Financial Overview6.3.3 Business Strategy6.4 Johnson & Johnson (Acclarent)6.4.1 Business Overview6.4.2 Financial Overview6.4.3 Business StrategyMake an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Insight Report: Technology in Action - A Roadmap for Insurance Telematics

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"The Report Insight Report: Technology in Action - A Roadmap for Insurance Telematics provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz"SynopsisThe report covers in-depth analysis of the insurance telematics market, and provides:A roadmap for the growth and development of insurance telematics during 20132018Details of trends and developments in the insurance telematics market around the worldInsights into key insurance telematics marketsDetailed analysis of various growth drivers and challengesDetails of products offered by leading insurance telematics providers in key marketsView Sample PDF :Executive summaryTelematics has redefined the way motor insurance products are designed and marketed. As a disruptive technology in the insurance industry, insurance telematics offers huge growth potential as well as many challenges for motor insurers. It has brought the pricing of motor insurance to the discretion of customers, redefining the customer experience. Although insurance telematics is mostly used as a niche product to target high-risk drivers such as young motorists, its popularity during 20092013 has brought it into the mainstream of motor insurance business. Insurers, as well as government and vehicle manufacturers, are promoting initiatives to make telematics a mass-market product. Insurance telematics is widely seen as the future of motor insurance.Demand for insurance telematics expected to soar over 20132018The insurance telematics market is in a nascent stage. The US, Italy and the UK are the early adopters of insurance telematics products, and Italy is currently the most mature market with a penetration rate of 4% at the end of 2013. The estimated global sale of insurance telematics products increased to 4.5 million as of December 2013, with an estimated market size of US$4 billion in terms of gross written premium. The potential of telematics technology to offer a win-win business relation between insurer and policyholder is driving rapid growth of insurance telematics products in the European and US markets. Global sales of insurance telematics products are projected to grow at a CAGR of 80.20% over 20132018, and the subscriber base is expected to reach 85.5 million in 2018. The growth in the insurance telematics market over 20132018 is expected to be driven by increased adoption of telematics products in the UK, the US, and Italy.Value-added services expected to define the future insurance telematics offeringsInitial growth in the insurance telematics market will be mostly driven by price discount models. However, with growth in the market and mass adoption of insurance telematics over 20132018, price discounts will no longer be helpful in differentiating insurance telematics products. In countries where premium rates and profit margins are low, insurers will not be able to offer great discounts on usage-based insurance products. Insurers are expected to offer telematics-based value-added services for a minimal fee, or free of charge, to attract customers and differentiate products from those of their competitors. Key value-added services that can packaged with insurance telematics products include provision of driving feedback and professional driving instructions, automatic eCall (alert call to emergency services in case of vehicle collision) and bCall (breakdown call) facilities, roadside assistance, emergency services, theft-tracking, remote vehicle monitoring and diagnostic services, traffic and navigation services, fleet management, and infotainment services.Government initiatives to mandate the use of telematics expected to fuel growth of insurance telematicsConcerns over road safety and increasing rates of auto theft have forced governments in Europe, the US, Brazil and Russia to take initiatives to make it mandatory for vehicle manufacturers to equip vehicles with factory-fitted telematics devices.Key initiatives include the eCall initiatives in Europe, the Contran 245 legislation in Brazil, mandatory event data recorder legislation in the US, and the EraGlonass projects in Russia. The European Commissions eCall initiative, which is expected to be implemented across Europe by the end of 2017 or early 2018, will make it mandatory to provide the telematics-based eCall system in all passenger cars and light commercial vehicles. Similar to eCall are the EraGlonass projects in Russia, where the government made it mandatory for all cars built in Russia to be equipped with the Era-Glonass satellite tracking system by January 2017. Both initiatives are taken to improve road safety and provide immediate emergency services in emergency situations or serious traffic accidents.In the US, it has been made mandatory to equip event data recorder systems in all new cars, light trucks, vans and SUVs sold in the US from September 1, 2014 to improve road safety in the country. However, the Mario Monti legislation in Italy and the Contran 245 legislation in Brazil have been introduced primarily to address the very high rate of auto theft. The Mario Monti legislation came into effect in June 2012, whereas the Contran 245 is expected to be implemented from January 1, 2016. Insurers can use the mass adoption of telematics technology to offer low-cost insurance telematics products in the respective countries.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @Disruptive technological innovations the biggest challenge for insurance telematicsTechnological innovations in the field of connected car systems and automation in driving are expected to revolutionize driving in the future. Vehicle manufacturers and technology providers have collaborated to develop and manufacture self-driven or driverless vehicles; companies such as Google, Volvo, General Motors, Mercedes Benz, Audi, Ford, BMW, Volkswagen, Toyota and Nissan are investing in driverless car technology. The technology is primarily aimed to increase road safety and reduce the rate of traffic accidents.Google claims to reduce the rate of traffic accidents by 90% with its driverless car technology, and Volvo claims that it will provide an accident-free driving experience with its new cars by 2020. Drivers roles in driving these cars are expected to be very limited, or even non-existent, leaving little scope for insurers to track driving behavior and, therefore, making telematics redundant. However, driverless technology is still in a development phase, and it will take around two decades for driverless cars to come to the mainstream of the automobile industry and have a significant impact on insurance and telematics.View Report @ScopeThis report covers current market size and growth potential of the global insurance telematics market during 20132018The report discusses how the global insurance telematics market will shape up during 20132018The report analyzes the use of telematics beyond motor insuranceThe report provides a comparative analysis of key insurance telematics markets: Italy, the US and the UKThe report provides a comparative analysis of products offered by leading insurance telematics providers in Italy, the US and the UKReasons to buyGain insights into the global insurance telematics market.Know the growth potential of the insurance telematics market.Understand various factors driving the growth of insurance telematics in the market, and key challenges faced by insurers.Gain insights into key insurance telematics markets.Gain information on various products offered by insurance telematics providers in key markets.Key highlightsThe estimated size of the global insurance telematics market as of December 2013 is US$4 billion in terms of gross written premium, with 4.5 million subscribersItaly is currently the most mature insurance telematics market with a penetration rate of 4% at the end of 2013Insurers are expected to offer telematics-based value-added services bundled with insurance services to attract customers and differentiate products from those of their competitorsMandatory use of telematics in vehicles, enforced by various governments, is expected to increase the penetration of insurance telematics during 20132018Innovations in connected car systems and automation in driving are expected to shorten the lifespan of insurance telematicsAbout usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Market Forecast 2017 to 2021- Lifewatch, Biotelemetry, Philips Healthcare

Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Market

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Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Market 2017 intends to provide the elementary information focusing on elite market players, industry competitors to acquaint the users with company breakthroughs which will help them in making appropriate decisions. The indepth study of Cardiac Monitoring Products market will further help the readers in identifying the growth opportunities and the risk factors on a global scale.Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Report covers distinct aspects of the market including the product category, product specifications, a range of applications and major geographical producing regions. The key regions covered in Cardiac Monitoring Products report are the countries present in North America, Europe, APAC, South America, Middle East and Africa.Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Report covers every minute details of the industry and the prominent market players present in different countries analysing the latest development plans, market situations, which will help in making vital business decisions.Do Inquiry Before Accessing Global Cardiac Monitoring Products Market 2017 Report at:Core Highlights of Cardiac Monitoring Products Market:1. Analysis of Cardiac Monitoring Products market on global scale on the basis of market volume, price estimates and sales revenue will help in knowing the market trends during 2017 to 2023.2. Global Cardiac Monitoring Products report provides information about the key market players along with their consumer volume, competitive scenario, growth aspects during the forecast period from 2017 to 2023.3. The top dominant players of Cardiac Monitoring Products market decide certain strategies which will lead to growth, excellent performance and the analysis of competitive scenario on the global basis.Top players in Cardiac Monitoring Products Market:BiotelemetryLifewatchPhilips HealthcareGE HealthcareContec Medical SystemsMedtronicNihon Kohden CorporationOmron HealthcareRequest A Sample Copy of Report Here:Cardiac Monitoring Products Market Review Based On Regions:1.North America2.Europe3.China4.Japan5.Southeast Asia6.IndiaThe Global Cardiac Monitoring Products report is divided into 2 segments on the basis of Product type and Product application.The thorough analysis of Cardiac Monitoring Products dominant players, the business strategies followed by them, company information, market share and industry trends during the forecast period will fuel the growth during the forecast period.In conclusion the Cardiac Monitoring Products report analyses the global market, important business strategies, emerging market segments, the past, present and future market trends on the basis of consumer volume. Hence, Global Cardiac Monitoring Products report is beneficial research material for all the market vendors.About Us:Market.Biz is designed to provide the best and most penetrating research required to all commercial, industrial and profit-making ventures in any sector of online business. We take pride in our ability to satisfy the market research needs of both domestic and international businesses.Market.Biz has access to the world's most comprehensive and up-to-date databases in your business sector, including countless market reports that can provide you with valuable data relating to your business. We understand the needs of our clients, and keep our reports updated as market requirement changes.Contact US:GlobeMetrixJames JohnsonS no. 51/14 First Floor, Office Number 4,Vishwa Arcade, Near Navale Lawns,Pune, Maharashtra, India 411041Tel: +1(857)2390696Email: inquiry@market.bizWebsite:Blog:
Clay Telecom Offers Travel Insurance @ Rs.44/- Per Day

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New Delhi, 7th September, 2017: Clay Telecom, a part of Clay Business Group, launches an exclusive travel insurance plan aiming to offer the best value-added service with international SIM cards for the trip abroad. Travellers can pay only Rs. 44 per day to secure themselves from medical expenses of US $ 1,00,000 worldwide (including USA and Canada). The premium amount is set at the lowest in the industry to ensure maximum coverage at minimum price.The traveller can claim for passport loss, delay or loss of checked-in baggage, dental treatment, trips cancellation & delays, personal accident, dental treatment, compassionate visit etc. The claim settlement is quick and hassle-free to ensure convenience and peace of mind throughout your trip. In addition, there is also an option for cashless hospitalization to meet the emergency medical conditions.With an objective to maximize savings on your international trip, we are glad to do an alliance with travel insurance provider which offers maximum coverage at minimum price. We have set premium amount upto 50% less than other insurance providers so as to make it affordable for even longer travel durations, says Gaurav Dhawan, Executive Director, Clay Business Group.The traveller must share their travel insurance requirement in India before their travel. This international travel insurance is available for age-group ranging from six months to 70 years with the same premium amount. There is no medical check-up and paperwork required to buy travel insurance. The traveller can share the copy of their passport to ensure right information is used to create the policy.Adding further on this occasion, Aditya Joshi, Chief Operating Officer, Clay Business Group said, We have gone a step further to offer a solution that our customers cant afford to miss. Hence, the customers can now trust us not only on cost-effective international SIM cards, but also forex and insurance services at an unbeatable price.The plan validity is of minimum 4 days to 180 days and can further be extended to 365 days upon request by the traveller. The purpose of keeping validity of the plan to 4 days is to ensure that the traveller has flexibility to choose the number of days on the basis of their travel.Interested travellers can contact us through website () or can contact directly at insurance@clay.co.inAbout Clay Business GroupHeadquartered in Delhi, Clay Business Group has established a pan-India presence with more than 24 offices, and counters at international airports of India. It has international operations in USA, UK, Japan and South Korea. Clay Telecom () deals into international calling and data SIM cards for travellers going abroad. Over the span of 16 years, Clay has diversified its business verticals and is not only in telecom, but also in domains such as digital marketing, IT and hospitality. The company believes in the vision to offer unmatched service and make communication easier and cost-effective.Media ContactShweta Chawlacorporatecommunications@clay.co.in+91-9911447728Marketing ManagerClay Business GroupClay Telecom, a part of Clay Business Group, launches an exclusive travel insurance plan aiming to offer the best value-added service with international SIM cards for the trip abroad. Travellers can pay only Rs. 44 per day to secure themselves from medical expenses of US $ 1,00,000 worldwide (including USA and Canada). The premium amount is set at the lowest in the industry to ensure maximum coverage at minimum price.D-158 B, Okhla Industrial Area, Phase 1,, New Delhi, Delhi 110020011 - 6647 0000
The Baby Food Sector in South Africa 2017

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"The Report The Baby Food Sector in South Africa 2017 provides information on pricing, market analysis, shares, forecast, and company profiles for key industry participants. - MarketResearchReports.biz""The Baby Food Sector in South Africa 2017", is an analytical report by GlobalData which provides extensive and highly detailed current and future market trends in the South African market.The South African baby food market has remained vibrant despite a poor economic climate over the last three years. Total consumption has also risen in all sectors, except drinks. In 2016, retail sales are up by 88.4% on 2010 and in terms of volume, total consumption stood at 7.4% higher than in 2010. Milks, however, remains the dominant product group, accounting for 69% of retail sales and 52% of volume in 2016. Baby food is distributed through a variety of outlets in South Africa and there are no restrictions on its sale. The market is expected to increase by 54.5% in current price terms and 4.1% in volume terms between 2016 and 2022. Consumption will be constrained by the expected fall in the number of live births, but it should be encouraged by growing incomes and product innovation.Get Sample Copy Of This Report @What else does this report offer?- Consumption data based upon a unique combination of industry research, fieldwork, market sizing work and our in-house expertise to offer extensive data about the trends and dynamics affecting the industry.- Detailed profile of the companies operating and new companies considering entry in the industry along with their key focus product sectors.- Market profile of the various product sectors with the key features & developments, segmentation, per capita trends and the various manufacturers & brands.- Overview of baby food retailing with a mention of the major retailers in the country along with the distribution channel.- Future projections considering various trends which are likely to affect the industry.View Report @Scope- The baby food market remained vibrant despite a poor economic climate over the last three years.- The top three socio-economic groups are the main purchasers of commercially prepared baby food, but represent just 25% of the population.- The highest growth rates over the period 2010 to 2016 have been registered by wet meals, where retail sales more than doubled and volume sales rose by 17.9%.- The market is dominated by Nestl, which claims over half of all retail sales, although it has faced increasing competition recently.- There is significant domestic production, and imports have fallen considerably in recent years.- Supermarkets are the main source of supply, accounting for over half of volumes, while hypermarkets are growing in importance.- The market is expected to increase by 54.5% in value terms between 2016 and 2022, fuelled by price rises.Reasons to buy- Evaluate important changes in consumer behavior and identify profitable markets and areas for product innovation.- Analyse current and forecast behavior trends in each category to identify the best opportunities to exploit.- Detailed understanding of consumption by individual product categories in order to align your sales and marketing efforts with the latest trends in the market.- Investigates which categories are performing the best and how this is changing market dynamics.About usMarketResearchReports.biz is the most comprehensive collection of market research reports. MarketResearchReports.Biz services are specially designed to save time and money for our clients. We are a one stop solution for all your research needs, our main offerings are syndicated research reports, custom research, subscription access and consulting services. We serve all sizes and types of companies spanning across various industries.Mr. NachiketState Tower90 Sate Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-621-2074Website:Email: sales@marketresearchreports.biz
Global Speech Recognition Industry 2017 Basics: Definitions, Classifications, Applications And Market Overview; Product Specifications; Manufacturing Processes; Cost Structures, Raw Materials etc.

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Researchmoz added Most up-to-date research on "Global Speech Recognition Industry 2017, Trends and Forecast Report" to its huge collection of research reports.Speech Recognition Report by Material, Application, and Geography Global Forecast to 2021 is a professional and comprehensive research report on the world's major regional market conditions, focusing on the main regions (North America, Europe and Asia-Pacific) and the main countries (United States, Germany, United Kingdom,Japan, South Korea and China).In this report, the global Speech Recognition market is valued at USD XX million in 2017 and is projected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2021, growing at a CAGR of XX% during the period 2017 to 2021.To Get Sample Copy of Report visit @The report firstly introduced the Speech Recognition basics: definitions, classifications, applications and market overview; product specifications; manufacturing processes; cost structures, raw materials and so on. Then it analyzed the world's main region market conditions, including the product price, profit, capacity, production, supply, demand and market growth rate and forecast etc. In the end, the report introduced new project SWOT analysis, investment feasibility analysis, and investment return analysis.The major players profiled in this report include:Iflytek Co., Ltd.BaiduNuance CommunicationsMicrosoft CorporationReadSpeaker Holding B.V.Acapela Group SAThe end users/applications and product categories analysis:On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume, revenue (Million USD), product price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split into-Isolated word recognitionKeyword spottingContinuous speech recognitionOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume, market share and growth rate of Speech Recognition for each application, including-In-car SystemsHealth careMilitaryBrowse Detail Report With Full TOC @Table of ContentsPart I Speech Recognition Industry OverviewChapter One Speech Recognition Industry Overview1.1 Speech Recognition Definition1.2 Speech Recognition Classification AnalysisIsolated word recognitionKeyword spottingContinuous speech recognition1.2.1 Speech Recognition Main Classification Analysis1.2.2 Speech Recognition Main Classification Share Analysis1.3 Speech Recognition Application AnalysisIn-car SystemsHealth careMilitary1.3.1 Speech Recognition Main Application Analysis1.3.2 Speech Recognition Main Application Share Analysis1.4 Speech Recognition Industry Chain Structure Analysis1.5 Speech Recognition Industry Development Overview1.5.1 Speech Recognition Product History Development Overview1.5.1 Speech Recognition Product Market Development Overview1.6 Speech Recognition Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.1 Speech Recognition Global Import Market Analysis1.6.2 Speech Recognition Global Export Market Analysis1.6.3 Speech Recognition Global Main Region Market Analysis1.6.4 Speech Recognition Global Market Comparison Analysis1.6.5 Speech Recognition Global Market Development Trend AnalysisChapter Two Speech Recognition Up and Down Stream Industry Analysis2.1 Upstream Raw Materials Analysis2.1.1 Upstream Raw Materials Price Analysis2.1.2 Upstream Raw Materials Market Analysis2.1.3 Upstream Raw Materials Market Trend2.2 Down Stream Market Analysis2.1.1 Down Stream Market Analysis2.2.2 Down Stream Demand Analysis2.2.3 Down Stream Market Trend AnalysisPart II Asia Speech Recognition Industry (The Report Company Including the Below Listed But Not All)Chapter Three Asia Speech Recognition Market Analysis3.1 Asia Speech Recognition Product Development History3.2 Asia Speech Recognition Competitive Landscape Analysis3.3 Asia Speech Recognition Market Development TrendChapter Four 2012-2017 Asia Speech Recognition Productions Supply Sales Demand Market Status and Forecast4.1 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Capacity Production Overview4.2 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Production Market Share Analysis4.3 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Demand Overview4.4 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Supply Demand and Shortage Analysis4.5 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Import Export Consumption Analysis4.6 2012-2017 Speech Recognition Cost Price Production Value Profit AnalysisContinued...Make an Enquiry of this report @About ResearchMozResearchMoz is the one stop online destination to find and buy market research reports & Industry Analysis. We fulfill all your research needs spanning across industry verticals with our huge collection of market research reports. We provide our services to all sizes of organizations and across all industry verticals and markets. Our Research Coordinators have in-depth knowledge of reports as well as publishers and will assist you in making an informed decision by giving you unbiased and deep insights on which reports will satisfy your needs at the best price.Mr. NachiketState Tower,90 State Street,Suite 700,Albany NY - 12207United StatesEmail: sales@researchmoz.usWebsite @Tel: 866-997-4948 (Us-Canada Toll Free)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Follow us on LinkedIn @
Global Balloon Catheters Market to Surpass US$ 5.5 Billion Level by 2025

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The Global Balloon Catheters Market was valued at US$ 2,833.4 million in 2016 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period (20172025),as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Increase in demand for minimally invasive procedures, in turn is projected to support growth of balloon catheters market over the forecast period.Manufacturers are focusing on product innovation to tap into emerging market. For instance, OrbusNeich, a leading manufacturer of medical devices for vascular disease, launched its 2 balloon dilatation catheters Sapphire II PRO and the Sapphire NC Plus. These products are indicated for various applications such as balloon dilatation of the stenotic portion of a coronary artery or bypass graft stenosis in patients having coronary ischemia for the purpose of improving myocardial perfusion, also in coronary artery occlusion for the treatment of acute myocardial infarction. These products also have features such as tight folding of the balloon material for enhanced crossability in the tightest lesions, Hydro-X coating for improved lubricity and passability and also, an enhanced distal tip which allows for smooth lesion entry.Request a sample copy of this report:The growth of balloon catheters market is inhibiting by factors such as faults related to balloon catheters. For example, in May 2017 Abbott Laboratories has removed its around 450,000 coronary balloon catheters due to the balloon sheath issue as these catheters exhibit difficulty in removing the protective balloon sheath which can result in issues with inflating or deflating the balloon.It is expected that the increase in preference for minimally invasive procedure to treat the disease such as coronary heart disease will favor the growth of balloon catheters market in the near future. Also, the major manufacturers are focusing on emerging countries to expand their customer base and to increase sales due to increase in incidence cases for diabetes and coronary heart disease among emerging countries such as China. As per World Health Organization (WHO), in 2016, 10 % adults out of around 110 million people were living with diabetes in China due to increase in overweight and obese population. The number is projected to reach to around 150 million by 2040.The manufacturers have opportunity to tap major market share in case of emerging economies, as over a 50% percent population living with undiagnosed lifestyle disease. For example, as per WHO, in 2016, around 53% of people living with diabetes are undiagnosed in China.Ask for Discount before Buying:Key takeaways of the market:The global balloon catheters market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 7.7% during the forecast period (20172025). Due to rising incidence of coronary heart disease cases and increase in demand for minimally invasive procedure from around the globe is expected to favor the market of balloon catheters over the forecast period.The Asia Pacific region in the global balloon catheters market is expected to show high growth rate during the forecast period in terms of valueIn terms of material segment, the polyurethane material balloon catheters type is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 7.7%, followed by nylon material balloon catheters during the forecast period, owing to more preference due to its smoothness and featuresThe global balloon catheters market is characterized by market expansion in Asia Pacific, North America, and Europe could generate higher market revenue due to the high incidence rate of lifestyle disease such as diabetes and increase in number of heart surgery proceduresSome of the major companies offering balloon catheters are Abbott Laboratories, Becton Dickinson And Company, Boston Scientific Corporation, Bard Medical Division, B. Braun Melsungen AG, Johnson & Johnson, Teleflex Incorporated, Medtronic, Plc, Edwards Lifesciences Corporation, OrbusNeich and Vascular Solutions, Inc.Browse Global Strategic Business Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.CONTACT US:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave, #3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel : +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:
COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- EventTracker, a leader in security information and event management (SIEM), today announced that CEO A. N. Ananth will present on the latest techniques in hunting modern malware and pervasive ransomware at the ISACA Cybersecurity Nexus (CSX) Conference, Oct. 2-4 in Washington, D.C.



The current threatscape is evolving rapidly, but many IT security heads and administrators are too busy managing operations and ensuring the company's ongoing security efforts, that they miss key indicators that their network has been compromised.

As malware and ransomware attacks continue to advance and increase, it has become crucial for enterprises to be able to assess and detect digital threat incidents quickly and easily for the security of their infrastructures.

Weve seen global ransomware outbreaks like WannaCry and NotPetya cripple companies across every industry and other strands of malware leech sensitive credit card data from POS terminals. Whats to stop a combination of the two-- ransomware attacking POS systems, rendering retailers unable to even function until they pay the ransom or restore their data? Cybercriminals are always innovating, and this could be next. Its time to find out the means of attack companies can use to hunt malware and stop it before it strikes.

Ananths session, Hunting Modern Malware  the Latest Techniques, covers:

How modern malware and ransomware enter and spread through your network

Best methods of detecting malware and finding hidden copies (polymorphic, mutating, or dormant malware hunting)

What to do after youve detected a potential attack

Tools to consider to improve threat detection

Who: A. N. Ananth  As the co-founder and CEO of EventTracker, Ananth was one of the architects of the EventTracker SIEM solution. With an extensive background in product development and operations for telecom network management, he has consulted for many companies on their compliance strategy, audit policy and automated reporting processes. Ananth is a leading expert in IT compliance with 25+ years of experience in IT control and operations and speaks frequently on these topics.

What: Hunting Modern Malware  the Latest Techniques

When: Tuesday, Oct. 3, 1-1:20 p.m. ET

Where: Innovation Stage, Marriott Wardman Park Hotel

Conference website: https://cybersecurity.isaca.org/info/2017-csx-north-america-conference/index.html

Ananth will also be expanding on this topic in an extended session at the SecureWorld St. Louis conference on Thursday, Sept. 21, 11:15 a.m. CT at the Americas Center Convention Complex in the city.

Tweet This: EventTracker (@LogTalk) CEO to present on hunting modern #malware at @ISACANews CSX http://bit.ly/2eswaWc

Resources

Threat Detection and Response Report

EventTracker Catch of the Day

EventTracker YouTube

EventTracker Case Studies

About EventTracker

EventTrackers advanced security solutions protect enterprises and small businesses from data breaches and insider fraud, and streamline regulatory compliance. The companys EventTracker platform comprises SIEM, vulnerability scanning, intrusion detection, behavior analytics, a honeynet deception network and other defense in-depth capabilities within a single management platform. The company complements its state-of-the-art technology with 24x7 managed services from its global security operations center (SOC) to ensure its customers achieve desired outcomessafer networks, better endpoint security, earlier detection of intrusion, and relevant and specific threat intelligence. The company serves the retail, hospitality, healthcare, legal, banking and financial services, utilities and government sectors.

EventTracker is a division of Netsurion, a leader in remotely-managed IT security services that protect multi-location businesses information, payment systems and on-premise public and private Wi-Fi networks. www.eventtracker.com. Twitter: @LogTalk.
Waterborne Coatings Market to Incur Rapid Extension During 2014 - 2020

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Waterborne coatings are green substrates using water as solvent to dissolve a resin, making them environment friendly and easy to apply. These coatings usually contain approximately 80% of water with minimum quantities of other solvents such as glycol ethers. As per the U.S. and European regulations of waterborne coatings to have a VOC content less than 3.5 gallons of water, these are considered eco-friendly in nature. Various types of coatings such as water-soluble paints, water-dispersible paints, latex paints and water-based alkyds are used for a variety of applications including automotive, industrial, architectural, wood, and packaging.A sample of this report is available upon request @Significant investments from certain large scale companies such as BASF SE, AkzoNobel, and Valspar among others to expand in quite a few countries of Asia Pacific and Latin America have been witnessed. Demand for green coatings in these regions have still been in the development and are anticipated to have a huge potential in the near future. Moreover, focus on R&D activities in the green coatings industry coupled with product innovation has also contributed to the growth of the market.Growing demand for non-hazardous, eco-friendly, low VOC green coatings from the end-user industry are expected to boost the demand for waterborne coating over the next few years. In addition, growth of the automotive and construction industry has also been the current growth factors for waterborne coatings. However, increasing use of other better performing green substrates such as powder coatings is expected to hamper the growth of the waterborne coatings market.North America was the largest consumer for waterborne coatings. However, future market growth is expected to be from Asia Pacific. Green coatings are expected todominate the market over the next few years due to the expansions by the major manufacturers in emerging economies such as China and India in the region.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @AkzoNobel, Asian Paints Limited, BASF SE, Hempel A/S, Jotun A/S, Masco Corporation, PPG Industries Inc., Rpm International Inc., The Valspar Corporation, and Tikkurila OYJ among others are some of the key players involved in the waterborne coatings industry.Key points covered in the reportMarket segmentation on the basis of type, application, product, and technology (as applicable)Geographic segmentationNorth AmericaEuropeAsiaRoWMarket size and forecast for the various segments and geographies for the period of 2010 to 2020Company profiles of the leading companies operating in the marketPorters five forces analysis of the marketAbout UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
U.S. In-Vitro Diagnostic Substances Market. Analysis And Forecast to 2025

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IndexBox has just published a new report "U.S. In-Vitro Diagnostic Substances Market. Analysis And Forecast to 2025" ().The report provides on an in-depth survey of the U.S. in-vitro diagnostic substance market. It depicts the latest data of the market size and volume, domestic production, exports and imports, price dynamics and turnover in the industry. In addition, the report contains insightful information about the industry, including industry life cycle, business locations, productivity, employment and many other crucial aspects. The Company Profiles section contains existing data on the leading players in the industry.Countries coverage: the U.S.Product coverage:In-vitro diagnostic substancesAbstract:In 2015, the value of in-vitro diagnostic substance production in the U.S. amounted to $11.7B, surging by +4.8% against the previous year level. Overall, the U.S. in-vitro diagnostic substance output pursued a significant growth from 2007 to 2015. The total output figures increased at an average annual rate of +3.4%. The trend pattern, however, indicated some noticable fluctuations throughout the analyzed period. The growth pace was the most rapid in 2010, when the output figure increased by +25% from the previous year level. Over the period under review, the total value of in-vitro diagnostic substance shipments in the United States attained its maximum level of $12.0B in 2013. Afterwards, the growth in terms of the in-vitro diagnostic substance production failed to regain its strength through to 2015.Companies mentioned:Abbott Diabetes Care,Orasure Technologies,Amag Pharmaceuticals,Streck, Diasorin Inc.,Diadexus,Rapid Pathogen Screening,Maine Biotechnology Services,Saladax Biomedical,Corgenix Medical Corporation,George King Bio-Medical,Princeton Biomeditech Corp,Banyan Biomarkers,Anatech,Dxna LLC,CD Diagnostics,Akers Biosciences,Helica Biosystems,Green Mountain Antibodies,Biospacific, Innominata,Phase 2 Discovery,Immuno Concepts,Hepatochem,Lifecare Medical International,Horizon Diagnostic,Immucor Gti Diagnostics,Werfen USA,Ivd Intermediate Holdings B Inc.,Opko Diagnostics,Horizon Diagnostic Inc,Immucor Gti Diagnostics,Werfen USA,Ivd Intermediate Holdings B Inc.,Opko DiagnosticsData coverage: In-vitro diagnostic substance market size; In-vitro diagnostic substance production, value of shipments; Key market players and their profiles; Exports, imports and trade balance; Import and export prices; Forecast of the market dynamics in the medium term; Key industry statistics; Life cycle of the in-vitro diagnostic substance industry; Number of establishments and their locations; Employment data; In-vitro diagnostic substance industry productivity.Reasons to buy this report: Take advantage of the latest data; Find deeper insights into current market developments; Discover vital success factors affecting the market.Source:IndexBox is a leading market research publisher in the world. You can find more than 25,000 research reports in our web store, which cover global industries and regional markets. All the worldwide marketing data you need is at your fingertips.Company Name: IndexBoxContact Person: Kirill BezverhiEmail: kirill.bezverhi@indexbox.co.ukPhone: +44 20 3239 3063Adress: United Kingdom, 44 Main Street, Douglas, South Lanarkshire, Scotland, ML11 0QW
Global Latanoprost Industry Report 2017 with Key Players : Mylan, Novartis, Apotex

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Latanoprost Industry Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The exploration report here talks about around a few viewpoints relating to the worldwide Latanoprost market which articulates the present insights and future prospects with reference to the elements at play. The essential point of the exploration report is to display a nitty gritty diagram to the readers and furnish them with helpful actualities and information. The statistical surveying report additionally executes with variables, for example, drivers, limitations, and prospects to gage the result of the worldwide Latanoprost market amid the estimate time frame specified in the report. The report likewise shows a brief yet elite blueprint of the specific market, which comprises a few records of the real angles which are relied upon to trigger development in the market or cause negative effect.This report additionally dives profound into the worldwide Latanoprost market by fastidiously assessing the generation and modern chain of the accommodating business sector. This will additionally help in engendering precise information and insights on various elements of the individual market, for example, data relating to strategies of the administration in the territorial and worldwide level, make and dissemination structure, generation limit, volume sold, and income earned among others.Have Any Query? Ask Our Expert @This report studies Latanoprost in Global market, especially in North America, Europe, China, Japan, Southeast Asia and India, focuses on top manufacturers in global market, with production, price, revenue and market share for each manufacturer, coveringPfizerMylanNovartisApotexTevaTaj PharmaCR ZizhuThe exploration report will likewise be deficient without an exhaustive evaluation of the seller scene of the worldwide Latanoprost market, which contains the statistical data points, exercises and creations of the pioneers in the worldwide Latanoprost market. The investigation additionally gives a comprehensive examination of the key areas expressed in the report for the worldwide Latanoprost market. For each region, the report articulates the variety of development up until now and clearing on what sellers can do to guarantee accomplishment in the coming years.Table of Contents1 Industry Overview of Latanoprost11.1 Definition and Specifications of Latanoprost11.1.1 Definition of Latanoprost11.1.2 Specifications of Latanoprost21.2 Classification of Latanoprost31.3 Applications of Latanoprost41.4 Industry Chain Structure of Latanoprost61.5 Industry Overview and Major Regions Status of Latanoprost71.6 Industry News Analysis of Latanoprost8View TOC (table of content), Figures and Tables of the Report:2 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Latanoprost102.1 Raw Material Suppliers and Price Analysis of Latanoprost102.2 Equipment and Suppliers Analysis of Latanoprost122.3 Labor Cost Analysis of Latanoprost122.4 Other Costs Analysis of Latanoprost192.5 Manufacturing Cost Structure Analysis of Latanoprost192.6 Manufacturing Process Analysis of Latanoprost193 Technical Data and Manufacturing Plants Analysis of Latanoprost203.1 Production and Establish Date of Global Latanoprost Major Manufacturers in 2016203.2 Headquarters Distribution of Global Latanoprost Major Manufacturers in 2016203.3 Technology Analysis of Global Latanoprost Major Manufacturers in 2016213.4 Raw Materials Sources Analysis of Global Latanoprost Major Manufacturers in 2016214 Production and Revenue Analysis of Latanoprost by Region, Type and Manufacturer224.1 Global Production and Revenue of Latanoprost by Region 2012-2017224.2 Global and Major Regions Production, Revenue and Growth Rate of Latanoprost 2012-2017244.3 Global Production and Revenue of Latanoprost by Type 2012-2017294.4 Global Production and Revenue of Latanoprost by Manufacturer 2012-2017308 Analysis of Latanoprost Industry Key Manufacturers528.1 Pfizer528.1.1 Company Profile528.1.2 Product Information538.1.3 Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue548.2 Mylan558.2.1 Company Profile558.2.2 Product Information568.2.3 Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue578.3 Novartis588.3.1 Company Profile588.3.2 Product Information608.3.3 Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue608.4 Apotex628.4.1 Company Profile628.4.2 Product Information638.4.3 Production, Price, Cost, Gross, and Revenue63Make An Enquiry For Discount :List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Latanoprost Drops1Figure Molecular Structure of Latanoprost2Figure Specifications of Latanoprost2Figure Global Production Market Share of Latanoprost by Type in 20163Figure Global Consumption Volume Market Share of Latanoprost by Application in 20164Figure Global Production Market Share of Latanoprost by Manufacturer in 20167Figure Global Production Market Share of Latanoprost by Region in 20168Table Production (M Unit) and Establish Date of Global Latanoprost Major Manufacturers in 201620About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog  qyresearch-group.blogspot.in
Infusion Pumps Market to Surpass US$ 5.0 Billion by 2024

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The Global Infusion Pumps Market was valued at US$ 2,985.5 million in 2015 and is projected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period (20162024), as highlighted in a new report published by Coherent Market Insights. Increasing number of applications of infusion pumps in the healthcare sector is projected to support growth of the infusion pumps market over the forecast period.Infusion pump delivers controlled amount of fluid and medications into the bloodstream over a period of time. The drug infusion system includes two components, namely open loop and closed loop. According to a study by Healthcare Human Factors University Health Network, in 2009, around 13% of the hospitals in Ontario used smart pumps and around 6% were in the process of implementing the techniques. Thus, adoption rate of smart large volumetric infusion pumps in Ontario has been low. Infusion pumps have contributed to improvements in patient care at affordable costs. Apart from its wide application in hospitals and for clinical use, the systems are also used in the form of portable device to provide the drug or fluid on the move. Furthermore, the major application that has revolutionized the use of infusion pumps involves diabetes where it works as an insulin pump to provide with the controlled and preset amount of insulin in the patients body. According to the fact sheet by W.H.O, number of diabetic patients witness a steep increase from 108 million in 1980 to 422 million in 2014. This in turn is expected to favor the market growth for infusion pumps over the forecast period.Request for sample copy :The development of combination in medical device technology and advanced drugs are the precursor for adoption of control infusion therapies, which have increased the use of infusion pumps globally. Currently, there are various clinical applications of infusion pumps that involves life-sustaining along with life-saving treatments under other clinical segments such as anesthesia, intensive care, and oncology. Infusion pumps are used in various settings such as wards, home care environment and hospitals for pain management and other drug related treatments. Furthermore, rapid development of the healthcare infrastructure in emerging economies and upgrade of the same in developed regions creates a highly conducive environment for growth of the infusion pumps market in the near future.Major players in the global infusion pumps market are laying emphasis on product development, upgrading existing devices, and geographical expansions through various strategic mergers and acquisitions. For instance, in 2015, InfuSystem Holdings, Inc. an infusion pumps provider and related healthcare services in the U.S. and Canada acquired Ciscura Holding Company, Inc.  a provider of ambulatory infusion pumps and healthcare services to medical facilities. Also, in 2016, ICU Medical Inc.  a developer and manufacturer of medical devices specific in the areas of vascular therapy, oncology and critical care applications  acquired Hospira Infusion Systems business from Pfizer Inc. for a total value of US$1 billion in cash and stock.Key takeaways of the market:The global infusion pumps market is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.0% during the forecast period (20162024). Rising prevalence of diabetes across the globe is expected to favor the infusion pumps market growth over the forecast period.The analgesia application segment in the global infusion pumps market was estimated to be the largest in 2015 and is expected to retain its dominance in the market throughout the forecast period in terms of value. Increasing prevalence for chronic pain globally is expected to favor the growth for infusion pumps market in the near future. According to British journal of anesthesia, in 2013, around 20% of the European population was suffering from chronic pain.In terms of product type, the insulin product type segment is expected to expand at a significant CAGR of 6.9% during the forecast period, owing to rise in population suffering from diabetes globallyGet an exclusive discount on this report :The global infusion pumps market is characterized by strategic research and development and advancements in the technology of various medical devices including the continuous glucose monitoring device and infusion pumps.Some of the major players in the global infusion pumps market include Medtronic Plc., ICU Medical Inc., Johnson & Johnson Private Ltd., Braun Melsungen AG., Smiths Medical, CareFusion Corporation, Baxter International Inc., Fresenius Kabi AG, MOOG Inc., Terumo Corporation, Nipro Corporation and Codman & Shurtleff, Inc., InfusystemAbout Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Raj ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.comWebsite:
Global Vehicle Surveillance Radar Market 2017 : Thales, Airbus, IAI, SRC, CETC, Blighter

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Global Vehicle Surveillance Radar Market Research Report 2017-2022A market research based on the "Vehicle Surveillance Radar Market" across the globe, recently added to the archive of Market Research Explore, is titled Global Vehicle Surveillance Radar Market 2017. The research report analyzes the ancient as well as present performance of the global Vehicle Surveillance Radar market, and makes predictions on the future status of Vehicle Surveillance Radar market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Major Manufacturers Analysis of Vehicle Surveillance Radar are :ThalesAirbusIAISRCCETCBlighterBharat Electronics Limited?The report studies the market for Vehicle Surveillance Radar across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Vehicle Surveillance Radar market & dynamics of demand and supply of Vehicle Surveillance Radar into consideration. The 'Vehicle Surveillance Radar' research study covers each and every aspect of the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market globally, which starts from the definition of the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market and develops towards Vehicle Surveillance Radar market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market. The geographical segmentation of the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market has also been covered at length in this report.On the basis of product, the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market is primarily split intoLong Range Surveillance RadarMedium Range Surveillance RadarShort Range Surveillance RadarOn the basis of the end users/applications, this Vehicle Surveillance Radar market report coversGrand SurveillanceCoast SurveillanceThe competitive landscape of the global market for Vehicle Surveillance Radar is determined by evaluating the various market playors, production capacity, Vehicle Surveillance Radar market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Vehicle Surveillance Radar market worldwide.Read More Research with TOC :The global Vehicle Surveillance Radar market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Vehicle Surveillance Radar production volume, data regarding demand and Vehicle Surveillance Radar supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various meticulous tools such as investment returns, usefulness, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for Vehicle Surveillance Radar across the globe.About Us :Market Release provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Market Release cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us :Enid SteelUnited States
Commodity Chemicals Market to Register Steady Growth By 2020

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Commodity chemicals (bulk chemicals) are a group of chemicals that are made on a very large scale and act as intermediates to produce other chemicals, which, in turn are used to produce a extensive range of end-user products including construction materials, adhesives, plastics, apparel and tires. Commodity chemicals are the largest sub-segment of the chemical industry. Commodity chemicals are commonly traded under broad categories such as organics, inorganics, plastics resins, synthetic rubbers, fibers, films, explosives and petrochemicals. These broad categories include chemicals such as, acetic acid, acetone, acrylate esters, adipic acid, acrylonitrate, benzene, bisphenol, butadiene, butanediol, butyl acetate, hexane, melamine, polyvinyl chloride, propylene, methanol, methyl, glycol and glycerines. These chemical are very low in product differentiation, and hence making price the dominant economic factor in purchasing decisions for the end users.A sample of this report is available upon request @The commodity chemical industry is highly fragmented and served with large number of local or regional players. Asia Pacific is by far the largest market for commodity chemicals accounting almost half of the total market. It is followed by North America and Europe. The growth prospective is still high in Asia Pacific attributed to the growing economy and ongoing trend and support for manufacturing sector in the developing countries such as India, China, and Indonesia. Bulk availability of crude oil and natural gas from gulf countries such as Saudi Arabian, Iran, Iraq and Syria is helping the commodity chemical industries in Asia Pacific.Commodity chemicals serve a wide range of industries ranging from personal care products to aerospace industries. It has its application either directly or indirectly in almost all manufacturing industries. The economy growth and increasing Gross domestic product (GDP) of developed and developing countries around the world is boosting the overall market of commodity chemicals. However the stiff regulation of the governments around the world regarding the health and environment side effect of chemicals and fluctuating prices of crude oil and natural gas are posing significant challenge for the industry.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major players in commodity chemicals market include, BASF SE, Bayer AG, The Dow Chemical Company, Mitsubishi Chemical Holdings Corporation, PPG industries, Linde Group, Akzo Nobel, LyondellBasell Industries, Asahi Kasei, Sumitomo chemicals, Evonik Industries, INEOS Group Holding and Chem China.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Isoprene Rubber Market to Register Substantial Expansion Forecast to 2017 - 2025

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Isoprene Rubber Market: SnapshotThe unique perceived benefits of isoprene rubbers, a form of synthetic rubber, are their resistance to abrasion and fractures. On account of having similar chemical and physical properties as that of a natural rubber, isoprene finds applications as tires, automotive mounts, shock absorbers, adhesives, healthcare items, sporting goods, and coatings among others.Isoprene rubbers are enjoying soaring demand on account of a flourishing automotive industry. Rising awareness about the use of isoprene rubber gloves for various purposes, particularly in surgeries and other healthcare processes, is also proving beneficial for its demand.With a huge thrust on research and development, more applications of isoprene rubber is expected to emerge in the near future. One such result of research and development is bio-isoprene that can be formulated from low cost sugars gotten from biomass, and provide a green preliminary material for products such as styrene block copolymers, for its use as adhesive and other applications. Many such innovative product categories is slated to bode well for the isoprene rubbers market in the near future. Already, renowned automakers in the world are pledging uptake for such eco-efficient products.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Asia Pacific, powered by particularly by China, is the primary driver of the global isoprene rubbers market. This is because of the explosive growth in the automotive industry in the region. North America and Europe are important contributors to the market as well due to the growing awareness of hygiene among people that has led to the significant uptake of isoprene rubbers in the healthcare sector.Isoprene Rubber Market: General OutlineIsoprene or 2-methyl-1, 3 butadiene, is a colorless liquid and volatile in nature. It is soluble in organic solvents such as alcohol and water due to its low vapor pressure and reactive nature. Isoprene rubbers are highly resistant to abrasion and fractures. Isoprene has electro insulating resistance, and is an organic compound that is emitted by various plants and trees. Some of the producers of isoprene are: poplars, oaks, eucalyptus, and legumes among others. About half of the yearly production of isoprene emissions comes from tropical broadleaf trees and the remaining from shrubs. Isoprene is denoted by a chemical formula CH2=C(CH3)CH=CH2. Isoprene is produced in the chloroplasts of plants through the MEP pathway that is also known as non-mevalonate pathway. Isoprene emissions are known to change dramatically with temperature and maximize at around 40 degree Celsius. This has led to the belief that isoprene protects plants from heat stress. Industrial production of isoprene was done primarily by isolation through thermal decomposition of natural rubber. It is readily available as a side product in manufacturing ethylene and as a by-product of thermal cracking of oil or naphtha.Isoprene Rubber Market: Trends and ProspectsIsoprene is known as a structural motif in most of the biological systems. The isoprenoids such as tetraterpenes and carotenes are derived from isoprene. Other substances and compounds derived from isoprene include retinol, phytol, dolichols, tocopherols, and squalene among others.Request TOC of the Report @As isoprene rubber has similar physical and chemical properties as that of a natural rubber, isoprene is used in host of applications. It does not contain fatty acids, proteins and other substances that are present in natural rubber. The various applications of isoprene include tires, shock absorbers, automotive mounts, adhesives, sporting goods, healthcare items, and coatings among others.Growing market demand for isoprene from the automotive industry is the major factor driving the global isoprene market. In addition, growing awareness has given rise to usage of gloves for various purposes. Therefore, the increasing demand for isoprene from the medical and healthcare sector is also expected to boost demand for isoprene in the near future. One of the drivers in developing bio-based isoprene is its capability to utilize low cost sugars derived from biomass, and provide a green preliminary material for products such as styrene block copolymers, for its use as adhesive and other applications.Request Discount of the Report @With rising research and development activities along with innovations, the wide range of applications in the end user industries are expected to provide opportunities for the growth of the global isoprene market. The potential for bio-isoprene is also expected to boost opportunities for isoprene in the market.Isoprene Rubber Market: Key SegmentsNorth America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World (RoW) are the major segments for the global isoprene market. Asia Pacific, especially China is expected to boost the market demand for isoprene due to the growing automotive industry in the region. North America and Europe are also expected to fuel demand for isoprene owing to the growing hygiene awareness among people. This hygiene awareness has led to a rise in demand for isoprene from the healthcare sector, thereby driving the growth of the isoprene market.Isoprene Rubber Market: Key Market playersThe key players of the isoprene rubber market are: JSR, Kaixin, Lanzhou Xinlan, Nizhnekamskneftekhim, Sinopec, Togliattikauchuk, Yikesi, Zhenjiang Xintian, Goodyear, Jinhai Deqi, Kuraray, Lyondellbasell, Shell, Synthez-Kauchuk, Formosa Plastics, Kraton Polymers, LCY, YUHUANG, ZEON and Zibo Luhua Hongjin, SINOPEC, Versalis(Polimeri Europa), TSRC, and ZEON among others.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Costume Jewelry Market to Incur Rapid Extension By 2020

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Costume jewelry (also known as fashion jewellery, trinkets, junk jewelry, fake jewelry and fallalery) is a jewelry made of less valuable materials as compared with valuable materials such as gold, diamond, platinum and other precious metals and gem. The raw material used for these jewelleries include base metals, glass, plastic, synthetic stones, semi-precious stones, beads, ivory, lac, leather, terracotta, pearl and metals such as silver, aluminum and brass. On the basis of products, the costume jewelry industry is broadly categorized as bracelets, brooch, earrings, necklaces, chokers, bangles, finger rings, toe rings, anklets and pendants.A sample of this report is available upon request @The costume Jewelry industry operates as a true global industry as the raw materials are mostly sourced from Australia, Africa, Russia and Canada, manufacturing takes place in China, India, Italy and Turkey whereas the largest markets is North America, followed by Europe.The developing economies such as BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India and China) are the fasted growing market with double digit growth rates. Asia Pacific is the largest producer of costume jewelry and expected to take over North America in terms of consumption in the coming years. High growth rate in Asia Pacific region is attributed to the rising income of the consumers in these countries. Further, with the massive urbanization and westernization taking place, the consumers are now becoming more fashionable and trendy. Moreover large population of young consumers (average age is 29 year and 37 year respectively for India and China) are also a key contributor in overall growth of costume jewelry in these countries.The key drivers for the costume jewelry include increasing prices for gold and other precious gems and pearls, internationalization of brands and increasing demand of men costume jewelry. Some of the key challenges for the costume jewelry industry include rising raw material cost and fad sensitive market of fashion jewelry. The unorganized supply chain of the raw materials in costume jewelry industry also act as a major restraint for the industry as it sometimes lead to steep hike in the prices of raw materials. Online channels, which are still new trend, offer new opportunity for the market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major player in operating in the industry includes, Buckley Jewellery Limited, The Colibri Group, Avon Products Inc, Swank Inc, H. Stern Com. & Ind. S.A., Cartier SA, Channel S.A., Louis Vuitton North America, Inc., Stuller, Inc., Yurman Design, Inc., Billig Jewelers, Inc. and Gianni Versace S.p.A.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
High Pressure Processing Market Significant Profits Estimated to be Generated by 2026

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Half a decade ago, consumers seems to be gushing for good quality food products that has a high shelf life. Companies were actively looking for methods and equipment that can help foods to retain their natural flavor even after long shelf life of preservation. High pressure processing equipment is one such cutting-edge innovation. High pressure processing is a non-thermal preservation and pasteurization process that increases the shelf life of food, while retaining the original quality of food products. Unlike most conventional food processing system, this method accomplishes high hydrostatic pressure of 100 to 1000 MPa to process food products. It is due to its minimal negative effect that high pressure processing market (HPP) is finding great prominence globally. This billion dollar industry is anticipated to witness strong growth worldwide during the forecast period, 20152025.A sample of this report is available upon request @High Pressure Processing Market: Drivers & RestraintsRising concern for food safety along with increasing demand for process food that contains active ingredients is expected to fuel the overall high pressure processing market. High liquid containing foods are on upper edge. HPP extends the shelf life of foods by two to three folds when compared to non-pasteurized foods. However, budget restraints and significant heavy cost is expected to be a major challenge for this industry. To tackle these challenges some of the leading manufacturers are performing innovation to cut down the cost at a significant rate. Also, HPP is mostly preferred for foods containing high acids. It cannot be or used rarely for stabilizing foods containing low-acids.High Pressure Processing Market: SegmentationHigh pressure processing market is broadly classified on the basis of equipment types, production size and end-use applications. Equipment such as batch processing and semi-continuous processing are available depending upon the size of production including low scaled to medium and high scale production capacities. Large scale production is normally seen in developed economies, while small and mid-scale are gaining prominence in developing economies.On the basis of applications, HPP market is broadly segmented into juices and beverages, vegetable products, meat products and seafood products. Juices and beverages along with meat products covers the majority of HPP applications. HPP equipment in vegetable products, though has a relatively low presence, is gaining wide prominence among food processing industries and is anticipated to witness above average growth rate during the forecast period, 2016 - 2026.High Pressure Processing Market: Region-wise OutlookHigh pressure processing equipment are in high demand in developed economies such as North America, Japan and Europe, however, market is gaining prominence in Asia Pacific and Latin America. The market is mainly consolidated in United States (U.S.), Europe and Japan. HPP in North America is widely used for processing of juices and beverages followed by seafood products and meat products and vegetable products. The trend is however different in Asia Pacific where consumption HPP is widely used for meat products and seafood products rather than juice products. HPP market is expected to witness significant growth in North America and Europe.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @High Pressure Processing Market: Key PlayersSome of the key market players in high pressure processing market are Avure Technologies, Hiperbaric, Hormel Foods Corporation, Hain Celestial Group and American Pasteurization Company.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Intracranial Pressure Monitors Market Size to Witness a CAGR Growth Through 2021

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Brain monitoring devices refer to the medical devices that measure the activities inside the brain. These devices measure the short waves activities inside the brain and help to detect if anything abnormal in the brain.A sample of this report is available upon request @Brain monitoring devices market is growing at a significant rate due to increase in the incidence cases of neurological disorders and growing awareness for different types of treatments available in the market. Intracranial pressure (ICP) monitor refers to a medical device that is placed inside the brain and is used to measure pressure inside the brain. Intracranial pressure monitors sense the pressure inside the skull and send recordings to the recorder for better analysation.This test is performed in cases with severe head injury or if there is some brain or nervous disease. Intracranial pressure monitoring is done to remove tumor if any or to check for any blood vessel injury post surgery, which may lead to swelling if left untreated. Intracranial pressure monitors market is increasing at a significant rate due to increasing prevalence of brain injury or brain or nervous disease cases. In addition, increasing awareness and technological advancements in the field are driving the global market for intracranial pressure monitors.North America dominates the global intracranial pressure monitors market, followed by Europe and Asia. This is due to increasing prevalence of brain injury or brain or nervous disease cases in the region. In addition, technological advancement and improved healthcare facilities are driving the market for intracranial pressure monitors in the North America. Asia is expected to show high growth rates in the next five years in the global intracranial pressure monitors market due to increasing prevalence for head injuries and neurological disorders.Several government associations have launched various programs to raise awareness among people towards various neurological disorders and their treatments in Asia. In addition, many companies are constructing their manufacturing and research facilities in the developing regions.This is due to low wages, availability of a large talent pool, less stringent environment and health and safety regulations in the region. Japan, China and India are expected to be the fastest growing intracranial pressure monitors in Asia. Asia-Pacific and Latin America regions are expected to have high growth rates for intracranial pressure monitors market, due to increase in the prevalence of neurological disorders and improvement in the healthcare facilities.Some of the major factors driving the global market for intracranial pressure monitors are increasing incidences of neurological disorders, cardiovascular diseases, sleep disorders, brain disorders and autoimmune diseases and growing awareness for treatment of these disorders and diseases. In addition, technological advancements in the field and government initiatives have been driving the global market for intracranial pressure monitors.However, some of the major factors such as high cost involved and reimbursement issues have been restraining the global market for intracranial pressure monitors. In addition, lack of skilled medical professionals for proper handling of these devices also restrains the global market for intracranial pressure monitors.Growing demographics and economies in the developing countries such as India and China are expected to offer good opportunities for the global operating tables market. In addition, innovation of some new products with better efficiency and accurate results are expected to offer good opportunities for the global market of intracranial pressure monitors.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies dealing in the global intracranial pressure monitors market are Covidien Ltd., Compumedics, Ltd., Natus Medical, Inc. and Integra Life Sciences Corporation. Some other companies having significant presence in the global intracranial pressure monitors market are CAS Medical Systems, Advanced Brain Monitoring, Inc. and Nihon Kohden Corporation.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Identillect Technologies Corp. (the "Company" or "Identillect") (TSX-V:ID) (OTCQB:IDTLF) (Frankfurt:8ID), a trusted leading provider of SaaS email security today announced the release of its O365 seamless mobile experience. Since its inception, Microsoft Office 365, a cloud-based office suite, has earned the trust of a growing number of business owners attracted to its reliable email and wealth of bundled software. Today, the platform has more than 100 million active monthly subscribers.



Unfortunately, with so-many subscribers, the popular platform has also become an attractive target for cybercriminals, hackers who devise increasingly elaborate counterfeit email templates to steal O365 user email credentials.

Any businesses using cloud-based platforms, including Microsoft 365, have to take extra precautions to protect their data and secure their email communications, said Todd Sexton, a cybersecurity expert and the CEO of Identillect Technologies. With more than $60 billion spent just this year by thousands of companies moving their data and processes to the cloud, there will be huge demand for cloud-based secure email tools.

To help companies using O365 protect their email, Sextons company provides its Delivery Trust plugin for Microsoft Office 365. The new mobile experience provides a simple and secure way active members of an organization can seamlessly protect communications while on the go. If a company directs employees to use Delivery Trust, encryption and decryption become an invisible component of every communication.

The Delivery Trust Outlook Web App Add-in enables secure messaging directly from any browser when users are logged in to their Outlook 365 account. Messages that are sent will automatically encrypt if sensitive content is detected by Delivery Trust, and it will enforce the control measures, such as restricting printing, that are desired.

The adoption of cloud-based productivity and email services offer businesses many advantages in cost, connectivity, and productivity, however, there are other vulnerabilities which can arise, and can compromise a companys integrity, and pose a legitimate risk to the business from cybercriminals.

This is where the use of Office 365 and other email services work in favor of Identillect, as is being witnessed by the uptake of Identillects Office 365 Delivery Trust email security solutions.

Securing cloud-based, mobile communication has always been a challenge, said Sexton. Were proud to provide the simplest, most secure email safety tool on the market today to the growing number of mobile, cloud-dependent businesses.

There were more than 15 million Americans who experienced identity theft based on a recent study released by Javelin Strategy & Research. Even more concerning is the fact that this cost Americans over $16 billion, and this figure is expected to increase throughout 2017.

The cyber security market is one of the fastest growing markets in technology. Breaches involving accidental email/internet exposure of information were the second most common type of breach incident reported by the Identity Theft Center. Global spending will cumulatively exceed $1 trillion dollars over the next 5 years, with cyber security damages predicted to reach $6 trillion globally by 2021 reported by CSO online. The need for advanced cyber security tools to prevent data breaches will only continue to increase with an estimated 4 billion individuals online requiring security by 2020.



About Identillect

Identillect Technologies is the leading provider of email encryption service Delivery Trust, empowering enterprises of all sizes to protect their business and their clients critical information against cyber security attacks.

Delivery Trust is an award -winning, multi-platform plug-in, which gives users complete control of their emails, for one low price. One simple integration complies with all regulations and most importantly provides peace of mind.

For more information, or your free trial, please visit www.identillect.com

On Behalf of the Board of Directors of:

IDENTILLECT TECHNOLOGIES CORP.

Todd Sexton

Chief Executive Officer

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Investor Relations:

Arlen Hansen

Kin Communications

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id@kincommunications.com

Neither TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

This news release may include forward-looking statements that are subject to risks and uncertainties. All statements within, other than statements of historical fact, are to be considered forward-looking. Although the Company 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 forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include market prices, exploitation and exploration successes, continued availability of capital and financing, and general economic, market or business conditions. There can be no assurances that such statements will prove accurate and, therefore, readers are advised to rely on their own evaluation of such uncertainties. We do not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as required under the applicable laws.
Benzethonium Chloride Market : 2017 Emerging Trends 2025

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Benzethonium Chloride Market: SnapshotBenzethonium chloride (hyamine), a white colored, solid, odorless artificial quaternary ammonium salt that is water and ethanol soluble, has anti-infective, antiseptic, and surfactant properties. It has widespread applications in different areas. For example, it is used in first aid antiseptics as a topical antimicrobial instrument, in toiletries and cosmetics, anti-itch ointments, mouthwashes, in the food industry as a surfactant, as a preservative in the pharmaceutical industry, as a local antiseptic in hospitals and clinics, and as a disinfectant and detergent in various other end-use industries. Many lab tests have proven that benzethonium chloride is extremely effective against pathogens such as E.Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.Majorly fuelling the demand for benzethonium chloride is the flourishing pharmaceutical industry, the pressing demand for food on account of an ever-increasing world population, and the soaring personal care industry.Benzethonium chloride, however, has side effects and this is hampering their uptake to an extent. Ingestion of benzethonium chloride, for instance, can lead to vomiting, convulsions, and even a collapse followed by coma, in some rare cases. It can also cause hypertension, esophageal damage, nausea and paralysis of respiratory muscles leading to central nervous system depression.Request Sample Copy of the Report @From a geographical standpoint, Asia Pacific is primed to become a key market for benzethonium chloride because of the rising demand from the fast-expanding pharmaceutical industry in the region. The rising demand from the food industry in Europe and North America is expected to bode well for the growth of the markets in these regions.Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Inclusive InsightBenzethonium chloride (hyamine) is an artificial quaternary ammonium salt which is white in colour, solid, odorless, and is soluble in water. It also dissolves in ethanol efficiently. It has a melting point of 327 to 331 degree Fahrenheit and molecular weight of 448.1. Benzethonium chloride properties include anti-infective, antiseptic, and surfactant among others. It is basically employed in first aid antiseptics as a topical antimicrobial instrument. It is also present in toiletries and cosmetics which include antimicrobial toiletries, anti-itch ointments, and mouthwashes among others. It is used on a large scale as a surfactant in the food industry. The food industry uses it on a large scale in the form of a surfactant.It is used as a preserving agent in the pharmaceutical industry, as a local antiseptic in hospitals and clinics, and as disinfectant and detergents in various other end-use industries. It is also used as a topical anti-infection agent which is brought into use for the purpose of disinfecting eyes, nose, throat, and skin. It also has application in the pharmaceutical industry to manufacture several other preservatives. It is also found in the formulation of grapefruit seed extract. benzethonium chloride known by other names such as BZP, Salanine, Polymine D, Antiseptol, Quatrachor, and Phermerol. Benzethonium chloride displays a wide range of microbiocidal action against mold, fungi, bacteria and viruses. Several lab tests have proven that benzethonium chloride is extremely effective against pathogens such as E.Coli, Salmonella, and Staphylococcus aureus.Request TOC of the Report @Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Drivers and InhibitorsThe mounting demand from the pharmaceutical industry is the chief driving aspect of the global benzethonium chloride market. Additionally, the rising demand from the food industry is further anticipated to boost the growth of the global benzethonium chloride market. The growing use of benzethonium chloride in the personal care industry is another factor that is likely to provide the global benzethonium chloride market with a shot in the arm.However, the rising health concerns among consumers regarding the side effects of Benzethonium chloride is expected to hamper the growth of global benzethonium market over the coming years. On ingestion of benzethonium chloride, the infected person may collapse and other symptoms include vomiting, convulsions and coma. It may also lead to hypertension, esophageal damage, nausea and paralysis of respiratory muscles leading to central nervous system depression. These factors are expected to hamper the growth of global benzethonium chloride market.Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Regional OutlookThe global market for benzethonium chloride is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and the Rest of the World. Asia Pacific is expected to emerge as the leading region in terms of consumption of benzethonium chloride owing to the growing demand from the pharmaceutical industry in the region. The rising demand from the food industry in Europe and North America is expected to bode well for the growth of the markets in these regions.Request Discount of the Report @Global Benzethonium Chloride Market: Vendor LandscapeThe leading companies in the market are Manus Aktteva Biopharma LLP, Quat-Chem Ltd, ATHENE CHEMICALS PVT. LTD, QIHAI CHEMICALS CO.,Triveni Aromatics And Perfumery Private Limited, Ampak Company, Pharmaco-Aaper and Commercial Alcohols, ACM Chemicals, Alfa Aesar, Ricca Chemical Company, Premier Group of Industries, LTD, Hetrium, Pacific Texchem Private Limited, Par Sterile Products, Dishman Pharmaceuticals & Chemicals (P) Ltd, SHIMADZU CORPORATION and Fisher Scientific among others.About TMR ResearchTMR Research is a premier provider of customized market research and consulting services to business entities keen on succeeding in todays supercharged economic climate. Armed with an experienced, dedicated, and dynamic team of analysts, we are redefining the way our clients conduct business by providing them with authoritative and trusted research studies in tune with the latest methodologies and market trends.Our savvy custom-built reports span a gamut of industries such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals and metals, food and beverages, and technology and media, among others. With actionable insights uncovered through in-depth research of the market, we try to bring about game-changing success for our clients.Contact:Rohit BhiseyHead - Internet MarketingTel: +1-415-520-1050Email: sales@tmrresearch.com
Global Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall Market 2017 : iconic skin, UNIGLAS, TaiSheng Glass, Josef Gartner

Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall

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Global Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall Market Research Report 2017-2022A market research based on the "Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall Market" across the globe, recently added to the archive of Market Research Explore, is titled Global Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall Market 2017. The research report analyzes the ancient as well as present performance of the global Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market, and makes predictions on the future status of Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market on the basis of this analysis.Get Free Sample Copy of Report Here :Major Manufacturers Analysis of Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall are :Pacific AluminumJET ALU MAROCAdaptive Building InitiativeWICONAHunsrucker Glasveredelung WagenerSTG-BEIKIRCH Industrieelektronik + Sicherheitstechnikiconic skinUNIGLASTaiSheng GlassJosef GartnerThe report studies the market for Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall across the globe taking the existing industry chain, the import and export statistics in Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market & dynamics of demand and supply of Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall into consideration. The 'Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall' research study covers each and every aspect of the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market globally, which starts from the definition of the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market and develops towards Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market segmentations. Further, every segment of the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market is classified and analyzed on the basis of product types, application, and the end-use industries of the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market. The geographical segmentation of the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market has also been covered at length in this report.On the basis of product, the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market is primarily split intoSolar Control Glazing Spandrel Curtain WallOther TypesOn the basis of the end users/applications, this Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market report coversCommercialOther ApplicationsThe competitive landscape of the global market for Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall is determined by evaluating the various market playors, production capacity, Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market's production chain, and the revenue generated by each manufacturer in the Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market worldwide.Read More Research with TOC :The global Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall market 2017 is also analyzed on the basis of product pricing, Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall production volume, data regarding demand and Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall supply, and the revenue garnered by the product. Various meticulous tools such as investment returns, usefulness, and market attractiveness analysis has been used in the research to present a comprehensive study of the market for Solar Control Spandrel Curtain Wall across the globe.About Us :Market Release provides a range of marketing and business research solutions designed for our clients specific needs based on our expert resources. The business scopes of Market Release cover more than 30 industries including energy, new materials, transportation, daily consumer goods, chemicals, etc. We provide our clients with one-stop solution for all the research requirements.Contact Us :Enid SteelUnited States
Global Graphic Design Services Market 2017-2022 Key Players: Pentagram, Landor Associates, AKQA, Sagmeister & Walsh, McFaulstudio/McFaul + Day, Vignelli Associates, The Chase...

Graphic Design Services Market

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Graphic Design Services Market:WiseGuyReports.com adds Graphic Design Services Market 2017 Global Analysis, Growth, Trends and Opportunities Research Report Forecasting to 2022reports to its database.Executive SummaryDigital graphic design services are being widely used to promote brands and products. They are used to define brands, differentiating the brand from its competitors and eliciting responses more effectively than text. Many companies are posting content with graphic images on social media platforms such as Twitter and Facebook to communicate to their target group.Graphic Design Services Market Global Report 2017 from The Business Research Company provides the strategists, marketers and senior management with the critical information they need to assess the global graphic design services market.Where is the largest and fastest growing market for graphic design services? How does the market relate to the overall economy, demography and other similar markets? What forces will shape the market going forward? The graphic design services market global report from the Business Research Company answers all these questions and many more.Request Sample Report @The report covers market characteristics, size and growth, segmentation, regional and country breakdowns, competitive landscape, market shares, trends and strategies for this market. It traces the markets historic and forecast market growth by geography. It places the market within the context of the wider graphic design services market, and compares it with other markets.The market characteristics section of the report defines and explains the market.The market size section gives the market size ($b) covering both the historic growth of the market and forecasting the future. Drivers and restraints looks at the external factors supporting and controlling the growth of the market.Market segmentations break down market into sub markets.The regional and country breakdowns section gives an analysis of the market in each geography and the size of the market by geography and compares their historic and forecast growth. It covers all the regions, key developed countries and major emerging markets. It draws comparisons with country populations and economies to understand the importance of the market by country and how this is changing.Competitive landscape gives a description of the competitive nature of the market, market shares, and a description of the leading companies. Key financial deals which have shaped the market in recent years are identified.The trends and strategies section highlights the likely future developments in the market and suggests approaches companies can take to exploit this.The graphic design services market section of the report gives context. It compares the graphic design services market with other segments of the graphic design services market by size and growth, historic and forecast. It analyses Expenditure Per Capita, Graphic Design Services Indicators Comparison, Graphic Design Services Enterprise And Employee ComparisonScopeMarkets covered: Printed And Static Design Services, Digital And Interactive Design Services, Brand And Image ConsultingCompanies mentioned: Pentagram, Landor Associates, AKQA, Sagmeister & Walsh, McFaulstudio/McFaul + Day, Vignelli Associates, The ChaseCountries: China, India, Japan, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Russia, USA, BrazilRegions: Asia, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, North America, South America, Middle East, Africa, Oceania.Time series: Five years historic and forecast.Data: Ratios of market size and growth to related markets, population, GDP, Expenditure Per Capita, Graphic Design Services Indicators Comparison, Graphic Design Services Enterprise And Employee ComparisonData segmentations: country and regional historic and forecast data, market share of competitors, market segments.Sourcing and Referencing: Data and analysis throughout the report is sourced using end notes.For further information on this report, visit Table of ContentsGraphic Design Services Market Characteristics;Graphic Design Services Market Size And Growth;Pestle Analysis;Graphic Design Services Market Customer Information;Graphic Design Services Market Segmentation;Graphic Design Services Market Regional And Country Analysis;Global Graphic Design Services Market Comparison With Macro Economic Factors;Graphic Design Services Market Comparison With Macro Economic Factors AcrossGraphic Design Services Market Comparison With Industry Metrics;Asia Pacific Graphic Design Services Market;Western Europe Graphic Design Services Market;Eastern Europe Graphic Design Services Market;North America Graphic Design Services Market;South America Graphic Design Services Market;Middle East Graphic Design Services Market;Africa Graphic Design Services Market;Graphic Design Services Market Competitive Landscape;Key Mergers And Acquisitions In The Graphic Design Services Market;Market Background Specialized Design Services Market; 19.1.1. Specialized DesignMarket Background: Global Professional Services Market;Appendix;Reasons to PurchaseOutperform competitors using accurate up to date demand-side dynamics information.Identify growth segments for investment.Facilitate decision making on the basis of historic and forecast data and the drivers and restraints on the market.Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis.Stay abreast of the latest customer and market research findingsBenchmark performance against key competitors.Develop strategies based on likely future developments.Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing.Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysisGain a global perspective on the development of the market.Report will be updated with the latest data and delivered to you within 3-5 working days of order.Outperform competitors using accurate up to date demand-side dynamics information.Identify growth segments for investment.Facilitate decision making on the basis of historic and forecast data and the drivers and restraints on the market.Create regional and country strategies on the basis of local data and analysis.Stay abreast of the latest customer and market research findingsBenchmark performance against key competitors.Develop strategies based on likely future developments.Utilize the relationships between key data sets for superior strategizing.Suitable for supporting your internal and external presentations with reliable high quality data and analysisGain a global perspective on the development of the market.Report will be updated with the latest data and delivered to you within 3-5 working days of order.ContinuedBuy this Report @Norah TrentContact Us: sales@wiseguyreports.comPh: +1-646-845-9349 (US); +44 208 133 9349 (UK)About Us:Wise Guy Reports Is Part Of The Wise Guy Consultants Pvt. Ltd. And Offers Premium Progressive Statistical Surveying, Market Research Reports, Analysis & Forecast Data For Industries And Governments Around The Globe. Wise Guy Reports Features An Exhaustive List Of Market Research Reports From Hundreds Of Publishers Worldwide. We Boast A Database Spanning Virtually Every Market Category And An Even More Comprehensive Collection Of Market Research Reports Under These Categories And Sub-Categories.Addres:WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, IndiaPhone :+91 841 198 5042
Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Market Report 2017 by Top Manufacturers : Krones AG, Sulzer Ltd., Marel HF

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.The global Food Blender & Mixer market has been studied in great detail in this research report. The report is collated by expert market analysts who have made use of primary and secondary data sources to compile this research report. The report comprises tables, graphs, infographics, statistics, and charts for depicting the data. Thus, the report is comprehensive and easy to understand. The report first defines the Food Blender & Mixer and then classifies it as per key criteria. The application and need for Food Blender & Mixer are also discussed in the report. The report also highlights the strategies adopted by market players and the challenges faced by them. Leading players within the global Food Blender & Mixer market are studied.Global Food Blender & Mixer market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Food Blender & Mixer sales volume, Price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingGEA Group AktiengesellschaftTetra Laval International S.A.Krones AGSPX CorporationSulzer Ltd.Buhler Holding AGJohn Bean Technologies CorporationKHS GmbHMarel HFHosokawa Micron CorporationGet A PDF for more Professional and Technical insights @The key factors driving the growth of the market and those that restrict the growth of the Food Blender & Mixer market have been discussed in much detail in the next section. The market forecast is given, by taking into consideration the present and past market figures or size. The market forecast is given not only on the global scale but also for key regions. Some of the regions studied in this report are North America, Latin America, The Rest of The World, Europe, and Asia Pacific. Of these, the report points out the leading and declining regional segment. Also, the fastest growing regional segment is mentioned by the expert analysts after taking into consideration various factors such as current growth trends and potential of the market in the future, based on demand.Table of Contents1 Food Blender & Mixer Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Food Blender & Mixer1.2 Classification of Food Blender & Mixer by Product Category1.3 Global Food Blender & Mixer Market by Application/End Users1.4 Global Food Blender & Mixer Market by Region1.5 Global Market Size (Value and Volume) of Food Blender & Mixer (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Food Blender & Mixer Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)2 Global Food Blender & Mixer Competition by Players/Suppliers, Type and Application2.1 Global Food Blender & Mixer Market Competition by Players/Suppliers2.1.1 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales and Market Share of Key Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Food Blender & Mixer Revenue and Share by Players/Suppliers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Food Blender & Mixer (Volume and Value) by Type2.3 Global Food Blender & Mixer (Volume and Value) by Region2.4 Global Food Blender & Mixer (Volume) by ApplicationAccess the Report and full TOC @3 United States Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)4 China Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)5 Europe Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)6 Japan Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)7 Southeast Asia Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)8 India Food Blender & Mixer (Volume, Value and Sales Price)9 Global Food Blender & Mixer Players/Suppliers Profiles and Sales Data9.1 GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft9.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.1.2 Food Blender & Mixer Product Category, Application and Specification9.1.3 GEA Group Aktiengesellschaft Food Blender & Mixer Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.2 Tetra Laval International S.A.9.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.2.2 Food Blender & Mixer Product Category, Application and Specification9.2.3 Tetra Laval International S.A. Food Blender & Mixer Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview9.3 Krones AG9.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors9.3.2 Food Blender & Mixer Product Category, Application and Specification9.3.3 Krones AG Food Blender & Mixer Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)9.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview14 Global Food Blender & Mixer Market Forecast (2017-2022)14.1 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume, Revenue and Price Forecast (2017-2022)14.2 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume, Revenue and Growth Rate Forecast by Region (2017-2022)14.3 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume, Revenue and Price Forecast by Type (2017-2022)14.4 Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume Forecast by Application (2017-2022)Request A Discount on This report @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Food Blender & MixerFigure Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume Comparison (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Comparison (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure Global Sales Market Share of Food Blender & Mixer by Application in 2016Figure Global Food Blender & Mixer Market Size (Million USD) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure Global Food Blender & Mixer Sales Volume (K Units) and Growth Rate (2012-2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog  qyresearch-group.blogspot.in
Consilium Simplifies Multichannel Outbound Engagement Strategy with UniCampaign 4.0

Singapore, India and Canada, 07 Sep 2017: Consilium Software Inc., a Cisco Preferred Solution Partner, today announced the general availability of UniCampaign 4.0, an outbound contact manager for Cisco contact centers solutions. Available on Cisco Commerce under Cisco Solutions Plus, this release builds on Ciscos Connected Digital Experience (CDX) goal for the Customer Care solutions portfolio to significantly improve multi-channel outbound engagement and proactive outreach.Customers use a wide range of channels to communicate with organizations, whether its voice, email or text, and businesses must always be listening across all channels. With UniCampaign 4.0, Consilium takes a leap forward to simplify multichannel and proactive engagement over voice, email and text messaging. It is an integrated platform that tightly integrates with your Cisco Unified Contact Centers Outbound Dialer, while allowing centralized control and management of an enterprise-wide outbound contact strategy.Consilium has carefully re-architected its outbound contact management solution, leveraging multi-tenancy and new features introduced in Ciscos version 11.5 and above with the latest API functions. As a multi-tenant solution, it reduces costs by sharing the same infrastructure across tenants. Furthermore, compliance-ready UniCampaign allows contact centers to meet the consumer protection criteria for do-not-call (DNC) list management, including the requirement to institute procedures for maintaining company-specific DNC lists.The impact of omnichannel communications is felt far beyond traditional customer interaction processes. Many organizations fall short on leveraging these interaction channels to drive proactive engagement with their customers. With UniCampaign, organizations can rapidly and cost-effectively adapt customer experience programs to deliver a personalized journey across channels, said Pramod Ratwani, Founder & CEO, Consilium Software Inc. Consilium UniCampaign for Cisco has been designed to provide the perfect engagement solution our clients needed to power a multichannel outreach strategy.About Cisco SolutionsPlusCisco SolutionsPlus delivers a one-stop ordering experience for approved third-party products and applications. It is a reselling program that places a select set of "Cisco Compatible" products on the Cisco Systems price list, enabling customers to order these non-Cisco products from Cisco sales teams and channel partners. Cisco SolutionsPlus vendors are part of the Solution Partner Program and provide all service and support. The key benefits are the ease of ordering, an established Cisco SolutionsPlus partner-coordinated support process, and that the products are thoroughly tested with Cisco solutions to help ensure integration, reliability and interoperability.Consilium conceives, develops and delivers enterprise software for unified communications (UC) and contact centers to power transformative Customer Experience Management (CEM.) Our software adds CRM integration, service automation and insight to leading UC vendors. Consilium UniCloud, UniAgent, UniCampaign and UniDashboard products enhance the performance and productivity levels of enterprise customers and service providers. Our solutions are used by more than 500 companies, banks, Telcos, and governments in 70 countries across six continents. Consilium Software was founded in Singapore, with software development and engineering labs in India, and subsidiaries and branch offices in Malaysia (Kuala Lumpur), Taiwan (Taipei City), the Philippines (Manila), Indonesia (Jakarta), Thailand (Bangkok), Australia (Melbourne) and Canada (Toronto.)L-96, 2nd Floor,Lajpat Nagar IINew Delhi
Asia Pacific Insomnia Market to Grow at a CAGR Over 5.1% by 2023

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Market Research Future adds new report of Insomnia Market Research Report- Asia Pacific Forecast to 2023 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentMarket Highlight:Insomnia is the most common sleep disorder. It involves disturbance in the sleep or trouble in falling asleep or waking up too early in the morning. The exact cause is still a mystery. Insomnia can be exist alone or conjugated with the other psychiatric problems. It is most common is women and mostly occur in young age. Conditions like pregnancy, postpartum and menopause can increase the severity of insomnia in the patients. Asia Pacific insomnia market is driven by increasing number of the number of patients suffering from sleep disorders due to adoption of alcohol, caffeine and tobacco by a huge number of populations. Many research has explain that psychological and behavioural factor are responsible for causing insomnia. Increasing workload and stressful modern life has increase the demand for the sleeping pills. Technological development and increasing healthcare expenditure has also contributed in the growth of the market. Increasing prevalence of diseases like Alzheimers and Parkinsons has also anticipated being factor for the growth of this market across Asia Pacific. On other hand, lack of education and lack of awareness may restrain the growth of the market.Asia Pacific insomnia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5.1% during forecasted period of 2017-2023.Get a Sample Report @Market Segmentation:Asia Pacific insomnia market has been segmented On the basis of Types of Therapy which comprises pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological therapy. Pharmacological therapy is further segmented into benzodiazepines, non-benzodiazepines, melatonin receptor agonists and other. Non pharmacological treatment is further segmented into relaxation therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy, sleep hygiene education, stimulus control, paradoxical intention and other. By drug formulation they are segmented as capsules, tablet On the basis of Type of disease they are poor quality of sleep, sleep maintenanceCompetitive Analysis: Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (Japan) Pfizer, Inc. (US) Eisai, Co. (Japan) Merck & Co Inc. (US) Sanofi (France), GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (UK) Meda Consumer Healthcare Inc. (US) Care Fusion Corporation (US) Pernix Therapeutics (US) Purdue Pharma L.P. (US) Consumer Healthcare Inc. (Canada) Dainippon Sumitomo (Japan) ECR Pharmaceuticals (US) Johnson & Johnson (US) Astellas (UK) Biocodex S A (France) Neurim (Switzerland) Flynn Pharma (UK)Browse Report Details @Intended Audience Manufacturing and packaging industries. Insomnia devices and drug manufacturers Insomnia devices and drug suppliers Biotechnology Companies Bio-Pharmaceutical Companies Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government Research Laboratories Medical Research InstitutesTable of Contents1. Introduction2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Market Factor Analysis5. Asia Pacific Insomnia Market, By Types Of Therapy6. Asia Pacific Insomnia Market, By Drug Formulation7. Global Insomnia Market, By Region8. Competitive Landscape9. Company Profile10. Conclusion11. Key Findings12. AppendixEnquire about this Report @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, Japan accounts the largest share in the Asia Pacific insomnia market. 1 in every 5 people in japan is suffering from acute or chronic symptoms of insomnia. In Japan insomnia is the major problem than anxiety and depression. India and China are also contribute major share in the market. Approximately 5% of total Indias population is suffering from insomnia. This increasing number of people suffering from insomnia is the major driving factor for the market in Asia Pacific region.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market: Healthy Expansion CAGR of 4.5% By 2023

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Market Forecast,Market Research Future published a research report on Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Research Report, by Drug Category (Acid Neutralizers, Laxatives and Antidiarrheal, Anti-inflammatory drugs), By Route of Administration (Oral, Parenteral, Rectal), By Disease Type (Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease), by end user (Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies) - Forecast till 2023Market Scenario:Gastrointestinal (GI) drug market is a growing market in Europe and Middle East and Africa. As per study it was estimated that ~ 6% of total European population is suffering from minor or major gastrointestinal problems. Gastroesophageal reflux is the most common disease and is responsible for generating a good market. The major driving factor for this market are increasing prevalence of many gastrointestinal disease. In addition to this, technological advances, infrastructure development increasing investment in research activity and increasing awareness about the availability of treatment are responsible for providing fuel for the growth of the market. While incorrect self-diagnosis and availability of many misbranded drug are the major restraining factor for the growth of market.Europe and Middle East and Africa GI drug market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% during 2017-2023.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs marketAstraZeneca Plc.(UK), Johnson & Johnson (US), Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Japan), Eisai Co., Ltd. (Japan), Valeant Pharmaceuticals Inc. (US), Sanofi Ltd. (France), Valeant (US), Abbott Laboratories(US), Allergan Plc (US), Bayer AG (Germany), Janssen Biotech Inc. (US), AbbVie Inc. (US), Janssen Biotech (US), GlaxoSmithKline Plc. (UK), Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany).Study Objectives Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Research Report Market Analysis of Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market, with region assessment and competitive analysis. Detail market identification with its drivers and restrain of the market. To provide thorough understanding of various segment and sub segments of the market. Analysis of market on the basis of different factors like price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to their main geographies and their countries To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market. Information about the key companies that may influence this market in this region.SegmentationEurope, Middle East and Africa gastrointestinal drugs market has been segmented on the basis of Drug Category they are segmented into Acid Neutralizers, Laxatives and Antidiarrheal, antiemetic, Anti-inflammatory drugs and other. Acid Neutralizers are further sub segmented into Antacids, H2 antagonists, Proton pump inhibitors and others. By Route of Administration they are segmented into Oral, Parenteral and rectal. By disease type they are segmented into Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease, Inflammatory Bowel Disease and Other. By End User Hospital Pharmacies, Retail Pharmacies and OtherBrowse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisEurope is the second major contributor in the GI drug market globally. Total Europe and Middle East and Africa GI drug market in 2016 was approximately USD$ 15 million. Germany and France are the major contributor of the market this is due to a huge number of patient suffering from different GI problems. About 9.2% of total population in France is suffering from acute or chronic GI problems. This is the major factor responsible for the growth of market. Due to saturation of market in this region the market is growing at a steady CAGR of 4.5 % during 2017-2023.The report for Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Europe, Middle East and Africa Gastrointestinal Drugs Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023 related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Purlins and Side Rails Market Research Report 2017 : Albion Sections, BW Industries

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "Global Purlins and Side Rails Market Research Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the global Purlins and Side Rails market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Purlins and Side Rails in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Purlins and Side Rails market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAdeilad CladdingAccord Steel CladdingLindabAlbion SectionsBW IndustriesArcelorMittalAtlas WardFlexospan Steel BuildingsTata BlueScope SteelKingspan GroupFor more information on this report, fill the form @On the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoButtedSleevedDouble SpanOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Purlins and Side Rails for each application, includingConstructionsAutomotiveWarehouse & LogisticsEnergy & PowerOtherIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents1 Purlins and Side Rails Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Purlins and Side Rails1.2 Purlins and Side Rails Segment by Type (Product Category)1.3 Global Purlins and Side Rails Segment by Application1.4 Global Purlins and Side Rails Market by Region (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Purlins and Side Rails (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Purlins and Side Rails Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Browse full table of contents and data tables of Report @2 Global Purlins and Side Rails Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Purlins and Side Rails Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Purlins and Side Rails Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Purlins and Side Rails Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Purlins and Side Rails Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Purlins and Side Rails Market Competitive Situation and Trends3 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Purlins and Side Rails Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Purlins and Side Rails Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7 Global Purlins and Side Rails Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Adeilad Cladding7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 Purlins and Side Rails Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.3 Adeilad Cladding Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 Accord Steel Cladding7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 Purlins and Side Rails Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.3 Accord Steel Cladding Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Lindab7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 Purlins and Side Rails Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.3 Lindab Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewTo Get Discount Of This Report Click here @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Picture of Purlins and Side RailsFigure Global Purlins and Side Rails Production (K MT) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Types (Product Category) (2012-2022)Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Production Market Share by Types (Product Category) in 2016Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Consumption (K MT) by Applications (2012-2022)Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Consumption Market Share by Applications in 2016Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Market Size (Million USD), Comparison (K MT) and CAGR (%) by Regions (2012-2022)Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Revenue (Million USD) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)Figure Global Purlins and Side Rails Capacity, Production (K MT) Status and Outlook (2012-2022)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog  qyresearch-group.blogspot.in
Lower GI Series Market 2027  NOVADAQ, Alfa Wassermann, AstraZeneca, Mount Sinai Beth Israel, PeaceHealth, Eisai US

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Market Research Future adds new report of Global Lower GI Series Market Research Report - Forecast to 2027 it contains Company information, geographical data and Table of ContentLower GI Series Global Market  SegmentationThe Lower GI Series market can be segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding; Segmentation by Application: Comprises - Colon polyps, tumors, Diverticular disease, Gastroenteritis, Strictures Crohn's disease or lcerative colitis and others such as constipation, pain or blood in the stools. Segmentation by Test Type: Comprising single-contrast technique and the double-contrast technique Segmentation by End-Users: Comprising hospitals, laboratories and clinics Segmentation by Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the WorldLower GI Series Global Market  OverviewA lower GI series also said to be a lower gastrointestinal series or barium enema is one of the medical procedure which are used in the examination and diagnose with the problem related to human colon or large intestine and rectum. Lower GI series is one of the test which helps to detect the diseases and abnormalities and diagnose the symptoms such as. The lower GI series test can be examined by the X-ray pictures of patients. This examination assesses the transverse colon, ascending and right colon, the left or descending colon, the sigmoid colon and the rectum. It also includes the portion of small intestine and appendix.Get a Sample Report @The lower GI series test or barium enemas are mostly used to examine the rectum or large intestine. The lower GI series test are examine to identify and detect the diseases such as Colon polyps, tumors, Diverticular disease, Gastroenteritis, lacerative colitis or Strictures Crohn's disease and others such as constipation, pain or blood in the stools. The lower GI series tests are widely used by the hospitals and clinics due to the large number of patients increasing across the globe.According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, the global market of lower GI series is expected to witness a prospective growth in terms of value with a substantial CAGR surpassing its previous growth records by the end of the forecasted period (2016  2027).The global lower GI Series market has seen a prospective growth in the recent days. Earlier, the diagnoses of the diseases such as Colon polyps, tumors, diverticular disease, gastroenteritis, strictures crohn's disease or icerative colitis was very complex and difficult to diagnose. But the invention of lower GI series test has pushed the healthcare industry to the upper level. The technological advancements, growing disposable income, rising people awareness about the lower GI series test has put a potential scope for the global lower GI series market across the globe. Increase in the number on healthcare centers, hospitals, clinics and laboratories have also driven the market. The major key challenges for this particular market are that X-rays observed and managed to give the minimum amount of radiation to create the picture. Most specialists feel that the danger is low contrasted and the advantages. Children and pregnant ladies are more touchy or sensitive to the risk and dangers of ionizing radiation.Browse Report Details @Lower GI Series Global Market  Key PlayersProfiled in MRFR Analysis someof the prominent key players present in the global lower GI series test market are GastroIntestinal Endoscopy GastroIntestinal Specialists Eisai US Cadila Pharmaceuticals Limited PeaceHealth Purdue Pharma L.P. Alfa Wassermann NOVADAQ Mount Sinai Beth Israel AstraZeneca Ironwood PharmaceuticalsTable of Contents1. Introduction2. Research Methodology3. Market Dynamics4. Market Factor Analysis5. Global Lower GI Series Market, By Test Types6. Global Lower GI Series Market, By End Users7. Global Lower GI Series Market, Applications8. Global Lower GI Series Market, By Region9. Competitive Landscape10. Company ProfileEnquire about this Report @About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.ContactAkash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Next-Generation Shopping Market 2017By Identifying the Key Market Segments Poised for Strong Growth in Future

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SUMMARYWiseGuyReports published new report, titled Trend Sights Analysis: Next-Generation Shopping."Trend Sights Analysis: Next-Generation Shopping" explores the new and emerging concept of next-generation shopping in the FMCG industry, explaining what it is and asking why it is important. The report also considers the various actors involved and the impact of the trend on consumers, retailers, and supply chains. The conclusions reached are underpinned by unique blend of proprietary consumer insight and innovation knowledge.The consumer desire for convenience has driven rapid technological change in the FMCG retail space, where self-service checkout systems and contactless payment technology provide consumers with a "seamless" shopping experience. The search for immersive consumption experiences, however, threatens to disrupt the primacy of convenience by challenging bricks-and-mortar retailers to create tangible in-store experiences for consumers to enjoy.GET SAMPLE REPORT @Scope- Digital lifestyles are leading consumers to seek tangible, physical experiences.- The next 10 years will be crucial for bricks-and-mortar retailers as they attempt to balance competing consumer demands for convenience and enhanced in-store consumption experiences.- Next-Generation Shoppers are likely to be digitally minded and experience-seekers.- Food is experience-driven, and consumers enjoy researching it - not only with digital devices but with their senses also - preparing it, and using it for social occasions and moments of indulgence. This explains why online retailers account for only 15% of food and grocery shopping.Key points to buy- Understand which audiences are most affected by the Next-Generation Shopping trend and adjust core value proposition to suit.- Compare the presence of this trend in each industry across the FMCG space, and learn what the key opportunities are.- See the steps that key industry actors are taking to meet the demands of next-generation shoppers.Table of ContentsTrend snapshotWhat?Why?Who?How?What next?Appendix..CONTINUEDFor accessing accurate and deep understanding and to gain latest insights and key developments in the area of your interest, we also have a list of conferences in which you will be interested in, for more information, cordially checkFor updating knowledge or for thoroughly understanding various terminologies, we also have vast list of seminars for your reference, for more information cordially checkWise Guy Reports is part of the Wise Guy Research Consultants Pvt. Ltd. and offers premium progressive statistical surveying, market research reports, analysis & forecast data for industries and governments around the globe.WISEGUY RESEARCH CONSULTANTS PVT LTDOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersPune - 411028Maharashtra, India
CLOE to be demoed at Mobile World Congress Americas

Paris, France; Geneva, Switzerland - September 7, 2017 - Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS), a leading LTE chipmaker, and STMicroelectronics (NYSE: STM), a global semiconductor leader serving customers across the spectrum of electronics applications, today introduced CLOE, a new LTE-connected tracker platform based on the integration of Sequans and ST technologies. An acronym of Connecting and Locating Objects Everywhere, CLOE combines the Internet-of-Things (IoT) technologies of two industry leaders into one comprehensive platform that simplifies the development of LTE-based IoT tracker devices for the full range of vertical markets, including logistics, consumer electronics, and automotive.

Specifically designed and optimized for OEMs and ODMs to add IoT tracking capability to their product offerings, CLOE integrates Sequans' Monarch LTE Cat M1/NB1 chip and ST's Teseo III Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) chip for industry-leading communications and satellite-based tracking performance

"CLOE targets multiple vertical markets with best-in-class performance for all of the important tracking measures: battery life, location accuracy, reachability, mobility, and reporting periodicity," said Antonio Radaelli, Infotainment BU Director, STMicroelectronics. "'Componentizing' ST's navigation technology and Sequans' LTE modem technology makes CLOE an ideal platform to build trackers of all types---anything a developer can think of."

"The tight integration of ST's latest-generation Teseo chip with our Monarch LTE chip results in a power-optimized, cost-effective, all-in-one solution to speed new IoT tracker devices to market in a very short time," said Danny Kedar, VP of Sequans IoT business unit. "CLOE delivers ultra reliable LTE connectivity with ultra low power consumption, and high performance GNSS and accelerometer performance, including lowest Time To First Fix (TTFF)."

CLOE Key Features

 Turnkey cellular tracker solution for OEMs and ODMs, anywhere in the world

 Chipset integrates PMU, LTE, GNSS, memories, and MCU

 First-to-market, operator-certified

 LTE Cat M1/NB1 dual-category

 Covers all worldwide LTE bands with a single hardware design

 Industry-leading GNSS accuracy and Time To First Fix

 Support for autonomous or server-based Assisted GPS (AGPS) for optimal Time To Fix

 Designed to address multiple track & trace segments, including

o Logistics

o Consumer electronics

o Automotive

 Optimized for low power consumption and cost

 Modular design includes GNSS, cellular connectivity, MEMS; can be expanded to include other sensors, Bluetooth, and/or Wi-Fi.

CLOE is designed and optimized for production based on a full bill of materials (BOM) that includes LTE, GNSS, accelerometer, power supply, battery management, LED, and button management. The modular design enables copy/paste and optimizes BOM cost. CLOE is easily customizable.

CLOE will be demonstrated live at Mobile World Congress Americas, San Francisco, September 12-14, at Sequans' stand N.501 in the north hall. CLOE will be offered by both Sequans and ST, and availability is scheduled for Q4. For sales information contact sales@sequans.com.

Forward looking statements

About Sequans Communications

Sequans Communications S.A. (NYSE: SQNS) is a leading provider of single-mode 4G LTE semiconductor solutions for the Internet of Things (IoT) and a wide range of broadband data devices. Founded in 2003, Sequans has developed and delivered seven generations of 4G technology and its chips are certified and shipping in 4G networks around the world. Today, Sequans offers two LTE product lines: StreamrichLTE(TM), optimized for feature-rich mobile computing and home/portable router devices, and StreamliteLTE(TM), optimized for M2M devices and other connected devices for the IoT. Sequans is based in Paris, France with additional offices in the United States, United Kingdom, Israel, Hong Kong, Singapore, Sweden, Taiwan, South Korea, and China. Visit Sequans online at www.sequans.com; www.facebook.com/sequans; www.twitter.com/sequans

About STMicroelectronics

ST is a global leader in the semiconductor market, serving customers across the spectrum of sense and power and automotive products and embedded processing solutions. From energy management and savings to trust and data security, from healthcare and wellness to smart consumer devices, in the home, car and office, at work and at play, ST is found everywhere microelectronics make a positive and innovative contribution to people's life. By getting more from technology to get more from life, ST stands for life.augmented. In 2016, the Company's net revenues were $6.97 billion. Further information on ST can be found at www.st.com.

Media contacts:

Sequans media relations: Kimberly Tassin (USA), +1.425.736.0569, kimberly@sequans.com

Sequans investor relations: Claudia Gatlin (USA), +1 212.830.9080, claudia@sequans.com

ST media relations: Michael Markowitz (USA), +1 781.591.0354, michael.markowitz@st.com
EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Large Caliber Ammunition Market Report 2017 : Orbital ATK, BAE Systems

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa) Large Caliber Ammunition Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.In this report, the EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Geographically, this report split EMEA into Europe, the Middle East and Africa, With sales (K Units), revenue (Million USD), market share and growth rate of Large Caliber Ammunition for these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast)Europe: Germany, France, UK, Russia, Italy and Benelux;Middle East: Saudi Arabia, Israel, UAE and Iran;Africa: South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Algeria.EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition market competition by top manufacturers/players, with Large Caliber Ammunition sales volume (K Units), price (USD/Unit), revenue (Million USD) and market share for each manufacturer/player; the top players includingOrbital ATKBAE SystemsDay & ZimmermannZavod PlastmassBazaltGeneral Dynamics CorpNexterFinmeccanicaRheinmetallNammo ASKOMATSUZEVETACNIGCCSGCPoongsan CorporationFAMAEDIEHL DefenceFill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @On the basis of product, this report displays the sales volume (K Units), revenue (Million USD), product price (USD/Unit), market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoLarge Caliber Ammunition (40-110 mm) (40 mm-APFSDS-T)Large Caliber Ammunition (115-125 mm) (120 mm-HE F1)Large Caliber Ammunition (130-155 mm) (155 mm-LU 215 ILLUM)On the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, sales volume (K Units), market share and growth rate of Large Caliber Ammunition for each application, includingRocket-Propelled GrenadeTankNaval gunOthersIf you have any special requirements, please let us know and we will offer you the report as you want.Table of Contents1 Large Caliber Ammunition Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Large Caliber Ammunition1.2 Classification of Large Caliber Ammunition1.3 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Market by Application/End Users1.4 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Market by Region1.5 EMEA Market Size (Value and Volume) of Large Caliber Ammunition (2012-2022)1.5.1 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sales and Growth Rate (2012-2022)1.5.2 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Revenue and Growth Rate (2012-2022)Get more information from Research Report Press Release:2 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Competition by Manufacturers/Players/Suppliers, Region, Type and Application2.1 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Market Competition by Players/Manufacturers2.1.1 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sales Volume and Market Share of Major Players (2012-2017)2.1.2 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Revenue and Share by Players (2012-2017)2.1.3 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sale Price by Players (2012-2017)2.2 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume and Value) by Type/Product Category2.3 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume) by Application2.4 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume and Value) by Region3 Europe Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Players, Countries, Type and Application4 Middle East Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume, Value and Sales Price), by Region, Type and Application5 Africa Large Caliber Ammunition (Volume, Value and Sales Price) by Players, Countries, Type and Application6 EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Manufacturers/Players Profiles and Sales Data6.1 Orbital ATK6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Large Caliber Ammunition Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.3 Orbital ATK Large Caliber Ammunition Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 BAE Systems6.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.2.2 Large Caliber Ammunition Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.3 BAE Systems Large Caliber Ammunition Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.3 Day & Zimmermann6.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.3.2 Large Caliber Ammunition Product Type, Application and Specification6.3.3 Day & Zimmermann Large Caliber Ammunition Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)6.3.4 Main Business/Business OverviewCheck Discount @List of Tables and FiguresFigure Product Picture of Large Caliber AmmunitionFigure EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sales Volume (K Units) by Type (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sales Volume Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 2016Figure Large Caliber Ammunition (40-110 mm) (40 mm-APFSDS-T) Product PictureFigure Large Caliber Ammunition (115-125 mm) (120 mm-HE F1) Product PictureFigure Large Caliber Ammunition (130-155 mm) (155 mm-LU 215 ILLUM) Product PictureFigure EMEA Large Caliber Ammunition Sales Volume (K Units) by Application (2012-2022)Figure EMEA Sales Market Share of Large Caliber Ammunition by Application in 2016About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog  qyresearch-group.blogspot.in
Cerebral Vasospasm Market 2023: Comprehensive Research Study

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market Research Report, by Treatment (triple-H therapy, nimodipine and other), by Route of Administration (oral, intravenous and intra-arterial), by End User (hospitals, clinics and others)- Forecast Till 2023Market Scenario:Cerebral vasospasm is a condition where blood vesicles becomes narrow due to contraction. Cerebral vasospasm further results in haemorrhage. Patient who experienced haemorrhagic stroke are in more risk to develop a cerebral vasospasm. Changing lifestyle and consumption of unhealthy food are major market driving factors. Beside this introduction of many new treatments in the market has increased this markets growth. . Other high cost associated with treatment may hamper the growth of this market.Global cerebral vasospasm market is expected to grow at the CAGR of 5.4% during the forecasted period 2017-2023.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players in the global cerebral vasospasm market: Headsense Medical Ltd (Israel) B. Braun Melsungen AG (Germany) Minnetronix, Inc (US) Bristol-Myers Squibb Company (US) Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany) H. Lundbeck A/S (Denmark)Study Objectives Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market Detail analysis of global cerebral vasospasm market with region specific growth and competitive analysis on the basis of major players present in the market. Detail analysis of global cerebral vasospasm market including different drivers and restraints who are contributing in the markets growth as well restricting growth of the market Detail analysis of past as well as estimated future market analysis including price analysis, supply chain analysis, Porters Five Force analysis etc. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments along with research and developments in the global cerebral vasospasm market. Detail analysis on segments and sub segments of the market. Along with regional analysis of the market which includes North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, plus Middle East and Africa. Insights on major countries regions in which this market is flourishing as well as identify untapped regions which has the potential for this markets growth in the future.Browse Full Report Details @SegmentationGlobal cerebral vasospasm market is segmented on the basis of type of treatment which includes triple-H therapy, nimodipine and other. On the basis of route of administration the market is segmented into oral, intravenous and intra-arterial and on the basis of end user the market is again segmented into hospitals, clinics and others.Regional AnalysisGeographically, North America has the largest market of cerebral vasospasm. North America cerebral vasospasm market is driven by robust research & development practices along with growing advancements in the field of neurology. Europe has the second largest market of cerebral vasospasm which is followed by Asia Pacific. In Middle East and Africa the market is least due to limited development in the healthcare sector.The report of global cerebral vasospasm market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with detail analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts and key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the markets different segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Cerebral Vasospasm Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Report 2017 : THERMOS, Tiger Corporation

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Qyresearchreports include new market research report "United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Report 2017" to its huge collection of research reports.Notes:Sales, means the sales volume of Thermal Insulation Lunch BoxRevenue, means the sales value of Thermal Insulation Lunch BoxThis report studies sales (consumption) of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box in United States market, focuses on the top players, with sales, price, revenue and market share for each player, coveringTHERMOSTiger CorporationZojirushiPacific Market InternationalLOCK&LOCKGipfelAsvelZebraBentologyKitchen ArtHaersTAFUCOSUPORASDJieyang Xingcai MaterialGuangdong ShunfaKing BossGuangzhou Zhenxing IndustrialGuangdong DongchengShanghai HongchenXiamen GuanhuaSkaterMiltonMarket Segment by States, coveringCaliforniaTexasNew YorkFloridaIllinoisObtain Report Details @Split by product types, with sales, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, can be divided intoStainless SteelPlasticOtherSplit by applications, this report focuses on sales, market share and growth rate of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box in each application, can be divided intoFoodDrinkOtherTable of Contents1 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box1.2 Classification of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box1.3 Application of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box1.4 United States Market Size Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) of Thermal Insulation Lunch Box (2011-2021)1.4.1 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales and Growth Rate (2011-2021)1.4.2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Revenue and Growth Rate (2011-2021)Fill the form for an exclusive sample of this report @2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Competition by Manufacturers2.1 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales and Market Share of Key Manufacturers (2015 and 2016)2.2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Revenue and Share by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.3 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Average Price by Manufactures (2015 and 2016)2.4 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.4.1 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Concentration Rate2.4.2 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.4.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by States (2011-2016)3.1 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Revenue and Market Share by States (2011-2016)3.3 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Price by States (2011-2016)4 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales (Volume) and Revenue (Value) by Type (2011-2016)4.1 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Revenue and Market Share by Type (2011-2016)4.3 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Price by Type (2011-2016)4.4 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales Growth Rate by Type (2011-2016)6 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis6.1 THERMOS6.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base and Competitors6.1.2 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Product Type, Application and Specification6.1.2.1 Stainless Steel6.1.2.2 Plastic6.1.3 THERMOS Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview6.2 Tiger Corporation6.2.2 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Product Type, Application and Specification6.2.2.1 Stainless Steel6.2.2.2 Plastic6.2.3 Tiger Corporation Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2011-2016)6.2.4 Main Business/Business OverviewMake An Enquiry For Discount :10 Market Effect Factors Analysis10.1 Technology Progress/Risk10.1.1 Substitutes Threat10.1.2 Technology Progress in Related Industry10.2 Consumer Needs/Customer Preference Change10.3 Economic/Political Environmental Change11 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Market Forecast (2016-2021)11.1 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales, Revenue Forecast (2016-2021)11.2 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales Forecast by Type (2016-2021)11.3 United States Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Sales Forecast by Application (2016-2021)11.4 Thermal Insulation Lunch Box Price Forecast (2016-2021)About UsQYReseachReports.com delivers the latest strategic market intelligence to build a successful business footprint in China. Our syndicated and customized research reports provide companies with vital background information of the market and in-depth analysis on the Chinese trade and investment framework, which directly affects their business operations. Reports from QYReseachReports.com feature valuable recommendations on how to navigate in the extremely unpredictable yet highly attractive Chinese market.Contact US:1820 AvenueM Suite #1047Brooklyn, NY 11230United StatesToll Free: 866-997-4948 (USA-CANADA)Tel: +1-518-621-2074Email: sales@qyresearchreports.comBlog  qyresearch-group.blogspot.in
Masterbatch Market Estimated to Expand at a Robust CAGR over 2020

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Masterbatches are solid or liquid mixture of additive or pigments used for coloring or enhancing other properties of polymers such as UV stabilizing, flame retardation, antistatic and antilocking. Masterbatches can be used by several technological methods including injection, blow, spinning and others. Growing end user markets such as packaging, automobile and healthcare is boosting the demand of masterbatch market. Moreover, increasing demand of plastics from construction and luxury goods packaging industries are further driving the global masterbatch market.A sample of this report is available upon request @Among the end-user industries, packaging accounts for the largest share in global masterbatch market. Packaging industry uses all types of masterbatches, wherein color and white masterbatch are the most commonly used segments. Food and beverages manufacturers increasing interest in enhancement of packaging colors is escalating demands for the color masterbatches.The raw materials for masterbatch production include pigments, carrier, dispersant and some additives. Masterbatch market can be classified into four segments - additive, color, white and black. Additive masterbatche is the fastest growing segment which finds its application in customized plastic products in industries such as automotive, electronic appliances, textile, pharmaceutical packaging, and food and beverages packaging. Color masterbatche is used in the production of plastics for automobiles, electronic appliances, flexible packaging for food and beverages and medicine packaging. Black masterbatche is mainly used in construction, automotive and electronic appliance industries.The demand for light weight vehicles is escalating globally due to European Unions concern for reduction in green house gases. Increasing the plastic content in vehicles reduces their weight and carbon emission, and also increases fuel efficiency. This is leading to replacement of metal parts in the vehicles by plastic components. This shows growth opportunities for the masterbatch market for the forecasted period (2014-2020). However, the rising oil prices and stringent environmental laws related to non-biodegradability of plastics are posing significant challenge to the growth of plastic industries which is in turn affecting the masterbatch market.Asia Pacific was the largest market for masterbatch in 2013 owing to high demand of plastics from construction and automobile industries. Asia Pacific, Latin America and Middle East are expected to witness high growth rates during the forecasted period.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Masterbatch market in Europe and North America is consolidated, whereas the masterbatch market in Asia Pacific has a fragmented structure where china alone is a home to about 500 masterbatch manufacturers. Due to large number of mergers and acquisition taking place, rivalry in the masterbatch industry is expected to reduce during the forecasted period. The major companies operating in global masterbatch market include, A. Schulman Inc., Ampacet Corporation, Clariant International Ltd., PolyOne Corporation, GABRIEL-CHEMIE GROUP, Ferro Corporation and Americhem, Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Cervical dystonia market 2023: Comprehensive Research Study

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Cervical Dystonia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Cervical Dystonia Market Research Report, By Type (Torticollis, Retrocollis, Laterocollis and others), By Treatment (Oral Therapy, Intravenous, Surgery and other), on End User (Hospital, Clinics and other) - Forecast till 2023Market Scenario:Cervical dystonia is a rare disease also known as spasmodic torticollis. It is one of the painful chronic neurological movement disorder causing the neck to turn involuntary to any of the direction. It is a rare disease. The major driving factors for the market for cervical dystonia is increasing aging population across the globe. Females are more likely to be get affected by cervical dystonia. Beside this increasing number of treatment for cervical Dystonia and improvement in infrastructure has provided fuel for the growth of the market. On other hand success rate of the treatment and increasing cost of the treatment is the major cause for restraining the growth of cervical Dystonia market.Global cervical dystonia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 5% during forecasted period 2017-2023.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key players for global cervical dystonia market ALLERGAN (Ireland) Solstice Neurosciences LLC Ipsen Biopharmaceuticals Inc. (France) Merz Inc (US) Addex Therapeutics (Switzerland) Revance Therapeutics Inc. (US)Study Objectives global cervical dystonia market To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next 6 years of the various segments and sub-segments of the cervical dystonia market Detail information about the factors affecting the growth of the global cervical dystonia market. Detail analysis of global cervical dystonia market with respect to all the possible segmentation of the market. Detail analysis of emerging key players for the market with their effective strategies and factors that influences the market on global scale. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global cervical dystonia market. Analysis of the market of the different factors like- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. Detail information on the possible segments and sub segments of the market. And regional analysis of the market- North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untapped Detail information on trends and the opportunities in various regions.Intended Audience Pharmaceutical companies working in cervical dystonia Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government and Independent Research Laboratories Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Medical Research Laboratories Academic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesSegmentationGlobal cervical dystonia market has been segmented on the basis of type which includes torticollis, retrocollis, laterocollis and others. On the basis of treatment they are segmented into oral therapy, intravenous, surgery and other. On the basis of end user they are segmented into hospital, clinics and other.Browse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, global cervical dystonia market is dominated by North America which is followed by Europe. Increasing prevalence of cervical dystonia and increasing aging population is the major factor for growth of this market in this region. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing region for the cervical dystonia market. While due to less development in pharmaceutical and medical sector Middle East and Africa contribute least in cervical dystonia market.The report for global cervical dystonia market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Cervical Dystonia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Dental Carpule Market 2023: Complete Research Study

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Market Research Future published a research report on Global Dental Carpule Market Research Report- Forecast To 2023 Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Dental Carpule Information, by material (glass, plastic, metal and others), by end users (Hospitals, Dental Clinics, Home care and others) - Forecast to 2023Market Scenario:Carpule is a type of ampule or cartridge containing liquid medicine to be inserted using a syringe. It has a puncturable cap and one end and a sliding plug on the other end. In dental profession, dental cartridges are known as carpules.Carpule is a registered trade name for dental cartridge prepared by Cook-Waite Laboratories which was introduced in 1920. These are either made of glass or plastics. Recently, most of the local anesthesia manufacturers have started manufacturing plastic cartridges. They have a number of disadvantages over glass cartridges such as force required to be applied to the plunger of the syringe, leakage of solution during injection and the plunger does do glide down the plastic cartridge as it does in the glass cartridge. Prefilled dental carpule consists of four parts namely cylindrical glass tube, stopper (plunger), aluminum cap and diaphragm. The colour of cartridge band differs according to the solution filled in it.Globally Dental Carpule market are been driven by need of safe administration of injectable drugs to the patients having dental problems thus improving the quality of care provide.The global market of Dental Carpule market due to increase in awareness of dental health among the people and increase in dental health problems. The global market of dental carpules is expected to reach US$ 20 million in 2023 from US$ 11 million in 2016 with a CAGR of approximately 4.9%.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Dental Carpule Market: GlaxoSmithKline AstraZeneca Gilead Sanofi Genzyme Merck Roche Pfizer NovartisStudy Objectives of Dental Carpule Market: To provide detailed analysis of the market structure along with forecast for the next six years of the various segments and sub-segments of the Dental Carpule market To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the Dental Carpule market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to three main geographies and their countries- Americas, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To provide country level analysis of the market for segments by type, by end users and its sub-segments To provide overview of key players and their strategic profiling in the market, comprehensively analyzing their core competencies, and drawing a competitive landscape for the market To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global Dental Carpule market.Browse Full Report Details @Segments:Global Dental Carpule market has been segmented on the basis of material consisting of glass, plastic metal and others, on the basis of end users which consists of Hospitals, Dental Clinics, Home care and others and by regions consisting of North America, Europe, Asia-Pacific and Middle East and Africa.Regional Analysis of Dental Carpule Market:Globally North America is the largest market for Dental Carpule. Europe generates highest revenue in dental caruple market. This is due to increase in demand and awareness for dental cosmetics and dental health in this region. North America is the largest market for Dental Carpule which is expected to grow at a CAGR of 3.1% and is expected to reach at US$ 9.2 million. Demand for dental caruples is increasing North America because patients have recognized the importance of safe administration of anesthetics required for any dental procedure. Demand for dental caruples is increasing in North America because patients have recognized the importance of safe administration of injectable drugs required for any dental procedure. Product innovation and technological advancement are responsible for increase in demand of cartridges. Rapid development of dental industries in North America is also another contributing factor for the growth of this market. Europe is the second-largest market for Dental Carpule. Dental procedure are affordable in European countries as compared to other regions. The Europe market for Dental Carpule is expected to grow at a CAGR of 2.7 % and is expected to reach at US$ 3.1 million by the end of the forecasted period. Whereas Asia pacific is expected to be a growing market for Dental Carpule market. India, China and Japan have contributed for the growth of this market in Asia-Pacific.The report for Dental Carpule market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Global Dental Carpule Market Research Report- Forecast To 2023 related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Americas Insomnia Market: Complete Study of Current Trends, Business Opportunities, Competitive Landscape, Forecast 2023

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Market Research Future published a research report on Americas Insomnia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Americas Insomnia Market Research Report, by types of therapy (Pharmacological therapy and Non Pharmacological therapy), by drug formulation (Capsules, Tablet and others), by type of disease (poor quality of sleep, sleep maintenance and others)- Forecast till 2023Market Scenario:Insomnia is disorder related to sleep, it creates difficulty in sleeping. The symptoms show dissatisfaction with sleep, fatigue, low energy, less concentration, low performance, irritation, change in moods and many more. There are three types of insomnia that is transient, acute and chronic. The transient insomnia is sleeping disorder that occurs for few days or few weeks. The acute insomnia may be experience when students have exams or a person has an interview. This is a short time difficulty in sleep that lasts for some weeks. While the chronic insomnia is long term disorder of sleep seen in people having regular shift timings on their jobs, unhealthy sleeping habits, clinical disorders and some other psychiatric issues or health issues and many more reasons associated. The prevalence rate of insomnia is very high and is increasing day by day. Worldwide millions of people are getting affected by the sleeping disorder. According to the CDC study, it says that American do sleep for 7hrs and 36min in working days while 40min more on non-working days. The insomnia is majorly seen in American women, data says that 24 percent of women have woken up with no well rest, while the 16 percent of men have experienced same. This percentage is very less in contrast to people who suffers from insomnia. Americas Insomnia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6% during forecasted period of 2017-2023.The Americas insomnia market is segmented on the basis of, types of therapy, drug formulation and by type of disease. On the basis of types of therapy market is segmented into pharmacological therapy and non-pharmacological therapy. On the basis of the pharmacological therapy is sub-segmented into Benzodiazepines, Non-benzodiazepines, Melatonin receptor agonists and others. Likewise on the basis of the non-pharmacological therapy is also sub-segmented into Relaxation therapy, Cognitive behavioural therapy, Sleep hygiene education, Stimulus Controls, Paradoxical intension and others. On the basis of drug formulation the drugs are being formulated in capsules, tablets and others. Whereas on the basis of type of disease it includes poor quality of sleep, sleep maintenance and others.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Players for Americas Insomnia Market Eisai, Co. (Japan) Pfizer, Inc. (US) Merck & Co Inc (US) Sanofi (France) Takeda Pharmaceutical Company (Japan) Meda Consumer Healthcare Inc (US) Pernix Therapeutics (US) Purdue Pharma L.P. (US) Consumer Healthcare Inc. (Canada) Dainippon Sumitomo (Japan) ECR Pharmaceuticals (US) Flynn Pharma (UK) Johnson & Johnson (US) Astellas (UK) Biocodex S A (France) Neurim (Switzerland) SkyePharma (UK) Vanda Pharmaceuticals Inc. (US).Study Objectives Americas Insomnia Market Research Report To provide the Detail Overview of American insomnia market. To provide In-depth market segmentation and sub segmentations. To provide insights about factors affecting the market growth To analyze the market based on various factors- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To provide Competitive landscape and key players in the market. To provide historical and forecast revenue of the market segments and sub-segments with respect to geography and countries- North America and South America. To provide country level analysis of the market with respect to the current market size and future prospective To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the Americas Insomnia Market.Intended Audience Manufacturing and packaging industries. Insomnia devices and drug manufacturers Biotechnology Companies Bio-Pharmaceutical Companies Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government Research Laboratories Medical Research InstitutesBrowse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis the Americas insomnia market is segmented into two regions- North America and South America. Further North America is segmented into US and Canada. The North America region is experiencing more number of cases for insomnia. The cases are seen with unintentionally falling asleep and nodding while driving. The sleep related disorders are also seen because of the hypertension, cardio problems, cancer, depression, obesity and many more. It is estimated that near about 70 million US citizens are affected by insomnia.The report for Americas Insomnia Market Research Report of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Americas Insomnia Market Research Report Forecast to 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Global Construction Chemical Market,Industry Analysis,Trends & Forecast 2017 - 2025

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The India construction chemical market is expected to witness significant contribution to the overall construction chemical market, by registering a robust growth of nearly 17% by 2020. Individual market segments are experiencing relative growth except repair, rehabilitation and others market primarily due to lack of initiative and maintenance. Government Regulation on the concept of Green Buildings, increased expenditure in infrastructure and residential and non-residential sectors, FDI policies are among the prominent factors driving the demand for construction chemical market across India. Also, an influx of new products in admixtures, adhesives and sealants and water proofing chemicals by key players such as BASF SE, Pidilite and SIKA is expected to bolster the market growth thereby increasing competitiveness in the market.Request For Sample Report :Admixtures represents a huge market potential followed by adhesives and sealants. Water proofing chemicals indicates a significant contribution to growth in construction chemicals market by 2020.In this study, we analyze the India construction chemical market during 2014-2020. We focus on:Market size and forecast, 2012-2020 Segment wise growth as a key focus due to increasing market potential Key drivers and developments in construction chemicalsKey Trends and Developments in admixtures, adhesives and sealants, water proofing chemicals, repair, rehabilitation and others Key Drivers and developments in particular sectors such as infrastructure and residential & non-residential and particular regions such as north, south, east and west.Other Key TopicsHypermarkets & Supermarkets, Department Stores, Others, Direct Selling, General Merchandise Retailers, Vending Machines, Convenience Stores, Specialty Stores & PharmaciesExamples of key Companies CoveredApple Chemie, Pidilite, BASF SE Chemicals, CICO Technologies, Chembond Chemicals, SIKA (India), FOSROC, Perma Chemicals, Fairmate Chemicals, Mapei IndiaEnquiry About This Report :Market Research Reports Search Engine (MRRSE) is an industry-leading database of market intelligence reports. MRRSE is driven by a stellar team of research experts and advisors trained to offer objective advice. Our sophisticated search algorithm returns results based on the report title, geographical region, publisher, or other keywords.MRRSE partners exclusively with leading global publishers to provide clients single-point access to top-of-the-line market research. MRRSEs repository is updated every day to keep its clients ahead of the next new trend in market research, be it competitive intelligence, product or service trends or strategic consulting.State Tower90, State StreetSuite 700Albany, NY - 12207United StatesTelephone: +1-518-730-0559Email: sales@mrrse.comGoogle+:Linked in:Twitter:
Global Zircon Market Precise Outlook Covering Trends and Growth Factors during the Period 2017-2022

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A fresh report has been added to the wide database of Market Research Hub (MRH). The research study is titled Global Zircon Market Research Reportwhich encloses important data about the production, consumption, revenue and market share, merged with information related to the market scope and product overview. The report anticipates that the sector for Zircon Market would rise at a positive CAGR during the period 2017-2022. In this report, the global Zircon market is valued at USD XX million in 2016 and is expected to reach USD XX million by the end of 2022, growing at a CAGR of XX% between 2016 and 2022.Request For Free Sample -Geographically, this report is segmented into several key Regions, with production, consumption, revenue (million USD), market share and growth rate of Zircon in these regions, from 2012 to 2022 (forecast), coveringNorth AmericaEuropeChinaJapanSoutheast AsiaIndiaGlobal Zircon market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingIndustrie BitossiMario Pilato Blat?Endeka Ceramics?ReadeNitto Granryo KogyoHakusuiTech?Torrecid GroupAstron ZirconImerysTirupati Microtech?Zhangzhou JinyuanshengFujian Yuanguang EnterpriseT&H GLAZEZhangzhou Antai ZirconiumJiansu Baifu TechShandong Gold Sun Zirconium?Yaohui TechnologyYixingxinxing?Matrix Guangzhou Chemicals CorpShandong Jinao Technology?Guangdong Orient ZirconiaShandong Chenyuan PowerOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoHigh-grade Zircon?Common ZirconOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of Zircon for each application, includingCeramicsWear-resistant MaterialsOthersBrowse Full Report With TOC -Table of ContentsGlobal Zircon Market Research Report 20171 Zircon Market Overview1.1 Product Overview and Scope of Zircon1.2 Zircon Segment by Type (Product Category)1.2.1 Global Zircon Production and CAGR (%) Comparison by Type (Product Category)(2012-2022)1.2.2 Global Zircon Production Market Share by Type (Product Category) in 20161.2.3 High-grade Zircon?1.2.4 Common Zircon1.3 Global Zircon Segment by Application1.3.1 Zircon Consumption (Sales) Comparison by Application (2012-2022)1.3.2 Ceramics1.3.3 Wear-resistant Materials1.3.4 Others1.4 Global Zircon Market by Region (2012-2022)1.4.1 Global Zircon Market Size (Value) and CAGR (%) Comparison by Region (2012-2022)1.4.2 North America Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.3 Europe Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.4 China Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.5 Japan Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.6 Southeast Asia Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.4.7 India Status and Prospect (2012-2022)1.5 Global Market Size (Value) of Zircon (2012-2022)1.5.1 Global Zircon Revenue Status and Outlook (2012-2022)1.5.2 Global Zircon Capacity, Production Status and Outlook (2012-2022)2 Global Zircon Market Competition by Manufacturers2.1 Global Zircon Capacity, Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.1 Global Zircon Capacity and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.1.2 Global Zircon Production and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.2 Global Zircon Revenue and Share by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.3 Global Zircon Average Price by Manufacturers (2012-2017)2.4 Manufacturers Zircon Manufacturing Base Distribution, Sales Area and Product Type2.5 Zircon Market Competitive Situation and Trends2.5.1 Zircon Market Concentration Rate2.5.2 Zircon Market Share of Top 3 and Top 5 Manufacturers2.5.3 Mergers & Acquisitions, Expansion3 Global Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue (Value) by Region (2012-2017)3.1 Global Zircon Capacity and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.2 Global Zircon Production and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.3 Global Zircon Revenue (Value) and Market Share by Region (2012-2017)3.4 Global Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.5 North America Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.6 Europe Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.7 China Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.8 Japan Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.9 Southeast Asia Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)3.10 India Zircon Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)4 Global Zircon Supply (Production), Consumption, Export, Import by Region (2012-2017)4.1 Global Zircon Consumption by Region (2012-2017)4.2 North America Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.3 Europe Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.4 China Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.5 Japan Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.6 Southeast Asia Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)4.7 India Zircon Production, Consumption, Export, Import (2012-2017)Continue..Make an Enquiry:About Market Research Hub:Market Research Hub (MRH) is a next-generation reseller of research reports and analysis. MRHs expansive collection of market research reports has been carefully curated to help key personnel and decision makers across industry verticals to clearly visualize their operating environment and take strategic steps.MRH functions as an integrated platform for the following products and services: Objective and sound market forecasts, qualitative and quantitative analysis, incisive insight into defining industry trends, and market share estimates. Our reputation lies in delivering value and world-class capabilities to our clients.Contact Details:90 State Street,Albany, NY 12207,United StatesToll Free : 800-998-4852 (US-Canada)Email : press@marketresearchhub.comWebsite :Read Industry News at -
Gum, Mint and Breath Fresheners Market to Register Substantial Expansion by 2020

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Gum bases (natural or artificial) mixed with sugar, food ingredients and other flavoring which can be consumed are calls chewing gums, bubble gum or simply gums. It is elastic and cohesive materials intended for chewing but not swallowing. Both mint and gums is chemotherapeutic agent used as breath fresheners.A sample of this report is available upon request @On the basis of different product categories the global gum, mint and breath fresheners market are segmented in three broad categories namely sugarless gum, regular gum, breath fresheners and candy mints.Gum, mint, and breath freshener which comes with functional ingredients such as caffeine, ginseng and guarana are driving the global mint, gum, and breathe fresheners market. The gum and mint which comes with low-sugar or low calorie options are gaining popularity among the baby-boomers and health conscious consumers. Moreover Introduction advances packaging materials and design such as flip-top base packaging, and sliding door type packagings has helped the overall market of gum, mint and breathe fresheners in recent years.North America is the largest market for gum, mint and breathes fresheners followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The market in North America is mainly driven by increase consumption of breath fresheners by smokers and alcohol consumers who often uses breath fresheners post smoking or drinking. The market is witnessing highest growth in Asia Pacific the changing eating habits and westernisation in this region has led to increase demand of functional gum, mint and breathe fresheners. The U.S. is the largest market for mint, gum, and breath fresheners in North America.Japan, China and India are some of the dominant regional market of gum, mint and breathe fresheners in Asia Pacific.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the leading companies operating in global gum, mint and breath fresheners market include, Wrigley Company, Cadbury Trebor Basset, lotte, Ferndale Confectionery Pty Ltd., Kraft Foods Inc., Haribo GmbH & Co. Kg, Leaf Holland B.V., Perfetti Van Melle, Mars Incorporated,The Hershey Company, ZED GUM and The Wm. Wrigley Jr. Company.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Saint Petersburg, FL, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HempTech Corp. (OTC: HTCO), a provider of advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with sophisticated automation and analytical tools for the agricultural industry including legal medical cannabis, announces the following;



HempTech Corps GrowCOMM engineering and consulting group is announcing its first product in its line of Artificial Intelligence (Ai) grow systems for the medium to large scale growing facilities. The Fertigator.Droid is a fully engineered, industrial grade fertilizing and irrigation, (Fertigation) system that has a brain. Expanding on the intelligence found in the GROW.Droid grow systems, the Fertigator.droid brings machine learning and analytics to the fertigation world.

A fertigator.droid system can easily be added into any existing grow facility, with little or no interruption of the daily grow activities, and will instantly increase productivity and yields by eliminating one of the more costly and labor intensive daily tasks. The system is built into 3 process stages; the first stage prepares the raw water for processing. The next stage adds the necessary nutrient and additives as per the dosing recipe. The third stage interfaces and controls the irrigation. An optional fourth stage is available that can recover a majority of the irrigation run-off and reprocess this water, thus greatly reducing the water demand of the facility.

Brain power is what really separates the Fertigator.droid from any other fertigation system. We have built this system with industrial process control sensors in both the first and second process stages. The brain of the system is an industrial PLC, (programmable Logic Controller) with an intelligent human to machine interface, (HMI) screen. This industrial computer brain contains the Artificial intelligence to monitor and control the fertigation process, it does all the thinking for the grower. The program recipe controls nine separate dosing injectors in the two process stages and can be programmed from a simple fertilization schedule to complex mixing that can change at specific intervals throughout the grow cycle.

But this guy is more than just a task master. The fertigator.droid is a thinking machine also. By utilizing powerful data analytics, to access hundreds of data points, the Fertigator.droid helps the grower fine tune the fertigation system to assure that every plant gets what it needs and that nothing is wasted. The Fertigator.driod also can reach out and touch you by sending email or text messages about actions and events and can be remotely controlled by any mobile devise.

HempTech is committed to bring cutting edge technology to cannabis growers everywhere. Through the perfect blend of technology and human experience, HempTech bring you the best in automation systems.

For more information on products offered by HempTech, please contact; info@hemptechcorp.com.

About HempTech Corp

HempTech Corp (OTC PINK: HTCO), a Nevada corporation, is a provider of advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with sophisticated automation and analytical tools for the cultivators of legal industrial hemp and cannabis. We design and engineer specialized products using advanced sensors, process control techniques, big data aggregation, analytics and security solutions so cannabis growers can easily and effectively control every aspect of their operation. Through HempTech technologies, virtually every component of the plants' vegetative growth matrix and flower harvest is automated, documented and available in visible format both in real time and historically. This simplifies operations and ensures that the baselines set by the master grower are adhered to by the cultivation staff.

The Intelligent Automation Technology engineered for agricultural operations featuring CognetiX Cultivation Automation & Analytic Software drives improvement in productivity, efficiency, quality and sustainability. This industrial grade advanced Controlled Environment Agriculture (CEA) with analytical technology software, is being made available to small and large size cultivators that are not yet available in the Cannabis market. HempTechs goal is to provide cost effective and efficient cultivation of indoor cannabis through intelligent technologies and process control platforms.

HempTech's mission is to establish a reputation in the cannabis industry as a one-stop-shop that provides all the infrastructure elements required by growers in a manner that is fully integrated, state-of-the-art, and secure. Products include the SPIDer (Secure Perimeter Intrusion Detection), SmartSense, SmartEnergy, and analytics dashboard CognetiX through which HempTech Corp. provides growers unparalleled data analysis capabilities to Know Your Grow! HempTech -- America's Future Taking Root Today.

To request further information about HempTech, please email us at info@hemptechcorp.com, log onto our website at http://www.hemptechcorp.com or visit us at our Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/hemptechcorp or on Twitter @hemptechcorp.

Forward-Looking Statements



This press release may contain forward-looking statements covered within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, plans and timing for the introduction or enhancement of our services and products, statements about future market conditions, supply and demand conditions, and other expectations, intentions and plans contained in this press release that are not historical fact and involve risks and uncertainties. Our expectations regarding future revenues depend upon our ability to develop and supply products and services that we may not produce today and that meet defined specifications. When used in this press release, the words "plan," "expect," "believe," and similar expressions generally identify forward-looking statements. These statements reflect our current expectations. They are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to, changes in technology and changes in pervasive markets. This release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 27E of the Securities Act of 1934. Statements contained in this release that are not historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking statements. Investors are cautioned that forward-looking statements are inherently uncertain. Actual performance and results may differ materially from that projected or suggested herein due to certain risks and uncertainties including, without limitation, ability to obtain financing and regulatory and shareholder approval for anticipated actions.




Photochromic Lenses Market Headed for Growth and Global Expansion by 2020

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Ophthalmology market is growing at a stable rate from past few years. This is due to increase in aging population, large patient pool for eye diseases and increasing awareness about eye diseases. Photochromic lenses refer to the eye lenses that when exposed to ultraviolet radiations in sunlight, darken automatically. They return to lighten shade when no longer exposed to ultraviolet radiations. Photochromic lenses may be made of glass or plastic. Glass photochromic lenses have an embedding of microcrystalline silver halides molecules in glass substrate, whereas plastic photochromic lenses are made of organic photochromic molecules. Market for photochromic lenses is growing due the increasing levels of ultraviolet radiations in the atmosphere resulting in increased prevalence of eye diseases.A sample of this report is available upon request @North America, followed by Europe, dominates the global market for photochromic lenses, due to high level of awareness among people and technological advancement in the region. Asia is expected to experience high growth rate in the next few years in global photochromic lenses market. Countries with large population base, such as China and India, are expected to have the fastest growing photochromic lenses markets in the Asia region. Some of the key driving forces for photochromic lenses market in emerging countries are growing awareness and increase in the disposable incomes.Increasing prevalence of eye diseases, introduction of photochromic lenses with improved quality, reduced costs and increasing awareness among people are driving the global photochromic lenses market. However, discomfort and other drawbacks associated with the use of photochromic lenses and economic slowdown are restraining the global photochromic lenses market. In addition, advanced technology in alternatives available such as dedicated sunwears restrain the photochromic lenses market.Growing popularity and innovation of products with more advanced technology are expected to offer good opportunities for photochromic lenses market. Some of the major trends that have been observed in the photochromic lenses market include involvement of companies in R&D of new variety of lenses by use of different technologies. For instance, drivewear lenses have been developed by use of photochromic lenses and nupolar polarization technology.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the major companies dealing in photochromic lenses market are Transitions Optical, Inc., Corning, Inc., Rodenstock GmbH, SEIKO Optical Europe GmbH and Carl Zeiss AG. Other companies with significant presence in photochromic market include Essilor international, Vision Ease Lens, Younger Optics, Inc, Optical Dynamics and Signet Armorlite, Inc.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Future of Global High Pressure Processing Equipments Market Growth, Size, Trends and Regional Forecast from 2017 to 2022

Global High Pressure Processing Equipments Market

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QY Research Groups has published its new and latest market report based on thorough research on the High Pressure Processing Equipments Market. This detailed, all-inclusive report renders an integrated approach to growth of the market along with an elaborate and accurate analysis of the complete competitive situation of this market on a Global level with the key market trends and newest technologies, being a major part in the markets growth during the estimated period.Besides the current analytical and statistical account, the report cloaks the trends, market drivers, challenges, potential opportunities, which have an effect on the market. This market report discusses the present situation to predicted trends and aspects of the High Pressure Processing Equipments Market. Furthermore, it gives a dynamic overview and insights related to the market at both Global as well as regional scale.Request for sample of High Pressure Processing Equipments Market research report @Global High Pressure Processing Equipments market competition by top manufacturers, with production, price, revenue (value) and market share for each manufacturer; the top players includingAvure Technologies Inc., BAO TOU Kefa High Pressure Technology Co., Ltd, Chic Freshertech, Hiperbaric Espana, Kobe Steel Ltd., Multivac Sepp Haggenm?ller Se & Co. Kg, Stansted Fluid Power Ltd.Thyssenkrupp AG, Universal Pasteurization Co., Next HPPOn the basis of product, this report displays the production, revenue, price, market share and growth rate of each type, primarily split intoBy Product - Horizontal, VerticalBy Capacity - Less than 100L, 100L to 250L, 250L to 500L, More than 500LOn the basis on the end users/applications, this report focuses on the status and outlook for major applications/end users, consumption (sales), market share and growth rate of High Pressure Processing Equipments for each application, includingFruits & Vegetables, Meat, Juice & Beverages, SeafoodDetailed TOC and Charts & Tables of High Pressure Processing Equipments Market Research Report available @Several acknowledgeable tools based on analysis have been put to use to render an in-depth evaluation of the market. The report cloaks every aspect of the Global market for Electric Vehicle. Starting from basic ground-level information to advanced market segmentation and classification depending on separate criteria. It studies the prime segments and the regional segregation of the market and assists in establishing the future of the market in the Global arena.The report renders penetrates into the competitive landscape of the Global market industry along with major manufacturers profiled in the report. The High Pressure Processing Equipments Market is extremely competitive and regulated. Lastly, trends, plans, company profiles, business strategies, M&As, financial metrics and strategical business planning of the leading market players in the Global market of this industry have been analyzed in this study.Check for Discount @Some points from TOC:-7 Global High Pressure Processing Equipments Manufacturers Profiles/Analysis7.1 Avure Technologies Inc.7.1.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.1.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.1.2.1 Product A7.1.2.2 Product B7.1.3 Avure Technologies Inc. High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.1.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.2 BAO TOU Kefa High Pressure Technology Co., Ltd7.2.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.2.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.2.2.1 Product A7.2.2.2 Product B7.2.3 BAO TOU Kefa High Pressure Technology Co., Ltd High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.2.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.3 Chic Freshertech7.3.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.3.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.3.2.1 Product A7.3.2.2 Product B7.3.3 Chic Freshertech High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.3.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.4 Hiperbaric Espana7.4.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.4.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.4.2.1 Product A7.4.2.2 Product B7.4.3 Hiperbaric Espana High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.4.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.5 Kobe Steel Ltd.7.5.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.5.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.5.2.1 Product A7.5.2.2 Product B7.5.3 Kobe Steel Ltd. High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.5.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.6 Multivac Sepp Haggenm?ller Se & Co. Kg7.6.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.6.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.6.2.1 Product A7.6.2.2 Product B7.6.3 Multivac Sepp Haggenm?ller Se & Co. Kg High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.6.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.7 Stansted Fluid Power Ltd.7.7.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.7.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.7.2.1 Product A7.7.2.2 Product B7.7.3 Stansted Fluid Power Ltd. High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.7.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.8 Thyssenkrupp AG7.8.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.8.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.8.2.1 Product A7.8.2.2 Product B7.8.3 Thyssenkrupp AG High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.8.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.9 Universal Pasteurization Co.7.9.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.9.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.9.2.1 Product A7.9.2.2 Product B7.9.3 Universal Pasteurization Co. High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.9.4 Main Business/Business Overview7.10 Next HPP7.10.1 Company Basic Information, Manufacturing Base, Sales Area and Its Competitors7.10.2 High Pressure Processing Equipments Product Category, Application and Specification7.10.2.1 Product A7.10.2.2 Product B7.10.3 Next HPP High Pressure Processing Equipments Capacity, Production, Revenue, Price and Gross Margin (2012-2017)7.10.4 Main Business/Business OverviewEnquiry before Buying @About Us:QY Research Groups is a company that simplifies how analysts and decision makers get industry data for their business. Our unique colossal technology has been developed to offer refined search capabilities designed to exploit the long tail of free market research whilst eliminating irrelevant results. QY Research Groups is the collection of market intelligence products and services on the Web. We offer reports and update our collection daily to provide you with instant online access to the world's most complete and current database of expert insights on Global industries, companies, products, and trends.Contact us:Email- sales@qyresearchgroups.comWeb-
Adiponitrile Market Predicted to Rise at a Lucrative CAGR throughout 2025

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Adiponitrile or hexanedinitrile is a colorless organic liquid compound. It finds its major application as a precursor for polymer nylon 6-6 which is known for its high mechanical strength and hence finds an array of applications including conveyor belts, carpet fibers, and electro-insulating elements amongst others.A sample of this report is available upon request @Adiponitrile also finds its application, though to a much smaller extent as an intermediate for synthesis of corrosion inhibitors and rubber accelerators. The major market for adiponitrile is governed by its application in Nylon6-6 whose demand continues to sore across North America and Europe primarily due to automotive applications. Also the market for adiponitrile finds upward trend in Asia pacific countries like China, Malaysia and other south-east Asian countries chiefly due to availability of cheaper production facilities.Adiponitrile is largely prepared by most common industrial route which was revealed by Dupont involving nickel-catalyzed hydrocyanation of butadiene. This process involves series of sub-products to finally produce adiponitrile as the outcome. Adiponitrile is then hydrogenated to produce hexamethylenediamine which is a vital component of Nylon6-6. Nylon 6-6 is prime substitute for Nylon 6 which finds applications requiring fittings in automotive applications, strings for musical instruments, ropes and tire cords. However Nylon 6-6 has better properties in high temperature applications and hence makes in suitable over nylon 6 in various applications.The major applications which necessitate high temperature and strength include that of carpet manufacturing, hosiery and knitted garments (textile sector), tire ropes, gear wheels, plug parts, hydraulic brake lines and radiator housings for automotive industry. As Nylon 6-6 is light in weight and waterproof in nature it makes it appropriate for swim-wear. Adiponitrile is also used in production of adipic acid which is used in polyurethane applications like auto seating, footwear, thermal insulation amongst others. However adipic acid can be cheaply manufactured by other ways making adiponitrile a weaker option for this segment.Almost all the adiponitrile goes into production of Nylon 6-6 fiber and hence requirement of Nylon 6-6 drives the market. As Nylon 6-6 finds wide array of applications in manufacturing and automotive sector, growth of these sectors would fuel the need of adiponitrile.The requirement in this sector is largely dominated by the U.S., followed by developing countries like China and Malaysia. The requirement of Nylon 6-6 resin grows wider across Europe and the U.S. as a major engineering resin; this would enhance market for adiponitrile.The tyre-cord requirement would continue to grow as the automotive segment seems to grow at steady pace across Asia-pacific countries and developed countries. This makes the market for adiponitrile even more lucrative. Application for carpets, rugs and clothing fibers which belong to textile sector are likely to continue the growth owing to strengthening in textile industry.This will certainly act as a major driver in the requirement for adiponitrile in near future. However this market faces a stiff price competition due to cut-throat price rivalry and hence the major players in this segment are shifting their production sites to Asia-pacific countries. This has propelled to a large extent demand in China which would even advance further with tyre-cord requirement.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Some of the key participants in the adiponitrile market include Dupont, Solvay, Rhodia group, Invista,BASF, Lyondellbasell Industries, LG Chem, Ineos, China Petroleum & Chemical Corporation, Braskem, Evonik Industries, The dow chemical company, JSR Corporation, Royal Dutch Shell and Saudi Basic Industries Corporation amongst others.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Automotive Brake Fluid Market Challenges and Opportunities Report

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In the automotive market, initially mechanical brakes were used which were gradually replaced by hydraulic brakes, where brake fluid was required. The first hydraulic system was developed in 1914 by Frederick Duesenberg, an American automotive pioneer. Today, most automotive brake fluid is either silicone based (DOT5) or glycol based (DOT3).Most drivers check their engine oil or tire pressure regularly, but very often drivers check the brake fluid in their vehicle. Automotive brake fluid is a type of hydraulic fluid used in hydraulic clutches & brake applications in motorcycles, automobiles and some bicycles. It plays a crucial role as it transfers force when a driver applies the brake. Additionally, automotive brake fluid helps prevent corrosion and serves as lubricant for all movable parts.Automotive brake fluids, across the world, are regulated products and need to meet certain specifications and recommendations set by industry agencies and associations such as the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE), Japanese Standards Association (JSA the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), U.S. Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards and Regulations (FMVSS), U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and GB12981-2003 in China.Request Report Sample@Automotive Brake Fluid Market: DynamicsThe burgeoning demand for vehicles in countries like China and India is forecasted to drive growth for the automotive brake fluid market. Companies are establishing production sites in these regions so as to satiate the local demand. For instance, BASF opened an automotive brake fluid production plant in Pudong, Shanghai to support the demand of local customers; which in turn is driving demand for automotive brake fluid in China. However, the lack of awareness/understanding among end user is restraining growth of the global automotive brake fluid market.The main route to this market is via the aftermarket, which includes workshops, automotive service centers and retailers for supply to DIY (do it yourself) end users. The retail aftermarket includes general & automotive retailers and petrol forecourts. The remaining market for brake fluid is held by OEMs for the first fill in a vehicle. Therefore, tie ups with OEMs becomes an important driver across all regions since they provide an assured route to the market through the sale of new cars.Visit For TOC@Automotive Brake Fluid Market: SegmentationAutomotive brake fluid are of two types: petroleum and non-petroleum. Petroleum-based automotive brake fluids are rarely used in the automotive industry.The DOT (department of transportation) classifies automotive brake fluids by their chemical composition and boiling point. Therefore, the global automotive brake fluid market can be segment by type as: DOT 3 (glycol ether based), DOT 4 (glycol ether based/borate ester), DOT 5 (silicone based), DOT 5.1 (borate ester/glycol ether). DOT 5.1, DOT 4, DOT 3 are based on poly glycol compounds and DOT 5 is based on silicone. Gylcol fluids are used in 99% of the motor vehicles in various grades. Additionally, most cars run on DOT 3 which has lower water content since fluid causes corrosion in the brake system. Brake pistons, cylinders and lines undergo wear and tear as a result of braking over a period of time. The cost of replacing any component is significant and replacing brake fluid can help save a major portion of that cost. Automotive brake fluid varies from vehicle to vehicle, depending on various factors such as model, vehicle production year and type of brake system.ABOUT US:Future Market Insights (FMI) is a leading market intelligence and consulting firm. We deliver syndicated research reports, custom research reports and consulting services, which are personalized in nature. FMI delivers a complete packaged solution, which combines current market intelligence, statistical anecdotes, technology inputs, valuable growth insights, an aerial view of the competitive framework, and future market trends.CONTACT:Future Market Insights616 Corporate Way, Suite 2-9018,Valley Cottage, NY 10989,United StatesT: +1-347-918-3531F: +1-845-579-5705Email: sales@futuremarketinsights.comWebsite:
Automotive Coatings Market Estimated to Discern 2X Expansion by 2021

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Over 80% of the materials used in passenger cars are metallic. Most of these metals are coated to protect them from rust and degradation. The emergence of ultraviolet curing coating is presenting growth opportunities to the global automotive coatings market. Based on application, the automotive coatings market can be segmented into two broad categories: Original Equipment Manufacturing (OEM) and aftermarket or refinish.A sample of this report is available upon request @The major end-users of the automotive refinish market are collision repair centers and automotive body shops. Based on product segments, the global automotive coatings market can be divided into four categories: electro-coats, primer coats, basecoats, and clear-coats. Based on formulation, this market can be classified into four categories: water-based, solvent-based, powder-based, and UV-based coatings.Brazil, Russia, India, and China (BRIC countries) are expected to be the major countries contributing to the growth of the automotive industry. Improving economies, advancements in the road infrastructure, and increasing inclination of individuals towards personal conveyance are the key factors augmenting the growth of the automotive industry.According to the Organization Internationale des Constructeurs dAutomobiles (OICA), the global motor vehicle production increased from 77.6 million in 2010 to 87.3 million in 2013. The increasing raw material prices are emerging as a major challenge for the automotive coatings market as the profit margins of the coatings manufacturers are reducing. Leading producers of titanium dioxide (one of the common pigments used in the manufacturing of coatings), such as Kronos, Inc., Tronox Limited, and E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company, announced a price increase of USD 300/tons, USD 400/tons, and USD 500/tons respectively in 2011 in Asia Pacific. Their American and European counterparts also announced the increase in prices from the same year.North America was the third-largest vehicle producer globally in 2013, after Asia Pacific and Europe, and it is in the process of bypassing Europe to become the second-largest vehicle producer in the world by 2020. The automotive coatings market in Europe has suffered due to the Euro zone crisis which impacted the automotive industry heavily. The market for eco-friendly coatings, such as waterborne and powder coating, are growing at a high rate owing to the growing government and public concern regarding the environmental hazards posed by solvent-borne coatings.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @Several environmental agencies and governmental institutions have formulated regulations and issued guidelines to minimize the use of high Volatile Organic Compound (VOC) automotive coatings. The Asia Pacific automotive coatings market is dominated by China and India due to the large fleet of vehicles in the countries.The key automotive coatings players include BASF, AkzoNobel, PPG Industries, Axalta Coating Systems, Bayer, Sherwin-Williams, Beckers, Royal DSM, and Eastman Chemical. Most of the key players in the automotive coatings industry are U.S.- and Germany-based.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Antithrombin III Deficiency Testing Market Size to Escalate at a Rapid Scale Through 2021

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Antithrombin III is a non-vitamin, K-dependent protease that naturally blocks abnormal blood clot formation in the bloodstream. Deficiency of antithrombin III causes various blood clot disorders in the human body. For instance, congenital antithrombin III deficiency is a common antithrombin deficiency, which usually occurs when individuals receive the abnormal antithrombin III gene from their parents. This abnormal gene causes abnormal blood clots in the human body which block blood flow and damage organs.A sample of this report is available upon request @Antithrombin deficiencies are mainly divided into two types: type I and type II. The type I antithrombin deficiency is characterized by an inadequate amount of normal antithrombin present in the bloodstream. In this condition, there is simply not enough antithrombin present to inactivate the coagulation factors. The type II antithrombin deficiency is characterized by adequate amount of antithrombin present in the bloodstream. However, it does not function properly and is unable to carry out its normal functions.The major symptoms of blood clotting include fainting, coughing up blood, shortness of breath, pain when taking deep breaths, and swelling of legs. In addition, some physical symptoms of blood clots are abnormal lung sounds, fast breathing, swollen foot or leg, and fast heart rate.The global antithrombin III deficiency testing market is categorized on the basis of various types of deficiencies, diagnostic procedures, and end users. Based on the type of deficiencies, the report covers type I antithrombin deficiency and type II antithrombin deficiency. Based on the type of technology, the report covers monoclonal antibodies, molecular diagnostics, differential light scattering, immunoassays, flow cytometry, chromatography, gel micro droplets, diagnostic imaging, and others. Based on end users, the report covers commercial or private labs, physician offices, hospitals, public health labs, and academic research institutes.In terms of geography, North America dominates the global antithrombin III deficiency testing market. This is due to increased government funding on healthcare infrastructure in the region. In addition, technological advancement in antithrombin III diagnostic procedures has also propelled the market in North America. The U.S. represents the largest market for antithrombin deficiency testing in North America, followed by Canada. In Europe, Germany, France, and the U.K. hold the major shares of the antithrombin III deficiency testing market.The antithrombin III deficiency testing market in Asia is also expected to show high growth rates in the next five years. This is due to the various initiatives undertaken by governments to increase awareness about blood clotting disorders in the region. In addition, increased investments by many foreign diagnostic instrument companies have also propelled the growth of the antithrombin III deficiency testing market in the region. India, China, and Japan are expected to be the fastest-growing markets for antithrombin III deficiency testing in Asia.Advanced applications of antithrombin deficiency diagnostic instruments and increasing prevalence of blood clot disorders are the key drivers for the global antithrombin III deficiency testing market. Also, increased government support in the form of funding and rapid technological advancements have fueled the growth of this market.An increasing number of mergers and acquisitions involving diagnostic consumables manufacturing companies and rapid product launches are the key trends in the global antithrombin III deficiency testing market.To view TOC of this report is available upon request @The major companies operating in this market are Abbott Laboratories, Avocet Medical Inc., Axis-Shield plc, Beckman Coulter Inc., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Trinity Biotech PLC, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc., Siemens AG, Roche, Chrono-log Corporation, Sysmex Corporation, Hyphen Biomed and American Diagnostica GmbH.About UsPersistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.Contact UsPersistence Market Research305 Broadway7th Floor, New York City,NY 10007, United States,USA  Canada Toll Free: 800-961-0353Email: sales@persistencemarketresearch.comWeb:
Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market: Sturdy Expansion CAGR of 6.2% by 2023

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Market Research Future published a research report on Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2023  Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.Global Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report, By Disorders (Degenerative Diseases, Neurotic Disorders, Psychosis And Others), By Treatments (Shock Treatment, Drug Treatment, Others) By End Users (Hospitals, Clinics, Research Centers And Others) - Forecast Till 2023Market Scenario:Neuropsychiatric is the mental disorder occur due to disturbance in the function of cerebral system. Mania and hallucination are some of the major neuropsychiatric diseases. Neuropsychiatric diseases occur at any age but the paediatric neuropsychiatry is getting a huge demand due to increasing number of infants, children and adolescents suffering from neuropsychiatric diseases. Increasing prevalence of different neuropsychiatric diseases across the globe is the major driving factor for the growth of the market. While long term treatment and lack of clinical trial data for neuropsychiatric diseases may hamper the growth of the market.Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% during forecasted period.Get a Copy of Sample Report @Key Players for Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market Astrazeneca (UK) GlaxoSmithKline (UK) Universal Health Services Inc. (US) Biogen (US) Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH (Germany) Eli Lilly (US) Bristol-Meyer Squibb (US) Johnson & Johnson (US) Pfizer (US) Wyeth (US) Otsuka Holdings Co. Ltd (Japan) Astellas Pharma Inc. (Japan)Study Objectives Global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market Detail market analysis of global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market with region and competitive analysis. Detail analysis of parent market and different drivers and restraints affecting the growth of the market. Detail Information about the present and forecasted market with its key players that influences the market on global scale. Analysis of the market of the different factors like- price analysis, supply chain analysis, porters five force analysis etc. To track and analyze competitive developments such as joint ventures, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, new product developments, and research and developments in the global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market. Detail information on the possible segments and sub segments of the market. And regional analysis of the market- North America, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and Africa. Insights on the major countries/regions in which this industry is blooming and to also identify the regions that are still untappedIntended Audience Research and Development (R&D) Companies Government and Independent Research Laboratories Government and Independent Regulatory Authorities Contract Research Organizations (CROs) Medical Research Laboratories Academic Medical Institutes and UniversitiesSegmentationGlobal neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market is segmented on the basis of disorders into degenerative diseases, neurotic disorders, psychosis and others. On the basis of treatments it is segmented as shock treatment, drug treatment, others and on the basis of end users it is hospitals, clinics, research centres and othersBrowse Full Report Details @Regional AnalysisOn regional basis, North America commands the largest share of global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market. Increasing prevalence of neuropsychiatric disorders and governmental support for the research and development of the medicines in this area are the major driving factor for the growth of the market in North America. Europe commands the second largest market followed by Asia Pacific. Asia Pacific is expected to grow at a fastest rate due to rapid development of the healthcare sector in this regions.The report for global neuropsychiatric disorders and treatment market of Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain the deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives the clear picture of current market scenario which includes historical and projected market size in terms of value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides details information and strategies of the top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different markets segments and regions.ContinueWe are thankful for the support and assistance from Neuropsychiatric Disorders And Treatment Market Research Report- Global Forecast To 2023 chain related technical experts and marketing experts during Research Team survey and interviews.About Market Research Future:At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.Media Contact:Akash Anand,Market Research FutureOffice No. 528, Amanora ChambersMagarpatta Road, Hadapsar,Pune - 411028Maharashtra, India+1 646 845 9312Email: akash.anand@marketresearchfuture.com
Cardiovascular Stents Market  Trends, 20172025

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When a coronary artery is narrowed by the accumulation of fatty acids, also known as plaque, the blood flow to heart is reduced which result in the chest pain and if the blockage increases the blood flow to the heart is further reduced and might lead to cardiac arrest. To reduce the chances of heart attack, a tiny wire mesh tube is inserted in the artery with a balloon catheter, called cardiovascular stents. The balloon inflates, stent expands and keeps the artery open, which helps in the proper flow of blood to the heart. The patients undergoing angioplasty and stents has a quick rate of recovery as the stents prevents the re-narrowing of the arteries compared with the patients who has cardiovascular artery bypass surgery.Increasing cardiovascular surgeries leads to higher market value for cardiovascular stentsMany people are diagnosed by cardiovascular disease nowadays, it is important to develop new medical instruments and solutions which will help cure those diseases. Therefore the use of coronary or cardiovascular stents is adopted in clinical practices which should have the clinical evidence, improved outcomes and physicians experience. One of the drawback for the cardiovascular stent market is the increase prices of coronary stents. However, by using cost containment policies and appropriateness criteria they can reduce the cost and in future the price of cardiovascular stents will decrease. The increasing geriatric population in the countries will be one of the reason to enhance the growth of this market. China has more number of aged people so stents producers are more likely to tap this market. According to WHO report in 2015 people died from cardiovascular diseases, representing 31% of all global deaths. On the preventions measures for this the global cardiovascular stents market is expected to grow in the future.Request a sample copy of this report@Drug Eluting Stents have much better angiographic and clinical results as compared to other type of segment in the cardiovascular stents MarketThe global cardiovascular stents market is segmented on the basis of product type:Drug Eluting stents,Bare Metal Stents,Bio-absorbable stentsThe global cardiovascular stents market is segmented on the basis of material typeCarbon,Silicon carbide,Titanium Nitride Oxide,Cobalt Chromium,Platinum Chromium,Other stentsThe global cardiovascular stent market is segmented on the basis of end userHospitals,Cardiac centers,Ambulatory surgical centersDrug eluting absorbable metal scaffold, a new class of absorbable metal scaffoldAccording to the technological trends of cardiovascular stents market, Bio -absorbable Polymer-coated drug Eluting Stents become available in the US market, which are the enfold type of DES. The Circulatory System Devices Panel of the FDAs Medical Devices Advisory Committee has approved application for the Absorb GT1 Bioresorbable Vascular Scaffold System. The DREAMS (Drug-Eluting Absorbable Metal Scaffold) device is a fully bioresorbable scaffold made from a magnesium alloy covered with a polymer and sirolimus drug coating, this new class of absorbable metal scaffolds has the potential to become available in the United State market. The stent-on wire is also a new type of coronary stent available which is a Drug eluting coronary fixed wire systems. There are some other coronary stents newly developed which are Tryton Side Branch Stent, PK Papyrus Covered Stent.Major players to lead in the cardiovascular stents marketThe key players operating the cardiovascular stents market include Medtronic, St. Jude Medical, Boston scientific, and Edward Lifesciences, Abbott laboratories, Johnson &Johnson, Getinge, Terumo, W. L. Gore & Associates, and Lepu Medical Technology.Get Discount On This Report:About Coherent Market Insights:Coherent Market Insights is a prominent market research and consulting firm offering action-ready syndicated research reports, custom market analysis, consulting services, and competitive analysis through various recommendations related to emerging market trends, technologies, and potential absolute dollar opportunity.Contact Us:Mr. ShahCoherent Market Insights1001 4th Ave,#3200Seattle, WA 98154Tel: +1-206-701-6702Email: sales@coherentmarketinsights.com
Controlled Release Fertilizer Market Predicted to Grow at a Moderate Pace Through 2016  2024

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Intense competition among players is the key characteristic of the business landscape of the Asia Pacific controlled release fertilizers market. The top two players, namely, Kingenta Ecological Engineering and Shandong Shikefeng Chemical, collectively held nearly 50% of this market in 2014, demonstrating a moderately consolidated market structure, finds Transparency Market Research (TMR).Fertilizer manufacturers in Asia Pacific are making use of advanced technologies and economies of scale to produce low-cost specialty fertilizers, of which controlled release fertilizer is one of the fastest-growing segment. In the near future, these companies will be focusing on increasing their production capacities and constructing new business facilities in emerging markets to expand their reach.Request to view Sample Report:Increasing Need for Food Boosts Adoption of Controlled Release FertilizersThe population in Asia Pacific has been reporting an exponential rise since the last few years. According to the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia Pacific (UN ESCAP), the region is home to more than 4.4 billion people, accounting for almost 60% of the worlds population.With this robust population base, the need for food is growing unprecedentedly in this region. On top of it, the need for shelter is also increasing extensively, leading to the dwindling of arable land. Hence, farmers are increasingly using controlled release fertilizers to enhance their agricultural output from the limited available land.Besides this, agriculturalists in Asia Pacific are focusing on upgrading their farming methods to boost their crop yield in order to meet the growing demand for food. As controlled release fertilizers possess eco-friendly properties and are more efficient than conventional fertilizers, their application will be increased significantly in this region over the forecast period.Request to download and view full ToC @Controlled Release Fertilizers find Highest Adoption in China and IndiaThe Asia Pacific controlled release fertilizers market is likely to expand at a CAGR of 7.20% during the period from 2015 to 2023, estimates TMR. The markets opportunity will rise from US$1.1 bn in 2014 to US$2.1 bn by the end of the forecast period.China and India are the most attractive markets for controlled release fertilizers in Asia Pacific. In 2014, China emerged as the dominant consumer of these fertilizers, holding a share of over 75% in terms of volume. Other regional markets exhibit moderate attractiveness due to the low adoption of these fertilizers in the agriculture and horticulture sectors.Most of the demand for these fertilizers arises from cereals and grain crops. Analysts expect this demand to increase substantially over the forecast period. Sulfur coated urea or polymer sulfur coated urea is the highest consumed controlled release fertilizer in Asia Pacific. This segment contributed a share of over 45% of the total consumption of these fertilizers in 2014.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Air Source Heat Pumps Market Size, Analysis, and Forecast Report 2015 - 2023

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An air source heat pump is a system which transfers heat from outside to within a building envelope or vice versa. With an increasing focus on utilizing renewable energy systems for both heating and cooling ones home, the demand for air source heat pumps is likely to increase significantly within the forecast period. These air source heat pumps utilize refrigerants and compressors to transfer heat both to and from the building envelope. Currently air source heat pumps are being aggressively utilized as they not only reduce emissions but also result in significant savings for adopters. Owing to the technology, air source heat pumps consume far lesser electricity than conventional heating and cooling systems. Both space heating and cooling comprise a significant portion of the overall energy consumption for any household. With rising energy and electricity prices, homeowners are increasingly looking towards sustainable heating and cooling systems which would minimize energy expenditure and generate attractive cash flows in the long term.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Air source heat pumps are an attractive alternative to conventional domestic heating systems such as LPG boilers. Although these air source heat pumps provide numerous advantages over conventional systems, care must be taken while selecting such a system for ones home. Significant care must be taken to ensure that the building is well insulated before installing an air source heat pump system. Any heat losses taking place through air leaks might result in significant reduction in efficiency of the air source heat pump. This in turn might result in higher energy bills and a delayed payback period for the overall system. The air source heat pump systems score over other heat pumps such as geothermal heat pumps in a multitude of factors. Air source heat pumps require lesser space as compared to ground source heat pumps. Apart from this, air source heat pumps also do not require any expensive ground loop installations rendering it one of the most cost effective heat pump systems that can be installed at ones home. On the contrary, air source heat pumps are essentially required to be exposed to the air.This in turn might result in vandalism of the equipment or other mechanical failures since the equipment is continuously exposed. As a result, air source heat pumps might require slightly higher maintenance expenditures as compared to other heat pump counterparts which are housed inside the building envelope. The presence of supportive regulatory incentive frameworks is instrumental for the brisk adoption of such heat pump technologies. Both Europe and North America are currently mature markets for air source heat pumps. The federal tax credit scheme in the U.S. and the recently implemented renewable heat incentive (RHI) scheme in the Europe are likely to result in brisk adoption of air source heat pumps within the forecast period. The Asia-Pacific is also likely to emerge as an attractive market for this technology. Owing to a rapidly increasing disposable income and numerous initiatives to curb emissions, the Asia Pacific market is likely to briskly adopt the air source heat pump technology within the forecast period. With the retraction of the federal tax credit scheme in 2016, the exact market trends for air source heat pumps in North America cannot be predicted with certainty. However the RHI scheme is likely to remain for a long period of time bolstering adoption of air source heat pump in the European domestic sector.Request TOC of the Report @Some of the market players in the air source heat pump business include Finn Geotherm Ltd., Bosch, and Aiwasun Green Technologies among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeRest of the WorldThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
BETHESDA, Md., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bayshore Networks, a leading provider of cyber protection for the Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT), today announced its designation as a Distinguished Vendor in this years 2018 TAG Cyber Security Annual.



As part of an industry collective of leading cyber security technology companies, Bayshore Networks expanded upon its unique technical expertise in connecting OT data to industrial applications. Each member of the collective was hand-selected by Dr. Edward Amoroso, CEO of TAG Cyber, to assist with this years report, which was made available today for free download at https://www.bayshorenetworks.com/TAG.

Dr. Amoroso is changing the cyber security industry, said, Mike Dager CEO of Bayshore Networks. By democratizing expert cyber security analysis, his team is leveling the playing field and providing content that aligns with our customers interests.

This years 2018 TAG Cyber Security Annual was developed to assist enterprise security teams as they modernize their cyber risk program via the following three steps:

Exploding the flat perimeter enterprise into distributed workloads

Offloading the resultant applications and networks onto cloud-based, software-defined infrastructure

Reloading protections using the best available cyber security technologies.

The Bayshore Industrial Cyber Protection Platform unlocks the true potential of the Industrial Internet by establishing the connection between OT data and industrial applications, said Amoroso. I dont think Ive ever seen a successful company that didnt interpret their OT data into advanced analytics, and Bayshore is helping customers do just that, automatically.

Each year, TAG Cyber publishes its three-volume report to the community for download at no cost. In addition to https://www.bayshorenetworks.com/TAG, the report is also available at https://www.tag-cyber.com. Volume Two of the report includes an informative Bayshore interview.

About Bayshore Networks, Inc.

Bayshore Networks is the leading provider of cyber protection for the Industrial Internet of Things. The Companys award-winning technology unlocks the power of the Industrial Internet by providing enterprises with unprecedented control and visibility into their Operational Technology infrastructure while safely and securely protecting industrial applications, networks, machines, and workers. Bayshores strategic partners include AT&T, BAE Systems, Cisco Systems, Dell, SAP, VMware, and Yokogawa Electric. Bayshore is a privately held company headquartered in Washington, DC and backed by Trident Capital Cybersecurity, Yokogawa, Samsung Next, and GGV Capital. For more information, visit www.BayshoreNetworks.com.
Kaposi Sarcoma Market | Advanced technologies & growth opportunities in global Industry by 2024

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The Global Kaposi Sarcoma (KS) Market is immensely consolidated and the top two players, namely Johnson & Johnson and Merck & Co. Inc. accounted for almost 50% of the overall market in 2015. The contribution of domestic players such as Sun Pharmaceutical Industries Limited is presented low. However, Transparency Market Research predicts that the contribution of these companies will increase during the forecast period owing to the patent expiry of several major drugs.Partnerships, acquisitions, and collaborations with other leading companies for the development of newer products with improved efficacy are part of the growth strategies adopted by a number of players in the Kaposi sarcoma market. For instance, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd launched a new Global Access Program in September 2014 in partnership with the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, the Presidents Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Clinton Health Access Initiative, and the Global Fund. The program was centered on HIV viral load testing.View Report-High Incidence of HIV/AIDS, Organ Transplants Driving Growth of KS MarketIncreased organ transplant procedures are a leading factor driving the Kaposi sarcoma market since the incidence of the cancer is high among patients who have undergone an organ transplant. Organ transplant patients are given immunosuppressive agents to prevent their body from rejecting the graft. This makes them highly susceptible to Kaposi sarcoma associated herpesvirus (KSHV) infection, the author of the study explains. The long term use of these agents increases the rate of risk of these patients by more than 100 times compared to the general population.The high incidence of HIV/AIDS associated Kaposi sarcoma is one of the major factors driving the adoption of HAART therapy, which subsequently fuels the overall KS market.Request to download brochure and view full ToC -High Cost of Treatment a Major DrawbackThe cost of cancer drugs used for the treatment of Kaposi sarcoma has been on the rise in the past few years, making it difficult for patients to seek treatment. This is a major concern for both the patients and the payers. The prices of patented drugs have increased by over five times in the past few years in the U.S. and continue to rise, the TMR analyst comments. For instance, prices of major drugs used for the treatment of KS, such as liposomal doxorubicin, liposomal daunorubicin, or paclitaxel in combination with HAART, have been increasing significantly, making these unaffordable for middle and lower income groups.Slow but Steady Growth in Store for Kaposi Sarcoma MarketThe global market for Kaposi sarcoma is projected to expand at a modest 2.2% CAGR from 2016 to 2024, with the opportunity in the market rising from US$118.5 mn in 2015 to be worth US$143.2 mn by the end of the forecast period. Hospitals formed the leading distribution channel in 2015, generating over US$40 mn revenue that year. The segment is also slated emerge as the fastest growing segment in the KS market, expanding at a 2.6% CAGR from 2016 to 2024.By type of treatment, HAART led the overall Kaposi sarcoma market in terms of revenue, with chemotherapy and immunotherapy poised to register the highest growth rate over the coming years. In terms of region, the global Kaposi sarcoma market was led by North America in 2015 and the MEA region will record the fastest growth by 2024.Request to view Sample Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Heparin Market | New Tech Developments and advancements to watch out for 2024

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The Heparin Market in Europe is rather consolidated, with the Sanofi, Aspen, Pfizer, and Leo Pharma accounting for over 65% of the market in 2015. In a new study, Transparency Market Research (TMR) has found that Sanofi is the clear leader in the Europe heparin market, enjoying a 47.5% share in 2015. Increased global sales of Lovenox can be attributed to the companys success.A focus on the expansion of R&D activities, in-licensing and acquisitions, and portfolio management are the key strategies adopted by the market leader, the author of the study finds. In 2015, the company spent over US$5 bn on the research and development of 18 new medicines and vaccines. Companies in the heparin market in Europe are also emphasizing on key BRIC-M countries, developing market-specific innovations, and prioritizing resource allocation.View Report-Rise in Incidence of Coagulation and Renal Disorders Spurring Demand for HeparinThe recall of heparin products imported from China in 2008 was a turning point in the heparin market across the globe. The presence of a high level of allergenic substances in heparin products imported from China resulted in over a 100 deaths in the U.S. Tainted supplies were also found in several European countries, forcing the implementation of strict regulations regarding the use of active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs) produced outside the European Economic Area (EEA).This event spurred the domestic development of crude and API heparin and a number of companies entered the heparin processing business in the years that followed. This has had a significant impact on the growth of the heparin market in Europe, a lead analyst at TMR comments.The heparin market in Europe is also fueled by the growing incidence of coagulation disorders such as venous thromboembolism (VTE). These disorders cause nearly half a million deaths in the region each year, even more than the collective deaths caused by breast and prostate cancer, AIDS, and highway accidents, the author of the study finds.Request to download brochure and view full ToC -Low-molecular-weight Heparin to Register Remarkable Growth by 2024The opportunity in the Europe heparin market is estimated to be worth US$3.4 bn by 2024, rising from US$2.2 bn in 2015. The market is projected to register a steady CAGR of 5.2% from 2016 to 2024. Among the key product types, low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH) accounted for a massive share of close to 80% in 2015, emerging as the leading segment. Generating a revenue of US$2.9 bn by the end of the forecast period, LMWH is also anticipated to post substantial growth, registering a 5.8% CAGR from 2016 to 2024. Unfractionated heparin, on the other hand, will grow at a sluggish pace.On the basis of end user, hospitals led the heparin market in Europe by value and are also anticipated to expand at the most rapid pace by 2024. By region, Germany contributed majority of the heparin market share in 2015. In addition to Germany, France, Belgium, and Portugal are likely to register the highest growth rates throughout the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dimethyl Sulfate Market size and forecast, 2015 - 2023

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Dimethyl sulfate is also known as sulphuric acid dimethyl ester and commonly abbreviated as DMS. Dimethyl sulfate is a colorless oily liquid and it is soluble in aromatic solvents, water, and alcohol. It is a diester of sulfuric acid and methanol, and a strong methylating agent. It is a useful chemical for the manufacturing of a variety of household and industrial chemicals. For instance, dimethyl sulfate is used to produce surfactants, water treatment chemicals, pesticides, dyes, fabric softeners, and photographic chemicals. Dimethyl sulfate acts as a reagent for methylation of amines, thiols, and phenols. Dimethyl sulfate is the preferred methylating agent across industries due to the chemicals low cost and high reactivity. It is also used to manufacture perfumes and for the separation of mineral oils. Dimethyl sulfate is used in the manufacturing of pharmaceutical drugs. Furthermore, dimethyl sulfate under certain conditions is used as a catalyst, sulfonation agent, solvent, and stabilizer.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Dimethyl sulfate is used as chemical intermediate, hence the global dimethyl sulfate market is anticipated to experience strong growth over the foreseeable future, owing to its numerous applications in different chemicals. Furthermore, the fabric softeners market is expected to experience strong growth during the forecast period, which would boost the demand for dimethyl sulfate, as the latter is used to manufacture fabric softeners. Dye manufacturers use dimethyl sulfate to manufacture various dyes and this is expected to boost the global demand for the chemical. Despite the low cost and high effectiveness of dimethyl sulfate, its high level of toxicity is expected to act as a hurdle for the global market in the forecast period.Asia Pacific is projected to be the fastest-growing market for dimethyl sulfate over the forecast period. The main reason for this is the industrial growth of developing countries of Asia Pacific, particularly China and India. In Asia Pacific, the agriculture sector is experiencing strong growth, which would complement the pesticide and agrochemicals market. Therefore, with rising demand from pesticide and agrochemical markets the consumption of dimethyl sulfate is likely to grow. Dimethyl sulfate is used to manufacture intermediate chemicals which are further used in the manufacture of pharmaceutical products. The growth in demand for pharmaceutical products is likely to reflect positively on the global demand for dimethyl sulfate. Numerous water treatment plants are operational in North America and Europe region due to government mandates to reuse and recycle waste water disposed from chemical manufacturing companies. This application is expected to propel the demand for dimethyl sulfate in these regions. Numerous countries in Asia Pacific and Latin America have undertaken initiatives to build water treatment plants in order to reuse the waste disposed from manufacturing plants. The market dynamics in Latin America, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East are favorable for the growth of the dimethyl sulfate market. The gradually improving economies of North America and Europe are also likely to provide impetus to the global market for dimethyl sulfate. The aforementioned factors is expected to positively impact the global dimethyl sulfate market. The dimethyl sulfate market would experience strong growth due to the projected growth of numerous applications in various end-user industries in the forecast period.Request TOC of the Report @Major companies operating in the global dimethyl sulfate market include DuPont (EI) de Nemours, BASF SE, Caledon Laboratories Ltd., Chevron Phillips Chemical Company, and CABB.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Nitric Acid Market Global Industry Analysis and Trends till 2015 - 2023

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Nitric acid is a corrosive acid that turns colorless in its pure form and pale yellow due to decomposition of oxides. Nitric acid with more than 85% concentration is termed as fuming nitric acid, while the commercial form has a concentration of approximately 70%. This acid can be classified as white fuming nitric acid and red fuming nitric acid based on color solution and nitrogen dioxide concentration. Nitric acid is popularly used in reagents required for nitration reactions. Unstable nature of several nitric acid-based compounds allows their usage in explosives, while pigments, dyes, and paints utilize stable compounds of nitric acid. Nitric acid is commercially produced through Ostwalds process, which includes catalytic oxidation of ammonia (anhydrous) to generate nitric oxide. Treatment of nitric oxide with water before oxidation yields nitric acid. While aqueous solutions have 65% concentration, nitric acid can be further concentrated to 95% after dehydration with 98% sulfuric acid.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Growth of the fertilizer industry is primarily driving the nitric acid market. Nitric acid is used in the production of calcium ammonium nitrate and ammonium nitrate, which are used in fertilizers. Ammonium nitrate can further be used to produce urea ammonium nitrate (UAN), which is used in explosives and fertilizer solutions. The global market for industrial explosives is significantly expanding due to growth of its end-user industries such as mining and construction. Emerging economies such as India serve significant opportunities to the industrial explosives market and its accessories. The market in India has undergone a key shift from complete dependence on imports to increased production and exportable surplus in the past few decades. Other than explosives, ammonium nitrate is also used as a blasting agent. Calcium ammonium nitrate is also used as a fertilizer solution in the agrochemical industry. Other than agrochemicals, nitric acid is used in the production of adipic acid, which is further utilized in the production of nylon 6,6. This polyamide is widely used in key end-user industries such as tire, textiles, and automotives. Toluene diisocyanate (TDI) uses nitric acid as an intermediate for developing polyurethane foams, which are used in furniture, carpets, transportation, and automotive industries. Although nitric acid is used in the aerospace industry as an oxidizer in rocket propellants, this segment is expected to be hampered due various health and environmental hazards related to nitric acid.Europe was the leading consumer of nitric acid. The region was chiefly driven by explosives and fertilizer industries. Although Eastern and Western Europe accounted for the largest demand for nitric acid, Central Europe is estimated to provide better opportunities in the next few years. Following Europe, Asia Pacific was the second-largest region for nitric acid in terms of consumption and is anticipated to witness the fastest growth in the next few years. Economies in this region such as Taiwan, Japan, India, and China are projected to demonstrate a positive outlook for nitric acid in the next few years. Developed regions such as North America, particularly the U.S., have experienced increased demand for nitric acid in explosives, fertilizers, adipic acid, and TDI industries. Furthermore, the nitric acid market in other regions such as Latin America and the Middle East are expected witness strong growth in the next few years.Request TOC of the Report @The Dow Chemical Company, LyondellBasell Industries, Bayer AG, BASF SE, and Agrium Inc. are some of the key manufacturers present in the global nitric acid market.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Transcatheter Embolization and Occlusion Devices Market | Strategic Assessment of Emerging Technologies in ---- by 2024

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The top three players in The Global Transcatheter Embolization And Occlusion (TEO) Devices Market accounted for over 63% in 2015. Medtronic, plc, Cook Medical, and Terumo Corporation are the three companies that together dominated the market in 2015. Transparency Market Research notes that the degree of competition is moderate due to market consolidation as a result of frequent acquisitions. The competitive rivalry is influenced by the presence of large global players and few local manufacturers of transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices.Business agreements and partnerships among key market players will enable them to expand their global reach and market their products to newer regions, the lead analyst recommends. In January 2016, Terumo Corporation expanded its strategic alliance with Quirem Medical and became the exclusive global distributor of radioembolization solutions developed by Quirem Medical.In terms of revenue, the global TEO devices market was valued at US$2.4 bn in 2015 and is projected to reach US$4.8 bn by 2024 at a CAGR of 7.9% therein. In terms of volume, the global market is anticipated to register a CAGR of 8.1% from 2016 to 2024.View Report-North America Emerges as Leading Regional SegmentIn terms of percentage share contribution, the embolization coils segment is expected to reflect a share of 39.5% by 2024. Registering an impressive CAGR of 13.2% from 2016 to 2024 in terms of revenue, embolization particles are likely to emerge as a highly lucrative product segment in the global transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices market. By application, peripheral vascular disease was the leading segment in 2015, while oncology is slated to be the most attractive segment of the market.Based on end use, the hospitals segment accounted for a significant share in the global transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices market in terms of revenue. In terms of percentage share contribution, North America is expected to account for 32.3% by 2024, emerging as the leading regional segment of the global transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices market.Request to download brochure and view full ToC -Rising Prevalence of Cancer Boosts Demand for Transcatheter Embolization and Occlusion DevicesThe TEO devices market is fueled by a number of factors, including an increase in the adoption of minimally invasive surgeries, a rise in the prevalence of cancer, technological innovations, and changing demographics and lifestyle leading to an increase in peripheral vascular diseases.Embolization is a minimally invasive surgery that marks a significant advancement in medical technologies, the author of the report states. The adoption of minimally invasive surgeries has increased significantly over the years owing to the various advantages they present, including less post-operative pain, reduced blood loss, shorter hospital stay, and faster recovery.Cancer is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity around the world and the rising prevalence of cancer globally has driven the demand for chemembolization and radioembolization. This has, in turn, boosted the demand for transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices. In contrast, frequent product recalls, stringent regulations governing product approvals, the lack of skilled professionals, and the lack of reimbursement policies in emerging markets threaten to impede the global market for transcatheter embolization and occlusion devices.Request to view Sample Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Protein Engineering Market Revenue, Opportunity, Segment and Key Trends 2015 - 2023

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Protein engineering is defined as the process for the development of new, valuable and useful proteins. Protein engineering can be achieved with two techniques, namely directed evaluation and rational protein designing. Proteins possess a dynamic ability of less immunogenicity and high specificity. Using this ability, proteins can be engineered in such a way that they can be used as therapeutic agents. Owing to the technological advancements, unnatural proteins (amino acids) can also be used for the purpose of protein engineering. This technique can be applied not only in the field of therapeutics, but also in food, detergent and industrial products.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The market of protein engineering can be segmented into:ByProtein TypeInsulinMonoclonal AntibodiesErythropoietinInterferonVaccinesGrowth HormonesCoagulation FactorsOthersBy TechnologyRational Protein DesignIrrational Protein DesignBy End UsersPharmaceutical IndustriesContract Research Organizations (CROs)Academic Research InstitutesOthersProtein engineering market is rapidly growing and promises lucrative growth opportunities owing to the increasing number of engineered proteins and amino acids globally. It is majorly witnessing positive growth due to the rising utilization of protein drugs over non protein ones. Moreover, increasing prevalence of lifestyle and chronic diseases such as diabetes, blood pressure, cardiovascular diseases and others further boost the demand for protein engineering. For example, according to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 235 million people were affected from asthma in 2013. Additionally, the organization stated that cardiovascular diseases accounted for 9.4 million deaths each year, of these high blood pressure accounted for 16.4% deaths worldwide. Increasing incidences of chronic diseases would stimulate the demand for protein engineering in order to develop effective protein drugs for the treatment of chronic diseases, leading to the market growth. Additionally, favorable initiatives by the North American and European government to support the growth of protein engineering market establishes healthy platform for the protein engineering market. Other key contributors for the growth of protein engineering market in addition to technological advancements, isrising need for medicine with higher specificity stimulating the market growth in the near future. However, lack of trained professionals coupled with high cost of protein engineering instruments hampers the overall market growth.Moreover, huge research and development costs, higher probability of failure of the research, stringent regulatory norms, lack of awareness and technological limitations could restrain the market growth.Geographically, North America dominates the protein engineering market owing to the rising number of research activities coupled with positive government initiatives. Europe is considered as the second largest market for the protein engineering due to the rising demand for protein based drugs coupled with technological advancements. However, Asia-Pacific market is the fastest growing market due to rising investments by Asia Pacific government to improve healthcare infrastructure. Additionally, increasing demand for protein engineering techniques further boost the growth of the market in the Asia Pacific region.Request TOC of the Report @Some of the major market players in the global protein engineering market include Novartis AG, GlaxoSmithKline Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., General Electric Company, PerkinElmer, Inc.,Eli Lilly and Company, Bruker Corporation, Johnson and Johnson, Thermo Fisher Scientific, Merck and Co., Inc.,Genentech, Inc., and Waters Corporation.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Alternative Fuel Vehicles Market Forecast and Segments, 2015 - 2023

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Vehicles using conventional fuelshas been predominantly used all over the globe. Apart from being expensive, these fuels are major cause of environmental hazards. Some of the major countries such as US and Italy are now focusing on the other form of fuels. The primary reason behind this shift is to reduce the import dependency on foreign countries, which is burdening the economy. The recent price fluctuations in fuels have affected the major world economies. Hence to avoid any adverse effect the countries are focusing on reducing the usage of conventional fuel especially crude oil. These factors have accelerated the growth in alternative fuels market.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The alternative fuel is fast replacing the conventional fuels in transportation, chemical, agricultural and industrial sector. The transportation section consist of many companies offering vehicle altered to suit alternative fuels. The alternative fuel vehicle can be divided on the basis of fuel used such as biodiesel, biomass, propane, electricity, hydrogen, non-fossil methane, non-fossil natural gas, and ethane among others. On the end user basis this market can be segmented as government vehicles, private fleets, industrial transportation and domestic users vehicle. The government vehicles and the private fleets have the largest share in the alternative fuel vehicles market.Alternative fuel vehicles are majorly dependent on the fuel used for their performance and distinct advantages. Propane is widely used alternative fuel that has been an effective vehicle fuel for decades. The electricity based vehicle provides an attractive prospect by offering easilychargeable and noiseless urban transportation. It comes in three types as all-electric, hybrid electric, and plug-in hybrid electric vehicles. Biodiesel is a domestically produced renewable fuel. Its physical properties are similar to petroleum diesel. However they provide a cleaner alternative through less emissions. Ethanol made from corn and other plant materials is used with gasoline for vehicles. Hydrogen is not a very widely known alternative, but can be one of the least emission causing fuels. The alternative fuel vehicles market has slow growth, but is projected to pick up pace in the coming years as the natural gas and other alternative fuels reserves are being produced in abundant. The availability of fuel locally and the corresponding efficiency of engines provides a major advantage for the consumer. However the high cost of fuel, less availability of charging station and lack of awareness act as the major hindrance in the growth of alternative fuel vehicles.North American region is the most attractive market for alternative fuel vehicle. The various regulation by US government to control the emissions and import of fuels has proved advantageous for the alternative fuels. The government of many countries such as US, China and Italy are providing the alternative fuel vehicles buyers various incentives to boost the sale. Asian manufacturers such as Toyota and Hyundai are among the pioneer companies in this market. Among the European countries, Italy has the major share in the sale of alternative fuel vehicles. The government and privately fleet vehicles are being converted to switch to alternative fuel at accelerated rate.Request TOC of the Report @Most of the vehicle manufacturers are offering alternative fuel based vehicles today. Some of the major players in this market are Ford Motor Company, Jaguar Land Rover Limited, Toyota Motor Corporation,Hyundai Motor Company, Nissan Motor Co., Ltd., Honda Motor Co., Ltd., Shell International B.V., BYD Company Limited, Daimler AG, Honda Motor Co., Ltd., and Mitsubishi Motors, among others.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Bovine Respiratory Disease Treatment Market | Evolving Technology, Trends and industry Analysis  2024

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The Global Market For Bovine Respiratory Disease Treatment features a highly consolidated competitive landscape despite the presence of a large number of regional players, observes a recent report by Transparency Market Research. Owing to the small duration of product exclusivity in the animal health care industry  about three to five years - competition from generics and over-the-counter (OTC) products is a big threat.The rising consumption of bovine products in emerging economies such as India, China, and Brazil, the demand for effective treatment methods for respiratory disease has considerably increased. To exploit the vast growth potential, an increasing number of companies are establishing operations in these countries. A recent example is the 2016 collaboration between Merial and Zoetis, Inc., which is expected to allow the former to effectively market and distribute its product in India. Some of the other key companies in the market are Merck & Co., Inc., Bayer AG, Elanco, Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, and Virbac Group.TMR estimates that the global bovine respiratory disease treatment market will exhibit a promising 7.6% CAGR from 2016 through 2024. At this rate, the market, which had a valuation of US$805.9 mn in 2015 is projected to reach US$1,543.9 mn by 2024.View Report-Asia Pacific to Lead to Lucrative Growth OpportunitiesIn terms of distribution channel, the segment of veterinary hospitals dominated, accounting for nearly 35% of the global market in terms of revenue in 2015. From a geographic perspective, North America which held nearly 37% of the market in 2015, dominated the global market and is expected to easily retain its dominance over the forecast period as well. However, owing to the rising population of cattle and the rising incidences of bovine respiratory diseases, the Asia Pacific market will emerge as one of the most lucrative regional markets for bovine respiratory disease treatment methods.Rising Consumption of Animal Protein to Remain High-impact DriverOf the key factors driving the market, the rising consumption of beef is expected to have a prominent impact on the overall development of the market over the forecast period. According to a World Bank Group survey (2016), global human population is estimated to be 7.4 billion in 2016 and is growing at a rate of 1.8% per year. To sustain the ever rising demand for beef as well as other animal products from this mounting global population, there would be a vast rise in the worlds cattle population in the near future. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the global cattle population will increase by 73% between 2015 and 2050, from nearly 936 mn in 2015 to nearly 2.6 bn in 2050.As bovine respiratory diseases account for 65% to 80% of morbidity and 45% to 75% mortality rate in livestock animals, the rising cattle population will also intensify the need for effective treatment modalities for these diseases. This will have a significant positive impact on the global bovine respiratory disease treatment market.Request to download brochure and view full ToC -Strict Government Regulations to Restrain MarketSeveral studies have demonstrated that bovine antibiotics can have a highly negative impact on human health. Issues such as induction of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and disruption of normal human intestinal flora are commonly observed in individuals who consume animal products with excessive amount of antibiotics. According to The New York Times, around 2 million people in the U.S. fall sick every year and about 23,000 of them die from antibiotic-resistant infections induced due to consumption of such products.These factors have urged government bodies to regulate the use of antibiotic therapeutics in animals too. In December 2013, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforced a new policy related to the limited use of antibiotics in production animals. This is likely to hamper the growth of the bovine respiratory disease treatment market over the forecast period.Request to view Sample Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Three Phase Transformer Market Trends And Forecast 2016 - 2024

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Global Three Phase Transformer Market: OverviewThree phase transformers hold high importance in power systems. They have higher economic benefits than single phase transformers. They consist of three sets of primary and secondary coils, each set wound around a core made up of iron. These transformers facilitate proficient working of heavy machineries and let voltage transformation using less size, less material requirement, and less weight. The two types of construction method of three-phase transformer are single core and two cores. These construction methods can be further divided into symmetrical and asymmetrical. The type of connections used in these transformers are star and delta.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The report serves as a reliable business tool providing information regarding vital aspects of the global three phase transformer market. It is intended to update stakeholders about the ongoing trends of the market. It provides an immaculate understanding of the market through applications, classifications, definitions, and chain structure. It gives a comprehensive overview of the factors influencing the market and analyzes the extent to which they impact the growth. It offers useful insights into the competitive landscape of the market. For a better understanding, the report segments the global three phase transformer market on the basis of various criteria including geography, connections, and construction methods.Global Three Phase Transformer Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe ever-rising electricity demand is triggering the adoption of price-effective solutions in the power industries. This is creating preference for three phase transformer to single phase transformers, which in turn is stoking the global market. Moreover, the merits such as high efficiency and easy assembling of these transformers are translating into their greater adoption worldwide. The expanding power and industrial sectors in emerging countries is also leading to the increasing investments in the three phase transformer market.On the other hand, the hefty prices of standby units of these transformers are limiting their widespread adoption. Moreover, the cost of spare parts for these transformers is higher compared to that of single phase transformers, which in turn is adversely affecting the growth of the global three phase transformer market. However, trailblazing researches in the field are likely to unfold ample growth opportunities for the market.Global Three Phase Transformer Market: Geographical SegmentationThe report segments the market on the basis of geography into Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, North America, and the Middle East and Africa. While developed regions will be major revenue contributors, developing regions are expected to emerge as prominent destinations over the coming years. North America and Europe will account for a large cumulative share in the market, owing to rapid technological advancements and high funding from private and public sectors.Request TOC of the Report @Asia Pacific and Latin America will post noteworthy growth rates during the review period, with emerging countries, including India, China, and Brazil being the sights of high growth rate. Sizeable budgets of upcoming projects and advancing power transmission and distribution infrastructure in these regions are anticipated to fuel the market. The rapidly growing population is also contributing to the growth of these regions. The growth of the Middle East and Africa can be attributed to countries such as Kuwait, where industrialization is on rise.Global Three Phase Transformer Market: Competitive ScenarioThe global three phase transformer market is a highly capital-intensive arena. Therefore, the threat of new players is likely to remain low during the forecast period. However, the market is characterized by high competitive rivalry among key participants. Some of the prominent companies operating in the global three phase transformer market are Powertronix Corporation, Eaton Corporation Plc., Mitsubishi Corporation, SNC Manufacturing Co Inc., Moloney Electric Inc., Hitachi Corporation, Delta Transformers Pvt. Ltd., Siemens AG, Areva SA, and Estel Company Limited.Major regions analyzed under this research report are:EuropeNorth AmericaAsia PacificLatin AmericaMiddle East and AfricaThis report gives you access to decisive data such as:Market growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for the coming yearsKey highlights of this reportOverview of key market forces propelling and restraining market growthUp-to-date analyses of market trends and technological improvementsPin-point analyses of market competition dynamics to offer you a competitive edgeAn analysis of strategies of major competitorsAn array of graphics and SWOT analysis of major industry segmentsDetailed analyses of industry trendsA well-defined technological growth map with an impact-analysisOffers a clear understanding of the competitive landscape and key product segments.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Telehealth Services Market Strategies and Forecasts, 2015 - 2023

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Modern world is shifting from the age old concept of conventional medical treatment to technologically well-equipped treatment services. Thus the concept of telehealth services is gaining attention. In telehealth service there is an exchange of remote data between the patient at home and their doctor(s) to assist in diagnosis and monitoring patients with long term ailments. Among other techniques it includes fixed or mobile home units to measure, analyze and monitor body temperatures, blood pressure, sugar level and various other vital parameters for clinical evaluation at a remote location by using phones or wireless medium. Telehealth services have increase awareness among the individuals about their own health assisting both the patients and the doctors. Telehealth is advantageous in a way that it reduces the number of patient visits, thus saving time and also is a very cost effective service and thus can be availed by a large number of population.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Doctors and clinicians, by this service can constantly monitor and guide the patient about their long term ailment, ultimately reducing the mortality rate. Moreover, it has also lead to drastic decrease in incidences of emergency admission. This has changed the perception of conventional medical practice, which forms the major driver for the market. Telehealth is not only restricted to long term ailments, but also has a wide range of applications like dentistry, counselling, physical and occupational therapy, disaster management and consumer and professional education.The rate of using telehealth services is influenced by many factors such as the availability and cost of existing conservative health services in meeting patient requirements; the requirement of medical licensing, the policies of governments with respect to coverage, and payment for telehealth services. Modern techniques are being administered in telehealth service market like store-and-forward method, real-time, remote patient monitoring, remote training, and electronic consultation. With the use of all these techniques, telehealth service market is gaining popularity. However, certain restraints such as high installation charge can hamper the market growth in the forecast period.The global telehealth services market can be segmented on the basis of type, application, end users and geography. The segment type can be further divided as clinical and non-clinical. Clinical uses comprises transferring medical data for diagnosis or disease management, advice on prevention from diseases, promoting good health, and using telephonic medium while dealing with emergency conditions. Non clinical uses comprises mainly of distance education, research programs on telehealth services, movement of patient and remote admission, providing online information and health data management. Application category focuses on the diseases such as cardiology, dermatology, neurology, gynecology, orthopedics, and others. The end-user segment of telehealth services can be divided into telehome, telehospital, assisted living, facility and worried well living and others. Telehome emphases on patient availing telehealth services from their respective home, while worried well living mainly focuses on the mental wellbeing of the patient.Request TOC of the Report @Geographically, the global telehealth services market can be classified as North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America and Rest of the world. The major key players operating in the telehealth service market include Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., LifeWatch AG, CARDIOCOM, LLC, McKesson Corporation, Polycom, Inc., AMD Global Telemedicine, Inc., F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Cisco Systems, Honeywell HomMed LLC, InTouch Technologies, Inc., and Philips Healthcare.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
POMONA, N.Y., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Cambridge Security Seals (CSS), a global leader in tamper-evident seals and security solutions, recently announced two key senior-level hires in response to the rapidly escalating demand for the New York-based manufacturers products. Jeffrey Martin has joined CSS as Production Manager, a new position specifically created to oversee the shift supervision and ongoing training programs of the companys 24-7 manufacturing operations. In addition, Forrest Anderson has assumed the position of Regional Sales Manager, where he will be responsible for managing the business development and servicing of customers in the western United States region.



Martin was previously the Production Supervisor at Interplex NAS, and brings to the company an extensive manufacturing background focused around injection molding, quality control, employee training, and shift management.

We are extremely pleased to add such an experienced and talented production professional as Jeff to the CSS team, stated Kris Hedstrom, Vice President of Manufacturing for Cambridge Security Seals. His expertise and commitment to training and continuous improvement will certainly benefit our customers, and will enhance our ability further develop the manufacturing and leadership skills of our growing base of employees.

Anderson is an experienced sales executive in the North American security seals market. He began his career at Stoffel Seals, and remained with the company for the past seven years after it was acquired as part of a private-equity fueled consolidation of security seals manufacturers.

Forrest has over a decades worth of product and industry expertise that will benefit our customers, explained Brian Lyle, President of Cambridge Security Seals. He is very respected and well-liked by customers, and is a wonderful addition to our rapidly expanding company.

Cambridge Security Seals is one of Americas most rapidly growing private companies, as ranked by Inc. Magazine. CSS credits its customer-centric philosophy and high-performance products for its explosive year-over-year growth since its founding as an American manufacturing company in 2010.

I am thrilled to have joined Cambridge Security Seals, said Anderson. I have watched CSS emerge as a true industry leader, and am excited to contribute to its culture of innovation and pace-setting dedication to high-performance quality products and customer satisfaction.

Cambridge Security Seals can be contacted at 845-520-4111 or via email at info@cambridgeseals.com.

About Cambridge Security Seals

Cambridge Security Seals, a privately-held enterprise headquartered in New York, offers an extensive line of tamper evident, tamper resistant, and high-security loss prevention seals to customers across a wide range of industries. The companys dedication to uncompromising quality, dedicated customer service, and outstanding value provides a blueprint for reliability and security. CSS services an increasingly diverse customer base spanning a variety of industries, including airlines, freight, logistics, distribution, trucking, retail, cash handling, rail transportation, government, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical, and agriculture.

Cambridge Security Seals commitment to technology, quality standards, environmental responsibility, and attention to detail fuels its drive to provide security-conscious customers with the products, services, and value they demand from an industry leader.

The backbone of Cambridge Security Seals is a diversified team of technical experts and business professionals, including experienced engineering, design, production, and logistics specialists. This unique blend of management and production expertise enables the company to provide an unmatched level of value. For more information about Cambridge Security Seals, please visit http://www.cambridgeseals.com.
Panic Attack Treatment Market with Current Trends Analysis, 2015 - 2023

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Panic attacks are associated with sudden episodes, of emotions of fear and anxiety. It is a type of anxiety disorder, and other anxiety disorder includes generalized anxiety disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), social anxiety disorder, and special phobias.Generally, panic attacks are not life threatening but they can be frightening and significantly affect the quality of life. Symptoms of the panic attack may vary from person to person, and intensity of attack. In general, symptomsincludes sense of danger, intense fear of loss of control or death, hot flashes, chills, chest pain, sweating, and feeling of detachment. Major risk factors for panic attacks are genetics, major stress due to changes in a life, or traumatic event, and certain changes in brain functioning. According to World Health Organization (WHO), females are at higher risk of panic attacks than males. Panic attacks left untreated, further may link to the depression, anxiety disorders, and psychiatric disorder, suicidal thoughts, and substance abuse. Treatment can help to reduce frequency, and intensity of panic attacks to improve the quality of life. Treatment recommended for panic attacks include psychotherapy (talk therapy), and medications. Psychotherapy generally considered as a first choice of the treatment.Request Sample Copy of the Report @Panic attacktreatment market segmented intodrug class, and geography. The drug class market segmented into selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI), serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI), and benzodiazepines (BZD). Selectiveserotonin reuptake inhibitor class further segmented into fluoxetine (Prozac), paroxetine (Paxil, Pexeva) and sertraline (Zoloft). Further, serotonin norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor includevenlafaxine hydrochloride (Effexor XR). Benzodiazepines includealprazolam (Niravam, Xanax), chlordiazepoxide (Librium), diazepam (Valium) and lorazepam.However, benzodiazepines can be habit forming hence, generally used for short term basis and consider as a last choice of treatment.SSRI and SNRI are consider as a first line therapy for panic attacks patient hence, hold the largest market share globally. Geographically, panic attack treatment market segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Latin America, Middle East and Africa, and Rest of the World (RoW). North America dominates the global panic attack market due to increasing incidence of panic attacks, and more awareness in people related to anxiety disordersand expected to maintain the position during forecast period. However, Asia Pacific market, expected to grow at a faster rate due to changing lifestyle led to increasing stress, and growing facilities to detect anxiety disorders.Some of the major driving factors driving the panic attack treatment market are increasing incidence rate due to more stressful life, sedentary lifestyle, and presence of strong pipeline. According to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America, anxiety disorders are the most common illness in the U.S. and affecting 18% of population. Additionally, 2.7% of population of all anxiety disorders affected by panic attacks, which is approximately 6 million in the U.S. In the National Comorbidity Survey carried out in 2005, 58% of patients diagnosed with major depression found to have an anxiety disorders; among these patients, the rate of comorbidity with panic disorder was highest. However, poor diagnosis rate as no single diagnosis test is available to detect anxiety disorders, and side effects of medications such as habit forming nature, dry mouth, and nauseacould restraint the market growth. Focusing on emerging countrieswould create an opportunity for a market players.Request TOC of the Report @Some of the key players of the global panic attack treatment market are Abbott Laboratories, Actavis Pharmaceutical Company, Baxter International, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Eli Lilly and Company,F. Hoffmann-La Roche, GlaxoSmithKlinePharmaceuticals Limited, Noven Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Pfizer,Inc., Recordati Rare Diseases, Shionogi and Company, and Sumitomo Dainippon Pharma.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. This report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Pyrimethamine Treatment Market Value Chain and Forecast 2015 - 2023

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Pyrimethamine is a medication used for protozoan infections. It is commonly used as an antimalarial drug (for both treatment and prevention of malaria), and to treat Toxoplasma gondii infections, particularly when combined with the sulfonamide antibiotic sulfadiazine when treating HIV-positive individuals. Pyrimethamine is typically given with a sulfonamide and folinic acid due to its resistance against many Plasmodium species. Pyrimethamine has also been found to limit the expression of the superoxide dismutase 1 gene, a protein involved in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Pyrimethamine is considered in the list of one of the most important medications by World Health Organizations list of essential medicines. Pyrimethamines ability to cure protozoan infection and toxoplasma infections, rising number of HIV positive patients worldwide and immunosuppressed individual at a risk of infections are the factors driving the pyrimethamine treatment market during the forecast period. Moreover, mergers and acquisitions by the manufacturing companies would also the boost the demand and supply for the pyrimethamine medication in the pyrimethamine treatment market. However, the certain side effects that may occur with pyrimethamine medication include allergic reactions, blood disorders, tongue changes, blood in the urine, heart rhythm disorders, anorexia, and vomiting (see Important Safety Information below) which act as a restraining factor for the growth of this market. Additionally, factors such as pricing issues in some countries and resistance developing against the drugs may hamper the growth of the pyrimethamine treatment market during the focus period of 2013 to 2023.Request Sample Copy of the Report @The global pyrimethamine market has been segmented into brands and geography. On the basis of brand, the pyrimethamine treatment market has been segmented into two drugs that are presently marketed such as Daraprim and Fansidar. The Daraprim sub-segment held the largest share for the pyrimethamine treatment market. However, the Fansidar sub-segment is growing at a high rate due to affordable cost and availability.Geographically, North America dominates the global pyrimethamine treatment market followed by Europe. The market domination was majorly due to the pricing structure of the pyrimethamine drug in the U.S. The High prevalence of toxoplasma in the region also acts as the driving factor for the growth of the pyrimethamine treatment in the North America. According to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), toxoplasmosis is one of the five neglected parasitic infections in the U.S. It is the second leading cause of death from foodborne illness in the country and more than 60 million people in the U.S. carry the toxoplasma parasite, and more than one million people in the U.S. are infected annually with the toxoplasma parasite, which is associated with high rates of morbidity and mortality. Asia-Pacific is also increasing constantly in the pyrimethamine drugs market mainly due to the high prevalence of protozoan disease such as malaria in India, China and other developing nations. Moreover, government initiatives and regulatory norms in these countries would fuel the market for pyrimethamine treatment market in the region during the forecast period. Latin America is also a growing market for pyrimethamine treatment due to developing healthcare expenditure and high prevalence rate of malaria and toxoplasma in the region.Some of the major players in pyrimethamine treatment market include Turing Pharmaceuticals, Impax Laboratories, Inc., Pfizer, Inc. GlaxoSmithKline plc, and others.Request TOC of the Report @This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsThis report is a complete study of current trends in the market, industry growth drivers, and restraints. It provides market projections for the coming years. It includes analysis of recent developments in technology, Porters five force model analysis and detailed profiles of top industry players. The report also includes a review of micro and macro factors essential for the existing market players and new entrants along with detailed value chain analysis.Reasons for Buying this ReportThis report provides pin-point analysis for changing competitive dynamicsIt provides a forward looking perspective on different factors driving or restraining market growthIt provides a six-year forecast assessed on the basis of how the market is predicted to growIt helps in understanding the key product segments and their futureIt provides pin point analysis of changing competition dynamics and keeps you ahead of competitorsIt helps in making informed business decisions by having complete insights of market and by making in-depth analysis of market segmentsIt provides distinctive graphics and exemplified SWOT analysis of major market segmentsNote: Although care has been taken to maintain the highest levels of accuracy in TMRs reports, recent market/vendor-specific changes may take time to reflect in the analysis.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ambient Food Packaging Market size in terms of volume and value 2016-2026

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Ambient food packaging refers to packing a food product in pasteurised and sterilized packs to increase its shelf life. Ambient food packing has become a trend in the food packaging industry and ambient food products are preferred by majority of the consumers over others. Increasing demand for having more empty space in chill cabinets calls for the adoption of the food packaging methods that can offer a better shelf life to the product even without a refrigerator. Demand for sustainable packaging material has become a new trend in the ambient food packaging industry.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Ambient food packaging bestows extended shelf life to the food product as compared to the usual packaging methods and, thus, enables storing the product at room temperature. Additionally, it also makes use of high barrier sheets, which assure that certain important aspects related to food storage, such as safety of food stored inside, consumer convenience, and attractive design, are taken care of. All these supporting factors have led to the increased demand for ambient food packaging among food manufacturers globally.The ambient food packaging market can be classified on the basis of types of containers used, on the basis of food, and by packaging material. On the basis of containers used, the ambient food packaging is segmented into tray, pots, lids, cups, and bowls. On the basis of food, the ambient food packaging market is segmented into ready meals, baby foods, soups and sauces, seafood, fruits and vegetables, coffee, and pet food.On the supply side, major players in the market have started offering services, such as blow moulding, injection moulding, and thermoforming, which has been leading to the additional demand for the packaging type.However, high level of processing required in case of ambient food packaging ultimately adds to the overall cost of packaging product, which poses as a potential threat for growth of the global ambient food packaging market.Main market for ambient food packaging lies in Asia Pacific, as demand for packaged food is increasing along with the growing population and rising disposable income levels of consumers in the region. The Asia Pacific market is anticipated to be followed by North America and Western Europe, as these markets account for the largest share of canned foods consumption across the globe. The Western Europe market is expected to be followed by South America, Eastern Europe, and Middle East & Africa markets. However, the global ambient food packaging market is still expected to be dominated by the emerging economies.Request TOC of the Report @Major players in ambient packaging market include FFP Packaging Solutions Ltd. (U.K), RPC Group (U.K), Amcor Limited (Australia), SIG Combiblog Obeikan (Switzerland), Tetra Pak (India) , Rexam (U.K), Bemis (U.S.), Mondi (South Africa), Ampac (U.S), Dupont (U.S.), Excelsior Technologies (India), KM Packaging (UK), and Marsden (US). These companies are continuously focused on inventing new packaging materials that can help prevent contamination of food products and extend their shelf life.The research report presents a comprehensive assessment of the market and contains thoughtful insights, facts, historical data, and statistically supported and industry-validated market data. It also contains projections done using a suitable set of assumptions and methodologies. The research report provides analysis and information according to categories such as market segments, geographies, types, technologies, and applications.The report covers exhaustive analysis on:Market SegmentsMarket DynamicsMarket SizeSupply & DemandCurrent Trends/Issues/ChallengesCompetition & Companies involvedTechnologyValue ChainRegional analysis includesNorth America (U.S., Canada)Latin America (Mexico. Brazil)Western Europe (Germany, Italy, France, U.K, Spain, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, ASEAN, Australia & New Zealand)JapanMiddle East and Africa (GCC, S. Africa, and N. Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Aerosol Market Analysis, Segments, Growth and Value Chain 2016-2023

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Aerosols are primarily used in paints, perfumes, room fresheners, medical products deodorants in order to hold liquid droplets in pressurized form. Moreover, increasing demand for household and personal care products is expected to fuel the demand for aerosols during forecast period. The market has been segmented by application type into household products, personal care products, medical products and paint among others.The global aerosol market is expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period due to growing application of aerosols in paints, medical products, food, adhesives and automotive. Rising demand for air care products along with personal care products such as shaving and depilatories, hair care products, skin care products and deodorants are expected to create positive impact on the market for aerosols.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Personal care is the largest application segment of aerosols globally, followed by household application segment. Increasing disposable income along with rising standard of living is fueling the usage of personal care and household products for better living. Increasing demand for household and personal care products is expected to have a positive impact on the aerosols market. Furthermore, another application area of aerosol as spray paints in construction and automobile industry. Moreover, asthma inhalers are one of the application areas for aerosols, but the presence of fluorocarbons named hydrofluoroalkanes (HFA) is expected to restrain the demand.Europe dominated the aerosols market in 2014 in terms of volume followed by North America and Asia Pacific. Growing demand for personal care products is expected to contribute in the growing popularity of aerosols in UK, Germany, Spain and France across Europe. U.S. is leading the aerosols market in North America. Furthermore, Asia pacific is the fastest growing market for aerosols. Lenient regulatory scenario coupled with growing demand for personal and household products are driving the market for aerosols across Asia Pacific. Growing consciousness towards personal care and hygiene, aerosol market is expected to witness positive growth over the forecast period in China and India. Furthermore, stringent environmental rules and regulations by European Commission and Environmental Protection Agency towards restricting the application of HCFC, CFC and HFC components is one of the prime reasons behind the anticipated reduction in market share of Europe and North America by 2021. Increasing automobile production in Brazil, Mexico, Indonesia, Germany and China is expected to create a positive impact on the demand for aerosol. Urbanization coupled with technological development is boosting the use of aerosol in household and personal care products across Middle East.Request TOC of the Report @Some of the major players of aerosol market invest in research and development for better product quality. Furthermore, manufacturers focus on innovation and products development in the household and personal care product segments. Some of the key players operating in the aerosol market are Proctor & Gamble, Unilever PLC, Henkel AG, Reckitt Benckiser Group plc, S. C. Johnson & Son, Inc., Thymes, LLC, Crabtree & Evelyn, Ltd. and AkzoNobel N.V. among others. Mergers and acquisitions are also one of the business strategies of major companies in order to strengthen their foothold in the industry.This research report analyzes this market on the basis of its market segments, major geographies, and current market trends. Geographies analyzed under this research report includeNorth AmericaAsia PacificEuropeMiddle East and AfricaLatin AmericaThis report provides comprehensive analysis ofMarket growth driversFactors limiting market growthCurrent market trendsMarket structureMarket projections for upcoming yearsAbout UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Fatty Alcohols Market to Represent Significant Revenue Growth 2023

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The global fatty alcohols market has been foreseen by Transparency Market Research (TMR) to exhibit a consolidated nature for the forecast period 20152023. Few of the major participants operating in the global fatty alcohols market have been anticipated to be VVF LLC, Kuala Lumpur Kepong Berhad (KLK), Musim Mas Holdings, Wilmar International Ltd., and Sasol Limited. A host of chemical manufacturers could be drawn toward a wealth of raw materials such as soy and corn available in Asia Pacific to commence their operations therein. Some of the chief strategies that have been prognosticated to be adopted by players include widening geographical presence and expanding product portfolio.Expected to rise at a CAGR of 5.1% during the aforementioned forecast period, the global fatty alcohols market could reach a valuation of US$5.5 bn by 2023, according to a market intelligence publication penned by TMR. C11-C14 fatty alcohols have been predicted to attract a telling demand and dominate the global fatty alcohols market until the concluding forecast year on account of their broad applications. Increasing population and disposable income of China and India could support Asia Pacific to top the global fatty alcohols market in terms of share.Request to view Sample Report:Personal Care Sector Ups Demand for C11-C14 and C15-C22 Fatty AlcoholsThe world fatty alcohols market has been prophesied to witness a sturdy progress on the back of a mounting usage of personal care ingredients and demand for detergents and other cleaning agents. Personal care products could engage fatty alcohols as emollients and emulsifiers at a surging rate in the coming years. The personal care sector has been anticipated to be key for the growth of products such as C11-C14 fatty alcohols that are chiefly used for producing primary foaming agents such as sodium laureth ether sulphate (SLES). On the other hand, moisturizers and lubricant bases and blending require C15-C22 fatty alcohols during their production.Besides this, detergents and soaps had accounted for a colossal share in the recent past. Other applications such as fragrances and flavors, plasticizers, and lubricants could also rake in a handsome demand in the world fatty alcohols market. Vendors have been envisaged to leverage the enhanced lifestyle of emerging nations in Asia Pacific that could bring in some bankable prospects of growth in the world fatty alcohols market. Following Asia Pacific, North America has been forecasted to fuel the demand in the world fatty alcohols market while riding on stringent government regulations.Request to download and view full ToC @Market Suffers Downslide with Toggling Prices of Raw MaterialsThe authors of the publication have foretold the international fatty alcohols market to be negatively affected by the excess production of fatty alcohols and volatile nature of raw material prices. Nonetheless, manufacturers could be advantaged by generous growth opportunities that have been projected to flesh out with the snowballing sale of beauty products and cosmetics in BRIC nations. Furthermore, technological developments coupled with an elevating consumer preference for renewable chemicals and organic personal care products have been envisioned to bode well for the growth of the international fatty alcohols market. Vendors could be pampered with more favorable prospects due to the shift in consumer preference toward bio-ingredient-based products and high global demand for hygiene products.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Fluid Handling Systems Market Globally Expected to Drive Growth through 2023

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Fluid handling systems are used to measure, control and direct flow of liquid and other types of fluids. The market has been segmented on the basis of parts, application and geography. On the basis of parts the fluid handling systems market can be segmented into seven categories; flow meters, pump skids, pumps, valves, meter systems, fire pump systems and fire pumps. The market on the basis of application can be divided into chemicals, oil and gas, power generation, marine, mining, fire pumps, wastewater management, food and beverage, and pharmaceuticals among others. Based on geography, the market has been divided into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa and Latin America.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The global fluid handling systems market is mainly driven due to the continuous research and development activities taking place which has improved the cost effectiveness and productivity. Installation of new pipelines and building of terminals and storage facilities pertaining to the oil and gas industry will further boost the market growth of the fluid handling systems market. Moreover, the demand for fluid handling systems will also be on the high as a result of the expansion and exploration of new refineries in various regions such as Asia-Pacific, Middle East and Latin America. For example, recent discoveries of large oil and gas sources off the coast of Brazil have brought increased investment activities to the region Furthermore; increasing investments in the power sector as a result of the undergoing structural changes due to environmental regulations will further propel the demand for fluid handling systems in the North America region. On account of changing economic and regulatory factors, the mining industry in Australia and Latin America is expected to show sustained growth which will further drive the market for fluid handling systems. In pharmaceutical industry of Asia Pacific region, demand for fluid handling systems is expected to increase during the forecast period.However, one of the major restraints hampering the growth of the fluid handling systems market is the stiff competition being offered by the local manufacturers to the established manufacturers. The fluid handling systems being produced by the local manufacturers are often poor in quality as it comes at a lower price point. Due to its price being low, a lot of companies are opting for them and hence possessing a threat to the established players.Increasing investments in the shale gas sector will act as strong opportunity for the growth of the fluid handling during the forecast period. Industrialization drive in the Asia Pacific region will further attract investments. Moreover, long-term mining and mineral project activity in the Latin America region will further create opportunities for the market to grow. Recent trends have shown that rising demand for efficient value chain for drug manufacturing has resulted various Multinational Corporations (MNC) deploying sophisticated fluid handling systems.Request TOC of the Report@Some of the key players operating in the fluid handling systems market are Shelton Fluid Technology, Fluid Handling Systems Inc., Ingersoll Rand LLC, Anestiwata Corporation, Flowserve Corporation, Metso Corporation, Pentair Plc, Crane Fluid Inc, Flowtech Industries L.L.P, Entegris Inc., Boyser S.R.L and Graco Inc. among others.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Mobile Advertising Market to Reach US$ 269.14 Bn by 2024

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Mobile advertising is a form of advertising using mobile devices. It is a subgroup of mobile marketing. Mobile advertising provides information/content developed/designed by advertisers intended for customers/mobile device users.The different types of advertising includes display advertising, In-app, In-game, rich media, search, sms/mms/P2P messaging and others. Mobile advertising provides a solution to advertisers to reach targeted users through various devices to deliver information about innovative tools and technology.Mobile advertising solutions enables advertisers to target users, such as advertising campaign solutions, in order to a reach defined set of goals which includes raising brand awareness, establishing brand and increase rate of conversions and so on.Obtain Report Details:Key factors driving the growth of the mobile advertising market include rising concerns about security, and privacy, deletion, and misuse/manipulation of data are some of the major fears that persist among online users.In Global Mobile Advertising Market by Devices, smartphone segment holds the largest share due to high penetration rate of smartphone devices across the world.The smartphone segment is also expected to be fastest growing segment in the forecast period due to increasing adoption rate of smartphones in the emerging economies such as India and Brazil.In 2014, the search advertising type was the largest segment in the global mobile advertising market. The search advertising type is majorly preferred by the sectors such as BFSI, telecommunication and IT, and FMCG. Search advertising offers an opportunity to place online advertisements on the webpage that shows results from search queries; however this type is majorly adopted by advertisers.In-App advertising is anticipated to be the fastest growing segment in the forecast period due to increasing number of mobile applications for various industries such as banking, logistics and retail.Advertisement Campaign solutions holds the largest share as political parties are using these solutions for attracting the attention of population in their region during different stages of elections which include local body to national level elections.This 283 page report gives readers a comprehensive overview of the Mobile Point of Sale Market. Browse through to unlock the hidden opportunities in this market:The reporting & analytics solution is expected to be the fastest growing segment in the forecast period due to rising adoption of data analytics solutions in understanding the mindset of customers.In the mobile advertising market by region, North America is the major contributor for the revenue generated in the global mobile advertising market.The APAC region is anticipated to be the fastest-growing segment during the forecast period due to high growth in mobile innovation and high usage of Internet through by consumers in the region. The North America mobile advertising market revenue is mainly contributed by the government and BFSI sectors.About TMRTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact TMR90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email:sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Real-Time E-Healthcare System Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2024

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Global Real-time E-Healthcare System Market: SnapshotHealthcare is highly dependent on early detection, accurate diagnosis, and efficient therapeutic. And for each of these cases, the advent of real-time e-healthcare system is proving to be a boon, as patients can now keep their health records and track the changes at any point of time. The demand in the global real-time e-healthcare system is also gaining traction from the growing awareness among the consumers that the new methods can help them stay in touch with their caregivers, not depending on a third party.Various vendors operating in the global real-time e-healthcare system are advancing their products technologically in order to improve the clinical decision making, particularly for the patients suffering from chronic diseases such as diabetes, cancer, and cardiovascular.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Escalating percentage of geriatrics among the global population is another prominent factors augmenting the demand in the global real-time e-healthcare system market, as aged people generally are unable to revisit the medical facilities. Increasing disposable income, improving healthcare infrastructure, increasing need for an integrated healthcare system, and ubiquity of smartphones as well as widespread penetration of the Internet are some of the other factors favoring the global real-time e-healthcare system market.This report on the global real-time e-healthcare system market has been prepared by a group of professional market research analysts, aspiring to serve as a decision-making credible business document for the stockholders of this market. The report provides in-depth assessment of all factors that may define the future prospects, segments it into smaller aspects, and profiles some of the key companies to showcase the competitive landscape.Global Real-Time E-Healthcare System Market: OverviewEven as the healthcare sector undergoes a transformative change from paper-based to digital healthcare records, TMR predicts greater change in this space with the advent of real-time e-healthcare systems. Both patients and healthcare providers are feeling the need to have access to healthcare records in real time. This has led software developers and IT solutions providers to respond via the development of real-time healthcare records and systems.Simply stated, a real-time e-healthcare system is a digital health platform that allows instant access to healthcare records at any time and from any location. This enables constant communication between medical practitioners and their patients. Health conditions can be monitored more closely and efficiently. The latest generation of real-time e-healthcare systems has gone a step further by allowing patients to check their healthcare records against pre-set parameters to reduce dependence on a third party when doing so.The unmatched degree of user friendliness afforded by real-time e-healthcare systems will thus prove to be the greatest driver for this market. This will help the market register a very healthy rate of growth, states the report.Global Real-Time E-Healthcare System Market: Developments, Drivers, and RestraintsThe market already features software products such as AccuMed, iPatientCare EHR, e-MDs Chart, and WEBeDoctor that interact with patients for functions ranging from reminding them to take their prescribed medication to notify patients about changes in their health parameters. Since human doctors cannot possibly work so closely with their individual patients, real-time e-healthcare systems are fast filling a void that has existed in the healthcare sector. Community health centers in the U.S. are already experiencing the benefits of deploying real-time e-healthcare systems to improve the quality of healthcare extended to patients.However, as profitable as this space is turning out to be, it is not without its share of risks. Data breach and computational errors are two grave concerns that companies in the real-time e-healthcare system market need to work around. Moreover, the high cost of maintaining and upgrading such systems could work against their popularity.Despite these concerns, consumers are expected to have a positive opinion of real-time e-healthcare systems, attracted to their convenience. The growing consumer spending on healthcare facilities, a spiraling use of mobile devices, the demand for home healthcare, and the increasing adoption of integrated healthcare systems on the whole are expected to prove advantageous to this markets growth. With their initial bugs fixed, real-time e-healthcare systems now make negligible errors and their improve reliability with inspire confidence among consumers.Global Real-Time E-Healthcare System Market: Important SegmentsThe report segments the global e-healthcare systems market basis product type, geography, and end user. The types of products via which real-time e-healthcare systems can be accessed by or connected to consumers include: mHealth applications, fitness bands, thermometers, blood glucose monitors, and clip-on monitoring devices. Geographically, the key segments of this market are: North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World. Of these, North America currently represents the largest market for real-time e-healthcare systems. However, Asia Pacific is showing great potential as a profitable market for such systems; the region is expected to register a remarkable rate of growth.Similarly, by end-user, the market can be segmented into: Individual users, pharmacies, hospitals (public or private).Request TOC of the Report@The market is emerging as an intense competing ground for companies in the healthcare IT industry. Larger companies are acquiring start-ups and niche market players to strengthen specific areas in their portfolios. The companies that currently boast a stronghold in the market are: Medtronic, Fitbit, Jawbone, Garmin, DexCom, Misfit Wearables, GE Healthcare, and Cerner Corporation.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Potassium Permanganate Market : Price Analysis and Strategies 2015  2023

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Transparency Market Research has published a new market report titled Potassium Permanganate Market - Global Industry Analysis, Size, Share, Growth, Trends and Forecast 2015 - 2023. According to the report, the global potassium permanganate market was valued at US$291.5 mn in 2014 and is anticipated to reach US$368.1 mn by 2023, at a CAGR of 3.0% between 2015 and 2023.Potassium permanganate is an excellent oxidizing agent employed in waste treatment, aquaculture, metal processing, chemical manufacturing & processing, and air & gas purification. It is also used as a bleaching and coloring agent in tanning and textile industries. Potassium permanganate is available in three grades: free flowing, technical, and pharmaceutical.Request to view Sample Report:Increasing need for water treatment is estimated to propel the demand for potassium permanganate in the near future. Large number of substitute products compete with potassium permanganate for usage in its primary applications. These substitute products are relatively economical and easily available. For instance, sodium permanganate offers higher solubility and can be used readily in the liquid form vis-a-vis potassium permanganate. This helps avoid handling problems such as dusting. Thus, presence of substitutes is expected to hamper the demand for potassium permanganate in the near future. Nonetheless, increasing demand for aquaculture is anticipated to open new avenues for the potassium permanganate market.In terms of volume, free flowing grade was the largest segment of the potassium permanganate market, accounting for more than 65% in 2014. The segment was followed by the technical grade. However, pharmaceutical potassium permanganate grade is projected to be the fastest-growing grade of the potassium permanganate market during the forecast period, due to expansion in the health care industry across the globe.Request to download and view full ToC @Major applications of potassium permanganate include water & waste treatment, industrial, and others (chemical processing, etc.). In terms of volume, water & waste treatment held more than 60% share of the global potassium permanganate market in 2014. However, others (such as chemical processing food processing) is likely to be the fastest growing application segment, owing to the significant demand for potassium permanganate in the chemical industry in Asia Pacific and Europe.In terms of volume, Asia Pacific dominated the global potassium permanganate market, constituting around 45% share in 2014. China offers immense potential for the chemical sector. Thus, growth in the chemical sector in China and other emerging countries in Asia Pacific is anticipated to fuel the potassium permanganate market in the next few years. In terms of volume, North America is estimated to be the second-fastest regional segment of the global potassium permanganate market during the forecast period.Key players in the potassium permanganate market include Carus Corporation, Chongqing Chagyuan Group Limited, Groupstars Chemical (Yunnan) China L.L.C., Zunyi Shuangyuan Chemical Group Co., Ltd., Organic Industries Pvt. Ltd, Libox Chem Pvt. Ltd., Guangdong Meixian Hanghai Manganese Chemical Plant, and Universal Chemicals & Industries Pvt. Ltd.View Report @About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Analgesics Market Volume Forecast and Value Chain Analysis 2016-2024

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Global Analgesics Market: OverviewAnalgesics, or painkillers, are used to reduce and treat aches and pains. Internal and external analgesics are used to combat pain resulting from inflammation, cancer treatments, physiological injury, neuropathic conditions, surgeries, wounds, and phantom aches. The most prominent therapeutic classes of analgesics are local anesthesia, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), and opioids. The growing incidence of cancer worldwide and the rise in chronic diseases are mainly responsible for the consistent growth of the global analgesics market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The research publication offers clients a comprehensive summary of the global analgesics market and elucidates the various factors driving and hampering its growth during the forecast period. The report also evaluates the chief players competing in the global market for analgesics and profiles them on the basis of a number of key attributes, such as company and business overview, recent developments, product portfolio, business strategies, and financial strength.Global Analgesics Market: Key Trends and Competitive LandscapeThe increasing therapeutic benefits offered by analgesics, in addition to effective and fast relief from pain, have significantly driven the demand for analgesics over the years. The development of innovative drugs and rising awareness about these treatment options have also supported the analgesics market. Moreover, the rise in recurring aches and pains owing to an increase in the prevalence of cancer, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, and other chronic and acute diseases has propelled the demand for analgesics. Other key factors positively impacting the global analgesics market include the growing prevalence of pain worldwide, the rise in effective treatment options, a surge in the aging population, and the growing acceptance of analgesics by a wider target audience.Eli Lilly and Company, Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd., Bayer AG, F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd., Pfizer Inc., Endo Pharmaceuticals, Reckitt Benckiser plc, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Sanofi, Johnson & Johnson, Novartis AG, and GlaxoSmithKline PLC are some of the major companies actively participating in the global analgesics market. In the quest of increasing their share in the analgesics market, an increasing number of firms have been adopting acquisitions as their main development strategy.Global Analgesics Market: Region-wise OutlookThe global analgesics market has been categorized into Europe, North America, Asia Pacific, and Rest of the World based on geography. North America is presently the leading market for analgesics and is projected to retain its dominant position through 2024. Recent regulatory changes in the U.S., accompanied by new marketing strategies by analgesics companies, have greatly benefited this regional market. After declining sales owing to frequent recalls, the analgesics market in the U.S., in particular, has been stabilizing on account of the return of prominent brands, the rising occurrence of aches and pains, the rise in the average age of the population, and an alarming rate of obesity. These demographic and lifestyle developments have significantly propelled the North America analgesics market.The Europe analgesics market is also anticipated to expand in the coming years owing to the rapid commercialization of new drugs and an increasing geriatric population. Although analgesics form one of the largest product areas in over-the-counter drugs, this segment has been negatively affected by the growing trend of improving health instead of merely treating symptoms. An increasing number of consumers in the U.K., for instance, have restricted their consumption of analgesics with this trend in mind, thereby negatively impacting the sales of analgesics.Request TOC of the Report@In contrast, consumers in several Asia Pacific countries seem relatively less concerned over the possible side-effects of analgesics. A higher willingness to self-medicate instead of visiting a trained physician for mild pain and fever is a trend that is common in a number of countries, more prominently in India. Moreover, the immensely stressful lifestyles in most urban parts of the region have resulted in consumers looking for quick and easy solutions to combat pain. This, combined with the surge in purchasing power, has enabled the demand for as well as sales of analgesics to remain steady over the years.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
BOCA RATON, Fla., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- ADT, the leader in security and automation solutions for homes and businesses in North America, today announced that Jim DeVries has been named President. DeVries, who previously served as ADTs Chief Operating Officer, will continue to report to ADT Chief Executive Officer, Tim Whall.

DeVries joined ADT in May 2016 from Allstate, where he last served as the Executive Vice President, Allstate Brand Operations, responsible for leading a team of over 7,000 people.

In this new role, Jim will be responsible for ADTs sales and marketing efforts, installation and field service, customer care and support, business operations, national account operations, human resources, and ADTs nationwide authorized dealer network.

Jims leadership style and experience in large, complex organizations has made a significant impact on the ADT turnaround since joining our organization last May, said Tim Whall, Chief Executive Officer of ADT. Were growing our business by retaining our current customer base, acquiring new customers more effectively, delivering upon our customer experience promise, and managing the daily business to improve operational efficiency  all the components that will create our winning formula. Im confident in Jims ability to successfully lead the company, execute our plans, accelerate our growth, and make ADT an even stronger leader in the marketplace.

ADT also announced several other key leadership changes. Jamie Haenggi has been named Chief Sales and Marketing Officer, assuming responsibility for ADTs National Sales Center (NSC) in addition to her current role as Chief Marketing Officer. Dan Bresingham, previously Chief of Staff, has been named ADTs Chief Administrative Officer, spearheading ADTs merger and acquisitions strategy, Business Operations, and Human Resources. Steve Hopkins, currently an interim leader for ADTs Canadian operations, has formally been named President, ADT Canada. Jamie, Dan, and Steve will report directly to Jim DeVries.

"I am honored to assume this role at an important and exciting time for ADT, and to help accelerate the positive momentum we have achieved over the past year," said DeVries. "I see tremendous opportunity to continue to grow our business, and along with 18,000 ADT associates, create a world-class security company for our customers and employees.



For more information, visit www.adt.com
Building Panels Market Revenue, Opportunity, Forecast and Value Chain 2016-2023

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Global Building Panels Market: OverviewBuilding panels can come in various types and dimensions; however, their core aim is the same. Building panels are used to build the external and internal features of a building. These can additionally be used to insulate the interiors of a structure using specific panel types.The major types of panels used in the global building panels market are wood, concrete, structural insulated, and vacuum insulated panels. Each type is usually created with a few standard measurements in consideration. For instance, structural insulated panels (SIPs) in the U.S. are usually between 1.22 meters and 7.32 meters in width. Outside the U.S., typical SIPs come in widths of 1,200 mm, 600 mm, or 300 mm, with a length of up to 3000 mm. Roof SIPs can be as long as 6000 mm. Vacuum insulated panels provide high quality thermal insulation using a strong core, which contains a gas-tight container devoid of air.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Thus, each type of panel in the global building panels market has its own set of advantages and disadvantages. This means builders typically need to select the panels according to need and availability.The global building panels market has been analyzed using research methodologies that estimate its market size in the next few years, along with a forecast analysis for the same period. A rounded approach is used to cover every aspect that affects the global building panels market, major or minor. The market estimations and statistics are presented with the help of industry experts who have imparted their invaluable market-related opinions. The research itself is based on the guidance and counselling of market experts, along with the use of primary and secondary research processes.Global Building Panels Market: Key Trends and OpportunitiesThe current boom in construction activities across the world is a major driver of the global building panels market. This includes the creation of new structures as well as renovation of old ones. Care is being taken to make use of the best possible construction materials and building panels in order to reduce power consumption of a structure to maintain internal temperatures. Therefore, increasing concerns regarding high consumption of power and fuel are contributing to the growth of the global building panels market.Increasingly stringent government regulations over the usage of specific chemicals and materials hampers the growth of the global building panels market. A number of chemicals have been banned in certain countries due to their toxic attributes. Therefore, market players have to increase investment in research and development to discover safe and economical alternatives.Emerging economies offer large opportunities in the global building panels market. Most of these nations are witnessing a high rate of construction activities. Each nation provides a major opportunity of growth for regional as well as global players. These emerging economies are also capable of purchasing premium construction materials and products for the building of better structures. This is likely to boost the scope of growth for global players.Global Building Panels Market: Region-wise OutlookRegionally, the global building panels market is showing a massive scope of growth in Asia Pacific, particularly India and China. These nations show a rapid rate of urbanization, opening up multiple avenues for the construction of professional, industrial, and residential structures. Demand for building panels is high in residential construction projects.Request TOC of the Report@Key players in the global building panels market include BMC Stock Holdings, Inc., Armstrong World Industries, Inc., Dow Corning Corporation, Huntsman International LLC., Panasonic Corporation, and Saint-Gobain.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Agricultural Adjuvants Market Analysis by Global Segments, Growth, Size and Forecast 2024

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The extremely consolidated nature of the global agricultural adjuvants market allows very little space for new entrants. In 2015, the top three players in the market  Akzo Nobel N.V., Solvay, and Clariant  collectively held a share of 51.1%. All key players hold an especially high control over supplies of agricultural adjuvants in developed economies.Browse Market Research Report:According to a research report released by Transparency Market Research, the global agricultural adjuvants market holds a high level of competition for existing players due to the presence of advanced mechanisms that a lot of current players can make use of to scale up their production rates. On the other hand, the production rate of the market is extremely dependent on the availability of raw materials over any other factor, which is closely regulated by government agencies. This makes is difficult for new entrants to make their mark on the global agricultural adjuvants market. The global agricultural adjuvants market was calculated at US$2.36 bn at the end of 2015 and it is expected that the market will reach US$4.16 bn at the end of 2024. This revenue is expected to expand at a CAGR of 6.6% within a forecast period from 2016 to 2024. By the end of 2015, the overall volume of the global agricultural adjuvants market had reached 757,570 kilo tons.Products Pushed to Shine as Farmers Try to Grow Better Crops in Lesser LandThe global agriculture industry is in a state of many quandaries. For one, the total area of farmable land that each country uses is reducing by at a regular rate. The smaller areas of land are caused due to growing industrialization and expansion of urban areas, which is a direct result of the increasing global population. To feed this increasing population, the agriculture system needs to overreach its current capacities to successfully provide enough food for the masses. As a result, farmers are expected to significantly improve their crop yield. This is the current leading factor augmenting the demand for agricultural adjuvants around the world, states a TMR analyst.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Agricultural Adjuvants market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @The global agricultural adjuvants market is also being driven by the growing use of advanced techniques in precision farming. The use of modern technology to increase the precision with which farmers can obtain a high yield of crops is allowing for a better and more stable increase in the demand for agricultural adjuvants.Evolving GM Concepts a Direct Threat to Global Agricultural Adjuvants MarketOne of the leading factors hindering the growth in demand for agricultural adjuvants is the growing use of genetic modification in the field of agriculture. GM seeds especially are engineered to imbibe the qualities that are required to produce excellent crops that score well in yield quality and are also biologically resistant to the current types of pests and plant diseases. Over the coming years, research and development on GM seeds is expected to skyrocket, creating a drop in the overall demand growth of agricultural adjuvants.Fill the form to gain deeper insights on this market @Currently, the global agricultural adjuvants market continues to be supported by the investments made by both government and private players. The number of investors as well as the total volume of investments is expected to continue increasing in the immediate future, providing key opportunities for existing players in the global agricultural adjuvants market, adds the analyst.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment Market 10-Year Market Forecast and Trends Analysis Research Report

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Global Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment Market: OverviewRestless legs syndrome, also called Willis-Ekbom disease, is a neurological disorder. It triggers an urge in patients to move their legs. Because the syndrome usually occurs during sleep, it is also considered a type of sleep disorder. People suffering from restless legs syndrome often feel an overwhelming desire to rigorously move their legs, the intensity and frequency of which leads to unpleasant pain in their limbs. This also disturbs their sleep patterns, affecting their health adversely. The condition usually aggravates at night.Request Sample Copy of the Report@Higher prevalence of restless legs syndrome is noted in women than in men. RLS can affect people of all ages but is mostly observed in middle-aged and elderly people. The most common symptoms of RLS include uncomfortable itching and pain in the legs that may cause a disruption in the sleep pattern and ultimately affect a patients quality of life. Despite its increasing prevalence, the precise cause of RLS is not yet known. Nevertheless, with extensive investigations being conducted in the field, the RLS market is expected to gain momentum in the near future. As of now, experts attribute the increasing incidence of the disease to genetic factors and instabilities in the dopaminergic balance.While researchers are yet to discover a specific cure for the disorder, drugs presently available in the market ensure symptomatic treatment. They help in relieving the uneasiness commonly experienced in the disorder. The report studies the prospects for the global restless legs syndrome treatment market in the forthcoming years. The impact of research and development activities on the markets future outlook is examined in the report in detail. It also presents insights into the various social and economic factors that will influence the markets growth trajectory between 2016 and 2024.Global Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment Market: Opportunities and Market SegmentationRestless legs syndrome causes uneasiness in patients and is also associated with other health issues such as dizziness, headaches, drowsiness, flatulence, dry mouth, and nausea. Patients suffering from restless legs syndrome may also suffer from psychiatric disorders such as depression and a decreased libido. Apart from these, labyrinthitis and other ear disorders, fatigue, irritability, peripheral edema, and nutritional and metabolism disorders indicated by weight gain or increased appetite are also related to the syndrome.The treatment of restless legs syndrome is still a relatively untapped space. The market is projected to exhibit growth at an increased rate with the development of new drugs, which promise higher efficiency and minimum side effects.Based on product type, the global restless legs syndrome treatment market can be segmented into Neupro/Leganto, Mirapex/Sifrol/Mirapexin, HORIZANT/Regnite, and Requip. Restless legs syndrome treatment can be segmented into pharmacological and nonpharmacological.Request TOC of the Report@Global Restless Legs Syndrome Treatment Market: Competitive InsightsIn order to study the competitive landscape prevailing in the market, the report profiles companies such as GlaxoSmithKline plc., Kyowa Hakko Kirin Co., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH, Jazz Pharmaceuticals, Inc., and Manhattan Pharmaceuticals. The strengths and weaknesses of the companies are weighed out in the report using SWOT analysis. The analysis also helps the report gauge the threats and opportunities that these companies could face in the near future.The report offers a complete databank about the global restless legs syndrome treatment market by providing in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information regarding every facet of the market.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Hypodermic Needles Market Expected to Expand at a Steady CAGR through 2024

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Global Hypodermic Needles Market: OverviewThe global hypodermic needles market is likely to exhibit robust growth. The increasing prevalence of chronic ailments and a rising geriatric population are the key factors boosting the market. The growth witnessed by this market is mainly driven by the role played by hypodermic needles in research activities. These needles also reduce the chances of contamination of fluid used during the injection of a sterile substrate.Hypodermic needles are hollow and are attached to hypodermic syringes to extract and inject fluids from the body. These needles have a long cylindrical shape with a puncturing point at the tip that pierces the patients skin. These needles can be reusable as well as disposable. Reusable needles are mainly used by diabetes patients to administer their insulin shots. However, it is very important to sterilize the reusable needles before using them in order to avoid infections of any kind. The rising prevalence of diabetes has therefore emerged as a crucial factor fuelling demand from the global hypodermic needles market.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The report provides a holistic overview of the global hypodermic needles market. It studies the various growth drivers and restraints influencing the market. In order to study its competitive landscape, the report also profiles some of the most prominent enterprises operating therein. The market has been segmented on the basis of various parameters for the purpose of the study. The report includes an overview of the present market dynamics, prevailing trends, historical development, and future outlook of the market across major regional segments.Global Hypodermic Needles Market: Drivers, Restraints, and Market SegmentationGovernments around the world have been implementing various regulations aimed at curtailing the incidence of needle-stick injuries. These legislations mandate the safe usage of needles to avert the risk of infections. The implementation of such stringent regulations has been crucial in stimulating demand from the global hypodermic needles market. The growth exhibited by the market is also supported by the introduction of the latest technologies in hypodermic needle-based delivery of drugs.On the flip side, the risk of infections associated with administering drugs using hypodermic needles, the increasing incidence of needle-stick injuries, and the presence of alternatives may restrain the growth of the global hypodermic needles market. Nevertheless, the market is expected to gain from the launch of novel products and the growing trend of publicprivate partnerships between manufacturing companies and government organizations.By type, the global hypodermic needles market can be segmented into safety needles and nonsafety needles. In terms of application, the market can be classified into diagnostic centers, hospitals, and home health care. Regionally, the global hypodermic needles market can be classified into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, and Rest of the World.Global Hypodermic Needles Market: Regional OutlookRegionally, North America dominates the global hypodermic needles market. The increasing geriatric population in the region and the rising prevalence of chronic diseases have been fuelling demand for hypodermic needles in North America. The regional hypodermic needle market is also gaining from the implementation of favorable regulations by governments. Apart from this and driven by increasing demand from India, China, and Japan, Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit attractive opportunities for the market.Some of the leading companies operating in the market are Terumo Corp., Albert David Ltd., Dickinson and Company, Becton, and Connecticut Hypodermics Inc. A SWOT analysis is conducted to study strengths and weaknesses of these companies. The analysis also helps in examining the opportunities and threats that these companies could face in the coming years.Request TOC of the Report@The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Eyewear Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Essilor International, Grand Vision, Formosa Optical, Carl Zeiss AG, Hoya Corporation, De Rigo S.p.A., and Others

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Global Eyewear Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Essilor International, Grand Vision, Formosa Optical, Carl Zeiss AG, Hoya Corporation, De Rigo S.p.A., and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Eyewear is device that corrective or protective eyes. This report includes spectacles, contact lenses, and sunglasses etc. This report focuses on Premium Eyewear market.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Eyewear Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Luxottica Group S.p.A.Essilor InternationalGrand VisionFormosa OpticalCarl Zeiss AGHoya CorporationDe Rigo S.p.A.Indo InternacionalSafilo Group S.p.A.Johnson & JohnsonCIBA VisionCooperVisionGBVMarchonFielmann AGBausch & LombCharmantTEK Optical CanadaOthersGlobal Eyewear Market: Key Product TypeCommonPrescription EyeglassesSunglassesContact LensesOthersGlobal Eyewear Market: Key ApplicationYoung AdultsAdultsMature AdultsSeniorsGlobal Eyewear Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Eyewear Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Eyewear Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Eyewear Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Eyewear Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Insulin Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Eli Lilly, MannKind, Sanofi, Merck, Bioton, GEA, and Others

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Global Insulin Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Eli Lilly, MannKind, Sanofi, Merck, Bioton, GEA, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Insulin (from the Latin, insula meaning island) is a peptide hormone produced by beta cells in the pancreas, and by Brockmann body in some teleost fish. It regulates the metabolism of carbohydrates and fats by promoting the absorption of glucose from the blood to skeletal muscles and fat tissue and by causing fat to be stored rather than used for energy. Insulin also inhibits the production of glucose by the liver. Insulin may have originated more than a billion years ago. The molecular origins of insulin go at least as far back as the simplest unicellular eukaryotes. Apart from animals, insulin-like proteins are also known to exist in Fungi and Protista kingdoms. The human insulin protein is composed of 51 amino acids, and has a molecular mass of 5808 Da. It is a dimer of an A-chain and a B-chain, which are linked together by disulfide bonds. Insulins structure varies slightly between species of animals. Insulin from animal sources differs somewhat in strength (in carbohydrate metabolism control effects) from that in humans because of those variations. Porcine insulin is especially close to the human version.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Insulin Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:NovartisNovo NordiskBoehringer IngelheimBristol-Myers SquibbEli LillyMannKindSanofiMerckBiotonGEAEmisphereSalix PharmaceuticalsGan & LeeDongbaoUnited Laboratories (TUL)Takeda Pharmaceutical CompanyShihuida PHARMA GroupHenan Tian Fang PharmaceuticalDisha Pharmaceutical GroupOthersGlobal Insulin Market: Key Product TypeUltra-short-acting insulinShort-acting insulinIn effect insulinLong-acting insulinOthersGlobal Insulin Market: Key ApplicationType 1 diabetesType 2 diabetesOthers diabetesGlobal Insulin Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Insulin Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Insulin Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Insulin Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Insulin Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Data Brokers Market Global Industry Analysis and Forecast Till 2024

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Data Brokers Market: OverviewData broker is a business that collects and stores the personal information about consumers and sells to organizations who require that data to design their marketing strategy based on the preferences of the customer. The data brokers collect this information from a variety of sources such as government records, browser cookies and credit/debit card transactions. The brokers integrate and synthesize the data using advanced analytics tools such as rapid miner and Google fusion tables to formulate individual profiles of the customers.Request Sample Copy of the Report@These individual profiles are updated regularly and are sold as per the demand of the buying organizations. The data brokers collect various kinds of data such as consumer data (personal information such as name and contact detail), commercial data (companies data), scientific data (weather information & drugs composition), real estate data (homes, farms or properties) and location data (global positioning, traffic and landmarks).Data Brokers Market: Key Growth EnablersThe data brokers store every bit of the information such as Internet activity, bulk transaction records and personal data such as date of birth, and books read. Various businesses are looking forward for that data to target the customers accordingly. This is the major driver for the growth of the market. Absence of data protection compliances in the emerging economies such as China, India and Brazil supports the growth of data brokers market. The data broker organizations support the companies in analyzing the buying pattern of the customers, thus support the organizations in developing products according to demand of the customers.Growth of Internet of Things (IoT) and rising demand of data analytics is anticipated to create immense opportunities for data brokers market. However, the customers are unaware of data being collected, thus privacy issues occur consistently. This is expected to provide hurdles in the growth of the data brokers market. The sector specific compliances pertaining to data privacy such as Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) and Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) is further anticipated to present challenges to the players in this market.Data Brokers Market: SegmentationData brokers market is broadly segmented on the basis of product type, data type, insight level, and geography. On the basis of product type, the data brokers market is segmented into marketing products, risk mitigation products and people search products. Various data types associated with this market include consumer data, commercial data, scientific data, real estate data and geo-location data. On the basis of insight level, the data broker market is segmented into basic insights, smart insights and adaptive insights. Moreover, in terms of geographies, the global data brokers market is segmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Middle East & Africa (MEA) and Latin America.North America has been the key contributor to the revenue generated by data brokers market during the last few years. This is attributed to presence of highly digit tech savvy population in the region which generates huge amount of data. Asia Pacific is expected to be the fastest growing region in terms of adoption of data broking services as it enables the businesses to design personalized promotional campaigns to target the mass population present in the region.The major participants in the data brokers market include Acxiom Corporation, CoreLogic Inc., DataLogix Inc., eBureau LLC, Experion Plc, Intellius Inc., Peekyou LLC, Databroker Ltd., Pipl Inc. and Epsilon Data Management LLC.Request TOC of the Report@The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth qualitative insights, historical data, and verifiable projections about market size. The projections featured in the report have been derived using proven research methodologies and assumptions. By doing so, the research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology, types, and applications.The study is a source of reliable data on:Market segments and sub-segmentsMarket trends and dynamicsSupply and demandMarket sizeCurrent trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive landscapeTechnological breakthroughsValue chain and stakeholder analysisThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Air Purifier Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Honeywell, Sharp, Blueair, Panasonic, Coway, IQAir AG, and Others

Air Purifier

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Global Air Purifier Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Philips, Honeywell, Sharp, Blueair, Panasonic, Coway, IQAir AG, Daikin, Samsung, Whirlpool, Airgle, Austin, Winix, Yadu, Broad, Malata, Midea, TCL, Lexy, Gree, Airmate, among others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.An air purifier is a device which removes contaminants from the air in a room. These devices are commonly marketed as being beneficial to allergy sufferers and asthmatics, and at reducing or eliminating second-hand tobacco smoke. The commercially graded air purifiers are manufactured as either small stand-alone units or larger units that can be affixed to an air handler unit (AHU) or to an HVAC unit found in the medical, industrial, and commercial industries. Air purifiers may also be used in industry to remove impurities such as CO2 from air before processing. Pressure swing adsorbers or other adsorption techniques are typically used for this.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Air Purifier Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:PhilipsHoneywellSharpBlueairPanasonicCowayIQAir AGDaikinSamsungWhirlpoolAirgleAustinWinixYaduBroadMalataMideaTCLLexyGreeAirmateOthersGlobal Air Purifier Market: Key Product TypeType 1Type 2Type 3OthersGlobal Air Purifier Market: Key ApplicationCustomer Segment 1Customer Segment 2Customer Segment 3Customer Segment 4Global Air Purifier Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Air Purifier Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Air Purifier Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Air Purifier Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Air Purifier Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Smart Meters Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Sensus, Elster Group, Silver Spring Networks, Aclara, Nuri Telecom, Sagemcom, Trilliant, and Others

Smart Meters

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Global Smart Meters Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Sensus, Elster Group, Silver Spring Networks, Aclara, Nuri Telecom, Sagemcom, Trilliant, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A smart meter is usually an electronic device that records consumption of electric energy in intervals of an hour or less and communicates that information at least daily back to the utility for monitoring and billing. Smart meters enable two-way communication between the meter and the central system. Unlike home energy monitors, smart meters can gather data for remote reporting. Such an advanced metering infrastructure differs from traditional automatic meter reading in that it enables two-way communications with the meter.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Smart Meters Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Landis+GyrItronGE Digital EnergySiemensKamstrupSensusElster GroupSilver Spring NetworksAclaraNuri TelecomSagemcomTrilliantIskraemecoEchelonTantalus SystemsZIVSanxingLinyang ElectronicsWasion GroupHaixing ElectricalTechrise ElectronicsChintim InstrumentsXJ Measurement & Control MeterClou ElectronicsHND ElectronicsLongiHengye ElectronicsHolley MeteringWellsun Electric MeterSunriseXiou International GroupPax Electronic TechnlogyHuayi ElectronicsChangyi GroupGaokeShenzhen Kaifa TechnologyRisesun GroupBannerBada InstrumentsJinling Intelligent Electric MeterOthersGlobal Smart Meters Market: Key Product TypeSingle-phase smart meterThree-phase smart meterOthersGlobal Smart Meters Market: Key ApplicationResidential applicationCommercial applicationIndustrial applicationOthers applicationsGlobal Smart Meters Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Smart Meters Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Smart Meters Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Smart Meters Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Smart Meters Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Printing Inks Market by Regional Analysis, Key Players and Forecast 2024

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The North America printing inks market exhibits a moderately fragmented competition due to presence of several large number of players. Several companies are focusing on developing bio-based printing inks in order to tackle challenges pertaining to regulatory framework vying to curb the usage of toxic materials. Transparency Market Research states that the leading players in the North America printing inks market held a collective share of 65.7% in 2015. The leading players in the market are Sun Chemical Corporation, INX International Ink Co., Flint Group, Quad Graphics Inc., and Siegwerk Druckfarben AG & Co. KgaA.Browse Market Research Report:Companies are likely to expand their reach to developing countries of Asia Pacific that are show promise if growth in every sector, which will have a direct impact on the demand for printing inks, states the lead author of this research report. According to the research report, the opportunity in the North America printing inks market is projected to be worth US$8.7 bn by the end of 2024 as against US$5.3 bn in 2015. The analysts state that the overall market is expected to progress at a CAGR of 5.70% between 2016 and 2024.Oil-based Printing Inks to Remain Popular ProductsThe oil-based printing inks are expected to witness a remarkable rate of consumption in the near future due to their extensive usage in publication and commercial printing. During the period of 2016 and 2024, the oil-based printing inks segment is expected to expand at a CAGR of 5.15%. Out of the two countries, the U.S. and Canada, the former is expected to generate maximum demand for printing inks during the forecast period. The report anticipates that the U.S. printing inks market will exhibit a CAGR of 5.55% during the forecast years.Get TOC of this Report @Consumption of Packaged Food Items offers Lucrative Opportunities to Printing Inks MarketThe continued growth of the packaging industry has had a critical role to play in the North America printing inks market. The rising disposable incomes, improving economies, and the emergence of various business have fueled the packaging industry, which in turn has led a remarkable demand for printing inks. Packaging is an integral part of every sector which requires accurate labelling to ensure appropriate sale of the final products. The growth of food and beverage industry, health care sector, and other consumer goods as led a significant uptake of printing inks all across North America. The market is also benefitting from the high demand for UV-cured printing inks that are used in printing applications such as inkjet, gravure, and flexography. These printing inks are gaining popularity as they are far more advantageous than the traditional printing inks. The demand for UV-cured printing inks is expected to intensify in the coming five years due to the stringent environmental regulations pertaining to the usage of VOC inks.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the Printing Inks market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Some of the other factors fueling the demand for printing inks the are the rise of young population that has the capability to spend on packaged food items, rising GDPs of several nations, and growing investments in healthcare sector. Furthermore, the strong market drivers of the packaging industry will also keep the sentiment in the North America printing inks market upbeat for the next five years.Digitization of Books becomes Markets Toughest ChallengeThe North America printing inks market is does face tough challenges. The stringent regulatory prohibiting usage of inorganic solvents and toxic metals such as lead, mercury, cadmium, and hexavalent chromium is expected to restrain the growth of the overall market. The regulatory framework suggests that the usage of these chemicals can prove to be hazardous to human health. Furthermore, the emerging trend of e-commerce and digitization of books is expected to reduce the demand for printing inks in the publication sector. The loss of paper-based communication is expected to be a major threat to the North America printing inks market in the near future.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QMC Quantum Minerals Corp., (TSX-V:QMC) (FSE:3LQ) (OTC PINK:QMCQF) (QMC or "the Company"), is currently reviewing the results of the 2011 assessment work program conducted on the Irgon Mine property as reported by D. Fogwill, P. Geo. on behalf of 101162742 Saskatchewan Ltd. During this program, representative rock grab samples were obtained from along the Irgon Dike and from other potentially rare element-bearing granitic pegmatites identified within the Irgon Mine property. A reported distance of 17.5 line-kilometres was prospected within the property. Limited hand trenching, overburden stripping and sampling were also undertaken outward from the Irgon Mine shaft. A total of 88 grab samples was taken and assayed for lithium and other rare elements.



Information derived from this program will be utilized to assist planning of the upcoming 2017 work program. The Company expects geological crews to begin work mid-September.

Between 1953-1954, the Lithium Corporation of Canada Limited drilled 25 holes into the Irgon Dike and reported a historical resource estimate of 1.2 million tons grading 1.51% Li 2 0 over a strike length of 365 meters and to a depth of 213 meters (Northern Miner, Vol. 41, no.19, Aug. 4, 1955, p.3). This historical resource is documented in a 1956 Assessment Report by Bruce Ballantyne for the Lithium Corporation of Canada Ltd. (Manitoba Assessment Report No. 94932). This historical estimate is believed to be based on reasonable assumptions and the company/QP has no reason to contest the documents relevance and reliability. A detailed drill program will be required to update this historical resource to current NI 43-101 standards. Historic metallurgical tests reported an 87% recovery from which a concentrate averaging 5.9% Li 2 O was obtained. During this historical 1950 era work program, a complete mining plant was installed on site designed to process 500 tons of ore per day and in addition, a three-compartment shaft was sunk to a depth of 74 meters. On the 61 metre level, lateral development was extended off the shaft for a total of 366 meters of drifting from which six crosscuts transected the dike. The work was suspended in 1957, awaiting a more favourable market for lithium oxides and at this point the mine buildings were removed.

The mineral reserve cited above is presented as a historical estimate and uses historical terminology which does not conform to current NI43-101 standards. A qualified person has not done sufficient work to classify the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves. Although the historical estimates are believed to be based on reasonable assumptions, they were calculated prior to the implementation of National Instrument 43-101. These historical estimates do not meet current standards as defined under sections 1.2 and 1.3 of NI 43-101; consequently, the issuer is not treating the historical estimate as current mineral resources or mineral reserves.

Qualified Person and NI 43-101 Disclosure

The technical content of this news release has been reviewed and approved by Bruce E. Goad, P. Geo. who is a qualified person as defined by National Instrument 43-101.

About the Company

QMC is a British Columbia based company engaged in the business of acquisition, exploration and development of resource properties. Its objective is to locate and develop economic precious, base, rare metal and resource properties of merit. The Companys properties include the Irgon Lithium Mine project two VMS properties, the Rocky Lake and Rocky-Namew known collectively as the Namew Lake District Project, and the Carrot River Gold Property. Currently, all of the companys properties are located in Manitoba.

On behalf of the Board of Directors of

QMC QUANTUM MINERALS CORP.

Balraj Mann

Balraj Mann

President and Chief Executive Officer

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.
Travel Insurance Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Munich RE, Generali, AXA, Hanse Merkur, Groupama, Mapfre Asistencia, AIG, and Others

Travel Insurance

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Global Travel Insurance Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Munich RE, Generali, AXA, Hanse Merkur, Groupama, Mapfre Asistencia, AIG, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Travel insurance is insurance that is intended to cover medical expenses, trip cancellation, lost luggage, flight accident and other losses incurred while traveling, either internationally or within ones own country. Travel insurance protects the financial investment in a trip, including lost baggage and trip cancellation. Travelers may be more likely to avoid travel when sick if they know their financial investment in the trip is protected.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Travel Insurance Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:AllianzMunich REGeneraliAXAHanse MerkurGroupamaMapfre AsistenciaAIGCSA Travel ProtectionUSI AffinitySeven CornersMH RossTokio MarineSompo JapanPingan BaoxianSTARROthersGlobal Travel Insurance Market: Key Product TypeMedical expenseTrip CancellationTrip DelayProperty DamageOthersGlobal Travel Insurance Market: Key ApplicationDomestic TourismOversea TourismGlobal Travel Insurance Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Travel Insurance Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Travel Insurance Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Travel Insurance Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Travel Insurance Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
UV Cure Printing Inks Market Analysis by Global Segments, Growth, Size and Forecast 2024

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Due to the absence of a clear dominance, the North America UV Cure Printing Inks Market is demonstrating a moderately fragmented but highly competitive landscape. FUJIFILM, Flint Group, Nazdar, DuPont, Toyo Ink America, and Sun Chemical Corp. are some of the leading companies in this market.Browse Market Research Report:Currently, these players are aggressively focusing on competitive pricing strategy in order to enhance their visibility in this market. However, this strategy is expected to intensify the rivalry between the participants in the coming years.According to TMRs estimations, the North America market for UV cure printing inks offered an opportunity worth US$362.9 mn in 2015. Advancing at a CAGR of 10.30% between 2016 and 2024, the market is projected to cross US$865.9 mn by the end of the forecast period. Offset printing surfaced as the key application area of UV cure printing inks in 2015 with a share of 38%. Driven by its extensive usage in the packaging and the publication and commercial printing sectors, this segment is likely to remain dominant over the forecast period.U.S. to Continue as Market Leader Thanks to Growing Demand from Publication and Commercial PrintingThe research report also presents a study of the North America market for UV cure printing inks on the basis of its geographical presence. Predominantly, Canada and the U.S. have emerged as the key domestic markets for UV cure printing inks in this region. Thanks to the significant growth in the packaging industry, the U.S. has acquired the lead among the two.Researchers expect the U.S., which is likely to reach US$678.5 mn by 2024, to continue as the market leader over the forecast period. The growing demand for publication and commercial printing in a number of industries is projected to boost the U.S. market for UV cure printing inks in the years to come.Get TOC of this Report @Canada, on the other hand, is likely to lag behind over the forthcoming years due to the rising preference for e-commerce and e-books and subsequent decline in the demand for publication and commercial printing, which eventually, will impact the sales of UV cure printing inks negatively. By the end of 2024, Canada would hold only 21.6% of the overall market, reports the study.Increasing Penetration of Digital Media to Reflect Positively on Sales of UV Cure Printing InksThe increasing penetration of digital media across North America is reflecting positively on the sales of UV cure printing inks in this region, says a researcher at TMR. The trend is expected to remain so in the near future, influencing the regional market greatly.The growing preference for digital media compared to traditional printing in architectural designs, textiles, fine arts, advertising, and desktop publishing, thanks to the flexibility it offers, is likely to propel the North America market for UV cure printing inks substantially over the next few years, states the research report.Get accurate market forecast and analysis on the UV Cure Printing Inks market. Request a sample to stay abreast on the key trends impacting this market @Advent of E-commerce and Electronic Alternatives of Daily-use Applications may Hamper GrowthAlthough the growth prospects of the North America market for UV cure printing inks looks bright, the advent of e-commerce and the electronic versions of a number of daily-use applications, such as e-literature, e-tickets, e-coupons, is likely to act as an obstacle in the markets growth trajectory in the coming years.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company providing business information reports and services. The companys exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trend analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.TMRs data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With extensive research and analysis capabilities, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques to develop distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA - Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Orange KT Charter Microsoft (Skype) Cablevision Verizon, and Others

Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)

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Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Orange, KT, Charter, Microsoft (Skype), Cablevision Verizon, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), is a technology that allows you to make voice calls using a broadband Internet connection instead of a regular (or analog) phone line. Some VoIP services may only allow you to call other people using the same service, but others may allow you to call anyone who has a telephone number - including local, long distance, mobile, and international numbers. Also, while some VoIP services only work over your computer or a special VoIP phone, other services allow you to use a traditional phone connected to a VoIP adapter.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:NTTComcastOrangeKTCharterMicrosoft (Skype)CablevisionVerizonAT & TVonageCoxTelmexTime Warner CableNumericable-SFRRogersSprintLiberty GlobalKDDITalkTalkShaw Communications8x8Ring CentralMITELOthersGlobal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market: Key Product TypeComputer-to-ComputerComputer-to-PhonePhone-to-PhoneGlobal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market: Key ApplicationCorporate ConsumersIndividual ConsumersOthers applicationsGlobal Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Mulch Films Market Growth and Forecast 2016-2024

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Global Mulch Films Market: DescriptionMulch films are plastic coverings for plants utilized to retain the moisture in the soil. Since loss of soil moisture through evaporation can be a significant issue in dry areas, the demand for mulch films has grown in recent years. Plants can grow through holes in mulch films, leading to their growth being completely unaffected despite the covering. Some mulch films are also designed to produce the greenhouse effect on a small scale, retaining the heat from solar radiation to help plant growth.The global market for mulch films is driven not only by the loss of arable land, which has become a major concern, but also by the steady increase in the demand from the growing global population. The steady funding to the development of agrotech solutions from governmental as well as nongovernmental research bodies has also helped the global mulch films market significantly.Request Sample Copy of the Report@The report examines the past development trajectory of the global mulch films market and provides solid forecasts regarding the markets growth from 2016 to 2020. The report explains the role expected to be played by each segment of the market in the markets growth and elaborates on the operations of the key manufacturers of mulch films.Global Mulch Films Market: Drivers and RestraintsThe increasing global population and the consequent increase in the demand for food is the prime driver for the global mulch films market. With the realization that the earths own bearing capacity is not likely to support the increasing human population, research into various kinds of agrotech solutions has become more prominent over the years. Biotechnological solutions such as genetically modified crops have taken care of the problem of increasing crop yield and making it sturdier, while mechanical solutions such as mulch films deal with increasing the efficiency of agriculture practices so that no resource is wasted.The technological advancement in modern mulch films has also been crucial for the global mulch films market. While the technology appears rudimentary, several kinds of mulch films have been developed to provide different benefits. This is a crucial tool for the mulch films industry, which needs to keep up with the times and provide suitable solutions to a dynamic problem.The problem of plastic mulch films polluting agricultural land perfectly illustrates the value of technological advancement to the mulch films industry. While conventional plastics such as polyethylene and ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) are currently used to produce mulch films, the difficulty in removing the films means they can themselves be the cause of significant pollution in priceless fertile land. Developing mulch films from biodegradable plastics is thus a key opportunity for players in the mulch films market.Global Mulch Films Market: Segmentation and Competitive LandscapeBy plastic type, the mulch films market is segmented into LDPE (low-density polyethylene), HDPE (high-density polyethylene), LLDPE (linear low-density polyethylene) EVA, polylactic acid (PLA) derivatives, and others. The various polyethylene-based plastics hold a dominant share in the mulch films market, although EVA, which is more durable than polyethylene, is expected to be the key segment in the forecast period. The biodegradability of PLA means that it will also be one of the key segments of the mulch films market.Geographically, Asia Pacific was the leading contributor to the global mulch films market in 2015 and is set to retain its dominance over the forecast period. The high agricultural production and ready acceptance of advanced agricultural technology in countries such as China and India is crucial for the Asia Pacific mulch films market. Apart from China and India, the national markets for mulch films in the U.S., the U.K., Canada, Germany, Mexico, France, Brazil, Japan, Italy, Spain, South Africa, and the ASEAN and GCC countries are examined in detail in the report.Request TOC of the Report@The report also provides vital insights into the competitive landscape of the global mulch films market by profiling key manufacturers such as British Polythene Ltd., BASF SE, RKW Agri Gmbh & Co., FKuR Kunststoff GmbH, Eastman Chemical Company, Tilak Polypack Pvt. Ltd., Novamont S.p.A., Dow Chemicals, AEP Industries Inc., Berry Plastics Corporation, and NatureWorks LLC.The report offers a comprehensive evaluation of the market. It does so via in-depth insights, understanding market evolution by tracking historical developments, and analyzing the present scenario and future projections based on optimistic and likely scenarios. Each research report serves as a repository of analysis and information for every facet of the market, including but not limited to: Regional markets, technology developments, types, applications, and the competitive landscape.The study is a source of reliable data on:Key market segments and sub-segmentsEvolving market trends and dynamicsChanging supply and demand scenariosQuantifying market opportunities through market sizing and market forecastingTracking current trends/opportunities/challengesCompetitive insightsOpportunity mapping in terms of technological breakthroughsThe regional analysis covers:North America (U.S. and Canada)Latin America (Mexico, Brazil, Peru, Chile, and others)Western Europe (Germany, U.K., France, Spain, Italy, Nordic countries, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg)Eastern Europe (Poland, Russia)Asia Pacific (China, India, Japan, ASEAN, Australia and New Zealand)Middle East and Africa (GCC, Southern Africa, North Africa)About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.Contact UsTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Potassium Sulphate Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 SQM, YARA, Rusal, Sesoda, Guotou Xinjiang LuoBuPo Potassium Salt, Qing Shang Chemical, Migao Group, and Others

Potassium Sulphate

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Global Potassium Sulphate Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely SQM, YARA, Rusal, Sesoda, Guotou Xinjiang LuoBuPo Potassium Salt, Qing Shang Chemical, Migao Group, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Potassium Sulphate Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:K+STessenderloCompass MineralsSQMYARARusalSesodaGuotou Xinjiang LuoBuPo Potassium SaltQing Shang ChemicalMigao GroupQinghai CITIC Guoan TechnologyAVIC International HoldingGansu Xinchuan FertilizerShijiazhuang Hehe Chemical FertilizerShandong Lianmeng Chemical GroupYantai Qifund ChemicalLiaoning Xinshui ChemicalWuxi Yangheng ChemicalOthersGlobal Potassium Sulphate Market: Key Grade TypeAgriculture GradeIndustrial GradeOthersGlobal Potassium Sulphate Market: Key ApplicationTree NutsVegetablesFruitTobaccoOthers applicationsGlobal Potassium Sulphate Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Potassium Sulphate Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Potassium Sulphate Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Potassium Sulphate Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Potassium Sulphate Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Heat Shield Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Dana Holding Corporation, Federal Mogul Holding Corporation, Autoneum Holdings AG, Lydall Inc, Elringklinger AG, and Others

Heat Shield

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Global Heat Shield Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Dana Holding Corporation, Federal Mogul Holding Corporation, Autoneum Holdings AG, Lydall Inc, Elringklinger AG, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.A heat shield is designed to shield a substance from absorbing excessive heat from an outside source by either dissipating, reflecting or simply absorbing the heat. It is often used as a form of exhaust heat management.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Heat Shield Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Morgan Advanced MaterialsDana Holding CorporationFederal Mogul Holding CorporationAutoneum Holdings AGLydall IncElringklinger AGProgress-Werk Oberkirch AGUGN IncThermoTec AutomotiveZircotecLG HausyOthersGlobal Heat Shield Market: Key Product TypeAluminumMetallicNon-MetallicOthersGlobal Heat Shield Market: Key ApplicationAutomotiveAircraftDefenseOthers applicationsGlobal Heat Shield Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Heat Shield Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Heat Shield Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Heat Shield Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Heat Shield Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Home Healthcare Equipment Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Lifescan, Medtronic, A&D Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories, Omron Corporation, Roche, Panasonic, and Others

Home Healthcare Equipment

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Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Lifescan, Medtronic, A&D Company Limited, Abbott Laboratories, Omron Corporation, Roche, Panasonic, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Home Healthcare equipment is a category of devices used for patients whose care is being managed from a home or other private facility managed by a nonprofessional caregiver or family member. It is often referred to as durable medical equipment (DME) as it is intended to withstand repeated use by non-professionals or the patient, and is appropriate for use in the home.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:LifescanMedtronicA&D Company, LimitedAbbott LaboratoriesOmron CorporationRochePanasonicYuwellSANNUOOSIMSiemensInsuletAnimasMicrolifePhonakWilliam DemantInvacareOthersGlobal Home Healthcare Equipment Market: Key Product TypeBlood Glucose MonitorBlood Pressure MonitorRehabilitation equipmentOthersGlobal Home Healthcare Equipment Market: Key ApplicationDiagnostics and MonitoringTherapeuticsCare and RehabilitationOthersGlobal Home Healthcare Equipment Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Home Healthcare Equipment Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
High Voltage Power Cables Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Sumitomo Electric, Southwire, LS Cable & System, Furukawa Electric, Riyadh Cable, Elsewedy Electric, Condumex, NKT Cables, and Others

High Voltage Power Cables

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Global High Voltage Power Cables Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Sumitomo Electric, Southwire, LS Cable & System, Furukawa Electric, Riyadh Cable, Elsewedy Electric, Condumex, NKT Cables, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.High Voltage Power Cables is a cable used for electric power transmission at high voltage. High-voltage cables of differing types have a variety of applications in instruments, ignition systems, and AC and DC power transmission. Most high-voltage cables for power transmission that are currently sold on the market are insulated by a sheath of cross-linked polyethylene (XLPE). Some cables may have a lead or aluminium jacket in conjunction with XLPE insulation to allow for fiber optics.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global High Voltage Power Cables Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:PrysmianNexansGeneral CableSumitomo ElectricSouthwireLS Cable & SystemFurukawa ElectricRiyadh CableElsewedy ElectricCondumexNKT CablesFarEast CableShangshang CableBaosheng CableJiangnan CableHanhe CableOthersGlobal High Voltage Power Cables Market: Key Product TypeAC power cableDC power cableGlobal High Voltage Power Cables Market: Key ApplicationPower IndustryCoal & PetrochemicalCommunicationOthersGlobal High Voltage Power Cables Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global High Voltage Power Cables Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global High Voltage Power Cables Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global High Voltage Power Cables Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global High Voltage Power Cables Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Copper Oxychloride Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Biota Agro, IQV, Isagro S.p.A., Killicks Pharma, MANICA S.P.A, Spiess-Urania, and Others

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Global Copper Oxychloride Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Biota Agro, IQV, Isagro S.p.A., Killicks Pharma, MANICA S.P.A, Spiess-Urania, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Copper Oxychloride is the chemical compound with the formula Cu2(OH)3Cl. It is often referred to as tribasic copper chloride (TBCC), copper trihydroxyl chloride or copper hydroxychloride. It is a greenish crystalline solid encountered in mineral deposits, metal corrosion products, industrial products, art and archeological objects, and some living systems. It was originally manufactured on an industrial scale as a precipitated material used as either a chemical intermediate or a fungicide. Since 1994, a purified, crystallized product has been produced at the scale of thousands of tons per year, and used extensively as a nutritional supplement for animalsRequest for Free Sample Copy of Global Copper Oxychloride Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Albaugh, LLCBiota AgroIQVIsagro S.p.A.Killicks PharmaMANICA S.P.ASpiess-UraniaSyngentaVimal CropGreenriverOthersGlobal Copper Oxychloride Market: Key Product TypePowderliquidOthersGlobal Copper Oxychloride Market: Key ApplicationFungicideCommercial Feed SupplementColorant & PigmentsOthersGlobal Copper Oxychloride Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Copper Oxychloride Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Copper Oxychloride Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Copper Oxychloride Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Copper Oxychloride Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Blood Glucose Test Strips Market Report for Period 2017 till 2022 Lifescan, Bayer, Abbott, ARKRAY, I-SENS, Omron, B. Braun, 77 Elektronika, and Others

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Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Lifescan, Bayer, Abbott, ARKRAY, I-SENS, Omron, B. Braun, 77 Elektronika, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2022, etc.Blood Glucose Test Strips are simple plastic strips that are used with a glucose meter to monitor the levels of glucose in human body.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:SRocheLifescanBayerAbbottARKRAYI-SENSOmronB. Braun77 ElektronikaNipro DagnosticsAgaMatrixInfopiaAll MedicusTerumo CorporationHainice MedicalOthersGlobal Blood Glucose Test Strips Market: Key Product TypeGlucose OxidaseGlucose DehydrogenaseOthersGlobal Blood Glucose Test Strips Market: Key ApplicationHospitalClinicRetailOthersGlobal Blood Glucose Test Strips Market: Key RegionNorth America (USA, Canada and Mexico)Europe (Germany, France, UK, Russia and Italy)Asia-Pacific (China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia)South America (Brazil, Argentina, Columbia etc.)Middle East and Africa (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Egypt, Nigeria and South Africa)The Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Blood Glucose Test Strips Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Bankruptcy Veterans Eric Kerwood and Wesley Appell Join Organization

ATLANTA, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Epiq, a leading global provider of integrated technology solutions and services for the legal profession, today announced the appointment of two bankruptcy veterans, Eric Kerwood and Wesley Appell as managing director and director, respectively, within its corporate restructuring services practice in New York.



Our services are differentiated by our ability to help clients navigate complicated legal processes, said Brad D. Scott, co-president and co-chief operating officer. Eric and Wess deep understanding of issues that affect the financial and legal communities and highly esteemed expertise will be instrumental in advancing our goal to be the preferred strategic partner for complex legal matters for Epiq clients across the globe.

Kerwood will focus on strategic growth initiatives and managing key relationships with leading industry firms in both the legal and financial sector. He is a 20-year veteran in the restructuring industry and spent 15 years as a financial advisor in distressed workouts and turnarounds, assisting with out-of-court solutions and formal bankruptcy proceedings, and several years with a claims agent before joining Epiq.

Kerwood currently serves on the Board of the Association of Insolvency and Restructuring Advisors (AIRA). He is also a member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and is a Certified Turnaround Professional (CTP) and Certified Insolvency and Restructuring Advisor (CIRA). Kerwood received a Bachelor of Science degree from Boston College.

Appell is a 12-year veteran in the restructuring industry who recently served as a financial advisor to distressed companies and their creditors. Appell is a member of the Turnaround Management Association (TMA) and the American Bankruptcy Institute (ABI). Appell received a Bachelor of Science degree in finance from San Diego State University.

About Epiq

Epiq is a leading global provider of integrated technology and services for the legal profession, including eDiscovery, managed services, bankruptcy, class action and mass tort administration, federal regulatory actions and data breach responses. Our innovative solutions are designed to streamline the administration of litigation, investigations, financial transactions, regulatory compliance and other legal matters. Epiqs subject-matter experts bring clarity to complexity, create efficiency through expertise and deliver confidence to our clients around the world. For more information, visit us at www.epiqsystems.com.
Capillary Blood Collection Devices Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of ~ 5.2 % over the Forecast Period 2017-2023

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Market Research Future has a half cooked research report on the global capillary blood collection devices market. Capillary Blood Collection Devices Market is Expected to Grow at a CAGR of ~ 5.2 % over the Forecast Period 2017-2023Capillary Blood Collection Devices Market Information: By Material (Plastic, Glass, Stainless Steel, Ceramic, Others) By Devices (Lancets, Micro-Container Tubes, Micro-Hematocrit Tubes, Warming Devices, Others) By End Users (Hospitals And Clinics, Point Of Care, Blood Donation Centers, Diagnostic Centers, And Others) - Global Forecast Till 2023Market Highlights:Capillary blood collection devices are test and collection vessels used for collection, sampling, and testing of blood samples. Capillary blood collection devices provide for easy handling, physical and light protection, and also provide protection from contamination. In addition to above, capillary blood collection devices offers exact filling volume.The recent developments in the capillary blood collection devices treatment include dried blood spot sampling. Dried blood spot sampling requires very small quantity of blood which is absorbed on a filter paper card. The card absorbs the blood and dries it which allows for ease of transportation and storage. There is also an increasing trend towards miniaturization of devices in a quest to evolve into hassle free healthcare. Development of advanced materials such as plastics and inner coatings have developed the market further.The market drivers for capillary blood collection devices are, growth in demand for blood collection and testing, increase in demand for improved blood collection and sampling, and growing preference for disposable product, rise in screening and diagnostics etc. The market restraints are risks associated with contamination, falling costs of products, pressure on prices, low quality products from unknown location etc.Global Capillary blood collection devices Market PlayersKey players profiled in the report are Danaher Corporation, Sarstedt AG & Co., Becton, Dickinson and Company, Medtronic, Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc., Kabe Labortechnik GmbH, Terumo Medical Corporation, Greiner Bio One International GmbH, and Improve Medical Technology Co. and others.Get a Sample report atMarket scenarioCapillary blood collection devices are test and collection vessels used for sampling, collection and testing of blood samples. Capillary blood collection devices provide easy handling and also provide protection from light and contamination along with providing mechanical protection. In addition to the above, capillary blood collection devices offers exact filling volume. The various capillary blood collection devices are lancet, collection tubes and warming devices.Lancets are incision devices used to puncture or cut the skin to obtain capillary blood while Micro-container tubes are used to collect minute volumes of blood via capillary puncture. Microhematocrit tubes are used primarily for blood collection and testing.The market for the global capillary blood collection devices is driven by rise in screening and diagnostics for various diseases, owing to the health awareness which has led to the growth in demand for blood collection, testing and sampling, along with growing preference for disposable product, etc. The market restraints are risks associated with contamination, falling costs of capillary blood collection products, pressure on prices, low quality products from unknown location etc. Product development will be an attractive strategy to pursue for the expansion of the market.The global capillary blood collection devices market is expected to reach USD11.11 billion by 2023, and the market is projected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 5.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Regional AnalysisThe Americas account for a significant market share owing to extensive use of screening and high expenditure on the health care due to high healthcare expenditure of the US. Additionally, the fastest uptake of new instruments and surgical techniques in the US drives the capillary blood collection devices market. The good reimbursement scenario and the greater awareness in the developed regions drive the market.Europe is the second largest market in the world due to high income and healthcare penetration.Asia Pacific region is expected to grow rapidly and China and India are likely to lead this market due to fast growing healthcare sector during the forecast period.Gulf nations such as Saudi Arabia and the UAE are estimated to drive the Middle East & African market. The African region is expected to witness a moderate growth owing to poor economic and political conditions and poor healthcare development.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 50 market data tables and figures spread over 80 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on Global Capillary Blood Collection Devices Market Research Report  Forecast till 2023.Access Report Details @SegmentationThe global capillary blood collection devices market has been segmented on the basis of material, devices and end users.Based on material, the market has been segmented as plastic, glass, stainless steel, ceramic and others.Based on devices, the market has been segmented as lancets, micro-container tubes, micro-hematocrit tubes, warming devices and others.Based on the end users, the market has been segmented as hospitals and clinics, point of care, blood donation centers, diagnostic centers and others.The report for Global Capillary blood collection devices market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.Get a discount atTable of contents1. Introduction1.1 Definition1.2 Scope of Study1.2.1 Research Objective1.2.2 Assumptions & Limitations1.2.2.1 Assumptions1.2.2.2 Limitations1.3 Market Structure2. Research Methodology2.1 Research Process2.2 Primary Research2.3 Secondary Research3. Market dynamics3.1 Drivers3.2 Restraints3.3 Opportunities3.4 Macroeconomic Indicators4. Market factor analysis4.1 Porters Five Forces Model4.2 Bargaining Power of Suppliers4.3 Bargaining Power of Buyers4.4 Threat of New Entrants4.5 Threat of Substitutes4.6 Intensity of RivalryAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash AnandP: +1 646 845 9312W:
Microsurgery Market is Expected to Grow at CAGR of 10.2% during 2017 to 2023

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Microsurgery Market Information: By Applications (General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Plastic Surgery, Gynecological Surgery, Orthopedic Surgery, Oncology, Neurosurgery, Oral Surgery), By Procedures (Free Tissue Transfer, Replantation, Transplantation, Treatment Of Infertility), By End Users (Hospitals & Clinics, Research Organizations) - Global Forecast Till 2023Market HighlightsThe global microsurgery market is expecting a sound growth during the forecasted period. Increasing prevalence of chronic diseases, elevating geriatric population and technological advancement in surgery have driven the market growth. Moreover, increasing healthcare expenditure, and rising demand for the better treatment have fueled the growth of the market. On the other hand, high cost of treatment and poor reimbursement policies in developed countries may restrain the growth of this market.The global microsurgery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecasted period.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 110 market data tables and figures spread over 180 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content TOC & market synopsis on Microsurgery market research reportGlobal forecast till 2023.Regional AnalysisGeographically, the global microsurgery market is segmented into four major regions: the Americas, Europe, Asia Pacific, and the Middle East & Africa.The Americas dominate the global microsurgery market owing to the presence of huge cancer population and high healthcare spending. America is further segmented into North America and South America. North America holds the largest market owing to extensive use of advanced technology and developed healthcare sector. Europe commands the second largest market due to increasing funds and government support. Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for the microsurgery, whose growth is attributed to rising geriatric population, rapidly developing economies and huge patient pool.However, the Middle East & Africa is expected witness limited growth due to limited access to the healthcare resources and lack of advanced technology.Get a Sample report atSegmentationThe global microsurgery market is segmented on the basis of application, procedures, and end users. On the basis of applications the market is categorized into: general surgery, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, gynecological surgery, orthopedic surgery, oncology, neurosurgery, oral & maxillofacial surgery, podiatric surgery, and pediatric surgery.On the basis of procedures the market is segmented into free tissue transfer, replantation, transplantation, and treatment of infertility. Replantation is further segmented into fingers & thumbs, ear, scalp, nose, and others. Treatment of infertility is further segmented into tubal obstructions, vas deferens obstructions and varicocele.On the basis of end users the market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research organizations and others.Key PlayersSome of the key players in microsurgery market are AROSurgical Instruments (US), tisurg medical instruments Co., Ltd (China), Carl Zeiss Meditec AG (Germany), MicroSurgical Technology (US), SYNOVIS MICRO COMPANIES ALLIANCE, INC. (US), Peter LAZIC GmbH (Germany), BIONIKO (US), MICROSURGERY INSTRUMENTS, INC. (US).The global microsurgery market is competitive in nature. The companies are focusing on the new product developments which will be cost effective. Some major has adopted strategies of acquisitions and strategic alliances for the growth of the market.Carl Zeiss Meditec AG, multination medical technology, headquartered in Germany. The company manufactures tools for eye examinations and medical lasers as well as solutions for neurosurgery, dentistry, gynecology and oncology. Some of the major devices of the company are: OPMI Pentero series- Surgical microscopes for neurosurgery and spinal surgery OPMI VARIO series- Surgical microscopes for plastic and reconstructive surgery and ENT surgery OPMI Pico- A dental microscope INTRABEAM- An intraoperative radiotherapyIntended Audience: Medical device manufacturers and suppliers Microscope manufacturers and suppliers Medical research laboratories Research and Development (R&D) Companies Market Research and Consulting Service Providers Potential InvestorsAccess Report Details @Market ScenarioMicrosurgery is a procedure that combines magnification and specialized precision tools & techniques during the surgery. These techniques are majorly used for the treatment of cancer & congenital deficiencies. It helps to heal wounds and restore function after trauma & cancer. The first microsurgery was performed in 1960 by Jules Jacobson.The major driving factor for the market is increasing prevalence of the cancer, ophthalmic diseases and other chronic diseases. According to Cancer Research UK, in 2012, 14.1 million people across the globe were suffering from cancer. Increasing number of organ transplantation, advances in the surgical procedures and adoption of microscope in surgeries have also driven the market growth. Moreover, high healthcare expenditure, increasing geriatric population, and growing need for the better treatment of the diseases have fueled the market growth. However, high cost of the treatment and poor reimbursement policies for the medical devices may slower the market growth.The global microsurgery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 10.2% during the forecast period of 2017-2023.SegmentsThe global microsurgery market is segmented on the basis of application, procedures, and end users. On the basis of applications the market is categorized into: general surgery, ophthalmology, plastic surgery, gynecological surgery, orthopedic surgery, oncology, neurosurgery, oral & maxillofacial surgery, podiatric surgery, and pediatric surgery.On the basis of procedures the market is segmented into free tissue transfer, replantation, transplantation, and treatment of infertility. Replantation is further segmented into fingers & thumbs, ear, scalp, nose, and others. Treatment of infertility is further segmented into tubal obstructions, vas deferens obstructions and varicocele.On the basis of end users the market is segmented into hospitals & clinics, research organizations and others.Get a discount atBrief TOC1 Report Prologue2 Market Introduction2.1 Definition2.2 Scope of the Study2.2.1 Research Objective2.2.2 Assumptions2.2.3 Limitations3 Research Methodology3.1 Introduction3.2 Primary Research3.3 Secondary research3.4 Market Size Estimation4 Market Dynamics4.1 Drivers4.2 Restrains4.3 Opportunities4.4 Challenges4.5 Macroeconomic Indicators4.6 Technology Trends & Assessment5. Market Factor Analysis5.1 Porters five Forces Analysis5.1.1 Bargaining Power of Suppliers5.1.2 Bargaining Power of Buyers5.1.3 Threat of New Entrants5.1.4 Threat of Substitutes5.1.5 Intensity of Rivalry5.2 Value Chain5.3 Investment Feasibility Analysis5.4 Price Factor Analysis6 Global Microsurgery Market, by Applications6.1 Introduction6.2 General Surgery6.3 Ophthalmology6.4 Plastic Surgery6.5 Gynecological Surgery6.6 Orthopedic Surgery6.7 Oncology6.8 Neurosurgery6.9 Oral & Maxillofacial Surgery6.10 Podiatric Surgery6.11 Pediatric Surgery.7 Global Microsurgery Market, by Procedures7.1 Introduction7.2 Free Tissue Transfer7.3 Replantation7.3.1 Fingers & Thumbs7.3.2 Ear7.3.3 Scalp7.3.4 Nose7.3.5 Others7.4 Transplantation7.5 Treatment of Infertility7.5.1 Tubal Obstructions7.5.2 Vas Deferens Obstructions7.5.3 Varicocele.8 Global Microsurgery Market, by End User8.1 Introduction8.2 Hospitals & Clinics8.3 Research Organizations8.4 Others9 Global Microsurgery Market by Region9.1 Introduction9.2 Americas9.2.1 North America9.2.1.1 US9.2.1.2 Canada9.2.2 Latin America9.3 Europe9.3.1 Western Europe9.3.1.1 Germany9.3.1.2 France9.3.1.3 UK9.3.1.4 Italy9.3.1.5 Spain9.3.1.6 Rest of Western Europe9.3.2 Eastern Europe9.4 Asia Pacific9.4.1 Japan9.4.2 China9.4.3 India9.4.4 Republic of Korea9.4.5 Australia9.4.6 Rest of Asia-Pacific9.5 The Middle East & Africa9.5.1 United Arab Emirates9.5.2 Saudi Arabia9.5.3 Oman9.5.4 Kuwait9.5.5 Qatar9.5.6 Rest of Middle East & AfricaAt Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash AnandP: +1 646 845 9312W:
Flexible Battery Market : Recent Industry Developments and Growth Strategies Adopted by Players

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The flexible battery market is presently at a nascent stage and is anticipated to rise rapidly with increasing research and development taking place in the field of battery technology. Huge investments from companies such as Panasonic Corp. and Samsung SDI Corp. Ltd. among others is expected to have a positive impact in the field of battery technology.Flexible batteries are light weight and easy to use and are increasingly used in products with limited internal space. As flexible battery are thin and bendable, they can be used as power sources on curved surfaces. Moreover, these batteries are eco-friendly and have low impact on the environment.The growth of global flexible battery market is driven by factors such as rising demand for IoT devices. Technological advancement in portable devices is expected to fuel growth of the global flexible battery market over the forecast period. Flexible batteries are used in portable devices as they can be adjusted in any size for different purposes.Obtain Report Details @The surging demand for wearable devices in the past few years is positively impacting the growth of this market. With innovation in wearable electronics, the demand for flexible power source with high performance that can be integrated into various products is expected to be on the rise.The global flexible battery market was valued at US$230.0 mn in 2016 and is expected to be worth US$2437.6 mn by 2025, rising at a CAGR of 32.9% between 2017 and 2025.The global flexible battery market is segmented in terms of chargeability into chargeable flexible battery and single use flexible battery. Of the two, the segment of chargeable flexible battery held the leading share in 2016 and is expected to retain its dominance during the forecast period.On the basis of product type, the market is segmented into thin film and printed battery, flexible zinc carbon battery, laminar lithium-polymer battery, and advanced lithium ion battery. Thin film and printed battery, among these, held the leading market share in 2016 and is anticipated to maintain its dominance over the forecast period.In terms of end user, the market is segmented into consumer electronics, smart packaging, healthcare, and transportation and logistics among others. Smart packaging displayed the leading demand for flexible batteries in 2016 accounting for 26.6% of revenue contribution.Make an Enquiry @On the basis of geography, the global flexible battery market is segmented into North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, the Middle East and Africa, and Latin America. In 2016, North America held the leading share of 32.5% in the market and was followed by Europe and Asia Pacific. The North America flexible battery market is predominantly driven by the U.S.Top companies operating in the global flexible battery market include Panasonic Corporation, LG Chem Ltd., Ultralife Corporation, Blue Spark Technology, NEC Energy Solutions Inc., ST Microelectronics N.V., Enfucell Oy, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., and Brightvolt Inc.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Airbag Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Takata, ZF TRW, Toyoda Gosei, KSS, Hyundai Mobis, and Others

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Global Airbag Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Takata, ZF TRW, Toyoda Gosei, KSS, Hyundai Mobis, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Airbag is a soft pillow to land against in a crash. Airbags can inflate in less than a tenth of a second to protect people from the forces of a head-on collision. Since introduced in the early 1980s, airbags have saved thousands of lives. Now, airbag has been a necessary part of automotive.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Airbag Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:AutolivTakataZF TRWToyoda GoseiKSSHyundai MobisNihon PlastAshimoriEast Joy LongGlobal Airbag Market: Key Product TypeDriver Front AirbagPassenger Front AirbagFront Side AirbagRear Side AirbagCenter AirbagKnee AirbagOthersGlobal Airbag Market: Key ApplicationPassenger VehicleCommercial VehicleGlobal Airbag Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Airbag Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Airbag Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Automotive Lighting Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Airbag Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Ophthalmoplegia Market is Expected to Grow at a Healthy CAGR of ~ 7.2 % during the Forecast Period 2017-2023

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Market Research Future has a half cooked research report on the global ophthalmoplegia market. Ophthalmoplegia Market is Expected to Grow at a Healthy CAGR of ~ 7.2 % during the Forecast Period 2017-2023Ophthalmoplegia Market Information: By Types (External Opthalmoplegia, Internuclear Opthalmoplegia), By Treatment (Surgery, Drug Treatment), By End Users (Hospital & Clinics, Ambulatory Clinics) - Global Forecast Till 2023Market HighlightsOphthalmoplegia refers to the condition of double or blurred vision due to damage of the ophthalmic nerves. It can be caused by congenital abnormalities, trauma, viral infections, or disorders that affect the nervous system including multiple sclerosis, cerebral tumors, and migraines. Diabetes is one of the major cause of ophthalmoplegia. Increasing prevalence of ophthalmoplegia, increasing geriatric population, and changing lifestyle are the major driver for the growth of the market. Moreover, increasing prevalence of diabetes & other neurological diseases, and increasing government support for research & development have fuelled the market growth. However, high cost of the treatment may hinder the growth of the market over the assessment period.The global ophthalmoplegia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 7.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Get a sample report atRegional AnalysisThe Americas account for a significant share of the market owing to the presence of huge geriatric and diabetic population. Additionally, high healthcare spending and the government support for research & development have fueled the market growth in this region.Europe is the second largest global ophthalmoplegia market followed by Asia Pacific.Asia Pacific is the fastest growing market for ophthalmoplegia. According to WHO, in India 41% of children and 45% of elderly people have visual impairment. Japan and Australia are the major contributor to the growth of the market owing to well-developed healthcare sector and high health care expenditure.The Middle East & Africa holds the lowest share in the market due to limited availability of medical facilities. Saudi Arabia, UAE, and Kuwait are expected to drive the Middle East & African market. Whereas, the African region is expected to witness a moderate growth.Taste the market data and market information presented through more than 90 market data tables and figures spread over 110 pages of the project report. Avail the in-depth table of content (TOC) & market synopsis on global ophthalmoplegia market research report  Forecast till 2023.SegmentationThe global ophthalmoplegia market has been segmented on the basis of types, treatments, and end users.On the basis of types, the market is segmented into external ophthalmoplegia and internuclear ophthalmoplegia. External ophthalmoplegia is further segmented into superior recti, inferior recti, medial recti, lateral recti, inferior oblique, and superior oblique muscles.On the basis of treatments, the market is segmented into surgery, drug treatment, and others. The surgery is further segmented into strabismus surgery and others.On the basis of end users the market is segmented into hospital & clinics, ambulatory clinics, and others.Key PlayersSome of key players profiled in the report are Abbott (US), Novartis AG (Switzerland), ZEISS International (Germany), Valeant Pharmaceuticals International, Inc. (US), Amritt, Inc. (US), Medline Industries, Inc. (US), ALLERGAN (Ireland), and Johnson & Johnson (US).Browse Complete Report atMarket ScenarioOphthalmoplegia, also referred as extra ocular muscle palsy, is a paralysis of the extra ocular muscles that control movements of eyes. In this condition, nerve fibers that coordinate both eyes in horizontal movements looking from side to side- are damaged. A number of devices and treatments are available in the market, which can cure or improve the eyesight of the patient. The Global ophthalmoplegia market is driven by increasing number of people with ophthalmoplegia and increasing geriatric population. According to the World Health Organization in 2010, about 250 million people of over 50 years were suffering from visual impairment. Around 80% people in many of the developing countries have eye sight problems; of which nearly 50% of the people are not able to take treatment due to huge cost of the surgeries. Increasing prevalence of eye sight affecting diseases, for instance, diabetes and rapid developments in technology have fuelled the growth of the market. On the other hand, high cost of the treatment and availability of cheap alternative treatment may slow the growth of the market.The global ophthalmoplegia market is expected to grow at a CAGR of ~ 7.2 % during the forecast period 2017-2023.Intended Audience Ophthalmic device manufacturers & suppliers Research and development (R&D) companies Hospitals and clinics Academic institutes and universitiesMake an Inquiry atThe report for the global ophthalmoplegia market by Market Research Future comprises of extensive primary research along with the detailed analysis of qualitative as well as quantitative aspects by various industry experts, key opinion leaders to gain a deeper insight of the market and industry performance. The report gives a clear picture of the current market scenario which includes past and estimated future market size with respect to value and volume, technological advancement, macro economical and governing factors in the market. The report provides detail information about and strategies used by top key players in the industry. The report also gives a broad study of the different market segments and regions.At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.MRFR team have supreme objective to provide the optimum quality market research and intelligence services to our clients. Our market research studies by products, services, technologies, applications, end users, and market players for global, regional, and country level market segments, enable our clients to see more, know more, and do more, which help to answer all their most important questions.In order to stay updated with technology and work process of the industry, MRFR often plans & conducts meet with the industry experts and industrial visits for its research analyst members.Akash AnandP: +1 646 845 9312W:
Cocoa Powder Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Cargill, Bunge, Barry Callebaut, Plot Ghana, and Others

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Global Cocoa Powder Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Cargill, Bunge, Barry Callebaut, Plot Ghana, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2022 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2017 to 2023, etc.Cocoa beans, also known as cocoa sub-beans, is the fruit of the cocoa tree grow out of the seeds. Fruit ripening period of 4 to 6 months, mature twice a year, the main harvest period from October to December.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Cocoa Powder Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:ADMCargillBungeBarry CallebautPlot GhanaDutch CocoaCocoa Processing Company LimitedIndcresaBlommerJB Foods LimitedGlobal Cocoa Powder Market: Key Product TypeNatural Cocoa PowderDutch-processed Cocoa PowderGlobal Cocoa Powder Market: Key ApplicationChocolateBeverageDessertsGlobal Cocoa Powder Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Cocoa Powder Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Cocoa Powder Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Automotive Lighting Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Cocoa Powder Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Lithium Ion Cell Battery Pack Market : Structure and Overview of Key Market Forces Propelling Market

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The lithium ion cell and battery pack market is gaining momentum as lithium-ion batteries offer advantages of higher efficiency and longer lifespan over other batteries such as lead acid ones. The rising demand for electronics with improved battery life and superior performance is expected to stir demand for lithium-ion batteries among manufacturers of consumer electronics.The increasing use of lithium ion batteries in barcode and RFID scanners due to their high energy density is also influencing the growth of lithium ion cell and battery packs market.However, factors such as high prices of lithium-ion batteries that make them unsustainable for prolonged use such as in electric vehicles and their lower thermal stability are restraining the markets growth.Obtain Report Details @The global lithium ion cell and battery pack market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 12.0% between 2017 and 2025. The market stood at a valuation of US$32.17 bn in 2016 and is expected to reach a valuation of US$88.92 bn by 2025.In terms of power capacity, the lithium ion cell and battery pack market has been segmented into 5-25 Wh, 48-95 Wh, 18-28 KWh, 100-250 KWh, more than 300 KWh. Among these, 100-250 KWh stood as the most attractive segment in 2016 based on power capacity. The growth of this segment is primarily driven by demand for high capacity batteries for specific applications such as in high loading electric vehicles.By application, the market has been segmented into consumer electronics, medical, automotive, grid energy, and industrial among others. Consumer electronics leads the lithium ion cell and battery pack market with the segment holding 57.5% of the market in 2016.Make an Enquiry @North America, Asia Pacific, Europe, Latin America, and the Middle East and Africa are the segments into which the lithium ion cell and battery pack market is divided based on geography. In 2016, Asia Pacific contributed the leading revenue of almost 72.3% to the overall market in 2016.Some of the top companies operating in the global lithium ion cell and battery pack market are Panasonic Corporation, Samsung SDI Co. Ltd., Toshiba Corporation, Hitachi Chemical Co. Ltd., Automotive Energy Supply Corporation, GS Yuasa International Ltd., Johnson Controls Inc., Shenzhen BAK Battery Co. Ltd., Future Hi-Tech Batteries Limited, Tianjin Lishen Battery Co. Ltd., Hunan Shanshan Toda Advanced Materials Co. Ltd., LG Chem, Power Inc., Amperex Technology Ltd., and Pulaed Technology Industry Co. Ltd. among others.Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Ion Beam Technology Market : Future Forecast Assessed on the basis of how the Market is Predicted to Grow

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Ion beam technology is an advanced technique which is primarily used across materials science, semiconductor industry and also increasingly utilized in biological field for ablation and deposition of materials and for site specific analysis.While the mainstream application of ion beam systems remains within the semiconductor industry, the usage of these instruments has expanded to other application areas such as geology, forensics, biology, pharmaceuticals, composites, ceramics, and metallurgy.Moreover, new advancements are being constantly developed for nanotechnology and materials characterization. This vast range of applications is expected to provide the global ion beam technology market vast scope of development in the next few years.Transparency Market Research estimates that the market will exhibit a promising CAGR of 7.2% from 2017 to 2025, rising from a valuation of US$367.0 mn in 2016 to US$679.1 mn by 2025.Obtain Report Details @The report segments the key applications of the ion beam technology into frequency trimming of bulk acoustic wave (BAW) filter, surface trimming of surface acoustic wave (SAW) filter, thickness and pole width correction of thin film recording head, and coating of dielectric film.Of these, the use of the ion beam technology for coating of dielectric films accounted for a significant share of 32% of the overall market in 2016 and is expected to continue to lead over the reports forecast period as well, exhibiting a promising 7.5% CAGR from 2017 to 2025.The segments of frequency trimming of BAW filters and surface trimming of SAW filters, collectively holding a massive share in the market, are expected to witness healthy growth over the forecast period.Make an Enquiry @In terms of geography, the global ion beam technology market is presently dominated by Asia Pacific. The regional market held a massive 46.2% of the overall market in 2016 and is expected to remain at the forefront of all future development of the global market over the next few years. Growth of the Asia Pacific market will be attributed chiefly to the extensive research and development activities witnessed in the field of ion beam technology with the view of overcoming its limitations.North America, the second-leading contributor of revenue to the global market in 2016, is expected to benefit from the rapid technological advancements in the field of consumer electronics.Some of the leading players operating in the global ion beam technology market are Veeco Instruments Inc. (New York), Scia Systems GmbH (Germany), Hitachi High-Technologies Corporation (Japan), and Canon Anelva Corporation (Japan).Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.Transparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Optical Microscope Market Report for Period 2017 till 2023 Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Motic, Novel Optics, and Others

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Global Optical Microscope Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Olympus, Nikon, Leica, Motic, Novel Optics, and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2017 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2018 to 2023, etc.The optical microscope, often referred to as light microscope, is a type of microscope which uses visible light and a system of lenses to magnify images of small samples. The global Optical Microscope market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2023Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Optical Microscope Market 2017 atTop Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Carl ZeissOlympusNikonLeicaMoticNovel OpticsSunnyGLOOptecLissviewLiooChongqing Optic-ElectricalGlobal Optical Microscope Market: Key Product TypeMonocularBinocularTrinocularGlobal Optical Microscope Market: Key ApplicationHospitalSchoolLaboratoryOthersGlobal Optical Microscope Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Optical Microscope Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Optical Microscope Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Automotive Lighting Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Optical Microscope Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market Report for Period 2011 till 2023 Panasonic Corporation, Microlife,Rossmax, NISSEI, Welch Allyn, Andon, Yuwell, Kingyield, Pango, Boumi, Haier, GE Healthcare and Others

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Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Panasonic Corporation, OMRON, Microlife, Healthandlife, Rossmax, NISSEI, Welch Allyn, Gracemedical, Andon, Yuwell, Kingyield, Pango, Boumi, Haier, GE Healthcare, Citizen, A&D and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2011 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2011 to 2023, etc.A blood pressure monitor is a device composed of an inflatable cuff that may be manually or electrically operated and a manometer for measuring blood pressure. Digital monitors are easily operated at the touch of a button and display data on a digital screen. Manual devices are often still used but mostly require medical expertise to operate.The global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The objective of report is to define, segment, and project the market on the basis of product type, application, and region, and to describe the content about the factors influencing market dynamics, policy, economic, technology and market entry etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:OMRONA&DMicrolifeHealthandlifeRossmaxPanasonic CorporationNISSEICitizenWelch AllynGracemedicalAndonYuwellKingyieldPangoBoumiHaierGE HealthcareOthersGlobal Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market: Key Product TypeSphygmomanometerBlood Pressure MonitorGlobal Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market: Key ApplicationHospitalClinicHomeOthersGlobal Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Blood Pressure Monitoring Devices Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
BOSTON, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BOSTON (Sept. 7, 2017)  In order to increase the flexibility and efficiency with which districts and schools can administer adaptive reading assessment, Lexia Learning, a Rosetta Stone company, has made the Lexia RAPID Assessment literacy program available on iPad with the RAPID iOS app. The computer-adaptive screener and diagnostic tool for grades K-12 is now available on the App Store.

Many school districts we work with requested a version of RAPID for iPad, said Lexia President Nick Gaehde. Now educators have the option of using RAPID on either a browser or an iPad. This will provide greater ease of administration, increased accessibility for younger students and a powerful complement to our Lexia Reading Core5 literacy instruction program which also is available as an app.

Administered up to three times a year, RAPID efficiently screens the skills most predictive of end-of-year reading success. Setting it apart from other screening assessments, RAPID discretely measures the academic language skills that play a significant role in overall reading comprehension, particularly as students transition from learning to read to reading to learn. In addition, RAPID provides educators with actionable data that identifies literacy instructional priorities at the district, school, class, and student level.

Morgen Owings Elementary School in the state of Washington is one of the many schools that have benefitted from how RAPIDs immediately available data empowers their teachers to align literacy instruction to address students identified strengths and weaknesses in word recognition, academic language, and reading comprehension. Just like in many schools and districts around the country  we too, had assessment fatigue and frustration over which was the best method for evaluating reading progress, said Principal Heidi Busk. What we now know is that when assessments are properly administered and integrated into instruction, the resulting data can provide teachers with valuable information to support student learning, and this is what Lexia has given us.

Additional information about Lexia RAPID Assessment can be found at http://www.lexialearning.com/ solutions/literacy-assessment-k-12.

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Lexia Learning, a division of Rosetta Stone, empowers educators through adaptive assessment and personalized instruction. For more than 30 years, the company has been on the leading edge of research and product development as it relates to student reading skills. With a robust offering that includes solutions for differentiated instruction, personalized learning and assessment, Lexia Learning provides educators with the tools to intensify and accelerate literacy skills development for students of all abilities. For more information, visit www.lexialearning.com .
Calcium Hypochlorite Market Report for Period 2011 till 2023 Lonza, Axiall, Barchemicals, Nippon Soda, Tosoh, Weilite, Nanke, Yufeng, Kaifeng, Jiansheng, Xinze, Huanghua Kaifeng, Ruifuxin, Nankai Chemical and Others

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Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Salt & Chemical Complex, Lonza, Axiall, Barchemicals, Nippon Soda, Tosoh, Weilite, Nanke, Yufeng, Kaifeng, Jiansheng, Xinze, Huanghua Kaifeng, Ruifuxin, Nankai Chemical, Sree Rayalaseema Hi-Strength Hypo and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2011 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2011 to 2023, etc.Calcium hypochlorite is an inorganic compound with formula Ca(ClO)2. It is sold as a white, solide concentrate in granular, tablet or briquette form with a distinct chlorine odor. Calcium hypochlorite is widely used as a disinfectant and bleaching agent. It is considered more stable and has greater available chlorine than sodium hypochlorite (liquid bleach).The global Calcium Hypochlorite market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The objective of report is to define, segment, and project the market on the basis of product type, application, and region, and to describe the content about the factors influencing market dynamics, policy, economic, technology and market entry etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:LonzaAxiallBarchemicalsNippon SodaTosohNankai ChemicalSree Rayalaseema Hi-Strength HypoWeiliteSalt & Chemical ComplexNankeYufengKaifengJianshengXinzeHuanghua KaifengRuifuxinOthersGlobal Calcium Hypochlorite Market: Key Product TypeCalcium ProcessSodium ProcessGlobal Calcium Hypochlorite Market: Key ApplicationWater Treating AgentBleachOthersGlobal Calcium Hypochlorite Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Calcium Hypochlorite Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Carpet Market Report for Period 2011 till 2023 Mohawk, Milliken, Beaulieu, Oriental Weavers, Asditan, Astra, Interface, DINARSU, Infloor, Desso, The Dixie Group, Brintons, Debomat, Dongsheng, Jiangsu Kaili and Others

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Global Carpet Market report provides detailed analysis of companies namely Shaw Industries, Mohawk, Milliken, Beaulieu, Oriental Weavers, Asditan, Astra, Interface, DINARSU, Balta, Infloor, Desso, Arte Espina, The Dixie Group, Brintons, Debomat, Dongsheng, Jiangsu Kaili and Others. This report study includes global market statistics and analysis for example, company performance, historical analysis 2012 to 2016, market forecast 2011 to 2023 in terms of volume, revenue, YOY growth rate, and CAGR for the year 2011 to 2023, etc.Carpets are made of cotton, hemp, wool, silk, grass yarn and other natural fiber or chemical fiber raw materials, by hand or mechanical process knitting, planting cashmere or textiles from the ground bedding. It is the world with a long history of one of the traditional arts and crafts category. It can reduce the noise, heat insulation and decorative effect to improve the foot feeling, prevent slipping and prevent air pollution. It can cover the floor of the house, hotel, hotel, conference room, recreation place, gymnasium, exhibition hall, vehicle, ship and plane. The internal use of residential areas for the kitchen, bedroom, bedside, coffee table sofa, bathroom, living room.The global Carpet market will reach Volume Million USD in 2017 with CAGR xx% 2018-2023. The objective of report is to define, segment, and project the market on the basis of product type, application, and region, and to describe the content about the factors influencing market dynamics, policy, economic, technology and market entry etc.Request for Free Sample Copy of Global Carpet Market 2017Top Company Profiles and Analysis included in this report:Shaw IndustriesMohawkMillikenBeaulieuOriental WeaversAsditanAstraInterfaceDINARSUBaltaInfloorDessoArte EspinaThe Dixie GroupBrintonsDebomatDongshengJiangsu KailiOthersGlobal Carpet Market: Key Product TypePure wool carpetChemical fiber carpetPlastic carpetGlobal Carpet Market: Key ApplicationCommercial carpetHousehold carpetIndustrial carpetGlobal Carpet Market: Key RegionAsia-PacificNorth AmericaEuropeSouth AmericaMiddle East & AfricaThe Global Carpet Market analysis report provides detailed value chain for analysis of Global Carpet Market. The value chain helps to analyze major upstream in raw materials, major equipments, manufacturing process, downstream customer analysis and major distributor analysis.The report also covers in-depth description, competitive scenario, wide product portfolio of prime players active in this market and business strategies adopted by competitors along with their SWOT analysis. Side by side, it also explicitly provides information about mergers, acquisitions, joint ventures, and all the other important activities happened in current and past few years. The Global Carpet Market report explores manufacturers competitive scenario and provides market share for all major players of this market based on production capacity, sales, revenue, geographical presence and other major factors.Enquire before Buying @Global Carpet Market Research Industry Report is prepared with the help of extensive primary and secondary sources, directories, journals, newsletters and with the help of third-party application like Hoovers, Factiva, Bloomberg, Businessweek, etc.About Us:Market Reports Company is a global research and consulting company. We provide customized reports. We can study and analyze any market based on wide range of parameters. We can provide market insights for any particular region, country across the globe within shortest possible turn around time.What we offer: Customized Reports: we provide customized report study on any market or industry. Region Specific Study: If you need region specific or if you are searching for particular region market study then, we have expert research team for that. How we work: We work in all domains and industries, you name it and we provide the market research industry report analysis of it. Expertise: Superior Research Team, 24*7 Customer Care ServiceContact UsJason Smith,Sales Manager, Global Business Development,Website:Email: jasonsmith@marketreportscompany.comContact us: +1-888-220-3424Address: 20 N State Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60602 United States
Uterine Fibroids Treatment Market | Technological breakthroughs, Value chain and stakeholder analysis by 2024

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The U.S. Uterine Fibroids Market shows a strong presence of players. The top three players in the market are Boston Scientific Corporation, Smith & Nephew, and Hologic, Inc., who hold a share of nearly 50% in the overall market. The players are focused mergers and acquisitions to broaden their product portfolio and integration of knowledge base. To remain dominant players are anticipated to lay emphasis on product differentiation. The report published by Transparency Market Research states that the U.S. uterine fibroid treatment market was valued at US$211.6 mn in 2015 and is expected to be worth US$273.6 mn by the end of 2024. During the forecast years of 2016 and 2024, the overall market is anticipated to progress at a CAGR of 2.9%.View Report-Hysterectomy Segment to Lead Global MarketOut of all the procedures, the hysterectomy segment is showing a promise of good growth rate in the near future. This segment is projected to account for a share of 79.6% by the end of 2016. The benefits of hysterectomy such as alleviation of pelvic pain, excessive menstrual bleeding, and physical morbidity are driving this segment. Furthermore, hospitals will emerge as the leading end users of uterine fibroid treatment options in the coming years. By the end of 2016, the hospitals segment is projected to account for a share of 67.1% in the U.S. uterine fibroids treatment market.Technological Advancements in Minimally Invasive Surgeries Augurs Well for MarketThe introduction of a minimally invasive surgeries to treat the excruciatingly painful uterine fibroids is expected boost the markets growth in the coming years. Advantages of such procedures such as minimal recovery time, reduced chances of infections, and shorter hospital stays are also encouraging patients and hospitals to choose these treatments, states the lead author of this research report. The market is also benefitting from the regulatory approvals being granted to newer types of treatment and surgeries. Thus, the introduction of newer technologies that offer efficient results is creating a positive influence on the U.S. uterine fibroids market. The remarkable changes in technology have also played their supportive part in the growth of the market over the past few years. For instance, Halt Medical, Inc. introduced Acessa Guidance System in 2016. This technology enhances the radiofrequency ablation and electromagnetic tracking technology to treat uterine myomas laparoscopically.The supportive reimbursement policies are also expected to augment the demand for uterine fibroids treatment in the near future. Favorable policies are helping the patients to cover their expenses in hospitals as well the ones incurred in ambulatory surgical centers. Statistics state that there are 20% to 40% chances of development of uterine fibroids in women around the age of 35. Thus, the high prevalence of uterine fibroids amongst women in the reproductive age bracket has become the very basis of the growth of this market. Furthermore, African American women are more likely to develop fibroids, which is also a key population base contributing to the steady rise in the revenue of the U.S. uterine fibroids market.Request to download and view full ToC -Possibility of Complications due to Procedures Tugs at Market in Opposite DirectionThe uterine fibroids treatment market is likely to be hampered by the announcement made by the FDA that power morcellators can lead to complications such as spreading metastatic leiomyosarcoma cancer tissue. Availability of wide range of alternative treatments is also anticipated to hinder the markets growth in the near future. The market is also being restrained by the possibility of urinary tract injury while performing minimally invasive procedures.Request to view Sample Report -About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR syndicated research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemicals, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, TMRs syndicated reports strive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics Market | Evolving Technology, Trends and industry Analysis  2024

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The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is marked by intense competition, which is likely to remain an unchanging feature of the market in the coming years. Leading players in the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market include Michelson Diagnostic Ltd., Strata Skin Sciences, GSK, Galderma, Agfa-Gevaert, AbbVie, and Janssen Biotech. These seven companies collectively accounted for more than 96% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain dominant shares in the market in the coming years. Expansion of geographical outreach and establishment of widespread distribution networks is likely to be a key competitive tactic for players in the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market.The global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market was valued at more than US$18.5 bn in 2015 and is likely to rise to around US$21 bn by 2024. The dermatology therapeutics market is by far the dominant component of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market and is likely to rise to a valuation of more than US$20 bn by 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology diagnostic devices market is likely to exhibit a robust CAGR of 7.1% between 2016 and 2024 and is expected to rise in valuation from US$595.6 mn to US$1,095.1 mn.View Report-North America to Remain Leading Contributor to Dermatology Diagnostic Devices and Therapeutics MarketRegionally, North America is likely to dominate the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the steady presence of a number of major healthcare sector players in the region. North America is expected to account for 46.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market by 2024. The steady support to innovation in the medical sector in North America is also likely to remain a key driver for the North America dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.Within the dermatology diagnostic devices market, imaging equipment is likely to remain the leading contributor to the global market, with the segment expected to exhibit a strong 7.4% CAGR between 2016 and 2024. On the other hand, the dermatology therapeutics market is dominated by antibacterial therapeutics, as bacterial dermal infections are becoming a common concern around the world and are likely to lead to consistent demand from the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market. Antibacterial therapeutics accounted for 28.4% of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in 2015 and are likely to retain a dominant share through the forecast period.Request to download and view full ToCRising Air Pollution Likely to Contribute to Rising Prevalence of Dermatological ProblemsOne of the key drivers for the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market is the rising concerns regarding air pollution in developed regions. Rising air pollution has led to a steady increase in the prevalence of dermatological conditions and is likely to play a key role in the development of the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years due to the rapid pace of urbanization and industrialization across the world.The rising geriatric population is also likely to aid growth of the global dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years. Anti-aging products already constitute a key part of the global cosmetics sector and are likely to contribute significantly to the dermatology diagnostic devices and therapeutics market in the coming years.Request to view Sample Report:About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMRs experienced team of analysts, researchers, and consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.US Office Contact90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
E Commerce Automotive Aftermarket Market: Technological Advancements to Propel Market Growth

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Currently, the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket market is fragmented in nature on account of the presence of a large number of small, medium, and large players. Fuelling the market majorly is the growing number of do-it-yourself (DIY) consumers, who assemble purchased parts themselves. Since, such DIY customers do not require installation services for products purchased, they mostly purchase auto parts through online platform.Besides that, the e-commerce platforms also serve as service aggregators to provide quality and price assurance to the customers. Various requirements and numerous product specifications in automotive aftermarket market makes it difficult for customers to estimate the cost of services or a product. The e-commerce platform helps to solve this problem by making it easy for customers to compare products and prices.Also helping to catalyze growth in the e-commerce automotive aftermarket is the foray of aftermarket manufacturers in e-commerce. B2C sales channel eliminates the need for middlemen and helps manufacturers sell auto parts directly to the end user. It also aids them in reaching out to a large number of consumers without having to establish brick and mortar stores. This results in cost benefits which are ultimately passed on to customers.A report by Transparency Market Research forecasts the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket market to register a robust 24.2% CAGR from 2017 to 2025 to become worth US$227.165 bn by the end of the forecast period from US$32.723 bn in 2016.Browse Our Report @The different types of products purveyed in the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket market are interior accessories, exterior accessories, performance parts, wheels and tires, tools and garage, auto body parts, oil, and coolants and fluids, among others such as paints and custom modifications. The wheels and tires segment, among them, is slated to hold a dominant share of about 30.5% share in the market in 2017. In terms of growth rate, the oil and coolants and fluids segments are predicted to outpace all others in the next couple of years.From a geographical standpoint, North America leads the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket. Various brick and mortar stores in North America leverage third party e-commerce platform to sell their products along with their own e-commerce portal. In fact, numerous e-commerce players in North America are providing additional information and installation guides to customers to increase the number of do-it-yourself (DYI) customers. The U.S. and Canada are the two leading markets in North America.Europe is another key market that is propelled by the growth in m-commerce  which accords a greater degree of flexibility and personalization  spending by Europeans. E-commerce platform players can market their product more efficiently through smartphone apps. Smartphone adoption rate in Europe is 60.4% with Sweden and the U.K. leading.Brochure With Latest Advancements With Application @Asia Pacific is another attractive e-commerce automotive aftermarket market because of the presence of e-commerce giants such as Amazon.com, Inc., Alibaba Group, Flipkart Internet Private Limited, and E-bay Inc. Among them, Alibaba and Amazon have different business models and together account for a sizeable proportion of the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket market in Asia Pacific region. Other factors serving to boost the market in the region are initiatives such as Digital India and availability of multiple electronic payment systems such as Paytm.Some of the prominent participants in the global e-commerce automotive aftermarket market are Alibaba Group, Advance Auto Parts, Amazon.com, Inc., American Tire Distributors Holdings, Inc., U.S. Auto Parts Network, Inc., Auto Zone, Inc, Denso Corporation, EBay Inc., Pep Boys, National Automotive Parts Association, and Tire Rack.About UsTransparency Market Research (TMR) is a market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. We have an experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, who us e proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather, and analyze information. Our business offerings represent the latest and the most reliable information indispensable for businesses to sustain a competitive edge.Each TMR Syndicated Research report covers a different sector  such as pharmaceuticals, chemical, energy, food & beverages, semiconductors, med-devices, consumer goods and technology. These reports provide in-depth analysis and deep segmentation to possible micro levels. With wider scope and stratified research methodology, our syndicated reports thrive to provide clients to serve their overall research requirement.ContactTransparency Market Research90 State Street, Suite 700Albany, NY 12207Tel: +1-518-618-1030USA  Canada Toll Free: 866-552-3453Email: sales@transparencymarketresearch.comWebsite:
Researchers at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen have developed a new method for reconstructing continuous biological processes, such as disease progression, using image data. The study was published in Nature Communications.---Modern life sciences generate a constantly growing amount of data in shorter and shorter cycles. Making such data controllable and suitable for evaluation is the objective of Dr. Dr. Alexander Wolf and his colleagues at the Helmholtz Zentrum Munchens Institute of Computational Biology (ICB). With this in mind, the researchers are attempting to develop software that handles this evaluation. But of course there are various hurdles to clear.In the current study, we dealt with the problem that software cannot assign image data to continuous processes, explains study leader Wolf. For example, it is possible to classify image information according to clearly defined categories, but in disease progression and developmental biology, the limits are quickly reached because the processes are continuous and not individual steps.In order to take this into account, the Helmholtz team employed methods from so-called Deep Learning* (i.e. machine learning processes). Using artificial neural networks, we can now combine individual pictures into processes and additionally display them in a way that humans understand, say Philipp Eulenberg and Niklas Kohler, former Masters students at the ICB and the studys first authors.Blood cells and retinas as sparring partnersIn order to demonstrate the methods capability, the scientists selected two examples. In the first approach, the software reconstructed the continuous cell cycle of white blood cells using images from an imaging flow cytometer (producing pictures in a fluorescence microscope). A further advantage of this examination is that our software is so fast that it is possible to extract the cell development on the fly, meaning while the analysis in the cytometer is still running, explains Wolf. In addition, our software makes six times less errors than previous approaches.In the second experiment, the researchers reconstructed the progress of diabetic retinopathy.** We did this by feeding our software 30,000 individual images of retinas as sparring partners, so to speak, explains Niklas Kohler. Since it automatically compiles these data into a continuous process, the software allows us to predict the disease progression on a continuous scale.And if the data are not part of a continuous biological process? In such a case, the software recognizes that individual categories are involved and assigns the measured data to individual clusters, Wolf explains. In addition to further applications for the method, in the future Wolf and his colleagues want to solve other problems involving the evaluation of biological data using machine learning.Further Information* Deep Learning algorithms simulate the learning processes in people using artificial neural networks. The principle functions particularly well when large quantities of data (Big Data) are available for training. Image recognition is one of Deep Learning's strengths. More decision layers are placed between the input and the output than usually found in neuronal networks, which is why the term "deep" is used.** Diabetic retinopathy is the main cause of early vision loss in the Western world. The diagnosis is usually made by an expert, who assigns it to one of the four stages healthy, mild, medium and severe. Working with 8,000 images, the software was able to describe the progression or increasing severity of the disease without being provided with the ordering information.Background:Alex Wolf and the team recently took one of the top places in the Data Science Bowl, one of the worlds highest endowed competitions in Big Data. For their entry, the team programmed an algorithm that recognizes lung cancer on the basis of 300 slices from a three-dimensional computer tomography scan in less than a few milliseconds, a process that can take a radiologist several hours in the worst case.The ICB also deals with the subject of Deep Learning in other contents: The scientists recently introduced an algorithm in Nature Methods that predicts hematopoietic stem cell development. In the video Deep Learning Predicts Stem Cell Development, they explain how this works.Original Publication:Eulenberg, P. et al. (2017): Reconstructing cell cycle and disease progression using deep learning. Nature Communications, DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-00623-3The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen, the German Research Center for Environmental Health, pursues the goal of developing personalized medical approaches for the prevention and therapy of major common diseases such as diabetes and lung diseases. To achieve this, it investigates the interaction of genetics, environmental factors and lifestyle. The Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen is headquartered in Neuherberg in the north of Munich and has about 2,300 staff members. It is a member of the Helmholtz Association, a community of 18 scientific-technical and medical-biological research centers with a total of about 37,000 staff members.The Institute of Computational Biology (ICB) develops and applies methods for the model-based description of biological systems, using a data-driven approach by integrating information on multiple scales ranging from single-cell time series to large-scale omics. Given the fast technological advances in molecular biology, the aim is to provide and collaboratively apply innovative tools with experimental groups in order to jointly advance the understanding and treatment of common human diseases.Contact for the media:Department of Communication, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel. +49 89 3187 2238 - Fax: +49 89 3187 3324 - E-mail:Scientific Contact:Dr. Dr. Alexander Wolf, Helmholtz Zentrum Munchen - German Research Center for Environmental Health, Institute of Computational Biology, Ingolstadter Landstr. 1, 85764 Neuherberg - Tel. +49 89 3187 4217, E-mail:Quelle: idw
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Kuhne Logistics University - Wissenschaftliche Hochschule fur Logistik und Unternehmensfuhrung (KLU) in Hamburg was granted the right to confer PhD degrees on September 7, 2017. The Hamburg Senate adopted the relevant resolution in a session on August 8, 2017. Of the 118 private universities in Germany, only 14 are permitted to confer their own PhDs  and now KLU is one of them.---Upon granting us the right to confer PhD degrees, the Hamburg Senate drew the logical consequence from our constant top performance in research and teaching. Its approval has put us in the premium segment of academic education, said Dr. Thomas Strothotte, president of Kuhne Logistics University. Since KLU was founded seven years ago, we have been working consistently and single-mindedly to obtain this right. And in the past three years, all our appointments have been targeted to this major goal.Katharina Fegebank, Senator for Science, Research, and Equal Rights, said: I am pleased that KLU has now officially received the right to confer PhD degrees. For its unflagging, successful work in recent years, the university has truly earned that right  I would like to express my congratulations. This is a very special honor for a private university and is one more indication of KLUs value. In addition to the students and young academics, Hamburg as a location for science and academia will also benefit from this new jewel in its academic crown because its reputation will grow.The latest addition to KLUs scientific profile also had a positive influence on the Senates decision. As a result of its partnership with Bucerius Law School, the Hasso Plattner Institute, and the Kiel Institute for the World Economy, KLU has expanded its interdisciplinary network. The university specialized in logistics and supply chain management also maintains interdisciplinary relationships with other universities in Germany and abroad.Now that it has the right to confer doctorate degrees, KLU will be able to produce its own Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) in Management and Doctors of Philosophy (PhD) in Political Science and Economics. The PhD degree program at KLU is designed to last four years. In the first two years, the candidates will take courses and begin their research. During the second half of the program, they must write at least three scientific articles for professional journals.KLU has plenty of experience supervising doctoral candidates. However, it had to rely on partner universities to actually confer the degree. The university has worked most closely with Leuphana University of Luneburg in this regard and plans to continue the partnership in the future. The University of Hamburg, Hamburg University of Technology and abroad, the University of Groningen, Rotterdam School of Management, and Copenhagen Business School are all partners of KLU.Currently there are 25 candidates in various stages of their PhD candidacy at KLU. Eight candidates have already completed their dissertations.-------------------------------About KLUKuhne Logistics University  Wissenschaftliche Hochschule fur Logistik und Unternehmensfuhrung (KLU) is a private university located in Hamburg's HafenCity. The independent, state-certified university focuses on the areas of logistics and management. With one BSc and four MSc degree programs, a PhD program, and a part-time Executive MBA, KLU offers its 275 full-time students a high level of specialization and excellent learning conditions. In open, customized management seminar series, industry specialists and managers benefit from the application of academic findings to practical issues.KLU has an international team of 23 professors who teach in English. The programs are oriented toward students from Germany and abroad. Research at KLU is concentrated on the Key Competence Areas of Digital Transformation, Creating Value, and Sustainability for the benefit of transportation, global logistics, and supply chain management.The most recent Handelsblatt rankings identify KLU as one of the leading research universities in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland based on research output per professor. In the newest CHE university rankings, KLU obtained the highest ranking in all major criteria.For more information, visit. Or follow us on Twitter: @THE_KLU.Press contact:Kristina BrummerPR ManagerPhone: +49 40 32 87 07-152Quelle: idw
Mikhail Eremets from the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry is honored for his accomplishments in high-pressure research with the Bridgman Award and demonstrates progress in synthesizing metallic hydrogen.---Mainz, September 6, 2017The Mainz-based physicist Mikhail I. Eremets was honored with the Bridgman Awarded during the 26th Conference of the International Association for the Advancement of High Pressure Science and Technology (AIRAPT). The prize, one of the most prestigious in the field of high-pressure sciences, was awarded mid-August in the Chinese capital Beijing. Eremets received the award for his excellent work and technical developments in the field of high-pressure research.Mikhail Eremets has been researching at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz since 2001. He leads the 'High-Pressure Chemistry and Physics' Group, which studies matter under extremely high pressures. In the summer of 2015 he published a scientific paper in the high valued journal Nature, in which he describes how hydrogen sulfide conducts electricity with no resistance at 70 degrees Celsius and a pressure of 1.5 million bar. This represented not only a superconductivity record for Eremets himself, but also points the way to a possible new method for the loss-free transmission of electricity at room temperature.Mikhail Eremets is currently working on the important subject metallic hydrogen. Recently, he published a paper (arXiv:1708.05217), in which he shows that his team may have already achieved a metallic hydrogen state. In the experiments, however, hydrogen does not abruptly transition to the atomic metallic state, as was predicted more than 80 years ago. Instead, it remains in molecular form and only gradually changes from a semimetallic state into a metal when the pressure is increased. The next aim of Mikhail Eremets' team is to achieve pressures greater than five million bar, at which point metallic hydrogen should become a high-temperature superconductor.VitaeMichail Ivanovitsch Eremets was born in 1949 in the Pinsk region of Belarus. He studied physics at the Moscow Engineering Physics Institute and gained his doctorate in 1978 at Moscow's Institute of General Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences. He went on to perform research at the High-pressure Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Troitsk, where he eventually headed the high-pressure physics department as director. After 1991 he worked in the world's leading high-pressure laboratories: France (Paris University), Japan (NIMS and Osaka University), USA (Geophysical Laboratory), UK (Clarendon Laboratory) and others. From 2001 until today, Mikhail Eremets has been researching at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry in Mainz, Germany, and leads the 'High-pressure Chemistry and Physics' Working Group. In 2010, he was awarded the European Research Council's 'Advanced Grant' for research into conductive and metallic hydrogen, which is endowed with1.9 million euros. The Rome International Center for Materials Science of Superstripes (RICMASS) awarded him the Ugo Fano Medal in late 2015 for his basic research work in the field of high-pressure chemistry and for discovering the superconductivity of hydrogen sulfide at record temperatures. In January 2016, he was awarded an honoris cause doctorate by the University of Leipzig.Bridgman AwardThe International Association for the Advancement of High Pressure Science and Technology (AIRAPT) grants the Bridgman Award every two years on outstanding scientists in the field of high-pressure research. The prize is named after the US physicist Percy Williams Bridgman. Bridgman was awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1946 for his work in the field of high-pressure physics. He was one of the founders of modern high-pressure research.Quelle: idw
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The International Student Lifestyle Survey finds increasingly stressed students value universities for being welcoming and rank a friendly atmosphere as most important to university selection process

Paris, France/Gaithersburg, Maryland, Sept. 7, 2017-Sodexo, world leader in quality of life services, today released its first-ever International Student Lifestyle Survey, which surveyed 4,000 students in three continents for insights about ways to improve quality of life along students' academic journeys.

The report is intended to drive an understanding of university students around the world and to help universities provide new offerings, living arrangements and studying spaces that alleviate students' stress about studies, finances and/or careers after graduation.

The survey of undergraduates in the U.S., U.K., China, India, Italy and Spain, which can be downloaded here, took students' pulse on everything from what most influences their decision about where to attend university, to who is paying for their accommodations, to how much they're exercising and sleeping, to their career plans (or lack thereof). The responses about the four stages of a student's lifecycle-pre-arrival, arrival, living and departure-provide insight into universal student experiences and into those experiences where national culture and expectations make an enormous difference.

Patrick Connolly, CEO of Schools and Universities Worldwide, said: "The college and university industry is changing rapidly, in part because the expectations of Generation Z are much more fluid, varying quite a bit among student populations and from country to country. Our survey affirmed Sodexo's understanding of this generation as more worldly and interested in campus services and opportunities that help them live a fast-paced, stress-free lifestyle. Universities that reconfigure their operational model to suit these expectations will be much more effective at alleviating some of the mental, sociological and economic pressures that students around the world say they are under."

Additional key global findings include:

Overall quality of life? Just OK. Across the six countries surveyed, most students report medium stress levels, medium levels of wellbeing and medium to high-quality living arrangements (supporting numerous third-party assessments of Gen Z as the most anxious generation to date). And overall, students report being especially stressed out in their first month by the newness of university and adjusting to the differences between high school and university studies.

The worries and concerns of the average student vary significantly based on the country they study in. When it comes to which services are most attractive, U.S students are concerned about finances and how to minimize debt, while students in the U.K. prioritize facilities that support an active social life. India is more focused on studying, while China is concerned with both social life and ease of daily life.

Students consider both immediate priorities and long-term implications when selecting a university: When deciding which college to attend, a friendly atmosphere is the most important factor, mentioned by 78 percent of students. Reputation and ranking is almost as important, cited by three-quarters of respondents. Further, students value internet research about colleges (72 percent) more than advice from parents (62 percent), teachers (57 percent) and friends (49 percent).

There's a global appetite to learn stress management and money management skills: Dealing with stress is the skill students most want to learn (50 percent), with money management a close second (48 percent). Globally, 30 percent of students have considered dropping out of university, with half blaming study-related problems, approximately one third citing their health or mental health, and one third saying the reasons are financial.

Gen Z students are less "traditionally" social and more serious (and money is a contributing factor): Students are socializing less than might be expected. They look for cheap social activities and generally prioritize accommodations with facilities that focus on day-to-day living rather than recreational or social facilities. Their social life is one of the first things to be sacrificed to save money; 56 percent have saved money by not going out with friends.

Students value inclusive environments where they feel heard: Eighty three percent of students say it's important that their university fosters an environment where they are free to voice their concerns or opinions. For example, just over half of students think their university is welcoming to new students, with students in Italy ranking their university the lowest on the welcoming scale (39 percent) and students in China largely rating their university as welcoming (84 percent). Different nationalities and ethnicities are more accepted by universities (65 percent) than different sexualities (58 percent) or gender identities (59 percent).

Students are more motivated by passion than money in their careers: Just over half of the students surveyed know what they want to do after graduation, and most students are more concerned about finding a job quickly (37 percent) or in a field they're interested in (36 percent) than with earning a high salary (24 percent).

Connolly added: "Universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to cultivate a profound understanding of what contributes to their students' quality of life. They will find enormous value in expressing this understanding in the way they approach everything from the design of student accommodations and traditional gathering spaces-libraries, study halls and courtyards-to the way they welcome international students who have very specific needs. It's very important to today's university students to be able to voice their concerns or opinions to their academic institutions-this is one of the findings from our survey, and it affirms that co-creation should be key to problem-solving in academia. This is the best way for universities to bring different voices, teams, specialties and opinions together to solve an existing problem or to develop something completely new."

Sodexo International University Lifestyle Survey Methodology

The survey builds on the success of Sodexo's industry-leading, biennial University Lifestyle Survey of students in the U.K., which it has released since 2004. This is the first year Sodexo, which serves 8 million students a day at 1,000 universities in 32 countries, has conducted the survey globally.

The research was carried out in spring 2017 by YouthSight, which surveyed 4,027 students from six countries who completed questionnaires online. The sample included 1,008 U.S. students, 1,005 from the U.K., 507 from Italy, 500 from Spain, 505 from India and 502 from China, in all years of study. There was a 50/50 gender split in all countries except India where it was 70/30 male to female.

About Sodexo

Founded in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in services that improve Quality of Life, an essential factor in individual and organizational performance. Operating in 80 countries, Sodexo serves 75 million consumers each day through its unique combination of On-site Services, Benefits and Rewards Services and Personal and Home Services. Through its more than 100 services, Sodexo provides clients an integrated offering developed over 50 years of experience: from food services, reception, safety, maintenance and cleaning, to facilities and equipment management; from Meal Pass, Gift Pass and Mobility Pass benefits for employees to in-home assistance, child care centers and concierge services. Sodexo's success and performance are founded on its independence, its sustainable business and financial model and its ability to continuously develop and to engage the commitment of its 425,000 employees throughout the world.

Sodexo is a member of the CAC 40 and DJSI Indices.

Key figures (as of August 31, 2016)

20.2 billion euro in consolidated revenues

425,000 employees

19th largest employer worldwide

80 countries

75 million consumers served daily

17.1 billion euro in market capitalization (as of July 5, 2017)

Contacts
In the buttoned-down world of medicine, Dr. Vinay Prasad is seen as something of a subversive.

At 34, the Oregon Health & University oncologist identifies bad therapies and practices in medicine.

He's taken aim at the high cost of cancer drugs, panned cancer screenings for doing more harm than good and pointed out peers who profit from drug company money.

He's also criticized federal regulators for approving drugs on flimsy evidence and derided the media for hyping weak research.

Prasad is part of a small but influential group of researchers who are creating ripples in the medical establishment by taking a hard look at their profession, often to the dismay of fellow doctors.

Now he's at it again.

Armed with a $2 million grant, he will comb piles of studies and clinical trials to pinpoint practices that don't work. The project will cover 11 fields, from general medicine to gynecology to neurosurgery. The work will include a website and teaching modules to educate fellow physicians. It's sponsored by the Laura and John Arnold Foundation, a philanthropist group in Houston focused on dysfunction in society.

His ambition is no less than fixing the ills in the U.S. health care system.

"This is a good place to start if you want to curtail health care spending in a way that doesn't actually hurt people and may make them better off," Prasad said in his small office at OHSU under a wall of diplomas and certificates.

He didn't intend to be a crusader, but he couldn't ignore the medical community's often-entrenched acceptance of the status quo in the absence of solid research.

He and his fellow iconoclasts have met opposition. Prasad has been called a "pharma scold." Others say he's biased.

He's gotten angry emails from urologists, radiologists and cardiologists unhappy with his findings.

That's not dissuaded him from spotlighting practices that he said are based on belief, not scientific evidence.

Many physicians, Prasad said, have conflicts of interest or they don't want to rock the boat.

"The resistance to this kind of work is the most jaw-dropping part of the work," he said.

His approach makes him a rarity in medicine, some physicians say.

"There's a very big difference in the scientific world between the people who have a view and seek data that confirm it and the people who are inquisitive and seek data that will educate them," said Dr. Peter Bach, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York and a health policy expert. "There are plenty of the former and are few of the latter."

Prasad, he said, falls into the second category.

DOCTOR ALMOST BY ACCIDENT

Prasad didn't aspire to be a physician. He was just a smart, friendly kid with a good sense of humor who liked science.

His childhood was rooted in the Midwest. His parents, who immigrated from India to the United States, raised Prasad and his younger brother in a suburb of Cleveland and then in northern Indiana, about 90 minutes from Chicago.

His parents passed along a strong sense of right and wrong. They were quick to point out politicians who profited from their position, Prasad said, and got angry over the powerful trampling on the weak.

Prasad graduated from high school with straight As. He was one of 16 valedictorians.

In college, he gravitated toward science and philosophy. He took classes in health care ethics and physiology. In 2005, he graduated summa cum laude from Michigan State University with a double major in philosophy and physiology.

He became a doctor almost by accident. His college roommate, an aspiring physician, encouraged him to take the medical school entrance exam. He did and excelled.

He went to medical school at the University of Chicago. He figured he'd end up with a private practice. But in his fourth year, he started writing research papers.

One of his professors, Dr. Adam Cifu, was impressed. Prasad has boundless energy, ethics of steel and an analytical mind that allows him to study evidence without bias, Cifu said.

"He's able to look at flawed thinking in medicine, identify it even when what's being done is very much accepted thinking," Cifu said. "He then has the smarts and statistical skills to actually attack that flawed thinking in a rigorous and reasonable way."

Before medical school, Prasad assumed that doctors only recommended procedures and practices they knew were beneficial. He was stunned to discover that was far from the case.

"Every time I was asked to look into something, a high percentage of the time I was seriously dissatisfied with what I found," Prasad said.

Many practices lack evidence that they work. Others have even been shown to be harmful.

He saw that play out on the hospital floor. He remembered one patient in a cardiac intensive care at Northwestern University where he did his internship and residency. She suffered from chronic chest pain, or angina. During a procedure to insert a stent, a mesh device that keeps vessels open, she went into cardiac arrest.

She didn't need the stent, Prasad said. There's no evidence to show they extend life or prevent heart attacks in people with her condition, he said.

"She was seriously injured and suffered a complication from a procedure that wasn't necessary," Prasad said. "That is why you don't do things that are contradicted by the evidence."

In less than a decade, Prasad has published about 150 papers, covering questionable procedures, ineffective cancer screenings, misleading research and biased clinical trials.

BOOK LISTS DANGEROUS, USELESS PROCEDURES

That mountain of work shows how efficient he is, said Dr. Thomas DeLoughery, a colleague at OHSU.

"That is very, very usual and a hallmark of how productive he is," DeLoughery said.

Prasad has also written a book. Published in 2015 and co-authored with Cifu, "Ending Medical Reversal" lists about 150 procedures, therapies or surgical techniques that were accepted and then shown to be useless or dangerous.

Prasad estimates that 40 percent of what doctors do doesn't work or causes harm.

"We repeat errors that we've made over and over again," Prasad said.

Among the examples of failed drugs or medical practices, the book cites the painkiller Vioxx, which was pulled from the market for causing heart attacks after 20 million Americans took it.

It also questions mammograms for women between 40 and 50 and says a common prostate blood test that screens for a prostate-specific antigen, a protein, doesn't save lives.

Some doctors take issue with his conclusions.

"There's a group of PSA screening opponents out there who have a very fixed belief on this topic," said Dr. Matthew Cooperberg, a urologist and epidemiologist at the University of California, San Francisco. "He's sort of in this category. It always reminds me of talking to Tea Party Republicans about climate science. It doesn't really matter what the data show. They will know tomorrow what they knew yesterday."

Cooperberg said Prasad doesn't understand why the PSA test, like a colonoscopy, should be given earlier rather than later in life.

"Anybody who is an expert in prostate cancer understands that prostate cancer implies an extraordinary spectrum of biology ranging from completely indolent to very aggressive and potentially lethal," Cooperberg said. "The reason to do a PSA test at a young age is to make sure you don't have a potentially lethal cancer  which is not going to kill you for 20 years. But if we don't find it early, we miss the window of opportunity to treat."

The book's list of useless or dangerous practices hasn't caused a sea change in medicine but has made some inroads, Cifu said.

"Many of the things that filled up the book are still being done, but less than previously," Cifu said.

Less is fine for Prasad. He doesn't expect his research to steer medicine in a completely new direction.

Incremental progress is good.

"My biggest success is when you change the mind of a couple of young people," Prasad said. "Once someone comes around to this way of thinking, they cannot go back."

'WE'RE IN THE MIDST OF A WAR ON THESE ISSUES'

After medical school, Prasad earned a master's of public health at Johns Hopkins University in Maryland. That gave him the statistical tools he needed to analyze studies. He also turned toward oncology, completing fellowships at the National Institutes of Health and the National Cancer Institute.

A hematologist-oncologist, he was drawn to treating blood diseases and blood cancer because it gives him a full range of patient interaction, he said. He sees about 16 patients a week, ranging from those who don't need treatment to people who have a short time to live.

The patients give him reason and perspective for his research. Their expectations give him insight into what patients expect and whether therapies match that.

"It's refreshing when you talk to patients," Prasad said. "They give you a fresh set of eyes."

He went to OHSU after a fellowship at the National Cancer Institute in Maryland. He was recruited by Dr. Brian Druker, the head of the Knight Cancer Institute, and Dr. Tomasz Beer, deputy chief. Both support Prasad's skeptical approach.

Prasad's glad he took the job, which balances his time between patients and research. It's a good state  and city  to live in, he said.

"It's a left-leaning, progressive state that's always been on the cutting edge of health policy," he said. "And I like the culture of Portland  I can ride my bike."

At OHSU, Prasad has taken a lead role in mentoring doctors in training.

"His contribution has been immense," said DeLoughery, his OHSU colleague. "He even won a teaching award from our fellows this year."

Prasad collaborates with physicians across the country and is active on Twitter. He's something of a provocateur, tossing cherry bombs that generate discussion, Cooperberg said.

Even colleagues and friends say Prasad can be too direct.

"He's very, very smart, he's very knowledgeable," said Dr. Chadi Nabhan, a chief medical officer at Cardinal Health, a large health services company based in Ohio. "He could be more diplomatic in expressing his views."

Besides sparking debate, Prasad uses Twitter for research.

He's just published a paper in The Lancet Haematology on 156 hematologist-oncologists who tweet about drugs from companies that pay them. The median payment was $13,600 in 2014, the year he analyzed.

The paper found that about 80 percent mentioned a drug from a company that paid them but only a few acknowledged that fact.

"The goal of the paper is to change the policy," Prasad said. "We're in the midst of a war on these issues  a war in medicine."

Prasad's focus on drug company money has angered some of his peers. Dr. David Norris, a scientific consultant in Seattle, said that keying in on conflicts of interest is a bit like mudslinging. It lowers the debate and veers the conversation from substantive issues.

"If we spend our time attacking each other for COI (conflicts of interest) we don't get to the critical, rational discourse that we ought to be having," Norris said.

Dr. Peter Pitts, a former associate commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration and president and co-founder of Center for Medicine in the Public Interest, also took issue with Prasad's attacks on the pharmaceutical industry and the FDA.

"We're all familiar with this antifa thing now," Pitts said. "He's like anti-pharm  it's the lunatic fringe of this conversation."

Pitts likened Prasad's Twitter attacks against the pharmaceutical industry to a religious crusade against the sector.

"If every problem is the cause of the pharmaceutical industry and every solution is being blocked because of the pharmaceutical industry, it's not just boring, it's simply of no consequence," Pitts said.

Some physicians also take issue with Prasad's focus on money from industry. They say companies are needed to fund research and that they actually support the drug they promote.

Prasad counters that drug company payments can create bias.

"I'm not saying they should not talk to each other," Prasad said. "They can talk to each other all they want. But when the payments start being exchanged, that's when you get into problematic arrangements."

He's never taken industry money, he said. OHSU pays his salary and he receives royalties from his book. He also wins research grants.

Prasad worries that an increasing proportion of trials are funded by industry, he said.

"We live in a system where the company that makes the product is the one that designs how their product will be tested," he said.

He's also concerned about the Food and Drug Administration fast-tracking drug approval and has called them out publicly. The agency declined to comment about his criticism.

"There are a lot of drugs that offer benefits that are very small with serious side effects that are getting approved at a fairly rapid rate," he said.

Pitts said Prasad is behind the times in insisting on expensive and lengthy randomized control trials before approval. He said the FDA's approach of approving drugs on thinner evidence but then strictly defining the drug's use, for instance, helps patients.

"What the FDA is finding out in talking to patients is that patients are willing to accept much higher risks and much higher rates of failure if they have serious, life-threatening diseases," Pitts said.

Prasad isn't happy with the tendency in the United States toward deregulation. He said independent bodies like the U.S. Preventive Task Force, a national group that evaluates screenings and therapies, risk defunding.

And yet health care keeps getting more expensive.

"Health care spending in the U.S. is a huge outlier but our life expectancy and infant mortality are no better than comparable nations," he said.

Prasad expects to finish his current project on bad tests and treatments in three years. It will include a public website and educational modules to be used in medical school.

He thinks Americans deserve better health care than they've got.

"For what we spend, we're not getting what we deserve," he said.

-- Lynne Terry
Beth Nakamura | The Oregonian/OregonLiveBeth Nakamura/The Oregonian/OregonLive

OHSU physician calls out conflicts of interest, high drug prices, bad medical practices

Dr. Vinay Prasad, an oncologist at Oregon Health & Science University, has established a national reputation as something of a whistleblower. He calls it as he sees it, and that includes physicians with financial conflicts of interest, drug prices that are too high, accepted therapies that don't work.

He's very outspoken about his views and is active on Twitter, where he has nearly 21,000 followers. He's got fans -- and enemies. Some call him a pharma-scold. Others take issue with his opposition to financial conflicts of interest.

Here's a sample of some of his Tweets.

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A wise person said you could summarize 90% of my Twitter debates in one slide. They are right! Here goes: pic.twitter.com/vOiaSbuovF  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) October 6, 2016

His Twitter stands

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At a minimum, publish the updated data so we can actually know who is alive and still in remission at 1 year. https://t.co/c8C1WUSmTE  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 31, 2017

On lack of transparency

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At a minimum, publish the updated data so we can actually know who is alive and still in remission at 1 year. https://t.co/c8C1WUSmTE  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 31, 2017

On drug company refund

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FDA revolving door spinning fast.

60% of medical reviewers in Onc who leave FDA work/ consult for bio-pharmahttps://t.co/KSC2DSHfVp https://t.co/mmm1G1ks3Q  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 30, 2017

On revolving door at FDA

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On physicians with conflicts of interest

Now in @TheLancetHaem

80% of Oncs TWEET about Rx when they have $$$ conflict

1% disclose

Tweets More +, less -

Sadhttps://t.co/QcntHKGmEN pic.twitter.com/R3svzx6Swf  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 30, 2017

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This disease awareness campaign is one of the craziest things I have seen. We dismantle it in @JAMA_current https://t.co/nbYYGSqmTJ https://t.co/Oi0ICB48zj  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 29, 2017

On a disease awareness campaign

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Yes, the glass is 82% empty, which means we have to do better, not simply use more buzzwords to describe marginal drugs https://t.co/Hs4wPgZxBH  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 29, 2017

On inflated drug descriptions

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Adamas pharma says anything out of desperation. They now can simply conduct an RCT against generic amantadine. My guess is they will lose. https://t.co/lw0NF0GfF2  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 29, 2017

On pharmaceutical company

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OMG read this buzzword paragraph!

So many words signifying nothinghttps://t.co/JN0pZ2wWd5 pic.twitter.com/lTEhb731dJ  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 26, 2017

On use of buzzwords

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On electronic medical records

"I like it" "Intuitive" "Helpful"

Things never said about the electronic medical record  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 28, 2017

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TIVO-1 was a failure. What the hell is wrong with Europe?

Now, landscape different; there are so many RCC drugs, tivo should remain in trash https://t.co/uf251B9YDS  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 28, 2017

On drug approval in Europe

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On 'insane' drug pricing

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A healthcare system that implements a practice in 100,000 patients, before randomizing 1000 to see if it works, is broken  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 27, 2017

On 'broken' health care system

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Protip: The secret to good medical writing is using the least amount of words to make the strongest points  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 27, 2017

On good medical writing

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There will be major advances in the future of medicine, but they will be hard won through well done randomized trials (not by circumventing)  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 27, 2017

On advances in medicine

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Daily public service announcement: pic.twitter.com/AqZcYiqt3X  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 26, 2017

On over tracking, measuring health

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On hyped writing

Reminds me of Shakespeare, "full of sound and fury,

Signifying nothing." pic.twitter.com/m0zMzgkU0T  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 26, 2017

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On effect of pollution

Pumping the environment full of polution is generally not good for public health https://t.co/BvkGktxple  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 26, 2017

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Most cost effectiveness analyses are published in journals no one reads... For good reason.  Vinay Prasad (@VPrasadMDMPH) August 25, 2017

On cost-benefit analyses

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Bandon's founder, George Bennett, loved the ornamental shrub known as gorse, and in the late 1800s he planted it all around his newly established Oregon-coast community.

It didn't take long for the residents of Bennett's town to develop different feelings about the plant. Gorse "is reviled on Oregon's south coast," The Oregonian's Kelly House wrote in 2015. "The invasive European plant is hardy, fast growing and covered in inch-long spines that make thickets virtually impassible. It takes over beaches, backyards and newly logged timberlands, quickly spreading if left unchecked."

Then there's this: the oily plant loves fire. Gorse is highly flammable. Worse than that, it resists efforts to douse its flames. Which is why the small forest fire near Bandon in September of 1936 was so destructive.

Fire dominates Oregon's present, with the Columbia River Gorge in flames and other wildfires still at large around the state. It also has a leading role in Oregon's history, with Bandon a small but telling scene in the ongoing production.

The morning of Saturday, Sept. 26, 1936, found the town's residents largely unconcerned about the forest fire off to its east. Few noticed when "white dead ashes, light as thistle-blow, began falling in and around Bandon."

But bursts of flame jumped up here and there, fueled by the gorse. "So suddenly did the flames attack the town, and so rapidly did they spread, that no one man, nor a score of men, can say exactly what happened and when," The Oregonian wrote.

Maybe no one knew exactly what happened or when, but they did know that gorse made a bad situation so much worse.

"That Irish hedge was the worst thing," a resident told a Coos Bay reporter. "When the fire hit it right across from my house, the flames shot up high into the air. It was just as though there had been gasoline poured on the fire. And water was just no good against it -- wouldn't touch it! The stuff seemed just full of oil."

The fire completely consumed Bandon, population 1,800. At least 10 people were killed, and all but a handful of buildings burned to the ground.

"A striking sight on Wednesday was the big vault that alone marks the place where the Bandon city hall stood," Stewart Holbrook wrote for The Oregonian. "Smoke was still rolling up out of the locked steel hulk as from a mill stack. The city records are likely to be in bad shape."

Days later, residents were still dazed and in mourning. Assistance from outside the town began to arrive, providing Bandon with food, clothing and other necessities.

"The enormity of the catastrophe that has befallen our city and its people has left us so incapable of coordinating our faculties," said Mayor Ed Capps, "that we shall not even attempt to give adequate expression to our neighbors and friends ... for their sympathy and their wholehearted response in material assistance for the relief of those who have suddenly been left destitute."

Thankful for the help, Bandon residents were also determined to rebuild their town, which they did. Many Bandonites, wrote Holbrook, also wanted "to uproot or otherwise stamp out the shrub known as Irish gorse." Accomplishing that, however, would prove more difficult than rebuilding.

-- Douglas Perry
A Coast Guard helicopter crew on Wednesday plucked an injured hiker to safety off a cliff in Ecola State Park, between Seaside and Cannon Beach.

The 29-year-old man from Chicago was reported missing Tuesday afternoon after he became separated from his girlfriend as they hiked together. Clatsop County Search and Rescue personnel were unable to locate the man, and called the Coast Guard for assistance early Wednesday morning. Helicopter support was delayed until daylight because of heavy smoke and limited visibility.

An MH-60 Jayhawk helicopter crew did locate the man, safely hoisted him from the face of the cliff, and flew him to the Coast Guard Sector Columbia River in Warrenton for treatment of minor injuries and exhaustion. He was later transported to Columbia Memorial Hospital for evaluation.

Lt. Patrick Wright, pilot of the rescue helicopter, said the man told the crew he had tried to climb up the cliff three times but fell each time. He ended up stranded 200 to 300 feet below the top of the cliff, but still about 600 feet above the waterline, Wright said.

- Ted Sickinger

503-221-8505; @tedsickinger
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Chesapeake Gold Corp. (TSX-V:CKG) (Chesapeake) is pleased to provide an exploration update for its regional Yarely project (Yarely) near the proposed El Paso (Metates) plant site in Sinaloa State, Mexico. Chesapeake owns a 100% interest in Metates which hosts one of the largest undeveloped gold, silver and zinc reserves in the world. During the past year, Chesapeake has assembled a land position of 68,000 contiguous hectares at Yarely. The district is strategically located 10 kilometres from a paved highway and within 25 kilometres of the El Paso plant site.



Yarely is situated in a prolifically mineralized belt that parallels the Pacific Coast and lies along the western margin of the Sierra Madre Occidental within Sinaloa state. The Yarely district is very prospective for precious and base metal mineralization hosted within several different deposit types including skarns, epithermal veins, disseminated stockwork zones and breccias. A systematic program of geological mapping, rock chip channel sampling and trenching supplemented by IP geophysics has defined six significant prospects.

Exploration Highlights

186 kilometres of Induced Polarization (IP)-Resistivity geophysical surveys defined a V shaped IP anomaly measuring 6 kilometres in length, up to 600 metres wide and over 300 metres in depth

The V shaped IP anomaly is coincident with two mineralized structural corridors and concordant with the intersection of two regional deep seated faults

16 kilometres of mechanized trenching and 2,500 rock samples collected and assayed for multiple elements

District-scale exploration continues to discover precious metal and polymetallic mineralized systems over an expanded area of 500 square kilometres.

Fall Drilling

Within 3-4 weeks a Phase 1 diamond drill program will commence on the Central and Loretos prospects. The 5,000 metre drill program will test the V shaped IP anomaly at depth (see map: http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4c9143d8-4934-4819-af12-7dbc8fe5376f). Drilling will target the potential for large disseminated stockwork and hydrothermal breccia bodies developed along the two major structural corridors mineralized on surface.

Central Prospect

The Central prospect occupies a northwest to northeast trending corridor 4 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide with three different mineralized areas. To the north, swarms of northeast trending, quartz-carbonate fracture filling veins hosted within Tertiary sandstone were exploited during the Spanish Colonial period. High grade oxide ore veins were mined up to a depth of 20 metres where they transition to sulfide mineralization. Eight poorly exposed sets of veins up to 11 metres in width with a combined strike length of 6 kilometres have been mapped and sampled. Surface and underground channel samples returned values of 2 metres of 19.5 g/t gold and 505 g/t silver, 2 metres of 14.0 g/t gold and 185 g/t silver, 3 metres of 1.1 g/t gold and 805 g/t silver, 8 metres of 1.6 g/t gold and 33 g/t silver, and 11 metres of 1.1 g/t gold and 42 g/t silver, The vein field remains open both laterally and along strike.

To the south, four subparallel northwest trending quartz stockwork structures up to 1 kilometre are hosted within chlorite, clay and sericite altered sandstone. Channel samples from trenches include 14 metres of 1.5 g/t gold and 143 g/t silver, 65 metres of 0.5 g/t gold and 12 g/t silver, and 33 metres of 81 g/t silver.

Between the fracture filling veins in the north and the quartz stockworks to the south is a multi-stage hydrothermal breccia measuring 400 by 300 metres. This breccia is emplaced at the side of a regional northeast trending regional fault. Of significance is a trench sample which returned 374 metres of 0.12% zinc and anomalous molybdenum. Mineralization is coincident with the east side of V shaped IP anomaly that extends from a depth of 80 to more than 500 metres below surface.

Loretos Prospect

Loretos is contiguous to the west of the Central prospect and is coincident with the north-northwest trending V shaped IP anomaly. The west side of the V anomaly is over 3 kilometres long and 1 kilometre wide. Mineralization at Loretos is hosted within sandstone, conglomerate and minor limestone and consists of numerous quartz-carbonate veins, fine quartz stockwork and oxidized disseminated sulfides. Trench channel samples include:

2 metres of 3.0 g/t gold, 100 g/t silver, 0.9% lead and 0.8% zinc

2 metres of 1.5 g/t gold, 82 g/t silver and 1.0% lead

4 metres of 83 g/t silver and 1.2% copper

10 metres of 73 g/t silver and 1.4% lead

The surface mineralization and IP anomaly suggests the potential for disseminated sulfide bearing stockworks and breccia targets at depth.

Yazmin Prospect

Yazmin is 15 kilometres further west of the Central prospect. Yasmin comprises a northeast trending zone 6 kilometres long and 2 kilometres wide which remains open along strike. The zone hosts swarms of quartz breccia veins within clay-sericite and silica-tourmaline-epidote altered metasandstone and granodiorite. Channel samples from the tourmaline related mineralization include:

3 metres of 1.6 g/t gold, 77 g/t silver and 1.3% copper

6 metres of 1.1 g/t gold, 33 g/t silver and 0.5% copper

Another zone at Yasmin located 3.5 kilometres to the southwest hosts mostly quartz breccia veins. Trench samples returned:

3 metres of 4.1 g/t gold

8 metres of 1.1 g/t gold and 6 g/t silver

17 metres of 0.8 g/t gold and 10 g/t silver

Sundae Prospect

Sundae lies a few kilometres to the southwest of the Central prospect. Sundae hosts a swarm of quartz veins ranging from of 1 to 15 metres wide which have been traced along strike for over 3 kilometres. The quartz veins display classic high level epithermal textures which suggest the structures may have precious metal mineralization at depth. Channel samples averaging 3 metres wide returned anomalous values up to 0.1 g/t gold and 8 g/t silver. Preliminary geophysics shows a continuity of the structures to over 500 metres depth in the resistivity sections and a chargeability anomaly possibly related to sulfides.

Lucy Prospect

Lucy is located 10 kilometres to the northwest of the Central prospect. Lucy consists of an extensive zone of outcropping skarn developed along several kilometres of the contact between intrusive rocks and limestone. Preliminary channel samples across the manto-like skarn mineralization returned:

4 metres of 0.9 g/t gold and 103 g/t silver

6 metres of 2.0 g/t gold, 34 g/t silver and 1.1% copper

7 metres of 117 g/t silver, 1.1% copper and 1.4% zinc

Five kilometres to the southwest, sampling of base and precious metals bearing stratiform bodies of polymetallic carbonate replacement and minor skarn within limestone returned 15 metres of 12 g/t silver and 0.67% copper and 30 metres of 0.4 g/t gold, 12 g/t silver, and 3.7% zinc

Los Mimbres Prospect

Los Mimbres is an early stage prospect situated 20 kilometres north of the Central prospect. Los Mimbres covers an extensive alteration area of 8 square kilometres within sandstone and shale. The system varies from fracture filling veins in the upper zones to disseminated sulfides and quartz stockwork 200 metres lower in elevation. Reconnaissance channel samples taken within the disseminated-stockwork zones returned 7 metres of 0.4 g/t gold and 44 g/t silver and 31 metres of 0.3 g/t gold and 14 g/t silver from a quartz breccia. The clastic sedimentary host rocks, age, geochemistry and the style of mineralization are all similar to Metates.

Fall exploration will also focus on prioritizing drill targets in the other prospects. Trenching, geological mapping, channel sampling and IP geophysics are being undertaken at Yazmin, Lucy, Sundae and Mimbres. One field crew will continue generative studies to identify other prospects in the large Yarely camp.

The grassroots exploration program at Yarely this year continues to expand the scalability of the camp states, Randy Reifel, President. Several significant prospects are being advanced and will be systematically drill tested. A greenfield discovery in this district would greatly impact and provide leverage for Metates future development.

Presently, Chesapeake is well funded with $20 million in working capital.

ALS Global was the analytical laboratory used for the samples included in this release. Sample preparation was primarily performed in Hermosillo, Mexico with analyses done in Vancouver, Canada.

Alberto Galicia, P. Geo, Vice President Exploration for Chesapeake and a Qualified Person as defined by NI43-101, has reviewed the technical information in this release.

For more information on Chesapeake and its Metates Project and regional exploration program, please visit our website at www.chesapeakegold.com or contact investor relations at 604-731-1094.

CHESAPEAKE GOLD CORP

P. Randy Reifel

P. Randy Reifel

President

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS

This news release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation. Such forward looking statements and information herein include, but are not limited to, statements regarding prospective gold, silver and related metal production, timing and expenditures to explore and develop prospective mineral properties, gold, silver and related metal resources, grades and recoveries, cash costs per ounce, capital and operating expenditures and sustaining capital and the ability to fund mine development. The Company does not intend to, and does not assume any obligation to update such forward-looking statements or information, other than as required by applicable law. Forward-looking statements or information involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance or achievements of Chesapeake and its operations to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such statements. Such factors include, among others: ability to finance mine development, fluctuations in the prices of gold, silver and zinc, fluctuations in the currency markets (particularly the Mexican peso, Canadian dollar and U.S. dollar); changes in national and local governments, legislation, taxation, controls, regulations and political or economic developments in Canada and Mexico; operating or technical difficulties in mineral exploration, development and mining activities; risks and hazards of mineral exploration, development and mining(including environmental hazards, industrial accidents, unusual or unexpected geological conditions, pressures, cave-ins and flooding);inadequate insurance, or inability to obtain insurance; availability of and costs associated with mining inputs and labour; the speculative nature of mineral exploration and development, diminishing quantities or grades of mineral reserves as properties are mined; risks in obtaining necessary licenses and permits, and challenges to the Companys title to properties. Although the Company has attempted to identify important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements or information, there may be other factors that cause results to be materially different from those anticipated, described, estimated, assessed or intended. There can be no assurance that any forward- looking statements or information will prove to be accurate as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements or information. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements or information.
McLean, VA, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Washington Technology, an 1105 Media publication, has officially announced the 2017 Fast 50: the 50 fastest-growing small businesses in the government market according to their compound annual growth rates from 2012 to 2017.

The highly anticipated coverage of the Fast 50 is on https://washingtontechnology.com and in the September 15th issue of FCW.

The 2017 Fast 50 represent the diversity and innovation that small businesses bring to the government market, said Nick Wakeman, editor-in-chief of Washington Technology. Theyve identified the right technologies such as the cloud, mobile and cybersecurity and used those capabilities to drive phenomenal growth in the government market.

The 2017 Washington Technology Fast 50:

FedBiz IT Solutions, LLC IP Consulting Inc SHR Consulting Group LLC Bluehawk, LLC Spear, Inc. Point Rock Solutions, LLC Pro-Sphere Tek, Inc. Business Integra Technology Solutions Inc Darkblade Systems Trinity Technology Partners, Inc. Ventech Solutions Open Systems Technologies Corporation Favor TechConsulting, LLC (FTC) The Kenific Group Inc. Valiant Solutions Sequoia Holdings Inc IT Partners, Inc. LinTech Global, Inc. Government Tactical Solutions, LLC RWD Consulting, LLC Radian Solutions LLC Yahya Technologies, LLC DBA Y-Tech Advanced Onion, Inc. Visual Connections Inserso Corporation AASKI Technology, Inc. Allegheny Science & Technology DIGITALSPEC, LLC Swain Online Inc dba Swain Techs Highlight Technologies, LLC GovSmart, Inc. Cloud Nine Technologies Inc. RightDirection Technology Solutions, LLC American Cyber, Inc. PotomacWave Consulting, Inc. Solutions By Design II, LLC Envistacom, LLC MORI Associates, Inc. Amyx, Inc. Reinventing Geospatial, Inc. (RGi) Adnet, Inc Tapestry Technologies Strategic Operational Solutions Insight Technology Solutions, Inc. BridgePhase, LLC Mobomo Lynker Technologies BlackSpoke Pivotal Point, LLC Synaptek Corporation

To learn more, visit https://washingtontechnology.com

About Washington Technology

Washington Technology provides actionable and insightful information to all contractors in the government IT and systems integration marketplace. Expert coverage and analysis fuels strategic decisions around partnering, RFPs and resource development, which enables readers to competitively build relationships, bid smartly and win contracts. https://campustechnology.com

About 1105 Public Sector Media Group

1105 Public Sector Media Group, a division of 1105 Media, Inc., provides information, insight and analysis to the Government IT sector. Content platforms include print, digital, online, events and a broad spectrum of marketing services. http://1105publicsector.com

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b55e51e6-d588-4abd-908b-33f80dd48215
CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Drillform Technical Services Ltd. (Drillform) is pleased to announce that Tom Whalen was appointed to Drillforms Board of Directors effective September 1, 2017.



Tom was President & Managing Director of Baker Hughes Canada from December 2013 to May 2016. Previously, he was Vice President of Bakers Canadian Pressure Pumping product line.

Tom started his career in the petroleum industry in oil well servicing, managing a rig fleet that provided a wide range of downhole services related to well completion, stimulation and work overs. He joined Baker Hughes in 1990 as an account manager for the oilfield chemicals division. During his tenure with Baker Hughes, he held positions including, field manager, district manager, business unit manager, country manager, Vice President of Marketing for Canada and Enterprise Vice President of Water Management.

Im very excited to join a team that is so focused on leading change and innovation around the rig floor. I especially share their vision of a safer work environment by removing people from the 'line of fire' through the use of their enhanced automation technology, shared Tom.

Tom is currently a board member for Little Rock Resources, a privately held oil and gas company based in Calgary, Alberta. He is active in several petroleum industry professional organizations, most recently as a Director of Petroleum Services Association of Canada.

Toms extensive business and industry experience will be incredibly valuable as Drillform begins to scale operations and expand into the US, in response to the market for automated drilling and pipe handling solutions, stated Todd McCorriston, President & CEO.

Drillform is a Calgary, Alberta based, private company specializing in the design, manufacture and service of automated oil and gas drilling and service rig equipment. Drillform has developed an automated floor wrench, hydraulic top drive, and five models of pipehandlers suited for workover rigs. Drillforms products are designed to meet the demands of operators and service providers for precise drill string make-up specifications, data acquisition and to improve safety and efficiency while managing the increased volume and complexity of pipe handling, as the drilling industry trends to longer laterals and high spec bottom hole assemblies.

For further information, visit www.drillform.com.
Finnish English Swedish

Fiskars Corporation

Stock Exchange Release

September 7, 2017 at 17:00 EEST

Record date and payment date of the EUR 0.35 per share dividend instalment resolved by the Annual General Meeting 2017

The Annual General Meeting of Fiskars Corporation held on March 9, 2017 resolved on a payment of dividend in two instalments for the financial period that ended on December 31, 2016. The Annual General Meeting resolved that the first dividend instalment of EUR 0.71 per share shall be paid in March 2017 and the second instalment of EUR 0.35 per share in September 2017.

The Board of Directors of Fiskars has on September 7, 2017 resolved in accordance with the resolution of the Annual General Meeting that the dividend payment date for the second dividend instalment of EUR 0.35 per share shall be September 18, 2017. The ex-dividend date for the dividend instalment shall be September 8, 2017 and the record date shall be September 11, 2017.



FISKARS CORPORATION



Board of Directors



Media and investor contacts:

VP, Corporate Communications and Sustainability Maija Taimi, tel. +358 204 39 5031, communications@fiskars.com





Fiskars  Making the everyday extraordinary

Fiskars serves consumers and customers around the world with a brand portfolio of globally recognized brands including Fiskars, Gerber, Iittala, Royal Copenhagen, Waterford, and Wedgwood. Building on our mission to create a family of iconic lifestyle brands, Fiskars vision is to create a positive, lasting impact on our quality of life. Please visit www.fiskarsgroup.com for more information.
PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Ponte Vedra Beach office of Fulcrum Partners LLC has partnered with Valmark Global Gift Fund in a $14,600 donation to the Jacksonville-based, child service agency Daniel Kids.



Fulcrum Partners is one of the largest privately-held executive benefits consultancies in the US, with thirteen offices nationwide and more than $6B of assets under management. As a member firm of the Valmark Financial Group, Fulcrum Partners is both a long-time supporter of Daniel Kids and an active participant in the Valmark Global Gift Funds program for matching donations.

Through this initiative, Daniel Kids, Floridas oldest child-serving agency, received a $7,300 grant from Fulcrum Partners Ponte Vedra Beach that the Valmark Global Gift Fund then matched, dollar for dollar. The $14,600 donation will support Daniel Kids in serving thousands of abandoned, abused and neglected children. Jim Clark, president and CEO of Daniel Kids, said he deeply values the support of Fulcrum Partners and Valmark Global Gift Fund. We are so grateful, Clark said, To have organizations  both local and national  that recognize the importance of our mission. With the help of these stellar organizations, we can continue to assist about 2,000 children and families every day.

Each year, Valmark Financial Group contributes ten percent of its annual profits to charitable programs through the Valmark Global Gift Fund. In addition to the matched donation for Daniel Kids, Fulcrum Partners and the Valmark Global Gift Fun have helped support the building of a vocational school in Rwanda, and other national and international programs.

Bruce Brownell, a founder and managing director at Fulcrum Partners, said, Daniel Kids has been serving the needs of children in the Jacksonville and north Florida area, for more than a century. Fulcrum Partners is proud to support Daniel Kids in its unflinching commitment to local children in need.

To learn more about the Valmark Global Gift Fund, go to www.valmarkfg.com/site/our-story/. For information on the services provided by Fulcrum Partners Ponte Vedra Beach or at any of its nationwide offices, go to www.fulcrumpartnersllc.com/team.

About Daniel Kids: Established in 1884, Daniel Kids is Floridas oldest child-service agency. It assists an average of 2,000 children and families each day through a diverse range of innovative and nationally recognized programs. Daniel Kids offers abused and emotionally troubled children refuge and counseling, connects kids with foster and adoptive homes, helps homeless teenagers find housing and jobs and more. It also assists other nonprofit agencies throughout the United States and Canada through training materials and conferences. For more information, visit DanielKids.org.

About Fulcrum Partners LLC: Fulcrum Partners LLC (www.fulcrumpartnersllc.com) is one of the nation's leading executive benefits consultancies. Founded in 2007, today the company has offices in Atlanta, Georgia; Chicago, Illinois; Charleston, South Carolina; Columbus, Ohio; Delray Beach, Orlando and Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida; Honolulu, Hawaii; Houston, Texas; Los Angeles and Newport Beach, California; Portland, Oregon; and Washington D.C.

Securities offered through Registered Representatives of ValMark Securities, Inc. Member FINRA, SIPC, 130 Springside Drive, Akron, OH 44333-2431, 1-800-765-5201. Investment Advisory Services offered through ValMark Advisers, Inc., which is a SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Fulcrum Partners LLC is a separate entity from ValMark Securities, Inc. and ValMark Advisers, Inc.
Davenport University recently appointed Bill Gagliardi as executive campus director of its Midland Campus.

In this role, Gagliardi will provide leadership to the campus faculty and staff, develop and implement the campus strategic plan in support of Davenport's Vision, and build positive relations with students, the community and strategic partners, including community colleges and businesses.

"We are pleased to add a higher education professional like Bill onto the Davenport team," said Richard Pappas, president of Davenport University. "Bill's experience leading marketing, communications and enrollment operations in higher education and for businesses in the Great Lakes Bay Region has prepared him well for this role leading our Midland campus."

Most recently, Gagliardi served as associate vice president of marketing, communications and public relations for Midland-based Northwood University. Previous roles have included director of branding and public affairs for XALT Energy; principal of IMPACC, LLC; president of The Green Panel, LLC; and various communications, public affairs and marketing management roles at Dow Corning in Midland and Borden, Inc. in Columbus, Ohio.

Gagliardi earned his bachelor of arts in business administration from Alma College. He has served as a board member for the Midland Community Center, Matrix:Midland, Bay Area Chamber of Commerce and Great Lakes Bay Region Michigan Works!
Delta College will be hosting the Great Lakes Bay Job Fair from 1-4 p.m. Sept. 13 in the Pioneer Gymnasium.

Also, on Sept. 13, Delta will host a Veterans Expo from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. All veterans and their families are welcome to attend this free event and to learn about all the opportunities and benefits that are available. More than 15 organizations will be attending the expo. From 10-10:45 a.m., veterans may attend informational sessions on health, employment and educational benefits. Following the expo, veterans may want to attend the job fair.

The Great Lakes Bay Job Fair offers an opportunity to meet with a large number of organizations looking for full-time and part-time employees. Employers come from all industries looking for candidates with all skill levels. It a partnership between Delta College, the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs, Great Lakes Bay Michigan Works, Michigan Rehabilitation Services, the Workforce Agency of the State of Michigan, Davenport University, AlphaMedia and the American Legion.

The event is free to job seekers and open to public.
LOS ANGELES, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index, a leading national poll on consumer confidence, showed positive momentum this month, climbing another 1.7 percent to 53.4 and above the 12-month average of 51. The index has now reached a year in positive territory, which is the longest stretch in more than a decade. It also remains the highest reading since March and has demonstrated positive momentum for the second straight month. The overall economic optimism is also now aligned with increases in the Presidential Leadership Index, which returned to its July level after experiencing a dramatic dip in August. While ratings remain low, Trumps approval numbers climbed 12 percent to a reading of 40.2 (or 38 percent overall) from its lowest point last month. These readings come as IBD/TIPP celebrates completion of its 200th monthly poll in the the Economic Optimism Index series.



In its esteemed sixteen-year history, the IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index has established a strong track record of foreshadowing the confidence indicators put out later each month by the University of Michigan and The Conference Board. IBD/TIPP conducted the national telephone poll of 905 adults from August 23 to August 31 using live interviewers and both cell phone and landline numbers. The margin of error is +/-3.3 percentage points. In addition to the Economic Optimism Index, IBD/TIPP surveyed respondents on issues of presidential leadership and key political issues (see separate story here for details).

The economy continues to perform well, regardless of what is happening on the political stage, said John Merline, Deputy Editor of Commentary at IBD. "Despite what pundits routinely described as a terrible month for the president, consumers remained positive and hopeful for the future. It will be interesting to see if this trend continues amidst controversial policy initiatives, such as ending DACA, and as the U.S. braces for Hurricane Irma, which may trigger another round of disaster relief funding.

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index has three key components. This month, two of the three index components increased, while one dipped by less than half a percent.

The Six-Month Economic Outlook , a measure of how consumers feel about the economys prospects in the next six months, returned to positive territory for the first time since June. At 51.1, the index climbed by 2.4 percent. It also remains much higher than the 32.1 reading when the economy entered the last recession in December 2007.

, a measure of how consumers feel about the economys prospects in the next six months, returned to positive territory for the first time since June. At 51.1, the index climbed by 2.4 percent. It also remains much higher than the 32.1 reading when the economy entered the last recession in December 2007. The Personal Financial Outlook , a measure of how Americans feel about their own finances in the next six months, increased another three percent to a reading of 62.0. This component has increased each of the past five months.

, a measure of how Americans feel about their own finances in the next six months, increased another three percent to a reading of 62.0. This component has increased each of the past five months. Confidence in Federal Economic Policies, a proprietary IBD/TIPP measure of views on how government economic policies are working, was the only component to decrease, after experiencing a significant rise in August. Septembers reading of 47.1 fell 0.4 percent from Augusts reading of 47.3.

"Americans continue to be encouraged by positive developments in the economy, such as second-quarter GDP growth hitting 3.0 percent and strong job numbers," noted Raghavan Mayur, president of TechnoMetrica, IBD's polling partner. However, consumer confidence faces headwinds in the coming months in the aftermath of multiple hurricanes. Rising gasoline prices and the persistent threat from North Korea are risk factors that could soften sentiment.

The Breakdown

This month, 15 of the 21 demographic groups -- such as age, income, race and party preference -- that IBD/TIPP tracks were above 50 on the Economic Optimism Index. Fourteen groups improved on the index, while seven declined.

On the Economic Outlook component, nine of the 21 groups that IBD/TIPP tracks scored in optimistic territory. Twelve groups improved on the component while eight declined. One did not change.

On the Personal Financial component, all of the 21 groups IBD/TIPP tracks scored in optimistic territory. Sixteen groups increased while three declined. Two did not change.

On the Federal Policies component, six of the 21 demographic groups tracked were above 50. Six groups advanced on the component and 14 declined. One did not change.

ABOUT THE IBD/TIPP POLL

The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index is the earliest take on consumer confidence each month and predicts with good reliability monthly changes in sentiment in well-known polls by The Conference Board and the University of Michigan. The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index is based on a survey of 900-plus adults chosen at random nationwide. The national poll is generally conducted in the first week of the month by live interviewers and both cell phone and landlines.

For more information, go to www.tipponline.com. To license the IBD/TIPP Poll, please contact: IBDlicensing@investors.com.

ABOUT INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY (IBD)

Investors Business Daily is a leading financial news and research organization recognized for providing stock screens, comparative performance ratings, and unique commentary helping investors zero in on top-performing growth stocks. IBD provides the buy rules and sell rules to properly make trading decisions that will minimize your risk and maximize your potential profit. IBD offers individual and professional investors a comprehensive lineup of print and online products, all based on a powerful investing system that has dramatically outperformed the S&P 500.

IBDs website, Investors.com, offers tools, analysis and research for investors of all levels: IBD University learning center, IBD TV market videos and the IBD Stock Checkup. IBD also hosts popular investment workshops and provides Home Study programs based on the top-performing growth strategy, CAN SLIM. IBD was founded on April 9, 1984, by William J. O'Neil, who also originated CAN SLIM.

 2017 Investor's Business Daily, Inc. All rights reserved. Investor's Business Daily, IBD, CAN SLIM and their corresponding logos are registered trademarks of Investor's Business Daily, Inc.
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BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Momentum Telecom, a premier provider of Unified Communications solutions for medium and large enterprises has partnered with Intelisys, a ScanSource company, to help continue delivering the Momentum Difference across the country and expand its national footprint. Intelisys is one of the industrys leading technology services distributors of telecommunications and will now offer Momentums best-in-class solution to its substantial partner base.



The Intelisys Supplier Partner portfolio is getting a big boost with Momentum Telecom, said Rick Ribas, SVP Sales, East Region, for Intelisys. We believe in Momentums commitment to the channel, which is underscored by the hiring of VP Shawn Nauert and EVP Chuck Piazza this year, two dedicated channel veterans, with outstanding Intelisys Sales Partner relationships. As one of the largest BroadSoft providers in the US, Momentum Telecom brings support and new opportunities to the growing convergence between the Intelisys and ScanSource communities.

Momentum has distinguished itself as a global service provider through innovative integration of advanced cloud communications options for maximizing productivity and providing on-site installation and training by experienced Momentum Engineers. The Momentum solution delivers a complete Unified Communications experience and integrates into an organizations business processes and applications to deliver enterprise-class communications services.

As Momentum continues to expand globally with the partner community, we are excited to work with Intelisys and their network of partners to empower businesses to thrive, said Chuck Piazza, EVP of Sales and Marketing at Momentum Telecom. Im looking forward to working with Intelisys again and believe that together well both be able to experience exponential growth.

For more information about Momentum Telecom or to discuss partnership opportunities email sales@momentumtelecom.com or call 877-251-5554.

About Momentum

Momentum Telecom is a premier provider of Business Voice, BBX Broadband Management and Unified Communications solutions. Momentums solutions offer smart, customizable cloud-based applications including voice, video and collaboration tools that enhance business productivity and efficiency for direct customers and more than 500 nationwide white label and channel partners. Momentum Telecom is committed to delivering best-in-class products backed by a geo-redundant network paired with industry-leading uptime and customer service. Headquartered in Birmingham, AL, Momentum Telecom has regional offices actively serving customers across the United States. To learn more visit momentumtelecom.com or connect with us on Facebook, Google Plus, Twitter, LinkedIn or visit our blog. At Momentum Telecom, our mission is to enable others to thrive by combining smarter technology with seasoned experts while delivering unmatched customer experience.

About Intelisys

Intelisys, a ScanSource company, is the nations leading Technology Services Distributor of business communications services, including voice, data, access, cable, collaboration, wireless and cloud. Intelisys is dedicated to one thing  serving the needs and accelerating the success of the industrys top producing telecom sales agents, IT Solution Providers, VARs, MSPs and integrators, as they leverage the power of recurring revenue in their businesses.

Today Intelisys is leading the way as its Sales Partners make the pivot and experience the shift away from traditional telco services into a new era of cloud-based solutions. Under contract with more than 130 of the worlds leading telecom carriers, cloud services providers and technology partners, Intelisys delivers the services end users demand exclusively through a network of Sales Partners, supporting those Sales Partners via the most exceptional back office support team ever assembled in the channel. To learn more, visit www.Intelisys.com or talk to Intelisys at 800-615-8330.
NEW OPENINGS

Home Again

97 min.; PG-13 (thematic/sexual material)

Life for a single mom in L.A. takes a turn when she allows three young guys to move in.

It

135 min.; R (violence/horror, bloody images, language)

Bullied teens unite when a monster, in the guise of a clown, begins hunting local kids.

ONGOING

All Saints

108 min.; PG (thematic elements)

A salesman-turned-preacher attempts to save the tiny church he is ordered to shut down.

Annabelle: Creation

109 min.; R (horror violence, terror)

A dollmaker's possessed creation creates horror for a nun and her orphaned wards.

Baby Driver

113 min.; R (violence, language throughout)

A young getaway driver finds himself taking part in a heist doomed to fail.

The Big Sick

120 min.; R (language, sexual references)

A couple deals with their cultural differences as their relationship grows.

Birth of the Dragon

103 min.; PG-13 (martial arts violence, language, thematic elements)

In 1960s San Francisco, an up-and-coming Bruce Lee squares off with a kung fu master.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

135 min.; PG (language)

The 40th anniversary reissue of Steven Spielberg's 1977 UFO classic.

The Dark Tower

95 min.; PG-13 (thematic material, gun violence, action)

A gunslinger embarks on a quest to keep our existence in check from an evil sorcerer.

Despicable Me 3

90 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (action, rude humor)

Gru meets his long-lost twin brother, who wants to team up for one last criminal heist.

Dunkirk

106 min.; PG-13 (intense war experience, language)

During WWII, Allied forces are surrounded by the German army on the beaches of Dunkirk.

The Emoji Movie

86 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (rude humor)

Gene, a multi-expressional emoji, sets out on a journey to become a normal emoji.

Girls Trip

122 min.; R (crude;/sexual content throughout, pervasive language, graphic nudity, drug material)

Four lifelong friends travel to New Orleans for the annual Essence Festival.

The Hitman's Bodyguard

118 min.; R (strong violence/language throughout)

The world's top bodyguard is assigned to a hit man about to testify in court.

Kidnap

94 min.; R (violence, peril)

A mother engages in a high-speed pursuit of the abductors of her kidnapped son.

Leap!

89 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (impolite humor, action)

An orphan girl who dreams of becoming a ballerina flees her rural Brittany for Paris.

Logan Lucky

119 min.; PG-13 (language, crude comments)

Two brothers attempt to pull off a heist during a NASCAR race in North Carolina.

The Nut Job 2: Nutty By Nature

91 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG (action, rude humor)

An amusement park developer threatens the home of Surly and his friends.

Spider-Man: Homecoming

133 min.; 2-D/3-D; PG-13 (sci-fi action violence, language, suggestive comments)

After his Avengers experience, Peter returns home under the watchful eye of new mentor Tony Stark.

Valley of Bones

90 min.; R (violence, drug use, language, nudity)

A paleontologist's new North Dakota dig site has ties to a dangerous drug cartel.

Wind River

107 min.; R (strong violence, rape, disturbing images, language)

An FBI agent teams with a town's game tracker to investigate a murder on a Native American reservation.

AT THE NORMAL THEATER

Singin' in the Rain

103 min.; unrated

A silent film production company and cast make a difficult transition to sound. (7 p.m. Sept. 7, 1 p.m. Sept. 9)

Rumble: The Indians Who Rocked the World

103 min.; unrated

Documentary look at the Native American influence on the history of music in the United States. (7 p.m. Sept. 8, 10 and 13)

The Room

99 min.; R (sexuality, language, violence)

A successful banker's fiancee gets bored and decides to seduce his best friend. (10 p.m. Sept. 8)

The Little Hours

90 min.; R (graphic nudity, sexual content, language)

In the Middle Ages, a fleeing servant takes refuge in a convent of unstable nuns. (10 p.m. Sept. 1-2)
BLOOMINGTON  The creation of a statewide task force to stem the tide of the opioid epidemic in Illinois was welcomed Wednesday by health advocates involved in two countywide opioid reduction efforts in Central Illinois.

Gov. Bruce Rauner signed an executive order creating the governor's Opioid Overdose Prevention and Intervention Task Force to look at strategies to prevent expansion of the opioid crisis, to promote recovery of individuals with opioid-use disorder and reduce the number of opioid overdose deaths.

"A statewide plan to coordinate efforts across all Illinois counties ... will be an important step for us to achieve our common goal of saving lives and families," said Angela Stoltzenburg of Abraham Lincoln Memorial Hospital in Lincoln and a member of a Logan County task force working on an opioid response action plan.

Cathy Coverston Anderson, interim director of the McLean County Health Department, said Rauner's executive order was "a welcome addition to the statewide response to the opioid crisis in Illinois." The health department last week hosted a meeting of more than 60 representatives of health care and law enforcement, with a goal of forming a countywide task force to develop a multifaceted approach to address the opioid epidemic.

The governor's task force is co-chaired by Lt. Gov. Evelyn Sanguinetti and Dr. Nirav D. Shah, director of the Illinois Department of Public Health. The addition of Shah assures that prevention will be among strategies considered by the task force, Coverston Anderson said.

Since 2013, the number of opioid overdose deaths in Illinois has quadrupled. More than 1,900 people in Illinois are expected to die of opioid overdose this year.

The task force will look at increasing the number of health care providers who use the Illinois Prescription Monitoring Program; reducing high-risk opioid prescribing; making information and resources more accessible to the public; strengthening data collection, analysis and sharing; reducing the number of overdose deaths of people recently released from institutions; and increasing naloxone (Narcan) availability and training.

Coverston Anderson agrees with the need for a collaborative approach and strategies that destigmatize addiction "so we can fully tackle addiction for what it is: a chronic disease that can be successfully treated with medication, counseling and support."
BLOOMINGTON  A Twin City mother faces felony charges of allegedly lying to police about injuries she initially attributed in a social media posting to a Normal day care center.

Tricia Danyus, 31, of the 1100 block of Bull Street in Normal was charged Wednesday with filing a false report with Normal police and obstruction of justice.

According to Normal police Chief Rick Bleichner, his agency received a report about a Facebook posting by Danyus in which she alleged her sons, ages 1 and 2, were injured at Shining Star Learning Center in Normal. Photos of injuries to the 1-year-old were part of the posting.

Police contacted the mother, who initially repeated the accusations against the day care center, said Bleichner.

"As part of the investigation, we were able to show that the injury did not happen the way the parent said it did and we learned she caused the injuries," said Bleichner.

Before she was questioned by police about the social media posting, Danyus had not made a report to police about the injuries, according to Bleichner.

According to a statement read in court Wednesday by McLean County State's Attorney Jason Chambers, Danyus admitted in a second police interview "to smacking (the 1-year-old child) on the bottom because he was 'fighting with her during a diaper change.'" The mother also told police she "freaked out" after seeing the mark, described in the statement as a handprint-shaped mark," and posted the images because she blamed the day care for behavioral issues with her 2-year-old son.

Chambers said the posting included a statement from Danyus that police were involved and "I'm pretty forgiving, but not for child abuse. I can't let this one go."

Jyl Waller, Shining Star's executive director and owner, said staff at the facility, with an enrollment of 165 children, has had a difficult time since the Aug. 27 social media posting.

"It's been a very traumatic week. People just believe anything they read," said Waller, adding that she was told about the posting by an employee. Threatening phone calls and emails, some of them "threatening and hateful," and the loss of several families as clients all came after Danyus' claim, said Waller.

The business also received strong support from families who did not accept the claim, said Waller.

In addition to the police investigation, the day care staff also was interviewed by the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. "Several staff were under a watch by DCFS until this was cleared up," said Waller.

DCFS spokeswoman Veronica Resa confirmed Wednesday that "DCFS is investigating and the investigation is pending."

Waller said footage from security cameras positioned in classrooms was reviewed by police and helped authorities determine that no abuse took place.

In a statement issued Wednesday, the Normal Police Department said the agency "will not tolerate false reports for any crime but this case is extremely troubling given the fact that an injury to a child was alleged and the reporting party knew it was patently false." The investigation used local and state resources that could have been employed elsewhere, said police.

Meanwhile, Danyus was placed on paid administrative leave Wednesday from her job as registrar at Normal Community High School, according to Dayna Brown, spokeswoman for McLean County Unit 5 school district.

Danyus was released on a $5,000 personal recognizance bond. She was ordered to stay away from the day care and refrain from corporal punishment of her two children.

She is due in court for Sept. 15 arraignment.
STREATOR  The Streator Fire Department will be honored at a national ceremony next month for its community service projects.

The department will receive the Thomas Carr Community Service Award from Firehouse Magazine, said spokesman Bryan Park.

Im truly humbled and honored that the Streator Fire Department has been recognized for our efforts to protect our community, said Chief Gary Bird. Through the efforts of the entire fire department, the safety of Streator citizens has been enhanced in a positive way. To be honored by a publication such as Firehouse magazine reinforces our want and drive to make Streator a safer place.

Bird will accept the award at the opening ceremonies of Firehouse Expo, a trade show and expo for the fire industry that begins Oct. 17 in Nashville, Tenn. The department will receive a cash award and be featured in the October issue of Firehouse magazine.

Firehouse Editor-in-Chief Tim Sendelbach lauded the departments community service efforts: Despite financial limitations and limited staff, the Streator Fire Department has exercised tireless creativity and tenacity to implement community-focused projects that enhance the safety of the citizens they protect, he said.

Park said receiving the honor is secondary to the work that is being done.

To be honest, award or not, we feel that we are helping our community every day in ways that werent thought of or even possible in the past, he said. To be recognized for our hard work is great and it is definitely a proud day at the Streator Fire Department. To be recognized with a national award is incredibly humbling. More than anything, it assures us that our programs are working and thought of highly.

The award is named after Thomas Carr, who once held the top position at the Charleston, S.C., and Montgomery County, Md., fire departments. The award encourages departments not only to get involved in community service, but to engage in life-changing activities.

Runners-up were from Indiana, California and Georgia.

With an above-average structural fire rate and civilian fire fatality rate, the Streator Fire Department  a career department with 16 members  developed several projects to build a safer community, Sendelbach said.

The renewed call to community service followed a department-wide self-assessment two years ago, Park added.

Statistics showed that many homes failed to have a working smoke alarm, he said. That is being addressed with our smoke alarm program. We have installed over 2,000 smoke alarms in the past two years.

The department also began running medical calls with Advanced Medical Transport to assist with patient care and developed a Vial of Life program to improve access to vital medical information during an emergency.

Also, our commercial fire inspection program had been established but wasnt strictly enforced, he said. All firefighters were trained as inspectors and now that program is helping with public and commercial business safety.
BLOOMINGTON  Jelani Cobb sees two very different ways to respond to diversity in himself and President Donald Trump.

"(Trump's) nativity and anti-immigrant politics would seem paradoxical for a person who grew up in the most diverse place in the country," said Cobb, a black author and journalism professor who, like Trump, is from Queens, N.Y. "But with that comes a certain ethnic resentment. A certain politics of anxiety. A certain skepticism, looking over your shoulder and saying, 'Who are these people?' ... Are they American? Are they trying to take what I have?'"

"Being 24 years younger than him, (I) represent a tradition in Queens in which that diversity is normal and to be embraced," Cobb added.

Cobb encouraged Illinois Wesleyan University students to embrace diversity as he kicked off IWU's fall semester at its annual President's Convocation.

"What we're actually doing is studying and preparing ourselves for the better upholding of democracy," he said. "Budget out a little time to interact with someone who's different from you. ... That's the basis of community. That's the basis of education. That's the basis of democracy."

Cobb's presentation, The Half-Life of Freedom: Race and Justice in America Today," covered how racism shaped America, down to its geography; the backlash against President Barack Obama that led to Trump's election; and how those who value diversity can fight back.

"Optimistic Americans think of progress as a line that's built through time, (but) it can stall or roll backward. ... People actually believed that the country had resolved this riddle of race (after the Civil War)," he said. "We've conveniently forgotten those parts of the past that seem most indictous."

Cobb also addressed Trump's decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which lets immigrants who came to the United States illegally in their youth stay and work.

(This) places into jeopardy the future of 800,000 young people ... who are Americans in all but the most technical sense of the term, and it's part of a bigger and broader question and movement about what will happen with American immigration," he said.

In his closing remarks, IWU President Eric Jensen invited attendees to a Thursday rally in support of DACA, which Jensen plans to attend.

"As Dr. Cobb suggested, we own our fates to some degree. We don't passively watch," Jensen said of the university.
BLOOMINGTON  Mayor Tari Renner will not be attending his regularly scheduled open house on Friday or any meetings next week, but he said Thursday he will be "back in full swing" soon.

"I believe arrangements have been made for the next few days of events/meetings," Renner told The Pantagraph on Thursday. "I will be back in full swing very shortly. I will be talking to friends and family over the weekend to decide exactly when to totally come back."

Renner said he was "much better," but declined to comment on any medical matters.

In a statement the city released Aug. 28, Renner announced he was taking a temporary leave of absence "for medical-related reasons." He added that he he had made that decision after consulting with his physician and his family.

Renner said Thursday that he was working full time at Illinois Wesleyan University, where he is a political science professor.

Ward 6 Alderman Karen Schmidt said she will continue to serve as mayor pro tem in the mayor's absence, including hosting the mayor's open house on Friday, the City Council's work session at 5:30 p.m. Monday and its regular meeting at 7 p.m. that same day. He also will miss Tuesday's Liquor Commission meeting that, as mayor, he normally heads.

Schmidt also served as mayor pro tem in Renner's absence at the council's committee-of-the-whole work session on Aug. 21 and the council's Aug. 28 meetings.

Schmidt said Thursday that when she spoke with Renner on Aug. 28, "he said it might be a few weeks (before he returned). I haven't communicated with him since."

At its meeting Monday, the council will be asked to affirm the continuing appointment of Schmidt as mayor pro tem. The council will act on the matter as part its consent agenda.

"The administration has not heard from him recently, but we are prepared on the issue of his absence," said Bloomington Communication Manager Nora Dukowitz.

Renner's announced absence followed a controversy surrounding his August trip to Asahikawa, Japan, for a sister city anniversary, which triggered an Illinois State Police investigation of the mayor's office.

A city credit card was used on May 12 to buy a $1,836 airline ticket for Renner's partner, Margot Ehrlich, to accompany him on the trip. The city received a check for that amount May 26 from Ehrlich as payment for her ticket.

Renner denied any impropriety, but he did lash out online at critics over the issue.

Renner was re-elected to a second term in April.
Toronto, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- While a parents back-to-school list is dominated with purchasing new school clothes, backpacks and school supplies, the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (EPSO) are reminding parents not to forget one of the most important learning tools: their childrens eyes.

Eighty percent of preschoolers dont receive a proper visual assessment. Though most children have healthy eyes, many school-aged children have vision problems, and almost all of these issues can be detected with an age appropriate comprehensive eye examination. As an example, a child can be legally blind in one eye and may still appear to function absolutely normal. The earlier that vision problems are identified: the sooner they can be addressed.

The Eye Physician and Surgeons of Ontario recommend the following four tips.

Get regular childhood eye examinations - Eye examinations start when your child is born. At every infant visit, a visual screening examination should be performed by your health care provider, family doctor or paediatrician. By the time your child is preschool age (between three and three and a half years) and can speak, they should have a formal visual assessment.



OHIP covers annual eye exams for children up to 19 years old, yet only only 14 per cent of Canadian children under the age of six have had a comprehensive eye exam before entering their first year of school.



Watch for signals of eye problems - Parents should be alert to symptoms that could indicate an eye or vision problem. Some things to watch out for include sitting too close to the television, complaining of headaches, poor hand-eye coordation, or difficulties reading. Another symptom may be an inability to maintain eye alignment. If your childs eyes are constantly misaligned: crossed in, or turned up or out, you should see an eye care practitioner as soon as possible. If your child is winking, not blinking in bright sunlight, this could also be a sign of an eye misalignment. A more visible indication of an eye problem is an abnormal white colouring in the pupil or nystagmus (eyes jiggling back and forth). If you feel your baby cannot see, consult with your eye care practitioner immediately.



Know and share your family eye health history - Everyone should find out whether eye conditions or diseases run in their family. Parents should share that information with the person performing the vision assessment. Various eye conditions can have a genetic component, such as strabismus (eye muscle misalignment), amblyopia (lazy eye) and childhood cataracts. If conditions such as these are treated early, often permanent vision loss can be avoided.



Wear protective eyewear when playing sports - Eye injuries while playing sports can cause serious damage, whether by getting hit by an elbow during basketball or with a hockey stick. If your child plays soccer, racquet sports, ice hockey including shinny hockey, field hockey, baseball or basket ball, consider having them wear sports goggles or other certified protective eye wear. If your child already wears prescription glasses, consider purchasing prescription sports goggles, so that if your child does get hit in the eye, the regular glass frames will not damage their face.

It can never be too early to examine a childs eye, but it can be too late. We need to be more proactive in preserving our children's vision. An eye exam is an essential step to provide the best vision possible for a child to succeed in school. advises Dr. Jordan Cheskes, President of the Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario.

About Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (EPSO)

The Eye Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario, a section of the Ontario Medical Association, represents more than 450 of Ontarios ophthalmologists who are dedicated to preserving and restoring the vision of Ontario residents. Ophthalmologists are leaders of the eye care team with more than nine years of medical training. Ophthalmologists specialize in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases by providing comprehensive eye exams, prescribing corrective lenses and administering medications. Ophthalmologists are the only professionals that may perform eye surgery to help restore vision in patients.

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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Hurricane Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds Wednesday, leaving more than 600,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm.

Florida rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area by the Category 5 storm with potentially catastrophic 185 mph winds.

Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda was damaged when the eye of the storm passed almost directly overhead early Wednesday and about 60 percent of the island's roughly 1,400 people were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told The Associated Press.

"Either they were totally demolished or they would have lost their roof," Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighboring island. "It is just really a horrendous situation."

He said roads and telecommunications systems were destroyed and recovery will take months, if not years. A 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne told the AP.

Serious damage was also reported on St. Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St. Bart's, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity. Dutch marines who flew to St. Martin and two other Dutch islands hammered by Irma reported extensive damage but no deaths or injuries.

By early Wednesday evening, the center of the storm was 40 miles northwest of St. Thomas in the U.S. Virgin Islands and 55 miles northeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and heading west-northwest at 16 mph (26 kph).

More than 600,000 Puerto Ricans were without power and nearly 50,000 without water, the U.S. territory's emergency management agency said. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads.

The tiny island of Culebra reported sustained winds of 88 mph and wind gusts of 110 mph.

The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irma's magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

Puerto Rico's public power company has cut back on staff and maintenance amid a decade-long economic crisis and the agency's director warned that some areas could be without power from four to six months because the infrastructure has already deteriorated so badly.

President Donald Trump this week approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That means the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies can remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government.

EPA officials said their biggest concerns were oil spills and power disruptions to water supply systems.

"No matter what precautions we take, the coastal flooding will impact oil tanks," said Catherine McCabe, a regional administrator.

Another concern was the 20 Superfund sites in Puerto Rico and the three in the U.S. Virgin islands, given that most were near the coast, she said. She said EPA officials in New Jersey were on standby to fly down after the hurricane passed through.

State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo killed dozens of people in Puerto Rico in 1989.

"I expect the same from this storm," he said. "It's going to be bad."

Tourist Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Tampa, Florida, puffed on her last cigarette as a San Juan hotel prepared to shutter its doors ahead of the storm.

"I'm in a hurricane here, and when I get home, I'll be in the same hurricane. It's crazy," she said.

She tried to leave ahead of the storm but all flights were sold out, and she worried about her home in Tampa.

"When you're from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane," said Jackson, who was scheduled to fly out Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irma's winds would fluctuate, but the storm would likely remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it roared past the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas.

By early Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday and warned that Irma is "bigger, faster and stronger" than Hurricane Andrew. Andrew pummeled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighborhoods with ferocious winds.

Trump also declared an emergency in Florida, and authorities in the Bahamas said they were evacuating six southern islands.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Georgia, and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

"This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago," said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

The mayor of Miami-Dade County said people should be prepared to evacuate Miami Beach and most coastal areas as soon as Wednesday evening. He activated the emergency operation center and urged residents to have three days' worth of food and water.

The State Department authorized voluntary evacuation of U.S. diplomats and their families from the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, where the storm was expected to arrive by Friday.

Warm water is fuel for hurricanes, and Irma was moving over water that was 1.8 degrees (1 degree Celsius) warmer than normal. Four other storms have had winds as strong in the overall Atlantic region, but they were in the Caribbean Sea or the Gulf of Mexico, which usually have warmer waters. Hurricane Allen hit 190 mph in 1980, while 2005's Wilma, 1988's Gilbert and a 1935 great Florida Keys storm all had 185 mph winds.

Bahamas Prime Minister Hubert Minnis said his government was evacuating six islands because authorities would not be able to help anyone caught in the "potentially catastrophic" wind, flooding and storm surge. People there would be flown to Nassau in what he called the largest storm evacuation in the country's history.

The northern parts of the Dominican Republic and Haiti could see 10 inches (25 centimeters) of rain, with as much as 20 inches (50 centimeters) in the southeast Bahamas and Turks and Caicos.

The website cruisecritic.com said 28 cruises had been canceled, shortened or had their itineraries changed as a result of the hurricane.

Also Wednesday, Tropical Storm Katia formed in the Gulf of Mexico off Mexico's coast and rapidly became a hurricane. It had sustained winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and Mexico's government issued a hurricane watch for the coast of Veracruz state from Tuxpan to Laguna Verde. Katia was about 185 miles (300 kilometers) north-northeast of the city of Veracruz and was expected to drift toward the coast on Thursday, the hurricane center said.

Another tropical storm farther east in the Atlantic became a hurricane Wednesday evening. Hurricane Jose posed no immediate threat to land but meteorologists warned the storm's path could change. Jose had winds of 75 mph (120 kph) and was quickly strengthening.

-- Associated Press writer Danica Coto reported this story in San Juan and AP writer Anika Kentish reported from St. John's, Antigua. AP writers Seth Borenstein in Washington, Michael Weissenstein in Havana and Ben Fox in Miami contributed to this report.

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This is written in response to the July 29 letter by John Bertsche. He is to be applauded for his thoughtful and factual recounting of the Republican party's record of showing preference for the wealthy.

One is reminded of the campaign waged by U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the last election, wherein he advocated that the wealthy pay their fair share of taxes. Many wealthy Americans not only haven't paid their fair share, they prefer to pay no taxes. It was shocking to learn that they employ "tax avoidance counselors." There are exceptions, such as Warren Buffett and Bill Gates, who are doing important philanthropic work.

Were the wealthy to pay their fair share of taxes, there would be a massive construction activity to rebuild the nation's crumbling infrastructure. This would result in a veritable economic renaissance. Numerous corporations would be awarded contracts through a competitive bidding process. Millions would be employed, and departments of government at all levels would benefit. Public confidence would be restored.

It is regrettable that the president has not released his income tax returns, as have all those before him. He boasted that he did not pay taxes, saying "because I'm smart." He doesn't realize that his taxes would support the military who defend this country and pay for the care of wounded veterans in hospitals.

Everyone paying a fair share of taxes would contribute to paying down our enormous debt. It's also a civic responsibility.

William Frinsko, Normal
Secretary of Education and hugely problematic human being, Betsy DeVos, has vowed to replace the Obama-era scheme that required college campuses take sexual assault victims seriously via a series of guidelines.

DeVos said that the on-campus policies under Title IX (enacted in 2011), which stipulates universities must take action on behalf of survivors quickly and requires less evidence for the school to prosecute the accused, has failed.

"One student's rights cannot be paramount to the rights of another," DeVos said during an event George Mason University, implying under the current policies privilege victims. The Obama-era Department of Education threatened to pull federal funds if schools didn't comply.

DeVos claimed she was determined the public would be able to review the policies, to offer input as to how the administration should progress.

"Washington's push to require schools to establish these quasi-legal structures to address sexual misconduct comes up short for far too many students," DeVos said. "The current system hasn't won widespread support, nor has it inspired confidence in its so-called judgments."

Equal Rights Advocates Executive Director Noreen Farrell immediately clapped back at the statement: "The cost of an education must not be sexual violence or harassment. Campus sexual assault is a national epidemic, disrupting the education of one in four young women during her college years."

It never ends.

[h/t Elle]

Image via Getty
Shailene Woodley has had a busy couple of years, and it hasn't all been acting alongside Reese Witherspoon and Nicole Kidman next to the Monterey Bay. The actress is also an activist, and was one of few celebrities to join the peaceful protests against the Dakota Access Pipeline at Standing Rock last October. Along with 25 other people, Woodley was arrested for criminal trespassing and engaging in a riot. In a new interview with Marie Claire UK, she spoke about her experience being in custody and how it made her feel depressed.

"When you're in a jail cell and they shut that door, you realize no one can save you. If there's a fire and they decide not to open the door, you'll die," she told the magazine. "You're a caged animal."

At the time, Woodley said she believed she was singled out because of her large following, especially on social media. She said she was walking peacefully back to her car after the protest when police "grabbed me by my jacket and said that I wasn't allowed to continue... and they have giant guns and batons and zip ties and they are not letting me go." As she was led away in handcuffs, she said she was arrested "because I'm well known, because I have 40,000 people watching."

Woodley told Marie Claire that in addition to being arrested, she was strip searched. "Like get naked, turn over, spread your butt cheeks, bend over. They were looking for drugs in my ass."

Woodley says she was traumatized by the experience, and turned her phone off for three months to regain peace of mind. In spite of her experience, she still believes in activist work. "This world isn't something to take for granted," she told the magazine. "The only way to address climate change and these radical, detrimental policies is for us, as citizens, to shift our lifestyles. People are too comfortable. We're complacent in many ways. We need to be willing to get uncomfortable."

Woodley is clearly determined to push forward and keep evolving, and told the New York Times in August that she would consider a run for Congress.





[h/t TeenVogue]

Image via BFA
Patna: Writers, journalists, teachers, artists, and social workers in Patna on Wednesday held a rally at the Shaheed Bhagat Singh Chowk to protest the murder of noted journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bangalore on Tuesday.

Lankesh, a left-leaning journalist, was gunned down in Bangalore by four men who followed her to her home in Rajeshwari Nagar area. She was hit at least three times causing instant death.

Condemning the murder, those taking part in today's rally blamed the Narendra Modi government for trying to eliminate all those who held different ideology that did not conform to the current administration.

Communist Party of India (ML) state Secretary Kunal said that there was no doubt Gauri Lankesh was murdered by the same forces that killed Narendra Dabholkar, an anti-superstition crusader in Maharashtra; M M Kulbargi, the former Vice Chancellor of Hampi University and a well-known Kannad writer, and Govind Pansare, an influential communist leader and an associate of Dabholkar.

Comparing the current situation with the Emergency days of the '70s, the protestors said that all those activists who were opposed to the Sangh ideology were being systematically killed by the communal forces with its power base in New Delhi.

"We need to come together and oppose this force with full might before it destroys the basic secular structure of the country," Kunal said.
Patna: After combing through several hours of video footage obtained from several surveillance cameras in the region, police in Patna on late Tuesday night arrested 26 men and charged them with inciting riot, assaulting law-enforcement officials, destroying government and private properties and disturbing peace during an anti-encroachment drive in Rajiv Nagar on Tuesday morning.

{gallery}newsimages2017/sept/090617{/gallery}As reported, the rioters on Ashiana Nagar- Digha Road torched two expensive earth-movers and police vehicles when a demolition team arrived in the area to destroy illegally-constructed structures, including homes built over quarter of a century ago.

Nearly two dozen police were hurt after protestors attacked them with bricks, stones, bottles and other objects, many requiring surgeries at local hospitals.

The arrested men were presented before a court and sent to Patna's Beur Jail.

Meanwhile, life was trying to limp back to normal though sign and smell of yesterday's clash could still be felt in the air.

Despite beefed up security in the area, several women who stand to lose their place that they called home for decades sat on a dharna to protest the administration's decision to demolish their properties.

"This is our only home that we built with the our sweat and blood. Where will we go if it's destroyed?" asked a woman.

Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Manu Maharaj said raids were on to arrest more people who were involved in yesterday's incident.

"The residents had help from the land mafia to start a clash with the law enforcement officials. We are still going through the video footage and when found, guilty will not be spared," he said.
Indians push for undersea gas pipeline from Iran

09/06/17

Source: Press TV

The planned pipeline would connect Iran's vast gas reserves with Omani consumers as well as with liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Oman that could re-export the gas.

With a $7 billion project to pump gas from Iran discarded, a 1,300 km undersea pipeline is finding new proponents in India where they say natural gas from the Persian Gulf can reach at rates less than the price of LNG available in the spot market.



The Associated Chambers of Commerce of India (Assocham India) has released the results of its study on "a trans-national deep water gas pipeline from Iran, passing through Oman but by-passing Pakistan," it said.



The project could help feedstock the country's power, fertilizer and steel plants in an environment-friendly and affordable way and for sustainable supply of the fuel, it said.



"An undersea pipeline between Iran-Oman-India will connect the producers and consumers of gas directly. This will bypass all geopolitical issues. It will also lead to more gas-to-gas competition and creating a genuine gas hub, as in Europe/USA etc," the study suggested.



Iran signed the undersea agreement in 2013 to supply gas to Oman in a deal valued at $60 billion over 25 years. In February this year, the two countries said they had agreed to change the pipeline's route to avoid waters controlled by the United Arab Emirates.



The planned pipeline would connect Iran's vast gas reserves with Omani consumers as well as with liquefied natural gas (LNG) plants in Oman that could re-export the gas.



India's former oil secretary T.N.R. Rao, who released the study on Tuesday, said the Iranian pipeline in Oman can be extended to Porbandar in Gujarat.



Rao said natural gas imported through the line would cost $5-5.50 per million British thermal unit at the Indian coast compare with LNG imported through ships which costs about $7.50 per mmBtu.



"The cost of landed gas through an undersea pipeline will be at least $2 cheaper than importing LNG, saving about $1 billion annually," the study said.



South Asia Gas Enterprise Pvt Ltd (SAGE), which is chaired by Rao on the company's advisory board, has volunteered to lay the pipeline which would bypass the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) of Pakistan. It wants the government to support the pipeline and help buyers enter into contract.



The pipeline, estimated to cost over $4 billion, is planned to carry 31.5 million standard cubic meters of gas per day and would be built in two years.



Rao said gas from other nations can also be sourced through the pipeline, citing Turkmenistan which has a pipeline supplying gas to Iran in the north. Iran, he said, can use the Turkmen gas for its own use and supply and equivalent volumes to India from its offshore fields.



India is now the fourth largest natural gas importer, mainly from Qatar. The study said India must build a least one trans-national gas pipeline in the next five years for use in its idled power generation capacities, new fertilizer plants, steel mills and construction companies.



The undersea pipeline is being promoted as an alternative to the onland Iran-Pakistan-India pipeline, dubbed the "peace pipeline," which New Delhi quit in 2009, a year after signing a nuclear deal with Washington.



The project has faced repeated delays since it was conceived in the 1990s to connect Iran's giant South Pars gas field to the subcontinent.



On Tuesday, Minister of Petroleum Bijan Zangeneh said he thought Iran's gas would eventually be exported to Pakistan.
HOLBROOK, N.Y., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP), a privately-held, independent broker/dealer that services financial advisors across the country, has added to its long-standing commitment to corporate social responsibilityincluding its support of non-profit organizations such as World T.E.A.M. Sports, Virtual Enterprises International and The Dome Projectby launching the Nine Points Investment Management (NPIM) Impact Portfolios. Through Socially Responsible Investing (SRI), these portfolios select investments using Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) criteria to provide advisors with a total portfolio solution.

We believe that its vital for our family of investment professionals to have a wide variety of choices to offer their clients when helping them plan their financial futures, imparts Gary Gordon, president of American Portfolios Advisors, Inc. (APA), APs registered investment advisor (RIA). With the recent launch of the NPIM Impact Portfolios, the firms affiliated financial advisors have enhanced methods of tapping into new financial planning opportunities. Our hope is that they will be able to reach prospective clients and have new conversations with existing customers through these offerings.

While many within the financial services industry counter that SRI means accepting lower ROI, American Portfolios Director of Investment Research Jessica Skolnick, CFA, counters that established research shows contrary to popular belief, investing apace with ones values doesnt have to mean sacrificing performance. Studies show that ESG strategies dont consistently under or outperform traditional investments over time. SRI is more than a fad; its where the future of investment is moving. Demand among investors, especially younger and female investors, is on the rise, creating a big opportunity for advisors who can offer ESG products designed for the retail investor. The NPIM Impact Portfolios, with minimums of just $25,000 to open an account, allow advisors to reach these demographics in a meaningful way.

APA added NPIM to its existing Advisors Solutions program in 2015; NPIM provides an alternative to traditional, packaged advisory products, all while offering personalized service not found in todays Web-based wealth management solutions. As an exclusive asset manager and fund strategist within the Nine Points Advisory Services Platform, NPIM applies a disciplined and consistent approach to asset allocation portfolio design. In keeping with this mission, the NPIM Impact Portfolios provide diversified exposure to U.S., foreign equity, fixed income and alternatives at five levels of risk to suit a broad range of client objectives. They are managed using the principles of Modern Portfolio Theory with small tactical shifts in asset class weightings to take advantage of current market conditions.

The NPIM Impact Portfolios use ETFs and mutual funds in combination. Mutual funds have a longer track record in ESG investment, and active managers can look beyond ESG scores to qualitatively understand a companys policies. Most ESG-focused ETFs are new to the market, but are being supported by well-established firms with commitments to impact investing. The NPIM Impact Portfolios use ETFs when available to offset the higher cost and lower tax efficiency of the mutual funds. At present time, there are five Impact Portfolios available on the Nine Points Advisory Services Platform, including: NPIM Impact Income, NPIM Impact Income & Growth, NPIM Impact Growth & Income, NPIM Impact Growth and NPIM Impact Aggressive Growth.





About American Portfolios



Headquartered in Holbrook, N.Y., American Portfolios Financial Services, Inc. (AP) is a full-service, independent broker/dealer and member firm of FINRA and SIPC, offering a complete range of financial services, including personal financial and retirement planning, securities trading, mutual funds, access to investment research, long-term care planning, insurance products and tax-free investing. Fee-based asset management is offered through its sister subsidiary, American Portfolios Advisors, Inc., (APA), an SEC Registered Investment Advisor. Both entities, along with technology entity American Portfolios Advisory Solutions, LLC, collectively reside under the legal entity American Portfolios Holdings, Inc. (APH). Full-service securities brokerage is available through a clearing firm relationship with Pershing, LLC, a BNY Mellon firm, the securities of which are held on a fully disclosed basis. The company currently serves 794 independent investment professionals located in 364 branch locations throughout the nation. It was named Broker-Dealer of the Year* (Division III) by Investment Advisor magazine in 2015 and 2016, as well as one of the top five Best Small/Mid-Size Company to Work for in the state of New York for 2016 and 2017 by the New York State Society for Human Resources Management (NYS-SHRM) and the Best Companies Group (BCG).

*Based on a poll of registered representatives conducted by Investment Advisor magazine. Broker/dealers rated highest by their representatives are awarded Broker/Dealer (B/D) of the Year.

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Iran Columnist Serving 10 Years Protests Her Illegal Prison Sentence Extension

09/06/17

Source: Center for Human Rights in Iran

Afarin Chitsaz's Mother Also Receives Prison Sentence



Afarin Chitsaz with her mother Maryam Azadpour

Imprisoned newspaper columnist Afarin Chitsaz has gone on hunger strike to protest the illegal extension of her two-year prison sentence that was scheduled to end this month, the Center for Human Rights in Iran (CHRI) has learned.

"In the past year, Ms. Chitsaz has been hospitalized to undergo two knee operations to repair meniscus tears in both her knees and spent some time on medical leave to recuperate," her attorney, Mohammad Moghimi, told CHRI. "By law, her sentence is over this month and she should be freed, but the authorities have added three months."

A columnist for President Hassan Rouhani's official government newspaper, Iran, Chitsaz began her protest on September 2, 2017, after learning that the three-month medical leave granted to her earlier in the year would not be counted as time served.

"She has filed a complaint and I requested a review, but, unfortunately, they have had no effect," added Moghimi. "Because of this, my client has gone on a hunger strike."

Moghimi told CHRI that according to Iranian law, the time Chitsaz served outside the prison for medical treatment should be deducted from her sentence.

According to Article 502 of Iran's Criminal Procedure Regulations: "If a prisoner is suffering from physical or mental illness and his imprisonment would make his illness worse or delay his recovery, the judge can postpone the sentence being served until the prisoner regains his health after consultation with his physician."

Article 522 states: "... The time spent in the hospital for treatment is taken into account as part of the prisoner's sentence."

Chitsaz's mother, Maryam Azadpour, has meanwhile been sentenced for informing the media about her daughter's case, the lawyer told CHRI.

"After talking to the BBC about Ms. Chitsaz, the judiciary opened a file on Ms. Azadpour and she was sentenced to four months in prison by Branch 1059 of the 2nd Tehran Criminal Court, but later it was reduced to a 1.5 million tomans ($452) fine," said Moghimi.

Chitsaz, 42, was arrested on November 2, 2015, by the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps' Intelligence Organization as part of a crackdown on journalists who support reformist and moderate causes.

In March 2016, Chitsaz was sentenced to 10 years in prison by Branch 28 of the Revolutionary Court presided by Judge Mohammad Moghisseh for "assembly and collusion against national security" and "collaboration with enemy states." Upon appeal her sentence was reduced to two years in prison in addition to a two-year ban on practicing journalism that she must observe after her release.

"When Ms. Chitsaz called me from Evin Prison today (September 3), I could tell from her voice that she was not feeling well," Moghimi told CHRI. "I'm sure this hunger strike will have a terrible impact on her... I told her that what she's doing is dangerous for her health, but she said she has no other choice."

Former Political Prisoner Issued New Six-Year Sentence

Moghimi also told CHRI that his client, political activist and former political prisoner Heshmatollah Tabarzadi, has been sentenced to six years in prison for allegedly making critical remarks about Iranian officials on social media and to foreign media outlets.

"Mr. Tabarzadi completed his earlier prison sentence two years ago," said Moghimi. "Using the excuse that he had been active on social media and had talked to foreign media, the authorities opened a new case against him and he was sentenced to one year in prison for 'propaganda against the state' and five years in prison for 'assembly and collusion against national security.' But we will definitely file an appeal."

The secretary general of the secular Iran Democratic Front party, Tabarzadi, 58, was arrested in December 2009 for protesting the execution of five political prisoners, including Kurdish teacher Farzad Kamangar, and sentenced to seven years in prison. He was released on June 30, 2015.

Tabarzadi was arrested again on May 17, 2016, and released on bail on July 13 pending his most recent trial.
Firestorm In Iran As Politician's Son Credits 'Good Genes' For His Success

09/06/17

By Golnaz Esfandiari, RFE/RL



We are happy genes!

Source: Cover page of 40Cheragh magazine



The son of a prominent reformist politician ignited a firestorm on social-media when he said he owes his success in life to "good genes." The comments by Hamid Reza Aref, the son of former Vice President Mohammad Reza Aref, currently the head of the reformist faction in parliament, quickly led to a #goodgenes hashtag that has heaped scorn on the 39-year-old successful businessman and on cronyism in Iran in general.



"The reason for child labor is clear now: a lack of good genes," tweeted a user.

Iranian actor Mohammad Naderi wrote on his Instagram account:

"This is not an ordinary selfie. It's a failed attempt to find good genes in my face. Unfortunately, like most people, I have some useless genes that are good for nothing. They don't know how to import Porsches and Maseratis and seal contracts with foreign companies."

"When you realize you lack good genes," said the caption of a photo on Twitter showing the puppet, Kermit the Frog, smoking while pensively looking out a window.

Many posted pictures of those who -- in their eyes -- have good genes, including soldiers who sacrificed their lives during the bloody 1980-88 war with Iraq.

Some posted pictures of political prisoners, including physicist Omid Kokabee, who was granted medical leave from prison in 2016 after having a kidney removed.

"He was a top student but, unlike Aref, his parents didn't have good genes so he was jailed for several years and suffered from a kidney problem," a user wrote while posting a picture of Kokabee.

                #_          pic.twitter.com/9bcHHGFtLh  Reza Dogaheh (@rezadogaheh) August 30, 2017

Children Of The Elite

Many blasted the so-called aghazadehs, a term used in Iran to describe the children of the elite who are believed to significantly benefit from privileged connections and family ties.

The interview and its aftermath coincided with reports that the sons of several politicians have been promoted to top jobs despite a lack of experience.

The term "good genes" quickly became synonymous with aghazadehs and the privileges they enjoy. In Iran, where the unemployment rate among educated adults is about 20 percent, connections are often key to finding decent jobs.

In his controversial interview aired in late July, Hamid Reza Aref suggests those using the term aghazadeh are merely blaming others for their problems.

"I think the reason is that many are trying to escape from reality; we're used to putting the blame on others," he said.





Mohammad Reza Aref

He has defended his son, saying that Hamid's comments were "misused."



Hamid Reza Aref said he managed to bring the South African mobile service provider MTN to the Iranian market when he was only 24 or 25. The company later won an auction at the Communications Ministry and took a large stake in the Irancell mobile network in Iran.

He denied that his achievement was related to the fact that his father was serving as vice president to former reformist President Mohammad Khatami at the time and, before that, as communications minister.

"I'm proud that [my] capabilities come from good genes, from two good bloodlines -- my mother's side and also from my father's," Aref said.

Many disagreed.

"In Iran all of the job offer ads are looking for cool guys, [as] aghazadehs have filled all the good positions," tweeted one person.

Another wrote: "[What is an aghazadeh? A person who's had nothing to do with his [or her] success in life and was only at the right place, at the right time."

"#Goodgenes is not just a hashtag, it's rather the courageous reaction of a talented and hardworking generation who's had nothing but unemployment and humiliation by empty aghazadehs," said one tweet.

The teasing of the younger Aref continued with this caustic twitter comment:

"The Little Prince: do you have good genes? The fox: no, that belongs to aghazadehs. I have intelligence."

"We mocked good genes but they were sent to the parliament and city councils," was how someone else put it.



"As a father I understand the sense of responsibility authorities have to make sure their children are employed, but what about the 99 percent of the youth who don't have fathers in top jobs and good genes?" asked another on Twitter.

Media Censure

There's been also criticism in the media.

"Bringing up the issue of good genes means that we're entering the issue of racism and tribalism, that's the view of kings and sultans," sociologist Gholamreza Alizadeh told the government daily Iran.

"There is no research proving that only genes contribute to one's success," Alizadeh said.

"Look at our politicians, they have graduated from special universities where one needs high financial means to study. Their children also study at the best schools and they go abroad to continue their studies," he added.

"They know that when they return to Iran they will have jobs ready, they will use special privileges," he said.

Aref's father, Mohammad Reza Aref, was forced to react to the controversy on the sidelines of a parliamentary session on August 30 when reporters asked him about his son's "good gene" comments.

He said his son's interview had been "misused" while adding that enough had been said about the controversial comments.

But Aref defended his son, saying that he has always been a top student.

"He's come in first at all the contests he's participated in since primary school," Aref added.

His comments led to more criticism.

"If you don't apologize, then please remain silent," tweeted journalist Amene Shirafkan, who covers parliamentary affairs for the reformist Sharq daily.

"Stressing that the prince was a top student is similar to the good genes comments," she added.



About the author:



Golnaz Esfandiari is a senior correspondent with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She can be reached at esfandiarig@rferl.org
Ghana is set to generate US$10 billion from Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) in the next four years, Madam Gifty Klenam, the Chief Executive Officer of the Ghana Export Promotion Authority (GEPA), disclosed on Wednesday.



To achieve the target, she said, the Authority was developing and promoting exports vigorously, by identifying additional products with significant export potentials in the various districts in the country.



The Export and Import Act, 1995 (Act 503) defines Non-Traditional Exports (NTEs) to include all export products with the exception of cocoa beans, lumber and logs, unprocessed gold and other minerals, and electricity.



Madam Klenam said this in a speech read on her behalf, at a meeting on the implementation of the National Export Strategy, vis-a-vis the One - District-One-Exportable-Product in Sunyani.



It was organized by GEPA and attended by District Chief Executives, Coordinating Directors and other stakeholders in the export sector and aimed at identifying new export products in the various districts of the Brong-Ahafo Region.



The National Export Strategy was launched in 2013 for implementation after extensive consultation and its key tenets advocate the identification, development, and promotion of at least one exportable product per district.



Madam Klenam indicated that the nation had all it takes to be the export hub of the sub-region, and underlined the need for stakeholders in the sector to help tap export products to transform the fortunes of the country.



She said currently GEPA was undergoing certain structural and fundamental realignment to be able to handle new responsibilities adding that very soon regional offices would be established for the full implementation of the one-district-one-export-product.



This programme would compliment as well as feed the implementation of the governments overarching policy initiative of the One-District-One-Factory industrialization concept, she explained.



Madam Klenam observed that Brong-Ahafo was vast and endowed with immense potentials for agribusiness, services and related export value chains.



The region has been touted as the food basket of the country and the onus lay on us to translate this positive accolade into meaningful exports, she told the participants.

Source: GNA









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The Executive Secretary of the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC), Mr Duncan Amoah has revealed that prices of petroleum will go up in the second window of September.



According to him, the resultant effect of the recent hurricane in United State of American has affected the operations of some major refineries and rendered them unable to produce.



Speaking to OTEC NEWS, Duncan Amoah said some Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) have already increased their petroleum prices yesterday.



currently from the petroleum indexes, petrol has gone up 17% whilst diesel is 13% which gives a clear indication that there is going to be an increment in petroleum prices next month, he told Otec Fm.



Mr. Duncan Amoah however assured that the Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) will soon release their statistics on petroleum.



Responding to the sanctioning of 57 OMCs in the Greater Accra for engaging in various infractions detrimental to the interest of consumers, Mr Duncan Amoah said it is refreshing that the authority is keeping to its mandate of ensuring that Ghanaians do get value for money in all aspects of our national lives, especially within the petroleum sector.



The practice of some dealers adjusting pumps to cheat or under-deliver to the unsuspecting public is one that has recently gained prominence due to the greed of some of these dealers, he bemoaned.



This practice does not only rob the unsuspecting consumer of value for money but also goes to enrich the crooks engaged in this practice, he added.

Source: Ghanaweb.com/Kwaku Anane Jr









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Ghana may soon lose its fishing stock if nothing is done to overturn issues confronting the countrys fishing sector.



Ghana which consumes over 950,000 metric tons of fish annually currently imports over 60 percent of its fish.



Ghana in 2016 imported $135 million worth of fish because of the reduction in the countrys fish stock.



According to the Minister for Fisheries and Aquaculture, Elizabeth Afoley Quaye, the huge imports could be blamed on the steady depletion of Ghanas fish stock.



We have a deficit of over 60% of production of fish in Ghana. So we import over 600,000 metric tonnes of fish and we produce less than 400,000. At the moment we have our stocks depleting steadily and we really have to do something quickly about it else we lose our stocks entirely, she told Bernard Avle on the Citi Breakfast Show on Thursday.



Afoley Quaye, however, added that her outfit is doing everything possible to reverse the trend.



What the Ministry of Fisheries is doing at the moment is that we are trying as much as we can to stop illegal fishing because this is the main contributor to the depletion of our stocks, she noted.



The Minister highlighted three different scenarios she claimed was contributing massively to depleting fishing stock including transshipment, light fishing, and harvesting wrong fishes.



With the transshipment method, Afoley Quaye vessels owners usually sell their catch at sea before returning to the ports.



This method of fishing is when the vessels go to sea, they make their catch and they sell their fish at sea. They do not come down to the port to report their catch so the nation can also make revenue from the business that the fishers are doing.



Another form is light fishing. This light fishing is done mostly by the artisanal fishers and the semi-industrial fishers. They fix alight equipment into the fish with the aim of aggregating the fish towards the light. All manner of fish are drawn to the light so they scoop everything including those ones that are supposed to be left in the sea to grow including those with eggs, the Minister explained.



She noted that the light fishing method has been outlawed in Ghana adding that the Fisheries Ministry is doing everything possible to ensure that the law is complied with.



Another form of illegal fishing is harvesting wrong sizes of fish to the ports. So we have formed a taskforce which is inspecting the vessels and catches at the harbour.



She noted that the taskforces role among other things is to arrest captains of vessels who could not communicate with Ghanaians properly as well as unhealthy conditions of their crew.



So what we are doing is to be sure that those who are captaining the vessels with Ghanaian flags; those registered in Ghana, the captain should be able to speak our language and be able to communicate with the crew. When it is found out after the inspection that the crew members are not sleeping in good conditions as well as the vessel not being in good condition that is also seen as illegal fishing, she added.



Ghana Police chase two Chinese for importing unwholesome fish



The Minister made the remark on the back of the Ghana Police Services manhunt for two Chinese nationals who are said to have imported unwholesome tilapia into the country.



According to the Police, they have a bench warrant to arrest the two; Zhang Ming alias Gary and Chu Yong Shuai for the offence of importation of Tilapia Fish in commercial quantity into the Republic of Ghana without permit contrary to section 130 (1) and (3) of Fisheries Act 2002 (Act 625) respectively.

Source: citifmonline









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President Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo, on Wednesday, underscored the need for the United Nations (UN) to undergo structural renovation to make it a more effective multi-lateral organisation.



He observed that although many African nations were not present at the time the UN was formed, the Continent was now playing an active role in the comity of nations, thus, these and many other changes on the global scene should reflect in the structure of the UN to enable such nations to play active roles in the world body.



President Akufo-Addo made the call when the new Ambassador of Norway to Ghana, Gunnar Andreas Holm, presented his letter of credentials to him at the Flagstaff House, in Accra.



Ahead of the 72nd UN General Assembly set to convene from September 12 to 25, 2017, in New York, the President noted that the arrangements that were made at the inception of the UN more than 70 years ago, could not accommodate emerging global challenges, therefore, there should be incremental changes to the charter that established the institution.



The need for the reformation of the UNs Security Council, he noted, was becoming stronger and stronger, as this would lead to an equitable representation and a much more revitalized and robust institution.



On the bilateral front, President Akufo-Addo lauded the relations between Ghana and Norway, saying both nations shared a commonality of purpose, as they held the same beliefs in democracy, good governance, and the respect for human rights and state institutions.



He noted that the two nations had become closer in the past decade; saying that Ghana was determined to maintain the good relations with Norway. There is a lot we can benefit from the relationship.



The President observed that for good reasons, the whole world admires the way Norway has transformed its economy with so much prosperity for its people by the judicious and intelligent way youve handled your petroleum resources.



He said Norways module in the management of its petroleum resources was what all of us look toand we have been particularly inspired by that module and we have already had concrete demonstrations of its values for us.



We are now a modest oil producing nation, but we are at the stage whereby we can use it positively if we adopt a culture of best practices and go on the tangent that others have doneI think our association with you will assist us, he added.



The President charged the Norwegian envoy to ensure that his period of stay in Ghana boost the mutual relations, as there were very strong opportunities for both nations to cooperate and bring prosperity to their people.



We look forward to working with Norway in enhancing the lives of our people, he said.



Mr. Holm, for his part, commended Ghanas stable democracy and efforts for regional and international peace, adding; A vibrant economy, rich natural and human resources provide a unique base for continued economic and social growth.



He said there were about 40 Norwegian companies present in Ghana, often in joint ventures with Ghanaian partners in the areas of Agriculture, Urban Development and Energy.



The Norwegian Ambasador noted Ghanas potential in aqua culture, seafood and renewable energy, and pledged his countrys commitment to support Ghana in those areas.



Cooperation in marine resource management will be strengthened with the planned establishment of the programme Fish for Development, he said. The Norwegian research vessel, Dr. Fridtjof Nansen, will visit Ghana in mid-September this year.



He appealed to President Akufo-Addo to support the candidature of Norway for a non-permanent seat in the UN Security Council.



We know that Norway can make a difference through our consistent line of engagement in and support to the UN and a world order built on international law, he said.



Earlier, Zambias new envoy to Ghana, High Commissioner Rayford Mbulu, also called at the Flagstaff House to present his credentials to President Akufo-Addo.



He harped on the need for enhanced trade between both countries, and also taking lessons from Ghanas vast experience in the extractive industries and agriculture.

Source: GNA









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The middle and coastal areas of the country are expected to experience this years minor rainy season around the latter part of September.



Northern Ghana, on the other hand, is still experiencing its rainy season, which is expected to taper off during the early part of October.



Mr Tetteh Portuphy, Head of the Forecasting Session of the Ghana Meteorological Agency, told the Ghana News Agency, that the sun is expected to cross the equator by September 21st, and that was expected to precipitate convective activities along the coast and the middle belt areas of the country.



Southern Ghana has two rainy seasons in the course of the year, consisting of a major season which occurs earlier in the year and a minor one which takes place later in the year.



Northern Ghana on the other hand, has a single major rainy season during the year.

Source: GNA









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The Ghana High Commission in Windhoek, Namibia, played host to a delegation from the National Democratic Congress (NDC), that participated in the just-ended African  European Party Dialogue Of Socialists And Democrats.



The summit took place in Namibias capital city between the 4th and 5th of September, 2017.



Ghanas High Commissioner to the Republic of Namibia, Her Excellency Elizabeth Forgor, was present in person to receive the NDC delegation made up of Koku Anyidoho, NDC Deputy General Secretary in-charge of Operations, and Dr. William Kofi Ahadzie, Director of Research, and Acting Rector of the NDCs Party School.



In line with established accepted protocol norms, the NDC delegation informed the Ghana High Commission of its presence in Namibia, and the High Commissioner reciprocated the gesture by accepting a visit to the High Commission from the NDC delegation.



The interaction was extremely warm and cordial, and a further boost to Ghanas brand of accommodating politics.

Koku Anyidoho & Dr. Ahadzie, with Ghanas High Commissioner to Namibia, Koku Anyidoho signing Visitors Book as the High Commissioner looks on with excitement, Group pix of Namibian President and Leaders of the various country delegations

Source: JFM/Ghana









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NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Wilson Legal Solutions, a leading provider of consulting services and analytics software for global law firms and professional services organizations, is pleased to announce the appointment of Norm Mullock as vice president of strategy. In this capacity, Mullock drives operational initiatives and evaluates strategic corporate and product acquisitions. He also collaborates with members of the leadership team to give prominence to the companys core competencies and increase market share.



A longtime champion of innovation, Mullock joins Wilson Legal Solutions from Intapp, where he most recently served as vice president of market development. At Intapp, he led the strategic direction of the companys products for the broader professional and financial services markets. He also co-founded and served as chief strategy officer at Redwood Analytics, a market-leading business intelligence (BI) software and services business, before its sale to LexisNexis. At LexisNexis, Mullock served as a product strategist and vice president of product strategy and innovation for the companys business of law solutions.

Ive known Wilson for many years and think very highly of the organization and its people, Mullock says. During my time at Intapp, the synergy of an Intapp-Wilson relationship was apparent as Wilson achieved certification as a services partner and during our mutual work on Elite 3E projects. Both companies see the incredible importance from a business standpoint of bringing risk and business development data into the BI fold. Of course, I did my own vetting of Wilson Ideate software and really like the direction of the product. Im looking forward to building on the companys relationships with industry partners and helping to keep the software road map aligned with industry needs. My role at Wilson provides a forum to indulge my passion for evangelism about the ways law firms and professional services firms can use technology to enhance business performance.

Bruce Wilson, CEO and managing partner of Wilson Legal Solutions, says: Law firms have been slow to fully embrace analytics. But to support profitable business models, firms have to make this transformation sooner rather than later. We believe Norm will help communicate Wilsons capacity to enable this transformation through our software and services by engaging law firm executives in a high-level dialogue to drive adoption of BI and analytics. We also believe Norm will be instrumental in helping Wilson achieve the next level of growth by sharpening our business focus and enhancing our market presence.

Mullocks career began in the banking industry 25 years ago, first as a treasurer with Continental Bank of New Jersey and later as senior vice president at Crestar Bank, now SunTrust Bank. He left Crestar to launch Redwood Capital, a niche capital provider to law firms. The company built analyses to assess the risk of extending credit to its potential law firm clients. These analyses served as the stimulus for what would eventually become Redwood Analytics.

Mullock holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in economics and political science and a Master of Public Policy degree from the University of Michigan. He resides in Moorestown, New Jersey, and is working in the Wilson Legal Solutions headquarters office in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

About Wilson Legal Solutions

Wilson Legal Solutions is a leading global provider of consulting services and analytics software that enables law firms and professional services organizations to improve business performance. The company supports firms throughout the lifecycle of practice management software. It is a Certified 3E Services partner with Thomson Reuters Elite, a preferred implementation partner for American LegalNet, and is certified to provide services for all Intapp products. The companys advisory services feature globally recognized business of law consultants who enable strategic, data-driven decisions. Its Wilson Ideate software makes it easier to access, analyze, and share the data that drives profitability and performance. For information, visit www.wilsonlegalsol.com.
English French

MONTREAL, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today, Copibec is publishing in the newspapers Le Monde, Le Devoir, The Gazette and ActuaLitte, the notice to members which publication was ordered by the Quebec Superior Court on August 21st, 2017. To read the notice, you can visit www.copibec.ca/en/legal-notice.



In February 2017, Copibec obtained the right to launch a class action against Universite Laval, located in Quebec City, on behalf of authors, publishers and collective management organizations from all over the world, with a claim of over $ 10 million. This amount is claimed in lieu of damages for the reproduction, without authorization, of thousands of works extracts, sold in coursepacks or made available to students, in more than 900 courses every year, and that for the fourth consecutive year.

This public notice has also been shared worldwide on the websites of a dozen of associations of authors, publishers and collective management organizations.

Copibecs president, Daniele Simpson, emphasizes that all Quebec universities, except Laval, have negotiated with Copibec, last June, the renewal of the blanket licenses that cover the reproduction of protected material, for the period 2017-2021. Authors and publishers are hoping that the new rector of Universite Laval will join the position of the other Quebec universities and will take the decision needed to end the litigation between Universite Laval to Copibec, rather than maintaining a policy that systematically violates copyright. The decision rendered by Judge Phelan from the Federal Court in the Access Copyright v. York University case in favor of rightsholders and the renegotiation of Copibecs University Licence both offer an enabling environment to Universite Laval to abandon its policy on fair dealing.

The ball is now in the universitys court and without a courageous decision from its administration, the class action will follow its course and the hearing could be scheduled in 2018. The attorney representing the group, Daniel Payette, recalls that authors and publishers whose work has been reproduced without the proper authorization do not have to take any action to participate. They are automatically included in the class action. They can stay informed of the outcome of the legal proceedings on this dedicated website: www.copibec.ca/en/class-action-against-universite-laval

SOURCE :

Copibec

Caroline Lacroix, Coordinator, Communications and Rightsholder Services

(514) 288-1664 ext. 242

c.lacroix@copibec.ca

www.copibec.ca/en/class-action-against-universite-laval






TORONTO, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- AGF Management Limited (TSX:AGF.B) will release its financial results for Q3 2017 on Wednesday, September 27, 2017 at approximately 8:00 a.m. ET. AGF will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss these results at 11:00 a.m. ET.



The discussion will feature remarks by Blake Goldring, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Kevin McCreadie, President and Chief Investment Officer, and Adrian Basaraba, Senior Vice-President and Chief Financial Officer. A question and answer period with investment analysts will follow. The live audio webcast with supporting materials will be available in the Investor Relations section of AGFs website at www.agf.com or at http://edge.media-server.com/m/p/mjo6bhjd. Alternatively, the call can be accessed toll-free in North America by dialing 1 (800) 708-4540 (Passcode #: 45614252).

A complete archive of this discussion along with supporting materials will be available at the same webcast address within 24 hours of the end of the conference call.

ABOUT AGF MANAGEMENT LIMITED

Founded in 1957, AGF Management Limited (AGF) is a diversified global asset management firm with retail, institutional, alternative and high-net-worth businesses. As an independent firm, we strive to help investors succeed by delivering excellence in investment management and providing an exceptional client experience. Our suite of diverse investment solutions extends globally to a wide range of clients, from financial advisors and individual investors to institutional investors including pension plans, corporate plans, sovereign wealth funds and endowments and foundations.

AGF has investment operations and client servicing teams on the ground in North America, Europe and Asia. With approximately $35 billion in total assets under management, AGF serves more than one million investors. AGF trades on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol AGF.B.

AGF MANAGEMENT LIMITED SHAREHOLDERS, ANALYSTS AND MEDIA, PLEASE CONTACT:
Adrian Crook's children ride a bus in Vancouver in a handout photo. The case of a British Columbia father who says the Children's Ministry barred him from letting his children ride the bus alone is sparking debate about when parents should be allowed to leave their kids unsupervised. THE CANADIAN PRESS/HO-Adrian Crook MANDATORY CREDIT
English Swedish

An extraordinary general meeting in Hoylu AB (publ) has been held at the company's offices in Malmo, Sweden, on 7 September 2017.

The extraordinary general meeting resolved on a directed share issue to employees, consultants and board members in the company and to implement a share-related incentive program in consistence with the proposal made by the shareholder CeWi Invest AS.

Terms for the directed share issue in summary

The issue is limited to 1,000,000 new shares. The right to subscribe for shares shall, with exception from the shareholders preferential right, be directed to employees in the company, consultants and board members.



The subscription price of the shares shall amount to 100 percent of the volume-weighted average closing price of the company's share between 24 August 2017 and 6 September 2017.



Each of the subscribers shall subscribe for shares corresponding to a minimum value of SEK 20,000 and a maximum value of SEK 500,000 (the "Investment Amount"). If the aggregate amount of all subscribers' Investment Amounts corresponds to more than 1,000,000 shares, the 1,000,000 shares shall allocate to the subscribers on a pro-rata basis in relation to their respective Investment Amount.



The reason for disapplying the shareholders' preferential right is that the new shares are to be used as a part of an incentive program in favor of the company's employees, consultants and board members. The purpose of the incentive program is to create involvement for the participants as regards opportunities and risk in the company's development as well as to assure that the participants share the company's objects to create a profitable growth and long-term development.

Terms for the share-related incentive program in summary

The share-related incentive program in form of synthetic options is directed to employees in the company, consultants and board members.



For allocation of the synthetic options it is required that the recipient has subscribed for shares in the directed share issue and that the redemption price for the synthetic options is 200 percent of the price of subscription. The synthetic options shall entitle the holder to a cash payment corresponding to the difference between the strike price and the market value of the company's share on 30 September 2020.



For each share that a participant of the incentive program has subscribed and paid for in the share issue, two (2) synthetic options shall be allocated to the participant. For each share that the CEO of the company has subscribed and paid for in the share Issue, four (4) synthetic options shall be allocated to the CEO.

The shareholder CeWi Invest AS's complete proposal for the decisions above have previously been published and is available on the company's website, www.hoylu.com.

For more information, please contact:

Stein Revelsby, CEO +1 213 440 2499 E-mail: sr@hoylu.com

Karl Wiersholm, CFO +1 425 829 2316 E-mail: kw@hoylu.com

Hoylu AB (publ) is required to publish the above information under the EU Market Abuse Regulation. The information was submitted for publication by the Hoylu's media contact stated in the release on September 7, 2017 at 5.00 p.m. CET.

This document is essentially a translation of Swedish language original thereof. In the event of any discrepancies between this translation and the original Swedish document the latter shall be deemed correct.
This is a correction of the announcement from 11:36 07.09.2017 CEST. Reason for the correction:

FORM 8.3

AMENDED **** PUBLIC OPENING POSITION DISCLOSURE/DEALING DISCLOSURE BY

A PERSON WITH INTERESTS IN RELEVANT SECURITIES REPRESENTING 1% OR MORE

Rule 8.3 of the Takeover Code (the "Code")

1. KEY INFORMATION

(a) Full name of discloser: ABCA FUNDS IRELAND PLC acting solely in respect of its sub-fund ABCA OPPORTUNITIES FUND (b) Owner or controller of interests and short positions disclosed, if different from 1(a):

The naming of nominee or vehicle companies is insufficient. For a trust, the trustee(s), settlor and beneficiaries must be named. (c) Name of offeror/offeree in relation to whose relevant securities this form relates:

Use a separate form for each offeror/offeree Offeree NOVAE GROUP PLC Isin GB00B40SF849 / sedol B40SF84 (offer from AXIS CAPITAL at 7.15GBP) (d) If an exempt fund manager connected with an offeror/offeree, state this and specify identity of offeror/offeree: (e) Date position held/dealing undertaken:

For an opening position disclosure, state the latest practicable date prior to the disclosure 06/09/2017 (f) In addition to the company in 1(c) above, is the discloser making disclosures in respect of any other party to the offer?

If it is a cash offer or possible cash offer, state "N/A"



N/A





2. POSITIONS OF THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

If there are positions or rights to subscribe to disclose in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 2(a) or (b) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security.

(a) Interests and short positions in the relevant securities of the offeror or offeree to which the disclosure relates following the dealing (if any)

Class of relevant security:







Interests Short positions Number % Number % (1) Relevant securities owned and/or controlled: (2) Cash-settled derivatives:



672700 1.04 (3) Stock-settled derivatives (including options) and agreements to purchase/sell:



TOTAL: 672700 1.04

All interests and all short positions should be disclosed.

Details of any open stock-settled derivative positions (including traded options), or agreements to purchase or sell relevant securities, should be given on a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions).

(b) Rights to subscribe for new securities (including directors' and other employee options)

Class of relevant security in relation to which subscription right exists: Details, including nature of the rights concerned and relevant percentages:

3. DEALINGS (IF ANY) BY THE PERSON MAKING THE DISCLOSURE

Where there have been dealings in more than one class of relevant securities of the offeror or offeree named in 1(c), copy table 3(a), (b), (c) or (d) (as appropriate) for each additional class of relevant security dealt in.

The currency of all prices and other monetary amounts should be stated.

(a) Purchases and sales

Class of relevant security Purchase/sale



Number of securities Price per unit





(b) Cash-settled derivative transactions

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. CFD Nature of dealing

e.g. opening/closing a long/short position, increasing/reducing a long/short position Number of reference securities Price per unit CFD Increasing a long position 10000 7.095 CFD Increasing a long position 71140 7.09166 CFD Increasing a long position 5793 7.08342 CFD Increasing a long position 1528 7.08184

(c) Stock-settled derivative transactions (including options)

(i) Writing, selling, purchasing or varying

Class of relevant security Product description e.g. call option Writing, purchasing, selling, varying etc. Number of securities to which option relates Exercise price per unit Type

e.g. American, European etc. Expiry date Option money paid/ received per unit

(ii) Exercise

Class of relevant security Product description

e.g. call option Exercising/ exercised against Number of securities Exercise price per unit





(d) Other dealings (including subscribing for new securities)

Class of relevant security Nature of dealing

e.g. subscription, conversion Details Price per unit (if applicable)





4. OTHER INFORMATION

(a) Indemnity and other dealing arrangements

Details of any indemnity or option arrangement, or any agreement or understanding, formal or informal, relating to relevant securities which may be an inducement to deal or refrain from dealing entered into by the person making the disclosure and any party to the offer or any person acting in concert with a party to the offer:

Irrevocable commitments and letters of intent should not be included. If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"









(b) Agreements, arrangements or understandings relating to options or derivatives

Details of any agreement, arrangement or understanding, formal or informal, between the person making the disclosure and any other person relating to:

(i) the voting rights of any relevant securities under any option; or

(ii) the voting rights or future acquisition or disposal of any relevant securities to which any derivative is referenced:

If there are no such agreements, arrangements or understandings, state "none"



NONE





(c) Attachments

Is a Supplemental Form 8 (Open Positions) attached? NO





Date of disclosure: 07/09/2017 Contact name: Pierre-Etienne DROMARD Telephone number: +33 1 53 00 54 65

Public disclosures under Rule 8 of the Code must be made to a Regulatory Information Service.

The Panel's Market Surveillance Unit is available for consultation in relation to the Code's disclosure requirements on +44 (0)20 7638 0129.

The Code can be viewed on the Panel's website at www.thetakeoverpanel.org.uk.
JUNEAU, Alaska (AP)  The state of Alaska is exploring options for conducting elections after 2018, as it is faced with an aging voting system and financial pressures amid an ongoing state budget deficit.

A bipartisan working group established by Lt. Gov. Byron Mallott is examining the issue.

Josie Bahnke, director of the state Division of Elections, said one option that has gotten attention is a hybrid system would include allowing for early, in-person voting and voting by mail.

But she said discussions are preliminary and more research must be done to see if this approach would work in...
Meet Gavin and Macey Bebble, cousins and fellow St. Mary's stars

Two fellow Class of 2023 members, Gavin and Macey Bebble share a bond as cousins, friends and leading members of multiple talented St. Mary's teams.
ATLANTA, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The UPS Foundation, the American Red Cross and drone manufacturer CyPhy Works, Inc., today announced a partnership to launch a drone pilot program, marking the first time the American Red Cross will test using a tethered drone to assess damage after a major natural disaster in the United States.

With such catastrophic injury and damage being caused by natural disasters, every minute counts. Its essential that public and private organizations work together to find new and innovative solutions to support and enhance recovery efforts after a natural disaster strikes, said Eduardo Martinez, president of The UPS Foundation and chief diversity and inclusion officer. Accurately and quickly assessing the impact is a critical step to help save lives and lay the groundwork for eventual recovery and rebuilding. The UPS Foundation is pleased to bring together, fund and support this effort, in partnership with CyPhy Works and the American Red Cross.

Given the magnitude of recovery efforts taking place in Texas and Louisiana following the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, the parties agreed there was no better time to begin the pilot. UPS, the American Red Cross and CyPhy will deploy the drone and conduct a one-week, on-site test in an area badly affected by the flooding. This pilot could serve as a future model for a rapid response team.

The measure of success for the American Red Cross on this pilot will be to prove that drones can help support, complement and accelerate the work already being done by our tremendous volunteers, said Brad Kieserman, vice president, Disaster Services & Logistics, American Red Cross. In collaboration with UPS and CyPhy Works, we are thrilled to be conducting a pilot program with a drone for the first time in the United States. This will help us make faster assessments of affected communities that critically need our assistance.

The CyPhy Works Persistent Aerial Reconnaissance and Communications (PARC) system is being evaluated for effectiveness in supporting ground-based response teams. The tethered drone will go up 400 feet to provide aerial observation. The 30X zoom camera provides tens of miles of visibility and will be able to identify homes that have experienced water damage long before waters recede. A tethered drone can provide uninterrupted coverage at a disaster site for days or weeks at a time. Also, PARC can keep flying when hooked up to a generator as its powered from the ground, whereas a battery-operated drone in disaster conditions would need to be re-charged. High-image recognition tools and online comparison with previous imagery may help identify areas with the most damage and allow the extent of damages to be understood more quickly.

CyPhy Works is proud to be part of this important mission, said Lance Vanden Brook, CEO of CyPhy Works, Inc. PARC will provide the first responders and recovery crews with a stable fixed-location point of observation to help capture these crucial images without interruption.

Innovation through automation and robotics has long been a focus for the worlds largest package delivery company. In fact, UPS has been exploring the use of drones to deliver humanitarian aid in hard-to-reach parts of the world. In May of last year, UPS entered into a first-of-its-kind, public-private partnership with Zipline, a California-based robotics company, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance, to help create the worlds first national medical drone delivery network in Rwanda. And, last September, UPS and CyPhy Works conducted a test using a drone for delivery of urgently needed medical products to a remote, difficult-to-access location off the coast of Massachusetts.

About The UPS Foundation

UPS (NYSE: UPS) is a global leader in logistics, offering a broad range of solutions including the transportation of packages and freight; the facilitation of international trade, and the deployment of advanced technology to more efficiently manage the world of business. Since its founding in 1907, UPS has built a legacy as a caring and responsible corporate citizen, supporting programs that provide long-term solutions to community needs. Founded in 1951, The UPS Foundation leads its global citizenship programs and is responsible for facilitating community involvement to local, national, and global communities. In 2016, UPS and its employees, active and retired, invested more than $116 million in charitable giving around the world. The UPS Foundation can be found on the web at UPS.com/Foundation. To get UPS news direct, follow @UPS_News on Twitter.

About the American Red Cross

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.

About CyPhy Works

CyPhy Works is a leading drone company pursuing innovative aerial platforms to support customers in industries including defense, public safety, agriculture, energy, logistics, marine, mining, power and transportation. CyPhy Works tethered drones offer persistent, long-duration mission capability; secure data links for payload data, and for command/control; and easy, autonomous flight. For more information please visit http://www.cyphyworks.com or follow us on twitter at @CyPhyWorksInc or @HelenGreiner.
Oil traders rethink fuel buying strategy after Harvey dissipates



Some provisional Asia-U.S. charters canceled; others diverted. U.S. refineries restarting, prompting fallback in prices

By Heesu Lee, Ann Koh, and Laura Blewitt

SEOUL/SINGAPORE/HOUSTON

Petroleumworld 09 07 2017

Some traders who rushed to hire ships to send fuel from Asia to the U.S. after Hurricane Harvey are reconsidering their plans.

At least five tankers in the wake of the storm, which knocked out almost a quarter of U.S. refining capacity, have been canceled while some are being diverted elsewhere, data from shipbroker Ocean Freight Exchange show. As Gulf Coast plants restart and prices fall, Latin America may prove a more attractive region, according to industry consultants Energy Aspects and Resource Economist. OFE analyst Rachel Yew said some traders may not have managed to find supplies after making provisional bookings.

The cancellations and diversions show how Harvey continues to reverberate across global oil markets even after dissipating. The shutdown of refiners on the Gulf Coast as the storm made landfall in Texas and then once again in Louisiana prompted concern about a fuel shortage, spurring traders to book ships to transport fuel from other regions and fill a potential supply gap. While there are still tankers hired by traders to ferry more than 800,000 metric tons of oil products from Asia, some are being reconsidered.

Some of this material from Asia would be diverted to Latin America and some might be canceled, said Ehsan Ul-Haq, a London-based director of crude oil and refined products at Resource Economist. Most of the refining capacity in the U.S. is coming back gradually and Europe has already sent additional barrels of gasoline and other products.

There are signs of a similar picture from Europe. The region's cargoes of gasoline bound for the U.S. are set to drop to 18 charters over the next two weeks, in line with average levels, according to a Bloomberg survey of three shipbrokers and one owner. That compares with last week's estimate of 30 cargoes, which was the highest since November.

Refinery Restarts

About 2.4 million barrels a day, or 13 percent of U.S. refining capacity, has restarted or is restarting operations, data compiled by Bloomberg show. About 12 percent of the U.S. processing capability is still halted. As supply resumes, fuel prices are tumbling, providing less of an incentive for traders to transport cargoes half way around the globe.

Moreover, Asian processors are unlikely to have spare cargoes that traders can purchase to ship to the U.S. Most of the plants in the region have already completed September-loading fuel sales, according to Kim Wookyung, a spokeswoman at SK Innovation Co. , South Korea's biggest refiner.

A lot of the traders rushed to fix ships before they had the cargoes, so we saw some ships failing, said OFE's Yew. Also there has been talk of traders unable to find a buyer and this could be due to the gradual ongoing restart of refineries in the Gulf Coast.

The biggest buyers of U.S. refined products, Latin American countries like Mexico and Brazil, have been starved of their typical shipments for more than a week as processors and ports were forced to shut out exports from the U.S. Gulf Coast.

After the storm cleared, the first two product-export tankers to leave the Houston area loaded up for Brazil . The two tankers, NS Point and PTI Sextans, are bringing up to 74,000 tons of refined products from the docks in Texas City, Texas, with estimated arrivals between Sept. 17-20. Imports to Mexico's East Coast that usually come from the U.S. Gulf Coast are instead being supplanted by shipments from Europe and New York, Bloomberg vessel-tracking data show.

Gasoline Drop

We expect much of the arbitrage barrels to find their way into Latin American markets, said Sam Alderson, an analyst at industry consultant Energy Aspects Ltd. While refineries are beginning restart operations, we still have a sizeable chunk of gasoline and diesel production offline at this stage which, combined with port restrictions, continues to restrict exports of U.S. products.

The window of opportunity to export Asian gasoline cargoes to the U.S. is rapidly closing, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. U.S. prices of the fuel for November delivery in New York traded at discount of more than 25 cents a barrel to prompt Singapore prices, flipping from a premium of about $6 a barrel on Aug. 31. The cost of chartering a ship carrying 35,000 tons of gasoline was about $4.27 a barrel, shipbroker data from Sept. 1 showed.

October gasoline futures in New York dropped as much as 3.3 percent to $1.643 a gallon, falling for a third session, on Wednesday. They were at $1.6504 at 10:55 a.m. in New York. The drop comes after prices surged in August by the most in more than a year.

Prices have probably peaked and will continue falling as the panic in the market subsides and supply improves, thereby closing some of the product arbs into the U.S., said Den Syahril, an analyst at FGE in Singapore. Of course, the uncertainty is how long the refineries which have yet to restart will take to come back into the market.







Story by Heesu Lee, Ann Koh, and Laura Blewitt; With assistance by Bill Lehane from Bloomberg.



bloomberg. com / 09 06 2017
VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bluestone Resources Inc. (TSX VENTURE:BSR) ("Bluestone" or the "Company") is pleased to announce that consistent with the terms of the transaction agreement with Goldcorp Inc. ("Goldcorp") to acquire the Cerro Blanco gold and Mita geothermal projects which closed May 31, 2017, Bluestone has selected and begun to receive US$2.43 million of mining and auxiliary equipment used in the operation of Goldcorp's Marlin mine in Guatemala ("the Marlin Equipment"). A US$2 million non-refundable deposit for the Marlin Equipment was included as part of the transaction consideration. The Marlin mine was operational until earlier this year when it commenced moving into closure.



Bluestone's President & CEO Darren Klinck commented, "The acquisition of the Marlin Equipment is an important step as we advance our site works and begin to firm up exploration and development planning for the Cerro Blanco and Mita projects. We are fortunate to have been able to secure this used Marlin Equipment at a fraction of the price that it would otherwise be available to us.

Some of the Marlin Equipment acquired includes:

12 MW Diesel Generators (8-1.5 MW units) sufficient for all site backup power requirements

Underground diamond drills

Assay Lab

Two Scoop trams

Two Jumbos

Bolter

60 and 100 tonne mobile cranes

Two Underground haul trucks

Loader, dozer and backhoe

2 mine refuge stations and mine rescue equipment

Other miscellaneous equipment and supplies

The Marlin Equipment has started to arrive at site and is being evaluated for maintenance requirements before being put into service.

About Bluestone Resources

Bluestone Resources is a mineral exploration and development company that is focused on advancing its 100% owned Cerro Blanco gold and Mita geothermal projects located in Guatemala. The Cerro Blanco Project economics as disclosed in the Company's press release dated February 7, 2017 announcing the results of its Preliminary Economic Assessment (PEA) and updated mineral resource estimate for Cerro Blanco indicates a robust project with an expected nine-year mine life producing 952,000 ounces of gold and 3,141,000 ounces of silver. Initial capital expenditures estimated in the PEA to fund construction and commissioning is estimated at US$170.8 million with All-in sustaining cash costs (as defined per World Gold Council guidelines, less corporate general and administration costs) estimated to be US$490 per ounce of gold produced. The Company trades under the symbol BSR on the TSX Venture Exchange.

Cautionary Language



The PEA is preliminary in nature, it includes inferred mineral resources that are considered too speculative geologically to have the economic considerations applied to them that would enable them to be categorized as mineral reserves, and there is no certainty that the PEA will be realized. Mineral resources that are not mineral reserves do not have demonstrated economic viability.

The scientific and technical disclosure in this news release has been reviewed by John Robins, CEO of the Company, who is a Qualified Person as defined by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (collectively, forward-looking statements). All statements, other than statements of historical fact, that address activities, events or developments that Bluestone Resources Inc. (Bluestone or the Company) believes, expects or anticipates will or may occur in the future including, without limitation: statements about the Companys plans for its mineral properties; Bluestones business strategy, plans and outlook; the future financial or operating performance of Bluestone; capital expenditures, corporate general and administration expenses and exploration and development expenses; expected working capital requirements; the future financial estimates of the Cerro Blanco Project economics, including estimates of capital costs of constructing mine facilities and bringing a mine into production and of sustaining capital costs, estimates of operating costs and total costs, net present value and economic returns; proposed production timelines and rates; funding availability; resource estimates; and future exploration and operating plans are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements reflect the current expectations or beliefs of the Company based on information currently available to Bluestone and often use words such as expects, plans, anticipates, estimates, intends, may or variations thereof or the negative of any of these terms.

All forward-looking statements are made based on the Companys current beliefs as well as various assumptions made by them and information currently available to them. Generally, these assumptions include, among others: the ability of Bluestone to carry on exploration and development activities; the price of gold, silver and other metals; there being no material variations in the current tax and regulatory environment; the exchange rates among the Canadian dollar, Guatemalan quetzal and the United States dollar remaining consistent with current levels; the presence of and continuity of metals at the Cerro Blanco Project at estimated grades; the availability of personnel, machinery and equipment at estimated prices and within estimated delivery times; metals sales prices and exchange rates assumed; appropriate discount rates applied to the cash flows in economic analyses; tax rates and royalty rates applicable to the proposed mining operation; the availability of acceptable financing; anticipated mining losses and dilution; success in realizing proposed operations; anticipated timelines for community consultations and the impact of those consultations on the regulatory approval process.

Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that may cause the actual results of the Company to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements and, even if such actual results are realized or substantially realized, there can be no assurance that they will have the expected consequences to, or effects on, Bluestone. Factors that could cause actual results or events to differ materially from current expectations include, among other things: risks and uncertainties related to expected production rates, timing and amount of production and total costs of production; risks and uncertainties related to ability to obtain or maintain necessary licenses, permits, or surface rights; risks associated with technical difficulties in connection with mining development activities; risks and uncertainties related to the accuracy of mineral resource estimates and estimates of future production, future cash flow, total costs of production and diminishing quantities or grades of mineral resources; risks associated with geopolitical uncertainty and political and economic instability in Guatemala; risks and uncertainties related to interruptions in production; the possibility that future exploration, development or mining results will not be consistent with the Companys expectations; uncertain political and economic environments and relationships with local communities; risks relating to variations in the mineral content within the mineral identified as mineral resources from that predicted; variations in rates of recovery and extraction; developments in world metals markets; risks related to fluctuations in currency exchange rates; as well as those factors discussed under Risk Factors in the Companys Amended and Restated Annual Information Form.

Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was made, and except as may be required by applicable securities laws, Bluestone disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise. Although Bluestone believes that the assumptions inherent in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and accordingly undue reliance should not be put on such statements due to their inherent uncertainty. There can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, and actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements.
Dan Keating, a scion of one of Philadelphia's oldest builder families, says he has sold Keating Consulting L.L.C. to Rhode Island-based Gilbane Construction Co. and is joining that six-generation family enterprise, which has 30 offices across the U.S. Terms were not disclosed.

"We are eager to leverage" Keating's relationships and deep roots in the mid-Atlantic area to help cope with a growing backlog of projects and manage growth, Gilbane Building Co. chief executive Michael E. McKelvy said in a statement.

"It's a golden relationship. I've known them 40 years," Keating said from his office in Philadelphia's Phoenix building, the old Insurance Co. of North America tower his former firm redeveloped as condos and the Tir na nOg bar atop Suburban Station.

Keating sold his former Keating Building Corp. to Tutor Perini Corp. of Los Angeles in 2009, and left Tutor Perini to start Keating Consulting two years later. Another branch of the family runs Main Line-based Daniel J. Keating Co.

Keating, his son Michael, and 10 other Keating Consulting people are making the switch to Gilbane. "Our primary role will be to work with them, creating building opportunities locally, regionally, and nationally," Keating said.

Recent Keating clients include hotel developments in Philadelphia and Hoboken and casinos in Washington State and Mississippi. "We will look to support [Gilbane's] network in meds and eds and corporate projects,"cooperating with Gilbane's Philadelphia chief, Shawn Carlin, and other Gilbane executives.
Federal interference with Pennsylvania's medical-marijuana program would "force more suffering on some of our most vulnerable constituents," Gov. Wolf said in a letter to Rep. Charlie Dent (R., Pa.), who serves on the House Appropriations Committee.

Wolf is alarmed that Congress could eliminate a provision in an appropriations bill that for four years has prohibited federal agencies from cracking down on the implementation of state-approved medical-cannabis programs.

The states considered the provision, known as the Rohrabacher amendment, as tacit protection that gave them permission to launch their cannabis programs.

The House Committee on Rules on Wednesday blocked a vote on the Rohrabacher amendment, which now is set to expire Sept. 30.

The federal government maintains that all forms of marijuana, including industrial hemp, are Schedule 1 substances with "no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse."

Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana in some form. In 2016, Wolf signed a bill authorizing the use of cannabis oils to treat 17 ailments, including post-traumatic stress disorder. The state Department of Health said the program was on track to provide refined medical-marijuana products to patients in early 2018.

"Unfortunately, the Trump administration seems intent on impeding those suffering, including children and veterans, from getting the relief that is available to them," Wolf wrote on Wednesday to Dent. "Failure to pass this amendment will force more suffering on some of our most vulnerable constituents. I urge you to support the Rohrabacher amendment to ensure that our citizens are able to receive the relief they so desperately need."

On Thursday on Philly.com, Pennsylvania Auditor General Eugene DePasquale argued that fully legalized marijuana could generate needed dollars for the state, create jobs, reduce court costs, and blunt the opioid epidemic. "I very conservatively estimate potential revenues from regulating and taxing marijuana in Pennsylvania to be about $200 million a year," DePasquale wrote.

The Obama administration largely had a hands-off approach to marijuana, directing federal prosecutors to allow cannabis businesses to operate as long they followed state laws.

U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been an aggressive opponent of marijuana, likening it to heroin and blaming it for spikes in violence. However, a task force of law enforcement officials that Sessions convened made no new policy recommendations.

Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R., Calif.), in an Inquirer and Daily News opinion piece, voiced his disappointment in Sessions, his "longtime friend," for urging Congress to drop the amendment. "This despite President Trump's belief, made clear in his campaign and as president, that states alone should decide medical marijuana policies."

This article contains information from the Associated Press.
In this geocolor image released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Hurricane Irma approaches Anguilla on Wednesday. The most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane in recorded history has roared into the Caribbean, its winds ripping off roofs and knocking out phones. Read more

Comcast Corp. could lose 100,000 to 150,000 cable-TV subscribers as hurricanes pummel its markets and telephone competitors sharply discount their services in other parts of the country.

On Thursday, the company warned of those two storm clouds that threaten its businesses, even as the Walt Disney Co. disclosed at the same California investor conference weakness in its own media operations.

At the close of trading on Wall Street, Comcast stock had shed 6.24 percent, or 2.57, to $38.60 a share, and Disney was down 4.37 percent, or 4.44, to $97.06 a share.

Matthew Strauss, executive vice president of Xfinity services, informed the Bank of America Merrill Lynch investor gathering in Beverly Hills that Comcast could lose that number of cable-TV customers in the third quarter. Comcast is a big cable provider in the Houston area, which has sustained severe flooding from Hurricane Harvey. The Philadelphia-based company also has significant operations in Florida, which appears about to be run over by Hurricane Irma.

Comcast's cable division will still make its financial numbers for the third quarter despite the stress on the operation, company officials say. But it has to deal with another potential crisis: Its NBCUniversal subsidiary's Universal Orlando theme park is right in Irma's potential path.

Just as important have been AT&T and Verizon, which are discounting TV and internet services in Comcast franchise areas.

A Comcast official said Thursday that the price-cutting from these two telecom giants "is the strongest we have seen in recent history." They appear to be bundling TV and internet services with their wireless phones as they compete for wireless market share with T-Mobile.
Heavy rains and wind cross the general Valero avenue during the passage of hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of the island in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, September 6, 2017. The US territory was first to declare a state of emergency las Monday, as the National Hurricane Center forecast that the storm would strike the Island Wednesday. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti) Read more

As Hurricane Irma barrels toward Florida, people concerned about loved ones, including elderly parents, and Floridians wanting to get out of the storm's way have scrambled to book flights and change itineraries to leave sooner.

But there's a catch-22: Thanks to people booking at the last minute, and with only a limited number of flights, ticket prices for the few remaining seats surged, leading to accusations of price gouging. Posts on Twitter the last few days complained that remaining seats on some carriers cost as much as $3,000.

Was it intentional price gouging, or supply and demand?

Airlines insist that they did not intentionally raise ticket prices. Indeed, some carriers have added flights.

After reports on social media of $3,000 one-way fares, American and JetBlue capped direct one-way tickets out of South Florida at $99. Delta Air Lines capped one-way fares at $399, and waived baggage and pet in-cabin fees.

Usually, airfares change constantly, even several times a day, depending on how full the plane is. "Most seats sold out rather inexpensively very quickly," said Seth Kaplan, managing partner at Airline Weekly. "Then there were a few seats left, and those seats were going for crazy prices.

"Airlines felt shamed into capping the fares, but then the remaining seats were nearly immediately gone," Kaplan said. "It was like winning the lottery to try to get one. People told me there were a few $99 seats on JetBlue from Fort Lauderdale to Philadelphia, but then they were gone. The bottom line is: You can't get a seat and the reason is there aren't enough seats for everyone who wants to travel."

Whether it was the fresh images of the devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, or social media reports whipping up a frenzy, or the potential of a direct hit by 185-mph winds, many Florida residents are trying to get out of Dodge.

American Airlines, which operates hubs in Philadelphia and Miami, said it will wind down operations Friday afternoon in South Florida and has canceled all flights over the weekend out of Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Fort Myers, and West Palm Beach.

Flights scheduled to arrive in Miami on Friday from Europe and South America on American have also been canceled. American's last departure Friday from Miami International Airport will be at 3:49 p.m. for Dallas-Fort Worth. The last flight out of Orlando will be at 2 p.m. Saturday.

American said that it added 16 flights and more than 3,600 seats from Miami on Thursday: 12 to Dallas-Fort Worth, one to Philadelphia, and three to New York. The airline said availability on the flights was "extremely limited."

Southwest Airlines canceled flights to and from South Florida from Friday night through at least Saturday, and also canceled flights to Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Bahamas, and Cuba.

Delta said Thursday that it had upsized aircraft and added flights at airports in Punta Cana, Nassau, Freeport, Key West, Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Sarasota, and Orlando  in all, more than 2,000 seats along Irma's path.

George Hobica, founder of airfarewatchdog.com, said that even Wednesday he found some low last-minute fares out of South Florida. He agreed that some fares were high. "But last-minute fares are often more expensive in general. I don't think airlines would be callous or stupid enough to be consciously jacking up fares.

"It's just the computer programs doing what they do when it's last minute and seats are scarce," Hobica said. "If there's any gouge, it's just the last-minute walk-up fares that are designed for desperate business fliers."

Due to the storm, American has issued a travel alert for more than 40 airports that may be affected by Irma, allowing customers to rebook without change fees. Other airlines also waived change fees and are allowing travelers to reschedule.

The timing of Hurricane Irma comes as airlines, after Labor Day, traditionally reduce their supply of seats. "This is supposed to be the low season. Instead, there is some of the highest demand they have ever seen," Kaplan said.

"We are offering additional flights out of Florida, yesterday and today, to help more customers," United spokesman Charles Hobart said. "We've also taken steps to reduce those fares beyond what a regular last-minute fare would be." United expanded its travel waiver to include more cities and dates, which can be found at united.com, he said.

Meanwhile, airlines are on the clock to get their planes safely out of Florida on Friday. United plans to suspend its Florida flights at 4:30 p.m. local time through the weekend.

"If an airline knows that a big event is coming  the Super Bowl is in town  they will add flights," Kaplan said. "The same thing for holiday travel. The [algorithm] systems did what they were supposed to do.

"You had all of South Florida chasing very few seats, and that's what pushed the fares to where they were," he said. "People get angry about seeing there's one seat in all of Miami available for $3,000, but they don't get angry about seeing that everything is just sold out. The bottom line is the same: You are not going to be able to fly."
English French

Press release

Power-to-Gas continues to gain market traction:

McPhy wins a 1.3M equipment contract in Austria

for an innovative methanation plant operated by RAG





McPhy's generator, powered with renewable energy, will provide green hydrogen for a revolutionary underground methanation process.

Thanks to its high dynamic response capabilities, perfectly aligned with the variability of renewable energies, McPhy's electrolyzer is an ideal tool to provide electricity grid with the flexibility they need.

La Motte-Fanjas (Drome, France), 7 September 2017 - McPhy, the designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment for the energy, transport and industrial sectors, has been selected by RAG, the Austrian underground gas storage specialist, to supply the hydrogen generation system for its highly innovative Underground Sun Conversion project.

RAG has developed an innovative approach to produce and store green methane from hydrogen generated by renewable energies and micro-bacteria. The synthetic natural gas will be produced and stored directly in a natural gas reservoir more than 1,000 m underground, then fed into the pipeline network to be delivered on demand to consumers.

The project is now entering an industrialization phase, enabling RAG to gain reliable knowledge for future business applications.

At the heart of this project, the hydrogen will be generated by a McLyzer 100-30 electrolyzer.

McPhy technology's decisive benefits for Power-to-Gas applications and grid services

McPhy won this international call for tenders following a thorough selection process with particularly stringent requirements, including: very fast dynamic response to balancing power, delivery of hydrogen directly at 30 bar, technological maturity and system robustness. The McLyzer 100-30 hydrogen generator offered a perfect response to these high expectations.

Its dynamic response to follow the fast variations of current coming from renewable energies has been long demonstrated thanks to the data collected since 2014 on the "H 2 BER" Power-to-Gas project in Berlin.

McPhy's electrolyzer is positioned as an ideal tool for managing grid stability faced with the growing levels of energy from renewable sources and taking part in primary and secondary reserve.

Designed by McPhy to limit their environmental impacts, its hydrogen generators combine a zero loss purification unit with a closed-loop system to minimize water consumption during its transformation into hydrogen. Their renowned durability will make it possible to support the Underground Sun Conversion industrial project over the long term.

13 MW of Power-to-Gas equipment

"I am delighted that RAG has selected McPhy's electrolyzer as a core component for its Underground Sun Conversion project. This equipment, which will be commisionned mid-2018, is designed for an automatic operation, with low maintenance requirements. This will enable our client to focus on its core process: the methanation.

With this latest contract, McPhy will soon have installed over 13 MW of Power-to-Gas capacity, representing an overall production capacity close to 6 tons of clean hydrogen per day.

This key reference once again confirms McPhy's position as a major player for Power-to-Gas thanks to the relevance and modular capabilities of our McLyzer range."

Pascal Mauberger | Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

About McPhy

In the framework of the energy transition, and as a leading supplier of hydrogen production, storage and distribution equipment, McPhy contributes to the deployment of clean hydrogen throughout the world.

Thanks to its wide range of products and services dedicated to the hydrogen energy, zero emission mobility and industrial hydrogen markets, McPhy provides turnkey solutions to its clients. These solutions are tailored to our client applications: renewable energy surplus storage and valorization, fuel cell car refueling, raw material for industrial sites.

As a designer, manufacturer and integrator of hydrogen equipment since 2008, McPhy has three development, engineering and production units based in Europe (France, Italy, Germany).

The company's international subsidiaries ensure a global sales coverage of McPhy's innovative hydrogen solutions.

McPhy is listed on NYSE Euronext Paris (Segment C, ISIN code: FR0011742329; ticker: MCPHY).
Women in America arent married as long as they were in prior generations, which calls for separate financial planning, according to a new study. Read more

Women, we may need our own financial planners and retirement advice separate from the men in our lives, even if we're married.

That's the upshot of new research from the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College, where researchers found that women from the later baby-boom era are spending fewer years married.

Traditionally, women spent their adult lives married, so it made more sense to study households rather than women separately.

But the new study looked at four birth cohorts, ranging from the Depression era to mid-baby boom, and found that no matter the age span, the percentage of years women spend married has dropped from about 70 percent to about 50 percent. Fewer women get married, and when they do marry, they get married later, the study found. Also, more couples end up divorced. (The study did not account for same-sex marriage.)

So looking at women's finances separately from those of men is increasingly a necessary part of retirement security, the center's study noted.

Why wouldn't women want their own financial plans? After all, women are far more likely than men to face financial hardship in retirement. A 2016 report by the National Institute on Retirement Security found that across all age groups, women have substantially less income in retirement than men.

For women age 65 and older, the NIRS data found, typical income is 25 percent lower than it is for men. As men and women age, men's income advantage widens to 44 percent by age 80 and older. Consequently, women are 80 percent more likely than men to be impoverished at age 65 and older, while women age 75 to 79 were three times more likely to fall below the poverty level when compared to their male counterparts.

"It is well-documented that the nation faces a retirement savings crisis, but the pain is particularly severe for women because we need a bigger retirement nest egg than men thanks to our longer life expectancy," explained Diane Oakley, NIRS executive director and report co-author. Their data show that "a woman's nest egg is substantially smaller than a man's and that we're not making real headway toward closing the retirement gender gap."

And even wealthy investors worry about getting sick in retirement, according to the most recent UBS Investor Watch: Nearly three-quarters do. Moreover, 88 percent say they are prepared for retirement, but less than half feel secure about their health and long-term-care planning.

"Whether you are just entering the workforce or getting closer to retirement, it's up to every woman to ensure she has a secure financial future," advised Cynthia Tidwell, president and CEO of Royal Neighbors of America, one of the nation's largest women-led life insurers.

"Because many women, over our lifetimes, tend to go in and out of the workforce to care for family or may even earn less overall, we are more likely to be poorer as we age  essentially living longer on smaller incomes," Tidwell said.

How can local women plan financially for themselves?

 If you don't have auto-enrollment at work, consider enrolling in a savings plan through a brokerage firm or low-cost investment firm such as Vanguard.

 Enroll in an investing class at a local college or join an investment club. For instance, BetterInvesting offers classes in a broad range of subjects, including basic investing topics. One local chapter, the Philadelphia Area Model Investment Club, meets the second Saturday of each month and welcomes visitors at no cost. Meetings take place at the Montgomery County-Norristown Public Library, 1001 Powell St., Norristown, Pa. 19401. To learn more, call club contact Gloria Mankonen at 215-796-1214.

 Join the South Jersey BetterInvesting chapter for an "Investor Education Day." The event is scheduled Saturday, Oct. 21, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at the Cherry Hill Public Library, 1100 Kings Highway North, Cherry Hill, N.J. 08034. The cost is $35. For information, contact Agnes Eng at 609-969-0619 or Treasurer@SJersey.betterinvesting.net , or Carla Krasnick at President@SJersey.betterinvesting.net.

 Consider a four-week course, "Retirement Income Solutions for Women," for those 45 or older who are concerned they won't have enough money for retirement. The series was put together by the Women's Opportunities Resource Center and the Pennsylvania Institute of Certified Public Accountants. Participants in the classes discuss transitioning from work to retirement, and identify retirement-income gaps and how to supplement income through employment, plus maximizing Social Security and Medicare. To sign up, contact WORC either at worc-pa.com or by calling 215-564-5500.
They ride like the wind, sometimes leaving puzzled pedestrians and furious motorists in their wake. They have their own vocabulary, and you'll need my glossary below.

Where the youth culture and the bike culture intersect, you find stunts  often done in traffic  that you didn't know you could do with a bike, and in some cases shouldn't do. The kid riders are a subculture of a subculture, and they are bringing what some find to be an unwelcome change to our streets. They are almost always male but represent all races, like a U.N. balanced on two wheels.

Motorists on Broad Street or Market Street in Center City, and other locations, periodically encounter swarms of bike-riding kids, usually teenagers, taking over an entire street from curb to curb. Many of them are riding on a rear wheel, forcing cars to stop or to carefully steer around them.

"Someone is going to be badly hurt," an older Center City resident who has seen the swarm tells me. "Some motorist will start shooting," she says. On social media, one man complains that the kids "think they are having fun, but this is lawlessness."

Seizing a street is often part of a planned group ride, called a rideout. The most famous one was in April, when more than 300 kids rode their bicycles onto the Vine Street Expressway. It was amazing, dangerous, and frightening.

That rideout was to celebrate Corey Murray's 16th birthday, and state police  because 676 is an interstate highway  nabbed him. Perhaps Philadelphia's best-known rider, Murray is known among bicyclists as OneWay Corey, the "one way" coming from "one way up," as in a wheelie. To him, riding with friends is fun and freedom. The South Philadelphia High School junior got six months' probation.

Murray says giving him "credit" for the infamous highway ride is misplaced.

"I didn't lead it to the highway," he says, adding that he doesn't know who did.

Michael McGettigan, who owns Trophy Bikes in Northern Liberties, finds that believable. "Suddenly you're in a big group, just like when small fish gather together to appear to be one big fish to predators," he says. "There is no leader."

Taking over the highway was unusual. Kids usually do their tricks in the street, in traffic. Cops know about the renegade riding but can't do much about it unless they know it's about to happen. They find out in three ways, a police spokesman, Capt. Sekou Kinebrew, tells me.

"If it's planned or organized, there is some evidence of it on social-media platforms," he says, and cops monitor YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Officers on patrol may see it, and civilians may call 911.

Mostly the bicyclists ignore traffic laws, copping the attitude that cars have to look out for them. Some day, that will lead to trouble.

Thanks to social media, rideouts are increasing, and they have taken a dangerous turn with a stunt called swerving, in which bicyclists cut into the path of a motor vehicle and then quickly swerve away. Or try to.

Murray admits to swerving until a couple of years ago, when he got clipped by an SUV, sending him over his handlebars, injuring his back.

"That's when I stopped swerving cars and stuff," he says. "It's dangerous, and it's just stupid."

The bicyclists have many less-perilous stunts. These include:

The wheelie: The rider pulls his front handlebar up and rides on the back wheel.

The nose wheelie: The rider is on the front wheel.

The Superman: The rider is sliding back, resting his chest on the seat with legs extended, mimicking the comic-book hero in flight.

Surfing: The rider stands on the seat as if it's a surfboard.

The bunny hop: Both wheels come off the ground.

Draggin': The rider leans all the way back, dragging his hand on the ground behind him.

Murray invents a lot of his tricks, but "sometimes you see them on social media and you do it," he says. There are dozens of tricks. Here are 10.

Some are dangerous, especially when done in traffic, and they require truly amazing dexterity and reflexes. That's one reason, Murray says, his bike-riding friends stay away from drugs. "Bikes are our drug," he tells me.

Kids like Murray are revolutionizing how young people use bicycles, have fun, and feel freedom. They're not going away any time soon. We wheelie ought to be ready.
Education Secretary Betsy DeVos said that she wants to change the failed system of campus sexual-assault enforcement. Read more

Contending that current rules deny justice to both sexual-abuse victims and the accused, and push schools to "overreach," U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Thursday announced her intention to overhaul the government's approach on the handling of sexual-misconduct allegations at colleges.

"With the heavy hand of Washington tipping the balance of her scale, the sad reality is that Lady Justice is not blind on campuses today," DeVos said at George Mason University in Virginia. Of campus sexual-assault cases, she said, "It's no wonder so many call these proceedings kangaroo courts."

DeVos did not indicate that she would immediately rescind the 2011 guidance issued by the Obama administration, which spelled out the responsibilities of schools to investigate allegations of sexual harassment and violence under Title IX, and specified that colleges should use a lower standard of proof than courts to resolve complaints.

Instead, DeVos said she would solicit input "to replace the current approach with a workable, effective, and fair system."

DeVos' remarks drew immediate reaction, with advocates for sexual-assault victims criticizing the education secretary. Know Your IX, an advocacy group, accused her and President Trump of "helping abusers and rapists avoid accountability."

Sen. Bob Casey (D., Pa.) said DeVos' "decision to revisit existing campus sexual-assault protections is an insult to survivors of sexual assault."

Critics of the Obama guidance, meanwhile, cheered DeVos as acknowledging flaws in a system that "victims still don't trust and that the accused have every reason to believe is stacked against them," said Robert Shibley, executive director of the Foundation for Individual Rights in Education.

But the effect of DeVos' remarks was unclear. The Association of Title IX Coordinators said that it expects the Department of Education to withdraw the Obama guidance but that "there is only so much" the department could change. The 2011 guidance was based on prior guidelines from 2001 as well as case law, the association noted.

Many local colleges deemed it too early to weigh in on possible changes, while defending their approaches to addressing sexual-assault allegations.

"We will need to study what they ultimately propose," said Ron Ozio, a spokesman for the University of Pennsylvania. "But at Penn we have worked very hard to address the issue of sexual assault on campus by developing policies and procedures that are responsive to our community, fair, and effective."

At Rutgers-Camden, "nothing about today's announcement will affect the serious way that we at Rutgers address sexual assault and harassment," said spokesman Mike Sepanic. "We are national leaders in research on sexual assault and will continue to share our expertise with regulators, rule makers, and others who seek guidance on this important issue."

Of the 2011 guidance, Valerie Harrison, senior adviser to the president for equity, diversity, and inclusion at Temple University, said, "Most of those items we were already doing." But the university "centralized and strengthened our effort" to address sexual assault, including through anonymous reporting and mandatory education programs for students, she said.

Temple is one of several area institutions, along with Pennsylvania State and Swarthmore College, that are under investigation by the U.S. Department of Education's Office for Civil Rights for issues related to alleged campus sexual violence.

The office is investigating a total of 360 cases at 257 postsecondary institutions, according to the Department of Education. In spring 2014, 55 colleges were being investigated for possible mishandling of sexual-assault and harassment cases.

DeVos said Thursday that the "failed system has generated hundreds upon hundreds of cases" in the civil rights office, as well as "dozens upon dozens of lawsuits  by students punished for sexual misconduct." In both cases, students believe their schools "let them down," she said.

Alison Kiss, executive director of the Clery Center, a nonprofit that advocates for safer campuses, said that not much enforcement was evident prior to the 2011 guidance. That led to "students calling colleges and universities to task, the federal government to task, for enforcing Title IX," she said.

"Is there still more work to be done? Absolutely," Kiss said. But while DeVos characterized schools as ill-equipped to address sexual-misconduct complaints, Kiss noted that many college and university officials had hired Title IX coordinators and other staff in response to the 2011 guidance.

"There have been so many positive changes and improvements in training," she said. Students and communities will likely continue to "hold [colleges] to that standard, to make sure they are enforcing civil rights."
We need more programs that are intentionally preparing teachers, said PSP Executive Director Mark Gleason. Read more

The Philadelphia School Partnership, a powerful nonprofit that has raised and distributed $80 million to city charter, parochial and public schools since its inception in 2011, wants to raise $60 million more, it announced Thursday.

The nonprofit (PSP), already the Philadelphia School District's largest private funder, aims to expand its reach. Its investments have already affected 25,000 students, the organization says; the new initiative would reach 15,000 more.

It has launched a new fund still centered on its initial goal  creating and expanding educational opportunities for low-income students, with an emphasis on rewarding innovation. But it is now investing in different ways  in career and technical schools; in teacher development and retention; and in helping growing schools and charter networks scale up with management expertise.

PSP is clear that it means to create an educational tipping point for change in the city's schools, many of which still struggle, officials said.

To date, $15 million has been pledged for the new fund, which is expected to be fully endowed by 2019, PSP executive director Mark Gleason said.

Gleason announced $2.5 million in initial grants from the fund, including $835,000 to Vaux Big Picture High School, a partnership among the Philadelphia School District, Philadelphia Housing Authority and Big Picture Philadelphia; $650,000 to Russell Byers Charter School to fund an expansion of the Center City school; $300,000 to Folk Arts-Cultural Treasures Charter School to fund expansion; $690,000 to KIPP Philadelphia Charter Schools to help the organization add the expertise to manage the five new schools it will add; and $75,000 to Science Leadership Academy at Beeber to fund planning for a middle school.

Mayor Kenney and Superintendent William R. Hite Jr. attended a Thursday news conference announcing the new grants.

The organization took lessons from its six years of work in Philadelphia's schools, Gleason said. Officials found that teacher recruitment was a problem in the schools it invested in; some of the new money will go to help develop a broader and deeper pool of teachers to work in schools across the city. PSP has worked on the area of principal development; it will also spend money to help schools equip teachers to be leaders as well.

"We need more programs that are intentionally preparing teachers," said Gleason.

Helping schools adjust to the Common Core  the new national standards for teaching K-12 students  is also a focus.

"Common Core has really challenged our portfolio and the whole city," Gleason said. "Everyone's struggling with the transition. It's one thing to get a new curriculum, but it's another for teachers to become really facile in it."

Before the Thursday announcement, PSP had invested in 49 schools and a handful of teacher and principal development programs, with charters accounting for its largest block of grantees. It says its investments have paid off, with achievement at PSP schools typically outpacing that of district schools.

The well-funded organization is not without controversy. Critics worry that it favors charters at the expense of traditional public schools, and that it advances an agenda to privatize education.

But the superintendent and mayor were warm in their praise for PSP.

"This announcement represents another positive step as we continue working to improve the educational opportunities for children in Philadelphia," Hite said in a statement. "PSP has made a positive difference in many of our district schools."

Kenney said he was grateful for PSP.

"Now, more than ever, we need diverse and engaged stakeholders from the private sector to step up and make a difference in our public school system," the mayor said in a statement.

PSP, whose donors are a mix of individuals and private and corporate foundations, was not intended to be an institution that exists in perpetuity, but a catalyst for change, Gleason said. That change is still needed, he said.

"We have a little bit of a sharper sense," Gleason said, "of what we think is going to be able to move the needle over the next three to four years."
Dallas, Texas, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Commemorative Air Force (CAF) announces the return of CAF Wings Over Dallas World War II Airshow on Oct. 6-8, 2017 at Dallas Executive Airport (DEA), presented by Frost Bank.

More than 19,000 visitors from 32 states were drawn to the inaugural event in 2016, attracted by spectacular flying demonstrations, battle reenactments, World War II veteran appearances, living history encampments, hands-on family activities, aircraft rides, cockpit tours, and more.

This years show will feature a 75th anniversary commemoration of the Doolittle Raid, the heroic U.S. counterattack on Japan after Pearl Harbor. A flying reenactment of the Raid will combine eight B-25 bombers, spectacular pyrotechnics, sound effects, and narration into a pulsating history lesson.

More than 80 World War II-era aircraft are set to participate in the airshow. The unique gathering of heavy bombers will include a B-29 Superfortress, B-24 Liberator, and two B-17 Flying Fortresses. There will be exciting fighters such as the P-51 Mustang, P-40 Warhawk, Vought F4U Corsair, and a Bell P-39 Airacobra. The aerial activities will be supported on the ground by personal appearances from numerous World War II veterans, living history reenactment groups, and military vehicles including a working Sherman tank and a 105mm howitzer.

Last years event was the first airshow in Dallas for more than 30 years, and proved wildly popular with families and history enthusiasts, says CAF President Robert Stenevik. This year will be bigger and better, with a goal to make CAF Wings Over Dallas the nations pre-eminent annual World War II-themed airshow and military reenactment event.

Frost Bank is sponsoring the show for the second year. Paul Koch, president of Frost, Dallas Region, said the company was proud to return as a sponsor in 2017. "This is the kind of history lesson you cant read in a book or watch on a screen, he said. We are excited to help bring it to Dallas Executive Airport, southern Dallas and the entire north Texas region."

Show organizers are planning for significantly greater attendance. Airshow seating areas are being quadrupled from 2016 to 2017, along with expanded emphasis on traffic management, parking, and food and drink.

Tickets are on sale at www.wingsoverdallas.org with advance purchase discounts available. Rides are also available through the website in numerous World War II aircraft.





About the Commemorative Air Force:

Through six decades of collecting, restoring, and flying World War II aircraft, the CAF has become the worlds largest flying museum, with a fleet of 165 airplanes supported by 11,000 volunteer members. Nearly all the aircraft are kept in flying condition, enabling people to experience firsthand the sight and sound of vintage military aircraft in flight. The CAF, established in 1957, will celebrate its 60th anniversary with festivities at the CAF Wings Over Dallas Airshow.

The CAF is dedicated to Honoring American Military Aviation through flight, exhibition, education, and remembrance. To further its mission the CAF produces many aviation events across the country, including the CAF Wings Over Houston Airshow, which annually attracts more than 90,000 spectators and was honored as 2015 Airshow of the Year by the International Council of Airshows.

The organization recently relocated its national headquarters to Dallas Executive Airport where it plans to develop an educational campus that is expected to play a significant role in the economic and cultural revitalization of southern Dallas.

For more information, visit www.commemorativeairforce.org

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/5eee6cef-1ce7-4c96-9811-0e54b7273fa9

Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/968588b6-5a20-4fa2-906e-e621f3b410b3
English French

Rafale for the replacement of the F-16s

of the Air Component of the Belgian Defense

Saint-Cloud, France, 7 September 2017 - Dassault Aviation and its partners are fully participating in the comprehensive partnership offer made by the French Authorities to the Belgian Government, by presenting the Rafale for the replacement of the F-16s of the Air Component of the Belgian Defense.

The Rafale will enable Belgium to continue to fully play its role as a reliable member of the Atlantic Alliance, while contributing to the security of the European Union.

The Rafale, as a latest generation multi-mission combat aircraft, has clearly demonstrated its total NATO interoperability in combat operations. Its procurement and operational costs are well known and without risks; its design guarantees that Belgium will remain at the cutting edge of technology for the next 40/50 years.

"Already strongly established in Belgium since the end of the 1960s, with nine subsidiary companies, more than 3,000 Belgian employees in high tech jobs, a network of more than 800 referenced suppliers and over 800 million Euros of annual orders in Belgium, Dassault Aviation and its partners offer to the economic partners in the three Belgian regions, a medium-and-long-term cooperation strategy that will truly structure the future of the Belgian industry and that will enhance the European defense", said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

This ambitious industrial aspect, an integral part of the broad Franco-Belgian inter-state cooperation around the Rafale, will offer the Belgian industry a concrete and lasting return to a proactive economic partnership and a positive societal impact.

* * *

About the Rafale:

The Rafale is a twin-jet fighter aircraft able to operate from both an aircraft carrier and a shore base. The fully versatile Rafale is able to carry out all combat aviation missions: air defence, interception, ground support, in-depth strikes, reconnaissance, anti-ship strikes and nuclear deterrence. The Rafale entered service with the French Navy in 2004 and with the French Air Force in 2006. It has proven its worth in combat in Afghanistan, Libya, Mali, Iraq and Syria. In 2015, Egypt and Qatar have each ordered 24 Rafale. In 2016, India has ordered 36 Rafale. On 30 June 2017, 158 Rafale aircraft had been delivered.

About Dassault Aviation:

With more than 10,000 military and civil aircraft delivered to more than 90 countries over the past century, Dassault Aviation can offer recognized know-how and experience in the design, development, sale and support of all types of aircraft, from the Rafale fighter to the Falcon range of high-end business jets, as well as military unmanned air systems. In 2016, Dassault Aviation reported revenues of 3.6 billion. The company has almost 12,000 employees.

www.dassault-aviation.com

Twitter: @Dassault_OnAir

Institutional communication

Stephane Fort

Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 11 86 90

stephane.fort@dassault-aviation.com



Mathieu Durand

Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 11 85 88

mathieu.durand@dassault-aviation.com



Military Communication

Nathalie Bakhos

Tel.: +33 (0)1 47 11 84 12

nathalie.bakhos@dassault-aviation.fr





To obtain high-definition photos:

http://mediaprophoto.dassault-aviation.com

To obtain high-definition videos:

http://mediaprovideo.dassault-aviation.com
HURON, S.D., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Kretschmar Premium Meats & Cheeses has joined forces with Coborns and country music star Easton Corbin to donate $1,000 to Make-A-Wish South Dakota. Kretschmar made the donation at Corbins concert at the South Dakota State Fair on Friday as part of the brands Legendary Wishes campaign, which helps Make-A-Wish grant wishes for children with life-threatening medical conditions.



A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8da7cd7e-fc6d-4b3a-83c1-6bf8d073c742

Corbin, three-time American Country Award winner and Kretschmar brand partner, invited Wish Kid Brynlee backstage before his performance, and presented a donation of $1,000 to Make-A-Wish. Brynlee is living with Prader-Willi syndrome. She was excited to meet Corbin and enjoyed his performance. Her wish to have her own backyard playset came true this summer.

It was an honor to present Make-A-Wish with a check for $1,000 to help grant more wishes for children, said Corbin. Im proud to show my support for this cause. This is something really special that Kretschmar is doing across the country to make wishes come true for children with life-threatening medical conditions.

Corbin hit the music scene in 2009 with a #1 single, A Little More Country Than That and won several Breakthrough Artist awards. Since then, he has released three hit albums with songs including Roll With It, Lovin You is Fun, and All Over the Road. Corbin has a full touring schedule in 2017 and is currently working on his fourth studio album.

We are grateful to Kretschmar and Coborns for supporting our mission and helping us toward our vision of granting every eligible childs wish. said Paul Krueger, president and CEO of Make-A-Wish South Dakota.

Since 2012, Kretschmar has contributed more than $725,000 to Make-A-Wish nationally, and sponsored more than 15 wishes with local chapters through the brands Legendary Wishes campaign.

With the help of retail partners, Kretschmar has raised more than $115,000 through sales of Make-A-Wish paper stars sold at stores registers for $1 donations, employee donations, and sandwich fundraisers. The brand gives these funds to local Make-A-Wish chapters to grant more wishes.

Make-A-Wish has positively impacted the lives of so many children and their families as they endure the challenges of battling a life-threatening medical conditions, said Michael Baughman, Smithfield Foods director of marketing. Everyone at Kretschmar is incredibly grateful for Make-A-Wish, and their efforts to grant wishes and change lives. We are privileged to have the opportunity to make more unforgettable experiences possible with help from our friends at Coborns.



For more information about Kretschmar Deli and its involvement with Make-A-Wish visit www.KretschmarDeli.com or www.Facebook.com/KretschmarDeli.

Kretschmar is a brand of Smithfield Foods.

About Kretschmar

Kretschmar Premium Deli Meats & Cheeses has meant quality since 1883. Our hams are made with a unique hardwood smoking process. Kretschmar poultry and beef are hand-trimmed using the finest cuts. Our full line of Off-The-Bone deli meats are delicately sliced from the leanest, most tender cuts. And our premium Wisconsin cheeses repeatedly win in competitions world-wide. Try the Legendary Taste of Kretschmar today. For great recipes and more, like us on Facebook www.facebook.com/kretschmardeli or visit our website at www.kretschmardeli.com.

About Smithfield Foods

Smithfield Foods is a $15 billion global food company and the worlds largest pork processor and hog producer. In the United States, the company is also the leader in numerous packaged meats categories with popular brands including Smithfield, Eckrich, Nathans Famous, Farmland, Armour, John Morrell, Cooks, Kretschmar, Gwaltney, Curlys, Margherita, Carando, Healthy Ones, Krakus, Morliny and Berlinki. Smithfield Foods is committed to providing good food in a responsible way and maintains robust animal care, community involvement, employee safety, environmental and food safety and quality programs. For more information, visit www.smithfieldfoods.com.

About Make-A-Wish

Make-A-Wish South Dakota is a non-profit organization that grants wishes to children, aged 2  to 18, with life-threatening medical conditions. The local chapter serves the entire state and grants 65 to 70 wishes at an average cost of $7,200 each year. For more information, please call Make-A-Wish at (800) 640-9198 or visit its website at southdakota.wish.org.
INDIANAPOLIS, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) has partnered with four Indiana universities to license available life sciences technologies at pre-defined terms. Ball State University, Indiana University, Purdue University, and the University of Notre Dame have signed onto the agreement.



The agreement will enable the IBRI more rapid access to available technologies that can be combined with its own research to create synergies and help commercialize technologies more quickly.

With this arrangement in place, the IBRI will be able to unlock the value of discoveries being made at the states top research universities by further developing them or combining them with other technologies and bringing treatments to patients and innovations quicker to market, said IBRI Chief Scientific and Innovation Officer and incoming CEO Rainer Fischer. Successful commercialization will provide a return to the IBRI, to the universities that contributed intellectual property, and ultimately, to the State of Indiana in the form of economic growth.

The memorandum of understanding streamlines the process for licensing of university technology and removes hurdles to acquiring valuable technologies and helping speed ideas to market. It also accelerates the IBRIs mission to bridge the gap between universities and industry.

The creation and work of the IBRI is a gift to the State of Indiana and its residents, said Dan Hasler, Chief Entrepreneurial Officer of the Purdue Research Foundation. This agreement sets the groundwork for stronger research and technology transfer collaboration among Indiana universities. Not only will it expedite IBRI access and translation of university developed intellectual property, it will enhance the quality of life for people across the state.

The first technologies that the IBRI will license include a mass spectrometry technology and a high sensitivity detection technology for single cell analysis developed at Purdue, and a microfluidic technology developed at the University of Notre Dame.

IBRI is unique among research institutes in the country, said Bryan Ritchie, Vice President of Innovation at Notre Dame. Not only will IBRI work to make new discoveries in the biosciences arena, but it will facilitate the collaboration and engagement of all the major bioscience players in Indiana. In this new environment, the potential for larger, faster and more impactful commercialization outcomes is now much greater than it has ever been.

Indiana Universitys School of Medicine is already closely collaborating with IBRI as researchers in complementary fields work to advance investigation in areas linked to cardio metabolic disease.

Partnering with the IBRI and other outstanding research universities across Indiana to combine strengths and jointly promote our innovations benefits all of us, said IU Vice President for Engagement Bill Stephan. Not only will we be able to more rapidly move innovations to market, well also further enhance the states economic vitality and continue to distinguish Indiana as a life and bio-sciences leader.

This agreement marks the first time Ball State has worked with the IBRI.

Ball State is excited about the opportunity to collaborate with the Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) and Indianas other research institutions, said Wil Davis, president of Ball State Innovation Corporation. Moving Ball State research from the laboratory to the market efficiently is key to advancing our mission of serving the world through innovation.

About Indiana Biosciences Research Institute

The Indiana Biosciences Research Institute (IBRI) is an independent, nonprofit discovery science and applied research institute currently focused on innovation targeting cardio-metabolic diseases, diabetes and poor nutrition. Inspired by the state and Indianas leading life sciences companies, research universities and philanthropic community, the IBRI is building a world-class organization of researchers, innovators, and entrepreneurs that will catalyze scientific discovery and its application, resulting in improved health outcomes for patients. For more information about the IBRI and donation or collaboration opportunities, please visit www.indianabiosciences.org.

About Ball State University

Founded in 1918 and located in Muncie, Ball State is one of Indianas signature universities and an economic driver for the state. The Universitys 2017-18 enrollment  22,513  is the largest in school history and its incoming freshman class of 4,002 is just three students shy of another school record. Every Indiana county is represented among Ball States student body, as are all 50 states and 69 countries. Ball States 1,140-acre campus is large enough to accommodate premier facilities and 19 NCAA Division 1 sports, but small enough to ensure the friendliness, personal attention and access that are the hallmarks of the University, where 90 percent of classes are taught by faculty. Ball State will have its smallest tuition increase in 41 years for fiscal years 2018 and 2019.

About Indiana University

Founded in 1820, Indiana University is one of worlds foremost public institutions. With more than 112,000 students and 19,000 employees statewide, innovation, creativity and academic freedom are hallmarks of its world-class contributions in research and the arts. Bloomington is the flagship campus of the university, and each one of its seven campuses is an accredited, four-year degree-granting institution.

About Purdue University

Purdue University, a top public research institution, offers higher education at its highest proven value. Committed to affordability, the University has frozen tuition and most fees at 2012-13 levels. Purdue has about 40,000 students at its West Lafayette campus and is ranked 21st for public universities by U.S. News and World Report. With 24 alumni who became astronauts, including the first and last person on the moon, Purdue is called the Cradle of Astronauts. Committed to pursuing scientific discoveries and engineered solutions, Purdue has streamlined pathways for faculty and student innovators who have a vision for moving the world forward.

About the University of Notre Dame

The University of Notre Dame is a large, four-year, highly residential research university. Undergraduate students are organized into six colleges: Arts and Letters, Science, Engineering, Business, Architecture, and Global Affairs. The university offers over 50 foreign study abroad yearlong programs and over 15 summer programs. Notre Dame's graduate program has more than 50 master, doctoral and professional degree programs offered by the five schools, with the addition of the Notre Dame Law School and a MD-PhD program offered in combination with IU medical School. It maintains a system of libraries, cultural venues, artistic and scientific museums, including the Hesburgh Library and the Snite Museum of Art. Over 80 percent of the university's 8,000 undergraduates live on campus in one of 31 single-sex residence halls, each with its own traditions, legacies, events, and intramural sports teams. In 2017, Notre Dame is ranked 15th for national universities overall in the nation by U.S. News and World Report. The university counts approximately 120,000 alumni.
You probably remember watching Sesame Street in your pre-ballet days, but did you know that some of your favorite ballet dancers and companies have appeared alongside your favorite PBS characters?

Weve rounded up some our most beloved ballet scenes from the classic childrens program below.

Count Suzanne Farrells turns

Remember the days when you counted 1, 2, 3, 4 instead and, 5, 6, 7, 8? Relive that time as youand the Countadd up the legendary Balanchine muses turns in this 1985 episode.

Learn the alphabet with Angel Corella

Why didnt they teach the alphabet like this in school? Corella leaps and soars among a corps of animated ABCs in this 1998 clip and he totally upstages the letters.

Dancing with the starsand sun, moon, earth and water: Dance Theatre of Harlem

Did you know that Dance Theatre of Harlem created a ballet for Sesame Street? In this 1995 episode, the companyplus three adorable studentsperform the story ballet A Home in the Sky, narrated by Zoe and Elmo.

Cooperate with New York City Ballets Lourdes Lopez and Jock Soto

Who did you dream of dancing with when you were younger? If New York City Ballet comes to mind, you might be a bit envious of Zoe and Elmo! In this 1998 episode, they get to chance to try partnering with principals Lourdes Lopez and Jock Soto in a scene about the importance of cooperation.

Lambarena

with Lorena and Lorna Feijoo

What are your earliest memories of choreography? Did you have specific ideas about how pieces should be danced? In this 2008 episode, the Feijoo sisters sparkle in an irresistible slice of Val Caniparolis Lambarena adapted for the Sesame Street stage. Then they join in Zoes unique version of the piece

Sesame Street meets Swan Lake





Raise your handser, wingsif youve been practicing swan arms since the age you were watching Sesame Street. In this 2013 episode, NYCBs Kristen Segin, Alina Dronova, Callie Bachman and Sara Adams demonstrate those oh-so-famous swan arms, explain ballet basics and perform the Dance of the Little Swans.

Misty Copeland and Cookie Monster choreograph a cookie ballet

Though technically a 2015 PBS promotional video instead of a Sesame Street episode, we wouldnt dream of leaving out this delicious dance-making collaboration between Misty Copeland and Cookie Monster. Can we just say that cookie ballets are the dance genre we didnt know we needed? (Anyone want to hold a festival in the future?)
Dep. Robert "Bob" French, a 21-year veteran of the Sacramento County (CA) Sheriff's Department, died on his way to the hospital after being shot in the chest. (Photo: Sacramento County Sheriff's Department)

A deputy in a shootout at a Sacramento-area hotel was killed on the 10th anniversary of his parents' death in a plane crash, reports the Associated Press.

The children of Deputy Robert French tell the Sacramento Bee that on Aug. 30, 2007, his parents crashed and died in a small plane at a small Northern California airport as they were taking off for a scuba trip to Ensenada, Mexico.

Ten years later to the day, the 52-year-old Sacramento County sheriff's deputy was shot and killed in a shootout with a suspect that also resulted in two California Highway Patrol officers being shot and wounded.
Cole Allen Wilkins, 41, was found guilty in Deputy David Piquette's July 2006 death.

A man who was driving a truckload of stolen appliances when a stove tumbled off his truck, causing a crash that claimed the life of Los Angeles County sheriff's Deputy David Piquette, was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder, officials said.

An Orange County jury deliberated for several hours before finding Cole Allen Wilkins, 41, guilty in the deputy's July 2006 death, according to the Orange County district attorney's office.

Wilkins faces 25 years to life in state prison and is due to be sentenced this month, reports the Los Angeles Times.

Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said in a statement that Wilkins "deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a police officer who was on his way to serve and protect the public."
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While the Democrats brilliantly rolled Donald Trump in todays meeting on hurricane relief and raising the debt limit, one House Democrat says his party shouldnt be so eager to work with the president.

On MSNBCs All In with Chris Hayes, Congressman Luis Gutierrez said Democrats shouldnt be negotiating with Trump the day after he rescinded protections for 800,000 young undocumented immigrants.

Video:

Democrat @RepGutierrez tells his party to stop working with Trump and start working to protect Dreamers #inners pic.twitter.com/OfjWPO39Kl  Sean Colarossi (@SeanColarossi) September 7, 2017

The Democratic representative said:

This is Paul Ryan on the one hand: I feel so sorry. Im so in love with those Dreamers. I wish I could do something for them. Oh, they have all my sympathy. And what do the Democrats respond with? Oh, we feel so sorry. Were so sympathetic with them. Were in solidarity. Damn it, its about somebody do something about it and pay some political capital.  The debt ceiling has to be on the table. The CR has to be on the table .. because youve got to break the glue that keeps [Republicans] together or well never free the Dreamers or have an immigration policy thats fair and just.

At the end of the day, Trumps decision to roll back former President Obamas DACA protections  as disastrous and inhumane as it is  has dealt the Democrats a political hand which they will likely reap the benefits of for decades to come.

As Gutierrez said on Wednesday, its important that Democrats use that hand to help those that are looking to the party not only to protect them but also to stand up to a president that has spent his entire presidency going after minority groups in America.

Democratic leaders indeed walked a fine line on Wednesday by sitting down with this president, and they made him look foolish and weak in the process.

But they should follow up todays Oval Office meeting by redoubling their efforts to protect the 800,000 Dreamers that now face the threat of deportation because of Donald Trump.
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Instead of doing what any compassionate human being would do after one of Americas largest cities  Houston, Texas  was ravaged by a powerful hurricane, Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky says he wants to attach an amendment to the relief bill that would include spending cuts.

The move by the GOP senator could imperil the entire bill, which means that the relief funding would get held up and the debt limit wouldnt be raised  two disastrous outcomes for the country.

In a statement on Wednesday, Paul laughably called his add-on measure the American First amendment, though its unclear what is so patriotic about withholding funding for Hurricane Harvey victims and pushing the U.S. toward defaulting on its debt.

The full statement from the Kentucky senator and failed presidential candidate:

Today, U.S. Senator Rand Paul announced he will file an amendment to the hurricane relief legislation in the U.S. Senate to provide assistance while preventing the federal government from further running up its debt. As the Senate prepares to vote on hurricane aid, I will be introducing an America First amendment to cut wasteful spending from abroad to pay for much-needed relief here at home, said Dr. Paul. Moving forward, any new spending should be offset by significant reforms. Dr. Pauls amendment would offset the $7.85 billion designated by the U.S. House, as well as an additional $2.15 billion to be used for either Hurricane Harvey relief or preparation for Hurricane Irma, by instead using funds that have been earmarked for foreign aid but not yet spent.

Sen. Paul is framing his proposal as a noble effort to get Americas books in order, but hes simply playing politics after a deadly natural disaster in order to push through spending cuts  all while Hurricane Harvey victims wait for Congress to give them some relief.

It may be smart politics for a Senator from Kentucky to drone on about spending cuts while thousands of Americans are counting on relief funding, but its not what compassionate human beings do.

If Sen. Paul really wants to put America first, he should sit on his proposal and save it for a time when thousands of Americans arent desperately looking for help from their government.
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KABUL (Reuters)  A senior U.S. commander in Afghanistan apologized on Wednesday for a highly offensive leaflet which contained a passage from the Quran used in the Taliban militants banner superimposed on to the image of a dog.

The dog is considered unclean in Islam and associating an image of the animal with one of the religions most sacred texts prompted indignation. The Taliban said the leaflet showed American hatred of Islam.

The image, distributed by U.S. forces in Parwan province, north of Kabul, on Tuesday, showed a white dog with a section of the Talibans banner superimposed on its side. The banner contains a passage from the Quran in Arabic.

The design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam, Major General James Linder said in a statement.

I sincerely apologize. We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide, he said, adding that an investigation would be held to determine the cause of this incident and to hold the responsible party accountable.

Parwan Governor Mohammad Hasem condemned the leaflet as unforgivable.

Those who have committed this unforgivable mistake in the publicity, propaganda or media section of the coalition forces will be tried and punished, he said.

The incident highlights one of the challenges facing international forces in Afghanistan, most of which are from non-Muslim cultures, despite the efforts Western forces have generally taken to avoid stoking anti-foreigner sentiment.

The Taliban issued a statement saying the leaflet made clear that this war is a war between Islam and unbelief.

In 2012, U.S. commanders were forced to apologize after copies of the Quran and other religious texts were mistakenly burned at Bagram Air Base near Kabul. The incident sparked large demonstrations in Kabul and other provinces in which several people were killed.

On another occasion, a film of U.S. Marines urinating on the bodies of dead Taliban fighters caused widespread offense, prompting an investigation and criminal charges.

So-called information operations conducted by government and coalition forces have long been used to try to persuade local people to turn against the Taliban and other insurgent groups.

Above the picture of a lion and the dog, the leaflet urged people to report insurgents to the authorities.

Take back your freedom from the terrorist dogs and cooperate with coalition forces so they can target your enemy and eliminate them, it said.

(Reporting by Qiamuddin Shams and James Mackenzie; Editing by Nick Macfie)
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So it wasnt adoptions, like they first claimed. Nor was it nothing, like they also claimed.

The new reason, according to Donald Trump, Jr.s statement to the Senate Judiciary Committee, that he met with the Russian lawyer Natalia Veselnitskaya in June of 2016 during the U.S. presidential election was because wait for it, you need to sit down he was worried about Hillary Clintons fitness for office.

Donald Trump Jr. told Senate investigators on Thursday that he set up a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer because he was intrigued that she might have damaging information about Hillary Clinton, saying it was important to learn about Mrs. Clintons fitness to be president, according to the copy of Donald Trump, Jr.s prepared statement The New York Times.

Trump, Jr. denied that he colluded with the Russian government.

The Trump White House prepared a statement, personally dictated by President Trump, in July of 2018 in which they specifically stated that the purpose of this meeting was adoptions of Russian children and the Washington Post noted that it emphasized that the subject of the meeting was not a campaign issue at the time.'

That excuse was quickly put to pasture after Trump Jr. admitted that he took bit because he was promised damaging information by the Russians about Hillary Clinton in order to help his father win the election.

Thursdays new excuse for the meeting with the Russian lawyer sounds almost exactly like President Trump trying to claim he fired FBI Director James Comey because of the way Comey handled the Clinton email investigation, even though it was obvious that Trump fired Comey over his investigation into the Trump campaigns possible collusion with Russia.

Are the Trumps really this stupid that they think by pointing at Hillary Clinton they can avoid being caught? If so, they have no business being near the White House.

But also. Who came up with the idea of making Hillary Clintons fitness for office the excuse. That sounds exactly like something President Trump would say, given his penchant for projection of his own glaring issues.

No one but the most partisan of hacks was concerned about Hillary Clintons fitness for office. This claim alone reveals how conspiracy prone the Trump family truly is, and exactly why  even if there werent the Russia issue  they shouldnt be anywhere near a seat of power.
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Senator Chris Coons (D-Del), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, sent out a statute on giving false statements to Congress after Donald Trump, Jr. spoke with Senate staff Thursday.

 After Don Jr. testimony to Senate Judiciary Cmte, Sen. Chris Coons' office sends out statute on giving false statements to Congress pic.twitter.com/OUdKXMBfqm  Andrew Desiderio (@desiderioDC) September 7, 2017

Donald Trump, Jr. used his time with the Senate to blame Hillary Clinton for his meeting with the Russian lawyer during the campaign, claiming he was open to dirt on her from the Russians because he worried that she was not fit for office. This was, however, a different excuse than the Trump White House offered.

Sen. Coons warned on Wednesday, Anyone who testifies in front of a Senate committee is under the restrictions of a statute that says if they attempt to mislead Congress, there are legal consequences.

We covered this glaring alarm yesterday, since anything said to Congress can be used against Trump, Jr. and his father.

Coons further pointed out in an interview with MSNBCs Andrea Mitchell Trump, Jr.s lack of surprise at being told that Putin was trying to help his father win the election:

One of the questions I have that I hope to ask [Donald Trump Jr.] in an open session that I didnt hear addressed while I was present was the e-mail transcript that suggests that his response to being told that Putin and Putins regime were trying to help his father win the election wasnt surprise, wasnt I need to report this, but was instead, Great, lets go ahead with the meeting.

Senators dont send out copies of statutes about making false statements to Congress on the same day that the Presidents son testifies about the Russia scandal as a coincidence. It appears that Sen. Coons may believe that Donald Trump Jr. made false statements to the Senate Judiciary Committee while testifying. If this is the case, the Trump family cover-up may open the door to a whole new set of legal problems.
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Speaking at George Mason Universitys Antonin Scalia Law School on Thursday, DeVos claimed Obmamas guidelines regarding how colleges investigate sexual assault arent working, which might be code for they are working too well.

DeVos claimed the guidelines do not do enough to address the due process rights of those accused of sexual assault and that the victims of sexual assault, those accused and colleges all lose under the current system.

It is our moral obligation to get this right, DeVos said.

DeVos is valuing the rights of the perpetrator over that of the survivor. When theyre asking for fairness, theyre asking for special rights, said Annie Clark, 28, of Raleigh, North Carolina, the executive director of End Rape on Campus and an organizer of the protest outside of the event told Reuters.

It should surprise no one that President Donald Trumps Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is more concerned with the rights of those accused of sexual assault than those whove been assaulted.

After all, she is working for a man who has been accused by multiple women of sexual assault. A man who left no doubt as to his guilt when he was caught on tape bragging about sexually assaulting women.
VANCOUVER, B.C., Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Associa British Columbia will be hosting the Realtor Summit on September 21, 2017 from 11:00am  1:00pm PT. The event will provide specific information regarding the different services provided by realtors and property management companies.



The sessions will focus on how to obtain forms, minutes and other information on behalf of a purchaser as well as how to find out more information about a Stratas special projects.



Key speakers include:



Fern Barker  Director of Community Managers, Associa BC Inc.



Tammy Hansen  Administration Manager, Associa BC Inc.



Laszlo Antal  Business Development, Associa BC Inc.



The event will be held at the Sheraton Guildford Hotel in Surrey, BC. Sign-in will begin at 10:45am and will include a Q&A at the conclusion of the event. To attend, please RSVP to Laszlo Antal at laszlo.antal@associa.ca.



With more than 180 branch offices across North America, Associa delivers unsurpassed management and lifestyle services to nearly five million residents worldwide. Our 10,000+ team members lead the industry with unrivaled education, expertise and trailblazing innovation. For more than 40 years, Associa has provided solutions designed to help communities achieve their vision. To learn more, visit www.associaonline.com.



Stay Connected:

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Attachments:

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/7925ff59-654f-4379-81a9-04baadb093bb
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The top ranking Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), is warning that Russias six figure ad spending to spreading propaganda during the 2016 election may be the tip of the iceberg.

According to CBS News, Sen. Warner told reporters:

I think we may just be seeing the tip of the iceberg. They had a fairly narrow search, Warner said, adding that he has been raising the issue for months, and Facebook has been dismissing it for just as long. Weve seen them take down certain pages. Its rather minor compared to the 50,000 accounts they took down before the French election.

Warner says he still has several questions, for instance: How extensive was the Russian involvement of using Facebook, Twitter and other social media forums? He also wants to ensure that Americans have the tools to know  when theyre seeing something in a political context  what the source of information is.

While the vast majority of Americans still get their news from television, social media is a great place for Russia to influence the discussion on cable news and get their false information into the mainstream media. Russias involvement in the election might not have been limited to helping and potentially colluding with Trump.

Putin launched an all out misinformation campaign that the mainstream medias mentality of getting the story first instead of getting it right, allowed them to fall right into.

If the Russians bought this advertising to support Trump, or if the Trump campaign was involved with the ads, then Trumps Russia problem will get even worse because those are both violations of federal law. It would be even more sinister if a hostile foreign power launched a social media campaign to dupe and mislead the American people with false information.

Sen. Warner is probably right. The worst is yet to come, but the Facebook ads alone were an act of war against American democracy.
CSX trains were plagued by delays over the summer as new management implemented changes to the way the long-haul freight carrier operates. File/AP
The Post and Courier staff writers Glenn Smith and Tony Bartelme contributed to this report.

Reach David Wren at 843-937-5550 or on Twitter at @David_Wren_
Nurse Suzanne Harvie, with Hospice of Charleston, visits with Kevin Smith and his wife on their boat at The Harborage at Ashley Marina on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017, in Charleston. As the Lowcountry prepares for the Hurricane Irma threat, Harvey visited the Smiths who live on their boat to find out their evacuation plans. Grace Beahm Alford/Staff
The Internal Revenue Service is giving South Carolina residents and business owners until Feb. 15 to submit various tax returns and make certain payments as part of the government's response to Hurricane Ian. Read moreIan buys SC taxpayers more time to submit some IRS filings
Two things are motivating the Charleston County School District to consider the idea. The first is the difficulty in attracting teachers to an area where they would struggle to afford housing. The second is the fact the district already owns land where apartments could be built. Read moreWith rents unaffordable, the Charleston school district considers building teacher housing
LAS VEGAS, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- International Spirit and Beverage Group Inc., (a Nevada Corporation) (OTCPK:ISBG) is excited to announce that the company has legally completed a series of corporate actions.



These corporate actions include a company name change, new CUSIP number, stock reverse and the reduction of the overall authorized shares and all have been filed and recognized by the State of Nevada, where the company is incorporated.



The company name change included only making Spirit into Spirits as ISBG management feels it will be a more accurate portrayal of the companys portfolio moving forward. The CUSIP number was changed as a requirement by regulators when a company reverses its common stock. The stock reverse carries a ratio of 1-255 while also concurrently reducing the authorized common shares (A/S) to 480,000,000, which was extremely important to the company.



ISBG management has many acquisition opportunities on the radar and this restructuring was necessary to acquire a couple of companies and their brands, which are already out in the market place generating revenue, said ISBG Board Chairman, Alonzo Pierce. These brands will bring significant bottom line increases and help to bring financial stability to ISBG, thus providing tremendous value for its many loyal shareholders.

About ISBG: ISBG is a Nevada-based alcoholic beverage company specializing in the development, marketing and global sales of innovative wine and spirits brands. The Company's expertise lies in the strategic development and aggressive early growth of its brands and establishing these brands as viable and profitable. ISBG intends to build its own brands while seeking out individual acquisition candidates to continue to develop its pipeline of new brands into the ISBG portfolio. For more information visit: www.isbg.global

Forward Looking Statements: This press release may contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. These statements relate to future events or our future financial performance. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology including "could", "may", "will", "should", "expect", "plan", "anticipate", "believe", "estimate", "predict", "potential" and the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. While these forward-looking statements, and any assumptions upon which they are based, are made in good faith and reflect our current judgment regarding the direction of our business, actual results will almost always vary, sometimes materially, from any estimates, predictions, projections, assumptions or other future performance suggested in this report. Except as required by applicable law, we do not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements so as to conform these statements to actual results. Investors should refer to the risks disclosed in the Company's reports filed from time to time with OTC Markets (otcmarkets.com).

For Additional Investor Information: International Spirit & Beverage Group, Inc. info@isbg.global
LAS VEGAS  Control of the U.S. Senate may come down to Nevada, where a slow ballot count entered its final act Saturday in the nail-biter contest between Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto and Republican challenger Adam Laxalt. Read moreSenate control may come down to Nevada as count nears end
OTTAWA, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Avivagen Inc. (TSXV:VIV) (OTC Pink:CHEXF) (Avivagen or the Corporation), a corporation with a proven and commercially-ready, patent-protected product intended to replace the antibiotics added to livestock feeds as growth promoters, announces that, in view of the progress of the Corporation, the board of directors has determined to suspend the CEO search and extend Kym Anthonys appointment as Chief Executive Officer of the Corporation.



The Corporation also issued its third quarter financial statements and MD&A today and resolved to discontinue its chemistry operations. The financial statements and MD&A can be found on SEDAR and on the Corporations website. The contents of the Corporations website are expressly not incorporated by reference in this news release.

About Avivagen

Avivagen Inc. is a public Corporation traded on the TSXV under the symbol VIV and is headquartered in Ottawa, Canada, based in partnership facilities of the National Research Council of Canada and Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. For more information, visit www.avivagen.com.

About OxC-beta Technology and OxC-beta Livestock

Avivagens OxC-beta technology is derived from Avivagen discoveries about carotenoids, compounds that give certain fruits and vegetables their bright colors and is a non-antibiotic means of maintaining optimal health and growth. OxC-beta Livestock is a proprietary product shown to be effective and economic in replacing the antibiotics commonly added to livestock feeds. OxC-beta Livestock is currently registered and available for sale in the Philippines, Taiwan and Thailand.

Avivagens OxC-beta Livestock product is safe, effective and could fulfill the global mandate to remove all in-feed antibiotics as growth promoters. Numerous international livestock trials with poultry and swine using OxC-beta Livestock have proven that the product performs as well as, and, sometimes, in some aspects, better than in-feed antibiotics.

Forward Looking Statements

This news release includes certain forward-looking statements that are based upon the current expectations of management. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties associated with the business of Avivagen Inc. and the environment in which the business operates. Any statements contained herein that are not statements of historical facts may be deemed to be forward-looking, including those identified by the expressions could, expect, if, intend, may, plan, should, whether, will, would and similar expressions or opinions of management.

Avivagen faces risks and uncertainties in connection with its business, including, but not limited to, risks relating to the following: Avivagens ability to continue as a going concern; whether the Corporation will resume the search for a new Chief Executive Officer, whether the Corporation can obtain market approval in additional geographies, if at all; whether it will be able to replace the antibiotics added to livestock feeds as growth promoters, whether it will confirm and expedite potential regulatory approvals of Avivagens OxC-beta for Livestock in major markets around the world.

Readers should also refer to the risk factors in Avivagens annual information form and other securities law filings from time to time. Accordingly, readers should not place undue or even any reliance on forward-looking statements. Except as required by law, Avivagen assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements.

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.

Copyright  2017 Avivagen Inc. OxC-beta is a trademark of Avivagen Inc.
The school board approved the first phase of construction in a major expansion of Hoover Elementary School that will double the building's size with a 35,000-square-foot addition, providing more space for the school district's youngest learners.

Board members unanimously approved $3.3 million of what's now become a two-phase $11.6 million project that will add 21 classrooms to the existing building at Tuesday night's school board meeting.

In the first phase, they'll pull together the "shell" of the addition, which includes the concrete, masonry, steel structures, walls, windows and roof, according to Scott Sherden, the district's director of operations.

In August, the board approved certificates of participation for $8.1 million and another $3.5 million in general obligation bonds for an already scheduled indoor air quality update to the school. The contract was awarded to CRW Architects and Knutson Construction in June.

The addition will allow RPS to consolidate at least 17 of its early childhood classrooms, that are currently spread throughout Rochester's elementary schools, into one location.

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The building was already scheduled for indoor air quality updates in the 2019 and 2020 school years, Sherden said, but those plans will now move up to the summer of 2018. In May, Sherden said combining those projects will save the district some money on overall design and construction.

The building became an option after a February purchase of the former Minnesota School of Business  budgeted at $8.1 million with renovations  fell through when the district backed out. Though the 45,000-square-foot building could have housed 16 classrooms, upgrades to bring the building to code would have cost the district more money.

The rest of the work that needs to be done at Hoover will come back to the board for approval at a later date.
ALBERT LEA  A prominent Mayo Clinic doctor has stepped forward as a potential whistleblower in a move that could breathe new life into concerns about possible antitrust violations at the Albert Lea site.

Dr. Matthew Kumar, a 25-year Mayo veteran who chairs the Department of Anesthesiology at Mayo Clinic Health System in Albert Lea and Austin, recently informed Freeborn County Attorney David Walker that he's filed four antitrust complaints against his employer since 2015.

Three of the complaints were filed with the Federal Trade Commission, while the first was sent to the U.S. Department of Justice.

Walker has since forwarded Kumar's complaints  which have flown under the radar until the Post Bulletin obtained copies Wednesday  to Minnesota Attorney General Lori Swanson and 1st District Congressman Tim Walz.

Kumar's complaints began nearly two years before Mayo's June 12 announcement about consolidating most inpatient services in Albert Lea, but the contents may further inflame citizens and local officials, who have echoed similar concerns throughout the summer.

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"I predicted the current situation that the citizens of Austin and Albert Lea find themselves  reduction or elimination of services, rise in cost of healthcare, loss of choice in treatment options, and being forced to seek healthcare far away from home," Kumar wrote in his Aug. 3 letter to Walker that revealed his prior complaints. "Now I am complaining to you, so that you may pursue litigation against the Mayo Clinic on behalf of citizens in Austin and Albert Lea.

"In 72 adjoining communities (across the Midwest), Mayo Clinic is the single source for healthcare. Generally, monopolies eliminate competition, drive up the cost of goods and services, limit consumer choice, and bend the political and regulatory processes. The adverse effects are worse when the monopoly happens to be health care."

Months ago, Walker formally requested that Swanson and Walz, among others, look into antitrust concerns regarding Mayo's consolidation plans. Swanson announced Aug. 21 that the move did not appear to violate antitrust laws , but her office continues to examine the procedural and financial components of Mayo's plan.

Mayo spokeswoman Ginger Plumbo said Wednesday she was unaware of Kumar's complaints until the Post Bulletin asked for a response. Amid heavy criticism, the health-care behemoth has explained its move by pointing to $13 million in losses over the last two years, in addition to staffing issues and reduced demand for a full-service hospital.

"Mayo Clinic and Mayo Clinic Health System were not previously aware of any antitrust complaints having been filed with the Department of Justice and the Federal Trade Commission over the past two years, including the complaints reportedly filed by Dr. Kumar," Plumbo said via email.

"We have not been contacted by either agency or any government official about these complaints specifically, or about any antitrust concerns. We are confident that we are in full compliance with corporate governance, antitrust statutes, and all other applicable Minnesota law."

However, Kumar's complaints  which quote internal memos dating back to 2010  may arm locals with new leverage in their push to block or delay Mayo's optimization efforts. Mayo has repeatedly rebuffed such requests , including after last week's meeting with Lt. Gov. Tina Smith .

'Mayo way or the highway'

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Kumar's initial 10-page complaint to the DOJ in 2015 claims Mayo created a "healthcare monopoly" by "simply eliminating competition between itself and the hospitals in the region." He specifically calls out Mayo CEO John Noseworthy, Mayo Clinic Health System CEO Robert Nesse and other prominent Mayo officials.

"It is already a dictum within MCHS that one conforms to the orders from (Mayo Clinic) or they will be fired: 'Mayo way, or the highway,'" wrote Kumar, who did not respond to requests for comment. His job is protected by the Whistleblower Protection Act of 1989.

His ensuing complaints highlight specific examples to bolster his initial 10-page complaint. For example, he submitted the full video of Noseworthy's controversial Oct. 11 internal dictate that Mayo stop seeing non-emergency Medicare patients in order to "prioritize the commercially insured" patients.

Leaked audio of that internal video created a firestorm of public criticism, prompting Noseworthy to admit a week later that he "regrets the heartache this has caused" in a public speech in Minneapolis. However, Kumar's April 2017 complaint accused Noseworthy and senior leadership of "systemically discriminating against Medicare and Medicaid patients" since 2010.

Looming cuts?

These allegations, investigations and revelations are playing out while the Albert Lea community braces for the first changes to occur on Oct. 1, when the ICU is officially moved to Austin.

In his letter to Walker, Kumar says he's feeling the pressure as that date looms  and neither Mayo staff nor the community at large are happy about it.

"Already I am being told by Mayo Clinic administration to cut physicians and physician services in the anesthesia department in Albert Lea," Kumar wrote. "This will adversely affect emergency surgeries, labor analgesia services, and newborn resuscitation efforts in Albert Lea.

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"Both Austin and Albert Lea medical centers were doing just fine for over 100 years until the Mayo Clinic stepped in  and started the creation of the present monopoly," he claimed.

Mayo has acknowledged that jobs will be shifted between Austin and Albert Lea over the next 18 months, but it projects that the overall employment numbers will be largely unchanged at the two facilities. It's a claim that many have questioned.

The debate has steadily escalated to the point where Gov. Mark Dayton weighed in with concerns from the state capitol about Mayo just last week. Walz, who is hoping to succeed Dayton in 2018, was one of the first lawmakers to wade into the debate and he reiterated his concerns Wednesday after reviewing Kumar's complaints.

"My office received a letter from Freeborn County this week requesting assistance making inquiries with federal agencies that may have jurisdiction over Mayo Clinic's decision to reduce services in Albert Lea," Walz said via email.

"I take their concerns seriously and I am reviewing their request to determine appropriate next steps."
An effort to help young women and their children escape poverty has found a new home in Rochester.

The Jeremiah Program is adding a Rochester campus north of Lourdes High School. It will become its fifth program spread through four states.

The Minneapolis-based Jeremiah Program offers a strategy aimed at moving families out of poverty by supporting single mothers and helping them pursue career-track college educations, while providing quality early childhood programs for their children.

Two acres near the intersection of 19th Street Northwest and Valleyhigh Drive have been donated by Rochester philanthropists Jack and Mary Ann Remick, according to JoMarie Morris, executive director of the Rochester program. The land will be used to provide housing and other facilities for approximately 40 single mothers and their children.

"The Remicks are well known in our community for providing educational opportunities to students with economic challenges," Morris said, noting the missions align. "Their gift to Jeremiah Program will benefit two generations of learners: providing determined, hard-working, low-income single mothers the opportunity to realize their dream of a college education and at the same time ready their young children to succeed in school."

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Jack Remick said he and his wife were intrigued by the effort being made to help young mothers who want to succeed.

"We thought it was worthy, and we said we'd give them the land," he said. "It's no deeper than that."

Moving forward

The donation propels efforts that have been years in the making.

Gloria Perez, president and CEO of the Minneapolis-based program, said Rochester first came into her sights when she was approached by Paul Fleissner, director of Olmsted County Community Services. During a conference five years ago, Fleissner inquired about starting a local program, and work to assess options followed the first conversations.

Perez said she believes the program, aimed at empowering young mothers, helping their children and finding paths out of poverty, will enhance work already being done locally.

"There are programs in Rochester that are already strong, but no one can do it alone," she said.

The Jeremiah Program won't be alone either.

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The Sisters of Saint Francis have provided a financial gift to the project, and Sister Marilyn Geiger, president of the Rochester organization, said the commitment goes beyond monetary support. The sisters will be lending their hands as well.

"Sometimes, babies need to be rocked or they need someone to play with them, and our older sisters can be the grandmothers or great-grandmothers," Geiger said. "So, that's a gift we would be able to give, too."

Geiger said the sisters took nearly a year to study the Jeremiah Program before committing to the effort. A task force was formed to make sure the program was the right fit.

While Jeremiah Program is a nondenominational organization, the program's mission, rooted in Bible verse Jeremiah 29:7, is aligned with the values and mission of Sisters of Saint Francis, advancing the premise that when you seek the well-being of the city and all its residents, the city and all its people prosper.

"Our hope is that this gift will inspire further community investment in Jeremiah Program to accelerate the building of a local campus and truly begin breaking the cycle of poverty for single mothers and their children in Southeast Minnesota," Geiger said.

On Wednesday, Morris told the Rochester City Council that $700,000 has been raised for the local project. The campus is expected to cost approximately $10 million.

In addition to financial support, the Jeremiah Program found another natural local fit with Families First of Minnesota, which will operate the HeadStart and Early HeadStart programs on the future campus.

Jon Losness, executive director of the Rochester agency, said the Jeremiah Program's two-generation approach is a perfect match for HeadStart, which also works with both children and their parents.

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Additionally, he noted HeadStart is moving toward full-day programs, which is increasing the need for classroom space. While the Rochester program is already making adjustments, he said the new campus space will be helpful.

"We will be ready for more space at that point," he said.

Building opportunity

Perez said many pieces are coming together as plans unfold. She said even Destination Medical Center activity will support the program by ensuring jobs and educational opportunities grow with the program.

"The future workforce opportunities and commitment from local leaders of faith and the business community seem to make it a good combination for Jeremiah," she said.

Morris said the Remicks' donation means the Jeremiah Program will be on track to start enrolling participants in a year, with a groundbreaking planned for 2019.

The program requires participants to go through an empowerment program, which prepares young mothers for the responsibilities required to be successful.

"Jeremiah is not an entitlement program, but an opportunity," Perez pointed out, noting the empowerment program helps make sure participants are prepared.

By starting before the campus is complete, Morris said the Rochester program will be sure it can get participants on an improved path as soon as possible.
In his Axios AM report Mike Allen notes a live webcast today will celebrate the transmission of the first electronic TV signal on Sept. 7, 1927, and the man behind it, Philo T. Farnsworth. The AP therefore marks the day as the 90th birthday of television. The webcast is set for 6:00 p.m. (Eastern) from the site of Farnsworths San Francisco lab. You can watch it here

TCM may be marking the occasion in its own way, playing the best film ever made about television and politics, if not the best film about each simply. By my lights, anyway, that would be the 1957 film A Face in the Crowd. TCM is running the film at 3:30 p.m. (Eastern) this afternoon. If you havent seen it before, you may want to set your DVR to record it so you can check it out at your convenience.

Budd Schulberg wrote the screenplay for the film based on his story Your Arkansas Traveler. According to Richard Schickel, Schulbergs story was inspired by Will Rogers. It featured Lonesome Rhodes, a good-natured hillbilly with the common touch, who, like Rogers, starts working sly political commentary into his corn-pone monologues, and when his wealth and influence grows, becomes a menace to liberal-minded society.

Starting with a Rogers-like character, Schulberg contemplated the then hot career of Arthur Godfrey, a ukelele-strumming hick with a popular music and talk radio show in Washington who had come to a larger publics attention with his tearful coverage of Franklin D. Roosevelts funeral on CBS. Godfrey became the host of a popular national radio show. When he moved to television variety programs, Godfrey grew increasingly tyrannical with his supporting cast and increasingly forward with his political opinions. His career flamed out a few years after the release of A Face in the Crowd.

Elia Kazan directed the film. Playing Lonesome Rhodes, Andy Griffith turned in a ferocious performance. The film reflects the concerns of Schulberg and Kazan over the uses to which television might be put by a glib demagogue. When his show takes off, Rhodes gives the dauntingly square Senator Worthington Fuller a lesson in how to transform himself into a presidential candidate through the medium of television.

Rhodes is introduced to Fuller by his sponsor General Haynesworth, manufacturer of the worthless Vitajex pick-me-up tablets. General Haynesworth advises Fuller that he needs a slogan like Time for a change, The mess in Washington or More bang for a buck. Rhodes takes it from there. Its a scene that proved to have an uncanny relevance to the Obama presidential campaign of 2008. Below Fuller demonstrates that he hasnt yet fully absorbed Rhodess lesson (the scene cuts to Patricia Neal and Walter Matthau watching Rhodes on television in the bar).

Griffith himself turned up in the 2010 mid-term elections in connection with the debate over Obamacare. Griffith appeared in three advertisements, one of which is captured in the video below. He was playing Andy Griffith, but he was a figure who bore a passing resemblance to Lonesome Rhodes. This time around old Andy was spouting cornpone baloney in the service of Obamas project of nationalizing health care. The ads in essence put Lonesome Rhodes to work for a substantially higher authority. He wasnt some ambitious operator who could be tripped up by an open mic, as Rhodes was.

Tom Fitton reported that the Obama administration spent $3,184,000 in taxpayer funds to produce and air the Griffith advertisements in the run-up to election day that fall, all with the purpose of educating Medicare beneficiaries, caregivers, and family members about forthcoming changes to Medicare as a result of Obamacare.

Fitton also quoted the findings of Factcheck.org of the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania. According to the organization, the advertisements were little more than glorified propaganda. Griffiths assurances to the contrary notwithstanding, according to Factcheck.org, the truth is that the new [Obamacare] law is guaranteed to result in benefit cuts for one class of Medicare beneficiaries  those in private Medicare Advantage plans.

The appearance of Griffith in the 2010 advertisements prompted me to think through one of the innovations brought to us by the Obama administration. It is an innovation slightly beyond even the heated imagination of Budd Schulberg. Obama brought us the cornpone television demagogy of Lonesome Rhodes yoked to the power of the executive branch of the United States government.
From the BBC, an account of 21st Century British dentistry: We couldnt see an NHS dentist so we pulled out our own teeth.

The NHS carried out 39 million dental treatments in England last year, but Rebecca Brearey and Nick Oldroyd, who live in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire, said no local NHS dentists would treat them. Weve been trying for four years but no dentist will take us on. Every time I go, I get told theres a two-year waiting list for NHS patients, said Ms Brearey. Its got so bad that after taking a combination of paracetamol and alcohol I ripped my half-rotten teeth out. The state of my teeth has made me depressed and Ive literally begged to be taken on by an NHS dentist, but every time Ive been turned away.

That happened on the 19th Century frontier, tooa few shots of whiskey and a pair of pliers, and no more aching tooth.

Nazreen Akhtar, from Bradford, said it had taken her five years to find a dentist in the city who would accept both of her children, Shaban and Muhammad.

Photos, none too appetizing, at the link, and more here.

[T]he BDA says 21 million adults and 5 million children have not recently seen an NHS dentist.

There is an emerging crisis with more and more dentists not accepting NHS patients, said Henrik Overgaard-Nielsen, chair of general dental practice at the BDA. The government has only commissioned enough dentistry to treat about half the adult population and this is an absolute disgrace.

The socialist paradise becomes ever more alluring.
Article VI of the Constitution prohibits a religious test for public office. So what was Senator Dick Durbin doing asking Notre Dame Law Professor Amy Coney Barrett  President Trumps nominee to the Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals  Do you consider yourself an orthodox Catholic? How is it that Senator Dianne Feinstein thought it could be proper to observe of Professor Barrett: When you read your speeches, the conclusion one draws is that the dogma lives loudly within you, and thats of concern.

Kevin Daley puts Durbins question and Feinsteins comment in the context of yesterdays Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on the confirmation of Michigan Supreme Court Justice Joan Larsen (to the Sixth Circuit) and Professor Barrett here. Tiffany Bates has more for the Daily Signal here. They are only the most recent evidence of the demeaning treatment to which believing Catholics are subjected by devout Democrats, but the nakedness of the bigotry still shocks.

STEVE adds: Trump won the Catholic vote in 2016 by a slight majority. If Democrats keep this up, Trump will win the Catholic vote in a landslide in 2020.
VANCOUVER, Washington, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- CytoDyn Inc. (OTC.QB:CYDY), a biotechnology company focused on the development of new antibody therapies for combating human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection, announces that Nader Pourhassan, Ph.D., President and CEO, will present at the Rodman & Renshaw 19TH Annual Global Investment Conference on Monday, September 11, at 3:00 p.m. Eastern time (12:00 p.m. Pacific time). The conference is being held at the New York Palace Hotel in New York City.



About PRO 140

PRO 140 belongs to a new class of HIV/AIDS therapeutics  viral-entry inhibitors  that are intended to protect healthy cells from viral infection. PRO 140 is a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody directed against CCR5, a molecular portal that HIV uses to enter T cells. PRO 140 blocks the predominant HIV (R5) subtype entry into T cells by masking this required co-receptor, CCR5. Importantly, PRO 140 does not appear to interfere with the normal function of CCR5 in mediating immune responses. PRO 140 does not have agonist activity toward CCR5 but does have antagonist activity to CCL5, which is a central mediator in inflammatory diseases. PRO 140 has been the subject of seven clinical trials, each demonstrating efficacy by significantly reducing or controlling HIV viral load in human test subjects. PRO 140 has been designated a fast track product by the FDA. The PRO 140 antibody appears to be a powerful antiviral agent leading to potentially fewer side effects and less frequent dosing requirements compared with daily drug therapies currently in use.

About CytoDyn

CytoDyn is a biotechnology company focused on the clinical development and potential commercialization of humanized monoclonal antibodies for the treatment and prevention of HIV infection. The Company has one of the leading monoclonal antibodies under development for HIV infection, PRO 140, which has completed Phase 2 clinical trials with demonstrated antiviral activity in humans and is currently in Phase 3 development. PRO 140 blocks the HIV co-receptor CCR5 on T cells, which prevents viral entry. Clinical trial results thus far indicate that PRO 140 does not negatively affect the normal immune functions that are mediated by CCR5. Results from seven Phase 1 and Phase 2 human clinical trials have shown that PRO 140 can significantly reduce viral burden in people infected with HIV. A recent Phase 2b clinical trial demonstrated that PRO 140 can prevent viral escape in patients during several months of interruption from conventional drug therapy. CytoDyn intends to continue to develop PRO 140 as a therapeutic anti-viral agent in persons infected with HIV and to pursue non-HIV indications where CCR5 and its ligand CCL5 may be involved. For more information on the Company, please visit http://www.cytodyn.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict, including statements regarding the Companys upcoming meeting with the FDA to discuss the adequate number and type of evaluable patients required for efficacy and safety necessary to support the filing of a Biologic License Application and our intention to continue enrolling patients in our CD02 combination trial. Words and expressions reflecting optimism, satisfaction or disappointment with current prospects, as well as words such as believes, hopes, intends, estimates, expects, projects, plans, anticipates and variations thereof, or the use of future tense, identify forward-looking statements, but their absence does not mean that a statement is not forward-looking. Our forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance and actual results could differ materially from those contained in or expressed by such statements. In evaluating all such statements, we urge you to specifically consider the various risk factors identified in the Companys Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2017 in the section titled Risk Factors in Part I, Item 1A, any of which could cause actual results to differ materially from those indicated by our forward-looking statements.

Our forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to future events and are based on currently available financial, economic, scientific, and competitive data and information on current business plans. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which are subject to risks and uncertainties relating to, among other things: (i) the sufficiency of our cash position and our ongoing ability to raise additional capital to fund our operations, (ii) our ability to complete our CD02 combination trial and to meet the FDAs requirements with respect to safety and efficacy to support the filing of a Biologics License Application, (iii) our ability to meet our debt obligations, (iv) our ability to identify patients to enroll in our clinical trials in a timely fashion, (v) our ability to achieve approval of a marketable product, (vi) design, implementation and conduct of clinical trials, (vii) the results of our clinical trials, including the possibility of unfavorable clinical trial results, (viii) the market for, and marketability of, any product that is approved, (ix) the existence or development of vaccines, drugs, or other treatments for infection with the Human Immunodeficiency Virus that are viewed by medical professionals or patients as superior to our products, (x) regulatory initiatives, compliance with governmental regulations and the regulatory approval process, (xi) general economic and business conditions, (xii) changes in foreign, political, and social conditions, and (xiii) various other matters, many of which are beyond our control. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties develop, or should underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may vary materially and adversely from those anticipated, believed, estimated, or otherwise indicated by our forward-looking statements.

We intend that all forward-looking statements made in this press release will be subject to the safe harbor protection of the federal securities laws pursuant to Section 27A of the Securities Act, to the extent applicable. Except as required by law, we do not undertake any responsibility to update these forward-looking statements to take into account events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. Additionally, we do not undertake any responsibility to update you on the occurrence of any unanticipated events which may cause actual results to differ from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements.
Weve had the number of the ludicrously misnamed Southern Poverty Law Center for a long time. It is a vastly influential left-wing hate cult operating in the form of a nonprofit fundraising phenom most famous for its supposed hate map and related designations. As such, it recalls the old joke about the Holy Roman Empire. Its is neither poor nor devoted to law, though I would concede its based in Montgomery and may even be a center of something or other.

Its not just rich. To borrow a phrase I first found in Boswells Life of Johnson, it has grown rich beyond the dreams of avarice.

Last week the Washington Free Beacon took a look at the SPLCs most recent (2015) Form 990. It found more than $50 million in contributions and $328 million in net assets. Its business income tax return, from the same year shows that they have financial interests in the Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, and Bermuda.

Well, that piqued the Free Beacons interest. Pursuing the issue in a 2014 tax document, the Free Beacon found that the SPLC transferred hundreds of thousands to an account located in the Cayman Islands:

SPLC lists Tiger Global Management LLC, a New York-based private equity financial firm, as an agent on its form. The form shows a foreign partnership between the SPLC and Tiger Global Private Investment Partners IX, L.P., a pooled investment fund in the Cayman Islands. SPLC transferred $960,000 in cash on Nov. 24, 2014 to Tiger Global Private Investment Partners IX, L.P, its records show. The SPLCs Form 926, a Return by a U.S. Transferor of Property to a Foreign Corporation, from 2014 shows additional cash transactions that the nonprofit had sent to offshore funds. The SPLC reported a $102,007 cash transfer on Dec. 24, 2014 to BPV-III Cayman X Limited, a foreign entity located in the Cayman Islands. The group then sent $157,574 in cash to BPV-III Cayman XI Limited on Dec. 31, 2014, an entity that lists the same PO Box address in Grand Cayman as the previous transfer. The nonprofit pushed millions more into offshore funds at the beginning of 2015. On March 1, 2015, SPLC sent $2,200,000 to an entity incorporated in Canana Bay, Cayman Islands, according to Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) records and run by a firm firm based in Greenwich, Ct. Another $2,200,000 cash transfer was made on the same day to another fund whose business is located at the same address as the previous fund in the Cayman Islands, according to SEC records.

What does it all mean? The Free Beacon turned to Amy Sterling Casil for comment. Casil is CEO of a consulting firm for nonprofits. She found the SPLCs offshore approach unusual: Ive never known a US-based nonprofit dealing in human rights or social services to have any foreign bank accounts, she said. The Free Beacon has much more here, all of it of interest.

Today Jeryl Bier follows up on the Free Beacons groundbreaking report with this salient fact: The Southern Poverty Law Center has $69 million parked overseas. Jeryl secured statements from SPLC president Richard Cohen and SPLC financial adviser Cambridge Associates. They assure Jeryl that this is all par for the course.

Thats one rich poverty law center theyve got there. The recent contributions to SPLC announced by by Apple and JPMorganChase (noted in the Free Beacon article) constitute little more than a glorified form of corporate waste by which management can bask in the warmth of its self-love.
President Trump has published ill-advised tweets before, but last night he outdid himself. Trump tweeted:

Congress now has 6 months to legalize DACA (something the Obama Administration was unable to do). If they cant, I will revisit this issue!

The tweet undermines the rationale for Trumps suspension of DACA, namely that it usurps power vested with Congress by the Constitution. He takes essentially the same position President Obama took. The former president reminded us yesterday that he called on Congress to grant relief to the Dreamers and that he granted it through DACA only when Congress failed to act. Trump now indicates that he will consider the same course of action if Congress doesnt legalize DACA in six months.

But thats not the worst of it. By promising to revisit this issue if Congress doesnt legalize DACA, Trump is decreasing the likelihood that Congress will (1) act at all and (2) act optimally.

Absent his tweet, Democrats could reasonably believe they must make concessions on immigration enforcement in order to save DACA. With his tweet, Trump is signaling that no concessions need to be made  no wall, no e-verify, no nothing.

The Democrats can hold out for legislation that legalizes DACA and does nothing else. If they cant get such legislation, they now have reason to believe Trump will rescue DACA for them.

Republicans who want enforcement concessions retain some leverage. Without an act of Congress, DACA remains vulnerable to judicial challenge. And its still possible that Trump, his tweet notwithstanding, will not rescue DACA if Congress fails to act.

But Trump has lost a considerable amount of leverage, assuming hes actually serious about building a wall or otherwise enhancing immigration enforcement.

Why did he do it? Maybe because hes just an erratic guy. Maybe because he was stung by some of the criticism his move brought.

I suspect he did it because he wants to be on record that he cares about the Dreamers. If Congress saves DACA, he wants to be able to say not just that he masterminded it by kicking the issue to the legislation, but also that he would have saved the program if Congress hadnt acted.

Im inclined to agree with Yuval Levin, though. He writes:

[T]here is no way to understand this tweet by the president last night as anything other than a spectacular blunder that makes a complete hash of everything his administration and his allies might be after. The presidents statement contradicted both the substance of the policy Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced yesterday and everything Sessions said about it. It makes a mockery of what the presidents press secretary said in defense of it. It defines legislation to legalize DACA as the goal, rather than as a concession to be made in return for achieving other policy goals, so that Republicans must now effectively negotiate without leverage and while standing to the right of a famously immigration-hawk president and Democrats can make an even Donald Trump argument for not giving an inch. He has given ground decisively but gained no friends and no concessions. And so he has increased the likelihood that six months from now he will be right back here but weaker. It would not have been easy to undermine his own position more thoroughly than this.

I cant think of another Trump tweet that carried with it this many significantly adverse consequences.
Togolese authorities on Thursday blocked Internet access as opponents of President Faure Gnassingbe marched for a second day against his familys 50-year rule.

Hundreds of protesters marched from the opposition stronghold of Be and met in central Lome, with police officers walking calmly beside them.

A witness said the scale of this weeks protests, which the opposition said were attended by hundreds of thousands of people, represented the biggest challenge to Mr. Gnassingbes rule since his ascension to power in 2005.

In the past, security forces violently suppressed protests, killing at least two people during an opposition march in August and hundreds got injured after a contested election in 2005.

U.S.-based company Dyn, which monitored the Internet, said traffic dropped off at 0900 GMT in what critics said was a move by the government to suppress protests as other African incumbents have done.

Residents said that text messages had also been blocked and the communications minister could not immediately be reached for comment.

Analysts said he may find himself isolated amid growing criticism of autocratic rule in West Africa.

The presidents position is very fragile and we do not think his peers in ECOWAS or his friends in Europe will help him if things get ugly, the head of research at NKC African Economics, Francois Conradie.

Mr. Gnassingbe, who took power after his long-ruling fathers death, has sought to appease opponents by introducing a draft bill to reform the constitution this week.

Such changes would reintroduce a two-term limit that was scrapped by the late Gnassingbe Eyadema in 2002.

But opposition leaders are sceptical that this would apply retroactively, meaning the current president might stay until 2030.

They have called for his immediate departure.

Togo, a regional financial hub that aspires to be an African Singapore, is at odds with West African neighbours which mostly have laws restricting presidential mandates.

The government along with Gambias voted in 2015 against introducing them across the 15 members of the ECOWAS regional body which Mr. Gnassingbe currently chairs.

African rulers, notably in Rwanda, Burundi and Burkina Faso, have moved to drop term limits in recent years in order to remain in power.

In some cases, this has sparked strong opposition that has led to violent unrest.

(Reuters/NAN)

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The fall of the Peoples Democratic Party at the centre appears to have devastated the fortunes of several politically-connected businessmen who, as once suggested by former President Olusegun Obasanjo, mostly relied on the then-ruling party for government contracts.

One of such billionaire businessmen, Emeka Offor, has indicated that he is broke, just over two years after the PDP left power.

In the build-up to the 2003 general elections, Mr. Offor was reported to have donated N200 million to the Obasanjo/Atiku presidential re-election campaign. During the heat of the Obasanjo-Atiku feud in 2006, the Atiku Media Office in a statement by Garba Shehu, now President Muhammadu Buharis spokesperson, said a special account to finance the PDP presidential re-election bid in 2003 was managed by Mr. Offor.

Known for his interests in oil, gas, power and construction, the businessman and politician got juicy federal contracts, many barely executed, while the PDP reigned for 16 years.

But despite the massive wealth many Nigerians believed he amassed in profit from various contracts, Mr. Offor is now indicating he is broke, suggesting that his main cash cow, Chrome Oil, has suffered downturn since the coming of the All Progressives Congress to power in 2015, according to correspondences seen by PREMIUM TIMES.

Some staff members of the company, in a letter written on their behalf by their lawyer, Femi Falana, say they are being owed N1.14 billion, representing outstanding salaries and wages between September 2016 and August 2017.

They also accused Mr. Offor of failing to remit their tax and pension deductions, an act they described as unethical and criminal under our laws.

They demanded that all pension deductions and contributions from July 2015 to August 31 2017 totalling N244,172,464.80 be remitted to their respective pension fund administrators, the letter said.

Similarly, they demanded that all PAYE tax deducted from staff payroll from July 2015 to August 2017 totalling N153,775,382.58 be remitted to tax authorities.

Then, that the sum of N579,219,429.5 being the disengagement benefits of the staff as at end of August 2017 be paid to their respective bank accounts.

But Mr. Offor blamed the general economic meltdown and recession for his companys inability to meet its financial obligations to employees, saying his businesses suffered frustration commencing from March 2015 and grounded to a halt in September 2015.

Mr. Offor said the company had no job to execute and closed office starting from September 2015.

The PDP-led government left power in May 2015 after losing elections held in April.

Before PDP

While he started out in business with governments years before the PDP came to power, Mr. Offor got some of his most lucrative contracts under the PDP. He also became one of the partys top financiers.

Under the Sani Abacha military junta in the 1990s, Mr. Offors Chrome Group was offered the contract for the Turn Around Maintenance of the Port Harcourt refinery. About that time, he led the Movement for National Stability to campaign for the late dictators ultimately futile bid to transmute to a civilian leader.

Reflecting on the condition of Nigerias refineries and Mr. Offors link, Mr. Obasanjo told PREMIUM TIMES in August 2015 that nothing came of the purported work done by the businessman, despite being paid.

I explained that what I met were refineries that were not working, refineries that were given to an amateur for repairs, for maintenance, what they call turn around maintenance to the company of Emeka Offor  Chrome Group, said Mr. Obasanjo.

Where has Emeka Offor maintained refineries before? Where has he? Thats what we met. So, the refineries were not working.

What can you recover? A man  (Mr. Offor) who was paid upfront. He had people. after I left he became friends with every government that has come. Now hes not only into refinery and oil and all that, hes now also in energy.

Nevertheless, TAM contracts of both the old and the new Port-Harcourt Refineries were awarded to Mr. Offor by the Goodluck Jonathan government in 2014, under controversial circumstances.

But the refineries have in recent years worked in fits and starts despite those new rounds of rehabilitation by Mr. Offors firms. The authorities are yet to give any coherent explanation for this situation. If anything, Nigerias oil minister confirmed in July that fresh efforts to revamp the refineries through private sector funding had been commissioned.

Broke and shut

In a letter dated August 16, Chromes staff warned of legal action if immediate steps were not taken by Mr. Offor within seven days.

But Mr. Offor is not perturbed, said his lawyer, Jeph Njikonye, in a reply, dated August 22, to the staffs counsel.

In the letter, Mr. Offor described the claims by his aggrieved ex-staffers as bogus and presumptuous.

The totality of your claims, allegations, inclusive of monetary claims and allegations of unfair labour practices and failure to make remittances are with respect, gold digging and grossly unsubstantiated, Mr. Offors reply read.

They are unequivocally repudiated.

He, however, offered explanation why Mr. Offor had been unable to meet his obligations to a handful of former staff.

Sequel to the general economic meltdown and recession in the Federal Republic of Nigeria, our clients businesses suffered frustration commencing from March 2015 and grounded to a halt in September 2015, read the reply.

Consequently, Mr. Offor, his lawyer said, had no job to execute and closed office starting from September 2015.

If our clients businesses revive as our client hopes they will, our client will determine whom to re-engage as staff and what terms and conditions such a re-engagement will be.

PREMIUM TIMES confirmed the closure of the company. During our visit to the 22 Lobito Crescent, Abuja headquarters of the Chrome on Monday, a private security agent said the office has been locked for long.

As you can see nobody came to office; the office is under lock.

Long long before Sallah, said the security officer, when asked if it was the case that the company was yet to resume from the last Eid holiday officially observed nationwide between Friday and Monday.

Asked why the company was shut down, he replied, because theres no operation; the company stopped operating.

Apart from Chrome, Mr. Offors other company, Global Scansystems Limited is also troubled.

The staff there have not been paid for two years, while their terminal benefits remain unpaid, the employees said.

The staff of Global Scansystems are now locked in battle with Mr. Offor at the National Industrial Court.

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CALGARY, Alberta, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Colson Capital Corp. (Colson Capital or the Corporation) (TSXV:COLS.P) is pleased to announce that it has successfully completed its initial public offering of 6,000,000 common shares of the Corporation (Common Shares) at a price of $0.10 per Common Share for gross proceeds of $600,000 (the Offering). After completion of the Offering, the Corporation now has 8,400,000 Common Shares issued and outstanding.



Industrial Alliance Securities Inc. (the Agent) acted as the agent for the Offering and in connection therewith, the Corporation granted the Agent warrants (the Agents Warrants) which entitle the Agent to purchase up to 600,000 Common Shares at an exercise price $0.10 per Common Share. The Agents Warrants will expire 24 months from the date the Common Shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (the Exchange), which was September 7, 2017. The Agent also received a cash commission equal to 10% of the gross proceeds of the Offering, a corporate finance fee of $10,000 and was reimbursed for its legal fees and reasonable expenses.

Concurrent with the closing of the Offering, the Corporation also granted options to acquire an aggregate of 840,000 Common Shares at an exercise price of $0.10 per Common Share to the directors and officers of the Corporation, which options expire five years from the date of grant.

The Corporation is a capital pool company and intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering to identify and evaluate assets or businesses for acquisition with a view to completing a Qualifying Transaction under the policies of the Exchange. On September 5, 2017 the Exchange issued a bulletin approving the listing of the Common Shares (the Exchange Bulletin). As per the Exchange Bulletin the Common Shares commenced trading on the Exchange on September 7, 2017 and were immediately halted on pending the Exchanges receipt and review of the final Offering documentation. It is expected that the Common Shares will resume trading under the trading symbol COLS.P on September 11, 2017.

Investors are cautioned that trading in the securities of a capital pool company should be considered highly speculative.

Forward-Looking Information Cautionary Statement

Certain statements contained in this press release constitute forward-looking information. These statements relate to future events or the Corporations future performance. The use of any of the words could, expect, believe, will, projected, estimated and similar expressions and statements relating to matters that are not historical facts are intended to identify forward-looking information and are based on the Corporations current belief or assumptions as to the outcome and timing of such future events. Actual future results may differ materially. In particular, the Corporations stated use of proceeds and its expectation as to the resumption of trading of the Common Shares on the Exchange is forward-looking information. Actual results and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by this forward-looking information. The Corporation disclaims any intention or obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as may be expressly required by applicable securities laws.

NEITHER TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.
A former governor elected on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party has blamed the party for the current economic woes of Nigeria.

Segun Oni, who dumped the PDP for the now ruling All Progressives Congress, APC, in 2014, said this on Thursday.

Mr. Oni, who is now the Deputy National Chairman of the APC, said the PDP-led administration of ex-President Goodluck Jonathan caused what he called horrendous damage to the Nigerian economy.

He told journalists on Thursday at the Makurdi airport that the damage was worse than one can imagine.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the National Bureau of Statistics said on Tuesday that Nigeria has exited its worst economic recession in more than two decades, notching up growth of 0.55 per cent in the second quarter of 2017.

Mr. Oni, a former Ekiti State governor on the platform of PDP, said the looting of the countrys treasury was also responsible for the inability of many states to pay salaries in spite of the bail-out funds and other interventions from President Muhammadu Buhari to address the issue.

According to him, the good intentions of the president is to ensure that all workers at the three tiers of government are paid regularly.

This people (PDP) actually did a horrendous damage to the economy of this country, worse than you can imagine.

As they were stealing the town dry, first there will be money available to throw down so that people can succumb, he said.

Although, I was a former PDP member, I was not part of the looting.

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LONDON, Sept. 07, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Herman Trading Limited, a London based conglomerate, is pleased to announce the engagement of Palewater Advisory Group Inc (PAG), a US based investment banking firm, to provide advisory on the structuring, strategy, implementation and management of the Boffa Refinery Project in the Republic of Guinea on behalf of Herman Trading Limited Guinea and the Republic of Guinea. The government had approved the plan by Herman Trading Limited, a British firm in 2011 to build the 150, 000 barrels per day Refinery Project at an estimated cost of $2 billion. The project was announced by the then Prime Minister of the Republic of Guinea Mohamed Said Fofana in November 2011, http://www.reuters.com/article/ozabs-guinea-refinery-idAFJOE7AI01Q20111119



Herman Trading Ltd has over the years done an amazing job and conducted all the feasibility studies and preliminary works to allow the investment community an opportunity to participate in the rolling out of the project. Now, with the assistance of Palewater Advisory Group, the project is expected to start producing at least 6000 bpd per day from the second quarter of 2018 and will take approximately 36 to 48 months to be in full production of 150,000 bpd. Palewater is also responsible for bringing in the necessary funding for the project, which funding is going to be announced in coming weeks. The project is expected to create thousands of job opportunities.

Prime Minister, Mohamed Said Fofana, said, On behalf of the President Professor Alpha CONDE, first of all I congratulate the Government of Guinea, Herman Trading company and Guinea population to have such a project in Guinea. In this regard I would like assure Herman trading and its partners that Guinea Government will give its full support for the realization of this project, we also believe that this project will create a lot of jobs, it will help the growth of the Guinea economy and eventually reduce the poverty of our population."

Brian K. Kistler, the President & CEO of Palewater Advisory Group Inc, stated, For many years the Republic of Guinea has been importing refined oil from the developed countries. The Republic of Guinea and this project is well positioned to import the abundance of crude oil as feedstock from the neighbouring countries for processing and the refined output will not only be sold within the country but to the other countries in Western Africa. It is a win-win for the region. Thanks to Herman Trading Limited, we are proud to a part of this economic transformation for Western Africa, beginning from Guinea.

Herman Trading Limited Chairman, Hon Moulaye Ahmed Haidara, also stated, Im very excited to have such a project seeing the day in my country, I am confident that this project will create many jobs, reduce poverty and eventually help the economy of Guinea. Herman Trading Limited is therefore delighted to partner Palewater Advisory Group and MB Africa Investments on this ground-breaking project in the Republic of Guinea."

Palewater Advisory Group Inc has also been instructed to form a special purpose vehicle (SPV), which will become the consortium through which private interest will be held and the Government will own 15% percent of the entire project. Palewater scope also includes the securing of the off-take agreements, advise of the Pre-IPO of the project on a liquid market and project, and operational management.

About the Republic Of Guinea

Guinea has almost 246,000 square kilometres (94,981 sq. mi). It forms a crescent by curving from its western border on the Atlantic Ocean toward the east and the south. Its northern border is shared with Guinea-Bissau, Senegal, and Mali, the southern one with Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Cote d'Ivoire. The Niger River arises in Guinea and runs eastward.

Guinea's 12 million people belong to twenty-four ethnic groups. The most prominent groups are the Mandinka, Fula, Susu, etc.

The land that is now Guinea belonged to a series of African empires until France colonized it in the 1890s, and made it part of French West Africa. Guinea declared its independence from France on 2 October 1958.

November 16, 2010 Alpha Conde, the leader of the opposition RPG (Rally of the Guinean People), was officially declared the victor of a November 7 run-off in Guinea's presidential election.

Richly endowed with minerals, Guinea possesses over 25 billion tonnes (metric tons) of bauxite  and perhaps up to one-half of the world's reserves. In addition, Guinea's mineral wealth includes more than 4-billion tonnes of high-grade iron ore, significant diamond and gold deposits, and undetermined quantities of uranium. Guinea has considerable potential for growth in agricultural and fishing sectors. Soil, water, and climatic conditions provide opportunities for large-scale irrigated farming and agro industry. Possibilities for investment and commercial activities exist in all these areas. The country has great potential for hydroelectric power. Bauxite, alumina, Gold, Diamond are currently the major exports. Other industries include processing plants for beer, juices, soft drinks and tobacco. Agriculture employs 80% of the nation's labour force. Under French rule, and at the beginning of independence, Guinea was a major exporter of bananas, pineapples, coffee, peanuts, and palm oil.

About Palewater Advisory Group Inc.

Palewater Advisory Group is a multinational corporate and public affairs advisory firm with headquarters in New York. We specialise in cross-border and M&A transactions, financing, public affairs, political campaign capital raising and strategy. Collectively as the team, we have had an excellent track record with more than 1000 references in our line of advisory work. We have a robust and yet solid network of contacts with specific focus on certain core industries, investment and banking communities. Our directors, leaders, professionals, and senior advisors collectively provide access to senior industrial, political, economic, government and financial decision makers throughout the world.

We provide individual and personal advice and react swiftly to our clients needs, while always providing direct access to the team, including the partners involved. As a professional services firm, we provide the best possible advice based on confidentiality and total discretion. We are committed to the principles of integrity and client service, and operate free from any conflict of interest. www.palewateradvisory.com

About Herman Trading Ltd

Herman Trading limited is a company with over 10 years experience within the Energy, Oil and Gas Sector; from procurement to development. With offices in both the United Kingdom and Guinea Conakry. A dedicated team has been formed to carry out international trading and structuring opportunities in emerging markets. The team is headed by Honorable Moulay Ahmed Haidara (Chairman) and Mr Mohamed Rachid Haidara (Director), and partners with key focus of developing and diversifying into various sectors with strategic partnerships internationally and developing key relationship within markets. Our client and partners include producers, industrial companies and high profile individuals. Herman trading limited is involved in Downstream and Upstream Explorations, petroleum products {affiliated partners in UK, Oman, UAE and USA}, Manufacturing Oil/Gas Pipes [Sweden], as well as Carbon and Renewable Energy Initiative in the UK.
President Andrzej Duda on Thursday said that if the 2022 Expo exhibition was held in Lodz, central Poland, the country would tell a story about a friendly city.

The president spoke as he opened Polish National Day at the Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan.

Andrzej Duda said the Polish pavilion outlined the country's achievements linked to the exhibition's main theme, "The energy of the future".

May be of interest to you President praises Kazakhstan for its kindness to Polish people He pointed out Poland was presenting various novelties in this sphere, such as clean coal technologies, ways to obtain energy from biomass, innovations in mining machinery, ways to digitise the energy market, buildings of the future and ideas on how to renew post-industrial areas.

The president drew a connection between an intelligent, modern quest for energy sources and energy sovereignty which, he said, could be achieved not only through own sources of energy, but also through advanced technology.

President Duda also spoke about Poland's efforts to organise Expo 2022 in the central city of Lodz.

"I have faith in Lodz's bid being successful as it has been carefully thought through and prepared", he emphasised.

The president touched upon the proposed theme of the exhibition, "City ReInvented", noting it was about universal challenges that cities across the world had to confront.

"For cities to become an attractive, friendly and safe places for its residents and visitors, they must continually revive themselves, renew and develop on the basis of social cooperation", he stressed.

"It is precisely such cities that we want to tell people about during the exhibition in Poland, in Lodz", President Duda stated.

May be of interest to you Presidential couple starts visit to Kazakhstan Poland's president is accompanied by his wife Agata Kornhauser-Duda and the Kazakh Prime Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev as they celebrate the Polish National Day at the Expo in Astana, visiting the Polish pavilion, among others.

Poland shows how energy can be managed

The Warsaw University of Technology's project on modern coal combustion was among the 13 most modern ventures awarded at the 2017 Expo in Astana, Kazakhstan, President Andrzej Duda said, adding that he was proud the work of Polish scientists had been appreciated.

"I am proud that our Polish project, Polish technical thought, the modern, innovative concept of Polish scientists, has found its place here and, above all, was recognised in this global scale", Andrzej Duda stressed. He pointed out that the technology was already used at several power plants around the world.

President Duda reminded Polish reporters that this year's Expo's theme was modern energy management, including renewable energy and new energy sources.

He emphasised that the Polish day was being conducted "in a very good, friendly atmosphere" and thanked the Polish team who had organised the event.

"Poland", according to President Duda, "'beautifully' shows how energy can be managed and how carbon dioxide can be managed, first and foremost by showing that forests are the best way to manage and store CO2".

"We show cutting-edge technologies that are energy-efficient, which allow the burning of coal in a much more environmentally-friendly way than to date and the use of natural resources in line with modern environmental requirements", the president said.

The President expressed his hope that thanks to the fact that Poland had presented itself so well in Astana, the central Polish city of Lodz had a better chance to host the Expo in 2022. (PAP)
The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (10)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (9)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (8)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (7)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (6)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (5)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (4)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (3)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (2)

The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana (1)

Polish President Andrzej Duda on Thursday told Kazakhstan's Polish diaspora that although they were living in a foreign land, that land was kind to them because Kazakhstan was a land of kind people.

May be of interest to you President: Poland's Expo would be a story about friendly city The president spoke at a meeting with the Polish diaspora in the Kazakh capital of Astana.

Andrzej Duda gave his assurances that Polish authorities were seeking to pave the way for the repatriation of Kazakhstan-based compatriots to the motherland.

He also decorated three Polish community activists, Fr Stanislaw Marian Hoinka, Oleg Czerwinski and Vladimir Abermit.

"You are the heirs of those who were once mainly transported here", the president told the Polish audience.

He said a small group of the Polish settlers had come to Kazakhstan of their own accord, looking for a new chance in life.

"Afterwards, Kazakhstan, these steppes, became but a symbol of Polish suffering, of people who were forced, usually loaded like animals into waggons, packed into them with just a few possessions that they had been allowed to take with them", President Duda said.

"Sometimes families were separated. People were brought here, sometimes thrown off the waggons onto the snowbound, empty steppe, with often not even a shed in sight, and left to themselves", the president reminisced.

"Thousands of people simply died. The strongest, luckier, healthier, more powerful survived and you are their descendants", he said to the audience.

Andrzej Duda added that Kazakhstan had become in a sense a motherland for them, not least because, as he had often heard from the Polish diaspora, the local residents "who played no part in Poland's dreadful fate", turned out to be kind and helped them.

"Among such people, life felt worth living and so you stayed here, because you felt that, despite being in a foreign land, you were living in a place which was kind to you, because this is a land of kind people", the president emphasised.

On repatriation, President Duda said the Polish authorities were working to make it possible.

"I hope that, should you wish to return, you will have possibilities, that they will be created and Poland will be able to admit foreign-based compatriots to a much greater extent than before, especially those who didn't go abroad of their own will", he stated.

The president also thanked Polish parents living in Kazakhstan for sending their children to Polish language lessons. According to the head of state, 1,500 people are learning the Polish tongue in the Central Asian country, in 33 places. (PAP)
Amazon will soon be opening one of their giant fulfillment centers on Staten Island, the first major facility for the e-commerce behemoth in the state, the company confirmed on Wednesday.

Construction has already begun on the $100 million, 855,000 square-foot mega warehouse, where orders will be filled and shipped to online customers in New York City and beyond. The center, which sits inside a 200-acre Matrix Global Logistics Park on Staten Island's West Shore, will employ both humans and robots, and is expected to create 2,250 full-time jobs. Such figures would make Amazon the single-biggest job creator in the borough's history, according to Staten Island Borough President James S. Oddo.

"New York continues to demonstrate that we have the workforce, the technology, and the pro-business climate to help companies grow and succeed," Governor Andrew Cuomo said in a press release.

In addition to the 2,250 new jobs, Amazon has promised to retain an additional 886 jobs in New York over the next five years. As a result, the Empire State Development has offered the company up to $18 million in tax credits through the Excelsior Jobs Program  an eyebrow-raising figure for some fiscal policy experts.

"New Yorkers should certainly scratch their heads wondering why taxpayers are subsidizing one of the most highly valued companies in the world (and the world's richest person) while small brick and mortar businesses struggle to stay afloat in competing against online retailers," Alex Camarda, a senior policy consultant at the watchdog group Reinvent Albany, told Gothamist.

While Camarda noted that Excelsior's policy of only awarding benefits once jobs are created makes it less prone to abuse, he also wondered whether Amazon would have created such an outpost regardless of the incentive. "After all," he added, "Amazon has to distribute its products to its New York customers."

"While it's not a lot per worker, taxpayers are justified in wondering why NYS needs to provide any subsidy to a mammoth corporation like Amazon," echoed James Parrott, who serves as the director of economic and fiscal policy at the Center for New York City Affairs.

According to one study by an economist earlier this year, New York's business tax incentives are the most expensive and among the least effective of any in the country. Governor Cuomo's own tax commission reached a similar conclusion in 2013, with an annual report finding that corporate tax incentives "may not result in a good return on investment."

Beyond the controversial subsidy, Amazon's fulfillment centers have also become notorious for their labor practices, and many workers describe a hyper-efficient culture in which complaining about personal injuries or workplace conditions, including excessive heat, could be grounds for firing.

A bombshell New York Times article from 2015 found that at the Seattle-based company, "Losers leave or are fired in annual cullings of the staff  'purposeful Darwinism,' one former Amazon human resources director said. Some workers who suffered from cancer, miscarriages and other personal crises said they had been evaluated unfairly or edged out rather than given time to recover."

In response to the Times expose, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos issued a memo to the companys 180,000 workers declaring, The article doesnt describe the Amazon I know or the caring Amazonians I work with every day.

A spokesperson for Governor Cuomo's office did not respond to questions about the purpose of the $18 million subsidy, or whether the state would consider rescinding the "performance-based tax credits" if similar labor abuse allegations were to once again come to light.

"We are excited to bring our first fulfillment center to New York and work alongside the state's incredible workforce," Amazon's Vice President of Customer Fulfillment Sanjay Shah said in a statement. "The support of local leaders has been instrumental in our ability to come to New York, and we are grateful for the welcome we've received to bring thousands of new jobs with benefits starting on day one."

UPDATE: Reached for comment, Amy Varghese, press secretary for Empire State Development, said: By attracting the worlds top companies to New York, we are encouraging innovation and advancement, and further cementing the Empire States position at the forefront of the 21st century economy. These performance-based incentives will create good-paying, high-tech jobs for more than 2,000 hardworking New Yorkers, and continue to move Staten Island and the entire state forward.


U.S. Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (D-12th District) and state Rep. Abdullah Hammoud (D-Dearborn) heard Dearborn constituents concerns during an Aug. 29 town hall.

The gathering was the second town hall the politicians have teamed up on this year to provide an update on legislative issues in Washington. D.C. and Lansing and to hear from members of the community.

As Congress prepares to return to Washington next week, it is critical that we hear the ideas and concerns of the people we represent, Dingell said. These are turbulent times, and it is important to listen, learn, address problems and come together to find solutions. From working to ensure quality affordable health care for every American, to standing up for civil rights and ensuring every individual who wants a good job can find one, we are committed to working diligently to address the issues we heard tonight. We know that we are one community and we are all in this together.

Hammoud added: Getting feedback from residents is one of the most important aspects of being a legislator. This town hall was a great way to hear concerns from the community, as well as possible solutions. I look forward to taking this input to Lansing to better serve Dearborn and the state of Michigan.

More than 100 members of the community joined the legislators at Edsel Ford High School in Dearborn.
HAMILTON TOWNSHIP  Officials from two local school districts agreed Thursday to try to work out a dispute over recent consolidation of bus routes without court intervention.

Last week, Atlantic County Institute of Technology filed for relief from the state commissioner of education after Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District made changes to bus routes that ACIT officials claim moved some students bus stops four miles from their home as a way to discourage enrollment.

The parties are working with each other to achieve an amicable result, said ACIT attorney Keith Davis of Nehmad, Perillo and Davis of Egg Harbor Township.

Officials from ACIT and the Greater Egg Harbor Regional district met before Administrative Law Judge John Kennedy in Atlantic City on Thursday to make their arguments, according Davis.

ACITs petition filed Sept. 1 claims Greater Egg Harbor Regionals bus route change is directly retaliating against ACIT due to the continued loss of students from the district to the ACIT, to which they must pay tuition.

Greater Egg Harbor Regional denied the claims in its response.

The nine elected members of the board remain answerable to their constituents, the parents of the district, and ACIT lacks standing to attempt to pursue claims in their name, Greater Egg Harbor Regionals response stated.

It also stated that the district reinstating old routes would result in layoffs of teachers, support personnel, and further reductions in educational programs in the district.

ACIT Superintendent Phil Guenther said he has received complaints from nearly 100 families concerned about a move this summer by the Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District to consolidate bus routes for the county vocational high school, mainly due to safety, as some of the stops are poorly lit or on roads with no sidewalks. Greater Egg Harbors response said they have received three.

Parent Cheryl Bitondo of Mullica Township, whose stepchildren attend ACIT, said she received a letter in the summer from Greater Egg Harbor Regional regarding the change in the bus routes, but didnt know where the stop would be until late August. Bitondo said she was shocked when she learned her stepson and stepdaughters new bus stop is on a road with very little street lights and no sidewalks 1 miles away from her home. The pick-up time, she said, is 6:15 a.m.

The last bus stop was in front of our house, said Bitondo, 47. I believe that Greater Egg Harbor decided not to take the safety of the children into hand when they did this. I think it was all financial.

She said due to safety concerns, she or her husband will have to take their kids to the bus stop.

Tom Grossi, Greater Egg Harbor Regional business administrator, said state law allows for high school students to walk up to 2 miles, but denied that the stop locations are excessive.

The amount of distance these stops are from their homes vary depending on where they live and proximity to other students, but I can guarantee you that no students bus stop is 4 miles from their home, Grossi said in a email.

The decision to consolidate routes was made to save $150,000 in the 2017-18 operating budget, similar to what was done to bus routes for choice, charter and nonpublic school students, according to the district.

ACIT was seeking to have the 2016-17 bus routes restored.

Its a major change that was not discussed with the administration from ACIT nor the parents who would be affected by this change, Guenther said.

ACITs petition claimed tension between the two entities was caused by the rising cost of tuition at ACIT. The Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District and ACIT agreed on a deferred tuition plan earlier this year when Greater Egg Harbor informed ACIT it could not meet its tuition obligation.

In the spring, as the Greater Egg Harbor Regional school board was discussing its budget, board members expressed concern over tuition costs at ACIT and the effect on the regional high school district. Enrollment at ACIT in 2016 was 1,494 students. Of that, more than 400 students are from the Greater Egg Harbor Regional sending districts. The districts tuition obligation in 2017-18 is projected at $3.1 million.

Greater Egg Harbor Regional School District serves students in Mullica, Galloway and Hamilton townships, Egg Harbor City and Port Republic. All Atlantic County students have a legal right to apply to attend the county vocational school. Their sending districts have a legal obligation to pay for transportation for students who live more than 2 miles from the school.

Greater Egg Harbor Regionals response said the tuition is just one of many financial constraints on the district including declining school enrollment and statutory limitations on tax increases.

In the 2017-18 budget, Greater Egg Harbor Regional district cut operating costs by $4.7 million, reducing its budget $1.6 million from the previous year. Cuts were made across the board, including $2.8 million in staffing and personnel, according to the districts response.
Millions know Ted Kaczynski as the Unabomber, a criminal mastermind who led the FBI on the infamous, and most expensive, 18-year manhunt for the person behind mail bombings, which killed three people and injured dozens of others.

But lesser known is former FBI agent James Jim Fitzgerald, of Sea Isle City, the man who helped crack the case and the subject of Discovery Channels new series, Manhunt: Unabomber.

Fitzgerald, nicknamed Fitz, is a Stockton University faculty member and was instrumental in the FBI capturing Kaczynski at his remote cabin in Lincoln, Montana 21 years ago. The television series takes people back to the bombings from 1978 to 1995, the inner workings of the FBI case and an introspective look at our interactions with technology today.

Fitzgerald and his early years with the FBI and the BAU

Fitzgerald, played on the small screen by Avatars Sam Worthington, worked for 11 years as a beat cop in Pennsylvania before becoming an FBI agent. He worked in New York City for seven years and then completed a 12-week training course on behavioral analysis and profiling, which was still in its early stages.

There were a lot of people there with investigative gum-shoe backgrounds, which wasnt a bad thing, that was me, too, but I also came out as a brand new profiler, he said. I had 18 years of investigative skills under my belt, 12 weeks of training as a profiler and the first case I get assigned to was the Unabomber.

The series transports viewers back to when Fitzgerald joins the team in 1995 and quickly discovers that the profiles officials had been using, one of which painted the Unabomber as a laid-off airplane mechanic, were not getting investigators any closer to the identity of the mystery serial killer.

Fitzgerald said the television series is right on the money in terms of accuracydates, times, bomb construction, delivery of letters, victims and more.

Much of the tension, however, shown between Worthingtons Fitz and other FBI agents on the show was absent in real life. Fitzgerald said there were debates and arguments on how to tackle certain aspects of the case, but problems were always resolved by the time everyone walked out the door.

UNABOM, forensic linguists and Kaczynskis manifesto

Federal investigators had been after the serial bomber for 17 years before Fitzgerald joined the Unabom Task Force.

Fitzgerald arrived just weeks after the New York Times turned over to the FBI the Unabomber's manifesto, Industrial Society and Its Future, a 35,000-word manuscript detailing the Unabombers motives and beliefs on the negative impacts of technology on society.

Turns out why airlines were bombed was because, and we didnt know at the time, of course, but Ted would come out of his cabin and look up twice a day and at 35,000 feet there was a jetliner flying over, Fitzgerald said.

While investigators looked for DNA on the manuscripts, some like Fitzgerald became more interested in the content of the manifesto, he said. With help from Roger Shuy, a retired Georgetown University professor, the young FBI profiler got a crash course in linguistics.

Fitzgerald said Shuy had concluded that the language used in the manifesto was reflective of someone between 35 and 50-something years old who was born and raised in the Chicago area, as the writing format matched Chicago newspaper clips from the 40s, 50s and 60s.

It didnt solve the mystery of the Unabomber, but it did narrow down the profile, Fitzgerald said. The manifesto revealed a lot more about the Unabomber, he said, which was why he supported the motion to publish the document. It printed in the Washington Post on Sept. 19, 1995.

I was convinced we had to publish the manifesto to A, identify the Unabomber and B, to maybe stop him from killing more people, and both actually worked, Fitzgerald said. I thought, the answer to who this guy is lies in these 56 single-spaced pages. You cannot hide your personal philosophy and ideology within this many words.

Kaczynskis brother, David, eventually came forward to investigators with the suspicions that his brother may be the Unabomber. He provided letters Kaczynski had written to family members, the contents of which showed more than 600 similarities to the manifesto, reports show.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for the cabin by using language as probable cause, a first, after Fitzgerald presented his findings. It was the beginning of todays widely accepted use of forensic linguistics in criminal cases.

Personal costs, memoirs and family support

The television series is told largely through the eyes of Worthingtons Fitzgerald, with tidbits from Kaczynski, played by Paul Bettany. Aside from the trademarks of a procedural drama, the series also delves into the personal toll of the case on Fitzgerald.

It was a tenuous time for my family when I got sent out to Unabomb Task Force, he said. I wouldnt use the word obsessed, but I was very uber determined to catch this guy. It led to an estrangement with my then wife and we ultimately did get divorced, but our kids were and are always the number one priority.

While Fitzgerald and other agents worked for months and years to catch a dangerous killer, it came at a personal cost, show directors said in previous interviews, and they wanted to show that.

Fitzgerald, who has three grown sons and a new granddaughter, said his family knew upfront how they would be portrayed on the show and he insisted that they be shown in a positive light.

Even his fiance, Natalie Schilling, is portrayed in the show as the linguist professor who helps Fitzgeralds character find the key to Kaczynskis writing. Schilling was never actually involved in the Unabomber case.

The show's character, played by Lynn Collins, is based on Shuy and his part in the manifesto, Fitzgerald said. Schilling was also not Fitzgeralds love interest during the case.

Fitzgerald goes into more detail about the impact of his career on his personal relationships in three memoirs, available online and in local stores.

Meeting Kaczynski, TV series impact and looking ahead

The biggest showdown in the crime thriller series, of course, is when Fitzgerald meets Kaczynski for the first time in 1997 while the bomber awaits trial in prison. The FBI calls in the profiler to convince Kaczynski to plead guilty to his crimes, while Kaczynski plants seeds of doubt into Fitzgeralds mind about the investigation.

While it makes for great television drama, none of that actually happened.

Fitzgerald has never met Kaczynski. All he knows about the unabomber has been learned from the manifesto, Kaczynski's journals and letters and facts from the investigation.

The only time Fitzgerald was in close proximity to the Unabomber was at court during his trial sentencing in the 1990s.

My colleague yells, Hey, Fitz, from across the room and I see Ted in the corner of my eye as he turns around and looks at me. Thats when our eyes first met, he said. It was the dirtiest, most ornery look anyone has ever given me. I didnt smile, smirk, wink or do anything impolite or unprofessional. After about 30 seconds, I nodded my head in saying, You know who I am, I know who you are. Lets leave it at that.

But Hollywood is as Hollywood does, and the shows creators were adamant about the two meeting face-to-face on screen.

To do that, Fitzgerald said the writers drew from an experience he had back in 2007. It was his last year with the FBI and he was scheduled to teach a class at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs that April.

Because it was so close to where Kaczynski is serving four life-sentences in Florence, Colorado, Fitzgerald reached out asking if he could talk and interview him. It was arranged, Kaczynski agreed, and months later, Fitzgerald taught his class and began the hour drive to the prison.

About half way there, the corrections officer calls me and says, Agent Fitzgerald? Yes? The interview is not going to work today. Mr. Kaczynski wanted me to tell you that hes busy today, Fitzgerald recalls. Now heres a guy who is locked up 23/7 for the rest of his life and hes busy.

Show writers took 50 questions Fitzgerald had prepared to ask Kaczynski at an almost-meet up in 2007, crafted the Unabombers responses based on his writings and created the tension-filled scenes between the two highly intelligent characters at opposite ends of the case.

Fitzgerald said if the opportunity ever came up again to talk to Kaczynski, hed take it. While he in no way condoned Kaczynskis actions in killing people, Fitzgerald said he has never denied that the Unabomber is one of the most intelligent people ever sought in FBI history.

"Theres a lot in the manifesto that, and I knew back then and certainly know today, makes sense," he said. "Maybe we are too dependent on technology and devices. We're having conversations with people, but on a box the size of a cigarette pack."

Kaczynski purportedly has an IQ in the 160s, well above the genius threshold. He skipped grades in primary school, attended Harvard University at 16, studied and contributed to advanced mathematical research and became a math professor at the University of California at Berkeley at only 25.

John A. Berchtold, of Mays Landing and an Oakcrest High School graduate, plays 16-year-old Kaczynski in the series, which shows the teen suffering through mind experiments allegedly conducted on young adults at Harvard in the 1950 and 60s for research purposes.

Investigations later revealed Kaczynski struggled with social situations and maintaining relationships, and with exposure to some type of psychological experiments while at Harvard, experts say that all likely contributed to his decision to engage in domestic terrorist activity.

What I hear most from people who come up to me, they all say the same thing: I never knew the Unabomb case was this complicated. I thought the brother called, turned him in and that was it, Fitzgerald said. And I say, no, it was much more complex than that.

Manhunt: Unabomber concludes Tuesday night at 10 p.m. on Discovery Channel. Fitzgerald's third book in his memoir series, A Journey to the Center of the Mind: The First Ten FBI Years, was released in July. People can meet the former FBI agent Oct. 18 at the Sea Isle City library at a book signing event. Visit cmclibrary.org for more details.
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CAPE MAY COURT HOUSE  Members of the New Jersey National Guard lined up in formation and were briefed on their new mission Thursday as they prepared to travel south and help with Hurricane Irma relief efforts.

On Friday, more than 40 trucks and 130 members of the National Guards 253rd Transportation Company will head to Florida to help state officials.

Samuel Waltzer, the company commander, said he anticipates they will drive the National Guard units from Georgia and Florida to different disaster areas, transport state police in Florida, rescue people who are stuck in high water and supply food, water and batteries to people in need.

The mission is really going to be dictated by (Hurricane) Irma more than what people can predict at this point, Waltzer said. Our company motto is You call, we haul, so were prepared and ready, and were excited to have this mission.

The 253rd was called to active duty for the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and for Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2003. The company is responsible for operating Humvees, five-ton trucks and tractor-trailers that move equipment, ammunition and men.

Waltzer said the whole company reported to Cape May Court House within 15 hours Wednesday. They worked to make sure each guardsman had his or her vaccinations before being deployed to a disaster area and developed a travel route for the whole convoy.

You can drive to Florida a lot faster by yourself than with a large military convoy, Waltzer said. We think its going to be a 2-day trip.  We have to take care of our soldiers on the way and plan overnight stops.

Waltzer said that while the 253rd did not send anyone to Texas to help with Hurricane Harvey, the units members are experienced in handling storms. In 2011, they helped New Jersey officials with Hurricane Irene and helped again in 2012 with Hurricane Sandy.

Other area military and civilian groups did travel to Texas to help with Harvey relief.

Last week, the 177th fighter wing from Egg Harbor Township announced on its Facebook page that eight Army National Guard members and four Air National Guard members trained in medevac and hoist-rescue operations were deployed to Texas.

A request came in from Texas through the National Guard Bureau looking for helicopter assets, specifically with voice capability, Master Sgt. Chris Donohue said in a video posted by the 177th. Were hoping to see if we can do some good down there.

On Thursday, a spokesman for the 177th said the team was still in Texas, and that the fighter wing had not been called to help with Hurricane Irma.
PLEASANTVILLE  A local 17-year-old was arrested Wednesday and charged in a vehicular assault that occurred Aug. 5, police said.

The teen was operating a dirt bike recklessly on Main Street near West Jersey Avenue when he drove onto the sidewalk and struck Elza Jeanty-Excellent, of Galloway Township, causing her serious injuries, police Capt. Matthew Hartman said in a statement.

The teen fled without helping the victim or contacting authorities, Hartman said.

Officers Joseph Gamble, Mark Millard and Astrid Aurelus, under the supervision of Capt. Frank Balles, investigated and found video evidence that led to the teens identification, Hartman said. Sgt. Mark Porter took the lead in the case.

Members of the public also offered information that led police to investigate and charge the teen, Hartman said.

The youth is charged with assault by auto and leaving the scene of a motor vehicle crash with serious bodily injury, Hartman said. The youth will be issued many motor vehicle violations, he said.

The teen was processed and released pending court, Hartman said.
Cut, dont hike, NJ taxes

Phil Murphy, a candidate for New Jersey governor, stated he is not asking for a $75 billion tax increase, just a mere $1.3 billion increase.

Give us a break. We have the highest taxes in the country.

Try this on for size  give us a $2 billion decrease.

As a former businessman, I know how to cut expenses.

David Hofeld

Egg Harbor Township

Dont allow hateful protest

They had a permit. In one dismissive stroke, President Trump attempted to quell his critics and seemingly recognize the legitimacy of a warped protest that included symbols of hate, Confederate flags and swastikas. Trump also said there were wonderful people on both sides of the debate in Charlottesville, Virginia, I think trying to give credence to unspeakable rhetoric.

Perhaps Trump is unaware of the fighting words doctrine, a 1942 Supreme Court ruling that restricts speech which by its very utterance, inflicts injury or tends to incite an immediate breach of the peace.

The deadly outcome in Charlottesville was indeed such a breach, a travesty, and the white supremacist philosophy of false superiority is to blame. Freedom of assembly is designed to improve a society, as did the suffragette and civil rights movements in the last century. It is not a platform of perversion and the streets of shining U.S. cities should not be tarnished with verbal rubbish.

Eileen M. Oleksiak-Hall

Erma

Backs Scheffler for sheriff

I support Eric Scheffler, who is running for Atlantic County sheriff. I have known Scheffler for over 30 years. He possesses the qualities of a tremendous leader and distinguished himself with his ability and character during his professional career in the law enforcement community.

Scheffler can delegate with authority and competence; he has strong convictions tempered by good judgment and reason. He thrives in challenging situations. He constantly strives for excellence, with a genuine care for others, he is well-liked and admired by his peers.

Finally, Scheffler has the initiative and dedication to make a significant difference to the progress of the region. I confidently believe that he would perform well.

Bill Walsh

Galloway Township
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VANCOUVER, British Columbia, September 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Capstone Mining Corp. ("Capstone") (TSX: CS) today announced that management will attend the following investor conference:

Credit Suisse 2017 Global Steel & Mining Conference in London, UK . Darren Pylot , President and CEO will be attending on Tuesday, September 12, 2017 .

Capstone's most recent corporate presentation is available at: http://capstonemining.com/investors/events-and-presentations/default.aspx.

About Capstone Mining Corp.

Capstone Mining Corp. is a Canadian base metals mining company, focused on copper. We are committed to the responsible development of our assets and the environments in which we operate. Our three producing mines are the Pinto Valley copper mine located in Arizona, US, the Cozamin polymetallic mine in Zacatecas State, Mexico and the Minto copper mine in Yukon, Canada. In addition, Capstone has two development projects; the large scale 70% owned copper-iron Santo Domingo project in Region III, Chile, in partnership with Korea Resources Corporation, and the 100% owned Kutcho copper-zinc project in British Columbia, Canada, as well as exploration properties in Chile and US. Capstone's strategy is to focus on the optimization of operations and assets in politically stable, mining-friendly regions, centred in the Americas. Our headquarters are in Vancouver, Canada and we are listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX). Further information is available at http://www.capstonemining.com.

For further information please contact:

Cindy Burnett, VP, Investor Relations and Communications

+1-604-637-8157

cburnett@capstonemining.com



SOURCE Capstone Mining Corp.
STANLEY Healthcare's solutions serve several safety and security needs of senior living communities. These solutions include emergency call, wander management, staff security, facility security, and temperature monitoring. STANLEY Healthcare is the leader in fall management solutions, with over a million fall monitors installed over the past decade.

Going beyond its existing solutions and realizing the industry's upcoming needs, STANLEY Healthcare is working to realize the 'Smart Resident Room'. Integrating sensors in an Internet of Things fashion, the Smart Room concept will enable senior living communities to monitor residents unobtrusively while they carry on with their daily activities.

"Realizing the nature of technology and acknowledging the fast-changing pace of advancements, STANLEY Healthcare routinely partners with other technology companies whose solutions can integrate with its own to provide enhanced value for its customers," said Industry Analyst Siddharth Shah at Frost & Sullivan. "It also partners with some of the WLAN and infrastructure providers to ensure its products and software work seamlessly with customers' wireless infrastructure."

An example of innovative technology founded on market needs is a wander management system using Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for wireless communication. "To lower the barriers to entry for wireless solutions, STANLEY Healthcare is moving towards using BLE solutions. Designing solutions that are appealing enough to attract residents is an approach that helps STANLEY Healthcare differentiate its solutions from others available in the senior living space," said Shah.

Another key differentiator that distinguishes STANLEY Healthcare from the competition is its approach to customer care, including:

Product support services spanning the entire lifecycle of the solution.

The By Your Side customer support portal, which helps clients obtain answers to their queries, provides access to product documentation, and extends support for solving technical challenges.

24/7 phone support, remote diagnostics, and on-site repair services.

Frost & Sullivan presents this award to the company that has leveraged competitive intelligence to execute successfully a competitive strategy that results in stronger market share, competitive brand positioning, and customer satisfaction.

Frost & Sullivan Best Practices Awards recognize companies in a variety of regional and global markets for demonstrating outstanding achievement and superior performance in areas such as leadership, technological innovation, customer service, and strategic product development. Industry analysts compare market participants and measure performance through in-depth interviews, analysis, and extensive secondary research to identify best practices in the industry.

About STANLEY Healthcare

STANLEY Healthcare provides over 5,000 acute care hospitals and 12,000 long-term care organizations with enterprise solutions that create a safe, secure and efficient healthcare experience across life's stages. The STANLEY Healthcare solution set enables customers to achieve organizational excellence and superior care in critical areas: Patient/Resident Safety, Security & Protection, Environmental Monitoring, Clinical Operations & Workflow and Supply Chain & Asset Management. These solutions are complemented by STANLEY Healthcare's By Your Side Lifetime Customer Care commitment to ensure that every customer achieves success and realizes the full value of their investment, through consulting, training, implementation and integration services. STANLEY Healthcare is proud to be part of Stanley Black & Decker, Inc. For more information, visit stanleyhealthcare.com. Follow STANLEY Healthcare on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, collaborates with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, Frost & Sullivan has been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector, and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion.

Contact:

Claudia Toscano

P: 210.477.8417

F: 210.348.1003

E: claudia.toscano@frost.com

Related Links

http://www.frost.com



SOURCE Frost & Sullivan
BENGALURU, September 07,2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Infosys Expands European Footprint by Establishing New Office in The Netherlands

Invests to fulfil the requirements of next-generation services and technologies for forward-thinking Dutch clients

Amsterdam -September 6, 2017: Infosys (NYSE: INFY), a global leader in consulting, technology and next-generation services, today announced the opening of a new state-of-the-art office space in Amsterdam. The office was inaugurated by the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam, Ms. Kajsa Ollongren, together with the Indian Ambassador to The Netherlands, Mr. Venu Rajamony, in the presence of Mr. Mohit Joshi, President and Head of Banking, Financial Services and Insurance, Healthcare and Life Sciences, Infosys and Mr. Roshan Shetty, who heads the company's operations in the country.

The investment in the new office represents Infosys' continued commitment to the Dutch market, as it endeavors to take its service offerings across Artificial Intelligence, automation, data and analytics, digital and platform technologies, to clients across sectors such as financial services, insurance, healthcare, and manufacturing.

The company currently has more than 20 clients in the country and employs over 1,100 people including those working at client locations in The Netherlands.

Rajesh Krishnamurthy, President and Head of Europe, Infosys said: "The Netherlands is one of our largest markets in Europe and we are encouraged with the traction we have seen in the region. Over the past 15 years, Dutch clients and prospects have been keen adopters of new technologies and our strengthened presence in the market will enable our customers to embrace innovations such as Artificial Intelligence, automation and digital services, to help them achieve their growth and digital transformations ambitions."

Kajsa Ollongren, Deputy Mayor, Amsterdam said: "International companies are very important to the Amsterdam metropolitan area. Infosys especially is a valuable partner for Amsterdam and we are pleased that they chose to grow their presence in the city with this ultra-modern office. Through the collaboration with knowledge institutes based here, Infosys fosters innovation and creates opportunities for young talent."

You may also downlod the press release document from: http://www.bseindia.com/xml-data/corpfiling/AttachLive/95a62f14-c377-4416-9a9b-e0ad297d0b8c.pdf

This is a disclosure announcement from PR Newswire.

SOURCE Infosys Limited
Earlier this year the New York Academy of Medicine in East Harlem celebrated the 20th anniversary of the publication of Harry Potter & the Philosopher's Stone by pulling its 15th century magic books out of its archives, and soon the New-York Historical Society will honor two decades of Harry Potter in the U.S. with a major exhibition on the wizarding series' history. SO MANY DRAWINGS OF DRAGONS.

The exhibition, "Harry Potter: A History of Magic," will head our way courtesy of the British Library next year, and contains rare books, manuscripts, and magical objects both specific to the teen wizards at Hogwarts and from which author J.K. Rowling drew inspiration. These include centuries-old (real! sort of!) wizarding books, a 1582 manuscript on alchemy, a 4th century papyrus detailing dark magic, and Harry Potter illustrator Jim Kay's early baby mandrake renderings.



Illustration by Jim Kay  Bloomsbury Publishing Plc 2016.

What's scarier than a screaming mandrake, though, is the fact that the U.S. edition of the first Harry Potter book, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, is nearly 20 years old (it was published here a year after Philosopher's Stone debuted in the U.K.) Seems like just yesterday I was crying because I never got a letter from Hogwarts. Time, like a Nimbus 2000, flies.

The bad news is, we'll have to hang on until October 2018 for "Harry Potter: A History of Magic," because the U.K. gets everything good first, like the new season of The Great British Bake Off and Harry Styles. Though if you must see OG drawings of Fawkes the Phoenix IMMEDIATELY, it'll be on view at the British Library in London from October 20, 2017 to February 28, 2018, and online at Rowling's Pottermore website next month.
To view the Multimedia News Release, please click:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8173054-international-icons-hajj-islam/

American civil rights activist Malcolm X made the pilgrimage in 1964. He wrote about the way that Hajj had demonstrated a unity he had not thought was possible in his autobiography, published in 1965:

"There were tens of thousands of pilgrims, from all over the world. They were of all colors, from blue-eyed blondes to black-skinned Africans. But we were all participating in the same ritual, displaying a spirit of unity and brotherhood that my experiences in America had led me to believe never could exist between the white and the non-white. America needs to understand Islam, because this is the one religion that erases from its society the race problem. You may be shocked by these words coming from me. But on this pilgrimage, what I have seen, and experienced, has forced me to rearrange much of my thought patterns previously held."

In 2012, Bollywood star Aamir Khan made the Hajj pilgrimage from Mumbai with his mother, describing the experience to a reporter as: "Probably one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It's very difficult to describe in words. The first time that you see the Kabaa and the whole experience of you know so many people from different parts of the world, speaking different languages. People of different colors, different creeds, different backgrounds, different societies, are all converging for this one thing, you know. It's quite a fascinating sight. And certainly, it's a once in a lifetime experience."

These perspectives reflect the key Islamic value of unity, reflected through the Hajj pilgrimage that brings the pilgrims together as one. This is one of the many universal values that Islam shares with the world.

Prolific English Writer H.G. Wells also noted the universal values of compassion and tolerance upon which Islam is based: "The Islamic teachings have left great traditions for equitable and gentle dealings and behavior, and inspire people with nobility and tolerance. These are human teachings of the highest order and at the same time practicableIslam is replete with gentleness, courtesy, and fraternity."

In a statement made on February 7, 1980 addressing American relations with Islamic nations, then US President Jimmy Carter highlighted these shared values:

"I have been struck, personally and in my experience as President, by the human and moral values which Americans as a people share with Islam. We share, first and foremost, a deep faith in the one Supreme Being. We are all commanded by Him to faith, compassion, and justice. We have a common respect and reverence for law. Despite the strains of the modern age, we continue to place special importance on the family and the home. And we share a belief that hospitality is a virtue and that the host, whether a nation or an individual, should behave with generosity and honor toward guests."

Additional Information https://www.saudiwelcomestheworld.org/

Media Contacts: The Centre for International Communication (CIC), Ministry of Culture and Information, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Telephone: +966 33 839 3535, Email: cic@moci.gov.sa Website: http://www.cic.org.sa , Twitter: @CICSaudi

(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/551741/MOCI_International_Icons.jpg )

Video:

https://www.multivu.com/players/uk/8173054-international-icons-hajj-islam/

SOURCE The Ministry of Culture and Information (MOCI)
CLEVELAND, Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Content Marketing Institute (CMI), just awarded the top four winners in their prestigious 2017 Content Marketing Awards program during their annual Content Marketing Awards ceremony live at the 2017 Content Marketing World Conference and Expo in Cleveland, Ohio.

The Project of the Year, Agency of the Year (for both large and small agencies), and Content Marketer of the Year winners were announced in front of more than 3,500 attendees at #CMWorld, the largest content marketing event in the world. The Content Marketing Awards is the largest and longest-running international content marketing awards program in the world. The 2017 awards are sponsored by Hightail.

Here are the 2017 top prize winners:

Content Marketing Agency of the Year (Less than 100 Employees) : Imprint, New York City , New York .

: Imprint, , . Content Marketing Agency of the Year (More than 100 Employees) : PACE, Greensboro, North Carolina .

: PACE, . Project of the Year: Frontline Education's Content Marketing Program produced by Frontline Education.

Frontline Education's Content Marketing Program produced by Frontline Education. Content Marketer of the Year: Paolo Mottola, Jr. , Managing Editor, REI Co-op.

While these are the winners of the top four Content Marketing Award prizes, there were also 93 individual category winners that were announced in late July. There were more than 1,100 entries to this year's awards and a panel of all-star judges chose the "best of the best" in content marketing excellence recognizing all aspects of content marketing, from strategy to distribution, and from editorial to design.

View the full list of 2017 winners here: http://contentmarketingawards.com/2017-winners/

"It's truly a privilege to recognize and honor all the hard work by the winners who are achieving content marketing success for their organizations and clients," says Stephanie Stahl, general manager, Content Marketing Institute. "The 2017 top prize winners are making a mark in the industry as true innovators, leading the way in content marketing excellence and distinction."

The 2018 Content Marketing Awards program will open in February 2018. Brand marketers and agencies can visit the website to be notified when next year's program opens. http://contentmarketingawards.com/

About Content Marketing Institute

Content Marketing Institute is the leading global content marketing education and training organization, teaching enterprise brands how to attract and retain customers through compelling, multichannel storytelling. CMI's Content Marketing World event, the largest content marketing-focused event, is held every September in Cleveland, Ohio, USA, and the Intelligent Content Conference event is held every spring. CMI publishes the bi-monthly magazine Chief Content Officer, and provides strategic consulting and content marketing research for some of the best-known brands in the world. Watch this video to learn more about CMI. Content Marketing Institute is organised by UBM plc. UBM is the largest pure-play B2B Events organiser in the world. Our 3,750+ people, based in more than 20 countries, serve more than 50 different sectors. Our deep knowledge and passion for these sectors allow us to create valuable experiences which enable our customers to succeed. Please visit www.ubm.com for the latest news and information about UBM.

SOURCE Content Marketing Institute
CITY OF COMMERCE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Second Quarter Fiscal 2018 Highlights:

Net sales increased to $540.5 million , up 8.9% compared to the prior year

Same-store sales increased by 9.0% compared to the prior year

Gross margin, as a percentage of net sales, increased to 28.8%, up from 28.4% in the prior year

Net loss was $33.6 million compared to net loss of $35.1 million in the prior year

Adjusted EBITDA 1 increased 93.2% to $10.1 million compared to the prior year

99 Cents Only Stores LLC (the "Company") announced its financial results for the second quarter ended July 28, 2017.

Geoffrey Covert, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "The second quarter offers further evidence of the progress we have continued to make in executing our turnaround plan. Our focused strategy of improving the Company's operating performance is yielding encouraging results."

Mr. Covert continued, "Net sales for the second quarter were $540.5 million, up 8.9% over the prior year period. On a same-store basis, sales increased 9.0%, resulting from a 4.7% increase in transaction count and a 4.1% increase in basket. This was driven by our emphasis on providing higher-quality merchandise, expanding our fresh variety, enhancing our in-stock position, strengthening our marketing efforts and improving the customer shopping experience. We are also benefitting from increased sales in our above $1 products, as we believe our customers appreciate the extreme value of the merchandise that we provide. We are working to differentiate the 99 Cents Only brand by focusing on fresh, seasonal and closeout merchandise at the lowest prices."

Mr. Covert concluded, "We also continue to make progress in improving overall operating efficiencies. Second quarter gross margin of 28.8% was up 40 basis points year-over-year, driven primarily by our focus on reducing shrink and managing scrap, along with increased efficiency in our logistics network. Our second quarter net loss was $33.6 million, an improvement of $1.5 million or 4.3% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Importantly, second quarter Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million, up 93.2% compared to $5.2 million last year. On a year-to-date basis, Adjusted EBITDA of $26.4 million is up 42.3% compared to the same period a year ago. We are encouraged by this result and continue to expect we will achieve our guidance of improving adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2018."

Second Quarter Financial Results

For the second quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company's net sales increased 8.9% to $540.5 million, compared to $496.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Same-store sales increased 9.0% compared to the second quarter of fiscal 2017, with higher customer traffic of 4.7% in addition to higher average ticket of 4.1%. The increase in same-store sales was primarily driven by higher sales from seasonal, general merchandise and consumable categories, in part due to higher sales of above $1 products, better product assortment and improved store execution. Sales from grocery and fresh offerings also increased, driven by better product availability, improved product assortment, as well as continued improvements in store in-stock levels.

Gross margin, as a percentage of net sales, was 28.8% in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, an increase of 40 basis points from the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Gross margin increased primarily due to lower inventory shrinkage, partially offset by lower product margin. Selling, general and administrative expenses were $172.3 million, or 31.9%, as a percentage of net sales, representing a decrease of 20 basis points from the second quarter of fiscal 2017. This improvement was primarily due to a 60 basis point reduction from leveraging occupancy, depreciation and other fixed store-level expenses on higher same-store sales, as well as a 30 basis point improvement from lower store operating costs. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in payroll-related expenses of 40 basis points, primarily due to higher performance compensation and minimum wage increases, as well as by store impairment charges of 30 basis points.

Net loss was $33.6 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018 compared to net loss of $35.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Net loss as a percentage of net sales was (6.2)% for the second quarter of fiscal 2018, compared to net loss as a percentage of net sales of (7.1)% for the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $10.1 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2018, compared to $5.2 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2017. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 1.9% compared to 1.1% in the second quarter of fiscal 2017.

Year-to-Date Financial Results

For the first half of fiscal 2018, the Company's net sales increased 7.8% to $1,088.0 million, compared to $1,009.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2017. Same-store sales increased 7.9% driven by higher customer traffic and higher average ticket. Net loss was $42.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2018, compared to net loss of $60.3 million for the first half of fiscal 2017. Net loss as a percentage of total sales was (3.9)% for the first half of fiscal 2018, compared to net loss as a percentage of total sales of (6.0)% for the first half of fiscal 2017. Adjusted EBITDA was $26.4 million in the first half of fiscal 2018, compared to $18.5 million for the first half of fiscal 2017. Adjusted EBITDA margin was 2.4% for the first half of fiscal 2018, compared to 1.8% for the first half of fiscal 2017.

Sale-Leaseback Transactions

As previously reported, during the second quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company sold and concurrently leased back two existing stores and received net proceeds of $13.3 million, of which approximately $2.0 million was used to pay down the Company's first lien term loan facility in accordance with the terms thereof.

Store Openings

The Company did not open any new stores during the second quarter of fiscal 2018. As of the end of the second quarter of fiscal 2018, the Company operated 390 stores. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, the Company opened one new store in California, bringing the total store count to 391.

Subsequent Events

Asset-Based Revolving Credit Facility

On September 6, 2017, the Company successfully completed an amendment of its asset-based revolving credit facility (the "ABL Facility"), to provide a last-out term loan facility in an aggregate principal amount of $25.0 million (the "FILO Facility"). The Company has drawn the entire $25.0 million under the FILO Facility. Loans under the FILO Facility bear interest at a rate based, at the Company's option, on (i) LIBOR plus 7.75% or (ii) the determined base rate (Prime Rate) plus 6.75%.

The FILO Facility will mature on the earliest of (a) April 8, 2021, (b) the date that is 90 days prior to the stated maturity date of the Company's term loan facility, (c) the date that is 90 days prior to the stated maturity date in respect of the Company's senior unsecured notes, and (d) the date of termination of the commitments under the ABL Facility.

Texas Store Impact from Hurricane Harvey

The Company currently operates 27 stores and one distribution center in the greater Houston, Texas metropolitan area. Due to severe weather conditions in connection with Hurricane Harvey in late August 2017, the majority of the Company's Houston-area stores and the distribution center were unable to open or operate for two to three days. A total of 24 stores and the distribution center have since reopened. Three stores remain closed due to structural damage of varying magnitudes. The Company is currently assessing the extent of damage and expected insurance proceeds to determine the potential impact on the Company's financial condition and results of operations.

Fiscal 2018 Outlook

The Company is reiterating the following previously issued outlook for fiscal 2018:

Positive same-store sales growth

Year-over-year decrease in net loss and an increase in adjusted EBITDA over the same period

3 new store openings, all in the second half of the year

Capital expenditures of approximately $53-$58 million

The Company expects to close three under-performing stores by end of fiscal 2018 or early fiscal 2019.

CONFERENCE CALL DETAILS

The Company's conference call to discuss its fiscal 2018 second quarter and the other matters described in this release is scheduled for Thursday, September 7, 2017 at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time (2:00 p.m. Eastern Time).

The live call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-407-3982 (domestic) or 1-201-493-6780 (international). Please phone in approximately 10 minutes before the call is scheduled to begin and hold for an operator to assist you. Please inform the operator that you are calling in for 99 Cents Only Stores' Fiscal 2018 Second Quarter Earnings Conference Call, and be prepared to provide the operator with your name, company name and the conference ID: 13669259. The call will also be broadcast live over the Internet, accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.99only.com/investor-relations.

A telephonic replay of the call will be available beginning Thursday, September 7, 2017, at 5:00 p.m. Eastern Time, through Thursday, September 21, 2017, at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. To access the replay, dial 1-844-512-2921 (domestic) or 1-412-317-6671 (international) and enter the replay pin number: 13669259. A replay of the webcast will also be available for 60 days upon completion of the conference call, accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.99only.com/investor-relations.

A copy of this earnings release and supplemental slides will be available prior to the call, accessible through the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at www.99only.com/investor-relations.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company defines EBITDA as net income before interest expense (income) and other financial costs, income taxes, depreciation and amortization. Adjusted EBITDA is defined as EBITDA for the relevant period as adjusted by various items set forth in the reconciliation tables below, including stock-based compensation, impairment of goodwill and other assets, expenses, charges and reserves related to strategic initiatives and executive recruitment and severance, amortization of gain on sale-leaseback transactions, and other non-cash or one-time or other items as permitted by the terms of the Company's debt instruments. Adjusted EBITDA margin is Adjusted EBITDA divided by total sales. Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin as presented herein, are supplemental measures of the Company's performance that are not required by, or presented in accordance with, generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"). The Company's management uses EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin to assess its core operating performance and that of its competitors. In addition, Adjusted EBITDA is used to determine the Company's compliance and ability to take certain actions under the covenants contained in the Company's debt instruments. EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are not measures of the Company's financial performance under GAAP and should not be considered in isolation or as alternatives to net income, operating income or any other performance measures derived in accordance with GAAP, as measures of operating performance or operating cash flows or as measures of liquidity.

Merger and Conversion to LLC

On January 13, 2012, 99 Only Stores was acquired by affiliates of Ares Management LLC, Canada Pension Plan Investment Board and the Gold-Schiffer family. The acquisition is referred to as the "Merger." Effective October 18, 2013, 99 Only Stores converted from a California corporation to a California limited liability company, 99 Cents Only Stores LLC. The term the "Company" refers to 99 Only Stores and its consolidated subsidiaries prior to the conversion date and to 99 Cents Only Stores LLC and its consolidated subsidiaries on or after the conversion date.

About 99 Cents Only Stores

Founded in 1982, 99 Cents Only Stores LLC is the leading operator of extreme value stores in California and the Southwestern United States. The Company currently operates 391 stores located in California, Texas, Arizona and Nevada. 99 Cents Only Stores LLC offers a broad assortment of name brand and other attractively priced merchandise and compelling seasonal product offerings. For more information, visit www.99only.com.

Investor Contact:

Addo Investor Relations

Lasse Glassen

(424) 238-6249

[email protected]

__________________ 1 EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA margin are financial measures that are considered "non-GAAP financial measures" under the Securities and Exchange Commission regulations. The definitions of, an explanation of how and why the Company uses, and a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure of these non-GAAP measures are included in this press release.

### Tables to Follow ###

The following tables reconcile EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the periods indicated:



For the Second Quarter Ended

July 28, 2017

July 29, 2016

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)







Net loss $ (33,624)

$ (35,085) Interest expense, net 17,156

16,748 Provision for income taxes 72

52 Depreciation and amortization 17,246

17,656 EBITDA $ 850

$ (629) Stock-based compensation (a) 118

224 Purchase accounting effect on leases (b) 786

719 Impairment of long-lived assets (c) 1,515

 Cost of sales adjustments (d) 180

 Inventory adjustments (e) 

623 Employee related expenses (f) 3,114

1,764 Real estate projects termination charges (g) 

11 Professional and consultant fees (h) 1,166

1,424 Loss on sales of assets (i) 51

220 Other (j) 2,321

873 Adjusted EBITDA $ 10,101

$ 5,229













(a) Represents stock-based compensation expense incurred in connection with stock-based compensation plans in which certain Company employees have participated. (b) Represents purchase accounting effect on rent revenue and rent expense. (c) Represents charges related to impairment for stores to be closed in early calendar year 2018. (d) Represents adjustment related to lower of cost or market. (e) Represents charges related to excess and obsolescence reserve and damage to inventory due to fire. (f) Represents expenses related primarily to severance, signing and retention bonuses. (g) Represents charges relating to previously capitalized distribution/corporate center real-estate development costs expensed upon termination of related projects. (h) Represents professional and consulting fees primarily related to profitability improvement and other strategic initiatives. (i) Represents amortization of gain related to sale-leaseback arrangements and net gain/loss on the sale of non-core assets. (j) Represents non-cash or other charges and income: for fiscal 2018, legal reserve adjustments, non-recurring professional fees, and other; for fiscal 2017, non-recurring professional fees, legal reserve adjustments, prior year property tax assessment, and other.

The following tables reconcile EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA to net loss for the periods indicated:



For the First Half Ended

July 28, 2017

July 29, 2016

(In thousands)

(Unaudited)







Net loss $ (42,377)

$ (60,279) Interest expense, net 34,496

33,272 Provision for income taxes 87

125 Depreciation and amortization 34,623

34,395 EBITDA $ 26,829

$ 7,513 Stock-based compensation (a) 254

388 Purchase accounting effect on leases (b) 1,529

1,426 Impairment of long-lived assets (c) 1,515

 Cost of sales adjustments (d) 180

 Inventory adjustments (e) 

1,586 Employee related expenses (f) 6,361

3,196 Real estate projects termination charges (g) 

11 Professional and consultant fees (h) 1,900

1,745 Gain (loss) on sales of assets (i) (17,992)

77 Loss on extinguishment of debt (j) 

335 Other (k) 5,799

2,260 Adjusted EBITDA $ 26,375

$ 18,537













(a) Represents stock-based compensation expense incurred in connection with stock-based compensation plans in which certain Company employees have participated. (b) Represents purchase accounting effect on rent revenue and rent expense. (c) Represents charges related to impairment for stores to be closed in the early calendar year 2018. (d) Represents adjustment related to lower of cost or market. (e) Represents charges related to excess and obsolescence reserve and damage to inventory due to fire. (f) Represents expenses related to severance, signing and retention bonuses. (g) Represents charges related to previously capitalized store real-estate development costs expensed upon termination of related projects. (h) Represents professional and consultant fees primarily related to profitability improvement and other strategic initiatives. (i) Represents amortization of gain related to sale-leaseback arrangements and net gain/loss on the sale of non-core assets. (j) Represents loss on extinguishment of debt from amendment of the asset based lending facility in the first quarter of fiscal 2017. (k) Represents non-cash or other charges and income: for fiscal 2018, legal reserve adjustments, non-recurring professional fees, and other; for fiscal 2017, non-recurring professional fees, legal reserve adjustments, property tax assessment for prior year, and other.

99 CENTS ONLY STORES LLC CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (In thousands, except share data)





July 28, 2017

January 27, 2017

(Unaudited)



ASSETS





Current Assets:





Cash $ 2,485

$ 2,448 Accounts receivable, net of allowance for doubtful accounts of $17 and $122 at July 28, 2017 and January 27, 2017, respectively 2,927

3,510 Income taxes receivable 2,739

3,876 Inventories, net 188,846

175,892 Assets held for sale 4,903

4,903 Other 17,383

10,307 Total current assets 219,283

200,936 Property and equipment, net 466,157

507,620 Deferred financing costs, net 2,480

3,488 Intangible assets, net 444,192

447,027 Goodwill 380,643

380,643 Deposits and other assets 8,883

8,592 Total assets $ 1,521,638

$ 1,548,306







LIABILITIES AND MEMBER'S EQUITY





Current Liabilities:





Accounts payable $ 101,860

$ 86,588 Payroll and payroll-related 30,348

24,110 Sales tax 15,305

19,389 Other accrued expenses 54,749

46,082 Workers' compensation 68,941

69,169 Current portion of long-term debt 5,669

6,138 Current portion of capital and financing lease obligations 1,214

31,330 Total current liabilities 278,086

282,806 Long-term debt, net of current portion 876,658

865,375 Unfavorable lease commitments, net 3,371

3,988 Deferred rent 30,632

30,360 Deferred compensation liability 912

816 Capital and financing lease obligation, net of current portions 52,820

47,195 Deferred income taxes 161,450

161,450 Other liabilities 15,813

12,297 Total liabilities 1,419,742

1,404,287 Commitments and contingencies





Member's Equity:





Member units  100 units issued and outstanding at July 28, 2017 and January 27, 2017 551,172

550,918 Investment in Number Holdings, Inc. preferred stock (19,200)

(19,200) Accumulated deficit (430,076)

(387,699) Total equity 101,896

144,019 Total liabilities and equity $ 1,521,638

$ 1,548,306









99 CENTS ONLY STORES LLC CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



For the Second Quarter Ended

For the First Half Ended

July 28, 2017

July 29, 2016

July 28, 2017

July 29, 2016















Net Sales:













99 Only Stores $ 531,288

$ 487,460

$ 1,069,280

$ 989,226 Bargain Wholesale 9,162

8,998

18,682

20,161 Total sales 540,450

496,458

1,087,962

1,009,387 Cost of sales 384,587

355,258

769,746

719,220 Gross profit 155,863

141,200

318,216

290,167 Selling, general and administrative expenses 172,259

159,485

326,010

316,714 Operating loss (16,396)

(18,285)

(7,794)

(26,547)















Other (income) expense:













Interest income (5)

(36)

(7)

(38) Interest expense 17,161

16,784

34,503

33,310 Loss on extinguishment 





335 Total other expense, net 17,156

16,748

34,496

33,607 Loss before provision for income taxes (33,552)

(35,033)

(42,290)

(60,154) Provision for income taxes 72

52

87

125 Net loss $ (33,624)

$ (35,085)

$ (42,377)

$ (60,279)

















99 CENTS ONLY STORES LLC CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (In thousands) (Unaudited)



For the First Half Ended

July 28, 2017

July 29, 2016







Cash flows from operating activities:





Net loss $ (42,377)

$ (60,279) Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash (used in) provided by operating activities:





Depreciation 33,748

33,520 Amortization of deferred financing costs and accretion of OID 3,360

2,941 Amortization of intangible assets 875

875 Amortization of favorable/unfavorable leases, net 1,358

1,193 Loss on extinguishment of debt 

335 (Gain) loss on disposal of fixed assets (17,575)

293 Long-lived assets impairment 1,515

 Loss on interest rate hedge 

514 Stock-based compensation 254

388 Changes in assets and liabilities associated with operating activities:





Accounts receivable 583

193 Inventories (12,954)

21,076 Deposits and other assets (7,652)

(1,548) Accounts payable 15,594

26,591 Accrued expenses 10,821

1,328 Accrued workers' compensation (228)

(1,757) Income taxes 1,137

1,278 Deferred rent 272

367 Other long-term liabilities (2,366)

(272) Net cash (used in) provided by operating activities (13,635)

27,036







Cash flows from investing activities:





Purchases of property and equipment (18,918)

(23,960) Proceeds from sale of property and fixed assets 9,396

612 Net cash used in investing activities (9,522)

(23,348)







Cash flows from financing activities:





Payment of long-term debt (3,538)

(3,069) Proceeds under revolving credit facility 115,400

92,200 Payments under revolving credit facility (103,400)

(119,100) Payments of debt issuance costs 

(4,725) Proceeds from financing lease obligations 15,317

31,503 Payments of capital and financing lease obligations (585)

(500) Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities 23,194

(3,691) Net increase (decrease) in cash 37

(3) Cash - beginning of period 2,448

2,312 Cash - end of period $ 2,485

$ 2,309

















Safe Harbor Statement

The Company has included statements in this release that constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, as amended, and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. As a general matter, forward-looking statements are those focused on future or anticipated events or trends, expectations and beliefs including, among other things, (a) trends affecting the financial condition or results of operations of the Company and (b) the business and growth strategies of the Company (including the Company's store opening growth rate) that are not historical in nature. Such statements are intended to be identified by using words such as "believe," "expect," "intend," "estimate," "anticipate," "will," "project," "plan" and similar expressions in connection with any discussion of future operating or financial performance. Any forward-looking statements are and will be based upon the Company's then-current expectations, estimates and assumptions regarding future events and are applicable only as of the dates of such statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those projected in this release for the reasons, among others, discussed in the reports and other documents the Company files from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and "Risk Factors" sections contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended January 27, 2017. The Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE 99 Cents Only Stores

Related Links

http://www.99only.com


HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. (NYSE: AE) ("Adams" or the "Company") today announced that Thomas S. Smith has informed the Company of his intent to retire as President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company as of September 30, 2017, and as Chairman of the Board of Directors effective as of the date hereof. The Board of Directors has appointed Mr. Townes G. Pressler, a member of the Board of Directors to the position of Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Smith will assist in the orderly transition of his duties and responsibilities to Mr. Pressler, who has served as an independent director of the Company since 2011 and as Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors for the last 18 months.

The Company also announced the formation of the Office of the Chairman to be led by Mr. Pressler, whose additional members are Josh C. Anders, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company, Sharon C. Davis, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of the Company, and Geoffrey L. Griffith, President of Gulfmark Energy, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company. In addition, certain officers of the Company, including the members of the Office of the Chairman, will report to Mr. Pressler.

Mr. Pressler stated, "On behalf of the entire Board, I want to thank Mr. Smith for his leadership, and his deep loyalty to Adams Resources & Energy, Inc. He has made important decisions over the past four years that have and will positively impact the Company in the years to come."

Mr. Smith said, "I am very proud of our Company and what we have been able to accomplish. We have excellent employees and staff throughout the Company and the financial position of the Company is sound. Mr. Pressler is intimately knowledgeable about our Company and the industry we serve, and has all the necessary skills, expertise, experience, and judgment to qualify him for this role. He is well respected by his fellow directors."

Adams Resources & Energy, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas, is engaged in the business of crude oil marketing and tank truck transportation of liquid chemicals and dry bulk. For more information, visit www.adamsresources.com .

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements relate to future events and anticipated results of operations, business strategies, and other aspects of our operations or operating results. In many cases you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "project," "estimate," "continue," "potential," "should," "could," "may," "will," "objective," "guidance," "outlook," "effort," "expect," "believe," "predict," "budget," "projection," "goal," "forecast," "target" or similar words. Statements may be forward looking even in the absence of these particular words. Where, in any forward-looking statement, the Company expresses an expectation or belief as to future results, such expectation or belief is expressed in good faith and believed to have a reasonable basis. However, there can be no assurance that such expectation or belief will result or be achieved. The actual results of operations can and will be affected by a variety of risks and other matters including, but not limited to, changes in commodity prices; changes in expected levels of natural gas and oil reserves or production; operating hazards, drilling risks, unsuccessful exploratory activities; limited access to capital or significantly higher cost of capital related to illiquidity or uncertainty in the domestic or international financial markets; international monetary conditions; unexpected cost increases; potential liability for remedial actions under existing or future environmental regulations; potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; and general domestic and international economic and political conditions; as well as changes in tax, environmental and other laws applicable to our business. Other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include other economic, business, competitive and/or regulatory factors affecting our business generally as set forth in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Unless legally required, Adams undertakes no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

Contact: Josh C. Anders

EVP, Chief Financial Officer

[email protected]

(281) 974-9442

SOURCE Adams Resources & Energy, Inc.

Related Links

http://adamsresources.com


MONUMENT, Colo., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Advisors Asset Management (AAM) announced today that it exceeded $1 billion in sales in unit investment trusts (UITs) where Cyrus J. Lawrence (CJL) serves as the portfolio consultant.

CJL is a New York-based investment management boutique providing customized portfolios to individuals, families and institutions. The AAM UITs where CJL acts as portfolio consultant seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation. CJL has a long-term record of utilizing its portfolio strategy expertise to build innovative portfolios that can potentially benefit from longer-term market trends.

CJL is the portfolio consultant to:

Bulldog Portfolio  UITs that seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation, focusing on stocks of companies that are aggressive and tenacious about taking and defending market share, among other things.

 UITs that seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation, focusing on stocks of companies that are aggressive and tenacious about taking and defending market share, among other things. American Renaissance Portfolio  UITs that seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation, identifying companies with three key viewpoints in mind; resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, the exploitation of U.S. domestic low cost energy as a result of hydraulic fracturing and favorable long-term labor costs and housing demographics.

 UITs that seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation, identifying companies with three key viewpoints in mind; resurgence in U.S. manufacturing, the exploitation of U.S. domestic low cost energy as a result of hydraulic fracturing and favorable long-term labor costs and housing demographics. European Select Portfolio  UITs that seek to provide above-average total return primarily through capital appreciation by investing in a diversified portfolio of stocks of companies organized in Europe .

"We believe the surest path to long-term investment success and a common thrust through all Cyrus J. Lawrence investment strategies is our team's focus on companies with the potential to deliver real sustainable earnings growth, regardless of the global macro landscape," said Bernhard Koepp, CEO of Cyrus J. Lawrence. "It is this singular focus on unique thematic growth opportunities that we believe sets our firm apart."

Richard Stewart, CFA, Executive Vice President UITs at AAM, commented: "Our partnership with Cyrus J. Lawrence demonstrates our commitment to teaming up with high-quality managers to ensure investors receive access to innovative investment strategies."

About Advisors Asset Management

For more than 35 years, AAM has been a trusted resource for financial advisors and broker/dealers. It offers access to UITs (unit investment trusts), open- and closed-end mutual funds, separately managed accounts (SMAs), structured products and the fixed income markets, as well as portfolio analytics. For more information, visit www.aamlive.com.

As of June 30, 2017 the brokerage and advised business at AAM represents approximately $21.3 billion in assets. (Assets under supervision represent $7.9 billion in UIT assets. The firm has $12.1 billion in assets under administration that represents the non-proprietary assets for which AAM provides various levels of service, but not management. The firm's $1.3 billion in assets under management represents AAM's proprietary separately managed account and mutual fund assets.)

Unit Investment Trusts (UITs) are sold only by prospectus. You should consider the trust's investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses carefully before investing. Contact your financial professional or visit Advisors Asset Management online at www.aamlive.com/uit to obtain a prospectus, which contains this and other financial information about the trust. Read it carefully before you invest or send any money. As with any investment, investors may lose money by investing in UITs and the trust may not perform as well as expected. Investing in UITs is a long-term strategy and investors should consider their ability to invest in successive trusts, if available. Investors also should consult a tax professional regarding the tax implications associated with investing in UITs. Securities offered through your financial professional.

This material is not intended to be a recommendation or investment advice, does not constitute a solicitation to buy or sell securities, and is not provided in a fiduciary capacity within the meaning of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) and the Internal Revenue Code. The information provided does not take into account the specific objectives or circumstances of any particular investor, or suggest any specific course of action. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor's objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her advisers.

Advisors Asset Management, Inc. (AAM) is a SEC registered investment advisor and member FINRA/SIPC. | 18925 Base Camp Road | Monument, CO 80132 | www.aamlive.com

CRN: 2017-0831-6125 R

CONTACT: Catherine Drury

JConnelly

(646) 922-7773

[email protected]

SOURCE Advisors Asset Management

Related Links

http://www.aamlive.com


To provide in-depth analysis into what is delighting or frustrating travelers, UserTesting , the most advanced on-demand customer insights platform, today published the Airline Customer Experience Index  a competitive benchmarking study comparing the desktop web user experiences (UX) of the top 10 airlines in the United States: Alaska, American, Delta, Frontier, Hawaiian, JetBlue, Southwest, Spirit, United, and Virgin America.

1,000 travelers evaluated the desktop websites based on five factorsEase of Use, Speed, Credibility, Aesthetics, and Delightwhich UserTesting has identified as key user experience attributes through 10 years of helping companies leverage human insights to improve ROI and increase loyalty. Consistent with Forrester Research's U.S. Customer Experience Index, 2017  which found overall airline CX performance to be dismal  all ten airlines in this study received mediocre-to-low scores in most desktop website attributes and experiences.

Key findings from the report include:

Overall highest-rated airline was Southwest Airlines , given the speed with which travelers could locate flight information and complete tasks. Travelers noted the minimal amount of effort required to achieve their goals made the experience fast and positive.

, given the speed with which travelers could locate flight information and complete tasks. Travelers noted the minimal amount of effort required to achieve their goals made the experience fast and positive. Overall lowest-rated airline was Spirit Airlines, given the amount of time it took to find the cost of a flight and the additional time required to create an account. Additionally, some travelers felt the airline was hiding information, decreasing their level of trust in it.

given the amount of time it took to find the cost of a flight and the additional time required to create an account. Additionally, some travelers felt the airline was hiding information, decreasing their level of trust in it. Finding the cost of checking bags was by far the lowest-scoring task , and the most difficult task for travelers on 9 out of 10 of the websites (the exception was JetBlue where locating flight arrival information was the most difficult) . Travelers disliked having to either create an account, wait until checkout, or go through a series of pages for pricing.

, and the most difficult task for travelers on 9 out of 10 of the websites . Travelers disliked having to either create an account, wait until checkout, or go through a series of pages for pricing. Credibility was the highest-scoring factor , due to most airlines' well-established brand reputation; however, Aesthetics impacted Credibility as well. For Virgin America and Alaska , two airlines that scored high in Credibility, travelers remarked that the clean, professional look of the websites made them confident in the brand. ( Alaska bought Virgin America for $2.6 billion in 2016, but not many changes expected until 2018.)

, due to most airlines' well-established brand reputation; however, impacted Credibility as well. For Virgin America and , two airlines that scored high in Credibility, travelers remarked that the clean, professional look of the websites made them confident in the brand. Delight was the lowest-scoring, most elusive factor, given that travelers expected straightforward information about flights, arrival times, and pricing  expectations that went unfulfilled. Seven out of ten airlines scored lower in Delight than all other attributes.

"Airlines are not traditionally known for delivering delightful customer experiences," said Brian Smith, VP of Marketing at UserTesting. "It's a tall order to connect every customer touchpoint, but repeated roadblocks on any channel can quickly diminish customer loyalty  a critical driver of ROI. To keep up with the rising demands from the market, airlines need to put the customer at the center of every booking decision, from the desktop web to the in-flight experience."

UserTesting makes this announcement from booth A11 at the Future Travel Experience Global conference. Press and attendees are invited to visit the booth to connect with UserTesting directly and pick up a complimentary copy of the Airline CX Index.

Research Methodology

For the second installment of the UserTesting CX Index Series, the Airline Customer Experience Index, UserTesting ran a competitive benchmarking study  from June 29, 2017 to July 12, 2017  of the top 10 U.S. airlines. 1,000 travelers (100 per airline) evaluated the airlines' desktop websites based on five key user experience factors (see above). Each traveler attempted to complete a series of standard tasks on the airline websites from their desktop or laptop computers and then respond to rating-scale questions about their experience, resulting in both quantitative data and qualitative insights.

A copy of the full Airline CX Index, including charts, is available at http://info.usertesting.com/airline-customer-experience-index.html. To view UserTesting's inaugural Retail Mobile Customer Experience Index, visit http://bit.ly/2rt91Vv.

About UserTesting

UserTesting enables companies to put their customers at the center of every business decision by leveraging the power of human insights. The most advanced on-demand customer insights platform, UserTesting enables product managers, UX researchers and designers, marketers, and digital executives to connect with their exact target customer in a matter of hours and uncover actionable insights that drive ROI. More than 35,000 companies have adopted UserTesting to make smarter business decisions throughout the design and development of their digital experiences as well as in their marketing messaging and competitive positioning. For more information, visit www.usertesting.com.

Media Contact:

Jennifer Moebius

+1-617-922-8004

[email protected]

SOURCE UserTesting

Related Links

http://www.usertesting.com


HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- AkzoNobel, part of the Houston community for more than 60 years, announced today that it is committing $250,000 from its Human Cities program to support hurricane relief and recovery efforts in Texas.

AkzoNobel, which has four office and manufacturing locations and more than 700 employees in the greater Houston area, made the commitment today in an effort to provide immediate support for the organizations actively managing and helping the community recover from this catastrophic weather event.

"We have followed the events in Houston very closely and with great concern about the welfare of our colleagues, their families and the greater community," says Johan Landfors, President, AkzoNobel North America. "Like others in Houston, many of our employees have lost their homes and were displaced by this catastrophe. We know it will be a long road to recovery, but we want to do our part today to show our support for a community in need."

AkzoNobel's Human Cities donation will be allocated as follows:

$50,000 to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund

to the American Red Cross Disaster Relief Fund $50,000 to Houston Mayor Turner's designated Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund

to Mayor Turner's designated Hurricane Harvey Disaster Relief Fund $50,000 to other nonprofit organizations operating throughout Harris County

AkzoNobel is donating an additional $100,000 to match employee donations to non-profit organizations and direct to employee efforts through a GoFundMe initiative. To date, AkzoNobel employees have donated more than $20,000 in funds to directly support impacted employees.

Speaking on the situation in Texas, AkzoNobel CEO Thierry Vanlancker says, "Our focus is on helping families that were impacted by the storm recover and return to their normal way of life. The greater Houston area is also the bedrock of the petrochemical and related industries, and the recovery in that area includes getting the communities' business infrastructure online. We hope that our financial commitment to help the community recover from this crisis can also assist in helping the region maintain its leadership role in the industry."

AkzoNobel creates everyday essentials to make people's lives more livable and inspiring. As a leading global paints and coatings company and a major producer of specialty chemicals, we supply essential ingredients, essential protection and essential color to industries and consumers worldwide. Backed by a pioneering heritage, our innovative products and sustainable technologies are designed to meet the growing demands of our fast-changing planet, while making life easier. Headquartered in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, we have approximately 46,000 people in around 80 countries, while our portfolio includes well-known brands such as Dulux, Sikkens, International, Interpon and Eka. Consistently ranked as a leader in sustainability, we are dedicated to energizing cities and communities while creating a protected, colorful world where life is improved by what we do.

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SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Alcohol Justice is reporting the release of a new study in the UK showing that the alcohol industry (AI) is misrepresenting evidence about the alcohol-related risk of cancer with activities that have parallels with those of the tobacco industry. The new research is published in the journal Drug and Alcohol Review.

Led by the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine with the Karolinska Institutet, Sweden, the team analysed the information relating to cancer which appears on the websites and documents of nearly 30 alcohol industry organisations around the world between September 2016 and December 2016. Most of the organisational websites (24/26) showed some sort of distortion or misrepresentation of the evidence about alcohol-related cancer risk, with breast and colorectal cancers being the most common focus of misrepresentation

The most common approach involves presenting the relationship between alcohol and cancer as highly complex, with the implication or statement that there is no evidence of a consistent or independent link. Others include denying that any relationship exists or claiming inaccurately that there is no risk for light or 'moderate' drinking, as well discussing a wide range of real and potential risk factors, thus presenting alcohol as just one risk among many.

"This study exposes Big Alcohol's standard operating procedure - deny, distract and distort evidence of alcohol as a dangerous disease-causing agent," stated Bruce Lee Livingston, Executive Director / CEO of U.S-based Alcohol Justice. "It is further evidence that any and all health claims made by the alcohol industry are nothing more than marketing rhetoric making it culpable for fueling over-consumption and massive related harm worldwide."

According to the study, the researchers say policymakers and public health bodies should reconsider their relationships to these alcohol industry bodies, as the industry is involved in developing alcohol policy in many countries, and disseminates health information to the public.

Alcohol consumption is a well-established risk factor for a range of cancers, including oral cavity, liver, breast and colorectal cancers, and accounts for about 4% of new cancer cases annually in the UK1. There is limited evidence that alcohol consumption protects against some cancers, such as renal and ovary cancers, but in 2016 the UK's Committee on Carcinogenicity concluded that the evidence is inconsistent, and the increased risk of other cancers as a result of drinking alcohol far outweighs any possible decreased risk.

This new study analysed the information which is disseminated by 27 AI-funded organisations, most commonly 'social aspects and public relations organisations' (SAPROs), and similar bodies. The researchers aimed to determine the extent to which the alcohol industry fully and accurately communicates the scientific evidence on alcohol and cancer to consumers.

They analysed information on cancer and alcohol consumption disseminated by alcohol industry bodies and related organisations from English speaking countries, or where the information was available in English.

Through qualitative analysis of this information they identified three main industry strategies. Denying, or disputing any link with cancer, or selective omission of the relationship, Distortion: mentioning some risk of cancer, but misrepresenting or obfuscating the nature or size of that risk and Distraction: focussing discussion away from the independent effects of alcohol on common cancers.

Mark Petticrew, Professor of Public Health at the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and lead author of the study, said: "The weight of scientific evidence is clear - drinking alcohol increases the risk of some of the most common forms of cancer, including several common cancers. Public awareness of this risk is low, and it has been argued that greater public awareness, particularly of the risk of breast cancer, poses a significant threat to the alcohol industry. Our analysis suggests that the major global alcohol producers may attempt to mitigate this by disseminating misleading information about cancer through their 'responsible drinking' bodies."

A common strategy was 'selective omission' - avoiding mention of cancer while discussing other health risks or appearing to selectively omit specific cancers. The researchers say that one of the most important findings is that AI materials appear to specifically omit or misrepresent the evidence on breast and colorectal cancer. One possible reason is that these are among the most common cancers, and therefore may be more well-known than oral and oesophageal cancers.

When breast cancer is mentioned the researchers found that 21 of the organisations present no, or misleading, information on breast cancer, such as presenting many alternative possible risk factors for breast cancer, without acknowledging the independent risk of alcohol consumption.

Professor Petticrew said: "Existing evidence of strategies employed by the alcohol industry suggests that this may not be a matter of simple error. This has obvious parallels with the global tobacco industry's decades-long campaign to mislead the public about the risk of cancer, which also used front organisations and corporate social activities."

The researchers say the results are important because the alcohol industry is involved in conveying health information to people around the world. The findings also suggest that major international alcohol companies may be misleading their shareholders about the risks of their products, potentially leaving the industry open to litigation in some countries.

Professor Petticrew said: "Some public health bodies liaise with the industry organisations that we analysed. Despite their undoubtedly good intentions, it is unethical for them to lend their expertise and legitimacy to industry campaigns which mislead the public about alcohol-related harms. Our findings are also a clear reminder of the risks of giving the AI the responsibility of informing the public about alcohol and health.

"It has often been assumed that, by and large, the AI, unlike the tobacco industry, has tended not to deny the harms of alcohol. However, through its provision of misleading information it can maintain what has been called 'the illusion of righteousness' in the eyes of policymakers, while negating any significant impact on alcohol consumption and profits.

"It's important to highlight that if people drink within the recommended guidelines they shouldn't be too concerned when it comes to cancer. For accurate and accessible information on the risks, the public can visit the NHS website."

The authors acknowledge limitations of their study including that there are many other mechanisms and organisations through which industry disseminates health-related information which they did not examine, although it is unlikely that the messages would be different.

The researchers also say there is an urgent need to examine other industry websites, documents, social media and other materials in order to assess the nature and extent of the distortion of evidence, and whether it extends to other health information, for example, in relation to cardiovascular disease.

For more information or to request interviews please contact the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine press office on +44(0)20 7927 2802 or email [email protected].

A copy of the paper is available upon request.

Notes to Editors

Publication

Mark Petticrew, Nason Maani Hessari ,Cecile knai and Elisabete Weiderpass. How alcohol industry organisations mislead the public about alcohol and cancer. Drug and Alcohol Review. DOI: 10.1111/dar.12596

1Cancer Research UK: Statistics on preventable cancers.

2Committee on Carcinogenicity of chemicals in food, consumer products and the environment (COC). Statement 2015/S2.

About the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine

The London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine is a world-leading centre for research and postgraduate education in public and global health, with more than 4,000 students and 1,000 staff working in over 100 countries. The School is one of the highest-rated research institutions in the UK, is among the world's leading schools in public and global health, and was named University of the Year in the Times Higher Education Awards 2016. Our mission is to improve health and health equity in the UK and worldwide; working in partnership to achieve excellence in public and global health research, education and translation of knowledge into policy and practice. http://www.lshtm.ac.uk

SOURCE Alcohol Justice

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HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- alliantgroup, the nation's leading provider of specialty tax services, will be in attendance today at Texas A&M University's Fall 2017 Engineering Career Fair at Reed Arena. The fair is the premier recruiting event for the College of Engineering at Texas A&M University, and alliantgroup will be onsite to meet with students and discuss the excellent career opportunities that exist for technical professionals at the firm.

A company with a heavy concentration of clients in technology and engineering-related fields, alliantgroup employs numerous engineers and other technical professionals to enhance the value of the organization's services for these industries. Engineering students that join the firm would be given the opportunity to work hand-in-hand with top companies in fields as diverse as architecture, engineering, technology and software development, IT and other innovative businesses.

For students interested in pursuing a career with alliantgroup, the company provides its employees with a dynamic and team-oriented work environment. The firm has a strong core mission, a detailed corporate training program and puts a heavy emphasis on career development. alliantgroup also offers substantial benefits to its employees including a generous compensation package, medical and dental coverage, a 401(k) match savings account, and perks such as access to the firm's onsite gym and a fully developed health and wellness program.

"We are always looking for new talent to take our firm to the next level, especially in the area of engineering," said Dhaval Jadav, alliantgroup CEO. "Our engineering professionals play a key role in maintaining the quality of our top two service lines, and their technical expertise is truly valued within our business. For engineering students that are looking for a firm that will wholeheartedly invest in their future, I encourage them to stop by our booth today to learn more about the unlimited opportunities and upward mobility that alliantgroup has to offer."

alliantgroup's mission is one of education and awarenesswe help U.S. businesses and their CPA advisors identify and properly claim all available federal and state tax incentives. To date, alliantgroup has helped over 12,000 businesses claim over $6 billion in government-sponsored credits and incentives. alliantgroup is headquartered in Houston, with offices in Chicago, New York, Boston, Indianapolis, Sacramento, Irvine, Orlando and Washington, D.C. For more information, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

David Rosen

alliantgroup

713-350-3167

[email protected]

SOURCE alliantgroup

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NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Altamarea Group announced the upcoming opening of their signature concept, Marea, in Shanghai, China, the first quarter of 2018. The first U.S.-conceived Altamarea brand to land in the Asian market, Marea Shanghai will be located in the renowned Plaza 66 complex on West Nanjing Road in the bustling and chic Jing'an District.

"We are excited to bridge Marea from New York to Shanghai  two high-energy and vibrant cities  where great food has prominence in the fabric of society," said Altamarea Group CEO, Ahmass Fakahany, and Chef Michael White. "Though very different cultures, there is a natural connection, and we will embrace the similarities and equally respect the differences as we meet client expectations."

Plaza 66, is recognized as one of China's most successful commercial developments with a most distinguished luxury brand tenant list. Marea Shanghai will feature an updated and more modern design aesthetic, reflecting the vibrancy and lifestyle of its location, while still maintaining the subtle elegance the New York restaurant is known for. Altamarea Group is working with prominent partners and designers that also span Hong Kong and Taipei to strike the right balance between east and west. Centrally located on the 3rd floor, the 5,000 sq. ft. space will include just 85 seats, including three private rooms. This lower seat count speaks to the emphasis on quality and the focus on highly personalized client attention and service.

Joining and partnering with the multi-Michelin starred chef Michael White is Paul Downie, who will relocate to Shanghai full time to helm the restaurant as General Manager and cultivate a local and global client program. Previously, Downie, was general manager at both Heston Blumenthal's two Michelin-starred Dinner in London and three Michelin-starred Eleven Madison Park in New York. Most recently, he managed service standards across Starr Restaurants' portfolio including the highly-successful opening of Le Coucou (James Beard Award winner for 2017's Best New Restaurant).

Adjacent to the third floor restaurant and extending to the fourth floor courtesy of a spiral staircase, Altamarea Group will also debut a new, and more casual dining concept, along with a cocktail lounge, called Club W by marea. This will add another level of dining and energy at Plaza 66 and is being developed only for the local market.

ABOUT MAREA

Marea is Altamarea Group's first and signature restaurant in New York City. It has consistently received two Michelin stars; was recognized by the James Beard Foundation as Best New Restaurant in America in 2010; and has received much recognition globally across several continents from all the top magazines, newspapers, and varied food and beverage writers.

ABOUT ALTAMAREA GROUP

Altamarea Group is a world-renowned hospitality company with a global presence. Founded in 2009 by Ahmass Fakahany and chef/partner Michael White, the group currently owns and operates 15 restaurants worldwide. New York City restaurants: Marea (2009), Osteria Morini (2010), Ai Fiori (2010), Nicoletta (2012), Ristorante Morini (2013), Vaucluse (2015), and Nicoletta at Citi Field (2017); New Jersey restaurants: Due Mari (2008), Osteria Morini (2012), and Nicoletta (2014); Washington, D.C.: Osteria Morini (2013) and King of Prussia, PA.: Nicoletta (2016). International ventures include Al Molo (2011) in Hong Kong, Ristorante Morini (2013) in Istanbul, Turkey and Chop Shop (2013) Haymarket, London, England. Altamarea group also operates two delivery operations in New York City: the Italian steakhouse Costata Delivered on Caviar and Pasta on Demand by Chef Michael White on UberEATS.

Altamarea Group delivers the highest levels of quality and consistency in food and service across distinct brands and concepts supported by our excellent team dedicated fully to the client experience. It has consistently received top recognition and acclaim by the James Beard Foundation, Zagat, The New York Times, and Michelin Guide. For more information, visit http://altamareagroup.com

Press contacts:

Flerine Atienza

LFB Media Group

[email protected]

Jonna Gerlich

Altamarea Group

[email protected]

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For nearly 30 years, Juan Gonzalez used his column in the New York Daily News to expose massive corruption scandals and further the cause of social justice. He retired his column last year, but has continued his work at Democracy Now! and as a journalism professor at Rutgers. In his new book, Reclaiming Gotham: Bill de Blasio and the Movement to End America's Tale of Two Cities, Gonzalez argues that Mayor de Blasio, who is likely to win a second term, is the leader of a nationwide movement for progressives to take back municipal government, and recently wrote that de Blasio has presided over a $21 billion infusion of progressive benefits targeted at the New Yorkers who need it most.

We spoke with Gonzalez about Mayor de Blasio's first term, how he fits into the progressive movement nationwide, and whether the mayor is doing enough to fulfill his initial campaign promise to end the tale of two cities.



I don't know if you saw that New York Magazine interview with the mayor, but he said that given that all he's accomplished, Youd assume theyd be having parades out in the streets. So, does the Mayor deserve a parade for his first term?

[Laughs] No, certainly not. He doesn't deserve a parade. I think he is doing a lot of what he promised, which I think is unusual for most politicians. In his first three years, he accomplished much of what he promised to accomplishexcept, I believe, on the issue of affordable housing, and I've told him that. I think that on affordable housing, he simply has not confronted the depths of the crisis, or what it will take to build sufficient affordable housing. Because even if you take the 200,000 units that he claims he's gonna build and preserve, most of which will not be affordable to the people who need them, New York City, between 2010 and 2015 increased its population by 375,000 people. In five years.

So even if he were to get almost 200,000 units, it's not enough given the startling increase in the population of the city. So there's gotta be a much more dramatic and deeper effort at building affordable housing, to ensure affordable housing. And he's not there yet.

When you hear the mayor tick off his major first-term victories, he mentions that crime is still falling, how universal pre-K is changing peoples lives, and how the Rent Guidelines Board issued a rent freeze. These are substantive accomplishments, and you detail them in your book. But isnt the core issue of de Blasios tale of two cities campaignone that can afford to live and spend money here and another that cannotaffordable housing? Should that not be the biggest metric for his success so far?

Well, I say that what he has done isnt sufficient. It's not that he hasn't done anything. The rent guidelines board increases were enormously important for those 800,000 people. Because I think the median rent in New York City back in 2014 was like $1,100 a month. So, do 3% per month, 3.2% was what they were getting increased over those three years. That's a 9% increase. Do the math. Do it by 800,000. That's how much money tenants are saving. So, those people who are in rent stabilized apartments are doing well under de Blasio.

Those people who are in public housing, he's put a lot of money into 185,000 units to try to do more capital improvements in public housing. So, public housing and rent stabilized tenants are in better shape. The City Council passed legal assistance to tenants. The number of evictions have plummeted under de Blasio. The problem is new housing. You know, the new housing or the housing that he preserves. It's not enough. It's not enough and the affordability levels are not low enough. And I think that's the problem and he doesn't want to recognize it, because this Alicia Glen is like, she's bad news.

Explain why you think Deputy Mayor Alicia Glen is bad news.

Because she's still a part of thatthey're called the enlightened Wall Street crew, that believes in the growth machine, in the urban growth machine. She believes that the only way you can build affordable housing is by incentivizing developers to build higher. And so, his whole policy is let the developers build higher and they'll we'll require them to build more affordable housing. But the requirements are not tough enough.

If you go back to the 1960s, with President Johnson's commission on the cities, they were saying back then, to believe that the private sector will build affordable housing on its own, is wishful thinking. It's never gonna happen. Why would any developer want to build, basically, the same apartment, that they can get luxury rates? It's asking them to give up profit. They're not gonna do it. So, unless there's government involvement, and government expenditure, or the use of government zoning and land policies to incentivize affordable housing, it's not gonna happen.

There are some things the mayor can do, like mandatory inclusionary zoning. He claims that forcing developers to make 30% of their new units affordable is the most we can ask for or nothing will be built. But the Essex Crossing project on the Lower East Side is 50% affordable, and thats a Bloomberg-era plan. Why isnt he arguing for higher rates of affordability? Or why isnt he using his bully pulpit, as he did with the MTA issues, to point out that Albany could give New York City its right to regulate its own rents again, as it did before the Urstadt Law was passed?

Well, he tried that. You know, he tried that in the first time around and that's when he got in all the hot water on the upstate contributions. I'm astonished that there's not more of an uproar over the fact that the Senate is holding the public school management hostage every year, requiring de Blasio to grovel for another year extension. When Bloomberg got it just like that. You know? He got mayoral control just like that, and what the heck does the State Senate have to do with whether the mayor of New York can control his public schools?

I think that he tried to fight the state legislature and they keep exacting revenge for that. Both the state, the Republicans in the Senate, and the Governor. Both keep exacting revenge on de Blasio for his daring to step outside of New York City and attempting to build a movement to unseat the Republicans in the Senate.

To some degree he's gotten a little gun shy. But I've told him, directly, you need to fire Alicia Glen. You need to get rid of her. You know? And until you do, you're not going to really reshape your housing policies.

Theres other issues, such as closing Rikers Island or the Fair Fares program to provide half priced MetroCards for low income New Yorkers where the mayor has initially hesitated. And then people push him and then he comes around. Do you think that if he wins a second term, he will be more inclined to support more progressive agenda items?

I think that's a possibility. And even on the affordability issue, he did lower the affordability levels and deepen the subsidies and require more of the lowest income levels, in the second half of 2015 because he had so much pressure. And that's my argument to all the leftists, with all of these folks.

Because Betsy Hodges is under enormous pressure in Minneapolis, because she didn't handle the police abuse situation very well. And Peduto is under pressure in Pittsburgh, because his housing stuff is even worse. You know? So my argument to the leftist is yes, criticize them, pressure them, protest against them, but don't mistake the person who is in power now, for the people who used to be in power. Because you couldn't get anywhere with Bloomberg on these issues, or Giuliani. And so at least you have to opportunity to pressure these folks to change their policy.

And in the case of criminal justice, I think the best thing, the most important thing that the City Council, and Melissa [Mark-Viverito] did was on criminal justice reform stuff. And especially Rikers Island. When she named Jonathan Lippmann to that commission, I said, "This is not gonna go anywhere. This Jonathan Lippmann's not gonna do anything." And then he came out with this incredible report. I mean, that report is unbelievable. It really just laid out the case why Rikers has to be closed. So the Council pushed de Blasio to the left on that. And that's good. That's why it's not just de Blasio, but it's an entire government that's operating here.



Juan Gonzalez

I would take it further back. As I said, I do believe this is the most left-leaning government in New York City history. More so than even the La Guardia period, because La Guardia was a Republican who really didn't have the City Council behind him. So here you have a situation where you have, not only the City Council, and the mayor, but then, you've got Tish James, a public advocate who's more radical than all of them. And shes constantly pushing on certain issues. So you have an alignment of the branches of local government that are really battling with each other over what's the most progressive position.

I do think, overall, this whole wave of progressives, nationwide, you have to go back to the 19-teens and twenties in the United States, during the old progressive era. And that progressive era was a coalition of various forces. It was a coalition of progressive Republicans. Teddy Roosevelt, the Bull Moose party, the people against the big trusts, and then you had the farm labor Democrats, and the populist Democrats. You had the socialists, and you had the budding communist movement. You know, one way or another, they were all in alliances, and at one point there was something like 1,200 socialists holding office in the United States, including 79 mayors. In Milwaukee, and Buffalo, and all those areas.

So there was actually a bigger progressive movement back then, than there is now. Local Progress, a group that I talk about now, I went to their last conference in Austin in July. They now have 600 and change, local elected officials who are all part of the local progress movement. Back then they had 1,200. And there was less people in the country. I think that this progressive movement is not even at the level of the progressive movement of the teens and the twenties. That progressive movement accomplished a lot. They got food safety laws, they got a lot of municipally owned utilities. You go out west, all these cities have municipally owned utilities. They were pushing anti-monopoly laws. They got a lot of stuff done. And so I think that this progressive movement, it's not guaranteed that it's gonna continue to grow. It could start splintering and dividing.

Also, the progressive movement of that period started electing Governors and Senators. This one really hasn't yet. Theres Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren, but there's not really a body of Senators, and Governors. I think that's the next step. Not only must the cities get more involved, but then they have to start electing a couple of Governors, then I think they'll have more impact.

To compare our mayor to some of the other mayors you write about. Gayle McLaughlin, from Richmond County, California, she has a program to give ex-felons $1,000 a month stipend. I think de Blasio would have a tough time supporting that. Chokwe Antar Lumumba, the son of the most radical mayor you wrote about who succeeded his father as the mayor of Jackson, Mississippi, recently spoke at the Democratic Socialists of America conference. I dont see Mayor de Blasio doing that anytime soon. He didn't endorse Sanders, or Zephyr Teachout. The mayor doesn't even support the legalization of marijuana when 60% of Americans do. Hes to the right on some issues these other mayors are taking up. Is de Blasio the leader of this nationwide progressive movement because of his ideas, or just the fact that hes the mayor of New York City?

And Gayle McLaughlin is running for Lieutenant Governor now. Shes trying to move a step higher. I'm not saying de Blasio is the most radical of the bunch. But I'm saying that because he is at the head of America's most powerful and influential city, he certainly is the most representative of the movement. And he has the most influence, because he employs 300,000 people. You know, he could hire 30 people and hide them away some place, and it would take the reporters, like, a year or two to find them! [Laughs]

And his election that year in 2013 really was the turning point for that movement.

But here in New York City, that was the lowest mayoral turnout in history. The primary had a middling sort of turn out. So how much did the citys voters really sweep him into office, as you argue? Or did he just survive as other candidates dropped off, and then ran a pretty good campaign at the end?

Yes, the highest voter participation level in New York City's history as I recall were the two Dinkins, Giuliani races. They were high participation because there was a racial battle going on in the city at the time, and much stronger than the racial battles that were occurring in 2013. Im not saying that de Blasio has overwhelming support in the city, but I think the fact that no one ran against him, despite all the criticismfolks read the poll numbers. I mean, the biggest garbage campaign I've ever seen, is the horse carriage campaign. The Daily News participated in every effort to create a narrative to kill this guy and they didn't succeed. Because African Americans and Latinos for the most part, still support his mayoral seat. And you cannot as a Democrat, win a race without the support of the African American, Latino community. Because his programs have benefited folks, those folks have stuck by him, despite all the noise. And there's been a lot of noise.

I love Marcia Kramer [CBS Reporter], but she'll make any little thing into a major story. You know? And Willy Rashbaum [New York Times reporter] I love Willy, too. But Willy's pissed off that his articles didn't result in indictments. So he's continuing to write stuff to go after De Blasio. And the reality is that if the policies are to be implemented, and he implemented them so rapidly, it had an impact on people, and they're sticking with him.

Is it that perfect? Absolutely not. Is he the most, as you say, is he the most leftist of all these progressive mayors? Absolutely not. Now the interesting thing will be, who comes after de Blasio. Whether there is an actual movement, that will be interesting to watch.

You mention that people of color continue to support the Mayor despite all the noise, and I heard you recently mention that you think the next big thing to watch is Trumps federal government versus the sanctuary cities. Do you think the mayor's staunch support for broken windows policing will affect his support amongst communities of color? People are still at risk of deportation when they are stopped and arrested for minor offenses.

I did not agree with him choosing Bratton for Police Commissioner. However, I understood why he chose Bratton for Police Commissioner. Because, remember, de Blasio had been an aide to Dinkins, and he had seen the police riot against Dinkins that actually helped propel Giuliani into office. So he understood that he was not going to be able to implement his social program unless he had the police department under control. And so he believed that Bratton would keep the police department under control while he implemented his social program.

What happened? The police department rebels in the first year of his office. And he suddenly has a major crisis on his hands, and Bratton helped him through that. Bratton helped keep the department from complete insurrection, from another 10,000 cops arriving in front of City Hall.

So in that sense, while I didn't agree with his choice, I understood that he was trying to learn the lesson of history from the past. His support of broken windows basically lasted as long as Bratton did. You know, broken windows is dead.

Really? The mayor keeps saying he believes in it. O'Neill is Bratton's hand-picked successor.

Right. But I think that when the Council passed these laws decriminalizing of all these quality of life offenses, that basically takes the legal support from broken windows. You can't stop somebody for being in the park after dark or urinating in an alleyway or stuff like that. You can no longer throw people in jail for that. Even though it wasn't declared, that effectively meant the end of the broken windows policy in New York City.

Yes, there are people that are critical and deservedly so, of [de Blasios] less than thorough going approach to police accountability. But when you look at the stuff that he did, that he and the Council accomplished in a short period of time, I think that it's generally positive. And New York City didn't have any kind of Baltimore situation, or Ferguson situation where things of out of control.

What do you think a second term would hold for the Mayor, and the Council?



I think it's gonna be a big battle over sanctuary cities, and I give the example of the 1950s and 60s. You know, President Eisenhower called federal troops out in Little Rock to opposed desegregation. Kennedy called federal marshals to Ole Miss to let James Meredith into the University of Mississippi. They had to occupy the town for, like, two years while Meredith was in school. So the confrontations between the federal government and the southern states over integration were really at a high level.

I think there's a potential for that kind of stuff to happen again. It's gonna happen first in Texas over SB-4, when the state government tries to implement this new law where you can theoretically arrest a local sheriff, or the local mayor for refusing to cooperate with immigration enforcement. So, Texas I think is going to be the proving ground for that. But it could potentially spread to other cities. I do believe that the federal government, that Jeff Sessions and Trump are on a collision course with the cities over immigration.

Will the federal government actually try to impose its will on the local cities? To what degree will the local cities resist? One of the guys I concentrate on in the book is Greg Casar, the councilman from Austin. You know, he's ready to go to jail over the issue of sanctuary cities. Will you start getting councilmen and mayors locked up because they're refusing to go along with the federal government?

You were a member of the Young Lords, and you were an activist and an organizer before you were a journalist. There's this whole idea that in the age of fake news that reporters should be very objective and point at the truth and thats it. But you have supported social justice issues and fairness in your reporting. Is it a kind of bias for reporters to have a set of values that the reader is aware of when were doing our reporting?

I think reporters have values and points of view, regardless of whether they declare them or not. You know, you express your values and your points of view when you go to some event and you choose who it is you want to interview, or whose quotes you want to use. So you're always utilizing your values and your judgements to figure out what is it that the reader should know or wants to know about a particular news event.

In fact, the whole theory of objective news reporting is a relatively new theory in American journalism, because throughout the 18th and the 19th century, all journalism in America was partisan. When you bought a paper, you knew the political perspective and outlook of that paper. It wasn't until the early 1900s, when the Hurst and Pulitzer and Scripps chains became so powerful and so one-sided and so corrupt.

Upton Sinclair's The Brass Check is a great expose of early 20th century journalism and the corruption of early 20th century journalism. The press recognized that they had to change the way they presented themselves to the public. So that's when journalism schools began to get created, when Columbia School of Journalism and all these others started to be created. The American Society of Newspaper Editors created their first code of ethics, because they were being constantly attacked by the public for their corruption and their partisanship, and very similar to what Trump is doing now, with the fake news. But there were people, everyone was furious at the press. So, they tried to reform themselves.

And then, the second stage happened right after World War II when Henry Luce, the founder of the Time Life, created the Hutchins Commission, which examined the role of journalism in American society. And it was the Hutchins Commission who first began to put forth the perspective that journalism had to provide all different points of view, an objective view of American life.

So the journalism schools all took up the Hutchins Commissions' recommendation, and starting after World War II, they started producing this model, objective journalist. However, you then had the development of cable and talk radio. It was part of the overall economic development of newspapers as more and more newspapers died. And as every city in America became a one newspaper town, or a two newspaper town, the problem for the owners was, how do you get everybody who used to read separate partisan newspapers read your paper? Well, you have to make your paper the paper of the community. The one that everyone has something in it that they believe responds to their needs. So therefore, you have to have more objective journalism, so that you will not turn off readers, and therefore, anger advertisers.

The monopoly nature of American newspapers in the different cities laid the basis for an objective journalist. Cable and talk radio segmented the market all over again, and gave rise, once again, to partisan news or partisan commentary. And so, now, you have increasingly gone back to journalism the way it used to be in America. The way it was in the 19th century. The way it was in the 18th century, where the way you get your news is you go to those news organizations that you most trust. That means they're more in line with your thinking. And then you check out the opposition as well, if you want to be educated to find out what others are saying. Journalism has gone back to what it used to be, and it has veered away from that late, post World War II temporary theory that there is such a thing as objective journalism. There is no such thing as objective journalism.

The cliche is that everyone just checks their own Facebook feed, and that we're trapped in these bubbles

I think the problem is that you have to understand that you need to get your sources of news and information from more than one place. Right? You have to have a diversity of sources coming into your brain, so that you can figure out for yourself what is truth and what is accurate.

This interview has been edited and condensed.
LEXINGTON, Ky., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Baqua, the first major brand in the United States to manufacture an organic, ancient grain infused drink, has been chosen by Kickfurther, the revolutionary crowdfunding platform that connects individual investors to small business owners with inventory funding and Amazon distribution needs. This newly designed platform is poised to disrupt the beverage industry and quickly open access to scores of innovative brands ready to enter the market.

Baqua Manufacturing Site Sandra Marlow Founder | CEO

"We're a case example of a great on-trend beverage concept in which the only missing piece to the puzzle is distribution and scalable funding," said Baqua's CEO, Sandra Marlowe. "Great products have been known to fail primarily due to Inventory financing. With Kickfurther, that will soon become a thing of the past."

"There is literally no cap today on consumer interest in healthy beverages," said Marlowe, "and with this new partnership, our years of research to create Baqua's proprietary blend of ancient grain infused drinks can now succeed to deliver what consumers clearly are demanding."

Kickfurther launched this initiative in 2017.

"We are excited to combine the appeal of Baqua's delicious drinks with Kickfurther's one-of-a-kind inventory finance platform," said Sean De Clercq, Kickfurther CEO.

About Kickfurther

Kickfurther is a leading inventory crowd-funding platform that connects companies with individuals seeking to support businesses and earn profit. Our platform enables productive growth-oriented companies seeking capital to finance production to share their sales opportunities with buyers interested in putting their money to work in the retail supply chain.

Businesses post Consignment Opportunities (Co-Ops) by choosing the amount of inventory capital they need, the profit percentage buyers will earn as the inventory is sold, and a projected timeline based on sales history. Since its 2015 launch, Kickfurther has funded more than $5.05 Million in 226 Co-Ops by more than 170 companies. Their users have earned an average greater than 2% consignment profit per month on completed Co-Ops.

For additional information, please visit Kickfurther.com

About Baqua:

Baqua is the first major brand in the United States to manufacture an organic, ancient grain infused prebiotic drink. Baqua contains no added sugars, artificial ingredients, or preservatives, and is a source of prebiotics, antioxidants, vitamins, and electrolytes. Baqua beverages are a crafted blend of ancient grain infused tea and USDA Organic fruit juice. Baqua helps nurture the power of your body's immune system for a stronger, healthier you.

For additional information on Baqua's Crowdfunding initiative, please visit www.baqua.com/info.

Contacts

Baqua Contact:

Elizabeth Hardwick

CMO

Baqua, Inc

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 859-721-2808

Kickfurther Contact:

Erik Straub

CMO

Kickfurther, Inc.

Email: [email protected]

Direct: 908-698-3130

SOURCE Baqua, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.baqua.com


ROLLING MEADOWS, Ill., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. (NYSE: AJG) today announced the acquisition of Nebraska-based Lincoln Financial Management, LLC. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Founded in 1993 by Stephen Letts and later acquired by Cyrus Kiani, Lincoln Financial Management is an employee benefits consultant and brokerage firm offering a full range of health and welfare products and services to businesses and individuals throughout the United States. Angela Kiani and her associates will continue to operate from their current location under the direction of Jerry Roberts, head of Gallagher's Heartland Region employee benefits consulting and brokerage operations.

"Lincoln Financial Management is a family owned and operated business with a culture, customer focus and commitment to integrity similar to ours, that will assist us in building out our Nebraska presence," said J. Patrick Gallagher, Jr., Chairman, President and CEO of Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. "We are delighted to welcome Angela and her team to our growing Gallagher family of professionals."

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co., an international insurance brokerage and risk management services firm, is headquartered in Rolling Meadows, Illinois, has operations in 34 countries and offers client service capabilities in more than 150 countries around the world through a network of correspondent brokers and consultants.

Investors: Ray Iardella Media: Anna Rozenich VP  Investor Relations VP  Corporate Communications 630-285-3661/ [email protected] 630-285-5954 [email protected]

SOURCE Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Related Links

http://www.ajg.com


Children and Youth in Transition supports the continuity of education of students in transition, including students who are in foster care, experiencing homelessness, military dependents, and refugees.

"It's important that these students have the supplies they need to succeed in school this year," said Dr. Tony Farrell, Ashford University College of Education Executive Dean. "As longstanding supporters of the San Diego Unified School District and its students, we're honored to fulfill this need."

Also present at the ceremony was San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez, who helped hand out backpacks and exhorted students to read every day.

About Ashford University

Where heritage meets innovation  that's Ashford University. At Ashford, students discover relevant degree programs, innovative technology, and cherished tradition. Ashford offers associates, bachelor's, and master's degree programs online, allowing students to balance life by providing the flexibility to do school work anywhere, anytime. For more information, please visit www.ashford.edu, www.facebook.com/ashforduniversity, www.twitter.com/AshfordU, or call Lauren Coartney at 858.513.9240 x11636, or email [email protected]

SOURCE Ashford University

Related Links

http://www.ashford.edu


ARLINGTON, Va., Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Today, the American Trucking Associations thanked the House of Representatives for rejecting an 11th hour effort to delay implementation of the electronic logging device mandate, slated for December of this year.

"ATA has supported, and will support, this important regulation," said ATA President and CEO Chris Spear. "Congress has now voted a fourth time to move forward with electronic logging of the existing hours of service information required for decades. Make no mistake, the time for debate about electronic logging is over, and we're pleased that Congress has rejected this ill-conceived effort to delay their implementation.

"For a decade, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration has repeatedly spoken, the Courts have spoken, law enforcement has spoken, the industry has spoken and Congress has spoken in favor of the benefits of electronic logging devices," he said, "all the while, opponents of electronic logging have delayed, dissembled and deceived about this technology. Tonight's vote should end what is left of this debate so our industry can carry on with the business of complying with this regulation."

ATA has been active in defending ELD technology, including drafting a letter to FMCSA in support of its regulation. Today, FMCSA answered that letter with even more support for implementing the rule as planned in December.

"Tonight's vote is a testament, not just to the broad and common sense support for ELDs, but to ATA's members, allies and staff who pressed Congress to preserve this important safety rule," said ATA Executive Vice President of Advocacy Bill Sullivan. "This vote is important. Complying with existing laws will make all who share the roads safer, and ATA will continue to work with FMCSA, carriers, drivers, and law enforcement to ensure smooth implementation of this bipartisan effort on schedule in December. We commend the leadership of Representative Rick Crawford and bipartisan champions in the House who support compliance with existing laws and rules."

American Trucking Associations is the largest national trade association for the trucking industry. Through a federation of 50 affiliated state trucking associations and industry-related conferences and councils, ATA is the voice of the industry America depends on most to move our nation's freight. Follow ATA on Twitter or on Facebook. Trucking Moves America Forward

SOURCE American Trucking Associations

Related Links

http://www.trucking.org


Aureum 5.1 is being used by Fortune 100 companies in the Industrial Internet, aviation and power generation industries as an essential data staging area for analytics that solve real-world business problems. Typically companies need a data access solution to manage and preserve "crown-jewel data sets" like geometry, simulation and telemetry.

Aureum 5.1 is the Hubble release, named after Edwin Hubble, the famous American astronomer and telescope namesake.

About Peaxy

Companies that work with Peaxy technologies and applications are focused on data-driven strategies and industrial decisions. Aureum makes it possible to find, mine, manage, analyze and reuse enterprise data  whenever it was created, wherever it is located. Peaxy is a leader in industrial advanced analytics, including simulation management, condition-based maintenance, predictive maintenance and digital twins.

Contact:

Joshua Green

408-441-6500

[email protected]

SOURCE Peaxy

Related Links

http://peaxy.net


ST. PAUL, Minn., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Wanny Huynh knows what it is like to bounce back from adversity. He was just eight years old when his parents fled Vietnam via Cambodia on foot with bullets whizzing over their heads 34 years ago. At one checkpoint after his mother ran out of valuables with which to bribe the soldiers, Wanny and his 10-year-old brother were taken from the family. Left on their own with only the clothes on their backs they were eventually given shelter by a soldier whose wife used them as slaves. After being reunited with his family two months later, Wanny spent time in a refugee camp before entering the second grade in the U.S. knowing almost no English.

HOPE: The Path to Happiness, Opportunity, Prosperity and Enjoyment Wanny Huynh

As a first generation immigrant, a survivor, a motivational speaker and author of four books, Wanny wants to offer hope and comfort to the survivors of Hurricane Harvey who, as he once did, may be wondering how they could possibly put their lives back together. That is why during the month of September he is donating all proceeds from his latest book, HOPE: The Path to Happiness, Opportunity, Prosperity and Enjoyment to the Red Cross. The book can be purchased at Amazon for $19.95.

In an interview, Wanny can discuss:

Ways to improve your ability to adapt.

How to separate beliefs that hold you back from those that move you forward.

Tips for believing in yourself and your future.

What he did to bounce back after he found himself homeless and broke after the real estate crash.

Praise for Hope

"From living in refugee camps where he dreamt of freedom, arriving in the U.S. without knowing a word of English, to his emergence as a motivational speaker, Wanny's journey is a testament of hope!"  Amit Ghosh, MD, MBA, professor of Medicine, Mayo Clinic

''Wanny Huynh is the real deal. He writes from personal experience honestly and sincerely. With what he has gained from his amazing life adventures, he creates true value for his readers.'' -- Linda Ruhland, founding partner, Spirit of Success LLC

''Wanny's life story is one that will educate and inspire, providing insight to the indomitable nature of the human spirit.  This remarkable book is worth your time and attention."  Joel A. Freeman, Ph.D., CEO/president, The Freeman Institute, "Dealing With People Who Drive You Crazy!"

About the author

At 42, Wanny Huynh has led a remarkable life that required him to become a master at adaptation. He came to America as a young child knowing little English after fleeing war torn Vietnam and Cambodia. As an adult he overcame homelessness and poverty to become an inspirational speaker and author of four self-help books including How to Overcome Anything, The Five Laws to Wealth, Success and Happiness, and Procrastination to Finisher.

Availability: Minneapolis, nationwide by arrangement and via telephone

Contact: Wanny Huynh, (651) 398-4677; [email protected], https://wannyhuynh.com/

SOURCE Wanny Huynh

Related Links

https://wannyhuynh.com


TORONTO and BOSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Bionik Laboratories Corp. (OTCQB: BNKL) ("Bionik" or the "Company"), a robotics company focused on providing rehabilitation and assistive technology solutions to individuals with neurological and mobility challenges from hospital to home, today announced that the Board of Directors has appointed Dr. Eric Dusseux, a director of the Company since July 2017, as Chief Executive Officer, effective September 1, 2017. Dr. Dusseux is a proven executive who has spent the past 15 years focused on helping companies in the healthcare sector develop and execute strategic growth and commercialization plans. Peter Bloch will continue to serve Bionik in the capacity as Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Company and will consult with the Company during the management transition.

"We are delighted that Eric has chosen to accept the role of Chief Executive Officer at Bionik," said Mr. Bloch. "His proven entrepreneurial ability to drive commercialization and growth strategy in domestic and international markets, and his experience in building and leading strategic alliances will be significant assets for Bionik. Eric's appointment coincides with our efforts to expand our global sales and marketing efforts and develop strategic distribution agreements and partnerships targeting hospital and mass markets."

Commenting on his appointment, Dr. Dusseux said, "I am excited to be joining the management team of Bionik at a very important time for the Company. We believe that the approach that the Company has taken to focus on evidence-based medicine results ahead of sales and marketing efforts both provides validation for our products and differentiates us from other companies in our field. I look forward to broadening our innovative clinical product platform and helping to bring our products under development from the hospital to the home as we pursue mass market opportunities."

About Eric Dusseux

Prior to joining Bionik, Dr. Dusseux was President of Europe and a director for Auregen BioTherapeutics SA, a 3D bioprinting tissue engineering biotechnology company headquartered in Switzerland, that he formed while at Bemido SA, a family office, with the support of Gurnet Point Capital and Waypoint.

From 2012 through 2016, Dr. Dusseux served as an Executive Committee Member in the Corporate Strategy Department of Sanofi Pasteur, the vaccine division of Sanofi. Among other responsibilities, Dr. Dusseux, Vice-President Corporate Strategy, was responsible for business intelligence, strategic and business planning, and corporate development.

Before joining Sanofi Pasteur, Dr. Dusseux served as Vice-President, MAGE-A3 Medicines Development Leader, within the Immunotherapeutics Business Unit at GSK Biologicals, a division of GlaxoSmithKline, in charge of therapeutic vaccines against cancer.

Dr. Dusseux also gained significant experience providing strategic advice for numerous pharmaceutical, medical device, payer and biotechnology clients, while working for the Boston Consulting Group from 2002 to 2007.

Dr. Dusseux is a Medical Doctor, specializing in Public Health. Dr. Dusseux also holds a Master of Science in Physical Chemistry and is a graduate of the French Business School H.E.C. in Paris (MBA, Isa).

About Bionik Laboratories

Bionik Laboratories (OTCQB:BNKL) is a robotics company focused on providing rehabilitation and mobility solutions to individuals with neurological and mobility challenges from hospital to home. The Company has a portfolio of products focused on upper and lower extremity rehabilitation for stroke and other mobility-impaired patients, including three products on the market and four products in varying stages of development.

For more information, please visit www.bioniklabs.com and connect with us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook. If you're a shareholder and wish to receive email alerts for Company news, please sign up here.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any statements contained in this press release that do not describe historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements, which involve assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies, and expectations, are generally identifiable by use of the words "may," "should," "would," "will," "could," "scheduled," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "believe," "intend," "seek," or "project" or the negative of these words or other variations on these words or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, statements regarding (i) the plans and objectives of management for future operations, including plans or objectives relating to the design, development and commercialization of human exoskeletons and other robotic rehabilitation products, (ii) a projection of income (including income/loss), earnings (including earnings/loss) per share, capital expenditures, dividends, capital structure or other financial items, (iii) the Company's future financial performance, (iv) the market and projected market for our existing and planned products and (v) the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in points (i), (ii), (iii) or (iv) above. Such forward-looking statements are not meant to predict or guarantee actual results, performance, events or circumstances, and may not be realized because they are based upon the Company's current projections, plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, estimates and assumptions, and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and other influences, many of which the Company has no control. Actual results and the timing of certain events and circumstances may differ materially from those described by the forward-looking statements as a result of these risks and uncertainties. Factors that may influence or contribute to the inaccuracy of the forward-looking statements or cause actual results to differ materially from expected or desired results may include, without limitation, the Company's inability to obtain additional financing, the significant length of time and resources associated with the development of our products and related insufficient cash flows and resulting illiquidity, the Company's inability to expand the Company's business, significant government regulation of medical devices and the healthcare industry, lack of product diversification, volatility in the price of the Company's raw materials, and the Company's failure to implement the Company's business plans or strategies. These and other factors are identified and described in more detail in the Company's filings with the SEC. The Company does not undertake to update these forward-looking statements.

SOURCE Bionik Laboratories Corp.

Related Links

http://www.bioniklabs.com


ANAHEIM, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BioPhotas, Inc. announced today the FDA (U.S. Food and Drug Administration) clearance of the Celluma, its award-winning and patented medical device, for an additional indication-for-use in treating full face wrinkles. The FDA has previously cleared the Celluma for eight separate indications-for-use, including the treatment of peri-orbital wrinkles, acne, muscle and joint pain, muscle and joint stiffness, muscle tissue tension, muscle spasm, arthritis and compromised local blood circulation.

Celluma PRO Celluma PRO

Commenting on the FDA clearance, Patrick Johnson, President & Chief Executive Officer for BioPhotas said, "The Celluma has really created a new category of Low-Level Light Therapy devices. It combines the power and efficacy of large professional panel devices with the affordability of small hand-held devices, in a single product that is FDA-cleared to treat the broadest range of muscle, joint and skin conditions on the market. In the Celluma, we have created an extraordinarily versatile product that is effective enough to be used in a professional setting and affordable enough to be used in the home."

Based on NASA research, the Celluma Series delivers blue, red and near-infrared light energy to safely address a wide variety of musculoskeletal and dermatological conditions. Each wavelength is absorbed by different molecules which act as a signaling mechanism for different cellular processes. The Celluma's proprietary flexible design and extra large light panel facilitates effective energy absorption by tissue and molds closely to the body for more efficient outcomes. The Celluma is now FDA-cleared to treat nine separate skin, muscle and joint conditions. In addition, the Celluma is CE-Certified as a Dermal Wound Healing device for sale in the European Union.

The Celluma series is protected by a United State utility patent. In addition, BioPhotas has recently received notification from patent authorities in the Europe Union and Australia that the Celluma has been granted utility patent coverage in those territories as well. Commenting on these developments, Mr. Johnson continued, "BioPhotas has on-going efforts to register its devices and protect those devices around the world. We are encouraged that the innovation in our products is recognized commercially, as well as by both global regulatory and intellectual property authorities." Currently, the company has several other United States and foreign patent applications pending and has scheduled further clinical trials to prove efficacy in advanced therapeutic applications.

About BioPhotas, Inc.

In providing unique devices founded on NASA-developed technology and backed by clinical studies, BioPhotas is bringing to market safe, effective and affordable devices that unlock the clinical power of biophotonics. BioPhotas develops and markets devices for healthcare providers and consumers that conveniently treat a variety of skin, muscle and joint conditions. For more information about the Celluma please visit www.biophotas.com.

CONTACT:

Patrick Johnson  CEO

BioPhotas, Inc.

714-978-0080

[email protected]

SOURCE BioPhotas

Related Links

http://www.biophotas.com


RENO, Nev., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- BlackRidge Technology International, Inc. (OTCQB: BRTI), a leading provider of next generation cyber defense solutions, has been invited to participate and is one of the sponsors for the 2017 Cyber Security for Healthcare Exchange Conference, being held on September 13-15, 2017 at the Highlands Dallas in Dallas, Texas.

BlackRidge Managing Director of Healthcare Steve Leatherman will be presenting How to Reduce Risk and Improve Patient Care with a New Approach to Cyber Security. Leatherman will review how cyber-attacks, originating from outside or inside your network, can compromise clinical device functionality, and how a best practices approach of implementing micro-segmentation to isolate can protect healthcare systems and legacy devices.

"Security breaches are not only putting protected health information 'PHI' at risk, but directly impacting the ability to deliver patient care in a secure, authenticated and appropriate manner," said Leatherman.

Today's Healthcare Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs) are working to streamline technology services to improve the quality of care, while still keeping personal and corporate information safe and intellectual property secure. The Cyber Security for Healthcare Exchange Conference features CISOs and industry cyber security professionals presenting on current topics and research in healthcare cyber security and cyber defense.

A KPMG 2017 Cyber Healthcare and Life Sciences Survey shows that 47% of healthcare payers and providers experienced security related violations or cyber-attacks that compromised data in 2017, yet 87% rated their readiness to defend at four or better on a five-point scale. According to KPMG Healthcare Advisory Leader Dion Sheidy: Healthcare payers and providers are treacherous ground here and some organizations are underestimating cyber-security risks. Despite rising threats KPMG's survey found that cyber security as a board agenda item has declined over the past two years to 79% versus 87% in 2015.

About BlackRidge Technology

BlackRidge Technology (OTCQB: BRTI) provides next generation cyber defense solutions that stop cyber-attacks and block unauthenticated access. BlackRidge's patented First Packet Authentication technology was developed for the military to cloak and protect servers and segment networks. BlackRidge Transport Access Control authenticates user and device identity and enforces security policy on the first packet of network sessions. This new level of real-time protection blocks or redirects unidentified and unauthorized traffic to stop attacks and unauthorized access, isolates systems and segments networks, and provides identity attribution. BlackRidge was founded in 2010 to commercialize its military grade and patented network security technology. For more information, visit www.blackridge.us.

Media Contact:

Sahl Communications, Inc.

Kim Plyler

+1-484-554-5582

[email protected]



Investor Relations Contact:

MZ North America

Chris Tyson

(949) 491-8235

[email protected]

SOURCE BlackRidge Technology International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.blackridge.us


Officers with the Department of Environmental Conservation discovered an above-ground pool full of sharks in a Hudson Valley home's basement while conducting a search last month. Folks, I've heard of Shark Tank but this ishey no don't close the tab, I need this job.

DEC police made the strange discovery on August 23rd while executing a search warrant at a home in Lagrangeville, in Dutchess County, where residents were suspected of harboring illegal wildlife. The 15-foot above-ground pool housed seven live sandbar sharks, as well as two dead leopard sharks and one dead hammerhead shark, according to a press release from the DEC. The Times Union has more photos of the bizarre set-up.

No charges have been filed yet. Staff from the Wildlife Conservation Society were able to catch the sharks in order to take their blood, measure their length and tag them. The sharks were then transported to the Long Island Aquarium in Riverhead, Long Island, to be held until the ongoing investigation into the illegal animal harboring is complete.

Your move, lame dad with toy trains in your basement.
NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Market push and pull factors and opportunity areas

The global blister packaging market is anticipated to reach a value of more than US$ 18 Bn by 2027 end and is poised to register a CAGR of 6.3% during the period of forecast (2017 to 2027). Several trends, opportunities, restraining factors, and challenges lurk within the global blister packaging market that impact the dynamics of the global market. North America is the leading region expected to contribute over 32% with respect to value share in 2017 and is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% over the period of forecast, thereby dominating the global blister packaging market.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05094962

There are several opportunities within the global blister packaging market. Attractive features in blister packaging for pharmaceuticals is an untapped opportunity. Innovation and development in blister packaging can facilitate product tracking on smartphones and also remind patients to take medicines on time. Also, in order to enable blind or disabled persons to identify pharmaceutical drug specification and details printed on blister packs, manufacturers can focus on blister packaging solutions with attributes that will enable users to get the basic product information easily. The penetration of smart packaging is gaining sufficient traction especially in the pharmaceutical industry, thereby offering convenience and ease for consumers. Owing to the tamper resistance and barrier properties, there is an increase in the adoption of blister packaging. These factors are driving the global blister packaging market.



However, certain loopholes can act as restraints in the growth of the global blister packaging market. Strong competition from parental flexible solutions is anticipated to hamper the growth of the blister packaging market in the long run. Moreover, blister packaging is not much of a preferred option for heavy products. This can limit the application of blister packaging and consumption thereby pulling revenue growth in the global blister packaging market.



North America will continue to dominate the global blister packaging market



The North America region is expected to grow at a robust growth rate to reflect a value of more than US$ 6 Bn by the end of 2027. With respect to volume, North America again stands first as it reflects a higher volume growth during 2017 and this trend is anticipated to continue over the period of forecast. Within the North America region, the food and pharmaceutical industries in the United States are expected to contribute to the growth of the blister packaging market. The Canada market is anticipated to grow at a similar rate as that of the U.S, and is poised to register a CAGR of 6.3% during the period of forecast. The U.S market accounts for about 88.1% of the North America blister packaging market.The Asia Pacific Excluding Japan (APEJ) region, consisting of emerging economies such as China, India and ASEAN countries, has shown impressive growth in the global pharmaceuticals market. Leading global players are actively considering APEJ as the epicentre for drug manufacturing. This is possible owing to low cost of labour, encouraging government initiatives to promote local manufacturing, and easy availability of skilled labour and resources. These factors have transformed the APEJ region into a potential market for blister packaging. Technological advancements in APEJ have contributed towards fuelling the growth of the blister packaging market in this region. Manufacturers are producing blister packs made of recyclable material that are eco-friendly in nature. China  the largest market for blister packs in this region  has started producing and supplying barrier films for the production of blisters packs. Both China and India are expected to grow at a similar rate and are the dominating countries in APEJ, with China expected to hold a higher market share by value than India. The APEJ blister packaging market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.2% during the period of forecast.



Dynamics of the global blister packaging market



Dosing accuracy reduces all medication errors. Blister packs are gaining popularity owing to their "smart" features; one can track whether the pills are taken on time or not. Nowadays, blister packs are being linked with sensors that send alerts to smartphones, thereby reducing medication errors.



Blister packs have very thin film and peeling becomes extremely easier. This can cause unintentional poisoning to children, as they can easily access the contents. It has been noticed that medicated drugs are causing non-fatal poisoning in children owing to the direct consumption of the medication by children due to ease in unwrapping the medicine.



Various product launches have been witnessed. For example, companies such as Amcor Limited and Constantia Flexibles GmbH are focussing on product launching activities in order to extend their market visibility at a global level.



Blister packs act as perfect sealing agents for microbes and provide stable and reliable solution for pills. Blister packaging material is getting more popularity as it provides an aseptic solution.



Manufacturers in emerging countries are using conventional material for production as it is cost-effective. These chemicals can cause serious health issues and hence health conscious individuals are switching to safer materials.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05094962



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



https://www.reportlinker.com

__________________________

Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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LEBANON, Mo., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans at I-44 Speedway in Missouri were treated to an incredible, action-packed race as the winning truck started in 12th place and passed 11 fellow Bandits to steal the checkered flag.

Tommy Boileau (#16) won his third straight $10,000 check, and in the process, catapulted from third to second in the series standings.

The Bandits fly past fans along the back straightaway at I-44 Speedway in Lebanon, Missouri, on Saturday, September 2nd.

"Our first scheduled event at I-44 Speedway was rained out, but we got a good look at the track and I knew I wanted to come race here, so I'm glad it worked out," Boileau said.

"The fans were awesome, and they were treated to one heck of a race," Bandit Director of Operations Brian Madsen said. "The wait was definitely worth it."

Right now, the red-hot Bandit is Boileau, who's looked unbeatable at times over the past three races, all wins for Csaszar Motorsports.

"I'm just going to keep chugging along and see if I can steal another win or four!" Boileau said.

Next up for the Bandits is a return to Highland Rim Speedway, where hometown hero Mike Morgan captured the checkered flag back on July 1st. The next race is in Tennessee on September 23rd.

About Bandit Big Rig Series

The Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series returns big rig tractor truck racing to the short track in the United States. The series was designed to be affordable and accessible for anyone wishing to put together a race team.

For additional information, please contact Elijah Van Sice at (320) 212-0290, or email [email protected].

About Minimizer

Leveraging almost 40 years of manufacturing expertise at its state-of-the-art facility in Blooming Prairie, Minnesota, Minimizer is not only the leader in poly semi truck fenders - we invented the category. Minimizer poly fenders and integrated bracket kits are nearly indestructible and are guaranteed for life.

Our research and development team constantly "tests and tortures" each of our products to make sure what goes on, in or is used to fix the truck meets the rigors of our tough industry.

We also manufacture industry-leading light kits, mud flaps, tool boxes, tire masking kits, work benches and other accessories. Our most recent innovations include the world's ONLY custom molded floor mats for semi trucks, as well as the revolutionary "whole body health" Minimizer Truck Seat System.

Minimizer has been family owned and operated for three generations. The company manufactures its products in the USA and makes everything tough enough to please tough people in a tough industry.

Contact: Craig Kruckeberg

Minimizer Bandit Big Rig Series

(612) 360-9936

[email protected]

SOURCE Minimizer
MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating a commitment to enhancing its solutions to help customers better meet their business goals, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the availability of PRISMAsync Color Print Server Version 5.2 for imagePRESS color digital production presses. This release features a suite of new tools designed to help print service providers analyze production performance, automate color calibration and profiling, extend color management flexibility and bring higher efficiency to user environments with a need for copying/scanning. This update builds upon the success of the PRISMAsync color print server family for imagePRESS color digital presses, including the industry's first DFE-embedded G7 Certified System for electrophotography.

Canon will debut PRISMAsync Print Server v5.2 at PRINT 17 (booth #1213), held in Chicago, Illinois from September 10 to September 14, 2017.

"The evolution of the PRISMAsync family of print servers reflects Canon's technological leadership and our focus on creating products that can help users increase productivity and maximize efficiency," said Toyotsugu Kuwamura, executive vice president and general manager, Business Imaging Solutions Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Productivity is an evolving term and means so much more than just the number of pages printed per minute in today's market. The new tools and features of the PRISMAsync solution are designed specifically to help print providers keep operators efficient and their imagePRESS engines running, as is our effort to maintain the functionality and user interaction of the PRISMAsync platform for color and monochrome presses as uniform as possible."

Among new features included with PRISMAsync Color Print Server v5.2 are:

PRISMAlytics Dashboard1 - A cloud-based service that collects, organizes and displays performance trends from PRISMAsync driven digital presses running on version 5.2 or later. It records press data and transforms it into an easy-to-access and interpret dashboard, displaying usage, production and consumption-related information. This fact-based dashboard can help print floor managers study press performance on a daily basis as well as analyze trends over time, which can help them identify areas of improvement as a basis to take actions and bring higher efficiency to their production environment.

Extended and Automated Color Management Tools - For color critical environments, PRISMAsync Print Server v5.2 brings new color controls that can be implemented on a job or system-wide basis, helping operators produce each job with high quality. From optimized black point compensation to special saturation rendering, operators can be confident a full range of tools for producing the best color are at hand.

In addition, with PRISMAsync v5.2 for the imagePRESS C10000VP/C8000VP, the presses' Inline Spectrophotometric Sensors (ILS) can be used for color calibration and ICC output profile creation. Rather than relying on measuring color targets by hand, the imagePRESS C10000VP Series presses will be able to automatically print and measure color patches (including G7 targets), creating custom ICC output profiles in just a few minutes and with no operator intervention after initiation.

"We chose PRISMAsync to drive our imagePRESS color digital presses because G7 calibration is built into the RIP and there is no need for add-ons or third-party software," said Brad Steven, IT/Digital Production Manager at Print-Tech, a G7 Master Qualified Printer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "The efficiency and productivity of PRISMAsync print server and imagePRESS C10000VP is phenomenal. Our color calibration continues to be spot on. We are excited to implement the new release of PRISMAsync Version 5.2; it is expected to cut the time it takes to perform our in-RIP G7 calibration and color profiling nearly in half while assuring even greater consistency of measurement."

New Scan/Copy Features - For copy/scan-intensive print operations such as in-plants, full support of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) search when scanning to email and a new simplified "Easy Copy" screen have been implemented, helping to bring new efficiencies to these environments. Furthermore, v5.2 enables user interface configuration by user role, allowing administrators to limit available settings and options for certain roles to better fit their operation's workflow or task division.

PRISMAsync Print Servers are key components of the PRISMA Suite - Canon's integrated suite of workflow essentials for production print. Designed to optimize the print production workflow from job submission to completion; enabling users to adapt, evolve and grow within ever-changing production print environments.

PRISMAsync Color Print Server v5.2 is now available through Canon Authorized Dealers and Canon Solutions America for imagePRESS C10000VP/C8000VP, imagePRESS C850/C750 and brings the relevant functionality in line with the PRISMAsync platform for varioPRINT monochrome digital presses. For current PRISMAsync users, Canon makes a strong effort to allow the field upgrades to keep the PRISMAsync feature and usability level aligned with newly sold devices. As such, version 5.2 is now also available for imagePRESS C800/C700 and imagePRESS C70xxVPS Series2.

The new PRISMAlytics Dashboard is scheduled to be available from October 2017.

For more information about Canon U.S.A., visit www.usa.canon.com.

About Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $29 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2016. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based service and support for all of the products it distributes in the United States. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected].

Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. Prices are set by dealers and may vary.

All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.

1PRISMAsync System Version 5.2, enablement of data transfer via the Web, PRISMAlytics license and Google or Microsoft account required to gain access to PRISMAlytics. Subscription to a third party service required. Google and Microsoft accounts are subject to Google's and Microsoft's terms and conditions, respectively. Neither Canon, Inc., nor Canon U.S.A., Inc. represents or warrants any third party product, service or feature referenced hereunder.

2PRISMAlytics Dashboard is not supported for imagePRESS C7000VPS Series/C7010VPS Series/C7011VPS Series.

Canon U.S.A. website:

http://www.usa.canon.com

For sales information/customer support:

1-800-OK-CANON

SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc.

Related Links

http://www.usa.canon.com


NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Technological advancements vital in the cardiac surgery devices market

Cardiac surgery devices are manufactured according to the needs of the patients as well as the cardiologists. As surgical methods are becoming more advanced, cardiac surgery devices have become the showpiece of innovation in the operation theatre. Key stakeholders in the cardiac surgery devices market are introducing newer products to try and retain or even increase their market share. For e.g.  Medtronic has launched its minimally invasive cardiac surgery products in the U.S. through an exclusive distribution agreement with Miami Instruments LLC. Technology will continue to underpin advancements in the global cardiac surgery devices market in the coming decade.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05094958

Data management systems integrated into heart lung machine systems



Rapid evolution in electronic data collection during cardiac surgery is anticipated to influence companies in the cardiac surgery devices market to manufacture novel products in the near future. Several data management systems have been developed that facilitate seamless data integration from the heart lung machine. The company LivaNova offers a DMS charting system that automatically records all events and values of the C5, S5, and SIII heart-lung machines along with other devices such as blood gas analysers, patient monitors, cerebral oximetry devices, and ACT meters.



Minimally invasive surgeries popular in the cardiac surgery devices market



Greater occurrence of coronary heart diseases has heightened the focus on minimally invasive surgical procedures. Heart disease is one of the most common and widespread global diseases and can be typically traced to obese patients. Over the last decade, minimally invasive cardiothoracic surgery has surged in popularity mainly because of the numerous benefits of this procedure such as reduced surgical trauma and decreased pain in the surgical area. With the refinement of transthoracic echocardiography, development of specialised robotic technology and surgical instruments, and perfusion technique innovations, cardiac surgery has been given the requisite tools required to perform minimally invasive surgery.



Reusable and robust stabilising arms witnessing increased adoption



Surgical stabilisation products offer retraction, positioners, and stabilisers during a number of surgical procedures where a human hand is normally needed and they provide exceptional stability and grip during off pump cardiac surgery. For e.g.  Medtronic offers Urchin Heart and Starfish2 Positioners that hold the heart in a manner allowing the surgeon to easily access the blocked vessels needing bypass graft. In addition, the Octopus Tissue Stabilizer minimises motion of a small area of the heart while the rest continues to beat normally. Thus, the surgeon can perform CABG surgery without using the heart-lung machine or stopping the heart. The reusable stabilising arm enhances the cost effectiveness and stability of the procedure, thereby boosting the prospects of the cardiac surgery devices market.



North America larger than Western Europe and APEJ combined



North America dominates the global cardiac surgery devices market as it is larger than both Western Europe and APEJ combined with an estimated value of over half a billion dollars in 2017. It is expected to retain its commanding position in the global cardiac surgery devices market as it is on track to record a CAGR of 4.1%, reaching a market valuation of just under US$ 830 Mn by the end of the forecast period. MEA is expected to witness the highest value CAGR among all regions (4.9%); however, the region is anticipated to remain the least attractive market in the global cardiac surgery devices market in terms of revenue, recording a market attractiveness index of 0.5 over the forecast period. The cardiac surgery devices market in North America is expected to witness flourishing growth owing to increasing demand for cardiac surgery devices by hospitals and ambulatory surgery centres in U.S and Canada. Medical tourism has become quite popular amongst patients afflicted with cardiovascular ailments as it allows high quality care to be provided immediately in a cost-effective manner. This is especially prominent in the developed regions of Europe and North America from where patients travel to places such as Thailand and India to avail of medical tourism. The APAC region is the preferred destination for medical tourists as a coronary artery bypass procedure can be almost 80% cheaper in this region than in places such as the U.S. and Europe. In India, the average cost of the procedure is approx. US$ 9000, which is substantially lower than the US$ 120,000 it costs in the U.S.

Read the full report: https://www.reportlinker.com/p05094958



About Reportlinker

ReportLinker is an award-winning market research solution. Reportlinker finds and organizes the latest industry data so you get all the market research you need - instantly, in one place.



https://www.reportlinker.com

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Contact Clare: [email protected]

US: (339)-368-6001

Intl: +1 339-368-6001

SOURCE Reportlinker

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MIAMI, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Carnival Cruise Line, its parent company, Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), and the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation have identified five non-profit organizations to receive a minimum of $2 million total in support of relief and rebuilding efforts following the devastating impact of Hurricane Harvey. Direct Relief, Houston Food Bank, Save the Children, Operation Homefront and United Way of Greater Houston were chosen for their active roles in providing critical supplies of food, water, medicine, shelter and other basic necessities to residents in the most impacted areas. Each organization features an extensive local network providing critical support to people in the region.

"We continue to be inspired by the efforts of so many first responders, government officials, volunteers, neighbors and others in making such valiant efforts to help people who have been impacted by Hurricane Harvey," said Christine Duffy, president of Carnival Cruise Line, which has three of its ships sailing year-round from the Port of Galveston in south Texas. "We hope our collective donation to the five organizations makes an immediate impact for those who need help the most, while our hearts and prayers continue to go out to everyone involved."

In addition to the pledges of $500,000 from Carnival Cruise Line, $500,000 from Carnival Corporation's charitable arm, The Carnival Foundation, and a matching $1 million from the Micky and Madeleine Arison Family Foundation, Carnival Cruise Line will present guests with the opportunity to donate to relief efforts while checking in for their upcoming cruises. Carnival Corporation and its global brands are also encouraging employees to support the recovery while matching some individual donations.

Direct Relief, an international humanitarian organization providing critical medications and supplies, is working with community health centers and clinics throughout the affected areas, addressing urgent needs including diabetes and high blood pressure. It was ranked number one by CNBC among the Top 10 Charities Changing the World in 2016, and has made over $100 million in medical inventory available to those in the path of the storm.

Houston Food Bank is greater Houston's largest food donation organization and a member of Feeding America, the nation's largest non-governmental domestic hunger relief organization. Houston Food Bank estimates over 80,000 people in the area will be displaced until after Thanksgiving and need assistance. The charity is focused on providing people in need with critical food, water and supplies. Houston Food Bank is also reaching out to help people living in surrounding areas including nearby Galveston county.

Save the Children, an international non-governmental organization and recognized national leader for services to children in emergencies, is providing support in the affected area. Its efforts include distribution of infant and toddler supplies such as cribs and hygiene products and providing child-friendly spaces offering safety and support throughout the recovery.

Operation Homefront provides support to the over 300,000 military families living in the affected area. The charity is focused on providing direct critical support with services ranging from food assistance, home repair, temporary housing expenses, car rental or repair, replacement clothing and baby care items. Operation Homefront has been a longstanding and ongoing charity partner of Carnival Corporation, Carnival Cruise Line and the Carnival Foundation.

United Way of Greater Houston is focused on the region's long-term recovery. It assesses the needs of the impacted communities and address those needs with social service providers. Its initiatives include mental and behavioral health services, supporting food banks and assistance ministries, supporting applications to FEMA aid programs and assistance with home repairs and rebuilding. Its service emphasis is to low-income individuals and families, seniors and people with disabilities.

Individuals wishing to donate to relief efforts can do so directly via www.directrelief.org, www.houstonfoodbank.org, www.savethechildren.org, www.operationhomefront.org and www.unitedwayhouston.org.

About Carnival Cruise Line

Carnival Cruise Line, part of Carnival Corporation & plc (NYSE/LSE: CCL; NYSE: CUK), is "The World's Most Popular Cruise Line" with 25 ships operating three- to 16-day voyages to The Bahamas, Caribbean, Mexican Riviera, Alaska, Hawaii, Canada, New England, Bermuda, Europe, Cuba, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. Two 133,500-ton Vista class ships are currently scheduled for delivery - Carnival Horizon in 2018 and an as-yet-unnamed vessel in 2019. Additionally, two new 180,000-ton ships are scheduled to enter service in 2020 and 2022.

Carnival Corporation & plc

Carnival Corporation & plc is the world's largest leisure travel company and among the most profitable and financially strong in the cruise and vacation industries, with a portfolio of 10 dynamic brands that include nine of the world's leading cruise lines. With operations in North America, Europe, Australia and Asia, its portfolio features Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America Line, Princess Cruises, Seabourn, AIDA Cruises, Costa Cruises, Cunard, P&O Cruises (Australia) and P&O Cruises (UK), as well as Fathom, the corporation's immersion and enrichment experience brand.

Together, these brands operate 103 ships with 231,000 lower berths visiting over 700 ports around the world, with 17 new ships scheduled to be delivered between 2018 and 2022. Carnival Corporation & plc also operates Holland America Princess Alaska Tours, the leading tour company in Alaska and the Canadian Yukon. Traded on both the New York and London Stock Exchanges, Carnival Corporation & plc is the only dual listed company in the world to be included in both the S&P 500 and the FTSE 100 indices.

In 2017, Fast Company recognized Carnival Corporation as being among the "Top 10 Most Innovative Companies" in both the design and travel categories. Fast Company specifically recognized Carnival Corporation for its work in developing Ocean Medallion, a high-tech wearable device that enables the world's first interactive guest experience platform capable of transforming vacation travel into a highly personalized and elevated level of customized service.

Additional information can be found on www.carnival.com, www.fathom.org, www.hollandamerica.com, www.princess.com, www.seabourn.com, www.aida.de, www.costacruise.com, www.cunard.com, www.pocruises.com.au, and www.pocruises.com.

SOURCE Carnival Corporation & plc

Related Links

http://www.Carnivalcorp.com


ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalina, the personalized digital media company, today announced the appointment of Gregory Mann to head Catalina's emerging brands business. A founding member of the mobile rewards company, Ibotta, Mann is an accomplished entrepreneur and corporate innovator with a long track record of helping retailers and CPG manufacturers address changing consumer needs and new market opportunities.

As Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mann will oversee all aspects of client services and business development for one of Catalina's fast-growing business segmentsCPG companies with revenues of $1 billion or less. Catalina offers a powerful suite of services to help these companies efficiently grow their businesses through purchase-based, omnichannel analytics and marketing.

"In a world of rapidly changing consumer tastes and trends, emerging brands are a vital part of the CPG marketplace," said Catalina U.S. President Todd Morris. "We're excited to have Gregory join the emerging brands team to continue to build on our unique value proposition to this thriving category. We offer emerging brands a unique and tailored suite of services to profitably grow their businesses - including unequaled shopper and category insights, and 1-to-1 omnichannel marketing and media solutions that reach consumers based on their buying behavior along the path to purchase. No other company does more to help emerging companies efficiently grow by engaging with the shoppers most likely to love their brands."

Mann comes to Catalina after serving as the CMO of Samsung Pay, Inc., a mobile wallet solution that allows consumers to use their Samsung mobile devices to make purchases with virtually any store or POS system. Previously, Gregory was the VP of Marketing & Sales for Ibotta, where he was part of the company's founding team. Before moving to the technology industry, he held strategy, consulting, operating, sales and marketing roles at firms including American Express, Martha Stewart, Mary Kay, Blyth and Avon.

"My goal is to build on the massive potential of Catalina as a strategic marketing partner for emerging brands," said Mann. "Fast-moving consumer goods companies with revenues below one billion dollars need to be nimble, efficient and inventive in their go to market strategies. Catalina's depth of experience in personalization, retail intelligence to drive volume, and loyalty-based measurable outcomes can help these emerging brands grow profitably."

Gregory holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS from Elizabethtown College.

About Catalina

Catalina's personalized digital media drives loyalty and measurable sales outcomes for the world's leading CPG retailers and brands. Catalina personalizes the consumer's path to purchase through mobile, online and in-store networks powered by the largest shopper history database in the world. Catalina is based in St. Petersburg, FL, with operations in the United States, Europe and Japan. To learn more, please visit www.Catalina.com or follow us on Twitter @Catalina.

SOURCE Catalina

Related Links

https://www.catalina.com


ATLANTA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In the wake of some of the worst flooding in U.S. history, the CDC Foundation today is activating its Emergency Response Fund to help the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) tackle the health challenges that the citizens of Texas and Louisiana are facing following Hurricane Harvey. The fund will extend CDC's response, providing essential supplies and vital assistance as frontline experts work with partners to address community health needs and public health infrastructure in the storm's aftermath.

"The destruction and flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey is devastating, and we know some of these serious public health hazards will take months and possibly years to address," said CDC Director Brenda Fitzgerald, M.D. "CDC's hurricane response experts predict significant public health needs around infectious disease threats, mosquito control, water safety, occupational health risks, as well as unanticipated needs. CDC Foundation's funds provide real-time financial support and amplify CDC's emergency response efforts to meet these immediate health issues."

CDC staff are on the ground along the Gulf Coast and working with local, state and federal officials on a variety of health challenges, including:

General and medical shelter surveillance for infectious disease outbreaks

Public health messages and risk communication

Water, sanitation and safety evaluations for food/water

Mold abatement

Industrial contamination (HAZMAT) mitigation/abatement

Mosquito management from standing water

While there are many organizations that respond with aid during a disaster, the CDC Foundation's fund is unique because it supports CDC experts as they address public health threats that arise in the days, weeks and months after an emergency situation. During emergency responses, the CDC Foundation plays a key role by facilitating partnerships that can be utilized before and after federal funds are made available. There are also situations where the use of federal funds will not be available during an emergency response and CDC needs the CDC Foundation to help deploy resources with speed, efficiency and flexibility.

"The impact of this storm will live on for years," said Judith Monroe, MD, president and CEO of the CDC Foundation. "When a health threat strikes, speed saves lives. Right now, the people of the Gulf Coast need our help. We encourage everyoneindividuals, corporations, philanthropies and othersto support CDC and its team of experts who will work collaboratively with other organizations to address the health threats that are starting to emerge as the waters recede."

In the past, the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response funds helped save and improve lives by supporting CDC's efforts in response to Hurricane Katrina, the Ebola and Zika epidemics, the Haiti earthquake and the Southeast Asian tsunami. Following Hurricane Katrina, for instance, the CDC Foundation provided support for a range of activities, based on local resources and needs. These activities included funds used to replace two county health department facilities in Mississippi, medications for evacuees who left their homes and communities, funding and equipment for New Orleans health department staff relocated to Texas to provide for evacuees, and support for an information hotline in Georgia for evacuees.

Contributions to the CDC Foundation's Emergency Response Fund are tax deductible and can be made on the CDC Foundation's website (www.cdcfoundation.org/2017-hurricane-response), by phone or mail. Donations will first fund CDC's Hurricane Harvey response. Any remaining funds will be applied to other CDC public health emergency responses as needed. To discuss giving opportunities or an in-kind donation, contact Advancement at the CDC Foundation, [email protected], 404.653.0790, or toll-free at 888-886-4CDC.

About the CDC Foundation

The CDC Foundation helps the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) save and improve lives by unleashing the power of collaboration between CDC, philanthropies, corporations, organizations and individuals to protect the health, safety and security of America and the world. The CDC Foundation is the sole entity authorized by Congress to mobilize philanthropic partners and private-sector resources to support CDC's critical health protection mission. Since 1995, the CDC Foundation has launched nearly 1,000 programs and raised over $700 million. The CDC Foundation manages over 250 CDC-led programs in the United States and in more than 100 countries. For more information, visit www.cdcfoundation.org. Follow the Foundation on Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram.

SOURCE CDC Foundation

Related Links

http://www.cdcfoundation.org


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The SASB Foundation, an independent 501(c)3 non-profit responsible for the funding and oversight of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB), today announced that Charles Zegar will serve a three-year term on its Board of Directors.

"The world's resources are limited and getting scarcer," commented Zegar, a computer scientist known for being one of the four co-founders of Bloomberg L.P. "Corporations that use resources most sustainably will in the long run be more profitable. They will also be more responsible corporate citizens and better investments. Hopefully, they will lead other companies by example to also become more sustainable."

Zegar wrote the first-of-its kind software for the Bloomberg terminal. Currently, he is a philanthropist and a signatory of the Giving Pledge, a commitment by the world's wealthiest individuals and families to dedicate the majority of their wealth to giving back. The Zegar Family Foundation donates to numerous, diverse causes, including: science and medicine, environment, justice and human rights, human services and economic opportunity, nutrition and health, education, and arts, culture and heritage. Zegar is on the Board of Trustees of New York University where he also works part time assisting with bioinformatics projects. He also serves on the Board of Trustees for Long Island University and The New York Chapter of the Nature Conservancy.

Zegar added: "I hope to use my background in science, computers and finance to help SASB reach its goal of allowing investors to compare companies and align their capital with companies that have the best sustainability strategies and performance."

For more information about SASB, please visit www.sasb.org.

About The SASB Foundation

Established in 2017, the SASB Foundation is responsible for the funding and oversight of the Sustainability Accounting Standards Board (SASB). The SASB maintains sustainability accounting standards that help public corporations disclose material, decision-useful information to investors in mandatory filings. The SASB Foundation is an independent 501(c)3 non-profit.

The mission of The SASB Foundation is to support the work of the SASB, support SASB members, and provide the market with education and resources that advance the use of SASB standards and the field of sustainability accounting.

Media Contact

Taylor Fenske

Stern Strategy Group

(908) 325-3866

[email protected]

SOURCE The SASB Foundation

Related Links

http://www.sasb.org


AUBURN, Ala., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chicken Salad Chick, the nation's only southern inspired, fast casual chicken salad restaurant concept, announced today it will be expanding in North Carolina with its first location in Concord. The new restaurant will open on Tuesday, September 12 and is located at 8915 Christenbury Parkway, Suite 40. This location is owned and operated by franchisee team Mike Hernandez and Don Carson of Cardez Hospitality Group, and marks the fifth Chicken Salad Chick restaurant in North Carolina.

During grand opening week, guests will enjoy southern hospitality through giveaways and specials at the new Chicken Salad Chick restaurant:

Tuesday, September 12  Free Chicken Salad for a Year  The first guest will win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests receive a large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year.*

 Free Chicken Salad for a Year  The first guest will win one large Quick Chick of chicken salad per week for an entire year; the next 99 guests receive a large Quick Chick of chicken salad per month for a year.* Wednesday, September 13  The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free stainless steel 30 oz. RTIC Tumbler.

 The first 100 guests to purchase The Chick will receive a free stainless steel 30 oz. RTIC Tumbler. Thursday, September 14  Thirsty Thursday  The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a free large drink and Chick Coozie.

 Thirsty Thursday  The first 100 guests to purchase a Chick Special will receive a free large drink and Chick Coozie. Friday, September 15  Free Scoop Friday  The first 100 guests will receive a card for a free scoop of chicken salad, redeemable for their next visit.

 Free Scoop Friday  The first 100 guests will receive a card for a free scoop of chicken salad, redeemable for their next visit. Saturday, September 16  The first 100 guests to purchase two large Quick Chicks will receive a free large Chick Cooler.

Mike Hernandez and his father-in-law, Don Carson, will bring nearly seven decades of business and restaurant experience to the Chicken Salad Chick family. Prior to franchising, Hernandez served as general manager and executive chef for Compass Group, a foodservice management company headquartered in Charlotte, North Carolina. Hernandez has more than 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry. Carson brings more than 45 years of business experience in the banking and finance industry and previously served as CEO at RFA Management Company. Together, Hernandez and Carson formed Cardez Hospitality Group, which also operates the Chicken Salad Chick location in Uptown Charlotte, North Carolina.

"We're extremely excited to introduce Concord residents to the Chicken Salad Chick concept," said Hernandez. "Our fresh, homemade chicken salad recipes, spectacular customer service and southern hospitality are second to none. We're passionate about the Chicken Salad Chick brand and look forward to serving the Charlotte metro area for many years to come."

The Chicken Salad Chick concept, born in Auburn, Ala., was established in 2008 in the kitchen of founder, Stacy Brown. When Stacy discovered that the local county health department would not allow her to continue making and selling her delicious recipes out of her home kitchen, she overcame that obstacle by launching her first restaurant with the business expertise of her future husband and fellow founder, Kevin Brown. Together, they opened a small takeout restaurant, which quickly grew; the company now has more than 70 restaurants across the Southeast.

Chicken Salad Chick in Concord will be open Monday  Saturday from 10a.m. to 8p.m. For more information, visit http://www.chickensaladchick.com, or call 704-951-7323. Follow Chicken Salad Chick on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and trends.

*Eligible winners must be over 16 years of age and are required to download the Craving Credits app. Redemption will start 9/19.

About Chicken Salad Chick

Chicken Salad Chick puts an edgy twist on a Southern classic, offering guests a "custom fit" chicken salad experience, with over a dozen original flavors to choose from, as well as gourmet soups, flavorful side salads and freshly-baked desserts. Chicken Salad Chick serves southern style chicken salad with heart and strives to spread joy, enrich lives and serve others every day. Today, the brand has more than 70 locations across the Southeast, and has currently sold 146 franchises to be developed across the states of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, Tennessee, Louisiana and Texas. The brand was recently named as the top chicken salad in the country to try in the 2015 March/April issue of Cooking with Paula Deen, as well as one of FastCasual.com's top Movers and Shakers and one of NRN's 2015 Breakout Brands. Chicken Salad Chick also ranked #37 on Inc.'s annual list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Corporate offices are located at 724 North Dean Road in Auburn, Alabama. See www.chickensaladchick.com for additional information.

Contact:

Alexya Williams

Fish Consulting

954-893-9150

[email protected]

SOURCE Chicken Salad Chick

Related Links

http://www.chickensaladchick.com


Created by a husband and wife team who wanted to keep their twin daughters warm and cozy during the harsh winters in Montreal, Canada, Luvmother is an emerging boutique-quality children's outdoor apparel brand that fills a void for amazingly soft, comfortable and rugged children's wear that stands the test of time.

The secret? Sourcing the finest small gauge superfine Merino wool, Luvmother's collection is soft, fuss-free, and designed to keep kids cool when it's hot and warm when it's cold.

Working with a former Patagonia base layer designer, the pair -- who were parents to 3-year old twins when inspiration for their entrepreneurial venture struck -- designed the collection to meet kids' unique needs. That means extra-long cuffs for shirts to accommodate growth spurts, drop-down hems, flatlock stitching and raglan sleeves that don't chafe. (Their two children, whom they call "the best damn product testers" they have ever met, make sure of it on trips to the playground.) The line is also designed to work as cross-over pieces: for instance, leggings that can serve as long underwear on ski trips.

"We're trying to answer the perennial question: How do I bring the least amount of gear that will cover me in all situations?" said founders Kevin Peacock and Giselle Murphy in the article for Outside Magazine,. "We want to encourage people to get out there and have fun, get dirty, and not think about their clothes."

The colorful collection -- which is available in boutiques in the U.S. and Canada and online -- is of heirloom quality and so durable it can be enjoyed for generations. Unlike their competitors, Luvmother's offerings are not limited to long johns and sleepwear. In 2017,Luvmother unveiled a hip selection of shirts, hoodies, leggings and more that are great for back-to-school and holiday gifts.

Luvmother's collection also includes extra generous swaddle blankets, hats and accessories. It has expanded its line for fall of 2017 to include sizing for both infants and pre-tweens.

To read more of their story, visit luvmother.com.

Contact: Beth Cochran

[email protected]/ 406.579.7909

SOURCE Luvmother

Related Links

https://www.luvmother.com/


In May of this year, long after the Department of Education announced an investigation into dozens of yeshivas for failing to provide a basic education to their students, Mayor Bill de Blasio effusively praised one of the yeshivas that was being investigated.

In a letter obtained by Gothamist, de Blasio congratulated Crown Heights yeshiva Oholei Torah for "giving its students the tools they need to build solid foundations for their futures," even as alumni accuse the ultra-Orthodox school of leaving them unprepared for college and a career.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education has yet to issue any findings related to their investigation of educational neglect at 39 yeshivas in New York, and has allegedly blown through several promised deadlines since the probe was opened over two years ago.

At a press conference outside City Hall on Wednesday, secular education advocates criticized de Blasio's support for the school, and accused the mayor and Schools Chancellor Carmen Farina of dragging their feet on the investigation for fear of offending the powerful Hasidic and ultra-Orthodox voting blocs.

"The politics behind this is obviousthe city is absolutely terrified of calling out the Hasidic yeshivas, because the findings would indicate that they're not even close to meeting state requirements [concerning education]," Naftuli Moster, the executive director of Young Adults For A Fair Education [Yaffed], which acquired the mayor's letter, told Gothamist.

The letter was included in a commemorative "journal" distributed to guests at the yeshiva's 60th anniversary dinner this year, according to the group. It will be included in a forthcoming Yaffed report, which alleges that Oholei Torah provides no secular education to its students, in grades kindergarten through twelve.

"It feels like the mayor just is not even pretending to care," said Chaim Levin, 28, who attended Oholei Torah in Crown Heights from 1995 to 2005. "It's like, he's rewarding very bad behavior. Bad behavior that's been going on for 60 years of this school's existence."

Oholei Torah did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the mayor's letter, or Yaffed's allegations. The Mayor's Office declined to comment on the letter.

In July of 2015, around 50 yeshiva parents, alumni and former teachers sent a letter to the DOE expressing their concern that the Orthodox schools were almost entirely focused on intensive religious studies, to the exclusion of math, English, science and social studies.

According to a report put out earlier this month by Yaffed, the lack of instruction in secular education leaves "young men lack[ing] the requisite skills to obtain employment with a decent income to support themselves and their (often large) families." The report recommends that the DOE establish a task force to improve education in the schools, and that all funding be cut to schools not meeting state benchmarks by summer 2019.

In response Yaffed's report, the pro-yeshiva group Parents for Educational and Religious Liberty in Schools [PEARLS] released a statement noting that the purpose of the ultra-Orthodox schools was for "children to receive a religious education that is central to their cultural identity, and that teaches young men and women to become thriving, respected members of the community." The group rejected Yaffed's recommendations.

"The vast majority of Hasidic boys' high schools do not teach any secular studies, zero, not even English," Moster said in response.

Such practices would place yeshivas in violation of a state law requiring all private schools to provide education that is "at least substantially equivalent" to that provided in public schools. While the city has promised a good faith investigation into the potential neglect, Moster says they've missed at least two deadlines that they set for themselves.

Toya Holness, a spokesperson for the DOE, told Gothamist, "The investigation is ongoing and we are treating this matter with utmost seriousness." She also provided Gothamist with a letter showing that the DOE had made scheduled visits to six yeshivas through the city, and planned to make additional visits throughout the month. She declined to answer a question about whether the department had a deadline for releasing their findings.

According to Moster, the DOE promised to release a report about the schools last summer, then pushed that back until this summer, and now appears to have backed off their commitment to a deadline entirely,

"If the only issue was waiting until after the elections, I would say fine," he noted. "The problem is what this delay symbolizes: the city will bend itself backwards to appease a handful of powerful Hasidic leaders. If the report does ever come out, I'm expecting them to water it down dramatically."
On this special occasion, Mr. Mike Osorio, DFS Group's Region President, North America, Mid-Pacific and Japan, and Ms. Po Liu, Overseas Business Development Director of Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co., were invited to give a welcoming speech and joined a group photo with a group of distinguished guests. Moreover, Chow Tai Fook arranged a model presentation showcasing the extraordinary jewellery pieces of Hearts On Fire, the world's first diamond brand revered for its diamond cutting perfection. The stunning design of jewellery pieces with perfectly cut diamond and supreme craftsmanship provided an unforgettable experience for guests.

The Chow Tai Fook store is situated at T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii, located on Royal Hawaiian Avenue in the heart of Honolulu, the capital and largest city of Hawaii, and close to the iconic Waikiki Beach and its luxurious resorts. Covering approximately 970 square feet with a simple and elegant interior design, created exclusively for DFS, the store offers a wide spectrum of jewellery products including gem-set jewellery, exclusive collections and fixed-price gold products, as well as magnificent array of collection, including "Flight of Radiance", "Classic Radiance" and "Oriental Blessings". In addition, there is a Hearts On Fire zone inside the store for customers to explore the collection.

During the event, customers received a premium jewellery box upon any purchase of jewellery piece.

Special Highlight Heart On Fire-Flight of Radiance Collection

Chow Tai Fook, in partnership with DFS Group, the world's leading luxury travel retailer, extended its reach to Hawaii with the opening of its boutique at T Galleria by DFS, Hawaii this May. Celebrating this milestone, Hearts On Fire, a U.S. premium diamond brand acquired by Chow Tai Fook, proudly presents the enchanting "Flight of Radiance" Collection. Inspired by wings, the Collection showcases the world's most perfectly cut diamonds to the world, delighting more stylish women with the timeless designs and unique beauty of diamonds.

A symbol of power, speed and freedom, the light and delicate wings let the birds soar higher in the sky, inspiring elegant yet strong women to strive for their dreams and excel. Sparkling Hearts On Fire diamonds adorn the artistic wing-like designs, encouraging modern women to unleash their inner strength and shine like a flawless diamond.

Chow Tai Fook U.S. Hawaii DFS Store at T Galleria

Address: 212, 2/F, 330 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, Honolulu, HI 96815 (USA)

Tel: (808) 931-2525

High Resolution Images Download Link: https://app.box.com/s/1segdibegno5vmcpx0c7hvq71p6c2j7y

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Group Limited (the "Group"; SEHK stock code: 1929) was listed on the Main Board of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong in December 2011.

Founded in 1929, the iconic brand "Chow Tai Fook" of the Group has been widely recognised for its trustworthiness and authenticity, and renowned for product design, quality and value. The legacy of the Group and its iconic brand is rooted in innovation, craftsmanship and heritage. The Group also encompasses other jewellery brands including Hearts On Fire, Monologue and SOINLOVE.

The Group's commitment to sustainability is anchored in its "Smart+" initiatives which have been in place to promote innovation surrounding its business, people and culture. Another asset underpinning its sustainability is a sophisticated vertically integrated business model which supports the Group in fostering excellence and extending opportunities along the entire value chain. With an extensive retail network of over 2,400 POS in more than 500 cities worldwide, and a fast-growing e-commerce business, the Group is capable of implementing effective online-to-offline ("O2O") strategies and achieving omni-channel retailing.

CTF Customer Service Hotline: (852) 2526 8649 / Website: www.chowtaifook.com

Chow Tai Fook e-Shops: http://ctfeshop.com.hk

About Hearts On Fire

Founded by Glenn and Susan Rothman in 1996, Hearts On Fire is the world's first diamond brand revered for its diamond cutting perfection. Hearts On Fire strictly selects the purest rough diamonds and entrusts them to the hands of master craftsmen. Each diamond is cut and hand-polished in accordance with the jeweler's unique approach to reveal its incomparable beauty and brilliance. Bringing together impeccable quality, supreme craftsmanship and stunning design, Hearts On Fire has established itself as a leading diamond expert committed to showcasing the unparalleled beauty and value of diamonds to the world.

Hearts On Fire has an international presence in 30 countries with over 650 retail points, including Hearts On Fire boutiques, selected jewelry retailers and heartsonfire.com, offering quality diamond jewelry to an enthusiastic and loyal customer base. Manifesting perfection and passion, Hearts On Fire's diamonds are the ideal choices for proposal and other beautiful moments in life.

For more information, please visit http://www.heartsonfire.hk

About DFS Group

DFS Group is the world's leading luxury travel retailer. Established in Hong Kong in 1960, DFS Group continues to be a pioneer in global luxury travel retail, offering its customers a carefully curated selection of exceptional products from over 700 of the most desired brands through 420 boutiques on three continents. Its network consists of duty free stores located in 13 major global airports and 18 downtown Galleria locations, as well as affiliate and resort locations. The Group is privately held and majority owned by the world's largest luxury conglomerate Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton (LVMH), alongside DFS co-founder and shareholder Robert Miller. DFS Group employs over 9,000 people focused on creating inspiring retail experiences for its customers. In 2016, over 157 million travelers visited DFS stores. DFS is headquartered in Hong Kong and has offices in Australia, Cambodia, China, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Macau, New Zealand, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, United States and Vietnam.

For more information, please visit www.dfsgroup.com.

About T Galleria by DFS

T Galleria by DFS, formerly known as DFS Galleria, is the ultimate evolution of the original travel retail concept pioneered by DFS Group. The first downtown store opened in 1968 in Hong Kong, followed shortly thereafter by Honolulu and eventually expanding to 18 locations all over the world. Today, T Galleria by DFS has a presence in the United States, as well as across Asia, Australasia, Europe and the South Pacific regions. Linked to the notion of travel through the use of T for the Traveler, the brand stands for what customers have come to expect: an expertly curated assortment of the world's preferred luxury brands, exceptional retail environments, highly personalized services and unique experiences tailored to their specific needs as travelers. T Galleria by DFS enables travelers to realize their individual style, one journey at a time.

Discover more at www.tgalleria.com.

For media enquiry, please contact:

Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co., Ltd

Esther Wong Esther Chau T: (852) 2610 8387 / 6183 7004 T: (852) 2610 8386 / 6044 7810 E: [email protected] E: [email protected]

DFS Group

Colleen T. Leahy T: (852) 2732 5407 E: [email protected]

SOURCE Chow Tai Fook Jewellery Co. Ltd

Related Links

http://www.chowtaifook.com


ATLANTA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CINC (Commissions Inc), the #1 real estate tech solution powering elite teams, has been selected for Atlanta Business Chronicle's (ABC) 2017 Best Places to Work Awards for the third consecutive year. CINC was recognized via a congratulatory dinner and reception at the InterContinental Buckhead on Wednesday September 6, 2017, where the ABC peeled back the curtain to reveal the best employers Atlanta has to offer.

"We are delighted to again be included amongst the most sought-after companies to work for in Atlanta," said Jason Hoback, co-CEO of CINC. "This honor reaffirms how focused our leadership team is on remaining anchored to our core values and believing in people and their dreams, even as we continue to grow."

The Best Places to Work Awards ceremony is conducted annually by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in an effort to recognize successful companies who go above and beyond to create a positive work environment for their employees. In conjunction with Quantum Workplace, each nominated company participated in a confidential employee survey from mid-June to late July. Companies were then ranked based exclusively on employee survey responses regarding work environment, people practices and other culture-oriented metrics.

CINC employees enjoy a number of fun and unique benefits such as company-provided catered lunch daily, a generous 401K plan, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and a dog-friendly work environment, among others. CINC is currently hiring for a number of Success Partner positions to join its enthusiastic and rapidly growing employee base. For more information about current employment opportunities at CINC visit: https://www.commissionsinc.com/careers/

About Commissions Inc (CINC)

Founded in Marietta, Georgia in 2011, CINC (Commissions Inc.) is the leading provider of web-based real estate marketing and CRM software for elite agents and teams across North America. The solution includes a consumer website that integrates with local MLS data, a complete CRM platform that allows real estate agents to nurture clients and monitor their business, and access to three mobile apps (CINC Agent App, Houses.net, Open Houses by CINC). Built with the support and input of some of North America's top brokers, CINC powers the business for thousands of agents and connects them with millions of consumers every month.

Press Contact:

Brandy Commodore

Marketing and Communications Manager

[email protected]

855-259-7277

SOURCE CINC (Commissions Inc)

Related Links

https://www.commissionsinc.com/


BURLINGTON, Mass., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ClickSoftware today announced the signing of a global reseller agreement with SAP (NYSE: SAP). As part of the agreement, SAP will resell the ClickSoftware Field Service Edge solution as the SAP Scheduling and Resource Management application by ClickSoftware. The solution is available now and enables real-time, automated, context-based recommendations for service planning, scheduling, execution and analysis to support intelligent decision making.

SAP Scheduling and Resource Management provides customers with an improved ability to reduce the costs of service delivery, continuously improve efficiency and optimize customer experiencea key competitive differentiator.

"This agreement with SAP is about putting the customer's customer first by optimizing every stage of service delivery," said Jim McGonagle, Vice President of Alliances at ClickSoftware. "Now, customers using SAP software will be better able to rapidly deliver on the value of workforce optimization. With the power of cloud computing and automated decision making driven by artificial intelligence, companies can be prepared to elevate their customers' experiences while driving revenue growth."

Optimizing every aspect of servicescheduling, routing and individual resource performancecan yield massive savings while also increasing customer satisfaction. More accurate travel-time predictions lead to tighter appointment windows and more jobs completed per day. This can boost efficiency and profitability, and reduce customers' waiting time for service.

"We're pleased to offer our customers SAP Scheduling and Resource Management by ClickSoftware to drive efficiency through workforce optimization," said Rodolpho Cardenuto, president of Global Partner Operations at SAP. "SAP customers across the globe and across industries want to respond to the growing demand for better service experiences from their customers while containing the costs of service. This solution helps them rapidly simulate a variety of service optimization strategies, gaining the ability to test the impact of various approaches and calibrate for continuous improvement."

About ClickSoftware

ClickSoftware is a leading provider of field service management software. ClickSoftware enables customers with intelligent, automated decision making delivered in real time. The cloud-based Click Field Service Edge platform is a cutting-edge solution for optimizing the scheduling and management of a mobile workforce and mission-critical service operations.

For more information, please visit https://www.clicksoftware.com. Follow us on Twitter.

ClickSoftware is a trademark of ClickSoftware, Inc.

SAP and other SAP products and services mentioned herein as well as their respective logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of SAP SE (or an SAP affiliate company) in Germany and other countries. See http://www.sap.com/corporate-en/legal/copyright/index.epx for additional trademark information and notices.

All other product and service names mentioned are the trademarks of their respective companies.

SAP Forward-Looking Statement

Any statements contained in this document that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements as defined in the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "expect," "forecast," "intend," "may," "plan," "project," "predict," "should" and "will" and similar expressions as they relate to SAP are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. SAP undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from expectations The factors that could affect SAP's future financial results are discussed more fully in SAP's filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including SAP's most recent Annual Report on Form 20-F filed with the SEC. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of their dates.

For more information, please contact:

Media Contacts:

Karo Kilfeather Jill Rosenthal ClickSoftware InkHouse for ClickSoftware +1-413-265-9311 +1-781-966-4100 [email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE ClickSoftware

Related Links

https://www.clicksoftware.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, Clutch announced the best agencies in the United Kingdom and Canada in 2017. A ratings and reviews firm based in Washington, DC, Clutch's research has expanded to identify leading B2B providers in the UK and Canada, with their latest report giving particular recognition to the top agencies specializing in advertising, branding, public relations, digital, and pay-per-click services.

The leading firms by category are as follows:

Top Digital Agencies Canada 2017

UNITED KINGDOM

Advertising agencies: Kiosk, Bareface, Left Productions, Split An Atom, and Definition 6.

Branding agencies: Evviva Brands, Brown Owl Creative, Beyond, Redweb, Pragmatic, Crowd, Vox, Definition 6, Series Eight, and B-Reel.

Public relations firms: Red Hot Penny, twentysix, Split An Atom, Custard Online Marketing, and Shilbrook Associates.

Digital agencies: Redweb, Crowd, EnVeritas Group, The SEO Works, Definition 6, Greenlight Digital, Eden Agency, twentysix, Krify Software Technologies Private Ltd., and Glance Creative Ltd.

PPC (pay-per-click) management companies: Profitable Sites, Kiosk, novi-digital, Greenlight Digital, Intalyse, Digivate, Red Hot Penny, The SEO Works, Custard Online Marketing, and Clickingmad Ltd.

CANADA

Advertising agencies: Bob's Your Uncle, Giants & Gentlemen, Havas Canada, Nova Solutions, Jablonski Marketing, talonX Creative Agency, Intrigue Media, Locomotive, and Atomic Motion.

Branding agencies: Lift Interactive Inc., Havas Canada, Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc., Zync, Mediaforce Digital Marketing Agency, Main Street Creative, Jablonksi Marketing, Locomotive, Porat Shalev & Co., York & Chapel, Box Clever, Full Blast Creative, talonX Creative Agency, Bob's Your Uncle, and Bedouin.

Public relations firms: Strategic Objectives, Viral In Nature, Full Blast Creative, and Media Launch.

Digital agencies: THP, Mediaforce Digital Marketing Agency, Lift Interactive Inc., York & Chapel, Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc., Roketto, Full Blast Creative, Awkward Media, Forge and Smith, Atomic Motion, talonX Creative Agency, Local SEO Search, Jablonski Marketing, Box Clever, and Osellus Mobile.

PPC (pay-per-click) management companies: ClientFlo, Top Draw, Mediaforce Digital Marketing Agency, Art & Science Digital Experience Design Inc., Cheeky Monkey Media Inc., Roketto, BlueHat Marketing, Full Blast Creative, seoplus+, Nova Solutions, Awkward Media, DMG Online Marketing, Academic Ads, First Page SEO, and 1st on the List Promotion.

"To be a leading agency in an industry is not easy, but the firms we featured found a way to stand out as the best in their field through their experience, client satisfaction, and overall hard work," said Jenna Seter, Business Analyst at Clutch. "Though our platform is US-based, we're happy to extend our coverage abroad and give these agencies in Canada and UK the recognition they deserve."

To identify the leading agencies, Clutch used its long-standing research methodology that evaluates service firms for their market presence, client base, and project quality.

Companies listed on Clutch also are measured by direct feedback their clients provide. These clients speak with Clutch analysts, who then generate personal reviews of the clients' partnerships with a company. The reviews are published on the companies' profiles listed on Clutch.co.

Clutch's research is ongoing. All firms interested in being featured in the research are encouraged to apply through the Clutch website. Upcoming press releases will highlight global industry leaders.

The full research can be found at:

https://clutch.co/uk/agencies/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/ca/agencies/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/uk/agencies/branding/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/ca/agencies/branding/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/uk/pr-firms/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/ca/pr-firms/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/uk/agencies/digital/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/ca/agencies/digital/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/uk/agencies/ppc/leaders-matrix

https://clutch.co/ca/agencies/ppc/leaders-matrix

About Clutch

A B2B research firm in the heart of Washington, DC, Clutch connects you with the agencies and software solutions that help you to enhance your business and meet your goals. Our methodology maps agencies and software solutions based on consumer reviews, the types of services offered, and quality of work.

Contact

Jenna Seter

202-888-5181

[email protected]

SOURCE Clutch

Related Links

https://clutch.co


CLIFTON, N.J., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Comodo, a global innovator and developer of cybersecurity solutions and the worldwide leader in digital certificates, today announced that the company is offering one year of the Comodo Help Desk support service, free for all managed service providers (MSPs).

Comodo's 24/7 Help Desk gives MSPs the power to surpass client expectations and delivers superior service. It eliminates the need to hire additional employees and allows the MSP to scale quickly, manage more efficiently and grow its business without limits. Comodo takes over the troubleshooting, setup, tune up and maintenance so you and your team can focus on higher level projects.

Comodo's certified technicians are fully trained to handle most Level 1 and 2 support requests. The technicians are regularly trained and monitored for quality to keep performance and efficiency optimal. They are led by experienced managers and team leads that help guarantee the most optimal service and consistency.

Using the Help Desk ticketing system, Comodo provides an extension to your organization by acting as a part of your staff. Available 24/7, it enables you and your team to relax and enjoy your after hours and weekends while simultaneously increasing revenue and providing an increased IT presence.

The Help Desk can provide assistance with:

Virus & malware removal

Desktop performance optimization

PC and peripheral tune up/troubleshoot

Printer and peripheral setup/troubleshoot

User administration

ISP problems troubleshoot

Email and browser setup/troubleshoot

Application setup/troubleshoot (e.g. MS Office, client application)

Shared drive setup

Software installation/uninstallation/updates

Assistance with backup (local & cloud) and recovery

Escalate any further predefined issues (like hardware) to your teams based on your rules

To learn more about the Comodo Help Desk, email [email protected].

About Comodo

The Comodo organization is a global innovator of cybersecurity solutions, protecting critical information across the digital landscape. Building on its unique position as the world's largest certificate authority, Comodo authenticates, validates and secures networks and infrastructures from individuals to mid-sized companies to the world's largest enterprises. Comodo provides complete end-to-end security solutions across the boundary, internal network and endpoint with innovative technologies solving the most advanced malware threats, both known and unknown. With global headquarters in Clifton, New Jersey, and offices in Silicon Valley, Comodo has international offices in China, India, the Philippines, Romania, Turkey, Ukraine and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit comodo.com.

Comodo and the Comodo brand are trademarks of the Comodo Group Inc. or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners. The current list of Comodo trademarks and patents is available at comodo.com/repository.

Keep up to date with the latest Comodo News from the Comodo blog at https://blog.comodo.com/ and on Twitter @ComodoNews.

Connect with Comodo on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/company/comodo.

For more information, media and analysts may contact:

Deb Montner

Montner Tech PR

[email protected]

203-226-9290

SOURCE Comodo

Related Links

http://www.comodo.com


SANTA CLARA, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- According to the results of the latest Innovation in Manufacturing research survey, conducted by Frost & Sullivan's Manufacturing Leadership Council, 90 percent of senior manufacturing industry executives predict that the competitive importance and pace of innovation will increase significantly as companies deepen their adoption of Manufacturing 4.0 (M4.0) technologies.

In addition, as new M4.0 technologies such as advanced analytics assist companies with identifying disruptive new product developments and greater efficiencies and agility on the plant floor, the focus of innovation activities will increasingly shift beyond company walls. Instead, the manufacturing industry's innovation emphasis will move towards the development of new product-related services, supply chain improvements, and innovative business models to create new competitive advantages over the next five years.

"Manufacturing 4.0 technologies are enabling manufacturers to shift the focus of innovation activities beyond their factory walls, opening up new opportunities for disruptive, game-changing improvements," said Paul Tate, Executive Editor and Research Director at the Manufacturing Leadership Council. "There is clear evidence that the focus on competitive innovation for the future of the manufacturing industry is going to become far more intense in an increasingly digitized and fast-changing world."

Click here for the final results and analysis of the Manufacturing Leadership Council's latest Innovation in Manufacturing survey found in the new August issue of the Manufacturing Leadership Journal.

When comparing the highest degrees of emphasis for innovation activities both today and in the next five years, key findings from the Manufacturing Leadership Council's survey include:

Supply chain innovation focus rising substantially from 33 percent to 49 percent

Business model innovation showing a strong increase, up from 29 percent to 52 percent

Service innovation significance increasing from 37 percent to 57 percent

The survey also shows that topping the list of the most transformative technology enablers that will help companies improve their innovation performance in the years ahead are Internet of Things technologies and pervasive sensor networks (64 percent), advanced data analytics (56 percent), and 3D printing systems that allow the rapid prototyping of new product ideas (42 percent).

The new Innovation in Manufacturing survey is one of six exclusive research projects conducted each year by the 800-member strong Manufacturing Leadership Council, the world's foremost executive leadership organization dedicated to driving transformational growth for the world's manufacturing companies along the journey to Manufacturing 4.0. Each research survey is aligned to the Council's Critical Issues agenda, which reflects the views of its senior-level membership on the most urgent and important issues facing the manufacturing industry in the coming year (www.ml-council.com/critical-issues).

About the Manufacturing Leadership Council

Founded in 2008, the Manufacturing Leadership Council's mission is to inspire and support manufacturing executives to achieve transformational growth for themselves, their companies, and the industry at large through enlightened leadership. With 800 senior-level members from many of the world's leading manufacturing companies, the Council focuses on the intersection of advanced technologies and the business, identifying growth and improvement opportunities in the operation, organization and leadership of manufacturing enterprises as they pursue their journeys to Manufacturing 4.0. In support of its mission, the Council produces an extensive portfolio of thought-leading content, networking events, research, industry awards, and professional development products, programs, and services for its members.

For more information and membership details, please visit www.ml-council.com

About Frost & Sullivan

Frost & Sullivan, the Growth Partnership Company, works in collaboration with clients to leverage visionary innovation that addresses the global challenges and related growth opportunities that will make or break today's market participants. For more than 50 years, we have been developing growth strategies for the global 1000, emerging businesses, the public sector and the investment community. Contact us: Start the discussion

Contact:

Jaylon Brinkley

Corporate Communications  North America

P: (210) 247.2481

F: (210) 348.1003

E: [email protected]

www.ml-council.com

SOURCE Frost & Sullivan

Related Links

http://www.frost.com


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Consumer Watchdog today praised Tech giant Oracle for breaking ranks with the rest of the industry and supporting bipartisan Congressional efforts to amend a key Internet law so rogue websites like Backpage.com can be held accountable for facilitating child sex trafficking.

CoStar Group Inc., a real estate technology company that operates Apartments.com, also said in a letter to U.S. Senators that it supports amending the law. The company said it focused on the issue after discovering information through a copyright infringement legal case linking Backpage to sex trafficking.

"Your legislation does not, as suggested by the bill's opponents, usher the end of the Internet," wrote Kenneth Glueck, Oracle Senior Vice President, to Rep. Anne Wagner and Sens. Rob Portman and Richard Blumenthal. "If enacted, it will establish some measure of accountability for those that cynically sell advertising here but are unprepared to help curtail sex trafficking."

"As your and other investigations have demonstrated, sex trafficking has exploded in large part due to nefarious Internet actors that knowingly facilitate and profit from it," Glueck wrote. "We agree that congressional action is necessary to put an end to this tragic exploitation of human beings and hold its online accomplices to account."

Read Oracle's letter to Rep. Wagner here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/oracle_hr_1865_support.pdf

Read Oracle's letter to Sens. Portman and Blumenthal here: http://www.consumerwatchdog.org/resources/oracle_s_1693_support.pdf

"Oracle and CoStar Group understand the problem and are stepping up to do something," said John M. Simpson, Consumer Watchdog's Privacy Project Director. "The rest of the tech industry is acting only in what it perceives to be its self-interest and greedily protecting profits no matter the harm. It's time for Google, Facebook, Amazon, Yelp! and Twitter executives to grow up and act responsibly."

In a letter to U.S. Senators Andy Florence, CoStar CEO, wrote:

"As a Technology company, we believe in, and have benefited from, the growth of the Internet. We understand that an unregulated Internet provides fertile ground for the development of important new and innovative business models, and we will continue to strongly defend that openness. But when we see those driven by greed take advantage of that freedom by facilitating sex trafficking, we cannot be silent.

"The absolute immunity under section 230 of the CDA can no longer be justified at the expense of the exploitation of children. We believe that SESTA is a thoughtful, narrowly tailored remedy, and is long overdue."

Read CoStar Group's letter here: http://www.iamjanedoefilm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/CoStar-SESTA-support.pdf

Tech companies and other defenders of Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act claim it promotes and protects free expression on the Internet, but a U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations staff report shows that sites like Backpage.com aid and abet under-age sex traffickers using the blanket protection of the Act. By one count 73% of child trafficking reports in the United States involve Backpage.com.

The bipartisan Senate bill, the Stop Enabling Sex Traffickers Act of 2017 (SESTA) was introduced by Sen. Rob Portman (R-OH). Its 27 cosponsors include Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Sen. John McCain (R-AZ) and Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO). The House bill, Rep. Ann Wagner's H.R. 1865, the Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act of 2017, has 111 co-sponsors. Both would amend Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, the section of the law that provides a website can't be held liable for what's posted on its site by third parties.

Google has led the Tech industry's drive to block amending CDA Sec. 230. Virtually all of the groups voicing opposition to amending Sec. 230 after S. 1693 was introduced have received funding from Google. Groups include the Internet Association, the Electronic Frontier Foundation, the Center for Democracy and Technology, and the Computer and Communications Industry Association, the R Street Institute, and the Software and Information Industry Association.

Oracle's Glueck noted that technology has changed since the CDA was originally passed in 1996. He wrote:

"Any start-up has access to low cost and virtually unlimited computing power and to advanced analytics, artificial intelligence and filtering software. That capability is also offered as a service in the cloud. The business success of Internet and mobile computing platforms depends on their ability to precisely analyze, arrange and segment applications, data and content, to accurately target them at their most relevant audiences  along with advertising, of course  not to blindly run platforms with no control of the content."

Backpage's abuses and the fight by its victims to hold it accountable are the subject of the documentary film, I am Jane Doe, (http://www.iamjanedoefilm.com) which is now available on Netflix or can be downloaded from Google Play, iTunes or Amazon.

"Watch the film," Simpson said. "You'll clearly understand the abuses that blind defense of Sec. 230 enables."

Visit our website at www.consumerwatchdog.org

SOURCE Consumer Watchdog

Related Links

http://www.consumerwatchdog.org


JACKSON, Mich., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- More than 200 Consumers Energy employees and contract personnel are headed from Michigan to Florida to assist local electric companies preparing for Hurricane Irma's landfall by late this weekend.

Consumers Energy crews, including lineworkers, damage assessors, safety personnel and other field employees, are scheduled to depart the company's Jackson Service Center, 1955 W. Parnall Road, at 12 noon today. Media are invited to arrive after 10:30 a.m. to see crews assemble, conduct interviews with company officials and observe the departure of up to 40 large Consumers Energy bucket trucks and service vehicles, plus company pick-up trucks.

"We are ready and willing to assist our colleagues in Florida as they prepare for this historic hurricane," said Guy Packard, Consumers Energy vice president of electric energy operations. "In the past, we were fortunate to be supported by out-of-state crews following major storms, and with fair weather here in Michigan, this is an opportunity for us to return the favor to our fellow line workers."

During the recent wind storm in July, crews from four states assisted Consumers Energy in its restoration work. In March, the company was assisted by crews from Kentucky, Indiana, Wisconsin, Illinois, Iowa and Ohio.

Additional details of the caravan include the following:

By the Numbers: In addition to more than 50 Consumers Energy employees, the company has released 28 contractor line crews and 30 contractor forestry crews, totaling more than 150 contract workers traveling to Florida.

In addition to more than 50 Consumers Energy employees, the company has released 28 contractor line crews and 30 contractor forestry crews, totaling more than 150 contract workers traveling to Florida. Irma Predictions: Hurricane Irma, currently a very strong Category 5 storm, with peak winds of more than 180 mph, is moving northwest through the Atlantic Ocean toward Florida. Current forecasts estimate the storm striking the southern portion of Florida Sunday morning.

Hurricane Irma, currently a very strong Category 5 storm, with peak winds of more than 180 mph, is moving northwest through the Atlantic Ocean toward Florida. Current forecasts estimate the storm striking the southern portion of Florida Sunday morning. Mutual Assistance Group: The Southeastern Electric Exchange, a collection of more than a dozen electric utilities with operations in the region, is requesting mutual aid from utilities across the Eastern U.S. Consumers Energy is a member of the Great Lakes Mutual Assistance Group, one of the organizations contacted for assistance.

The Southeastern Electric Exchange, a collection of more than a dozen electric utilities with operations in the region, is requesting mutual aid from utilities across the Eastern U.S. Consumers Energy is a member of the Great Lakes Mutual Assistance Group, one of the organizations contacted for assistance. Michigan Crews: Lineworker crews from 15 different Consumers Energy service centers, from Boyne City to South Monroe , are expected to make the trip. Other employees include zone managers and field leaders, mechanics, damage assessors and safety representatives. Their initial destination is scheduled to be Lake City, Fla.

Consumers Energy personnel are expected to remain in the state for up to two weeks, coordinating directly with Florida Power and Light. While in Florida, all of Consumers Energy's costs are paid for by the host utilities.

Note to Editors: Members of the media are encouraged to arrive by 10:30 a.m. for footage of crews arriving at the Jackson Service Center and interviewing company officers for comments on the mutual aid effort. Crews are expected to leave the site by 12 noon. This schedule is subject to change.

For more information about Consumers Energy, go to www.ConsumersEnergy.com.

Check out Consumers Energy on Social Media

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/consumersenergymichigan

Twitter: https://twitter.com/consumersenergy

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/consumersenergy

Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/consumersenergy

SOURCE Consumers Energy

Related Links

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EAST HAMPTON, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Blue Point Brokerage ("Blue Point"), the wholesale insurance subsidiary of Cook Maran & Associates ("Cook Maran"), has been named a coverholder at London-based Lloyds. In this capacity, Blue Point will hold the authority to underwrite and issue policies on behalf of Lloyd's syndicates.

Blue Point and Cook Maran are part of Prime Risk Partners ("PRP"), one of the fastest-growing insurance distribution firms in the U.S. Blue Point's coverholder status connects PRP's New York metropolitan operations with Lloyd's worldwide specialist insurance and reinsurance market; Lloyd's covers more than 200 territories globally.

"This partnership with Lloyd's represents an exciting new chapter in the evolution of our business," said Tim Brenneman, managing director of Blue Point. "We look forward to acting as a Lloyd's coverholder to meet the unique specialty needs of customers in New York and beyond."

Blue Point Brokerage is a specialty wholesaler with a focus on personal and commercial property exposures. Blue Point and its predecessor company, Cook Special Risks, offers more than three decades facilitating complex insurance placements. Blue Point was launched as a Cook Maran subsidiary in 2012; in turn, Cook Maran, one of New York and New Jersey's largest brokers, joined the PRP platform in 2015. Recently, Cook Maran acquired two other New York/New Jersey independent agencies, Mintz, Girgan & Brightly Inc. and Gundermann & Gundermann.

"Cook Maran continues to build on a 70-year reputation earning our client confidence through superior service and expertise," added Len Scioscia, Chairman/CEO of Cook Maran. "As part of the Prime Risk family and with subsidiaries like Blue Point growing our portfolio, the best is yet to come. Blue Point's coverholder relationship with Lloyd's offers a wealth of new opportunities backed by a centuries-long tradition in the industry."

Blue Point Brokerage is a full service insurance wholesaler with access to specialty markets, now including the specialist classes of business underwritten at Lloyd's. Blue Point's team of experience underwriters works closely with highly-rated carriers to offer comprehensive, cost-effective wholesale options  along with value-added services and programs  to its retail partners.

Learn more about Blue Point, Cook Maran, Prime Risk and Lloyd's: http://www.cookmaran.com/about-us/news-events/

SOURCE Cook Maran

Related Links

http://www.cookmaran.com


CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CSF Corporation, the leader in toll-free provisioning, texting, and LCR, and its subsidiary Aerialink, a leading provider of cloud communications solutions, will co-sponsor the Somos Toll-Free Users Summit, September 25 -27.

Every year, Somos, Inc. hosts their users summit to bring together a community of Responsible Organizations (RespOrgs), service providers, and key influencers to discuss the latest topics and trends in the toll-free industry.

As industry leaders, CSF and Aerialink were invited to join as panelists to share their expertise at this year's event. Rich Scanlon, CEO of CSF, will be on the "Drivers of Toll-Free" panel hosted by Somos CEO Gina Perini. Aerialink's President Chris Currie will participate in the "Texting to Toll-Free Numbers" panel led by Vale Staffieri, Somos' Sr. Product Manager. Other companies represented on the panels include Google, Salesforce, and Twilio.

Scanlon said of the event, "I look forward to having a meaningful discussion on how we can continue to spearhead new developments in the toll-free industry, and am excited to participate in this high-powered panel hosted by Ms. Perini."

CSF and Aerialink will be demonstrating their powerful SaaS solutions for toll-free provisioning (8MS Cloud) and messaging (Aerialink Conversations).

"Bringing texting to the toll-free industry is one of the most powerful tools for any business looking to connect further with their customers," commented Aerialink's Chris Currie. "I expect us to discuss in detail the growing role texting plays for toll-free companies."

To schedule a time to meet with senior company representatives at the event, please email [email protected], or stop by our information booth at the event.

About CSF

CSF Corporation is the leading SaaS provider for toll-free provisioning, texting, and least cost routing (LCR). With over 100 carrier and independent RespOrg customers, our flagship offering, 8MS Cloud, helps our clients save time and money by simplifying and automating toll-free voice and text provisioning and reducing carrier costs through optimized LCR.

For more information, visit www.csfcorp.com.

About Aerialink LLC

Aerialink provides a robust cloud communications platform enabling global delivery of SMS, and MMS messaging. From small to large enterprises, businesses rely on us for fast and reliable message delivery to any of our supported 1,200 mobile networks in 220 countries.

Aerialink, a subsidiary of CSF Corporation, was founded in 2002. For further information, visit www.aerialink.com.

SOURCE Aerialink

Related Links

http://www.aerialink.com


SAN DIEGO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Cubic Mission Solutions, a business unit of Cubic Corporation (NYSE: CUB), today announced it will be showcasing its secure networking and portable satellite communications capabilities at the 2017 Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) 2017 in London, U.K. from September 1215. As an industry-leading event for the global defense and security sectors, DSEI brings together members of the Ministry of Defence, international armed forces, key industry leaders as well as private sector companies to showcase the latest equipment and systems for air, land, naval and security.

"Cubic's interoperable, modular and deployable solutions enable mobility and improve resiliency in communications for our wide range of customers, from military to first-responders and government," said Mike Twyman, president of Cubic Mission Solutions. "We look forward to showcasing how our comprehensive end-to-end technologies will ensure mission and operational success for our customers across the globe."

Cubic will showcase the following integrated solutions at booth #N5-380 on the exhibit hall floor at the ExCel London International Convention Centre:

Secure Networking Solutions: Cubic designs and integrates deployable and tactical networking communications technologies that offer extreme modularity, redundancy, reliability and integrated power capabilities allowing the customer to communicate over any available networking technology or through tactical cloud solutions. Cubic provides a diverse range of products that allow customers to transmit push-to-talk radio, telephone, video and data over a broad range of technologies, including cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite networks.

Cubic designs and integrates deployable and tactical networking communications technologies that offer extreme modularity, redundancy, reliability and integrated power capabilities allowing the customer to communicate over any available networking technology or through tactical cloud solutions. Cubic provides a diverse range of products that allow customers to transmit push-to-talk radio, telephone, video and data over a broad range of technologies, including cellular, Wi-Fi and satellite networks. Expeditionary Satellite Communications (SATCOM): Cubic's ultra-portable, inflatable SATCOM terminals enable comparable performance to rigid deployable antennas of similar size, but with up to 90 percent reduction in the logistical size/weight of those systems. This translates to a tremendous operational and transportability advantage for customers across both government and commercial industries.

Follow Cubic Mission Solutions at @Cubic_MS on Twitter and join the social conversation with the hashtag #DSEI.

About Cubic Corporation

Cubic Corporation designs, integrates and operates systems, products and services focused in the transportation, defense training and secure communications markets. Cubic Transportation Systems is a leading integrator of payment and information technology and services to create intelligent travel solutions for transportation authorities and operators. Cubic Global Defense is a leading provider of live, virtual, constructive and game-based training solutions, special operations and intelligence for the U.S. and allied forces. Cubic Mission Solutions provides networked Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (C4ISR) capabilities for defense, intelligence, security and commercial missions. For more information about Cubic, please visit the company's website at www.cubic.com or on Twitter @CubicCorp.

SOURCE Cubic Corporation

Related Links

http://www.cubic.com


SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Vectra, the leader in automating the hunt for in-progress cyber attacks with artificial intelligence, today announced Dan Basile, executive director of the security operations center at Texas A&M University System (TAMUS), is one of the honorees named in the threat seekers category unveiled in the inaugural SC Media Reboot Leadership Awards. Some 39 honorees across a range of professional categories were revealed as part of a special editorial section at SCMagazine.com on Wednesday, August 22, 2017.

Designed and launched to showcase and acknowledge industry luminaries who are positively impacting and advancing the cybersecurity arena, the awards program is an extension of SC Media's annual Reboot edition. In that end-of-the-year special, which is published both in magazine form and as an exclusive, expanded section at SCMagazine.com, the almost 30-year-old brand's editorial team identifies the best and brightest cybersecurity professionals and their many achievements.

"Dan Basile is a passionate, tenacious and thoughtful information security advocate," said Paul Wiggins, program manager for the Knowledge Engineering Center (KEC) of the Texas A&M System Engineering Extension Service (TEEX). "His role and responsibility has increased dramatically over the past 12 years. His great work and, in some cases, pioneering information security efforts in the Texas A&M System, eventually led to his current position as the executive director of the security operations center, where his work has earned him this well-deserved honor."

"I sincerely appreciate this recognition of my team's efforts to detect and mitigate threats in near real time," said Basile. "With more than 250,000 people on our networks at any given time, identifying cyber attackers among these users is a formidable task. But with the security operations center's use of Vectra Cognito, we continue to shrink the time it takes to detect threats. One person can now investigate about 50 threats in just two hours. This enables interns and analysts on our security team to effectively mitigate attacks before any would-be thieves can make off with valuable intellectual property."

This first year of the SC Media Reboot Leadership Awards categories included:

Influencers

Thought Leaders

Threat Seekers

Chief Information Officer/C-Suite

Chief Privacy Officer

Outstanding Freshman

Outstanding Educator

Rising Stars

The contenders who entered to be considered for these various categories faced a thorough judging process conducted by SC Media's editorial team that included a review of their professional backgrounds, references and work undertaken to benefit the wider industry, as well as any other research deemed necessary by editorial leaders. Honorees finally decided in each category by the team have been called out for their outstanding service, qualifications and advancements in the cybersecurity industry.

"Businesses today are increasingly under threat by a range of cybercriminals," said Teri Robinson, executive editor, SC Media. "The cybersecurity leaders we're celebrating with these leadership awards are on the frontlines every day to help defend and protect our critical systems, data and privacy from their attacks. To showcase their advances is SC's honor."

To learn more about Dan Basile and Texas A&M University System's deployment of Vectra Cognito, please click here. To learn more about Vectra or request a demonstration, please click here, or email [email protected].

About SC Media

SC Media is cybersecurity. We've lived it for close to 30 years, sharing industry expert guidance and insight, in-depth features, timely news and independent product reviews in various content forms in partnership with and for top-level information security executives and their technical teams.

SC Media arms information security professionals with the in-depth, unbiased business and technical information they need to tackle the countless security challenges they face and establish risk management and compliance postures that underpin overall business strategies. We deliver breaking news, comprehensive analysis, cutting-edge features, contributions from thought leaders, and the best, most extensive collection of product reviews in the business.

Whether through our comprehensive website, magazine, in-depth eBooks, newsletters, or regularly scheduled digital and live events  such as our SC Awards program, SC Media Roundtables or SC Congress London and other live events in Toronto, New York, Boston and Chicago  our readers gain all the relevant information they need to safeguard their organizations and, ultimately, contribute to their longevity and success.

Join us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/SCMag

Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/scmagazine

About Vectra

Vectra is transforming cybersecurity with AI. Its Cognito platform automates cyberattack detection and response from data center and cloud workloads to user and IoT devices. Cognito correlates threats, prioritizes hosts based on risk and provides rich context to empower response with existing security systems, reducing security operations workload by 168x. Vectra was named "Most Innovative Emerging Company" in the Dark Reading Best of Black Hat Awards. InformationWeek also named Vectra one of the Top 125 companies to watch in 2016. Vectra has been issued 5 U.S. patents with 14 additional patents pending for cybersecurity applications of machine learning and artificial intelligence. Vectra investors include Khosla Ventures, Accel Partners, IA Ventures, AME Cloud Ventures and DAG Ventures. The company is headquartered in San Jose, Calif. and has European regional headquarters in Zurich, Switzerland. For more information, visit https://vectra.ai

Vectra, the Vectra Networks logo and Security that thinks are registered trademarks, and Cognito, the Vectra Threat Labs and the Threat Certainty Index are trademarks of Vectra Networks. Other brand, product and service names are trademarks, registered trademarks or service marks of their respective holders.

Media contact:

LEWIS Global Communications

[email protected]

SOURCE Vectra

Related Links

https://www.vectra.ai


PALO ALTO, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- doc.ai, an advanced natural language processing technology platform for quantified biology, today announced the successful completion of its initial sale of Simple Agreements for Future Tokens ("SAFTs"). A total of ten purchasers acquired SAFTs, consisting of institutional and other accredited investors, for an aggregate purchase amount of approximately $2.3 million.

The early pre-sale of doc.ai's SAFTs, which are convertible into digital tokens named Neurons ("NRNs"), was limited to existing investors and advisors who have either helped support doc.ai in the past, or have demonstrated the desire to partner and support the Neuron Network. Pantera Capital anchored the offering as the lead investor.

"We are excited to be the lead investor in the early SAFT offering by doc.ai," said Paul Veradittakit, Partner at Pantera Capital. "The company offers an unparalleled innovative technology solution at the intersection of blockchain and artificial intelligence."

Anthony Di Iorio, Co-Founder of Ethereum and Founder & CEO of Jaxx, who participated in the early pre-sale, commented: "I am amazed by the potential that doc.ai technology has for millions of people all over the world and possible network effects of the NRN token. I am looking forward to exploring potential synergies between doc.ai and Jaxx."

"The initial pre-sale demonstrates for doc.ai the confidence of these investors," commented doc.ai founder and chief executive officer Walter De Brouwer. "We believe that artificial intelligence is poised to revolutionize healthcare and drastically improve patients' care and experience, and our investors have proven their adherence to our vision."

The pre-sale to eligible investors of SAFTs to acquire doc.ai's Neuron (NRN) tokens, based on the ERC-20 standard, commences on September 7, 2017. The crowdsale process is expected to start on September 28, 2017. The solicitation, offer, and sale of SAFTs in all phases will be conducted in a manner that is compliant with applicable securities laws and regulations, including Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. In the United States, only verified accredited investors will be eligible to purchase SAFTs.

For more information visit tokensale.doc.ai.

About DOC.AI

doc.ai is helping healthcare companies to improve patients' care and experience by creating the industry's most advanced intelligent natural language processing platform that generates insights from medical data. doc.ai's team is teaching machines the language of biology and training the first generation of AI in natural language comprehension and computer vision. doc.ai was founded by the entrepreneurial duo Walter and Sam De Brouwer in 2016. The Palo Alto, California, company has raised seed funding from Comet Labs, F50, Legend Star and S2 Capital, and has several prominent clients.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain information set forth in this press release contains "forward-looking information" under applicable securities laws. Except for statements of historical fact, information contained herein constitutes forward-looking statements and includes, but is not limited to, (i) the projected performance of doc.ai; (ii) the completion of, and the use of proceeds from, the sale of SAFTs; (iii) the expected development of doc.ai's business, projects, and joint ventures; (iv) the execution of the Company's vision and growth strategy, including with respect to future global growth; (v) the sources and availability of third-party financing for doc.ai's projects; (vi) the completion of doc.ai's projects that are currently underway, in development or otherwise under consideration; (vii) doc.ai's ability to launch a functional platform, which includes the related creation and issuance of NRNs; (viii) renewal of the Company's current customer, supplier, and other material agreements; and (ix) the future liquidity, working capital, and capital requirements. Forward-looking statements are provided to allow potential purchasers of SAFTs the opportunity to understand management's beliefs and opinions in respect of the future. These statements are not guarantees of future performance and undue reliance should not be placed on them. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause actual performance and financial results in future periods to differ materially from any projections of future performance or result expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although forward-looking statements contained in this press release are based upon what management believes are reasonable assumptions, there can be no assurance that forward-looking statements will prove to be accurate, as actual results and future events could differ materially from those anticipated in such statements. doc.ai's undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements if circumstances or management's estimates or opinions should change, except as required by applicable securities laws. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.

Securities Disclaimer

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer or solicitation to sell securities. Any such offer or solicitation will be made only by means that are in compliance with applicable securities and other laws, including Rule 506(c) of Regulation D. No information or opinions presented herein are intended to form the basis for any purchase decision, and no specific recommendations are intended. Accordingly, this press release does not constitute investment advice or counsel or solicitation for investment in any security. This press release does not constitute or form part of, and should not be construed as, any offer for sale or subscription of, or any invitation to offer to buy or subscribe for, any securities, nor should it or any part of it form the basis of, or be relied on in any connection with, any contract or commitment whatsoever. doc.ai expressly disclaims any and all responsibility for any direct or consequential loss or damage of any kind whatsoever arising directly or indirectly from: (i) reliance on any information contained in this press release, (ii) any error, omission or inaccuracy in any such information, and (iii) any action resulting therefrom.

Press Contact

Cristina Dunning, Spark for doc.ai

[email protected]

503-507-4758

SOURCE doc.ai

Related Links

https://www.doc.ai


SANTA MONICA, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Douglas Emmett, Inc. (NYSE: DEI), a real estate investment trust (REIT), announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly cash dividend on each share of its common stock of $0.23, or $0.92 on an annualized basis. The dividend will be paid on October 13, 2017 to shareholders of record as of September 29, 2017.

About Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Douglas Emmett, Inc. (DEI) is a fully integrated, self-administered and self-managed real estate investment trust (REIT), and one of the largest owners and operators of high-quality office and multifamily properties located in the premier coastal submarkets of Los Angeles and Honolulu. Douglas Emmett focuses on owning and acquiring a substantial share of top-tier office properties and premier multifamily communities in neighborhoods that possess significant supply constraints, high-end executive housing and key lifestyle amenities. For more information about Douglas Emmett, please visit our website at www.douglasemmett.com.

Safe Harbor Statement

Except for the historical facts, the statements in this press release regarding Douglas Emmett's business activities are forward-looking statements based on the beliefs of, assumptions made by, and information currently available to us about known and unknown risks, trends, uncertainties and factors that are beyond our control or ability to predict. Although we believe that our assumptions are reasonable, they are not guarantees of future performance and some will inevitably prove to be incorrect. As a result, our actual future results can be expected to differ from our expectations, and those differences may be material. Accordingly, investors should use caution in relying on forward-looking statements to anticipate future results or trends. For a discussion of some of the risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements, see "Risk Factors" in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Stuart McElhinney, Vice President  Investor Relations 310.255.7751 [email protected]

SOURCE Douglas Emmett, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.douglasemmett.com


BOSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EC Higher Education recently entered into an official International Pathway Program (IPP) agreement with the highly-respected University of Hartford (UHart), a top 200 US college with a sixty-year track record of academic excellence.

A subdivision of Maltese-owned EC, EC Higher Education is fully-committed and equipped to help its partner institutions establish and strengthen their international profile across all key student source markets, using its extensive resources, experience, and strong network of recruitment partners based in-country throughout the world. Commenting on EC's latest achievement, Executive Chairman Andrew Mangion said:

EC's official partnership with the highly-respected University of Hartford highlights the solid strides we're making in the Higher Education sphere, and promises to be an exciting new collaboration for both parties. I'm confident that by tapping into EC's experience in international recruitment and education, as well as our extensive network of in-market agents, the University of Hartford can achieve its goals and continue to move forward as a truly multicultural institution of learning.

EC and the University of Hartford will be collaborating on the establishment of International Pathway Programs launching for Fall 2018 intake, Dr. Alex Parnia President of EC Higher Education, remarked:

We are elated to partner with the University of Hartford to bring international students from across the globe to their beautiful campus and expand on their efforts of creating a diverse and culturally attuned student body.

This new partnership will not only expand the university's support for its first-year international students on an academic level, but socially and culturally too, with the aim of facilitating smoother integration into the wider student community. Dr. Guy C. Colarulli, Senior Associate Provost at the university, commented that:

The University of Hartford currently welcomes students from 48 states and 63 countries each year. Through our new partnership with EC Higher Education, we're looking forward to further diversifying our student body and helping our international applicants reach their academic goals while being able to integrate more smoothly into life on campus, resulting in an even better overall experience here at Hartford.

The University of Hartford is ranked 188th by the US News and World Report, with its Engineering school ranked 69th best in the country. Through this alliance, international students will be able to enroll in full-time degree courses at the university upon completion of the IPP, if all other admission requirements are met.

ABOUT EC:

EC Higher Education is based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, and is a sub-division of EC. EC Higher Education partners with American universities in order to strengthen their international profiles across key student markets, delivering an intensive academic program designed to meet the linguistic, academic, and cultural standards required for admission into our partner universities

Established in 1991 with its first school in Malta, EC operates with 24 centers in major English-speaking destinations, including London Euston; Times Square, New York; and South Beach, Miami. The Maltese-owned language school chain specializes in English language teaching, with French taught exclusively at EC Montreal.

For more information visit: www.echigher.com/university-of-hartford

MEDIA CONTACT: Jocelyn Duran, [email protected]

SOURCE EC Higher Education

Related Links

http://www.echigher.com


The refocus on in-office work environments comes at a time when many candidates demand work from home options during the interview process. According to the Study, which polled 265 MRI Network executive recruiters worldwide, along with 100 employers and 263 candidates across the U.S., 68 percent of recruiters and 53 percent of employers state candidates expect to work remotely somewhat often to very often. Over half of surveyed candidates say that having a work from home option is somewhat to extremely important as they consider a new job.

"The U.S. unemployment rate is 2.8 percent within the executive, managerial and professional sector, so companies that fail to provide work from home options are definitely missing out on key talent," observes an MRINetwork recruiter that participated in the survey. "In-demand candidates have choices. The more specific or rare their skill set is, their options increase, especially if they work in a field where competition for candidates is fierce. If they don't want to relocate or work five-day weeks in an office environment, they may turn down a solid offer if they can't work remotely."

Technology has made communication, collaboration, security and other aspects of integrating remote employees easier, allowing companies to implement this strategy to attract and retain top talent. As one MRINetwork recruiter notes, "Providing people with the opportunity to work remotely - whether full-time or a few days a week - allows you to access a larger talent pool, while offering flexibility to those who don't want a long commute, or simply just need to be more accessible to their families." Delivering this type of work-life balance is invaluable as a retention strategy, because employees may hesitate to take a job with another company if they don't have the ability to work remotely."

Simply corralling people back into the office doesn't necessarily ensure collaboration. "The work environment and culture have to support and encourage working together, sharing ideas and rewarding innovative thinking," says Nancy Halverson, general manager for MRINetwork.

Companies must formulate a well thought out plan to successfully implement a work from home program. "This necessitates drawing up formal guidelines and finding the right technological tools, as well as hiring people that can thrive in a remote working environment," says Halverson. "Once in place, the program requires oversight and tweaking to make it sustainable and successful. Ultimately, to gain the full benefits you have to make sure remote workers are fully engaged and feel just as much a part of the team as your in-office staff."

"The ability to work from home is here to stay," concludes Halverson. "Collaboration and innovation are vitally important, but technology is continually advancing, empowering remote workers to be indispensable contributors to their in-office teams. Ultimately smart employers will find their workforce is stronger and more effective when it creates an environment generating productivity from both work from home and in office workers."

About the MRINetwork Recruiter Sentiment Study: The MRINetwork 2017 Recruiter Sentiment Study is based on a web-based survey conducted in June 2017 by independent research firm, The Martec Group, with a total of 265 MRINetwork recruiters, 100 employers, and 263 candidates.

This is the 11th edition of the study. Parties interested in viewing the most recent report can download the study at http://www.mrinetwork.com/media/304094/2017hiringsentimentstudy.pdf

About MRINetwork :

Management Recruiters International, Inc., branded as MRINetwork, is one of the largest executive search and recruitment organizations in the world. A subsidiary of CDI Corp. (NYSE:CDI), a provider of engineering & information technology outsourcing solutions and professional staffing in the U.S. and Canada, MRINetwork has approximately 400 offices spanning four continents. Visit MRINetwork at www.mrinetwork.com. For franchising opportunities, visit http://www.mrinetwork.com/franchising/franchising-info/.

SOURCE MRINetwork
MILWAUKEE, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- EnSync, Inc. (NYSE American: ESNC), dba EnSync Energy Systems, a leading developer of innovative distributed energy resources (DERs), and DCfusion, a pioneer in direct current (DC) system engineering design, consulting and policy, have designed and will manage the Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace on-site microgrid demonstration system. The design leverages EnSync Energy's Matrix Energy Management system and DER Flex Internet of Energy software  creating a microgrid that will power the Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace area at Solar Power International (SPI), one of North America's biggest solar trade conferences.

DCfusion is engineering the solar-powered microgrid, while EnSync Energy's technologies will serve as its command and control center. The Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace will also provide connections for companies to demonstrate their technologies working in real time  including energy storage batteries, hydrogen fuel cells and more. EnSync Energy's command center, utilizing EnSync DER Flex technology, will gather data and determine which power sources to prioritize and ensure the loads are supplied with the most reliable and cost-effective energy. The Marketplace's lead organizer is the EMerge Alliance, an open industry association leading the adoption of DC power distribution in commercial buildings through the development of EMerge Alliance standards. DCfusion is an active member.

"Our technologies serve to synchronize DERs in conjunction with dynamic load requirements, ensuring resiliency and real-time prioritization of the highest-value energy asset," said Dan Nordloh, executive vice president of EnSync Energy. "The microgrid not only showcases the range of cleantech companies working to advance solar, but it also provides a vision for the next generation grid, in which decentralized resources are aggregated to provide grid services that benefit all energy stakeholders," he said.

By transmitting DC electricity, the microgrid will reduce energy losses incurred from converting from alternating current (AC) to DC, which is how electricity is typically distributed to businesses and residences. DC microgrids are also ideal for integrating solar power, energy storage and other renewables, as these energy sources are largely smaller-scale and often natively generate DC current.

"In designing this microgrid, our goal is to show how effective a DC infrastructure is in reliably managing and transmitting electricity while minimizing energy loss," said David Geary, co-founder and principal engineer of DCfusion. "As electricity consumption shifts to a portfolio comprised of more renewables, the need for DC-based and hybrid DC-AC system design becomes increasingly critical. DC infrastructure is the invisible foundation of a clean energy future  no one talks about it, but it's crucial to continuing the acceleration of solar and renewables deployment."

The Smart Energy Microgrid Marketplace will be located in the Smart Energy Hall at Solar Power International on September 10 through 13 in Las Vegas. EnSync Energy's Matrix Energy Management platform and DER Flex software system will work together to manage the flow of power to multiple technologies that will be connected to it. The microgrid is composed of an on-site utility power source, energy storage and a live PV array located in the Convention Center parking lot. The system output will feed a DC busbar to conduct and transmit electricity to loads within the Marketplace area.

About EnSync Energy Systems

EnSync, Inc. (NYSE American: ESNC), dba EnSync Energy Systems (EnSync Energy), is creating the future of electricity with innovative distributed energy resource (DER) systems and internet of energy (IOE) control platforms. EnSync Energy ensures the most cost-effective and resilient electricity, delivered from an electrical infrastructure that prioritizes the use of all available resources, such as renewables, energy storage and the utility grid. As project developer, EnSync Energy's distinctive engagement methodology encompasses load analysis, system design consulting, and technical and financial modeling to ensure energy systems are sized and optimized to meet our customers' objectives for value and performance. Proprietary direct current (DC) power control hardware, energy management software, and extensive experience with numerous energy storage technologies uniquely positions EnSync Energy to deliver fully integrated systems that provide for efficient design, procurement, commissioning, and ongoing operation. EnSync Energy's IOE control platform adapts easily to ever-changing generation and load variables, as well as changes in utility prices and programs, ensuring the means to make or save money behind-the-meter, while concurrently providing utilities the opportunity to use DERs for an array of grid enhancing services. In addition to direct system sales, EnSync Energy includes power purchase agreements (PPAs) in its portfolio of offerings, which enables electricity savings for customers and provides a stable financial yield for investors. EnSync Energy is a global corporation, with joint venture Meineng Energy in AnHui, China, and energy project development subsidiary Holu Energy LLC in Hawaii, and DCfusion LLC, a power system engineering and design, consultancy and policy firm. For more information, visit www.ensync.com

Safe Harbor Statement

Certain statements made in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended that are intended to be covered by the "safe harbor" created by those sections. Forward-looking statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe our future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of forward-looking terms such as "believe," "expect," "may," "will," "should," "could," "seek," "intend," "plan," "estimate," "anticipate" or other comparable terms. Forward-looking statements in this press release may address the following subjects among others: our ability to monetize our PPA assets, statements regarding the sufficiency of our capital resources, expected operating losses, expected revenues, expected expenses and our expectations concerning our business strategy. Forward-looking statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, as a result of various factors including those risks and uncertainties described in the Risk Factors and in Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations sections of our most recently filed Annual Report on Form 10-K and our subsequently filed Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q. We urge you to consider those risks and uncertainties in evaluating our forward-looking statements. We caution readers not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. Except as otherwise required by the federal securities laws, we disclaim any obligation or undertaking to publicly release any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statement contained herein (or elsewhere) to reflect any change in our expectations with regard thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statement is based.

Media Relations Contact:

Antenna

Shreema Mehta

[email protected]

(646) 416-9853

EnSync Energy Company Contact:

Michelle Montague

[email protected]

(262) 735-5676

Investor Relations Contact:

Lytham Partners, LLC

Robert Blum, Joseph Diaz, or Joe Dorame

(602) 889-9700

SOURCE EnSync, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.ensync.com


ATLANTA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equifax Inc. (NYSE: EFX) today announced a cybersecurity incident potentially impacting approximately 143 million U.S. consumers. Criminals exploited a U.S. website application vulnerability to gain access to certain files. Based on the company's investigation, the unauthorized access occurred from mid-May through July 2017. The company has found no evidence of unauthorized activity on Equifax's core consumer or commercial credit reporting databases.

The information accessed primarily includes names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver's license numbers. In addition, credit card numbers for approximately 209,000 U.S. consumers, and certain dispute documents with personal identifying information for approximately 182,000 U.S. consumers, were accessed. As part of its investigation of this application vulnerability, Equifax also identified unauthorized access to limited personal information for certain UK and Canadian residents. Equifax will work with UK and Canadian regulators to determine appropriate next steps. The company has found no evidence that personal information of consumers in any other country has been impacted.

Equifax discovered the unauthorized access on July 29 of this year and acted immediately to stop the intrusion. The company promptly engaged a leading, independent cybersecurity firm that has been conducting a comprehensive forensic review to determine the scope of the intrusion, including the specific data impacted. Equifax also reported the criminal access to law enforcement and continues to work with authorities. While the company's investigation is substantially complete, it remains ongoing and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.

"This is clearly a disappointing event for our company, and one that strikes at the heart of who we are and what we do. I apologize to consumers and our business customers for the concern and frustration this causes," said Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Richard F. Smith. "We pride ourselves on being a leader in managing and protecting data, and we are conducting a thorough review of our overall security operations. We also are focused on consumer protection and have developed a comprehensive portfolio of services to support all U.S. consumers, regardless of whether they were impacted by this incident."

Equifax has established a dedicated website, www.equifaxsecurity2017.com, to help consumers determine if their information has been potentially impacted and to sign up for credit file monitoring and identity theft protection. The offering, called TrustedID Premier, includes 3-Bureau credit monitoring of Equifax, Experian and TransUnion credit reports; copies of Equifax credit reports; the ability to lock and unlock Equifax credit reports; identity theft insurance; and Internet scanning for Social Security numbers - all complimentary to U.S. consumers for one year. The website also provides additional information on steps consumers can take to protect their personal information. Equifax recommends that consumers with additional questions visit www.equifaxsecurity2017.com or contact a dedicated call center at 866-447-7559, which the company set up to assist consumers. The call center is open every day (including weekends) from 7:00 a.m.  1:00 a.m. Eastern time.

In addition to the website, Equifax will send direct mail notices to consumers whose credit card numbers or dispute documents with personal identifying information were impacted. Equifax also is in the process of contacting U.S. state and federal regulators and has sent written notifications to all U.S. state attorneys general, which includes Equifax contact information for regulator inquiries.

Equifax has engaged a leading, independent cybersecurity firm to conduct an assessment and provide recommendations on steps that can be taken to help prevent this type of incident from happening again.

CEO Smith said, "I've told our entire team that our goal can't be simply to fix the problem and move on. Confronting cybersecurity risks is a daily fight. While we've made significant investments in data security, we recognize we must do more. And we will."

About Equifax

Equifax is a global information solutions company that uses trusted unique data, innovative analytics, technology and industry expertise to power organizations and individuals around the world by transforming knowledge into insights that help make more informed business and personal decisions.

Headquartered in Atlanta, Ga., Equifax operates or has investments in 24 countries in North America, Central and South America, Europe and the Asia Pacific region. It is a member of Standard & Poor's (S&P) 500 Index, and its common stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) under the symbol EFX. Equifax employs approximately 9,900 employees worldwide.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. These statements can be identified by expressions of belief, expectation or intention, as well as estimates and statements that are not historical fact. These statements are based on certain factors and assumptions with respect to the investigation of the cybersecurity incident to date. While the company believes these factors and assumptions to be reasonable based on information currently available, they may prove to be incorrect.

Several factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the final results of the investigation, including the final scope of the intrusion, the type of information accessed and the number of consumers impacted. A summary of additional risks and uncertainties can be found in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, including without limitation under the captions "Item 1. Business -- Governmental Regulation" and "-- Forward-Looking Statements" and "Item 1A. Risk Factors," and in our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements are given only as at the date of this release and the company disclaims any obligation to update or revise the forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Ines Gutzmer

Corporate Communications

[email protected]

404-885-8555

SOURCE Equifax Inc.
DENVER, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Equus Software, a leading provider of global mobility solutions, today announced that it has earned a spot on the exclusive 2017 Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing private companies. The Inc. 5000 list acknowledges the most successful private companies in the United States from the past year based on revenue and employee growth.

Recognized since 2009, Equus' overall ranking for 2017 is 3,304, with an impressive 96 percent three-year growth rate. In addition, Equus added 63 jobs during that same period to its rapidly growing employee base. As a result of the increase in staff and to optimize organizational effectiveness, the company has also expanded their offices in all three office locations globally: Denver, Dallas, and London.

"We are honored to be named to the Inc. 5000 list again this year  achieving a 556% growth rate since we were first recognized in the Inc. 5000 awards back in 2009," said Equus' CEO, Mark Thomas. "That is a direct result of the deep relationships we build with our clients, coupled with our ability to solve Global Mobility's most pressing challenges with innovative and proven technology solutions."

The 2017 Inc. 5000 is the most competitive crop in the list's history. The average company on the list achieved an impressive three-year average growth of 481%. The Inc. 5000's aggregate revenue is $206 billion, and the companies on the list collectively generated 619,500 jobs over the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/inc5000.

"The Inc. 5000 is the most persuasive evidence I know that the American Dream is still alive," says Inc. President and Editor-In-Chief Eric Schurenberg. "The founders and CEOs of the Inc. 5000 tell us they think determination, risk taking, and vision were the keys to their success, and I believe them."

More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000

The 2017 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2013 to 2016. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2013. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent  not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies  as of Dec. 31, 2016. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2013 is $100,000; the minimum for 2016 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.'s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

About Equus:

Founded in 1999, Equus Software is the market leader in cloud-based relocation and mobility solutions. More than 300 organizations around the world use Equus to automate mundane, transactional work so that global mobility teams, talent management professionals, and other key stakeholders can focus on adding value to the business. Equus has a proven track record for delivering cost-effective global mobility solutions, continuous innovation, and exceptional customer service. www.equusoft.com.

About Inc. Media:

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is the only major brand dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies, with the aim to deliver real solutions for today's innovative company builders. Winner of the National Magazine Award for General Excellence in both 2014 and 2012. Total monthly audience reach for the brand has grown significantly from 2,000,000 in 2010 to over 18,000,000 today. For more information, visit www.inc.com.

Media Contact:

Mandy Hawks

Director of Marketing

Email: [email protected]

Phone: 303-292-4200

Related Links

Equus Software Website

Inc. 5000

SOURCE Equus Software

Related Links

http://www.equusoft.com


In his new post, Gerber will lead Essence's investment group in the region, building an agnostic, cross-platform team that creates differentiated opportunity for clients while leveraging the capabilities of GroupM. Additionally, he will work to develop new investment models rooted in data and solutions-based outcomes, and expand the unique relationships Essence has built with digital platforms to a broader set of media companies. Gerber will report into both Christian Juhl, global CEO of Essence, and Lyle Schwartz, managing partner at GroupM.

Gerber brings with him an eclectic 25 year career working with agencies, platforms and media companies. He spent the first half of his agency years leading traditional media planning for clients like P&G, Burger King, Unilever, Goldman Sachs and UPS, and the second half building digital operations at MEC and Mediavest. Joining Essence ends Gerber's twelve year hiatus from the agency world, during which he served as VP of Ad Products and Strategy at Brightcove, a video platform company, CMO of Quantcast, a data and targeting platform and, most recently, SVP of Client Development and Communications at ABC. While at ABC, he led sales development across both linear and digital offerings, and was highly involved in new measurement, data and effectiveness work.

"The talent within Essence and its overall offering provides a great platform to build a new kind of media agency," said Gerber. "There's a tremendous opportunity to advance both digital and traditional models, and to create more value for consumers, advertisers and the media companies who invest in compelling, ad-supported environments. I'm excited to help shape how we value and trade media for some of the industry's most sophisticated clients, within the leading global media operation of GroupM."

"Adam's extensive background lends itself to understanding both sides of the business; this is extremely important given our full service offering," said Juhl. "As media continues its transition to addressable, data-driven solutions, our mission of 'making advertising more valuable to the world' is increasingly critical. I know Adam shares this vision and will help bring it to life via our investment team."

Gerber's appointment is effective immediately. He will work out of Essence's New York office.

About Essence

Essence, part of GroupM, is a data-driven global agency that blends data science, objective media and captivating experiences to build valuable connections between brands and consumers. Clients include Google, FrieslandCampina, and the Financial Times. The agency is more than 1,100 people strong, manages over $3B in media spend and deploys campaigns in 71 markets via offices in Chicago, Delhi, Dusseldorf, London, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, San Francisco, Seattle, Seoul, Shanghai, Singapore, Sydney, Tokyo and Toronto.

Visit essenceglobal.com for more information and follow us on Twitter at @essenceglobal

SOURCE Essence

Related Links

http://www.essencedigital.com


CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Private Vista, an evolved wealth management firm with locations in Chicago and Hinsdale, has brought a fifth partner to the team. Doug Brown, of The Advisors Group of Chicago, has merged his practice with Private Vista. Doug's approach of helping clients develop a plan for achieving bigger life goals made for a natural fit, says Jim Weil, partner at Private Vista.

Private Vista not only strives to be one of the top independent wealth management firms in the Chicago area, but also to differentiate itself in a very homogeneous industry. Typically, wealth management firms only want to know the numbers so they can create a plan to get their clients to the finish line. To the Private Vista team, there was an untapped area of opportunity  the space where the life decisions and financials intersect.

Private Vista takes a different approach that focuses on looking at both the financial goals and the life goals, and then aligning the two. By working with clients to develop a unique definition of their Private Vista  how they envision themselves living an enriched and fulfilling life  they help clients achieve those goals.

We truly care about our clients and take the time to get to know them so we can provide them with the highest level of service, says Brown. By bridging the gap between life goals and financial decisions, he adds, we're able to serve our clients in a way other firms cannot.

Private Vista's combined households now reaches almost 900 and manages approximately $1.5 billion in assets after the merger with Doug's group, with clients around the Chicagoland area and across the continental U.S. The firm has 35 wealth management professionals and staff who offer clients a wide range of financial services as well as an insightful journey into what makes their lives meaningful.

About The Advisor Group of Chicago and Private Vista, LLC

Private Vista's corporate offices are located at 1 N. LaSalle St., 33rd floor, in Chicago's Loop and its clients also have the option to meet with its advisors in Hinsdale at 120 E. Ogden Ave., Suite 130.

The Advisor Group of Chicago is located in Oak Brook, IL, serving clients across the Chicagoland area since 1997. Doug and his team will office at the Hinsdale location.

SOURCE Private Vista, LLC
From a holistic approach to modular system integration to full-vehicle manufacturing and assembly, Magna works closely with global automakers to solve problems, identify new materials and processes, and provide unique solutions to industry challenges.

"Our breadth of capabilities allows us to serve as a true partner to automakers," said Magna CEO Don Walker. "We know the challenges automakers face and we offer innovative solutions across the vehicle that meet and exceed their safety, performance and comfort targets."

Visit Magna at Booth D34, Hall 8, at the Frankfurt Messe to experience:

360-Degree Capabilities Demonstrator

This vehicle reflects Magna's complete capabilities. It is, quite literally, a 360-degree view of Magna's product, process and materials expertise. Guests can learn more about the capabilities shown and look into the future of the technology with an interactive display wall.

Advanced Driver Assistance Simulator

Take a virtual ride through time and see the impact of various ADAS technologies and how they may change with the future of mobility.

MAX4 Demonstrator

Experience a dynamic demonstration of Magna's scalable autonomous driving platform, which makes Level 4 autonomy possible.

Magna's expertise across multiple product areas allows the company to develop technologies and systems that it believes no other supplier can develop on its own. The company also supports its customers as one of few suppliers that contract manufactures cars, including the BMW 5 Series, the Jaguar I-Pace and E-Pace, and the Mercedes-Benz G-Class.

TAGS

IAA, Frankfurt Motor Show, 360-Degree, Capabilities Demonstrator, full vehicle expertise

ABOUT MAGNA

We are a leading global automotive supplier with 327 manufacturing operations and 100 product development, engineering and sales centres in 29 countries. We have over 161,000 employees focused on delivering superior value to our customers through innovative products and processes, and world class manufacturing. We have complete vehicle engineering and contract manufacturing expertise, as well as product capabilities which include body, chassis, exterior, seating, powertrain, active driver assistance, vision, closure and roof systems and have electronic and software capabilities across many of these areas. Our common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange (MG) and the New York Stock Exchange (MGA). For further information about Magna, visit our website at www.magna.com.

THIS RELEASE MAY CONTAIN STATEMENTS WHICH CONSTITUTE "FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS" UNDER APPLICABLE SECURITIES LEGISLATION AND ARE SUBJECT TO, AND EXPRESSLY QUALIFIED BY, THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS THAT ARE SET OUT IN MAGNA'S REGULATORY FILINGS. PLEASE REFER TO MAGNA'S MOST CURRENT MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF RESULTS OF OPERATIONS AND FINANCIAL POSITION, ANNUAL INFORMATION FORM AND ANNUAL REPORT ON FORM 40-F, AS REPLACED OR UPDATED BY ANY OF MAGNA'S SUBSEQUENT REGULATORY FILINGS, WHICH SET OUT THE CAUTIONARY DISCLAIMERS, INCLUDING THE RISK FACTORS THAT COULD CAUSE ACTUAL EVENTS TO DIFFER MATERIALLY FROM THOSE INDICATED BY SUCH FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS. THESE DOCUMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FOR REVIEW ON MAGNA'S WEBSITE AT WWW.MAGNA.COM.

SOURCE Magna International Inc.
SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- FD.io ("Fido"), relentlessly focused on data IO speed and efficiency supporting the creation of high-performance, flexible, and scalable software defined infrastructures, today announced Arm, Linaro, and Netgate have joined the project at the Silver level, and Canada's Center of Excellence in Next Generation Networking (CENGN) joins FD.io as the first Associate member. The newest members further diversify FD.io's existing roster of chip vendors, integrators, network vendors, and service providers committed to accelerating high-performing, dynamic computing environments.

FD.io offers the software defined infrastructure developer community a landing site with multiple projects fostering innovations in software-based packet processing towards the creation of high-throughput, low-latency, and resource-efficient IO services suitable to many architectures (x86, ARM, and PowerPC) and deployment environments (bare metal, VM, container). With the addition of Arm and Linaro  a leading collaborator of open source development within the Arm ecosystem  the project can expect greater integration within the Arm architecture and broader ecosystem.

"We are pleased to welcome the newest FD.io members, all of whom are helping to accelerate open source software-based packet processing," said David Ward, FD.io Board Chair and SVP, CTO, and Chief Architect of Engineering, Cisco. "Arm joining as an official member  combined with Linaro, which champions Arm-related open source efforts  will support even greater collaboration and growth across chipsets and ecosystems. Additionally, Netgate has been a prominent code contributor as we welcome CENGN as the first Associate member, continuing the organization's existing relationship with the community."

The newest members are coming on following the project's recent FD.io 17.07 release, which includes improvements to the TCP Host Stack and support for several new container dataplane interfaces that support VPP use cases, such as a VPP-based vSwitch talking to a VPP-based Virtual Network Function (VNF). The release also includes a number of new overlay protocols (e.g., MPLS over Segment Routing, GRE over IPv6, and GTP-U), and a ten percent improvement in VXLAN performance.

Learn more about the Universal Dataplane  including recent performance gains, the latest release, and VNF interoperability  in the recent webinar, "Acceleration with the Universal Dataplane - FD.io" which is available for viewing on-demand: https://www.brighttalk.com/webcast/12229/274463

FD.io will hold a Mini-Summit co-located with CloudNativeCon + KubeCon North America, 5 December in Austin, Texas. Join the community and learn about FD.io projects, use cases, capabilities, integration between FD.io and Kubernetes/OpenStack/ODL/OPNFV/other communities, tools, and many more exciting topics. More details, including how to submit a talk, are available here: https://fd.io/event/kubecon-north-america-dec-5-2017/

More about the newest members

Arm technology is at the heart of a computing and connectivity revolution that is transforming the way people live and businesses operate. From the unmissable to the invisible, the company's advanced, energy-efficient processor designs are enabling the intelligence in 86 billion silicon chips and securely powering products from the sensor to the smartphone to the supercomputer. With more than 1,000 technology partners, including the world's most famous business and consumer brands, the Arm team is driving innovation into all areas compute is happening inside the chip, the network, and the cloud.

"Open source communities require more choices for higher performance, lower latency processing across next-generation virtualized networks," said Noel Hurley, vice president and general manager, Infrastructure Group, Arm. "The VPP engine at the heart of the FD.io project is providing application developers with a robust set of services on top of lower level network I/O layers, OpenDataPlane, and DPDK. This is a great opportunity to showcase how the Arm ecosystem delivers packet processing acceleration with unmatched energy efficiency to VPP applications."

CENGN (Canada's Center of Excellence in Next Generation Networking) is a consortium of industry, academic, and research leaders dedicated to accelerating the commercialization of next generation communications solutions. CENGN's internationally recognized testing centre employs interoperability between multiple software and hardware products, providing a unique environment to commercialize advanced products, applications and services. CENGN's fully operational data centre is running a production OpenStack environment with multiple connections to a real-world WAN including a dark fibre connection that enables connectivity speeds of more than 100Gbps. CENGN services include Proof of Concept (PoC) validation and hosting, interoperability/performance/certification testing, technical training (SDN, NFV, IPv6, ODL, OpenStack), Innovation for Hire, and Commercialization Acceleration. CENGN members include: Cisco, EXFO, GENBAND, Fujitsu, Invest Ottawa, Juniper, Nokia, Rogers, TELUS, VIAVI, Wind River, and Zayo Canada.

"CENGN is proud to become FD.io's first Associate member, a project that is making significant impacts within the open source community," said Ritch Dusome, president and CEO, CENGN. "Working with FD.io on IO speed and efficiency will provide for more flexible and scalable networks, which is crucial for the optimization of next generation networking. Having facilitated development of the OPNFV Fast Data Stacks Project over the past year, we are excited to continue our support of FD.io as an official member of the open source project."

Linaro is leading collaboration on open source development in the Arm ecosystem. The company has over 250 engineers working on consolidating and optimizing open source software for the Arm architecture, including developer tools, the Linux kernel, Arm power management, and other software infrastructure. Linaro is distribution neutral: it wants to provide the best software foundations to everyone by working upstream, and to reduce non-differentiating and costly low level fragmentation. The effectiveness of the Linaro approach has been demonstrated by Linaro's growing membership, and by Linaro consistently being listed as one of the top five company contributors, worldwide, to Linux kernels since 3.10.

"Linaro has been working on the software defined networking dataplane since the launch of OpenDataPlane (ODP) in 2013. ODP is built on a functional pipeline that matches the flexible graph technology at the heart of VPP. ODP intends to provide VPP with performance gains through look-aside or inline acceleration on servers (Arm or x86), Arm-based SmartNICs, and Cloud/NFV infrastructures. We believe that FD.io is a good centralized location to provide best in class networking infrastructure technology and leverage the unique hardware acceleration capabilities provided by each architecture," said Francois Ozog, director of the Linaro Networking Group (LNG). "We're happy to expand our partnership with The Linux Foundation and look forward to helping extend this activity well beyond the already established ODP4VPP project, while using associated developments in the networking dataplane to benefit our members."

Netgate is dedicated to developing and providing secure networking solutions to businesses, government and education institutions around the world. pfSense, one of world's most trusted open source firewalls, is actively developed by Netgate, which has an installed base of over one million firewall users. The company is extending its open-source leadership and expertise into high-performance software routers  capable of delivering compelling value at a fraction of the cost of proprietary solutions.

"FD.io's VPP is integral to our upcoming high-performance security router which leverages VPP, DPDK, RESTCONF, Intel QuickAssist and other technologies," said Jim Thompson, CTO of Netgate. "This new product  which can deliver over 40 Gbps IPsec throughput and 42.6 million packets per second layer three routing on commodity hardware  will soon achieve release candidate status, with commercial availability not far behind. Obviously, we are long-standing believers in the open source movement, and are both excited by FD.io's continued progress, and proud to be a member of this growing consortium."

About FD.io

The Fast Data Project (FD.io) "Fido" is a collaborative open source project that aims to establish a high-performance IO services framework for dynamic computing environments. The FD.io community includes Network IO, Packet Processing, and Dataplane Management Agents fostering innovations in software based packet processing towards the creation of high-throughput, low-latency, and resource-efficient IO services suitable to many architectures (x86, Arm, and PowerPC) and deployment environments (bare metal, VM, container).

FD.io is hosted by at The Linux Foundation. Linux Foundation Projects are independently funded software projects that harness the power of collaborative development to fuel innovation across industries and ecosystems. www.linuxfoundation.org

The Linux Foundation has registered trademarks and uses trademarks. For a list of trademarks of The Linux Foundation, please see its trademark usage page: https://www.linuxfoundation.org/trademark-usage. Linux is a registered trademark of Linus Torvalds.

Additional Resources

About FD.io

About the Technology

Join the Community

Upcoming Events

Media Contact

Jill Lovato

The Linux Foundation

[email protected]

SOURCE FD.io

Related Links

https://fd.io


JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Fidelity National Financial, Inc. ("FNF") (NYSE: FNF), today announced that the FNF Board of Directors has set the record date and distribution date for the previously announced distribution ("the Distribution") of all of the outstanding shares of common stock of New BKH Corp. ("New BKH") to FNF Group shareholders. New BKH will hold all of the shares of Class B common stock of Black Knight Financial Services, Inc. ("Black Knight") beneficially owned by FNF and all of the Class A units of Black Knight Financial Services, LLC beneficially owned by FNF. The Distribution will be made on September 29, 2017 (the "Distribution Date") to FNF Group shareholders as of the close of business on September 20, 2017 ("the Record Date").

Immediately following the Distribution, New BKH and Black Knight will engage in a series of transactions ending with a new publicly-traded holding company, Black Knight, Inc. ("New Black Knight"), formerly known as Black Knight Holdco Corp. FNF Group shareholders will ultimately receive a total of approximately 83.3 million shares of New Black Knight common stock, or approximately 0.3067225 shares of New Black Knight common stock for each share of FNF Group common stock that they own. Commencing on October 2, 2017 (the trading day following the Distribution Date), New Black Knight's shares will be traded on the New York Stock Exchange ("NYSE") under the trading symbol "BKI". New BKH's shares will not trade on the NYSE.

The completion of the Distribution and the other transactions described in this release remain conditioned on the satisfaction of the conditions described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus referred to below. The FNF Board of Directors has reserved the right to withdraw or change the declaration of the dividend at any time prior to the Distribution.

The Distribution and the subsequent receipt of shares of New Black Knight common stock is expected to generally be tax-free to FNF Group shareholders for U.S. federal income tax purposes, except to the extent of any cash received in lieu of New Black Knight fractional shares.

Information Regarding the Distribution

No vote or action of FNF Group shareholders is required in connection with the Distribution. Shortly following the Distribution, FNF Group shareholders of record on the Record Date will receive Direct Registration System ("DRS") statements by mail from Continental Stock Transfer & Trust Company ("CST"), the transfer agent for New Black Knight, reflecting their ownership interest in shares of New Black Knight common stock. For additional information, registered shareholders should contact CST at (212) 509-4000.

FNF Group shareholders who hold their shares through brokers or other nominees will have their shares of New Black Knight common stock credited to their accounts by their nominees or brokers. Please note, however, that CST will have information regarding only FNF Group shareholders of record. Beneficial shareholders who hold their FNF Group shares through an institution such as a brokerage firm, bank or other institution, should contact the broker, bank or other institution where they maintain their account regarding the pending Distribution.

Trading in Shares of FNF Group Common Stock Between the Record Date and the Distribution Date

FNF Group common stock will trade "regular way" on the NYSE on and after September 19, 2017 up to and including September 29, 2017. As a result of the related "due bill" trading procedures, persons acquiring shares of FNF Group common stock in the market through September 29, 2017 will still receive shares of New Black Knight common stock (as a result of the automatic conversion of the New BKH shares described above) and persons selling shares of FNF Group common stock will be selling their right to receive shares of New Black Knight common stock. The "ex-distribution" date for the Distribution will be October 2, 2017. Shareholders are encouraged to consult with their financial advisors regarding the trading policies and practices of the NYSE relating to the Distribution.

If you sell your shares of FNF Group common stock prior to or on the Distribution Date, you also may be selling your right to receive the distribution of shares of New BKH common stock. You are encouraged to consult your broker or financial advisor regarding the specific implications of selling FNF Group common stock prior to or on the Distribution Date.

About Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Fidelity National Financial, Inc. is organized into two groups, FNF Group (NYSE: FNF) and FNFV Group (NYSE: FNFV). FNF is a leading provider of title insurance, technology and transaction services to the real estate and mortgage industries. FNF is the nation's largest title insurance company through its title insurance underwriters - Fidelity National Title, Chicago Title, Commonwealth Land Title, Alamo Title and National Title of New York - that collectively issue more title insurance policies than any other title company in the United States. FNF also provides industry-leading mortgage technology solutions and transaction services, including MSP, the leading residential mortgage servicing technology platform in the U.S., through its majority-owned subsidiaries, Black Knight Financial Services and ServiceLink Holdings. FNFV holds majority and minority equity investment stakes in a number of entities, including American Blue Ribbon Holdings, LLC, Ceridian HCM, Inc. and Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, Inc. More information about FNF and FNFV can be found at www.fnf.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Statements that are not historical facts, including statements regarding our expectations, hopes, intentions or strategies regarding the future are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs, as well as assumptions made by, and information currently available to, management. Because such statements are based on expectations as to future financial and operating results and are not statements of fact, actual results may differ materially from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. The risks and uncertainties which forward-looking statements are subject to include, but are not limited to: our ability to successfully achieve the conditions to and consummate the Distribution; uncertainties as to the timing of the Distribution; uncertainties as to the approval of Black Knight's shareholders required in connection with the Distribution; the possibility that the closing conditions to the Distribution may not be satisfied or waived, including that a governmental entity may prohibit, delay or refuse to grant a necessary regulatory approval; the risk that stockholder litigation in connection with the Distribution may affect the timing or occurrence of the Distribution or result in significant costs of defense, indemnification and liability; changes in general economic, business and political conditions, including changes in the financial markets; transaction costs; diversion of management's time and attention in connection with the Distribution; and other risks detailed in the "Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information," "Risk Factors" and other sections of our Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC").

Additional Information and Where to Find It

This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities, nor shall there be any sale of securities in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended. In connection with the Distribution, (i) New BKH filed with the SEC on June 21, 2017 a preliminary registration statement on Form S-1, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on July 18, 2017, Amendment No. 2 on August 14, 2017, and Amendment No. 3 on August 23, 2017, which the SEC declared effective on August 25, 2017, and (ii) New Black Knight filed with the SEC on June 13, 2017 a preliminary registration statement on Form S-4, as amended by Amendment No. 1 on July 18, 2017, Amendment No. 2 on August 14, 2017, and Amendment No. 3 on August 23, 2017, which the SEC declared effective on August 25, 2017 (as so amended, the "New Black Knight Registration Statement"). The New Black Knight Registration Statement included a prospectus and a proxy statement, which was sent to Black Knight's shareholders on or about August 28, 2017 in connection with their votes required in connection with the Distribution. INVESTORS AND SECURITY HOLDERS ARE URGED TO READ THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND PROXY STATEMENT AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS BECAUSE THEY WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE TRANSACTIONS.

Investors and security holders may obtain these materials and other documents filed with the SEC by FNF or New BKH free of charge from the SEC's website, www.sec.gov. These documents can also be obtained free of charge from FNF by directing a written request to Fidelity National Financial, Inc., 601 Riverside Avenue, Jacksonville, Florida 32204, Attention: Corporate Secretary, Telephone: (904)-854-8100.

Participants in a Solicitation

The directors and executive officers of FNF and other persons may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies in respect of proposals to approve the transactions discussed herein. Information regarding the directors and executive officers of FNF is available in its definitive proxy statement, which was filed with the SEC on April 26, 2017, and amended or supplemented by the information contained in the supplement to the proxy statement, filed with the SEC on June 2, 2017. Free copies of this document may be obtained as described in the preceding paragraph.

FNF - G

SOURCE Fidelity National Financial, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.fnf.com


NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ --The Global Hope Coalition, in cooperation with UNESCO, brings together a group of first ladies and other invested leaders to address the effects of terrorism and violent extremism on women and children. The joint action meeting will take place September 18th, 2017 at the New York Public Library in New York City, at the onset of the United Nations General Assembly week.

Participants are expected to issue a statement urging the international community to take concrete and urgent measures to deal with a crisis that could lead to a lost generation across the Middle East and Africa, with catastrophic consequences.

Scheduled speakers and guests include: Jeanette Kagame, First Lady of Rwanda; Keita Aminata Maiga, First Lady of Mali; Akie Abe, First Lady of Japan; Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO; Cherie Blair, Founder of Cherie Blair Foundation; Wided Bouchamaoui, President of the Tunisian Confederation of Industry, Trade and Handicrafts and 2013 Nobel Peace Prize laureate; Alexandra Chen, mental health and psychosocial advisor to UN agencies on the Syria crisis; Hafsat Mohammed, community organizer working against Boko Haram in northern Nigeria; and Denis Mekwege, gynecologist, Founder of the Panzi Hospital in Bukavu, D.R. of Congo. Two recognized researchers from the Experts Committee of the Global Hope Coalition  Prof. Phyllis Magrab and Farah Pandith, former State Department Special Representative to Muslim Communities  will also speak at the meeting. UNESCO's director for gender equality, Saniye Gulser Corat, will moderate.

The rise of terrorism and violent extremism around the world has exposed thousands of women and children to traumatic and often life-threatening situations. The newly formed Global Hope Coalition  committed to fighting violent extremism and intolerance, preserving cultural heritage, and promoting intercultural dialogue  is leveraging its global platform and network to mobilize stakeholders to achieve meaningful policies and practices for these women and children.

"The long-term effects of extremism and terrorism on emotional well-being, growth, and development can be devastating, but there are protective factors and interventions that can ameliorate the effects, including strong social supports, family adaptations, and other programs and policies," said Phyllis Magrab, Professor of Pediatrics and Director of the Georgetown University Center for Human and Child Development. "Through the Global Hope Coalition, we will outline solutions and a path forward that will benefit the lives of those women and children impacted by terrorism and extremism."

The event will take place 10:30 AMNoon ET on September 18th at the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue in New York City.

For additional information and for media registration, email: [email protected]

ABOUT THE GLOBAL HOPE COALITION

Established in September 2017, The Global Hope Coalition is an international initiative dedicated to providing a global platform to bolster the civil society campaign to fight violent extremism and intolerance, preserve cultural heritage, and promote intercultural dialogue. Learn more at http://globalhopecoalition.org/.

SOURCE Global Hope Coalition

Related Links

http://globalhopecoalition.org


DUBLIN, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The "Flavor Enhancers Market by Type (Acidulants, Glutamates, Hydrolyzed Vegetable Proteins, Yeast Extracts), Application (Processed & Convenience Foods, Beverages, Meat & Fish Products), Form, Source, & Region - Global Forecast to 2022" report has been added to Research and Markets' offering.

The global flavor enhancers market witnessed steady growth in the last few years. The market size is projected to reach USD 8.18 Billion by 2022, at a CAGR of around 5.6% from 2017 to 2022. Increasing demand for convenience food & beverage products and rise in consumption of monosodium glutamate are the major driving factors of this market.

The flavor enhancers market, by type, is segmented into acidulants, glutamates, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, yeast extracts, and others (sweetness enhancers and nucleotides). Glutamates are largely used as flavor enhancers to enhance the umami taste in foods. Monosodium glutamate (MSG) is the most widely used glutamate in meat products and savory foods. The market was followed by acidulants in terms of market size in 2016.

By form, the market has been segmented on the basis of powder and liquid & semi-liquid. Powdered flavor enhancers are most widely used by manufacturers, since these enhancers are easier to handle; hence, flavor enhancers in the powdered form account for the largest share in the market. Flavor enhancers enhance the original taste and aroma of food, without imparting a characteristic taste or aroma of its own.

On the basis of application, the flavor enhancers market is segmented by into processed & convenience foods, beverages, meat & fish products, and others (bakery, dairy, confectionery products, and condiments). The processed & convenience foods segment accounted for the highest market share in 2016. Flavor enhancers are used to enhance the umami taste in savory foods and hence its widest application lies in the processed & convenience foods. The market for convenience & processed foods is established in the developed regions, such as North America and Europe, which offer a stable growth for the flavor enhancers market. Countries such as India and China witness a high consumption of MSG in processed foods, which is expected to augment the market for flavor enhancers in the Asia-Pacific region.

The flavor enhancers market in Asia-Pacific was the largest in 2016, and it is projected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period. The major driver for the growth of the flavor enhancers market in the region is due to the growth of the food & beverage industry in emerging economies such as India and China.

Stringent regulations and international quality standards for flavor enhancers is the major factor restraining the flavor enhancers market. For instance, the assessment of flavor enhancers is done for safety purpose before using them in food. These enhancers are strictly reviewed, and in the case of non-adherence, actions can be enforced by the regulatory bodies. The European Union (EU) Legislation requires the flavor enhancers to be labeled with an E-number. These E-numbers should pass the safety test and must be approved by the regulatory body. According to the USDA FSIS (Food Safety & Inspection Service) regulation, animal or vegetable proteins must be specifically identified on the label in the list of ingredients, and the source of the protein also must be disclosed. This poses as a restraint for the market growth.

Companies Mentioned:



Cargill



Tate & Lyle Plc



Associated British Foods Plc



Corbion N.V.



Sensient Technologies Corporation



Novozymes A/S



E.I. Dupont De Nemours And Company



Angel Yeast Co., Ltd



Innova Flavors



Savoury Systems International, Inc.



Senomyx, Inc.



Ajinomoto Co, Inc.

Key Topics Covered:



1 Introduction



2 Research Methodology



3 Executive Summary



4 Premium Insights



5 Market Overview



6 Flavor Enhancers Market, By Type



7 Flavor Enhancers Market, By Form



8 Flavor Enhancers Market, By Application



9 Flavor Enhancers Market, By Source



10 Flavor Enhancers Market, By Region



11 Competitive Landscape



12 Company Profiles



13 Appendix



For more information about this report visit https://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/5v5zrv/flavor_enhancers

Media Contact:

Laura Wood, Senior Manager

[email protected]



For E.S.T Office Hours Call +1-917-300-0470

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For GMT Office Hours Call +353-1-416-8900



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Fax (outside U.S.): +353-1-481-1716

SOURCE Research and Markets

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The report " Food Safety Testing Market by Food Tested (Meat & Poultry, Dairy, Processed Foods, and Fruits & Vegetables), Target Tested (Pathogens, Pesticides, GMOs, and Toxins), Technology (Traditional and Rapid), and Region - Global Forecast to 2022 ", published by MarketsandMarkets, the market was valued at USD 12.01 Billion in 2016. It is projected to grow at a CAGR of 7.60% from 2017, to reach 18.54 billion by 2022. The global Food Safety Testing Market is expanding with considerable growth potential over the next five years. The growth of this market can be attributed to global rise in foodborne outbreaks, advancements in testing technologies, globalization of food supply, and stringent international food safety regulations.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160303/792302 )

Browse 87 Market Data Tables and 92 Figures spread through 238 Pages and in-depth TOC on "Food Safety Testing Market - Global Forecast to 2022"

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/food-safety-365.html

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Pathogen estimated to be the largest segment of target tested in 2017.

The pathogen segment is estimated to account for the largest market share in the Food Safety Testing Market in 2017. Salmonella, E. coli, Listeria, and Campylobacter are the major pathogens responsible for food contamination and toxicity. They account for major contaminants found in food and account for major number of food safety testing. Increasing incidences of foodborne illness, globally, due to pathogen outbreaks is driving the pathogen segment.

Download PDF Brochure: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/pdfdownload.asp?id=365

Rapid technologies to be dominant in 2017.

The rapid segment is estimated to account for the larger share in the Food Safety Testing Market, in terms of value, in 2017. Multifunctional testing options that offer time-efficient and flexible testing to its end users form a key driver fueling the growth of rapid technologies.

Make an Inquiry: http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Enquiry_Before_Buying.asp?id=365

North America is estimated to be the most lucrative market for food safety testing.

In 2017, the North American market is estimated to account for a significant share in the global Food Safety Testing Market. The significant share in the North American region is attributed due to the increase in outbreaks of foodborne illnesses, stringent regulations pertaining to food safety, presence of large number of food safety testing players, and growth in population in the region.

This report includes a study of marketing and development strategies, along with the product portfolios of leading companies. It includes the profiles of leading companies such as the SGS SA (Switzerland), Eurofins Scientific (Luxembourg), Intertek Group plc (UK), Bureau Veritas SA (France), ALS Limited (Australia), Merieux NutriSciences (US), TUV SUD (Germany), TUV Nord Group (Germany), AsureQuality Ltd (New Zealand), Microbac Laboratories, Inc. (US), Genetic ID NA, Inc. (US), and Laboratory Corporation of America Holdings (US).

Browse Related Reports

Food Pathogen Testing Market by Type (E.coli, Salmonella, Campylobacter, Listeria), Technology (Traditional, Rapid), Food Type (Meat & poultry, Dairy, Processed food, Fruits & Vegetables, Cereals & Grains), & by Region - Global Forecasts to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/food-pathogen-testing-market-202386163.html

North American Food Safety Market by Contaminant (Pathogen, GMO, Toxin, Pesticides), Technology (Traditional & Rapid), Food Tested (Meat & Poultry, Dairy, Fruit & Vegetable, Processed Food), & by Country - Trend & Forecast to 2020

http://www.marketsandmarkets.com/Market-Reports/north-american-food-safety-testing-market-1214.html

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SOURCE MarketsandMarkets
FREMONT, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Baton Systems ("Baton", formerly known as Ubixi), the industry's fastest, on-demand, and highly secure platform for clearing, settling and managing payments between financial institutions, has appointed former Citigroup Vice Chairman Lewis B. Kaden to its Advisory Board. He joins Arjun Malhotra, Co-Founder of HCL Technologies and Headstrong, as the newest addition to Baton's Advisory Board.

The two appointments come during a time of rapid growth and expansion for Baton, with the Company also making key engineering hires to support the growth of its product. In the past six months, since the technology went live, Baton has already been adopted by two of the world's five largest foreign exchange trading banks, a top futures commission merchant, as well as a major global clearing house.

Kaden was labeled "The Most Powerful Banker You've Never Heard of" by Bloomberg Businessweek in 2009. He joined Citigroup in 2005, where he oversaw the bank's global functions and advised the CEO on numerous strategic and business matters. Kaden has also served as Chairman of the United States Government Overseas Presence Advisory Panel, as well as Chairman of the Industrial Cooperation Council of the State of New York and Governor Mario Cuomo's Commission on Competitiveness. He holds degrees from both Harvard College and Harvard Law School.

"The methods used by banks to settle and manage capital can be improved to increase speed, reduce error rates, and lower costs," said Kaden. "I'm pleased to be joining the team at Baton that has engineered a streamlined solution to one of the banking sector's most widespread technical issues."

Malhotra co-founded HCL Technologies in 1975, building it into one of India's largest providers of IT products and serving as Vice Chairman until 1998. He then founded Headstrong, which quickly became the fastest growing consulting company addressing the Capital Markets. Headstrong was sold to Genpact in 2011.

"Baton is a young company, but we are working with some of the largest banks and financial institutions across the globe to address some of their biggest pain points," said Arjun Jayaram, CEO and Founder of Baton Systems. "Adding experts like Lewis Kaden and Arjun Malhotra to our Advisory Board is a major step toward establishing our role as one of the key disruptors in the industry."

Arjun Jayaram is a seasoned business technologist, who ran the anti-spam division of Twitter, and later served as Vice President of Technology at mobile payments provider Dwolla.

In addition to the new appointments to its Advisory Board, Baton has also added two engineering veterans  James Perry and Amish Asthana  to its team. Perry has over 20 years of engineering software architecture experience with companies including Amazon, ExaBeam, and HP. Amish Asthana brings to Baton over 15 years of experience in engineering and development with companies such as Oracle, CipherCloud and Lending Club.

About Baton Systems

Baton Systems delivers advanced technology solutions, bringing a new level of speed, efficiency and accuracy for financial institutions to clear, settle and manage payments. Founded in 2016 by industry veterans in technology, payments and capital markets, and backed by venture capital, Baton Systems works with numerous market participants  including major global banks, custodian banks and exchanges  to meet today's demands for cost savings, regulatory requirements and better capital management.

SOURCE Baton Systems

Related Links

http://www.batonsystems.com


JUNO BEACH, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Florida Power & Light Company (FPL) today announced that they have mobilized a restoration workforce of more than 11,000 employees and contractors in preparation for the landfall of Hurricane Irma. The company has activated more than 20 staging sites and is already pre-positioning crews in the areas anticipated to be hardest hit, so they are ready to respond safely and as quickly as possible. FPL is continuing to secure additional support and resources from out-of-state utilities and electrical contracting companies.

"We continue to pre-position an army of line and vegetation workers across the state where they can make the biggest impact as soon as it is safe to do so," said Eric Silagy, president and CEO of FPL. "Due to the strength and magnitude of Irma, our service area will likely see widespread and substantial destruction that will require crews to literally rebuild parts of our electric system. Restoring power through repairs is measured in days, while rebuilding our electric system could be measured in weeks. However, no matter how extensive the damage, we are fully committed to working around the clock to get the lights back on for our customers."

While the path of the storm continues to fluctuate, the latest forecast from the National Hurricane Center indicates the increasing chance of a direct hit to Florida, and life-threatening wind, storm surge and rainfall will likely be felt throughout FPL's entire service territory with significant impacts to the most densely populated areas.

"We have been extremely aggressive with our tree trimming and vegetation-management program each and every year," said Silagy. "That said, given this will likely be Mother Nature's first wholesale clearing effort in South Florida in more than a decade, we fully anticipate whole trees located off FPL's right-of-way and major debris to cause power outages. Following severe weather, crews must cut away trees and large branches that have fallen into power lines, or that are in the way, to find and fix damage safely and as quickly as possible."

FPL is better prepared for hurricanes now than at any time in our company's history. We have invested nearly $3 billion since 2006 to build a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid that will allow us to restore power much faster than ever before. However, customers should expect prolonged power outages and they may experience more than one outage throughout the duration of the storm. FPL has one of the strongest electric systems in the country, but no utility is hurricane-proof, especially when facing a storm such as Irma.

"Hurricane Irma is one of the most powerful Atlantic hurricanes in recorded history  the likes of which the continental United States has rarely seen. It has already taken a devastating toll and claimed several lives in the Caribbean, and now it appears that much of Florida will likely feel the full impact of this formidable Category 5 storm," said Silagy. "Now is not the time to take a chance. We are taking this storm extremely seriously and we urge our customers to do the same. Customers should finalize preparations for their homes and families, heed warnings and evacuation orders and keep a close eye on the development of the storm."

What we're doing

At FPL we have activated our emergency response plan, which includes:

Mobilizing more than 11,000 workers and their equipment to speed restoration;

Acquiring additional restoration workers from out-of-state utilities and electrical contracting companies, and pre-positioning those already on hand;

Opening more than 20 staging sites in the areas most likely to be impacted;

Coordinating our response with county and state emergency operations centers; and

Continuing to communicate with customers in multiple ways, including automated calls and text messages.

As Irma's outer bands begin to impact our service territory, we will restore power to customers as long as it's safe to do so. Immediately following the hurricane, once winds drop below 35 mph, we will continue restoration and conduct damage assessments with our field crews. These assessments help us determine an accurate estimate of when we will complete restoration.

Please stay safe

Safety is always FPL's first priority. We urge customers to make it their top priority, too:

Keep a battery-operated radio on hand with a two-week supply of fresh batteries, along with other essentials.

Record your FPL account number in a location that will be readily available. By knowing your account number, you will be able to quickly access your account online at FPL.com. Also, have our phone number (1-800-4OUTAGE or 1-800-468-8243) handy in the event you need to call to obtain information through our automated system.

If someone in your home is dependent on electric-powered, life-sustaining medical equipment, review your family emergency plan for back-up power or make arrangements to relocate now.

If you plan to use a ladder while preparing your home for the storm, note the location of power lines before you begin. Be sure that ladders or scaffolds are far enough away so that you  and the ends of the tools you're using  stay at least 10 feet away from power lines. Before lowering a TV antenna or satellite dish, make sure to turn off and unplug the TV.

Most counties suspend trash and debris pickup before a storm. Please do not trim trees now, as high winds can turn cut branches into dangerous, flying debris. However, if you already have trimmed trees, please help to prevent outages by tying down or securing loose branches or other debris.

Adjust refrigerators and freezers to their coldest settings ahead of time to keep food fresher longer in the event of a power outage.

Don't venture out in the dark, because you might not see a downed power line that could be energized and dangerous; avoid standing water and debris.

If you see a downed power line, call 911 or FPL at 1-800-4OUTAGE (1-800-468-8243). Stay away from all power lines.

Heed the warnings and evacuation orders by local, state and federal officials.

Additional preparation and safety tips are available at FPL.com/storm. In addition, customers can download the new FPL Mobile App for on-the-go, instant and secure access to their accounts. Customers can report or get the latest information on an outage. The app is available for download in the iOS App Store and Google Play. Since the app launched at the beginning of storm season, there has been more than a quarter of a million downloads.

We've invested in a stronger, smarter energy grid

Since 2006, we have invested nearly $3 billion to build a stronger, smarter and more storm-resilient energy grid to help us restore power faster following outages. By the end of 2017, FPL's enhancements to the energy grid will include:

Strengthening nearly 860 main power lines, serving critical community facilities and services, such as police and fire stations, hospitals, 911 centers, grocery stores and gas stations;

Placing more than 450 main power lines underground;

Clearing vegetation  a major cause of power outages  from more than 150,000 miles of power lines;

Regularly inspecting the company's 1.2 million power poles, and upgrading or replacing those that no longer meet FPL's standards for strength; and

Installing nearly 5 million smart meters and 83,000 intelligent devices to help predict, reduce and prevent power outages, and restore power faster if outages occur.



Our system improvements mean fewer power outages, faster service restoration following storms and more reliable service for our customers every day. Over the last five years, FPL has improved service reliability by 25 percent. During Hurricanes Hermine and Matthew last year, our smart grid automated switches helped prevent nearly 150,000 customer interruptions. In addition, our strengthened main power lines resulted in 30 percent fewer power interruptions during a storm than standard power lines, and none of our strengthened poles failed during the 2016 hurricane season. That said, each storm is unique, as is the region impacted, which can affect restoration efforts.

As a lesson learned from 2012's Superstorm Sandy, FPL has installed real-time water monitors at 223 substations that are most susceptible to storm surge and flooding throughout our service area. Substations play a critical role in providing service to customers by reducing high-voltage electricity from transmission lines to a level that can be distributed and used throughout FPL's service area.

While the monitors clearly cannot prevent flooding, they do give us more advanced warning if a flood threat emerges and allow us to proactively shut down a substation earlier. This mitigates damage to our system and allows us to bring the substation online faster following a storm.

How to stay informed

FPL communicates restoration information to customers frequently through the news media and the following resources:

FPL website: FPL.com

Twitter: twitter.com/InsideFPL

Facebook: facebook.com/FPLConnect

FPL blog: FPLblog.com

FPL Power Tracker: FPL.com/powertracker

FPL Mobile App: Download from the iOS App Store or Google Play

Customers also can sign up for pre- and post-storm email updates at FPL.com/storm.

Florida Power & Light Company

Florida Power & Light Company is the third-largest electric utility in the United States, serving nearly 5 million customer accounts or an estimated 10 million people across nearly half of the state of Florida. FPL's typical 1,000-kWh residential customer bill is approximately 25 percent lower than the latest national average and, in 2016, was the lowest in Florida among reporting utilities for the seventh year in a row. FPL's service reliability is better than 99.98 percent, and its highly fuel-efficient power plant fleet is one of the cleanest among all utilities nationwide. The company received the top ranking in the southern U.S. among large electric providers, according to the J.D. Power 2016 Electric Utility Residential Customer Satisfaction StudySM, and was recognized in 2017 as one of the most trusted U.S. electric utilities by Market Strategies International. A leading Florida employer with approximately 8,900 employees, FPL is a subsidiary of Juno Beach, Florida-based NextEra Energy, Inc. (NYSE: NEE), a clean energy company widely recognized for its efforts in sustainability, ethics and diversity, and has been ranked No. 1 in the electric and gas utilities industry in Fortune's 2017 list of "World's Most Admired Companies." NextEra Energy is also the parent company of NextEra Energy Resources, LLC, which, together with its affiliated entities, is the world's largest generator of renewable energy from the wind and sun. For more information about NextEra Energy companies, visit these websites: www.NextEraEnergy.com, www.FPL.com, www.NextEraEnergyResources.com.

SOURCE Florida Power & Light Company

Related Links

http://www.nexteraenergy.com


FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Galderma, based in Fort Worth, is the medical solutions business of Nestle Skin Health. Galderma has appointed Alisa Lask as the company's new Vice President and General Manager of the Aesthetic & Corrective Business Unit in the United States, effective September 1, 2017. Alisa was previously Vice President of Marketing of the same business unit.

In her new role, Alisa will manage Galderma's broad portfolio of treatments  including Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane - L and Sculptra Aesthetic  and continue to build on the portfolio's two decades of leadership in aesthetic medicine. In the U.S., Galderma most recently launched Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne, two FDA-approved, next-generation flexible HA dermal fillers that continue to deliver on the franchise's mission to be the leader in natural expression.1

"Since joining Galderma in 2015, Alisa has consistently demonstrated her ability to direct strategy, interpret market insights and lead teams," said Miles Harrison, President & General Manager, Galderma North America. "She's a visionary executive with strong business acumen and passion for the customer. The North American Leadership Team and I are delighted for her to take this critical role for the Aesthetic & Corrective business."

"I am confident with Galderma's rich pipeline we will continue to bring solutions to the marketplace that transform category expectations, and I'm honored to lead a business unit poised to deliver a new chapter of aesthetic innovation," said Alisa.

Alisa has a long history in medical device and aesthetic industries, including her time at Allergan in global strategic marketing for facial aesthetics where she focused on new product planning in aesthetic innovation. Prior to that, she was Vice President of global strategic marketing at Zimmer Biomet, the global leader of hip and knee implants. Additionally, Alisa spent 11 years at Eli Lilly specializing in marketing for women's health and neuroscience. Alisa received an MBA from University of Michigan in Marketing and a Bachelor's degree from University of Miami, Oxford, Ohio in Marketing and Finance.

About Galderma

Galderma, Nestle Skin Health's medical solutions business, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio to treat a range of dermatological conditions. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically-defined and medically-proven solutions for the skin, hair and nails.

Strategic brands in the U.S. include Epiduo Gel, Epiduo Forte Gel, Oracea Capsules, Clobex Spray, Mirvaso Gel, MetroGel Gel, Soolantra Cream, Vectical Cream, Tri-Luma Cream, Cetaphil, Differin Gel OTC, Restylane, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, Dysport and Sculptra Aesthetic.

For more information, please visit www.galdermausa.com and www.galderma.com.

Important Safety Information

Approved Uses:

Restylane Refyne is for mid-to-deep injection into the facial tissue for the correction of moderate to severe facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, in patients over the age of 21.

Restylane Defyne is indicated for injection into the mid-to-deep dermis for correction of moderate to severe, deep facial wrinkles and folds, such as nasolabial folds, in patients over the age of 21.

Contraindications:

Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne contain traces of gram-positive bacterial protein and are contraindicated for patients with allergies to such material or for patients with severe allergies that have required in-hospital treatment. They should not be used by patients with bleeding disorders, with hypersensitivity to amide-type local anesthetics, such as lidocaine, or by women who are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Possible Side Effects:

The most commonly observed side effects include swelling, redness, pain, bruising, tenderness, headache, lump formation, and itching at the injection site. Use at the site of skin sores, pimples, rashes, hives, cysts, or infection should be postponed until healing is complete.

These products should not be injected into the blood vessels as they may cause vascular occlusion, infarction, or embolic phenomena. Use with caution in patients recently treated with anticoagulant or platelet inhibitors to avoid bleeding and bruising.

As with all skin injection procedures, there is a risk of infection.

To report a side effect with any of the Restylane products, please call Galderma Laboratories, L.P at 1-855-425-8722.

Restylane Refyne and Restylane Defyne are available only through a licensed practitioner. Complete Instructions for Use are available at www.RestylaneUSA.com.

 2017 Galderma Laboratories, L.P. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

1 Data on file. 05DF1502 Clinical Study Report. Fort Worth, TX: Galderma Laboratories, L.P., 2016.

SOURCE Galderma

Related Links

http://www.galderma.com


FORT WORTH, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Galderma, a global leader focused on medical solutions in skin health, has appointed Chris Chapman as the company's new Vice President and General Manager of Prescription Business in the United States, effective September 1, 2017. Chris previously served as Vice President of Strategic Access for Galderma's Prescription Business Unit. Galderma Laboratories, L.P., based in Fort Worth, is the U.S. medical solutions business of Nestle Skin Health. Galderma has an extensive portfolio of prescription, consumer, and aesthetic and corrective treatments for patients, consumers and health care professionals, including flagship brands Epiduo Forte Gel, Soolantra Cream, Oracea Capsules, Cetaphil and the Restylane family of dermal fillers.

In this new role, Chris will manage Galderma's broad portfolio of prescription medications including the full line of products that treat acne, psoriasis, eczema and rosacea. He will also oversee Galderma CareConnect, a patient savings card program that offers discounts to patients on the quality dermatology prescription medications offered by Galderma.

Chris joined Galderma in 2015, and in his previous position as Vice President of Strategic Access was responsible for commercial payer account management and contracting, trade account management and branded consumer rebate programs. During his tenure, Chris developed and launched the Galderma CareConnect program. The program has grown to more than 40,000 pharmacies and served more than 500,000 unique patients, and just celebrated the milestone of 1,000,000 prescriptions.

"Chris joined Galderma with more than 25 years of pharmaceutical experience and has successfully leveraged his intimate knowledge of the pharmaceutical industry, specializing in payer and contracting, to modernize our prescription business in the face of price and access demands," said Miles Harrison, President & General Manager, Galderma North America. "He is a proven business leader and the right person to lead the Prescription Business Unit into the future."

"Galderma has a rich portfolio of prescription products that truly change peoples' lives," said Chris. "I'm proud to be a part of the innovation that we deliver to both health care professionals and patients. And I look forward to leading the prescription business unit in continued advancements in skin health, especially for people suffering from skin diseases such as acne, and rosacea."

Chris received his Bachelor of Science degree from Towson University in Maryland.

About Galderma

Galderma, Nestle Skin Health's medical solutions business, was created in 1981 and is now present in over 100 countries with an extensive product portfolio to treat a range of dermatological conditions. The company partners with health care practitioners around the world to meet the skin health needs of people throughout their lifetime. Galderma is a leader in research and development of scientifically-defined and medically-proven solutions for the skin, hair and nails.

Strategic brands in the U.S. include Epiduo Forte Gel, Oracea Capsules, Clobex Spray, Mirvaso Gel, Soolantra Cream, Vectical Cream, Tri-Luma Cream, Cetaphil, Differin Gel OTC, Restylane, Restylane Silk, Restylane Lyft with Lidocaine, Restylane Refyne, Restylane Defyne, Dysport and Sculptra Aesthetic.

For more information, please visit www.galdermausa.com and www.galderma.com.

 2017 Galderma Laboratories, L.P. All trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Galderma

Related Links

http://www.galderma.com


TURLOCK, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- As part of an on-going commitment to cage free and organic egg production, Gemperle Farms, an industry leader in specialty eggs announced today that its conversion to 100% cage free will be accelerated and completed by 2023. The previous commitment stated conversion to cage free would be completed by 2024.



Gemperle Family Farms accelerates conversion to cage free egg production

"A great majority of our food retail, food manufacturing, and food service and hospitality customers have committed to using 100% cage free by 2025. Our conversion timeline of 2023 completion puts us two years ahead of most of our customer commitments," said Gemperle Family Farms President Steve Gemperle.

As part of the company's ongoing commitment to animal welfare and sustainable egg production, they plan to convert all barns, including their fully enriched colony barns to 100% cage free aviary and open barn production by 2023. A major portion of this conversion to cage free and organic has already been completed in the past decade.

"We have always appreciated our customers who have supported the cage-free and organic movement," Gemperle said. "We are seeing an acceleration of this trend at both the consumer, foodservice, and manufacturing level which will allow us to complete our conversion by 2023."

Gemperle Family Farms is committed to provide affordable, sustainable eggs to its customers in the local food chain. Today's announcement confirms their responsibility to animal welfare and providing their customers the local cage free eggs they have pledged to purchase. The company's accelerated conversion schedule to 2023 allows its customers to more easily meet their pledge to purchase 100% cage free by 2025.

Gemperle Family Farms, based in Stanislaus County, California, has been an industry leader for over two decades in specialty eggs such as browns, organic and cage free. Their dedication to customer needs and high animal welfare standards has helped them become one of the finest egg producers in the country. All eggs are produced with both sustainable and science based practices. Gemperle Family Farms appreciates those consumers that support the production of cage free and specialty eggs and help move the egg industry forward to the highest standards of animal welfare practices.

About Gemperle Family Farms

The Gemperle's have been local California egg producers since the 1950s. They have been leaders in cage-free and organic egg production for over two decades. Their commitment to providing consumers the healthiest and most nutritious local egg choices is the heart of their business philosophy. Additionally, the company donates over 500,000 eggs every year to free lunch programs, community nonprofits, and food banks. For more information, visit the Gemperle Family Farms website.

Contact

Susan Gemperle-Abdo

[email protected]

208 484 7375

SOURCE Gemperle Family Farms

Related Links

http://gemperle.com


WILMINGTON, N.C., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gibson Consultants LLC, a retained search firm serving healthcare payors and digital health companies, announced today that it has merged with its affiliate, Enterprise Recruiters LLC, a contingency recruiting firm also focused on digital health companies. The combined company, which will keep the Gibson Consultants name, has also opened an additional office with four new search consultants in Wilmington, North Carolina.

Both moves were prompted by growing demand for search services among companies serving the healthcare market. In response to increased complexity and uncertainty from political and market forces, healthcare companies are under pressure to design and execute new business models. These require skills and experience often not found within their organizations. As a result, they are forced to recruit talent externally.

"The competition for talent in healthcare has been brisk since 2010, but I can't remember when it's been this fierce," said James T. Gibson, President of Gibson Consultants. "The supply/demand imbalance cuts across functional areas and levels, affecting operations through sales and managers and directors up through the C-suite.

"Given the scope of our clients' talent acquisition demands, we need delivery flexibility beyond the traditional choice of retained vs. contingency. Our clients place special value in a partner agile enough to meet their needs up and down the organization. Besides retained or contingency, this might mean a mixed model, a volume-hiring contract, or a special project done alongside the client's talent acquisition group. As a result, we feel it no longer makes sense to have two companies, each with a different search model."

In addition to merging the companies, Gibson Consultants has added an office in North Carolina with four new recruiters, also specializing in healthcare companies.

About Gibson Consultants

Gibson Consultants, a search firm specializing in companies in the business of healthcare, helps clients build executive and management teams. Its client list includes some of the most respected and innovative companies in the healthcare payor and health IT markets.

Media Contact:

Margaret D. Stamatis

Gibson Consultants

203 241 5735

SOURCE Gibson Consultants

Related Links

http://www.gibson-consultants.com


NEW YORK, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

According to the recently-published report by Persistence Market Research, the global market for gene expression analysis will reflect a steady growth during the forecast period, 2017-2022. By the end of 2022, the global gene expression analysis market is predicted to surpass US$ 4,500 Mn valuation, reflecting a robust CAGR in terms of revenues. The study throws a light on various factors influence the dynamics of global gene expression analysis market, and offers insightful projections, the highlights of which are mentioned below.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20161114/438683LOGO )



Global Market Research Report Overview on Gene Expression Analysis @ https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/gene-expression-analysis-market.asp

Gene Expression Analysis Market: Regional Forecast

Through 2022, North America is anticipated to hold a leading position in the global market for gene expression analysis. Most of the companies operating in the expansion of global gene expression analysis market are based in the US. Moreover, North American research institutes contributing to the field of functional genomics continue to support the development of new drugs derived from gene expression analysis studies. Drug discovery is a key application of gene expression analysis, and the US healthcare markets are observed as lucrative grounds for players in the global gene expression analysis market.

North America's gene expression analysis market is pegged to be reach a billion dollar valuation by the end of 2017. The report projects that throughout the forecast period, the gene expression analysis market in North America will reflect a robust CAGR, wherein the US market will be observed as the largest contributor to this growth.

Europe is also expected to reflect impressive growth as the gene expression analysis market in this region is poised to create an incremental opportunity of over US$ 200 Mn between 2017 and 2022.

The gene expression analysis market in Asia-Pacific excluding Japan (APEJ) region is anticipated to record fastest growth. To the contrary, Japan's gene expression analysis market is expected to reflect lowest CAGR during the forecast period.

A sample of this report is available upon [email protected] https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/samples/17995

Widespread Adoption of Northern Blotting Technology

On the basis of technology, the report projects that northern blotting will be at the forefront of adoption, and will reflect highest share on global revenues of gene expression analysis market. DNA microarrays and PCR techniques are also projected to gain traction as preferred technologies used for synthesizing functional gene products through gene expression analysis. Advancements in RNA-sequencing, 2-D gel electrophoresis, western blotting, immunoassays, ChIP, mass spectrometry and other technologies are also expected to influence the future prospects of global gene expression analysis market.

The report further projects that gene expression analysis will find higher traction in drug discovery & development applications. Towards the end of the forecast period, application of gene expression analysis in drug discovery & development is anticipated to procure over US$ 1,200 Mn in global revenues. Concurrently, the demand for gene expression analysis products with low- to mid- plex capacity will also witness considerable uptake during the forecast period. The report also anticipates that sales of products - kits & reagents - will reflect a sizeable share on the value of global gene expression analysis market throughout the forecast period. By the end of 2022, kits & reagents will register over one-third share on the global market revenues for gene expression analysis.

View Report Table of Contents, Figures, and [email protected] https://www.persistencemarketresearch.com/market-research/gene-expression-analysis-market/toc

The report has also profiled key players in the global market for gene expression analysis, which include Agilent Technologies, Inc., Bio-Rad Laboratories, Inc., General Electric Company, Luminex Corporation, Illumina, Inc., Oxford Gene Technology IP, PerkinElmer, Inc., QIAGEN NV, Roche Holding AG, and Thermo Fisher Scientific, Inc.

Global Market Study on Gene Expression Analysis is available for US$ 4,900

Persistence Market Research Overview

Persistence Market Research (PMR) is a third-platform research firm. Our research model is a unique collaboration of data analytics and market research methodology to help businesses achieve optimal performance.

To support companies in overcoming complex business challenges, we follow a multi-disciplinary approach. At PMR, we unite various data streams from multi-dimensional sources. By deploying real-time data collection, big data, and customer experience analytics, we deliver business intelligence for organizations of all sizes.

Contact

Persistence Market Research

U.S. Sales Office:

305 Broadway, 7th Floor

New York City, NY 10007

+1-646-568-7751

United States

USA - Canada Toll-Free: 800-961-0353

Email: [email protected]



SOURCE Persistence Market Research Pvt. Ltd.
ALBANY, New York, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

With the increasing penetration of mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) solutions, a number of companies have been encouraged to extend their product portfolios, among which Bixolon Co. Ltd., First Data Corp., Hewlett-Packard Development Co., Oracle Corp., PayPal Holdings, and VeriFone Systems Inc. are the leading ones. A new study by Transparency Market Research (TMR), a shift in the focus of mPOS solution vendors toward emerging economies that are considered to be mPOS-ready, such as India, China, Mexico, and Brazil can be observed over the next few years on account of the rising base of card users, increasing penetration of smart phones and tablets, and the technological advancements, states the research report.

According to the research study, the global market for mPOS will reach US$4.2 bn by 2017. Further, expanding at an exceptional CAGR of 35.40% during the period from 2017 to 2025, the opportunity in this market is anticipated to attain a value of US$47.7 bn by the end of the forecast period. Currently, the demand for card reader accessories is much higher than integrated card reader solutions and the trend is projected to remain so over the next few years. NFC, EMV chip and pin, and hybrid technology are predicted to maintain their demand in this market in the near future. Among end users, the retail industry is likely to continue commanding a high number of mPOS solutions over the forthcoming years. Geographically, Europe is at the forefront of the global mPOS market at present. Researchers expect the scenario to remain same throughout the period of the forecast, notes the research study.

Avail a PDF Sample for this Research Report @ http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=6742

Promising Opportunities in U.K., U.S., and Japan Propel Market's Growth

"With favorable conditions, such as increasing penetration of cards and a burgeoning installed base of smartphone and Internet users, many a countries, particularly the U.K., the U.S., and Japan, are offering advantageous opportunities for the growth of the global market for mPOS," states a TMR analyst. People across the world are preferring cashless transactions, especially mobile payments, which is the main factor behind the significant growth of this market. The rising popularity of cloud-based solutions in the information technology sector is another important factor that is fueling the usage of mPOS, globally.

Over the forthcoming years, developing economies are anticipated to witness a healthy inflow of investments from leading solution vendors, owing to the presence of a combination of favorable macroeconomic factors, such as a large pool of small and micro merchants and implementation of positive government policies. This, as a result, will reflect greatly on the global market in the near future, states the report.

Get more information from Research Report Press Release: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/pressrelease/mpos-market.htm

The global mobile point-of-sale (mPOS) market is segmented as below:

By Solution type

Integrated Card Reader Solutions

Card Reader Accessories Dongles Sleeves



By Technology

Hybrid Technology Solutions

EMV Chip and Pin

Magnetic-stripe

Chip and Sign

Near Field Communication (NFC)

Biometrics

By End User

Restaurants

Hospitality

Health Care

Retail

Warehouse/Distribution

Entertainment

Transportation Public Transport Rental Cars and Intercity Buses

Government

Consumer Utility Services

By Geography

North America The U.S. Canada Rest of North America

Europe The U.K. Germany France Spain Italy Rest of Europe

Asia Pacific (APAC) China Japan India Indonesia Rest of Asia Pacific

(APAC) Middle East and Africa (MEA) GCC Countries South Africa Rest of MEA

and (MEA) South America Brazil Rest of South America



Top Research Reports by TMR:

Mobile Edge Computing (MEC) Market :

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/mobile-edge-computing-market.html

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/mobile-edge-computing-market.html Mobile Robotics Market:

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/mobile-robotics-market-2017-2025.html

About Us

Transparency Market Research (TMR) is a global market intelligence company, providing global business information reports and services. Our exclusive blend of quantitative forecasting and trends analysis provides forward-looking insight for thousands of decision makers. TMR's experienced team of Analysts, Researchers, and Consultants, use proprietary data sources and various tools and techniques to gather and analyze information.

Our data repository is continuously updated and revised by a team of research experts, so that it always reflects the latest trends and information. With a broad research and analysis capability, Transparency Market Research employs rigorous primary and secondary research techniques in developing distinctive data sets and research material for business reports.

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SOURCE Transparency Market Research
GREENVILLE, S.C., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- GrandSouth Bancorporation (OTC-QB:GRRB), the holding company for GrandSouth Bank

GrandSouth Bancorporation had another excellent quarter of growth in total assets ending June 30, 2017. Our investment into three new markets combined with organic growth in our legacy offices produced asset growth of approximately 31.6% year over year. Total assets grew from $459.0 million as of June 30, 2016 to $603.9 million as of June 30, 2017. For the quarter, total assets grew approximately $44.5 million or 8.0% from March 31, 2017. In addition, we expanded our footprint down to the coast by adding two experienced bankers in the Charleston Market. Rob Phillips, Senior Vice President/Market President, and Alan Uram, Senior Vice President/Commercial Banker, both longtime Charleston bankers, joined our team in May. Rob has 37 years of banking experience and comes to us from NBSC where he served as the Coastal Area Executive. He has worked in the Charleston market for 25 years and his previous territory covered the entire coast from Hilton Head to Myrtle Beach. Alan also comes to us from NBSC where he previously served as the Charleston Market President and has worked in Charleston for the last 15 years. We are very optimistic about our entrance into one of South Carolina's fastest growing cities and the value Rob and others bring to our franchise.

The Bank is having excellent asset, loan, and deposit growth. The reasons for these extraordinary growth numbers are as follows: 1). We have intentionally recruited and retained very experienced bankers. They are accustomed to producing at high levels, servicing large portfolios, and are well connected in the markets they serve. 2). The US economy continues to look healthy with low unemployment and strong consumer confidence. The Federal Reserve did raise the federal funds rate 25 basis points to 1.25% (up 75 basis points from a year ago). This has pushed short term rates up but long-term rates have declined. The South Carolina economy is expected to outpace the national numbers and is supported by continued growth in the upstate and the tri-county area of Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester. We are continuing to have good reports from our clients across the state especially those in the construction industry. We are hopeful that South Carolina farmers are poised to have a better year in 2017 than in the previous two years. Commodity prices on corn and soybeans have slowly declined since the beginning of 2017 and are approximately $3.40 and $9.40 per bushel respectively. Peanut contracts were higher than the past two years with prices varying from $500 to $525 per ton. Cotton prices have remained in the $.70 cents per pound range all year. The corn harvest is winding down across the state and most farmers are seeing outstanding yields. Current crop conditions for soybeans, cotton, and peanuts are above average to excellent.

Total loans grew from $418.8 million as of December 31, 2016 to $473.3 million as of June 30, 2017. This $54.5 million increase represents 13.0% growth in 6 months. The majority of this growth came from our Greenville, Columbia, and Orangeburg markets.

Total deposits have grown by $45.8 million from the previous quarter, or 9.7%, and are up 38.3% from the previous year. As of June 30, 2017, deposits totaled $518.9 million. We are pleased to report our wholesale funding continues to decline and is down 18.4% since June 30, 2016. Most importantly, our demand deposits continue a nice trend of growth and are up 17.4% from a year prior. Our Columbia and Orangeburg markets have been big contributors to this overall deposit growth. Columbia ended the quarter with total deposits of $36.8 million and had a 31.1% increase from the prior quarter. Orangeburg ended the quarter at $43.8 million in deposits and had a 48.4% increase from the previous quarter.

As we anticipated, our specialty floor plan lending division results were much improved compared to first quarter 2017 results. We made changes in our underwriting and operating procedures in the second quarter of 2017 to improve the credit quality of the portfolio. As a result, there were charge offs of $751 thousand for the second quarter of 2017, equating to an annualized loss rate of 3.78%, compared to $1.6 million in first quarter of 2017. We continue to maintain elevated loss expectations within the allowance for loan losses due to the loss history throughout the entirety of 2017. While this second quarter loss rate is still above the loss rate we would like to see in this division, it is within a range that allows the division to be a positive contributor to the results of the company.

We continue to monitor the used car industry trends that affect our floor planning business. Automobile sales for 2017 have declined year over year and this is a trend that we are watching closely. This negative trend has not caused used car values to decline appreciably for the year. In fact, values rebounded in the second quarter and are above year end values according to the leading used car valuation index. Nonetheless, we stand prepared to make additional changes, as necessary to mitigate future losses.

The investments we made in the last two years for the future success of our company are beginning to yield results. We expect these results will continue to improve as we grow into our new markets and continue to expand our franchise. We have high expectations for the Charleston market and the early results are very positive.

As you will also note in the following financial information, our earnings for the three months ended June 30, 2017 have improved substantially from the first quarter of 2017. While these results are not at the level of the prior year, we are confident that the fruits of our efforts to grow your company will continue to add earnings in future periods. We appreciate the support from our shareholders and customers and look forward to continued success in 2017.

Sincerely,

JB Schwiers

President & CEO

GrandSouth Bancorporation (GRRB:OTCQB), the holding company for GrandSouth Bank, announced today that net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $468 thousand compared to $1.1 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2016.

The Board of Directors declared a dividend of $0.10 per common share ($0.105 per Series A preferred share) payable on September 8, 2017 to shareholders of record on August 31, 2017. This is our sixteenth consecutive quarterly dividend.

Overview

Net loans increased by $21.97 million , or 4.94%, during the quarter.

, or 4.94%, during the quarter. GrandSouth Bancorporation's efficiency ratio was 76.57% during the second quarter of 2017 compared to 65.44% during the second quarter of 2016.

GrandSouth Bancorporation's return on average assets was 0.33% during the second quarter of 2017 compared to 1.06% in the same quarter last year.

The return on average equity was 3.68% in the second quarter of 2017, down from 8.88% in the second quarter of 2016.

Net Interest Income

During the second quarter of 2017, net interest income before the provision for loan losses was $7.7 million, up from $6.5 million during the second quarter of 2016. Average loans during the second quarter of 2017 were $464.2 million compared to $356.5 million during the same period last year. The net interest margin was 5.89% in the second quarter of 2017, down from 6.35% in the second quarter of 2016 and down from 6.82% in the prior quarter.

Noninterest income

Noninterest income was $284 thousand during the second quarter of 2017, compared to $249 thousand during the same quarter of 2016.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense was $6.1 million for the second quarter of 2017 compared to $4.4 million for the second quarter of 2016. Growth in non-interest expense during the quarter was impacted by the Company's in-process expansion of three new offices in the Columbia, Orangeburg, and Charleston, S.C. markets. Employee compensation increased by $863 thousand compared to the second quarter of 2016.

The efficiency ratio increased to 76.57% during the quarter ended June 30, 2017 from 65.44% during the second quarter of 2016.

Loan Portfolio

Net loan growth in the second quarter of 2017 was $21.97 million.

The composition of our loan portfolio consisted of the following at June 30, 2017 and December 31, 2016:







June 30,

December 31,





2017

2016





(Dollars in thousands)











Loans secured by real estate:







Commercial, financial, and agricultural $ 144,673

$ 130,577

Real estate - construction, land development, and other









land loans 37,208

38,371

Real estate  mortgage 237,956

214,679

Installment loans to individuals 53,428

35,164



Loans, gross 473,265

418,791

Allowance for possible loan losses (6,396)

(5,158)



Loans, net $ 466,869

$ 413,633















Loan Loss Provision/Asset Quality

The loan loss provision for the quarter ended June 30, 2017 was $1.1 million, compared to $495 thousand for the same period last year. Net charge offs for the three months ended June 30, 2017 were $782 thousand, compared to $467 thousand for the same period in 2016.

Other Real Estate Owned (OREO) as of June 30, 2017 was $5.6 million compared to $4.9 million as of the end of the previous year. Nonaccrual loans remained the same at $2.9 million at June 30, 2017 as compared to the end of last year.

GrandSouth Bancorporation's allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans at June 30, 2017 was 1.35%, compared to 1.23% at the end of 2016. Management believes the allowance is adequate at this time but continues to monitor trends in environmental factors which may potentially affect future losses.

Securities Portfolio

Investment securities, all of which are available-for-sale, were $24.0 million at June 30, 2017 down from $25.5 million at December 31, 2016.

Securities in our investment portfolio as of June 30, 2017 were as follows:

callable agency securities in the amount of $5.9 million

residential government-sponsored mortgage-backed securities in the amount of $14.0 million

taxable municipal bonds in the amount of $1.0 million

nontaxable municipal bonds in the amount of $3.1 million

During the second quarter of 2017, two municipal securities in the amount of $731 thousand and one agency security in the amount of $1.0 million were called. Two mortgage backed securities in the amount of $2.8 million were purchased.

Deposits

Total deposits were $518.9 million at June 30, 2017 compared to $430.3 million at December 31, 2016. Interest-bearing accounts were $441.9 million at June 30, 2017 up from $360.4 million at December 31, 2016.

Shareholders' Equity

Total shareholders' equity held steady at $50.7 million from December 31, 2016 to June 30, 2017, the activity of which resulted from the retention of earnings, payment of dividends, exercise of stock options, expense of stock option grants, and changes in the fair market value of investments. Our Tier 1 Risk Based Capital Ratios were 12.43% and 12.22% for GrandSouth Bancorporation and GrandSouth Bank, respectively, as of June 30, 2017.

GrandSouth Bancorporation is a bank holding company with assets of $603.9 million at June 30, 2017. GrandSouth Bank provides a range of financial services to individuals and small and medium sized businesses. GrandSouth Bank has six branches in South Carolina, located in Greenville, Fountain Inn, Anderson, Greer, Columbia, and Orangeburg.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that relate to future events or the future performance of GrandSouth Bancorporation. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of performance or results. These forward-looking statements are based on the current beliefs and expectations of the respective management of GrandSouth Bancorporation and GrandSouth Bank and are inherently subject to significant business, economic, and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond their respective control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Actual results may differ materially from the anticipated results discussed or implied in these forward-looking statements because of numerous possible uncertainties. Words like "may," "plan," "contemplate," "anticipate," "believe," "intend," "continue," "expect," "project," "predict," "estimate," "could," "should," "would," "will," and similar expressions, should be considered as identifying forward-looking statements, although other phrasing may be used. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and may not be realized due to a variety of factors. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward-looking statements are discussed in the reports (such as Annual Reports) filed by GrandSouth Bancorporation. You should consider such factors and not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements. No obligation is undertaken by GrandSouth Bancorporation to update such forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the issuance of this press release.

GrandSouth Bancorporation Greenville, SC

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)









June 30,

December 31,







2017

2016







(Dollars in thousands) Assets







Cash and due from banks $ 44,708

$ 34,923

Interest bearing transaction accounts with other banks 1,368

3,086

Federal funds sold 29,434

5,309



Cash and cash equivalents 75,510

43,318

Certificates of deposit with other banks 4,000

2,500

Securities available-for-sale 23,976

25,543

Other investments, at cost 1,399

1,319

Loans, gross 473,265

418,791

Allowance for loan losses (6,396)

(5,158)

Loans, net of allowance for loan losses 466,869

413,633

Premises and equipment, net 12,073

10,211

Bank owned life insurance 6,467

6,390

Assets acquired in settlement of loans 5,569

4,902

Interest receivable 4,117

3,755

Deferred income taxes 1,497

1,530

Goodwill 737

737

Other assets 1,714

1,676



Total assets $ 603,928

$ 515,514













Liabilities and shareholders' equity







Deposits









Noninterest bearing $ 77,011

$ 69,878



Interest bearing 441,878

360,449





Total deposits 518,889

430,327

Federal Home Loan Bank advances 22,000

22,000

Junior subordinated debentures 8,247

8,247

Interest payable 171

111

Other liabilities 3,938

4,140



Total liabilities 553,245

464,825

Shareholders' equity 50,683

50,689



Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 603,928

$ 515,514















Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)









For the three months

For the six months







ended June 30,

ended June,







2017

2016

2017

2016







(Dollars in thousands)





















Interest income $ 8,837

$ 7,056

$ 17,784

$ 14,491 Interest expense 1,141

554

2,022

1,148

Net interest income 7,696

6,502

15,762

13,343 Provision for loan losses 1,086

495

3,806

1,125 Net interest income after provision















for loan losses 6,610

6,007

11,956

12,218 Noninterest income















Service charges on deposit accounts 137

115

264

207

Gain on sale of securities 4

6

10

6

Net gain on sale of premises and

















Equipment (2)

6

(2)

6

Increase in value of life insurance

















Assets 39

40

77

81

Other 106

82

186

109



Total noninterest income 284

249

535

409 Noninterest expense















Salaries and employee benefits 3,920

3,057

7,375

5,816

Premises and equipment 431

331

866

608

Loss on sale and impairment of

















assets acquired in settlement of

















Loans 0

(223)

4

(224)

Data processing 306

229

593

431

Other expenses 1,454

1,023

2,686

1,811



Total noninterest expense 6,111

4,417

11,524

8,442 Income before income taxes 783

1,839

967

4,185 Income tax provision 315

676

404

1,511 Net income 468

1,163

563

2,674

Deductions for amounts not

















available to common shareholders:

















Dividends declared or



















accumulated on preferred stock (30)

(30)

(60)

(90) Net income available to common















Shareholders $ 438

$ 1,133

$ 503

$ 2,584

Financial Highlights (Unaudited)







For the three months

For the six months







ended June 30,

ended June 30,







2017

2016

2017

2016







(Dollars in thousands)





















Per share data:















Earnings per share, basic $ 0.10

$ 0.25

$ 0.11

$ 0.59

Earnings per share, diluted $ 0.10

$ 0.24

$ 0.10

$ 0.58

Book value per share $ 10.97

$ 11.22

$ 10.97

$ 11.22

Tangible book value per share $ 10.81

$ 11.06

$ 10.81

$ 11.06

Weighted average shares

















outstanding, basic 4,499,559

4,551,396

4,494,950

4,343,174

Weighted average shares

















outstanding, diluted 4,594,874

4,651,227

4,591,968

4,447,769

Shares outstanding at end of period 4,500,540

4,556,165

4,500,540

4,556,165





















Selected performance ratios and other data:













Return on average assets 0.33%

1.06%

0.21%

1.21%

Return on average equity 3.68%

8.88%

2.20%

10.65%

Yield on average earning assets 5.69%

6.27%

6.08%

6.45%

Cost of funds 1.02%

0.67%

0.94%

0.68%

Net interest margin 5.89%

6.35%

6.35%

6.52%

Efficiency ratio 76.57%

65.44%

70.71%

61.40%

Charge-offs, net to average loans 0.67%

0.52%

1.14%

0.61%









As of



June 30,

December 31,



2017

2016



(Dollars in thousands)









Shareholders' equity to total assets 8.39%

9.83% Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 12.43%

13.90% Intangible assets







Goodwill $ 737

$ 737









Other real estate owned $ 5,569

$ 4,902 Nonaccrual loans 2,860

2,935 Loans past due 90 days and accruing interest (a) 117

82

Total nonperforming assets 8,546

7,919 Allowance for loan losses to loans, gross 1.35%

1.23%









(a) - Amount represents the net of the loans wholly or partially guaranteed by the US Government.

SOURCE GrandSouth Bancorporation
ADDISON, Texas, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Grupo Resilient International, Inc., a publicly traded company (OTC: GRUI) today announced that Julian Lopez, a FEMA approved contractor and OSHA instructor, has joined the board of directors of its infrastructure subsidiary, Resilient Infrastructure, Inc. which is currently mobilizing workers for disaster assistance in Houston, Texas and the surrounding areas. GRUI can also mobilize far more workers and equipment under its network of companies which subcontract and offer support services to disaster relief efforts. GRUI is currently deploying workers experienced in demolition, debris-removal, clean-up, waste-hauling and waste disposal.

Additionally, GRUI is also preparing to deploy a network of mobile broadband trailers, "MBT's" capable of providing gigabit internet speeds to assist and support in the aftermath of Hurricane Harvey through its recent investment in Metroplex Networks, Inc. Once GRUI completes deploying the MBT's and connecting them to a hybrid microwave and fiber-broad backbone to support mission critical communications infrastructure in Houston, GRUI plans to begin re-building critical infrastructure, commercial, retail, industrial and residential buildings affected by Hurricane Harvey. Mr. Lopez has extensive expertise and experience gained in disaster recovery, roofing, construction and shoring in the aftermath of Katrina. Mr. Lopez, stated "we are poised, ready and proud to be able to utilize our past expertise and experience to mitigate the damages and losses to those affected by Harvey."

About Grupo Resilient International

Grupo Resilient International, Inc. is a diversified holding company headquartered in Dallas, Texas, with subsidiaries focusing on Environmental, Infrastructure, Technologies, Data Services, Media, Real Estate, Resources, Capital and Wellness.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements that involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of certain factors, including those set forth in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

For more information:

Gordon Johnson CEO

Grupo Resilient International, Inc.

Tel: +1-203-303-4699

[email protected]



SOURCE Grupo Resilient International, Inc
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Healogics, the nation's largest provider of advanced chronic wound care services, today announced the launch of the Wound Science Initiative, a strategic effort that aims to accelerate data-driven improvements in the management and treatment of chronic wounds. With over 700 hospital affiliated outpatient Wound Care Centers that treat more than 300,000 patients and heal more than two million wounds, Healogics has the largest repository of chronic wound-specific patient data in the industry. The Healogics Wound Science Initiative recognizes the value and relevance of these data to drive continuous, collaborative learning towards a better understanding of how to efficiently utilize healthcare resources to effectively manage this growing population.

Chronic wounds are often poorly understood and insufficiently treated. In the U.S., chronic wounds affect approximately 6.7 million people.i An excess of $50 billion is spent annually on the treatment of chronic wounds and the problem is growing rapidly due to an aging population and a sharp rise in chronic diseases such as diabetes, peripheral artery disease (PAD) and heart disease. In fact, foot ulcers are the most frequently recognized complication of people with diabetes.ii A separate U.S. assessment of 785 million outpatient hospital visits by people with diabetes between 2007 and 2013 suggested that diabetic foot ulcers are more common reasons for emergency room and hospital admissions than congestive heart failure, renal disease, depression and most forms of cancer. iii

These challenges, along with limited wound care research funding, a fragmented wound care industry and ongoing pressure to improve patient outcomes and lower costs, indicate that chronic wound care research and data science deserves a higher level of awareness and cross-continuum prioritization.

"Our Wound Science Initiative takes advantage of the confluence of three macro trends: availability of more and diversified data across the continuum, new technology platforms that enable real-time data gathering and sharing, and predictive analytics tools that promise to reduce waste and improve patient outcomes," said Dr. William Ennis, Chief Medical Officer of Healogics. "To successfully advance insights and perspectives on how to better manage the care of high-need patients with chronic wounds we must leverage these macro trends to extend awareness and promote cross-sector collaboration. I am delighted to be a part of an effort that pushes the frontiers of wound care, ultimately extending patient access to quality wound care to those who need it."

The Initiative will galvanize around the following activities, all in the context of chronic wound-specific patient outcomes and treatment effectiveness:

Create new, translate existing and share unique insights and research that drive the science of wound care.

Develop and share content from a unique wound care perspective.

Engage, educate and extend awareness of the complicated wound care challenge.

For more information about Healogics Wound Science Initiative, visit solutions.healogics.com.

About Healogics

Headquartered in Jacksonville, Fla., Healogics and its affiliated companies manage over 700 Wound Care Centers across 46 states and serve over 500 skilled nursing facilities in the U.S. and Puerto Rico and multiple locations in the United Kingdom. Healogics currently has more than 3,200 employees, including nearly 300 employed physicians (Healogics Specialty Physicians) and a network of approximately 4,000 panel physicians. More than 300,000 patients were treated through the Healogics network in 2016. For more information, please visit Healogics.com.

Contact:

Banks Willis

Vice President Corporate Communications

[email protected]

202-577-5847

i Criscitelli, T. Caring for Patients With Chronic Wounds: Safety Considerations During the Surgical Experience, AORN Journal, 104(1),67  70. Accessed at: http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aorn.2016.05.002

ii Abbott CA, Carrington AL, Ashe H, et al. The North-West Diabetes Foot Care Study: incidence of, and risk factors for, new diabetic foot ulceration in a community-based patient cohort. Diabet Med 2002; 19: 377-84

iii Skrepnek GH, Mills JL Sr, Lavery LA, Armstrong DG. Health Care Service and Outcomes Among an Estimated 6.7 Million Ambulatory Care Diabetic Foot Cases in the U.S. Diabetes Care 2017 May 11

SOURCE Healogics
"I am thrilled to join the HSS family where there is a great culture of philanthropy," said Ms. Callagy. "I have the unique opportunity to bring philanthropists, leaders and ideas together to enact real change in musculoskeletal healthcare. HSS would not be where it is today without the generosity of our donors."

Ms. Callagy has over 18 years of experience in fund development primarily at healthcare organizations. Most recently, Ms. Callagy acted as executive director of Development at Stamford Hospital Foundation in Connecticut. In that role, she oversaw the campaign to fund the development of their new replacement hospital.

"HSS' global impact has surpassed 100 countries, but donor support is vital to meeting the much greater need and opportunity to advance musculoskeletal science and wellness," said Louis A. Shapiro, president and CEO of HSS. "HSS Development raises critically important funds that support patient care and research projects as well as education and community-oriented programs. Catherine's leadership will help HSS and philanthropists positively impact generations to come."

In her new role, Ms. Callagy will be responsible for planning, managing and implementing all fundraising activities on behalf of HSS.

A graduate of Georgetown University, Ms. Callagy currently resides in Fairfield County. Over the course of her career, Ms. Callagy has been involved in a number of pro bono and volunteer efforts, including working with former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani to establish the Twin Towers Fund after 9/11.

Her new role is effective September 11, 2017.

About Hospital for Special Surgery

Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) is the world's leading academic medical center focused on musculoskeletal health. HSS is nationally ranked No. 1 in orthopedics and No. 3 in rheumatology by U.S. News & World Report (2017-2018), and is the first hospital in New York State to receive Magnet Recognition for Excellence in Nursing Service from the American Nurses Credentialing Center four consecutive times. HSS has one of the lowest infection rates in the country. HSS is an affiliate of Weill Cornell Medical College and as such all Hospital for Special Surgery medical staff are faculty of Weill Cornell. The hospital's research division is internationally recognized as a leader in the investigation of musculoskeletal and autoimmune diseases. HSS has locations in New York, New Jersey and Connecticut.

www.hss.edu

SOURCE Hospital for Special Surgery

Related Links

http://www.hss.edu


NEW YORK, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- HelloFresh today announced the appointment of Tobias ("Tobi") Hartmann as President of North America and additional member of the Global Management Board.

Hartmann brings nearly two decades of management experience in developing, launching and operating direct-to-consumer products and business services solutions, both for private and public companies. Most recently, he served as President of Radial Inc., formerly known as eBay Enterprise & Innotrac, a leading provider in omnichannel commerce technology and operations solutions. Prior, Hartmann held various management positions including Managing Director and Chief Operating Officer of D+S GmbH, a full-service e-commerce and business process solutions provider. He was a member of the Executive Management Team at Loyalty Partner GmbH to create "Payback", one of the leading CRM and loyalty platforms.

Based in HelloFresh's NYC headquarters, Hartmann will focus on long-term strategy, business planning, organization and leadership development. As a member of the Management Board he will focus on laying the foundation for sustained global growth with the build out of a world-class organization in all areas of the business.

"With Tobi we intend to move to the next era of growth," said Dominik Richter, co-founder and CEO of HelloFresh. "Having him as part of the Global Management Board positions us to pursue both our continued growth in the U.S., as well as accelerate our global expansion. With his international background, he knows how to scale organizations, and we're thrilled to have him on board."

"Consumers want to have better and more convenient options for fresh meals, and the HelloFresh team has done an incredible job creating a young and compelling brand to redefine traditional meals," said Hartmann. "I'm delighted to join the company and help to strengthen the capabilities both in the U.S. and internationally."

HelloFresh continues to grow its headcount in the U.S., with notable recent hires including Brett Banchek as Senior Vice President of Supply Chain, Arjun Kapur as Senior Vice President of Growth & Analytics, and Stacy Gordon as Chief Product Officer. In the U.S., the company currently has more than 60 open positions across departments spanning Data Science, Engineering, Finance, Food Safety, Marketing, Operations, Product, and Procurement.

HelloFresh U.S. is now the largest and fastest-growing market among HelloFresh Group's country operations. In 2017, HelloFresh introduced a series of new products including HelloFresh Wine, an online marketplace selling kitchenware, and re-launched its Family Plan. HelloFresh also introduced menu features including breakfast, Premium meals, Hall of Fame recipes, and 20-minute meals.

About HelloFresh

HelloFresh is the world's leading meal kit company, operating in the U.S., the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Australia, Austria, Switzerland and Canada. HelloFresh delivered 33.7 million meals in the 3-month period from 1 April 2017 to 30 June 2017 to more than 1.25 million customers. HelloFresh was founded in November 2011 in Germany and pioneered the global phenomenon of meal kits. The company has offices in New York, Berlin, London, Amsterdam, Zurich, Sydney and Toronto and operates seven fulfillment centers around the globe.

Media Contact:

Shara Seigel | Senior PR Manager | HelloFresh U.S. | [email protected] | 929-290-5475

Eva Switala | Global Head of PR | HelloFresh Global | [email protected] | +49 (0) 160 98 082 688

SOURCE HelloFresh

Related Links

http://www.hellofresh.com


CLEARWATER, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: HRTG) ("Heritage" or the "Company"), a property and casualty insurance holding company, announced that, as previously disclosed to investors, its Florida-based insurance subsidiary, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company ("Heritage P&C"), has been actively reducing its exposures in Southeast Florida. Heritage has been reducing Total Insured Values in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm counties since the second quarter of 2016. From time period June 30, 2016 through June 30, 2017, Heritage has reduced Total Insured Values in these three counties by over $7 billion.

Bruce Lucas, Chairman and CEO of Heritage, said, "Since 2016, we have been strategically reducing exposures in Southeast Florida, which is a contrarian approach compared to many of our peer companies who have been actively writing business in Miami-Dade, Broward and Palm Beach counties. Our prudent underwriting actions have not only stabilized our attritional loss ratios, but also have resulted in a reduction of Total Insured Value in excess of $7 billion year-over-year in Southeast Florida. We believe that our reduced exposures, our decision not to write flood insurance, our conservative retention of only $20 million, and our decision to purchase multi-year catastrophe bonds as a hedge against reinsurance rate increases will yield impressive dividends for Heritage if Irma impacts Florida. Furthermore, our unique vertical claims model gives Heritage an additional resource to service claims. Heritage has a water mitigation division and a full service construction division that will allow us to service thousands of damaged homes. During Hurricane Matthew, our mitigation and repair divisions performed services for approximately 25% of our claims. We expect the opportunity will be substantial if Hurricane Irma makes landfall in Florida."

About Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc.

Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. is a property and casualty insurance holding company headquartered in Clearwater, Florida. Its subsidiaries, Heritage Property & Casualty Insurance Company and Zephyr Insurance Company, write personal and commercial residential premium through a large network of experienced agents in Florida, Hawaii, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia and Alabama. Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc. is led by a seasoned senior management team with an average of 30 years of insurance industry experience.

Forward-Looking Statements:

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements relate to Heritage's current expectations, beliefs, projections and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts and are not guarantees of future performance. Forward-looking statements involve uncertainties, risks, assumptions and contingencies, many of which are outside Heritage's control that may cause actual results to differ materially from those described in or implied by any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements are based on currently available information and speak only as of the date on which they are made. Heritage assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement made in this press release that becomes untrue because of subsequent events, new information or otherwise, except to the extent it is required to do so in connection with its ongoing requirements under Federal securities laws. For a further discussion of factors that could cause Heritage's future results to differ materially from any forward-looking statements, see the section entitled "Risk Factors" in Heritage's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and other risks described in documents filed by Heritage from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Heritage Insurance Holdings Inc.

Investor Contact:

Joseph Peiso, Investor Relations Director

727-362-7261

[email protected]

SOURCE Heritage Insurance Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.heritagepci.com


SAN CLEMENTE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- On November 6, 1986, former President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Immigration Reform and Control Act (IRCA). The purpose of IRCA was to reform United States immigration law. IRCA was enacted through an Act of Congress.

At the time, President Reagan said, ''Future generations of Americans will be thankful for our efforts to humanely regain control of our borders and thereby preserve the value of one of the most sacred possessions of our people, American citizenship."

The Times also reported in 1986 that Senator Alan K. Simpson, a Wyoming Republican who was the chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said of IRCA, ''I don't know what the impact will be,'' he said, ''but this is the humane approach to immigration reform.'' At the time, a coalition of national groups said they would monitor enforcement of IRCA.

Amid all this uncertainty, and despite IRCA supporters' best efforts and intentions to address issues brought about by unchecked immigration, the reality is that the number of undocumented immigrants grew from about 4 million in 1986 to well over 10 million today. The increase is attributable in part to 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were involuntarily brought to this country as young people, and have been labeled "Dreamers".

Five years ago, President Obama issued an executive order known as "DACA" (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals), and although intended to be temporary, Dreamers were granted a reprieve under certain conditions from the worry of deportation from the only country that most of them have ever known. Yesterday, President Trump announced that the executive order would terminate in 6 months and invited Congress meanwhile to address the uncertainty facing Dreamers.

The Hispanic 100 fully supports a humanitarian approach to the children affected by DACA. The majority of these children, many of whom did not consent to their journey to the United States, have proven to be law abiding, productive members of America's society. Our focus will remain on these children, and we will do everything in our power to work directly with congress to further protect them.

We implore Congress to respond to the President in a just and empathetic way, and allow the Dreamers to remain permanently. Responsibility to protect our Dreamers must be done through congressional action and not through temporary executive order. As compassionate Americans, the Hispanic 100 will work diligently with Congress from both parties to find a viable solution for the Dreamers in this country. This is not a fight that they will walk alone!

The Hispanic 100 is a non-profit organization established to develop and promote leadership within and from the Hispanic community, and to advance free-enterprise principals through advocacy and educational activities that impact the Hispanic community.

Contact: Mario Rodriguez, Chairman

Hispanic 100

[email protected]

(949) 734-5656

SOURCE The Hispanic 100 Policy Committee

Related Links

http://hispanic100.org


CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A very rare signed copy of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's political manifesto "Mein Kampf" will be one of the highlights of the Sep. 13-14 auction of militaria by Maryland auctioneers Alexander Historical Auctions. Hitler inscribed the volume in German: "Only in battle will the noble man survive!" and dated it 1930. On the day he signed this book, Hitler also gave a speech promoting the Nazi Party for the upcoming election. In that election, the Nazis won 107 of the 577 seats in the Reichstag  a crucial step in their rise to power.

Copy of Adolf Hitler's political treatise "Mein Kampf", to be sold by Alexander Historical Auctions Sep. 13-14, 2017. Hitler writes: "Only in battle will the noble man survive!" and dates his signature shortly before the 1930 elections which saw the rise of the Nazi Party. Flag flown from a landing craft which made 26 trips ferrying American soldiers to OMAHA Beach on Normandy. The vessel's first trip was on the morning of D-Day, June 6, 1944. To be sold by Alexander Historical Auctions, Sep. 13-14, 2017

Auctioneer Bill Panagopulos commented: "In light of current events, the signed 'Mein Kampf' speaks to us as loudly today as it did at the time Hitler wrote it from his jail cell. Hopefully, this relic will serve as a vivid reminder of those terrible times  and as a warning."

In sharp contrast to the Hitler book, the auction is also offering two American flags of historic importance. One flag, tattered and soot-smudged, was flown by a landing ship which made 26 trips to the infamous "Omaha" landing beach in Normandy. The vessel's first trip, early on D-Day morning, brought ashore members of the 115th Infantry who proved crucial in the break-out from the beachhead. The second flag being offered flew before Navy Headquarters at Pearl Harbor during the surprise Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The tattered relic was recovered at the devastated site and given to an engineer overseeing recovery efforts.

Other notable items in the sale include a number of Hitler's personal possessions, including a globe taken from Hitler's Bavarian home by an American G.I., a silver picture frame, and some of the Fuhrer's personal garments left behind in an Austrian hotelincluding his dress shirt, socksand his boxer shorts! Also included in the sale is feared SS leader Heinrich Himmler's post mortem report and eyeglasses, claimed by a South African doctor after Himmler's capture and suicide. The auction house will also offer plans of the battleship "Bismarck", a clock melted from the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima, a helmet slapped from the head of a surrendering German general by an American soldier, and many hundreds of other relics, documents, uniforms, helmets, insignia, etc.

Bidding will be available live, by telephone, and at the bidding websites invaluable.com and liveauctioneers.com. The entire sale may be viewed online at the auctioneer's catalog link. Alexander Historical Auctions may be reached at 203-276-1570, email: [email protected].

Media Contact:

Bill Panagopulos

203-276-1570

[email protected]

SOURCE Alexander Historical Auctions

Related Links

http://historyauctioneer.com


A number of highlight smart city innovations were showcased on 7 and 8 September 2017 as HKSTP hosted another round of the well-received APAC Innovation Summit 2017 (AIS) on Smart City. Within Science Park's optimal controlled environment, notable progress is being made in the research and development of various smart city technologies in the areas of mobility, cashless transactions, food industry automation and numerous other areas that benefit the Hong Kong society as a whole.

Commitment to Smart Region as a Smart City testbed reaffirmed

HKSTP's Chief Executive Officer, Albert Wong, is optimistic about Hong Kong's smart city development. "The Smart City technologies showcased today are precursors. There are many more innovations being developed at Science Park, which has the unique attribute of having a complete ecosystem with R&D, manufacturing and funding stakeholders coming together seamlessly to help make innovations a marketable reality speedily. The role as a 'leading agent' on fostering the Smart Region is cut out for HKSTP, given our unique position as a connector in the ecosystem. We will work closely with The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), our Smart Region partner, to make this part of Hong Kong a wondrous showcase of the Smart City vision."

Science Park has been confirmed as an integral part of the Smart Region, together with CUHK, in the Consultancy Study on Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong published in June 2017. The Smart Region is designated as a living lab that supports and pilots application of innovative solutions, and to drive adoption of new technologies, enhance collaboration and knowledge sharing. Within the Smart Region, technologies that lead to Smart Mobility, Smart Living, Smart Environment and Smart People are in focus. HKSTP's role as the "lead agent" in working with CUHK and technology companies at Hong Kong Science Park is also underscored in the report.

Smart Mobility is one of the key ongoing initiatives in the Smart Region plan. HKSTP has established the Smart Mobility Eco-System in Science Park, bringing together Park companies and their end-to-end innovative mobility solutions to the market. HKSTP plays a key role in accelerating collaboration between partner companies and relevant industries to achieve tight integration of applications stacked with sensor technology, A.I. algorithms and mobile communication. The platform, formed initially of Park companies GreenSafety Technology Limited, Inchcape Hong Kong Limited, Mobile-Shop Group Limited, Scania Limited, Sensetime and Urban Systems Limited, will help to catalyse smart mobility solutions, such as the Autonomous Self Driving Vehicle.

Smart solutions showcased at Hong Kong Science Park Smart Campus

During the AIS on Smart City, participants had a firsthand experience of various kinds of smart solutions developed by Park companies on the Smart Campus, from cashless payments to smart food technologies, fully automated stores and autonomous vehicles.

Cashless payment solution One2Paid will be trialed in Science Park retail outlets initially. The solution is developed by CamClaim Limited, a HKSTP incubatee that has achieved major success with its CamClaim 2.0 Mobile Business platform, certified by UnionPay to provide FinTech Online and online to offline Office payment solution in mainland China and Hong Kong. The solution offers functions such as mobile office tools, staff claiming services, business traveler information service and a merchant hub. Extending beyond this platform, the new One2Paid FinTech payment service comes with a smart POS and B2M app. Registered users can key in payment amount and then generate a QR code for individual customers to make payment using a smart phone. The solution is expected to be widely applied in Hong Kong and subsequently extended to other markets in Southeast Asia.

Maxim's Caterers Limited, with its manufacturing plant at Tai Po Industrial Estate, also demonstrated various innovations and future concepts on food-related technologies, including a 3D Food Printer for mass production of unique 3D food creations, a Robotic Arm that is able to write English and Chinese characters as well as paint pictures, and an Autonomous Guided Vehicle able to deliver food to programmed destinations autonomously, with an auto-pilot system that enables it to steer clear of obstacles in the way. In conjunction with Park company XDynamics, Maxim's also showcased a future concept of food delivery with an auto-pilot Drone that is able to deliver food to designated points of sale. It is envisaged that the big data collected by the smart solutions will also contribute to enhancing food safety in the long run.

In the AIS 2017 on Smart City, Connected City, the Smart City Blueprint for Hong Kong was shared by Allen Yeung, Office of the Government Chief Information Officer, HKSAR Government, and Smart City developments in other parts of the world were also explored. Over 1,000 attendees have registered to join the summit, indicating a high level of interest in Smart City technologies from Hong Kong's innovation and technology ecosystem.

About Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Comprising Science Park, InnoCentre and Industrial Estates, Hong Kong Science & Technology Parks Corporation (HKSTP) is a statutory body dedicated to building a vibrant innovation and technology ecosystem to connect stakeholders, nurture technology talents, facilitate collaboration, and catalyse innovations to deliver social and economic benefits to Hong Kong and the region.

Established in May 2001, HKSTP has been driving the development of Hong Kong into a regional hub for innovation and growth in several focused clusters including Electronics, Information & Communications Technology, Green Technology, Biomedical Technology, Materials and Precision Engineering. We enable science and technology companies to nurture ideas, innovate and grow, supported by our R&D facilities, infrastructure, and market-led laboratories and technical centres with professional support services. We also offer value added services and comprehensive incubation programmes for technology start-ups to accelerate their growth.

Technology businesses benefit from our specialised services and infrastructure at Science Park for applied research and product development; enterprises can find creative design support at InnoCentre; while skill-intensive businesses are served by our three industrial estates at Tai Po, Tseung Kwan O and Yuen Long. More information about HKSTP is available at www.hkstp.org

SOURCE Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hkstp.org


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The following is a statement by Teamsters General President James P. Hoffa on the vote in the U.S. House of Representatives to pass H.R. 3388, the SELF DRIVE Act, legislation allowing for the nationwide deployment of automated driving technology.

"As the legislation concerning autonomous vehicles moves forward through Congress, the interests of working Americans and the safety of our roadways must be a top priority for lawmakers.

"The Teamsters Union is encouraged by recent improvements to the bill, including the bipartisan consensus among members of Congress that commercial motor vehicles should be exempted from this legislation.

"However, more work needs to be done. The exemption for commercial vehicles must be clarified prior to final passage. We look forward to working with members of both parties to ensure that workers and the motoring public will have the safe and reliable transportation system they deserve, both today and far into the future.

"The testing of autonomous vehicle technology must be transparent and any technologies that have not been fully vetted and proven should certainly not be rushed into implementation in any commercial capacity.

"We will continue to closely monitor legislation concerning autonomous vehicles and share our concerns with members of Congress in order to ensure that workers are safeguarded and highway safety is protected."

Founded in 1903, the International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents 1.4 million hardworking men and women throughout the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico. Visit www.teamster.org for more information. Follow us on Twitter @Teamsters and "like" us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/teamsters.

Contact:

Kara Deniz, (202) 624-6911

[email protected]

SOURCE International Brotherhood of Teamsters

Related Links

http://www.teamster.org


AUSTIN, Minn., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- During the Barclays Global Consumer Staples Conference in Boston, Mass., Jim Snee, president and chief executive officer at Hormel Foods Corporation (NYSE: HRL), and Jim Sheehan, senior vice president and chief financial officer, offered insights on the company's strategic growth initiatives, including recent acquisitions and strategic investments.

During the presentation, Snee discussed the company's third quarter results, the strategy for long-term growth and details associated with the recent acquisitions of Fontanini Italian Meats and Sausages and the Ceratti brand. Sheehan reviewed the company's financial strategy for growth.

About Hormel Foods Corporation  Inspired People. Inspired Food.

Hormel Foods Corporation, based in Austin, Minn., is a global branded food company with over $9 billion in annual revenues across 75 countries worldwide. Its brands include SKIPPY, SPAM, Hormel Natural Choice, Applegate, Justin's, Wholly Guacamole, Hormel Black Label and more than 30 other beloved brands. The company is a member of the S&P 500 Index and the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats, was named one of "The 100 Best Corporate Citizens" by Corporate Responsibility Magazine for the ninth year in a row, and has received numerous other awards and accolades for its corporate responsibility and community service efforts. In 2016, the company celebrated its 125th anniversary and announced its new vision for the future - Inspired People. Inspired Food. - focusing on its legacy of innovation. For more information, visit www.hormelfoods.com and http://csr.hormelfoods.com/ .

Forward Looking Statements

This news release contains forward-looking information based on management's current views and assumptions. Actual events may differ materially. Please refer to the cautionary statement regarding Forward-Looking Statements and Risk Factors that appear on pages 32-38 in the company's Form 10-Q for the quarter ended April 30, 2017, which can be accessed at www.hormelfoods.com under "Investors-SEC Filings."

Investor Contact: Media Contact:

Nathan P. Annis Wendy A. Watkins

Hormel Foods Hormel Foods

507-437-5248 507-437-5345

[email protected] [email protected]

SOURCE Hormel Foods Corporation

Related Links

http://www.hormel.com


NANJING, China, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Htek, the global provider of enterprise class IP handsets, has announced that they have completed interoperability and certification on the Uboss OSS/BSS platform. This integration sees the Htek U900 series of IP terminals take their configuration, including all feature buttons, dial-by-name directories and services from the Uboss Cloud Management. This partnership between the two companies sees unprecedented levels of functionality for BroadSoft based service providers.

TMC, a global, integrated media company helping clients build communities in print, in person and online, has named Htek IP Phone UC926 as a 2017 Unified Communications Product of the Year Award winner.

Previously there has been a disconnect between the IP handsets and the BroadSoft switch, typically because the SIP handsets are built to connect to many different soft switch platforms. For BroadSoft Service providers, this meant "orphaned" buttons or functions and confused menus on IP phones. This Uboss enhancement means that there is no local intelligence in the Htek handset and all functionality is delivered from the Uboss cloud. This includes Directories, where the user has dial-by-name across the BroadSoft Group and Personal directories.

Navy Ding, chief executive officer at Htek says, "We are proud with this accreditation with Uboss and that our joint technology platforms create a more supportable IP phone integration for service providers and an enhanced user experience for their customers." Dave Dadds, CEO at Uboss adds, "The challenge for service providers is in bringing together different vendors to deliver the right communications mix for their customers. Uboss integrates their BroadSoft platform with different cloud elements, including CRM, cellular and ecommerce."

An important new deliverable with the Uboss Htek integration is true Key & Lamp working, allowing providers to deploy key system functionality popular on legacy CPE systems. Dadds explains, "Key and lamp functionality is widely deployed in the SMB sector, which is the sweet spot for Hosted PBX. This capability will ease migration to the cloud for end users that rely on this functionality. This is another example of how Uboss can help productise the full capabilities of BroadSoft and allow providers to bring these solutions to market."

Uboss Service providers now have total control on configuring the Htek handsets for users, including the firmware levels on, specifying the button functions, remote rebooting and seeing live IP registrations and calls all from within the Uboss portal. The handset becomes essentially an extension of Uboss with all the intelligence in the cloud rather than on the local device. Advanced functions such as flexible seating, call recording pause/resume, call park, call centre operation and inbound alpha tagging are all delivered as standard.

About Htek

Htek is a world-class designer and manufacturer of enterprise IP phones and gateways. Since 2005, Htek has provided customers in over 50 countries worldwide with high-quality VoIP products. Htek's UC900 IP phones continue the tradition by focusing on cutting-edge features, broad SIP compatibility, and great value. Htek distributes its products via channel partners, and custom designs and rebrands OEM IP phones for large partners such as ITSPs. Htek is a private company headquartered in Nanjing, China, with offices in the US and Europe.

About Uboss

Uboss is a technology management platform delivering an operational hub for Cloud Voice and Application providers. In a marketplace where products, services and propositions change frequently Uboss provides continuity for provisioning, tariffing, billing, reporting, hardware fulfilment, security and service integration. In this way Uboss helps to maximise revenue by getting Service Providers to market quicker with a more sophisticated product offering. Uboss is a trading name of DRD Communications Ltd, headquartered in London, UK.

Htek Contact:

Phone: +86-25-84658050

Email: [email protected]

Website: www.htek.com

Related Links

Htek

UC900

Related Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-riXC4yYf0

SOURCE Htek

Related Links

http://www.htek.com/


SUGAR LAND, Texas, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Researched by Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The impact of Hurricane Harvey on the timing of active capital projects along the Gulf Coast will be felt for months and perhaps even years to come, according to Tony Salemme, vice president of Industrial Info's Craft Labor Group. In just Harris County, Texas, Industrial Info is tracking more than $30 billion in project activity, ranging from those that are still in the planning stages to those that are nearing completion.

For details, view the entire article by subscribing to Industrial Info's Premium Industry News, or browse other breaking industrial news stories at www.industrialinfo.com.

Industrial Info Resources (IIR), with global headquarters in Sugar Land, Texas, five offices in North America and 10 international offices, is the leading provider of global market intelligence specializing in the industrial process, heavy manufacturing and energy markets. Industrial Info's quality-assurance philosophy, the Living Forward Reporting Principle, provides up-to-the-minute intelligence on what's happening now, while constantly keeping track of future opportunities. To contact an office in your area, visit the www.industrialinfo.com "Contact Us" page.

Brian Ford

(713) 980-9393

SOURCE Industrial Info Resources, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.industrialinfo.com


HOUSTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Hyperdynamics Corporation (OTCQX: HDYN) ("Hyperdynamics" or the "Company"), announced the completion of a private placement offering (the "Offering") of Units of the Company's securities each consisting of (i) one share of the Company's common stock and (ii) a warrant to purchase three-quarters ( 3/4 ) of a share of the Company's common stock within two years at an exercise price of $1.825 per whole share. The purchase price was $1.46 per Unit.

During the last two closings made September 1 and September 6, the Company closed on gross proceeds of $3,741,846.22 (before placement agent fees and expenses of the offering).

Katalyst Securities acted as the sole placement agent for the Offering, on a reasonable best efforts basis.

About Hyperdynamics

Hyperdynamics is an emerging independent oil and gas exploration company that is exploring for oil and gas offshore the Republic of Guinea in West Africa. To find out more, visit our website at www.hyperdynamics.com.

The offer and sale of the foregoing securities were made in a transaction not involving a public offering and have not been registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the Securities Act), or applicable state securities laws. The Offering was exempt from registration under Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act and Rule 506 of Regulation D thereunder. The Units were sold to "accredited investors," as defined in Regulation D. Accordingly, the securities may not be reoffered or resold in the United States except pursuant to an effective registration statement or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and such applicable state securities laws.

This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy these securities, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to the registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state.

Contacts:

Ray Leonard

President and Chief Executive Officer

713-353-9445

Anne Pearson / Jack Lascar

Dennard-Lascar Associates

713-529-6600

SOURCE Hyperdynamics

Related Links

http://www.hyperdynamics.com


HEIDELBERG, Germany and CARLSBAD, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Thermo Fisher Scientific has signed an agreement with the Institute of Pathology Heidelberg (IPH) to establish its Center of Molecular Pathology at Heidelberg University Hospital as the newest member of the Next Generation Sequencing Companion Dx Center of Excellence Program (COEP). The initiative focuses on forging strategic collaborations with leading, European-based organizations that can lead studies using Thermo Fisher's Oncomine portfolio of research panels destined for development as companion diagnostics to help drive precision oncology in the region.

Working in collaboration with pharmaceutical partners and Thermo Fisher, the IPH Center of Molecular Pathology, headed by Dr. Albrecht Stenzinger, will conduct studies and clinical trials under the leadership of Professor Peter Schirmacher, director of the Institute of Pathology of Heidelberg University Hospital. Leaders in their field, Stenzinger and his team have in-depth expertise with Thermo Fisher's next-generation sequencing (NGS) platforms and various gene panels, which they use to profile in clinical trials across several cancer types and more than 3,500 samples in clinical diagnostics annually.

The Institute is also the site of Germany's largest tissue biobank, featuring a sophisticated laboratory information management system that has incorporated Thermo Fisher's Ion Torrent bioinformatics software. Coupled with its biomarker development and translational diagnostics program, the IPH is uniquely positioned as an ideal Thermo Fisher partner to develop NGS-based diagnostics.

"Molecular pathology is a multidimensional and rapidly evolving field where high-level expertise ranging from genetics to trial design and close collaborations are the key for innovation that ultimately benefits patients," Stenzinger said. "Liquid biopsies, genetic biomarkers guiding immunotherapy approaches and clinically exploitable genetic themes that are shared by many cancer types, such as DNA repair deficiency, are currently the most exciting and promising areas for diagnostic applications and will keep us busy in assay development, daily diagnostics, and clinical trials."

Heidelberg University Hospital is one of the largest medical centers in Europe with its unique campus site shared with the German Cancer Research Center. It is characterized by its pursuit of developing innovative methods in diagnosis and treatment, while its clinical research arm has long been an early adopter of leading technology.

Thermo Fisher key opinion leaders, Stenzinger and his team member Dr. Volker Endris, head of Research and Development, has provided expert guidance toward the development of assays and relevant content for clinical research applications in liquid biopsy and immuno-oncology prior to joining the COEP. The IPH Center of Molecular Pathology is the second organization to join the COEP after the Institute of Medical Genetics and Pathology at University Hospital Basel, which joined in April.

"With an ever increasing number of drugs coming to market, scalable detection of clinically relevant biomarkers that enable targeted therapies and the use of agents modulating the immune system will be the key for successful implementation of precision oncology," said Joydeep Goswami, president of clinical next-generation sequencing and oncology for Thermo Fisher Scientific. "We are committed to companion diagnostic development and will continue on this path with leading global organizations that share our vision of a healthier world."

About Thermo Fisher Scientific

Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc. is the world leader in serving science, with revenues of more than $20 billion and approximately 65,000 employees globally. Our mission is to enable our customers to make the world healthier, cleaner and safer. We help our customers accelerate life sciences research, solve complex analytical challenges, improve patient diagnostics, deliver medicines to market and increase laboratory productivity. Through our premier brands  Thermo Scientific, Applied Biosystems, Invitrogen, Fisher Scientific and Unity Lab Services  we offer an unmatched combination of innovative technologies, purchasing convenience and comprehensive services. For more information, please visit www.thermofisher.com.

Media Contact Information:

Mauricio Minotta

Thermo Fisher Scientific

+1 760 929 2456

[email protected]



Maurissa Messier

CG Life

+1 908 208 9254

[email protected]

SOURCE Thermo Fisher Scientific Inc.

Related Links

http://www.thermofisher.com


DES MOINES, Iowa, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Recently, Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed into law HB 2638, giving Oregon State Police oversight authority over ignition interlock providers. Under the law, local authorities will be responsible for certifying as well as inspecting interlock installation centers and will receive additional funding for state troopers whose core responsibility will be to ensure interlock compliance among drunk driving offenders.

Kimberly Williams, CEO of Intoxalock, released the following statement:

"Intoxalock supports Governor Brown and the Oregon state legislators' decision to more aggressively pursue the enforcement of drunk driving penalties. Making local law officials a more integral part of the process in addition to more funding specifically for successful compliance is smart policy. Passing HB 2638 demonstrates Oregon's commitment to best-in-class DUI safety legislation and we encourage other states to follow suit."

Since 2010, across the nation, interlock devices have prevented more than 1.77 million attempts to start a vehicle by somebody with a blood alcohol concentration of .08 and above.

About Intoxalock

Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Intoxalock (http://www.Intoxalock.com) developed its state-of-the-art ignition interlock device in conjunction with researchers from Iowa State University. Recently celebrating their 23rd anniversary in the alcohol monitoring business, Intoxalock currently services clients that are legally required to install an IID or home alcohol-monitoring unit in 39 states across the nation, in addition to voluntary clients in all other states. In the last 10 years, the ignition interlock industry has grown three-fold and is expected to continue as drunk driving legislation strengthens.

To access additional Intoxalock news releases, photography, infographics and other resources, please visit our Media Room at https://www.intoxalock.com/media.

SOURCE Intoxalock

Related Links

http://www.intoxalock.com


PHILADELPHIA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education (ALI CLE) has announced that Estate Planning for the Family Business Owner will be held on November 2 - 3, 2017 in Charleston, South Carolina. This nationally recognized program is the course to attend for expert analyses of all key aspects of succession planning for family businesses.

Estate Planning for the Family Business Owner will feature a well-regarded faculty composed of some of the most experienced, prolific, and talented practitioners in estate planning, tax, insurance, and employee benefits. These experts will offer the latest techniques in succession planning and advanced strategies to recognize and evaluate family business issues. This year's program will highlight the significant concerns regarding IRC  2036 estate inclusion, as well as important cases affecting S corporation owner compensation and LLC self-employment tax.

Other current topics to be addressed at the conference will include:

Family dynamics and how estate and succession plans can affect them

The litigation "alternative" in successor generation family rivalries that are unresolvable

Planning for the possibility of tax reform and repeal of the estate tax

Valuing an equity interest in a family business

"In counseling a business owner, one needs to be aware of how income tax issues and important developments in FICA and self-employment tax affect business structuring; how to incentivize key employees; how the business can transition ownership to the next generation; how to try to keep a business together or, if necessary, manage a business' split-up and navigate intrafamily litigation; and how to avoid estate tax," said Planning Co-Chair, Steve Gorin. "With nationally-known speakers addressing all of these issues, this program is a must for estate planners who represent family business owners."

To learn more about this program and to register for the in-person course or webcast, click here.

About American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education

American Law Institute CLE is the continuing legal education division of the American Law Institute. American Law Institute CLE, a non-profit organization, is committed to the work of promoting continuing professional education for lawyers throughout the United States and to creating standards to ensure quality and relevance in CLE programs. American Law Institute CLE is constantly evolving to meet the needs of the legal profession, furthering a tradition of unparalleled service to lawyers. Follow the latest announcements and news at https://www.ali-cle.org/Press-Releases and on Twitter @ALI_CLE.

For press and media related inquiries please send us an email at [email protected].

CONTACT: Ian Shumard

ALI CLE (215) 243-1662

SOURCE American Law Institute Continuing Legal Education

Related Links

https://www.ali-cle.org/


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid (KDCR Partners) officially announced its new partners today as the firm marks its 10th anniversary this year. Julie Hershey Carr and Randi Reid have been named partners. The firm's diverse clientele includes Volvo Car USA, CVS Health, AdvaMed, Intel, and Best Buy.

"Julie and Randi's elevation to partner is the culmination of years of hard work and a recognition of their invaluable contributions to the firm's steady growth," said Lisa Kountoupes, founder and President of KDCR Partners. "From day one, both colleagues worked tirelessly to meet our mission to deliver high value and results for our clients. In an era of information overload, Julie and Randi guide our clients with a strategic, targeted approach to Washington policymaking."

Julie Hershey Carr served as Legislative Director for U.S. Rep. Joseph Pitts (R-PA), a member of the House Energy & Commerce Committee, former Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman, and a leader among the House conservatives. Since joining the private sector, Hershey Carr has helped guide clients through several reauthorizations of the medical device user fee, worked to stave off multiple reimbursement cuts in Medicare SGR bills, increased patient safety in radiation therapy and helped modernize laws governing how video content is shared on social media through the Video Privacy Protection Act.

"Julie is a trusted friend and colleague that I've known for years. I'm thrilled that she has earned this partnership,'' said Mike Bloomquist, Deputy Staff Director of the House Energy & Commerce Committee. "Julie has a keen understanding of political dynamics across the ideological spectrum, and more importantly, knows how to navigate the politics to achieve real results."

"I have known and worked with Julie for years, particularly considering her strong Pennsylvania roots. She has always been a total professional with a great feel for the legislative process," said U.S. Rep. Charlie Dent (R-PA). "I congratulate Julie on her continued success."

Randi Reid previously served as Legislative Director for U.S. Sen. Michael Enzi (R-WY) for five Congresses in 2005-2013. Enzi is a senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, former Chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee and the current Chairman of the Senate Budget Committee. She also served a stint in the House, with her home state Representative, current Energy & Commerce Health Subcommittee Chairman Michael Burgess (R-TX), and in state government, working for then Texas Governor George W. Bush.

"Randi was a rock-solid member of my team for many years. In an environment prone to partisanship, she was invaluable in helping me successfully navigate the complex legislative dynamics as Chairman of the Senate HELP Committee and a member of the Senate Finance Committee when she served as my Legislative Director," said U.S. Sen. Michael Enzi. "Her judgment, focus and strategic counsel were right on target, and I congratulate her on her great success in the private sector."

In 2017, the firm has added eight new clients, building on its already strong roster of Fortune 500 companies, trade associations, and non-profit organizations, which they represent before Congress and the federal government.

"I've worked with Lisa and the KDCR team over the last decade. What I value is that I always got the principals in the firm -- their best judgement, strategic counsel, candor and accountability," said John Schaeffler, Executive Global Government Relations Leader at General Electric & GE Healthcare. "What I value the most is that they delivered results for our company and industry regardless of the political environment."

The firm was founded in 2007 by Kountoupes after she held a series of senior positions in the White House, executive branch and the United States Congress. "As long as federal government policy affects people's lives and livelihoods, results-driven government affairs work will continue to be in high demand in Washington, and we will continue to deliver," added Kountoupes.

Partner Lori Denham joined the firm in 2008. She previously served for more than four years as executive vice president of government affairs and industry operations for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). Prior to RILA, Denham worked on Capitol Hill for Rep. Cal Dooley (D-CA) for more than 13 years in a variety of roles including Legislative Director and Chief of Staff.

The firm's areas of expertise will remain in healthcare and workforce, technology and transportation, energy and agriculture and retail. More on the firm can be found at www.KDCRPartners.com.

Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid is a bipartisan, results driven firm that offers clients invaluable assistance in navigating the legislative and political landscape in Washington, DC.

SOURCE Kountoupes Denham Carr & Reid
ROCKVILLE, Md., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- LAC Federal, a leading provider of library, information, and knowledge management services for the U.S. government, has been awarded an 8(a) STARS II Government-wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) through SBA certified Mentor-Protege joint venture Select Federal Services, with protege MCH Corporation.

The 8(a) STARS II contract vehicle, allows government agencies to access customized IT services from its 8(a) service providers through 2024. The contract has a five-year base with one five-year option, and a $10 billion program ceiling. The contract also provides the ability for directed task orders up to $4 million.

Select Federal Services brings government agencies a wide range of IT services including cyber security support; digital asset management system support; computer application development; systems analysis and software design; web design and maintenance services; digital archiving system support services; and integrated library systems management. LAC Federal and MCH Corp are also participants in the 8(a) Business Development Mentor-Protege Program. As a mentor, LAC Federal brings government agencies the experience and pricing expected from a large organization and MCH Corp, as a protege, delivers the personalized attention characterized by small businesses.

"From computer programming to knowledge management, we can provide agencies with services across all four functional areas of the 8(a) STARS II program," said Tom Miller, vice president for LAC Federal. "LAC's heritage in library science and KM paired with MCH Corp.'s pedigree as a provider of science and technology integration operations makes Select Federal Services a winning combination for federal, state and local government."

LAC Federal's clients include the Foreign Service Institute's Stephen Low Information Center, The IMF Joint Bank-Fund Library, the Library of Congress, National Agricultural Library, National Library of Education, NOAA Central Library and Regional Libraries, and USAID Library and Knowledge Services Center. LAC Federal's services range from supporting specific functions at these entities to managing and staffing the whole institution. To learn more about how to use the 8(a) STARS II contracting vehicle, contact Tom Miller or MCH Corp. CEO Michael Hamilton at [email protected].

MCH Corp

MCH is a veteran-owned small business and is unique in that while it is a technology company at its core with a long history of providing web development, hosting, and secure software development services, it also has had the experience of providing information center, library, and digital assets management services to numerous Federal, state and local government clients.

About LAC Federal

LAC Federal is dedicated to the unique knowledge and information management needs of federal government agencies and departments. Based in Rockville, Maryland, the federal team is familiar with all facets of U.S. government procurement, either as direct contractors or trusted subcontracting partners. LAC Federal is on the GSA Schedule for technical, administrative & professional staffing as well as office, imaging and document solutions. As part of LAC Group, the federal division delivers the company's full range of knowledge and information management expertise, customized for government clients. Visit https://lacfederal.com

Library as a Service is a registered trademark of LAC Group.

MEDIA CONTACT

Bill Perry

[email protected]

+ 1 (614) 975-7538

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES

LAC Group Press Kit

LAC GROUP ONLINE

SOURCE LAC Group

Related Links

https://lacfederal.com


IoT and product solution provider Iotopia Solutions joins Spiria

MONTREAL, 7 Sept. 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Spiria, a custom digital solutions developer, is proud to announce its first US-based development team. The Boston-based IoT and product solution provider Iotopia Solutions joins Spiria to become the company's first U.S. production hub. This addition is part of Spiria's strategy to provide local digital solution development expertise across major North-American markets. This expansion will support the growing demand from Spiria's customers for industrial IoT solutions, and from the U.S. East Coast market for an experienced custom software development provider.

"We are always looking for new ways to help our customers optimize production, cut costs and gain a strategic edge on their competitors. We felt that adding more industrial IoT expertise to our team would enable us to deliver even smarter digital solutions to our customers. Bringing on a team of IoT experts like Iotopia Solutions felt only natural", says Stephane Rouleau, President & CEO of Spiria. "We also felt it was important to move even closer to our already strong US customer base. An innovation hub like Boston with a rich academic culture, close to our Montreal and Ottawa offices, is a great place to start."

"Joining a company with over 14 years of custom software development expertise and experience enables us to provide our medical, agricultural and energy industry customers with a full-service digital solution offering", said Kianosh Pourian, CEO of Spiria Boston.

Iotopia Solutions, the developers behind innovative solutions for companies like Bosch, Perkin Elmer and ZOLL, becomes Spiria Boston. The new Boston team joins Spiria in providing custom IoT solutions, specialized software, and Mobile and Web application development services to customers across North America.

Spiria's expansion does not stop there. It is looking to add more markets and gain ever-greater expertise over the coming months.

About Spiria

Since 2003, Spiria develops innovative digital solutions that transform businesses, optimize operations, and define how users engage with brands. The development methodology they use is based on experience acquired from 900 digital products designed, developed and delivered across multiple industries. Spiria's 120 engineers, architects, developers and designers focus on creating specialized software, embedded systems, IoT solutions and engaging Mobile and Web applications. Over 300 international companies like Autodesk, Acosta and Shutterstock rely on Spiria's expertise and custom software solutions to get more customers, cut costs and accelerate growth. For more information, visit www.spiria.com.

SOURCE Spiria Digital Inc.

Related Links

https://www.spiria.com


"We are thrilled to welcome such an influential group of companies as strategic investors, with whom we share a common goal of making mobility safer and more efficient," stated Charles Boulanger, LeddarTech's CEO . "Their strong endorsement is a testament to the maturity of the Leddar technology and the credibility of our product roadmap to support the ongoing development of autonomous driving. This positions LeddarTech as the definitive reference in solid-state LiDAR and validates our Tier-1 partnership business model to rapidly deploy LiDARs on a commercial scale in automotive applications. We believe this announcement represents a major stepping stone towards achieving market -share leadership in the multibillion-dollar automotive LiDAR market by 2020," added Mr. Boulanger.

Said Stefan Kampmann, Chief Technology Officer at OSRAM Licht AG, "As the world's leading provider of sensor lights for autonomous vehicles, we are very pleased to endorse and participate in the tremendous promise of the Leddar technology alongside this impressive group of key industry players." Added Kampmann, "Our company enjoys a well-established working relationship with LeddarTech and we view their advanced optical sensing technology as highly complementary with Osram's opto-semiconductor products. Hence, we see the investment in LeddarTech as a unique opportunity to jointly capitalize on the rising demand for solid-state LiDARs."

LeddarTech is commercializing automotive-grade solid-state LiDARs that meet the industry's stringent requirements in terms of cost, performance, and reliability. The patented Leddar technology stems from more than a decade of R&D and has been optimized through multiple deployments in different applications. Packaged into LeddarCore integrated circuits (ICs) and standard microcontrollers, Leddar's light wave digital signal processing and powerful software algorithms generate significantly higher sensitivity than other LiDAR methods. This enhanced sensitivity allows LeddarTech to achieve the automotive industry's targeted performance levels using more affordable, readily available components, as well as simple, robust sensor designs with no moving parts. LeddarTech works in close collaboration with Tier-1 automotive suppliers to offer customized LiDAR solutions that meet the unique requirements of each current or prospective OEM, fleet and mobility service provider customer.

"Delphi aims to be at the forefront of autonomous driving developments and LiDAR is a key component thereof," said Glen De Vos, Delphi Automotive senior vice president and chief technology officer. "We are delighted to partner with LeddarTech to leverage its innovative and proprietary signal processing technology to rapidly commercialize low-cost, high-performing LiDARs."

Said Pietro Gorlier, CEO of Magneti Marelli, "Our investment in LeddarTech, with its proven and proprietary competence in solid-state LiDAR sensors, provides Magneti Marelli with the opportunity to partner with a technology leader with key expertise in the strategic sector of autonomous driving systems."

Said Mario Montana, Vice President and General Manager of IDT Automotive and Industrial Group, "Our investment in LeddarTech cements the strong technology relationship between our two companies. LeddarTech's deep systems knowledge in solid-state LIDAR, combined with IDT's automotive sensor technology leadership, creates a powerful solution for the autonomous driving market."

GCA Advisors, LLC acted as sole placement agent for this transaction.

About LeddarTech

LeddarTech is the developer and owner of Leddar, a patented solid-state LiDAR sensing technology that constitutes a novel approach to light detection and ranging. Developed over 10+ years of R&D, Leddar is a unique combination of advanced light wave digital signal processing and software algorithms that enable the production of solid-state LiDARs delivering superior performance and reliability at a highly competitive price. LeddarTech sensors are used in multiple mobility-related markets including automotive, intelligent transport systems, drones, and industrial vehicles. LeddarTech's technology contributes to improving our safety and our quality of life through applications minimizing the risks of accidents, reducing traffic congestion, and improving transport efficiency.

LeddarTech, Leddar, and LeddarCore are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Inc.

Source and information:

Marc Antoine Morin

Marketing Communication Manager, LeddarTech

+1-418-653-9000, ext. 221

Cell: +1-514-515-0607

[email protected]

Stephane Duquet

Product Marketing Manager, LeddarTech

+1-418-653-9000, ext. 244

Cell: +1-418-455-1650

[email protected]

SOURCE LeddarTech. Inc.
SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Lee's Sandwiches International, Inc., The World's Largest Banh Mi Chain, is mobilizing its 60 stores across the U.S to aid in relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey, one of the most damaging natural disasters in U.S history.

Lees Sandwiches raises money nationwide to aid in relief for victims of Hurricane Harvey

On Saturday, September 9th, 2017, the company will donate 100% of its proceeds, up to $100,000, from its $1 Lee's Coffee Fundraiser, to "The Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund," established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Judge Ed Emmett for the Greater Houston Community Foundation. Customers can make additional monetary donations at Lee's Sandwiches stores from now to September 15th that will be added to the total amount of donation. The Greater Houston Community Foundation provides shelter, temporary housing needs, food, supplies, healthcare, and transportation to those affected by the tragedy.

Lee's Sandwiches is also hitting the streets of Houston to deliver food donations of sandwiches, coffee, and water to local churches and rescue shelters. In addition, the chain is partnering with multiple non-profit organizations throughout California and Texas to hold fundraising concerts.

"When there are difficult times, our country is called to band together. Every donation counts and goes to restoring Houston back from this extreme natural disaster," said President and CEO Chieu Le. "At a time when the needs are immense, we are committed to strengthening the emergency response. Together, we can make a difference."

About Lee's Sandwiches

Since 1983, Lee's Sandwiches has been committed to providing the freshest and highest quality of Euro-Asian Sandwiches and coffee to their customers. With over 60 stores in five states, the company is the first and only franchising Euro-Asian Sandwich chain. Recently, Lee's Sandwiches has opened the first Lee's Coffee Roastery in Orange County, California. The exciting and interactive Lee's Coffee Roastery is dedicated to providing small batch, freshly roasted, and specialty coffee beans from around the world.

Lee's Sandwiches has been partnering closely with the American Red Cross to aid many relief efforts, such as 9-11, the Indian Ocean Earthquake, the Haiti Earthquake, the Hurricane Katrina, the Japanese Pacific Earthquake, the Typhoon Haiyan, the Typhoon Soudelor, and established the Le-Jao Center, donating a total of over one million dollars to the community.

For more information, please visit www.leesandwiches.com.

Media Contact:

Jimmy Le

(408) 275-0700

SOURCE Lee's Sandwiches International, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.leesandwiches.com


SAN JOSE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In one of the toughest markets for first time homebuyers in years, The Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS (SCCAOR) and the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS (SILVAR) are partnering with the Housing Trust Silicon Valley to provide a $100,000 grant that will help first time homebuyers with closings costs. With homeownership rates in 2015 at a 30-year low at 50.7% in the San Jose Metro Area, this program is meant to help hardworking families establish themselves firmly in the community through the dream of homeownership.

The Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS and the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS saw an unmet need in assisting first-time homebuyers and applied for the $100,000 grant from the California Association of REALTORS Housing Affordability Fund. The Santa Clara County REALTOR Foundation and the Silicon Valley REALTORS Charitable Foundation are contributing the necessary operational funds to implement the grant.

The Housing Trust will grant up to $5,000 per first-time homebuyer household. Buyers looking to qualify will need to meet three key standards before applying. They must use a REALTOR in the transaction; be considered a "first-time homebuyer" under federal tax rules; and meet the income requirement of earning up to 120% of area median income.

"I've seen many young families say they just can't make it work here and we end up losing folks to areas where they can purchase that starter home," said Rick Smith, president of SCCAOR. "This closing cost grant can make the difference for buyers just on the edge of affordability."

"We must address the housing needs of hardworking families who live in our communities," said Denise Welsh, president of SILVAR. "This program will aid first-time homebuyers in their efforts to attain homeownership."

"For first-time homebuyers, closing costs are the last step to purchasing a home. These grants can make their dream of homeownership a reality," said Eileen Giorgi, president of the Silicon Valley REALTORS Charitable Foundation.



"We work closely with many non-profits and community groups, and what they are telling us is their workers are moderate income and can't purchase a home. Those serving the needs of the community should have a chance to invest their future here in our area," said Frank Cancilla, chair of the Santa Clara County REALTOR Foundation.

"Local REALTORS have been partners with the Housing Trust Silicon Valley since our founding in 2000 and have worked with us to make homeownership a reality for thousands of families in Silicon Valley," said Kevin Zwick, CEO of the Housing Trust. "This is a great new way to collaborate and demonstrates their dedication to working on the issue of affordable homeownership in our community."

For eligibility and program details, visit: http://www.housingtrustsv.org/programs/homebuyer-assistance/haf/

Learn more about the Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS at www.sccaor.com

Learn more about the Silicon Valley Association of REALTORS at https://www.silvar.org/

Learn more about the Santa Clara County REALTORS Foundation at www.sccrfoundation.org

Learn more about the C.A.R. Housing Affordability Fund at http://www.car.org/difference/haf/

Learn more about Housing Trust Silicon Valley at http://www.housingtrustsv.org/

Contact: Vince Rocha

Phone: 408.445.5063

[email protected]

SOURCE Santa Clara County Association of REALTORS

Related Links

http://www.sccaor.com


DENVER, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Location3, the digital marketing agency that delivers enterprise-level strategy with local market activation, today announced the launch of LOCALACT, the premier platform built to power and scale local digital marketing for franchise systems and multi-location businesses. LOCALACT unifies localized digital advertising with organic listing and search management to provide a complete digital marketing solution that drives measurable results for brands with a large brick-and-mortar footprint. Features include local business listing management with rigorous data validation, advanced location and consumer insights, consumer review monitoring, paid search management, Facebook advertising, and more.

"We built LOCALACT to help businesses power and scale local digital marketing tactics. Since rolling out the platform beta in April 2016, we've received helpful feedback from clients on what features and applications they would like to see integrated. The full scale version offers a unique Software-with-a-Service model that combines in-house digital marketing experts with proprietary software that efficiently integrates client data into a single, centralized platform," said Alex Porter, CEO of Location3. "We are a strategic partner and an extension of our clients' marketing teams, not a vendor, and launching LOCALACT is another big step toward strengthening our great client relationships even more."

Location3's extensive experience in optimizing more than 100,000 local business listings and thousands of local digital advertising campaigns for brands like HoneyBaked Ham, AT&T and FASTSIGNS has served as the genesis for the creation and development of LOCALACT. The platform is now available to all Location3 clients. Full release features available include:

Local Business Listing Management

Extensive data validation, direct listing publication, and ongoing management ensure locations are visible on the most important search engines, mapping platforms, and directories.



Reporting and analytics monitor the address accuracy of the published listings, and tracks how often consumers are viewing and engaging with the locations.

Localized Paid Search Advertising

Launch powerfully targeted, localized paid search advertising supported by enterprise-level campaign strategy



Reporting measures customized conversion goals, to ensure the most meaningful customer actions are tracked and optimized towards.

Facebook Paid Advertising

Launch, manage, and report on localized Facebook advertising campaigns, with access, reporting, support and billing available at both the corporate and local/franchise level

Local-Level Reporting on Google Analytics, Google Search Console & Search Insights

Allows access to all key reporting metrics listed previously for individual locations, including Google My Business Insights, Facebook Insights, Customer Reviews, Paid Media Advertising and Local SEO



Provides a clear picture of the company's local digital footprint and corresponding performance across channels that impact customers

Customer Reviews and Review Responding

Allows each individual franchise or business location to engage and communicate directly with customers who post reviews on either Google or Facebook channels



Ability to navigate to specific user reviews in order to provide feedback, and respond to customer inquiries directly from the platform

"We're incredibly excited to see our partners at Location3 launch LOCALACT. We believe that the ability to manage all of our critical local data in the new platform, while also being able to further expand our franchise campaigns in new digital channels, will give Anytime Fitness a significant competitive advantage as we look to reach new potential club members and visitors," said Kristen Pechacek, Senior Manager, Digital Marketing at Anytime Fitness.

To learn more about LOCALACT, please visit www.localact.com.

About Location3

Location3 is the digital marketing agency that delivers enterprise-level strategy with local market activation. Location3 works hand-in-hand with corporate/brand marketing teams at franchise systems and multi-location brands to execute integrated digital programs that increase customer acquisition and brand awareness. We are a strategic partner and an extension of our clients' marketing teams.

Media Contact: Rachel Jermansky

Resound Marketing for Location3

[email protected]

609-279-0050 x119

SOURCE Location3

Related Links

https://www.location3.com


A rally on a busy Helena intersection was part of a nationwide effort drawing attention to a lack of Veterans Affairs medical staff.

Among the signs at Wednesday evening's event were those that read: "No vet should wait in line," "I love my VA," and "Fully staff the VA."

Kate Haegele, one of the rally's organizers, said the purpose of the event was to put pressure on officials to staff the 49,000 unfilled positions in the VA nationwide.

"Truly, we can't care for our veterans if we don't have a full staff," said Haegele, local union president with the American Federation of Government Employees. "It puts a lot of pressure on our employees that we do have staffed."

In Montana, 14 of 40 VA primary care provider positions are unfilled.

Officials recently said their efforts to recruit care providers and fill vacancies within the Montana VA include working with job recruiters from the Veterans Integrated Service Networks and pulling from other regional VAs.

Drivers honked and whistled as a show of support as they passed the rally at the intersection of Lyndale Avenue and Last Chance Gulch.

Haegele said the location was chosen to be as visible as possible.

"We figured we'd have more attention here than in front of the VA," she said.

More rallies are planned across the country in September, Haegele added.
ARMONK, N.Y. and ZURICH, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that M-Industry, one of the world's largest private label consumer goods company and subsidiary of Switzerland's largest retailer and supermarket chain, Migros Group, has launched a new IBM designed mobile offering to transform how product promoters work.

M-Industry is equipping more employees across its promotion agency with enterprise iOS apps designed by IBM  Market Visit (pictured), Shift Sync and custom-built TMI Visits  to better coordinate, conduct and complete in-store promotions. Mobile employees performing in-store promotions of M-Industry products in Migros stores in Switzerland now have access to the latest product information in the palm of their hands, eliminating the need for time-consuming, manual-based processes. Credit: IBM

As part of its overall digital transformation, M-Industry is rolling out iPads equipped with IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps to more than 300 employees across their promotion agency, Trade Marketing Intelligence (TMI) unit. These apps will provide promoters with immediate access to information to better coordinate, conduct and complete in-store promotions.

M-Industry formed TMI three years ago to oversee the in-store promotions of the company's food and non-food private labels and third-party products throughout Migros stores in Switzerland.

Traditionally, TMI promoters primarily relied on manual-based processes with the back-office such as phone and email communication and paper documentation  to get more information on products and store displays prior to, during and after their assigned promotions. Typically, promoters printed this paperwork at their homes before leaving for a store visit. Additionally, promoters received last minute texts or emails on changes to product messaging or cross-product pairing. Coupled with limited access to knowledge about promotional content, this inconsistent method impacted the overall quality of the promotion.

As part of a broader transformation, M-Industry wanted to improve the productivity and efficacy of promoters by equipping them with the tools to streamline communications and access the right information all in one place to better prepare for store visits and deliver greater value to Migros customers.

"Our collaboration with Apple and IBM is reinventing how we do business. By creating a compelling, mobile-first process for our field employees, we are transforming how they work and it's game-changing for not only employees but for our business and our customers," said Lukas Bigler, Project Manager Head of TMI. "Our employees who work remotely in various stores require the most current product information to do their job well. We are now putting relevant information at the fingertips of our mobile employees, making it easier for them to do their daily job, be more productive and augment the quality of the promotions."

M-Industry worked closely with IBM iX, one of the world's largest digital agencies for business strategy and experience design, to create native apps, built using Swift, with a user-centric approach based on input from target employees. Each app is specifically tailored for the needs of TMI promoters  a base comprised of users with limited experience on digital solutions. With an intuitive user experience, the three iOS apps are designed to simplify tasks and give promoters quick access to up-to-date data while they are managing product promotions on location:

Market Visit puts the latest promotion information in the palm of employee hands, including training materials on promotion products, real-time product notifications updates and other communication from the back office, eliminating the need for paper and multiple devices to prepare, conduct and complete promotions. Promoters can also record expenses  travel or in-store product related  on the app and submit it prior to departing the store, which took days and weeks in the manual mode. Upon completing a store's assessment, promoters can easily give feedback to the back office.

puts the latest promotion information in the palm of employee hands, including training materials on promotion products, real-time product notifications updates and other communication from the back office, eliminating the need for paper and multiple devices to prepare, conduct and complete promotions. Promoters can also record expenses  travel or in-store product related  on the app and submit it prior to departing the store, which took days and weeks in the manual mode. Upon completing a store's assessment, promoters can easily give feedback to the back office. Shift Sync helps promoters better coordinate with the back office to plan work assignments more efficiently. Using iPad, employees can view and manage work schedules, request time off, and receive push notifications regarding assignment confirmations.

helps promoters better coordinate with the back office to plan work assignments more efficiently. Using iPad, employees can view and manage work schedules, request time off, and receive push notifications regarding assignment confirmations. TMI Visits, a custom-built iOS app exclusively used by M-Industry employees, enables promotion execution managers to access location-based store and promotion information, capture notes about each store and its promotion activity, perform promoter and promotion assessments and analyze the results.

"Organizations across all industries are recognizing the need for digital transformation to drive efficiencies, reinvent business models and create digitally enabled experiences that enhances services delivered to their customers, and the path begins with mobile," said Gareth Mackown, European Mobile and Apple Leader, IBM. "Together, M-Industry and IBM designed an iOS enterprise experience around the end user, beyond just for data entry, to create a simple-to-use platform that empowers employees with data driven insights, transforming work processes, increasing job satisfaction and raising productivity."

IBM and M-Industry will continue their collaboration to further evolve the apps with plans to add new functionalities that will empower employees with better insights to deliver higher quality service and enhance interactions with store customers. For example, iPads of the promoters could also be used for consumer interactions so customers can vote during product sampling on their favorite product, as well as share product demonstrations with in-store customers.

About IBM

For more information, visit http://www.ibm.com/services/gbs.

For more information regarding IBM MobileFirst for iOS apps and services please visit https://www.ibm.com/mobile/mobilefirst-for-ios/ or www.apple.com/business/mobile-enterprise-apps/.

About M-Industry

For more information, visit http://www.mindustry.com/en

For media enquiries

The Media Office is only intended to answer inquiries from journalists.

Federation of Migros Cooperatives

Media Office

Limmatstrasse 152

CH-8031 Zurich

Telephone: +41 (0)58 570 38 38

[email protected]

The M-Infoline is available for customer enquiries:

Telephone: +41 (0)848 84 0848

Marisa Conway

IBM Media Relations

[email protected]

212-671-9408

Switzerland:

Susan Orozco

IBM Switzerland Media Relations

[email protected]

058 333 5883

SOURCE IBM

Related Links

http://www.ibm.com


TUCSON, Ariz., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Martin L. Dresner, M.D., FACS, is recognized by Continental Who's Who as a Pinnacle Lifetime Member in the field of Healthcare.

Dr. Dresner, now retired, was the Program Director of the Department of Urology at Southern Arizona VA Health Care System. He brought over 50 years of field experience, as well as expertise in all aspects of urology as well as program management, to his role.

Catering to over 171,000 veterans across multiple counties in Southern Arizona and one county in Western New Mexico, Southern Arizona VA Health Care System is a 277-bed hospital, administering primary care and sub-specialty health services for eligible veterans.

Dr. Dresner is Board certified in Urology through the American Board of Urology. He has served Southern Arizona VA Health for 22 years. Prior to private practice, Dr. Dresner retired from the U.S. Army in 1994 with the rank of Colonel. In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Dresner is an adjunct medical professor.

As a Vietnam veteran, Dr. Dresner received the Legion of Merit and Bronze Star as well as U.S. Airborne and Special Forces Airborne wings. He was also the 2014 recipient of the Henry M. and M. Paige Laughlin Lifetime Educator Award by Ursinus College.

To date, one of Dr. Dresner's biggest professional accomplishments took place in 2015, when he was awarded a Presidential Citation by the American Urological Association. He is an esteemed Fellow of the American College of Surgeons and member of the American Urological Association, the American Association of Clinical Urologists, the Society of Government Services Urologists and the American College of Surgeons. In addition, Dr. Dresner is the Past President of the Western Section of the American Urological Association and is the current Historian/Parliamentarian of the SGSU.

Dr. Dresner earned his Medical degree from Jefferson Medical College, following completion of his Bachelor's degree from Ursinus College. He then joined the staff at Memorial Hospital for his internship, then completed his residency in General Surgery at Martin Army Community Hospital. Additionally, Dr. Dresner concluded a second residency in Urology at Letterman Army Medical Center and an additional fellowship in Pediatric Urology at Children's Memorial Hospital.

When not working, Dr. Dresner enjoys spending time with his four grandchildren and listening to Jazz music. He dedicates this recognition to his parents, Marianne and Lawrence S. Dresner, who always supported his career.

For more information, please visit www.tucson.va.gov.

CONTACT: Katherine Green, 516-825-5634, [email protected].

SOURCE Continental Who's Who

Related Links

http://www.continentalwhoswho.com


DENVER, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Matrix Analytics announced today that Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, will expand to the fully integrated LungDirect Enterprise software solution. LungDirect Enterprise integrates within hospital IT infrastructure to automate identification and registration of patients with a pulmonary incidentaloma, or patients participating in a lung cancer screening program. Automating the identification process reduces patient leakage and increases hospital employee workflow efficiencies.

Community Hospital in Grand Junction, Colorado, is a full-service, acute-care hospital licensed for 60 beds. As part of the Colorado West Healthcare System, we are a Level III Trauma Center that offers full outpatient diagnostic services and inpatient care for the Western Slope region of Colorado, and eastern Utah. Community Hospital brings together expert staff and world-class technology in a healing, family-centered environment.

Brent Woodson, DO, from Advanced Pulmonary and Critical Care of the Grand Valley, part of Community Hospital, says, "At Community, we are looking forward to the automation of LungDirect Enterprise and more early stage detection of lung cancer, which will save lives. The integration will expand upon our lung cancer program that we started in 2014."

LungDirect, a product of Matrix Analytics and the leader in Lung Cancer and Pulmonary Incidentaloma management, is a proprietary software suite developed by an Interventional Pulmonologist frustrated with the disjointed care pulmonary nodule patients often receive. Electronic Medical Record systems are not equipped to manage nodule care coordination, so Dr. Alzubaidi was left to use spreadsheets and other outdated mechanisms to manage his nodule clinic patients. He decided there had to be a better way. LungDirect offers an innovative way for providers to manage both lung cancer screening patients and other at-risk pulmonary nodule patients.

About Matrix Analytics: Matrix Analytics is a collection of clinical and business experts aligned in the belief that conquering illness and disease requires data, creativity, and an unrelenting focus on Always Learning. First in our sights: Lung Cancer. Despite recent clinical advancements and available technology, an integrated solution to drive the consistent and efficient detection, diagnosis, and treatment of pulmonary nodules and lung cancer does not exist. LungDirect is the first line of defense in the fight. LungDirect registers incidental pulmonary nodules and screening patients to a dashboard and makes a user aware of these patients so they can be followed and treated according to standard clinical care guidelines. Pulmonary nodule management has never been easier!

Christine Spraker

President

Matrix Analytics

(303) 870-4042

[email protected]

www.matrix-analytics.com

www.lungdirect.com

SOURCE Matrix Analytics
NEW YORK, Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Evercore (NYSE: EVR) announced today that Michael J. Paliotta has agreed to join Evercore ISI as CEO of Evercore's equities business. Mr. Paliotta will join Evercore once he has completed his obligations to his current employer and will be responsible for management and strategic oversight of Evercore ISI's ongoing operations, working closely with Ed Hyman, Evercore ISI's Executive Chairman, and the rest of the senior leadership team.

Mr. Paliotta was most recently Head of Global Markets Equities at Credit Suisse, having served in leadership roles in the equities business there for almost 18 years.

Ed Hyman, Evercore ISI's Founder and Executive Chairman, said, "Evercore ISI has an unwavering commitment to providing market-leading independent research, along with world class distribution and trading abilities. Mike commands enormous respect in the equities business. His well-established track record of leadership will be a tremendous asset to Evercore ISI. He is an excellent cultural fit and will help take us to the next level."

Ralph Schlosstein, Evercore's President and CEO, said, "We are delighted to attract a professional of Mike's caliber to Evercore. His wealth of experience will be an extremely valuable resource for our Equities business as it seeks to maintain its top rank among independent providers of research and to provide the highest quality independent equity distribution capabilities and market insights to Evercore's Advisory clients."

John Weinberg, Evercore's Executive Chairman and Chairman of the Board, said, "We are very pleased that Mike will be joining Evercore. Over his long career, Mike has built a stellar reputation on the Street and I am confident that under his management, we will continue to provide our clients with the outstanding service that they have come to expect from Evercore in both our Equities and Advisory businesses."

Mr. Paliotta said, "I am excited to join the premier provider of independent research and distribution capabilities in our industry and look forward to working with the leadership of Evercore to enhance the already established capabilities of the Equities business for the benefit of our clients."

Mr. Paliotta received his MBA from NYU's Stern School of Business and his undergraduate degree from Manhattan College.

About Evercore

Established in 1995, Evercore is a leading global independent investment banking advisory firm. Evercore advises a diverse set of investment banking clients on a wide range of transactions and issues and provides institutional investors with high quality equity research, sales and trading execution that is free of the conflicts created by proprietary activities. The Firm also offers investment management services to high net worth and institutional investors. With 28 offices and affiliate offices in North America, Europe, South America and Asia, Evercore has the scale and strength to serve clients globally through a focused and tailored approach designed to meet their unique needs. More information about Evercore can be found on the Company's website at www.evercore.com.

Investor Contact: Robert B. Walsh

Chief Financial Officer, Evercore

+1.212.857.3100

Business Contact: Ed Hyman

Executive Chairman, Evercore ISI

+1.212.446.5600

Media Contact: Dana Gorman

The Abernathy MacGregor Group, for Evercore

+1.212.371.5999

SOURCE Evercore

Related Links

http://www.evercore.com


BENTON HARBOR, Mich., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Whirlpool Corporation has announced three microwaves that meet the newly published Sustainability Standard for Household Microwave Oven Appliances (AHAM 7007-2017) from the Association of Home Appliances Manufacturers (AHAM). This latest certification means consumers can now find Whirlpool microwave ovens  along with refrigeration and cooking appliances  that meet the AHAM Sustainability Standards.

This standard, developed collaboratively by AHAM, UL Environment (ULE), and the Canadian Standards Association (CSA), requires microwaves meet lifecycle-based environmental performance criteria across five categories: materials, energy consumption during use, manufacturing and operations, product performance, and end-of-life.

"We are proud to add these appliances to the portfolio of Whirlpool Corporation products already certified by the AHAM Sustainability Standards," said Ron Voglewede, Whirlpool Corporation Global Sustainability Director. "This certification demonstrates Whirlpool Corporation's continued commitment to sustainability in our development of new, innovative appliances."

The Whirlpool brand microwaves that have received AHAM certification include:

Product(s): WMH53521H, WMH78019H, and WMHR32519FS

About Whirlpool Corporation

Whirlpool Corporation (NYSE: WHR) is the number one major appliance manufacturer in the world, with approximately $21 billion in annual sales, 93,000 employees and 70 manufacturing and technology research centers in 2016. The company markets Whirlpool, KitchenAid, Maytag, Consul, Brastemp, Amana, Bauknecht, Jenn-Air, Indesit and other major brand names in nearly every country throughout the world. Additional information about the company can be found at WhirlpoolCorp.com, or find us on Twitter at @WhirlpoolCorp.

About AHAM

For nearly 50 years, AHAM has been the leading voice for the home appliance industry, promoting growth and innovation across the industry. Through its leadership in public policy, regulations, standards and research, AHAM helps manufacturers bring efficient, high-performing home appliances into the homes of consumers in the United States, Canada and around the world.

SOURCE Whirlpool Corporation

Related Links

http://www.whirlpoolcorp.com


BROOMFIELD, Colo., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Webroot's Board of Directors has named technology industry veteran Mike Potts as Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Board, effective September 25, 2017. Potts succeeds Dick Williams, who will retire as Webroot's CEO and continue as a member of the company's Board.

"Dick has been a tremendous CEO for Webroot, and when he decided to retire we looked for a leader who could build on his legacy of disruptive cybersecurity innovation and reliable business execution," said Jake Reynolds, a member of the Webroot Board of Directors. "Mike's exceptional leadership talent and his over 25-year track record of driving innovation and growth at technology companies make him the right choice to take Webroot to the next level of success."

Potts' technology industry experience spans the application and security sectors, and he will lead both Webroot's strategic direction and its day-to-day operations. He most recently served as an integration executive in the security business group at Cisco, following the acquisition of Lancope in 2015. As president and CEO of Lancope, Potts and his team led the transformation of the network security company, driving over 600 percent growth in five years. Prior to Lancope, he served as president and CEO of AirDefense. During his three-year tenure, the company forged a key partnership with Motorola, helping AirDefense drive over 300 percent growth in wireless security. Other prior roles include CEO of ClickFox, president of Jacada, and sales and marketing roles at MSA, which was acquired by Dun & Bradstreet.

"I am thrilled to join Webroot at such an exciting time," Potts said. "Dick has done a remarkable job developing a strong team and establishing a consistent record of innovation and growth. The urgent need for cyber protection and intelligence increases daily, and Webroot is in a great position to expand market share with its uniquely powerful solutions. I look forward to rapidly accelerating our growth and leadership in cybersecurity for the benefit of our customers, employees, and shareholders alike."

Williams' retirement comes after the conclusion of Webroot's successful fiscal year 2017, which marked 14 consecutive quarters of double-digit growth. He joined Webroot in 2009 and led a reinvention of the company with the introduction of the first cloud-based cybersecurity solutions. During his tenure, Webroot achieved rapid, profitable growth and expanded its portfolio to include endpoint and network security, threat intelligence services, and security awareness training.

"I am honored to have helped build and lead the incredibly talented Webroot team for the past eight years," Williams said. "I am proud of each of them, how they developed, and all we collectively accomplished. Webroot transformed an industry, and now protects millions of consumers and over 210,000 businesses from the risks of cyber threats. I am confident that Mike is the right person to lead this fantastic team going forward."

About Webroot

Webroot delivers next-generation endpoint security, network security, threat intelligence services, and security awareness training to protect businesses and individuals around the globe. Our smarter approach harnesses the power of cloud-based collective threat intelligence derived from millions of real-world devices to stop threats in real time and help secure the connected world. Our award-winning SecureAnywhere endpoint solutions, BrightCloud Threat Intelligence Services, and FlowScape solution protect millions of devices across businesses, home users, and the Internet of Things. Webroot is trusted and integrated by market-leading companies, including Cisco, F5 Networks, Aruba, Palo Alto Networks, A10 Networks, and more. Headquartered in Colorado, Webroot operates globally across North America, Europe, and Asia. Discover Smarter Cybersecurity solutions at www.webroot.com.

Social Media: Twitter | LinkedIn | YouTube | Facebook

2017 Webroot Inc. All rights reserved. Webroot, SecureAnywhere, Webroot SecureAnywhere, Webroot BrightCloud, BrightCloud, and Smarter Cybersecurity are trademarks or registered trademarks of Webroot Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks are properties of their respective owners.

SOURCE Webroot

Related Links

http://www.webroot.com


DELAFIELD, Wis., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Montage, the leading provider of purpose-built video and voice interviewing solutions to the world's most well respected brands including 100 of the Fortune 500, today announced that it has acquired GreenJobInterview and completed an $8 million funding round led by Plymouth Growth Partners with participation from repeat investors Baird Capital, Beringea and GCI. These two milestones will support growth, accelerate global market expansion, fuel enhanced innovation of the company's award-winning platform, and reinforce the company's dominance in the global recruiting technology landscape.

"This strategic acquisition, amplified by additional capital resources, empowers our company to simultaneously expand our market presence while further investing in our platform to better serve clients, candidates and the marketplace," said Kurt Heikkinen, president and CEO of Montage.

"Montage has earned the loyalty of its clients by prioritizing the candidate experience and investing wisely in innovations that deliver unparalleled results. We are very pleased to partner with the Montage team at this critical stage of the company's growth," explained Evan Ufer, Partner, Plymouth Growth Partners.

"Montage and GreenJobInterview are two recognized category leaders in this space. With the acquisition, I am confident our clients can continue to expect innovative technology with world-class client support. While there were a number of potential strategic partners, we chose Montage because of our shared corporate cultures of integrity, professionalism, innovation and outstanding service," said Greg Rokos, founder of GreenJobInterview.

"Our two companies have historically shared critical characteristics  most importantly, a collective commitment to the candidate experience and exceptional service. This acquisition, along with our continued 50 percent+ annual growth and new funding, uniquely positions us to serve the needs of the global recruiting industry," concluded Heikkinen.

About Montage

Montage offers the most mature video and voice interviewing solution available, purpose-built to transform the hiring experience one smile at a time. Applying an enterprise software-as-a-service (SaaS) model, Montage is the solution of choice for companies pursuing a hiring advantage. By extending talent reach, elevating employer brand, reducing travel, and minimizing costs, Montage engages candidates and hiring teams throughout the process, driving faster decisions and improving quality of hire. A privately held company, Montage is headquartered in Wisconsin and located on the Web at www.montagetalent.com.

About Plymouth Growth Partners

Plymouth Growth Partners (formerly Plymouth Ventures) invests in growth stage businesses throughout the Great Lakes region. With over 100 years of combined investing experience, Plymouth takes a flexible approach to partnering with management teams, helping to drive growth, build value and realize full potential. Plymouth focuses on B2B product and services companies that have scalable technology and proven growth. Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Plymouth Growth Partners has over $140 million under management and is actively investing out of its third fund. For more information on Plymouth Growth Partners and its investments, please visit www.plymouthgp.com.

SOURCE Montage

Related Links

https://www.montagetalent.com


PITTSBURGH, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Global safety equipment manufacturer MSA Safety (NYSE: MSA) today announced a new partnership agreement with L.N. Curtis and sons, Inc. to sell MSA's industry-leading line of fire service products in the United States and to federal government agencies worldwide. Under the terms of the agreement, which is effective November 1, 2017, Curtis is authorized to sell MSA's breakthrough G1 SCBA, the G1 Integrated Thermal Imaging Camera (iTIC), Cairns Fire Helmets, Altair Portable Gas Monitors, and firefighter protective clothing and boots from Globe Manufacturing, which MSA acquired in July. Curtis has a longstanding relationship with Globe Manufacturing and, prior to the acquisition, served as the largest distributor of Globe products.

Based in Oakland, Calif., Curtis is one of the largest distributors of fire service equipment in the Western U.S. The company was founded in 1929 and has approximately 240 employees, 35 mobile specialist and service technicians, six protective clothing (i.e. turnout gear) cleaning and repair locations, and a territory that spans 13 states and U.S. government facilities worldwide.

The partnership is part of MSA's ongoing efforts to enhance an already strong position in the U.S. fire service market, explained Steve Blanco, President of MSA's business in the Americas. "Adding such a highly respected company as Curtis to our distribution network effectively doubles our sales coverage in a key geographic region for MSA, and it expands our reach into rural markets as well as several large cities," he said. "Naturally, we see these opportunities as a potential driver of revenue growth, but also as an opportunity for MSA to extend the reach of our brand to fire departments that may not be familiar with our entire portfolio of industry-leading safety products."

"Partnering with MSA enables us to provide high quality products and a level of customer service that is backed by a mutually strong commitment to integrity," said Curtis President Paul Curtis. "MSA represents the type of aspirational brand that our customers look to us to represent. In addition, our core values align exceptionally well, our organizations both care deeply about the safety of firefighters and together we can devote more resources to help protect our customers."

"Through their extensive experience and solid customer relationships, Curtis provides a level of market reach and support that will further strengthen our existing and already-strong network of MSA-authorized distributors," continued Mr. Blanco. "And this means we now have an opportunity to capture even greater market share in the U.S. fire service  now and in the months and years ahead."

About MSA

Established in 1914, MSA Safety Incorporated is the global leader in the development, manufacture and supply of safety products that protect people and facility infrastructures. Many MSA products integrate a combination of electronics, mechanical systems and advanced materials to protect users against hazardous or life-threatening situations. The company's comprehensive product line is used by workers around the world in a broad range of markets, including the oil, gas and petrochemical industry, the fire service, the construction industry, mining and the military. MSA's core products include self-contained breathing apparatus, fixed gas and flame detection systems, portable gas detection instruments, industrial head protection products, fire and rescue helmets, and fall protection devices. With 2016 revenues of $1.15 billion, MSA employs approximately 4,600 people worldwide. The company is headquartered north of Pittsburgh in Cranberry Township, Pa., and has manufacturing operations in the United States, Europe, Asia and Latin America. With more than 40 international locations, MSA realizes approximately half of its revenue from outside North America. For more information visit MSA's web site at www.MSAsafety.com.

About Curtis

Founded in 1929, Curtis is a leading distributor of products and services for firefighters and emergency responders. The company is headquartered in Oakland, Calif.., and has multiple locations throughout the Western United States. Curtis' core product lines include respiratory equipment, personal protective equipment, rescue tools, and water flow equipment. Additional resources for emergency responders are offered through the Curtis family of companies that include Firefighters Bookstore and ECMS, which provides care and maintenance of firefighter clothing. For more information, visit www.LNCurtis.com.

SOURCE MSA

Related Links

http://www.msasafety.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- In support of its long-term effort to expand access to tools and information that help municipal market participants analyze industry trends, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB) today unveiled market-wide trading statistics on its Electronic Municipal Market Access (EMMA) website that have not previously been publicly available. The new data include a daily state-by-state view of municipal bond trading activity and the most actively traded municipal securities and bond issuers. The data are dynamic so that users can customize results based on date range, geographic location, tax status of bonds and type of transaction.

"We are very focused on transforming EMMA to meet the needs of our diverse marketplace," said MSRB Executive Director Lynnette Kelly. "The website was conceived as a platform for investors to find information about a particular security and make a more informed decision when buying or selling that bond. Now, investors and other market participants are seeking a broader view of market activity to inform their decision-making. The MSRB is in a unique position to provide free public access to interactive tools for understanding market trends."

The new statistics, which are updated daily, are available on EMMA's "Tools and Resources" tab, which also features third-party yield curves and indices, a calendar displaying upcoming bond offerings and an economic calendar showing economic events and market data releases. "Having these resources on EMMA helps all market participants look beyond individual securities to get a market-wide view," Kelly said.

To support user understanding of the new statistics, the MSRB will host a webinar on September 21, 2017 from 3:00 p.m. - 4:00 p.m. ET to demonstrate the functionality of the enhanced statistics. Register for the webinar.

The MSRB's EMMA website is the official source of data and disclosure documents on more than one million outstanding municipal securities. The MSRB operates the EMMA website in support of its mission to protect investors, state and local governments, and the public interest by promoting a fair and efficient municipal market.

Contact: Jennifer A. Galloway, Chief Communications Officer

202-838-1500

[email protected]

SOURCE Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board (MSRB)

Related Links

http:///www.msrb.org


"M&T's commitment to Baltimore begins downtown, in the heart of the citya great place to live and work and a great place to do business," said Augie Chiasera, president of M&T Bank's Greater Baltimore region. "The future looks bright for Baltimore, and today we are saying that we want to be a part of that future both as an employer and as an involved corporate citizen," said Chiasera.

More than 500 M&T Bank employees will relocate to 1 Light Street from offices at 25 South Charles Street and 111 Calvert Street in Baltimore. M&T will take occupancy of the new building in late-2018, and has signed a 15-year lease with two five-year renewal options.

The 28-story mixed-use tower is being developed by Madison Marquette and combines luxury residential apartments, Class-A office space and 5,000 square feet ground floor retail space. Sheathed in a dramatic glass curtain-wall, the development offers nine floors of modern, virtually column-free office space topped by 280 luxury apartments with sweeping views of the Inner Harbor and Baltimore skyline. The building is designed to achieve a LEED Silver designation for new construction. Madison Marquette has developed other mixed-use projects across the country, including the 3.5 million square foot District Wharf redevelopment in Washington, D.C.

"This investment by M&T Bank and Madison Marquette is a vote of confidence for downtown Baltimore and demonstrates M&T Bank's longstanding commitment to the City," said Baltimore Mayor Catherine Pugh. "This project will transform a vacant downtown site into a modern tower, thus retaining jobs and boosting our City's economy."

"The closing of our construction financing for this trophy addition to Baltimore's downtown core ensures that this world-class project will serve as a model for future growth and vitality in one of America's most beloved port cities," said Amer Hammour, Chairman of Madison Marquette. "We are delighted that One Light Street will become the first major ground up mixed use tower with a full array of residential, office, retail and parking amenities to serve this core Baltimore neighborhood in decades," Mr. Hammour added.

"M&T Bank's announcement is a win for Downtown several times over," said Downtown Partnership of Baltimore President Kirby Fowler. ""We retain a prominent employer who will anchor a new tower on a long dormant site, and we retain employees who will hopefully reside at one of the many residential properties that are opening downtown."

Among the design features that will be incorporated into M&T's new workspace will be informal meeting areas designed to promote collaboration, office and workstation configurations that maximize the inflow of natural light as well as wireless networking and video capabilities.

"The development at 1 Light Street is an important project, which is buoyed by M&T Bank making the decision to locate its headquarters there," said William H. Cole, President and CEO of the Baltimore Development Corporation. "The bank's continued commitment and investment in the City will have positive effects throughout the region."

Across the State of Maryland, M&T Bank employs 2,400 people, operates more than 170 branches and holds the second-largest share of deposits. M&T is the top SBA lender in Baltimore and in Maryland, and has the top share of lead bank relationships among middle market clients as well.

Financing for 1 Light Street is being led by Natixis, the international corporate, asset management, insurance and financial services arm of Groupe BPCE, the second largest banking group in France. Natixis is the lead arranger and administrative agent of a $125 million loan that includes M&T Bank and CIT as participants.





About M&T Bank

M&T Bank Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Buffalo, New York. M&T's principal banking subsidiary, M&T Bank, operates banking offices in New York, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Connecticut, Virginia, West Virginia and the District of Columbia. Trust-related services are provided by M&T's Wilmington Trust-affiliated companies and by M&T Bank.

About Madison Marquette

Madison Marquette is a leading private real estate investment manager, developer, operator and service provider headquartered in Washington, DC. Founded in 1992, the company's reputation is built on the successful repositioning and redevelopment of commercial mixed-use assets in major gateway and emerging high-growth markets throughout the United States. Madison Marquette partners with institutional and private equity investors, including sovereign wealth funds, to achieve industry-leading investment performance across asset classes. Madison Marquette is a member of the Capital Guidance global group of companies.

 2017 M&T Bank. Member FDIC.

SOURCE M&T Bank Corporation

Related Links

http://www.mandtbank.com


U.S. Sens. Steve Daines and Jon Tester took to the Senate floor Wednesday to bring attention to the wildfires burning across Montana.

Tester linked fires to a historic drought that's blasted Eastern Montana and extended to the west.

"Climate change is real, and we can't continue to sit on the sidelines," he said "We have to take proactive steps to keep it at bay."

Tester also cited powerful hurricanes, and a $7.85 billion aid package to help victims of Hurricane Harvey, which inundated large swaths of Texas in historic floods.

"I am all for sending help to those folks," he said. "I will be making sure that the folks in this body understand that we also have to get resources to folks along the northern tier. ... We are seeing natural disasters across this country. This isn't a contest or comparison of devastation."

Daines focused much of his speech advocating for increased logging, and railing against lawsuits from environmental advocacy groups challenging logging projects.

"Preventing wildfires is impossible," he said. "But we can do much more to lessen the severity and impact of these fires. ... The mismanagement of our federal forests and these radical environmentalists have prevented hardworking Montanans from having jobs, and this just adds more fuel, literally, to these wildfires."

Daines didn't cite climate change, but did reference the "unspeakable amount of carbon emissions that are produced by these wildfires."

He also noted a long-term weather outlook calling for a hot and dry September in Montana.

"This fire season is not over," he said.

Neither Tester nor Daines referenced an extensive body of research showing that decades of fire suppression policies have created ripe conditions for more intense wildfires.

Montana Congressman Greg Gianforte released the following statement after the U.S. House of Representatives passed legislation Wednesday to provide $7.85 billion to help with relief and recovery efforts following Hurricane Harvey:

Our hearts go out to the people of Houston and to all affected by Hurricane Harvey, which has left catastrophic damage in its wake. This funding represents an important first step to help Americans devastated by the hurricane as they work to recover and rebuild."

He followed that by also highlighting Montana's devastating fire season, calling it a "massive disaster."

Hundreds of thousands of acres burn, jeopardizing the livelihood of hardworking Montanans," he said. "Ash rains down on our homes and schools. Poor air quality threatens the health and well-being of Montanans, particularly our children and elderly."

Gianforte pledged to stand for Montana, fighting for wildfire relief and forest management reform.

My door is always open to Montanans, and I encourage them to reach out to my office for help with federal agencies as we face this disaster together," he said.

Fires have burned more than 1 million acres across Montana, charring dozens of structures, including a historic chalet in Glacier National Park, and resulting in the deaths of two firefighters battling blazes. Wildfire smoke has blanketed much of the state and Pacific Northwest, with ash falling as far away as Seattle. It's been the worst fire season since 2012, when 1.2 million acres burned.

The Houston aid package is expected to help the more than one million people the historic storm and flooding displaced. The hurricane's death toll has risen to 70 people, and officials expect to find more bodies.

More than 185,000 homes have been damaged or destroyed, many of which were not insured against flooding. Ten refineries that combined to produce about 17 percent of the U.S. refining capacity shut down.
"NACE Automechanika succeeded in bringing buyers and sellers together on the show floor and in the training rooms, where we provided four days of high-quality education to automotive service and collision repair professionals," said Jim Savas, vice president and general manager of UBM's Automotive group. "We also had very favorable responses from attendees who enjoyed the networking opportunities associated with several co-located events, including the Collision Industry Conference, the MSO Symposium and our new Business Outlook Conference."

The new alliance between NACE and Automechanika Chicago proved a successful one with a heightened support from the collision repair industry. Several industry groups held meetings and events during the week including AMi, I-CAR, CIC, CREF, Enterprise Rental Car, CCC Information Services, Inc., Allstate Insurance Company, the OE Round Table and others.

"The industry needs and deserves a national show that is solely dedicated to advancing the collision and service repair industries. As evidenced by the tremendous support from industry associations and companies, NACE Automechanika is that source," said Dan Risley, president and executive director, ASA.

The NACE Automechanika show floor featured opportunities for testing equipment, learning about market trends and hearing from carmakers about what the future holds for vehicle service and repairs. The OE Coliseum included advanced information from General Motors, Toyota, BMW, Nissan and Fiat/Chrysler. These sessions greatly impacted attendees by providing up-to-date and current information on the latest trends in automotive repair processes. The new Scan-A-Palooza area featured diagnostic tool demonstrations and gave attendees important lessons in performing proper pre- and post-repair scans. Additional show-floor training from I-CAR gave collision repairers insight into new materials being used in vehicles and proper repair procedures.

"We go to a couple training classes a year in our town through local vendors, but we just figured this was the best way to learn from some of the top trainers in the field," said Joshua Dykes, a technician from Indiana who attended NACE Automechanika. "The training is the reason we chose to go to NACE Automechanika Chicago. We were learning from top trainers like Bernie Thompson. We have his tools here in the shop that we use on a daily basis. It was nice to meet the guy who invented the tools we use and ask him questions about them that you don't normally get to ask."

Highlights from the show floor included a showcase of products, services and interactive demonstrations from several exhibiting companies such as NAPA, Pro-Spot, Federal Mogul, Car-O-Liner, Tenneco and TTA Appraisal, among others. From diagnostic testing to new paint technology in the Spray Zone and welding techniques by key exhibitors, NACE Automechanika covered it all.

"We are pleased that so many leading companies chose NACE Automechanika as their platform to highlight the latest technologies and advancements in the automotive aftermarket," said Bridget Ferris, show director. "The support both domestically and internationally reinforces our vision of being the first choice for business encounters."

At the event this year, several organizations successfully raised money to support the automotive industry including the Collision Repair Education Foundation (CREF), which raised $22,500 for Kennedy-King College, one of seven City Colleges of Chicago. Giving back to the automotive community was also the focus of a scholarship program organized by the UBM Community Engagement Program in cooperation with the Automotive Management Institute (AMi), National Automotive Technicians Education Foundation (NATEF) and Technicians Service Training (TST). These groups provided roughly $13,000 in scholarships to professionals and students attending this year's event.

What's Next at NACE Automechanika?

Following a successful event this past July, NACE Automechanika will transition to an annual format, providing even more content to the automotive collision and service repair industry. The 2018 edition of NACE Automechanika will take place August 8-10, 2018, in Atlanta, home to Porsche Cars North America and Kia Motors. To stay up-to-date on news coming from the event, please visit: naceautomechanika.com

Connect with NACE Automechanika (#NACEAutomechanika)

NACE Automechanika 2017 figures at a glance:

Exhibition Space

108,000 sq. ft. Exhibitors

367 Exhibiting Countries

19 Pavilions

7 Attendees

7,700 Attendees Countries

43

About Automotive Service Association

The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind dedicated to and governed by independent automotive service and repair professionals. Headquartered in North Richland Hills, TX, ASA serves an international membership base that includes numerous affiliate, state and chapter groups from both the mechanical and collision repair segments of the automotive service industry. ASA advances professionalism and excellence in the automotive repair industry through education, representation and member services. http://asashop.org/

About UBM Americas

UBM Americas, a part of UBM plc, is the largest business-to-business events and trade show organizer in the U.S. Through a range of aligned interactive physical and digital environments, UBM Americas increases business effectiveness for both customers and audiences by cultivating meaningful experiences, knowledge and connections. UBM Americas has offices spanning North and South America, and serves a variety of specialist industries with dedicated events and marketing services covering everything from fashion, tech and life sciences to advanced manufacturing, cruise shipping, specialty chemicals, powersports and automotive, concrete, hospitality, cargo transportation and more. For more information, visit: www.ubmamericas.com.

About Messe Frankfurt

Messe Frankfurt is the world's largest trade fair, congress and event organiser with its own exhibition grounds. With more than 2,300 employees at some 30 locations, the company generates annual sales of around 647 million. Thanks to its far-reaching ties with the relevant sectors and to its international sales network, the Group looks after the business interests of its customers effectively. A comprehensive range of services  both onsite and online  ensures that customers worldwide enjoy consistently high quality and flexibility when planning, organising and running their events. The wide range of services includes renting exhibition grounds, trade fair construction and marketing, personnel and food services. With its headquarters in Frankfurt am Main, the company is owned by the City of Frankfurt (60 percent) and the State of Hesse (40 percent).

For more information, please visit our website at:

www.messefrankfurt.com | www.congressfrankfurt.de | www.festhalle.de

The North American headquarters in Atlanta is currently producing eleven trade shows in the USA, Canada and Mexico across various industries. For more information about Messe Frankfurt, please visit our web site at www.MesseFrankfurt.us.

SOURCE NACE Automechanika

Related Links

http://naceautomechanika.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The board that oversees the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) is seeking nominations for five new members. The four-year terms begin Oct. 1, 2018.

Established by Congress, the 26-member National Assessment Governing Board sets policy for NAEP, also known as The Nation's Report Card, the nation's only representative assessment of what students know and can do in various subjects. Governing Board members, in collaboration with the National Center for Education Statistics, determine the content and achievement levels for each assessment, approve all test questions, take steps to improve the reporting of results, and determine what subjects will be tested.

Nominations are being accepted through Oct. 31 at https://www.nagb.org/governing-board/join-the-board.html for the following five Governing Board positions:

Fourth-grade teacher

Eighth-grade teacher

Secondary school principal

Chief state school officer

General public representative

Last November, the Governing Board approved a Strategic Vision to guide its priorities and initiatives through 2020. New members will support efforts to innovate NAEP, as well as expand outreach and partnerships to increase its impact.

"Board members play a crucial role in ensuring that NAEP remains the gold standard in student assessment," Governing Board Chair Terry Mazany said. "As The Nation's Report Card becomes entirely digital and education continues to evolve, the insights of passionate and qualified new members will be ever more important."

A new feature this year is the ability for organizations and individuals to nominate qualified candidates online. Nominations can be submitted easily online by uploading a personal statement, curriculum vitae or resume, and letter(s) of support.

By law, the membership of the Governing Board reflects diversity in region, race, gender, and culture. In addition to the five open positions, the Governing Board includes governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, superintendents, a representative of business/industry, a 12th-grade teacher, curriculum specialists, a nonpublic school administrator/policymaker, and testing and measurement experts. Board members serve four-year terms.

The U.S. secretary of education will appoint new members from a list of finalists selected by the Governing Board. The term for each position is Oct. 1, 2018, to Sept. 30, 2022. The deadline for submitting nominations is Oct. 31, 2017.

If you have questions about submitting a nomination, contact Lisa Stooksberry, the Governing Board's deputy executive director, at [email protected] or 202-357-6941.

The National Assessment of Educational Progress is the only nationally representative, continuing evaluation of the condition of education in the United States. It has served as a national yardstick of student achievement since 1969. Through The Nation's Report Card, NAEP informs the public about what American students know and can do in various subject areas and compares achievement between states, large urban districts, and various student demographic groups.

The National Assessment Governing Board is an independent, bipartisan board whose members include governors, state legislators, local and state school officials, educators, business representatives, and members of the general public. Congress created the 26-member Governing Board in 1988 to oversee and set policy for NAEP.

NAEP is a congressionally authorized project sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education. The National Center for Education Statistics, within the Institute of Education Sciences, administers NAEP. The commissioner of education statistics is responsible by law for carrying out the NAEP project.

SOURCE The National Assessment Governing Board
SALT LAKE CITY, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Neumont College of Computer Science is pleased to announce the winners of the most recent Project Showcase held Friday, September 1, 2017.

"Project Showcase is a microcosm of what we do at Neumont," says Neumont College of Computer Science President Shaun McAlmont. "The event highlights students' tech creations and provides a look at the ingenuity coming from our students who are ultimately the STEM-leaders of the future."

"Gemetary" by Justin Furtado took home the Audience Choice Award, for his infinite-maze game set in a cemetery of gems, where players are tasked with collecting as many treasures as possible while avoiding spiders, skeletons and exploding tombstones.

Additional award winners included "Lost Light," the runner-up in the gaming category by Kyle St. Amant, and winner Shawn McCuistion for "System Failure." "Lost Light" challenges players to scavenge for better equipment to survive in a mysterious world. "System Failure" is a 3D first-person shooter where a player must navigate randomly populated rooms to survive.

The non-gaming category ended in a tie between "Wine & Dine" by Sophie Wargo and "Hearth" by Mary Schultz, Ben Goff and Ryan Stead.

"Wine & Dine" is a web application that takes in a user's food preferences, then generates a meal to cook (complete with ingredients and recipe). It also suggests a wine to pair with the meal based on flavors. "Hearth" is a recipe-sharing application across web and Android platforms, where users can create, share, review, save and store their favorite recipes.

Neumont College of Computer Science focuses on being the leader in computer science education. At its Salt Lake City campus, Neumont offers bachelor's degrees in software and game development, computer information systems, technology management, and web design and development. The college also hosts an online software development degree.

For more information about Project Showcase and Neumont College of Computer Science, visit www.neumont.edu.

SOURCE Neumont College of Computer Science

Related Links

http://www.neumont.edu


"Incident Search solves a common challenge for fleet operators and investigation teams, which is to find recorded video and vehicle information following an incident based only on an approximation of when and where the incident happened," said Dan Cremins, March Networks' Global Leader, Product Management. "It enables operators to get to the evidence they need in minutes rather than days, and also serves as a true operational intelligence tool that can be used to spot potential fleet issues or see where more staff training may be required."

Using Incident Search, a transit investigator could easily verify a complaint about a driver talking on his cell phone while operating a bus, for example, armed only with an approximate date and location. By simply setting the time period and 'drawing' the general location on a customizable map in the software, they would immediately see all of the individual bus routes crossing that location in the specified timeframe. The employee would then choose the bus involved and schedule the video to automatically download the next time that bus entered a wireless hotspot. The Command software will even send a notification once the marked video has downloaded successfully.

Transit agencies can also use Incident Search more proactively, to analyze and identify possible issues such as a bus route with an unusually high number of reported hardbrakes or a rail car with multiple door malfunctions. This unique operational intelligence allows transit operators to further investigate the cause of such incidents using recorded video and address them before an actual problem occurs.

Incident Search continues March Networks' commitment to providing transportation agencies worldwide with complete video solutions proven to meet the unique demands of bus, light rail and passenger rail environments. The intelligent solution enables operators to maintain the highest security for passengers and employees, respond quickly to emergency situations, and resolve liability claims faster and more cost-effectively with integrated case management, video and metadata evidence. Its enterprise-class Command for Transit software manages both mobile and wayside environments and integrates seamlessly with a portfolio of purpose-built IP cameras and the industry's most reliable video recorders.

March Networks will demonstrate Incident Search as part of its complete transportation solution at the BusCon 2017 Expo, September 12-13, in Indianapolis, IN, and at the APTA Expo, October 9-11 in Atlanta, GA. For more information, please visit marchnetworks.com.

About March Networks

March Networks provides transit bus, para-transit, light rail and passenger rail operators worldwide with intelligent IP video solutions that help them maintain the highest security for passengers and employees, respond quickly to emergency situations, and resolve liability claims faster using crystal-clear video evidence. Whether it's on transit vehicles, or in stations, depots or park-and-rides, March Networks' integrated mobile and wayside transportation surveillance solutions ensure video is always there when it's needed. The proven systems provide authorities with rapid video searching and centralized video management via powerful Command software, time-saving wireless automation and high-definition IP video capture. In addition, March Networks ruggedized mobile recording platforms provide hybrid camera support, which allows transit agencies to migrate from analog to IP video at their own pace. This robust transportation solution equips organizations with the capabilities necessary for stable technology growth.

March Networks, March Networks Command and the March Networks logo are trademarks of March Networks Corporation. Infinova is a trademark of Infinova Corporation. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE MARCH NETWORKS CORPORATION

Related Links

http://www.marchnetworks.com/


HACKENSACK, New Jersey, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

Panaya, the leader in SaaS-based software quality and application change delivery solutions, has revealed that although enterprises' journey towards Digital Transformation is in full swing, QA and testing tools hinder IT's ability to support continuous delivery based on the Spiceworks 2017 State of Functional Testing Report.

Spiceworks surveyed 154 IT testing decision-makers in the US and the UK , in order to gain insights regarding current practices, trends, challenges and perceptions of business process testing.

The majority (53%), of testing leaders believe that making their organizations more agile is critical to defining their testing methodology and two out of three testing leaders surveyed stated that QA and testing are highly important to their organization's overall strategy. Yet, the lack of visibility into testing processes and reliable production data is creating a disconnect between IT and the business that is challenging IT's ability to keep up with rapidly changing requirements.

Close to one third of testers admit to always testing more than needed to ensure quality, creating project delays and higher than necessary costs. There are gaps in IT organizations' readiness for continuous delivery as almost half (47%) of IT leaders surveyed believe that their tests do not accurately reflect real-life production scenarios. In addition, 40% of respondents stated that they need more business oriented reports.

According to the Gartner Magic Quadrant, for Software Test Automation, "There are a growing number of vendors in the test automation market as technology evolves (cloud, mobile, Internet of Things [IoT]), practices change (agile, lean, DevOps) and business moves to utilize technology as part of a digital business disruption to the market. These create opportunities for new and small vendors and new offerings to automate different layers of the release pipeline. Many solutions currently don't meet the criteria of this evaluation." [*]

"IT-Business convergence is needed to deliver continuous change, but many of the current tools add complexity and fail to merge the two" said Jake Klein, CEO at Panaya. "We provide real-time visibility into release risk and quality, and enable testing efficiency through machine learning and autonomous testing to close the gap between IT and the business, to bring agility to the world of enterprise IT and help align testing with digital transformation."

To explore the findings of the survey in more depth, download the 2017 State of Functional Testing Report.

About Panaya

Panaya, an Infosys company, enables organizations to accelerate application change and continuously deliver innovation with its Enterprise Agile Delivery Platform. Panaya provides cloud based application delivery, and test automation and management solutions that ensure collaboration between Business and IT. Enabling enterprise agility with faster release velocity and uncompromising quality, Panaya delivers an optimized user experience with end to end visibility of the application lifecycle. Since 2008, 1,600 companies in 62 countries, including a third of the Fortune 500, have been using Panaya to deliver quick quality change to enterprise applications.

Contact Information

Wes Rogers

Spicetree Communications

Mobile: +1-912-506-0869

[email protected]

[*]Gartner, Magic Quadrant for Software Test Automation, 15 November 2016

SOURCE Panaya
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif., Sept. 6, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- On July 5, 2017, Hand & Upper Extremity Centers dba Hand Rehabilitation Specialists (HRS) was informed that there may have been a breach in the security of their network. They immediately reported the notice to the Ventura County Sheriff's Office, who began a prompt forensic IT investigation into the matter in consultation with the FBI. To date, law enforcement has found no evidence of any information leaving HRS's system. However, unauthorized access could not be ruled out, so out of an abundance of caution, HRS is providing notice to all individuals who could be potentially affected and providing protective services to those who choose to take advantage of the service. The incident may have affected patients and their financial guarantors seen from 2003  2014.

If you were a patient of Hand Rehabilitation Specialists between 2003 and 2014, the information may have included your: name, date of birth, address, phone number, Social Security number, dates of service, diagnoses, CPT (billing) codes, cost, amount of co-pay made by check, medical insurance company, insurance group number and contact information, check number, and HRS's name and practice contact information.

If you were financial guarantor of a patient at Hand Rehabilitation Specialists between 2003 and 2014, the information may have included your: name, date of birth, address, phone number, Social Security number, CPT (billing) codes, cost, amount of co-pay made by check, medical insurance company, insurance group number and contact information, check number, and HRS's name and practice contact information.

If you are not certain whether your information was on Hand Rehabilitation Specialists' system, please call toll free number 1-844-402-8595, or write them at 101 Hodencamp Road, Suite 100, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.

Given the nature of the information potentially exposed, Hand Rehabilitation Specialists strongly recommends the following steps be taken:

Establish and monitor free 90 day fraud alerts with the three credit reporting bureaus. Their telephone numbers and addresses are: Equifax (1-888-766-0008; P.O. Box 740241, Atlanta, GA 30374), Experian (1-888-397-3742; P.O. Box 4500, Allen, TX 75013), and TransUnion (1-800-680-7289; P.O. Box 2000, Chester, PA 19022-2000). Consider placing a credit freeze on your accounts which will make it more difficult for someone to open an account. For more information: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0497-credit-freeze-faqs If you become a victim or suspect identity theft, file a complaint with the Federal Trade Commission at https://identitytheft.gov and law enforcement. The FTC also provides detailed and specific information about identity theft at their website, which we recommend you review.

Lastly, you are entitled to a free credit report every year from the three credit bureaus at www.annualcreditreport.com and one year of complimentary credit monitoring and identity theft protection has been purchased for you should you be affected.

Protecting your information is incredibly important to Hand Rehabilitation Specialists. In addition to the above, Hand Rehabilitation Specialists notified all three consumer reporting bureaus, the applicable state and federal agencies, it is reviewing office policies and procedures, and it will continue work with law enforcement in its criminal investigation. Again, if you are not certain whether your information was included in the possible affected Hand Rehabilitation Specialists' system, please call toll free number 1-844-402-8595, or write them at 101 Hodencamp Road, Suite 100, Thousand Oaks, CA 91360.

SOURCE Hand Rehabilitation Specialists
NSI Technologies President and StimPlan creator Dr. Michael Smith said, "We are very excited to begin our roll out of StimPlan version 8. This version builds on our established framework while providing additional features aimed at the modern fracturing engineer working in an unconventional environment."

Just prior to the announcement of Version 8, NSI Technologies added the ability to simulate multiple, parallel fractures with the ability to determine how the mechanical interference (stress shadowing) between fractures is calculated. Additional StimPlan features include:

Expanded "batch" capabilities to better allow for sensitivity studies New input allowing the Geologic Layering to be shifted (creating a new Geologic Model) for each stage of a horizontal well Discrete natural fracture network inputs can now be transferred to the reservoir simulation for a rigorous simulation of a natural fractured reservoir Direct inputs have been added for performing stage-to-stage interference simulations

NSI and Premier will be demonstrating version 8 at booth 2344 at the 2017 SPE-ATCE event in San Antonio. Visit www.nsitech.com for more about StimPlan and a complete list of demonstration times.

About StimPlan: For more than thirty years StimPlan has been an industry leading complete and integrated software solution for hydraulic fracture design, analysis, and optimization. With a comprehensive integrated toolkit and the industry's most rigorous geometry models, StimPlan helps operators worldwide maximize their well performance while lowering expenditure and reducing their environmental footprint, however complex their reservoir or fracture treatment design.

About Premier Oilfield Laboratories: Premier brings together a multidisciplinary team of experts who utilize breakthrough technologies and progressive approaches to help our clients understand how to better design exploration and exploitation strategies, optimize production, and mitigate risk. Please visit Premier Oilfield Laboratories at www.premieroilfieldlabs.com

SOURCE Premier Oilfield Laboratories, LLC

Related Links

http://www.premieroilfieldlabs.com


PUNE, India, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Market Research Future published a half-cooked research report on "Global Online Education Market Research Report - Forecast to 2023" Market Analysis, Scope, Stake, Progress, Trends and Forecast to 2023.

Adobe Systems (U.S.), McGraw-Hill Education (U.S.), Pearson Education (U.K.), Blackboard (U.S.), Lynda.Com (U.S.), Aptara (U.S.), Docebo (Italy), Edmodo (U.S.), PowerSchool Learning (U.S.) and Tata Interactive Systems (India) are some of the prominent players profiled in MRFR Analysis and are at the forefront of competition in the Global Online Education Market.

Online Education Global Market - Overview

The Global Online Education Market is growing with the rapid pace; mainly due to the rising demand for distance learning. According to a recent study report published by the Market Research Future, The global market of Online Education is booming and expected to gain prominence over the forecast period. The global Online Education market is projected to accrual to USD 423 Billion by 2023, at a staggering double digit CAGR of 24 % between 2017 and 2023.

Owing to increasing demand for distance learning and growth of digitization has led to a tremendous increase in the growth of Online Education market. Factors that predominantly drive the market growth are conducive to learning government policies and increasing demand for technical education. Increase in popularity of distance learning is another major factor driving the growth of online education market. Availability of cutting edge infrastructure coupled with the increasing adoption of technological advancements across the globe are some of the other factors fostering the market growth of Online Education market.

Online Education or E learning refers to learning in a 100% virtual environment. Online education can play a major role in developing the education industry overall in terms of money as well as innovation. With growing popularity of internet and many active users, online education market is expected to witness high growth rate during the forecast period. Increasing implementation of IT security and cloud based solutions and rapid growth in digitization are the factors responsible for the growth of online education market.

Request a Sample Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/sample_request/3957

Asynchronous learning refers to online spaces where work is supported through the use of digital platforms like threaded discussions or emails. In asynchronous learning, the participants need not be compulsorily online at the time whereas in synchronous learning type, the users need to be online and is moreover like face-to-face learning environment. It involves real-time responses that allow better provision for clarity.

Online Education Market - Competitive Analysis

Players operating in the global Online Education or E learning markets are focusing upon optimized situational awareness for customers and ensure their mission success. The Market appears to be highly competitive and diversified with the presence of large number of players having global presence. To gain the competitive edge and to sustain in the market, these players are heavily investing in R&D, global expansion, advanced technologies and product Launch. Players compete against each other based on factors such as the quality, reliability, cost, and reputation. Marketers are tapping the growing markets for expansions. Well established players strive to develop a product with adept technology with unrivalled design and features. Many of the top institutions are doing perfectly well by just focusing on their core business, and that's going to sustain them for a long time.

Online Education Market - Segmentation

The E learning/ Online education Market can be segmented in to 4 key dynamics for the convenience of the report and enhanced understanding;

Segmentation By Product: Comprises Content and Services.

Segmentation By End User: Comprises K-12 Education, Higher Education, Industry & Professional and other.

Segmentation By Learning Type: Comprises Synchronous and Asynchronous.

Segmentation By Regions: Comprises Geographical regions - North America, Europe, APAC and Rest of the World.

Browse Report @ https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/online-education-market-3957

Online Education Market - Regional Analysis

The regional analysis of online education market is being studied for regions such as Asia Pacific, North America, Europe and Rest of the World. It has been observed that North America is estimated to account for the largest share of the market, whereas Asia-Pacific is projected to perceive relatively faster adoption and is expected to grow at the highest CAGR during the forecast period as compared to other regions. Within Asia Pacific, online education market is projected to contribute faster to the growth of revenue backed by increasing demand for distance learning and growing demand for technical education in countries such as Japan, China and India. The availability of low-cost post-graduation courses has resulted in the rapid growth of online education market in the region.

The major growth in online education market in North America is attributed to technical advancements and increasing use of internet, mobiles and tablets in that region.

Across Europe, countries including Germany, France and the U.K. are anticipated to drive the growth of online education market. In Europe, the rising demand for dynamic learning environment is the major driving factor for the growth of online education market.

Online education market in the South America region is anticipated to witness relatively slower market growth. However, Brazil and Argentina among other countries are projected to witness slow yet steady growth. Online education market in Middle East and Africa occupies a relatively smaller pie of the global online education market.

Browse Related Report

Smart Education and Learning Market is expected to grow at approximately USD 952 Billion by 2023, at 26% of CAGR between 2017 and 2023

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com/reports/smart-education-and-learning-market-2870

About Market Research Future:

At Market Research Future (MRFR), we enable our customers to unravel the complexity of various industries through our Cooked Research Report (CRR), Half-Cooked Research Reports (HCRR), Raw Research Reports (3R), Continuous-Feed Research (CFR), and Market Research & Consulting Services.

Contact

Akash Anand,

Market Research Future

+1 646 845 9312

Email: [email protected]

SOURCE Market Research Future

Related Links

https://www.marketresearchfuture.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130612/621367-b )

Both companies will benefit hugely from this association - it will help NASA to improve its understanding of the capabilities of Lithium Sulfur technology and OXIS to develop pouch cells meeting NASA's long term battery requirements.

OXIS will supply their latest generation of Ultra Light cells to NASA JPL Laboratory for evaluation in its facility in Pasadena, California. NASA will undertake to evaluate the cells under different conditions in order to assess energy density, low temperature performance, cycle life, self-discharge and calendar life.

Both NASA and OXIS technical teams will work closely together to assess the performance of OXIS cells in order to meet the requirements of the above applications.

Huw Hampson Jones, CEO of OXIS says "Oxis Energy is delighted to be working so closely with such a world class partner. We know from our collaboration with European and Chinese space agencies that for every 1kg of battery weight saved, it equates with a launch cost saving of in excess of US $20,000. When Lithium-Ion batteries are weighing in at several hundred kilos, the savings of deploying OXIS Lithium-Sulfur would amount to several million dollars for the Space Agencies. The benefit of NASA evaluating OXIS Lithium Sulfur cell technology is extremely important in providing empirical data as to where else in aviation and defence this technology may be applied."

The NASA/OXIS test results will be the joint property of both companies and will not be shared with anyone else nor presented at conferences without the approval of OXIS.

About OXIS Energy Limited

Powering the Revolution in Transportation

Since 2004, OXIS Energy has been involved in the design, development and now the move towards commercial production of Polymer Lithium Sulfur cells for battery systems. With 35 patent families, OXIS has been granted 101 patents with 103 pending. The chemistry and technology is environmentally friendly. OXIS has demonstrable empirical data justifying its claim on the inherent safety of its battery technology.

http://www.OXISenergy.com

SOURCE OXIS Energy Limited
Duck ID for beginners

Montana Fish, Wildlife & Parks will host a class for beginner hunters and bird watchers to learn how to identify ducks. The class will feature mounted birds, study skins, pictures, wings, instructional video and duck jeopardy.

All participants will receive a free waterfowl identification handbook.

The hour-long program begins at 7 p.m. on Sept. 13 at the Montana Wild Education Center, located at 2668 Broadwater Ave, next to Spring Meadow Lake State Park off Highway 12 West.

For more information, call Montana Wild at 444-9944.

A creature of wilderness

Join Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks, the Wilderness Association and Director George Sibley, as he showcases his film, "A Creature of Wilderness." This documentary recounts the remarkable life of Bud Moore. The film is free and offers a remarkable look into the history of Montanas national forests and is a must-see for anyone who loves our wild spaces. The film starts at 6:30 p.m. on Sept. 14 at Montana Wild located at 2668 Broadwater Ave.

For more information, call Montana Wild at 444-9944.

***

Glacier proposes revised fee structure

Glacier National Park is soliciting public comment for a proposal to change the price of the Glacier National Park Annual Pass from $50 to $60. No other entrance fees are proposed for change.

Entrance fees are not charged to people younger than 16 or holders of the America the Beautiful-The National Parks and Federal Recreational Annual, Senior, Access, Military, or Volunteer Passes. These passes may be obtained at the park.

Park entrance and campground fees have supported a number of important projects in the park including a portion of the Many Glacier Hotel restoration, new interpretive exhibits at visitor centers, trail repairs, and winter snowshoe walks.

The public can submit comments at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/GNP_fee_proposal_2017. Comments may also be submitted via mail to Glacier National Park, Attention: Glacier National Park Annual Pass Fee Increase, P.O. Box 128, West Glacier, MT 59936. The comment period will be open until Sept. 30.

***

Divide Campground temporarily closed

The Bureau of Land Managements Divide Campground along the Big Hole River will get a new potable water system in the coming months, prompting a brief closure of the site during construction.

The site will be closed to the public until Oct. 31 while crews work on installing the new system.

For more information, call the Butte Field Office at (406) 533-7600.

***

CCL to hold meeting

Citizens Climate Lobby is a national organization with more than 400 local chapters among all 50 states, including four Montana chapters. CCL works to promote bi-partisan support for carbon fee and dividend legislation to reflect the real cost of carbon-based energy and promote clean, renewable alternatives, while providing a dividend to citizens.

On Tuesday, Sept. 12, CCL Helena will meet from 5:30-6:30 at Plymouth Congregational Church, 400 S. Oakes St. Expect education, discussion and concrete action items.

For more information please contact John at 475-0079 or go to: citizensclimatelobby.org.
CHICAGO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- As we age, it is common to be concerned about heart disease or high blood pressure. But many people don't know that those conditions are also related to another common health issue, peripheral artery disease (PAD). Unfortunately, many patients are not diagnosed until it has progressed.

Regular walks can keep your legs healthy.

PAD is caused when hardening of the arteries deprives the legs and feet of oxygen-rich blood. This occurs because the arteries become clogged, much like water pipes in an old house that build up with lime. In the body, clogged arteries don't bring enough oxygen to the toes, feet and legs. (Less commonly, the same thing can happen to arms and hands.)

Older people are more likely to have some level of PAD. Those over 60 have a 5 percent chance; those over 70, 15 percent; and those over 80, 20 percent. Smokers and diabetics are far more likely to have PAD.

If the disease stays mild, it can cause no symptoms at all, or just a little pain in the legs while walking. But if it progresses, it can lead to gangrene, amputation and sometimes even death.

"A lot of time when patients complain of leg pain, it is misdiagnosed as something else, such as back pain," said vascular surgeon and researcher Dr. Katherine Gallagher of the University of Michigan. "Then they may be referred to other doctors and occasionally have procedures like back surgery that fails to relieve the pain. Only then they are diagnosed with PAD."

Patients need to know that even if they have PAD, it can be managed conservatively with medications most of the time, she added. "Surgery or endovascular therapy should be reserved for patients who have lifestyle-limiting pain when walking, rest pain and ulcers that don't heal."

When someone is diagnosed with or suspected of having PAD, they are typically referred to a vascular surgeon or vascular specialist. Vascular surgeons will often prescribe medications and lifestyle changes for PAD patients. If this fails or if the cases and symptoms are severe, surgery or a minimally invasive procedure may be necessary.

If the patient follows doctor's orders, he has a 75 percent change that his PAD will not get worse. Exercise, such as walking on a treadmill, has been found to be an effective way to reduce pain, and in fact, supervised exercise has just officially been approved for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement starting in January.

PAD patients may do better with supervised exercise therapy because left on their own, many don't follow through with consistent exercise, researchers have found.

Patients frequently want to take a pill to make the disease go away, noted vascular surgeon and researcher Dr. Misty Humphries of the University of California Davis Medical Center.

"They become passive observers of their health," she said. "While medications are essential, medication alone will never be the answer. Patients need to realize that they can change their lives and be in the driver's seat of their own health care."

That means you must:

Tell your primary care doctor if you have fatigue or cramping in the calf, thigh, hip or buttock when walking or at rest.

Tell the doctor if your feet feel numb.

Bring notes to your doctor visit to remind yourself of questions to ask.

Don't assume the pain is unimportant.

If you don't tell the doctor, what could happen?

At the least, the pain will continue. Eventually your feet could get sores that don't heal, or heal very slowly. If the disease progresses, your feet and legs will get so little oxygen that you could develop a severe and painful form of PAD called chronic limb ischemia, which often leads to amputations.

For some patients, open foot sores are painful, but in others, disease has caused their feet to go numb and they may not know they have sores, Dr. Gallagher said.

What can you do to avoid the severe later stages of PAD?

Don't smoke; if you do smoke, quit. Nicotine inflames the blood vessels and increases the likelihood of PAD. Ask your doctor to help you find assistance with smoking cessation.

See your primary care doctor regularly. Checkups are designed to catch things like PAD.

If you are having pain in your legs, feet or toes, or have sores on your feet that won't heal, be sure to mention that in your doctor visit.

Be sure to follow doctor's advice and take prescribed blood pressure and cholesterol medications as directed.

Keep walking. Walking 30 minutes a day, three to five times a week can keep PAD at bay. If your legs hurt just a little, keep walking; if the pain is bad, stop for a few minutes till it goes away, then start walking again. Pushing through mild and moderate pain will increase the distance you can walk without pain over time.

If that's hard to manage, ask if supervised exercise therapy is covered for you.

Learn more about PAD.

The Society for Vascular Surgery (SVS) is a 5,800-plus member, not-for-profit professional medical society, composed primarily of specialty-trained vascular surgeons, which seeks to advance excellence and innovation in vascular health through education, advocacy, research and public awareness.

SOURCE Society for Vascular Surgery

Related Links

https://vascular.org


SAN FRANCISCO, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ --

The global personal care contract manufacturing market is expected to reach USD 25.8 billion by 2025, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc. Increasing focus on R&D and promotional activities to gain market share in competitive personal care industry are expected to drive demand over the forecast period.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20160524/371361LOGO )



The major brands including P&G, and Unilever are outsourcing mass manufacturing and have initiated the manufacturing of innovative products to protect their intellectual property as well as to reduce the operating cost, which is expected to drive the contract manufacturing market over the forecast period.

Rising need for skin care products, advanced beauty treatments and marketing strategies by manufacturers such as Unilever, L'Oreal and P&G and macroeconomic factors such as rising disposable income of consumers is expected to result in an increasing demand for cosmetics products, which in turn is expected to drive the market.

VVF India Ltd. and ApolloCorp., Inc. survive in the market by catering to the local customers and maintaining their contracts. As the survival in the industry is challenging owing to the presence of a large number of local manufacturers, these companies focus on providing premium quality services to their current customers rather than acquiring new contracts.

Browse full research report with TOC on "Personal Care Product Contract Manufacturing Market Analysis By Service [Manufacturing (Skin Care, Hair Care, Color Cosmetics, Fragrances), Custom Formulation, Packaging], And Segment Forecasts, 2014 - 2025" at: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/personal-care-product-contract-manufacturing-market

Further Key Findings From the Study Suggest:

Skin care contract manufacturing accounted for 30.5% of the revenue share in 2016 and is expected to grow at a CAGR of 6.6% owing to the rising demand from millennials to delay the signs of aging

Fragrances & Deodorants accounted for 14% of the overall revenue share with growing demand for premium fragrances and deodorants such as Axe and Dove owing to rising focus on personal hygiene

Rising demand for organic and natural products is expected to compel the formulators to search for organic alternatives for synthetic raw materials which are expected to have a positive impact on the custom formulation and R&D segment growth

Asia pacific accounted for 29.0% of revenue share in 2016 owing to the growing demand for personal care products among youth in the developing economies including China and India

pacific accounted for 29.0% of revenue share in 2016 owing to the growing demand for personal care products among youth in the developing economies including and The major players in contract manufacturing industry adopt different pricing strategies to acquire new customers and gain regional share by providing high-performance products with customized solutions concerning services.

Browse related reports by Grand View Research:

ASEAN Organic Cosmetics Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/asean-organic-cosmetics-market

ASEAN Cosmetic Chemicals Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/asean-cosmetic-chemicals-market

Liquid Laundry Detergent Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/liquid-laundry-detergent-market

Aroma Chemicals Market - http://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/aroma-chemicals-market

Grand View Research has segmented the global personal care product contract manufacturing market on the basis of service and region:

Service Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) Manufacturing Skin Care Hair Care Make-up & Color Cosmetics Fragrances & Deodorants Custom Formulation and R&D Packaging Others

Regional Outlook (Revenue, USD Million, 2014 - 2025) North America U.S. Europe Germany UK Asia Pacific China India Japan Rest of World



Read Our Blog By Grand View Research: http://www.grandviewresearch.com/blogs/bulk-chemicals

About Grand View Research

Grand View Research, Inc. is a U.S. based market research and consulting company, registered in the State of California and headquartered in San Francisco. The company provides syndicated research reports, customized research reports, and consulting services. To help clients make informed business decisions, we offer market intelligence studies ensuring relevant and fact-based research across a range of industries, from technology to chemicals, materials and healthcare.



Contact:

Sherry James

Corporate Sales Specialist, USA

Grand View Research, Inc

Phone: +1-415-349-0058

Toll Free: 1-888-202-9519

Email: [email protected]



Web: http://www.grandviewresearch.com



SOURCE Grand View Research, Inc.
PLYMOUTH, Mich., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Plastipak Holdings, Inc. (the "Company") announced today that it will file its Form 10-Q Equivalent Report for its fiscal quarter ended July 29, 2017 electronically with Wells Fargo National Bank, as Trustee for the holders of its 6.500% Senior Notes due 2021 (the "Senior Notes"), by the close of business on Tuesday, September 12, 2017. The Company is not required by the Indenture for the Senior Notes to file annual, quarterly or periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), and therefore does not plan to file these reports with the SEC.

Holders, authorized prospective holders and securities analysts may obtain a copy of the Company's Form 10-Q Equivalent Report by contacting Investor Relations at (734) 455-3600 or by emailing [email protected].

The Company will host an investor teleconference call for holders, authorized prospective holders and securities analysts on September 15, 2017 at 4:00 p.m. Details for the call are available to holders, authorized prospective holders and securities analysts by contacting Investor Relations.

Qualified bondholders and lenders may obtain copies of the Form 10-Q Equivalent Report and details of the investor teleconference call by logging on to the secure bondholder section of the Company's website (www.plastipak.com).

SOURCE Plastipak Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.plastipak.com


VICTORIA, British Columbia, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Spurred by fast-growing demand for its real-time behavioral biometrics authentication technology, Plurilock Security Solutions today announced it has grown its U.S. footprint with two new East Coast locations and additional staff to expand commercial and government market access to its continuous user validation cybersecurity platform.

Driven by two new notable financial services clients and recent contracts with the U.S. Department of Defense's Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) and U.S. Army NETCOM, Plurilock has added offices in New York and Baltimore and welcomed a new Director of Sales for the Atlantic Region. The strategic move will provide "boots on the ground" to serve both enterprise and public-sector entities that require a more sophisticated approach to cybersecurity beyond traditional login authentication.

New Funding, Tech Partners Fuel Growth

The expansion is made possible in part by a recent round of angel investment from an international team that includes former Microsoft Bing search architect, founder/CEO of Powerset (acquired by Microsoft) and artificial intelligence expert Barney Pell; fintech-focused Mike Benna, general partner at Stanley Park Ventures; and Colin Harris, a special limited partner with Yaletown Partners.

Plurilock has also inked partnership deals with the Microsoft Azure BizSpark and SAP Startup Focus programs, along with a teaming agreement and technology alliance program agreement with a major Fortune 100 enterprise IT firm. In addition, the company was accepted into the [email protected], a program that recruits high-potential international cyber companies into the Maryland economy.

Combat Veteran, Former Financial & Marketing Exec to Lead East Coast Sales

A former U.S. Marine Corps combat engineer who also spent more than 10 years in the financial services business, Neal Conlon has been tapped to lead Plurilock's New York office as Director of Sales for the Atlantic region. In addition to being deployed to the Middle East, Conlon has held roles at Guggenheim Partners, Cushman & Wakefield, Morgan Stanley and others. He is also a strategic partner for venture capital and private equity with Serval Ventures.

"Given the sophisticated security threats now facing our country, the modern battlefield isn't about bombs and weapons anymore. Instead, we face a war waged daily through collusion, blackmail and insider threats," Conlon said. "I'm thrilled to join the Plurilock team because ours is the only system of its kind that can provide effective defense against these cyberthreats for both private companies and our nation's vital systems and data."

Behavior-based Authentication Disrupts $1B Market

Plurilock's behavior-based platform is disrupting the $1 billion authentication industry with a real-time artificial intelligence solution that discriminates between authorized users and intruders by the way they behave on a workplace computer. By analyzing the unique behavioral patterns of authorized users and blocking access when unrecognized behavior occurs, Plurilock protects corporate and government endpoints and networks against insider threats and stolen or falsified credentials.

Where typical multifactor and CAC-based authentication provide only a single-point-in-time identity validation, Plurilock's proof-of-presence software continuously authenticates users. Once installed, the software takes about 20 minutes to learn users' keystroke style and speed, mouse use and other behaviors on laptops, desktops and servers to build a profile. Plurilock can then continuously validate that the current user is the authorized user, giving corporations and governments complete visibility into who, when and where users are on the network at all times.

Frictionless Experience, Rapid Response Ensures Efficiency

Running entirely in the background, Plurilock's software requires no direct user interaction, allowing authorized individuals to go about their daily work frictionless and efficiently. If unusual behavior occurs, the software detects the anomaly immediately, prompting the user for manual authentication and alerting security staff instantly. This cuts the average breach detection time dramatically, from more than six months to less than 30 seconds.

"Our latest market traction confirms that traditional point-in-time authentication is insufficient to meet today's sophisticated cybersecurity and compliance needs, and it validates that our disruptive AI-based continuous validation is a clear improvement," said Plurilock CEO Ian Paterson. "Our approach provides a much more robust security posture for both companies and government agencies that significantly mitigates risk and bolsters regulatory compliance."

To learn more about Plurilock's exclusive behavioral biometrics software for corporate and government cybersecurity, visit www.plurilock.com.

About Plurilock

Plurilock delivers preventative, instantaneous, and continuous solutions for workplace authentication and regulatory compliance. Its software strengthens workplace cybersecurity using sophisticated behavioral biometrics to identify authorized users and neutralize insider threats. For more information, visit: www.plurilock.com

MEDIA CONTACT:

Kasey Thomas

SSPR

925-285-6449

[email protected]

SOURCE Plurilock Security Solutions

Related Links

http://www.plurilock.com


(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140310/673848 )



(Photo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/553244/IDTechEx_Point_of_Care_Biosensors.jpg )



Biosensors are used to detect and quantify biological material associated with a disease state or health condition (biomarkers). Biosensors are therefore powerful tools for diagnosis and monitoring. As technological advances allow for such tests to be conducted faster and on smaller devices, these tests are moving out of specialised laboratories and closer to the patient at the point-of-care.



This report is the first to comprehensively look at all commercial applications for point-of-care biosensors. It gives a complete picture of the industry, including the types of biosensors, the key players on the market and the emerging technologies.

In this analysis of the market, 'point-of-care' is defined as being portable and able to gives results in under one hour. Commercial biosensors are split in four categories: Lateral flow assays; Electrochemical test strips; Integrated cartridges; and Molecular Diagnostics.

In addition, the report gives a 10-year market forecast segmented by application, including infectious disease self-monitoring, glucose testing, cancer, cardiometabolic, pregnancy & fertility and genetic testing.

All the forecasts in this report show the revenues from the consumables (disposable devices) thereby giving a realistic view of the market size.

Biosensors for Point-of-Care Testing: Technologies, Applications, Forecasts 2017-2027 will be useful to any company wishing to be in the value chain of biosensors (materials suppliers, reagent suppliers, microfluidics, contract manufacturers, foundries). Find out more at http://www.IDTechEx.com/biosensors.



The two authors of the report, Dr Laura Baers and Dr David Pugh, will be presenting their analysis on PoC biosensors at the upcoming Business and Technologies Insight Forums hosted by IDTechEx in Seoul (19-21 September) and Tokyo (27-29 September). These forums address both the business and technological landscapes - providing clarity and significant market data to allow you to understand the real opportunities.





Contact:

Charlotte Hibbert

Marketing & Research Co-ordinator

[email protected]

UK: +44-(0)1223-810286

SOURCE IDTechEx
SECAUCUS, N.J., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Quest Diagnostics (NYSE: DGX), the world's leading provider of diagnostic information services, today announced that all of the company's cholesterol test services that involve estimates of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) now use a novel calculation shown to improve the accuracy of testing for levels of LDL-C, a key marker of risk of cardiovascular disease.

The method also has the advantage of not requiring the patient to fast from food for several hours prior to a blood draw, enhancing the patient experience.

Quest Diagnostics is the first national laboratory provider in the United States to enable accurate nonfasting lipid testing using the novel method in patient testing. The calculation, which is not affected by recent food intake, is based on an internationally recognized formula from cardiologist Seth Martin, M.D., assistant professor of Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. It is designed to replace the Friedewald calculation, which has been the standard method used by laboratories for LDL-C analysis in cholesterol testing in the United States since 1972.

The development is the result of a license agreement between Quest Diagnostics and the Johns Hopkins University. Today, any patient tested with a Quest Diagnostics cholesterol test that includes LDL-C estimates, such as comprehensive cholesterol test panels, will receive results calculated using the new method. Pricing and insurance coverage is unaffected.

"This new approach from Quest Diagnostics, the largest national laboratory provider, means millions of patients will have broad access to a more accurate method of assessing their risk for, and aiding treatment of, cardiovascular disease, a leading cause of death and disability in the United States," said Eliot A. Brinton, M.D., FAHA, FNLA, president, Utah Lipid Center in Salt Lake City, member of the board of directors of the National Lipid Association, and past president of the American Board of Clinical Lipidology. "It replaces an outmoded approach to estimating levels of the bad cholesterol, LDL. Although that method has been the standard for 45 years, it is inaccurate and misleading in many cases, especially when the patient is not fasting. The old method is being replaced with a more precise view of a patient's LDL-C, which does not require an overnight fast."

"Our improved LDL cholesterol analysis reflects the Quest commitment to provide the broadest access to diagnostic innovation and actionable health insights, but it's also about providing a better consumer experience and greater convenience," said Jay Wohlgemuth, senior vice president, R&D, Medical, and chief medical officer, Quest Diagnostics. "Fasting for eight to 12 hours visiting a patient service center for a blood draw in the morning is challenging and may deter many patients from participating in lipid testing. Now, millions of people no longer have to go through this process to receive a reliable lipid test result through Quest Diagnostics."

Quest provides diagnostic services to one in three American adults each year, with broad national access for patients through its 2,200 patient service centers, including through its collaborations with Safeway and Walmart, and relationship with half of all physicians and hospitals. Cholesterol testing is among the top 10 most commonly ordered test services Quest provides each year, and is a critical component of strategies to prevent heart attack and stroke.

Nearly one of every three American adults has high levels of LDL-C, the so-called "bad" cholesterol. Blood levels of LDL-C, as determined by lab tests, can help physicians identify heightened risk of cardiovascular disease, including heart attack and stroke.

New method aids personalized treatment

LDL-C blood assessment can also aid treatment decisions. National and international guidelines generally refer to a target level of <70 mg/dL for high-risk patients to guide treatment decisions with statins or PCSK9 inhibitors. Yet, a study recently published in the Journal of Lipidology found that approximately one-fifth of individuals with Friedewald-estimated LDL cholesterol at levels below 70 mg/dL actually had a value of 70 mg/dL or higher using the new equation.

"Accordingly, ongoing use of Friedewald estimation may lead to the misclassification of high-risk individuals and subsequent under-utilization of lipid-lowering therapies," wrote the authors, which include Dr. Martin. Quest Diagnostics did not participate in the study.

Other research also shows that PCSK9 inhibitors, introduced in 2015, may reduce LDL-C to 25 mg/dL or lower -- levels which the Friedewald equation was never designed to calculate.

"With the advent of more aggressive statin use, PCSK9 inhibitors, and lower LDL-C goals, we've entered an era of driving LDL-C as low as possible for high-risk patients. It's exciting to have wide access to an LDL-C calculation which is accurate at very low levels," Dr. Brinton said.

"Precision medicine is changing how we treat disease, but it isn't possible without insights from diagnostic services," said Dr. Wohlgemuth. "By offering this new capability, we will help the medical community better assess and care for vulnerable patients in a more convenient way, potentially preventing adverse cardiovascular outcomes."

About Quest Diagnostics

Quest Diagnostics empowers people to take action to improve health outcomes. Derived from the world's largest database of clinical lab results, our diagnostic insights reveal new avenues to identify and treat disease, inspire healthy behaviors and improve health care management. Quest annually serves one in three adult Americans and half the physicians and hospitals in the United States, and our 43,000 employees understand that, in the right hands and with the right context, our diagnostic insights can inspire actions that transform lives. www.QuestDiagnostics.com.

50th Anniversary: In 2017, Quest Diagnostics celebrates 50 years of life-changing results. To learn about our legacy of accomplishments and quest to improve healthcare in the future, visit www.QuestDiagnostics.com/50Years

Quest, Quest Diagnostics, and all associated Quest Diagnostics registered or unregistered trademarks are the property of Quest Diagnostics. All third-party marks are the property of their respective owners.

SOURCE Quest Diagnostics

Related Links

http://www.questdiagnostics.com


SAN MATEO, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Registration is open for the Marketing Nation Roadshows in Boston and Chicago in October 2017. Attendees will hear from best-selling author Seth Godin and Marketo CEO Steve Lucas about how to win in the Engagement Economy, as well as best practices and tips on artificial intelligence (AI), account-based marketing (ABM), sales and marketing partnership, and more. Two content tracks will feature sessions specifically designed for marketing practitioners and executives led by notable industry influencers, marketing leaders, members of the Alliance for ABM Success, and Marketo experts.

Click here to register today.

Marketing Nation Roadshow @ MarTech, taking place on Tuesday, October 3, at Hynes Convention Center in Boston, is in partnership with MarTech, the international conference series for senior-level, hybrid professionals who are both marketing- and tech-savvy. Attendees will hear from Scott Brinker, MarTech Conference chair and industry visionary, in addition to speakers from Aetna, Dunn & Bradstreet, IDC, Wilde Agency, and more.

Marketing Nation Roadshow Chicago, which will take place on Wednesday, October 4, will be held at Navy Pier.

"These events allow us to extend the reach of Marketing Nation, delivering custom content to hundreds of marketers of all levels across the United States and beyond," said Karen Steele, group vice president, Corporate Marketing, Marketo. "We're thrilled to be joined by luminaries such as Seth Godin and to partner with such esteemed organizations as MarTech and the ABM Alliance for Success."

Both events will include valuable networking sessions for attendees to mingle with thought leaders and other marketers.

Marketo is the leading provider of engagement marketing software and solutions. To learn more about these events, visit www.marketo.com.

About Marketo

Marketo, Inc., offers the leading Engagement Platform that empowers marketers to create lasting relationships and grow revenue. Consistently recognized as the industry's innovation pioneer, Marketo is the trusted platform for thousands of CMOs thanks to its scalability, reliability, and openness. Marketo is headquartered in San Mateo, CA, with offices around the world, and serves as a strategic partner to large enterprise and fast-growing organizations across a wide variety of industries. To learn more about the Marketo Engagement Platform, LaunchPoint partner ecosystem, and the vast community that is the Marketing Nation, visit www.marketo.com.

Media contact: Marissa Lyman, [email protected]

SOURCE Marketo, Inc.
The research led by USC Roski Eye Institute's J. Bradley Randleman , MD, along with collaborator Giuliani Scarcelli, PhD, measures the corneal biomechanics in a non-contact, non-perturbative way allowing clinicians to understand the different corneal properties, such as shape and elasticity, in each individual patient in the research setting. By accounting for these properties in vivo, the Brillouin microscopy method may allow physicians to create personalized treatment plans for more precise identification of ectatic disorders with the goal of preventing corneal transplantation or even blindness from conditions such as keratoconus, congenital brittle cornea syndrome and pellucid marginal corneal degeneration.

Many ophthalmic surgeons have debated the impact  whether beneficial or not  of the rapid CXL with LASIK flap creation called "LASIK Xtra." It has been proposed that that the procedure is useful in protecting patients from developing ectasia and may even improve the stability of higher laser corrections. USC researchers are the first to provide evidence to support the contrary.

"The novel Brillouin microscopy results offer new insight into whether there is a positive impact on patients who undergo the LASIK Xtra procedure," said Randleman, a recognized international pioneer in corneal cross-linking (CXL) procedures who is the director of USC Roski Eye Institute's Cornea, External Disease and Refractive Surgery. "Our findings have shown no significant increase in corneal stiffness after performing CXL combined with LASIK flap creation."

Applying broad applications, Randleman believes this revolutionary technique can help vastly improve methods of diagnosing corneal ectatic disorders. Earlier diagnosis can potentially reduce or eliminate the need for corneal transplants and increase success in preserving sight.

USC First on West Coast to Have Brillouin Microscopes Thanks to The Ahmanson Foundation Support

Randleman acknowledged USC's continued commitment into this unique method, "We conducted our research in collaboration with Dr. Scarcelli's renowned lab at the University of Maryland, but with the recent generous funding from The Ahmanson Foundation, USC Roski Eye Institute becomes the first in Los Angeles  in fact the entire West Coast  and only the third institution in the country to use the unique Brillouin microscopy technology."

To date, prototypes of the unique Brillouin microscopes have only been available in laboratories in Boston and Maryland. Through the funding provided by The Ahmanson Foundation, these microscopes will be used for the first time on the West Coast at the USC Roski Eye Institute.

"The availability of adequate tools for diagnosis is critical to the success of advancements in precision medicine. This Foundation recognizes the importance of innovations such as the Brillouin microscope, and is pleased to partner with USC," said William H. Ahmanson, president of The Ahmanson Foundation.

The cornea is the transparent, dome-shaped front layer of the eye that is most critical for clear vision. Keratoconus, which presents in the teens or early 20s, is a progressive disease where the thinning of the cornea produces warping and bulging that can lead to severe visual distortion. Another corneal disorder is brittle cornea syndrome which is seen in newborns and young children and requires lifelong monitoring. These are just two of the corneal ectatic diseases that were first described in the mid-1700s but today still offer little understanding as to the development and progression of these diseases.

"The revolutionary Brillouin microscopy method dramatically changes our ability to treat diseases affecting the cornea and we are grateful to The Ahmanson Foundation for supporting USC's leadership to preserve and restore sight in both adults and children," said Jonathan Song, MD, MBA, a recognized national cornea specialist and pediatric ophthalmologist with USC Roski Eye Institute.

The Brillouin microscopy measures biomechanical properties of each layer the light passes through in the front of the eye essentially performing a living biopsy of the cornea without touching or otherwise disturbing it. The powerful microscopes measure natural light scattering that occurs when the cornea moves every millisecond due to constant, subtle changes in temperature. Earlier and more precise detection of corneal ectatic disorders can possibly help some patients avoid surgeries that can weaken the cornea and potentially avoid corneal transplantation. According to the National Eye Institute, more than 33,000 Americans receive corneal transplants each year.

"The Ahmanson Foundation serves Los Angeles County by funding capital projects in a variety of areas including health care," continued Ahmanson. "We strive to enhance the quality of life for all Angelinos."

About the USC Roski Eye Institute (usceye.org)

The USC Roski Eye Institute, part of the Keck Medicine of USC university-based medical enterprise, has been a leader in scientific research and innovative clinical treatments for more than 40 years.

Ranked No. 2 in National Eye Institute (NEI) research grants for academically-based ophthalmology

departments and nationally ranked in U.S. News & World Report's annual "Best Hospitals" issue for more than 24 years, the USC Roski Eye Institute is headquartered in Los Angeles with clinics in Arcadia, Beverly Hills and Pasadena. Faculty physicians are also the exclusive ophthalmic doctors affiliated with L.A. County + USC Medical Center (LAC+USC) and Children's Hospital Los Angeles (CHLA).

Patients from across the country come to see the USC Roski Eye Institute experts who treat a comprehensive array of eye diseases across the life spectrum from infants to aging seniors. The USC Roski Eye Institute is known for its scientific research and clinical innovation including:

Creator of the FDA approved Argus retinal prosthesis implant (also known as the "bionic eye") for retinitis pigmentosa patients

retinal prosthesis implant (also known as the "bionic eye") for retinitis pigmentosa patients Leader in NEI eye disease research among multi-ethnic populations

Developer of stem cell therapies for those who have age-related macular degeneration

Discovered the gene that is the cause of the most common eye cancer in children

Treatment for eye infections for AIDS patients

Inventors of the FDA approved XEN stent, the most widely used glaucoma implant in the world

Pioneers of a device for long-term intraocular drug delivery

Creator 25 years ago and ongoing leader in OCT research

Part of the Human Connectome brain mapping research team for eye disease and prevention

About The Ahmanson Foundation

The Ahmanson Foundation serves Los Angeles County by funding cultural projects in the arts and humanities, education at all levels, health care, programs related to homelessness and underserved populations as well as a wide range of human services. By supporting non-profit organizations that demonstrate sound fiscal management, efficient operation, and program integrity, the Foundation strives to enhance the quality of life and cultural legacy of the Los Angeles community.

SOURCE USC Roski Eye Institute

Related Links

http://usceye.org


PORTLAND, Ore., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Restore Oregon announced today it has stepped in to secure and save a national treasure, the historic Jantzen Beach Carousel. Joined by prominent Oregonians at a warehouse where the disassembled carousel is being safely stored, Restore Oregon is launching a campaign to Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel to the Portland metro area community and find it a new permanent home so it can "turn" once again as a year-round family attraction.

On September 1, 2017, Restore Oregon received the historic carousel as a donation made by the former owner of the Jantzen Beach Mall, EDENS, Inc. Restore Oregon will not serve as the long-term owner, but will now work with community leaders and the public to shepherd the 1904-built carousel to its new future.

"As Portland continues to change, the carousel may serve as an icon of Portland's past," said Restore Oregon Executive Director Peggy Moretti. "Given its unique four-row design and its memories to generations of residents, we have launched this campaign to breathe new life into the carousel and to see it passed forward to a new generation of locals and visitors."

Restore Oregon listed the carousel as one of its Most Endangered Places in 2012. This annual list spotlights Oregon's endangered places and their cultural and economic value. To revitalize and help save these places, Restore Oregon brings together rehabilitation expertise, resources and local support. Given the carousel's unique design, high level of historic significance and cultural value to generations of Portlanders, it found its way to Restore Oregon's Most Endangered Places list when it was dismantled, stored and no longer in operation.

"Restore Oregon works tirelessly to save our Most Endangered Places, our core program that is committed to preserving historic places across the state. We now have a unique opportunity to work hands-on with the Portland community to save the beloved carousel that has been in our area since 1928," said Moretti. "We created this campaign to provide Portlanders the opportunity to ensure the carousel has a bright future. We are asking the public to show support for the carousel by sharing cherished memories, photos and videos on social media, becoming a Restore Oregon member, and contributing financially to our ongoing preservation efforts."

Said Portland City Commissioner Nick Fish: "Returning the Jantzen Beach Carousel to a permanent home in Portland is a historic opportunity. The carousel is a family-friendly attraction and an important part of our city's history. With the help of Restore Oregon, community members, public-spirited businesses, developers, nonprofits, and our local government partners, the Jantzen Beach Carousel can become Portland's next great attraction, bringing smiles to future generations of children. Let's re-turn the carousel to Portland."

Blue Ribbon Committee Formed

A Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel Blue Ribbon Committee has been formed to lead this public campaign. The committee will contact individuals and organizations that might be interested in the carousel, encourage donors to fund Restore Oregon's carousel effort, and help chaperone the carousel to its new owner.

Former Oregon State Senator Margaret Carter remembers frequently taking her children to ride the carousel: "This was a wonderful, affordable way for families to go have affordable fun. That should be our goal for the future. It's all about family."

Honorary co-chairs of the committee are Margaret Carter and Oregon "Premier Citizen" Gerry Frank. Other members include Nick Fish, Portland City Commissioner; former Oregon Governor Barbara Roberts; Jessie Burke, The Society Hotel; Marilyn Clint, Portland Rose Festival; Jane DeMarco, People & Process Fixes; Richard De Wolf, Arciform LLC/Versatile Wood Products; Roy Fox, Restore Oregon; Amy Keiter, Carousel Rider; Thomas Lauderdale, Pink Martini; Mike Lindberg, former Portland City Commissioner; Jonathan Nicholas, Moda Health; Rick Michaelson, Inner City Properties, Inc.; Mary Oberst, former First Lady of Oregon; Kerry Tymchuk, Oregon Historical Society; and Lee Weinstein of Weinstein PR. Others are expected to be added to the committee.

Portland/Vancouver Residents Asked to Support the Campaign; Share Their Memories

Area residents are invited to help Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel by taking action:

Share their favorite Jantzen Beach Carousel memories, photos and videos at Facebook.com/restoreoregon; share at Instagram.com/restoreoregon using the hashtags #returnthecarousel #restoreoregon

their favorite Jantzen Beach Carousel memories, photos and videos at share at using the hashtags Visit restoreoregon.org/carousel to sign up for updates and contribute financial support to Restore Oregon's effort

About Restore Oregon: Founded in 1977, Restore Oregon is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that advocates for sound preservation policy and legislation. The organization's mission is to preserve, reuse and pass forward the historic places that create livable communities. Each year, Restore Oregon provides statewide educational programming and technical assistance, while working to save the sites and structures featured on its annual list of Oregon's Most Endangered Places. Restore Oregon holds over 40 conservation easements on historic properties, thereby protecting them in perpetuity. Learn more at www.restoreoregon.org, Facebook.com/RestoreOregon and Instagram.com/RestoreOregon

About the C.W. Parker Carousel: The historic C.W. Parker Carousel has been a Portland-area fixture for nearly 85 years, synonymous with family fun and childhood joy. Installed in 1928 on Hayden Island as a main attraction of the Jantzen Beach Amusement Park, the carousel has outlasted the park itself, spinning over 30 million riders since it arrived in Oregon. Despite this history, the last ride on the carousel was on April 22, 2012, after which it was disassembled and put into storage with no foreseeable plan for its return to the public. It remains securely stored, but its future depends on finding a new site.

The carousel is one of the biggest, fastest, oldest wooden carousels left in the world. It is four horses abreast with 72 horses in total, weighs approximately 20 tons and has a diameter of 67 feet, and needs to be housed indoors. It was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1987 but was delisted in 2008 when plans to move it to the Portland Children's Museum did not go through.

* * * * * * MEDIA PLEASE NOTE * * * * * *

Re-TURN the Jantzen Beach Carousel Press Kit here (goo.gl/pkhpwD)

(goo.gl/pkhpwD) Jantzen Beach Carousel and Brooklyn, New York's Jane's Carousel photos here (goo.gl/tt8D1F)

SOURCE Restore Oregon

Related Links

http://www.restoreoregon.org


Just minutes from Old Town Winchester, Twin Lakes Overlook offers seven inspired ranch and two-story floor plans with two to seven bedrooms and approximately 2,000 to 3,700 square feet. Prices at this community, which features a picturesque lake and trails, start from the low $300s. Prospective buyers can look forward to touring the Amherst and Decker model homes within the next few months.

Mountain Brook Estates boasts six exciting floor plans, including three from the builder's sought-after Seasons Collection, designed to put homeownership within reach for a wide range of buyers. This notable new neighborhood  within walking distance of downtown Culpeper  offers two to six bedrooms and approximately 1,985 to 2,785 square feet, from the mid $200s. Residents will appreciate a community playground and easy access to popular commuter routes. The Citrine model will open for tours later this year.

Call 540.548.4435 or visit RichmondAmerican.com for more information.

About M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Since 1977, MDC's homebuilding subsidiary companies, which operate under the name Richmond American Homes, have built and financed the American dream for more than 190,000 homebuyers. MDC's commitment to customer satisfaction, quality and value is reflected in the homes its subsidiaries build. MDC is one of the largest homebuilders in the United States. Its subsidiaries have homebuilding operations across the country, including the metropolitan areas of Denver, Northern Colorado, Colorado Springs, Salt Lake City, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tucson, Riverside-San Bernardino, Los Angeles, San Diego, Orange County, San Francisco Bay Area, Sacramento, Washington D.C., Baltimore, Northern Virginia, Orlando, Jacksonville, South Florida and Seattle. MDC's subsidiaries also provide mortgage financing, insurance and title services, primarily for Richmond American homebuyers, through HomeAmerican Mortgage Corporation, American Home Insurance Agency, Inc. and American Home Title and Escrow Company, respectively. M.D.C. Holdings, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "MDC." For more information, visit MDCHoldings.com.

SOURCE M.D.C. Holdings, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.richmondamerican.com


As bad as the smoke was Wednesday in most parts of southwestern Montana, its going to be worse Thursday in several places.

A "smoke spiral," air quality specialist Sarah Coefield called it, comprising smoke from northern California, Oregon, Washington, Canada, Montana and Idaho, all of it merging "to swirl around over our heads in a hideous brown spiral of misery and despair."

"This is, to put it lightly, bad. It is so bad," Coefield, of the Missoula City-County Health Department, wrote in her Wednesday-afternoon update.

On Thursday, residents of Florence, Lolo, Arlee and Seeley Lake are likely to awake to Hazardous air quality, Coefield said. "The rest of us will likely have, at minimum, Unhealthy air quality."

In Seeley Lake, readings reached the highest measurable point on the Hazardous scale at 1 a.m. Wednesday and remained there all day as wildfire smoke remains trapped under a high-pressure system.

In fact, air quality graphs for most of western Montana showed straight lines all day Wednesday, hanging steady in the Unhealthy-Hazardous zones.

Winds will remain light as the high pressure moves across the region Thursday and Friday, shifting to west and southwest and retaining dry, warm conditions.

The surface and transport breezes (weak though they may be) will be easterly tomorrow, which will keep smoke trapped in western Montana and part of the Smoke Spiral," the Wednesday afternoon report said. "The Smoke Spiral is going to continue picking up smoke and getting thicker and more horrible as long as it is overhead."

When the air registers Unhealthy, people within sensitive groups should avoid all physical outdoor activity. At Very Unhealthy, everyone should avoid prolonged or healthy exertion. At Hazardous, everyone should avoid all outdoor activity.

Detailed air conditions in Missoula County are available online with a search of Missoula air quality or at missoulacounty.us/departments/health-department/air-quality.

***

Although the smoke is at its worst levels in many parts of the state, take solace in the fact that that same smoke is keeping the fires in check.

"Smoke is the Sprague fire's friend," went the title of Wednesday's fire update for the 13,000-acre fire burning in Glacier National Park. "The advantage of smoke is the 'dampening' effect it has on fire behavior."

On the Rice Ridge fire, Public Information Officer Mike Cole said the smoke acted as an umbrella, shading the fire from direct sunlight.

"We had a lot of smoke sitting over the fire all day and that's kept the fire down," he said. "We've had a very good day."

Wednesday, firefighters worked on establishing line east of Seeley Lake, in an attempt to seal off the fire from making a run toward town and Montana Highway 83.

Tuesday, firefighters saved a lone cabin east of town, coming upon it just as a burning tree fell on the roof. Crews also installed hose and sprinklers around one-third of the cabins in the Coopers Lake area and worked on fire line in the Morrell Creek drainage, where an unusually dry wet spruce bog continues to burn.

Many fires have stayed calm, though still burning, since the gusty winds blew up over Labor Day weekend, allowing evacuation orders to be withdrawn in Lolo, Florence and Seeley Lake.

Lolo Peak fire crews focused on burnout operations Tuesday and Wednesday, according to Inciweb, the Incident Information System, with limited retardant drops due to the inversion. They worked on establishing line south of Kootenai Creek, to try and turn the fire away from houses if it kept moving south.

***

Smoke or more smoke, you can play on Seeley Lake again.

Effective at noon Wednesday, the waters of the lake are again open to boating and other recreation. The Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks made the announcement the morning after the Missoula County Sheriff's Office lifted an evacuation order for some 230 homes in and around the town of Seeley Lake.

The lake had been under temporary emergency closure while aircraft used most of the lake to draw water to fight the Rice Ridge fire.

"Fire crews may continue to scoop water from portions of the lake, so boaters must be alert for aircraft and stay clear of fire suppression operations," an FWP release said.

Fire conditions could prompt another closure, so boaters and others should stay tuned for updates. Visit fwp.mt.gov/news/restrictions or call the FWP office in Missoula at 406-542-5500.

***

The Nature Conservancy joined Weyerhaeuser and Stimson Lumber Co. in closing its lands in western Montana to all public access until fire conditions improve.

FWP said fall hunting seasons and districts are open as planned, but many areas have wildfire-related land closures that affect hunter access and travel. The agency helps manage hunter access and recreation on some private lands.

Hunters and recreationists should review closures and restrictions before heading out.

For current fire closures and maps that include Forest Service and BLM public lands, visit InciWeb online at inciweb.nwcg.gov/state/27/.

All Weyerhaeuser and Stimson timberlands are part of FWPs block management, and The Nature Conservancy has a cooperative management agreement with FWP.

Violations of the closures will be considered trespassing.

Well be doing some level of patrolling, FWPs Vivaca Crowser said. Obviously its a lot of land, so thatll be a priority and emphasis for us.

"Were hoping to sign those areas so were not catching people unaware and were looking for fire crews and members of the public to let us know about violations.
- The number of smartphone shipments in the country inclined from a mere 5.3 million in 2011 to 33.8 million in 2016, growing at a very impressive CAGR of 45.1%. Internet users inclined from 30.1 million in 2011 to 53.2 million by the end of 2016. Overall, the number of internet users inclined at a CAGR of 12.1% during the period 2011-2016.

Indonesian cab aggregator market has witnessed rapid growth in the last few years owing to underdeveloped public transportation system, low taxi tariffs, rapidly increasing internet users and expanding urban middle class who prefer using cabs over other public transportation services. In bigger cities of the country such as Jakarta, Surabaya and Bali, cab aggregators have become an essential part of the transportation system and an effective solution to travel in and around the city. As of May 2016, about 3,309 cars were registered under car aggregator companies such as Uber, Go-Car and Grab.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130909/638322 )



"New entrants and existing players should instead of trying to cater to all customers; can target a certain segment of population and purchase fleet that meets the expectation of this group of individuals. This will help the car rental companies to maintain an optimal fleet size and ensure above average revenue per car. Success has to be a combination of superior customer service, easy of accessibility and right value for money" according to Research Analyst, Ken Research.

Ken Research announced its latest publication on "Indonesia Car Rental Market Outlook to 2021 - Rising Tourism and Growing Middle Class Population to Foster Future Growth" provides a comprehensive analysis of the car rental market in Indonesia. The report focuses on the organized and unorganized, chauffer driven and self driven segments of the industry. The report covers aspects such as car rental market by its key segments including off-airport and on-airport demand, corporate and retail clients, and demand by major regions. The publication also includes competitive landscape which discusses the major market players along with the detailed discussion about the organizations and their respective market share. The reports also provides in depth analysis of the cab aggregator market including detailed company profiles of the stakeholders. Furthermore, the report includes snapshots on ride sharing / carpooling market, self-driven car market and bike rental market in Indonesia. The future analysis of overall Indonesia Car Rental Market has also been discussed along with recommendations from analyst view.

The report covers trends about state of domestic and international tourism and new entrants to the market. It also includes detailed analysis of the major companies existing in this space including TRAC, Blue Bird, MPM Rent, ASSA Rent, Tunas Rental, Express Taxi, Uber, Go-Jek, Grab and others.

Key Topics Covered in the Report:



Indonesia Car Rental Market, 2011-2016

Indonesia Car Rental Market Segmentation By Organized and Unorganized Sector, By Chauffer and Non-Chauffer Driven, By Off-Airport and On-Airport, By Corporate and Retail Clients, By Small, Medium and Luxury Car, By Online and Offline Booking, Demand by Regions, 2016

Trends and Development in Indonesia Car Rental Market

Car Rental Market Contract Structure in Indonesia Car Rental Market

Car Rental Market SWOT Analysis of Indonesia Car Rental Market

Market Share of Major Players in Indonesia Car Rental

Car Rental Company Profile of Major Players in Indonesia Car Rental

Car Rental Indonesia Car Rental Market Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2021

Indonesia Cab Aggregator Market, 2014-2016

Indonesia Cab Aggregator Market Segmentation By Off-Airport and On-Airport, By Leisure and Business Trips, By Online and Offline Booking, 2016

Indonesia Cab Aggregator Market Future Outlook and Projections, 2017-2021

Snapshot on Indonesia Ride Sharing / Carpooling Market

Snapshot on Indonesia Self-Driven Car Rental Market

Snapshot on Indonesia Bike Rental Market

Indonesia Cab Aggregators Business Model

Indonesia Ride-Sharing/Carpooling Market Business Model

Operating Model of the Car Rental Market in Indonesia

Indonesia Non-Chauffer Driven Car Rental Market

Indonesia Chauffer Driven Car Market

Related Reports:

Indonesia Used Car Industry Outlook to 2021 - Increasing Online Used Car Portals and Competitive Used Car Financing Schemes to Foster Future Growth

Vietnam Car Rental Market Outlook to 2021 - Rising Tourism and Trend of Mobile Booking for Rental Cars to Drive Market

Thailand Car Rental Market Outlook to 2021 - Increasing Traffic Congestion and Rising Number of Corporate Clients to Amplify the Market Growth





Contact Us:

Ken Research

Ankur Gupta, Head Marketing & Communications

[email protected]

+91-9015378249



SOURCE Ken Research
IRVINE, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Roland DGA, a leading provider of wide-format printers, rapid prototyping 3D milling machines and other innovative digital devices, will be showcasing its latest technologies at FESPA Mexico 2017, September 21-23 at Centro Citibanamex in Mexico City. The largest exhibition for the print and signage industry in Mexico and Central America, FESPA Mexico attracts thousands of attendees from throughout the region.

Visitors to booth J28 at FESPA Mexico can check out the impressive capabilities of Roland's TrueVIS VG and TrueVIS SG wide-format eco-solvent printer/cutters  the company's most advanced to date, as well as newly updated VersaUV LEF series benchtop UV printers, new CAMM-1 GR series large-format cutters, Texart series dye-sublimation printers, and popular inkjets from the SOLJET, VersaEXPRESS and VersaStudio families. Roland will also be partnering with leading media manufacturer General Formulations to conduct three live vehicle wrap demonstrations daily. These in-booth demos will feature renowned wrap installer Rafael Munoz Morales, Director at Prodigyo Imagen Visual, and Roland's state-of-the-art SOLJET Pro 4 XR-640 wide-format printer/cutter. Munoz has won several international vehicle wrapping titles. Last year, at FESPA Mexico 2016, he was named the best installer in the industry by HEXIS, a major manufacturer of self-adhesive films for visual communication, object customization and surface protection.

"Attendees are in for a real treat at this year's show," said Andrew Oransky President at Roland DGA. "In addition to getting a firsthand look at our newest and most popular devices, they'll have the opportunity to watch an award-winning installer work his vehicle wrap magic. They'll also be able to pick up valuable tips, and see for themselves why Roland is the best choice when it comes to color quality, speed, reliability and low running costs for wrap projects and other applications."

To learn more about the products Roland DGA will be displaying at FESPA Mexico 2017, or the complete Roland product lineup, visit www.rolanddga.com. For more information on FESPA Mexico 2017, visit https://mexico.fespa.com/en.

Link to Related Images for this Press Release:

https://www.rolanddga.com/company/pressroom/images/2017/fespa

About Roland DGA

Roland DGA Corporation serves North and South America as the marketing, sales and distribution arm for Roland DG Corporation. Founded in 1981 and listed on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, Roland DG of Hamamatsu, Japan is a worldwide leader in wide-format inkjet printers for the sign, apparel, textile, personalization and vehicle graphics markets; engravers for awards, giftware and ADA signage; photo impact printers for direct part marking; and 3D printers and CNC milling machines for the dental CAD/CAM, rapid prototyping, part manufacturing and medical industries.

SOURCE Roland DGA Corporation

Related Links

http://www.rolanddga.com


RADNOR, Pa., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Safeguard Scientifics, Inc. (NYSE: SFE) will be hosting a New York City Investor Luncheon on Tuesday, October 10, 2017 from 12:00pm to 2:00pm ET at The Yale Club of New York City.

Safeguard's Investor Luncheon will offer the investment community an opportunity to hear from Safeguard's President and CEO, Stephen T. Zarrilli, and Senior Vice President and CFO, Jeffrey B. McGroarty, about Safeguard's growth opportunities and value creation strategies. In addition, attendees will also hear from executives from several of Safeguard's partner companies.

Please RSVP by Friday, October 6, 2017 by contacting Safeguard at (610) 975-4952 or IR(at)safeguard(dot)com.

About Safeguard Scientifics

Safeguard Scientifics (NYSE:SFE) provides capital and relevant expertise to fuel the growth of technology-driven businesses in healthcare, financial services and digital media. Safeguard targets companies that are capitalizing on the next wave of enabling technologies with a particular focus on the Internet of Everything, enhanced security and predictive analytics. Safeguard typically deploys between $5 million and $25 million over the course of its partnership with a company, initially investing in a Series A or B Round and opportunistically in a Seed Round. Safeguard has a distinguished track record of fostering innovation and building market leaders that spans more than six decades. For more information, please visit www.safeguard.com or follow us on Twitter @safeguard.

Forward-looking Statements

Except for the historical information and discussions contained herein, statements contained in this release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Our forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. The risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially include, among others, our ability to make good decisions about the deployment of capital, the fact that our partner companies may vary from period to period, our substantial capital requirements and absence of liquidity from our partner company holdings, fluctuations in the market prices of our publicly traded partner company holdings, competition, our inability to obtain maximum value for our partner company holdings, our ability to attract and retain qualified employees, market valuations in sectors in which our partner companies operate, our inability to control our partner companies, our need to manage our assets to avoid registration under the Investment Company Act of 1940, and risks associated with our partner companies, including the fact that most of our partner companies have a limited history and a history of operating losses, face intense competition and may never be profitable, the effect of economic conditions in the business sectors in which Safeguard's partner companies operate, and other uncertainties described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Many of these factors are beyond the Company's ability to predict or control. As a result of these and other factors, the Company's past financial performance should not be relied on as an indication of future performance. The Company does not assume any obligation to update any forward-looking statements or other information contained in this press release.

SAFEGUARD CONTACT:

John E. Shave III

Senior Vice President, Investor Relations and Corporate Communications

610.975.4952

jshave(at)safeguard(dot)com

SOURCE Safeguard Scientifics, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.safeguard.com


LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Auctioneers serving the construction, agriculture, and transportation industries will convene in Lincoln, Nebraska for a two-day forum hosted by Sandhills Publishingthe trade publisher and tech company behind AuctionTime.com, Machinery Trader, TractorHouse, and Truck Paper. The event, held September 19th and 20th, will welcome auctioneers from the Midwest and across the country, facilitating opportunities for attendees to network, address key market trends and challenges, and gain industry insights. It's also a chance to learn more about AuctionTime.com and Auction Flexsimple, cost-effective software platforms that are evolving the way buyers and sellers participate in auctions.

A breakdown of AuctionTime.com, Sandhills' online auction platform, will provide valuable insights into the ins and outs of the resource that hundreds of auctioneers all over the country have successfully leveraged to build lucrative auction businesses. The platform offers built-in advertising (both online and in print on a local, national, and international scale) and simplifies the process of listing equipment, attracting bidders, and selling at auction.

AuctionTime also functions in conjunction with a number of additional products that facilitate equipment sales for both buyers and sellers. Seminars will include information about Express Financing solutions, which simplify the lending process for equipment buyers to help eliminate financing as an obstacle to sales. Forum attendees will also learn about Sandhills' proprietary asset valuation softwareFleetEvaluatorwhich leverages a massive pool of listing, after sale, and auction results data to enable auctioneers to accurately value specific equipment.

Day two of the forum will be devoted to Auction Flex, the market leader in live auctions with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Attendees will learn more about leveraging this simple yet powerful software to streamline live auctions right alongside online auctions.

The combination of round table discussions, seminars, and one-on-one workshops provides auctioneers the ability to network, ask questions, and gain insights from industry leaders. "Auctioneers operate within a unique subset of our core industries," explains Sandhills' Chief Administration Officer Nancy Paasch. "A forum devoted specifically to auctioneers provides a focused environment for these businesses to gain insights that ultimately help their operations thrive."

For more information about the upcoming Auctioneer Forum, contact Sandhills directly, or get in touch with your Sandhills sales rep to register.

About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information in the form of trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud.

Contact Sandhills:

120 West Harvest Drive

Lincoln, NE 68521

www.Sandhills.com

[email protected]

(402) 479-2181

SOURCE Sandhills Publishing

Related Links

http://www.sandhills.com


ST. LOUIS, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- His Royal Highness Prince Khalid bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to the United States toured Boeing Defense Space & Security's St. Louis F-15 production facility Thursday inspecting the F-15SA fighter that is being delivered to the Kingdom. The visit, part of a tour around the United States, gives the Ambassador the opportunity to meet with executives and see the facilities of an important partner company. The Ambassador's tour has included stops in Nevada's Nellis Air Force base, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Dallas and St. Louis.

"The technology being put into the F-15SA will enhance the security of Saudi Arabia in the face of global threats," said Prince Khalid. 84 F-15SA jets are being delivered to the Royal Saudi Air Force and another 70 F-15S models are being converted to Saudi Advanced models, part of the largest Foreign Military Sale in U.S. history.

The Ambassador toured the F-15 production line meeting with employees including Saudi engineers to learn more about Saudi Arabia's contributions in developing and producing the most Advanced F-15 fighter in the world.

"We are honored that His Royal Highness chose to make Boeing one of his stops on his important tour," said Shelley Lavender, senior vice president of Strike, Surveillance and Mobility. "His visit highlights the partnerships that have been built upon for more than 70 years between the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and Boeing as well as future innovations that will help propel the Kingdom's progressive Vision 2030 goals."

SOURCE Royal Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Information Office
Compared to the S-70A model, the S-70i aircraft will feature wide chord rotor blades for enhanced lift, a stronger airframe, a digital glass cockpit with flight management system for enhanced situation awareness, and a cockpit voice and flight data recorder. An Integrated Vehicle Health Management system will monitor the aircraft's operational health.

In addition to aerial firefighting, a Firehawk helicopter also performs command and control of other firefighting aircraft, EMS transport, search and rescue, and logistic support. Thomas Ewald, assistant fire chief of L.A. County's Air and Wildland Division, said "nothing close compares with the Firehawk. No other aircraft does all five missions as well."

Ewald added: "The Firehawk has repeatedly proven its reliability and ruggedness. The stresses we place on the aircraft when we take on and then aggressively release 8,000 pounds of water multiple times a day are far more than what its military variant might do in normal operations at maximum gross weight. Like a good pick-up truck, we beat it up and it keeps coming back for more."

"The new and more capable S-70i Black Hawk helicopters will provide L.A. County and the fire department with the most effective firefighting and multi-mission aircraft available, said Dan Schultz, president of Sikorsky. "We thank L.A. County for its continued confidence in Sikorsky and the Black Hawk helicopter, and for our close collaboration that has resulted in advances in aerial firefighting. We offer our congratulations to the courageous firefighters, aircrews and maintainers who employ this unique capability for the highest ideal of public service."

Once modified by a specialist outfitter in 2018 with a 1,000-gallon (3,785-liter) water tank, extended landing gear, single pilot cockpit layout and a medically-equipped interior, the new aircraft will increase to five the L.A. County Fire Department's fleet of Firehawk multi-role helicopters.

"This acquisition supplements our county's potent aerial firefighting arsenal and our ability to knock down wildfires to protect life and property," said LA County Supervisor Kathryn Barger. "The Firehawk provides a very effective initial attack platform to battle fires along with multi-mission capability for alternate needs including EMS and search and rescue."

Sikorsky supports the critical mission of the L.A. Country fire department with an all new airframe of the S-70i Black Hawk aircraft, which are available direct from Sikorsky in the U.S. Customers can order aircraft with mission sets and features customized to specific preferences. The Los Angeles County Fire Department was the first municipal organization to purchase the Firehawk in December 2000.

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.

Black Hawk is a registered trademark of Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation

SOURCE Lockheed Martin

Related Links

http://www.lockheedmartin.com


SHANGHAI, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Sino Fortune Holding Corporation (OTCQB: SFHD) ("Sino Fortune" or the "Company"), a leading online financial credit facility solution provider servicing SME and individual borrowers in China, today announced that Puhui Equity Investment Co., Ltd. ("Puhui"), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company's variable interest entity -- Benefactum Alliance Business Consultant (Beijing) Co., Ltd., entered into a definitive share transfer agreement (the "Agreement") on September 1, 2017 to acquire a 4.45% equity interest in Shenzhen TouZhiJia Financial Information Service Co., Ltd. ("TouZhiJia") from certain selling shareholders for an aggregate purchase price of RMB19,100,008 (approximately US$2.8 million). Fifty percent (50%) of the purchase price has been paid by the Company upon the execution of a framework agreement dated June 14, 2017 (see FORM 8-K filed with the SEC on June 20, 2017). The balance of the purchase price is payable upon the closing of the transaction.

About Shenzhen TouZhiJia Financial Information Service Co., Ltd.

Shenzhen TouZhiJia Financial Information Service Co., Ltd. ("TouZhiJia") operates a P2P online lending and vertical search platform, www.touzhijia.com, which caters to investors by providing professional and P2P services designed to make investment and financing safer and more efficient. TouZhiJia's main businesses include vertical P2P search engine, private wealth management, and secondary loan exchange services. Since its inception in September 2014, the TouZhiJia platform has accumulated 2.74 million registered users and facilitated 1.98 million transactions with aggregate transaction value of more than RMB 15.63 billion (approximately US$2.30 billion). TouZhiJia is an affiliate of Yingcan Group.

About Sino Fortune Holding Corporation

Founded in 2013, Sino Fortune Holding Corporation ("Sino Fortune") is a leading online financial credit facility solution provider servicing under-served SME and individual borrowers in China. Through operating an electronic online financial platform, www.hyjf.com, the Company matches investors with SME and individual borrowers in China. The Company also sets aside risk reserve funds with the aim of limiting losses to investors from borrower defaults. In addition, the company provides investors with access to a liquid secondary market, giving them an opportunity to exit their investments before the underlying loans become due. For more information, please visit: ir.hyjf.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contain projections or other forward-looking statements regarding future events or our future financial performance. All statements other than present and historical facts and conditions contained in this release, including any statements regarding our future results of operations and financial positions, business strategy, plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended). These statements are only predictions and reflect our current beliefs and expectations with respect to future events and are based on assumptions and subject to risk and uncertainties and subject to change at any time. We operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment. New risks emerge from time to time. Given these risks and uncertainties, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Actual events or results may differ materially from those contained in the projections or forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements in this release are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

For investors and media inquiries please contact:

At the Company:

Ede Yang

Email: [email protected]

Investor Relations:

Tony Tian, CFA

Weitian Group LLC

Email: [email protected]

Phone: +1-732-910-9692

SOURCE Sino Fortune Holding Corporation
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Springhouse Digital, LLC, a Birmingham-based software company founded by local fintech veterans, today announces the launch of AuditBridge. This software offers an integrated approach to reduce the cost and complexity of audit and risk management for financial institutions.

Financial institutions see the immediate value in AuditBridge because it allows them to better apply, monitor and test institutional controls. It is designed to streamline the workflow of risk assessments, internal audits, consultant audits and examinations. This central location for all audit related documents provides improved visibility of risk allocation, audit exceptions and overall compliance progress for banking executives, audit committees and the board of directors.

Terry Ray, CEO, Springhouse Digital commented: "Audit and risk management are consistent pain points for financial institutions. Our industry expertise and ideas for innovation in these areas led us to develop AuditBridge. We've built a solution that not only incorporates best practices, guidelines and workflow for internal auditors and risk managers, but it also allows them to work collaboratively with external consultants and examiners, while still maintaining the highest level of security and control over their data. Our goal is to reduce the overall cost of audit and risk management while improving the quality of the associated processes."

Springhouse Digital selected a small group of financial institutions to beta test AuditBridge. First Piedmont Federal in Gaffney, South Carolina is one of the first banks to become a client and user of the software, and they are already experiencing the benefits that it offers.

Jenny Phillips, AVP of Compliance and Core Systems Officer, First Piedmont Federal said: "When I began my search for an audit management product, I was looking for an easy to use, feature-packed software that included comprehensive audit checklists, risk assessments and audit scheduling. AuditBridge provides those features and much more. It saves us time and reduces our costs. I couldn't be happier."

About Springhouse Digital, LLC

Springhouse Digital, headquartered in Birmingham, AL, is a fintech startup founded by banking software experts with over 50 years of combined experience with a mission to deliver affordable, high-quality software solutions, such as AuditBridge and CommitteeLink, to US financial institutions. Springhouse Digital also offers premium services and is the sponsor of the rapidly growing networking platform for financial institution professionals, FiHub.com. Financial institutions that partner with Springhouse Digital can expect "best in industry" technology solutions that allow them to not only compete, but thrive.

About First Piedmont Federal

First Piedmont Federal, founded in December 1933, offers courteous service, trusted reliability and resourceful financial solutions including mortgages, savings accounts, checking accounts, retirement accounts, consumer and commercial loans, debit cards, investment services and a full-service insurance office. First Piedmont Federal has grown from a one branch bank to a full-service community bank with multiple locations serving several markets with the goal in mind to meet customers' needs through high quality financial products and services with a personal touch that is second to none.

SOURCE Springhouse Digital, LLC

Related Links

http://www.springhousedigital.com


The SG125HV inverter is one of Sungrow's flagship products with a 125kW power output rating-the highest rating in the world for any string inverter. With all of that power, the inverter weighs only 159 pounds, making it the most power-dense string inverter on the market.

Getting its products certified ahead of schedule indicates the fast-growing development of Sungrow and its products in North America. The company has intensified its focus on global markets and international expansion with exports expected to grow exponentially, and North America remains a high target for the company. With the SG2500U central inverter also receiving the UL 1741-SA certification, Sungrow has become the first provider that has 1500Vdc inverters of both types receiving the stringent certifications required for North American projects.

"The UL 1741-SA certification is a new requirement for grid-connected inverters in North America, and also one of the most stringent and difficult to obtain. We are excited that our products are up-to-date with the latest industry requirements and standards. Sungrow remains steadfast in its mission to power the world on cleaner energy," said Professor Renxian Cao, President of Sungrow.

Both the SG125HV and the SG2500U will be on display at the Solar Power International show in Las Vegas next week (#3226).

About Sungrow

Sungrow is a global leading inverter solution supplier for renewables with over 49GW installed worldwide as of June 2017. Founded in 1997 by University Professor Renxian Cao, Sungrow is a global leader in research and development in solar inverters, with numerous patents and a broad product portfolio offering PV inverter systems as well as energy storage systems for utility-scale, commercial, and residential applications. With a 20-year track record of growth and success, Sungrow's products are available in over 50 countries, maintaining a market share of around 25% in Germany and over 15% globally. www.sungrowpower.com

SOURCE SUNGROW Power Supply Co., Ltd
The cost to the state of Montana for battling wildfires that have burned more than a million acres this summer has reached $53.7 million, a staggering price tag that has completely drained a state fire fund that was already slashed in half by decisions made in the 2017 Legislature.

In April lawmakers passed a cost-cutting bill that called for taking $30 million from the roughly $62 million fire fund to maintain an informal $200 million rainy-day account for state government and to reduce the depth of cuts to other state operations and services, cuts that would be triggered if state revenues came in lower than projected. That happened in July.

The fire account was left with $32.5 million, which has all been spent. The state is now paying for its share of fighting fires out of the Department of Natural Resources' budget. So far $3.4 million has been spent out of an available $11.84 million. The remaining $21.4 million has been covered through DNRC's operational budget and the governor's emergency fund.

During the heavy snows of last winter when lawmakers decided to tap the fire fund, it would have been hard to imagine the smoke-filled skies, numerous evacuations and burned range land that has dominated this summer. But an incredibly dry spring led to significant drought, creating prime fire conditions.

Nearly 1,700 fires statewide have burned 1,005,803 acres this year.

Legislators also considered the average annual cost of fighting fires for the state is about $20.6 million, offset by an average of $5.2 million in federal reimbursements, according to legislative records. But there are outliers  in the past decade, fire suppression costs to the state topped $100 million in 2008 and in 2013 reached $57 million.

While the cost of fighting fire has come in dramatically higher than expected this year, tax revenues have been much less than the Legislature projected, leaving Gov. Steve Bullock to seek another possible $236 million in cuts from state agencies. More information about those cuts is expected Friday.

State Sen. Jon Sesso, D-Butte, said the fire fund was still probably the most logical place to look for money.

It was as good a place as any to provide a contingency, and when you compare using available cash assets compared to making deeper cuts in other areas of the government, I think it was still a prudent contingency plan.

He called current conditions almost like the perfect storm.

Not only did we get less revenue than we had anticipated for 17, but the fires are probably going to hit an historical level of expense.

Costly year

The Northern Rockies Coordination Centers website tracks the total cost  including those to state, federal and tribal governments  of fighting all active fires. Who picks up the tab depends on where the fire is burning. On Thursday, updated figures put cost for all active fires at nearly $211 million. That estimate is only for active fires, not ones that were put out earlier this summer like the 270,000-acre Lodgepole complex in Eastern Montana, which cost an estimated $9.27 million, though that tally is not final. Federal agencies do not track fire costs in real time as closely as the state does and stressed that total costs will not likely be known for about a year.

The most expensive fire currently burning in Montana is the Lolo Peak fire, 10 miles southwest of Lolo. It has consumed 48,686 timbered acres, has 415 people working the fire and has cost $39.6 million so far. The second-most expensive are the Sapphire Complex, burning 15 miles southeast of Clinton, and the Rice Ridge fire, six miles north of Seeley Lake. Both have cost about $32.6 million so far. The Sapphire Complex has burned 43,516 acres and Rice Ridge has burned 119,857 acres.

The state has applied for and been approved to receive assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the Lolo Peak fire and the Lodgepole complex. The grants can match up to 75 percent of approved state costs for fighting fires.

On Thursday, Bullock met with FEMA administrator Brock Long to urge more assistance and resources to help fight Montanas wildfires.

It has been a long and challenging fire season in Montana, Bullock said. Weve had losses to homes, livestock, forage and infrastructure, and weve tragically lost the lives of two wildland firefighters. We are experiencing impacts to individuals and businesses across the state, who have endured losses due to evacuations, hazardous air quality, and sustained threats to our tourism and recreation industries.

The situation is likely to get worse before it gets better. While I will continue to pursue every available resource to support fire response and recovery, I am asking that we work together to ensure the long-term health, safety, and livelihood of Montanans impacted by this disaster, Bullock continued.

Bullock asked Long to expedite the review and approvals of additional grants and consider the ability to apply for grants across multiple fires.

Bullock also asked Long for help accessing assistance for individuals affected by fires. The governor requested that criteria and thresholds across multiple fires be addressed to make resources available for those who have faced significant impacts.

Stacie Greff, a spokesperson for FEMA, said the conditions that exist in the state at the time of the request and whether the fire threatens enough destruction to constitute a major disaster are part of what determine funding decisions.

Were trying to fend off a major disaster, she said.

FEMA evaluates based on four key criteria:

 Threat to lives and improved property, including critical infrastructure and facilities and watersheds;

 Availability of state and local firefighting resources, such as aircraft or firefighters;

 High fire danger conditions, as determined by a national rating system; and

 Potential major economic impact.

FEMA assistance grants can pay for things like equipment and supplies, the cost of emergency work like evacuations, police barricades and traffic control, unified command centers, meals for firefighters and other costs that directly go to fighting fire. They are not for helping people who lost homes or property to fires. States have to submit receipts and documentation to receive funds.

FEMA funding is the primary way the state can get help from the federal government to pay for the cost of fighting fires. Both of Montanas U.S. senators, Republican Steve Daines and Democrat Jon Tester, took to the Senate floor this week to impress upon their colleagues the magnitude and impact of fires burning in Montana and ask for help as Congress worked to approve aid for Texas, which has been devastated by Hurricane Harvey.

Saving lives and property when disaster strikes is a fundamental pillar of government," Tester said. "It is not a Democrat or Republican issue, it is an American responsibility. I am confident we can work together to ensure the victims of Harvey get the relief they need and the states that are burning, like Montana, have the resources they need to protect our citizens, our economy, and our way of life."

Tester also on Thursday invited Republican President Donald Trump to visit Montana and tour areas that have burned.

Daines told the Senate that of the top 30 wildfires in the nation, 28 were burning Montana. Our crisis in Montana isnt water, its not too much water, its not hurricanes, its fire. It is smoke filling the air and filling our lungs.  We need to ensure Montana gets the resources it needs first of all to stop the fires.

U.S. Rep. Greg Gianforte, a Republican, took to the House floor, saying:

I hope this image and the others from back home will make my colleagues more aware of the fires devastation and the need for relief in the Treasure State.
LONDON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A survey conducted by Userv for Storage Made Easy (SME) showed that 1 in 2 employees thought that their company was not ready for the forthcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The survey asked a simple question to 200 employees which was whether they believe their company was ready for the upcoming data protection law which will come into force in less than a year from today.

The regulations extensively reform data privacy and protection and can result in heavy fines for companies that fail to protect customer data. The regulations impact on any company, irrespective of country, that stores private data of European citizens.

The fines are substantial and can be up to 4% of a companies gross turnover as opposed to the current 500,000 limit imposed by the existing data protection act.

Jim Liddle, Storage Made Easy CEO, said, "The General Data Protection Regulation is the most stringent update of data privacy and protection regulations for many years. They affect all businesses whether large or small and potentially could have the effect of putting some companies out of business if they are in breach of certain aspects of the regulations. Companies are going to need to ensure they understand their data estate, be that on-cloud or on-premises, and that they implement strict enforcement controls which will should include discovery, audit, encryption and policy settings.

As a UK company that is affected by GDPR we have worked very hard on ensuring our File Fabric product work as an enforcement gateway across all company data sets to help protect existing corporate data, and this definitely shows in the upturn of enquires and sales that we are fielding in relation to GDPR."

Storage Made Easy provides two free whitepapers for companies who need to get ready for GDPR. These can be downloaded from https://blog.storagemadeeasy.com/white-paper-gdpr-compliance/

ABOUT STORAGE MADE EASY (SME)

The Storage Made Easy Enterprise File Fabric enables IT to regain control of "cloud data sprawl" to unify on-premises and on-cloud files into a single easily managed converged infrastructure with policy-based controls for governance, audit and security.

The File Fabric solution provides a "blanket" enterprises wrap around all their data: on premises, within public and private clouds, as well as on third-party software vendor clouds (SharePoint Online and Salesforce for example).

Customers use the SME File Fabric product to unify corporate data to enable workgroup collaboration with universal controls for security, encryption, audit, and data access. Companies will have access to a greater understanding of where and how sensitive data is stored, transferred, and accessible with particular focus on how companies are able to police and audit data to ensure enforcement of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) in addition to other regional data legislation.

Storage Made Easy is the trading name of Vehera LTD.

Follow us on Twitter @SMEStorage and visit us at www.StorageMadeEasy.com to learn more.

Photo(s):

https://www.prlog.org/12662516

Press release distributed by PRLog

SOURCE Storage Made Easy

Related Links

http://www.storagemadeeasy.com


SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Talent Board, a non-profit organization focused on the promotion and benchmark research of a quality candidate experience, today revealed the winners of the 2017 North American Candidate Experience (CandE) Awards. More than 200 companies registered to participate in the 2017 North American CandE Awards program, which ultimately collected the thoughts and experiences of over 180,000 job candidates.

Talent Board Candidate Experience Awards

Winners were identified through a blind data analysis based on their job candidates' satisfaction survey scores. To qualify, each company committed to a statistically significant candidate response rate, where the proportion of respondents not hired met or exceeded a set standard. Multiple factors in the data summaries were considered in the final analysis, however, three key questions had a significant impact on determining the winners. These questions focused specifically on the likelihood that the candidate would reapply to the organization, whether or not the candidates would refer other job seekers to the organization and the candidates overall ranking of their specific candidate experience. The 50 winners are organizations that received the highest positive candidate experience ratings.

The 2017 North American CandE Awards winners are: (alphabetical order)

adidas AG

Aerohive Networks, Inc.

Air Canada

American Airlines

AT&T

BASF Corporation

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan

Brown-Forman Inc.

CH2M

Colorado Springs Utilities

Compassion International

DaVita Medical Group

Delta Air Lines

Deluxe Corporation

Fiat Chrysler Automobiles

Finning

Fresenius Medical Care

Humana, Inc.

Hunter Industries

Hyland

Jet Propulsion Laboratory

JetBlue

Johnson & Johnson

Kimberly-Clark Corporation

KPMG

KPMG Canada

Lilly

Lockheed Martin Corporation

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital

Northeast Ohio Regional Sewer District

PCL Construction

Pillar Technology

PointClickCare

Procore Technologies

RevZilla

SAS Software

School District of Lee County

Scotiabank

Sharp HealthCare

Slalom

Southwest Airlines

Sundt Construction

Synchrony Financial

T-Mobile US

Verizon

Virtusa Corporation

Volkswagen Group of America

Wells Fargo

West Monroe Partners

West Virginia University Division of Talent and Culture

"Talent Board worked with employers and job candidates from companies of different sizes and across industry sectors to understand the impact of current recruiting practices," said Ed Newman, Talent Board Chairman and Chief Evangelist for Phenom People. "This year's North American CandE Award-winning organizations provide job seekers with a stellar candidate experience and represent continued improvements in the talent acquisition space. We are grateful for their contributions and look forward to celebrating their efforts."

Along with the 50 CandE Winners, all employers participating in this year's Candidate Experience Awards will be celebrated at the 2017 North American CandEs Symposium and Awards Gala, taking place on Monday, October 2, 2017 at the Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center in Nashville, Tenn.

This year's CandE Award Winners KPMG, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, Hyland, West Monroe Partners and others will be sharing their transformative talent acquisition stories and how they are continuously working to improve their overall candidate experience.

About Talent Board

Talent Board is a non-profit organization focused on the elevation and promotion of a quality candidate experience. The organization, Candidate Experience (CandE) Awards program and its sponsors are dedicated to recognizing the candidate experience offered by companies throughout the entire recruitment cycle and to forever changing the manner in which job candidates are treated. The CandE Awards also serve as a benchmarking program to raise awareness of the benefits of a positive candidate experience and highlight the processes, methodologies and technology that can enhance the recruiting experience as demonstrated by the winning organizations. More information can be accessed at http://www.thetalentboard.org.

Note to editors: Trademarks and registered trademarks referenced herein remain the property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:

Kevin Grossman

831-419-6810

[email protected]

SOURCE Talent Board

Related Links

http://www.thetalentboard.org


CHERRY HILL, N.J., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, will support Hurricane Harvey disaster relief efforts sponsored by the American Red Cross by collecting donations at the majority of its stores on Friday, September 8, as part of its Bring Change charitable-giving program. The TD Charitable Foundation will also donate $125,000 to fund relief efforts.

"As one of the nation's largest banks, we believe we have a responsibility to help people in our communities and around our country," said Greg Braca, President and CEO, TD Bank. "We're honored to work together to support the people of Houston in their time of need. Our thoughts are with everyone impacted by this brutal tragedy."

TD's Bring Change program raises money to fund community nonprofits that are making a meaningful impact and assist individuals in need across the Bank's footprint. The program addresses issues impacting low- to moderate-income populations as well homelessness, food insecurity, services for those with special needs, and disaster-recovery efforts.

Information on the Bring Change Hurricane Harvey fundraiser will be posted in all TD Bank stores with details on how community members can lend their support.

As developments become available regarding Hurricane Irma and its potential impact, TD will determine and announce how best to support recovery efforts.

Red Cross donations provide shelter, food, comfort and emergency support for people displaced and affected by tragedies, such as Hurricane Harvey.

The TD Bank Group, TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank's parent company, has already donated $100,000 to support Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

About TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is one of the 10 largest banks in the U.S., providing more than 9 million customers with a full range of retail, small business and commercial banking products and services at more than 1,200 convenient locations throughout the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Metro D.C., the Carolinas and Florida. In addition, TD Bank and its subsidiaries offer customized private banking and wealth management services through TD Wealth, and vehicle financing and dealer commercial services through TD Auto Finance. TD Bank is headquartered in Cherry Hill, N.J. To learn more, visit www.tdbank.com. Find TD Bank on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TDBank and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/TDBank_US.

TD Bank, America's Most Convenient Bank, is a member of TD Bank Group and a subsidiary of The Toronto-Dominion Bank of Toronto, Canada, a top 10 financial services company in North America. The Toronto-Dominion Bank trades on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges under the ticker symbol "TD". To learn more, visit www.td.com.

SOURCE TD Bank

Related Links

http://www.TDBank.com


TOKYO and ALPHARETTA, Ga. and ZUG, Switzerland, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Landis+Gyr (LAND.SW) and TEPCO have signed an agreement to explore future projects utilizing the Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities of Landis+Gyr's intelligent grid network. The Memorandum of Understanding supports TEPCO's goals for delivering consumer services that promote energy efficiency and establishing a new energy business model.

The Memorandum also signals a commitment from both parties to cooperate in building an IoT strategy that goes far beyond advanced metering applications to develop other ways for TECPO to monetize their technology investments and open new revenue streams.

"The TEPCO deployment is using the most innovative methods and technology to not only modernize grid operations, but also implement far-reaching IoT applications," said Prasanna Venkatesan, Executive Vice President Americas and Japan for Landis+Gyr. "This provides the backbone for TEPCO to revolutionize the way energy services are provided and assist their goals for enabling a smart community."

TEPCO's ongoing advanced metering project  the world's largest intelligent grid deployment  is nearing the halfway mark. As of the end of August, 13.5 million endpoints have been deployed under Landis+Gyr's Gridstream AMI solution, a standards-based IoT utility network for communicating with advanced meters, distribution equipment and intelligent devices across the system.

The deployment is now scheduled to be completed by 2020, a three-year acceleration of the initial 10-year plan. Currently TEPCO averages over 500,00 advanced meters installed each month, far and away the fastest AMI deployment in history.

About Landis+Gyr

Landis+Gyr is the leading global provider of integrated energy management solutions for the utility sector. Offering one of the broadest portfolios of products and services to address complex industry challenges, the company delivers comprehensive solutions for the foundation of a smarter grid, including smart metering, distribution network sensing and automation tools, load control, analytics and energy storage. Landis+Gyr operates in over 30 countries across five continents. With sales of approximately USD 1.7 billion, the company employs c. 6,000 people with the sole mission of helping the world manage energy better. More information is available at www.landisgyr.com.

SOURCE Landis+Gyr

Related Links

http://www.landisgyr.com


Initial gold reserves of 1.2 million ounces  update expected in H1 2018

Major construction expected to commence in Q2 2018

Company's annualized gold production expected to increase

by 50% to between 300,000 and 350,000 ounces

(All amounts are in U.S. dollars unless otherwise stated)

TORONTO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ - Teranga Gold Corporation ("Teranga" or the "Company") (TSX: TGZ) (ASX: TGZ) is pleased to announce positive results of the feasibility study (the "Feasibility Study") on its permitted Banfora gold project (the "Banfora Project") in Burkina Faso, West Africa. The Banfora Project is comprised of a mine license of 89 km2, and a regional exploration land package of nearly 1,000 km2.

Based on initial gold reserves of 1.2 million ounces, the Feasibility Study's base case demonstrates solid project economics with a 15% internal rate of return at $1,250 per ounce gold for a 2.4 million tonnes per annum carbon in leach ("CIL") processing facility modeled after the plant located at the Company's Sabodala gold operation ("Sabodala") in Senegal, West Africa.

"Development of the Banfora Project is an important step towards attaining our goal of becoming the next multi-asset, mid-tier gold producer in West Africa. It will diversify our production base and add significant scale by increasing our consolidated annual gold production by 50% to between 300,000 and 350,000 ounces1,6," stated Richard Young, President and Chief Executive Officer of Teranga.

The Company expects an improvement in the Banfora Project economics following completion of an infill drill program aimed at converting inferred resources to reserves to be completed later this year, with a reserve update expected in the first half of 2018. The infill drill program is targeting inferred resources located adjacent to the current reserve pits. Overall, the Company anticipates achieving a conversion rate of between 25% and 50% of the inferred resources.

As at June 30, 2017, Teranga had cash and cash equivalents of $80 million2. As outlined in the updated technical report for Sabodala filed on August 30, 2017, the Company anticipates cash flows from Sabodala of more than $80 million3 over the next two years and a total of $230 million3 over the next five years. With cash and cash equivalents, anticipated cash flow and indicative term sheets for a project debt facility of up to $150 million, the Company is in a solid financial position to develop and fund construction of the $232 million4 Banfora Project (see Table 5).

Mr. Young continued: "Our strategy is to grow the Company responsibly by being prudent and disciplined in our capital allocation. The initial Feasibility Study economics of the Banfora Project are solid. They are expected to improve in the first half of next year following a reserves update, which may lead to a larger or lower-cost project debt facility. As a result, we are deferring plant construction by approximately a quarter to allow us to develop an optimal financing plan for the Banfora Project as well as our other growth initiatives. Construction readiness activities will continue to move forward and the scope of work will expand in the lead up to plant construction."

Banfora Project Feasibility Study  Base Case Highlights (at $1,250 gold5)

 Initial proven and probable mineral reserves 21.4 Mt @ 1.69 g/t containing 1.2 Moz Au  Measured and indicated resources* 35.3 Mt @ 1.61 g/t containing 1.8 Moz Au  Inferred mineral resources 15.8 Mt @ 1.40 g/t containing 0.7 Moz Au  Pre-production capex $232 million4 (see Table 5)  NPV 5% (after-tax) $90 million4,5  IRR (after-tax) 15%4,5  First 5.5 years



 Average annual production 131Koz1

 Average mill grade 1.88 g/t1

 Average all-in sustaining costs** $807/oz  9-year mine life ("LOM")



 Average annual production 119Koz1

 Average all-in sustaining costs** $843/oz





* M&I resources are inclusive of reserves.

**See Non-IFRS Performance Measures on page 9 of this release.

Upside Potential with Anticipated H1 2018 Resource and Reserve Update

Initial gold reserves base of approximately 1.2 Moz is derived from four deposits (Nogbele, Fourkoura, Samavogo, and Stinger) within the Banfora mine license, and is anticipated to increase in the near-term based on significant potential within existing resource shells

A large portion of the initial resources estimate that was not converted to reserves is located in near proximity to the feasibility study design pits based on the initial reserves base, both along strike and at depth

An extensive 65,000 metre infill drilling program, already 50% complete, is increasing drill hole density in the in-pit areas currently classified as inferred resources

Given the demonstrated continuity of the mineralization adjacent to the zones of inferred resources, the Company anticipates between 25% and 50% of the inferred resources will be upgraded to the indicated category and converted to reserves, extending the mine life beyond the current 9 years

Beyond the initial four deposits included in the Feasibility Study, Teranga has initiated a multi-year exploration program on over a dozen other priority targets on its regional exploration land package, all within trucking distance of the proposed mill site

"The Banfora Project is off to a solid start with an initial after-tax rate of return of 15% and economics that are anticipated to further improve once the current infill drill program is complete and reserves are updated in the first half of 2018," said Paul Chawrun, Chief Operating Officer of Teranga. "Additionally, we are undertaking a multi-year exploration program covering more than a dozen regional targets. The objective of the regional program is to identify additional deposits beyond the initial four included in the Feasibility Study to feed the central mill at Banfora."

Project Overview

As part of its acquisition of Gryphon Minerals in 2016, Teranga acquired the Banfora Project, located in the southwest corner of Burkina Faso. It is less than 10 kilometres from the border of Cote d'Ivoire and within the north-northeast trending Paleoproterozoic Birimian Senoufo Belt, which also hosts Randgold Resources' Tongon deposit in Cote d'Ivoire.

The Banfora Project is 90% owned by Teranga with the Government of Burkina Faso holding a 10% free carried interest. It includes exploration licenses covering more than 1,000 km2 and a permitted mining license that covers 89 km2. As well, the property is easily accessible by road in close proximity to the regional town of Banfora and the major city of Bobo-Dioulasso. Under its Mining Convention with the Government of Burkina Faso, the Banfora Project benefits from fiscal stability guarantees that stabilize certain tax rates such as corporate income and customs duties in effect prior to the adoption of the 2015 Mining Code.

Over the last 12 months, the Company has completed follow up drilling across the defined deposits at the Banfora Project to augment and validate historical drilling and, in turn, support the resource estimate conducted independently by Roscoe Postle Associates Inc. Additionally, an independent metallurgical testwork optimization program was conducted to determine the processing plant design criteria and gold recovery values for the mine design and project economics.

Open Pit Mineral Resources and Reserves Summaries

Teranga completed a resources and reserves confirmatory drilling program at the four initially identified Banfora Project deposits in 2016: Nogbele, Stinger, Samavogo and Fourkoura. Based on this additional drilling and geologic modeling undertaken as part of the Feasibility Study, the open pit measured and indicated resources estimate is 1.8 Moz gold, with an additional 0.7 Moz of inferred resources, pit constrained at $1,450 per ounce gold (see Table 1).

The total open pit Proven and Probable Mineral Reserves estimate, based on a gold price of $1,200 per ounce, is 1.2 Moz (see Table 2).

Table 1: Open Pit Mineral Resources Summary













Measured Resources Indicated Resources Measured + Indicated Resources Inferred Resources Deposit Mtonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Nogbele 1.17 1.47 0.06 17.92 1.43 0.82 19.08 1.43 0.88 9.11 1.18 0.34 Fourkoura 0.36 1.57 0.02 3.02 1.60 0.16 3.38 1.60 0.17 0.98 1.33 0.04 Samavogo 0.00 0.00 0.00 6.62 2.05 0.44 6.62 2.05 0.44 3.75 1.92 0.23 Stinger 0.16 2.16 0.01 6.09 1.67 0.33 6.24 1.69 0.34 1.98 1.45 0.09 Total 1.68 1.55 0.08 33.65 1.61 1.74 35.33 1.61 1.83 15.82 1.40 0.71

Notes for Mineral Resources Estimate

1. CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Resources. 2. Open pit oxide Mineral Resources are estimated at cut-off grades ranging from 0.35 g/t Au to 0.45 g/t Au. 3. Open pit transition and fresh rock Mineral Resources are estimated at cut-off grades ranging from 0.45 g/t Au to 0.55 g/t Au. 5. High grade assays were capped at grades ranging from 2.5 g/t Au to 48.0 g/t Au. 6. Mineral Resources are inclusive of Mineral Reserves. 7. Open pit shells were used to constrain open pit resources. 8. Mineral Resources are estimated using a gold price of $1,450 per ounce. 9. Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding.

Table 2: Open Pit Mineral Reserves Summary











Proven Reserves Probable Reserves 2P Reserves Deposit MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au MTonnes Grade

(Au g/t) Moz Au Nogbele 1.09 1.45 0.05 10.38 1.56 0.52 11.48 1.55 0.57 Fourkoura 0.31 1.64 0.02 2.10 1.73 0.12 2.41 1.71 0.13 Samavogo 0.00 0.00 0.00 4.43 2.02 0.29 4.43 2.02 0.29 Stinger 0.15 2.09 0.01 2.95 1.72 0.16 3.10 1.74 0.17 Total 1.55 1.55 0.08 19.87 1.70 1.09 21.42 1.69 1.16

Notes for Mineral Reserves Estimate

1. CIM definitions were followed for Mineral Reserves. 2. Mineral Reserve cut-off grades range from 0.39 g/t to 0.53 g/t Au for oxide and 0.51 g/t to 0.64 g/t Au for fresh rock based on a $1,200/oz gold price. 3. Dry bulk density was estimated in the Mineral Resource models; values for ore range from 1.61 t/m3 to 2.22 t/m3 for oxide and 2.50 t/m3 to 2.80 t/m3 for fresh rock. 4. Mineral Reserves account for mining dilution and mining ore loss. 5. A minimum mining width of 2.5 m was used. 6. Proven Mineral Reserves are based on Measured Mineral Resources only. 7. Probable Mineral Reserves are based on Indicated Mineral Resources and diluting material. 8. Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding.

Mining

Mining will be by way of conventional open pit mining techniques using drill and blast with material movement by hydraulic excavators and trucks. The project scale suits 110 to 140 tonne class excavators in a backhoe configuration matched to 50 tonne class mining haul trucks operating at five-metre bench heights. Following operating procedures similar to Sabodala, an extensive reverse circulation ("RC") drill program is planned to supplement the production blast hole sampling as part of the grade control strategy. The mine operations will emulate Sabodala, with multiple near-surface pits feeding the process plant.

The process plant will be located adjacent to the Nogbele deposit, which contains approximately 50% of the initial reserves. The Fourkoura, Stinger, and Samavogo deposits are located 6, 15, and 25 kilometres, respectively, from the process plant. The haul trucks selected have the ability to haul ore directly to the process plant. This is expected to reduce re-handling costs and minimize waste movement through optimized pit designs for the near-surface ore bodies. The Company will operate its own fleet.

The Banfora Project is expected to benefit from lower operating costs and reduced operational risk as a result of Teranga's experience as an owner-operator at Sabodala.

To maximize the value of the Banfora Project, the primary aim of the mine schedule is to supply the processing facility with the best value material first and stockpiling low-grade ore.

Metallurgy and Processing

The process plant design is based on a conventional CIL gold process flowsheet consisting of primary crushing, SAG and ball milling, with a pebble crusher, CIL tanks, elution, electro-winning and gold smelting to produce dore onsite. Throughput is expected to range between 2.2 and 2.5 million tonnes per annum, depending on the blend of soft and hard ore. The average predicted plant recovery is 92%, with soft material recoveries from some zones reaching as high as 95%.

The process plant design is based on a robust metallurgical flowsheet designed for optimum recovery and minimum operating costs. The key criteria for equipment selection are suitability for duty, reliability and ease of maintenance, and synergies with Sabodala, including same-sized crusher, mills, feeders and CIL tank agitators. The process selected is based on industrially proven equipment and sizing, resulting in additional operational flexibility and lower technical risk.

The tailings storage facility ("TSF") will be developed as a high density polyethylene geomembrane lined paddock type facility in a two-cell arrangement. The TSF embankments will be constructed in annual raises to suit storage requirements, using downstream raise construction methods.

Transport and logistics for mining projects in the region are well-established with eleven mines built in Burkina Faso within the past decade. Goods will be containerized and transported by liner services to the Abidjan port in Cote d'Ivoire or the Tema port in Ghana.

A construction readiness program is underway for initial engineering, site infrastructure and preparation of large vendor packages. The engineering, procurement and construction management ("EPCM") scope is currently in a tender process amongst several EPCM service providers with construction experience in West Africa and Burkina Faso. An award decision is expected shortly. Plant construction is expected to commence in Q2 2018, with first gold pour following within approximately 18 months of the construction start date.

Operating Costs

Operating costs include all direct costs for the production of gold dore. The estimates are based on annual rates determined in the mining schedule with ore delivery from the Nogbele, Fourkoura, Samavogo and Stinger deposits.

Table 3: LOM Operating Costs5









$/t $/oz Mining 2.19 358 Processing 11.15 222 General & administrative 4.31 86

Mine operating costs were determined using first principles estimates and input provided by equipment quotations, supply providers and costs at Sabodala where applicable. The average mining costs are $1.73/tonne mined for soft material and $2.65/tonne mined for harder material. The mining costs include rehandle and haulage of ore from the satellite pits and stockpiles to the process plant.

Processing costs are based on metallurgical test results, quotations from suppliers and consultant recommendations and using a rate of 338 tonne per hour for soft material and 250 tonne per hour rate for hard material. The average processing cost are $9.38/tonne milled for soft material and $12.18/tonne milled for harder material.

General and administrative costs average $4.31/tonne milled and consist of site office costs, insurance, financial costs (banking charges, legal fees, etc.), refining and transportation costs and personnel costs.

Table 4: LOM Production Plan*



































Total LOM 2019 -

2024

Average 2018 Yr -1 2019 Yr 1 2020 Yr 2 2021 Yr 3 2022 Yr 4 2023 Yr 5 2024 Yr 6 2025 Yr 7 2026 Yr 8 2027 Yr 9 2028 Yr 10 Ore mined Mt 21 2.7 0.2 1.4 3.3 3.1 2.8 2.0 2.2 2.6 2.0 1.8 0.1 Waste mined Mt 155 19.0 2.2 12.4 19.2 18.6 18.3 18.3 17.5 16.4 16.2 15.2 0.3 Ore milled Mt 21 2.3

1.1 2.3 2.3 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.2 2.4 2.2 1.9 Mill head grade g/t 1.69 1.88

2.22 2.01 1.95 2.08 1.51 1.73 1.74 1.27 1.50 1.07 Contained gold Koz 1,165 141

82 148 146 151 115 136 124 96 104 64 Recovered gold Koz 1,075 131

76 137 134 139 107 127 111 90 95 61



* This LOM production plan assumes plant construction will commence in Q1 2018. With plant construction moved to Q2 2018, this LOM production plan may shift by several months.

Pre-production and LOM Capital Costs

The Company plans to replicate the first phase of the Sabodala process plant layout which is expected to lower construction and operating risk and, in turn, pre-production project capital and operating costs. The capital cost to construct the Banfora Project is estimated at $232 million4 (see Table 5), including processing plant, infrastructure, an owner operated mining fleet, owners cost, contingency, taxes and duties. The Company is evaluating opportunities to optimize and reduce capital costs that may improve the IRR.

Owners costs have been captured in the capital estimate, including the management team, project expenses, pre-production costs, first fills, opening stocks, plant mobile equipment, project spares, vendor representatives, training and initial resettlement costs. The Company has hired Metifex Pty Ltd ("Metifex") to form part of the owners team for the project. Metifex has worked on a number of projects with the Teranga management team, including most recently the mill optimization project at Sabodala.

Pre-production capital costs exclude acquisition costs and reserve development costs incurred from acquisition through the end of 2017. It also excludes construction readiness activities of $12 million, which will be spent prior to major construction.

Table 5: Pre-production Capital Costs











($M) Indirect project construction

19.6 Processing plant

46.6 Reagents and plant services

12.2 Infrastructure

52.9 Mining infrastructure and equipment

30.2 EPCM costs

16.3 Owners project costs

30.5 Subtotal

208.2

Contingency

24.0 Total(a), (b), (c)

232.3





(a) Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding. (b) Excludes cost to mine and stockpile 764 Kt at 2.25 g/t or 55Koz (strip ratio of 9:1) prior to mill production which has been included in mining operating costs. (c) Excludes $12 million used for construction readiness activities spent prior to major construction.

Life of mine sustaining costs for the Banfora Project total $105 million and include mobile fleet upgrades and replacements, road construction, TSF lifts, resettlement costs and general sustaining capital in support of mining, processing and general and administrative functions.

Table 6: LOM Sustaining Capital Costs





LOM Sustaining Capital ($M) Mining fleet replacement and mine sustaining 30.1 Processing sustaining 13.5 General and administration sustaining and other 3.8 TSF 26.9 Deferred resettlement action plan costs 30.5 Total 104.8

Social and Environmental Impact Assessments

The current resources and reserves for the Banfora Project are permitted and the environmental impact assessment study is complete.

The resettlement action plan is progressing well, strongly supported by the local communities. Under the resettlement action plan, approximately 500 households in the villages of Zegnedougou, Nangueledougou, Djondougou, Katolo, Nadjengoala will be relocated over the next five years, with a further 350 households compensated for agricultural land impact. The resettlement and livelihood restoration process for the project is being managed by an experienced team from the global sustainability firm, ERM, building on work completed under the previous project ownership.

Resettlement sites have been identified, and the physical planning, design and approval of future resettlement communities is underway. Construction of the first resettlement households is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018. Employment opportunities and sustainable development initiatives supported by Teranga will provide further support for socio-economic growth in the area.

The Company is working with the local community to rename the Banfora Project to reflect the local culture.

LOM Cash Flow

Table 7: LOM Cash Flow(a), (b), (c), 5





































Total 2019 -

2024 Average 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029



LOM Yr -1 Yr 1 Yr 2 Yr 3 Yr 4 Yr 5 Yr 6 Yr 7 Yr 8 Yr 9 Yr 10 Yr 11 Gold produced Koz 1,075 131

76 137 134 139 107 127 110 90 95 61

Gold price $/oz 1,250 1,250

1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250 1,250

Gold sales $M 1,344 163

95 171 167 173 133 159 138 112 119 76

Cash costs $M (716) (81) (7) (46) (81) (80) (81) (79) (78) (83) (79) (77) (27)

Royalties and gov't payments(e) $M (85) (10)

(6) (10) (10) (10) (8) (10) (9) (8) (8) (6)

Sustaining capital $M (105) (15)

(12) (13) (18) (14) (12) (14) (7) (6) (9) (0)

AISC(d) $M (906) (105) (7) (63) (104) (107) (106) (99) (102) (99) (92) (95) (33)

AISC(d) $/oz 843 807

830 759 801 761 926 799 897 1,030 999 549

Income taxes, W/C and other(f) $M (29) (3) (1) (4) (2) (2) (2) (4) (3) (8) (4) (2) (1) 5 Free cash flow from operations(d) $M 409 55 (8) 28 65 58 66 31 54 31 15 22 42 5 Pre-production capital $M (232)

(120) (112) (0)

















Net cash flow $M 176

(128) (85) 65 58 66 31 54 31 15 22 42 5 NPV 5% $M 90

























IRR

15%































(a) This LOM production plan assumes plant construction will commence in Q1 2018. With plant construction moved to Q2 2018, this LOM production plan is anticipated to shift by several months. (b) Sum of individual amounts may not equal due to rounding. (c) All figures are on a 100% basis. (d) See Non-IFRS Performance Measures on page 9 of this news release. (e) Includes royalties, business taxes, mortmain taxes, and surface taxes. (f) Includes income taxes, refundable VAT movements, government social fund, and rehabilitation and equipment residual value. Excludes all project financing costs and allocation of corporate overhead costs.

Project Return Sensitivity













Gold Price

$1,200 $1,250 $1,300 $1,350 After-tax NPV 0%

$134 $176 $219 $249 After-tax NPV 5%

$58 $90 $122 $145 After-tax IRR

11% 15% 18% 20%

Feasibility Study Technical Report Contributions and Qualified Persons

The mineral resource and mineral reserve estimates in this news release have been classified in accordance with Canadian Institute of Mining Metallurgy and Petroleum's "CIM Definition Standards - For Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves" 2014, as required by National Instrument 43-101 - Standards of Disclosure for Mineral Projects ("NI 43-101"). Roscoe Postle Associates Inc., an independent consultant prepared the resource and reserve estimates and the report with the assistance of a number of independent experts or firms.

Lycopodium Limited (ASX:LYL), an Australian headquartered engineering and project management consultancy that has successfully completed the construction of a dozen gold development projects in West Africa since 2009, completed the process design, capital estimate and execution plan for the process facilities and associated infrastructure.

Knight Piesold Consulting completed the tailings management facility design, surface geotechnical engineering and site water balance, ECG Engineering completed the Power Supply solution, BBA/Aurifex completed the metallurgical test work supporting the process design, and MBS Environmental completed the ESIA summary and Closure Plan.

Competent Persons Statements

The technical information contained in this document relating to the open pit mineral reserve estimates is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Glen Ehasoo, P. Eng., who is a member of the Association of Professional Engineers and Geoscientists of British Columbia, which is currently included as a "Recognized Overseas Professional Organization" in a list promulgated by the ASX from time to time. Mr. Ehasoo is independent of Teranga and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101 and a "competent person" as defined in the 2012 Edition of the JORC Code. Mr. Ehasoo has sufficient experience relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Ehasoo has verified the technical data in this news release related to mineral reserves estimation, and has reviewed and approved the information in this news release relevant to mineral reserves estimation.

The technical information contained in this document relating to open pit mineral resource estimates is based on, and fairly represents, information compiled by Mr. David Ross. Mr. Ross, P. Geo., is a Member of the Association of Professional Geoscientists of Ontario, which is currently included as a "Recognized Overseas Professional Organization" in a list promulgated by the ASX from time to time. Mr. Ross is independent of Teranga and is a "Qualified Person" as defined in National Instrument 43-101. Mr. Ross has sufficient experience which is relevant to the style of mineralisation and type of deposit under consideration and to the activity which he is undertaking to qualify as a Competent Person as defined in the 2012 Edition of the "Australasian Code for Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Ore Reserves". Mr. Ross has verified the technical data in this news release related to mineral resources estimation, and has reviewed and approved the information in this news release relevant to mineral resource estimation.

Non-IFRS Financial Performance Measures

The Company has included non-IFRS measures in this document, including "total cash cost per ounce of gold sold", "all-in sustaining costs per ounce" and "free cash flow from operations". The Company believes that these measures, in addition to conventional measures prepared in accordance with IFRS, provide investors an improved ability to evaluate the underlying performance of the Company. The non-IFRS measures are intended to provide additional information and should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with IFRS. These measures do not have any standardized meaning prescribed under IFRS, and therefore may not be comparable to other issuers.

Total cash costs figures are calculated in accordance with a standard developed by The Gold Institute, which was a worldwide association of suppliers of gold and gold products and included leading North American gold producers. The Gold Institute ceased operations in 2002, but the standard is considered the accepted standard of reporting cash cost of production in North America. Adoption of the standard is voluntary and the cost measures presented may not be comparable to other similarly titled measure of other companies. The World Gold Council ("WGC") definition of all-in sustaining costs seeks to extend the definition of total cash costs by adding corporate general and administrative costs, reclamation and remediation costs (including accretion and amortization), exploration and study costs (capital and expensed), capitalized stripping costs and sustaining capital expenditures and represents the total costs of producing gold from current operations. All-in sustaining cost excludes income tax payments, interest costs, costs related to business acquisitions and items needed to normalize earnings. Consequently, this measure is not representative of all of the Company's cash expenditures. In addition, the calculation of all-in sustaining costs does not include depreciation expense as it does not reflect the impact of expenditures incurred in prior periods. Therefore, it is not indicative of the Company's overall profitability. Life of mine total cash costs and all-in sustaining costs figures used in this press release are before cash/non-cash inventory movements and exclude any allocation of corporate overheads. Other companies may calculate this measure differently. The Company calculates free cash flow from operations as net cash flow provided by operating activities less sustaining capital expenditures. The Company believes this to be a useful indicator of its ability to generate cash for growth initiatives. Other companies may calculate this measure differently.

For more information regarding these measures, please refer to the Company's 2016 Management's Discussion and Analysis accessible on the Company's website at www.terangagold.com.

Conference Call & Webcast Details

Teranga will host a conference call and audio webcast later this morning, September 7, 2017, at 8:30 a.m. (ET) to discuss the Feasibility Study in more detail. Those wishing to listen can access the live conference call and webcast as follows:

Telephone: Toll-free +1-877-291-4570

Local or International +1-647-788-4919





Please allow 10 minutes to be connected to the conference call



Webcast: The webcast can be accessed on Teranga's website at www.terangagold.com/banfora



Replay: The conference call replay will be available for two weeks after the call by dialing +1-416-621-4642 or toll-free at +1-800-585-8367 and entering the conference ID 70012458



Note: The slide presentation will be available for download at www.terangagold.com for simultaneous viewing during the call

Technical Report

An NI 43-101 compliant technical report for the Banfora Project will be filed on the Company's website and on SEDAR (www.sedar.com) within 45 days of this news release.

Endnotes

Production targets are based only on proven and probable ore reserves for the Banfora Project.



Teranga's consolidated cash and cash equivalents as of June 30 , 2017. For more information, please refer to the Company's Management's Discussion and Analysis for the period ended June 30, 2017 on the Company's website at www.terangagold.com.



This forecasted financial information is based on the updated life of mine plan and reserve estimate for the Sabodala project as disclosed in a technical report pursuant to NI 43-101 dated August 30, 2017 .



Pre-production capital costs of $232 million excludes $12 million in construction readiness activities spent prior to major construction.



LOM assumptions include:

Gold price of $1,250 per ounce

per ounce Heavy fuel oil (HFO): $0.59 per litre

per litre Light fuel oil (LFO): $1.04 per litre ( $0.88 per litre during the construction period)

per litre ( per litre during the construction period) Euro to USD Exchange Rate: $1.10





This production target is based on proven and probable reserves only from the Sabodala project as at June 30, 2017 as disclosed on the Company's website at www.terangagold.com and on SEDAR at www.sedar.com. The estimated ore reserves underpinning this production target have been prepared by a competent person or persons (see Competent Persons Statements in the Company's Management's Discussion & Analysis for the three and six months ended June 30, 2017 available on the Company's website at www.terangagold.com).

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains certain statements that constitute forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable securities laws ("forward-looking statements"), which reflects management's expectations regarding Teranga's future growth, results of operations (including, without limitation, future production and capital expenditures), performance (both operational and financial) and business prospects (including the timing and development of new deposits and the success of exploration activities) and opportunities. Wherever possible, words such as "anticipates", "potential", "belief", "believe", "expected", "expects", "estimates", "plans", "anticipated", "ability" and similar expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may", "should", "work to" or "will" have been used to identify such forward looking information. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, all disclosure regarding possible events, conditions or results of operations, future economic conditions and anticipated courses of action. Although the forward-looking statements contained in this news release reflect management's current beliefs based upon information currently available to management and based upon what management believes to be reasonable assumptions, Teranga cannot be certain that actual results will be consistent with such forward looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based upon assumptions, opinions and analysis made by management in light of its experience, current conditions and its expectations of future developments that management believe to be reasonable and relevant but that may prove to be incorrect. These assumptions include, among other things, the ability to obtain any requisite governmental approvals, the accuracy of mineral reserves and mineral resources estimates, gold price, exchange rates, fuel and energy costs, future economic conditions, community resettlement within anticipated timeline, anticipated future estimates of free cash flow, and courses of action. Teranga cautions you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements and forward-looking information in this news release include without limitation, statements regarding (i) potential upside and improved economics from the Banfora Project; (ii) anticipated rates of conversion of inferred resources into reserves; (iii) objective to increase the mine life beyond the initial 9 years by first gold pour in 2019; (iv) anticipated financing plan; and (v) expected reserve update in the first half of 2018.

In addition, all of the results of the Banfora Project Feasibility Study constitute forward-looking statements and forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements include metal price, fuel prices and foreign exchange rate assumptions, cash flow forecasts, projected capital and operating costs, metal recoveries, mine life and production rates, and the financial results of the Banfora Project Feasibility Study. These include statements regarding (i) IRR of 15% after tax; (ii) NPV of $90 million at a 5% discount rate after tax, (iii) estimated all-in sustaining costs; (iv) capital cost estimates (including pre-production capital of $232 million4), (v) proposed mining plans and methods, and (vi) a mine life estimate of 9 years.

Readers are cautioned that actual results may vary from those presented.

The risks and uncertainties that may affect forward-looking statements include, among others: the inherent risks involved in exploration and development of mineral properties, including government approvals and permitting, changes in economic conditions, changes in the worldwide price of gold and other key inputs, changes in mine plans and other factors, such as project execution delays, many of which are beyond the control of Teranga, as well as other risks and uncertainties which are more fully described in Teranga's Annual Information Form dated March 30, 2017, and in other filings of Teranga with securities and regulatory authorities which are available at www.sedar.com. Teranga does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements should assumptions related to these plans, estimates, projections, beliefs and opinions change. Nothing in this report should be construed as either an offer to sell or a solicitation to buy or sell Teranga securities. All references to Teranga include its subsidiaries unless the context requires otherwise.

About Teranga

Teranga is a multi-jurisdictional West African gold company focused on production and development as well as the exploration of more than 5,000km2 of land located on prospective gold belts. Since its initial public offering in 2010, Teranga has produced more than 1.2 million ounces of gold from its operations in Senegal, which as of June 30, 2017 had a reserve base of 2.7 million ounces of gold. Focused on diversification and growth, the Company is advancing its Banfora development project and conducting extensive exploration programs in three countries: Burkina Faso, Senegal and Cote d'Ivoire. Teranga has a strong balance sheet and the financial flexibility to grow its business.

Steadfast in its commitment to set the benchmark for responsible mining, Teranga operates in accordance with the highest international standards and aims to act as a catalyst for sustainable economic, environmental, and community development as it strives to create value for all of its stakeholders. Teranga is a member of the United Nations Global Compact and a leading member of the multi-stakeholder group responsible for the submission of the first Senegalese Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative revenue report. The Company's responsibility report, is available at www.terangagold.com/responsibilityreport and is prepared in accordance with its commitments under the United Nations Global Compact and in alignment with the Global Reporting Initiative guidelines.

APPENDIX 1

JORC Code, 2012 Edition  Table 1 report

Section 1 Sampling Techniques and Data

(Criteria in this section apply to all succeeding sections.)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Sampling techniques Nature and quality of sampling (eg cut channels, random chips, or specific specialised industry standard measurement tools appropriate to the minerals under investigation, such as down hole gamma sondes, or handheld XRF instruments, etc). These examples should not be taken as limiting the broad meaning of sampling.

Include reference to measures taken to ensure sample representivity and the appropriate calibration of any measurement tools or systems used.

Aspects of the determination of mineralisation that are Material to the Public Report.

In cases where 'industry standard' work has been done this would be relatively simple (eg 'reverse circulation drilling was used to obtain 1 m samples from which 3 kg was pulverised to produce a 30 g charge for fire assay'). In other cases more explanation may be required, such as where there is coarse gold that has inherent sampling problems. Unusual commodities or mineralisation types (eg submarine nodules) may warrant disclosure of detailed information. Representative samples were from RC and core drilling.

Drill core was sawn in half over defined sampling intervals, then one half sampled and assayed for gold. Oriented core markings were used as guides for sawing. RC chips were riffled and split following standard operating procedures.

All core and RC chips were sampled along the entire hole to determine the nature of mineralisation and relationship to logged lithology, alteration and structure. Based on the detailed sampling results, mineralisation zones were defined.

Industry standard practices have been utilized for all sampling and analytical procedures. No unusual commodities or mineralization types occur in any of the Banfora deposits. Drilling techniques Drill type (eg core, reverse circulation, open-hole hammer, rotary air blast, auger, Bangka, sonic, etc) and details (eg core diametre, triple or standard tube, depth of diamond tails, face-sampling bit or other type, whether core is oriented and if so, by what method, etc). RC and diamond drilling programs were conducted. Diamond drill holes were drilled using standard HQ or NQ sized rods. RC drilling was conducted either to pre-collar deeper diamond tailed drill holes or as individual stand alone holes. Drill sample recovery Method of recording and assessing core and chip sample recoveries and results assessed.

Measures taken to maximise sample recovery and ensure representative nature of the samples.

Whether a relationship exists between sample recovery and grade and whether sample bias may have occurred due to preferential loss/gain of fine/coarse material. Diamond core recoveries were measured and recorded for each sample. Core was sampled on nominal 1 m intervals. RC chip samples were collected on 1 m intervals. RC chip recoveries were based on qualitative visual estimates (poor, medium or good). Chip sample recoveries were not calculated but estimated based on the weight of the total samples.

RC drill contractors have been requested to allow for sufficient air and appropriate technique to ensure dry samples are delivered >95% of the time. In instances where water ingress is unavoidable, damp or wet samples are dried prior to being split. There has not been a significant issue with sample (RC or core) recovery in either oxide or fresh rock.

A relationship does not appear to exist between sample recovery and grade as there is no significant loss of material. Logging Whether core and chip samples have been geologically and geotechnically logged to a level of detail to support appropriate Mineral Resource estimation, mining studies and metallurgical studies.

Whether logging is qualitative or quantitative in nature. Core (or costean, channel, etc) photography.

The total length and percentage of the relevant intersections logged. Core samples were geologically and geotechnically logged following established standard operating procedures and includes sufficient and appropriate detail to support Mineral Resource estimation, mining and metallurgical studies. RC chip samples were geologically logged following established standard operating procedures and considered to be appropriate for use in Mineral Resource estimation.

Logging is qualitative in nature. All core and RC chip trays are photographed.

All diamond drill core has been geologically and geotechnically logged. All RC chips have been geologically logged. Sub-sampling techniques and sample preparation If core, whether cut or sawn and whether quarter, half or all core taken.

If non-core, whether riffled, tube sampled, rotary split, etc and whether sampled wet or dry.

For all sample types, the nature, quality and appropriateness of the sample preparation technique.

Quality control procedures adopted for all sub-sampling stages to maximise representivity of samples.

Measures taken to ensure that the sampling is representative of the in situ material collected, including for instance results for field duplicate/second-half sampling.

Whether sample sizes are appropriate to the grain size of the material being sampled. Drill core sampling intervals were defined then cut in half with a diamond saw along the core length using oriented core markings when available. Where oriented core was not available, the core orientation was estimated prior to cutting. Half core was sampled over one metre lengths or occasionally, based on lithology intervals.

Dry RC cuttings were sampled on one metre intervals for each metre drilled. The one metre interval cuttings were passed through a three-tier, one-eighth riffle splitter resulting in an approximately 2.0 kg to 2.5 kg subsample.

Sample preparation was carried out at the BIGS Global Burkina SARL laboratory located in Ouagadougou. Mining licence core and RC samples were dried and crushed to 6 mm. RC samples were then quartered and reduced in a Rocklabs splitter. Core samples were not reduced. Both RC and core samples were then pulverized to 70-75 m. A 200 gram sample was sent for analysis with the remainder of the sample stored for future needs.

Core was sawn in half along the core axis for nominal 1 metre sample intervals, with one half of the core sent for assay. One duplicate pulp sample was inserted into the sample stream for a minimum of every 20 samples. Field duplicate samples were inserted into the sample stream at a ratio of 1 to 20 samples.

Based on the characteristics of gold mineralisation in these deposits and results from the QA/QC program and sample duplicates, the nominal 1 metre sample interval is determined to be appropriate. Quality of assay data and laboratory tests The nature, quality and appropriateness of the assaying and laboratory procedures used and whether the technique is considered partial or total.

For geophysical tools, spectrometres, handheld XRF instruments, etc, the parametres used in determining the analysis including instrument make and model, reading times, calibrations factors applied and their derivation, etc.

Nature of quality control procedures adopted (eg standards, blanks, duplicates, external laboratory checks) and whether acceptable levels of accuracy (ie lack of bias) and precision have been established. All Banfora samples were analyzed at the BIGS laboratory in Ouagadougou, Burkina Faso for gold by fire assay with an atomic absorption finish using 50 gram samples. This analytical methodology is deemed appropriate for the nature of the deposits being evaluated.

Not applicable.

Blind Quality Assurance/Quality Control programs consisted of inserting blanks, duplicates and certified reference materials (CRM) into the sample stream at a rate of one for every 20 samples. All samples utilized in the resource estimation process returned results within acceptable limits. In the event of analytical failures for any of the CRM inserted materials, re-runs of the entire affected sample batches are undertaken and failed batches are replaced. Verification of sampling and assaying The verification of significant intersections by either independent or alternative company personnel.

The use of twinned holes.

Documentation of primary data, data entry procedures, data verification, data storage (physical and electronic) protocols.

Discuss any adjustment to assay data. Data verification was conducted on an ongoing basis by internal in-house Company personnel.

Twinned holes are occasionally drilled where structural information is required in areas where RC drilling had occurred.

Drill hole logs were entered into Excel spreadsheets on Panasonic Toughbook computers, then uploaded into an MS Access database. Assay data was received from the laboratories in csv format and merged into the master database, with access restricted to the database manager. Routine validation checks were run in MS Access as well as Micromine software.

No adjustments were made to assay data returned from the laboratory. Location of data points Accuracy and quality of surveys used to locate drill holes (collar and down-hole surveys), trenches, mine workings and other locations used in Mineral Resource estimation.

Specification of the grid system used.

Quality and adequacy of topographic control. Drill hole collars are surveyed using either a Total Station or Differential GPS, both of which are capable of providing three-dimensional collar coordinates to sub-metre accuracy.

All drill holes at each of the deposits were surveyed in WGS84 UTM Zone 28 North coordinates.

Surveyed collars located on the Mine Lease property, were tied into established control points. The quality and adequacy of topographic control was considered to be reasonable for use in resource estimation. Data spacing and distribution Data spacing for reporting of Exploration Results.

Whether the data spacing and distribution is sufficient to establish the degree of geological and grade continuity appropriate for the Mineral Resource and Ore Reserve estimation procedure(s) and classifications applied.

Whether sample compositing has been applied. Drilling is nominally on a 40 m by 40 m spacing, with closer spaced in-fill holes at a minimum spacing of 6 m to 10 m locally..

Geological interpretation based on the drill spacing has identified continuity of geology and grade and is determined to be sufficient for estimating Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves. Experimental variograms generated for mineralized zones with sufficient data, have confirmed the grade continuity ranges based on the drill hole spacing.

RC chips and diamond drill core were sampled on nominal 1 metre intervals down the hole, and assayed. Sample compositing was not applied. Orientation of data in relation to geological structure Whether the orientation of sampling achieves unbiased sampling of possible structures and the extent to which this is known, considering the deposit type.

If the relationship between the drilling orientation and the orientation of key mineralised structures is considered to have introduced a sampling bias, this should be assessed and reported if material. Drill hole azimuths and dips have been oriented perpendicular to the interpreted mineralized zones in order to intersect the true widths of the zones as closely as possible. Occasionally, drilling was planned at oblique angles when the mineralisation trends were not yet well defined or if the optimal collar location was not accessible. Generally, the majority of drilling is oriented such that the sampling of mineralisation is unbiased.

The small percentage of holes oriented oblique to the mineralisation are located in areas with sufficient drill density oriented perpendicular to mineralisation, and will not introduce a sampling bias. Sample security The measures taken to ensure sample security. Drill core and chip samples from the drill rigs are transported from the secure holding areas at the drills directly to the Company's secure logging and sampling facility located at the fenced and guarded Nianka based exploration office complex. Following photography of the core and chips; logging, and structural data collection is completed. The core is sawn in half, along defined or estimated core orientation lines with half being preserved securely on-site for future needs, while the other half is bagged and sealed. RC samples are split at the drill and transported to the same logging facility. Sealed samples are then securely delivered to the assay laboratory. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of sampling techniques and data. Mr. Ross, the Competent Person from RPA, visited the site from Jan. 19 to 24, 2017 to independently examine the practices employed for resource definition drilling and examine the sample preparation procedures. He examined outcrops, drill rigs, sampling procedures, and other general exploration protocols. No significant issues or discrepancies were identified.

Section 2 Reporting of Exploration Results

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral tenement and land tenure status Type, reference name/number, location and ownership including agreements or material issues with third parties such as joint ventures, partnerships, overriding royalties, native title interests, historical sites, wilderness or national park and environmental settings.

The security of the tenure held at the time of reporting along with any known impediments to obtaining a licence to operate in the area. Wahgnion Mining License : Decree N2014-675, amended by Decree N2015-092, located in Niankorodougou and Dakoro, Province of Leraba in the Cascades region, owned 89.8% by Societe Miniere Gryphon SA, 10% by the Government of Burkina Faso and two (2) nominative shareholders. Nianka II Exploration Permit: Decree No 16/233, located in the Province of Leraba, owned 100% by Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso Sarl Dierisso II Exploration Permit: Decree No16-234, located in the Province of Leraba, owned 100% by Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso Sarl Nogbele II Exploration Permit: Decree No16/235, located in the Province of Leraba, owned 100% by Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso Sarl Zeguedougou II Exploration Permit: Decree No16-236, located in the Province of Leraba, owned 100% by Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso Sarl Nogbele Sud Exploiration Permit: Decree No16-042, amended by Decree No17-009, located in the Province of Leraba, owned 100% by Gryphon Minerals Burkina Faso Sarl Sanembaore Sarl Pty Ltd owns a 1% Net Smelter Royalty from all sales revenue derived from the Banfora tenements under the terms of a sale agreement dated November 12, 2007, amended on May 22, 2008, between Teranga Gold (Australia) Pty Ltd (previously Gryphon Minerals Limited) and Sanembaore Sarl Pty Ltd.

Both the Banfora Mining Licence and the Regional Exploration Permits are considered secure Exploration done by other parties Acknowledgment and appraisal of exploration by other parties. Prior to Teranga's acquisition of the Banfora Gold Project in October 2016, exploration work on the Banfora Mining Licence and Regional Exploration Permits was conducted by Gryphon Minerals Limited. Geology Deposit type, geological setting and style of mineralisation. No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Drill hole Information A summary of all information material to the understanding of the exploration results including a tabulation of the following information for all Material drill holes:

easting and northing of the drill hole collar



elevation or RL (Reduced Level  elevation above sea level in metres) of the drill hole collar



dip and azimuth of the hole



down hole length and interception depth



hole length.

If the exclusion of this information is justified on the basis that the information is not Material and this exclusion does not detract from the understanding of the report, the Competent Person should clearly explain why this is the case. No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Data aggregation methods In reporting Exploration Results, weighting averaging techniques, maximum and/or minimum grade truncations (eg cutting of high grades) and cut-off grades are usually Material and should be stated.

Where aggregate intercepts incorporate short lengths of high grade results and longer lengths of low grade results, the procedure used for such aggregation should be stated and some typical examples of such aggregations should be shown in detail.

The assumptions used for any reporting of metal equivalent values should be clearly stated. No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Relationship between mineralisation widths and intercept lengths These relationships are particularly important in the reporting of Exploration Results.

If the geometry of the mineralisation with respect to the drill hole angle is known, its nature should be reported.

If it is not known and only the down hole lengths are reported, there should be a clear statement to this effect (eg 'down hole length, true width not known'). No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Diagrams Appropriate maps and sections (with scales) and tabulations of intercepts should be included for any significant discovery being reported. These should include, but not be limited to a plan view of drill hole collar locations and appropriate sectional views. No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Balanced reporting Where comprehensive reporting of all Exploration Results is not practicable, representative reporting of both low and high grades and/or widths should be practiced to avoid misleading reporting of Exploration Results. No new exploration results are included in this announcement. Other substantive exploration data Other exploration data, if meaningful and material, should be reported including (but not limited to): geological observations; geophysical survey results; geochemical survey results; bulk samples  size and method of treatment; metallurgical test results; bulk density, groundwater, geotechnical and rock characteristics; potential deleterious or contaminating substances. No new exploration results are included in this Report. Further work The nature and scale of planned further work (eg tests for lateral extensions or depth extensions or large-scale step-out drilling).

Diagrams clearly highlighting the areas of possible extensions, including the main geological interpretations and future drilling areas, provided this information is not commercially sensitive. No new exploration results are included in this announcement.

Section 3 Estimation and Reporting of Mineral Resources

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Database integrity Measures taken to ensure that data has not been corrupted by, for example, transcription or keying errors, between its initial collection and its use for Mineral Resource estimation purposes.

Data validation procedures used. Drill hole logs were entered into Excel spreadsheeets on Panasonic Toughbook computers, then uploaded into an MS Access database. Assay data was received from the laboratories in csv format and merged into the master database, with access restricted to the database manager.

Routine validation checks were run in MS Access as well as Micromine software. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits.

If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. Mr. Ross visited the site from Jan. 19 to 24, 2017 to independently examine the practices employed for resource definition drilling and examine the sample preparation procedures. He examined outcrops, drill rigs, sampling procedures, and other general exploration protocols. No significant issues or discrepancies were identified. Geological interpretation Confidence in (or conversely, the uncertainty of ) the geological interpretation of the mineral deposit.

Nature of the data used and of any assumptions made.

The effect, if any, of alternative interpretations on Mineral Resource estimation.

The use of geology in guiding and controlling Mineral Resource estimation.

The factors affecting continuity both of grade and geology. Geological interpretation is based on geological plan maps at surface and at depth, and surface holes drilled on a nominal 40 m by 40 m spacing. In addition, structural studies were used to interpret geological and structural trends. Locally, closer spaced drill holes confirm the geological interpretation and continuity of grade and geology in the mineralized zones. Gold mineralisation is structurally controlled, with the location and trend of the mineralized structures reasonably defined.

Geology and grade continuity are affected by local variations in folding, faulting, thinning and widening of zones.

Wireframe models were generated around zones with similar geology, alteration and grade characteristics following interpreted geology and structural trends, and treated as hard boundaries for resource estimation. Dimensions The extent and variability of the Mineral Resource expressed as length (along strike or otherwise), plan width, and depth below surface to the upper and lower limits of the Mineral Resource. The extents of the Mineral Resources vary for each deposit and follow various structural and geological trends and dips, with varying widths within each deposit.

For Nogbele North, 198 mineralization wireframes and 13 dilution envelopes were generated, located in a 3 km by 2 km area and extending down to 140 m below surface.

For Nogbele South, 37 mineralization wireframes and 5 dilution envelopes were generated, located in a 2.5 km by 1.5 km area and extending down to 130 m below surface.

For Nangolo, 18 mineralization wireframes were generated, located in a 0.8 km by 0.4 km area and extending down to 100 m below surface.

For Fourkoura, 43 mineralization wireframes were generated, located in a 1.8 km by 0.5 km area and extending down to 100 m below surface.

For Stinger, 123 mineralization wireframes were generated, located in a 2 km by 0.5 km area and extending down to 130 m below surface.

For Samavogo, 21 mineraliation wireframes were generated, located in a 4 km by 0.7 km area and extending down to 140 m below surface. Estimation and modelling techniques The nature and appropriateness of the estimation technique(s) applied and key assumptions, including treatment of extreme grade values, domaining, interpolation parametres and maximum distance of extrapolation from data points. If a computer assisted estimation method was chosen include a description of computer software and parametres used.

The availability of check estimates, previous estimates and/or mine production records and whether the Mineral Resource estimate takes appropriate account of such data.

The assumptions made regarding recovery of by-products.

Estimation of deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance (eg sulphur for acid mine drainage characterisation).

In the case of block model interpolation, the block size in relation to the average sample spacing and the search employed.

Any assumptions behind modelling of selective mining units.

Any assumptions about correlation between variables.

Description of how the geological interpretation was used to control the resource estimates.

Discussion of basis for using or not using grade cutting or capping.

The process of validation, the checking process used, the comparison of model data to drill hole data, and use of reconciliation data if available. The estimation methods used to update the revised block models were determined separately for each zone and generally determined by the variography ranges, number and spacing of composites in each zone as well as the zone extents. High grade gold assays were capped by zone prior to compositing. Block grades were interpolated using Inverse Distance Cubed (ID 3 ) or Ordinary Kriging (OK) in Vulcan, Micromine or GEMS software.

No assumptions were made regarding recovery of by-products.

Deleterious elements or other non-grade variables of economic significance were estimated.

For Nogbele North, Fourkoura, Nangolo and Stinger, a block size of 2.5 m by 2.5 m by 2.5 m (x, y, z) was generated inside the mineralisation wireframes. For Nogbele South, a block size of 2.5 m by 2.5 m by 5 m was generated inside mineralization wireframes. For Samavogo, a block size of 5 m by 5 m by 2.5 m was generated inside mineralization wireframes.

Block grades were estimated using 2 metre composites in holes with approximate 40 m by 40 m spacing, to a minimum of 6 m by 10 m spacing locally. Grade interpolation searches followed the orientation of each mineralisation zone. Multiple interpolation passes were run with increasing search ranges, on each zone.

Block sizes inside the mineralisation wireframes were determined by the mining equipment selected to best suit the project scale and size of the selective mining unit.

No assumptions were made about the correlation between variables.

Mineralisation wireframes were treated as hard boundaries with block grades estimated inside each wireframe using only the samples located inside the same wireframe.

Appropriate capping levels were applied to raw gold assays by zone, prior to compositing, and based on a combination of histograms, cumulative probability plots, decile analysis, visual inspection in cross-section and level plans, and cutting curves.

Validation was conducted on volumetric comparisons between mineralized blocks and wireframes; comparisons using alternate estimation methods; swath plots and various statistical and visual comparisons of block and composite grades. Moisture Whether the tonnages are estimated on a dry basis or with natural moisture, and the method of determination of the moisture content. Tonnages were estimated on a dry basis. Cut-off parametres The basis of the adopted cut-off grade(s) or quality parametres applied. For reporting purposes, the Mineral Resource cut-off parameters were estimated by first determining the economic cut-off grades for the Mineral Reserves (See section 4). Since the Mineral Reserves cut-off grades were based on determined operating costs and a gold price of $1200/oz, Mineral Resource cut-offs were lowered to determine a reasonable grade for economic extraction.

Mineral Resource cut-off grades for Nogbele North and South, Nangolo and Fourkoura are 0.35 g/t Au for laterite and saprolite, and 0.45 g/t Au for transition and fresh rock. Mineral Resource cut-off grades for Stinger are 0.40 g/t Au for laterite and saprolite, and 0.50 g/t Au for transition and fresh rock. Mineral Resource cut-off grades for Samavogo are 0.45 g/t Au for laterite and saprolite, and 0.55 g/t Au for transition and fresh rock. Mining factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible mining methods, minimum mining dimensions and internal (or, if applicable, external) mining dilution. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential mining methods, but the assumptions made regarding mining methods and parametres when estimating Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the mining assumptions made. Mining will be by way of conventional open pit mining methods using a minimum 2.5 m mining width in mineralized zones and a five metre bench height. Metallurgical factors or assumptions The basis for assumptions or predictions regarding metallurgical amenability. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider potential metallurgical methods, but the assumptions regarding metallurgical treatment processes and parametres made when reporting Mineral Resources may not always be rigorous. Where this is the case, this should be reported with an explanation of the basis of the metallurgical assumptions made. The process plant design is based on a conventional CIL gold process flowsheet consisting of primary crushing, SAG and ball milling, with a pebble crusher, CIL tanks, elution, electro-winning and gold smelting to produce dore onsite. The average predicted plant recovery is 92%, with soft material recoveries from some zones reaching as high as 95%. Environmen-tal factors or assumptions Assumptions made regarding possible waste and process residue disposal options. It is always necessary as part of the process of determining reasonable prospects for eventual economic extraction to consider the potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. While at this stage the determination of potential environmental impacts, particularly for a greenfields project, may not always be well advanced, the status of early consideration of these potential environmental impacts should be reported. Where these aspects have not been considered this should be reported with an explanation of the environmental assumptions made. The Nogbele, Nangolo, Fourkoura, Stinger and Samavogo deposits are located on a permitted mining licence.

An environmental impact assessment study has been completed for the feasibility study, with details to be included in the upcoming technical report. Bulk density Whether assumed or determined. If assumed, the basis for the assumptions. If determined, the method used, whether wet or dry, the frequency of the measurements, the nature, size and representativeness of the samples.

The bulk density for bulk material must have been measured by methods that adequately account for void spaces (vugs, porosity, etc), moisture and differences between rock and alteration zones within the deposit.

Discuss assumptions for bulk density estimates used in the evaluation process of the different materials. In-situ dry bulk density was determined from diamond drill core using the water displacement method. Poorly consolidated oxide samples and porous samples were wrapped in plastic prior to immersion. Ten-centimetre samples were taken at approximate 1 m intervals and correspond to most of the mineralized and unmineralized rock types in each deposit.

Bulk density measurements were averaged by major rock type and by oxide sub-domains (laterite and saprolite), transition and fresh rock for each deposit. Classification The basis for the classification of the Mineral Resources into varying confidence categories.

Whether appropriate account has been taken of all relevant factors (ie relative confidence in tonnage/grade estimations, reliability of input data, confidence in continuity of geology and metal values, quality, quantity and distribution of the data).

Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit. Mineral Resource classification follows Canadian Institute of Mining and Metallurgy and Petroleum ("CIM") "Definition Standards for Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves". Mineral Resource classification is based on variogram ranges, sample spacing and confidence in geological and grade continuity.

Based on the knowledge of the geology, mineralisation and structure of the deposits, the Mineral Resource classification reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposits. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Mineral Resource estimates. RPA conducted internal in-house reviews, with additional reviews by Teranga. Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the resource within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors that could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate.

The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used.

These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data, where available. The relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Resource estimate is based on the application of appropriate and industry standard grade estimation methods specific to each deposit and mineralisation zone. The Inverse Distance Cubed ("ID 3 ") or Ordinary Kriging ("OK") estimation methods have been applied. Additional validation was conducted on volumetric comparisons between mineralized blocks and wireframes; comparisons using alternate estimation methods; swath plots and various statistical and visual comparisons of block and composite grades.

The statement relates to Mineral Resource estimates by deposit, which includes the use of open pit shells to constrain open pit resources, appropriate cut-off grades and gold price. Details of the revised Mineral Resource estimates for the Nogbele, Fourkoura, Stinger and Samavogo deposits will be documented in an upcoming technical report, however, Mineral Resource estimates were generated and classified following accepted industry standards.

Production data is not available as mining has not commenced.

Section 4 Estimation and Reporting of Ore Reserves

(Criteria listed in section 1, and where relevant in sections 2 and 3, also apply to this section.)

Criteria JORC Code explanation Commentary Mineral Resource estimate for conversion to Ore Reserves Description of the Mineral Resource estimate used as a basis for the conversion to an Ore Reserve.

Clear statement as to whether the Mineral Resources are reported additional to, or inclusive of, the Ore Reserves. Resources classified as Measured were used as the basis for Proven ore reserves, resources classified as Indicated were used as the basis for Probable ore reserves.

The mineral resources are reported as inclusive to the ore reserves. Site visits Comment on any site visits undertaken by the Competent Person and the outcome of those visits.

If no site visits have been undertaken indicate why this is the case. Mr. Glen Ehasoo, Director, Mine Engineering and Principal Mining Engineer of RPA visited the Banfora Gold Project January 24th, 2017 to January 26th, 2017. Study status The type and level of study undertaken to enable Mineral Resources to be converted to Ore Reserves.

The Code requires that a study to at least Pre-Feasibility Study level has been undertaken to convert Mineral Resources to Ore Reserves. Such studies will have been carried out and will have determined a mine plan that is technically achievable and economically viable, and that material Modifying Factors have been considered. In March 2013, there was a Feasibility Study completed on the Project by Lycopodium Minerals Pty. Ltd. for Gryphon Minerals (acquired by Teranga Gold in 2016), referenced in this table as the Gryphon 2013 FS.

Current Ore Reserves is part of the updated Feasibility Study commissioned by Teranga Gold Corporation. Cut-off parametres The basis of the cut-off grade(s) or quality parametres applied. Banfora 2017 COG

at $1,200 /oz (g/t Au) Saprolite Transition Granatoid Transition Mafic Fresh Granatoid Fresh Mafic Nangolo 0.39 0.53 0.52 0.54 0.52 Nogbele NC 0.39 0.53 0.51 0.54 0.52 Nogbele South 0.40 0.54 0.53 0.55 0.53 Fourkoura 0.42 0.56 0.54 0.57 0.55 Samavogo 0.53 0.64 0.64 0.64 0.64 Stinger 0.44 0.60 0.60 0.61 0.61 Mining factors or assumptions The method and assumptions used as reported in the Pre-Feasibility or Feasibility Study to convert the Mineral Resource to an Ore Reserve (i.e. either by application of appropriate factors by optimization or by preliminary or detailed design).

The choice, nature and appropriateness of the selected mining method(s) and other mining parametres including associated design issues such as pre-strip, access, etc.

The assumptions made regarding geotechnical parametres (eg pit slopes, stope sizes, etc), grade control and pre-production drilling.

The major assumptions made and Mineral Resource model used for pit and stope optimization (if appropriate).

The mining dilution factors used.

The mining recovery factors used.

Any minimum mining widths used.

The manner in which Inferred Mineral Resources are utilised in mining studies and the sensitivity of the outcome to their inclusion.

The infrastructure requirements of the selected mining methods. The method for conversion of Mineral Resource to Ore Reserve involved a pit optimization study using the "Whittle" Lerch-Grossman algorithm to determine the economic limits of the Ore Reserve.

Gold price used was $1,200 /oz.

Mining will be by way of conventional open pit mining techniques using drill and blast with material movement by hydraulic excavators and trucks. The project scale suits 110 to 140 tonne class excavators in a backhoe configuration matched to 50 tonne class mining haul trucks operating at five-metre bench heights.

The Fourkoura, Stinger and Samavogo deposits are located 6, 15 and 25 kilometres, respectively, from the process plant. The haul trucks selected have the ability to haul ore directly to the process plant. This will reduce re-handling costs and minimize waste movement through optimized pit designs for the near-surface ore bodies. The Company will operate its own fleet.

Extensive Grade control RC drilling is planned to supplement the production blast hole sampling as part of the grade control strategy.

Geotechnical parameters at Banfora were provided by Xstract Mining Consultants in 2017 at a Feasibility Study level based on the detailed work completed by Peter O'Bryan and Associates in 2012.

The dilution assumption at Banfora is based on the minimum ore separation of the mining excavator of 2.5m. RPA employs an algorithm that simulates the mining and ability to separate the ore. In addition to determining the internal dilution of a mining area, it also allows for the inclusion of the contact dilution encountered at the edge of the mining areas. Total added dilution ranges from deposit to deposit between 10% to 15%.

Minimum mining width used in pit designs was 30m to allow for subsequent push backs and adequate working space.

Inferred resources were not considered in creating pit designs, and do not contribute to economic value in the cash flow analysis except where influencing mining dilution.

Infrastructure required for the Banfora project has been designed and costed as part of the Feasibility Study work. Infrastructure specific to the mining method includes the maintenance shop, emulsion plant and general storage areas.

Plant recovery based on metallurgical testing Ore Type Recovery %

Nogbele and Fourkoura Oxide 95.7

Nogbele NC Primary- granitic 87.7

Nogbele NC Primary - mafic 91.6

Nogbele NC Transition 93.0

Nogbele South Primary granitic 91.0

Nogbele South Primary mafic 92.0

Nogbele South Transition 93.5

Fourkoura Transition 93.5

Fourkoura Primary 91.0

Samavogo Oxide 95.7

Samavogo Transition 95.0

Samavogo Primary 92.0

Stinger Oxide 95.5

Stinger Transition 93.0

Stinger Primary granitic 84.0

Stinger Primary volcanics 90.5

*Nangolo is regarded as part of Nogbele North Central (Nogbele NC)

Metallurgical factors or assumptions The metallurgical process proposed and the appropriateness of that process to the style of mineralisation.

Whether the metallurgical process is well-tested technology or novel in nature.

The nature, amount and representativeness of metallurgical test work undertaken, the nature of the metallurgical domaining applied and the corresponding metallurgical recovery factors applied.

Any assumptions or allowances made for deleterious elements.

The existence of any bulk sample or pilot scale test work and the degree to which such samples are considered representative of the orebody as a whole.

For minerals that are defined by a specification, has the ore reserve estimation been based on the appropriate mineralogy to meet the specifications? Weathering and rock types are clearly coded in the resource block models.

The process plant design is based on a conventional CIL gold process flowsheet consisting of primary crushing, SAG and ball milling, with a pebble crusher, CIL tanks, elution, electro-winning and gold smelting to produce dore onsite. Throughput is expected to range between 2.2 and 2.5 million tonnes per annum, depending on the blend of soft and hard ore.

The average predicted plant recovery is 92%, with soft material recoveries from some zones reaching as high as 95%.

The Banfora mineral deposits were subjected to preliminary and detailed metallurgical testing in the period 2010- 2012, in support of the Gryphon 2013 FS.

The metallurgical testing was conducted in the Perth laboratory of ALS Metallurgy (ALS) also previously named ALS Ammtec and Ammtec Ltd. The series of reports issued by ALS were described in the Gryphon 2013 FS.

Other testing was performed by Outotec (thickener sizing determinations) and JKTech Pty. Ltd. interpreted the results of SAG mill comminution (SMC) testing conducted by ALS. Subsequently, Orway Mineral Consultants (OMC) conducted comminution circuit modelling based on the comminution testing results obtained in the ALS program.

Metallurgical testing for the Banfora reserves are to feasibility study level. Environmental The status of studies of potential environmental impacts of the mining and processing operation. Details of waste rock characterisation and the consideration of potential sites, status of design options considered and, where applicable, the status of approvals for process residue storage and waste dumps should be reported. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) and associated Social and Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) for the project was completed by MBS Environmental and submitted in April 2013. The documents were prepared in compliance with the Burkina Faso Environmental Code and considered requirements of other International guidelines where relevant.

An Environmental Conformance Certificate (ECC) was granted for the project by the Bureau National des Evaluations Environnementales (BUNEE) on 21 January 2014. This provided specific conditions for approval that the project is required to comply with.

The Mining Licence was granted on 1 August 2014. This was in relation to a revised SEIA and SEMP document submitted in November 2013.

Subsequent to this, a revised SEIA, SEMP and associated Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) were submitted on 9 December 2014 changing the mine plan and ore treatment methodology from CIL to heap leach.

The revised documents were acknowledged by BUNEE on 23 January 2015 stating that the current ECC was still valid and did not require updating or re-issuing.

The tailings storage facility ("TSF") will be developed as a high density polyethylene geomembrane lined paddock type facility in a two-cell arrangement. The TSF embankments will be constructed in annual raises to suit storage requirements, using downstream raise construction methods.

Geochemistry testing for tailings and waste rock was completed. Samples recorded negative acid producing potential and near neutral pH values. In addition, a vast majority of the waste rock were non-acid forming or acid consuming. On the bases of these results, there was no perceived risk of acid generation in the waste rock dumps or tailings storage facility. Infrastructure The existence of appropriate infrastructure: availability of land for plant development, power, water, transportation (particularly for bulk commodities), labour, accommodation; or the ease with which the infrastructure can be provided, or accessed. As part of the 2017 updated Feasibility Study, a detailed design and costing was completed for the required infrastructure for a 2.2 to 2.5 million tonnes per annum carbon in leach ("CIL") processing facility.

Infrastructure includes accommodations for the employees, processing plant, maintenance facilities, tailings storage facility, HFO power generation plant, water storage dam, haulage roads connecting open pit locations to the process plant and etc. Costs The derivation of, or assumptions made, regarding projected capital costs in the study.

The methodology used to estimate operating costs.

Allowances made for the content of deleterious elements.

The derivation of assumptions made of metal or commodity price(s), for the principal minerals and co- products.

The source of exchange rates used in the study.

Derivation of transportation charges.

The basis for forecasting or source of treatment and refining charges, penalties for failure to meet specification, etc.

The allowances made for royalties payable, both Government and private. Project capital costs are based on actual construction costs, first principle estimations, and vendor quotations.

Operating costs derived from first principles based on design specifications, vendor quotes and operating hour estimates.

Metallurgical testing have not revealed the requirement allowances due to the existence of deleterious elements.

The reserves were based on $1,200 gold price.

Transportation, treatment and refining charges, royalties, etc. are based on existing contracts and government agreements. Revenue factors The derivation of, or assumptions made regarding revenue factors including head grade, metal or commodity price(s) exchange rates, transportation and treatment charges, penalties, net smelter returns, etc.

The derivation of assumptions made of metal or commodity price(s), for the principal metals, minerals and co-products. The revenue factor was derived based on a transport and refining cost of $3.00 per ounce gold.

The government net smelter royalty is 3-5% depending on gold price. At $1,250 gold, a 4% royalty rate was applied.

A gold price of $1,200 was used for pit optimization and a gold price of $1,250 was used for the cash flow tables. Market assessment The demand, supply and stock situation for the particular commodity, consumption trends and factors likely to affect supply and demand into the future.

A customer and competitor analysis along with the identification of likely market windows for the product.

Price and volume forecasts and the basis for these forecasts.

For industrial minerals the customer specification, testing and acceptance requirements prior to a supply contract. The principal commodity of Banfora is gold. Gold is widely and freely traded on the international market, with known and instantly accessible pricing information. Economic The inputs to the economic analysis to produce the net present value (NPV) in the study, the source and confidence of these economic inputs including estimated inflation, discount rate, etc.

NPV ranges and sensitivity to variations in the significant assumptions and inputs. The net present value was determined using a discounted cash flow model of the initial mine plan at $1,250 gold and 5% discount rate.

The NPV has been sensitized to the following gold prices: $1,200/oz, $1,250/oz, $1,300/oz and $1,350/oz. Social The status of agreements with key stakeholders and matters leading to social licence to operate. The current resources and reserves for the Banfora Project are fully permitted and the environmental impact assessment study is complete.

Positive progression of the resettlement action plan is supported by the local communities. Under the resettlement action plan, approximately 500 households in the villages of Zegnedougou, Nangueledougou, Djondougou, Katolo, Nadjengoala will be relocated over the next five years, with a further 350 households compensated for agricultural land impact.

Resettlement sites have been identified, and the physical planning, design and approval of future resettlement communities is underway. Construction of the first resettlement is expected to begin in the first quarter of 2018.

Employment opportunities and sustainable development initiatives supported by Teranga will provide further support for socio-economic growth in the area. Other To the extent relevant, the impact of the following on the project and/or on the estimation and classification of the Ore Reserves:

Any identified material naturally occurring risks.

The status of material legal agreements and marketing arrangements.

The status of governmental agreements and approvals critical to the viability of the project, such as mineral tenement status, and government and statutory approvals. There must be reasonable grounds to expect that all necessary Government approvals will be received within the timeframes anticipated in the Pre-Feasibility or Feasibility study. Highlight and discuss the materiality of any unresolved matter that is dependent on a third party on which extraction of the reserve is contingent. The current resources and reserves for the Banfora Project are fully permitted. Classification The basis for the classification of the Ore Reserves into varying confidence categories.

Whether the result appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit.

The proportion of Probable Ore Reserves that have been derived from Measured Mineral Resources (if any). Probable ore reserves are based on the CIM definition for indicated resources (compliant with JORC) using geostatistical modeling techniques applicable to gold deposits. Proven ore reserves are based on the CIM definition for measured resources (compliant with JORC) using geostatistical modeling techniques applicable to gold deposits, and second, stockpile inventory based on production drill assay data.

The resources appropriately reflects the Competent Person's view of the deposit. Audits or reviews The results of any audits or reviews of Ore Reserve estimates. The Ore Reserves were compiled by Mr. Glen Ehasoo, Director, Mine Engineering and Principal Mining Engineer of RPA (Independent to Teranga Gold). Discussion of relative accuracy/ confidence Where appropriate a statement of the relative accuracy and confidence level in the Ore Reserve estimate using an approach or procedure deemed appropriate by the Competent Person. For example, the application of statistical or geostatistical procedures to quantify the relative accuracy of the reserve within stated confidence limits, or, if such an approach is not deemed appropriate, a qualitative discussion of the factors which could affect the relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate.

The statement should specify whether it relates to global or local estimates, and, if local, state the relevant tonnages, which should be relevant to technical and economic evaluation. Documentation should include assumptions made and the procedures used.

Accuracy and confidence discussions should extend to specific discussions of any applied Modifying Factors that may have a material impact on Ore Reserve viability, or for which there are remaining areas of uncertainty at the current study stage.

It is recognised that this may not be possible or appropriate in all circumstances. These statements of relative accuracy and confidence of the estimate should be compared with production data, where available. The relative accuracy and confidence level in the Mineral Reserves estimate is based on the application the industry standard Lerchs-Grossman optimizer, using operating costs estimated from first principles and benchmarked against the existing operation at Sabodala.

The dilution and ore recovery estimates are based on a comprehensive algorithm created by RPA that evaluates the orebody geometry and applies the minimum mining width to the model on a bench by bench basis.

The geotechnical parameters for the pit wall angles for Banfora are based on a feasibility level analysis by Xstract.

Metallurgical testing was completed at accredited laboratories and reviewed by a Competent Person independent to Teranga Gold.

The accuracy of the estimates within this Ore Reserve are largely determined by the order of accuracy associated with the Mineral Resource model, metallurgical inputs, and long-term cost adjustment factors.

SOURCE Teranga Gold Corporation
Considering the average woman reports never wearing 20 percent of her wardrobe at all, the Goodwill Sale is a great opportunity to donate unused items and earn savings on new fall fashions. During the sale event, customers drop off items for donation at their local department store in exchange for coupons good for up to 30 percent off the purchase of apparel, shoes, accessories and other items as well as up to 15 percent off cosmetics and fragrances. Coupons can be used in-store and online. The community is encouraged to get involved by donating items such as ladies, kids and men's clothing, accessories, shoes, luggage and household textiles, which will be sold in Goodwill stores to create jobs, training programs and education assistance for people who are unemployed or underemployed.

"We pride ourselves on being a hometown shopping destination and supporting Goodwill through this sale is both a natural extension of that commitment as well as a critically important component of it," said William Tracy, president and CEO of The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. "Along with our customers, we're able to see the direct positive impact this partnership brings to the communities we serve."

In 2016, Bon-Ton customers donated 4.1 million pounds of clothing, textiles and household items, enough to fill 51 semi trucks. These contributions generated roughly 588,714 hours of job placement, job training, skills enrichment and other community-based services, such as financial education and mentoring, for people in local communities. This translates to Goodwill helping a person find a job every 23 seconds of every business day - in a single work week more than 7,000 people were placed in good jobs.

"The Goodwill Sale is a testament to our shared vision as brands who believe in bigger savings and greater good," said Jim Gibbons, president and CEO of Goodwill Industries International. "It is truly inspiring to witness the support we get each spring and fall from our partners at Bon-Ton and their customers."

Job training and services provided by Goodwill support people with disadvantages and disabilities, veterans and military families, older workers, youth and young adults, and anyone facing a difficult time finding a job. The Bon-Ton Goodwill Sale is Goodwill's largest and longest-standing cause partnership and department store donation drive.

"Savvy, community-minded shoppers love this signature event," said Tracy. "September is a great time to transition wardrobes for the fall season, so this sale offers a perfect opportunity to support Goodwill's mission while finding great deals on new fashions and trends."

About The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.

The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc., with corporate headquarters in York, Pennsylvania and Milwaukee, Wisconsin, operates 260 stores, which includes 9 furniture galleries and four clearance centers, in 24 states in the Northeast, Midwest and upper Great Plains under the Bon-Ton, Bergner's, Boston Store, Carson's, Elder-Beerman, Herberger's and Younkers nameplates. The stores offer a broad assortment of national and private brand fashion apparel and accessories for women, men and children, as well as cosmetics and home furnishings. The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc. is an active and positive participant in the communities it serves. For further information, please visit thebontonstoresinc.com or the company's web site at bonton.com. Join the conversation and be inspired by following Bon-Ton on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Pinterest.

About Goodwill Industries International

Goodwill Industries International (GII) is a network of 162 community-based, autonomous organizations in the United States and Canada with a presence in 13 other countries. GII is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that is recognized by GuideStar with its Platinum Seal of Approval, the organization's highest rating for charities. GII was also ranked by Enso as the #1 brand doing the most good in the world for two consecutive years, and was the only nonprofit brand rated in Forbes' 20 most inspiring companies for three consecutive years. Local Goodwill organizations are innovative and sustainable social enterprises that create job training programs, employment placement and other community-based programs by selling donated clothing and household items in more than 3,200 stores collectively and online at shopgoodwill.com. Local Goodwill organizations also build revenue and create jobs by contracting with businesses and government to provide a wide range of commercial services, including packaging and assembly, food services preparation, and document imaging and shredding. Last year, local Goodwill organizations collectively placed more than 313,000 people in employment in the United States and Canada. In addition, more than 35 million people used computers and mobile devices to access Goodwill education, training, mentoring and online learning services to strengthen their skills, and more than 2 million people received in person services. To learn more, visit goodwill.org. For more information or to find a Goodwill location near you, use the online locator at Goodwill.org or call (800) GOODWILL. Follow us on Twitter: @GoodwillIntl and @GoodwillCapHill, and find us on Facebook: GoodwillIntl or Instagram: GoodwillIntl.

SOURCE The Bon-Ton Stores, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.bonton.com


Building on The Dalmore's pioneering heritage in the art of maturation, The Dalmore 40 has been carefully nurtured and crafted by renowned Master Distiller Richard Paterson. This latest expression further underlines the distillery's reputation for maturing its whiskies for longer and in a greater variety of casks than many other whiskies, which is only possible due to the depth and complexity of its new make spirit. The liquid has been maturated in American white oak ex-bourbon casks, before being transferred into 30 year old Gonzalez Byass Matsualem oloroso sherry butts and finally finished in first fill bourbon barrels.

The result is a liquid featuring flashes of amber and fire gold, offering a multitude of aromas including Colombian coffee and marmalade. On the palate, gingerbread and honey is followed by a generous aftertaste of Sanguinello blood oranges over ripe Bramley apples and liquorice sticks.

The release marks the culmination of a year of celebrations to celebrate Master Distiller Richard Paterson's 50th year in the whisky industry. Paterson commented, "In the year that I reflect on my time in the whisky industry, and indeed at The Dalmore, it has been a great privilege to release two of our greatest ever aged expressions  first the champagne finished 50 years old and now this exceptional 40."

Presented in a decanter designed by artisans at renowned French crystal house Baccarat, the hand-blown decanters are adorned with The Dalmore's iconic 12 point Royal Stag emblem created by Royal Warrant Holders Hamilton & Inches.

Paterson adds, "With each new release I strive for depth and complexity, pushing the boundaries of whisky making and building on the knowledge and skills passed down from my predecessors. It takes time, effort and vision to create an expression as complex as The Dalmore 40 years old, moving the rare stocks of whisky between casks to build layer upon layer of character. When you bring it all together, it creates something very special indeed."

The price of The Dalmore 40 is available upon request.

The release of The Dalmore 40 comes right after the 2017 release of The Dalmore 35. This release is born of a distinct cask, following the same maturation journey as the initial release of The 35 last year. Unique versus its 2016 predecessor, the 2017 release shows notes of marmalade, ground cinnamon, chocolate cake, roasted chestnuts and raisins. There are 150 bottles of the The Dalmore 35 2017 release available nationwide. More information and details are available upon request.

Notes to Editors:

Tasting Notes: Colour: Flashes of amber and fire gold with dazzling rays of gleaming copper pot stills Aroma: Rich Colombian coffee, sweet sultanas, fresh dates and Old English marmalade Palate: Gingerbread, molasses, maple syrup and brioche dipped in Manuka honey Finish: Sanguinello blood oranges, over ripe Bramley apples, liquorice stick and desiccated coconut ABV: 42%

The Dalmore

Founded by Sir Alexander Matheson, a restless entrepreneur and international businessman, The Dalmore was founded in 1839 with a different purpose  to go above and beyond to create a single malt whisky unlike any other.

An unbroken chain of exceptional whisky makers have been fulfilling Sir Alexander's vision ever since, pioneering multi cask maturation over 100 years before this was commonly adopted by others in the industry.

Richard Paterson has been Master Distiller at The Dalmore for nearly 50 years. Together, Richard and The Dalmore have created this category of luxury single malts, a category which they continue to define to this very day.

Contact:

Kahlil Spurlock

646-585-2171

[email protected]

SOURCE The Dalmore
Attendees of GlassBuild America 2017 held in Atlanta, Georgia, Sept. 12-14, will see the ways Deceuninck North America (booth #3113) is incorporating innovation, design and sustainability with several new product offerings as well as big-picture ideas for the future. Here's a sneak peek.

A Revolutionary XL suite of products

The new Revolution XL Tilt & Turn window and door system achieves the best of both worlds: a European-style product designed for high-performance U.S. applications. Revolution XL delivers a full suite of products  windows, a tilt/slide door, a terrace door and a lift-and-slide door  suitable for the remodeling, replacement or new construction markets. With flexible design and a range of colors and finishes available, it is possible to achieve a similar appearance as aluminum with superior thermal performance.

Material technology that handles the pressure

Rovex Xtreme Fiberglass (XF) is an advanced material technology that sets a new standard for extreme performance applications and is available for next-generation commercial pressure plate applications. Rovex XF has a metal-like stiffness and strength, is highly resistant to fatigue failure and has extremely low thermal conductivity. Custom designs are available to meet the needs of unique curtain wall systems.

One in a mullion

The same technology that made Innergy reinforcements so successful is now available for window mullions. Designed to fit a range of standard Deceuninck window systems, the mullions can be used in multiple configurations, including twins and transoms. The technology also provides increased condensation resistance due to the thermal performance of Rovex.

Compared with metal-based mullions, Innergy mullions made from Rovex XF provide a more energy-efficient system with all the strength and structural reinforcement of aluminium but with superior thermal performance.

Signed, sealed, delivered products and service

Deceuninck will also feature its award-winning eos window and patio door systems  featuring affordable, energy-optimized system that is easy to manufacture and highly energy efficient, meeting the criteria for ENERGY STAR 6.0. The 650.650 multitrack sliding door provides a flexible design, two-track base and the ability to add additional single tracks as needed.

Visit Deceuninck North America's booth #3113 at GlassBuild America to learn more about these products as well as Deceuninck's customer-centric business approach to business.

About Deceuninck North America

Deceuninck North America, LLC is a fully integrated design, compounding, tooling, lamination and PVC extrusion company that produces energy efficient PVC window and door systems. The company is committed to developing high-performance products that are currently in more than 6 million U.S. homes. Its headquarters are in Monroe, Ohio, with a facility in Fernley, Nevada. Deceuninck North America is part of the Deceuninck Group, an integrated global organization that is active in 91 countries, has 25 subsidiaries and is supported by 3,600 personnel worldwide. For more information, please visit www.DeceuninckNA.com.

Contact:

Jeff Jones

412-642-7700

[email protected]

SOURCE Deceuninck North America

Related Links

http://www.DeceuninckNA.com


The survey of undergraduates in the U.S., U.K., China, India, Italy and Spain, which can be downloaded here, took students' pulse on everything from what most influences their decision about where to attend university, to who is paying for their accommodations, to how much they're exercising and sleeping, to their career plans (or lack thereof). The responses about the four stages of a student's lifecyclepre-arrival, arrival, living and departureprovide insight into universal student experiences and into those experiences where national culture and expectations make an enormous difference.

Patrick Connolly, CEO of Schools and Universities Worldwide, said: "The college and university industry is changing rapidly, in part because the expectations of Generation Z are much more fluid, varying quite a bit among student populations and from country to country. Our survey affirmed Sodexo's understanding of this generation as more worldly and interested in campus services and opportunities that help them live a fast-paced, stress-free lifestyle. Universities that reconfigure their operational model to suit these expectations will be much more effective at alleviating some of the mental, sociological and economic pressures that students around the world say they are under."

Additional key global findings include:

Overall quality of life? Just OK. Across the six countries surveyed, most students report medium stress levels, medium levels of wellbeing and medium to high-quality living arrangements (supporting numerous third-party assessments of Gen Z as the most anxious generation to date). And overall, students report being especially stressed out in their first month by the newness of university and adjusting to the differences between high school and university studies.

Across the six countries surveyed, most students report medium stress levels, medium levels of wellbeing and medium to high-quality living arrangements (supporting numerous third-party assessments of Gen Z as the most anxious generation to date). And overall, students report being especially stressed out in their first month by the newness of university and adjusting to the differences between high school and university studies. The worries and concerns of the average student vary significantly based on the country they study in. When it comes to which services are most attractive, U.S students are concerned about finances and how to minimize debt, while students in the U.K. prioritize facilities that support an active social life. India is more focused on studying, while China is concerned with both social life and ease of daily life.

When it comes to which services are most attractive, U.S students are concerned about finances and how to minimize debt, while students in the U.K. prioritize facilities that support an active social life. is more focused on studying, while is concerned with both social life and ease of daily life. Students consider both immediate priorities and long-term implications when selecting a university: When deciding which college to attend, a friendly atmosphere is the most important factor, mentioned by 78 percent of students. Reputation and ranking is almost as important, cited by three-quarters of respondents. Further, students value internet research about colleges (72 percent) more than advice from parents (62 percent), teachers (57 percent) and friends (49 percent).

When deciding which college to attend, a friendly atmosphere is the most important factor, mentioned by 78 percent of students. Reputation and ranking is almost as important, cited by three-quarters of respondents. Further, students value internet research about colleges (72 percent) more than advice from parents (62 percent), teachers (57 percent) and friends (49 percent). There's a global appetite to learn stress management and money management skills: Dealing with stress is the skill students most want to learn (50 percent), with money management a close second (48 percent). Globally, 30 percent of students have considered dropping out of university, with half blaming study-related problems, approximately one third citing their health or mental health, and one third saying the reasons are financial.

Dealing with stress is the skill students most want to learn (50 percent), with money management a close second (48 percent). Globally, 30 percent of students have considered dropping out of university, with half blaming study-related problems, approximately one third citing their health or mental health, and one third saying the reasons are financial. Gen Z students are less "traditionally" social and more serious (and money is a contributing factor): Students are socializing less than might be expected. They look for cheap social activities and generally prioritize accommodations with facilities that focus on day-to-day living rather than recreational or social facilities. Their social life is one of the first things to be sacrificed to save money; 56 percent have saved money by not going out with friends.

Students are socializing less than might be expected. They look for cheap social activities and generally prioritize accommodations with facilities that focus on day-to-day living rather than recreational or social facilities. Their social life is one of the first things to be sacrificed to save money; 56 percent have saved money by not going out with friends. Students value inclusive environments where they feel heard: Eighty three percent of students say it's important that their university fosters an environment where they are free to voice their concerns or opinions. For example, just over half of students think their university is welcoming to new students, with students in Italy ranking their university the lowest on the welcoming scale (39 percent) and students in China largely rating their university as welcoming (84 percent). Different nationalities and ethnicities are more accepted by universities (65 percent) than different sexualities (58 percent) or gender identities (59 percent).

percent of students say it's important that their university fosters an environment where they are free to voice their concerns or opinions. For example, just over half of students think their university is welcoming to new students, with students in ranking their university the lowest on the welcoming scale (39 percent) and students in largely rating their university as welcoming (84 percent). Different nationalities and ethnicities are more accepted by universities (65 percent) than different sexualities (58 percent) or gender identities (59 percent). Students are more motivated by passion than money in their careers: Just over half of the students surveyed know what they want to do after graduation, and most students are more concerned about finding a job quickly (37 percent) or in a field they're interested in (36 percent) than with earning a high salary (24 percent).

Connolly added: "Universities have an opportunity and a responsibility to cultivate a profound understanding of what contributes to their students' quality of life. They will find enormous value in expressing this understanding in the way they approach everything from the design of student accommodations and traditional gathering spaceslibraries, study halls and courtyardsto the way they welcome international students who have very specific needs. It's very important to today's university students to be able to voice their concerns or opinions to their academic institutionsthis is one of the findings from our survey, and it affirms that co-creation should be key to problem-solving in academia. This is the best way for universities to bring different voices, teams, specialties and opinions together to solve an existing problem or to develop something completely new."

Sodexo International University Lifestyle Survey Methodology

The survey builds on the success of Sodexo's industry-leading, biennial University Lifestyle Survey of students in the U.K., which it has released since 2004. This is the first year Sodexo, which serves 8 million students a day at 1,000 universities in 32 countries, has conducted the survey globally.

The research was carried out in spring 2017 by YouthSight, which surveyed 4,027 students from six countries who completed questionnaires online. The sample included 1,008 U.S. students, 1,005 from the U.K., 507 from Italy, 500 from Spain, 505 from India and 502 from China, in all years of study. There was a 50/50 gender split in all countries except India where it was 70/30 male to female.

Sodexo in North America

Sodexo USA is an American business that is part of a global, Fortune 500 company with a presence in 80 countries. Delivering more than 100 services across North America that enhance organizational performance, contribute to local communities and improve quality of life, Sodexo is a leading provider of sustainable, integrated facilities management and food service operations. It employs 123,000 Americans at 12,500 sites across the country and indirectly supports tens of thousands of additional U.S. jobs through its annual purchases of $9.2 billion in goods and services from small to large American businesses. In support of local communities across the U.S., Sodexo Stop Hunger Foundation has contributed more than $29 million since 1999 to help feed children in America impacted by hunger.

Learn more about Sodexo at its corporate blog, Sodexo Insights.

SOURCE Sodexo
HERNDON, Va., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific in Honolulu, Hawaii, a 20-year client of Harris Healthcare and nine-year client of Harris Healthcare's Electronic Health Record (EHR), has elected to upgrade and expand its systems and services with Harris Healthcare.

The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific (REHAB) will keep QCPR, Harris Healthcare's EHR, in place with upgrades to Harris Healthcare's latest platform, and expand its use to ambulatory clinical areas. REHAB is:

Upgrading to QCPR 6.2, which includes Harris Healthcare's Novus ClinDoc application and Novus Meds (when it becomes available later this fall). This EHR platform includes advanced medication reconciliation, improved clinician interface and usability, and meets all Meaningful Use requirements.

Adding Harris Healthcare's Media Manager module. This application will allow REHAB to view multimedia files in a patient's EHR, and will provide (secure) enterprise-wide access to these files. This is a time saver for physicians, reduces overall costs for REHAB, and is proven to aid in improving patient outcomes.

Incorporating ePrescribing into the acute care and ambulatory care settings, providing new capabilities and streamlined medication management throughout the organization. Harris Healthcare has integrated the award-winning DrFirst Rcopia and EPCS Gold products into its medication management module, allowing REHAB to leverage each company's expertise.

These changes will bring communication, access, and ease-of-use to one accord, improving patient safety and physician satisfaction throughout the organization. Colbert Seto, Chief Information Officer at REHAB, explains, "Our current multiple-EHR environment does not support our continuum of care well. It brings unnecessary complexity into our environment. We wanted to support a single tool across our care continuum to simplify our environment and leverage the strength of a single EHR. Making these changes with Harris Healthcare to standardize the tool our clinicians use will improve the quality of our patient care."

The acute care EHR market is mature, with little activity. However, low physician satisfaction is a primary detractor across all major EHRs, and often a key trigger in an organization's decision to evaluate the current market. At any given time, only 10-15% of hospitals are actively evaluating and willing to participate in an EHR transitionand then, only if they find the features, functionality, time investment and expense worthwhile. REHAB was one of these hospitals evaluating a transition to a new EHRwith an eye toward physician satisfaction.

"Despite being an EHR client for nearly 10 years, The Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific was not on our current platform. We knew we could serve them better," says Santina Allen, Executive Vice President, Harris Healthcare, Clinical Solutions. "Their evaluation process offered us the opportunity to engage at a higher level and share some of the features we've added that are geared toward the physician." After extensive consideration, REHAB selected the innovative features and ease of use of Harris Healthcare's EHR over other leading EHRs in the market.

About Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific

Rehabilitation Hospital of the Pacific (REHAB) is the only free-standing hospital in the Pacific Rim that specializes in physical and cognitive rehabilitation. Each year, REHAB treats over 6,500 patients at its hospital, three outpatient clinics, and Physicians Clinic. REHAB helps patients regain their independence after suffering from a serious injury or illness, using some of the best technologies available. REHAB has been recognized as a Top Performer in medical rehabilitation since 2014 and ranks in the TOP 10% of all rehabilitation hospitals in the nation for patients outcomes according to Unified Data Systems. More detail at www.rehabhospital.org.



About Harris Healthcare

With a 30-year history as a healthcare IT provider, Harris Healthcare delivers a fully-integrated solution set to hospitals and clinics throughout the United States and Canada. We streamline processes, increase productivity and drive positive clinical outcomes. Harris Healthcare QCPR includes 900 professionals who support clients at more than 1,200 healthcare facilities. Please visit our website for more detail www.harrishealthcare.com.

Media Contact

Miranda Hahn

Harris Healthcare

Phone # 231.360.7063

[email protected]

SOURCE Harris Healthcare

Related Links

http://www.harrishealthcare.com


In his 1981 hit "Big City," Merle Haggard crooned, Turn me loose, set me free, somewhere in the middle of Montana. Sounds like Haggard longed to be dropped in Lewistown, the geographic center the state, where the pace of life feels decades slower.

Surrounded by wide-open ranch country and five mountain ranges, the picturesque town of just over 5,000 residents has an unintentionally retro Main Street. Amid tack shops, soda fountains, western wear and antique stores, a person can find cappuccino, world-class fly fishing and  on the first Saturday after Labor Day  just about every chokecherry delicacy imaginable.

Now in its 28th year, the festival pays homage to the tart, maroon berries that proliferate wild on bushes throughout Fergus County. Though locals generally enjoy chokecherries raw (be prepared to pucker!) or in jams, jellies, pies or wine, Native Americans dried them for winter consumption or ground them in pemmican.

The town bills itself as the Chokecherry Capital of the World, says Lewistown resident Tom Petrenek, a Paul Bunyan look-alike who has worn the crown of Chokecherry King (i.e. Pit Spitting Champion) most years since the festival began in 1991. Since no one from the Ukraine or Tibet has challenged us, Im beginning to believe we just might be.

Things kick off Friday night with a Chokecherry Jam street dance downtown.

On Saturday morning, don't miss the Kiwanis Club Breakfast of fluffy flapjacks dripping with chokecherry syrup. There are also a one-mile fun run, a 5k run/walk and a 10k race in the morning.

On Main Street, vendors offer everything from pottery, knit hats, glassware and lumpia (Filipino egg rolls) to chokecherry lemonade, teas, pies, muffins and jellyrolls. Theres a classic car show and culinary contest  showcasing chokecherry mustards, breads, cakes, cordials, salsas, soups and more.

Its a nice way to say goodbye to summer, says Denise Seilstad, Fergus County Extension Agent. People come from all over for it. They can walk around in tank tops and flip flops, eat some Kettle Korn, and rendezvous with friends and family one last time before fall settles in.

What are some of the most memorable treats Seilstad has tasted over the years in the chokecherry culinary contest (part her job entails organizing and judging it)?

Jerry Carpenters Chokecherry Biscotti stands out as a favoritebut she is so creative and truly brings something unique and delicious each year," notes Seilstad, And her presentation is always so beautiful." (Carpenter has quite the collection of trays, tea sets, serving ware and knickknacks depicting chokecherries, combined with an artful eye for display; her entries are always showstoppers.)

Has Seilstad ever had to choke down (pardon the pun) any entries? Come on! She laughs, This is a small town! Im not going to name any names or recipes, but yes  there have been one or two that were, ah, more jolting to the palate.

Seilstad loves the diversity of vendors and all the Made in Montana products that have been showing up of late, inching the festivals western border farther and farther up the hill toward the courthouse every year. Willies Distillery from Ennis draws quite a crowd, says Seilstad. Everybody wants to sample their Chokecherry Cordial on ice and buy a bottle or two for the year.

Seilstad is also partial to the Brockel's Chocolates booth. The downtown Billings family business hits the Fergus County Fair and Chokecherry Festival each year, selling chocolates, caramels and handmade caramel-dipped marshmallows.

Central Montanans, myself included, are wild about Brockel's Judith Mountain Ice Cream Bars  named for the picturesque mountain range anchoring the eastern view of Main Street. Theyre a thick ice cream bar (chocolate or vanilla) dipped in homemade light or dark chocolate and covered with chopped cashews. "They're to die for," Seilstad says.

Ive personally never missed a Chokecherry Festivalnot onesince 1991. But Im filing this article while seated on a flight to Beijing, where Ill be for a week before heading to Mongolia for a month. So Ill be eating fermented mares milk yogurt (which I love) and rock hard cheese (literally rock hardlike biting-into-a-hunk of-gravel hard) instead of sipping Chokecherry Lemonade or Cordial or eating a Judith Mountain Bar. (Im getting choked up at the thought of waiting another YEAR til I can taste this stuff!)

Ill be dreaming of those Kiwanis pancakes soaked in Chokecherry syrup and hoping Tom Petrenek takes the crown in the Pit Spit. If you go, please cheer Tom on for me and hunt down and sample whatever Jerry enters the culinary contest. Youll be hooked too; Ill see you there next year.
LONDON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Tonic Life Communications, a global healthcare public relations and communications agency, today announced the appointment of Ann Bartling to the position of Managing Director in the agency's European headquarters in London, United Kingdom. Ann joins Tonic from Edelman where she recently led the firm's UK and European health practice, having spent 13 years within the health practice in both Chicago and London.

Ann Bartling, Managing Director, EU, Tonic Life Communications

With the appointment Ann takes on leadership of Tonic's European offering, providing strategic counsel and direction to the agency's diverse healthcare client base and steering growth as Tonic continues to expand globally. Ann will report directly to Tonic Global CEO, Maryellen Royle.

"Ann is a welcomed addition to our Tonic global executive team, bringing with her a proven, long-standing career in healthcare communications in Europe and the US," said Maryellen Royle. "We look forward to continuing to boost our Tonic EU presence and service offerings with Ann's energy and expertise in the healthcare space."

Ann brings a wealth of expertise to Tonic with over 25 years in the healthcare industry, during which time she has steered European, global and US communications programmes for clients spanning the breadth of health and wellness brands.

"I am thrilled to join the Tonic team and look forward to building an expanded offering and presence in Europe. Tonic has a great heritage in Europe and expertise in bringing strategic and creative solutions to Health clients."

About Tonic Life Communications

Tonic is a global healthcare public relations and communications agency that has the art of communications down to a science. Driven by insights and powered by scientific expertise, Tonic elevates how people, passion and products are making a difference in the lives of consumers, their families and the providers who treat them.

Tonic has dual headquarters in the US (Philadelphia) and UK (London). For more information about Tonic Life Communications, contact Global CEO Maryellen Royle at [email protected] and visit the company's website at toniclc.com.

Tonic is part of Huntsworth Health, a global family of best-in-class agency brands with expertise in strategic analysis and planning, medical communications, interactive marketing, branding and brand awareness, advertising and marketing communications, public relations, and sales training and development. Huntsworth Health has offices in Auckland, Dubai, London, New York, Philadelphia, San Diego, San Francisco, Shanghai, and Singapore and has access to 70 offices in 31 countries through the Huntsworth plc global network.

Contact: Kimberly Davidow, 215-928-2349, [email protected]

SOURCE Tonic Life Communications

Related Links

http://www.toniclc.com


PHOENIX, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Troxell, a national leader in education technology and collaboration solutions for more than 60 years, is happy to announce Deborah McClain as the new Account Executive for the San Francisco Territory. She will work closely with school districts to improve their schools by bringing in the best education technology solutions available. Deborah is taking over the territory from Mike Rayburn, who recently retired from the company after working in the AV industry for 42 years.

"I am excited to be part of the Troxell team and help provide schools with the best current education solutions on the market," said Deborah McClain. "I look forward to helping San Francisco's children enhance their learning through technology."

"We are excited to have Deb join the Troxell family," said Clint Knudsen, Regional Vice President of Troxell's West Zone. "Her industry knowledge and skills will be an excellent complement to our organization. We are confident our clientele will benefit from her dedication to stellar customer service and knowledge in providing cutting edge solutions to meet their needs. She is a proven professional in our market. Consequently, we anticipate a continued strong relationship with our customers in the San Francisco territory."

Deborah McClain has been working with Troxell for over twenty years on the manufacturing side of the AV industry. Working for four major manufacturers as a Regional Sales Manager in our industry taught her how important it is to always listen to her customers' needs. She is so pleased to have joined Troxell this past June and will be taking over a territory right in her back yard. Deborah had originally started her career as a Pre-School teacher, and she is excited to continue helping children get the best tools they need to further their education.

You may contact Deborah McClain at her office phone: (800)578-8858 x4313, her mobile phone: (650)441-2464, and her email [email protected].

About Troxell

Headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, Troxell is the nation's leading end-to-end solution provider for technology and collaborative solutions in K-12 and higher ed. With 65 offices nationwide, we combine large-scale purchasing power with the high-touch, consultative approach of a local specialist. Find a location near you.

For Press Inquiries Contact: Raigan Irwin-McCabe, VP of Marketing

SOURCE Troxell

Related Links

http://www.etroxell.com


"ENGIE offers consumers a variety of renewable energy offerings as part of our commitment to a decentralized and decarbonized energy future, and community solar is a key component of that," said Vikram Kulkarni, vice president of solar for ENGIE Resources. "This collaborative project adds valuable renewable energy to the grid while allowing our customers, including businesses, nonprofits, public entities, residents and even renters to 'go green' and save money with nothing on their roof or property."

The alliance leverages CEC's expertise in developing and operating community solar projects and ENGIE's vast reach providing retail energy services to immediately open the benefits of community solar to a large base of residential, commercial and municipal energy users across Massachusetts. CEC led the development of the projects, while the two collaborators will jointly own and operate the 16 community solar projects currently constructed and interconnected in Eversource and National Grid territories, delivering more than 22.1 megawatts of locally-generated clean energy, which is equivalent to offsetting energy consumption for 5,000 residential homes each year with a clean carbon-free source. Combined with previous projects, CEC continues to be the largest developer of community solar within Massachusetts, bringing long-term project management and customer expertise to the portfolio. A large percentage of the projects is already directly benefitting ENGIE's Massachusetts customers through its residential retail brand, Think Energy, and its commercial, industrial and municipal energy supplier, ENGIE Resources.

"Combining the expertise of these two leading companies on a community solar portfolio of this magnitude is a win-win for Massachusetts energy consumers," said Paul Spencer, Clean Energy Collective's founder and CEO. "ENGIE has an excellent track record meeting growing consumer demand for affordable renewable energy while delivering an incomparable customer experience."

Distributed energy generation via community solar delivers significant economic and operational advantages that directly benefit energy consumers, utilities and local communities, including decades of property tax revenues for towns, lease payments to land owners, millions of dollars of construction investment, short and long-term job creation from construction and maintenance and long-term energy savings for area businesses and residential customers. It also brings the source of power generation closer to customers and consumption, eliminating costly losses from long transmission lines and giving consumers the ability to benefit from renewable resources built in their local communities.

ENGIE's participation further demonstrates its confidence in community solar as a model poised for exponential growth, and CEC's and ENGIE's combined expertise on these initial 16 projects paves the way for bringing new innovations to this rapidly growing and changing industry.

About ENGIE

ENGIE manages a range of energy businesses in the United States and Canada, including electricity generation and cogeneration, natural gas and liquefied natural gas (LNG) distribution and sales, retail energy sales, and comprehensive services to help customers run their facilities more efficiently and optimize energy use and expense. Nearly 100 percent of the company's power generation is low carbon emissions or carbon free. Nationally, ENGIE is the fourth-largest non-residential retail electricity supplier, serving customers in 14 markets. Globally, ENGIE is present in 70 countries and employs 153,090 people, including 1,000 researchers in 11 R&D centers. For more information, please visit http://www.engie-na.com, @ENGIENorthAm, and http://www.engie.com.

About Clean Energy Collective

Clean Energy Collective (CEC) is the nation's leading developer of community solar solutions. CEC pioneered the model of delivering clean power-generation through medium-scale solar PV facilities accessible to all utility customers. Since establishing the country's first community-owned solar array near El Jebel, Colorado in 2010, CEC has built or has under development more than 175 RooflessSolar projects with 33 utility partners across 17 states, serving thousands of customers, and representing more than 400 MW of community solar capacity. CEC is also the leading provider of community solar software and services to the utility, development and financial industries through its Community Solar Platform. Visit http://www.cleanenergyco.com for more information.

SOURCE ENGIE North America

Related Links

http://www.engie.com


LOS ANGELES, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- USC Shoah Foundation Center for Advanced Genocide Research, in collaboration with the USC Digital Humanities Program, will host an international conference in October that will focus on the opportunities and challenges presented by the advancement of digital technologies.

"Digital Approaches to Genocide Studies" will feature scholars from a variety of disciplines to examine the relationships between digital methodologies, practices, ethics and contemporary Holocaust and genocide research.

The two-day conference will be held on October 23-24 at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, California. At the conference, leading and emerging scholars will investigate and debate the ways in which digital tools and methods, new media, and information technologies can help raise new questions, improve understanding, deepen analysis and pioneer new approaches in Holocaust and genocide studies.

Researchers will discuss a range of topics, from the ethical ramifications of vlogging, taking selfies and playing Pokemon at Auschwitz-Birkenau Memorial and Museum to using Geographic Information Systems to study family arrests and separations during the Holocaust in Italy.

"Our conference will bring together international cutting-edge interdisciplinary research on digital methods that will open new avenues for our understanding of the Holocaust and other genocides. The scholars who gather there will explore the tension between the potential and the limits of digital approaches and tools," said Wolf Gruner, the founding director of the Center for Advanced Genocide Research.

Among the topics to be discussed by the two dozen scholars from Australia, Great Britain, Canada, Germany, Poland, France and the United States in attendance will include

Social Media, Genocide Commemoration and Augmented Reality;





The Capacities of Geographic Information Systems for Analyzing Holocaust Spaces;





Mapping Social Networks and Personal Experience.

There will also be a discussion on New Dimensions in Testimony, USC Shoah Foundation's groundbreaking technology that enables people to have lifelike conversation with a recording of a Holocaust survivor long into the future.

"I am delighted that Shoah Foundation will hold this conference on 'Digital Approaches to Genocide Research," said Peter C. Mancall, divisional dean for the humanities and the principal investigator for this Mellon-sponsored digital humanities program. "We aim to understand how to use digital tools to advance comprehension of pressing issues. This conference will offer cutting-edge approaches to our understanding of the terror of genocide."

To learn more about and register for the conference, visit: https://sfi.usc.edu/cagr/conferences/2017_international.

For updates, subscribe to the Center's monthly newsletter on its website: cagr.usc.edu.

About USC Shoah Foundation

USC Shoah Foundation  The Institute for Visual History and Education is dedicated to making audio- visual interviews with survivors and other witnesses of the Holocaust and other genocides, a compelling voice for education and action. The Institute's current collection of 55,000 eyewitness testimonies contained within its Visual History Archive preserves history as told by the people who lived it, and lived through it. Housed at the University of Southern California, within the Dana and David Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences, the Institute works with partners around the world to advance scholarship and research, to provide resources and online tools for educators, and to disseminate the testimonies for educational purposes.

Contact: Josh Grossberg 213-740-6065

[email protected]

Rob Kuznia 213-740-0965

[email protected]

SOURCE USC Shoah Foundation
SAN DIEGO, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ViaCyte, Inc., a privately-held, leading regenerative medicine company, today announced upcoming scientific presentations. ViaCyte is developing novel stem cell-derived islet replacement therapies for insulin-requiring diabetes. ViaCyte's product candidates have the potential to provide a functional cure for patients with type 1 diabetes as well as an important therapy for patients with type 2 diabetes who depend on insulin to help control their disease.

Details of the presentations are as follows:

Event: Baylor College of Medicine MSTP 40th Anniversary Celebration & Scientific Symposium Speaker: Howard Foyt, MD, PhD, Vice President, Clinical Development and Chief Medical Officer of ViaCyte Date/Time: September 15, 9:30 am CT Location: Houston, Texas Event: Canadian Transplant Society and Cell Transplant & Regenerative Medicine Society Joint Scientific Meeting Speaker: Alan Agulnick, PhD, Director, Cell Engineering Date/Time: September 28, 7:00 am AT Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada Event: Mayo Clinic Regenerative Diabetes Program: International Conference on Islet Regeneration and Replacement Speaker: Dr. Foyt Date/Time: September 30, 10:15 am CT Location: Rochester, Minnesota Event: 43rd Annual Conference of the International Society for Pediatric and Adolescent Diabetes Speaker: Dr. Foyt Date/Time: October 18, 4:15 pm DST Location: Innsbruck, Austria

For more information about ViaCyte's participation in industry events, please visit: http://viacyte.com/news-events-2/viactye-events/

About ViaCyte

ViaCyte is a privately-held regenerative medicine company developing novel cell replacement therapies as potential long-term diabetes treatments to reduce the risk of hypoglycemia and diabetes-related complications. ViaCyte's product candidates are based on the derivation of pancreatic progenitor cells from stem cells, which are then implanted in durable and retrievable cell delivery devices. Once implanted and matured, these cells are designed to secrete insulin and other pancreatic hormones in response to blood glucose levels. ViaCyte has two products in clinical development. The PEC-Direct product candidate delivers the pancreatic progenitor cells in a non-immunoprotective device and is being developed for type 1 diabetes patients who have hypoglycemia unawareness, extreme glycemic lability, and/or recurrent severe hypoglycemic episodes. The PEC-Encap (also known as VC-01) product candidate delivers the same pancreatic progenitor cells in an immunoprotective device and is being developed for all patients with diabetes, type 1 and type 2, who use insulin. ViaCyte is headquartered in San Diego, California. The Company is funded in part by the California Institute for Regenerative Medicine (CIRM) and JDRF. For more information on ViaCyte, please visit www.viacyte.com and connect with ViaCyte on Twitter and Facebook.

SOURCE ViaCyte, Inc.

Related Links

http://www.viacyte.com


WASHINGTON, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- U.S. Sen. Mark Warner, Virginia Governor Terry McAuliffe, and author Margot Lee-Shetterly are among the dignitaries honoring Katherine Johnson, former NASA employee and central character of the book and movie Hidden Figures, at 1 p.m. Sept. 22 at NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia.

They will join Hampton Mayor Donnie Tuck and Langley Center Director David Bowles in cutting the ribbon to officially open the center's new Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility, a state-of-the-art lab for innovative research and development supporting NASA's exploration missions.

The event will air live on NASA Television and the agency's website. Media wishing to attend must contact Michael Finneran of the Langley communications office at 757-864-6110 or [email protected].

Johnson, 99, will attend and participate in photo opportunities, but will not be available for interviews. A prerecorded message from her will be aired during the ceremony and a statement will be read.

Johnson was a "human computer" at Langley who calculated trajectories for America's first spaceflights in the 1960s. The retired mathematician was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation's highest civilian honor, in 2015. Her contributions and those of other NASA African-American human computers are chronicled in the 2016 movie Hidden Figures, based on Lee-Shetterly's book of the same name. She worked at Langley from 1953 until she retired in 1986.

For more about Johnson, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/content/katherine-johnson-biography

The Katherine G. Johnson Computational Research Facility (CRF) is a $23-million, 37,000-square-foot, energy efficient structure that consolidates five Langley data centers and more than 30 server rooms. The facility will enhance NASA's efforts in modeling and simulation, big data, and analysis. Much of the work now done by wind tunnels eventually will be performed by computers like those at the CRF.

For more information about Langley Research Center, visit:

https://www.nasa.gov/langley

SOURCE NASA

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PLAYA VISTA, Calif., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The Wallis Annenberg PetSpace today announced the launch of its public workshop series "Animal Matters," featuring top experts in human-animal studies. Approximately 68% of homes in the USA include a pet, and dogs and cats are the #1 and #2 most Googled topics on animals, yet there is no public forum to discuss the science behind the human-animal relationship. With its core mission to strengthen and celebrate the human-animal bond with the broader public, this inaugural lecture will be held on September 21st at 7PM at Wallis Annenberg PetSpace. Cost to attend is $25. The panel discussion will be live streamed via YouTube for those not local to Los Angeles.

The panel of experts includes Dr. Greger Larson, who studies the origins of animal domestication. Dr. Eric Strauss specializes in the human-animal interface in urban settings. Dr. Naomi Sykes studies the changing relationships between humans and animals through time. Each will present new directions in research and understanding regarding the human-dog relationship, and conclude with an audience Q&A.

The panelists will cover the fascinating subject "Everything (we wish we knew) about dogs and people." The addition of pets as family members in urban homes seems totally natural to us today, and yet it is a very recent phenomenon. These three distinguished scholars will discuss and answer questions about how little we really know about the history and evolution of dogs and humans together.

The Panelists:

Greger Larson, Director, Paleogenomics and Bio-Archeology Research Network, School of Archaeology, University of Oxford received his bachelor's degree in 1996 from Claremont McKenna College, and studied at Oxford and the University of Colorado before receiving his Ph.D. in Zoology in 2006. Dr. Larson has recently moved to Oxford University to become the Director of the Palaeogenomics & Bio-Archeology Research Network, where he is continuing his focus on the use of ancient DNA to study the pattern and process of domestication. He has said, "By using two levels of biological organization (the genome and the size and the shape), we are starting to infer the general pattern of what happened  how wolves became dogs. And armed with that information, we are trying to work out the process, which is how did that whole process actually take place?" His work has been featured in the NY Times, Science Magazine, and in WAMC's Academic Minute.

Eric Strauss, President's Professor of Biology, Executive Director, LMU center for Urban Resilience, Loyola Marymount University serves as President's Professor of Biology at Loyola Marymount University and executive director of the LMU Center for Urban Resilience (CURes). His research includes collaborative long-term studies of coyotes, white tailed deer, crows, turtles, and other vertebrates, and the appropriate management responses to wildlife problems and zoonotic disease. Dr. Strauss has stated, "There are very fundamental questions that we haven't even begun to approach in our understanding of animals. What are the attitudes that people have about their pets? What draws them to their pets? And how does this change throughout their lifetime? And this is central to creating this healthy relationship which becomes a human-animal bond, and leads to healthy communities." He has co-written multi-media textbooks in biology and urban ecology as well as hosting multiple video series on the life sciences and ecology. Dr. Strauss received his B.S. in Mass Communication from Emerson College and Ph.D. in Biology from Tufts University, The University of Massachusetts Boston, and Boston College.

Naomi Sykes, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, Department of Archaeology, University of Nottingham has multiple degrees at the Institute of Archaeology (London) and received her Ph.D from the University of Southampton before taking a lectureship at Cardiff (Wales). Her research focusses on the global dynamics, cultural meaning and impact of human-animal-environment interactions over the last 10,000 years. She has said, "If you want to understand people, look to their relationship with animals. Pet keeping as we know it is not a universal of human societies and, by examining changing attitudes to companion animals, we can learn a lot about ourselves." Her work includes "Beastly Questions: Animal Answers to Archaeological Issues," and she has been featured in the Washington Post.

Each panelist is a Fellow of the Wallis Anneneberg PetSpace Leadership Institute. The Leadership Institute was created to encourage and facilitate interdisciplinary scholarship, high-level policy discourse, and public education on the relationship between human beings and their domestic animals. Each Fellow comes from a varied background, including veterinary medicine, sociology, cognitive science, zoology, animal behavior, history, genomics, and urban ecology, and more, and will shape the Annenberg PetSpace programming.

About Annenberg PetSpace

Annenberg PetSpace, opened June 24th, 2017, is the first destination of its kind with a combined focus on pet adoption, education, and thought leadership. At Annenberg PetSpace, pet lovers of all ages can play, adopt, learn and grow. Upcoming programs include National Guide Dog Month Special Happening with Melissa Billingsley, RVT who is a Canine Companions for Independence Puppy Raiser and hearing dog recipient. October events include a pet photography workshop with Michael Brian Photography, and the sophomore Animal Matters Lecture with expert dog trainer Joel Silverman, "The Art of Dog Training". Demos and Happenings occur daily. Learn more at https://annenbergpetspace.org/events .

For information on adoption, volunteering, programs, hours, and more, visit annenbergpetspace.org. The mobile app is also now available on the iTunes App Store; Android App launches in Q3 of 2017.

Contact for Wallis Annenberg PetSpace:

Jan Sarah Sink, Annenberg PetSpace Digital Marketing Coordinator

[email protected]

(424) 384-1801 x 2006

SOURCE Wallis Annenberg PetSpace

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MEMPHIS, Tenn., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- West Cancer Center and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), in partnership with St Jude Children's Research Hospital are proud and excited to announce the appointment of D. Neil Hayes, MD, MPH, as the Scientific Director of the UT-West Institute for Cancer Research, and the Van Vleet Endowed Professor in Medical Oncology in the Department of Medicine (Division of Hematology-Oncology) with secondary appointments in the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics (GGI) and the Department of Preventive Medicine in the College of Medicine (COM) of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC). Through these leadership roles and appointments, Dr. Hayes will direct and drive funding to lead scientific initiatives for discovery in translational research for the advancement of novel cancer treatment and therapies.

Dr. Hayes will assume direction of a $25 million dollar fund raised through the combined efforts of The West Cancer Center, University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Methodist Le Bonheur Health Care. He will utilize this fund to recruit additional scientists to the UT / West Institute for Cancer Research in service of a unique program of precision cancer medicine. West Cancer Center's ultimate goal is to become an NCI designated cancer center, which is anticipated to take seven to ten years with an additional investment of $100 million. "Dr. Hayes will lead the scientific research and discovery portion of this journey, specifically launching a program to recruit scientists focused on genomic research for the development of more personalized cancer care," replied Dr. Lee Schwartzberg, the Executive Director of the West Cancer Center.

The recruitment of Dr. Hayes was a collaboration between healthcare leaders within the partnership and St Jude Children's Research Hospital. "Our goal was to attract Neil because of his strong background in cancer genomics and his goal of moving genomic paradigms to clinical decision making. This molecular focus that involves bringing the result to the patient is the forefront of precision/personalized medicine in cancer and other areas. He will be the focus of this approach on the UTHSC campus and at West Cancer Center," stated Dr. David Stern, Robert Kaplan Executive Dean for the College of Medicine at UTHSC.

Dr. Hayes most recently served as co-leader of the University of North Carolina (UNC) Lineberger Clinical Research Program, Professor in the Division of Hematology/Oncology and the Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Cancer Surgery, and director of Clinical Bioinformatics at UNC. During his tenure at UNC Lineberger  a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center  Dr. Hayes successfully garnered over $40 million dollars in cancer research grants and funding, while simultaneously developing one of the most productive clinical trial programs for head and neck cancer in the nation. More broadly, Dr. Hayes currently is in his 10th year as a leader in efforts surrounding the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the pivotal genomic sequencing project of the decade. His most notable accomplishments in this area include co-leading the sequencing of RNA for most of the project, and a senior role in more than 20 manuscripts reported in Cell, Nature, and the New England Journal. Dr. Hayes lists over 120 peer-reviewed manuscripts in the last decade in the field of cancer research and is most proud of his trainee record including more than 30 students and post-doctoral fellows. While at UNC Lineberger Clinical Research Program, Dr. Hayes began work in molecular profiling in lung and head and neck cancer that shows a wide range of potential clinical utility, including the ability to predict clinical outcomes for which there are currently no existing clinical diagnostic tests

Dr. Hayes will share his expertise with the next generation of cancer providers and scientists at UTHSC, where he will have a primary appointment as a professor in the Department of Internal Medicine, Division of Hematology/Oncology, and secondary appointments as a professor in the Department of Genetics, Genomics, and Informatics, and the Department of Preventive Medicine. In terms of his collaboration with St. Jude, Dr. Hayes experience with gene expression and RNA analysis brings a unique skill set to the classification of tumors of any etiology. We look forward to collaborations that leverage both his specific expertise as well as his broad experience in genomics and team science. Board certified in medical oncology, hematology and internal medicine, Dr. Hayes earned his medical degree from the top-rated University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, NC. He completed his residency at Boston University School of Medicine and a clinical fellowship at Tufts England Medical Center, continuing his education with a postdoctoral fellowship at the NCI Designated Dana Farber Cancer Institute in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Hayes also holds a Master's of Public Health from Harvard School of Public Health and a Master's of Science from Tufts New England School of Medicine.

As he looks forward, however, Dr. Hayes stated his hopes to continue his work and pursue further cancer research initiatives at the UT/West Institute of Cancer Research with a hunger for revolutionary discovery. "While I stand proudly behind a record of success in my years at UNC, my enthusiasm for the future dwarfs the accomplishments to date."

About the University of Tennessee/ West Institute for Cancer Research

The University of Tennessee/ West Institute for Cancer Research is a not-for-profit public charity dedicated to raising funds for adult cancer research. Located in Memphis, TN, the UT/West Institute for Cancer Research solicits grants (from government agencies, foundations and individuals) to be utilized to broaden cutting-edge research programs, develop novel cancer treatments and therapeutics, and strengthen patient-focused care in all sectors of the community. Funds donated to the UT/West Institute are designated for research in five major areas of emphasis: Translational Drug Discovery and Development, Cancer Immunotherapy, Women's Cancers, Community Outcomes and WINGS Supportive Care. The generous philanthropy of our donors and benefactors provides the necessary funding for West Cancer Center researchers to create and produce the most effective therapies for cancer patients, with the collective goal of defeating cancer in its entirety.

About West Cancer Center

West Cancer Center delivers the best comprehensive cancer treatment in the Mid-South, delivering a complete continuum of care to over 30,000 individuals annually. A true leader in cancer research, West Cancer Center has a long standing commitment to providing patients access to clinical trials which includes Phase I through Phase III studies. Building on the 35 year legacy of West Clinic, West Cancer Center continues to provide comprehensive, compassionate care to the Mid-South area. This commitment is strengthened through a robust partnership with Methodist Healthcare and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center.

For more information, please visit: www.westcancercenter.org.

About University of Tennessee Health Science Center

As Tennessee's only public, statewide, academic health system, the mission of the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) is to bring the benefits of the health sciences to the achievement and maintenance of human health, with a focus on the citizens of Tennessee and the region, by pursuing an integrated program of education, research, clinical care, and public service. Offering a broad range of postgraduate and selected baccalaureate training opportunities, the main UTHSC campus is located in Memphis and includes six colleges: Dentistry, Graduate Health Sciences, Health Professions, Medicine, Nursing and Pharmacy. UTHSC also educates and trains cohorts of medicine, pharmacy and/or health professions students -- in addition to medical residents and fellows -- at its major sites in Knoxville, Chattanooga and Nashville. Founded in 1911, during its more than 100 years, UT Health Science Center has educated and trained more than 57,000 health care professionals in academic settings and health care facilities across the state. For more information, visit www.uthsc.edu. Follow us on Facebook: facebook.com/uthsc, on Twitter: twitter.com/uthsc and on Instagram: instagram.com/uthsc.

CONTACT:

West Cancer Center

Caitlin McCaskill

901.683.0055 ext. 61174

[email protected]

SOURCE West Cancer Center

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WELLESLEY, Mass., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Over the past year, 163 million women were starting businesses across 74 economies worldwidethis according to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2016/17 Women's Report released today with sponsors Babson College, Smith College, Korea Entrepreneurship Foundation, Tecnologico de Monterrey, Universidad Del Desarrollo, and Universiti Tun Abdul Razak.

"This not only shows the magnitude of impact women entrepreneurs have across the globe, but highlights the contribution they make toward the growth and well-being of their societies," said Babson College Professor and report co-author Donna Kelley. "Women entrepreneurs provide incomes for their families, employment for those in their communities, and products and services that bring new value to the world around them."

Among the 63 economies surveyed in both this and the last report, GEM found that Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA) among women increased by 10 percent, and the gender gap (ratio of women to men participating in entrepreneurship) narrowed by 5 percent.

These same economies show an 8 percent increase in women's ownership of established businesses, and a near 10 percent increase in women's opportunity perceptions across Europe, North America, and Asia.

The 2016/17 GEM Women's Report also adds a new considerationthat of women as entrepreneurial investors. While participation rates vary, the participation of women as investors suggests a strong resource foundation from which business owners may build.

GEM economies in the 2016/17 survey cover 69 percent of the world's population and 85 percent of the world's GDP. In its 18th consecutive year, GEM continues to serve as the largest and most comprehensive single study of entrepreneurship in the world.

According to the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) 2016/17 Women's Report:

Entrepreneurial intentions increased among women by 16 percent from 2014 to 2016 across all economies that participated in both this report and the previous one.

Although intentions increased globally, self-perceptions around opportunity and capability vary significantly between development levels.

57 percent of women in factor-driven economies believe there are good opportunities around them for starting a business, while only 39 percent of women in innovation-driven economies hold these same beliefs.

67 percent of women in the factor-driven group believe they have the capabilities to start a new venture. Under 35 percent of women in the innovation-driven group feel the same.

On average, women exhibit a 20 percent or greater likelihood of citing necessity as a motive for starting a new business when compared to men. However, opportunity still accounts for the majority of entrepreneurial motives.

In the innovation-driven group of economies, women are over three and a half times as likely to cite opportunity versus necessity motives.

Interestingly, GEM found that women entrepreneurs have a 5 percent greater likelihood of innovativeness compared to men. The highest level of innovation occurs in North America, where 38 percent of women report having innovative products and services.

Women in sub-Saharan Africa and Latin America are more likely than men to state they had exited a business in the past year, and around 56 percent cite either unprofitability or lack of finance as a reason. Discontinuance levels among women are lower than men in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, and North Americathis is consistent with lower startup levels compared to men in these regions.

Ten percent of all women entrepreneurs operate their businesses solely and have no intentions to add any employees in the next five years. Europe has the highest frequency of one-person female business activity, while North America has the lowest.

Sub-Saharan Africa maintains the highest regional average TEA rate and strong average growth expectations, which translates into a lot of employment by women entrepreneurs in this region.

The MENA region reports the highest average female growth expectations at 37 percent. Over half of the women entrepreneurs in UAE, Qatar, and Tunisia expect to hire six or more employees in the next five years. Moreover, women in Saudi Arabia and Morocco are more likely than men to have these ambitions.

North America shows the highest education rates among women entrepreneurs, with 84 percent having earned a post-secondary or higher education. Europe is notable for having more highly educated women than men entrepreneurs: 22 percent more, on average.

"Although the gender gap in education and labor force participation decreases at higher stages of economic development, we find that the entrepreneurial gender gap not only persists but increases," says Smith Economics Professor and report co-author, Mahnaz Mahdavi. "By providing entrepreneurial education, colleges and universities can improve women's competencies and increase their rate of business startup to more closely match that of men."

Women participate in entrepreneurship at equal or higher levels than men in Indonesia, Philippines, Vietnam, Mexico, and Brazil.

About the Report

Seventy-four economies are profiled in this report: 65 that participated in the 2016 GEM cycle, and nine that participated in 2015, but not in 2016. It provides both a broadly global and a comprehensively detailed foundation for guiding future research, policy decision making, and the design of initiatives and programs that can enhance awareness about women entrepreneurship. As such, this report brings a greater understanding of women's entrepreneurship to a diverse audience of researchers, policy makers, educators, and practitioners. Its ultimate aim is to foster recognition about the value women entrepreneurs bring to society and to bring about improvements in conditions that encourage and support their aspirations.

Report authors include Babson College Professor Donna Kelley; Smith College Assistant Professor Benjamin S. Baumer; Babson College Vice Provost of Global Entrepreneurial Leadership Candida Brush; Babson College Professor Patricia Greene; Smith College Professor Mahnaz Madavi; Associate Professor Madhi Majbouri; Assistant Director of Special Projects, Global Entrepreneurship Monitor Marcia Cole; Administrative Director of the Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center Monica Dean; and Program Director of the Conway Center Rene Heavlow.

"Smith College's participation as a report sponsor complements the new Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center's activities, and reflects the importance of Smith's involvement in research efforts showcasing the contributions women make globally to entrepreneurial activity," reported Monica Dean.

Key Findings

Entrepreneurial Activity

Total Entrepreneurial Activity (TEA)

Among 63 economies (out of 74) featured in both this report and the previous one issued two years prior, overall female TEA rates have increased by 10 percent and the gender gap (ratio of women to men participating in entrepreneurship) narrowed by 5 percent.

This continues the positive trend revealed in the previous report, which showed an average increase in female TEA rates of 7 percent and a narrowing of the gender gap by 6 percent over the prior two-year period among 61 economies.

The 74 economies examined in this report show substantial differences in women's TEA rates, ranging from 3 percent in Germany , Jordan , Italy , and France , to 37 percent in Senegal .

, , , and , to 37 percent in . In five of the economies, women participate at equal or higher levels than men.

These high-parity economies come from two regions: Asia ( Indonesia , Philippines , and Vietnam ) and Latin America ( Mexico and Brazil ).

( , , and ) and ( and ).

None of these economies are at the innovation-driven stage of development, where, on average, women start at 60 percent the rate of men.



The gender gap is greatest in Jordan , an efficiency-driven economy, where female entrepreneurship rates are about one-fourth the male level.

, an efficiency-driven economy, where female entrepreneurship rates are about one-fourth the male level. On average, at all development levels, women exhibit a 20 percent or greater likelihood of citing necessity motives compared to men.

However, opportunity motives account for the majority of entrepreneurs. Even in the factor-driven economies, there are over one and a half times as many opportunity as necessity entrepreneurs.



This is even more pronounced in the innovation-driven group, where women are over three and a half times as likely to cite opportunity versus necessity motives.

Entrepreneurial Intentions

Entrepreneurial intentions increased among women by 16 percent from 2014 to 2016 across the 63 economies participating in both this report and the previous one.

However, the gender gap is slightly narrower for entrepreneurial intentions than it is for TEA. This suggests that women's intentions are closer to that of men compared to TEA.



While not everyone's intentions translate into action, the implication is that more women than men may be dropping off in this transition between phases.

Established Business Ownership

Across these same economies, established business rates increased by 8 percent, on average.

Additionally, the gender ratio improved by 9 percent.



Like TEA, as economic development increases, established business activity among women declines and the gender gap increases.

However, while there is greater demand for entrepreneurship in developing economies than in developed economies, comparatively fewer enterprises have transitioned to the mature stage.

Women in innovation-driven economies, on the other hand, are less likely to start businesses than those in economies at earlier stages of economic development, but women who start are more likely to have sustainable businesses.

Established business ownership among women is lowest in MENA.

This region also reports the widest gender gap, where women are running established businesses at one-third the rate of men.

Latin America also exhibits a wide gender gap in established business activity, which contrasts with a relatively narrow gender gap in TEA.

also exhibits a wide gender gap in established business activity, which contrasts with a relatively narrow gender gap in TEA. The opposite effect can be seen in North America , which reports the narrowest regional gender gap in established business activity, despite showing a wide gap relative to men in TEA rates.

, which reports the narrowest regional gender gap in established business activity, despite showing a wide gap relative to men in TEA rates. In three Southeast Asian countriesThailand, Vietnam , and Indonesiaestablished business ownership rates among women are equal to or higher than TEA rates.

, and Indonesiaestablished business ownership rates among women are equal to or higher than TEA rates. Additionally, there are equal or greater proportions of established business owners among women compared to men.

Business Discontinuance

Relative to TEA, the highest level of exits per entrepreneur is in the factor-efficiency transition stage, where there are four exits for every ten women starting or running a new business.

This declines to a little over two exits for every ten female entrepreneurs in the innovation-driven economies.

The female discontinuance rate exceeds that of males at the first three levels of development, although only by about 10 percent more.

But given that women are less likely than men to be starting businesses, this means that, despite a smaller pool of businesses, there are more exits for women.



On the other hand, very few women in innovation-driven economies have exited businesses, and at only two-thirds the rate of men.

From a regional perspective, discontinuance is highest in sub-Saharan Africa, followed by Latin America .

. This is, of course, related to the fact that more women start businesses in these regions. But it appears that these women often struggle with unprofitability, and slightly more often than men.



Sub-Saharan Africa also cites the highest level of finance issues associated with closing a business, compared to other regions.

Entrepreneur Characteristics

Age

The highest participation in entrepreneurship among women can be seen in the 25-34 and 35-44 year olds.

This is true, on average, across the development levels and regional groups. It is also the case among men.



In general, the relationship between the genders with respect to entrepreneurship rates holds throughout the age groups, when viewing averages by development level and geographic region.

Education

While TEA rates tend to decline with development level, the proportion of entrepreneurs with a college or higher level of education increases. To some extent, this is reflective of the general population.

A small proportion of female entrepreneurs (14 percent) in the factor-driven stage have at least a college degree, while the majority (61 percent) of those in the innovation-driven stage have this level of education.

Parity with male entrepreneurs in education levels also increases with economic development.

In the factor-driven stage, women entrepreneurs are about two-thirds as likely as males to have a post-secondary degree or higher.



In the efficiency-driven and higher levels of economic development, women entrepreneurs are as likely, or more likely, to have reached this level of education.



North America shows the highest education rates among women entrepreneurs, with 84 percent having earned a post-secondary or higher education.

shows the highest education rates among women entrepreneurs, with 84 percent having earned a post-secondary or higher education.

Europe is notable for having more highly educated women than men entrepreneurs: 22 percent more, on average.

Attitudes and Affiliations

Opportunity Perceptions

Opportunity perceptions range from 57 percent of women in the factor-driven economies believing there were good opportunities around them, down to 39 percent holding these beliefs in the innovation-driven group.

The gender gap on this indicator is relatively narrow, however; overall, opportunity perceptions among women are at 90 percent of male perceptions.

Capability Perceptions

While 67 percent of those at the factor-driven stage believe they have the capabilities for starting businesses, this declines to just under 35 percent among the innovation-driven economies.

Additionally, the gender gap in capabilities perceptions is widest in the innovation-driven economies, at just over two-thirds the level reported in men.

Personal Affiliations with Entrepreneurs

Despite the high visibility of entrepreneurs in American culture, only 27 percent of women in this country know one.

A similar percentage is reported in Europe .

. In contrast, over half the women in sub-Saharan Africa personally know an entrepreneur.

What appears to stimulate personal connections are simply the presence of entrepreneurs in one's community. In the lower economic development levels, with high TEA rates, more than half of women know an entrepreneur personally. This declines to just over 30 percent in the innovation-driven group.

Impact

Self-Employment

On average, across the entire sample, 10 percent of women entrepreneurs operated their businesses solely and had no intentions to add any employees in the next five years.

In over three-fourths of the economies, women were as likely, or more likely, than men to have self-employment businesses.

Europe has the highest frequency of one-person female business activity, while North America , containing two advanced economies, has the lowest.

has the highest frequency of one-person female business activity, while , containing two advanced economies, has the lowest. In Netherlands , half of the women entrepreneurs were operating solely, nearly two and a half times the frequency of men in this country.

Growth Expectations

Across the regions, the lowest average female growth expectations can be found in Latin America .

. While there are many entrepreneurs in this region, proportionately few expect to grow their businesses.



Additionally, there is a wide gender gap, with growth expectations barely reaching 60 percent of the male level.

Interestingly, although sub-Saharan Africa also has a wide gender gap on this indicator, average growth expectations are higher than in Latin America .

. Together with the highest regional average TEA rate, this translates to a lot of employment by entrepreneurs in this region.

The MENA region reports the highest average female growth expectations at 37 percent, and with the highest gender parity, where women with growth expectations are just under 80 percent of the male rate.

Over half of the women entrepreneurs in UAE, Qatar and Tunisia expect to hire six or more employees in the next five years. Moreover, women in Saudi Arabia and Morocco are more likely than men to have these ambitions.

Innovation

Innovation levels increase with economic development, with the innovation-driven economies exhibiting a substantial jump from the other development levels.

Overall, innovation represents the indicator with the greatest female-to-male gender ratio; across all 74 economies, women entrepreneurs have a 5 percent greater likelihood of innovativeness compared to men.

The highest level of innovation occurs in North America , where 38 percent of women report having innovative products and services.

, where 38 percent of women report having innovative products and services. In sub-Saharan Africa, on the other hand, 18 percent of women state their offerings are innovative. Yet both regions, as well as Europe , show gender parity.

, show gender parity. Among entrepreneurs in MENA, women not only report high innovation levels, but are 60 percent more likely than men to state their offerings are innovative, with seven of the ten countries in this region reporting higher innovation levels among female than male entrepreneurs.

Internationalization

The level of international sales varies dramatically, spanning from zero or less than 1 percent in three Latin American countries ( Brazil , Guatemala , and Ecuador ) and three Asian countries ( Malaysia , Thailand , and Vietnam ) to over three-fourths of women entrepreneurs in the UAE and over half in Saudi Arabia .

, , and ) and three Asian countries ( , , and ) to over three-fourths of women entrepreneurs in the UAE and over half in . On average, more than one-fifth of women entrepreneurs in innovation-driven economies state that 25 percent or more of their sales are to customers outside their economies. This is four times the level of the factor-driven group.

Regionally, only 6 percent of sub-Saharan African women entrepreneurs are internationally-oriented, and this is somewhat more than half the level of men. On the other hand, 29 percent of women entrepreneurs in MENA are considered international, and at a higher rate than men.

Industry

Wholesale/retail trade accounts for about 60 percent of female entrepreneurial activity among the first three development levels.

By comparison, at the highest level of developmentamong the innovation-driven economiesonly one-third of women entrepreneurs compete in this sector.



This is fairly consistent with male participation in this sector; across the entire sample, women entrepreneurs are just 16 percent more likely to be starting wholesale/retail businesses.

Over half of women entrepreneurs in the innovation-driven group are in government, health, education, and social services.

This is the business category that women entrepreneurs dominate relative to men at all development levels.



On average across the entire sample, they are two and one-fourth times more likely to be starting in this sector.

Where women are less likely to be seen in the entrepreneurship ranks, is in the ICT sector. Overall, fewer than 2 percent are starting business here, amounting to a little more than one-fourth that of males on average.

Entrepreneurial Investors

Overall, 4.6 percent of women in the 74 economies provided finance to entrepreneurs in the past three years.

This ranges from 1 percent in Morocco to 16 percent in Cameroon .

to 16 percent in .

Entrepreneurial investment in the innovation-driven economies is a little more than one third the level reported in the factor-driven group.

While male investment rates also decline with economic development level, this decrease is not as steep as it is for female investors, leaving a wider gender gap with higher levels of development.

Overall, women invest in entrepreneurs at less than two-thirds the rate of men.

About 5 percent of women in North America , Latin America , MENA, and Asia have personally provided funds to entrepreneurs.

, , MENA, and have personally provided funds to entrepreneurs. The other two regions, however, show contrasting results. Only 3.5 percent of women are entrepreneurial investors in Europe , while 9 percent in sub-Saharan Africa have funded entrepreneurs.

About the Global Entrepreneurship Monitor

The Global Entrepreneurship Monitor (GEM) was initiated in 1999 as a joint venture of Babson College and the London Business School. It has gained widespread recognition as the most authoritative longitudinal study of entrepreneurship in the world and accomplishes this effort through the collaborative work of a consortium of national teams consisting of academic researchers from across the globe. Each national team oversees an annual survey of at least 2,000 working-age adults (ages 18 to 64). Starting with just ten developed economies in 1999, the project has grown to involve more than 100 economies over 18 annual cycles. GEM is unique because, unlike most entrepreneurship data sets that measure newer and smaller firms, GEM studies the behavior of individuals with respect to starting and managing businesses. At a time in history when individual entrepreneurial activity may hold the key to transforming the global economy and discouraging ingrained economic disparity in countries with minimal economic opportunity, GEM data has influenced national economic policies and continues to expand its collaborative role. For more information, follow GEM on Twitter.

About Smith College

Since its founding in 1871, Smith College has educated women of promise for lives of distinction. One of the largest women's colleges in the United States and the first to offer an accredited engineering program, Smith links the power of the liberal arts to excellence in research and scholarship, developing engaged global citizens and leaders for society's contemporary challenges. Smith educates women to understand the complexity of human history and the variety of the world's cultures through engagement with social, political, aesthetic and scientific issues.

About the Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center at Smith College

Smith College's Jill Ker Conway Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center is an intellectual hub that challenges students, faculty and staff to develop innovative solutions to pressing problems. A catalyst for the acceleration of innovation and entrepreneurial activity at Smith, the Center provides students with tools and experiences to become business leaders, entrepreneurs and innovators. Similarly, the Center provides faculty and staff with resources to facilitate innovative and entrepreneurial activity. The Center hosts and facilitates a slate of programs and activities focused on creative thinking, problem solving and interdisciplinary teamwork.

About Babson College

Babson College is the educator, convener, and thought leader for Entrepreneurship of All Kinds. The top-ranked college for entrepreneurship education, Babson is a dynamic living and learning laboratory where students, faculty, and staff work together to address the real-world problems of business and society. We prepare the entrepreneurial leaders our world needs most: those with strong functional knowledge and the skills and vision to navigate change, accommodate ambiguity, surmount complexity, and motivate teams in a common purpose to make a difference in the world, and have an impact on organizations of all sizes and types. As we have for nearly a half-century, Babson continues to advance Entrepreneurial Thought & Action as the most positive force on the planet for generating sustainable economic and social value.

SOURCE Babson College

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"Dave is a world-class sales leader whose experience and track record of success in enterprise software will help us achieve our ambitious goals and bold vision for the future," said Howard Lerman, co-founder and CEO of Yext. "Dave will be critical in accomplishing our mission of bringing digital knowledge management to businesses around the globe."

Prior to joining Yext, Lehman was Chief Revenue Officer of Campaign Monitor, where he doubled the company's bookings in the first twelve months, and led sales and customer success at Captora. Lehman was Vice President of Commercial Sales at Salesforce, where he founded the company's office in Chicago, growing it by 400 people in two years, and specialized in delivering solutions to midsize and small businesses. He has also held key leadership roles at PureSense and HP Autonomy. Lehman earned his degree in Mechanical Engineering at MIT.

"Digital knowledge management has the potential to truly transform the way businesses around the world reach and engage their customers, and we need the best possible leadership in order to achieve that vision," said Jim Steele, President and Chief Revenue Officer of Yext. "Dave has an outstanding background in technology and sales, and he brings us invaluable insights into small business and midmarket strategy. We are proud to welcome him to the team."

"Yext is pioneering a new and revolutionary technology category that fills a serious need for businesses as the world of intelligent search advances," said Dave Lehman. "The opportunity for small and mid-sized businesses to benefit from digital knowledge management is enormous. I am looking forward to joining this world-class team to drive further growth at such an exciting company."

Lehman joins the Yext team at a crucial moment, following key developments including Yext's expansion into Japan the launch of the Yext App Directory earlier this year.

About Yext

Yext puts business on the map. Yext is defining a new category called digital knowledge management, which helps businesses manage all of the public facts that they want consumers to know across the digital ecosystem. The Yext Knowledge Engine lets companies manage their digital knowledge in the cloud and sync it to over 100 services in the PowerListings Network. Yext Listings, Pages, and Reviews help businesses around the globe facilitate face-to-face and digital interactions that boost brand awareness, drive foot traffic, and increase sales.

SOURCE Yext

Related Links

http://www.yext.com


"There is always some trepidation when you enter a new competition," says Yolo Rum founder Philip Guerin. "But we're proud of our rum, we think it stacks up against any rum in the world and it's gratifying when an outside, legitimate source confirms that belief."

The New York World Wine and Spirits Competition (NYWWSC), the San Francisco International Wine Competition and the San Francisco World Spirits Competition are considered the "Triple Crown" of contests of their kind. Judges for the NYWWSC come from the ranks of the top food and beverage buyers, beverage directors, writers, educators, columnists, sommeliers, chefs and U.S. Bartenders Guild mixologists.

With its wins at NYWWSC, Yolo Rum continues an impressive, award-winning run at industry expositions and competitions. Yolo Rum has received multiple Best-of-Class wins from Spirits of the Americas, won multiple gold medals at the Denver International Spirits Competition and taken home more gold medals at the Miami Rum Renaissance Festival. Now they add three more medals to the trophy case.

At the heart of the Yolo Rum operation is master distiller Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez. Born in Cuba and operating out of the Republic of Panama, Don Pancho is the world's most-respected and honored ronero (that's "rum blender," for the layman). The recipient of hundreds of awards, Francisco "Don Pancho" Fernandez is acclaimed worldwide as the ultimate practitioner of his craft and recognized as a man who elevates the trade of rum making to high art. Yolo Rums are gluten free, with no added sugar or molasses and no artificial colors, flavors or preservatives, and the company produces its products using revolutionary environmentally sustainable processes. Offering boutique quality at exceptional value, Yolo Rum is the ideal synthesis of ancient crafts and modern tastes.

SOURCE Yolo Rum

Related Links

http://www.yolorum.com


COLUMBIA, Md., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- ZTE, a leading global mobile device maker, will demonstrate the world's first smartphone with download speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps at Mobile World Congress Americas 2017 in San Francisco. Utilizing the R&S CMWflexx test platform from Rohde & Schwarz, on-site visitors will witness a successful test of download speeds reaching up to 1 Gbps on the ZTE Gigabit Phone.

The R&S CMWflexx system can measure data throughput exceeding 1 Gbps in the downlink

The ZTE Gigabit Phone, powered by the QualcommSnapdragon 835 mobile platform with an integrated Snapdragon X16 LTE modem, utilizes a combination of carrier aggregation, 4x4 MIMO antenna technology, and 256QAM modulation to achieve LTE download speeds that are up to ten times faster than first generation LTE devices. It is the cornerstone of ZTE, introducing gigabit data rates to 4G networks and providing worldwide carriers with pre-5G solutions.

The revolutionary gigabit phone technology will be showcased using the R&S CMWflexx system from Rohde & Schwarz. The R&S CMWflexx system measures data throughput exceeding 1 Gbps in the downlink by combining three downlink carriers, two of which use 4X4 MIMO and the third 2X2 MIMO. All three carriers use 256QAM modulation. The R&S CMWflexx test solution offers fast and accurate results and is sufficiently flexible to support a number of other key applications such as Cat M1 (eMTC), Cat NB1 (NB-IoT), LAA, 8X4 MIMO DL MIMO and shown data throughput up to 2 Gbps.

"The R&S CMWflexx is based on the R&S CMW500, the world's most widely used T&M platform for development, production and service of mobile phones and devices. It meets all of the requirements for a state-of-the-art wireless communication tester, and has the flexibility to meet the testing needs of high-speed gigabit devices," said Mike Thorpe, Product Manager Wireless Device Test at Rohde & Schwarz USA, Inc. "We are looking forward to seeing the ZTE Gigabit Phone reach unprecedented download speeds at MWC Americas."

"We are proud to introduce the world's first smartphone with download speeds up to 1 Gbps. This device and others to come will change the way people communicate and live their daily lives," said Jeff Yee, VP, Product Marketing & Strategy, ZTE Mobile Devices. "Using the R&S CMW500 test platform, we are excited to showcase our Gigabit Phone and our expertise in 5G and pre-5G mobile broadband solutions at Mobile World Congress Americas."

To see the live demo of the Gigabit Phone, visit the ZTE booth, located in Hall South Stand S.342, at Mobile World Congress Americas 2017, to be held in San Francisco from Sept. 12 to 14, 2017.

More Rohde & Schwarz 5G test solutions can be seen at Mobile World Congress Americas in Hall North Stand N.1360.

Press Contacts:

North America: Keith Cobler, Phone: +1 214 663 6394, E-mail: [email protected]

Contacts for Readers:

Customer Support North America: +1 888 TEST RSA (+1 888 837 87 72)

[email protected]

About ZTE Mobile Devices

ZTE Mobile Devices is a division of ZTE Corporation, a global telecommunications equipment, networks and mobile devices company headquartered in Shenzhen, China. ZTE is a publicly traded company listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen stock exchanges. ZTE has partnered with 231 major carriers, including the world's top 50 carriers around the globe. ZTE has ranked No. 3 for six consecutive years in terms of the number of PCT international patents applied for since 2011.

As one of the world's leading smart devices makers, ZTE has been engaged in the research, development, and manufacturing of mobile phones since 1998, with 19 years of history. ZTE is doing business in more than 160 countries and regions globally. For more information, please visit: www.ztedevice.com/

Rohde & Schwarz

The Rohde & Schwarz electronics group offers innovative solutions in all fields of wireless communications as well as in IT security. Founded more than 80 years ago, the independent company has an extensive sales and service network with subsidiaries and representatives in more than 70 countries. On June 30, 2016, Rohde & Schwarz had approximately 10,000 employees. The group achieved a net revenue of approximately EUR 1.92 billion in the 2015-2016 fiscal year (July to June). The company is headquartered in Munich, Germany, and also has strong regional hubs in Asia and the USA.

R&S  is a registered trademark of Rohde & Schwarz GmbH & Co. KG.

All press releases, including photos for downloading, are available on the internet at http://www.press.rohde-schwarz.com.

SOURCE Rohde & Schwarz
Montana Rail Link (MRL) is proud and honored to be celebrating 30 years of railroading. On behalf of our 1,100 employees, we thank our customers, suppliers and other business partners who have been integral to our operations from MRLs beginning in 1987 and continue to be vital to our success. We would especially like to thank our 125 Montana-based customers and the BNSF Railway for their continued support.

MRLs success was built upon the shoulders of hard-working men and women who knew from Day One that they were part of something special. What a journey it has been over the past 30 years. Our core principles have guided us since 1987. Fairness, integrity, respect, safety and trust are as important to us today as they were on Oct. 31, 1987, when more than 500 employees from over 30 different railroads launched MRL.

Bill Brodsky, our first president, instilled in all of us that not only are we in a service industry, we are also a people business. He also instilled James J. Hills (Great Northern Railway founder) motto of helping our customers grow and prosper. Brodsky set the tone in the early days and we continue to march to that mantra every day.

It is a great time in our companys history to reflect on our successes and look forward to the future. We are excited about the direction of MRL and the role that we play growing the economy in Montana, the U.S. and the world. We understand the need to think globally, but also the importance of focusing on our local customers who rely on MRL to deliver their products to domestic and international markets in a safe, reliable and efficient manner.

To celebrate our 30th anniversary we will be holding eight employee appreciation train trips across our network in and around Missoula, Helena, Livingston, Billing and Laurel, beginning Sept. 8. Nearly 2,800 current and past employees with their families will be joining in this celebration. It promises to be a wonderful time to reflect with friends, coworkers and retired co-workers on MRLs achievements and operations over the past 30 years.

MRL stands ready to provide quality transportation services that result in long-term growth and prosperity for our company, customers and employees. Our vision for the future is to be the best of the best in safety, customer satisfaction and ingenuity. The first 30 years was tremendous, but just wait  the next 30 years will be even better!

Tom Walsh is president of Montana Rail Link.
If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
New Delhi, Sep 1 : After the Delhi electricity regulator failed to hike energy charges for the third year in sucession, distribution companies (discoms) in the national capital on Friday strongly pitched for tariff revision, saying most other Indian states have raised power rates in the last few years.

As part of its periodic tariff revision, the Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC) on Thursday kept usage charges for consumers unchanged but allowed a hike in the "fixed charge" component of the power tariff -- between Rs 5 and Rs 75.

As per DERC's order, while the "fixed charge" will go up for users with sanctioned load between 3kw and 5kw, there is no change in the "energy charge", or electricity rates, for all categories.

An industry source here pointed out that while states like Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Karnataka and Uttarakhand had raised tariffs by 10-20 per cent, Delhi has effected no hikes since 2014.

He said the revenue gap for Delhi's three discoms has reached over Rs 34,000 crore on account of a "non-cost reflective tariff".

The last tariff hike in Delhi was in July 2014. The 5 per cent hike prescribed in this tariff order was for the financial year 2014-15.

The source pointed out that since privatisation of distribution in Delhi in 2002, there has been an increase of around 300 per cent in the cost of purchasing power from generators.

On the other hand, the retail tariff has increased by only around 90 per cent, according to the source.

He said that while Delhi's bulk power rate -- Rs 5.4 per unit -- is only over 30 per cent higher than the national average of Rs 4.08, the cost of purchasing power from Delhi's state generation plant is astronomically higher than the country average.

Haryana became the latest to raise rates, with the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) increasing the power tariff for 2017-18 from July 1.

Stakeholders had conveyed their concerns to the regulator at a pre-revision public hearing here held by DERC, which had earlier invited their suggestions in the matter and their tariff petitions.

According to the industry expert, the primary reason behind Delhi getting expensive power is that Delhi discoms are bound by long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) that run for 25-35 years. These were signed with electricity generators well before privatisation and before April 1, 2007.

"These PPAs are one-sided and completely in favour of the generators," he said.

From the perspective of the generators, with electricity demand growth in India not keeping pace with the excess capacity addition and with tariffs falling, producers are facing offtake issues on power that they have not already tied up for sale through long-term PPAs.

JSW Energy Chief Executive Prashant Jain told a news channel recently that while the company had tied up for the offtake of about 65 per cent of its power generation through long-term PPAs, it is facing challenges about disposal of its remaining "untied capacity".
Tehran, Sep 2 : Iran has started the construction of a 10-megawatt solar power plant on Qeshm Island, the first photovoltaic power station on the Persian Gulf island, a media report said on Saturday.

Hamidreza Momeni, Managing Director of Qeshm Free Trade Zone, said on the sidelines of the ceremony for the project that the plant will be built in an area of about 150,000 square metres in Tula industrial town on Qeshm Island, Xinhua news agency reported.

A domestic energy company will carry out the project in two phases, employing Italian and German technology, Momeni said.

The first phase of the project, which requires about $2.6 million in investment, is planned to go on stream in one year, he said.

Iran is a strong market for renewable power projects, former Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian said, adding that "Foreign investors have submitted investment proposals worth a total of $3.6 billion to develop renewable projects in Iran".

The Switzerland-based firm Durion Energy AG, in collaboration with Germany's Adore GmbH, has developed Iran's Mokran solar complex in the Sistan-Baluchestan Province.

According to Mahmoud Dashtbozorg, Managing Director of Khuzestan Regional Electricity Company, a German company will also invest $82 million to build a wind farm in Arvand Free Trade Zone with the help of its Iranian partner, Tose'eh Zist Arvand Investment Company.
New Delhi, Sep 3 : Notwithstanding the appointment of Nirmala Sitharaman as the new Defence Minister, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who is presently holding additional charge of Defence, will represent India in a bilateral dialogue on defence in Japan.

Sitharaman, who was elevated to the rank of a cabinet minister on Sunday and given is set to be the Defence portfolio, will take charge of her office after Jaitley returns from Japan.

Jaitley told reporters on Sunday that he was going to Japan as logistic arrangements were not possible at the last moment.

"I leave tonight for Japan, and normally the new Defence Minister should have been going. But logistically that doesn't seem possible today being a Sunday to make the changes," said Jaitley, who will hold a bilateral dialogue with his Japanese counterpart, ahead of a visit of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to India later this month.

"It is a very important security dialogue between the two countries ahead of the Japanese Prime Minister's visit and therefore changes are not advisable. I will continue for next two days to complete the dialogue, and Ms. Sitharaman will take the charge of the ministry as soon as the dialogue ends," he said.

Jaitley also hailed his successor Sitharaman calling her a very "competent" person for the portfolio, and said her appointment sent a positive message globally.

"I am happy with the fact that I now have a very competent successor who has worked her way up and proved herself. She has actually earned that place for herself," he said referring to Sitharaman, who has in past worked with him as Minister of State for Finance and Corporate Affairs.

"It (her appointment) is great for the country, not just for the women. it also sends a message globally."

Jaitley noted that the Cabinet Committee on Security would now have two women with Sitharaman joining External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj.

"It is first time in history that there are two women ministers in the CCS... It is a happy occasions for the country.

"Both ladies in CCS have established their competence, both are recognised as ladies with substance, who have earned a front-line position for themselves," he said.

Asked about the reshuffle, Jaitley said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set a new benchmark for accountability with this rejig.

"The appointments that have been made in the cabinet proves the Prime Minister has set a new benchmark of accountability. All the ministers and departments are constantly monitored, and he (Modi) knows who can give a good performance. New people with good administrative experience have been brought in. These are people who joined BJP after retiring, I am sure their tenure will be successful," he said.
New Delhi, Sep 4 : The BJP has no plans to impose a food code or food emergency in any state including Kerala, new Tourism Minister K.J. Alphons said on Monday.

"It is absolutely untrue. Kerala is a beef-eating state. It is not going to stop eating beef. It will continue to eat beef. BJP doesn't have a problem," Alphons told NDTV after assuming his charge of the Tourism Ministry.

He said that in Goa, which is also ruled by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Chief Minister had made clear that the state would continue to eat beef.

"I am sure there is a lot of propaganda. They said churches would be demolished and mosques will be burnt if BJP comes to power but nothing like that happened. (Narendra) Modi as Prime Minister said 'I will take care of you all. I will protect you'," Alphons said in reply to questions.

The only Christian to be part of the NDA government, the former IAS officer said that he would be a bridge between the Prime Minister and the Christian community.

He said Christianity came to Kerala much before it came to other parts of the world. Christians are part of India and the Prime Minister probably thought of having a Christian as part of his ministry.

"I would be a bridge between the Prime Minister and the Christian community. The Prime Minister has talked of the development of all sections of the community," he said in reply to a question whether the PM was reaching out to the Christian community by inducting him into the council of ministers.
: China: Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the 9th BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China on Sept 5, 2017. (Photo: ... Image Source: IANS/PIB

Prime Minister Narendra Modi meeting the President of the People's Republic of China, Xi Jinping, on the sidelines of the 9th BRICS Summit, in Xiamen, China on Sept 5, 2017. Image Source: IANS/PIB

Xiamen (China), Sep 5 : Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday said "healthy and stable relations" between China and India were in line with the fundamental interests of their people.

"China is willing to work with India on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence to improve political mutual trust, promote mutually beneficial cooperation and push Sino-Indian ties along a right track," he said at a bilateral meet with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the end of the 9th BRICS Summit here.

Modi and Xi met on the sidelines of the Summit -- for the first time after a tense stand-off between the two armies ended last month. The two leaders also discussed the border issue.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Modi congratulated Xi for the "very successful" execution of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) Summit.

Xi told Modi that "healthy and stable bilateral ties (were) in line with fundamental interests of the two nations".

Indian and Chinese troops last month ended a tense stand-off on the Doklam border which began in June, seriously affecting their ties.

Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted that Modi and Xi had "a constructive and forward looking meeting".

Earlier on Tuesday, Modi met Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
New Delhi, Sep 5 : Slamming demonetisation as a major factor responsible for the current deceleration in the economy, former Finance Minister P. Chidambaram says the government was "clueless" about the causative factors on why the GDP was declining and unless these are addressed the Indian economy would be stuck at six per cent growth.

He also said that if the government that came on the promise of "good days" (achche din) cannot deliver on growth and jobs in 1,200 days in power, it cannot do so in the next 600 days.

"Therefore, he (Prime Minister Narendra Modi) has cleverly shifted the goal post to 2022 as though his five-year term is beginning in 2017. It is for the Opposition to expose this," Chidambaram told IANS in an interview.

Reacting to the latest Central Statistical Organisation (CSO) figures on GDP growth, he said it had declined for six successive quarters -- from 9.1 per cent to 7.5 per cent, 7 per cent, 6.7 per cent, 6.1 per cent and now 5.7 per cent.

"I have been writing about it, speaking about it and pointing out why it is declining. In my view, government seems clueless about the causative factors why the GDP growth is declining. If a government is clueless about the causative factors, I am afraid, it is incapable of taking corrective actions. One of the major causative factors was demonetisation which happened in the third quarter of 2016-17. But the government is unwilling to admit that demonetisation was a causative factor," he said, adding that the causative factors were many, and demonetisation, though a major one, was not the only factor.

He said unless the government addressed the causative factors, the economy would be stuck between 6 per cent and 7 per cent growth.

"If you go by Q1 of 2017-18 it may even be some 6 per cent. The point I have been making is in UPA-I, the economic growth was between 8 per cent and 9 per cent. Average was 8.5 per cent. In UPA-2, the rate of growth was between 7 per cent and 8 percent. In fact, it continued in the first two years of NDA government. Now since 2016-17, it has come to between 6 per cent and 7 percent. That is worrying."

Asked what the government should do, he shot back, "I am not giving them free advise. I don't know what they will do. They must address the factors which are causing the decline. Several people have written about it. An economy where export growth is not 15 per cent a year cannot grow at 7 per cent. That is true."

Asked if all the present ills of the economy could be blamed on demonetisation, the senior Congressman said, it was a major factor. The declining trend had started three quarters earlier. "Demonetisation happened in Q3 of 2016-17 and then Q4 of 2016-17 and Q1 of 2017-18 also continued to see the decline. Demonetisation accelerated the pace of decline," he said.

Chidambaram said it seemed that even after so much was being written and said, the government had no concept of what black money in India was.

"Let's assume that what has come into the system is partly black money. That is, part of the Rs 15.28 lakh crore. But that is only the stock of black money. But subsequent to November 8, 2016, there is generation of black money. That is the flow of black money. So demonetisation has not affected the generation and flow of black money."

Questioning the government's claims on the money that had come back into system, Chidambaram said anyone who had the courage to go and deposit rupees one or two crores would not have done so without a reasonably credible story that he would have prepared.

He said the government had no idea when it made the claim in the Supreme Court that it expected Rs 4 to Rs 5 Lakh crore not to come back into the system after demonetisation. It was a simply a shot in the dark.

"I think if there is a proper adjudication, proper investigation, it is possible that out of Rs 15.28 lakh crore that was deposited, in a period of five to six years it might be able to an get additional tax revenue of few thousand crores of rupees.

"Let's assume that you got about Rs 10,000 crore of additional tax. Is that worth the kind of disruption that you have caused? Is that worth the kind of pain you put the people through?" he asked.

On Raghuram Rajan breaking his silence over demonetisation, Chidambaram said there was a preliminary discussion on the merits and demerits of demonetisation and Rajan had advised against the move on the ground that the costs were far higher than the benefits.

"And I know that when he left office he had left a five-page note for the government, saying why demonetisation was not advisable. But it was the government's decision to do demonetisation. (He advised) they should take a number of preparatory steps and give time to RBI to get ready before the announcement of demonetisation. His views were rejected both on the decision to demonetise and on the preparatory steps that were required to be taken before demonetisation," he said.

On the logic of introduction of the Rs 2,000 currency note, Chidambaram said there was no logic behind that. "It was a foolish move that actually helped those who generate black money, to keep the money generated after November 8, 2016, in Rs 2,000 notes."

He said 50.2 per cent by value overall of the currency in circulation was that of the Rs 2,000 note which should be slowly phased out. "I am not suggesting you should scrap it. Should not print Rs 2,000 notes anymore. And as the Rs 2,000 notes come back into the banking system, they should be impounded and replaced with Rs 500 and Rs 200 notes. I don't think you should scrap it. That will be another demonetisation which will make the matters worse."

On the implementation of the Goods and Services Tax (GST), Chidambaram said it was a good idea and good tax, but the way it was rolled out, the government has caused a massive disruption.

"You can't deny that. The textile sector has been disrupted. The supply chain from people who have a turnover of less than Rs 20 lakh to people who have a turnover of more than Rs 20 lakh is completely broken. The compliance costs are so high that small and medium business are suffering a huge amount of pain and loss. And the frequent changes in the rates is extremely upsetting. For example, the automobile industry says how can we invest so many thousands of crores of rupees if you keep on increasing the tax rate," Chidambaram said.
Chandigarh, Sep 5 : Female disciples or 'sadhvis' of the controversial Dera Sacha Sauda sect were forced to seek 'mafi' (pardon) from its chief, Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, at his whims and fancies. For those who did not know what 'mafi' meant, it turned to be rape by the man whom they considered their god.

These gory details have emerged in the judgment which recently convicted Ram Rahim for the rape of two female disciples in 1999.

The DSS chief, who turned 50 last month, was sentenced by Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court judge Jagdeep Singh to 20 years' rigorous imprisonment -- 10 years for each count of rape.

Investigations by the CBI, as quoted in the judgment, describe a 'gufa' (cave) of the accused inside the sprawling 600-acre campus of the DSS sect near Sirsa town in Haryana.

One of the rape victims told the court and the CBI that she heard of the word 'mafi' from other sadhvis.

"The other sadhvis used to ask her (Victim A) as to whether 'pitaji' (father, as Ram Rahim is referred to by his followers) had granted 'mafi' to her or not, but at that time she did not understand the meaning of the word. When she used to ask from them as to what was the meaning of 'mafi, they used to laugh at her," the judgment, quoting the statement of one of the rape victims, said.

It was on the night of August 28, 1999, that the victim was taken by DSS ashram in-charge Sudesh to the 'gufa' of the self-styled godman. The victim gave details of what happened inside the gufa and how she was raped by the person whom she considered her god.

The victim said that Ram Rahim told her that she had become 'apavitar' (unholy) because of her past deeds and that he was going to purify her. The Dera chief, who was watching a porn film when the victim entered his room, even had a pistol on the bed to intimidate her. After committing the rape, he warned her against relating the incident to anyone, failing which she and her family would be eliminated.

The same victim was again raped by the sect chief after a year.

Almost a similar modus operandi was adopted while committing rape on Victim-B in September 1999.

The CBI investigation revealed that out of the 133 sadhvis residing in two hostels of the DSS campuses, 24 had left during 1997-2002. The CBI, which was entrusted the inquiry into happenings at the DSS campus after an anonymous letter of rape and sexual exploitation of sadhvis by the sect chief emerged in 2002, could trace only 18 sadhvis who had faced exploitation during their stay.

"Both the prosecutrix, i.e. prosecutrix-A and prosecutrix-B, have stood like rocks and credibility of these witnesses/victims could not be impeached despite very lengthy cross-examination and they have consistently deposed that they were ravished by the accused while residing in the Dera campus," the 167-page conviction judgment noted.

(Jaideep Sarin can be contacted at jaideep.s@ians.in)
Kochi, Sep 5 : An Air India Abu Dhabi-Kochi flight on Tuesday morning met with a minor accident at the Cochin International Airport when after landing it ran into a drainage pit. No passenger was hurt, an airline spokesperson confirmed.

"The aircraft had a normal landing and it was marked to go to a particular parking bay. Instead of going into the parking bay, it turned before that, causing the aircraft to run into a drainage pit," Cochin International Airport Limited (CIAL) spokesperson A.C.K. Nair told IANS.

"Passengers didn't even know what had happened and the recovery of the aircraft is currently on. There has been damage to the body parts of the aircraft," he added.

The flight had 102 passengers on board.

The spokesperson said that the Directorate General of Civil Aviation has already ordered a probe into the matter while the CIAL has started a simultaneous investigation.

The CIAL on its Facebook page shared: "Air India Express IX 452 has been involved in a minor accident at Cochin International Airport at 2.40 a.m. today. The flight from Abu Dhabi had a safe landing and then moved to taxi way."

"While moving from taxi way to apron, it took a turn 90 metres before what it was supposed to do, resulting in the accident wherein the back wheels got struck in a drain near. All the 102 pax (passenger) were evacuated immediately by using an emergency ladder. All pax are safe."

The airline said: "Since the incident happened outside runway, no other operations were interrupted. CIAL reported it to DGCA. The safety officials of IX are expected to come for further action. Meanwhile CIAL has offered the service of its DART (Disabled aircraft recovery team)."
Canberra, Sep 5 : The High Court of Australia on Tuesday began a two-day hearing on the legality of a postal survey which is crucial in determining whether same-sex marriage will be legalised in the country.

The Liberal Party-led government of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, who promised a plebiscite on same-sex marriage during the 2016 election campaigns, resorted to the postal survey after the Senate rejected a proposal to hold a plebiscite for a second time, reports Efe news.

The High Court must rule on whether the government has the power to allocate about 122 million Australian dollars ($97 million) to this project without parliament's approval.

The plaintiffs in the case also appealed that the project has been entrusted to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), whose purpose is to collect and disseminate data and not opinions, and not to the Australian Electoral Commission.

"Families like mine and trans- and diversity young people have already, without the campaign having started, been subjected to vile hate and abuse," Felicity Marlowe, who has three children with Sarah -- her partner of 17 years, said at a press conference in Melbourne.

The government plans to start distributing the postal survey, which is voluntary and non-binding, on September 12, and participants have until November 7 to return their response.

If a majority of citizens are in favour, it is expected that the legalisation on the matter will be passed before December 7, when parliament closes the current legislative session.

Australia, which allows civil unions in several states, has been criticised by several organisations for not legalising same-sex marriage.

In December 2013, the High Court rescinded a law allowing such marriages in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) as it was deemed to have contravened the Federal Marriage Act of 1961.

Similar legislative proposals have also failed in the states of Tasmania and New South Wales.
Panaji, Sep 5 : Goa Tourism Minister Manohar Ajgaonkar on Tuesday told officials to find a way to ban glass bottles on beaches as shack owners suggested that drinks should only be served in cans on beaches.

"Considering the demand from beach shack operators to ban supply of drinks in glass bottles on the beaches, the Minister has directed the Tourism Department to work out a mechanism to bring in the necessary measures within the ambit of the law," a spokesperson for the Tourism Ministry told reporters.

Ajgaonkar, at a meeting with the Shack Owners Welfare Society, also said that public conveniences like toilets, changing rooms and locker facilities were also being developed on the beaches under the central government's Swadesh Darshan Scheme.

"Ajgaonkar categorically stated that the government will crack down on activities such as drugs, illegal masseur activities and dance bars," the spokesperson said.

Cruz Cardozo, the Society's President, had requested the Minister to allow the use of beverage cans on beaches, instead of bottles, which are littered on the sand and cause pollution and often injuries to swimmers, the spokesperson said.

By amending the state excise act last year, the government had banned drinking in public places including beaches.

Goa, a top beach tourism destination in India, attracts more than six million tourists every year.
Kolkata, Sep 5 : Authorities at state-run auditorium Mahajati Sadan here have cancelled the booking for an October 3 programme which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was scheduled to attend, an organising committee member said on Tuesday.

"We booked the auditorium in June and furnished details of the programme. Sadan authorities informed us on Friday last that the facility could not be provided due to work to be undertaken at the auditorium," Rantideb Sengupta, General Secretary of Sister Nivedita 150th Birth Anniversary Celebrations Committee, told IANS.

An auditorium official said all bookings from September 26 to October 6 stood cancelled due to renovation work to be undertaken during the period.

Sengupta said they were looking for an alternate venue and would hold the programme on October 3.

Over the cancellation issue, Tripura Governor Tathagata Roy and Trinamool Congress' MP Derek O'Brien indulged in a war of words on the social media.

"Mahajati Sadan was booked for Nivedita Mission Trust, in which PP Mohan Bhagwatji was to speak. Booking suddenly cancelled on a langda (lame) excuse," Roy wrote on his Twitter page.

In reply, O'Brien said: "Ladies and gentlemen, he is the Governor of an Indian State."

Roy said: "Those who cancelled Mahajati Sadan booking are so sick, no courage to say out loud the real reason. Instead, they give the stupidest of excuses."

"Is this man really the Governor of a State?" the Trinamool MP responded.

Meanwhile, Kolkata Police in a tweet message said: "Reason for denial by Mahajati Sadan authority is 10-day yearly renovation during puja holidays. No renting of hall during the period."

Condemning the booking cancellation, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) spokesperson Jishnu Basu told IANS: "This is a politically motivated decision. Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind organised an event on Triple Talaq at the same venue in the last week of August."

The Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) West Bengal unit also claimed that permission for party President Amit Shah's meeting at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata too was denied on the ground that the venue was "pre-occupied".

"When we sought stadium's booking a week ago for Amit Shah's event, authorities rejected the proposal," BJP national Secretary Rahul Sinha said.

"There have been many instances when permission for our party programmes was denied and we found that the proposed venues were not used on those days," he alleged.
Chandigarh, Sep 5 : The Punjab and Haryana High Court on Tuesday gave its go-ahead to the Haryana government to sanitise Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Sirsa town in the state and appointed a Court Commissioner to oversee the process.

A bench comprising Justice Surya Kant, Justice A.G. Masih and Justice Avneesh Jhingan appointed retired District and Sessions Judge A.K.S. Pawar as the Court Commissioner, state Advocate General Baldev Raj Mahajan said here.

The government had sought the court's indulgence to undertake sanitisation under judicial supervision, he said.

The government assured of full security and staff support to the Court Commissioner.

The development comes in the wake of sanitisation of 117 'Naam Charcha Ghars', associated with the Dera where its followers assemble for prayers and discussions, in Haryana by authorities.

"Some objectionable items were seized during searches at their premises following the arrest of convicted Dera chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday.

Weapons and other objects that could be used in violence were seized from the campuses, informed sources said.

The Dera headquarters is spread over 700 acres, eight km from Sirsa, and houses a stadium, hospital, educational institutions, houses, markets, and other infrastructure.

The sect chief was convicted by a Panchkula Special Court on August 25 for the rape of two female disciples in 1999. He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab.
Paris, Sep 5 : A Paris court has awarded 100,000 euros (92,000 pounds) to Britain's Prince William and his wife Catherine Middleton in damages after ruling that topless pictures of her published in a French magazine in 2012 were an "invasion of their privacy".

Presiding judge Florence Lasserre-Jeannin said the images of Kate Middleton sunbathing taken with a long lens when she and William holidayed in Provence and printed in "Closer" magazine were an invasion of their privacy, reported BBC.

The royal couple was awarded 50,000 euros each in damages.

The judge also fined "Closer" editor and owner 45,000 euros - the maximum amount allowed but well short of 1.6 million euros sought by the lawyers of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge.

The judge instructed regional newspaper La Provence, which printed the images of Kate in her swimwear, to pay 3,000 euros in damages.

All six defendants, including the photographers, were convicted of charges relating to the publication of the photos.

The trial began in May with a statement by William, who termed the invasion of privacy was "all the more painful" given the experience of his mother (the late Princess Diana) with press photographers.

Diana died in a car crash in Paris in August 1997 while being chased by paparazzi.
New Delhi, Sep 5 : Lok Sabha Speaker Sumitra Mahajan is leading an Indian Parliamentary Delegation to the World Parliamentary Forum Meeting in Indonesia's Bali from September 5 to 7, an official statement said on Tuesday.

The MPs in the delegation includes Rakesh Singh, Jose K. Mani, Riti Pathak, and L. Ganesan. Lok Sabha Secretary General Anoop Mishra and Lok Sabha secretariat official Ajay K. Munshi are also part of the delegation.

The forum will deliberate on several subjects of topical relevance including Sustainable Development Goals, Inclusive and Equitable Development, Climate Change, Peaceful Co-existence, Women and Land Rights, Contribution of Women Leaders, Post Legislative Scrutiny on SDGs Issues and Regional Cooperation, the statement said.
Panaji, Sep 6 : Beware of violence-prone inter-communal tension in Gujarat, while in Goa be warned of spiked drinks, the latest advisory for British tourists to India has cautioned.

The advisory issued by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on Tuesday also asks tourists, especially women travellers to respect local customs and dresses, as well as avoid visiting remote and unlit beaches after dark.

In its advisory for the Western Indian region, the advisory asks tourists to stay away from the India-Pakistan border, while also suggesting caution while travelling within Gujarat.

"There continues to be some inter communal tension in Gujarat which can lead to isolated incidents of violence," the advisory states.

Commenting about Goa, one of the most favourite beach tourism destinations for tourists from Britain, the advisory states that "there have been a few serious incidents involving British nationals, most recently the murder of a young female traveller in March 2017".

"You should observe and respect local dress and customs. Take particular care of your bags and purses and avoid unlit and remote beaches after dark. Keep your passport and other valuables safe," the advisory states.

"Don't leave your drinks unattended. There have been reports of drinks being spiked and travellers, including British nationals, subsequently being robbed or assaulted," it adds.

Cautioning tourists against swimming in the sea, on account of strong currents, the advisory asks tourists to follow warnings posted on beaches and instructions issued by lifeguards.

"Every year several people drown due to the strong currents in the sea. Emergency service standards may differ from those in the UK," it says.

"Road traffic accidents are common and many fatal accidents occur each year. Wear a good quality helmet if renting a motorcycle or scooter," the advisory also says.

For those tourists keen on a shopping spree, the advisory warns against confidence tricksters preying on foreign tourists.

"Be wary of confidence tricksters, particularly in Goa, Agra and Jaipur, who promise large amounts of cash for delivery of jewellery abroad in return for an initial deposit. The jewellery is worthless and the deposit, often amounting to thousands of pounds, is lost," the advisory says.
SAN FRANCISCO (AP)  Security guard Eric Leon watches the Knightscope K5 security robot as it glides through the mall, charming shoppers with its blinking blue and white lights. The brawny automaton records video and sounds alerts. According to its maker, it deters mischief just by making the rounds.

Leon, the all-too-human guard, feels pretty sure that the robot will someday take his job.

"He doesn't complain," Leon says. "He's quiet. No lunch break. He's starting exactly at 10."

Even in the technology hotbed stretching from Silicon Valley to San Francisco, a security robot can captivate passers-by. But the K5 is only one of a growing menagerie of automated novelties in a region where you can eat a delivered pizza made via automation and drink beers at a bar served by an airborne robot. This summer, the San Francisco Chronicle published a tech tourism guide listing a dozen or so places where tourists can observe robots and automation in action.

Yet, San Francisco is also where workers were the first to embrace mandatory sick leave and fully paid parental leave. Voters approved a $15 hourly minimum wage in 2014, a requirement that Gov. Jerry Brown signed into law for the entire state in 2016. And now one official is pushing a statewide "tax" on robots that automate jobs and put people out of work.

It's too soon to say if the effort will prevail, let alone whether less-progressive jurisdictions might follow suit. The tussle points to the tensions that can flare when people embrace both technological innovation and a strong brand of social consciousness.

Such frictions seem destined to escalate as automation makes further inroads into the workplace. One city supervisor, Norman Yee, has proposed barring food delivery robots from city streets, arguing that public sidewalks should be solely for people.

"I'm a people person," Yee says, "so I tend to err on the side of things that should be beneficial and safe for people."

Jane Kim, the city supervisor who is pushing the robot tax, says it's important to think now about how people will earn a living as more U.S. jobs are lost to automation. After speaking with experts on the subject, she decided to launch a statewide campaign with the hope of bringing revenue-raising ideas to the state legislature or directly to voters.

"I really do think automation is going to be one of the biggest issues around income inequality," Kim says.

It makes sense, she adds, that the city at the center of tech disruption take up the charge to manage that disruption.

"It's not inherently a bad thing, but it will concentrate wealth, and it's going to drive further inequity if you don't prepare for it now," she says.

"Preposterous" is what William Santana Li, CEO of security robot maker Knightscope calls the supervisor's idea. His company created the K5 robot monitoring the Westfield Valley Fair mall in San Jose.

The private security industry, Li says, suffers from high turnover and low pay. As he sees it, having robots handle menial tasks allows human guards to assume greater responsibilities  like managing a platoon of K5 robots  and likely earn more pay in the process.

Li acknowledges that such jobs would require further training and some technological know-how. But he says people ultimately stand to benefit. Besides, Li says, it's wrong to think that robots are intended to take people's jobs.

"We're working on 160 contracts right now, and I can maybe name two that are literally talking about, 'How can I get rid of that particular human position?'"

The question of whether  or how quickly  workers will be displaced by automation ignites fierce debate. It's enough to worry Bill Gates, who suggested in an interview early this year a robot tax as a way to slow the speed of automation and give people time to prepare. The Microsoft co-founder hasn't spoken publicly about it since.

A report last year from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development concluded that 9 percent of jobs in the United States  or about 13 million  could be automated. Other economists argue that the impact will be much less drastic.

The spread of automation should also generate its own jobs, analysts say, offsetting some of those being eliminated. Workers will be needed, for example, to build and maintain robots and develop the software to run them.

Technological innovation has in the past created jobs in another way, too: Work involving new technologies is higher-skilled and typically higher-paying. Analysts say that much of the extra income those workers earn tends to be spent on additional goods and services, thereby creating more jobs.

"There are going to be a wider array of jobs that will support the automation economy," said J.P. Gownder, an analyst at the research firm Forrester. "A lot of what we're going to be doing is working side by side with robots."

What about people who lose jobs to automation but can't transition to more technologically demanding work?

Lawmakers in Hawaii have voted to explore the idea of a universal basic income to guarantee wages to servers, cooks and cleaners whose jobs may be replaced by machines. Kim, the San Francisco supervisor, is weighing the idea of using revenue from a robot tax to supplement the low wages of people whose jobs can't be automated, like home health care aides.

Doug Bloch, political director of Teamsters Joint Council 7 in Northern California and northern Nevada, said there have been no mass layoffs among hotel, trucking or food service staff resulting from automation. But that day is coming, he warns.

Part of his responsibility is to make sure that union drivers receive severance and retraining if they lose work to automation.

"All the foundations are being built for this," he says. "The table is being set for this banquet, and we want to make sure our members have a seat at the table."

Tech companies insist their products will largely assist, and not displace, workers. Savioke, based in San Jose, makes 3-foot-tall (91 centimeter) robots  called Relay  that deliver room service at hotels where only one person might be on duty at night. This allows the clerk to stay at the front desk, said Tessa Lau, the company's "chief robot whisperer."

"We think of it as our robots taking over tasks but not taking over jobs," Lau says. "If you think of a task as walking down a hall and waiting for an elevator, Relay's really good at that."

Similarly, friends Steve Simoni, Luke Allen and Gregory Jaworski hatched the idea of a drink-serving robot one night at a crowded bar in San Francisco. There was no table service. But there was a sea of thirsty people.

"We all wanted another round, but you have to send someone to leave the conversation and wait in line at the bar for 10 minutes and carry all the drinks back," Allen says.

They created the Bbot, a box that slides overhead on a fixed route at the Folsom Street Foundry in San Francisco, bringing drinks ordered by smartphone and poured by a bartender  who still receives a tip. The bar is in Kim's district in the South of Market neighborhood.

Simoni says the company is small and it couldn't shoulder a government tax. But he's glad policy makers are preparing for a future with more robots and automation.

"I don't know if we need to tax companies for it, but I think it's an important debate," he says.

As for his trio, he says: "We're going to side with innovation every time. Innovation is what moves the world forward."
Bengaluru, Sep 6 : The last rites of senior Kannada weekly tabloid editor and social activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead the night before, will be conducted on Wednesday in Bengaluru, her family said.

"Gauri's last rites will be held at Chamrajpet Cemetery in the city," her brother Indrajit Lankesh told reporters here on Wednesday at the Victoria Hospital, where her post-mortem was being conducted.

"Her mortal remains will be kept at Samsa Bayalu Rangamandira (an open air theatre) for public viewing," Lankesh said. "Gauri's eyes were donated as per her wish," he said.

He also expressed confidence in the probe: "Investigations have been going on since last night. I'm very confident that the killers would be caught soon," Lankesh said.

"CCTV footage has been taken by the police and I'm sure the killers will be identified soon," he said.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead by three unidentified men who had fired seven bullets towards her when she returned home from her office in the city.

Four had missed the target and hit the wall of the house, while three bullets had hit her -- two in her chest area and one in the forehead, Bengaluru Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had told reporters on Tuesday.

Lankesh was an editor of popular Kannada tabloid "Lankesh Patrike".

In November 2016, she was sentenced to six months in jail after a defamation case was filed against her for a report against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
New Delhi, Sep 6 : Congress President Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday expressed shock and distress over the murder of senior Kannada journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, saying "this can't and should not be tolerated".

"Known for her fearless and independent views, Gauri Lankesh had extraordinary grit and determination to take on the system," an All India Congress Committee (AICC) statement said quoting Gandhi.

"The series of killings of rationalists, free thinkers and journalists in the country has created an atmosphere that dissent, ideological differences and divergence of views can endanger our lives. This can not be and should not be tolerated."

"It is an extremely sad moment for our democracy and a chilling reminder of the fact that intolerance and bigotry is raising its ugly head in our society."

Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

Condemning the debilitating attack, the Congress stands as one with the rationalists, thinkers, journalists and the media fraternity, Gandhi said.

The AICC statement said that Gandhi had spoken to Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah and urged him to swiftly bring the culprits to book.

"Every possible measure should be taken to maintain a safe and secure atmosphere in the state," she added.

Expressing her deepest condolences to the family and friends of Lankesh, Gandhi offered her prayers.
Chandigarh, Sep 6 : Security was tightened around the Dera Sacha Sauda headquarters near Sirsa town on Wednesday following the Punjab and Haryana High Court's approval to search and sanitise the sect premises.

The local administration and security forces are awaiting the arrival of retired District and Sessions Judge A.K.S. Pawar, who was appointed as the Court Commissioner on Tuesday to oversee the operation by the Haryana government.

The Dera is spread in two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres each, about eight km from Sirsa town (260 km from here).

Armed security personnel from the central paramilitary forces and Haryana police were stationed outside the sect premises. Bomb disposal and dog squads have also been stationed near the Sirsa headquarters.

The sprawling Dera headquarters houses a stadium, hospital, educational institutions, a resort, houses, markets, and other infrastructure. Huge bungalows of the sect chief (spread over nearly 100 acres) and his family members are also located inside.

Curfew in the area around the Dera premises was relaxed for one hour on Wednesday to enable people inside and outside the sect campus to buy essential items.

Haryana Director General of Police (DGP) B.S. Sandhu said the security forces were ready for the search and sanitising drill.

"There is complete peace in Haryana since August 25. There are 131 companies of paramilitary forces deployed in the state," the DGP said.

Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the disgraced sect head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, told the media on Tuesday that the Dera management was fully prepared for the security operation.

"We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individuals inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide. The premises can be searched anytime," Vipassana said.

The Haryana government had sought the High Court's indulgence to undertake the sanitisation drill, Haryana advocate general Baldev Raj Mahajan said.

Authorities in Haryana have carried out sanitisation of 117 'Naam Charcha Ghars' associated with the Dera, where its followers assemble for prayers and discussions.

Weapons and other objects that could be used in violence were seized from the campuses, informed sources said.

"Some objectionable items were seized during searches at these premises following the arrest of the Dera chief," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday.

Hundreds of people and sect followers live permanently inside the mini-township of the Dera campus and work there.

Ram Rahim was convicted by a CBI special court in Panchkula on August 25 for the rape of two female disciples in 1999. His conviction led to wide spread violence within hours of the verdict in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured.

Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab.

He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment on August 28.
Bengaluru, Sep 6 : A Special Investigation Team will probe the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, who was shot dead here on Tuesday night, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said on Wednesday.

"An SIT has been formed, headed by an Inspector-General-level officer, to investigate the journalist killing," the Chief Minister told the media here after meeting top police officers at the state assembly Vidhan Soudha.

Asked if the investigation could be handed over to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, Siddaramaiah said: "Have left it to the Director General of Police (R.K. Dutta) who will speak to the state Home Minister (Ramalinga Reddy) and decide."

"I have an open mind," the Congress leader said, adding that if the family members insist on a CBI investigation, the state could think about it.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead by three unidentified men who fired seven bullets at her when she returned home from her office in the city. Two hit her in the chest and one in the forehead.

She was the editor of popular Kannada tabloid "Gauri Lankesh Patrike".

In November 2016, she was sentenced to six months in jail after a defamation case was filed against her for a report against Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.

Earlier, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) M.N. Anucheth told IANS: "Three special teams were set up to crack the case. They are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are tracking the movement of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders."

"We have alerted our counterparts in the neighbouring states of Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu as well," said Anucheth.
Mumbai, Sep 6 : Actor Karan Tacker is set to host the first edition of Yash Raj Films' Bollywood Awards on Facebook on September 12.

It is the banner's first Bollywood Awards show on the digital platform. It will use Facebook's 'Live' feature for the show.

"It has been a gratifying journey for me to see the kind of opportunities that have come my way, and how I have been the choice of such big names and entities in the industry. I hope to continue inspiring thousands," Karan said in a statement.

"It is the love that I receive from so many towards my work and me that gives me immense joy and pride in what I do," added the actor-host, who was part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's peace delegation in Israel in July.

He has also hosted and appeared in shows like "Nach Baliye", "Halla Bol" and "The Voice India".
Bengaluru/New Delhi, Sep 6 : Widespread protests by journalists, writers, politicians and civil society erupted on Wednesday in several cities, including Bengaluru, Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Thiruvananthapuram, to condemn the killing of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh.

The Union Home Ministry has sought a report from the Karanataka government on the killing even as Chief Minister Siddaramaiah announced setting up of a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the Kannada journalist's murder on Tuesday night at her house in Bengaluru.

Journalists, activists, writers, thinkers and women's organisations participated in Bengaluru and across the state in protests condemning the killing of Lankesh, the editor of Kannada tabloid 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike'.

People gathered at the Town Hall in Bengaluru for a silent protest, holding placards. "You can kill a person but not their ideas," read one placard. A silent demonstration was also staged by journalist groups at the Victoria Hospital grounds, where the autopsy was being conducted.

Across the state, protests were witnessed in Mangaluru, Kalaburagi, Dharwad and Koppal, among other regions, where citizens took to the streets.

Journalists in Mysuru, wearing black ribbons around their shoulders, also held a protest in front of the Deputy Commissioner's Office.

In New Delhi, the Indian Women's Press Corps (IWPC) expressed deep shock and outrage at the incident.

In a statement, it said: "The silencing of a journalist in this manner has dangerous portents for Indian democracy."

Congress President Sonia Gandhi, Vice President Rahul Gandhi, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, Union Minister Smriti Irani and Bollywood lyricist Javed Akhter were among those who condemned Lankesh's killing.

The US Embassy too condemned the murder.

"The US Mission in India joins advocates of press freedom in India and worldwide in condemning the murder of respected journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru," the US Embassy said in a statement.

Lankesh, 55, was shot dead by three unidentified men who opened fire at her when she returned home from her office in the city.

In November 2016, she was sentenced to six months in jail after a defamation case was filed against her for a report against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders. She was out on bail pending an appeal.

Meanwhile, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah cancelled all his engagements, including a day-long trip to Kerala, and ordered an SIT probe into the assassination.

"An SIT has been formed, headed by an Inspector-General-level officer, to investigate the journalist's killing," the Chief Minister told the media after meeting top police officers at the state assembly Vidhan Soudha.

Asked if the investigation could be handed over to a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team, Siddaramaiah said: "Have left it to the Director General of Police (R.K. Dutta) who will speak to the state Home Minister (Ramalinga Reddy) and decide."

The Karnataka Police has formed three special teams to nab the killers.

The BJP blamed the Congress-led Karnataka government for the incident. Union Ministers H.N. Ananth Kumar and Nitin Gadkari said it was for the Karnataka government to "seriously" probe the case and nab the culprits.
Mumbai, Sep 6 : Journalists' organisations in Mumbai and Maharashtra on Wednesday strongly condemned the killing of Bengalaru journalist-turned-activist Gauri Lankesh and demanded that the Karnataka government order a CBI enquiry into the murder.

Over 200 mediapersons from print, electronic and web media participated in a silent candle-light march organised by the Mumbai Press Club on Wednesday evening.

The gathering marched from the MPC to the Azad Maidan gates, lit candles before a garlanded portrait of Gauri and paid homage, while some recalled her services and contributions to media.

The Mumbai Press Club (MPC), the Mumbai Marathi Patrakar Sangh (MMPS), the Mantralaya Ani Vidhimandal Vartahar Sangh (MVVS), the TV Journalists Association (TVJA), Photographers Association, Network of Women in Media and others, expressed outrage at the brutal gunning down of Lankesh in her home by unknown assailants on Tuesday evening.

The MPC urged the Karnataka government to hand over the investigation into the sordid killing of the 55-year old Lankesh to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI).

It also demanded that the state government must ensure the culprits are subjected to maximum punishment, be they foot-soldiers or the masterminds.

"If this is how the Fourth Estate is going to be treated by the powers that be, while the government looks the other way, it is indeed a black hour for Indian democracy," said the MPC.

"This is not just the killing of a journalist. It is the murder of the freedom of thought and expression. Ideological issues must be fought ideologically, and the government must take this matter seriously," said the MVVS.

All media organisations, Left parties and civil society groups planned protests in the city and across the state.

On Thursday, various organisations including the Dr Dabholkar Vivek Vyakhanmala have planned a protest procession in Nashik, besides similar marches in Pune and Thane by various media groups and civil society members.

Lankesh was the editor of a Kannada language weekly tabloid, 'Gauri Lankesh Patrike,' noted for its independent views. Like her father, who was a noted Kannada writer, she faced opposition and criticism over her fiercely independent style of journalism.

She is survived by her mother, sister Kavitha and brother Indrajit, who manages the tabloid.

The MPC said that in the time of crisis, it stands behind the family and urged for a speedy investigation and trial in the case.
Washington, Sep 7 : The US slapped sanctions on two senior members of South Sudan's government, a former official and three South Sudanese companies for undermining peace, security, or stability of the country.

According to the US State Department and Treasury Department on Wednesday, the sanctions targeted South Sudan's deputy defence chief Malek Reuben, Information Minister Michael Makuei and former military chief of staff Paul Malong, Xinhua news agency reported.

Three firms owned by Reuben, namely All Energy Investments, A+ Engineering, Electronics & Media Printing and Mak International Services, were also targeted by the sanctions, according to the US Treasury Department.

"We continue to make clear to South Sudan's leaders that they must honour their declared ceasefire, revive the 2015 Agreement on the Resolution of the Conflict in the Republic of South Sudan by engaging meaningfully with opposition parties," said the State Department in the statement.

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

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

The conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that have sought refuge in neighbouring countries.
Tokyo, Sep 7 : Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe warned North Korea against continuing its current missile and nuclear weapons development policies.

Prior to leaving for Vladivostok to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum,Abe on Wednesday said that Japan would coordinate with Russia and international community to make North Korea understand that there would be no future for the country if it continues to pursue its nuclear ambitions, Efe news reported.

During his visit to Russia, Abe is also scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in the wake of Pyongyang's latest nuclear test on Sunday and the August 29 launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan.

During the meeting, their second in less than four months, Abe was expected to seek Putin's backing to increase pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime, according to the Japanese government.

Following Pyongyang's test on Sunday, Abe spoke to Putin over the phone, and reminded him of the important role Russia can play as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in reigning in North Korea.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian president warned against cornering North Korea, and reiterated Moscow's stance that sanctions against the regime in Pyongyang would not help resolve the problems on the Korean peninsula.

"One should not give in to emotions and drive North Korea into a corner," said Putin after a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Eastern Economic Forum.
Bogota, Sep 7 : Pope Francis has begun his five-day pastoral visit to Colombia, officia;s said.

On Wednesday, Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, his wife Maria Clemencia Rodriguez, Apostolic Nuncio to Colombia Ettore Balestrero and Colombian Archbishop Ruben Salazar received the pontiff at Bogota's Catam military airport on Wednesday, reports Efe news.

Francis was presented with a dove of peace by Emmanuel, a boy born in captivity to Clara Rojas, a politician who spent almost six years as a hostage of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas.

The pope also greeted several children, as well as the ministerial cabinet, including Vice President Oscar Naranjo.

The pope broke with protocol, however, to embrace several disabled people, including soldiers and police officers injured in the line of duty, one of whom presented him with a small gift, along with children with Down Syndrome.

Once the welcoming ceremony was concluded, Francisco boarded the pope-mobile for the 15 km trip to the apostolic nunciature, where he would spend the night.

In general, the crowd estimated at at least 900,000 - while enthusiastic and happy - was also quite well-behaved, with no incidents or accidents being reported along the entire route.
Srinagar, Sep 7 : The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the residence of senior separatist leader and Shia cleric, Syed Agha Hassan in Jammu and Kashmir's Badgam district.

Sources said the NIA sleuths assisted by the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) raided Hassan's home and carried out searches.

On Wednesday, the agency had raided 24 places in the Kashmir Valley and in Delhi focusing mainly on traders, who allegedly have links with the terror funding case presently under probe by the NIA.

Three senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Yasin Malik have announced they would takeout a protest march to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi and court arrest on September 9.

The agency had in July arrested seven separatist leaders and a prominent local businessman in connection with the probe into the terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in the valley.

President of Kashmir Bar Association Mian Qayoom was questioned by the NIA for nearly seven hours on Wednesday.

Lawyers in the valley have decided to stay away from courts till Qayoom returned from Delhi.
Manila, Sep 7 : Economic ministers of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) began a four-day meeting here on Thursday to discuss ways on how to further strengthen economic ties and integrate trade and investment in the region.

"Our meeting this week is vital to the region's messaging on the success of ASEAN as a bloc. We have achieved critical mass to take ASEAN higher as our economies are growing faster than most of the rest of the world," said Philippine Trade Secretary Ramon Lopez at the opening ceremony of the 49th ASEAN Economic Ministers' Meeting.

He said by 2050, the ASEAN economy is expected to amount to over $9.2 trillion, making it the fourth largest in the world.

In 2017 and beyond, he said ASEAN "should be cognizant of the changing geostrategic landscape that presents both opportunities and challenges".

"As ASEAN economic ministers, we are gathered today to send a positive signal amid a backdrop of rising trade policy uncertainties," Lopez said, stressing the need to reaffirm the importance of integrating ASEAN into the regional and global economy.

He said ASEAN will maintain an open and outward-oriented perspective through free trade agreements (FTAs) with India, Australia, China, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand.

ASEAN also has cooperation mechanism with dialogue partners such as Canada, the European Union and the US.

As a formal community, the 10-nation ASEAN bloc wants to create more free movement of trade and capital in an area of 625 million people with a combined economic output of $2.6 trillion.

The Philippines holds the ASEAN rotating chairmanship this year.
Patna, Sep 7 : Minister of State for Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Giriraj Singh's supporters clashed with CISF personnel at the Patna airport on Thursday, a police officer said.

"The clash took place following heated exchange of words between the supporters and the Central Industrial Security Force personnel, who objected an attempt by them to create trouble at the airport," the official said.

Some supporters tried to enter the airport raising slogans following which they were stopped.

Dozens of supporters gathered at the airport to receive Singh, a BJP MP from Bihar's Nawada constituency, who was returning from Delhi.
Ahmedabad, Sep 7 : It's 6.30 a.m. and construction workers have started assembling near kadiyanakas (hiring points) in search of a job. But one is witness to an unusual scene: Their tiffin boxes are empty.

The reason for this is the Shramik Annapoorna Yojana (Construction Workers' Meal Scheme), under which each registered worker is provided a plateful of food for a mere Rs 10 with the Gujarat government providing a hefty subsidy of Rs 19 per meal.

The meal includes rotis or theplas, mixed vegetable, cereals, rice, pickle or chutney, and green chilies daily -- and a sukhadi (a local sweet) once a week, and the labourers, after filling their tiffin boxes, then hope they will find work for the day.

There are 43 such distribution points in Ahmedabad alone and 44 across the state in 11 cities -- Gandhinagar, Kalol, Vadodara, Surat, Rajkot, Bhavnagar, Valsad, Dharampur, Vapi, Bharuch and Ankleshwar.

"Due to this scheme more than 25,000 construction workers benefit daily and we have served over 14 lakh meals till date (from its launch on July 18)," Anil Patel, Chairman of the Gujarat Building and Other Construction Workers Welfare Board, told IANS.

Construction workers can enroll themselves at the saffron-coloured food outlets -- that bear pictures of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Gujarat Chief Minister Vijay Rupani and Deputy Chief Minister Nitin Patel -- by filling out a form, following which they get a registeration card.

As for the food, it has been outsourced to NGOs who deliver it to the various outlets in the city, where it is served between 7 a.m. and 11 a.m. Each meal provides 1,850 calories and weighs 700 grams.

"We are very happy now as we do not need to get up early in the morning to prepare food for the family," Champa Ben, who works as a labourer at a nearby construction site, told this visiting IANS correspondent.

Describing the state government's scheme as a boon for labourers, she said: "Earlier, if we woke up late in the morning, then to buy a single meal would cost around Rs 30. But now we buy it for Rs 10."

"Even in Rs 30, the food only comprised four rotis and a vegetable. But under this scheme, we get enough food," she said.

Champa Ben has a family of five and her husband is also a construction worker.

Echoing similar views, Hargobind, also a construction worker, said that the state government's initiative is very good for them.

"Due to this scheme I save Rs 100 daily on my food," he said. "Now I don't need to wake up my sick wife to prepare food for me in the early morning. So I come here and get the food from the counter."

The scheme draws inspiration from the Amma Canteens which then Chief Minister J. Jayalaithaa launched in 2013. These serve pongal and sambar for Rs 5 and an idli for one rupee. For lunch, lemon rice is served for Rs 5. The canteens also provide chapatis, curd rice and a side dish for Rs 3 and sambar rice for Rs 5.

The recently launched Indira Canteens in Bengaluru serve breakfast for Rs 5 and lunch and dinner for Rs 10 each.

The only difference is that these canteens cater to the general public, unlike the food outlets in Gujarat that cater only to construction workers.

(Anand Singh was in Ahmedabad at the invitation of the BJP Good Governance Cell. He can be contacted at anand.s@ians.in)
Melbourne, Sep 7 : Australia's High Court on Thursday ruled that a national postal vote on same-sex marriage will go ahead, after a challenge by marriage equality advocates failed, the media reported.

Same-sex marriage advocates had taken the government to court over the postal vote which they argued was both unnecessary and an illegal use of public funds, reports CNN.

But in its decision, the Melbourne-based High Court ruled the national survey could go ahead.

Ballot papers will be now be mailed out to households across Australia from September 12, beginning the two-month process.

The question will be, "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?"

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the national vote on August 8, after another attempt to pass his preferred plebiscite failed in Australia's senate, CNN reported.

Unlike the plebiscite, the postal vote is voluntary and does not require legislation to go ahead.

Following the announcement, Prime Minister Turnbull told the Australian parliament he and his wife would be voting "yes". "And I'll be encouraging others to be voting 'yes'."

Opposition Labor leader Bill Shorten tweeted: "Alright, let's win this."

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, who will be running the survey, voters will have until November 7 to submit their forms.

The final result will be revealed on November 15.

An August 22 poll by Newspoll showed 63 per cent of Australians supported same-sex marriage, while just 30 per cent were against.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday exhorted the automobile industry to develop technology to run vehicles on alternatives to petrol and diesel like electricity and bio-fuel.

He also asked them to come forward and invest in the country's public transport system.

"There is economic viability in new technology. Let us plan for the next 25 years. I would strongly urge the sector to invest in public transport and develop electric bikes, electric cars.... I urge automobile companies to diversify in alternative fuel," Gadkari said here at the 57th Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Annual Convention.

He said the government is planning to bring second generation ethanol as an alternative fuel.

Discouraging automobile manufacturers to make any more diesel-run vehicles, he said it was adding to the huge import costs and pollution levels, which the government was committed to bring down.

Gadkari said the companies which would make use of new technology to innovate on alternative fuel will benefit in the longer run.

He said the government's policy was "crystal clear" on this.

"Pollution and high import of petrol, diesel are challenges. Second generation ethanol with the use of bamboo, compressed natural gas (CNG) can act as substitutes for these imports and bring down the import cost."

"Alternative fuel like Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the future fuel. CNG is also good for reducing pollution. We have abundant coal reserves to make methanol," he said.

"I have seen engines running on methanol in foreign countries. The companies thus should spend a part of their profits on research on such fuels," he added.

Urging the industry to invest in public transport, he said the rural and agricultural sector would benefit with this.

In a lighter vein, the minister also said the sector, which has 22 per cent share in India's GDP, if continued to grow at the same rate for the next three years, the government would have to add another lane in national highway.

"I want growth rate of the sector be thus less."

He also said the automobile companies should view the sector with an integrated approach -- from fuel, parking, engineering to even driving training centres.

"The companies can contribute in skill development with driving training centres. Diversification and expansion is the key," he said.

Gadkari also acknowledged the sector's contribution in exports, job creation and growth of the country.

He said because of the abundant manpower, reasonable costs, plenty of raw material availability in the country, India can be developed as an export base for automobiles.
Yangon, Sep 7 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the famed Shwegadon Pagoda, the grave of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar here and also prayed at a Kali temple on the third and last day of his visit to Myanmar, before leaving for home.

"After fruitful and constructive bilateral engagements in Myanmar, PM @narendramodi departs for Delhi," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi planted a sapling at the Shwegadon Pagoda, the most sacred of the Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar and which contains strands of hair from the head of Buddha.

The Prime Minister then paid tributes at the Martyrs' Mausoleum dedicated to Aung San, father of Nobel Peace Laureate and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders of the pre-independence interim government of Myanmar who were assassinated in July 1947.

In a special gesture, Suu Kyi, who came down to Yangon from Nay Pyi Taw, showed Modi around the Bogoyoke Aung San Museum, the last residence of Aung San. It was here that Suu Kyi grew up as a child.

The Prime Minister then offered prayers at the Shri Kali Temple that was built by Tamil migrants in 1871 when Burma province was a part of British India.

"Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," the Prime Minister tweeted, with photographs tagged of the temple.

In his final engagement prior to his departure, Modi paid floral tributes at the grave of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

On Wednesday, Modi held bilateral discussion with Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw following which India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements.

Modi said India shared Myanmar's concerns over the violence in Rakhine state that has claimed the lives of Myanmarese security personnel and innocent people and has triggered a mass exodus of the minority Rohingya Muslims.

Later on Wednesday, he went to the ancient city of Bagan and visited the Ananda Temple, where the Archaeological Society of India is involved in restoration.

In the evening, he addressed the Indian diaspora at Thuwunna Stadium here.
Toronto, Sep 7 : Practising Hatha yoga -- a combination of asanas, pranayam and meditation -- along with mindfulness meditation daily for just 25 minutes can significantly improve brain function and energy levels, according to a new study.

The findings showed that both Hatha yoga or mindfulness meditation everyday can boost the brain's executive functions, cognitive abilities linked to goal-directed behaviour and the ability to control knee-jerk emotional responses, habitual thinking patterns and actions.

"Hatha yoga and mindfulness meditation both focus the brain's conscious processing power on a limited number of targets like breathing and posing, and also reduce processing of nonessential information," said Peter Hall, associate rofessor at the University of Waterloo in Ontario, Canada.

"These two functions might have some positive carryover effect in the near-term following the session, such that people are able to focus more easily on what they choose to attend to in everyday life," Hall added.

Hatha yoga -- one of the most common styles of yoga practiced in Western countries -- involves physical postures and breathing exercises combined with meditation.

Mindfulness mediation, on the other hand, involves observing thoughts, emotions and body sensations with openness and acceptance.

In the study, published in the journal Mindfulness, participants completed 25 minutes each of Hatha yoga, mindfulness meditation, and quiet reading (a control task) in randomised order.

Mindfulness meditation and Hatha yoga were both found effective for improving energy levels, but Hatha yoga had significantly more powerful effects than meditation alone.

Yoga improves energy levels and cognitive test performance, because it helps the release of endorphins, increase blood flow to the brain, and reduce focus on ruminative thoughts, explained Kimberley Luu from the varsity.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said central paramilitary forces did not get the priority they deserve in procurement of weapons and equipment since it was done through the Defence Ministry.

"Procurement for CAPFs is done through the Defence Ministry, but the CAPFs don't get the priority they deserve. This delays procurement of weapon and equipment (for CAPFs)," Rajnath Singh said and urged the new Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman to look into the matter.

Rajnath Singh was speaking at an event to hand over indigenously made equipment to the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) by defence public sector undertakings. Sitharaman was also present on the occasion.

CAPFs under the Home Ministry are the Border Security Force, Central Reserve Police Force, Central Industrial Security Force, Indo-Tibetan Border Police, and Sashastra Seema Bal.

"I hope Nirmala ji will take a look at the issue as well. It leads to losses. Otherwise, we may need a different framework (for procurement)," the Minister said.

On Thursday, defence PSUs handed over to the CAPFs a consignment of indigenous equipment, including an armoured bus, bulletproof jackets, unmanned aerial vehicle and small arms.

The armoured bus, made by Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, will be tested by the CAPFs in Jammu and Kashmir, where terrorists have in the past targeted convoys carrying soldiers.

The UAV, manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), will be tried in Maoist-affected areas of Chhattisgarh, officials said.

"Terrorists target convoys in Jammu and Kashmir and the armoured vehicle will ensure there is lesser damage," Rajnath Singh said.

The Home Minister said he hoped both the manufactures and the end-users (CAPFs) will exchange notes on the defence products for their further improvement.

The bulletproof jacket, named 'Bhabha Kavach' made by Mishra Dhatu Nigam Limited, weighs around 10 kg.

The Minister said there was scope to make it lighter.

"The bulletproof jacket can be made lighter... when I visited Jharkhand, the troops there said making their helmets lighter would be the biggest thing the Home Ministry could do for them," Rajnath Singh said.

He said efforts should be made to make all products 100 per cent indigenous.

This was the first official event attended by Sitharaman after she assumed charge of the Defence Ministry.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : A group of editors, writers and media professionals from South Asia, the UK and Australia have joined demands seeking swift action in the murder of prominent journalist Gauri Lankesh.

The South Asia Media Defenders Network, an informal association of editors and media practitioners, which has been formed to stand up for the rights of journalists under pressure, expressed sadness and anger at the gunning down of the leading Karnataka editor and journalist Gauri Lankesh outside her home in Bengaluru on September 5.

The network includes names of Siddharth Varadarajan, Nidhi Razdan, Pradip Phanjoubam, Tarun Basu, Vijay Naik, Kavita Bajeli-Datt, Mahendra Ved, Rita Payne, John Zubrzycki, David Brewer, and William Horsley.

These journalists along with others in the association said that they stand in solidarity with Lankesh's family and her colleagues in and outside the state and demanded a full, impartial investigation into her death and the circumstances which led to it, and seek the killers and conspirators be brought to justice.

"At a time when freedom of expression space is shrinking everywhere, this is another reminder of the fragility of life, the risk that media professionals face when they take a stand in any part of the world," the association said in a statement on Thursday.

"It is especially tragic that such a situation should have come to pass in a city that has been hyped as India's Silicon Valley and hence a space for safe investment and a stable and safe life," it said.

The group has demanded that the Karnataka government, the state police and the Centre take clear and effective steps to deal with the murder and circumstances leading to it, institute a swift, impartial and effective investigation.

It urged the media and civil society organisations to robustly pursue a campaign to ensure that there is no let-up in the investigation so that the killers, their backers and conspirators are brought to book.

"Justice for Gauri Lankesh must be accompanied by opposition to impunity and criminality -- combined with a renewed commitment to freedom of expression and speaking truth to power and compassion in reflecting the conditions of the poor and vulnerable," the statement said.

"These, we believe, are the benchmarks of journalists, journalism and professional media," it said.
DECATUR  From abandoned residences to empty businesses, Dan Caulkins said he sees signs everywhere of people who have given up on Illinois and lost faith in lawmakers' ability to effect change.

On Thursday, Caulkins said he wanted to help bring optimism back, opening his bid for the 101st Illinois House District seat.

Im running because I dont want to leave. Im running because I love Illinois, and I want to stay here and be a part of the solution, Caulkins told dozens of supporters at the Decatur Civic Center.

The Decatur resident and former city councilman is the second candidate to announce for the seat since Bill Mitchell, who has served in the House since 1999, announced Aug. 3 that he would not seek re-election in 2018.

Caulkins, 70, focused his announcement on Illinois' need to get its finances and budget in order, without putting the burden on taxpayers. He said the legislature's approve of a permanent tax hike as part of the overall budget plan this spring pushed him to prepare his campaign.

Ive never seen a tax increase that would make residents want to move to a state, he said, noting after his announcement that he would want to see the state improve its finances and establish a budget surplus before pursuing an income tax cut.

Caulkins serves on the Eastern Illinois Universitys board of trustees, and he previously served as a Decatur city councilman from 2005 to 2009. A retired Army major, Caulkins has also run several businesses focused on senior and disabled adult long-term care living facilities throughout the state. He said he would not take a salary, use the state's health care or participate in the pension system, if elected.

I want to take my life experiences to Springfield, and hopefully I can bring people together to work on these issues in the perspective of how do we make Illinois better, Caulkins said.

The district covers parts of Champaign, DeWitt, Macon, McLean and Piatt counties and is considered heavily favorable for Republicans. Cerro Gordo School Board President Todd Henricks announced his intention to run on Aug. 10, while Clinton resident Joe Alexander, Piatt County Board Chairman Randy Keith and DeWitt County Republican Party Chairman Dustin Peterson have also expressed interest.
Hyderabad, Sep 7 : Actor Rana Daggubati, who plays the lead in upcoming web series "Social" which was launched here on Thursday, believes the digital medium allows a creator to tell his story the way he desires.

"Social", produced by video-on-demand platform Viu, is a Hindi-Telugu bilingual thriller that will shine the spotlight on the impact of social media in people's lives.

Directed by Shashi Sudigala, the show goes on air on Friday. It also stars Naveen Kasturia, Priya Banerjee, Aradhana Uppal, Abdul Razzaq, Moin Khan and Preeti Asrani.

On signing the project, Rana told IANS: "Every story has a place where it deserves to be told. Not all stories are meant for the big screen."

"Working on this show has helped me understand the medium better. It made me realise that it gives one the freedom to say a story the way he wants and write without restrictions," he said.

Asked why he chose to venture into the digital space, Rana said it caters to different audiences.

"When I started acting, there were around 2,500 theatres in Andhra Pradesh (before bifurcation) but today the number has come down. Audiences have become busier and they want to invest their time and money on different mediums. I want to engage those people who want content on their phones," he said.

Rana, who plays a powerful businessman in the show, is interested in exploring more opportunities in this medium.

Talking about the show, Rana said: "It's about the darker side of social media. It's a different world altogether."

He clarified that the show doesn't set out to prove social media is bad.

"Social media is just a platform. What some people decide to do with it results in something good or bad. The show is embedded with a message which I'm sure audiences will understand when they watch," Rana added.

This is Rana's second outing with Viu, with which he has already worked on the chat show "No 1 Yaari".
Sydney, Sep 7 : A test that involves drawing a spiral on a sheet of paper could be used to diagnose people at risk of developing Parkinson's disease, Australian researchers have found.

Parkinson's disease is a neuro-degenerative disorder that causes shaking, muscle rigidity and difficulty with walking.

Certain symptoms that appear early in Parkinson's, such as rigidity, can interfere with a patient's ability to write or sketch, thus contributing to the diagnosis of the disease.

The researchers developed specialised automated electronic system that measured writing speeds, pen pressures and produced the Composite Index of Speed and Pen-pressure (CISP) score in Parkinson's patients -- all three measurements clearly indicated whether a participant had Parkinson's or not.

"Our aim was to develop an affordable and automated electronic system for early-stage diagnosis of Parkinson's disease, which could be used easily by a community doctor or nursing staff," said Poonam Zham, from RMIT University in Melbourne.

In the study, published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology, the team used the system to measure pen speed and pressure during a simple spiral sketching task in a sample of healthy volunteers and Parkinson's patients with different levels of disease severity.

While pen speed and pressure alone were not sufficient to measure the severity between patients with different levels of Parkinson's, the new system with CISP score could tell whether the patients had level 1 or level 3 Parkinson's.

"The system can automatically provide accurate Parkinson's diagnosis and could also be used by community doctors to monitor the effect of treatment on the disease," Zham said.

"This simple device can be used by community doctors for routine screening of their patients every few years after the patients are above middle-age."
Bengaluru, Sep 7 : The family of slain journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh on Thursday said they would wait for the Special Investigation Team (SIT) to find the culprits and would only approach the court if it fails.

"We will give all the cooperation the SIT needs," Lankesh's sibling Indrajit Lankesh told reporters here at a press conference. "We will wait for the SIT to give us information and clues on the killers."

Lankesh, 55, editor of popular Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead at her Bengaluru home by three unidentified assailants on Tuesday night. Seven shots were fired at her, of which two hit her in the chest and one in the forehead.

"The CCTV footage has found the image of the killer. The police can find some clues through her phone as well," he said.

"We have known (Karnataka Chief Minister) Siddaramaiah on a personal level and our mother (Indira Lankesh) has also requested him to ensure justice to Gauri."

"But if the SIT fails to find her killers, then we will approach the court and think of a Central Bureau of Investigation probe," he said.

"Our motive is not just to find the killers but to know who was behind the killing," said Gauri's sister, Kavitha Lankesh.

"Gauri's death should not be politicised," the siblings added.

"She had no personal enmities, only ideological adversaries," Indrajit said. "She was condemning right-wing extremists through her publication, which might be the reason for her murder."

"However, other intentions cannot be ruled out," Indrajit said.

"People are branding her as a Naxalite, but she was only trying to bring them into the mainstream," he added.

An SIT was constituted on Wednesday after Siddaramaiah's meeting with the state's top police officials.

It was announced that the SIT would be headed by Inspector General of Police B.K. Singh.

Gauri was the daughter of renowned Kannada journalist P. Lankesh, who had started the publication of the Lankesh Patrike in 1980.

Both her siblings Indrajit and Kavitha are filmmakers in the Kannada film industry.

After the senior journalist's killing, political parties were seen blaming one another for it, amidst widespread protests across the country, condemning the murder.
Jaipur, Sep 7 : A Jet Airways Delhi-Jaipur flight with at least 62 passengers on board suffered a tyre deflation at Jaipur airport on Thursday, informed sources said. The "landing, deplaning and taxing" were, however, normal.

"ATR flight 9W 2459 of Jet Airways suffered a tyre deflation. This was only detected on arrival. Landing, deplaning and taxing all were normal," a source in Jet Airways told IANS.

Ruling out media reports on tyre burst during landing, an official at Jaipur International Airport said: "The pilot officially did not report anything to us and there was no emergency requirement from the airlines."
Mumbai, Sep 7 : As expected, notorious mafia gangster Abu Salem A. Ansari, 50, was spared the death penalty and sentenced to life imprisonment by Special TADA court Judge G.A. Sanap on Thursday for his role in the March 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

"As per the Extradition Treaty between India-Portugal, the maximum sentence permissible to him is 25 years, since the life imprisonment and death penalty are banned in Portugal where he was first arrested," Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve said after the verdict.

"The government will take a decision on this matter now, whether to commute the life sentence to 25 years, in accordance with the extradition treaty provisions," Salve told IANS.

One of the important clauses in the treaty between India and Portugal for extradition of Salem was an assurance by New Delhi that he would not be sentenced to death.

Following this, Salem and his former actress girlfriend Monica Bedi - both arrested by the InterPol in Lisbon on September 20, 2002 - were finally cleared in February 2004 for extradition to India. The two were handed over to the Indian agencies in November 11, 2005.

He was wanted in India to face trial in the March 1993 blasts case which killed 257 and injured 700 plus, besides several other cases filed against him all over the country.

Nearly two years after he landed in India, the special TADA court in Mumbai filed eight charges against him and his accomplice Riyaz Siddiqui for their role in the Mumbai blasts case, including procuring the arms and ammunition from Pakistan and later dispatching them to Maharashtra's Raigad.

In September 2011, after Indian authorities slapped fresh charges on Salem that could attract the death sentence, Portugal accused India of violating the extradition treaty conditions and revoked his deportation.

After the Lisbon High Court cancelled the deportation order, Portugal's Supreme Court of Justice questioned the legal rights of the Indian authorities to challenge the cancellation of the extradition order.

In 2015, Salem had moved the Administrative Court in Portugal seeking direction to the Portuguese government to execute the order of that country's apex court cancelling his extradition.

Inside the jails in Maharashtra, Salem barely remained out of the limelight, once when he was shot at by an inmate inside the Taloja Central Jail in Raigad on June 27, 2013, and on another occasion, when he was attacked by an inmate with a metal spoon inside the Arthur Road Central Jail, Mumbai in July 2010.

He survived both incidents with minor injuries, but left the jail authorities shaken.

There were reports that he lived a lavish lifestyle inside the jail. In 2015, a 26-year-old woman approached the special TADA court in Mumbai seeking permission to marry Salem. The two had reportedly met on a train while he was being taken to Uttar Pradesh in connection with a case.

Incidentally, shortly after Thursday's verdict, through his lawyer, Salem moved an application before the Special TADA Court asking that he should be shifted to New Delhi as he apprehended threat to his life in Maharashtra jails.

Besides the March 1993 Mumbai blasts case, Salem has already been sentenced to life in February 2015, in the builder Pradeep Jain's murder case of March 7, 1995 at Juhu.

Earlier on Thursday, Special TADA Court Judge Sanap sentenced to death penalty two convicts, pronounced life sentences to two others, including Salem and 10 years jail to one accused in the Mumbai 1993 blasts case.

Mohammed Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan were sentenced to death for their role in the blasts.

Salem and Karimullah Khan were awarded lifers while fifth convict Riyaz Siddiqui was given 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

All the six accused, including Mustafa Dossa, were pronounced guilty by the Special Court on June 16. Dossa, however died on June 28.

The much-awaited verdict on the quantum of sentencing came 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts and nearly 80 days after they were found guilty by the Special Court.

On a quiet afternoon of March 12, 1993, the country's commercial capital was shattered by a series of 13 blasts in quick succession at various locations in the city and suburbs, creating the worst unprecedented mayhem in the country, killing 257 and injuring 700 others.

The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs 27 crore.
Srinagar, Sep 7 : Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested here on Thursday.

"These villainous acts by the government would not break the spirit of the freedom loving people of Kashmir," Malik told reporters before he was arrested from a party office in the city's Abi Gujar area.

Three senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Malik, had announced they would take out a protest march to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi and court arrest on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Bar Association has announced continuation of its strike on Friday against the summoning of its president Mian Qayoom by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Qayoom was questioned by the agency for over seven hours on Wednesday.

The NIA on Thursday raided the house of senior separatist leader and Shia cleric Syed Agha Hassan in Badgam as well as the houses of other separatist leaders and their aides in the valley as part of its probe into the terror funding case.

According to NIA sources, similar raids were going on at 12 places in the valley.
Islamabad, Sep 7 : The two senior police officers who were sentenced to 17 years in prison for negligence and security lapses that led to the assassination of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in 2007 have challenged the verdict at the Lahore High Court on Thursday.

An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) in Rawalpindi last week convicted Additional Inspector General Saud Aziz and Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Khurram Shehzad, and fined them Rs 1 million each besides sentencing them to 17 years in jail.

Former President Pervez Musharraf was declared an absconder and five suspects reportedly linked with the banned Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) were acquitted for lack of evidence, Dawn online reported.

The appeals, filed on behalf of the police officers by their lawyers in the Rawalpindi bench, urged the High Court to release the convicts after overturning the sentences handed to them.

The applications argued that the police officers had provided adequate security at Liaquat Bagh, the venue of the rally addressed by Bhutto on December 27, 2007.

The officers who were providing security services had been made "scapegoats", the lawyers claimed, adding that the prosecution did not have any solid evidence against the accused.

The police officers claimed that the statements given by prosecution witnesses in the court were full of contradictions and that the trial of the case had not been conducted according to criminal laws, the report said.

Additional Inspector General of Police Saud Aziz had been accused of removing Superintendent of Police Ashfaq Anwar from Liaquat Bagh, leaving Bhutto at the mercy of the attackers. He was also accused of not ordering an autopsy of her body.

SSP Khurram Shehzad was charged with washing the crime scene and destroying potential evidence that may have led investigators to the terrorists, the report said.

The Pakistan Peoples Party chief was assassinated in a gun and bomb attack after an election rally in Liaquat Bagh on December 27, 2007. The then government of Pervez Musharraf had blamed TTP chief Baitullah Mehsud for the killing but Mehsud had denied any involvement in the murder.
Mumbai, Sep 7 : Gangster Abu Salem on Thursday escaped death penalty in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case as a Special TADA Court sentenced two convicts to death while awarding him 25 years jail sentence in accordance with the provisions of the extradition treaty with Portugal that bars extreme punishment for him.

Special Judge G.A. Sanap pronounced the death verdict on Mohammed Taher Merchant, 55 and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan, 47, for their role in the blasts, said Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve.

Besides Salem, 50, the Special Court sent Karimullah Khan, 55, to jail for life, and fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui, 67, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

"As per the Extradition Treaty between India-Portugal, this is the maximum sentence permissible to him since the death penalty is banned in Portugal where he was first arrested," Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve said after the verdict.

The judge also slapped varying amounts of fines on the convicts after finding them guilty on various charges, including murder, hatching a criminal conspiracy to carry out the blasts, waging a war against the nation, supplying arms and ammunition, and other serious offences, Salve told media persons after the ruling.

All the six accused, including Mustafa Dossa, were earlier pronounced guilty by the Special Court on June 16. However Dossa, 60, died of a heart attack on June 28.

They were convicted and sentenced under various laws including Indian Penal Code, TADA, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and others.

For perpetrating their heinous acts, the conspirators acquired and smuggled deadly arms and ammunition, detonators, hand grenades and nearly three tonnes of the deadly RDX (Research & Development Explosive - or Cyclotrimethylene Trinitramine), which was used for the first time after World War II on such a scale.

However, another accused Abdul Qayyum, 64, was acquitted from the case for lack of sufficient evidence against him and later released from jail.

The much-awaited verdict on the quantum of sentencing came 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts and nearly 80 days after they were found guilty.

At least 27 other accused in the case, including dreaded mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Tiger Memon, who mastermined the blasts, continue to elude the investigators and are declared absconders.

This was the second leg of the Mumbai blasts trial, the earlier having been completed in 2007 with the conviction of 100 accused out of 123 who were arrested and charged, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and Yakub Memon, the brother of absconder Tiger Memon.

While Dutt completed his sentence in jail and walked out in February 2016, Memon was hanged on July 30, 2015.

In the first phase of what is probably the longest terror case trial in India, the then Special TADA Court Judge P. D. Kode sentenced 12 convicts to death, 20 to life terms, and other varying sentences to the remaining.

Later in March 2013, the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence of Yakub Memon, commuted the capital punishment for 10 others to life sentences, and upheld the life imprisonment of 16 others.

On a quiet afternoon of March 12, 1993, the country's commercial capital was shattered by a series of 13 blasts in quick succession at various locations in the city and suburbs, creating the worst unprecedented mayhem in the country, killing 257 and injuring 700 others.

The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs 27 crore.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, accused of money laundering.

Public Prosecutors Navin Kumar Matta and Rajeev Awasthi told Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma that there are serious allegations against Wani.

"If accused will be released on bail at this juncture, the entire effort of the ED to unearth the large conspiracy would be a futile exercise," the ED pleaded.

The prosecutor also submitted that the investigation is at a very crucial stage, since call records and emails leading to Pakistan, London, Dubai are to be scrutinised and the donors who have paid money to the accused are to be identified and examined.

Wani is involved in generation of huge money from various countries, including Pakistan, to fuel and foment unrest in Kashmir, the ED told the court.

The ED arrested Wani, currently in judicial custody till September 13, on August 6.

Wani had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah. The ED had registered a criminal case against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 when the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Wani.

In the 2005 case lodged by the Special Cell, the court had acquitted co-accused Wani of the charges of dealing with criminal conspiracy and other offences but convicted him under the Arms Act, his defence counsel told the court.

The ED submitted that conviction under the Arms Act is a triggering point to take action under the PMLA.

It said that if Wani is released on bail, he can try to influence evidences. The agency also said that Wani had not joined investigation in the case and ignored summons.

The court has listed the matter for September 14 for further hearing.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Senior Congress leader Mallikarjun Kharge on Thursday said "anti-progressive people" were responsible for the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh and all states should take a united stand to catch the culprits.

"I don't want to say now..this party has killed her or that party has killed. But I am sure that anti-progressive people and those who are opposed to Gauri Lankesh might have taken advantage of this situation," Kharge told a news channel.

"I don't know to get into the details and don't want to go on assumptions (about who killed her)," he added when asked about her killers.

Kharge said: "A Special Task Force has been constituted and the team is very good. About 21 people are involved in that. Those three teams will work vigorously and whatever is the truth will come out."

Asked about the Kalburgi murder case, Kharge said: "Such things can be brought out in public only if all work together, whether it is Maharashtra, Karnataka and others."

"Therefore, Maharshtra should also support. Whatever feedback the government of Karnataka has got, they should also support.

"So, everybody should take a united stand to catch hold of the culprits. Maharashtra's Sanatan Sanstha people are there in Kolhapur and Pune," he added.

Lankesh, 55, editor of popular Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead at her Bengaluru home by three unidentified assailants on Tuesday night.
CHARLESTON  Douglas Hall, a male-only residence hall at Eastern Illinois University, is under fire again by those looking to rename it.

The residence hall, named after Stephen Douglas, a U.S. senator from the Democratic Party who famously debated Abraham Lincoln on issues like slavery in 1858, received new criticism at a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.

Buildings named after pro-slavery and Confederate figures have undergone recent scrutiny following violent incidents in places such as Charlottesville, Virginia.

Chris Hanlon, a former EIU professor now at Arizona State University, called for the name to be changed again at the meeting. Hanlon could not be reached for comment on Wednesday.

Faculty Senate members plan to discuss the prospect of renaming the hall at their next meeting, Jemmie Robertson, Faculty Senate chair, said. Robertson said that he will likely draft a resolution for those in the senate for a vote.

Mark Hudson, EIU Housing and Dining director, said these are complicated issues addressing the name change. There is certainly an argument that could be made on both sides of this issue, he said.

Hanlon led a charge to get the name changed in 2010. At the time, EIU faculty proposed that university officials change the name because of Douglas' pro-slavery legislative record and racist comments.

Hanlon and other faculty lobbied said then that it was not appropriate to name the hall after Douglas, who was an advocate for slavery. However, their proposal was defeated.

The Eastern Illinois University Naming Committee voted in December 2010 to recommend not changing Douglas Hall's namesake from Stephen Douglas to Frederick Douglass.

As a result of the renaming debate, a display detailing the origins behind the name for context was put up on a wall in the Stevenson Hall, which connects Douglas and Lincoln halls.

Douglas' name was recommended in 1951 by a professor in social sciences, Glenn H. Seymour. He proposed that two residence halls that were under construction at the time should be named after Lincoln and Douglas in honor of the historical debate held in this community, according to the display.

Their fourth of seven debates for the senate seat took place in Charleston, which later prompted the construction of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum at the Coles County fairgrounds.
Kolkata, Sep 7 : A day after the BJP alleged that a state-owned indoor stadium where its President Amit Shah was scheduled to attend a programme next week had cancelled their booking, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday slammed the party, accusing it of deliberately trying to stir up a controversy.

Contending that even the state government did not get access to the Netaji Indoor Stadium for their own meeting on Thursday which was held at Nazrul Mancha instead, she, without naming the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), said: "Some people are doing a drama... they love to spread canards and indulge in mudslinging on every single point."

"They are deliberately booking on the day it's already been taken. They are cribbing about it and saying 'I did not get the hall'. Then let me also cry that 'I did not get Netaji Indoor (Stadium)'. Does this behaviour suit anyone? It doesn't."

Shah will be in the city on a three day visit from September 11-13.

State BJP General Secretary Sayantan Basu had said on Wednesday: "Netaji Indoor stadium authorities had accepted our booking. We had event sent a letter to them and it was taken then. But on August 30 when we sent our people to check on the booking, we were told that the stadium was booked for the entire month, except for the Durga Puja days between September 26-30."

The development comes close on the heels after authorities at state-run auditorium Mahajati Sadan cancelled the booking for an October 3 programme which RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat was scheduled to attend.

Stressing on adherence to ethics, Banerjee said even she, despite her position and the privileges that come with it, adjusted her events, depending on availability of particular venues.

"I was told this venue is not spacious enough to accommodate so many people. We had wanted to organise the meeting at Netaji Indoor Stadium but since it was already booked for the day by others.... I maintain some ethics," she said while addressing state government employees' federation meeting.

"How can I cancel a booking for a programme on day at the venue which has been booked in advance by others? If the programme is continuous one which runs for days, and if I cancel booking for a day... the how will they do the event? I myself did not get Netaji Indoor Stadium. Why should I violate the law," she asked.

"I have shifted my programme to a smaller venue instead. Many people had to sit on the floor... we couldn't invite many. This inconvenience had to be faced because we could not get the booking at Netaji Indoor Stadium.

"Due to obligation and timing we had to adjust... if we can adjust our programme (others can also do the same). Some people are crying foul about it and are saying the state government is scared.... why would I be scared," she added.

At the meeting, Banerjee announced an enhancement of 15 per cent in dearness allowance for state government employees from next January and assured that the arrears would be cleared by 2019.

She said the increased allowance would cost the exchequer about Rs 4,500 crore.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Indian Super League (ISL) franchise Delhi Dynamos on Thursday announced the signing of Nigerian forward Kalu Uche for 2017 season.

This will be Uche's second stint in the tournament after previously plying his trade with FC Pune City in 2015 when he scored four times in 11 appearances.

The former Super Eagles forward last represented Spanish second division side UD Almeria. The 34-year-old's signing will add experience and sharpness to the frontline of the Delhi outfit.

Commenting on the joining, Delhi Dynamos director Rohan Sharma said: "I am happy to welcome Kalu to the Delhi Dynamos squad this year. Kalu brings a lot of experience to the team, having played for Nigerian national team, has had over 175 appearances for Almeria, as well as having played in the ISL in 2015. He will bring toughness, both mentally and physically, to the team and I look forward to seeing him make a mark on the ISL this year."

Kalu began his career with Nigerian side Enyimba International before moving to Wisla Krakow in Poland, where he won the top division title thrice and the Polish Cup on two occasions.
Chandigarh, Sep 7 : The Haryana Police is investigating claims that top Dera Sacha Sauda functionaries paid a 'supari' (contract) of Rs 5 crore to criminal elements to instigate violence in Panchkula and other places after sect chief Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh's conviction for rape.

Haryana Director General of Police B.S. Sandhu said that the matter was under investigation.

"We are investigating this. We are trying to nab two Dera functionaries, Chamkaur Singh and Nain, who are said to be involved in this," he said.

The disgraced sect chief was convicted by a special CBI court on August 25 for the rape of two female disciples in 1999. He was sentenced to 20 years of rigorous imprisonment.

His conviction led to violence in Panchkula and Sirsa in Haryana, leaving 38 people dead and 264 injured. Isolated incidents of violence were also reported from Delhi and several other places in Punjab.

Police sources said that interrogation of some of the arrested Dera activists had revealed a plot in which Rs 5 crore was paid as 'supari' to criminal elements to instigate violence.

The Haryana Police had, last week, arrested five Dera followers in Ambala city and recovered Rs 38 lakh in cash from them, and are investigating the money link from the Dera side to instigate violence.

Security was tightened around the Dera headquarters near Sirsa town on Wednesday following the approval granted by the Punjab and Haryana High Court to the Haryana government to search and sanitise the premises.

The search is likely to begin on Friday.

Retired District and Sessions Judge A.K.S. Pawar, who was appointed as the Court Commissioner by the high court on Tuesday to oversee the search and sanitisation operation of the Dera premises, arrived in Sirsa on Thursday.The Dera is spread in two campuses, 600 acres and over 100 acres each, about 8 km from Sirsa town (260 km from Chandigarh).

Armed security personnel from central paramilitary forces and Haryana police were stationed outside the Dera premises. Bomb disposal squads and dog squads have also been stationed near the Dera premises.

"There is complete peace in Haryana since August 25. There are 131 companies of para-military forces deployed in Haryana," the DGP said.

Dera administration chairperson Vipassana, who is a close aide of the sect head, said that the Dera management was fully prepared for the conduct of the search and sanitising operation.

"We are cooperating with the local administration. All weapons of the Dera and individual inside (the premises) have been deposited with the authorities. We have nothing to hide. The premises can be searched anytime," Vipassana said.

The Haryana government had sought the high court's permission to undertake sanitisation under judicial supervision.

Authorities in Haryana have carried out sanitisation of 117 'Naam Charcha Ghars' associated with the Dera, where its followers assemble for prayers and discussions."Some objectionable items were seized during searches at their premises following the arrest of convicted Dera chief," Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said on Monday.

The sprawling Dera headquarters houses a stadium, hospital, educational institutions, a resort, houses, markets, and other infrastructure. Huge bungalows of the sect chief (spread in nearly 100 acres) and his family members are also located inside.Hundreds of people and sect followers permanently live inside the mini-township and work there.
Paris, Sep 7 : United Nations' culture body Unesco on Thursday deplored the killing this week of Indian journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh, calling it "an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression" and urging the killers be brought to justice.

"I condemn the murder of Gauri Lankesh," Unesco Director General Irina Bokova said in a statement.

"Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society," she added.

Lankesh, 55, the editor and publisher of the Gauri Lankesh Patrike, a Kannada-language weekly tabloid, and an outspoken critic of Hindu right-wing extremism, was shot dead on Monday night outside her home in Bengaluru.

"I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished," said Bokova.

The US has also condemned the murder as an attack on free expression.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday assumed charge as India's first full-time woman Defence Minister, and asserted she would be a "round-the-clock" Minister, with focus on preparedness of the armed forces, welfare of soldiers and indigenous defence production.

Sitharaman was received at South Block, which houses the Defence Ministry, by predecessor Arun Jaitley, Minister of State for Defence Subhash Bhamre, Defence Secretary Sanjay Mitra, Secretary Defence Production A.K. Gupta, Chairman DRDO S. Christopher and other senior officials.

Two priests were present at her office to offer prayers as she took over the new charge.

"I shall ensure that all defence priorities are well attended to. I will be available round the clock," Sitharaman said after taking charge.

"My priority will definitely be the preparedness of the armed forces. It is important that the armed forces receive all the attention in terms of getting necessary endowment and equipment to perform their duties with the best of equipment available," she said.

"I will attend to all long-pending issues (related to defence), and in consultation with the Prime Minister and the cabinet... the Cabinet Committee on Security... and ensure that those issues get resolved," Sitharaman said.

The Minister said indigenous manufacturing in defence will be one of the key areas for her, as envisioned in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's flagship Make in India programme.

"Make in India in defence production is very important for India's defence capabilities... It is something that will be of great importance to us," she said.

Pointing out that India was one of the biggest defence equipment buyers in the world, Sitharaman said domestic defence production will receive a boost due to technology transfer to the country.

She said the welfare of soldiers and their families was also one of her top priorities. "Although I am saying this at the end, certainly not least in importance is the armed forces' families and their welfare."

"Soldiers (deployed) on the toughest border, challenging situations, should remain absolutely assured that their interests are being watched."

The new Defence Minister approved a grant of around Rs 13 crore for 8,685 ex-servicemen, widows and dependants from the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. She also approved financial assistance out of the Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Fund, a statement said.

Sitharaman, a former Commerce and Industry Minister, was elevated to Cabinet Minister rank and given charge of the crucial defence portfolio in Sunday's cabinet reshuffle by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

She could not take charge until Thursday as Arun Jaitley, who was holding additional charge of Defence, was on a visit to Japan for a bilateral dialogue.

Sitharaman is the first woman to hold full-time charge of the defence portfolio. In the past, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi held the portfolio twice -- from December 1 to December 21, 1975, and January 14, 1980, to January 15, 1982.
Mumbai, Sep 7 : Gangster Abu Salem on Thursday escaped the death penalty in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case as a Special TADA Court here sentenced two convicts to death while awarding him a life sentence.

The prosecution had demanded a maximum sentence of 25 years in accordance with the provisions of the extradition treaty with Portugal that bars extreme punishment for him.

"The government will take a decision on this matter now under the Criminal Procedure Code, whether to commute the life sentence to 25 years in accordance with the extradition treaty provisions," Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve told IANS.

He added that as per Indian laws, life sentence is imprisonment till death, but under Portuguese laws, the maximum punishment is 25 years, neither life nor the death penalty.

Special Judge G.A. Sanap pronounced the death verdict on Mohammed Taher Merchant, 55 and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan, 47, for their role in the blasts, said Salvi.

Besides Salem, 50, the Special Court sent Karimullah Khan, 55, to jail for life, and fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui, 67, to 10 years rigorous imprisonment.

"As per the Extradition Treaty between India-Portugal, this is the maximum sentence permissible to him since the death penalty is banned in Portugal where he was first arrested," Salve said after the verdict.

The judge also slapped varying amounts of fines on the convicts after finding them guilty on various charges, including murder, hatching a criminal conspiracy to carry out the blasts, waging a war against the nation, supplying arms and ammunition, and other serious offences, Salve told media persons after the ruling.

All the six accused, including Mustafa Dossa, were earlier pronounced guilty by the Special Court on June 16. However Dossa, 60, died of a heart attack on June 28.

They were convicted and sentenced under various laws including Indian Penal Code, TADA, Explosives Act, Explosive Substances Act, Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act and others.

For perpetrating their heinous acts, the conspirators acquired and smuggled deadly arms and ammunition, detonators, hand grenades and nearly three tonnes of the deadly RDX (Research & Development Explosive - or Cyclotrimethylene Trinitramine), which was used for the first time after World War II on such a scale.

However, another accused Abdul Qayyum, 64, was acquitted from the case for lack of sufficient evidence against him and later released from jail.

The much-awaited verdict on the quantum of sentencing came 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts and nearly 80 days after they were found guilty.

At least 27 other accused in the case, including dreaded mafia don Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar and Tiger Memon, who mastermined the blasts, continue to elude the investigators and are declared absconders.

This was the second leg of the Mumbai blasts trial, the earlier having been completed in 2007 with the conviction of 100 accused out of 123 who were arrested and charged, including Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt and Yakub Memon, the brother of absconder Tiger Memon.

While Dutt completed his sentence in jail and walked out in February 2016, Memon was hanged on July 30, 2015.

In the first phase of what is probably the longest terror case trial in India, the then Special TADA Court Judge P. D. Kode sentenced 12 convicts to death, 20 to life terms, and other varying sentences to the remaining.

Later in March 2013, the Supreme Court had upheld the death sentence of Yakub Memon, commuted the capital punishment for 10 others to life sentences, and upheld the life imprisonment of 16 others.

On a quiet afternoon of March 12, 1993, the country's commercial capital was shattered by a series of 13 blasts in quick succession at various locations in the city and suburbs, creating the worst unprecedented mayhem in the country, killing 257 and injuring 700 others.

The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar, then existing five star hotels, Hotel SeaRock and Hotel Juhu Centaur, and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs 27 crore.

(Quaid Najmi can be contacted at q.najmi@ians.in)
New Delhi, Sep 7 : The CBI on Thursday summoned RJD chief Lalu Prasad and his son Tejashwi Yadav to appear before it for questioning on September 11 and 12 regarding alleged irregularites in issuing contract for two IRCTC hotels in 2006 to a private company.

The two were directed to report at the Central Bureau of Investigation headquarters in New Delhi for questioning.

The CBI had in July filed a corruption case against Lalu Prasad, his wife Rabri Devi and Tejashwi for alleged irregularities when the Rashtriya Janata Dal President was the Railway Minister from 2004 to 2009.

The contracts for two Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) hotels at Ranchi in Jharkhand and Puri in Odisha were handed over to Sujata Hotels company owned by Vijay and Vinay Kochhar in lieu of a bribe in the form of a plot of prime land in Patna in Bihar.

According to the CBI, Lalu Prasad allegedly granted illegal favours to Sujata Hotels through the IRCTC, and the tender process for the development, maintenance, and operation of the two hotels was manipulated in exchange for the three-acre plot in Patna where a mall is coming up.

The CBI, which registered the case on July 5 under Sections 420 and 120B of the Indian Penal Code and Sections 13 and 13(1)B of the Prevention of Corruption Act, claimed that the kickbacks were paid through a 'benami' company owned by Sarala Gupta, wife of RJD MP Prem Chand Gupta.

The CBI FIR alleged that Vinay Kochhar sold three acres of land in Patna through 10 sale deeds on February 25, 2005, for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing Company in which Sarla Gupta was a Director.

The FIR alleged that the land was sold at a price below circle and market rates and was falsely shown as agricultural land to evade substantial stamp duty.

During the CBI preliminary inquiry, the agency allegedly found that the said land was sold by the Kochhars to Delight Marketing and payment was arranged through Ahluwalia Contractors and its promoter Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate (ED), which is also probing the financial irregularities in the case, questioned Bikramjeet Singh Ahluwalia of Ahluwalia Constructions Pvt. Ltd. in connection with the case and also summoned Sujatha Hotels owners Vijay and Vinay Kochhar for questioning.

The ED had, on July 27, registered a separate case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act following the CBI FIR and is probing allegations against Lalu Prasad and others for alleged transaction of money through shell companies.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : The Integrated Industrial Township (IIT) project in Greater Noida will provide employment to over one lakh people once completed, Alkesh Kumar Sharma, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Delhi Mumbai Industrial Corridor Development Corporation (DMICDC) said here on Thursday.

"When the IIT will be fully operational, it will provide employment to about 1,25,000 people. Apart from that, there will be a multiplier effect," Sharma told IANS in an interaction.

The IIT is a technology-driven futuristic world class smart city which is under various stages of construction. Internal development work at the IIT site will be completed and it will be ready for sale by August 2018.

Spread over 747 acres, the IIT is an early bird project in the Dadri-Noida-Ghaziabad Investment region, a key node of the DMIC being developed close to Delhi-NCR. It is one of the eight industrial zones being developed in Phase I of the DMIC project.

In its first phase, the DMIC proposes seven investment regions, two airports, three logistical hubs, two mass rapid transport systems and a solar power plant, besides a string of other large-scale infrastructure projects.

Besides the IIT in Greater Noida, three other smart cities -- Dholera in Gujarat, Aurangabad Industrial City (AURIC) in Maharashtra and Vikram Udyogpuri in Madhya Pradesh -- have sailed past the approval and planning stages and are now having the trunk infrastructure laid out.

"Total phase I of the cities is targeted by 2025. But by 2019, in these four cities, our phase I work will be completed," Sharma said.

"The work in Haryana project will take off in the beginning of next year. Apart from that, we have a second project in Maharashtra which will also start by next year," added Sharma.

Talking about investment, Sharma said: "Till now the projects that have been sanctioned by the Government of India and where construction is under progress, the investment has been around Rs 13,000 crore."

"We have got around 18,000-19,000 acres of land in these cities from the state governments. As and when we get additional land, we will also accrue additional investments," he added.

A 38-member trade delegation from Taiwan -- comprising government representatives and top executives of a diverse range of companies -- visited the IIT site and held discussions with the DMIC officials seeking to explore investment opportunities and commercial tie-ups with the project.

"The DMIC project is being executed largely in the PPP mode and offers enormous opportunities for investments and tie-ups for companies from both India and abroad. We are keen to fast-track the project and would hugely welcome proposals for collaborations and investments from Taiwan," said Sharma.
Jaipur, Sep 7 : Human Resource Development (HRD) Minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday invited designs for convocation gowns from the students across the country for the universities to choose from.

Speaking at the convocation ceremony of Manipal University Jaipur, he said one can do many things with the Indian designs, including the customary throwing of hat, if that is replaced with a 'pagdi' (Indian headgear).

"Many universities where I have been, happened to have designed Indian costumes for their convocation... Today, I appeal to the Manipal University, and tomorrow we will invite students on our website as well, to design good Indian gowns for convocation and post it on our website," he said.

The Minister said recently when he went to the convocation at Sri Sri Ravi Shankar University in Bhubaneswar, the students there wore Indian costumes and flung their 'pagdi' instead of the hats as is the case with the western custom.
Bengaluru, Sep 7 : Working to crack the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, the Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the Karnataka Police on Thursday sought information from the public for clues to the killers.

"The general public is requested to share any information on this case on phone number 9480800202 and email 'sit.glankesh@ksp.gov.in'," a statement from the Bengaluru Commissioner of Police's office said.

The SIT led by Inspector General of Police B.K. Singh was set up on Wednesday after the Chief Minister met top police officials.

Lankesh, 55, the Editor of Kannada tabloid Gauri Lankesh Patrike, was shot dead on Tuesday night by three unidentified assailants outside her home.
DECATUR  Jamie Holmes' only connection to Oak Grove School is her friendship with Principal Annette Belue.

That was enough to give Holmes and her friend, Rachel Koshinski-Williams, an idea. They held a rummage sale that included items their friends donated and raised $200, all of which they used to buy school supplies to donate to Oak Grove.

I wanted to help out the community, Holmes said. With everything bad going on, I wanted to do something positive. I don't have small kids anymore and I kind of miss buying school supplies.

The plan is to make it an annual affair, and to choose a different building each year. Even though school has already started, Holmes knows that kids run out of school supplies as the year rolls on, and it can be a financial burden for parents to constantly replace those items.
Bhubaneswar, Sep 7 : Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Thursday requested Prime Minister Narendra Modi to set up a hub of Tata Memorial Centre here for the treatment of cancer patients.

In a letter to the Prime Minister, Patnaik said the state government would provide all necessary support if the Department of Atomic Energy sets up the centre at Bhubaneswar.

The Department of Atomic Energy gives grant-in-aid and manages the Tata Memorial Centre.

"In view of the emerging role of Odisha in providing medical care, it would be helpful to have a hub of the Tata Memorial Centre in Odisha. This will be of invaluable service to the poor patients of Odisha as well as from our neighbouring States," said the Chief Minister.

He said Odisha has been receiving a good number of patients requiring various types of medical interventions, from neighbouring states.

Apart from a branch of AIIMS and hospitals of the state government, Odisha has good participation of private hospitals in and around Bhubaneswar.

"However, the need for an advanced cancer hospital and research centre in the public sector is immensely felt to provide affordable care to the cancer patients," the Chief Minister pointed out.

It is learnt that the Centre has been setting up its hubs at different locations, for example, Sangrur, Visakhapatnam and BHU, Varanasi, said Patnaik.
Islamabad, Sep 7 : Keeping in view the current situation in the world and the region, Pakistan will have to swiftly "change its direction", the country's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has said.

"We are undergoing a seismic shift," Asif said at the Pakistani envoys' conference on Thursday, referring to the "altering" regional and international situation, Dawn online reported.

Envoys to some major countries and multilateral institutions participated in the three-day conference which deliberated on changes unfolding in the geopolitical environment.

Asif said that the geopolitical changes taking place in the world were unprecedented. "Perhaps, such changes were not even witnessed after the Second World War. New alignments have been made, strategic policies are dictating nations' interests," he said.

"We (Pakistan) have to review these situations pragmatically and take the right direction. We have to quickly adjust our direction," the Foreign Minister said.

The US policy on South Asia and Afghanistan was also discussed during the final session of the envoys conference.

The Minister said that there is a 50 to 60-year-long history behind the Washington policy and the regional situation "which is gradually unfolding".

"In my personal view, (in the course of this history), we have only incurred losses and haven't gained much," he said.

Asif said that in the coming days "there will be a policy shift in the country". The new policy will be formulated with the Army and the country's institutions and will keep Pakistan's interests in view.

The minister said that Pakistan's dependency on the US has been greatly reduced. However, he said, Pakistan's relationship with the US has not ended and future communications will be made keeping in view Pakistan's interests.

"Pakistan will cooperate with countries who recognise its sacrifices," the minister said.
Srinagar, Sep 7 : The NIA on Thursday raided the house of senior separatist leader and influential Shia cleric Syed Agha Hassan as well as the houses of other separatist leaders and their aides in Kashmir Valley as part of its massive searches in the terror-funding case probe. JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested while Mirwaiz Umer Farooq placed under house arrest in Srinagar.

The arrest of Malik and the Mirwaiz's house arrest came a day after the separatist leaders announced they would go to New Delhi to court arrest before the agency headquarters on September 9 in protest against the anti-terror agency's crackdown in the Valley.

Sleuths of NIA carried out daylong raids in the Valley and Jammu city on Thursday.

A team of the agency assisted by state police and the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) carried out a raid at the Badgam residence of Syed Agha Hassan. The raid began at 4 a.m. and continued the whole day. He is known to be associated with the Mirwaiz faction of the Hurriyat.

Simultaneous raids were carried out by teams of the anti-terror agency on the houses of Ghulam Nabi Sumji, senior separatist leader of Syed Ali Shah Geelani's Hurriyat group, Zameer Thakur, a close aide of Shabir Shah, and Showkat Bakshi, a senior leader of the JKLF.

The NIA conducted raids at 12 places in the Valley and at one place in Jammu city.

The offices of the CA of arrested Kashmiri businessman Zahoor Wattali and residences of some cross-border traders were also searched. During searches fixed deposits of Rs 1 crore and "incriminating documents" and "suspicious financial records" and electronic devices were seized, the NIA said.

A team of the agency raided the house of Abdul Razak Choudhary in Bantlab area of Jammu city. Choudhary is s property dealer and believed to be close to Shabir Shah.

On Wednesday, the agency had raided 24 places in Kashmir Valley and in Delhi focusing mainly on traders, who allegedly have links with the terror funding case under probe by the NIA.

Meanwhile, police arrested JKLF chief Malik from his party's Abi Guzar office in Srinagar city. He was later taken to a nearby police station.

Authorities also placed Mirwaiz Umer Farooq under house arrest in his Nigeen residence on the city outskirts.

Hardline senior separatist leader, Syed Ali Geelani continues to be under house arrest in his uptown Hyderpora residence.

The three senior separatist leaders announced on Wednesday that they would take out a protest march to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi and court arrest on September 9.

The agency had in July arrested seven separatist leaders and a prominent local businessman in connection with the probe into the terror funding by Pakistan-based terrorist groups to stoke unrest in the valley.

President of Kashmir Bar Association Mian Qayoom was questioned by the NIA for nearly seven hours on Wednesday.

Lawyers in the valley have decided to stay away from courts till Qayoom returned from Delhi.

Meanwhile, the Enforcement Directorate is likely to register a money laundering case against some separatist leaders facing investigation by the NIA on charges of receiving terror funding from across the border to stoke unrest in the valley.

An ED official, requesting anonymity, told IANS that the financial probe agency would file a case under Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and Foreign Exchange Management Act (FEMA) against the separatist leader taking cognizance of the NIA FIR in connection with the case.

The ED had on June 23 registered money laundering case against Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed, Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Hizbul Mujahideen and members of the Hurriyat Conference in connection with alleged terror funding.
Yangon, Sep 7 : Facing the problem of Rohingya Muslims, Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi on Thursday likened the issue to Kashmir and said that there is the trouble of sifting terrorists from innocent citizens.

Suu Kyi told the media here that there was a need to differentiate between terrorists and innocent people and India was well versed with it, as it had been tackling the issue in Kashmir.

"You in India will be very well versed in this. Because (there is) a large Muslim community in India and in places like Kashmir, you had this trouble of sorting out the terrorists from the innocent citizens and all those who are not involved in the terrorist movement at all. So we have the same problem," she said.

Suu Kyi said the Myanmar government had tried to provide security to all those residing in the country.

"We have to take care of our citizens. We have to take care of everybody who is in our country whether or not they are our citizens. It is our duty and we try our best," she said.

Suu Kyi is under mounting international pressure to stop the alleged atrocities against the Rohingyas, who are even denied citizenship in Myanmar.

Thousands of Rohingyas are crossing over to Bangladesh -- where they are sparingly given refugee status -- to escape from the violence in Rakhine state. Media reports quoted the UNHCR spokesperson in Bangladesh as saying that at least 123,000 Rohingyas have crossed over in the past few days.

The latest exodus began on August 25, after Rohingya insurgents attacked police posts in Rakhine, leading to a violent offensive by the Myanmar army.

India also faces the problem of Rohingyas fleeing into the states bordering Myanmar.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had said after his talks with Suu Kyi on Wednesday that India shared Myanmar's concerns over the situation in Rakhine state and the loss of lives of security personnel and innocent people in the violence blamed on insurgents from the minority community.

Modi hoped that whether in the peace process or resolving a "specific problem", all stakeholders worked together to find a solution to ensure peace, justice and dignity for all by respecting the unity and territorial integrity of Myanmar.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Delhi Lt Governor Anil Baijal on Thursday directed officials to ensure 100 per cent mechanisation of sewer cleaning in the capital by March next year.

The Lt Governor issued the direction at a review meeting on the issue of deaths of sanitation workers while cleaning sewers in Delhi.

"LG directed that the goal of 100 per cent mechanisation of sewer cleaning should be achieved by March, 2018. He also asked the concerned agencies to lay down an SOP for manual cleaning of sewers in emergency situations," an official statement said.

Meanwhile Baijal, in another meeting, also issued directions regarding greening of the garbage mounds in Bhalswa and Okhla landfills after grading their slopes under expert guidance.

Experts from IIT-Delhi and the industry along with Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Urban Development Minister Satyendar Jain attended the meeting.

In the meeting Lt. Governor also discussed the solutions for all the three garbage mounds on a case-by-case basis.

The meeting was informed that National Highways Authority of India would undertake the work of segregation and utilisation of garbage of the Ghazipur mound from mid-November for use in its road project.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : A petition was filed on Thursday before the Delhi High Court alleging that majority of government schools here are not facilitating science and commerce streams at intermediate level to students.

The Public Interest Litigation (PIL) pointed out that the distribution of schools offering science and commerce streams is "alarmingly uneven".

The petition filed by advocate Yusuf Naqi said that out of a total of 1,029 schools in the national capital, only 279 offered science stream to Class 11 and 12 students, while commerce was offered in 613 schools.

Depriving students from taking science or commerce stream at intermediate level amounts to "depriving them of their right to choose a profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business of her own choice as guaranteed under Article 19(1)(g) of the Constitution of India", said the plea.

"It is evident from the government records that there are 'shadow pockets' in different regions of Delhi that do not offer science and commerce streams at all, in their academic curriculum," the petition said.

It added that in central Delhi, only two government schools out of a total of 41 have science stream in their curriculum.
Siracuse, Sep 7 : A man killed his common-law wife in Sicily in March during a row over 20 euros and tried to make it look as if she died in a domestic accident, police said Thursday.

Sebastiano Iemmolo, 36, was arrested in the town of Pachino on Wednesday for the murder of his partner, Laura Pirri, 31, who died in hospital in Palermo on March 25, 18 days after she was admitted there with severe burns.

Iemmolo faces charges of murder, mistreatment, assault, causing a fire and slander, police said.

He had doused Pirri with flammable liquid and set her ablaze, before blowing up a cooking-gas canister and telling police there had been an accident, according to investigators.

Police opened a probe after the victim's mother told investigators the couple's 10-year-old son had witnessed Iemmolo attack Pirri.

As part of the investigation, police bugged Iemmolo's mother's home, where he went to live after the attack.

Iemmolo is known to have a violent nature and had assaulted Pirri in the past. He also set fire to a neighbour's car during a petty dispute, investigators said.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : India's diverse multicultural society and tradition of tolerance is its greatest strength, and will be the basis of the country's economic strength in future, former RBI Governor Raghuram Rajan said on Thursday.

"Our greatest strength comes from being a tolerant, open society," Rajan said at the release here of his book "I do what I do", which is based on the speeches he delivered as the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor during 2013-16.

"This tolerance and openness will be our greatest economic strength in future, especially given the kind of service and innovative economy we want to be," he said.

"We should be extremely careful not to lose this...definitely there are threats to tolerance...Eternal vigilance is the price to pay for liberty," he added.

Rajan's comments come in the backdrop of the nationwide outrage and protests over the murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru earlier this week.

Elaborating on the issue, Rajan, the only RBI Governor since Independence who did not have his term renewed by the government, said: "Every authoritarian regime comes to a turning point when it has to answer the question of how to increase growth."

In 2015, a lecture Rajan had delivered as RBI Governor created controversy because of his reference to the growing intolerance in the country.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : Delhi Police on Thursday registered an FIR against a man who openly threatened to eliminate four eminent women and a noted journalist, all of whom he termed "anti-national", a senior police officer said.

The FIR was registered following a complaint from journalist Sagarika Ghose whose name appears in the list of women which include authors Shobha De and Arundhati Roy, and activists Kavitha Krishnan and Shehla Rashid.

"We have registered an FIR after receiving a complaint from Sagarika Ghose under the Information Technology (IT) Act. She, in her complaint, stated that she saw a open threat posts from a man who had two different accounts on the names of 'Vikram Aditya Rana and Vikramjb Rana' at social networking site Facebook. He is a native of Shillong," Deputy Commissioner of Police Anyesh Roy told IANS.

"She said that Rana on Tuesday posted and shared his posts openly on his Facebook account, calling her and four other women activists including journalists as anti-nationals who masquerade as journalists and activists," Roy said.

"We received some screen shots copies along with the complaint by Ghose and have asked Facebook officials about the details of Rana, related to his accounts and email ids to track him. His IP address is being traced," the officer added.

On the day, noted Kannada woman journalist Gauri Lankesh gunned down by unknown assailants outside her residence in Bengaluru, Rana had written a vituperative post on his Facebook wall, praising her killers, he said. ".... Serves her & her kind right for d damages these so called journos have caused our nation.Sagarkia Ghose & Arundhati Roy ,Kavitha Krishnan ,Shiela Rashid ,Umar Khalid ,Kanhaiyya should be at d top of d list now," Rana had posted, said Roy.

In another post, he wrote: 'Let d shooting of #GauriLankesh serve as example to those antinationals who masquerade as journalists & activists. I hope this is not d last in a should be episode of serial assassinations of all anti nationals . Shobha De ;Arundhati Roy ;Sagarika Ghose ;Kavitha Krishnan ;Shiela Rashid etc at d end of a list that should start with antinational & treacherous politicians . A hit list be prepared & eliminate all those on d list .At last a ray of hope."
New Delhi, Sep 7 : The Congress may appoint a new Bihar chief in place of Ashok Choudhary following recent turbulence in the state unit which saw senior leaders of the party being sent to Patna to stave off any possible break-up.

Sources said Choudhary was not present at the meetings held by Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi with party legislators from the state on Wednesday and Thursday.

Leader of Congress Legislative Party Sadanand Singh later said they discussed how to strengthen the party in the state in the aftermath of the collapse of the grand alliance when the JD-U decided to snap ties with Rashtriya Janata Dal and rejoin hands with the BJP to form government in the state in July. Congress was the third ally in the alliance.

A Congress legislator, who did not want to be named, said the leadership was unhappy with Choudhary over reports about possible defections.

The legislator said that Choudhary had been state unit chief for over four years and there is a strong view among senior leaders that the party should appoint a new face at the helm in the state.

"The change will be made keeping the caste equations in mind," he said.

Party sources said Choudhary was not invited for Gandhi's meeting with MLAs and MLCs.

Congress has 27 MLAs in the state.

Choudhary had met party chief Sonia Gandhi on August 31 told the media that the state unit was united.

The party had sent senior leader Jyotiraditya Scindia and J.P. Agarwal to the state earlier last month to take stock of the situation following reports of rift in the state unit.
DECATUR  Haley Vemmer didn't decide on Millikin University until May of her senior year.

It was the best decision I could have made, said Vemmer, a freshman at Millikin.

Vemmer is a St. Teresa High School graduate, where she had the small classes and personal attention from teachers that she was looking for in a college. At Millikin, she said, most of her classes are about 15 students, which means the professor knows students' names, has time to answer questions in class, and even notices when a student is struggling and offers help.

And as a Decatur native, Vemmer is part of a trend at Millikin, which has seen more Decatur students enroll in the past few years. Enrollment is up at the university with this year's freshman class at 474 students, 30 more than last year, said President Patrick White. Millikin enrolled 19 more new students than last year, and 170 transfer, transient and readmitted students.

Numbers are also higher in several other categories, with an uptick in transfer students and international students. Last year's first-year class was also bigger than the previous year.

That's a direction we want to keep going, White said.

Students are enrolled from 25 other states and from countries that include Rwanda, South Korea, Vietnam, Taiwan, Spain and Nepal. Millikin has worked especially hard to create relationships with schools in Taiwan, White said.

The students who looked at, and enrolled at Millikin University, were looking for a level of engagement and interaction that they witnessed first-hand during their campus visit experiences, said Kevin McIntyre, dean of admissions. They value the opportunity to make a difference on campus during their four years and not being just a number.

"Small class sizes, the level of concern evidenced by the faculty and the myriad of co-curricular activities I believe were all integral in their decision to attend Millikin.

Vemmer said part of the reason she's so happy with her choice is how friendly everyone is on campus. She knows some students, who were also at St. Teresa, and she's met many through her classes, but it goes deeper than that.

Someone's always going to say, 'How are you doing?' she said. If you ask somebody for help, they never say they're too busy.

Lexi Ross, a sophomore from Schaumburg, agreed with that assessment, and loves the small campus community.

"You can't walk across the street without seeing someone you know," Ross said.

She's a physical education major and a volleyball player, and because she isn't especially tall, she said, she wondered where she could go to college and play her sport. A friend told her to check out Millikin, and she knew immediately it was right for her.

"It took one visit," Ross said. "Everyone here is so friendly."

Vemmer is in the honors program and studying actuarial science, with plans to work in the insurance industry after graduation. Her discrete mathematics class has proven to be a challenge, and the professor has been helpful, she said.

Though she is a Decatur resident, living on campus housing so she gets the full college experience is important to Vemmer, too. She wants to really be a part of the Millikin community in a way that commuting wouldn't provide.

It really is true, what they say about the 'Millikin bubble,' Vemmer said with a laugh. You don't even feel like you're in Decatur.

The honors program, White said, is another area where Millikin has grown. Of the 474 first-year students, 93 qualified.

More students are choosing to major in math, and that fits well with Millikin's focus on STEM (science, technology, engineering and math).

We're working hard to recruit in STEM disciplines, White said. We have more mathematics majors this year than we've had in a decade, and that's exciting.

Justin Craig of Naperville is a physics major in his first year and hopes to either do research for a university or work for NASA one day. His high school in Naperville was huge, he said, and he wanted a small university.

"I love it," he said.

The National Center for Education Statistics reports that college enrollment increased through 2014, with female students the majority at 56 percent of all students. Since 2014, however, enrollment of both males and females has declined by 4 percent. More women than men enroll in post-baccalaureate programs, and the number of students aged 25 and older has also declined.

White said he thinks the reasons Millikin is seeing an increase include the university's performance learning focus, which gives students hands-on employment experience while learning, new facilities like the University Commons that make Millikin attractive, and the stats that show 98 percent of Millikin graduates get jobs within six months of graduation.

That helps parents with the question of 'Is college worth it?' White said. That was a big discussion maybe a decade ago. Some of that's died down now that people have seen how important it is to have an educated work force.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : A minor girl kidnapped by two residents of Najafgarh area in west Delhi, including a woman, for trafficking has been rescued and the culprits arrested, police said on Thursday.

Sanjay, 29, and his neighbour Phoolwati, 55, were arrested on Wednesday night from Najafgarh after police rescued the girl, about whom a missing complaint was lodged on March 31.

The girl was under treatment at the Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences in Delhi.

"The girl called up her father on September 5 that she was held hostage somewhere in Aligarh but could not disclose her exact location. Police scrutinised call details records and launched surveillance and finally tracked her location between Shamaspur and Lohgarh villages in Uttar Pradesh," Deputy Commissioner of Police Vijay Kumar said.

The police with the help of Khediya village head raided a house and rescued the girl. Sukhbir, who had confined the girl in his house and married her against her will, fled the house before the raid was conducted.

Phoolwati had met the girl on March 30 in Tilak Nagar area and convinced her to go along with her. She later handed the girl over to Sanjay.

"Sanjay told police during questioning that he was contacted by Sukhbir from his native village to look for a girl for marriage. Sukhbir offered him Rs 50,000. He then asked Phoolwati to look for the girl and gave Rs 30,000 to her," the officer added.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Thursday issued notice to the Madhya Pradesh government for allegedly treating an HIV-positive pregnant woman in an inhumanly manner that led to the death of her newborn twins.

"The commission has issued a notice to the Chief Secretary, Government of Madhya Pradesh, calling for a detailed report, along with the action taken against the guilty doctors/staff of the hospital, within four weeks," said a statement from the commission.

Taking note of the incident reported in the media proactively, the commission served the notice to the state as its Tikamgarh District Hospital "refused to treat a woman at an advance stage of pregnancy after they found that she was HIV-positive".

The commission said that after the hospital found about the HIV status of the woman, instead of tending to her there, it referred her to Jhansi -- some 100 km away from Tikamgarh.

As a result of delay in accessing the labour room, the woman gave birth to twins on September 6 outside the maternity ward, and the newborns died only half an hour later.

"The 24-year-old woman from a village located about 70 km from the district headquarters was admitted to the hospital on September 5, 2017. The pathological reports conducted by the hospital were found to be positive for HIV and Hepatiti," the NHRC statement noted.

"Thereafter, the hospital staff flatly refused to attend to her. The family begged the doctors to attend to her as they did not have the money to hire an ambulance to take her to Jhansi but they did not listen," said the statement added.

Citing the news reports, the human rights body pointed out that the Civil Surgeon had not conceded negligence on the part of hospital administration.

"We could not take the risk of allowing her into the hospital's labour room and she was referred to Jhansi," the Civil Surgeon is reported to have said.
New Delhi, Sep 7 : BJP's head of Information and Technology Amit Malviya on Thursday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi following someone on Twitter is not a character certificate to that person and termed as "mischievous and contorted" the controversy over this.

"The controversy over Prime Minister following people on Twitter is mischievous and contorted. PM Modi is the only leader who freely engages with people on social media platforms," Malviya said in a statement.

"He follows normal people and frequently interacts with them on various issues. He is a rare leader who truly believes in freedom of speech and has never blocked or unfollowed anyone on Twitter," he added.

Replying to the statement, Congress party's Social and Digital Media head Divya Spandana said: "Malviya's rabid and sinister response justifying Narendra Modi following trolls celebrating the murder of Gauri Lankesh has exposed the fanatical and dangerous agenda of the BJP government and the party."

Malviya said: "We have multiple examples of leaders curbing free speech on social media including the previous PMO handle."

"PM following someone is not a character certificate of a person and is not in any way a gurantee of how a person would conduct himself. However, PM also follows Rahul Gandhi (Congress Vice President), who is an accused in loot and fraud. PM also follows Arvind Kejriwal (Delhi Chief Minister), who abused him on Twitter and told a woman 'settle kar lo' when she complained of a party member molesting her."

"PM still follows Parthesh Patel, a former BJP volunteer who joined Congress and abused PM in the worst possible language," Malviya added.

He also said: "Rahul is never questioned for the abuse by Tehseen Poonawala, who also happens to be his relative. Kejriwal is never questioned for the abuse and rape threats his supporters shower on others."

"Thus this debate is not only farcical and fake, but also an exhibit of selective right to freedom of expression," he added.

Divya Spandana furhter said: "May we remind PM Modi and BJP that it is this very thought that led to assassination of Mahatama Gandhi by Godse with RSS distributing sweets and celebrating the murder of 'father of the Nation'? "

"And don't forget that it is for this very reason that Sardar Patel, India's Home Minister, banned the RSS," she added.

She said: "Same culture of hate, abuse, division and murder is being propagated today. On behalf of all our countrymen, we assure the hate-mongers that they failed yesterday and they will fail today. We will determinedly continue this fight despite PM Modi's conspiratorial silence."
United Nations, Sep 7 : Condemning the killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh, UNESCO Director-General Irina Bokova and leaders of human rights and journalism groups have added their voices to calls for Indian authorities to bring the attackers to justice.

"I condemn the murder of Gauri Lankesh," Bokova said on Thursday. "Any attack on the media is an attack on the fundamental right to freedom of expression of each member of society. I urge the Indian authorities to ensure that the perpetrators are brought to justice and this crime is punished."

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler said: "We urge police in Karnataka to thoroughly investigate the murder of Gauri Lankesh, including whether journalism was a motive."

Human Rights Watch South Asia Director Meenakshi Ganguly said: "The motives for Gauri Lankesh's killing are not yet known, but the possibility of a politically motivated shooting needs to be fully and promptly investigated."

The organisation described Lankesh, the editor of Gauri Lankesh Patrike weekly, as a campaigner "for democracy, secularism, and civil liberties" and "a vocal critic of militant Hindu nationalism promoted by supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)."

"Authorities in India need both to bring Lankesh's killers to justice and to protect media freedom and the right to free expression," Ganguly added.

Lankesh was shot dead outside her home on Tuesday by assailants on a motorbike according to local police.

UNESCO said that Bokova issued the statement as required by the organisation's landmark 1997 resolution on the "Condemnation of Violence against Journalists."

The resolution also mandates the Director-General to condemn attacks on journalists and also demand that governments prosecute the attackers.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres's spokesperson Stephane Dujarric repeated Bokova's statement at his daily briefing here Butler said in his statement issued in Washington that "India needs to address the problem of impunity in journalist murders and ensure the press can work freely."

The committee said that India was ranked 13th on its latest Impunity Index, "a measure of countries worldwide where journalist are killed and the murderers go free."

At least 27 journalists have been murdered in direct retaliation for their work in India since 1992, according to CPJ.

(Arul Louis can be reached at arul.l@ians.in)
Florence (Italy), Sep 7 : Two American college students have alleged that they were raped by Carabinieri officers in Florence who offered to drive them home from a nightclub in a police car.

According to the women, who are in their early twenties, the paramilitary policemen raped them in their rented apartment in the historic centre of Florence.

The US Consulate in Florence said it is "aware" of the complaint made by the two young women, who attend a well-known American university with a campus in Florence, according to local daily La Nazione.

It said it is "following the case" but declined to comment further, La Nazione said.
Rome, Sep 8 : European Union countries that refuse to shelter their allotted share of asylum-seekers should see cuts to their funding from the 28-member bloc, Italy's ruling centre-left Democratic Party leader Matteo Renzi said on Thursday.

"As I see it, the countries that do not take people in should be punished in a very simple way: You don't show solidarity in the management of migration? Then you don't get solidarity in the allocation of funding," Renzi wrote in his e-newsletter.

"They want to build walls. Let them do it without Italian money, given that our country puts 20 billion euros into the EU annually and gets back 12," he said.

"This isn't blackmail, it's called social justice, solidarity. This is what's Europe is about."

Renzi's comments came after the EU's top court on Wednesday rejected a challenge by Hungary and Slovakia to relocation quotas approved at the height of the migrant crisis in 2015.

European leaders agreed in September 2015 to relocate a total of 160,000 migrants "in clear need of international protection" from Italy and Greece to other EU countries over two years.

So far less than 28,000 people have been relocated in the face of opposition from several Eastern European countries notably Hungary, Slovakia and the Czech Republic. Romania also voted against the quota scheme, which was approved by a majority vote.

At the latest count, just 8,451 asylum-seekers have been relocated from Italy, where over 600,000 migrants and refugees have arrived by boat from North Africa since 2014.

If Hungary, Poland and the Czech Republic refuse to cooperate with the relocation scheme, they could be referred to the European Court of Justice and face heavy fines.

Hungary, which has built a controversial fence on it southern border with Serbia and Croatia, has vowed to use all legal means against the ECJ judgement, which is final and cannot be appealed.
New Delhi, Sep 8 : Delhi Police on Thursday rescued a woman and her minor son and arrested a man who duped more than 14 women of nearly Rs 50 lakh on the pretext of marrying them.

According to police, 34-year-old Yogesh Garg -- a resident of Bawana Industrial Area -- was arrested from New Delhi Railway Station while trying to flee to Mumbai, along with the victim and her minor son.

"During interrogation, Yogesh Garg told police that he was inspired by the movie 'Ladies Vs Ricky Behl'. He would approach victims through various matrimonial sites and project himself as an ultra-rich person and son of a retired IAS officer," Deputy Commissioner of Police Nupur Prasad said.

He would first earn the trust of the victims and then make their videos. Later, he would blackmail them by threatening them to post the videos on social media sites.

Garg confessed to have duped over 14 women till now and extorted about Rs 50 lakh using his tricks, she said.

Police said the incident came to light on Tuesday when the victim's brother filed a complaint after his sister, 42, went missing along with her 12-year-old son.

"The complainant stated that her sister works as a teacher and is a divorcee. She was looking for remarriage and had posted her profile in a matrimonial site. Recently, she came in contact with Yogesh Garg. He suspected that Garg was behind the disappearance of his sister," Prasad said.

"He also informed that he was trying his sister's number but it was not reachable. The mobile number of Yogesh Garg was collected after analysing his profile on the website and was kept on surveillance."

In the meantime, the complainant's sister responded to his call. He told her that their father was ill and admitted to AIIMS. So, before leaving for Mumbai, she came to meet her father in the hospital.

"The victim visited the hospital with her son and Garg, but they left before police could lay hand on the accused. However, he was finally arrested at the railway station," she said.

"The victim told police that she was lured by Garg, who took her to Vaishno Devi. From there he took her to Goa to introduce her to his parents. He also took Rs 3 lakh in the name of making investments for future," the officer added.
Bhopal, Sep 8 : In a shocking incident, six policemen in Madhya Pradesh's Jabalpur district shot at a youth and stole Rs 1.5 lakh off him.

Director General of Police Shashikant Shukla said on Thursday that the acuused policemen have been duly suspended.

The victim Ashok Gavankar, who is in a hospital, said that on Wednesday night he stopped near Cherital town to relieve himself around 11.30 p.m. Soon some police officials fired at him from their car. He ran to save himself, but fell unconscious.

The policemen chased after him, stole Rs 1.5 lakh from him and left him to die. Gavankar reached the hospital with the help of a friend Shukla said that the policemen were chasing after a local arms dealer.
Beijing, Sep 8 : China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said his country will support new measures against North Korea following the latest nuclear test by the Kim Jong-un regime.

Given the situation on the Korean peninsula, the UN Security Council should seek a "further response" and adopt new measures, Yi said at a press conference on Thursday after a meeting with Nepal's Deputy Prime Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, although he added that sanctions were only part of the solution, Efe news reported.

New measures by the international community should be aimed at "harming the nuclear and missile program of the government of North Korea while helping restart dialogue and negotiation," Wang said.

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are just half of the key to the problem, and the other half is dialogue and negotiation," Wang said.

"Only by combining these two together will it be possible to resolve the Korean peninsula issue," he said.

Wang's remarks came after Chinese President Xi Jinping's telephone conversation with his US counterpart, Donald Trump, on Wednesday night, in which the Chinese leader called for a peaceful solution to the conflict.

After the latest nuclear test by North Korea at the weekend, the USand its allies called for tougher sanctions against the North Korean regime.

After the test, Trump said he was considering suspending trade with any country that did business with Pyongyang and hinted that he did not rule out an attack on North Korea.

Following the conversation with Xi, the US leader said that a military response was not his first option.
DECATUR  Arrangements for the return of the body of Logan S. Palmer to Central Illinois were announced Thursday, the same day that Congress began hearings on the two warship accidents in the Pacific region that killed Palmer and 16 other American sailors.

U.S. Rep. Rodney Davis, a Taylorville Republican who had been in contact with the Palmer family while the 23-year-old Decatur sailor was missing, pressed a senior Navy officer for answers about providing better communication and service to families such as the Palmers. A 2012 Sangamon Valley High School graduate, Palmer was killed when the Navy destroyer USS John S. McCain collided with an oil tanker Aug. 21 near Singapore.

Palmer's body is expected to return to Decatur today. Funeral arrangements with Brintlinger and Earl Funeral Homes are pending Palmer's scheduled arrival by commercial flight to St. Louis Lambert International Airport.

When Palmer returns home, he'll have an escort: the Patriot Guard Riders, who plan to travel with him from the state line to the funeral home, said Victor Buraglio, ride captain for the Illinois Patriot Guard Riders.

We dont cross state lines, but we want to help in any way we can, Buraglio said. Its all about Logan and his family.

Buraglio said Palmers body is expected to arrive in Decatur between 6 and 6:30 p.m., but that ultimately will depend on the weather and traffic. The will take Interstate 72 to the Illinois 121 exit and turn south on Oakland Avenue to Brintlinger and Earl.

The Boy Scouts and Cub Scouts will plant American flags Saturday along both sides of the 7-mile route from Life Foursquare Church, 2954 W. Ash Ave., to Harristown Cemetery, said Assistant Scoutmaster Sue Montgomery of Mount Zion Troop 43.

Montgomery said Larry Eckhardt, also known as "the flag man," will bring between 2,000 and 2,400 American flags to line the drive for Palmer, an Eagle Scout and 2012 Sangamon Valley High School graduate who joined the Navy in April 2016.

Montgomery said the Scouts will need between 100 and 200 volunteers to help put up and take down the flags. Anyone 16 and older is encouraged to contact her by calling or texting (217) 864-4487.

The Scouts will meet at Life Foursquare Church at 3 p.m. Saturday to place the flags and 5 p.m. Monday to remove them. Volunteers are needed both days.

Palmer, an interior communications electrician third class, and nine other sailors were killed when their guided-missile destroyer collided with the Liberian-flagged oil tanker Alnic MC.

Davis led the U.S. House of Representatives in a moment of silence Tuesday to honor 10 sailors who died onboard the USS John S. McCain last month, including Logan Palmer of Decatur. He read the name of each sailor and called on his fellow lawmakers to take a moment to honor them and pray for their families.

The Navy posthumously advanced all 10 sailors one class in rank.

In Washington, Adm. William Moran, the vice chief of naval operations, told a congressional oversight panel Thursday that the hectic pace of military operations and a constrained military budget don't excuse the two warship accidents.

"No matter how tough our operating environment, or how strained our budget, we shouldn't be and cannot be colliding with other ships and running aground," Moran told members of the House Armed Services Committee. "That is not about resourcing; it is about safety and it is about leadership at sea."

Davis said he was most concerned that an outside organization had to pay for the flights of the Palmer family to see his body return to Dover Air Force Base. Moran apologized and said that the Navy has a process in place to handle those flights, but "we did not get the government to move as fast as we should have."

While trying to help the Palmer family obtain information, Davis said he eventually sought help from the House committee's staff.

"Getting information on Logan took too much time and it involved way too many people," he said.

Moran promised we will fix the issues that the Palmers and other families encountered in the aftermath of the accidents. He said he was aware that the Navy had fallen short on transportation issues and, in some cases, announcing missing sailors had been found before the families were notified.

"Our focus has always been ever since both of these tragedies has always been first and foremost the families," he told Davis. "We thought we were doing a pretty good job, but from time to time we didnt meet our own standard and Im afraid to say the Palmers were one of them and I regret that, I apologize for it."

Moran said the Navy is "shocked" by the collisions involving the USS John S. McCain in August the USS Fitzgerald in June. But he also used the hearing to urge Congress to end the practice of providing defense budgets by way of stopgap spending measures. The stopgap bills have been used frequently over the last eight years and lock the Pentagon's budget in at last year's level, which bars military services from starting new programs or ending old ones. That forces the services to move money from their weapons modernization and training accounts to pay for current missions.

The shortfalls sparked a discussion about whether the Navy needs to refuse additional missions until the force is better stabilized. Moran said the Navy, in the wake of the McCain collision, launched a wide-ranging review to examine those questions and also assess sailor training and navigational proficiency. Separate investigations are looking into the cause of the collisions.

"Our culture is we're going to get it done. That's what the Navy is all about," he said. "And sometimes our culture works against us.

Ten sailors aboard the destroyer USS John S. McCain were declared missing after their ship crashed into a Liberian-flagged oil tanker in coastal waters off Singapore. Seven sailors died when another destroyer, the USS Fitzgerald, hit a container ship off Japan.

John Pendleton of the Government Accountability Office said the Navy is "treading water" in a push to keep up with operational demands that have put a heavy strain on the force. Pendleton said GAO found that more than a third of the warfare certifications for cruiser and destroyer crews based in Japan, including certifications for seamanship, had expired as of June. That represents "a more than a fivefold increase in the percentage of expired warfare certifications for these ships" over the last two years, according to Pendleton.

Moran said the Navy is reviewing its plans to station additional ships in overseas ports after the McCain and Fitzgerald accidents. He said he'd assumed the Navy's "forward deployed" forces in Japan were the best trained and most experienced because they were operating all the time.

"It was a wrong assumption," Moran said.

Overall, four Navy vessels have been involved in accidents this year in the Pacific.

The Navy relieved the commander of the U.S. Navy's 7th Fleet of duty shortly after the McCain crash. Adm. Scott Swift, commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, said he'd relieved Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, a three-star officer, "due to a loss of confidence in his ability to command."

A month before the Fitzgerald's accident, a South Korean fishing boat collided with the USS Lake Champlain guided-missile cruiser off the Korean Peninsula while it was operating in the western Pacific as part of the 3rd Fleet's USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier strike group. No one was injured in the May 9 mishap.

On Jan. 31, the USS Antietam guided-missile cruiser ran aground near the Yokosuka base that is the home port for the 7th Fleet, damaging its propellers and leaking about 1,100 gallons of hydraulic fuel into Tokyo Bay. The ship's commander was relieved from duty.

Although the Defense Department has a budget of just over $600 billion for the 2017 budget year, senior military officials have repeatedly argued that more money is needed to halt an erosion in the military's readiness for combat. They've urged Congress to repeal a 2011 law that set strict limits on military spending and forced a reduction in the number of ready-to-fight combat units.

Moran said the Navy's operational demands continue to grow even though its fleet has shrunk dramatically.

"The Navy has deployed, on average, about 100 ships around the world each day, collectively steaming thousands of underway days each year, despite having the smallest battle fleet since before World War I, and significantly smaller than the Navy we had immediately after 9/11 over a decade ago," he said.
Christopher Duffy and James Green Expert insights to elevate Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery programs...

Business continuity planning and risk management experts from Strategic BCP will be presenting key topics at Disaster Recovery Journal (DRJ) Fall World 2017, which will be held at the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort in Phoenix, Arizona on September 17-21.

Strategic BCPs presentation lineup includes:

Gold Diggers & Business Continuity presented by Christopher Duffy (CISSP) on Tuesday, September 19, 8:15-9:15 am (Breakout Track 4  Session 4). Christopher will offer insights to help BC/DR professionals transform from a data gatherer into a Big Data analyst. He will use real world examples that can be quickly delivered from within a business continuity management (BCM) system. Christophers popular presentation series also includes The Lizard Brain & Business Continuity that can be viewed on-demand here. He is the VP of Professional Services at Strategic BCP and former CIO and strategic IT/BC consultant across multiple industries.

Life Safety in the Workplace: Are You Prepared for Active Shooters? presented by James Green (CBCP, CUERME) on Monday, September 18, 4:15-5:15 am (Breakout Track 3  Session 3). James will provide compelling insights surrounding active shooters in the workplace, regulatory and OSHA requirements, and guidance toward implementing a training program at your business as part of a BC program. He is a BC, Life Safety, and Crisis Management professional with over 17 years of industry-related experience. James has trained over 2000 people in Active Shooter Response.

Jay Geppert, Operational Risk Manager at PlainsCapital Bank and a Strategic BCP ResilienceONE software client will join an informative panel discussion, ERM, Security & Business Continuity on Monday, September 18, 3:30-5:00 pm (Senior Advanced Track 2). He will offer his views on information security and enterprise risk management and the relationship to business continuity, hows its evolved, and where its heading in the near future. View his ResilienceONE case study.

Strategic BCP is also a proud sponsor of DRJ Fall World 2017. At the conference, enterprise consultants will showcase the latest advancements and key capabilities of ResilienceONE in a BCM Power Hour on Monday and Tuesday, where lunch will be served.

During exhibit hours, attendees can visit Booth 407/409 to learn more.

About Strategic BCP

Strategic BCP is multi-award-winning business continuity risk management software and consulting company. 4x leader in Gartners Magic Quadrant. #1 in Customer Satisfaction. Our ResilienceONE software offers a comprehensive, intuitive way to manage enterprise risk, continuity, and resilience in one cloud-based solution. Highly configurable and compliant. Customization, long implementations, third party code, and additional investment not required. Put your plans into action in 5 business days. Identify impacts in minutes that normally take days to pinpoint. Over 500,000 cross-industry users worldwide. Our dedicated professional services organization helps navigate obstacles within BC to disaster recovery and strategic IT planning. For more information, visit http://www.strategicbcp.com, read the company blog, and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Facebook.
DECATUR  Tate & Lyle is donating $20,000 to the American Red Cross to help Hurricane Harvey recovery efforts in Texas.

Our thoughts are with the people affected by the widespread devastation caused by Hurricane Harvey, said Chris Olsen, vice president, community and government, at Tate & Lyle. Our employees from across all our plant sites in the United States are also helping out with contributions of money and supplies.

Archer Daniels Midland Co. also donated to the Red Cross last week, pledging $50,000, with an additional $50,000 to match employee donations of $25 or more.

Harvey slammed into Texas on Aug. 25 as a Category 4 hurricane, but brought the worst flooding to Houston and other areas as a tropical storm. The hurricane and aftermath have been blamed for at least 63 deaths.
Angel Taveras, a shareholder in Greenberg Traurig, LLPs Boston office and former Providence, Rhode Island mayor, will be a guest lecturer in the Public Management Leadership Program at BARNA Business Management School in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, Sept. 13, 2017. Specifically, Taveras will discuss the various challenges he faced as mayor of Providence with an emphasis on his actions in education. With partnerships at Harvard Kennedy School of Government, Georgetown University, and other international institutions, BARNA is the leading business management school in the Caribbean.

From 2011 to 2015, Taveras served as the Mayor of Providence, Rhode Island, where he led a city government with 5,700 employees and a budget of $678 million. He is credited with rescuing the city from the brink of bankruptcy and confronting a $110 million structural deficit through landmark reforms to pensions, negotiated concessions in labor contracts, and unprecedented assistance from tax-exempt institutions. Under his leadership, Providence was recognized with the All-America City Award from the National Civic League for its plan to boost third-grade reading proficiency, was the recipient of a $3 million award from the Carnegie Foundation to create innovative high schools, and received the City Livability Award at the U.S. Conference of Mayors in 2014. In addition, Taveras won Bloomberg Philanthropies' Mayors Challenge $5 million grand prize for his innovative proposal to improve the vocabularies of pre-school age children.

Taveras focuses his practice on municipal restructuring, public finance, commercial litigation, pension litigation, and public infrastructure. With over 14 years of experience in litigation, he is a licensed attorney in Massachusetts, New York, and Rhode Island. His diverse litigation practice includes complex commercial matters, including matters arising under the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Truth in Lending Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, as well as bankruptcy litigation, zoning and land use, shareholder disputes, and election recounts and challenges.

He is an adjunct professor at Providence College where he teaches a leadership seminar. In addition, he serves on the boards of the Alliance for Early Success and Green City Force. In 2016, Taveras was elected to the national board of Latino Justice PRLDEF, one of the foremost Latino civil rights organizations in the country, serving a pan-Latino constituency.

About Greenberg Traurigs Boston Office

Established in 1999, Greenberg Traurigs Boston office is home to nearly 70 attorneys practicing in the areas of corporate, emerging technology, governmental affairs, intellectual property, labor and employment, life sciences and medical technology, litigation, public finance, and real estate. An important contributor to the firm's international platform, the Boston office includes a team of nationally recognized attorneys with both public and private sector experience. The team offers clients the value of decades of legal experience and hands-on knowledge of the local business community, supported by the firm's vast network of global resources.

About Greenberg Traurig, LLP

Greenberg Traurig, LLP (GTLaw) has more than 2,000 attorneys in 38 offices in the United States, Latin America, Europe, Asia and the Middle East and is celebrating its 50th anniversary. GTLaw has been recognized for its philanthropic giving, was named the largest firm in the U.S. by Law360 in 2017, and among the Top 20 on the 2016 Am Law Global 100. Web: http://www.gtlaw.com Twitter: @GT_Law.
Rocky DEM adds significant capability depth in certain key industries for SimuTechs current clients in sectors like food processing, pharmaceuticals, energy, and mining.

SimuTech Group, Inc. and Rocky DEM have signed a distribution agreement that will allow SimuTech Group, Inc. to sell the powerful 3D Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) program across the U.S. and Canada.

Rocky DEM will help our clients get accurate evaluations quickly, minimizing the time and costs involved in physical testing during product development, says Rick James, SimuTech Group President. With Rocky DEM, SimuTech Groups clients will be able to simulate the flow behavior of different shaped and sized particles within a conveyor chute, mill, mixer, or other materials handling equipment. This would include granular particle behavior such as ore, pharmaceutical pills, and potatoes, James explained. Rocky DEM is also the first commercially available solver to support multi-GPU processing, a powerful feature that aims to revolutionize processing performance and pave the way for solving bigger simulations faster.

An engineering services company, SimuTech Group is also an Elite Channel Partner for ANSYS in the U.S. and Canada . A key benefit of Rocky DEM is its integration with ANSYS Workbench and ANSYS CFD, according to James.

The coupling with ANSYS Mechanical and Fluent makes this integrated tool a seamless addition to the current workflow, said James. Rocky DEM adds significant capability depth in certain key industries for SimuTechs current clients in sectors like food processing, pharmaceuticals, energy, and mining.

With this partnership, we believe SimuTech Group clients will be able to perform particle simulations much closer to reality than ever. Moreover, it will be an important increase to our presence in terms of territory and customer service, since SimuTech Group has a strong presence in the North America market with 13 office locations," said Dr. Rahul Bharadwaj, Vice President of Rocky Business Development and Technical Services.

The technology and technical support behind Rocky are outstanding. With the ability to solve millions of particles on parallel GPUs, this is the state of the art in Discrete Element Modeling, James said.

SimuTech Group will host a webinar introductory look at Rocky DEM on Wednesday, October 4th, 2017 at 2pm ET/11am PT. Register for the free webinar on "Solving bulk material handling problems using Rocky DEM".

About SimuTech Group, Inc.

SimuTech Group, Inc. is a full-portfolio engineering services company specializing in ANSYS finite element analysis (FEA), computational fluid dynamics (CFD), and electromagnetic simulation software as well as turbomachinery and testing services. SimuTech Group is the largest provider of ANSYS FEA, CFD, and electromagnetic engineering simulation software in North America with offices across the US and Canada providing sales, technical support, training, and consulting.

For more information visit SimuTech Group

About Rocky

Rocky DEM is an advanced engineering program that uses Discrete Element Modeling (DEM) to predict the behavior of bulk solids and aids in the efficient design and optimization of material handling equipment and industrial processes. Rocky is capable of simulating realistic convex and concave particle shapes, particle breakage, boundary surface reduction due to wear, sticky and dry material contact laws, multiphysics, and more. Its explicit DEM solver uses either multi-core CPUs alone, or can be combined with single or multi-GPU processing to drastically reduce computational run times.
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News

From Bulgaria

Bulgaria, Greece, Serbia to Cooperate for Regional Gas Market Liberalisation

We are convinced that Greece and Serbia will play a vital part in the construction of the European gas hub Balkan, Bulgarian energy minister said following a meeting with Greek, Serbian counterparts

AUTHOR: Lyudmila Zlateva



 Bulgarian Ministry of Energy



Bulgaria, Greece and Serbia will be cooperating on gas projects that would increase security of supply in the region. Bulgarian energy minister Temenuzhka Petkova and her Greek and Serbian counterparts Giorgos Stathakis and Aleksandar Antic met on Thursday in Alexandroupoli, Greece, during an oil and gas forum, to discuss gas sources diversification for the region, the Bulgarian energy ministry said in a statement.

Minister Petkova said that talks are underway with the European Commission so that additional financing for the Greece  Bulgaria gas interconnector (IGB) could be made available. At European Union level, the IGB Project has already obtained consistent political and financial backing. The project is subject of EU financial support through the European Energy Program for Recovery (EEPR) to the amount EUR 45 million.

The three ministers also discussed the planned Vertical Gas Corridor, the Alexandroupoli LNG terminal and the Bulgaria  Serbia gas interconnector, along with another planned mega project  Bulgarias Balkan gas hub, with minister Petkova calling it a European project.

We are convinced that Greece and Serbia will play a vital part in the construction of the European gas hub Balkan, Petkova said.

The Balkan gas hub has been announced by Bulgarian PM Boiko Borissov a few years ago, with more agitation around it recent months, leading up to its presentation to U.S. congressmen by Borisov himself in end-August. Use of South Stream gas pipeline infrastructure and a direct link to its subsituting project - the Turk Stream, have all been launched as ideas for the Balkan gas hub realisation. The project has been reported to have the blessing of the European Commission for Russian gas to flow towards it.
Three US soldiers were wounded and an Afghan interpreter was killed, the Washington Examiner reported Thursday, in the blast that occurred at an enemy-control point outside of Bagram Air Force base, the LA Times and Reuters reported.

Three Afghan troops were also wounded, the Examiner reported.

Taliban spokesman Zabihulla Mujahid tweeted Wednesday that the bombing was to "avenge" the insulting leaflets.

The leaflets the US dropped from a plane on Tuesday in Parwan province pictured a lion, symbolizing the US-led coalition, chasing a dog, which symbolized the Taliban.

Dogs are considered an unclean and dangerous animal by many Afghans, according to The Washington Post, and the one depicted on the leaflet had part of the Taliban flag superimposed on it along with a common Islamic creed.

Jesus Christ on a pogo stic... @ Dan Murphy

Maj. Gen. James Linder released a statement on Wednesday saying that the "

"We have the deepest respect for Islam and our Muslim partners worldwide. There is no excuse for this mistake," he said. "I am reviewing our procedures to determine the cause of this incident and to hold the responsible party accountable. Furthermore, I will make appropriate changes so this never happens again."

Many Afghan civilians were also irate with the leaflets.

##emo##emo##emo##emo##emo##emo#: ##emo##emo##emo##emo#: #emo##emo##emo# #emo##emo##emo##emo##emo# #emo#... @ Zabihulla-M

"It is a very serious violation. The people are very angry. It is a major abuse against Islam," the Parwan province police chief, Mohammad Zaman Mamozai, told The Post.
"Dude, I thought it was a freaking gun," Deputy Jake Shaw can be heard saying, as he rushed to help New Carlisle News photographer Andy Grimm, whom he knew.

"Andy, I'm sorry brother," Shaw said. "Listen, dude, you pulled that out like a gun out the back of the Jeep."

Grimm was attempting to set up his camera to photograph a traffic stop on Monday when Shaw fired twice at Grimm without giving warning.

"I thought you saw me wave and flash my lights. ... You weren't looking  that's my fault. It's my fault," Grimm said. "I don't want you to lose your job."

The gunshots and the exchange between Grimm and Shaw can be heard on the footage, but little is visible.

Grimm later told the New York Daily News that one of the bullets struck him in the chest and the other may have grazed his shoulder.

"I turned around from the Jeep and it seemed like instant, I heard 'pop, pop.'" Grimm told the newspaper on Tuesday. "Now that I'm okay, I'm not so much mad, but when I was on the ground and in the back of the ambulance, I was kind of angry at him."

The Ohio Attorney General's Bureau of Criminal Division is investigating the shooting, and Shaw is on administrative leave until the probe's conclusion, a press release from the sheriff's office said.

"Our hearts and prayers are with Mr. Grimm as he recovers and with Deputy Jake Shaw and we ask the community to keep both of them in your hearts and prayers as well," the release said.

Grimm has repeatedly said he does not want Shaw to be fired as a result of the shooting. Grimm's father Dale, who runs the New Carlisle News, told The Washington Post the men have an "excellent relationship" with the sheriff's department, but declined to say whether he believed Shaw should be held accountable.

"This is a small town of 5,000 people," he told The Post. "We know the deputies. We work with them on a daily basis."

Watch the footage below:
The assurance comes at the back of protest made by the Conference of Heads of Assisted Secondary Schools (CHASS) calling on the government to release funds for the SHSs before school resumes.

The various SHSs will open on September 11, 2017 but CHASS has expressed concern about governments failure to release funds to the schools.

The government promised to make 20 percent of the funds two weeks before re-opening for the implementation of the programme available to the schools before the start of the programme.

READ MORE: Ministry of Education extends SHS placement deadline

But the Deputy Minister in charge of pre-tertiary education, Dr Yaw Osei Adutwum addressing the 55th National Conference in Ho said "your money [Free SHS funds] will soon hit your accounts."

He further indicated that the funds would by the end of the conference on Friday be in their accounts of the schools.

He stated that government was aware of their challenges and was committed to ensuring the start of the policy.
The prosecutor, Insp. Johnson Okunade, told the court that the accused committed the offence on Sept.4 at 11: a.m., at Sabo Market in Ado-Ekiti.

He said the accused stabbed the complainant, Habib Laidi in his left hand, while they were fighting.

The complainant reported the matter to the police who arrested the accused, he said.

Okunade said the offence contravened Section 338 (1) of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2012.

The prosecutor pleaded with the court to adjourn the case so that he could study the file and assemble his witnesses.

The counsel to the accused, Mrs Oluwatoyin Abegunde, urged the court to grant his client bail on liberal terms.

In her ruling, the Magistrate, Mrs Modupe Afeniforo, granted the accused a N50, 000 bail with two sureties in like sum.

She said the sureties must own a property within the jurisdiction of the court.

Afeniforo also ordered that both parties should maintain peace.
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The 40-year-old man admitted defiling the 13-year-old class two girl at Nyanshegu in Tamale.

The Domestic Violence and Victim Support Unit of the police service in the region confirmed that it had terminated the prosecution.

According to the Tamale DOVVSU, the decision to abort the case was to enable prosecutors pursue the document and gather more evidence.

Nashiru Seidu was arrested by the Police on August 27 this year, after he was allegedly caught in his room having sex with the little girl.

The suspect lured the girl into his room and succeeded in having sex with her when the victim went to draw water from a well in his house.

Reports suggest that, Nashiru Seidu was caught red-handed by the suspicious mother of the victim having sex with her. She raised alarm after intruding the room of the suspect, attracting witnesses to the scene.

Eventhough a medical report confirmed that the child has had sexual intercourse many times, Nasheru told the police during his arrest that the girl was his fiancee and that they fell in love three months ago.

But for the intervention of the Regional Health directorate, the family of the victim would have accepted an out of court settlement offer extended to them by relatives of the suspect, because the former did not have money to afford the cost of the medical examination.

It was heartwarming to the family when the suspect was remanded into police custody for a week and reappeared in court on Tuesday for further hearing of the case.

However, everything turned unbelievable when prosecutors announced discontinuation of the case for lack of evidence, because the birth certificate of the victim couldnt be obtained. The presiding Judge was left with no option, but to grant bail and discharge the suspect.

The weird nature of the court proceedings infuriated members of the community, but the suspect still maintains that, he has been in a relationship with the victim for more than 12weeks before they were caught having sex. He claimed the agreement was for him to marry the child.

Per the laws of Ghana, defilement is the natural or unnatural canal knowledge of a child under sixteen years of age whether with, or without consent. Offenders are liable to summary convictions to terms of imprisonment not less than seven years and maximum of twenty-five years.

The Northern regional DOVVSU chief DSP Emmanuel Holortu who took briefing from the prosecutor said due to the complexity of the particular case, it was very difficult to prove a case, let alone starting an argument without the birth certificate of the victim.

The DOVVSU chief discounted claims that the man was caught in the act by the mother of the victim. He explained that a brother of the victim reported the case to the police who later ascertained the claim through the medical test.

He indicated that, because the victim did not deny the claim by the suspect that they were lovers and also failed to report earlier sexual assaults, the need arose to obtain the birth certificate of the victim to strengthen evidence. He said that was what necessitated the discontinuation of the case for a wider probe.
He has appeared before an Accra Circuit Court after he was allegedly caught in possession of five wrappers of dried leaves suspected to be Indian hemp.

Kojo Apana allegedly hid the dried leaves in his sponge dish after returning from the bathroom.

READ MORE: Police arrest drug suspect in the ocean

He has been charged with possession of narcotic drugs without authority, but has pleaded not guilty.

He has been remanded by the court presided over by Ms Eva Bannerman-Williams to reappear on September 25.

Prosecuting Chief Inspector Kwabena Adu said the complainant was Deputy Superintendent of Prisons (DSP) Godwin Abutiate, a Prison officer, stationed at the James Camp Prisons, Accra.

He said on August 9 this year, at about 11:40 pm, a witness and a serving convict known as Jerry Ziddah saw Apana hiding something in his sponge dish which he brought from the bathroom.

According to the prosecution, Ziddah became suspicious and woke up one Mensah Gbedzo, the cell leader, who quizzed Apana and he brought the suspected dried leaves from his sponge dish.

READ ALSO: Police officer caught selling Indian hemp at post

Ziddah and Gbedzo informed their overall cell leader the next day and he subsequently relayed the information to the authorities at the Prison.

Apana was arrested and handed over to the Police. During Police Interrogation, Apana claimed ownership of the dried leaves.
Oluwatosin, of no fixed address, is standing trial on a charge of assault.

The Prosecutor, Insp Caleb Leranmo, told the court that the accused and others at large, committed the offence on Sunday at about 8:30 a.m. at Atikankan Area of Ado-Ekiti.

He said that the accused and others at large assaulted one Tope Babalola by using a stone to hit him in several places on his forehead and caused him harm.

The prosecutor said the offence contravened Section 355 of the Criminal Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

He asked the court for an adjournment to enable him to study the case file and present his witnesses.

Oluwatosin, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge and his counsel, Mr Busuyi Ayorinde, urged the court to grant him bail.

The Chief Magistrate, Mr Adesoji Adegboye, granted bail to the accused in the sum of N200, 000 with two sureties in like sum.
Despite the uncontrollable nature of the deadly storm that has been described as one of the worst in history, a daring Delta Airlines pilot dodged the Hurricane Irma to land in Puerto Rico - before dropping off all the passengers and heading back to JFK in just 51 minutes.

Many Airlines were forced to cancel their scheduled flights owing to the storm, but the indefatigable crew for Delta flight 431 decided to damn the threats of the storm and face it squarely.

READ MORE: Passenger banned from travelling by air

In order to get in one last flight to and from the island before the storm hit, the flight flew directly from New York to San Juan, Puerto Rico, and then quickly turned around and came back.

Surprisingly, both flights managed to land in their respective destinations before schedule.

Delta had a scheduled flight from New York to San Juan, which was planned to leave at 8.05am.

However, the flight ended up leaving just a few minutes after the scheduled time, and unusually landed seven minutes earlier than programmed.

The flights movement was monitored on Flightradar24, and photos show the tricky path that the plane had to take to avoid the worst bits of the turbulence.

It was clear in the flight path that, the pilots made a point to weave in between the outer bands of the storm to get to and from San Juan.

Dailymail.com reports that the crew on this plane was able to get all passengers to the gate, deplaned, boarded for a return flight, and then off the ground in just 51 minutes.

According to Rabinowitz live updates, it was most likely a quick turnaround once it was down on the ground so that the crew could get out of the way of the storm as quickly as possible.

The flight, Delta 303, was the last one out of the San Juan Airport on Wednesday. It landed in New York at 4.22pm, more than 30 minutes early.

The storm has been described as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a decade, and has caused massive destruction to much of the Caribbean on Wednesday.

Reports say the storm is currently a category five hurricane and is expected to heighten in the next couple of days. Experts believe it will hit the mainland United States before the weekend.

READ ALSO: Law student likely to face sanctions for allegedly mocking ISIS

Official sources say Hurricane Irma has had winds that reach up to 185 miles per hour, and has caused serious chaos, wreckage and flooding from Barbuda to Puerto Rico.

According to Dailymail.com, more than 90 percent of Barbuda has been destroyed, and 95 percent of St Martin has been destroyed. Four people have been reported dead so far.

The Delta pilot's ability to navigate in the storm and get to and from Puerto Rico safely is particularly amazing due to the intensity of the storm.

Patrick Smith, a pilot who runs a blog about planes told the Huffington Post that there isn't much that is subjective regarding winds on the ground and the ability of a flight to land.

There are maximum tailwind and crosswind limits that have to be observed, he explained.

Above and beyond any hard-and-fast limits, you've got powerful gusts, severe turbulence, extreme precipitation or other clearly unstable conditions, no airline is going to sanction flight in those conditions.

However, a Delta news release assured people that the weather conditions in San Juan were safe enough for the flights.
A 33-year-old Toscha Sponsler who was initially arrested, handcuffed and placed at the back of the US police car for alleged shoplifting, was able to escape the grips of the handcuff and sped off with the police car whose back she had been placed.

US police have released a video of the woman stealing their car after being arrested, handcuffed and put into the back of the vehicle.

Lufkin police department identified the suspected shoplifter as 33-year-old Toscha Sponsler. After being ran down on foot, officers managed to handcuff her and detain her in the car.

However, she managed to wriggle out of the cuffs, and into the drivers seat. The police department posted a video of her escape on Facebook, writing:

As officers went through her bags of stolen goods, Sponsler removed her seat belt, slipped her cuffs and climbed through a window partition to the driver's seat.

She then led officers on a 23-minute, 100 mph chase

Sponsler nearly went head on with two Lufkin officers and a Huntington constable during the pursuit.

Throughout the chase, officers could see her reaching for the officer's shotgun which was mechanically locked to the vehicle.

The police department ended the post: #policepursuit #highspeedchase #driveitlikeyoustoleit #foolmeonce.

READ ALSO: Law student likely to face sanctions for allegedly mocking ISIS

The suspect was finally caught, and waived medical treatment at the scene.
A single mother of five children, Hannah Myles Koufie has cautioned that, young men who date older and single mothers with the intention of just taking advantage of their wealth, are jeopardizing their future.

The founder of Oyema Foundation, a nongovernmental organisation, said when single mothers do not have husbands around them, it subjects them to exploitation by all sorts of young men who are only interested in extorting resources from the women.

READ MORE: Delta Airlines pilot defeats Hurricane Irma

It is equally public knowledge that, despite the fact that some young men have made the trend a goldmine, some older women themselves are more interested in dating younger men for reasons of better sexual satisfaction. It is a global state of affairs in which wealthy old women have even resorted to advertising themselves on the internet to attract young men for sex partners who they pay regularly.

However, Mrs. Myles Koufie wondered why in the midst of numerous single young women, present-day young men are rather interested in dating women who are old enough to be there mothers.

there are so many single women around, why dont you go in for them? Except you have your own motive, she asked.

READ ALSO: Shoplifter in jail for stealing branded police car

The 65-year-old single mother who has had the experience of young men attempting to make advances to her, warned that all the young men taking advantage of older women will definitely pay for their deeds.
According to the Finance Minister, the corporate tax is expected to be reduced to twenty percent.

Ken Ofori Atta told Accra-based Citi FM that the NPP government is considering the diversification of tax revenue streams.

He said this when done should prevent the over-concentration on Corporate Income Taxes (CIT).

How do you then tap enough people to contribute so that you do not need to focus on corporate income tax as a main source of revenueWe are considering a reduction in a number of taxes and the Corporate Income Tax is one of them, he explained.

In a related development, Ofori Atta said his outfit will embark on an effort to renew the revenue collection from property taxes.

We are clear on the philosophy of taxes which is to reduce taxes to create economic spaces for people to operatea corollary of that is also being able to expand the tax net and that is where the national ID becomes an important instrument.

For example our property tax system is non-existent and that is an area that we intend to look at. But our mission more will be to reduce the import of taxes on productive sectors of the economy, he added.

The NPP government during the campaign ahead of election 2016 chastised the then Mahama-led administration for burdening few Ghanaians with high taxes.

They promised to, therefore, reduce taxes and widen the tax net if they win power.

After the assumed office, the NPP government has reviewed about fifteen (15) taxes.

In the governments first budget, eleven taxes were slashed.
The Partnership for Inclusive Agricultural Transformation in Africa (PIATA) was launched at the 2017 African Green Revolution Forum (AGRF), held in Abidjan in Ivory Coast, and signals an enduring commitment to Africas transformation agenda.

READ MORE: SSNIT begins verification of qualifications of over 2000 employees

The partnership, between the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Rockefeller Foundation and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) will provide up to U.S. $280 million to catalyze and sustain inclusive agricultural transformation in Ghana, Nigeria, Mali, Burkina Faso, Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi and Mozambique.

It reflects a recognition that greater impact and value can be achieved through a strategic partnership that builds on what has been achieved by each partner across the continent, and pulls them together in ways that help catalyze and sustain transformation at scale. Further, it aligns behind the Malabo agenda agreed to by African Heads of State and Government in 2014.

The partners have committed to delivering impact against a shared results framework and aligning PIATA country operations to national agriculture plans. This is the first time a partnership of this scale that is based on a shared results framework has been launched on the continent, its shared results framework is a significant achievement and the cornerstone of this partnership.

At the launch this week, Mr. Mamadou Biteye, Managing Director of the Rockefeller Foundation Africa Regional Office said the PIATA was critical for the foundation's ongoing push to build the resilience of farmers and systems that affect them, especially in light of increasing challenges such as climate change, among others.

USAIDs Senior Deputy Assistant Administrator, Bureau for Food Security, Sean Jones said the partnership offered a new way of doing business across the many public and private actors working to ensure food security and economic growth. He believed agriculture was one of the best bets for job creation and inclusive growth when there were the right policies and investments - allowing the private sector to flourish.

Welcoming the new partnership, Dr. Agnes Kalibata, President, Alliance for a Green Revolution in Africa (AGRA), expressed her belief that the initiative would contribute significantly to accelerating Africas path to prosperity by growing inclusive economies and jobs through agriculture.

 We have witnessed significant progress in our agricultural transformation over the past decade, with countries that have prioritized the sector recording notable drops in poverty levels, improved food security and inclusive economic growth. PIATA will be critical in bringing key players together to support governments in their push to fully unlock the potential of Africas smallholder farming and agribusiness as the surest drivers of job creation and the continents inclusive economic transformation, she said.
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The offenders were implicated in the Auditor-Generals reports.

About 100 cases are being processed to determine which ones to be considered for surcharge in the Auditor-Generals report.

They have been involved in financial irregularities have been surcharged.

The certificate covers those involved in cash irregularities and failure to account for State funds.

According to reports by the Ghana News Agency (GNA), the offenders are required to refund the money with interest.

The action by the Auditor-General was prompted by the Supreme Courts order to the Audit Service to recover all state funds which had been misappropriated by individuals since the coming into effect of the 1992 Constitution.

The offenders have up to 60 days to pay up or otherwise go to court to challenge the Auditor General.

Article 187, Clause 7(b) (i) states: " the Auditor-General may disallow any item of expenditure, which is contrary to law and surcharge the amount of any expenditure disallowed upon the person responsible for incurring or authorizing the expenditure."

This is reinforced in the Audit Service Act 2000 (Act 584) Section 17(1-2).

The Supreme Court in June 2017 ordered the Auditor-General to surcharge persons found to have misappropriated monies belonging to the state.

The seven-member panel of justices, presided over by incoming Chief Justice Sophia Akuffo, did not give reasons for their judgment at the time.
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Executive Director of GSA, Professor Alexander Dodoo said the situation where less fuel is dispensed to consumers other than the one they pay for undermines the credibility of petroleum companies.

The OMCs all in in the Greater Accra region were fined a total of GH261,000 for for cheating customers.

He said the days of short-changing consumers are over, encouraging car users to be more vigilant with what is put in their tanks.

He said the move is to strengthen the sanction regimes of the Authority.

On Tuesday, September 5, 2017, the Authority has levelled sanctions on 10 OMCs found to have cheated consumers in the last six months.

Each of the companies were fined GH5000 for discrepancies in the volumes delivered to consumers.
For a few weeks now, the President has not been able to honour a certain schedule, but in the beginning the President even used to take days off to go and sit at the NPP headquarters in the open for everybody to come and talk to him because people go and sometimes its not formal you go to the Vice Presidents house, its a beehive of activities at weekends so it will baffle me to have to pay when you can queue, he stated.

His comments come on the back of allegations that some people at the presidency and within the NPP are charging $20,000 from private individuals who would wish to meet the president, Nana Akufo-Addo.

The Member of Parliament for Assin Central, Kennedy Agyapong and the founder of Glorious Word Power Ministry International, Rev. Isaac Owusu Bempah had alleged that a group of persons are hijacking the president.

According to Rev. Owusu Bempah, these persons are able to turn contracts meant for some people to persons of their choice.

But the presidential spokesperson has denied the claims.

Talking about the processes involved in seeing the President, Mr Hamid told Accra-based Class FM that: If you want to see the President, youll need to tell me Mustapha Hamid, I want to see the President and when I see the President, Ill tell the President, Moro Awudu, morning show host of Class FM, wants to come and see you. He may ask what for or he may not ask depending on the circumstances so if I tell him that morning show host, he may assume that it is an interview and then he will say talk to Saratu Atta [President's Personal Assistant] who is responsible for my scheduling and then Ill go to Saratu Atta and say the President has given me clearance to schedule for a certain Moro Awudu to come and see him and then she will look through the calendar and give you a date [lets say 25 September at 3:00 pm Moro Awudu to see the president] and thats all it takes.

He added: And I can tell you that for everybody who has certain closeness with the President, whether it is Asenso or Abu Jinapor or anybody, this is exactly what will happen. They will seek the clearance from the President and the President will say go and see Saratu Atta for an appointment. That is what happens so why do you have to pay $20,000?
According to her, the free Senior High school which is expected to begin this month is one of the ideal policies for the country, and hence the president, Nana Akufo-Addo should be given time to implement his plans for the country.

The President wishes good for the country so we should be patient with him and support him to succeed, the First Lady pleaded.

She disclosed this when she interacted with the Chiefs and Elders of Abamkrom and Kumikrom in the Upper West Akim District of the Eastern Region, on Wednesday, in Accra.

The delegation was led by Nana Abam V, Chief of Abamkrom, the Queenmother of Abamkrom, Nana Ama Amafoa and Mr Eugene Sackey, District Chief Executive of Upper West Akim District.

They had visited the First Lady to express their gratitude to her for the development projects she has undertaken for the District.
After a phone call with Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping about how to deal with Kim Jong-Un's threatening nuclear and ballistic missile programs, Trump did not rule out military strikes if necessary.

But, he indicated, other avenues for pressure would come before military action.

"Certainly that's not our first choice, but we will see what happens," Trump said as he boarded Marine One at the White House.

Trump has previously warned of "fire and fury" if North Korea continued tests and warned its few international partners that trade with the United States could come to an end.

That and a litany of other tests appear aimed at marrying missile and nuclear technology in a way that could put the United States within striking distance.

Trump has accused China in particular of not doing enough to tighten economic pressure on its smaller neighbor. But on Wednesday Trump sounded more conciliatory.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 percent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either. We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call."

After years of incrementally tougher sanctions against North Korea, the United Nations is currently weighing additional steps.
Choosing a symbol of ancient Athenian democracy -- Pnyx Hill -- for his speech, Macron said he intended to present fellow European leaders with a "roadmap" to fix Europe for the next decade.

"Our generation can choose to (do this)... we must find the strength to rebuild Europe," said the 39-year-old centrist, making his first visit to Greece as president.

"We share a history and a destiny... we must defend this heritage," Macron said, with the brightly lit Acropolis as his backdrop.

The proposals, which formed part of Macron's election campaign platform earlier this year, would be submitted to European citizens early next year for a six-month debate.

They include cross-state candidate tickets for the next European Parliament elections, scheduled for 2019, and more democratic legitimacy for the eurozone.

"Let us put together a eurozone parliament which would enable the creation of democratic responsibility," the French president said.

At present, economically weak states such as Greece decry the powers wielded by eurozone finance ministers to determine long-term fiscal policy. Their body, the Eurogroup, is not elected.

The former economy minister and banker argued that losing the EU would be "a form of political and historic suicide," especially at a time when only a united bloc can protect its citizens from cross-border threats such as climate change and terrorism.

But also, only Europe had a tradition of respecting human rights, equality and social justice, he claimed.

IMF must show 'good faith' to stay on

Earlier Thursday, with Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras at his side, Macron delighted his hosts by warning the International Monetary Fund to refrain from demanding cuts beyond those already agreed, in upcoming talks.

"The IMF's position should be in good faith and without added requirements," Macron said as Greece prepares to reopen reform talks in return for another tranche of bailout cash.

Greece's third rescue programme, currently financially supported by EU states alone, runs to August 2018.

The IMF has said it will only contribute to the programme if EU creditors take further steps to lighten Greece's debt load, which has yet to happen over strenuous objections by Germany.

Macron on Wednesday bemoaned that the EU had to turn to outside assistance in the first place to rescue Greece in 2010, noting that this reflected a "lack of confidence" between European member states and institutions.

"I don't think that having the IMF supervise European programmes is a good method... the credibility and sovereignty of Europe justified doing things differently," Macron said.

Macron said European rescues were not the IMF's "primary vocation" and that in Greece's case, European ministers spend an excessive amount of time agonising over growth forecasts 25 years into the future, at the global lender's behest.

"If you could tell me my own country's growth forecast in three years I'd be happy," he quipped.

Greece, on the receiving end of two multi-billion euro rescues in which the IMF has been a part since 2010, has frequently complained of the Washington-based lender's demands for fiscal cuts and labour reform.

But Germany in particular has insisted on retaining the IMF, at least in a supervisory role.

Turkey 'essential' on migration, terror

Macron also had a word of caution to German Chancellor Angela Merkel, saying the EU had to avoid any sharp break with Turkey.

"I wish to avoid a rupture because (Turkey) is an essential partner in many crises we jointly face, specifically the migration challenge and the terrorist threat," Macron told Kathimerini newspaper.

Merkel said over the weekend that she would ask the EU to call off membership talks with Turkey, adding "I don't see them ever joining".

The EU and Turkey last year sealed an agreement which has helped to stem the flow of hundreds of thousands of refugees and migrants into Greece.
At the time, Trump operated two casinos in Atlantic City -- Trump Plaza and Trump's Castle, and was close to owning a third.

"Atlantic City would be a dubious model for Sydney and in our judgement, the Trump Mafia connections should exclude the Kern/Trump consortium," the New South Wales Police Board said in report dated April 3, 1987.

A summary of the board's position was contained in cabinet minutes from the then-NSW Labor government on May 4 that year, released Thursday after being declassified and confirming revelations in The Australian newspaper last month.

No further details on the alleged mafia links were provided.

The documents said the consortium's plans were "rich and attractive" and it had the capacity to operate a casino, but warned that its revenue estimates were "not soundly based".

Of the four tenderers for the project, the police board cautioned against three of them, including the Hong Kong Macau Sydney consortium due to its "Chinese Triad association".

The project was later abandoned.

In its report before the documents were declassified, The Australian recounted how Trump boasted about his plans to the newspaper.

"If our design is chosen, it will not only be the largest, but one of the most magnificent, one of the most beautiful hotels anywhere in the world," he said in February 1987.

The newspaper cited a retired businessman involved in the Trump bid as saying he was unaware of the police board recommendation.

"All of us had to undergo police investigation; we were told that everyone had to be cleared from a police perspective," he said, declining to be named.

"The plan was for the Kern Corporation to build the casino, and for Trump to run it because he had the licence and experience in Atlantic City.
The two, Turkish-Americans Sinan Narin and Eyup Yildirim, are among 19 members of a security detail for Erdogan during a White House visit that have been indicted in the May 16 attack.

The 19 were identified from detailed video footage of the daylight assault on Kurdish and Armenian protesters outside the residence of Turkey's ambassador, following a meeting between Erdogan and President Donald Trump.

The protestors were beaten and kicked, with a number taken to the hospital for treatment of serious injuries.

Arrested in June, Narin and Yildirim were charged with beating and kicking several specific demonstrators, causing one of them to lose consciousness.

In a brief court hearing Thursday, a lawyer for the two said both pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Narin and Yildirim are the only two arrested in the case. The other 17, two Turkish Canadians and 15 Turkish citizens, including top Erdogan bodyguards, remain at large.
The 80-year-old Argentine pontiff spoke alongside Colombia's President Juan Manuel Santos, who has overseen recent controversial efforts to make peace with armed rebel groups.

"The steps taken give rise to hope, in the conviction that seeking peace is an open-ended endeavour, a task which does not relent, which demands the commitment of everyone," Francis said.

"May this determination help us flee from the temptation to vengeance and the satisfaction of short-term partisan interests."

Santos won a Nobel Peace Prize last year for his part in the FARC accord.

But the peace process has been fraught with division.

Critics of the accord with the FARC say the rebels got off too lightly, with amnesties and alternative sentences.

The FARC has transformed into a political party.

Colombians narrowly rejected the FARC peace deal in a referendum last year.

Francis tried unsuccessfully to mediate between Santos and the lead opponent of the accord, conservative leader Alvaro Uribe.

A reworked version of the accord was later pushed through Congress despite Uribe's resistance.

At his open-air encounter with Santos in front of the presidential palace, Francis hugged local children dressed all in white as a choir sang a song of peace.
Trump sides with the Democrats on a debt-ceiling deal. The deal will suspend the limit for three months, in addition to providing three months of funding and a package for Hurricane Harvey relief. It was a concession by President Donald Trump to Democrats, leaving key members of the Republican Party unhappy.

Fed Vice Chairman Stanley Fischer resigns. Fischer plans to step down on October 13, citing "personal reasons."

Trump is reportedly unlikely to consider Gary Cohn for Fed chairman. Trump is unlikely to consider Cohn because of his public rebuke of Trump following the president's response to the deadly protests in Charlottesville, Virginia, last month, according to a report from The Wall Street Journal.

The president of the European Parliament wants to delay Brexit talks. "We have three irrevocable priorities which are: rights for 3 1/2 million EU citizens living in the UK; the payment of what the EU deserves  not a euro more nor a euro less; third point, the Good Friday Agreement that has to give us a positive solution for the border between Ulster and the Republic of Ireland," President Antonio Tajani said. "Once we have reached an agreement on these three points, we can talk about the future."

The ECB meets. The European Central Bank is expected to keep policy on hold, with traders instead focusing on any hints from the bank's president, Mario Draghi, regarding the future of the bank's quantitative-easing program.

Larry Ellison has a new performance-based equity package. Ellison and two other Oracle executives will need Oracle's stock to get to an average price of $80 a share for at least 30 days, and meet other goals, to receive about $100 million each in stock awards in 2022.

Restoration Hardware explodes after crushing earnings and raising guidance. Shares of the high-end retailer soared by more than 40% in after-hours trading Wednesday after the company announced adjusted earnings and guidance that crushed expectations.

Stock markets around the world trade mixed. Hong Kong's Hang Seng (-0.33%) lagged in Asia, and Germany's DAX (+1.06%) is out front in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open little changed near 2,465.

Earnings reports keep coming. Barnes & Noble and Dell Technologies report ahead of the opening bell, while Okta releases its quarterly results after markets close.
Despite these struggles, RBC Capital Markets restaurant and packaged-foods analyst David Palmer remains bullish on Starbucks, giving its stock a $63 price target.

Business Insider spoke with Palmer about all things Starbucks, from China and the company's upcoming debit-card partnership with Chase to its recent acquisitions of La Boulange and Teavana  and the struggling My Starbucks Rewards program.

Heres what he had to say.

Graham Rapier: What's the most important thing for an investor to know about Starbucks?

David Palmer: Starbucks is primarily a US retail story, but it has some other things that contribute to its earnings growth over time. Over time that growth has been driven by an increasing consumption of coffee, and espresso-based beverages in particular, in the morning and afternoon-snack parts of the day. Its had some additional help from digital interaction and what they call "food attachments."

The company also has significant business in supermarkets with consumer packaged goods (CPG), a significant Asia business. It has also been restructuring its way to more profitable sales in Europe, but two-thirds of this story is still US retail sales.

In addition to very significant unit growth  mid-single-digit  what's happened in the last few year and a half has been that the weak US retail environment has seemingly caught up to Starbucks, and some of its food layers and digital engagement have also slowed. For a while, Starbucks was onboarding rewards members and active digital users at an extremely rapid clip, but that has slowed. Additionally, after the La Boulange acquisition, the company has renovated and extended its breakfast-sandwich line. While the company has made efforts to bolster its afternoon food offerings, those layers have not done as much as hoped.

Rapier: How have acquisitions like La Boulange and Teavana helped Starbucks?

Palmer: La Boulange has been a hit. It actually helped transform Starbucks' supply chain to a more consistent, national supply chain. They went from a frozen, par-baked product to having more quality control with much lower food waste. It had been a very expensive supply chain with inconsistent offerings around the country, with a variety of suppliers and local bakeries. Now, with the benefit of technologies and know-how brought over with La Boulange, they've gotten much better at making a consistent product. That's been just as much a benefit to costs as it's been sales. The La Boulange acquisition wasn't about growing a sub-brand. It may not have been a home run on that front, but it did provide them with a more profitable breakfast-sandwich business that they expanded significantly.

Teavana was about developing some tea know-how. There was a dream of potentially having a tea-bar-like experience that's reminiscent of a Starbucks reserve bar, where you can experiment and try different roasts or in this case teas of different regions and flavors, and that would be different than the mall-based Teavana stores are like today. That dream has not really been a payoff for Teavana. Instead, it has given Starbucks better tea credibility than their previous offering. They have done very well in the past with shaken teas, but the dream of the standalone theatre of tea has faded.

Rapier: Will we see more like this?

Palmer: They just did an acquisition of their Asia business, essentially consolidating one of their higher-return markets and adding to their incremental profit contribution that they'll be getting from their best growth market: China. That was an acquisition, but it was very close in. You would think if they get into acquisitions, they're going to have to think about what ways they can manage their box and digital know-how. It's possible, but they've likely learned some lessons about what works and doesn't work. What works best is when they can use that brand to leverage their existing Starbucks stores, rather than develop another parallel concept.

Rapier: How have digital offerings such as My Starbucks Rewards played out?

Palmer: The rewards customer base is very significant. Their brainstorming likely extends into how they can leverage that digital relationship beyond physical Starbucks stores. The digital relationship for the US business is critical.

For example, they have a closed system where you have to preload a card and link that card to your Starbucks app to start a digital relationship where you can then do mobile order and pay. Those two things are really only available to people who will preload a card and effectively enter into a debit-card relationship with Starbucks. You can't pay with your credit card directly. The benefit to Starbucks is they get to have your cash on deposit, and they get that float. It also lowers their interchange fees, but there's an issue with the so-called "closed cash deposit" system in that it lowers the number of people who would otherwise sign up for your digital relationship. For these guys to be at something like 13 million active users, whereas a much smaller brand like Panera has 30 million users, is evidence that having an easier matriculation process can allow more digital users.

The benefit of having someone in the digital ecosystem is greater today for Starbucks than it was one to two years ago, thanks largely to the technology that the company has to do personalized marketing, including suggestive selling when you're using the app. They have "gamification" of the rewards, where there are stars, for instance, and buy one, get one giveaways that can encourage the right behavior. All that marketing happens within the digital user base, and Starbucks has had a slower onboarding process in recent quarters that has resulted in slowed comps. Starbucks is going to try to find ways to open its system up, like Panera's, but unfortunately that's going to take them a few quarters to get it done, as late as next summer or so.

The other thing they're going to be doing in early 2018 is launching the Chase Visa debit card. It will be the first debit card with rewards attached to it. Because there are lower fees allowed by regulators for debit cards, there hasn't been the ability to have a rewards card for a debit card. This is going to be the first one, so there's a good chance that this will become a very big deal for Chase, and Starbucks might be able to have some joint marketing help.

One of the other barriers for millennials in particular with My Starbucks Rewards is their reticence to share personal information to a retailer. While that is a barrier, people do not have the same concern about sharing their info with a bank, so they should be able to get a lot from marketing to a huge Chase marketing base. The security of Chase will be associated with rewards, and you'll get the benefit of spending money outside of Starbucks too.

Rapier: Who are Starbucks' biggest competitors right now?

Palmer: Starbucks hasn't had that high a competitive overlap with McDonald's, Dunkin', or convenience stores. However, those three do have a significant overlap that revolves around drip coffee and breakfast sandwiches. Starbucks has tended to have a huge portion of its business in the fancy drinks, the espresso-based customized drinks, and oftentimes in teas. They operate in the espresso zone, which is somewhat labor-intensive and above the fray in terms of price competition, whereas in drip coffee you have far more competition from convenience stores and McDonald's. The competition seems to be more Dunkin's problem.

Starbucks' problem is that it tends to have a higher-income consumer base, skews female, 10% of its stores are in malls, and an even higher percentage are associated with retail in general. So there's a feeling that Starbucks is an indirect casualty of the increasing bias for the high-income consumer to eat, shop, work, and be entertained at home, rather than in retail shopping areas. As recently as two to three years ago, it seemed like Starbucks' starting point on same-store sales might be 3% or more comps and it could drive same-store sales above that from things like food and digital engagement. Lately, Starbucks' starting point feels flatter.

For a while, Keurig was gaining share at the expense of at-home, filter-brewed coffee. Keurig will likely try to broaden its user base by lowering the cost of a cup and lowering the cost of a machine, and by doing so will broaden its household penetration and gain share from other at-home coffee. Away from home coffee, customized espresso drinks seem to be slowing because of the overall retail environment, and not because of at-home-coffee growth. At-home coffee is not really growing  even Keurig's share gain has slowed.

Rapier: What will Starbucks' business look like 10 to 15 years from now?

Palmer: Starbucks is already a highly penetrated US retail chain. It's likely that its unit growth in the US will slow, and growth from its store base will shift to Asia. That process has already started, and the scale of Asia will only increase.

Penetration in the US will start to become a problem for US unit growth. Beyond that, the company has to figure out what its next growth drivers will be, how it can better penetrate the at-home market if that's where a lot of the growth is going to be, and how it can add to the experience in its stores through bolstering lunch business. They're toying with Mercato, which is a fresh-lunch offering. They've even tested doing dinners and delivery.

The unlock for digital is delivery, and the unlock for delivery is a $30 or higher order size. For Starbucks to leverage its digital infrastructure, it has to think about ways it can get bigger in catering and family orders, things that maybe aren't as natural for its current portfolio or menu.

Rapier: What's the biggest question on your mind for management?

Palmer: They just bought their China licensees, and have also bolstered earnings headed into FY19, which should have an accelerating benefit as they integrate that business. There's all these reasons why FY18 would end well, but what are some reasons for me to buy Starbucks today and not wait? Particularly as we're facing a tough retail environment. The Christmas shopping season is always a nail-biter.

Rapier: What's your go-to Starbucks order?
Trump sided with Democratic leaders Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi on Wednesday when he agreed to attach a deal to suspend the debt ceiling and fund the government for only three months without offsetting spending cuts.

Many conservatives on Thursday said the deal caves to Democrats by omitting those spending cuts.

And other Republicans say the short-term increase could allow Democrats leverage in December, when they could attach a bill to codify the

During the meeting, every Republican leader and Trump's own Treasury secretary were against the deal the president struck with Democrats.

While House Speaker Paul Ryan and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell both said they would support the deal, many conservatives are revolting.

On the House side, influential conservative groups within the Republican conference have already expressed serious concerns about the package.

Rep. Mark Walker, the chair of the Republican Study Committee, which boasts roughly 155 House members, sent a letter to Ryan on Thursday saying the group would require additional reforms to vote for the package.

"

In the Senate, Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky is offering an alternative amendment  named the America First amendment  that pairs the debt ceiling increase with cuts to foreign aid and other spending. The amendment will be voted on by the Senate Thursday.

Sen. Ben Sasse also blasted the deal and offered his own amendment to strip the debt-ceiling and government-funding provisions from the Harvey relief bill.

But Sen. Ted Cruz announced on Thursday that he would back the bill despite being against clean debt limit suspension.
But ask three different scientists about whether the "midlife crisis" is something universal, with predictable symptoms, and you might very well get three different answers.

A new working paper, by the economists David Blanchflower at Dartmouth College and Andrew Oswald at the University of Warwick, supports the idea that the midlife dip in happiness and well-being is a real phenomenon. The paper rounds up the results of seven surveys of 1.3 million people from 51 countries across the globe.

When you graph those results, you consistently see what economists call a "U-curve," i.e. a gradual decrease in either happiness or life satisfaction (depending on what the specific survey measured) up until the early 50s and then a gradual increase until old age.

Blanchflower and Oswald have published papers with similar results before, for example in 2008. Their latest research has given the scientific community a chance to revisit a longstanding debate about whether most people hit a midlife low.

As Claire Suddath at Bloomberg reported, some psychologists say age doesn't consistently predict happiness or life satisfaction. One ongoing study, led by psychologist Margie Lachman at Brandeis University and funded by the National Institute on Aging, found that just over one-quarter of adults between ages 25 and 75 say they've had a midlife crisis.

Interestingly, the study notes that only about half of those who report having a midlife crisis say it was sparked by negative feelings about aging. The other half cite issues such as divorce, job loss, or health problems  issues that aren't necessarily unique to middle age.

Scientists are having a field day analyzing these trends; but for an individual person, these results are hardly prophetic. Just because the research suggests that most people hit that midlife low  or don't  doesn't mean you personally will or won't.

In fact, you might see a dip in your happiness and/or life satisfaction sooner (sorry)  say, in your 20s, when you're trying to figure out what you want to do with your life.

Regardless of your age, psychologists have some suggestions for ways to overcome a slump.

For example, Robert Cialdini, a professor emeritus at Arizona State University and the CEO and president of Influence at Work, recommends simply paying more attention to the positive aspects of life, as opposed to the negative ones. Studies suggest that older people are consistently more likely than their younger counterparts to indulge in positive memories and thoughts  which could be why they're happier.

The only relative certainty here is that more research is necessary. Until then, it's probably best to keep tabs on the fluctuations in your own happiness and notice when you're slipping.
Hurricane Irma continues to barrel toward Florida, and state officials are already ordering evacuations from areas likely to be hardest-hit when the storm makes landfall.

Irma  one of the strongest storms ever recorded in the Atlantic  is currently a Category 3 hurricane with maximum wind speeds of 125 mph. The storm has hit several Caribbean islands, including Puerto Rico and St. Martin, and comes just weeks after flooding caused by Hurricane Harvey destroyed buildings and neighborhoods in Texas.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered an additional 700,000 residents to evacuate on Saturday morning, bringing the total number of people evacuating to nearly 7 million throughout Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina.

Scott also activated the entire Florida National Guard on Tuesday, calling on all 7,000 members to report for duty on Friday morning. He asked President Donald Trump to declare a state of emergency for Florida to free up federal funding for evacuations and flooding infrastructure, which the president granted.

"Please do not ignore evacuation orders," Scott tweeted on Wednesday. "Remember, we can rebuild your home, not your life." He reiterated this point in multiple news conferences throughout the week.

Florida Sen. Marco Rubio also issued warnings about the hurricane on Twitter:

#HurricaneIrma Thursday 5 p... @ Marco Rubio

Brock Long, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, said that he has already deployed crisis professionals to assist in Florida.

"Just like in Texas, the response to Irma is going to take all levels of government and the whole community," Long said in a statement. "This has the potential to be a catastrophic storm."

Evacuations

Officials in Monroe County, where the Florida Keys are located, ordered a mandatory evacuation for all residents on Wednesday morning. The county's schools also closed, the Orlando Sentinel reports.

Miami began ordering evacuations in vulnerable areas  like Miami Beach  on Wednesday morning. Schools in Miami were closed Thursday and Friday.

The mayor of Miami-Dade County, Carlos Gimenez, urged residents who are staying in their homes to have at least three days of food and water on hand, according to The Washington Post.

"This hurricane is far too powerful, poses far too great a threat for us to delay actions any further," Gimenez said.

The Washington Post reported that some residents lined up for hours to fuel their vehicles. Traffic has been very slow along evacuation routes, though Scott waived all tolls to facilitate travel.

Miami International Airport is open but has issued a travel warning ahead of the storm. Airline officials at Orlando International say they're monitoring the storm and will decide whether to relocate planes and move equipment off the runway as necessary.

Airlines including American, JetBlue, Spirit, and Air Canada are issuing waivers for travelers to change their itineraries to a number of Florida airports for no fee.

South Carolina, Georgia

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster also declared a state of emergency on Wednesday, as forecasts are predicting Irma could hit the state.

"The state of emergency allows one of the best, most experienced emergency response teams on earth to begin organizing response efforts," McMaster tweeted.

"South Carolina is fortunate to have time to allow us to prepare for Hurricane Irmas potential landfall," he continued. "And it is important that families and individuals in vulnerable areas use that time to review safety plans in case they are needed."

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency in 30 counties in coastal Georgia, and issued an executive order authorizing up to 5,000 state National Guard troops to assist with rescue and relief efforts.

Deal further ordered the mandatory evacuation of Chatham County and other coastal areas in Georgia.
According to a Facebook user, Abbey Peterz, the Alfa was arrested on Wednesday, September 6, 2017, in Magbon town, Olorunda Local Council Development Area in Badagry, after he had lured the lady from her base in Ibadan, Oyo State, to Lagos with the sole intention of killing her for rituals.

It was gathered that the lady had contacted the Muslim cleric for spiritual assistance over an undisclosed problem and he told her to come to Lagos so he can assist her but when she came, he decided to kill her.

But the lady was lucky as she was rescued after vigilant residents of the area raised an alarm and alerted some elders of the community.

The Alfa was arrested together with an accomplice and handed over to the police where he allegedly confessed to trying to use the lady for rituals.

Read what Peterz posted on his wall:
The 35-year-old Ofoma, according to reports, was allegedly tortured to death by police officers who stormed his shop at Springs town, near Johannesburg on Tuesday, September 5, 2017, to arrest him for allegedly trafficking drugs and banned substances.

Confirming the death of Ofoma, his family members say after he was arrested, he was taken to a police station where he was tortured severely till he passed out and struggled to breathe, and later died after he was rushed to a hospital.

It was gathered that Ofoma, a native of Obosi in Idemili North Local Government of Anambra State, had been living and doing his business in South Africa for over 10 years.

The family also debunked a statement by the South African Police that Ofoma had resisted arrest and that the police officers used cellophane bag to cover his face while he was being tortured.

The Nigerian community in South Africa which condemned the killing of Ofoma, has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria to step into the matter as a matter of urgency and stop the incessant killing of Nigerians by their South African hosts including the police.
Malawi Times reports that Prophet Bushiri who recently bought a G-Wagon SUV for his wife one month after she bought him a Rolls Royce, reportedly introduced the cards during a church service and told his members they were anointed and that anyone who used the card to pay his tithes and offerings will receive some miraculous cash into their bank accounts every month.

Prophet Bushiri who popularly called Major 1, is the founder and General Overseer of the Enlightened Christian Gathering [ECG], and has been known for his flamboyant lifestyle and had been in the news in recent times after he introduced anointed soaps which he said could wash away any sin a person committed during the day with just one bath.

Describing the introduction of the anointed ATM cards, an online television outfit in the country, amonpointtv said:

Bushiri had, in the past, showed off his private jet, fleet of cars and lavish lifestyle even as some of his church members wallow in abject poverty.

This time around, he has introduced customised Automated Teller Machine cards with his face, for members to pay tithe money into his account.

A Facebook user, Ntje Ishmael Moholo, who shared photos of the cards wrote on his wall:

Prophet Bushiri rolls out new ATM cards to make it easy for church followers to pay for tithes automatically every Sunday. What would Jesus say?
Many Nigerians are disappointed in the Air Force and blame it for the continued existence of the Boko Haram terror group.

According to investigations by an Abuja based journalist, Dave Agbo, the anger against the Forces is not unconnected with its inability to make meaningful contribution to the counter-terrorism war against Boko Haram, which citizens expected would have been the case since the Air Force first failed to locate a convoy of dozens of Hilux Pickups that ferried away school girls that were abducted in Chibok over three years ago.

"The terror group continue to shuttle between Nigeria and neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, often using convoys that are visible from the sky.

The practice for the Air Forces of countries with similar security challenge is to carpet bomb such convoys while troops hunt down the terrorists that are usually left in disarray after such operations.

This method worked in decimating Islamic State [IS] terrorists, who become easy targets for Syrian and Iraqi troops in the aftermath of airstrikes from Russian and American aircraft.

Airstrikes launched by the Nigerian Airforce has not yielded such benefits. Claims that it has hit terrorist targets are called into question within a short time as they [Boko Haram] are able to advance without the ground troops being able to ambush them.

Revelations by locals are that the service may be wasting ammunitions as some of the air strikes usually target abandoned and disused structures in Sambisa Forest.

One of the locals who volunteered only his first name, , for fear of being identified, noted that it is not unusual for aircraft to repeatedly pound the same location even when there is no sign of life.

Adamu noted thus:

'We see empty shacks, abandoned places, and the next thing is that aircraft will come and drop bombs. We will count, one day, two days, three days and there would be not the faintest trace of the smell of death.

Even small animals in the bush will stench up the place it died but these people will drop bombs and nothing will rot.

You look up to the skies later and don't even see the carrion birds that follow death. We then tell ourselves that these airplanes do not want the war to end.'

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) has, however, refused to accept the damning verdict of citizens. A source at NAF Headquarters who is a close confidant of Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar revealed that the recent escalation of media presence by the CAS was part of recommended public relations effort to repair the battered image of the service.

"We are aware of how Nigerians feel about the Nigerian Air Force but we also think it is important that people are made aware of the peculiar challenges that we face as a military organization," the source said.

Air Marshal Abubakar had publicly shrugged off the possibility of the Air Force facing any challenges when he ordered, on September 1, 2017, that the Sambisa Forest should be completely cleared out.

"We must redouble our efforts to make sure that we cleanse the forest before they even come out to do harm," he had declared.

Agbo continued:

"His reference to Boko Haram coming out of Sambisa Forest to do harm addressed incidents in the past when terrorists easily overran Air Force bases in attacks that were blamed on poor leadership.

The Chief of Air Staff had in turn passed on the blame. He once told a retreat through a subordinate that 'recent evaluations of the (Air Force) bases revealed that many commanders and bases were yet to imbibe and adopt the tenets of the new base defense concept.'

But another source in the Armed Forces warned that the decreased capacity of the Air Force under the leadership of Air Marshal Abubakar is mostly responsible for Boko Haram's ability to continue carrying out attacks.

The source queried how it was possible for the Air Force to have resources to clear Sambisa Forest when it had not deployed these same resources for aerial surveillance and relay the information gathered from such exercises to ground troop that is in a better position to neutralize the terrorists.

The source said:

'If the air support were what it should be, the kind of Boko Haram ambush that killed several persons at the University of Maiduguri and abducted members of the NNPC oil exploration team in July this year would not have been possible.

The other terrorists' ambushes would have rather led to their destruction since aircraft would simply pound them from the air before they had the chance to do any crazy thing.'
Since the Boko Haram insurgency began, more people have migrated to Chad, Niger. Maiduguri alone is estimated to host between 1.2 million to 2 million refugees.

One photographer Dominic Nahr however is documenting the refugee crisis through his lens.

1. No space in the paediatric ward

Two young children sleep on a blue mat outside the pediatric ward in the main hospital in Bol in Chad.

2. A young girl gathers water in Kaya, an internally displaced persons camp

All of the inhabitants drink the water directly from the lake, creating health risks due to the lack of proper sanitation.

Many have left because the lack of food and decided to go back to their villages on islands, risking Boko Haram or government attacks.

3. A young woman is brought to the hospital in Bol

A young woman is carried to a mobile clinic after travelling on a horse and cart for over 30km before being brought to the main hospital in Bol from Yakoua town.

4. People are surrounded by dried up rivers and lakes

5. Men sit inside the main chief's hut in Diamaram
Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected! Welcome to the Pulse Community! We will now be sending you a daily newsletter on news, entertainment and more. Also join us across all of our other channels - we love to be connected!
Things have changed at the Latino Chamber of Commerce of Dane County since Jessica Cavazos took over as the first full-time executive director
Mr. Ibrahim Ogbanagbo in the company of one of the Banks Regional Managers, Mrs. Pamela Shodipo visited the Corporate Head Office of Superflux located in Ogba, Lagos for the award event which was attended by the Board Members of the Superflux Group and other employees of the organisation where he was rewarded with a cash prize of N1, 000,000 (One Million Naira).

Mr. Ibrahim Ogbanagbo had earlier in the year been recognised by the UBA group alongside other awardees at the prestigious annual CEO awards event which held on the 8 of April, 2017 at Eko Hotel & Suites, Lagos. Superflux chose to fulfil the promise made by the President/CEO at the event to further reiterate its affirmation to integrity.

Mr. Tokunbo Talabi, President, Superflux International Limited while delivering the opening remark once again justified the rationale behind honouring Mr. Ibrahim. He stated that As a security printing company which thrives on customer trust, integrity is not an optional value but a must-have requirement for every employee of our company. Integrity has also overtime grown to be an integral and fundamental culture of Superflux. He furthermore in his statement said that We are proud to be associated with the UBA brand, who have not only been one of our founding and reliable customers but have remained strong partners till date. Recognising Mr. Ogbanagbos commendable act is our way of ensuring that our core values as a company spill over to the society we service, especially in these times that virtue is highly on the decline in our society.

Over time, the Pan African cheque printing company which is accredited by the Central Bank of Nigeria, Central Bank of Zambia among other West African Central Banks has rewarded individuals both within and outside its organisation who have exhibited characters of similar nature.

Chief Operating Officer of Superflux, Mr. Gabriel Okonkwo while commending Mr. Ogbanagbo said, Today this man has set an example that anyone can learn from, regardless of your position or profession, you can choose to be honest whether someone is watching or not. As a security printing company, our clients in Nigeria and across Africa trust us with sensitive and confidential information, we have become known as a symbol of integrity and we will continue to reward people who uphold this value.

While expressing his appreciation to Superflux, Mr Ogbanagbo commented that keeping the money could have changed his life for the better but was not however in line with his values or his professional responsibility as a security man. I hope that my story will encourage other young Nigerians to uphold honesty and strong moral virtues in their daily responsibilities and collectively we can change the perception that Nigerians are corrupt.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that resident doctors in the state on Tuesday joined the industrial action thus crippling the smooth running of healthcare services at the hospital.

The strike came amid the challenges of insurgency and cholera outbreak in Maiduguri.

A NAN correspondent who visited the hospital reports that only senior surgeons, consultants and other cadre of health workers were attending to patients at various departments of the hospital.

NAN also reports that there is low turnout of patients at the General Out Patients Department (GOPD), the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) clinic, Accident and Emergency (A & E) and Ante-natal Care unit.

Dr Bashir Tahir, the Chairman of the Medical Advisory Committee (CMAC), said that the management adopted proactive measures to facilitate smooth running of services at the hospital.

Tahir assured that the hospital would continue to provide normal services in view of the emergencies occasioned by insurgency in the state.

We remain operational to enable us attend to the humanitarian and health needs of the people in the state.

The consultants are running the services pending the time resident doctors call off the strike, said the CMAC.

Dr Muhammad El-Yakub, President of NARD, UMTH Chapter, said that the association would mobilise its members to provide normal services in event of emergencies.

However, El-Yakub disclosed that about 150 resident doctors stayed away from their duty posts in compliance with the strike directive.

ALSO READ: Resident doctors strike continues despite meeting with FG

In the case of emergencies we will notify the national leadership of the association, who will give further directives to our intervention during emergencies, he said.

Malam Ismaila Kabiru, a patient, commended the hospital management for the services provided in spite of the strike.
Henry Imogiemhe, the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of the Edo Public Procurement Agency, told journalists in Benin that the essence was to acquaint the officers with the provisions of the Procurement Act.

Imogiemhe said that the seminar would also help the government officials to eliminate corruption from the procurement process in the state.

In his remarks, Prof. Julius Ihonvbere, the Chairman, Edo Strategic Planning Unit, said that the idea became imperative as the new officers began the implementation of government programmes.

ALSO READ:Edo Govt to revitalise Auchi fertiliser plant

Ihonvbere, also the organisers of the seminar, said, Knowledge gained from the seminar will lead to full compliance with the Procurement Act.

One of the participants, Mr Paul Ohonbamu, also the Commissioner for Communication and Orientation, said, There is need for hygiene and sanity to be brought into the way government goods and services are being procured.
Mrs Kadijat Karibo, the Unit Head of HGSFP in Kogi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the venue of the exercise in Lokoja, that feeding of the pupils would start in October.

She said that the state, in collaboration with the Federal Government, has put necessary things in place to employ indigenous caterers that would handle the cooking across the state.

Karibo said that local small scale farmers would supply the raw food needed for the feeding programme to reduce unemployment rate in the state.

We are recruiting caterers that will take care of our children in the public schools from primary one to three.

We have designed and printed out forms that were sent to all the local governments. These forms were filled and returned by interested caterers.

We profiled everything and shortlisted the qualified candidates; today, we are doing oral interview for candidates from three local governments (Lokoja, Koton-Karfe and Ajaokuta).

We sincerely appreciate Gov. Yahaya Bello for his support and commitment to the actualisation of the school feeding programme.

We also commend the Federal Government for fulfilling its campaign promises in the area of social intervention programmes, Karibo said.

In his remarks, Mr Femi Bolaji, the Head, Unit of N-Power in Kogi, lauded the state government for the structures and fund made available for the recruitment to ensure success of the programme.

ALSO READ:Kogi Governor escapes mob attack in Idah

Bolaji said that the recruitment which started on Wednesday had been hitch-free.

He said that some of the caterers who could not speak English were communicated to in their indigenous languages.

We thank the governor for backing up all the programmes with the states counterpart funding to support our operations; it even provided a furnished and digitalised staff office, Bolaji said.
Osinbajo made the call on Thursday at a book launch titled: The Genius Orator in honour of Maitama Sule in Abuja.

The Vice President, who described Sule as a great man said he was an exceptionally gifted orator, who understood the power of rhetoric and persuasion.

Osinbajo said Sule had good grip of drama and theatre and translated the exasperating twists and turns of the Nigerian socio-political drama into words of rebuke, exhortation, but ultimately of hope.

And we can see in the testimonials that followed his demise, in the caliber of the friendships and relationships that he built across Nigeria, in the quality of his thinking and writing, in his simplicity and humility, he said.

The Vice President said he would continue to remember Maitama-Sule for his humility and selflessness in spite of his status.

Osinbajo said Nigeria is richly blessed for having the likes of Sule to have lived and served in it, adding that his memory would inspire greater greatness in the country.

According to him, the book, The Genius Orator, will help ensure that one of our most important libraries is preserved for all time.

He commended the authors of the book for documenting the life and views of Sule in great details, saying that documenting history can never be overemphasized.

NAN recalled that Maitama-Sule died on July 3, in Cairo, Egypt at the age of 88.

He was a former chief whip of the Federal House of Representatives, a two-time minister and former Nigerian Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, said five other suspects had also been arrested in connection with the crime.

Ezike disclosed this in Owerri while presenting the suspects to newsmen on Thursday.

He said following a directive by the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Ibrahim Idris, to track down the culprits, the command moved into action and had so far arrested six persons in connection with the crime.

He said the command was able to achieve the feat through a whistle blowing strategy and forensic technology.

Rev. Onunkwo was abducted on Friday at Banana junction in Orlu Local Government Area of Imo by gunmen.

His corpse was later found in Omuma the following day.

One of the suspects , Mr Izuchukwu Okafor from Anambra, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that Onunkwo was killed in error.

He claimed that the gang only kidnapped the priest for ransom but later discovered that he died while on transit to their hideout.

When we kidnapped the priest, we used cello tape to seal his mouth, unknown to us, his nose was also sealed.

When we discovered that he could no longer talk, we unsealed his mouth and found out that he has dead,, Okafor said.

Another suspect, Mr Onyema Cyril, from Onuimo Local Government Area of Imo, told NAN that when they discovered that their victim was a priest he opted for his release, but that the police officer who was among them threatened to shoot them if they released him.
In a statement by its spokesman, Sen. Sabi Abdullahi, on Thursday in Abuja, the Senate stated that Sagay was fond of using every opportunity to make public speeches to disparage the federal legislature.

According to it, Sagay is in the habit of using uncouth and unprintable words to describe the legislators and the institution they represented.

It said that Sagay had been one of the few divisive elements in the Buhari administration, who believed their relevance was enhanced only when they created constant tension between the legislature and the executive.

The statement noted that while legislators had ignored past statements by the professor of law, his recent speech at a public lecture in Lagos organised by the Society of International Law was unacceptable.

It said that Sagay gave false details about the salaries and allowances of legislators.

Ordinarily, we would ignore Sagay whose statements and attitude present him like a rascal and sadist instead of a former university teacher.

 However, his last speech in Lagos during which he was reeling out false and exaggerated figures about the salaries and allowances of legislators cannot be ignored.

He also lied about the passage of anti-corruption bills, indicating that he is set out to deliberately undermine the legislative institution and lower its reputation in the estimation of right-thinking members of the society.

At this point, we believe we should put him in his rightful place.

As an academic whose creed should be to find facts and make comments based on truth, we believe that Sagay should stop spreading beer parlour rumours about salaries and allowances of legislators.

He could simply get the facts from the Revenue Mobilization and Fiscal Allocation Commission (RMFAC).

This is the body constitutionally charged with the responsibility of fixing salaries and allowances of all public officials.

Let us make it clear that our salaries and allowances are open books and the details can be taken from the RMFAC by any interested party, the senate said.

It added that Sagay also made comparisons which did little credit to him as he talked of the salary of the United States President and that of a Nigerian legislator.

According to it, the comparison was based on street talks.

Sagay could not even check the records before proclaiming that the National Assembly has not passed a single bill for the promotion of anti-corruption war since it commenced business in July, 2015.

First, the 8th National Assembly was inaugurated on June 9, 2015 not July.

Also, it is on record that the Senate has passed the Whistle Blowers Protection Bill, Witness Protection Bill, Mutual Legal Assistance in Criminal Matters Bill and the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Agency Bill.

With an easily excited man like him as head of an advisory body, the nation has continued to lose anti-corruption cases in courts due to the failure of his advice.

He needs to do more work and talk less because media prosecution cannot win the war on corruption, the upper chamber stated.
This is coming after Alhassan publicly declared her support for a former Vice-President of Nigeria, Atiku Abubakar.

According to Daily Post, Sani also said that the minister should leave Buharis cabinet if she knows she will work for Atiku in 2019.

The Senator said The difference between that woman, who made the statement as a minister and others, is that she was open and others are still having it in their minds.

ALSO READ: How Aisha Alhassan became Mama Taraba

If she is prepared to work for the former vice-president, she can easily excuse herself from this government and concentrate on what she believes in 2019.
According to Daily Trust, Atiku's comments were made on the Hausa service of the Voice of America (VOA).

On the program, Atiku bitterly complained that he's been sidelined by the APC led administration at the center which he contributed to enthroning.

Honestly speaking, Im still a member of the APC; I was part of all the processes, including campaigns until success was achieved, Atiku was quoted as saying.

But sadly, soon after the formation of government; I was side-lined, I have no any relationship with the government, Ive not been contacted even once to comment on anything and in turn, I maintained my distance. They used our money and influence to get to where theyre but three years down the lane, this is where we are.

Atiku's comments arrive just hours after a Minister in Buhari's cabinet, Aisha Alhassan, said the former Vice President is her godfather and blessed his 2019 presidential ambition.

"Atiku is my godfather even before I joined politics, she said.And again, Baba Buhari did not tell us that he is going to run in 2019.

Let me tell you today that if Baba said he is going to contest in 2019, I swear to Allah, I will go before him and kneel and tell him that Baba I am grateful for the opportunity you gave me to serve your government as a minister but Baba just like you know I will support only Atiku because he is my godfather. If Atiku said he is going to contest.

If because of what I said, I am sacked, it will not bother me because I believe in Allah, that my time has elapsed that is why"

Atiku's and Alhassan's comments point to the succession and power battles behind the scenes, within the governing APC.

Atiku has never hidden his intention to become Nigeria's president. He lost the 2014 APC presidential primary contest to Buhari and has swapped political parties in a bid to realising a lifelong ambition.
She can also be salty and very controversial when pushed to the wall. Ask the 'Bring Back Our Girls' group.

In January of 2017, I shared a hall with Mama Taraba at a valedictory dinnerorganised in honour of then Minister of Environment, Amina J. Mohammed at the Oriental Hotel in Lagos.

It was a night of decent speeches.

After the ceremony, I waylaid Mama Taraba at the hall entrance for a word or two. She was limping but still managed to radiate energy and passion as she answered my questions without scruples. She wasn't the type to evade a question, as I would find out.

It is that passion and energy that has come to define the Aisha Alhassan brand.

It is that passion and energy that went some way into earning her the sobriquet of Mama Taraba.

How did Aisha Alhassan become Mama Taraba?

At the 2011 PDP primaries, Alhassan squared up against then incumbent Senator for Taraba North, Manzo Anthony. A political neophyte at the time who had only earned her epaulet as a lawyer, Alhassan was the bookies favourite to lose the contest by a wide margin.

No one gave her a chance in a patriarchal field. Besides, defeating an incumbent in the Nigerian political terrain is sometimes akin to squeezing water out of a rock.

Alhassan was a then protege of former Taraba Governor Jolly Nyame. Nyame was propping up Alhassan against Anthony for his own gains.

The permutation from Nyame's camp was that if he supports Alhassan to beat the incumbent Senator, hell return to beat Alhassan in the general election and become Senator.

Nyame considered Alhassan a weaker opponent.

He couldn't have been more mistaken.

Alhassan ran a spirited campaign against Anthony and managed to draw plenty of Christian support her way even though shes Muslim.

She left the incumbent senator gasping for breath at the PDP primaries and earned the ticket for the general contest.

When the general election rolled by in April of 2011, Alhassan polled 114, 131 votes to beat Nyame of the Action congress of Nigeria (ACN) who had to make do with 92, 004 votes.

Alhassan thus became the first elected female senator from Taraba State and the nickname Mama Taraba became hers to bear.

She is called Mama Taraba because she has become a big time political player in Taraba State, influencing political affairs in the northern State, one voting season at a time.

Mama Taraba was only one of four women senators elected on the PDP platform in 2011. The others were Helen Esuene from Akwa Ibom South, Nenadi Usman from Kaduna South and Nkechi Nwaogu from Abia central.

Mama Taraba would go on to represent Taraba North in the Senate from 2011 to 2015.

In April 2015, she lost the Taraba governorship election rerun on the platform of the APC.

However, in November 2015, a tribunal sacked presumed winner Darius Ishaku and declared Mama Taraba winner of the governorship contest.

The Appeal and Supreme courts would later reverse the judgment of the tribunal in Ishaku's favour.

Mama Taraba proceeded to serve in Buharis cabinet as Women Affairs minister and has recently stirred controversy for backing Atiku Abubakar for the top job in 2019 at her boss expense.

Back in January, when I asked Mama Taraba to describe the departing Amina Mohammed who was taking up a job at the United Nations, she looked me in the eye, before handing out another smile and a blush. She has always been passionate about women advancement, women empowerment, gender affairs....

"Shell always call me to say, 'come..let us collaborate to see what is good for Nigerian women. Shes my friend, my sister. Im very happy for her and happy for Nigeria. Shes a good person and the world needs her", she offered.

You could tell that she shares a special bond with Amina Mohammed who was leaving the Buhari cabinet.

Will the world need Aisha Alhassan if Buhari hands her the sack on the back of her recent controversial comments?
At several rallies, particularly in eastern states such as Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt, protesters -- many holding campaign posters for the populist AfD party or the far-right NPD, have loudly booed or chanted slogans against Merkel.

More than 100 demonstrators sought to disrupt Merkel's rally Wednesday evening in the Saxony city of Torgau, whistling, booing and chanting "Get lost".

Police said that two men at the Torgau rally, aged 36 and 39, made the Nazi salute.

Hours later at a rally in Finsterwalde, also in the former communist east, the chancellor was given a similarly hostile reception.

But Merkel said she would not be deterred.

"It is important to me to keep going where I'm not getting a friendly reception," she said in an interview with the RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland newspaper group.

"Many people who do not subscribe to the concert of whistles or chorus of chants need encouragement to keep showing civil courage and to stand up against the hate," she said.

At a rally in Heidelberg on Tuesday, protesters sought to pelt her with tomatoes.

Merkel, who happened to be wearing an orange blazer, was lightly hit, but she shrugged off the incident with a smile.

Polls show that Merkel's conservative alliance is holding a strong lead of around 15 percentage points against the runner-up Social Democratic Party.

But her decision in 2015 to open Germany's borders to thousands of refugees fleeing war in Syria and Iraq split public opinion.
However it remained unclear whether Beijing, the North's key ally, would be willing to back, or enforce, new sanctions at the UN Security Council, where it is a veto-wielding permanent member.

"Given the new developments on the Korean peninsula, China agrees that the UN Security Council should respond further by taking necessary measures," he told a press conference in Beijing.

"We believe that sanctions and pressure are only half of the key to resolving the issue. The other half is dialogue and negotiation," Wang added.

The comments came after Pyongyang on Sunday triggered global alarm with its most powerful nuclear blast to date, claiming to have successfully tested a hydrogen bomb.

China, which is the North's biggest diplomatic and economic supporter, is seen as key to efforts to convince Pyongyang to abandon its weapons programme.

Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang clarified later on Thursday that China would support the consensus of the UN Security Council.

"We support the Security Council in making further reactions and taking necessary measures," he said, adding "we hope to resolve this issue through dialogue and consultation".

But in a phone call with US President Donald Trump Wednesday, Chinese President Xi Jinping said China remains firm in its wish to resolve the issue through talks leading to a peaceful settlement.

Washington has rejected China's proposal for a freeze on North Korea's nuclear and missile tests in exchange for a suspension of US-South Korea military drills.

But Trump, who has recently been waging a fiery war of words with Kim, on Wednesday insisted that military action against North Korea's nuclear program is not his first choice and pushed for a diplomatic option.

On Wednesday, the US submitted a resolution to the UN Security Council that would slap an oil embargo on North Korea and freeze the assets of leader Kim Jong-Un, setting up a potential clash with China.

Beijing has repeatedly urged all parties to avoid rhetoric and actions that could inflame tensions, and called for a halt in annual military exercises between the US and South Korea.
"I would be willing to be the mediator," Trump told reporters at a joint press conference with Kuwaiti Emir Sheikh Sabah al-Ahmad Al-Sabah.

"I would be willing to do so, and I think you'd have a deal worked out very quickly," Trump said. "I think it's something that's going to get solved fairly easily."

Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates and Egypt announced on June 5 they had cut diplomatic and economic ties with Qatar, accusing it of having ties with Shiite Iran and fundamentalist Islamist groups.

Doha denies the claims and accuses the other countries of an attack on its sovereignty.

The United States has given mixed signals on its policy to the Gulf crisis while Kuwait has emerged as a key mediator.

Trump immediately expressed staunch support for Saudi Arabia after the Arab states announced sanctions against Qatar, but some other US officials including Secretary of State Rex Tillerson adopted a more measured tone.

Riyadh and Doha are both key allies of the United States. Trump chose Saudi Arabia for his first overseas visit as president in May, two weeks before the Gulf crisis erupted.
The blast triggered global condemnation and calls by the US, South Korea, Japan and others for stronger United Nations Security Council sanctions against the North.

The official Korean Central News Agency described it as a "successful ICBM-ready H-bomb test".

Speakers at the rally said the North's military "will put an end to the destiny of the gangster-like US imperialists through the most merciless and strongest preemptive strikes if they and the hordes of traitors finally ignite a war", KCNA reported.

Sunday's blast was the North's sixth nuclear detonation and by far its biggest to date.

Hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs, are thermonuclear weapons far more powerful than ordinary fission-based atomic bombs, and use a nuclear blast to generate the intense temperatures required for fusion to take place.

Foreign governments have yet to confirm whether Sunday's blast was a full two-stage thermonuclear weapon, or an enhanced fission device.

Working out its size depends on factors including the magnitude of the earthquake generated, the depth at which it was buried, and the type of rock surrounding it.

Estimates vary from South Korea's 50 kilotons to Japan's 160. But all of them are far larger than the 15-kiloton US bomb that destroyed Hiroshima in 1945.

North Korea in July carried out its first two successful tests of an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM), apparently bringing much of the US mainland into range.

Seoul and Washington early Thursday deployed four more launchers in the South for the THAAD missile defence system, whose presence has infuriated Beijing.
"Gerasimov focused attention on the main aim of the training -- the defence" of Russia and Belarus, a statement carried by Russian news agencies said after the meeting in Azerbaijan.

NATO said the meeting "demonstrates a clear mutual interest to maintain the military lines of communication", but did not give any details on what was discussed.

The joint "Zapad-2017" Russian exercises with Belarus next week have stirred unease in Poland and the Baltic States.

Moscow says the event will involve about 12,700 troops, but Lithuania and Estonia have said as many as 100,000 soldiers could take part.

French defence minister Florence Parly on Thursday condemned the coming drills on the border of the EU and NATO as a deliberate "strategy of intimidation".

NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that he saw no "imminent threat", but that the alliance would "monitor the activity closely".

Western officials have said the preparations for Zapad suggest it could be much bigger than Moscow has suggested, and Stoltenberg said the degree of openness about the drills did not meet international standards.

Three NATO experts have been invited to attend as observers, but Stoltenberg said this "fell short of the transparency required by the OSCE".

Suspicions are high between NATO and Russia, with the alliance's eastern members worried about Moscow's increasing assertiveness after it seized Ukraine's Crimean peninsula in 2014.

Moscow has long railed against NATO expansion in its former sphere of influence.

NATO has deployed four battle groups -- around 4,000 troops -- to Estonia, Lithuania, Latvia and Poland in recent years.

The meeting in Baku came after Pavel and Gerasimov spoke by phone in March, the first talks between military chiefs of both sides since ties collapsed over the crisis in Ukraine.
That is the question causing jitters in South Korea and in Japan, where the topic of deploying or developing atomic weapons is especially taboo as the only country to have suffered a nuclear attack.

As a presidential candidate, Trump ruffled feathers when he suggested that Japan and South Korea should take more responsibility for their own defence.

And concerns that an "America First" policy might mean less military protection for allies many thousands of kilometres away have prompted some to suggest that they need to look after themselves.

In Japan, a series of missile launches from its unpredictable and nuclear-armed neighbour across the sea -- including one that crossed Japanese soil -- has caused some prominent figures to wonder aloud whether to reconsider the taboo.

Shigeru Ishiba, a hawkish former defence minister and veteran in Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's conservative LDP party, asked on a TV debate show on Wednesday: "Is it really ok not to talk about it any more?"

"Is it right to say that we want to be protected by US nuclear weapons but we don't want them on our soil?" asked the former minister, while acknowledging it was an "emotional" issue in pacifist Japan, still scarred by the obliteration of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in World War II.

Similar noises are emerging from South Korea, which is banned from building its own nuclear weapons under a 1974 atomic energy deal it signed with the US.

"As nuclear weapons are being churned out above our heads, we can't always rely on the US nuclear umbrella and extended deterrence," the mass-circulation Donga Ilbo newspaper said in an editorial Monday.

And there appears to be popular support, with a Moonhwa Daily poll last month showing nearly two thirds of respondents in favour of Seoul developing its own independent nuclear deterrent.

'Hole' in US umbrella

For decades, Japanese policy has been guided by the so-called "three principles": not producing, possessing or allowing nuclear weapons on Japanese territory.

And officials were quick to slap down Ishiba, with Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga saying: "Until now, we haven't discussed calling these three principles into question and we are not planning to do so."

South Korea has a similar official position, with Foreign Minister Kang Kyung-Wha stressing Seoul is still sticking to its commitment to the Non-Proliferation Treaty.

Polls consistently suggest that the Japanese public is against the deployment of nuclear missiles on its soil and Ishiba acknowledged that if Japan developed its own bomb, "that would mean that any other country could do so."

But Takehiko Yamamoto, professor emeritus of international politics and regional security at Waseda University in Tokyo, said that Japan could already be considered a "de-facto nuclear power state."

"It has maintained its nuclear technologies and possesses enough plutonium to produce tens of nuclear weapons," said Yamamoto.

While popular opposition is likely to prevent concrete action for now, "North Korea's escalating provocative actions may be used by hawkish politicians to open up the debate, questioning if the US nuclear umbrella is safe enough and calling for its own deterrence," he added.

This appeared to be Ishiba's line of attack, arguing on a Thursday morning debate show that the US umbrella appeared to "have a hole".

"We have to make efforts towards increasing its effectiveness," said Ishiba, who is seen as a possible future prime minister.

But another expert, Walter Russell Mead from the Washington-based Hudson Institute, warned of the risks of a US disengagement from its allies in the region.
It marked another step in the rehabilitation of Marcos 31 years after he was chased into exile in the US by a popular revolt that ended his 20-year rule marked by allegations of massive corruption and rampant human rights violations.

Duterte, who considers Marcos to have been the country's best-ever president, stunned the nation last November by allowing his remains to be transferred to the national "Heroes' Cemetery" despite a widespread outcry.

On Thursday, Duterte declared September 11 a "special non-working day" in the northern province of Ilocos Norte, the Marcos stronghold.

"The Ilocano community has been annually celebrating the birthdate of the late Ferdinand E. Marcos and commemorating his life and contributions to national development as a World War II veteran, distinguished legislator, and former president," the presidential palace proclamation read.

"It is but fitting that the people of the province of Ilocos Norte be given full opportunity to celebrate and participate in the occasion with appropriate ceremonies."

Marcos was accused of embezzling billions of dollars from state coffers, with anti-corruption watchdog Transparency International in 2004 naming him the second most corrupt leader of all time, behind Indonesian dictator Suharto.

The dictator also oversaw widespread human rights abuses to maintain his control of the country and enable his plundering, with thousands of people killed and tortured, previous Philippine governments said.

No member of the Marcos clan has ever gone to prison, while his family has made a political comeback in the Philippines, with widow Imelda and their children being elected to office.

Duterte said last week that a Marcos family member had consulted him about a proposal to hand over some of its wealth to the government, later suggesting that they may ask for immunity in exchange.
However Russian President Vladimir Putin said Pyongyang couldn't be intimidated and brushed off a renewed call for tighter sanctions by his South Korean counterpart Moon Jae-In as the three were in the Russian port city of Vladivostok for an economic forum.

"The international community must unite in applying the greatest possible pressure on North Korea," Abe said just four days after Pyongyang staged its sixth and most powerful nuclear test to date, which it described as a "perfect success".

"We must make North Korea immediately and fully comply with all relevant UN Security Council resolutions and abandon all its nuclear and ballistic missile programmes in a complete, verifiable and irreversible manner," Abe insisted.

"North Korea is escalating an overt challenge to the peace, prosperity, law and order of the region and indeed the entire world."

Meanwhile the South Korean president said that "perhaps the time has come for stronger sanctions" on Pyongyang.

South Korea has pushed for moves to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil, but Russia dismissed such a call, while China has also reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its frontier.

On Wednesday, Washington demanded an oil embargo on Pyongyang and a freeze on the foreign assets of its leader Kim Jong-Un in a dramatic bid to force an end to the perilous nuclear stand-off.

However, Putin once again said that imposing tighter sanctions was not the way forward.

"It is impossible to intimidate them," said the Russian leader.

"But I am convinced that we can avoid a large-scale conflict involving weapons of mass destruction and that we can resolve the problem by diplomatic means," said Putin.
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Purdue students interested in submitting their creative and innovative ideas in the Schurz Innovation Challenge @ Purdue should attend one of the following callout sessions:

 6 p.m., Tuesday (Sept. 12), Rawls Hall, Room 1086.

 6 p.m., Wednesday (Sept. 13), Honors College and Residences, south building, Room 1054.

 6 p.m., Sept. 14. Wilmeth Active Learning Center, Room 1132.

The eighth annual Schurz competition, organized by the Purdue Foundry, is sponsored by Schurz Communications and gives students a chance to win cash prizes for their innovations.

The Schurz Innovation Challenge allows students to create prototypes that help bring innovative ideas to life, said Greg Deason, senior vice president of the Purdue Research Foundation and director of innovation and entrepreneurship at Purdue's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship in Discovery Park. Students have the opportunity to gain valuable business skills while competing for cash prizes.

The team capturing first prize will receive $5,000. Second- and third-place winners will receive $3,500 and $1,500. The crowds favorite will receive $500.

The competition will be held at 5:30-8 p.m. Dec. 7 in Lawson Computer Science Building, Room 1142. The public is invited to attend the competition and the preceding reception, which starts at 4:30 p.m. Attendees are asked to RSVP by clicking here.

About Schurz Communications Inc.

Schurz Communications Inc. is a Mishawaka, Indiana-based news and information company, which consists of five business segments: Broadcasting Radio, Broadcasting TV, Cable TV, Newspaper Publishing and Digital Media.

The company publishes daily and weekly newspapers in medium and small markets with a combined circulation of nearly 225,000. It also has 10 television stations, owns 13 radio stations and operates three others, owns four cable companies and a phone directory. Geographically, Schurz Communications has a presence in Alaska, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Virginia and Wyoming.

About Purdue Foundry

The Purdue Foundry is an entrepreneurship and commercialization hub in Discovery Park's Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship whose professionals help Purdue innovators create startups. The Purdue Foundry is managed by the Purdue Research Foundation, which received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry@prf.org.



Writer: Lyna Landis, 765-588-3575, lklandis@prf.org



Source: Greg Deason, gwdeason@prf.org
WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind.  Indianas top drug prevention official will discuss the states opioid crisis on Sept. 12 as part of Purdues Discovery Park Distinguished Lecture Series.

Jim McClelland, executive director for drug prevention, treatment and enforcement for the state of Indiana, will be speaking at 1:30 p.m. in the Burton D. Morgan Center for Entrepreneurship, Room 121. The lecture, which is free and open to the public, is titled, Toward Better Lives and Stronger Communities  Bringing the Pieces Together. A reception will follow in the first-floor atrium of Mann Hall.

In 2014, nearly six times as many Hoosiers died from drug overdoses as in 2000, twice the national rate, according to state officials. From 2011 to 2015, there was a nearly 60 percent increase in non-fatal emergency department visits due to opioid overdoses, while opioid-related deaths increased an average of 3.5 percent each year.

Gov. Eric Holcomb has made attacking the states opioid crisis one of the five pillars of his administration. Creating McClellands position was among the first executive orders he signed. McClelland, who began in January, has been charged with coordinating drug prevention efforts spread among various state agencies to more effectively address the current crisis and reduce the likelihood of a similar one in the future.

McClellands talk will be attended by local city officials; West Lafayette, Lafayette and Purdue police chiefs; state representatives and executives from two local health systems. The event is being sponsored by Lilly Endowment and the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering (RCHE).

Located in Purdues Discovery Park, RCHE applies the principles of engineering, management and science to healthcare delivery. RCHE researchers work with health care systems across the country to address issues ranging from adverse drug reactions to the social determinants of health inequities.

Indianas opioid crisis presents serious, complex challenges for state and local officials, says Paul Griffin, RCHE director. There are no simple solutions. But by creating opportunities for dialogue among researchers, health care providers and government officials, we can begin to find the answers.

Before joining state government, McClelland served for 41 years as president and CEO of Goodwill Industries of Central Indiana, based in Indianapolis. He has served as board member and chair of several local, national and international nonprofit organizations. A native of Florida, McClelland earned a bachelor of industrial engineering degree from Georgia Tech and an MBA from the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University.

The Discovery Park Distinguished Lecture Series was launched in 2006 with a $1 million gift from Indianapolis-based Lilly Endowment. For more information about the lecture or the series, visit www.purdue.edu/discoverypark/dls or contact Maria Longoria-Littleton, Discovery Park engagement operations manager, at 765-494-0015 or mlongori@purdue.edu.

Writer: Angie Roberts, 765-494-2629, akroberts@purdue.edu

Source: Lisa Stacey, 765-494-1531, staceyl@purdue.edu
MOLINE  Deere & Company has signed a definitive agreement to acquire Blue River Technology, a Sunnyvale, Calif., company that is seen as a leader in applying machine learning to agriculture.

We welcome the opportunity to work with a Blue River Technology team that is highly skilled and intensely dedicated to rapidly advancing the implementation of machine learning in agriculture, John May, president, agricultural solutions, and chief information officer at Deere, said in a press release. As a leader in precision agriculture, John Deere recognizes the importance of technology to our customers. Machine learning is an important capability for Deeres future.

According to the release, Deere will invest $305 million to fully acquire Blue River Technology. Deere plans to have the 60-person firm remain in Sunnyvale. The transaction is expected to close in September.

Blue River Technology has successfully applied machine learning to agricultural spraying equipment, and Deere officials are confident that similar technology can be used in the future on a wider range of products, the release said.

Blue River has designed and integrated computer vision and machine learning technology that will enable growers to reduce the use of herbicides by spraying only where weeds are present, the release said.

Blue River is advancing precision agriculture by moving farm management decisions from the field level to the plant level, said Jorge Heraud, co-founder and CEO of Blue River Technology, in the release. We are using computer vision, robotics, and machine learning to help smart machines detect, identify, and make management decisions about every single plant in the field.

Already in 2017, Blue River Technology has been listed among Inc. Magazines 25 Most Disruptive Companies, Fast Companys Most Innovative Companies, CB Insights' 100 Most Promising Artificial Intelligence Companies in the World, and the Top 50 Agricultural Innovations by the American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers, according to the release.

May said in the release that the investment in Blue River Technology is similar to Deeres acquisition of NavCom Technology in 1999, which established Deere as a leader in the use of GPS technology for agriculture and accelerated machine connectivity and optimization.
URBANA, Ill. (AP)  A former Illinois park district director has pleaded guilty to misusing funds from the district and a related foundation, including to build a pond on his property.

The U.S. attorney's office for central Illinois says 47-year-old Roy Collins of Kankakee pleaded guilty Tuesday to one mail fraud and one wire fraud count.

Collins was executive director of the Kankakee Valley Park District from 2011 to 2016. He was also treasurer of the not-for-profit Kankakee Valley Park Foundation.

Prosecutors say he used a $3,000 foundation check to buy a pond liner and used district equipment to maintain it. Collins also allegedly used money earmarked for an annual barbeque festival for his personal use.

Each count carries a maximum 20-year prison term. Collins remains free pending his Jan. 19 sentencing.
WOODSTOCK, Ill. (AP)  An Illinois judge has denied a request to free a man from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement custody, despite his lawyers' insistence that he should be released under a new law.

Forty-six-year-old Niceforo Macedo-Hernandez was arrested on a domestic battery charge in August. His family posted his $500 bail, but McHenry County declined to release the inmate.

Macedo-Hernandez's attorneys say he should be released under the Illinois Trust Act, which Gov. Bruce Rauner signed into law last week. The law prevents authorities from assisting with immigration actions unless there's a warrant.

McHenry County Circuit Judge Michael Feetterer said Tuesday that it wasn't his place to rule on the new state law. He said he's only overseeing the battery case.

Feetterer says the defense can seek Macedo-Hernandez's release in civil court.
A new media and education campaign addressing teen depression and suicide will launch today with the showing of a locally produced 2016 documentary at 8 p.m. on WQPT (Quad-Cities PBS).

"If You Only Knew: The Journey Through Teen Depression and Suicide" was produced by Mike Mickle, president of Davenport-based Mickle Communications. It first aired on WQPT in March 2016, was nominated for a Mid-America Emmy, and is available on iTunes, Google Play and Amazon.

Suicide is the second-leading cause of death for ages 13 to 19, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Each year, more than 44,000 Americans die by suicide, and the rate has risen over the past decade, according to the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention. In Illinois, 1,363 people took their lives in 2015 (one every six hours in the state, and the third-leading cause of death for ages 15-24), the foundation says.

The team at Mickle Communications believes we must come together as a community to battle this epidemic, Mr. Mickle said in a news release. Thats why we created the prime-time special."

A new prime-time special  to be shown Sunday and Monday nights  is substantially different from the 2016 documentary of the same name. Much of the content will be new, including a recent story of one familys tragic loss, as well as startling information on cyberbullying, Mr. Mickle said. You will learn what some young people have to endure when you hear anonymous social media messages sent to a Quad-City teenager.

"Well hear from social media experts about the need to police our childrens online activity. Well also get advice from mental health experts at Vera French," he said. "Those experts offer advice on how to begin the conversation about depression with our children. Equally important, well learn how to respond if a child admits he or she is suffering.

The new special addresses the July 21 suicide of 19-year-old Foster Atwood of East Moline, and a new organization formed in his honor, Foster's Voice.

It will air Sunday (which is World Suicide Prevention Day) at 9 p.m. on WHBF (the Q-C CBS affiliate), and on Sept. 11 at 9 p.m. on KGCW (Quad Cities CW). On both nights, after the documentary showing, specialists from Vera French will take phone calls, Mr. Mickle said.

Turning away and pretending the problem doesnt exist is no longer an option, he said. We must work together to help children in our community know that they are loved and valued, and that theres a way out of the darkness surrounding them. The journey back to contentment is possible. We need to let them know well walk beside them, and make sure they get the help they need.

The topic will also be discussed in a new WVIK podcast, Sept. 11-22.

Mr. Mickle also started a nonprofit, the Healthy Happy Families Foundation, to empower children to overcome burdens weighing them down, while educating the community about the prevalence of those dangers.

The organization's first outreach component  the "We All Have Stuff" campaign  also begins this month. It includes a traveling mural for area schools. A ribbon-cutting ceremony for the mural will be held 10 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 11, at Vera French Community Mental Health Center, 1441 W. Central Park Ave., Davenport.

Students can write or draw on the mural to show the "stuff" that holds them back, Mr. Mickle said. WHBF and Quad Cities CW will air 30-second videos in which kids and adults discuss the stuff that once held them back.

For more information, visit hhffqc.org.
The first contract encompasses the detailed design of the 250km first phase of the project between Bangkok and the northeastern province of Nakhon Ratchasima and is worth Baht 1.7bn. The second is worth Baht 3.5bn and covers the employment of Chinese advisors.

The contract signings took place at the Brics summit held this week in Xiamen, China, and were witnessed by Chinese president, Mr Xi Jinping, and Thai prime minister, Mr Prayuth Chan-ocha.

Mr Anon Luengboriboon, acting governor of State Railway of Thailand, says construction is expected to begin on the first phase of the project in October and will be completed in 2021.

The Department of Highways will build the first 3.5km of the line while the rest will be open for public bidding for Thai contractors, Anon says.

The complete 873km line will link Bangkok with Laos crossing the Mekong River at the northeastern Thai city of Nong Khai.
Railroads serving Florida and the Southeast coastal region are making preparations ahead of Hurricane Irma, which is forecast to make landfall along South Florida and move up the East Coast.

The Federal Railroad Administration on Wednesday declared an emergency event for all freight railroad operations. Acting FRA Administrator Heath Hall called the storm extremely dangerous and advised preparations be rushed to completion in the hurricane warning area. The state of Florida declared a pre-emptive state of emergency for all 67 counties. Hall activated the FRAs Emergency Relief Docket granting waivers for certain FRA regulations during and after the storm. Also, the Surface Transportation Board postponed the Sept. 12 public listening session, regarding CSX service issues.

Norfolk Southern in a service announcement said traffic en route to the region will be held at various yards throughout its system in an effort to alleviate congestion in the affected regions. The railroad is in the process of issuing embargoes for these locations. Its Engineering unit is staging resources, including ballast trains, equipment, and generators, and will begin storm recovery efforts once it is safe to do so.

Norfolk Southern will be working with customers in these areas to identify switching needs and service curtailment. Customers with questions regarding local service should contact their Operations and Service Support, Unit Train, Automotive, or Intermodal representative, it said.

CSX said it is taking precautionary measures to protect employees, rail traffic and infrastructure while it monitors the storm. All necessary actions will be taken as conditions warrant, including relocation of personnel, and rerouting rail cars and locomotives out of areas in the projected path of the hurricane. Customers with freight moving through impacted areas will be advised of any potential delays.

Amtrak has temporarily suspended services in Florida. The Miami-New York Silver Star (92) and Silver Meteor (98) are cancelled for Sept. 9-11. Silver Star 91 (New York-Miami) will operate from New York City to Orlando on Sept. 7. Silver Meteor 97 (New York City-Miami) will operate from New York to Jacksonville, Fla. Trains 91 and 97 are cancelled for Sept. 8-10.

Auto Train 53 (Lorton, Va.-Sanford, Fla.) is cancelled for Sept. 9. Auto Train 52 (Sanford-Lorton) is cancelled on Sept. 10-11. No alternate transportation will be provided.

Florida-based FEC Railway continues to monitor the path of the hurricane. On Sept. 7 the railroad will operate southbound mainline train 101, and northbound 202 and 222. Local service changes will be communicated individually to the affected customers. On Sept. 8 local and mainline service is suspended.

Commuter operator Tri-Rail, which operates from Miami north to Mangonia Park, will suspend all services as of Sept. 8 until further notice.
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A consultant hired to analyze the Baraboo Fire Department recommends adding daytime staff and looking for a new facility.

Full-time staff would help the department respond to daytime calls, when most paid-on-call firefighters arent available, RW Management Group of Waukesha observed. The firm recommends hiring a full-time firefighter to respond to daytime calls and handle routine daily duties, an emergency services director to facilitate cooperation with Baraboo District Ambulance Service and a building inspector who would also serve on the Fire Department and assist the fire inspector.

The consultant also called for the Fire Department to implement an on call schedule that would assign shifts during weeknights and weekends, ensuring a company of firefighters would be available to respond when full-time staff is off duty.

I believe we have to change the way we do business, Fire Chief Kevin Stieve said last week in a report to the City Councils public safety committee.

The department has only two full-time staffers, Stieve and Fire Inspector Tom Clark. It has 38 paid-on-call firefighters who protect 17,000 residents over 107 square miles in and around Baraboo.

Facilities

RW Management found the citys plan to remodel its Fourth Street municipal building to accommodate fire and ambulance services would be a stop-gap measure at best and throwing good money after bad in the worst case.

Most city offices are vacating the 1962 municipal building for a police station and city hall under construction on the riverfront. City leaders plan to renovate the Fourth Street building for use by firefighters and possibly the ambulance crew.

The cost to remodel City Hall will likely far outweigh the benefits, the consultants report states.

RW Management recommends adding a fire and ambulance facility to the library expansion project the city is planning for 2021. City leaders were cool to that concept, noting that a new fire/EMS facility has been proposed for 2028.

What do we do in the meantime? Mayor Mike Palm asked.

Another possibility, the consultant wrote, would be asking whether the Army National Guard armory on South Boulevard might become available.

The city, ambulance service and Fire Department should jointly develop a plan for a new station, the consultant advised.

City Administrator Ed Geick agreed a plan should be developed and brought back to the public safety committee. Well have a better idea where were going and how were going to get there, he said.

Fire, EMS collaboration

RW Management didnt recommend consolidating the fire and ambulance services. However, the report states they should better collaborate on training, purchasing and equipment sharing. An emergency services director could help coordinate such efforts.

The consultant further recommends creating a joint fire/EMS agency with the surrounding townships served by the Fire Department and Baraboo District Ambulance Service.

Palm said combining some tasks by consolidating staff positions could save time and money. Everythings duplicated right now, the mayor said.

Staffing

The city doesnt have an in-house building inspector, but adding one  and having that individual also serve the Fire Department  would have advantages, the report states. In addition to handling building inspections, this staffer would help the fire inspector keep up with his rounds. Plus, there would be one more firefighter available during weekdays, when paid-on-call members are working their day jobs.

At nights and on weekends, RW Management recommends assigning shifts to four or five paid-on-call members  including a supervisor  to cover weeknights and weekends. Those on call would respond to all incidents during their shifts.

This system would limit the number of members paid to respond to small-scale incidents that could be handled by one engine company, and would ensure coverage when full-time staff arent working. The consultant calls for restructuring the departments pay system to a point-based system that would spur members to take extra on call shifts.

RW Managements report also calls for Chief Stieve to include officers and other personnel in budgeting, and to assign specific management responsibilities to the departments officers. Chief officers should be assigned on call hours and administrative responsibilities, the report states.

The consultant also recommends that the Fire Department develop a comprehensive plan and various procedural guides, as well as establish a training program and a risk management and safety program.
In just a few weeks it will be three or more years since the research and data agencies in the U.S. Department of Education have had permanent leaders. Neither the Obama administration nor the Trump administration has lifted a finger to make those nominations and appointments. The director of the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) departed on August 29, 2014. The commissioner of the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) departed on December 31, 2013.

This time period also means that the blame falls on Arne Duncan, John King and Betsy DeVos, leaders who have neither recognized nor acted to shore up the parts of the education department that are almost universally recognized as being fundamental to any federal role. In fact, the data aspect goes back to just after the Civil War when a much slimmer department of education was created, albeit one with three employees just to report on the condition of education in the land.

Why have the vacancies persisted? One can only speculate, but the fact is that both agencies released data and research that was contrary to the political positions taken in the Obama years by Arne Duncan and the White House. John King, Duncans successor, either did not care or simply felt that taking action was not worth the effort, even though both positions are for designated periods that are intentionally designed to transcend presidential terms. Betsy DeVos has but a fraction of her team in place and there is no sign that these positions are priorities.

Research is a function that would be inefficiently done by states. Questions about teaching and learning have no state boundaries and there has been agreement for over 60 years that this is something that the federal government is best positioned to carry out, just as is the case in health, agriculture and science. Unfortunately, with a budget of less than $220 million dollars, far less than a fraction of one percent of its total education expenditures, America spends far less on education than on health, nutrition, agriculture and science. Yet, education is key to a functioning society.

Good and accurate data is vital. No state can make sound decisions without good data and every state wants to know how they stack up against their neighbors. States also need data on birth rates, population growth or decline and information about education costs and expenses.

The experiences of the last several years raise the question of whether the research and data function of the U.S. Department of Education can any longer prosper in the same agency that we now see serves an overtly partisan political purpose. Is it time to consider taking the entire Institute of Education Science and making it a separate agency?

While there is no real model for this in the United States, other nations have models that are worth exploring. Australia created ACER, the Australian Council for Educational Research, a nonprofit that is governed by a board representing a wide cross-section of interests in that nation.

Interestingly, ACER was created in 1930 with a grant from the Carnegie Corporation of New York. Perhaps it is time for Carnegie to make a similar investment in America. Clearly, a bold move is necessary to move us past the neglect that exists here.

Christopher Cross is a former assistant secretary of the U.S. Department of Education for educational research and improvement, former president of the Maryland State Board of Education and chair of Cross & Joftus, an education consulting company.
North Korea staged its sixth nuclear test. It was probably a boosted atomic rather than hydrogen bomb, as claimed by Pyongyang, and theres no evidence that the weapon has been miniaturized to fit on a missile. But the test was the Norths most powerful yet. And it follows steady North Korean progress in missile development.

Despite matching Kim Jong-un bluster for bluster, President Donald Trump is doing no better than his cerebral predecessor in halting Pyongyangs military developments. President George W. Bush had no more success, first targeting the Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea as a member of the infamous axis of evil, before flip-flopping to negotiate with the current rulers father. At least Bill Clinton achieved a temporary freeze of the DPRKs plutonium program with the Agreed Framework, which ultimately was undermined by both sides.

Despite its relative poverty and isolation, North Korea has confounded the experts and made surprising advances in both nuclear and missile technology. While all projections are conjecture, Pyongyang may become a medium nuclear power with an effective deterrent against the United States.

That doesnt mean Kim Jong-un intends to wage war on America. Rather, he hopes to prevent Washington from attacking the DPRK. Its an important distinction. Kim may be evil but, like his father and grandfather, there is no evidence that he is suicidal. They all appeared to prefer their virgins in this world rather than the next. Indeed, Kim may hope to extend the dynasty: his wife is thought to have given birth to their third child earlier this year.

Unfortunately, negotiated denuclearization is dead. North Korea has invested too much and is too close to creating a nuclear deterrent. For the nationalistic, isolated and fearfuleven paranoidregime to stop now would be unthinkable.

Moreover, Pyongyang faces greater threats today than ever before: the Republic of Korea has continued to race ahead economically, China and Russia are undependable friends if not frenemies, and the United States is far more aggressive internationally. Washington dismantled Serbia, imposed regime change on Afghanistan and Iraq, and took advantage of Libyas voluntary denuclearization to oust the latters dictator. The North demonstrates that even paranoids have enemies.

Despite the presidents insistence that all options are on the table, there is no politically viable military option. The United States could attempt to destroy nuclear facilities and missile sites as well as decapitate the highly centralized North Korean regime. However, Washington may not know the location of all the Norths nuclear operations, be equipped to reach those deeply buried, or be able to fully track the movements of Kim and his chief lieutenants. Moreover, any such strike likely would trigger full-scale war.

Even if the U.S. government insisted that it planned no further action, the North would suspect that Washington intended regime change after taking out the DPRKs best weapons and top leaders. Pyongyang is aware of Americas capabilities and if faced with U.S. military attack, then it would not likely allow Washington to build up its forces and strike at leisure. The Pentagon might hope to scare the North into restraint, but on such a faint hope tens or more likely hundreds of thousands of livesAmerican, South Korean and North Koreanwould depend.

Increased sanctions would hurt North Korea but probably not stop its nuclear and missile programs. Two decades ago famine killed at least a half million people, without changing Pyongyangs course. Although the DPRKs elite is enjoying a bit more of the good life, its members are unlikely to revolt if conditions worsen. And China is not yet ready to impose the sort of economic penalties that could cause a North Korean implosion. Using secondary sanctions against Chinese and Russian enterprises risks ending cooperation by those nations with Washingtons efforts.

President Donald Trump should follow his earlier instinct for engagement. To start he should stop threatening war. Doing so reinforces the Kim dynastys case for building nukes and missiles. Also, the more the administration talks about the many military options possessed by a president few Americans or foreigners trust with the nuclear codes, the more it is likely to unsettle Washingtons allies.

The United States also should talk to Pyongyang. There doesnt have to be a Trump-Kim summit, jurt an open and regular communication channel for the practical, such as detained Americans, the recovery of the remains of U.S. military personnel, and nuclear weapons. To encourage substantive talks, Washington should freeze joint U.S.-ROK military exercises in return for suspending North Korean missile and nuclear tests. The further its programs develop, the less likely it is that Pyongyang will ever halt them. Moreover, the steady increase in regional tensions and rising panic in Washington makes foolish and reckless confrontation more likely.

The president tweeted his threat to end trade with any country doing business with North Korea, no doubt aimed at China. If the administration wants support for tougher measures, it needs to negotiate with Beijing. The Peoples Republic of China is not happy with its nominal client state, over which the PRC actually has limited influence. If the DPRK was inclined to listen to its large neighbor, it would have abandoned nuclear weapons and adopted economic reforms years ago.

Moreover, the DPRKs survival is a security issue for China, which wants neither a failed state nor a united U.S. ally hosting American military forces on its border. Relations with the North also are sensitive politically: both the Chinese Communist Party and Peoples Liberation Army have long-standing ties to Pyongyang.

Worse, attempts to threaten and browbeat Chinas nationalistic leadership are likely to backfire. President Trump should consider how he would react to similar threats. In this case the PRC likely would find support and aid from Moscow, which has its own reasons for making life more difficult for the United States. In recent years Washington has turned Richard Nixons famous outreach to China on its head, pushing Americas two Cold War antagonists back together.

In return for Chinese support, Washington should lower the peninsulas rhetorical temperature, offer to talk with the North, and develop a comprehensive benefit package in return for denuclearization. The United States also should accommodate the PRCs interests: For instance, offer to help care for refugees from a North Korean collapse, give Beijing a free hand intervening in the DPRK, and promise to remove U.S. forces in the event of reunification. Then press China to act.

In case the North forges ahead, U.S. officials should consider how to deal with a nuclear North Korea. Bilateral communication would become even more necessary, like with the Soviet Union during the Cold War. Improving missile defense would take on greater urgency.

Most important, Washington should reconsider outdated policies which endanger the United States. America should phase out its security treaty with and military deployment in South Korea. The ROK is capable of its own conventional defense; without the Cold War the peninsula looms much less important for U.S. security. If the North develops the ability to destroy American cities, Washingtons participation in another Korean War becomes more dangerous than any conceivable geopolitical stakes for the United States. The moment Pyongyang found itself to be losing it could target Americas homeland.

Even Washingtons long-standing nuclear umbrella would become a problem. Although nonproliferation remains a worthy objective, in Northeast Asia it has had an effect akin to that of domestic gun control: ensuring that only the criminals have guns. China, Russia and North Korea now possess the worlds most fearsome weapons, while South Korea, Japan and others (Taiwan and Australia) do not. Instead, they rely on America. But if nuclear war arrived, would this or any other president sacrifice U.S. cities for a cause which did not pose an existential threat to America? Hopefully not.

It is time to debate the unthinkable: acquiesce in, or even encourage, creation of countervailing South Korean and Japanese nuclear deterrents. Public opinion appears far more favorable to such a possibility in South Korea, but if the latter acted, Tokyo would be forced to consider a similar course. If Beijing saw such action as likely, it would have greater incentive to act against the North to preclude the threatened spread of nukes. More nuclear weapons would not be a good answer, but long ago Korea became the world of only second best solutions.

The latest nuclear test provided no surprises. But it dramatically reminds us of the DPRKs growing nuclear capabilities. There is no easy way to disarm North Korea. Washington must rethink assumptions and policies which have manifestly failed.
On Monday, the highly respected English language newspaper The Cambodia Daily, under pressure from the government to shut down, published its last edition. The front page led with a photo of Cambodias opposition leader, Kem Sokha, being escorted into detention by police after his arrest on Sunday. The two events augur terribly for the country and are an acceleration of Prime Minister Hun Sen's efforts (previously noted here and here) to silence opposition and ensure victory at next years general election.

The Cambodia Daily, founded in 1993, had a reputation for independence in an otherwise restricted media landscape. Despite a small circulation, it had a strong following among a select elite as well as the expatriate community. It had other strengths as well: a regular supplement was used as an English learning tool in local schools and the newspaper has been an incubator for young Cambodian and foreign journalists in the country.

On Monday, the tax department issued a notice that bans the newspapers publishers from leaving the country until they pay a US$6.3 million tax bill. The Daily said the figure was astronomical and reported the government had not audited or reviewed the newspapers accounts.

The newspaper's founder, American Bernard Krishner, once noted that former Cambodian ruler Prince Norodom Sihanouk had regarded the newspaper as his 'CIA,' offering independent information on what was happening around the country. Perhaps, for a time, it had served a similar purpose for Hun Sen. Today, much of the intel function played by the Daily can be found on social media.

Press freedom in Cambodia has eroded steadily over the past decade, according to Freedom House rankings. From being judged 'partly free' with a press freedom score of 58/100 in 2007, it is now in the 'not free' category, sliding 12 points this year. As well as The Cambodia Daily closure, last month some 18 radio stations were told to cease broadcasting. Local broadcasts of the US-backed Voice of America and Radio Free Asia were among those ordered to stop.

Coupled with the crushing of press freedom is the detention and continued threats against those who oppose the government. The arrest of opposition leader Kem Sokha for treason - he is accused of conspiring with the US - is a death knell for democracy in Hun Sens Cambodia.

Kem Sokha took over the leadership of the Cambodian National Rescue Party in February after high profile opposition leader Sam Rainsy resigned and went into exile. At the time, many analysts thought Kem Sokha would provide a more robust opposition to the government. This was borne out by the partys strong showing at the commune elections. While the ruling party was the overall victor, the opposition increased the number communes it controls from 40 to 471. But Kem Sokhas task was always an up-hill and perilous battle. His arrest is in breach of his parliamentary immunity and his detention in the notorious CC3 prison without immediate access to lawyers is a clear and intimidating signal that no one is out of reach.

Neither event is unforeseen. Hun Sens bellicose and often bizarre rhetoric has taken a hostile turn since his party only narrowly won re-election in 2013. In June he warned his opponents to 'prepare coffins' ahead of the elections. He warned the military, under his command, would 'crack down on all movements that would topple [the government] and damage the nation'. He said he was prepared to 'eliminate 100 or 200 people' to ensure peace and declared 'war will happen; if his party loses next years July 29 general election'.

For Hun Sen, 2017 has become a slide into dictatorship. Public enemy number one is the US. In January, Cambodia cancelled the annual US-Cambodia Angkor Sentinel military exercise, a month after the joint China-Cambodia Golden Dragon military exercise. In April, Hun Sen admonished Washington over suggestions that Cambodia should pay back a US$500 million debt. This came after a run of state-backed media stories seemingly designed to raise national ire against the US. Last month, Cambodia shut down the American and pro-democracy NGO the National Democratic Institute.

As US Ambassador to Cambodia William Heidt noted in February 'from time to time, for reasons I don't think that we really fully understand, the Cambodian government feels the need to publicly criticise the United StatesI think that reflects some kind of political dynamic inside of Cambodia'.

The shut down of The Cambodia Daily is unlikely to quell dissent. Indeed, it could prove to be a case of better-the-devil-you-know for Hun Sen with new online versions and word of mouth dissent almost certain to emerge in coming weeks and months. But the closure of the newspaper does silence an important and progressive voice. Coupled with the arrest of Kem Sokha and last years political assassination of government critic Kem Ley, it firmly establishes a climate of fear. In late 2015, Hun Sen reminded his opponents they could be identified online, warning social media users that 'If I want to get you, I need less than seven hours'. Many of his political opponents will this week be in hiding.

And yet Cambodia's retreat from democracy is low on the list of priorities for other nations in the region. With the chaos of a nuclear test in North Korea, a devastating and deteriorating situation in Myanmars Rakhine state, a long-drawn out battle against Islamic State-inspired militants in Marawi in the Philippines, and other situations summed up here, Cambodias despotic slide will likely be pushed down the priority list by many foreign desks. It shouldnt be.

'Australia,' as Kem Sokhas daughter Monovithya Kem noted, 'has a big role to playgiven that many ruling party people use it as their base outside of Cambodia'.

For the US and the EU, Cambodias descent into dictatorship should be seen as a result of the loss of confidence in Western commitment to the region. If Cambodia democracy is allowed to fall without a whimper from the West, the contagion of despotism will be hard to contain in Southeast Asia.

The time for appeasement is finished in Cambodia. A more coercive diplomacy is needed.
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WIND LAKE  As Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, one Wind Lake resident decided to help rescue those stranded in the floodwaters  from his dining room.

Brad Blanton realized all he needed was a laptop, a cellphone and a little know-how from his day job.

Petty Officer 1st Class Blanton is stationed at U.S. Coast Guard, Sector Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee and used his days off over the past week to dispatch the all-volunteer rescue boats of the Cajun Navy Relief.

I was looking for a way to help out. I found out about this on a Facebook post. I saw they were looking for dispatchers and I contacted them, Blanton said.

Blanton said his boss is pleased with his involvement. Blanton estimates hes helped nearly 100 people since last Tuesday.

All the boats were working with the Cajun Navy, which are all civilian boats using their own gas and time to make these rescues, Blanton said. Theyre the real heroes.

Among those rescued: 28-year-old Arlesia Carrier and her family, including her 90-year-old grandmother, who were stuck in an apartment in Port Arthur, Texas, for 14 hours as the floodwaters started pouring in.

We were wading in the water because there was nothing to get up on. We had to have our shoes off and our feet in the water, Carrier said. People were killing snakes in their dressers. It was overwhelming.

With no electricity, Carrier used her last remaining battery life in her cellphone to get information off of Facebook to call for help.

We couldnt even get into the car to use the car (phone) charger because the water was up to the doors. I had 5 percent left on my phone, Carrier said.

Blanton was on the other side of the phone, ready to help.

She called me and said, The waters are rising and Grandma is out of insulin. I said, Weve got to get you out of there,  Blanton said.

Blanton dispatched the nearest boat set up on a tracker app to her address. Rescuers came in an airboat, a flat-bottomed boat powered by an aircraft-type fan, because outboard motors were impractical in the shallow floodwaters.

Within 30 minutes (of reaching Blanton) I had three amazing men show up in a boat, Carrier said. It was an experience. I am truly grateful. We lost everything, but we got out alive.

Now Carrier is living with relatives on higher ground and volunteering her time at a local shelter for evacuees worse off than her.

The water has gone down and now its cleanup time, Carrier said. Its crazy that someone a thousand miles away could help us make it. Its amazing.

Family support

Blanton credits his wife for picking up the pieces and helping him get through the sleepless nights when going to bed was less critical than helping one more evacuee.

The first night he didnt even go to bed, Simone Blanton said. The kids and I are definitely proud of him. Its a good feeling that hes involved in this.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency announced, in a press release, Friday that President Trump had signed an emergency declaration for the state of Georgia, opening the way for federal emergency aid to help support relief efforts in response to Hurricane Irma.
Alexa Michele graduated UGA in 2017 with a double major in consumer economics and Italian, but ultimately decided to follow her passion for music. She recently moved from Athens to L.A. to really break into the music industry.
Last year, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed me to return home to fast with my family. At the time, I wasnt ready to experience my first Ramadan alone, but this year, I was.
DACA is an essential part of the infrastructure of the U.S. economy. Without DACA, many immigrants who have actually grown up in America will suffer.
Among the most deprived communities in India live and work under asbestos roofs.

The National Institute for Health and Family Welfare estimates exposure to asbestos has resulted in higher incidence of cancer among those living under asbestos roofs, points out Gopal Krishna.

IMAGE: Sheets of roofing containing asbestos lie abandoned in a field. Photograph: Sandra Teddy/Getty Images

On August 24, the constitutional supreme court of Brazil decided by 8 votes against 2 that the Brazilian state of Sao Paulo has the right to forbid the production and selling of white chrysotile asbestos, a carcinogenic mineral fibre.

As many as 10 Brazilian states prohibit the use of this mineral fibre because of the incurable diseases caused by it.

India's Supreme Court and high courts have consistently expressed their serious concerns regarding exposure to these carcinogenic mineral fibres and has asked the central and state governments to update their laws as per fresh resolution of the International Labour Organisation, which has sought elimination of future use of white chrysotile asbestos to safeguard human health. But the governments in India have not complied with its directions so far.

Although mining of all kinds of asbestos is technically banned in India, according to the Indian Minerals Yearbook published in December 2015, import of white asbestos from Russia, Kazakhstan, Brazil and China continues.

It endangers the public health of present and future Indians.

Following the verdict, Brazilian Sao Paulo state has withdrawn the controlled use of asbestos law for the whole country. Other states will have to take similar action. The Brazilian supreme court has already said that the production and the selling are unconstitutional.

The president of the supreme court observed, 'In concern of the environment, if any doubts, it must be prohibited so that the rights for us today and tomorrow won't be lost for the ones that come after us.'

Indian courts too should adopt this universally accepted precautionary principle and the inter-generational equity principle to save the public health of Indians, like the Brazilian court.

It is clear that the decision with regard to Brazil's Sao Paulo state has an 'important precedent' because the court has excluded the law that allowed controlled use of this hazardous mineral fibre. The law that allowed usage of asbestos has been deemed moribund.

The federal supreme court is the highest level of judicial system in Brazil, which is responsible for determining the constitutionality of laws.

This court held that the extraction, processing, use and marketing of all forms of asbestos, including white chrysotile asbestos violate the Brazilian federal constitution.

Responding to the verdict, Fernanda Giannasi from Brazilian association of exposure to asbestos, a renowned leader of global anti-asbestos struggles, said, 'There is no more legal support to the controlled use of asbestos in Brazil. The important decision means that there are no obstacles for the states and municipalities to prohibit asbestos. The public entities cannot give lame excuses for their failure to enact and enforce laws to safeguard people from exposure to hazardous fibres of asbestos.'

'Now that the Brazilian court has decided on the constitutionality of the matter, it is the prerogative of the Brazilian parliament to prohibit use of this carcinogenic fibre,' Giannasi declared.

Giannasi visited New Delhi in 2002 to ascertain the public health situation in the country and share her insights.

In the aftermath of this verdict, the states and federal districts are under a logical and legal compulsion to bring bills for the banishment of asbestos in the states which have no laws prohibiting carcinogenic asbestos as yet.

Brazil's national confederation of industrial workers had initiated an action with the aim to get the law on the prohibition of asbestos in the state of Sao Paulo declared unconstitutional and revoked. The court did not heed the request and has endorsed the prohibition of this mineral fibre.

The recent estimate is that asbestos causes 194,000 occupational deaths globally (external link) every year.

South Africa banned asbestos in 2008. Now that the Brazilian court's order has established the illegitimacy of asbestos use, it is high time BRICS (Brazil Russia, India, China, South Africa) governments make their present and future citizens safe from hazards of asbestos fibres.

Large reserves of asbestos are located mainly in China, Kazakhstan and Russia. The world production of asbestos was 1.9 million tonnes in 2013.

Russia was the leading producer and accounted for 53% production followed by China (21%), Brazil (15%) and Kazakhstan (13%).

So far countries like Brazil, China, India, Indonesia, Mexico, Russia and the US are yet to ban asbestos.

What aggravates the situation in India is that among the most deprived and marginalised communities as many as 16.4 per cent in the rural areas and 20 per cent in the urban areas live and work under asbestos roofs.

Some 79 per cent of Dalits live in such houses. This came to light from the 2011 Census figures released on scheduled caste households by amenities and assets by the office of the registrar general & census commissioner.

Asbestos causes mesothelioma (cancer of the thin membranes that line the chest and abdomen) and cancers of the lung, larynx and ovary.

India's National Institute for Health and Family Welfare estimates secondary exposure to asbestos used in construction has resulted in higher incidence of cancer among those living under asbestos roofs.

It is a commentary on the scientific temper of the country that even yoga centres are being run under asbestos roofs like at Jawaharlal Nehru University and the premises of medical and engineering colleges besides other public buildings which are laden with asbestos-based products.

Taking note of the grave threats to the public health of people in BRICS (Brazil Russia, India, China and South Africa) countries, we demand a phase out of the asbestos industry in the country.

Incurable asbestos-related diseases are caused primarily by the inhalation of asbestos fibres. These diseases take up to 50 years after exposure to develop in a situation where there is almost no infrastructure and skill to even diagnose these environmental and occupational diseases.

Dr Gopal Krishna is a public policy and law researcher and editor of www.toxicswatch.org
LGBT citizens also enjoy the right to privacy, right to equality and above all, right to life, like any other citizen, writes Sharad Sharma.

On August 24, 2017, two days after the Supreme Court declared the practice of triple talaq unconstitutional; it was yet another win for the citizens of the country when the apex court declared right to privacy a Fundamental Right, a verdict which could impact on the autonomy, individuality and lifestyle of Indians, including sexual orientation.

The Supreme Court was hearing the petition filed by former Karnataka high court judge, Justice KS Puttaswamy and others.

The nine-judge bench overruled the Supreme Court verdicts delivered in 1954 and 1962 in the MP Sharma case (decided by an eight-judge bench) and the Kharak Singh case (decided by a six-judge bench), which held that the right to privacy was not part of the Constitution.

Chief Justice JS Khehar read out the unanimous operative part of the judgment: The right to privacy is protected as an intrinsic part of the right to life and liberty under Article 21 and as a part of the freedom guaranteed by the Part III of the constitution -- thus rejecting the argument of the government that the citizens of India did not have the Fundamental Right to privacy and that there was, at best, common law right.

Ever since the Constitution of India came into being, the scope of Article 21 has been widened covering all the aspects of life and personal liberty, which is the true beauty of this Article.

This judgment takes us back to the Emergency era when the Additional District Magistrate Jabalpur case was decided, in which it was held that Fundamental Rights can be suspended during an Emergency.

The court rectified its earlier mistake by expressly overruling the judgment. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul said that the SC should bury the majority opinion (in ADM Jabalpur) ten fathom deep, with no chance of resurrection.

Justice DY Chandrachud, son of Justice YV Chandrachud who authored the ADM Jabalpur judgment, said, The judgments rendered by all the four judges constituting the majority in ADM Jabalpur are seriously flawed.

This verdict gives us more than what we actually had hoped for. It has reinforced our faith in the Constitution by giving importance to the Fundamental Rights and by securing liberty.

Further, the 547-page judgment could be a small step towards decriminalising the draconian Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises homosexuality, offering a ray of hope and cheer for the LGBT community.

Now that this judgment has defined privacy, it will have a wide-ranging impact on the rights of the LGBT community.

The court came to the conclusion that right to privacy cannot be denied even if a minuscule fraction of population is affected. Privacy includes at its core the preservation of personal intimacies, the sanctity of family life, marriage, procreation, the home and sexual orientation... Privacy also connotes a right to be left alone.

Our society continues to be unacceptable of the people belonging to the LGBT community.

Why arent we ready to embrace them?

The answer lies with us only.

The conventional and prevalent concept of marriage, morality and religion hold us from socially accepting them. As per customs, only a man and woman can be party to the institution of marriage, ie, only members of the opposite sex can marry each other.

However, we fail to understand that marriage is actually a union of equals. The idea of marriage in todays world has changed.

It was a major setback for the LGBT community when the Supreme Court in 2013 set aside the Delhi high court judgment of 2009, which had struck down Section 377.

Four years later, the court has revisited its earlier decision by terming the judgment flawed and unsustainable.

Justice DY Chandrachud said, Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy. Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual.

This was strengthened by Justice Kaul who said, One's sexual orientation is undoubtedly a matter of privacy.

It is high time we cultivate a positive attitude towards this sexual minority.

Discrimination is the antithesis of equality and the present judgment has made it clear that LGBT citizens also enjoy the right to privacy, right to equality and above all, right to life, like any other citizen.

What a person does within the four walls of his bedroom is his own private affair and the State cannot govern his personal life by dictating terms, unless the matter is of national security.

In a country which is governed by the rule of law, their rights are as inviolable as those conferred on other citizens.

As the curative petition in the matter is pending before the constitutional bench of the Supreme Court, we wait for the day when sexual minorities will gain equality and the fundamental rights are applied to them in true spirit.

Sharad Sharma is a final year law student at Punjab University. He tweets @TheSharadSharma.
'That is what Gauri was, in her essence -- the principle of free, open, forthright words, made flesh.'

'And that is what was gunned down -- her words, and with them our freedom to fashion our own opinions, to frame our own thoughts, to articulate them without fear of reprisal.'

Prem Panicker remembers Gauri Lankesh.

Dementors are among the foulest creatures that walk this earth. They infest the darkest, filthiest places, and they glory in decay and despair, they drain peace, hope and happiness out of the air around them...

Get too near a Dementor and every good feeling, every happy memory, will be sucked out of you. If it can, the Dementor will feed on you long enough to reduce you to something like itself -- soulless and evil. You will be left with nothing but the worst experiences of your life.

-- Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban

On Tuesday night, a journalist was shot dead in cold blood.

She was entering her home -- the one place where each of us is entitled to feel we are safe from the pressures and cares of the workaday world.

She was gunned down right there, at the threshold of her safe place. By persons who are as yet unknown, for motives that are as yet unclear.

And I sat up all night, because my own safe space -- the mind -- did not feel so safe anymore. It was filled with thoughts and feelings, with hurt and with anger, and I couldn't make sense of any of it.

Gauri Lankesh was a journalist, one of a select few whose work I have followed with admiration since I was a baby journalist seeking stars to plot my own course by.

I've met her only twice, both times by happenstance, both times briefly -- but that doesn't dull the intensity of the grief I feel, and the rage, for she is her words, and her words were strong, and brave, and passionate.

And now, there is a black hole where a star used to be, and it has become just that bit harder to plot my own course.

Among the dozens who left comments on my Twitter feed, there was one who suggested that my reaction was so intense only because it happened to be a fellow journalist who had died, but what about Kerala? I blocked that person, as I blocked a couple of dozen others, because I wasn't in the mood for whataboutism, for pointless point-scoring.

But afterwards, I found myself thinking about his words, wondering if there was truth to them. 'Any mans death diminishes me,' John Donne wrote, and that is fine if you are a poet, a philosopher. I am neither.

My father passed away 21 years ago; my mother, four years ago; my aunt, the person who was a second mother to me when my own was off earning the means to put me through school and college, 10 months ago.

Those wounds are fresh, those hurts cut deep, far deeper than any feelings caused by the many senseless deaths that have marked any 24-hour period in the months and years since.

So maybe it is true; maybe you feel more intensely when the person cut down in her prime is one of your own -- a family member, a professional peer, a friend you've broken bread with.

And maybe that is just an integral part of being human.

But this morning the same question, seen through bleary eyes and a weary mind, produces a different answer.

It is not that Gauri was a journalist, as I am; it is not that we were, to use the word loosely, peers.

This dull ache, this directionless anger stems not from who she was, but what she was.

Gauri was a thinking, caring, reasoning individual, immersed in a world far larger than the one contained by the compound in which she was gunned down.

She was a citizen of that larger world; its concerns were her concerns; its angers, hers. Its faults and its fault-lines were her life-long preoccupations; the antidotes her constant area of study and introspection.

I read her writings; I agreed with some of her thoughts and disagreed with others. But even when I disagreed most vehemently, I could not help noting, and being inspired by, the courage of her convictions and her willingness to speak out, to put herself out there without fear.

Every civilization worth its place in the history books has been founded on the bedrock of speech, of debate and discussion, of disagreement, even.

Just as every totalitarian regime confined to the dust heap of history has been characterized by the negation of that basic right, that ineluctable duty: Free speech.

That is what Gauri was, in her essence -- the principle of free, open, forthright words, made flesh. And that is what was gunned down -- her words, and with them our freedom to fashion our own opinions, to frame our own thoughts, to articulate them without fear of reprisal.

There is a pattern playing out in our world today that is coldly calculated to stifle speech -- and it is not restricted to India.

Anyone who dares ask a question that inconveniences the powers that be, anyone who voices an opinion that differs from the echo chamber, is lit up with ruthless efficiency: Fundamentalist, libtard, sickular, commie, pseudo-intellectual.. The vocabulary of gaslighting is limitless, and vicious, and relentless.

For the establishment -- the government and all its arms, for business houses intent on the bottom-line and the devil take the rest, and for their cheerleaders in the media, it is a calculated ploy.

When a Donald Trump for instance talks of fake news, of this 'failing' newspaper and that 'fake' Web site, he seeks to distract from his inefficiencies, his failings, his serial lies and chicaneries.

It is a well-thumbed playbook, even here at home, and its tactics have been systematically used by various governments down the years; what has changed in recent times is that practice has made perfect.

The danger stems from them, the pyromaniacs who seek to douse thought and light up those who dare speak.

But the dangerous rhetoric of those in power is amplified by the legions of the disaffected -- the followers who, systematically desensitised by this ceaseless flow of vitriol, believe they are serving the cause of their 'leaders' and of the country itself (That is the key to the strategy -- by blurring the distinction between country and leader, a mindset is created wherein defending the leader becomes a patriotic duty) when they lynch, and burn, and pump bullets into those who dare differ.

'Will no one rid me of this turbulent priest?', an exasperated Henry II once asked in the midst of his conflict with Thomas Beckett, archbishop of Canterbury. It was rhetoric, but it resulted in four of his courtiers murdering Beckett.

Today's kings have surrounded themselves with equally amoral courtiers, willing to interpret every frown as a prompt for direct action.

There is only one difference: King Henry later said he had never ordered Beckett's death, but took the moral responsibility for it; today's kings toss red meat to their base, then stand back and watch the deadly developments with studied indifference.

And so a Narendra Dabholkar is gunned down on his morning walk by two killers on a motorcycle.

A Malleshappa Kalburgi opens the door to a knock -- and is gunned down by two killers who flee on a motorcycle.

A Gauri Lankesh is shot dead, outside her home, by murderers on motorcycles.

A Ram Chander Chattrapati, who had the courage to take up the case of two women against a rapist masquerading as a godman when neither the government nor society would stand for them, is gunned down outside his house -- by assassins on motorcycles.

Once, in words Ian Fleming put in the mouth of his most famous creation, is happenstance; twice is coincidence, thrice is enemy action. But who is the enemy?

When Gauri was shot, fingers were pointed at the right wing, at the extreme left wing, at the BJP/RSS, at the Congress government in power in Karnataka...

Time will tell. But time already tells us one thing: The enemy is anyone who finds truth inconvenient; anyone who has anything to lose when truth outs. That is the world we have created for ourselves.

Not so long ago, telling the truth about official malfeasance resulted in outrage and ended with the perpetrators being held accountable (Remember that the single reason for the Congress defeat in the 2014 election, to cite the most recent example, was corruption).

Today, telling the truth results in whataboutery by armies of trolls paid to, with no sense of irony, attack 'paid media', in a numb indifference by the majority, and finally, in bullets pumped into the heart of that truth.

A brilliant teenager I know once said of the Harry Potter books that she saw them as more than fantasy; it is, she said, the lens through which she understands the world she lives in.

Last night, as I re-read Azkaban, I finally understood what she meant -- the Dementors of Rowling's fiction are the demented who run riot today, the ones sucking out every good feeling and turning us, without our knowing, into replicas of themselves.

That same book also describes the antidote, the Patronus that we can summon if we are sensitive to the danger that threatens us.

As I write this, people are gathering at various parts of the country to protest the killing of Gauri Lankesh, to demand justice. Protests are useful as an indicator that an atrocity has touched us, that we feel and we mourn and we seek justice. But they only go so far.

We protest; our overlords look away; their foot soldiers mock and ask, 'But where were you...?' and then we all go away.

There is only one true, lasting antidote. If the killings are intended to silence, then speech is the answer.

Free, fearless, relentless speech, intended to hold power to account for its actions and inactions.

If a Gauri Lankesh is gunned down because she spoke out, then the answer is for all of us to be Gauri Lankesh incarnate.

To speak out -- because silence is, ultimately, consent.

RIP, Gauri. We will try not to let you down.

This column was first published on Prem Panicker's blog: https://prempanicker.wordpress.com from where it is published with the author's kind permission.

IMAGE: At a protest in Bengaluru. Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo
To rise quickly in the PLA's hierarchy, you need to be close to Xi Jinping.

Retired RA&W officer Jayadeva Ranade on the changes in China's military leadership.

Xi Jinping has begun effecting appointments to top positions in the People's Liberation Army in the run-up to the 19th congress of the Chinese Communist party, now officially announced to open in Beijing on October 18, 2017.

The new commanders of the PLA navy and the southern theatre command, both born in 1956, were the first to be appointed with their promotions being simultaneously announced in January 2017.

Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong was appointed PLA navy commander replacing Admiral Wu Shengli while Vice Admiral Yuan Yubai, a submariner, was appointed commander of the southern theatre command exercising jurisdiction over the South China Sea and Indian Ocean.

It is for the first time in the PLA's 90-year history that a naval officer has been appointed to head a theatre command.

More recently, on August 26, 2017, General Li Zuocheng, a 'hero' of the Sino-Vietnam war in 1979 and commander of the PLA army (PLAA) (ground forces), was promoted to head the joint staff department of the central military commission, replacing General Fang Fenghui.

General Li will oversee the PLA's combat planning, strategy, logistics and training.

Shu Guozeng, a native of Hangzhou who worked under Xi Jinping when he was party secretary of China's Zhejiang province, was also appointed head of discipline inspection at the general office of the Communist party's central committee as well as the central committee's general office, which report directly to Xi.

General Fang Fenghui, handpicked by then Chinese president Hu Jintao and appointed first as commander of the sensitive Beijing garrison and later promoted by Xi as head of the joint staff department is understood to have been placed under investigation on charges of corruption.

His last public appearance was in August when he hosted General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the US joint chiefs of staff.

Days later, on September 1, 2017, General Han Weiguo was appointed commander of the PLAA and 60-year old General Ding Laihang as commander of the PLA air force (PLAAF). Both have a close past association with Xi which appears to have worked in their favour.

General Han, 61, who now heads China's ground forces, has held senior military positions across the country, including in Fujian, Nanjing and Beijing. His service in Fujian in the 1980s coincided with that of Xi, then the deputy mayor of Xiamen.

Retired PLA Colonel Yue Gang, a commentator on military affairs, described General Han as 'a rising star' and said 'He has a well-rounded resume and he has also shown a rather sophisticated understanding of military reform.'

Similarly, the career of new PLAAF commander General Ding overlapped with Xi's term in Fujian. general Ding was chief of staff of the eighth corps based in Fuzhou in 2001 and later the same year was head of the PLAAF in Fuzhou. Xi was governor of Fujian province from 2000 to 2002.

1952-born Feng Danyu, the grandson of the famous Chinese General Feng Yuxiang, has this month been appointed deputy commander of the PLA navy. More promotions are likely soon.

Important is the September 6, 2017 release of the list of delegates of the PLA and People's Armed Police (PAP) to the 19th party congress.

Initial scrutiny reveals that the combined list has 303 delegates from 31 units, or 12 more than to the 18th party congress in 2012.

Of them the PLA has 253 delegates, an increase of 2 over the 251 delegates who represented it at the 18th party congress.

The PAP has 50 or an increase of one.

The State-owned Global Times newspaper on September 7, 2017, quoted a Wuhan-based military professor as saying, 'The number of units increased due to the ongoing military overhaul launched in 2015, which split the former four military headquarters -- staff, politics, logistics and armaments -- into 15 new agencies under the central military commission in 2016.'

Earlier in May, the PLA Daily emphasised that election procedures must stress 'political quality and integrity' and candidates must 'firmly show knowledge of the ideology, be loyal and reliable, and resolutely implement the fundamental principles of the party's absolute leadership over the army'.

Pertinently, unlike in 2012, when there were no Tibetans among the delegates, this time the list includes three Tibetan personnel.

Included among the list of PLA delegates are seven CMC members, namely: Wei Fenghe, Chang Wanquan, Wu Shengli, Ma Xiaotian, Fan Changlong, Zhao Keshi and Xu Qiliang. Retired Commanders Wu Shengli of the PLA navy and Ma Xiaotian of the PLAAF are among the delegates.

Missing, however, are Fang Fenghui and Zhang Yang, director of the powerful general political department now merged into the CMC. Both are rumoured to be under 'investigation' on charges of corruption.

Jayadeva Ranade, former additional secretary in the Cabinet Secretariat, Government of India, is presently President, Centre for China Analysis and Strategy.

IMAGE: Chinese President Xi Jinping inspects People's Liberation Army troops at the PLA's Hong Kong garrison, June 30, 2017. Photograph: Damir Sagolj/Reuters
The Trump administration has told United States Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it 'strongly supports' transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

'The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels -- many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region,' Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional Subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on 'Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget', on Wednesday.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

"Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come," she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

'India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation,' she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

'In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better,' she said in the testimony.

'The President's first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade,' she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship has largely been on a positive trajectory and America needs to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly $30 billion (Rs 1,95,000 crore) last year.

'We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market,' Wells said.

'Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from $45 billion (Rs 2,92,500 crore) in 2006 to more than $114 billion (Rs 7,41,000 crore) in 2016. US exports to India support more than 2,60,000 American jobs across all 50 states,' she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensure that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lies in India's civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet announced an order of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

'...these transactions have an estimated value of $23 billion (Rs 1,49,500 crore) and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 1,30,000 jobs in the US,' she said.

Another private Indian carrier Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

'We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades,' she added.

'India's state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas,' said the top American diplomat.

3,500 more US troops headed to Afghanistan, officials say

The US will deploy additional 3,500 troops in Afghanistan, taking the total number of soldiers stationed in the war-torn country to 14,500.

Defence Secretary Jim Mattis authorised the new deployment which is in line with President Donald Trump's Afghan policy, which did not set a timeline for the withdrawal US troops from the country, defence department official said.

The official said that Mattis has authorised about 3,500 additional troops to Afghanistan.

Last week, the Pentagon had revised its earlier figure of 8,400 troops to about 11,000 troops.

On Friday, Mattis had told reporters that he had signed paper work for deployment of additional troops in Afghanistan but did not reveal the exact figures.

The additional troops deployment come after Mattis, along with the Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, briefed members of the Congress on the new Afghan strategy and also about North Korea.

They were joined by General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chief of Staff, and director of National Intelligence Dan Coats.

"The US military presence in Afghanistan should be based on our national security interests, the advice of our commanders, and the facts on the ground. We must ensure that terrorists can never again use Afghanistan as a training ground and launching pad for terrorist attacks against our homeland," Senator Todd Young said.

"Afghanistan is not a short-term circumstance we face. Despite encouraging signs I saw, it doesn't mean we are departing from Afghanistan soon," Senator Jerry Moran told Military Times in a interview after his return from Afghanistan.
Sidelined All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam deputy chief T T V Dinakaran on Thursday urged Tamil Nadu Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to act on the plea of his loyalist MLAs seeking ouster of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and their demand for a floor test in the assembly.

On a day of fast-paced developments, Dinakaran's loyalist MLA S K T Jakkaiyan switched to the Palaniswami camp which was dubbed by the deputy chief as being due to the "intimidation and lure" of the ruling camp.

However, in what is considered a shot in the arm for the sidelined camp, legislator S Karunas of Mukkulathor Pulipadai, pledged his support to Dinakaran.

With this two developments, the total number of MLAs supporting Dinakaran remained at 21.

While indicating that he does not want the government to be toppled, Dinakaran demanded removal of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam.

"It is evident that he (Palaniswami) has no majority. Therefore he should be asked (by the governor) to prove majority," he said.

Speaking to reporters outside his residence after meeting the governor at the Raj Bhavan along with his loyalist MPs, and MLAs, he said they urged Rao to direct Palaniswami to prove his majority.

They also sought action on the MLAs' representation to the governor, seeking the chief minister's ouster, Dinakaran said, adding, "For us the chief minister and his deputy should be removed. The governor has assured us that he will take a good decision."

To a question on Jakkaiyan switching camps, he said, "Horse trading is on and this should not be allowed to continue."

Dinakaran said it was only due to such situations that his loyalist MLAs were staying at neighbouring Puducherry.

He said that he has apprised the governor that what was now happening was not an "intra-party affair" and that a recent legislators' meet chaired by Palaniswami had showed he "does not have" the requisite majority.

Dinakaran claimed that the Palaniswami camp themselves had accepted that they do not have a majority and as such the governor should not delay a floor test.

On Jakkaiyan issue, he said the MLA had contacted him this morning and suggested he was being intimidated, and asked him what should be done.

"I told him that you go (to CM camp) if you want and we will take a decision at the right time. It is natural that some will be bogged down by such intimidation, but not all," Dinakaran said and claimed that even on Wednesday Jakkaiyan had sought posts like party headquarters secretary and presidium chairman.

Jakkaiayan, later told reporters that there was no pressure on him to join the Palaniswami camp and that he did so of his own free will.

Harping on his "sleeper cell MLAs" usage (a claim to refer his loyalist MLAs with Palaniswami camp), Dinakaran said bringing down Palaniswami and Panneerselvam from the reigns of power was his camp's sole idea.

"If one MLA goes, two more will come to us, our sleeper cell legislators will come out," he said, adding that three MLAs (Karunas, Rathinasabapathy, Kalaiselvan) have pledged their support to him.

Asked about the perception that the Bharatiya Janata Party was calling the shots in the entire episode, Dinakaran refused to blame the saffron party and quipped, "When our men have turned betrayers, how can I blame others?"

He said whoever supported the Palaniswami rule cannot go to the people for votes.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told mediapersons that Palaniswami should tender his resignation in view of Dinakaran loyalists withdrawing their support.

Jakkaiyan, on his part, said "I desire that Palaniswami should continue as the chief minister".

Asserting that Jayalalithaa had ushered in the government through sheer hard work, he said his contribution should also be there for the continuance of the government.

Jakkaiyan said the "differences was only an intra-party affair," and added that the situation should not be allowed to turn in favour of the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam.

Rajya Sabha MP A Navaneethakrishnan, who was a part of the delegation who met the governor, told PTI that they have apprised Rao of those who moved the Supreme Court against the February 18 trust vote.

He said, the governor was informed that they were now a part of the government and that it was a 'constitutional impropriety'.

The parliamentarian was apparently referring to K Pandiarajan, a loyalist of Panneerselvam and now a minister moving the apex court against the trust vote won by Palaniswami.

The chief minister and Dinakaran have been at loggerheads as ever since the merger the unified AIADMK had declared that the latter had been removed from the deputy general secretary post on August 10 and questioned his authority to make changes in the party set up.

In the 234-member house, the AIADMK has a strength of 135, including the Speaker. The opposition has a total strength of 98, including 89 of the DMK, eight of Congress and an IUML member.

The R K Nagar constituency, wich was represented by Jayalalithaa, is vacant since her death.

IMAGE: TTV Dinakaran address the media after calling on the Tamil Nadu governor in Chennai on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
Investigators from the IG-headed Special Investigation Team on Thursday pored over the CCTV footage of the scene of murder of activist-journalist Gauri Lankesh for clues in the hunt for the killers even as her family spoke against giving "political colour" to the incident.

The brother and sister of 55-year-old Gauri, who was gunned down at her home on Bengaluru on Tuesday night, also appeared divided on the probe with the former saying he would approach the Central Bureau of Investigation or a court if they don't get justice from investigations by the SIT.

As outrage across the country over the murder grew, Union minister Ramdas Athawale demanded that the killers be immediately arrested and hanged. He also said there was no need for levelling political allegations over the incident.

The Karnataka government on its part said it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible."

Protest rallies and candlelight vigils were also held for the second day in several cities. "We need a CBI probe into the murder," said a student protester in Kolkata.

The Karnataka government on Wednesday announced the formation of a 21-member SIT headed by IGP-Intelligence B K Singh to probe the killing that has led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.

"SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters.

Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "The duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public."

He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV fixed at the location where Lankesh was gunned down. The SIT personnel also searched for clues at the murder scene.

Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe, Reddy said, "who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it."

Gauri, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets at close range with two hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police had said.

As a political slugfest erupted on the killing, her family made a plea against giving political colour.

The family also said the probe should look into all angles behind Gauri's killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about possible Naxal hand other than suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life.

"I request, please don't give political colour to Gauri's killings, please give justice for a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauri's brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his other sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters.

Asked about Rahul Gandhi's attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it.

"What we want is justice and please don't add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said.

"Please don't take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please don't colour this with political angle."

While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time.

Indrajit said, "We don't know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we don't get justice I will give memorandum to the CBI or retired judge (for inquiry), because we want justice."

On whether they will ask for a CBI probe only on not getting justice from SIT or immediately demand for probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI."

Immediately intervening, Indrajit said "according to me it's not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we don't get justice, I personally -- I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it -- I will go to CBI."

When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to the SIT before going to the CBI independently, Indrajit said, "What we want is justice for our sister and family."

He said "At the end of it, it is not about going to the CBI or special judge or the SIT, it is about getting justice, for that I'm ready to anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister."

He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed.

Indrajit said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone. Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies.

"Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites or any other angle, it has to be probed," he said, adding that because she was rehabilitating them (Naxals), if there was any differences, it has to be probed.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah reiterated that the government had an "open mind" on a CBI probe.

He said he had met Gauri's mother, brother and sister and that they had not insisted on CBI probe.

IMAGE: Demonstrators hold placards with the picture of Gauri Lankesh during a 'Not In My Name' protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
Karnataka Bharatiya Janata Party MLA DN Jeevaraj on has courted a controversy by suggesting that she was killed for her statements against the right wing.

Speaking at a rally in Koppa taluk in Chikmagalur on Wednesday, Jeevaraj made the statements while trying to argue that the BJP provided better safety and security than the Congress.

In the video accessed by India Today, Jeevaraj is heard saying, When BJP workers were murdered, if this same Gauri Lankesh had condemned Siddaramaiah, would her murder have happened?

"She may have written some things against us in her paper. That is democracy, that is a different matter. But who will pay the cost of her life?" he asked.

Going further, he also hit out at the language that Gauri had used in her writing, titling her article Chaddigala Maaranahoma (Death of the RSS).

"If she had refrained from writing articles like that she would have probably been alive today," he said.

Jeevarajs statement has come at a time when the police are still unsure of the motives behind Gauris murder.

Lankesh, 55, known for her anti-establishment voice with acrid anti-right wing views, was shot dead from a close range by unknown assailants at her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday.

IMAGE: Demonstrators hold placards with the picture of Gauri Lankesh during a 'Not In My Name' protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi on Thursday. Photograph: PTI Photo
A civilian was killed and 15 others, including three policemen, were injured in a grenade attack on Thursday by terrorists in the busy Jehangir Chowk area of Srinagar city.

Security personnel deployed at Jehangir Chowk were the apparent target of the grenade attack at around 5.40 pm, a police official said.

Sixteen people were injured in the explosion, the official said.

One of the injured identified as Maqsood Shah, a resident of Budgam district, succumbed to injuries, he said.

SSP Srinagar Imtiaz Parray said the grenade thrower was also reportedly injured in the blast.

"According to eyewitnesses, the person who hurled the grenade was also among the injured. We are trying to verify this," he said.

Photograph: Umar Ganie/Rediff.com
Nine soldiers of army's special forces who participated in the surgical strikes at terror launch pads across the Line of Control last year were among 108 army personnel to be decorated with gallantry medals on Thursday.

Naib Subedar Vipin Chandra, Havaldars Rankesh Chandra, Shuru Chaken and Dalip Kumar, Naik Yogesh Kumar and Paratrooper Iqbal Singh were instrumental in destroying the launching pads on September 16 last year, said the citation read out during presentation of the awards at the Northern Command headquarters Jammu and Kashmir's Udhampur.

Paratrooper Om Prakash facilitated strike team by engaging guards to destroy the launch pad, it said.

Two soldiers -- Havaldar K Ati and Paratrooper Devash Kumar -- were not only instrumental in destruction of launch pads but also killed one militant each, it was informed.

The awards were presented by Northern Army commander Lt Gen D Anbu at an investiture ceremony where one Sarvottam Jeevan Raksha Padak, two Yudh Seva Medals, two Bar to Sena Medals (Gallantry), 76 Sena Medals (Gallantry), 10 Sena Medals (Distinguished Service), 17 Vishisht Seva Medals were given away.

As many as 14 civilians were also awarded Certificate of Appreciation and cash awards by the army commander for their yeoman service.

On the occasion, the army commander also honoured four personnel of J&K Police for their acts of gallantry and devotion.

The army commander commended all ranks of the Northern command for their dedication and devotion to duty.

Photograph: @NorthernComd_IA/Twitter
IMAGE: People pick up debris as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico on Wednesday. Photographs: Alvin Baez/Reuters

United States' coastal state of Florida is bracing up for Hurricane Irma, one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, that has devastated several smaller Caribbean islands with tree-snapping winds and drenching rains before making a landfall.

Irma, with top sustained winds of 185 miles per hour, was on track to make landfall in South Florida on Sunday, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the US mainland a week after Harvey devastated major parts of Texas impacting millions of people.

Florida Governor Rock Scott yesterday declared a state of emergency and issued orders for mandatory evacuation for people living in some parts of the state.

US President Donald Trump himself took stock of the situation and spoke with Scott and Mayors of some of the cities which are expected to be majorly hit once Irma does the landfall.

"We are getting ready to respond to Hurricane Irma," Trump said.

"The winds coming now -- Irma, they're saying, is the largest one in recorded history in the Atlantic Ocean -- coming out of the Atlantic, which gets big ones," he said.

Puerto Rico has already reported significant damage. National Hurricane Center said that Hurricane Irma is now one of the most powerful hurricanes ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean.

"This massive category-5 storm has the potential to cause catastrophic destruction throughout the state and we are deeply concerned that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) will not have the resources it needs to respond if Congress does not act soon," said Florida Senators Marco Rubio and Bill Nelson.

Miami Mayor Carlos Gimenez on Wednesday issued evacuation orders for 100,000 residents. The hurricane is expected to impact millions of Floridians, including thousands of Indian-Americans who live in the state.

Florida has a vibrant Indian-American population.

The State Department warned US citizens to carefully reconsider travel to Cuba due to Hurricane Irma which is projected to impact Cuba.

This storm may bring significant rainfall and wind that may result in life-threatening flooding, flash flooding, mudslides, and storm surge, it said.

Christine Lagarde, Managing Director of the International Monetary Fund expressed her deep concern and sympathy for the countries affected by Hurricane Irma -- one of the strongest Atlantic storms ever.

"Several islands in the region have already suffered terrible damage from the storm, and others are still in its path. We are very saddened by the reports of lives lost and widespread destruction," she said.

IMAGE: Members of the civil defence run as Hurricane Irma howls past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands.

This hurricane has the potential to be a major event for the East Coast said Evan Myers, AccuWeather expert senior meteorologist and chief operating officer.

"It also has the potential to significantly strain FEMA and other governmental resources occurring so quickly on the heels of Harvey," he said.

"Because Irma is likely to move up along the east coast of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina, people from the Florida Keys all the way to Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, should prepare to be ready to evacuate coastal areas, starting with South Florida now," Myers added.

The storm should be taken very seriously and preparations should be hurried to completion, he said.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Irma hammered Puerto Rico on Wednesday night and caused widespread destruction and number of casualties in northern Caribbean islands specially Barbuda, which has been 'literally reduced to a rubble'.

Three deaths have been reported and there are fears of more fatalities.

The most powerful hurricane ever recorded over Atlantic Ocean battered Barbuda, St Martin and Puerto Rico as it moved west with Category 5 packing devastating winds and rain and left 60 per cent of the islands' population homeless.

The communication has been disrupted totally after winds snapped a cell tower in two on the island and the Barbuda residents are living under harsh conditions with no water supply and electricity.

After slamming St Martin, Anguilla and St Kitts and Nevis, the storm was expected to move near the British Virgin Islands and northern US Virgin Islands.

The storm's centre was then expected to pass near or just north of Puerto Rico on Wednesday afternoon and evening.

"Barbuda right now is literally a rubble," CNN quoted Prime Minister Gaston Browne of Antigua and Barbuda as saying after Hurricane Irma left a trail of 'absolute devastation' across the tiny Caribbean island.

The Caribbean is a region that consists of the Caribbean Sea, its islands. The region is south-east of the Gulf of Mexico and the North American mainland, east of Central America, and north of South America.

Irma damaged Barbuda's lone airport, which will now force officials to ferry supplies by boat and helicopter from Antigua. Browne estimated rebuilding would cost about $100 million.

"The entire housing stock was damaged," Browne said, after visiting the island of 1,800.

"It is just a total devastation."

Irma killed at least three people, destroyed government buildings, tore roofs from houses and left islands without power or communications. St. Martin/St. Maarten and St. Barts also felt the fury of the Category 5 storm, one of the strongest ever recorded in the Atlantic, according to updates from the region.

Weather Forecasters warn that Irma's likely path will be near the Turks and Caicos Islands on Thursday.

The storm is expected to pass just north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, bringing hurricane force winds to northern sections of the island, likely causing mudslides and flooding.

In the Bahamas, emergency evacuations have been ordered for six southern islands -- Mayaguana, Inagua, Crooked Island, Acklins, Long Cay and Ragged Island.

With ANI inputs
A Mumbai court on Thursday awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life imprisonment to extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case.

Besides Salem, the court also sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment in the case while awarding 10 years' sentence to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

A special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court had in June convicted six persons, including mastermind Mustafa Dossa and Salem, in the serial blasts case, 24 years after the attacks left 257 people dead in the country's financial capital.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum, for want of evidence. This was the second leg of the trial.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government of India and murder.

The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles, ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under the Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial).

Salem, who was close to (absconding accused Dawood Ibrahim's brother) Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court had said.

This was 'vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India', the court had said.

The trial of Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested subsequently.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.

The court had held that Tahir Merchant was amongst the main conspirators.

He worked with (absconding conspirator) Tiger Memon, participated in several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co-accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

"The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the court said in its ruling on June 16.

The court had rejected Firoz's defence that he was not Firoz Khan but one 'Hamza.'

The prosecution proved that he was a prominent and 'trusted' member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the 'landings' of weapons effected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district, the court had held.

Firoz was present for negotiations with customs officers for smooth landing of arms and ammunition. He, with 'vengeful perseverance in his sinew with a view to carry the blueprint of the plan into reality spearheaded the pre-landing arrangements', said the verdict of June 16, The prosecution proved that he was one of the main

conspirators, the court had held.
More than 24 years after 12 blasts rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993 claiming 257 lives, a special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act court in Mumbai awarded death sentence to two persons and life imprisonment to two others, including Abu Salem, in the second phase of the trial in the case.

Following is the chronology of events in the case in which the main trial ended in 2007.

The trial of seven accused in the case was separated, out of which six were held guilty on June 16.

March 12, 1993: 12 explosions rock Mumbai resulting in 257 fatalities and injuries to 713 others.

April 19: Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt (accused number 117) arrested.

November 4: Over 10,000 page-long primary charge-sheet filed against 189 accused, including Dutt.

November 19: Case handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation.

April 10, 1995: 26 accused discharged by TADA court. Charges framed against the remaining accused. Supreme Court discharges two more accused -- travel agent Abu Asim Azmi (Samajwadi Party leader) and Amjed Meher Baux.

April 19: First leg of trial commences.

September 18, 2002: Abu Salem detained in Lisbon, Portugal.

March 20, 2003: Accused Mustafa Dossa arrested by CBI at Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi on his arrival from Dubai.

September 2003: Main trial ends. TADA court in Mumbai reserves judgement.

January 9, 2004: Charges framed against Dossa.

November 11, 2005: Salem extradited to India.

December 9: Charges framed against Salem.

June 13, 2006: Abu Salems trial separated.

September 12: TADA court judge P D Kode starts delivering the judgment, pronounces four members of the Memon family guilty, and acquits three. Later, 12 convicts were awarded death penalty while 20 were given life sentence. Other convicts were handed over different sentences.

February 2007: Main trial concludes. Second leg involving seven accused begins.

March 16, 2013: Sanjay Dutt surrenders before court after the Supreme Court upholds conviction.

March 21: Supreme Court upholds death sentence of convict Yakub Memon, brother of Tiger Memon, and commutes death sentence of 10 convicts to life term. Life imprisonment of 16 out of 18 convicts also upheld.

August 13: TADA court drops certain charges against Salem which violated the extradition treaty with Portugal.

July 30, 2015: Key conspirator and lone death row convict in the case, Yakub Memon hanged.

December 7: Final arguments of the second phase of the trial start.

June 8, 2016: Court rejects plea of accused Firoz Abdul Rashid in which he said he wants to become an approver.

March 2017: Trial concludes.

June 16: TADA court judge G A Sanap convicts six accused, including Dossa and Salem, and acquits one.

June 28: Dossa dies of cardiac arrest in Mumbai hospital.

September 7: Court awards death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, life imprisonment to Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan and 10 years imprisonment to Riyaz Siddiqui.

IMAGE: Special public prosecutor Deepak Salvi talking to media after a Mumbai court on Thursday awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and life imprisonment to extradited gangster Abu Salem in the 1993 serial blasts case. Photograph: Santosh Hirlekar/PTI Photo
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has warned that the country will continue to face 'embarrassment' if terror groups like the Lashkar-e-Tayiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed are not reined in, according to media reports.

Asif's admission came two days after the BRICS grouping that includes China, for the first time named terror groups like LeT and the JeM among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

United States President Donald Trump had also criticised Pakistan for being a 'safe haven' for terror groups like the Haqqani network.

Asif acknowledged the existence of LeT and JeM among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

"We need to tell our friends that we have improved our house. We need to bring our house in order to prevent facing embarrassment on the international level," Asif said while speaking to Geo News, days ahead of his visit to Beijing to meet the Chinese leadership.

According to Asif, the BRICS declaration should not be considered as China's official stance as other countries -- Russia, India, Brazil and South Africa -- are also a part of the group.

The inclusion of LeT and JeM in the BRICS Declaration at Xiamen is considered a setback to Pakistan, China's 'all weather' friend as Beijing had succeeded in blocking efforts to name these Pakistan-based terror outfits in the outcome document at the five-member grouping's summit in Goa last year.

But Asif said that 'friends should not be tested [every time], particularly in the changed scenario'.

"Instead, we should impose some restrictions on the activities of elements like LeT and JeM, so that we can show the global community that we have put our house in order," he said.

"We need to ask ourselves have we acted upon the National Action Plan (NAP) in letter and spirit? Did we take the measures we had decided on, besides Operation Zarb-i-Azb, Raddul Fassad and Khyber 4, during the last three years? Did we show the world that we acted according to the resolve we made in 2014?", Asif asked.

Clarifying the position of the government, he said that for the first time, the Foreign Ministry published an advertisement, requesting people to avoid donating hides of sacrificial animals to proscribed organisations, including the the LeT and JeM.

"Despite all these efforts, in some isolated instances, the organisations were allowed [to collect hides] at some places," he acknowledged.

He reiterated that Pakistan must put its affairs in order, given that the 'entire world is pointing fingers towards us'.

'I am not making a political statement but telling you a fact: we will continue to face such embarrassment till the time we keep our eyes off these [militant] organisations in our country,' he was quoted as saying.

"We need to make a clean break from our past; in 1979, we made a wrong decision and acted like a proxy for the entire next decade. After 9/11, we again made a wrong decision and adopted a war which was never ours. We have bore uncountable losses of lives and properties in this war," he said.

Pakistan Army has done its part, said Asif, asking, "But did we do our work; did we implement the NAP, did we complete the process of de-radicalisation, did we bring the activities of banned outfits to a halt or are they active and even participating in politics with changed names?"

The minister rejected the narrative that the Pakistani soil is being used for terrorism, adding that 'we will have to convince the world that Pakistan has nothing to do with the terrorism'.

IMAGE: Pakistan's Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif. Photograph: Mian Khursheed/Reuters
IMAGE: PM Modi at the tomb of Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar in Yangon on Thursday. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter



Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday wrapped up his Myanmar trip with visits to the 'mazar' of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar and the 2,500-year-old Shwedagon pagoda, besides performing puja at the Kalibari Temple in Yangon.

Modi, on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country, visited the pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmar's cultural heritage.

IMAGE: Modi at Shwedagon Pagoda, one of the most revered sites in Myanmar, in Yangon. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter



He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage.

'Delighted to visit Myanmar's cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda,' the PM tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddha's hair and other holy relics.

IMAGE: Modi at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. 'Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed', he tweeted. Photograph: @narendramodi/Twitter

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Modi also visited the Bogyoke Aung San Museum where he was accompanied by Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi.

IMAGE: PM Modi visits the Bogyoke Aung San Museum, accompanied by Myanmar's State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi. Photograph: @narendramodi/Twitter



"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said.

He also visited the grave of Bahadur Shah Zafar and paid floral tributes.

The prime minister also tweeted a picture of himself at the Mughal ruler's grave.

Bahadur Shah Zafar, who was also a prolific Urdu poet and calligrapher, died at the age of 87 in then Rangoon, where he was exiled to by the British after the revolt of 1857.

IMAGE: PM Modi pays his respects at Martyrs' Mausoleum in Yangon. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter

Modi also paid his respects at the Martyrs' Mausoleum and performed 'puja' at the Kalibari Temple.

'Performed Puja at Yangon's Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed,' Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

On Wednesday, Modi had visited the famous early 12th-century Ananda Temple in Myanmar's ancient city of Bagan.

IMAGE: PM interacts with Suu Kyi at Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Photograph: @MEAIndia/Twitter



The temple is being renovated with India's assistance after it was damaged in a tremor last year.

In the afternoon, Modi left for home after concluding his visit during which he held wide-ranging talks with Suu Kyi.

After Modi-Suu Kyi talks, 11 agreements were signed between the two sides in areas like maritime security, strengthening democratic institutions in Myanmar, health and information technology.
China on Thursday reacted sharply to army chief General Bipin Rawat's assertion that Beijing was testing India's limits, saying the remarks were contrary to the views expressed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping during their meeting in Xiamen this week.

Rawat, while speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, had said India should be prepared for a two-front war, insisting that China had started 'flexing its muscles', while there seems to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Reacting to the comments, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a briefing that, "We have noted the statement by relevant people in India, also we noticed some Indian press remarked that the reports are shocking."

Referring to the remarks expressed by Xi and Modi during their first meeting following the end of a 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doklam, Geng also questioned whether Rawat was authorised to speak and if his comments represented the Indian government's position.

"As reported by Indian press...we don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or it was just his spontaneous words or whether his words represented the position of the Indian government," Geng said.

Noting that China and India are important neighbours and are two large countries, Geng said sound and steady development of ties serves the fundamental interests of both the countries.

This is what the international community wishes to see, he said.

"Just two days ago, President Xi Jinping pointed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other's development opportunities, not threats," Geng said.

"We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show to the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries," Geng quoted Xi as telling Modi during their meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS -- Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa -- Summit.

"We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, preserve peace and tranquillity of the border area," Xi had said.

Prime Minister Modi had also said that the Indian side is willing to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties, Geng said.

"We should not treat each other as rivals. We should make cooperation the mainstream and the two sides should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," Geng said.

"Hope that this military official would see clearly this trend and contribute to development of China and India relations and see something more in that regard," he said in response to Rawat's remarks.

Rawat, in his remarks, had said, "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict."

China, India should make sure differences do not go out of control: Wang

Meanwhile, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that China and India should shed their mindset of regarding each other as rivals or threats and make sure that their differences do not go out of control.

In his first comments on India-China ties after this week's meeting between Modi and Xi, Wang said bilateral relations were 'affected and undermined' during the past few months 'for clear reasons'.

Without mentioning the 73-day standoff between the militaries of the two countries at Doklam, Wang said, 'going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow-up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations stay on track'.

Speaking to the media after his talks with Nepalese Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Krishna Bahadur Mahara, Wang said the Sino-India relationship 'should not be derailed'.

'Both the countries should seek harmonious relations and win-win cooperation which is the natural choice and the right choice' for both, Wang said.

"There should be no confrontation. We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats," he said.

Both the countries should also 'make sure that differences do not go out of control', Wang said.

"Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquillity in the border areas," he said.
'Though we will raise our voices repeatedly, though we will not keep silent, this is a clear threat to us. What happened to Gauri Lankesh could happen to any of us.'

Journalist and activist Shashidhar Hemmady on the shock of the cold-blooded murder of his friend.

'Had Professor M M Kalburgi's murderers been caught, this incident would not have happened in Karnataka,' says Shashidhar Hemmady.

Photograph: Shailendra Bhojak/PTI Photo IMAGE:

When her father P Lankesh died, Gauri Lankesh came to Bangalore. She took charge of her father's magazine Lankesh Patrike and started her own magazine, the Gauri Lankesh Patrike.

The first time I met her was later that year at an event she organised to celebrate her father's birth anniversary; it later became an annual event.

I have known her since then.

We also worked together at the Communal Harmony Forum -- which is called Komu Souharda Vedike in Kannada -- and became very close through that (our association over common causes(.

Gauri Lankesh was very active in bringing many Naxals into the mainstream, and all of them are now (gainfully involved) in social activities. She was called a Naxal sympathiser, but she was never bothered by what comments were being made.

She also wrote strongly against and fought extreme Hindutva forces. She wrote openly and fearlessly about organisations like the RSS, Hindu Jagaran Vedike, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, and their leaders.

Few Indian journalists have done that. Despite running a small weekly magazine, she showed tremendous courage.

But did she worry about threats to her well being? It was we who were talking about threats to her!

She was badly abused on social media; I think few Indian ladies have been abused like she was. Even today people are celebrating on social media.

And we told her many times, 'Madam, be careful.' Instead, she used to tell me to take care because I am also a journalist and activist.

She was fearless. She would drive herself around even at night. She moved around freely and without fear despite everything.

Actually, nobody thought that this could happen to a lady (Gauri Lankesh herself had told Rediff.com, "Being a woman is my security right now").

And we never expected this kind of a barbaric incident would happen to her in Bangalore!

A voice of courage has been silenced.

A voice of fearlessness has been killed.

It's the greatest damage to Indian journalism and Indian democracy.

I don't know what will happen to journalism in India now. This is a big blow. We will never (fully) recover.

People like me, journalists like me, who were following Gauri Lankesh and her ideologies, are in shock. We are wondering what will happen to us.

Though we will raise our voices repeatedly, though we will not keep silent, this is a clear threat to us.

What happened to Gauri Lankesh could very well happen to any of us.

People are making these threats openly on social media, even against Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. 'She is no more and your turn is coming' -- these are the kind of messages that are being posted.

I have also faced these kind of threats -- on social media and in real life.

I was threatened many times over the phone.

Once I was even targeted on the road by goons.

Such kinds of incidents have been happening here, but we never thought it could go to such an extent.

We are definitely shaken. It's the truth and I cannot deny that.

But we will definitely carry forward what Gauri Lankesh was doing.

Last night (the night when Gauri Lankesh was killed) itself we took an oath to work to bring what is happening here to an end.

Had the Kalburgi murderers been caught, this incident would not have happened in Karnataka.

Now, they are fearlessly doing something like this, that too in Bangalore, which is the state capital; that too in a busy, crowded residential area.

If such things are to be stopped there has to be strict action from the government.

The message should be very clear to the public that the government will not tolerate this kind of thing.

Shashidhar Hemmady is the editor-in-chief of KaravaliKarnataka.com

He also wrote for Gauri Lankesh's Lankesh Patrike and she too contributed to his news portal.

Friends for several years, Hemmady and Gauri Lankesh also worked together against communal forces.

As told to Rediff.com's Monali Sarkar

Remembering Gauri Lankesh
SHOREWOOD HILLS -- Tim Hagen and Jeff Clark have long wanted to have their own business.

They looked at bars and restaurants in northern Wisconsin that were for sale but quickly realized they made little money. The couple, who married earlier this year and live in Madison's Vilas Neighborhood, considered an express oil change shop before they hit upon the idea of opening a pet supply store.

Their beloved beagle, Dolce, had died unexpectedly in 2016 and so they began studying pet nutrition.

They initially thought about doing their own independent store but ultimately discovered a franchise that had not yet found its way to Wisconsin but one that they feel is a perfect fit for the Madison demographic that isn't shy about spending money on cats and dogs.

In fact, when they considered a location for their EarthWise Pet Supply, they found a spot in the Shorewood Shopping Center near a Whole Foods where, within a 5-mile radius, pet owners spent $7 million on their animals in 2016, according to their market research.

"There's a lot of nice pet stores in Madison, but there's a lot of spaces that were missed. This area was begging for one," Hagen said. "The target is natural, healthier, higher-quality foods and services. Whole Foods is across the road and that's one of (EarthWise's) best type of targets. If people are willing to think about their own health, then they're more likely to understand that it matters for their pet, too."

EarthWise was founded in 1977 in California but is now based in Portland, Oregon. The company has 44 locations, will add 14 more by the end of the year and is part of the $65 billion pet industry. But before last month when Hagen and Clark's franchise opened, the nearest locations to Madison were in Ohio and South Dakota.

Hagen and Clark invested about $250,000 into the 1,600-square-foot store next to Great Harvest Bread Co. and filled it with food and other pet supplies. There's also a self-service dog wash and a grooming room with two tables, with room for two more. Hagen, 34, and Clark, 36, have an agreement that requires them to open a second store in three years and a third store in six years.

Hagen, a DeForest native and UW-Whitewater graduate who worked in information technology for Great Lakes Higher Education and Milio's, oversees the day-to-day operations of the store while Clark, a Minnesota native and graduate of Milwaukee School of Engineering, continues to work as an IT consultant.

The store sells natural, "raw" food products that can sell for between $35 to $41 for a six-pound package, while pheasant and rabbit products can sell for more than $50, also for six pounds.

Hagen and Clark also hope to capitalize on the "buy local" trend that shows no sign of waning. That's why they carry a wide range of Wisconsin-based pet products. The food and treat offerings include those made by So Bright Natural Pet Products in Kiel, Fromm Family Pet Food in Mequon, Jabby's in Pewaukee, Stella & Chewy's in Oak Creek and Vital Essentials in Green Bay. Wearable items also include Madison-made Buster's Bandanas and collars and bow ties from Paws Up Pet Gear in Waupun.

They have no second thoughts about going with a franchise and now share the store with their 1-year-old basset hound-Labrador retriever, Siena.

"It just really fit," Hagen said. "Once we found this company it just felt like it was worth working with somebody because they're able to help negotiate better prices on products. If we're totally on our own we're paying more for everything we're bringing in and making less money."
These nine restaurants are off the beaten path and may not immediately come to mind when you're in the mood to dine out. Some are hidden in pl
A 21-count case that alleges sexual assault, harassment and stalking behavior toward 10 women by a former UW-Madison student will be broken up into six separate trials, a Dane County judge ruled in a written decision issued late Thursday.

With a decision for a separate trial for a later two-count case already decided by another judge, Thursdays decision means that former student Alec Cook will face seven separate trials as his cases go forward.

Cook, 21, of Edina, Minnesota, was charged last year with 12 counts of varying degrees of sexual assault involving six women, along with other charges that include false imprisonment, disorderly conduct and stalking. In all, the charges involved 10 women.

In his decision, Dane County Circuit Judge Stephen Ehlke wrote that two counts of stalking involving two women will be tried together; counts of fourth-degree sexual assault and disorderly conduct involving four women would be tried together; and there will be four separate trials involving each of the women who are alleged victims of second- and third-degree sexual assault.

The issue was to be heard at a motion hearing on Friday, but its more likely that with Ehlkes written decision, timing of the six trials to be held before Ehlke will be discussed instead.

Last month, Circuit Judge John Hyland ruled that a late-charged case, which alleges false imprisonment and disorderly conduct against Cook involving an 11th woman, would also be tried on its own. The date for that trial, which would be heard by Hyland, also will likely be set on Friday.

The decision is mostly a win for Cooks lawyers, Chris Van Wagner and Jessa Nicholson Goetz, who had argued for 11 separate jury trials, one for each of Cooks alleged victims. They had argued that trying all of the charges together in a single trial would cause unfair prejudice to Cook, as more serious allegations involving some of the women could influence a jury to find Cook guilty on the other charges.

Prosecutors argued that with all of the allegations heard together, the jury would have a better understanding of Cooks intent and motive, which they said was a scheme to place women in fear and have non-consensual interactions with them.

Ehlke said that he did not find striking similarities in the counts filed against Cook, as prosecutors claimed.

These descriptions of the defendant trapping and confining women vary substantially, Ehlke wrote. They do not evince a unique or signature manner in which the defendant allegedly restrained his victims. The theory of modus operandi is that certain crimes are committed in such a distinctive manner that they are necessarily attributable to a particular actor. Aggressive handling of women is not a tactic uniquely attributable to the defendant.

Ehlke also said that prosecutors presented no meaningful evidence of a theme in the way that Cook communicated with the women after the alleged sexual assaults, and that they presented no evidence to show commonality in the way that Cook allegedly used physical force.

Ehlke wrote that by arguing that all of the charges should be tried together, prosecutors essentially are attempting to prove some of them through evidence showing that Cook has a propensity to act as he did. The value of that evidence, he wrote, is substantially outweighed by the danger of unfair prejudice.

Even if the jury were cautioned, Ehlke said, there is still a high probability that jurors would be improperly influenced by the sheer number of sexual assault charges facing the defendant, making severance of the sexual assault charges necessary.

But Ehlke said that some of the charges could be tried together, if they involve the same alleged victim or shared some other common factors. The two stalking charges, for example, can be tried together because its alleged that Cook followed each of the women to learn their class or study schedules, causing both to turn to others to intervene and make him stop following them, Ehlke wrote.
Disclaimer

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A prominent human rights lawyer has penned an open letter to the leaders of the ruling Chinese Communist Party calling for an amnesty for political prisoners and democratic reform.



Xie Yanyi, who was among hundreds of lawyers and associated rights activists detained during a nationwide police operation targeting the legal profession since July 2015, said he wrote to President Xi Jinping and members of the all-powerful Politburo standing committee because he believes a democratic future is the only viable one for China.



"I just wanted to speak truthfully ... this is something that concerns everyone, and everyone shares responsibility," Xie said. "I am still optimistic about the future."



"I believe that people, whether they be the highest leaders within the current system or my compatriots, want the best for our country and for it to complete its transformation into modernity," he said. "We want to move past dictatorship and towards civilization."



The letter accuses the authorities of perpetrating a "conspiracy" against the country's rights lawyers and nongovernment organizations (NGOs), citing repeated allegations by detained lawyers and activists of torture and mistreatment.



In the letter, Xie points to huge capital outflows from China to overseas bank accounts, adding that more than 200 members of the Communist Party's Central Committee or their relatives are now holders of foreign passports.



Cases brought during President Xi's anti-corruption campaign targeting high-ranking "tigers" like former police chief Zhou Yongkang and former Chongqing party boss Bo Xilai made no dent in the overseas holdings of those individuals, Xi's letter said.



"The authoritarian elite are afraid, and try to cover up the rot and impose long-term controls on the internet because they don't want Chinese people to find out the truth," Xie wrote.



Xie, who is currently on "bail" after being detained during the July 2015 crackdown, said he is aware that the letter may get him arrested again.



"If they are willing to throw me into prison because of my words, then that wouldn't be my choice," he said. "But if that is the case, then we are in still in a prison even if we're not in jail. There's not a huge amount of difference, and so I am willing to go to jail."



Lawyer still missing



Meanwhile, the friends and family of another outspoken human rights lawyer, Gao Zhisheng, say he is still missing, believed detained, from house arrest at his cave dwelling in a remote village in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi.



Gao, 53, went missing from his home near Shaanxi's Yulin city early on Aug. 13 after being repeatedly denied permission by the Chinese police to see a dentist for treatment after losing several teeth to torture and neglect during his incarceration.



Social media posts suggested his disappearance might be linked to an interview Gao gave recently to Hong Kong's Chengming Magazine, in which he talks about "the destruction of the Communist Party and President Xi Jinping's mission."



Gao has also published a book detailing the abuse he endured at the hands of the authorities during his time in prison, and has described being repeatedly tortured when he was secretly jailed at a "military site" during one of many disappearances.



Activists say his continuing house arrest even after being "released" from jail mirrors the treatment meted out to fellow rights lawyers and activists detained in a nationwide police operation since July 2015.



Calls to the Xijia county police department in Shaanxi rang unanswered during office hours on Thursday.



Call for support



Fellow activist and friend Ai Ming said that Gao now needs the concern of rights groups and the international community more than ever.



"I hope that the international community will take action in support of Gao Zhisheng and his supporters living in China," Ai said.



Gao's friends had previously said he is unlikely to regain any measure of freedom before the ruling Chinese Communist Party's 19th Congress on Oct. 18.



Gao began to be targeted by the authorities after he defended some of China's most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.



Reported by Qiao Long for RFA's Mandarin Service, and by Hai Nan for the Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.




Dead carp washing up on the shores of Madison lakes and rivers recently were likely killed by a virus that has been found in area waterways for the first time.

The Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources said Wednesday that dead carp found in Lake Kegonsa in August tested positive for the koi herpes virus. The virus likely killed carp recently found decaying along the shoreline of lakes Monona and Waubesa and the Yahara River, according to the DNR.

While the koi herpes virus cant be passed to humans or other animals, DNR fisheries biologist Dan Oele recommended avoiding direct contact with dead carp.

The public is not at risk from the koi herpes virus, and sport fish and forage fish such as shiners have not been harmed, he said.

Although the virus cant be transmitted to humans, decomposing carp can harbor other harmful bacteria.

The virus weakens the immune systems of the invasive species, making them vulnerable to other infections, according to the DNR.

Carp die-offs may continue until water temperatures begin to cool, Oele said. The virus is deadliest when the water is between 71 and 79 degrees.

The virus was first found in Wisconsin in the Rock River near Horicon in 2014, Oele said.

After the 2014 Rock River die-off, the carp population rebounded, and there has been no evidence of another virus-related die-off, he said.

They are tough critters, Oele said.

The virus existence in other states has been linked to the release of ornamental koi fish, the DNR said in 2014.

Oele said fisheries personnel dont have a hard count, but in each of the three lakes they estimate that hundreds to thousands of carp have died since reports started coming in around Aug. 14.

Madisons Clean Lake Alliance has heard reports of an unusual number of dead carp in lakes Monona and Mendota and the section of the Yahara River that connects the two since early last week, said Paul Dearlove, watershed program director for the alliance.

About two dozen foul-smelling, decomposing carp lined the shore of Lake Monona earlier this week at the end of Ferchland Place in Monona. A lakeside condominium resident had been gathering most of the dead carp on the lake shore along her residence and placing them there for the last week.

Dead carp can be buried, put in garbage bins, composted, placed in landfills or used as farm field fertilizer, according to the DNR. In most cases, it is up to property owners to dispose of the dead fish.

Unfortunately, from the property owners perspective, its their responsibility  to remove and dispose of those carcasses, Dearlove said. Its a nasty job.

Unlike past efforts to cull the sediment-churning species in area lakes, like Wingra and Kegnosa, the virus likely wont significantly impact the carp population, he said.

Since its such a minor die-off, its probably not even putting a dent in the population, Dearlove said.

State Journal reporter Steve Verburg contributed to this report.
Human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng in in police custody in Beijing weeks after his family reported him missing from his cave dwelling in a remote village in the northern Chinese province of Shaanxi, his elder brother said on Thursday.

We finally made contact with the government. They said he has been brought back to Beijing. I learned this information from the government office two days ago, Gao Zhishengs U.S.-based wife Geng He quoted Gaos elder brother Gao Zhiyi, as saying by telephone from Shaanxi.

When asked if he could confirm that Gao Zhisheng is currently in police custody, his elder brother said: He is now definitely in their hands. That is all we know at this moment.

Gao Zhisheng, 53, who was being held under house arrest in Shaanxi after suffering long periods of incarceration and torture at the hands of police, had not been seen or heard from since Aug. 13, Geng He told RFA in an earlier report.

Gao Zhiyi was summoned and briefly held by police in late August an apparent move to silence criticism of authorities handling of Gao Zhishengs disappearance, sources said.

Geng fled to the U.S. with the couple's two children after Gao's last disappearance in 2009.

Gao Zhisheng, once a prominent lawyer feted by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, began to be targeted by the authorities after he defended some of Chinas most vulnerable people, including Christians, coal miners, and followers of the banned Falun Gong spiritual movement.



In a published memoir, Gao details the torture he later endured at the hands of the authorities during his time in prison, as well as three years of solitary confinement, during which he said he was sustained by his Christian faith and his hopes for China.

Activists say his continuing house arrest even after being "released" from jail mirrors the treatment meted out to fellow rights lawyers and activists detained in a nationwide police operation since July 2015.



His friends had previously said he is unlikely to regain any measure of freedom before the ruling Chinese Communist Party's 19th congress in October.



Reported by Zhang Min and Lin Ping for RFAs Mandarin Service. Translated by Chen Ping. Written in English by Paul Eckert.
Authorities in China's southern province of Guangdong have handed a nine-month jail term to a man who helped customers evade censorship limiting what Chinese internet users can see online.



Deng Jiewei was handed the jail term by a court in Guangdong's Dongguan city after he allegedly set up a website in October 2015 to sell software helping users to scale the complex system of blocks, filters, and human censorship known collectively as the Great Firewall.



Deng is accused of running the site with friends, and being responsible for the technical side of the business, according to the judgment in the case issued by the court.



"The court holds that the case is serious, and rules that the defendant be jailed for nine months, and the proceeds of the crime amounting to U.S.$13,000 be forfeited to the authorities," the judgment said.



But rights lawyer Yu Wensheng said the court's assumption that it is illegal to circumvent the Great Firewall is flawed.



"The authorities don't want people to see what's online outside China, but that in itself is illegal, because there isn't a single law that supports it," Yu said.



"Actually, preventing Chinese people from accessing the overseas internet is a curb on one of the basic rights of the individual," he said. "This young man's circumvention software doesn't constitute a crime of any kind."



"These are public networks, and anyone can use them, and read what is there ... strictly speaking, this young man is a political prisoner," Yu said.



Stability maintenance



Fellow rights attorney Ren Quanniu said the government is currently in a phase of intensive "stability maintenance," meaning that many online activists are now being targeted who would previously have been left alone.



"Lately I've seen a number of university students who have been called in by the university authorities and the police for stern 'chats' just for using circumvention software," Ren said.



"The law is vague on this issue. I don't know if they're acting on some internal document, but so far as the law is concerned, there is no basis for this [sentence]," he said.



"The authorities themselves have claimed that people can use the internet freely in China, but this is clearly not the case."



Mobile phones targeted



Meanwhile, security researchers have found a new form of mobile phone malware similar to that which was used to infect the phones of pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong during the Occupy Central movement of 2014.



Security research company Lookout said they have identified a mobile trojan called xRAT with sweeping powers to collect data from devices, and the ability to self-destruct once detected.



"The malware is associated with the high-profile Xsser/mRAT malware, which made headlines after targeting both iOS and Android devices of pro-democracy Hong Kong activists in late 2014," the company said in a blog post.



The malware is able to access sensitive user information including browser history, text messages, contacts, call logs, and data from popular social media messaging sites and to undermine attempts to debug the infected device, it said.



It can also record audio and store it externally.



Lookout said that many similarities strongly suggest that mRAT and xRAT have been developed by the same party.



"Its main target seems to be people in mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Macau," Hong Kong-based security researcher Sang Young told RFA. "It's not yet clear whether or not it's targeting a specific sort of person."



"One of its special functions is that it can delete audio and photographic files [on a device], which are needed by certain professions, for example, journalists," Young said. "If these get deleted, there is no way of restoring them."



Reported by Wong Lok-to and Wen Yuqing for RFA's Cantonese Service. Translated and edited by Luisetta Mudie.




North Koreas Sept. 3 underground test of a hydrogen bomb left residents of a county bordering China shaken, as buildings collapsed and mirrors and dishes fell from the walls and shelves of private homes, sources in the region said.



North Koreans living in remote towns now fear further damage to nearby structures, a source living in North Hamgyong province told RFAs Korean Service.



They feel uneasy about the possible collapse of apartment buildings due to ground-shaking from the nuclear test, RFAs source said, speaking on condition of anonymity. Many of the buildings in this northern area were flimsily built and may not continue to stand.



On Sept. 4, the day after the test, North Koreas Central Committee ordered that inspections be carried out both on recently built buildings and on old apartment blocks in the countrys major cities, the source said.



Structures in North Hamgyongs Hoeryong and Musan cities were especially hard hit, Jiro Ishimarua North Korea expert working at the Osaka, Japan-based AsiaPress Internationaltold RFA, adding, Buildings were shaking as if in an earthquake.



Frightened residents fled from their houses because large mirrors and kitchenware were falling from the walls and shelves, he said.



In some areas near Hoeryong, old residential blocks and buildings under construction completely collapsed, Ishimaru said.



There must be many victims in the North Hamgyong area. I definitely think there were many people who were hurt.



No warning given



County residents were even more frightened by the test because they had no advance word that it was coming, Ishimaru said.



There have been many complaints. They received no notice or warning of the test, so the shaking caused widespread fear. Some even said that this reminded them that the government doesnt care for peoples lives, he said.



In Chinas three northeastern provinces, frightened residents also fled their homes due to shaking from the Sept. 3 test, sources told RFA.



I was at a church for Sunday services when I felt a weak shaking, an ethnic Korean living in Chinas Dandong city, across the Yalu river from North Korea, said. I thought it was an earthquake, though Dandong doesnt really have earthquakes.



Later, I found out that it was caused by North Koreas sixth nuclear test, which enraged me, he said.



The bomb detonated by Pyongyang at its Punggye-ri site in North Hamgyong was said by NORSAR, a Norway-based group that monitors nuclear tests, to have been eight times more powerful than the nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945, CNN said in a report.



It was the sixth nuclear test carried out by North Korea since 2006.



Reported by Jung Min Noh, Sunghui Moon, and Joonho Kim for RFAs Korean Service. Translated by Leejin Jun. Written in English by Richard Finney.




Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan talks to Rohingya refugees at the Kutupalong refugee camp in Cox's Bazar, Bangladesh, Sept. 07, 2017.

Bangladesh wants the world to help it resolve a burdensome new Rohingya Muslim humanitarian crisis, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina told Turkeys visiting first lady and foreign minister on Thursday after they toured refugee camps in the countrys southeast.

Hasina met with Turkish first lady Emine Erdogan and Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu in Dhaka, while U.N. officials updated estimates for the number of Rohingya refugees spilling into Bangladesh over the past two weeks to 164,000, as they have fled an outbreak of violence in the neighboring Myanmar state of Rakhine.

The international community must take the responsibility, Hasina told her Turkish visitors, adding that Dhaka would accept new Rohingya refugee arrivals on humanitarian grounds.

The flood of new refugees since Aug. 25  combined with 87,000 who arrived following another cycle of violence in Rakhine in October 2016, according to the United Nations  brings the total number of recent refugee arrivals to around a quarter-million. This influx adds to more than 400,000 Rohingya refugees who were already sheltering in camps and settlements across southeastern Bangladesh.

In the past few days, U.N. and Bangladeshi officials warned that the existing camps were overflowing with refugees and that the crisis was straining humanitarian resources.

The Bangladeshi prime minister also told the Turkish visitors about how the exodus from Myanmar was a big burden for us, said her spokesman, Ihsanul Karim.

Turkey is trying to build up a global opinion against the persecution, as the whole world has the responsibility to resolve the crisis, Karim quoted Erdogan as telling Hasina during their meeting.

Hasina said her government had taken initiatives to identify incoming Rohingya and others to ensure that no terrorists were posing as refugees crossing the border, according to Karim.

We will not allow our land to be used by any insurgent [group] for terrorist activities against any country, Hasina said.

The latest cycle of violence flared in Rakhine on Aug. 24, when members of an insurgent group calling itself the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA) carried out multiple attacks on Myanmar police posts in Rakhine.

Since reports of mass atrocities against Rohingya civilians and burnings of Rohingya villages emerged in Rakhine state, starting in late August, at least 85 people have died along the Myanmar border as they have tried to enter Bangladesh, according to Bangladeshi authorities.

Most of the victims have drowned while trying to cross the Naf River that separates the two countries. The number includes five Rohingya villagers from Rakhine whose bodies were found on a river bank on the Bangladeshi side, after they were allegedly shot dead by Myanmar security forces, a police officer-in-charge in Ukhia, Bangladesh, told BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service, on Wednesday, citing eyewitness accounts from other refugees.

On Thursday, the bodies of the five villagers were buried, according to Bangladeshi authorities who said that the bodies of 15 people who drowned while trying to cross the river were pulled out of the Naf.

People have walked for up to six days before crossing into Bangladesh and are suffering hunger and exhaustion, and are in urgent need of food, water, shelter and health services, U.N. Bangladesh Resident Coordinator Robert Watkins said in a statement issued on Thursday.

Turkish dignitaries visit camps

During her trip to the southeast earlier in the day, Erdogan was photographed shedding tears while talking to elderly Rohingya women at the Kutupalong camp, one of the two U.N.-run refugee camps in Coxs Bazar district. The two camps had a combined population of about 30,000 people before the new influx of refugees.

Cavusoglu, the Turkish foreign minister, posted photographs from the camps on Twitter.

#Turkey will never leave #Rohingya Muslims alone. International community should also provide the necessary support without further delay, he said in one tweet.

A day earlier, Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan said that Turkey would send 10,000 tons of humanitarian aid to help Rohingya who had fled violence in Myanmar, according to reports.

He earlier had accused Myanmars government of carrying out genocide against the Rohingya, a Muslim minority whose members are not recognized as citizens in Myanmar, where the Buddhist majority refers to them pejoratively as Bengalis.

Reported by BenarNews, an RFA-affiliated online news service.
Top government officials in Myanmar are discussing how to strengthen and extend border fencing on the border with Bangladesh as clashes continue between Myanmar security forces and Muslim insurgents, forcing thousands to flee their homes.



More than 150,000 Rohingya have crossed the border into Bangladesh since Aug. 25, according to figures updated by the U.N. on Sept. 6.



At a meeting in Naypidaw on Wednesday to discuss funding for repairing border fences, Minister of Home Affair Lt-Gen Kyaw Swe and Social Welfare Minister Dr.Win Myat Aye described the need for tighter security along the border to thwart attacks from what they said were terrorists in order to provide humanitarian aid, the Presidents Office said in a statement on Facebook.



Villages burned in Rakhine are meanwhile being set ablaze not by local residents but by trained extremists who coerce villagers to take part, Border Affairs and Security Minister for Rakhine state Col. Phone Tint said in a news conference on Wednesday.



They are terrorists who have been given military training, and they force the villagers to do what they want, Tint told reporters in Rakhines Maungdaw township. They tell the villagers they will burn down their houses, too, unless they are joined by at least one from each household.



More than 6,800 houses have now been burned in 59 villages, with 387 terrorists killed and 38 arrested since Aug. 25 following attacks the day before on Myanmar police posts by an Islamic insurgent group, the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA), Myanmars Government Information Committee said in a statement on Wednesday.



Guns and knives



We dont like terrorists and terrorism, Mahmood Jolly, a Muslim resident of Maungdaw townships Kutpakaung village told RFAs Myanmar Service. We dont accept them, and we dont let them approach our village."



We are facing difficulties in getting groceries and medical care, though, as we cant travel safely to Maungdaw.



Yan Zaw, a Hindu man sheltered at one of the 22 refugee centers now set up in Maungdaw, said that terrorists had attacked his village armed with knives and guns.



We ran away as soon as we saw them come in with their weapons, and they set fire to our village, he said. They wore long face coverings, and we could only see their eyes. Seven houses were burned down, and one person was killed.



Residents of northern Rakhines Rathedaung township meanwhile protested the Wednesday visit of an interfaith committee, the Myanmar Interfaith Dialogue Group, set up to promote reconciliation between Rakhines warring communities, with local Buddhist monks refusing outright to meet with committee members.



We protested peacefully against the committee, Rathedaung resident Sein Hla Aung said.



Bengalis have been killing our Rakhine people and other ethnic groups and setting fire to our houses, Sein Hla Aung said, using a pejorative term for Rakhines Muslim Rohingya minority group, who are widely regarded as illegal migrants from Bengal although many have lived in Rakhine for generations.



We dont want to deal with them, he said.



Reported by Thiha Tun, Min Thein Aung, and Waiyan Moe Myint for RFAs Myanmar Service. Translated by Khet Mar. Written in English by Richard Finney.
Lawmakers next week will take up a two-year spending plan that includes tax cuts for wealthy families and business owners but rejects Gov. Scott Walkers proposals to ease the tax burden on poorer families, under amendments adopted late Wednesday by the Legislatures Republican-controlled budget committee.

The Joint Finance Committee approved the package of tax provisions during its last day of work writing the $76 billion 2017-19 state budget, which was due on Walkers desk more than two months ago.

The committee rejected Walkers proposal to reduce the lowest income tax rate, which would have saved 70 percent of tax filers an average of $44 this year. The committee also rejected Walkers proposal to boost the earned income tax credit for the working poor by $20 million, which would have applied to about 130,000 families.

But the committees Republican majority approved a $74 million cut to the tax businesses pay for machinery and tools and moved to eliminate the states alternative minimum tax beginning in 2019.

The alternative minimum tax, which applies to individuals making between $200,000 and $500,000 annually and is meant to ensure filers with lots of tax deductions pay a minimum amount of income tax, would be eliminated starting in 2019. The change could mean a $7 million tax cut for those individuals.

The package also eliminates the states Working Families Credit, which has given a modest tax credit to about 725 individuals making about $9,000 a year. And the committee rejected Walkers proposal to exempt school supply shoppers from sales taxes during one weekend before the next school year starts.

Democrats blasted the tax package, saying it disproportionately helps Wisconsins wealthiest individuals.

Youre giving tax breaks to millionaires and youre kicking working families while theyre down, said Rep. Katrina Shankland, D-Stevens Point.

But Rep. Dale Kooyenga, R-Brookfield, said many of the proposals  including the elimination of the alternative minimum tax and the Working Family Credit  apply to relatively few individuals and their elimination is just cleaning up the tax code.

Before the committee began its final day of work, committee co-chairs Sen. Alberta Darling and Rep. John Nygren told reporters that there wasnt enough money to pay for everything Walker proposed.

Under Walkers plan to reduce the lowest income tax rate, nearly 2.2 million out of 3.1 million tax filers with an adjusted gross income of $30,000 or more would have seen a reduction in their taxes.

But Darling characterized the proposal as a modest cut and said lawmakers decided it wasnt the best bang for your buck.

In other changes, the GOP tax package would:

Limit the amount of tax credits for individuals restoring historic properties to $5 million per property.

Allow families that adopt children from other states and countries to deduct $5,000 for adoption expenses.

Exclude the value of medals won by athletes competing in the Olympics, Paralympics and Special Olympics from their taxable income.

Provide a tax credit to television and radio station owners and sales tax exemptions for the purchase of broadcast equipment, including satellite dishes and communication towers.

Eliminate the sales tax on internet service.

Exempt beekeepers and fish farm owners from sales taxes.

Also Wednesday, lawmakers voted 12-4 to set up a new regulation system for short-term lodging providers like Airbnb to allow municipalities to enforce local room taxes on such rental providers and require lodging marketplaces to register with the state and obtain a license.

And the committee voted to prohibit local governments from banning short-term rentals if the guests stays were longer than six days and shorter than 29 days, while requiring homeowners who rent out their homes for more than 10 days per year to register with the state.

Voucher changes

The budget also changes how students enroll in the states newest private voucher school program, designed for students with disabilities. The plan is expected to cost around $3.1 million and double the enrollment in the program that began in 2016.

Currently, children applying to be in the program must have applied to a school district under the states open enrollment program, have been denied and have been enrolled in a public school for one school year before applying for a voucher. Those rules would be eliminated under the proposals Republicans adopted Wednesday.

Sometimes kids are locked in a situation that is not best for them, Nygren said. But Democrats said the proposal funnels more money into schools that arent subject to as much public scrutiny as public schools.

Lawmakers also included a change in the amount private schools receive for each student using a voucher for students with disabilities, and for disabled students who attend a school district through the open enrollment program.

The current amount is set at $12,000 per child in each scenario. Under the language lawmakers put in the budget, the payment will be greater than what schools currently get or greater than the actual costs the private schools incur in the prior year to educate the students.

Fewer secret amendments

The panel also took up a general wrap-up motion, an often controversial maneuver legislators deploy at the end of the committees work to add major policy changes to the state budget with little or no public scrutiny. A key feature of the motion is that the lawmakers who sponsor policy components dont attach their names to the proposals  unlike amendments that are brought up in committee and on the floor.

But this years motion contained far fewer dramatic changes than one introduced two years ago, when lawmakers sought to drastically limit public access to government documents, and four years ago when it surfaced in the middle of the night.

In this years omnibus motion, lawmakers adopted a Walker proposal to require the UW System to monitor teaching workloads and report that data to the governor and the Legislature; to move up by a few months 2 percent raises for state employees; and to require an audit of family planning service reimbursements received under the federal medical assistance program between 2013 and 2016.

Overall, the budget will have about a $196 million cushion in its general fund in 2019  up from the $11.6 million Walker proposed.
Richmond police closed Bryan Park for about three hours Thursday morning after an activist group hung eight effigies of clowns dressed in Ku Klux Klan robes from a tree.

The art collective INDECLINE, which released a video showing four masked men dressed in black hanging the clowns overnight, said in a news release the action is intended as a protest of the White Nationalist uprising in the United States.

The secretive group founded in 2001 is responsible for controversial and graphic street art installations across the country, most recently placing statues of a naked Donald Trump in a variety of large cities including New York and Las Vegas.

Intended message aside, Richmond political leaders broadly condemned the display.

When you look at something like that, whether you consider it art or not art, lynching is not something that were in agreement with at all, said James J.J. Minor, the president of the Richmond branch of the NAACP. We do not support any groups that support violence.

Bernice Travers, the president of the Richmond Crusade for Voters, the citys oldest African-American voter advocacy organization, said what INDECLINE does not understand is the pain black people endured then, and still feel today, about hangings.

Mayor Levar Stoneys press secretary, Jim Nolan, said in a statement that there are many ways to express a point of view. As a city we dont condone breaking the law to do so.

Richmond police quickly responded to the area Thursday morning, cordoning off a large area around the tree in crime scene tape and then closing the park.

A spokeswoman for the department, Chelsea Rarrick, said the department removed the display and is investigating. She said no arrests have been made. Police did not say what laws they believe were violated.

In a news release, INDECLINE said it chose Richmond for its latest action because it is the former capital of the Confederacy and Bryan Park because its the site where Gabriel Prosser plotted a famous slave rebellion in 1800.

A sign hung around the neck of one of the clowns read, If attacked by a mob of clowns, go for the juggler  INDECLINE.

This is not the first time the group has used imagery of hanging figures. In 2012, the group vandalized billboards in Las Vegas, writing hope youre happy Wall St. and dying for work on them and dangling a mannequin from a noose off the side.

City Council President Chris Hilbert, whose district includes Bryan Park, said he supports the right to free speech but wishes people would use it in a more prudent fashion.
The Assembly Democratic leader is leaving his post.

Rep. Peter Barca, D-Kenosha, announced his decision in a statement Thursday after a four-hour, closed-door meeting that one lawmaker said focused on debating leadership.

This afternoon I made the very difficult decision to step down as leader of the Assembly Democrats following deliberate, thoughtful discussions. I am grateful to my colleagues for their support over the last seven years, Barca said. It has been my honor to work as their leader in the fight for family-supporting jobs and an economy that works for everyone. Assembly Democrats have always fought to do what is right for Wisconsin families and workers.

Barcas resignation  effective Sept. 30  came after the meeting in a conference room at the U.S. Bank building on the Capitol Square during which some Assembly Democrats were planning to raise the question of whether Barca should be replaced.

Some members of the caucus have privately expressed skepticism over Barcas leadership as minority leader.

Last month, Barca was one of three Democrats to join majority Republicans to vote in favor of a nearly $3 billion tax incentive package to lure Taiwanese electronics giant Foxconn to southeastern Wisconsin, a project that could bring jobs and research money to his district.

No replacement was named Thursday, a Barca spokeswoman said.

Some Democrats left the meeting Thursday visibly upset. More than a dozen lawmakers refused to comment on what happened during the meeting when approached by the Wisconsin State Journal and wispolitics.com.

Not going to (comment)  Peters a great friend of mine, said Rep. Don Vruwink, D-Milton.

When Rep. Christine Sinicki, D-Milwaukee, was asked what lawmakers were debating in the closed caucus meeting, Sinicki said, Leadership.

And when asked if lawmakers were debating whether to replace Barca and if she supported him as minority leader, Sinicki said, Ill put it this way: Ive always supported Peter.

She later told Wisconsin Public Radio: We have a group of fairly young legislators who pretty much led this coup who feel that our current leader is not moving the caucus forward.

Barca said in his statement that Assembly Democrats ended our discussion this afternoon with a very constructive strategy session, and we are very focused on the work we must do to improve Gov. Walkers short-sighted budget. We are well prepared for the work ahead.

He declined to speak with reporters after the meeting.

Leader since 2011

Barca has been the leader of the Assembly Democrats since 2011, the year Gov. Scott Walker successfully pushed legislation that nearly eliminated collective bargaining for most public employees, thereby crushing a significant source of state Democrats fundraising through union membership losses.

That was the same year a new legislative district map went into effect. The map is being challenged in U.S. Supreme Court by a group of state Democrats who argue the plan was designed to heavily favor Republican candidates in state legislative races, giving them a built-in advantage to retain a large majority of seats in Wisconsins legislative houses  despite statewide vote totals in presidential races that typically split nearly evenly between Republicans and Democrats.

In the 2016 election, Assembly Democrats expected to gain at least a few seats in the contest. Instead, alongside a surprisingly strong showing by Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, the GOP caucus returned all of its incumbents.

Republicans also gained one seat in the 92nd Assembly District, where Treig Pronschinske, R-Mondovi, beat Rep. Chris Danou, D-Trempealeau.

Assembly Republicans now have a 64-35 edge over Democrats in the Assembly, their largest majority since 1957.

Flak from colleagues

Barca was criticized by Rep. Lisa Subeck, D-Madison, recently after he voted as one of three Assembly Democrats to support the $3 billion taxpayer incentive for Foxconn.

Subeck accused Barca of failing on all accounts of differentiating his views on Foxconn with that of the rest of Democrats, according to The Associated Press.

Rep. Jimmy Anderson, D-Fitchburg, in a statement last month to the Wisconsin State Journal, echoed many of Subecks concerns.

I get that Rep. Barca believes that Foxconn will be good for his district, but the vast majority of the caucus disagreed with the Foxconn deal, Anderson said. What resulted was a confusing display of contradictory public statements and more complaints about the process rather than the very serious substantive concerns about the bill.

Barca should have let another Democrat serve as the voice of the caucus during that debate, Anderson said.

State Republicans said Barcas announcement is related to the Foxconn vote.

Peter Barca took a reasonable vote in favor of good-paying Wisconsin jobs, and his extreme Democrat caucus ousted him for it, said Mark Morgan, executive director of the state Republican Party. Until Wisconsin Democrats offer real ideas and a message that will connect with the lives of hard-working Wisconsin families, theyll remain in a dangerous race to the left. Wisconsin Democrats are in complete state of disarray and its only getting worse.
WASHINGTON  Virginias two Democratic senators joined with two Republican senators to sponsor a resolution condemning white supremacists, the Ku Klux Klan, neo-Nazis and other hate groups after the white nationalist rally in Charlottesville that descended into deadly violence.

Democratic Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine introduced the joint resolution Wednesday along with Republican Sens. Cory Gardner of Colorado and Johnny Isakson of Georgia. The resolution recognizes the Aug. 12 death of 32-year-old Heather Heyer and injuries suffered by 19 others after a car allegedly driven by a neo-Nazi slammed into a crowd of counterprotesters.

The resolution specifically describes Heyers death as a domestic terrorist attack and acknowledges two Virginia State Police troopers who died when their helicopter crashed while monitoring the protests. State police Lt. H. Jay Cullen, 48, who was piloting the helicopter, and Trooper-Pilot Berke M.M. Bates, 40, died in the crash.

The resolution expresses support for the people of Charlottesville and urges healing in the wake of this horrific and violent display of bigotry. The resolution also calls on President Donald Trumps administration to use all available resources to improve data collection on hate crimes and work in a coordinated way to address hate groups in America.

If approved by the Senate, the joint resolution would go to the House, where a Virginia congressman, Rep. Gerry Connolly, D-11th, is leading efforts to approve it. If adopted by both chambers, the resolution would go to Trump.

Trump has been criticized for his response to the violent white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, where statues of Confederate Gens. Robert E. Lee and Thomas Stonewall Jackson face removal. Trump asserted there were good people on both sides of the Charlottesville rally and bemoaned rising efforts to remove Confederate monuments as an attack on Americas history and culture.

The Senate resolution is supported by a range of civil rights groups, including the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, the Anti-Defamation League and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund.
Every tragedy needs leavening with comic relief, as any good playwright knows. So it was fitting that the trials and tribulations of Petersburg were interrupted recently by a scene involving the citys former attorney, Brian Telfair.

It is not funny that Telfair was convicted of lying to the police about faking a racist threat. But the nature of the threat and the manner in which Telfair made it will be remembered as antic, at the least.

The lawyer had been under pressure to cancel a City Council meeting in February, a period when residents were furious about high water bills and more. Telfair came up with the bright idea of phoning in a racist threat. So he gave money to the clerk of the City Council to buy a burner phone, and have it activated. Then Telfair used the phone to call his own office, and claimed the mystery caller made threats to city officials and used racial epithets.

Telfair assumed the imaginary caller was white, he said, because he spoke redneck. He also informed city officials about the threatening phone call to his office well before he actually received it  or rather, made it.

Its amazing that the police ever managed to unravel such a diabolically clever scheme.
Dane Countys two big ongoing highway projects look to have emerged unscathed from cuts in a funding plan embraced by the Legislatures budget committee Tuesday.

Projects to rebuild and expand parts of Verona Road and the Madison Beltline, and a stretch of U.S. Interstate 39-90 south of Madison, are among those slated to stay on schedule for the next two years under the plan adopted by the Joint Finance Committee, Gov. Scott Walkers office confirmed Wednesday.

Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, said both projects are vital to the economic welfare of the whole state.

Were certainly thankful for the Joint Finance approval and what looks to be the continued funding of two vital projects, not just for this region, but for the state and beyond, Brandon said.

Other parts of the state transportation budget did not escape the funding crunch. A project to expand State Highway 15 in Outagamie County missed out on $58 million in funding in the plan, according to Walkers office.

And the state highway rehabilitation program, which pays for road resurfacing projects and accounts for the single biggest share of the state highway program, was cut by $79 million.

The plan adopted Tuesday provides a funding blueprint for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation through June 2019. After passing the finance committee, it heads next to the full Assembly and Senate.

The $1.2 billion I-39-90 project is rebuilding and expanding 45 miles of the interstate from near the Madison Beltline to the Illinois state line, while reconfiguring 11 interchanges along that stretch of the interstate. Its set to be completed in 2022.

Walker has touted that project as vital for Wisconsin tourism, as I-39-90 is a key thoroughfare for motorists entering the state from Illinois.

The $283 million Verona Road project is aimed at easing traffic flow on the main thoroughfare from Madison to the booming part of Dane County that includes Verona and Epic Systems.

In its first phase, the project expanded and rebuilt a stretch of the Madison Beltline from Seminole Highway to Whitney Way, and Verona Road immediately southwest of the Beltline. The second phase is doing the same for Verona Road from Raymond Road to just south of McKee Road-Highway PD, while replacing the intersection of those roads with a highway interchange. Its on track for completion in 2020.
RICHMOND  Long & Foster Cos. Inc., the largest private residential real estate company in the United States by sales volume, was sold to HomeServices of America Inc., a Minneapolis-based affiliate of Berkshire Hathaway, the companies announced Thursday.

The acquisition includes Long & Fosters family of companies, including Long & Foster Real Estate and its affiliates in mortgage, settlement services insurance and property management. Financial terms were not disclosed.

Long & Foster has about 11,000 agents in more than 230 offices in the Mid-Atlantic, including Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

The acquisition expands HomeServices presence in the Mid-Atlantic region and extends its national footprint to Virginia and West Virginia. The Long & Foster name will be retained as well as the headquarters in Chantilly.

Adding the Long & Foster brand puts HomeServices in position to be the nations largest real estate company based on transactions, according to the 2017 Real Trends 500 report. With this transaction, HomeServices has more than 41,000 agents in 30 states and the District of Columbia.

Long & Foster was founded in 1968 by Wes Foster and Henry Long. Long sold his half of the company to Foster in 1979. Wes Foster will remain with the company as chairman emeritus. Jeff Detwiler, Long & Fosters current president and chief operating officer, will assume the role of chief executive officer and, together with a team of enterprise and business line leaders, will oversee growth initiatives and continue to manage day-to-day operations.

In 2016, Long & Foster Real Estate had $29 billion in sales volume and more than 81,000 home sale transactions.

HomeServices of America, founded in 1998, is made up of real estate brokerages, mortgage companies, settlement service providers, insurance companies, corporate relocation and affiliated businesses.

The company is a subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Another Berkshire Hathaway subsidiary owns The Roanoke Times.
Opponents of two natural gas pipelines that are awaiting state and federal approval will stage demonstrations at Virginia Department of Environmental Quality offices next week, though the agency says only people on official business with DEQ will be allowed at its offices.

At DEQ headquarters in Richmond, only official business will be conducted inside the building, said Ann Regn, a DEQ spokeswoman.

All DEQ offices will remain open for official business (business as usual) on the days of the protest, Regn said in an email.

Calling it the most ambitious and creative environmental protest ever organized in Virginias history, organizers say the demonstrations on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at seven DEQ offices across the state are expected to draw up to 1,000 people.

The protests will focus on the agencys intention to issue certifications that a reasonable assurance exists that the Atlantic Coast and Mountain Valley pipelines construction will not violate Virginia water quality standards.

At issue are Dominion Energys 600-mile Atlantic Coast Pipeline and the 303-mile Mountain Valley Pipeline, developed by EQT Midstream Partners.

The first day of the protest will involve rallies on public sidewalks outside DEQ offices in Virginia Beach, Roanoke, Harrisonburg, Richmond, Abingdon, Glen Allen and Woodbridge.

On the second day, faith leaders and spiritual elders will pray for McAuliffe as he makes a decision of historic consequences very soon.

The third day will feature a non-violent sit-in, said Jamshid Bakhtiari, a spokesman for the Chesapeake Climate Action Network.
The Wisconsin attorney generals office has spent about $83,000 on promotional items since Republican Brad Schimel took office, including bags, pistol cases, candy and custom-made fortune cookies.

The Associated Press obtained invoices through the states open records law that show Schimel spent $6,269 on messenger bags, $6,000 on pistol cases, nearly $3,200 on candy and $100 on fortune cookies containing custom-ordered messages such as, The time is right to make new friends and no ones been hurt from laughing too much. The spending also included nearly $10,000 for coins promoting Schimels mantra, kicking ass every day.

The items had been purchased since January 2015. Most of it was handed out as gifts to attendees at DOJ conferences.

Liberal group One Wisconsin Now also obtained the invoices through a records request. Joanna Beilman-Dulin, OWNs research director, said in a statement that Schimel should spend the departments money on fighting crime. She noted that thousands of Wisconsin rape kits havent been tested and there have been delays in testing evidence for DNA.

This is about priorities, and Brad Schimels are grievously misplaced, Beilman-Dulin said.

Its unclear whether the DOJs promotional spending is in line with other state agencies. Spokesmen for the Department of Natural Resources and the Department of Agriculture, Trade and Consumer Protection had no figures immediately available. A spokesman for the Department of Corrections didnt immediately reply to a message.

Democrats criticized Schimel earlier this year when the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the spending on the kicking ass every day coins. He told the Legislatures budget-writing committee in March that he would require higher levels of approval within his department before such expenditures could be made, but he didnt elaborate.

DOJ spokesman Johnny Koremenos said Wednesday that the agency has hosted 187 training seminars for about 10,000 law enforcement professionals since Schimel took office. He said the overall cost of promotional items handed out at the conferences looks high but actually amounts to about $5 per attendee. Its unclear how Koremenos arrived at that figure, since $5 times 10,000 attendees would equate to $50,000, not $83,000.

Koremenos said Schimel has ordered re-training for employees responsible for buying promotional materials to ensure that they are good stewards of state resources. He added that Schimel has ordered his executive staff to pre-approve any proposed spending above a certain threshold. He did not elaborate.

Schimel faces re-election in November 2018. Democrat Josh Kaul is the only candidate running against him so far. Kauls campaign didnt immediately reply to an email seeking comment on the promotional spending.
Eight effigies of clowns dressed in Klu Klux Klan robes were hanged from a tree in Richmonds Bryan Park Thursday morning.

The activist art collective INDECLINE took credit for the action in a press release, which described it as a protest of the upsurge of white nationalist in the United States.

The activation was carried out in Richmond, Virginia, chosen for its infamous legacy of being the capitol of the Confederate South, the group said. It was executed in what is today known as Joseph Bryan Park, the same location of the Gabriel Prosser slave rebellion in 1800.

A sign hung around the neck of one of the clowns read, If attacked by a mob of clowns, go for the juggler  INDECLINE.

As of 8 a.m. Richmond police had closed the park and cordoned off the immediate area in crime scene tape.

INDECLINE is the same group that installed statues meant to be a naked Donald Trump in cities across the country last year.
Robert Boot Schuh, who owned a Downtown dive bar later busted as one of Madisons most notorious drug dens, and then found redemption in prison, died Tuesday in California. He was 67.

Schuh, who ran Jockos Rocket Ship from 1975 until police shut it down following a raid in December 1999, suffered a fatal medical incident while driving his car in Redwood City, according to longtime friend Todd Rothbard.

The raid on the bar resulted in federal drug convictions of four bartenders and four dealers. Seven Madison firefighters were disciplined, but not charged, after investigators learned they frequented the establishment. For his involvement, Schuh served nearly a decade in prison.

Schuh told the State Journal in 2010 after his release that prison likely saved his life, forcing him to address his cocaine addiction. Im a very lucky man and I know it, Schuh said then.

After prison, Schuh went to work for Rothbard, whom he had known since the two met in 1969 at the Sigma Chi fraternity at UW-Madison. Rothbard, an attorney in Santa Clara, California, hired Schuh to oversee several young couriers.

He was like a dad to those kids, Rothbard said. You wouldnt think a guy who went through what he did would be a good role model, but he was.

Schuh was able to model what a dedicated and fastidious employee looked like, Rothbard said. But he was also a bit of an anti-model, the lesson being: Stay out of trouble or youll go to jail like me.

Schuh grew up in Whitefish Bay and moved to Madison to attend UW-Madison. After college, he bought Jockos, 430 W. Gilman St., now the Blue Velvet Lounge.

More than just a hard-drinking establishment, Jockos functioned as an indoor, open-air drug market for at least 10 years, according to police. The basement became a central location for cocaine to be stored, mixed, weighed and packaged, according to prosecutors.

In federal prison, Schuh learned to type, tutored other inmates as they prepared to get their high school equivalency degrees and enrolled in an anti-drug program. He also refereed sporting events.

Rothbard said Schuh matured during his prison sentence, but he kept his positive nature.

He had a unique personality, Rothbard said. He was always somewhat happy-go-lucky and somewhat upbeat.
By John Long

The controversy over memory continues. From Confederate statues the arguments are turning to founding fathers, Columbus Day, dormitory names on campuses. Who deserves to be so monumentally remembered? Under what circumstances should that recognition cease? Who gets to decide?

I keep hearing that we need to talk to each other; put aside the screaming and waving of placards and storming of police lines and have a respectful discussion of the issues at stake. I agree, but I seldom hear evidence of such dialogues. So, hopefully to get the opposite sides talking, I offer some tough devils-advocate discussion questions for both:

For those who insist public monuments (or at least the ones they dont like) must go:

What standards would you apply to the question of keeping or destroying a statue or retaining a name on something? Confederate statues are easy targets these days, especially after Charlottesville. But already protestors are moving on to Washington, Jefferson, Columbus, or lesser known figures who dont measure up to modern sensibilities in one way or another. Who goes and who stays? Based on what criteria? If the decision is equitably made to maintain the status quo, will you accept it?

It seems the most common issue is that a person of the 18th or 19th centuries doesnt match up to current sensibilities on race. Very true  you would look long and hard to find a white person of those centuries who was not racist by todays standards. Abraham Lincoln said many things that wed consider racist today, and prior to the Civil War expressed a desire to continue slavery. Should his memorials go? Why or why not? And how would you persuade those who disagree?

Another example: Franklin Roosevelt interned Japanese-Americans during World War II and led a segregated military into war. Do these politically incorrect facts offset his undeniable significance?

If you are offended by a statue or the name on a college building or road, what obligation does that impose on others? I am offended by many things in modern society. Does my offense impose an obligation on you or anyone else?

For that matter, there are millions of people in the world who, for religious reasons, are offended by ANY representation of the human form, which could be construed as idolatry. Should all examples of representative public art be abolished out of deference to these beliefs?

For those who believe that public monuments (of which they approve) should stay:

A memorial to, say, Robert E. Lee was presumably erected because at the time there was a public consensus that such a monument should exist. If the public consensus changes now or in the future, why should that monument continue?

Will you concede that much of the opposition to Confederate symbols stems less from the war of 1861-65 itself than from the appropriation of those symbols by segregationists during the Civil Rights movement? Can you effectively separate these two applications of such symbols now? How would you do so?

If Robert E. Lee or Stonewall Jackson returned from the grave and you asked him whether his statue should remain in place amid public outcries, what do you suppose he would say?

For the record, I dont think there can be a one-size-fits-all solution to these questions. They almost have to be decided on a case-by-case basis. I dont expect perfection from any historical figure (save one) and have never been disappointed in this. I tend to think (from a preservationist standpoint) that public monuments and named buildings, as a rule, should remain for their natural lifespan  if nothing else as a testament to the community which erected that sculpture or named that building. But such things should be re-interpreted continually as our understanding of the past evolves. So all things being equal Im not too bothered to find the name of a college benefactor who once owned slaves on some campus building. But Id make sure his imperfections are a matter of public record.

Destroying statues strikes me as somewhat akin to book burning. But at the same time, if the next time I drive down Monument Avenue in Richmond I discover that the statue of Lee is gone, I cant say Id lose any sleep over it. But I am greatly bothered by those on either side who utilize criminal behavior, violent attacks, property damage, or other misbehavior to achieve their ends.

Finally, to both sides Id ask this: Could the energy put into this debate be more constructively applied to other matters?

Long is the education director for the National D-Day Memorial.
By Ryan Tipps

Tipps is the managing editor of an agricultural publication and lives in Chamblissburg.

I am more soured on this years gubernatorial election than on any other in my 13 years of living in Virginia.

Four years ago, we saw two candidates who inspired discussion and motivated voters  one had close Clinton ties and shouldered all the baggage that came with that; the other had immigration and social stances that pushed the bar further right. And those descriptions dont even factor in the third-party candidate who polled particularly high entering that November.

The 2013 election had us talking. Yes, we raised our voices, got aggressive, and got defensive, but there was conversation. Where is that kind of passion this election cycle?

At the end of August, I tweeted that I had already seen at least 25 commercials for Republican Ed Gillespie, be it on television, YouTube or Facebook. By comparison, Ive seen exactly zero for Democrat Ralph Northam. And I probably underestimated Gillespies footprint, having counted seven ads seen in the five days alone since I tweeted that. Unfortunately, theres no erring in the Northam number.

My tweet was picked up by a couple of Republicans and dubbed a zinger against Northam and his clay feet. Though part of my intent was to light a fire under Northam, the GOP commenters were not wrong. Anecdotally, Northam has among the worst name recognition of any lieutenant governor in recent history, and the Democratic Party doesnt seem to care. (Back in 2013, I thought then Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling was adept at hiding in the shadows  Northam puts him to shame.) Virginia statewide offices are not based on the Electoral College model: Every vote counts, whether it comes from Abingdon, Bedford, Richmond or Chesapeake.

The truth is, if Northam and his backers dont work on getting his name out there  and better yet, some semblance of his message  its not worth talking about this race. I understand that people are burned out from the heated partisan back and forth that defined last years presidential election, but as citizens, we have a job to do in continuing to be involved in the development of our political leadership at all levels, including the State Capitol.

Particularly distressing to me, as someone who has voted for both Republican and Democratic candidates during my adult life, is not having candidates make even an effort to connect with me. I crave information from both sides of the aisle. Im that independent voter who Republicans and Democrats claim they want to cater to as even as they muscle their policies to the extremes. Im the voter who cares about these things and likes to ask questions. I shouldnt be a voter who has to use the Google search bar to remind myself what the name of our Democratic nominee is.
The states partisan Ethics Commission, which is supposed to uphold good government rules, conducted just one investigation during its first year of operation.

The single inquiry, which remains unresolved, adds to growing evidence the panel will be weak and ineffective  which is why Republicans who control state government created it in the first place. They dont want a powerful and independent watchdog agency sniffing around for violations of campaign finance, lobbying and ethics laws.

The new Ethics Commission is more of a lap dog. Most commissioners are picked by  and serve at the pleasure of  top lawmakers. The commissioners can be politically active, giving political donations to the very politicians theyre supposed to keep an eye on. So they have little incentive to go after signs of wrongdoing or corruption.

A state report highlighted in Sundays State Journal by statehouse reporter Mark Sommerhauser showed the Ethics Commission is far less active at investigating the politicians and their campaigns than its predecessor, the nonpartisan and independent Government Accountability Board. The Ethics Commission and a partisan Elections Commission replaced the accountability board last year, despite the GAB being hailed nationally as a model for encouraging clean government.

The Ethics Commission fielded 39 complaints of alleged legal violations from July 2016 through June 2017, according to the commissions first annual report. Of those, 30 were within the commissions jurisdiction, and only one (dealing with campaign finance) led to an investigation (of possible use of public resources for private benefit).

The many complaints that werent investigated, as well as the commissions deliberations about them, are hidden from public view under the law.

What is clear, however, is that the old accountability board, which consisted of retired judges insulated from partisan politics, was much more aggressive in pursuing cases of possible violations. And no wonder  it actually had the power to do what it wanted without asking lawmakers for permission to spend money in pursuit of fairness and justice.

Lawmakers have limited what the Ethics Commission can do, and reduced its staff.

The old GAB conducted 17 investigations over three years. Thats far more than the Ethics Commission has pursued. The comparison isnt perfect because of differing political environments and weaker campaign finance laws. But it still provides strong evidence that the GAB did a much better job of enforcing high standards at the statehouse than the current panel of mostly obedient party loyalists.

Thats a shame, leaving the state more ripe for government waste and corruption.
BLACKSBURG  Arturo Roman has a Spanish saying he likes to use to describe himself.

Ni de aqui, ni de alla. It means from neither here nor there.

But, the Virginia Tech student who was born in Mexico definitely holds more memories from his boyhood home of Reston, Va., the place hes lived since the age of 2 until last year when the now-sophomore moved to Blacksburg to enroll as a student majoring in biochemistry at Virginia Tech.

To him, Tuesdays announcement by Attorney General Jeff Sessions that President Donald Trumps administration plans to phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program (DACA) over the next six months was nerve-racking.

After all, it opens him up to being deported in two years to a country he hasnt seen since he was an infant.

I dont have anything in Mexico. Theres nothing there for me, Roman said. The closest Ive been is Texas.

Roman is one of 800,000 mostly young people enrolled in DACA nationwide.

The policy allowed them to live, work and go to school in the United States in two-year increments. They must reapply after each stint. That process will apparently be closed as the president attempts to leverage action from Congress.

The Migration Policy Institute, a nonpartisan think tank dedicated to the movement of people worldwide, estimates in 2016 there are 40,000 people eligible for DACA protection in Virginia and 1.9 million nationally. The State Council for Higher Education of Virginia estimates about 1,300 DACA beneficiaries were enrolled in public colleges in Virginia last year.

Roman said he doesnt follow the news normally. Though, he said hes been forced to lately, he said. Thats mostly because of the rhetoric of the president, he said.

He prefers to work for the greater good. During high school he helped organize blood drives. Now, he does grunt work in a biochemistry laboratory on campus, aspiring to do more. He hopes someday he can help create new medicines, he said. That desire to serve and Techs motto Ut Prosim, which means That I may serve, were a natural fit, he said.

Im not some boogeyman trying to take your jobs, Roman said. Were just normal people trying to make it out here in this great country.

Virginia Tech added itself to the chorus of higher education institutions nationwide condemning the move to end DACA protections.

Trumps decision to end the program came under fire Wednesday from a group of 16 state and District of Columbia attorneys general from around the country, including Virginias Mark Herring. The group sued Trump in federal court, alleging violations of the Fifth Amendment rights of DACA beneficiaries, among other allegations. They seek injunctions preventing DACA from being rescinded and preventing government officials from using DACA application information to facilitate deportation.

The Tech Division for Student Affairs and Office for Inclusion and Diversity released a statement calling on Congress to continue the program that has more than 800,000 enrollees nationwide. The statement, signed by Vice President for Student Affairs Patty Perillo and Menah Pratt-Clarke, Vice President for Strategic Affairs and Vice Provost for Inclusion and Diversity, also touted the value DACA beneficiaries bring to the Tech community.

The statement also said the university will keep dreamers, as DACA beneficiaries are commonly called, abreast of changes in the program and help answer any questions they might have.

The promise of a Virginia Tech education is an opportunity that is  and should continue to be  for everyone, the statement said. It is incumbent on all of us to create the environments in which students can succeed and thrive. Together, we create Hokies who will launch from this university and change the world.

Tech President Timothy Sands tweeted out the statement and added The VT #DREAMers Ive met exhibit the character, leadership & commitment to #UtProsim to which all #Hokies aspire.

According to an estimate from the student group Tech Dreamers last year, there are about 30 undocumented students at Tech.

The statements from Tech were reassuring, said Juan de la Rosa, a Tech graduate who works at the university and is chair of the Virginia Tech Hispanic/Latino Faculty and Staff Caucus. He said hes found his passion at the university and hopes to continue working in higher education in the future.

That passion has come from working with DACA beneficiaries like himself.

DACA students are some of the best representatives of this universitys motto: Ut Prosim, de la Rosa said.

Tech and the Virginia Tech police department have put on the universitys immigration resources website that local law enforcement will cooperate with national government agencies enforcing the executive order, however Tech Police dont have a policy or practice of requesting the immigration status of individuals it encounters and absent a change in the law compelling it to do so will not engage in such practices, according to Techs website.

Roman is hopeful that the reassuring statements can lead to action from Virginia Tech.

He and other undocumented Tech students as part of the undocumented student group Tech Dreamers have a planned meeting with Sands on Thursday. A meeting where he hopes the university will directly tell the students they will be helped by their university. But more than that, Roman said, he hopes theyll just be affirmed as part of the Tech community.

I hope hell accept us as Hokies, Roman said.
Nornickel introduces automated remote-controlled drilling at Norilsk mines The automated drilling technology significantly enhances performance, improves safety, and ensures a stable workflow and delivery against the targets.



Iamgold revises 2022 production guidance upwards Dual-listed Iamgold produced 184 000 ounces (oz) in the third quarter from three of its operations compared to 153 000 oz, a year earlier. Of the three operations, its 90%-owned Essakane Mine in Burkina Faso delivered strong results and achieved...

Mandatory labeling of jewelry in Russia to begin in 2024 The deadline for mandatory application of physical marking on jewelry made of precious metals and precious stones in Russia has been postponed from March 2023 to March 2024. That resolution was signed by the Government of the Russian Federation. It is...

Northam Platinum mulls acquisition of remaining RBPlat shares Northam Platinum is planning to acquire all remaining shares in Royal Bafokeng Platinum (RBPlat) at R172.70 a share. It currently controls a 34.52% stake in RBPlat and, together with call options and a right of first refusal secured with...
The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council of India (GJEPC) has welcomed De Beers' decision to increase its current year marketing spend to $140 mn in key markets like US, India and China. De Beers is also increasing its partnership marketing with GJEPC and the Diamond Producers Association (DPA), says a press note from GJEPC.

Praveenshankar Pandya, Chairman-GJEPC, said, It is extremely heartening to note De Beers announcing the highest ever marketing spend on branded diamond jewellery seen in the last decade or so. This timely decision will go a long way in addressing ever-growing demand for generic diamond promotions to ensure that diamonds take centre-stage in the minds of millennials and boost demand at the retail. The combined generic promotional budget for both De Beers and DPA will top the USD 200 mn mark and this sizeable spend will help in diamond category marketing in the key markets of India, China and the US. This is a good beginning and can help in instilling confidence in the key stakeholders and boosting demand. However, we urge other partners to come forward and add to the marketing budget so as to have a cascading effect on consumers.

Russell Mehta, Vice Chairman-GJEPC, added, Buying diamonds is always an emotional decision and it is important to establish the key attributes such as pure, rare and value in the minds of millennials and the Gen-Next. Generic diamond promotion is very essential for the growth of the diamond industry and we have seen recent successes of India-specific campaigns such as Ek Heera Tumhare Heere Ke Liye (A diamond for your diamond) initiated during festive season 2016. GJEPC has been at the forefront of teaming up with major diamond producers to start generic marketing of diamonds and we shall continue to pursue such collaborative and mutually beneficial initiatives.



Aruna Gaitonde, Editor-in-Chief of Asian Bureau, Rough & Polished




At the Eastern Economic Forum, Chairman of the Management Board and General Director of PJSC RusHydro Nikolai Shulginov and President of PJSC ALROSA Sergey Ivanov signed an agreement on strategic cooperation.

The two sides consider each other as strategic partners and plan to develop and strengthen cooperation on the development of the energy infrastructure and economic potential of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Far East in general.

"RusHydro and ALROSA have been cooperating for many years by providing reliable and safe energy supply in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). I am confident that the exchange of experience and joint coordinated actions aimed at the formation of optimal water and energy regimes, proposals for the development of the energy system of the region and investment support in economic and energy sectors of the Far East will contribute to the growth of business of our companies," - Nikolai Shulginov noted.

"ALROSA's production has a high energy consumption. We are striving to increase the efficiency of electricity consumption and costs, therefore, it is necessary to unite efforts of ALROSA and RusHydro, the flagship company of the Far Eastern energy sector, to prepare joint proposals for the development of the energy sector in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia). We are also interested in developing tools that will improve the accuracy of energy consumption forecasts in the republic. In addition, in the near future we plan to attach the Western energy district of Yakutia, which accounts for more than 80% of ALROSA's electricity consumption, to the wholesale electricity and capacity market. This requires joint and coordinated actions from both the management of RusHydro and ALROSA," - Sergei Ivanov said.

RusHydro Group is one of the largest Russian energy holdings, uniting more than 90 renewable energy facilities in Russia and abroad, thermal power plants and grid assets in the Far East, as well as energy sales companies and research and design institutes. The installed capacity of the power plants that make up RusHydro, including the Boguchanskaya HPP, is 38.9 GW.

ALROSA is the world's largest producer of diamonds in terms of carats. ALROSA is engaged in exploration, production and sale of diamonds. The company carries out diamond mining in the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) and the Arkhangelsk region. In 2016, ALROSA produced 37.4 million carats of rough diamonds, revenues in 2016 amounted to 317.1 billion rubles.




Trans Hex said it has started consultations with the National Union of Mineworkers (NUM) over the potential retrenchment of hundreds of employees at its Baken Mine in South Africa.

The mine, which had been in operation for more than 45 years, currently employs 332 employees.

Trans Hex said in a statement that it had made every effort to sustain operations at Baken, however the mines low carat production and subsequent financial losses were now considered to be unsustainable.

The mine incurred a loss of R35,8 million in the 2017 financial year and an additional loss of R46,5 million for the period April to July 2017.

it is envisaged that operations at Baken will continue during the consultation process and that the mine will then be placed on care and maintenance effective from 1 November 2017, it said.

Trans Hex also placed its Bloeddrif mine in the Northern Cape on care and maintenance last in February.



Mathew Nyaungwa, Editor in Chief of the African Bureau, Rough&Polished




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CDOT

A Colorado commission is exploring plans for a commuter rail line connecting cities along the state's Front Range.

The commission, which includes government representatives from Denver to Trinidad, has until Dec. 1 to submit a detailed plan including funding options to the Legislature.

The state Department of Transportation estimated a commuter rail line from Fort Collins to Pueblo would cost $5 billion to $15 billion.

A closer objective is the proposed rerouting of Amtraks Southwest Chief to include stops in Pueblo and Walsenburg.

The 13-member commission will meet for the second time this week, and plans to convene at least once a month, according to media reports.

The repurposed commission, signed into law by Gov. John Hickenlooper in May, was created in 2014 to plan for the rehabilitation of more than 100 miles of track on Amtraks Chicago-to-Los Angeles line, which stops in Lamar, La Junta and Trinidad in the southeast corner of the state, and consider expanding the Chiefs services.

The commissioners have been tasked with finding millions of dollars needed to rehabilitate about 50 miles of track and the Pueblo station. p> Pueblo voters in November 2016 approved a ballot question that would let the county spend excess revenues that otherwise would be returned to taxpayers under the Taxpayers Bill of Rights, or TABOR, to fund projects including the re-route.

But paying for the project likely would voter-approved taxes, or an the first increase in the state gas since the early 1990s.

The line is considered essential to keeping pace with other growing areas such as Salt Lake City. The Front Range is expected to grow from more than 4 million residents to more than 6 million by 2040.
Metrolinx

The Eglinton Crosstown Light Rail Transit (LRT) project installed the first piece of track at the Maintenance and Storage Facility marking another milestone toward bringing the project online by 2021.

The 19-km (11.8-mile) Eglinton Crosstown LRT will connect Mount Dennis Station in the west with Kennedy Station in the east and includes a 10-km (6.21-mile) underground portion between Keele Street and Laird Drive. The line will bring an additional 25 stations and stops to the Greater Toronto Area that will link to bus routes, three subway stations, three GO Transit lines and the Union Pearson Express.

The turnout installed is part of the 8.5-km (5.28-mile) track system that will move vehicles through Mount Dennis Station and adjoining maintenance and storage facility. The facility is the first major component of the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project scheduled for completion and will be finished in 2018.

Ontario is fully funding the CA$5.3-billion (US$4.18-billion) Eglinton Crosstown LRT to expand transit in the city of Toronto.

The installation of the first piece of track is a significant milestone for the Eglinton Crosstown LRT project. It is exciting to see how far weve come since work began in 2011. This investment will provide fast, efficient and reliable transit for residents, commuters and visitors in Toronto, said Ontario Minister of Transportation Steven Del Duca.
Best Buy has apologized after photos posted online showed cases of bottled water priced at $42-plus each at a store in Houston area that was hit hard by Hurricane Harvey. The electronics retailer said the pricing was the result of an employee error in a single store.

The photo, which was widely shared on Instagram and Twitter, showed 24-packs of bottled water marked for sale for $42.96, following which the company was accused of price gouging amid the flooding and destruction.

The company said in a statement, "..this was clearly a mistake in a single store. We feel terrible about this because, as a company we are focused on helping, not hurting people affected by this terrible event."

According to the company, the mistake was made when employees priced a case of water by multiplying the cost of one bottle by the number of bottles in a case.

Best Buy noted that the company does not usually sell cases of water and that it does not have pricing for it in its computer system.

"We are all deeply sorry that we gave anyone even the momentary impression that we were trying to take advantage of the situation," it said.

The catastrophic downpours and flooding from Harvey have cost at least 31 lives, forced thousands from their homes in Texas and caused extensive destruction.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Business News
Japan is scheduled to release a raft of data on Friday, headlining a busy day for Asia-Pacific economic activity. On tap are Q2 figures for gross domestic product, plus July numbers for current account and August data for bank lending, bankruptcies and the eco watchers survey.

GDP is expected to expand 0.7 percent on quarter and 2.9 percent on year following the 1.0 percent quarterly increase and a 4.0 percent yearly gain in the previous reading.

The current account is expected to show a surplus of 2,044.6 billion yen, up from 934.6 billion yen in June. Overall bank lending is called steady at 3.3 percent, while lending excluding trusts is called unchanged at 3.4 percent.

The eco watchers survey for current conditions is expected to see a score of 49.5, down from 49.7 in July. The outlook is called unchanged at 50.3.

China will see August results for imports, exports and trade balance. Imports are expected to climb 10.0 percent on year, down from 11.0 percent in July. Exports are called higher by 5.1 percent, slowing from 7.2 percent in the previous month. The trade surplus is pegged at $48.60 billion, up from $46.74 billion a month earlier.

Australia will provide July data for home loans. In June, the number of loans added 0.5 percent, while the value gained 0.3 percent. Investment lending jumped 1.6 percent.

New Zealand will release Q2 numbers for manufacturing activity; in the first quarter, activity gained 2.8 percent and volume fell 0.3 percent.

For comments and feedback contact: editorial@rttnews.com

Economic News

What parts of the world are seeing the best (and worst) economic performances lately? Click here to check out our Econ Scorecard and find out! See up-to-the-moment rankings for the best and worst performers in GDP, unemployment rate, inflation and much more.
. To do so, first type the original number into the text box. Then click on the "Scientific Notation" option located at the top of the floating window. Finally, click on the "Standard" button found beneath the text box to display your result. This program is useful for scientists and engineers working with decimal-based numbers. It provides easy access to those who need to convert those numbers into more compact forms without having to do heavy math calculations first.

Scientific notation is a way to express very large or very small numbers. It is used in physics, chemistry and other fields where large numbers are common. Those numbers are written as a power of 10 followed by a number with an exponent. For example, 1,000,000 (one million) is written as 1  103. The exponent shows how many zeros are after the first digit. For example, 1,000,001 is written as 1  102. Scientific notation is a useful tool for making calculations easier. You can use it to write down very big or very small numbers in one step instead of writing out both the large and small numbers separately. You can also use it to express large or small numbers in terms of other units like centimeters or millimeters.

Scientific notation solver is an online tool that can be used to convert any number into scientific notation. Simply enter any number to the left of the decimal point and it will automatically convert it into a scientific notation equivalent. This web tool can be very helpful when you need to convert a large number into scientific notation. However, please note that this online tool can only convert numbers that are in scientific format. For example, it cannot convert a non-scientific number like "1,085" into a scientific notation equivalent. It is also important to keep in mind that this web tool only works when converting numbers from one particular format to another. For example, if you want to change a non-scientific number like "1,085" into standard format, then you will have to use another online tool like NumberFormatting.com.
The leadership of Prime Minister Tuilaepa Dr. Sailele Malielegaoi has been hailed as leaders get down to serious business in the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting being held in Apia.

Tuilaepa was praised by the Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (P.I.F.S.), Dame Meg Taylor, during the opening of the Forum at Robert Louis Stevenson Museum on Tuesday.

Tuilaepa has taken over from the outgoing Chair, President Christian of the Federated States of Micronesia.

This is the fourth time Samoa has chaired the Leaders Meeting and Tuilaepas second has Chair.

You clearly have a long and special relationship with the Forum, and we can all benefit from your leadership, insight and wisdom in the year ahead, Dame Meg said.

Honourable Prime Minister, I am very inspired by your choice of theme for this years Forum. I believe that the Blue Pacific has great potential to strengthen our sense of a common identity.

We are all connected by the Pacific Ocean, whether we live just metres from its shores or faraway in the interior mountains and highlands of our diverse islands.

I see the Blue Pacific providing us with a sense of identity that is fundamentally empowering; a common ocean identity that will enable us to think more innovatively about the way we work together, and with the wider world as we advance the political ambition of the Framework for Pacific Regionalism.

According to Dame Meg, the Framework for Pacific Regionalism is a critical tool for the Pacific.

This was a step you took to raise the ambition for collective political action in the Pacific. A step taken because of a common concern that regionalism had lost its way; that bureaucratic process and technical issues were dominating the regional agenda, and impeding Leaders ability to set and drive the Pacifics political and developmental priorities, Dame Meg said.

Over the past three years, we have all worked hard to bring the Framework for Pacific Regionalism to life. We see the regions policy agenda being developed through inclusive and lively debate  in my view this is a real, significant and positive development for our region.

We are also seeing a regional policy agenda taking shape that is focused and political. In this regard, I would like to recognize the contributions made by this years meetings of Forum Economic Ministers and Forum Foreign Affairs Ministers. Ministers have clearly embraced the opportunity to bring their particular policy expertise to Forum priorities.

For example, the agreement by Forum Foreign Ministers on the need for a collective Forum foreign policy is a significant initiative that has emerged from this new and important addition to the Forums policy-making architecture.

And while we should celebrate achievements so far, I want also to acknowledge that there is much more that can and needs to be done to give full effect to the vision, values and objectives of the Framework.

The Framework is grounded in the understanding that our regions political and developmental priorities are set by you, the Leaders of the Pacific Islands Forum. Together you represent the apex of decision-making for regional action. However, more needs to be done to ensure that your decisions are effectively implemented through the regional system that you own and oversee.

The meeting ends tomorrow with the Leaders Retreat at the Taumeasina Island Resort.
Maoi Polynesia is taking their Samoan spreads to the world as part of Pacific Trade Invest (P.T.I.) Australias Pacific Showcase at Fine Food Australia next week.

Founded by Cedric Holz, Maoi Polynesia is based in the village of Poutasi.

Mr. Holz works with the Poutasi village, to produce his hand-crafted range from traditional jams to pure tropical fruit spreads.

Using locally planted fruit and employing locals, Maoi Polynesia is set to showcase internationally the unique taste of perfectly ripe exotic fruits grown here in Samoa putting Samoa on the international food map for boutique plantation to jar spreads.

Fine Food Australia is the leading trade exhibition for the food industry.

Running from the 11-14 September the event is a showcase of the latest products and attracts buyers from restaurants, bakeries, retailers, caterers and other food businesses in Australasia.

Mona Mato, Export Services Manager, P.T.I. Australia said there is an increasing demand internationally for artisian products with consumers wanting to understand where and how their food is produced, creating a real market for high quality boutique products like Maoi Polynesia.

Theres a real food movement with consumers wanting to know how their food is produced and where is sourced. Theres an increasing health and socially conscious consumer market thats choosing boutique products with an ethical story over massed produced commodities, this is the market that Maoi Polynesia will appeal too, Mato said.

Fine Food Australia will also be a great vehicle to raise awareness of Maoi Polynesia and its story to an international audience.

They will not only get feedback and foster relationships directly with Australian retailers and distributers. The Expo will also provide them with valuable insight into their competitors. By being part of the show they will see firsthand how their competitors market and position themselves.

P.T.I. Australias Pacific Showcase will host eight pacific enterprises  Samoas Maoi Polynesia; Fijis Foods Pacific Ltd and Genes Premium Seafoods; Vanuatus Azure Pure Water Ltd; Niue Vanilla Organic; NiuLife and Solagro Products from the Solomon Islands and P.N.Gs Superior Coffee.
A community elder believes chiefs and village councils should play a more active role in pulling youths back in line in accordance with traditional values and beliefs.

Viiga Faatoia, 57, of Lalomanu believes the chiefs have eased their foot off the pedal in terms of disciplining young people and the results are obvious.

The way we do things in our village is that we have matais and the village council which help protect everything, he said.

Even with our youths, they know how things are run here so they cause no trouble.

No one is able to do anything that is out of order because everyone obeys instructions.

This does not happen in other villages, especially the ones in town.

And thats why there are social problems, he said.

Thats what I know because when we refer to the town areas in Apia, many of the people causing trouble are not from Apia. I feel sorry for the name Apia because most of these people are not actually from Apia.

This is why you want village councils to get a hold of these people and do something to stop giving villages like Apia a bad name.

Viiga said that higher penalties must be given to young people who misbehave.

Thats the only solution that I know, he said. I think the villages should be doing a lot more.

Another solution is that everyone should go to church, because I can tell that a lot of youths dont go to church on Sundays anymore.

Instead they waste their time getting themselves drunk without any thoughts about the day that was especially created for worshipping and thanking the Lord for the whole week.

Others take long naps on Sunday instead of going to church.

When we begin our lives wrongly, the result will not be good. Thats whats happening.
New Zealand High Commissioner in Samoa, David Nicholson, cast the first vote for the upcoming New Zealand General Election from the High Commission office in Apia yesterday morning, officially opening in-person overseas voting in Samoa.

Voting in the New Zealand General Election is one way that New Zealanders can have their say about the issues that affect their community and what the future government will focus on, said Mr. Nicholson.

We have a responsibility  as New Zealands representatives in Samoa  to ensure those who wish to and are eligible to vote in the New Zealand General Election are able to do so.

Having a voice and the opportunity to participate in the process of deciding who our members of parliament will be is an important foundation of our democratic society, he added.

Since its first election in 1853, New Zealand has always been world-leading in voting rights. All Maori men were able to vote from 1867 and all European men from 1879, regardless of their wealth or status as landowners.

And in 1893, we became the first country in the world where women were able to vote in national elections, His Excellency said.

Making sure every New Zealander who is eligible and wants to vote, can  wherever they are in the world  is another example of our long history and commitment to creating fair and equitable elections.

Mr Nicholson continued, New Zealands Mixed Member Proportional (M.M.P.) voting system means each voter actually gets two votes  one for the political party they want to see in Parliament, and one for the candidate they want to represent their electorate.

When allocating the 120 seats in Parliament, 71 Members of Parliament are elected directly to electorate seats  64 general and 7 Maori electorates  with the remaining number of seats filled by list MPs, based on each partys share of the party vote.

Basically, the proportion of votes a party gets, along with any electorate seats that it wins, will be reflected in the number of seats it gets of the total number of seats in Parliament.

A special voting station, for in-person overseas votes, will be open during regular business hours, 8.30am to 4.30pm every weekday, at the New Zealand High Commission in Apia, up until 4pm on Friday 22 September 2017.

Eligible voters can also request postal voting papers or download voting papers online; both of which can be returned to the High Commission office, as well.

To check your eligibility, enrolment information, and to find our which electorate you should be casting a vote for, visit: http://www.elections.org.nz/events/2017-general-election/voting-2017-general-election/voting-overseas

If youre enrolled on the New Zealand Electoral Roll, and youre a New Zealand citizen who has been in New Zealand within the past three years, or youre a permanent resident of New Zealand who has been in New Zealand within the past 12 months, you are eligible to cast an overseas vote.
Dear Editor,

Yes, lets welcome our guests in the true spirit of a Samoan guest in acknowledging their arrival in our small land called home.

Ive been saying things about the great deception of the West on a few of my latest writings and the truth of the matter is I am too busy with work to write a full compilation of events in one go so Ill make an attempt to break it down in little pieces that fits our forum here in this column.

In the revelations of prophet Daniel in scripture, Daniel was ask to interpret the dream of the great king Nebuchadnezzar. No need to research this, its in the bible. The statue in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar was that with the head of Gold, the chest made of silver, the waist of brass/ copper, the legs of iron and the feet of cast iron and clay.

This was the same dream given to Daniel later on in the story of the the four beasts. The bible refers to beasts as kingdoms on earth build with the knowledge of man or humans. The Head of Gold represents Nebuchadnezzar himself and the kingdom of the Babylonians. They are gone.

The chest was made of silver represents the Medes and Mesopotamian empire under the rule of King Cyrus and later his uncle King Tarius. They are gone.

The third is kingdom represented by the waist of Brass or copper were the Creek empire under the leadership of the great General of war, Alexander the Great. Hes gone.

The forth represented by the legs of iron was the Roman Empire. Rome is well known in its military conquests with its iron chariots. They are gone too in the ancient text, but not really gone in the prophetic text.

This is the iron that is mixed with clay in the feet of the statue which is todays Roman Empire or the Western civilization. All roads leads to Rome from here on, and what is in Rome,.....the Catholic church.

Note that Rome was never under a great king of war as with other previous empires because it was a mindset.

Starting to see the picture now?

Important to note in the dream of Nebuchadnezzar that the Rock from heaven strikes the feet of the statue and was broken to pieces and swept away in the wind and became nothing. Who or what is this Rock from heaven?

Jesus is often referred to in the writings of King David in the book of Psalms as the Rock of our salvation, or the writing of the apostle Paul as the Rock the builder rejected became the corner stone of the temple of God which is our hearts. The foundation of our faith which he appoints us, his brothers, as the custodians of...upon this Rock I will establish my church and the gates of hell will not prevail

Later in the story, Daniel had the same dream in text but with a different pictorial context of the four beasts or kingdoms.

We know in history there is no known event of a rock from heaven striking a kingdom as weve seen with Sodom and Gomorrah, so its safe to assume that this Rock is in the prophetic context.

Interesting to find out what was said regarding the feet of cast iron and clay. This kingdom has 10 horns and a little one that came out from the midst of it. The little one has eyes of a human and spake boastfully or deceivingly.

In other words, lies and deception. Nothing here about Islam as we are lead to believe.

The little horn that came out of the 10 horns is the antichrist. So the antichrist is a product of the 10 horns which is the Roman empire or at least the revived Roman empire or the western civilization as we know it of today. We all point the fingers at the Muslims as the enemy of our faith and the enemy Jesus Christ, when all along its the very system that educated us as weve seen with our lady lawyer.

Note what it says about the 10 kingdoms or the 10 horns. They oppressed the holy people and set laws (human laws) to govern them.

As Id said of our lady lawyer friend, human laws are a derivative of a satanical Roman empire which is of Lies and Deception in the biblical context. The very popular saying in the legal arena is...its not about right and wrong but about whats legal and not legal, translation; God doesnt have a saying, its the lawyers that decides the fate of man.

The absence of truth or the absence of right and wrong is the same as the absence of God.

Ironically, the Muslims still to this day leave their lives according to the law of right and wrong and we the educated westerners live our lives in the Roman or human laws. I am saying to us Christians, be careful when we judge the Muslims, for in the words of John the baptist, God can make sons of Abraham from these stone.

We know that there are no 10 kingdoms of the Roman empire today, but in the past there were. History told us that the first pope of the catholic church, Pope Leo made a peace pact with the barbarians, namely Attila the Hun, to end wars between Rome and the barbarians or northern Europe to Asia, at the time. After which pope Leo divided the territory of Rome into 10 kingdoms or empires to easily manage it with him, the pope in the center of it all. It didnt work then and it will never work , why because iron and sand will never adhere to each other.

Rome doesnt have 10 kingdoms now so prophetically the idea of these 10 kingdoms is the final plan of these globalist that are inciting war because the best way to re-start or to own civilization is a global atomic war.

Donald Trumps hand is not in this war. Its all the doings of the Deep State or the globalist whos sole intention is to own and control.

This is the same mind set that were seen now with Air New Zealand and Virgin Australia in their attitudes towards us in re-starting our own airline. There is a connection here.

New Zealand and Australia are derivatives of the British empire with a western mind set. The connection is this spirit of dominance or to overpower and own. This is the western way of thinking. Power comes from the accumulation of wealth. This is the mind set behind slavery as we know of in the past. It drives the feel of power when you own and control subjects.

Starting to get the picture of where our land rights fits in?

A few months ago when our Airline officially made known its intention to fly international again, Virgin Australia, whom was deeply hurt by us breaking away from been subjects of slavery, made known its intentions to increase seat capacity to Samoa by another 881 seats, didnt quite got the figure whether twas per week or per month. Why wasnt it a good idea then, when PAL was under their control?

Simple. To them were peasants. Dumb stupid coconuts whom are too simple and ignorance to make our own decisions. The spirit or the culture of dominance and control.

Air New Zealand on the other hand always send across their small 320 airbus aircraft to Samoa with the occasional wide body aircraft to supplement in peak season. All of a sudden lately, they are firing their wide bodies over. A clear trend shown through history with this western spirit of dominance, to own and over power. Our PM Tuilaepa upon hearing the Virgin announcement went on to say not if I have a saying in it, and rightly so to protect our investment in PAL. A leveled playing field.

All of a sudden just last week we have a reversal of fortunes. Now our PM is saying that Virgins plan to increase capacity to Samoa is good for the Samoan people. Why the sudden change of heart?

Simple again. Hes been told off like a peasant by a very strong Roman empire, in NZ and Australia. These are the people that controls merchant ships from coming here, controlled the financial establishments and we need loans to finance PAL, our new prison, to keep the country afloat from years of financial abuses within.

Theyre putting the squeeze on us. Wait till the Chinese and the Europeans starts squeezing, feces will be popping off our ears and nostrils that we will not survive.

All has a connection to Rome in the prophetic or the spiritual mindset. The enemy of humanity and God, is the knowledge or the love of the world and its offerings, hence the very saying of the great American philosopher, George Bernard Shaw, the greatest mistake of humanity is education.

Folks, Ill live it here for now. I hope I can finish it off next time with a good conclusion and the answer to it all as weve seen from the prophesies of Daniel.

So long.

Steve R.
An alleged incident involving a Tahitian camera woman, during the official opening of the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting at Robert Louis Stevenson Museum, has left some members of the media industry angry.

Heidi Kow Yieng was struck on the shoulder by one of the security officers at the venue as she was trying to protect her camera equipment from the rain.

Heidi told the Samoa Observer she is unclear what provoked the incident.

Up until now, I dont know why I was struck by one of the security guys on the shoulder, she said. I was at the back of the VIP tent because of the rain.

She said she wasnt injured but it has left a sour taste in her mouth.

This type of behavior should not tolerated, she said. I was not in the way of the VIPs at all, I was just standing in the back of the tent because it was raining. I had nowhere else to go.

Heidi said she does not wish to press charges.

The issue started when there was no space allocated for the media and thats why I went looking for a spot to protect my camera from the rain, she said.

The incident has angered members of the local media. Veteran journalist, Autagavaia Tipi Autagavaia, is disappointed that this has happened in Samoa and has called on Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi to look in to the issue.

Autagavaia told the Samoa Observer this is something the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) should have worked with PIFs officers on to ensure the media was looked after at the venue.

The ranking of Samoa is significant in terms of press freedom, he said. However, the journalists are still not being treated well when we do our work and it's something the Prime Minister and government need to look in to.

This will give Samoa a bad name, yet it's over the actions of someone who has zero respect for journalists and the work we do.

Host countries should be working together, with the media, not working against them. And also, we are journalists and not terrorists.

Another veteran Pacific journalist, Monica Miller, expressed concerns about the incident.

It was upsetting to hear that a colleague trying to capture Samoa's traditional welcoming of Pacific island leaders was collared by a policeman, she said.

Ms Miller said it was raining and local and overseas journalists were trying to find places to protect their equipment. They were nowhere near interrupting the VIPs.

Why the need for force? A camera woman being collared by a policeman? That amounts to assault. The officer should have asked her politely to move.

I want to add that the media was not given any rules as to where or where not to go during the opening ceremonies. I think that would have helped prevent this unfortunate incident.

An idea would be for JAWS to do a workshop for police and other public servants involved in hosting these major conferences in Samoa, on the dos and do nots of handling media personnel.

It was not possible to get a comment from the Police.

But the ACEO of the Prime Ministers Office, Renate Rivers, who is the local Coordinator of the Media Centre, said she has apologised to the Tahitian woman in question.

I have since spoken to her and apologised for the incident, she said.

I have also spoken to our security coordinator and we discussed the incident. I spoke with the Tahitian reporter who explained that the security officer grabbed her arm in an attempt to remove her from the VVIP tent.

I also spoke with the head of security and he confirmed the incident and said that the security officer was concerned about safety for our VVIP guests.

Asked what action the government is likely to take, Ms Rivers said, I don't see any further action as the reporter has decided not to take this issue any further. She has accepted my apology for the incident.

In terms of government action, I think this reinforces a need for stricter control and access to guide the work of the media when they are covering these events.

We must work together to provide a safe and secure experience for our visitors, working alongside other groups who are involved in these events, while also ensuring the work of the media is given the proper support it deserves.

Overall, Ms Rivers said the meeting has been successful in terms of the media experience.

We have tried hard to provide decent resources, reasonable and fair access, equal media opportunities for all accredited media, and support where needed to help everyone do a good job and get great coverage, she said.

The ACEO added that that at any major event, there will always be issues and challenges.

The government has worked hard to ensure that this forum runs as smoothly as possible, but the reality is nothing is ever perfect and there will always be challenges from which we can learn and improve upon for the future.
A senior staff member of Indonesias Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Franz Albert Joku, has rubbished the peaceful protest highlighting the plight of West Papua at the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, this week.

Mr Joku was accompanied by the Ambassador of the Republic of Indonesia to New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga, Tantowi Yahya, during a press conference where they responded to the protest.

Ambassador Yahya said the protest concerned them greatly.

The Pacific community should stick to the main agenda of the conference, which is the Blue Pacific. You know everything is connected to that, he said.

Mr Yahya said their concern is that the protest could have overshadowed the main agendas of the conference.

In our perspective, talking about West Papua in this conference is not the place because from the beginning there is no agenda as such.

In the progress of the press conference, the Ambassador and Mr Jokus voices were raised, causing Police Officers in the vicinity to approach the area

where the meeting was held.

No! We just stick to the main agenda... but not the Papuans, Mr.Yahya said.

Mr Joku intervened noting the West Papua issue is not new to the Pacific.

Its regrettable that Pacific Islanders all of the sudden want to address the Papua issue, now, he said. The Papua issue has been at the forefront since the late 50s and early 60s.

We have seen our worst; where the hell were the Pacific Island nations when we really needed that kind of expression and that kind of concern coming from them?

Now they are questioning the Independence and Colonisation referendum for Papua that have been relegated to the history pages. A lot of constitutional changes have taken place since.

And were not on the same part as you have had previously... so we are not on that path. Were about constitutional empowerment and were about emancipation, we want to develop our land, we will not be dictated by any forum or any other country because we needed you, and where were you?

Mr Joku insisted the forum is not the place for the issue.

Papua is very close to our heart and we will not be dictated by anyone. We Papuans, in Papua, will decide what we want to do.

Were under going constitutional mechanism and constitutional changes, we want to empower ourselves constitutionally, politically, economically and socially. When we needed the Pacific, when we needed Australia and when we needed New Zealand, you have not come to our aid.

So we have worked our own arrangement within and that is what we are pursuing.

Mr Joku added, Weve never seen Samoans and Fijians. And dont pretend you want to help us. We know what we want. Have a balanced article and invite them to visit West Papua.

You feed yourself with what you read on the internet, we invite you to come to Indonesia.

We are not saying Papua is perfect, but let us attend to our own problems, do not provoke us, I have spent 14 years in PNG as a refugee with my family, we know exactly the subject that we raised, and up until today, we have gone without any help from you guys.
As the deadly Hurricane Irma smashes the Caribbean islands, threatening Puerto Rico and Florida, leaders attending the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Meeting in Apia, have been reminded once more about the existential threat climate change poses.

Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi, as the Chairman of Forum Meeting, will host leaders at the Taumeasina Island Resort today, for their annual Leaders Retreat.

And while the stunning views at the resort and Samoan hospitality will set the scene for a beautiful day, the havoc caused by Irma on the other side of the world will not be far from their minds.

For many Pacific Islands, its a devastation they have experienced over and over and they know the feeling all too well. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland QC, who is from Dominica, did not mince words during an interview with the Samoa Observer in Apia.

For us, it is literally life and death, she said. Other people dont want to understand it but when we see the hurricanes and the tropical storms, and we see our countries demolished, its real for us.

So we certainly speak with a greater degree of authenticity.

And nobody can speak for us in the way as we can speak for ourselves to help people understand better what it means when your country is basically facing annihilation.

Having been in Samoa since Sunday and being an interested observer of the discussions at the Forum Meeting, the Secretary General said decisive actions are needed.

We are in this together, she said. And we know it is only if we collaborate in a really concrete, intense way that we will be able to do the things that we need.

None of us have enough money, all of us have Goliath like problems we face in the world today and we are better together.

Ive often thought that we need to turn the Commonwealth Secretariat into the stone that we put into Davids sleigh because Goliath can come down if you get the right stone.

So we need to work together with the leaders to find out what our hopes are, what our aspirations are, what each of us have, what we can share and do together because if we collaborate, I think we can make a real impact.

Partnerships, she said, are critical in moving forward. She noted that all international agencies have the same aspirations. But aspirations mean nothing without concrete actions.

We really have to turn those words now into action. Whats our plan? How do we do it? How do we help each other? How do we make sure every single one of us has the best plan we can make by sharing?

I think sharing what does not work is really important because we are all trying and were trying our best and many of the things we are trying will not work and theres no shame in some things not working.

But we need to tell each other and that sharing of knowledge I think is very important. Weve been hesitant to do that in the past but I think we now have no choice.

Ms. Scotland met with the Chairman of the Forum, P.M. Tuilaepa at the beginning of week.

I love Samoa, she said, adding that this is her second visit.

As for the Forum, she said: There are so many issues in the Pacific, which are of critical importance to all of us, not least climate change which poses an existential threat to small island states in the Pacific.

There is a real understanding that small developing states are peculiarly vulnerable today. I think its worrying for all us that the speed with which climate change is happening has speeded up even since the Paris Agreement in 2015. There is a real urgency in what we are doing.

At the Commonwealth, the Secretary General said they are looking at how they can meld Commonwealth issues on climate change with oceans. She believes the issues are two sides of the same coin.

Fourty five of 52 member states are ocean states, and what we see is that if you dont put these two together, you wont be able to address the problems, particularly in the Pacific and the Caribbean.

So what we are looking at is weve created what we call the Blue Charter. In 2013, Commonwealth created a Commonwealth Charter and many of the elements there are about the oceans.

We need to highlight how important the ocean is and if we have a Blue Charter which looks at all those issues that are in our Charter but through a blue lens, it might be able to make it more apparent to everyone that this is a critical issue that we are going to have to deal with together.

Ms. Scotland praised the Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat, Dame Meg Taylor and their approach towards the issue, saying they are doing a remarkable job.

In the Commonwealth, we have been looking at a regenerative approach to development, which really takes into account climate change, Ms. Scotland said.

We have all the S.D.Gs, all 17 of them, which we agreed to in September 2015, but if you look at those S.D.GS they are exactly the same aspirations that we signed up to as the Commonwealth in 2013.

I think its so important that the Pacific has taken a leadership role in climate change. It was also all of us in November of 2015 in Malta, we were the first ones who came up and said we needed to have an implementable regime which was enforceable, that we need to have 2 degrees and we needed to have a 1.5degree target.

That commitment came from us in the Commonwealth and if you look right back to the 1980s it was the Pacific and the Caribbean pushing this agenda hard which is not surprising.

Secretary General Scotland assured the the Commonwealth is absolutely with the Pacific.

We are going to fight with and for you. The more of us the better, we represent one third of the world with 2.4billion people so although some of us are rather small weve got some big brothers.

Looking ahead to the Bonn COP 23, there is a lot of work to be done.

I would really like us to have a commitment to this Blue Charter. Weve got some drafts; we want to consult with everybody to make sure we get it right. I would love to see an endorsement of that Blue Charter, she said.

I would also like to see us adopt the regenerative development approach because we have to mitigate, we have to adapt and we have to do it quickly.

There is an opportunity for us to integrate what were doing in such a way to really restore ecosystems, we help take advantage of opportunities created by the new disruptive technologies.

According to TechTarget, a disruptive technology is one that displaces an established technology and shakes up the industry or a ground-breaking product that creates a completely new industry.

People are creating things like carbon eating concrete which will be able to make every building made out of this concrete into a carbon zinc, said Ms. Scotland.

There is some clever ideas coming up in terms of how we can enhance the use of renewables, people are hopeful that in two or three years time maybe, we might be able to have cheaper renewable energy than we have fossil fuels.

I think if we look at adaptation and mitigation, there are ways of us reversing the damage thats been caused to our environment. We cant do it straight away but incrementally if we work together we will be able to do it.

Sharing ideas is critical, the Commonwealth believes.

The idea of how do we share best practice, how do we share what works. It cant be just short term, we have to ask what can we do now, what can we do medium term, what do we need long term. So all these things fit in together in a really regenerative pattern.

Whats fascinating is that we are looking at what people used to do and were finding that lots of those traditional methods are the best.

So how do we integrate them into the new disruptive technology, how do we take advantage of all the knowledge we have.

About Ms. Scotland

Patricia Janet Scotland was born on the 19th August 1955 in Dominica. She was trained as a lawyer and became the first black woman to be appointed a Queens Counsel in 1991. At 35 she was also the youngest woman ever to be made a QC.
The United States of America will maintain its leadership in the fight against climate change. They have not withdrawn from the Paris climate accord, just yet.

The points were highlighted by the Acting Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, Susan Thornton, during a press conference in Apia yesterday.

Leading the U.S. government delegation to the 48th Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting, Ms Thorton said the US government is still working through the details, with regards to their status on the Paris Agreement.

In 2015, America signed the Paris Agreement under President Barack Obama.

However earlier this year, U.S. President Trump announced that the United States will withdraw.

In order to fulfill my solemn duty to protect America and its citizens, the United States will withdraw from the Paris climate accord, Trump said at the time.

The announcement has angered the Pacific nations, who are at the forefront of the impact of climate change.

But Ms Thorton offered a different view yesterday.

I think what the President has said was that the U.S. is going to maintain its Paris Agreement, were going to maintain our leadership on the reduction of green house gas emissions and other environmental and climate related efforts, she said.

We have a lot to be very proud of in the United States and we have managed to show that you can reduce your green gas emissions and still keep the economy going. We have reduced emissions considerably over the last ten years.

So I don't see a contradiction between maintaining our engagement in the Pacific. Of course, the Pacific Islands have expressed concerns about climate change and the effects of climate change on them, which were very sensitive to.

Ms Thorton remained assured of the USs commitment to the region.

Weve heard a lot of comments, but I think the United States is going to remain engaged on the issue of climate change as we have programmes in the region that are bilateral, she said.

We also have a seat on the board of Green Climate Fund and have contributed a billion dollars to the fund.

Were going to remain active, while we continue to look at the effects and implications of the agreement and what were going to do about our status in the agreement.

(See for details of the U.S. engagement in the Pacific)
The services of three employees of the Samoa Land Corporation (SLC) have been terminated following an investigation in to funds missing from the corporation.

Attempts to get a comment from the General Manager, Ulugia Kavesi, yesterday were unsuccessful, but a government source, who spoke to the Samoa Observer anonymously, confirmed the decision.

The government continues to cooperate fully with the Police in this ongoing investigation, the source said.

The immediate termination of the three employees was based upon government guidelines and policies. They (three employees) have already been informed about this.

In June this year, a total of $50,000 was removed from the safe located inside the main office of the SLC at Vaitele.

The Acting Police Assistant Commissioner, Salaa Moananu, confirmed this at the time. He said the matter was reported to the Police on 3 June 2017.

According to the report provided by the Criminal Investigation Division, the matter was reported to the police around 4pm, from the S.L.C. office in Vaitele, he said.

The missing amount includes cheques. The matter was initially reported to the Faleata Police Post. The CID was contacted to take over the investigation.

Salaa said the police had ruled out the possibility that it was a burglary incident.

Police officers have taken photos and have been to every door and window.

"It is evident there is no sign of forced entry in to the building to indicate that this was burglary.

According to Salaa, three employees of SLC were immediately questioned by the Police.

The Assistant Commissioner pointed out that the missing funds are government money and the Police will exhort all options to find it.

Asked if the Police suspect that this was an inside job, the Acting Assistant Commissioner responded, I cannot say its an inside job given that they are looking at suspects outside of the SLC.
Amazon.com is shopping for a city to house a second headquarters  and mayors across the country already are lining up to bid on the crown-jewel prize.

The online retailing giants new campus would deliver an economic boost well beyond the $5 billion in construction costs and 50,000 jobs anticipated at Amazons HQ2. Not only would Amazons direct spending at its future second home be the stuff of city planner dreams, but theres also the indirect benefit created by spawning more business for suppliers, nearby vendors and others.

It would be particularly rewarding for Los Angeles, which has suffered an exodus of corporate headquarters in the last two decades because of the areas relatively high business taxes and housing costs.

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I welcome the opportunity to compete for this remarkable investment, and the tens of thousands of good-paying jobs it is sure to bring with it, Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said in a statement Thursday.

L.A. is the perfect place for a company like Amazon to find talented workers, and an environment that nurtures growth and innovation, Garcetti said.

Amazon launched the search for its second North American base because its current headquarters, which covers 33 buildings in greater Seattle, is brimming with 40,000 workers following the companys remarkable growth that lifted its sales to $136 billion last year.

Many mayors wasted no time making their pitches, signaling that a fierce battle among many of the nations largest metropolitan areas may be looming.

Were all abuzz this morning about Amazons announcement, said St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. She said city officials were putting together a team right now to make a very competitive proposal.

Pittsburgh Mayor Bill Peduto simply tweeted, On it, with a link to Amazons proposal-submission page.

Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has spoken to Bezos several times about bringing HQ2 to the Second City, according to the Chicago Sun-Times.

Chicagos unmatched workforce, world-class universities and unparalleled access to destinations throughout the world make it the perfect headquarters location for companies large and small. Thats also why Chicago has led the nation in corporate relocations for the last four years, mayoral spokesman Grant Klinzman said in an email to the newspaper.

And Nashville Mayor Megan Barry told the Tennessean that she was confident that our socially progressive, pro-business climate, talented workforce, and overall great quality of life offers the type of environment that they are looking for.

Amazon expects the winning city to grant lucrative perks to the e-commerce leader. In its request for proposal to prospective bidders, the company asks them to identify state and local incentives available, including tax credits and utility incentives.

The initial cost [of the project] and ongoing cost of doing business are critical decision drivers in which area would be selected, Amazon said.

Regardless, if Im the mayor and the governor, Im all over this opportunity like a bear on honey, said Lloyd Greif, head of the Los Angeles investment bank Greif & Co. and a former chair of the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp.

This is a huge opportunity for the city of Los Angeles, Greif said. In terms of the importance to the city, I think the Olympics [in 2028] would pale against this.

We expect HQ2 to be a full equal to our Seattle headquarters, Amazon Chief Executive Jeff Bezos said in a statement Thursday. Amazon HQ2 will bring billions of dollars in up-front and ongoing investments, and tens of thousands of high-paying jobs.

Amazon said it would give priority to areas with more than 1 million people that are within 45 minutes of an international airport.

In addition, a highly educated labor pool is critical and a strong university system is required in the area, Amazon said.

We want to invest in a community where our employees will enjoy living, recreational opportunities, educational opportunities, and an overall high quality of life, the company added.

Amazons sales have doubled in the last four years and it now employs about 380,000 people, including thousands at nine fulfillment centers in California, including five in the Inland Empire. Earlier this year it announced plans to build two new centers, in Redlands and in Eastvale, near Riverside.

The company also has a film and television production arm, Amazon Studios, based in Santa Monica.

The TV division of the studio shoots many of its shows in the Los Angeles region, including Transparent, Bosch and The Last Tycoon.

Amazon Studios has become a major Hollywood player in just a few years. The studio produced last years Academy Award-winning Manchester by the Sea and has been successful in luring prestige talent, including Woody Allen, Matthew Weiner and Richard Linklater to create original movies and TV series.

Los Angeles and Orange counties might appear to be viable candidates: They have a large available workforce, nearby airports, nearby universities and access to the West Coast ports, which are among the busiest in the nation.

The biggest advantage L.A. has is the concentration of talent, said Kevin Klowden, executive director of the Milken Institutes California Center and a managing economist at the Institute. L.A. is a center for standard media and entertainment but also for newer media and online content.

Still, L.A.s high housing costs might work against it.

Rent and home prices have soared in recent years in the region, putting a strain on family budgets and the ability to take out a mortgage, although Amazon noted that employment at its second headquarters would be high-paying jobs.

Too expensive  it doesnt solve anything, said Michael Pachter, an analyst at Wedbush Securities in Los Angeles. I personally think this is more about housing than anything else. So, Riverside makes more sense than L.A. Or Bakersfield.

But Chris Thornberg, founding partner of Beacon Economics, said L.A.s high housing costs are unlikely to deter Amazon because many of its employees are paid well and the company already has experience in Seattle, also one of the countrys most expensive cities.

They pay a lot of money, Thornberg said. They are the reasons home prices go up. They are the cause, not the effect.

Thornberg said there is a simpler reason Los Angeles is unlikely to land the Seattle firm  it already has a headquarters on the West Coast.

Bezos is looking to take over the world, he said. My guess is he is going to aim for the East Coast.

Gov. Jerry Browns Office of Business and Economic Development, known as GO-Biz, is aware of the Amazon headquarters proposal, Deputy Director Sid Voorakkara said.

It is fair to say we work closely with the city on all business opportunities from attraction, expansion and retention, he said.

Amazon did not specify why it needs a second headquarters, and the company declined to elaborate. But the move might simply reflect Amazons relentless growth, both internally and by acquisitions.

Late last month, Amazon completed its $13.7-billion purchase of Whole Foods Market Inc., a chain of 470 grocery stores that focus on organic and natural foods.

The scope of Amazons search to house 50,000 workers is considered staggering in the commercial real estate industry. Amazon has more than 8 million square feet in multiple buildings in Seattle, according to the Seattle Times, and is still growing fast.

It would presumably require multiple buildings in Southern California as well. Downtown L.A.s U.S. Bank Tower, for example, one of the tallest office buildings in the West, contains 1.4 million square feet and is already about 80% leased.

Its tough to get your head around the magnitude of the scale of this opportunity, said real estate broker Nico Vilgiate of Colliers International.

Downtown Los Angeles has some of the largest blocks of space available in the region, he said, such as Broadway Trade Center. The former department store on Broadway is under renovation and will have 1 million square feet of offices when completed.

Even with its recent economic renaissance, however, downtown has a dearth of big tech-oriented office tenants. Well-heeled technology and entertainment companies more typically hunt for space in Santa Monica, Hollywood, Burbank, El Segundo, Playa Vista and Culver City.

Brokers say Amazon has already agreed to rent at least a large portion of the 14-acre Culver Studios in Culver City, where famous movies including Gone With the Wind and Citizen Kane were filmed.

Warner Center and Torrance are also considered viable for big firms. In Torrance, the longtime North American headquarters of Japanese car manufacturer Toyota is for sale as the company consolidates U.S. operations in Texas. The 110-acre Toyota campus has about 2 million square feet of office and industrial space and room for further development.

The scramble to get Amazons real estate business will be intense. Three of the largest national brokerages, CBRE Group Inc., JLL and Cushman & Wakefield have instructed brokers not to speculate about what Amazon might do. They presumably do not want to offend the tech giant.

To read the article in Spanish, click here

james.peltz@latimes.com

andrea.chang@latimes.com

Times staff writers Andrew Khouri, David Ng, Patrick McGreevy and Roger Vincent contributed to this report.

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Gap will focus on Old Navy and Athleta, shutting 200 Gap and Banana Republic stores

UPDATES:

4:40 p.m.: This article was updated throughout with additional analysis.

11:50 a.m.: This article was updated with details about L.A.s housing costs, analyst comment and how other U.S. cities are vying for Amazons project.

10 a.m.: This article was updated with comments from investment banker Lloyd Greif and more details about Amazon Studios.

9:30 a.m.: This article was updated with Los Angeles planning to bid for Amazons second headquarters.

7:55 a.m.: This article was updated with details about West Coast prospects for Amazons second headquarters and Amazons current California operations.

7:15 a.m.: This article was updated throughout with staff reporting and additional details.

This article was originally published at 3:40 a.m.
As San Diego televangelist Morris Cerullo prepares to transform his now closed Mission Valley hotel into an 18-acre, religious-themed resort, he has removed all the furnishings and kitchen equipment and donated them to Father Joes Villages.

The 202-room Mission Valley Resort closed last month, with the expectation that Cerullos planned Legacy International Center will likely win approval from the San Diego City Council later this month.

Nightstands, beds, dressers and televisions sets from the hotels 202 rooms were delivered to the longtime homeless charity, along with tables and chairs from the conference center, and commercial kitchen equipment.

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If you could unbolt it and walk it out the door, they took it, said Jim Penner, executive director of the Legacy International Center. Dr. Cerullo and I talked on and off about the tremendous homeless crisis in San Diego, and he was saying, do you think Father Joes could use all this furniture and equipment?

They were thrilled to receive it.

Father Joes expects to incorporate some of the furniture into its housing complexes, while others will be sold through their retail outlets, which include two thrift stores, a furniture warehouse and a daily auction.

As Legacy International Center launches in San Diego, we are excited to see the project leaders considering the role they can play in addressing our regions homelessness crisis, said Deacon Jim F. Vargas, president of Father Joes Villages. By donating the contents of the current Mission Valley Resort to Father Joes Villages, the Legacy International Center will start off making a valuable investment that will help us transform more lives.

The City Council is scheduled to consider on Sept. 18 Cerullos plans for his $160 million retreat, which will include a hotel, restaurants and spa, plus religious-themed attractions like a replica of the Wailing Wall, Roman catacombs and a domed theater that will show 4D Biblical-themed films.

The site of the former Mission Valley Resort is now fenced off so that hazardous materials abatement work can get under way. If the council approves the project, Penner says construction should commence by November.

Cerullos religious organization purchased the hotel out of foreclosure nearly six years ago.

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lori.weisberg@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-2251

Twitter: @loriweisberg
An administrative law judge listened to closing arguments on Wednesday at a hearing over granting a permanent liquor license to the Hollywood Casino in Jamul.

The casino is on land off state Route 94 belonging to the Jamul Indian Village and run by Penn National Gaming. It opened last October with a temporary license to serve alcohol. The casino is open 24 hours a day, serving alcohol from 10 a.m. until 1:30 a.m.

After three hours of testimony at Skyline Church in La Mesa, California Office of Administrative Hearings Law Judge Adam Berg said he would decide on the matter within 100 days  in mid-December.

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The hearing has been part of a long application process that casino management must go through to get a license approved by the California Department of Alcohol Beverage Control.

Thousands of residents from Jamul, including county Supervisor Dianne Jacob, have objected to a permanent license for the casino. They cited concerns about traffic safety and general safety for the rural community and visitors traveling on Highway 94, a winding, dark rural road.

Jacob on Sept. 5 sent a letter to the California Department of Transportation, calling attention to the public safety hazards that incomplete improvements to the road promised by the casino in association with Caltrans.

Although she was not at the hearing, Jacob said in a statement that state officials are to blame for allowing the casino to directly access one of the most dangerous stretches of rural highway in the region.

She said the state made the situation even worse by permitting the sale of alcohol.

Thats grossly irresponsible and a recipe for disaster, she wrote. My hope is that the judge will yank the liquor license as soon as possible.

The ABC first heard the case last November. The agency handed it off to the California Office of Administrative Hearings earlier this year after a judge overseeing the hearings recused himself.

Attorneys opposed to the liquor license asked Judge Berg that if a permanent license is granted, to at least consider conditions being placed on the casino.

Conditions requested by attorney Bill Adams included fewer hours that alcohol can be served, additional security measures, more shuttle buses to keep inebriated drivers from getting onto the road and enforcing limits on locations within the casino where alcohol can be served.

Some other Indian casinos with dining establishments keep alcohol service away from the gaming areas. Several Hollywood Casino restaurants that serve alcohol are contiguous with the casino and are part of the gaming floor.

Jamul Indian Village attorney Carrie Bonnington said the tribe has taken extra measures to ensure safety for the roads outside of the casino. The tribe signed a contract with the county for more than $3.5 million to improve roads and is paying the Sheriffs Department more than $250,000 annually for its services.

Bonnington said the casino voluntarily reduced its hours of alcohol service and that employees serving alcohol are trained in responsible beverage service. She said security personnel remain at all entrances to make sure no minors enter the casino.

She said California Highway Patrol officers are often stationed in front of the casino to help with the traffic and that there was no evidence of any DUIs tied to the casino and no evidence of collisions resulting from someone at the casino.

karen.pearlman@sduniontribune.com
Horses are welcome, although rare, visitors these days on parts of Del Mars Dog Beach, but there could be more if the city completes a proposed link to the 70-mile Coast to Crest Trail.

The overall trail is about 70 percent finished and will eventually follow the San Dieguito River from its headwaters on Volcan Mountain to its end at Dog Beach. Most of the way it accommodates hikers, cyclists and equestrians.

For now, though, horses are not allowed on the trail anywhere west of Interstate 5. Thats because of a number of challenges, including California Coastal Commission regulations. Also, the trail awaits extensive modifications to two bridges  the coastal railroad trestle and the crossing at Camino del Mar, also known as Coast Highway 101  that will allow the pathway to pass beneath them.

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My nightmare scenario is that this 70-mile trail that they have been working on for two decades is finished, and it stops at the railroad trestle in Del Mar, Councilman Dwight Worden said at a council meeting this week.

Worden suggested the city study ways to complete the trail from Interstate 5 to the beach, with or without equestrian access. The council agreed to have the citys San Dieguito Lagoon Committee investigate the possibilities and report their findings to the council for a decision.

The most practical option may be to allow horses on the trail only up to the railroad trestle, with a turnaround at that point, Worden said. Horses still could be allowed at the beach, but only if brought in by trailer, and perhaps with restrictions to certain seasons or times of day to limit contact with other beachgoers and their dogs. A new piece of the trail between the freeway and the railroad tracks was finished last year along the southern edge of the fairgrounds, but only for pedestrians and cyclists.

Del Mar allowed horses on all its beaches until it adopted a municipal code in 1970, later amended in 1987, that limits large animals to the beach north of the mouth of the San Dieguito River, a city report states. To get there, the horses must be brought in by trailer.

People still bring their horses to the beach every few weeks, a lifeguard said.

Ive only seen three this summer so far, senior lifeguard Tyler Grant said Wednesday. We havent had any issues. One horse got stung by a sting ray this summer for the first time ever  but in general its a good experience. Its a cool thing to see them on the beach.

Del Mar has been known for horse racing since its track opened at the fairgrounds in 1937. Through the 1940s and 50s, trainers used a tunnel under the highway to walk the animals to the nearby beach for exercise.

That used to be a regular happening here, Del Mar Thoroughbred Club media director Mac McBride said Wednesday. The trainers would take them and gallop them on the beach up to Solana Beach. There were a whole lot less people on the beach back then.

A big winter storm that flooded the racetrack and filled the tunnel under the highway with sand and debris helped end the thoroughbreds trips from the turf to the surf, McBride said.

One council member suggested Tuesday that, because so much has changed since the city wrote its regulations, it might be time to tighten up the rules for horses. Del Mar gets more two-legged visitors now, and a lot more dogs at Dog Beach, which increases the chances for problems.

Another complication is that the Coastal Commission prohibits horses along the river west of the freeway, Worden said. However, the commission could permit them if the city proposes an adequate plan for issues such as public safety and controlling animal waste.

Two members of the citys lagoon committee spoke at Tuesdays meeting in favor of completing the trail and including horses on it all the way to the beach.

About a dozen horse owners from across San Diego County attended one of their committee meetings four years ago to speak in favor of allowing the animals on the trail and on the beach, said committee member Bill Michalsky.

We all realized the issue of getting under the (railroad) bridge, Michalsky said. But where theres a will, it can be done.

Committee member Alice Brown pointed out Tuesday that the citys official seal includes a horse, And if Im not mistaken, thats a horse on a beach.

The driving force behind the creation of the Coast to Crest Trail is the San Dieguito River Park Joint Powers Authority, formed in 1989 by San Diego County and the cities of Del Mar, Escondido, Poway, San Diego, and Solana Beach.

The long trail is the backbone of a system of connected shorter trails within the river park, much of which has been set aside for native habitat preservation.

philip.diehl@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @phildiehl
CARMEL VALLEY

Students hold fundraising concert

Carmel Valley students, members of the Alliance of Youth Leaders in the United States, recently organized a fundraising concert for Deaf Community Services of San Diego, held at the Casa de Manana retirement community in La Jolla. The students, who attend area schools, performed folk dances and ballet, poetry and classical music. Stephen Yang, president of AYLUS, and Christopher Yang, president of AYLUS San Diego Branch, presented a check of $1,270 to Patricia Sieglen-Perry of DCSSD. Among the student performers: Grace Li, Amanda Zhang and Michelle Lai, dancers; Zoe Zhang, hulusi flute; Kevin Li and Lynne Xu, flute; Samantha Zhu, ballet; Eric Li, alto sax; Ashley Zhang, piano; Ethan and Timothy Tran, violin and guitar; David Kirk, piano; Christopher Yang, viola; Stephen Yang, cello; Chloe and Anais Feller, violin, flute and piano. The program was chaired by co-hosts Claire Jiang and Andrew Peng. Pictured above: Back row, from left: Christopher Yang, Andrew Peng, Jackson Shen, Leon Wang. Middle row: David Kirk, Ethan Tran, Stephen Yang, Chloe Feller, Claire Jiang, Eric Li, Daniel Li, Kevin Li, Samuel Li, Andrew Zhang, Anthony Jiang. Front row: Timothy Tran, Zoe Zhang, Anais Feller, Samantha Zhu, Ashley Zhang, Zachary Zhang.

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ESCONDIDO

COMPACT hosts get-together

The Helping Hands kickoff of the Escondido Education COMPACT will be at 6:30 p.m. Tuesday. There will be games, prizes and volunteer opportunities at COMPACTs back parking lot, 220 S. Broadway. Come dressed as your favorite superhero for the costume contest. Helping Hands is a volunteer club composed of high school students who want to make a difference in their community. Students meet twice a month to prepare for various community service projects throughout the month. Call (760) 839-4515 or email hhcompact@gmail.com.

NORTH COUNTY

Cuyamaca Outdoor School open house

Parents, teachers, principals, students and all interested in outdoor education are invited to spend a special day from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sept. 16 at the outdoor school in Cuyamaca Rancho State Park. Buy hot dogs, beverages and snacks or bring a lunch to eat with your family in a shady picnic area. Learn more about the original 6th Grade Camp, meet the outdoor school staff, tour the campus and participate in hands-on science lessons in the labs. Try rock climbing or a short hike, meet a live raptor, create crafts and sing campfire songs. Parking is tight  carpool if possible. Visit sdcoe.net/camp or sixthgradecamp.org; call (760) 765-3000.

See Hamilton for a Hamilton

Eleventh-grade students from eligible Title I high schools are invited to see the musical Hamilton at a special reduced price of $10 after integrating Alexander Hamilton and the Founding Era coursework into classroom studies. Hamilton will be on tour Jan. 6 to 28 in San Diego. Visit gilderlehrman.org/programs-exhibitions/hamilton to learn more about this program and how to apply to participate. This opportunity is provided through the Gilder Lehrman Institute, the nations leading American history organization dedicated to K-12 education, in partnership with Hamilton and The Rockefeller Foundation on the Hamilton Education Program.

MiraCosta offers GED/HSE prep courses

MiraCosta College is offering free GED/High School Equivalency preparation classes at its Oceanside campus, 1 Barnard Drive. The classes will include all test subjects: reading and writing for language arts, mathematical reasoning, science and social studies. These face-to-face classes are designed to prepare students to pass a high school equivalency exam. Classes are offered at: Community Learning Center, 1831 Mission Ave., Oceanside, 6 to 9:15 p.m. Mondays and Wednesdays, and 10:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; San Dieguito Academy, 800 Santa Fe Drive, Encinitas, 5:30 to 8:50 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays; and La Colonia Community Center, 715 Valley Ave., Solana Beach, 9:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. Tuesdays and Thursdays. Registration is ongoing. Students may enroll through a counselor, at admissions, or in the classroom. Visit the Community Learning Center on campus or call (760) 795-8736.

SAN MARCOS

New leader for Palomar College Foundation

Stacy Rungaitis has been named the new director of development/executive director of the Palomar College Foundation. She brings more than 25 years of experience, having been director of development and marketing for Feeding America San Diego. Before that, she was a senior director of fund development for North County Health Services, leading the capital campaign that built the North County Health Services Mission Mesa Pediatrics Health Center. A San Marcos resident, Rungaitis will lead the foundations initiative to raise money in support of the Palomar Promise, which offers a tuition-free first year of Palomar College education to graduates from 21 local high schools.

District to rethink name for Alvin Dunn school

The San Marcos Unified School District is looking for suggestions for new names for Alvin Dunn Elementary. The district plans to rebuild the school for grades TK-8 for its International Baccalaureate Program primary and middle years programs. According to the district, this brings an opportunity to rethink the schools name and mascot. Names should reflect the naming style within the district and have strong geographic or community significance. Suggestions will be taken at the PTA meeting at 5:30 p.m. Sept. 14 and an ELAC meeting at the school at 3:15 p.m. Sept. 21.

Cyber-ed, financial aid nights at high school

Mission Hills High School presents a Cyber Education Night at 6 p.m. Monday in Redwood Hall. Learn about trends in technology: monitoring your teens smartphone; setting boundaries in the digital world; phone apps that could put you and your teen at risk. Learn simple techniques to better connect with your teen and the tech. Bring your teens. Child care is provided. Chick-fil-A will have food for purchase. Also, the school is hosting a Financial Aid Night on Sept. 14 for students and parents to learn about the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and Dream Act applications. Find out about free money for college. The English presentation is at 5:30 p.m. in Redwood Hall; Spanish at 6:30 p.m. in the library. Call (760) 290-2755.

Please send items to laura.groch@sduniontribune.com at least 10 days before events.

laura.groch@sduniontribune.com
Its been 10 years since that very first Brazilian Day celebration in San Diego, and this year continues to bring the spirit of Brazil to the beach with live music, food, dancing, activities for kids, sports, arts and crafts, and a carnival parade with elaborate floats and intricate costumes. This community festival attracts thousands with its combination of cultural food and dancing, and the highlight, the parade. (Theres also an official pre-party and beauty pageant on Saturday, as well as a Tem Que Ter Axe event at UC San Diego with workshops led by experts in capoeira, Brazilian percussion and dance, and Afro-Brazilian music.)

Brazilian Day San Diego: 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Sunday. Belmont Park, 3146 Mission Blvd., Mission Beach. Free admission. (619) 867-3231 or braziliandaysandiego.com.
Good morning, and welcome to the Essential California newsletter. Its Thursday, Sept. 7, and heres whats happening across California:

TOP STORIES

A two-tiered system

From 2010 to 2016, the LAPD logged more than 110,000 burglaries and cleared 11.5% of them, according to an L.A. Times analysis of the most recent data collected by the California Department of Justice. Celebrities such as Dodgers star Yasiel Puig who have been the victim of a big haul may get a visit from the LAPDs elite Commercial Crimes Division, a specialized team of investigators who almost always lift fingerprints. Not everyone who has their home burglarized gets the same treatment. Because of a shortage of crime lab analysts, only about 21% of burglary calls result in fingerprints being collected, according to LAPD figures. Los Angeles Times

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More on the DACA decision

Despite President Trumps removal of the shield that has protected 800,000 so-called Dreamers from deportation, Bryan Pena refuses to suddenly slink into the shadows. Instead, he plans to get louder, more public, more emphatic about his right to stay. The threat of deportation has roused Dreamers like Pena to rally, propelled by polar forces: They have everything to lose and could soon have nothing to lose. This is where I want to live, Pena said. This is the only life I know. Los Angeles Times

Plus: A day after Trump threatened to end protections for Dreamers, he stunned all sides again Wednesday by endorsing a legislative fix that could put the young immigrants on the path to legal status. Los Angeles Times

Van Houten wins parole, again

Leslie Van Houten, who was convicted along with other members of Charles Mansons cult in the 1969 killings of Leno and Rosemary LaBianca, was granted parole Wednesday by a panel of state commissioners in Chino. It was the 21st time that Van Houten, 68, has appeared before a parole board, and the second time that commissioners found her suitable for release. Now, Gov. Jerry Brown must now once again decide whether to release her. Los Angeles Times

The vaxer debate rages on

The rate of medical exemptions for immunizations for incoming kindergartners rose sharply the year after California eliminated the personal-belief exemption, a new study finds. The results, published this week in the Journal of the American Medical Assn., hint that some parents who dont want to vaccinate their children may have found doctors willing to give medical exemptions to students  a potential trend that may undercut the collective protection against contagious diseases that the state law sought to bolster. Los Angeles Times

L.A. STORIES

Shooting downtown: A man who followed a worker into the Ronald Reagan State Building in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday morning was shot and killed by a California Highway Patrol officer, authorities said. Los Angeles Times

LA 2028 update: Should Los Angeles 2028 Olympic bid go over budget, state lawmakers will provide up to $270 million in guarantees under legislation unveiled last week. Los Angeles Times

Settlement reached: Los Angeles will pay $6.5 million to settle a lawsuit from a man who suffered severe injuries after his bicycle hit a pothole in Sherman Oaks, lawmakers agreed Wednesday. Los Angeles Times

Difficult questions: The case of star USC kicker Matthew Boermeester, who was kicked out of the school for allegedly abusing his girlfriend, highlights a predicament attorneys and experts say many universities are increasingly facing: whether to investigate when alleged victims of sexual or dating violence do not want to cooperate with campus officials. Boermeester is two credits shy of graduating and is suing the university to let him finish his course load. Buzzfeed

POLITICS AND GOVERNMENT

DACA politics on the homefront: The Trump administrations decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program next year could have a broad effect on Democratic efforts to retake control of the House in 2018, and nowhere more so than in California, where more than a fourth of the estimated 800,000 recipients, often called Dreamers, are thought to live. Los Angeles Times

Plus: Not surprisingly, California State University Chancellor Timothy White is concerned about the end of DACA. NPR

SilValley talk: A politically awakened Silicon Valley, buttressed by the tech industrys growing economic power, could potentially alter politics long after President Trump has left the scene. But if the tech industry becomes a political force, what sort of policies will it push? New York Times

CRIME AND COURTS

Shooting aftermath: A gunman who authorities say fatally shot a Sacramento County Sheriffs deputy and wounded two California Highway Patrol officers died from his wounds over the weekend, the coroner said. Los Angeles Times

Shooting settlement reached: Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $1.49 million to the family of an unarmed, disabled Compton man who was shot and killed by a sheriffs deputy in a tragic case of mistaken identity last year, officials said. Los Angeles Times

No ivory for sale here: The first prosecutions in California under a new law prohibiting the sale of ivory products were filed Wednesday by Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer. City News Service

THE ENVIRONMENT

Remembering a fallen comrade: Gary Helming was a seasoned firefighter who was well-known for bringing order out of chaos, colleagues say. So when the Los Padres National Forest battalion chief perished in a car crash last week, his death shocked wildfire authorities throughout California. Los Angeles Times

Fire progress: Firefighters battling the Railroad fire near Yosemite National Park relied on cool weather Wednesday to make progress on a blaze that continues to threaten groves of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest. Los Angeles Times

CALIFORNIA CULTURE

Getting ready for the weekend: After a dismal Labor Day weekend, Hollywood is sending in the clowns, with New Line Cinemas Stephen King adaptation It poised to give a much-needed jolt to the film business. Los Angeles Times

Bringing back Orion: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer is reviving Orion Pictures, the movie label best known for releasing The Terminator and Silence of the Lambs, as a standalone distributor. Los Angeles Times

Demographic destiny: A study by the Washington-based Public Religion Research Institute found that in California only 24% of state residents surveyed identified themselves as both white and Christian. Sacramento Bee

No Stone zone: Roger Stone, a former campaign adviser to President Trump, has been dropped from the lineup of the Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition this month. Stone says he plans to sue the organizers of the event being held at the Los Angeles Convention Center. LA Weekly

CALIFORNIA ALMANAC

Los Angeles area: sunny, 84, Thursday; sunny, 81, Friday. San Diego: partly cloudy, 77, Thursday; partly cloudy, 74, Friday. San Francisco area: partly cloudy, 70, Thursday; partly cloudy, 69, Friday. Sacramento: partly cloudy, 80, Thursday; sunny, 87, Friday. More weather is here.

AND FINALLY

Todays California memory comes from Margot Smith:

So much changed in our Beverly Hills neighborhood because of World War II. The milkmans truck had metal tires because no rubber tires were available, and it made a lot of noise when it came down the street to deliver milk. The Helms Bakery truck did not come to the door as often with doughnuts and danish because of gas rationing. We missed the ice cream mans truck and bells, and the iceman who delivered big blocks of ice to our ice box started using a horse and wagon. When WWII ended, my friend and I rode a streetcar down Hollywood Boulevard to see the joyous crowds celebrating. The streets were packed with people, and it was over at last!

If you have a memory or story about the Golden State, share it with us. Send us an email to let us know what you love or fondly remember about our state. (Please keep your story to 100 words.)

Please let us know what we can do to make this newsletter more useful to you. Send comments, complaints and ideas to Benjamin Oreskes and Shelby Grad. Also follow them on Twitter @boreskes and @shelbygrad.
On Sept. 30, a priest, a small crew of soldiers and their dashing commander will depart the galleon San Salvador, rowing a chalupa toward Ballast Point to claim San Diego Bay in the name of Spain.

Naval Base Point Loma isnt surrendering to foreign invaders. Its hosting the 54th annual Cabrillo Festival, a celebration that brings together Mexico, the United States, Spain and Portugal to honor the feats of 16th century explorer Juan Rodriguez Cabrillo.

Landing on the shore of San Diego Bay on Sept. 28, 1542, he was the first European to discover what later became the eighth-largest city in the United States.

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Staged by the nonprofit Cabrillo Festival Inc. and the National Park Service, this years festival opens to the public at 11 a.m. on Sept. 30. There will be Kumeyaay basket making, re-enactors drilling in a 16th Century Spanish military encampment and the Maritime Museum of San Diegos replica of Cabrillos San Salvador galleon.

Guests will be asked to show identification before entering the base.

The great thing about the Cabrillo Festival is that it brings together Portuguese, American, Spanish and Mexican people every year to celebrate an important moment in history, said Cabrillo Festival president Patty Camacho. Were all from different places, but we show everyone how to live in peace and harmony.

Cabrillo came to San Diego from what is today Barra de Navidad, a fishing village in the Mexican state of Jalisco. He took nearly three months to reach San Diego.

Searching for gold and a route to China, Cabrillos flotilla of the flagship San Salvador, the small galleon La Victoria and the oar-driven brigantine San Miguel instead found Todos Santos Bay in Ensenada and, after a few more days of sailing, San Diego Bay.

The explorer and his crew are believed to have stayed along the shore for six days, trading with the Kumeyaay Indians and restocking the fleet with food and fresh water, according to festival organizers.

Records show that Cabrillos voyage took him as far north as the estuary of the Russian River in Sonoma County but he never made it home. Rushing to rescue crewmen under attack by Tongva Indians, he smashed his shin on serrated stones on Santa Catalina Island. Gangrene set in and he died there on Jan. 3, 1543.

Cabrillos arrival in Todos Santos Bay will be celebrated at 10 a.m. on Sept. 17 in Baja Californias Ensenada.

At 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 29, a special wreath laying ceremony will take place at the Cabrillo National Monument, 1800 Cabrillo Memorial Drive in San Diego.

The Cabrillo Discovery Evening Social is slated to begin at 4:30 p.m. on Sept. 29 at the Holiday Inn San Diego Bayside, 4875 N Harbor Drive in San Diego.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
Three days after returning from a mission to rescue scores of Texans after Hurricane Harvey, National Guardsmen from across California are prepping to face Irma as the lethal cyclone nears Florida.

The California Air National Guards Silicon Valley-based 129th Rescue Wing announced Wednesday that the unit is preparing to depart for Florida, where Irma is expected to make landfall on Sunday.

Were putting all the pieces together now, said 129th Rescue Wing spokesman Capt. Roderick Bersamina,. adding that no final orders have been issued.

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Packing 185 mph winds, Irma devastated large portions of Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands on Wednesday. The Category 5 storm is expected to rumble up the northern coast of the Dominican Republic on Thursday before barreling over the Turks and Caicos and southeastern Bahamas on late Thursday, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Weather watchers have dubbed Irma the most powerful cyclone ever spawned in the Atlantic Ocean. The hurricane is being shadowed by Tropical Storm Jose, which is intensifying in the Central Atlantic while meandering northwest toward Bermuda.

Nearly hurricane strength, Jose is slated to hit Puerto Rico on Saturday, too.

The 129th Rescue Wing plans to deploy approximately 100 of its Guardsmen this week, including the highly trained Guardian Angel pararescuemen. They plan to operate two HH-60G Pave Hawk rescue helicopters and three MC-130P Combat Shadow aircraft out of the Air Forces Hurlburt Field in the Florida panhandle.

Many of them arrived in Houston on Aug. 27 to aid local, state and federal agencies before moving with the flood waters to Beaumont, Port Arthur and other hard hit communities straddling the border between Texas and Louisiana. They were credited with saving the lives of 113 people.

In a written statement from the Pentagon, National Guard Bureau chief Gen. Joseph Lengyel said that the 29th Rescue WIng and more than 45,000 other Guard members are engaged worldwide in a wide range of missions, including the 19,000 soldiers and airmen helping Texas and Louisiana recover from Hurricane Harvey.

There are 1,200 Guardsmen fighting wildfires in California, Montana and Oregon, plus another 13,000 mobilized to support combatant commands overseas.

Florida Gov. Rick Scott ordered 7,000 Guardsmen in his state to report to duty statewide by Friday. Puerto Rico and Virgin Islands authorities mobilized their Guardsmen as Irma approached, too.

As we prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma, I want our Airmen, their families and our community to know the Puerto Rico Air National Guard stands ready and prepared. We are trained to deal with natural disasters when called upon by the Governor and follow his directives, said Col. Rayond Figueroa, commander of the 156th Airlift Wing in Carolina, Puerto Rico, shortly before the storm struck.

While the Hurricane Hunters of the U.S. Air Forces Mississippi-based 53rd Weather Reconnaissance Squadron continued to fly into the gut of Hurricane Irma to gauge wind speeds, the Pelicans of the 14th Airlift Squadron spent Wednesday unloading emergency supplies in San Juan, Puerto Rico.

Air Force pilots flew out F-16C/D Fighting Falcon fighters from Homestead Air Reserve Base near Miami. Hurricane Andrew, another Category 5 storm, ravaged the base in 1992.

After leaving Norfolk last week to provide hurricane relief in Texas, the amphibious warships Kearsarge and Oak Hil veered out of Irmas path but have been ordered by Secretary of Defense James Mattis to aid Florida  if Scott or other Tallahassee officials request it.

Additional amphibious warships are moored at Jacksonvilles Naval Station Mayport to provide relief but sailors on Wednesday ringed the headquarters of U.S. Naval Forces Southern Command and the 4th Fleet with sandbags to stop potential flooding.

A storm surge above 18 feet is expected if Irmas high wind velocity continues.

U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Bette Bolivar, commander of Navy Region Southeast, on Tuesday ordered the evacuation of all non-essential troops and their families from Naval Air Station Key West, leaving a skeleton crew of fewer than 60 sailors to maintain essential functions on the fighter base.

Their safety and security is a top priority, Bolivar said.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
The Marines have launched dual investigations into the Aug. 30th death of a student at Camp Pendletons School of Infantry.

Pfc. Michael Philomeno Giannattasio, 22, of Armada, Mich., was found unresponsive during land navigation training on the Basic Reconnaissance Course, according to a written statement by the Corps Training and Education Command headquarters in Quantico, Vir.

After failing to resuscitate him, Emergency Medical Services responders pronounced him dead on the scene.

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TECOM spokesman Capt. Joshua Pena said that more information could not be provided until Friday but said that the Marines death is being probed by both the command and Naval Criminal Investigative Service.

The Marine Corps is in mourning and offer our deepest condolences, Pena said in the statement emailed to The San Diego Union-Tribune. We continue to support the family during this difficult time. PFC Giannattasio was an outstanding Marine who stepped up to the difficult challenge of earning a spot amongst our distinguished reconnaissance forces. Though he will be deeply missed, he will always remain in our ranks. Once a Marine, always a Marine.

NCIS officials did not return messages seeking comment.

Telephoned at his Camp Pendleton office, Reconnaissance Training Company commander Maj. J. E. Schillo said that he had been ordered to refer all questions about Giannattasios death to TECOM.

Orders are orders and I think you understand, said Schillo before hanging up.

Training to become Reconnaissance Men Snipers is rigorous, demanding high intelligence, strength, endurance, firearms skills and team work. Candidates for the program are chosen for their proven zeal, discipline, maturity and courage.

Giannattasio graduated from boot camp at Parris Island, S.C., on April 21 with Platoon 3028, India Company, 3rd Training Battalion. He was awarded the companys Iron Man prize for the highest physical fitness and combat fitness scores, acing 600 out of 600 points, according to Parris Island officials. He was an expert rifle marksman.

Giannattasios girlfriend, Jessica Zyrowski, said that she had spoken to him on the weekend before he died and texted him on Aug. 28. She recalled him as a rugby and cross-country standout who graduated from Macomb Community College last year with an Associate Degree in Engineering before deciding to enlist in the Corps.

He was the best guy I ever met, she said. He always wanted to be the best. He always gave his 110 percent, no matter what he did.

He was the perfect Marine. All the other Marines liked him and he was at the top of his classes, she added.

Modetz Funeral Homes is handling burial arrangements in Michigan.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

cprine@sduniontribune.com
Congressional members are painting a picture of a U.S. Navy out of whack in Asia, just as security tensions there are high.

Two subcommittees of the House Armed Services committee held a hearing Thursday to grill Navy officials about a string of recent mishaps that killed 17 sailors and gravely damaged two U.S. warships.

An early theme that emerged is that ships stationed outside the continental United States for too long are not getting the attention they need.

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Forward-deployed ships suffer as the Navy prioritizes operational deployments over maintenance and modernization, said Rep. Rob Wittman, a Republican from Virginia and chairman of the seapower subcommittee. This maintenance and training model places sailors at risk and clearly contributed to the incidents that we witnessed in Seventh Fleet.

Adm. Bill Moran outlined one reason that may have happened: The Navy gets more bang for its buck from ships stationed closer to the high-tension areas. The Navy gets four times the presence from forward-deployed ships, such as those in Asia, because time isnt spent sailing to and from the United States, Moran said.

The four-star admiral said the pressure on that kind of ship and ship crew may have risen too high.

Our culture is, Were going to get it done, because thats what the Navy is all about. And sometimes our culture works against us, Moran, the vice chief of naval operations, told the committee. Perhaps weve asked them to do too much.

The hearing was preceded by a report from a government watchdog agency finding that U.S. warships assigned to the busy Asia-Pacific command known as U.S. Seventh Fleet were way behind on training.

More than a third of the Navys destroyers and cruisers stationed in Japan had warfare training certifications that were expired as of June, according to U.S Government Accountability Office analysis delivered at Thursdays hearing. Over two-thirds had been expired for five months or more.

These certifications matter because they show that a crew is up to date on the training required to operate the vessel.

The GAO also found that crew reductions contribute to sailors Navy-wide being overworked and to safety risks.

The Navy slimmed down crew sizes in the early 2000s  in part due to more automation on ships. But the changes were not supported by analysis and may now be creating safety risks, the watchdog agency said in testimony delivered by John Pendleton, director of the GAOs defense capabilities and management unit.

For instance, some sailors on ships are working more than 100 hours per week.

In response to that finding, Rep. Elizabeth Esty, D-Connecticut, said, The notion that they are working 100-hour weeks is really terrifying, for them and for us.

Esty, who isnt on the Armed Services committee but asked to testify because one of the fallen sailors is from her district, said the safety issue is comparable to doctors in training working too many hours in a row.

I think thats something you need to look at, the capacity for people to operate under pressure with those kinds of hours, she said. Its simply unfair to them, its unsafe and its wrong.

Also, the Navy has been chronically unable to get maintenance done on time so that ships are available for training.

The GAO says data shows that maintenance delays on 107 of 169 surface ships resulted in 6,603 lost operational days between 2011 and 2016. These problems come against the backdrop of the Navy wanting to increase its fleet to 355 ships from todays 277 and to assign more ships to Asia.

Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-Alpine, suggested officials might be casting too wide a net by scrutinizing ship assignments and maintenance schedules when looking for fixes for the ship mishaps.

This wasnt a complex (thing), like suppression of enemy air defense or something crazy like that. This was ships hitting other ships and running aground, Hunter said at the hearing. I think its easy to  say theres all these different problems, as opposed to not seeing a ship on a radar, or with your binoculars out the window. Its almost easy to get too carried away and not be narrow enough on this.

Up next, probably: More congressional hearings on the topic. Also, the Navy is working on several investigations that will shed more light on the collisions.

We need to ask that those reports are open and available to people, said Rep. Susan Davis, D-San Diego, in an interview with The San Diego Union-Tribune after the hearing.

I hope that our sailors have a chance to look at them. I want to be sure that all the way up the chain, our sailors who were working on the ships, that they have the ability to respond, said Davis, a member of the committee.

Welcome to The Intel, a blog examining the hot military news of the day

The committee is looking at a string of U.S. military accidents that involve Navy, Marine Corps and Army aircraft and vessels and resulted in the deaths of 42 troops.

June 17: Seven sailors  including two from San Diego County  were killed after then Japan-based destroyer Fitzgerald destroyer collided before dawn with a container ship.

July 10: Sixteen troops were killed when a Marine Corps KC-130 plane crashed in Mississippi.

August 5: Three Marines died when their MV-22 Osprey crashed while on final approach to the USS Green Bay off the coast of Australia.

August 15: Five Army troops died when their UH-60 Black Hawk went down during a nighttime training exercises off Hawaii.

August 21: Ten sailors died when the Japan-based destroyer John S. McCain collided with a Liberian chemical tanker.

August 25: One soldier died when an Army Black Hawk helicopter crashed off Yemens coast during a training exercise.

Additionally, the San Diego-based cruiser Lake Champlain was hit by a South Korean fishing boat while deployed in Asia in May. The cruiser did not suffer major damage. And in January, the Japan-based cruiser Antietam ran aground on shoals just outside its base in Yokosuka and spilled fluid into Tokyo Bay.

In response to the ship mishaps, the Navy on Aug. 21 ordered an operational pause for the entire fleet to revisit basic seamanship fundamentals. The Navy is also doing an investigation of the conditions in the Seventh Fleet, which is headquartered in Yokosuka, Japan.

Seventh Fleet commander, Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, was removed from his job as an expression of loss of confidence. It was a somewhat ceremonial gesture; Aucoin was already scheduled to retire a month later.

Military Videos  On Now D-Day paratrooper from Coronado jumps again in France  at age 96 On Now Remembering war's fallen, one name at a time On Now In Ramona, an airplane and an aviator provide living lessons on World War II 1:43 On Now Video: Navy's newest vessel sails into San Diego and a new future in surface warfare On Now Video: U.S. Navy files homicide charges over warship collisions On Now Stopping Marine hazing On Now Video: U.S. Navy Air Crew Grounded After Creating Vulgar Sky Drawing On Now Navy says Asia Pacific ship collisions were avoidable On Now Hundreds of recruits get sick at Marine boot camp On Now Cutler Dawson Talks Navy Federal

jen.steele@sduniontribune.com

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A second round of contracts to build models for President Donald Trumps border wall  these out of materials other than concrete  were handed out by Customs and Border Protection Thursday.

The winners were four companies, none from San Diego. Two were winners in the first round of awards made last week to construct models, or prototypes, of a border wall made of concrete.

The contract awards ranged between $300,000 to $500,000 per company, according to CBP, though they did not break down the precise amounts to each bidder.

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The prototypes wil be constructed in San Diego somewhere along the international border  just like the four concrete wall prototypes will be. The exact location has not yet been revealed by the agency.

The winning companies were Caddell Construction of Montgomery, Ala., W.G. Yates & Sons Construction Company of Philadelphia, Miss., ELTA North America of Annapolis Junction, Md., and KWR Construction of Sierra Visa, Ariz. Both Caddell and W.G Yates won contracts last week for construction of concrete wall prototypes.

Messages left for representatives of each company were not returned on Thursday.

The awards end another phase in the Trump administrations drive to fulfill one of the presidents chief campaign promises to construct a wall along the southwest border with Mexico.

Initial requests for proposals for both a concrete wall and a second request for walls made of other materials were sent out in March.

Trump said during the campaign he envisioned the wall would be made of concrete. When the bids for prototypes wer released in March, CBP called for designs that would also use other materials than concrete.

Construction on both sets of prototypes is expected to begin soon, perhaps later this month  though CBP has not given out a timetable yet.

Each wall is required to be 18 feet to 30-feet high and unclimable, go six feet below ground and be able to fend off attempts to breach it for at least 30 minutes and ideally for up to four hours.

CBP said the walls that will be built of other materials will serve a dual purpose, both fortifying the border section where they are built and providing an innovative perspective in the application of new materials which will allow CBP to evaluate the potential for new wall and barrier designs to complement the current wall and barrier used along the Southwest border.

The contracts are only for prototype construction, for which Congress has appropriated $20 million.

The fate of building a larger wall when a design or designs are chosen is up in the air, with strong Congressional opposition from Democrats and some Republicans to spending any money on a wall running along hundreds of miles or more of the border.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
Los Angeles city leaders will push Friday to declare the city a sanctuary for immigrants, a move that comes after some lawmakers resisted formally using the term despite pressure from local immigration groups.

City Council members Herb Wesson and Gil Cedillo plan to unveil a resolution Friday that would formally label Los Angeles either a city of sanctuary or a sanctuary city.

Wesson and Cedillo say they want stronger protections for immigrants after President Trumps decision this week to scrap the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. DACA, put in place by President Obama, shields young people who were brought into the country illegally as minors from deportation.

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A study by the nonpartisan Migration Policy Institute found that 1 in 4 DACA participants lives in California.

A discussion on which phrase to use will take place at Fridays meeting, Wesson said.

Well find out which term is preferable, Wesson said Thursday. Is it city of sanctuary, which is what I personally like? But I dont know. I havent had a conversation with the other members.

Peter Schey, the citys pro bono advocate and legal advisor on immigration issues, released a report Thursday that recommends making the city a Dreamer Arrest-Free Zone.

The report suggests Los Angeles could help reduce deportation of immigrants who benefit from the Obama-era protections, often called Dreamers, by ensuring that they have representation letters written by attorneys that spell out their legal rights. A person with DACA status would present the letter during any contact with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents, the report says.

The report also recommends that the city provide funding and resources so those individuals detained by ICE are assured legal representation. It also suggests creating a local Human Rights Ordinance to ensure that immigrants legal rights are protected.

The report does not estimate a cost to the city for such services.

Tessie Borden, a member of progressive group Indivisible Highland Park, said she wants the city to provide more protections for immigrants, and is less concerned about the sanctuary label.

Special Order 40, which bars LAPD officers from contacting someone solely to determine their immigration status, doesnt go far enough in protecting immigrants, Borden said.

We want no cooperation between local law enforcement and ICE over immigration, Borden said. We want no sharing of information.

Mayor Eric Garcetti, a forceful immigrant rights advocate in Los Angeles, has resisted using the phrase sanctuary city because he says it doesnt accurately describe the citys policies.

Wesson said he hasnt talked to the mayor about the term. Asked for Garcettis reaction to the council members resolution, mayoral spokesman Alex Comisar said, L.A. is a national leader in protecting our immigrant communities, but he did not address the proposed sanctuary label.

There is no neat definition of a sanctuary city, but in general, cities that use the name seek to offer political support or practical protections to people who are in the country illegally.

For some cities, the sanctuary movement consists simply of encouraging people without legal status to get more involved in government.

Other places, including San Francisco, adopt far-reaching policies, such as taking steps to cut ties with federal immigration officials and refusing to fully cooperate with them.

San Francisco declared itself a sanctuary city in 1989, and city officials strengthened the stance in 2013 with its Due Process for All ordinance. The law declared local authorities could not hold immigrants for immigration officials if they had no violent felonies on their records and did not currently face charges.

The Republican Party of Los Angeles County said in a statement that it is disappointed that the council is considering the sanctuary label.

While we have compassion for all hard working residents in our community, as a party we believe in following the law, the statement said, and thus cannot support the idea of sanctuary cities especially when some major crimes against our citizens are committed by those who are in our country illegally.

California officials last month sued the Trump administration, alleging federal threats to withhold funding from sanctuary cities are unconstitutional and violate the rights of residents. In his report, Schey writes that Trumps threat to penalize sanctuary cities has no basis in law and is primarily intended to dazzle his base and intimidate local officials.

dakota.smith@latimes.com

Twitter: @dakotacdsmith

UPDATES:

6:40 p.m.: This article was updated with additional reaction and background.

This article was originally published at 4:25 p.m.
A man who was driving a truckload of stolen appliances when a stove tumbled off his truck, causing a crash that claimed the life of a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy, was convicted Wednesday of second-degree murder, officials said.

An Orange County jury deliberated for several hours before finding Cole Allen Wilkins, 41, guilty in the deputys July 2006 death, according to the Orange County district attorneys office.

Wilkins faces 25 years to life in state prison and is due to be sentenced this month.

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Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas said in a statement that Wilkins deserves to spend the rest of his life in prison for murdering a police officer who was on his way to serve and protect the public.

Wilkins attorney could not immediately be reached for comment.

Early that July 2006 morning, prosecutors said, Wilkins stole a shipment of appliances from a home under construction in Riverside County.

As he fled, he failed to secure the items, leaving the tailgate of his pickup truck down. Soon after, on the 91 Freeway in Anaheim, a full-size stove fell off the trucks bed.

David Piquette, a 10-year veteran of the Sheriffs Department and father of twins, was driving to work from his Corona home when he swerved to avoid hitting the appliance. He collided with a cement truck, which landed on top of his Crown Victoria and crushed him.

Wilkins did not stop until a driver behind him flashed his lights and honked his horn. When he finally did stop, prosecutors said, he gave the man a fake name and two bogus phone numbers. Later, he also gave a false name to California Highway Patrol officers investigating the collision.

Wilkins fought his case for more than a decade, all the way up to the California Supreme Court.

At his first trial in 2008, he was found guilty of first-degree murder, but the state high court overturned his conviction on the grounds the jury was not properly instructed.

He had been convicted under the felony-murder rule, under which a defendant may be convicted of first-degree murder if someone dies while the suspect is committing a felony, even if the defendant did not intend to kill.

A jury convicted Wilkins because the crash occurred soon after he had stolen the household appliances.

But the state high court overturned the conviction, saying that if a defendant had already escaped to a temporary place of safety, any death he then causes is not felony murder.

alene.tchekmedyian@latimes.com

Twitter: @AleneTchek

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A federal judge on Thursday temporarily barred Los Angeles police and prosecutors from enforcing a gang injunction against an Echo Park man, saying she believed he would likely prove his rights were violated when he was swept up in the order.

The 29-page order stems from a lawsuit filed by the American Civil Liberties Union and other groups last year. The suit accuses police of violating Peter Arellanos due process rights  and those of thousands of other people  by serving them with gang injunctions without allowing them to first contest the orders in court.

Arellano, who denies being in a gang, is likely to establish that the city did not provide him with due process in enforcing the injunction against him, Chief U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips wrote. Continued enforcement of the injunction is likely to result in irreparable injury.

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The case is still winding its way through court. But Peter Bibring, a senior staff attorney with the ACLU of Southern California, said he believed the judges decision was a promising signal of how it could ultimately be resolved.

We dont see any reason the court will change its views, he said. Were really hopeful that the city is going to recognize that the way it uses injunctions is unconstitutional and will either radically rework the way they use injunctions or abandon them altogether.

A spokesman for the city attorneys office said Thursday that officials there were reviewing the judges decision and our options.

In an earlier interview, Arellano said he has never been involved with a gang, but that he and his father were both served with injunctions aimed at curbing the activities of six street gangs in 2013. As a result of the court order, Arellano said he cant even go out to dinner with relatives without risking arrest.

The injunctions, used by the city since the late 1980s, are civil court orders that bar suspected gang members from engaging in certain activities in areas where the gang is known to congregate. People subject to injunctions are generally prohibited from wearing clothing that police believe highlights gang affiliation within the designated areas and from socializing with other alleged gang members in public, including family members.

Those who violate injunctions can be charged with contempt and face up to six months in jail.

In its lawsuit, the ACLU criticized the methods by which the city obtains them and what it called a painstakingly slow relief process for those who think they have been wrongfully labeled as gang members. City officials usually name a gang faction, rather than individual gang members, when seeking an injunction, according to the suit. That creates a situation where the city typically obtains the injunction during an uncontested court proceeding, the ACLU said.

There are signs, however, that the process might change.

In a court filing this summer, Deputy City Atty. Patricia Ursea acknowledged the city is planning to alter its policies. People subject to injunctions will have at least 30 days to challenge them in state court or through a separate removal process set up by the city before the orders become enforceable, according to the filing.

The city is also going to revise its criteria for removing people from injunctions, which had come under sharp criticism from the ACLU and other activists, and has considered releasing an undisclosed number of people from current injunctions, according to the filing.

kate.mather@latimes.com

james.queally@latimes.com
Inside the small tent, their limbs intertwined. A man and two women, all shot in the head. Nearby, another man was crumpled on his side, his legs drained of color. And in another tent, a fifth victim lay face down in a pool of blood.

The 2008 quintuple murder at the Long Beach homeless encampment  one of the citys deadliest massacres  took several years for detectives to piece together. But in 2012, police arrested two gang members  David Ponce and Max Rafael  in connection with the slayings. On Wednesday, both men appeared in Los Angeles Superior Court for the first day of their murder trial.

During opening statements, Deputy Dist. Atty. Cynthia Barnes told jurors that around 11 p.m. on Nov. 1, 2008, Ponce, now 36, and Rafael, now 31, arrived at the tucked-away camp shaded beneath hanging bottlebrush trees off the 405 Freeway. They were looking for a man named Lorenzo Villicana  L.V., they said  and forced Hamid Sammy Shraifat, who lived at the camp, to direct them to him.

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Once in front of Villacanas tent, the prosecutor said, Ponce shot him, as well as Vanessa Malaepule, 34, and Katherine Verdun, 24, who were also in the tent. Then, to cover their tracks, the prosecutor said, Rafael shot Shraifat, 41, and Frederick Neumeier, 53, who was in a neighboring tent.

A week before the slayings, one of Ponces friends had gotten into a fight with Villacana, Barnes said. Prosecutors have previously said the slayings were motivated by a drug debt. Both defendants, Barnes told jurors, are longtime members of the Nuthood Watts gang, and both defendants bragged about the slayings.

In court, Barnes played a recording of Ponce seemingly confessing to a jailhouse informant.

I emptied a whole clip, Ponce says. They all slumped on each other.

Damn, the informant responds.

Four months after the slayings, Barnes said, Ponce killed again. On March 23, 2009, according to Barnes, he forced Tony Bledsoe  who owed him money  into his car and drove to a desolate spot in the Antelope Valley near Lake Los Angeles, which skirts the western edge of the Mojave Desert. He then made Bledsoe get on his knees and shot him four times in the head. Two bullets to the front, the prosecutor said, and two to the back.

In another recorded jailhouse conversation, Ponce says Bledsoe prayed before he shot him.

He got onto his knees, Ponce says. Bam, bam, bam.

Did you bury him? the informant asks.

No, he responds. I left him like that.

Six months later, a woman riding her horse in the desert near Lake Los Angeles noticed her dog sniffing at something. It was a mans hand. It belonged to Bledsoe.

Ponce also bragged to his then-girlfriend about the Long Beach slayings and about killing Bledsoe, Barnes said, adding that the former girlfriend is expected to testify.

Both defendants are charged with five counts of murder, including the special circumstance allegations that they murdered someone for witnessing a crime, committed murder while an active participant of a criminal street gang and committed murder during the commission of a kidnapping. Both also are charged with kidnapping Shraifat, and Ponce is charged with kidnapping and murder in Bledsoes slaying. If convicted, Ponce could face the death penalty, and Rafael faces up to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

But Ponces attorney, Robert A. Schwartz, argued that his client isnt guilty of murder, saying Ponce wasnt confessing, but bragging to impress someone above him in the prison hierarchy. Schwartz said the informant presented himself as a representative of Eulalio Lalo Martinez, a reputed member of the Mexican Mafia, and plied Ponce with pruno, a crude, inmate-crafted wine, before the recorded conversations.

His client only knew details about the slayings from media coverage, Schwartz told jurors, adding that Ponce told the informant a lot of things that are just outright lies.

Seated at the defense table, Ponce nodded.

During his opening arguments, Rafaels attorney, Marc Lewinstein, referred to the Long Beach slayings as brutal, horrific crimes but said his client wasnt there that night. The second shooter, the attorney said, was a childhood friend of Ponces who was once a suspect. He said police only focused on his client after Ponces then-girlfriend  who had previously said she didnt know who the accomplice was  pointed authorities to Rafael.

On the stand Wednesday, retired Long Beach Police Det. Mark McGuire testified that hed investigated about 200 murder cases over the years. When the prosecutor asked if hed ever responded to a crime scene with more than one dead victim, he said, yes, adding that hed been assigned cases with two murder victims.

Three? the prosecutor asked.

No, he responded.

Four?

No.

Five?

This one.

As the exchange ended, a juror shook his head.

marisa.gerber@latimes.com

For more news from the Los Angeles County courts, follow me on Twitter: @marisagerber
A gunman who authorities say fatally shot a Sacramento County Sheriffs deputy and wounded two California Highway Patrol officers died from his wounds over the weekend, the coroner said.

Thomas Littlecloud, 32, died Saturday following a gunfight with law enforcement at the Ramada Inn on Auburn Boulevard in Sacramento County on Aug. 30.

Deputy Robert Bob French, a 21-year veteran of the department, was killed.

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The CHP officers, whose names were not released, were wounded but are expected to survive.

The gun battle erupted amid a stolen car investigation that started just after 9:30 a.m. Aug. 30 in the hotel parking lot.

Members of a Sacramento County auto theft task force were monitoring the hotel after they found a stolen vehicle in the parking lot, sheriffs spokesman Sgt. Tony Turnbull said.

They saw two women enter the vehicle and drive away, Turnbull said. When officers tried to stop the vehicle, the women led authorities on a pursuit that ended in Elk Grove, about 16 miles south of Sacramento.

Officers arrested Priscilla Prendez, 23, of Oakland, and released the other woman, Turnbull said. Prendez was booked on suspicion of vehicle theft and felony evasion, authorities said.

Authorities discovered Prendez was on probation and had been staying at the hotel, Turnbull said, so officers returned to the hotel to search her room.

When officers arrived, he said, they knocked on the door and announced themselves. Thats when multiple shots were fired through the hotel room door and walls, striking the CHP officers.

As sheriffs deputies surrounded the hotel, Turnbull said, Littlecloud, armed with a high-powered assault rifle, tried to escape from the balcony.

He engaged the deputies in gunfire, striking Deputy French during his attempt to flee, Turnbull said in a statement.

French, 52, was shot in his side, and the bullet entered his chest cavity, authorities said.

Littlecloud climbed off the balcony, jumped into a vehicle and led police on a pursuit that ended in a crash and an exchange of gunfire, authorities said. He was shot and taken into custody.

Staff writer Veronica Rocha contributed to this report.

joseph.serna@latimes.com

For breaking California news, follow @JosephSerna on Twitter.

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Los Angeles County has agreed to pay $1.49 million to the family of an unarmed, disabled Compton man who was shot and killed by a sheriffs deputy in a tragic case of mistaken identity last year, officials said.

The settlement, approved Tuesday by the L.A. County Board of Supervisors, will be paid to the father of 27-year-old Donnell Thompson Jr., according to Brian Dunn, an attorney with the Cochran Firm who is representing the family.

Thompson came into contact with a group of sheriffs deputies in Compton last July as they hunted for Robert Alexander, a 26-year-old carjacking suspect who had opened fire on deputies after a pursuit in Compton.

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Alexander had a lengthy criminal history, but Thompson was described by relatives as a sweet, soft-spoken man who was attending classes for people with mental disabilities at El Camino College.

After shooting at deputies twice, Alexander stormed into a home on Slater Street at gunpoint, threatened to kill the occupants and hid in the bedroom of an elderly woman, authorities said. He was arrested a short time later.

Authorities, however, were unable to immediately identify Alexander as the carjacking suspect.

At about the same time, a resident on West Stockwell Street called authorities to report a man lying in his front yard. It was Thompson.

Another group of deputies, unaware of Alexanders arrest, moved in, believing they had found the carjacking suspect who had opened fire, authorities said last year.

Thompson did not respond to commands and did not move when deputies set off flash-bang explosives nearby, authorities said last year. Eventually, he was struck by foam bullets and took off running toward an armored vehicle.

Deputies said Thompson had his hand near his waistband while he was running. A SWAT team member in the turret of an armored vehicle shot him twice with an M4 rifle, authorities said. Thompson was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deputies were in no danger of being shot by Thompson but feared he was actually Alexander and might have been running toward another house or posed a danger to nearby residents, authorities said last year.

The Sheriffs Department initially announced Thompson as a second suspect in the carjacking case, but officials corrected themselves during a news conference in August 2016, admitting that Thompson was innocent of any connection.

Alexander was initially arrested on suspicion of attempted murder of a peace officer, records show. He died at Patton State Hospital this year, said Greg Risling, a spokesman for the Los Angeles County district attorneys office. The cause of death was not immediately clear.

Thompsons relatives previously said that deputies aggravated the situation by using force against the 27-year-old as he lay motionless. They suggested that race played a role in the shooting and staged a protest in downtown Los Angeles last year on the two-year anniversary of Michael Browns death at the hands of a police officer in Ferguson, Mo., a killing that set off a national debate about police use of force against African Americans. Thompson was black.

Dunn said the slain mans relatives are happy with the resolution of the case and hope the department will take measures to prevent similar fatal incidents of mistaken identity.

This type of thing is about the most devastating thing that can happen to folks, because it comes out of nowhere. Then you get that call that your loved one is dead, he said, adding that the formation of the departments Civilian Oversight Commission has come as welcome news to the Thompson family.

A spokeswoman for the Sheriffs Department declined to comment on the settlement or identify the deputy involved in the shooting. The incident resulted in additional training within the agency, the spokeswoman said, but she did not elaborate.

The shooting remains under review by the Los Angeles County district attorneys office, Risling said. Experts told The Times last year that the fact that Thompson was not the carjacking suspect would have little bearing on a decision to charge the officers.

Los Angeles County has seen a dramatic surge in the amount of money it has paid out to resolve legal claims against the Sheriffs Department stemming from deputy shootings, excessive force, sexual assault and other misconduct in recent years, according to a Times analysis. The countys annual payouts jumped from $5.6 million in 2011 to nearly $51 million last year, records show.

james.queally@latimes.com

Follow @JamesQueallyLAT for crime and police news in California.
Firefighters battling the Railroad fire near Yosemite National Park relied on cool weather Wednesday to make progress on a blaze that continues to threaten groves of giant sequoias in the Sierra National Forest.

The wildfire is burning between Sugar Pine and Fish Camp. By Wednesday night, it had scorched 11,603 acres and was 43% contained, the U.S. Forest Service reported. Fire officials say moderate temperatures and higher levels of humidity have helped increase containment of the fire, but high temperatures and dry conditions may return Thursday, with the added threat of thunderstorms and spot fires.

Today is going to be critical, said Cheryl Chipman, a spokeswoman with the forest service. Warmer weather leads to more fires, she said.

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Officials say they still fear wet or dry thunderstorms could produce lightning and strong winds that could help spread flames.

The wildfire is burning in areas with dry pine and cedar trees that not only help fuel the blaze but also increase the risk for firefighters.

The fire has burned 14 structures and forced the evacuations of several mountain communities. Roughly 600 residents have been affected, Chipman said.

More than 800 personnel are fighting the fire, including 14 hand crews, six helicopters, 89 engines and 14 bulldozers. Air tankers have been ordered to help support firefighting efforts.

The fire broke out Aug. 29 near Yosemite Mountain Sugar Pine Railroad, just north of Oakhurst.

The fire has forced mandatory evacuations for several campgrounds, lodges and mountain communities. The California Highway Patrol blocked access to Highway 41 from south of Wawona to Sky Ranch Road.

On Tuesday, the fire had moved into the Nelder Grove, home to more than 100 mature giant sequoias. The fire did not damage the trees, but it burned the vegetation beneath them.

Chipman said firefighters were focusing their efforts on protecting structures and conducting more fire operations to slow the spread of the fire. Fire officials say the fire will continue east toward Little Sandy  and downslope from the Speckerman Mountain peak  and southwest toward Sugar Pine and Cedar Valley.

In California, there are more than 20 active fires, including the La Tuna fire in the city of Los Angeles, which has burned 7,194 acres and is 80% contained.

ruben.vives@latimes.com

For more Southern California news, follow @latvives on Twitter.

UPDATES:

8:05 p.m.: This article was updated with new acreage and containment figures.

This article was originally published at 1:40 p.m.
For at least the past decade, Tijuana vendors put in special orders for designer merchandise, dispatching teams of shoplifters to malls around the country to steal more than $20 million in loot that could be resold at lower prices in Mexico, according to an indictment unsealed in San Diego federal court Wednesday.

The highly organized shoplifting ring targeted malls around San Diego County  from Fashion Valley to Horton Plaza to Plaza Bonita  and as far away as Washington, Illinois, Oregon and Maryland, prosecutors said. They used sophisticated techniques to lift everything from Louis Vuitton shoes to Victorias Secret lingerie to Abercrombie & Fitch clothing.

And when necessary, the suspected thieves used violence  allegedly knocking down an infant in a stroller and breaking a loss prevention officers arm  to get away with their crimes, the U.S. attorneys office in San Diego said.

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On Wednesday, more than 250 law enforcement officers spread throughout the county with warrants, arresting at least 14 people by the afternoon and searching three homes in Lemon Grove, Chula Vista and San Diego.

A San Diego federal grand jury indicted 22 people in the scheme. Three of those arrested were already in custody. Some remain fugitives.

Agents seized about $30,000 in cash as well as about a dozen trash bags bursting with new clothing with tags and security devices still attached. Numerous brands were represented in the haul, including Guess, Express, Hollister, Calvin Klein, Puma, Armani and Adidas, authorities said.

Piles of new Louis Vuitton shoes, as well as jewelry and perfume, were also confiscated.

Sara Portilla, who manages a boutique in Tijuana, and Maria Angelica Mendez Valdivia, both San Diegans, are accused of fencing the stolen goods in the store and at Mexican swap meets with the help of Jose de Jesus Mora, said David Shaw, special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations in San Diego.

At times they would make specific requests for special items, such as an order for Tommy Hilfiger clothing, or for items not found in stores in California, according to the indictment.

The shoplifting crews were organized by team leaders, who would scout stores and choreograph the heists using cellphones and hand signals, prosecutors said. Blockers would distract store employees or shield the movements of the mules, who would use metallic-lined booster bags to hide the merchandise and defeat store security sensors.

The 38 thefts in the indictment range from June 13, 2008, when one defendant is accused of trying to drive over an Abercrombie & Fitch employee in National City, to July 27, 2017, when several defendants stole about $5,500 in merchandise from an Abercrombie store in San Diego.

The thieves typically stole thousands of dollars in merchandise each time, including $5,000 from an American Eagle store in Visalia, $4,500 from a Victorias Secret in Escondido, $10,600 from a Tommy Hilfiger store in San Clemente and $6,700 from a Las Vegas Victorias Secret, the indictment alleges.

Some of the thefts got physical.

Sergio Manuel Montano Nava is accused of knocking over an infant in its stroller and injuring the father to flee after stealing merchandise from a Hollister store in Schaumburg, Ill., in November 2009. Jose Damazo Herrera, Robin Macias and others are accused of driving vehicles through a crowd in November 2012 during their getaway from another Hollister store theft in Fashion Valley Mall in San Diego.

In March 2013, a suspected thief allegedly grabbed a loss prevention officer by the throat and threw her to the ground while running from an Abercrombie & Fitch store at the Plaza Bonita Mall in National City.

Others are also accused of intimidating a witness from talking to law enforcement, including throwing a rock through a car window, prosecutors say.

Theyre not just shoplifting, said David Shaw. Theyre using violence to get what they want.

The stolen merchandise was then sold in Mexico, prosecutors allege. For example, in October 2013, Mendez had more than $482,000 in merchandise that had been lifted from at least 57 stores, bound for south of the border, the indictment alleges.

The indictment includes charges of conspiracy and receiving and possessing stolen goods. Seven defendants are also charged with being in the U.S. illegally.

The mall is supposed to be a safe place for families to shop, eat and enjoy themselves, Acting U.S. Atty. Alana Robinson said in a statement. Instead, a prolific and violent group of thieves has stolen millions of dollars in merchandise as well as peace of mind from mall employees and customers. With todays action, we are protecting customers and businesses both physically and economically, and we are restoring and preserving the safety of our community gathering spots.

Davis writes for the San Diego Union-Tribune.

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It took a federal jury a little more than an hour on Wednesday to convict Mexican tycoon Jose Susumo Azano Matsura of illegally possessing a firearm  a verdict that added to the businessmans growing legal woes.

Azano was convicted last summer of 36 charges. including conspiracy to make campaign donations by a foreign national, following a six-week trial. Jurors deadlocked then over one charge  that Azano, a Mexican citizen with no legal status in the U.S., had a firearm in his Coronado mansion when it was searched by federal agents in January 2014.

Azano was in the country under a visitors and tourism visa, and under law is prohibited from possessing a gun. A retrial on the gun charge began Tuesday and lasted a little more than a day.

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Azano, a wealthy businessman who made his money in large part by selling surveillance equipment to the Mexican government and other countries, is set to be sentenced in October.

His main problems stem from the campaign contribution charges. Federal law prohibits foreign nationals from contributing money to domestic campaigns.

Prosecutors said that is exactly what Azano did in the 2012 San Diego mayors race, funneling more than $500,000 into the campaigns of former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis and ex-Mayor Bob Filner. He used a network of straw donors and also independent campaign committees to get the money in the race. Two others, including his son Edward were convicted, and a fourth defendant faces his own retrial on some charges in December.

The gun was found in a case in the master bedroom closet of his home during a Jan. 22, 2014 search. He said he had been given the gun by an offical in Mexico, but also told agents the gun had been given to him by a now-retired CBP officer for his protection. In an interview with teh FBI the officer denied giving the gun to Azano.

Twitter: @gregmoran

greg.moran@sduniontribune.com
A UC San Diego research group has reported San Diego Unifieds graduation rate has grown to 80.3 percent, which was about 10 percent lower than the districts figure under a different calculation but significantly higher than the researchers predicted.

The San Diego Education Research Alliances report released Wednesday lauded the districts graduation rate for the class of 2016, the first graduates who went through high school under tougher college-prep requirements.

Researchers noted that students who left for charter schools or other reasons tended to be well off the graduation track, but found no evidence that counselors had encouraged struggling students to leave for charters to improve the districts graduation rate.

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Because San Diego Unified use a different, federally mandated methodology in calculating data, SanDERAs findings were lower than the 91.2 percent graduation rate reported by the district and the state Department of Education.

More striking was the difference between SanDERAs earlier prediction of a 72 percent graduation rate and the number released Wednesday.

In 2009, the school board adopted whats know as a-g graduation requirements, which are courses freshmen entering the University of California and California State University need to complete. Some of the courses are offered as early as the 7th grade, and the class of 2016 was the first cohort to graduate under the stricter requirements.

An early analysis of how many students were on-track to graduate under the new requirements led to a dire prediction from the UC San Diego research group. While the graduation rate had been 88 percent the year before, the researchers expected a drop of about 16 percent points for the class of 2016.

School Board President Richard Barrera said he wasnt surprised that the prediction was wrong, because it did not take into account the opportunities students have to get back on track.

I dont think they were taking credit-recovery into account, Barrera said about make-up classes students can take.

Barrera also said the number of students who were off-track from graduating in SanDERAs earlier report wasnt alarming, because it happens every year.

While the researchers found the graduation rate impressive, they also saw room for improvement.

Our latest report has both good news and bad news for the new college prep policy, SanDERA Executive Director Julian Betts said. The good news is unequivocal. While we projected only about seven out of 10 students would complete a-g coursework and graduate in 2016, it is clear eight out of 10 did so, a credit to the students and educators for hard, yet impressive, work.

The bad news is that almost all of the students who left, for charter schools or otherwise, lagged far behind in a-g coursework completion, he said.

SanDERAs reported graduation rate was lower than the districts because it included students who had left for charter schools. The district and state Department of Education do not count those students in their graduation data.

As explained in SanDERAs report, about 10 percent of students who would have been in the graduating class left for a non-district or charter school. Eight out of nine of those students graduated on time, which accounted for a lower graduation rate than the districts.

The report recommends that in the future, the district also report the percent of students who leave each year and whether they were on-track for graduation at the time.

Barrera said the researchers have in point in the need to track an entire cohort rather than only the 90 percent who did not leave the district.

With that goal in mind, he said the district has created a task force to examine whether the district is doing everything it can to help all students graduate on time. The task force includes San Diego Community College District Constance Carroll and San Diego State University College of Education Dean Joseph Johnson, he said.

The report also noted media attention of the districts graduation rate, including a Voice of San Diego series that claimed weaker students had been counseled to leave schools to avoid the stricter standards.

The researchers said they found no evidence that low-performing students had been counseled to leave the district when the a-g requirements took effect.

They also reported that they couldnt verify nor dismiss a Voice of San Diego story that some students had found ways to cheat on online courses that met the graduation requirements.

Barrera said it is true that counselors have suggested struggling students enroll in charter schools, but not to improve district graduation rates.

In good faith, a counselor might say, You might want to enroll at Charter School San Diego because its your best shot at graduating, and thats a totally understandable recommendation, he said. It has nothing to do with a-g requirements and nothing to do with the fact that graduation rates are steadily increasing.

In fact, Barrera said, fewer 11th graders have left the district in recent years, and he credits the improved graduation rates on expanding access to a-g required courses and increased student support.

District Superintendent Cindy Marten saw the report as validation that the districts academic success is improving while raising the bar for students.

It shows again that academic excellence is on the rise across San Diego Unified, she said. These important gains do not happen without extraordinary effort from our professional educators, but especially our students.

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gary.warth@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @GaryWarthUT

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UC San Diego announced Thursday that Mark Merrifield will be the inaugural director of its Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation.

Merrifield, an alumnus of UC San Diegos Scripps Institution of Oceanography, returns to California after having served for two decades as the head of the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center.

The appointment is a major milestone for the center, which was founded in in 2015 with a $5 million gift from longtime Scripps supporters Richard and Carol Hertzberg.

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The stated goal of the project is to come up with practical solutions for living with the fall out of climate change. Many scientists predict that impacts, such as sea-level rise, drought and heat waves, are now inevitable at some level.

The following is a condensed transcript of an interview with the centers incoming director:

Q: What do you hope to accomplish in your first year as director of the Center for Climate Change Impacts and Adaptation?

A: The center has a fairly broad mandate. Were going to look at climate change impacts and adaptation over a whole spectrum of different problems and aspects  so Im hoping within the first year, we can set up the framework and infrastructure within the center to branch out into these different areas. Id like to start with sea-level rise as our initial focus.

Q: Tell us about your background starting with your time at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography and then as the director of the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center.

A: I was an applied ocean science major at Scripps, so I was very interested in the change of coastline associated with waves and currents. Then I went to Australia for a postdoc on circulation and variability of the Great Barrier Reef. So Ive always had a coastal focus.

I started in Hawaii in 94 in ocean engineering and focusing mainly on waves and local oceanography for islands. That led to being the director of the sea-level center, which is ... involved in the monitoring of global sea levels and understanding the physical drivers of regional and global change.

Q: How has that prepared you for this next chapter in your life?

A: I didnt start out with a climate focus, but when you start to look at the data ... I think youre inevitably motivated to try to limit the impacts of that change. Thats driving the next part of my career. I spent a lot of time understanding the variability. Now its trying to figure out a way to deal with it.

Q: Are the impacts of climate change really inevitable? Shouldnt we be focusing on preventing global warming?

A: The problem has to be attacked from both sides, so mitigation and limiting carbon emissions is of primary importance. But the climate systems been perturbed now, and its going to be evolving and responding for decades to come.

So there is a component to climate change thats somewhat inevitable, and sea-level rise is one prime example of that. Sea levels are bound to go up by tens of centimeters in the decades to come no matter what we do right now. That means that planning ahead is paramount.

Q: So what can we do to prepare?

A: The whole societal infrastructure of the coast is built on the premise that sea level doesnt change. The risk analysis of that and coastal engineering and utilities and transportation and on and on has got to adapt now  either move back, move up, fortify. Theres different strategies for that, but each one is best done with the state-of-the-art understanding of the true risks and vulnerability.

Im hoping the center can be one of the places where people go for information to understand what the risks are and how you respond to these problems.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
Climate change isnt the only thing killing coral reefs.

Humans have had devastating impacts on these complex marine ecosystems going back hundreds of years, according to a new study led by researchers at UC San Diegos Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Colby College in Maine.

The report, published Wednesday in the journal Science Advances, found more than half of the coral reef cover in the Florida Keys dating back to the 18th Century no longer exists.

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Researchers compared contemporary data with nautical charts mapped centuries ago by British sailors trying to avoid shipwrecks. The results detailed the complete disappearance of many nearshore reefs in the area  the extent of which has been largely undocumented by modern science.

That historical record is missing in a lot of places, said Loren McClenachan, environmental studies professor at Colby College, who started the research while earning her PhD at Scripps. So (we were) trying to fill that gap of understanding in the last couple hundred years and trying to figure out what sort of information is out there that we havent been using.

The University of Queensland and the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Coral Reef Studies also contributed to the report.

The maps were unearthed by McClenachan while on a trip to England in search of unconventional sources of historical data on reefs. She happened upon the charts in a town called Taunton about two hours west of London.

I spent a year on a quest to figure out what sorts of information was out there, she said. So I went to something like 15 or 20 different archives.

I reproduced (the maps) to full size and had it on the wall of my tiny graduate school apartment in La Jolla, she added. Its a beautiful representation of the reef.

Studies of coral cover in the Keys have found losses of up to 75 percent in the roughly the last three decades  ecological harm tied to overfishing, pollution and climate change.

Impacts to nearshore reefs in the area likely started much earlier as a result of deforestation, agricultural runoff and other human activities.

What probably caused some of this early loss was the big scale manipulation of South Florida, the rerouting of the freshwater in the Everglades, McClenachan said. Scaling back, we should think about restoration of those bigger ecosystems because the coral in those areas could benefit.

Modern surveys have typically assessed losses to existing coral reefs, without taking into account such bygone reefs. The complete loss of reef systems have been recorded in a few rare cases, such as in the Vieques Island off Puerto Rico and around Barbados.

We have to look outside of the traditional bounds and come to realize that a lot of coral reef was lost and degraded by the beginning of the 20th Century, said Jeremy B. C. Jackson, professor emeritus and coral experts at Scripps, who contributed to the study. Lorens paper is just this absolutely spectacular demonstration based on a freak occurrence of data that shows we started screwing things up hundreds of years ago.

Researchers believe that such historical charts could provide further insights, including in Kingston Harbor in Jamaica and Hong Kong Harbor.

Twitter: @jemersmith

Phone: (619) 293-2234

Email: joshua.smith@sduniontribune.com
The end still is not in sight for San Diego Countys deadly hepatitis A outbreak.

Dr. Eric McDonald, director of the countys Epidemiology and Immunization Services Branch, said Wednesday that, based on the number of cases coming in daily and the way other large outbreaks have gone, its unrealistic to expect a quick end to the diseases spread.

If were fortunate, we are halfway through this outbreak, McDonald said of the outbreak that started months ago.

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Because hepatitis A has a 15- to 50-day incubation period and makes people contagious one to two weeks before symptoms appear, reversing an outbreak of the size now seen in San Diego County takes time, McDonald said, even after additional recent measures such as hand washing stations and street-cleaning initiatives are fully in place.

A similar outbreak in Southeastern Michigan continues today, more than one year after it started, he noted. Another, traced to tainted scallops in Hawaii, sickened 292 people before a vaccination campaign that included 100,000 inoculations finally ended the virus spread.

At 398 confirmed cases, 279 hospitalizations and 15 deaths, San Diegos outbreak is significantly larger than those seen in Hawaii or Michigan. Public health officials said Wednesday that investigators are in the process of confirming 44 more cases, including one more death.

After criticism that there was too much talk and too little action, officials last week took further steps to prevent more cases, 70 percent of which have been among homeless residents and illicit drug users.

The county Board of Supervisors on Wednesday officially approved the local health emergency declared Friday, praising the health departments earlier efforts to vaccinate residents which have now reached 19,000 people since March when it first became clear that the hepatitis A infection rate was spiking.

San Diego City Councilman David Alvarez spoke at the meeting, thanking the county for its efforts so far. As he was last week, Alvarez was critical of how long it took for hand-washing stations to appear.

It certainly seems that bureaucracy and red tape got in the way, not by the county, but certainly by the city, in this case, Alvarez said.

Though board chair Dianne Jacob noted that under state law cities are responsible for the sanitary conditions within their jurisdictions, the supervisors generally shied away from criticizing city government.

We need to do a better job as a region, and I include the county and all 18 cities, in dealing with the homeless crisis that we have, said Supervisor Greg Cox.

A stroll down 17th street in downtown San Diego makes it clear that this is not just hand-washing or street-cleaning problem. On Tuesday a half-full gallon jug of what looked like urine sat just a few steps from one of the new hand-washing stations. There, Jamie Lynn Hines, who said he has been homeless for eight years, quickly whipped off his ball cap, filled his hands with soap from the plastic sinks dispenser. He began scrubbing not just his hands but also his arms, head and neck, rinsing everything off as he pumped out more H2O with the stations manual foot pump.

The 53-year-old said he was impressed with the sudden appearance of clean water in a place where it has always been hard to come by, leaving people to do what they can to stay clean with hand wipes.

It gives you hope, like somebodys smart, Hines said. But you still need somewhere to go to the bathroom.

And its important to understand that the hepatitis A problem is not just a homeless problem. While more than half of those infected have been homeless, and that number goes up to 70 percent if drug users are included, there is still a large minority of cases among people with homes who are not using drugs.

Ed Blitz of Bankers Hill testified at Wednesdays supervisors meeting that he had fought an infection that arrived suddenly in June when jaundice, one of hepatitis As main symptoms, appeared.

My wife took a look at me and said youre yellow, were going to the emergency room, Blitz said.

In the weeks that followed, Blitz, 71, said he did not feel pain so much as total, debilitating, exhaustion and lack of appetite. Repeated conversations with public health investigators went nowhere, he said.

They tried to find out where I had been, what I had eaten  and in the end, the person I was speaking to said Thanks for your time, but were not going to figure out where this came from, Blitz said.

As is the case with most adults, Blitz had not received the hepatitis A vaccine, which was approved in 1995. His doctors, he said, never recommended it even though he and his wife, Sue, have traveled the world.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention does recommend hepatitis A vaccination for all those traveling outside the country. Anyone with chronic liver disease, cirrhosis of the liver, hepatitis B or C or who uses drugs is also recommended for vaccination.

But McDonald, the immunization branch director, said few actually heed that advice.

None of the people reported to us in this outbreak were fully immunized despite the majority having a known reason to be immunized for hepatitis A, McDonald said.

Its important to understand, public health officials stressed, that a single dose of hepatitis A vaccine does not confer full immunity. A second shot is necessary six months after the first. That means that those who were immunized in March when the countys inoculation campaign started will be due for a second dose this month.

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As unauthorized immigrant students at San Diegos colleges and universities cope with the end of a program that spared many of them from deportation, student organizations across the county are trying to help.

At least nine of the institutions across San Diego have clubs meant to provide support to those students and their allies. Because many students fear revealing their immigration statuses, most of these organizations are small, but they hope to grow as the so-called dreamers seek resources and comfort.

I think its important for people to know that theyre not alone, said Ismael Blas, president and founder of Supporting Empowering Engaging Dreamers, or SEED, at Palomar College.

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California schools have allowed some unauthorized immigrant students to pay in-state tuition since 2001. When the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, or DACA, began in 2012, the ability to work legally in the U.S. made higher education even more financially possible for them.

Many of San Diegos student organizations that support those students were founded after DACAs implementation.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced Tuesday that the Trump administration will phase out the DACA program with a six-month buffer period. That window is meant to allow Congress to pass legislation that would protect those affected.

Blas group at Palomar College organized a rally of about 100 people on Tuesday following the announcement ending DACA.

Blas, a third-year student majoring in Chicano studies, grew up as an unauthorized immigrant before getting a green card through his stepfather, he said, in a process that took more than 10 years.

In that sense, its personal, Blas said. I understand the struggle. I understand what it feels like to drive without a drivers license or what it feels like to have that fear of always having to watch your back for Border Patrol or for your family.

After the 2016 election, Blas said, he felt like he had to do something for those who feared the potential consequences of Donald Trumps immigration policies. Hes now organizing an information week to educate the campus on immigration status issues. That could involve an effort to lobby Congress, he said.

The University of San Diego also formed a similar student group, called DACAlliance, after the election.

Greg Prieto, a professor of sociology and member of the universitys immigration task force, estimated that there are only about 12 unauthorized immigrant students on the campus, and about half of them have joined DACAlliance since Tuesdays announcement.

People are fearful, and they dont know what to do, Prieto said.

In addition to giving the students a space to share their concerns, the university will offer access to free legal advice and financial support, Prieto said.

Prieto said the task force is talking about lobbying Congress and planning campus workshops. The university piloted its undocumented student ally trainings over the summer with about 40 students, Prieto said.

Juan Reyes, co-president of the Mesa College club Rising Immigrant Scholars through Education, or RISE, said his groups membership has grown this semester to more than 30 members. The group has been around for about three years.

Natchel Bello, co-president of RISE, said that DACA students or other unauthorized immigrant students have stresses that other students dont.

Imagine its finals week, Bello said, and youre dealing with not knowing if your loved ones will be deported. On top of that, she said, these students often feel they have to prove their worth to be here, so the pressure is higher for them to perform well.

The IDEAS club has been around since 2012 at Southwestern College, where there are more than 400 unauthorized immigrant students, according to Javier Madrigal, one of the clubs faculty advisers.

Because the DACA announcement came so early in the school year, the club hasnt met yet. In the past, it has had about 15 to 20 members, Madrigal said.

He and fellow adviser Leticia Diaz sent emails to students following Tuesdays news and are partnering with a local nonprofit group to host a workshop for students on Monday.

Ultimately, whether it was on this day or any other day of the year, it does seem like a threat and can easily be a distraction to many of our students from continuing to pursue their higher education while their employment is at risk, Diaz said. We want to support them.

Students from several of the clubs attended a rally downtown Tuesday night where DACA recipients shared their stories and vowed to keep pushing for permission to be in the country they think of as home.

Ana Hernandez, a DACA recipient and secretary of Education Without Borders, a group at San Diego State University, shared her story with the crowd of over more than 1,000 people.

She came to the U.S. when she was 6 years old, she said. Though she initially struggled to learn English, with her mothers support she is now a first-generation college student.

Ending DACA will not be a defeat, but rather an opportunity to have our voices heard, Hernandez said. We refuse to be put back in the shadows.

Iveth Estrada, a DACA recipient, started United Dreamers at Cuyamaca College in spring 2016.

She encouraged advocates at other schools to start similar groups.

Its not easy, she said. Sometimes people might get unmotivated or think its not working or its not going anywhere, but it is helping people in your community in the school. Theres a lot of undocumented students that need the support right now.

Shes hoping United Dreamers will attract a higher attendance for its meetings than the 15 or so theyve drawn in past semesters. The groups Instagram followers have grown since Tuesday.

Shes hoping to bring in immigration attorneys to do free legal clinics with students, and shes planning to raise funds to help dreamers pay for books and school supplies.

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Hurricane Irmas track has shifted west, bringing a greater chance of the massive Category 5 storm having a significant impact on Central Florida.

The National Hurricane Center said in its 5 p.m. update that it has become more likely that Irma will hit South Florida as a dangerous major hurricane, and bring life-threatening storm surge and wind impacts to much of the state.

Models showed the hurricanes track slicing through the middle of the state, curving east as it moves north.

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The new NHC track lies directly over Orange, Osceola, and Seminole counties. This track would bring the most damaging winds into our corridor, Fox 35 meteorologist Brooks Tomlin said

The National Hurricane Center issued a hurricane watch and storm surge watch for the Florida Keys and parts of South Florida Thursday as the Category 5 storm rolls toward the state.

The watches  Floridas first for Hurricane Irma  will likely extend north throughout the evening.

The forecast cone shows Irma reaching South Florida early Sunday morning as a Category 4 storm. Central Florida is expected to begin feeling tropical storm force winds Saturday night, according to the National Hurricane Center.

Water could reach 5 to 10 feet above ground if the storm surge happens at high tide in south Florida. Coastal areas will see the deepest waters, where the surge will be accompanied by large and destructive waves, according to the NHC.

As of 5 p.m. Thursday, Maximum sustained winds are 175 mph, and the storm is moving west-northwest at 16 mph. Irma was toward the Turk and Caicos Islands and should be near the southeastern Bahamas later this evening, according to the NHC.

Much of Florida is in the cone of uncertainty, with the eye of the storm hugging the east coast as it heads north. The storm also likely will impact Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina, forecasters said.

This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami, alluding to the damage caused by Hurricane Harvey.

Forecasters say Central Florida will see the worst of Irma starting late Sunday and early Monday, but the severity of the storms impact depends a lot on whether the track shifts, said Will Ulrich, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Melbourne.

He said Central Florida will likely be under a hurricane watch by Thursday evening. Throughout the entirety of the storm, the Orlando region has a 72 percent chance of at least 39 mph through the storm, a 36 percent chance of at least 58 mph winds and a 15 percent chance of at least 74 mph winds, though Ulrich said those chances continue to increase.

This is definitely one of the biggest threats weve faced in Central Florida in quite some time, Ulrich said, adding the damage last year from Hurricane Matthew along Floridas east coast could seem minimal compared to Irma.

The storms path shows it could steer east, possibly skirting alongside the state but forecasters said theres still a chance it could turn west.

Right now, the tracks still show Central Florida feeling a lot of impact from a major hurricane, so Im not sleeping comfortable at night, Ulrich said. We have to assume this storm is going to hit us because we cant afford not to be prepared.

Gov. Rick Scott urged those across the state to prepare because the storm could shift.

Everyone should prepare to evacuate. We dont know where this storm is going, he said. It could potentially devastate our state. You have to take it seriously no matter where you are.

Hurricane-force winds are extending 70 miles from Irmas center, with tropical storm-force winds reaching out 185 miles.

He said even if the storm stays off the coast of Florida, the storm surge will be traumatic. There could be more than 10 feet of storm surge and the water could cover your house, Scott said.

Scott said more than 6,800 volunteers have signed up to help during the storm, but 17,000 are needed. To sign up, go to volunteerflorida.org.

Evacuations

Brevard County: Mandatory evacuation starting at 3 p.m. Friday for barrier islands, Merritt Island and low-lying areas on the India River Lagoon.

Monroe County: Mandatory for visitors as of Thursday morning. For residents as of Thursday night.

Collier County: Voluntary for Marco Island Thursday.

Broward County: Voluntary for mobile homes and low-lying areas Thursday.

Miami-Dade County: Mandatory for zones A and B.

To find additional shelters by county, visit floridadisater.org/shelters.org.

Long-term forecast

The National Hurricane Center predicted Irma would remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as passes just to the north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti on Thursday, nears the Turks & Caicos and parts of the Bahamas by Thursday night and skirts Cuba on Friday night into Saturday.

It will then likely head north toward Florida, where people were rushing to board up homes, fill cars with gasoline and find a route to safety. Scott, who has mobilized parts of the states National Guard, declared a state of emergency and asked the governors of Alabama and Georgia to waive trucking regulations so gasoline tankers can get fuel into Florida quickly to ease shortages.

Scott urged residents to refrain from filling up gas tanks if they are staying in a shelter.

An estimated 34,000 people or more left the Florida Keys as of Wednesday evening after everyone was ordered to clear out, Scott said. The evacuation caused bumper-to-bumper traffic on the single highway that links the chain of low-lying islands to the mainland.

The roads are going to get worse the longer you wait, Scott said. Were not going to be able to save you after the storm hits.

Anyone having trouble evacuating can call the state transportation hotline at 1-800-955-5504.

Hurricane Irma has the number of available hotel rooms in Orlando dwindling, according to Visit Orlando  which has activated its emergency-assessment program. Scott asked hotel owners to waive pet policies for those seeking refuge and be compassionate regarding cancellations.

Hurricane Irma pushes Visit Orlando to give travel emergency information 

Visit Orlandos information line for its emergency assessment program is 800-972-3304, with info also available at VisitOrlando.com/Hurricane or the organizations Twitter account, @VisitOrlando.

Orlando International Airport took back a statement on Thursday morning, saying all flights would be canceled starting Saturday evening. No decisions have been made, according to the airport. A meeting was scheduled for Thursday afternoon.

Florida Power and Light Co. vice president Robert Gould said the company expects some power outages to last weeks after Irma hits.

No [power] grid is designed to survive a category 5 storm, Gould said.

FPL will also be shutting down nuclear power plants ahead of the storm, Gould said.

Caribbean impact

Irma left at least 10 dead and thousands homeless amid a swathe of smashed buildings and uprooted trees, cutting a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean. French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb told France Info radio that eight had died and 23 injured in the countrys Caribbean island territories.

A 2-year-old child was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press. One death also was reported in the nearby island of Anguilla, according to the Caribbean Disaster Emergency Management Agency.

1 / 81 A sailboat is pushed up between two buildings in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP) 2 / 81 This photo shows Duval Street on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP) 3 / 81 Todd Hart looks at the damage to his destroyed home in the Naples Estates mobile home park, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in Naples, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 4 / 81 Ralph Bullock kicks up twisted sheet metal in the Hitching Post RV Park, in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in Naples, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 5 / 81 Cherie Ethier sits in her mobile home with her pets surrounded by floodwater, in the Marco Naples RV Resort in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in Naples, Fla., Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 6 / 81 A damaged home sits in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Key West, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP) 7 / 81 Water from the nearby Peace River floods the Peace River Campground in the wake of Hurricane Irma on September 12, 2017 in Arcadia, Florida. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 8 / 81 Water from the nearby Peace River floods the Peace River Campground in the wake of Hurricane Irma on September 12, 2017 in Arcadia, Florida. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 9 / 81 Holly Lands, left, Mindy Lands, and Morgan Lindsey walk down their street inundated by flood waters caused by Hurricane Irma September 12, 2017 near Palatka, Florida. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images) 10 / 81 People use a boat and four wheeler to navigate flood waters caused by Hurricane Irma Sept. 12, 2017 near Palatka, Florida. (Sean Rayford / Getty Images) 11 / 81 A mobile home community is flooded in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Everglades City, Fla., Monday, Sept. 11, 2017. (David Goldman / AP) 12 / 81 A submerged mobile home community stands in Fort Myers two days after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on September 12, 2017 in Fort Myers Florida. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 13 / 81 Trucks line up outside Maxwell Air Force base to prepare to load Federal Emergency Management Agency trailers waiting on base to take to Hurricane Irma affected areas on Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017, in Montgomery, Ala. (Albert Cesare / AP) 14 / 81 A man walks into a 7-Eleven, one of the few stores open two days after Hurricane Irma swept through the area on September 12, 2017 in Cape Coral, Florida. (Spencer Platt / Getty Images) 15 / 81 Shelly Hughes reacts as she gets her first look at the inside of her flooded camper at the Peace River Campground in the wake of Hurricane Irma on September 12, 2017 in Arcadia, Florida. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 16 / 81 A man rides by his bicycle next to a sunken boat on Venetian Island after the passing of Hurricane Irma in Miami Beach, Florida, USA, 11 September 2017. (Giorgio Viera / EPA) 17 / 81 Two retirees ride tricycles through a flooded street at the Enchanted Shores manufactured home park in Naples, Florida, on September 11, 2017 after Hurricane Irma hit Florida. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) 18 / 81 A damaged house is seen in a flooded street at the Enchanted Shores manufactured home park in Naples, Florida, on September 11, 2017 after Hurricane Irma hit Florida. (Nicholas Kamm / AFP/Getty Images) 19 / 81 Storm damage in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in the Cole Bay community of St. Martin. Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean, leaving thousands homeless after destroying buildings and uprooting trees. (Joel Antonio Colon / AP) 20 / 81 Men remove debris off a road in the Cole Bay community in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St. Martin, Tuesday, Sept. 12, 2017. (Carlos Giusti / AP) 21 / 81 Building owner Catharine Taylor Woods, front, and Jessica Newman, of the City of Wauchula clean up broke glass after an awning blew off in Hurricane Irma and broke several windows early Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Wauchula, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP) 22 / 81 Boats, some partially submerged, float in a canal in the wake of Hurricane Irma, Monday, Sept. 11, 2017, in Key Largo, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 23 / 81 \A boat is seen washed ashore at the Dinner Key marina after Hurricane Irma passed through the area on September 11, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 24 / 81 A man returns to his flooded home in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Bonita Springs, Fla., on Sept. 11, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 25 / 81 Kelly McClenthen returns to see the flood damage to her home with her boyfriend Daniel Harrison in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Bonita Springs, Fla., on Sept. 11, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 26 / 81 Pam trees stand ripped of their fronds in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Marco Island, Fla., on Sept. 11, 2017. (David Goldman / AP) 27 / 81 Brian Baker, of Valrico, Fla., cuts up an Oak tree that fell across Falling Leaves Drive after Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 11, 2017, in Valrico, Fla. (Chris OMeara / AP) 28 / 81 Caitlin Raymond, 12, checks on her cats as she leaves with her family from her grandmothers fourth floor apartment where they rode out Hurricane Irma to return to their lowlying home a mile away in Marco Island, Fla., on Sept. 11, 2017. (David Goldman / AP) 29 / 81 People tend to a car that flipped over on Cape Coral Parkway during Hurricane Irma, in Cape Coral, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017. (Gerald Herbert / AP) 30 / 81 A vehicle passes downed palm trees and two cyclists attempt to ride as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017, in Miami Beach, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 31 / 81 People clear debris out of a drainage ditch to keep the area from flooding as Hurricane Irma passes through Miami on Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 32 / 81 Large waves produced by Hurricane Irma crash into the end of Anglins Fishing Pier on Sept. 10, 2017, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 33 / 81 People walk past a building where the roof was blown off by Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 34 / 81 People observe flooded Brickell Avenue in Miami on Sept. 10, 2017, as Hurricane Irma passes. (Mike Stocker / AP) 35 / 81 A person walks through a street lined with debris and fallen trees as Hurricane Irma passes through Naples, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017. (David Goldman / AP) 36 / 81 A boat is washed on shore at the Watson Island marina as Hurricane Irma passed through the area on Sept. 10, 2017 in Miami, Florida. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 37 / 81 This photo provided by Michael Sechler shows a stranded manatee in Manatee County, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017. The mammal was stranded after waters receded from the Florida bay as Hurricane Irma approached. (Michael Sechler / AP) 38 / 81 A tree branch felled by tropical storm winds narrowly misses parked cars as Hurricane Irma hits the southern part of the state on Sept. 10, 2017, in Pompano Beach, Florida. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 39 / 81 A person walks through a flooded street in the Brickell area of downtown Miami as Hurricane Irma passes through Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 40 / 81 High winds blow through Brickell Avenue as Hurricane Irma arrives in Miami on Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 41 / 81 An elderly man drys out his clothes preparing to bed down for the night at the Red Cross shelter in the Albany Civic Center to ride out Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017, in Albany, Ga. (Curtis Compton / Atlanta Journal-Constitution) 42 / 81 A car is seen in a flooded street as Hurricane Irma passes through Miami on Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 43 / 81 People ride out Hurricane Irma in their apartments as it passes through Miami on Sept. 10, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 44 / 81 Boats ride out Hurricane Irma in a marina on Sept. 10, 2017, in Miami. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 45 / 81 Mary Della Ratta, 94, sits in a shelter Sept. 10, 2017, after evacuating her home in Naples, Fla., with the help of police ahead of Hurricane Irma. Im afraid of whats going to happen. I dont know what Ill find when I go home, said Della Ratta, whose husband died 10 years ago. I have nobody. Im all alone in this world. (David Goldman / AP) 46 / 81 Sailboats moored near Watson Island ride out the winds and waves as Hurricane Irma passes by on Sept. 10, 2017, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 47 / 81 Recently planted palm trees lie strewn across the road as Hurricane Irma passes by on Sept. 10, 2017, in Miami Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 48 / 81 Palm Bay officer Dustin Terkoski walks over debris from a two-story home at Palm Point Subdivision in Brevard County, Fla., after a tornado touched down on Sept. 10, 2017. (Red Huber / AP) 49 / 81 Firefighters Dohnovan Simpson, from left, and Jacob McGovern carry Dolores Gevaza, 83, across the courtyard in the rain at John Hopkins Middle School on Sept. 10, 2017, in St. Petersburg, Fla. The school filled classrooms and hallways with people evacuating. (Eve Edelheit / AP) 50 / 81 Aden Alcroix-Camper, 11, walks through debris from a second-story roof scattered over a two-block area in Palm Bay, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017, as Hurricane Irma made landfall. (Red Huber / Orlando Sentinel) 51 / 81 Heavy winds and rain from Hurricane Irma are seen in Miami on Sept. 10, 2017. (SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images) 52 / 81 Broken tree branches block roads in the Coral Beach neighborhood as Hurricane Irma hits Fort Lauderdale, Fla., on Sept. 10, 2017. (Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images) 53 / 81 The Miami skyline is seen as the outer bands of Hurricane Irma start to reach Florida on Sept. 9, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 54 / 81 Residents inspect the extreme receding water in Tampa Bay, Fla., ahead of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 10, 2017. (Brian Blanco / Getty Images) 55 / 81 A man walks along the beach with heavy winds and threatening skies in Hollywood, Fla., as Hurricane Irma approaches the state on Sept. 9, 2017. (Paul Chiasson / AP) 56 / 81 A car drives around a tree downed by winds from Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017, in Golden Beach, Fla. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 57 / 81 The winds and sea are whipped up off of the Rickenbacker Causeway in Miami as Hurricane Irma approaches on Sept. 9, 2017. (Mike Stocker / AP) 58 / 81 Police block a road leading to the oceanfront in Hollywood, Fla., on Sept. 9, 2017, as Hurricane Irma approaches the state. (Paul Chiasson/The Canadian Press via AP) 59 / 81 Thousands wait Saturday to enter a storm shelter set up at Germain Arena in Estero, Fla., south of Fort Myers. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 60 / 81 Two men stand on the beach as winds and rain in the outer bands of Hurricane Irma arrive in Miami Beach, Fla., on Sept. 9, 2017. (SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images) 61 / 81 Zookeeper Ryan Martinez leads an Indian white-rumped vulture into a crate as animals are moved into a shelter at the Zoo Miami in preparation for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017, in Miami. (Al Diaz/Miami Herald via AP) 62 / 81 Adam Todd, does a handstand while skateboarding down a virtually empty Ocean Drive in Miami Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 63 / 81 Lisette Toroella and Tatiana Morera play on the beach as storm clouds approach in Miami Beach. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times) 64 / 81 A beachgoer walks by a boarde-up restaurant in anticipation of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017, in the South Beach area of Miami Beach, Fla. (Alan Diaz / AP) 65 / 81 Boats that cant be evacuated are tied off in canals to protect them from Hurricane Irma on in Key Largo, Florida. The entire Florida Keys are under a mandatory evacuation notice as Hurricane Irma approaches the low-lying chain of islands south of Miami. (Marc Serota / Getty Images) 66 / 81 A surfer hits big waves in Miami Beach ahead of the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 67 / 81 Police patrol along Ocean Drive as Miami starts to feel the effects of the approaching Hurricane Irma on Sept. 9, 2017. (Mark Wilson / Getty Images) 68 / 81 Flamingos and roseate spoonbills, left foreground, share a temporary enclosure in a hurricane-resistant structure within the Miami zoo on Sept. 9, 2017. (Wilfredo Lee / AP) 69 / 81 Cots are set up at the Twin Lakes Elementary Schools storm shelter in preparation for Hurricane Irmas impact Sept. 8, 2017, in Jacksonville, Fla. (Will Dickey/The Florida Times-Union via AP) 70 / 81 Dogs sit inside their cages as hundreds of people gather in a pet-friendly emergency shelter at the Miami-Dade County Fair Expo Center in Miami on Sept. 8, 2017, ahead of Hurricane Irma. (SAUL LOEB / AFP/Getty Images) 71 / 81 Francesca DeLuca, 20, will be waiting for 10 hours for her flight back to Milan. She had been visiting a friend in Miami by herself, but the area where she was staying is under mandatory evacuation. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 72 / 81 Rita Peummel, green dress, and hundreds of others wait in line Sept. 8, 2017, at Home Depot in Miami to get supplies to board up their homes ahead of Hurricane Irma. Police were on the scene to keep things orderly. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 73 / 81 Traffic streaming out of Florida ahead of Hurricane Irma creeps along northbound Interstate 75 in Lake Park, Ga., on Sept. 6, 2017. (Erik S. Lesser / EPA) 74 / 81 A message reading You Dont Scare Us Irma is written on plywood being used to cover the windows of a building as people prepare for the arrival of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 8, 2017 in Miami Beach, Fla. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 75 / 81 Shoppers wait in line for the arrival of a shipment of water during preparations for the impending arrival of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017 in Altamonte Springs, Fla. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 76 / 81 Kelby Schweickerrt, of Destin, Fla., grabs some gallon jugs of drinking water from the shelves at the Target store in Destin on Sept. 5, 2017. (Michael Snyder / AP) 77 / 81 Drivers wait in line for gasoline at the Costco in Altamonte Springs, Fla., ahead of the anticipated arrival of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017. (Joe Burbank / Orlando Sentinel) 78 / 81 Winston Mora, left, and Gus Sousa put hurricane shutters on a business as they prepare for Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017 in Miami. (Joe Raedle / Getty Images) 79 / 81 Motorists head north of Key Largo, Fla., on U.S. 1 in anticipation of Hurricane Irma on Sept. 6, 2017. (Alan Diaz / AP) 80 / 81 At Little Haiti Hardware and Lumber in Miami, owner Jean Rameau is already exhausted by the rush of people coming for supplies Sept. 7, 2017. (Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times) 81 / 81 A shopper searches the sparse water shelves at the Presidente Supermarket in the Little Haiti neighborhood ahead of the expected arrival of Hurricane Irma in Miami on Sept. 7, 2017. (ERIK S. LESSER / EPA)

Irma blacked out much of Puerto Rico, raking the U.S. territory with heavy wind and rain while staying just out to sea.

President Donald Trump approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, allowing the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies to remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.
Former District Attorney Bonnie Dumanis has officially announced her campaign for county supervisor, the first prominent Republican to enter the race in a district where Democrats have a major voter registration advantage.

The top prosecutor, and a judge before that, Dumanis said she has seen the challenges that people in the county face, from substance abuse, to mental health issues, to homelessness, and has done what she could to address them through the judicial branch.

Now she wants to continue her service on the Board of Supervisors where she can legislate.

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I worked pretentatively on a lot of these issues. But its not the same at the county level, she said in an interview Thursday. You have dollars to spend and policies to make.

Shell run in 2018 against former Assemblyman Nathan Fletcher, attorney Omar Passons, real estate advisor Marcia Nordstrom and retired San Diego Fire and Rescue Department Deputy Chief Ken Malbrough. Nordstrom is a Republican while the rest are Democrats.

The office is non-partisan, but Democrats have a 2 to 1 voter registration advantage over Republicans in the central San Diego district.

Dumanis said she is well-known and respected in the district, and has a nonpartisan streak and an approachability that voters like.

Ive never been in a partisan position. I am probably the only nonpartisan in the group, she said.

My plan is to run as who I am. I cant change that, she later continued.

Supervisor Ron Roberts, a Republican first elected more than two decades ago, is leaving the office next year because of term limits. He praised Dumanis in her campaign announcement, and called her a visionary with deep roots in the district.

She knows how to make a difference in peoples lives, and Im honored to support her candidacy, he said.

Dumanis served as DA for 14 years before leaving the office in July. She said she was considering running for supervisor but didnt want the demands of a campaign to distract from her work in office.

While she most recently served as the countys top prosecutor, a position that required adversarial stances, Dumanis emphasized her prior work as a municipal and superior court judge. It also creates a distinction between Dumanis and interim District Attorney Summer Stephan, who is running for that office next year as well. Both campaigns are run by consultant Jason Roe.

The opening line of the release announcing her candidate called her Judge Bonnie Dumanis.

As a judge and District Attorney, Bonnie was always fair, just and compassionate. Her door was always open. She was a leader in criminal justice reform, Henry Coker, a former public defender said in Dumanis statement.

Justin Brooks, the director of the California Innocence Project, also praised her for work to get two men who had been wrongfully convicted released from prison.

No prosecutor, police chief or sheriff, or crime-victims advocate  with whom Dumanis has often been aligned  was mentioned or quoted in her announcement release.

Serving on the Board of Supervisors after a career in the judiciary would be a transition, but Dumanis said she already knows county governments terrain and issues from her experiences as a prosecutor and from the bench, so the change would be smooth.

I know all the players that have been involved. While I was a judge I was in the juvenile courts, so I dealt with child protective services, I dealt with the probation department, I dealt with public health nurses and all those kind of things, she said. As well as DA, I have been involved with all those.

More policy proposals will be unveiled through the campaign, but she said shed like to expand the Family Justice Center in downtown San Diego throughout the county, and grow its mission from assisting people harmed by domestic violence to also include assistance for abused children and seniors and victims of sexual assault.

Dumanis, who is 65, was raised south of Boston. She attended the University of Massachusetts and later Western State University College of Law. She started her career in law enforcement in a support role  she was a typist  before becoming a prosecutor.

She came to San Diego in 1973, has lived in the 4th Supervisorial District over the decades and currently resides downtown.

She became district attorney in 2003 after defeating incumbent Paul Pfingst. She was the first openly gay district attorney of a major metropolitan area.

In 2012 Dumanis ran for San Diego mayor, finishing fourth in a five-way race after she received 13.3 percent of the vote in the primary. Fletcher finished third with 24 percent.

The district includes most of the city of San Diego, and stretches from La Jolla to Kearny Mesa, Encanto, downtown, and Ocean Beach.

Twitter: @jptstewart

joshua.stewart@sduniontribune.com

(619) 293-1841
Bonnie Dumanis release announcing her candidacy:

(San Diego, Calif.)  Judge Bonnie Dumanis, who served as District Attorney for nearly 15 years, and has spent her life as a trailblazer for women, will run for San Diego County Board of Supervisors.

Today, I announce my candidacy for Supervisor and look forward to laying out my agenda for the future of San Diego, said Dumanis. Over the years, we have benefitted from steady leadership at the County but we are facing a lot of change  and a lot of challenges  and we need leaders who can put aside ambition and partisanship and focus on whats best for our diverse communities.

Dumanis, a former municipal and superior court judge, defeated an incumbent District Attorney in 2002 and during her time as DA helped make San Diego one of the safest big cities in America with crime at a 47-year low. She also worked to ensure a fair justice system, protecting the innocent and putting the dangerous behind bars.

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As District Attorney, Bonnie led an office that was a shining example for other District Attorneys Offices on how to manage cases of wrongful conviction, said Professor Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project. My work with her led to the release of two innocent men who may have died in prison without her assistance.

As a judge and District Attorney, Bonnie was always fair, just and compassionate. Her door was always open. She was a leader in criminal justice reform, said Henry Coker, former San Diego Public Defender.

Bonnie is a visionary with long and deep connections in the Fourth District, said Supervisor Ron Roberts, who is retiring due to term limits. She knows how to make a difference in peoples lives, and Im honored to support her candidacy.

Dumanis was raised in a tough town south of Boston and worked hard to get ahead in an era where women faced institutionalized discrimination. Her father, who was a truck driver for 25 years and a proud Teamster, and mother, who worked for the governments WIC program (Women, Infants and Children), which provides nutritional support for low-income families, instilled in her the fight that defines her today. She knows first hand the struggles of working families because shes from the working class.

After putting herself through college and law school while working as a junior clerk typist in the San Diego DAs office, she rose up the ranks to Deputy DA and was soon elected a judge to the Municipal Court, and then the Superior Court. In 2002, she challenged the incumbent DA and won a race that no one thought she could win. She was the first openly gay prosecutor elected in the country and the first woman DA in San Diego history. She went on to serve nearly 15 years as one of San Diegos most popular elected leaders.

To learn more, visit www.BonnieForSupervisor.com.
Embattled U.S. Rep. Duncan D. Hunters congressional chief of staff, Joseph Joe Kasper, is leaving the office to take a Pentagon position, according to a Thursday statement emailed to The San Diego Union-Tribune.

Kasper, 36, had served as the Alpine Republicans top aide since late 2014 after previously directing his communications and policy operations.

With nearly 15 years spent on Capitol Hill, Kasper also served the Congressmans father and predecessor, Duncan Lee Hunter, as spokesman and legislation director.

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Kaspers move will take effect Oct. 2. He will be a political appointee of President Donald Trumps administration as assistant secretary of the Navy for research, development and acquisition.

FBI agents raided the office of Hunters campaign treasurer in February, seeking evidence into allegations that the Republican lawmaker misspent campaign dollars and tried to dodge federal and Congressional investigators. The search warrant also indicated that authorities were seeking messages exchanged by Kasper, Hunter and Hunters wife.

A separate probe by the House Ethics Committee was looking into reports that Hunter converted campaign funds to pay personal expenses.

That had nothing to do with my decision, said Kasper during a telephone interview with the Union-Tribune. Ive been with the Hunter family for almost 15 years and there are fewer dedicated public servants Ive come across in that time than the Hunters. If anything, that situation was motivating me to stay because I wanted to see it to a successful conclusion.

Kasper declined further comment, except for his written statement.

A veteran of the U.S. Air Force and a graduate of the University of Connecticut, Kasper proudly cited a series of high-profile policies he helped the younger Hunter craft, including military combat awards, defense procurement and hostage recovery. Like his father, Hunter serves on the House Armed Services Committee.

Few lawmakers allow for the responsibility and autonomy that I had, Kasper said in his farewell statement, thanking Hunter for his confidence, respect and friendship.

I know Hunter and I have fought hard over the years  and Im leaving knowing together weve had an impact, Kasper wrote. Kasper also thanked Hunters father for hiring him as a young upstart in 2004, following a stint as a post-college Capitol Hill intern.

Im proud to call him a mentor and a friend, Kasper added.

Records show that he is slated to earn $150,000 this year as Hunters top aide.

Previously: Hunter
An art venue in Barrio Logan has been ordered to close its doors after authorities said the owner and leaseholder failed to make necessary repairs to the building to fix safety problems.

The Glashaus, which houses an art gallery and as many as 21 studios, agreed in court to remain closed until the venue meets fire safety and building codes, the City Attorneys Office said Wednesday. Superior Court Judge Joel Wohlfeil signed the agreement, which settles a civil case between the city and the venue, on Wednesday.

The venue on Main Street was converted from a warehouse to a studio without the required building, electrical and plumbing permits, according to the City Attorneys Office. The modifications, the office said, created safety hazards for artists and the public.

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According to the City Attorneys Office, the most serious violations at the venue include:

Walls that are not braced properly and could collapse during an earthquake.

Ceilings, catwalks and stairs that could collapse and trap occupants inside.

The lack of a rear exit door for people to use in case they became trapped inside.

Once the city uncovered the safety hazards more than two years ago, the owner and master leaseholder, artist Matthew Devine, were forced to submit plans to fix up the venue. The venue is owned by Mitchell Investments.

Although the investment firm and Devine hired architects, began to work on plans and even consulted with the city, they never obtained the required permits or made the necessary repairs, the City Attorneys Office said.

Code enforcement officers ultimately referred the case to the City Attorneys Office, which prepared to sue the venue. Before the lawsuit was filed, Devine and Mitchell Investments agreed to vacate the property until the venue is up to par.

In addition, Mitchell Investments and Devine agreed to pay at least $25,000 in civil penalties. They will also pay about $6,000 to cover the investigative costs of the citys code enforcement department.

The crackdown on The Glashaus made headlines in the aftermath of a fire that destroyed an Oakland warehouse, known as Ghost Ship, that had been converted into an artist collective. After the Dec. 2 blaze, San Diego Fire Marshal Doug Perry told the Union-Tribune had recommitted himself to cracking down on unsafe structures.

A Dec. 2 blaze at an Oakland warehouse that killed 36 people served as a wake-up call to officials in San Diego  even though most art spaces are not in violation of code and fire regulations, San Diego Fire Marshal Doug Perry said.

At the time he said the unsafe conditions in The Glashaus were nothing like Ghost Ship.

On Wednesday, City Attorney Mara Elliot offered a different presumption.

The code violations on this property could easily have led to a tragedy like the Ghost Ship fire that claimed 36 lives last year in Oakland, Elliott said in a statement.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
Three years ago, images of an armored military-grade vehicle that the San Diego Unified School District received from the U.S. Department of Defense raised eyebrows.

The same type of vehicle had been used weeks earlier by police in Ferguson, Mo., to quell protests over the shooting of an unarmed black teenager. Many said the response was an unnecessary show of force.

In the wake of public outcry, the San Diego school district decided to return the vehicle.

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Last week, President Donald Trump lifted former President Barack Obamas restrictions on the program, once again allowing the Pentagon to distribute armored vehicles, grenade launchers, large-caliber weapons and other hardware to law enforcement agencies across the nation.

The restrictions were put in place in 2015 amid a national debate over what some people called the militarization of police.

Civil rights advocates, including the American Civil Liberties Union, have warned that the deployment of surplus military-style equipment has the potential to build tension in communities police are sworn to protect, and can escalate situations to dangerous levels.

So does the San Diego Unified School District intend to accept any equipment this time around? Probably not.

The district has no plans to acquire military equipment under the program, said district spokeswoman Maureen Magee.

It remains to be seen if other local law enforcement agencies accept the repurposed military equipment as they have in the past.

The Sheriffs Department isnt ruling out the possibility.

The Sheriffs Department has a responsibility to use the most effective and appropriate equipment and training available to keep residents of San Diego as safe as possible, spokesman Ryan Keim said in an email. Accordingly, we may evaluate available equipment that can save lives and is consistent with our mission of community-oriented policing.

The San Diego Police Department did not respond Wednesday to requests for an interview, not did it provide a statement.

San Diego Police Officer Association President Brian Marvel said reinstating the program was a good decision.

He noted that a broad range of equipment can be described as military gear, some of which can be valuable to police in specific scenarios, including protests that turn violent. He added that the program, which in most cases provides the gear for free, is especially helpful to cash-strapped agencies.

With the increase of terror attacks and active shooters, I think equipment like this can be useful, he said.

But with each acquisition, Marvel said, the Department of Defense should track where the equipment goes and train agencies to use it properly. Local law enforcement agencies, he added, should justify the need for the hardware.

I think there should be justification, training and accountability, he said.

Breaking News

Email: david.hernandez@sduniontribune.com

Phone: (619) 293-1876

Twitter: @D4VIDHernandez
The state Attorney Generals Office, which is investigating backchannel dealings of the California Public Utilities Commission and the companies it oversees, is not opposing a request to unseal court records related to the probe.

The decision means Los Angeles Superior Court judges could make public the search-warrant affidavits and other confidential materials as soon as next week.

San Diego attorneys Maria Severson and Michael Aguirre filed a motion Aug. 22 seeking to unseal the records. They are challenging the $4.7 billion settlement of costs associated with the 2012 failure of the San Onofre nuclear plant north of Oceanside, saying it was a bad deal for utility customers.

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The Los Angeles Superior Court gave the Attorney Generals Office 10 days to challenge the request, which it did not. The warrants were requested and executed by the offices investigators.

State agents convinced the L.A. judges to approve three warrants in 2015, arguing there was enough evidence to believe a felony may have occurred, citing offenses such as obstruction of justice. One affidavit was released but two others were sealed.

The criminal case stalled despite the issuance of multiple search warrants involving the utilities commission and its dealings with utility companies. No charges have been filed.

Southern California Edison acknowledged participating in an undisclosed meeting in Poland with utilities commission officials to discuss an early framework for the plan that eventually assigned ratepayers  rather than company shareholders  the bulk of the cost of paying for the plant failure.

Aguirre said the records should be unsealed so the public can see the evidence judges relied on in signing the search warrants. He also said people should know whether utility regulators misled lawmakers in seeking more than $12 million for private lawyers to respond to the criminal probe on behalf of the commission.

Our primary focus now is on the California Public Utilities Commission to see if it misrepresented material facts to the Legislature when it said it would use the money to cooperate with the criminal investigation, Aguirre said. Well find out if what the CPUC said is true once we get our hands on these documents.

The criminal case launched in 2014 after emails were released showing that utility regulators and executives met frequently in private to discuss business pending before the commission.

The CPUC has fully complied with its obligations to the investigation, spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said.

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jeff.mcdonald@sduniontribune.com (619) 293-1708 @sdutMcDonald
San Diego Gas & Electric announced Wednesday that it would provide $1,000 rebates to K-12 teachers and first responders (firefighters, law enforcement officers, lifeguards and emergency medical technicians) who buy or lease new electric vehicles. The utility emphasized that its three-year program to benefit the bedrock of our community would use $500,000 in shareholder funds  not money from ratepayers. The rebates would be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis.

Obviously, teachers and first responders are valuable individuals with important jobs. But so are social workers. So are people who staff suicide hotlines. So are people who provide medical care to the homeless. So are people who handle so many different responsibilities. For a large California utility to single out certain professions for a huge favor is dubious and divisive. And given how dependent SDG&E is on state government, its not cynical to question whether the political clout of teacher and public safety unions played a factor in the utilitys decision on whom to favor.

In a telephone interview with a San Diego Union-Tribune editorial writer, SDG&E officials said the clout of these public employee unions wasnt something they had considered; wondered how the rebate program was different than the help SDG&E provided to 600 nonprofit partners; said the program wasnt intended to convey the idea that some professions were more equal than others; and said any rebate program would have faced criticism.

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Sorry, no sale. A need-based rebate program open to all SDG&E customers wouldnt prompt any sort of blowback. A program that rewards customers in professions A, B and C but not customers in professions D through Z deserves blowback.

Twitter: @sdutIdeas

Facebook: San Diego Union-Tribune Ideas & Opinion
Will we learn the lesson planet is showing us?

Eugene Robinsons article, Natures Message (Aug. 30) is a powerful piece. Hes right. How many more superstorms must we endure, with great cost to lives, homes and jobs, before we accept that climate change takes normal storms and makes them more intense.

President Trump pulled out of the Paris accord because he believed it was a job killer. How many jobs are now lost in Texas? How many lives were lost? Good lord, weve basically lost the fourth largest city in the U.S. How long will we continue dumping greenhouse gases into the atmosphere with no regard as to the consequences?

Changing light bulbs or driving a Prius is nice, but wont make a dent in this problem. Its time for legislation to enact a fee on carbon with dividends returned to American households. Its time for citizens to ask their member of Congress to wake up and do something.

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Susan Kobara

Carlsbad

End the debate and get on with solutions

Thank you for your excellent coverage of the scope and human face of Hurricane Harvey. I cant imagine a better time to connect the dots between how we live and the viability of our childrens future than now.

Harvey offers an opportunity to pick up our pace in accepting the need for hard choices and to stop our partisan bickering. The letters from readers in last Saturdays paper There are lots of ways to look at climate change and Breen climate change cartoon unfathomable appear to signal that a sense of urgency is unattractive at best and unnecessary at worst.

Can we afford endless debate on the connection between carbon dioxide and disasters such as this? Carbon fee and dividend would hasten innovation and is an economy friendly solution that is available to us now. Will we work together to implement it or will we wait for more severe weather disasters such as Harvey before we are convinced?

Kathleen Wheeler

Chula Vista

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.

Related:
Regarding Veterans protesting Miramar Air Show as Disneyland of War (Sept. 5): Kudos to my fellow vets who are as, to paraphrase one of Spike Lees movie titles, Doing the right thing.

Vets for Peace, along with my people Vets against wars, period must stand up to the perpetual wars instigated by all those politicians, most of whom have never served in the military, and their kids dont serve.

We call them chicken hawks, but as people my age, 65, and others know, war means profit for the defense contractors, lobbyists for the aforementioned war mongers.

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Enough is enough. I am sick and tired of my tax dollars going to billion-dollar submarines, ships, planes, tanks and all the rest of machines of war. Since when did the Department of Defense become Department of Offense?

Stop this infatuation with war and machines of war.

Paul Tenner

Spring Valley

( HAYNE PALMOUR IV/SAN DIEGO UNION-TRIBUNE)

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Trump just wants to erase Obamas efforts

Regarding Trump ends DACA program (Sept. 5): In ancient Egypt, new pharaohs would often chisel off names of predecessors from public buildings in an attempt to obliterate all memory of the previous ruler.

Donald Trump appears to have a similar goal: remove every vestige of President Obama. In fact, eliminating Obamas name and achievements seems to be the only consistent policy Trump has. Ending DACA is just the latest example. If Obama did it, Trump will undo it.

Paul Ward

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San Diego

Trump is still far better president than Obama

Letter writer Ellen Hogan asked How do we explain Trump to our children? (Sept. 2). Well, if she was able to explain Obama and his lies and corruption for eight years to her children, she should have little problem explaining Trump.

Lynn Lowder

Bay Park

So far nations voters got what they asked for

Saw a bumper sticker recently: If you elect a clown, expect a circus.

Steve Blumenschein

Clairemont

Letters and commentary policy

The U-T welcomes and encourages community dialogue on important public matters. Please visit this page for more details on our letters and commentaries policy. You can email letters@sduniontribune.com or leave a comment below.

Follow @UTLetters on Twitter and UTOpinion on Facebook.
Gores policy on concealed carry must be exposed

The Santee City Council recently voted 5-0 to send Sheriff Bill Gore a letter requesting a change in his internal policy regarding the issuance of CCW (concealed carry weapon) permits.

Gore has set-up secret, undisclosed internal policies that result in denial of application after application from law-abiding, trained county residents who qualify under state law for a CCW.

Sheriffs throughout Californias 58 counties have unfettered discretion in determining a good cause policy when issuing CCWs. Most California sheriffs accept self-defense or personal protection as good cause. But not Sheriff Gore. Gore has been misleading the public by saying he is restrained by state law or court decisions. This is false.

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Sheriff Gore willingly ignores the requests of county residents who want to defend their lives outside the home. Clearly, Sheriff Gore does not take seriously our Second Amendment rights. Law-abiding people deserve the ability to protect their lives.

Rob McNelis

Member, Santee City Council

Ive read Wendy Wheatcrofts, Bill Stoops, and Carol Landales recent comments about House Resolution 38, the concealed carry bill, and am driven to comment.

Stoops claimed that there has been no evidence of violence in states with lax concealed carry laws  shortly after a woman in a Michigan Walmart brandished a handgun in an argument over a notebook.

Michigan is a shall-issue state that permits any legal gun owner to obtain a concealed carry license; the armed woman had one. What she didnt have is the discretion  perhaps the brainpower  that should be required to obtain one. I wonder how Stoops would like her, or someone like her, to bring a firearm into California.

We must not allow the bill to dilute Californias stringent gun laws. In fact, this country would be safer if they were nation-wide.

John Mann

San Diego

Citizens that are both pro- and anti-right to carry can find anecdotal stories to support their point. But we need to look at research for the facts.

Most recently (June 2017) the non-partisan National Bureau of Economic Research, built synthetic states as identical counterparts to the 33 states that had passed right to carry laws between 1981-2014. They compared crime statistics before and after and used an algorithm to project trends had the states not passed RTC.

In states that passed RTC laws, after five years crime was 7 percent higher and after 10 years crime was projected to be 13- 15 percent higher compared to they synthetic model that had not passed RTC.

The authors concluded, There is not even the slightest hint in the data that these laws reduce violent crime.

Liz Harley

Del Cerro

Studies support the use of gun-free zones

Bill Stoops (Opposing views on Californias gun laws, " Sept. 3) states that there has been no data-driven evidence to support a risk to public safety secondary to open carry and concealed carry laws.

On the contrary, according to Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health papers of Oct.15, 2016, regarding firearms on college campuses, evidence of the past decade demonstrates that the number of people shot in mass shootings in the U.S. has increased dramatically during a period coinciding with the removal of restrictions on publicly carrying guns.

The claim that the best deterrent to campus shootings is to remove restrictions to civilians carrying guns is not observed. Studies indicate that rarely are shooters stopped by gun-wielding civilians. The overwhelming majority of fatal mass shootings occur where guns are allowed. Additionally, college students are more likely to attempt suicide and so having guns available is not warranted.

Judy Diamond

San Diego

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Hurricane Irmas wrath in the Caribbean left at least seven people dead and thousands of others without homes on Thursday and the vicious storm isnt done yet with its sights now set on Florida.

With winds blowing at 185 miles per hour for at least 24 straight hours, the Category 5 storm is said to be the strongest ever recorded in the open Atlantic Ocean.

Florida is bracing for what Gov. Rick Scott is calling a catastrophic storm that our state has never seen with highways jammed by evacuees and gas stations running out of fuel.

But it was places like Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands and Saint Martin that have already suffered immensely. Heres a look at how Hurricane Irma has attacked the region and what may be headed to Florida.

Puerto Rico

One million people were without power in Puerto Rico on Thursday as the eye of the storm passed just north of the U.S. territory.

It could have been far worse for Puerto Rico, President Donald Trump told reporters at the White House on Thursday. They really escaped the brunt of Irmas wrath.

Downed light posts and blocked roadways were common and Gov. Ricardo Rossello warned of more flooding and rain through Saturday.

Three deaths have been reported from Puerto Rico.

A boy looks on in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, on September 7, 2017. (RICARDO ARDUENGO/AFP/Getty Images)

An employee works to remove a felled tree from a rooftop in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Thursday, Sept. 7, 2017. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded area during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of the island in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

Rescue staff from the Municipal Emergency Management Agency investigate an empty flooded car during the passage of Hurricane Irma through the northeastern part of the island in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2017. (AP Photo/Carlos Giusti)

U.S. and British Virgin Islands

In the U.S. and British Virgin Islands east of Puerto Rico, the damage is much more extensive.

"St. Thomas and St. John are pretty devastated," Rep. Stacey Plaskett, the U.S. Virgin Islands' delegate to Congress, told USA TODAY. "We've had houses slamming into other houses."

A major hospital on the U.S. Virgin Islands was destroyed by winds.

The Kentucky Army National Guard has been deployed to the islands to help with relief efforts.

Dominican Republic

The Dominican Republic reported flooding but no serious damage or casualties by Thursday afternoon.

Emergency Operations Center (COE) director Juan Manuel Mendez in the Dominican Republics capital city warned people in the Caribbean nation that destruction from Irma wasnt over, however.

Waves crash against the shore and a stranded boat as Hurricane Irma moves off from the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, in Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic September 7, 2017. (REUTERS/Ivan Alvarado)

The worst has yet to happen, he said of flooding that would occur as rains poured across the entire national territory on the eastern half of the island of Hispaniola.

Saint Martin

Four people have been confirmed dead on the the French-Dutch island of St. Martin, and around 50 people were injured.

It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock, Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on St. Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

For ongoing coverage, the Miami Herald is offering unlimited digital access throughout the storm here, and so is the Sun Sentinel here.

Email: abby.hamblin@sduniontribune.com

Twitter: @abbyhamblin
A team of five locals was scheduled to depart Wednesday for Texas, the first of what is projected to be several future trips by Friends & Family Community Connection to provide recovery assistance to those impacted by Hurricane Harvey.

The Rancho Bernardo-based volunteer group founded and led by Poway resident and businessman Phil Harris was already scheduled to visit Pearland, Texas, (near Houston) to assist with a food packing event, Harris said.

Last year a food packing  one of many volunteer opportunities FFCC hosts locally and across the country  was held there and FFCC volunteers were returning to assist with the second annual event sponsored by a Dream Dinners franchise there, scheduled for this Saturday, Harris said. He and his wife own a Dream Dinners franchise in Poway.

Harris said while hundreds of volunteers from Texas were planning  prior to the hurricane  to help pack 100,000 meals between the Saturday event and another scheduled for today (Thursday) at Sysco in Houston, putting on such a large scale operation requires the assistance from locals here who have the entire process operating smoothly. A truck filled with FFCCs food packing supplies, tents, tables and other necessary items recently departed from San Diego.

Before the hurricane, one-third of the planned 100,000 easy-to-prepare, nutritious meals were to stay at a Houston food bank, while two-thirds were to be sent to Haiti. Due to Hurricane Harvey, all of the meals will stay in Texas to help feed the hurricane victims there, Harris said. He added that neither of the food packing venues was impacted by the recent flooding.

Because of the hurricane and subsequent flooding, Harris said while the team is there through this weekend, members will also meet with government officials and others in Pearland, Rockport, Corpus Christi and Houston in order to establish relationships and plans for FFCC volunteers from here to return in early October to help in the recovery and rebuilding efforts. Their initial contact is with the Rotary Club in Pearland, due to a recent introduction by the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps.

Harris said he will be leaving Texas early because he needs to be back for the Poway Days parade on Saturday since he is the parades grand marshal. The four other team members will return Sunday.

FFCC has a long history of providing such hurricane recovery assistance, Harris said, mentioning aid provided over multiple trips after Hurricanes Katrina, Irene and Sandy. FFCC volunteers focus on helping those in underserved areas.

We start by helping the families remove their damaged belonging to the street, because anything with moisture is the biggest concern, Harris said. Mold remediation is a huge issue because it can kill people.

Assistance over multiple trips will primarily utilize volunteers with carpentry, electric and plumbing experience, though anyone able and willing to spend up to two weeks there helping is welcome. As Harris said, it does not require experience to pull up carpets, spray a bleach mixture to kill mold spores or remove furniture. Volunteers must pay their travel and associated expenses and be up-to-date on their immunizations, such as tetanus.

Because of the conditions in Texas, Harris said the team was also planning to bring 100 or so water filter kits since having access to clean water is a critical health issue.

The next biggest concern is an outbreak of cholera, Harris said.

The kits cost $50 each and will provide more than 100 million gallons of clean water each, which in practical terms means they will not need to be replaced. They will be distributed to hurricane victims for free.

We continue to stress here, when we host food packing events, that every family should have (a water filter) in their home emergency kit, he said. The simple filters are paired with a five-gallon bucket to provide drinkable water.

He said anyone here who would like to assist with this effort is welcome to monetarily donate toward the filters so more can be provided in the future.

FFCC is not planning on hosting any clothing drives since those are typically the efforts of other groups, but in the future it might bring donated trailers full of donated appliances and furniture to help victims, Harris said.

For now, its fundraising efforts will be monetary, with 100 percent of what is donated going to the recovery efforts. Donors need to designate their contributions to Hurricane Harvey recovery since FFCC is involved with several philanthropic projects around the world.

Tax-deductible donations can be mailed to FFCC, 12463 Rancho Bernardo Road, PMB #158, San Diego, CA 92128. Write Hurricane Harvey Relief on the checks memo line.

They can also be made online at ffccsd.org, with the hurricane designation typed into the instruction box.

Anyone interested in joining a FFCC team to volunteer in Texas can fill out the form at ffccsd.org or contact Harris at 858-204-9643 or philffcc@san.rr.com for details.

email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
There are not many San Diego communities that can boast having a family-friendly celebration that dates back more than 50 years. We are glad to say Poway does.

On Saturday, the 53rd annual Poway Days Parade will head down Poway Road starting at 9 a.m. For all indications, it will be a great parade, with all five local high school marching bands, school and community groups, equestrian entries, some cool cars and maybe a couple of floats. Members of the Rotary Club of Poway-Scripps have been working hard to do whatever is necessary to make this the best parade ever. The theme is Happiness is Helping Others, and parade grand marshal Phil Harris, founder of Friends & Family Community Connection, certainly represents the best in volunteerism.

The hope here is that Poway Road will be lined with families to enjoy the parade. Bring a low-backed chair or a blanket. Dont forget water for everyone.

Then, after the parade walk over to the nearby Community Park and enjoyed the revitalized and reinvented Community Day Festival. (Dont worry about your parked car. Shuttles will be available at the park to take you back.) A long-time favorite, Community Day faded away a few years ago but has been reborn thanks to the efforts of the Poway Days Committee, chaired by Ted Dawson. There will be well over 100 vendors booths of all kinds, exciting fly ball dog challenges, a high school robotics competition, a large kid zone with rides, a Fish Tank (think Shark Tank for kids), plenty of live music, food vendors and a beer booth. A late-afternoon highlight will be honoring of a top community volunteer.

Saturday is the first of three weekends that will be devoted to Poway Days fun. Tickets are on sale at powaydays.com for the inaugural SeptemberFest, a late afternoon of beer, wine and live music, to be held on Saturday, Sept. 16, also at Community Park. And of course there is the return, for the 45th year, of the Poway Rodeo on Friday, Sept. 22 and Saturday, Sept. 23. Buy your rodeo tickets at powayrodeo.com.

Yes, there is still a little bit of country left in The City in the Country. Whether youre a longtime resident, a newcomer or even if you live outside of town, enjoy Poway Days. Its something special.

Email: editor@pomeradonews.com
Learn more about being prepared for a community emergency during a free event this Saturday in Rancho Bernardo.

San Diego Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, along with RB United, is hosting a 9/11 Project from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 9 at Windermere Homes & Estates, 16783 Bernardo Center Drive in Rancho Bernardo. It will include a complimentary lunch donated by Souplantation and opportunity for people to sign-up if they would like to get more involved.

Rancho Bernardo resident Terry Norwood, who was recently hired as San Diego VOADs resiliency corps fellow, will be there to answer attendees questions about preparing their families for emergency situations, such as wildfire or earthquake. She said City Councilman Mark Kersey will also speak at 11:30 a.m. and thank those volunteering with emergency preparation efforts.

Attendees will also be given 10 personal preparedness brochures to distribute to their neighbors, Norwood said.

SD VOAD  part of the Southern California and national VOAD groups  is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, membership-based organization that builds resiliency in communities nationwide. Norwood said the San Diego group serves as an umbrella organization for various nonprofits and interfaith agencies throughout the region to support their recovery assistance efforts if a disaster hits the county.

Among the goals is to give area residents adequate and timely services, impartially and uniformly delivered, when a disaster strikes, she said.

This is accomplished by facilitating community cooperation, communication, coordination and collaboration, Norwood said. We work as a community with our members to eliminate duplication of effort and provide streamlined and efficient service delivery to residents affected by disaster.

For emergency preparation information, go to ready.gov/make-a-plan.

For details about Saturdays event, contact Norwood at 858-829-5190 or tnorwood@4communitysolutions.com. For more about the San Diego Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster, go to sdvoad.org.

Email: rbnews@pomeradonews.com
Irving, TX -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/07/2017 -- Sidney Gicheru M.D., a well-known Dallas Fort Worth Ophthalmologist, recently returned from a mission trip to Kampala, Uganda. He officiated the graduation of the first formal leadership class for Ophthalmologists in Africa. He reports the mission "was extremely successful and we graduated 13 doctors, who should go on to be leaders in Ophthalmology in their countries".



Dr. Gicheru is the Co-Founder and Program Director of the African Ophthalmology Council Leadership Development Program (LDP), which is a 3 year program. Many countries in Africa have an imbalance of eye disease and infrastructure; too much disease for the level of doctors and medical facilities. The idea behind the Leadership Development Program is to provide better leaders in eyecare, who can manage the scarce resources better resulting in better care for patients. Dr Gicheru says "this is a unique and novel way to tackle the problems faced with healthcare in Africa". He adds "If an eye surgeon goes to Africa for a week of cataract surgery, he will typically impact the lives of 50-70 patients. With LDP, one Ophthalmologist can impact the lives of millions of patients."



Dr. Gicheru is a graduate of the American Academy Ophthalmology LDP. Dr. Gicheru reports "In the US, the LDP program is very competitive to get into, but it was a life changing event for me. Within months, I was nominated as President of the Texas Ophthalmological Association. It opened so many doors for me". Prior to co-founding the program in Africa, Dr. Gicheru volunteered as faculty of the Asia-Pacific Academy of Ophthalmology LDP. In Asia, he has taught the LDP curriculum in Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, China, Japan, Singapore and Hong Kong. In Africa, so far, he has taught in Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya and South Africa. He adds "the 13 graduating doctors were from countries from all over Africa including West, East and South Africa". He reports "I have volunteered my time to do this since 2012 and it's a great way to give back and impact patients in developing countries".



When he is not volunteering globally, Sidney Gicheru, M.D. is the President and Chief Refractive Surgeon of LaserCare Eye Center. As a refractive surgeon, he provides LASIK and PRK surgeries. He was the first surgeon in Dallas to provide the new SMILE Vision Correction procedure. He was one of the first surgeons in Dallas to provide Laser Cataract Surgery with ORA Smart Vision technology and the ReSTOR multifocal lens that corrects vision near and far.



About Lasercare Eye Center

Founded in 2000, Lasercare Eye Center's founder Sidney Gicheru MD has been committed to helping patients with many types of eye conditions.



Lasercare Eye Center offers treatments including:



Refractive Cataract Surgery

Lasik Cataract Surgery

Lens Implants

iDesign Custom LASIK



Lasercare Eye Center's primary focus is to provide great individualized service at affordable prices. They offer great financing options for those who wish to permanently correct their vision with the use of surgery. The Dallas Fort Worth practice has been the first or one of the first to offer several cutting edge vision procedures including:



LASIK

ORA SMART VISION

ReSTOR 3.0 and 2.5 Multifocal Lens Implants

True Laser Cataract Surgery

SMILE Vision Correction



In addition to their surgical procedures, Lasercare Eye Center also performs comprehensive eye exams and correction treatments with eyeglasses and contact lenses.



For more information about Sidney Gicheru MD visit http://www.dfweyes.com/eye-doctor-dallas/ophthalmologist/ or contact Devin McHatten at 214-574-9600.



Contact:

Devin McHatten

Company: Lasercare Eye Center

Address: 440 W Interstate 635 #300, Irving, TX 75063

Phone: 214-574-9600

Website: www.dfweyes.com
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/06/2017 -- The top three leading players in the global military personal protective equipment market held a share of 52.2% in the overall market in 2015. These players are determined to bring in product innovation to rise above the stiff competition in the global market. Furthermore, several companies are also emphasizing on achieving technological advancements to cater to the demands of clients.



View Full Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/military-personal-protective-equipment-market.html



According to the research report, the global military personal protective equipment market was valued at US$11.23 bn in 2015 and is expected to reach US$19.09 bn by the end of 2024. The market is projected to progress at a CAGR of 6.1% between 2016 and 2024.



Body Armor Segment Emerges as Leading Product in Global Market



The types of products available in the global market are body armor (IBA), advanced combat helmet (ACH), improved outer tactical vest (IOTV), pelvic protection systems (PPS), life safety jackets, military combat eye protection (MCEP), and others. Out of all the products, the body armor product segment is expected to make a significant contribution to the global market. The segment is slated to acquire a share of 33.1% by the end of 2024.



Request to view Sample Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=S&rep_id=19655



In terms of geography, the global market is fragmented into North America, Europe, Asia Pacific, Saudi Arabia, and Latin America. The report indicates that North America is likely to dominate the global market with Asia Pacific following closely. The North America military personal protective equipment market is estimated to acquire a share of 24.4% by the end of 2024.



Persistent Conflicts Keep Demand of Military Personal Protective Equipment High



The highly volatile situation amongst countries in the Middle East, India, and Iraq is the key growth driver for the global military personal protective equipment market. The increasing role of ground troops in combat has augmented the demand for military personal protective equipment in the recent past. The ongoing wars and conflicts have been boosting the uptake of this equipment to ensure safety of the troops. The report states that wars in Afghanistan, South Sudan, and Iraq have collectively kept the demand for protective gear at an all-time high through the past decade.



The report also highlights the fact that the growing need for advanced equipment to ensure the safety of troops has also benefited the global market. Furthermore, growing number of government initiatives to increasing expenditure on advanced equipment through several are also expected to drive the global market. Fast pace of developments in countries such as Pakistan, India, and Brazil are also expected to fuel the growth of this market. The increasing tensions between countries such as India and Pakistan among others is another factor propelling the uptake of military personal protective equipment.



Request to download and view full ToC - http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=19655



Cuts to Defense Budgets to Hamper Growth



The only drawback for the global military personal protective equipment market is the defense budget cuts made by developed countries such as the U.K. and the U.S. Countries such as Germany and Canada along with the U.S. and the U.K. are likely to make major changes to defense budgets. Furthermore, their strict arms allocation policies are also expected to cast a negative spell on the global market.



Global Military Personal Protective Equipment Market Report is available at US$ 5795 -

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=19655
Albany, NY -- (SBWIRE) -- 09/06/2017 -- The West Africa offshore mooring market is highly competitive, thanks to the presence of a large pool of players, finds a new research report by Transparency Market Research (TMR). Innovation and technological advancements in mooring systems is the key strategy adopted by the leading companies looking to strengthen their position in this market. A shift in their focus towards mergers, acquisitions, and partnerships can also be observed over the next few years.



View Full Report: http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/west-africa-offshore-mooring-systems-market.html



Grup Servicii Petroliere S.A., Mampaey Offshore Industries B.V., FMC Technologies Inc., BW Offshore Ltd., and Trelleborg Marine Systems are some of the prominent vendors of offshore mooring systems in West Africa, states the research report.



According to the market study, the overall opportunity in the West Africa offshore mooring system market was worth US$169.70 mn in 2015. Analysts expect it to rise at a CAGR of 4.90% during the period from 2015 to 2024 and reach a value of US$470.2 mn by the end of the period of the forecast. The demand for spread mooring systems is much higher than other products available in this market. The scenario is anticipated to remain same throughout the forecast period.



West Africa Offshore Mooring Systems Market to be Led by Angola



The report further present an exhaustive analysis of the West Africa market for offshore mooring systems on the basis of its geographical presence. As per the study, Mauritania, Senegal, Guinea, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, D.R. Congo, Angola, and Congo Brazzaville are the main geographical segments of the West Africa offshore mooring system market. Among these, Angola dominated the overall market in 2015 with a revenue contribution of US$45.1 mn. Researchers anticipate this domestic market to maintain its leadership over the period of forecast.



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The markets for offshore mooring systems in Ghana, Gabon, and Ivory Coast are also projected to witness significant growth over the forthcoming years, thanks to the surging emphasis on energy conservation, increasing investments in their respective oil and gas industry, and the continued rise in exploration and production activities, notes the study.



Drag embedment, suction, and vertical load anchors are considered as the key type of anchors used in offshore mooring in this research report. With 30.7%, the drag embedment anchors segment led the West Africa offshore mooring systems market in 2015 and is expected to remain doing so over the next few years, states the report.



Request to download and view full ToC - http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/sample/sample.php?flag=B&rep_id=22532



Need for Efficient Management of Marine Fuel to Boost Demand



"The increase in the demand for energy in West Africa despite fluctuating prices of oil has been the most prominent factor behind the growth of the offshore mooring systems market in this region," says an analyst in TMR. As marine fuel cost accounts for a heavy portion of the vessel operating cost, the need for an efficient management of marine fuel has increased considerably. With offshore mooring systems being highly effective in monitoring, controlling, and reporting of marine fuel consumption, their demand is likely to augment remarkably in the oil and gas industry of West Africa in the near future, reflecting positively on this market.



Global Offshore Mooring Systems Market Report is available at US$ 5795 -

http://www.transparencymarketresearch.com/checkout.php?rep_id=22532
The International Astronomical Union (IAU), the internationally recognized authority for naming celestial bodies and their surface features, has officially approved the naming of 14 features on the surface of the dwarf planet Pluto.

The approved designations honor many people and space missions who paved the way for the historic exploration of Pluto and the Kuiper Belt, the most distant worlds ever explored, said New Horizons principal investigator Dr. Alan Stern, of the Southwest Research Institute.

Were very excited to approve names recognizing people of significance to Pluto and the pursuit of exploration as well as the mythology of the underworld, added Dr. Rita Schulz, chair of the IAU Working Group for Planetary System Nomenclature.

These names highlight the importance of pushing to the frontiers of discovery.

The approved Pluto surface feature names are listed below:

Adlivun Cavus is a deep depression named for Adlivun, the underworld in Inuit mythology.

Al-Idrisi Montes honors Ash-Sharif al-Idrisi (11001165/66), a noted Arab mapmaker and geographer whose landmark work of medieval geography is sometimes translated as The Pleasure of Him Who Longs to Cross the Horizons.

Burney crater honors Venetia Burney (19182009), who as an 11-year-old schoolgirl suggested the name Pluto for Clyde Tombaughs newly-discovered planet. Later in life she taught mathematics and economics.

Djanggawul Fossae defines a network of long, narrow depressions named for the Djanggawuls, three ancestral beings in indigenous Australian mythology who traveled between the island of the dead and Australia, creating the landscape and filling it with vegetation.

Elliot crater recognizes James Elliot (19432011), an MIT researcher who pioneered the use of stellar occultations to study the Solar System  leading to discoveries such as the rings of Uranus and the first detection of Plutos thin atmosphere.

Hayabusa Terra is a large land mass saluting the Japanese spacecraft and mission (20032010) that returned the first asteroid sample.

Sleipnir Fossa is named for the powerful, eight-legged horse of Norse mythology that carried the god Odin into the underworld.

Sputnik Planitia is a large plain named after Sputnik 1, the first space satellite, launched by the Soviet Union in 1957.

Tartarus Dorsa is a ridge named for Tartarus, the deepest, darkest pit of the underworld in Greek mythology.

Tenzing Montes and Hillary Montes are mountain ranges honoring Tenzing Norgay (19141986) and Sir Edmund Hillary (19192008), the Indian/Nepali Sherpa and New Zealand mountaineer who were the first to reach the summit of Mount Everest and return safely.

Tombaugh Regio honors Clyde Tombaugh (19061997), the U.S. astronomer who discovered Pluto in 1930 from Lowell Observatory in Arizona.

Virgil Fossae honors Virgil, one of the greatest Roman poets and Dantes fictional guide through hell and purgatory in the Divine Comedy.

Voyager Terra honors the pair of NASA spacecraft, launched in 1977, that performed the first grand tour of all four giant planets.
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The Thai-flagged tanker MGT 1 was underway from Rayong when it was attacked by pirates 54 nm west of Kuala Dungan in Malaysia at 2100 hrs on 6 September.

According to the ReCAAP Information Sharing Centre 13 armed pirates boarded the tanker from two speedboats and forced the crew 1m litres of diesel oil of its 2.2m litre cargo onto a mother vessel.

The crew were able to raise the alarm and the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) dispatched two ships and a helicopter rescuing the tanker and its crew at 0400 hrs on 7 September. Ten of the pirates were captured and the search for the remaining three is ongoing.

The rapid apprehension of the perpetrators and successful rescue of the crew and vessel within hours from reporting is a testament to the effectiveness of timely reporting by the ship and effective enforcement by the relevant authorities, said Masafumi Kuroki executive director of ReCAAP.

The MGT 1 is the second tanker attacked for its cargo in the region this year. Pirate attacks on small tankers to steal oil cargoes was a serious problem in 2015 in Southeast Asian waters when 15 vessels were attacked.
The vessel was named Khankendi by the President of Azerbaijan, H.E. Ilham Aliyev, at a ceremony in Baku Shipyard on Wedndesday.

"We are proud to have designed and built this highly sophisticated SCV for the Shah Deniz consortium, the first such vessel to be built in the Caspian region. It is a demonstration of how Keppel O&M harnesses synergies across its global network of yards through Keppel Singmarine, Baku Shipyard and Marine Technology Development to deliver innovative solutions for Azerbaijan, which is a land-locked country, said Abu Bakar, managing director (gas & specialised vessels), Keppel O&M.

The vessel will be deployed in the Shah Deniz field for 11 years and was specifically designed and built to install the biggest subsea production system in the Caspian Sea as part of the Shah Deniz Stage 2 project.
Sen. Bam on the brutal killing of Reynaldo de Guzman

Kasuklam-suklam ang pag-torture at pagsaksak ng 30 beses sa isang katorse anyos.

Do we answer with more violence, with the death penalty, and an even more brutal crackdown on drugs? Or do we strive for justice?

We call on the PNP and the DOJ to ensure these murderers are caught, tried and imprisoned.

We call on the administration to suspend Oplan Double Barrel and rethink this bloody drug war.

And we call on all our countrymen to stand up against this culture of violence.

We must put an end to all these killings.
Sen. Bam calls on gov't to end brutal killings, rethink drug war

Sen. Bam Aquino condemned the brutal killing of a 14-year-old teenager as he called on the government to suspend and rethink its bloody war against illegal drugs.

"Kasuklam-suklam ang pag-torture at pagsaksak ng 30 beses sa isang katorse anyos," said Sen. Bam, referring to the number of stab wounds inflicted on Reynaldo de Guzman, whose body was discovered in Gapan, Nueva Ecija.

"We call on the administration to suspend Oplan Double Barrel and rethink this bloody drug war," added Sen. Bam.

De Guzman was the last person seen with 19-year-old Carl Arnaiz on Aug. 17. On that night, Arnaiz was killed in Caloocan City. Police claimed that allegedly exchanged gunfire with policemen after a taxi driver claimed that the 19-year-old robbed him at gunpoint. Ten days later, Arnaiz's body was found in a morgue in Caloocan. De Guzman's body was discovered nine days after Arnaiz's body was found.

Sen. Bam urged the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) to ensure those behind the brutal murder of De Guzman are caught, tried and imprisoned.

"We call on all our countrymen to stand up against this culture of violence. We must put an end to all these killings," said Sen. Bam.
Sen. Leila M. de Lima's Challenge to President Duterte to Stop the Killings or Resign

Dispatch from Crame No. 154

Amidst the killing spree of minors, I challenge the President once again to give a direct, categorical and public order to the entire police force, and others acting upon its direction, to STOP THE KILLINGS NOW!

Otherwise, I dare him to RESIGN NOW! To all those who are directly involved in, and those who sanction, these barbaric and satanic acts, may you all burn in hell...

Under a civilized and modern society, States are supposed to protect the rights and welfare of the youth and keep them safe from harm, but under the Duterte regime, they are slaughtered like wild animals in a hunting game.

Sa aking mga kababayan -- hinding hindi ho dapat tayo sumasang-ayon sa kasamaan. Ano na ho ba ang nangyayari sa ating bilang isang lahi mula nang naluklok sa pambansang kapangyarihan si Duterte.

Enough with this madness!

No more Kian, Gelo and Kulot need to die. Let us act now!
STATEMENT OF SEN. JV EJERCITO ON THE MURDER OF 14-YR. OLD REYNALDO DE GUZMAN

I am numbed by the cold-blooded murder of Reynaldo de Guzman. Inflicting thirty stab wounds that led to a slow death for the 14-year old kid is VERY SICKENING!

Three consecutive killings of minors in a few weeks time and obviously through execution-style is ENOUGH! We will not allow the war against illegal drugs be exploited by butchers and monsters. We will not allow these culprits to be left unpunished!

I reiterate that the war on drugs strategy, Oplan Double Barrel, needs to be re-evaluated. We cannot win the war if bodies continue to pile up compared to the lives being changed through rehabilitation.

In the Senate, we will ensure that the truth will not be silenced. There will be no sacred cows in the investigations of these killings.
Press Release

September 7, 2017 Body cams to cut body count, stop bounty killings

'Every move you make, every law you break, every ops you fake, they'll be watching you' Body cams will bring down the body count and stop the bounty killings. The government has the money and the mandate to purchase vest- and car dashboard-mounted cameras for policemen and patrol cars. These can be delivered immediately if the acquisition is done through "expedited procurement", a method allowed by the Government Procurement Reform Act. Money should not be a problem. The PNP recently received a DBM Special Allotment Release Order for P1.9 billion for the purchase of 12 lots of assorted equipment. The fund source was PNP's P5.63 billion share from the Unprogrammed Appropriations in the 2017 budget, leaving an outstanding balance of P3.73 billion, which can be tapped for the purchase of cameras. Or the PNP, following procedures, could cancel the purchase of 48 service dogs, which the SARO had budgeted at a cost of P511,000 each, and use the money instead for body cams. There are many benefits in making body cams and dashboard cams standard gear, and the video-recording of police operations and patrols as standard procedure. It aids in the prosecution of persons arrested and in the identification of criminals. It deters abuses and guarantees that procedures were according to law. It allows police commanders to assess the performance of their men, spot weaknesses, and guide them in commending gallant deeds. It protects the person arrested. It is an anti-impunity device. Because technology is neutral, it also protects an officer, if an accused, especially if moneyed and well-connected, would concoct charges as a ticket out of jail. Abuses are committed under the cover of darkness. A body cam is an app that supplies the transparency needed in police operations. Why rely on lamppost CCTVs when the police can carry their own cams? There are situations when the camera is more useful than the gun. General Bato and President Digong should order these cameras quick so they can quote The Police in reminding our police this: "Every move you make, Every law you break, Every ops you fake, Every claim you stake, I'll be watching you."
Trips in self-driving vehicles are coming to the Bay Area soon courtesy of a partnership between ride-hailing service Lyft and Mountain View startup Drive.ai, which makes kits to turn regular cars into autonomous ones.

Drive.ai and Lyft together will bring self-driving vehicles to the Bay Area, said Carol Reiley, Drive.ai co-founder and president. For Lyft riders, the experience will resemble a typical ride, she said. The robot taxis will have Drive.ai safety drivers at the wheel.

A Bay Area person would call a ride, get a notification saying theyd been selected and can opt in for a free autonomous ride, Reiley said. If they accept that, our autonomous vehicle would pick them up. From the app side, it would look relatively the same, but they would have a special experience with the autonomous car.

Lyft and Drive.ai wouldnt give details on when or exactly where the pilot will occur, other than soon and in the Bay Area. Reiley said the rides would occur in geofenced areas where the autonomous cars were familiar with the streets.

For both companies, a key point is to figure out how people perceive and interact with autonomous vehicles from the outside world, Reiley said. We want people in the car to feel very safe, to have a pleasant experience and to be delighted. We want the ride to feel seamless.

Drive.ai has licenses for six autonomous cars and 12 safety drivers, according to the California Department of Motor Vehicles, which regulates self-driving car tests in the state. Reiley said it is adding a self-driving vehicle every two weeks or so, and that its DMV licenses cover its Lyft pilot.

However, the California Public Utilities Commission, which regulates Lyft, had a different understanding of the Lyft-Drive.ai partnership than that stated by the companies. The service would need to be regulated by the (commission) if it were made available to members of the general public rather than just (Drive.ai) employees, for example, through a ride-hailing app, commission spokeswoman Terrie Prosper said in an email.

A test involving picking up Lyft passengers would require a permit from the commission, Prosper said.

Lyft said, We will run the pilot within the bounds of all applicable regulations.

Started in 2015 by Reiley and engineers from Stanfords Artificial Intelligence Lab, Drive.ai received $50 million in venture funding in late June, bringing its total backing to $62 million. Its focus is on self-driving kits for large commercial fleets.

Reiley said Drive.ai and Lyft have been in talks for a while, and she sees their partnership as a natural fit. Theres an obvious value proposition with autonomous vehicles (and ride-hailing), both for more low-cost rides and for unique autonomous vehicle experiences, she said.

Like other autonomous cars, Drive.ais vehicles bristle with rooftop sensors. In addition, they sport a digital rooftop sign that can display words and icons to communicate with other drivers and pedestrians. On a recent test drive in a blue Lincoln MKZ, it kept the sign off, on the premise that the cars are already distracting for other drivers, according to Tory Smith, a Drive.ai technical program manager. Reiley said it will use four-door sedans in the Lyft trial, without specifying the makes and models.

Both Lyft and ride-hailing rival Uber see autonomous cars as the future of their industry.

Air Quality Tracker Check levels down to the neighborhood Ratings for the Bay Area and California, updated every 10 minutes

Uber has been testing robot taxis with passengers in Pittsburgh and Phoenix. It also tests the cars in San Francisco but no longer picks up passengers here, after a brief period in December, which ended when state regulators pulled the plug on that program. Uber has spent hundreds of millions of dollars to develop the technology  including its purchase of startup Otto, which led to a lawsuit from Waymo alleging theft of intellectual property, which is still pending.

Lyft has taken a two-pronged approach. It positions its ride-hailing service as an open platform for self-driving car providers to dispatch their vehicles with passengers using the Lyft app. Lyft previously announced a deal with Massachusetts startup NuTonomy to provide robot taxi rides in Boston sometime this year. General Motors, an investor in Lyft, has said it will deploy thousands of self-driving Chevy Bolts with Lyft next year. Lyft also has self-driving deals with Waymo and Jaguar Land Rover, but hasnt provided any details.

In addition, Lyft recently said it would develop its own self-driving technology at a new lab in Palo Alto called Level 5, after the designation for cars that can drive themselves in all circumstances. While it expects to employ hundreds of engineers by the end of next year, Lyft does not plan to make its own cars, but instead create a self-driving system we can partner with the auto industry to bring to life, Raj Kapoor, chief strategy officer, said at a press event in July.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
Victor Arnautoff didnt just paint the kaleidoscopic mural City Life inside of Coit Tower and move on. There was a class struggle to fight, so Arnautoff followed his tower work with a brilliant wall painting of port workers in Richmond for that citys main post office.

Nobody remembers Richmond: Industrial City, because it disappeared in 1976 when the post office was remodeled and the 13-foot painting was rolled up for storage. Presumed lost, it has miraculously resurfaced and will get its gallery debut Sept. 13 in the labor archives at San Francisco State University.

The painting is the centerpiece of the first American career retrospective on the working-class art of Arnautoff, a Russian-born social realist who fled his home country during the Russian Revolution, found his way to San Francisco as an art student, and ended up as one of the most influential public works painters during the New Deal.

The exhibit, titled Victor Arnautoff and the Politics of Art, includes block prints from the San Francisco General Strike in 1934 and smaller reproductions of his mural of George Washington as a slave owner, installed at Washington High School in 1936, along with his Coit Tower work from 1934.

Richmond: Industrial City, is the only piece that is full-size, 6 feet by 13 feet, and it, too, is a reproduction because the original remains in storage and is too fragile for display.

San Francisco State history Professor Emeritus Robert Cherny, who may be the worlds foremost Arnautoff expert and wrote the book, Victor Arnautoff and the Politics of Art, on which this show is based, had never seen the original in anything larger than a photograph before he came by the Labor Archives and Research Center in the new campus library.

Its much more impressive full-size than on a computer screen, which is all I had ever seen of it, says Cherny, who curated the exhibit. Seen full-size it is quite spectacular and his use of color is strikingly vivid. ... Its a particularly good example of his work. It picks up some of the same themes that you see at Coit Tower; and you see a downtown Richmond that doesnt exist anymore.

Though photographed and printed on vinyl, It is very close to the original in both texture and color, Cherny adds.

The mural was discovered by Melinda McCrary, executive director of the Richmond Museum of History. When she learned about the mural, in late 2014, she tracked down a janitor at the post office who found an upright triangular wooden crate marked Victor Arnotoff October, 1976 in an unlit area of the basement at the post office.

Now Playing: Nobody remembers Richmond: Industrial City, because it disappeared in 1976 when the post office was remodeled and the 13-foot painting was rolled up for storage. Presumed lost, it has miraculously resurfaced and will get its gallery debut Sept. 13 in the labor archives at San Francisco State University. Video: Sam Whiting

McCrary went down there with a flashlight and two art handlers who crowbarred the crate to find a tube containing the rolled-up mural, with the art facing outward. It didnt even have to be unrolled.

I saw a face on the painting and was utterly astonished, McCrary recalls. Ill be honest. I cried a little bit.

It took another year, in which the mural survived a basement flood, to arrange a 25-year-loan from the U.S. Postal Service. The front of the painting is in good condition, but the back has been damaged by lead-based adhesive that was used to glue the canvas to the wall.

The mural has a notched bottom to fit over the postmasters door. McCrary already has a place on the museum wall picked out for it but it may take a while to get there because she needs to raise $50,000 to cover the restoration. She has a graduate degree in museum studies from San Francisco State, and knew that Cherny was at work on a book on Arnautoff. Thats what led to the murals debut in the campus library.

Its a great opportunity for them to showcase it and raise awareness, McCrary says. More people are going to see it and learn about it there than in Richmond.

Arnautoff left San Francisco to return to Russia for good in 1963, and what he did not crate up and take home with him he left in the care of his son Vasily, a San Francisco longshoreman, who in turn left it with his own son Peter, a retired San Francisco firefighter who lives in Marin.

There has not been a solo show of Arnautoffs work in San Francisco since the 1950s. Cherny was able to pick and choose from Peter Arnautoffs collection for the exhibit, to cover the full breadth of the artists years in San Francisco, starting in 1925 when he enrolled in what is now the San Francisco Art Institute. He later had a 20-year career as an art professor at Stanford University.

Everything he did in between was political. The mural of Washington shows the first president off to the left, with his slaves front and center. Another panel shows him pointing west over the dead body of a Native American. Arnautoff drew political cartoons during the House Un-American Activities Committee hearings of the 1950s. One shows Sen. Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin, ringleader in pursuing anti-communist investigations, in a trash can. Another shows virulent anticommunist Richard Nixon carrying a bucket of red paint labeled smear.

Also included are images of mosaic murals that Arnautoff created in the Soviet Union, where he died in 1979.

Arnautoffs murals were complex and filled with people and political subtlety. There were 27 muralists on the Coit Tower job, but Arnautoff was the muralist-in-charge and City Life set the tone. Looking at the reproduction, Cherny points out a scene lost in the background: It shows an automobile accident in front of the Pacific Stock Exchange.

That, I think, says Cherny, makes it a stock market crash.

Sam Whiting is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: swhiting@sfchronicle.com Instagram: @sfchronicle_art

Victor Arnautoff and the Politics of Art: Opens Sept. 13, with a reception from 5-7 p.m. Viewable 1-5 p.m. Monday-Friday or by appointment. Through Dec. 12. J. Paul Leonard Library Special Collections Gallery, San Francisco State University, 1630 Holloway Ave., S.F. (415) 405-5571. www.sfsu.edu
If youre a contemporary poetry fan, track down Rick Barots books. Like a painter, he studies textures, shadows and colors until his sight turns into insight. In From, this transformation happens with the lines, I come from childhoods green radio, // from the kalachuchi tree / and its white flowers. The colors and specific name (kalachuchi) seem magical and specific to the speaker. But From expresses a universal quality, too  by reminding us that we all peer through time at the people, objects and places from which weve journeyed. In this way, Barots poem shows us that the paths of our individual lives rhyme with each other.

From

I come from the lowlands.

My mothers city was built on the river

where the mountains fanned out to the sea,

and the city thrived there.

I come from farmers.

I come from childhoods green radio,

from the kalachuchi tree

and its white flowers. I come from prayer.

My parents took me to a faith healer

once, though no one now recalls

the malady or the terms of the cure.

I had a fate, it took me

across an ocean. It has taken half a life

to turn back and see

what it was I left behind.

I come from teachers and soldiers.

On the island where my father comes from,

the people covered their bodies

with tattoos. I come from soot,

from ink. I come from people who honed

their teeth to sharp points,

who buried their dead in coffins

shaped like boats for a journey.

I come from horizon. I come from water.

From appears with the permission of the author. All rights reserved.

Rick Barot was born in the Philippines, immigrated to the United States with his family at age 10, and grew up in Oakland. He is the author of three poetry collections, The Darker Fall, Want and Chord.

David Roderick is the co-founder of Left Margin LIT: A Home for the Literary Arts, in Berkeley. He is author of Blue Colonial and The Americans.
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As President Trump stands by his decision to rescind protections from 800,000 immigrants who came to the U.S. as children without authorization, the administration is also scrutinizing several other Obama-era rules that help foreigners live and work in the U.S.

Rules hanging in the balance include those designed to benefit foreign entrepreneurs looking to create companies in the U.S., spouses of H-1B visa holders, and foreign students who graduated with a degree in scientific or technical fields.

For the Bay Area, where more than 3 out of 10 residents are foreign-born and some companies depend on work visas to hire a significant number of employees, the stakes are high. Advocates of immigration, particularly in the regions vibrant technology industry, say that it brings in vital technical talent.

On the campaign trail and in office, Trump has argued that immigration should be restricted to protect American workers. Others have echoed his concerns, seeking to overturn the rules in court.

As president, Barack Obama created each rule under different legal authorities of his office. Now all are being criticized under an argument similar to the one used Tuesday by the Trump administration to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, program: Such policies lack congressional approval, and are therefore improper.

DACA was created in 2012 through a policy memo after Congress failed to pass the Dream Act, which would have codified the protections for certain immigrants lacking documents authorizing them to be in the country. Attorney General Jeff Sessions said Tuesday that the program will be rescinded because it was an unconstitutional exercise of authority by the executive branch.

But Obama created DACA and other rules pertaining to high-skilled immigration after Congress failed to pass protections for unauthorized immigrant children and comprehensive immigration reform. These actions were intended to be temporary orders, with the hope that Congress would eventually pass broader immigration changes.

During the Obama administration, the core questions for us about high-skilled immigration were what is lawful, and what would provide the greatest benefit? said Doug Rand, the former assistant director for entrepreneurship under Obama.

The DACA decision does not necessarily set a precedent for what will happen to the other immigration rules. Unraveling them would require a lengthy notice-and-comment period, a bureaucratic requirement that has stalled other efforts by the Trump administration to undo rules instituted under Obama.

The Obama administration had a broad interpretation of its legal authority as it pertained to immigration, said Cyrus Mehta, an immigration attorney. But the common thread in the Trump administration is that they dont want to give expanded rights to immigrants who are here.

Here is a look at some of those rules that are at risk:

International

Entrepreneur Rule

This rule was approved by the Department of Homeland Security in January, during Obamas waning hours in office. It would have granted foreign entrepreneurs a window of time to stay in the U.S. and build their companies.

Obama exercised the executive branchs parole authority to create this rule. In this context, a foreigner would be allowed in the U.S. under parole if they presented a significant public benefit.

Current status: This rule would have gone into effect July 17. But a week prior to that date, the Trump administration decided to delay its implementation, with the goal of rescinding it.

The argument: The Trump administration argued that this rule was an abuse of the presidents parole authority, and that work permits should be granted only through congressional approval.

Number eligible: Approximately 3,000 a year

H-4 work authorization

H-4 visas are given to spouses of H-1B holders, who come to the U.S. to work at sponsoring companies for up to six years. Before 2015, these spouses were allowed to reside in the U.S., but not work. Obama granted work authorization permits to H-4 visa holders whose spouses had started the process of getting a green card.

Obama created this rule through the Immigration Nationality Act, which grants the secretary of Homeland Security the authority to extend employment to noncitizens in the United States.

Current status: There is a lawsuit pending against the Department of Homeland Security that seeks to get rid of the work authorization. The Trump administration has asked for an extension on making a decision so it could adequately consider the issues. The case will be reconsidered this month.

The argument: The plaintiff, Save Jobs USA, argued that the Department of Homeland Security should not be allowed to grant work permits to immigrants through a rule in lieu of congressional approval. Sessions has also criticized the rule for similar reasons.

Number approved: 41,526 (as of Sept. 30, 2016)

Optional Practical

Training Extension

for STEM Students

Certain students with F-1 visas who graduated with a science, technology, engineering or mathematics, or STEM, degree could already stay and work for 12 months after graduation. During that period, some would apply for the H-1B visa so they could remain in the United States longer. Extending this period to 36 months effectively gave them two additional shots at the coveted visa, among other benefits.

Obama also created this rule under the Immigration Nationality Act, which gives the Department of Homeland Security the authority to regulate admissions for nonimmigrant visas, including visas for students.

Current status: The Washington Alliance of Technology Workers, a union, sued the Department of Homeland Security after the rule was announced, saying the rule creates unfair competition to American workers. The lawsuit was dismissed in April, but the union has filed an appeal.

The argument: The group argued that, along with creating unfair competition, the president did not have the authority to create such a rule without congressional approval.

Number approved: 45,184 (as of Sept. 30, 2016)

Trisha Thadani is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: tthadani@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @TrishaThadani
Paul Kuroda/Special to The Chronicle

San Jose is planning to make a bid to host Amazons second headquarters, which the Seattle company says could employ up to 50,000 people.

Amazon announced plans Thursday morning to build a complex of up to 8,000,000 square feet somewhere in North America, and is soliciting proposals from cities and states around the United States and Canada.
The whole of the Bay Area languished in record-breaking heat Saturday, Sept. 2, but I managed to find the coolest spot in town. On the air-conditioned stage at the renovated Curran Theatre, a handful of us helped costume designer Machine Dazzle create bespoke handcrafted buttons as gifts for guests at the upcoming Taylor Mac show, A 24-Decade History of Popular Music.

Macs new show, which opens next week and runs for four nights, is 24 hours long, beginning with the music of 1776 and ending in the present day. Mac performed the entire thing over one day and night in Brooklyn last year, and Wesley Morris of the New York Times described it as one of the greatest experiences of my life. Im already a Mac mega-fan, so when I spotted a casual little online listing, inviting the public to spend an afternoon onstage with Mac collaborator Dazzle working on arts and crafts, I signed right up.

A handwritten sign taped inside the glass doors of the Curran asked that anyone here for button-making send a text to a number, which I did. A few moments later, a charming young woman arrived and let me in, a luxurious burst of cool air exploding from the lobby as she pushed open the door.

About a dozen people sat at plastic folding tables on the theaters stage. One table was piled high with all manner of sequins and feathers, fabric scraps and rhinestones. At the other small tables, the handful of folks whod seen the same event listing as I had used glue guns and scissors to decorate buttons that one volunteer was cranking out with an old-fashioned button-making press. Each button featured a cutout of either Macs eye or his lips, the images pulled from a glamorous San Francisco Magazine photo shoot.

Dazzle sat amid his small creative flock casually clad in a camouflage jumpsuit. His hair was a neat mess of tight, dark curls, and he told every button bedazzler that their work  affixing rhinestones and tulle to plastic buttons  was fabulous.

The 44-year-old self-described Middle American met Mac in the New York nightlife scene years ago. The two formed a fast friendship, and 24 Decades is the third show for which Dazzle has designed Macs costumes.

My costumes, said Dazzle, all legs and natural eyelashes, are like my children.

His costumes, quite frankly, are pure works of art. Several grace the windows of Neiman Marcus right now, a stunning showcase aimed at connecting the general public with the upcoming show. Massive headdresses incorporate floating balloons or dozens of green crab apples. Gowns combine found objects and cultural references, each one cheeky and challenging in its own right.

Its an endurance to wear some of these costumes, said Dazzle. Theyre hot, theyre heavy, theyre crazy.

He smiled. Taylor is the perfect muse.

The funny and kind Dazzle was happy to tell me about his early life, his artistic process and his friendship with Mac  provided I decorate some buttons. I put down my notebook, slipped my phone into my tote bag, and selected a collection of rhinestones, nail polish and glitter glue. Macs bright blue eyeball stared back at me from a button, and I got to work.

The cool air and the friendly group felt instantly familiar, almost like a reunion. After all, sitting on a stage, glue gun in hand, chatting with like-minded strangers is part of my history. My first job out of college was as the costume mistress backstage at the North Beach cabaret show Beach Blanket Babylon. Lo these years later, joining the crew at the Curran, complete with scattered sequins and easy gossip, was just like being back at the Blanket during that treasured time  before I could afford to pay someone else to cut my hair.

Creating art, in this case bedazzled buttons to be given to anyone who attends all four six-hour performances of 24 Decades, transported me to a place in my past when sitting inside an empty theater with a small collection of quirky friends allowed me to finally feel authentic and accepted.

I havent seen Macs new show yet. I dont know if it will be one of the greatest experiences of my life. But I do know that joining Dazzle for an all too brief afternoon of air-conditioned arts and crafts reconnected me with one of the most special times in my life. And Ive got the bedazzled button to prove it.

Beth Spotswoods column appears Thursdays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
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The American craze for Japanese pop culture  from manga and anime to J-pop music  has only intensified over the years.

Thats why the 2017 J-Pop Summit, San Franciscos ninth annual celebration of Japanese pop culture at Fort Mason Center on Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 9-10, is expected to attract more than 20,000 people for one of the largest events of its type in the world.
In high school, Jesus Castro used to toil alongside his father, a roofer. It was grueling labor, the heat searing as noxious fumes enveloped them. Castro had crossed the border from Mexico when he was 5 years old, along with his three brothers, and his parents had always encouraged them to go to school and earn good grades so we wouldnt have to work like animals, slaving away like them, said Castro, now 22.

After he graduated, he filed for DACA  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals  a program enacted in 2012 that allowed him to receive protections against deportation (renewable every two years) and made him eligible for a work permit. Hes a full-time student at San Francisco State University, studying political science, and he works half-time as a program assistant in the citys Office of Civic Engagement and Immigrant Affairs.

Earlier this week, President Trump rescinded DACA, cruelly threatening to shut down the opportunities that the program opened up to nearly 800,000 immigrants, known as Dreamers, who were brought here as children. Hes called upon Congress to pass a solution within the next six months, and plans to revisit the issue if legislators cannot  leaving the Dreamers in limbo.

Among DACA recipients, 95 percent are working or in school; and more than half were able to get better jobs than before they became DACA recipients; and most were able to buy their first cars, according to a survey conducted by UC San Diego, the National Immigration Law Center and the Center for American Progress.

Others surveys suggest the program has promoted social integration among Dreamers by reducing fear about their lack of papers, instilled a greater sense of belonging and led to increased civic participation.

Dreamers are students in our communities, our neighbors, our friends, our co-workers and employees, our partners and our families  theyre us. Theyre staking a claim to the American dream and contributing to this country. DACA recipient Alonso Guillen died trying to rescue people in the aftermath of Harveys flooding, when his boat slammed into a bridge and capsized.

Jesus Contreras, another Dreamer, is a Houston-area paramedic who worked nearly nonstop after the storm. We just got hit by a hurricane here, and now were getting hit by another storm, an even bigger one, the 23-year-old told NBC News.

Why destroy a successful program before another plan is in place? Its the presidents crass and desperate attempt to fulfill a campaign promise, in an agenda that he has so far failed to achieve. And its part of his continued attack on immigrants and people of color in this country, from the Muslim travel ban, to his support for white supremacists, from his calls for a wall along the border to Mexico, to his proposed curtailing of family preferences in legal immigration.

The administration has been bullying the undocumented community. Theyre playing a game. They think were a joke, Castro said. We got hit, we fell, but were dusting ourselves off and will keep fighting, keep going. Me and my family have lived here undocumented before, and we can do it again.

Decades ago, his grandfather came to this country as a bracero, working in agriculture under a Mexican guest worker program. He returned to his family in Puebla, Mexico. At 19, his son crossed the border, and eventually, his wife and children  including Jesus  joined him in San Francisco.

That sense of persistence and wanting something better has always been present in my family, Castro said. Im not only speaking for myself, but for all undocumented immigrants.

Hong Mei Pang used to be a Dreamer, but after getting married, she now has her green card.

Theres some level of safety afforded to me because of the adjustments (in status). But because we are in community, each one of us feels sadness and grief, said Pang, an immigrant rights program manager at Chinese for Affirmative Action, a San Francisco civil rights group.

Shes urging people to take part in the grassroots actions and demonstrations, to stay on guard against those who might prey on others fearful about their immigration status, and to stay resilient. Be on the side of justice, to protect those most marginalized, said Pang, who came here from Singapore as a teenager.

As the American-born daughter of Chinese immigrants, I can relate deeply to the striving and sacrifice of Dreamers and their families.

For now, Castro goes to work, still hoping to become an immigration lawyer someday. Theres a sort of power that knowing the law gives you. You dont feel as vulnerable, in times like this, knowing you have rights that no one can take from you.

Vanessa Hua is a Bay Area author. Her columns appear Fridays in Datebook. Email: datebook@sfchronicle.com
Stephen Bannon, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist, lashed out at leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States who condemned the president's recent decision to phase out an Obama-era program that has allowed nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children to gain temporary legal status.

Bannon, who is Catholic, accused the church of wanting a steady flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country to fill its church pews and make money.

"Unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the Church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches," Bannon said in an interview with Charlie Rose that will air on "60 Minutes" on CBS on Sunday. "It's obvious on the face of it."

Bannon added: "They have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration."

Rose cut Bannon off and said: "That's a tough thing to say about your church."

"As much as I respect Cardinal [Timothy] Dolan and the bishops on doctrine, this is not doctrine," Bannon responded. "This is not doctrine at all. I totally respect the pope and I totally respect the Catholic bishops and cardinals on doctrine. This is not about doctrine. This is about the sovereignty of a nation. And in that regard, they're just another guy with an opinion."

Following the announcement that the Trump administration would phase out the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops called the decision "reprehensible" in a strongly worded statement. About one in four U.S. Catholics are foreign born, and 34 percent of all Catholics are Hispanic, according to Pew Research Center.

"Now, after months of anxiety and fear about their futures, these brave young people face deportation," they wrote. "This decision is unacceptable and does not reflect who we are as Americans."

Several of Trump's top aides, along with his wife, are Catholic. The president, who identifies as Presbyterian, met with Pope Francis at the Vatican in May. The two have not had an easy relationship. In February 2016, the pope condemned Trump's hard-line immigration agenda and suggested that such stances did not match the values of Christianity. Trump immediately fired back from the campaign trail, saying that it was "disgraceful" for the pope to question his faith and accusing the Mexican government of "using the pope as a pawn" and providing him with inaccurate information. In October 2016, Trump attended a charity roast in New York City that benefits Catholic charities and said in a speech that his Democratic opponent Hillary Clinton was "pretending not to hate Catholics."

The overall Catholic vote in 2016 was split between Trump and Clinton. Hispanic Catholics overwhelmingly supported Clinton, while Trump won over Catholics who are opposed to abortion above all else and wanted to see a conservative justice named to the U.S. Supreme Court.

---

Colby Itkowitz contributed to this report.
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The family of Jahi McMath will finally be able to present to a jury their case that the comatose girl is alive  three years after she was declared dead by doctors at Childrens Hospital in Oakland and the Alameda County coroners office.

Judge Stephen Pulido of Alameda County Superior Court ruled this week that a jury will decide whether Jahi is dead, according to a court order. A trial date has not been set.

The familys lawsuit against the hospital  which will be a wrongful injury lawsuit as opposed to a wrongful death lawsuit  will proceed. A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family is on hold during the malpractice legal proceedings in state court.

Chris Dolan, a family attorney representing Jahi in the federal case, said the defendants had tried to prevent the state trial based on whether she had rights as a living person.

This is a massive win both legally and spiritually for the family. This mothers been fighting to have her daughter be counted as a living, breathing human being, Dolan said. She has great faith that a jury will find that her daughter is indeed alive.

More for you Judge: Jahi McMath may be alive, lawsuit can proceed

The ruling on Tuesday comes after Dr. Alan Shewmon, a professor emeritus of pediatrics and neurology at UCLA, wrote in an Alameda County Superior Court declaration in June that Jahi is irrevocably and severely neurologically disabled  but not technically dead.

Citing Shewmons declaration, Pulido ruled, ... in light of admissible expert testimony and other evidence introduced by McMath in support of allegations of changed circumstances since December 2013, the court finds there is a triable issue of fact as to whether McMath currently satisfies the statutory definition of dead.

Jahi was 13 years old when she went into what is now UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland for a routine tonsillectomy in December 2013, but she experienced complications after the operation. She went into cardiac arrest and suffered massive hemorrhaging.

Her family fought unsuccessfully to force the hospital to continue caring for her, even after doctors declared her brain-dead. Lawyers for the hospital argued that it would be unethical and grotesque to artificially keep her alive.

Although hospital officials, the Alameda County coroner and a judge insisted she was dead, Jahis family took her to New Jersey when the hospital refused to care for her. They are now seeking a court order to reverse her death certificate.

The family has recorded dozens of videos showing Jahi seemingly responding to commands to raise her right hand or kick her foot, according to court records.

The hospital, which said it deeply empathizes with the family of Jahi McMath, did not respond to the recent ruling and instead reissued a statement from July.

The plaintiffs counsel has agreed that Jahi McMath fulfilled the neurologic criteria for brain death when she was declared brain dead and deceased in December 2013, the statement reads. Jahi McMath has not undergone a brain death evaluation pursuant to accepted neurologic criteria as set forth in the Guidelines since she was legally declared deceased in December 2013. The videotapes do not meet the criteria set forth in the Guidelines.

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There is no question that in December 2013 at Oakland Childrens Hospital, Jahi McMath fulfilled the widely accepted pediatric guidelines for determining brain death, Shewmon wrote in his Alameda Country Superior Court declaration. There is equally no question in my mind that she no longer does, for the single reason that the first of the three cardinal findings in brain death  coma, absence of brainstem reflexes, and apnea  is not fulfilled. Rather, she is intermittently responsive, placing her in the category of minimally responsive state.

Shewmon also wrote in his declaration that Jahis MRI showed a surprising extent of relatively preserved brain tissue.

Jahis subsequent course defied all predictions of what must happen to dead bodies maintained indefinitely on ventilators, Shewmon wrote. Jahi McMath is a living, severely disabled young lady, who currently fulfills neither the standard diagnostic guidelines for brain death nor Californias statutory definition of death.

Dr. Alieta Eck, who has been treating Jahi in New Jersey for nearly two years, said the girl entered puberty and began a menstrual period in August 2014.

If Jahi is reclassified as alive, her family could be entitled to millions of dollars in damages. Awards are capped in California at $250,000 for the wrongful death of a child, but there is no cap for wrongful-injury claims because a court can order medical costs to be paid indefinitely.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
A 60-year-old San Francisco man was sentenced to 327 years to life in prison Wednesday for a series of violent home-invasion robberies, targeting senior citizens around the city, officials said.

The assailant, German Woods Jr., was found guilty in July of 16 counts of first-degree robbery and other charges for crimes against seniors  including one who was 89 years old.

These crimes were deliberate, cold and calculating, District Attorney George Gascon said in a statement following Woods sentencing. He targeted the elderly because they were vulnerable.

The charges date back to May 25, 2014. In that case, Woods seized a 70-year-old woman entering her apartment, covered her mouth to muffle her screams and began rifling through her pockets, officials said.

He then grabbed her ankle, dragging her into her apartment and across the floor. Once inside, police said, he ransacked her home of cash, jewelry and other belongings.

That violent episode was followed by several more similar attacks on seniors in Chinatown and Japantown between April and July of the same year, prosecutors said.

In nearly all of the attacks, Woods method was the same  he would lurk nearby, waiting for the unwitting victims to start to enter their apartments and then spring forward, dragging them inside. Once in the apartment, Woods would pillage the place of anything valuable he could get his hands on, officials said.

Most of the victims lived alone and spoke little to no English, prosecutors said. Police arrested Woods in July 2014.

Evan Sernoffsky is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: esernoffsky@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @EvanSernoffsky
Republicans problems with Latino voters did not begin with President Trump. The Republican National Committee recognized the criticality of broadening its appeal in its 100-page autopsy of Mitt Romneys defeat in the 2012 presidential election. One of its recommendations was to champion immigration reform as part of a strategy to appeal to the growing Latino population.

If we do not, our partys appeal will continue to shrink to its core constituencies only, the RNC report warned.

As a candidate and now president, Trump is going in the opposite direction.

His decision to revoke legal status for the 800,000 immigrants who were brought as children to the U.S. illegally  known as the Dreamers  is merely the latest slap at the Latino community. He began his campaign with fearmongering claims that rapists and criminals were pouring into this nation. He talked about creating a deportation force. He suggested an Indiana-born judge could not be impartial because of his Mexican descent. He continues to push for a border wall to curb illegal immigration. He pardoned Joe Arpaio, the Phoenix-area sheriff convicted of defying a court order to stop racially profiling Latinos.

The Republican Party can look no further than California for a cautionary tale about the long-term cost of winning by stirring resentment against Latinos.

In 1994, Gov. Pete Wilson went all-in with an embrace of Proposition 187, which proposed to cut off public services, including education and health care, for residents who lacked legal immigration status. They keep coming, the narrator intoned over grainy black-and-white footage of people running across the border in the infamous TV ad. Enough is enough, Wilson declared at the end of the spot.

Wilson was re-elected, defeating Democrat Kathleen Brown, but his party never recovered. Democratic presidential candidates have averaged more than 70 percent of the Latino vote in the state since then, and some analyses of the 2016 Edison Research exit polls calculated Trumps share at 11 percent.

The alienation of Latino voters is one of the reasons Republican registration in the state has slipped to 25.9 percent, barely above the steadily rising portion of voters, 24.5 percent, who do not state a party preference. Democrats account for 44.8 percent, according to the secretary of states February report.

It is neither surprising nor coincidental that Democrats hold every statewide office and enjoy supermajorities in each house of the California Legislature.

The demographic trend that overwhelmed Republicans in California is on the way elsewhere in the nation, most notably in Texas, threatening the GOP advantage there.

Its worth noting that some prominent Republicans are speaking up for the Dreamers and against the Arpaio pardon, the wall and other Trump moves. But there is no escaping that the president defines the perception of his party. Trump is securing a segment of his base of white voters by putting his partys long-term health at risk.

This commentary is from The Chronicles editorial board. We invite you to express your views in a letter to the editor. Please submit your letter via our online form: SFChronicle.com/letters.
For more than five long, anxious years, we believed that it wasnt over. In our own echo chambers of social media, we saw and heard the passionate support of #DefendDACA. Hashtags and filters spread like wildfire, sparking hope among our immigrant community.

But with President Trumps decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, I realize that we Dreamers have been waging a fight that we lost from the beginning.

From the time we arrived as children in America, we understood this fight was necessary. We were encouraged to find comfort in the shadows. There, we moved, whispered, protected and comforted each other. We agreed to forget faces and names. We normalized single-parent families, sweatshops and threats from our employers to turn us in.

Then, in 2012, President Barack Obama invited us to come out.

It was a black man who urged us brown Dreamers to explore life, liberty and happiness. For his trouble, he was attacked by a storm of criticism and lawsuits. Uneasily, yet trusting in the long shot of citizenship, we forfeited the comforts of the shadows  we took the gamble.

Obamas invitation came with strict requirements, including giving up information that made us exceptionally vulnerable. We filed our form I-821s, asking for consideration of deferred action; with our form I-765s, we requested the right to work. We handed over every report card and transcript. Every vaccine, medical record and bank statement became part of an official story that summarized our existence as aliens. We didnt know five years later they would become our suicide notes.

Dreamers and their advocates are waging a war against the Trump administration. But its merely an extinction burst: This is our last outburst of survival before we retreat into the shadows. These are our final sweat- and blood-laden efforts to tear down the impenetrable wall of xenophobia with our bare hands.

Javier Palomarez, president and chief executive of the U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce, told CNN Monday that he would work to the bloody end to try and convince this president to do the right thing by these 800,000 Dreamers who reside in this country. Unfortunately, that will prove hard. (Palomarez resigned Tuesday from the White House Diversity Council after the DACA announcement.)

Trump has promised to build a tall wall between Mexico and the United States. To a president whose experience is in the world of real estate and construction, perhaps this will be his one true accomplishment. Metaphorically but also literally, Trump plans to use brick and mortar to lay down the foundation of division. This wall is not yet fully cemented, but already there are figures on top of the wall that look down on at our irrational attempts to remain here.

Documented Americans say they love us and perhaps some do. They love the 250 Dreamers who work at Apple. They love the doctors and paramedics who work on a daily basis to save lives.

They love Alonso Guillen, 31, the DACA student who drowned while trying to rescue survivors of Hurricane Harvey. His body was recovered Sunday, just hours before news that President Trump might end DACA.

But told of the vulnerable 16-year-old who hasnt found a foothold  the unemployed student, the working-class immigrant still trying to reach his or her American Dream  theyll laugh.

With President Obamas invitation five years ago, we hoped xenophobia, racism and discrimination would end. But we will forever be criminals, rapists and drug dealers in the eyes of an administration with xenophobic acolytes.

Sadly, it turns out the best thing a Dreamer could do is dream.

Jefferson Leiva is an immigration and video editor for Global Student Square, an international student journalism network that works to bring youth voices into global news. He recently graduated from Stagg High School in Stockton.
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After three years dealing with the nonstop problems of the Bay Areas biggest mass transit system, San Francisco BART Board Director Nick Josefowitz has his sights on a higher office: the District Two seat on the Board of Supervisors.

On Tuesday, Josefowitz filed papers to succeed Supervisor Mark Farrell and represent the upscale Marina, Cow Hollow and Presidio Heights neighborhoods. Farrell will be termed out next year and is widely seen as a candidate for mayor.
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Two long-shot Republican candidates for governor are looking to use ballot measures to pull them to victory next year, but its a strategy with a long, checkered history in California elections.

San Diego-area businessman John Cox and Assemblyman Travis Allen, R-Huntington Beach (Orange County), are running far behind the leading Democratic candidates to replace termed-out Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018, trailing badly in both visibility and campaign cash. But both are convinced that writing and promoting a high-profile statewide initiative can jump-start their campaigns.

Coxs hopes are riding on his revolutionary neighborhood legislature initiative, which has collected more than 25 percent of the 585,407 signatures needed to put it on the November 2018 ballot. Cox, who has put $1 million of his own money into the initiative effort, has until Oct. 25 to get the necessary signatures.

Under the plan, the 120 existing Assembly and state Senate districts would be chopped into 12,000 tiny neighborhoods, with each electing its own representative. While those 12,000 local legislators ultimately will pick 80 Assembly members and 40 state senators to go to Sacramento, the same number as today, limiting the election to small neighborhoods of 5,000 or 10,000 residents would slash campaign costs and remove the corrupting influence of big-money interests from California politics, Cox said.

The Neighborhood Legislature is not a Republican idea or a Democrat idea, Cox says on the website boosting his ballot measure. It is about putting control of our government back into the hands of the people.

Allens initiative route to the 2018 ballot is more traditional. Hes pushing a ballot measure that would overturn the Legislatures approval this year of a 10-year, $5.2 billion-a-year increase in gas taxes and vehicle fees to pay for improvements to the states roads, bridges and transportation systems.

The out-of-control Democratic majority is driving California off a cliff by pushing high-priced tax measures like the transportation bill, Allen told the crowd at the South Peninsula Area Republican Coalition barbecue in Los Altos Hills last month. I dont think you should pay up to $175 a year for a car tax.

Allen makes no bones about his political connection to the gas tax reversal. The committee he formed this year to raise money for the effort is called Join Travis Allen to Repeal the Gas Tax Ballot Measure.

For a candidate, close ties to a popular ballot measures can bring a number of potential benefits.

In 1974, for example, then-Secretary of State Jerry Brown joined with Common Cause and the Peoples Lobby to write and promote Proposition 9, a political reform effort that put spending limits on candidates for statewide office and created the state Fair Political Practices Commission.

Brown, the son of former Gov. Pat Brown, didnt need to introduce himself to voters, but the ballot initiative helped convince Californians that the 36-year-old attorney had serious solutions to serious state problems. Prop. 9 passed with 70 percent of the vote in June 1974 and Jerry Brown was elected to his first term as governor five months later.

Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, a leading Democratic candidate for governor, took a similar path in 2002, when he put together the Care Not Cash initiative as a San Francisco supervisor. The measure, which cut cash payments to many of the citys homeless, passed with 60 percent of the vote and boosted Newsoms local profile, while also helping him identify potential donors and assemble a campaign team for his successful run for mayor the following year.

It doesnt always work that way. In 1990, state Attorney General John Van de Kamp, a Democrat, was behind a trio of initiatives on environmental rules, term limits and the war on drugs that he hoped would carry him past GOP Sen. Pete Wilson in the governors race.

It didnt even carry him past former San Francisco Mayor Dianne Feinstein, who won the Democratic primary only to lose to Wilson in November.

Any candidate who tells you that running a ballot measure is an easy way to get elected governor should just look at Van de Kamp, said Garry South, who ran two successful campaigns for former Democratic Gov. Gray Davis.

Even the most obvious benefit a candidate can get from a ballot campaign isnt all that it seems.

While a candidate for governor can collect only a maximum of $29,200 from a donor per election, there are no limits in a ballot measure campaign. Candidates for office conceivably could collect millions of dollars in unlimited contributions to their ballot measure committees and then spend the money plastering their faces on TV, radio and social media, ostensibly promoting the ballot measure, but mostly boosting the candidate.

Not going to happen, said Jay Wierenga, a spokesman for the Fair Political Practices Commission, which scrutinizes political ads looking for just that type of funny business.

Politicians and consultants know what the rules are, he said. You may get some that try to push the envelope a bit, but it doesnt happen often.

Even when the initiative ploy works, politicians have to be careful about what they wish for.

In 1994, Wilson found himself locked in a tight re-election battle with Democratic state Treasurer Kathleen Brown, Jerry Browns sister. Heading into the fall campaign, Wilson wrapped himself around Prop. 187, an initiative that would have banned undocumented residents from receiving almost all state benefits.

Wilson spent $2 million of his own campaign funds on Prop. 187, appearing in TV ads supporting the measure and running a campaign spot of his own, the infamous They Keep Coming ad, that featured grainy pictures of people running from immigration officials.

The effort worked. Prop. 187 was approved in a landslide. Wilson won easily, turning what had once been a 20-percentage-point lead for Kathleen Brown into a 14-percentage-point victory. But in the years since, the rapidly growing numbers of Latino voters have overwhelmingly backed Democrats over statewide GOP candidates.

I dont know if Republicans would call that a victory, South said.

The states political history provides a warning for Cox, Allen and other candidates, he added.

This stuff has been tried, South said. Running for governor is complicated enough without at the same time trying to run a ballot measure campaign.

John Wildermuth is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @jfwildermuth
A group of Democratic-led states is leading a legal challenge to President Trumps planned repeal of a program allowing nearly 800,000 young undocumented immigrants to remain in the United States  and just as in the court fight over the presidents proposed travel ban, the challengers want to use his ethnic broadsides against him.

In a lawsuit filed Wednesday, lawyers for New York, 14 other states and the District of Columbia cited government data showing that under the program that Trump is seeking to end  Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA  78 percent of the immigrants gaining reprieves from deportation have been of Mexican origin.

Mexico, the suit noted, was also featured in the opening salvo of Trumps presidential campaign in 2015, when he declared that immigrants from that country were bringing drugs. Theyre bringing crime. Theyre rapists.

He said during one presidential debate that Mexican authorities send the bad ones over because they dont want to pay for them, and in another debate that he planned to deport some bad hombres. Last year, he labeled as Mexican a U.S.-born federal judge whose parents emigrated legally from Mexico, and accused the judge of being biased against him in a civil case because Trump wants to build a wall at the border.

The president has demonstrated a willingness to disparage Mexicans in a misguided attempt to secure support from his constituency, the states said in a suit filed in federal court in New York. The culmination of that disparagement, the suit said, would be ending DACA, whose participants are mostly of Mexican origin.

In other words, they argued, although neither DACA nor Trumps order to abolish it singles out any race or nationality, his intent was to exclude Mexicans, in violation of the constitutional guarantee of equal protection of the laws.

Its reminiscent of the argument that some of the same states have used to challenge Trumps ban on U.S. entry of anyone from six nations with mostly Muslim populations: that he revealed his intent in campaign promises to halt Muslim immigration and in a reported request to a presidential adviser to find a legal way to ban Muslims. The argument has won favor with a series of federal courts, but the U.S. Supreme Court will have the final say after a hearing in October.

The presidents intent (in his DACA order) was demonstrated by his comments. ... That (argument) does have some appeal and might persuade the courts, said Bill Ong Hing, an immigration law professor at the University of San Francisco.

Another immigration law professor, Pratheepan Gulasekaram of Santa Clara University, said the states argument was weaker in the DACA case.

You dont have the direct connection between the statements and the rescission of DACA that existed in the travel ban, Gulasekaram said. And unlike the earlier case, he said, Trumps lawyers could also point to sympathetic comments he has made about Mexicans and DACA recipients.

But even if the states cant show that Trumps disparaging remarks proved a discriminatory motive, Gulasekaram said, they could provide a counter-narrative to Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who described the presidents actions as steps to save American jobs and protect the public.

The suit comes a day after Trump announced that he would phase out DACA, starting in March, unless the Republican-controlled Congress enacts a law authorizing the program.

President Barack Obama established the program by executive order in 2012, allowing Dreamers  immigrants who had entered the U.S. without authorization before age 16, and had no serious criminal records  to apply for renewable two-year reprieves from deportation and work permits.

About 230,000 people in California are among those enrolled in DACA. Californias attorney general, Xavier Becerra, said Tuesday that he would also sue to overturn Trumps order, but the state has not joined the New York lawsuit. Becerras office did not respond to inquiries Wednesday.

The other states taking part in the suit  all with Democratic attorneys general  are: Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Massachusetts, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia and Washington. Each state argued in court papers that repealing DACA would harm thousands of residents, damage their public universities and workplaces, and hurt their economies  all of which is evidence of the direct impact needed for the right to sue.

In addition, they said, the federal government induced DACA applicants to provide personal identifying information that could be used to locate and deport them. They noted that Trump signed an executive order in January allowing federal agencies to share immigration information with law enforcement agencies.

The suit also contends Trumps order amounts to a change in federal regulations that must be submitted for public notice and comment before it can take effect. A federal judge in Texas relied on a similar argument in 2015 to invalidate Obamas attempt to grant reprieves from deportation to several million parents of U.S. citizens and legal residents.

Bob Egelko is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: begelko@sfchronicle.com

Twitter: @egelko
The missionaries who planted Montereys first vineyards two centuries ago couldnt possibly have imagined their ritualistic drink for Catholic Mass would someday be used for self-enlightened stretching exercises. But on a recent Saturday morning, a group of about a dozen women flexed in their yoga pants among the trellises in a Sangiovese vineyard at Folktale Winery and Vineyards in Carmel Valley, then closed class with a complimentary glass of rose.

On the surface, the weekend Vinyasa Flow class is just another novelty bid by Northern California wineries to attract tasters. But within the wineglasses wielded by the vineyard yogis, the Sangiovese in that bright rose represents a significant break from the regions entrenched wine culture.

Monterey is known as Chardonnay and Pinot Noir country: Those two wines account for more than half the plantings in the 40,000 acres in the Monterey American Viticultural Area. Its most famous subregion, the Santa Lucia Highlands, is world-renowned for its Pinot and Chard. Sangiovese, however, is among the least popular of all red grapes grown in the area, making up a mere 84 acres harvested last year, according to the Monterey County 2016 Crop Report. And Folktale doesnt stop with Sangiovese. Its lineup includes other C-list varietals, including Viognier and Gewurztraminer.

Why, you have to wonder, would anyone do this?

As winemakers, you want to try and have fun and take people out of their comfort zones, says Folktale winemaker David Baird. People who visit (Monterey) are going to find a lot of wineries that are taking risks.

By embracing obscure varietals, a newer generation of ambitious Monterey vintners are crafting wines that  while traditionally less favored by consumers  are redefining the regions terroir. Its an about-face from the palate-obliterating fruit bombssometimes found further north and further inland in Napa and Lodi, a turn towards balance and refinement.

Thanks to the cooling air of its bay, Montereys is a mild growing season, with lower soil temperatures and without much rainfall, that allows grapes to ripen slowly, at a steady pace. UC Davis classifies the areas climate as comparable to prime Pinot and Chardonnay regions like Sonoma and Burgundy .Montereys location on the Pacific imbues wines with a signature acidity and minerality  plus occasional hints of seashells and salinity. Its a welcome home for a wide variety of grapes, says Ian Brand, owner of I. Brand & Family Tasting Room in Carmel Valley Village.

Working in this area makes a lot of sense, says Brand. Weve ended up with a distinctive set of wines that are higher in acid and soil inflected.

So it was only a matter of time before the vintners began branching out.

Clusters of tasting rooms have emerged over the past decade in Carmel, Cannery Row and Monterey Countys River Road Wine Trail, and the scene beckons to adventurous onoephiles. Spanish grapes such as Grenache and Albarino are an increasing presence around Monterey, as is Chenin Blanc, a variety most associated with the Loire Valley in France.

To find some of Montereys best new enterprising wines, follow the head-nodding strains of Funkadelic emanating from the center of Carmel Valley Village. Thatll take you to the I. Brand & Family Tasting Room, tucked near area stalwarts like Talbott, Parsonage and Bernardus. The tasting room, which opened in November and features a turntable and record collection at its heart, gears its experience for those with funky, adventurous tastes. A 6-by-8-foot geological map of Monterey County hangs to the side of the bar, offering a sense of pride and place.

This is the longest and most temperate growing region ever, Brand says. What makes this area distinct is its geological canyon, and the opening (of Monterey Bay) is 20 miles wide, like a giant funnel. We like the vineyards that we feel are less trampled over as a region.

Brand produces his wines in nearby Salinas, and bottles them under the brands La Marea (translation: The Tide) and Le Ptit Paysan (The Little Farmer). The names reflect a salt-of-the earth sensibility, both in terms of its boutique production scale (10,000 cases annually) and oceanic influence. Brands focus is grapes that are generally an afterthought in the area  including Petite Sirah, Mourvedre and Viognier  but that nevertheless carry the regions intrinsic properties. His 2015 Albarino, for example, was sourced from a calcium-rich Monterey County vineyard near the Salinas River. Take a sip and youll find a touch of salinity, like a suggestion of the sea, with its bright citrus flavors.

Closer to the Pacific, among more than a dozen tasting rooms in Carmel-by-the-Sea, the 11-year-old Caraccioli Cellars is experimenting as well. The winery is perhaps best known for its vivacious sparkling wine, which is made in the traditional method champenoise. Now theyre planting toward the future. In the spring of 2018, the family plans to graft a few acres of Syrah, another grape thats been overlooked in Monterey.

Monterey has a huge amount of opportunities, and youll see a lot more exciting things in five to 10 years with all the (new) fruit thats been planted, says Scott Caraccioli, the winerys general manager, in a phone call after a night of harvesting Pinot Noir grapes. He predicts that Grenaches popularity will continue to grow, along with vintners dedicating more vineyards to Chenin Blanc. Some of those plantings are still in their infancy and the area is just getting a taste of its full potential for wine. Youre finding pockets of things, like (Brands) single-vineyard Grenache and Albarino and other grapes that people werent growing, Caraccioli says.

Thamin Saleh, the owner of Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar in Pacific Grove who has lived on the Monterey Peninsula for more than 30 years, senses a surge in the regions wine scene. Over the past decade, hes seen diners gravitate away from lush, jammy wines toward ones that emphasize balance and refreshing flavors.

On a recent night as much of Pacific Grove settled into tranquility, the inside of Salehs wine bar was buzzing. If this were the late 1990s, he probably wouldve been pouring Chardonnay that tasted closer to movie popcorn butter than grapes, or inky high-alcohol Cabernet Sauvignon.

Saleh says the new breed of Monterey wines fit perfectly with his dinner program. Not only do they tend to be much easier on the wallet than California and French trophy wines, but the brightness and structure make them a cinch to pair with food. Rather than recommend an overripe Sauvignon Blanc, Saleh is more likely now to direct customers to a floral bottle of Le Ptit Paysan Viognier from Arroyo Secos Cedar Lane Vineyard.

I like the changes, Saleh says. (Local) growers have been looking for alternatives in the past eight to nine years. Theyre making great Syrah, Cabernet Franc and other varietals. Its received really well.

This region has always been evolving, especially for wine, he adds. We do great Chardonnay and Pinot Noir, but we need to do (something) more.

Where to go

I.Brand & Family Tasting Room 19 E. Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel Valley, (831) 298-7227. 12 p.m. - 6 p.m. Wednesday- Sunday. Tasting fee: $15. www.lppwines.com

Caraccioli Cellars Dolores Street between Ocean Avenue and 7th Streets, Carmel-by-the-Sea, (831) 622-7722. 2 p.m. - 7 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 11 a.m. - 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. Sunday. Tasting fee: $20. www.caracciolicellars.com

Folktale Winery & Vineyards 8940 Carmel Valley Rd., Carmel, (831) 293-7500. 11 a.m. - 8 p.m. daily. Tasting fee: $20 - $40. www.folktalewinery.com

Jeninni Kitchen + Wine Bar 542 Lighthouse Ave., Pacific Grove, (831) 920-2662. Open daily except Wednesday, happy hour 4 p.m. - 6 p.m., dinner 5 p.m.- 9 p.m. Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, dinner 5 p.m. - 10 p.m. Friday-Saturday. www.jeninni.com
DACA rallies: Defend DACA demonstration, 2 to 4 p.m. Saturday at Frank Ogawa Plaza, 14th Street and Broadway in Oakland. Information: http://bit.ly/2eGEZYV. In Petaluma, demonstrators will gather at North McDowell Boulevard and East Washington Place from 1 to 3 p.m. Saturday. Information: http://bit.ly/2xeDs7U. In Concord, a rally and march begins at 8 a.m. Saturday at Cambridge Park, 1135 Lacey Lane.

Town hall: State Sen. Nancy Skinner, D-Berkeley, and other community leaders discuss reforming Proposition 13s commercial property tax system. Hosted by Make It Fair, the event is from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Saturday at the First Congregational Church of Oakland, 2501 Harrison St. Information: http://bit.ly/mifbay17

Picnic in the park: Assemblyman David Chiu, D-San Francisco, hosts a picnic in Golden Gate Parks Marx Meadow picnic area, noon to 3 p.m. Sunday. RSVP: http://chiuassembly.ngpvanhost.com/form/-1081566039410473216

DACA march: Pro-DACA march in Petaluma from noon to 1:30 p.m. Sunday, starting from the mail depot at 40 Fourth St. Information: http://bit.ly/2vJJtoA

Prayers for peace: Multifaith prayers for peace and justice on the 16th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. Event is from 7 to 8 p.m. Monday at King Plaza, 250 Hamilton Ave. in Palo Alto. Information: http://bit.ly/2wQEUNz

Cyberthreat: New York Times cybersecurity reporter Nicole Perloth discusses cyberwarfare threats. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council. Admission is $20 for non-council members, $7 for students. Event is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Monday at the World Affairs Auditorium, 312 Sutter St., Suite 200 in San Francisco. Information: http://bit.ly/2w3WvMS

Surveillance: Civil liberties activist Timothy Edgar on mass surveillance and the potential for infringement on democratic values. Sponsored by the World Affairs Council. Admission is $20 for non-council members, $7 for students. Event is from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Tuesday at the World Affairs Auditorium, 312 Sutter St., Suite 200 in San Francisco. Information: http://bit.ly/2wEEqqH

Climate action: Climate Action in the City, a panel discussion on adapting to climate change in San Francisco, sponsored by San Francisco Tomorrow. Event is from 7 to 9 p.m. Wednesday at the Richmond District Police Station community room, 461 Sixth Ave., San Francisco. Information: www.sftomorrow.org

Nuclear weapons: Brad Roberts, director of the Center for Global Security Research at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, on the need for continuing and updating the need for U.S. nuclear deterrence. The event, sponsored by the World Affairs Council, is from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at the Lafayette Library, 3491 Mount Diablo Blvd. Admission is $15 for non-council members, free for students. Information: http://bit.ly/2gJvLzq

Town hall: Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, holds a town hall at 7 p.m. Sept. 15 at West Marin School Community Gym, 11550 Shoreline Highway, Point Reyes Station. Information: http://bit.ly/2vpinSI

Cap-and-trade forum: Oil industry experts and activists in the climate and environmental justice movement will explain Californias cap-and-trade law and its recently approved extension. Hosted by Sunflower Alliance and 350 Bay Area. Event runs from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 at 155 Grand Ave. in Oakland. Information: www.sunflower-alliance.org/the-cap-and-trade-scam-sept-17/

Maxine Hong Kingston: The author in conversation with KPFA-FMs Kate Raphael on her career, immigration and activism. The free event is from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Ed Roberts Campus, 3075 Adeline St. in Berkeley. Information: http://wilpfeastbay.org/blog/.

Improving cities: Dan Doctoroff, former New York deputy mayor for economic development, discusses his Sidewalk Labs company and ways to improve urban life. The event, hosted by SPUR, is at 6 p.m. Sept. 18 at 654 Mission St. Admission is $10 for nonmembers. Information: http://bit.ly/2xROsoA.

Town hall: Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-San Ramon, holds a town hall meeting at the Orinda Library auditorium, 26 Orinda Way, from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Sept. 25.

Politics and media: Longtime San Francisco journalist Tim Redmond discusses media coverage and the Trump administration. Event begins at 2 p.m. Oct. 7 in the Richmond Meeting Room of the Sen. Milton Marks Branch Library, 351 Ninth Ave. in San Francisco. Information: http://bit.ly/2wJub72

To list an event, email Trapper Byrne at tbyrne@sfchronicle.com.
A few years ago, we put together our list of San Francisco's best hidden gems and secret spots. The concept was so popular we added a second installment of reader's picks. Now, we're expanding our search because  as we all know  the entire Bay Area is filled with cool things to do.

One of our favorite hidden gems is Green Valley Falls, a spot so secret the City of Vallejo asks that hikers refrain from posting pictures of it on social media.
Jahi McMath, the teen girl declared brain dead more than three years ago after a tonsillectomy, may still be technically alive, a judge says.

On Tuesday, Alameda County Superior Court Judge Stephen Pulido allowed the McMath family's lawsuit against UCSF Benioff Children's Hospital in Oakland to proceed. While the hospital had argued that the family was barred from seeking damages because the county coroner signed a death certificate in January 2014, the judge ruled that a jury should decide whether the girl is dead.
Western monarch butterflies, which crowd trees along the California coast every winter and flush them with color, have declined so dramatically since the 1980s that the species will likely go extinct in the next few decades if nothing is done, scientists said Thursday in a population study of the treasured creatures.

Fewer than 300,000 of the brilliant orange and black insects were counted last year at some 300 locations stretching from Marin County to the Baja California peninsula, where millions of wintering monarchs historically took up shop, according to the report published in the journal Biological Conservation.

We believe there were at least 10 million butterflies in many of the years during the 1980s, said Cheryl Schultz, an associate professor of biological sciences at Washington State University and the lead author of the study. Its gone down from 10 million to 300,000. Thats why we were so shocked. We did not expect it to be that sharp of a decline.

The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, alarmed by an estimated 75 percent drop in the population just since the early 2000s, funded the latest study to help officials decide whether to list the monarch under the Endangered Species Act.

The decline is similar to that seen among the more abundant eastern monarchs, which spend their winters in Mexico before heading back across the United States and settling as far north as Canada. That population is famous because the butterflies form a blanket over trees, turning whole sections of forest into a kaleidoscope of color, the insects so abundant that human beings can hear the sound of their flapping wings.

Eastern monarchs have declined more than 90 percent since 1996, when scientists estimated there were 1 billion nesting in the trees. Last winter, 78 million eastern monarchs were counted in Mexico, compared with 100 million the year before.

The study published Thursday represents the most comprehensive measurement of monarch population declines in the west. Earlier counts only went back to 1997, so Schultz and her colleagues used historic observations and developed a statistical method to estimate the population back to 1981.

What they found is that the California population, first observed by a Russian expedition looking for a passage across the Arctic Ocean in 1816, is declining at an average of 7 percent a year, slightly more than the 6 percent drop seen in the eastern monarch population, said Schultz and her co-authors at the nonprofit Xerces Society, the University of Georgia and Tufts University in Massachusetts.

The monarch, one of the largest butterflies in the world, is found throughout North America. Over the years, it has expanded its range around the globe, including to Hawaii, New Zealand and Australia. It is extremely susceptible to changes in habitat and weather and to toxins in the environment.

The highest concentrations of western monarchs arrive in the Monterey and Pacific Grove areas in November and spend the winter living in clusters on pine, cypress and eucalyptus trees. They leave in February and March, spanning out to breed in Northern California, Nevada, Oregon, Idaho, Washington, Arizona and Utah.

Recent studies have blamed the decline of the eastern population on urban sprawl and a lack of milkweed and other nectar-bearing flowers along the migratory route through the Midwest.

Nobody knows exactly what is killing off the western monarchs, but a lack of milkweed is clearly one of the problems, according to researchers. Schultz said the western population is also losing habitat to development and is suffering due to pesticides, herbicides and changes in the climate.

One of the pieces well be working on is to get a sense of whats really driving these declines, she said.

The winter migration of the monarch is one of the most remarkable of any species. It is not clear how much the two groups of butterflies mix during breeding season, but scientists believe the eastern and western migratory populations divide at the Rocky Mountains when they head south for the winter.

The western group spends much of the winter in California while the eastern population winters in Mexico, more than 2,500 miles from where it started.

By winters end, the males have died and the females head back north. But each butterfly lasts only a couple hundred miles, before laying eggs on milkweed as a final act before death. The trip back is essentially a relay race involving generations of adult butterflies, which feed on flowers along the way before breeding and dying.

Scientists still cant figure out how the butterflies pull off this seemingly magical bit of genetic imprinting.

Its alarming and shocking to see declines this significant, but I think there is time to turn the trend around, said Schultz, who pointed to the story of Oregons Fenders blue butterfly. The species fell to 1,500 individuals in the 1990s before rebounding, and today is back up to 28,000 insects after 20 years of work by a public, private and nonprofit partnership.

It will take a commitment, hard work and it will take time, but we need to start taking action, and we need to do it now, she said. There is so much energy and interest in the monarch. Its an iconic butterfly that everybody knows. There is really good potential to make this happen.

Peter Fimrite is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: pfimrite@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @pfimrite

Monarchs in trouble

Western monarch butterflies spend the winter in more than 300 forested groves along the California coast, including large populations in Riverside and Los Angeles counties, Pacific Grove, Monterey and at Natural Bridges State Beach in Santa Cruz.

They can normally be seen from November to March.

The California winter population declined an estimated 90 percent between 1997 and 2009. There are now roughly 300,000 monarchs in California compared with an estimated 10 million in 1981.
BRUSSELS  The highest court in the European Union has ruled that Intels $1.3 billion antitrust fine should get a second look, a decision that could ease some of the legal pressure that U.S. tech giants face in the region.

The order, which will send the Santa Clara companys case back to a lower court for review, is a blow to a sweeping regulatory crackdown in Europe that has ensnared U.S. household names like Apple, Amazon, Google and Facebook. It could also embolden these technology companies, which have long complained that officials in Europe target them unfairly, to challenge the rulings and investigations against them.

The move by the Court of Justice of the European Union raises the prospect that the 2009 fine could be reduced or scrapped entirely. The penalty  at the time the largest of its kind  was upheld by a lower court in 2014 and is likely to be the subject of legal battles for years.

The case, and its outcome, plays to the legal headaches for Silicon Valley in Europe. The EUs competition commissioner, Margrethe Vestager, has made technology companies a central focus, with investigations into tax avoidance, data privacy and abuse of market position.

Intels record fine was overtaken in June by a $2.9 billion penalty against Google, in a case that accused the search giant of giving preferential treatment to its Internet shopping service over those of its rivals. Vestagers office has several other inquiries into Google as well.

It has opened an inquiry into the chipmaker Qualcomm for possible abuse of a dominant market position. European authorities have also demanded that Ireland recover about $14.5 billion in back taxes from Apple, started investigating Amazons tax practices in Europe and raised questions about Facebooks handling of data.

The companies all deny any wrongdoing.

The case being considered Wednesday centered on claims that Intel had abused its dominant position in the microchip market. The European Commission, the EUs executive arm, found in 2009 that the company had offered rebates and incentives to computer makers to favor its products over those of a rival, Advanced Micro Devices.

The commission said that such rebates, offered to manufacturers like Dell, Lenovo, HP and NEC, were anticompetitive. That argument raised questions about whether some common practices in the digital world, such as the bundling of products or services, could violate antitrust rules.

In a statement Wednesday, however, the Court of Justice said that a lower court would have to examine, in the light of the arguments put forward by Intel, whether the rebates at issue are capable of restricting competition.

It did not strike down the original ruling, but experts said the decision to send the case back to a lower court was a good sign for businesses looking to offer rebates to customers in exchange for exclusivity deals.

This decision is the right one for business, consumers, and EU antitrust law and policy, said Dave Anderson, an antitrust partner in the Brussels office of the law firm Berwin Leighton Paisner. Exclusivity rebates are no longer considered in the EU as inherently anti-competitive.

The bottom line for Intel, Anderson added, is that Intel lives to fight another day.

We welcome (the) landmark ruling, said Steven Rodgers, Intels general counsel. While this case concerns events that happened more than a decade ago, we have always believed that our actions were lawful and did not harm competition. We look forward to the next step in this process.

EU antitrust officials have sought to cultivate a reputation for sound and fair enforcement of competition rules, and their decisions resonate beyond the blocs borders. Notably, Anderson said, China was heavily influenced by European laws and procedures when it set up its anti-monopoly rules.

Still, some critics, particularly in the United States, say Europes antitrust officials have too much power to levy fines and to force companies to change business practices without prior court orders.

The ruling Wednesday will give businesses more confidence that they could win a case on appeal if they come under investigation, said Veronica Roberts, a London partner at Herbert Smith Freehills, a law firm.

The European Commission gave a cautious response when asked what the latest ruling would mean for other technology companies under investigation in Europe, and whether it would give those firms confidence to pursue legal challenges rather than to reach financial settlements.

The chipmaking industry, including Intel, has changed markedly since the case was brought.

Intel was being investigated for its actions from 2002 to 2007. At one point, the company controlled 70 percent of the market for microchips, according to the European Commission. Known for its Intel Inside advertising slogan, the company dominated the market for personal computers.

But since then, Intel has seen demand for PCs deteriorate, as consumers have shifted to buying increasingly powerful smartphones and tablets, a sector in which chip makers like Qualcomm, ARM and Samsung are major suppliers.

As a result, Intel has made a series of bets in recent years to try to ensure it is well placed to deliver the computing power required in the future. It is the premier supplier of chips to modern data centers, bought Mobileye in a $15.3 billion deal to corner the market on the technology that underlies autonomous cars, and is looking to make inroads in artificial intelligence.

James Kanter and Amie Tsang are New York Times writers.
A San Francisco prosecutor improperly withheld evidence that could have aided the defense in at least three criminal cases, city Public Defender Jeff Adachi said Thursday.

Adachi, who filed a complaint with the State Bar of California in June, is now taking the unusual step of calling for a state criminal investigation into what he called the serious and recurring instances of unethical behavior by Assistant District Attorney Benjamin Mains.

Mains did not respond to requests for comment. Alex Bastian, a district attorneys office spokesman, said, We are unable to comment on personnel matters, but do take such allegations seriously.

The public defenders office accused Mains of withholding evidence in three cases and abusing his power in two other cases in order to keep defendants in custody.

In two instances, Adachi said, Mains withheld DNA-test evidence that the public defenders office did not receive until a year had passed and a new prosecutor had taken over the cases.

He intentionally hid evidence that would have exonerated these accused individuals, Adachi said. We cant have a system where prosecutors are hiding evidence.

Adachi said he made District Attorney George Gascon aware of the matter, but received no response on whether Mains had been disciplined. Mains remains a prosecutor.

According to court documents, DNA testing was done in April 2016 on a pair of gloves left behind during a residential burglary in which a man named Roderick Bass was charged with stealing a laptop computer.

Bass was arrested shortly after the January 2014 burglary and had the laptop, police said. But Deputy Public Defender Sangeeta Sinha contended that though Bass was in possession of stolen property, he did not commit the burglary.

The DNA test excluded Bass as the contributor of genetic material found on the inside of the gloves, which matched another man who was in a nationwide DNA database for a theft-related crime, Adachi said.

He said Sinha did not receive the evidence until April 2017, when a new prosecutor was assigned to the case.

During the time that the DNA discovery had been withheld by Mains, negotiations to settle the case were ongoing, Adachi wrote in a letter to the State Bar and to the state attorney generals office. Had Bass accepted a plea deal, the exculpatory DNA reports would never have come to light.

Bass was convicted of receiving stolen property and sentenced to treatment in a special court for military veterans.

In another case, DNA testing was conducted in April 2016 on clothing worn by a man named Charles Walker on the day he allegedly stabbed a woman. Walker told investigators he had acted in self-defense, and that the woman had wounded him.

The test concluded that blood on the clothing came from both a woman and a man, which Deputy Public Defender Matthew Sotorosen said supported Walkers claim that he sustained injuries as well. But Sotorosen said he did not learn of the DNA report until April 2017, when the case was being presented to a judge in a preliminary hearing.

The public defenders office said it later obtained an email showing that San Francisco police had forwarded the report to Mains in May 2016. The case is still pending.

In another ongoing case, a Superior Court judge ordered Mains to disclose all notes from witness interviews and all copies of electronic communications with witnesses in a case in which a homeless man was charged with stalking and threatening the female residents of a home he slept in front of.

Deputy Public Defender Rebecca Young said she learned in her own investigation  but not from evidence handed over by Mains  that none of the complaining witnesses wanted to press charges, and that the woman who had been allegedly stalked said the man had never threatened her.

Adachi said he felt Mains actions were serious enough to warrant criminal charges. Gov. Jerry Brown last year signed into law an amendment to the state penal code that made it a felony for prosecutors to intentionally and in bad faith alter, modify or withhold evidence.

Adachi requested that the attorney generals office lead the investigation, to avoid a conflict of interest.

Vivian Ho is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: vho@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @VivianHo
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An Oakland Fire Department captain who blew the whistle on dangerous conditions at a West Oakland halfway house before a fire there killed four people was arrested and charged with possession and distribution of child pornography, officials said Thursday.

Capt. Richard Chew, 58, was arrested and subsequently charged Wednesday following an investigation by the Contra Costa Internet Crimes Against Children task force, according to the countys sheriff officials.

Investigators served search warrants at Chews Lafayette home on Harper Court and on Oakland Fire Department premises, where they found child pornography on his computer and storage devices, authorities said. He is being held at the Martinez Detention Facility on $200,000 bail.

Acting Fire Chief Darin White said Chew was placed on administrative leave when the fire department became aware of the investigation. He was arraigned in Contra Costa County Superior Court on Thursday on felony charges of possession of child pornography and distribution of child pornography.

I am appalled by the disturbing nature of these charges, White said in a statement. If the allegations are true, this criminal behavior violates our communitys standard of decency and breaches the standard of conduct we uphold in the Oakland Fire Department. I appreciate the swift professionalism with which the Contra Costa (County) Sheriff's Department handled this matter.

Officials did not reveal what prompted the investigation, which began Aug. 19.

City emails made public in March showed Chew was the first firefighter to send an email to superiors that said a halfway house on San Pablo Avenue in Oakland should be shut down due to hazardous conditions. After responding to a medical call at the building, Chew sent his supervisors an email in January noting a nonworking alarm system, a padlocked fire escape door and open piles of garbage on the third floor.

Despite his warnings, the building remained opened, and on March 27 a fire started by a candle ripped through the structure, killing four people and displacing 80.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
You might assume that no one sets out to make a thoroughly mediocre movie, but the rom-com Home Again is so relentlessly scrubbed, polished and defanged that it makes you wonder. Its about a middle-aged Los Angeles single mom who unexpectedly winds up with three young male houseguests  yes, they are filmmakers  one of whom she beds.

What follows is the unalloyed product of the Hollywood sausage grinder.

Reese Witherspoon, who turned 40 last year, plays Alice, who turns 40 as the film begins and has split from her husband, returning with her two adorable, clever girls to the extremely handsome Los Angeles house where she grew up, the daughter of a famed director. It happens that the writer and director of Home Again is Hallie Meyers-Shyer, daughter of veteran movie makers Nancy Meyers (What Women Want) and Charles Shyer, now divorced. So presumably Meyers-Shyer knows this territory.

With some misgivings, Alice offers a refuge to three guys trying to crack the movie business  an actor (Nat Wolff), a writer (Jon Rudnitsky) and a director (Pico Alexander). This gives Home Again a chance to take some average-to-weak pokes at the film industry. Although Rudnitsky does an appealing job here, these young men are basically standard-issue movie fodder, and we wonder why we should be concerned about the exact parameters of Alices relationship to the director.

Its nice to see Candice Bergen in the modest role of Alices mom, who encourages her to help out the men, with barely a thought to the propriety of having a 40-year-old mother open her home to three fellows in their 20s.

Two other lesser characters provide an occasional bright moment: Michael Sheen as the ex-husband who keeps promising to visit her in L.A. (and eventually shows up there); and Lake Bell as a thoroughly obnoxious upscale client of Alices fledgling interior-decorating business.

Witherspoon is capable and appealing  clearly the movie was crafted as a vehicle for her  but her talents can only compensate so much for a script thats less funny than the moviemakers believe, and a glossy style of TV-influenced visuals that, like the story itself, has been painfully worked over to remove anything that might cause distress.

Will Alice make it through her life crisis? Will she take back her ex? Will the aspiring moviemakers hang together, or hang separately? To tell the truth, its hard to take seriously the problems of these privileged sorts, especially given the eye-roller of an ending the film offers. Home Again is plain vanilla, from start to finish.

Walter Addiego is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: waddiego@sfchronicle.com

Home Again

Romantic comedy. Starring Reese Witherspoon, Pico Alexander, Michael Sheen and Lake Bell. Directed by Hallie Meyers-Shyer. (PG-13. 97 minutes.)
1 Health care overhaul: Senators launched hearings to help Republicans and Democrats decide if they can forge a modest agreement to shore up the nations individual insurance markets. The effort will show whether divided Republicans are ready to pivot from trying to obliterate the Obama health care law to helping it survive, and if both parties can overcome lingering raw feelings over that battle. The Senate health committee held the first of four scheduled hearings Wednesday, with testimony planned from five states insurance commissioners.

2 White Christians: The share of Americans who identify as white and Christian has dropped below 50 percent, a transformation fueled by immigration and by growing numbers of people who reject organized religion altogether, according to a new survey released Wednesday. Christians overall remain a large majority in the U.S., at nearly 70 percent of Americans. However, white Christians, once predominant in the countrys religious life, now comprise only 43 percent of the population, according to the Public Religion Research Institute, a polling organization based in Washington. Four decades ago, about 8 in 10 Americans were white Christians.
WASHINGTON  Donald Trump Jr. told Senate investigators Thursday that he set up a June 2016 meeting with a Russian lawyer because he was intrigued that she might have damaging information about Hillary Clinton, saying it was important to learn about Clintons fitness to be president.

But nothing came of the Trump Tower meeting, he said, and he was adamant that he never colluded with the Russian governments campaign to disrupt last years presidential election.

In a prepared statement during an interview with Senate Judiciary Committee investigators, the younger Trump said he was initially conflicted when he heard that the lawyer, Natalia Veselnitskaya, might have damaging information about Clinton. Despite his interest, he said, he always intended to consult with his own lawyers about the propriety of using any information that Veselnitskaya, who has ties to the Kremlin, gave him at the meeting.

The acknowledgment by the presidents eldest son that he intended to seek legal counsel after the meeting suggests that he knew, or at least suspected, that accepting potentially damaging information about a rival campaign from a foreign country raised thorny legal issues.

To the extent they had information concerning the fitness, character or qualifications of a presidential candidate, I believed that I should at least hear them out, he said.

Trump Jr. sat down with committee investigators in the Capitol and remained under questioning for several hours. The interview was conducted by staff, but a handful of Democratic senators attended.

Trump Jr. did not speak with reporters.

Trump Jr. has given differing accounts of his contacts last year with Russians. He told the Times in March that he never met with Russians on behalf of the campaign, a statement his lawyer has since said was meant to refer to Russian government officials. In July, he described the Trump Tower meeting as primarily focused on the issue of Russian adoptions, before eventually acknowledging that he took the meeting because he was told Veselnitskaya had damaging information about Clinton.

But intentionally misspeaking to Congress is a crime.

Maggie Haberman and Matt Apuzzo are New York Times writers.
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In early 2012, a new kind of food truck rolled into town. And while many chefs claim to offer inspired cooking, for owner Doug Seed, his entire A Moveable Feast operation is inspired by none other than the late Ernest Hemingway.

Parked at 1000 W. Kettleman Lane every day except Sunday  and when the truck is catering events like local farmers markets or weddings at Lodis Mettler Winery  the truck salutes the eccentric authors 1964 memoir by the same name.

Emblazoned on the lime green vehicle is a photo of the author at work, and clever phrases by other literary talents (Ask not what you can do for your country. Ask whats for lunch.  Orson Wells). Inside is the heart and soul: a char broiler, a deep fryer and a steam table.

While food trucks are popular in Lodi, and in particular taco trucks, theres surely no other vehicle that offers specialties like #11 French fries topped in ahi poke or pulled pork in bleu cheese or spicy Cajun sauce. The #11 fries are so-named because, according to Seed, they are so delicious that they exceed the typical one to 10 scale.

The idea came, Seed said, when he was looking for a fun, family business that he could set up with his son, Sam Seed. With a catering business already under their belts since 2008, food-on-wheels seemed like a natural evolution.

Customers now come for the creative, filling signature sandwiches like grilled chicken pesto, Cajun sirloin with grilled onions and peppers, a crab cake with tomato and mustard coulis, and burgers made with beef-pork mix, black beans and veggies, or salmon with teriyaki and a thick slab of sweet, grilled pineapple.

The chicken Caesar is particularly popular for its crouton bun that delivers extra crunch beneath a bed of romaine and shaved Parmesan. It, like all the food, is made to-order, and like all the sandwiches, can be served as a salad.

Or, as Seed notes, any dish can be served over fries, such as the popular steak combo with bacon and avocado.

Those in the know also order from the secret menu, scarfing up delectables such as a shrimp scampi pesto panino, fragrant with garlic and lemon, drenched in Cajun butter sauce and served on a toasted bun with a tiny bit of mayo and a generous helping of Cajun slaw. The scampi is even better with crisp bacon.

Another off-menu delight is the Yaki Burger, delivering a monster of a cheeseburger piled so high with Cajun shrimp, grilled pineapple, bacon and teriyaki sauce that it threatens to topple.

As Seed says, his Moveable Feast food isnt gourmet, but its a step above every day truck fare, and oh-so-satisfying.

This is fine grub, he said.

If you go

A Moveable Feast: 1000 W. Kettleman Lane, Lodi, (209) 642-1877, www.moradaeats.com/amf.htm. Open 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Monday-Saturday.
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Miki Agrawal didn't plan to pass out her breast milk at Burning Man.

But when the first-time mom got to the playa and needed to relieve her engorged breasts by pumping, it made sense to share the milk with others.

"It just kind of happened where I didn't want to waste the breast milk because it's liquid gold," says Agrawal, a New Yorker who traveled to the West Coast to attend the event in Nevada's Black Rock Desert for three days. "On the playa, the conditions are harsh and people become dehydrated and they're partying a lot. It was my playa gift. Every year people bring a gift to the playa to pass out to others and it was a gift from my breasts, from my heart."

News of Agrawal's playa gift spread after she posted photos of herself attached to a Medela freestyle pump on Instagram on Tuesday.

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In the post, she shares, "Some people downed a whole four ounces hoping for a hangover cure. Some wanted it for their coffee to make lattes. So many were excited and curious to try it. I drank some too when I ran out of water, it tastes like sweet coconut milk!"

Dozens of people applauded the mom in the comments with messages ranging from "You are my hero" to "Revolution indeed."

One person writes with less enthusiasm, saying "I don't think I could ever drink a strangers milk lol."

To those who might think adults drinking human milk is gross, strange or inappropriate, Agrawal says, "I just don't understand why it's a 'thing.' Why are woman sequestered to a room to pump their breasts privately? We're providing food to the human species."

Agrawal is known for celebrating the spirit of feminism. She's the founder of a company called Thinx that makes microfiber underwear for menstruating women and eliminates the need for a tampon or pad. The product has been lauded for its use in developing countries, where many women don't have access to feminine hygiene products. She more recently founded Tushy, a company that makes a device to turn your toilet into a bidet.

But she insists she wasn't making a feminist statement at Burning Man.

"This shouldn't be considered pushing boundaries," she says. "It's just human."
The labor dispute at Tesla continues to heat up. The National Labor Relations Board, or NLRB, claims that Tesla illegally intimidated workers who are trying unionize at its Fremont plant.

The NLRB is a government agency that safeguards workers rights to unionize. Three Tesla workers lodged a series of complaints against the electric car maker.

In one incident, a Tesla employee said he was restrained by a security guard as he was passing out flyers and pamphlets about unionizing with the United Auto Workers. The employee says he wasn't on the clock but participating in the activity during his free time.

An employee claimed that in March, during a pre-shift meeting, a supervisor threatened to fire any employees that continued to pass out flyers not approved by Tesla.

Employees claim these actions show Tesla is trying to intimidate and coerce factory workers to stop unionizing. If true, the actions break federal law according to the National Labor Relations Act, said Bill Sokol, a labor lawyer and lecturer at San Francisco State University.

"This is a new age car company making a new age car but it's engaging in same old union busting tactics that GM, Ford and Chrysler used almost a century ago in the Great Depression," Sokol said.

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Last Thursday, the National Labor Relations Board found merit in the employee's claims and filed a complaint against Tesla.

The NLRB also claims that the confidentiality agreement that Tesla employees must sign restricts employees' ability to unionize. The agreement doesn't allow workers to talk about the nature of their work or their work conditions at the Fremont plant. Such non-disclosure agreements, or NDAs, have come under heightened scrutiny in Silicon Valley. Critics say NDAs also make it harder for employees to pursue workplace discrimination cases.

Tesla's workers have been actively unionizing since the beginning of the year with the United Auto Workers. They have been claiming unsafe working conditions as well as low pay.

Tesla CEO Elon Musk voiced his opposition to unionizing Tesla's Fremont plant in an email to employees in February. He claimed the company's total recordable incident rate since January 1st is under 3.3, which is less than half the industry average of 6.7. He also offered to install company perks like free frozen yogurt and a roller coaster connecting buildings together.

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"It's going to get crazy good," Musk wrote in the memo.

But a report published by the advocacy group Worksafe said nonfatal reported injuries at Tesla's Fremont plant actually were 31 percent higher in 2015 than the industry as a whole (data for 2016 has not yet been released).

In a statement to KQED regarding the NLRB complaint, a Tesla spokesperson said the charges were baseless and blamed the United Auto Workers for coercing employees to unionize.

"As we approach Labor Day weekend, there's a certain irony in just how far the UAW has strayed from the original mission of the American labor movement, which once advocated so nobly for the rights of workers and is the reason we recognize this important holiday. Faced with declining membership, an overwhelming loss at a Nissan plant earlier this month, corruption charges that were recently leveled against union leaders who misused UAW funds, and failure to gain traction with our employees, it's no surprise the union is feeling pressured to continue its publicity campaign against Tesla. For seven years, the UAW has used every tool in its playbook: misleading and outright false communications, unsolicited and unwelcomed visits to the homes of our employees, attempts to discredit Tesla publicly in the media, and now another tactic that has been used in every union campaign since the beginning of time  baseless ULP filings that are meant only to generate headlines. These allegations, which have been filed by the same contingent of union organizers who have been so outspoken with media, are entirely without merit. We will obviously be responding as part of the NLRB process."

Tesla must respond to the NLRB complaint by September 14, 2017. The company has a right to a trial with a federal administrative law judge.

This post originally appeared on KQED.com
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Lodi, once known primarily for its Zinfandel and Cabernet Sauvignon, is now globetrotting, capitalizing on its Mediterranean climate for distinctive grapes spanning many exotic varieties.

Think Old World Portuguese, like the Alvarinho, Souzao, Touriga Nacional and Tinto Cao grown at Silvaspoons Vineyards in the Lodi appellation of Galt in San Joaquin County. Or Spanish, such as the Tempranillo and Garnacha varietals crafted by Riaza Wines in Lodi.

Lodi is home to French, German and Italian grapes like the Riesling, Kerner, Bacchus and Gewurztraminer thriving at Borra Vineyards.

The Mettler family, meanwhile, has been farming grapes in Lodi since the late 1800s, and making wine since 1999. While best known for Cabernet Sauvignon, Petite Sirah and Zinfandel, they also offer tiny batches of obscure wines like sweet Salice Bianco Muscat Canelli, originated in Greece and the oldest cultivated grape in France.

And why not? The Lodi region is prized for its warm summers balanced by significant diurnal swings and cooling breezes from the Delta, with nimble soil thats known for nurturing a great variety of vines.

Get a taste with these distinctive wineries:

Bokisch Vineyards

Winemaker Markus Bokisch specializes in Iberian/Spanish grapes like Graciano and Albarino. His Bokisch Vineyards is now the largest grower of Iberian grape varieties in the state, also selling to more than 30 wineries, and several years ago, he expanded into two Catalan varieties, Macabeu and Xarello.

Its been a rewarding adventure, he says, with such demand that he opened a tasting room at his winery last May.

All the bottlings are boutique, with just 144 cases produced for his crisp, tropical Certified Organic 2015 Mokelumne River-Lodi Las Cerezas Vineyard Albarino, for example. One of his largest bottlings, his Certified Organic 2015 Clements Hills-Lodi Terra Alta Vineyard Albarino, still rings in at only 1,100 cases.

The Las Cerezas Albarino, in particular, shows Bokischs longtime commitment to white grape, coming from the winemakers original mother block of Iberian varieties planted in 1999. The wine also showcases Bokischs dedication to green-growing, produced under the Lodi Rules for Sustainable Winegrowing Practices third-party vineyard certification program.

This year, Bokisch also bottled a Vi de Panses Albarino dessert wine for the first time, grown at his Terra Alta Vineyard. Only 16 cases were produced, and quickly sold out after the release this April.

Part of the success of his interesting wines, the winemaker says, is an increasingly adventurous consumer who wants to explore new flavors and aromas. Once they taste and fall in love with a relatively unknown wine like the silky Vi de Panses with its notes of almond flowers, apricot, honey and caramel, theyre more willing to branch out past more mainstream wines.

St. Jorge Winery

Winery owner Vern J. Vierra gives a nod to his European roots with the Mediterranean design of his winery, complete with courtyard statues and fountains, and a tasting room interior resplendent with carved stone fireplaces, sconces, ceiling beams and - for a cheeky touch - portraits of reclining nude nymphs.

The building style may be more Italian Renaissance than Moorish, but indeed, the Vierra family arrived from Portugal in 1954, and here, they grow their homeland wines on their estate including tropical, pineapple-pear kissed Verdelho, Tempranillo rich with plum and vanilla, spicy purple Trincadeira and dark, elegant Touriga.

Souzao is an estate stand-out, as well, savory with layers of dark chocolate, raisin, black fig and coffee underlaid by violet and ripe cherry. One of Vierras favorite wines, though, is the lighter Vinho Cor de Rosa, as a blend of estate grown Tempranillo and Carignane that results in a Rose singing with strawberry and honeysuckle.

Several of the wines feature grapes grown at Silvaspoons Vineyards in the Lodi appellation of Galt, such as Verdelho Seco, Tinto Cao and a Sobremesa dessert wine made from Torrontes.

And in another delicious salute to Portugal, Vierra makes Port style wines, including a Vinho Tinto Doce bursting with raisin, chocolate, and a hint of spice.

Acquiesce Winery

For her Rhone wines, owner-winemaker Susan Tipton looks straight to the source: the famed Chateau de Beaucastel of Chateauneuf du Pape, France. After securing her vine cuttings from the renowned winery, she planted her own, and with her first release in 2011, now makes wines such as Grenache Blanc, Picpoul Blanc, Roussanne, Grenache Rose and a Belle Blanc white blend of Grenache Blanc, Roussanne and Viognier.

Tiptons white grape emphasis is a particularly interesting approach for the region, since Lodi is better known for its red wines. Even her Grenache red is made into a pale pink Rose.

To sample the small-production wines, guests gather in her tasting room, a 100-year-old converted barn surrounded by 18 acres of wine grapes. The barn itself exemplifies Tiptons bold vision. Defined with a curved, Quonset-style entry and a steep back roofline, its painted brilliant yellow-gold with a red roof, finished with a dramatic wrought iron decorated glass wagon wheel above the front door.

If you go

Bokish Vineyards: 18921 Atkins Road, Lodi, (209) 334-4338, www.bokischvineyards.com.

Acquiesce Winery: 22353 N. Tretheway Road, Acampo, (209) 333-6102, www.acquiesce

vineyards.com.

St. Jorge Winery: 22769 N. Bender Road, Acampo, (209) 365-0202, www.stjorge

winery.com.
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On a quiet street in the quaint downtown of the Central Valleys wine country, a slow but steady art resurgence is underway.

Lodi, known for its small-town charm and 85 wineries, is home to a handful of galleries, including School Street Gallery, Lodi Community Art Center, Segales Double Dip Gallery and Barrigas Fine Arts, all within walking distance of the citys downtown. Artists and art curators there say the art scene is growing and worth exploring.

Its a cultural experience, said Michael Montanez, co-owner of School Street Gallery. There arent a lot of galleries so its unique for the area, and a lot of the pieces reflect the culture of Lodi and what we do here.

For example, the walls of School Street Gallery boast paintings of vineyards, fused glass fills shelves and custom furniture made out of repurposed wine barrels speak both to the artists backgrounds and the local wine scene.

On the first Friday of each month from 6-8:30 p.m., the streets fill with residents and visitors alike for Lodis monthly First Friday Art Hop. Permanent and temporary gallery spaces open to the public for a chance to view art, meet artists, sample local wines and snack on appetizers.

In 2006, local artist and Segales Double Dip Gallery owner Tony Segale, brought together local artists to paint nine murals throughout Lodi he calls advertorials  pictures and lettering that tell a community-centric message. After the initial set was finished, Segale painted the remaining three, creating a collection hes dubbed Head West Walldogs after the colloquial term walldog, another name for a muralist. Many of the murals are historic in nature, and 11 can be seen walking around downtown. (A Walldogs walking tour brochure is available at the Visit Lodi! Visitor Center, 25 N. School St.)

Headed to Lodi? Dont miss any of these galleries or upcoming events.

Hutchins Street Square

Located in the heart of downtown, Hutchins Street Square is a performing arts, community and conference space. The square hosts a variety of art classes throughout the year for children and adults, live theater and music performances and community events, including the Sandhill Crane Festival in November. The annual event offers dozens of tours to see the birds in their natural habitat and activities for all ages at the Square.

Segales Double Dip Gallery

Tony Segale started the Double Dip Gallery after working for more than three decades in and around Lodi as a hand-lettering artist. The gallery features his watercolors alongside handcrafted jewelry and other work from local artists. Double Dip is also home to a full ice cream counter where Segale sells Sacramento-based Gunthers Ice Cream to patrons so they can enjoy some ice cream while youre checking out the art.

School Street Gallery

Started in 2015, the School Street Gallery features work from more than 20 artists in Lodi  paintings, fused glass, custom furniture and more. Most pieces feature statements from the artists and Montanez says the gallery is hoping to host art classes in the near future.

Barrigas Fine Arts

Artist and owner Daniel Barrigas gallery space features paintings hes done exclusively using an airbrush. In addition to the art hanging in the gallery, Barriga does custom work for homes, businesses and vehicles throughout California. A Lodi native, Barriga said said his goal is to become a greater artist and help improve the community.

Lodi Community Art Center

Part gallery, part work space, the community art center is a 100 percent volunteer-run organization of local artists who create everything from watercolor and acrylic to painted fabric and handmade cards. Typically, the walls of the gallery space feature work from a variety of artists, but once a month during Lodis Art Hop, one artist is featured with 10 to 15 pieces on one wall. Volunteer Joyce Costa said the center is worth visiting for anybody who loves art and wants to see work created locally.

I come every month to look at all the pieces and be inspired, she said. If you like to create and be around art, this is the place to be.

If you go

Lodi Community Art

Center: 110 W. Pine St., Lodi, (209) 333-3855, www.lodi

artcenter.org.

Segales Double Dip Gallery: 222 W. Pine St., Lodi, (209) 365-3344, www.double

dipgallery.com.

School Street Gallery: 123 S. School St., Lodi, (209) 810-9735, www.instagram.com/

schoolstreetgallery.

Hutchins Street Square: 125 S. Hutchins St., Lodi, (209) 333-6782, www.hutchins

streetsquare.com.

Barrigas Fine Arts: 9 S. Sacramento St., Lodi, (209) 294-9113, www.barrigasfine

arts.com.
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The family of Jahi McMath will finally be able to present to a jury their case that the comatose girl is alive  three years after she was declared dead by doctors at Childrens Hospital in Oakland and the Alameda County coroners office.

Judge Stephen Pulido of Alameda County Superior Court ruled this week that a jury will decide whether Jahi is dead, according to a court order. A trial date has not been set.

The familys lawsuit against the hospital  which will be a wrongful injury lawsuit as opposed to a wrongful death lawsuit  will proceed. A federal civil rights lawsuit filed by the family is on hold during the malpractice legal proceedings in state court.

Chris Dolan, a family attorney representing Jahi in the federal case, said the defendants had tried to prevent the state trial based on whether she had rights as a living person.

This is a massive win both legally and spiritually for the family. This mothers been fighting to have her daughter be counted as a living, breathing human being, Dolan said. She has great faith that a jury will find that her daughter is indeed alive.

More for you Judge: Jahi McMath may be alive, lawsuit can proceed

The ruling on Tuesday comes after Dr. Alan Shewmon, a professor emeritus of pediatrics and neurology at UCLA, wrote in an Alameda County Superior Court declaration in June that Jahi is irrevocably and severely neurologically disabled  but not technically dead.

Citing Shewmons declaration, Pulido ruled, ... in light of admissible expert testimony and other evidence introduced by McMath in support of allegations of changed circumstances since December 2013, the court finds there is a triable issue of fact as to whether McMath currently satisfies the statutory definition of dead.

Jahi was 13 years old when she went into what is now UCSF Benioff Childrens Hospital Oakland for a routine tonsillectomy in December 2013, but she experienced complications after the operation. She went into cardiac arrest and suffered massive hemorrhaging.

Her family fought unsuccessfully to force the hospital to continue caring for her, even after doctors declared her brain-dead. Lawyers for the hospital argued that it would be unethical and grotesque to artificially keep her alive.

Although hospital officials, the Alameda County coroner and a judge insisted she was dead, Jahis family took her to New Jersey when the hospital refused to care for her. They are now seeking a court order to reverse her death certificate.

The family has recorded dozens of videos showing Jahi seemingly responding to commands to raise her right hand or kick her foot, according to court records.

The hospital, which said it deeply empathizes with the family of Jahi McMath, did not respond to the recent ruling and instead reissued a statement from July.

The plaintiffs counsel has agreed that Jahi McMath fulfilled the neurologic criteria for brain death when she was declared brain dead and deceased in December 2013, the statement reads. Jahi McMath has not undergone a brain death evaluation pursuant to accepted neurologic criteria as set forth in the Guidelines since she was legally declared deceased in December 2013. The videotapes do not meet the criteria set forth in the Guidelines.

There is no question that in December 2013 at Oakland Childrens Hospital, Jahi McMath fulfilled the widely accepted pediatric guidelines for determining brain death, Shewmon wrote in his Alameda Country Superior Court declaration. There is equally no question in my mind that she no longer does, for the single reason that the first of the three cardinal findings in brain death  coma, absence of brainstem reflexes, and apnea  is not fulfilled. Rather, she is intermittently responsive, placing her in the category of minimally responsive state.

Shewmon also wrote in his declaration that Jahis MRI showed a surprising extent of relatively preserved brain tissue.

Jahis subsequent course defied all predictions of what must happen to dead bodies maintained indefinitely on ventilators, Shewmon wrote. Jahi McMath is a living, severely disabled young lady, who currently fulfills neither the standard diagnostic guidelines for brain death nor Californias statutory definition of death.

Dr. Alieta Eck, who has been treating Jahi in New Jersey for nearly two years, said the girl entered puberty and began a menstrual period in August 2014.

If Jahi is reclassified as alive, her family could be entitled to millions of dollars in damages. Awards are capped in California at $250,000 for the wrongful death of a child, but there is no cap for wrongful-injury claims because a court can order medical costs to be paid indefinitely.

Jenna Lyons is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: jlyons@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @JennaJourno
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Although winemakers may have been the first to capture Lodis essence in a bottle, beer makers and aficionados have recently tapped into a strong demand for artisanal alcohol. To the delight of locals and visitors alike, downtown School Street has turned into a veritable classroom for fans of craft brewing.

The Dancing Fox, already a well-regarded winery, bakery and restaurant, expanded its beverage list in recent years to include beers made by winemaker Gregg Lewis 30-year-old middle son, Jared.

He started doing home brewing probably when he was barely legal, his father recalls. I encouraged him several years ago that I would get bonded so we could sell his beer at the restaurant, and theyve become quite popular.

Point in case: Dancing Foxs Down the Rabbit Hole Pale Ale made with New Zealand hops.

As soon as we put it on, its gone, Lewis said. We try to have five of our own taps, out of 15, at any given time, but they go pretty fast.

But fans of the evanescent pale ale and other sought-after Dancing Fox beers  among them the Crushed Pilsner and Wishing for Winter Oatmeal Stout  have reason to rejoice: Dancing Fox is installing larger fermenting tanks and in the fall, it will start bottling some of its brews.

Its all in preparation for our new addition, Lewis said. Were taking out our parking lot and putting in a new 13,000-square-feet brewery and distillery, which will probably focus on brandies, since thats alcohol made from fruit and we have a lot of fruit in Lodi. And well never run out of beer again.

Running out is also unlikely at two other newer School Street spots specializing in craft beers. At Porters Pub, opened in 2014 by Lodi natives Scott and Shae Porter, beer lovers can choose from a frequently rotating selection of nearly 40 brews at the casual sports-themed bar and restaurant, ideal for catching a game on TV.

In 2016, Jeff Daniel and Carrie Gooding realized a dream theyd had as honeymooners five years ago when they opened Brix and Hops, a living room-style lounge that offers 30 artisanal beers on rotating taps as well as seven local wines and a sparkling wine.

Thirty taps is sometimes overwhelming because most of the time our patrons havent heard of most of the beers, Daniel said. They have to take time to read the menu, which is double-sided legal size, but the servers we have are great and very knowledgeable. Theyll ask, What do you like or what do you typically go toward, and theyll give them a little sip. I just want guests experience to be really positive.

Five-ounce samplers of beer are also for sale, encouraging patrons to try trendy IPAS as well as more unusual brews such as a pilsner from Santa Cruzs Uncommon Brewers, made with ginger and wasabi. The latter is perfect with Thai food, notes Daniel, adding that guests can order food delivered from nearby Thai Kitchen and other downtown restaurants, to supplement the pretzels and Chex mix on hand.

Next door to Brix and Hops, and sharing much of its diverse clientele, is Scottos Wine & Cider, which opened last September.

Winemaker and cider master Paul Scotto, the fifth generation in his familys wine business, first began making hard cider for distribution back in 2012, under the labels William Tell and Pacific Coast.

Now he has created with his brother Michael Scotto seven cider varieties in cans  currently apple, apple Pinot Grigio, apple strawberry, cherry, mango, blueberry and a bone dry variety with no residual sugar  plus small batches in kegs found only in the School Street tasting room, which sell out quickly.

Recent versions of the small-batch ciders include a red, white and blue (strawberry, peach and blue) for the Fourth of July and apple mango jalapeno.

I try to have one [unique] on tap at a time, to keep it fresh, Scotto said. We have people wanting to come in and see whats new.

Of course, no beer lovers visit to Lodi would be complete without sampling a pint from Lodi Beer Company, which pioneered School Streets suds scene in 2004.

The Bohemian copper tanks that face the entrance to the bustling brew pub help produce 12 to 16 beers on tap, from the Lodi Lite Lager thats a local favorite to heartier brews such the Western Pacific IPA, the Tart Cherry Wheat made with Lodi-grown cherries, and the sweet, malty Eisbock.

Owner and original brewmaster Roger Rehmke, who built the brewery and restaurant with wife Sam, turned beermaking over to Roger Scatena a few years ago. Both Rehmkes still focus on keeping the quality of the hand-crafted beer and food high, as one School Street colleague notes.

Lodi Beer does great beers, Scotto said, and Ive eaten there many, many a time  they do a really good job.

If you go

Brix and Hops: 14-A S. School St., Lodi, (209) 452-0070, www.brixandhops.com.

The Dancing Fox: 203 S. School St., Lodi, (209) 366-2634, www.dancingfoxwinery.com.

Lodi Beer Company: 105 S. School St., Lodi, (209) 368-9931, www.lodibeercompany.com.

Porters Pub: 121 S. School St., Suite A, Lodi, (209) 400-7147, www.porterspublodica.com.

Scottos Wine & Cider: 14 S. School St., Lodi, (209) 224-8590, www.scottoswineandcider.com.
A 37-year-old Oakland police officer was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence and misdemeanor resisting arrest charges Wednesday night near Dublin, officials said.

Officer Bryan Budgin is an employee of the Oakland Police Department and officials are aware of the arrest, said Officer Johnna Watson, an Oakland police spokeswoman.
Despite being held guilty of conspiracy under the stringent TADA, Abu Salem managed to escape the noose while co-conspirators Tahir Merchant and Feroze Khan were given death penalty.

By India Today Web Desk: Gangster Abu Salem was today sentenced to life imprisonment by a special TADA court in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case.

The quantum of punishment for Abu Salem was announced 24 years after a series of 13 blasts rocked the country's financial capital, Mumbai, killing 257 people and injuring 700 others.

In June, the special TADA court had convicted Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Mohammed Tahir Merchant, Karimullah Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui and Feroze Abdul Rashid Khan in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts.

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Abu Salem, one of the main conspirators in the 1993 blasts, was guilty of procuring and supplying arms and ammunition, including AK-47 assault rifles, bullets and hand grenades, from Gujarat to Mumbai in 1993.

Despite being held guilty of conspiracy under the stringent TADA, Abu Salem managed to escape the noose while co-conspirators Tahir Merchant and Feroze Khan were given death penalty. Why?

The answer lies in the extradition treaty signed between India and Portugal, under which the extradited person cannot be sentenced to death, nor can he/she be sentenced to life imprisonment beyond 25 years.

Abu Salem travelled the world before landing in Lisbon, Portugal and getting extradited to India. Abu Salem travelled the world before landing in Lisbon, Portugal and getting extradited to India.

This extradition treaty was signed in January 2007, more than a year after Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal on November 11, 2005. The treaty was signed between then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Portugese President Anibal Cavaco Silva.

Further, under Section 34C of The Extradition Act, 1962, a fugitive criminal, who is surrendered or returned by a foreign state on the request of the Central government and the laws of the country do not provide for a death penalty for such an offence, "shall be liable for punishment of imprisonment for life only for that offence".

Portugal, from where Abu Salem was extradited, has abolished death penalty in 1867. The clause in the Extradition Act, therefore, meant that Salem could not be sentenced to death as per law.

Senior CBI counsel Deepak Salvi, while arguing for maximum sentence for the convicts at an earlier hearing in June, had told reporters outside the court that while Abu Salem's acts were no less than other convicts and he deserved death penalty, but Salvi had not yet decided if he would be asking for it.

"The fact that an extradition treaty has been signed between Portugal, from where Salem was arrested and sent to India, and wherein our country has explicitly written that India cannot give death sentence to Salem, I have not been able to decide if I should ask for death sentence for him or not," the CBI counsel had said.

The story of Abu Salem's rise and fall. The story of Abu Salem's rise and fall.

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Explaining the sentencing of convicts in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case, senior public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam today said that the prosecution could not have asked for the death penalty for Abu Salem due to India's extradition agreement with Portugal.

Following the pronouncement of punishment to Salem and others, CBI counsel Deepal Salvi said that although Abu Salem has been sentenced to life, the government can exercise its powers to commute the sentence to 25 years in jail.

Going by the extradition treaty clause, it is likely that Abu Salem's imprisonment could last only 25 years.

ALSO READ:

Life for Abu Salem; death for Firoz Khan, Tahir Merchant as court hands out punishments in Mumbai serial blasts case

Mumbai blasts verdict: How Rakesh Maria cracked 1993 serial bombing case with help of approver

1993 Mumbai serial blasts: All you need to know about gangster Abu Salem

FROM THE MAGAZINE:

Mumbai blasts--Moment of reckoning

Terror in Bombay

ALSO WATCH: 1993 Mumbai: When India Today's Newstrack captured moments after blasts

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: With additional details and fine imposed)

Mumbai, Sep 7 (PTI) A Special TADA court today awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case but gangster Abu Salem escaped the noose and handed down life imprisonment due to a provision in the Extradition Act.

Besides Salem, the court sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment, while awarding 10 years in jail to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

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The court also imposed a fine on the five accused totalling Rs 27.09 lakh. Firoz Khan was fined Rs 4.75 lakh, Karimullah Khan Rs 8.88 lakh, Tahir Merchant Rs 4.85 lakh, Abu Salem Rs 8.51 lakh and Riyaz Siddiqui Rs 10,000.

The court had in June convicted six persons, including a prime accused Mustafa Dossa and Salem, 24 years after the blasts left 257 people dead.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum for want of evidence.

Salem, a notorious gangster considered close to fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, escaped death sentence at the Extradition Act bars India from seeking capital punishment for an accused extradited from a country where the practice is not in force.

Before Salems extradition in 2004 following his arrest in 2002 in Portugal, India had assured Lisbon that he would not be awarded capital punishment, if convicted in the case.

This was the second set of trial in the case.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges which included criminal conspiracy, waging war against the Government of India and murder.

The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial).

Salem, who was close to absconding accused Dawood Ibrahims brother Anees Ibrahim and Dossa, took upon of himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court had said.

This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.

The trial of Abu Salem, Mustafa Dossa, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Riyaz Siddiqui, Tahir Merchant and Abdul Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested after the first set of trial had already started.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted, on June 28.

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The court had held that Tahir Merchant was amongst the main conspirators.

"The evidence proves the anguish, agitation and frustration expressed by Tahir due to situation prevailing in Bombay during the period of riots in January 1993," it had noted.

He worked with (absconding conspirator) Tiger Memon, participated in several conspiracy meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co-accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

"The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the court said in its ruling on June 16.

The court had rejected Firozs defence that he was not Firoz Khan but Hamza.

The prosecution proved that he was a "prominent and trusted" member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the landings of weapons effected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district, the court had held.

Firoz was present for negotiations with customs officers for smooth landing of arms and ammunition. He, with "vengeful perseverance in his sinew with a view to carry the blueprint of the plan into reality spearheaded the pre-landing arrangements," said the verdict of June 16.

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The prosecution proved that he was one of the main conspirators, the court had held.

On victims compensation, the court said that 257 died and 718 suffered grievous injuries and some of the victims have become disabled.

"The victims in the Bombay blasts case, deceased and injured/disabled are entitled to get compensation as per the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the victim compensation scheme of the Government of Maharashtra," observed judge G A Sanap.

The court said as per its record the prosecution has submitted a list of 232 persons who died and 638 who were injured and disabled in the blasts.

"In view of the finding on the point of entitlement of the victims of the blast for compensation this court is satisfied that the compensation which could be paid out of the fine amount would be very meagre and inadequate for the rehabilitation of the victims," the court said.

The court also recommended District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to decide and award compensation to the victims. It said CBI shall extend all possible assistance to DLSA.

The court held that CBI must pursue the matter in proper perspective before the DLSA, adding the agency shall make all the record available to the legal authority as and when required.

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The court said there are still 33 absconding accused and CBI shall take necessary steps to expedite proceedings initiated for the sale of attached property in public auction.

Court also said that CBI shall initiate further proceedings for attachment of the properties of the absconding accused in Mumbai or any part of India. PTI VI AVI KRK GK RMT SK SK

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: With additional details and court observations)

Mumbai, Sep 7 (PTI) A Special TADA court today awarded death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case but gangster Abu Salem escaped the noose and was handed down life imprisonment due to a provision in the Extradition Act.

Besides Salem, the court sentenced Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment, while awarding 10 years in jail to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

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The court said it would be necessary to make a mention of the worldwide scenario and menace of terrorism. It was pertinent to note that a case related to terrorism could not be treated at par with other offences.

"Offences and offenders of terrorism need to be dealt with sternly. Further generations need to be saved from the menace of terrorism," judge G A Sanap observed.

A lenient view in such cases can weaken the fight and collective efforts to combat terrorism, the court added.

The court also imposed a fine on the five accused totalling Rs 27.09 lakh. Firoz was fined Rs 4.75 lakh, Karimullah Rs 8.88 lakh, Tahir Rs 4.85 lakh, Salem Rs 8.51 lakh and Siddiqui Rs 10,000.

The court had in June convicted six persons, including prime accused Mustafa Dossa and Salem, 24 years after the blasts left 257 people dead.

It, however, let off accused Abdul Quayyum for want of evidence.

Salem, a notorious gangster considered close to fugitive mob boss Dawood Ibrahim, escaped death sentence as the Extradition Act bars India from seeking capital punishment for an accused extradited from a country where the practice is not in force.

Before Salems extradition in 2004 following his arrest in 2002 in Portugal, India had assured Lisbon that he would not be awarded capital punishment, if convicted in the case.

This was the second stage of trial in the case.

All the seven accused were facing multiple charges, including criminal conspiracy, waging war against Government of India and murder.

The court, in its June 16 ruling convicting six accused, held that the prosecution had proved that Salem was one of the main conspirators, and he delivered three AK-56 rifles and ammunition and hand grenades to actor Sanjay Dutt (convicted under Arms Act in the earlier phase of the trial).

Salem, who was close to absconding accused Dawood Ibrahims brother Anees and Dossa, took it upon himself to bring a part of arms and ammunition from Dighi to Mumbai, the court had said.

This was "vital towards achievement of the conspiracy so that the weapons could be used to terrorise and torment innocent citizens of India," the court had said.

advertisement

The trial of Salem, Dossa, Karimullah, Firoz, Siddiqui, Merchant and Quayyum was separated from the main case as they were arrested after the first set of trial had already started.

Dossa died of cardiac arrest at J J Hospital in Mumbai, shortly after being convicted on June 28.

The court had held that Tahir was among the main conspirators.

"The evidence proves the anguish, agitation and frustration expressed by Tahir due to situation prevailing in Bombay during the period of riots in January 1993," it had noted.

He worked with absconding conspirator Tiger Memon, participated in several meetings in Dubai. Tahir made travel arrangements, financed the stay and travel of several co- accused and facilitated their training in Pakistan, the court noted.

"The role of Tahir in conspiracy is prominent. He is one of the initiators of the conspiracy," the court said in its ruling on June 16.

The court had rejected Firozs defence that he was not Firoz Khan but Hamza.

The prosecution proved that he was a "prominent and trusted" member of the Dossa gang, and participated in all the landings of weapons effected by Dossa brothers in Raigad district, the court had held.

advertisement

Firoz was present for negotiations with customs officers for smooth landing of arms and ammunition. He, with "vengeful perseverance in his sinew with a view to carry the blueprint of the plan into reality spearheaded the pre-landing arrangements," said the verdict of June 16.

The prosecution proved that he was one of the main conspirators, the court had held.

On victims compensation, the court said that 257 died and 718 suffered grievous injuries while some had become disabled.

"The victims in the Bombay blasts case, deceased and injured/disabled are entitled to get compensation as per the provisions of the Criminal Procedure Code and the victim compensation scheme of Government of Maharashtra," observed Sanap.

The court said as per its record the prosecution has submitted a list of 232 persons who died and 638 who were injured and disabled in the blasts.

"In view of the finding on the point of entitlement of the victims of the blast for compensation this court is satisfied that the compensation which could be paid out of the fine amount would be very meagre and inadequate for the rehabilitation of the victims," the court said.

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The court also recommended District Legal Service Authority (DLSA) to decide and award compensation to the victims. It said the CBI should extend all possible assistance to DLSA.

The court said there are still 33 absconding accused and the CBI should take necessary steps to expedite proceedings initiated for the sale of attached property in public auction.

The court also said that the CBI shall initiate further proceedings for attachment of properties of the absconding accused in Mumbai or any part of India.

On the role of Tahir, the court observed that he was absconding and by remaining in Dubai he had deprived the investigating agency necessary assistance for investigating the case.

Commenting on Firoz, the court said he came from a well- educated family and his father was an officer in the Indian Navy.

"It is necessary to mention that RDX cannot be used as a powder to kill mosquitoes and flies and it cannot be assumed that AK 56 rifles were being distributed in schools in Bombay as toys. The accused had knowledge about the offence," he said.

It is necessary to note that the conspirators and the perpetrators of the crime rejoiced at its success and when it came to face the consequences they were getting justice.

The court observed that the punishment must be proportionate to the depravity and gravity of crime.

The judgement runs into around 2,100 pages.

The court was sitting till 11 pm to hand over copies of the judgment to the accused. PTI VI AVI KRK GK RMT AAR

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By PTI: plan

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Over 2,000 personnel of a "dying" paramilitary cadre will be "transferred" to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to boost the on-ground presence of the agency on the eastern borders, where India is bolstering its defences by building roads and other military infrastructure.

A total of 2,765 posts of the civilian cadre of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be shifted to the IB command over the next year. Of these posts, 2,039 are operational.

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"The civil wing of the SSB should be transferred to the IB lock, stock and barrel, including land, physical infrastructure, equipment among others," a government blueprint, accessed by PTI, said.

A top security official privy to the "ambitious" plan said a 300-page proposal for the transfer of the assets -- both manpower and infrastructure -- had been prepared at the SSB headquarters here and had been vetted by the home ministry and the office of the national security advisor (NSA) for final implementation.

He added that the manpower of the civil wing of the SSB, which is termed as "dying" as it does not have promotional and work avenues, would be deployed to bolster the IBs presence in the eastern border areas, where these officials have worked for long.

The average age of the cadre, the official said, was above 50 years and the personnel had done a lot of work with the people living along the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

They not only helped them integrate with the mainstream, but also acted as the "eyes and ears" of the SSB, the designated lead intelligence agency on the two borders.

The cadre was first raised in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of the previous year, to work in the border areas and promote a sense of national belonging and pro-India feelings among the local population.

It worked under the external intelligence agency -- Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) -- till 2001, under the name Special Service Bureau.

The name of the force was changed to Sashastra Seema Bal in 2003, following the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was then tasked with guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders on the countrys eastern flank.

"The transfer of the civilian SSB cadre will begin once the long-awaited cadre restructuring of the force is approved and implemented. All this will take about a year to take shape," the official said.

The blueprint envisages that once these officials are transferred to the IB, they will be "utilised for different activities related to intelligence, keeping in view the expertise and proficiency of the incumbents".

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"These personnel have only been doing civic action work and publicity of government schemes in the far-flung border areas and anti-Naxal operation zones for close to two decades now.

"After the SSB was declared an armed force of the Union in 2001, they became a dying cadre as they were not uniformed personnel. Now, their experience and knowledge of the locals, languages and natural features of the border areas will be used to aid the hardcore intelligence work of the IB," the official said.

He added that as per the blueprint, the cadre, after the proposed transfer, "will be treated at par with the IB employees" and some of them might even be retained post retirement considering their expertise and knowledge of the field areas.

The cadre, for the last over 50 years, has been working in insurgency-hit areas along the border and Naxal-hit states, undertaking civic welfare programmes such as teaching children in schools, conducting medical camps and organising vocational training courses.

The men and women of this cadre were seen as fast losing their sheen as they were not getting timely promotions and could not opt for combat posts as their physical fitness did not allow them to perform arduous tasks and their recruitment rules were different from those of the uniformed staffers.

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The SSB, with a strength of about 70,000 personnel, has been guarding the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal border since 2001 and the 699-km Indo-Bhutan border since 2004.

It is deployed along the international border in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with many of its posts located close to the Sino-India border. PTI NES RC MIN RC

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Houston City Councilman Dave Martin, who represents hard-hit Kingwood, had a message for the public about the American Red Cross.

"I beg you not to send them a penny," he said at Wednesday's council meeting. "They are the most inept unorganized organization I've ever experienced."

In part of a broader rant that also roped in a perceived lack of assistance from his native New Orleans ("Send me your darn trucks, Mitch," he said, a plea for the Big Easy's mayor, Mitch Landrieu, to send waste trucks westward to haul off storm debris), Martin said local folks opened shelters and gathered water and supplies to help his northeastern suburb's evacuees.

READ ALSO: Houston map shows where disease-carrying mosquitos have been confirmed in 2017

"Don't waste your money," said Martin. "Give it to another cause."

When Martin had finished, his neighbor at the horseshoe, Councilman Dwight Boykins grinned and waved a paper at him, as if to cool his colleague down.

A map of Red Cross shelters does list a facility at CrossWays Community Church on Russell Palmer Road in the Kingwood area.

READ ALSO: Flooding causes sinkhole on Beltway 8 frontage road

Martin is not the only public official to go after the Red Cross' response to Harvey.

Harris County Judge Ed Emmett has said he asked local nonprofit to set up a shelter at NRG Park in large part because he did not trust the Red Cross to do so.

"The Red Cross could not have done this. They wouldn't have had the wherewithal to do it," Emmett said. "Don't get me wrong, they're out there on the front lines, but I had already seen the difficulty and we needed to get this set up quickly."

READ ALSO: Galveston officials debunk contaminated water rumor

The organization also has been faulted for failing to ensure supplies reached area shelters quickly enough. By sunrise Sunday, when much of the Houston area awoke under water, one of the city's two Red Cross shelters could not accept evacuees due to high water and the other had only 200 cots for what turned out to be more than 2,000 people. Cots did not arrive to the George R. Brown Convention Center downtown until after dark Sunday, and shortages there persisted for days.

A Red Cross spokeswoman defended the nonprofit in a statement Thursday.

"We had all of our shelters on standby the night before Hurricane Harvey blew in, we had all our supplies ready and waiting to go," spokeswoman MaryJane Mudd said. "In some cases the floodwaters made it a little hard to get those supplies from where they were stationed into the shelters for a short while. We've had 1,500 people on the ground, we've served over 700,000 meals and snacks, we've sheltered 40,000 people. I know the plan was there. The process has worked very well."

The nonprofit previously had said the widespread flooding caused by Harvey made it difficult to deliver additional supplies.

"Often, weather events come, hit hard, and leave quickly," Mudd said in an email last week. "Hurricane Harvey came and hovered over the city very hard for an extended time, making it difficult for our pre-arranged, available shelter items to get to some locations."
By PTI: Melbourne, Sep 7 (PTI) A test that involves drawing a spiral on a sheet of paper may help diagnose people at risk of developing Parkinsons disease, say scientists including those of Indian origin.

Researchers at RMIT University in Australia set out to develop an automatic system to contribute to the diagnosis of Parkinsons, and to asses its severity, from the comfort of a community doctors office.

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"Our aim was to develop an affordable and automated electronic system for early-stage diagnosis of Parkinsons disease, which could be used easily by a community doctor or nursing staff," said Poonam Zham, from RMIT University.

Researchers developed specialised software and combined it with a tablet computer that can measure writing speed, and a pen that can measure pressure on a page.

They used the system to measure pen speed and pressure during a simple spiral sketching task in a sample of healthy volunteers and Parkinsons patients with different levels of disease severity.

The system also mathematically combines pen speed and pressure into one measurement, which the team calls the Composite Index of Speed and Pen-pressure (CISP) score, researchers said.

The system measured slower pen speeds, pen pressures and CISP scores in the Parkinsons patients, compared with the healthy volunteers, and all three measurements clearly indicated whether a participant had Parkinsons or not.

On their own, pen speed and pressure were not sufficiently different between patients with different levels of Parkinsons severity, for the system to distinguish between them, they said.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Neurology. PTI APA MHN MHN

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By India Today Web Desk: The verdict is out: Abu Salem has been sentenced to life. The underworld don was found guilty of conspiring to commit the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts, which killed over 250 people.

It was in Lisbon, Portugal, that Abu Salem and his then-girlfriend, Monica Bedi, were arrested by Interpol. The duo had entered the country on forged documents and were extradited to India in November 2005. Along with Abu, Monica spent four years in prison, two of which were in Portugal.

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Abu claimed that he and Monica got married in a mosque in Los Angeles in November 2000, although she has denied the same. Here are 10 things you need to know about Abu Salem's former partner:

1. Monica was born in Chabbewal, a small town in the district of Hoshiarpur, Punjab in 1975. Shortly afterwards, her parents moved to Norway, where Monica spent 16 years of her life.

2. Monica loved dancing, and during one of her visits to India at the age of 20, she decided to stay back to learn Kathak. It was in her dance class that she met veteran actor Manoj Kumar, who offered her a film opposite his son, Kunal. The film never took off, but her acting career did.

3. Growing up, Monica was a huge fan of Sridevi. She told Filmfare in an interview that she would happily clean her brother's room as a child because he promised her VCDs of Sridevi and Jeetendra films in return.

4. In an interview with Showtime, Monica revealed that her first interaction with Abu Salem was over the phone, in 1998, when he asked her to perform at a show in Dubai. She agreed, and the phone calls kept coming. "I began getting friendly with him over the phone. At that time, he gave me a different name. I didn't know he was Abu Salem. Actually, even if he had told me he was Abu Salem, I would've had no clue. I had only heard about Dawood Ibrahim and Chhota Shakeel. I'd never heard of Abu Salem," she said.

5. Reportedly, Abu used his influence and pressurised producers to give Monica a role in films like Jaanam Samjha Karo and Jodi No 1.

6. Monica and Abu were very serious about each other and wanted to start a new life together. "We went to America; we both had never been there earlier. We thought we'd start all over again. His idea was to start organising shows over there legitimately. That was his dream. Believe me he was working really hard at it. He tried his best. But his past was something he couldn't erase and it always caught up with him," she told Showtime.

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7. Monica revealed in an interview with Showtime that her parents found out about her relationship with Abu only once they got arrested. "They live in Norway; they are totally disconnected from this part of the world. It was a major shock for them. They knew I was seeing some guy but I'd lied to them. I had told them that my boyfriend was from America; his name was Sanjay and that he was a show organiser. They kept asking to meet him but I would keep pushing that off," she said.

8. When Monica denied that she was married to Abu, insisting that it was only a long live-in relationship, he sent her a legal notice. In the notice, he said that though he would be heartbroken, he would willingly divorce her if that is what she wanted.

9. Monica was a contestant on the second season of Bigg Boss and stayed in the house for three weeks before getting evicted.

10. When Abu reportedly married a Mumbra-based woman, Monica had nothing but good wishes for him. "I'm happy for him and I wish him all the best in life. I still respect our relationship, but he's moved on and so have I," she said.

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ALSO READ: Abu Salem living a lavish life inside Taloja jail

For more on 1993 Mumbai blasts

All you need to know about gangster Abu Salem

1993 Mumbai blasts: When then Maharashtra CM Sharad Pawar lied about a 13th blast

ALSO WATCH: Monica Bedi's item number is a rage in Bengal

--- ENDS ---
The party had to cancel its Nagrik Sammelan scheduled for September 12 due to lack of venue. The event was part of Amit Shah's 3-day visit to Kolkata from 11-13 September.

BJP president Amit Shah will be on a 3-day visit to Kolkata from 11-13 September. (File Photo/PTI)

By Manogya Loiwal : The tussle between the ruling Trinamool Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in West Bengal is getting intense with each passing day. The latest in the duel between the two parties is cancellation of BJP president Amit Shah's event in Kolkata.

The party had to cancel its Nagrik Sammelan scheduled for September 12 due to lack of venue. The event was part of Amit Shah's 3-day visit to Kolkata from 11-13 September.

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The public event was expected to draw a huge crowd of supporters for which stadiums like Netaji Indoor Stadium or Rabindra Sarovar Stadium were sought. However, the management of both the venues turned down the party's plea for booking citing renovation and prior commitments.

Amit Shah will now be meeting state party unit leaders at Indian Council for Cultural Relations or ICCR which is run by Ministry of External Affairs. The BJP president will be holding three meetings with party leaders at three different venues, all of which are maintained by the Central government.

"We are compelled to make these changes because we don't want people of Bengal to suffer and we don't believe in vindictive politics. We have faith in development as we have come to power across country with the same mandate and Mamata Banerjee government is afraid of our swelling support base in the state," senior BJP leader Kailash Vijayvargiya said.

"She can stop us from getting a venue but not stop us from making a place in the hearts of the people," he added.

RSS CHIEF MOHAN BHAGWAT'S EVENT CANCELLED

Earlier, a Kolkata auditorium cancelled the booking for an event where Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat was slated to deliver a speech.

In January this year, Kolkata Police had denied permission for RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat's rally in the city.

In December 2014, a Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) rally at the parade ground in Kolkata was denied permission by the state police.

Mamata Banerjee has been one of the most vocal and sharpest critics of the Narendra Modi government at the Centre. She took to the streets to protest against the Modi government's decision to demonetise Rs 500 and Rs 1000 currency notes in November last year.

The Trinamool Congress chief was also critical of the Centre's much-hyped Goods and Services Tax rollout on July 1. Her party boycotted the special midnight session for GST rollout, calling the launch "ill-planned" and and an "epic blunder like demonetisation.

ALSO READ:

West Bengal government-owned auditorium cancels booking for event where RSS chief Bhagwat was to speak

Trinamool Congress blames BJP for MP Sultan Ahmed's cardiac arrest

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Kolkata: Mamata Banerjee's men beat up BJP supporters for raising slogans against them

WATCH: Mamata government-owned auditorium cancels Mohan Bhagwat event in Kolkata

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WADAKONA, South Sudan  As the United States considers lifting sanctions on Sudan, one of the most sensitive issues is on display in these tense borderlands: weapons. South Sudans government accuses its neighbor of supplying arms to rebels fighting its bloody civil war.

Opposition fighters, who recently defected to the South Sudan government side, described how weapons flow in from Sudan  and how rebels flee there to find safe harbor.

Past documentation by arms experts that Sudan has supplied weapons to South Sudans rebels are a concern as the Trump administration considers permanently lifting sanctions on Sudan in October. The sanctions have been in place for two decades because of grave human rights concerns.

Sudans government has denied arming the rebels. Human rights groups say that if it is happening, Sudans actions should weigh heavily against lifting sanctions.

If Sudan cant restrain itself from destabilizing its southern neighbor when it has so much to gain from the United States by not doing so, imagine the damage Sudan will do once sanctions are lifted and the U.S. no longer has leverage on Sudan to temper its worst instincts, said the founding director of the Enough Project, John Prendergast.

Tens of thousands of people have been killed in South Sudans four-year civil war and millions have fled the country. Multiple efforts at peace deals have failed and no end to the conflict is in sight.

Between 2011 and 2015, the independent organization Conflict Armament Research documented Sudanese support to opposition forces in South Sudan. It found that Sudanese military equipment had been captured from non-state armed groups there. It also found that Sudan often repackaged ammunition or masked shipping information to conceal its origins, especially with large quantities of Chinese ammunition.

Sam Mednick is an Associated Press writer.
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SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico  Hurricane Irma lashed Puerto Rico with heavy rain and powerful winds Wednesday night, leaving nearly 900,000 people without power as authorities struggled to get aid to small Caribbean islands already devastated by the historic storm.

Florida rushed to prepare for a possible direct hit on the Miami area by the Category 5 storm with potentially catastrophic 185 mph winds.

Nearly every building on the island of Barbuda was damaged when the eye of the storm passed almost directly overhead early Wednesday, and about 60 percent of the islands roughly 1,400 people were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne told the Associated Press.

Either they were totally demolished or they would have lost their roof, Browne said after returning to Antigua from a plane trip to the neighboring island. It is just really a horrendous situation.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were destroyed and recovery will take months, if not years. A 2-year-old was killed as a family tried to escape a damaged home during the storm, Browne said.

As the storm moved west, it tore up the small islands in its path. On St. Thomas, in the U.S. Virgin Islands, Laura Strickling spent 12 hours hunkered down with her husband and 1-year-old daughter in a boarded-up basement apartment with no power as the storm raged outside. They emerged to find the lush island in tatters, with many of their neighbors homes damaged and the once-dense vegetation largely gone.

There are no leaves. It is crazy. One of the things we loved about St. Thomas is that it was so green. And its gone, said Strickling, who moved to the island with her husband three years ago from Washington, D.C. It will take years for this community to get back on its feet.

Significant effects were also reported on St. Martin, an island split between French and Dutch control. Photos and video circulating on social media showed major damage to the airport in Philipsburg and the coastal village of Marigot heavily flooded. France sent emergency food and water rations there and to the French island of St. Barts, where Irma ripped off roofs and knocked out all electricity. Dutch marines who flew to St. Martin and two other Dutch islands hammered by Irma reported extensive damage but no deaths or injuries.

By Wednesday evening, the center of the storm was about 50 miles north of San Juan, Puerto Rico, and heading west-northwest at 16 mph.

More than half the island of Puerto Rico was without power and nearly 50,000 people without water, the U.S. territorys emergency management agency said. Fourteen hospitals were using generators after losing power, and trees and light poles were strewn across roads.

The tiny island of Culebra reported sustained winds of 88 mph and wind gusts of 110 mph.

The U.S. National Weather Service said Puerto Rico had not seen a hurricane of Irmas magnitude since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928, which killed a total of 2,748 people in Guadeloupe, Puerto Rico and Florida.

Puerto Ricos public power company has cut back on staff and maintenance amid a decade-long economic crisis, and the agencys director warned that some areas could be without power from four to six months because the infrastructure has already deteriorated so badly.

President Trump this week approved an emergency declaration for the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. That means the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other agencies can remove debris and give other services that will largely be paid for by the U.S. government.

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency officials said their biggest concerns were oil spills and power disruptions to water supply systems.

No matter what precautions we take, the coastal flooding will impact oil tanks, said Catherine McCabe, a regional administrator.

Another concern was the 20 Superfund sites in Puerto Rico and the three in the U.S. Virgin islands, given that most were near the coast, she said. She said EPA officials in New Jersey were on standby to fly to the scene after the hurricane passed through.

State maintenance worker Juan Tosado said he was without power for three months after Hurricane Hugo killed dozens of people in Puerto Rico in 1989.

I expect the same from this storm, he said. Its going to be bad.

Tourist Pauline Jackson, a 59-year-old registered nurse from Tampa, Fla., puffed on her last cigarette as a San Juan hotel prepared to shutter its doors ahead of the storm.

Im in a hurricane here, and when I get home, Ill be in the same hurricane. Its crazy, she said.

She tried to leave ahead of the storm but all flights were sold out, and she worried about her home in Tampa.

When youre from Florida, you understand a Category 5 hurricane, said Jackson, who was scheduled to fly out Friday.

The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Irmas winds would fluctuate, but the storm would be likely to remain at Category 4 or 5 for the next day or two as it roared past the Dominican Republic, Haiti, Cuba, Turks and Caicos, and parts of the Bahamas. Evacuations from high-risk areas were ordered throughout the path of the storm.

By Sunday, Irma is expected to hit Florida, where Gov. Rick Scott said he planned to activate 7,000 National Guard soldiers by Friday and warned that Irma is bigger, faster and stronger than Hurricane Andrew. Andrew pummeled south Florida 25 years ago and wiped out entire neighborhoods with ferocious winds.

Trump also declared an emergency in Florida, and authorities in the Bahamas said they were evacuating six southern islands.

Experts worried that Irma could rake the entire Florida east coast from Miami to Jacksonville and then head into Savannah, Ga., and the Carolinas, striking highly populated and developed areas.

This could easily be the most costly storm in U.S. history, which is saying a lot considering what just happened two weeks ago, said Brian McNoldy, a hurricane researcher at the University of Miami.

Because of the uncertainty in any forecast this far out, authorities in Miami held off for the time being on ordering any widespread evacuations. The mayor of Miami-Dade County activated the emergency operation center and urged residents to have three days worth of food and water.

The State Department authorized voluntary evacuation of U.S. diplomats and their families from the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Cuba, where the storm was expected to arrive by Friday.

Danica Coto and Anika Kentish are Associated Press writers.
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PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti  French, British and Dutch military authorities rushed aid to a devastated string of Caribbean islands Thursday after Hurricane Irma left at least 11 people dead and thousands homeless as it spun toward Florida for what could be a catastrophic blow this weekend.

Warships and planes were dispatched with food, water and troops after the fearsome Category 5 storm smashed homes, schools and roads, laying waste to some of the worlds most beautiful and exclusive tourist destinations.

By Thursday afternoon, the hurricane was north of the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where authorities reported some flooding and building damage but no deaths. Big waves smashed a dozen homes into rubble in the Dominican fishing community of Nagua, but work crews said all the residents had left before the storm.

About a million people were without power in Puerto Rico after Irma sideswiped the island overnight, but there were no immediate reports of large-scale casualties.

The first islands hit by the storm were scenes of terrible destruction.

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe said four people were confirmed dead and about 50 injured on the French side of St. Martin, an island split between Dutch and French control. The toll could rise because rescue teams had yet to get a complete look at the damage.

At least four people were killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands, officials said, describing the damage as catastrophic and saying crews were struggling to reopen roads.

Three more deaths were reported on the British island of Anguilla, independent Barbuda and the Dutch side of St. Martin.

Irma also slammed the French island of St. Barts, tearing off roofs and knocking out electricity.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said 100,000 food rations were sent to St. Barts and St. Martin, the equivalent of four days of supplies.

Its a tragedy. Well need to rebuild both islands, he said. Most of the schools have been destroyed.

Photos and video of St. Martin circulating on social media showed major damage to the Philipsburg airport and heavy flooding in the coastal village of Marigot.

Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said the storm caused wide-scale destruction of infrastructure, houses and businesses.

There is no power, no gasoline, no running water. Houses are under water, cars are floating through the streets, inhabitants are sitting in the dark in ruined houses and are cut off from the outside world, he said.

Far out in the Atlantic, Hurricane Jose grew into a Category 2 storm, threatening some of the same islands ravaged by Irma.

Meanwhile, Irma, the most potent Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever recorded, appeared increasingly likely to rip into heavily populated South Florida early Sunday after threatening parts of the Turks and Caicos and the Bahamas on Thursday night and Friday and sweeping along Cubas northern coast on Saturday.

French President Emmanuel Macrons office said he would go to the islands as soon as the weather permits it. Saying he was grief-stricken, Macron called for concerted efforts to tackle global warming to prevent similar natural disasters.

Two Dutch navy ships were in St. Martin with vital supplies. And two Dutch military aircraft were being sent the island of Curacao and on to St. Martin to deliver food and water intended to last the population of 40,000 five days. The aircraft were carrying 100 extra troops to deliver aid, repair infrastructure and restore order.

Britain was sending hundreds of troops and the Royal Navy flagship HMS Ocean to Anguilla, Montserrat and the British Virgin Islands.

In Anguilla, officials reported extensive damage to the airport, hospitals, shelters and schools and said 90 percent of roads were impassable.

On Barbuda, nearly every building was damaged when the hurricanes core crossed almost directly over the island early Wednesday. About 60 percent of its roughly 1,400 residents were left homeless, Antigua and Barbuda Prime Minister Gaston Browne said.

He said roads and telecommunications systems were wrecked and recovery will take months, if not years.

It is just really a horrendous situation, Browne said.

Evens Sanon and Danica Coto are Associated Press writers.
SEOUL  While condemning North Korea over its latest nuclear test, the leaders of Russia and South Korea seemed far apart on the issue of stepping up sanctions against the country after a meeting Wednesday in the Russian port city of Vladivostok.

Speaking after the meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in, Russian President Vladimir Putin called for talks with North Korea, saying sanctions are not a solution to the countrys nuclear and missile development.

President Trump also discussed North Korea with Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday, as the U.S. proposed crippling new sanctions. The White House stressed the U.S. and Chinese leaders joint commitment to ridding the Korean Peninsula of nuclear weapons. But differences were clear on how best to reach that remote goal.

Chinas state news agency said Xi expressed Chinas adamant position about resolving the nuclear issue through talks. But Trump projected an entirely different message in a phone call a day earlier with British Prime Minister Theresa May. The American leader declared now is not the time to talk to North Korea, according to a White House readout, released shortly before Trumps call with Xi.

South Koreas Moon had urged Moscow to support stronger sanctions against North Korea, which conducted its sixth nuclear test on Sunday in what it claimed was a detonation of a thermonuclear weapon built for missiles capable of reaching the U.S. mainland.

We should not give in to emotions and push Pyongyang into a corner, Putin said in a news conference after the meeting, held on the sidelines of a conference on economic development of Russias Far East. As never before everyone should show restraint and refrain from steps leading to escalation and tensions.

Moon said the leaders agreed that reducing regional tension and quickly solving the security challenges posed by North Koreas nuclear and missile program were critical. Ahead of his meeting with Putin, Moon said the situation could get out of hand if North Koreas missile and nuclear tests arent stopped.

Moon urged Russia to back stronger sanctions including the cutting off oil supplies, but Putin expressed concern that such moves would hurt regular North Koreans, said Yoon Young-chan, Moons chief press secretary.

Myself and President Putin share a view that North Korea has gone the wrong way with its nuclear and missile program and that easing tension on the Korean Peninsula is an urgent issue, Moon said during the news conference. He complimented Putin and the Russian government over what he said were a variety of efforts to find diplomatic solutions to the North Korean problem.

Kim Tong-Hyung is an Associated Press writer.
ISLAMABAD  Its safe to say that most people in Pakistan were glad that Malala Yousafzai, then a 15-year-old student, did not die from the bullet wounds a squad of Taliban militants left in her face and neck when they ambushed her school bus in Pakistans scenic Swat Valley in 2012.

Its probably also safe to say that two years later, most Pakistanis were proud  even if that pride was mingled with other, more complicated emotions  when Yousafzai, an activist for girls education, became at 17 the youngest person ever to win a Nobel Prize and her countrys second Nobelist since the Muslim-majority country was founded in 1947.
BEIRUT  Israeli warplanes struck a military position near the Mediterranean coast in western Syria on Thursday, killing two soldiers, the Syrian army said, in a stronghold of President Bashar Assad that is also heavily protected by the Russians and Iranians.

The air strike targeted a facility near the town of Masyaf, in Hama province, described by some as a missile producing factory, amid Israeli outrage over Irans growing influence in the war-torn country.
(Adds Fenglin comment starting in 8th paragraph)

New Zealand Trade and Enterprise, which has encouraged a Chinese company to invest in a $180 million wood processing plant in the Central North Island to boost regional development, is now looking into whether there is enough wood fibre available to supply the plant following concerns from local industry.

Chinas Guangxi Fenglin Wood Industry Group announced plans earlier this year to establish a plant in Kawerau by 2020 to produce 600,000 cubic metres of panel boards a year and generate 100 new jobs, at an expected cost of $180 million.

However, the Wood Processors & Manufacturers Association of New Zealand has raised concerns that timber mills in the region dont produce enough wood fibre to supply the proposed plant as well as existing big pulp mills of Kinleith in Tokoroa and Tasman in Kawerau, which are owned by Japans Oji Fibre Solutions. Fenglins proposed plant is expected to initially produce particle board and later expand to medium-density fibre board (MDF).

The WPMA very much welcomes overseas investment in the New Zealand wood processing sector, said chief executive Jon Tanner. However, he noted it is important that this investment is directed to regions where there is not an already constrained wood fibre supply.

NZTE confirmed to BusinessDesk that it has commissioned Finland forestry consultancy Indufor to provide baseline data on levels of wood fibre available for processing in the region for industry stakeholders.

NZTE general manager of investment Dylan Lawrence said the report will investigate the current and planned harvest levels of timber, the current annual volumes of pulpwood and residues, as well as planned production and consumption levels in the industry.

The report is expected to be completed near the end of this year and NZTE will publish a high-level summary of the findings, Lawrence said.

Fenglin told BusinessDesk it is confident that there is sufficient wood supply for the new development.

"Fibre supply for the new particle board mill in the immediate term will come from existing under-utilised wood fibre resources and from the rapidly expanding forest harvest in the wider region," said Fenglin Wood Industry (New Zealand) director John Galbraith. "The plant will complement existing wood manufacturing, providing alternative markets for existing byproducts and our expectation is this will support further investment in new primary processing ventures in the region, utilising fibre that is currently being exported as whole logs."

Fenglins planned investment in Kawerau was hailed as a huge benefit to the district by Mayor Malcolm Campbell when it was announced in April, who noted the area had traditionally faced a shortage of job opportunities.

Founded in 2000, Fenglin was one of the earliest engineering board manufacturers in China and the first in Guangxi Province, according to its website. Listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange, Fenglin has three MDF plants and one particle board plant in China with total capacity of 810,000 cubic metres a year, and also owns about 14,000 hectares of forests to secure wood supply.

With plants in Chinas Guangxi and Guangdon provinces, the company said it began to explore more international opportunities from 2015.

(BusinessDesk)

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China has questioned whether General Bipin Rawat was "authorised" to comment on border tensions after the Indian Army Chief highlighted Beijing's "muscle flexing".

By Ananth Krishnan: China on Thursday questioned whether Indian Army Chief General Bipin Rawat was "authorised" to make remarks at a seminar on Wednesday where he had highlighted the military threat and "muscle flexing" from Beijing.

Speaking at a seminar, General Rawat had said that "flexing of muscle" had begun and that China was "salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold" which India has "to be wary about". He also called for preparedness for a two-front war scenario.

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China sought to play down the remarks on Thursday, two days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Xiamen and discussed the way forward for ties following the 72-day-long standoff in Doklam.

WHAT CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY SAID

"We have noted this statement", Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said. "We have also noted that some Indian press reported his remarks were shocking. We don't know whether he was authorised to speak those words or whether it was spontaneous, or whether it represented the position of the Indian government."

Geng said that at the meeting with PM Modi on Tuesday, President Xi "pointed out that two sides are each other's development opportunities, not threats." "We hope India could view China's development in a correct and rational way. We need to show the world that peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation is the only right choice for the two countries. We should respect each other, seek common ground and shelve differences, and preserve peace and tranquility in border areas", Geng said.

"We hope this military official could see this trend clearly", he added, "and contribute to the development of China-India relations,and say something more in that regard."

ALSO READ |

Doklam standoff 'affected and undermined' relations with India, says China

Doklam standoff: We have mechanism to resolve such issues, says General Bipin Rawat

Modi, Xi's first meet after Doklam thaw: Peace a must for ties, says Jaishankar

WATCH VIDEO | Standoffs do not lead to breakdown of international relations, says Army chief Rawat on Doklam skirmish

--- ENDS ---
Support for the vexed Pacific area trade agreement known as PACER-Plus has taken a significant step forward with Vanuatu becoming a signatory to the deal after declining to participate when 11 other countries concluded the eight-year negotiation in June.

Vanuatu wasnt ready to sign in June when we concluded the agreement," said Trade Minister Todd McClay in a statement. "However, we've been working closely with them and I am pleased the Cabinet of Vanuatu has agreed to sign PACER Plus today."

He expressed optimism that Papua New Guinea, another hold-out against a deal, might also soon sign on, following the recent appointment of a new trade minister there.

He had spoken to Rimbink Pato, PNG's Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade, who "indicated PNG is very interested in joining PACER-Plus," McClay told BusinessDesk. "I'm optimistic we can get PNG on board quite quickly."

However, there was little sign of movement from Fiji, which has yet even to file a formal market access offer, a key element for any country seeking to enter an international trade agreement.

Australia, the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu are the current signatories.

Several small northern Pacific nations, all with traditional ties to and special trade arrangements with the US, are also expected to join the deal once issues relating to their US relationships are worked through.

The agreement is intended as much as a development as a trade-boosting arrangement, although critics charge that the trade elements of the agreement expose weak Pacific economies to too much competitive pressure for local industries to withstand.

(BusinessDesk)

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Top Retail, which operates New Zealand's two Topshop and Topman branded stores, has been tipped into receivership due to the prospect of mounting losses in the face of increased competition, an environment that sunk its Australian counterpart in May.

McGrathNicol's Conor McElhinney and Kare Johnstone were today appointed receivers by the Auckland-based company's secured lender at the request of directors, the receivers said in a statement. Directors Mary Devine, Gary Hitchcock, Karen Walker and James Whiting ran the rule over the business's ability to keep trading in an environment of heightened competition after the Australian Topshop operations were placed into voluntary administration over similar issues. The prospect of losses made it apparent the company couldn't keep trading, the receivers said.

"We have put our hearts and souls into this business, we have the best staff, great store locations, and the directors have left no stone unturned in trying to find a solution," the directors said in a separate statement. "It is with regret that the directors had no alternative but to request the secured lender to appoint receivers. We will work closely with the receivers to ensure the best possible outcome for the business and employees."

The receivership is the latest in a line of retailers struggling to make a traditional bricks-and-mortar model work when online rivals avoid the overhead of a high street site and are accused of skirting customs duties that traditional vendors face.

Top Retailer launched the popular UK brand in New Zealand in 2014, with Kiwi clothing firm Barkers, Christchurch property investor Philip Carter and fashion designer Karen Walker taking the rights to own, develop and operate the brand locally. So far it's opened a store on Auckland's Queen St and one on Wellington's Lambton Quay, and had signalled plans to add two more. It had also planned to open an online store later this year.

Instead, today's receivership will hand control of the business and assets with the receivers.

"Both the Wellington and Auckland stores will continue to trade while the receivers work with the directors, management and staff to assess options for the company," McElhinney said. "Any parties interested in the business or assets or any part thereof, such as the leases or fit-out, should contact the receivers."

Top Retail said both stores will operate as usual until the receivers make a decision on future ownership, and that the directors "are committed to working closely with all local staff through this transition stage".

(BusinessDesk)

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A PIL has been filed in the Supreme Court challenging the constitutional validity of Article 35A, which relates to permanent residency in Jammu and Kashmir. Now, a civil society group led by Yashwant Sinha has said that the debate around Article 35A has affected the demand for Azadi in Kashmir Valley.

By Shuja-ul-Haq : Veteran BJP leader Yashwant Sinha-led panel of civil society members has said that the Article 35A issue seems to have pushed the demand for Azaadi to the background as Kashmiris feel this is a direct threat of changing Valley's demography.

The group has explained this by observing the feeling of people. It said that the case against Article 35A was part of the plan to change Valley's demography.

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The members of the panel on Kashmir recently visited the Valley and interacted with various social and political groups.

WHAT THE PANEL SAID

"The judicial raking of the Article 35A issue seems to have pushed the demand for 'Azadi' to the background (it has, however, neither disappeared nor become secondary, only less urgent) as people see the attempts to change rules for special rights of people of J&K as an existential threat of changing the Valley's demographic profile" reads the report of Concerned Citizen's Group (CCG).

The report further elaborated that the people of the Valley were angry as they believed that the Centre was a "passive collaborator" in the petition filed before the Supreme Court against the Article 35A. "The belief was strengthened not because of the statements from the ruling party at the Centre and its frontal organisations but the central government's attitude itself. So, Kashmiris openly alleged that the judicial attack on J&K's special status was being "stage managed" by the central government," the report further said.

The panel also said that questions were being asked as to why the state government had been left alone to defend Article 35A and whether it was not the responsibility of the central government to defend the Constitution. The report suggests that a lack of clear answers to these two questions has led people to doubt the central government's intentions.

GROWING DISCONTENT?

The CCG report also points towards a growing discontent among the people of Kashmir towards New Delhi. It reasons that it was predominantly because of lack of attempts towards starting a process of dialogue by the government.

"The distance between rest of India and the Kashmiri youth... seems to have increased. This was evident in the fact that even the people, who used to talk reasonably earlier were using the language of the militants and separatists this time," says the CCG report.

The group noted that the people looked at the recent NIA action against Hurriyat leaders and businessmen as a ploy to show that the unrest in the valley was entirely due to funding from Pakistan.

"Some sought to point out that the government and its agencies had also been funding Kashmir leaders of all hues and justified using foreign money by the separatists. They said raiding the separatist leaders and thereby trying to delegitimize them was part of a whole host of hostile acts by the Central government aimed at the Kashmiris," the CCG report said.

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WHO ARE IN CCG?

The CCG members who visited the Valley between August 17 to 19 comprised Yashwant Sinha, Air Vice Marshal (Retd) Kapil Kak, Sushobha Barve (Executive Director, Centre for Dialogue and Reconciliation) and Bharat Bhushan (Editor, Catch News).

CCG members met some prominent political parties, office bearers of the Jammu and Kashmir Bar Association, civil society representatives from Srinagar, Anantnag, Shopian, Pulwama, civil society representatives in Kupwara, North Kashmir and college students.

ALSO READ |How 2 PILs are helping RSS agenda of Uniform Civil Code, Article 370

Why Farooq Abdullah is angry over Article 35A and how it will impact special status of Kashmir

ALSO WATCH | Supreme Court agrees to look into plea challenging Article 35A

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Patna, Sep 7 (PTI) The president of Congress Bihar unit, Ashok Choudhary, today accused "some" AICC leaders of fuelling rebellion against him with the "false propaganda" that he was making attempts to split the party.

"Some AICC leaders are behind the crisis in the Congress in Bihar...they are fuelling rebellion against me by alleging that I am making attempts to break the party in favour of Nitish Kumars JD(U) to replace me from PCC presidents post with their favourite," Ashok Choudhary told PTI.

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He, however, did not identify anyone but said "they would be unmasked very soon".

The PCC chief did not go to Delhi on being summoned by Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for a meeting yesterday to stem the crisis in Bihar arising after the collapse of the Grand Alliance.

The Congress has 27 MLAs in the 243-member Bihar Assembly.

"I did not go to Delhi due to personal reasons," Choudhary said.

He claimed that "from the beginning, forces on behalf of some AICC leaders are working against me. First they mooted the issue of one man, one post against me. I told the party leadership that I am ready to give up ministerial post in favour of the Congress state chief.

"Now that ministership has gone and I am left with only the post of PCC chief, they have spun lies against me that I am making attempts to trigger split in favour of Nitish Kumars JD(U)."

Reiterating his dedication for the party, Choudhary, whose father Mahavir Choudhary was a veteran Congress leader in Bihar hailing from dalit background, said "I joined NSUI in student days and, over the past 25 years, I have been working to strengthen the party in Bihar.... I would have to struggle for another 15 years to explain that I did not make any attempt to split the party."

Meanwhile, Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is meeting party MLAs from Bihar for the second consecutive day today in Delhi to prevent rebellion in its Bihar unit.

Congress Legislature Party leader Sadanand Singh, who skipped yesterdays interaction with Rahul Gandhi citing personal reasons, has gone to the national capital to meet the party vice-president.

Senior Congress MLAs like Ashok Kumar, Vijay Shankar Dubey and others are also closeted with Rahul Gandhi for the second consecutive day today to ward off the crisis in teh state unit. PTI SNS PR RT

--- ENDS ---

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Seven years back in 2010, Nitish had returned a similar cheque of the same amount from Gujarat govt over a controversial advertisement, but this time the CM happily accepted the Rs 5 crore flood aid.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: It was a deja vu for Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday when he accepted a cheque of Rs 5 crore sent by the Gujarat govt for the flood victims of Bihar. It was seven years back in 2010 when Nitish had returned a similar cheque of the same amount to the Gujarat govt over a controversial advertisement that was published in newspapers in Bihar where BJP boasted of Gujarat govt providing Rs 5 crore flood aid to Kosi flood victims. Narendra Modi was then the CM of Gujarat.

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However, seven years later, Nitish happily accepted the Rs 5 crore flood aid which was presented to him by Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendra Singh Chudasama on behalf of the Gujarat govt headed by Vijay Rupani.

"Things have changed in the last seven years and we did not discuss the 2010 incident. Nitish Kumar accepted the Rs 5 crore aid which was provided by Gujarat govt towards Chief Minister's Relief Fund," said Bhupendra Singh Chudasama, Revenue Minister of Gujarat.

Chudasama, however, did not forget to take a jibe at CM Nitish Kumar over the 2010 incident. Even before meeting Nitish at the CM secretariat and later after meeting him, he commented "samay bahut balwaan hota hai".

The minister's comment was a direct swipe at the Bihar CM. He though did not elaborate on this comment further as to who had become more "balwaan" in last seven years, Nitish or Narendra Modi.

On the other hand, RJD attacked Nitish for accepting the flood aid from Gujarat which was once rejected by him.

"Nitish Kumar ne aaj thook kar chaatne ka kaam kiya hai. Ye Bihar ki parampara nahi hai," said Bhai Birendra, RJD MLA.

ALSO READ:

Bihar flood death toll rises to 253 as worsening crisis affects 1.26 crore

Bihar floods: Railway tracks go 4 feet under water in East Champaran

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: She set the screen on fire in the horror film Alone, but that was two years ago. Since then, fans have missed seeing Bipasha Basu on the big screen. But there might be some good news coming their way. If a report in Mumbai Mirror is to be believed, Bipasha is one of the top contenders to play the second lead in Race 3.

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If Bipasha lands the role, she will join Salman Khan and Jacqueline Fernandez, who have already been roped in for the Remo D'Souza-directed film. Speculation is rife that the part is of a glamourous "bikini-clad" girl.

What might tilt the scales in Bipasha's favour is that she is good friends with Salman. Incidentally, Bipasha was one of the leading ladies of the first installment of the franchise. However, her character got bumped off in Race 2.

Meanwhile, Salman's Jai Ho heroine Daisy Shah's name is also doing the rounds as one of the contenders. Daisy recently revealed that producer Ramesh Taurani had discussed the film with her in 2014, before the release of her debut film, but there had been no talk after that.

ALSO READ: Amitabh Bachchan to join Salman Khan in Remo D'Souza's Race 3?

ALSO READ: Jacqueline confirms working with Salman Khan in Race 3

ALSO WATCH: I'm proud of myself, says Bipasha Basu on life as an actor

--- ENDS ---
The booklet issued by the Bharatiya Janata Party to help improve general knowledge of people has no mention of India's first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru, first woman PM Indira Gandhi or even the father of the nation Mahatma Gandhi.

By Panini Anand: India's first President? Rajendra Prasad

India's First Vice-President? S. Radhakrishnan

India's first deputy Prime Minister? Sardar Vallabh bhai Patel

Did we jump a sentence? Something amiss? No, you didn't jump a sentence. What's amiss is India's first Prime Minister. Jawaharlal Nehru. Since Nehru is a name Bharatiya Janata Party would like to forget in general knowledge of India's recent history, the party has taken it to a whole new level.

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The BJP is celebrating Deendayal Upadhyaya's centenary year birth anniversary with full enthusiasm. On this occasion, many schemes and programs are being devoted to Deendayal Upadhyay.

The slogan of Integral Humanism and Antodya are being linked together and there is also a competition for naming of monuments and institutions in his name.

Following the aforementioned directions, the Uttar Pradesh unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party had also formed the Pandit Deendayal Upadhyaya Birth Centenary Committee, which is organising a variety of programs related to Deendayal Upadhyaya among different sections of the society.

The then state BJP president Keshav Prasad Maurya himself took charge of this committee. Many more BJP leaders are involved in this.

A general knowledge competition has also been organised on behalf of this committee.

BJP Booklet

For this, a booklet named Samanya Gyan 2017 (General Knowledge 2017) has also been published. This booklet is distributed among government and non-government schools to thousands of children.

This booklet of general knowledge mentions many things related to India's history. Competitions are being organised on the basis of this booklet.

MAHATMA GANDHI, NEHRU DO NOT EXIST IN THE BJP BOOKLET

Page number 34 of this 70-page general knowledge booklet issued by the Bharatiya Janata Party is headlined "First in India". This chapter covers India's first president, governor general, vice-president, Lok Sabha speaker and deputy prime minister among others. But the booklet conveniently ignores any reference to India's first Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru. It is as if they did not find this information substantial enough.

It doesn't end there. The said chapter has no reference of India's first woman prime minister Indira Gandhi. It should be noted that the chapter has given importance to India's first woman chief minister Sucheta Kriplani but no mention whatsoever of Indira Gandhi or Jawaharlal Nehru.

Indira Gandhi, however, has been mentioned in the booklet as the first woman to be honoured with the country's highest civilian award, Bharat Ratna.

Morarji Desai has been mentioned as the first prime minister of India who resigned from the post.

Page number seven of the BJP booklet has a chapter "Hamare Mahapurush" that talks about the great personalities of India. The list has Swami Vivekananda, Dr BR Ambedkar, Guru Govind Singh, Birsa Munda, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee, Nanaji Deshmukh, Madan Mohan Malviya, Dr Hedgewar, Vir Savarkar, Kabir Das, Sardar Vallabhai Patel and Rani Laxmi Bai but not once have they mentioned Mahatma Gandhi. Mahatma Gandhi is not referred to as the father of the nation even once.

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Page number 39 has a column titled "Who said what". Jawaharlal Nehru doesn't feature here either.

BJP Booklet

Along with Mahatma Gandh, Bal Gangadhar Tilak and Lal Bahadur Shastri, Shyam Lal Gupta, Subhash Chandra Bose, Swami Dayanand Saraswathi have been mentioned as prominent personalities. The list goes on and you can find Yudhishtir and Duroyodhan (yes, from the Mahabharata) as important personalities in Indian history.

The booklet also mentions Ved Vyas, Chanakya Neethi and Panchatantra.

FEATURING HISTORY

The first point stated in the headline Economic Scenario, on page no 41 - is the year in which the Planning Commission has been terminated by the Government of India.

The second and third points are on the NITI Ayog. In points appearing later, the RSS' sister organisation Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS) has been included as the largest labour organisation of India.

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Countless points following are modest in their own ways too. The first point under the title of Sam-Samayiki (today's India) is - who gave the slogan "Make in India"? - Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

And then the further general knowledge focuses on the names of the plans of the Modi government.

The booklet also talks about the Indian Constitution and talks about the constitutions of countries the members of the Constituent Assembly referred. The BJP booklet said that Constitution of India is similar to the British Constitution and implies that the Constituent Assembly borrowed ideas from other countries rather than designing our own.

Talking about the history of Uttar Pradesh, the booklet says that Varanasi city is situated on Lord Trishul of Lord Shiva.

It is also worth noting that while talking about India's history, the list of Prime Ministers of Independent India is not included in this booklet. Nor is the list of Chief Ministers of Uttar Pradesh so far in this booklet.

FYI || Modi in Myanmar: PM visits Bahadur Shah Zafar's shrine, Kalibari Temple in Yangon ||

FYI || #BlockNarendraModi: Blocking anyone is no solution, dialogue should be open ||

| To read this copy in Hindi, click on this |

--- ENDS ---

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A #BlockNarendraModi movement seems to have taken off on Twitter with users expressing their anger over the prime minister following 'troll' accounts that put out celebratory tweets following the murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh.

By India Today Web Desk: The anger over the killing of Gauri Lankesh is evident on Twitter where a large number of users have started blocking Prime Minister Narendra Modi's personal handle in protest against him following abusive trolls, including one who called the Kannada journalist-activist "a bitch" who deserved to die.

Nikhil Dadhich, who claims to be a garment manufacturer on his Twitter profile, posted a tweet shortly after the Tuesday night murder that used an abusive reference to the slain journalist. "Ek kuttiya kutte ki maut kya mari, saare pille ek sur mein bilbila rahe hain" (It took a bitch to die a dog's death, for all pups to howl in the same tune)," he said.

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Dadhich's Twitter account is followed by many political leaders from the right-wing BJP including Modi, which prompted many to ask why he was following such people, and demanded an unfollowing and apology. Since Wednesday night however, #BlockNarendraModi appeared on the microblogging site and was the top trend when this story was written.

Most users, while blocking the PM, tagged one Dr Rakesh Parikh (@drrakeshparikh) who they said came up with the idea. Dr Parikh's bio on Twitter says he is a "Diabetologist, Clinical Researcher, Blogger, Social Activist. Ex-Politician - have been active in Anti Corruption movement and then founder member of AAP".

Sample some of the Twitter users who have now blocked Modi:

"Doing something I should have done a long time back. Thanks @drrakeshparikh #BlockNarendraModi"

Doing something I should have done a long time back. Thanks @drrakeshparikh #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/hOcCceVPnj- amitbehere (@amitbehere) 6 September 2017

"A Prime Minister who serves a third of the country and follows those indulging in filthy abuse of others is rubbish. #BlockNarendraModi"

A Prime Minister who serves a third of the country and follows those indulging in filthy abuse of others is rubbish. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/eYkFo8sgI2- Vidyut (@Vidyut) 6 September 2017

"I don't normally block people, but I'll make an exception. Not like he says anything of use to country. #BlockNarendraModi"

I don't normally block people, but I'll make an exception. Not like he says anything of use to country. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/VKiIh4QWBj- Vidyut (@Vidyut) 6 September 2017

"#BlockNarendraModi Anyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM"

#BlockNarendraModiAnyone who follows vile, vicious abusive trolls isnt & will never be my PM pic.twitter.com/oUoz4l7dmH- SANDIPAN MITRA (@SANDIPANMITRA6) 6 September 2017

"I too can't follow someone who inspires filthy abusive trolls to threaten & harm dissent voices #BlockNarendraModi"

I too can't follow someone who inspires filthy abusive trolls to threaten & harm dissent voices #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/Lquj8Hih2N- Sahil Prasad (@laxmi407) 6 September 2017

"#BlockNarendraModi until he blocks hatred and the hate mongers, trolls and trouble makres, the cow vigilantes and the moral brigades"

#BlockNarendraModi until he blocks hatred and the hate mongers, trolls and trouble makres, the cow vigilantes and the moral brigades pic.twitter.com/bfpD3lru8f- #iStandWithFarmers (@suresh_ediga) 6 September 2017

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"#BlockNarendraModi A Person Who Follows & Encourages Abusers, Hate Spewers & Bigots Who Celebrate Human Deaths Deserves to be Blocked"

#BlockNarendraModiA Person Who Follows & EncouragesAbusers, Hate Spewers & Bigots Who Celebrate Human Deaths Deserves to be Blocked pic.twitter.com/aPgJiSnbna- Geet Varun (@geetv79) 6 September 2017

"I am done : A step towards Swachh Twitter Abhiyan. #BlockNarendraModi"

I am done : A step towards Swachh Twitter Abhiyan. #BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/qWqWB7OSdm- Sayed Tausif (@Tausif_Qazi) 6 September 2017

Some were scathing in their attack on the PM.

"I do. Feels pretty damn fantastic to go out of my way to block the creep. #BlockNarendraModi You should try it. It is fun."

I do. Feels pretty damn fantastic to go out of my way to block the creep. #BlockNarendraModi You should try it. It is fun. https://t.co/4l5pUJcYLD- Vidyut (@Vidyut) 6 September 2017

Of course, there were Modi supporters too who rejected the hashtag.

"#BlockNarendraModi is trending in twitter.. But we'll support u forever."

#BlockNarendraModi is trending in twitter.. But we'll support u forever.- neeraj dangwal (@iamsrkianeeraj) 7 September 2017

"Son : I want Money for Party

Father : No, You will not get

Son : I am gonna block you on Facebook ???? ????

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Problem Solved #BlockNarendraModi"

Son : I want Money for Party Father : No, You will not getSon : I am gonna block you on Facebook ???? ????Problem Solved #BlockNarendraModi- Uski_Baat (@Kumar2868Kumar) 7 September 2017

Well, there were still others who had their own reasons against blocking Modi.

"What sort of crappy trend this #BlockNarendraModi?

I will do NO SUCH THING! ??

This handle is my window to world tourism."

What sort of crappy trend this #BlockNarendraModi?I will do NO SUCH THING! ??This handle is my window to world tourism. pic.twitter.com/1F8Fmke1Rf- Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) 7 September 2017

And a final word even as the hashtag continues to trend:

"@narendramodi is the most blocked prime minister in the world. UNESCO certified, just a few minutes back ????????????"

#BlockNarendraModi

@narendramodi is the most blocked prime minister in the world. UNESCO certified, just a few minutes back ???????????? #BlockNarendraModi- Troll-a-Bhakt (@trollabhakt) 6 September 2017

ALSO READ | Kamal Haasan on Gauri Lankesh murder: Silencing a voice with gun worst way to win debates

ALSO READ | Gauri Lankesh murder: Social media throws up four conspiracy theories

ALSO WATCH | Journalist Gauri Lankesh murder: Timeline of how she was killed

--- ENDS ---

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By PTI: Boston, Sep 7 (PTI) Vampires - fictional blood-sucking beings that appear in folklores - may have been real people who suffered from a rare genetic blood disorder that caused the skin to blister under sunlight, according to a new study.

Porphyrias, a group of eight known blood disorders, affect the bodys molecular machinery for making heme, which is a component of the oxygen-transporting protein, hemoglobin.

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The different genetic variations that affect heme production give rise to different clinical presentations of porphyria - including one form that may be responsible for vampire folklore, researchers said.

Erythropoietic protoporphyria (EPP), the most common kind of porphyria to occur in childhood, causes peoples skin to become very sensitive to light. Prolonged exposure to sunshine can cause painful, disfiguring blisters.

"People with EPP are chronically anaemic, which makes them feel very tired and look very pale with increased photosensitivity because they cant come out in the daylight," said Barry Paw, from Boston Childrens Cancer and Blood Disorders Center.

"Even on a cloudy day, there is enough ultraviolet light to cause blistering and disfigurement of the exposed body parts, ears and nose," Paw added.

The team discovered genetic mutation that triggers EPP. It illuminates a novel biological mechanism potentially responsible for stories of " vampires" and identifies a potential therapeutic target for treating EPP.

To produce heme, the body goes through a process called porphyrin synthesis, which mainly occurs in the liver and bone marrow, researchers said.

Any genetic defects that impact this process can interrupt the bodys ability to produce heme; the decreased heme production leads to a buildup of protoporphyrin components.

In the case of EPP, type of protoporphyrin called protoporphrin IX accumulates in the red blood cells, plasma and sometimes the liver.

When protoporphin IX is exposed to light, it produces chemicals that damage surrounding cells. As a result, people with EPP experience swelling, burning and redness of the skin after exposure to sunlight - even trace amounts of sunlight that pass through window glass.

Researchers discovered a novel mutation of the gene CLPX, which plays a role in mitochondrial protein folding.

"This newly-discovered mutation really highlights the complex genetic network that underpins heme metabolism," Paw said.

"Loss-of-function mutations in any number of genes that are part of this network can result in devastating, disfiguring disorders," Paw added.

Staying indoors during the day and receiving blood transfusions containing sufficient heme levels can help alleviate some of the disorders symptoms.

In ancient times, drinking animal blood and emerging only at night may have achieved a similar effect?adding further fuel to the legend of vampires, researchers said.

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The study was published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. PTI APA MHN MHN

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By PTI: By Aditi Khanna

London, Sep 7 (PTI) British lawmakers today began debating a crucial Bill that will end the supremacy of European Union (EU) law and replace them with domestic statute on the day Britain leaves the economic bloc.

The EU (Withdrawal) Bill will convert all existing EU laws, dating back over 40 years, into UK law in time for Brexit by March 2019.

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Opening the debate in the House of Commons alongside Prime Minister Theresa May, the UKs minister for exiting the EU ? David Davis ? said the bill was "the next step in the historic process of honouring that decision" made in the EU referendum and will ensure that "on the day we leave, businesses know where they stand".

He told MPs: "I stand ready to listen to those who offer improvements to the bill in the spirit of preparing our statute book for withdrawal from the European Union."

He urged all parties to work with the government "in the spirit of collaboration", rejecting Opposition claims that he was attempting to change laws without proper Parliamentary scrutiny.

"It is only what is necessary for a smooth exit and to provide stability," he said.

However, the passage of the Bill is expected to prove a tumultuous task for May as she faces a cross-party rebellion.

The Opposition Labour party has refused to vote for the Bill in its current form, describing it as a "power grab" on the part of the Conservative party-led government by using so-called Henry VIII powers to make laws by "decree".

Mays own Tory MPs have been unifying behind a plan for a cross-party committee of peers and MPs to monitor such powers going forward.

But with the support of the Democratic Unionist Party (DUP), the Tories are expected to get the Bill through its parliamentary hurdle, with some Conservative backbenchers claiming they reserve the right to amend and improve it at a later stage.

While overturning the 1972 European Communities Act, which took the UK into the then European Economic Community, the new legislation will ensure all direct EU laws applying to the UK will be transferred onto the statute book and continue to have legal force after the UKs withdrawal.

MPs are considering the general principles of the bill at its Second Reading which started today, with the first votes expected by Monday.

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A Labour party spokesperson said: "In this bill, the government is making a power grab to change a whole set of legislation and rules without recourse to Parliament.

"That ranges from the date of Brexit to the amount of money paid to the EU to employment and social legislation and environmental legislation. Under the proposals, the Brexit secretary can make these changes at the stroke of a pen. That is completely undemocratic."

The UK government has claimed up to 1,000 statutory instruments will be needed to modify EU laws that become obsolete or do not operate as they should after Brexit and any corrections will be largely technical in nature.

The debate in Parliament came as Britain came under fresh criticism from the EU side on the ongoing negotiation process for Brexit.

EUs chief Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, said the UK appears to be going backwards on agreeing a Brexit financial settlement.

"It seems to be backtracking on the original commitment to honour its past commitments. There is a problem of confidence here," he said.

On the continued disagreement over the so-called divorce bill, he said: "You cannot have 27 countries paying for commitments made by 28."

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European leaders will be asked to determine if the UK has made sufficient progress on the Brexit divorce issues at a European Council summit scheduled for October to be able to move the talks on to the future trade relationship between the UK and the EU.

The process is set on a two-year countdown since Article 50 of the Lisbon Treaty relating to leaving the EU was invoked by Prime Minister May in March following a referendum in favour of Brexit in June 2016. PTI AK ZH

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Previously undiscovered animals and plants may live in warm caves under Antarctica's glaciers, according to a new study led by the Australian National University.

Forensic analysis of soil samples from caves on Ross Island revealed traces of DNA from algae, mosses and small animals.

Inside an ice cave on the Erebus Glacier tongue, Ross Island, Antarctica near McMurdo Station and Scott Base. Credit:Joel Bensing

ANU Fenner School of Environment and Society senior lecturer Ceridwen Fraser, who led the study, said some of the DNA sequences were unrecognised in the researchers' database.

"That might just be because there are plants and animals in Antarctica that we haven't sequenced at those parts of the genome before, so they might just be your bog-standard plants and animals from Antarctica, or they might indicate something more exciting, like species that we don't know anything about yet," she said.
Angelica Mesiti has always been interested in non-verbal communication. She trained as dancer from a young age, but changed course and went to art school, incorporating performance into her practice, looking at ways to tell a story without using a word.

"Society has become so more and more text and word oriented," she says.

Audio-video artist Angelica Mesiti at the National Gallery of Australia. Credit:Rohan Thomson

"I guess that's where a lot of my impulses have come from, thinking about the other ways we communicate and how people have historically communicated.

"As an artist words are not your tool, all my training is about expression in a different way."
Fairfax Media's Canberra Print Centre has been honoured at the 2017 PANPA industry awards.

The Canberra Print Centre won the top gong in the Print Centre of the Year category.

The Canberra Print Centre won the top gong in the Print Centre of the Year category. Credit:Canberra Times

Print centre manager Jon Clarke said the award, announced at a ceremony in Sydney on Wednesday night, looked at a range of criteria including technical excellence, health and safety, and innovation.

"It's a good award to win. Especially for a site that's 21 years old," he said.
It was in a little Canberra hospice during her final days that Connie Johnson received one of the nation's highest honours.

The Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove dropped by Connie's bed on Thursday to award the mother-of-two a Medal of the Order of Australia in recognition of her tireless work for others battling breast cancer.

Connie proudly wears her Medal of the Order of Australia in her hospice bed in Canberra. Credit:facebook/loveyoursister

Actor and brother proud Samuel Johnson described the moment on social media, and how Connie's eyes danced "like when we were kids" as the medal was handed down with a little pomp and a lot of laughter in a quiet, bedside ceremony.

"She looked so alive," Samuel said. "My heart is complete."
By PTI: (Eds: Updating with fresh inputs)

Kutch, Sep 7 (PTI) The Border Security Force (BSF) today apprehended three Pakistani fishermen and seized 18 boats from Harami Nala creek area along the Indo-Pak border in Gujarats Kutch district.

The border guarding force said that during todays operation, the patrolling unit fired two rounds in "self defence" and to stop the other fisherman on these boats from fleeing. However, many fishermen managed to escape.

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Yesterday too the BSF had apprehended two Pakistani fishermen and seized three boats from the same area.

"With this fresh operation today, a total of five Pakistani nationals have been held in the last two days while 21 of their boats were seized during patrolling in the creek area by the BSF," an official statement by the Gujarat Frontier of the BSF said today.

"Following the apprehension of two Pak fishermen along with three of their boats yesterday, BSF has continued its search operation in the Harami Nala creek area today, which resulted in the apprehension of three Pak nationals and 18 of their boats," said the release.

Those apprehended today were identified as Yusuf Ali (19), Shehajad Mohammad (20) and Imam Ali (20), all residents of Sindh province of the neighbouring country, the release said.

"The BSF patrolling unit had to fire two rounds in self defence during todays operation. Yesterday, too, the jawans had fired five rounds in self defence," the release said, adding that the search operation in that area is still on.

"As the Harami Nala is a marshy water channel, it is easy for the fisherman to escape to the other side of the border after abandoning their boats," BSF officials said.

The Harami Nala is a sluggish and shallow water channel, 22 km long and 1.5 km wide, within the territorial border of India. It is accessible from the Pakistani side through a canal or channel approximately two kms long and 30 meters wide. However, it cannot be accessed easily from the Indian side as it is marshy, being part of the Rann of Kutch.

Given the sensitive nature of the area, even Indian fishermen are barred from fishing in the creek. However, Pakistani fishermen often venture into the Indian waters for a catch. PTI NES CORR PJT PD NP BSA

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A former chief of the prudential regulator and a former boss of the consumer watchdog have been appointed to the APRA panel examining the culture of the embattled Commonwealth Bank.

The Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) announced on Friday that former APRA boss John Laker, former head of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Graeme Samuel and company director Jillian Broadbent would conduct the review of CBA it announced in late August.

The review came in the wake of numerous scandals including allegations of money laundering, unfair denial of life insurance claims and financial planning rip-offs.

In a statement APRA said: "The goal of the inquiry is to identify any shortcomings in the governance, culture and accountability frameworks and practices within CBA, and make recommendations as to how they are promptly and adequately addressed."
ANZ chief executive Shayne Elliott got down and dirty in Tasmania. Credit:Bloomberg "We are beyond saddened to learn of the devastation in Barbuda caused from Hurricane Irma and look forward to working with the Paradise Found Nobu Resort team, the Barbuda Council, GOAB and the entire Barbuda community to successfully rebuild what nature has taken away from us." Shayne is here to help We don't know if it's just his humble Kiwi style, but ANZ boss Shayne Elliott is going above and beyond duty in his bid to woo the public while touring the country. Illustration: John Shakespeare.

On a visit to Tasmania, Elliott did a spot of talkback on ABC local radio, where a caller put a question to Elliott that was "way below your pay grade". The concern? A "filthy" receipt box at the local ATM, which the bank has not sorted out over the past month, despite several phone calls and a query to a branch. Elliott promised to get it sorted. "Alright, I will take care of it. I cannot say I will be down there myself with a cleaning crew, but I will make sure that we get that looked after," he said. CBD was impressed to see that Elliott did not shirk the task and did indeed go and check out the ATM himself and gave it a polish with the aid of some Windex and blue cleaning gloves.

It makes you wonder what would have happened if Ian Narev went down this path a few years ago and promised to look into his bank's overflowing Intelligent Deposit Machines, which got the bank into so much trouble with Austrac. He might still have a career at the Commonwealth Bank. Cash on delivery Domino's Pizza boss Don Meij flagged to the market that he needed to offload some stock this month to fund share options that were in the money, pay his tax bill and make a further "matrimonial settlement" with the ex wife.

On Thursday, Domino's delivered the news that Meij had cashed in 410,000 shares - netting him $17.6 million - to meet these three different demands. We know that converting his share options cost $6.87 million, but there was no breakdown on how much of the remaining cash went to the tax man and the former Ms Meij. Gift watch Malcolm Turnbull has finally managed to get on the right side of US prez Donald Trump, according to reports of their chat this week. Our non-billionaire PM prepared the way by reaching into his own pocket to pay about $1200 for some treasured gifts he received in his official capacity as our fearless leader from the Trumpster, according to an update to his registry of interests.

This included a glass bowl etched with an image of the White House - we can only assume Trump ran out of Trump Taj Mahal snow globes - as well as David Yurman gold cable earrings from the White House occupant. Turnbull paid $596.30 for each gift, being the "difference between the allowable limit and the value of the gift". Back to more mundane matters, senator Arthur Sinodinos revealed that he received pro bono legal advice from law firm Arnold Bloch Leibler, "as part of due diligence I conducted to ensure there was no question regarding my citizenship status". And the big question mark over Barnaby Joyce did not prevent our deputy PM - and acting PM later this week - from receiving a $500 bottle of Penfolds Bin 707 Cabernet Sauvignon 2004 from one of his local sheep farmers (in Australia) Gostwyck Merino. And we're not sure if there was any mischief at play when indigenous artist Barry Kantilla gifted Joyce one of his artworks - a native Tiwi bird. At least that is what we think it is.
Energy giant Santos has pledged to divert gas slated for export into Australia's east coast market over the next two years, seeking to avert government-imposed restrictions on gas exports to solve local shortages.

The 30 petajoules of gas diverted from its Queensland-based Gladstone LNG plant would be sold to east coast customers, including power companies, and would be enough to power 330,000 homes over the two-year period, Santos CEO Kevin Gallagher said in a statement to the sharemarket.

"Over the last few months, Santos has been working constructively with the federal government and our [Gladstone LNG] partners to supply additional gas to the east coast domestic market," he said.

The move comes as the federal government is considering intervention in the gas market to increase supply, including restricting the amount of gas that companies such as Santos can export.
Illustration: Cathy Wilcox There are, of course, many admirable people involved in our court system but every now and then I recall Charles Dickens' Mr Bumble saying in Oliver Twist: "The law is an ass, an idiot." Perhaps Mr Bumble was a bit harsh on the 19th century legal system, but you have to wonder when you see the old rituals  like being required to stand as the bewigged and begowned enter the chamber. And then there is the authority of the gavel which, in a single thud, can cause hard men to quiver and chatterboxes to fall silent. By and large I have been able to follow Rod's sage advice and I am sure that I am emotionally and financially better off for it.

Why don't we have a low court - sort of a legal Aldi. Same product but cheaper. I once asked former Victorian premier John Cain why Victoria wasn't having a royal commission into the police force as Queensland had done with the Costigan commission. He said, "never go to court or have a royal commission unless you know what the answer is going to be". And he was a lawyer. Contemporary governments need to heed his advice. Too often, taxpayers are footing massive legal costs because governments are ending up in courts instead of getting on with governing. Our over-governed lives are now also being over-adjudicated. Our federal government has staggered into limbo as it awaits High Court decisions. I can't help thinking that the people who are elected to run the country have lost control to a rarefied system with grandiose names such as the Supreme Court  really!

Charlie mumbles "Thank god we can't run off to the Privy Council any more to have big-wigged English men trying to sort out us colonials". And the expense is immense, with barristers at $10,000 a day and more. The High Court is all about high costs for the taxpayer to pay. Louise has been trying to get a point in here. "Why don't we have a low court  sort of a legal Aldi." Same product but cheaper. I like the Jewish way of doing things. If there's a problem, the rabbi gets everyone around the table and invites all views to be expressed. Once that is done, the rabbi makes the final decision. The trouble is that one in five of our politicians are lawyers. However, when you look at the senior leadership of most parties, the legal eagles dominate.

Our good Prime Minister is a gifted barrister and a great speaker. The Opposition leader, apart from being a noted union official, started in life as a lawyer. And the list goes on. Eminent Speaker for the House of Reps, Tony Smith, who I do admire for his ability to bring the House together, studied law at the University of Melbourne. In his case I don't mind him being a lawyer. You see universities teach lawyers to finish up in court. And speaking of universities, it seems they might be adding to the problem at the moment training about three times the number of lawyers than there are jobs. Surely, we shouldn't need to keep heading off to court for the Parliament to be able to do its job. We need a bit of balance here between the worlds of law making and law enforcement. And perhaps we need a few fewer lawyers and a few more from other walks of life.
Plenty of people like to say they have entrepreneurship running through their veins. But in Wong's case, it's actually true.

A little over three decades later, that child has landed one of the most coveted jobs in Australia's technology industry: Wong, a lawyer turned start-up founder turned operations whiz, was this week promoted to partner at Blackbird Ventures, one of the country's pre-eminent tech start-up investment firms.

According to family folklore, so determined was Wong's mum to succeed, that eight months pregnant with her first child, she was still lugging around Commodore VIC-20 machines to sales meetings in the Perth heat.

"My earliest memories are of being at my Mum's office," she says, "growing up around these bits of technology and seeing her build this business bit by bit."

Over the past couple of years, Blackbird Ventures has emerged as one of the most fascinating investment houses in Australia. It is among a new wave of local venture capital funds seeking to back the nation's brightest technology start-ups, helping fill a funding void that has arguably crippled innovation in this country for too long.

As a partner, Wong will be entitled to a share of Blackbird's profits, and have greater responsibility for making investments, at a critical juncture for the tech industry, both here and abroad.

The start-up sector globally has been rocked by a series of damaging sexual harassment and cultural scandals this year, and has copped criticism for its lack of diversity.

And on a more fundamental level, technologies that drove the last wave of extraordinary returns for investors - such as the rise of smartphones and the mobile apps that run on them, and the shift from hosting software on company-owned servers to storing it remotely in the cloud - are rapidly maturing.
It's enough to drive a shopkeeper to drink.

Slinging booze has emerged as one of the few bright spots in Australia's otherwise struggling retail landscape, as record low wage growth sees consumers keep their wallets firmly in their back pockets.

Ben Duval, manager of Carwyn Cellars. Latest ABS retail sales figures show weakness in almost all sectors except for alcohol. Credit:Paul Jeffers

Retail spending ground to a halt in July, the latest figures from the Australian Bureau of Statistics revealed on Thursday, with fashion, household goods and electronics sales all going backwards.

Bottle shops, however, enjoyed a 2 per cent sales jump, pushing year-on-year sales growth to 5.7 per cent, up from 4.4 per cent for the previous 12-month period.
Paul McKinnon, of Old Toongabbie, went on a 7000-kilometre retirement tour to the Gulf and back. "My passenger checked and corrected the spelling of every cafe/restaurant chalkboard, up and back. The prize went to 'brekfast specell, Welsh rabbit, sweat corn and potched eggs'. Maybe a dish for those on the run."

More freaky food from John Swanton, of Botany, who bought a punnet of strawberries this week, which contained just five berries. "Not short weight, but humongous large specimens. The biggest weighed nearly 90 grams! I'm not sure what they are feeding them in Queensland but the shapes were odd."

Has anyone noticed how all-pervasive helium balloons have become, asks Karen Joynes. "I am involved in No Balloon Release Australia campaign to ban helium balloons because of their environmental impact. I read in Good Food that the latest one is edible helium balloons. Arrrgghhhhh!"

Deltiologists (aka post card collectors) will tell Paula Watson (C8) all the ways to fool the postie or anyone else who wants to read your postcard, says Ted Richards, of Batemans Bay. "When postcards were introduced messages were banned because they were 'unseemly'. When they were allowed, senders overcame your problem by writing their message upside-down compared with the address, or by writing it in a long sentence around the border of the card."

The confusion over the gambling status of the town of Casino (C8) led Don Firth, of Wooli, to recall: "When we lived in the north of the Gold Coast a visitor said on arrival: 'Specialization has gone mad up here.' I asked why and she said: 'I just saw a sign that read Labrador Veterinary Clinic.'"
Patrick Jones, Griffith Rates need checking The Canberra Times reports ("Treasury confirms 31pc hike for unit owners", September 6, p9): "Despite the change in rates for unit owners, some 32,783 units  or 72 per cent of all apartments in Canberra  remain in the lowest marginal rating category, below the $150,000 threshold." This means that 32,783 units are in multi-unit complexes where the total complex has a land valuation of $150,000 or less. Really? The report also says that only 533 units are in the top, $600,001 and above, ratings category. It doesn't say how many complexes this represents. There must be scores, if not hundreds, of multi-unit complexes in Canberra that sit on land with a valuation above $600,000. Find one in Kingston that doesn't. Every unit in those complexes  there must be many thousands  is in the top marginal rate category under the new system.

The smallest, lowest-valued units are suffering the largest proportionate rate increases. Incidentally, this system is not "mooted". Rates notices have been sent out, and are already due. The ACT government needs to check these figures and tell us the truth. R. F. Shogren, Barton Pyne steals IQ gag

On the ABC's Insiders on Sunday (September 3) Malcolm Turnbull's Leader of the House, Christopher Pyne, quipped that any walkout over Barnaby Joyce's New Zealand citizenship would "increase the average IQ" of the Parliament. Mr Pyne would have done well to have done his homework before opening his mouth. He clearly wasn't aware that it was New Zealand's vertically challenged but larger than life National Party Prime Minister, Robert Muldoon, who originally uttered the immortal line: "New Zealanders who leave for Australia raise the IQ of both countries." I wonder what the late Sir Robert would have made of Barnaby's predicament? Nigel Thompson, Queanbeyan, NSW ALP debacle

Fred Pilcher (Letters, September 6) is unrealistic in suggesting that the major parties can all somehow be swept away at the next election. The current debacle for ratepayers under the ALP is an unfolding train wreck. Why is money being wasted on stage 2 of light rail before the already very expensive stage 1 has demonstrated it is a fizzer or not? How is Barr's creation of increasing social inequality an example of the traditional ALP focus on social justice? At least the Canberra Liberals committed to a more reasonable and equitable rating system. Murray May, Cook

City renewal vision The first thing the new City Renewal Authority (Editorial, "Bold vision needed for vital gateway", Sept. 7, p.12) needs to do is to hold a properly constituted international design competition for its precincts, in association with the overarching National Capital Authority. The brief for the competition needs public input, and should not rule out alternatives to existing plans for City Hill, Northbourne Avenue, Civic, Parkes Way, and West Basin, ie, "a clean slate". Jack Kershaw, Kambah Stamp duty nonsense

A broad-based land tax is widely considered by economists to be the best form of tax and an appropriate way to fund public goods and services. It is fair  the wealthiest land owners pay more. It is efficient the supply of land is fixed and its ownership cannot be hidden. It is nonsensical for essential public services like health and education to be funded by stamp duty, a revenue source subject to the wild swings of the property market. Recent events attest to the difficulty of even modest tax changes in Australia.

The ACT government should be congratulated for persisting with this reform. The property boom will not last forever. Anne Vo, Kingston True test of values When I applied for citizenship some years ago the test consisted of one question that examined both English comprehension and Australian values: how are you going to pay the fee? I retrieved my credit card from my wallet and passed with first class marks. Thos Puckett, Ashgrove, Qld

Government creating a storm in a teacup with its social media rules The public service has still not lost its capacity to create problems where they need not arise, with its intervention into social media. It's 40 years (and more) since I worked in Canberra. I worked in an age when there was often a tea lady and people routinely went to the pub after work. Both of these fora were essentially the social media of the day. We routinely discussed government policy, disparaged it and the leadership that we saw (or didn't see) and then we went home and put the kids to bed (if we had any). People were often bad-mouthed and policy and practice slagged. Where one was particularly aggrieved, colleagues and friends were also harangued at barbecues and parties. One got the dirty water off one's chest and, more often than not, one's faulty reasoning was exposed.

From a bosses' point of view, it was also useful. You came to know what was of concern, who was worried about what and what might need to be explained, an essential requirement to address (not least) the issue of morale. Social media now provides that resource, what thoughts are being thought. Very valuable stuff. The only caution I would give is that one's judgment and capacity to argue a case are exposed. In a robust society, we should be able to live with criticism, not gag it. Derek Frampton, Seattle, US Price of privatisation

It would appear that the Coalition government, with its neo-liberal economics, has no concept of the implications of privatising businesses that primarily deliver goods or services in the national/public interest. Just have a listen to Senator Canavan, who says "AGL should be operating with a modicum of the national interest in mind, not just trying to maximise their profits." Why else do private companies exist, but to deliver profits for their shareholders? What else could our Honourable PM expect other than his own observation that, "... the principal beneficiaries of the recent  well, the only beneficiaries, frankly  of the recent increases in electricity prices have been the electricity companies." Such absences of any modicum of the national interest are evident in all public companies that have been privatised over the last 20 years, including in addition to AGL: Medibank Private, Commonwealth Bank, Telstra and so on.

What interest or incentive do they now have to deliver even a modicum of the national interest? Adrian van Leest, Campbell Try diplomacy Kevin Rudd, in common with most analysts, thinks diplomacy is the best approach to solving the North Korea crisis ("Chance of war still slim", September 6, p.16), but believes "a potential diplomatic solution does not appear to be going well so far". He suggests, correctly but not very helpfully, that "The best approach is to avoid crises in the first place".

Well, diplomacy has hardly had a look-in so far. The talk has been more frustrated tweeting threatening to unleash "fire and fury", than aimed at reducing tensions and getting the parties talking to each other. Back in April this year, the Chinese suggestion at the United Nations was for a "suspension for suspension" ie., North Korea to stop missile and nuclear tests, in return for the US and South Korea to suspend their military exercises that are being held several times a year. This military de-escalation on both sides would help preparation for sensible talks. However, the Chinese suggestion has had very little response. Both sides feel threatened, and the response from both so far has been to increase the military build-up and the tension. In view of the great benefits for both North and South Korea to sign a peace treaty at last (in 1953 an armistice was signed, not a peace treaty, leaving the sides technically still at war), the offer of suspension of military build-up to initiate talks might well be accepted by the North, especially as the suggestion had come initially from its greatest ally, China. Harry Davis, Campbell

Relationship route The proposed vote on "same-sex-marriage" will not give me (and I think many others) a chance to express views on a complex matter as it does not distinguish between the legal and religious ceremonies. "Marriage" means different things to different people and should no longer be used to denote the legal contract between individuals (registered or de facto) relating to domestic arrangements. It is important that relationships be registered and there is no reason that the gender (or number) of individuals in a relationship should matter. The proportion of male/female couples living in de facto relationships is increasing. If the Marriage Act was replaced by a Relationships Act with no reference to "marriage", it would permit religious groups to "marry" those who their conscience permitted, while providing full legal rights and protections (and obligations) to those in registered relationships.

Charles Hirst, Latham Hopeless government What does one do with a federal government that has been in power for four years, is now so worried about the poor punters having 20 per cent increase in their power bills that they have now asked AGL to continue with a filthy coal-powered station for a further five years while they think of some bright idea to counter -balance price increases and possible blackouts? This has been a do-nothing government about climate change and now it is panicking as it doesn't portray a good look for them. Let's not kid ourselves about the poor punter, it's their own jobs they are worried about. What now? Wait for it, blame the ALP of course, that's their modus operandi. This is the most short-sighted government in my lifetime and they continue to be so.

Back to my original question: what does one do ? Vote them out before we become that banana republic so famously said by the great Paul Keating. Jan Gulliver, Lyneham Shocking act A machete attack at the Isabella Plains IGA? What the hell is Canberra coming to? M. Moore, Bonython

TO THE POINT DEBATE OVER, PLEASE Why is it necessary to characterise the climate issue as a debate? (Letters, September 4). The best commentators in this country have declared that there is no debate and that it is time to pass on to solutions. Only in this country and the US is there any debate on climate change. Dick Varley, Braidwood, NSW NEW WORD COINED

Listening to TV makes me wonder if "terrist" has replaced the word "terrorist". John Milne, Chapman YES, NO IS OK Why is it OK for Dr Kerryn Phelps to be part of the "yes" campaign while not OK for Dr Pansy Lai to be part of the "no" campaign? Those demanding Dr Lai be struck off by the AMA are doing the "yes" campaign a great disservice. Maria Pellegrino, Gungahlin

GREAT MATES REALLY? Malcolm, if you are joined by the hip to Donald, why did you need a phone? John Rodriguez, Florey DIRTY DEEDS Re "Rates Shock", (Letters, September 7). Welcome to the world of Mr Fluffy homeowners . The general public is now experiencing the economic bastardry of the ACT government in relation to the cleared blocks of land. And buyers get no guarantee of asbestos-free blocks. Good luck, everyone.

Kathleen Read, Gundaroo PICK UP THE PHONE Here's an idea out of left field. Rather than President Trump talking to leaders of concerned nations, how about he gets on the phone to Supreme Leader Kim? Kim Fitzgerald, Deakin PICKING LOSERS

The Coalition loves to insist that governments can't pick winners. Nevertheless it will pick the Liddell power station despite it already being declared a loser by AGL. S. W. Davey, Torrens 'WASTE' A BIT RICH Good to see Labor showing such concern about the "waste" of $122 million on the same-sex marriage survey. Isn't $122 million about three days worth of interest on the debt that Labor left when last in office? Maybe it is finally getting serious about fiscal responsibility. Michael Warrington, Garran
It's just over two years since Ireland became the first and only country to pass marriage equality by a public vote. Following Thursday's High Court decision, Australia now has the chance to be the second. I have been struck by how powerful that "Irish" moment felt here in Australia. Everywhere I have travelled people tell me how great that day felt and how much joy they got watching the scenes of celebration on the other side of the globe.

Of course, if we are being honest, part of the reaction felt here was surprise. Ireland? Really? There is no doubt that Ireland is an advanced country, with a confident and positive population and is home to some of the biggest technology firms in the world, but for most people the mention of Ireland conjures up images of rolling hills, sheep and Father Ted episodes.

Illustration: Simon Letch

Both these generalisations are true. We are a religious country with the second highest weekly mass attendance rate in Europe, but we have an openly gay Prime Minister, Leo Varadkar. We believe in strong families and communities and are very cautious about changing our constitution for any reason. But we did this by referendum for same sex marriage in 2015.

For far too long Ireland had been a cold and dark place for gay people. Indeed I was in university in 1994 when homosexuality was decriminalised. Yet Ireland voted yes to marriage equality. The reason why is very similar to here in Australia. We did not see marriage equality as a radical change in all those values we held dear. Rather, we saw it as a confirmation of those values. It was not a big leap into the dark but rather a final small step on a remarkable journey towards equality for our lesbian and gay community.
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Drug firm Cadila Healthcare today said the US health regulator has issued no observations after completion of inspection of its Moraiya plant in Gujarat.

The United States Food and Drug Administration (USFDA) has inspected the companys Moraiya facility from August 31- September 7, 2017, Cadila Healthcare said in a statement.

"At the end of the inspection, no observation (483) is issued", it added.

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As per the US FDA, observations are made in Form 483 when investigators feel that conditions or practices in the facility are such that products may become adulterated or render injurious to health.

The FDA Form 483 notifies the companys management of objectionable conditions.

Shares of Cadila Healthcare today closed 3.41 per cent higher at Rs 512.60 per scrip on BSE. PTI AKT SBT

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The Hunter Valley power station at the centre of a political fight over energy is operating at below half its rated capacity and would present "mammoth problems" for any company seeking to extend its life, a former senior Macquarie Generation engineer said.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is due to meet Andy Vesey, AGL's chief executive, on Monday to discuss his company's plans to close its Liddell power plant in 2022.

The PM on Wednesday said intervening to keep Liddell open was "clearly an option" to head off future power shortages. The Australian Market Energy Operator said earlier this week Victoria and South Australia face electricity supply shortfalls as early as this summer, while NSW could endure a similar squeeze after Liddell shuts.

However, a retired senior engineer, who worked at the neighbouring coal-fired Bayswater plant and had frequent discussions with Liddell counterparts, said Liddell was known "to have massive problems".
Support is hardening in the federal Coalition for coal-fired power to have a medium-term role in Australia's electricity market, with some MPs suggesting a "base-load investment scheme" to upgrade and extend the life of coal plants and operate alongside a future Clean Energy Target.

But the Liddell power station at the centre of the political fight over energy is operating at below half its rated capacity, and would present "mammoth problems" for any company seeking to extend its life, according to a former senior Macquarie Generation engineer.

The retired senior engineer, who worked at the neighbouring coal-fired Bayswater plant and had frequent discussions with his counterparts at Liddell, said Liddell was known "to have massive problems".

"It's just never been a good plant," the man, speaking on condition of anonymity, said. "It's never been reliable."
Bruce Wright, 48, and his partner Nason Hansford, 47, have been together for 20 "wonderful" years.

Last year, on a holiday to Africa to celebrate their anniversary, Mr Wright planned to propose. But it didn't work out  the Australian government was standing in the way.

"He's my soulmate, my life partner, [and] my family consider him another son," said Mr Wright, who lives in Marrickville.

"I've watched my younger sister and younger brother get married over the years. I've been to their weddings and I've seen the outpouring of support and joy the family has for their relationship, and I feel like I should have the same thing."
Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton has brought a rare private prosecution against federal Attorney-General George Brandis in a Canberra court, accusing him of attempting to pervert the course of justice.

Mr Culleton appeared in the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday for the first brief mention of the case, alleging Mr Brandis misled the Senate over matters that led to his dismissal.

Former One Nation senator Rod Culleton speaks outside the ACT Magistrates Court. Credit:Megan Gorrey

Mr Brandis had been served with a summons but did not appear.

Federal prosecutor Peter Botros asked that the case be adjourned for 10 weeks so the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions could decide whether it would take the matter on.
Supporters and opponents of same-sex marriage have clashed outside a Brisbane church following the High Court decision allowing a postal vote to go ahead.

Police say one woman was arrested for obstructing police and another person suffered a minor injury during the angry stand-off outside the Ashgrove church on Thursday night.

Supporters and opponents of same sex marriage have clashed outside a Brisbane church following the High Court decision allowing a postal vote to go ahead. Credit:Nine News

Cabinet minister Peter Dutton told the Nine network the incident does not reflect the respectful debate the government wants on marriage reform.

"Of course it's not. Conduct yourself in a reasonable way. Have a respectful discussion," he urged during an interview on the Nine Network.
Blunt instrument: Peter Dutton is only the latest in a long line of Australian officials trying to use language to shore up his political objectives. Credit:Andrew Meares Eventually, after a decision by the High Court, he was permitted to disembark in Sydney. Customs officials promptly delivered him to Sydney's Central Police Station. And there, Australia subjected Egon Kisch to what its lawmakers thought was its trump card: The dictation test. Officials boarding the Awatea in Sydney in December 1936 to administer the dictation test in Italian to Mabel Freer, a British subject. Between 1909 and 1958, no one passed the test. Credit:Harry Martin It was the bluntest instrument of the Immigration Restriction Act of 1901, otherwise known as the White Australia Policy.

Its edict? "Any person who when asked to do so by an officer fails to write out at dictation and sign in the presence of the officer a passage of 50 words in length in any European language directed by the officer [is a prohibited immigrant]." Egon Kisch, his leg broken after jumping onto Station Pier at Port Melbourne, is carried out of court in Sydney on December 12, 1934. Credit:Fairfax Photographic Library If a Customs officer didn't like the colour of an applicant's skin, a handy language was chosen - Greek, perhaps, for a Chinese applicant, though convoluted English was usually sufficient. It was wildly successful. Not a single person passed the test after 1909 until the scheme was abandoned in 1958. The 59 who passed early were apparently beneficiaries of Customs officials who failed to realise how bloody-minded they were supposed to be. Australian archives still holds files of approved dictation tests. Here's one from May 1931:

"It is only in the South that any training in his profession is undertaken by the fetish man: in all other parts of the region the office devolves upon its holder in quite an accidental manner: the distinction is thrust upon some native whose fortune has in some way distinguished him from his fellows." At Central Police Station, the authorities faced a problem. Egon Kisch reputedly spoke a dozen European languages. But then stepped forward Constable James Mackay, born in Scotland. He claimed to speak Gaelic, and dictated to Kisch what he thought was the Lord's Prayer. In Scottish Gaelic. Kisch, unsurprisingly, couldn't pass the test. He was duly charged with being a prohibited migrant. The court case was farcical. A retired police inspector, called to declare that Constable Mackay was fluent in Gaelic (though he clearly wasn't), turned out to know so little of Gaelic that he couldn't translate or understand the words of the Lord's Prayer himself.

No matter. Kisch was convicted and sentenced to six months' hard labour. He appealed to the High Court, which ruled that Scottish Gaelic was not a European language - which in turn got a lot of Scots around the world very angry indeed. Kisch, however, remained free, merrily addressing rallies all over the place. Finally, it was agreed by all parties that - having achieved more publicity than he could ever have dreamed - he would leave the country, his costs paid by the government. All these years later, Peter Dutton is the latest Australian official to find himself accused of cack-handedness in the deployment of a language test to keep unwanted immigrants at bay. Few Australians, of course, argue against the proposition that immigrants ought to have an understanding of English if they are to become citizens, even though some of Australia's most prominent and successful citizens arrived here in the postwar years with barely a word of the language.

The level of competency and fluency required, however, is the question that currently sees Dutton's proposition all but doomed in the Senate. Until now, the citizenship test has presumed a successful applicant would have the equivalent of Level 5 (out of 9) of the International English Language Testing Scheme. Dutton now wants a separate test that would require a pass at Level 6. Critics claim this is equivalent to university level English, which doesn't sound particularly immigrant-friendly. The test is administered and marked in England at Cambridge University, which describes Level 6 as acceptable for "linguistically demanding training courses". Here is part of a "practice test" for reading and comprehension:
Melbourne Fashion Week may nearly be over for another year but the spring style surge continues this weekend with a major shopping event at Westfield centres across Melbourne.

The sales and special offers are too numerous to mention but some highlights include 20 per cent off store-wide at Kookai, Country Road and Witchery; 40 per cent off full-priced stock at Bonds and Sheridan; and 25 per cent off at General Pants. There are also prizes to be won.

Westfield Southland, Fountain Gate, Doncaster, Geelong and Knox. Check websites for trading hours and details.

Westfield is having a special shopping weekend with loads of discounts.

It may be spring on the calendar, but the weather hasn't exactly joined the party. The upside is there is still time to wear some of your favourite knits, or pick up some new ones. Cable Melbourne is clearing its winter stock and past collections at up to 80 per cent off the original price. Online shoppers will get access to the sale 72 hours before it starts in store, so jump online and get snug.
Renowned for their embellishment and precise eye for detail, Australian luxury brand Madame X is holding their first ever warehouse sale in Surry Hills this weekend. The sale will feature their 70 per cent off past season styles as well as one-off samples including embellishments, perfect for spring occasions. 44A Foveaux Street, Surry Hills. Friday 8th 12pm-8pm, Saturday 9th 8am-5pm, Sunday 10 9am-4pm. It is Madame X's first ever sale. Last week, Napoleon Perdis celebrated 25 years in the makeup industry with a signature lavish party, as documented by Amy Croffey in Fairfax's Social Seen. Now the businessman is offering 25 per cent off all his full-priced items in store and online for two days to help fans join in the celebrations. In store and online. Till Friday 8.

Napoleon Perdis celebrates 25 years at the Napoleon Perdis Boutique, East Sydney. Credit:Wendell Teodoro If you are looking for quality clothing in a cheaper price range, Australian label Cooper St is holding a three-day sample sale this weekend, with all the stock including dresses, tops, skirts, pants and jackets at $40 or under. The sale fill feature sizes 6 through to 16. 37 Doody St, Alexandria. Thursday 7th 8am-8pm, Friday 8th 8am-6pm, Saturday 10am-3pm. Missed out on the August Street and PS the Label sale last week? Don't fret: both brands are currently holding online warehouse sales, with the past season stock and archive pieces further reduced from the Surry Hills prices last week.

With everything under $50, expect to find their usual statement designs and structural pieces in the going-out and workwear collections. Online only. Till stocks last. In case you missed out on the warehouse sale August Street and PS The Label now have their sale online. One of Sydney's biggest vintage markets is back again next weekend at Marrickville Town Hall. Round She Goes indoor market has 60 handpicked vintage and retro fashion, handmade jewellery and accessory stallholders selling items from the 1950s onwards. Shoppers can expect to find a mixture of local and international preloved brands including Gorman, Zimmermann, Max Mara, Moschino, Ralph Lauren, Fendi, Carla Zampatti and more. If the events held earlier this year are anything to go by, it's important to get in early.

Marrickville Town Hall, 303 Marrickville Road Marrickville. Saturday 16 10am3pm. Entry $2. The Round She Goes market will have stores from some of Sydney's most stylish women. Just Opened International brand Tommy Hilfiger is continuing to expand their local presence with the opening of their 10th Australian store in Westfield Parramatta. Spanning over 145 square metres, the store's aesthetic will follow the global design concept which celebrates the brand's heritage with a clean and modern minimalistic finish to make the Spring 2017 'Summer of Love' collection the focal showcase. The collection celebrates 1960s love and liberation in a contemporary style including denim patchworks, utilitarian details, paisleys and sun-washes palettes, staying true to the brand's American classic design.

Taking cues from the brand's signature nautical lifestyle, the furnishings feature walnut and high-gloss white wood, stainless steel and polished stainless steel, and of course accents of red, white and blue colour palettes. While the store opened on August 31 Tommy Hilfiger has partnered with MTV Australia for an official opening music event this September 9. Hosting a set from DJ Tigerlily, customers also will have the opportunity to meet Instagrammer Pia Muehlenbeck as well as hosts Sam Taunton and Lisa Hamilton. The new GigixTommy collection is dropping in US on September 20, so here's hoping that pieces will be available in the store. Westfield Parramatta, Level 3, 159-175 Church St, Parramatta NSW 2150. The new store features both men's and women's wear. Just Opened

In conjunction with their charity partner of 11 years, The Butterfly Foundation, Sportsgirl has release a quirky range of accessories as part of Love Your Body Week. Along with conducting a survey on body image with the charity, Sportsgirl has teamed up with Melbourne accessory design Georgia Perry to create a range which includes a clutch, journal, iPhone case, eye-palette, t-shirt and two shopping totes, each with their own cartoon motifs and strong messages. All the profits from the products that will be available for the next few months will go towards helping the Foundation's initiatives in body confidence. "Sportsgirl is proud to support 'Love Your Body Week' nationally across stores and online again this year with the addition of our exciting accessories collaboration with Georgia Perry," said Collen Callander, CEO of Sportsgirl. "Positive body image, health, happiness and individuality are core elements of Sportsgirl's brand DNA and we are committed to introducing new initiatives to raise much needed funding to support Butterfly Foundation's important cause and the vital promotion of body confidence." Instore and Online. Till stocks last.
The alcohol industry is spreading misinformation about the established link between alcohol and cancer, in tactics similar to those used by tobacco manufacturers, a study has found.

Alcohol is estimated to cause more than 1500 cancer deaths in Australia every year, with breast and bowel cancers of particular concern.

It is estimated 3 per cent of cancers a year can be blamed on alcohol. Credit:Stocksy

But an international study published in the Drug and Alcohol Review said alcohol industry groups around the world are trying to protect their profits by setting up "responsible drinking" organisations that in fact underplay or omit health risks.

"The global alcohol industry is actively disseminating misinformation about cancer risk, particularly breast cancer," said the study, which examined the websites and documents of 27 alcohol industry organisations last year.
Grant and Naomi Day with Kyran at Sydney Children's Hospital. Parents worried their child is getting sicker can: 1. Put their hands up and tell staff right away. 2. If they are still worried, ask the nurse in charge to look at their child. Naomi Day said hospital staff did not escalate Kyran's case despite her pleas that something was seriously wrong.

3. If they believe something is still not right and want to see a doctor they should ask for a "clinical review", which should be carried out within 30 minutes. 4. Parents who are still not satisfied with the level of care can trigger a "rapid emergency response" by calling a unique number, displayed in REACH brochures inside hospitals. Doctors should arrive within minutes to reassess the child's condition. REACH posters are displayed at all participating hospitals. Credit:NSW CEC The program- the NSW equivalent to Queensland's Ryan's Rule - has been implemented in roughly half of the state's hospitals, including Hornsby Ku-ring-gai Hospital and the Sydney Children's Hospital Network. The CEC want to see the program adopted at all NSW public hospitals. Naomi and Grant Day believe Kyran's death could have been prevented if such an escalation process had been available to them.

"He was a beautiful little boy and he was taken away from us and he shouldn't have been," Naomi said. The Days had initially trusted the gastroenteritis diagnosis, but when Kyran deteriorated overnight, Naomi knew something was seriously wrong. "I picked him up and he lay on my chest, something he never did. He was moving his head from side-to-side, and was dazed and very lethargic. He was normally quite loud but he was quiet " "I just had a feeling. You just know when there is something seriously wrong," she said. Naomi alerted a nurse but was told to wait for the doctor to come in the morning.

"Having your child in that condition and having no one listen to you when you know something is really wrong  I have never felt so alone in my life," she said. Kyran was later diagnosed with intussusception, a condition where the bowel folds on itself. "To follow everyone to emergency and see your son laying there with 50 million tubes coming out of him and at least 10 doctors there, I just collapsed," Naomi said. He was flown to Sydney Children's Hospital where he was declared brain dead. "It breaks my heart and it makes me angry," Naomi said.

"That's what we are fighting for," Grant said. "We did everything within our power to make sure this didn't happen again because Kyran's death was preventable." The REACH program is not limited to paediatric patients. The escalation system is available to all patients and their families at all participating hospitals. "Part of the escalation process is making parents and caregivers comfortable so they can raise their hand if they are worried about their child and if there is something wrong," Grant said. Sharing the Days' story has allowed the CEC to extend the REACH program across NSW, said Dr Bernadette Eather, CEC director of patient safety. "Parents will know best and we want to acknowledge that and give them the opportunity to speak up when they are worried. They are often in the best position to recognise early signs of deterioration," Dr Eather said.

Every paediatric unit across the state, as well as the main wards and emergency department at participating hospitals should have REACH brochures available and posters on their walls that set out the steps and display the unique rapid response number. Patients should also be told about the program when they are admitted from an emergency department, Dr Eather said. "It's about raising your hand and calling for help if you are worried. If they are not getting the action they think is appropriate they can escalate to get a rapid response," she said. Loading Every time REACH is activated, the hospital should conduct a review and debrief staff to learn from the experience and improve upon it.
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The Congress today claimed to have "defused" the situation in its Bihar unit after several MLAs were reportedly gravitating towards the JD(U) following the disintegration of the Grand Alliance last month.

Party vice president Rahul Gandhi met over 20 of the 27 party MLAs over the last two days and sought their individual views on strengthening the party, sources said, denying a rebellion was brewing in the Bihar unit.

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The sources added that the Congress might initiate some changes in the party soon, though no official confirmation was available.

The party vice chief met around 10 MLAs yesterday and is learnt to have met another 10 today. Among them was the CLP leader Sadanand Singh who made some suggestions for strengthening the organisation under the changed circumstances.

Congress state unit chief Ashok Chaudhary, however, did not come to Delhi for the meeting despite being summoned by the party leadership.

Chaudhary, in fact, launched a counteroffensive against the party leaders in Delhi without taking any names.

"The party MLAs met Rahul Gandhi individually. He sought suggestions from each one of them to strengthen the party in under the changed circumstances," Congress general secretary incharge of Bihar C P Joshi said.

He also rejected suggestions about a rebellion in the party, saying it was only a "media creation".

A rebellion has been reportedly brewing in the partys Bihar unit ever since Chief Minister Nitish Kumar broke the grand alliance which included the RJD and the Congress and joined hands with the BJP to form a new government in the state.

Sadanand Singh, when contacted, said he met Gandhi and discussed ways to strengthen the party.

Sources said the legislators aired their views frankly to Gandhi during their meeting and suggested changes in the party apparatus to fight the JD(U) and the BJP.

The sources say that Gandhi had called senior Congress legislators to Delhi in a damage-control exercise to prevent a section of MLAs from deserting the party.

Reports from Bihar suggest that a sizeable number of the 27 Congress MLAs in Bihar Assembly were keen on joining hands with Nitish Kumars JD(U).

In Patna, Chaudhary accused "some" AICC leaders of fuelling a rebellion against him with the "false propaganda" that he was making attempts to split the party.

"Some AICC leaders are behind the crisis in the Congress in Bihar...they are fuelling rebellion against me by alleging that Im making attempts to break the party in favour of the JD(U) so they can replace me with their favourite," Chaudhary said.

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Without identifying anyone, he said, "They would be unmasked very soon." PTI SKC AAR SK AAR

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The NSW Premier has given the strongest indication yet that she might step in to review a controversial proposal for a waste incinerator near homes at Eastern Creek if it were approved by an independent planning agency, a parliamentary inquiry was told on Thursday.

The proposal by Dial A Dump Industries for the stage-one development on a $700 million, 1.4 million-tonne energy-from-waste facility at Eastern Creek, 35 kilometres west of the CBD, has met with overwhelming community objection and more than 950 objections and just two submissions in support.

Dial A Dump Industries wants to build a $700 million energy-from-waste facility at the Eastern Creek industrial estate.

The plan is currently before the state's Planning and Assessment Commission but has drawn widespread opposition over fears about dumping air pollution over nearby suburbs and other human health impacts.

"I've heard the concerns from the community; I've heard concerns from my parliamentary colleagues on their behalf," the Premier said at a budget estimates hearing. "There's currently an assessment process in relation to that proposal; if the process finds it shouldn't go ahead, all well and good.
A second woman has been charged with manslaughter following the death of a beauty salon manager during an attempted breast implant procedure in inner Sydney.

Yueqiong Fu, 29, will face Burwood Local Court on Friday charged over the death of Jean Huang at the Medi Beauty Clinic in Chippendale on August 30.

Ms Huang, 35, was the manager and co-owner of the newly-opened clinic, which is part of Sydney's Central Park development.

She was undergoing a breast implant procedure at her clinic when, police allege, she was given the wrong dosage of anaesthetic.
A high-rise complex in Sydney's south-west that caught fire overnight is a crime scene as police investigate whether the blaze was deliberately lit.

Emergency services were called to the unoccupied apartment block in Shepherd Street, Liverpool, just before 8.30pm on Thursday to find the upper levels ablaze.

More than 70 firefighters battled the inferno that broke out on the 16th floor of the block that overlooks the Georges River.

Fire & Rescue NSW extinguished the blaze just after midnight, and crews remained on the scene overnight.
The national transport safety regulator is investigating a possible safety breach at one of Brisbanes busiest train stations after south-east Queensland's rail network was thrown into chaos on Tuesday afternoon.

Delays, initially up to 45 minutes, affected all rail lines through peak hour after an empty train ran a red signal at Roma Street station.

Passengers were delayed up to 45 minutes on Tuesday afternoon. Stock Image. Credit:Glenn Hunt

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has since launched an investigation into the incident.

As part of its investigation, the ATSB will interview the driver of the train and review recorded data from the signal system and from the train, a spokesman said.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has suggested one of her former Labor colleagues could be in contempt of Parliament.

Member for Cairns Rob Pyne was referred to the state's ethics committee after a "very grave" breach of security, in which he signed accused stalker Petros Khalesirad into Parliament and allegedly left him unattended.

Independent Cairns MP Rob Pyne says he did not know about the charges, Credit:Samantha Manchee/AAP

Mr Khalesirad is set to front court in December after pleading not guilty to a charge of stalking the Labor member for Keppel, Brittany Lauga.

Ms Palaszczuk said it appeared Mr Pyne deliberately allowed someone to enter the precinct "with the intention to cause damage to another member of Parliament".
Senator Nick Xenophon will push for new laws banning flammable aluminium cladding, following a damning Senate report into the potentially dangerous building product.

The report, released on Wednesday, came in the wake of London's deadly Grenfell tower fire in June where more than 80 people died.

It called for a ban on the importation and sale of polyethelene cladding in Australia.

Senator Xenophon will next week introduce a "safer cladding" bill into the Senate, in a bid to prevent the importation of flammable polyethylene-core aluminium cladding.
Lisa Scaffidi will continue to receive her $138,000 council salary despite standing down from her duties as Perth lord mayor pending an appeal of her disqualification from office over her travel rorts saga.

The Court of Appeal ruled on Thursday that Ms Scaffidi's 18-month disqualification would not come into effect until after an appeal against the penalty has been heard, with the disgraced mayor agreeing to stand down from her duties until that time.

Lisa Scaffidi was sond guilty of 45 breaches of the Local Government Act. Credit:Brendan Foster

The appeal - ordered on Thursday just hours before Ms Scaffidi was due to be disqualified from office - will be scheduled after November 1, meaning she will not be allowed to perform any of her duties until that time.

The City of Perth confirmed deputy Lord Mayor James Limnios would fill the role in the meantime.
WA's school system is set to be boosted by hundreds of classroom teacher jobs, education assistants, new schools and upgrades under the McGowan Government's first state budget.

Education was one of the state government's winners on the back of Thursday's announcement, after treasurer Ben Wyatt confirmed $465 million had been committed to school infrastructure and $119 million in classroom resourcing from 2018 onwards.

Works for new performing arts centres at Ballajura Community College, Ocean Reef Senior High School, Belridge Secondary College and Belmont City College will commence from 2018, with each centre receiving $5 million in funding. Credit:Quentin Jones

The McGowan Government promised to reinstate 120 teachers and 300 education assistants if elected in March, and Thursday's budget confirmed there was room in the state's wallet to fulfil this promise.

Ten new schools will be built as a part of the investment, including new primary schools in East Banksia Grove, Burns Beach, Brabham, Caversham South, Baldivis, Southern River, Forrestdale, Huntingdale, Byford and Yanchep.
A young Perth businessman who supplied black tie waiters for private functions has been slapped with a fine after accepting payment for engagement parties and weddings he never supplied workers for.

Tyson Vacher, 20, operated Black Tie Waiters from his Carramar home and confirmed bookings between January and November 2016 for various engagement parties and weddings across Perth.

Tyson Vacher has been ordered to pay a hefty fine in the Perth Magistrates Court. Credit:Twitter

Despite the company being deregistered for its four breaches of the Australian Consumer Law, it still advertises for waiters through a recruitment portal.

"Black Tie Waiters offer the most formal and pristinely dressed waitstaff in the industry; making us especially perfect for Weddings, Corporate Events, Galas, Balls and Formal Gatherings," the ad reads.
The Merredin District Hospital was due an upgrade under the scheme. Credit:WA Country Health Service At one end of town, the property market is thriving. Sprawling homes cover around five acres, with gorgeous limestone, trimmed lawns and a farmer's ute parked on a paved driveway. The latest home in the area just went for a cool $800,000. At the other end of town, buildings sit half-finished, abandoned buildings continue to collect wheat dust and flashy Barnett Government signage sits out the front of empty blocks of land. Regional Development Minister Alannah MacTiernan's ongoing criticism of the scheme, State Treasurer Ben Wyatt's warnings of a tightened wallet and a cloud of uncertainty over a number of projects has contributed to a tense atmosphere in regional WA over recent months. As whispers of a Royalties carve up began to circulate, towns like Merredin have been left in the lurch - and on Thursday, locals finally had their fears confirmed.

Thursday's state budget revealed the fate of the scheme responsible for sinking $7 billion in investment into regional WA to date, and confirmed the State Government Government would instead be looking to spend $4 billion over the next four years. It was reported $861 million of the fund is now set to be redirected elsewhere, and the existing fund will be aimed at funding ongoing costs - not new infrastructure or programs. The treasurer denied the program was "dead" and simply needed a "financial re-think". "There is plenty of good news for regional WA in our Government's first Budget - we're investing in initiatives that will grow and diversify the economy from Broome to Esperance," he said. "This is a Budget that strikes the balance between retaining critical existing regional projects and fulfilling our Government's job-generating election commitments in the regions."

Premier Mark McGowan echoed Mr Wyatt's sentiments and said it was important to focus on existing assets rather than looking at new projects. "The Royalties for Regions fund, framework and legislation will continue, as we have made clear, however we are ensuring funding is spent wisely on projects that people really need," he said. "We want to unleash the economic potential of regional WA through tourism, agriculture, aquaculture and other growth industries to create long-term jobs for all Western Australians." The fund redirection of the Royalties for Regions program could partially be due to its more controversial spending habits and Minister MacTiernan's belief the scheme failed to focus on local employment and instead attempted to promote town "beautification". But Mr Morris doesn't see it that way.

"If you look what's happened in Merredin, Royalties for Regions has provided concrete beneficial things for our community, which the ongoing of provisional services won't do," he said. "It's the same old, same old. That's a concern, if we're not going to try and make it a better place to live, we can't just try and maintain it the way it is. We need to get better. "The government wants to stand up and say they want to attract industry to these places, but they're not acknowledging we've got to make these places a better place to live for these workers. "If we're going to have to cut back on a lot of stuff, people will ask if regional Australia is the place to live." Mr Martin highlighted concerns with existing projects due for approaching opening dates, and said the State Government still had not offered clarity on their future.

"One of the concerns I've got is this: projects  such as retirement villages and ambulance facilities  we still don't know if that is going to be halted. Stuff that's in the pipeline now  are those in jeopardy? Or do those successful applications just get thrown out now? We still don't know," he said. Shire of Merredin chief executive officer Greg Powell said the town's retirement village plan was of serious concern. "The key program for us at the moment is the one revolving around our aged care program  involving 11 shires and around 75 houses," he said. "That project has been tendered for and tenders are currently under assessment. It's a $22 million project and it would be a significant blow to the region should that funding be pulled. "Of course, it's what to be expected and it's what has been telegraphed since the election.

"We were told there will be a shift from innovative programs into mainstream services such as health, education and transport... but there's definitely a concern for Merredin. "You've got to provide an appealing well serviced environment. It's not just a matter of employing the employee, you're employing the family... it becomes extremely difficult to attract people to the region." Mr Powell said he was also concerned about budget's turn towards the Peel region, away from the Wheatbelt and the Pilbara. "We're going to have to ask the question about the direction of the funds in the future. It seems like a fair bit of funding will be allocated into Labor seats in the Peel region," he said. "Here in Merriden, we're a Nationals seat with a large majority. We are not in any sense of the word a marginal seat, so it's going to be difficult for us to attract funding."

Nationals WA leader and member for the Central Wheatbelt Mia Davies also did not hold back on her assessment of the budget's carve-up of the scheme, calling it "treacherous" and "cruel". "Royalties for Regions was created by the Nationals to fund regional development projects and diversify regional economies on top of usual government funding," she said. "Instead, Mr Wyatt is raiding the program to plug holes in his Budget and pay for ongoing government services and infrastructure projects in transport, health, water and education. "Royalties for Regions is dead in all but name. What's worse, the money saved by using Royalties for Regions to pay for core government services is being ploughed back into Labor's election promises - which have blown out by $1 billion in less than six months." Ms Davies said the budget was nothing short of an "unprecedented attack on the bush".
By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 7 (PTI) Tolerance is the "culture and commitment" of India and it is "our constitutional duty" to protect it, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said here today.

Any type of violence and anarchy is a conspiracy to weaken the fabric of the countrys social harmony and Indias strength of unity in diversity. "Our Government will not allow any destructive agenda to dominate our development agenda," the minister said at an event here.

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His remarks come in the backdrop of the outrage over the killing of Kannada journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views on Hindutva politics, by unidentified assailants at the entrance of her residence in Raj Rajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.

Naqvi said the poor and weaker sections of society have the first right to resources of the country and the Narendra Modi government is committed to the progress of every section of the society.

He was speaking after inaugurating the New India- We Resolve to Make photo exhibition cum cultural event at the Bandra railway station jointly organised by Parliamentary Affairs Ministry and Container Corporation of India.

"Tolerance is the culture and commitment of India and it is our Constitutional duty to protect and strengthen the culture of tolerance," he said.

"Our unity in diversity has created a special status and respect for India across the world. India is ahead of several big democracies in ensuring freedom of expression," Naqvi said.

It is our constitutional duty to protect this unity and defeat evil forces which want to disturb the social harmony, Naqvi said.

The welfare and empowerment of poor sections rising above caste and religion has been the priority of the Modi government, Naqvi said.

Under the New India vision of Modi, the government has been working with a commitment to welfare and empowerment of these sections of society, he said.

"The poor have suffered due to political exploitation in the name of caste and religion. But our government has kept this section at the centre of all welfare schemes," Naqvi said.

The exhibition, focusing on Indias freedom movement, is being organised at 39 places across the country. PTI VT KRK RT

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Minneapolis: Investigators are looking into the mental health and medical records of a Minneapolis police officer who fatally shot Australian woman Justine Damond in July.

A search warrant filed publicly on Tuesday shows an investigator with the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension was seeking investigative background records, including pre-employment psychological exams and unredacted personnel files, of Minneapolis police officer Mohamed Noor.

Australian Justine Damond was fatally shot by police in Minneapolis. Credit:AP

Court documents show the city provided investigators with the requested information.

Noor fatally shot 40-year-old Ms Damond on July 15 after she called police to report a possible sexual assault near her house.
Washington: US President Donald Trump has reached a deal with Democratic leaders of Congress to avert an economy-shaking fiscal crisis at the end of the month, a sudden move that caught Republican leaders off guard and severely undercut their legislative strategy.

Under the deal, the first of significance that the President has reached with Democrats, Congress would extend the nation's borrowing limit and fund government operations until mid-December while Trump and lawmakers address other looming issues. The agreement could, however, simply delay the possible crisis until then.

Trump's agreement, which he described to reporters as he flew to an event in Bismarck, North Dakota,, came over the objections of his fellow Republicans, who ostensibly run Congress. In effect, Trump further empowered the Democratic minority to influence the outcome of a range of budget, immigration and tax issues through the end of the year.

The bargain left several Republican lawmakers seething that Trump, the self-proclaimed deal-maker, had given such leverage to their political rivals. Yet the President, who has grown increasingly frustrated that dissension in his party has helped stifle his agenda, sounded relieved to find issues on which he could finally strike a deal.
Irma cut a path of devastation across the northern Caribbean including St Martin. Credit:AP 'Enormous disaster' "It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five per cent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International. French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe on Thursday said four bodies had been recovered on Saint Martin. Significant damage was reported on the island. Credit:AP

"The death toll is still uncertain because clearing operations are under way," Mr Philippe told a news conference at a crisis centre in Paris. About 50 people have been injured. "There is considerable damage," Mr Philippe said, adding 60 per cent of homes on the island were now uninhabitable. Geocolour image shows Hurricane Irma approaching Anguilla on Wednesday. Credit:AP "There is no electricity, no drinkable water, gasoline is unavailable." Mr Philippe said the government would on Friday declare a state of emergency, facilitating insurance compensation.

The full death toll across the region is still not known. Credit:AP Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response. Amid criticism from many residents that the British government could have done more to help its territories, Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said a Royal Navy ship would reach the affected islands on Thursday with tents, vehicles and other relief equipment. Felled tress block a road in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma in Samana, Dominican Republic. Credit:AP "Anguilla received the hurricane's full blast. The initial assessment is that the damage has been severe and in places critical," he told parliament.

One person was killed on the island and roads were blocked, with damage to the hospital and airport, power and phone service, Anguilla emergency service officials said. Homes that remained intact in the aftermath of Hurricane Irma, in St Maarten. Credit:AP 'Total carnage' The island of Barbuda, one of the first hit by the storm, was a scene of "total carnage," said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda, adding that the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance. Mr Browne told the BBC that about half of Barbuda's population of some 1800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.

Families gather at a shelter in a local church on the eve of the arrival of Hurricane Irma in Las Terrenas, Dominican Republic. Credit:AP "We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had," Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island. Mr Browne said one person was killed on Barbuda. A surfer was also reported killed on Barbados. Rescue staff investigate an empty flooded car in Puerto Rico. Credit:AP In Puerto Rico, Mr Rossello was due to fly to the worst effected areas of the island on Thursday but said it was to early to estimate the cost of the damage. The streets of the capital San Juan were littered with downed tree limbs and signs, with many street lights out.

Juan Pablo Aleman, a restaurant owner, said he had ridden out the storm in his 11th-floor apartment. "The building moved, shook a few times. A lot of shingles came off and some windows broke," he told Reuters. "If it had gone a little more to the south, it would have been catastrophic." Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC. The hurricane was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, and would become the second major hurricane to hit the US mainland in as many weeks after Hurricane Harvey. Florida Governor Rick Scott said it was unclear whether Irma would hit the state's east or west coast but told residents to beware of the surge from the powerful winds.

"The storm surge can kill you," Scott said on the CBS This Morning program on Thursday. He urged people to heed local officials and be ready when the call came to leave their area, promising the government would provide transportation to those who need it. 'You're on your own' Florida emergency management officials began evacuations in advance of Irma's arrival, ordering tourists to leave the Florida Keys. Roman Gastesi, the administrator of Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, told CNN that streets were empty in Key West and 90 per cent of businesses were closed. County officials, including police and emergency workers, would be leaving, he said. "If you're going to stay, you're on your own," Mr Gastesi said.
Washington: As Hurricane Irma cut an uncertain swathe through the northern Caribbean, Florida braced for the impact of its monster category-5 force, with residents and tourists ordered to evacuate some areas as a state of emergency was declared.

Reports of the impact on island communities in the wake of Irma's near-300kph winds and 6m storm surges were sketchy  due to poor communication. But with Texas shattered and still awash after the fury of Hurricane Harvey just days ago, nothing was being left to chance on the US mainland and in the island nations still in the path of what is billed as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century.

Heightening a sense of foreboding and predictions of inevitable catastrophe, another two storms were intensifying in the region  off the Mexican coast, Tropical Storm Katia was expected to intensify to hurricane status overnight Wednesday; and in the Atlantic, Tropical Storm Jose was gathering force.

Social media posts from people on the islands first swiped by Irma were dramatic  debris in full flight; buildings minus their roofs; roiling seas; near zero visibility; and trees and utility poles reduced to matchsticks as cars and trucks were carried off by flood waters.
Beirut: Israeli warplanes targeted a Syrian military position near Masyaf in Hama province early on Thursday , causing deaths and material damage, the Syrian army general command said in a statement.

It said the jets launched air strikes from Lebanese airspace.

An Israeli Air Force F-15 plane in flight. Credit:AP/File

The army said Israel targeted one of its positions, which a war monitor said was a branch of the government agency accused by the US of producing chemical weapons.

The army statement said the air strike killed two people and caused material damage and warned against the "dangerous repercussions of this aggressive action to the security and stability of the region".
Stephen Bannon, President Donald Trump's former chief strategist, lashed out at leaders of the Catholic Church in the United States who condemned the president's recent decision to phase out an Obama-era program that has allowed nearly 800,000 undocumented immigrants who were brought to the country as children to gain temporary legal status.

Mr Bannon, who is Catholic, accused the church of wanting a steady flow of illegal immigrants coming into the country to fill its church pews and make money.

Former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon says GOP voters will lose enthusiasm for Trump if he drifts to the centre on immigration. Credit:CBS

"Unable to really to come to grips with the problems in the Church, they need illegal aliens, they need illegal aliens to fill the churches," Mr Bannon said in an excerpt from an interview with Charlie Rose that will air in full on the US version of 60 Minutes on Sunday. "It's obvious on the face of it."

Mr Bannon added: "They have an economic interest. They have an economic interest in unlimited immigration, unlimited illegal immigration."
A rising star of the surf scene has died after trying to ride huge waves generated by Hurricane Irma in the Caribbean.

Zander Venezia, 16, a champion surfer from Barbados, paddled out into the surf with a group of friends on Tuesday morning, local time.

He was reportedly knocked off his board, hitting a shallow reef. An autopsy showed he was knocked unconscious and then drowned.

While Barbados is not in the path of the Category 5 hurricane, which has torn through the Caribbean, surfers have arrived on the island lured by the powerful waves pounding the east coast.
Washington: Twitter is expected to brief US congressional investigators soon on whether Russia used its advertising platform to promote divisive social and political messages during the 2016 election, Senator Mark Warner says.

The news came a day after Facebook said an operation likely based in Russia had placed thousands of US ads with polarising views on topics such as immigration, race and gay rights on the social media site during a two-year-period through May 2017.

Senate Intelligence Committee Vice Chairman Senator Mark Warner. Credit:AP

Warner, the top Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, on Thursday said the suspected Russian placement of such ads may have gone far beyond what Facebook disclosed, and that Twitter and other technology companies should also examine the issue.

"It was my belief that the Russians were using those sites to interfere in our elections, and the first reaction from Facebook was, 'No. You're crazy.'" Warner said at the Intelligence and National Security Alliance conference in Washington.
WILLEMSTAD, Curacao:--- Due to Hurricane Irma, the U.S. Coast Guard will be temporarily positioning seven Coast Guard Patrol Vessels from Puerto Rico to Curacao from September 6-12th to facilitate response efforts. The U.S. government expresses its appreciation to the government of Curacao for its assistance in this matter.

Our thoughts are with the people who reside in the path of Hurricane Irma.

USFOL Press Release
By PTI: Panaji, Sep 7 (PTI) A Goa court today ordered framing of charges against senior journalist Tarun Tejpal, accused of sexually assaulting and raping a former woman colleague nearly four years ago.

Earlier, District and Sessions Judge Vijaya Pol dismissed Tejpals application for dropping the charges against him.

The charges against Tejpal, 54, would be framed under IPC sections 341 (wrongful restraint), 342 (wrongful confinement), 350 (criminal force), 354 (A) and (B) (sexually coloured remarks and use of criminal force on woman) and 376 (rape), the court said, according to the prosecutor.

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The court has barred the media from covering the proceedings.

The framing of charges on September 28 will pave the way for start of the trial against the once celebrated journalist, the founder editor of Tehelka magazine.

"The court has directed that the charges be framed against Tarun Tejpal," Public Prosecutor Fransisco Tavora told reporters outside the court.

No charges against Tejpal were dropped by the court, he said.

A junior colleague of Tejpal had accused him of sexually assaulting her inside a lift at a five-star hotel in Goa during an event in 2013, triggering a massive public outrage. He is currently out on bail. PTI RPS KRK SK SK SDM

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Notebook: Notre Dame keeps blocking punts, WR Braden Lenzy hauls in amazing TD catch

Jack Kiser became the sixth different player with a blocked punt this year for Notre Dame.
Iqbal Kaskar has been asked to vacate the Dawarwala Building at Pakmodia Street in Bhendi Bazaar and Shabnam Guest House in JJ Marg area.

By Virendrasingh Ghunawat: Iqbal Kaskar, brother of fugitive underworld don Dawood Ibrahim, has been asked to vacate his two dilapidated properties in Mumbai.

Iqbal Kaskar has been staying in Damarwala Building at Pakmodia Street in Bhendi Bazaar, south Mumbai since long. Dawood's late sister Hasina Parker also used to stay in this building.

A four-page notice under the Smugglers and Foreign Exchange Manipulators (Forfeiture of Property) Act, 1976 or SAFEMA Act was pasted outside the Damarwala Building asking the occupants to vacate the structure.

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Similar notice has also been put up at Shabnam Guest House located in JJ Marg area.

Talking to India Today, tenants of the two buildings said they would approach the court against the notice.

Earlier this year, the Appellate Tribunal for Forfeited Property had given the central government an approval to take over Dawood Ibrahim's two properties in located south Mumbai.

The tribunal had declared both properties as "illegally acquired" and approved their takeover under SAFEMA Act.

Kaskar was arrested but granted bail in an extortion case in February 2015.

J J Marg police station had registered a case against Iqbal Kaskar after a real estate agent, Mohammed Salim Shaikh, filed a complaint alleging that Kaskar and his men assaulted him and demanded Rs 3 lakh. Kaskar and two others were booked under IPC sections 385 (extortion), 323 (causing hurt) and 34 (common intention).

Kaskar was deported to India from United Arab Emirates in 2003 as he was wanted in a murder case and the Sara Sahara illegal construction case. However, he was acquitted in both the cases in 2007.

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Is Dawood Ibrahim critical in Pakistan hospital? Family reportedly denies

WATCH: Dawood Ibrahim's death rumours scotched, terror don alive in Pakistan

--- ENDS ---
In the aftermath of landfill portion collapse in Ghazipur on September 1 leading to death of two, Delhi government has drafted a plan of action.

By Pooja Shali: In the aftermath of landfill portion collapse in Ghazipur on September 1 leading to death of two, Delhi government has drafted a plan of action. From the land proposed for a vegetable market at Narela in north Delhi, a space will also be allotted as Waste-to-Energy Plant to clear piling garbage.

Sources in Delhi government have confirmed to India Today that, an emergency meeting will be called on Friday morning, which will include members of the Development Department whose in-charge is minister Gopal Rai.

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The agenda of meeting will be to discuss the plan of action regarding space to be allotted for garbage being collected from across the city.

Sources have also confirmed that the proposal will be made to Municipal Corporation of Delhi, North (MCD) after the meeting tomorrow. The waste from proposed vegetable market and North MCD areas will also be treated at this plant.

This comes days after Delhi's Lieutenant Governor (LG) banned further dumping of garbage at Ghazipur landfill site, where two people died after a mountain of garbage swept two people into the canal. Also, a political blame game ensued between BJP-ruled MCD, the DDA (under Union government) and the Aam Aadmi Party-led Delhi government.

However, the proposal will be subject to approval from LG.

ALSO READ:

Ghazipur landfill trash to fill up Delhi-Meerut Expressway: NHAI's roadmap to flatten muck mountain

Delhi's Ghazipur landfill collapses, 2 dead after vehicles fell into canal

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The court took strong exception to the fact that over six years have passed since 2011 and the schools still have not complied with Justice Anil Dev Singh committee recommendations.

By Mail Today Bureau: The private schools that did not refund the excess fee charged by them despite the government order, have been given two weeks to deposit 75 per cent of the principal amount to avoid facing a coercive action.

The directions came from the Delhi High Court on Wednesday that asked these city schools to deposit the amount in the form of "cash, fix deposits receipts or bank guarantees favouring the Registrar General" in the HC registry.

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The court took strong exception to the fact that over six years have passed since 2011 and the schools still have not complied with Justice Anil Dev Singh committee recommendations.

The committee had asked these schools to refund the excess with nine per cent interest would face the prospect of either derecognition or takeover.

The schools had hiked the fee despite having adequate funds, and were subsequently asked by the court committee to return the money to parents.

"We had given you adequate time to schools to put your house in order. Yet, the schools have not complied with our order. They must themselves deposit the amount extracted in excess from students. We acknowledge that there may be variations in the amount calculated by the committee. But to say that halt the whole process, is not fair. We can't pass a blanket order that don't recover the money. You deposit the amount and we are inclined to give an expeditious hearing," the bench observed.

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Teacher's Day: 'Samvaad' helps Delhi schoolchildren break the ice with teachers

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--- ENDS ---
He is still a long way from his goal. After being beaten and harassed in Libyan camps , he finally made the crossing to Italy, where he lived in a reception camp near Brindisi for six months. He worked as a day laborer picking tomatoes, and felt he was being exploited like a slave. He doesn't have a particularly high opinion of Italians. He believes they are disorganized and spoiled. He, on the other hand, wants to do something with his life, he says.

Hopelessness and Aimlessness

Zacharias is firmly convinced that he will make it, and that he will lead a life of prosperity and dignity in Germany. Other Africans have also made it, he says, citing as proof the photos they send him every day, and the success stories he reads on Facebook and WhatsApp. He refuses to believe that these are sugarcoated versions of the truth, and that migrants are too ashamed to describe what life in Europe is really like. Instead of describing their loneliness, hopelessness and aimlessness, they lie and send photos of themselves standing in front of expensive cars.

Partly because of these misleading accounts, the flow of migrants continues unabated, always finding new routes when old ones become impassable, like the route across the Balkans in the past or the Mediterranean crossing from Libya today.

An hour and a half by train from Bolzano, a woman is sitting in an austere office across the street from the Brenner Pass train station. Every day, she is witness to this urge for a supposedly better life in northern Europe. Her name is Zineb Essabar, a 38-year-old with dark skin and braided hair. She is a Moroccan from Casablanca who came to Italy 12 years ago as an archeology student. For her, Italy is not a transit country but a second home.

She has worked for Volontarius, an aid organization, since January and almost every hour, she walks along the platforms in this inhospitable place, looking for refugees hiding underneath freight trains. Essabar comforts and advises them, and provides them with a bed for the night, but she is unable to offer more than that. This is a place where dreams come to die, she says.

She sees the men being thrown off trains, standing at the end of the platform and gazing longingly to the north, at all the Porsches and SUVs racing along the highway, and at the enormous outlet mall. Be patient, she wants to tell them, you can't have everything at once. She is infuriated by the widespread ignorance about real life in Europe, and by the persistent myths about Germany.

Falling on Deaf Ears

She begs the young men to stay in Italy. "You are registered here, your only opportunity is here," she tells them. Italy has committees that rule on hardship cases, grants asylum for humanitarian reasons, and appreciates migrants who learn Italian, work hard and are industrious. Italian asylum practices are much more flexible and imaginative than in Germany, she tells them. Believe me, I know.

Still, Essabar knows that her words fall on deaf ears. The migrants will keep trying, if not at the Brenner Pass, and if not by train, then by paying someone a few hundred euros to smuggle them by car across the border in the Puster Valley. Or they will attempt to cross the unfenced border on foot, as the Jews did when fleeing from Nazi Germany.

Whenever she feels particularly disillusioned, she comforts herself with the rough poetry of the place, taking pictures of flowers growing between the tracks and of the snow-covered peaks that surround the pass. And then she sends the migrants back to Bolzano again.

The province of South Tyrol has officially taken in 1,700 asylum seekers, or less than half a percent of the population of 500,000. In addition, there are several hundred illegal immigrants, usually with no prospects of gaining asylum.

What does a city do when migrants from distant countries turn up on its doorstep? It isolates itself and offers a firm response. There are raids in the park several times a week, with flashing lights and dogs searching for drugs, which they usually find. It is an uncomfortable time for prosperous South Tyrol, itself a region that has suffered in the past. At the beginning of the 20th century, poor farmers sent their children across the Alps on foot so that they could work as maids and shepherds in southern Germany. Residents of South Tyrol today, however, appear unwilling to recall that era.

Tea and Condoms

Gina Quiroz from Colombia, who works with Essabar at Volontarius, starts her shift when night falls in Bolzano. Her office is in a camper van, where she spends two nights a week puttering around the streets that surround the train station. She has thermoses filled with tea and condoms on board. Quiroz attends to the needs of Bolzano's illegal street prostitutes. They arrive by train from Trento and Verona every evening, 40 to 50 commuters, mostly from Nigeria, who haven't been in Italy for very long. They get dressed and put on their makeup in the restroom at the train station. When their work is done, they wait on the steps beneath fascist-era statues for the first train at 5 a.m.

Unlike ambitious Zacharias, these women no longer dream of a wonderful future in Europe. They charge about 30 per customer and use the money to pay off their debts with traffickers and pimps.
Germany remains one of the group's primary targets. In 2016, the group conducted an attack against the center-left Social Democratic Party's (SPD) parliamentary group in the Bundestag as well as the state offices of Merkel's conservative Christian Democratic Union (CDU) in Saarland. Security researchers also detected traces left by APT28 in attempted attacks on political foundations aligned with the CDU and SPD.

Russia's Strategic Aims

German authorities are furthermore united in the belief that Angela Merkel is an important target of Russian politicians. Merkel is a driving force behind sanctions against Moscow and one of Putin's few remaining geopolitical opponents. It's also conceivable that such strategic goals go beyond efforts to topple the chancellor. They also likely include efforts to cast divisions in society and to promote forces that support friendlier policies toward Russia, like the right-wing populist Alternative for Germany (AfD) party and elements within the center-left SPD.

German authorities' official position, including that of the BSI, on the threat posed by the Bundestag hacking attack is that something might still happen with that data. "It cannot be ruled out that the stolen data will be published in the run-up to the federal parliamentary election or that further attacks on institutions or parties will take place," says Schonbohm.

For a long time, the BSI president had been more reserved in his warnings than counterterrorism chief Maassen. But despite the apparent recent decrease in concern, he says that his agency is still taking the potential threat very seriously. "Regardless of the risk assessment of others, BSI has intensified its efforts to monitor the situation and will continue to do so until the end of the 2017 federal elections," Schonbohm says, "and it will have reserve crisis-reaction capacities on hand in the event of possible incidents."

Why a Bundestag Leak May Be Unlikely

Despite the continued caution, people are emphasizing certain factors suggesting the data hacked from the Bundestag will not emerge as a disruptive force shortly before the election:

First of all, the parliamentary election is not in great doubt. In contrast to presidential elections in the U.S. and France, there aren't two candidates running directly against each other. In Germany, voters elect a parliament, which in turn votes in the chancellor, thus making the system here much more difficult to influence. And in contrast to the polls at the beginning of the year, there no longer seems to be any chance that Merkel will lose the election. Her party's lead in the polls appears to be stable, making it seemingly impossible for Russian intelligence services to influence the situation in ways that could sway the outcome of the election.

Actions taken by France during its election this summer may also have had a deterrent effect. The leak shortly before the election of emails stolen from Macron's campaign by Russian hacker groups did little to damage the candidate, nor was it helpful to his Kremlin-friendly opponent, Marine Le Pen of the Front National. France was prepared and Macron's staff had even planted useless, fake data among the mails the hackers purloined. The leak didn't produce anything politically explosive.

German voters are also prepared for such attacks. By now, people are familiar with methods like strategic leaks and disinformation campaigns and the issue has been debated exhaustively since the U.S. election. Some media organizations have even built fact-checking teams that can respond to waves of false information. The large internet platforms, like Facebook and Twitter, are also working with the German authorities to protect the accounts of politicians and political parties from hacking.

There is also the fact that the data stolen from the Bundestag is already over two years old. One of the members of parliament whose office was attacked says the data stolen is "past its sell-by date." He contacted the authorities at the start of the year to find out if there had been any new developments and has since filed it all away as a thing of the past.

Independent of the individual assessments and speculation, the German authorities are united in their view that Russia is pursuing its strategic interests in Germany through disinformation tactics and attempts to sow division. The case of a 13-year-old Russian-German girl in January 2016 illustrated just how vulnerable the country's large Russian population can be to manipulation from Moscow. The Russian media reported widely on false claims the girl had been kidnapped and raped by migrants, sparking numerous protests by members of the Russian community in Germany, despite vehement denials by German government officials that anything had happened.
By PTI: Chennai, Sep 7 (PTI) Sidelined AIADMK (Amma) deputy chief T T V Dhinakaran today urged Governor Ch Vidyasagar Rao to act on the plea of his loyalist MLAs seeking ouster of Chief Minister K Palaniswami, his deputy O Panneerselvam and their demand for a floor test in the Assembly.

On a day of fast-paced developments, Dhinakarans loyalist MLA S K T Jakkaiyan switched to the Palaniswami camp which was dubbed by the deputy chief as being due to the "intimidation and lure" of the ruling camp.

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However, in what is considered a shot in the arm for the sidelined camp, legislator S Karunas of Mukkulathor Pulipadai, pledged his support to Dhinakaran.

With this two developments, the total number of MLAs supporting Dhinakaran remained at 21.

While indicating that he does not want the government to be toppled, Dhinakaran demanded removal of Palaniswami and Panneerselvam.

"It is evident that he (Palaniswami) has no majority. Therefore he should be asked (by the Governor) to prove majority," he said.

Speaking to reporters outside his residence after meeting the governor at the Raj Bhavan along with his loyalist MPs, and MLAs, he said they urged Rao to direct Palaniswami to prove his majority.

They also sought action on the MLAs representation to the governor, seeking the chief ministers ouster, Dhinakaran said, adding, "For us the chief minister and his deputy should be removed. The governor has assured us that he will take a good decision."

To a question on Jakkaiyan switching camps, he said, "Horse trading is on and this should not be allowed to continue,"

Dhinakaran said it was only due to such situations that his loyalist MLAs were staying at neighbouring Puducherry.

He said that he has apprised the governor that what was now happening was not an "intra-party affair" and that a recent legislators meet chaired by Palaniswami had showed he "does not have" the requisite majority.

Dhinakaran claimed that the Palaniswami camp themselves had accepted that they do not have a majority and as such the governor should not delay a floor test.

On Jakkaiyan issue, he said the MLA had contacted him this morning and suggested he was being intimidated, and asked him what should be done.

"I told him that you go (to CM camp) if you want and we will take a decision at the right time. It is natural that some will be bogged down by such intimidation, but not all," Dhinakaran said and claimed that even yesterday Jakkaiyan had sought posts like party headquarters secretary and presidium chairman.

Jakkaiayan, later told reporters that there was no pressure on him to join the Palaniswami camp and that he did so of his own free will.

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Harping on his "sleeper cell MLAs" usage (a claim to refer his loyalist MLAs with Palaniswami camp), Dhinakaran said bringing down Palaniswami and Panneerselvam from the reigns of power was his camps sole idea.

"If one MLA goes, two more will come to us, our sleeper cell legislators will come out," he said, adding that three MLAs (Karunas, Rathinasabapathy, Kalaiselvan) have pledged their support to him.

Asked about the perception that the BJP was calling the shots in the entire episode, Dhinakaran refused to blame the saffron party and quipped, "When our men have turned betrayers, how can I blame others?"

He said whoever supported the Palaniswami rule cannot go to the people for votes.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Subramanian Swamy told mediapersons here that Palaniswami should tender his resignation in view of Dhinakaran loyalists withdrawing their support.

Jakkaiyan, on his part, said "I desire that Palaniswami should continue as the chief minister".

Asserting that Jayalalithaa had ushered in the government through sheer hard work, he said his contribution should also be there for the continuance of the government.

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Jakkaiyan said the "differences was only an intra-party affair," and added that the situation should not be allowed to turn in favour of the DMK.

Rajya Sabha MP A Navaneethakrishnan, who was a part of the delegation who met the governor, told PTI that they have apprised Rao of those who moved the Supreme Court against the February 18 trust vote.

He said, the governor was informed that they were now a part of the government and that it was a constitutional impropriety.

The parliamentarian was apparently referring to K Pandiarajan, a loyalist of Panneerselvam and now a minister moving the apex court against the trust vote won by Palaniswami.

The chief minister and Dhinakaran have been at loggerheads as ever since the merger the unified AIADMK had declared that the latter had been removed from the deputy general secretary post on August 10 and questioned his authority to make changes in the party set up.

In the 234-member house, the AIADMK has a strength of 135, including the Speaker. The opposition has a total strength of 98, including 89 of the DMK, eight of Congress and an IUML member.

The R K Nagar constituency, wich was represented by Jayalalithaa, is vacant since her death. PTI SA VGN APR TVS NSD

--- ENDS ---

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Bir Lahlou, Sept 07, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali, sent a message of congratulations to the King of Swaziland Mswati III on the occasion of the 49th anniversary of his country's Independence Day.

On behalf of the Saharawi People and on my own behalf, I extend my sincere congratulations on the anniversary of the Independence Day of the Kingdom of Swaziland. I wish Your Majesty and the people of Swaziland happiness, continued success and prosperity, The President of the Republic says in his letter

The President of the Republic added that The Kingdom of Swaziland and Sahrawi Arab democratic Republic have established a close dialogue in the African Union, based on common approach towards a number of topical matters, in addressing the key challenges of eradication of all sort of colonization agenda in our continent and strengthening the economical independency of our continent.

I would not miss this opportunity to salute and extend my thanks to Your Majesty in associating your country in the recent decision of SADC for convening of a solidarity conference of the SADC countries with people of Western Sahara.

The President of the Republic concluded his message by stressing that bilateral relations between the peoples of the two countries, especially at the diplomatic level, will contribute to enhancing the fundamental role of the African Union in taking its natural place in the international arena.. SPS

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Bir Lahlou (Liberated Territories), Sept 07, 2017 (SPS) - The President of the Republic, Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, Mr. Brahim Gali congratulated his Angolan counterpart, the new President, Mr. Joao Lourenco on his election as President of the Republic of Angola.

"I am convinced that the people of Angola have chosen your Excellency in these elections because they believe in the strength of your efforts and your ability to build a strong democracy and inclusive institutions to ensure stability and a prosperous future for all Angolans," the President said.

The President of the Republic, the Secretary-General of the Frente POLISARIO, expressed his desire to look forward to working with his Angolan counterpart Joao Lourenco to establish closer relations between the two brotherly countries, but also to pool our efforts to raise the role of our continental organization, the African Union, Development, Peace and Security Challenges in Africa ". SPS

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STAMFORD  Through the window of his Salon Shahin at 66 Broad St., Shahin Farzam sees the ever-changing look of his neighborhood.

Last year, an American steakhouse was in. A couple years earlier, a Brazilian eatery was hot. Now that space is bare. So are several other storefronts on the block. But the opening last month of University of Connecticut dorms two blocks away has raised hopes among Farzam and others that new arrivals can join his business as mainstays on the west end of downtown.

We need businesses to come downtown, to have families walking with their kids, Farzam said in a recent interview at his salon, which he founded in 1994. It just cant be all restaurants.

Short-lived runs

The demise of Wayne Steakhouse earlier this year exemplified the predicament of many of the independently owned businesses in recent years on the Broad Street block between Washington Boulevard and Summer Street.

It debuted in August 2016 in an approximately 7,000-square-foot property at 5 Broad St., but it struggled to fill the expansive space. Six months after opening, it had folded.

You like it when they come, but you hate it when they leave, Farzam said. They opened Wayne Steakhouse, it was there for six months, and then it was gone. It looks like a failure.

The block intersects the thriving restaurant row on lower Summer Street and stands a few hundred yards from an equally successful dining corridor on Bedford Street.

But the same section of the street has struggled to hang on to new arrivals. A Brazilian steakhouse, Rodizio Grill, closed in 2014 after a short spell at 5 Broad St. The same space briefly housed a Houlihans restaurant, which shuttered in 2009, six months after it opened.

Frequent turnover has weighed down adjacent properties, too. Fifty-nine Broad St. has stood vacant for more than three years. It has housed a gym, an Italian restaurant and, most recently, a post office. UConn officials considered the property as a site for student housing, but they decided to develop the universitys first dorms in the city at the corner of Main Street and Washington Boulevard. UConns main Stamford building straddles Broad Street and Washington Boulevard.

University officials said this week they are not currently exploring leases or purchases of other Broad Street properties.

Next to Wayne Steakhouse, several thousand square feet are vacant at the base of the Trump Parc building.

One of the problems is the rippling effects of growth in the downtown havent yet reached to the west on that road, said Jack Condlin, president and CEO of the Stamford Chamber of Commerce.

At the same time, the block possesses two large mainstays in addition to the UConn building. A Target store and a Citibank branch dominate the south side of the block.

Meanwhile, sustained runs by Salon Shahin, Indian restaurant Coromandel and City Furniture show that independent businesses can succeed on the block. Salon Shahin draws 400 to 500 clients each week to a 6,000-square-foot space. About 35 work at the salon.

Farzam said he thinks a more diverse mix of establishments would benefit the street.

I think a boutique hotel would work there, at 59 Broad St., he said. That would be a great location. Unfortunately, anybody who has gone into that building, theyve always said That building needs to be redone from scratch.

Reasons for hope

Despite the churn in storefronts at the west end of Broad Street, the stretch continues to attract new tenants. Phenix, a suite of salons, plans to open in a vacant storefront next to the former Wayne Steakhouse space.

Farzam said he is not worried about Phenixs arrival. Another salon, La Jolie, already neighbors his business around the corner at 388 Summer St.

Competition is what makes you a better business person, Farzam said. Im happy if theres somebody bringing more walking traffic. It doesnt matter if there are 10 salons open. It would just make us work harder and become better.

The opening last month of the UConn dorms, which house some 260 students, represents another potential boon.

The UConn housing will bring another wave of people, Condlin said. Now would be a good time for the landlords on that end of Broad Street to say Were going to focus on bringing in the right tenants there.

The neighborhoods improvement during the past generation also offers reasons to believe it can overcome its latest travails, Farzam said.

When I started here, it was empty, there was nothing going on here, he said. The walking traffic was horrible. There was nothing for people to come downtown for. But I figured if I stayed here long enough downtown Stamford would become Downtown Stamford.

pschott@scni.com; 203-964-2236; Twitter: @paulschott
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NEWTOWN - A key allowing a teacher to lock her classroom was missing from its folder the day of the Sandy Hook massacre, said an attorney for two families who have filed a lawsuit.

If you have a lockdown procedure and you are not provided the key, how are you supposed to lock down? said Donald Papcsy, the attorney for the families who are suing Newtown for negligence. This is going to be a big part of our case moving forward.

Papcsy received a judges permission in mid-August to inspect the emergency folders taken by police from two classrooms where teachers and students were slain during the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre.

School district officials had maintained in court documents that every classroom had an emergency folder with a key to lock the door against an intruder. But Papcsy on Friday inspected the folder taken from the classroom of Lauren Rousseau, a substitute teacher who died in the massacre, and said it was empty.

This has been a mission to find out the truth, because that is what the victims of this tragedy deserve, Papcsy said on Tuesday. We deserve to have a safe environment where our kids can go to school.

Monte Frank, one of the attorneys defending Newtown and its school district against the lawsuit, was present on Friday in Ridgefield during the inspection of the classroom folder. He declined to say anything about the contents.

I am not going to comment on pending litigation, he said on Tuesday.

Newtown asked a state Superior Court judge in July to throw out the lawsuit, arguing it was the 20-year-old shooter Adam Lanza - and not the town or the schools - who was responsible for the worst crime in Connecticut history.

The families are preparing a response. The case is scheduled for trial in March.

The case is separate from a higher-profile lawsuit brought by 10 families against the maker of the rifle used in the attack. That lawsuit was thrown out of court in 2016 and is being appealed in state Supreme Court.

The parents of two slain first-graders who are suing Newtown are also part of the higher-profile case against the gunmaker Remington.

Parents Neil Heslin, Scarlett Lewis and Leonard Pozner offered to settle their lawsuit against Newtown for $5.5 million each in 2016.

The towns defense is a bunch of language saying they are not responsible, Papcsy said on Tuesday.

They are saying Yes, we wrote this lockdown policy but everything is discretionary and nobody is responsible for anything, he said. Obviously we dont believe that could ever be true.

rryser@newstimes.com 203-731-3342
A felon who fled to Asia to avoid jail time for allegedly masterminding a Greenwich Avenue robbery was arraigned in court Wednesday and given a very high bail to prevent any chance of another escape from the law.

Superior Court Judge Gary White set a new bond for Naquan Ferguson of $1.5 million and imposed the unusual conditions that any bail be paid in cash and posted at state Superior Court in Stamford.

Ferguson, 31, kept his head down during the 10-minute session and did not speak.

The robber, who took part in the theft of five Rolex watches from a Greenwich jewelry store in 2011, will find out Sept. 19 what his prison sentence will be. He faces a 60-year maximum sentence for crimes to which he pleaded guilty.

Ferguson was given two weeks to get his affairs in order in 2014 before showing up to begin a sentence of eight-and-one-half years in jail, in a plea deal he struck with prosecutors. He ended up fleeing the law and absconding to Asia.

According to Senior Assistant States Attorney Paul Ferencek, on the very day Ferguson asked for the two weeks to settle his affairs, he purchased a ticket for a flight out of the country.

Suffice it to say, were very pleased with this turn of events, but not surprised he eventually got picked up. The U.S. Marshals office and the Greenwich police have been tracking him for years. We commend their efforts at bringing him to justice, Ferencek said.

Authorities picked him up in Guangzhou in southern China last month and turned him over to the the U.S. Marshals Service.

Two other accomplices have also done prison time in connection with the heist at the Lux Bond & Green jewelry store, which involved the threat of a weapon and a note passed to an employee. Four of the watches were later recovered. Each was valued at more than $60,000.

There was no discussion in court as to what led authorities to Ferguson in China or what he was doing there.

Ferguson, originally from Brooklyn, evaded police in Greenwich after the robbery. He was picked up in Texas in 2012.

Mark Sherman, the defense attorney for Ferguson, said, He will be accepting full responsibility for these charges at his sentencing later this month.
General Bipin Rawat has warned against Chinese salami slicing strategy in the Himalayas. China's salami slicing tactic is explained here.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Days after Doklam standoff was resolved paving way for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting on the sidelines of BRICS where they held "progressive" talks, Army chief General Bipin Rawat yesterday warned against China's salami slicing tactics .

Asserting that India cannot afford to let its guard down against China, General Bipin Rawat, who was speaking at an event organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies in New Delhi, said, "As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict."

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WHAT IS SALAMI SLICING?

In military parlance, the term salami slicing is described as a strategy that involves divide and conquer process of threats and alliances to overcome opposition and acquire new territories.

Wikipedia defines salami slicing as a series of many small actions, often performed by clandestine means, that as an accumulated whole produces a much larger action or result that would be difficult or unlawful to perform all at once. The term is typically used pejoratively.

In the context of China, salami slicing denotes its strategy of territorial expansion in the South China Sea and the Himalayan regions. Many believe that Doklam standoff was the result of China's salami slicing tactics in the Himalayas.

CHINA'S SALAMI SLICING TACTICS

China is the only country which has been expanding its territorial jurisdiction post-World War II at the expense of its neighbours. This expansion has taken place in both territorial and maritime regions.

Acquisition of Tibet, capture of Aksai Chin and annexation of Paracel Islands are some of the glaring example of Chinese expansionist policy. China follows a particular pattern in acquiring a territory in its neighbourhood.

China first stakes claim on a territory and keeps repeating its claim at all platforms and on all possible occasions. It launches a propaganda disputing the claim of the other party to such an extent that the territory in question is recognised as a dispute between China and the other country. In resolving the dispute, China uses its military and diplomatic might to gain a part of it.

This strategy of territorial expansion by China is referred to as salami slicing, a term which is a modification of phrase, salami tactics. This was coined Hungarian communist politician Matyas Rakosi during 1940s to describe his strategy to the non-Communist parties by "cutting them off like slices of salami." Salami slicing is also known as 'cabbage strategy' in military parlance.

HOW CHINA WENT ABOUT SALAMI SLICING

When the Communist Party of China (CPC) brought the Kuomintang rule in the mainland China to an end in 1948, Tibet was an independent country governed by a set of Buddhist monks.

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The People's Liberation Army of China invaded Tibet and occupied the entire kingdom militarily. China claimed that it was part of the country during ancient times. Along with Tibet, China also annexed Xinjiang located east of Ladakh on the western end of Tibet plateau. These two slices doubled the Chinese territory.

In 1962, China launched an attack on Indian borders and intruded hundreds of kilometers inside the Indian territory. After a few weeks, China withdrew its forces from eastern sector. But, it claimed Aksai Chin as its next slice.

Aksai Chin is the size of modern Switzerland. It was the part of the state of Jammu and Kashmir. Following the capture of Aksai Chin, China sent shepherds of Han ethnicity with instructions to drive out the Indian sheep herders.

CHINA'S EASTWARD EXPANSION

After success in the Himalayas at the cost of Tibet and India, China replicated the salami slicing tactics on its eastern borders. China seize Paracel Islands in 1974 from Vietnam. China built Sansha City on the island to legitimise its illegal claim.

The acquisition of Paracel Islands was followed by capture of the Johnson Reef from Vietnam in 1988, the Mischief Reef in 1995 and the Scarborough Shoal in 2012 - both from Philippines in the South China Sea.

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China is still engaged with its neighbours staking its claim on the territories governed by them. The most striking of these claims are the one over Senkaku Island of Japan. China calls it Diaoyu. Despite Japan and the US rejecting the claim of China, it has succeeded in making Senkaku Island a "disputed territory" with its aggressive propaganda.

WHERE SALAMI SLICING IS AT WORK

Along the India-China borders, Beijing stakes claim on the 90,000 sq km of Arunachal Pradesh calling it the South Tibet. China also claims small territories in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir as its own.

China has already acquired about 6,000 sq km area north of Karakoram in Jammu and Kashmir from Pakistan. China is eyeing Doklam plateau as it would give it an advantage in keeping an eye over the Silliguri corridor or 'Chicken's Neck' that connects northeast India with rest of the country.

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War with China, Pakistan at the same time cannot be ruled out, warns Army chief General Bipin Rawat

China's 'salami slicing': Why Doklam must unite world leaders against Beijing

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'Salami slicing' remark: China asks if Indian Army chief Rawat authorised to comment on tensions

WATCH VIDEO | Standoffs do not lead to breakdown of international relations, says Army chief Rawat on Doklam skirmish

--- ENDS ---
By Ananth Krishnan: The Doklam stand-off "affected and undermined" India's relations with China, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Thursday, and said both sides should ensure "differences do not go out of control".

In the first comments from a senior Chinese official following the August 28 disengagement at Doklam and Tuesday's meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Xiamen following the BRICS Summit, Wang said, "For the past few months for clear reasons, China-India relations were affected and undermined."

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He said this in response to a question on bilateral ties at a press briefing in Beijing alongside visiting Nepal Deputy Prime Minister Krishan Bahadur Mahara.

Wang said, "Going forward, the two sides need to work together to follow up on the consensus reached by the two leaders and make sure bilateral relations will stay on track".

CHINA's 3-STEP PROCESS TO GET TIES BACK ON TRACK

Outlining what China sees as three steps for ties to get back on track, Wang said, "Firstly, the relationship should not be derailed"and that seeking harmonious relations and win-win cooperation was "the natural choice and the right choice" for both.

"Secondly, there should be no confrontation," he added. "We need to build strategic mutual trust and the two sides need to work to really look at each other as cooperative partners rather than be driven by an old-fashioned mindset and regard each other as rivals or threats."

Wang said both sides should also "make sure differences not get out of control". "Both sides need to remain committed to the five principles of peaceful coexistence and work together to properly handle disputes and also work together to maintain tranquility in border areas", he added.

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Post Doklam row, Modi, Xi Jinping meet for over an hour, eye forward-looking ties

India should prepare for more Chinese roads in Doklam, Tibet: Expert

Doklam standoff: Did China not expect an aggressive and bellicose reply from India?

WATCH VIDEO | BRICS Summit: Modi, Xi meet for first time after 73-day-long Doklam standoff

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The Enforcement Directorate today opposed the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Mohammad Aslam Wani in a city court, saying that he had a key role in bringing money from Pakistan for terror activities in Kashmir.

The probe agency, in its written response to Wanis bail plea, said the investigation in a decade-old money laundering case involving Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah was at a crucial stage and Wani may threaten witnesses and destroy evidence if enlarged on bail.

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Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma, who had denied bail to Shah on August 22, posted Wanis bail application for arguments on September 14.

The EDs response, filed through its special public prosecutor N K Matta, referred to the call records, e-mails and list of donors and alleged that they were linked to dubious transactions in Pakistan, London and Dubai.

Moreover, Wani was yet to be questioned for identifying the dubious offshore donors whose money routed into India through hawala channels, the probe agency claimed.

"The accused is suspected to be involved in assisting of channelising the illegal money sourced from foreign country Pakistan, avoiding banking channels to fund terror organisations in the state of Jammu and Kashmir and other parts of the country. If released on bail, he may use his influence in pressurising/threatening the witnesses.

"There are serious allegations against the applicant and the probe is at a very crucial stage since call records leading to Pakistan, London, Dubai are to be scrutinised including mails and the donors who have paid the money to him are to be identified and examined," the advocate said.

The agency submitted that if Wani was relased on bail at this juncture, "the entire effort of the respondents to unearth the larger conspiracy would be a futile exercise".

"The present case discloses the commission of serious crime where the accused is involved in generation of huge proceeds of crime from various countries, including Pakistan, to carry out unrest in Kashmir and amassed huge wealth in the form of immovable and movable assets," the counsel claimed.

In his bail application moved through advocate M S Khan, 36-year-old Wani has claimed that he was wrongly implicated in the case.

He has claimed that there was no material evidence that he had indulged in making money by selling the weapons or that he ever supplied money to any one, including Shah, before or after 2005.

He said he was innocent and there was no chance of him escaping from justice if granted the relief.

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The court had earlier rejected the bail plea of Shah after the Enforcement Directorate said it was probing whether he had received money from "enemy countries" like Pakistan to promote terrorism in India.

Wani was arrested from Srinagar by ED on August 6 and is currently in judicial custody. Shabir Shah was arrested by the agency from Srinagar on July 26.

The ED action against the two was in pursuance of an August 2005 case in which the Delhi Polices Special Cell had arrested Wani, claiming he had passed on Rs 2.25 crore to Shah.

In 2010, a Delhi court had cleared Wani of terror funding charges but convicted him under the Arms Act. The ED had registered a criminal case under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) against Shah and Wani.

Earlier on August 26, 2005, Wani was arrested allegedly with Rs 63 lakh, received through hawala channels from the Middle East, and a large cache of ammunition.

During questioning, the police had said he had told them that an amount of Rs 50 lakh was to be delivered to Shah and Rs 10 lakh to Jaish-e-Mohammad area commander in Srinagar, Abu Baqar, and the rest was his commission. PTI UK PKS SJK ARC

--- ENDS ---

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As Sandra Reddish wanders through the Nebraska State Historical Societys Fort Robinson History Centers museum, she points out things she would like to change to make the museum more appealing to everyone who visits.

As historic sites coordinator for the NSHS, it is part of Reddishs job to make sure NSHS sites are engaging the public in history. Many of the museums exhibits havent been updated in decades. Some lack information. Others need a little sprucing up. And theres space for more interactive exhibits. Reddishs eye for detail can pick out the smallest changes that need to be made to create a better overall experience for visitors.

On a sunny Wednesday morning, Reddish is responding to emails before taking another trip through the museum to note some changes she has in mind. She grabs a fly swatter and dispenses with the insect quickly before turning her attention to another.

Dont mind me, she said. Im just killing flies.

With a minor annoyance gone, she returns to replying to emails.

A tour through the museum reveals several minor flaws the general public may not notice. Reddish stops at a display of the 1880s and what a soldier would have carried. She notices a mess kit and questions its inclusion. The sign simply says mess kit, but Reddish is skeptical.

Im not so sure about that, she said. I think thats a World War I kit. Im going to have to double check on that one.

The museum needs a major facelift, Reddish said. Walking through the museum, she points out worn off lettering and the use of old fonts, creating a stagnant atmosphere. Theres too much text. It needs to be better, she said.

Look at how Legacy (of the Plains Museum) did theirs, she said. Thats right up to speed. Its 21st century. This is 1980s and 1990s.

Reddish is also looking to bring in interactive items to give visitors some hands-on experience. She already has plans for next year, which include bringing in an 1873 Springfield trap door and a saver for people to handle.

As baby boomers are retiring, more of them are traveling to historical sites around the country. Attendance and revenue generated by boomers will help Reddish in her push for more staff on site. More staff on site means more people at the locations the NSHS cares for and more information being disseminated to visitors.

Among the ideas Reddish is hoping to make a reality is finding donors who are willing to donate items, such as uniforms from different periods for visitors to try on. While at Ft. Riley, Reddish was able to try on a British World War II wool uniform.

Its heavy. Its hot. I started itching like crazy, she said. I dont know how those guys didnt go crazy itching.

She points out some places where descriptions of items could be improved. Some have lettering worn off. Others leave the visitor with more questions than answers. One visitor notes the prescriptions from Dr. Walter Reed are nice, but there isnt enough context and the visitor cant read his handwriting to know what kind of things were being prescribed at the fort.

The museum doesnt have much to offer about World War I. Shed like to change that. She would also like to have more interactive items so visitors will linger and ponder the information and history inside the museum.

Youd be amazed how fast some people go through here, she said.

Reddish would like to add volunteers who dress in period costume to greet visitors.

I want to have people in different periods, she said. Maybe from the Indian Wars, the 1930s, World War II.

The museum is always trying to upgrade and the plans Reddish has will create a modern museum to entertain visitors while engaging them in history. Reddish would like to get a fiberglass horse or mule and a harness.

You can have people try to figure out how to hitch them as an interactive, she said.

Small finds, such as dog tags for dogs from World War II are an opportunity. A vendor in Lincoln is creating new dog tags for dogs that will say Fort Robinson Vaccination 1943 and will be available for sale in the near future.

As she walks through the second floor of the museum, Reddish points out areas that are bare. She notes there is a lot of space that could be used, but is currently empty. Shes encountered the same issue at Chimney Rock where she is also in charge of updating the museum.

All this empty space could be used, she said. It could be something cool for people to touch or maybe have a knapsack you can fill up and have people try to lift it.

The decisions Reddish makes will impact the future of the museum. She hopes it will be a positive one for the NSHS and for visitors.
A Washington County judge has dismissed the case against a 16-year-old boy who was accused of having a role in an alleged rape in Blair two years ago.

Judge C. Matthew Samuelson dismissed the case Aug. 31, ruling that prosecutors did not provide proof of the charges against the boy beyond a reasonable doubt.

Jace Kleebach was initially charged in adult court, but the case was moved to juvenile court. The charges were first-degree sexual assault and first-degree false imprisonment.

His lawyer, Nicholas Wurth, said Wednesday that Kleebach is relieved.

He knew he didnt do anything wrong, and he couldnt understand why this was happening, Wurth said. He and his mom were both very happy to have this chapter behind them.

Washington County Attorney M. Scott Vander Schaaf said he is exploring whether he can appeal an earlier motion he had made to remove the judge from the case.

Law enforcement officials alleged that on Aug. 15, 2015, Kleebach, who was 14, and another 14-year-old boy, Justin Greenlaw, had forced sex acts with a 14-year-old girl in an apartment complex laundry room.

The girl told Blair police that Kleebach digitally penetrated her while he masturbated and Greenlaw held her down and had sexual intercourse with her.

The judge, after hearing two days of testimony, ruled last week that the girl gave inconsistent statements and, during cross-examination, admitted to lying under oath.

Another girl testified that after the alleged incident, the other girl told her that she had had sex with Greenlaw, and she didnt say it was forced.

The 14-year-old showed the girl hickeys on her breasts and texted the girl, If anyone asks, say it was rape.

The credibility of the witnesses is vital in any case and especially in this case where there was no forensic evidence offered, the judge wrote in his ruling.

Vander Schaaf said he was disappointed by the ruling and stands by the girl who accused the boys.

Our thoughts are with the victim while she deals with this difficult situation, he said. We encourage women to not let a ruling like this dissuade them from coming forward to report a sexual assault.

Wurth said he and Kleebach were confident the judge would acquit the boy.

For two years, (Kleebach) ran the gamut of emotions from confused to angry to upset, Wurth said. Hes matured a lot and wants to put this past him.

Kleebach is entering his sophomore year of high school and hopes to move back to Colorado to live with his mother, Wurth said. A condition of his bail was that he stay in Nebraska.

Greenlaw is awaiting trial in November.
Attendance was up this year at the Nebraska State Fair in Grand Island, and fair officials say they will continue making upgrades aimed at increasing those figures.

Joseph McDermott, executive director of the fair, said Tuesday that attendance at the annual event, which ran from Aug. 25 through Monday, was 379,108, up 18,001 over 2016 for an almost 5 percent increase.

The 2017 attendance is about 10,000 fairgoers shy of the record number of 389,171 established in 1997 in Lincoln, he said.

In 2009, the last year the State Fair was held in Lincoln, attendance was 367,203. The fair moved to Grand Island the following year.

Our numbers this year are far better than expected, and are a testament to the hard work the State Fair staff puts in to create such phenomenal results, McDermott said.

The largest single day for attendance in 2017 was Aug. 26, when 62,954 turned out.

McDermott said 17 percent of fairgoers who participated in a survey said 2017 was their first trip to the fair, while 45 percent said they attended the event each year.

Sixty percent of those attending the fair said they lived in central Nebraska, he said, and 20 percent said they were from the Lincoln and Omaha areas.

We will continue to work on our attendance, said Chris Kircher, chairman of the State Fair Board.

Long lines, especially at concerts, slow security checks and additional seating and more shade from the hot sun were among things that fairgoers urged officials to work on for next year, he said.

We think there are some measures to get people in and out faster, Kircher said of the concerts.

He said country star Brad Paisley drew just more than 6,000 fans to his concert, while Joan Jett and Lynyrd Skynyrd attracted about 3,000 each.

The big draw, Kircher said, was Pentatonix, an a cappella quintet that won season three of NBCs The Sing-Off. Pentatonix drew 12,843 fans, he said.
A white University of Kentucky student accused of physically assaulting a Black student worker while repeatedly using racial slurs says she will withdraw from the school. The decision announced Tuesday by a lawyer for 22-year-old Sophia Rosing came after hundreds of students rallied on campus the night before. News outlets report the students called for unity and for the university to quickly address the situation. Officials say Rosing has been charged with assault, public intoxication and disorderly conduct. She pleaded not guilty during an arraignment Monday afternoon. The altercation at Boyd Hall was captured on video and posted to multiple social media platforms.
By PTI: killing

Bengaluru, Sep 7 (PTI) Amid a political slugfest over the killing of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh, her family today made a plea against giving political colour to it, even as her kin appeared divided on who should probe the brutal killing that has sparked a nationwide outrage.

The family also said the investigators should look into all angles behind Gauris killing, whether it is right wing or Naxals, as reports have emerged about possible Naxal hand, other than suspected involvement of right wing extremists, the ideology that Gauri had opposed throughout her life.

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"I request, please dont give political colour to Gauris killings, please give justice to a journalist, a woman and to our sister," Gauris brother Indrajit Lankesh, flanked by his sister Kavitha Lankesh, told reporters here.

Asked about Rahul Gandhis attack on Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP and the RSS in connection with the killing, he said he did not want to comment on it.

"What we want is justice and please dont add political colour to it, add ideological colour if you want, because she stood for her ideologies," he said.

"Please dont take advantage by giving political colour to it. What I want to tell politicians, whichever party they are from, please dont colour this with political angle."

In an audacious attack, 55-year old Gauri, known as an anti-establishment voice with acrid anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on September 5.

Gauri, a writer, publisher and editor, had returned home in her car and was opening the gate when motorcycle-borne assailants sprayed bullets with two hitting her in the chest and one on her forehead, police officials had said. As the Special Investigation Team (SIT) constituted by Karnataka government today began its probe into the killing, there seemed to be differences within the family aboutwhether the case should be handed over to CBI for probe.

While Indrajit favoured a CBI probe, Kavitha said the SIT which is currently investigating should be given time.

Indrajit said, "We dont know how far it will go, but the family has decided let this (SIT) be there for now. Personally as a journalist what I request is if we dont get justice, I will give memorandum to CBI or retired judge (for inquiry), because we want justice", he said.

"Gauris murder should not become one among several such cases, it should become a landmark, so that no one indulges in such crime in the future to silence a voice or anideology or the firebrand journalism that she practised," headded.

Asked whether they will ask for a CBI probe only after the SIT fails to do justice or immediately demand for a probe by the central agency, Kavitha said, "It has become a fashion I think to say CBI, CBI."

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Immediately intervening, Indrajit said, "According to me its not a fashion, nor do have I complete confidence. The family will completely cooperate with the SIT. If we dont get justice, I personally - I have not spoken to my sister (Kavitha) or mother about it - I will go to CBI."

When reporters specifically asked both of them for clarity as to how much time they would give to the SIT before going to the CBI independently, Indrajit said, "What we want is justice for our sister and family."

He said, "At the end of it, it is not about going to CBI or special judge or SIT, it is about getting justice, for that Im ready to do anything and my family also are there with me. We are all together to get justice for our sister."

He said whether it is Naxals or right wing extremists behind the killing, the entire journalist fraternity needs an answer, as a journalist who stood for her values has been killed.

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With reports about the Naxal angle to Gauris killing coming into picture, the family requested the investigating team to look into all aspects.

He also said Gauri had no personal enmity towards anyone.

Asked whether the family believes that her fearless journalism and open expression of the ideology that she believed in was the reason for her killing, Kavitha said, "Yes, according to me that is the main reason."

Indrajit said Gauri had only ideological enemies, no personal enemies and she was even cordial with her ideological opponents.

"Every angle has to be probed whether it is right wing extremists or Naxalites... it has to beprobed," he said, adding that because "she was rehabilitatingthem (Naxals)...if there was any differences, it has to be probed."

In response to a question, pointing out that Gauri on Sunday had told their mother about some one suspiciously lurking near her house, Kavitha said, "Any one person walking around suspiciously, you cant complain about it. Any other person who is less brave would have probably complained and got security, but she (Gauri) is- what you call brave, also foolishly brave maybe." PTI KSU RA RC SMN

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By MARK EVANS mevans@stegenherald.com Westover and Smith roads, on the far western edge of the county, will get paving priority for 2023. Country commissioners and Scott Schmieder, county road and bridge foreman, decided at last Thursdays commission meeting to go ahead and seal up that corner of the county. That way, graders will not have
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Prime Minister Mihai Tudose said at the start of Thursday's Government meeting that about 100 million euro could be used for the Cantacuzino Institute equipment. At the same time, Prime Minister Tudose asked Deputy Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, also interim Defense Minister, to continue the demarche to transfer the Cantacuzino Institute under the subordination of the Ministry of Defense.

After a meeting with European Commissioner for Regional Policy Corina Cretu on Thursday, Prime Minister Tudose announced that the Executive received an "unexpected aid" from the European Commission for the Cantacuzino Institute. "It is still due to be transferred to the military area but also with EU funding," Tudose said after the meeting with Corina Cretu, which took place at Victoria Palace before the Government meeting.

Agerpres.
Prime Minister Mihai Tudose announced on Thursday, after a meeting at Victoria Palace with the European Commissioner for Regional Policy, Corina Cretu, that the government has received an "unexpected aid" from the European Commission for the Cantacuzino Institute. At the same time, the head of the Executive announced that, starting next week, the visits to Brussels of the ministers in his cabinet will be resumed.

Moreover, Prime Minister Tudose thanked European Commissioner Corina Cretu for her appreciation and promised that the rhythm for recovering the recent delays will be accelerated.

Agerpres.
By PTI: (Eds: Updating toll, announcement of solatium by govt)

Coimbatore/Chennai, Sep 7 (PTI) Five persons, including three women, were killed when the roof of a bus stand collapsed in Coimbatore today.

Four of those trapped under the debris were killed on the spot, while one woman died at the government hospital here.

Chief Minister K Palaniswami condoled the deaths and announced a solatium of Rs four lakh each to their families from the state disaster relief fund.

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"I express my sympathies and condolences with the families of the victims," he said in a statement.

The roof of the bus stand, where buses were parked, collapsed and people started running helter-skelter. Those who could not move were caught under the debris, the police said.

Meanwhile, Palaniswami said 12 people were injured in the incident at Somanur in the city outskirts.

The chief minister said in a statement that he directed the district collector and hospital authorities, where the injured were admitted, to ensure best treatment for them.

He sanctioned aid of Rs 50,000 and Rs 25,000 each to those with severe and simple injuries respectively from the Chief Ministers Public Relief Fund.

Palaniswami said he asked Local Administration Minister SP Velumani and District Collector TN Hariharan to expedite relief operations and also meet relatives of the deceased. PTI NVM SA RC AAR

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People on Twitter are blocking PM Narendra Modi's Twitter account after it was found that he follows some users who spewed hate and abuses after the murder of Gauri Lankesh.

By India Today Web Desk: Following senior journalist Gauri Lankesh's murder on Tuesday night, condolences, messages, threats and abuses have been flowing on social media. While the journalist fraternity is condemning the murder and mourning the loss, there are some who are hailing it.

There were reports stating that some of the Twitter users who have been abusing Gauri Lankesh are followed by Narendra Modi (personal account).

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While Twitter users have been condemning the prime minister for following such abusive users, PM Modi is yet to comment on Gauri Lankesh's murder.

FYI, PM Narendra Modi is on an official visit to Myanmar.

Meanwhile, Twitter users in India have decided to protest against the prime minister's following of those spewing abusing Gauri Lankesh's death. And guess what? It has become a hashtag now.

#BlockNarendraModi is trending on Twitter and people are actually blocking Prime Minister Modi's personal account to lodge their protest.

An absentee PM who cant care about d country that voted him to power & follows venomous people on Twitter. #BlockNarendraModi is a good idea pic.twitter.com/MAjXNL1lbB- Akshay Bajaj (@villagerurbaine) September 6, 2017

Do you hesitate to block people on social networks? If so, you shouldn't. Blocking is a virtue.#BlockNarendraModi pic.twitter.com/sFzF8Nu1n4- Er.Gopal Krishan (@Gop_krishan) September 6, 2017

In a democracy it is important for people to be able to question their elected representatives. While the Prime Minister not speaking about Gauri Lankesh's death is questionable, it is important to understand that blocking people is not the solution. And definitely not the head of the government of a country.

Some think it's a stupid idea, and there are better ways to ensure the PM listens to the nation.

Don't agree with people who #BlockNarendraModi. Blocking just signals the end of dialogue. Criticise him but don't block.- Meghnad ????? ?? (@Memeghnad) September 7, 2017

Sorry, won't #BlockNarendraModi. Will raise my voice and make sure that he listens to it.- Ankit Lal (@AnkitLal) September 7, 2017

Don't #BlockNarendraModi ... because of you do, he doesn't give a S#!t . #THUG- Jeetindra chavan (@foxman2430) September 7, 2017

Block is not a solution of problem, we should all protest against him.#BlockNarendraModi- Mohd Nasir (@Nasir_Shaikh) September 7, 2017

I don't understand the logic of #BlockNarendraModi Is someone seriously thinking blocking an Twitter account will help India on longer run?- tariq (@tariq_06) September 7, 2017

While some used the opportunity for cracking some jokes.

BJP IT cell busy creating fake accounts to counter #BlockNarendraModi campaign...- Jayant Kumar (@OnlineExpertLiv) September 7, 2017

#BlockNarendraModi... You people were actually following him???- ? Comrade Nambiar ? (@JagoSarbahaara) September 7, 2017

What sort of crappy trend this #BlockNarendraModi?I will do NO SUCH THING! ??This handle is my window to world tourism. pic.twitter.com/1F8Fmke1Rf- Akash Banerjee (@akashbanerjee) September 7, 2017

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The makers of the EpiPen failed to properly investigate more than 100 complaints that the device misfired during life-threatening emergencies  including situations in which patients later died, according to a Food and Drug Administration letter.

In a warning letter, the FDA said Meridian Medical Technologies, a Pfizer company that manufactures the auto-injectors used to treat life-threatening allergic reactions, had detected faults in some units of the EpiPen and failed to adequately respond  including some situations in which patients subsequently died.

The Sept. 5 warning letter noted that the manufacturer had received 171 complaints about products that failed to activate between 2014 and 2017, but did not disassemble the vast majority of the units as part of its investigation. The device is designed to inject epinephrine to halt dangerous allergic reactions.

In fact, your own data show that you received hundreds of complaints that your EpiPen products failed to operate during life-threatening emergencies, including some situations in which patients subsequently died, the FDA letter said. Many of the complaints related to product activation failures, including failures to activate when the user followed the operating instructions, as well as failures for products that spontaneously dispensed epinephrine drug prior to use so that the drug was no longer available when the user attempted to activate the product.

Meridian Medical Technologies discovered that a critical component of the auto-injector product failed last year, the FDA inspection that triggered the letter found.

The company rejected two lots of that component and asked the manufacturer of the part to do an investigation, but continued to make the drug  without linking the known component failure with numerous complaints you received regarding failure to activate, difficult to activate, or other product activation failures, the letter said.

Meridian Medical Technologies recalled certain lots of the auto-injectors in March.

In an emailed statement, Pfizer said, Between 2015 and now, we have shipped more than 30 million EpiPen Auto-Injectors globally. Its not unusual to receive product complaints, especially when the product is frequently administered by non-medically trained individuals.

The company added, We currently have no information to indicate that there was any causal connection between these product complaints and any patient deaths.

The FDA letter was sent to Meridian Medical Technologies, but the drug is marketed by Mylan, which has come under fire for the repeated price hikes it made to the price of EpiPen.

We note that Pfizers recall several months ago of certain lots of EpiPen Auto-Injector was taken as a proactive and precautionary measure with FDA in relation to these issues, Mylan spokeswoman Nina Devlin said in an email. Mylan has an unwavering commitment to quality and patient safety and we are confident in the safety and efficacy of EpiPen products being produced at the site. Further, we do not currently anticipate any supply issues as a result of the warning letter.

Both Mylan and Pfizer said they are confident in the safety and efficacy of EpiPen products being produced at the site.

Mylan said it does not currently anticipate any supply issues as a result of the warning letter.

The Washington Post and Reuters contributed to this report.
An electric transmission project planned for northeastern Missouri has passed a crucial hurdle, securing local approval in the five counties along its proposed route.

The St. Louis-based utility, Ameren, announced Wednesday that it had finalized the planned route for its high-voltage Mark Twain Transmission Project, after obtaining the last of the local assents needed to pave the way for the line.

If given final approval by the Missouri Public Service Commission, the approximately 100-mile transmission line will extend from just outside of Palmyra  a small town near Hannibal  to the Iowa border, passing through Adair, Knox, Lewis, Marion and Schuyler counties.

The project will be co-located along the right of way for existing transmission lines. Its finalized route is different than the one Ameren originally sought, which would have included Shelby County but not Lewis County, and would have been almost entirely situated along new right of ways, according to Eric Seidler, vice president of asset management, engineering and maintenance for Ameren Transmission.

But the project, like other transmission lines, encountered stiff opposition from some landowners along its path. Seidler said Ameren didnt purposefully avoid Shelby County with its new route, but explained that the opportunities to share right-of-way space with other infrastructure simply existed elsewhere.

It was that redesign that allowed us to successfully gain the five (county) assents, said Seidler.

Ameren hopes to gain PSC approval for the line in early 2018, with the goal of completing construction in December 2019. Seidler says the project promotes grid reliability, relieves congestion, and it increases the capacity to promote the development of new renewable energy resources, such as wind.

The project is expected to cost $250 million  up from a $225 million estimate associated with the originally proposed route. Seidler suggested that the increase in price was a result of the larger structures that are required to accommodate the route along swaths of existing power lines. He said the line is considered a Multi-Value Project by the Midcontinent Independent System Operator, a regional transmission organization, and that the cost of the project will be spread across 11 member states, leaving Ameren Missouri customers to cover only about 8 percent, or $20 million, of the price tag.

Though the Mark Twain line may come to fruition, some worry that the messy and controversial legal process surrounding it has set a tough precedent for uniform local approval that is likely to torpedo other infrastructure projects.

In 2016, the project was initially approved by the PSC on the condition that Ameren would eventually obtain authorizations from each county along its route. But earlier this year, that ruling was overturned by a state appeals court that said county-level assent must precede state approval.

That appeals court ruling was cited as precedent in the PSCs reluctant determination last month that it was unable to approve the Missouri portion of the Grain Belt Express transmission line, a 780-mile project that would bring cheap wind energy from Kansas to Indiana and beyond.

This will jeopardize any and all infrastructure projects that need to get approval from the commission, said Mark Lawlor, vice president of development at Clean Line Energy Partners, the developers of the Grain Belt Express, following the PSCs ruling. You dont decide state infrastructure decisions at a county-commission level.

Ameren declined to comment on the Grain Belt Express ruling and on any potential implications for future infrastructure projects it may pursue.

I cant comment on whether its ideal, said Seidler. We will follow the process thats been outlined and that we followed on the Mark Twain project.
Rationalist Narendra Dabholkar was killed in February, 2013. Govind Pansare and MM Kalburgi were killed in August, 2015. While the focus is right now on identifying and nabbing the murderer of Gauri Lankesh, the killers of Dabholkar, Pansare and Kalburgi are still at large.

By Prabhash K Dutta: Journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh's murder is being compared with the killings of rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, CPI leader Govind Pansare and scholar MM Kalburgi. Some reports suggest that the Karnataka police have found similarities in the murder weapons used in these murder cases.

Following the outrage over cold-blooded murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh on Tuesday night by unidentified gunmen in Bengaluru, the Siddaramaiah government of Karnataka formed a special investigation team (SIT) headed by an IG rank police officer. Now, the state government has said that it is open to CBI probe into the case.

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Formed within hours of the burial of Gauri Lankesh, the SIT has not been given a deadline to complete the probe into the murder case. The government has asked the SIT to look into the possible connections between the murders of MM Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh.

The three murders cases are also connected by the similarities in the working styles of the four activists. They all were critical of right-wing groups and said to have had several run-ins with the Hindutva factions.

NARENDRA DABHOLKAR

The series of murders of rationalists and critic of Hindutva brigade began with the murder of Narendra Dabholkar on August 20, 2013. Narendra Dabholkar was the founder-president of Maharashtra Andhashraddha Nirmoolan Samilti (an anti-superstition group).

Dabholkar was killed in cold-blood while he was out for his morning walk in Pune. The Congress was in the government in Maharashtra then. As police failed to make much headway in the case while media pressure was sustained, the state government, in May 2014, transferred the case to the CBI.

The CBI also could not get clue about the killers for months. In August 2015, the CBI announced a cash reward of Rs 25 lakh for anyone giving information about the killers. But, it took another one year for the CBI to chargesheet Virendra Tawade of Hindu Jagaran Samiti as "key conspirator" in the Dabholkar murder case.

Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar of Sanathan Sanstha - the parent outfit of the Hindu Jagaran Samiti - were named as the shooters in the Dabholkar murder case. But, the two are still at large. The CBI announced a prize of Rs 5 lakh each for information about them.

Meanwhile, Virendra Tawade has applied for bail arguing the CBI has failed to submit evidence. The trial court is yet to decide his bail plea.

GOVIND PANSARE

Govind Pansare was a CPI leader in Maharashtra and a rationalist like Dabholkar. Both campaigned against superstition and self-proclaimed godmen from all over the country.

Like Dabholkar, Govind Pansare was also shot when he was out for morning walk with his wife in Kolhapur on February 15, 2015. Pansare succumbed to his injuries on February 20. His wife Uma Pansare received bullet in her head but survived. Uma, however, suffered paralysis due to bullet injury.

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Maharashtra police failed to make any progress in the case for months during which it increased the reward to information on killers from Rs 50,000 to Rs 25 lakh. In September 2015, Pansare's murder was linked to Sanathan Sanstha with the arrest of Sameer Gaikwad.

While police could not produce any evidence to support its theory, the case was transferred to an SIT in 2016. The SIT linked Pansare's murder with Dabholkar's killing and named Virendra Tawade, Sarang Akolkar and Vinay Pawar for the crime.

The CBI also linked the two murder case. But, investigation in the case has not made much progress with the families of Pansare and Dabholkar approaching the Bombay High Court seeking speedy probe in the murder cases. Meanwhile, Sameer Gaikwad is out on bail.

MM KALBURGI

MM Kalburgi was the former vice-chancellor of Kannada University. He was killed outside his residence in Dharwad on August 30, 2015 - 10 days after Govind Pansare was killed in Maharashtra.

A member of politically dominant Lingayat community - usually considered as supporter of the BJP in Karnataka, Kalburgi was critical of the Hindutva groups. His murder case was initially probed by the local police, which made no progress in investigation.

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The case was transferred to the state CID. The government also announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for information about the killers. In December 2015, the CID claimed that the killers of Kalburgi were from the same group which murdered Dabholkar and Pansare.

In September 2016, the CID blamed the Maharashtra SIT - under the BJP rule - for non-cooperation in what it said were interlinked murder cases. Last month, the CID claimed that it was very close to solving the case, but it gave no details about the investigation.

BLAMING HINDUTVA GROUP CONVENIENT POLITICS?

The three murder cases - before Gauri Lankesh was killed - show remarkable similarity in their probe and political blame game. In all the murder cases, the investigation has not made concrete progress. Even conflicting claims were made by different probe teams.

In all the cases, the right-wing groups were blamed for the killings. The killers were not nabbed by probing agencies. The theory of right-wing killers suits the state government as it shifts the blame towards the Narendra Modi-led government and the BJP-RSS ideology.

While three of the four murders (Dabholkar, Kalburgi and Gauri Lankesh) took place under Congress governments of Karnataka and Maharashtra, Pansare was killed months after the BJP formed its government under Devendra Fadnavis.

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All the state governments have been spared criticism for failing to ensure safety of eminent citizens and shoddy probe. Teams involved with Gauri Lankesh murder case may do well to focus on the fundamentals of criminal investigation and bring the culprits to justice.

ALSO READ |

How Gauri Lankesh's siblings stand divided after her murder

Why Gauri Lankesh's brother thinks both Naxal, Hindu extremist angles should be looked into

Also Watch:

What she wrote, what she was fighting for is what killed her, says Gauri Lankesh's sister

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Two St. Louis craft breweries fighting over a lightbulb design in their logos have settled a trademark infringement dispute, with one brewery agreeing to change its logo on tap handles and other marketing materials.

Side Project Brewing sued Modern Brewery in federal court in St. Louis last year, alleging the rival brewers lightbulb infringed on its trademarks filed with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

Side Project opened for business in 2013; Modern Brewery opened the following year.

Modern Brewerys use of a lightbulb design mark and lightbulb tap handles to market beer is likely to continue to cause confusion as to the source, sponsorship or affiliation of such goods and services, Side Projects lawsuit alleged.

Modern Brewerys founder Philip Beamer Eisele said in an email to the Post-Dispatch last year that he had several conversations with Side Projects founder and owner Cory King before either brewery opened and King was aware Eisele planned to use a lightbulb in his brewerys logo.

The case was set to go to trial in February but the parties reached a settlement last week. The case was closed and the court notified the trademark office about the voluntary dismissal Tuesday.

As part of the settlement, Modern Brewery has agreed to stop using a lightbulb on tap handles and marketing materials within one year, said Cory King, Side Projects founder and owner. Im glad its over, and we came to a resolution I knew we would a year ago, King told the Post-Dispatch.

Side Project has grown its production capacity by four times compared to a year ago and is brewing 800 barrels of beer annually at its facilities in Maplewood. Its size and prospects for growth werent determining factors in filing the lawsuit, however, King said.

With any trademark, you have to protect it and without protection, it has no value no matter what size your company is, whether youre huge or small, King said. I want to make sure everything we build here cant be lost.

In an emailed statement, Modern Brewerys Eisele said hes proud of his companys lightbulb design and tap handles and we remain adamant that they do not infringe the intellectual property of any party.

Due to the expense of litigation, Eisele said he agreed to settle the case and plans to introduce a new design for tap handles sometime next year.

This was a painful decision, as I personally came up with the lightbulb design years before we ever brewed a drop of beer, Eiseles statement continued. If we had an unlimited war chest to pay legal fees, wed continue to fight to keep using that design. But we dont, and instead well put the resources of Modern Brewery into making great beer for our customers all over St. Louis.

As the number of U.S. breweries continues to rise, trademark fights are becoming more common. There were more than 5,300 breweries in the U.S. at the end of 2016, compared with 1,460 a decade earlier, according to the Brewers Association, an industry trade group.

St. Louis largest craft brewer, Schlafly Beer, won a trademark dispute last year. Before her death in September 2016, conservative activist Phyllis Schlafly lost her fight to block the maker of Schlafly Beer from trademarking the brands name. One of the brewerys co-founders, Tom Schlafly, is Phyllis Schlaflys nephew by marriage.

In a separate case, a small California craft brewer, She Beverage Co., sought to register the phrase The Queen of Beer with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2015 but was opposed by Anheuser-Busch.

A-B argued it has used the King of Beers in marketing Budweiser for decades and holds trademarks for the brand. The trademark office sided with A-B in late July, finding that the Queen of Beer phrase was likely to cause confusion among consumers, and denied She Beverages trademark.
E-commerce giant Amazon.com is scouting North America for a second headquarters with as many as 50,000 jobs, and St. Louis officials said they plan to make a strong bid to be in the running for the $5 billion construction project.

The Seattle-based company announced Thursday that it was opening up a request for proposals process for a second headquarters in North America. The new location will be a full equal with its current Seattle headquarters, the company said, with as many as 50,000 jobs, said Jeff Bezos, Amazon founder and CEO. The average compensation for each new full-time employee will exceed $100,000.

The announcement immediately set off a scramble among cities and states vying to make the short list. Major cities that announced plans to make bids to chase one of the biggest corporate deals in years include Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Pittsburgh, Toronto and Memphis, Tenn.

Were all abuzz this morning about Amazons announcement, St. Louis Mayor Lyda Krewson said at the Governors Conference on Economic Development, which is being held the Hilton at the Ballpark in downtown St. Louis.

Krewson said local officials are putting together a team right now to make a very competitive proposal.

The St. Louis Economic Development Partnership, the economic development agency serving the city and St. Louis County, will submit a single bid in response to Amazons RFP, said Katy Jamboretz, the partnerships spokeswoman.

To that end, Krewson, St. Louis County Executive Steve Stenger, St. Louis Economic Development Partnership CEO Sheila Sweeney, Regional Chamber President and CEO Joe Reagan and the citys Deputy Mayor for Development Linda Martinez held a conference call Thursday morning to begin discussions about attracting Amazons corporate facilities to the St. Louis region.

The new Amazon headquarters is the kind of opportunity that can transform a community, Stenger said in a statement. We want this facility in the St. Louis region.

Enthusiasm for the project wasnt limited to elected officials. On Twitter Thursday, the St. Louis Cardinals tweeted: @amazon, you belong in St. Louis, and the tweet included a map of the Ballpark Village mixed-use development next to the teams downtown stadium.

Sites that may be offered as potential locations for Amazon, or incentives that may be offered to the corporation, were not disclosed.

We will be continuing to work together throughout today and in the weeks ahead to ensure our region is best-positioned to secure this significant economic development opportunity and the resulting benefits for our community, Stengers statement continued.

Sweeney said St. Louis will make an aggressive, out-of-the box creative proposal.

Amazon as a tech company has grown by out-of-the-box thinking and to equate with their mentality, we need to as well, Sweeney said.

The regions rivers, railroads and interstates make St. Louis a contender from a logistics perspective, she said. We have a lot of the infrastructure in place theyd be looking for.

Amazon encouraged states and metro areas to coordinate with relevant jurisdictions to only submit one bid for each region. However, St. Clair County officials, located across the Mississippi River from St. Louis, said the county reached out to commercial real estate professionals Thursday to identify sites and St. Clair County plans to submit its own bid.

This is a mega deal, said St. Clair Countys economic development director Terry Beach. We plan on submitting at least one site to Amazon.

Also in the Metro East, Madison County officials are in talks with the St. Louis Regional Chamber about participating in a regional bid. The St. Louis region, on both sides of the Mississippi, has great locations, Madison County Board Chairman Kurt Prenzler said in an emailed statement.

In Madison County, we have available land and a nationally recognized logistics presence, Prenzlers statement continued, noting Amazon has two logistics centers in Edwardsville with more than 2,200 employees.

Cities have until Oct. 19 to apply, and the company said it will make a final decision next year. It gave few hints about where it would land, but did say it is looking at metropolitan areas with populations of more than a million that have access to mass transit, an international airport and the potential to attract top technical talent.

Amazon is growing rapidly: In just the last month it announced plans to build new warehouses in Oregon, New York and Ohio, to pack and ship packages. And it recently paid close to $14 billion to buy organic grocer Whole Foods and its more than 465 stores. The company plans to hire 100,000 people by the middle of next year.

St. Louis is among the regions where Amazon is growing its operations. The company recently announced plans to open its first Missouri facility in Hazelwood in two warehouses that will employ 350 part-time workers.

Last year, Amazon opened two fulfillment centers in Edwardsville that have 2,200 part- and full-time employees.

At Amazons 33-building headquarters campus in Seattle, where more than 40,000 people are employed, there are 24 restaurants and cafes. That campus has 8.1 million square feet of space, and the company said its looking for a second site comparable in size. An initial phase of the project would require a half-million square feet of space in 2019, according to the RFP.

If Amazon is looking for a location closer to the East Coast that could serve as a base for the companys global expansion, cities that could be considered top contenders include Atlanta, Boston and Richmond, Va., said Bob Lewis, principal of St. Louis-based economic and real estate development consulting firm Development Strategies.

The St. Louis region, both in Missouri and the Metro East, also has a good shot as it competes with about 50 other cities that meet Amazons minimum population threshold, Lewis said.

St. Louis needs to show a singular face and be forceful about it and brag about the fact that we can do this, Lewis said, adding the recent decision by the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency to build its $1.7 billion western complex in north St. Louis should be part of the sales pitch.

The St. Louis region has land available that could accommodate Amazons real estate needs, Lewis said, including immediately north of downtown, in north St. Louis County and in Madison County near Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

We can pull these things off and we have a lot of room to grow, Lewis said. I dont think finding affordable land will be a challenge.

Jacob Barker of the Post-Dispatch and the Associated Press contributed to this report.
Among the many acclaimed books on the shortlist for this year's Dayton Literary Peace Prize is one featuring the tragic death of Teresa Butz, who grew up in south St. Louis.

"While the City Slept" by Eli Sanders made the list for its "gripping account of one young mans path to murder  and a wake-up call for mental health care in America," the judges said.

Butz, 39, was killed in 2009 in Seattle, along with her partner, Jennifer Hopper. A graduate of Bishop DuBourg High School and UMSL, Butz had been one of 11 children (her brother is actor Norbert Leo Butz). For more about the book, click here.

The Dayton Literary Peace Prize is an annual award that recognizes literature that promotes peace. This year's winner of the Holbrooke Award for Lifetime Achievement will be Irish novelist Colm Toibin ("Brooklyn"). This year it will be given Nov. 5.

The complete list of finalists for the fiction and nonfiction literary prizes include many that have already won awards. Here they are:

Fiction shortlist

 "Barkskins" by Annie Proulx

 "Homegoing" by Yaa Gyasi

 "Perfume River" by Robert Olen Butler

 "The Fortunes" by Peter Ho Davies

 "The Underground Railroad" by Colson Whitehead

 "The Veins of the Ocean" by Patricia Engel

Nonfiction shortlist

 "City of Thorns" by Ben Rawlence

 "Hillbilly Elegy" by J.D. Vance

 "The Hundred-Year Walk" by Dawn Mackeen

 "The Song Poet" by Kao Klia Yang

 "What Have We Done" by David Wood

 "While the City Slept" by Eli Sanders

In a press release, the foundation that gives the awards in Dayton, Ohio, described more of their mission:

"At a time of great uncertainty in the world, this years finalists reveal how we got to this point and offer powerful lessons on how we can heal, reconcile, and build a better world," said Sharon Rab, co-chair of the Dayton Literary Peace Prize Foundation. "Now more than ever, we need to celebrate authors who dare to explore the impact of war, exile, racism, and economic inequality and, more importantly, endeavor to offer hope in these tumultuous times.
Tony Messenger Tony Messenger is the metro columnist for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Follow Tony Messenger Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Paul Schneider and his buddy were going for a joyride.

It was December 2009. Schneider was just barely 20; his buddy was 21. They lost control and ran into a street sign and damaged it. According to the police report, Schneider, who wasnt driving, thought: Lets just grab it and go.

They were in Florissant, where Schneiders dad, Thomas, was on the City Council.

Police caught up with the boys. Paul was charged with stealing under $500, and possession of a small amount of marijuana. He paid $48 in court costs and received a suspended imposition of sentence.

It was one of those moments of youthful indiscretion many of us have in our past. But as adults, such reminders in our permanent record can get in the way of jobs and other grown-up things.

So Schneider last year hired an attorney and sought to have his record expunged. He sued the Florissant Municipal Court. The office of Attorney General Josh Hawley intervened to represent the states Criminal Records Repository. The legal strategy failed. A suspended imposition of sentence isnt technically a conviction. It cant be expunged. The case was dismissed.

Expungement law is extremely complex, said attorney David Naumann, who represents Paul Schneider.

In January, Naumann sought a new trial on the eight-year-old charges in Florissant Municipal Court.

Municipal Judge Dan Boyle recused himself and kicked the case to the St. Louis County Circuit Court.

This is where its valuable to note that Schneiders dad is now the mayor of the city.

The mayor tells me he had a conversation with Boyle after the case about his son was filed.

He came to me and said he wanted to send the case to St. Louis County, Schneider said of Boyle. I saw his point and thought that was a good idea.

In Florissant, the largest city among 89 in St. Louis County, the mayor has a lot of power. He hires and fires department heads, has executive control over most employees, and can examine the affairs of every department except the Municipal Court.

In May, one of the two co-prosecuting attorneys in Florissant, Mary Elizabeth Dorsey, filed for a continuance in the Schneider case. In July, Naumann filed a new petition, asking that the original guilty pleas in the case be set aside.

The Defendant never appeared in court to enter a plea and never gave consent to anyone to enter a plea of guilty for him, the court document says.

The case is now scheduled for trial in November.

But Dorsey wont be in charge of arguing it on the citys behalf.

A week ago, the mayor demoted her.

In an email to council members and officers of the municipal court, Schneider announced that he was hiring Todd Marler as the citys prosecuting attorney and demoting Dorsey and co-prosecutor DeAnn Outlaw. Marler had been an assistant prosecutor.

The mayor says there is no connection to his sons case and his decision on switching prosecuting attorneys.

No, he said. Schneider told me he has never had a conversation with Dorsey about his sons case.

In fact, Schneider said that three years after Ferguson, he was just getting around to replacing the prosecuting attorney who resigned then amid heavy criticism from the Missouri Supreme Court, Ronald Brockmeyer. Of course, one of the things the Supreme Court did post-Ferguson was reassert that municipal courts are under the authority of the circuit court, that they cannot be manipulated by the executive branch, as was happening with regularity in St. Louis County before 2014.

Its a reminder that Boyle sent to Schneider in a recent memo. In April, a couple of months after Boyle kicked the mayors sons case to the circuit court, Schneider sent a memo to the council questioning whether the elected judge was earning his pay.

Boyle wrote back. At the end of a two-page memo outlining the various needs of court operations, he said: I would ask that deference to judicial independence and court operations be granted.

The mayor is having none of that. He fired off another memo to the council in May asking them to take up the issue of Boyles responsibilities and pay sooner rather than later.

Schneider said its just coincidence that hes doing battle with the two court officials who could have made his sons court record go away.

There really is no case, Schneider said. Hes just trying to do a routine expungement.

That routine case is now more than a year and a half old, apparently because neither the prosecutors in Florissant nor the municipal judge would take the actions that could have erased a 20-year-olds indiscretions from public view.

Neither Dorsey nor Boyle would comment for this column.

Naumann said he would continue to press his clients case. He said he had no opinion on whether the mayors actions were connected to it: Im not privy to how or why the mayor makes his personnel decisions.
ST. CHARLES  A police officer here had pulled over to assist a motorist on Highway 370 when a vehicle accidentally struck his car Wednesday night.

The officer and the driver of the vehicle that hit his were taken to area hospitals with minor injuries shortly after the collision about 8:50 p.m., Missouri Highway Patrol Sgt. Dallas Thompson said.

The officer and another officer were assisting a motorist on eastbound 370 near Elm Street, Thompson said. Both officers' vehicles were on the left shoulder of the highway with their emergency lights on.

An eastbound vehicle accidentally struck the back of one officer's patrol car, Thompson said. The officer was inside the car at the time.

The officer is a 20-year veteran in his 40s, St. Charles Police Lt. Chad Fisk said. A K9 dog with the officer was also in the car at the time of the impact. The K9 was alert when it was taken to a veterinarian for treatment, Fisk said.

Highway Patrol investigators were on scene as of 9:40 p.m. Eastbound 370 was closed to traffic after the crash. Drivers were rerouted onto Elm Street.
ST. LOUIS  A salesman from the Chicago suburbs pleaded guilty in federal court here to mail fraud Thursday and admitted embezzling more than $360,000 from a St. Louis prepaid mobile phone business.

Belal Abdelnabi, 33, of Darien, admitted taking them money from January 2015 to July 2016 from his employer, Unlimited Prepaid Distribution. Abdelnabi sold air time and equipment, and often collected sales proceeds in cash, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tom Albus said in court.

Abdelnabi created false invoices and sales records to cover up his theft, Albus said.

At his Dec. 8 sentencing, Abdelnabi could face roughly two years in prison and will be ordered to repay the money.
A CCTV footage from a petrol pump shows some bikers following Gauri Lankesh's white Etios. Authorities are now trying to identify the bikers.

By India Today Web Desk: In a major development in the Gauri Lankesh murder investigation, India Today has accessed the video footage from a petrol pump that shows bikes tailing the senior journalist's car, a white Etios. Investigating authorities are now trying to ascertain the identity of the bike riders.

Actor and Tamil superstar Kamal Haasan today spoke against the murder of senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh. Condemning the murder, Kamal Haasan said, "Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those grieving Gauri Lankesh's demise".

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Gauri Lankesh was shot dead by unidentified motorbike-borne assailants outside her house in Bengaluru on Tuesday night.

Silencing a voice with a gun is the worst way to win a debate. Condolence to all those who are grieving Gauri Lankesh's demise.- Kamal Haasan (@ikamalhaasan) September 7, 2017

Lankesh was the editor of weekly Kannada tabloid Lankesh Patrike and a columnist for several dailies. The senior journalist, who was known to be critical of right-wing forces, was convicted in a defamation case last year, filed by MP Prahlad Joshi. The MP had objected to a report against BJP leaders.

Gauri Lankesh was accorded a state funeral by the Karnataka government on Wednesday.

EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT ALL THAT HAS HAPPENED SINCE GAURI LANKESH WAS KILLED: Senior journalist and social activist Gauri Lankesh, 55, was shot dead on Tuesday night by unidentified men outside her residence. "She was shot dead from a close range at her house in Rajarajeshwari Nagar around 8 pm as she was entering her house," said T Suneel Kumar, Bengaluru police commissioner. According to police, the assailants fired seven bullets at Gauri Lankesh, of which three hit her and four missed the target. Two bullets hit her in the chest, while another hit her forehead. As soon as the news of Lankesh's death spread, many started comparing her murder with the manner in which Kannada rationalist M M Kalburgi was shot dead at his residence by unidentified assailants in August 2015. Gauri Lankesh's brother Indrajit Lankesh demanded a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) probe into her death. On Wednesday, Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah ordered an SIT probe into the senior journalist and activist's death. "An SIT (Special Investigation Team) has been formed, headed by an Inspector-General-level officer, to investigate the journalist's killing," the chief minister said. Gauri Lankesh's murder sparked outrage across the country. Protests were organised in several states to condemn the journalist's death. In Karnataka, journalists, writers, activists and members of women organisation took part in the silent protest at Town Hall. "You can kill a person but not their ideas," read a placard of a protester. The killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh drew sharp reactions from political parties. Trinamool Congress chief and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee tweeted, "Saddened at the killing of Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru. Most unfortunate. Very alarming. We want justice." Congress President Sonia Gandhi said "this cannot be tolerated". Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi in a series of tweets condemned Gauri Lankesh's murder and said, "Anybody who speaks against the RSS/BJP is attacked and even killed. They want to impose only one ideology which is against the nature of India". Rahul Gandhi's statement drew an angry reaction from Union minister Nitin Gadkari, who called the allegations baseless. The Karnataka Police has launched a hunt to nab Gauri Lankesh's killers. "Three special teams, set up to crack the case, are on the lookout for the suspected assailants. We are tracking the movements of people and vehicles at check posts and inter-state borders," said deputy police commissioner (West) M N Anucheth. Police are also studying the footage from the CCTV cameras installed at her house. The Union Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has also sought a report from the Karnataka government on Gauri Lankesh's killing. Union Ministers H N Ananth Kumar and Nitin Gadkari said it was for the Karnataka government to "seriously" probe the case and nab the culprits. The Karnataka government gave Gauri Lankesh a state funeral with chief minister Siddaramaiah attending the event. Some Twitter users questioned the state funeral for Lankesh. Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad condemned the messages "on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh".

ALSO READ:

Gauri Lankesh's murderer fired 7 bullets, 3 hit her, one on forehead

Gauri Lankesh murder: Social media throws up four conspiracy theories

Gauri Lankesh murder: Rahul slams RSS-BJP, Gadkari says Congress VP talks 'nonsense'

ALSO WATCH: Journalist Gauri Lankesh murder: Timeline of how she was killed

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ST. LOUIS  A federal judge here Thursday awarded $32.4 million to a St. Louis County couple and 3.2 million others who improperly received robocalls in 2012.

U.S. District Judge E. Richard Webber could have awarded $1.6 billion, or $500 per call, under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, but wrote the amount of damages prescribed by the statute are so severe and oppressive as to be wholly disproportionate to the offense and obviously unreasonable.

Webber wrote in his ruling that the $32 million penalty, or $10 per call, reflects the severity of the offense and one of the purposes of the TCPA  to have a deterrent effect and to account for unquantifiable losses including the invasions of privacy, unwanted interruptions and disruptions at home, and the wasted time spent answering unwanted solicitation calls or unwanted voice messages.

The calls went out to promote the Last Ounce of Courage, a movie about faith, family and freedom that opened Sept. 14, 2012. More than 3.2 million of the calls violated the act by going to people who had not consented to the calls, Webber has ruled.

Ron and Dorit Golan, of St. Louis County, received two calls that went to voicemail. They are on the Do Not Call registry. They sued in 2012 and came to represent the class of call recipients.

Webber ruled during a trial in U.S. District Court in St. Louis last month that Gabriel Joseph III, of Virginia, and his affiliated companies had violated the act, but withheld a ruling on damages. Those companies, AIC Communications LLC and Freeeats.com Inc., do business as ccAdvertising.

A jury then found in favor of James R. Leininger, a billionaire Texas doctor, philanthropist and Republican donor who is a part owner of the San Antonio Spurs.

Leininger sank $10 million into the marketing of the movie, part of which went to fund the robocall campaign, but jurors found that Leininger did not have the necessary control over the robocall campaign to be held liable for it.

Former presidential candidate and Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee was the voice of the campaign, and testified during the trial that he did not talk to Leininger about it. Huckabee had been dismissed from the suit long before his testimony.

At an Aug. 29 hearing, lawyer Teresa Young suggested a penalty of 10 cents per call.

Joseph believed he had consent to call the households in the campaign and had never had a TCPA violation or complaint, Young told Webber. He also believed that there was 45 seconds of political information before you ever got to a commercial, meaning the movie promotion.

She also said Josephs two companies were unlikely to have any money, as they are going out of business.

Golan lawyer Kevin Carnie Jr. responded that Webber did not have discretion to reduce the $500 per call award, citing other similar court cases.

He said the actual harm was not pertinent to the issue, but the greater harm to the public of the proliferation of millions and millions of robocalls.

This practice has to be made unaffordable, he told Webber.

Carnie, by phone Thursday, said that he was pleased with the verdict.

But he also said that the plaintiffs would appeal both Webbers reduction of the $500 per call penalty in the TCPA and jury instructions during the trial concerning Leiningers role in the campaign.

We believe that he personally participated in and authorized the telephone campaign, Carnie said.

Young could not immediately be reached for comment.
ST. LOUIS  A woman is facing criminal charges after a neighborhood brawl that included attackers as young as 11 and left a victim knocked unconscious, police say.

Abrianna Gibson, 22, was charged with third-degree assault for her role in the attack. Her bail has been set at $20,000.

The fight erupted Monday afternoon in the 3700 block of Bamberger Avenue, on the southern edge of the city's Tower Grove South neighborhood. The victims and suspects all live on Bamberger, police say, but did not know how or whether Gibson is related to the other suspects. Police gave an address for her in the 6800 block of Georgeland Avenue in Berkeley.

Police said they took three people into custody: Gibson and two girls, ages 14 and 15. They are seeking four other suspects  an 11-year-old boy, an 11-year-old girl, an 18-year-old male and another man.

The fight began, police say, when the attackers came down the street to confront the victims about a previous incident. Neighbors say the victims are refugees. They are raising money to help them with medical bills.

"The community in Tower Grove South, and specifically on Bamberger Ave grieve the malicious attack of the Refugee family by the teens and young adults," a woman associated with the fundraising page said in an email. "The incident was shocking to our community on the street because we are just that, a community. We speak up and out for each other. Neighbors continue to extended compassion to the Refugee family by bringing food and comfort items. While there is a language barrier between the family and most of the neighborhood, kindness and compassion are a universal language.

"We want to do more for them, which is why we started the fundraiser. There will be lost days of work, lost income, and significant medical expenses. Because of their Refugee status, the family is more vulnerable than most. We want them to know they are welcome and wanted on our street and in our city. We reject the behaviors of the attackers as wholly uncharacteristic of our community. Our street is filled with many wonderful engaged families who are caring for our community as a whole including the family who was attacked. The act of some misguided and malicious youth will not be tolerated by the residents."

Police say they got multiple calls at about 1:30 p.m. Monday for a disturbance. They found four victims who had been assaulted: two women, ages 27 and 29, and two men, 20 and 19.

The 27-year-old woman is the one who had been knocked out before officers arrived. She was taken to a hospital, where she was stable. Police did not release information about her medical condition and injuries. The other victims declined medical treatment, police said.
The high school freshmen who exchanged racial and sexual slurs on Snapchat messages that were leaked to the public this weekend appear to have been expelled from Mary Institute and St. Louis Country Day School.

In a letter to the public released Thursday, head of MICDS Lisa Lyle wrote:

It was determined that none of these students can remain in our community because their conduct violated our most deeply held values, was contrary to our Mission and harmed our community in significant ways.

The controversy began Sunday, when a senior at the elite private school posted on Twitter leaked screenshots of a private Snapchat conversation in which at least four freshman girls exchanged racial and sexual slurs, including the N-word. Another student referenced submitting an application to the Ku Klux Klan. In a later exchange, one of the students claimed to a fellow student that we were all joking.

The schools decision Thursday followed a three-day disciplinary investigation.

Many responded to the Snapchats with outrage. On Tuesday, one NAACP board member called for the students expulsion.

Others on social media questioned the newsworthiness of the incident and said the girls had simply made a mistake that didnt deserve such a severe punishment.

But Lyle said the students intentions arent a valid excuse for the impact of their actions.

These decisions are never easy. I have anguished over making the decision. But the reality is, I have to weigh both the intent of a given set of behaviors and actions and the impact of those on our community, Lyle said in a phone interview. We have to always remember that our words and our responsibility extend beyond the intent to the impact.

Experts have said that independent schools have license to discipline students even if its for private social media use, as long as the students behavior violates the schools rules. MICDS student handbook prohibits insulting, abusive, or degrading language based on an individuals race or color  or other protected characteristic in both verbal conduct and social media.

Lyles letter cites the schools integration during the Civil Rights era, saying its student body today is the most diverse it has ever been, with 34 percent of students who identify as people of color.

Tuition ranges from $19,950 at the preschool to $27,300 at the high school, but the school says it provides more than $4 million in need-based financial aid to 23 percent of its students, drawing in students from more than 60 ZIP codes.

In addition to holding high school and middle school assemblies about the Snapchats, MICDS educators have been teaching high school students this week about the history of racism, white supremacy, white privilege and the N-word, according to Lyle.

Next week, MICDS teachers will begin a yearlong cultural competency training on bias, anti-racism, whiteness and related topics.
ST. LOUIS  College leaders across the country and here in Missouri are speaking out against the forthcoming rollback of a program that protects hundreds of thousands of immigrants who were brought to the country illegally as children.

The program, Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, was created by an executive order in 2012 from President Barack Obama.

Since President Donald Trumps administration announced it is rescinding the program and giving Congress the next six months to take action, college leaders began releasing statements largely to assure students that the schools are willing to work with them through the times of uncertainty.

St. Louis University President Fred Pestello issued one of the stronger statements compared to other college leaders, saying he has joined other leaders who have spoken out fervently against changes to DACA.

This is about more than the Dreamers potential to contribute to St. Louis University or even this country, Pestello said in his statement. This is about an affirmation of human dignity, which Archbishop Robert J. Carlson and the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops have conveyed eloquently in their statements. Each of us has a desire to live free of fear, to be loved, to belong, and to achieve our dreams.

He goes on to say that all undocumented members of the SLU community have a place here.

They are proponents of our mission, he said. They are pursuers of truth. They are servants of humanity, and together, we are St. Louis University.

Similar to Pestello, Washington University Chancellor Mark Wrighton issued a statement calling DACA a moral imperative.

Its largely impossible to know how many DACA students are on different campuses. And now more than ever, leaders at schools like SLU and Washington U. are prepared to protect those students identities.

The president of Southeast Missouri State University, Carlos Vargas, called the administrations actions on DACA concerning.

Legislation during the past few years has changed the rules for public schools in Missouri, forcing them to charge DACA students the highest-possible tuition, which is usually an international rate, regardless of how long theyve lived in Missouri.

The four University of Missouri campuses spoke as a singular voice in one of the more mild statements released this week in support of the programs continuation. According to the statement, at least 35 DACA recipients are college students within the university system.

At Missouri State University in Springfield, President Clif Smart said there are less than 10 DACA students.

He shared a similar sentiment to other leaders about hoping students feel safe on campus, and urging legislative leaders to find a solution before the six-month period ends.
COLUMBIA, Mo.  With just over a month under his belt as the chancellor at the University of Missouri-Columbia, Alex Cartwright said he had gotten an earful about how to improve a university that has faced a series of struggles in the past two years.

But on Wednesday he also issued a challenge to students and faculty at a school where he is still finding his bearings.

I say to people, I am not easily offended and I want you to tell me what you honestly think, he said. If youre not honest with me, we cant improve as an institution.

Cartwright gave his first extended interviews and media availability Wednesday on the Columbia campus since he arrived Aug. 1 from the State University of New York, where he was the provost.

Throughout the day, it was clear that Cartwright is on the same page with University of Missouri System President Mun Choi in terms of how to plot out a recovery for a school that has faced declining enrollment and financial cutbacks.

The two leaders were named as replacement for the top brass that was ousted after student protests in 2015 that centered on issues of race.

Cartwright still hears about 2015, and hes fine with it.

Human nature is that we very quickly focus and remember negative experience, Cartwright said Wednesday. Actually, its a good thing because then you know how to avoid them.

Choi shared a similar sentiment recently with the Post-Dispatch. He questioned how the system or campus could ever recover if leaders were unwilling to address what happened, despite neither of them being around when it happened.

Cartwright says he has had some uncomfortable talks about Mizzous sordid last few years, and hes happy to hear concerns. But he throws back a question: What should we be doing? Thats yielded good feedback in his first five weeks, he said.

Similar to Choi, whos 53, Cartwright, 52, said he was hopeful that he could finish out his career at Mizzou.

Missouri just feels like home, he told a crowd of reporters. Theres just something about here that feels pretty special to me.

Cartwright was asked Wednesday about what his legacy would be  a question he answered only indirectly.

Leaders will come and go at institutions, but what happens with the institution, how you set up the culture and what the institution wants to become is more critical than any of the leaders, he said. I would love to see that this institution starts to take on that personality. That it realizes how great it is and that it can truly become a national leader.
Over a hundred people gathered near Delhi's Jantar Mantar on Thursday evening to remember the late Gauri Lankesh.

By Ganesh Radha-Udayakumar: "I will continue my writing."

A pithy message, inscribed in black ink on a slip of paper no broader than a palm, captured the mood of sober defiance on a street near Delhi's Jantar Mantar, where over a hundred people gathered on Thursday evening to remember the late Gauri Lankesh - a new Not In My Name protest.

Activist Kavitha Krishnan speaks at the Not In My Name gathering convened in honour of the late Gauri Lankesh

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Lankesh, a respected Kannada journalist, was murdered at her Bengaluru residence on Tuesday. India's commentariat has reacted furiously to the killing, drawing connections with recent murders of other rationalists, and recalling her dauntless criticism of the right wing.

Gauri Lankesh was convicted last year in a defamation case filed by a BJP lawmaker. While several leaders of the ruling party have condemned her killing, Prime Minister Narendra Modi hasn't - at least not yet.

A poster several participants were seen carrying

At today's event, scribes and activists convened to remember Lankesh's legacy of fearless journalism, and renew their commitment to defending free speech. They spoke out against a climate of hatred that filmmaker Rahul Roy says has become "the central element of politics."

But Roy doesn't think hatred is the sole preserve of the now-powerful right wing.

"Hatred is not just a specialisation of the right. Hatred, and violence, and annihilation are (a) part of various streams of politics. It's part of the Left extremist politics also...We stand against all kinds of hatred. We protested when the Amarnath yatris were killed," Roy, who's one of the organisers of the gathering, told IndiaToday.in.

Well over a hundred people, including public intellectuals and activists, attended the event.

Not In My Name won't defend "politics which which annihilates people" or which "spreads hatred," not matter where in the vast spectrum of ideology it stems from, he said.

Among those who took the stage to pay homage to Gauri Lankesh were activist Kavita Krishnan, JNU student Umar Khaled, journalists Amit Barua and Monobina Gupta, and Hindi poet Mangalesh Dabral.

A defiant message for opponents of dissent and free speech

An emotional Khaled remembered a woman he thinks of as a mother, and said the choice facing everyone present was stark: Be unafraid like Lankesh, or "die a slow death everyday."

As Monobina Gupta told IndiaToday.in, these "are dangerous times for all kinds of dissenters."

Indeed. Halfway through the protest, news broke that another journalist, Pankaj Mishra, had been shot in Bihar.

There was a brief moment of shocked silence, but the protest didn't stop.

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The speakers continued to speak. And the writers, you can bet, will continue to write.

For more on Gauri Lankesh...

Senior journalist Gauri Lankesh shot dead at her Bengaluru home, kin demands CBI probe

Gauri Lankesh murder: Journalists and politicians condemn, express their shock

How Gauri Lankesh's siblings stand divided after her murder

Why Gauri Lankesh's brother thinks both Naxal, Hindu extremist angles should be looked into

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Tod Robberson Follow Tod Robberson Close Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily! Your notification has been saved. There was a problem saving your notification. {{description}} Email notifications are only sent once a day, and only if there are new matching items. Save Manage followed notifications Close Followed notifications Please log in to use this feature Log In Don't have an account? Sign Up Today

Like Gen. Douglas MacArthur said of old soldiers, the Zapatista Army of National Liberation never died. The revolutionaries just faded away into the very obscurity of the southern Mexico jungles from which they emerged on Jan. 1, 1994.

Hundreds of ski-masked Mexican Indians took up arms that day in open rebellion against government corruption and neglect. They chose New Years Day, 1994, for a very specific reason: It was the official launch date of the North American Free Trade Agreement, which brought the United States, Mexico and Canada together in cross-border commercial matrimony.

Now divorce is in the air, thanks to the whims of a U.S. president who mistakenly thinks NAFTA is the source of Americas labor problems. President Donald Trump won election in large part by pledging to kill the trade accord if it isnt renegotiated.

The Zapatistas also wanted a better deal. Now, bizarrely, theyve found a friend in Trump, an unlikely fellow revolutionary who probably thinks a Zapatista is someone working behind the counter at Starbucks.

The Zapatistas rose up on NAFTAs inaugural day to embarrass Mexicos then-President Carlos Salinas de Gortari at his proudest moment on the world stage. They wanted to underscore the fears of many Mexicans that poverty, corruption and skewed wealth distribution would only deepen with free trade.

So you could say that NAFTA, one of the greatest tools the world has ever known for unleashing the power of capitalism, helped spawn political revolutions in two of North Americas three countries. Not even the combined efforts of Nikita Khrushchev, Che Guevara and Fidel Castro came close to that.

These thoughts occur now because the Zapatistas announced their decision last week to put down their weapons for good. Not that they ever posed a significant military threat. It was their way of protesting the immense bloodshed wrought by Mexicos drug cartels.

The Zapatistas had arrived at a breaking point, said Carlos Gonzalez, of the National Indigenous Congress, according to The New York Times. It was just too bloody of an option.

Guns were always too bloody of an option. The Zapatistas spent most of New Years Day, 1994, quietly occupying the tourist town of San Cristobal de las Casas, in the southern state of Chiapas, before withdrawing to some nearby towns. My colleague Gregory Katz and I arrived the next morning and took off in search of these previously unheard-of rebels.

In a mad dash to catch up with them, we drove straight into a firefight. Mexican Army soldiers were hunkered down at the side of the road, probably just as confused as we were.

All hell broke loose. Gunfire came in all directions. Bullets whizzed overhead. Greg and I left our rental car and ran into some woods, partly to take cover but also to see if we could get a better view. More gunfire. We found ourselves pinned face-down in the mud.

After the shooting subsided, the Mexican soldiers withdrew. Just around the bend where we had abandoned our car, we encountered a bus that had been loaded with Zapatista fighters. It looked like a slaughter. Their bodies were spilling out of the bus. Thick streams of blood slowly progressed across the road.

Later, in the village of Ocosingo, we found army troops occupying positions outside the town square. It was the scene of another bloodbath, with dozens of bodies of dead or dying Zapatistas lining the edges of the square. Some didnt have actual weapons but rather wooden sticks carved to look like rifles.

They never stood a chance.

So, yes, its a very good thing that the Zapatistas are disarming. The fact that Mexicos government has allowed them for the past 23 years to occupy a tiny autonomous zone in Chiapas is a testament either to the Mexican governments infinite patience or its abject fear of bad press.

But some of what the Zapatistas warned about NAFTA has come true. Peasants who were unable to benefit from the promise of free trade were forced into three unpalatable options: Migrate to the United States; resign themselves to a life of dirt-floor poverty; or join the drug cartels and get rich quick.

Trump is wrong if he thinks Mexico has somehow emerged the winner at Americas expense. When I covered Mexico from 1992 to 1996 for The Washington Post, the cartels were a bunch of second-rate thugs who took their orders from Colombian drug lords. Today, they reign supreme, and not even the Mexican army can stop them. Free trade and rampant American drug consumption have made them billionaires. But Mexicos suffering has been immense.

Its government has been forced to the negotiating table by Trump. He openly mocks the leadership and denounces Mexican migrants as rapists and criminals.

And the Zapatistas? Well, theyre largely a quaint tourist attraction. They paid a heavy price for taking a principled stand. But they stayed put and held onto their dignity. Mexicos government cant make that same claim.
In the letter by Len Poli (Citizens deserve border wall for better security, Sept. 3), he exhorts against members of Congress who are opposed to the border wall. I wonder just what security he thinks we will actually get from it?

Has he heard of the Great Wall of China? Did it provide security for China? It is now nothing more than a tourist attraction.

How about the Berlin Wall? Some lucky residents of East Germany escaped by digging a tunnel. What would prevent tunnels being dug under the border wall? More would have escaped from East Germany if it was not for the towers with armed soldiers all along the wall. Are we also going to have towers with armed guards?

Mr. Poli seems to overlook the fact that we have two coasts where, despite the best efforts of the Coast Guard, some infiltration will undoubtedly happen. Should we build walls all along the east and west coasts of the country?

What about the border with Canada? Surely some of his undesirables can find ways to enter through Canada. Are we also going to build a wall there?

Billions or trillions of dollars could be wasted on a wall that will not work and that could be better spent on needed things like infrastructure, health care and education.

Carolyn Landry  St. Charles
In a world of shrinking personal space, overstuffed overhead bins and exorbitant airline baggage fees, travelers are rediscovering the convenience and savings of wearing their luggage. For many, the aha moment came this summer as they watched a crowd of in-the-know travelers breeze through the terminal unencumbered by extendible handles and the bulk of things they didnt really need.

That crowd is growing. The latest Travel Goods Association market report, released in 2016, found that unit sales had surged 22 percent as American travelers bought a record-breaking 176.1 million backpacks.

But the modern backpack is a far cry from that rucksack you strapped on when you were a kid  the one with everything inelegantly wedged into a single compartment. The most innovative wearable luggage allows technology, clothing and food to coexist without making a mess. At times, it stretches the very definition of backpack.

Theyre being discovered by travelers such as Robby Bearman, an operations manager for a transportation company in San Francisco. He was looking for something to use for short trips and for his daily commute, and a backpack made the most sense.

His choice: the Everyday Backpack by Peak Design ($259), a Kickstarter-funded pack with lots of clever features. The Everyday is filled with innovations, including its magnetic closing system, expandable external side pockets and a modern aesthetic that looks decidedly un-backpacky. (OK, I just made up that word, but stay with me.) Bearman liked the easy access to the main compartment from both the top and sides, thanks to swiveling shoulder straps and dual weatherproof side zips.

The main compartment can be reconfigured with Velcro dividers, which is a handy feature, for example, to keep a banana from being squished, he says.

Some of the new backpacks are built around technology. Take the Razer Tactical Backpack ($119), which has ample room for Jean Paldans computer and enough space for a headset, a tablet computer, books, snacks and a change of clothes. It holds everything, says Paldan, a web designer from Oxford, England. Plus, its ridiculously comfortable to wear. The Razer is also cool  which is a bonus if youre traveling with your family.

Another trendy backpack is the STM Banks ($129), a new release from its Streets Collection, which is tech-friendly and looks good, too. Among its features: a quilted interior lining that protects your gadgets, side pockets with stretch mesh for water bottles and an ergonomic, curved fit to reduce shoulder strain. Its the backpack my 10-year-old daughter wanted, so if youre interested in impressing your kids, this is the one to buy.

The newest packs also cater to your power needs. Mobile charging company TYLT offers two backpacks that let you charge your devices while youre carrying them. The Energi Pro Power Backpack ($149) offers a full charge to your phone, tablet and laptop, thanks to a powerful battery in its front pouch. And the Energi Backpack ($99), billed as a next-gen briefcase, backpack and mobile charging station, can route the cables to any one of the five external pockets or two internal pockets. The TYLT backpacks are a godsend for travelers who keep pushing their electronics to the limit, like my kids, but they also take up more space than the other backpacks I evaluated.

For sheer coolness, its hard to match Travelpros Platinum Magna 2 Business Backpack ($161). Its sleek, black and constructed with the frequent flier in mind. A checkpoint friendly carry-on, its built to Transportation Security Administration specifications so that you can pass through security without removing your laptop. And it also comes with extra safety, including padded corduroy laptop and tablet sleeves and an RFID-blocking interior pocket to keep your ID and credit cards from prying eyes. If youre thinking of taking your backpack on a business trip, this is the one for it.

There are other backpacks for the security-conscious, too. Take Travelons Anti-Theft Urban Backpack ($130), which has a variety of features that will protect your personal property. Those include an interior locking compartment for your tablet, a locking front zip compartment with RFID-blocking card and passport slots and slash-resistant body construction to protect you from slash-and-grab thieves. Best of all, the Travelon backpack wasnt any heavier than the other luggage I tested.

But sometimes, the best backpack is no backpack. To call the Eagle Creek Converge Weekend Bag ($179) a backpack would be an understatement. It can be used as a traditional carry-on bag, thanks to side handles, but also has a pouch for a large laptop, a tablet computer, a phone and a storage area for your clothes. The best part of the Converge is the fabric, a PU-coated, water-resistant polyester. Spills are inevitable, but at least your gadgets wont get soaked.

If youre just interested in carrying a laptop, a charger and maybe a tablet computer, youll probably want to leave the clever compartments behind and go with a more minimalist solution, such as the Knomo James ($229), which does that one thing really well.

Oh, sure, you can strap it to your back if you want, but this bag is meant to be carried, as, indeed, most luggage is. But maybe Im just old-fashioned that way.
Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad tweeted saying that people posting deplorable messages about Gauri Lankesh's death should stop doing so. He was then trolled by his own party followers.

By India Today Web Desk: Senior Journalist Gauri Lankesh was killed outside her residence in Bengaluru on Tuesday. As the news of her murder broke the journalism fraternity started condemning the killing and also pointed out the increasing number of murders of journalists in India.

Meanwhile, there were also some who did not shy away from abusing the murders. One such Twitter user referred to Gauri Lankesh as a "bitch" who deserved to die. Meanwhile, many journalists and activists also got "advice" on social media to stay warned.

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Amidst all the drama, people were awaiting a reaction from the government. While PM Modi is on an official visit to Myanmar, Union Ministers Smriti Irani and Ravi Shankar Prasad took to Twitter to express their condolences.

Condemn killing of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh. Hope speedy investigation is conducted & justice delivered. Condolences to the family.- Smriti Z Irani (@smritiirani) September 6, 2017

Ravi Shankar Prasad also condemned the people sharing abusive messages over the murder of Gauri Lankesh on Twitter.

I strongly condemn & deplore the messages on social media expressing happiness on the dastardly murder of #Gaurilankesh.- Ravi Shankar Prasad (@rsprasad) September 6, 2017

Right-wingers didn't spare Ravi Shankar Prasad for saying that.

Bowed down to media, secular and liberal bullies? We work for you tirelessly, selflessly. This is the reward? https://t.co/tlc03FBM5j- Rita (@RitaG74) September 6, 2017

Person who can't win a lokh sabha election, enjoying power coz of sacrifices of many RSS/BJP workers who laid their life.- Chiranjeevi ???????? (@chiranjeevi497) September 6, 2017

Okay Sir.ButAre u aware about the tweets ofPro-Maoists!They r threateningMa_Bharati BhaktsThey r abusing our Best #PM@narendramodi ji pic.twitter.com/8cGKOUg29g- VTD_EkantBhai (@SaundiD) September 6, 2017

Have you done anything for suspended accounts who works for BJP till now? Have you done anything when ladies SM members getting abused? No- An???? (@IIGodMotherII) September 6, 2017

Did you tweet same when RSS workers are killed & please check the tweet of guys who are appreciating you now,this is called surrender shame- Ramesh (@1967Babu) September 6, 2017

who expressed happiness ? u copied and pasted this tweet text from which whatsapp group of journos ? https://t.co/V5KKwVdHl2- S.Ranganathan (@rangats) September 6, 2017

We are happy because one urban naxalite got killed... what you are condeming??? #NaxalGauriLankesh- Suyog (@Suyog1234567) September 7, 2017

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BJP MLA Jeevaraj said had Gauri Lankesh not written against the Sangh Parivar she may have been alive today.

By Rohini Swamy: Did Gauri Lankesh's vitriolic writing cost her her life? Well, if you go by a statement made by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA and former minister Jeevaraj at a meeting in Koppa Taluk of Chikkamagaluru, he said that if only Gauri had not written about the celebration of the "death" of the Sangh Parivar, she would probably have been alive today.

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Jeevaraj, while addressing a public meeting of BJP party workers, said several RSS workers have lost their lives in this Congress-ruled state. The Siddaramaiah government has not initiated any action against those who murdered 11 BJP-Sangh Parivar members till date.

India Today has exclusively accessed the video where Jeevaraj says: "During the Congress government we have seen how RSS workers have lost their lives. Gauri Lankesh had written in her paper about 'chaddigala marana homa' or the slaughter of the RSS. Now if Gauri Lankesh had refrained from writing articles like that she would have probably been alive today. Gauri is like a sister to me but the way she has written against us (BJP and Sangh), it is unacceptable".

Gauri Lankesh's sister Kavita Lankesh too in an interview to India Today said she believes that "it was Gauri's thinking and ideology that caused her death".

Kavita did say that Gauri spoke her mind and at times Kavita felt that her sister Gauri was foolishly fearless.

Also read:

How Gauri Lankesh's siblings stand divided after her murder

Why Gauri Lankesh's brother thinks both Naxal, Hindu extremist angles should be looked into

Gauri Lankesh murder: Social media throws up four conspiracy theories

Also Watch:

What she wrote, what she was fighting for is what killed her, says Gauri Lankesh's sister

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Streamroot Lands $3.2 Million in Financing

Streamroot has secured funding from premier international venture capital firms for its unique distributed approach to video delivery that is reshaping an industry.

New York City, NY( )

Streamroot, pioneer in distributed over-the-top (OTT) video delivery solutions, announced today that the company has secured an additional $3.2 million in funding, bringing the companys total financing to $6 million. Contributions in this round came from premier international firms including Partech Ventures, Techstars Venture Capital Fund, Verizon Ventures and R/GA.

Founded in early 2014, Streamroot developed the first webRTC-based peer-to-peer delivery technology for online video publishers and has quickly risen to become the frontrunner in distributed OTT delivery solutions.

Traditional server-based content delivery (CDN) is no longer adapted to colossal worldwide audiences and the demand for ever higher definition, explains Streamroot Co-founder and CEO Pierre-Louis Theron. Streamroot, meanwhile, scales naturally to audiences anywhere of any size. Using intelligent mesh networks and dynamic multi-sourcing of content, we offer both a more reliable and cost effective solution for broadcasters, and heightened quality for users.

Since its seed round of funding, Streamroot has multiplied the traffic managed on its platform by 500, and now powers over 400 million video sessions every month. The companys revolutionary approach has drawn widespread industry recognition and brisk adoption from high-profile media groups including Dailymotion, Canal+, Eurosport (part of the Discovery Communications group), and Russia Today. Streamroot has also become the first solution of its kind to offer cross-device compatibility across desktop, mobile and a range of set-top boxes.

Today we are proud to be powering some of the worlds largest live and VOD streaming platforms, delivering 50 to 80% of customers traffic through our distributed delivery infrastructure, Theron adds.

For Dailymotion, a customer since 2016, Streamroot is a crucial component of the services delivery infrastructure: Ensuring robust video delivery to millions of users is of paramount importance to Dailymotion, says Pierre-Yves Kerembellec, VP Architecture. Streamroot offers us this possibility. Their technology scales naturally to exploding audiences and to unpredictable traffic spikes, whilst at the same time keeping our delivery costs down and ensuring excellent quality.

The fast-growing startup has won new support from leading technology and venture firms. Techstars Venture Capital Fund invested in the startup, along with Verizon Ventures and R/GA, which contributed via their newly founded Media Tech Venture Studio.

In addition, Streamroot drew continuing support from existing investor Partech Ventures. Streamroot has become an indisputable force in its industry, explains Romain Lavault, General Partner at Partech Ventures in Paris. The company is well on its way to revolutionizing how video is delivered over the internet; we firmly stand behind them in this pursuit.

Armed with fresh capital from global investors, Theron looks towards the future: Streamroot has laid the groundwork to reshape OTT video delivery as we know it, and we are now working to build the largest and most reliable delivery infrastructure in the world without relying on a single server. These funds will allow us to accelerate our development and tackle the monumental challenge of bringing TV-grade quality to billions of viewers across the world.

About Streamroot

Streamroot is a leading provider of innovative OTT video optimization technologies for content publishers, network service providers and enterprise customers. Its robust, reliable and lightweight distributed network architecture offers improved quality of service, global reach and unique fixed-fee economics. Streamroot technologies are based on open standards such as WebRTC, Media Source Extensions and HTML5, and are widely adopted by broadcasters around the world. Founded in 2013 in France, the company today benefits from VC funding and serves premier media groups from its Paris and New York offices.

For more information, visit www.streamroot.io.
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The government, which wants to ban e-cigarettes, is in a dilemma over the legal provisions it will have to use to stub out the electronic smoking alternative, known to have health risks.

The government is faced with a conundrum: whether to ban e-cigarettes under the Cigarettes and Other Tobacco Products Act (COTPA), the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, or the Poisons Act 1919.

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"COTPA doesnt have a provision to ban. Under various sections of the Act, tobacco products can only be regulated. However, there is a provision under the Act to prohibit any item which imitates cigarettes," said a senior health ministry official.

Some states including Punjab, Chandigarh, Haryana, Kerala, Mizoram, Karnataka, and Jammu and Kashmir have already banned e-cigarettes as an unapproved drug.

While all of them have banned it under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, some have added the Poisons Act, 1919.

"Nicotine has been declared as a lethal and hazardous substance under the Environment (Protection) Act and Insecticide Act.

"Its only permitted use for human consumption is upto the level of 2 mg in the form of chewing gum or lozenges under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act," said Arun Kumar Jha, Economic Advisor to the Union health ministry.

Earlier, three sub-committees formed to examine the legal, advocacy and health aspects of e-cigarettes had strongly recommended ban on them stating they have cancer- causing properties.

"The sub-committee to examine the legal aspects of the issue held another round of meeting on Tuesday and discussed the various modalities for taking stern action against electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS)," Jha said.

An e-cigarette or an ENDS is a smoking battery-powered device that uses liquid nicotine, propylene glycol, water, glycerin and flavour to produce a sense of smoking a real cigarette for the user.

"Though companies claim that e-cigarettes help give up smoking, but in reality they help initiate cigarette smoking as they deliver nicotine in an attractive way and attract youth," Jha said.

According to a WHO report, e-cigarettes emit nicotine, the addictive component in tobacco products.

Experts say e-cigarettes contain liquid nicotine, which is not a registered drug in India. PTI PLB KUN

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By PTI: 2010

Patna, Sep 7 (PTI) Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar today accepted a cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government for flood relief, bringing back the memories of 2010 when he had returned a donation from the then chief minister Narendra Modi, creating a deep divide between the two leaders.

Kumar had also cancelled a dinner for top BJP leaders, who were in the Bihar capital for a meeting of the partys national executive, as he felt slighted by posters that were plastered across the city thanking Modi for the assistance. The posters showed Modi and him together.

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Today, when Kumar is back in the NDA after a hiatus of little over four year, Gujarat Revenue, Education and Parliamentary Affairs Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama handed over the cheque to him for relief work in the flood-ravaged state.

Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Sushil Kumar Modi accompanied the Gujarat minister to Kumars 1, Anne Marg, residence where the cheque was handed over to him. An official statement said the Bihar chief minister thanked and appreciated the Gujarat government for its donation to the chief ministers relief fund. "In the time of calamity everybody should display sensitivity and extend a helping hand to the victims," Kumar was quoted as having said.

Todays event rekindled the 2010 fiasco when Kumar had returned the Rs 5 crore cheque from Modi, taking umbrage at the posters, which he felt slighted Bihar.

The incident created a rift in the relationship between the two leaders though their parties together ran a coalition government in Bihar for three more years before Kumar goaded the JD(U) leadership to break the alliance with BJP on June 16, 2013, after Modi was appointed the saffron partys campaign committee chief for the 2014 Lok Sabha elections.

The two estranged leaders forged a friendship once again in July this year when Kumar resigned as chief minister and walked out of the 3-party JD(U)-RJD-Congress Grand Alliance over corruption charges against his deputy Tejashwi Yadav and BJP decided to extend support to him.

Chudasama tried to downplay the past controversy. "Time is mighty and changes very fast...That was 2010 and today it is 2017," he told reporters after handing over the cheque.

Asked why the Gujarat government had contributed identical amount it had extended for flood relief in 2010, Chudasama said all BJP state governments were contributing Rs 5 crore for Bihar floods. Sushil Kumar Modi, who was the deputy chief minister also in 2010, tried to play down the controversy, saying "Much water has flown down the Ganges."

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He said the BJP government of Madhya Pradesh has already donated Rs 5 crore for flood relief and cheques from Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Haryana were likely to arrive soon.

Rival RJD attacked Kumar on the issue.

"Listening to which internal voice (antaratma ki awaaz), Nitish Kumar had returned the cheque for Rs 5 crore in 2010," RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, son of party chief Lalu Prasad, tweeted in Hindi.

"Today, when he received another cheque for Rs 5 crore from the Gujarat government, how helpless, weak and broken Nitishji must be feeling," Tejashwi, now the leader of the opposition, said in another tweet.

JD(U) spokesman and MLC Neeraj Kumar joined issue with Tejashwi, saying the party had 80 MLAs who should come out and help the flood victims.

"You have abundant wealth which the Enforcement Directorate is seizing. Donate some of it to the victims of floods," he said. PTI SNS KK SK SK

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Hindu spiritual leaders and saffron groups have decided to put in place a mechanism of scrutiny and a degree of standardisation.

By Siddhartha Rai: A peer review system of seers will now separate the black sheep from the flock of babas and sadhvis grazing on the fertile grounds of religious reverence across the country.

Alarmed at a shoal of controversial gurus- such as Asaram Bapu and Baba Ram Rahim Singh - landing in the net of the law for heinous crimes, Hindu spiritual leaders and saffron groups have decided to put in place a mechanism of scrutiny and a degree of standardisation.

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According to VHP international joint general secretary Surendra Jain, the Akhil Bharatiya Akhara Parishad (ABAP) - the apex body of Hindu sages and sadhus -met a few days ago and decided to establish a system of "peer review", "examination" and "interview" to either lend veracity or weed out claims to sainthood and babadom.

"A lot of fake babas and saints have cropped up in Hinduism in India and they need to be exposed and weeded out. Not every Tom, Dick and Harry can be allowed to claim sainthood and fool the people by exploiting their trust in the hallowed and historical tradition of saints who have graced Hinduism," Jain told MAIL TODAY.

"Ram Rahim etc are a band of fraudsters and he is not the end of it. There are many more who are running their shops in the name of Hinduism and the tradition of saints and sadhus."

'WEEDING THE WHITE FROM THE BLACK'

Over the years, several spiritual leaders have been accused of sexually abusing followers, amassing untaxed money and finding favour with politicians. Many of them enjoy immense influence for their ability to mobilise millions of supporters.

"The Akhara Parishad had met nearly four days ago and decided therein that a system of review should be in place to weed out the white from the black and the grey shade of babas," Jain said.

"Therefore, they have decided that the body will be interviewing the claimants in their claimed fields of religious and philosophical expertise and only then these babas and sadhvis will be recognised as parts of the Hindu faith."

Jain suggested that the cleansing process would start from the national Capital itself.

"We see that a number of fake babas are still in business and that too in Delhi. They appear on TV and in studios on religious issues and the drama that they stage is used to bump up their popularity. The process of naming and shaming will start from the Capital," he said.

LIST OF FAKE BABAS READY: SOURCES

Another VHP functionary, joint general secretary Swami Vigyananand who is the founder of World Hindu Foundation (WHF), was quoted in the recent edition of Sangh mouthpiece Organiser for being in favour of a peer review system which originally was part of the Hindu philosophical tradition.

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He had cited the example of Shankaracharya who had to go through a series of disputations and discussions before his authority could be stamped. His fabled encounter with Mandana Mishra is an example.

Sources say the Akhara Parishad has already prepared a list of fake babas and gurus which would be made public in September when the ABAP meets in Allahabad.

They are expected to be boycotted by the comity of Hindu gurus and sacred "peeths" (shrines). The Centre as well as the state governments would be notified on the matter.

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Exclusive: Inside look of Dera chief Ram Rahim's luxury headquarters in Sirsa

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By PTI: By Shakoor Rather

Male, Sep 7 (PTI) Member countries of the WHO South-East Asia Region including India today vowed to build health systems able to cope with climate-related shocks and stress.

Health ministers and senior health officials from 11 countries -- India, Bangladesh, Bhutan, North Korea, Indonesia, Maldives, Myanmar, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Timor-Leste -- unanimously endorsed the Male Declaration to tackle the public health risks caused by climate change.

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"Todays declaration demonstrates the commitment of the South-East Asia regions member countries to take effective and immediate action," Dr Poonam Khetrapal Singh, Regional Director, World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia, said.

Climate change is happening and is a risk to public health, she said.

"Whether from greater severity and intensity of extreme weather events, changes in the spread and abundance of disease-carrying vectors such as mosquitoes, or changes to the physical environment that cause displacement or threaten livelihoods, climate change is already having an impact across our region," Singh said.

The declaration being adopted at the 70th Regional Committee session of the WHO South-East Asia Region -- the regions highest decision-making body -- builds on recent initiatives at country, regional and global levels to tackle the public health risks caused by climate change.

It is accompanied by a Framework for Action to be implemented between 2017 and 2022, and calls on UN agencies and other international organisations, development partners, philanthropic agencies, academic and civil society organisations to mobilise human, financial and technical resources for this purpose.

A progress report would be presented at the 75th session of the WHO Regional Committee for South-East Asia in 2022.

Building health systems resilience to climate change requires buy-in from all stakeholders, Singh said.

"The core action points include establishing and strengthening climate change and health information systems and research; integrating climate risks with national disaster risk management; enhancing health sector preparedness for climate-related events.

"By fully implementing these and other initiatives, health systems can protect vulnerable populations across the region against health risks caused by climate change," the regional director said.

WHO South-East Asia Region is committed to supporting member countries as they strive to strengthen health systems to deal with one of the 21st centurys most pressing issues ? climate change, she said.

"We know what must be done. We can and must act now to meet the immense and increasing public health risks caused by climate change," Singh said. PTI SAR CPS AKJ CPS

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The Crown and descendants of Rua Kenana and Nga Toenga o nga Tamariki a Iharaira me nga uri o Maungapohatu will sign the agreement at Maungapohatu on Saturday September 9, bringing the statutory pardon a step closer to reality.

The minister and whanau of Rua Kenana met in Rotorua on Wednesday ahead of the historic signing to outline details of the agreement.

The agreement contains much more than the pardon. It acknowledges the lasting effects the events of April 2, 1916 had on the descendants of Rua Kenana and Nga Toenga o nga Tamariki a Iharaira and apologises for that, says Te Ururoa.

It is what his uri and followers of the Iharaira faith deserve. It goes some way to putting right a wrong from a century ago.

The Agreement notes the Crowns intention to introduce legislation to provide, among other things, a Crown apology to the descendants of Rua Kenana and Nga Toenga o nga Tamariki; a pardon to Rua Kenana for the conviction he sustained for moral resistance to arrest; and a declaration to restore the character, mana and reputation of Rua Kenana, his uri (descendants), and Nga Toenga o nga Tamariki a Iharaira.

The statutory pardon for Rua Kenana will not be made official until legislation enacting the terms of the agreement is passed by parliament. It is a pardon for the criminal conviction.

Once passed into law the statutory pardon will be only the fourth arising from Crown-Maori relations.

In 1988, those of Ngati Awa descent who were arrested, tried and labelled as rebels in or about 1865, received a statutory pardon in the Runanga o Ngati Awa Act; in 2013, Mokomoko received statutory recognition of a previous Royal Prerogative of Mercy pardon for his involvement in the murder of missionary Carl Volkner in 1865, and in 2014, Kereopa Te Rau also received a statutory pardon for his role in the murder of Reverend Volkner through the Treaty settlement with Ngati Rangiwewehi.

Background

On April 2, 1916, a contingent of 70 armed police invaded Maungapohatu to arrest Tuhoe prophet and leader Rua Kenana. In an exchange of gunfire, his son Toko Rua and Te Maipi Te Whiu were killed and other Maori and four police were injured.

Charges laid against Rua Kenana over the invasion were either dismissed or resulted in his acquittal, but he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on an earlier charge of moral resistance. The Iharaira faith went into decline after the events and has never fully recovered.

The Waitangi Tribunal in 2012 determined that excessive force was used in the arrest of Rua Kenana and it was unlawfully carried out as it was on a Sunday.
Theres no news today of the Tauranga couple Donna Bennett and Chris Isherwood who are on the Caribbean Island of Vieques, Puerto rico.

The category 5 Hurricane Irma passed over last night, with the eye to the north of the island.

Donna, the former training officer for Tauranga Volunteer coastguard and Chris the deputy harbourmaster, left Tauranga in April to spend a year on the island.

Vieques is between the main Island of San Juan and the British Virgin Islands.

On Facebook yesterday, Donna says they were going to keep friends updated as best they can, but they also expected to lose power.

At least two people had been killed on the islands of Saint Martin and Saint Barthelemy, says French overseas territories minister Annick Girardin on BBC/Reuters

"Were talking about two dead and two seriously injured for now. Obviously the situation can change very quickly," says Annick.

The Category 5 hurricane, the highest possible level, has sustained wind speeds reaching 295km/h.

Some 40,000 people live in the French part of Saint Martin, with around the same number estimated to live on the Dutch side. About 9000 people live on St Barts.

WOW! Hurricane Irma with winds of 185 MPH seen today from the International Space Station. Video via @Space_Station #Hurricane #Irma #Space pic.twitter.com/RCbhwVtk9L  Mark Tarello (@mark_tarello) September 7, 2017

In the Dutch territory, known as Saint Maarten, the airport has been closed with photos showing debris strewn across the departures area and outside.

Dutch news reports a total power blackout, streets littered with debris, cars underwater and boats in the ports destroyed.

The French government is launching an emergency plan but it was vital to assess the damage, because at this stage authorities could not get access to the worst-hit areas.

The French government had said it was worried about thousands of people who had refused to seek shelter on the islands as the powerful storm approached.

At 9am today heavy rain and strong winds begun hitting the island nation of Puerto Rico on the northeastern coast.

Irma has hurricane-strength winds extending at least 60 miles and those of a tropical storm, some 175 miles.
Incumbent Waiariki MP Te Ururoa Flavell might be Minister for Maori Development and Maori Party co-leader, but hes still got time to campaign in his electorate seat.

The fourth-term MP has been travelling the length and breadth of the large electorate (which encompasses most of the Bay of Plenty) hearing what voters have to say.

Te Ururoa and his supporters were in Tauranga on Thursday waving flags and promoting their party to motorists passing by. He says hes very pleased with the way the campaign is going.

Weve got a tried and true team who are working hard. Its not easy at elections, theres a lot of pressure. But the reception Ive had has been awesome and Im looking forward to a positive response.

He says the feedback from voters is recognition the party has made an important contribution to the government.

They recognise we can vote against the government if necessary, too. Weve been a strong, independent Maori voice in parliament.

Key issues for Waiariki voters are much the same as elsewhere in New Zealand  homelessness and housing.

The electorate is so big that the issues affecting Tauranga will be different to those affecting Te Kaha. Some communities are affected by things like P and suicide that arent felt as strongly elsewhere, says Te Ururoa.

Can we do more? Absolutely. We have to look after those who are less fortunate.

He says one of the difficulties of being an MP in the Maori seats is having a bigger area to cover.

It can be a challenge, but I love the Bay of Plenty. This weekend were going to Ruatahuna to address with an issue a hundred years in the making, which is the pardoning of Rua Kenana. Its very gratifying to get that sort of legislation over the line.
The weather forecast today is for fine spells with a few showers and gusty westerlies.

Its a three-clothing layer day today with a high of 16 and an overnight low of 11 degrees.

This day in NZ history in 1862 The Matilda Wattenbach brought 352 settlers to New Zealand.

These Nonconformist (non-Anglican Protestant) immigrants came from England. Another 315 arrived on the Hanover a week later, and six more immigrant ships had arrived by 1865.

This day in 1954 New Zealand signed the Manila Pact which aimed to contain the spread of communism in the South East Asia region.

Also known as the South East Asia Treaty Organisation (SEATO) the signatories to the pact were Australia, France, New Zealand, Pakistan, the Philippines, Thailand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

Check out activities happening around the Bay today on our Whats On.

This mornings video was filmed at Mount Main beach.

Have a great day!
After an eleven-hour heated session of the Catalonian parliament on Wednesday regional MPs passed the law that paves the way for the independence referendum, now officially called by the secessionists for 1 October.

The legislation was approved with the votes of pro-independence parties Junts pel Si andCUP, who between them have an overall majority in the parliament. Fifty-two MPs, representing the opposition, the Partido Popular (PPC) the Catalonian Socialist party (PSC) and Ciudadanos, walked out before the vote took place, accusing the ruling parties of being antidemocratic and violating their rights as members of the house.

The members of the Catalonian government face criminal charges for calling the referendum

Earlier in the day the secessionists had bypassed the rules of their own parliament by opting to push through the law as an urgent piece of legislation. This left the opposition without the chance to propose amendments or to call for a clarification of the laws compliance with the regional authoritys statutes and the Spanish constitution.

Once the law had been passed and officially published, the president of the Catalonian government Carles Puigdemont signed the decree calling the referendum for 1 October. The question asked will be Do you want Catalonia to be an independent state in the form of a republic? If yes wins, the law passed on Wednesday establishes that a republic could be declared on 4 October.

Lluis Corominas of Junts pel Si said that the vote would be binding and that no minimum turnout would be required to go ahead with the proposed rupture from Spain.

On Thursday the regional government began a campaign to encourage citizens to take part in the vote.

Madrid was quick to respond with its rejection of the legislation. On Wednesday evening the central government had already filed a complaint with the Constitutional court asking it to overturn the law.

The chief state prosecutor, Jose Manuel Maza, said on Thursday that two criminal lawsuits would be brought, one against the speaker of the Catalonian parliament, Carme Forcadell, and others responsible for the running of the house for allowing the law to be passed. The other will be against the members of the Catalonian government for calling an illegal referendum.

Meanwhile prosecution departments in Catalonia have been instructed to investigate anyone seen to be taking part in the organisation of the vote.

Deputy prime minister Soraya Saenz de Santamaria described Wednesdays events as an embarrassing spectacle for any democrat to watch. What happened, she said, was reminiscent of totalitarian regimes.
Gauri Lankesh's family is divided over the people who could've been responsible for her murder.

The split in the family is not new.

By India Today Web Desk: Several conspiracy theories are being discussed over the dastardly murder of senior journalist Gauri Lankesh - ranging from the right wing fringe elements, their left wing counterparts and family feud to the hands of the state government. The rival groups have jumped the gun pronouncing judgment even before the police are nowhere near solving the murder case.

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Just as the politicians, Gauri Lankesh's family is also divided over the people who could've been responsible for her gruesome murder.

Gauri Lankesh's brother Indrajit Lankesh has insinuated that the Naxals may be behind his sister's killing. He is on record saying he believed that Naxals were unhappy with Gauri Lankesh for being instrumental in the surrender of several Naxalites.

NAXALS BEHIND KILLING: GAURI LANKESH'S BROTHER

He cited the case of Sirimane Nagaraj who was brought into the mainstream with the help of Gauri Lankesh.

He quoted sources who had informed him of a threat to the life of Gauri Lankesh, the editor of Lankesh Patrike. Gauri Lankesh was actively working with the Karnataka government to bring Naxalites into the mainstream, an initiative that hadn't gone down well with them, Indrajit said.

In fact, Indrajit said he'd been informed that Naxalites were printing pamphlets that warned their fellow Maoists against joining the mainstream. Gauri Lankesh herself didn't tell her family she was being threatened though, he added.

VIEWS OF THE SIBLINGS DIFFER

However, Gauri Lankesh's sister Kavita differed with Indrajit Lankesh. She denied that the Naxalites were in any way linked with the murder.

Kavita reiterated that Indrajit had no clue about Gauri Lankesh's life. The Lankesh Partrike editor had been working for the Naxalites and against the right wing forces for several years. Besides, Gauri Lankesh was living not with Indrajit but with the sister, she added.

The split in the family is not new. It goes back to the days when Gauri Lankesh's father, who owned Lankesh Patrike, died in 2000. There was a fight between Gauri Lankesh and Indrajit over ideology and ownership of the Kannada weekly.

SPLIT IN FAMILY NOT NEW

In 2005, the fight between the siblings had turned ugly with both of them registering police complaints against each other. Indrajit, who was the proprietor and publisher of the weekly, was against Gauri Lankesh's pro-Naxalite stand.

On the other hand, Gauri Lankesh denied she was sympathetic towards the Naxalites.

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Indrajit had registered a police complaint about a computer, printer and scanner which had gone missing. Gauri Lankesh, on her part, filed a counter complaint and alleged that Indrajit had threatened her with a revolver.

However, in the course of time she parted ways with her brother and went on to launch her own publication called Gauri Lankesh Patrike.

On Wednesday, a day after Gauri Lankesh's cold-blooded murder, Indrajit denied he and his sister were involved in a property dispute. He and his sister had parted ways because of ideological differences, but that didn't mean they didn't share a personal bond, he said.

Indrajit also denied that he was a member of the BJP. He was a director and a journalist and that he would never join the saffron party, he said.

Also Read:

Why Gauri Lankesh's brother thinks both Naxal, Hindu extremist angles should be looked into

Gauri Lankesh murder: Social media throws up four conspiracy theories

Also Watch:

What she wrote, what she was fighting for is what killed her, says Gauri Lankesh's sister

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 7 (PTI) The mammoth trial of the accused of the 1993 bomb blasts had concluded in February 2007 but Karimullah Khan, who was today sentenced to life imprisonment, remained elusive for over 14 years before being nabbed by police.

A police official recalling Khans arrest said in August 2008, the crime branch of the Mumbai Police got a tip off about him.

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The crime branch, then headed by Joint Commissioner of Police Rakesh Maria, was informed that Khan was living at Nalasopara since the last 2-3 years with his family members and working as a real estate agent by assuming a fake identity

Khan had changed his looks to avoid identification.

The official said Khan had left the country immediately after the 1993 blasts. He had allegedly stayed with underworld don Dawood Ibrahim in Clifton area of Pakistans Karachi till 2006, an official said.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh on Khan.

After getting the tip-off, for the first few days a crime branch team kept an eye on the activities of Khan, who had changed his name to Osan Khan, and found that he is in the business of selling and purchasing of property and letting flats on rent, the official said.

Inspector Pandharinath Vavhal, who was then attached to Chembur unit of the Crime branch, and Sub-Inspector Rutuja Nemlekar, posing as a couple approached Khan for a flat, he said.

The couple went to Khans office on August 20, 2008 at Nalasopara and told him that they wanted to meet the owner and pay a token amount for booking the flat.

As Khan got into their car, the team of the crime branch began following them in their vehicle.

When the car crossed some distance, he was told that he was arrested by the crime branch.

"Initially he was not accepting that he is Karimullah Khan. He was misleading police with his fake identity. He was consistently saying that he is Osan Khan," the official said.

"As I remember he was not cooperating with the police in the beginning. But, after few tough questions, in the middle of the journey he accepted that he is Karimullah," he said.

He had managed to procure a ration card, a PAN card and a driving licence by using his new identity, he added.

In crime branch custody he then joined all the dots of the bomb blast case, an official said.

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During the interrogation, he had said he thought that 15 years after the blast no one would recognise him and he also wanted to see his children, who have grown up since he fled the country, the official said.

Khan, who was actually a close aide of Ejaz Pathan and landing agent of explosives like RDX and weapons, spent long period with Dawood Ibrahim after fleeing the country, the official said.

In December 2006, he left Pakistan and went to Nepal from where he entered Uttar Pradesh.

Earlier, he resided in Cotton Green but after the blasts his family moved to Mira Road and then to Nalasopara.

Khan was today sentenced to life imprisonment by the special TADA court in Mumbai for his role in the 1993 blasts case. PTI DC RMT DIP

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Squirrels might want to avoid Bland County Sept. 15-16. Thats when Mechanicsburg Christian Church will have its popular hunt for the bushy-tail rodents.

The fun kicks off at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, when hunters and their families will gather at the church on Blue Grass Trail to register, hear a brief message and enjoy a free soup-and-sandwich dinner.

Also at that time, the hunters will go over the rules for the hunt. During the evening, church members will give out door prizes, which include a .22-caliber rifle.

The free tournament begins Saturday morning at daybreak.

They can hunt wherever they want if they have a favorite spot, said Pastor Thomas Maurer. He said the church asks children under 16 to use a shotgun. Adults usually use a .22 or other rifle, he added.

At noon on Saturday, officials will take the combined weight of the squirrels each hunter killed. The limit is six squirrels per hunter.

The highest combined weight wins $100, second place is $50 and third place is $25. There is also a $25 prize for the largest, single squirrel.

Maurer said the annual squirrel hunt began several years ago after the church sponsored a bass fishing tournament at Claytor Lake.

I wondered how we could get hunters involved so we came up with the squirrel hunting tournament, Maurer said. Weve seen great success with it.

The pastor said the tournament is part of the churchs outreach ministry.

We just want to get the gospel of Jesus to people in general, he said. This has become a good medium by which we can do that.

The pastor said the hunt is also a fun way for family members to bond.

Weve seen dads bring their children to hunt for the first time and seen grandfathers bring their grandchildren, he said.

So, is there a secret to finding squirrels?

Basically just sit and be quiet, Maurer said. Or a lot of times you can walk just walk through the woods and see them jumping from tree to tree. My secret to squirrel hunting is to look for acorns. If you see acorns, you can find squirrels. Or look for hickory nuts. Squirrels like hickory nuts.

Hunters who enjoy the hunt, but do not want to take their squirrels home, can donate them to the church for one of its biggest events of the year, its annual Wildlife Dinner held each spring.

The church address is Mechanicsburg Christian Church, 10744 East Blue Grass Trail. For information, call Maurer at 308-539-1764.

To reach Millie Rothrock, call 228-6611, ext. 35, or email mrothrock@wythenews.com.
Dominion energy is planning to study property they own on East River Mountain in Tazewell County for a potential hydroelectric storage facility.

The Richmond based company announced Sept. 7 that it has applied to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, (FERC), for a preliminary permit to assess the site.

That site and the abandoned Bullitt Mine in Appalachia are the two sites in the coalfield region the company is doing in depth studies on for what could potentially be a $2 to $3 billion project.

The FERC application for the Tazewell site will allow us to proceed with the rigorous

environmental, geological, archeological and technical studies, while further assessing the economics of the project, said Mark D. Mitchell, Dominion Energys vice president-Generation Construction.

FERC application allows the company to perform detailed on-the-ground studies of the

property and additional parcels needed for the project, with landowner permission. These studies will determine if the site is viable to proceed with a FERC license application later in 2018.

The company has contracted with Virginia Tech to conduct the study of the former Bullitt Mine near Appalachia. We are on parallel paths with performing studies on these two sites, Mitchell said.

In addition, the detailed study on the mine site allows us to explore the feasibility of abandoned mine cavities for pumped hydroelectric storage. We expect to make a

decision on which site to advance by mid-2018.

The preliminary estimate for a single facility could be in the range of $2 billion and provide millions in tax revenue to counties in the coalfield region. The project would also create hundreds of jobs during construction and up to 50 permanent jobs when complete. Hydroelectric storage, also known as pumped storage, works by storing water in an upper reservoir. When electricity is needed, water is released to a lower body of water, spinning turbines to produce electricity. When power demand is low, the water is pumped back to the upper reservoir. The station is best described as a large-scale rechargeable battery, where power is stored and then released when needed. The on-demand nature of pumped storage makes it an appealing resource, adding diversity to Dominion Energys generating fleet. While the Tazewell and Bullitt mine sites appear to be the most promising at this time, Dominion Energy may pursue other potential sites as the process continues.

Dominion Energy owns about 2,600 acres of the Tazewell site near East River Mountain, which it purchased in 2009 when the company was pursuing another electric generation project.
Three crosses had stood side by side just off of Rt. 16 in Sugar Grove for more than 30 years, ever a reminder of the story of Jesus Christ. In recent days, the crosses came down, one broken. Community members feared the worst, but the bad news wont prevail. The crosses will soon stand again  likely even a little stronger and brighter.

The crosses, which were erected on Sept. 25, 1986, were taken down for a commercial construction project that needed a drainage ditch. The construction crews plan all along was to put the crosses back up as soon as the Virginia Department of Transportation inspects the work and gives its approval. That approval is anticipated to be granted in the next few weeks.

That delay will provide concerned citizens time to work on the crosses.

One of the main poles was rotten and broke when it was taken down.

Thats being taken care of by community volunteers.

Pastor David Medley of Brookside Baptist Church and Shane Ashlin, who works for Appalachian Power, found out about peoples concerns via Facebook. They went to talk to the construction crew. Ashlin immediately said he had a new pole that could be used to repair the broken cross.

Medley said he and his church congregation would be glad to help with repairs, even adding a fresh coat of paint to the crosses.

Blake Frazier learned of their generosity and offered for Seaver-Brown Funeral Service in Marion to buy the paint.

That work is under way.

Late last week, Frazier said hed just received a sliver of wood so that the paint could be matched.

He reflected on the importance of the crosses.

After more than three decades, he said, theyre a Sugar Grove landmark. More importantly to him, though, is the Christian message they represent. On highly traveled roads, he said, they serve as a powerful reminder to people who might just otherwise speed by.

He remembered a time when the crosses impacted his behavior.

Frazier recalled that he was in high school on a band trip. In the midst of a prank, he looked out the bus window and saw the crosses and then calmed down.

That memory among others makes him glad to be a part of the project  to be part of good people doing good stuff.

Pastor Medley is also glad for the opportunity and for new attention to come to the crosses, which were put up by Roadside Cross Ministry as part of a widespread campaign.

Medley is moved by the reach of the work that was started by the late Rev. Bernard Coffindaffer, who, according to www.crossesacrossamerica.org, put up the first trio of gold and blue crosses in Flatwoods, W.Va., in September 1984. On a trip to Israel, Coffindaffer felt called by the Lord to build the crosses. He came home, liquidated his business and spent about $3 million of his own money erecting crosses in 29 states, the District of Columbia and several foreign countries. "The Crosses stand to remind people that Jesus was crucified on a Cross at Calvary for our sins; there is hope in Jesus Christ; and, that He is soon coming again."

The project ended with Coffindaffers death in 1993. However, the non-profit Crosses Across America Inc. is working to pick up where he left off. The organization has secured Coffindaffers documents, is locating the crosses and is working to restore them. As well, Crosses Across America is working to add new clusters of crosses and build giant crosses.
Syracuse, N.Y. -- Online retail giant Amazon is looking for a place to build its second headquarters, a massive campus that would employ up to 50,000 people and cost $5 billion to construct.

Could Central New York have a shot at landing such a huge economic development win?

It would be a long shot, but the region is certainly welcome to try. Many companies work quietly behind the scenes, often through site consultants, to find locations for major new facilities. Not Amazon. It has issued a very public call for states and metropolitan areas to make their best pitches.

In its request for proposals, the company said it has grown so big, it needs a second headquarters.

Justin Sayles, a spokesman for Onondaga County Executive Joanie Mahoney, said the county will consider making a pitch to Amazon.

"Onondaga County will absolutely take the time to review the RFP made by Amazon and then make a determination about the best way to respond," he said.

State officials signaled that they will respond to Amazon's request, noting that the company already has a substantial presence in New York (mostly downstate).

"Amazon, with its significant footprint in New York State, knows first-hand that we have the infrastructure, business climate and workforce necessary for businesses to succeed," Howard Zemsky, president, CEO and commissioner of Empire State Development, said in a statement Thursday. "This project is a major opportunity and New Yorkers should know that we will be doing everything we can to attract Amazon HQ2 - and 50,000 jobs - to the Empire State."

Amazon confirmed Wednesday that it plans to open a $100 million, 855,000-square-foot warehouse employing up to 2,250 full-time workers on Staten Island. The state is providing $18 million in tax credits in exchange for the company's commitment to create the new jobs over five years and retain 886 existing jobs in New York.

Amazon's current headquarters is in Seattle, and it's a big one. It consists of 33 building, totaling 8.1 million square feet of space, and employs more than 40,000 people. Amazon said the facility has created an additional 53,000 indirect jobs in Seattle through its investments.

The company estimates that it added $38 billion to the Seattle economy between 2010 and 2016.

Amazon said it is looking for substantial financial incentives from state and local governments for its second headquarters to "offset initial capital outlay and ongoing operational costs." Those incentives will be a "significant" factor in the company's decision-making process, it said.

That shouldn't be a problem for Central New York. State and local governments in New York have generous incentive programs, including tax credits and exemptions and outright grants, for jobs-producing developments.

But some of the company's other requirements could be problematic for the region:

Amazon said it has a preference for metro areas with more than 1 million people. The population of the Syracuse metro area is only 656,510, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Even if it made an exception in the size of the metro area it would consider, Amazon would need to know that it would be able to find 50,000 qualified people to work at its second headquarters. The Syracuse metro has a labor force of a little less than 310,000 people and an unemployment rate of just 5 percent, so it might be a big challenge for the company to fill all those jobs here.

The company said being close to an airport with direct flights to Seattle, New York City, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., is "an important consideration." Syracuse Hancock International Airport has direct flights to New York and Washington, D.C., but not to Seattle or San Francisco.

Contact Rick Moriarty anytime:

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SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Gary Thibodeau, who's still trying to overturn his conviction in the 1994 Heidi Allen kidnapping, might see the outside of a prison before he dies.

Thibodeau, 63, has a shot at being released from prison due to his deteriorating health, according to his lawyer Lisa Peebles.

Thibodeau in August was placed in hospice care after being transferred to Coxsackie Correctional Facility in Greene County, Peebles said.

Peebles met today with Thibodeau and a hospice nurse, who told the lawyer she had recently filed paperwork to recommend Thibodeau for medical parole.

Medical parole is available to prisoners who have less than six months' life expectancy, and have not been convicted of first-degree murder.

Thibodeau is serving 25 years to life for the kidnapping of Heidi Allen. Allen, 18, was working as a cashier at the D&W Convenience Store in New Haven when she disappeared.

Thibodeau was never convicted of murder. He has maintained his innocence. Allen has never been found.

Peebles recently learned that New York state's highest court would consider Thibodeau's request for a new trial, which was denied by Acting Oswego County Judge Daniel King in 2016.

Peebles said she delivered the news of the appeal to Thibodeau in person, and was devastated to see how poor his health was. She fears he will not survive the months she expects the appeal to take.

Peebles said Thibodeau weighs about 125 pounds and is confined to a wheelchair. He has a lung condition that now requires him to use an oxygen tank 24/7.

The nurse's recommendation that Thibodeau be released on medical parole is just the first step in a process that could also take weeks or even months, Peebles said.

The recommendation will be reviewed by the state's Department of Corrections and ultimately a parole board. Peebles said she expects Allen's family and the Oswego County district attorney to have an opportunity to respond.

If Thibodeau is released, he would be able to live with family, Peebles said.

Peebles said Thibodeau's spirit is still strong, and he still wants to fight to prove innocence.

Public Affairs Reporter Julie McMahon covers federal courts, government and other issues affecting taxpayers. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
NEDROW, N.Y. -- A man was seriously injured Wednesday after he was hit by a tractor-trailer on Interstate 81 in Nedrow.

A 28-year-old man was standing on I-81 south near the Onondaga Nation exit (Exit 16) when he was hit by a tractor-trailer, said Trooper Jack Keller, a New York State Police spokesman. It appears the man was attempting to commit suicide, he said.

The accident was reported at 10:05 p.m., Onondaga County 911 dispatch logs show. State police, the Onondaga Nation Fire Department, the Nedrow Fire Department, the Sentinel Heights Fire Department and TLC Ambulance responded.

The man suffered a severe leg injury, Keller said. He was rushed to Upstate University Hospital in Syracuse.

The state police typically do not release the names of people who attempt or commit suicide, Keller said.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A car battery. A pair of Jordan sneakers. A meal at Taco Bell.

Those are three of the items a purse-snatching Syracuse teenager bought late last month when he used stolen credit cards to go on a shopping spree, said the Syracuse Police Department in felony complaints filed in Syracuse City Court.

Dennis Rice, 18, of 686 W. Onondaga St., Syracuse, was arrested last Thursday and charged with crimes ranging from identity theft to robbery.

The first crime Rice has been charged with happened on the North Side in June, according to a complaint filed in court.

Rice approached a woman he had never met before around 4 p.m. on June 8 near 613 Pond St., police said. He was with two other unnamed suspects, police said.

The suspects grabbed the woman's purse, police said. During a struggle for the purse, police said Rice punched and kicked the woman, forcing her to fall to the ground.

As he ran away with the stolen handbag, Rice dropped his cellphone, police said.

Less than a month later, Rice tried to take another purse -- this time in downtown Syracuse, police said.

Rice grabbed a woman's purse just before 11 p.m. on Aug. 13 near Georgio's Furs at 358 S. Salina St., police said. When the woman held on to her bag, she was knocked down and dragged by Rice across the sidewalk, police said.

The teen left without the woman's purse, police said.

Two weeks later, Rice was arrested after an identity theft investigation.

Police said he admitted charging $652.80 on stolen credit cards -- using the cards at Rite Aid, Midway Express, Advance Auto Parts, Taco Bell and streeTgame.

Rice was charged with second-degree identity theft, fourth-degree criminal possession of stolen property, second-degree robbery and attempted third-degree robbery. He is being held in the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail on a parole violation, jail records show.

Police declined to immediately release Rice's mugshot, citing an ongoing search for witnesses.
The following commentary was signed by Laura Jaffee, Palestine Solidarity Collective; Ashley Bohrer, Jewish Voice for Peace; Ursula Rozum, Justice for Palestine Committee of the Syracuse Peace Council; and Mary House, Green Party of New York.



Special to Syracuse.com



Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner is traveling to Israel this month with the American Jewish Committee's (AJC) Project Interchange as part of a delegation of 10 mayors. On this trip she will no doubt be shielded from the checkpoints, settlements, apartheid wall, refugee camps, destroyed homes and schools, and all of the other elements that sustain Israel's occupation of Palestine. During these trips, Israel showcases technology and tactics that it developed "expertise" in in order to maintain its colonial occupation by killing, imprisoning, displacing and violently repressing Palestinian people.



This is not an innocent "exchange," as Miner has suggested. Regarding the trip, she stated: "The United States has an important relationship with Israel and we are connected by our shared democracy and security challenges, [...] But we are also linked by our shared commitment to civic innovation and entrepreneurship. Our urban leaders have found common ground that I am excited to explore." This "important relationship" translates to the U.S. sending billions of dollars in military aid -- 75 percent of which is mandated to be spent on US-made arms -- to Israel annually. In 2016, the U.S. agreed to send $38 billion in military aid to Israel over the next 10 years. As the Movement for Black Lives policy platform notes, money spent on military aid to Israel could instead be spent toward reparations and redressing profound inequity within the U.S. The U.S. and Israel have claimed to have a "special relationship" and shared democratic values since the 1960s to dress up a geopolitical, military and economic relationship based on the business of apartheid, racism and war. An apartheid state cannot be a democracy.



A "shared commitment to civic innovation and entrepreneurship," in practice, has meant shared corporate interests in profiting off of brutal occupation. An Israeli company and lead contractor for Israel's apartheid wall, Elbit Systems, was contracted by the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in 2014 to provide similar technology for the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Another Israeli company, Magal, has lobbied for a contract to build Trump's proposed extension of the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Both the U.S. and Israel's walls further divide the stolen and occupied land of indigenous peoples, with Trump's proposed extension cutting through the sovereign territory of the Tohono O'odham Nation, and the West Bank wall cutting across Palestinians' land. The stock of both companies rose dramatically with Trump's election.



Shared "security challenges" are a product of both states being built on stolen land and fundamentally rooted in racism and exploitation, yielding the U.S. and Israel's need to "secure" themselves in the face of Palestinian, black and indigenous liberation struggles. Consequently, the two states have exchanged brutal, racist and Islamophobic "counter-terrorism" techniques, military equipment and technology. Project Interchange has funded trips for U.S. police officers from New York City, Los Angeles, Houston, Austin, Oakland and Baltimore. The police forces deployed in Ferguson to suppress Black Lives Matter activists after Officer Darren Wilson shot and killed Michael Brown, an unarmed black teenager, were trained by Israeli security forces. Nearly every major police department in the U.S. has traveled to Israel to receive training from Israeli police, military, and security and intelligence services. The Department of Homeland Security has labeled anti-racist protesters "domestic terrorists" to justify police use of "counter-terrorism" tactics and technology.



Miner's assertion that "our urban leaders have found common ground" ignores the reality that white supremacy and settler colonialism are the foundation of both the United States and Israel. Project Interchange normalizes occupation and racist policing practices. As Miner would be going as a municipal representative, her trip also violates an international picket line drawn by Palestinian civil society groups in 2005 in their international call for Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) of Israel. Inspired by the South African anti-apartheid movement, the BDS movement is a Palestinian-led movement to apply pressure to Israel until it:



1. Ends its occupation and colonization of all Arab lands and dismantles the wall;

2. Recognizes the fundamental rights of the Arab-Palestinian citizens of Israel to full equality;

3. Respects, protects and promotes the rights of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes and properties as stipulated in UN Resolution 194.



As local groups who condemn white supremacy and support Palestinian liberation, we call on Miner to take a lead not from the Israeli state, but from the BDS call and groups that support it, including Jewish Voice for Peace, which takes a clear line against Israeli apartheid, Islamophobia and anti-Semitism. By supporting the BDS movement, Miner would join other cities that have demonstrated solidarity with the movement, including Baltimore, Durham, Portland and Denver. Miner claims she is pro-sanctuary and opposes Trump, who Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu supports. If she truly supports sanctuary and refugees, she should heed the BDS call and support the right of Palestinian refugees to return to their homes.




Christian evangelical leaders feel that Hurricane Harvey was caused because of the acceptance of LGBT community by Houston and this is Jesus sending a message to America.

By India Today Web Desk: Homosexuals could be the reason behind Hurricane Harvey, claims evangelical Christian leaders.

Despite of scientific evidence proving that the major cause of Hurricane Harvey is climate change, a handful of evangelical leaders believe that the LGBT community is responsible for the hurricane that led to more than 35 deaths and evacuation of thousands from their homes in Texas.

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According to Minister Kevin Swanson, Houston has sinned by having "very, very aggressively pro-homosexual mayor", reported Independent.

"Jesus sends the message home, unless Americans repent, unless Houston repents, unless New Orleans repents, they will all likewise perish," Swanson told on a radio show. "That is the message that the Lord Jesus Christ is sending home right now to America."

These comments have followed the comments of famous radio personality Rick Wiles' comment referring to Houston as a "city that has boasted its LGBT devotion" and is thus "underwater".

"Here's a city that has boasted of its LGBT devotion, its affinity for the sexual perversion movement in America. They're underwater," he told Newsweek.

Meanwhile, Ann Coulter, a right wing commentator took to Twitter to express her concerns about homosexuality (because who needs to worry about climate change, right?) -- "I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than "climate change."

Michael Brown who is a member of the US President Donald Trump's evangelical advisory board tried to stop people to single out specific groups and blame the natural disasters on them.

"Houston is one of the few cities that has stood bravely against the rising tide of LGBT activism. Why would God single out Houston for judgment?," he said in an interview.

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Welcome, DISH customer! Please note that we cannot save your viewing history due to an arrangement with DISH.

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ACCEPT
Microsoft has released its long-awaited cloud-based bug detection tool, previously code-named Project Springfield. The Windows version became generally available, and a new Linux version became available as a preview last week.

The tool, Microsoft Security Risk Detection, uses artificial intelligence to hunt down security vulnerabilities in software that is about to be released.

Microsoft Security Risk Detection will help developers do fuzz testing, said David Molnar, the Microsoft researcher in charge of the group that developed the tool. Fuzz testing normally is done using outside consultants to test new software. Its purpose is to make sure vulnerabilities can be weeded out before the product goes into wide release to avoid the necessity of patching them on the back end.

The service uses artificial intelligence to ask particular what if questions about new software, focusing on critical areas that might be vulnerable to attack by bad actors.

Microsoft first released a test version of the service last year. Docusign, a firm that specializes in automated electronic signatures, is one of the companies that volunteered to try it out.

The tool helped Docusign weed out bugs in its software and almost never returned false positives, according to John Heasman, senior director of software security at the company.

The low rate of false positives is very important, he said, because companies typically have to spend a lot of time tracking down false positives, which uses time that otherwise could be devoted to investigating legitimate threats.

In-House Technology

Microsoft has been using Sage, a key component of the service, since the mid-2000s to test versions of Windows, Office and other products. Several product teams at the company use the service as part of the Microsoft Security Development Lifecycle.

Microsoft plans to offer the tool for sale later this summer through Microsoft Services.

Prevent Defense

The release is meaningful, according to Dustin Childs, communications director for the zero day initiative at Trend Micro, who noted that the service gives developers access to security testing they otherwise might not use.

Bugs are much easier to detect during software development, he told LinuxInsider, so enhanced testing prior to release could prevent security problems down the road.

Whether companies embrace the service depends largely on how many false positives they get, Childs said. Another important issue will be the trust issue between developers and Microsoft, which could depend on how much information is shared with the developers and how much is retained by Microsoft.

From Microsofts perspective, the gain is twofold, said Childs. The service will help Microsoft create a safer ecosystem running a series of Windows applications, and allow the company to show off its cloud computing and AI capabilities. The service also will introduce Azure to a large community of potential customers.

Security is something that everyone wants, but few are willing to shell out the money for it, observed Jim McGregor, principal analyst at Tirias Research.

IT managers often stick with the security solutions they are familiar with and upgrade with budgetary cycles, he told LinuxInsider.

The industry rarely works together to resolve security issues, McGregor said.

True IT security requires hardware and software to be effective, he pointed out.

However, Microsofts solution takes security to a new level by combining AI and cloud resources, said McGregor. It continuously leverages a wide range of information and reacts to new threats faster than traditional solutions.

Its not clear how much success Microsoft will have with this new service, he said, but every IT manager should be looking to AI for improved security.
Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing many Caribbean islands with tree-snapping winds. The storm killed at least eight people and is now on its way to strike Florida.

People pick up debris as Hurricane Irma howled past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands. Photo: Reuters.

By Reuters: Hurricane Irma killed eight people on the Caribbean island of Saint Martin and left Barbuda devastated on Thursday as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida.

Television footage of the Franco-Dutch island of Saint Martin showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. Power was knocked out on Saint Martin, Saint Barthelemy and in parts of the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico.

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"It is an enormous disaster, 95 percent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on Saint Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

French Interior Minister Gerard Collomb said eight people were killed and the toll was likely to rise.

Hurricane Irma is seen approaching Puerto Rico in this NASA's GOES-16 satellite image. Photo: Reuters.

"We did not have the time yet to explore all the shores," Collomb told Franceinfo radio, adding that 23 people were also injured. In all, at least 10 people were reported killed by Irma on four islands.

Irma caused "enormous damage" to the Dutch side of Saint Martin, called Sint Maarten, the Dutch Royal Navy said. The navy tweeted images gathered by helicopter of damaged houses, hotels and boats. The airport was unreachable, it said.

The hurricane was on track to reach Florida on Saturday or Sunday, becoming the second major hurricane to hit the U.S. mainland in as many weeks after Hurricane Harvey.

The eye of Irma was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

A truck drives past fallen trees as Hurricane Irma howls past Puerto Rico. Photo: Reuters.

The island of Barbuda is a scene of "total carnage" and the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance, said Gaston Browne, prime minister of Antigua and Barbuda.

Browne told the BBC about half of Barbuda's population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.

"We flew into Barbuda only to see total carnage. It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had," Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four.

"Approximately 50 percent of them (residents of Barbuda) are literally homeless at this time. They are bunking together, we are trying to get ... relief supplies to them first thing tomorrow morning," he said, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island.

Waves crash against the seawall as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean. Photo: Reuters. Waves crash against the seawall as Hurricane Irma slammed across islands in the northern Caribbean. Photo: Reuters.

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Browne said one person was killed on Barbuda. A second storm-related fatality, that of a surfer, was reported on Barbados.

Irma buffeted Puerto Rico early on Thursday, buffeting its capital San Juan with heavy downpours and strong winds that scattered tree limbs across roadways.

At least half of Puerto Rico's homes and businesses were without power, according to Twitter posts and a message posted by an island utility executive.

The NHC said it was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years.

Irma's precise course remained uncertain but it was likely to be downgraded to a Category 4 storm by the time it makes landfall in Florida, the NHC said.

It has become a little less organised over the past few hours but the threat of direct hurricane impacts in Florida over the weekend and early next week were increasing, it said.

Hurricane watches were in effect for the northwestern Bahamas and much of Cuba.

Just how unusual is #Irma? AP Science Writer and veteran hurricane watcher @borenbears weighs in. AP storm coverage: https://t.co/RUu6kjdLiS pic.twitter.com/gH4kijr1AO- The Associated Press (@AP) September 6, 2017

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STORM PREPARATIONS

Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday.

Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to U.S. forecasters. Hurricane Jose about 1,000 miles (1,610 km) east of the Caribbean's Lesser Antilles islands, could eventually threaten the U.S. mainland.

The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated as high as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana.

Florida emergency management officials, chastened by Harvey's devastation, began evacuations days in advance of Irma's arrival, ordering all tourists to leave the Florida Keys. Evacuation of residents from the Keys began Wednesday evening.

Click here to Enlarge A man carrying an umbrella walks on a street as Hurricane Irma howls past Puerto Rico after thrashing several smaller Caribbean islands, in Fajardo, Puerto Rico September 6, 2017. REUTERS/Alvin Baez

Ed Rappaport, the Miami-based NHC's acting director, told WFOR-TV that Irma was a "once-in-a-generation storm".

Florida's normally storm-jaded residents appeared to be taking the warnings seriously, too.

In Cuba, 90 miles (145 km) south of the Keys, authorities posted a hurricane alert for the island's central and eastern regions, as residents in Havana, the capital, waited in lines to stock up on food, water and gasoline.

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U.S. President Donald Trump said he and aides were monitoring Irma's progress. The president owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Click here to Enlarge Hurricane Irma, ranked as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century, churns across the Atlantic Ocean past Puerto Rico over Dominican Republic in this NASA GOES satellite image taken at 1715 EDT (2115 GMT) on September 6, 2017. Courtesy NASA/Handout via REUTERS

Florida could take a direct hit from the storm and Trump approved emergency declarations from that state, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said Irma could be more devastating than Hurricane Andrew, a Category 5 storm that struck the state in 1992 and still ranks as one of the costliest ever in the United States.

Residents in most coastal communities of densely populated Miami-Dade County were ordered to move to higher ground beginning at 9 a.m. ET (1300 GMT) on Thursday, Mayor Carlos Gimenez said.

ALSO READ |

Hurricane Irma on collision course with Florida; 4 reported killed: 10 points

Hurricane Irma: Most powerful Atlantic hurricane ever hits Caribbean

Hurricane Harvey: Texas loses drinking water, 44 dead but thousands rescued

WATCH VIDEO | Supplies run low as Floridians prepare for Hurricane Irma

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Berlin, Sep 7 (PTI) Chinese technology giant Lenovo has said India is "dynamic" market as a sizeable population has very high-end requirements for gaming products.

"Indias population is so big you do not need many people to get into gaming to become a sizeable market. That is why we also picked India as a focus market in terms of gaming. There is a sizeable population that is really into gaming," Ken Wong, President Asia Pacific & Senior Vice President at Lenovo Group told PTI in an interview during IFA 2017 event here.

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That is why there was a recent launch of the Legion brand gaming PC in India, he said.

"We are receiving very good feedback on Legion. And I strongly believe that this market will continue to grow in India," Wong added.

The dedicated gaming PCs Legion Y520 and Y720 were introduced in India in May this year.

The companys new gaming headsets -- augmented reality (AR) powered Star Wars : Jedi Challenges and mixed/virtual reality (VR) creator Lenovo Explorer-- pulled in a lot of gaming enthusiasts, specially Star Wars fans to the Lenovo booth at the Europes biggest consumer goods and electronics show IFA 2017.

Even as these new gaming devices will not be available in India, Wong sees it is a very dynamic market.

"When we talk about market, India is a very dynamic market. We see very high end and extreme requirements. There are also many main stream requirements, for example, gaming on the phone," Wong said.

Elaborating on gaming products, Wong said a lot of things are happening in the east post of the Asia Pacific region and governments are also supporting this because of revenue potential.

"I do a lot of interaction with different governments, cities, countries, regions. A common thing that is coming out is that governments are actually putting a lot of resources in supporting the gaming industry. I was born in Hong Kong and live there, the government is putting a lot into gaming. Singapore is doing the same as it is happening everywhere and I think India is also the same (kind)," he added.

Wong said the reason is not about gaming as such but it is about the economics about the gaming.

"Imagine the technology involved, the coding, which I think is a very strong part of India. Software development, coding is the number one pillar that I can think of as a strength of India. Events like Asian games are very important revenue streams," he said.

Wong said Lenovo is putting in a lot of thinking into gaming devices and that is why it has upgraded the gaming PCs under Lenovo Legion brand.

"If you look at our endeavour, I think we are putting in USD 1.2-1.3 billion on an annual basis (into gaming products)," he said.

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Gaming is not like a casual (activity) in Asia Pacific, but given the size of millennial, they not only want premium products but also want to enjoy life through technology.

"The market is actually moving toward more premium, we actually see more growth from the premium side of the market."

"We have seen some very good results in the past 12 months. We are number one in Malaysia in terms of market share, we have been enjoying at least double digit premium to the market growth in terms of gaming in India, Thailand, Malaysia, Philippines and Singapore," Wong said. PTI KPM BAL

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: (Eds: Updates with more details)

Nusa Dua (Indonesia), Sept 7 (PTI) In a show of solidarity with Myanmar, India today refused to be a part of a declaration adopted at an international conference here as it carried "inappropriate" reference to violence in Rakhine state from where 125,000 Rohingyas have fled to Bangladesh.

An Indian parliamentary delegation, led by Speaker Lok Sabha Sumitra Mahajan, dissociated itself from the Bali Declaration adoped at the ?World Parliamentary Forum on Sustainable Development? held here in Indonesia.

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"This was in view of the fact that the declaration, which was to be adopted at the conclusion of the Forum, was not in line with the agreed global principles of ?sustainable development?," said a press release issued by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.

India reiterated its stance that the purpose of convening the Parliamentary forum was to arrive at mutual consensus for implementation of SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) which requires inclusive and broad-based development processes, it said.

"Therefore, the proposed reference to the violence in Rakhine state in the declaration was considered as not consensus-based and inappropriate," the release said.

The part of the declaration to which India objected spoke of the forum expressing "deep concern on ongoing violence in the Rakhine State of Myanmar, amongst others..."

The declaration went on to "call on all parties to contribute to the restoration of stability and security, exercise maximum self-restraint from using violent means, respect the human rights of all people in Rakhine State regardless of their faith and ethnicity, as well as facilitate and guarantee safe access for humanitarian assistance."

The Indian delegation took the stance on a day Prime Minister Narendra Modi concluded his visit to Myanmar where he expressed solidarity with the government there against the "extremist violence" in the Rakhine state.

Modi yesterday urged all stakeholders to find a solution that respects the country?s unity.

"The country-specific amendment to the draft declaration was proposed at the eleventh hour by selective countries which referred to the violence in Rakhine state of Myanmar.

"India argued that specifying a particular country is unjustified as this Forum is focussed on SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) and inclusive development for all countries based on cooperative and collaborative approach to achieve the 2030 Agenda for the world," the press release said.

India said, "Never before ?country-specific? issues have been included in the declaration as these dilute the objective of these Forums which require unity and focussed efforts of all the countries," the release said. PTI AKK AKK

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By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 7 (PTI) Indian-American lawmakers have criticised US President Donald Trump for scrapping an amnesty programme that granted work permits to immigrants who arrived in the country illegally as children, saying the consequences of the decision will be "devastating".

Describing Trumps action as a cruel and inhuman, five- Indian American lawmakers in separate statements announced that they will fight the US presidents decision.

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"Theconsequences of this decision will be devastating. It will split up families, force young people back to countries they never knew, and cost our economy billions of dollars. It is heartless," Democratic Senator Kamala Harris said.

Harris said recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) programme makes the US nation strong and represents the best of America.

"The Presidents decision undermines ournationsvalues and is a cruel betrayal to the more than800,000 young people, including more than 200,000 Californians, who have only ever known the United States of America as their home," Harris said.

Outraged by Trumps decision, Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal said by doing so he is destroying the future of nearly 800,000 young men and women who were brought here by their parents and know no other country but this one.

"After toying with their futures and raising their hopes with talk of his big heart, Donald Trump has shown exactly what his priorities are. He has once again sided with hate and xenophobia, putting in place a repeal that is cruel, inhumane and unjust," the Democratic lawmaker said.

Jayapal urged her colleagues on both sides of the aisle to immediately pass stand-alone legislation to protect dreamers (Those protected under DACA).

"Let me be clear: Our immigrant brothers and sisters are here to stay. Not only are they welcome in our communities -- they are essential to our communities. I will continue to fight alongside dreamers and the immigrant rights movement," she said.

"I ask my Republican colleagues to consider which side of justice they wish to be on, and join us in passing legislation to protect dreamers once and for all," she added.

Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi also slammed Trumps decision, terming the move as "cruel".

"Through this announcement, the President has made clear that he refuses to protect dreamers and so now Congress must. The administrations cruel policy includes a six-month phase- out of the DACA programme, and Congress must pass legislation to extend this programme and protect dreamers," Krishnamoorthi said.

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"This issue is personal for me because I too was brought to the United States by my parents as a child. The hope for a better a life which carried my parents here was no different from that of the parents of dreamers, and generations of immigrants before," he said.

This decision by the Trump administration goes against American values, said Congressman Dr Ami Bera.

"Children brought to the United States -- through no fault of their own -- deserve our compassion. These children have passed background checks and are already contributing to our economy as productive residents," Bera said.

"Detaining and deporting children is not only morally wrong, it doesnt make economic sense. I urge the administration to reverse this decision immediately," Bera said.

Congressman Ro Khanna said the Trump administration has once again showed that it has no dignity for friends, neighbours and colleagues.

"We must safeguard the livelihood of dreamers and provide these inspiring young people and their courageous parents a pathway to citizenship," Khanna said. PTI LKJ ASK ASK

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It is alleged that Lalu Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a benami company.

By India Today Web Desk: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has summoned Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) chief Lalu Yadav and his son Tejashwi Yadav separately next week in connection with the railways hotel scam. Tejashwi Yadav had rejected the corruption charges and refused to step down as Deputy CM which led to Nitish Kumar walking out of the mahagathbandhan or grand alliance in Bihar in July.

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It is alleged that Lalu Yadav as railway minister handed over the maintenance of two railway hotels to a company after receiving a bribe in the form of prime land in Patna through a benami company owned by Sarla Gupta, wife of his close aide Prem Chand Gupta.

The FIR was registered on July 5 in connection with alleged favours extended to Sujata Hotels in awarding a contract for the upkeep of the hotels in Ranchi and Puri and receiving premium land as a "quid pro quo", the CBI has alleged.

The CBI had in July conducted raids across four cities on properties linked to Lalu and his family.

WHAT IS THE CASE

The roots of the case go back to the 2001 decision of the then NDA government to hand over management of catering services of railway hotels to IRCTC.

When Lalu Yadav became railway minister in 2004, he allegedly entered into a criminal conspiracy with Kochhars (owners of Sujata Hotel) and Sarla Gupta and unidentified IRCTC officials to earn "undue pecuniary" advantage for himself, the CBI FIR claimed.

Vinay Kochhar is alleged to have sold three acres of premium land in Patna for Rs 1.47 crore to Delight Marketing on February 25, 2005 which was way below the circle rate.

Between 2010 and 2014, the ownership of Delight Marketing also changed hands from Sarla Gupta to Lara Projects owned by Rabri Devi and Tejashwi Yadav when Lalu Yadav was no longer minister. By this time, the value of the Patna land had also spiralled to Rs 32.5 crore as per the circle rate, the CBI claimed.

ALSO READ:

IRCTC hotel scam: Investigations show substantial evidence against Lalu Yadav

Lalu Yadav on CBI raids: Hang me but will crush Narendra Modi, Amit Shah's ego

WATCH: Investigations show substantial evidence against Lalu Yadav in IRCTC hotel scam

--- ENDS ---
WASHINGTON  The National Flood Insurance Program would get a three-month extension under a broad legislative deal struck this week, providing a brief reprieve for policyholders in the federally run program set to expire this month.

The temporary extension for flood insurance was tied Wednesday night in the U.S. Senate to a bundle of legislation, including an influx of $7.9 billion of disaster money for FEMA and a three-month agreement to fund the federal government and lift the debt ceiling.

On Thursday, lawmakers passed the package overwhelmingly, 80-17, with both U.S. Sens. Bill Cassidy and John Kennedy, Republicans from Louisiana, casting "yes" votes. It now heads back to the House, which had quickly approved an initial Hurricane Harvey aid bill on Wednesday and is expected to act on the larger deal before the end of the week.

The huge bundle of legislation comes as Hurricane Irma, an alarmingly powerful Category 5 storm, barrels across the Caribbean and menaces Florida. FEMA officials have warned the disaster-response agency was stretched short of money as it responded to Hurricane Harvey's devastation and prepared for another potential catastrophe.

The Senate bill also tacked $7.4 billion in federal disaster relief money for HUD's Community Development Block Grant program on top of the $7.4 billion infusion into FEMA's disaster relief fund and the $450 million for Small Business Administration's disaster loans approved the day before by the House of Representatives. The block grant program money can be used to help pay for rebuilding costs and is specifically dedicated to 2017 disasters.

President Donald Trump struck the deal to combine the lingering fiscal issues, along with flood insurance and disaster relief, with top Capitol Hill Democrats over the objections of some in his own party.

The NFIP, which provides nearly all flood insurance coverage for homeowners and businesses in the United States, is currently slated to expire on Sept. 30.

Cassidy said the short-term extension of NFIP was needed to buy time to negotiate a comprehensive deal on the future of the program. Lawmakers have been deeply split on how to rework the program, which is mired in debt from massive payouts following Hurricanes Katrina and Sandy.

"With the Gulf Coast still recovering from Harvey, Irma hitting Florida, and another hurricane in the Atlantic, Congress and the president did the right thing," Cassidy said.

This short-term NFIP extension prevents a lapse in coverage during hurricane season. This coverage is essential for Louisiana, Kennedy said. Policyholders need to be able to afford their flood insurance, and they deserve the long-term certainty that I will continue working to provide.

Most had hoped to reach an agreement on a long-term reauthorization, but the looming deadline and a lengthy list of other items for Congress to tackle posed serious challenges.

U.S. Rep. Garret Graves, R-Baton Rouge, criticized the brief extension, saying it didn't provide enough certainty for homeowners who are building after their properties were hit by Hurricane Harvey or the 2016 Louisiana floods. Graves has pushed for a longer, if still temporary, extension of the program.

Caitlin Berni, vice president of policy and communications for Greater New Orleans Inc., a regional economic development group that has focused extensively on flood insurance issues, said shed hoped Congress would pass a full reauthorization with a raft of reforms before the deadline.

But given the time crunch in Washington, Berni said, this is the next-best solution.

The package deal  which combined flood insurance with disaster money following Hurricane Harvey, an extension of the federal governments borrowing authority and a temporary government-wide operating budget  clears many of the most pressing issues from Congress crowded September schedule.

That may create time for lawmakers, lobbyists and stakeholders to hammer out an agreement on the flood insurance program more comprehensively. But the new deadline in December comes as other parts of the package will also expire, potentially creating a new crunch for Congress just before the Christmas break.

Though Louisiana's delegation has been largely united on pushing for affordable, continuous flood insurance coverage for homeowners, a number of other lawmakers have called for substantial changes to the program that would make the cost of insurance more expensive for some homeowners.

Budget hawks have pointed to the program's debt as a sign it is fiscally unsustainable, while some environmental groups have argued the program encourages development in floodplains.

Ongoing negotiations about changes to NFIP ran into a number of obstacles. A package of bills to reauthorize the program backed by the chair of the committee that oversees the program, U.S. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, is strongly opposed by lawmakers from flood-prone areas, including Louisiana, because of concerns that its provisions could jack up rates for many homeowners and kick others out of the program.

Hensarling's package would restrict grandfathering provisions that have allowed homeowners to continue paying lower rates when flood maps change  without those in place, policyholders would see premium increases.

The programs debt itself is also controversial. NFIP had been in the black until federal levee failures in and around New Orleans during Hurricane Katrina prompted a huge wave of claims and saddled the program with $17 billion in debts to the Treasury.

The debt numbers have swelled following other costly catastrophes and look likely to balloon further as homeowners in southwest Louisiana and east Texas begin reporting Harvey damage.

A number of Louisiana lawmakers and others from flood-prone areas have advocated canceling interest or forgiving the debt. Interest payments to the federal Treasury topped $400 million last year.

Though Hensarling hasnt shifted his position as Hurricane Harvey battered his state, Berni said shes seen consensus building around some of the proposals pushed by Louisiana lawmakers in the wake of floods across the country.

I think theres a much wider recognition of the importance of flood insurance, Berni said.
President Donald Trump and first lady Melania Trump have identified the 12 charities that they plan to donate $1 million to for Hurricane Harvey relief efforts.

"The President and first lady witnessed the work of some of these groups first hand while visiting with hurricane survivors, first responders, volunteers and federal, state and local officials, and are proud to further assist the recovery efforts in Texas," the White House said in a statement announcing the charities on Wednesday. "The President and First Lady continue to pray for the people of Texas and Louisiana."

Here's how much they plan to donate to each organization:

Reach out America: $100,000

Red Cross: $300,000

Salvation Army: $300,000

Samaritans Purse: $100,000

ASPCA: $25,000

Catholic Charities: $25,000

Direct Relief: $25,000

Habitat for Humanity: $25,000

Houston Humane Society: $25,000

Operation Blessing: $25,000

Portlight Inclusive Disaster Strategies: $25,000

Team Rubicon: $25,000

Trump visited Harvey evacuees at a Houston-area relief center on Saturday, and then traveled to Louisiana to thank National Guardsmen and members of the volunteer rescue collective known as the "Cajun Navy" in Lake Charles.

Then-candidate Trump donated $100,000 to Greenwell Springs Baptist Church and a truckload of supplies after catastrophic floods swept across the Baton Rouge area and other parts of South Louisiana last fall.
Finally, Jeff Sadow opined something that was both based upon facts and progressive in nature.

It was a sweet departure from his usual governor bashing. His assessment of TOPS and how to fix it was right on the money. Its time to drastically revise this entitlement program for the middle and upper class, and return it to its original intent. It was originally privately funded for students in need who demonstrated marked academic potential. Additionally, TOPS was never intended to serve as a cash cow for the states universities and colleges.

It should be a privilege to get TOPS and not a God-given right as so many of Louisianans and legislators believe. Sadly Sadows suggestions fall upon deaf ears. Our legislators dont have the spine for such worthwhile and logical changes. They have too many friends, kids or grandkids that reap TOPS' benefits. Consequently, they will continue to sacrifice the quality of life of our citizenry to fund TOPS for a majority of average students, many of whom cant hack a college education.

Jim Anderson

retired

Ponchatoula
A federal judge has dealt a setback, though not a fatal one, to a lawsuit targeting a New Orleans bail bond company and its bankers.
Police seized knives and guns from the south Canberra bedroom of a woman who allegedly stabbed a cat to death, a court has heard.

Ashley Dwyer-Talareck, 22, was charged with aggravated animal cruelty causing death, possessing a prohibited weapon and three prohibited firearm offences when she faced the ACT Magistrates Court on Thursday.

Ashley Dwyer-Talareck was charged with aggravated animal cruelty causing death, possessing a prohibited weapon and three prohibited firearm offences. Credit:Greg Newington

The court heard the accused had been arrested and first faced court two weeks ago, when she was referred for a mental health assessment.

Prosecutors opposed her bail application on grounds she was likely to reoffend or endanger the safety of others.
By PTI: By Harinder Mishra

Jerusalem, Sep 7 (PTI) An Israeli company says it has developed a no-spray, environment-friendly solution that can protect Indian farmers from the deadly Oriental fruit fly which has destroyed 300 fruit species in India.

The Oriental fruit fly (Bactrocera dorsalis)is considered to be the most destructive, invasive and widespread of all fruit flies and is also a menace in65 other countries in Asia, Africa and the Americas.

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The agri-tech company Biofeeds "lures" hung on trees, contain an organic customised mix of food and feeding stimulants and control or therapeutic agents delivered by a patented gravity-controlled fluid release platform.

Attracted by the odour, the fruit fly takes a sip and soon dies, without any chemicals reaching the fruit, air or soil.

"We were hoping to bring a solution that will replace spraying and increase productivity by 50 per cent. I am excited by the results, demonstrating the future potential for some farmers to bring about 900 times more marketable produce to market," said the companys CEO Nimrod Israely.

"We dont have the Oriental fruit fly in Israel. However, until now there was no solution for this problem. So we took the challenge and chose to focus on India," Israely told Israel21c, an online news magazine.

Biofeed was one of the six innovative Israeli companies invited to give a demonstration in front of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Israeli counterpart Benjamin Netanyahu during the Indian leaders visit to here in July.

The launch of the companys attractant for female Oriental fruit flies is a result of 15 years of development of the core platform and more than a year of development and testing in Israel and Karnataka.

Mango farmers on four Indian orchards saw an overall decrease of fruit-fly infestation from 95 per cent to less than 5 per cent, the report said.

The company worked with Kempmann Bio-organics in Bangalore to carry out the trial, it said.

"Bactrocera zonatais the number 2 pest in India. There are three main pests in India, so now weve given, within two years, a solution for the two most devastating fruit flies in India and in other parts of the world," Israely said.

"We estimate the annual market potential of these two pest segments to be well over a billion US dollars," he said.

"We want to bring something that is extremely easy to use; you dont need tractors, you dont need to remember to spray once a week, you dont need to put yourself in danger with sprays, theres no safety equipment. This is something that can make a dramatic change in agriculture and human health," Israely added. PTI HM MRJ AKJ MRJ

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Malachy Todling proudly tells everyone he has two dads who love him very much.

In May, the five-year-old became the first foster child in the ACT to be legally adopted by same-sex parents.

Trailblazers: Dale and Jamie Todling with their son Malachy. Credit:Jamila Toderas

The event was a milestone for Canberra's out of home care system and the capital's foster care community.

His parents, Dale and Jamie Todling, care permanently for two other children together and describe themselves as just like any other parents with young kids.
Los Angeles: Graydon Carter, the editor of Conde Nast's influential culture magazine Vanity Fair and a decades-long critic of President Donald Trump, will step down in December after 25 years at the helm, the publication said on Thursday.

Carter, 68, who has steered Vanity Fair through the shifting journalism landscape and expanded it onto a successful digital platform as well as print edition, will oversee its 2018 Hollywood issue, the publication said.

Vanity Fair editor Graydon Carter will step down from the role after 25 years. Credit:AP

"I've loved every moment of my time here and I've pretty much accomplished everything I've ever wanted to do," Carter said in a statement, adding that he was "now eager to try out this 'third act' thing."

Carter's feud with Mr Trump dates back to his time as co-founder of Spy magazine. The satirical monthly, which spanned the 1980s and '90s, ridiculed the New York real estate magnate as a "short-fingered vulgarian."
Same sex marriage campaigners Jacqui Tomlines and Rodney Croome after the High Court approved the postal vote. Credit:Eddie Jim

It is the heavy responsibility over the coming weeks of both the yes and no campaigns, which are led by some of our most senior politicians past and present, to ensure the rhetoric from all advocates remains above the "bullies or bigots" standard. It's also their responsibility to prosecute their cases truthfully, respectfully and fairly.

The question put to the people will be simply whether they think same-sex couples should be allowed to marry under Australian law. It is not about the freedom to preach or practice religion, or what is taught by whom to our children, or being politically correct or otherwise. It is just about whether or not every Australian and their family, friends, neighbours and colleagues should have the same right to marry.

Because ultimately the yes and the no campaigns are arguing about the same thing: the special nature of marriage. Everyone intrinsically knows that marriage is a relationship exalted above all others, not just by religious people but by all people. It is the only way, other than by birth or adoption, that we can choose our family. That is why it is enshrined as a secular institution in our constitution and is now administered under our federal Marriage Act.

But it's the special status of marriage that makes the yes case so compelling. I don't know a single person who wants to wed - straight or gay - who does not wholeheartedly respect the significance of marriage. All of them believe marriage will strengthen their commitment to each other, their families and ultimately their community, and it defies logic to suggest that letting them into the club will in any way diminish the special relationship of any heterosexual couple. On the contrary, allowing more people who profoundly revere and desire marriage to take that step can only provide greater security for the institution.
Premier Mark McGowan probably summed up the view of many West Australians in dismissing it as "a lot of bluff and bluster".

But it wasn't the investigation of the state becoming completely independent Moore wanted. It only passed 89-73. And Liberal leader Mike Nahan wasn't even prepared to support the damp squib the motion had become.

Whether it's back on the agenda is another matter. Yes, Liberal Party state president and long-time secessionist, Norman Moore, had an almost-win in getting support for a non-binding motion for a committee to look into financial matters associated with a "WAxit".

WA Liberal leader Mike Nahan is against secession. Credit:Louise Kennerley

But many Western Australians (or West Australians, as they call themselves) aren't happy with WA's GST share, and secession has never disappeared completely as an issue over here. So here we are again.

West Australians were reluctant participants in the federation from the beginning. Representatives turned up to the 1891 Constitutional Convention, but were only occasional participants in the conventions held in 1897 and 1898.

Most Australians wouldn't know that the state isn't named in the preamble to the Constitution, because the referendum in which West Australians decided to federate was held too late for the paperwork to be done.

West Australians even voted to leave the federation in a 1933 referendum. A delegation went to the British parliament to get it to amend the act it had passed to allow the creation of the Australian federation (Australia's constitution is an act of that parliament, after all). The members of the select committee created by the House of Commons took 18 months to decide that it wasn't their problem, and sent the WA delegation packing.
The Gold Coast looks set to be confirmed as the new home of the Logies Awards, with TV Week editor Emma Nolan to front a media conference early on Friday morning with Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate and Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk.

TV Week is the presenter and organiser of the television industry awards and the method through which votes are received for entrants.

Cr Tate told reporters earlier this week he was working very hard "behind the scenes" with Queensland's Tourism Minister Kate Jones to assess the viability of hosting the TV Week Logies on the Gold Coast.

For the past 20 years, it has been held at Melbourne's Crown Casino, where some reports indicate the Victorian Government had contributed $1 million each year to help cover the costs.
The Turnbull government's postal vote on same-sex marriage has been given the green light, with the High Court rejecting a legal challenge to the controversial survey just six days before ballots are due to be mailed out to millions of households.

The decision will come as a relief to the government, which would have been under renewed pressure to find another way to hold a survey or plebiscite, or settle the matter via a free vote in Parliament, if the postal survey had been derailed.

Instead, about 16 million people on the electoral roll will start receiving ballot papers from Tuesday, which will ask the single question: "Should the law be changed to allow same-sex couples to marry?"

Voters will have until November 7 to return their forms, with a result due on November 15.
The Parliament was in its customary state of uproar, the Speaker tossing out unruly MPs, but the sound and fury signified even less than usual.

The real action was taking place surreptitiously: the checking of smart phones, the glance at the wristwatch, the sweep of eyes in search of someone, anyone bearing a message.

Senior executives in Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull's department have received pay rises of up to 12 per cent a year. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

It was 2.15pm. The High Court had promised to announce whether the so-called "national postal survey" on same-sex marriage could go ahead.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull had much riding on it. An election promise of a plebiscite, something he once opposed. His ability to judge whether the government had the right to spend $122 million of taxpayers' money on the much-ballyhooed and angrily-contested strategy.
The Turnbull government is looking at ways to hold the same-sex marriage postal survey even if the High Court declares it has been unlawfully funded, an inquiry has heard.

The head of the Australian Bureau of Statistics, David Kalisch, said the ABS and Mathias Cormann's Finance Department had begun contingency planning last week.

"We have looked at some of the dimensions and have had early discussions with our colleagues across government, but they're matters for [the] government," he said Thursday morning.

"We have given thought to what some of the funding options and opportunities might be. We've had some conversations with other parties across government ... primarily the Department of Finance."
By PTI: Tokyo, Sep 5 (PTI) India and Japan today resolved to further strengthen military cooperation as the two countries held wide-ranging talks on bilateral defence and security ties amid escalating tension in the region in the wake of the powerful nuclear test by North Korea.

A range of bilateral and regional issues relating to security and defence were deliberated at length during talks between Defence Minister Arun Jaitley and his Japanese counterpart Itsunori Onodera here, officials said.

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Jaitley also called on Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and discussed ways to deepening defence and security co- operation.

In the meeting, Jaitley conveyed Prime Minister Narendra Modis greetings to Abe, Indian envoy to Japan Sujan Chinoy said.

The annual Indo-Japan Ministerial Defence dialogue took place at a time when tension was mounting in the region due to North Koreas nuclear pursuits and Chinas growing assertiveness in the South China Sea.

Jaitley and Onodera also launched a business-to-business meeting of Indian and Japanese industries to promote defence production

Prior to the annual defence ministerial meeting, Jaitley was given a guard of honour.

The defence and security cooperation between India and Japan is on an upswing and both countries are exploring ways to further deepen it.

Prime Minister Modi had visited Japan in November last year during which both sides had decided to ramp up bilateral defence and security cooperation.

Jaitley, who was holding the additional charge of defence, has attended the security dialogue though Nirmala Sitharaman was appointed defence minister in Sundays cabinet reshuffle.

Jaitley had said on Sunday that he is attending the dialogue with Japan as there were logistical constraints for Sitharaman to go for it.

Sitharaman is likely to take charge of the ministry on Thursday. PTI MPB ZH

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She has been hailed as the leather jacket queen of Australia. But behind her "perfect" life, Jacqui Demkiw was living in pain.

Demkiw was diagnosed two years ago with severe osteoarthritis, and after a series of other "life changes", she decided her label of 15 years, White Suede, needed a serious rethink.

Models wearing designs by new label Demkiw at Melbourne Fashion Week on Tuesday. Credit:Lucas Dawson

"You have different chapters in your life and White Suede was when I was a lot younger and a lot more naive. As I evolved as a person I wanted to stand for women and their confidence and there's nothing more appropriate than standing for your own name," she said.

This week, Demkiw's eponymous label  pronounced "dem-que"  debuted at Melbourne Fashion Week with a collection built on "foundation" pieces aimed at women in their 30s and beyond.
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull is overhauling the top ranks of the federal public service, naming Immigration boss Michael Pezzullo as head of the new Home Affairs Department.

Mr Turnbull said Mr Pezzullo would lead the transition of the Immigration and Border Protection into the new Home Affairs Department as it is established in 2018.

Winner: Michael Pezzullo will lead Peter Dutton's new Home Affairs Department. Credit:Andrew Meares

The expected move will see the controversial secretary leading the new portfolio under incoming minister Peter Dutton.

In one of the biggest public service shake-ups in years, prompted by the departures of Martin Bowles from Health and Gordon de Brouwer from Environment and Energy, Mr Turnbull announced nine other appointments on Thursday.
A driver who allegedly attacked a cyclist in an ugly road rage dispute in Sydney's inner west has been charged with assault and negligent driving.

Merrylands builder Milad Ayoub was caught on camera allegedly threatening a cyclist after a minor collision on Grosvenor Crescent in Summer Hill just before 8am on Wednesday.

The 23-year-old cyclist, who suffered an injury to his arm, filmed the alleged altercation on his mobile phone, with the footage widely shared on Thursday.

Mr Ayoub, 44, was taken to Burwood police station on Thursday afternoon where he was charged with negligent driving, common assault and stalk or intimidate with intent to cause fear of physical harm.
A violent road-rage incident between a driver and a cyclist that unfolded in Sydney's inner west has been caught on camera.

The video, shot by the cyclist, shows the driver of a Toyota Hilux unleashing a tirade of abuse against him.

The altercation, which was sparked by a minor collision between the cyclist and the driver, erupted on Grosvenor Crescent in Summer Hill about 7.50am on Wednesday.

The 45-year-old driver allegedly called the 23-year-old cyclist "Aussie scum" and repeatedly threatened him before allegedly striking him.
Brenden Bennetts engaged in consensual bondage sex with an ex-girlfriend who claims the alleged murderer once "took it too far".

Mr Bennetts, 21, has admitted to killing 16-year-old Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall in August 2015 but is on trial for murder in the Brisbane Supreme Court as he claims her death was not intentional.

Jayde Kendall went missing after leaving her school in Gatton.

An ex-girlfriend testified on Thursday she once had to push Bennetts off during sex after he put his hands around her throat and "squeezed tighter than normal".

Earlier, Bennetts' mother cried in court recalling the moment she found out her son was being questioned over the disappearance of the Gatton schoolgirl.
Early season bushfires continue to burn north and south of Brisbane.

A Queensland Fire Service spokesman says crews are patrolling fires at Kurwongbah in the Moreton Bay region and Wongawallan near Tamborine Mountain.

Firefighting crews are patrolling fires in the Moreton Bay region and near Tamborine Mountain. Credit:Harrison Saragossi

This week crews have also tended to blazes at Ningi near Bribie Island and Mount Mee as well as other fires near Tamborine.

Residents were warned by authorities to be prepared to leave if the fire worsened at Mount Mee on Wednesday and Kurwongbah on Tuesday.
Brenden Bennetts claimed Gatton schoolgirl Jayde Kendall asked for help to run away and made him promise not to talk to police, a murder trial has heard.

Mr Bennetts, 21, has since admitted to killing the 16-year-old and dumping her body in 2015 but denies he intended to cause her death.

The court was told slain Gatton teenager Jayde Kendall had wanted to leave town. Credit:Facebook

The Brisbane Supreme Court heard on Thursday Mr Bennetts originally told police he last saw Jayde at McDonalds where she worked the evening before the teenager disappeared.

But when police showed he had been captured on CCTV withdrawing $70 from Jayde's bank account, Mr Bennetts claimed he had helped her run away.
"They all survived but they were pretty badly beaten up," O'Sullivan told Family Business Australia's conference on Hamilton Island last week. "Mum was in hospital for five months, Dad for about three months. As some guys working on the factory floor doing accounts receivable and payable we were suddenly thrust into the limelight."

Daniel O'Sullivan and his two brothers had only recently started working in his family's cardboard manufacturing business when the plane their parents were in crashed at Essendon Airport.

The plane crash occurred in 1989 when O'Sullivan was just 24 years old but, along with his brothers Anthony and Chris, he took over running Abbe Corrugated while his parents recovered.

KPMG partner Dominic Pelligana, Daniel O'Sullivan of Abbe Corrugated and Quin Scalzo of Scalzo Foods in an on stage discussion at the Family Business Australia conference. Credit:Mel Smith

"We really had to step up from that point," O'Sullivan says. "What it did as a family unit was it galvanised us. You are so much stronger together. We had to look after my little sister, she was 14. It was a really difficult time."

It was a turning point for Abbe Corrugated which now employs 550 people across five manufacturing sites and turns over $200 million a year competing in the same space as industry giants Visy and Amcor.

"You are just on autopilot you have to be," says O'Sullivan, who heads up sales and marketing for Abbe Corrugated. "The support we got from our customers and our suppliers was phenomenal. I was on accounts payable at the time and the business was not travelling that well and I had one supplier we owed a couple of hundred grand to and he said 'Just pay whenever you want, you are going through hell' and it was just one of those things that to me was really, really important."
A fast-mutating strain of the flu is defying medical experts' efforts to stop it and has already killed at least 73 people in Australia this year.

Victorian Infectious Diseases Reference Laboratory figures showed that the number of notified laboratory-confirmed flu cases in Victoria for the year to July 2 was more than 90 per cent higher than those for the same period last year.

A young Bacchus Marsh dad who died on Father's Day was the latest victim of the most widespread flu epidemic in 15 years.

Ben Ihlow's death came as an eighth person died after a flu outbreak at an aged-care facility in Victoria with 14 more facilities reporting outbreaks at the weekend.
Just two days after Gauri Lankesh's murder in Bengaluru, another journalist was shot at in Bihar.

By Rohit Kumar Singh: Two days after senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead in Bengaluru, another scribe was today attacked in Bihar. Journalist Pankaj Mishra was shot at in Arwal district.

The condition of Mishra, working for Rashtriya Sahara newspaper, is stated to be critical. He has been referred to Patna Medical College and Hospital in the state's capital.

According to the police, the journalist was attacked by two bike-borne assailants.

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The incident comes just two days after senior journalist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at her house in Bengaluru.

Gauri Lankesh, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her Bengaluru home on the night of September 5.

Arwal superintendent of police Dilip Kumar said Pankaj Mishra was shot by two persons from his village, one of whom was his cousin. The attack happened when he was leaving bank with Rs 1 lakh cash which was robbed by them.

Both the accused who shot the scribe has been arrested. Police said it is a case of personal enmity.

Also Read:

Why Gauri Lankesh's brother thinks both Naxal, Hindu extremist angles should be looked into

Gauri Lankesh murder: Social media throws up four conspiracy theories

Also Watch:

Journalist shot by bike-borne assailants in Bihar

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Two women who bashed two ambulance officers - potentially ending one paramedic's career - face at least six months in jail under laws designed to protect emergency services workers.

But lawyers for Amanda Warren and Caris Underwood, who attacked the paramedics in Reservoir after a day-long binge on bourbon, champagne and cannabis, told a magistrate their clients should be spared a mandatory jail term because their children would be worse off if their mothers went to prison.

Warren, 31, Underwood, 20, and a 15-year-old boy repeatedly kicked and punched Paul Judd and colleague Chenaye Bentley after they were called to help a drug-affected man about 6.15pm on March 31 last year.

The women saw the man and called triple zero, Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Thursday, but took exception to being asked by the paramedics to let them attend to him, so Warren punched Mr Judd in the face.
That's all for today's blog. Have a great weekend.

Ebony Bowden will be guiding the Melbourne Express blogging ship through the Melbourne waters on Monday.

As for me, after seeing Justin McManus's morning pic of the South Melbourne market donuts, I've been harbouring a donut craving ever since.

(If Ebony takes over the blog on Thursday and Friday next week too, it's because I've been taken out by a donut-induced heart attack).
For more than 18 months Rachel Carling-Jenkins had been burdened with an awful secret.

In an emotional speech to Victoria's Parliament on Thursday, the conservative crossbench MP broke her silence, laying bare the moment that rocked her life.

She revealed her shock at discovering child pornography  an "extensive" collection of highly disturbing material  on her now estranged husband's computer, and detailed how she called the police and left the house immediately.
The committee advising the Andrews government on its West Gate Tunnel project has refused to force the release of a secret government-commissioned review critical of aspects of the toll road.

The West Gate Tunnel Inquiry and Advisory Committee said it had the power to force the release of the review of traffic modelling done by a transport department consultant.

The proposed West Gate Tunnel's crossing of the Maribyrnong River. Credit:Western Distributor Authority

But the panel of planning and transport experts, selected by the government and led by chair Nick Wimbush, decided it would not demand the government hand the document over.

The report is a peer review of traffic modelling completed by New Zealand consultant John Allard.
Madrid: DNA tests on the exhumed body of Salvador Dali showed that a Spanish woman who brought a paternity suit against him was not his daughter, the surrealist painter's foundation said on Wednesday.

The court supervising the tests had informed its lawyers that Maria Pilar Abel was not Dali's biological daughter after comparing her DNA with samples taken from his remains, the foundation said in a statement.

Spanish surrealist painter Salvador Dali in 1973. Credit:AP

A spokesman for the court declined to confirm the results of the tests.

Contacted by phone, Abel said she had not yet received the results from the court.
By PTI: Srinagar, Sep 7 (PTI) Juvenile offenders, including stone-pelters, will no longer be lodged in police lock-ups in Jammu and Kashmir, Director General of Police (DGP) S P Vaid said today.

Special juvenile units have been constituted in all police stations across the state, he said. Vaid also said that juveniles who were sent to lock-ups or jails may turn into hardened criminals or get radicalised.

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If the offender is a juvenile, he will not be lodged in a police lock-up, Vaid told reporters on the sidelines of a two-day training workshop of special juvenile police units at the police headquarters here.

The training workshop is the first of its kind by the state police which has faced criticism in the past over the handling of juvenile offenders, especially those accused of stone-pelting.

The Juvenile Justice Act was enacted in 2013 and in 2014, its rules were framed, Vaid said adding that unlike the rest of the country, the implementation of this Act was very slow in J&K.

"I am very glad that the Supreme Court and the High Court of J&K are taking initiative and there are many stakeholders in this. Like, the police is the first responder, social welfare department is there, judicial officers are the people who have to monitor this. On our part, what was required to be done, we have taken steps. Like we have constituted special juvenile police units in all the 199 police stations," he said.

The district superintendent of police is incharge, and one inspector in each district heads the unit, he said.

In each police station, we have appointed a child welfare officer and I am sure these officers will contribute towards proper handling of such cases, the DGP added.

He, however, said that if the Act has to be implemented in the right spirit, there should be a devoted team of officers.

"If this Act is to be implemented in the right spirit, we should have a totally devoted officer meant for this job, who is appointed on the basis of right aptitude and then we provide good training to him (for) which we are making efforts at in our academy," he said.

Vaid said the effort of the police department is that children in conflict with the law are treated with compassion.

"The spirit of the Act is that the police officer who deals with them is not in uniform. The child is given due care and attention and he is not kept in lock up with criminals. He (juvenile) is given an atmosphere like home," the DGP said.

He said that if children in conflict with the law are locked in jails, they may turn into hardened criminals or militants.

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"In J-K we are facing a huge problem of young offenders who are in conflict with law, like many stone-pelters. I have heard many stories wherein stone-pelters have been lodged in jails and lock-ups later on became hardened criminals, even militants," he said.

So we are taking steps to prevent these things, sensitize police officers, give them proper training and ensure that we deal with our children who are in conflict with law with due care and love, he said.

"Already, a lot of radicalisation is taking place whether in central jail or in other places. Our experience shows that children who enter central jail are coming out hardened or much radicalised," he said.

He said that if the juvenile offender is studying, the school certificate would determine his age, but in case he is not, then medical examination would be conducted.

He admitted that implementing the Act was a challenge.

"J&K is definitely a big challenge and unfortunately, let me admit this (because) I belong to this state, the implementation of every scheme is very slow...In the case of Juvenile Justice Act, there are many stakeholders who have not done anything," he said.

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He said there is need to have special homes for children.

"When there is no home what will a policeman do? Where does he keep him? You need counsellors for them. You need somebody who can counsel these children that what you are doing is not right," he said.

The DGP said the figures of juvenile offenders in the state were not immediately available with him but added that "it is quite a bit...in hundreds".

Vaid said that under the new act and rules, in case the punishment for an offence is less than seven years, the child has to be bailed out immediately.

"This is a very far reaching judicial enactment, it is very good. (For offences which have punishment of) more than seven years, he has to be lodged. But where do you lodge him if a police officer does not have a special home? Where does he keep him? (For now) we have designated a portion in the police lines where these boys will be kept till you get a juvenile or special home for these children," he said.

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There is a need to have a juvenile board in the state which has not been constituted yet, he added.

"The Social Welfare Department has to play its role and they are also being sensitised about it. I think they will also play the role. We all have to join hands. A society is known by how much it cares for its children and they are our future generation. If we do not care about them, we do not provide them right environment, we are going to be ruined, (like) what is happening in Kashmir," he said.

Speaking at the workshop, chairperson of J-K Juvenile Justice Committee, High Court, Justice Ali Mohammad Magray, said many things are required to be done in this area.

"Much has been done and much is required to be done... Whatever has been done, is not enough. We need to do a lot more," he said.

"In Jammu and Kashmir, we are faced with so many problems. The other states are not faced with those problems. We have discussed these problems in round-table conferences also and there were suggestions as well. There is a need of counselling (of the juvenile offenders)," he said. PTI SSB MIJ ADS

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if the people of Biafra want Republic of Biafra, it will be a reality during my administration. ----Donald Trump Donald Trump I wi...
Karnataka High Court had passed an order on September 1, 2017, asking police officials to move cows and calves out of the mosque's compound, where they were allegedly illegally confined for the purpose of slaughter before Eid.

By Shivan Chanana: The Karnataka High Court on Wednesday questioned Shivaji Nagar police officials demanding a report on why the police failed to comply with High Court orders and did not move out cows and calves illegally confined in and around Shivaji Nagar's Bismillah Shah mosque located in the heart of Bengaluru.

Karnataka High Court had passed an order on September 1, 2017, asking police officials to move cows and calves out of the mosque's compound, where they were allegedly illegally confined for the purpose of slaughter before Eid.

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The court also ordered the Shivaji Nagar police to provide protection to the members of an NGO, Gau Gyan Foundation, and advocates appointed as court commissioners so they could help locate and rehabilitate the cattle illegally confined in Bismillah Shah Mosque. The police declined to provide protection.

Justice Aravind Kumar issued the direction to the Shivaji Nagar Police to submit a report on why the high court's orders were not complied with after the two advocates, who were appointed as court commissioners to oversee the shifting of cattle, submitted a report stating that the police, citing possibility of creating tension, declined to give protection to them [advocates] when they wanted to visit a particular locality where the cattle were kept illegally.

Wondering why police had failed to follow the order, Justice Aravind Kumar posted the matter for hearing on September 8. "How can the police decline a high court order? Are laws only meant for ashrams? Are mosques out of its purview?" said Joshine Anthony, an Animal Welfare Board of India officer.

Joshine Anthony and Kavita Jain who are also active volunteers with the Gau Gyan Foundation have allegedly been attacked several times in the past by goons of the meat mafia in the heart of Bengaluru.

"We have been beaten, molested and attacked several times by meat mafia goons as we have filed several FIR's against them and asked police to intercept their trucks which are stuffed with animals being taken for slaughter. This is a huge mafia generating several thousand crores of black money per annum. We were happy on hearing the High Court's recent order, but what can we do when the police is not willing to take action or provide protection despite High Court orders" said Kavita Jain.

When India Today contacted Circle Inspector Nagaraj of Shivaji Nagar Police Station for his response on the high court's order, he said "Ask the high court" before disconnecting the call.

ALSO READ | Supreme Court directs states to appoint nodal officer in each district to curb cow vigilantism

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Twitter's new owner Elon Musk said the platform will soon roll out a new feature that will enable organisations to identify accounts associated with them. He also apologised for the platform being "super slow" in some countries.
By PTI: Colombo, Sep 7 (PTI) Two senior officials of former president Mahinda Rajapaksas administration were today found guilty of misusing state money by a court here.

Former presidential secretary Lalith Weeratunga and former Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC), Anusha Palpita, were found guilty by the Colombo High Court in the Sil Cloth case.

They were charged for misappropriation of Rupees 600 million to distribute clothes used for Buddhist religious meditation during the run up to the presidential election of 2015.

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They were both fined Rupees 2 million each in addition to the payment of Rupees 50 million to the SLTRC by each of them.

After Rajapaksa lost the election to the incumbent Maithripala Sirisena scores of court cases were filed against the Rajapaksas immediate family members and its senior officials for misappropriation of state assets, including corruption.

However, the current government was accused of going slow on investigations against the Rajapaksas. They had dubbed all court action against them as political vendetta. PTI CORR AMS ASK AMS RBS

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A second Texas A&M student rescued from Lake Bryan during storms related to Hurricane Harvey has died.

Shalini Singh, 25, died Saturday. She was a master's candidate at the Texas A&M School of Public Health.

"She wanted to do research on diseases. She aimed to serve the humanity. That was her motto and it remained so, until I last saw her before she left India," Singh's father told The Times of India, the third-largest paper by circulation in that country.

According to the paper, Singh arrived in the U.S. in August to pursue a two-year master's degree. She previously earned a degree in dental surgery from ITS Dental College in Uttar Pradesh's Greater Noida, the paper reported.

Singh died days after Nikhil Bhatia, also an Indian student at A&M who had been swimming in Lake Bryan. Bhatia was 24 and enrolled in a doctoral program at the university.

Authorities said Bhatia, Singh and two other international students were swimming at Lake Bryan on Aug. 26 when the Bhatia and Singh began to struggle in the water. The other two students flagged down bystanders to assist them. A group of bystanders and a Bryan police officer pulled Bhatia and Singh out of the water and administered CPR until additional officers and medical personnel arrived.

Singh's younger brother and uncle flew from New Delhi on Aug. 30, and were with her when she died, according to The Times of India.

Bhatia was cremated on Friday, and Singh will be cremated sometime this week, the paper reported.
Texas A&M University President Michael K. Young released a statement Wednesday morning that "all students, faculty and staff of Texas A&M University are here legitimately, working and/or pursuing their degrees, and that we benefit from their presence in many ways including scholarship and friendship."

Young's statement comes in response to U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions's Tuesday announcement to rescind the executive order for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals, or DACA, giving Congress the responsibility to pass a legislative solution for those in the program, commonly known as "dreamers." Sessions announced in the press conference that DACA would be phased out over six months.

Dreamers' permits are valid for two years, after which they can reapply. Under President Donald Trump's plan, those dreamers whose permits expire between now and March 5 can apply for a two-year renewal by Oct. 5, allowing those permits to be eligible for an additional two years. First-time applicants will be rejected, but those who already hold DACA and work permits will continue to be a part of the program until those permits expire.

"I sincerely hope that the U.S. Congress can find a way through the various considerations to determine a solution that honors the unique circumstances of these young people and their commitment to lawfully pursuing the 'American Dream' of education, employment and tangible contributions to our society," said Young.

There are 800,000 dreamers nationwide, and 120,000 in Texas.

The DACA program has made college more accessible for young undocumented immigrants. According to the immigrant youth-led nonpartisan organization United We Dream, the Social Security number given to dreamers allows them to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, allowing them to receive a Student Aid Report. Though dreamers are ineligible for federal student aid, that report can demonstrate need and help students apply for other scholarships and institutional aid. Texas is also one of four states that grants financial aid to undocumented students. Noncitizen students, including some undocumented immigrants, pay in-state tuition at public universities in the Lone Star State thanks to a 2001 state law, provided they prove they have lived in Texas for at least three years, graduated from a Texas high school or earned a GED and sign an affidavit pledging to pursue a path to permanent legal status should one become available.

DACA also allows dreamers to legally work, giving them the opportunity to be employed while they pursue their degrees. Losing those work permits could raise the financial barrier of earning an education even higher for dreamers.

Nancy Plankey-Videla, associate professor in Texas A&M's department of sociology, helped the Council for Minority Student Affairs write an open letter to Young in which they asked for protection for on-campus dreamers and undocumented students. The letter, addressed to Young and Provost Carol Fierke, asked A&M administrators to protect dreamers and undocumented students "to the extent available by law;" establish a permanent staff attorney or fellow to provide legal services to immigrant students at the College Station campus; establish an A&M website with legal resources and information specifically for undocumented students; improve access to financial assistance by doing away with international student fees and giving undocumented students scholarships and paid internships that don't require Social Security numbers for payment; and denounce the end of the DACA program.

Plankey-Videla, who is a co-adviser to CMSA along with Assistant Professor of History Sarah McNamara, said Young's statement was "very much appreciated," but more concrete steps need to be taken to ensure the protection of dreamers and undocumented students on campus.

"Words are great, but we need actions," said Plankey-Videla.

Plankey-Videla said the open letter had been dated Sept. 5, but she did not think Young had seen it before releasing his statement Wednesday morning.

The number of Dreamers who attend Texas A&M University was not immediately available.

Young's statement also included a link to the International Student Services website, at bit.ly/TAMUDACA, which will post updates and fact sheets, as well as a link to Student Counseling Services, at bit.ly/TAMUStudentCounseling, where counselors can offer support for emotional and mental well-being.

"We know that Aggies take care of Aggies," Young said. "We are truly blessed to be among the world's largest and best universities, made stronger still by the students, faculty and staff who join us from countries around the world.

The Texas Tribune contributed to this report.
On Friday 13 October and Saturday 14 October Bluebird Care will be at The National Franchise Exhibition, held at the NEC in Birmingham.

The two day event has over 60 free seminars that you can attend, the perfect opportunity for you to learn from experts in franchising. With organisers having a strong partnership with the British Franchise Association (bfa), you can be reassured all exhibiting brands have viable business models.

We will be exhibiting our franchise opportunities at stand G100, giving visitors the opportunity the talk to our franchise recruitment manager, Carole Stubbs and chief operating officer, Duncan Berry who will both be on hand throughout the two day event to talk to visitors and answer questions.

To find out more about the event, including all the exhibitors and how to book your tickets please visit FranchiseInfo.

Published: 7 September 2017

Back to news
By PTI: Colombo, Sep 7 (PTI) Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena has come under intense pressure from his own party members to withdraw from the ruling unity coalition formed with the United National Party.

At the Sri Lanka Freedom Partys (SLFP) central committee meeting held last night, some members of the party had criticised the governments direction to remain with the coalition, party sources said.

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It has been speculated for some months now that at least seven SLFP members holding positions in the unity government may leave to join the opposition or stay independent in parliament.

Sirisena took over the SLFP from former strongman Mahinda Rajapaksa after the latter was defeated in the 2015 presidential election.

Sirisena who was the SLFP general secretary until he became the common opposition challenger to Rajapaksa was sacked from the SLFP when he announced his candidature.

After Sirisenas victory, Rajapaksa handed the party reigns to Sirisena. This caused a division within the SLFP with supporters of Rajapaksa forming a joint opposition

Sirisena won the election with the support of the UNP and Sirisena loyalists are sharing government positions with the UNP.

Despite the action by Rajapaksas loyalists to defy him, Sirisena has been applying restraint in taking action against them.

The party sources said that at last nights meeting, Sirisena had once again stressed on the need for party unity.

At Sundays SLFP convention, Sirisena said that forming the unity government had helped Sri Lanka in overcoming international accusations of human rights and war crimes charges blamed on the Rajapaksa government. PTI CORR UZM

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That's really a bit too much to handle for any devotee of Ganesha.

By Shivani Chhabra: While the Hindus in the country are drenched in the celebration of Ganesh Chaturthi, an advertisement featuring the Elephant-god has hurt the religious sentiments of the Hindu community in Australia.

After often finding itself at the receiving of criticism for their meat ads from the vegans in the country, the Meat and Livestock Association of Australia (MLA) has infuriated the Hindus, with a recent ad that features Ganesha feasting on meat and wine.

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Ganesha has been shown relishing on lamb at a get-together with other religious figures like Jesus, Zeus, Buddha, Aphrodite, Moses, and figures like Ron Hubbard and Obi Wan Kenobi.

After a few seconds into the ad, Buddha asks if the others would like to acknowledge the Elephant-god, to which an annoyed Ganesha responds, "Not funny 2,500 years ago, not funny now." His thick Indian accent, however, isn't something any Hindu devotee, or an Indian would be too pleased with.

Also Read: 5 life lessons you can learn from Lord Ganesha

The ad ends with Ganesha suggesting that they should have such gatherings more often. The portrayal of Ganesha chewing on lamb and sipping on wine hasn't gone down well with the community.

Nitin Vashisht, spokesperson of Indian Society of Western Australia, called the ad insensitive. "I don't think they realise how revered a God Ganesha is within the Hindu community and by and large the Indian community," he was quoted saying by Huffpost India.

Mohit Kumar, President of the Council of Indian Australians said that the timing of the campaign's launch, coinciding with the festival Ganesh Chaturthi, was particularly hurtful to the Hindu community, as reported by Huffpost India. He also added, " If [MLA] had consulted properly they would have been told that depicting Lord Ganesha in this way is highly inappropriate."

Also Read: 4 stories about Lord Ganesha you probably didn't know

After receiving innumerable complaints regarding the ad, the board has decided to take up the issue in the next meeting.

An official statement has been released by MLA, that says, "Our intent is never to offend, but rather acknowledge that lamb is a meat consumed by a wide variety of cultures and capture how the world could look if people left their differing views at the door and came to the table with open arms, and minds."

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NORWALK  A Norwalk man was charged with drunken driving after a police sergeant reportedly spotted him driving with two missing tires early Thursday morning.

At around 1:30 a.m. on Westport Avenue the sergeant heard a loud grinding sound coming from a Hyundai SUV that police say was being driven by Paul Sayegh.

According to police, both the front and rear passenger-side tires were missing and the SUV was riding on the rims.

A stop was conducted and Sayegh reportedly smelled heavily of alcohol, and was mumbling that he may have struck a tree somewhere.

Police say that Sayegh failed to successfully complete a standard field sobriety test and he was arrested.

Police found a debris field of plastic and pieces of tire at the intersection of East Avenue and Wall Street. A small tree in the area had apparently been struck.

At police headquarters Sayegh reportedly registered a blood alcohol content level of .13. The legal limit is .08.

Sayegh, 45, of Lori Lane, was charged with operating a motor vehicle while under the influence, evading responsibility with property damage, failure to maintain proper lane, failure to carry registration or insurance card and operating a motor vehicle while under suspension.

His bond was set at $10,000 and he was given a court date of Sept. 15.

On Jan. 11, 2017, Sayegh was charged with driving under the influence and risk of injury to a minor by New Canaan police.

On that date police were notified of an intoxicated parent trying to pick up a child at a New Canaan school. Police said officers stopped Sayegh as he was backing out of a space in the school parking lot.

llake@hearstmediact.com
NORWALK  The gate could go back up in front of a private parking lot that has been open to Norwalk Main Library patrons since June.

If the mayor signs the addendum that we agreed upon on Friday then we move forward as contemplated, said Jason Milligan, principal with 587 CT AVE LLC, the owner of the lot facing Mott Avenue from 11 Belden Ave. If he doesn't sign it then unfortunately it looks like we all wasted our time and efforts, and sadly the parking lot will be closed to the library patrons and general public.

Milligans comments, written in an email, came after the Common Council on Wednesday evening revisited the option-to-purchase agreement it approved in July.

The council approved the agreement for the property at 11 Belden Ave. in July and allocated $460,000 to start the process. But the council approved the appropriation subject to the citys law department writing additional protections into the pact.

Council members revisited the issue during a special executive meeting at City Hall on Wednesday. Afterward, they took the following action as read by Councilman Thomas Livingston, the District E Democrat who chairs the councils Land Use & Building Management Committee

We approve the addendum to the option agreement presented to us tonight with the caveat that we give corporation counsel authority to further negotiate (insurance provisions) that it is more equitable to all parties, Livingston said.

Corporation Counsel Mario Coppola, head of the citys department, said afterward he would inform Milligan of the councils action.

Under the option agreement, the city would gain exclusive use of the 28-space parking lot facing Mott Avenue from 11 Belden Ave. after it paid 587 CT AVE $460,000. The city would have six years to decide whether to buy the larger parcel for up to $4.8 million. The larger parcel is home to the Peoples United Bank building, and the council wants assurances the citys interests are protected.

The council approved the addendum in its current form subject for me to make some further revisions to that one section, to further provide appropriate protections for the city with regard to the requirement to maintain proper insurance on the building, Coppola said.

Coppola, for the time being, has declined to release a copy of the addendum.

I just want to wait, as a courtesy to Mr. Milligan, to discuss with him what the councils approval was this evening, Coppola said.

Milligan, in his email, said 14 new clauses were written into the addendum on Aug. 31  the original deadline for signing the option agreement. He said he received a complete rewrite of the addendum Wednesday morning.

It was rejected immediately, Milligan wrote.

Former Mayor Alex Knopp, now chairman of the librarys board of directors, spearheaded the negotiations that led to the development of the option agreement. He expressed hope after Wednesday evenings meeting that the remaining issue regarding insurance will be resolved.

Tonight, the council moved the option agreement down to the one yard line, but were not in the end zone yet, Knopp said. I hope that the parties will all show their best efforts to bring the option agreement into the end zone without having to suffer the agreement falling apart at the last minute and the parking chain being put back.

Council Majority Leader John Kydes, a District C Democrat, described the agreement on the table as fair.

"I hope that the owner of the property will agree to the city's terms, Kydes said.

The Norwalk Parking Authority is awaiting the signing of the option agreement before it sinks $200,000 into parking improvements. The plan calls for merging the librarys 14-space lot with the 28-space lot owned by 587 CT AVE LLC.

We are ready to do the parking lot improvements, said Kathryn Hebert, the citys administrative services manager and staff person to the Parking Authority. Until the option agreement is signed, we cant do the improvements.
By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 7 (PTI) The daughter of a Maharashtra minister has said she would not accept a state government scholarship for studying abroad, after a controversy erupted over the issue.

Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis sought an explanation from Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole following reports that his daughter Shrutis name figured on the list of beneficiaries of government scholarship for pursuing higher education abroad, possibly over conflict of interest.

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The Social Justice Department gives foreign education scholarship to Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe students.

The names of Shruti and sons of two senior bureaucrats in this years list of recipients triggered a controversy given their privileged backgrounds, though technically they fulfilled the criteria.

Shruti, a graduate from IIT-Madras, defended her decision to seek scholarship, but added she would not accept it now.

"The course I am pursuing at the University of Manchester (UK) does not have any scholarship. Hence I decided to apply for scholarship offered by the government. Is it my fault that I happened to be ministers daughter?" she said.

Her father had recused himself from the selection process, she claimed.

"The state administration itself had come up with a government resolution in 2015 allowing SC/ST students from any income background to apply for state scholarship, provided the applying university is among the top 100 varsities as per QS World University Rankings.

"No university of India features even in top 200 varsities list of the same group. Is it my fault that I got selected for such university?" she asked.

Shruti said she had decided against taking education loan as her family was paying installments for having taken such a loan for her brother.

She also said that the government sponsors three students pursuing PhD in science as per its quota, and including her own, only two applications were received this year. "Why am I targeted in the name of denying an opportunity for a more deserving student", she asked, and added she has now decided not to accept the scholarship.

Meanwhile, minister Badole and the two bureaucrats whose sons are among the beneficiaries said in an official statement that the selection was based on merit and they played no role in it.

Apart from Shruti Badole, the list of 35 beneficiaries for the scholarship this year features Sameer Dayanand Meshram and Antariksh Dinesh Waghmare, both children of senior government officials. PTI ND KRK SK

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WILTON  Deborah McFadden, chairperson of the Wilton Democratic Town Committee, will be honored with a 2017 Womens Leadership Award by the Connecticut State Democratic Party on Sept. 17.

McFadden will be one of 10 honorees at the Ella T. Grasso Womens Leadership Brunch, which recognizes women who help make the Democratic Party and state of Connecticut strong. This years Ella T. Grasso Award winner is Connecticut State Treasurer Denise Nappier.

Im honored to receive this award, McFadden said. Given my fellow recipients and those who have won previously, I can only be inspired to do more.

Connecticuts Democratic State Chairman Nick Balletto said McFadden is deserving of the award.

Debs unflagging devotion to Wilton and to Democratic principles have made a huge difference in her community, and makes her a deserving recipient of this award, Nick Balletto said. Her willingness to serve her party at all levels and work with a variety of constituencies in pursuit of effective, compassionate government is what Democrats are all about.

McFadden, a former selectman again seeking a seat on the board this year, has devoted nearly two decades of voluntary service to Wilton and the Democratic Party. She has been Town Constable for several terms and has served on the boards of the Norwalk River Valley Trail, the Wilton Security Task Force, and Trackside Teen Center. She has volunteered with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, STAR, the Boy Scouts, PTA and her church.

Prior to moving to Wilton, McFadden served as an executive in the Mayors Office of Salt Lake City in Utah. She is also a former member of the Electoral College.

Deborahs deep personal commitment, ideas, and tireless efforts have advanced democracy on the local, state and national levels, said Ross Tartell, who nominated McFadden for the award. She has had and continues to have a significant impact on our community and on the state of Connecticut.

The awards brunch begins at 11 am at Aqua Turf Club, 556 Mulberry Street, in Plantsville. Tickets, $65 per person and $650 for a table of 10, are available at contribute.ctdems.org/page/contribute/2017-wlb.

skim@hearstmediact.com; 203-842-2568; @stephaniehnkim
The Kim West Dinsdale Excellence in Teaching Award and the Grand Island Community Foundation are seeking nominations for educators who deserve honor.

The nomination process has changed, with a new step added to the procedure. After educators have been nominated for the honor, they will be asked to fill out an application form.

Melissa DeLaet, Grand Island Community Foundation chief executive officer, said the changes were made because officials with the GICF were noticing that it would receive some incomplete nominations. In the past, the Grand Island Community Foundation required three letters of nomination or reference.

Someone would say, I want to nominate my sons teacher, DeLaet said, but that person would then have to find two other parents or students who were willing to take the time to fill out a nomination letter. The results were nominations that were not fully complete.

DeLaet said that with the revised format, only one person needs to nominate a teacher for the award. That teacher will then be asked to fill out an application. DeLaet said the application should provide the selection committee with excellent insights on the teachers qualifications, teaching philosophy, involvement in the community and involvement in extracurricular school activities.

To be eligible for the Excellence in Teaching Award, a certified educator must be employed by a public or private pre-kindergarten through 12th grade school located in Hall County. Students, former students, parents, colleagues, and friends are encouraged to nominate an educator. Educators cannot nominate themselves, nor can their family members.

Nominations are being accepted online and forms can be found on the GICF website www.gicf.org under the Excellence in Teaching tab. The deadline to submit nominations is Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2017, at 4 p.m.

The winner of the Excellence in Teaching Award will be announced in early December with the winning educator receiving a $5,000 grant.

The Grand Island Community Foundation was established in 1960 with the mission to preserve and enhance the quality of life in Central Nebraska and assist donors in realizing their charitable goals. The Grand Island Community Foundation is located in the Great Western Centre Building at 1811 W. Second St., Suite 365, Grand Island, Nebraska. For general information, people may call (308) 381-7767 or visit www.gicf.org.
After outcry from neighbors and split opinions amongst its members, the Regional Planning Commission will forward a rezoning request to the Grand Island City Council with no recommendation.

The planning commission was deadlocked, voting 6-6 on a request from Neitfeld Property Management to rezone part of lot 1 and all of lot 2 in the Meadow Lane Seventh Subdivision from an LLR Large Lot Residential Zone to a B-2 General Business Zone. The proposed subdivision is located north of Highway 34 and west of Shady Bend Road,

A subsequent vote to deny the rezoning request failed on a 9-2-1 vote, with commission members Carla Maurer and Jaye Monter voting to approve the request, while commission member Judd Allan abstained. In a separate vote, the planning commission voted 11-1, with Monter voting no, to approve a final plat for Meadow Lane Seventh Subdivision.

The planning commission voted 5-3, on July 5, to deny the request, with commission members Derek Apfel, Les Ruge and Hector Rubio voting to approve the request. The original request called for the rezoning of lots 1, 2 and 3 of Meadow Lane Sixth Subdivision from an LLR Large Lot Residential Zone to a B-2 General Business Zone.

Last time, that was all of Meadow Lane Sixth Subdivision, which was between Goldenrod, Conrad and Highway 34, Regional Planning Director Chad Nabity told The Independent Tuesday. This is preserving residential lots along the north side of the property, similar to the existing houses, and then rezoning the south portion of the property to a B-2, which is the same zoning district that is adjacent to the east.

Nabity added: They are proposing four lots for houses that would be similar in size  maybe a little bigger than some of the other lots that are out there. It would put houses facing into the subdivision along there.

Christi DePoorter, a member of the Neitfeld family who brought the request forward, elaborated on Nietfeld Property Managements plan for the property. She said that at the July 5 meeting, she was with two individuals who had intended to purchase the property. However, they backed out of purchasing the property, DePoorter said, after the response from neighbors and received threats.

DePoorter said: We created a plat that allows us to continue with the large lot residential close to the subdivision, creates a lot extra deep so there would be enough space for a septic system, but would also allow for a residential barrier between the commercial development on the south side of the property and the subdivision.

Mary Jo Cook, who lives in the proposed Meadow Lane Seventh Subdivision, said she had concerns with drainage and how the houses in the proposed subdivision would be built.

I know on Conrad weve had all that water thats stood there. There are no culverts at the driveways, she said. I see no evidence that these new builders are putting in anything. Water is going over Conrad. If these new houses are built in the same way, and everything heads to that slough, it is heading to my yard.

Hall County Supervisor Jane Richardson, who represents the area of Meadow Lane Seventh Subdivision, said she understands that water is an issue for the area. She said it has been an issue for many years and was an issue when her father, Bud Jeffries, represented the district years ago.

Will this proposed project affect that? I dont know, but there is a definite water issue there, Richardson said. I tend to look at these as a balancing act  commercial enterprise versus residents rights. There were many concerns here from residents in regards to their quiet enjoyment of their property. There are people that have lived there for almost 40 years. I just want you to take their concerns into consideration when you make a decision.

Following the planning commissions split vote, commission member Les Ruge said, in his opinion, the issue before them was a rezoning issue, not a drainage issue.

Drainage is part of the program, but this is a rezoning, he said. To me, there is not anything wrong with it (rezoning). It follows what weve presented to them.

Commission member Greg Robb said he understood there are water issues in the area of the proposed Meadow Lane Seventh Subdivision, but encouraged those residents speaking during the public portion of the meeting to voice their concerns as a group to those who have control over these issues: the Hall County Board of Supervisors and the Natural Resources District.

For the record

In other action, the Regional Planning Commission:

 Voted 12-0 to approve a final plat for Prairie Creek Meadows Subdivision, located south of 1-R Road and east of Webb Road.

 Voted to approve preliminary and final plats for Millennial Estates Subdivision, located north of 13th Street and east of North Road.

 Voted 12-0 to approve an amendment to chapter 36 of the Grand Island city code to include an R-3-SL Medium Density Residential Small Lot zoning district.
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Almost six months after a "mentally unsound" woman was allegedly kidnapped, forcefully married off in Uttar Pradesh and raped, she has been rescued and two persons have been arrested, the police said today.

The two accused -- Sanjay (29) and Phoolwati (55) -- were arrested yesterday from Najafgarh for their alleged involvement in the case.

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The 25-year-old woman, who was undergoing treatment at Institute of Human Behaviour and Allied Sciences, had gone missing from west Delhis Tilak Nagar on March 30.

Her father had approached police with a complaint on March 31.

The police got a lead after the woman managed to call her father on September 5 and told him that she had been held hostage in Aligarh but she does not know the exact address, the police said.

On tracking the mobile phone and analysing its call detail records, it was found that the woman was somewhere in Khedia Dhaukal village in Atrauli tensil of Aligarh.

A police team was sent to the village and with inputs from its gram pradhan, a house was raided and the woman was rescued.

However, Sukhbir, who had confined the woman in his house and married her against her will, had left the house before the police raid.

The victim later told the police that she had met one Phoolwati on the night of March 30. Phoolwati convinced her to go with her and gave her something to smell that rendered her unconscious, the rescued woman told police.

Phoolwati then handed over the victim to her former neighbour Sanjay in lieu of Rs 30,000.

Sanjay then sold the kidnapped woman to Sukhbir, who hailed from the formers village, for Rs 50,000. The woman was forcefully married off to Sukhbir who allegedly raped her repeatedly.

Police have also slapped rape charges on Sukhbir, who is on the run. PTI SLB DIP

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My latest trip took me to a pretty cool gimmick eatery  BraiZe in Bloomington.

When I heard about this place and its stuffed sandwiches I had to check it out. BraiZe is located inside the Regency Hotel and Conference Center at 1413 Leslie Dr. Unit No. 2 in Bloomington.

I applaud the crazy ideas at BraiZe. It takes a six-inch freshly baked loaf of bread, hollows it out and stuffs it with all kinds of scrumptious ingredients. This quirky dish is called the BraiZito and of course I had to try one. I visited with the Intelligencers own Matt Kamp and I think he was equally fired up to check this place out.

But before I delved into stuffed sandwich greatness I had to try an appetizer and BraiZe has several good choices.

I started off with the Mama Libs Meatballs. They consisted of ground ham and pork simmered in a sweet and sour sauce and sprinkled with a little parsley for garnishing. The sauce was quite thick and each meatball was coated nicely.

The meat had a little bit of crispiness to it on the outside, but once you took a bite it was tender on the inside. The sauce was outstanding. The sweetness blast that came with it was lip-licking good.

They were accompanied by chunks of sourdough bread, which were a great side piece. I used them to mop up the leftover sauce from the meatballs. It was a great way to start my experience.

Next came my BraiZito. I went with the Rocky while Matt ordered the Royale.

Ill start with Matts. It consisted of beef, swiss and cheddar cheese, green pepper, onion and thousand island dressing stuffed inside the hollowed out bread. He compared it to a patty melt sandwich and really liked it.

My Rocky was comprised with Italian beef, mozzarella cheese, Giardiniera and accompanied with a container of au jus. I went with the medium Giardiniera. They also offered mild and spicy.

Giardiniera is simply an Italian relish, which is commonly associated with Italian beef. It consists of pickled vegetables like peppers, carrots, celery and various spices.

Ill say I was a little disappointed in my order. I guess I should have went spicy with the Giardiniera, because there was no kick to it at all. I thought the whole thing had kind of a bland taste and it didnt hold together nearly as well as Matts order. That is an issue with Italian beef anyway, but I thought with the thicker bread it may work out better.

The highlight of the main course was the homemade sweet potato chips that accompanied my BaiZito. They had a thicker cut to them and were popping with sweet potatoey goodness in every bite. Ill be honest, I focused on them a lot more than my sandwich.

There were plenty of other options that grabbed my attention on the menu, too. I would visit again to try one of them.

There was the Hes Just a Po Boy with fried or grilled shrimp, romaine lettuce, lobster salad and a creole sauce, as well as the California with grilled steak, French fries, cilantro, onion, arbol salsa and crema and the Piggly Wiggly with pork, cole slaw and chorizo barbecue sauce to name a few.

All of the BraiZitos can be switched into tacos or salads if you dont want all of the carbs from the bread. There are also salad choices and soup on the menu.

On the appetizer menu the Gospel Sprouts sounded good, with sauteed brussel sprout leaves, bacon, parmesan cheese and sherry, as well as The Fried Pearl, lightly breaded fresh oysters with a creole dipping sauce and the Carny Bites, fried sweet corn fritters with cheddar cheese and a side of honey butter.

Visit www.braizefood.com to check out the entire menu and learn more about BraiZe.

The restaurant itself was fairly big and open. There were a ton of square tables for patrons to sit at and a large square bar along the front wall. Outside seating is also available with a slew of metal tables with umbrellas aside the long walkway when you enter.

It wasnt overly expensive, but a little high for what it was. My meal cost over $20 altogether. The meatballs and my BaiZito were $9.75 each.

I definitely applaud BraiZe for a unique and creative menu and I recommend next time youre cruising through Bloomington, its an intriguing place to make a stop when you gotta eat.
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Linkedin EDITORIAL (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 08:17 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af8d183 4 Editorial #Editorial,#KPK,KPK,corruption-eradication-commission,corruption,#corruption,#KPKInquiry,KPK-inquiry,National-Police,#NationalPolice Free

In any other institution, the action of Brig. Gen. Aris Budiman, director of investigation at the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), would merit a severe punishment. Against the wishes of the KPK leadership, Aris, who is seconded by the National Police to the antigraft body, turned up for a hearing held by the House of Representatives to inquire into the antigraft bodys performance.



Aris told lawmakers his job at the KPK had been undermined by a rival faction. Aris did not mention any names, but it was clear he was lashing out against top investigator Novel Baswedan, who opposed his plan to bring in more police officers as KPK investigators. Police officers account for more than 50 percent of KPK investigators, and it is easy to see why KPK commissioners have not yet taken action against Aris.



This could be the biggest crisis the KPK has ever faced. Beyond the serious damage to its image, which for the first time was exposed to the public as a fractious institution, the antigraft body is confronting the coalescing of interests seeking its demise.



In the past, we witnessed many attempts by the National Police to weaken the KPK, especially after the antigraft body acted against police generals on suspicion of graft. In 2012, the police launched an assault on the KPK, including by besieging its headquarters, after former National Police Traffic Corps chief Insp. Gen. Djoko Susilo was named a graft suspect. The attack also included an attempt to bring criminal charges against Novel.



Lawmakers have long plotted the KPKs downfall. Over the years, they have sought every path to amend the 2002 Corruption Law. Earlier this year, they found a fresh urgency to revise the law and familiarized the public with its draft proposal for the amendment plan. The current House inquiry is their biggest political move against the KPK to date and was launched after the commission kicked off an investigation into the e-ID case that implicates a number of top politicians.



For the first time, these two disparate institutions joined forces to meet their common goal of weakening the KPK. The House will use politics to meet the ultimate goal of disbanding the KPK. A member of the House inquiry team toldTempo that if House politicians failed to achieve the first goal, they would take the second option of amending the law or at the very least remove Novel and his band of supporters from the KPK.



This week, the police lent a hand in achieving that last objective. The Jakarta Police are processing a defamation case filed by Aris against Novel. Now they are handling a second defamation case against Novel.



Again, the KPK has been left to its own devices in dealing with the onslaught. If Jokowi fails to show his commitment to protecting the KPK, this will be the umpteenth time this year we will call for the relaunch of the 2009 cicak lawan buaya (gecko versus crocodile) campaign, during which the public took to the streets in defense of the KPK.
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Linkedin Inforial (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta, Indonesia  Fri, September 8, 2017

Music has long been renowned as a powerful tool for spreading feelings of camaraderie and uniting people of different values.

Legendary Indonesian rock band Slank will use its musical talents and popularity among the nation's youth to instill feelings of national unity at four pesantren (Islamic boarding schools) in four different cities this September.

It is joined in this endeavor by Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) Sinar Mas and cultural figure Zastrouw Al Ngatawi, as part of a tour titled Silaturahmi: Merajut Kebangsaan (Friendly Meeting: Uniting the Nation).

"Music is a universal language for all parts of society. We hope Slank's promotion of the values of peace, love, unity and tolerance can be used to bridge the gaps in society," Ngatawi said.

The upcoming tour, set to run from Sept. 13-17, will see the band visit Pesantren Darussalam in Cujengjing, Ciamis; Pesantren Al Hikmah 2 in Sirampog, Brebes; Pesantren Darussalam in Subah, Batang and Pesantren Amanatul Ummah in Pacet, Mojokerto, all of which are in Java.

The tour is a follow up to a similar tour the band conducted in 2012, during which its members visited 57 pesantren throughout the nation.

Much like its previous effort, this upcoming tour will see Slank conduct numerous social activities to help out the schools, such as handing out copies of the Quran.

- (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Each of the four schools will receive 2,000 copies of the Quran, 1,000 juz amma (books containing the last chapters of the Quran) and 10,000 books for writing, all from Sinar Mas. Aside from these donations, the band also aims to spread positive messages of unity through diversity and nationalism to the school communities.

"At the core, we are all different from one another. But there are always values of love, tolerance and unity that can bridge these differences. Music and dialogue are some of the ways we can communicate these values," said Kaka, Slank's vocalist, during a Sept. 5 press conference held in Jakarta to announce the tour.

In addition, the band also plans to do things like plant trees, hand out carpets for mosques and hold dialogues on what it means to be Indonesian. But it's not all a serious affair. Slank also aims to entertain the students with music performances.

"We plan to bring a relaxing atmosphere to these pesantren, so it's not always about studying or mengaji (reciting the Quran). Sometimes kids need to play and be entertained. The kids at these pesantren are always extremely happy when we visit. It is their smiles that make us want to return," Kaka said.

The band chose to visit these schools because of the strong influence they have in shaping the character of youth throughout the nation.

- (JP/Arief Suhardiman)

Members of the band made several comparisons to the schools being akin to workshops where social outcasts and criminals mend their hearts. The band's management said that Slank specifically chose to visit pesantren with over 2,000 students.

"This is a time for us to try to mend wounds and unite the nation. We are asking for all elements of society to join hands," said Bimbim, Slank's drummer.

Sinar Mas collaboration with Slank for this tour demonstrates the company's belief in promoting national unity.

"In order to become strong, diversity needs to be nurtured. Because it is differences that make us unite and push us to become more innovative. Trust, respect and cooperation is how to build and serve the nation," Sinar Mas managing director Saleh Husin said.

Sinar Mas itself has its roots in diversity. This 78-year-old company was built on the foundation of the diversity of its employees and leaders. According to APP Sinar Mas director Suhendra Wiriadinata, the values Slank wanted to promote were values that reflected the company's inner operations, with diversity being a strength for building sustainable business, rather than a hindrance.

"Through this partnership with Slank, an icon of the Motherland, we hope to help build the spirit of nationalism," Wiriadinata said.
Shruti has stressed that her entire education has been on the basis of merit. (Credits: Facebook)

By Kamlesh Damodar Sutar: After India Today reported about the controversy over the scholarship awarded to Maharashtra's Social Justice Minister's daughter, the beneficiary Shruti Rajkumar Badole has decided to give up the scholarship.

Maharashtra government on Wednesday had released a list of scholarships for students to study abroad. Among the beneficiaries was Social Justice Minister Rajkumar Badole's daughter Shruti. Badole holds the department of social justice that worked for the betterment of the downtrodden and the backward.

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In a statement issued in Mumbai, Shruti has stressed that her entire education has been on the basis of merit and that her father who wasn't even a minister then, had no role to play in her academic achievements.

SCHOLARSHIP PURELY ON MERIT: SHRUTI

"I completed my education from IIT, Madras. My father wasn't a minister then. I completed my MSc from University of Sussex. I got admission and scholarship there purely on the basis of merit. My dream is to work in the field of Astro-Physics and I have climbed every step towards that only on the basis of merit. My father wasn't even a minister then," Shruti informed in the release.

"I was selected again on merit in the top 26 Universities for studies in astrophysics. I had told my father that we won't take loan for my studies as we are still repaying the loan taken for my brother's studies. That is why I applied for state government scholarship," she added.

BADOLE'S DAUGHTER SAW CONTROVERSY COMING

Shruti further said that she had apprehended that there could be a controversy since she was a minister's daughter and that is why her father decided to withdraw himself from the procedure.

"There were 3 scholarships to be awarded in the field of doctoral studies in Science, for which only 2 applications were received. How could I then have snatched someone else's right?" she questioned.

"If you get admission in any of the top 100 Universities, then there is no income criterion to apply. Now if I fit the criterion, is it my fault? All my education has been completely on the basis of merit. So if I am a minister's daughter, does that make me less meritorious? " Shruti added.

Shruti announced, "If my scholarship is getting embroiled in a controversy only because my father is a minister, I denounce it!".

STUDENTS ELIGIBLE FOR SCHOLARSHIPS

On Wednesday, the state government had released a list of 35 eligible students for scholarships to study in universities abroad. Among the "deserving" beneficiaries was Shruti Badola.

The minister's daughter had bagged a three-year scholarship for a PhD in astronomy and astrophysics at the University of Manchester.

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The Social Justice Department awards financial assistance to 50 students from the scheduled castes and neo-buddhist communities to pursue higher education, post-graduate and doctoral courses in foreign universities. eduled castes and neo-buddhist com

To avail the scholarship, the family income of the applicant should be less than Rs 6,00,000 per annum but for the ones eligible for the top 100 universities, the income criterion has been removed.

Also Read:

Maharashtra minister in trouble after daughter granted scholarship meant for Schedule Tribe students

All India Meritorious Scholarship to test mettle of meritorious school students

Also Watch:

Yogi govt scraps reservation for SC, ST, OBC students in private medical, dental colleges

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse) Tokyo  Thu, September 7, 2017 09:05 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af8f8d8 2 Food KitKat,Japan,Nestle,chocolate,food,#food Free

Cough-medicine-flavored KitKat anyone?

It may not be to everyone's taste, but this is just one of 300 weird and wonderful flavours flying off the shelves in Japan, which has become the world's biggest market for the four-fingered snack.

In true Japanese style, human workers are a rare sight at one KitKat factory in Kasumigaura, around 100km east of Tokyo.

Instead, dozens of robots manufacture four million bars a day at breakneck speed, from mixing the chocolate paste to wrapping them ready for sale.

KitKats have been around in Britain since 1935 and only arrived in Japan in 1973. But the Japanese market has a crucial unique selling point - a huge variety of different flavours.

It all started with a strawberry flavoured KitKat in 2000 and the range expanded quickly - from flavours aimed at local taste buds such as sake, green tea and wasabi - to more exotic combinations like melon and mascarpone.

Access to KitKat factories is strictly limited and photos are kept to a minimum in a bid to preserve the secrets of the recipe. And it appears to be a recipe for success.

Read also: Nestle loses appeal in trademark case over Kit Kat shapes

Without publishing an exact turnover figure for Japan, KitKat manufacturer Nestle says sales have grown 50 per cent in the country since 2010, making it the biggest market ahead of Britain - although second-biggest in terms of volume.

And in a sign of the success, a new production site was opened only last month (August) in the western region of Kobe.

Why such success in Japan? One reason, according to Mr Cedric Lacroix, managing executive officer of Nestle Japan's confectionery business, is that Japanese consumers appreciate the variety of flavours on offer.

The chocolate market in Japan is really driven by innovation, said Mr Lacroix. "One third of the products is renewed every year. Consumers want to see new things, taste new products, even if they always end up buying their favourite flavor."

Read also: Google releases 1st phone powered by 'Kit Kat'

Twenty or so new versions of KitKat are unleashed on the Japanese market every year, after months of refining the flavour.

The company also plays on the superstitious nature of the Japanese public.

"KitKat has become a sort of good-luck charm to which the Japanese have become emotionally attached," said Mr Lacroix.

The name reminds people of the Japanese phrase "kitto katsu", meaning "sure to win". It has therefore become common to hand them to friends before an exam or an important event.

To profit from this, KitKat offers customers the chance to have their chocolate elaborately gift-wrapped, get special flavours made and even have messages engraved on the bars.

Beyond the local market, the snack is increasingly targeting tourists in a country that aims to have 40 million foreign visitors in 2020 when Tokyo hosts the Olympics, four times as many as in 2013.

Travelers are increasingly returning home with bags filled with some of the more outlandish "Made in Japan" KitKat flavors.
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Linkedin A. Kurniawan Ulung (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 10:22 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af96df1 4 People arahmaiani,artist,#artist,contemporary-art,National-Museum-of-Modern-and-Contemporary-Art,Museum-MACAN Free

Arahmaiani was surprised to learn that her work, the painting Lingga-Yoni 1993, had returned home nearly 20 years after she sold it to a friend in Thailand.



Earlier this year, museum MACAN director Aaron Seeto told her the museum had purchased the painting. Following the success of the First Sight event in August, the museum is scheduled to present a second preview on Sept. 9, presenting the work of six artists  Arahmaiani, Mella Jaarsma, Xu Zhen, Duto Hardono, Heman Chong and Justin Shoulder.



It is unbelievable! When Seeto said that I thought he was joking, said Arahmaiani, one of Indonesias most seminal and respected contemporary artists.

Read also: Six artists present stunning works at Museum MACAN



When preparing for Fertility of the Mind, her first solo exhibition in the United States at the Tyler Rollins Fine Art Gallery in New York, she called her friend in Thailand, asking for permission to borrow the painting for the exhibition.



However, her friend told her the painting was in a poor condition. Dismayed, she made a new version of the artwork for the exhibition in New York, which is now at the Herbert F. Johnson Museum of Art.



Arahmaiani has held 21 solo exhibitions and has taken part in 96 group exhibitions around the world since 1980 but she will never forget Lingga-Yoni 1993.



In August 1994, Islamic hardliners flocked to her solo exhibition at Oncor Studio in Jakarta. They misunderstood her works, Lingga-Yoni 1993 and Etalase (window display), accusing her of blasphemy without understanding context of her works.



Lingga-Yoni 1993 aroused their ire because it featured the Hindu image of male and female genitalia, Malay-Arabic letters saying: Nature is a book and a copy of an inscription about King Purnawarman of the first Hindu kingdom in Java.



They also protested against Etalase because they saw the holy Quran, a Buddha statue, a mirror, a pack of condoms, a Coca-Cola bottle, a box of soil, a fan, a small rebana (traditional tambourine) and her photo placed in the same display case.



To the protesters, she had explained that Lingga-Yoni was the symbol of balance between feminine and masculine energies, a principle that she said could be found in Animism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Islam.



Born in 1961 in Bandung, West Java, Arahmaiani, whose Javanese ancestors were animists, Hindus and Buddhists before converting to Islam, found the realistic image of the linga and yoni for the first time in Javanese-Hindu temple Sukuh in Central Java.



They [the hard-liners] thought that pairing the symbol of Lingga Yoni with Arabic script was a blasphemy because they believed Arabic letters were a sacred part of the Quran, she said.



To the protesters, she also explained that Etalase aimed to criticize capitalism that she said had commodified cultural and religious values. But, they still accused her of blasphemy for putting Al Quran and the condoms in the same display case.



The hard-liners made death threats against Arahmaiani, telling her that, her blood was halal to be drunk. Artist Ray Sahetapi, who owned Oncor Studio, protected her.



Prominent figures, including WS Rendra and Emha Ainun Najib, advised her to leave Jakarta. Her friend then protected her at his house in Surakarta, Central Java, for six months until she went to Perth, Australia, to join a residential program.



She lived in Australia for a year and then moved to Thailand. She came home a month before the fall of the authoritarian New Order regime in 1998. But, she sold Lingga-Yoni 1993 to her friend to make money.



Learning of growing intolerance in Indonesia, Arahmaiani remains optimistic that similar protests in 1994 will not repeat themselves, mainly since she had the chance to explain the works context through the media.



She is happy her works are appreciated since the criticism in the work is still relevant to the dynamics of recent political events at home and abroad. For her, capitalism is an unfair economic system that has destroyed local cultures and the environment. We may not turn a blind eye to those facts, she said.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 19:03 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb7780 1 Art & Culture bandung,Performance,art,artwork,Seni-Bandung-I Free

Bandung in West Java is set to host a month-long festival of art performances starting Sept. 25.

Held in collaboration with local artists and humanists, the event dubbed "Seni Bandung I" (Bandung Art I) will feature various traditional and modern art shows, including fine arts, dance, theater, music and literature, presented by 2,475 artists from 156 communities across Bandung.

Bandung Mayor Ridwan Kamil said on Wednesday the event was part of the city's 207th anniversary and would be included in the country's annual agenda.

"Bandung has been long known as one of Indonesia's centers of art development. Many artists live and work in the city, therefore this activity serves as something we can be proud of," said Ridwan.

Read also: Bandung's city tour bus entertain tourists with horror stories

A budget of Rp 5 billion (US$375,150) reportedly had been prepared for the event. "It's far from enough, but we will continue to look for sponsors," he added.

The artists and art groups are slated to showcase at least 688 artsy activities until Oct. 25 across 44 locations, including public facilities, schools, community spaces and neighborhoods.

"A true artwork will be complete when it is enjoyed by the public. We want to try to create a unique moment of the 'meeting' between artworks and the public. For local residents, this is the opportunity to appreciate all kinds of art," said the event's initiator Iman Soleh as quoted by Antara news agency. (kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 14:41 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afaa6b0 1 Art & Culture exhibition,art,anti-corruption,#exhibition,artworks,cartoonist,KPK Free

Indonesian Cartoonist Association (Pakarti), together with the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK), on Thursday are exhibiting 1,000 artworks on corruption by 205 cartoonist from across Indonesia.

The exhibition, which is held at the 2017 International Book Fair at the Jakarta Convention Center, displays the work by cartoonist of all ages, from high school students to a 74-year-old artist.

"The collaboration with KPK is to affirm the stance of cartoonist on several issue related to corruption, which are non-stop corruption eradication, dare to fight corruption, anti-corruption behavior, anti-corruption culture, anti-corruption stance and anti-corruption thinking," Pakarti president Jan Praba said in a statement on Thursday as quoted by tempo.co.

The artists participating in the exhibition originate from all over the country, including Aceh, Yogyakarta, Makassar, Kalimantan, Bali and Papua.

Read also: Saman Dance performance in Aceh breaks MURI record

The theme was chosen due to its popularity among artists. Jan said the society, especially cartoonists, places great attention and hope on KPK members as the front lines in preventing corruption.

He further expressed hope that the collaboration with the KPK would continue on to every layer of society in spreading anti-corruption movement.

The exhibition was awarded by the Indonesian Museum of Records (MURI) as the "Exhibition with the most number of cartoons in Indonesia". The award would be handed over by MURI director Aylawati Sarwono. (liz/kes)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 08:42 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af8e438 1 Business bank-indonesia,double-swipes,payment-system,prohibition Free

Bank Indonesia (BI) has issued a regulation to prohibit double swiping because such practice may result in data theft.

The regulation is in place. Such practice should be stopped. If you see such activity you can report it to BI, said BI Governor Agus Martowardojo in Jakarta on Wednesday after signing an agreement with the Transportation Ministry on integrated electronic payment in the transportation sector in Jakarta on Wednesday.

He said the double swipe ban was stipulated in Bank Indonesia Regulation No. 18/40/BI/2016 on payment processing.

Traders cannot double swipe without a reason. If they have to do so, they should seek permission from the card holder, he added as reported by Antara. (bbn)
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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 21:30 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afbb48a 1 City bootleg-liquor,arrest Free

The East Jakarta police have arrested Muklis bin Muslih, 53, for allegedly producing bootleg liquor that combined alcohol, carbonated drinks, energy drinks and health supplements at his house in Lubang Buaya, Cipayung, East Jakarta.

During the raid on Sept. 5, the police seized 285 bottles of famous liquor brands such as Red Label, Hennessy, JW Black Label, Jim Beam and Martell.

Muklis had filled 92 of the bottles with bootleg liquor while the rest were still empty.

The police revealed that Muklis had bought the bottles for Rp 15,000 (US$1.1) to Rp 30,000 each from bottle collectors.

He [Muklis] sold bootleg liquor for Rp 60,000 per bottle, Cipayung Police chief Comr. Aswin said in a statement on Thursday.

Aswin said Muklis started producing bootleg liquor in January 2014 and had succeeded in selling 500 bottles to regions outside Greater Jakarta.

In May 2014, Muklis stopped his business before deciding to go back into business in July.

The police are now tracking down the chemical store, which sold the alcohol to Muklis.

Muklis was charged under article 137 of the 2012 Food Law, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison.
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 13:25 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa6d37 1 City MRT-Jakarta,Dispute,land Free

The Jakarta administration is set to continue construction of the mass-rapid transit (MRT) system on disputed land near Jl. Panglima Polim in Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta.

The head of the legal department of the municipality of South Jakarta, Tb Purba, said there were three residents who had claimed ownership rights over some 120 square meters of land and demanded that the administration compensate them.

However, Purba said the land had been in use for a public road since the 1990s.

Therefore, the administration will soon take control of the land to speed up the MRT development process, without giving compensation [to the residents], he said on Wednesday.

We need to accelerate the MRT development, Purba stressed, as quoted by kompas.com.

He also said the administration had issued warning letters to residents not to occupy the land.

On Thursday, 117 police and military personnel were dispatched to curb building activity deemed illegal. (cal)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 11:20 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af9f20c 1 City apartment,renovation,Jakarta-administration Free

The Jakarta administration plans to renovate two dilapidated city-run subsidized apartment complexes next year.

Jakarta Public Housing and Public Building Agency head Agustino Darmawan said the properties were located in Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, and in Penjaringan, North Jakarta.

We will renovate the apartments, because they are not fit for habitation, he said on Tuesday.

Agustino appealed to residents to temporarily clear out the apartments for the renovation work.

Once the renovation is done, they can return to their apartments, he said as quoted by kompas.com.

Agustino also said that the administration would gradually renovate other apartment buildings after completing the renovation of those in Sawah Besar and Penjaringan. (ang)
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Linkedin Stefani Ribka (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 08:52 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af8f434 1 Business Cotton-USA,sales,target,Cotton-Day-Indonesia Free

The US cotton industry eyes a 3 percent increase in sales in Indonesia this year, according to Cotton Council International (CCI), the export promotion arm of the National Cotton Council, a US industry association promoting the brand Cotton USA.

CCI Indonesian representative Andy Do said the target would be achieved by approaching consumers directly to promote the products rather than only approaching businesses, as in the past.

"The population in Indonesia keeps increasing with a positive birth rate at around 1 percent and there's an emerging middle-class phenomenon here, so more are wearing more-quality garment. When we talk about quality, we talk about cotton," he said at a press conference in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Indonesia is Cotton USA's fourth-largest market after China, Turkey and Mexico. Sales in Indonesia range between US$300 million and $600 million a year.

Indonesia imports cotton mostly from the US, Australia and Brazil.

As a clothing material, cotton is competing with cheaper synthetic materials like polyester. Andy said the cotton market share in the raw material market fluctuated from time to time, depending on ever-changing market demand.

To strengthen its grip on Indonesia's market, CCI held the first Cotton Day Indonesia, a series of business seminars and fashion shows, to increase awareness about its products among Indonesian consumers. The organization plans to hold it every year from now on. It held such events in Japan 15 years ago. (bbn)
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Linkedin Andreo Calonzo (Bloomberg) Manila, Philippines  Thu, September 7, 2017 15:48 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afaddc0 2 World duterte,drugs,crackdown,family,smuggling,methylamphetamine Free

Philippine President Rodrigo Dutertes son denied any involvement in a drug smuggling case that is captivating the nation.

Paolo Duterte, the vice mayor of Davao City, on Thursday appeared before a Senate committee investigating how 604 kilograms (1,330 pounds) of the drug known as crystal meth slipped through the Bureau of Customs in May. A broker who handled the shipment initially said his customs transactions were facilitated by a group claiming to have links with Paolo Duterte and his brother-in-law, Manases Carpio.

My brother-in-law and I have been publicly crucified based on rumors and gossip, Carpio told lawmakers in Manila on Thursday, also denying the allegations. He is married to Davao City Mayor Sarah Duterte, who took over from her father after he won the presidency.

President Rodrigo Duterte has repeatedly said hell resign if any of his family members are found guilty of corruption or involvement with drug smuggling. Since taking office in June 2016, Duterte has waged a deadly war on illegal drugs that has been condemned by the United Nations, the European Union and human rights advocates.

Both gentlemen are willing and ready to face malicious allegations intended to impugn their character and credibility, Dutertes official spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a statement on Thursday before the men spoke. The president has said in numerous occasions that he would not interfere.

President Rodrigo Duterte, shown making a gesture in this file photo, said he would resign if any of his family members are found guilty of corruption or involvement with drug smuggling. (Inquirer/File)

The Senate probe began in July when lawmakers accused customs chief Nicanor Faeldon, who resigned last month, of failing to stop the shipment. The National Bureau of Investigation later filed criminal charges of illegal drug imports against traders including Mark Taguba, who denies wrongdoing. They face life in prison and a fine of as much as 10 million pesos ($200,000) if convicted.

Taguba, the broker for the shipment, mentioned the names of the presidents relatives during an Aug. 7 hearing at the House of Representatives. He said that he had paid 1 million pesos a week to a Davao group to facilitate his transactions.

Taguba had said that he never met Paolo Duterte nor Carpio, but dealt with people who had mentioned their names and accepted protection money on their behalf. Last week, Taguba issued a statement attempting to clear the pair of any involvement in illegal drugs or anomalies at customs.

President Duterte previously advised both men to tell the truth, even as he said that his son can invoke his right to silence, according to a transcript of his remarks to reporters on Sept. 3.

Topics : duterte drugs crackdown family smuggling methylamphetamine
Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was on his first bilateral visit to Myanmar, visited the shrine of Bahadur Shah Zafar and Kalibari Temple in Yangon.

By India Today Web Desk: The last Mughal emperor -- Bahadur Shah Zafar -- succeeded his father Akbar II. Zafar was his pen name as an Urdu poet and he is known for his ghazals.

Following his involvement in the Revolt of 1857, the British exiled him to Rangoon in British-controlled Burma (now Myanmar), after convicting him on conspiracy charges.

Zafar died on November 7, 1862 and he was buried on the same day.

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According to a report on the internet, the British wanted the tomb to be "lost and forgotten, and hoped to leave no trace that could allow the body to be identified."

In February 1991, workers who were digging for a drain discovered a "brick lined tomb". On top of it was an inscription and soon the body's identity was found. After a few years, a dargah or Islamic shrine was built, which was inaugurated on 15 December 1994.

The dargah is often visited by politicians and dignitaries from South Asia.

Photo: Twitter - ANI Photo: Twitter - ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi was on his first bilateral visit to Myanmar, and today, he visited Bahadur Shah Zafar's dargah in Yangon.

Photo: Twitter - ANI

Prime Minister Narendra Modi also visited Kalibari Temple in Yangon and paid obeisance there as well.

Photo: Twitter - ANI

The temple was built by Tamil migrants in 1871. It is maintained by the local Indian community and the temple is noted for its vivid architecture, especially its roof, which contains images and stone carvings of many Hindu gods.

The Prime Minister paid his respects at the pagoda on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country

Narendra Modi concluded his first bilateral visit to Myanmar during which he held wide-ranging talks with State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and vowed to combat terror.

Photo: Twitter - ANI

"My Myanmar visit covered significant ground in giving a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations & deepening bilateral cooperation," Modi tweeted before he left for India.

Photo: Twitter - ANI

"I thank the people and Government of Myanmar for their exceptional hospitality during my visit to the beautiful nation of Myanmar," Modi said in another tweet.

Also Read || Narendra Modi in Myanmar: Beyond photo-ops, India would like to win over a key ally in the East ||

FYI || #BlockNarendraModi: Blocking anyone is no solution, dialogue should be open ||

--- ENDS ---
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 18:27 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb6553 1 City Alfian-Tanjung,UHAMKA,hate-speech,Jakarta-police,ITE,ITE-Law,PDI-P,PKI Free

The Jakarta Police arrested Alfian Tanjung, a former lecturer at Jakarta's Muhammadiyah University of Prof. Dr. Hamka (UHAMKA), on Wednesday afternoon for allegedly spreading hate speech on social media.

Alfian was taken by officers from Medaeng prison in Sidoarjo, East Java, to the Polices Mobile Brigade Command in Depok, West Java, later in the evening.

Alfian was arrested on the same day the Surabaya District Court acquitted him of separate hate speech charges because of legal technicalities. He was previously charged with spreading hate speech during a lecture at the Mujahidin Mosque in Surabaya, East Java, last May.

Jakarta Police special crimes unit head Sr. Comr. Ade Deriyan said on Thursday the police arrested Alfian following a complaint filed by an individual, identified as Taman Nasution, in February. Taman reported Alfian for the latters post on his Twitter account earlier this year.

"In his tweet, Alfian claims that 85 percent of Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle (PDI-P) members are communists. Taman felt that Alfian's tweet defamed the party to which he belongs," Ade said.

(Read also: Lecturer named hate speech suspect after throwing accusations at Jokowi's inner circle)

The police had previously named Alfian a suspect for alleged accusations he made during a lecture at the Mujahidin Mosque last May. In the lecture, he allegedly accused some PDI-P members and several close confidants of President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo of being members of the Indonesian Communist Party.

For Alfian's Twitter post, Ade said the police would charge him under the Electronic Information and Transactions Law. (rdi)
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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 19:00 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb7738 1 Business tax-incentive,evaluation,Suahasil-Nazara,Sri-Mulyani-Indrawati Free

The Finance Ministry is planning to evaluate several tax incentives because of investors' low interest in tax incentive programs.

The Finance Ministrys fiscal policy head, Suahasil Nazara, said that although investors had been paying attention to the incentives, they did not prioritize utilizing them.

The government provides a lot of incentives but few [investors] utilize them, Suahasil said in Jakarta on Thursday as quoted by antaranews.com.

We thought many investors had finally come [to the country] because of the incentives, but the data showed that it was not the reason.

Investors instead tended to value the ease of obtaining permits and the availability of materials and supporting infrastructure, he added.

In its evaluation, the ministry expects to find better uses of the incentives, the official said, adding that the ministry would discuss the matter with investors as soon as possible to find the right solution.

Finance Minister Sri Mulyani said on Wednesday that the ministry would evaluate various tax incentives, including the tax holiday and tax allowance, which failed to attract businesspeople, despite many of the incentives having been introduced in the mid-2000s. (dea/bbn)
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Linkedin (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7 2017

The number of vehicles passing the thoroughfare Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta has decreased by 22.4 percent following a motorcycle ban, an official said.

It has decreased to 4,886 from 6,300 vehicles, Jakarta Transportation Agency traffic management head Priyanto said after delivering an evaluation of the motorcycle ban at the City Council on Tuesday.

The Jakarta administration has banned the use of motorcycles on the roads section from Jl. Medan Merdeka Barat to the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle since 2014.

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Linkedin (Agence France-Presse) New Delhi, India  Thu, September 7, 2017 15:26 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afacbe7 2 World India,China,conflict,border,warning Free

India's army chief has said his country must be prepared for war and accused China of "testing our limits", days after the nuclear-armed neighbours ended one of their worst border stand-offs in decades.

General Bipin Rawat said India could not afford to be complacent and should be prepared for the possibility of an all-out war.

"As far as our northern adversary is concerned, flexing of muscles has started," Rawat said late Wednesday at a Delhi-based think-tank, in reference to China.

"The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner... testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations which could gradually emerge into conflict."

"Whether these conflicts will be confined or limited in space and time or whether these can expand into an all-out war along the entire front (remains to be seen)," the Army chief said.

India and China went to war in 1962 over the state of Arunachal Pradesh.

Last month, the two nations withdrew their troops to resolve a tense deadlock over part of a Himalayan plateau claimed by both China and Bhutan, an ally of India.

Rawat also said India's arch rival Pakistan -- an ally of China -- was likely to take advantage of the tensions.

"The western adversary taking advantage of the situation developing along the northern border is very much likely," he said.

Pakistan and India have fought three wars since independence, two of them over the disputed region of Kashmir, which both claim in full.

Topics : India China conflict border warning
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Thu, September 7, 2017 13:09 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa48cc 1 Business Indonesia,Singapore,agreement,Jokowi,visit Free

Indonesia and Singapore on Thursday signed three memorandums of understanding (MoU), one technical arrangement and one framework for heads of agreement (HoA) at the official residence of Singapore's President on Thursday.

The agreements focused on education, digital economy and energy.

The first MoU signed on Thursday deals with the exchange of visiting scholars between the National University of Singapore (NUS) and the Indonesian Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry.

The second, which deals with digital economy, will allow for a cooperation on skills training program between Singapore Polytechnic and the Indonesian Research, Technology and Higher Education Ministry, supported by the Temasek Foundation International.

The third agreement deals with technical arrangement on a capacity building program in industrial technical and vocational education and training between Singapore's Institute of Technical Education (ITE) and the Indonesia's Industry Ministry.

The fourth agreement provides foundation for student exchange programs between students of the two countries. The fifth agreement concerns a framework HoA on liquefied natural gas (LNG) swap and small scale LNG infrastructure project between Pavilion Gas, Keppel Singmarine and Indonesian state-owned electricity firm PLN.

After a bilateral meeting on Thursday, President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo and Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong are expected to witness the signing of the agreements. Jokowi was in his one-day official visit to the country. (bbn)

Topics : Indonesia Singapore agreement Jokowi visit
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Linkedin Rachmadea Aisyah (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 21:51 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afbba90 1 Business Australia,Indonesia,protest,WTO,paper,dumping-allegation Free

Indonesia has filed a formal complaint with the WTO over Australias import duties on Indonesian paper.

The duties were imposed after Australia conducted an investigation into dumping accusations leveled at Indonesias products.

The action will most likely put on hold both countries commitment to seal a free trade agreement by the end of this year, an issue that has become more and more sensitive lately.

In April, Australia announced that it would apply a dumping fee on A4 paper imported from Indonesia and three other countries.

The move led to a decline in Indonesias paper exports to the country of up to 36.8 percent.

Indonesia responded by filing the complaint on Sept. 1.

Pradnyawati, the Trade Ministrys director for trade security, said Indonesia had tried a diplomatic approach to solve the problem, but Australia offered no response and kept going on with its investigation.

Therefore, the Indonesian government decided to take the issue to the WTO, she said as quoted by kontan.co.id. (dea/bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 16:56 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb15e0 1 City Transjabodetabek,Bekasi Free

Bekasi residents are now able to reach Jakarta faster by using Transjabodetabek Premium buses, the Greater Jakarta Transportation Agency (BPTJ) said during the first trial operation of the bus service on Thursday.

While previously Bekasi commuters have had to endure two hours battling through traffic jams on Cikampek toll road, the new buses can reach Jakarta within one hour.

The shorter travel time was made possible by dedicated bus lanes on Cikampek toll road and police escorts, BPTJ said.

Initially, we aimed for a travel time of about one and half hours. However, with the dedicated lane, travel time has been cut to within one hour, BPTJ head Bambang Prihartono said in a statement.

BPTJ is set to run a trial of Transjabodetabek Premium buses from Sept. 7 to 20 to service Bekasi residents traveling to and from Bekasi to the capital.

The buses, which are equipped with free wi-fi, reclining seats and phone charging ports, charged passengers Rp 15,000 (US$1.1) on Thursday and will charge Rp 20,000 for the remaining days of the trial.

As part of the trial, buses will make only three morning trips from Mega Mall, Bekasi, to Senayan, Central Jakarta, with buses departing between 5:45 a.m. and 6:30 a.m..

In the evening, buses will make three trips from Senayan to Mega Mall, departing from Senayan between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m..

Bambang added that BPTJ encouraged Bekasi residents to use public buses instead of private vehicle to ease traffic congestion around Cikampek. (cal/vny)

Topics : Transjabodetabek Bekasi
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 14:52 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afab622 4 Business Japan,Indonesia,outer-islands,development Free

Indonesia and Japan on Wednesday agreed that the latter would help develop six of Indonesias outermost islands  Sabang, Natuna, Morotai, Saumlaki, Moa and Biak.

The projects include the construction of seaports and markets as well as the extension of satellite and radar coverage and providing technical assistance for the islands development.

Maritime Affairs and Fisheries Minister Susi Pudjiastu said the development of outermost islands was very important, not only to improve the welfare residents there, but also to strengthen national security and defense.

Therefore, when meeting with the Japanese Prime Ministers special envoy, Hiroto Izumi, Susi asked Japan not only to help develop six islands, but 60 islands to help Indonesia monitor its territory more closely.

If we have 60 coastal radars in all outermost islands, Indonesia will be in a secure condition, said Susi after her meeting with Izumi, as reported by tempo.co, adding that stability in Indonesia would have a good impact on stability in Asia.

Meanwhile, the ministrys director general for maritime territories, Brahmantya Satyamurti, said the outermost island projects were expected to kick off late this year, when President Joko Jokowi Widodo would meet Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

The projects would start on three islands  Sabang, Natuna and Morotai. (bbn)
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Linkedin Fedina S. Sundaryani (The Jakarta Post) Singapore  Thu, September 7, 2017 13:43 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa8b9f 1 Business Jokowi,Lee-Hsien-Loong,digital-economy,Singapore,visit Free

President Joko "Jokowi" Widodo has highlighted the importance of cooperation in the development of the digital economy during a joint press statement with Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong.

Following a bilateral meeting held at the Istana in Singapore on Thursday, Jokowi noted that the bulk of the two leaders' conversation had been on future cooperation between the two countries, including in the development of the digital economy.

"Cooperation in the digital economy is not just an option, it is now imperative. This will be a priority for Indonesia and Singapore," he said.

If we can combine the potential of investment, technology, talent and the market potential of youths, cooperation in the digital economy will make the economies of Indonesia and Singapore even stronger.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Lee said that since last year's Leader's Retreat, there had been much progress in investment, skills training and digital economy cooperation.

"We discussed areas where we can deepen our bilateral cooperation," he said during the same joint press statement. In addition to the bilateral meeting, the two leaders oversaw the signing of memorandums of understanding (MoU) on education, vocational training and disaster risk mitigation. (bbn)
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Linkedin Kharishar Kahfi and Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 12:23 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa3316 1 National KPK,corruption,graft,Bengkulu,red-handed-operation Free

Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators in Bengkulu arrested on Wednesday a judge on allegations of bribery.

As of 11 a.m. Thursday, the anti-graft body has yet to provide details regarding the arrest, although KPK spokesman Febri Diansyah confirmed the arrest was related to bribery.

It is true that a KPK team conducted an operation in Bengkulu. We got information from local people, and when we verify the information, we found indication of bribery involving a local law-enforcement personel, Febri said Thursday.

During the operation, the anti-graft body also arrested other individuals and seized an undisclosed sum of cash. An investigation at the Bengkulu Police is ongoing, Febri said.

Read also: Bengkulu in spotlight for wrong reason

The arrested individuals are scheduled to be flown in to Jakarta this afternoon. The anti-graft body is expected to name a suspect in the case within 24 hours after the arrest.

The arrest was the third the KPK made in the province in three months.

On June 6, KPK investigators arrested official at the Bengkulu Higher Court, Parlin Purba, on bribery allegations. On June 20, the KPK also arrested Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti for corruption and money laundering.

Bengkulu Governor Ridwan Mukti (second left) is escorted by Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) investigators to undergo a questioning at the anti-graft body headquarters in Jakarta on June 20. (Antara/Hafidz Mubarak)

If confirmed, this is the second judge arrested for corruption in Bengkulu.

In May last year, the KPK arrested Janner Purba, a judge and the then head of Kapahiang District Court in the province. (bbs)
As soon as the Judge G A Sanap awarded life sentence to Salem, his face turned pale and he almost fell on the bench.

By Mustafa Shaikh: The special TADA court today pronounced the quantum of sentence to the five convicts in the second part of 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Abu Salem, who was one of the key conspirators, was among the five convicts.

Abu Salem, who has been lodged in the Taloja prison, was brought to the TADA court at 11 am. As per his routine, he went and sat in one corner of the place allotted for accused persons. Dressed in a blue half shirt, Salem didn't talk any of the other convicts, but kept speaking to his lawyers in the court.

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The TADA court Judge G A Sanap presided on the chair at around 12:40 pm, and till then, Salem had been chatting and discussing with his lawyers in the court room. At every hearing during the trial, some or the other amongst seven accused would complain of something or file an application. All the six accused would be very vocal and would complain of things like they weren't allowed to speak to their family members or some other things like food or clothing. The judge would hear to every accused complains or request and would then ask other remaining accused if they had any grievances. Salem would just nod his head and convey that he had no complaints or requests to be made to the court.

On Thursday, Salem behaved in a similar manner and looked relaxed and comfortable despite being convicted in the case.

As soon as the Judge G A Sanap awarded life sentence to Salem, his face turned pale and he almost fell on the bench in the accused's sitting area. Since then, he looked worried and it felt like something unexpected had happened. It could be, because Salem always thought that he would get a maximum punishment of thirteen more years behind bars as he had already served 12 years since he was extradited. This was due to the treaty signed by India and Portugal government from where he was extradited in 2005. The treaty said that Salem couldn't be awarded capital punishment extending twenty five years behind bars.

The sentence came as a shock to Salem who expected that the maximum punishment that could be awarded to him would be 13 years.

ALSO READ:

1993 Mumbai blasts: Forget hanging, Abu Salem may not even spend his entire life in jail

Life for Salem; death for 2 as court hands out punishments in Mumbai blasts case

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Linkedin Callistasia Anggun Wijaya (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 18:20 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb5a5e 1 City Grab-Bike,ojek-service,Sexual-assault Free

An online motorcycle taxi driver, Chairulloh, 37, has been accused of sexually assaulting a 17-year-old girl in Matraman, East Jakarta.

The alleged incident happened on Wednesday at around 7:30 a.m. after the complainant booked Chairulloh, a driver for Grab, who drove her to his friend's house on Jl. Slamet Riyadi IV, instead of to her internship office in Central Jakarta as booked.

East Jakarta Police chief, Andry Wibowo, claimed that Chairulloh then sexually assaulted the girl at the house.

"After the assault, he took the victim to her internship," Andry said in his statement on Thursday.

The girl and her father reported the incident to the police.

Chairulloh had been arrested and questioned by the police, Andry said.

Meanwhile, Grab Indonesias country marketing director Mediko Azwar said the company regretted the incident and apologized to the alleged victim.

Grab Indonesia has terminated its cooperation with Chairulloh.

Our current priority is to give the full support and assistance needed by the passenger and her family. We will also cooperate with the police and other related parties regarding the investigation of this matter, he said. (cal)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 11:05 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af9ecfc 1 City Myanmar,Rohingya,protest Free

Muslim protesters set fire to a Myanmar flag outside the Myanmar Embassy in Central Jakarta on Wednesday during a demonstration urging an end to violence against the countrys Rohingya Muslim minority.

After the flag was burned, the protesters threw rocks and mineral water bottles at the embassy and the police assigned to guard the embassy.

The protesters also attempted to get through barbed wire.

The heated condition de-escalated after the protesters chanted shalawat (devotional songs), kompas.com reported.

Central Jakarta Police chief Sr. Comr. Suyudi Ario Seto said the police tried to maintain a peaceful atmosphere during the protest.

There might have been provocateurs, but we were not provoked, Suyudi said. (cal)

Topics : Myanmar Rohingya protest
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 13:30 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa7b60 1 Business Jakarta-Surabaya-train,Budi-Karya-Sumadi,existing-railway-tracks Free

Correcting a statement made by his subordinate, Transportation Minister Budi Karya Sumadi has said that the new medium-speed Jakarta-Surabaya railway project will use the existing tracks.

The medium-speed Jakarta-Surabaya railway is to use the existing tracts, Budi said after a meeting with Vice President Jusuf Kalla at the latters office in Jakarta on Wednesday to discuss the project.

Public Works and Public Housing Minister Basuki Hadimuljono also attended the meeting.

Previously, the ministrys railway traffic director, Zulmafendi, had said that the project would use new tracks on land owned by state-owned railway operator PT Kereta Api Indonesia (KAI) and run parallel to the existing tracks in the northern coastal areas of Java.

Budi said that using the existing tracks would not only speed up the construction process, but it would also help the government resolve the problem of about 500 to 800 railway crossings along the way, which contributed to traffic congestion in many cities.

He said the government planned to construct either underpasses or overpasses. It will help many cities solve traffic jams and reduce traffic accidents, he said, as reported by tempo.co on Thursday.

Budi expressed his hope that the speed of new trains would exceed 160 kilometers per hour from currently 90 km/h.

He added that using the existing tracks would also help cut the construction cost to about Rp 50 trillion (US$3.75 billion) from the previous estimate of Rp 80 trillion. (bbn)
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 13:54 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afa8dd5 1 City KPK,novel-baswedan,defamation Free

Jakarta Police are set to question two Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) employees in the investigation of defamation allegedly committed by senior KPK investigator Novel Baswedan against the body's director of investigation, Brig. Gen. Aris Budiman.

The director of the special crimes unit, Sr. Comr. Ade Deriyan, said both of the KPK staffers were aware of the email sent by Novel to Aris, which allegedly contained elements of defamation.

Today we will question [two] KPK staff members, Ade said on Thursday, as quoted by kompas.com, without revealing the staffers identity.

Ade said police planned to question about five KPK staffers regarding this case.

Aris, a policeman seconded to the KPK, reported Novel to the Jakarta Police on Aug. 21 for sending him an email saying he had no integrity and was the worst director of investigation in history.

Aris said the email had insulted him, so he reported Novel for defamation under the Criminal Code and the Electronic Information and Transactions Law.

The police issued a notification letter to open an investigation (SPDP) just a day after Aris had filed the report.

Despite the swift investigation process, the police said Novel had not been named a suspect.

Aris revealed his rivalry with Novel while attending a controversial House of Representatives inquiry into the KPK on Aug. 29.

Meanwhile, Novel is still receiving medical treatment in Singapore after an acid attack severely injured his eyes in April. (cal)
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Linkedin Wahyoe Boediwardhana (The Jakarta Post) Surabaya  Thu, September 7 2017

The East Java Prosecutors Office will appeal the Surabaya High Courts recent decision to overturn the conviction of former state-owned enterprises minister and media mogul Dahlan Iskan in a corruption case surrounding the sale of assets of a company owned by the East Java provincial administration.

The prosecutors office spokesperson, Richard Marpaung, said it believed Dahlan was guilty in the case and therefore it would soon appeal the verdict, a copy of which it had not yet received.

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Linkedin Marguerite Afra Sapiie (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 11:25 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af9f94d 1 National media,theconversation,academics,journalism,online-media Free

Non-profit media outlet The Conversation officially launched The Conversation Indonesia on Wednesday, its new international edition that marks the first edition of The Conversation in Asia.

The Conversation Indonesia editor Prodita Sabarini, who has worked with the media group since 2014, said the Conversation Indonesia would become a platform for academics and researchers to share their research through in-depth analysis on issues facing the country.

We hope The Conversation can contribute to public debates with facts and evidence-based analysis and become a source of inspiration in finding solutions to urgent problems that we all face, Prodita said in a statement on Wednesday.

Read also: Association fights to improve online journalism

The Conversation Indonesia, which will launch in both Indonesian and English, has an established partnership with the Indonesian Academy of Science (AIPI). It is said to also be working with the KBR radio network to produce science podcasts.

The Jakarta-based Conversation Indonesia is supported by the University of Indonesia, Bogor Agricultural University, Hasanuddin University and Pattimura University. It has received two-year funding under the Independent Journalism program of Open Society Foundations.

Started in Melbourne, Australia, The Conversation has 5.7 million monthly users. More than 22,000 media have republished articles from the Conversation. Prior to Indonesia, it has established its global network in the UK, France, the US, Canada and African countries. (afr/ary).
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Linkedin News Desk (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 08:50 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af8ef77 4 Business waskita-karya,toll-road,sales Free

State-owned construction company PT Waskita Karya has said it is finalizing the sale of six of its toll roads as part of its effort to collect fresh money to finance its other toll road projects.

The six toll roads are Kanci-Pejagan, Pejagan-Pemalang, Pasuruan-Probolingo, Solo-Ngawi, Ngawi-Kertosono and Pemalang-Batang.

Previously, the company said it would sell nine toll roads.

Next week, all processes are to be completed. You will find who the new shareholders [of the toll roads] are, said Waskita finance director Tunggul Rajagukguk in Jakarta on Wednesday.

Tunggul declined to mention the amount of funds the company would obtain from the toll road sale.

He said five companies had expressed their serious intention to buy the toll roads, out of 12 companies that had shown some interest.

The companies expressing interest in the assets include publicly listed PT Astra International and state-owned toll road operator PT Jasa Marga.

Waskita is currently building 1,260 kilometers of toll roads worth Rp 110 trillion (US$8.24 billion). The government requires the projects to be finished by 2019.

The Trans-Java Toll Road runs from Merak Port in Banten to Banyuwangi in East Java and spans more than 1,000 kilometers. About half of the toll road is in operation. (bbn)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 16:28 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afaf26b 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,city,clean-living,ASEAN,Banyuwangi Free

The city of Banyuwangi in East Java has been selected by the Tourism Ministry to represent Indonesia at the ASEAN Clean Tourist City Award (ACTC Award) 2017 slated in October.

Two tourist attractions in Banyuwangi that will compete with other Southeast Asian destinations are Bangsring Under Water (Bunder) and Grand New Watudodol (GWD).

Apart from Banyuwangi, six Indonesian regencies and cities will also participate in the event, namely Surakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Singaraja, Batu and Semarang.

Banyuwangi Culture and Tourism Agency head M. Yanuarto Bramuda said the agency is currently focusing on cleaning up and improving the two tourists attractions, including by removing street vendors (PKL) around GWD that frequently caused traffic congestion and accidents.

Yanuarto said Banyuwangi was chosen to compete at the event due to its concept of ecotourism and efforts in developing tourism based on environment, nature conservation, social and cultural empowerment and local economy.

Read also: Depok: The front line in Indonesias fight against waste

With this concept, the number of tourist visit to Banyuwangi continues to increase; it went from 500,000 domestic tourists in 2010 to 4 million people in 2016. As for foreign tourists, [the number] went from 7,000 to 75,000. The number of passengers at Blimbingsari Airport also increased by 1,340 percent from 7,826 people in 2010 to 112,000 people in 2016, said Yanuarto.

Banyuwangi has previously earned five Adipura awards for being a clean city. It currently has 620 daily freelance workers who maintain the city's cleanliness. Several CCTVs are also installed in some rivers to monitor people who throw rubbish into the river. Sluice gates across the city have also been revamped and renovated.

Among the criteria for a clean tourist city are environmental management, cleanliness, waste handling and raising the awareness of environmental preservation and cleanliness. Other determining factors are the availability of green rooms, safety, health, security and tourism infrastructure and facilities.

Banyuwangi has applied all of these; whats left now is monitoring and prepping for the assessment, said Yanuarto.

In terms of accessibility, the Blimbingsari Airport now serves daily flights from Jakarta to Banyuwangi and strives to become an international airport by 2019. (kes)
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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 15:05 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afac444 2 News Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,commercial-flight,Banyuwangi,Garuda-Indonesia Free

Starting September 8, Indonesias flag carrier Garuda Indonesia will operate a new direct flight route from Jakarta to Banyuwangi.

The departure time from Soekarno Hatta International Airport in Jakarta is set at 02:10 p.m. and will arrive at Blimbingsari Airport, Banyuwangi at 03:55 p.m.

Meanwhile, the return flight is scheduled at 05:10 p.m. and will arrive in Jakarta in 06:50 p.m. The flights for this route will only be available on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Saturdays

Banyuwangi regent Azwar Anas was happy about the news, the opening of this route would increase the growth of Banyuwangi, especially its tourism. I never would have thought that the flight development in Banyuwangi would be this fast, said Azwar.

The flow of tourists coming in will help expand the business sector in Banyuwangi. Of course it will positively impact the economy, tourism can drive other sectors to increase peoples income per capita and reduce the poverty rate, added Azwar.

Read also: Ten must-visit places in Banyuwangi

With this new route, Blimbingsari Airport will welcome six flights every day, Jakarta  Banyuwangi route with three flights from Nam Air and Garuda Indonesia, and Surabaya  Banyuwangi route with three flights by Wings Air and Garuda Indonesia.

Jakarta is the economic heart of Indonesia, the city has one of the highest number of domestic and overseas tourists. The additional route from Garuda Indonesia will ease up the mobility issue in other areas near Banyuwangi such as Jember, Bondowoso, Situbondo and West Bali, told Azwar.

Tourism minister Arief Yahya is scheduled to board the inaugural flight from Jakarta to Banyuwangi with flight number GA 264 on September 8.

Arief encouraged Banyuwangi to have an international airport in order to increase the number of international tourists.

With the presence of an international airport, Banyuwangi could set up a target of 100,000 overseas tourists for 2019.

The location of Banyuwangi is very strategic because its close to Bali [] If one overseas tourist spent 10 to 12 million rupiahs during his or her visit, the foreign exchange could reach Rp 1.5 billion, this a huge number. Then theres also the income from domestic tourists. If one tourist spent one million there would be an addition of one trillion rupiahs, said Arief. (asw)
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Linkedin Markus Makur (The Jakarta Post) Labuan Bajo, East Nusa Tenggara  Thu, September 7, 2017 17:06 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb1e12 1 News labuan-bajo,Flores,Komodo-National-Park,tourism,East-Nusa-Tenggara,komodo Free

As Labuan Bajo in East Nusa Tenggara is growing as Eastern Indonesia's brightest tourism jewel, the popular destination is facing challenges in maintaining its shine.

Located in the West Maggarai regency, Labuan Bajo usually serves as the arrival point for tourists to continue on their journey to the famous Komodo National Park. With rising large number of visitors, the region faces less-than-desirable challenges, such as mounting trash, illegal fishing and coral vulnerability.

Jensi Sartin, Komodo MPA coordinator, speaking to The Jakarta Post recently, said the Komodo National Park and its surrounding area, including the coastal area of Labuan Bajo, can compile in one day an average of 13 tons of trash. She added that the trash includes 35 to 40 percent of inorganic waste that contains saleable plastic waste.

Dwi Putro Suguiarto, Komodo National Park's administration head, explained that the three main sources of trash accumulated included those brought onto the coast from the ocean, visitors' litter, as well as rubbish of local residents.

"To solve the garbage problem in the islands within the Komodo National Park, there would be a waste ship assistance from the Transportation Ministry in 2018," Sugiarto told the Post on Aug. 28.

Read also: Komodo Island among Vogues top places to visit this summer

The park, which in 2012 was determined to span across 173,200 hectares in area, produces one of the country's highest economic contribution among all other national parks, Sugiarto said. Entrance revenue in the Komodo National Park in 2016 was worth Rp 22 billion (US$1.65 million).

Citing official data, Sugiarto said visitors between June and January 2017 reached 51,954 across both national and foreign tourists. Throughout 2016, the park welcomed 107,000 visitors.

The park official explained that despite the high number of tourists, the Komodo population is maintained at a stable rate, with 3,012 living in the area.

Sugiarto explained that seeing rare animals such as the Komodo, as well as diving to see the manta ray fish and sharks have become magnet for domestic and foreign tourists to visit the region.



"We continue to conduct surveillance and protection in the Komodo National Park area in order to maintain the biodiversity wealth well," Sugiarto said.

Susi, meanwhile, said illegal fishing is another challenge that the region faces.

A recent WWF survey also found 750 sharks, mostly baby sharks, were sold in Labuan Bajo within the past four months, she added. However, it is not yet known whether the fish were caught within the Komodo National Park area or outside of it.

"The main attraction of foreign and domestic tourists to visit West Manggarai is to see the manta ray fish and sharks, as well as the natural wealth under the sea in the Komodo National Park area. Trips to the islands Komodo and Rinca only takes one or two hours, the rest of the time would be spent on the living boat for diving," Susi said.

Read also: Five must-visit places in Komodo National Park

Boats throwing anchor at sea is another risk as it could hit the corals, Susi said, adding that both tourists and fishermen are prone to do it.

A ship anchor hitting the coral reefs could subsequently lift and damage the reefs. Markers to signal designated areas to place an anchor have not been prepared in the tourist areas such as Pink Beach and other diving spots, Susi said.

Nevertheless, the tourism industry continues to move forward. Silvester Wangge, Hotel and Restaurant Indonesia Association (PHRI) of West Manggarai Branch chairman, explained the growth of luxurious hotels and restaurants in Labuan Bajo continues to increase.

There are currently 70 international standard hotels in Labuan Bajo, Silvester said, noting that there are also many investors from Italy.

But with a growing of tourism, basic necessities in the areas are still lacking, as Marsel Agot, an environmental activist in the region, said the clean drinking water for communities in the islands within the Komodo National Park requires serious attention and concrete action from the government.



"I hope the government and the Komodo National Park Authority also pay attention to the problem of clean drinking water difficulties. Hundreds of foreign and domestic tourists visit to the Komodo National Park area but the distress of the local residents meanwhile has been overlooked," Marsel said. (liz/kes)

Editor's note: Paragraph 3, 11 and 12 in this article has been corrected.
By PTI: Mumbai, Sep 6 (PTI) Having missed the initial deadline by over a month and six extensions later, the Mumbai University told the Bombay High Court today that it was "trying" to declare all the results and deliver mark sheets by September 19.

The declaration of results of the examinations conducted by the varsity has been inordinately delayed this year owing to snags in the on-screen assessment system where answer sheets are scanned and then checked on computer to prevent tampering.

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The universitys counsel Rui Rodrigues blamed holidays for Bakrid and Ganpati festivals for the present delay. "Several teaching staff remained unavailable for assessment work due to holidays," he said.

A bench of justices Anoop V Mohta and Bharati Dangre, however, said at a time of "emergency" like this, the university cannot cite unavailability of staff as a reason.

Rodrigues argued that one must remember that the work was not being done by "robots", but it was "ultimately being delivered by humans".

"However, we have completed most of the work and are trying to declare all the results for regular undergraduate courses by September 19. The results for courses offered through distance learning will take some more time," he said.

The court then directed the states Common Entrance Test (CET) cell to extend its deadline for applying to the three-year postgraduate law course to September 22.

The extension was "essential for such helpless students, who had made it to the merit list of the law CET, but were unable to secure admissions to colleges of their choice in the absence of undergraduate mark sheets," the judges said.

The bench also directed the university to make a written submission on the likely date of completion of assessment, declaration of results and delivery of mark sheets to all students.

The directions came after advocate Rodrigues told the court that of the 477 examinations conducted for various regular undergraduate courses by the university, the results of 464 have been declared so far.

A major chuck of pending results belonged to commerce and banking and insurance courses, he said.

Results of 5,932 students of banking and insurance are likely to be declared by this evening, he said, adding that the results of 8,132 students of commerce, accounts and finance courses are likely to be out by September 13.

Those who live in Mumbai can get their mark sheets within two days of declaration of results. However, those who live outside the city will get mark sheets by September 19, Rodrigues said.

The HC has been hearing a bunch of petitions filed by students affected by the delay, along with a petition by a teachers association blaming the varsitys on-screen assessment system for the delay. PTI AYA KRK ANB SDM

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Linkedin News Desk (Agence France-Presse)  Thu, September 7, 2017 18:05 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afb447f 2 News destination,#destination,travel,tourism Free

For young, commitment-less travelers, childless couples and empty nesters, National Geographic Travel has rounded up a list of the best fall destinations for 2017, when summer cedes to winter in a stunningly dramatic transformation of colors.

While younger families may be tethered to school calendars in the fall, that doesnt mean that the travel world stops spinning. Heres a selection of travel ideas this autumn, whether it be for a weeklong getaway or a weekend escapade for the whole family:

Celebrate the Day of the Dead in Oaxaca, Mexico

Despite its macabre moniker, Day of the Dead is a colorful and festive holiday that honors the memory of fallen friends, family members and ancestors, and sends well wishes to the dead on their spiritual journey.

The tradition is inscribed on UNESCOs Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity. The city of Oaxaca offers one of the biggest and liveliest editions in Mexico, with processions, marching bands, fireworks and lots of Mezcal. The Day of the Dead takes place October 31 to November 2.

Read also: Four Indonesian destinations named best dive sites in Asia by CNN

Grape harvest in wine country, France

Wine lovers and Francophiles will want to consider delaying that long overdue holiday to France for mid-September, when the crowds have thinned, the temperatures have cooled slightly, and the grape harvest begins in Burgundy. If youre more about drinking the grapes and not picking it, Paris throws its annual Fete des Vendanges harvest festival in October, when the Montmartre area transforms into a street festival lined with winemakers from across the country and food stalls that sell everything from fresh oysters to sizzling sausages and homemade nougat.

Olive harvest, Greece

Its not just wine that can be described as liquid gold or divine nectar. If youre not afraid to get your hands dirty for the chance to sample freshly pressed olive oil and snack on plump, rich olives, consider an olive harvesting trip in Crete or Kalamata (yes, that Kalamata). Visitors can help out with the harvest for a one-day or one-week part of their Hellenic holiday.

Read also: Five destinations in Indonesia to visit this year

National parks, United States and Canada

For the best display of natures mood-shifting ways, bookmark a weekend away to a local national park, where the trees are singing their last swan song in hues of burnt orange, red and yellow. All national parks in Canada are free until the remainder of the year, to mark the countrys 150th birthday, while the crowds have thinned at major national parks in the U.S. following the summer rush.
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Linkedin Luh De Suriyani (The Jakarta Post) Denpasar  Thu, September 7, 2017 10:06 1894 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97af92a22 4 Destinations salt,SaltProduction,salt-worker,bali,sea-salt Free

Despite a declining number of home industries producing traditional sea salt in Bali, several farmers have stepped up their game by producing high quality salt for their loyal customers.

Nyoman Madiyasa is among the remaining Balinese salt farmers. In his 70s, the farmer still demonstrates strength in cultivating his salt farm on Les Beach in Tejakula, Buleleng, located in the northeastern part of the island, around three hours by motorcycle from Denpasar.



Mardiyasa produces his salt by using the solar evaporation method, which is the trades oldest and most traditional technique. However, producing salt is not as easy as merely placing seawater under the heat of the sun. Salt farmers must also filter out any metal substances and make sure that the end product still contains its natural minerals.



Mardiyasa and other salt farmers usually start early in the morning to ensure that they have the filtered seawater ready to dry in the afternoon. Farmers loosen the soil of the salt fields before sprinkling the surface with seawater. By mid-afternoon, the soil will have absorbed the seawater and the soil is loosened again before being placed inside a tinjungan (cone-shaped tool made of bamboo).

The tinjungan serves as a filtering tool. A machine pushes seawater into thetinjungan and slowly, the filtered seawater drips into a separate container. This filtered seawater will sit under the sun to evaporate, and the salt will be ready to harvest after two to three days. The farmers sell the salt to distributors at Rp 8,000 (60 US cents) to 10,000 per kilogram.

Patience required: Salt farmers from Kusamba, Klungkung regency provide interesting packages for their salt. (JP/Luh De Suriyani)

I always pray that this salt will be able to take care of the families and residents here, said Mardiyasa, who leads the Mina Lestari Salt Farmer group in Les village.



Of the groups 23 members, only two farmers have their own fields to cultivate. Mardiyasa said that around a decade ago, salt farms in his village used to span 3 kilometers along the coast. Today, however, only 1 km of salt farms remains.



I hope we can survive. Please dont convert the salt farms into hotels, he said.



Traditional solar salt farms are an attraction for visitors who have lunch at Warung Tasik in Les Village. Designed by celebrated Indonesian architect Popo Danes, the restaurant resembles a traditional wooden house. Its menu of traditional dishes is made with local ingredients  such as pumpkins and fish caught by nearby fishermen  that are seasoned with Les salt, which is less salty and not as bitter as salt processed with modern methods. Warung Tasik also has a warehouse shaped like a traditional Javanese joglo to store salt.



Balinese salt is used for more than just seasoning. It has become a marketing tool and has even sparked design ideas. Around 20 minutes to the east of Les village, a hotel makes use of the energy sourced from the salt.



An intricately decorated tinjungan placed on the side of the road grabs the attention of passersby from Tinjung Hotel, which also took inspiration from the tinjungan design to decorate its rooms. The hotels beachfront is adorned with a row of palungan (stems of coconut trees), which are used to contain filtered seawater during the evaporation process.

Food and farm: Farmers work next to Warung Tasik on Les Beach, Tejakula, Buleleng. (JP/Luh De Suriyani)

Palungan is expensive. It has to be made from the stem of 100-year-old coconut trees, which dont rot easily, said Melinda, a member of the family that owns Tinjung Hotel.



A majority of salt farmers in Les village have replaced the palungan with plastic to speed up the evaporation process. These plastic devices are also foldable for when it rains.



Melinda said the hotel gives monthly allowances to salt farmers and helps market their commodities as souvenirs to hotel guests. People who stay in the hotel can also learn how to make traditional salt.



In another coastal area in Karangasem regency, Bali, another group of traditional salt farmers have successfully secured a geographic indication certificate for producing Garam Amed to prove that the salt variant originates from the area, and therefore, possesses qualities and a reputation that is unique.



Around 25 families of the remaining Garam Amed farmers still use tinjunganand palungan to produce traditional salt. The area is also home to Uyah Hotel, which does not only display traditional salt products in its restaurant, but also allows salt farmers to cultivate its land.



I Nengah Suanda, coordinator of the Society for the Protection of Geographical Indication of Garam Amed, said he regularly sends Garam Amed to organic food distributors and restaurants in Jakarta. He said that according to laboratory tests, Garam Amed is of a higher quality than mandated by the national standard for salt consumption.



Another group of Balinese salt farmers also still survives in Kusamba, Klungkung regency. They have a slightly different method of filtering seawater than their fellow farmers in Buleleng and Karangasem. Instead of using soil, the Kusamba farmers use sand.



With their hard work and traditional method, these salt farmers do not only provide a healthy source of salt for the community, but also contribute to the islands tourism.


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Linkedin (Pesona Indonesia) Jakarta  Thu, September 7, 2017 16:01 1893 4065a5a8898c7cc661d4adf97afae79e 2 News Tourism-Ministry,Tourism-Ministry-Pesona-Indonesia,tourism-ministry-wonderful-Indonesia,AirAsia,Chinese-tourists Free

The tourism ministry has partnered up with AirAsia airline for a familiarization trip (fam trip) activity for travel agents from China to the Thousand Islands and Bandung from September 4 to 8.

This fam trip is being held in order to increase the number of overseas tourists from Macau to come to Indonesia as well as achieving the target of 15 million overseas tourists from 2017, where the primary market is Asia Pacific.

This fam trip event is also related to AirAsias new Jakarta  Macau route. I hope this will bring a great impact to tourism in Indonesia, said the ministry's deputy assistant for Asia-Pacific tourism promotion, Vinsensius Jemadu.

The new Jakarta  Macau route is expected to increase the number of Chinese tourists coming to Indonesia to 1,874,000 people.

Read also: Five capsule hotels to stay at in Jakarta

Meanwhile, AirAsia Indonesia's commercial director Irdiantara said that the opening of the new route to Jakarta instead of Bali is because the company wants to help the ministry in promoting the 10 Priority Destinations program, or also known as 10 New Balis. One of the places in the list is the Thousand Islands, Jakarta.

Weve scheduled a business meeting between the fam trip participants and representatives of The Association of Indonesian Tour and Travel Agencies (ASITA). Not only do they form business relationships with the local partners, there is also a chance to create new tour packages, said Irdiantara.

Pramuka Island in the Thousand Islands is one the destinations the fam trip participants are visiting. They can do underwater activities such as diving and snorkeling, two favorite activities among Chinese tourists.

The group is also taking part in the Jakarta City Tour program, visiting the Old Town, Istqlal Mosque and National Monument (Monas).

Meanwhile, in Bandung, they will visit Tangkuban Perahu, Rumah Mode factory outlet and Gedung Sate, the city's landmark. (asw)
Lakewood, a town synonymous with Chesed, is getting ready again  this time to host residents fleeing Hurricane Irma.

As the Category 5 hurricane threatens the lives and homes of Florida residents, families are moving out  as far as they can get before Shabbos.

TLS has learned that numerous Frum families are heading up North  as far as Lakewood.

If they reach the New Jersey area by tomorrow, we will make sure they have where to stay for Shabbos, one Askan told TLS.

One family from Miami tells TLS hes packing up his family with some basic belongings, and just moving out.

I plan to try to head to Chicago, if not, I will have to drive and see how far my tank gets me  to Orlando, Jacksonville, Atlanta or possibly Baltimore, one resident told TLS.

Hurricane Irma comes just days after Harvey slammed Texas, prompting an outpouring of support from residents of Lakewood and around the Country.

Multiple families from Lakewood have told TLS they are ready to host guests if needed.

Should the need arise, TLS will post all pertinent information.
Coming up next week, Community Board 3s transportation/public safety committee will be taking a look at whether a high density of liquor permits has an adverse impact on local public health and public safety.

Community District 3 is, of course, home to one of the largest concentrations of bars, clubs and alcohol-centered restaurants in the city. The committee will be examining existing data to find out whether theres a link between liquor permits and the well-being of the local community, and whether anything should be done to deal with any adverse effects.

There will be presentations from Robert Pezzolesi of the New York Alcohol Policy Alliance, Professor Sigmund Shipp of Hunter College. Shipp will be joined by two graduate students who recently published a report on the link between liquor permits and public health on the Lower East Side. The students conducted the study at the request of the Lower East Side Dwellers neighborhood group.

The board could potentially ask the State Liquor Authority, local Department of Health or the citys new Night Mayor to address the issue.

According to CB3s public notice, the committee is, interested in hearing from community members and organizations about their perceptions of any link (or lack thereof) between the number of alcohol serving establishments in your neighborhoods and declining or improving local health and safety conditions.

The meeting will be held Tuesday, Sept. 12, 6:45 p.m., Downtown Art, 70 East Fourth St.
By Ajay Kumar: Despite all rumours, a top cop of Delhi Police claimed that the force has only one 25-second video clip in which British national Murray Denis Ward was found sexually abusing three students of National Association for the Blind.

According to DCP (south) Ishwar Singh, NAB officials have submitted just one mobile phone video as proof.

"There is no more video of the alleged person in which he was found abusing visually disable minors. During interrogation, he has confessed to have abused three minor boys to fulfil his sexual desires in this single case. The accused was associated with different NGOs in the past but he has not confessed any other crime. Ward appears to be mentally sick with paedophilic nature but there is no concrete evidence so far to claim that he did similar sexual acts, while working in his previous companies," Singh said.

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British national arrested in Delhi for sodomising visually-challenged students

National Association for the Blind bars volunteers after sex abuse row

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An image of a lifelike robot has breached entry rules by being shortlisted for one of the worlds most famous photography prizes.

Judges of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize said they considered disqualifying the photograph of Erica, a Japanese-made android, but agreed to let it through.

Rules for the 15,000 prize, organised by the National Portrait Gallery, state that all photographs must have been taken by the entrant form of life and with a living sitter.

A spokesperson for the gallery explained the decision to allow the unusual entry, saying: It was felt that the subject of this portrait, while not human, is a representation of a human figure and makes a powerful statement as a work of art in its questioning of what it is to be alive or human.

The photograph, called One of Them is a Human #1, was taken by the Finnish artist Maija Tammi, and forms part of a collection of work designed to ask questions about what it means to be alive.

Tammi was allowed just 30 minutes with the android, created in the Hiroshi Ishiguro Laboratories an Osaka University.

The other two shortlisted portraits are a picture of a woman fleeing ISIS in Mosul by Welsh photographer Abbie Trayler-Smith and an image of migrant Amadou Sumaila by Cesar Dezfuli of Spain.

The three portraits were shortlisted from over 5,000 submissions from both amateur and professional photographers. The winner will be announced on November 14th and will be exhibited along with 60 other chosen submissions at the National Portrait Gallery from November 16th to February 4th.
Prepare yourselves, the most beautiful women in the world are about to strut down the legendary Victorias Secret Catwalk in nothing but the most amazingly designed underwear, and ethereal sets of wings!

Taking place in Shanghai on November 28th, the 2017 show is set to be spectacular. And, though Kendall Jenner will be a no show, weve rounded up a fact file of our favourite returning Angels, plus all the juicy info on the stunning new faces joining the team.

THE NEWBIES

AIDEN CURTISS

Bio: Daughter of legendary model Katoucha Nian, Aiden Curtiss is becoming a stellar model in her own right, having walked for Stella McCartney, FentyxPuma, and Versace and as part of Gaps spring campaign, we cant wait to see her in China!

Age: 19

Height: 6ft

Did you know? Aidens other passion is dubstep and she aims to be a producer and DJ in the future.

Instagram: @aidencurtiss

ROOSMARIJN DE KOK

Bio: This Dutch beauty was scouted through a Skype call and now is part of campaigns for Nasty Gal and H&M, shes appeared in Vogue Thailand and has already worked with Victorias Secret for their lookbook, but this will be her first time on their runway!

Age: 22

Height: 5 ft 10

Did you know? She loves to bake and has a tattoo of the number 5 behind her ear to represent her family.

Instagram:

@roosmarijndekok





GRACE BOL

Bio: Whilst new to The Victorias Secret show, this Sudanese model Grace Bol, who fled South Sudan when she was 8 due to civil war, is by no means new to the fashion scene! Bol is a member of Olivier Rousteings Balmain Army and has been on the cover of Dazed Magazine, Numero, Interview Russia and i-D to name a few!

Age: 27

Height: 5ft 11

Did you know? She always gets mistaken for modelling legend Alex Wek and this year they collaborated on a shoot For Dazed magazine.

Instagram: @gracebol

ALEXINA GRAHAM

Bio: Representing the Brits on the catwalk is Nottingham model Alexina, who started out modelling through a competition and is now a global brand ambassador for LOreal Paris.

Age: 26

Height: 5 ft 11.5

Did you know? She refers to herself as a grandma, as she doesnt like going out and shes more of a dinner, drinks and bed kind of girl.

Instagram:

@alexinagraham

ESTELLE CHEN

Bio: The stunning Estelle was born in China and grew up in France, where she was scouted in 2012 and won the Elite Model Look competition in 2013 and subsequently signed a 3-year contract with Elite Model Management. She has since been in campaigns all over the world and was also the only Asian model in the 2015/16 Dior Haute Couture show.

Age: 19

Height: 5 ft 10

Did you know? Estelle is both beauty and brains, the Chinese model can speak French, English, Mandarin Chinese, some German and some Wenzhou dialect.

Instagram: @chen_estelle

OUR RETURNING FAVOURITES

KARLIE KLOSS

Bio: After a two-year break from walking the show, this angel is back and we couldnt be more excited for her return. In the last few years Karlie learnt how to code and since then has founded Kode With Klossy, which hosts girls coding summer camps, empowering girls to learn to code and awarding career scholarships to young women developers.

Age: 25

Height: 6 ft 2

Did you know? Like the Kardashians, all her siblings' names start with a K: Kristine, Kimberly and Kariann.

Instagram:

@karliekloss





BELLA HADID

Bio: Alongside her o

lder sister, Gigi, Bella will be returning to Victoria's Secret catwalk, where last year media attention focused on her run in with ex The Weeknd, who was performing on the show, which she handled like a pro, lets hope this year is even better for Bella!

Age: 20

Height: 5 ft9

Did you know? This September Bella is on five Vogue covers, two Elle Covers, and one Harpers Bazaar cover!

Instagram:

@bellahadid

CANDICE SWANEPOEL

Bio: The South-African beauty is returning to her wings following the birth of her adorable son, Anaca. Shes only been gone for a year and we cant wait for her return.

Age: 28

Height: 5ft 10

Did you know? The supermodel claims shes at her happiest on a beach, with a good pair of sunglasses and reggae music, shes basically one of us!

Instagram:

@angelcandices

BEHATI PRINSLOO

Bio: This fab angel with a great sense of humour is also returning after a hiatus, following the birth of her daughter Dusty Rose with husband, Maroon 5 front man, Adam Levine.

Age: 28

Height: 5ft 11

Did you know? Behati has four tattoos; dots on her ring finger, three italics

youre so cool's on her ribcage, circles on the back of her neck and one new mystery tattoo on her arm.

Instagram: @behatprinsloo

JASMINE TOOKES

Bio: Last years fantasy bra wearer is back! The VS angel has had a busy year, taking part in more Victorias secrets campaigns and teaming up with fellow angel, Martha Hunt for a Liu Jo denim campaign.

Age: 26

Height: 5ft 9

Did you know? Growing up she did fast pitch softball and became the no.1 pitcher in the country!

Instagram: @jastookes

Time to start counting down the days, and place our bets on who is going to be wearing the coveted Fantasy Bra...
Imagine losing everything. Your house, perhaps your family members or pets, and the city or town you live in. You probably can't, the very idea is likely too horrible to entertain. Yet for some this is the new reality with which they must live.

When you lose things that are a major part of your life there can be ramifications upon your own health. With Hurricane Harvey leaving Texas destroyed and Hurricane Irma already wreaking havoc in the Caribbean, it seems appropriate to warn people about the dangers of natural disasters, and inform you about how you can help.

It is also worth noting that while those in the UK are lucky enough to be relatively safe from such disasters, severe storms and flooding can still cause suffering and loss. As such people should always be vigilant and recognise in what ways they are vulnerable.

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), is one of the more common psychological effects that occur after natural disasters, with a great deal of people suffering from it at the same time. According to the National Center for PTSD , there are many factors that come into play when determining the risk of suffering from PTSD after a natural disaster. Some of those factors include severity of exposure, age, whether you have good or poor social support, coping mechanisms, resilience, and whether or not you live in a developing country.

The Mayo Clinic says that some of the effects of PTSD may appear as intrusive memories, avoidance or negative changes in thinking or mood. They might also appear as changes in physical and emotional reactions, such as trouble thinking and concentrating, being easily frightened and always being on edge.

Another mental health concern for people that have gone through a type of natural disaster is depression. Depression is the second most problematic issue people face (after anxiety) in regards to their mental health, according to the Australian Psychological Society . A study done by researchers from Sichuan University surveyed 435 children and adults who survived two major earthquakes. After 12 months, 43.9% of those people suffered from PTSD, 20.9% from depression, and 18.9% suffered from both PTSD and depression. After 30 months, 15.7% still suffered from PTSD and 21.9% from depression. This is one of many examples showing how natural disasters can have a significant effect on people's lives long after the tragedy has occurred.

If you ever find yourself a victim of a natural disaster do not despair, as there are many ways to cope. These include:

-Spending time with family

-Limiting your exposure to the disaster

-Talking about it (either with friends or with a professional)

-Asking for help

For more on coping after natural disasters you can visit Mental Health America

If you know someone that has survived a natural disaster and want to help, you can do so by showing as much support as possible and watching out for the symptoms of PTSD, depression and other mental health concerns.

If you are a bystander of a natural disaster there are many ways that you can help as well, including:

-Research which charities and organisations are helping those affected. Either donate money to them or see if they are looking for volunteers to go and help in person. Examples for Texas include the Red Cross and the Salvation Army

-Donate money on JustGiving and other fundraising sites

- Donate blood

- Show support (either in person to those you know who are affected or via social media)
Acts of bravery are often shown in times of need, and the devastation of Hurricane Harvey was no exception.

Here are five inspirational stories from the last fortnight which will remind you theres some good in the world yet.

CNN 1. From: CNN News reporter saves someones life

CNN reporter Ed Lavandera was in a boat in Dickinson, Texas, when a woman flagged him down. He then proceded to rescue the womans elderly grandparents.

NPR 2. From: A furniture store used its beds for hurricane victims

Jim McIngvale opened his stores to anyone who needed a place to stay. The two stores hosted 360 and 400 people respectively. McIngvale also opened his stores back in 2005, for victims of Hurricane Katrina.

Washington Post 3. From: News reporter stays on air to save man trapped in truck

Brandi Smith, news reporter for KHOU 11 news, noticed a man trapped in his truck while she was reporting. She then saved the mans life by flagging down a rescue team, who claimed they had not noticed that the man needed help.

New York Daily News 4. From: woman saved by volunteers after waiting 8 hours

Iashia Nelson was stuck on a rooftop for eight hours waiting for help, until as a last resort she turned to Instagram. Good Morning America saw her post and proceded to video chat her on live TV. Her apperence made it possible for volunteers to locate and save her.

Houston Chronicle 5. From: Anheuser-Busch sends water cans to flood victims

Anheuser-Busch, a large beer company, stopped production in the midst of the disaster in order to send cans of water to flood victims. Although they looked like beer cans, they were in fact filled with water.
The United Nations has yet again attracted criticism with the unfairness of their unpaid internship schemes.

Last week, journalist and SPA Trustee Jem Collins tweeted her disgust at an internship opening for UN's Human Rights department,

saying she was beyond disappointed that it was an unpaid position.

So, the media unit of the @UNHumanRights is offering a full-time internship for up to six months, but it's unpaid. Beyond disappointed.  Jem Collins (@Jem_Collins) September 1, 2017

The Media Unit in the Communications Section at the UN Human Rights Office is looking for an intern with excellent research skills,

a good understanding of global media and fluency in English.

Knowledge of human rights would be a plus and some knowledge of French is desirable.

The person chosen will have to be able to work independently with minimal supervision and carry out various tasks, including media monitoring and research.

However, the six-month entry position is unpaid and the intern is expected to work

(

dependently with minimal supervision)

full-time in Geneva.

criticised for its exploitative This is not the first time that United Nations has beeninternship policy.

Jesus, just seen it's a bigger problem. This is fucking disgusting. https://t.co/57lVHFuRZ9 pic.twitter.com/SrzbECp1oM  Jem Collins (@Jem_Collins) September 1, 2017

revealed In 2015 David Hyde made headlines for living in a tent during the duration of his internship. Although it was laterthat

lied on his application saying he could afford the living costs in Geneva. It was

part of a plan to

expose the UN's hypocrisy of "

relying on unpaid workers while promoting equality and human rights."

In 2014, the General Assembly document

employed 4,018 unpaid interns revealed that the UN hadbetween 2015-2013 and 4,475 in the period 2014-2015.

Speaking to The National Student, Jem said:

"Unpaid internships are a massive issue across the journalism industry, and it's never good enough to say 'that's just how it works."

In order for the media to reflect our diverse society, it itself needs to be diverse. We simply can't do this though when the best opportunities can only go to the well off. I think I speak for most of us, when I say I couldn't afford to live for six months unpaid."

She explained that just 11% of journalists come from working class families despite 60% of them identifying as working class.

The fact this [statistic] comes from the UN, and its human rights department, which is supposed to embody the values of equality and diversity... is quite frankly beyond belief.

UN Youth Report In 2016, therevealed that more and more companies are offering unpaid internships for recent graduates. In these incidents, "

the internship is not necessarily linked to specific educational outcomes, and in many cases the work of the young intern is replacing that of regular staff.

Perhaps it is time to remind the Secretariat of the UNs' very own Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and in particular article 23 that everyone has the right to a just and favourable pay for their work.

he had
Its getting darker! Autumn is most definitely here, the rain cometh.

Weve got a bloated, crazy head of an increasingly failed-state threatening nuclear conflict! And Kim Jong-Un isnt exactly helping either.

With the sun becoming more a stranger than a friend, and the dark (mushroom) clouds gathering its time for our tunes to also take a darker tone.

Theres plenty of cerebral and deep cuts in this weeks bumper pick on new tuneage to grace our inboxes this week.

Hopefully the world will survive long enough to enjoy it ;)

The By Gods  Silver Line

Tennessee band The By Gods are really channelling the angst on the track Silver Line released ahead of new album Move On. Its an apt title for the new record as the band have moved on into much harder, grungier rock and Sliver Line is the perfect introduction to this new era.

Guy Andrews  Feelings

With Feelings Andrews continues his mastery of apocalyptic post-rock music for the dancefloor. With vocalist Alev Lenz in tow (you might have heard her in season three of Black Mirror) this is another sinister and pulsating track that claws at the soul. As a taster for new album Take it shows this new release could be something special.

Farm Hand  International Dreams

Islet have been pummelling the concept of rock music for years, so it makes sense that any solo foray from its members would be interesting. As Farm Hand, Mark Daman Thomas, creates aural reflections on rural life with car boot beats, second-hand organs, loops and field recordings. New track International Dreams floats of a dark, cyclical melody.

Jupiter Grey  Taken From Me

This is another deep soulful jam from Jupiter Grey taken from his upcoming EP Wounded Soul. Reminiscent of classic 90S RnB it clatters with future-beats. Its a club-ready banger with a deep confessional tone.

Frida Sundemo  Gold

Esoteric Swedish songstress Frida Sundemo continues to release expectation-confounding pop music, and latest cut Gold follows suit. Its a dramatic swell of synths, tribal drums and rousing strings pushing the fragile vocals into new realms. Its grand but intimate  an amazing feat in a single pop tune.

SIINAI  Ananda

Finnish cosmonauts Siinai orbit Earth with 'Sykli' - a record based around gyrating lunar loops and pulsing drones "exploring the cyclic nature of life and the moving of light into darkness". This is one for fans of expansive prog rock and the metronomic flow of classic krautrock. Immerse yourself.

Electric Eye  Invisible Prison

Another nod to classic sounds, this time of the more psychedelic type. Invisible Prison is a deep, dark, acid-prog jam with funky grooves and Can-esque ambience. Its a fantastic stoner-jam to lose yourself in and tap your foot to.

Invisible Prison by Electric Eye

White Wine  Failling From The Same Place

I wanted to avoid saying this new track from White Wine sounds like Liars. But it does sound like Liars. That is never bad thing. Its unsettling, intoxicating and hypnotic and nicks ingredients from a whole bunch of best-ever artists  Nick Cave, Suicide, Bowie. Its just damn good!

Sltface  Backyard

It doesnt look like this lot are going to stop being awesome any time soon. Backyard is a snarling, riotous punk-pop assault. It is swiftly becoming a firm fan-favourite live, and its not hard to see why.

OxenFree  Caterpillar

Brooklyn garage-band OxenFree have dropped the solid chunk of echoed, garage-punk that is Caterpilar. Its just a cool tune, perfect for smoky bars and rock n roll debauchery.

Mr Yolk  Baker Street

Baker Street comes on like an 80s pop wonder remixed for a Factory Records dance 12 b-side. Its wonderfully concise, simple yet complex. If the rest of the forthcoming album Self Portrait is this good, then it will be one hell of an album.

Elli Ingram - Stone Cold

Rising-star Elli Ingram has been crafting her vocals and sound in her bedroom for years, and is now ready to unleash her debut album. With sultry, jazz undertones and a laid-back 70s soul feel Stone Cold was crafted with recent Ninja Tune signing Jordan Rakei. Expect big things!

Alexander Wolfe  Breaking The Fall

Breaking The Fall is a dextrous and subtly inspiring return for Alexander Wolfe. He is a compulsive songwriter whose sound has developed a new edge. This new material is typically acoustic but with an art-rock finish.

Matias Aguayo & The Desdemonas - Cold Fever

Matias Aguayo and his new band The Desdemonas have opened up the sewer networks to Sofarnopolis - a fictitious city which their record is themed around. A spot where bands still rule the roost and party all night at the legendary 'Rabbit Hole', the record shifts between bands that make up this scene, taking on industrial tinged death rock, minimal wave and tribal electronics. 'Cold Fever' are next on the bill.

Emmecosta - A Mountain From Us

Emmecosta communicate intoxicating atmospheres with the dream-pop, where muffled vocals act as another instrumental layer. A Mountain From Us is a perfect post-club electronic pop cut.

Bicep  Aura

Biceps recent debut album is already fighting for an album of the year nod, its just that good! Aura is the latest individual cut taken from the immense record  so, yeah, its another electronic wonder.
Sources said the first day of grilling was to ascertain basic information, but the real interrogation was kept for day 2.

By Kamaljit Kaur Sandhu: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday summoned Kashmir High Court Bar Association president Mian Abdul Qayoom for the second day in a row in connection with terror funding.

Qayoom, sources say, was grilled over his alleged "Benami" properties and his bank accounts. Sources said the first day of grilling was to ascertain basic information, but the real interrogation was kept for day 2.

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Sources said Qayoom, 67, has said that the agency's notice was slapped under Section 160 CrPC, provisions under which required the agency to record the statement of a witness at his place of residence if he/she was less than 15 or more than 65 Years of age.

Qayoom has claimed that he volunteered to appear before the NIA. The agency, however, has said there is no violation of law and he has simply been asked to present himself before the counter terror agency to answer questions.

Kashmir Bar Association, meanwhile, shot off a letter to Chief Justice of India, stating that the lawyers were compelled to go on strike citing a witch-hunt against them. The letter says "Mian Abdul Qayoom has alleged that a 'malicious campaign' is being spread by the media."

On behalf of Qayoom, the association said that its president does not own directly, indirectly or otherwise any property in the areas of Jammu, Hyderpora, Peerbagh, Zakura, Lal Bazar, Lasjan, Pantha Chowk, shopping complex at an unknown place.

Sources, however, said, "There is evidence of multiple properties he owns, and he will be grilled on his bank accounts, income tax also." Another source in MHA said that "there has been evidence against some of the high profile accused, but even the IT and ED officers faced threat, and sometimes succumbed to pressure."

"Though some of the Hurriyat leaders have threatened legal action against the agency, they will continue to do their job and get to bottom of the conspiracy," added sources.

Also read:

Kashmir terror funding: NIA raids 12 locations linked to family, aides of top businessman Zahoor Watali

India Today Impact: Naeem Khan, Bitta Karate, 5 other separatists arrested by NIA over Pak funding of terror

Exclusive: After Hurriyat arrests, Srinagar businessman Zahoor Watali under intelligence radar

Terror funding case: NIA finds evidence against Syed Ali Shah Geelani, action likely soon

ALSO WATCH: How crucial is NIA crackdown on Hurriyat's top funder Zahoor Watali to ending terror financing

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--- ENDS ---
Proposals aimed at forcing a post-Brexit cut in low-skilled migrants from Europe have been leaked in a Home Office document.

Heres what you need to know.

What does the document say?

The 82-page government paper, obtained by The Guardian, suggests that new immigration arrangements would be introduced immediately at the point the UK finally leaves the EU, at the end of a transition period lasting at least two years.

(Toby Melville/PA)

Departure from the EU will mean the end of rights-based, unconditional free movement, with the Government adopting powers to take a more selective approach over which migrants will be allowed to work and settle in the UK.

The Government will take a view on the economic and social needs of the country as regards EU migration, rather than leaving this decision entirely to those wishing to come here and employers, it states.

What are its key points?

Regarding work, the most eye-catching proposals in the draft blueprint are new curbs on EU migrant labour, in particular, those coming to take up low-skilled jobs.

The document, which makes clear that the rules are not yet decided, floats the idea of restricting access to occupations that do not have a shortage of employees.

It suggests the number of EU citizens able to come to the UK for low-skilled work could be limited by a salary threshold, an assessment of the skill level of the occupation, or a direct cap on numbers.

(PA Graphics)

A scheme for temporary or seasonal workers could be introduced, while employers may need to complete an economic needs test to check whether suitable recruits can be found locally before hiring an EU migrant.

Those in highly skilled roles who have a contract of more than 12 months could be given a residence permit lasting three to five years, with two years for other occupations.

The paper sets out possible new rules for family members of EU citizens. These could be modelled on a current regime which says UK citizens, or non-EU nationals, who wish to be joined by non-European dependents have to earn at least 18,600 a year.

The draft also admits that while not wanting to cut numbers per se, restrictions on students from the EU may be necessary.

What are people saying?

The leak drew criticism from opposition parties ahead of crunch Commons votes on the EU (Withdrawal) Bill, which gets its second reading in Parliament on Thursday.

London Mayor Sadiq Khan said: Leaked plans to deter EU migrants are a blueprint on how to strangle our economy. Wrong for London & for Britain.

"Most people from the EU come here to work" says MigrationWatch. So who's going to do the work after Brexit controls?  Krishnan Guru-Murthy (@krishgm) September 6, 2017

Shadow home secretary Diane Abbott said: Labour wants fair rules and reasonable management of migration in accordance with the needs of our economy and our values as a party.

This leaked document is not yet Government policy. If it becomes so, we will judge it against the criteria we have laid out.

The SNPs Westminster leader, Ian Blackford, called the leaked proposals a disgrace and said the policies could break up families.

Interim Ukip leader Steve Crowther said the paper takes the right line, but Green Party co-leader Caroline Lucas said: The Governments post-Brexit immigration crackdown isnt just economically illiterate, its plainly cruel too.

Labour MP Yvette Cooper, chairwoman of the House of Commons Home Affairs Committee, said the document seemed to contradict the Home Secretarys decision just over a month ago to ask the Migration Advisory Committee to provide all the evidence to underpin a new immigration policy.

Defence Secretary Sir Michael Fallon insisted the Home Office document does not represent the Governments final position but appeared to back its overall strategy.

(Stefan Rousseau/PA)

He told BBC Breakfast: I cant set out the proposals yet, they have not yet been finalised, they are being worked on at the moment.

There is obviously a balance to be struck, we dont want to shut the door, of course not.

We have always welcomed to this country those who can make a contribution to our economy, to our society, people with high skills.

On the other hand we want British companies to do more to train up British workers, to do more to improve skills of those who leave our colleges.

So theres always a balance to be struck.

Were not closing the door on all future immigration but it has to be managed properly and people do expect to see the numbers coming down.

Sir Michael said Home Secretary Amber Rudd would bring forward finalised proposals on immigration later this year.
More than a fifth of LGBT people have been victims of hate crimes, such as insults, unwanted sexual contact, or even violence in the last year.

For trans people, that figures doubles to 41%, according to LGBT charity Stonewall.

Most of these incidents are in the form of insults, harassment and intimidation, which account for 87%.

Researchers spoke to more than 5,000 people in the UK to gauge how anti-LGBT hate crimes are affecting people.

So in response, Stonewall is encouraging people to come out for LGBT, by standing up as allies, donating to the charity, making a stand at work or educating young people.

Many celebs have come out in support of the cause, including comic actress Dawn French, Sherlock actor Andrew Scott, presenter Denise Welch and Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain.

Referee Ryan Atkin, who became the first openly gay professional official when he came out last month, explained why he was taking part in the campaign.

Someone had texted a friend to say, You know Ryan is gay, dont you?, he said.

The friend just replied Yes. Its 2017, it doesnt matter!.

I hope in years to come, we wont need these campaigns, he said.

But while 36% of LGBT people still arent happy to hold their partners hands in public, and one in 10 have been discriminated against over housing, theres plenty more still to do for the cause of equality.
After her relative silence this year, Taylor Swift has rocked her fans worlds once again with the release of her new song and music video

Look What You Made Me Do.

Look What You Made Me Do, Taylor Swift, music video. Screenshot (YouTube)

Now, you can say what you like about her, but this recent turn of events should prove it: Taylor Swift is an absolute genius. She's far from dumb. She knows what people have been saying about her, and she knows exactly how to make money out of it.

It started when all her social media accounts went black. And I'm not just talking about her Twitter or Instagram. I'm talking about those little accounts nobody has ever heard of or knew she had; her Line account, her Tumblr.

It's so clever. She got people talking about her by saying absolutely nothing. And it worked so well.

Her social media blackout got the internet abuzz and sent fans into a frenzy wondering if it was now time for her new 'era'.

I wouldn't count myself as a Taylor Swift fan. Sure, some of her songs are fun and easy to sing along to. Others not so much. But even I was on the edge of my seat curiously wondering what this could mean.

So when she released a trio of short videos featuring a black snake it was easy to get caught in the maelstrom of excitement.

A post shared by Taylor Swift (@taylorswift) on Aug 23, 2017 at 7:01am PDT





When it was announced that her new album would be called Reputation everything seemed to fall into place

The imagery of a snake (a name she has been called ever since her feud with Kanye West and Kim Kardashian reached melting point and Taylor was outed when Kim revealed Taylor did in fact know about the lyrics to West's song Famous - yes, it's all very high school) is savage. It really allows her to own the slurs that have haunted her for so long.

It didn't end there. Taylor Swift created such a buzz around her new music that when the music video dropped at the recent VMAs, it almost felt like the whole world stopped what they were doing to watch.

And she went in on every single person that has ever wronged her. She mocked the 'I heart T.S.' vest her ex, actor Tom Hiddleston, wore on a beach that the internet laughed at. She showed she hasn't forgiven Katy Perry for stealing her dancers by dressing up as the popstar and holding a Grammy, something Perry has never won. She acknowledged the countless headlines that made fun of her seemingly endless cult-like 'squad' of girlfriends.

She reminded us all of every single negative headline, and every single bad thing ever said about her. She told us she knew what we thought. And she doesn't give a damn. She quite literally killed off her old selves in a sequence at the end of the video that is nothing short of brilliant.

Look What You Made Me Do, Taylor Swift, music video. Screenshot (YouTube)

This new era of music has allowed for Taylor to shed that 'good girl' image. An image that was quickly dying anyway in light of all the negative press and public arguments she has been involved in. Taylor Swift is saying she's back and she is ready to blow things up.

She's a genius. She has played us all. Taylor Swift has used her fame to make her even richer than she already was. We can hate her all we want, but the girl knows how to grow her empire.

Of course, this entire come-back has occurred right after her epic court case win, in which she stood up for every single woman that has ever felt sexualised.

"I'm not going to allow you or your client to make me feel in any way that this is my fault, because it isn't... I am being blamed for the unfortunate events of his life that are a product of his decisions and not mine."

And with that line she was fighting for every girl that has ever been sexually assaulted. It was amazing. She was amazing. She impressed me so much and I found myself respecting her in a way I never have before.

Look What You Made Me Do, Taylor Swift, music video. Screenshot (YouTube)

Until the music video dropped and she threw shade at every single person that has ever wronged her. Which is fair enough. I'd have probably done the same. Good for her, finally standing up for herself. It was outstanding.

But then some people picked up on the fact that she, arguably, mocked Kim Kardashian with the robbery she traumatically went through.

And whether that's a reach or not, it reminded me that Taylor Swift isn't someone to admire. She definitely isn't someone to respect.

She hasn't spoken up in support of the Black Lives Matter movement. She hasn't shown public support for Planned Parenthood. She is the definition of a white feminist. She only cares about herself and her worries. The line " the world moves on another day another drama, drama. But not for me, not for me, all I think about is karma" from her new single proves that.

Not to mention the name of the song. Look What You Made Me Do. Something countless rape victims have said that their attacker threw at them. Shocking considering Taylor Swift just went through a court case based around sexual abuse. Swift is attempting to put the blame on others for her own actions. It comes across as quite juvenile.

This recent turn of events only highlights the fact that she doesn't actually care about the wider issues in society currently. All she cares about is that she is succeeding and manipulating her image in the media once again.

The new song is okay. I liked it more with each listen. It's catchy. I keep catching myself singing it in my head. The music video is incredible. The whole thing is genius.

But

I don't like her. I don't have to. She has proven she is here to stay and she doesn't give a damn what anyone thinks anymore. The old Taylor is well and truly dead.
On Good Morning Britain yesterday, Conservative MP for North East Somerset and the centrepiece of many Facebook memes Jacob Rees-Mogg managed something no-one should ever be proud of. He made Piers Morgan, misogynist and general disgusting person, look like the good guy, due to his comments on abortion and homosexuality.

he was completely opposed to abortion under all circumstances, including for rape victims, and that he opposes same-sex marriage Rees-Mogg stated that. This comes after he was tipped as the next leader of the Conservative Party if Theresa May were to step down, and after becoming the subject of a number of memes since the general election in June.

Within my age group and politically engaged group of peers, he is incredibly easy to laugh at. Hes insufferably posh, Eton and Oxford-educated, and a very generic Tory stereotype. My universitys meme Facebook page even made a meme featuring him, and it does make me laugh.

However, if we are to laugh at, and make memes about these sort of politicians we must be aware of and critical of their views, and more importantly, voting records. The more publicity people like Rees-Mogg get, even if it is through the medium of memes and jokes online, the more of a platform they have. And if they have inherently dangerous views, like Rees-Mogg, that can be a huge problem. We saw a similar thing happen with Trump, and we must be careful not to let the same thing happen here.

voting record. But how, exactly, are Rees-Moggs views inherently dangerous? Lets have a look at hisHe has always voted against equal marriage and equal LGBT rights, he has always voted against a better welfare system, he has voted against disability benefits and voted for tuition fees being raised to 9,000 a year.

He has a traditional, right-wing Tory record of voting. Not like the softer, more centrist politics of the Cameron era. He is incredibly right wing, with a lot of these votes going on to directly damage the lives of many ordinary people, including many of my friends who have been hit hard by tuition fee increases. As a queer woman it hurts to think that such an up-and-coming politician could be so strongly against equal marriage and LGBT rights  let alone his recently expressed views on abortion.

I am staunchly pro-choice and believe that it is a human right to be able to access safe and legal abortion. The criminalisation of abortion, as we can see in Ireland (both North and South) has disastrous effects on women and their health. Making something illegal doesnt stop it, it only makes it more dangerous. The fact that a potential Tory leader has such fiercely-held anti-choice views is not only worrying but harmful. His influence could turn the party even more to the right than it already is, causing even more damage and adding vulnerable women to the list of the casualties of the Conservative government  alongside disabled people, the working class, immigrants, people of colour and young people.

This is not an attack on free speech. I have the right to criticise Rees-Moggs comments just as much as he has the right to make them. But I believe that when someone so influential, with an ever-growing platform thanks to social media, has such awful opinions  thats when they become truly dangerous.
Hey, remember that period of 2016 when people were dressing up like clowns and lurking in dark places, desperately trying to scare people? Well, the police are concerned it might be back.

The initial killer clown craze began in the US when hype for the remake of Stephen Kings It started to build, before migrating across the world. And with the film finally being released this weekend in the US and UK, there have once again been reports of sightings.

One police force in the US is so over it, though.

WE DID THE CLOWN THING LAST YEAR WE AREN'T DOING THIS AGAIN https://t.co/XZVLHFXIi2  Lawrence Police (@LawrenceKS_PD) September 6, 2017

The story that Lawrence Police, in Kansas, was replying to was about red balloons being tied to sewer grates in a small Pennsylvania town.

If you havent seen the original or read the book, red balloons are the calling card of Pennywise  the storys child-eating, sewer-dwelling clown.

We give points for creativity, however we want the local prankster to know that we were completely terrified as we removed these balloons from the grates and we respectfully request they do not do that again, Lititz Borough Police Department wrote on Facebook.

An 18-year-old man was jailed in the UK back in February  thought to be the first person imprisoned following the craze that swept across the UK  after chasing a pregnant woman with an axe while dressed as a clown the night before Halloween.

At one stage last year one police force had 14 reports of clowns to deal with in 24 hours, while clown sightings have been reported all the way from Dundee to Plymouth in 2017.

Its not hard to imagine clown costumes being a popular choice once again this Halloween
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The NIA on Thursday raided the residence of Hurriyat Conference (G) leader Agha Syed Hassan in central Kashmir's Budgam.

By Ashraf Wani: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided the residence of Hurriyat Conference (G) leader Agha Syed Hassan in central Kashmir's Budgam.

A team of NIA sleuths, along with a contingent of police and other forces, raided the residence of Agha Hassan and started searches.

The NIA raid on Agha's residence followed the announcement of Hurriyat leaders to court arrest at the NIA headquarters in New Delhi on September 9.

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NIA is investigating the terror funding case in Kashmir registered on May 30.

Seven separatist leaders, a businessman and two youths, including a photojournalist, have already been arrested by the Indian investigation agency in connection with the case.

Another Hurriyat leader and a businessman have been arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED). Eight of the arrested persons have been lodged in Tihar jail in Delhi while four are in NIA and ED custody.

ALSO READ |

Terror funding case: Kashmir High Court Bar Association president under NIA scanner

Terror funding case: NIA conducts raids in Srinagar, Delhi

ALSO WATCH VIDEO | Kashmir: Separatist leaders to court arrest at NIA office on September 9

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Home Minister Rajnath Singh today lamented the "delay" in supply of weapons and critical equipment to the CRPF by the defence ministry and said there was a need to develop a framework involving defence PSUs to address the issue.

Singh, who was speaking in the presence of the new defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman, also called upon all defence public sector undertakings (DPSUs) to focus on 100 per cent indigenisation of military equipment and platforms and effectively implement the Make in India initiative in defence production to bring down import dependence.

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Welcoming the appointment of Sitharaman, Singh exuded confidence that the key ministry will get "new energy and strength" under her as women symbolise "shakti" (strength).

Speaking at an event in DRDO, where equipment built by several DPSUs were handed over to the paramilitary CRPF, the home minister said procurement of weapons and other systems for paramilitary forces is largely handled by the defence ministry and delays in their supplies often affect them.

It was the first event attended by Sitharaman as the defence minister.

"For the CRPF, I have seen that the procurement of equipment is done by the defence ministry. The CRPF does not get the priority it should.

"There has been a delay in supply of equipment and weapons to them. There is a need to think over it as due to the delay, they suffer. I think a framework for it has to be developed," Singh said.

The CRPF, which comes under the Home Ministry, was handed over various weapons and platforms developed by DPSUs which included armoured buses, bullet-proof jackets, assault rifles, all terrain vehicles, carbines and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV).

Sitharaman congratulated the Defence Research Development Organisation and other DPSUs involved in developing the critical platforms.

The home minister asked the DPSUs to focus on 100 per cent indigenisation of military equipment and platforms and not limit the indigenous components to 60, 70 or 80 per cent.

He expressed happiness over the appointment of Sitharaman and noted that the media has hailed the move to make her the first full time woman defence minister.

"I was with you at your last event as commerce minister and I am present here at your first event as defence minister," said Singh.

The home minister said the armed forces will have to equip themselves with latest technologies to deal with those involved in crimes.

He said when he visited naxal-dominated areas in Jharkhand, jawans requested fort lighter helmets. "We have given lighter helmets, but there is a need to make them more lighter."

He said, "Those involved in crime are using latest technologies. While sitting in any part of the world, anybody can make anyone a terrorist, they can hack.... We will have to equip ourselves with latest technologies to combat them." PTI MPB RT

--- ENDS ---

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The suicide of 17-year-old medical student Anitha after she failed to get admission because of NEET has led to widespread protests from the student community in Tamil Nadu.

By Akshaya Nath: The suicide of 17-year-old medical student Anitha after she failed to get admission since the government failed to ensure that NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test) was not implemented has got the student community holding large-scale protests and accusing the state government and the Centre of driving her to take the extreme step.

Anitha, who hailed from Ariyallur, a place 250 km from Chennai, had committed suicide demoralised that her dream of becoming a doctor would never be fulfilled. This despite the fact that Anitha was a Plus-2 topper and had managed to score 1176 marks out of 1200.

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While the state government had earlier assured that NEET won't be included in the placement and that it would ensure the unified entrance system based on 12th score followed, the AIADMK government at the last minute failed to ensure this, thus denying Anitha a chance of getting a medical seat.

As students assembled around Jayalalithaa's memorial and started meditating, the police guards on duty initially felt they were paying their tribute to Amma. But the cops soon realised that this was these students' way of drawing greater attention to protests going on since Saturday demanding justice for Anitha.

STUDENTS' OUTRAGE GROWING WITH EACH PASSING DAY

Ever since her death, there have been widespread protests across the state and the student community's outrage with each passing day has only grown. Protests have been taking place in Trichy, Tanjore, Coimbatore, Salem and Madurai among other districts.

Kala, a student protester at the Marina Beach, said, "She was a bright student and when Amma was in power, she had ensured that the NEET system was not in place in the state. But this government is incapable of fulfilling its promise."

Jayalalithaa had in 2016 insisted that the state won't agree on an eligibility test for medical seats and an exemption was given to Tamil Nadu for 2016 based on the late chief minister's demand.

Another protester cried, "When they are asking for a common eligibility exam, are they providing a common education system? First give common education to the country and then talk about the entrance exam".

Blaming the Centre and the state government and raising slogans against them for Anitha's death, the protestors demanded an exemption from NEET.

As the protest at the Marina Beach intensified, police officials were forced to evict students out of the Jaya Memorial. "Why can't we protest here? Are only OPS and EPS allowed here to protest? Aren't we citizens of this soil?", cried the students as they were dragged out of the memorial venue. As this was happening at the Marina Beach, some 15 km away Guindy, an arterial road in Chennai was witness to a fresh protest. Students assembled at Guindy went on a road roko (blocked the road) for more than 45 minutes.

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Traffic came to a standstill as police officials tried to clear the place of protesters.

NEET is no longer just an educational issue, but has taken a political colour now with the student community's Justice for Anita's campaign now seeking serious answers from the ruling governments.

ALSO READ |

Anitha suicide: Tamil Nadu BJP warns protesters not to test their patience

Tamil Nadu: Family of Anitha refuses government compensation

Anitha suicide: Protests erupt in Tamil Nadu, DMK slams Central government

WATCH VIDEO | Anitha suicide: Massive protests in Tamil Nadu against NEET

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 6 (PTI) The Supreme Court today took strong exception to the Centres "attitude" of not disclosing information on action taken by it against politicians, some of whose assets have seen a massive jump of up to 500 per cent between two elections.

It also directed the government to place the necessary information in this regard before the court.

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The apex court said though the government was saying that it was not averse to electoral reforms, it has not placed the necessary details. Even the information furnished before it in an affidavit by the Central Board of Direct Taxes (CBDT) was "not complete", it added.

"The information in CBDT affidavit is not complete. Is this the attitude of the Government of India? What have you done till now," a bench comprising Justices J Chelameswar and S Abdul Nazeer said.

"The government is saying they are not averse to some reform. Necessary information should be there on record (in the court)," it said and asked the government to file a detailed affidavit before it in this regard by September 12.

The top court was hearing a plea disclosure of sources of income by the candidates contesting elections when they file nomination for elections.

The arguments remained inconclusive and will continue tomorrow.

During the hearing, the counsel appearing for the Centre said free and fair election was integral to the democratic structure of the country and they would welcome any direction passed by the apex court on this aspect.

"The Union of India is having Swachh Bharat (Abhiyan) which will also cover this field. It is not about cleaning of garbage only," the counsel said, adding "the intention of the Government of India is in the right direction".

When the counsel referred to the affidavit filed by the CBDT on the issue raised by the petitioner about an alleged jump of up to 500 per cent in politicians assets which they have declared in the nomination paper, the bench said the information given in it was not complete.

"When an affidavit was placed before this court, all information about any inquiry going on (in this regard) should be placed," the bench observed.

"You better file a detailed affidavit. This affidavit which you have filed is nothing but typed papers. Do not make vague statements. If the CBDT has taken some action, please disclose what action has been taken," the bench said.

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The top court also said the government could also furnish the information in a sealed cover before it.

"If you want that certain information cannot be disclosed to public, you can file it in a sealed cover with reasons why you do not want it to be made public. But please disclose it to the court," the bench said.

The Centres counsel told the court that he would file an affidavit after taking instructions on the issue.

The apex court had earlier issued notices to the Centre and the Election Commission on the plea by NGO Lok Prahari seeking inclusion of a column in the nomination form seeking details of the sources of income.

The plea has claimed that the candidates while filing their nomination papers were disclosing their assets, assets of their spouse, children and other dependents, but they do not reveal the sources of income. PTI ABA SJK RKS ARC

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Chandigah, Sep 7 (PTI) In a boost to the Congress, its student wing, the National Students Union of India, won three key posts out of four of the Panjab University Campus Students Council (PUCSC) polls, the results of which were declared here tonight.

Jashan Kamboj of the NSUI won the post of president of the PUCSC by defeating his nearest rival, Students for Society (SFS) candidate Hassanpreet Kaur by a huge margin of 611 votes. Jashan polled 2801 votes.

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The post of vice president and office secretary went to Karanvir Singh and Vani Sood of the NSUI, an official said here. The fourth post of joint secretary went to PUSU alliance candidate Karanbir Singh.

Punjab Chief Minister Amarinder Singh and senior Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala congratulated the NSUI over the victory.

"I congratulate team @nsui for their huge victory in the Punjab University polls. #PUpolls2017," Amarinder said in a tweet.

"Congrats @nsui for a resounding victory in Punjab Univ as ABVP/INSO fail to open their account. Youth for Congress!" Surjewala tweeted.

Ajay Chikkara, the national general secretary of the NSUI, also congratulated the student leaders for putting up an impressive performance. The NSUI made a comeback with a resounding victory at the PUCSC polls after two years.

The PUSU-led alliance had swept the polls in 2016.

As many as 28 candidates were in the fray. This time, 15,602 students on campus were eligible to vote.

In the multi-cornered contest, seven students vied for the post of president, four for vice president, eight for secretary and nine for joint secretary.

Newly elected president, Jashan, who belongs to Ferozepur, said he dedicated his win to the students and the NSUI.

"We were hopeful that we will make a comeback this time after about two years," he said.

After the results, celebrations broke out in the campus, with many students offering ladoos to the winning candidates.

Tight security arrangements were made by the police to prevent any untoward incident on the campus. No outsider was allowed to enter the campus on the polling day today.

The polling began at 10 am and ended at 12 pm.

NSUI alliance fielded Jashan, ABVP Avinash Pandey, SFS Hassanpreet and PUSU alliance Kuldeep Samagh for the post of president.

The NSUI fought polls in an alliance with Gandhi Group Students Union (GGSU), Himachal Students Union (HIMSU), Hindustan Students Association (HSA) and factions of PUSU for Students (PFS).

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The Akhil Bhartiya Viyarthi Parishad (ABVP), the student wing of the BJP, fielded one candidate only for the post of president.

The left-leaning the Students for Society (SFS) put up candidates on the all the four seats.

Panjab University Students Union (PUSU) had an alliance with Pal Pehalwan Students Organsiation, National Students Organisation (NSO) and the Indian Students Association.

Another students outfit the Students Organisation of India (SOI), the youth wing of Shiromani Akali Dal, entered into an alliance with the Students Organisation of Panjab University (SOPU) and Panjab University Helping Hand (PUHH). PTI CHS SUN AAR

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Udhampur (J&K), Sept 7 (PTI) The number of terror camps and launch pads across the Line of Control (LoC) in Pakistan- occupied Kashmir have gone up and around 475 militants are waiting to sneak into the Indian side, northern Army commander Lt Gen Devraj Anbu said today.

Internally, he said the NIA raids on separatists and the killing of top militant leaders by security forces have helped in improving security situation in Kashmir.

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He said 144 militants have been killed in the state so far this year and the situation is "well under control".

Gen Anbu said there have been a large number of infiltration attempts along the LoC in J&K this year but "very less" have been successful.

"We cannot tell you the exact number of the militants. But the militants, who are waiting to cross over to this side (via the LoC from PoK) are nearly 250 in north Kashmir and around 225 in south of Pir Panjal (Jammu region)," said the General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GoC-in-C) of Northern Command.

He was responding to questions from journalists after presenting gallantry and distinguished services medals to 103 army officers and jawans and certificates of appreciation to 31 units apart from 31 civilians at an investiture ceremony at the Northern Command headquarters here.

Gen Anbu said the security situation along the LoC and in the hinterland in well under control.

"We are firmly in control of the situation along the LoC... (the number of) launching pads and terrorist camps along LoC has increased as compared to the previous years," he said.

"While infiltration attempts have increased, the success to infiltrate has been much less than previous years despite large number of infiltration attempts. That is because of our robust counter-infiltration grid that we have on LoC," he said.

"The (number of) militants coming to this side have decreased to a large extent this year," Gen Anbu said.

According to Multi Agency Centre (MAC) of intelligence gathering, the number of militants who have managed to infiltrate is 75 during the last eight months, he said, adding, "But according to our assessment, it is 45 to 50."

He said the Army has created a "strong deterrence" at the LoC so that militants do not enter the Indian side.

"While attempts are more, we are preventing them from entering this side, whether in Kashmir valley or Jammu region," the Army commander said.

About the input of a group of militants having sneaked in via Samba, he said all agencies are closely watching that. "If it manifests somewhere, we will get to know," he added.

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"The situation along the LoC and in hinterland is under control," he said.

He said the NIA raids aimed at choking funding to separatists, "which has got direct link to terrorism in Kashmir, compliments the security operations" of forces.

"Administration (in J&K) is good. We have been able to eliminate terrorist leaders and it is complimented by the choking of funds by NIA raids. All this will have a deterring effect on the youth who are likely to become part of agitation dynamics. It has come down drastically," he said.

"What was in November-December last year and what is now - there are very few incidents that take place.

There is now a token number of persons who are on the ground as they have realized (futility of terrorism). It is only now handful people who are into this," he added.

Regarding the issue of protests, he said, "Agitational dynamics does not mean that each and every person comes to streets and their heart and soul is into it. There is an upward curve. The government in power and security forces get to top of it."

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The Army commander said elimination of the leadership of terrorists has brought down incidents and recruitment of the local terrorists.

"It (local recruitment) happens when the terrorists have an upper hand. The youngsters in the age group of 16 to 18 get moulded by the terrorists and separatists to join the ranks," he added.

"This is what we need to look at.

The number of the locals militants joining ranks have been constant in last year years including this year," he said.

About the militancy situation in the hinterland, Gen Anbu said, "It is improving. Those (militants) who are operating in the hinterland are foreign terrorists in north Kashmir and south Kashmir has presence of local terrorists more and foreign terrorists are lesser."

He said the security forces are trying to dominate the south Kashmir region.

"We conduct searches keeping in mind that we do not cause any inconvenience to local people. That is where we get information from and warn them in advance. We conduct operations and they (operations) are clean. After the operation, we keep interacting with people so that they are on our side. This has had very good effect in south Kashmir," Gen Anbu said.

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"We have killed 100 militants in the past four months. A total of 144 militants have been killed so far (in Kashmir this year)," he said.

"The effect of what is happening now will menifest in a couple of months from now. But there is decrease in local youth getting recruited," he added.

The Army commander strongly batted for reaching out to the youth of Kashmir.

"The issue that needs attention is that you need to engage the youth and the state government and everybody has to play a part in ensuring employment generation and positive security environment is created by the security forces and it will get controlled," Gen Anbu said.

Army commander said no footprint of militants has been seen in the Jammu region.

"There is no militant presence in Jammu region. May be there will one odd such report and that too due to any infiltration. But there is no resident terrorist or presence of foreign terrorist in Jammu region," he said in reply to a question with regard to presence of the militants in the region. PTI AB AKK

--- ENDS ---
By India Today Web Desk: It is difficult to think of a Bollywood party or a wedding sangeet without Oonchi Hai Building. 20 years on, this cult song is still a rage with Bollywood music lovers across all age groups. And now Salman Khan's popular song is back but with a modern twist.

From sets to star cast, everything about this recreated song is new. This time Varun Dhawan has stepped into the shoes of Salman for the recreated version, and this peppy number will instantly make you want to put on your dancing shoes. However, it is nothing like the original, and you will definitely miss Salman-Karisma's chemistry.

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Varun, who is a die-hard fan of the original song, took to Twitter to share the recreated version.

David Dhawan, who is back with Judwaa 2, says, "Oonchi hai building has in a way transcended time and has a huge universal appeal and I'm extremely humbled by the way it has been received. The new song has retained the energy and spirit, while the new cast has given it their all for this song as I feel they wanted to live up to the expectation of the original chartbuster. The choice again to retain this song is an ode to the spirit of Judwaa, we hope the people will accept this with all its youthfulness intact and probably 20 years from now this version does what the previous is still doing!"

The film which also stars Jacqueline Fernandez and Taapsee Pannu is set to hit the screens on September 29.

ALSO READ: Karisma Kapoor shakes a leg with Varun Dhawan on Tan Tana Tan, recreates 90s magic

ALSO READ: Salman Khan to be seen in a double role in Judwaa 2?

--- ENDS ---
Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif said a new foreign policy narrative has been evolved and this would be finalised after inputs by the National Security Committee and the Parliament.

By Santosh Chaubey: A day after accepting presence of terror groups in Pakistan, its Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif has now said that his country needs a new but correct direction in foreign policy narrative aimed at bridging the gap in the perception of Pakistan and some members of the international community on the issue of fighting terrorism.

He was speaking after a three-day meet of selected Pakistani envoys from countries like US, India, Russia and China to deliberate over increasing international criticism for allowing terrorists to use its soil to perpetrate terror in other countries.

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"Asif said a new foreign policy narrative has been evolved and this would be finalised after inputs by the National Security Committee and the Parliament," Radio Pakistan reported. The meet was organised to brainstorm on important foreign policy issues and "had in depth discussions on the new policy of the United States for South Asia and Pakistan's relations with neighbouring countries especially India".

US and India prominently figured in the three-day deliberations, the Radio Pakistan report indicates, "Pakistan's Ambassador to the United States briefed the participants on the US policy which helped crystallise many issues. Similarly, Pakistan's High Commissioner to India also briefed the conference about Pakistan-India relations".

Though the frank admission by Pakistan's Foreign Minister on the presence of terror groups on its soil has come immediately after the BRICS declaration which not only named and shamed terrorist groups like LeT, JeM, Haqqani Network and TTP, operating from inside Pakistan but also explicitly warned it, without naming it.

Pakistan finds itself increasingly isolated on the world stage, especially after being repeatedly criticised for offering a safe haven to terrorists by US which even today warned it to change its approach towards terror groups. "We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region," a US Department of State's spokesperson said.

The US has taken measures including cutting military aid to Pakistan and is going to curtail its role in Afghanistan while at the same time is looking for a strategic partnership with India in Afghanistan's reconstruction process even if Pakistan sees an increased Indian presence in Afghanistan inimical to its interests. The BRICS Declaration only added to it.

It has created a sense of panic in Pakistan's ruling establishment. Though they deny it their contradicting responses confirm it. A day after the BRICS Declaration, Pakistan's Defence Minister Khurram Dastgir rejected it saying Pakistan had no terror safe havens.

ALSO READ

Pakistan rejects BRICS statement, claims they have no safe haven for any terror outfit

BRICS backs India on Pakistan-backed terror without naming the country

BRICS declaration names Pakistan terror groups in big diplomatic win for India

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ALSO WATCH

India, China join hands at BRICS to condemn Pakistan-based Lashkar, Jaish, Haqqani

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Surprisingly, it's the parliamentarians from the Left parties who have spent the most.

By Anand Patel: Exclusive details under the Right To Information (RTI) Act into air travels by the MPs for official purposes has revealed that most of them prefer to fly business or first class at the cost of public exchequer.

Surprisingly, it's the parliamentarians from the Left parties who have spent the most.

RTI reveals that the total expenditure of Travel Allowance (TA) and Dearness Allowance(DA) of all the Members of the Lok Sabha in one year from April 2016 to March 2017 is Rs 95,70,01,830. While the total expenditure of all Rajya Sabha members in one year from April 2016 to March 2017 is Rs 35,89,31,862. This huge cost is due to most members travelling first class or business class. The members are also entitled to claim one fourth of the airfare as DA.

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As per the RTI details, most of the members of the Rajya Sabha have claimed about Rs 10 lakhs in the form of TA/DA in one year from April 2016 to March 2017. Highest spender happens to be CPI(M) MP from West Bengal Ritabrata Banerjee who has claimed a whopping Rs 69,24,335 which comes to almost Rs 6 lakhs a month.

The MP made a clean close to Rs 14 lakhs as dearness allowance. Interestingly, the MP is under suspension from the party for his lavish lifestyle. CPI(M) had suspended Ritabrata Banerjee for three months in June after he posted pictures on social media sporting a Mont Blanc and Apple smartwatch. The party had found him guilty of deviating from party's ideology which encourages austerity.

The second highest spender also happens to be a Communist leader. CPI leader D Raja claimed Rs 65,04,880 during last financial year for his air travels for official purposes.

The Left leader spent up to Rs 65,841 from Delhi to Chennai air travel and after adding 1/4 additional amount as DA, he claimed Rs 82,301 for this travel.

Another West Bengal MP Sukhendu Sekhar Roy of AITC claimed Rs 61,72,271. He spent Rs 56,136 for travelling from Kolkata to Delhi and after adding 1/4th additional amount, he claimed Rs 70,170 for the trip.

The list of top spenders include veteran Congress leader Oscar Fernandes, Tiruchi Siwa of the DMK, CP Narayanan, CPI(M) MP from Kerala, and P Bhattacharya of the Congress.

JD(U) MP from Bihar Anil Kumar Sahani is 10th in the list of top Rajya Sabha spenders. The MP is an accused in the LTC scam. The CBI had alleged that MP in collusion with other persons, used forged e-tickets and fake boarding passes and claimed to the tune of Rs 23.71 lakh as travel and dearness allowance reimbursement without undertaking the actual journey, Sahani had been claiming that he had fallen victim to a racket.

The Lok Sabha secretariat has provided air travel details of individual MPs for the period between 1st July 2016 to 31st December 2016 only under RTI. Most of the members in the Lok Sabha spent about Rs 2 lakh to Rs 7 lakh on air travel in six months. At the same time, some members has spent more than Rs 57 lakh in 6 months, which is about Rs 10 lakh per month.

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The top two spenders happen to be from the Tamil Nadu's ruling AIADMK. Party MP Dr K Gopal has claimed Rs 57,54,307 as air fare and DA for this period while his colleague P Kumar has claimed Rs 44,29,901. BJP MP from Andaman and Nicobar Islands Bishnu Pada Ray who has claimed Rs 41,06,684 is third in the list of top spenders which includes CPI(M) MPs from Kerala Dr Anirudhan Sampath and PK Sreemathy as well. Another Kerala MP KC Venugopal of the INC and BJP MP Hari Manjhi from Bihar also figure among the top ten.

RTI activist-advocate Dinesh Chadha while divulging the details told India Today, "As per The Salary Allowances and Pension of Members of Parliament Act 1954, the members are entitled for air fare and an additional amount equal to 1/4 of air fare as DA, nowhere it is mentioned that members are entitled for fare of business class or any other special class".

Also read:

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Facing flying ban by airlines, Shiv Sena MP Ravindra Gaikwad reaches Delhi via chartered flight

3,4,5,6 of Cabinet reshuffle: How Modi built his new team with caste politicians, ex-babus

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A meaningful internship experience can help you launch your career. It gives practical experience, helps you learn, and equips you with new skills. Moreover, it would also boost your resume to crack interviews.

To tell you why work experience matters in an internship, here are the following two examples. Mithu Roy, a BTech graduate from BP Poddar Institute of Management and Technology couldnt sit for any MNCs during campus placements due to his low academic score. He was interested in the field of mobile app development but did not have any knowledge of it.

However, he took up an online android development course and started applying for internships. He got shortlisted in Eclectic Solutions and a face-to-face interview was scheduled, where the employer asked him basic questions about java and android. He was selected for the internship and got to work in Sublime Text and FileZilla.

One of his first tasks was to create a portfolio app for the company after taking all the required information from the official website. This experience helped him learn about User Interface and User Experience as well.

He got to work on different projects and learned to build apps from the scratch. This helped him gain command over other aspects of computer science as well including database management and networking.

Today, he is working as a full-time at another company called Codelogicx Technologies. The experience which he gained helped him in landing his first job by building both his technical skills and confidence.

Yuvika Jain, a MCom student from Mumbai University wanted to build a career as a chartered accountant but could not clear Group I of IPCC despite clearing the second group. She wanted to gain the corporate world experience but wasnt eligible to start her articleship. She started applying for accounts internships and got selected with a startup, Valuefy Solutions.

Being an accounts intern, she handled the bills and vouchers, kept records and handled the payment process with the clients. At around the same time, she also cleared her IPCC exam and got to start her CA articleship of three years.

Despite not meeting the academic criteria for placements, Roy became an android developer by gaining experience through an internship.

And Jain landed an internship to learn how an organisation works even when she wasnt eligible for her articleship.

Both these instances show how a meaningful work experience can help you chart your career. The work experience which comes from an internship gives you a chance to solve reallife problems. These challenges eventually help you gain practical knowledge.

The past 10 years have seen startup boom in India and growing number of entrepreneurs are hiring interns. This has opened a plethora of opportunities for students across the country.

Interning with an organisation where you get to handle multiple profiles and shoulder responsibilities that will prepare you for your first job.

After all, an internship is the test drive for your career before you commit to one.

(The writer is founder & chief executive officer, Internshala)
One of the most popular writers of today, Jhumpa Lahiri _ came into the spot light in the eyes of many critics just after her debut novel  The Namesake. It is the first book written by her. Moving between events in Calcutta, Boston, and New York City, the novel examines the nuances involve between two conflicting cultures with highly distinct religious, social, and ideological differences.

The plot opens with featuring the Gangulis- a typical Bengali family of four who had settled in America for the rest of their lives. Several other characters in every twist and turn of the story retain the interest of the readers till the end.

The story mostly revolves around the protagonist  Gogol who being brought up in suburban America starts hating being awkwardly named after his fathers favourite author  Nikolai Gogol and makes every little effort to scratch it off.

The extremely innocent, untouched by urbanisation character of Gogols mother and the strict, quiet, work minded little spoken character of his father is what makes the story more relatable to the Indian readers, especially the Bengalis.

It is the ordinary story of every household changed into an extraordinary piece. Through a series of events, Gogol becomes the main characters official birth name. However, an event will shape many aspects of his life in years to come.

Gogol fights an internal battle to find himself. He struggles trying to balance between American and Indian culture while appreciating friendship more than family. Pathos, in particular, forces the reader to connect emotionally with the story, specifically of how Gogols name came about and Ashokes tragic accident.

Jhumpa Lahiri in her book demonstrated a beautiful blend of cultures of the East and the West. She flawlessly managed to convey the message to her readers that how much we may succeed in life, how much we may modernise ourselves we should always stay connected to our roots and never forget what brought us to the position we now behold.

Lahiri with her exceptional vocabulary usage and her ability of painting a vivid image of the story in front of our eyes by her descriptive sentences managed to make this book one of her masterpieces.

In spite of the introduction of several characters, the story not for once bears any loose ends. As one reads on, they will discover the magic of the lucid narrative.

(Anushka Pal, Coordinator, Class X, Gokhale Memorial Girls School)
Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari on Thursday exhorted the automobile industry to develop technology to run vehicles on alternatives to petrol and diesel like electricity and biofuel.

He also asked them to come forward and invest in the countrys public transport system.

There is economic viability in new technology. Let us plan for the next 25 years. I would strongly urge the sector to invest in public transport and develop electric bikes, electric cars. I urge automobile companies to diversify in alternative fuel, Gadkari said here at the 57th Society of Indian Automobile Manufacturers (SIAM) Annual Convention.

He said the government is planning to bring second generation ethanol as an alternative fuel.

Discouraging automobile manufacturers to make any more diesel-run vehicles, he said it was adding to the huge import costs and pollution levels, which the government was committed to bringing down.

Gadkari said the companies which would make use of new technology to innovate on alternative fuel will benefit in the longer run.

He said the governments policy was crystal clear on this.

Pollution and high import of petrol, diesel are challenges. Second generation ethanol with the use of bamboo, compressed natural gas (CNG) can act as substitutes for these imports and bring down the import cost.

Alternative fuel like Liquefied natural gas (LNG) is the future fuel. CNG is also good for reducing pollution. We have abundant coal reserves to make methanol, he said.

I have seen engines running on methanol in foreign countries. The companies thus should spend a part of their profits on research on such fuels, he added.

Urging the industry to invest in public transport, he said the rural and agricultural sector would benefit with this.

In a lighter vein, the minister also said the sector, which has 22 per cent share of Indias GDP, if continued to grow at the same rate for the next three years, the government would have to add another lane in the national highway.

I want growth rate of the sector is thus less.

He also said the automobile companies should view the sector with an integrated approach  from fuel, parking, engineering to even driving training centres.

The companies can contribute to skill development with driving training centres. Diversification and expansion is the key, he said.

Gadkari also acknowledged the sectors contribution in exports, job creation and growth of the country.

He said because of the abundant manpower, reasonable costs, plenty of raw material availability in the country, India can be developed as an export base for automobiles.
Malala Yousafzai is one of the most promising international figures in the last five years. She is the icon with exceptional mental strength.

Born on 12 July, 1991 in Swat Valley, Pakistan, she is an activist for female education and the youngest ever Nobel Prize laureate. She is known for human rights advocacy, especially education of women in her native Swat Valley in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, northwest Pakistan, where the local Taliban had at times banned girls from attending schools. Her advocacy has since grown into an international movement.

She was named after Malalai of Maiwand, one of the greatest heroines of Afghanistan, albeit, it meant grief-stricken, but she proved this to be wrong in true sense. She was tutored by her father Ziauddin Yousafzai . She led a harmonious life with brothers Atal and Khushal. She was highly encouraged by her father, who was a poet, school owner, and an educational activist himself, whom Malala termed as the falcon.

Being influenced by Mohammed Ali Zinnah and Benazir Bhutto, she got her mantra- fight for right and became a blogger, which was a short step towards the zenith of her life. During the first Battle of Swat, as military operations took place, fewer girls showed up to school, and finally, the girls schools were shut down. However, with her immense effort, the schools were opened again.

Coming to her academic career, she was a brilliant student, fluent in Pashto, English, and Urdu, she cherished to be a doctor but her mindset was towards the wellbeing of the society. In October 2011, Archbishop Desmond Tutu, a South African activist, nominated her for the International Childrens Peace Prize of the Dutch international childrens advocacy group Kids Rights Foundation. She was the first Pakistani girl to be nominated for the award.

With her growing popularity, dangers too came along her way. On 9 October 2012, while she was returning home after an examination in the Swat Valley, by bus, a Taliban gunman shot her. Though injured badly with one bullet, which went through her head, neck, and ended in her shoulder, her fighting spirit made her recover the malign wounds.

Eventually, she came to limelight. From then, she began the second voyage of her life and started Malala-fund, a nonprofit fund for helping women and children. In 2014, she received Noble Peace Prize jointly with Indian childrens right activist, Kailash Sathyarthy. This was the greatest milestone of her life till today.

In April 2017, she was appointed by the United Nations Secretary General as a messenger of peace to promote girls education. She was also a pupil at the Edgbaston High School at Birmingham. In August she was accepted at the Lady Margaret Hall, University of Oxford. In 2013, United Nations announced her birthday as the Malala Day, for promoting peace across the world.

Malala Day signifies admiring and respecting women, and giving them equal right for education, for giving tribute to the youngest ever Noble laureate.

We need young girls like her to protest and stand up against all the evil customs and for the rights of women.

(Coordinator, Class VIII, Bongaon High School)
Bollywood of late is increasingly becoming a target of the piracy mafia. Recently two Bollywood movies, A Gentleman and Babumoshai Bandookbaaz, were leaked online; the latter even before its release.

Merely confining these events to the realm of piracy will be a very rudimentary understanding of the issue. In addition to the basal of piracy there are many other things involved here including psychology and economics. These aspects are concerned with the reasons why people chose pirated products over original ones.

In this age of superfast internet where one can download movies in a High Definition print online generally, why would they spend money to go and watch a movie or wait for months to buy its expensive DVD. The word piracy can be understood in two ways viz. its traditional historic meaning of loot in a ship and the second one is related with copyright infringement. Here we are concerned with the latter one.

There are mainly five types of internet piracy namely movie piracy, game piracy, ebook piracy, software piracy and music piracy. Contrary to the popular belief piracy is not a victimless crime as it is thought to be by many people. It is estimated that Bollywood movies gross around $2 billion whereas the piracy mafia makes 35 per cent more i.e. $2.7 billion. Piracy has taken 64 per cent of the total revenue of the film industry.

Every year around 5.72 lakh jobs are lost in the movie industry while 1.3 lakh jobs are lost in the music industry. Across the globe 1.2 million jobs are lost while around a billion Euro is lost due to piracy.

The actual loss due to piracy might be even more due to lack of data as many people hesitate to reveal whether they indulge in buying pirated material. In a significant study conducted by the Motion Picture Association, it was found that Indians are the largest visitors to Indian torrent websites and largest to the main four torrent websites of the world.

According to this study Indians make up eight per cent of the visitors to the top ten cyber lockers in the world. The study also said Indians constituted the fourth largest downloaders of pirated movies.

There are both civil and criminal laws to deal with the menace of piracy. Section 63 B of the Copyright Act, 1957 makes it a criminal offence and allows police to arrest and raid the suspects even without a warrant. Under section 69 of the Copyright Act, all people involved in the affairs of the company accused of piracy are liable for a fine and imprisonment.

One can also pursue a civil remedy through section 55 of the Copyright Act and seek monetary damages. Many people also approach courts to seek an injunction. In civil cases generally Ashok Kumar orders (Indian equivalent of John Doe orders) are sought.

In these orders the identity of defendant is unknown and the courts order the Internet Service Providers to block the websites which are suspected of exhibiting pirated content There is plethora of state level laws also against piracy which even permit the preventive detention of the accused. The Copyright Act of 2012 provides two new provisions to deal with this issue.

The first provision is used for punishing people who intentionally evade a technological measure for protecting any right given by the Copyright Act with a maximum imprisonment of two years and a fine. The second provision punishes people who change or delete the rights management information without any permission for an imprisonment up to two years. Piracy has so embedded our lives that the former chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was unintentionally seen watching the movie PK on his laptop.

There is also a factor these days that pirated products are available in the market even before the original ones which encourages excited customers to buy the pirated ones. Innovation in technology can be an effective method to tackle the menace of piracy. Broadcasting movies on DTH is a new trend.

For example, Kamal Haasans Viswaroopam was also simultaneously released on DTH platforms much to the objection of owners of multiplexes and cinema halls. Releasing movies on mobile based apps, You Tube and selling its data storage at a cheaper price e.g. Mosar Baer Discs can be huge incentive for people to move away from piracy.

The state can block torrent sites and other websites from where one can download pirated movies as it loses its money from taxes from the sale, distribution and exhibition of movies.

In order to really tackle this problem, it needs self-abnegation from the side of consumers to automatically bring the piracy market down.

(The writer is a student at the Jindal Global Law School, Sonipat)
It is a well-known fact that we have, following Britain, adopted the Cabinet system (also known as the Parliamentary system). Such a system has some salient features:- 1) there are two types of executives  nominal and real.

The King/President is the nominal hand, but the real power is exercised by the Cabinet; 2) the Cabinet is responsible to the lower Chamber of Parliament in the sense that it steps down if and when it is outvoted in this Chamber; 3) the Ministers are members of either House of the Parliament; 4) the Prime Minister is the head of the Cabinet. Though the King/President formally appoints the Ministers, the Prime Minister actually chooses them, distributes and re-distributes portfolios and dismisses them whenever he chooses. Our Constitution has accepted these conditions in toto.

First, according to Art. 53 (1), our President is the head of the State. But, under Art. 74 (1), there is a Cabinet to aid and advise him and he has to act upon its advice. Thus, according to Dr MV Pylee, he has little effective power at his disposal.

Secondly, as Art 74 (3) indicates, the Cabinet is responsible to the lower House of Parliament. In other words, it has to quit office whenever it is defeated in it.

Thirdly, Ministers are, according to Art. 75 (5), members of either House of Parliament. If anyone of them is an outsider, he must be its member within six months. Fourthly, the Prime Minister is the keystone of the Cabinet-arch. He actually forms the Cabinet and its members go away with his departure.

Though the decisions are often taken jointly, a dominant Prime Minister actually decides everything and the Cabinet becomes a mere registering body. This is why, Dr BC Rout has regarded him as the captain of the Cabinet-team. He is actually the working head of the state, endowed with such a plentitude of power as no other Constitutional ruler of the world possesses. This system is adopted in the provinces as well.

So, the Governor acts as the nominal head and he is guided by his Cabinet which is responsible to the Assembly. The Ministers are members of the state legislature and they hold office during its majority support.

For all these reasons, Dr SC Kashyap has observed that the Constitution has basically adopted, both at the Union and state-levels, the Parliamentary system of Government. Of course, the Constituent Assembly accepted this model with the support of an overwhelming majority.

As WH Morris-Jones writes, On the principle of Cabinet government, there was no deep cleavage of opinion, but there were sufficient Presidential enthusiasts. For example, Prof. KT Shah liked a semi-Presidential pattern, GS Gupta and Shibbanlal Saksena were in favour of the American model with slight modification and Mehboob Ali preferred the Swiss system.

According to them, India consisted of various, and even, conflicting political parties and, hence, their quarrels would surely affect the stability of the Cabinet by lack of majority support in the popular House. They held that India badly needed the stability in system and that only the American or Swiss model could afford it.

But, Dr BR Ambedkar, the Chairman of the Drafting Committee, and Dr KM Munshi and Alladi KS Ayyar, two of its members, ably countered this argument by pointing out that history sufficiently proves that the British system was, in spite of responsibility, remarkably stable.

In their view, it wonderfully combined ministerial responsibility and political stability and, hence, our Constitution could safely adopt it. Dr Munshi added to it a unique point  India was acquainted with it for nearly two centuries and, this is why we should not make a new experiment with the Constitutional model.

Thus, finally, the British model was accepted with eagerness. But, now it seems that the system is not working as desired by the Founding Fathers. The rapid rise and fall of provincial Cabinets indicates that we have lamentably failed to follow the British model. The British system is based upon the bi-party arrangement  the majority-party rules the country and the other, almost similarly strong, leads the Opposition.

So, the Government acts in the face of a strong opposition, but it safely survives due to its numerical majority. But, in India, there are nearly 500 parties based upon religion, region, language, caste, leadership and class. Due to the divergent allegiance, the voters differently choose the candidates and, thus, often no party can secure an absolute majority in the legislature. So, in a frantic bid for the taste of power, some of them form a coalition Cabinet, but before long, they part. As a result, the cabinets often fail to complete their term.

Secondly, due to the lack of partydiscipline and personal morality, some members often change their party as a result of which the Cabinet has to step down. In fact, from March to December, 1967, 314 MLAs crossed the floor for personal greed or political gain. Significantly, the figure rose to 550 during 1967-1969. As a result, an alarming number of state-Cabinets collapsed untimely in those days. At one stage, sixteen Cabinets of Orissa went out of office in the same number of months. Thus, the cabinets responsibility has often badly affected their stability.

At the Centre, however, the condition has not been so precarious. But though Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, Narasimha Rao, AB Vajpayee (third time) and MM Singh, remained in power for the full term, some Prime Ministers like Charan Singh, Morarji Desai, VP Singh, Chandra Sekhar, Vajpayee (two times), Deve Gowda and IK Gujral could not complete their terms due to the lack of majority support. Thus, within twenty-one years (1977- 1998), as many as nine Cabinets had to quit office due to organisational split or withdrawal of support of the allies.

As such, it is crystal clear that Cabinet system has sometimes failed to bring about the desired result. Even, Dr KM Munshi, one of the makers of the Constitution, had subsequently admitted that they were too ambitious in this matter. Now some people seriously feel that a switchover to the American system brooks no delay.

In this system, however, the Cabinet is responsible only to the President and, hence, its defeat in the Parliament cannot bring it down. But, as our Supreme Court has opined the Cabinet system is part of the basic structure of the Constitution and that it cannot be changed.

Secondly, the model actually matters little  its success depends upon the leaders who work with it.

Unless they are selfless, sincere and moralists, a change of model can hardly solve our problems.

(The writer is a Griffith Scholar, Author and Reader, New Alipore College)
Pizza By The Bay's Italian-American pizzas are literally set on fire before being served!

By India Today Web Desk: Getting food and drama on the same plate is every foodie's dream come true. But the thing with drama is that it never comes cheap in India. Molecular gastronomy is the forte of high-end restaurants in the country, where meals and portion sizes are anything but pocket-friendly.

So when you hear of a place like Pizza By The Bay, you just have to pay attention.

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This classy little restaurant in Mumbai's Churchgate area has something unique to offer: Flambeed Pizzas. Yes, you read that right. These pizzas are on fire!

Pizza By The Bay is located in Churchgate, Mumbai. Picture courtesy: Instagram/sujeetkarande

Also Read: Here's how you can make the cauliflower pizza Huma Qureshi loves

Pizza By The Bay has apparently been around for years now. But it's only this year that they've introduced these vodka-infused pizzas.

Pizza By The Bay serves some delicious Italian-American pizzas. Picture courtesy: Instagram/hungrytraveler_

Basically, the pizza you've ordered is brought to the table, along with a ladle full of vodka. The vodka in the ladle is set on fire, and then poured over the pizza. What this does is to give the pizza a boozy edge and a smoky flavour.

Pizza By The Bay's vodka-infused, fiery pizzas. Picture courtesy: Instagram/amandeshmukh Pizza By The Bay's vodka-infused, fiery pizzas. Picture courtesy: Instagram/amandeshmukh

Also Read: 5 easy-cheesy naan pizzas you can make at home today

One large Flambeed Pizza at this restaurant costs Rs 1150 to Rs 1250, which isn't too costly if you think about the size and how easy-to-share it is. Going for this dramatic pizza with a bunch of friends is definitely a good idea. So, are you heading to Pizza By The Bay today?

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A Special TADA Court on Thursday sentenced mafia don Abu Salem and co-accused Karimullah Khan to life imprisonment, while two other accused got death in the March 1993 Mumbai serials blasts which claimed 257 lives.

Special Judge GA Sanap pronounced the death verdicts on convicts Mohammed Taher Merchant and Feroze Khan for their role in the blasts, said Special Public Prosecutor Deepak Salve. Ten years rigorous imprisonment was awarded to the fifth convict, Riyaz Siddiqui.

The Special Judge also slapped varying amounts of fines on the convicts after finding them guilty on various charges, including murder, conspiracy to hatch the blasts, supplying arms and ammunition, and other serious offences, Salve told mediapersons after the ruling.

All the six accused were earlier pronounced guilty by the Special Court on June 16, 2017 including Mustafa Dossa, who died on June 28.

The verdict comes 24 years after the March 12, 1993 serial blasts that rocked the countrys commercial capital as a series of 13 blasts took place in quick succession in the city and suburbs. The prime targets included the Air India Building, Bombay Stock Exchange, Zaveri Bazar and others leading to damage to public and private properties worth Rs.27 crore.

Salem, who was extradited from Portugal in 2005, was found guilty of supplying the arms and ammunition, including the deadly RDX, which were used in the blasts.
The Border Security Force (BSF) early on Thursday apprehended three Pakistani fishermen and seized 14 of their boats off the Gujarat coast, an official said.

The fishermen were held around 3.30 a.m. in Bhuj district after a brief gunfight between the intruders and the BSFs 79 Battalion troopers, a Home Ministry official said.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday visited the famed Shwegadon Pagoda, the grave of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar here and also prayed at a Kali temple on the third and last day of his visit to Myanmar, before leaving for home.

After fruitful and constructive bilateral engagements in Myanmar, PM @narendramodi departs for Delhi, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar tweeted.

Modi planted a sapling at the Shwegadon Pagoda, the most sacred of the Buddhist pagodas in Myanmar and which contains strands of hair from the head of Buddha.

The Prime Minister then paid tributes at the Martyrs Mausoleum dedicated to Aung San, father of Nobel Peace Laureate and Myanmar State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and other leaders of the pre-independence interim government of Myanmar who were assassinated in July 1947.

In a special gesture, Suu Kyi, who came down to Yangon from Nay Pyi Taw, showed Modi around the Bogoyoke Aung San Museum, the last residence of Aung San. It was here that Suu Kyi grew up as a child.

The Prime Minister then offered prayers at the Shri Kali Temple that was built by Tamil migrants in 1871 when Burma province was a part of British India.

Performed Puja at Yangons Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed, the Prime Minister tweeted, with photographs tagged of the temple.

In his final engagement prior to his departure, Modi paid floral tributes at the grave of the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar.

On Wednesday, Modi held a bilateral discussion with Suu Kyi in Nay Pyi Taw following which India and Myanmar signed 11 agreements.

Modi said India shared Myanmars concerns over the violence in Rakhine state that has claimed the lives of Myanmarese security personnel and innocent people and has triggered a mass exodus of the minority Rohingya Muslims.

Later on Wednesday, he went to the ancient city of Bagan and visited the Ananda Temple, where the Archaeological Society of India is involved in restoration.

In the evening, he addressed the Indian diaspora at Thuwunna Stadium here.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday expressed confidence that his visit to Myanmar will give a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations and improve bilateral cooperation.

My Myanmar visit covered significant ground in giving a much needed impetus to India-Myanmar relations & deepening bilateral cooperation, tweeted Modi on the third and last day of his visit to the country, before leaving for home.

On Thursday Modi paid tributes at the Martyrs Mausoleum dedicated to Aung San, father of Suu Kyi, and other leaders of the pre-independence interim government of Myanmar who were assassinated in July 1947.

He also visited the famed Shwegadon Pagoda, the grave of last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar here and prayed at a Kali temple.
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) Chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik was arrested here on Thursday.

These villainous acts by the government would not break the spirit of the freedom loving people of Kashmir, Malik told reporters before he was arrested from a party office in the citys Abi Gujar area.

Three senior separatist leaders, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq and Malik, had announced they would take out a protest march to the NIA headquarters in New Delhi and court arrest on Saturday.

Meanwhile, the Kashmir Bar Association has announced the continuation of its strike on Friday against the summoning of its president Mian Qayoom by the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

Qayoom was questioned by the agency for over seven hours on Wednesday.

The NIA on Thursday raided the house of senior separatist leader and Shia cleric Syed Agha Hassan in Badgam as well as the houses of other separatist leaders and their aides in the valley as part of its probe into the terror funding case.

According to NIA sources, similar raids were going on at 12 places in the valley.
India with its history, culture, traditions, is today an example of generosity in the way it has opened its borders to all people who have come looking for safety and sanctuary.

Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of United Nations and the-then United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, had thus commended Indias open-door policy for refugees who had fled from persecution in their homeland and sought asylum in India.

Indeed, India has given shelter to more than 400,000 refugees from myriad countries including Tibet, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Somalia and Ethiopia. But the Indian Governments recent plan to identify and deport all Rohingya refugees from the country threatens to imperil that tradition of hospitality and the generous framework that Guterres so effusively spoke of.

Indeed, the Ministry of Home Affairs quest to deport all Rohingyas from the country, not only runs against the countrys history and tradition but also falls foul of international law and Indias constitutional norms. Since Rohingyas have been at the receiving end of systematic and sustained ethnic violence in their homeland in the Rakhine state in Myanmar, their deportation would arguably violate the principle of non-refoulement, the cornerstone of international refugee law.

The essence of this duty is that no state shall expel an asylumseeker or refugee to any country where he or she is likely to face threat to life or freedom on account of race, religion, nationality, membership of a particular social group or political opinion.

Human rights groups and the international media have shown that the violence against Rohingyas has not only been widespread but has also been spearheaded by the security forces in Myanmar. In fact, the Army Chief of Myanmar has reportedly justified the anti-Rohingyas violence as unfinished business.

Deportation of Rohingya refugees to Myanmar in face of such a climate of hatred, violence and impunity, shall surely pose a severe risk of persecution for them and would undeniably impinge the principle of non-refoulement.

Admittedly, India is a not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention 1951, the primary international treaty on refugee rights.

Yet, non-refoulement is grounded not only in the Refugee Convention but also in broader international human rights law. Article 14 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948 (UDHR) declares that everyone has a right to seek and enjoy in other countries, asylum from persecution. India is also a party to other international human rights treaties like the International Covenant and Civil Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Elimination of Racial Discrimination (ICERD), which indirectly recognise the principle.

Not surprisingly, non-refoulement is widely regarded as part of customary international law and as binding even on countries that are not party to the refugee Convention. Indeed, non-refoulement has been recognised as a part of Indian constitutional law too.

The Delhi High Court observed in 2013 that this principle is required to be taken as part of the guarantee under Article 21 of the Constitution of India as non-refoulement affects/protects the life and liberty of a human being, irrespective of his nationality. [Dong Lian Kham v Union of India]. More than fifteen years before this case, the Supreme Court of India had ruled in National Human Rights Commission vs. State of Arunachal Pradesh [(1996) 1 SCC 742] that the right to life under Article 21 of the Constitution of India is not restricted to citizens but also extends to asylum-seekers and that no person, including a foreigner, could be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to a reasonable procedure established by law.

Therefore, even if one were to keep international legal obligations aside, the proposed deportation would contravene Indian constitutional law, and thereby constitute a grave miscarriage of justice. Indeed, the Delhi High Court had remarked in the Dong Lian Kham case that since the petitioners apprehend danger to their lives on return to their country, it would be proper and in keeping with the golden traditions of this country in respecting international comity and according good treatment to refugees for the government to hear the refugees and consult UNHCR regarding the option of deportation to a third country, before taking a final decision.

These sagacious words of the High Court should act as a very pertinent reminder for the Government of India in its treatment of Rohingyas refugees. Denied citizenship by Myanmar State since 1982 and having been persecuted for many years, Rohingyas refugees have a well-founded fear of persecution on account of their ethnicity.

As such, they must be treated as worthy of the same protection that the High Court extended to asylum-seekers in its verdict.

The Supreme Courts decision to issue notice to the Centre on the proposed deportation provides a valuable opportunity that the government must use to review its stance in light with its constitutional duties.

Most critically, this tragic episode highlights the need for a refugee legislation in India. Indias traditionally hospitable treatment of refugees has paradoxically been accompanied by an absence of a formal legal regime.

Legal rights of refugees have thus been governed by ad-hoc administrative mechanisms that are ambiguous and distinguish between refugee groups on account of political considerations. As a result, refugees have been left dependent on the benevolence of the state rather than on a rights regime to reconstruct their lives with dignity.

Legal protection has thus remained a chimera for several of the refugee communities whose presence have been inconvenient for dominant political interests of the day. As a leading liberal democracy of the world and an aspiring global power, India can ill-afford such inchoate state of affairs.

Indias international and constitutional obligations and its tradition of atithi devo bhava demand a statutory legal framework that distinguishes between illegal migrants and refugees like Rohingyas who have fled persecution and provide them asylum.

(The writer is Assistant Professor at the West Bengal National University for Juridical Sciences, Kolkata.)
The otherwise blue and crispy Sunday afternoon was juxtaposed against the shocking news from North Korea.

The now familiar veteran lady newsreader appeared on the Norths state television channel to announce the successful blast testing of a hydrogen bomb. The latest test has brought North Korea one step closer to the completion of its nuclear programme and military deployment of nuclear arsenal.

With the sixth nuclear test, North Korea again thumbed its nose at the international community. This latest one is more startling because it was just one month ago that the UN Security Council imposed the strongest ever sanction (Resolution 2371) against North Korea after the regimes consecutive missile launches on July 3 and 28. North Korea is almost asking, what is your next red line?

Even in the face of imminent military conflict, North Korea defies any notion of predictability and selfrestraint. It is going its own way, no matter what, refusing to heed anyones advice, even Chinas. It is not wavering a bit.

Come to think of it, for the North Korean regime, there is no reason to stop its nuclear programme at this stage, as it is just one step away from the full operability of the weapon. In two or three years, with this armament it will seize military and diplomatic hegemony on the peninsula. So, it must be ready to endure any warning, threat or economic sanction in the interim.

If it is a North Korean version of a dream come true, there is no reason to balk at this crucial time. South Koreas gross domestic product is 45 times bigger than the Norths. The Souths military spending is 10 times larger than Norths.

All the economic success and military superiority of South Korea have now been upended at a single stroke. In retrospect, North Koreas nuclear armament and companion missile development programmes were the last straw of the regime on the verge of collapse. The last straw turns out to be a silver bullet for economic assistance and now for military superiority.

It was March 1993 that North Korea declared its withdrawal from the NPT. North Korea was faltering at the time, after the collapse of the east bloc and the continuing, devastating famine. Militarily and economically, North Korea was not a match for South Korea. The German-style absorption unification seemed within reach and almost a matter of time.

In 24 years, the tables have been turned and North Korea is now going to dictate the terms for peace or otherwise on the Korean Peninsula. Continuing on this path, it will be North Korea that will be in the drivers seat.

The 24-year chronology gives us belated enlightenment that it was a myth that North Korea would give up its nuclear ambition in exchange for economic incentives or mere assurance for the survival of the regime.

Facing this, nobody takes the responsibility. There is no acknowledgement that the 24-year North Korean policy, through both conservative and liberal governments, has failed. While President Trump made a statement the other day that the US North Korean policy has failed for the past 24 years, a similar acknowledgment has not been made by anyone in South Korea, yet. As with anything, the first step is to acknowledge the failure and confront the reality. Only then can we explore future options.

It seems that unfortunately the only option now is to acknowledge the North Korean regime as a nuclear power and then find a way to respond or contain. Public views in Korea are fast changing in favour of bringing back US tactical nuclear weapons as a first step to restore the broken military balance. Dangerously, continuing provocation of the North will trigger a nuclear armament domino in this region.

The September 3 test blast marked a new turning point for the North Korean nuclear issue.

Before we know it, we will encounter a completely new paradigm of confronting this issue.

(The Korea Herald/ANN.)
The Supreme Court, like a large section of society, has clearly had enough of the velvet-glove treatment being accorded to politically-pampered goons masquerading as cow vigilantes, and has directed that this must stop.

While a three judge Bench headed by the Chief Justice of India, Justice Dipak Mishra, did not formally reject the stand the Centre has been taking that law and order was a state subject, it asked what it was doing to curb the increasing menace, and even told the Additional Solicitor General to take instructions and respond to a plea that it invoke the provisions of Article 256 of the Constitution and issue the requisite directive to the states.

The Bench, which also comprised Justices AM Khanwilkar and Amitava Roy proceeded to direct all state governments to appoint a senior police officer as the nodal officer in each district to deal with instances of cow vigilantes unleashing violence.

Planned action was what their Lordships demanded.

The court went on to order that the nodal officers shall ensure vigilante groups dont take the law into their own hands and directed the Chief Secretaries and DGPs to file status reports on the action taken.

It also called for effective patrolling of the highways along which the vigilantes have been active.

The court was dealing with a series of petitions demanding a crackdown on the vigilantes who have taken over 60 lives in recent months.

Though both the Prime Minister and home minister have condemned the lawlessness unleashed by the vigilantes, their activity has not been visibly reduced ~ hence the vacuum is being filled by the judiciary.

To recall, or list, the lynching perpetrated in the guise of protecting the cow would be pointless, for those who sincerely hold the cow sacred do not condone the recent violence.

The attacks are little short of a bid to terrorise minority communities, which explains why there has been such tepid police action ~ the goons claim political patronage.

Yet their unabashed violence is also facilitated by the highly controversial order on the sale and transfer of cattle ~ which has been put on hold by the courts.

The environment minister has repeatedly stated that a revised order will be issued, shortcomings addressed etc, but no specific remedies have been announced.

The recent order of the apex court on issues of privacy would, in effect, also be diluted by the vigilantes running amuck.

The orders ando bservations of the Supreme Court on Wednesday may not amount to a formal indictment of the Centre, but they do put Raisina Hill on the spot.

For a failure to compel/persuade the states into requisite action would imply a breaking down of the Constitutional machinery ~ nothing short of that.

Had the Centre been more active, conditions would not have necessitated judicial intervention.
North Koreas sixth missile test, this time reportedly powered with a hydrogen bomb that can be loaded on to an ICBM, has predictably overshadowed the BRICS summit in China, whose President, Xi Jinping, is an ally of Kim Jongun.

Worldwide, there is considerable shock and awe over the all too frequent muscle-flexing and the technological prowess of the hermit kingdom now in unsplended isolation. Yet the conference can be said to have concluded on a critical note in the context of Vladimir Putins warning that the escalating North Korean crisis could cause a planetary catastrophe and huge loss of life.

From the perspective of an international reprisal against the Kim regime, the Russian President, a participant at the BRICS summit, has binned US proposals for further sanctions on Pyongyang as useless. He has thus countered the absence of a definite plan of action on the part of President Trump as also the US ambassador to the UN, Nikki Haleys charge that North Korea is begging for war, and that the time had come for the Security Council to impose the strongest possible sanctions after the latest test.

While sanctions can deal a crippling blow to the economy, they can scarcely bring a regime to its knees, if the Iranian example is any indication. Rightly has Putin referred to sanctions as a road to nowhere.

The Kremlins withers remain unwrung despite the Western sanctions after the annexation of Crimea and the expansionist designs in Ukraine. Over the past 72 hours, both the White House and the UN have been indecisive in firming up a policy on North Korea. In the aftermath of the Norths most powerful nuclear test to date, Putin has balanced his word of caution to the world with a somewhat placatory note ~ Ramping up military hysteria in such conditions is senseless; its a dead end and could lead to a global, planetary catastrophe and a huge loss of human life.

There is no other way to solve the North Korean nuclear issue, save that of peaceful dialogue. That dialogue is unlikely to put in place a less reckless regime, one that has been ever so intent on precipitating a global crisis.

Putin has said that foreign interventions in Iraq and Libya had convinced the North Korean leader that he needed nuclear weapons to survive. The outlook is fearsome.

The underground blast last Sunday triggered an earthquake of magnitude 6.3 and was more powerful than the bombs dropped by the US on Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II. Viewed through that prism, the response of the West doesnt quite match the enormity of the build-up.

One must give it to South Korea, however, that there has been a degree of counter-mobilisation, which has somewhat alienated Mr Trump who has restricted himself to rhetoric and bluster.
For several years now community participation has been the buzzword in the development sector. The community was always supposed to be at the centre of all poverty-reduction activities but how many thought of including it as a genuine partner in these activities. However, very soon everybody was reminded of the community.

It started with the dictum of Professor Robert Chambers, Ask them. During the 1980s and 90s, community participation became popular in all poverty alleviation programmes. The whole approach was based on the assumption that communities themselves know better what their needs are, so ask them and as given proper resources they are in a better position to implement programmes and projects concerning them, so involve them.

Thus participation would lead to empowerment, which in turn would lead to poverty reduction. Direct involvement of the community was assumed to lead to efficiency and effectiveness of the projects and make them much more sustainable. There are genuine examples where participation has led to both empowerment and efficiency.

For example, the inclusion of women in management roles in village water committees and associations is seen to represent a form of female emancipation and also ensuring the sustainability of facilities.

Another assumption is that people know better than experts what their needs are and who among them are not able to fulfill them.

One more argument which is given in favour of community participation is that it can be an effective way of reducing the cost of several anti-poverty interventions.

Local community may know better ways to lower costs than the oursider. Also, communities may be in a better position to verify that activities related to interventions take place.

However, if strong community participation was seen as a way to alleviate poverty, it came with a sobering acknowledgement that there is much to learn about the ways a community is engaged. Community participation is based on the assumption that communities are homogeneous and are well-informed, competent and capable.

However, in reality communities are not homogeneous or have common interests; instead they compete for the benefits.

When NGO activists and social scientists talk of how a community lobbied local government, built a well or decided on a development strategy, who are they talking about? Do they mean everyone in the community, or just the majority, or just the richer ones, or just the men? Is the will of the community the same as the will of the community leadership?

In reality, participation is selective and tends to concentrate on people who are not very poor because to the poor, participation is a costly and time-consuming affair.

Therefore those who actually require interventions have little or no time to participate (unless special efforts are made to make it viable for them), as participation comes at the cost of their days labour which they can hardly afford.

More so, there is always a danger of elite capture of any community activity.

Since many community organisations are not democratically elected, the involvement of local leaders often represents the voice of a group of self-appointed people. In the process the poor become even more marginalised.

Also, most of the time, the resources distributed are scarce. Under such circumstances, the expectation that poor people should cooperate in the distribution of these scarce resources is too much to ask for.

Such situations mostly promote competition rather than cooperation among community members. Initially community participation created very high expectations.

However, with time their experience with these expectations and low outcomes has discouraged many members from participating further. In reality there are many assumptions related to community which can either promote or hinder participation.

There is need to recognise the fact that there is no one size fits all solution to community participation. Its outcomes always grow out of specific situations and it cannot be replicated in another community.

For poverty alleviation, first we need to acknowledge that there exist no poor communities but communities where a majority but not all of the people are poor. Poor are usually marginalised by their fellow community members and their voices are ignored. Poverty reduction is more of a political issue than a technical one.

It is very difficult to consider community as a homogeneous entity. Collective action of the people is an exception, not rule. Participation is not possible in an environment where resources are scarce and benefits limited. Under such circumstances the poor see themselves as competitors and instead of cooperation seek patronage.

Here comes the role of politicians who work as patrons. Politicians seek clients among the poor to remain in power and instead of taking up the cause of the poor they only do some symbolic service. Thus despite all efforts of the last so many decades, the problem of poverty remains very serious. What is required to be done to tackle poverty is to bring structural change rather than symbolic services.

There is a need for redistribution of resources and this distribution is always demand-driven rather than supply-driven. Thus the effort should be to increase the assertive and empowered role of the poor. Those who remain silent are always ignored. Thus real empowerment for poor is to increase their bargaining power.

(The writer is a freelance contributor and researcher)
By PTI: Myanmar (EDS: Updating with PMs visit to Martyrs Mausoleum, temple)

Yangon, Sep 7 (PTI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today visited the 2,500-years-old Shwedagon pagoda, considered to be the pinnacle of Myanmars cultural heritage, and performed puja at the Kalibari Temple here.

Modi paid his respects at the pagoda on the last day of his three-day first bilateral visit to this Buddhist-majority country.

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He also planted a Bodhi tree sapling at the pagoda complex, signifying common cultural heritage, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Raveesh Kumar said.

"Delighted to visit Myanmars cultural landmark, the Shwedagon Pagoda," prime minister Modi tweeted.

The 2,500-year-old Shwedagon Pagoda enshrines strands of Buddhas hair and other holy relics.

Located west of the Royal Lake in Yangon, Shwedagon Pagoda is considered to be the most sacred and impressive Buddhist site for the Myanmarese people. From a humble beginning of 8.2 metres, the Shwedagon Pagoda today stands close to 110 meters.

Shwedagon Pagoda is covered with hundreds of gold plates and the top of the stupa is encrusted with 4,531 diamonds, the largest of which is a 72 carat diamond.

Modi later paid his respects at the Martyrs Mausoleum and performed puja at the Kalibari Temple.

"Performed Puja at Yangons Kalibari Temple. Feeling extremely blessed," Modi tweeted along with a picture of himself at the temple.

He also visited Bogyoke Aung San Museum with Myanmars State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi Aung San Suu Kyi.

"I thank Daw Aung San Suu Kyi for the special gesture of showing me around the Bogyoke Aung San Museum. Paid tributes to General Aung San," Modi said. PTI ASK AKJ ASK

--- ENDS ---
If you hide from reality for long enough, you can land up in a place from where it is next to impossible to find your way back.

Something like that may be happening to Pakistan, where for more than a quarter century, the state has come to be virtually held hostage by a reality that it has been denying in almost every forum around the world.

This reality is that within Pakistan, as a matter of official policy, violent militant groups have been nurtured, trained, supported and nestled within the general population for use as assets in an underground geopolitical game that we have tried to play in the region.

This history has been told so often, within and outside Pakistan, and evidence of the official patronage that these groups and their larger milieu enjoys has now mounted to such levels, that it has become an act of wilful schizophrenia to actually deny it now.

Where exactly does one even begin to explain this to those who remain unaware of this fact even today, and resistant to really internalising its import? For years, we have found different rationales to either justify or explain this away.

Most recently, when the BRICS countries pointed to three specific groups in Pakistan and labelled them as terrorist entities, they were only echoing what the UN Security Council had done more than a decade and a half ago.

Still the line came up that these groups are already proscribed in Pakistan, as a rationale or soft justification for the fact that the groups not only exist, but operate freely and openly, propagate their literature in society, operate giant administrative operations, and in some cases, are actually being mainstreamed into society as bona fide political parties.

What does proscription actually mean in Pakistan when the same members of the group in question need only start another organisation under a different name and carry on business as usual? One need only take a close look at what happened to the case against the Lal Masjid cleric who less than a decade ago had taken up arms against the state, and triggered a confrontation that actually resulted in the deaths of scores of military personnel.

The case fell apart (take a look sometime at how this happened), and the cleric in question continues to live and preach openly in the same mosque. How did this come about if some form of official support was not available to him? Another line told us that we need not worry.

The countries that are crying foul over this situation are biased against us, and need to be perceived more as enemies than allies.

Now we have China, we were told, which will stand by us and has no intention of similarly wagging a finger at us on this point. And with China we have CPEC, which is our road to future prosperity, something we have believed for generations now is given by a big brother, not earned through ones own smarts and hard work.

Well now China has added its voice to the list of those countries pointing out that the presence of militant groups in Pakistan is a problem. To add meat to the proposition, they point to a comprehensive approach in combating terrorism, to include countering radical ideologies, halting the movement of terrorist fighters as well as their recruitment, interdicting their finances and much more. This is a heavy menu, and notice that all of what the BRICS declaration is committing to is within the framework of the United Nations, and an extension of what other leading powers in the world have already been saying for many years.

If anybody out there thought that somehow the emergence of China on the global stage, and its growing stakes in our neighborhood as well as others, along with its creed to not interfere in the internal affairs of other countries, meant that finally we would have a free pass to engage our great game fantasies without let or hindrance, they ought to be in for a rude shock.

The person who is still spinning the words to mean something other than what they say is like that person who has lived so long with his or her lies that they are unable to find their way back to reality.

Everything in the declaration shows that the BRICS countries, that include Russia and China, will not advance an alternative set of norms to those around which the Euro-American world order is constructed.

To combat terror financing, for example, they seek to work with the UN resolutions and the Financial Action Task Force that has for years been pointing out the vulnerability of the Pakistan financial system to being used by designated terrorist groups because the latter operate with impunity in Pakistan.

Yes there have been huge successes in Pakistans own war against terror. Groups like the TTP have been pushed out of Swat and North and South Waziristan, and the sacrifices made by Pakistans soldiers in the course of this fighting have been admirable and deserve commendation.

Yes, the security situation has improved from a decade ago, although much ground remains to be covered. And yes, lets also add that much of the finger-wagging from the West, particularly America, is in bad faith. America is not losing the war in Afghanistan because of Pakistan.

America is losing the war for the simple reason that no sooner had the fighting commenced in earnest in Afghanistan, it lost its focus and went barrelling into Iraq instead. All else is detail. But there is a reason why Pakistan has had such a difficult time getting the world to recognise this simple reality: because we have been lying to ourselves and our allies about the nature of our involvement in this war all along.

If Abbottabad didnt establish this, surely the death of Mullah Mansour on Pakistani soil, with Pakistani credentials in his pocket, did.

(Dawn/ANN.)
The walled city of Shahjahanabad, or Old Delhi, has a lot to offer anyone taking a walk through its congested and noisy yet colourful streets, lanes and by-lanes. Whether its food, architecture or literature, the old quarters of the Capital has much to give those who seek. And the endless buzz of activities leaves absolutely no space for some quiet. But wait! Located amid this chaos, are several libraries that date back well over a century. Housing some rare books and manuscripts, these libraries are a treasure trove for researchers. The buildings they are located in are landmarks and of architectural importance as well. Sadly, these libraries see few serious visitors, save for researchers and students.

While the Union and state governments have set aside funds for their upkeep, its a constant struggle to keep up with the times. As peoples reading habits change and technology makes huge strides, these libraries appear to face a bleak future. It seems like the only people who have kept any public library alive in the city are students or some tenacious newspaper-readers. Its a shame that all these paragon institutes are struggling to survive and are on the verge of fading into oblivion.

Hopefully authorities wake up before we lose some of their priceless books and artefacts. One way to keep these libraries alive is to give them readers. But for that they need to attract people to drop by and end up with, if not a book, a story to go by or just spend some quality time in a place far from the citys hustle and bustle. After all, who ever had a bad day in a library? We bring to you a glimpse of some of the famous old libraries.

Shah Waliullah Library

Our next library hunt took us to narrow lanes behind the Jama Masjid. The place we searched for is not even listed on Google Maps. One has to ask for Pahari Imli beyond Bulbule Khana to reach there. Shah Waliullah Library is a tiny room overflowing with rare books. The library is named after Shah Waliullah, the Islamic scholar, who first translated the Quranto Urdu.

The library was founded in 1987 by a group of young individuals, who formed Delhi Youth Welfare Association(DYWA) to help out individuals when communal differences in Old Delhi led to a four-day curfew. The group does much more than running a library. It provides free education to children, gives them free counselling and even helps apply for colleges and sometimes even pays their fees. The library started with personal donations from members of DYWA but now more and more people have started donating books.

Today this collection has touched about 20,000 books with exquisites like a centuryold Quran, which has Bismillah written in 114 styles and an 80-year-old Quran. The oldest book in the library is a 600-year-old Arabian book on logic. A prized possession is a book of poetry written by the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar, in whose presence the book was printed in Red Fort. Interestingly, towards the end of the book are poetry written in Punjabi.

The digital copies of these rare books are available for general public and most of the originals have been carefully wrapped and kept away until a new place can be found for them. The library is brimming with books and is in an urgent need of space for them. In all these years, officials of the Union ministry of culture visited the library once to wrap these books. Beyond that, no efforts have been made by the government to preserve or help the library. The place is known only because of the hospitable and generous caretakers there. Their love and fascination for knowledge and books has kept the library and other operations alive all these years.

Hardayal Municipal Library

This library presents a completely different scenario from the streets of Old Delhi. Built in 1862 by the British and named Lawrence Institute Library, it resides in lush green surroundings, untouched by the chaos around. The tranquility within this historical library is unique.

Hardayal Library is the oldest public library in the city and has gone through several names before it was named Hardayal Municipal Public Library in 1970, to honour freedom fighter Lala Hardayal. Its interesting to note that the library was named Hardinge Municipal Library in 1916 and then renamed to honour the man who attacked Viceroy Hardinge.

The library is like a treasure trove of books, with more than 1.7 lakh books, of which 7,000 are rare ones. These books are not available for public viewing and can be only availed after submitting a letter to the librarian. Other than these there are 20 books, which are just one of their kind. This collection includes a copy of Travaile Begvennes Relation of Some Year, printed in 1634; a handwritten Quran by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb; and Persian translation of Mahabharata by Abul Raizi. These books are out of bounds for general public and are only displayed on special occasions. Somehow time has managed to stand still inside Hardayal Library since the British left. One can still find handwritten catalogues, humongous ledgers and accounts calculated down to paise. However, the library has not been able to buy a single book due to shortage of money.

A year back, Delhi Development Authority set aside Rs 3 crore for preservation of the books and the building. The North Delhi Municipal Corporation (NDMC) handed over the task of preparing a detailed project report for its restoration to the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH). The decision was taken after much persuasion and intervention of former Delhi lieutenant governor Najeeb Jung.

A sum of Rs 50 lakh of the total budget was set aside for preservation of books and an equal amount was to be spent in digitalising the rare books. A year later, no effort has been made to digitalise the books or preserve the rare texts. The library staff has not received their salaries for last seven months due to lack of funds. A walk into narrower lanes of Old Delhi will let you know that Hardayal isnt the only library that has been perishing in the city.

Marwari Library

The story of Marwari Library, situated near Gurudwara Sis Ganj Sahib, is not very different. The library was built by a Marwari Charitable Trust in 1915 and has been visited by many notable personalities, from Mahatma Gandhi to Vijaylakshmi Pandit. Today, the library receives about 100 visitors every day, most of them students or people who come to read the newspaper. The collection of books mostly comprises Hindi literature and rare early- and mid-20th century periodicals. The library houses a collection of 35,000 books, among which there are many first editions of books like Dharamvir Bhartis Sooraj ka Satwan Ghoda. One can find the earliest edition of magazines like Hans and TIME. The most prized possession till date are handwritten letters by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, who visited the library on 28 November, 1917; Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya; and Vijayalakshmi Pandit.

Fatehpuri Library

This library is part of the Fatehpuri Masjid courtyard, built in 1650 by Fatehpuri Begum, one of emperor Shah Jahans wife. One can easily spot the Mughal lineage from the use of red sandstone and iconic Mughal arches in the building. The library entrance is difficult to spot even after reaching Fatehpuri Masjid. Its as if everyone has forgotten the library, including the courtyard it resides in. The corridor holding the library accords a stunning view of the whole courtyard.

The library holds a vast collection of books from prePartition era in all subjects ~ English, Hindi, Urdu, Arabian, Persian and Farsi. The library has not issued any book for several years and is hardly in a position to be called a library. It has not received any funds and is slowly fading into oblivion. Its difficult to find any mention of the library in the Internet and has not received any media attention. The only people who visit the library are nearby residents, who come there to read the daily newspaper, with the exception of occasional students or researchers, who drop by for reference.
North Korea might launch an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) on Saturday, as the country marks the anniversary of its founding, South Korean Prime Minister Lee Nak-yon on Thursday.

The situation is very grave. It doesnt seem much time is left before North Korea achieves its complete nuclear armament, the Prime Minister said at a meeting of defence officials here.

A special measure is urgently needed to stop their recklessness.

Earlier on Thursday, the final parts of the American Terminal High Altitude Area Defence (THAAD) missile system arrived at a base in South Korea as hundreds of protesters thronged the area amid a huge police presence.

Protesters scuffled with armoured riot police as they attempted to block the road where US Forces Korea was transporting four additional THAAD missile interceptor launchers to a base in Seongju, around 300 km south of Seoul.

Two launchers have been operational at the site since May.

The rollout was temporarily completed Thursday, a spokesman for South Koreas Defence Ministry said, adding it was necessary to counter increased threats from North Korea.

On Thursday morning, South Korean President Moon Jae-in met with Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo in Vladivostok where they are attending the Eastern Economic Forum, hosted by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

After the meeting, Abe and Moon issued a statement saying now is the time to further increase sanctions and pressures against the North as much as possible rather than seeking dialoguen.

The two leaders felt Russian and Chinese involvement was paramount and agreed to work towards that goal. Abe is due to meet Putin separately later in the day.
Nepali comedian Manoj Gajurel received threats for impersonating the king when the small Himalayan country was still ruled by a Hindu monarchy.

Today he is taking aim at another powerful figure, US President Donald Trump.

Dressed in Trumps trademark blue suit and red tie and topped with a blond wig, Gajurel struts on stage where his Trump clashes with a prominent Nepali journalist known for asking outlandish questions.

This is the fake media, Gajurel shouts in an American drawl that still has a hint of his native Nepali, to applause and laughter from the audience.

Washington may be a long way away, but the bombastic real estate mogul turned politician still resonates with audiences in the small Himalayan nation.

World politics is now very narrow. If something happens in America, in Nepal it is also connected. Thats why I chose Donald Trump, Gajurel said in his cramped dressing room after the show.

Gajurel has been studying Trumps mannerisms for over two years, watching YouTube videos to perfect his swagger and voice.

But in order to truly embody Trump, Gajurel had to change his teeth.

You can see my teeth are not very beautiful, but Trumps teeth are very good. To be Donald Trump I had to make very beautiful teeth, he said, pulling a wide grin to show off a pair of pearly white dentures.

Shortly after Nepals King Gyanendra seized absolute power in 2006 at the height of the countrys civil war, dismissing the government, Gajurel took aim at the monarch.

Under Gyanendras short-lived rule, political dissent was severely punished and censorship was rife, leaving satirists to fill the void.

No news was allowed on television or the radio, only music, which led one radio station to come up with a humorous workaround  it sang all news broadcasts to the tunes of popular folk music.

Gajurel received threats over the phone and from supporters of the monarchy who would come up to him after his shows. He took to travelling with at least one friend for protection.

I enjoyed the threats because if someone threatens me, it means I am on the right track, Gajurel said.

The environment is more open in Nepal today and each year Gajurel takes aim at a different political figure.

Two years ago Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the target of his jokes, at a time when Nepals relations with its bigger neighbours had reached a nadir.

After the show, Gajurel had some advice for the US president: should he ever find himself out of a job, he could set himself up as a one man act.

He is not a professional comedian but he has a sense of humour about him, Gajurel said with a wink.
Pakistan is among the 50 worst countries in terms of money laundering and terror financing, according to a study conducted by a Swiss group.

The study by Basel Institute on Governance ranked Pakistan at the 46th position in the list of 146 countries with greater chances of money laundering and terror financing.

The group, which works with the public and private sector to counter corruption, released its annual Anti Money Laundering (AML) index 2017 in the third week of August and some of its findings were reported by international media.

The Basel AML Index measured the risk of money laundering and terrorist financing of countries based on publicly available sources, the report said.

The Basel AML Index 2017 gave Pakistan a score of 6.64. The other worst countries in the list were Iran (8.6), Afghanistan (8.38), Guinea-Bissau (8.35), Tajikistan (8.28), Laos (8.28), Mozambique (8.08), Mali (7.97), Uganda (7.95), Cambodia (7.94).

The best performance in effective monitoring of banking and all financial transactions, according to this study, was of Finland with a score of 3.04. Thus, Finland was at the bottom of the list and ranked at position 146. Other countries with best controls and monitoring of financial transactions after Finland were Lithuania (3.67), Estonia (3.83), Bulgaria (3.87), New Zealand (3.91), Slovenia (4.02) and Denmark (3.05).
According to the Prime Minister of Barbuda, 90 percent of the island of 1600 was damaged by Irma.
Two people, including a child, hospitalized following one of three crashes in just over an hour in St. John's Sunday night

Two people were sent to hospital following one of three crashes in just a little more than an hour in St. Johns Sunday night. One of the crashes happened on the Robert E. Howlett highway at Heavy Tree Road at about 7:40 p.m. and left a pickup and an ...
By PTI: Kolkata, Sep 7 (PTI) St Teresas birth place Skopje came closer to her place of work Kolkata today with the Republic of Macedonia opening its Consulate in this city to boost economic and cultural ties.

The Republic of Macedonias capital city Skopje is the birth place of St Teresa, better known as Mother Teresa.

Namit Bajoria, Director of kitchen appliances brand Kutchina, has been appointed as the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.

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The Ambassador of the Republic of Macedonia Dr Toni Atanasovski today formally inaugurated the Consulate bureau in Kolkata on the eve of the 26th National Day in the presence of Ambassadors from Bosnia, Ecuador, Jordan, Libya and two women entrepreneurs from the United Arab Emirates.

The Republic of Macedonia is a small Balkan nation with one fourth the size of Kolkata?s population.

"The two cities of Skopje and Kolkata are like two soulmates, as they mutually share the heritage of Mother Teresa. The opening of our Honorary Consulate Bureau in Kolkata is expected to boost cultural exchanges, tourism and trade between Skopje and Kolkata.

"Our mission is to initiate, promote and assist in any possible way to these initiatives and projects," said Dr Toni Atanasovski, Ambassador of The Republic of Macedonia in India.

The Republic of Macedonia would approach the West Bengal government with a proposal to mutually promote and support foreign direct investments in trade between India and Macedonia.

Besides cultural and social linkages, the Kolkata Consulate would work towards expanding trade and business opportunities between West Bengal and the Republic of Macedonia," said Namit Bajoria, Honorary Consul, The Republic of Macedonia in Kolkata.

According to a World Bank report for 2017, the Republic of Macedonia has been ranked the 10th best country in the world in terms of Ease of Doing Business. PTI AKB JM

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Rohigyas fled Myanmar in large numbers following persecution by the official agencies in 2012. This began after some Rohingyas were accused of gangrape and murder of a Buddhist woman in Rakhine province of Myanmar.

By Prabhash K Dutta: During his three-day visit to Myanmar, Prime Minister Narendra Modi raised the issue of Rohingya Muslims, living illegally in India, with the leadership of the host country.

As Narendra Modi wound up his Myanmar visit by paying tributes to the last Mughal emperor Bahadur Shah at his tomb in Yangoon, State Counsellor and Leader of the National League for Democracy of Myanmar Aung San Suu Kyi termed the Rohingya crisis as "the biggest challenge we have had to face."

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But Suu Kyi defended her government saying, "It is a little unreasonable to expect us to solve the issue in 18 months... as the situation in Rakhine has been such since many decades and goes back to pre colonial times."

Suu Kyi linked Rohingya's issue with the security question saying, "We have to decide how to differentiate terrorists from innocents. You in India would be well versed with this."

Her statements make it sure that Myanmar may not be so easily cooperating with India in deporting about 40,000 Rohingyas living "illegally" in the country. Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju has stated the government's position in no uncertain terms both in Parliament and outside.

Responding to comments by Amnesty International, Rijiju reiterated Centre's stand on Tuesday, saying, "I want to tell the international organisations whether the Rohingyas are registered under the United Nations Human Rights Commission or not. They are illegal immigrants in India."

The Supreme Court will be deciding the deportation question on Saturday, September 11 while hearing a PIL in the matter.

WHO ARE ROHINGYA MUSLIMS?

Rohingyas are ethnic Muslims of Myanmar living in Rakhine province in the Arakan region. Myanmar government does not recognise Rohingyas as their citizens. Only about 40,000 Rohingyas are acknowledged as citizens in their country.

Rohingya Muslims are referred to as Bengalis in Myanmar for their roots in Bangladesh. The 1982-citizenship law of Myanmar does not recognise Rohingyas as ethnic group and these people are practically stateless for 35 years.

In 2014, the Myanmar government presented a plan for accommodating Rohingya Muslims as their citizens. The willing members of Rohingya community were asked to change their ethnicity in the census form from Rohingya to Bengali.

But, Rohingyas claim that they have lived in Rakhine region for centuries. However, most of Rohigyans don't have documents to prove that their ancestors lived in Myanmar before 1948, the cut-off date under the 1982-citizenship law.

WHY ROHINGYAS FLED IN 2012

Even though, the Myanmar government derecognised Rohingya Muslims as citizens way back in 1982, thousands of them started leaving the country only in 2012.

In 2012, the Rohingyas saw themselves being evicted from their homes, their land confiscated and their villages and habitations attacked by Myanmar's military. The United Nations has recognised Rohingya Muslims as one the most persecuted ethnic groups in the world.

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It began with a case of gangrape in Myanmar. Some Rohingya Muslims were charged with gangrape and murder of a Buddhist woman in Rakhine. This led to clashes between Rohingya Muslims and Buddhists. Bloody fights and riots soon engulfed the entire Arakan region.

The Myanmar government responded by herding thousands of Rohingya Muslims in a concentration camp fenced by barbed wires. The police did not allow Rohingyas to leave the camps. The Myanmar's authorities supplied food in the camps but it was not enough leading to starvation. Medical aid was not proper which caused spread of disease and deaths in the camps. Other Rohingyas started to flee the country. Those in the camps tried everything to escape.

Suddenly, thousands of Rohingya Muslims were discovered in the sea water on boats with no country to go. International press branded them as boat people.

HOW ROHINGYAS REACHED INDIA

As Rohingyas speak Bengali, they headed in large number towards Bangladesh. Many had their ancestral roots in that country. Initially, Bangladesh authorities were lenient but with rising number of emigrants from Myanmar, Dhaka chose, in August 2012 itself, to stop all humanitarian assistance to Rohingya Muslims leaving them helpless.

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The boat people headed towards Thailand. But, Thailand had kept an eye on the developments of Myanmar and put its navy on guard. Thailand's navy gave the boat people food and medicines but did not allow them land on its territories.

The Rohingyas turned towards Malaysia thinking that a Muslim majority country would give them shelter. But, Malaysia adopted the same policy as Thailand. Malaysian navy spurned all the moves by the boat people to set feet on its land.

For few weeks, Rohingyas managed to enter Indonesia, another Muslim majority country. Trapped in boats in hundreds, Rohingyas were rescued by Indonesian fishermen. By the time, the Indonesian government declared that Rohingyas were not welcome in their country, thousands of them had already taken shelter there. But, Indonesian government warned its fishermen against rescuing and bringing Rohingyas into Indonesia.

Till then, Rohingyas were not entering India into large numbers. When all the doors were shut on them, they turned towards India. By 2013, Bangladesh had closed all the entry points for Rohingyas into its territory. They looked for entry points along India-Myanmar border and India-Myanmar-Bangladesh tri-junction.

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ROHINGYAS IN INDIA

Rohingyas entered into northeast India through various routes. They avoided staying near the Myanmar's borders. Rohingyas spread over a large area across various states. They have their camps in Assam, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju informed Parliament in August that there were about 40,000 Rohingya Muslims living illegally in the country. According to Centre's estimates, Rohingya's population has increased four times in India over the last two years. In 2015, their population was estimated to have been 10,500.

The maximum concentration of Rohingya Muslims is reported to be in Jammu. According to the Jammu and Kashmir government, there are about 5,700 Rohingya Muslims living in and around Jammu. However, the central government maintains that there could be around 10,000-11,000 Rohingyas in Jammu.

REFUGEES AND INDIA

Most of the Rohingya Muslims living in India are registered with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), better known as UN Refugee agency. According to UN Refugee agency the number of Rohingyas who have fled Myanmar to other countries reached 1,23,000 last month.

International organisations have appealed to India not to deport the Rohingyas. But, the government has stated that its decision to deport Rohingyas concerns the state of security. Further, India is not a signatory to the 1951 Refugee Convention of the UN or the 1967 Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees.

India does not have a refugee specific law and the matter falls under the Foreigners Act of 1946, enacted by the Central Legislative Assembly. The Foreigners Act makes undocumented physical presence of a foreigner in India a crime. It also empowers the government to detain a foreigner living illegally in the country till that person is deported.

ALSO READ |

Who are Rohingya Muslims and why govt wants to deport 40,000 of them?

SC to decide Rohingya Muslims' fate in India: Here's why they are fleeing Myanmar

Rohingya Muslims aren't only ones fleeing Myanmar genocide, over 500 Hindus cross over to Bangladesh

ALSO WATCH| Centre exploring ways to deport 40,000 Rohingya Muslims

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But the tribe has a long way to go
The US Department of Commerce on Wednesday said it began an investigation into possible dumping and subsidisation of stainless steel flanges from China and India.

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross announced the trade action in a statement, saying: The department will act swiftly, while assuring a full and fair assessment of the facts, to ensure that everyone trades on a level-playing field.

In 2016, imports of stainless steel flanges from China and India were valued at an estimated $16.3 million and $32.1 million, respectively, the statement said.

The probe followed petitions by two privately held companies, Core Pipe Products Inc of Illinois and Maass Flange Corp of Texas.

They alleged dumping margins, or the discount to fair value, on products from China of 99.23 per cent to 257.11 per cent and from India of 78.49 per cent to 145.25 per cent. They also estimated that products from both countries were subsidised at undetermined rates, the statement said.

The International Trade Commission is due to make a preliminary decision about whether the imports injure US producers by October 2, which would ensure the Commerce Department continues its investigation, the statement said.

It said that from January 20 through September 6 this year, the department had begun 62 antidumping and countervailing duty investigations, up 41 per cent from the previous year.
How a 13-year-old can be a mother, asked Chief Justice Dipak Misra on Wednesday while deciding the abortion plea of a minor girl in an advanced stage of pregnancy31 weeks. The Mumbai-based girl was allowed to abort the foetus, the result of rape, by a bench of the apex court comprising Justice Misra and judges Amitava Roy and A.M. Khanvilkar.

Considering the age of the petitioner, the trauma she has suffered because of sexual abuse, the agony she is going through and the opinion of the medical board favouring termination of pregnancy, the abortion should be allowed, the court ruled.

The development immediately brought to mind the 10-year-old child from Chandigarh, who, in July, had been denied abortion in a similarly advanced stage of pregnancy, the result of repeated rapes by a relative. The child delivered a 2.2 kg baby girl on August 17, which the family had signed off for adoption in advance. The child mother was not even aware that she had delivered a babyshe was told the doctors were removing a stone that cause her abdomen ache. The Supreme Court bench of then Chief Justice J.S. Khehar and Justice D.Y. Chandrachud had their empathy with her, and even asked whether a permanent medical board be set up at the state level to examine such cases till the law for abortion was amended.

Was the age of the 10-year-old not a reason for abortion? Or was her trauma different? No. The difference was in the opinion of the medical board, which in one case believed that delivering a pre-term child (most likely with childhood pregnancies) would require Neonatal Intensive Care and that the child's birth would be detrimental to both the child as well as the underage mother. In the case of the 10-year-old, the medical board believed that the abortion itself was too risky for the mother, since she was in such an advanced stage of pregnancy.

Experts point out that in the case of granting permission to abort beyond the 20 weeks established under the Medical Termination of Pregnancy (MTP) Act, it is the decision of the medical board or doctor attending to the woman which counts. A court has to go by that decision. This is Section 5 of the MTP Act, and activists say that it does not entail that the woman should go to the court to get the sanction. If the doctor attending her feels, in good faith, that going ahead with the pregnancy is harmful for her health, the abortion can be conducted. Harmful to health is a subjective term. Is it only the immediate medical crisis of an advanced pregnancy abortion that is harmful to health? Is having the child at such an early age, which is the outcome of rape, also harmful to the woman's health?

Vinoj Manning, executive director of Ipas Development Foundation, which has worked in the area of safe abortions, said that while the recent verdict was welcome, we do regret that the girl, and her family, like in many similar cases, had to appeal to the apex court for relief and bear the extended period of mental and physical trauma. Section 5 of the MTP Act allows the doctor to take a decision in good faith for termination of pregnancy beyond 20 weeks to save the life of the pregnant woman.'' He pointed out that the risk posed by a full term delivery to the life of a 13-year-old, which the JJ hospital team cited, was in line with clinical evidence that childbirth in very young girls is high risk. It would have applied to the ten-year-old as well.

Health activists note that a lot of unnecessary delay and trauma can be avoided if doctors invoked this discretionary power. However, it seems that no one wants to take such risks, doctors are wary of being blamed if something goes wrong, as can occur in such high risk procedures.

In 2008, there was the case of a Mumbai woman, Niketa Mehta. Doctors detected an abnormality in her foetus, but by then the pregnancy had crossed the 20 week mark. She appealed to the Bombay High Court for an abortion, but going by the opinion of the medical board, the court turned down the request. The pregnancy was not threatening her life, doctors maintained, although they agreed that the child would have many complications, and require a pacemaker. Mehta had a miscarriage at 26 weeks.

The MTP Act is of 1971 vintage with an amendment in 2003. There is a draft amended act which is yet to be implemented, and activists feel that it is not as comprehensive as it could be. Abortion is not so difficult in India as it is in many western nations. However, there is still a big unmet need for safe abortions.

The MTP Act, despite its flaws, does keep the woman central to the abortion although recent interpretations by doctors look into the health of the foetus too, and often over look the impact of the baby on the mother's mental health. Under existing law, the abortion can be done till 20 weeks with just the consent of the mother. She neither needs her family's or her doctor's approval. The reasons for getting an abortion that can be cited are:

>> Risk to her physical health due to the pregnancy

>> Malformed fetus

>> Rape

>> Pregnancy of an unmarried girl under 18 (requires consent of guardian)

>> Pregnancy in lunatics'' (requires consent of guardian)

>> Failed contraception

The failed contraception clause is only valid for married women, and there is a demand that all women be covered under this clause. However, even with so many reasons to allow for abortion, many do not get it done because the pregnancy is detected very late. In the case of both the child rape victims cited above, the pregnancies were discovered only after 20 weeks had elapsed. Even then, doctors could invoke section 5 of the act, says Manning. But we believe doctors need to be assured that their actions, taken in good faith, will be honoured,'' he said.

After the case of the 10-year-old, the Supreme Court had asked the government to have state level medical boards to ensure that victims got timely opinions. Manning says that while that is welcome, we strongly urge for more effective utilisation of Section 5 of the MTP Act, so doctors can ensure timely and compassionate care for women and girls.''
It will be a busy political season for many states in the northeast next year. Four statesTripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Nagalandwill go to polls in 2018. The BJP is going all out to capture power here.

Barring Nagaland, all other states are ruled by the opposition. Congress is in power in Meghalaya and Mizoram, while the left is in power in Tripura.

Can the region turn saffron as many of the regional parties are keen to jump on the bandwagon?

BJP chief Amit Shah has already begun preparations, while the leading opposition party, the Congress, has left the respective chief ministers to hold fort. Shah was closeted with members of the North Eastern Democratic Alliance (NEDA), a group of regional parties from the northeastern states who joined hands with the BJP.

Currently, chief ministers from five of the eight northeastern states are members of the BJP-led NEDA.

NEDA should not remain a mere political alliance. It should also become a cultural platform, incorporating all civilisations, cultures and diversities of the northeast. It should also evolve as a development platform to resolve all the problems from the area, Shah said at the meeting.

This was the second meeting of the NEDA that Shah was addressing. With the massive victory in Assam, forming government in Arunachal Pradesh after a political coup, victory in Manipur, and ally in power in Nagaland, BJP is slowly overcoming difficulties in gaining acceptance in the northeast.

As a strategy, the BJP, which does not have a good organisational presence in some of these states, has been importing leaders and MLAs from other parties. Recently, Trinamool MLAs joined BJP in Tripura, as most of Congress MLAs in Manipur had contested elections in Manipur on BJP ticket, thus giving the saffron party the first government in the state.

The case of Arunachal was the most startling. The Congress had won a majority in the state in 2014, but after a series of upheavals, all the MLAs defected to BJP.

The BJP is trying to woo the people of election-bound states with the promise of development. It has been pumping central funds in these states to tell the electorate that situation would be much better if they were to switch to sides with the saffron party, like the rest of the country.

For the northeast, the BJP is relying on two key leaders. Party general secretary Ram Madhav and deputy chief minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma, have been touring northeastern states to get opposition leaders to switch sides.

Shah on Thursday appointed K.J. Alphons the in-charge of Meghalaya. With over 80 per cent voters Christians, Alphons, who became the first Christian cabinet minister in Modi government last week, is expected to engage with local leaders to end their antipathy to the BJP.

Shah is expected to announce election in-charges for other states as election dates will draw closer. Alphons will address the Christian community in the adjoining states, sources said.

BJP will raise the local issues to gain traction with the local population. It credits itself with implementing the land boundary agreement with Bangladesh, though negotiations were initiated during the UPA regime.

By establishing good relations with Bangladesh, Bhutan and Myanmar, bordering northeast, the Modi government of the Bharatiya Janata Party has tried to bring maximum benefit to these states, Shah said.

The Modi-Shah duo has made mandatory for a central minister to visit the northeastern states every 15 days to keep up the engagement with the people there. For a big project, Modi visits for the inauguration.

The party has also started identifying local heroes and icons and celebrating their contribution, in an attempt to appropriate them.

The opposition parties are yet to find a strong narrative to counter the agressive BJP.
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh publicity chief Manmohan Vaidya said his organisation had no role whatsoever in the brutal murder of veteran journalist Gauri Lankesh in Bengaluru on September 5. There was no logic at all in accusing the RSS of the murder, said Vaidya to THE WEEK.

There are some forces which have been opposing us for years. They were once powerful and empowered. But that is no longer the case. The support for the RSS is growing. People trust and welcome the RSS. All these campaigns against us are the handiwork of these marginalised people who are liars. They are desperate to spoil our image. But people are with us. We have nothing to worry.

Such malicious campaigns against the RSS will not work, said Vaidya. The murder of the journalist was earlier condemned by leaders of the BJP and the RSS. The state government should rapidly track down the perpetrators and ensure justice, read a statement from the RSS unit in Karnataka.

The Karnataka government has set up a Special Investigation Team to probe the killing. Lankesh, who owned and edited Lankesh Patrike, a popular Kannada weekly, was known for her radical writing on social issues. She was shot dead by unidentified assailants outside her residence at Raja Rajeshwari Nagar in Bengaluru around 8 pm on September 5. Lankesh was one among the strongest critics of Hindutva politics in Karnataka and had referred to JNU students union activist Kanhaiya Kumar as her adopted son.

Her brother, Indrajit Lankesh, told a television channel that she had received hate messages, recently, from the naxalites after having succeeded in bringing a few ultras to the mainstream.

BJP state president B.S. Yeddyurappa said the murder of Lankesh is condemnable and asked the Karnataka government to conduct a thorough inquiry into it.

The Union home ministry has asked the Karnataka government for a report on the journalists murder.
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 7 (PTI) President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia King Salman discussed measures to continue strengthening security and stability in the Middle East over a telephonic conversation, during which it was also decided that the latter will visit the White House in early 2018.

During the call, the two leaders discussed ways to continue advancing shared priorities, including enhancing security and prosperity in the Middle East, the White House said.

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"The two leaders also agreed that King Salman will visit the White House in early 2018," it said.

After taking charge as the US president, Trump made his maiden foreign trip to Saudi Arabia in May. PTI LKJ ASV

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Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi recently returned from a trip to Oslo, where he had gone on the invitation of the Norwegian foreign ministry. And now it turns out that he will soon be visiting the US to interact with researchers working in the field of artificial intelligence.

The almost back-to-back foreign trips coming at a time when politics is getting more intense, especially with elections coming up in Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, has raised eyebrows in political circles. The foreign sojourns have also generated immense mirth, with Twitter cracking up with jokes and satirical observations.

Reacting to tweets by his Norwegian hosts, showing Rahul in a 'Bandgala suit' during his visit to the Scandinavian nation, his supporters gushed over his sartorial makeover. But there were tweets that took a critical look. One tweet noted the Suit Boot ke Rahulji, apparently a reminder of Rahul's 'Suit Boot ki Sarkar' jibe at the Narendra Modi government.

The upcoming US visit has been planned by Sam Pitroda, who heads Overseas Congress. A leader close to Rahul said the Congress vice president intends to make use of his experience from the trip to include the topic of artificial intelligence in the party's vision document for the Lok Sabha elections in 2019.

On September 11, Rahul will deliver a lecture on 'India at 70: Reflections on the Path Forward' at an event organised by the Institute of International Studies Berkeley Research on Contemporary India Programme and the Institute for South Asia Studies at the University of California.

Ahead of his trip to Norway, Rahul had tweeted: On the invitation of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, will be travelling to Oslo for a few days. The visit to Oslo came at a time when the Opposition leaders gathered in Patna for the 'BJP Bhagao, Desh Bachao' rally organised by RJD chief Lalu Prasad. The Congress vice president's absence at the rally was talked about.

Also, when Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh landed in Delhi, raising a banner of revolt, Rahul was away in Norway, and Congress President Sonia Gandhi stepped in, meeting the CM to try and mollify him.

A leader close to Rahul said both the trips were planned much in advance, but they are certainly making for bad optics, especially as election season closes in. Rahul recently visited Gujarat, where he oversaw poll preparations. He has held meetings with leaders from Bihar in an effort to prevent a possible exodus of MLAs to the JD(U). He is set to undertake a visit to Maharashtra on Friday, where he will have meetings with representatives of local bodies, the farming community and civil society. He will address a public meeting in Parbhani.






A new hope has been kindled in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community after the Supreme Court recently ruled that Right to Privacy is a fundamental right. Legal experts and gender activists say that it is now only a matter of time before Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code that criminalised unnatural sex and homosexuality is struck down as it is now untenable after the privacy judgment.

It clearly said: It is an individuals choice as to who enters his house, how he lives and in what relationship. The privacy of the home must protect the family, marriage, procreation and sexual orientation, which are all important aspects of dignity. The right of personal choices including sexual orientation was recognised by the judgment.

The Supreme Court pointed out that sexual orientation is an essential component of identity that got hindered when there is a loss of privacy and dignity.

Justice D.Y. Chandrachud made the stand of the court very clear: Discrete and insular minorities face grave dangers of discrimination for the simple reason that their views, beliefs or way of life does not accord with the mainstream. Yet in a democratic constitution founded on the rule of law, their rights are as sacred as those conferred on other citizens to protect their freedoms and liberties. Sexual orientation is an essential attribute of privacy. Discrimination against an individual on the basis of sexual orientation is deeply offensive to the dignity and self-worth of the individual. Equality demands that the sexual orientation of each individual in society must be protected on an even platform. The right to privacy and the protection of sexual orientation lie at the core of the fundamental rights guaranteed by Articles 14, 15 and 21 of the constitution. LGBT rights are not so-called but are real rights founded on sound constitutional doctrine. They inhere in the right to life. They dwell in privacy and dignity. They constitute the essence of liberty and freedom. Sexual orientation is an essential component of identity. Equal protection demands protection of the identity of every individual without discrimination.

There is no ambiguity in this landmark verdict. It will certainly impact a batch of pending curative petitions challenging 377. The SC had held that the right to privacy and the protection of sexual orientation lies at the core of the fundamental rights guaranteed by the constitution. It has thereby strengthened the argument that it violates the right to life and liberty guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.

Activist Anjali Gopalan who heads the Naz Foundation which cares for people with HIV, along with Lawyers Collective, an activist group that fights for human rights, had challenged 377 which criminalises consensual sexual relations between adults of the same sex. After the privacy judgment, she is hopeful that it will be struck down when the curative petition comes up for hearing.

Justice Shah also says that there is now little scope to defend 377.

All eyes are now on the fate of the curative petitions challenging the imposition of 377 in its present form. By reversing its earlier verdict on 377, the SC may help Indians step into a more equitable future where tolerance and understanding can become cornerstones of a new era of openness and also guarantee fundamental liberties to one and all despite their sexual orientation.

Indira Jaising who heads Lawyers Collective and is one of Indias best human rights activists, told The Week: The striking down of Section 377 is now just a formality as it cannot survive after the privacy judgment.

In a July 2009 judgment, a Delhi High Court bench headed by the then Chief Justice A.P. Shah struck down 377 saying that it violated principles laid down by the constitution.

In his 105-page judgment, the two member bench of Chief Justice Shah and Justice S. Muralidhar said that if not amended, section 377 of the IPC would violate Article 14 of the Indian constitution that guaranteed equal opportunity and equality before law to all. The judges said that inclusiveness was the underlying theme of the constitution.

The far reaching verdict said 377 was persecuting a community purely based on their sexual orientation and it was against the principles of the constitution. It was hailed as a landmark judgment that gave a fillip to gay rights and also reflected the progressive and tolerant view taken in most parts of the developed world.

However, four years later, the SC reversed this once again criminalising acts ostensibly based on moral grounds. It said that it was for the legislature to decide on the issue and it did not fall in the purview of the court.

Presently, Section 377 punishes with imprisonment for life or for a term of up to 10 years any person who voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal.

The SC judgment on the right to privacy pointed that just because a miniscule fraction of the countrys population constitutes lesbians, gays, bisexuals or transgenders, it cannot be the rationale to deny them the right to privacy.

Many activists who work in the area of LGBT rights remembered with sadness the tragic end of Professor Srinivas Ramachandra Siras of Aligarh Muslim University who committed suicide in 2010 after journalists armed with cameras illegally entered his house at night and filmed him with his partner. After this privacy judgment, this kind of intrusion will be punished, not glorified or sensationalised. The story of the professor was later sensitively adapted by director Hansal Mehta into a Hindi film, Aligarh, which got critical acclaim.

Lok Sabha member Shashi Tharoor bravely attempted to introduce a private members bill to decriminalise homosexuality but it was hastily voted down. Parliament was just not interested. He was surprised at the opposition he faced. Three months later, he did try to reintroduce it but failed again.

As we have seen time and again in the recent past, when the legislature fails to do its duty, the judiciary steps in. It is time that the antique Section 377 sculpted by the British in 1860 criminalised sexual activities against the order of nature is done away with as India has matured into a modern democracy. Section 377 said that whoever voluntarily has carnal intercourse against the order of nature with any man, woman or animal shall be punished with imprisonment for life, or with imprisonment of either description for term which may extend to ten years, and shall also be liable to fine.

As 157 years have flown past with both India and the world witnessing dramatic change in perception, it is time we display a sense of empathy towards those who are different and have the grace to give them the space they deserve in a free world.
Exposing the wrongdoings and expressing dissent has turned out to be risky in modern India with the rise in attacks on journalists in the past two years.

The attacks show that the alleged nexus targetting scribes adamant on digging out the truth has strengthened and the mightiness of pen is under the attack of sword.

The killing of journalist Gauri Lankesh has once again shown that our nation is not a safe haven for investigative and outspoken scribes, as threat of death seems looming over them.

The journalists are increasingly under fire for their reporting. They are killed, attacked and threatened.

According to the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), five journalists were killed in 2016. India is eighth on a list topped by Iraq.

According to the largest global federation of journalists' trade unions report:

 Tarun Mishra, bureau chief of Jan Sandesh Times, was killed on February 14. He was shot dead.

 Indradev Yadav, a journalist with Taaza TV, died on May 16. Also known as Akhilesh Pratap Yadav, he was gunned down by unidentified miscreants near his home in Kolkata while he was on his motorcycle.

 Rajdeo Ranjan, bureau chief of Dainik Hindustan, passed away on May 14. Siwan town of Bihar saw Ranjan being gunned down by some assailants as he was returning from his office in the evening. The CBI is investigating the case.

 Kishore Dave, bureau chief of Jai Hind, got killed on August 22. Dave was brutally stabbed in the chest repeatedly, while he was penning a story.

 Dharmendra Singh, a correspondent of Dainik Bhaskar, was killed in Sasaram by unknown motorcycles borne assailants on November 12.

In 2015, targetted killings of six mediapersons, including those from news channel Aaj Tak and Hindi daily Dainik Jagaran were reported.

Similarly, earlier this year, Minister of State for Home Affairs Hansraj Ahir informed during a question hour session in the Lok Sabha that 142 attacks on journalists took place between 2014-15.

The committee to protect journalists also reports that from 1992-2017 in India, 40 journalists have been killed with a confirmed motive, while 27 journalists have been killed in cases where the motive has not been confirmed.
A report submitted by the ministry of home affairs (MHA) to the Supreme Court may lead to an unprecedented development. A two-time Member of Legislative Assembly, Chennamaneni Ramesh of ruling TRS party in Telangana, is not an Indian citizen, according to MHA, which probed into the legal status of his citizenship as per the directions of the Supreme Court.

Though the public representative was given Indian citizenship in 2009, his political rival challenged the grant in court accusing the MLA of submitting fraud documents. The case has since been heard in High Court and Supreme Court.

Going by the report signed by joint secretary of MHA, it is understood that Ramesh did not fulfill the criteria of residing for one year in the country before submitting the application for Indian citizenship.

The legislator from Vemulawada migrated to Germany more than two decades ago and opted to become the citizen of the European country. However, he used to regularly visit his native place in Telangana and organise social activities. With an eye on 2009 assembly elections, he gave up his German passport and applied for Indian citizenship which was granted on February 3, 2009.

In a statement issued soon after news broke out regarding the contents of the MHA report, the MLA said that he will challenge the order as he did not resort to any illegal means to obtain citizenship. He further added that he has been serving the society for a long time and the accusations against him are false.

His lawyer, Venkateshwar Rao, said, This is a terse order. The ministry has passed it without giving Mr Ramesh a notice or opportunity to present his argument. This is fundamental denial of justice. It was not passed on merits. We will file a review petition as there is a provision to appeal against an order within 30 days.

Rao said that his clients application for citizenship was submitted to the district collector as per the prescribed format of section 5 (1) (f) of Citizenship Act which does not make it mandatory for the applicant to stay for one year continuously in the country. In February 25, 2009, the central government framed new rules because of which every applicant has to stay in India for one year continuously before filing an application. Mr Ramesh got Indian citizenship before new rules were brought in and the interpretation of the old rule regarding the period of stay was different.

An upbeat Adi Srinivas, BJP leader, who challenged Rameshs citizenship in court, is now looking forward to a by-election. In 2013, AP High Court had ruled that he is not an Indian citizen and disqualified him. Now, the ministry of home affairs too says that. These verdicts cannot be wrong. He has stayed in India only for 96 days and spent the rest of the time in Germany over a one-year period before submitting application for Indian citizenship. He is trying to point out some change in rules to defend his case which wont help him. He is at fault.

In case, the Supreme Court goes by the MHA report and cancels the citizenship of Ramesh, a by-election will be held.

So, what happens to Chennamaneni Ramesh in such a scenario?

He will be stateless. Since all his documents including passport, Aadhaar and PAN card will be revoked, he cannot even travel to neighbouring countries, said Rajiv Dhabhadkar, a visa policy researcher. Mr Ramesh has to stay in India and restart documentation process. Before that, he has to file an application under OCI (Overseas Citizen of India) category and appeal to the Indian government to allow him to stay in the country for one year.
I last met Raghuram Rajan in the summer of 2016 in what would turn out to be his penultimate interview before his exit as the governor of the Reserve Bank of India. In sharp contrast to this weeks meeting on a balmy September afternoon in Chennai, I could sense how tightly wound up with tension Rajan was. Oh no, he had said then, as he took his chair to be miked up. When I saw its your interview, I knew it wasnt going to be a dull monetary policy conversation. But despite the attempt at levity and humour, he weighed every word with cautionthe interview was taking place amid fierce rumours that his term would not be extended and as attacks were being hurled at him for not being Indian enough. (Rajan is an American green card holder, but an Indian citizen.)

What was clear to me in that meeting was that Rajan had been open to a second term. As it turned out, he would end up being only the second Central bank governor since 1991 to not get the customary five years, in extension. After he left, Rajan imposed a one-year embargo on telling his own story, letting the theories around the why and what of his exit swirl around him with Zen-like silence. This year the quiet has been broken by a chart-busting book of essays, I Do What I Do, a compilation of all the public speeches he made in India, including the ones that landed him squarely in the middle of repeated controversies. Except that this time, he has a prologue and an epilogue to almost each one of them, looking back and ahead at what he said and what he meant.

Over a one-hour expansive conversation in one of his two hometownshe considers Delhi, where he studied at the IIT to be the otherRajan spoke to me of why he left, why he chose to go beyond economics to speak of tolerance and why he believes that his comment on the Indian economy being like a one-eyed king in the land of the blind has been vindicated. And this time, he seemed much freer, more candid and much more himself.

Excerpts from the conversation:

Professor Rajan, why the one-year, self-imposed silence?

I thought it was appropriate for my successor to establish himself and to be able to communicate. It was inappropriate for me to hold on to the reins of the RBI. I still get complaints from a lot of people when the RBI doesnt do something, asking me to fix it; it clearly takes some time for people to recognise that you have left office. So I thought the best way to do that was to stay out of the limelight and just go silent.

Why the book now, if you were steering clear of public attention?

I think I gave a year merely to create that gap. Now I am no longer the RBI governor. I am a professor and I think its important for two reasons to talk about what we did and what happened. I feel there are lots of young people, who are energised, who want to do something and I want to tell them that there are places in India where you can do something. I had a wonderful time at the Reserve Bank because I had a lot of freedom and I thought we accomplished a lot. I want to tell the story to energise people to engage in public service. We also did a lot of reforms that I would like to see continue.

Your speeches are in the public domain. What everyone will pick up this book for is how you explain the context of each one of them. Now, the introduction of the book, in which you talk about demonetisation, is making headlines. You say you need to clear the air on whether you were on board or not. You were clearly not on board. In fact, the phrase you use is that you expressed your reservations and warnings about the pitfalls in no uncertain terms. You then talk of how the RBI prepared a note and in that note you offered not just alternatives to demonetisation, but also the time period needed to implement demonetisation if the government went ahead. How did the government respond to your reservations?

The reason I talk about thisthis is the only part of my relationship with the government that I am explicit aboutis because I understand that Parliament has asked questions about it and my response has been recorded and it was important that I state for public record what the actual situation was, so that there is no ambiguity about what the RBI told the government. Having the truth out there in some sense is important. In response to a variety of sources from which the government got information, it set up a group in the finance ministry to which we sent a participant (a deputy governor) which then took forward the discussion on demonetisation after we sent this note. My hope was that if the government ever decided to go ahead, it would do what was necessary as we said.

And it did not.

It happened after I left office. But clearly, any monetary economist would say dont do it until you have all the money printed.

(In the book you write) the RBI note outlined the preparation that would be needed and the time it would take. The RBI flagged what would happen if the preparation was inadequate. May I ask you to elaborate a little bit on how much time you think would have been idealthough you didnt think demonetisation itself was idealif the government went ahead with it?

If you take a poll of monetary economists, they would tell you that on the day you actually do it, you should be prepared to replace as much currency as needed for transactions. So its not the entire currency you are withdrawing because some of that, you presume, is not held for transaction purposes. Not everyone can switch to electronic payments overnight. Because otherwise, it will cause a reduction in economic activity. Monetary economists say, be ready to replace on day one everything that was used for transactions.

But this is 86 per cent of the cash flow that we are talking about.

You would replace a significant fraction of that; not all 86 per cent, but enough so that anybody who wanted money would be able to take it out from ATMs.

A theme that comes up more than once in your book is the independence of the RBI. I think the phrase you use is, We are not a fifth column in the government, but you are very clear that the RBI governor must not be treated as just another bureaucrat or a regulator. I want to link this to the demonetisation debate. What a lot of people are now asking is: if Raghuram Rajan and the RBI were not in favour of demonetisation, who was and on whose advice did the government actually proceed with the decision? And given that it clearly bypassed the RBI, does that not undermine the independence of the RBI as an institution?

The real question is, can the government demonetise without the RBI and I think if you look at the 1978 experience, it actually brought in an ordinance without the Reserve Bank. So, ultimately, there are channels through which the government can bypass the RBI legally. There are some other issues on which it cannot, but on this one, it can. The RBI act also allows the government to give a directive to the RBIthis has never been exercised. So, in that sense, I think your independence comes from the fact that these kinds of instruments are typically not used by the government and ultimately if the governor disagrees, I think [former governor] Dr Y.V. Reddy had a very interesting response to what he would have done! He said he would have gone into the hospital and then resigned. Now some people cant go to the hospital because they look the picture of health.

Would you have either checked into a hospital or resigned?

I think thats a hypothetical question. I dont want to answer that because if you are not faced with that situation, I think its easy to say that you would have done x or y.

The note did recommend alternatives. Since then you have spoken about how they could have been more effective measures to tackle black money, especially since most of it resides in real estate and gold and not even in cash at home. What were some of those alternatives?

I think the [cash] flow issue is something that is quite important and the government is taking some measures along those directions. For example, all bank accounts could be linked to Aadhaar, keeping in mind the privacy issues.

I was just going to ask you that. I dont know if you have been following the raging privacy debate?

Absolutely. There are privacy issues but there are also issues of tax collection. So, so long as you make sure that every revenue officer cannot start fishing in that database and a lot of it is automated and you can only go into it when those suspicious transactions are flagged and ordinary citizens privacy is protected..., that is the way to reduce the flow.

But isnt that the danger of what might happen now? And I say danger because, I remember being a kid in the 80s and 90s when the taxman was really powerful, you had a kind of the cusp of liberalisation reality where the taxman could come and raid you and ask questions and the whole neighbourhood would come out when the taxman visited. Now when the government says that not all the money that has returned to the banks is clean and many of these deposits are dodgy, is there a danger that we are returning to a kind of intrusive tax regime that militates against a promise of minimum government?

I do worry that when we undertake actions on behalf of the government we have to recognise that we are dealing with government employees as they are, not how we wish they would be. And we have to recognise the reality that there is some corruption in the government also. To give licence to some areas of government without checks and balances could, in fact, enhance corruption.

How would you assess todayknowing what you do and knowing that as RBI governor you did issue this health warningthe success or failure of demonetisation?

I think the positive impact on taxes we have to wait and see. I think the Economic Survey talked about new taxpayers; it talked about Rs 10,000 crore more. If its a first down payment, Rs 10,000 crore is fine. If it represents the sum of what we can expect to see, given the potential cost, that seems relatively small. I think if you look at digitisation, we saw a blip up and then it looked down after the stress period was over. We have to see what the long-term effects are. I feel UPI (unified payment interface) has benefited substantially, but UPI was in its very early days when demonetisation was done, so you would expect fairly strong growth, but I think there has been some contribution there. Now you have to weigh all this against the cost. India was growing at about 7.5 to 8 per cent at the point of demonetisation. We have come down substantially and some of this has been because of demonetisation. Remember the world economy is going stronger than it was at this [time] last year and in that sense we should be going up with the tide and should have moved up with the growth. In fact, it has moved down. So is this only because of demonetisation? Probably not.

What do you think?

I think there are three factors at this point: one is the stress in the banking system and the bad loan situation, the second is the demonetisation jhatka [shock] and the third is the anticipation of the goods and services tax (GST). At this point, our growth is not anything to write home about. Hopefully, these are temporary factors, but certainly we have to make sure that our business people feel more confident that there are no more surprises.

You had people like Dr Manmohan Singh and some other economists forecasting shaving off the growth figures by 1 or 2 per cent. We are down to a 5.7 per cent growth rate in the first quarter. Would you identify demonetisation as the biggest blow to the GDP in the last year?

I think it has been a fairly important setback in terms of short-term growth. I would argue that we havent measured some of the effects because it is in the informal economy which we dont measure well. Reliable analysts who are independent tell me its between 1 and 2 per cent of the GDP.

You underline the fact that your disagreement and your warnings on demonetisation were expressed verbally and then followed up by a note that the RBI prepared. Do you believe that the government was receptive? Were there some people in agreement with you and some people who were not?

The government is a big place, but this was an exercise which, because of its very nature, was kept very small. So I think when I say the government, I communicated to anybody who was necessary to this exercise.

But has the RBI been undermined?

I dont think the RBI has been undermined, because ultimately this decision belongs to the government. Now whether the actual process was followed and whether the RBI had a say at that point or not, that is beyond my regime.

You also talk about a bureaucracy that wants to whittle down the authority of the RBI governor and how the role needs a clearer definition. Your book mentions this more than once.

I think everybody wants to expand turf and if you want to do that, it comes at the expense of somebody elses turf. This is not just my experience; it is the experience of previous RBI governors. There has always been a tension between the finance ministry and the RBI. The finance ministry likes to believe that the RBI is one of its organs, and the RBI correctly believes that it is a Central bank and not just another regulator who is at the beck and call of the ministrys bureaucrats. There is always a constant tension about this partly because the position of the RBI governor hasnt been clearly established within the system. On the one hand, you have chief ministers saying sir to you, and on the other, you have secretaries claiming that they have authority over you.

Raghuram Rajan in conversation with Barkha Dutt| Vibi Job

How did you deal with it?

Where it was necessary, I asserted my authority. When it was something substantial, I drew the red lines. But the constant bickering is not particularly good. It takes away from the time you have to devote to more important things.

I just want to read out the operative bit from you book on this. The RBI risks becoming dangerously weakened as successive governments and finance ministers misunderstand its role. The RBI governor is the technocrat with responsibility for the nations economic risk management and not simply another bureaucrat or regulator. Can you share a specific example where you had to push back against bureaucratic interference?

Look, one example is of the FSLRC (Financial Sector Legislative Reforms Commission), which is the committee set up by the finance ministry which gave a set of recommendations, essentially creating an agenda for financial sector reform. There are some good things in that report, but there are also some things which have never been debated: take power from the Central bank, give it to someone else and create a mega regulator. I gave a speech on that saying, If it aint broke, dont fix it. I think thats an example of a report being used to change the reality on the ground; not because there is a genuine problem, but because you are essentially dealing with empire building.

Talking about speeches, you say some of your speeches were distorted by media and social media. But there is one particular speech where you referenced Hitler while making a larger point and you say it was misconstrued to mean the Modi government. You write that if you knew thats how it would have been viewed, you would not have used the same word. But, you do not express the same reservation about the andho mein kaana raja (one-eyed king in the land of the blind) phrase, right? These phrases were used to say Raghuram Rajan is talking beyond monetary policy. He is exceeding his brief. How do you look back at these two phrases that returned to haunt you in some ways?

Let me take the andho mein kaana raja comment. I said that sometime in April, 2016. Trace the progress of the Indian economy ever since I said that. Every quarter we have done worse.

Are you saying you were accurate?

I was trying to say, Lets not be complacent. We have problems; our real problems start when we thump ourselves on the chest and say how well we are doing and then dont pay attention to the fact that there is so much more to be done. I was in Beijing just before I came here. They have started asking, Which is the fastest growing economy in the world now? These things, like the thumping of the chest, will come back to haunt you. Let others praise you, let others give you kudos. But dont keep boasting, because the media will take it up for a little while, but investors remember. My point washeres some good stuff but we have to be careful that we are not complacent. And it was taken here as me being derisive; that was clearly not the intent.

But if you look back, that was the truth. We were being complacent then and we have not done so well since. And we have to reflect again what is that we are not doing to get our growth back to where it should belong, in the 9-10 per cent range rather than the 5-6 per cent range. We have such a long way to go to even match the next BRICS country. We have to be much less boastful and much more focused on the work that needs to be done.

On the other issue [reference to Hitler] I didnt realise it. I had my speeches read by my PR team as well as my assistant and I didnt realise that the word would get associated with the government. If you read the speech, it is about how India doesnt have government capacity and we need to strengthen that. Instead, it got focused on authoritarian governments and that was not my intent.

But there is another speech you referenced, at IIT where you spoke about the larger theme of tolerance and you say in the book that you were actually underlining the great assimilative culture of India. But again it was seen to be a judgment on intolerance. But you had one fan in your son, who texted you to say you did well. Did that kind of endorsement make up for some of the political push back you faced? You said after some speeches there were a couple of ministers who were a bit angry.

You know, after that speech, a minister told me this is exactly what I have been saying. But, it is interesting that the IIT speech was seen as anti-government, when the government was not mentioned at all. It was really about emphasising Indias tradition for tolerance as important for its growth. I ultimately wanted to link it back to our economic prowess. We are in a situation where we have some advantages which some of our BRICS compatriots dont have, which is free speech, democracy and a sense of vibrancy. These are going to be important for our growth.

Having a middle class which is innovative also means that they actually want to live there and that they feel unconstrained. It is important that we keep that environment. Otherwise, we are going to damage one of our greatest strengths. So, part of that speech was sayinglets be careful about clamping down on all this. Sanjeev Sanyal, who is at the ministry of finance, wrote a book on this, how at times when India was open, it did its best. It was in a sense picking up on that theme. Of course, it is the kind of thing you want to tell children, thats the message you want them to take away.

As a public servant, given that I had a platform, given that I was going back to my alma mater, what better message to convey to the youth of India, our future, that this is the India you want to build, not an intolerant India.

Fond farewell: Rajan with his wife, Radhika, leaving after addressing the students of St Stephens College, Delhi. It was his last public speech as RBI governor | PTI

I have seen some early critiques of your book, where some people have argued that this was not your role. That your role was to restrict yourself to monetary policy and not to talk about the history of tolerance and so on. How do you respond to the charge that you went beyond what you were put there for?

Well, I could have kept quiet and sat in a corner. I think as a public servant, you also have a public responsibility. That responsibility means that you typically dont criticise the government. You cant stay in the job if you have serious differences with the government. But it also means that when there is an environment in the public that has not been created by the governmentbut it emergesthen you have a duty to say that this is not the way we should go as a country. I felt that in none of my speeches was I criticising the government. If I did feel so strongly, I wouldve resigned. But, it was about the kind of environment and in my discussions with the powers, I always felt that they would suggest this was what they wanted.

They never asked you to tone it down or keep quiet?

No, they never told me to keep quiet or tone it down. This is what they thought they were saying as well.

Now, there is one thing that we have not resolved in this country, which is the issue of banks and bad loans. I remember when I met you before you left, the RBI and you spoke very strongly about how you needed to go public with your list of wilful defaulters. How do you see this Vijay Mallya phenomenon? I want to link this to a recent speech you made where you spoke of how when people see this crony capitalism and the fat cats that are able to get away, it hurts liberals everywhere and creates phenomena like the rise of Trump. We have fat cats here, who are partying it up while their ex-employees dont get salaries. Do you feel regretful that you were not able to address that issue head on?

See, the RBI does not have an investigative arm. My focus was to speed up catching the genuine criminals in the system. And so, we made lists of the big frauds. We made a list and gave it to the PMO and said, We have spent 4-5 years investigating some of these guys, where is the outcome of this kind of investigation? But I think for the system it would be great if we could catch one or two of these big frauds.... There was a discussion of the Enforcement Directorate looking at over-invoicing, which was rampant. Why didnt we go after that? That was very easy to catch.

So why didnt this happen? What was the push back you faced when you were there?

It is not the RBI governors job to do, but it is important to ask the question what happened to all those inquiries? Why hasnt anybody been brought to book for allegations of over-invoicing? We had, a few years ago, discussions about CBI tapping into phone calls between bank managers and a certain company about money changing hands. What happened to that investigation? How come they all die in the process and nothing actually comes out in public?

So what would be your prescription on wilful defaulters?

We should restrict their access to credit from the system. There are people who borrow again and again. We have a tendency to look at individual loans and see if they went bad. I would rather focus on the loans given under a persons tenure as chairman or on the loans a particular loan officer has signed off on.... If so many of them have gone bad, and there are a couple of banks which are in trouble because of the tenure of just one CEO, I would go after those guys and ask were they so totally incompetent or is there evidence? I would actually investigate them much more closely.

When you look back, what was the toughest time in your tenure?

I think the beginning was difficult, because when I was coming in from the finance ministry, we had tried a lot of things to stabilise the currency and nothing seemed to be working. I remember in the first few months I used to look at the value of the rupee every 10 seconds, on the flashing CNBC ticker. I used to look at it every time just to make sure it was not falling off.

Lets talk about the elephant in the room. Nobody quite knows why you left. You have subsequently said there was no offer on the table and there was no agreement on terms between you and the government. There was a column by Karan Thapar suggesting that everyone had got it wrong; that you werent being punished; but the RBI was cutting into your time at the University of Chicago. Can you clear the air?

Look, I was at the end of a three-year term.

Since the 90s, most had served for five years.

It has been typical for things to be extended. But there was no obligation on the governments part to extend my tenure, and similarly, there was no obligation on my part to stay on. I had expressed in my letter to my staff the desire to stay on to at least see what was in the works were completed. And, you know the government never made an offer to stay on. So that was where it ended. The University of Chicago was not the constraint.

Do you believe now that maybe the reason that the offer did not come was your opposition to, say, demonetisation, or the speeches you made?

It would be speculation for me answer; I have no idea.
The right to be alone is indeed the beginning of all freedom, said the American jurist William O. Douglas.

That precious little thing called privacy, which the Constituent Assembly did not include in the Constitution, which on many occasions knocked at the doors of the legal conscience of the nation, managing just a little toe in, has finally found its rightful place among the fundamental rights of the Indian citizen.

When a nine-judge bench of the Supreme Court pronounced its verdict on August 24, proclaiming unanimously that privacy was a fundamental right, it marked the culmination of the evolution of the right to privacy in Indian jurisprudence. It had been a long journeyfrom the Constituent Assembly not including it among the fundamental rights, to the Supreme Court ruling that such a right did not exist in the Constitution, to acknowledging that it was integral to the right to life and liberty, to finally upholding it as a fundamental right.

While privacy has been upheld as a fundamental right, arising out of Article 21, the court has concluded that it is linked to all the other rights. This will profoundly change how fundamental rights are interpreted.

Defining privacy, Justice D.Y. Chandrachud, who was a member of the Supreme Court bench, wrote that it was founded on the autonomy of the individual. It enables individuals to preserve their beliefs, thoughts, expressions, ideas, ideologies, preferences and choices against societal demands of homogeneity, read the judgment.

Prashant Bhushan | Reuters

The judges did not catalogue the various aspects of privacy, leaving the concept open for future interpretation. Justice J. Chelameswar wrote that people would not like to be told by the state as to what they should eat or how they should dress or whom they should be associated with in their personal, social or political life. Justice Rohinton Nariman stated that apart from the privacy of ones home and protection from unreasonable searches and seizures, privacy was now extended to protecting an individuals interests in making vital personal choices such as the right to abort a foetus, rights of same sex couples, and rights to procreation, contraception, general family relationships, child rearing, education and data protection.

The rights of the common man will undergo a dramatic shift after this judgment, said senior lawyer Sajan Poovayya. Any state action on a citizen will be tested on the touchstone of privacy.

The court, however, said that just like the other fundamental rights, the right to privacy was not absolute. Any restriction on it would require the existence of a law, a legitimate need, and a proportionality between the aim and the means, said the Chandrachud judgment. The other judges stated that any breach of privacy would have to be justified by giving a reason that was just, fair and reasonable. Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul wrote that national security would be an obvious restriction, and public interest would be another.

The judgment will have an impact on existing laws. The Aadhaar Act, providing for collation of data on citizens, including their biometrics, has already been challenged in court. A three-member bench of the Supreme Court is hearing the case, and the law will now be tested against the touchstone of the privacy judgment.

The government is taking heart in the courts rider that there can be limitations to the right to privacy. The government has been consistently of the view, particularly with regard to Aadhaar, that the right to privacy should be a fundamental right flowing from Article 21 and it should be subject to reasonable restrictions, said Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad.

Nariman wrote that all laws that dealt with aspects of privacy would now be vulnerable. Statutory provisions that deal with aspects of privacy would continue to be tested on the ground that they would violate the fundamental right to privacy, and would not be struck down, if it is found on a balancing test that the social or public interest and the reasonableness of the restrictions would outweigh the particular aspect of privacy claimed, he wrote.

There will be implications on surveillance, phone tapping, the right of celebrities to not have their private lives intruded upon and even investigative journalism. The government did not want privacy to be declared a fundamental right, said activist-lawyer Prashant Bhushan. An important ramification of the order is that the government will have to be careful while bringing laws that impose restrictions on citizens as it can violate privacy as a fundamental right. For instance, the Surrogacy (Regulation) Bill, which does not allow unmarried persons to have surrogate children, could be challenged. The DNA Profiling Bill, which aims at setting up a DNA databank to be used as evidence during trials and to identify missing or unidentified persons, has been criticised for not meeting the required standards of privacy.

Social issues awaiting legal resolution, like the demand to decriminalise gay sex, are likely to be decided in the light of the judgment. The right to privacy and the protection of sexual orientation lie at the core of the fundamental rights, read Chandrachuds judgment.

Section 377 of the Indian Penal Code, which criminalises gay sex, was read down by the Delhi High Court in 2009. The courts decision came on a petition filed by the NGO Naz Foundation. Section 377 pertains to sexual intercourse against the order of nature. The Delhi High Court, however, did clarify that it would continue to govern non-consensual sex involving minors. It was seen as a major victory for the LGBTQ community. But, on December 11, 2013, a two-judge bench of the Supreme Court overruled the high courts verdict.

The latest judgment found fault with this order. Five out of nine judges spoke about Section 377, and found fault with the Supreme Courts overruling of the Delhi High Courts decision. They agree that sexual orientation is a private matter of the individual, and it is protected by his or her right to privacy, said Anjali Gopalan of Naz Foundation.

Chelameswar cited the examples of force-feeding of certain persons by the state and keeping a critically ill person alive against his or her wishes as issues of privacy. An individuals rights to refuse life prolonging medical treatment or terminate his life is another freedom which falls within the zone of the right of privacy, he said.

In what could have repercussions on the beef ban, which has been legally challenged, the court said food habits of citizens lie in the zone of their right to privacy. ...liberty enables the individual to have a choice of preferences on various facets of life including what and how one will eat, the way one will dress, the faith one will espouse..., the judgment said.

A two-judge bench of the Supreme Court, hearing cross-appeals against the Bombay High Courts order decriminalising possession of beef in case the animal was slaughtered outside Maharashtra, said the judgment would have some bearing on these cases.

Flagging the threat to privacy in an increasingly digitalised world, the court has emphasised the need for a regime for data protection. The government has set up an expert committee chaired by Justice B.N. Srikrishna to draft a data protection law.

Kauls judgment referred to the disclosures of Edward Snowden, a CIA whistleblower, to drive home the point that the growth and development of technology had created new instruments for the possible invasion of privacy by the state, including through surveillance, profiling, data collection and processing. He also wrote about the capacity of non-state actors to invade home and privacy. He warned against both the state and non-state actors using big data to control people and said there was an unprecedented need for regulation regarding the extent to which such information could be stored, processed and used by non-state actors. There was also a need for protection of such information from the state, he added.

The judgment could have a bearing on the case over the social messaging service WhatsApp sharing subscriber data with parent company Facebook. The private players as well as the state will have to establish that privacy is not being breached, and if it is being done, on what exceptional grounds, said Supreme Court lawyer Aishwarya Bhati.

The onus is now on the government to create a legal framework that protects privacy.
By PTI: By Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Sep 7 (PTI) A Singaporean woman was among two persons arrested for Islamic State terror-related activities under the tough Internal Security Act, a media report said today.

Imran Kassim, 34, was issued a detention order in July for intending to undertake armed violence overseas, while Shakirah Begam Abdul Wahab, 23, was issued a restriction order in the same month for initiating and maintaining contact with foreign terrorist fighters.

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The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) here said Imran, a managing director of a logistics company, was said to be radicalised by the Islamic States (ISIS) propaganda.

He had also admitted that he was prepared to attack Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) personnel deployed in the global coalition to fight ISIS or hold them hostages to demand ransom from the Singapore government and use the money to boost the militant groups finances.

According to MHA, Imran had tried to join the ISIS in Syria on at least two occasions, Channel NewsAsia reported, quoting the government report.

In February 2014, he travelled to Syria to oversee the delivery of humanitarian aid to a refugee camp that was arranged by the logistics company he worked for.

He tried to slip away from his hosts at the refugee camp but was unsuccessful.

In July that year, he also took a pledge of allegiance to ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the Ministry said.

In March 2015, Imran had contacted a pro-IS foreign contact to facilitate his entry into Syria to join the militant group but did not receive any reply.

The ministry said Imran had not only been actively galvanising support for IS online - using several social media accounts with different names to post pro-IS materials - but also tried, unsuccessfully, to influence his friends with radical views.

"His radical and pro-militant views attracted the attention of people close to him, who then reported him to the authorities," said the ministry.

It added that apart from wanting to join ISIS in Syria, Imran harboured intentions since May this year to join pro- ISIS groups that have laid siege to Marawi City in the southern Philippines.

The ministry said other suspect Shakirah had "actively initiated" online contact with ISIS foreign fighters operating in the conflict zone.

"She came across social media details of a foreign terrorist fighter and decided to initiate contact with him. Over time, she expanded her online contacts to several other foreign fighters," it said.

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Shakirah, an administrative assistant, did so mainly because she enjoyed their attention, it added.

The ministry, however, also said that the duo, considered to be ISIS influenced, have been released from detention when their detention orders expired in August. PTI GS MRJ AKJ MRJ

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: Bengaluru, Sep 7 (PTI) The Special Investigating Team (SIT) has started its probe into the murder of journalist- activist Gauri Lankesh with the Karnataka government saying today it was hopeful of nabbing the assailants "as soon as possible."

The state government yesterday announced the formation of a21-member SIT team headed by IGP (Intelligence) B K Singh with DCP (West) M N Anucheth as the Investigating Officer to probe the killing of Gauri that led to a wave of countrywide protests and condemnation across the political spectrum.

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"SIT members have started their investigation into the Gauri Lankesh murder case and the state government is hopeful of nabbing the assailants as soon as possible," state Home Minister Ramalinga Reddy told reporters here.

Replying to a query, Reddy said the Inquiry Officer has been given full freedom to probe the matter and make public information as and when required.

Asked whether police had given some hints on the ideological identity of the assailant based on prima facie evidence gathered by them, Reddy said, "The duty of SIT members is to investigate and nab the assailants. They may have some prima facie evidence, but they have the prerogative of not making it public."

He said police are screening footage of the seized CCTV which was fixed at the location where the 55-year-old outspoken journalist was gunned down. Asked if there was any political compulsion for deciding against a CBI probe into the murder of Gauri Lankesh, Reddy said, "Who said this? We are open minded, and that is what Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said. If we feel the case is needed to be probed by CBI, we will hand over the case to it." Gauri Lankesh, who is known to be an anti-establishment voice with strident anti-right wing views, was shot dead at close range by unknown assailants at her home here on the night of September 5. Reddy said senior police officials are working on getting some more leads into the killing of progressive Kannada writer and rationalist Dr M M Kalburgi, 77, and that the government is hopeful of cracking this case as well. "The Kalburgi case has come to a certain stage, but we still need to gather evidence. Senior officials are working on it. I am hopeful that the government will solve this case as well as 99 per cent of such cases across the country have been solvedand this will be no exception either," he said. Gauris murder comes just days after the second anniversary of the killing of Kalburgi, who fell to bullets fired by two unidentified men at his residence at Dharwad in north Karnataka on August 30, 2015.PTI BDN RA APR GSN GSN

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A U.S. commander on Wednesday apologized for leaflets dropped in Afghanistan that were deemed offensive to Islam.

The leaflets dropped Monday night, featured a dog carrying the Taliban flag, said Shah Wali Shahid, the deputy governor of Parwan province.

Translation of the Pashto text reads: Take back your freedom from the terrorist dogs and cooperate with coalition forces so they can target your enemy and eliminate them. The flag also quotes a popular Quranic verse expressing commitment to Islam.

Dogs are seen as unclean in much of the Muslim world and the locals have taken offense to it being associated with the Quran quotes.

Local people are very upset with this incident, and they want the perpetrators brought to justice, Shahid said, adding that demonstrations were expected across the province.

Maj. Gen. James Linder apologized, acknowledging in a statement that the design of the leaflets mistakenly contained an image highly offensive to both Muslims and the religion of Islam. He offered his sincerest apologies for this error.

Throughout the 16-year Afghan war, U.S. forces have struggled to convince ordinary Afghans to help them defeat the Taliban. Afghanistan is a deeply conservative country, and alleged blasphemy has sparked riots.

Seizing upon the opportunity cast the U.S. invasion and ongoing military deployment in Afghanistan as an attack on Islam, a Taliban Twitter account on Wednesday pointed to the leaflet as evidence that, American invaders are the enemies of our religion.

Now you must have realized that the Mujahideen (Taliban) are protecting our faith and the country, the tweet said.

Several hours later, a man on a motorcycle blew himself up in front of Bagram Airbase, the largest U.S. military base in Afghanistan, injuring four people, according to local officials. Bagram district chief Abdul Shukor Qudos told CBS News no U.S. forces were killed or injured in the blast.

The Taliban quickly claimed responsibility in a statement, saying the attack was retaliation for the leaflets dropped by U.S. forces in Parwan province.

Wahida Shakar, the spokesperson for the regional government in Parwan, cited the U.S. militarys apology and said there was no public protest planned as a response. It was unclear whether Islamic hardliners in the region, and elsewhere in Afghanistan, would take to the streets to show their discontent.

Elsewhere in Afghanistan, two civilians were killed by a roadside bomb in the eastern Laghman province on Wednesday, according to Sarhadi Zwak, the spokesman for the provincial governor. No one claimed responsibility for the attack, but Taliban insurgents are active in the province.

(AP)
U.S. Sen. Bob Menendez sold his office for a lifestyle he couldnt afford by accepting luxury trips and other favors from a wealthy doctor seeking political influence, a government prosecutor told jurors Wednesday during opening statements of the Democrats corruption trial.

Menendezs attorney responded that gifts from Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgen, Menendezs longtime friend, didnt equate to a bribery agreement. Menendezs meetings with government officials  though they could have aided Melgens business interests  were what members of Congress do and were meant to influence future policy, attorney Abbe Lowell said.

Menendez and Melgen were indicted in 2015 and face multiple fraud and bribery charges in a case that could threaten Menendezs political career and potentially alter the makeup of a deeply divided U.S. Senate if hes convicted.

If he is expelled or steps down before Gov. Chris Christie leaves office Jan. 16, the Republican would pick Menendezs successor. A Democrat has a large polling and financial advantage in Novembers election to replace Christie.

Menendez said before entering the courthouse Wednesday: Not once have I dishonored my public office.

Menendez has kept up a busy public appearance schedule while under indictment, and that didnt change Wednesday. After court adjourned, Menendez attended a rally of about 100 people outside a federal immigration building next to the courthouse to protest Republican President Donald Trumps decision to end deportation protection for young immigrants living in the country illegally.

We can keep the dream alive, he told the crowd through a megaphone. You are not alone.

During the governments opening statement, Justice Department attorney Peter Koski described Menendez pressuring government officials to help Melgen with securing visas for his foreign girlfriends and intervening in a lucrative port security contract in the Dominican Republic and a multimillion-dollar Medicare dispute.

Individually and through his company, Melgen also contributed hundreds of thousands of dollars to Menendezs legal defense fund and entities that supported his 2012 re-election, Koski said.

Many of Menendezs meetings and interactions with the officials occurred in proximity to Melgens donations or trips by Menendez he paid for, Koski claimed.

He went to bat when Dr. Melgen asked, and Dr. Melgen asked frequently, said Koski, who discounted defense lawyers contentions that the trips were innocent gifts between friends. Theres no friendship exception to bribery. Theres no friendship exception to breaking the law.

Among the gifts prosecutors say Melgen gave Menendez were flights on Melgens private jet, vacations at Melgens private villa in the Dominican Republic frequented by celebrities like Beyonce and Jay Z, and a three-night stay at a luxury Paris hotel valued at nearly $5,000.

Lowell countered that the two men have been friends since the early 1990s and acting out of friendship is not a crime.

He told jurors that Menendezs meetings with Health and Human Services officials  including former department Secretary Kathleen Sebelius  regarding Medicare reimbursement policies were aimed at correcting billing inconsistencies, a concern shared by other senators.

Similarly, Menendezs interest in port security in the Dominican Republic stemmed from a concern that potential U.S.-supplied screening equipment wouldnt be used correctly, he said. A company Melgen owned had a long-running contract dispute with the Dominican government over port security equipment.

Lowell attempted to blunt the governments case by displaying a chart that showed alleged bribes by Melgen in 2006 but not alleged official acts by Menendez, and alleged acts but no alleged bribes in 2009.

A bribery case is not a mix-and-match event, he said.

Melgens attorney echoed Lowells central contention that there was no corrupt agreement between the men as he began his opening statement at the end of the day. He will resume Thursday.

Melgens sentencing in a separate Medicare fraud case has been delayed until after his trial with Menendez.

Menendez said he plans to be at the trial daily but will decide whether to return to Washington to cast votes in the Senate based on the issue and whether his vote could make a difference. The judge last week ruled against an attempt by Menendez to pause the trial on days when important Senate votes were scheduled.

Republican Ted Stevens of Alaska was the last sitting U.S. senator to go on trial. His conviction was overturned after a Justice Department investigation concluded prosecutors had committed misconduct.

Democrats in New Jersey, including junior U.S. Sen. Cory Booker, have stood by Menendez. Booker was in court on Wednesday to support him.

Before court began, Menendez stood outside the courthouse, flanked by his two adult children and at times choking back tears.

I started my public career fighting corruption  thats how I started  and I have always acted in accordance with the law, Menendez said.

And I believe when all the facts are known, I will be vindicated.

(AP)
President Donald Trumps oldest son was expected to meet privately on Thursday with a Senate committee investigating Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election, several senators said.

Donald Trump Jr.s appearance before the Senate Judiciary Committee will probably focus on a meeting he had with a Russian lawyer and others during the final stretches of last years campaign. Emails released in July show that Trump Jr. was told the session at Trump Tower in New York was part of a Russian government effort to aid his father, the Republican nominee.

Special counsel Robert Mueller is investigating that meeting, also attended by Trumps son-in-law, Jared Kushner, and then-campaign chairman, Paul Manafort. A grand jury has heard testimony about it.

Trump Jr. has also agreed to appear before the Senate Intelligence Committee, which is conducting its own investigation. Sen. Mark Warner of Virginia, the top Democrat on the committee, said that the panel wants to speak with others in the room during the meeting before they interview Trump Jr.

We want to do this in a thorough way that gets the most information possible, Warner said.

Separately, former President Barack Obamas national security adviser, Susan Rice, was meeting on Wednesday with the House Intelligence Committee, according to a person familiar with the interview. This person wasnt authorized to discuss the committees confidential work and spoke on the condition of anonymity.

That committee has subpoenaed the Justice Department and the FBI for documents related to a dossier of salacious allegations involving Trump and possible ties to Russia.

As for Donald Trump Jr., some Democratic senators said they planned to attend his session though tradition dictates that senators cannot ask questions at such interviews conducted by committee staff.

Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., said they would be there. Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., was considering it.

I go in with an open mind, Durbin said. I want to hear his answers to questions  there are plenty of questions  about the involvement of the Trump corporation as well as the Trump campaign with the Russians and other foreigners, and I just want to hear what Mr. Trump has to say.

Durbin said he would be shocked if questions werent asked about whether the elder Trump knew about the Trump Tower meeting.

The critical part of his testimony will be following the financial dealing, Blumenthal said. He said he also wants to find out what Trump Jr. may know about potential obstruction of justice, adding there may have been conversations between the two about the firing of FBI Director James Comey and other matters.

Blumenthal and Coons said the private interview is no substitute for a public hearing, which the committee chairman, Sen. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, has promised will happen.

This meeting is far less important than his public testimony, under oath, before the American people, Blumenthal said.

Grassley would not say on Wednesday whether he would issue a subpoena for Trump Jr. if he refuses to testify publicly.

Meanwhile, the Justice Department is reviewing subpoenas from the House intelligence committee.

In a letter Friday that was obtained by the AP, the committee wrote that it had served subpoenas on Aug. 24 to the department and the FBI for documents related to the committees investigation of Russian meddling. The Justice Department and FBI had missed the original Sept. 1 deadline, so the committee extended the deadline to Sept. 14.

The letter was signed by the committee chairman, Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., who stepped back from the Russia investigation this year after he was criticized for being too close to the White House. Rep. Mike Conaway, R-Texas, took over the leading role, but his name does not appear on the letter.

As chairman, Nunes retains subpoena power in the committee.

Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., who serves on the committee, said he believes Nunes shouldnt be involved in issuing subpoenas, adding that the panel could formally vote to take that authority away and delegate it to Conaway.

It is impeding our investigation, whether he is trying to do that or not, Swalwell said of Nunes involvement. Im not going to speak to his motives.

According to the letter signed by Nunes, the original subpoenas requested any documents related to the dossier and sought information about whether the department was involved in its production.

If the documents are not produced, the committee is seeking to compel Attorney General Jeff Sessions, who has withdrawn from investigations examining connections between Trump and Russia, and newly installed FBI Director Christopher Wray to testify in an open hearing. The committee issued two additional subpoenas to Sessions and Wray on late Tuesday.

Resort to compulsory process was necessary because of DOJs and FBIs insufficient responsiveness to the committees numerous Russia-investigation related requests over the past several months, the letter said.

If the committee is unable to obtain documents or testimony, Nunes wrote, the committee expressly reserves its right to proceed with any and all available legal options, including a House vote to hold Sessions and Wray in contempt.

The Justice Department confirmed it was reviewing the subpoenas but declined further comment.

The dossier attracted public attention in January when it was revealed that Comey had briefed Trump, soon before he was inaugurated as president, about claims from the documents that Russia had amassed compromising personal and financial allegations about him.

Its unclear to what extent the allegations in the dossier have been corroborated or verified by the FBI because the bureau has not publicly discussed it.

Rep. Adam Schiff, the top Democrat on the Intelligence Committee, said Tuesday evening on MSNBC that the subpoenas were issued over the objections of Democrats. Schiff said Republicans are working harder to discredit those who compiled the dossier than to find out if the allegations in it are true. He said Republicans should be more focused on getting documents from the White House.

The subpoenas were first reported by the Washington Examiner.

(AP)
New York state is getting nearly $26 million in federal funds to reimburse law enforcement agencies for costs associated with guarding President Donald Trump, his family and their Manhattan residence.

Congresswoman Nita Lowey announced the grants Wednesday. She says the money covers costs incurred during the 2 1/2 months between Election Day and the Republican presidents Inauguration Day.

Lowey is a Democrat and a ranking member on the House Appropriations Committee.

The New York Police Department is getting $18.9 million. The Suffolk County Police Department is getting $7 million.

NYPD commissioner James ONeill had written to New Yorks congressional delegation seeking the reimbursement. The original estimate had been lowered from $35 million to $24 million.

Democratic New York Mayor Bill de Blasio says his citys taxpayers are getting back part of what theyre owed.

(AP)
Warning: IoD chief Barbara Judge believes low-skilled migration must not be restricted

As a political device it is hard to be a great fan of round robin letters signed by the great and the good.

Some 35 years ago, 364 top economists put their name to a letter excoriating Margaret Thatcher's policies, arguing they would destroy growth and jobs.

Instead, her brand of a free market, lower-tax economy transformed the nation's prosperity.

Nevertheless, the cold shoulder that business is giving No 10's efforts to rally support around Britain's negotiating efforts on Brexit is hard to take.

At a time when squabbling political pygmies still seem to think they can unpick last year's Brexit vote, one might have hoped that business would give the Government the support it needs.

My own conversations with chief executives of some of the FTSE 100 top companies suggests they are relaxed about Brexit. They should be.

The Government has listened and responded to their request that room should be made for skilled immigration that is important to our engineering, financial and science-based industries.

Yet the normally sensible Institute of Directors and the trade body of the hospitality industry warn of 'catastrophic consequences' if low-skilled migration is restricted. IoD chief Barbara Judge notes there are 700,000 unfilled vacancies and newcomers are badly needed.

What is also true is that even though Britain has an enviable jobless rate of just 4.4 per cent of the workforce, there are still around 1.5m people unemployed or underemployed in part-time and zero-hours jobs.

Making better use of the apprenticeship scheme, as some employers such as Co-op are doing, would be a good way of moving workers onwards and upwards.

It is time business leaders emerged from their protective bubbles and made clear a determination to make Brexit work.

Recent bids for UK software companies Aveva, Worldpay and Paysafe underline the strength of the UK's high-tech.

Diageo is using its marketing prowess to take McDowell's, the Indian brand of whisky, into Africa. Akzo Nobel has committed to keep its R&D in Britain in spite of the company coming under siege from the US.

Nissan is strengthening its UK parts supply chain to keep Sunderland competitive.

Meanwhile, investment guru Neil Woodford is taking flak for the underperformance of his flagship CF Woodford Equity Income Fund.

Yet the underlying principle behind his investments, of keeping faith with good, long-term UK prospects such as Astra Zeneca, shows a belief in Britain's future.

What a pity that our executive class, loaded with knighthoods, high pay and the baubles of great office, won't speak up for the nation's economy and business.

Saving Ross

In the aftermath of the financial crisis, many top City executives were seen as damaged goods and desperate boards turned to the Commonwealth for fresh blood.

Edinburgh-born John McFarlane, who spent a decade at Australia and New Zealand Banking, was hauled back to insurer Aviva before becoming Barclays chairman.

New Zealander Mark Wilson was recruited as chief executive of Aviva. And at Royal Bank of Scotland the Kiwi Ross McEwan was moved up to lead recovery at Britain's most troubled lender.

Not to be outdone, George Osborne recruited Mark Carney from Canada to succeed Mervyn King as governor at the Bank of England. Elsewhere, the head of the Canadian postal service, Moya Greene, was brought in at Royal Mail.

McEwan, who left Commonwealth Bank of Australia for RBS in 2012, has emerged as a favoured candidate to return Down Under to clean up after the recent money-laundering scandal at the Aussie lender.

One could understand the temptation, given the political sensitivity of life under the thumb of HM Treasury.

Pity, though, for taxpayers if McEwan was hooked out just at the moment that a return to profits and the sell down of the Government stake of 73 per cent get ever closer.

Hipster heaven

The trend towards big food suppliers seeking healthier brands continues. Rowntree owner Nestle has snapped up US plant-based food firm Sweet Earth, putting down roots in a market growing at double digits.

Closer to home, Unilever is snapping up Bristol hipster tea brand Pukka.

Looks like a fertile moment for trendy, organic food start-ups looking to cash in
Germany's biggest bank was left red-faced last night after it emerged that British regulators have expressed 'significant concern' over its operations in the UK.

An internal document prepared by Deutsche Bank officials shows supervisors at the Bank of England are worried about the lender's business model and how it would recover from a crisis.

The Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA)  the arm of the central bank that oversees Deutsche and other lenders  has also raised questions over risk management at the German giant.

The revelations are a major embarrassment for Deutsche at a time when foreign banks are trying to win business from their UK competitors ahead of Brexit.

Setback: The revelations are a major embarrassment for Deutsche and its British boss John Cryan, at a time when foreign banks are trying to win business from their UK competitors

It also marks a setback for British chief executive John Cryan, who is desperately trying to shore up Deutsche after it was last year branded the most dangerous bank in the world by the International Monetary Fund.

The Deutsche document  leaked to the Business Insider website  betrays fears that the PRA has about the German bank's UK operations ahead of Britain's departure from the European Union.

The concerns come as British regulators pore over the plans being drawn up by banks and other financial firms for Brexit.

Deutsche's chief operating officer in the UK, Tiina Lee, and chief accounting officer Karin Dohm met PRA officials on July 26 to discuss the bank's plans for Brexit. This was followed by a letter from the PRA to Deutsche on July 31, just five days later.

A Deutsche summary of that letter says: 'The PRA acknowledges the improvements made to UK oversight and governance and appreciates the regular engagement with DB management.

'However, significant concern remains. PRA has shifted its supervisory priority to focus on preparation for UK branch authorisation and will focus on the areas of most concern  controls, business model and recovery and resolution, alongside known areas of material weakness, including liquidity risk management.'

The PRA and Deutsche declined to comment last night.

Cryan raised eyebrows in London this week when he said that Frankfurt is now battling New York and Singapore for UK banking jobs in the run-up to Brexit, having emerged as a clear winner among European cities.

He said that while financial hubs such as Paris, Amsterdam and Dublin would undoubtedly benefit from the UK's post-Brexit exodus, none of them have the infrastructure to take a large portion of business from London.

'For months there have been discussions regarding which location is set to profit the most once London is no longer within the European Union,' the Yorkshire-born banker said at this week's conference in Frankfurt. 'I cannot fully understand this debate because, as I see it, the race had already been won before it even began.

'It's not about a choice between Dublin, Paris or Frankfurt  it's about a choice between New York, Singapore or Frankfurt.'

Deutsche is one of the world's largest financial institutions, but is undergoing sweeping changes under Cryan's leadership.

He is gearing up to replace a large chunk of its workforce with robots. This week he warned that a 'big number' of people, largely accountants, will lose their jobs at the firm as it automates to embrace its 'revolutionary spirit'.

The Frankfurt-based company employs around 100,000 people around the world.
By PTI: (EDs: Updating with additional inputs)

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) Taking charge of the Defence Ministry, Nirmala Sitharaman today vowed to enhance the countrys military preparedness and ensure the welfare of soldiers.

Sitharaman, 58, Indias first full-time woman defence minister, also listed defence indigenisation and resolving long-pending issues among her priorities.

She took charge of the key ministry in the presence of her predecessor Arun Jaitley. Indira Gandhi was the only other woman to hold the charge of the ministry, when she was the prime minister.

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A priest conducted prayers in the defence ministers chamber before Sitharaman assumed charge. Her parents were present on the occasion.

In a brief statement, Sitharaman resolved to work hard, saying she will be available round-the-clock to ensure that defence related issues are well attended to.

Immediately after assuming office, Sitharaman approved a grant of over Rs 13 crore which will be released to 8,685 ex- servicemen, widows and dependants out of the Armed Forces Flag Day Fund. She also approved financial assistance out of Raksha Mantri Ex-Servicemen Fund.

"My priority will definitely be armed forces preparedness. It is important that Indian armed forces receive all attention in terms of giving them every necessary endowment and equipment," Sitharaman, who was commerce minister earlier, told reporters.

The armed forces have been pressing for enhancing overall capabilities in the face of aggressive posturing by China on the borders and the unhindered proxy war by Pakistan.

The minister said resolving long-pending issues in consultation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Union Cabinet and ensuring defence indigenisation would also be a major focus area.

A number of issues including appointing a tri-Service chief were pending for a long time.

The defence minister said there was a need for "big play" of the Make in India initiative in overall defence capability and noted that it was very important for the government.

"We shall ensure that the important characters of what makes Make in India an important flagship programme of the Prime Minister are given full play for defence production because India as you know is a very big defence equipment procurer."

Reaching out to armed forces personnel, Sitharaman said another priority area for her would be welfare of families of the armed forces personnel.

She said her endeavour would be to ensure that "the soldiers at the very toughest borders, challenging zones in which they are protecting this country remain absolutely assured that their interests are being taken care of."

Providing the soldiers with the best equipment available would be another focus area, she added.

Sitharaman has now become member of the crucial Cabinet Committee on Security. Its members include the prime minister, home minister, external affairs minister and the finance minister.

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As defence minister, Sitharaman faces several challenges, including strengthening combat capabilities of the Army, Navy and the Air Force due to the changing regional security matrix and geo-political dynamics.

Besides, military modernisation programmes have been delayed due to administrative hurdles among other reasons.

The government has been focusing on domestic defence production and Sitharaman will also have to carry forward a number of big-ticket reform initiatives, including implementing the ambitious "strategic partnership" model with several countries like the United States and Russia.

Under the new model, select Indian private firms will be roped in to build military platforms like submarines and fighter jets in India in partnership with foreign defence majors.

Finance Minister Jaitley was handling the defence ministry after Manohar Parrikar quit to become the Goas chief minister in March.

In his capacity as defence minister, Jaitley went to Japan on Sunday, the day Modi effected the reshuffle of his cabinet, to represent India at a bilateral defence dialogue.

Jaitley had said he was going to Japan as there were logistical issues for Sitharaman to travel to Japan. Officials had said Sitharaman would take charge of the ministry after Jaitley returned from Japan. PTI MPB RT

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A TADA court in Mumbai today handed out punishments in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case: Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and Tahir Merchant were sentenced to death, while Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan both got life in prison.

By India Today Web Desk: A special TADA court in Mumbai today today sentenced Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan and Tahir Merchant to death in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case. Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan were given life in prison while Riaz Siddiqui was sentenced to ten years in jail.

Salem, Karimullah Khan, Firoz Khan and Merchant were earlier convicted for conspiring to carry out the dastardly 1993 serial blasts, which killed more than 250 people. Mustafa Dossa was convicted as well, but he died of natural causes before today's sentencing. Riaz Siddiqui was convicted of lesser charges.

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HIGHLIGHTS:

The CBI lawyer Deepak Salvi says that Abu Salem has been sentenced to life. However, if the government of India uses its powers to commute the sentence, then Salem will serve 25 years in jail.

The verdict: Karimullah Khan gets life in prisonl; Abu Salem gets life in prison; Riaz Siddiqui gets 10 years in jail; Tahir Merchent gets the death penalty; Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan gets the death penalty.

Click here to Enlarge More than 250 people were killed when a series of coordinated bombs blew up on March 12, 1993 in Mumbai

Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Tahir Merchant both get capital punishment - they will hang until their deaths, unless their punishments get overturned on appeal.

The court is still reading out the verdict.

Senior public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam confirms that the prosecution could not have asked for the death penalty for Abu Salem due to India's extradition agreement with Portugal.

Riyaz Siddiqui, who was not convicted for conspiracy, has been sentenced to ten years in jail.

Abu Salem, who was extradited from Portugal, was not likely to get the death penalty - under India's extradition agreement with Portugal, the gangster could not be sent to the gallows in India.

Notably, the Central Bureau of Investigation had asked for a deaths sentence for Karimullah Khan. He has been sentenced to life.

FROM INDIA TODAY MAGAZINE: What happened in Mumbai on March 12, 1993

Click here to Enlarge Fugitive gangster Dawood Ibrahim is accused of masterminding the Mumbai serial blasts

According to reports coming from inside the court, Karimullah Khan broke down after hearing the verdict.

The judge is still reading out the verdict, so the exact punishments awarded to each convict will be clear only later.

Abu Salem sentenced to life.

Khan has also been fined at least Rs 2 lakh.

Karimullah Khan sent to life in prison in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case.

Earlier, Abu Salem, along with Mustafa Dossa, Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, Tahir Merchant and Karimullah Khan, were convicted in June for conspiring to commit the dastardly Mumbai serial blasts, which killed over 250 people.

Another accused - Riaz Siddiqui - too was found guilty in the case but not of conspiracy charges. A seventh accused, Abdul Qayyum, was acquitted of charges.

Mustafa Dossa died of natural causes soon after the TADA court convicted him and hence, was not present today.

While convicting the six, the court accepted that 1993 Mumbai blasts, in which Dawood Ibrahim is also an accused, were in direct retaliation to the post-Babri Masjid demolition riots that took place in Mumbai and elsewhere.

Click here to Enlarge Abu Salem, who was today sentenced to life in jail, was brought back from Portugal under an extradition agreement

BLACK FRIDAY

On March 12, 1993 the country's commercial capital witnessed an unprecedented terrorist attack when a series 12 bomb explosions took place one after another in about a span of two hours.

The blasts took place at quick intervals spanning two hours at the Bombay Stock Exchange, Kalbadevi, Shiv Sena Bhavan, Air India building at Nariman Point, Fishermen's Colony in Mahim, Worli Century Bazar, Zaveri Bazar, Hotel SeaRock in Bandra, among other places.

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The Mumbai serial blasts had left 257 people dead, 713 others seriously injured, and destroyed properties worth an estimated Rs 27 crore.

This was the first ever terrorist attack in the world where RDX (Research Department Explosive i.e cyclotrimethylene trinitramine) was used on such a large scale after the Second World War.

Click here to Enlarge Abu Salem: On the fugitive gangster's trail

ALSO READ:

Mumbai blasts verdict: How Rakesh Maria cracked 1993 serial bombing case with help of approver

1993 Mumbai serial blasts convict Mustafa Dossa dies

1993 Mumbai blasts case: Abu Salem's confession in 2005 helped prosecution to convict others

FROM INDIA TODAY MAGAZINE: Mumbai blasts - Moment of reckoning

WATCH: 1993 Mumbai: When India Today's Newstrack captured moments after blasts

--- ENDS ---
A decision to float tenders for the auction within this month was taken at a council meeting today presided over by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

By Mail Today: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) has decided to invite bids for e-auction of three Lutyen's zone hotels, including the iconic Taj Mansingh, nearly six months after the civic body had given a go-ahead for auctioning it.

A decision to float tenders for the auction within this month was taken at a council meeting today presided over by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

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The proposal of conducting auctions of the three hotels was discussed in detail on Wednesday. It was decided that the tender process will be initiated within this month.

The e-auction will be conducted through MSTC Ltd, a central PSU, and SBI Capital Market Limited will be the transaction advisor for the auction, a senior NDMC official said.

ALSO READ

Blow to Tatas as Supreme Court allows NDMC to auction iconic Taj Mansingh Hotel

Tatas fight for rights over iconic Taj Mahal Hotel on Mansingh Road

--- ENDS ---
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By Mark Hallum

Birds in the Boneyard is gaining traction beyond the realm of their home borough of Queens, as the three musicians perform in front of children at schools and at bars throughout the city.

Born and raised in Bayside, brothers Mikey and Petey Condoleon have been playing music since they were young. Now in their early 20s, they have been joined by Teo Vanovski on drums and are sculpting a hybrid of pop and rock sound they claim is as raw and straightforward as the borough in which they formed their style.

It can be pretty stripped down at times, Vanovski said, describing the style they have created. Sound-wise, I think it is right to the point. Queens is a blue blue-collar sort of place, no fuss, no frills. I think the music is kind of like that, straight to the point  guitar, bass, drums. Thats it.

Although Birds in the Boneyard had been a duo for almost three years, in January the Queens brothers were joined by Vanovski, who was born in Bulgaria and raised in Denver. The trio has been seeking out bigger and better venues since getting together and mainly plays in Brooklyn and Manhattan.

I think we can do this on a national level, Mikey Condoleon said. I feel its going to get to a point where we hit the next mark and we keep going from there and building. Its ambitious, but its what we love doing and I think its very plausible.

According to Mikey, bringing their talents to schools, in what the band has dubbed an educational tour, has given them a chance to spread their love of music to a younger crowd of middle- and high-school students. The exposure also serves to grow their fan-base.

What we find is that younger kids, before they really define themselves and their tastes, are more open to new things and new music, Mikey said, explaining how the three hope to visit schools not only in the city, but in neighboring states.

The groups first Spotify release, Cant Complain, has been circulated 100,000 times as a single with more coming. With a full album in the works, the three artists are writing and releasing their music song-by-song. Later, they plan to compile the songs into an album scheduled to go online after the new year. Their next single is currently in production.

Birds in the Boneyard can also be found on iTunes and Pandora, as well as at Bowery Electric in Manhattan, where they will perform on Sept. 9.
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By Bill Parry

State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman led a coalition of 16 attorneys general in filing a lawsuit to protect Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals recipients in Brooklyn federal court Wednesday where the legal battle to protect thousands of students from Queens will be waged.

The Trump administration announced Tuesday it would rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, the Obama-era policy which allows young people who came to the United States illegally as children to stay in the country without fear of deportation.

The move had an immediate impact in Queens, where elected officials spoke out on behalf of the young people who are affected among the boroughs large immigrant population. City Councilman Daniel Dromm (D-Jackson Heights) called the decision heartless and a blunder of epic proportions.

The program, which began under a 2012 executive order by President Obama, covers nearly 800,000 immigrants who came to the country before their 16th birthday and who were younger than 31 before 2012, who havent been convicted of a felony or major misdemeanors, and are in school or in military service.

Immigration is the lifeblood of New York State. The Trump administrations decision to end DACA is cruel, inhumane, and devastating to the 42,000 New Yorkers who have been able to come out of the shadows and live a full life as a result of the program, Schneiderman said. There are 30,000 people covered by DACA in Queens.

Attorney Gen. Jeff Sessions announced the decision calling DACA an open-ended circumvention of immigration law through unconstitutional authority by the executive branch, but Congress was given six months to address the issue. Sessions said the program would be phased out and new applications would no longer be accepted.

DACA recipients, known as Dreamers, passed background checks and paid a fee to get deferral from deportation and a work permit.

President Trumps decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program would be shocking if it werent so predictable from a president who has routinely demonized immigrants, elevated politics above principles, and catered to the most extreme voices in his party, U.S. Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-Jackson Heights), the House Democratic Caucus Chairman, said. Given that todays action comes after President Trump repeatedly claimed he wanted to help these young people, all Americans should realize how empty his promises are when compared to the reality of his political interests. Its absurd to think that our nations interests are served by ending this program and forcing these individuals back into the shadows. Without a doubt, this action is both heartless and senseless.

At a City Hall rally with Dreamers, Mayor Bill de Blasio vowed to defend them.

These are our neighbors. Theyre just as much New Yorkers as anybody else, he said. They contribute just as much as anybody else. Theyre human beings and they need to be treated with dignity and respect.

U.S. Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand called the presidents action an affront to who we are as Americans.

He is needlessly targeting children who know no other country as home than America, she said. This does not make our communities safer or our economy stronger. In fact, it does just the opposite.

Data from the Center for American Progress shows that ending DACA would result in the loss of more than $460 billion from the national GDP over the next decade, and more than $2.5 billion a year in New York state.

Repealing DACA is not only immoral, but its economic suicide, state Sen. Jose Peralta (D-East Elmhurst) said. DACA not only provides hope and opportunity, it boosts our economy and creates jobs. We cannot afford to lose our Dreamers to appease political rhetoric. This is a sad, tragic day for America.
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By Mark Hallum

A Bronx councilman is responding to concerns about convicted felon Hiram Monserrate re-entering the political arena with a new bill to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Councilman Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx) is still drafting the bill, but if passed, it could bar former lawmakers with felony convictions for corruption from running for elected office in New York City, his spokesman, Raymond Rodriguez, said.

Under my legislation a conviction for public corruption would become an automatic disqualification for running for public office, Torres said. Its not in the public interest to have a corrupt candidate run for public office, nor is it in the interest to have the city of New York effectively use matching funds to subsidize corruption. I have a simple message for the likes of Hiram Monseratte: If youve been convicted of public corruption, you have no business running for  much less serving in  the City Council.

Although the bill would not keep Monserrate out of office if he wins the Sept. 12 Democratic primary, it is intended for circumstances such as these to prevent future corruption.

Monserrate is running for the seat soon-to-be vacated by Councilwoman Julissa Ferraras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst) against Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights). But he was ejected from state Senate after he was convicted of a misdemeanor after cutting his girlfriends face with a piece of glass in 2010. In 2012, Monserrate was sentenced to two years behind bars for stealing $100,000 from his City Council district, funneling the money through a Corona non-profit to fund an election campaign.

Monserrate contends he has served his time and is sorry for his previous actions, but that his return to politics is about addressing issues in Queens and defending everyday New Yorkers.

My campaign for City Council is all about putting the needs of our community first and representing working families that live in the 21st Council District and not the special interests or the super wealthy one percent, Monserrate said in a statement.

According to State Board of Elections spokesman John Conklin, a felony conviction is not a disqualification for public office.

Felons can run for public office as long as they have served their sentence to completion, which includes prison time and probation in New York state, he said.

Torres will introduce the bill in City Council later this month, Rodriguez said, and it would only apply to city officials.
In February this year, the Telangana CM had donated Rs 5 crore worth gold ornaments to Lord Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala-Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh.

By Ashish Pandey: Last year during the Navaratra festival, Telangana Chief Minister K CM K Chandrasekhar Rao had offered 11 kg gold ornaments worth Rs 3.7 crore to goddess Bhadrakali of the famous Warangal temple of the state. This year the chief minister has decided to offer 'Mukku Pudaka' (nose stud) to Goddess Kankadurga.

CM K Chandrasekhar Rao popularly known as KCR and his family would pay a visit to Vijayawada in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh on September 27 as part of the 'Navratri Utsavalu' and offer the gift to the famous goddess at her hill temple.

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KCR - THE SERIAL GOLD 'DONOR'

In February this year, the Telangana CM had donated Rs 5 crore worth gold ornaments to Lord Venkateswara Swamy in Tirumala-Tirupati of Andhra Pradesh. CM has also presented 'Bangaru Meesalu' (gold moustache) worth Rs 60,000 to Veerabhadra Swamy Temple in Kuravi of Mahabubabad district of the state.

The Telangana Rastr Samiti chief had promised during the agitation for a separate state that he will make offerings to the temple if statehood was granted to Telangana. The CM is now fulfulling his vows.

PALATIAL Rs 33 CRORE HOUSE

KCR's extravagant spending on his spiritual needs has drawn flak from opposition parties as well as several activists who have raised question on him as a CM using state exchequer for fulfillment of his vow taken as an individual.

Earlier, the chief minister attracted criticism when he had got a swanky palatial residence-camp office built on a 8.9 acre plot at a cost of about Rs 33 crore.

The complex also has a parking for 200 cars.

KCR also held a ritual called 'Ayutha Chandi Maha Yagnam' in 2015 aiming to appease the rain gods as Telangana was facing drought-like situation due to scanty rainfall.

It was alleged that KCR spent over Rs 15 crore on the 'Yagnam' was performed by spending over 15 crore. However, the chief minister and his family members including minister son K Tarak Ramarao (KTR) and MP daughter K. Kavita maintained that the ritual was strictly a personal affair which was funded by KCR and his family, and Tealangana Rastra Samiti leaders and well-wishers.

ALSO READ:

Why KCR's Rs 5 crore thanksgiving gift to Tirupati temple is plain wrong

KCR's new offering to the gods: A gold moustache worth Rs 60,000

KCR's Temple Run: Telangana CM fulfils Rs 5 crore vow at Tirumala temple

WATCH: He prays, you pay: Telangana CM KCR donates Rs 5 crore gold ornaments to Tirupati temple

--- ENDS ---
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By Bill Parry

State Assemblyman Francisco Moya (D-Jackson Heights) loved his seven years in Albany leading the push to pass the Dream Act and fighting for workers rights, womens rights and criminal justice reform. When City Councilwoman Julissa Ferreras-Copeland (D-East Elmhurst) decided against seeking a third term, Moya decided to come home and fight controversial Hiram Monserrate for the District 21 seat.

Monserrate was expelled from the state Senate for assaulting his girlfriend and served two years in prison for theft of funds while a city councilman representing the 21st District, which includes East Elmhurst, Jackson Heights and Corona, the neighborhood where Moya was raised and lives today.

The moment I heard who the opponent was I knew there was no way I could allow that person to come back to public office, Moya said. This man has proven time and time again that his violent, criminal, corrupt past belongs nowhere near public service, especially not the very same seat where he stole $100,000 and never once apologized for the theft.

Moya rejects Monserrates redemption story as well as charges Monserrate has leveled in recent weeks that Moya lives outside the 21st District in Long Island City, that he has committed election and mortgage fraud and he is ducking debates so he does not have to answer questions.

His whole campaign is built on lies, Moya said. He talks about anything but the issues. The good people of the 21st District, and the people of New York City, should be outraged that this individual was arrested three times and has never apologized. This district is the most diverse in the entire country and I believe it needs a real champion.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Mayor Bill de Blasio, Ferreras-Copeland and the seven candidates for City Council speaker, including City Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Sunnyside) and City Councilman Donovan Richards (D-Laurelton), agreed, endorsing Moyas campaign while railing against Monserrates return.

Francisco Moya is a proven leader for central Queens, while his opponents actions have disqualified him from public service, Cuomo said. Contrasted with Hiram Monserrates shameful record of domestic abuse and abusing the publics trust, the choice could not be more clear.

In its endorsement over the weekend, The New York Times wrote, This one is easy. Assemblyman Francisco Moya deserves every primary vote in this district.

Moya identifies the lack of affordable housing, high property taxes, tenant protections, improving overcrowded schools and protecting seniors as the major issues facing the district. He also wants to join the progressive voices in the City Council defending undocumented immigrants. Moya is pledging to lead the resistance to President Trumps actions, especially his decision to dismantle the DACA program Tuesday.

As the proud son of Ecuadorian immigrants who represents so many immigrant families in the state Assembly, I am horrified by Trumps reprehensible and callous decision to end DACA, Moya said. This is an outright attack on everything this nation stands for. As our next Council member, I will fight for all New Yorkers. I will join with my brothers and sisters in rising up against Trumps racism, and fight back against the white supremacism and anti-immigrant hatred thats reared its ugly head on the campaign trail, in Charlottesville and now with the DACA decision. New York will continue to be a beacon of tolerance and progressive values, and I pledge to lead the charge in the City Council.
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By Naeisha Rose

Three-quarter tenants of Interline, an organization that provides substance abuse treatment and housing for addicts, rallied in Jamaica last week to fight the prospects of homelessness after the directors of the facility were charged with stealing over $2.3 million in a Medicaid kickback scheme, the state attorney general said.

Robert H. Corrado and Kristina Corrado, a father and daughter from Long Island, were arraigned in June for allegedly using Interline to force tenants in their below-market housing into attending substance abuse treatments only with their program, whether they were addicts or not, in order to receive Medicaid reimbursements, according to Eric Schneidermans office.

We allege that the defendants engaged in a systematic, ongoing scheme to exploit those struggling with homelessness and substance abuse in order to line their own pockets, Schneidermann said.

The rally was held Aug. 31 outside the citys office of Human Resources Administration in Jamaica.

Denise Romero Gonzalez, a paralegal for Mobilization for Justice, a social justice organization representing disenfranchised people, said Interline is just one of three substance abuse providers to shut down for using housing schemes to steal money from Medicaid. The others are Narco Freedom and NRI Group, LLC.

Abandoned Interline tenants are still living in the buildings and waiting for housing vouchers from the city.

Landlords will force people to go to a specific substance abuse program and the substance abuse program will refer any clients that they get who are in need of housing to a three-quarter house, Gonzalez said. Its like a conveyer belt.

According to Gonzalez, who is also a tenant organizer for the Three-Quarter House Tenant Organizing Project, a union fighting for fair and safe affordable housing, Interlines housing located at 164-19 108th Ave. and two other places in Jamaica was substandard, restrictive and overcrowded.

The conditions are deplorable, Gonzalez said. Its a regular building that landlords will congest with four to six people on a bunk bed to a room.

Housing meant to fit a family of four to six often had from 30 to 45 individuals living in them, according to Gonzalez.

There were rigid curfews where clients were forced to leave in the daytime and also forced to have a curfew to get home before a certain time, Gonzalez said. If people didnt go to a specific number of group sessions, they would not be allowed to visit their family on the weekend.

Gonzalez and TOP are trying to get the city to provide Special Exit and Prevention Supplement vouchers to the victims of Interline in Queens and their four other facilities in Brooklyn help the tenants in securing permanent housing. Without the assistance, victims could end up in the shelter system.

Dozens of tenants sent letters to the citys Social Services Commissioner Steve Banks to request SEPS in late July and are awaiting a response.

One of those tenants was Jasmine Monk, 19, who battles drug addiction and depression. She came to Interline seeking a second chance at life.

When I started my program at Interline, I was promised assistance in finding housing, job and school placement, among other things, Monk said. However, none of this ever came true.

During her four months at Interlines housing, she lived amid horrible conditions.

In the houses, we faced terrible health conditions, including rodent and insect infestation, exposure to chemicals, leaks, not to mention overcrowding of the houses with many of us sharing small rooms, Monk said. Despite the conditions and house rules we were forced to follow, for many of us, these three-quarter houses were better than the shelter system or no housing at all,.

Monk is disappointed in Interline and hopes she can receive a SEPS voucher.

I am in the process of going back to college and finding a job to support myself. I need a place to call my home so I can do those things. Like others here, I need this so I can move forward, Monk said.

(fixing error  TOP stands for Three-Quarter House Tenant Organizing Project)
Did you vote in the midterm elections as if your countrys existence depended on it?

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Colonie

Flights to Albany International Airport from Florida cities are full or nearly full, the Albany County Airport Authority said Thursday.

JetBlue and Southwest report their Albany flights from Orlando and Fort Lauderdale are sold out from Friday through Sunday.

Airport officials said passengers heading to Florida in coming days should check with their carriers on the status of their flight before coming to the airport. Flight information is also available at albanyairport.com

Hurricane Irma is expected to hit Florida this weekend. Typically, about a third of passengers leaving Albany are en route to Florida.

Meanwhile, Amtrak said it was canceling trains to and from Florida this weekend.

The northbound Silver Star and Silver Meteor (trains 92 and 98) originating in Miami are canceled for Sept. 9, 10 and 11.

The southbound Silver Star (91) was to operate from New York City only as far south as Orlando on Thursday, while the southbound Silver Meteor (97) will operate only as far south as Jacksonville.

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Both trains are canceled Sept. 8, 9 and 10.

The Auto Train (53) from Lorton, Va., to Sanford, Fla., is canceled for Sept. 9. The northbound Auto Train, from Sanford to Lorton, is canceled on Sept. 10 and 11.

No alternate transportation will be provided for any of the canceled trains, Amtrak said.
Savannah, Ga.

Shifting forecasts raised the threat to the Southeast from fierce Hurricane Irma on Wednesday and prompted emergency declarations in the Carolinas and coastal Georgia, including areas that haven't suffered a direct hit from a major hurricane in more than a century.

Georgia Gov. Nathan Deal declared a state of emergency Wednesday for the state's 100-mile swath of Atlantic coast, which was last struck by a hurricane of force Category 3 or higher in 1898. His South Carolina counterpart, Gov. Henry McMaster, declared an emergency for that neighboring state as officials assessed the chances of receiving a major hurricane strike there for the first time in almost 28 years.

"It is a precaution. This is not an order of evacuation," McMaster said in Columbia, South Carolina's capital, adding evacuations could be ordered as early as Friday  if needed. "Assume it's arriving tomorrow morning and get ready. When that hurricane is coming, when it gets close, it's too late."

The last major hurricane to hit South Carolina was Hugo in September 1989. It slammed ashore just north of Charleston with winds of 135 mph, causing 13 deaths in the state and $6.5 billion in damage.

Also, North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper declared a state of emergency taking effect at 8 a.m. Thursday for the entire state. He added that all swift-water rescue teams the state had sent to Texas for Hurricane Harvey were expected back in North Carolina by Wednesday night.

Irma had winds of 185 mph on Wednesday, making it the strongest Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever measured, as it raked across Caribbean islands nearer to South Florida.

Forecasters said tropical storm force winds could reach Georgia over the weekend and possibly South Carolina soon after, though Irma's exact path remained uncertain still days away.

In Chatham County, Georgia's most populous coastal county that includes the historic tourist city of Savannah, emergency management director Dennis Jones told reporters Wednesday that many first responders and emergency planners probably won't stick around if Irma arrives with the fury it has been showing in the Caribbean.

Officials sounded similarly dire warnings Wednesday across the Savannah River from Georgia's oldest city in South Carolina.

Beaufort County Sheriff's Lt. Col. Neil Baxley said that South Carolina county was preparing for the worst case scenario, which would be a landfall near Hilton Head Island with a storm surge of up to 15 feet of water. He added that police and firefighters, in a dangerous major hurricane, would have to evacuate until wind and waters abate.

Emergency officials said they worried that a dangerous storm surge would leave Georgia's Tybee Island on the Atlantic coast especially vulnerable, as well as those living along marshes and streams in the Savannah area.
ALBANY - Have Albanys Democratic mayoral candidates use the bike shares?

Not yet.

Do they support legalization of recreational marijuana?

All say a resounding yes.

With several debates under their belts, Common Council President Carolyn McLaughlin, Councilman Frank Commisso Jr. and Mayor Kathy Sheehan easily rattled off their stances on issues like vacant buildings, crime and city infrastructure.

But in the lightning round of a mayoral debate moderated by Spectrum News and hosted at the University at Albany in conjunction with the Rockefeller College of Public Affairs & Policy at Ualbany on Wednesday, candidates had to be on their toes.

Should Gov. Andrew Cuomo run for U.S. president in 2020?

I think we have a great governor in New York State, Commisso responded.

Yes, McLaughlin answered.

I dont think we should be talking about it yet, Sheehan said.

If you don't win the primary, will you support the candidate who does?

"Yes," Sheehan responded.

"I'm going to win the Democratic Primary Sept. 12," Commisso said.

"I'll support the city of Albany," McLaughlin answered.

Some of the questions came from university students, including the final question that weighs heavily in a city where 26.8 percent of people live in poverty  how will candidates decrease poverty in the capital city?

McLaughlin envisions the city, Albany County and the state working in tandem and talking to each other about what jobs are available.

Albany should become a pipeline or clearing house for jobs within the capital district, she said. Ive always said that there are jobs that are available, but people dont know how to get to them.

After the debate, McLaughlin reflected on her own personal experience growing up in the South End of Albany as a black woman. She spent her early years in the private sector, before working in various state agencies, including the Division of Budget and the New York State Teachers' Retirement System.

McLaughlin wants to be an inspiration for others, she said, noting the impact an African-American woman being elected mayor would have on the community.

Sheehan said overcoming poverty is one of the biggest challenges for the community and businesses. Albany recently received $1.5 million in funding through an Anti-Poverty Initiative that has brought employers, impoverished residents and community-based organizations to the table to talk about what barriers exist to accessing jobs, she said.

We have businesses that are struggling to stay open because they cant find people to fill jobs, she said. This initiative is going to be laser-focused on assuring that were connecting people in our community to jobs.

Commisso said the administration must look at its own policies that exacerbate the issue, like the trash fee targeting renters, providing tax incentives for luxury housing and eliminating recreation programs for youth. He said tax incentives instead should be given to Albany residents to renovate vacant buildings.

Weve lost so many good programs that I think helped life people up, lift children up and given them confidence and pride in their city, he said. We need to get those programs back in our city.
State Road and Building Minister T Nageshwar Rao made the blueprint of the new secretariat building public which will come up at Bison Polo Ground in Secunderabad.

By Ashish Pandey: The Telangana government has released blueprint of its new 'vaastu-compliant' secretariat amid much criticism and protest by Opposition.

State Road and Building Minister T Nageshwar Rao has made the blueprint of the new secretariat building public which will come up at Bison Polo Ground in Secunderabad.

Telangana government will get the 38-acre of Polo ground defence land which has a historic significance and which is also a lone open space in Secunderabad after paying around Rs 100 crore and 590-acre of state government land at different location.

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Source say after getting an assurance of speedy land transfer by the defence ministry, the Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao (KCR) is planning foundation stone laying ceremony during Dusshera festival.

The government blueprint suggest that the new secretariat building will have three floor housing CM, chief secretary and other officers offices while a separate building will have office of ministers and other related officers.

While the secretariat building will be constructed on 10 to 12-acre of land, the Legislative Assembly and Legislative Council, and Kalabhavan will occupy the remaining 38-acre of land.

The total cost of construction is estimated to be around Rs 300 crore.

The new secretariat has attracted criticism from Opposition as well as civil society as the current secretariat building is still very much in shape, however, the state government want a new building as old one has 'vaastu dosham'.

Speaking to India Today, state Congress president Uttam Kumar Reddy said, "The Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao has a habit of misusing public money. After the creation of new state in 2014, the state government spent crores of rupee on renovation of blocks in Current Secretariat buildings and now government has decided for a new secretariat worth several crore which is not at all needed.''

The Congress leader also recalled how chief minister got white SUV cavalcade and even a over 30 crore worth new residence-cum-camp office because of his ''vaastu obsession'' leaving the old behind.

Recently, a spontaneous protest was also erupted with several morning walkers, sport enthusiasts, young and civil society members gathering at the polo ground opposing government's move of building a new secretariat at the 'lung space' of the city.

ALSO READ:

Cong opposes Telangana's plan to construct new secretariat building

Telangana: CM KCR continues his temple run, to offer gold ornament at Vijaywada temple

--- ENDS ---
Bogota, Colombia

The memory of the land mine that tore off the leg of Helena Gonzalez's nephew years ago is still fresh.

Gonzalez, 25, has spent much of her life fearing more attacks by Colombia's Marxist rebels against her family. And last year, when given the chance to vote on a peace agreement to end a half-century of conflict, she joined the majority of Colombians in voting against the deal.

"The pope may forgive them," Gonzalez said, coming out of church in the capital, Bogota, this week. "But in my heart I don't forgive them. I am still reconciling it all."

As Pope Francis arrived Wednesday in Colombia for a six-day visit, the challenge before the leader of the Roman Catholic Church is clear: nudging the country, torn apart by 52 years of war, toward a peace with former guerrillas that remains controversial in the eyes of many of the war's victims.

"It's dangerous ground for Pope Francis," said Hosffman Ospino, a Colombian theologian at Boston College. "Half of the country disagrees with the peace process."

On the surface, much has gone well for the peace accords between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, known by their acronym, FARC. After failing in the referendum, the government reworked the deal and passed it through Congress, sidestepping voters. About 7,000 rebels left the jungle, gave up weapons and are returning to civilian life.

But for Gonzalez and thousands of others, the conflict left lasting scars. An estimated 220,000 people were killed as rebels battled government and paramilitary groups from isolated mountains to city streets. At least 6 million people were displaced by the conflict.

Public opinion has edged up in favor of the deal signed by President Juan Manuel Santos. But the country is still as divided as ever at a time when rebels are meant to be starting new lives among civilians.

"One of the challenges to understand the dynamic here is the polarization the conflict left behind," Ospino said.

Francis' visit to Colombia is the first papal trip to the country since 1986, when the war was still raging and much of the country was off limits to Pope John Paul II.

This time, Francis has more freedom to travel the country and meet his flock, celebrating Mass on Thursday in Bogota, beatifying clerics killed in the war on Friday in Villavicencio, and on Saturday and Sunday visiting Medellin and Cartagena, both of which have staged remarkable turnarounds in recent years.

"'Let us take the first step' is the theme of this journey," Francis said in a video message to Colombians on Monday.
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ALBANY  The State Museum acquired over 100,000 archaeological artifacts from Fort Orange and Schuyler Flatts, the museum announced Thursday.

The artifacts document Dutch and early English settlement of the Albany area in the 17th century. They will go on exhibit next year.

The state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation transferred the Fort Orange and Schuyler Flatts collections to the State Museum. Some remain on exhibit at Crailo State Historic Site in Rensselaer, Senate House State Historic Site in Kingston and Schuyler Mansion State Historic Site in Albany.

In a press release, the State Museum gave the following details of the artifacts' importance to the Capital Region's history:

 Excavations in the early 1970s under the direction of archaeologist Paul Huey found 36,000 artifacts from Fort Orange and over 80,000 from Schuyler Flatts. They include everyday items such as ceramic plates, tobacco pipes, drinking glasses, firearm parts and food remains. Trade items in the collection include glass beads and mouth harps.

 The collections tell the story of the first Native Americans who lived in the Upper Hudson Valley for thousands of years before Europeans arrived, interaction between Native people and the first Dutch Colonists, the development of Fort Orange as a trading center, the establishment of Rensselaerswijck and everyday life in 17th century New Netherland.

 The Dutch West India Co. established Fort Orange in 1624 along the Hudson River near present-day Albany. The fort was the first permanent settlement in New Netherland and was well-situated to take advantage of the lucrative beaver pelt trade. Dutch officials were eager to populate the new Colony with settlers and bestowed large land grants, called "patroonships," to individuals who would transport farmers and tradesmen to the colony.

 The Patroonship of Rensselaerswijck encompassed the entire area around Fort Orange and was by far the most successful of these colonies. One of the chief farms and trade outposts within Rensselaerswijck was established in 1643 by Arent Van Curler along the Hudson River about 5 miles north of the fort. This stretch of river bottom would later be called Schuyler Flatts after Phillip Pieterse Schuyler, who acquired the property in 1672.

 The archaeological remains of both Fort Orange and Schuyler Flatts are listed as National Historic Landmarks.
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Troy

As large retail chains continue to shutter store locations across the country, a women-owned Troy boutique is crediting millennials with its success as a brick-and-mortar establishment.

Related: 40 women-owned businesses in the Capital Region

"Millennials are embracing small businesses," said Lorena Nazario, founder and co-owner of Bella V. Boutique. "They want to know the story, the owners and the why behind it. They want to feel like they are part of the brand."

Nazario and co-owner Melissa Convertino curate "desk-to-dinner" tops, pants, dresses and accessories designed to be chic, comfortable, "realistic glam" that won't break the bank. Every item at Bella V. is under $100 and about 90 percent of the items sold in-house are also sold online through the boutique's website.

The business also offers styling services ranging from wardrobe tailoring to closet makeovers to help customers develop their personal style.

To connect with young people looking for a personalized retail experience, Nazario and Convertino use social media and their blogs to post style tips, curated outfits, fashion inspiration and photos of their children. The boutique's Instagram account has nearly 1,500 followers and its Facebook page has more than 1,600 likes.

"Social media plays a huge role," Nazario said. "Our social media feed is an extension of who we are. Millennials rely on social media to find new brands [and] products."

The store's location on Broadway in downtown Troy also appeals to customers, Nazario said. From restaurants to coffee shops to art galleries, the boutique is part of a network of locally-owned small businesses in the area.

"Troy used to be dead," Nazario said. "Now it's booming."

After spending 15 years working in the fashion industry in New York City for brands like Perry Ellis, Nazario decided to start her own business in 2014. Opening a permanent store seemed too risky at the time and she opted to launch a mobile fashion truck, the first of its kind in the Capital Region. She named the boutique after her daughters, Isabella and Victoria.

Using a former FedEx truck, Nazario traveled to private parties and festivals and held pop-up shops. As the boutique's customer base grew, Convertino came on board to expand the boutique's personal styling services.

Customers often called and asked when and where they could visit the truck, which only had enough space for about 200 pieces of clothing. To offer their clientele a permanent place to shop and expand their inventory, Nazario and Convertino decided to open a physical store.

They spent weeks looking for discount furniture at consignment stores and watching DIY decorating videos on YouTube to revamp the former home of Hill's Stationery, which closed in November. They opened the store a month later.

Sales have grown since then and the shop was recently voted best boutique overall in New York state by the readers of theboutiquehub.com. The business was also honored for having the best storefront.

"I was afraid of opening a brick-and-mortar store," Nazario said. "Troy has done a really good job of helping small businesses."

miszler@timesunion.com  518-454-5018  @madisoniszler
By PTI: (Eds: With additional inputs)

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The National Investigation Agency (NIA) today carried out searches at 11 places in Jammu and Kashmir and the national capital region in connection with its probe into the funding of terror activities and channelling of ill-gotten money through cross-LoC trade.

NIA sleuths found three arms -- a pistol, a double-barrel gun and a .315 rifle -- in possession of Razzaq Choudhary, a close aide of separatist leader Shabir Shah, officials said.

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The arms were not seized as Choudhary produced licence for the weapons, they added.

An NIA spokesman said nine places in Kashmir and one each in Jammu and Gurugram (Haryana) were searched in connection with the Jammu and Kashmir terror funding case and channelling of funds through trade across the Line of Control (LoC).

Prominent among those searched include Hurriyat leaders Ghulam Nabi Sumji and Syed Aga Hassan Budgami, and close aides of Shabbir Shah -- Zameer Sheikh and Razzaq Choudhary, the spokesman said.

Badgami, a prominent separatist Shia leader, and Sumji are part of the pro-Pakistan, Syed Ali Shah Geelani-headed faction of the Hurriyat Conference.

Shabir Shah is at present in judicial custody after the Enforcement Directorate arrested him last month in connection with an earlier case of money laundering.

He said the offices of the Chartered Accountants of Hawala operator Zahoor Watali and residences of suspect cross-LoC traders were also searched as they were suspected of fuelling secessionist and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley.

"During searches, fixed deposits worth over Rs 1 crore, and lots of incriminating material, suspect financial records, property-related documents and electronic devices have been seized," the spokesman said.

Watali, who is considered as a political broker, was arrested by the NIA last month.

The NIA registered a case on May 30 in which the leader of the Pakistan-based Jamaat-ud-Dawa and banned terrorist outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba, Hafiz Saeed, was named as an accused.

The NIA has arrested nine people in the case of alleged funding of terror and subversive activities in Kashmir Valley to fuel unrest there.

The case was registered for raising, receiving and collecting funds through illegal means, including hawala channels, for funding activities such as causing disruption in the valley by stone pelting, burning schools, damaging public property and waging war against India.

This is for the first time since the rise of militancy in Jammu and Kashmir in the early 1990s that a central probe agency has conducted raids in connection with the funding of terrorist and separatist groups.

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The searches were also part of the NIAs probe into alleged irregularities in the cross-LoC trade. In this connection, the NIA had carried out searches on traders at trade facilitation centres at Salamabad in North Kashmirs Baramulla district and Chakan-da-bagh in Poonch district of the Jammu region. PTI SKL SMN SMN

--- ENDS ---
[September 06, 2017] Disney and Najwa Shihab to Join Social Media Week Jakarta 2017's Speakers Lineup

JAKARTA, Indonesia, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Who has never heard of Cinderella and Mickey Mouse? Many of us grew up listening to Disney stories, fantasies, and fairy tales, such as those two. Even until this day, we have witnessed various stages of Disney evolution in creating stories. Today, Social Media Week Jakarta 2017 announces additional keynote speakers for their conference sessions, that will be held from 13 to 15 September 2017: Matt Briant -- Head of Social Media from Disney South East Asia; and Najwa Shihab -- a journalist and host of Mata Najwa who is widely known by Indonesians. As the Head of Social Media from Walt Disney Company in South East Asia, Matt Briant will share how Disney tell stories and interact with its fans digitally, with a topic, 'Disney Reveal: The Forces of Storytelling, Fan base Building and Content Marketing,' scheduled on the third day of the conference session, Friday, 15 September 2017. "Disney is a name that sits closely to our reality, that accompanies every moment of our lives with its fantasies and wonders. With Disney's success in making their characters and movies legendary, we are excited to invite the master of storytelling to share how to build a story, interact and create emotional ties with its fans in the digital sphere," said Antonny Liem as the CEO of Merah Cipta Media Group and Chairman for Social Media Week Jakarta. In addition to Disney, Najwa Shihab, a widely known Indonesian public figure, is confirmed to be one of the keynote speakers for Social Media Week Conference session this year. In a series of main events scheduled from September 13 - 15, Najwa Shihab will share her experience as a journalist and host of Mata Najwa, as well as her views on current social and technological media, with the topic "Social Media and Technology's Influence on Journalism and Public Media." "Najwa Shihab is a very familiar name in the realm of Indonesianmedia. As a journalist and host of Mata Najwa, Nana - her nickname - has sharply revealed truths and presented facts to Indonesian viewers for years. I am very happy to welcome Najwa Shihab's participation in Social Media Week Jakarta 2017; I believe there will be many things we can learn from Najwa Shihab," added Antonny.



Social Media Week Jakarta main event will be held at The Hall, 8th floor, Senayan City, divided into 3 stages that present various topics related to social media and technology -- including various tips and case studies, which of course can add insight and be implemented by the participants. On the main stage -- the Conference stage -- practitioners and activists of the social media and digital industry will learn directly from the experts, both from within and outside the country. In addition to Disney and Najwa Shihab, the conference sessions will also be enlivened by Facebook, Google, LINE, LinkedIn, Adidas, Salesforce, Social Bakers, Digimind, Kantar Milward Brown, and more.

Aside from the Conference stage, as part of Social Media Week Jakarta main chain of events, there will be numerous Community Meet-up sessions that will be filled with various talk show and sharing sessions, including Young On Top, Indovidgram, Social Media Strategic Club, Facebook, Detik.com, and many others. These sessions will share successful stories, digital strategies, and interesting tips that will add knowledge to the participants -- both practitioners and social media and digital enthusiasts. As well as for fellow communities, bloggers, influencers, entrepreneurs and even startups, who would like to advance their digital activity by utilizing social media platforms or any other digital platforms for promotion. More than 12 community meet-up and sharing sessions daily will be held on two Community Meet-Up stages for three days, from 13-15 September 2017 at The Hall, 8th floor, Senayan City. These Community Meet-Up sessions is open for public to attend with Daily Event Pass of Rp 50,000,-/day. Besides the 3 Main Stages, this year Social Media Week Jakarta introduces workshop classes that provide intensive training. The classes will be taught by practitioners from digital industry from within and outside the country, who will bring their first-hand experience. These workshop sessions are scheduled to be held for four days, from 12 to 15 September 2017, with more than 10 sessions available. For further information regarding the latest schedule, ticket purchase, and complete information on Social Media Week Jakarta 2017, please check out https://socialmediaweek.org/jakarta/. Don't forget to follow their Twitter and Instagram account (@SMWJakarta) and Facebook. About Social Media Week Jakarta Social Media Week (SMW) is a leading news platform and international conference that gathers and shares ideas, innovations and best insights on how social media and technology are transforming businesses, communities and cultures around the world. Social Media Week Jakarta 2017 will be held from 11 to 15 September 2017, simultaneously with SMW London and SMW Sao Paolo. After the opening the event with a press conference, on 11 September 2017, the event will have a series of workshops classes starting from 12 to 15 September 2017. The main conference sessions will be conducted for three days, starting from 13 to 15 September 2017, located at The Hall, Senayan City, 8th floor, Jakarta -- Indonesia. About Merah Cipta Media Group PT Merah Cipta Media (MCM) is a leading digital media company in Indonesia that provides solutions in marketing, branding, communication, technology, and strategy, as well as digital media execution for major and renowned industries. MCM has the vision and mission to generate the creative and digital technology industries in Indonesia. Media Contact: Ismoyo Djajapurusa

(+62) 812 8404 7082

[email protected]

Ogilvy PR Jakarta Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170906/1934966-1 SOURCE Social Media Week Jakarta

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[September 07, 2017] Sandhills To Host Upcoming Auctioneer Forum September 19th & 20th In Lincoln, Nebraska

LINCOLN, Neb., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Auctioneers serving the construction, agriculture, and transportation industries will convene in Lincoln, Nebraska for a two-day forum hosted by Sandhills Publishingthe trade publisher and tech company behind AuctionTime.com, Machinery Trader, TractorHouse, and Truck Paper. The event, held September 19th and 20th, will welcome auctioneers from the Midwest and across the country, facilitating opportunities for attendees to network, address key market trends and challenges, and gain industry insights. It's also a chance to learn more about AuctionTime.com and Auction Flexsimple, cost-effective software platforms that are evolving the way buyers and sellers participate in auctions. A breakdown of AuctionTime.com, Sandhills' online auction platform, will provide valuable insights into the ins and outs of the resource that hundreds of auctioneers all over the country have successfully leveraged to build lucrative auction businesses. The platform offers built-in advertising (both online and in print on a local, national, and international scale) and simplifies the process of listing equipment, attracting bidders, and selling at auction. AuctionTime also functions in conjunction with a number of additional products that facilitate equipmnt sales for both buyers and sellers. Seminars will include information about Express Financing solutions, which simplify the lending process for equipment buyers to help eliminate financing as an obstacle to sales. Forum attendees will also learn about Sandhills' proprietary asset valuation softwareFleetEvaluatorwhich leverages a massive pool of listing, after sale, and auction results data to enable auctioneers to accurately value specific equipment.



Day two of the forum will be devoted to Auction Flex, the market leader in live auctions with capabilities that include cataloging, clerking, cashiering, accounting, mailing list management, inventory management, multi-parcel, and more. Attendees will learn more about leveraging this simple yet powerful software to streamline live auctions right alongside online auctions. The combination of round table discussions, seminars, and one-on-one workshops provides auctioneers the ability to network, ask questions, and gain insights from industry leaders. "Auctioneers operate within a unique subset of our core industries," explains Sandhills' Chief Administration Officer Nancy Paasch. "A forum devoted specifically to auctioneers provides a focused environment for these businesses to gain insights that ultimately help their operations thrive."

For more information about the upcoming Auctioneer Forum, contact Sandhills directly, or get in touch with your Sandhills sales rep to register. About Sandhills Publishing

Sandhills Publishing is an information processing company headquartered in Lincoln, Nebraska. Our products and services gather, process, and distribute information in the form of trade publications, websites, and online services that connect buyers and sellers across the trucking, agriculture, construction, heavy equipment, aviation, and technology industries. Our integrated, industry-specific approach to hosted technologies and services offers solutions that help businesses large and small operate efficiently and grow securely, cost-effectively, and successfully. Sandhills Publishingwe are the cloud. Contact Sandhills:

120 West Harvest Drive

Lincoln, NE 68521

www.Sandhills.com

[email protected]

(402) 479-2181 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/sandhills-to-host-upcoming-auctioneer-forum-september-19th--20th-in-lincoln-nebraska-300515773.html SOURCE Sandhills Publishing

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[September 07, 2017] TFO Back to School in Ontario, Canada and in France, Too: 1 Million French Students to Have Access to Groupe Media TFO Educational Content

TORONTO, Sept. 8, 2017 /CNW/ - Digital education leader Groupe Media TFO, in its bid to focus on French language educational priorities in Ontario, has signed a strategic agreement with Paris-based company Beneylu. The company operates the school platform Beneylu Spot. With this new exportation agreement for its French-language educational content, TFO's reach will grow to include the 34,000 French classrooms connected to Beneylu, publisher of Beneylu School, the digital elementary school classroom, and Beneylu Spot, a catalogue of 500 digital resources for elementary schools. Starting in September 2017, five series, for a total of 150 episodes produced in TFO's production studios in Toronto, will become available to over a million teachers and students (ages 5-12). In the months to come, new series currently in production by Creations TFO could be added to TFO's offer, including Minivers (financed by the Canadian Media Fund) and Lorenzo. "It's wonderful to see TFO's creative francophone educational content, developed right here in Ontario, being made accessible to audiences all over the world. This agreement is testament to the great work that TFO is doing to help education young people to succeed in a global, inter-connected world."

 The Honourable Mitzie Hunter, Minister of Education of Ontario "Groupe Media TFO is a visionary and innovative organization which makes the Ontarian Francophonie shine in the four corners of the world. This agreement with French company Pixel Cookers will ensure that Groupe Media TFO's contribution to the internationa Francophonie will expand. This new collaboration will enrich the learning world of young European Francophones and Francophiles."





 The Honourable Marie-France Lalonde, Minister for Francophone Affairs Groupe Media TFO is expanding its influence as a producer and supplier of high value-added educational content and is confirming its role as a leader in digital education for the Canadian and International Francophonie. Groupe Media TFO also exports its content in the United States on the PBS LearningMedia platform.

"Groupe Media TFO is pursuing a commercial process focused on new collaborative partnerships in digital learning in Canada, the United States, France and elsewhere internationally to reinforce its capacities and fully meet the potential of its educational mandate in Ontario. The growing presence of our Ontarian educational productions on the international scene confirms Ontario's strong potential as an actor in the Organisation internationale de la francophonie following its recent admission as an observer member of the OIF."

 Glenn O'Farrell, President and Chief Executive Officer of Groupe Media TFO. As a Canadian public media company, a leader in the production and broadcasting of Francophone educational resources, GMTFO has become a leader in the production of educational series with its new division, Creations TFO, led by Nadine Dupont and her reputable team of talents. "The Beneylu team is very proud to count Groupe Media TFO, the largest producer of Canadian Francophone educational digital content, in its Beneylu Spot catalogue of digital resources! For the first time, 34,000 French elementary classes will enjoy Canadian Francophone educational content through Beneylu School, a platform perfectly suited to run a classroom. Students and teachers will benefit from the work of a vibrant, talented Francophone editor and an essential partnership."

 Eymeric Taelman, Co-Founder, Beneylu This new agreement between two important digital education players paves the way for future collaborations between Canadian producers and new markets in the Francophonie, which gives weight to investing in the field of education. This partnership is also a new example demonstrating the excellence of Ontario's educational system, its economic benefits and its affirmation in foreign markets demonstrating interest. About Beneylu

Beneylu is the editor of Beneylu School, the digital classroom for real elementary school students, with the best applications to work well, and Beneylu Spot, a catalogue of 500 digital resources for elementary schools. 34,000 classes in 34 countries use Beneylu in 2017. 38 French departments manage projects. Beneylu is available in French, English and Spanish. For more information, visit https://beneylu.com/school/ About Groupe Media TFO

Groupe Media TFO is an essential destination for audiences seeking innovative educational and cultural content in French, at the vanguard of digital learning. TFO's channel is the number one French-language YouTube channel in Canada. Its content has been awarded multiple prizes, from Austin to Amsterdam (Kidscreen Awards, Gemini Awards, Cassies, IBC Awards, SXSW Film Design Awards, and many more). Proud of its public heritage, TFO celebrates the French fact in Ontario and beyond. For more information about Groupe Media TFO, visit www.groupemediatfo.org or follow Groupe Media TFO on Facebook and Twitter. SOURCE Ontario French Language Educational Communications Authority (TFO)

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[September 06, 2017] Oragenics to Present at the 19th Annual Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference

Oragenics, Inc. (NYSE MKT:OGEN), a leader in the development of novel antibiotics against infectious diseases and innovative treatments for oral mucositis, today announced that it will be featured as a presenting company at the 19th Annual Rodman & Renshaw Global Investment Conference, being held on September 10-12, 2017 at The Lotte New York Palace Hotel in New York City. Alan Joslyn, Ph.D., Oragenics' President and Chief Executive Officer, will provide a business update and overview during the live presentation and will be available to participate in one-on-one meetings with investors who are registered to attend the conference. If you are an institutional investor, and would like to attend the Company's presentation, please click on the link (www.rodmanevents.com) to register for the conference. Once your registration is confirmed, you will be prompted to log into the conference website to request a one-on-one meeting with the Company. Details for the presentation are as follows:







Date: Tuesday, September 12, 2017 Time: 3:00 - 3:25 p.m. EDT Room: Louis

About Oragenics, Inc. We are focused on becoming the world leader in novel antibiotics against infectious disease and on developing effective treatments for oral mucositis. Oragenics, Inc. has established two exclusive worldwide channel collaborations with Intrexon Corporation, a synthetic biology company. The collaborations allow Oragenics access to Intrexon's proprietary technologies toward the goal of accelerating the development of much needed new antibiotics that can work against resistant strains of bacteria and the development of biotherapeutics for oral mucositis and other diseases and conditions of the oral cavity, throat, and esophagus. For more information about Oragenics, www.oragenics.com Safe Harbor Statement: Under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995: This release includes forward-looking statements that reflect management's current views with respect to future events and performance. These forward-looking statements are based on management's beliefs and assumptions and information currently available. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "project" and similar expressions that do not relate solely to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Investors should be cautious in relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to a variety of risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any such forward-looking statements. These factors include, but are not limited to, our current need for financing to meet our operational needs and to be able to move our product candidates forward through pre-clinical and clinical development, our inability to obtain sufficient financing to conduct our business; any inability to obtain or delays in the Food and Drug Administration approval for future clinical studies and testing, the future success of our studies and testing and any inability to also achieve favorable results in human studies, our ability to successfully develop and commercialize products, the financial resources available to us to continue research and development, any inability to regain compliance with the NYSE MKT continued listing requirements and those other factors described in our filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Any responsibility to update forward-looking statements is expressly disclaimed. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170906006843/en/

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[September 07, 2017] Uni-Orange launches its Future Institute of Technology

YANTAI, China, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Future Institute of Technology (FIT), originated from Uni-Orange Design Ltd. (Uni-Orange), broke ground in Yantai, Shandong province on September 4th, marking a new milestone in Uni-Orange's pursuit of industrial innovation. Pan Jiadong, vice-president of FIT, together with Zhai Qikun, managing director of Uni-Orange's Yantai business unit, attended the starting ceremony. Assembling talents on and off line to speed up industrial innovation Pan said that he hoped FIT could coordinate with Uni-Orange's Collaborative Design System (CDS) to provide industrial companies at home and abroad with real practical elp, assemble top international talents, break the barriers in the convergence of leading industrial technologies, and innovate to promote the development of the industry.



Development plan of China's intelligent manufacturing from 2016 to 2020, a policy document released by China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and Ministry of Finance in 2016, pointed out that China seeks to foster a high-quality talent team of intelligent manufacturing. In response to the policy, FIT has launched Unmanned Equipment Lab, IoT and Sensor Technology Lab, Advanced Agricultural Equipment Lab, Robotics and Artificial Intelligence Lab. Through these projects, Uni-Orange is now conducting advanced researches and new product development.

Expand the boundary of industrial design R&D and bring inspiration Uni-Orange is an established and proven international provider of integrated industrial design solutions with independently developed CDS. It has assembled 230,000 industrial design teams, and 10,000 experts through its Uni-Win brain pool in less than two years. Uni-Orange aims to leverage on advanced Internet technologies to gather engineers of different professions, and with their own unique talents, work together to provide customers with outstanding integrated industrial design solutions. Uni-Orange is now providing industrial design R&D services to companies from over 30 countries in fields of intelligent manufacturing, smart agriculture, and industrial Internet. It has set up global service centers in The Hague and Tokyo and plans to form a service network together with Houston service center and centers under construction in German, New Zealand and Israel to provide customers services. Uni-Orange's vision is to become the world's leading supplier of industrial design solutions. It strives to build a trustworthy and quality-oriented service platform that will not only allocate resources efficiently, but also create a win-win situation for all stakeholders involved. Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170907/1934986-1 SOURCE Uni-Orange

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[September 07, 2017] Frazier Healthcare Partners Acquires Northfield Medical

Frazier Healthcare Partners ("Frazier") is pleased to announce that it has closed on the purchase of Northfield Medical ("Northfield"), an acquisition for Frazier's surgical instrument, endoscope and power equipment repair platform, PREZIO Health ("PREZIO"). Northfield, headquartered in Greensboro, NC, provides repair and maintenance services with a focus on rigid and flexible endoscopes, and surgical instruments. The acquisition is the cornerstone in the execution of a refocused growth and M&A strategy for PREZIO under a new senior management team. Former Northfield investors have joined Frazier and PREZIO management by investing in the combined entity. In early 2017, Frazier Operating Partner, Hank Struik, was named CEO of PREZIO, to reposition the company and accelerate growth. Hank re-joined Frazier in May 2016, following the successful sale of former Frazier portfolio company, LABSCO, to McKesson (NYSE: MCK). Immediately after assuming the CEO role, Hank recruited several former members of his LABSCO management team to join him at PREZIO, including George Willett as CFO, and Joel Weihe as President of Sales. In addition to continued organic growth, M&A execution will complement the new strategy for the company to reignite growth by building a scaled, national, quality-oriented service provider under Hank and his new management team. The Northfield acquisition is a crucial step under that strategy and the combined company boasts a significantly expanded geographic footprint, a true national direct sales force and a broadened service portfolio. "Hank and his management team are uniquely qualified to execute on the refocused strategy and we are thrilled with the acquisition of Northfield," said Ben Magnano, General Partner. "Further, Northfield executives Monty Wenk and Brad Turnmire will continue with the company joining Hank's team as Chief Customer Officer and COO, respectively. We welcome our new team and investment partners." About the Northfield/PREZIO Senior Management Team: Hank Struik - CEO - Prior to joining Frazier in 2012, Hank served as the CEO and President of Sarnova (a Water Street company), a provider of healthcare roducts to the emergency medical and acute care services markets. Before Sarnova, Hank spent over 20 years with Baxter, Allegiance (News - Alert) and Cardinal Health. While at Cardinal, he led the strategic acquisition of Viasys. Upon completion of the transaction, he assumed the responsibility for four business units, including a clinical trials company, a neuro-diagnostics company, a cardiopulmonary diagnostics business, and a ventilator business. In the latter capacity, he served as the President of Cardinal's $850M Respiratory and Neurocare unit. Mr. Struik currently sits on the boards of Medical Graphics Corporation, GI Supply and PREZIO. Hank earned a Master's degree from the Kellogg School of Business and a BS in biology from Indiana University (News - Alert).



George Willett - CFO - George came to PREZIO with over 20 years of experience in senior level finance roles including CFO positions at LABSCO, Summit Energy, National Processing Company, High Speed Access Corporation, American Pathology Associates and Regent Communications, Inc. George started his finance career as an auditor for Coopers & Lybrand and was corporate accounting officer at the United States Shoe Corporation. George is a graduate of Cincinnati's Xavier University. Brad Turnmire - COO - Brad joined Northfield in 2014 as CFO and was named President in 2016 where he oversaw all financial, operating and recruiting activities. Prior to Northfield, Brad was Managing Director at Columbus Capital, EVP at Cooper Homes and Sr. Associate at PricewaterhouseCoopers (News - Alert). Brad has a BS in Accounting from Brigham Young University and a Master of Taxation from Old Dominion University.

Joel Weihe - President of Sales - With over 30 years of experience in healthcare, Joel joined the company as President of Sales in April 2017 with responsibility for all customer facing and marketing activities. Prior to PREZIO, he served as Executive Vice President of Marketing and Corporate Development at LABSCO and held sales and marketing positions at Roche Diagnostics, Sysmex Corporation of America, Behring Diagnostics and Reid-Rowell Pharmaceutical. Joel has a Bachelor's degree in business management from Western Kentucky University, Bowling Green, KY. Monty Wenk - Chief Customer Officer - Monty co-founded Northfield in 1996 and has served as CEO since 2013. As CCO of the combined company going forward, he has responsibility for key strategic customers. Before founding Northfield, Monty was territory manager at DeRoyal, a provider of surgical and orthopedic devices and wound care supplies. Monty has a BS in Finance from Virginia Tech. About Frazier Founded in 1991, Frazier Healthcare Partners is a leading provider of growth capital to healthcare companies. The firm has over $2.9 billion in committed capital under management and has made investments in over 170 healthcare companies with investment types ranging from company creation and venture capital to growth buyouts and leveraged recapitalizations. Frazier's experienced team takes an active approach to helping build portfolio companies, leveraging the team's deep domain expertise and expansive network of healthcare executives, advisors and industry thought leaders. The firm's Growth Buyout team invests in profitable companies focusing on healthcare services, pharmaceutical services, medical products, and related sectors. The firm's Life Sciences team invests in therapeutics and related areas that are addressing unmet medical needs through innovation. Frazier has offices in Seattle, Washington and Menlo Park, California, and invests broadly across the United States, Canada, and Europe. Additional information about Frazier is available through its website, www.frazierhealthcare.com. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907005425/en/

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[September 07, 2017] Divitel and Keepixo Power IP-Based TV Solution for MEDIA BROADCAST

Recently, Divitel designed a state-of-the-art streaming headend featuring Keepixo encoders for service provider MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH in Germany. As part of a bigger switch to the new hybrid offering freenet TV connect, this solution enables MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH to offer viewers advanced adaptive MPEG-DASH streaming capabilities. Viewers can access the streams via the innovative freenet TV connect service seamless within the freenet TV channel list. The use of Keepixo encoders-packagers ensures the maximum possible video quality for any given end-user bandwidth, while offering the scalability needed from 21st century video delivery solutions. Initially the platform features 18 IP-channels, but has the elasticity needed to add additional channels without system-wide resets. "Today's customer-expectations are high," according to Sven Eckoldt, MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH, Senior Product Manager. "Our new freenet TV connect proposition not only meets those expectations, t's built to surpass them. Divitel's expertise on video delivery solutions and Keepixo's products allow us to provide viewers with additional channels enabling more exciting content and relevant usage scenarios. We feel that freenet TV marks a new era for terrestrial television, combining the strengths of both broadcast and IP-based services." freenet TV is the consumer brand, owned by MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH. It is a content package, consisting of private broadcaster channels, offered via the new terrestrial standard DVB-T2 HD.



"The freenet TV connect project at MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH is a great example of the type of scenario in which Divitel shines," comments Wouter Slot, Divitel COO. "We were aiming for a flexible, future-proof solution and we delivered. Keepixo has proven a reliable and versatile partner in previous projects and they were a natural fit for the freenet TV connect solution. We look forward to seeing end-users flock to the freenet TV service and enjoy it in new and exciting ways." "It is an honor to have been selected by MEDIA BROADCAST GmbH, and we are delighted to work again with Divitel on this project," added Jerome Blanc, COO for Keepixo. "We always strive to offer encoders with the best video quality, and packagers carefully tailored with all the functions that our customers need for creating professional TV services. Here again, the combination of our professional products, our customer-oriented development strategy, and Divitel's deep industry and market knowledge, proved to be the perfect fit."

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006095/en/

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[September 07, 2017] GfK Consumer Insights Competition Focuses on Now Generation, Purchase Journeys

In its sixth annual Next Generation ("NextGen (News - Alert)") Competition for undergraduates, GfK in North America is urging students to explore such key marketing topics as purchase journeys, teen and young adult consumers (the Now Generation), and "future-proof" innovations. Learn more about the competition and access complete topics and guidelines. For 2017-18, GfK has simplified the process for initial entry into the contest, making it easier for individual students or small teams to take part. In the first phase, students identify a marketing issue to study and propose a self-funded research project to provide answers to that problem. No primary research is conducted in the initial phase, and entries are limited to 1,000 words. Watch a video about the 2016-17 NextGen winning team.



GfK and a team of client Mentors then choose a small number of finalists to actually conduct their research and report on their findings and implications. The winning team receives a $1,000 prize and a visit with GfK experts to learn more about consumer insights as a discipline and a career. For 2016-17, clients who took part as Mentors included Beiersdorf, Campbell's, Estee Lauder, Eli Lilly, General Mills, Mondelez International, Nestle SA, Sodexo, and Unilever.

The contest is ideal for undergraduates who are taking or have taken courses in Market Research, Marketing, Consumer Behavior, Statistics, Sociology, and related topics. The deadline for initial entries is December 1, 2017; finalists will be notified on December 15. Finalist teams will then conduct their research, synthesize their findings, and submit final reports by March 30, 2018, with winners to be notified on April 20. For more information, contact [email protected]. About GfK GfK is the trusted source of relevant market and consumer information that enables its clients to make smarter decisions. More than 13,000 market research experts combine their passion with GfK's long-standing data science experience. This allows GfK to deliver vital global insights matched with local market intelligence from more than 100 countries. By using innovative technologies and data sciences, GfK turns big data into smart data, enabling its clients to improve their competitive edge and enrich consumers' experiences and choices. For more information, please visit www.gfk.com/us or follow GfK on Twitter . View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006106/en/

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[September 07, 2017] Net Feasa and Sagemcom Announce Global, Low-Cost, Power Efficient, Multi-Sensors Internet of Things (IoT) Device Deal

Net Feasa Limited and Sagemcom (News - Alert) SAS announce a global deal for the deployment of the Siconia multi-sensors device for a wide range of connected ports and maritime IoT use cases. The next generation, LoRaWAN-compliant Siconia industrial device provides a capable platform for a variety of use cases with significant commercial benefit. Some of the applications include asset, vehicle & chassis tracking, reefer container monitoring, access control and maritime safety (MARSEC). This Smart News Release features multimedia. View the full release here: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006112/en/ Utilising the extremely power efficient LoRaWAN based wireless solution, the Siconia device has enabled Net Feasa to deploy cost effective solutions at a price that is very attractive to both Ports and Shipping companies. Net Feasa is presently deploying these solutions in both Europe and the US. Net Feasa COO, Nikola Nestorov, said: "We have assessed and tested a large number of Smart Port & Smart Vessel use cases using a variety of sensor devices and the Siconia device meets our needs for the strategic objective of taking a global lead in Smart Port and Smart Ship based IoT solutions." "This tight collaboration reinforces Sagemcom's vision and strategy of the LPWAN IoT, enabling fast, flexible and cost efficient deployments on many different industrial market verticals. Our prioritized efforts in supporting asset management and logistics have found a direct and fruitful outcome withn the connected port strategy of Net Feasa." says Eric Rieul, CEO of Sagemcom Energy & Telecom.



Sagemcom, is an innovative and well-recognized international leader in the industrial Smart City, and Smart Nation market, thanks to its combination of Smart Metering, Smart Infrastructure solutions, and its full end-to-end IoT Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) products portfolio, SICONIA, ranging from infrastructure solutions, such as Carrier-Grade Gateways enabled for Geolocation, LoRa Network Server (LNS), Geolocation Solver, in addition to small and cost efficient Multi-usage IoT devices. Sagemcom's Gateways, its Network Server and Geolocation Solver, support the biggest LoRaWAN Network in the world to-date, in France, with +4500 Gateways nationwide, covering 93% of French population, demonstrating leading edge reliability and scalability.

About Net Feasa Net Feasa is an IoT Service Provider dedicated to Smart Port and Smart Ship enablement and global container, chassis and asset tracking. Net Feasa has successfully validated the efficiency of a number of maritime use cases, implemented on its services platform EvenKeel. Net Feasa has comprehensive experience building and operating remote and on-board vessel communications systems and has designed and developed dedicated Port IoT networks for ports in both Europe and North America. About Sagemcom A French high-tech group of international dimensions, Sagemcom operates on the broadband (digital home, set-top boxes, Internet routers, telephony and multimedia terminals), smart city (smart meter, smart grid, smart infra, smart sites and smart services), and Internet of Things markets. With revenue of around 1.6 billion euros, Sagemcom employs 4000 people on five continents and ships every year more than 25 million terminals. Sagemcom aims to remain a world leader in communicating terminals with high added value. www.sagemcom.com // www.facebook.com/SagemcomOfficial // https://twitter.com/Sagemcom View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006112/en/

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This brief spell was more than enough to sink most of the low-lying area's in the capital town. Major roads and junctions flooded with muddy water as the drainage systems failed.

By P S Gopikrishnan Unnithan: An unprecedented spell of monsoon literally flooded Kerala's capital city, Thiruvananthapuram. The city which has experienced dry climate for the last couple of days woke up to a shady Thursday morning. With rain clouds looming in at the city, it started to rain at around 10.30am. In the next 2 hours, 3 cm's of rain poured down.

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This brief spell was more than enough to sink most of the low-lying area's in the capital town. Major roads and junctions flooded with muddy water as the drainage systems failed.

With major roads flooded, the city also went down to a complete halt. Due to heavy rain in the capital, a SpiceJet flight from Delhi to Trivandrum was diverted to Madurai.

As the rain stopped by 12.30pm, water receded from most of the areas. However, the situation was nothing close to normal in Thampanoor, the transporting hub of the capital. With central bus station and railway station situated on the either side of the road, thousands were left stranded.

Most of the link roads which connects the area to other parts of the city were flooded. People could barely walk in the waist-high slimy waters. Some adventurous drivers had fun maneuvering their vehicles in the water.

City corporation sought the help of Kerala Disaster Relief Force (KDRS). The force which consisted of cops and corporation workers had a tough time draining the water out.

The local people, however, criticised the government machinery for their failure. Over the years, crores of rupee have been spent on the drainage systems. However, everything, but this water logging has changed, says Kumar, who runs a shop in the SS Kovil road.

IMD Director S Sudhevan told India Today that, "It's just a localised thunderstorm and the clouds have moved further north after the brief spell of rain. However, there are chances of heavy rain in many parts of the state over the next 24 hours."

--- ENDS ---
[September 07, 2017] Hitler Signed "Mein Kampf" ... and His Underwear ... to Be Auctioned September 13-14

CHESAPEAKE CITY, Md., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- A very rare signed copy of Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler's political manifesto "Mein Kampf" will be one of the highlights of the Sep. 13-14 auction of militaria by Maryland auctioneers Alexander Historical Auctions. Hitler inscribed the volume in German: "Only in battle will the noble man survive!" and dated it 1930. On the day he signed this book, Hitler also gave a speech promoting the Nazi Party for the upcoming election. In that election, the Nazis won 107 of the 577 seats in the Reichstag  a crucial step in their rise to power. Auctioneer Bill Panagopulos commented: "In light of current events, the signed 'Mein Kampf' speaks to us as loudly today as it did at the time Hitler wrote it from his jail cell. Hopefully, this relic will serve as a vivid reminder of those terrible times  and as a warning." In sharp contrast to the Hitler book, the auction is also offering two American flags of historic importance. One flag, tattered and soot-smudged, was flown by a landing ship which made 26 trips to the infamous "Omaha" landing beach in Normandy. The vessel's first trip, early on D-Day morning, brought ashore members of the 115th Infantry who proved crucial in the break-out from the beachhead. The second flag being offered flew beforeNavy Headquarters at Pearl Harbor during the surprise Japanese attack on December 7, 1941. The tattered relic was recovered at the devastated site and given to an engineer overseeing recovery efforts.



Other notable items in the sale include a number of Hitler's personal possessions, including a globe taken from Hitler's Bavarian home by an American G.I., a silver picture frame, and some of the Fuhrer's personal garments left behind in an Austrian hotelincluding his dress shirt, socksand his boxer shorts! Also included in the sale is feared SS leader Heinrich Himmler's post mortem report and eyeglasses, claimed by a South African doctor after Himmler's capture and suicide. The auction house will also offer plans of the battleship "Bismarck", a clock melted from the atomic bomb blast at Hiroshima, a helmet slapped from the head of a surrendering German general by an American soldier, and many hundreds of other relics, documents, uniforms, helmets, insignia, etc. Bidding will be available live, by telephone, and at the bidding websites invaluable.com and liveauctioneers.com. The entire sale may be viewed online at the auctioneer's catalog link. Alexander Historical Auctions may be reached at 203-276-1570, email: [email protected].

Media Contact:

Bill Panagopulos

203-276-1570

[email protected] View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/hitler-signed-mein-kampf--and-his-underwear--to-be-auctioned-september-13-14-300515809.html SOURCE Alexander Historical Auctions

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[September 07, 2017] Catalina Appoints Gregory Mann to Lead Emerging Brands Group

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Catalina, the personalized digital media company, today announced the appointment of Gregory Mann to head Catalina's emerging brands business. A founding member of the mobile rewards company, Ibotta, Mann is an accomplished entrepreneur and corporate innovator with a long track record of helping retailers and CPG manufacturers address changing consumer needs and new market opportunities. As Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mann will oversee all aspects of client services and business development for one of Catalina's fast-growing business segmentsCPG companies with revenues of $1 billion or less. Catalina offers a powerful suite of services to help these companies efficiently grow their businesses through purchase-based, omnichannel analytics and marketing. "In a world of rapidly changing consumer tastes and trends, emerging brands are a vital part of the CPG marketplace," said Catalina U.S. President Todd Morris. "We're excited to have Gregory join the emerging brands team to continue to build on our unique value proposition to this thriving category. We offer emerging brands a unique and tailored suite of services to profitably grow their businesses - including unequaled shopper and category insights, and 1-to-1 mnichannel marketing and media solutions that reach consumers based on their buying behavior along the path to purchase. No other company does more to help emerging companies efficiently grow by engaging with the shoppers most likely to love their brands."



Mann comes to Catalina after serving as the CMO of Samsung Pay, Inc., a mobile wallet solution that allows consumers to use their Samsung mobile devices to make purchases with virtually any store or POS system. Previously, Gregory was the VP of Marketing & Sales for Ibotta, where he was part of the company's founding team. Before moving to the technology industry, he held strategy, consulting, operating, sales and marketing roles at firms including American Express, Martha Stewart, Mary Kay, Blyth and Avon. "My goal is to build on the massive potential of Catalina as a strategic marketing partner for emerging brands," said Mann. "Fast-moving consumer goods companies with revenues below one billion dollars need to be nimble, efficient and inventive in their go to market strategies. Catalina's depth of experience in personalization, retail intelligence to drive volume, and loyalty-based measurable outcomes can help these emerging brands grow profitably."

Gregory holds an MBA from the Wharton School, an MA in International Studies from the Lauder Institute at the University of Pennsylvania, and a BS from Elizabethtown College. About Catalina

Catalina's personalized digital media drives loyalty and measurable sales outcomes for the world's leading CPG retailers and brands. Catalina personalizes the consumer's path to purchase through mobile, online and in-store networks powered by the largest shopper history database in the world. Catalina is based in St. Petersburg, FL, with operations in the United States, Europe and Japan. To learn more, please visit www.Catalina.com or follow us on Twitter @Catalina. View original content:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/catalina-appoints-gregory-mann-to-lead-emerging-brands-group-300515815.html SOURCE Catalina

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[September 07, 2017] Panish Shea & Boyle LLP Obtains $6.5 Million Settlement Against City of Los Angeles for Injured Bicyclist

Panish Shea & Boyle LLP attorneys Brian Panish, Spencer Lucas and Jefferson Saylor obtained a $6,500,000 settlement for a man who was catastrophically injured when he was thrown from his bicycle after coming into contact with a large pothole while riding through the streets of Los Angeles. The Los Angeles City Council approved the settlement on Wednesday, September 6, with a 11-0 vote. On the afternoon of May 2, 2015, Plaintiff Peter Godefroy was legally riding his bicycle on Valley Vista Boulevard near Woodman Avenue in the City of Los Angeles. Unable to avoid a large pothole in the road, the Sherman Oaks resident was forced to ride over it and lost control of his bicycle falling to the ground. As a result of the accident, the 56-year-old cyclist suffered severe injuries including a traumatic brain injury as well as numerous broken bones throughout his body.



Despite the high presence of pedestrian and a bicyclist traffic in the area and the negligently maintained roadway, there were no warning signs alerting the public of this dangerous condition. "We are happy that the City has taken responsibility for the safety of the roadway at issue that caused Mr. Godefroy's life-changing injury," attorney Spencer Lucas says of the settlement. "We are proud of the bravery that Peter and his family have shown throughout this case and hope that this settlement can improve the quality of his life despite his ongoing injuries."

Godefroy v. City of Los Angeles, et al.

Superior Court in the State of California, County of Los Angeles, Central District

Case No. BC593101 View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170907006452/en/

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[September 07, 2017] CINC (Commissions Inc) Named the 20th Best Place to Work in Atlanta by the Atlanta Business Chronicle

ATLANTA, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- CINC (Commissions Inc), the #1 real estate tech solution powering elite teams, has been selected for Atlanta Business Chronicle's (ABC) 2017 Best Places to Work Awards for the third consecutive year. CINC was recognized via a congratulatory dinner and reception at the InterContinental Buckhead on Wednesday September 6, 2017, where the ABC peeled back the curtain to reveal the best employers Atlanta has to offer. "We are delighted to again be included amongst the most sought-after companies to work for in Atlanta," said Jason Hoback, co-CEO of CINC. "This honor reaffirms how focused our leadership team is on remaining anchored to our core values and believing in people and their dreams, even as we continue to grow." The Best Places to Work Awards ceremony is conducted annually by the Atlanta Business Chronicle in an effort to reconize successful companies who go above and beyond to create a positive work environment for their employees. In conjunction with Quantum Workplace, each nominated company participated in a confidential employee survey from mid-June to late July. Companies were then ranked based exclusively on employee survey responses regarding work environment, people practices and other culture-oriented metrics.



CINC employees enjoy a number of fun and unique benefits such as company-provided catered lunch daily, a generous 401K plan, an Employee Stock Purchase Plan, and a dog-friendly work environment, among others. CINC is currently hiring for a number of Success Partner positions to join its enthusiastic and rapidly growing employee base. For more information about current employment opportunities at CINC visit: https://www.commissionsinc.com/careers/ About Commissions Inc (CINC)

Founded in Marietta, Georgia in 2011, CINC (Commissions Inc.) is the leading provider of web-based real estate marketing and CRM software for elite agents and teams across North America. The solution includes a consumer website that integrates with local MLS data, a complete CRM platform that allows real estate agents to nurture clients and monitor their business, and access to three mobile apps (CINC Agent App, Houses.net, Open Houses by CINC). Built with the support and input of some of North America's top brokers, CINC powers the business for thousands of agents and connects them with millions of consumers every month.

Press Contact:

Brandy Commodore

Marketing and Communications Manager

[email protected]

855-259-7277 View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/cinc-commissions-inc-named-the-20th-best-place-to-work-in-atlanta-by-the-atlanta-business-chronicle-300515888.html SOURCE CINC (Commissions Inc)

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By PTI: abroad

By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 7 (PTI) President Donald Trump has said that he would bring in a new tax regime in the US that will induce American businesses to bring back trillions of dollars stacked abroad.

"We must bring back trillions of dollars in wealth thats parked overseas, and just cant come back. Our tax system penalises companies that bring wealth they have earned overseas back to America," he said while addressing an audience in the US state of North Dakota yesterday.

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He said due to the current tax system "corporations have parked trillions of dollars in foreign countries, money that could be and should be brought back into the United States, where it can be invested in American companies and American jobs".

Trump said his tax plan will give these companies a chance to bring back the funds from abroad, and spend it in cities and towns all across the country.

"The numbers were talking about are probably between USD 3.5 trillion and USD 5 trillion that cannot come back into our (country)," he said.

"Were going to be switching from a worldwide tax system that encourages companies to keep their funds offshore, to a territorial system that encourages companies to bring their profits back home to America, where that money belongs," he said.

Asking people to support hi tax reforms, he said this is a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" and to rebuild the American economy.

"History has proven time and time again that there is no power on Earth more awesome and unstoppable than the will of the American people. You saw that on November 8th, believe me," he added.

The president said the US business tax rate is the highest in the developed world, 60 percent higher than its foreign competitors.

"(This) puts us at a big disadvantage. Were behind France, behind Germany, behind Canada, Japan, Ireland, Mexico, behind South Korea. Were dead last. Our high business tax is nothing more than a crushing tax on every product made in America. We have totally surrendered our competitive edge to other countries," he said.

Trump said that his government is going to reduce the tax rate on American businesses so they can keep the jobs in the country, which would create employment, higher wages and greater profits.

The administration will no longer have to accept a tax code that lets special interests win at the expense of the middle class, he said.

"We no longer have to accept a rigged system. You know all about rigged systems. We talked about that plenty times in the campaign. You think anything is so different? But were going to make a difference. Were going to get that straightened out too," he noted.

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"That rewards companies for shipping jobs overseas and punishes them for investing in America. They actually get punished under the tax code for investing in our country. Its all going to change. We can heal this self-inflicted wound and we can reestablish our economic dominance all over the world," Trump said. PTI LKJ ASV

--- ENDS ---
Could someone use Facebook ads to influence an election? It seems that someone at least tried to do so with the 2016 presidential election, because the company revealed that roughly 470 accounts suspected to be of Russian origin spent $100,000 on ads from June 2015 to May 2017.

Facebook said many of the ads in question didn't specifically mention the presidential election, and instead "appeared to focus on amplifying divisive social and political messages across the ideological spectrum" ranging from "LGBT matters to race issues to immigration to gun rights." Roughly 25% of these ads were geo-targeted, which means the accounts were pushing these issues to specific groups of people in the U.S.

Those figures are just for the ads Facebook has confidently attributed to Russian groups. The company said it found another $50,000 spent on around 2,200 ads that might be politically motivated. (Though it's worth noting this analysis is less concrete because Facebook used broader parameters in its search.) All told, that means up to $150,000 was spent over the course of two years in an attempt to influence Facebook users.

It makes sense for someone hoping to influence an election to buy Facebook ads. The service is nigh ubiquitous, and it's become a primary source of news and discourse for many people. Disguising malicious ads targeted at specific people could sway anyone who's on the fence about a particular issueand potentially lead them to support whichever candidate aligns with their new perspective.

Part of the reason why this could be so effective can be traced back to Facebook's ad platform. Advertisers have all the tools they need to show something to people based on their location, interests, and countless other factors. This makes for a good businessmarketers love nothing if not targeted adsbut it also means the system is ripe for abuse. The company's financial motivations can have serious political ramifications.

Here's the silver lining: Facebook said it's upping its efforts to identify these inauthentic accounts and Pages. The company said:

Along with these actions, we are exploring several new improvements to our systems for keeping inauthentic accounts and activity off our platform. For example, we are looking at how we can apply the techniques we developed for detecting fake accounts to better detect inauthentic Pages and the ads they may run. We are also experimenting with changes to help us more efficiently detect and stop inauthentic accounts at the time they are being created.

Those efforts are possible because Facebook has oodles of data (uh, that's the technical term, we swear) and the machine learning chops to properly use it. The company made that clear when it announced in August that it was fighting malicious ad "cloaking," which makes harmful ads seem like they're legitimate, with AI. Other efforts, such as identifying "fake news" or hiding spam links, will also help the company fight campaigns like this.

Not that Facebook is alone in this fight. "We have shared our findings with U.S. authorities investigating these issues," the company said, "and we will continue to work with them as necessary." In the meantime, if you see a promoted link or ad for a hot button political issue, just remember that it's being shown to you for a reason. Somebody wants to sway public opinion, and Facebook offers the perfect platform to do just that.
Introduction

When HTCs Vive launched at $800 and Oculus original incarnation of the Rift surfaced for $600, friends and family made it a point to stop by my place for their first tastes of VR. Most of them loved the experience, but nobody ran out and bought an HMD of their own.

More recently, the Rift + Touch kit went on sale for $400, while HTC permanently dropped the Vives price to $600. Suddenly, people I know were taking the leap and asking for help building fast-enough PCs. Most of all, I encouraged, buy as much graphics horsepower as possible.

But what about the platform that beefy GPU lives on? How much muscle do you need backing up your favorite GeForce or Radeon card? Oculus sets the bar low, specifying a Core i3-6100, Ryzen 3 1200, or FX-4350 at minimum. However, the company recommends a Core i5-4590, Ryzen 5 1500X or more. HTC suggests a Core i5-4590 or FX-8350 at least. If only there was a way to quantify the benefit of stepping up from entry-level to a more potent host processor...

As it turns out, weve already done a fair bit of work to establish a toolset and methodology for benchmarking PC hardware in virtual reality. If you havent already read our primer, check out FCAT VR: GPU And CPU Performance in Virtual Reality. That piece introduces the VR rendering pipeline, two approaches to collecting performance data, the ways we can present it, and it introduces our first batch of results. We showed how Oculus asynchronous spacewarp technology works, how quality settings affect a game like Chronos, how Nvidias Pascal and Maxwell architectures stack up to each other, and how AMDs Graphics Core Next architecture compared earlier in 2017.

On one page at the very back of our story, we took a peek at host processor performance in Arizona Sunshine, a game purportedly imbued with special CPU extras for owners of Core i7 CPUs (which of course made it controversial). It turned out that a Core i7-6950X and Core i7-6700K did, in fact, enjoy a performance advantage over Core i5-6600K. And all three Intel chips decimated AMDs FX-8320.

Eager to expand on those initial findings, we put together five distinct platforms, came up with ways to test 11 different Oculus Rift titles, and talked to some of the developers about the ways they utilized host processing resources in their VR games.

What (And How) We Tested 11 Different Games in VR

Compiling all of the necessary hardware was our first challenge to overcome. Again, were an international team, and launch-day hardware gets spread all over the world. A few companies stepped in to help fill in the holes, expressing interest in answering the same questions we were asking.

Image 1 of 2

MSI set up all of our host platforms, providing its (for Skylake-X), Z270 Gaming Pro Carbon (for Kaby Lake and Skylake), X370 Xpower Gaming Titanium (for Summit Ridge), and 990FXA-GD80 (for Vishera).

Image 1 of 2

The company also sent over a Core i9-7900X for us to use as an ultra-high-end contender. We added our own Core i7-7700K to represent the top of Intels mainstream Kaby Lake family, and we purchased a Ryzen 7 1800X to compare the performance of AMDs Zen architecture. Core i3-6320 and FX-8350 serve as floors, upon which the faster CPUs build.

Image 1 of 2

Given Ryzens sensitivity to memory performance, we knew our choice in DDR4 would be scrutinized. G.Skill sent its F4-3200C14D-16GFX FlareX kit to complement the Ryzen 7 1800X and its F4-3200C14Q-32GTZ kit for our other DDR4-based configurations. Both were set to 3200 MT/s for testing.

We used a F3-2133C10Q-16GXM Ripjaws X kit at 2133 MT/s to go with AMDs FX-8350. In this way, we were able to maximize throughput on every platform. The CPUs with dual-channel memory controllers were limited to 16GB (from one DIMM per channel), while the X299 setup featured 32GB (allowing the same one DIMM per channel).

In an effort to give each platform comparable thermal performance, we approached Corsair about a high-end closed-loop solution that we could use on Skylake-X, Socket AM4, LGA 1151, and Socket AM3+. The company sent over its Hydro-series H110i, which not only fit all of our test platforms, but also facilitates the cooling needed to keep our Core i9 from throttling.

Everything else was held constant. We used a GeForce GTX 1080 Ti to alleviate graphics bottlenecks as much as possible, a 500GB Crucial MX200 SSD, and the familiar be quiet! Dark Power Pro 10 850W PSU. Windows 10 was installed fresh and completely updated before we started downloading games from Oculus store.

We still have two PCs sitting side-by-side able to collect data using the hardware- or software-based approaches to FCAT VR. Our primer established the software versions efficacy, though, so were using that utility exclusively to save time and provide insight not otherwise available from video-based analysis (such as unconstrained frame rate, calculated from real frame time measurements).

Again, if youre interested in learning more about hardware performance in VR and want to get the most out of todays deep-dive, FCAT VR: GPU And CPU Performance in Virtual Reality is the best place to start.



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The response to the change from parents and students was divided, with some agreeing with it, while others voicing their opposition.

The school's website states that from September all new Priory students will be required to wear the updated uniform.

By Press Trust of India: A secondary school in the UK has banned girls from wearing skirts in a bid to make its uniform gender neutral and deal with complaints over the "decency" of short skirts.

Priory School in Lewes, east Sussex, has announced that starting from this autumn term, all new students must wear trousers, while returning students have the option to wear either trousers or skirts.

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Tony Smith, the schools headmaster, said he bought in the change because pupils had been questioning why the uniform ascribed certain garments to boys and others to girls.

"Pupils have been saying why do boys have to where ties and girls dont, and girls have different uniform to boys," he was quoted as saying by The Telegraph.

"So, we decided to have the same uniform for everybody from Year 7. Another issue was that we have a small but increasing number of transgender students and therefore having the same uniform is important for them," he said.

COMPLAINTS OVER LENGTH OF SCHOOL SKIRTS

There had also been complaints from the wider community about the length of school skirts, so this was another factor in the decision to ban them altogether.

"We know the current uniform is not necessarily worn as respectfully as it should be. There were problems with decency and a number of issues raised by people in the community about how students were wearing uniform," Smith was quoted as saying.

The school's website states that from September all new Priory students will be required to wear the updated uniform.

"This uniform has been designed specifically in response to the many issues and suggestions raised by parents, students and school staff. Specifically, it addresses the current issues of inequality and decency," the school says on its website.

"We hope that it will provide a smart, comfortable and affordable alternative to the current uniform. The new update consists of shirt, tie, school jumper and trousers. This is a gender-neutral uniform to be worn by all students," it says.

RESPONSE TO THE CHANGE

The response to the change from parents and students was divided, with some agreeing with it, while others voicing their opposition.

"My daughter and her friends are appalled by this. The school is creating a hostile environment for girls," a parent was quoted as saying.

Another parent said, "My daughter said she has got a gender and its female, so being gender neutral when she has got a gender is a big deal for her, as she is proud to be a girl. I feel girls should be allowed to wear skirts if they want to."

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Meanwhile, some parents said they supported the move. "Im not in favour of uniform at all, but if youre going to have a uniform I think it is great its gender neutral," a mother said.

Also Read:

Bizarre! This Kerala school has different uniforms for intelligent, weak kids

Salwar kameez as school uniform to prevent sexual harassment of girls: TRS MLA

--- ENDS ---
THE THREAT OF MORE LEGAL DRAMA AND A LACKLUSTER NEW AIRPORT CAMPAIGN CONFRONT KANSAS CITY BECAUSE LOCAL LEADERS GOT GREEDY!!!

THE NEW SINGLE-TERMINAL NEW AIRPORT PYRAMID SCHEME WAS POISONED FROM THE START AND THE CURRENT ADMINISTRATION IS SIMPLY UNQUALIFIED TO LEAD THIS EFFORT THAT HAS ALREADY CRASHED AND BURNED FOR SO MANY LOCAL COMPANIES!!!

A NO VOTE IN NOVEMBER IS THE ONLY WAY TO FINALLY KILL THIS IDEA AND START OVER WHEN MAYOR SLY HAS TERMED OUT!!!













Fox4: The full city council still has to approve Edgemoor. Burns & McDonnell's Vice President said he's confident they still made the city the best offer. Currently Burns & McDonnell has not said they will legally challenge the decision.

Anpublic works program building cutting edge tech and convenience in Kansas City should've been an easy win but Mayor Sly James, hisego along with the dozen or so greedy corporate crooks who run this town totally screwed it up.And so . . .A billion dollar project was enough for all of the major players in KC to build a fortune from . . . The cash might have even offered some improvement in the lives of worker bees and the lower wage slave class.Sadly . . .One more . . .There are a lot of people to blame here . . .But the buck stops with. Next time around, maybe voters and smaller biz should be where the effortCheck the links:Developing . . .
Greece will meet all its obligations, President of Republic Prokopios Pavlopoulos announced while welcoming French President Emmanuel Macron to the presidential mansion on Thursday. He underlined that Greece's partners should also meet their commitments, particularly with regarding to ensuring the sustainability of Greece's debt.

"In the context of the European order and of the European culture and on the basis of the rule pacta sunt servanda, we believe that our partners will deliver on their promises," said Pavlopoulos.

"I welcome you to Greece as someone who continues, on France' side, the long and sincere friendship and close cooperation between our two countries. General De Gaulle, Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Constantine Karamanlis have built strong bonds in the past between the two countries, said Pavlopoulos. He also expressed, on behalf of the Greek people, his deepest gratitude that "France, the former French president Francois Hollande and you (Emmanuel Macron) have played a very crucial role with regard to Greece remaining in the EU and the inner core of the eurozone.

You are aware, nevertheless, that France's stance is worthy of its historic role in terms of establishing the European edifice... Ensuring Greece's presence in the eurozone has forged, at a very crucial moment, the unity of the European edifice. Greece can only imagine its future and its prospects as an inseparable part of the European Union; but the EU, also, would not be unable to defend its historic identity without Greece within its ranks."

"Allow me" continued the President while addressing Macron, "to now speak about our common family, the European Union and France's role on the path toward European integration. I am certain that during your tenure, France will fulfill its historic mission, as behooves it with regard to European integration, as well as in the role the EU should play on the international stage.

Pavlopoulos explained that France's mission in terms of its role in the European Union should mostly move on three axes. The first was the EU's common foreign and security policy. In the face of growing international provocations, such as in the Middle East, North Africa and North Korea, the EU should immediately activate the mechanism that will form an effective foreign and security policy, he said. The second axis was growth in the EU and Eurozone, which must become sustainable and sufficient. This means the activation of the institutional pillars relating to the collective functioning of the Eurogroup, making full use of the role of the ESM in place of the IMF and, most importantly, protecting the European Central Bank. In this way, the ECB will be able to properly supervise the entire European banking system and, in addition, be able to deal with the burning issues of liquidity and public debt throughout the Eurozone, he added.

The third axis concerned the defence of the European Social State of Justice in order to counteract growing inequality in the EU and the increasing influence of the far right. He noted a disastrous widening of inequalities and the risk of a rupture in the social fabric within EU countries, which unfortunately encouraged the rise of populist and even neo-Nazi groups.

Addressing Macron as he concluded his speech, Pavlopoulos noted that the French president's election "was a triumph against such anti-European formations, whose aim is to tear down the European edifice."

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: en.kremlin.ru License: CC-BY-SA

Source: ANA-MPA
The high-speed catamaran has suffered damage to the bow section of the right-hand hull and has been forbidden to set sail in order to complete its journey

Two passengers suffered slight injuries when the high-speed ferry "Seajet 2" collided with the pier as it was docking in Sifnos island harbour on Wednesday. One was slightly injured on the forehead and the second in the neck area. The remaining 194 passengers on the ferry disembarked safely.

The high-speed catamaran has suffered damage to the bow section of the right-hand hull and has been forbidden to set sail in order to complete its journey. The ship was travelling from Piraeus port to the Cyclades, with stops at the islands of Serifos, Sifnos, Milos, Folegandros, Santorini, Koufonisi, Naxos, Mykonos, Santorini, Folegandros, Milos, Sifnos, Serifos and back to Piraeus.

Arrangements to get the passengers bound for the other Cyclades islands to their destinations will be made by the ship owner. The company announced that it has reorganised its schedule for the next two days, replacing 'Seajet 2' on its runs with its sister-vessel, the "Superjet". This will in turn be replaced by the passenger/car ferry "Paros Jet" on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Ios line, while the 'Paros Jet' passengers on the Rafina line will be served by the "Tera Jet".

A coast guard announcement noted that the "Seajet 2" had a small breach of the hull just above the water line that did not pose a threat to the ship's safety. It will remain in Sifnos and out of service until Friday so that the damage can be repaired, the ship owner 'Seajets' said.

The two injured passengers were taken to the island's health centre for first aid and were later discharged.

Read more here.

RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism news, Tourism in Greece, Greek islands, Hotels in Greece, Travel to Greece, Greek destinations , Greek travel market, Greek tourism statistics, Greek tourism report

Photo Source: Wikimedia Commons Copyright: Luca Conti License: CC-BY-SA

Photo Source:pixabay.com

Source: ANA-MPA
National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) has signed a 42-million ($50 million) contract with France's Sofregaz for the recovery of flare gas at a refinery in South Pars, a report said.



Iran's Samin company is also a signatory to the deal, which is expected to take 30 months to complete, Iran Daily reported, citing Reuters.



France's Total signed a deal with Tehran in July to develop Phase 2 of South Pars, taking a 50.1 per cent stake, alongside Chinese state-owned oil and gas company CNPC with 30 per cent, and National Iranian Oil Co. subsidiary Petropars with 19.9 per cent.



The project will cost up to $5 billion and production is expected to start within 40 months, Iran's Oil Ministry said in a statement at the time.
Lulu Group, a retail major, has opened its second hypermarket in Indonesia at BSD City, Tangerang.



Located at the QBig, the new Lulu hypermarket was inaugurated by Himawan Hariyoga, chairman of the Investment Board of Indonesia; Dr Sutisno Rawita, Deputy Governor of Banten Province; Walid Darwish Al Raeesi of UAE Embassy in Jakarta; Prabir Bhattacharaya, commerce attache, Indian Embassy; Yusuff Ali MA, chairman of Lulu Group; and other officials.



Lulu, which opened its first hypermarket and department store in Indonesia in the capital city of Jakarta last year, is firm on its planned investment of $500 million in the country as part of its expansion. The group intends to set up 10 hypermarket and department stores in the next three years in the country.



Speaking to media, Yusuff Ali, said: The tremendous response for our first Lulu Hypermarket opened last year in Cakung has encouraged us to further expand our operations in Indonesia and we plan to open another eight new hypermarkets in coming years.



The first Lulu Hypermarket and Department store in the country, inaugurated by President Joko Jokowi Widodo, has fast become a highly popular shopping destination for residents in and around East Jakarta thanks to its high-quality products, vast product range and competitive pricing, said the statement.



With an initial investment of $300 million in the first phase, we plan to open 10 hypermarket and department stores by the end of 2018 and a central logistics and warehousing facility in Jakarta. These projects are likely to generate more than 5,000 job opportunities for Indonesians, said Yusuff Ali.



The next two hypermarkets will come up in Sentul and Jababeka and will generate employment opportunities for at least 3,000 Indonesians.



We also plan to set up contract farming to ensure continuous supply of high-quality products and to support the Indonesian agriculture sector, he added. Products are also procured from these farms for the group's global operations across the Middle East, Africa and India.



With an area of over 200,000 sq ft, the new store has got wide aisles for easy shopping with a range of world-class products and brands. A special section is devoted for promoting local products and agricultural sector. - TradeArabia News Service
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By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The promoters of real estate firm Unitech Ltd, Sanjay Chandra and Ajay Chandra, have been sent to police custody for four days by a Delhi court in an alleged cheating case relating to a housing project in Greater Noida.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sandeep Garg remanded them custody for interrogation into an FIR lodged by an 85-year-old woman alleging fraud by the firm and its Directors for not handing over an apartment booked by her in 2006.

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The FIR, lodged in 2016, said that in March 2006, Unitech Ltd had floated a residential project in Greater Noida in Uttar Pradesh called Unitech Cascades which was booked by her the same year for an amount of Rs 43 lakh.

Out of this amount, she had already paid Rs 41 lakh for the flat, which was to be given to her by April 2008 as per he flat buyer cum allottment letter, it claimed.

However, as the delivery date approached, the company officials told them they were running behind schedule and the flat would be allotted by the last quarter of 2008.

Soon, the company officials stopped responding to the complainants queries and did not update her about the progress of the construction, the FIR alleged, adding that till date, the construction was not complete.

The Chandras have been accused of offences under sections 120B(criminal conspiracy), 420 (cheating) and 406(criminal breach of trust) of the IPC.

In the same housing project, another buyer had lodged an alleged cheating complaint against the promoters in which a sessions judge had last year ordered initiation of proceedings against Chandras saying they had "guilty intention to cheat from the beginning".

In the last few years, several FIRs have been lodged against the Unitech top brass for allegedly cheating homebuyers by not delivering them properties purchased from their firms housing projects.

Sanjay and his brother Ajay Chandra, both managing directors of Unitech, were sent to jail last month in connection with a cheating case registered against them by flat-owners in a Gurgaon project. A trial court had granted them interim bail for three months in April and declined to extend it. PTI AG SJK RKS ARC

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 7 (PTI) The US is concerned over the status of rule of law and democracy in Maldives, saying lack of higher educational opportunities and weak institutions contribute to the growth of Islamist extremism in the strategically situated country in the Indian Ocean.

The Maldives has been hit by political unrest since Mohamed Nasheed, the countrys first democratically elected leader, was ousted in 2012. Nasheed has accused President Abdulla Yameen of widespread corruption and gathering wealth through illegal means.

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Describing Maldives as a strategically situated nation in Indian Ocean, which sits astride key shipping lanes, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells has expressed concerns about the status of rule of law and democracy in the country.

Maldives is a small, but strategically situated nation of some 1,000 coral islands spread across 35,000 square miles of the Indian Ocean. It sits astride key shipping lanes and counts India, Saudi Arabia, and China among its benefactors, Wells told a Congressional sub-committee in a written submission.

"We have real concerns about the status of rule of law and democracy in the country. Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget.

"Lack of higher educational opportunities, high youth unemployment, rise of social media, and weak institutions all contribute to an environment in which Islamist violent extremism is on the rise," she said.

"Our work with the government to combat violent extremism remains critically important, in a country with a grim distinction: per capita, it has produced more terrorists who have fought in Iraq and Syria than any other country in the world," Wells said.

US has requested USD 440,000 in foreign assistance for Maldives which will continue limited support for maritime security cooperation.

"Maritime security is of great concern due to threats posed by narcotics trafficking, piracy in the Indian Ocean, and seaborne trade in illicit materials of potential use for terrorist activity. Maldives abuts the same sea lanes that pass by Sri Lanka and account for two-thirds of the world;s oil and half of its container shipments," Wells said. PTI LKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---
This comes after the BRICS nations - in a joint declaration - named Pakistan-based terrorist groups as a concern for regional security and called for action against them.

By India Today Web Desk: The United States today said Pakistan must "change its approach" towards terrorist groups operating from its soil and take decisive action against them.

"As the administration has said, Pakistan must change its approach," a State Department spokesperson told the news agency PTI in response to a question on the BRICS statement that named Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammed among the terror groups that create problems in the region.

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"We look to the Pakistan government to take decisive action against militant groups based in Pakistan that are a threat to the region," the spokesperson said.

For the first time, the BRICS Summit in their joint declaration named Pakistan-based terrorist groups as a concern for regional security and called for action against them.

The Xiamen declaration was significant, given that China previously repeatedly stonewalled any reference to Pakistan or terrorist groups based there.

PAKISTAN'S RESPONSE TO BRICS DECLARATION

Pakistan's defence minister, Khurram Dastagir Khan, rejected the BRICS statement.

These organisations, they have some of their remnants in Pakistan, which we're cleaning," Defence Minister Khurram Dastagir Khan told the Geo TV channel, without specifying which groups he was referring to.

"But Pakistan, we reject this thing categorically, no terrorist organisation has any complete safe havens," he added.

But Pakistan Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif later appeared to admit that outfits like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) were operating from Pakistani soil.

"Friends (China) should not be tested (every time), particularly in the changed scenario. Instead, we should impose some restrictions on the activities of the elements like LeT and JeM, so that we can show the global community that we have put our house in order," Asif said.

Pakistani media houses quoted him as saying this in an interview.

Asif also tried to dilute China's role in the BRICS declaration, saying that it shouldn't be considered as China's official stance as other countries.

(With inputs from agencies)

ALSO READ

Here's why Pakistan had to reject the BRICS declaration even though it wasn't named

War with China, Pakistan at the same time cannot be ruled out, warns Army chief General Bipin Rawat

ALSO WATCH

India, China join hands at BRICS to condemn Pakistan-based Lashkar, Jaish, Haqqani

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By Lalit K Jha

Washington, Sep 7 (PTI) The US has selected Nepal for one of its most high-profile projects that aims to promote economic growth, regional stability and increase connectivity within the Indo-Pacific region, a top American diplomat said.

In her prepared testimony, Acting Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs Alice Wells told Congress the US aims to help Nepal "pave the path to a stronger democracy that could address persistent ethnic conflicts, achieve justice for abuses resulting from Nepals decade-long civil war, and promote economic growth and regional stability".

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"Nepal has been selected for one of the US most high- profile projects to increase regional connectivity within the Indo-Pacific," Wells told a Congressional subcommittee in a written submission yesterday.

Wells is scheduled to testify later before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The 2018 Budget.

"If these efforts succeed, Nepal will serve as a model for other fragile post-conflict democracies. In addition to supporting a stable, democratic government that respects the rule of law, the United States promotes investor-friendly energy development and regional connectivity," Wells said.

In August, she said, the Millennium Challenge Corporations (MCC) Board of Directors approved a USD 500 million compact with Nepal, MCCs first compact in South Asia.

Nepal has committed to contributing an additional USD 130 million to support MCCs investment, and pending congressional notification.

"This compact will be signed this September by both governments," she added.

The compact will focus on two projects: an Electricity Transmission Project and a Road Maintenance Project.

The Electricity Transmission Project would strengthen the high voltage electricity transmission network to support new investments in generation, which would not only address serious power shortfalls domestically but also permit the country to export surplus hydroelectricity in the future.

This project also will offer significant opportunities for American firms both in project implementation and downstream, electricity-dependent sectors.

The Road Maintenance Project is designed to improve the maintenance regime in Nepal and will complement existing efforts by others to build new roads, the US official said.

In addition, the US foreign assistance request of USD 38.8 million aims to strengthen democracy and improve government transparency and accountability.

Programmes will increase food security and help foster an environment conducive to increased US business opportunities.

For the year 2018, resources will work to improve education service delivery as well as maternal and child and nutrition health services, efforts that are essential to support a skilled workforce and long-term sustainable economic growth.

Funding will also increase the Nepalese governments capacity to manage and monitor their borders, Wells said. PTI LKJ UZM

--- ENDS ---

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New Delhi, September 7

Black money worth Rs 4,900 crore was disclosed by 21,000 people under the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Yojna (PMGKY), the stash money declaration window announced by the government post demonetisation, an official said on Thursday.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The Income Tax Department, a top government official said, has collected a tax of Rs 2,451 crore till now from these declarations.

21,000 people disclosed Rs 4,900 crore of black money under the PMGKY scheme that closed on March 31 this year.

These are now the final figures, the official said, adding that the I-T Department is now following up the legal processes with the declarants in few cases.

The scheme was launched in December last year by the government to enable people with black money to come clean by paying tax and penalty of 50 per cent. It closed on March 31 this year.

The scheme was announced after Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared the demonetisation of two high-value currency notes of Rs 1,000 and Rs 500 on November 8 last year.

Revenue Secretary Hasmukh Adhia, after the closure of the PMGKY window, had said that the response to the scheme has not been so good.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said that the PMGKY was preceded by similar schemes and hence the response to it by the public should not be seen in isolation.

Keep in mind that PMGKY in that financial year was not an isolated scheme. You first had the IDS, then you had people depositing cash in banking system knowing it would incur a tax liability and PMGKY was over and above that.

When you look at the total amount of disclosures made, you have to look at all three of them collectively, the minister had said.

The government had also termed the PMGKY as the one last window for black money holders to come clean by paying tax and penalty on their undisclosed illicit wealth.

The scheme provided for payment of 49.9 per cent tax, surcharge and penalty.

Also, a mandatory deposit of 25 per cent of the black money was to be made in a zero-interest bearing account for four years.

The PMGKY was preceded by the Income Declaration Scheme (IDS), between June 1, 2016-September 30, 2016, where 71,726 declarations disclosing undisclosed income of Rs 67,382 crore were made by black money holders.

The government has collected over Rs 12,700 crore tax under the IDS till now. PTI
By PTI: New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) An Uzbek woman, allegedly involved in human trafficking, was today denied bail by a Delhi court on the ground that the charges against her were serious.

Additional Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Pooja Talwar dismissed the bail plea of Khakimova Lola Farmonova, who was detained at Goa airport on August 9 on a request of provisional detention by Republic of Uzbekistan.

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"The charges levelled against the accused are serious in nature. She is allegedly involved in human trafficking. Formal request is still awaited from Uzbekistan. Hence, the bail application is dismissed," the court said.

Union of India, through its advocate N K Matta, opposed Farmonovas bail plea on the ground that she was been charged with serious offences and a formal request from Uzbekistan for her extradition was awaited.

The counsel appearing for Farmonova had told the court that she had been falsely implicated and there was no criminal record against her.

The defence advocate contended that her husband was an Indian national and she would abide by all the conditions imposed by the court.

Farmonova was produced before the court on August 16 after she was detained at Goa airport as she was wanted in Uzbekistan for the offence of human trafficking and a request of her provisional detention was received from Republic of Uzbekistan, for which she was remanded to judicial custody.

The accused was on her way to Dubai via Muscat by an Oman Airlines flight when the Immigration officials stopped her as she was wanted as per the look out circular and the red corner notice issued against her. She was then handed over to the Goa Police.

The woman, who was living in Mumbai, had come to Goa to board the international flight, the police had said. PTI UK PKS ARC

--- ENDS ---
Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, September 6

It seems Dera Sacha Sauda, under its head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, was a law unto itself and those managing its affairs didnt care two hoots about government agencies. For example, none of the residential colonies in the vicinity of the old dera building are approved by Haryanas Town and Country Planning Department.

The dera authorities register all sale deeds and the sellers/buyers do not have to visit the tehsildars office. If the buyer and seller reach a deal, the dera authorities issue an allotment letter in favour of the buyer and cancel the one issued earlier in favour of the seller, explained an insider, adding it was entirely up to the dera management whether or not to transfer any flat/house ownership in localities raised by it.

(Follow The Tribune on Facebook; and Twitter @thetribunechd)

The dera initially did not seek approval for raising buildings inside the new dera where most of the stadia, colleges, hospitals, manufacturing units and cinema halls are located. Later, realising that approval of site plans was a must for other approvals, dera officials reportedly influenced successive governments into including the area in the lal dora (municipal limits) to circumvent the need for change of land use (CLU). Pressure tactics were used to get approvals from the registering authorities and rules were seldom followed.

Also, as per the Haryana State Blood Transfusion Society rules, any organisation aiming to collect more than 500 units of blood at a donation camp needs the approval of the state authorities. But the dera organised camps where more than 15,000 units were collected and no permission was ever sought.

An official with the Child Welfare Council (CWC) pointed out that despite registering its orphanages (Shahi Betiyan Basera and Shahi Asra Basera) under the Juvenile Justice (Care and Protection of Children) Act 2015, the dera had not cared to follow the laid-down rules.

Children are to be produced before the council and those below the age of six given for adoption. But the dera refused to do so even after Jyoti Bainda, chairperson of the State Commission for Protection of Children Rights, issued specific orders to this effect, he said.

The dera officials arbitrarily erected huge gates on the Chopta road opening into the forest land. A forest officer admitted that they could not muster the courage to question them about the grave violation.

The dera had its own security protocol that even senior visiting officials could not skip. When a team went inside the dera on the directions of the Punjab and Haryana High Court to check if ex-servicemen were imparting arms training to volunteers, they were frisked and asked to leave their gunmen outside. Also, a senior police officer was stopped from carrying his service revolver inside, claimed Lekh Raj Dhot, a senior advocate from Sirsa.

Report loss: Haryana

Chandigarh: The Sirsa district administration has issued a public notice asking people to report and claim compensation against the loss and damage during the August 25 violence, which broke out after the conviction of Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh. The victims will have to report their losses within 15 days. PTI
Male, September 7

India and Indonesia are far behind in their battle against measles and account for over 90 per cent of the unvaccinated children in the Southeast Asia, the WHO said here on Thursday, asserting that the vaccination drive was hampered due to misconceptions and misinformation.

According to the Southeast Asia Regional Office of the World Health Organization (WHO SEARO), 3.1 million children in India and 1.1 million in Indonesia did not get measles vaccination in 2016.

Together they account for 91 per cent of unvaccinated children in the region, with India alone accounting for 67 per cent of the children missing immunisation.

Health officials have expressed concern about the situation as measles still kills an estimated 134,200 children worldwide every year, which includes more than 54,500 in Southeast Asia.

"There is no global goal or big fund to eradicate measles, so countries should allocate funds for it, especially India and Indonesia, where the largest numbers of unimmunized children reside," Pem Namgyal, the WHO SEARO director of family health, gender and life course, told PTI on the sidelines of the office's 70th regional committee meeting.

He said the two countries were still far behind the Maldives and Bhutan, which have been declared free of measles.

India and Indonesia, home to 1.3 billion and 261 million people respectively, are Southeast Asia region's most-populous countries.

One of the largest misconceptions about the measles vaccination, usually called MMR or MR vaccines, is that it can cause autism.

During phase 1 of the MR campaign in India, some negative messages were floated through social media (whatsapp and Facebook) in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. There was some coverage of these negative social messages on local television channels as well.

"This leads to some hesitancy to accept MR vaccine in these states," Namgyals said.

"Since the campaign was still ongoing and the state governments realised that this could negatively affect the coverage, they took immediate actions which included editorials in newspaper stating benefits of MR vaccination campaign advocacy campaign, involvement of local celebrities to counter the wrong messages and social media messaging targeting negative rumours," he said.

"The state governments also decided to extend the duration of the MR campaign in states. As a result of all these actions, high coverage was achieved in all the states.

Learning from this experience, India has put together a communication strategy for the next phase of MR campaign which is currently under implementation," he said.

In a predominantly Muslim country like Indonesia, there is also resistance due to the widespread view that the vaccine contains pork gelatine, which is forbidden in Islam.

Namgyal, however, dismissed these misconceptions, saying the vaccine was harmless. PTI
Tribune News Service

Shimla, September 7

A local court today turned down the plea of the CBI for the extension of the remand of eight police officials arrested in connection with the custodial death of Suraj, an accused in the Kotkhai minor rape and murder case, and sent them to 14 days of judicial custody till September 20.

All accused were arrested on July 29 and remanded to police custody till September 4 by Senior Civil Judge-cum-Chief Judicial Magistrate Ranjeet Singh Thakur and the police remand was extended till September 7.

The CBI had sought four-day extension in the police custody citing reasons that FTA card of deceased Suraj, killed in Kotkhai police station, was to be recovered and investigations of financial transactions were under way.

However, the defence counsel opposed the plea of the CBI and stated that no recovery was being made by the investigating agency as the arrested officials were being taken to Delhi every time. Further, the physical presence of the accused was not required for investigating the money transactions.

The court also directed that the physical presence of the accused would not be required on the next hearing and proceedings would be conducted through video conferencing.

The CBI had arrested IG ZH Zaidi, DSP Manoj Joshi, SHO Rajender Singh, ASI Deep Chand, Head Constables Surat Singh, Mohan Singh and Rafiq and constable Ranjit Singh on July 29.

The police had claimed that Suraj was killed by another accused Raju but after the CBI recorded the statement of the santry before the magistrate, the needle of suspicion pointed towards the police.

The CBI told the High Court yesterday that the investigations in custodial death case were almost complete and challan would be filed soon.

Meanwhile, sources in the CBI said all five remaining accused in the Kotkhai minor rape and murder case, Ashish Chauhan, Rajender, Subhash Singh Bisht, Deepak and Lok Jung, had been taken to Ahmedabad for narco test.

The High Court had handed over the minor rape and murder case and custodial death case to the CBI on July 19 and it filed two separate FIRs on July 22 and constituted a SIT for investigations.
Aditi Tandon

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 7

The Congress is staring at a crisis in election-bound Himachal Pradesh with a crucial meeting held here to defuse ongoing tensions in the state organization ending inconclusively today.

The Tribune has learnt that the party is mulling a compromise between feuding state leaders Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh and Himachal Congress president Sukhwinder Singh Sukhu with plans to extend some olive branch to the Chief Minister.

These indications came after a meeting Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi had on Himachal affairs with party general secretary in charge of the state Sushil Kumar Shinde, AICC secretary Ranjeet Ranjan and Sukhwinder Sukhu here today. Chief Minister Virbhadra Singh, who was supposed to attend, could not make it. TheCM cited bad weather conditions for his inability to come.

The meeting is learnt to have discussed the bitter rivalries between the Chief Minister and Sukhu and the formers threat to withdraw from elections and campaign should Sukhu continue in the position.

Asked about discussions, a source said, Rahul Gandhi was very positive towards the Chief Minister but we all equally understand that removing the state chief so close to elections will prove counterproductive. We are confident that a compromise formula can be worked out and we can also find common ground. It was also decided not to pursue a previous plan to appoint deputy CMs under the CM. This will establish the CM as an unchallenged leader.

The compromise formula, sources said, would be the declaration of the Chief Minister as the leader of Congress in the campaign and the next Chief Minister should the party wins. Asked if that would be enough to placate the Chief Minister whose demand to remove Sukhu is non-negotiable, a source in Congress said, We think the Chief Minister will come around. Once he is announced as the leader, there should not be any problem. On tickets also, we can strike a compromise.

With the Congress pushing for a compromise it remains to be seen how the Chief Minister reacts. He may come to Delhi tomorrow to meet Rahul Gandhi before the latter leaves for Maharashtra. Sources close to him indicate that his stand on Sukhu is clear and he will not budge. If Sukhu is not changed, the Chief Minister may sit at home and may be not even contest. He may at best get his son to contest his seat, said a source privy to developments on Virbhadra Singhs front.

The CM is learnt to have proposed two names to replace Sukhu as state chief  Asha Kumari and Kuldeep Kumar. The Congress is, however, in a dilemma about removing Sukhu and feels theres no time left before elections to revamp the state unit. It looks difficult at this time. This could have been done a year in advance, an AICC leader said.
Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Udhampur, September 7

After the Doklam standoff between India and China recently ended, the Army is playing down the Chinese incursion by terming it a difference of perception of the Line of Actual Control.

General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC-in-C), Northern Command, Lt Gen Devraj Anbu, who looks after the security of the 646-km-long LAC in eastern Ladakh, believes that both the sides have different perception of the LAC as it is not demarcated, which leads to face-offs.

We try to dominate those areas by patrolling and in the process we have such face-offs. But we have a very good mechanism in place on the ground right from the lower to the higher level and depending upon what sort of issue it is, we deal with it accordingly, Lt. General Anbu said while addressing a press conference after the investiture ceremony of the Northern Command here today.

Commenting on the Pangong Tso scuffle on August 15 between Peoples Liberation Army men and Indian soldiers, he said the issue was resolved amicably through the already available mechanism on the ground. There are Finger 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8 positions. Finger 8 is the farthest position which is with the PLA and we have control of up to Finger 4. As there is difference of perception of the LAC, such patrol face-offs take place. But we enjoy a good rapport with the PLA and we resolve issues through meetings or by talking on the hotline and through available mechanisms, the Army commander said.

Replying to a query on India lagging behind in infrastructure development on the LAC, Lt General Anbu said, We started much later and we were 10 to 15 years behind. But I must say we have progressed very fast in eastern Ladakh. I am sure in a couple of years we will be very well off in all sort of infrastructure, whether it is related to surface communication or having helipads and other military-related infrastructure.

Meanwhile, the Army sent a strong message to Pakistan to stop terror camps and launching pads across the Line of Control and reminded Pakistan that the surgical strikes conducted last year was a clear message sent across that whenever needed, the LoC could be breached.

Despite the surgical strikes, terror camps and launching pads are still active. Infiltration attempts have increased this year as compared to last year but these have been foiled by the Indian Army on the LoC where a strong counter-infiltration grid is in place, Lt General Anbu said.

The Army commander said around 475 militants were waiting to infiltrate from across the LoC. Out of them, around 250 are waiting north of the Pir Panjal (Kashmir region) whereas around 225 militants are south of the Pir Panjal (Jammu region).

The Lt General, however, said the Army was in control of the situation. We have a strong counter-infiltration grid in place on the LoC, especially in the Jammu region, where despite many infiltration attempts not a single militant has infiltrated.
Dinesh Manhotra

Tribune News Service

Jammu, September 7

After mobilising the nation against the continuation of Article 35A of the Constitution, its opponents have decided to make Jammu a launching pad for taking on the Kashmir-centric parties which are supporting the Article.

The opponents of Article 35A have decided to hold back-to-back seminars on September 10 and 11 in Jammu to educate the people about the provision.

As the National Conference and the Congress have started a campaign to raise the bogey of the influx of outsiders in the Jammu region if Article 35A was revoked, the Jammu Kashmir Study Centre (JKSC) has chalked out detailed programmes to involve Jammu in the campaign against the Article.

The JKSC is a Delhi-based NGO which has challenged Article 35A in the Supreme Court. Its national executive team will reach Jammu on September 8 for its three-day annual meeting. The meeting will be attended by more than 150 representatives from across the country to devise a strategy for mobilising people against Article 35A.

The meeting will be followed by a national seminar on Article 35A in Jammu on September 10, which will be attended by legal luminaries of the country to highlight the flaws in the Article.

Besides screening a documentary, which was released in Delhi on September 2, the JKSC has decided to involve victims of Article 35A in the seminar to highlight their plight.

The JKSC has reasons to choose Jammu as a launching pad to counter the supporters of Article 35A because they have also launched a campaign to rope in people of Jammu and Ladakh by raising a fear that the two regions will be the worst affected if the Article was revoked.

Both supporters and opponents of this Article are aware that involvement of Jammu is must for their respective campaigns.

While interacting with mediapersons in Jammu on August 16, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had cautioned that Jammu will be the worst hit before such repercussions were felt in the Valley. Not only will jobs squeeze for local youth but our business sector will also suffer tremors with the influx of traders from outside the state, he had said, adding that the local land owners will be deprived of their holdings.

Whosoever intends to turn up in J&K and push local businesses out of competition will find the Jammu region feasible because of its proximity to the neighbouring states apart from the relatively more conducive security scenario, he said.
Jasmine Singh

Senior journalist and activist Gauri Lankesh was shot dead at her house in Bengaluru on September 5 by motorcycle-borne assailants. According to the Press Council Of Indias report on Safety of Journalists, as many as 80 have been killed in India since 1990, with conviction in only one case! Is the press freedom in the country on the decline? Is this the outcome of raising a voice and reporting against any wrong being done? People from the tricity share their concerns.

Insider threat

Sukhpal Khaira, MLA Bholath

This incident is a direct attack on the freedom of expression and speech, and it is a work of pseudo-nationalists. I feel that at this point, we do not have any threat from outside; we feel threatened by fascists who are deciding everything in the name of religion. These are the people who are trying to suffocate and hinder the expression of free thinkers.

Freedom at stake

Ravinder Singh, writer

We are free from the Britishers, but now are in a different kind of jail defined by a certain sect of people. Here, I would like to talk about the bigger issue - freedom of speech. If we cannot express our mind, if a writer cannot write a book on the subject he or she wants, if a filmmaker cannot make a movie on the subject he or she feels about, then what kind of freedom are we talking about? As our system failed to give justice in Pansare and Dabholkar murder cases, we have now reached an extent where the murder of a free thinker is being celebrated by some. It has only boosted the morale of those who can commit crime at will.

Right to refuse

Sahib Singh, theatreperson

Any individual in this country has the right to refuse to adhere to any religious order. If we take out our right to dissent, then we are like a flock of sheep - directionless. The present system, as well as the religious orders, is trying to make us sheep. They cannot see us with the sense of reasoning. This resentment against injustice and the system will come out in my writings, something that the system will itself not approve of.

Final warning

Jagtar Singh, political journalist

This is an attack on free thinking; an ideology can only confronted with an ideology and not a bullet. This is the last warning from the media. This act is being condemned by one and all, and the entire media should unite against the faction of people who curb the right to speak and express freely.

Form a strategy

Tejwant Gill, modern Punjabi critic

To openly take on the system is a courageous act and especially for a woman it is not easy at all. But at the same time, I think if one has to take on the system, there must be a strategy to do so. A strategy helps in forming public opinion; otherwise it is generally a yes or a no.

jasmine@tribunemail.com
New Delhi, September 7

Over 2,000 personnel of a dying paramilitary cadre will be transferred to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to boost the on-ground presence of the agency on the eastern borders, where India is bolstering its defences by building roads and other military infrastructure.

A total of 2,765 posts of the civilian cadre of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be shifted to the IB command over the next year. Of these posts, 2,039 are operational.

The civil wing of the SSB should be transferred to the IB lock, stock and barrel, including land, physical infrastructure, equipment, among others, a government blueprint said.

A top security official privy to the ambitious plan said a 300-page proposal for the transfer of the assets had been prepared at the SSB headquarters here and had been vetted by the home ministry and the office of the National Security Adviser (NSA).

He added that the manpower of the civil wing of the SSB, which is termed as dying as it does not have promotional and work avenues, would be deployed to bolster the IBs presence in the eastern border areas, where these officials have worked for long.

The average age of the cadre, the official said, was above 50 years and the personnel had done a lot of work with the people living along the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

The cadre was first raised in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of the previous year, to work in border areas and promote a sense of national belonging and pro-India feelings among the local population.

It worked under the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) till 2001, under the name Special Service Bureau. The name of the force was changed to Sashastra Seema Bal in 2003, following the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was then tasked with guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders on the countrys eastern flank.

The transfer of the civilian SSB cadre will begin once the long-awaited cadre restructuring of the force is approved and implemented. All this will take about a year to take shape, the official said.  PTI
Washington, September 7

The Trump administration has told US Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it strongly supports transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin, respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the worlds 90,000 commercial vesselsmany sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region, Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional Subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget on Thursday.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planets population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come, she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation, she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among Americas most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better, she said in the testimony.

The Presidents first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade, she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship had largely been on a positive trajectory and America needed to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly USD 30 billion last year.

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We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market, Wells said.

Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from USD 45 billion in 2006 to more than USD 114 billion in 2016. US exports to India support more than 260,000 American jobs across all 50 states, she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensuring that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continued to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lay in Indias civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet, a private Indian airline, announced an order of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

...these transactions have an estimated value of USD 23 billion and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 130,000 jobs in the US, she said.

Another private Indian carrier, Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades, she added.

Indias state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas, said the top American diplomat. PTI
Shiv Kumar

Tribune News Service

Mumbai - September 7





Extradited gangster Abu Salem was on Thursday sentenced to life imprisonment even as two of his co-conspirators, Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, were awarded the death penalty for their role in carrying out the 1993 Mumbai serial bomb blasts.

A fourth convict, Karimullah Khan, has been awarded a life sentence while a fifth, Riyaz Siddiqui, was sentenced to ten years imprisonment.

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Mustafa Dossa, who along with Salem, was one of the masterminds of the blasts, died of a heart attack in jail on June 28 shortly after being found guilty.

The blasts on March 13, 1993, left 257 people dead across Mumbai.

Judge GA Sanap of the special Terrorism and Disruptive Activities Act (TADA) court announced the sentences today after the prosecution had asked the court to award a life sentence for Salem.

Abu Salem was extradited from Portugal in 2005 after the Indian government gave an undertaking to that country that he would not be awarded the death penalty if he was found guilty.

Gangsters Dawood Ibrahim and Tiger Memon, who were found guilty of masterminding the 1993 bomb blasts, are believed to be hiding in Pakistan while Yakub Memon who was nabbed by Indian agencies in Nepal was hanged for his role in the blasts.

The trials of Salem and other conspirators were separated from the others as they had been arrested much later.

April 19, 1995: First leg of trial commences

Sept 18, 2002: Abu Salem detained in Lisbon, Portugal

March 20, 2003: Accused Mustafa Dossa arrested by CBI at IGI Airport, New Delhi, on his arrival from Dubai

Sept 2003: Main trial ends. TADA court in Mumbai reserves judgment

Jan 9, 2004: Charges framed against Dossa

Nov 11, 2005: Salem extradited to India

Dec 9, 2005: Charges framed against Salem

June 13, 2006: Abu Salems trial separated

Sept 12, 2006: TADA court judge PD Kode starts delivering the judgment, pronounces four members of the Memon family guilty, and acquits three. Later, 12 convicts were awarded death penalty while 20 were given life sentence. Other convicts were handed over different sentences

Feb 2007: Main trial concludes. Second leg involving seven accused begins

Mar 16, 2013: Sanjay Dutt surrenders before court after SC upholds conviction

March 21, 2013: Supreme Court upholds death sentence of convict Yakub Memon, brother of Tiger Memon, and commutes death sentence of 10 convicts to life term. Life imprisonment of 16 out of 18 convicts also upheld

August 13, 2013: TADA court drops certain charges againt Salem which violated the extradition treaty with Portugal

July 30, 2015: Key conspirator and lone death row convict in the case, Yakub Memon, hanged.

Dec 7, 2015: Final arguments of the second phase of the trial start

June 8, 2016: Court rejects plea of accused Firoz Abdul Rashid in which he said he wanted to become an approver

March 2017: Trial concludes

June 16, 2017: TADA court judge GA Sanap convicts six accused, including Dossa and Salem, and acquits one

June 28, 2017: Dossa dies of cardiac arrest in Mumbai hospital

Sept 7, 2017: Court awards death sentence to Tahir Merchant and Firoz Abdul Rashid Khan, life imprisonment to Abu Salem and Karimullah Khan and 10 years imprisonment to Riyaz Siddiqui. PTI inputs
The Gujarat High Court today took Vadodara Municipal Commissioner and former collector Vinod Rao to task for sending a WhatsApp message to a judge.

By Gopi Maniar Ghanghar : The Gujarat High Court today took Vadodara Municipal Commissioner and former collector Vinod Rao to task for sending a WhatsApp message to a judge.

Despite an apology from the IAS officer, the court ordered him to appear before it on September 11 and also file a reply as to why action should not be initiated against him in this regard.

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The single bench of Justice R H Shukla rebuked Rao during the court proceedings in a matter pertaining to the VMC. He said that the officer by sending the message to the judge on a social media platform has not behaved properly. The judge was not a part of a social circle in his duties.

He also said that the bureaucrat was behaving like an autocrat.

--- ENDS ---
Shubhadeep Choudhury

Tribune News Service

Kolkata/New Delhi, Sept 7

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee today accused the RSS-BJP combine of carrying out a slander campaign against her after she denied permission to book venues in Kolkata for holding two separate events featuring BJP chief Amit Shah and RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat.

Addressing a meeting of government employees, Banerjee said nobody should throw his/her weight around to book Netaji Indoor Stadium. She said even she would refrain from holding a programme at the stadium if it was already booked by some other organisation.

There is a provision that advance booking of the stadium by any organisation can be cancelled if the Chief Minister or the Prime Minister wants to hold a programme there. But I normally avoid such a thing. I do not want to take advantage of my position, Banerjee said.

But there are people who have launched a slander campaign against me for denying them permission to use government-owned venues for holding their programmes, the CM said without naming the BJP.

The Trinamool Congress and the BJP are locked in a bitter fight over the denial of permission to the BJP by the state government for using the Netaji Indoor Stadium for holding an event featuring Shah.

The BJP had to cancel its Nagrik Sammelan scheduled for September 12 after it failed to find a suitable venue. The event was part of Shahs three-day visit to Kolkata starting from September 11.

The Nagrik Sammelan programme was expected to draw a huge crowd for which the stadium was booked. However, the partys plea for booking was turned down citing renovation and prior commitments. Shah will be holding three meetings with party leaders at three different venues. The venues chosen now are all affiliated to the central government.

The booking for an event at the historical Mahajati Sadan auditorium featuring Bhagwat was also recently cancelled by the authorities.

BJP leaders say alternate arrangements have been made for both the events. They say similar treatment has been meted out to them hundreds of times in the past. Therefore, we always keep in mind alternate arrangements while planning important events in West Bengal, said a top leader connected with the BJPs strategy formation in the state.

Ridiculing the BJP for claiming that she was scared of the party, the CM said: Who are these caricatures? They think I have been frightened by them? Even guns have failed to scare me.

In January, the Kolkata police had denied permission for a rally by Bhagwat.

In December 2014, the state police had denied permission to hold a Vishwa Hindu Parishad rally at the parade ground in Kolkata.

Facing a slander campaign

"Advance booking of the (Netaji Indoor) stadium can be cancelled if the CM or PM wants to hold an event there. But I dont want to take advantage of my position But there are people who have launched a slander campaign against me for denying them permission to use govt-owned venues for their events." Mamata Banerjee, West Bengal CM

Durga immersion: BJP to oppose CM order
New Delhi, September 7

Over 2,000 personnel of a "dying" paramilitary cadre will be transferred to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to boost the on-ground presence of the agency on the eastern borders, where India is bolstering its defences by building roads and other military infrastructure, a proposal by the central government says.

A total of 2,765 posts of the civilian cadre of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be moved to the IB command over the next year. Of these posts, 2,039 are operational.

"The civil wing of the SSB should be transferred to the IB lock, stock and barrel, including land, physical infrastructure, equipment among others," a government blueprint, accessed by PTI, said.

A top security official privy to the "ambitious" plan said a 300-page proposal for the transfer of the assets  both manpower and infrastructure  had been prepared at the SSB headquarters here and had been vetted by the home ministry and the office of the national security advisor (NSA) for final implementation.

He added that the manpower of the civil wing of the SSB  which has long been seen as redundant because of lack of promotional and work avenues  would be deployed to bolster the IB's presence in the eastern border areas, where these officials have worked for long.

The average age of the cadre, the official said, was over 50 and the personnel had done a lot of work with the people living along the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

They not only helped them integrate with the mainstream, but also acted as the "eyes and ears" of the SSB, the designated lead intelligence agency on the two borders.

The cadre was first raised in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of the previous year, to work in the border areas and promote a sense of national belonging and pro-India feelings among the local population.

It worked under the external intelligence agency  Research and Analysis Wing (RAW)  until 2001, under the name Special Service Bureau.

The name of the force was changed to Sashastra Seema Bal in 2003, following the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was then tasked with guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders on the country's eastern flank.

"The transfer of the civilian SSB cadre will begin once the long-awaited cadre restructuring of the force is approved and implemented. All this will take about a year to take shape," the official said.

The blueprint envisages that once these officials are transferred to the IB, they will be "utilised for different activities related to intelligence, keeping in view the expertise and proficiency of the incumbents".

"These personnel have only been doing civic action work and publicity of government schemes in the far-flung border areas and anti-Naxal operation zones for close to two decades now.

"After the SSB was declared an armed force of the Union in 2001, they became a dying cadre as they were not uniformed personnel. Now, their experience and knowledge of the locals, languages and natural features of the border areas will be used to aid the hardcore intelligence work of the IB," the official said.

He added that according to the blueprint, the cadre, after the proposed transfer, "will be treated at par with the IB employees" and some of them might even be retained post retirement considering their expertise and knowledge of the field areas.

The cadre has, for the last over 50 years, worked in insurgency-hit areas along the border and Naxal-hit states, undertaking civic welfare programmes such as teaching in schools, conducting medical camps and organising vocational training courses.

However, the civilian cadre of the SSB was seen as fast losing their sheen because of lack of promotions, poor their physical fitness that left them unprepared for combat posts, and different recruitment rules from those of the uniformed staffers.

The SSB, with 70,000 personnel, has been guarding the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal border since 2001 and the 699-km Indo-Bhutan border since 2004.

It is deployed along the international border in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with many of its posts located close to the Sino-India border. PTI
Satya Prakash

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, September 7

The Centre on Thursday told the Supreme Court that there was a possibility of a settlement between Punjab and Haryana over the vexed Sutlej-Yamuna Link (SYL) Canal issue  a bone of contention between the two states.

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There is an atmosphere of optimism.... There is possibility of a settlement. We need more time as Prime Minister is out of the country, Attorney-General KK Venugopal told a Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Dipak Misra during the brief hearing.

The Bench gave six more weeks to the Centre to further mediate between Punjab and Haryana to arrive at an amicable solution and posted the matter for further hearing on November 8 after Venugopal said the government needed more time for discussions with the two sides.

The mentioning of Prime Minister Narendra Modis name in the SYL dispute by the Attorney-General is being read as a sign of negotiations at the highest political level.

This is the second time that the Centre has sought time from the top court to find a solution to the issue.

During the last hearing on July 11, Venugopal had requested the Bench to give two months to the Centre to arrive at a negotiated settlement acceptable to both the sides.

Senior advocates Shyam Divan and Jagdeep Dhankhar were present in the court on behalf of Haryana, while Punjab was represented by senior advocates AK Ganguly, RS Suri and Advocate General Atul Nanda.

Much of the work on the canal in Haryana had already been completed and it was only the Punjab part that remained pending.

The Bench had earlier directed both the states to ensure that there was no agitation on the SYL canal issue during pendency of the case after Nanda had said that a political party in Haryana was agitating on the issue.

During the last hearing, Rajasthan had also demanded that its rights must be safeguarded in any settlement between Punjab and Haryana.

Haryana has maintained that it cant be made to wait for such a long time for construction of the SYL Canal. Any further delay in execution of the top courts decree passed in 2002 would lead to people losing faith in the judicial system. How long we will have to wait? Divan had asked on July 11.

On the other hand, Punjab says the decree was not executable and the state required time to argue its case. It has told the SC that the canal land returned to the landowners could not be recovered.

Punjab contended that there were difficulties in implementation of the courts decree. The decree was premised on the fact that there was enough water in the river. But now there is not much water flow, making it impossible to give effect to it.

Punjab wanted a negotiated settlement between the two states with the help of the Centre.

While granting time for negotiations, the top court had on July 11 reiterated that granting of time does not endow the State of Punjab with any kind of liberty to devour time and pave the path of procrastination, but, on the contrary, to take a stand of amiability and amicability so that the facilitator, that is, the Central Government can bring both the parties together to resolve the issue.

The top court had in November 2016 declared the law passed by the Punjab Assembly in 2004 terminating the SYL canal water-sharing agreement with neighbouring states as unconstitutional. It had answered in the negative all four questions referred to it in a Presidential Reference.

The SC has repeatedly said it didnt intend to revisit the facts and issues already adjudicated upon. The decree which has been passed has to be executed and it should not be treated like a paper decree, it had said.

It had earlier told the Centre, Punjab and Haryana to conclude their talks on the construction of the SYL canal as soon as it can be, saying it will decide the matter if negotiations remained unresolved.
Tribune News Service

Dehradun, September 7

Women Congress workers staged a demonstration here yesterday to protest against the rise in LPG and petroleum prices.

The demonstrators raised slogans against the Central government and said ever since the BJP came to power at the Centre the prices had increased manifold.

Kamlesh Raman, a Congress leader, said it was strange that while international crude oil prices had fallen sharply in the past three years, prices of petroleum products had increased.

Congress leaders Chandrakala Negi, Pushpa Panwar and Anuradha Tiwari were among those who participated in the protest.
Chittagong, September 7

Mohammed Idrees, a 10-year-old Rohingya boy, does not remember how he landed at the hospital in Bangladesh with a part of his right ear blown off. But he says he wont return to his home country, neighbouring Myanmar, until there is peace.

Idrees is one of around 60 badly injured Rohingya Muslims admitted to the hospital in Chittagong since violence flared in Rakhine state in the northwest of Myanmar in late August.

Rohingya insurgents attacked several police posts and an army base on August 25, leading to a military crackdown that has resulted in the deaths of at least 400 people and sent 146,000 people fleeing to Bangladesh.

Apart from creating a humanitarian crisis, the unrest has also brought waves of international criticism of Myanmars leader, the Nobel Peace Prize winner Aung San Suu Kyi, for not speaking out for a minority that has long complained of persecution. The Rohingya are denied citizenship in Myanmar, a mainly Buddhist country.

Almost all the Rohingya being treated at the Chittagong Medical College Hospital, the largest in southeast Bangladesh, have been injured by gunshots or bomb blasts, according to a hospital document given to Reuters. Around a third of the total injured are teenagers or younger, including a six-year-old boy.

The Myanmar military has repeatedly said that it has been targeting only insurgents in the crackdown.

Ajoy Kumar Dey, who is in charge of the hospital, said he had not seen similar wounds during previous influxes of Rohingya from Myanmar. He said the large number of young men and children, like Idrees, underlined the gravity of the situation in Rakhine.

I dont remember what happened to me, but I want to go see my mother, Idrees said, lying on his bed in a soiled white shirt and a checked longyi, a Myanmar-style sarong. His head was bandaged and he was clutching the hand of his father, sitting by his side. It hurts a lot.

He cried as his father, Mohammed Rasheed, described how Myanmar security forces sprayed bullets into their village, Kyauk Chaung, on the morning of August 25. One bullet took off a chunk of Idrees ear as his family crouched behind a canal near their house. Six fellow villagers from Kyauk Chaung died in the hour-long shooting, said Rasheed.

A bleeding Idrees was carried on a bamboo stretcher over some hills near the border to reach Bangladesh the same night. His mother, three sisters and a brother arrived on Sunday. We are lucky all of us are alive, said Rasheed.

Across the ward, a Rohingya man with bullet wounds in one shoulder, the back of a thigh and a shin, writhed in agony. A plastic nasal pipe was helping him breath. The government hospital in Chittagong is usually crowded at the best of times; now it is receiving twice as many people as it has beds - many of them Rohingya with shattered faces, shredded legs and damaged eyes who are fighting for their lives.

Around two dozen young Rohingya men, some groaning in pain, were laying on blue hospital mattresses on the floor of a corridor on Wednesday, their legs or hands heavily plastered.

A United Nations source said that on Sept. 3 alone, 31 Rohingya with bullet injuries and six with burn injuries were admitted to the Chittagong hospital.

Rohingya who have fled to Bangladesh are in urgent need of medical and humanitarian assistance given the massive scale of the influx, Doctors Without Borders said Wednesday.  Reuters
A Vietnam merchant vessel titled at Visakhapatnam Port's West Quay-5 berth after its iron logs were allegedly not loaded properly.

By Ashish Pandey: A Vietnam merchant vessel titled at Visakhapatnam Port's West Quay-5 berth after its iron logs were allegedly not loaded properly. The Vizag Port Management is monitoring restoration efforts and balancing of the vessel.

The vessel MV HAI DUONG 09 tilted in the EQ-5 berth of Vizag port.

The general cargo vessel HAI DUONG 09 developed a heavy list starboard and rester on the pier at Visakhapatnam Port. The vessel tilted at around 1530 hours during the loading operation. The vessel was supposed to load a shipment of steel billets and when some 1,200 tons were already loaded, the vessel began to tilt.

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As the vessel got out of control, all 17 crew members inside it immediately jumped on the berth while 6 people, including port workers, were injured in the incident. As soon as the accident was reported, survey teams rushed to the spot and started restoration of operations.

The Vizag Port Management, including Port Chairman M Tirumala Krishna Babu, rushed to the spot and took stock of the situation, including monitoring restoration efforts and balancing of the vessel.

Built in 2006 and currently sailing under the flag of Panama, MV HAI DUONG 09 has an overall length of 102 m and beam of 19 m. Its gross tonnage is 7104 tons.

ALSO READ |

Gujarat: 2 fishing boats collide off Okha coast, Coast Guard hovercraft rescues crew

Goa: Coast Guard ship Shaurya commissioned

WATCH VIDEO | Visakhapatnam: Loading negligence leads to tilting of Vietnam merchant vessel

--- ENDS ---
Specialty films featuring the music of the Avett Brothers and David Gilmour join indie film, silent film, documentaries and one of the best Star Trek movies showing this week in Tulsa.

NEW AT CIRCLE CINEMA

Columbus: This beautiful, minimalist film that defies easy description stars John Cho as a man trapped in an Indiana town where his architect father is in a coma and where he meets a young woman (Haley Lu Richardson) trapped from pursuing her dreams by her mothers addictions.

May It Last: A Portrait of the Avett Brothers: Tickets are selling fast for this one-night-only movie-music event at 7 p.m. Tuesday, which is a close-up look at the band from North Carolina as it creates the album True Sadness.

The Kid Brother: The Circles Second Saturday Silents series of monthly silent films continues with an 11 a.m. Saturday screening of this 1927 Harold Lloyd comedy, with live theater pipe organ accompaniment provided by the Sooner State Chapter of the American Theatre Organ Society.

David Gilmour Live at Pompeii: A new concert film, in a one-night-only showing, of Gilmours two 2016 Pompeii Amphitheatre shows, with highlights from both to create a career-spanning collection of Pink Floyd and solo songs.

Man in Red Bandana: A documentary look at Welles Remy Crowther, a man credited with saving many of the 18 people who survived the 9/11 tragedy in the south tower of the World Trade Center, despite being on the floors above the plane collision. A 9/11 survivor, Bill Hemm will speak following the 7 p.m. Monday screening of the film narrated by Gwyneth Paltrow.

Birthright: A War Story: This documentary set for 7:30 p.m. Thursday (with a 6:30 p.m. reception preceding it), has the following synopsis: Women are being jailed, physically violated and at risk of dying as a radical movement tightens its grip across America.

ALSO...

Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan: A classic-movie series continues with showings of the 1982 sci-fi hit starring Ricardo Montalban opposite the Star Trek crew. Showtimes are set for 2 and 7 p.m. Sunday and Wednesday at Cinemark Tulsa and Cinemark Broken Arrow.
A man received an effective life sentence Wednesday, Sept. 6 after pleading guilty to manslaughter in connection with a pursuit that ended with the death of an Owasso woman last summer.

Blake Lee Ferguson, 33, faced a first-degree felony murder charge for his role in the death of 64-year-old Etoyce Johnson, but he entered a blind guilty plea June 5 to an alternative charge of first-degree manslaughter while driving under the influence of methamphetamine. He also pleaded guilty to possessing a stolen vehicle, eluding police, possessing methamphetamine, possessing drug paraphernalia and driving with a suspended license.

Tulsa County District Judge James Caputo sentenced Ferguson to 45 years in prison and a consecutive nine-year sentence in an unrelated case.

Johnson was leaving her Owasso home to go to church on June 26, 2016, when Ferguson broadsided her sedan with his pickup during a pursuit near 76th Street North and Mingo Road, the Oklahoma Highway Patrol reported.

Assistant District Attorney Becky Johnson wrote in an Aug. 31 sentencing brief that Ferguson should be sentenced to life in prison, citing a dozen previous felony convictions across four cases that include property crimes and DUIs. She said Ferguson has been given multiple opportunities to change his ways by the Oklahoma court system, and his lack of respect for the law finally resulted in the death of an innocent citizen.

Johnson said she believes attempts to blame Fergusons actions on his addiction to methamphetamine are incorrect because he is the one who chose to pick up drugs again despite multiple chances to continue sobriety.

An Aug. 29 sentencing memorandum from defense attorney Allen Smallwood asked Caputo to hand down a 20-year sentence, the minimum possible .

While counsel cannot minimize the seriousness of the tragic and unnecessary death of the victim in this case, a sentence above the mandatory minimum 20 years would expose this defendant to the identical sentence that an individual could receive who commits the crime of malice aforethought murder, he wrote.

He said a 20-year sentence would provide adequate protection for the public because Ferguson would be nearly 60 before being considered for parole, as prison sentences for first-degree manslaughter require those convicted to spend at least 85 percent of their sentences in custody.
Nia Sharma recently posted a super-hot video of herself on Instagram.

By India Today Web Desk: Television star Nia Sharma, who has enthralled the TV viewers with her performance in reality show Khatron Ke Khiladi, recently posted a super-sexy video of herself on social media site Instagram. Nia, who was named as the third sexiest Asian woman a while ago is seen twerking ala American pop star Miley Cyrus in the video.

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The video was shot in a club, while Nia was in Spain shooting for the aforementioned reality show.

Nia posted the video with the caption, "Unseen #Spain #kkk8 Don't remember The last time I danced like this hahahaha @monicadogra @lopamudraraut @rithvik_d 'Mo bounce in the motherfu**ing house'!!"

Here's the video posted by the TV star:

Unseen #Spain #kkk8 Don't remember The last time I danced like this hahahaha @monicadogra @lopamudraraut @rithvik_d 'Mo bounce in the motherfu**ing house'!! A post shared by Nia Sharma (@niasharma90) on Sep 5, 2017 at 3:54am PDT

One thing is for sure after seeing the video, Nia has got the moves.

Also read: Khatron Ke Khiladi highlights: Nia Sharma back again, Geeta Phogat gets evicted

Also read: Bigg Boss 11: Nia Sharma offered Rs 2 crore for the show?

--- ENDS ---
The Cherokee freedmen controversy that has dogged the Cherokee Nation since shortly after the Civil War has been fairly and finally resolved.

A federal judge ruled Aug. 31 that the descendants of enslaved people who were owned by members of the Cherokee Nation (freedmen) have citizenship rights. Earlier such decisions have been fought by the Nation. This time, however, Cherokee Chief Bill John Baker, during his State of the Nation address last week, said the Cherokee Nation will not appeal the courts ruling.

Following the Emancipation Proclamation, the Cherokees granted their former slaves tribal membership. It was part of the an 1866 treaty that was to settle the issue after some members of the Cherokee Nation, such as Stand Watie, fought for the Confederacy. But in 2007, Cherokee members voted to strip the freedmen of their membership. That vote also defined tribal membership by blood. The issue was complicated by the fact that some Cherokee slave-holders either intermarried with their slaves or simply fathered children of their slaves.

Chief Baker said at his speech, We are strong. We are resilient. We are the descendants of Cherokees who endured unimaginable hardships. Our freedmen brothers and sisters made that Trail of Tears journey with us.

The freedmen controversy always carried a stain. The Cherokees gladly opened their membership to those with mixed Cherokee and white blood. But it remained closed to many descendants of African-Americans.

In one magnanimous gesture, Baker and the Cherokee Nation has washed away all that controversy. We are taking steps to begin the healing for all parties, Baker said. It has gone on for too long and inflicted too much pain upon too many people.

Well said. The Cherokee Nation can now be healed, and complete.
A Rohingya man carries an infant born while his family was hiding in the jungle after fleeing violence in Myanmar's northern Rakhine state. The family braved rough seas in the Bay of Bengal to reach the Teknaf area of south-eastern Bangladesh.  UNHCR/Vivian Tan

SHAMLAPUR, Bangladesh  He is too young to have a name but has already suffered more than most people do in a lifetime.

Baby X was born nine days ago just after his family lost everything they owned. They burnt our house and drove us out by shooting. We walked for three days through the jungle. Thats where he was born, said his father Mohamed, gesturing to the puckered bundle of life.

The family of seven is among an estimated 164,000 people who have fled Myanmars northern Rakhine state since violence broke out there on August 25.

They burnt our house and drove us out by shooting. We walked for three days through the jungle.

They waited for a night on the Myanmar border before taking a fishing boat to Bangladesh, braving a five-hour voyage through rough seas in the Bay of Bengal.

Hundreds, perhaps thousands of others have landed on the beaches of Teknaf in south-eastern Bangladesh in the last few days. Curve-tailed boats that usually carry fish have been taking these refugees to safety for a fee. Passengers pay between 5,000 and 10,000 Bangladeshi taka (US$60-122) per person.

Refugees say that those who cannot pay are held by the boat owner until their relatives pay up or the police intervene.

Rohingya refugees flee to Bangladesh - Voice of Vivian Tan, UNHCR spokesperson

The Teknaf shore is studded with such fishing boats. They pull up close and drop their human cargo in waist-deep water. Exhausted after the long and bumpy journey, they find the last burst of energy to wade to shore holding up children and the elderly. Some collapse on the beach, depleted. Others smile with relief that they have finally made it to safety.

Hafez Mohammed, 45, arrived with his family of 10. They were one of the better-equipped ones, lugging pots, rice and mats with them.

There are many more waiting for boats, he said of the Myanmar port he left. It would take a month to bring them all.

The Rohingya are a stateless Muslim minority in Myanmar. As a consequence they have faced discrimination and extreme poverty for decades.

Children, women and families are leaving their homes and everything they own behind, and walking on long, exhausting journeys in uncertainty seeking safety in strained Bangladesh refugee camps. They are hungry, in poor physical condition and in need of life-saving support after their terrible ordeal.

There are many more waiting for boats. It would take a month to bring them all.

Most spend the night in the nearby village of Shamlapur, which has hosted many Rohingya refugees since the late 1970s. A local leader named Shahid estimates that more than 10,000 have arrived in his village alone within days

From here, they call whatever relatives they may have in Bangladesh. Those with no ties move on in search of assistance  to existing refugee camps like Kutupalong or makeshift sites like Balukhali some 15 km away.

They are not done with walking yet. But at least tonight, they know they can sleep in peace.

UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, is working on the ground with its partners to provide them with protection, lifesaving aid like shelter, food, water and healthcare. It is calling for the registration of all refugees upon arrival, to allow all those in need to access necessary services.
By PTI: Saharanpur (UP), Sep 7 (PTI) A woman here was allegedly given triple talaq by her husband who wrote the words on a piece of paper and threw it at her, weeks after the Supreme Court held the practice as illegal and unconstitutional.

The woman had got married to one Saeed four years ago. Last year, her in-laws sent her home for failing to meet their dowry demand of Rs 1 lakh and a motorcycle. They also tortured her, according to her complaint, SP Saharanpur (Rural), Vidya Sagar Mishra said.

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Saeed yesterday went to meet his wife at her parents house in a village here, he said.

After an argument, Saeed attacked her with a sharp-edged weapon and threw the piece of paper, which had the word talaq written thrice on it, at her face. He fled the house when the injured woman raised an alarm, officials said quoting the complaint.

She was rushed to a primary health centre, Mishra said.

The woman approached the Gagoh Police and lodged a complaint against her husband, father in-law and mother-in law, the SP said.

Mishra told PTI that the womans family is financially not sound and her father is ill.

A probe is underway in the matter, the SP said.

The Supreme Court by a majority of 3:2 on August 22 ruled that the practice of divorce through triple talaq among Muslims is "void", "illegal" and "unconstitutional". PTI COR KIS DIP

--- ENDS ---
By PTI: By Meraj Bhat

New Delhi, Sep 7 (PTI) The belief that China is emerging as a new global hegemon and the world is hurtling towards Chinese unipolarity is misplaced as it lacks the wherewithal of the US which remains a pre-eminent power, says former foreign secretary Shyam Saran.

According to Saran, whose new book "How India Sees The World - Kautilya to the 21st Century" was launched here last night by former prime minister Manmohan Singh, longstanding narratives of China as a pre-eminent Asian and global power and its projection at the centre of global trade through history are mostly "contrived" and "imagined".

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"It is interesting how successful China has been in convincing the world that a China-centric world is inevitable. Many people say it is better to acknowledge it rather than trying to confront it because it is not worth trying to confront it," Saran told former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon during a discussion on the book.

He said this notion had gained credence due to "manufactured" history of Chinese dominance over the centuries.

Saran rejected outright the possibility of a hegemonic world order, saying challenges like climate change and international terrorism were global in nature and required "collaborative responses".

"Hegemonic world order is simply not possible," he said, adding that there was no one dominant power but a cluster of major powers in the current world order.

"If there is an inevitability, it is the inevitability of a multipolar world order," he said at the event.

The 71-year-old former diplomat argues in the book, published by Juggernaut Books, that such narratives are useful in mobilising national pride and in creating a "sense of awe" among the countries of Asia and beyond.

"The US remains a pre-eminent power against any metric of economic and military might. Its status as the chief source of technological innovation and creativity remains undiminished," Saran writes.

"We are, in reality, neither in a China-centric Asia nor in a world destined to become China-centric," he adds.

While Chinas presence in Central Asia has been expanding, its military capabilities on both the Western as well as on the Eastern flanks of Asia are nowhere near that of the US which continues to be the "most formidable" military power in Asia, he notes.

"Chinese economy is slowing down...A simple linear projection of Chinas current growth rate into the future may not be realistic. China remains a brittle polity and the rising insecurity within its political leadership sits uneasily with overweening arrogance of power.

"Its historical insularity is at odds with the cosmopolitanism that the densely interconnected contemporary world demands of any aspiring global power," Saran affirms.

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The 292-page book, which has a foreword by Manmohan Singh, is a riveting account of critical events and shifts in Indian foreign policy in the post-Independence period, including the landmark India-US nuclear deal.

With a strong focus on China, the book, which is part memoir and part thesis on Indias international relations, also has a section dedicated to the countrys complex and troubled ties with Pakistan and Nepal.

The book has four sections, each representing a seminal theme. It takes the reader behind the closed doors of the most nail-biting negotiations and top-level interactions - from Barack Obama stopping by a tense developing-country strategy meeting at the Copenhagen climate change summit to the private celebratory dinner thrown by George W Bush for Manmohan Singh on the success of the nuclear deal.

"I believe the Indo-US nuclear deal was significant precisely because it expanded Indias foreign policy options...The deal is an example of how India enhanced its energy security and expanded its strategic space," Saran observes.

Noting that India-Pakistan relations remain a "prisoner of Partition", Saran asserts that Pakistan has nurtured its quest for parity with India through its large and powerful army, and now through an expanding nuclear arsenal.

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He argues that Pakistans willingness to become a client-state of the US, and now of China, arises from its obsession with constraining India.

"There is a fond belief in Pakistan that Chinas proposed USD 46 billion investment in China-Pakistan Economic Corridor and in Gwadar port on the Balochistan coast will be a game changer for Pakistan and buttress its ambitions to become equal to India," Saran writes.

The book is also an attempt to trigger greater interest in China, which Saran says is a "fascinating" country but remains poorly understood in India.

"This lack of familiarity can be costly when it comes to safeguarding Indias interests...Without an understanding of Chinas worldview and how it influences the countrys association with other nations, it would be difficult for India to confront the China challenge," Saran warns. PTI MRJ AMS MIN

--- ENDS ---
(Sept. 7, 2017) -- The UTSA Recreation Wellness Center, better known as Campus Rec, is a 10-acre facility on the Main Campus here to enrich the personal wellness of all members of the UTSA family. While on the outside it may just look like a really nice gym, theres more to Campus Rec than meets the eye. You can take cooking demos there. At the Campus Rec Demo Kitchen, a professional nutritionist gives regular free kitchen demos where students can learn how to make an endless array of delicious meals that are dorm room kitchen-friendly.

There are group exercise classes for every schedule.

Zumba, Cycle, Yoga and Cardio Dance are just a few of the many classes available for free with a Campus Rec membership. Classes are usually available all day to accommodate any schedule, and theyre held at the Main Campus as well as the Downtown Fitness Center.

The new Aquatics Center offers a break from the Texas heat.





A lap pool and a leisure pool are waiting for you to take a dip on a hot day or get some exercise. Theres also a sand volleyball court and tons of pool gear for some wet and wild fun. Plus, the Aquatics Center offers private and group lessons for kids and adults.

Its literally impossible to NOT find a machine.





While most gyms might have an overcrowding problem, the Campus Rec has so many rooms and wings full of cardio and weight-lifting machines that youll never run the risk of finding all the treadmills taken.

Theres an indoor track...





We dont know if youve noticed, but it gets hot in Texas. For runners who want to avoid running in the heat (or just prefer running indoors), the top level of Campus Rec features an elevated track circling the whole complex that makes it easier to tackle those miles in the A/C without falling victim to heat stroke.

and a Rockwall.





Feeling adventurous? Not ready for mountains yet? UTSAs home to one of the tallest indoor rockwalls in Texas. The Rockwall has routes for every skill level and interest, and theres always trained staff available to teach novices how to climb safely. For experienced climbers looking to challenge themselves, Campus Rec hosts climbing events all year long.


On Saturday, Oct. 7, Easterseals Nevada, the nonprofit that serves more than 8,000 Nevadans with disabilities, will host Las Vegas sweetest fundraising event with its seventh annual Cheers to Chocolate from 7-10 p.m. at The District at Green Valley Ranch.

Chocolate and wine lovers come together to savor different wines provided by Southern Glazers Wine and Spirits, indulge in mouthwatering chocolate by Ethel M Chocolate Factory and taste delectable dishes from notable vendors around the valley. Tickets are on sale now at http://bit.ly/2vxyUsn.

We are thrilled to host our seventh annual Cheers to Chocolate event at The District at Green Valley Ranch, said Brian Patchett, president and CEO of Easterseals Nevada. We are extremely grateful of the support the Las Vegas community has given us and are excited to continue the tradition with all of our friends and supporters. All funds raised will go directly to Easterseals Nevada to help us better serve our community.

In addition to wine and chocolate tastings, guests can experience music by local musician Richard Mann, mind readings and illusions with magician Rob Anderson, enjoy bites from Raising Canes, Crazy Pita, Kings Fish House, Whist Stove and Spirits, Stone Brewing, Due and Proper, Balboa Pizza, Ben and Jerrys and Anderson Dairy. Additionally, guests will have the opportunity to partake in a silent auction with items donated from Green Valley Ranch, Pinots Palette, Whole Foods, Flightlinez, Lazy Dog, Axe Monkeys, Yard House, Gameworks, Paintings from Wanda, Las Vegas Sands Corporation, Color Me Mine and much more. All proceeds will benefit Easterseals Nevada.
Episode 428 of Ill Drink to That! was released recently, and it features Totte Steneby, who is the Beverage Manager at Portal restaurant in Stockholm, Sweden. Totte is also a European brand ambassador for the Sandhi and Domaine de la Cote wineries, and he imports some wines into Sweden as well.

As a youth, Totte Steneby faced a dilemma that many young actors face: he was asked to play a kid on film but obliged to work like an adult for the portrayal. While normal kids get summer vacation off to have fun, child actors go to their business of acting like normal, fun kids. The paradox had real-life ramifications for Totte, which he describes in this interview. He doesnt share exactly why he chose to give up acting in this interview, but perhaps it was the inner tension that ultimately led him to other pursuits. After a few subsequent false starts, Totte began working with wine in restaurants and found some success. The common stereotype holds that fine dining front-of-the-house work is also a kind of acting, but that doesnt seem to fit Tottes approach. Instead, he is honest and forthcoming to a fault in this interview. I get the sense that he was actually looking around for a subject he could be completely transparent about, and found wine. During the talk, Totte asserts that all kinds of opinions about a wine are valid, and in that assertion, you can sense his desire for some freedom of thought, for some freedom to share. Armchair psychology? Maybe, but it is also true that Totte has considered a lot about his own actions, and shares much of that thinking in this interview. Sometimes the stories he has to tell about his life seem funny, partly because of how astounding he himself seems to find them as he recalls them. Like some of the very best Ill Drink to That! episodes, this interview isnt so much about wine as it is about everything else.

Listen to this episode:

Ill Drink to That is the worlds most listened-to wine podcast, hosted by Levi Dalton. Levi has had a long career working as a sommelier in some of the most distinguished and acclaimed dining rooms in America. He has served wine to guests of Restaurant Daniel, Masa, and Alto, all in Manhattan. Levi has also contributed articles on wine themes to publications such as The Art of Eating, Wine & Spirits magazine, Bon Appetit online, and Eater NY. Check out his pictures on Instagram and follow him on Twitter: @leviopenswine
Rohingya refugee woman and children walks to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 5, 2017. SOURCE; REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

Rohingya refugee woman and children walks to the shore after crossing the Bangladesh-Myanmar border by boat through the Bay of Bengal in Teknaf, Bangladesh, September 5, 2017. SOURCE; REUTERS/Mohammad Ponir Hossain

Authorities said three to four boats had sunk at the mouth of the Naf river, which divides Bangladesh and Myanmar's violence-wracked Rakhine state, raising fears there could be many more casualties.

Scores of people have already been killed attempting to cross the Naf border river since a fresh upsurge in violence in Rakhine on Aug 25, many using small fishing boats unsuited to the rough coastal waters.

Border Guard Bangladesh officer Aloysius Sangma said three to four boats packed with Rohingya refugees had gone down early Wednesday.

"So far, the bodies of five male and female children have been found at different locations," he told AFP.

Local police chief Main Uddin said authorities were travelling to the spot to investigate.

More than 125,000 refugees have flooded across the border into Bangladesh.

Most are Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic minority that the government of Buddhist-majority Myanmar largely does not recognise as citizens.
A view of ethanol production plant of Tung Lam Joint Stock Company in the southern province of Dong Nai, Xuan Loc District. - Photo laodongdongnai.vn

Viet Nam will replace RON 92 petrol with E5 bio-fuel from the beginning of 2018, and with E10 after 2019. E5 petrol is a mix of A92 petrol (95 per cent) and bio-fuel ethanol (5 per cent).

The ministry has gathered suggestions on import tax imposed on bio-fuel ethanol to create E5 petrol as it is worried that the country will face ethanol shortage.

Statistics from the ministry show that the E5 demand in 2018 will be 6.2 million cu.m after the bio-fuel petrol replaces RON 92 petrol completely at the start of the year. The demand for E10 is expected to be 6.6 million cu.m in 2019, and 7.1 million cu.m in 2020.

Currently, the supply of bio-fuel ethanol for E5 petrol comes mainly from two plants owned by Tung Lam Joint Stock Company that have a total annual capacity of 200,000 cu.m, which can be used to produce 3.9 million cu.m of E5 a year. The two plants have been operating at 30 per cent of their designed capacity, while there are two other plants in Dung Quat and Binh Phuoc that have halted operations temporarily.

If the two ethanol production plants in Dung Quat and Binh Phuoc resume operations, the total ethanol supplies of the four plants would be sufficient to cater to the E5 petrol demand in 2018. However, it is expected that the country will fall short of 200,000 cu.m of ethanol in 2019 and 300,000 cu.m in 2020.

If the two plants dont resume operations by the beginning of 2018, the countrys ethanol supply will be a maximum of only 200,000 cu.m a year, making for a shortfall of 111,370 cu.m in 2018.

Local firms have not been importing ethanol because currently the demand for it is low as RON 92 petrol and E5 bio-fuel will co-exist until December 31 this year.

If Viet Nam needs to import ethanol from 2018 to produce E5 petrol, it will have to import the bio-fuel from the US and Brazil as the E5 supplies of Asian countries such as Thailand and China have been used up owing to local demand.

As per the ministrys calculations, if the proposed imported tax on ethanol is approved at 17 per cent, along with environmental protection tax, the selling price of E5 petrol will become lower than RON 92 petrol, from VND1,345 to VND1,495 per litre. RON 92 petrol costs VND18,180 to VND18,380 per litre.
Police cordon off a street in Villejuif, a suburb of Paris, as two men were arrested after the discovery of explosives and bomb components at an apartment. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP)

Police cordon off a street in Villejuif, a suburb of Paris, as two men were arrested after the discovery of explosives and bomb components at an apartment. (CHRISTOPHE SIMON/AFP)

Gas canisters and electric wiring were also found in the flat in Villejuif, a suburb south of the French capital, and two men were arrested nearby, the sources said.

The explosive, known by the initials of TATP, is notoriously used by the so-called Islamic State group (IS), which has repeatedly targeted France in recent years.

Police also found ingredients that can be used to produce TATP as well as papers written in Arabic.

Anti-terror prosecutors have opened an investigation, sources close to the probe said.

One of the two arrested men, aged 36 and 47, is the owner of the flat, they said.

Paris police said a man who works at the apartment block had alerted police to "suspect items" in the apartment.

Interior Minister Gerard Collomb praised the individual for his "citizen's reflex".

A militant cell behind twin attacks that claimed 16 lives in Barcelona and Cambrils, Spain, last month had been preparing TATP.

Investigators probing a house that been wrecked by an explosion found acetone and other TATP ingredients, as well as 120 butane canisters and detonators.

The car used by the assailants in Cambrils had been in the Paris area less than a week before the attacks.

But a source close to the probe sparked on Wednesday said: "At this stage there is nothing to link the discovery of these items (in Villejuif) to the Catalonia cell."

France has been under a state of emergency since IS militants struck in Paris in November 2015, leaving 130 people dead.

Since that large-scale attack and last year's Nice truck attack that killed 86, France has suffered a string of smaller assaults mainly targeting security forces.
The company is negotiating terms with Vietnamese partners, including technical issues, industrial assembly facility, he said, adding that Vietnam also has conditions for setting up the facility.

In July, Sollers first announced the plans to create a joint assembly plant in Vietnam with initial capacity of 1,000 cars per year, according to Shvetsov.

Sollers has worked with world leading automobile makers such as Ford, SsangYong and Mazda.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the Russian  Vietnamese investment fund will invest US$500 million in non-oil and gas projects in late June.
The US has called on the United Nations to impose the 'strongest possible measures' against Kim Jong-Un's regime and said the country was 'begging for war'. (AFP/STR)

The US has called on the United Nations to impose the 'strongest possible measures' against Kim Jong-Un's regime and said the country was 'begging for war'. (AFP/STR)

A draft Security Council resolution obtained by AFP demands not only a ban on oil and gas supplies to North Korea, but also an end to textile exports and to payments made to North Korean guest workers, cutting off revenue to Kim's regime.

China has long been reluctant to take measures that could trigger instability or a refugee exodus on its border, and Russia has resisted tough economic sanctions that could worsen the humanitarian crisis.

In a phone call with his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday insisted that military action against North Korea was not his "first choice" and pushed for a diplomatic option.

After Kim's pariah regime claimed it carried out a hydrogen bomb test over the weekend, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said the United States would be seeking a vote at the council on new sanctions on Sep 11.

The proposed package of measures would be the strongest yet against North Korea, which is barred under UN resolutions from developing nuclear or missile technology.

The draft resolution takes aim directly at North Korea's leadership, proposing a freeze on Kim's assets as well as those of the ruling Worker's Party of Korea and the government.

Kim would be added to a UN sanctions blacklist, subjecting him to a global travel ban, along with four other North Korean officials.

The state-owned airline, Air Koryo, would also be hit by an assets freeze along with the Korean People's Army and eight other groups linked to the government, the military and the ruling party.

Countries would be authorised to "use all necessary means" to seize and inspect North Korean cargo vessels on the UN sanctions list, according to the 13-page draft resolution. Nine North Korean ships would be added the blacklist.

The measure would also scrap all joint ventures with North Korea.

RUSSIA BALKS AT OIL EMBARGO

In Vladivostok, South Korean President Moon Jae-In tried with little apparent success to convince Russian Vladimir Putin to cut off Pyongyang's key supplies of fuel oil.

"In order to compel North Korea to come to the dialogue table, UN sanctions must be strengthened," Moon told Putin, a South Korean spokesman told the Yonhap news agency.

"Now it is inevitable to cut off oil supplies to the North, we hope Russia will cooperate as well," he continued.

The South Korean presidential spokesman quoted Putin as saying that Russia was concerned a block of fuel oil supplies would hurt civilians - including hospitals.

Putin reportedly argued that Russia exports a negligible amount of oil to North Korea - about 40,000 tonnes a year.

Experts say a ban on oil supplies would be devastating for ordinary North Koreans.

"People will be forced to walk or not move at all, and to push buses instead of riding in them," said a report by the Nautilus Institute think tank. "There will be less light in households due to less kerosene."

The ban will lead to more deforestation, the report said, as North Koreans will be forced to cut down trees to produce charcoal, leading to "more erosion, floods and more famine" in the already impoverished country.

Kim's regime would immediately restrict supplies to private citizens, it added, and a ban would have "little or no immediate impact" on the North's army or its missile and nuclear programs.

FRANK CALL

The diplomatic push could not disguise mounting tension, underscored by China conducting air force drills to defend its east coast "against nuclear and biological weapons."

Trump spoke with Xi of China, the country seen as having the most influence on its unruly neighbour and key to getting any sanctions regime to stick.

"I believe that President Xi agrees with me 100 per cent. He doesn't want to see what's happening there, either. We had a very, very frank and very strong phone call," Trump said.

According to the White House, Trump and Xi "committed to strengthen coordination and take further action with the goal of achieving the denuclearisation of the Korean Peninsula."
Yuchi Jingde, also known as Wei Chigong, was one of the most celebrated military figures of the early Tang Dynasty and he thus became a Chinese Door God. He and another great Chinese military general of the same era, Qin Shubao, adorn the doors and gates of temples, homes, and businesses in China and Chinese communities as Door Gods.

In history, General Yuchi used his superb martial arts to save the life of the 2nd Tang emperor, Li Shimin, also known as Emperor Tang Taizong, both before and after he became emperor. During his involvement in the pivotal Xuanwu Gate Incident, General Yuchi helped Li Shimin defeat the forces of rival princes Li Yuanji and Li Jiancheng. After the defeat, he suggested that Li Shimin release Li Jianchengs men rather than execute them. His suggestion quickly eased the internal clash in the Tang Empire, and many talented people were retained.

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Yuchi Jingde becomes a Chinese Door God along with Qin Shubao

Later, he requested that the current reigning Tang emperor, Emperor Gaozu, order all armies to fall under Li Shimins command, which stabilized the Tang Dynasty both internally and externally. Yuchis actions allowed Li Shimin to later become the Tang Dynasty emperor.

Yuchi Jingde was intelligent and farsighted. He had a simple and honest nature. He was always faithful to Li Shimin, and was willing to sacrifice his life for him without hesitation. After Tang Taizong hung portraits of Yuchi Jingde and Qin Shubao on his front doors, ordinary people took up this custom to attract good luck and fend off evil spirits. The custom continues to this day.

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Hobbies and Work  How to Make Time for the Things We Love

As technology advances, our minds grow increasingly complicated. With task after task being added to an already long to-do list, making time for things like hobbies seems nearly impossible. How many of us long to make time for a hobby or project, but feel too busy dealing with daily demands?
Funeral Announcements A daily list of current funeral annoucements as heard on KXRA 1490 AM/100.3 FM

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Its not every day that theres good news to report from the United Nations. Last week, we got some good news, as the UN Security Council voted to significantly strengthen its efforts to stop the Hezbollah terrorists in southern Lebanon.

The clouds of war have been gathering right under the nose of a UN peacekeeping force. At the direction of its Iranian patron, Hezbollah has amassed an arsenal of weapons and battle hardened fighters in southern Lebanon. The situation is dangerous, but an agreement reached in the Security Council last week might prove to be a turning point.

Hezbollah has become so brazen that it conducted a media tour of its illegal fighters and weapons  reportedly inviting over 100 journalists to see its fighters show off weapons in a part of Lebanon where Hezbollah is not supposed to have any.

In flagrant violation of UNSC resolutions, Hezbollah fighters posed with their guns and other weapons for the visiting journalists. One photographer said it looked like Madame Tussauds with Hezbollah fighters. But the UN force, known as UNIFIL, saw none of the weapons that the worlds media managed to photograph.

UNIFIL is called an interim force, but it has been in Lebanon for 40 years. A key part of its mandate is to help the Lebanese government ensure there are no weapons outside of the governments control in the area near Israel. It is a difficult task, but for too long, the peacekeeping force has been utterly failing at achieving this fundamental part of its mandate. Some of its leaders do not even acknowledge that theres a problem.

While UNIFIL has averted its eyes, Hezbollah has been preparing for war. By its own admission, Hezbollah is committed to the destruction of Israel. In recent times, it has doubled down on this commitment, massively increasing its supply of rockets, missiles and fighters.

UNIFIL has been given great authority to prevent Hezbollahs illegal and hostile activity. The problem is, it hasnt been using it. It has developed a kind of hear no evil, see no evil mentality.

For example, UNIFIL sometimes runs into roadblocks when its patrolling southern Lebanon.

Men in plain clothes suddenly appear, blocking the UN trucks, stealing their equipment and pelting them with rocks until they turn around and leave. Everyone knows who these guys are. Its Hezbollah. Hezbollah doesnt want UNIFIL to see whats beyond these roadblocks. And UNIFIL usually turns around and leaves without reporting on who stopped them and why. UNIFIL doesnt know what Hezbollah is hiding, and the world doesnt hear why the patrols are being turned back.

That status quo with UNIFIL was unacceptable, so the United States refused to accept it. Last week, when the peacekeeping missions mandate came up for renewal, we pushed for changes to make sure UNIFIL is doing its job  and, critically, when its prevented from doing its job, that we know about it.

Following tense negotiations with just a day left before UNIFILs mandate expired, we reached agreement in the Security Council on a series of changes to how the mission will operate.

Our changes will make UNIFIL step up its patrols and inspections which will help disrupt Hezbollahs illegal activity. UNIFIL will now enhance its visible presence on the ground and its ability to detect and deter incoming fighters and weapons.

Most importantly, our changes require UNIFIL to report when it is prevented from seeing something it wants to inspect. From now on, when the peacekeepers encounter a Hezbollah roadblock, they have to tell us the details of where, when and why they got stopped. This transparency will put an end to the ignorance about whats really going on in southern Lebanon. When UNIFIL is prevented from doing its job, the Security Council will know about it. And if the UN refuses to act on this information, the world will know about it.

For the United States, this is a time for strength, resolve and accountability at the United Nations.

Thats what our effort at strengthening UNIFIL was all about.

This is an important step, but there is much more to do. As the proxy for the outlaw Iranian regime, Hezbollah will not give up its terrorist goals. But just as Hezbollah is stepping up its efforts, the United States, and now the United Nations, are stepping up our efforts against them.
The Ministry for Heritage has announced that three new interpretation panels have been placed within our Old Town in order to provide information on our Medieval History, namely our Islamic and Spanish Periods.
Government Invites Cross-Party Group of MPs to Gibraltar

"This year will be an extra-special National Day because the day will mark the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum, where for the first time the people of Gibraltar voted overwhelmingly, freely and democratically to retain their links with the United Kingdom."

In view of this, and of the continuing negotiations to exit the European Union, the Government has again invited a cross-party group of Members of Parliament to Gibraltar, from the House of Commons, the House of Lords and the European Parliament. This year there has been heightened interest in Gibraltar precisely because of the Brexit background.

The Parliamentarians are a mix of Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat, Scottish National Party, Democratic Unionist, Ulster Unionist, Green Party and UKIP. The group includes old friends of Gibraltar and also new ones who have expressed an interest in learning more about us.

A full working programme has been prepared for the group. This includes a briefing with the Chief Minister Fabian Picardo, a Brexit briefing with the Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia who is responsible for work related to EU exit, a briefing from the Ministry of Defence and a call on HE the Governor and the Commander British Forces. There will also be a technical briefing on financial services matters.

The group of Parliamentarians will also participate in the range of different events that have been prepared around National Day itself and for the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the 1967 referendum.

In addition to this, the Gibraltar Government representatives in London, Brussels and the United States will also be in Gibraltar.

The Deputy Chief Minister Dr Joseph Garcia said: The number and cross-party nature of the group of Parliamentarians visiting this time reflects the high level of interest in Gibraltar that exists in the UK Parliament at present. The Government is delighted with the mix of cross-party representation that has been achieved. Gibraltar has friends in all the political parties in the UK and we must build on that going forward. A full programme of briefings has been arranged so that our visitors are made aware directly of the Gibraltar point of view across the board over a number of different issues.
Dylan OBrien knows you want to know what happened to him.

Some people search his face for scars. Others ask the 26-year-old actor questions about the accident in 2016 that nearly cut short his career and could have ended his life. For more than a year, he was able to dodge that scrutiny and recover in private. Now, with a new movie coming out and a press tour required to promote it, things are different.

I was anticipating this for a long time, he says over lunch at the Four Seasons in Los Angeles. It used to really anger me, even just the thought of it. I just knew that eventually, I would have to be asked about this.

He confesses these angry thoughts about as affably as any person could, as though hes upset to even get upset. That doe-eyed decency has proved key to OBriens screen appeal: In his breakthrough role as the lead of the Maze Runner franchise, hes introduced in media res, thrust into a coliseum of YA terrors before we even learn who his character is. As he shakes and shivers and tries, alongside the audience, to make sense of his otherworldly predicament, you cant help but root for him.

Not every actor can inspire that feeling in a viewer, but in OBriens case, its so innate that the director of his new film, the action vehicle American Assassin, cast him simply after looking at his head shot. I remember in that first discussion with my producers, names were being thrown around, and the one name I didnt know yet was Dylans, says Michael Cuesta. I Googled him, I saw his picture, and I just said instinctively, Hes right. There was an innocence and a vulnerability to him, and I hadnt even seen his work yet. Its an instinct you just have to trust.

Cuesta wasnt the only one besotted. At a time when Hollywood likes to import most of its young leading men from overseas  like Spider-Mans Tom Holland, Star Wars breakout John Boyega, and an entire family of Hemsworths  The Maze Runner established OBrien as a rare homegrown movie star. His profile grew ever larger while he shot the sequels to The Maze Runner and neared the end of his time on the MTV series Teen Wolf, and as work began on the third and final Maze Runner film, OBrien started to look ahead to the future.

And then, just days into shooting that sequel, OBrien was seriously injured in a stunt gone wrong. Pulled from one vehicle, he was reportedly struck by another, leaving him with a concussion, facial fracture, and brain trauma among his injuries. Production shut down for several weeks, then indefinitely. OBrien withdrew from public view during his recovery as rumors flew that he might not return to the film. Half a year went by as OBrien tried to heal and, at the lowest point in his life, mulled whether he wanted to continue his career at all. I really was in a dark place there for a while and it wasnt an easy journey back, says OBrien. There was a time there where I didnt know if I would ever do it again  and that thought scared me, too.

Now, though, he is ready to talk about it.

In a lot of ways, those six months went by like that, he says, snapping his fingers. And then, in a lot of ways, I can still remember that six months as if it was five years of my life.

Ask most young actresses when they wanted to become a movie star, and it wont even be a question: Theyve been planning for it their whole lives. Kristen Stewart has been acting since she was a preteen, and at 14, Emma Stone put together a PowerPoint presentation to convince her parents to move to Los Angeles so she could go on auditions. But young American men seem come to acting differently  or indifferently. Channing Tatum was a model and dancer who happened into commercials before becoming a movie star. Chris Pratt happily toiled in obscurity as a Bubba Gump waiter in Hawaii when he was convinced by a customer to act in her film.

OBriens foray into the industry was similarly unplanned. His parents had the expertise  OBriens mother taught an acting class, while his father moved the family to California when OBrien was 12 so he could pursue work as a camera operator  but in high school, he played drums in a jazz band instead of signing up for drama class. Like many of his classmates, though, OBrien had a habit of posting videos to YouTube. Theyre still there today: Check out his user page at moviekidd826 and you can watch all 14 of his short comic sketches. Some of them are fairly simple, like his too-enthusiastic lip sync to the Spice Girls song Wannabe, and one of the uploaded clips is a teen staple, the video he made to ask a girl to prom.

Still, the shorts are clever and surprisingly narrative-driven, and OBrien is a deft comic performer in all of them. He wouldnt have thought of what he was doing as acting  he was just being himself, after all. But its exactly that unvarnished quality that made him so appealing, and as the videos began to circulate, he was signed by a woman who is still his manager today. Soon enough, he was being sent out to audition for projects like Valentines Day and Wizards of Waverly Place.

He hadnt grown up knowing that he wanted to be an actor, but give OBrien some credit: Once he figured that out, he committed hard. My first semester of college, Im going to sociology and English and psychology and all I cared about was getting home and preparing for whatever audition I had, he says. Id be on IMDb looking at projects in development that Id be right for and Id send them to my manager and be like, Whats going on with this? His ambition often outstripped his experience. I was obsessed with having one of those auditions finally work out, and I was very impatient, he recalls, laughing. My manager would be like, You have to understand, this could take years. And I was like, No, no, no, Im going to get one of these.

Only a few months after his high-school graduation, thats exactly what happened. OBrien was cast on Teen Wolf, a fledgling MTV series based on the campy 1980s movie. This version skewed darker and filled its cast with hunks, with the howls meant to come from the audience each time a sexy werewolf stripped off his shirt. It was a notable hit for MTV, and though OBrien was cast as the human best friend  not as the protagonist, Scott, or as any of the eye-candy beasts on the show  the role was a good fit for his boy-next-door charm. He wasnt just Scotts friend. He felt like yours, too.

That show really became my school in a lot of ways, says OBrien. I never took a second on set for granted. Even on my first day on the pilot, when my work finished for the day but then they were going to this other location to shoot another scene, I just went with them. As a cable show, Teen Wolf filmed only five months out of the year, so OBrien had plenty of time to hop on to other projects: He took Zooey Deschanels virginity in a New Girl flashback and popped up on the big screen in films like the teen romance The First Time and the Vince VaughnOwen Wilson comedy The Internship. I would want to get on as many sets as I could, he said. And I was still very much ambitious about being in movies, too.

In 2013, the year after The Hunger Games hit big, OBrien was cast as the lead in another book-to-film YA franchise, The Maze Runner. The rare $100 million hit toplined by a young actor under 25, it propelled OBrien onto studio short lists and led to more work in bigger movies, including Peter Bergs Deepwater Horizon and a Maze Runner sequel, The Scorch Trials. 20th Century Fox picked up an action comedy with OBrien attached, a sign of his growing clout, and as Cuesta looked for someone to play black-ops recruit Mitch Rapp in American Assassin, based on a popular book series by the late Vince Flynn, he alighted on OBrien.

He looks like a boy next door, like my sons older friends, says Cuesta. Like a young man who has one foot in that postadolescent place and is about to cross over into adulthood and take that rite of passage.

In March 2016, just as OBrien headed to Vancouver to film Maze Runner: The Death Cure, he committed to star in American Assassin, which would represent his biggest break so far from youth-driven fare. He planned to film that after wrapping The Death Cure, squeeze in some time to shoot Teen Wolfs farewell season, and move on to the movies that studios had been setting up for him.

To see him blossom in his career and see what he was taking on, it was amazing to watch, says OBriens father, Patrick. And then to see that broken  it was hard.

OBrien would rather not relive the particulars of his accident. Theres really been one or two people who have tried to dig and find out what happened and I cut it off, he says. And Im comfortable with where I draw the line.

Whats known is that after that stunt on the set of The Death Cure went awry and production shut down on March 18, 2016, the studio planned to resume filming May 9, hoping to still make the films set February 2017 release date. Weeks later, though, it was clear that OBriens injuries were so serious that filming could not begin again.

I had lost a lot of function, just in my daily routine, says OBrien. I wasnt even at a point where I felt like I could handle social situations, let alone showing up and being responsible for work every day. Long hours on set, delivering a performance and carrying a movie  it just makes your palms sweat.

OBrien calls his recovery process overwhelming, though the biggest toll the accident took on him was psychological. Even if he could find his way back to the sense of stability he had before the accident, and even if those scars could heal, would he still want to return to the high-flying movie career hed worked so hard to set up? After it all went away, he couldnt even be sure he was the same person anymore.

And then there was a part of me, too, that was feeling pressured and stressed out by the mere fact that I had all of these people still emailing me, checking in, he says. I would get so fucking mad. Like if ever I heard from a producer [who was] seeing when Id be able to get back on set, Id fucking go nuts. It would really, really piss me off.

But as OBrien recovered in private, rumors flew that his injuries were much more extensive than was reported, and the people behind the projects OBrien had set up were forced to weigh their options. Cuesta didnt want to recast American Assassin, but he also didnt know what state his star was in. During his recovery, OBrien had not communicated with the production in four months.

I didnt want to let it go, and I also had this really interesting, deeper connection to this character over the course of those four months because of what I was going through, says OBrien. American Assassin begins with a freak tragedy, as Rapps fiancee is gunned down by terrorists during a beach vacation and dies in his arms. Lost in a rabbit hole of grief, Rapp spends the next few months weaponizing his anger and decides to hunt down her killers himself. I felt like I could portray that and wanted to be the one to do that justice  it was almost like an honor for me at that point, OBrien says. But at the same time, I was still in such a fragile personal state that I had this other force telling me, like, No fucking way that I can do it. This is too soon, too soon. Tell them to leave me alone, I need more time.

Unfortunately, the film didnt have much time to spare. If American Assassin didnt go into production before a certain date, the film rights would revert back to Flynns estate, and if OBrien still wanted to play Rapp, hed have to spend two months getting into physical shape for the role. It was a daunting regimen of learning fight choreography and adding muscle to his frame that would take a lot of work for any actor, let alone one who was still reeling from his physical nadir. I knew it wouldnt be getting back on the horse in a light way, says OBrien.

And so, at the end of July, he recommitted to American Assassin. It was a signal to the industry that he wanted to work again, even if, privately, he still wondered if hed be able to make it through. On the one hand, the time OBrien spent in the gym with action coordinator Roger Yuan gave him something that he could focus on during those long days. But even as he grew physically stronger, OBrien was still struggling with heavy emotional and psychological episodes during his recovery.

Sometimes Id literally show up at the gym having a panic attack, and my trainer would be like, All right, lets just go get breakfast, says OBrien, who came to treat Yuan almost like a therapist. I cant give enough credit to him  he was really there for me, and not just like a trainer where its like, Well, come on, man, I gotta pump you up. He cared more about my mind and the state that I was in.

Dylan OBrien as Mitch Rapp in American Assassin. Photo: Christian Black/CBS Films

Near the end of their training, OBrien was in the best physical shape hed ever been, an unlikely development given the events of the last few months. But despite all that training to become Mitch Rapp, OBriens anxiety only grew as the start date drew near. The day he was supposed to fly to London to prepare to film the movie, OBrien had what he describes as an emotional breakdown in the airport. With his father and girlfriend Britt Robertson by his side, he questioned whether he could continue.

I didnt even think theyd let me on the plane, to be honest, he says. I must have looked high or something. OBriens father, who had planned to spend the first few weeks in London getting his son acclimated, proved to be the rock he needed in that moment. I dont think I would have been able to step onto the plane without him, says OBrien.

That was a tough year for us, says his father Patrick. It was hard to see him like that  hes such a special kid. Patrick had never set foot on one of Dylans sets before  I thought it was important to let it be his life and not be mine  but on the first day Dylan shot American Assassin, he knew he had to be there. It was mind-blowing, says Patrick. I was watching him from the monitors, and he was busting out 50 push-ups in between takes.

It was all for a wordless sequence where we catch up with Mitch months after his fiancees death, watching him train and harden himself in his dark apartment. As OBrien walloped on a punching bag and bust out dozens of pull-ups, the intensity was like nothing Patrick had seen from his son before: Obviously, Im getting concerned. Im watching the monitors and Im seeing the stress hes putting on his body and his face and all the places that have been of some concern of late.

When Cuesta called cut, Patrick walked past the first assistant director and up to Dylan. I was almost nose to nose with him, and Im not sure he saw me right away. He was in it, as much as you can be in it. And I said, Dylan? He looked at me and kind of focused. And I said, Are you okay? And he said, Im good.

If he didnt have the accident, says Cuesta, would he have connected that well with Mitch? I dont know, but it definitely brought truth to it.

OBrien acknowledges that, too. Id just been through a lot that summer and the fact that you spend all this time not even knowing if you can do that again  He pauses, and swallows. Even right now, its just kind of hard to talk about.

It helps, he says, that Patrick came aboard for the rest of the shoot as a camera operator, staying by his side when he needed him most. With his father there, he could be fearless. I would just think about where I was at psychologically in June and July, how insurmountable the task seemed to me, says OBrien. And then just to be there on the last day knowing that I did it, with my dad there at my side, it was just a really, really great feeling.

Hes in a good place now, says Patrick. And nothing makes a parent happier.

OBrien doesnt sugarcoat his recovery. Sitting in front of me at lunch, he looks every inch the movie star he was before: hair tousled, eyes bright, his face covered only by stubble. He is candid about what it took to get to this point, though, and even after filming American Assassin, the question remained: Was he ready to finish Maze Runner: The Death Cure, putting to bed the series that had given him so much and taken plenty, too?

Nothing inside of you wants to go back to that, OBrien admits. It took a lot of deep searching past those gut instincts that I was having just because of the trauma that I experienced to realize that I did want to finish it.

Did he consider asking the studio to move on without him? I wouldnt have been ultimately happy with that, I dont think. In the moment, it would have been a temporary relief because I would have run from it, but it would have always stuck with me a little bit  I knew it was going to be really hard, harder than Assassin probably, but [I thought] if I got through that, I can get through this, and I think Ill come out of the other side being really happy that I did it. And I did.

He resumed filming The Death Cure in March, which is now set for release in January 2018. His father followed him to South Africa, where the movie was shot, and was made a co-producer on the film; OBrien now counts it among his best experiences on a project. He even found time to return to the final season of Teen Wolf, which had written around his absence while he recovered. The series finale of that show will air on September 24, and soon enough, every obligation OBrien had set before his accident will be behind him.

Coming out of the other side of all this is basically a whole new chapter, and I think I will be going about it differently, he says. Im excited to have more balance going forward. Like, Im not somebody I dont think whos going to do three or four movies a year and feel like I have to constantly pump them out. I think theres something to be said about pacing yourself.

In the meantime, hes bought his first house, which gives him a little stability in an uncertain industry. He recently threw a party there to celebrate his 26th birthday  It turned into more of a rager than I intended it to be, he laughs  and an hour into it, OBrien and his friends were already jumping off the roof into his pool. Its a future that he could not have imagined just a year and a half ago.

Im excited to see what comes my way, see what Im interested in next, and just see what happens, says OBrien. After Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner conclude, its wide-open space. Its the first time that Ill be operating in my career without those two roles, really.

He thinks about it and smiles. Its good, though, to not have that safety net.
Gina Rodriguez Photo: Alberto E. Rodriguez/Getty Images

Soon, immigrant stories wont just be a part of the terrifying political news cycle. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gina Rodriguez has sold a pair of TV dramas through her production company, I Can & I Will, about immigrants from Latin America, to CBS and CW. The series bound for CBS is called Mercy, and its an adaptation of Germanys Dr. Illegal. It follows a Latina doctor who moves to Miami, but is barred from practicing, and after working for some time as a nurses assistant, decides to operate outside the law by opening a clinic in her apartment to serve the community.

For the CW, Rodriguez will share executive-producing duties on the new series Illegal (which has no connection to the aforementioned Dr. Illegal) with Jane the Virgin scribe Rafael Agustin, who will also write. The hour-long teen drama centers on a 16-year-old honor-roll student named Raphael who suddenly learns hes not an American citizen. His fictional story is particularly timely with the Trump administrations decision to rescind the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, which allowed young men and women who came into America illegally as children to stay in the country on two-year work permits.
Vivien Leigh and Hattie McDaniel in Gone With the Wind. Photo: Silver Screen Collection/Getty Images

When I wrote this essay back in 2017 the world was in a markedly different place in terms of its relationship to notions of white supremacy and the horrors of anti-black racism. Now, were in the midst of a fiery reckoning, in which individuals and groups are examining their complicity in the structures that uphold horrifying inequalities. This has led companies like HBO Max to temporarily take Gone With the Wind off its platform, announcing plans to eventually reintroduce the film with a discussion of its historical context and a denouncement of its racist depictions. Gone With the Wind is often held up as a sterling example of the noxious racism that powers Hollywood to this day. This piece, while written three years ago, still works to illuminate how we should reconcile the industrys racist past  not by burying it, but facing it, prickly dynamics and carefully crafted white supremacist arguments and all.

Gone With the Wind is one of cinemas most seductive confections. Its a moving story of a womans determination to control her own destiny against the odds of the crumbling world around her, an indelible love story, and one of the most gorgeous films Hollywood has ever produced, thanks to the work of set designer William Cameron Menzies and cinematographer Ernest Haller. In a memo during the preproduction of the 1939 epic, producer David O. Selznick  who shepherded the project through directorial changes and other calamities  referred to the novel its based on as the American Bible. Selznick was a making a ploy to bypass any objections by film censor Will Hays in order to get damn in the now-infamous dialogue at the end of the film. But Selznicks bit of salesmanship takes on a double meaning today, becoming a prescient description for the film. Nestled in its visual splendor is a slippery sort of racism that is surprising for what it says, meta-textually, about the ways America has yet to reckon with its second original sin. More than any American film about the Civil War, Gone With the Wind reveals the cunning skill with which white supremacy creates its own myths.

The extent to which Gone With the Wind has seeped into American culture is massive. It has been endlessly parodied, homaged, copied, and plucked clean for inspiration. Its clever subversion and updating of certain archetypes puts any film dealing with similar subject matter in its shadow. Its dialogue (Frankly my dear, I dont give a damn) and visual landscapes (the Tara plantation; Scarlett swanning around the frame in gorgeous gowns; the profiles of its lead actors moments before they kiss) have seared themselves into the cultural imagination. It has always been as beloved as it has been reviled and criticized, and in the wake of the Charlottesville riots and larger conversations on race, it once again finds itself at the center of controversy. Recently, a Memphis, Tennessee, theater, the Orpheum, pulled a screening of the film, citing community input and insensitivity. This quickly launched multiple conversations about the place of the film within Hollywood history, dredging up older considerations of its racial insensitivity. Despite the fever pitch of this debate, Gone With the Wind is not being banned, like Disney did with the 1946 film Song of the South, which isnt available to stream or buy anywhere in the United States. (While the film has been rereleased in theaters several times in the wake of its 1946 premiere and is available to buy in foreign markets, it has never been made available Stateside, with Disney CEO Robert Iger deeming it offensive.)

Given its availability on any platform possible to watch a film, and its towering status, Gone With the Wind is under no threat of actual censorship, or of being wholly forgotten. But there is something gallingly dishonest about the current conversations surrounding the film, which mention it in the same breath as the Confederate monuments rightfully being torn down, and in some cases destroyed by citizens. Some have argued for Gone With the Wind to be viewed a Confederate monument, and others against. My position skews more toward the latter camp: Whereas these monuments have one message  to celebrate and uphold a painful time in American history, whose scars linger to this day  a film, especially one with so many influences as Gone With the Wind, rarely holds a single message.

Treating Gone With the Wind as a relic that should be walled off in museums, as former New York Post critic Lou Lumenick suggested in a 2015 piece, may seem like the corrective necessary after the Academy Awards its garnered, its staggering financial success, and decades of worship. It would be simpler, under this guise, to brand Gone With the Wind as a Confederate monument that, despite its gorgeous construction, is too saddled by racism to enjoy, and should be resigned to the past. But that is a half measure. It lets modern Hollywood off the hook for displaying similar, casual racism, albeit in different forms, and modern white people from understanding the thorny truths the film holds. Gone With the Wind is not only the most successful Hollywood film about slavery, its the most instructive. Not because it dutifully recreates actual history  far from it actually. Better than any film, Gone With the Wind is a searing, accidental portrait about the American mythology around slavery. The mythology Gone With the Wind extols about cheery, simple-minded slaves who are unerringly faithful to their abusers and the beauty of a lost South isnt trapped in the amber of another time. It exists today in the loathsome, venomous beating heart at the core of American life. If Gone With the Wind were consigned to the past, it would make it easier for many to forget how indicative it is of our present.

D.W. Griffiths silent epic The Birth of a Nation is often spoken of alongside Gone With the Wind, given their shared qualities: innovation, controversy, and a dramatically dishonest portrait of American slavery. The Birth of a Nation is an unparalleled piece of propaganda that uses white actors in blackface to frame black people as savages and buffoons. It isnt just vile, it has been credited with the rebirth of the Ku Klux Klan in 1915. Where Birth of a Nation inspires violence and the perpetuation of virulent racism, Gone With the Wind inspires complacency  its mythology echoes today in a more casual form of bigotry that ignores the humanity of black people, while scrubbing white people clean of any wrongdoing.

Despite all that, Gone With the Wind has had a curious place in my heart for years. Its a film that brings me joy given its sheer beauty, craft, and towering place in film history. It has countless virtues, from the love story at its heart to its grand scope, which still remains specific in how it understands the emotional realities of its cast, and Clark Gable and Vivien Leigh at the height of their prowess. It is both tragic and endearing, electrifying in its romanticism and delightful in its humor. Whenever I see a particular shade of red or stand on the land I call home in rural Louisiana, sometimes my mind cant help but wander to Gone With the Wind. It casts a spell that is hard not to be beguiled by. Its this entrancing nature that makes its racism so tricky. Slaves are grinning, dumb fools, loyal to a cause that runs on their subservience. The film ignores the brutal reality of slavery and the Civil War in order to create a fairy tale about Southern perseverance through one Southern belles becoming.

It may seem curious for a black Southern woman like me to have affection for a film that ignores the horrors my ancestors endured in order to create the most iconic Southern belle of all time, that unabashedly celebrates the Souths greatest sins. Loving film, both classic and modern, can require a bifurcated approach (especially as a black woman), acknowledging the artistic wonder and its role in often supporting oppression. For me, this racial dimension to the film isnt merely an intellectual exercise or something I brush past in the news, but a lived reality. Gone With the Wind, in this light, becomes a way for me to study and understand the ways white people spin fables from an obstructed view of the past and present.

Its also a movie thats riddled with contradictions. Gone With the Wind elides historical truths and favors emotional ones from a white perspective, but it is hard to ignore that Mammy (played by Hattie McDaniel, who became the first black actor to win an Academy Award for her performance) is the soul and guiding force of the film. Its also impossible to look past the fact that she brings to life one of the most troublesome and enduring stereotypes that have beset black women since slavery. But McDaniels career and position within Gone With the Wind actually proves to be a useful way to understand the film. While supporting actor Butterfly McQueen (who played the manic fool, Prissy) resented the film and the business of Hollywood for its racism, McDaniel chose to remain mostly apolitical to advance her career. McDaniel inspired actors like MoNique, who paid homage to her when she won her Academy Award decades later for Precious. McDaniel has been viewed as a key step forward for black actors in the industry and a woman who put career success over the needs of her community. Shes said to have famously quipped when then-NAACP head Walter White critiqued her, I would rather make $700 a week playing a maid than $7 being one. Her support for Gone With the Wind in the face of vehement questioning from the black community exists at a nexus of issues. The same can be said for Gone With the Wind itself, which both fails to acknowledge the lived reality of the slaves that made women like Scarletts life possible, while also being a vehicle for McDaniels success.

So, what are we to make of Gone With the Wind and its blinkered perspective on history? How can we reckon with its failures as a historical document if America has yet to do the same with the poisonous roots that make such films possible in the first place? Some have suggested that Gone With the Wind screenings be accompanied by more evenhanded lectures that take its problems to task, which is a somewhat useful gesture. But these conversations have been happening since the film was released in 1939. Its also important to not act as if the failings of Gone With the Wind are an outlier from a more racist Hollywood past.

Hollywood has always loved presenting itself as a liberal mecca. (Take George Clooneys 2006 Oscar speech: You know we are a little bit out of touch in Hollywood, every once in a while. Its probably a good thing, he said. Were the ones who talk about AIDS when it was only being whispered. We talked about civil rights when it wasnt really popular.) But Gone With the Wind exists on a continuum of Hollywood racism that includes the whitewashing in recent films like Ghost in the Shell and Doctor Strange; still-beloved works like Dumbo and Breakfast at Tiffanys; the unequal pay that besets women of color; and issues people of color have simply making films and finding a place in cinemas canon.

Still, there is often the perception that Hollywood exists on a path of perpetual progress  that Hollywood today is more considerate and politically aware than its forebears. Case in point: Sitting alongside this debate about Gone With the Wind is also a curious name-checking of the Steve McQueenhelmed 2013 film 12 Years a Slave. This routine, which uses 12 Years a Slave as a cudgel to highlight the moral and historical failings of Gone With the Wind, isnt new. As Frank Rich noted in a New York Magazine feature from 2013:

 film critics as different as those of the Times, the New York Post, and Hollywood Life felt they had to address the continued sway of Gone With the Wind in their raves of 12 Years a Slave. All offered some variation on the thesis that the movie was, at long last, an antidote to (as Manohla Dargis put it) all the fiddle-dee-dee of its nearly 75-year-old predecessor, the film that was supposed to have been trampled into the dust by Roots more than a generation ago. Maybe, but tomorrow is always another day at Tara, and its probably wishful thinking that 12 Years a Slave will consign Mitchells magnolia-scented view of the South to oblivion any more than the far more widely disseminated Roots did.

A video essay from 2014, which made the rounds again during the GWTW controversy, intersplices scenes from Gone With the Wind and 12 Years a Slave to argue the formers dishonesty and the latters import.

An op-ed in the New Orleans Times-Picayune last week used the video to argue: In the kindest reading, Gone With the Wind is romanticized fiction. In a more realistic assessment, it is nothing but Lost Cause Confederate propaganda. If its history you are looking for, I suggest 12 Years A Slave, the 1853 memoir of Solomon Northup, a New York State-born free black man who was kidnapped in Washington, D.C., in 1841 and sold into slavery. [] That is history. That is truth.

But who is looking for history when watching narrative film? No film should be a proxy for historical record. Furthermore, hewing to a more truthful representation of historical fact narratively says nothing about the ways a film is shot or scored, which can easily warp the facts in any way the artists making it see fit. Film does operate as a history of industry mores, audience desires, and societal constraints. Touting 12 Years a Slave as a more important historic document and film than Gone With the Wind engenders several questions. Namely, what do we expect and need from films concerning this swath of time in American history? How are we to truly understand a film if we ignore its context?

Despite its bloody rendition of the conditions of slavery, I believe 12 Years a Slave is an easier watch for liberal whites given the distancing effect of the violence it displays. Its easy to look upon the whipped backs of Solomon Northup and other characters and think, Well, Im not that bad. I do not enforce such violence. This emotional distance allows modern white audiences to indict not their own bigotry, but those forms they feel are squarely in the past or wholly outside of their social circle. When watching Gone With the Wind, white audiences today who are willing to examine their racist failings must also examine how they specifically propagate the mythology that upholds white supremacy, even if they dont have the particular delusions that exist among white nationalists and people in the South, crying in horror at Confederate monuments being torn down. What makes Gone With the Winds racism so important and difficult to taxonomize is the deftness of its characterization. The white characters in the film, including minor bit players, feel real, complex, and human in ways many period epics fail to conceptualize. They are heroes it can be hard not to root for. For all her cruelty and selfishness, Scarletts prickly nature make her a fascinating anti-heroine. Yet everyone  including Melanie, one of the most selfless and naively angelic women ever portrayed in film  are still complicit in, and directly benefit from, the enslavement of black people. As an audience, you are captivated by them, and even root for their triumphs, while still being unable to forget the darkness teeming underneath the surface of the gorgeously wrought antebellum society Gone With the Wind brings to life. Their great capacity for racism exists in tandem with their own admirable qualities, making them frustratingly human and trickier to demonize than the more one-dimensionally villainous white characters in other slavery epics. The same can be said of white people today who, no matter how powerful they are as allies or how moved by films like 12 Years a Slave, benefit from the horrors that have existed against black people in this country since its beginnings.

To be black in America is to exist in a liminal space. This is the only home I know, but I am acutely aware that the distinctly American triumphs that Gone With the Wind upholds doesnt include Americans like me  it exists based on our subjugation. And to pass off the film as a relic and Confederate monument of a cinematic past ignores how its tactics exist today  it isnt just Gone With the Wind that needs a reckoning, but Hollywood, and America itself.
From left: Michael Crawford as The Phantom in The Phantom of the Opera, Patti LuPone as Eva Peron in Evita, Dean Jones as Bobby in Company, and Angela Lansbury as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd. Photo-Illustration: Maya Robinson/Vulture and Photos by Getty Images

We originally published this story on September 7, 2017, during the Broadway run of the musical revue Prince of Broadway. We are republishing it today in the wake of Hal Princes death.

Compiling a ranking of the ten best Broadway musicals that have been touched in some small way by the incomparable director and producer (and, let us not forget, former stage manager) Hal Prince  whose storied career is celebrated in the musical-anthology show Prince of Broadway, now playing at the Samuel J. Friedman Theatre  is a challenge. Its easy for such a list to seem like a list of the ten best Broadway musicals, period. Princes contribution to the American theater is so vast, so elemental, that it feels a little bit like ranking the ten best colors. A case can be made that green is a better color than yellow, but without both of them, the rainbow as we know it would cease to exist.

Still, Im always up for a challenge, particularly one that will engage and perhaps, enrage, the show-biz multiverse known as my Twitter feed. Also: I am increasingly convinced that online lists are the only tool we have left to bring soothing order to an increasingly chaotic and senseless world. So why dont we go for it? Avant!

10. The Phantom of the Opera (1986; director)

Let me tell you a story about a little girl. She was 6 years old, and growing up in Omaha, Nebraska. She had brown hair and a penicillin allergy, and her name was  well, her name isnt important right now. Lets just say that as painful as it would one day be for her to admit this in a public forum, she loved the Broadway cast album of The Phantom of the Opera. The electronic organ from the overture made her heart race. She named every single of one of her Barbies Christine Daae for an uncomfortably long period of time. And she used to pore over a coffee-table book about Phantoms behind-the-scenes making in order to discover all the secrets of a show whose exact plot remained mysterious, but whose score she had committed to memory. It was there, amid these glossy pages, that she first read the name and saw the face of Hal Prince, or as he was referred to, legendary director Harold Prince. The little girl didnt understand what this bearded man with the glasses pushed up on top of his bald head could have directed that might possibly rival the genius of Phantom, but she figured, What the hell, he must have done something sort of okay if he could figure out how to make a chandelier crash onto the stage night after night after night.

A couple of years later, the little girls parents took her to New York, where they got tickets to see The Phantom of the Opera, which by some miracle was still running by 1989, despite her fears that she would never have a chance to see its glory in person! (It is still running. It has been running now for 31 years, which is something like the average life expectancy of a human being throughout the majority of recorded history.) Just to have something else to do the night before, her dad stood on line at the TKTS booth and picked up some tickets to Jerome Robbins Broadway, which finally showed her some snippets of the very many other shows that Hal Prince had been involved in  all of which were way more delightful than the leaden production of Phantom that she finally saw, which confirmed for her older and wiser eyes and heart that the story still did not make any sense. Even so, Phantom is undeniable, and the gateway drug to the true genius of Hal Prince for a generation of future theater lovers.

9. Merrily We Roll Along (1981; director)

The show that brought an end to the charmed partnership of Hal Prince and Stephen Sondheim  freeing Sondheim up to explore new worlds with James Lapine  is often cited as one of Broadways biggest, most unexpected flops. Its true that many of the formal conceits of Princes original staging (the backwards structure, the casting of young and fresh-faced actors to play their jaded older selves, those shirts with the iron-on labels), while promising in conception, tended to obfuscate in performance what is essentially a simple, poignant story about the loss of innocence. But if Merrily was a failed experiment, it was a noble one, which has endured mightily in hundreds of revivals and revamps over the years, all of which have sought to rehabilitate a flawed show the way one might struggle to make sense of a problematic but beloved family member. It says something about Prince (and Sondheim, but were not talking about him right now, for once) that even his flops are still lasting successes.

8. Evita (1979; director)

Evita is Andrew Lloyd Webbers best musical, and its original Broadway production made stars of Patti LuPone and Mandy Patinkin, which alone would have been more than enough. But that production was seriously elevated by Princes mastery of spectacle and scale, not to mention his deft, class-conscious touch, which lent just enough sardonic humor to what might otherwise have been an overwrought tale about a simple woman who became something akin to a queen. The bottom line: When a shows single most iconic moment is a directorial flourish  like, say, the way Eva Peron in her white dress raises her arms to greet the crowds outside the Casa Rosada  you know youve got Hal Prince to thank.

7. Cabaret (1966; director/producer)

The big-screen Cabaret that Bob Fosse directed in 1972 is one of the few film adaptations of a Broadway musical that far surpasses its source. But the reasons for that  Liza Minnellis electric performance, mostly, plus the post-sexual-revolution ability to highlight themes that could only be hinted at six years earlier  have nothing to do with Princes work on the original Broadway production. His staging introduced Broadway audiences to the dark and dizzying world of Berlin in the Weimar years, brilliantly cast real-life Weimar-era legend Lotte Lenya in the role of the pragmatic landlady Fraulein Schneider, and cemented a place in the firmament for composer John Kander and lyricist Fred Ebb, who had seen a modest success on Broadway the year before with Flora the Red Menace (produced by Prince, and starring Minnelli in her Tony-winning Broadway debut). Its a classic.

5 and 6 (tie). Follies (1971; director/producer) and A Little Night Music (1973; director/producer)

These two jewels of Sondheim and Princes artistically unsurpassed decade of collaboration share a ranking here simply because I can never decide which one of them I like better. Do I feel old and defeated and lost in the past, even as I try bravely to keep myself from drowning in my revisionist memories? Then its Follies and its world of decaying chorus girls and vaudeville theaters for me. Or do I feel vaguely more hopeful about the future, nostalgic for my dewy youth but not entirely unhinged by it, and with a sense of humor about my revisionist memories? (No, not even figs / Raisins!) Then its my sentimental favorite, A Little Night Music, where old age is made vastly more comfortable by the possession of a lovely estate at which to weekend in the country and laugh at the stupidity of love. Both shows  and Princes gorgeous original productions of them  show a wise and inimitable empathy for the follies of the human heart. They share the essential kindness and humor that Prince used to soften Sondheims cerebral remove. Both shows are about regret, both about love, both about aging without growing wiser. That they feel and looked so different is testament to Princes ingenuity with material and form.

4. West Side Story (1957; co-producer)

Leonard Bernstein and Stephen Sondheims iconic reimagining of Romeo and Juliet for the modern era, which Prince co-produced, did not win the Tony award for Best Musical. The honor that year went to Meredith Wilsons The Music Man, and I have, in debates of varying decibel levels, sometimes ending in tears, contended that The Music Man, a perfect jewel box of a show, deserved it. We will save that essay for another time. The point is, that doesnt even slightly diminish the importance of West Side Story. West Side Story is canon. It is the groundwater of the modern musical, an infinite aquifer from which all further works of formal experimentation, from Company to Rent to Hamilton, have ultimately sprung. That a 29-year-old Prince managed to get in on its creation is nothing short of astonishing, and crucial to understanding his essential role in the development of American musical theater.

3. Company (1970; director)

Oh, man. Company. How do you even write about Company, except to say its the Ur-text not only of the Sondheim-Prince collaboration, but arguably of a huge swath of popular culture today? Previous to Companys explosion across the stage, the characters populating musicals were generally cowboys and gamblers and gang members and other exotic types. Rarely, if ever, had the upper- and upper-middle-class Manhattanites who made up a typical Broadway audience seen themselves so incisively rendered on a stage, in all their funny, neurotic, pretentious, jaded yet poignant yearning for meaningful connection. And if that doesnt seem momentous enough, think about this: Without Company, not only might todays musicals lack characters reflecting hip urban mores, there might also be nothing on television that didnt involve a cop, an emergency room, or a dragon. Yes, the show is that influential, whether the later works it influenced know it or not.

2. Fiddler on the Roof (1964; producer)

Of course, Company itself was not without prior influences. Its possible to draw a straight line back from those sophisticated New Yorkers, with their vodka stingers and marijuana and talk of sexual flexibility, to the stressed-out villagers of Fiddler on the Roof. Before those urbane, uptown, intellectual, cosmopolitan (and other veiled synonyms for Jewish) Broadway audiences were ready to see their present-day selves on the stage, they needed to see who they  or at least, their relatively recent ancestors  had once been: a bunch of dairymen and tailors struggling to keep their balance in the face of poverty and oppression. As producer of one of Broadways most unlikely megahits, Hal Prince had the foresight to see the universality in Fiddlers specificity. It may seem obvious now, but it took a leap of faith to realize that every culture, the world over, would be able to see its own image in the little Russian shtetl of Anatevka.

1. Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street (1979; director)

With its astonishing lyrical complexity, grim Grand Guignol humor, and dazzling score that leaps effortlessly from foreboding dissonance to heartbreaking melodic beauty, Sweeney Todd may well be Sondheims ultimate masterpiece. It is undoubtedly Harold Princes. While the shows many notable revivals have often aimed for a pared-down vibe (John Doyle, 2005, a.k.a. the one where Patti LuPone played the tuba) or a site-specific one (the recent British-transplant production that turned the Barrow Street Theater into a working pie shop), Princes original Broadway production went big. Its vast set evoked the classist charnel house of Victorian London, a giant backdrop against which its stars, Len Cariou and Angela Lansbury, were made up to look like nightmarish yet terrifyingly real dolls.

The result is his crowning achievement, the greatest directorial triumph of perhaps Broadways greatest-ever director. Nobody who saw it will ever forget it (even if they were a child, and it was a filmed performance for PBSs Great Performances series). For me, at least, Princes Sweeney Todd created no shortage of images that are now permanently engraved on my brain. Just thinking of that barber chair still gives me the shivers. And really, what more can you ask from the theater?
From left: Mick Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts, Bill Wyman, and Brian Jones. Photo: Michael Cooper

This week the Morrison Hotel Gallery in Soho is opening a photography exhibit commemorating Their Satanic Majesties Request, the Rolling Stones 1967 foray into psychedelia. September 14 marks 50 years since they clustered into a New York studio and posed for the cover shot.

The man behind the camera that weekend was Michael Cooper, who had also shot the cover of the Beatles Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band three months earlier. Throughout the 60s and early 70s, Cooper photographed a number of rock bands, artists, and writers, including Eric Clapton and Allen Ginsberg, but aside from the Sgt. Peppers cover, his work with the Stones, from both the studio and the road, is his main legacy. He committed suicide in 1973.

The 20-photo exhibit, Their Satanic Majesties Request  The Making of an Album Cover, runs from September 8 through September 20, and features many never-before-seen images and behind-the-scenes photos from the innovative shoot. It was curated by Coopers son Adam, a filmmaker in his own right, and by Peter Blachley, co-owner of the Morrison Hotel Gallery. We called Adam this week to ask about the story behind the shoot.

Drummer Charlie Watts. Photo: Michael Cooper

How did your father get involved with the band?

A friend introduced him to Keith Richards, and they became very close friends from the beginning. Keith had a great interest in photography and was very interested to know about the process of developing and printing and all of that. And of course Michael had a great interest in music. So the two of them sort of married together from the outset, and that allowed Michael to hang out with them day to day, in different situations. And the thing about Michael was that he always, always  as they say, 24/7  had a camera around his neck, with film loaded in it, and was ready to shoot. The collection I have is 70,000 images in a 10-year period, and about 3,500 are of the Stones.

When Michael died, I was 9 years old, but here I am now in my early 50s, and Im still discovering more images pop up, and more people pop up, telling me stories of their experiences together.

When did you start exhibiting his photography?

I inherited the collection when I was 18, because it was held in trust until people deemed that I was responsible enough to look after it. I went through this massive cardboard box of negatives that were completely in disarray. It wasnt until then that I really discovered the material I had. I first put out a book of his work in 1990. The Stones were touring for Steel Wheels at the time, so we organized exhibitions in major cities around the world, in combination with where the Stones were performing. Keith and Ronnie and Charlie would come down once and a while and be there at the opening.

Photo: Michael Cooper

Whats the story behind the photos for the Satanic Majesties cover?

Well, Sgt. Pepper was such a tremendous success, of course the Stones wanted to jump on that bandwagon and take advantage of it. So they went to Michael as a friend and said, Look, youve done Sgt. Pepper. We want to do a similar type of thing with Satanic Majesties. Typical of Michael, he wanted to take it one step further, so he said, Okay, lets do a 3-D cover. One of the only 3-D cameras that existed in the world in those days was in New York, so they went off to Mount Vernon Studios.

Both bands were pretty much equal in popularity at the time, but the difference in the attitude of the record companies was completely distinctive. EMI rolled out the red carpet, and the Beatles came in for a three-hour photo session once the set had been built and committed it to history. They literally walked in, put on the uniforms, did some black-and-white test shots, and that was it. They were treated like the most popular band in the world at the moment, which they were. But the Stones were pretty much up there with them, as far as popularity was concerned. They pitched the idea to Allen Klein and ABKCO, which was their recording company, and they said, Yeah, fine, you can do whatever you want, but youre going to have to build the set, and youre gonna have to go out and buy the clothing. And basically, the Stones, along with Michael, put this album cover together themselves. In the photography that comes across in the exhibition, you can actually see it. Theres Keith down on the floor with a saw and glue. Theyre literally building the set.

The tragedy of the cover was that it was supposed to be three-dimensional, so when you angled it in front of your face, the heads of the Stones would change direction. But of course, when Allen Klein and ABKCO received the budget for a worldwide, mass-market edition, it was immediately rejected because the cost was just too much. They ended up doing a 500-copy limited edition, which ended up with lots of friends and family and whatever. And its not until now, here we are 50 years later, that ABKCO are actually reissuing the album with the 3-D cover.

It was your fathers design, right?

Yeah, he came up with the concept and the art direction and everything else. It was pretty much a one-man show with the Stones attached to it. Keith says, There wasnt a photographer that we would ever have allowed to dictate to us what we should be doing for the cover.

Bill Wyman checking out hats. Photo: Michael Cooper

The cover also gives a nod to the Beatles. Do you know the story there?

The British press were constantly dreaming up rumors that relations between the Beatles and the Stones were always bad, and they presented this bad-boy image of the Stones and the clean image of the Beatles and all of that. It was a complete invention by the press. People believed it, so the Stones, by 1967, said, Weve had enough of this shit. Lets try to communicate through the cover to tell the public this is not the truth.

So what you see on the Satanic Majesties cover, amongst the flowers, is the four faces of the Beatles. And in Sgt. Peppers, which was released earlier that same year, you see the doll in the right-hand corner of the cover, which says Welcome the Rolling Stones. It was their way of somewhat silently communicating between themselves, but also to the public, to say, This is all a load of crap. We have great relations with the Beatles. We have great respect for them.

Keith, again, to quote him, says, Wed get on the phone and wed talk to John or Paul, and say, Hey, hows your new album coming along? And theyd say, Its going to be released in a couple weeks. And wed say, Ours is ready as well, but well hold off so that we dont clash. That was the relationship. If you look at the famous All You Need Is Love video, which they recorded live in the studio, theres Mick and Keith sitting on the floor, singing along with the rest of the band.

Charlie Watts and Keith Richards on the left; Mick Jagger in the foreground. Photo: Michael Cooper

Do you think theres any particular conceit behind the Satanic Majesties cover? With Sgt. Peppers the idea was clear: They were playing these characters in an old band that was reuniting after all these years, and they had a director named Billy Shears, et cetera. Do you think there was anything similar going on with Satanic Majesties?

Eh  no, personally, I dont think so. I think what they were jumping on was the fact that in England, this was the summer of love, flower power was kicking in, there was a lot of influence from drugs of course. I dont think they were trying to necessarily make a statement. In the 60s, a lot of bands were pretty much copying each other because of popularity. I mean Sgt. Peppers really was a groundbreaking album cover. It had never been done before. Nobody had ever thought, Lets put the lyrics for every song on the back cover of this album. And the Stones jumped onto that popularity and tried to turn it into their own thing.

Do you have any favorite images from the collection?

One of my particular favorites is a shot Michael took of Keith on the day of the Hyde Park 69 concert, which turned into a tribute to Brian. They were staying in a hotel opposite the park, and they hadnt performed live for like two years. Unbelievable as it may seem, they were really worried that no one was going to turn up for the concert. So Michael and Keith went up on the rooftop of the hotel to see how many people were turning up. Keith was wearing these reflective glasses, and Michael took this amazing shot of the sunlight beaming out of one of the lenses.

It impresses me so much because its a great composition, its a beautiful image, but you and I know that youve got probably about one second to get that  and he did. I think thats the beauty of Michaels work: this ability to get himself into the position, find the right composition, focus, put the right T-stop on the lens, and grab it in seconds. Because 90 percent of the work Michael did with the Stones  it was never rehearsed, it was never planned, it was never commissioned. It was just him being there. Fly-on-the-wall stuff. Great documentary, montage-type material.

Yeah. In that documentary vein, I also like some of the shots that show them putting the physical set together: one of Brian Jones holding a can of spray paint, another of Mick crouching on the floor, cutting a piece of foil or something.

This is why we and Morrison Hotel came up with the obvious title of The Making of an Album Cover  because it really is the making of an album cover. But its actually the making of an album cover actually by the band thats performing and appearing on said cover. Morrison gave me the opportunity to try and depict that as a complete process, do you know what I mean?

Richards and Jagger. Photo: Michael Cooper

Do you know how much time they spent on this, between assembling the costumes and the set and doing the shoot?

They arrived on  I think it was September 12, in New York, and they started prepping and producing September 13 and 14, and they shot the session on the 14th, probably through to the early hours of the 15th. And that was it, done. I mean, Keith says that, God knows how he did it, but Michael arranged for the stores in New York to be open on a Sunday so they could go look at things and buy things and traipse back to the studio and put the whole set together, and try on different costumes, and as always, with photographers, they always shoot more than youre ever going to use. There are lots of Charlie and Bill and Brian posing with instruments in different situations  which was all submitted to ABKCO, and like all record companies, they chose the images that they thought [were] suited best for the album, and then the rest of the material went back to Michael.

Have you ever managed to pry out any specific anecdotes about that weekend?

No, in all honesty, the Stones tend to walk away from the past. And what you also have to remember is that relations between ABKCO and the Stones at that time were not good, because the Stones signed a contract that meant Allen Klein was going to make the majority of the money. Theyve never said the album doesnt exist, because they cant, but at the same time, its not their best album. Mick says, you know, We werent in the right place at the time. There were too many problems, too many personal things going on, too many problems with the authorities, doing drugs and everything else. But at the same time, they were there in the thick of it all, you know?

This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.
A scene from Trophy. Photo: TROPHY LLC/TROPHY LLC

Dont look for a note at the end of the brilliantly ambivalent hunting documentary Trophy attesting that no animals onscreen were injured or killed. The violence against elephants, rhinos, and crocodiles is real and sickening, committed by people who  in the opinion of this critic  should have the Born Free theme piped into their bedrooms every night until blood streams from their ears and they grovel for forgiveness. But dont look for a blanket condemnation of hunting, either  even the canned hunting done by rich white people on the plains of poor African countries. And dont expect a diatribe against the international rhino-horn market, however absurd and criminal. Look instead for truths  some ugly  that cant be reconciled.

Director Shaul Schwarz is best known for his 2013 documentary Narco Cultura, which objectively profiled the celebration in some Latin American quarters of narcotics traffickers  violent outlaws who nonetheless symbolize a path out of poverty. As Brecht wrote, Food is the first thing. Morals follow on. Our sympathies seesaw in Trophy, too. Consider the second scene, set in a South African rhinoceros ranch owned by John Hume. It begins with a woman shooting a rhino  horrible  with what turns out to be a tranquilizer gun  not so bad  before Hume and his men saw off the horn  horrible  after which Hume asserts he has just saved the rhinos life, insofar as poachers wont kill a hornless rhino. An animal doesnt go extinct, Hume maintains, when farmers are able to breed it and make money. And rhino horns grow back. But Hume is in desperate financial straits. In 2009, South Africa banned the sale of rhino horns, and if the ban persists, Hume might have to release his 1,300-plus protected rhinos  out of a world population of 25,000.How can he afford to protect them from the poachers responsible for (in a graphic scene) a small field of mutilated rhino corpses?

This is all, to say the least, counterintuitive, but Schwarz and his co-director, Christina Clusiau, give Humes words a great deal of weight. Later in the film, Hume travels to London to debate Born Free USA CEO Adam Roberts, who decries the containment, confinement, and commodification of animals. The crowd is firmly on his side, and Id have been, too, if there werent a kind of higher math at work in African conservation. South Africa, conservationist Craig Packer points out, was virtually denuded of wildlife in the late-20th century, and now, as a result of landowners breeding on private land  for conservation and hunting tourism  the big cats are back.

Schwarz scrutinizes the hunters dispassionately, as one might any other species. They gather at a sort of watering hole (a Las Vegas convention) to explore their prospects for killing and stuffing big game in the coming year. One half-admires an avid hunter named Philip Glass (not the composer!) for being brave enough to allow Schwarz and Clusiau to photograph him shooting large animals and teaching his young son to do the same. We never, after all, heard from the craven Minneapolis dentist Walter Palmer  the bow-and-arrow hunter who in 2015 arranged to lure the beloved Zimbabwe black-maned lion Cecil from a wildlife sanctuary, finished him off, and went into hiding when photos of him posing with Cecil went viral. But Glass is a hard man not to hoot at. He recounts how his mother once told him never to shoot a red bird, after which he promptly went out and shot one. There is no way, he says, I could have loved that bird more, even though it was dead. Oddly, he attributes this necrophilia to God, who gave man dominion over the animals, and adds that touching a dead or dying animal has convinced him that anybody who believes in evolution is a complete fool. Its hard, however, to think of God during the films most agonizing scene, in which Glass shoots a young elephant and we hear its dying whimpers. No government bureaucrat, Glass avows, can keep him from his trophy.

It would be easy to despise him, along with a flagrantly rich fellow (unnamed for his own protection, reportedly) who watches a crocodile die and asks his guide, laughing, How much [did I pay] for that sucker? How much was Cecil? But this, suggests Trophy, is Africas Faustian bargain. The big bucks of assholes underwrite protection from poachers. And how topsy-turvy is it when Schwarz and Clusiau film black families cowering in pools of light from the black boots that have busted into their hovels and we find ourselves on the side of the invaders? The black boots are anti-poaching officers  led by the affable redhead Chris Moore  and the families are those of poachers whose grisly handiwork weve observed. Moore muses sadly that sometimes hes saving animals from poachers so they can be hunted.

Its too bad that Schwarz and Clusiau dont explore the economics of ecotourism  Id love to know if it generates as much revenue as hunting. But I suspect that those figures wouldnt simplify much. Nothing in Trophy shakes out neatly, because everyone onscreen has his or her own set of values and every value is in conflict. The movie is richer in every way for its tangled sympathies. It will leave you angry, sick, and confused  but not smug. Never smug.

*This article appears in the September 4, 2017, issue of New York Magazine.
Kenyan hide traders look to Italy

As the return to work of the Italians is lending some hope to bovine tanners and traders for an improvement in a market that is otherwise still quiet.

Quotations of wet-blue have slid US2-5/sq ft since July on all offers, meaning a 5-8% decline depending on size and selection. The lower grade hides are still attracting interest from Indian buyers, mainly in Calcutta, indicating that the turmoil following the GST tax introduction in India is now over.

For the latest Kenyan bovine, ovine and caprine prices click here.
I first heard their music when I played an arrangement of their tune Black Cow in high school jazz band. There was something about its jazzy grove that instantly intrigued me. But I already had my favorite music and was as comfortable in my tastes as any high school student.

It wasnt until a few years later that this music crossed my path again and I learned it was by a group called Steely Dan. I bought their Best Of album and soon I had worn it out. The group was made up of two tremendously talented songwriters and musicians named Donald Fagen and Walter Becker. Becker died Sunday, Sept. 3, at the age of 67.

Walter Becker was born in Queens in 1950. He met Fagen at Bard College in Annandale, New York in 1967. The two shared an interest in jazz (not altogether common among college students in 1967) and started writing what Fagen later described as nutty little tunes. Of his partner, Fagen said, We think very much the same musically. I can start songs and Walter can finish them. Hes a very good editor also. Hell suggest improvements on my original idea, and then well work on lyrics together. They recorded their first album in 1972.

Im not well-trained enough in jazz to dissect their complex chords, but suffice it to say that theyre not the same ones you usually come across in a typical three-chord rock-and-roll or blues tune. A critic writing in the New York Times the day Becker died described their music as incorporating richly ambiguous harmonies rooted in Debussy, Duke Ellington, Charlie Parker and Sonny Rollins, giving the songs a sophisticated core that would be widely influential across jazz and pop.

Becker never thought of his music as a fusion of jazz and rock, as so many described it as being. Instead, he told Rolling Stone in 1974, we play rock & roll, but we swing when we play. We want that ongoing flow, that lightness, that forward rush of jazz. One critic, however, said that their music was a well-forged alloy of the two  you couldnt separate the pop music from the jazz.

After a few albums, they abandoned touring (much like the Beatles did in 1966) and devoted their attention to recording their carefully-crafted songs with an evolving group of talented session musicians instead of being a band in any real sense. After releasing their seventh album in 1980, they didnt record again for 20 years, but in 2000 and 2003 they made two more albums.

Smooth, jazzy, slick, ironic, smart, witty and acerbic are some of the words most commonly used to describe their music and their lyrics. Becker and Fagens music is one of the rare examples of how one style of music can incorporate fundamental aspects of others, whether you think of their work as jazz-influenced pop or the other way around.

Last Saturday I was cleaning out a trunk full of papers at my dads house and I found the program from the concert at which my high school jazz band played Black Cow. As if in a bookend of that memory, the next day news came that Walter Becker had died.

I listened to that song as I wrote this and, as always, it hooked me again, a testament to the broad horizons and lasting influence pop music can have when its crafted in the hands of truly talented musicians. Unlike so much pop, Steely Dans music remains utterly distinctive.
Longtime Waco builders Fred Dewald and Richard Clark have teamed up to create a new subdivision in West Waco that will feature construction of more than 700 homes on property just blocks away from Castleman Creek Elementary School.

Called Creekside, the development in the Midway Independent School District will offer homes priced from $200,000 to $400,000 and may fill up within six years, if the local housing market continues to sizzle, Dewald said. He and Clark have developed local subdivisions including Villages of Twin Rivers and Stone Creek Ranch.

Dewald and Clark have recruited at least nine local builders to buy lots and place homes in Creekside, providing Greater Waco-based contractors an opportunity to compete with national and regional giants D.R. Horton, Stylecraft and John Houston Homes that continue to build hundreds of homes in the local market, Dewald said.

Creekside has road frontage on Warren Road and eventually Ritchie Road, which makes the subdivision conveniently located with easy access to Hewitt Drive, Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 84, Dewald said in a press release. Creekside is near schools, city parks, shopping, restaurants and hospitals, but cozily tucked away in a quiet spot to call home.

When fully developed, Creekside will have 750 homes of various sizes, adding $250 million in property values to McLennan County appraisals for taxation purposes, Dewald said in a phone interview.

Were already getting inquiries and have received commitments for the first 50 lots. We offered those to the builders first, Dewald said. These are going to be nice, custom-like homes on gently rolling land with a lot of elevation changes. I believe it is going to be first-class.

The Creekside development is roughly bounded by West Warren Street, Ritchie Road and Bonham Drive.

The first phase of Creekside will start taking shape this month, with 120 lots becoming available for site development by builders.

Im going to buy four lots right off, said Ronnie Laird, a 40-year veteran of the local construction trade. Ive been through several recessions, the tough times of the 70s and 80s, and it boggles my mind what people are paying for houses in Waco, Texas, these days.

But Laird said he will get with the program at Creekside and build 2,000- to 2,100-square-foot homes priced at $300,000 or more.

New subdivisions sprouting in Greater Waco With buyers snapping up homes the day they hit the market, or as soon as there is a whisper of their availability, builders are planning new

Ronnie McNiel, owner of McNiel Homes Inc., said he likewise will kick off his participation in Creekside by securing four lots in the first phase.

Ive had a hard time finding lots since January, so I havent been building speculative homes, McNiel said. Custom homes and a couple of big remodels have been keeping me busy.

Larger homebuilding companies are making a splash but not necessarily hurting smaller builders, he said.

We may build a better mousetrap, McNiel said. They use the same floor plans over and over in a cookie-cutter approach. They buy materials in bulk, so they may beat us in price. But competition is good, especially if Waco keeps growing like it has been the past few years.

David Oates, owner of David Oates Construction, called himself a one-person operation who tackles homebuilding projects as demand dictates. He has agreed to ply his trade at Creekside.

Ricky Clark contacted me about the project, and it looks like Im down for a couple of lots in the first addition, Oates said. I like the area, and the school district is popular. I think Creekside will become a great asset for its hometown, considering the involvement of established local builders.

Asked about demand for the homes, Oates said it is always a question.

Of course, if you build a good product and it is marketed correctly, you will prevail, he said. But there is always concern in construction. Im not positive about demand in Waco, though the economy is doing well, as everyone knows. Supply can meet demand and then some.

Scott Bland, a local builder and president of the Heart of Texas Builders Association, applauds the arrival of Creekside.

I think its in a good spot, and when you have local builders involved, thats a plus, Bland said, adding that D.R. Hortons massive, 1,500-home Park Meadows development is right around the corner.

Subdivision with 260 luxury homes planned for Lorena Loera Home Builders, which specializes in speculative homes valued at more than $1 million, has announced it will develop a $130 million subdi

Bland said he has no quarrel with D.R. Horton, which is building homes ideally suited for young couples needing a starter residence.

A D.R. Horton website devoted to Park Meadows shows home floor plans in varied styles and carrying prices ranging from $168,000 to $212,000.

Those people will be my clients in eight or 10 years, when theyve built up some equity and want to move, Bland said. Thats what Fred (Dewald) is doing, offering a place right around the corner from D.R. Horton.

Dewald and Richard Clark are offering lots priced from the high $30,000s to about $50,000 in Creekside, which is located in an area of Waco roughly bounded by West Warren Street, Ritchie Road and Bonham Drive.

I believe in five years, there will be 4,000 to 5,000 new houses throughout that area, Dewald said.

Bland said he would not necessarily argue with that assessment.

About the only thing that might concern me is the city of Wacos ability to provide the infrastructure to support such growth, Bland said.
A hearing initially set for Thursday morning to determine if 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother should be recused from the first Twin Peaks biker case set for trial was canceled late Wednesday because neither the biker nor his attorney could attend the hearing.

Houston attorney Casie Gotro, who represents Bandidos Dallas chapter President Christopher Jacob Carrizal, notified the court Wednesday evening that she and Carrizal were given inadequate notice of the hearing and wont be able to attend.

No new date for the recusal hearing is set, but Senior Judge Dan Mills, appointed to hear the motion, has suggested 1:30 p.m. Friday.

Gotro could not be reached Wednesday evening and had not responded to the courts email about the alternate hearing date.

The hearing Thursday would have been held eight days after a visiting judge recused Strother from hearing the cases of three bikers arrested at Twin Peaks.

Gotro filed a handwritten motion to recuse Strother on Friday as Strother was preparing to impanel 180 potential jurors in Carrizals case and ask them to fill out background questionnaires to aid in jury selection.

Jury selection in Carrizals trial is set to start Tuesday. However, if Strother is recused again, it could put Carrizals case on hold until regional administrative Judge Billy Stubblefield sorts through the litigation limbo.

Strother recused in 3 Twin Peaks biker cases A retired judge ruled Wednesday that 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother should be remo

Stubblefield appointed Mills, who presided over a court that covered Blanco, Burnet, Llano and San Saba counties, to hear Gotros recusal motion.

The hearing was set because Strother declined to recuse himself, despite the fact that Gotro incorporated the same set of allegations attorneys for the three bikers used to get the judge recused.

Judge Ralph Strother should be recused from this case, a supplemental motion filed later by Gotro states. His comments and his actions have demonstrated he is either unwilling or unable to remain fair and impartial in this case.

Further, Judge Strothers blatant bias for the state and equally blatant animus for the defendant and his counsel have reached fever pitch and are so extreme they have resulted in an outright denial of defendants rights to counsel, effective assistance of that counsel, due process and due course of law.

Strother has presided over several heated hearings in which Gotro has accused prosecutors of lying and not providing her the evidence to which she is entitled, putting her in a precarious position of demanding a speedy trial for Carrizal but saying she cant be ready until the state provides the evidence.

In bid for recusal, Twin Peaks bikers argue judge favored prosecutors A retired judge assigned to determine if 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother should be 

McLennan County District Attorney Abel Reyna has said his office wants to try Carrizal first. He and assistant Michael Jarrett continually have assured the court they have provided all materials they have available to Gotro, adding that when some DNA and ballistics evidence that Gotro wanted retested returns, they will provide that as soon as possible.

Gotro charges in her recusal motion that Strother ignored her pleadings to present evidence regarding the existence of police audio and video recordings made at the May 2015 Twin Peaks shootout that left nine dead and dozens injured.

When defense counsel was finally able to locate enough independent corroboration proving the evidence existed, the state finally produced the evidence  to include an additional hour of video footage from one police car and nine audio recordings of witness statements  all of which have been in the exclusive possession of the state for two and a half years and all of which are now known to be favorable to the defense, the motion states.

Judge Strother has failed to make a single inquiry of the state regarding this material and favorable evidence, according to the motion. Rather he continues to blindly accept the states illogical and preposterous excuses.

Mills was appointed in 2005 to be the first judge of the newly created 424th District Court. Before that, he served as a federal prosecutor in Austin for the Western District of Texas, which also includes Waco, for 18 years. Prior to that, he worked eight years as an assistant attorney general.

In removing Strother from cases involving bikers Thomas Paul Landers, Rolando Reyes and George Bergman, Judge James Morgan of Bosque County wrote the average man on the street might say, Judge, youre just not being fair.
A hearing to determine if 19th State District Judge Ralph Strother should be removed from presiding over a Twin Peaks biker case has been reset for Monday morning.

The hearing originally had been set for Thursday. However, it had to be rescheduled after Houston attorney Casie Gotro notified the court Wednesday evening that she and her client, Bandidos Dallas chapter President Christopher Jacob Carrizal, had not been given adequate notice and could not be there.

Senior Judge Dan Mills, a former federal prosecutor, has been appointed to hear the recusal motion. Jury selection in Carrizals case is set to start Tuesday. However, with the 11th-hour recusal motion and Gotros continued allegations that prosecutors are withholding evidence vital to her defense, it is unclear if the trial will be held as scheduled.

Gotro has said she should not be forced to choose between Carrizals constitutional right to a speedy trial and his right to be provided with evidence in the states possession Carrizal is entitled to have before trial.

Carrizal, 36, of Dallas, would be the first to go to trial of the 155 indicted in the May 2015 shootout between rival biker groups at Twin Peaks that left nine dead and dozens injured.

Retired State District Judge James Morgan ruled last month that Strother should be recused from hearing the cases of bikers Thomas Paul Landers, Rolando Reyes and George Bergman after hearing testimony Aug. 16. Like Gotro, attorneys for the trio alleged Strother has shown favoritism toward prosecutors in selecting trial dates for bikers and assisting prosecutors in serving DNA warrants on bikers by scheduling a hearing and requiring those charged in his court to attend.

Gotro filed a handwritten motion to recuse Strother last Friday as Strother was preparing to impanel 180 potential jurors in Carrizals case. Strother, who declined to recuse himself, stopped the proceedings and notified regional administrative Judge Billy Stubblefield of the motion.

Stubblefield appointed Mills, who presided over a court that covered Blanco, Burnet, Llano and San Saba counties, to hear Gotros recusal motion.

Judge Ralph Strother should be recused from this case, Gotro wrote in a supplemental motion. His comments and his actions have demonstrated he is either unwilling or unable to remain fair and impartial in this case.

Further, Judge Strothers blatant bias for the state and equally blatant animus for the defendant and his counsel have reached fever pitch and are so extreme they have resulted in an outright denial of defendants rights to counsel, effective assistance of that counsel, due process and due course of law.

Prosecutors have denied Gotros accusations and said they are ready to try Carrizal. In a motion filed late last month to give Carrizal notice of other evidence the state might try to introduce against him, Assistant District Attorney Amanda Dillon listed 13 incidents in which the Bandidos were involved in violent confrontations dating back to 1983.

Two of those incidents involved altercations with the Cossacks, including a December 2014 shooting at Gators Bar in Fort Worth that left a rival biker dead and others wounded. The notice also lists two incidents in Gregg County a week apart in April 2013 in which biker Lonnie Green was injured in both fights.

The 13 incidents dont refer to Carrizal specifically, only to Bandido altercations around the state. However, one of the elements that prosecutors must prove to convict Carrizal is that he was acting as part of the identifiable leadership of a criminal street gang at Twin Peaks.

In the portion of the notice that pertains to Carrizal, prosecutors allege six incidents since November 2016 in which they say Carrizal violated the terms and conditions of his felony bond by associating with other members of a motorcycle club/gang, or by failing to remain within the limits of the counties listed in the courts bond.

Carrizal is charged with one count of directing activities of a criminal street gang, for which the punishment range is from 25 to 99 years or life in prison, and two counts of engaging in organized criminal activity with underlying charges of murder and aggravated assault.
Baylor University will not waver on its commitment to students in the wake of President Donald Trumps plan to end a program that extends legal status to certain young immigrants, according to a statement President Linda Livingstone released Wednesday.

But the university will not take a stance on the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, spokesman Jason Cook said.

Trump's plan will end DACA protections in six months, and the president has said he expects Congress to find a legislative solution by then.

Baylor is committed to providing continued support to all affected students, according to Livingstones statement.

Fostering a caring community that is diverse and vibrant is at the core of who we are as a Christian institution, she wrote. We are called to spread the love of Christ  at home and abroad  as we strive each and every day to be His hands and feet. DACA students have been an important part of the Baylor Family for several years.

'Dreamers' face anxiety with Obama-era immigration shield under threat Grecia Cantu is living the kind of normal life that seemed out of reach a few years ago: dri

The Baylor Law School Immigration Clinic has helped more than 300 Waco-area residents, including students, with DACA-related and other immigration needs since 2012, according to the statement.

When asked whether the university administration supports the dismantling of DACA, Cook said, Baylors position is that we are going to maintain our commitment in support for our students.

Cook said university officials presume there are Baylor students who are part of the DACA program, but they do not know how many because the university does not collect that information.

Livingstone wrote that the university will protect student privacy, as required under federal law, and the university police department will comply with all federal laws. She also directed students to the universitys Center for Global Engagement, which Cook said regularly works with students regarding visas, documentations, financial aid and other matters.

I assure you, Baylor will not waver in our commitment to support all of our students and celebrate the diversity of our student body, Livingstone wrote.

Religion graduate student Laura Lysen said Livingstones message is a vast improvement over recent messages from the university on other immigration-related issues.

Lysen was a co-author of a petition early this year that asked Baylor to declare itself a sanctuary campus that will refuse to comply with immigration investigations or deportations to the fullest extent possible, including denying access to university property.

Then-interim President David Garland declined to declare the university a sanctuary campus, saying the term lacks specificity and that many of the petitions requests were already Baylor policy.

Livingstones message is reassuring that the university is on the side of undocumented students, and a good starting point, Lysen said.

I am sad that weve reduced ourselves to taking back from these students the tenuous status they had found in their own home society, that there is so little we have seemed able to offer them at Baylor so far, that I dont even know how these students themselves are hearing this statement and all of this news, when they are the ones who matter here, she said.

Livingstones statement also includes links for individuals to find and contact their elected officials, which speaks volumes, said Hope Mustakim, a Waco Immigrants Alliance volunteer and community organizer.

We need people to realize the power of their voice collectively, Mustakim said. You may think youre one person calling but when 10 students call and then 20 students call, it can make a difference.

Though some immigrant advocates said they appreciate the general message, Father Nicholas Krause, assisting priest at Christ Church Waco, said Livingstones statement lacks specificity on key policies.

It did not touch on policies concerning the role of campus police, their relationship to city police and immigration authorities and did not mention a requirement for warrants for Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to enter campus property, said Krause, who is also a religion graduate student.

We hope for the administration to make public and accessible the specifics of these policies in order to ensure the security and protection of vulnerable members of our university community, he said.

Chief says SB 4 won't put Waco PD in immigration enforcement role Waco city and police officials are trying to assure immigrants that they have nothing to fea

Multiple higher education leaders released statements taking a position on DACA, which President Barack Obama enacted in 2012 to create protections for young immigrants who were brought to the United States when they were children, or remained here, without legal authorization.

University of Texas System Chancellor William H. McRaven in a statement said the UT System will always follow the law and that Congress must create a way for DACA recipients to become citizens.

My administration stands in support of efforts to find a legislative solution to allow DACA beneficiaries to maintain their current status, and to complete their degrees, McRaven wrote.

Pennsylvania State University President Eric J. Barron released a statement saying every student at the university has earned the right to be there based on their academic talent and hard work.

University of California President Janet Napolitano wrote in a statement she is deeply troubled by the decision to end the DACA program.

This backward-thinking, far-reaching move threatens to separate families and derail the futures of some of this countrys brightest young minds, thousands of whom currently attend or have graduated from the University of California, she wrote.

Indiana University President Michael McRobbie wrote in a statement that ending the DACA program will undermine the universitys ability to educate students to prepare them for a lifetime of informed and active global citizenship.

As these bright, talented and high-achieving students and alumni work and study here, they contribute greatly toward strengthening the civic, cultural, social and economic fabric of our state, McRobbie wrote.

Tom Millay, Baylor Graduate Student Association policy chair and Graduate Theological Fellowship President, said he is glad Livingstone spoke out on the decision.

However, I also know that one of the biggest challenges DACA students may face is financial, Millay said. Without protected status, FAFSA loans and legal employment are placed in jeopardy. I, therefore, hope that Baylor will find a way to address the precarious financial state of the affected students.
Americans who support President Donald Trump tend to rely on values tied to pro-Christian rhetoric with anti-Islam, anti-feminist, anti-globalist and anti-government attitudes, according to new research conducted by Baylor University sociologists.

Trump voters also tend to believe in an authoritative God, value gender traditionalism and oppose LGBTQ rights.

Fifteen Baylor sociologists wrote American Values, Mental Health and Using Technology in the Age of Trump as the fifth wave of the Baylor Religion Survey, one of the most comprehensive national surveys on religious values. The Gallup Organization administered the survey to 1,501 random adults.

Trump voters who embraced his rhetoric, which the research found is tied to a emotion over objective facts, may be skeptical of the study itself, said Paul Froese, a Baylor sociology professor and director of the survey. Traditional reliance on expert analysis has been replaced by leeriness and disbelief, Froese said.

If the people around you, who you trust and love, say, Dont believe in evolution, or Dont believe in global warming, it doesnt matter if I can show you scientifically that these things have some basis, Froese said. It wont resonate.

Seventy-four percent of surveyed Trump voters view Islam as a threat, while 18 percent of Hillary Clinton voters said the same. Eighty-one percent of Trump voters strongly agree that Middle East refugees are a terror threat, as opposed to 12 percent of Clinton voters.

Sixty-three percent of Trump voters are high on gender traditionalism in feeling men are better suited for politics, men should earn more than women, women should provide primary child care and working mothers are deficient as mothers. Seventy-four percent of Clinton voters are low on gender traditionalism, according to the survey.

Eight percent of Trump voters were high on LGBTQ attitudes, compared with 82 percent of Clinton voters.

Froese said these numbers indicate increased polarization that culminated last month in Charlottesville, Virginia, where white supremacists and neo-Nazis marched in support of a statue of a Confederate soldier. One counter protester was killed.

An indication of that is public incivility, he said. Like the neo-Nazi marches, that, to me, is an expression of incivility. Youre going out there and expressly trying to cause fear and hatred. Clearly, Trump, the way he talks about people and insults people is very uncivil.

Rooted in such actions is fear, which is another prominent finding of the study. Among religious groups, Muslims, atheists and conservative Christians are the most feared.

At least 25 percent of Americans say they believe Muslims have inferior values, want to limit Americans freedom and pose a physical threat, according to the data. More than 66 percent of people who identify strongly as Republicans say Muslims are a physical danger.

More than 60 percent of people who identify strongly as Democrats say conservative Christians want to limit their freedoms.

Political affiliation was the strongest indicator in predicting which groups feared which, Baylor associate sociology professor Jerry Park said. People view identity as more closely driven by politics than religion, a dynamic that first emerged in 2010, Park said.

Other topics in the study include faith and mental health in America; religion and geography; and old and new religion versus technology.

Almost 70 percent of Americans who identify as religious are quite or very certain they are going to heaven, and another 20 percent are somewhat certain. More than half of Americans who identify as religious have little or no fear of hell, according to the research.

Americans as a whole are more likely to identify as more spiritual than religious, while people living in rural areas or small towns are more likely to be religious, the research found.

Three of five rural Americans believe Gods plan is tied to the United States success, and four of five believe the federal government should allow prayer in public schools, the study found.

Seventy-seven percent of Americans never use the Internet to share their religious views, and 62 percent say the Internet has no effect on their spiritual lives.

Meanwhile, political implications are tied to how openly Americans discuss religion, Froese said. Liberal people are less likely to say they are religious in order to not be labeled as conservative, he said. Similarly, a conservative person who is not religious is more likely to pretend to be religious, he said.

You have, again, a conflation of political and religious identities in the United States, Froese said.
Mary Ann Bower

May 1, 1929 - Sept.1, 2017

Mary Ann Curtis Bower had a long, interesting life that started on a spinach farm in Crystal City, saw her graduate from college in Denton, work in Dallas, and then marry and raise a family.

Along the way, the thread that ran through her life was art. She graduated with a Degree in Design and Art History from, what is now, Texas Women's University, she traveled widely as the spouse of a U.S. foreign aid worker, and she pursued multiple artistic endeavors as an early patron of the Victoria Bach Festival and an active member of fiber artist guilds in Victoria and San Antonio. She made quilts and did needlepoint and other fine needlework. Her largest project was to guide the creation of the needlepoint kneelers at St. Francis Episcopal Church, where she was an active member from her arrival in Victoria in 1970 until her death September 1, from pulmonary disease.

Born May 1, 1929, Mary Ann was known as "Nita" to her family and old friends. She was the second of three girls born to Mary Annie Robinson and John Parker Curtis, of Waco and San Antonio, respectively. On October 3, 1953, she married James Edward Bower, of Shawnee, Okla.

Like her father, Jim was a career employee of the USDA's Soil Conservation Service, now known as the Natural Resource Conservation Service. In 1964, Jim Bower embarked on a new career phase as an agronomist with the U.S. Agency for International Development and was posted to Tunis, Tunisia for six years.

The young couple had two children, and took advantage of an opportunity of a lifetime to immerse themselves in a new culture and travel extensively, visiting the great art museums of Europe and archeological sites ringing the Mediterranean Sea. Mary Ann became an expert on the symbolism of the Phoenician, Roman and Byzantine civilizations, especially the symbols of early Christianity. For the American and British diplomatic communities, she was the go-to tour guide for the Tunisian antiquity museums. She also was active on the Altar Guild of Tunis' St. George's Anglican Church. In 1970, Jim and Mary Ann returned stateside, to Victoria, where Jim resumed his career in the USDA and Mary Ann became active in the local art community. Mary Ann also was active in the Bronte Club and with the Altar Guild and choir of St. Francis Episcopal Church and served on the vestry for several terms.

"The thing I remember the most about Mary Ann was that when she was head of the Altar Guild, she was meticulous about the way things were done," said lifelong friend, Martha Bernhardt. "She wanted it done right, and she did it in a quiet way." Mary Ann and Martha first got to know one another as teenagers at church summer camp, Martha recalled. In fact, Mary Ann was an avid letter writer, and maintained close ties with friends around the world all of her life.

Mary Ann was preceded in death by an infant daughter, Mary Ellen, in 1956; her husband, Jim, in 2006; and her sister, Nancy Jane Curtis Huettl, in 2015.

She is survived by a sister, Hannah Curtis, of Abilene; son and daughter-in-law, Thomas Bower and Kristina Paledes, who reside in Guadalupe County; daughter, Julia Bower, of Victoria; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Mary Ann's extended family wishes to generously thank in-home caregivers Pattie Butler, Flora Louise Rucker, Margaret Stone, and Shirley Barnes for their tender care, as well as the dedicated RNs of Hospice of South Texas.

Family and friends will be received at a visitation from 2 to 6 p.m., Saturday, September 9, 2017, at Colonial Funeral Home, Victoria, Texas. A graveside service will be held at 12 p.m., Friday, September 15, at Oakwood Cemetery in Waco, Texas.

Memorial contributions can be made to the charity of your choice.

Condolences and memories may be shared with family at www.colonialfuneralhomevictoria.com.

Colonial Funeral Home

Victoria, Texas 77901

(361)578-3535
This column was assembled by the Trib from remarks U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, Texas Republican, delivered to the Senate Wednesday discussing the rebuilding effort along the Texas Gulf Coast and urging Congress to deliver emergency funding for disaster relief.

Texas is hurting. Hurricane Harvey was unlike anything we have ever seen.

I grew up in Houston. When you live on the Gulf Coast, youre used to hurricanes. Its a part of life. I remember as a kid sheltering in the bathroom with my parents when Alicia hit. We had a tree come down in the front yard. But Harvey was unlike anything we have seen. Its being described accurately as a 1,000-year storm, something that occurs every 1,000 years. It started out as a Category Four storm hitting South Texas  Corpus Christi, Victoria, Rockport, Port Aransas and Aransas Pass, all of which I visited the past two weeks.

Those communities were devastated by winds that destroyed homes, schools, county courthouses, city halls and buildings. The storm took down wires, took down power, water, sewage. As you visit each community, you drive down the street and see home after home that has been obliterated by hurricane winds. I remember talking with the mother of a high schooler at Rockport High School who doesnt know where her sons will go because Rockport High has been largely destroyed.

The scope of this disaster defies words. Its not one community or two or three. Its more than 250 miles stretching from Corpus Christi all the way to Louisiana. In the Houston area alone, flooding is massive with neighborhoods where theres a real possibility every single home will have to be knocked down and rebuilt, where every single government building will have to be knocked down and rebuilt.

The outpouring of love weve seen has been extraordinary. It wasnt just first responders. We cannot overstate the gratitude Texas feels for the heroes of Harvey, many from well beyond Texas. The most powerful story of Harvey is the thousands of ordinary men and women who stepped up to save their neighbors, who grabbed a boat or a jet ski or anything that could float and went into harms way to pull people out of life-endangering situations. Over 100 boats came from the Cajun Navy. Theyd go in, save people and then cook jambalaya. Now thats neighborly love. I met people who came from Fort Worth, Lubbock, East Texas, Oklahoma, Illinois, Alaska, New York and California.

After search and rescue, the next phase is providing relief to people who have lost everything. We have roughly 260 shelters across the state. The Red Cross and Salvation Army have done phenomenal jobs. Churches and private nonprofits have done incredible. And individual citizens. Mattress Mack, who owns Gallery Furniture, is a friend of mine, a terrific Houston entrepreneur. He opened up his furniture stores as shelters and said, Come on in. You need a bed? We happen to have a furniture store full of beds. He even sent out delivery trucks to pick people up in harms way. Anheuser-Busch shut down beer production to deliver more than 155,000 cans of water. You know were in a time of miracles when Anheuser-Busch isnt producing beer.

The final phase is rebuilding. This will take years. Multiple estimates say this may prove the costliest natural disaster in U.S. history. Having seen the scope of this disaster, thousands of homes and businesses destroyed, I readily believe it. But Im here to say Texas is coming back. Were going to rebuild. In East Texas, I visited with the mayor of a small town entirely destroyed. Every home, every building was under water. Her home was under water. The mayor was in tears. The whole town was gone. And she said, If we rebuild. And I was there with several firefighters and police officers, the county judge. We all hugged her. We said, Theres no if. We will rebuild.

Today there are no Democrats, there are no Republicans. On other days there may be issues that divide us. Well continue to debate tax policy and everything else. But today we are all Americans, we are all Texans. We are standing as one.
MEAD  The Mead Volunteer Fire Department and University of Nebraska had a contract to provide for fire protection on the more than 9,600 acres and 610,000 square feet of buildings on University property south of Mead.

However, that contract ended in 2015 and no new one is in place.

Thats why a fire call southwest of Mead Wednesday afternoon was answered by the Yutan Volunteer Fire Department.

James Egr with Egr, Birkel and Wollmer, P.C., the firm representing the Mead Fire Department, said the department is not responsible to cover the University property.

They do not have an obligation because theyre not in a rural fire district, Egr said.

That lack of assignment to a fire district predates the Universitys ownership.

When rural fire districts were created around World War II, no fire district took in the property because of the Nebraska Ordnance Plant, which was in operation at that time.

They had their own fire brigade because of the nature of what they were producing, he said.

No fire district took on the property, he added, because they would not have received any tax dollars from it.

Still, there is a need for fire protection. On Wednesday, fire fighters were called to the corner of county roads 7 and G, for a fire on one hay bale started by spontaneous combustion. The fire was on federal property, but located right next to Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center (ENREC) property.

Yutan firefighters responded to the call.

Yutan Fire Chief Don Dooley said he spoke with a University representative on Aug. 1 and let them know his department would fill in while negotiations went on with the Mead department.

In a written statement, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln on Thursday confirmed on Thursday it has made other arrangements for fire service coverage.

For the past several months, the university has engaged with the Mead Fire Department regarding the departments continuation of emergency service at the Eastern Nebraska Research and Extension Center. Last week, the department informed the university that it will no longer provide service to the center," said Steve Smith, UN-L news director and spokesperson. "In light of this notification, the university has established alternate arrangements. Those arrangements were called into service Wednesday, when a fire on federal property near ENREC was responded to and successfully handled by other agencies. The university will continue to take necessary measures to protect the people, land and property under our care.

Egr said the original contract spanned from 1990 to 2015 and had the Mead Fire Department serving the ENREC (formerly the Agricultural Research and Development Center) for the sum of $50,000.

At the end of the contract in 2015, Egr said nothing was done to renew it. The Mead department has reached out in an effort to renegotiate a contract.

Egr said the University did not respond, so Meads stance was to halt services at the end of June this year.

That got their attention, he added.

A July 17 meeting was held between University representatives and the Mead Rural Fire board to discuss a new contract. There was no contract resolution, but Mead agreed to maintain services to the area until the end of August and to continue negotiations.

Egr said the Universitys offer as of Aug. 25 was $30,000 total for the next five years. The Rural Fire boards counter offer was $30,000 per year for the next five years. The next correspondence from the University was that they cannot afford it.

The attorney said the University cannot pay in lieu of taxes but has to contract out services, The university could contract any department for fire and rescue services, he added.

In the meantime, Dooley said his department will respond to any calls on ENREC property and the Wahoo Fire Department will provide mutual aid, if needed.

Thats so we dont leave people unprotected, the Yutan Fire Chief said.

Egr said Mead Fire and Rescue will cover auto accidents on county roads in the area.

They will respond for a threat to life, Egr said.

The Yutan Fire Department would bill the owner of the hay for Wednesdays fire call. Dooley said the ground the fire was on is contracted out to a farmer,

There is a base rate per hour for the truck. Crop insurance includes a fire payment, he added.

We accept what the insurance pays, he said.

Dooley ball-parked the two-man, one truck call at a few hundred dollars.

Egr said no future meetings have been scheduled between the Rural Fire board and the University.

EDITOR'S NOTE: This story was originally posted Wednesday evening and was updated Friday morning. The location of the fire was been corrected and the statement from the University was added.
Raggi opposes Forza Nuova plan to commemorate Mussolini march.

A planned demonstration in central Rome by far-right political party Forza Nuova (FN) faces opposition from the city's mayor Virginia Raggi as well as Rome members of the centre-left Partito Democratico.

Italy's interior minister Marco Minniti is under pressure to ban the demonstration which is planned for 28 October. The FN chose this date to commemorate the 95th anniversary of Mussolini's March on Rome, in 1922, which marked the beginning of fascist rule in Italy.

Mayor Raggi tweeted "the #MarchOnRome cannot and must not be repeated" while the PD say the proposed event "risks turning into a tragic day for our country".

However FN leader Roberto Fiore described the planned march as "a patriotic demonstration, not pro-fascist or nostalgic," warning that the interior ministry would be wrong to ban the event.

The controversy follows a decision by Rome police chief Guido Marino to ban the FN from staging a so-called "security walk" in the capital's Tiburtino III neighbourhood on the evening of 8 September, the anniversary of the day when Italy signed the armistice with the Allied forces in 1943 and abandoned Rome to the German forces. The Tiburtino III area was the scene of recent clashes between locals and residents of a migrant centre during which an Eritrean man was stabbed in the back.
Chief executive Gillon McLachlan has hit back at allegations the AFL is "incompetent" at dealing with racism, saying that recent responses have made it a "leader in the country".

Former Collingwood star Heritier Lumumba painted a frank picture of his old AFL club in a recently released documentary and in an interview with Fairfax Media last month, saying he was nicknamed "Chimp".

Gillon McLachlan hits back on allegations the league is incompetent in dealing with racism. Credit:AAP

Lumumba also opened up about the aftermath of Magpies president Eddie McGuire's racial vilification of Adam Goodes in 2013.

Lumumba has since told Guardian Australia that the "AFL is incompetent in dealing with and addressing" the issue.
A man who admitted raping and murdering six-year-old Kylie Maybury in 1984 has been attacked in jail, with boiling water poured on his groin.

In the Supreme Court of Victoria on Wednesday morning, Gregory Keith Davies' defence lawyer David Gibson asked for an extension of time before his client's plea hearing and sentence.

Gregory Keith Davies is recovering after having boiling water poured on his groin in prison Credit:Jason South

Davies, who is still being treated and is in "extreme discomfort", did not appear in court.

Kylie had walked to the shops in suburban Preston East to buy sugar for her mother but never returned.
London: Aung San Suu Kyi needs to "wake up" and behave like the leader who once won the Nobel Peace prize, says fellow laureate Professor Muhammad Yunus, who also called for the United Nations Security Council to intervene to stop the slaughter of Rohingya Muslims.

Ms Suu Kyi, Myanmar's de facto leader, faces mounting criticism from some of her strongest supporters over her failure to speak out against the violence being committed against the Rohingya people - a stateless Muslim minority - and is even facing calls to be stripped of her peace prize.

Aung San Suu Kyi is coming under increasing pressure to intervene in the Rohingya crisis. Credit:AP

Bangladeshi-born Professor Yunus is known for pioneering micro-finance for some of the world's poorest people, and was awarded the peace prize in 2012.

Speaking to Fairfax Media from Dhaka, Professor Yunus urged his fellow laureate to start responding like the bold leader the world had once applauded, as opposed to the politician surrounded by advisors that she had become.
* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati received the 2022 Adepi Award

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the World Intellectual Property Review's "Influential Women in IP" of 2020.

* PermaKat Eleonora Rosati listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2018.

* IPKat founder and Blogmeister Emeritus Jeremy Phillips listed as one of the Managing Intellectual Property magazine's "Fifty Most Influential People" of 2005, 2011, 2013, and 2014.

* Recommended by the European Patent Office as reading material for candidates for the European Qualifying Examinations, 2013.

* Listed as "Top Legal Blog" in The Times Online, March 2011.

2010 ABA Journal 100. * One of the only two non-US blogs listed in the Blawg100.

* Court Reporter Top Copyright Blog award winner, November 2010.

* Number 1 in the 2010 Top Copyright Blog list compiled by the Copyright Litigation Blog, July 2010.

* Selected by the United States Library of Congress for inclusion in its historic collections of Internet materials related to Legal Blawgs as of 2010.

* Top Patent Blog poll 2009: 3rd out of 50 in the "Favourite Patent Blog" poll and 2nd out of 50 in the "Most-read" poll.

Blog of the Year, 20 August 2008. * ComputerWeekly IT Law and Governance, 20 August 2008.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff Sep. 07, 2017 | 10:34 AM | MAYFIELD, KY

FNB Bank has purchased the Mayfield Messenger building on North 8th Street and plans to renovate the building that the Messenger has called home since 1979 and use it for a new Operations Center in early 2018.

The Mayfield Messenger will move to its new home, 111 S. Seventh St., across from the Graves County Courthouse, on Monday, September 11. The building is the former home of Rondos Bakery and the Graves County Republican Party.

Sally Hopkins, FNBs Chief Operating Officer, said the bank is looking forward to expanding into the building on North 8th Street.

We are preserving a building in Mayfield that has been a focal point in our community for nearly 40 years, she said. We moved into our new main office in May 2009 with room to grow. We soon exceeded our growth expectations as our footprint expanded throughout western Kentucky. This growth has in turn led to more jobs and the need for more space. The Messenger building is an obvious choice to us, due to its in close proximity to our main office facility, located at 101 E. Broadway. After renovation, our operations center and facilities department will relocate to this building.

Marketing Director Brooke Wiles said moving the operations center and facilities department means the main office will be better suited to meet customers needs. Wiles said FNB anticipates opening the new operations center in the first quarter of 2018.

As the oldest community bank in Mayfield, founded here in 1875, we are glad that we have the opportunity to expand into an existing downtown building instead of building new, she said.

FNB President and CEO Marty Nichols agreed.

As a community bank, we are proud to continue our investment in revitalizing downtown Mayfield, he said. We are committed to becoming a leader in providing innovative banking technology and services to our community. Our success means more success for Mayfield-Graves County, a great place to call home.

FNB Bank, founded in 1875, is one of the oldest banks in the state of Kentucky and ranks among the highest in the nation in the area of safety and soundness. The bank currently has eight locations: Mayfield Main, Mayfield Southside, Wingo, Lone Oak, Paducah, Murray, Cadiz Main, and Cadiz West.
By The Associated Press

By The Associated Press Sep. 06, 2017 | 06:27 AM | LOUISVILLE, KY

The operator of Kentucky's last abortion clinic has testified at a trial that could determine whether his Louisville facility stays open.

Dr. Ernest Marshall opened EMW Women's Surgical Center in the early 1980s. He testified Wednesday that his clinic is safe and offers quality care.

The clinic is embroiled in a licensing fight with Republican Gov. Matt Bevin's administration.

Marshall says the transfer agreements at the center of his legal fight weren't much of an issue until the last couple of years.

The clinic has been on the defensive since Bevin's election in 2015. The socially conservative governor told a radio station Wednesday that abortion is a "sad commentary on us as a society."
Embed from Getty Images

Fenerbahce are eyeing a swoop for Diego Costa, with the Turkish giants reported to have opened talks with Chelsea over a loan deal for the striker.

Costa was deemed surplus to requirement by Blues boss Antonio Conte, and remains in his homeland of Brazil after failing to move away from Stamford Bridge before the end of transfer deadline day.

However, unlike most of Europe, Turkeys transfer window doesnt slam shut until Friday, leaving Fenerbahce time to sort out a deal for the 28-year-old Chelsea outcast.

Embed from Getty Images

Costa had wanted to return to former club Atletico Madrid however, the club were scuppered by a transfer embargo, leaving the Spanish international to sulk back in Brazil.

Having been left out of Chelseas Champions League squad, there looks to be no chance of return to west London for Costa.

However, while theres no guarantee that a deal with Fenerbahce will materialise, surely a move to Turkey is better than no move at all for the spiky frontman?
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A proposal to completely redo a uniform numbering and addressing system in rural areas of Buffalo County was tabled indefinitely by the county board of supervisors.

The board voted 12 to 1 to set aside a 2016 zoning department recommendation to authorize spending up to $275,000 of CapX2020 funds to pay for developing a new numbering system and replacing worn out or missing signs.

It called for replacing a rural grid-type numbering system with a linear one that would more accurately assign directions and sequencing of property numbers in the countys 17 rural towns.

A grid system setup in 1989, zoning officials said, was limited, cumbersome and outdated, especially given the countys bluffs, valleys and fluctuating terrain.

The countys fire association, law enforcement and emergency medical services operating in the county favored creating a new numbering system in rural towns countywide.

Ron Olson, president of the county fire association and fire chief for the Waumandee-Montana-Lincoln Fire Dept., said all volunteer fire departments in Buffalo County were in support of upgrading the numbering system.

Al Kochenderfer, director of Scenic Valley EMS ambulance service, said a rural numbering system was created so that police, fire and ambulance services could find people in the countys unincorporated areas.

It was a fire sign, emergency numbering system before it later became a rural addressing system used by the U.S. Postal Service, Kochenderfer said.

A resolution passed by the countys zoning committee 13 months ago was held up in committee while further studies were made to evaluate the numbering system and obtain more exact information about errors.

Out of an estimated 3,000 rural numbers assigned to properties in rural towns, 865 of them were flagged as having issues, according to reports that circulated last year.

The countys finance committee has repeatedly asked for specific information identifying bad addresses and areas where numbers are out of sequence.

Those details, according to finance supervisors, have not been produced, and none of the town boards in the county have shown support for doing a new addressing system.

County Supervisor David Danzinger of Belvidere, who also serves as Belvidere Town Chairman, said he was not aware of any town chairs that favored redoing the system.

County officials figure that problem addresses should be identified by residents and towns and fixed. The problems could be fixed without re-addressing everyone in the county towns, said Douglas Kane, county board chairman.

Kochenderfer says the current numbering system is difficult to try and navigate, calling it flawed and screwed-up. It cannot be fixed, it needs to be changed, he said.

Supervisor Nettie Rosenow of Waumandee said it would be a very big hassle to make everyone in the rural areas change their addresses. She said problem spots should be fixed rather than re-addressing the whole county.

Supervisor Lou Anne Roby of Naples favored pursuing a solution to fix bad addresses, but did not support full replacement of the existing system. Rosenow advised that towns ask their residents if they have trouble with their numbers and addresses.

There was more widespread support for maintaining the existing system, replacing rural road and number signs that were missing, knocked down or fading. Some towns were already doing that or considering it, county officials said.

The original numbering ordinance and subsequent measures passed in the 1990s indicated that towns were responsible for maintenance and upkeep of signing, board members were told.

Emergency response personnel said the numbering system in place was especially troublesome for new volunteers unfamiliar with rural areas of the county.

But county Supervisor Dennis Bork of Montana said a new numbering system might seem just as confusing as the old one to responders that do not understand the rural layout.

Supervisors Don Hillert of Mondovi, and Don Black of Maxville said improved technology and cellular phone service coverage in Buffalo County should make it easier to identify property locations.

Until then, they and most other board members recommended mending errors in the existing system and replacing worn out numbers, signs and posts.

Supervisor Nathan Nelson of Mondovi, the lone member voting against tabling a new numbering system, said it would be foolish to do nothing if the system had problems.

A financial technology company ranked Buffalo County first among the top 10 counties in Wisconsin in best overall value index.
Fifty years is nothing in the life of a cathedral. But it is the greater part of the lifetime of those who build cathedrals.

Fifty years ago, on a sunlit April afternoon, Bishop Edward Fitzgerald, fourth bishop of the Diocese of Winona, sprinkled the newly laid foundation stones of the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart with holy water, calling upon God that this place may be dedicated to prayer and to invoking and praising the name of Jesus Christ. In the faith of Jesus Christ we place this cornerstone in this foundation, Fitzgerald intoned.

The cathedral church plays a unique role in the liturgical life of the Roman Catholic Church. The name comes from cathedra, the name given to the chair from which, historically, the bishop promulgated the teachings of the faith and administered the affairs of the diocesan church entrusted to his care. In each diocese there is one, and only one, cathedral church.

But throughout its first six decades, the Diocese of Winona was without a proper cathedral.

Catholicism came to Winona with the first German and Irish settlers in the early 1850s. A mission church, named in honor of St. Thomas, was built in 1857, and the citys first resident priest, Rev. Michael Pendergast, arrived the next year. In 1864, the church was moved closer to the middle of town from its original location on Dakota Street near Mark Street to a lot near the corner of Wabasha and Center streets. A new church was completed in 1871.

Ethnic differences soon surfaced in the communitys growing Catholic population. As early as 1858, German Catholics began organizing themselves in hopes of establishing a parish where they could confess and be taught in the language of the old country. They raised $400 to buy a lot at the corner of Fifth and Walnut streets and by 1862 had erected the Church of St. Joseph, with the Rev. Theodore Venn the first pastor.

In 1889, the Rev. Joseph Cotter was consecrated bishop and assigned to his newly created see in Winona. The bishop designated the Church of St. Thomas the Pro-Cathedral, the temporary cathedral, of the new diocese.

The need for a more suitable, permanent cathedral church was recognized by Cotter and his successors, but other, more pressing needs, kept the bishops chair at St. Thomas.

In early 1943, Bishop Leo Binz, recently appointed as diocesan administrator to assist the ailing Bishop Frances Kelly, proposed establishing a building fund for a new cathedral church. A year later a full scale fund drive was launched, with a goal of seven times the annual diocesan tax collected from each parish and mission. In 1945, parishes were instructed to give the cathedral drive priority over all other projects. When the campaign concluded at the end of 1946, nearly half a million dollars had been collected.

But raising money proved less a challenge than finding a place on which to build.

A number of people suggested that the diocesan church be built in a city more centrally located in the long narrow shoestring of southern Minnesota counties that make up the diocese, but ultimately the decision was made to keep the cathedral in Winona.

But finding a site in Winona where soil conditions would support the weight of a massive stone cathedral proved a challenge as well. Ultimately the new cathedral would have to wait for a new bishop.

On Jan. 3, 1950, Bishop Edward Fitzgerald was installed as the fourth bishop of Winona, pledging on the day of his installation that the cathedral would soon be built.

As he made that pledge, Fitzgerald virtually looked out on the site of the new church. In short order, the diocese would acquire three residences adjoining the grounds of the pro-cathedral. The new cathedral, dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, would be built in the shadow of the old.

On June 15, 1950, Pope Pius XII granted a petition to merge the parishes of St. Thomas and St. Joseph to create the Cathedral parish. Ground was broken Nov. 26, 1950.

The church was designed to be straightforward and functional, 200 feet long, 60 feet across, with a seating capacity of about 1,000. The ridge of the nave rose 39 feet above the heads of the congregation. The altar was made from a 12-ton slab of Botticino marble, 11 feet long, inscribed with the words Ego Sum Panis Vitae  I am the bread of life.

On Saturday morning, Oct. 25, 1952, Bishop Fitzgerald blessed and dedicated the altar and celebrated the first Mass in the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart. With him at the altar was a 13-year-old altar boy, Bob Kierlin.

About six of us got to serve that Mass, Kierlin recalled. The general public didnt know about it, so there werent many people there. The Sunday Mass was the big one with all the pomp and circumstance.

Fitzgerald celebrated that Mass for the annual meeting of the diocesan Council of Catholic Women, but the ladies sat on folding chairs and knelt on the floor. Not even a cathedral is immune from shipping delays. The pews would not arrive for another month.

The Cathedral was born in the mind and cradled in the arms of Bishop Fitzgerald, Bishop William Mulloy said in his homily at the dedication Mass on May 6, 1953.
A Milwaukee author will stop in Baraboo this weekend to discuss the role of cultural and personal identity in society, and how the ideas influenced her new book.

Debra Leea Glasheens debut novel, Backbiters, is a work of dystopian young-adult fiction set a half-century after a horrific world war ravages the planet. The protagonist, 15-year-old Giluli, wavers between angst and courage as she faces the same discrimination that caused her people to create their own nation in a polluted and deprived territory.

Glasheen will discuss her novel, which published in July, Saturday at the Village Booksmith. During the event, Glasheen will read from her book, talk about its themes, sign copies and answer any questions that readers may have.

Glasheen said some elements of her story were influenced by traditional young-adult themes, like friendship and coming of age, while others were inspired by real-world socioeconomic and political events that created conflicts between different cultures.

While Giluli is figuring out who she is, she also has to make some decisions about who to be loyal to and how to be a loyal person when being loyal is not easy, she said. There is also some reflection of actual events in history where people have created their own nationlands because of social, economic and political differences.

Glasheen is originally from the Menasha area. She attended Menasha High School, completed undergraduate studies at Carroll University in Waukesha and received her masters degree in creative writing from Mount Mary University in Milwaukee.

Glasheen said her undergraduate studies focused on international relations, which instilled in her a passion for creating bridges between cultures and seeing the world from different points of view. Glasheen said her desire to form connections translated to the pages of Backbiters.

Before you can understand other people, you have to understand yourself a little bit, she said. Who am I in relation to the world?  and I think thats one of the reasons I was inspired by that idea of bridging the cultural gap, and also helping young people figure out identity.

Village Booksmith owner Rob Nelson said the event showcases a new Wisconsin author for readers in the area. He added that many themes in Backbiters seem to be relevant topics today, and that both teens and adults may relate to its message.

Were always happy to feature Wisconsin authors, give them an opportunity to reach a wider audience and give the people of Baraboo a chance to learn about books and authors they might not otherwise hear about, he said.

Glasheen said she hopes her novel ultimately will help young people navigate life and form their own identities.

Thats a very ambitious wish, and I dont know if my book has the capacity to do that, but my heart would be full if I could help young people interact with the world and feel more comfortable about who they are inside, she said.
JUNEAU  A 29-year-old Beaver Dam man pleaded not guilty Wednesday to charges of theft from two Beaver Dam businesses.

Corey J. Landsee appeared before Dodge County Circuit Court Judge Brian Pfitzinger for his arraignment on three felony counts of theft and one felony count of identity theft.

According to the criminal complaint, Beaver Dam police first spoke to Landsee after his cousin reported Dec. 7 that Landsee had used her debit card without permission to purchase $533 in merchandise.

In addition, Landsee is accused of two incidents at a BP gas station, 1112 Madison St., on Dec. 31 and Jan. 3; and an incident at Coyote Gas and Liquor, 1300 N. Spring St., on Jan. 4.

Around 9 p.m. on Dec. 31, an employee at the BP station said she had been robbed. The employee described the suspect and said he did not make a threat using a weapon. According to the criminal complaint, the man told her to empty the cash register and then left with the money.

During the evening of Jan. 3, another employee at the same BP station reported that a man with a bandana over his face demanded that she give him all the money in the till. The employee gave him the money but observed him as he left and saw him run toward Lakecrest Drive.

According to the criminal complaint, the employee at Coyote Gas and Liquor contacted police at 8:40 p.m. Jan. 4. In this incident the man did not display or threaten with a weapon, but told the employee to give him the money. She handed him bills in lower denominations.

Landsee was in jail Jan. 13 and sent a request to talk to a Beaver Dam detective. According to the criminal complaint, Landsee confessed to taking the money at the BP station and Coyote Gas and Liquor. He allegedly told the detective he used it to buy cocaine.

Landsee was convicted of felony bail jumping in August 2015.

A telephone scheduling conference has been set for Oct. 9.
MAYVILLE  Metalcraft of Mayville said in a statement Wednesday that it has acquired Venture Manufacturing in Beaver Dam effective Sept. 1.

The addition of the Beaver Dam facility will help take Metalcraft of Mayville to new heights, Metalcraft President Randy Gloede said.

According to the news release, the former Venture Manufacturing Beaver Dam facility located at 2020 N. Spring St. will now operate as a division of Metalcraft. Metalcraft is intending to retain all current employees working in the Beaver Dam facility and to increase the amount of manufacturing done in the facility.

After the acquisition, Metalcraft will employ more than 700 people.

Tom Schraufnagel, vice president of contract sales for Metalcraft, said in a phone interview that all 50 former Venture employees would be retained at Metalcraft. Of those 50 employees, 15 are welders. He added that Metalcraft was looking to add additional workers to the company and specifically additional welders. In the statement, Metalcraft representatives say the company has been looking to expand its business and its capacity.

This acquisition does not affect the jobs in either of Metalcrafts two existing facilities in Mayville and West Bend.

Metalcraft is a precision metal fabrication and custom manufacturing company. It operates two facilities for a combined total of more than 630,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Metalcrafts main facility in Mayville has more than 400,000 square feet of manufacturing space. Their second facility in West Bend has 230,000 square feet of manufacturing space.

Venture Manufacturing was founded in 2005 when Precision Metal Fabricating was purchased by new owners.

In 2013, the business purchased a closed Home Depot building on the north side of Beaver Dam. When that purchase took place, Venture Manufacturing employed 27 people. The Venture property is 13.4 acres with a 102,513-square-foot building.

Editor's note: The original story misstates the amount of former Venture Manufacturing employees. All 50 former Venture Manufacturing employees will be retained with Metalcraft of Mayville.
When looking for a new home in Beaver Dam, Ken Thomas wanted to find something as a neutral background for his ever-growing collection of antiques.

Ive often believed that even a simple space can be transformed with the addition of extraordinary things, said Thomas. They dont necessarily need to cost much, but they have to have a big impact. The more beautiful they are and the better the quality, the better the outcome.

That principle is reinforced by many decorators. Their most sage advice is to buy the best you can afford and to build a room using something like a piece of art, a piece of furniture or a rug as a springboard for design. Some decorators call it an inspiration piece.

In his search for a Beaver Dam home, Thomas was frustrated by an agents showings of run-down duplexes  the only thing that seemingly fit into his price range. Finally he spotted a repossessed story-and-a-half bungalow on DeClark Street. Before he could negotiate a price, the mortgage was sold to another bank and the house was no longer on the market. Following a months-long waiting game, he finally bought it for $70,000. It was a high price considering the fact that the roof was leaking and just about everything needed to be replaced.

The insurance company wouldnt touch it, Thomas said. After a bit of creative maneuvering we came to an agreement, and work began.

Thomas did as much of the unskilled work as he could handle.

I did all the demolition and hired contractors to do the major work, said Thomas. I hired good people, overall, and wherever I skimped it came back to haunt me.

Unfortunate discoveries included knob and tube wiring, corroded steel pipes, lead water service, cracked plaster walls beneath dark paneling, cracked and missing plaster ceilings beneath composite tiles, six to seven layers of cedar shake roofing, bats, mice, a hugely compromised structure, an aged furnace and air conditioning unit and horrible metal cabinets in the kitchen.

The structure was the first urgent repair.

One of the main joists was broken and you could bounce on it like a trampoline, said Thomas. Other joists were cut off to fit heating ducts. There was very little holding up the second floor.

A local contractor reinforced them, jacking them up to straighten a noticeable dip in the center of the rooms.

The good things included Anderson window replacements, maple floors beneath glued-down carpet, a large living room which includes the enclosed front porch, two complete bathrooms and tolerable steel siding.

Like the house I had in Mayville, I soon learned that starting from scratch might have been a better option. Thomas said. I gutted the entire first floor and took down some ceilings upstairs. There is not a surface anywhere that hasnt been touched, and I realized later that I should have kept on going. Still, I did the best I could, and looking back I cant imagine tearing out any more than I did. There are limits to how much one person can stand.

Friends and relatives helped as dumpster after dumpster was filled and emptied. Thomas attempted things he had never before faced, like taking down the chimney as he stood on it, two bricks at a time.

At one point I was trapped in the attic when the chimney filled up with bricks and I had nowhere to go, Thomas said. I managed to climb through the attic hatch and took the rest down from inside the house.

He nearly panicked after he took out a large window and wasnt quite sure how to fill the void.

By evening I had cut some plywood to cover the hole and stapled tar paper over it to keep the inside dry. Its amazing what you can do when you dont have another choice.

Other large changes included closing an opening to a main floor dining room creating valuable wall space, and removing a wall upstairs to create a master bedroom/sitting room.

Originally the upstairs bedrooms were so small you could barely get a bed and a dresser into each, Thomas said. Luckily the joists ran the right way so there was nothing keeping me from taking the wall at least partially down.

Triumphs included the reveal of maple floors in all of the downstairs rooms, re-creation of the old moldings that had been replaced with plastic ones decades earlier, thorough upgrades to every system, replacement of all second-floor windows, a new garage door and a host of other improvements.

Obstacles were overcome and the house was filled with things gathered from around the world. Every trip Thomas took yielded something and every item has a story.

Thats what makes them special, Thomas said. Each object recalls a place, an experience or a person and each is dear to me.

Along the way Thomas has specialized in collecting Jacobean oak furniture (from the 1900s to the 1980s), German and Chinese porcelain, oil paintings, lead crystal, clocks both old and not very old, antique lighting, anything Scottish, anything English, anything with acorns and/or oak leaves and a host of other accumulations.

I collect way too many things, Thomas said. Nothing is worth all that much, but I hope people are impressed when they see it all together.

Among his favorite objects are the oil portrait of his grandmother (Hattie) painted by a young Madison artist, German porcelain plates and figurines, eight running (and chiming) clocks, and several lights that he built using pieces from other fixtures.

The chandelier in the living room has parts from about 20 different fixtures, from the heavy brass wheel in the center to the ornate finial at the bottom, Thomas said. I chipped a tooth taking it down once to add a different finial. The light probably weighs 50 pounds, and theres not another one like it in the world.

It has been 20 years since he moved in, and the house and yard remain works in progress.

I dont like the kitchen cabinets and theres still a leak in the first-floor bathroom roof  despite a complete remodel, Thomas said. There are still a lot of things that are unfinished.

He added, I feel like Sarah Winchester of the Winchester Mystery House in San Jose, California, who was afraid that as soon as she finished her house she would die.

I hope not to die any time soon  at least thats my lame excuse, he said.
Dane Countys two big ongoing highway projects look to have emerged unscathed from cuts in a funding plan embraced by the Legislatures budget committee Tuesday.

Projects to rebuild and expand parts of Verona Road and the Madison Beltline, and a stretch of U.S. Interstate 39-90 south of Madison, are among those slated to stay on schedule for the next two years under the plan adopted by the Joint Finance Committee, Gov. Scott Walkers office confirmed Wednesday.

Zach Brandon, president of the Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce, said both projects are vital to the economic welfare of the whole state.

Were certainly thankful for the Joint Finance approval and what looks to be the continued funding of two vital projects, not just for this region, but for the state and beyond, Brandon said.

Other parts of the state transportation budget did not escape the funding crunch. A project to expand State Highway 15 in Outagamie County missed out on $58 million in funding in the plan, according to Walkers office.

And the state highway rehabilitation program, which pays for road resurfacing projects and accounts for the single biggest share of the state highway program, was cut by $79 million.

The plan adopted Tuesday provides a funding blueprint for the Wisconsin Department of Transportation through June 2019. After passing the finance committee, it heads next to the full Assembly and Senate.

The $1.2 billion I-39-90 project is rebuilding and expanding 45 miles of the interstate from near the Madison Beltline to the Illinois state line, while reconfiguring 11 interchanges along that stretch of the interstate. Its set to be completed in 2022.

Walker has touted that project as vital for Wisconsin tourism, as I-39-90 is a key thoroughfare for motorists entering the state from Illinois.

The $283 million Verona Road project is aimed at easing traffic flow on the main thoroughfare from Madison to the booming part of Dane County that includes Verona and Epic Systems.

In its first phase, the project expanded and rebuilt a stretch of the Madison Beltline from Seminole Highway to Whitney Way, and Verona Road immediately southwest of the Beltline. The second phase is doing the same for Verona Road from Raymond Road to just south of McKee Road-Highway PD, while replacing the intersection of those roads with a highway interchange. Its on track for completion in 2020.

Were certainly thankful for the Joint Finance approval and what looks to be the continued funding of two vital projects, not just for this region, but for the state and beyond. Zach Brandon, president, Greater Madison Chamber of Commerce
Arnold Edward Rasmussen Jr., 73, of Eau Claire, was born to eternal life on Monday, Sept. 4, 2017, while in hospice at Sacred Heart Hospital in Eau Claire, where he had been treated for lung cancer.

Arnie was born April 23, 1944, in Passaic, New Jersey, a son of Arnold and Josephine (Sperlongo) Rasmussen. He moved to Denmark, Wisconsin, at the age of 3 months where he was baptized and confirmed at Our Saviors Lutheran Church. He grew up and attended local schools. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1967, and served in Arizona and Seoul, South Korea.

Arnie married Annette L. Bain and they enjoyed more than 49 years together. Upon his graduation from UW-Green Bay, the couple moved to Stevens Point where they resided for 41 years before moving to Eau Claire in retirement in 2013. Arnie was an accountant and continued working during tax season after retirement. He also continued doing tax audits for various nonprofit organizations and churches including St. Paul Lutheran in Stevens Point and St. Matthew Lutheran in Eau Claire where they were members. He served on various boards throughout the years at both congregations.

Arnie had a fine voice and sang in church choirs and the Monteverdi Master Chorale, along with his wife, in Stevens Point for many years after it was formed. He joined and was an active member of the Optimist Club in Stevens Point from 1992 to 2013 and was instrumental in forming the Breakfast Club there. He served that organization as president and secretary-treasurer during those years. He also served two terms as secretary-treasurer on the district level.

In retirement the couple visited the Creation Museum twice and the Ark, both in Kentucky, and took a tour trip to Washington, D.C., as well as various places to the west, and visited various family and friends.

Arnie was preceded in death by his parents; and survived by his wife, Annette; sons, Arik (Gretchen) of Fairfield, Iowa, and Adam (Sarah) of Altoona; two grandsons, Christian and Reece; brother, Leon (Carol) of Denmark, Wisconsin; uncle, Bernard (Marion) of Green Bay; and many cousins, nieces and nephews.

Memorial services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, Sept. 8, at St. Matthew Lutheran Church in Eau Claire, with the Rev. Steve Rutter officiating. Friends may call at the church prior to the service from 10 a.m. to the time of the service. Burial will occur at a later date. A memorial will be established in Arnies name in lieu of flowers.

Cremation Society of Wisconsin, Altoona, is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be shared at www.cremationsociety-wi.com.
Special counsel Robert Muellers investigation into possible collusion between the Donald Trump presidential campaign and agents of the Russian government has been remarkably discreet, as it should be. But other sources have leaked three names  Michael D. Cohen, Felix Sater and Eric Schneiderman  that indicate Muellers team is probing very deeply. If theres a smoking gun to be found, Mueller is getting closer to it.

Cohen is Trumps longtime lawyer and executive vice president of the Trump Organization. Sater is a childhood friend of Cohen, a former business associate of Trump, and a onetime government informant with ties to all manner of unsavory people, including Russian oligarchs. Schneiderman, at the opposite end of the probity scale, is New York states attorney general.

Cohen and Sater are making big blips on Muellers radar screen, as well as those of congressional committees looking into possible election collusion. Last week, The New York Times reported that Cohen had written an eight-page letter to the House Intelligence Committee vehemently denying allegations that he was a central figure in contacts between the Trump campaign and agents of the Russian government.

The allegations were made in a controversial dossier compiled by former British intelligence agent Christopher Steele. That dossier identified Dmitry Peskov, the press secretary for Russian President Vladimir Putin, as the man in charge of a Kremlin operation to damage Hillary Clintons candidacy and promote Trumps.

In January 2016, six months after Trump announced his candidacy, Cohen emailed Peskov asking for his help getting Russian government approvals for a proposed Trump Tower in Moscow. Peskov never replied. Trump had been fully briefed on the Moscow project, but by January 2016 claimed to have no business dealings with Russia.

Sater is the one who encouraged Cohen to contact Peskov. Our boy can become president of the USA and we can engineer it, Sater wrote in an email to Cohen. I will get all of Putins team to buy in on this, I will manage this process.

Sater does have connections in Russia but also has been linked to the Russian mafia, the U.S. mafia, money laundering and al-Qaida. He has served as an informant to the U.S. Justice Department. He also has connections with the Russian oligarchs who helped finance the Trump Soho hotel. Former associates say he met frequently with Donald Trump and traveled with his children.

Schneiderman is reported to be partnering with Muellers investigation into contacts that former Trump campaign Chairman Paul Manafort had with entities tied to Putin. If Trump were to pardon Manafort of federal crimes, Manafort might still face state charges  unless he cuts a deal.

The deeper Mueller digs, the more alarming the possibilities become. Even Americans who dont care for this president should be worried about the presidency.
The members of Indivisible Sauk Prairie want to thank all those who supported our protests on the Sauk City Bridge by honking, waving and giving the thumbs-up. We are a local grassroots organization formed to respectfully resist the Trump agenda. At the state level, we support enacting fair non-partisan redistricting for Wisconsin.

Our goal is to influence the political process by communicating with our members of Congress and state legislators. Since March, our members have made over 500 contacts through phone calls, emails, letters and petitions as well as attending town halls and protests. With thousands of other Americans, our members stood up for the Affordable Care Act by opposing the loss of healthcare for millions. Members of Congress could not ignore the opposition to their repeal and replace attempts.

We are not connected with any political party, but we do reject the dishonest and dishonorable behavior of President Trump, his corrupt administration and its harmful agenda. Americans must speak out to support high-quality affordable healthcare, fair taxes, humane immigration practices, action on climate change and responsible foreign policies. Please call or write your members of Congress. Your voice can make a difference.

Elizabeth Koehl

Indivisible Sauk Prairie

Sauk City
Wits and government tackle student accommodation crisis

A residence for Wits students who require temporary emergency accommodation has been made available to the University by the Gauteng Provincial Government.

The refurbished Witwaters residence in Block D of the Charlotte Maxeke Residence Complex was handed over to Wits University at a ceremony at the residence this morning attended by Dr Blade Nzimande, the Minister of Higher Education and Training.

According to the GPG MEC for Infrastructure Development, Mr Jacob Mamabolo, there is a long-term strategy in place through which disused buildings owned by government will be made available for redevelopment and renovation, and which could be transformed into suitable student accommodation. We are committed to working with universities in the province in order to tackle the challenges around accommodation, he said.

Dr Gwen Ramokgopa, the MEC for Health in the province, emphasised the need for more health professionals in the public healthcare system. We are pleased to provide housing for students, albeit in the short-term, in order to create an environment in which students can excel academically, she said.

The Vice-Principal of the University of the Witwatersrand, Professor Tawana Kupe stated that there were three issues facing students at the moment  access to higher education (fees), accommodation and inadequate transport systems. Wits has about 6 150 campus beds available for students, but we would need to double our beds overnight to meet the full demand. If we had to undertake construction from scratch it would cost the University in the region of R3 billion over several years, which is not a feasible solution, he said. We are thus extremely pleased to hear that the Gauteng Provincial Government has a long-term plan in place to address some of these challenges. We are committed to working with government at all levels, the private sector and other social actors in order to collectively address these challenges. Read the full text of his remarks.

Dr Nzimande indicated that the shortage of student housing was due to the phenomenal increase in the number of students accessing higher education in recent years. We currently have over one million students in the higher education system of whom the majority are African female, he said. Take Wits for example, where student numbers increased from 19 000 in 1999 to about 37 000 today, resulting in a major shortage in student housing. We commend the efforts of the GPG and the University and their efforts to work together to roll-out a long-term plan in this regard.

The Dean of Students, Dr Puleng LenkaBula welcomed the new accommodation. Through her Division, it is envisaged that students who require emergency accommodation will start occupying the building as fromTuesday, 12 September 2017.

We are elated about the partnership between Wits University, the City and the Gauteng provincial government and the increased availability of temporary and emergency accommodation in support of students access, wellbeing and academic success, she said.

Mr Rob Sharman, the Head of Campus Housing and Residence Life, commented: I have long felt that the Witwaters building at the CMJ Hospital would be ideal for our students, and although this is only a 3-month lease, I do hope that the MEC and the Gauteng Department of Infrastructural Development will facilitate the extension of the lease so that we can add the buildings 330 bedrooms to our regular University stock, thereby making a substantial inroad into the housing backlog for Wits students.
[September 06, 2017] Agilis Biotherapeutics Updates Progress of its CNS Gene Therapy for AADC Deficiency

Agilis Biotherapeutics, Inc. (Agilis), a biotechnology company advancing innovative DNA therapeutics for rare genetic diseases that affect the central nervous system (CNS), announced today that following a recent end-of-phase-II meeting with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) covering the clinical, non-clinical and manufacturing data available to date, Agilis will begin preparing a biologics licensing application (BLA) for its gene therapy program for the treatment of Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency, AGIL-AADC, targeted for submission in 2018. "We are pleased that the FDA agreed with our assessment of the potential clinical benefit of AGIL-AADC as observed in treated patients to date, and with the plan to submit a BLA for review," said Mark Pykett, President and CEO of Agilis. Twenty-three patients have received AGIL-AADC to date, likely representing the largest cohort of patients in any CNS gene therapy program. Clinical data have been analyzed and presented on patients with severe AADC deficiency from two clinical studies in which each patient received a single administration of the AGIL-AADC gene therapy, an adeno-associated virus (AAV) vector containing the human gene for the AADC enzyme. Data on the first cohort of patients demonstrating sustained improvement in motor function over a 5-year period post-treatment were also presented. The Company has recently completed enrollment of a Phase IIb clinical study for AGIL-AADC which may be extended to permit the treatment of additional patients in need of therapeutic intervention. "Over the period of observation, we have seen important gains in motor function and a good safety and tolerability profile to date in treated children. Some of the children can maintain head position, sit unassisted, and stand with assistance, milestones these children would never have achieved without treatment," said Paul Hwu, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Pediatrics at National Taiwan University Hospital, and study principal investigator. AGIL-AADC has previously received Orphan Drug Designation and Rare Pediatric Disease (RPD) designation in the U.S., as well as Orphan Medicinal Product status in Europe. The U.S. Orphan designation allows Agilis to leverage the FDA's Priority Review pathway, hastening patient access to AGIL-AADC by shortening the review of the marketing application by as much as four months. Te complementary RPD designation gives Agilis the ability to qualify for a Priority Review Voucher (PRV) upon approval of AGIL-AADC. PRV's can be redeemed or transferred to a third party to receive Priority Review on a subsequent marketing application for a different product. This voucher will be requested at the time of AGIL-AADC's marketing application and awarded upon approval of AGIL-AADC.



Agilis' gene therapy program has been developed in collaboration with National Taiwan University and the U.S. National Institutes of Health's National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) through a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA). NCATS is supporting this work through its Therapeutics for Rare and Neglected Diseases program (TRND). The University of Florida Powell Gene Therapy Center contributed manufacturing and toxicology work on the initial product. "An important mission in the TRND program is to help accelerate development of promising treatments for those diseases that are often overlooked, underfunded and continue to have significant unmet medical needs," said Nora Yang, Ph.D., Director of TRND Portfolio Management and Program Operations.

AADC Deficiency is a rare disease with a devastating clinical course. Symptoms include absence of motor milestone development, seizure-like events (termed oculogyric crisis) and hypotonia described by many as "floppiness". Because of the nature of symptoms, the disease can be confused with other, better known disorders such as cerebral palsy, making diagnosis difficult and often leading to a protracted diagnostic odyssey in correctly identifying the disease. "Unfortunately, many of our families wait several years for a diagnosis," said Lisa Flint, AADC Research Trust Founder and Managing Director. "We are thankful that Agilis has worked closely with the AADC community to bring forward a potential major treatment for our kids." About AADC Deficiency Aromatic L-amino acid decarboxylase (AADC) deficiency is a rare genetic condition resulting in lack of functioning AADC enzyme responsible for the final step in the synthesis of key neurotransmitters dopamine (a precursor of norepinephrine and epinephrine) and serotonin (a precursor of melatonin). AADC deficiency results in developmental failure, global muscular hypotonia, severe, seizure-like episodes known as oculogyric crises, autonomic abnormalities, and the need for life-long care. Given this neurologically devastating illness, patients with severe AADC deficiency have a high risk for death during childhood. Treatment options for patients with AADC deficiency are limited and there are currently no approved therapies. About Agilis Biotherapeutics, Inc. Agilis is advancing innovative gene therapies designed to provide long-term efficacy for patients with debilitating, often fatal, rare genetic diseases that affect the central nervous system. Agilis' gene therapies are engineered to impart sustainable clinical benefits by inducing persistent expression of a therapeutic gene through precise targeting and restoration of lost gene function to achieve long-term efficacy. Agilis' rare disease programs are focused on gene therapy for AADC deficiency, Friedreich's ataxia, and Angelman syndrome, all rare genetic diseases that include neurological deficits and result in physically debilitating conditions. We invite you to visit our website at www.agilisbio.com. Safe Harbor Statement Some of the statements made in this press release are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon our current expectations and projections about future events and generally relate to our plans, objectives and expectations for the development of our business. Although management believes that the plans and objectives reflected in or suggested by these forward-looking statements are reasonable, all forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and actual future results may be materially different from the plans, objectives and expectations expressed in this press release. View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20170906005429/en/

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Kentucky State Police celebrated 76 of their officers at their promotion ceremony on Thursday afternoon.

The event recognized officers who have moved up in ranking since January 1.

The ceremony was held at the Hyatt Regency in Lexington.

Governor Matt Bevin was on hand along with Justice Cabinet Secretary John Tilley, Kentucky State Police Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner to congratulate the troopers.
[September 06, 2017] Gridbee Launches First FSK & OFDM Sub-GHz System-On-Chip compliant IEEE 802.15.4g/u/v for Smart Grid, Smart Cities and Industrial IoT Applications

GRASSE, France, Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Gridbee Communications S.A.S., specialist in wireless communication IC development is pleased to announce the release of its GDB1000 SoC for Sub-GHz wireless communication solution and compliant with IEEE 802.15.4g/u/v. This is the first SoC capable of both FSK / OFDM modulations and embedding all processing power (MCU and flash memory) necessary for Smart Grid, Smart Cities and Industrial applications. The device provides 2 power amplifier outputs (one internal PA delivering + 18dBm and a second for external PA up to +30dBm) and exhibits a receiver sensitivity of -98dBm @800kb/s and -104dBm @400kb/s OFDM data rate. The high link budget guarantees successful communication over 2.5km distance at 800kb/s. (Logo: http://mma.prnewswire.com/media/552230/Gridbee_Communications_Logo.jpg )





Gridbee GDB1000 offers both MR-FSK and MR-OFDM modulations and supports data rate from 50kb/s up to 800kb/s for distance ranging from few hundreds of meters to a few kilometers. GDB1000 features a large amount of memory (768kB of flash, 128kB of RAM), a full set of standard interfaces (USB, SPI, IC, UART, etc.) and a 256 bits capable hardware AES encryption engine enabling secured, fast and reliable software upgrade over the air. Leveraging the high performance, power efficient capabilities of the GDB1000 processor, customers can run a very efficient and secure mesh network while processing data from the edge allowing for faster decision making.

"We are delighted to have reached this key technical milestone. We have enabled our global smart metering customers further with this state of the art SoC. The GDB1000 anticipates and enables more data exchange in IoT applications and our chip will have strong demand from multiple different applications," said, Stephane Laurent, VP Sales & Marketing and co-founder. Evaluation kits have been sampled to lead customer in India and Korea and starting end of Q3 2017 for general customers. For more information, see http://www.gridbeecom.com Contact:

[email protected]

Stephane Laurent

+33-6-16-01-69-27 SOURCE Gridbee Communications

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Atomenergoprom sees 89% rise in first-half net profit

07 September 2017

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Atomenergoprom, the holding company of Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom, has today reported consolidated net profit of RUB40.7 billion ($700 million) for the first half of 2017. This is an 89% increase on the same period of 2016 when it recorded net profit of RUB21.5 billion.

The main drivers of the group's growth were power generation (17% growth) and energy equipment manufacturing (36% growth). The share of export revenues stood at 24.3% of consolidated revenue in the first six months of 2017, totalling RUB77.4 billion.

Rosatom First Deputy Director-General Kirill Komarov said the results demonstrate "robust growth and reinforce the reality that nuclear energy remains commercially attractive". He added: "As a reliable source of clean energy, nuclear is contributing significantly to reducing CO2 emissions and the fight against climate change."

Revenue for the first half of 2017 was RUB319.1 billion compared with RUB273.3 billion in the first half of 2016, a 16.7% increase year-on-year.

Stabilisation of foreign currency exchange rates increased consolidated earnings in 2017, compared with 2016 when currency exchange losses amounted to RUB49.3 billion, Rosatom said.

Total debt decreased by 24.9% to RUB222.3 billion from RUB295.8 billion as of 31 December 2016.

Komarov said: "Despite all the difficulties the global energy sector is now facing, we have managed to maintain a healthy financial position with a strong debt/EBITDA ratio and low implied cost of debt. This enables us to maintain our leadership position and continue to invest about 4.5% of our revenue in R&D, to ensure we can maintain our technological edge."

25 years of Rosenergoatom

Rosatom's nuclear power plant operator subsidiary Rosenergoatom is today celebrating its 25th anniversary.

Rosenergoatom is Russia's biggest electricity generator and, after EDF, the world's second biggest company by installed nuclear power capacity.

It manages all ten of Russia's nuclear power plants, which include 35 reactor units. Of these, 18 are of the VVER design - 12 are VVER-1000s, one is a VVER-1200 and five are VVER-440 of various modifications. Fifteen units are with channel reactors - 11 RBMK-1000s and four of the EGP-6 type  and two are fast neutron reactors with sodium coolant - BN-600 and BN-800. At present, Russia's nuclear power plants, which have a total installed capacity of 27.9 GWe, cover about 18.3% of total electricity generation in the country. Rosenergoatom also manages new reactors under construction, as well as a number of engineering companies and it is building eight new reactor units in Russia. Since its formation by government decree in 1992, Rosenergoatom has produced 3786 terawatt hours of electricity. Last year, it generated 196 TWh, exceeding the 2015 target of 195 TWh. Eight new units have been put into operation, including unit 1 of Novovoronezh Phase II and Beloyarsk 4.

"In all this time, safety standards at nuclear power plants in Russia have not only been maintained at a high level, but have also been constantly improved," Rosenergoatom said. There have been no safety violations above the first level on the INES scale since 1999, it added, and the coefficient of installed capacity utilisation has increased from 52.6% to 85.95%.

Andrey Petrov, head of Rosenergoatom, said: "The most important change over these years is the revival of the construction complex." Noting that eight new units are now under construction in Russia, Petrov added: "A few years ago, when a unit was completed on average once every three years, few could imagine that such a volume of construction work would be possible."

By year-end the company aims to launch operations at unit 1 of Leningrad Phase II and Rostov 4, and start up unit 2 of Novovoronezh Phase II, as well as prepare for first concrete at unit 1 of Kursk Phase II next year.

Also by the end of this year, the company plans to commission the first stage of the Mendeleev Data Processing and Storage Centre, near the Kalinin nuclear power plant.

Other projects include the development of new business lines, including the production of the cobalt-60 (Co-60) isotope, with the Leningrad, Smolensk and Kursk nuclear power plants serving as sites for this work.

Its overseas contracts cover 12 countries: Armenia, Belarus, Bolivia, Bulgaria, China, the Czech Republic, Finland, Hungary, India, Iran, Lithuania and Slovakia. In Armenia, Iran and Bulgaria, Rosenergoatom says it is the "market leader".

Rosatom Director-General Alexey Likhachov said in a message to Rosenergoatom staff that "history has shown that the decision to merge nuclear power plants into a single company - Rosenergoatom Concern - was absolutely correct". He added: "This enabled not only the preservation of the domestic nuclear power industry, but also to bring it onto the list of the world's leading energy companies.

Rosenergtaom is expected to produce 200 TWh of electricity this year, he said.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

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New advice for managing nuclear accidents

07 September 2017

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The European Commission-funded Shamisen project has published 28 recommendations to improve the preparedness and response to a nuclear accident. The recommendations follow an 18-month review of the response to previous accidents, particularly Chernobyl and Fukushima.

"One of the main lessons drawn is that the impact of a nuclear accident goes well beyond direct radiation effects and includes considerable psychological, social and economic consequences," Shamisen said. "Another major lesson is that some decisions taken to protect the populations can in fact cause collateral damage."

Shamisen notes there were no deaths related to radiation exposure reported in Fukushima, but the evacuation caused more than 600 premature deaths, particularly among the elderly and the critically ill patients who were evacuated under inadequate conditions.

The Shamisen project - coordinated by ISGlobal (Barcelona Institute for Global Health) - brought together 19 European and Japanese organisations, as well as American, Belarusian, Russian and Ukrainian experts. It is funded by the European Commission's Euratom program in the framework of the Open Project for the European Radiation Research Area (OPERRA). The project started in December 2015 with the objective of producing a set of recommendations that would contribute to health surveillance and related communication with affected populations after nuclear accidents.

Existing recommendations, it said, had a technical focus, with less attention paid to social, ethical and psychological issues and the information tended to be directed towards the decisions made by experts rather than to support affected populations.

At the final meeting of the Shamisen project on 23 March, at the OECD headquarters in Paris, guidelines were presented that underline the importance of involving the population in the management of an accident and taking into account the economic and social upheavals and the psychological effects, particularly in the context of an emergency evacuation.

Recommendations

A set 28 recommendations has now been published aimed at improving preparedness for a nuclear accident, the early and intermediate phase and the long-term recovery phase. General principles that can be applied to other types of accidents and disasters were also identified. Each recommendation includes a 'why' (based on lessons learned), a 'how', and a 'who' (those responsible for implementing the recommendation).

The document includes recommendations to improve training of professionals, establish disease registries to know whether these diseases increase after an accident, and establish evacuation protocols and routes if necessary. It also says timely and reliable information on an accident situation and associated risks should be given, while radiation dose data should be collected. Following an accident, the main recommendations include establishing a dialogue between experts and affected communities. Support should also be given to populations that wish to take their own dose measurements so they can take informed decisions, such as on what food to eat, or whether and when to return to their homes.

Recommendations also include providing health screening of populations on a voluntary basis and with adequate counselling to avoid unnecessary anxiety. Long-term public health studies should only be launched when informative and sustainable over time, Shamisen said.

Shamisen will ensure the recommendations reach all relevant stakeholders - including local and national authorities and European and international organisations - so that they may guide policies aimed at improving the health and living conditions of populations affected by nuclear accidents.

"The document is a roadmap addressed to professionals and national and regional authorities to avoid repeating past mistakes," said Elisabeth Cardis, project coordinator and head of the radiation program at ISGlobal.

Researched and written

by World Nuclear News

Related topics
[September 07, 2017] Canon U.S.A. Advances PRISMAsync Color Print Server in Version 5.2, Offering Cloud-Based PRISMAlytics Dashboard and Additional Functionality

MELVILLE, N.Y., Sept. 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Demonstrating a commitment to enhancing its solutions to help customers better meet their business goals, Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the availability of PRISMAsync Color Print Server Version 5.2 for imagePRESS color digital production presses. This release features a suite of new tools designed to help print service providers analyze production performance, automate color calibration and profiling, extend color management flexibility and bring higher efficiency to user environments with a need for copying/scanning. This update builds upon the success of the PRISMAsync color print server family for imagePRESS color digital presses, including the industry's first DFE-embedded G7 Certified System for electrophotography. Canon will debut PRISMAsync Print Server v5.2 at PRINT 17 (booth #1213), held in Chicago, Illinois from September 10 to September 14, 2017. "The evolution of the PRISMAsync family of print servers reflects Canon's technological leadership and our focus on creating products that can help users increase productivity and maximize efficiency," said Toyotsugu Kuwamura, executive vice president and general manager, Business Imaging Solutions Group, Canon U.S.A., Inc. "Productivity is an evolving term and means so much more than just the number of pages printed per minute in today's market. The new tools and features of the PRISMAsync solution are designed specifically to help print providers keep operators efficient and their imagePRESS engines running, as is our effort to maintain the functionality and user interaction of the PRISMAsync platform for color and monochrome presses as uniform as possible." Among new features included with PRISMAsync Color Print Server v5.2 are: PRISMAlytics Dashboard1 - A cloud-based service that collects, organizes and displays performance trends from PRISMAsync driven digital presses running on version 5.2 or later. It records press data and transforms it into an easy-to-access and interpret dashboard, displaying usage, production and consumption-related information. This fact-based dashboard can help print floor managers study press performance on a daily basis as well as analyze trends over time, which can help them identify areas of improvement as a basis to take actions and bring higher efficiency to their production environment. Extended and Automated Color Management Tools - For color critical environments, PRISMAsync Print Server v5.2 brings new color controls that can be implemented on a job or system-wide basis, helping operators produce each job with high quality. From optimized black point compensation to special saturation rendering, operators can be confident a full range of tools for producing the best color are at hand.



"We chose PRISMAsync to drive our imagePRESS color digital presses because G7 calibration is built into the RIP and there is no need for add-ons or third-party software," said Brad Steven, IT/Digital Production Manager at Print-Tech, a G7 Master Qualified Printer in Ann Arbor, Michigan. "The efficiency and productivity of PRISMAsync print server and imagePRESS C10000VP is phenomenal. Our color calibration continues to be spot on. We are excited to implement the new release of PRISMAsync Version 5.2; it is expected to cut the time it takes to perform our in-RIP G7 calibration and color profiling nearly in half while assuring even greater consistency of measurement." New Scan/Copy Features - For copy/scan-intensive print operations such as in-plants, full support of Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) search when scanning to email and a new simplified "Easy Copy" screen have been implemented, helping to bring new efficiencies to these environments. Furthermore, v5.2 enables user interface configuration by user role, allowing administrators to limit available settings and options for certain roles to better fit their operation's workflow or task division.

PRISMAsync Print Servers are key components of the PRISMA Suite - Canon's integrated suite of workflow essentials for production print. Designed to optimize the print production workflow from job submission to completion; enabling users to adapt, evolve and grow within ever-changing production print environments. PRISMAsync Color Print Server v5.2 is now available through Canon Authorized Dealers and Canon Solutions America for imagePRESS C10000VP/C8000VP, imagePRESS C850/C750 and brings the relevant functionality in line with the PRISMAsync platform for varioPRINT monochrome digital presses. For current PRISMAsync users, Canon makes a strong effort to allow the field upgrades to keep the PRISMAsync feature and usability level aligned with newly sold devices. As such, version 5.2 is now also available for imagePRESS C800/C700 and imagePRESS C70xxVPS Series2. The new PRISMAlytics Dashboard is scheduled to be available from October 2017. For more information about Canon U.S.A., visit www.usa.canon.com. About Canon U.S.A., Inc. Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions to the United States and to Latin America and the Caribbean markets. With approximately $29 billion in global revenue, its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), ranks third overall in U.S. patents granted in 2016. Canon U.S.A. is committed to the highest level of customer satisfaction and loyalty, providing 100 percent U.S.-based service and support for all of the products it distributes in the United States. Canon U.S.A. is dedicated to its Kyosei philosophy of social and environmental responsibility. In 2014, the Canon Americas Headquarters secured LEED Gold certification, a recognition for the design, construction, operations and maintenance of high-performance green buildings. To keep apprised of the latest news from Canon U.S.A., sign up for the Company's RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/rss and follow us on Twitter @CanonUSA. For media inquiries, please contact [email protected]. Based on weekly patent counts issued by United States Patent and Trademark Office. Availability and specifications are subject to change without notice. Prices are set by dealers and may vary. All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners. 1PRISMAsync System Version 5.2, enablement of data transfer via the Web, PRISMAlytics license and Google or Microsoft account required to gain access to PRISMAlytics. Subscription to a third party service required. Google and Microsoft accounts are subject to Google's and Microsoft's terms and conditions, respectively. Neither Canon, Inc., nor Canon U.S.A., Inc. represents or warrants any third party product, service or feature referenced hereunder. 2PRISMAlytics Dashboard is not supported for imagePRESS C7000VPS Series/C7010VPS Series/C7011VPS Series. Canon U.S.A. website:

http://www.usa.canon.com For sales information/customer support:

1-800-OK-CANON View original content with multimedia:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/canon-usa-advances-prismasync-color-print-server-in-version-52-offering-cloud-based-prismalytics-dashboard-and-additional-functionality-300515633.html SOURCE Canon U.S.A., Inc.

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Georgia is located in the Caucasus region of Eurasia at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe. It covers an area of approximately 26,900 square miles and has a population of about 3.7 million people with the ethnic Georgians forming about 86% of the population. Like the majority of the Caucasian people, Georgians do not fit in any of the main ethnic categories in Asia or Europe. Other ethnic groups in Georgia include Armenians, Assyrians, Azerbaijanis, Greeks, Russians, and Ukrainians among other tribes. There are approximately 14 languages spoken in Georgia with Georgian as the most popular language. Other common languages include English, Russian, Assyrian, Svan, and Urum among other languages.

Official Language Of Georgia

Georgian is the official and primary language of Georgia. It is spoken as a first language by over 86% of the population. It is a Kartvelian language whose spoken form has many dialects and written in its own writing system. Georgian is divided into East Georgian and West Georgian groups that are together related to other languages spoken in the country including Laz and Svan. Apart from Georgia, the Georgian language is also spoken in some parts of Azerbaijan and northeastern Turkey. Although it is part of Caucasian region, the Georgian language is slightly different from other languages outside the area.

The evolution of Georgian into a written language dates back to the period of the conversion of Georgian elite to Christians in the mid 4th century. It was constructed on an already well-established cultural infrastructure, assuming the convention and status of the Aramaic. As the new language of the national religion, Georgian replaced Aramaic. The Georgian language is one of the toughest languages to learn according to the US department of States languages. It lacks prepositions and does not differentiate between genders. There are a number of Georgian dialects, namely Imeretian, Kartlian, Adjaran, and Tush.

Minority Languages Spoken In Georgia

Azerbaijani

Azerbaijani language is spoken by 6.2% of the Georgian population. It is the primary language of the Azerbaijanis and the official language of Azerbaijan. Azerbaijanis is a Turkic language spoken mainly by the Azerbaijanis community in Georgia. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Azerbaijani has grown in popularity compared to the Russian language. The growth of the language is attributed to the increased number of Azerbaijanis immigrants and the negative perception about the Russian language due to political differences.

Russian

Russians have been the largest group of immigrants in Georgia, accounting for 51.6% of all immigrants. With the country receiving a high number of Russians, the Russian language has had a significant influence in the daily interactions in Georgia. It is spoken by 1.2% of the Georgian population as their first language. Russian is mainly spoken by the Russian immigrants and the older Georgian generation. During the Soviet Union era, the communists mainly used the Russian language, especially in the far flung areas of Georgia. The Russian language was used as the second language and sometimes as the primary language in some parts of the country. However, since the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Russian language has been marginalized.

Status Of The English Language In Georgia

The number of English speakers in Georgia has significantly increased in the last two decades due to the governments interest in the language. The governments objective is to ensure that every child knows English. Thus, English has been made a mandatory subject in schools. The government has hired teachers from English-speaking countries such as the US and Canada to assist the local English teachers and also instruct students. Georgia aims to make English an official language in a few years.
Who is Raila Odinga?

Raila Omolo Odinga is a politician and former Prime Minister of Kenya. He made entry into politics in 1992 when he was elected to Parliament to represent Langata. Odinga served in different ministries such as Ministry of Energy, Ministry of Roads, and Ministry of Housing before running for president in the year 2007 against the then-president Mwai Kibaki in which he lost. He was then appointed the second Prime Minister of Kenya following the disputed results and the post-election violence. He ran again as the main opposition presidential candidate in 2013 and 2017 elections and came second in both against his competitor President Uhuru Kenyatta.

Early Life of Raila Odinga

Raila was born on January 7, 1945, to first Vice President of Kenya, Jaramogi Oginga Odinga and Mary Ajuma Odinga. He is mostly known by his name Raila because of coincidence: he represented Langata in Parliament between 1992 and 1997, time his father was also a Member of Parliament. He schooled at Kisumu Union Primary and Maranda before proceeding to the University of Leipzig for two years and later to Technical School in Magdeburg where he obtained Master in Science in Mechanical Engineering. Raila came back to Kenya in 1970. He first contested for president in 1997 against President Kibaki of Democratic Party and Moi of Kenya Africa National Union (KANU) and emerged third.

Apart from Jaramogi Oginga Odinga, his father, Raila is held as one of Kenya Patriot that have worked against repressive forces to democratize Kenya, especially during the KANU regime. His actions have led to drafting and promulgation of 2010 new Constitution with an affirmation of human rights and devolve national resources. Raila has remained a leading figure in Kenya politics despite his failed attempts to become president; however, he has evoked dislike and animosity in the ruling quarters.

Arrest and Jail Time

In 1982, Raila was sentenced to house arrest by the government under President Moi after he was allegedly implicated in the failed coup. He was later incarcerated with no trial for six years after being charged with treason. After his release on February 6, 1988, he was subsequently detained at least three times together with other who jointly fought against government violation of human rights like Kenneth Matiba.

Political Ideology

Raila subscribes to a social type of democracy ideologically It could be compared to "left-wing" American politics. He once preferred mixing the parliamentary government system with the Constitution giving the Prime Minister executive powers. However, he changed mind during the drafting of 2010 Constitution to a presidential system which retains executive authority with the president, although resources are shared among the 47 Counties under the leadership of Governors.

Raila picked Miguna Miguna as his coalition affairs advisor, immediately after his appointment as Prime Minister but he later dismissed him in August 2011 allegedly on what he termed as gross misconduct. Miguna afterward wrote a controversial book elaborating his relationship with Odinga. His suspense came at a time electoral commissioners were under pressure to vacate the offices on claims of nepotism and corruption.

The National Super Alliance Coalition

Currently, Raila is the main opposition leader under the umbrella of National Super Alliance coalition that was found in January 2017 in preparation for the August 2017 elections. The parties that came together to form the coalition are Wiper Democratic Movement, Progressive Party of Kenya, Orange Democratic Movement, Forum for Restoration of Democracy, Muungano, Chairman Cha Mashinani among other small parties. Raila ran against President Uhuru Kenyatta on August 8, 2017 election but lost.
Councillors updated on homeless camp: 10-11 sleeping on Groves site some have local tenancies

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Sep 7th, 2017

An information report has been circulated to councillors giving an update on the encampment on the Groves site.

The report, which has been circulated to members since the last Executive Board, lists the aims and objectives of the Wrexham community safety town centre action plan, along with providing an update on the ongoing partnership work to manage the Groves encampment.

Three objectives of the action plan and partnership group are listed in the report, which aims to develop a co-ordinated approach in order to:

Reduce inappropriate behaviour in the town centre

Reduce vulnerability

Reduce demand a cross section of services

Described as a recent emerging issue a summary timeline is included noting that: At the end of July a cohort of individuals moved onto the Groves site and set up an encampment.

Partners agreed that as a short term measure they would be allowed to stay on the site as this would enable agencies to work directly with them in structured and co-ordinated way to encourage them into services.

Members will recall that in the summer of 2016 much time and resource was spent moving individuals and small groups on from various locations around Wrexham and engagement was very difficult.

An action plan was agreed at the end of July for what is described as a high risk project, with the camp resulting in reliving pressures and demands on other services in Wrexham particularly in the town centre.

Previously in a Town Centre Forum meeting the full action plan was asked to be circulated, however has not been forthcoming. That plan was described as having a several page communication strategy. In a document seen by Wrexham.com that communication plan is described, and also has social media sentiment measurement mentioned.

Such sentiment measures are included in the information report, with comments from you the public on social media summarised and fed back, with it stated: Via social media there has been a growing support for the residents of the encampment and food and other supplies are being delivered directly to the site.

Whilst we recognise that people are keen to help the vulnerable, donations need to be given to the supporting charities not given directly to the encampment.

A number of the individuals on the site in the day are not homeless and others have either refused to engage with support agencies or have behaved inappropriately with support workers. Items that are being donated there are being sold for drugs  clearly this is not supporting the vulnerable into services. 

Such feeling presumably was the cause of a firm response from Wrexham Council where deputy council leader, Cllr Hugh Jones said such direct donations were undermining work. The sentiment we picked up was split between those seeing it as very harsh and those entirely in favour of the Councils position.

Just days after the statement was issued, North Wales Police and Crime Commissioner and former Wrexham councillor, Arfon Jones called on Cllr Jones to rethink his stance on people donating food and supplies to those on the site.

The information report also acknowledges the recent focus on the camp by regional and UK media, stating: There is a growing media interest in the site, locally and now nationally. We are continuing to engage with local media as it is important to work together in the longer term on this issue.

Interestingly Wrexham Council have decided to disengage from national media on the issue, noting that they have been sensationalising the issue.

Such frustrations are followed by a mini-fact check, with the report saying: Reports are being given of over 50 people living on the site. Numbers are monitored daily and there are 10 or 11 people sleeping on the site, some of whom are not homeless and do have local tenancies.

Four partnership groups are detailed, with a fortnightly meeting of a Gold Level Group down through to a daily update group who are working together to manage the situation.

The Council are seeing the work as a positive, with Wrexham leading the way in developing good practice that is being looked at externally: The work that we are undertaking in Wrexham is providing us with a positive following from professionals, wanting to better understand the ground breaking work that is taking place in Wrexham.

This issue is not unique to Wrexham but many areas are looking to understand what we are doing and have commented that we are leading the way with our partnership approach of the town centre action plan.

The information report is light on the day to day detail of what is being done at the site, and also does not have timescales or benchmarks for site clearance.

In a separate non-public document we have seen there is detail on 2,010 worth of spending on fencing and a portaloo on the site based off a 14 week timeframe.

The private document also refers to the covenant of the Groves site and that the use of the land for such a camp would likely be in contravention of it. It is noted that the portaloos and fencing would require planning permission, but as they are only in place for around 90 days (roughly the 14 weeks above) a planning application would not be required.

There is reference to what could happen after the 90 day period, where a medium term plan is to be developed. The private report states that the Groves site is not suitable for a longer term base adding as the weather changes individuals are likely to move onto alternative winter locations.

There is no mention of where these locations are are thought to be, nor if preparatory work is taking place there, in the current document however is likely to be in scope for the medium term plan.

The private document does note two elements that will likely answer two common questions, pointing out that displacement of people ie. moving them around town, is not a solution and a permanent solution is preferred  plus there is an end game with the Groves not being the permanent solution.
[September 07, 2017] International Innovation Corps, University of Chicago Aims to Accelerate Social Development by Bringing Together Private Public Enterprises

NEW DELHI, September 7, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- The University of Chicago's International Innovation Corps (IIC) organized a three-day conference at their center in Delhi. The event featured panel discussions on creating participatory spaces in public policy, innovations in development finance, filling data gaps and fuelling data governance. The emerging theme from the deliberations was the role of public private partnerships in scaling and accelerating social development initiatives and creating an ecosystem which would help enable this. Stalwarts from the NITI Aayog, the Rajasthan Education Department, organizations such as Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, Dasra, Villgro India, SEWA, Centre for Urban and Regional Excellence, IDInsight, Data{Meet}, SocialCops, X Billion Labs, Saajha, Aranya Agricultural Alternatives came together to discuss their learnings and observations on the need to involve communities in the creation and delivery of policy initiatives; the significance of participation of private funding, philanthropic giving and impact investing to accelerate the development process; and overcoming gaps in data collection, management and analytics. A keynote lecture by Naresh Pal Gangwar, Secretary of Education, Government of Rajasthan, on systemic transformations in education, was also able to bring these different themes together. The Secretary's lecture highlighted how Rajasthan's School Education Department has been able to combine data systems, community engagement, and partnerships with NGOs and foundations, to bring about large-scale change in education governance. While learning outcomes will take many years to improve, putting in place the right governance structures is a critical first step. Panel discussions highlighted that lack of ownership is a challenge when it comes to scaling social initiatives. Creating communitarian organizations with participation from all sectors could help build holistic programs and address challenges with existing initiatives. Information sharing and building capacity at the official level, as well as communty level, would help accelerate this.



Prachi Jain Windlass, India Education Director, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation, shared, "When it comes to achieving scale and making social development initiatives sustainable, it cannot be achieved in isolation by education technology companies, or NGOs. Working closely with the government and facilitating community involvement is what will make these initiatives a success." IIC's education programs in Rajasthan and Himachal Pradesh are helping build formal and informal channels to encourage community participation, designing tools to collect data at the village level, and building capacity to scale such interventions, by ensuring that local governance structures in each state are kept in mind and proper feedback mechanisms are developed. All of this is being enabled through collaborations with state governments.

Throwing light on the recently launched Gyan Sankalp Education Funding Portal designed by the Government of Rajasthan and the IIC, Tullika Saini, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education, Rajasthan shared, "There is a 5000+ crore infrastructure financing gap in Rajasthan schools. A larger vision is required to connect potential funders with on-ground projects, which have been identified after careful observation of needs of people on the ground, which the Gyan Sankalp portal aims at enabling. There is an opportunity for every organization to be a part of education initiatives in the country and the portal is a tool to connect the two." Avik Sarkar, Incharge, Data Analytics Cell, Energy Modeling Unit, NITI Aayog, who engaged with an IIC team to work on data systems, said, "Gaps in data analysis and effective utilization of data, to implement impactful initiatives, exist because of lack of digitization of data. Data needs to be seen as a tool that empowers people and proper governance mechanisms need to be put in place to collect and digitize relevant data. Partnerships with private organizations for capacity building to impart necessary skills to accelerate digitization of data can help take this forward." Avik Sarkar, Incharge, Data Analytics Cell, Energy Modeling Unit, NITI Aayog; Tullika Saini, Deputy Commissioner, Department of Education, Rajasthan; Prachi Jain Windlass, Director, India Education, Michael and Susan Dell Foundation; Megha Jain, Associate Director, Strategic Philanthropy, Dasra, leaders of NGOs and social enterprises, and government officials attended the conference. About International Innovation Corps The International Innovation Corps is a fellowship program based at the University of Chicago Harris School of Public Policy that selects, trains, and manages teams of motivated young professionals from across the world to implement innovative solutions to large-scale development challenges in India and Brazil. For more information, please visit iic.uchicago.edu. About University of Chicago: The University of Chicago (UChicago) is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois. It is one of the world's leading and most influential institutions of higher learning, with top-ten positions in numerous rankings and measures. One of the world's premier academic and research institutions, the University of Chicago has driven new ways of thinking since its 1890 founding. Today, UChicago is an intellectual destination that draws inspired scholars to their Hyde Park and international campuses, keeping UChicago at the nexus of ideas that challenge and change the world. Media Contact:

Riddhima Sethi

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New school still planned for Groves site  but existing school building could be left empty for years

This article is old - Published: Thursday, Sep 7th, 2017

It has been revealed the former Groves site could eventually house a new school if funding is agreed  however we have been told there are no plans to use the recently listed Groves school building for that purpose, with its future up for debate.

The detail has been revealed after Wrexham Council unveiled their funding bid through the 21st Century Schools and Education Programme, a partnership between Welsh Government and local authorities such as Wrexham Council. The bid details what match funding Wrexham Council are looking for from Welsh Government, with information on what projects any money would be spent on.

Wrexham Councils Lead Member for Education, Phil Wynn, has told us that the old Groves school building itself is not in the Councils plan for educational use at the moment despite still looking to place a school on the Groves site.

While taking questions over the Councils Strategic Outline Programme (SOP) and an associated bid for 36m to Welsh Government for part funding of local education projects Councillor Wynn commented on the future of the Groves site. Last month we reported how we understood the SOP bid did not contain a request for funding for the Groves, however it appears the bid does include a Groves based project, but not involving the listed building itself.

Prior to the documents being made public we asked Councillor Wynn if the Groves School was included as a stated project in the bid.

There is a school within the document, that we need to provide in the town centre. The aspiration is to deliver a new school, at least, on the Groves site.

As regards to the structure still there that has been listed, that is still open to debate.

We asked if open to debate meant the listing could be challenged yet again.

Councillor Wynn said: The report does not clearly state that we wish to use the Groves structure for educational use at this moment in time.

We do need to use the site as obviously land availability in the town centre is scarce, and getting scarcer.

It is a valuable pocket of land that is within our ownership, which we do have aspirations to use to accommodate a new school.

The SOP bid is a second tranche of money from Welsh Government, known as Band B, and includes eight specific projects that will look to improve existing buildings, or create new educational infrastructure and buildings  detailed below.

Council Leader Mark Pritchard was confident the Welsh Government would see the Councils bid in a favourable light, pointing out the track record of Wrexham Council in delivery, contrasting it to other unnamed local authorities saying we have an advantage.

The details of the bid have now been made public, with the Groves mentioned once in the document before Councillors ahead of next weeks Executive Board meeting.

The document gives a state of play summary based off a previous Band A funding tranche of 22.3 million, including the following delivered planned projects as noted by the Council Leader. Due to efficient working and savings made additional schemes were also possible:

Gwenfro  New build 315 school  5 million  Completed

Hafod Y Wern  New build 315 school  5 million  Completed

Penycae  Extension and refurb  3 million  On site completion Oct 2017

Gwersyllt CP  Extension and refurb  3 million  BJC submitted

Plas Coch  Extension  1 million  Completed

Alexandra  Extension  1 million  Completed

Ysgol Bryn Alyn  Demolition, New build & Refurb  2 million  On Site completion Oct 2017

Ysgol Morgan Llwyd  6th form provision  1.3 million  BJC submitted

The document goes on to list the projects that are hoped to be funded in the new tranche of Band B funding with the aim of Efficient and effective educational infrastructure that will meet current and future demand for places by 2024.

If the bid is given the go ahead by Welsh Government, Wrexham could see a new Welsh medium primary school accommodating 105 pupils on the former Hafod y Wern infant site with the first intake in 2019. That would be a prelude to a move to the Borras Park site where a larger school would be accommodated.

Wrexham Council say: We believe that Band B offers the opportunity to invest in co locating the remaining amalgamated English medium schools, invest in ensuring the most effective and efficient use of Secondary school estate across all sectors, not only addressing surplus places within English medium but ensuring sufficiency of places in the Welsh medium and faith sectors. This funding will also give further opportunity to continue to expand the number of Welsh medium and faith places available in Wrexham.

The project priorities are stated by Wrexham Council as below in the plan, split into three faith projects and five local authority projects:

Borras Following the amalgamation of the previous infants and juniors in 2016 this would bring the school together in one building. The school would maintain its 420 capacity with 60 nursery places. This project would free up a full school building on a separate site which can be utilised by the Education Department to meet the growth in Welsh medium provision, in what is an ideal geographic location.

Following the amalgamation of the previous infants and juniors in 2016 this would bring the school together in one building. The school would maintain its 420 capacity with 60 nursery places. This project would free up a full school building on a separate site which can be utilised by the Education Department to meet the growth in Welsh medium provision, in what is an ideal geographic location. Welsh Medium  Borras Infant Site By Undertaking project 1 Borras physical amalgamation we can utilise the former Infant site to accommodate a 210 primary with 30 nursery places. The current building is structurally sound, however would require refurbishment and minor alterations.

By Undertaking project 1 Borras physical amalgamation we can utilise the former Infant site to accommodate a 210 primary with 30 nursery places. The current building is structurally sound, however would require refurbishment and minor alterations. Secondary Provision Review The aim is for the School Organisation Review Panel (SORP) to undertake a full review of Secondary provision throughout Wrexham during the 2017 academic year, in order that we further consider how best we utilise surplus provision at a number of our English medium schools and address the growing demand for Welsh medium.it is likely that this full review will highlight the need to make some substantial changes to several locations across the county and in doing so undertake some site swaps. This funding is vital in the development of sufficient Welsh medium secondary places and effective use of current Secondary English medium stock. This project would likely be subject to full public consultation.

The aim is for the School Organisation Review Panel (SORP) to undertake a full review of Secondary provision throughout Wrexham during the 2017 academic year, in order that we further consider how best we utilise surplus provision at a number of our English medium schools and address the growing demand for Welsh medium.it is likely that this full review will highlight the need to make some substantial changes to several locations across the county and in doing so undertake some site swaps. This funding is vital in the development of sufficient Welsh medium secondary places and effective use of current Secondary English medium stock. This project would likely be subject to full public consultation. Ysgol Yr Hafod Following the amalgamation of the previous infants and juniors in 2016 this would bring the school together in one building on the same site. The two current sites are separated by approximately 800m. The school would maintain a 315 capacity with a 45 place nursery. This project would free up a full school on a separate site which can be further utilised by the Education Department.

Following the amalgamation of the previous infants and juniors in 2016 this would bring the school together in one building on the same site. The two current sites are separated by approximately 800m. The school would maintain a 315 capacity with a 45 place nursery. This project would free up a full school on a separate site which can be further utilised by the Education Department. Ysgol ID Hooson In order to meet demand for Welsh medium Ysgol ID Hooson has managed its numbers using two mobile classrooms on site. As with the Plas Coch development in Band A we propose to replace the temporary buildings with a fit for purpose classroom extension, whilst ensuring that the non-teaching spaces are also sufficient to meet the needs of a 315 school with 45 nursery places.

In order to meet demand for Welsh medium Ysgol ID Hooson has managed its numbers using two mobile classrooms on site. As with the Plas Coch development in Band A we propose to replace the temporary buildings with a fit for purpose classroom extension, whilst ensuring that the non-teaching spaces are also sufficient to meet the needs of a 315 school with 45 nursery places. St Marys RC Wrexham This project involves the site relocation and building of a 420 Primary with 60 nursery places. The current site is landlocked within the town centre and is a 210 school site that accommodates over 420 pupils, half of which are currently based in mobile temporary classrooms placed on what limited outdoor space the school has. This scheme would be subject to consultation and locating a feasible site. This project would free a site for a 210 school in an area where there is great demand and oversubscription.

This project involves the site relocation and building of a 420 Primary with 60 nursery places. The current site is landlocked within the town centre and is a 210 school site that accommodates over 420 pupils, half of which are currently based in mobile temporary classrooms placed on what limited outdoor space the school has. This scheme would be subject to consultation and locating a feasible site. This project would free a site for a 210 school in an area where there is great demand and oversubscription. St Marys Brymbo This project involves the site relocation and building of what is currently a 154 Primary with 22 nursery places. The proposal is to build a 315 school with 45 nursery places at a site already identified in Brymbo. This would not only replace what is a condition D Building with a 21st Century school but would expand the capacity to accommodate a growing demand in that area of the county. This development would also assist in further addressing the oversubscription within the town centre, as historically due to location, pupils from the new housing developments drifted to the town centre schools. The intention is to introduce additional capacity and realign that drift.

This project involves the site relocation and building of what is currently a 154 Primary with 22 nursery places. The proposal is to build a 315 school with 45 nursery places at a site already identified in Brymbo. This would not only replace what is a condition D Building with a 21st Century school but would expand the capacity to accommodate a growing demand in that area of the county. This development would also assist in further addressing the oversubscription within the town centre, as historically due to location, pupils from the new housing developments drifted to the town centre schools. The intention is to introduce additional capacity and realign that drift. New VA School If the initial two faith projects were to proceed, there is the possibility to re purpose the St Marys RC site. This could accommodate further faith provision in the town centre where demand is highest. This would involve clearing the site of temporary buildings and refurbishment into a 210 provision with a 30 entry nursery.

Councillor Wynn said the bid was in the laps of the Welsh Government and expected conversations to start promptly to get the ball rolling on possible green lighting of specific projects.

There is no detail to what form the debate will take over the future of the Groves school building itself.
Four soldiers in the British Army and one civilian have been arrested by West Midlands Police Counter Terrorism Unit, on suspicion of preparing acts of terrorism as members of the outlawed fascist group National Action.

Of the four, aged between 22 and 32, three are from England and one from Wales. The military personnel are from the Royal Anglian Regiment and the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. One of the soldiers was arrested by Royal Military police at the Dhekelia British Army base in Cyprus.

Reports describe one of those arrested as an experienced soldier at the Infantry Battle School (IBS) with responsibility for training and identifying private soldiers likely to have the potential to be future leaders.

This soldier is said to have met the others at a training course in Brecon, Mid-Wales. This is a centre used by the elite Special Forces regiment, the SAS, for training. The British Armys web site boasts, The commanders that lead them [armed forces overseas operations] are all trained at IBS, and the training they undertake is linked to current operations. It adds, [S]oldiers and officers are prepared for any operational situation they may faceconventional war, counter insurgency, security sector reform, peacekeeping or supporting civil authorities.

The arrests, under section 41 of the Terrorism Act 2000, were described by an army spokesman as the consequence of a Home Office police force-led operation supported by the army. They were arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation and instigation of acts of terrorism...namely on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation (National Action).

The police said the operation was pre-planned and intelligence led. The Daily Mail reported that the military personnel were seized after investigators uncovered inflammatory far-Right material, including images and slogans, on encrypted social media site WhatsApp.

No detail has yet been made of any alleged crime they were planning, with the police saying there was no threat to the publics safety.

National Action was formed in 2013. Its members, often wearing masks and balaclavas, have carried out numerous acts of racist violence and organised anti-Semitic activities.

In 2014, one of their number told the Huffington Post that he admired Antonio Primo de Rivera (founder of the fascist Spanish Falange), 1930s British Union of Fascists leaders Oswald Mosley and Alexander Raven Thomson and right-wing author Wyndham Lewis. The group appealed to white youths between the ages of 15-29 who are looking to become racial activists, promising flyers, stickers and activities will be provided free of charge. The same year, supporter Garron Helm from Liverpool was jailed for anti-Semitic tweets to Jewish Labour MP Luciana Berger.

In 2015, National Action member Zack Davies was given a life sentence in jail for the attempted murder of dentist Dr. Sarandev Bhambra, who was left with serious injuries after being attacked with a machete in a supermarket. Davies was reported shouting white power as he stabbed Dr. Bhambra. The same year, National Action organised a demonstration in Newcastle under a banner that included a large photo of the Nazi leader and read, Refugees Not WelcomeHitler was right.

In 2016, photographs were posted on social media of National Action members performing fascist salutes in the Buchenwald death camp where 56,545 prisoners of the Nazis lost their lives during World War II. Members of the group also gathered outside York Minster to make Hitler salutes while holding the aforementioned banner.

The groups leading figures have moved within a number of far-right groups. One of its leaders, Benjamin Raymond, was active in the New British Union, based on Mosleys British Union of Fascists. A picture exists of Raymondwho said in an Internet post, There are non-whites and Jews in my country who all need to be exterminatedcarrying a rifle. In the same post he added, As a teenager, Mein Kampf changed my life. I am not ashamed to say I love Hitler. Interviewed on BBC radio in 2015, Raymond said National Action supported Nazism and that Adolf Hitler was absolutely a role model.

The group has links with far-right forces internationally. Raymond described as a hero Anders Breivik, the Norwegian fascist who murdered 77 young people at a Norwegian Labour Party summer camp in 2011. Breiviks act was the deadliest attack on civilians in Norway since World War II.

According to police figures, 22 members of National Action were arrested in 2016. It was proscribed in December of that year, following the murder of Labour MP Jo Cox by the fascist Thomas Mair.

Mair killed Cox, MP for the Batley and Spen constituency in West Yorkshireduring the referendum campaign on European Union membershipby shooting and stabbing her repeatedly. When he was brought before a court, Mair stated his name as death to traitors, freedom for Britain. This was a statement that National Action subsequently took as their own slogan, using it prominently on their former web site. They informed their social media followers, Dont let this mans sacrifice go in vain.

The arrest of the soldiers poses questions regarding possible connections between Mairs murderous assault and National Action. Another tweet emanating from National Action after Coxs killing referred to democratically elected members of Parliament, stating there were only 649 MPs to go.

The proximity of the ban on National Action to Coxs murder invites suspicion that more is known about Mairs political connections than was revealed publicly.

Announcing the ban, Home Secretary Amber Rudd declared the group to be a terrorist organisation, membership of which was an offence carrying a prison sentence. Publicising, organising meetings for, wearing clothing or carrying articles indicating approval of the group was also made an offence.

National Action is the only British far-right organisation among 71 mostly international groups currently banned in Britain, although a number of Northern Irelands right-wing loyalist groups have been banned for many years.

The existence of a neo-Nazi cell operating in the British armed forces is a dangerous development and one with parallels in other countries. With the turn towards militarism by all the major capitalist powers, there is a growing concentration of far-right and fascist forces within the state apparatus.

In Germany, the existence of a far-right network allegedly involved in preparing attacks against high-profile politicians has been revealed. Those targeted included former President Joachim Gauck, Justice Minister Heiko Maas, and the president of Thuringia, Bodo Ramelow, as well as Jewish and Muslim organisations. Later reports confirmed that the suspected terrorist cell was part of much more widespread right-wing extremist networks in the Bundeswehr.

In Greece, members of the fascist Golden Dawn work closely with the security forces, often under their protection. In the June 2012 general elections, more than half of police officers reportedly voted for Golden Dawn, with many police officers, particularly within the riot control department, members of the far-right group.

In Canada, five members of the fascistic Proud Boys organisation, who are members of the Canadian Armed Forces, disrupted a sacred rite ceremony by native Mikmaqs in July. The Proud Boys describe themselves as Western chauvinists. Following a military police investigation, last month the decision was taken by the Royal Canadian Navy not to punish the five.
This is the third installment of my diary of Hurricane Harvey. I began these notes in the evening of Tuesday, August 29, 2017, after the hurricane moved off to the east and Houston skies began to clear. This installment covers September 5.

It was a warm, sticky day, with sunshine, some clouds, and a hazy sky. Very little was available in a breeze. A cold front was said to be on its way, but there was no sign of it yet. I had decided to visit a part of Houston I know well and in which much flooding damage had been reported.

I started driving south on Buffalo Speedway from US Highway 59 (now also designated as Interstate Highway I-69), heading down the gentle, nearly flat slope towards Braes Bayou, which lies a couple of miles ahead. I didnt see any evidence of flooding until I got to Carnegie Street, a few blocks north of the intersection of Buffalo and Holcombe Avenue. At that point I started to see piles of soggy trash in the front yards and driveways of some houses. Holcombe is about a mile north of Braes Bayou, and runs parallel to it.

I drove by a small four-unit townhouse development on the corner of Buffalo and Holcombe. It obviously had been flooded. I lived in one of them for 18 years, until two years ago. It had flooded once when lived there, thanks to Tropical Storm Allison; that was in 2001. Now, with someone else owning it, it has flooded a second time.

As I continued south from Holcombe, I started to see big piles of trash on Bellefontaine and Maroneal streets, and on every street from there down to the bayou. The piles of trash were much larger, and were in front of almost every house in the neighborhood. Thus, Braes Bayou had been nearly a mile outside its north bank in this area.

The piles of waterlogged trash were stupefying to see. The closer I got to the bank of the bayou, the deeper the water would have been, and the evidence is seen in the higher and higher piles of trash. The sheer quantity of stuff that has be hauled away and discarded can hardly be imagined! Soggy gypsum board, scrap lumber, furniture, toys, family photos, books, clothing, everything that had been inside these homes was now out on the lawns, moldering away. And it goes on for miles up and down Braes Bayou.

I stopped to take a few photos, and to see if I could find anyone to talk to. The neighborhood seemed mostly empty of people. Most of the houses, with the exception of some of the more modern two-story, post-Allison raised-foundation ones, are in no condition to be slept in at the moment.

I met and talked with Lisa, a surgeon, in front of her house, which is within a block of Buffalo Speedway. Lisa said that the water in her neighborhood, just a few blocks north of the bayou, was far too high to even think of trying to get out; this condition lasted for about 30 hours.

Lisa and her neighbors saw a nearby Coast Guard air rescue in progress during the flood. I asked if it was on her side of Buffalo Speedway. We couldnt tell exactly where it was, we obviously couldnt get out, but we saw this helicopter hovering for about 30 minutes, trying to rescue somebody. Lisa said, All the neighbors have been great. Pointing to some of her neighbors homes, she said that this family [pointing to one house] is staying with that one [pointing to another]. And this pattern of neighbor hosting neighbor is repeated multiple times up and down the street.

Clean-up and construction crews are already coming into the neighborhoods to start work. Many of them speak little English, and I saw little evidence of formal supervision while I was in the area.

Craig was getting out of his car to go into his home when I caught up with him. He has lived a long time in the neighborhood, and his house had previously been flooded by Allison. He mentioned that many of the newer houses that were rebuilt after Allison on higher foundations did not get flooded. However, I have been hearing on the local media that some of those newer homes were flooding out anyway. I imagine its some of both, and is all in the luck of the draw.

I turned right onto North Braeswood, heading west (upstream) along the north bank of Braes Bayou. I stopped at the Hideaway Condominiums, which is hard on the north bank of the bayou.

There, I spoke with Alice, who lives alone, and had just celebrated her 80th birthday. She said she had not been paying much attention to her own unit during the rain because she was watching the flood water enter the front door of one of her neighbors across the courtyard.

Alice reported that the neighbor got a shovel and tried to dig a trench, so the water would drain into the pool area. (The pool is a couple of feet lower than the apartments.) Then she noticed her own unit was flooding also.

She said she had not worried too much about flooding. I didnt pay too much attention, because Ive lived here for 40 years and never saw the water go beyond the third step, referring to the steps leading up to the main entrance to the condominiums. Wringing my hands and saying woe is me isnt going to make it go away, so I went and got a bottle of whisky and went upstairs, she said, laughing.

The water got only about four inches deep in Alices condo, so she continues living there. Dehumidifiers are running in her unit. They aid drying out by continuously collecting water vapor as liquid water in a container that must be emptied out several times a day.

At some point, she will need to get the repairs done. As to insurance: The condo will take care of the floor damage, the walls and the sheetrock [gypsum board], Alice said, but she doesnt know any details yet. The adjusters coming out on Thursday.

Alice was able to save a few things. Her couch had been elevated on risers because it is easier to sit on with some extra height. It was lucky that the flood water did not reach it. She also saved a beautiful new rug she recently bought by rolling it up and taking it upstairs.

And she saved her car, or rather some friends did. Alice said of some neighbors, The guys saved my car by rolling it up the ramp. My car is old, and I only have liability insurance. But they saved it.

As a member of the homeowners association, Alice collects the monthly checks from the residents for their association fees. When I went to the mailbox to collect the checks, they were all soaked. I had to take them out of their envelopes and hang them on a clothesline to dry.

Our interview came to an end, and she got up to empty out the dehumidifier. If you turn it off, it gets steamy in here real fast.
As parliament begins its debate today on the second reading of the so-called Great Repeal bill, incorporating European Union (EU) legislation into British law, the Labour Party officially announced it will vote against.

The bill is the first step in legally removing the UK from the EUscheduled for March 2019, following the Leave vote in last years referendum. Described as the largest legislative venture undertaken in British history, it incorporates statutes and regulations that had been adopted by the UK through its membership of the EU and its predecessor, the European Economic Community.

More fundamentally, the bill provides for Henry VIII clauses, dating back to the 16th century, enabling ministers and civil servants to decide which aspects of EU legislation and regulation can be kept, amended or discarded without recourse to parliament.

This massive increase in executive powers is justified on the grounds that it is necessary to provide for a smooth and orderly exit from the EU.

In a statement, a Labour Party spokesman said that as democrats we cannot vote for a bill that unamended would let government ministers grab powers from parliament to slash peoples rights at work and reduce protection for consumers and the environment.

Labour does not currently have the numbers to block the legislation. Conservative Prime Minister Theresa May has a working majority of 13, resting on the support of the Democratic Unionist Party in Northern Ireland. Despite criticisms, no Tory MPs are expected to rebel against May in Mondays vote, although that could change when it reaches committee stage.

Labours denunciations of an executive power-grab cannot be taken at face value, especially when its real political purpose is to align the party as the main defender of the anti-democratic EU.

Its statement claims that it fully respects the democratic decision to leave the European Union, and backs a jobs-first Brexit with full tariff-free access to the European single market. (emphasis added).

It is the last part of the sentence that is the most significant.

Last June, Labour backed a Remain vote, despite party leader Jeremy Corbyn being a vocal critic of the EU throughout his 30 years on the backbenches. After the referendum, he voted with May to begin negotiations on Britains withdrawal from the Single Market and the Customs Union.

But this is opposed by the majority of the bourgeoisie, banks and big business. In addition to Brexit threatening corporate interests, the powers-that-be are alarmed at its consequences for the global standing of British imperialism. There are fears that it will lead to its diminishing and side-liningespecially against Paris and Berlinunder conditions of growing trade war and militarism.

In line with these concerns, May has accepted a transitional period, of up to two years following Brexit, to attempt measures that will replicate the UKs existing relations with the EU.

Mays efforts, however, to fudge over bitter differences in the Tory Party on Brexit are regarded by many as unstable and unsatisfactory. Labour is now being refashioned as the main political vehicle to secure a de facto overturning of the referendum result.

Publicly, the Labour Party states that it accepts the Leave vote. But last week, Labours Brexit spokesman Keir Starmer announced Labour would support an extended period of transition after March 2019 in which Britain would continue to participate in the Single Market and Customs Union for as long as needed.

This has the support of most of the Labour Party apparatusfrom the Blairite right-wing to the trade unionswho opposed withdrawal. Deputy leader Tom Watson said that it meant Labour was the party of soft Brexit.

This is the real content of Labours opposition to the Great Repeal Bill. It wants to make sure that the final version does not rule out continued participation in the EU.

Dennis MacShane, former Minister of Europe for Labour, said Labours move meant May will have to decide whether to back the extreme anti-Europeans in her cabinet or follow the ultra-left-wing Jeremy Corbyn who is now appearing as a moderate, pro-business politician trying to delay Brexit as long as possible.

His description of Corbyn as a stalwart of the political establishment underlines the real service the former left backbencher is providing to the powers-that-be. Corbyns supposed reluctance to wholeheartedly endorse the EU played a major role in last years attempted leadership coup by the Blairite right, with the support of the military-security apparatus. Now he has given his benediction to their demands, dressing up support for the EU as part of an anti-austerity programmeas if the big business bloc was not the main instrument for imposing social devastation across the continent, especially in Greece.

This has emboldened his nominal opponents in the Parliamentary Labour Party who are building relations with anti-Brexit Tories and calling for a reversal of the referendum result.

While tense official negotiations took place last week over Brexit terms in Brussels, Tony Blair met with European Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker behind the scenes. No details were released of their discussion but Blair has led demands for a second referendum.

On Tuesday, Blairs former policy adviser Lord Adonis, said Labour would end up backing another referendum, which he described as a first referendum on the exit terms.

Leading Blairite Chuka Umunna has joined forces with Tory MP Anna Soubry in an all-party parliamentary group. Involving MPs from the Liberal Democrats, the Scottish National Party and Plaid Cymru, it demands the government seek to keep the UK in the Customs Union.

On Tuesday, the Labour Campaign for the Single Market was launched. Led by Labour MPs Heidi Alexander and Alison McGovern, it calls for the UK to remain in the European Single Market and Customs Union, and aims to build support for a motion to the Labour Party conference in two weeks to make this official policy.

Its leading personnel comprise those involved in the two attempted putsches against Corbyns leadership. McGovern quit Labours front benches after Corbyn was elected first in September 2015, and Alexander resigned the shadow cabinet in June 2016, days after the referendum, in a staged revolt by the Parliamentary Labour Party.

Advisory group members include Naushabah Khan, Leighton Andrews and Adam Harrison, who have all previously demanded Corbyn stand down or be replaced. Also on the board is Simon Darvill , who led the official Remain campaign in the referendum and Fiona Millar (partner of Blairs spin doctor, Alastair Campbell).

In Prime Ministers Question Time Wednesday, Corbyn avoided any mention of the governments leaked plans to restrict immigration on a supposed Britons First basis. He has said that Labour will also look to limit freedom of movement.
Over the last week, the Burmese (Myanmar) government led by Foreign Minister Aung San Suu Kyi has fully collaborated with the militarys clearance operations against the Rohingya Muslim population of northwestern Rakhine state.

According to UN officials, since the ethnic cleansing campaign began on August 25, supposedly in response to attacks on security forces, nearly 90,000 Rohingya refugees have fled, driven out by the militarys scorched earth policy and widespread killings.

On Monday, another 20,000 refugees were massed on the border with Bangladesh. The Bangladesh government has ordered all refugees be turned back. However, as one border guard told Agence France Presse, the sheer numbers made it impossible to stop the influx. Its bigger than the last time, he said.

As of Monday, the UN estimated that 87,000 new refugees had fled, bringing the total to 150,000 since October. The previous clearance operations that began in October and lasted for five months were in response to earlier, smaller attacks by the Arakan Rohingya Salvation Army (ARSA).

A catastrophic situation is now developing in the refugee camps. The overall numbers in Bangladesh have risen to more than 400,000.

As in October, the military, in league with Burmese nationalist thugs, exploited the ARSA attacks as the pretext for unleashing pre-planned pogroms. The army has been building up its forces in the area since at least early August. Its aim is to completely drive the Rohingya out of Burma, where many families have lived for generations.

Suu Kyi and her National League for Democracy (NLD) have backed the military at every step. On Monday, the media revealed that President U Htin Yyaw, who was appointed by Suu Kyi and the NLD, granted military chief General Min Aung Hlaings request to declare the whole region a military operational area.

At the border police headquarters in Kyee Kan Pyin, Major Ko Soe said the operational area covered Buthidaung, Maungdaw and Rathedaung townships as well as Taungpoletwe and Myinlut sub-townships. U Htin even backdated the decree to August 25, thus legitimising the crimes already carried out.

Major Soe said the presidents decision ensured decisive actions can be taken against terrorist organisations in clearance operations. As of Saturday, 11,700 non-Muslim ethnic residents also have been driven out of the area, which has been sealed off to the media and non-government organisations.

The army only admitted the destruction of 2,700 homes after the US-based Human Rights Watch accessed satellite images that showed 10 villages and towns had been torched in Rohingya areas parallel to a 100-kilometre stretch of coastline. HRW said the area was five times larger than that torched by security forces last October to November, when 1,500 dwellings were destroyed.

At a military ceremony last Friday, General Hlaing said 11 police and two soldiers, as well as 16 civilians and officials, had been killed and eight bridges and 2,700 homes had been destroyed. An August 31 army statement said there were 90 clashes between the security forces and the ARSA in late August, in which 370 alleged militants had been killed.

Suu Kyi and the military blame the death and destruction on the primitively-armed militia of ARSA, which announced its existence last October. Burmese security officials claim the group began recruiting six months earlier. The group has been isolated by the Bangladesh governments offer to assist the Burmese in cracking down on the insurgents.

The NLD and the military are both deeply imbued with anti-Rohingya chauvinism that brands the Rohingya as illegal Bengali immigrants. They are treated as non-citizens with no basic democratic rights.

At Fridays ceremony, General Hlaing denounced the Bengalis for having fought with the British military in 1942. This must never happen again, he said, and the army would defend Burmese sovereignty.

Hlaings reference to the Bengalis in 1942 points to the reactionary roots of Burmese nationalism. Whereas some Muslim Rohingya were recruited by the British colonial authorities into its military forces, a layer of Burmese nationalists collaborated with Japan after it falsely promised to grant independence.

Japans colonial regime formed the Burma Independence Army (BIA), which fought the British alongside the Japanese military. Among its recruits were the Thirty Comrades, who included Suu Kyis father Aung San and Ne Win, who went on to found the Burmese army after the end of World War II. Ne Win led the military dictatorship from 1962 to 1988.

When the BIA forces entered Burma with the Japanese army, they were particularly brutal in attacking ethnic minorities they defined as British collaborators. Many were killed. At one point, the Japanese had to rein in some BIA militias from attacking ethnic groups.

These are the traditions invoked by Genereal Hlaing. He said the Bengali problem was a long-standing one which has become an unfinished job. The obvious implication is that the time has come to finish the job through brutal ethnic cleansing.

That is exactly what Rohingya refugees describe.

Jalal Ahmed, 60, entered Bangladesh last Friday among a group of 3,000. He told Reuters the army arrived with 200 people and set fire to the whole village. Other specific reports of beheadings and shootings in the fields and villages have been made to the aid agency, Fortify Rights.

Reports to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva last February, based on hundreds of interviews at different refugee centres, provided further evidence. Many Rohingya, particularly adult males aged 17-45, simply disappeared. Satellite images raised the probability of large-scale killings and abuses that constitute crimes against humanity.

UN officials called for an inquiry into the Burmese militarys activities, including in 2012 and 2014, but the Suu Kyi government refused to cooperate.

The scale of the latest clearance operations led to formal protests by Malaysia, Turkey and Pakistan. Indonesian President Joko Widodo sent Foreign Minister Retno Marsudi to Burma and Bangladesh. There have been demonstrations and protests outside Burmese embassies internationally.

Western nations, however, while critical of the militarys activities, have refused to condemn Suu Kyi and her government. British Foreign Minister Boris Johnson, for instance, described her as one of the most inspiring figures of our age and urged her to use her remarkable qualities to end the violence.

These comments were made, with full knowledge of Suu Kyis collaboration with the military pogroms, to obscure the responsibility of her imperialist backers for what is now taking place.

The Suu Kyi-led government is in large part the creation of the European Union and the United States. London, Brussels and Washington promoted her as a democratic icon and endorsed her alliance with the military junta in 2011.

The Western imperialist opposition to the Burmese military had nothing to do with its crimes and abuses of democratic rights but was bound up with its orientation to Beijing. Once the junta opened Burma to Western investment and reoriented its foreign policy, US and European concerns about human rights were quickly shelved.
Nationwide protests denounced President Trumps revocation of the DACA program, which threatens deportation of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants, who have spent most of their lives in the United States, back to the countries in which they were born. About 1,000 people attended a demonstration in San Diego held in front of the County Administration building. The WSWS spoke with many people who came to the rally and passed out leaflets calling for full citizenship rights for all and an end to the attacks on immigrants. Ana works in public health and mental health services and said she attended the rally because she has siblings who are undocumented and she is passionate about higher education. She brought her young daughter to the rally, explaining, My family was worried about us being here, but I wanted to bring her, so she doesnt miss out and knows how important it is to stand up for immigrants and education. After a discussion about how DACA affected only a minority of immigrants and was used under the Obama administration to appeal to Latino voters, Ana agreed and discussed with WSWS reporters the bipartisan attacks on social services she has witnessed: This is something that we all know about in my field, that mental health services are the first things to be cut and a lot of cuts have come down from Governor Browns administration. All the while, more and more funding is granted to the military. Education and mental health services, which are so important, are always the first to be cut.

Lindas parents emigrated from Japan to the US when she was a girl. She said, I was brought here and I didnt have a choice, much like all of these DACA kids. The only difference is that it was right after the war and I was able to obtain citizenship but they arent. Linda explained that her daughter is married to a DACA recipient and everyone in her family is worried about her son-in-law. He crossed a desert with a baby to look for a better life for him and his daughter! Im sick of all the things people are saying about immigrants. If you ask me, I have the utmost respect for these people. Robert told the WSWS his reaction to the repeal of DACA: I think its horrible. I think Trump is doing this to make money for businesses. His policies are corporate welfare-based without caring about the people of this country. The two parties have too much power and its impossible for anyone to challenge them. He added, The more we can open our borders safely the better for all countries involved. Daisy and Emanuel came to rally because they personally know people who will be affected by the news. I have friends and family that are protected by DACA, Daisy said. Theyre just here for a better future and just want an education. Too many people are at fault just for being immigrants. Last time I checked Trump had immigrants working for him. We need to show we support immigrants. Either way people are going to come here even with a border, risking their lives. They shouldnt have to do that anymore. Jules told the WSWS she was opposed to Trumps xenophobic policies: Its not what this country is about. Deporting children and parents who are hard-working members of the community is unconscionable. Going after children is the last step of someone who has nowhere left to go. Jules was receptive to the WSWS analysis on the bipartisan nature of the attack on immigrants and admitted, There needs to be a break with the two-party system. The WSWS also received an email from Alejandro, a former DACA recipient who was deported under the Obama Administration and had been interviewed earlier this year. I did hear about President Trump ending DACA and I think it is a great mistake that he wants to end it. I think the immediate impact would be fear because it will be back to step one for many of the DACA recipients who were able to obtain a decent job through DACA. Not to mention the fear instilled in them, knowing that the government has the records of them and their families, and can track where they live and can deport them.

There will be a lot of uncertainty after they cannot renew their temporary work permit and lose their jobs. Not to mention those who were able to finance houses or cars--those valuable objects can be taken away even if they are able to pay for them. Personally, I remember asking the dealership when I financed my car what would happen if I did not have my drivers license and my permits were taken away, and they told me that they could take my car away even if I continued payments. Although universities have stepped up to help financially through private scholarships for undocumented students, a large portion of school expenses falls on them, and without a job permit that DACA provided, many would have to put their education goals on hold. For any youth to be deported back to their home countries would be devastating because they would feel like an outcast. The culture is different and a sense of not belonging in your own country. I think many would find it difficult to make such transition because it is a much different way of life than living in the United States. From my own experience, it has been difficult living in Mexico and even with a US college degree, the situation has not been easy to obtain a job. Many employers praise my skills/experience but due to lack of speaking fluent Spanish, I got rejected a lot. I could not properly articulate my skills that I could offer to the company, so it feels as if I am starting from zero again. The Mexican government does have programs, Somos Mexicanos or We are Mexican, for those students who get deported who need help with the transition financially to some extent, and universities have launched programs as well to help those students finish their studies in Mexico. Other Dreams in Action, ODA, is an organization that was founded by students who were deported, and also are on hand to help with the transition. The WSWS also spoke with Andrea Fernandez, a senior at the University of Texas in San Antonio majoring in public policy. She is also a DACA recipient and spoke about her experience. I was born in Mexico City and my parents immigrated in 2005. I had to get DACA to continue my education and work in the city. Ive worked with non-profits and ever since Trump got elected Ive been heavily involved in activism. Im a coordinator of dreamer students on my campus. Mainly we are all worried. We look to Congress for change but we see theyre not willing to do that. Ive been expecting this decision on DACA the moment Trump was elected. I will still have my permit for another year, but after that its up to Congress. Im at the mercy of Trump. Im pretty sure they will use the dreamers as a bargaining chip to build the wall. If Congress cant come to a consensus on the wall they will attack DACA recipients.

My plan is to stay in the country as long as I can. Many dreamers are getting married just as a backup plan. Currently, DACA students are not able to get any help. There are not a lot of options. Dreamers have been used as a political chess piece for years. On the right we are used as scapegoats and the left uses us to get votes. If Hilary had won there would have been no change, but now that Trump won there is only change for the worse. There are a lot of misconceptions about DACA. Like how we had endless protection and how we are not paying taxes. But people forget we are paying into the system and theres nothing we can do about it.
In recent years the residents of US coastal cities and states have experienced, repeatedly, the dire health consequences of hurricanes and their catastrophic flooding and winds. This includes Katrina, which devastated New Orleans in 2005, Harvey, which inundated Houston and southeast Texas with record flood waters less than two weeks ago, and Irma, which is currently barreling through the Caribbean islands on its way to the US mainland.

Repeatedly, residents have been the victims not simply of heavy rains or high winds, but of the lack of preparedness and the failure on the part of the federal government to invest in critical infrastructure to control flooding. As a result, hundreds of lives have been needlessly lost directly from the storms and from the aftermath, with numerous fatalities resulting from injuries, disease and mental distress.

Dr. Peter Hotez, Dean of the National School of Tropical Medicine at the Baylor College of Medicine in Houston told the Atlantic that the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina points to the long-term threats to public health which will follow in Hurricane Harveys wake in the greater Houston area and throughout southeast Texas, even as historic flood waters recede.

However, Hotez noted that the impact would be a whole order of magnitude greater in size and scope. New Orleans in 2005 had a population of about 400,000. Harris County, where Houston is located, is the second largest county in the United States with a population of over 6 million.

Hotez predicted the spread of Methicillin Resistant Staph Aureus (MRSA), Vibrio vulnificus (a so-called flesh-eating bacteria), diarrheal disease from norovirus , as well as pathogens such as E. coli, Shigella and Salmonella from flooded city septic systems, and poisonings from the hundreds of flooded petrochemical facilities and the dozen or more Superfund sites in greater Houston.

The norovirus sickens about 20 million people each year in the US, and accounts for half of all cases of gastroenteritis. A recent Canadian study published in Clinical Infectious Diseases strongly suggests that norovirus can be spread through the air, in contrast to previous assumptions of its being spread only by food and water contamination and hand to mouth.

Hotez also warned about the explosive mosquito bloom which develops when many thousands of stagnant pools are left from the receding flood waters. A hatch is expected to occur in 10 to 14 days. The rise of West Nile infections in Louisiana continued for a whole year after the (Katrina) flood, Hotez told The Atlantic. Mosquitos can also carry and transmit Zika, Chikungunya, dengue and yellow fever.

In July this year, Texas reported its first 2017 case of Zika in Hidalgo County, a five-hour drive from Houston. Meanwhile Houston had its first 6 cases of confirmed Zika this summer, all travel related, and 36 cases of West Nile so far this year.

As of August 31, the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) reported 21 inoperable waste water plants, 52 inoperable public water systems serving at least 115,000 people, and 18 sewer system overflows, including at Corpus Christi and at Shells Deer Park manufacturing facility. The agency also issued some 184 boil-water notices to over 189,000 people.

Added to the lack of access to clean water, power outages heat stressed all of the flood victims stranded without air-conditioning in humid Houston, and fostered spoiled food sicknesses for hungry people eating from refrigerators that had been off for many hours.

Thirty cases of MRSA occurred in September 2005 among evacuees from New Orleans that came to Houston. Vibrio vulnificus, a disease related to Cholera, made two dozen New Orleans residents sick late that summer, and killed two people. Seventy-five percent of the early Katrina deaths were from drowning. In Louisiana storm shelters an increase in tuberculosis occurred due to the crowded and unsanitary living conditions. Outbreaks of these diseases are now expected throughout southeast Texas.

The floodwaters in Texas will have also carried parasites such as Cryptosporidiosis and Giardia, which can cause prolonged diarrhea, and Hepatitis A virus. Floodwaters often carry Leptospirosis, a bacterium transmitted in the urine of mice, rats, raccoons, and cattle. Leptospirosis can infect humans and pets from contaminated water and cause liver and kidney failure.

Hospitals, clinics and patients all ran short of critical food and medicines, in both New Orleans and Houston.

With Katrina, many persons appeared at hospital emergency departments after the flood not only for injuries, but to care for their diabetes, since they ran out of insulin. Insulin was said to be in high demand in Houston, according to Thomas Tighe, president of the medical nonprofit Direct Relief.

Tighe told the Washington Post that diabetics who dont have insulin are going to go into crisis pretty rapidly. Dialysis patients must have a treatment two to three times per week or they will go into crisis. Tighe worriedly noted that Texas had the lowest health insurance coverage in the US.

Forbes magazine noted in its August 26 edition that all the storm related problems will be amplified because of the decimation of the public health system in the US since the early 2000s. The article noted a 40 percent drop in mosquito surveillance, and that proactive surveillance of mosquito borne diseases has dropped in most states to poor or to zero, according to a 2014 report from the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.

An estimated 10 to 20 trillion gallons of water rained on the southern Texas and Louisiana plains in late August, submerging tens of thousands of buildings and homes that will rapidly begin to grow toxic mold on their interiors.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines list a series of serious mold-caused respiratory illnesses including spore infections of the lungs, the triggering of severe asthma attacks, and the beginning of chronic mold lung problems that can lead to death. Post-Katrina mold infections, for example, are said to have killed four professors at the Southern University at New Orleans, all dying within a few months of each other.

A Rutgers University professor of plant biology and pathologist, Joan Bennet, a former resident of New Orleans, told the Atlantic that molds produce a so-called mushroom alcohol that she has discovered alters the transport and management of the neurohormone dopamine in fruit flies, which seems to mimic the pathology of Parkinsons disease.

Finally, mental health problems will be triggered or dramatically exacerbated by Harveys impact.

In just one instance, Iashia Nelson, age 36, who had previously been displaced by Katrina in 2005, told CBS News that she had sat huddled in the Harvey rains with her 3 sons on a Houston rooftop with another 30 people for 8 hours without food and water until they were rescued. Im gonna need some counseling, Nelson told medical personnel at the Houston Convention Center.

She and her sons reported seeing bodies float by as they waited to be rescued. As the waters rose, they witnessed a young mother and her child trapped in a car, the young woman frantically honking the car horn for help, until they drowned in the auto. Another woman clung to a tree in the floods, until she tired and was swept away. An elderly woman, drowned, failed resuscitation attempts by rescuers.

A 2012 study of 392 low-income Katrina victims documented the doubling of mental health problems. Almost half had post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many persons with serious depression and schizophrenia suddenly found they were without their medicines. Another study of 815 Katrina victims documented a rise in the number having thoughts of suicide from 2 percent to 6 percent.

Two psychiatrists at the Houston Convention Center, where over 10,000 people sheltered during the storm, reported witnessing acute psychosis occurring on the convention floor.

The many health professionals volunteering their time at the shelters are seeing thousands of persons in need with no medical records whatever. Many individuals appear for urgent care without knowing what medicines they are taking. In many instances, their medications are lost in the storm waters and what personal medical records they possessed are washed away. The stress of refugee status is immense, with family members separated from each other, or lost, the loss of persons homes, and financial ruination.
The death of 30 children in 48 hours last month due to the disconnection of the liquid oxygen supply at the state-run Baba Raghav Das (BRD) Medical College Hospital in Gorakphur, Uttar Pradesh has rightly shocked and angered people across India and around the world.

But the conditions that gave rise to this tragedya dilapidated public health care system, official indifference and neglect, and the subordination of the most basic human needs to the pursuit of profitare found throughout India and each day take a grim toll in patients lives.

For two days starting on the night of August 10, the oxygen supply was disconnected from patients on ventilators in BRDs childrens wards. Pushpa Sales, a private company, cut off the supply, citing arrears in payments amounting to 6.3 million Indian rupees or US$89,750. Most of the victims were suffering from Japanese encephalitis, a mosquito-borne brain disease that is potentially fatal, but readily preventable through vaccination. Japanese encephalitis is rampant in much of India, especially in rural parts of Uttar Pradesh, the countrys most populous state, with 220 million people.

BRD epitomizes the gutting of Indias public health system. It suffers from chronic shortages of equipment, medicine and staff, including doctors, nurses, trained technicians, orderlies and cleaners. Annually, 400,000 patients seek treatment in the hospital, but it has just 950 beds. Even in the intensive care unit meant for children, two to three patients are cramped into one bed.

According to the Hindustan Times, the government expenditure per bed per year is 152 rupees, or less than US$2.50. A patient is charged 1000 rupees daily for a bed, while 5000 to 8000 rupees is charged to anyone who needs a ventilator (a considerable sum for poor families). Most medication has to be purchased by the patients and their families and from outside the hospital.

With the BRD tragedy provoking a torrent of criticism of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led state government, Amit Shah, the BJP party president and right-hand man of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, proclaimed the deaths an accident, adding that many such big tragedies have occurred in this big country.

For his part, Modi included a reference to the BRD deaths in his August 15 Independence Day address and, like Shah, tried to associate them with earthquakes and floodsalthough even the impact of these could be massively reduced through planning, the development of emergency services, and investment in public infrastructure.

Several parts of the country, said Modi, faced natural calamities recently. Besides, our innocent children lost their lives in a hospital. Modi, who as Indias prime minister has slashed social spending and accelerated pro-investor reform, then cynically promised that in this hour of crisis we shall leave no stone unturned to ensure the well-being of all.

Modis and Shahs insistence that entirely-preventable hospital deaths are a fate people should accept as their lot without a murmur of protest underscores the callous disregard of the BJP regime and Indias elite for the lives of the countrys workers and toilers.

Seeking to gain political mileage from the BRD tragedy, opposition Congress Party leader Rahul Gandhi demanded the resignation of UPs Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath. However, Congress, which ruled the country for many decades, is no less responsible than the BJP for this tragedy and numerous like disasters.

Indias public health system was always an after-thought for the ruling elite. But since 1991, when the bourgeoisie abandoned its state-led capitalist development programwhat it cynically called socialismand embraced neo-liberal policies aimed at making Indian a cheap-labour haven for world capital, public health care has been allowed to collapse.

State health spending is among the lowest in the world. In 2014, Indian governments spent just 1.4 percent of GDP on health care. Meanwhile private hospitals and pharmaceutical companies are reaping huge profits. Indeed, India has become an important center of health tourism, where westerners seeking to escape exorbitant private health-care costs seek treatment abroad.

The dismantling of the public health care system compounds the problems caused by chronic poverty. Close to 40 percent of Indias children (those under 15) suffer from stunting, a condition associated with malnutrition that has irreversible impacts on physical and cognitive development and is associated with various illnesses in later life, including diabetes.

Social disasters like the BRD child deaths are regular occurrences. After distraught parents complained of medicine, oxygen and staff shortages, the District Magistrate of Farrukabad, another Uttar Pradesh city, investigated conditions at the government-run Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia hospital late last month and found that 49 newborn children died between July 21 and August 20.

In June, at least 11 patients, including two children, died at a state-run hospital in Indore, after oxygen supplies ran out.

Appallingly inadequate state expenditure on education is yet another measure of the destruction of public services. In 2013-14, the last year of Congress Party-led government, spending on education was at 0.63 percent of GDP. The Modi government has pruned it to 0.47 percent.

Modi and his Hindu supremacist BJP, the western press, and various US military-strategic think-tanks are forever touting rising India, pointing to its high economic growth rate, burgeoning list of billionaires and transnational corporations, and rapidly expanding military. Such claims, as the social murder at Gorakphurs BMD hospital and more generally the decrepit state of Indias public health system illustrate, ignore the catastrophic social conditions that face the more than two-thirds of Indians who eke out their existence on $2 US per day or less.

Since 1991, every Indian government, whether led by the Congress, BJP, or a coalition of third parties has implemented unabashedly pro-investor policiesderegulation; privatization; the elimination or curtailing of price subsidies on energy, basic foods, and agricultural inputs; massive tax cuts for big business and the rich; and the diversion of state resources from public services to big business developments. All with the aim of making India a cheap labour manufacturer, back-office, and research center for global capital.

These policies have provided billions in profits for international investors and nurtured a tiny super-rich layer, while eliminating rudimentary social supports that for hundreds of millions provided a modicum of protection from the vicissitudes of life and the capitalist market.

Today India is one of the most socially unequal societies in an increasingly unequal world.

According to a study co-authored by Thomas Piketty and released this week, Indias richest 1 percent earned 22 percent of all income in 2014, while the poorest 50 percent of Indians earned little more than 15 percent. Wealth inequality is even more stark. According to Credit Suisse, the top 1 per cent of Indias population owns 58.4 per cent of the countrys wealth, a dramatic increase from the 33 percent they owned in 2000. The top ten percent of Indians own 81 percent of the countrys wealth, leaving just 19 percent to the bottom 90 percent.

And the Indian bourgeoisie is determined to continue gorging on the savage exploitation of the working class. Three years ago, big business propelled the notorious communalist and self-styled Hindu strongman Modi to power to accelerate the pace of market reform.

Resistance by workers to poverty wages, a brutal work regimen and precarious contract labour jobs has been met with state violence, as exemplified in the frame-up convictions and life-terms given the leaders of the Maruti Suzuki Workers Union, a fledgling independent union.

Last week, one of Indians major business publications, the Economic Times, touted as a major plus that wages in India are one-fifth those of China, calling the wage-gap the Make in India edge.

While pursuing a more aggressive policy against the working class, the Modi government, with the full-throated support of the corporate media, has integrated India into Washingtons incendiary military-strategic offensive against China. By supplanting Pakistan as US imperialisms chief ally in South Asia, the Indian ruling class hopes to advance its own great-power ambitions. Indias recent war crises, first with Pakistan, then China, underscore the catastrophic logic of the Indo-US alliance.

Indian capitalism cant provide basic health care and other vital services. Yet the government squanders more than $55 billion a year on the military and, to applause from the media, recently boasted Indias military has achieved a nuclear triad, i.e., the capacity to deliver nuclear bombs from land, air and underwater.

In response to the Gorakhpur tragedy, the Politburo of the Stalinist Communist Party of India-Marxist, or CPM, issued a statement calling it impermissible to cut off the oxygen supply and demanding a high level judicial enquiry be instituted to establish the culpability of persons, including the chief minister and state government.

Such enquiries are a tried and true mechanism of capitalist rule in India. They are used to dissipate public anger and cover up the responsibility of the political establishment and Indian capitalism as a whole for the myriad social catastrophes that blight India. Moreover, when such inquiries make recommendations for increased social expenditure, their proposals are almost invariably ignored.

The Stalinists have systematically suppressed the class struggle, supporting a succession of governments, most of them Congress-led between 1991 and 2008, that spearheaded the bourgeoisies drive to make India a cheap-labor hub for global capital and implementing what they themselves call pro-investor policies in the states, like West Bengal, where they have formed the government.

Seven decades of Indian independence have conclusively demonstrated that the rule of the Indian bourgeoisie is incompatible with realizing the most elementary democratic and social needs of the workers and rural poor.

A new, revolutionary workers party must be built to prosecute the struggle for a workers government leaning on the rural toilers. Such a government would radically reorganize socio-economic life on socialist lines so as to make meeting human needs, not the insatiable demands of the super-rich, the animating principle.
Less than two weeks after Hurricane Harvey hit Texas, leading to record flooding and damage in Houston and other areas of the state, an even more powerful hurricane has plowed through a chain of small islands in the northern Caribbean and Puerto Rico and is heading towards the Dominican Republic, Haiti, the Bahamas and Cuba. Densely populated south Florida, which includes Miami, could be hit Sunday, and the Georgia and South Carolina border by Monday afternoon.

Hurricane Irma is a Category 5 storm with 185 mile per hour winds, making it the most powerful Atlantic Ocean hurricane ever measured. In the early morning hours on Wednesday, Irma smashed into the Lesser Antilles islands of Antigua and Barbuda (population 82,000 and 1,700), Saint Barthelemy (9,000), Anguilla (15,000) and Saint Martin/Sint Maarten (77,000).

At least seven people are confirmed dead, though this number is expected to rise quickly.

The eye of the hurricane passed directly over the island of Barbuda around 2 a.m. Wednesday, with reports of sustained winds of 118 mph, gusting to 155 mph, before meteorological instruments failed. Charles Fernandez, minister of foreign affairs and international trade for Antigua and Barbuda, said the destruction on Barbuda was upwards of 90 percent.

High winds and storm surges destroyed government buildings, tore roofs from houses and left islands without power or communication. Both the Dutch and the British dispatched naval ships and military personnel to their island possessions, while French President Emmanuel Macron, who was monitoring conditions in the French West Indies from an Interior Ministry crisis center in Paris, said the toll would be harsh and cruel.

Hurricane Irma began battering the US territory of Puerto Rico, with a population of 3.4 million US citizens, Wednesday afternoon. As of this writing, the eye of Hurricane Irma was 35 miles (56 kilometers) north of the capital city of San Juan and hovering above the Atlantic Ocean. Authorities say wind gusts of up to 100 mph (160 km/h) could hit the capital of 355,000 people.

More than one million people, or nearly a third of the population, are currently without power, and nearly 50,000 are without water. Fourteen hospitals are using generators after losing power, and trees and light posts are strewn across many roads.

The island has not been hit by a Category 5 hurricane since Hurricane San Felipe in 1928. Hurricane Hugo in 1989 struck Puerto Rico as a Category 4 storm, leaving 72 dead and doing $3 billion in damage. The National Weather Service predicts extreme danger and warns that roads are likely to become impassible, and structurally sound buildings are likely to be damaged. Rock and mudslides, particularly in rural areas, are also predicted.

Harvey and Irma are being followed by tropical storms Jose and Katia, which could develop into hurricanes threatening the northern Leeward Islands in the West Indiesincluding some of the same islands hit Wednesdayand Mexico, respectively.

The water in the Caribbean is warmer than usual, and this provides fuel for such hurricanes. The intensity of the storms and their frequency only underscore the impact of global warming, which is denied by President Donald Trump and only paid lip service by other capitalist governments around the world.

In response to Hurricane Irma, Trump has declared states of emergency in Florida, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands and ordered the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to begin relief efforts. Puerto Rican Governor Ricardo Rossello announced that the government was operating 456 shelters to accommodate 63,229 people.

As in Houston, however, the human cost of the new hurricane has been far worsened by the lack of any serious government preparations and the decay of physical and social infrastructure. In the case of Puerto Rico, the island and its people have been left ever more vulnerable by the looting operation carried out by Wall Street to extract some $70 billion in debt payments, or $12,000 from each resident of the island.

Last May, a financial oversight board appointed by the Obama administration filed for Title III bankruptcy to pave the way for Greek-style austerity measures, including slashing public-sector jobs and pensions on an island that already suffers from an official poverty rate of 45 percent and 14.2 percent jobless rate. The Puerto Rican government has hired advisors who oversaw the bankruptcy of Detroit and the sell-off of public assets to pay off wealthy bondholders.

The budget proposed by Rossello cuts the departments of education, natural resources, housing and agriculture, including a $200 million cut for Puerto Ricos public university that provoked a two-month-long student strike. The budget also eliminates millions of dollars in annual subsidies to 78 municipalities of Puerto Rico, forcing the mayors to find funding in other areas.

The flooding of water and sewerage systems by the hurricane threatens to create a humanitarian disaster on an island that is already supplied with water from systems that violate the US Safe Drinking Water Act, due to contaminants ranging from lead to coliform bacteria. The water system has been privatized twice, resulting in skyrocketing utility bills.

Before the hurricane hit, Ricardo Ramos Rodriguez, the executive director of the Puerto Rico Power Authority, warned that the islands electrical system was vulnerable to a catastrophic failure from high winds because it had not been adequately maintained for years. If we are [slammed] by this hurricane as is being outlined in the forecasts, there are certainly going to be blackouts, and certainly there will be areas that are going to spend three, four months without electricity service, Rodriguez said in a radio interview with WIPR.

For many years there has been no maintenance or replacement of damaged equipment, he said, adding that the public corporation has lost about 5,000 employees in recent years, of which 86 percent were operationallinemen, plant operators or mechanics.

The power company, which is saddled with $9 billion in debt, has been a prime target for privatization by Citigroup and other vulture capitalists squeezing the lifeblood out of the islands people.

On Wednesday evening, the World Socialist Web Site spoke with Carmen Merrill, a retired New York City sanitation worker who was born in Puerto Rico and now lives in the southeast of the island. As the interview was conducted, the electricity was cut off in the home in Guayama she was sheltering in with a friend.

My concern is how long we will be without power. There was a news segment on television a while ago and they interviewed retired workers from the Palo Seco Power Plant in Catano, just outside of San Juan. They said any winds above 50 miles per hour could shut the plant because maintenance never got done. A worker who complained that the plant was too dangerous was killed in an explosion. The government is not doing anything about it.

They use the word Commonwealth, but businesses come here and get tax breaks, and that money is not available for public services. The schools are not maintained and politicians like Rossello just talk and take no action.

Most Puerto Ricans, she said, could not afford emergency generators. And while many homes were built with concrete to resist storms, low-income families in isolated areas and in neighborhoods like La Perla in Old San Juan live in structures that are susceptible to massive damage.

The rising of the rivers is the most dangerous, Carmen said. Like Houston, she said, working-class residents were helping each other put metal racks on their windows to protect their homes. We saw what happened in Houston. It was devastating. We had a small group of people volunteering from Puerto Rico to help rescue people in Houston. People are asking here how a modern state like Texas could flood so quickly and people get washed away in unsanitary water.

Before retiring to Puerto Rico, Carmen said, she was involved in the clean up of Superstorm Sandy in New York City in 2012. The worst was in Rockaway in Queens, where we saw all the furniture and belongings destroyed and piled up in front of their homes. Houston reminded me of Sandy. Every house and car was flooded. An older lady came up in tears, saying, I dont care about the furniture but I want my family pictures. I found a black and white photo of her grandchildren and gave it to her. After that I couldnt work, I just cried.
Three days before its presentation of decrees to destroy the labor code on August 31, Prime Minister Edouard Philippe announced a series of measures to complete his break with what remains of the French social model. Under the pretext of modernizing social welfare systems, the government of French President Emanuel Macron is setting out to destroy all the social rights the working class gained in struggle during the 20th century.

These measures are presented as revamping, but in fact aim to liquidate the main social insurance and aid systems in their current form. This is only the beginning, Edouard Philippe had said as he presented the Labor Code decrees.

Encouraged by the support of the trade unions for its decrees but also pressed by an unpopularity that grows day by day, the government wants to attack unemployment insurance, vocational training, housing aids and medical insurance this month, before tackling pensions. The list is not exhaustive; the Medef (the French Employers Association) has already indicated that it wants to smash the SMIC (minimum wage). The method, already used against the Labor Code, remains the same: close collaboration with the trade unions to impose austerity.

Under the pretext of raising workers purchasing power, the government wants to eliminate unemployment contributions and replace them with a smaller increase in a separate tax paid by the population, not the employers. The ultimate goal is to eliminate the unemployment insurance system and exempt employers from any financial responsibility.

The government is pledging drastic oversight of the unemployed. They will lose their allowances if they refuse a job and will have to accept increasingly precarious and poorly paid jobs.

This is also a way of creating a low-wage sector, as in Germany with the Hartz laws, aiming to undermine social rights and create a broad mass of working poor.

The model, according to Marianne magazine, recalls the English system and its Job centers [set up under Margaret Thatcher] where the unemployed person has no choice but to accept what is proposed to him, the level of salary, qualifications or geographical location of the position, at the risk of losing his allowances immediately.

Vocational training is to be treated in the same way. Joint funding between workers and employers must also be replaced and resources must be directly controlled by the State, aiming to become a source of profit. According to Le Monde a commission will ensure a return on investment of vocational training funds.

Under the pretext of bringing the unemployed back into jobs, the government aims to eliminate stable and comprehensive training for decent jobs and replace it with constant bits of training, taken between precarious jobs in various industries and depending on the bosses immediate needs.

Similarly, the government also announced a rethinking of pensions for the beginning of 2018. Under the false pretext of simplifying and democratizing, it would merge 37 pension schemes into a single one, so that all French people have the same, bargain-basement pension regardless of their status and career path.

The example of Britain again shows what the government has in mind. Everyone gets the same low pension, and those who want more must subscribe to private pensions sold by investment funds and insurance companies.

The medical insurance system is also being targeted. Last week, the Minister of Economy and Finance, Bruno Le Maire, announced a series of privatizations, which will submit social services to the profit motive, and disrupt and deregulate critical social or industrial sectors such as the supply of water or public transport, with disastrous consequences for the population.

Despite the technocratic jargon used by the government to define its projects, its policy is clear: it is embarking on a campaign to destroy all of the social gains of the working class for the benefit of the super-rich. This policy is clearly illustrated by the reform of the ISF (Wealth Tax). This project is expected to reduce income from the wealth tax by three-quarters. A gift that will benefit especially the wealthiest amongst the wealthy, says Le Monde.

Macrons policy is fundamentally illegitimate and undemocratic. He planned his destruction of the Labor Code with the Medef and the trade unions and imposed it, despite the fact that nearly two-thirds of the French people are against it, thanks to decrees that bypass the parliament.

To impose this policy of social destruction, the financial oligarchy is planning permanent and generalized repression of the population. That is why the other priority of the government is a second emergency parliamentary session on 25 September for a new anti-terror law, i.e., moving the key repressive measures of the state of emergency into common law.

The state of emergency, imposed by the Socialist Party (PS) government of Francois Hollande and extended by Macron until his new law comes into force, is primarily directed against the working class. Its purpose was fully demonstrated during the repression of anti-labor law protests in July 2016. The main targets of the state of emergency are the fundamental democratic rights of the working class, rights acquired and defended during long struggles, including the bloody fight against the Nazi occupation and the collaborationist regime of Vichy.

It is also now proven that terrorist attacks in Europe over the last two years have been carried out by networks of Islamist fighters mobilized by Western intelligence agencies in their war to overthrow the Syrian regime of President Bashar al-Assad. The terrorists traveled under the protection of the intelligence services, who saw them as critical foreign policy tools. It is established, among other things, that the Belgian State had prior knowledge of the Brussels bombings in March 2016 and knew where to find its perpetrators.

Just as Trump represents the interests of the American financial oligarchy, Macron wants to impose the diktat of the French financial aristocracy against the workers. The similarity of slogans is not a coincidence. Where Trump speaks of making America great again, the Macron government says France is back or that we must make France stronger.
The strategy proposed by Jean-Luc Melenchon in his closing speech at the summer school of Unsubmissive France (LFI) in Marseille, in opposition to President Emmanuel Macron's attack on the Labor Code, is a trap for workers and youth seeking a way forward in the struggle against austerity.

What is required is to unify workers in Europe in a revolutionary struggle against austerity and militarism. As social anger rises throughout the continent, Melenchon is opposed to a revolutionary strategy. Instead, he wants to launch a populist and nationalist movement within the borders of France, compatible with a strategy of entry into a Macron government.

In his speech, Melenchon insisted that he was not addressing organized workers, but the people. Far from struggling to break the organizational influence over the workers of the union bureaucracies that negotiate the decrees with Macron, he accepts it. However, knowing that the trade unions are largely discredited, Melenchon wants to bind workers and young people who would mobilize independently from the trade unions to a populist movement controlled by himself.

Hence the call for a demonstration outside of the one organized by the General Confederation of Labor (CGT) union: On September 23, the people must invade Paris against the social and the antidemocratic coup detat that has been organized against them. He added: In a few nights, the entire Labor Code was destroyed. The powerful, when they give you a moment to chat with them, well it is because they feel that discussion is possible only if they win in the end.

While he criticizes Macrons policies, Melenchon opposes them from a chauvinist perspective. He has already downplayed Frances responsibility for the deportation of Jews under the Nazi Occupation and applauded the criticism of Macron by Army Chief of Staff General Pierre de Villiers, who was hostile to Macrons military budget cuts. In his closing speech, Melenchon denounced workers from Eastern Europe working in France on low wages, just as Macron has done.

While Macron and the whole European bourgeoisie are destroying social gains, he singled out foreign workers for attack: The status of the detached worker is not acceptable, we have not accepted it, and if we are responsible for this country, there would not be a single detached worker in France.

This makes particularly clear that Melenchon proposes a political dead end to workers seeking to defend their social rights against Macron's attacks. His perspective has nothing to do with a socialist and revolutionary strategy for the working class against European capitalism. He is accommodating himself to the domination of workers mobilisations by the empty shells of the trade unions, around which he aims to develop a populist movement cut off from the natural allies of French workers: the workers of the rest of Europe and the world.

The nationalist orientation and the division of labor with the unions Melenchon proposes testify to the class chasm separating him from the Socialist Equality Party (PES). The state of emergency and the repudiation by the European bourgeoisie of the social rights won by the working class over generations of struggle in the 20th century reflect a historic crisis of capitalism. But Melenchon is hostile to a struggle for the political independence of the proletariat and to a revolutionary struggle of the proletariat for socialism, modeled on the October 1917 revolution.

He wants to make alliances with the security apparatus that imposes the state of emergency and repressed protests against the labor law in 2016. In his closing speech to the LFI summer school, Melenchon insisted that his movement must be compatible with exercising governmental power, as prime minister, for example, under Macrons presidency: We must be ready to govern at all times. If we had to, tomorrow we would be ready to govern.

Melenchon said he wanted to collaborate with Macrons ministers, declaring: Minister Nicolas Hulot has announced that he will organize a plan to stop using hydrocarbons. We will observe it with interest, and whenever it is necessary, we will help. Melenchon said that if the government were to close the 17 nuclear reactors, he would support it and applaud it.

After thanking the city of Marseille for its hospitality, Melenchon also hailed the police who ensured our protection.

He added, Please, we know that a lot of money is being channeled to give you material means to carry out repression. We understand the tasks entailed in maintaining public order, but we believe in a police force that is a guardian of peace, not a police force that attacks the people. And you, the policemen loyal to the principles of the French Republic, intervene to stop the absurd methods put in place by [PS Interior Minister Bernard] Cazeneuve, which consists of encircling demonstrators and then throwing tear gas at them.

Melenchons appeals to police under a state of emergency are a warning to workers. Melenchon, who wishes to govern under Macron, is looking for an alliance with the police and the army; it is not by chance that he supported de Villiers after the general was dismissed for protesting against Macrons military budget cuts.

His reactionary appeals to the police, aimed at sowing confusion on the state of emergency and disarming workers against the dangers of a dictatorship in France, will not stop police from attacking workers and youth protesting against Macron. On the other hand, they indicate that Melenchon will not seriously oppose police assaults against protesters.

Melenchons support for the police and the state of emergency also highlights the political gulf between LFI and the millions of people who voted for Melenchon in the presidential election. He gained support among large sections of youth and workers in the first round of the presidential elections, protesting against social inequality and Trumps bombing of Syria.

In the runoff between Macron and Le Pen, Melenchon abdicated his political responsibilities and flatly refused to give a political line. He trampled on the vote of his own supporters, who were favorable to the active boycott advocated by the PES, in order to prevent the emergence of a large and powerful opposition on the left of Macron. This has led to the current situation, where Macron is allowed to prepare his attacks with unions, faced with the purely verbal opposition of a handful of LFI deputies in the Assembly.

Melenchon relies on a false historical and political perspective in defense of the Socialist Party and the anti-Trotskyist policies of the post-1968 pseudo-left: We are aware of our responsibilities, the French people placed us at the top of the first round in tens of cities in the country. So it is up to us, after more than 40 years, where it was the PS which led us to the point that you saw. If so much was gained in the past, it should not be forgotten. Nobody can forget all that the Common Program brought us, no one can forget how we got our 5th week of paid holidays.

This comment highlights the anti-Trotskyist perspective underlying the nationalist, pro-union, and pro-police strategy of LFI. The Common Program was not a victory but a trap for the working class. While the French Communist Partys (PCF) influence diminished among the workers because of its betrayal of the May-June 1968 general strike, forces that had broken with Trotskyism, various social democrats and anarchists, and petty-bourgeois intellectual circles gathered around Francois Mitterrand, the bourgeois and ex-Vichy politician who founded the Socialist Party (PS).

It is on this perspective that Melenchona former member of the Internationalist Communist Organization of Pierre Lambert, which broke with the International Committee of the Fourth International (ICFI) and allied with the Union of the Left between the PS and the PCFjoined the PS. And after its victory in the presidential elections in 1981 and its austerity turn in 1982-1983, the PS proved to be a party of the financial aristocracy, leading brutal attacks on social programs and deindustrialising entire regions.

Melenchons promotion of this reactionary political legacy underscores that he is not trying to mobilize the struggling workers, but corral them into a new trap after the PSs political disintegration.
United Nations Secretary-general Antonio Guterres warned on Tuesday that the conflicts being provoked by the bellicose US stance toward North Koreas nuclear weapons program could lead to unintended consequences.

Guterres invoked the years leading up to the outbreak of World War I, when rival responses to international incidents aggravated great power antagonisms culminating in all-out war. Wars usually do not start by a decision taken in a moment by the parties to go to war, he stated. If you look at the history of the First World War, it was on a step-by-step basis, one party doing one thing, the other party doing another, and then an escalation taking place This is the risk we need to avoid in relation to the situation of North Korea.

The UN head issued the warning as sharp divisions emerged between the US, China and Russia over Washingtons latest demands that the UN Security Council impose a total trade embargo on North Korea, including the supply of oil and gas.

US strategic think tanks have discussed the aim of such an embargoitself an act of warfor more than 25 years. It would seek to collapse the countrys already crisis-stricken economy, provoke starvation and social upheaval, and create conditions for a US and South Korean intervention to install a client state in Pyongyang.

The Trump administration has ruled out any negotiations on the terms being advanced by North Korea. Pyongyang has signalled it would be prepared to begin talks on ending its nuclear program only if the US and South Korea ceased their constant military rehearsals for an attack. North Korean leader Kim Jong-un is well aware of the fate of the Iraqi and Libyan regimes after they bowed down to American imperialist dictates. Both were attacked, the countries devastated and their leaders murdered.

Washington has answered the Pyongyang regime with provocative rhetoric, including President Donald Trumps tweet last week, declaring: Talking is not the answer. Echoing Trump, US ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley issued an ultimatum to China and Russia on Monday that the time has come for us to exhaust all of our diplomatic means before its too late.

The implication is unmistakable. If the Security Council does not vote for harsher sanctions against North Korea, the US and its allies will launch a catastrophic war that could involve the first combat use of nuclear weapons since 1945.

Beijing and Moscow have both signaled they will not support such an economic blockade. Speaking yesterday during an economic summit in the far eastern Russian city of Vladivostok, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated: We should not act out of emotions and push North Korea into a dead end. We must act with calm and avoid steps that could raise tensions.

The economic and strategic interests of the Chinese and Russian ruling elites would be severely compromised by either scenario being threatened by Washington. A blockade that led to the collapse of the Pyongyang regime and its replacement by a pro-US puppet state would mean American military forces operating on their borders with Korea. A war, on the other hand, would not only devastate the Korean Peninsula, but profoundly destabilise East Asia. Among the consequences could be the nuclear fall-out and contamination of northern China and the Russian Far East as well as a flood of millions of refugees over the borders.

Beijing and Moscow are desperately seeking to close off the possibility of a US attack. Both have bent over backwards to accommodate to Washingtons demands that they increase pressure on Pyongyang to end its nuclear weapons and long-range missile programs. They have voted in the UN Security Council for ever-harsher sanctions and claim they are enforcing them. At the same time, they have repeatedly called on Washington to accept North Koreas position that it will not cease its efforts to acquire a nuclear arsenal while it is permanently threatened with attack and invasion by the US and South Korea.

Putin signalled yesterday in a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in that he is seeking to win Seoul away from the US stance and toward opening negotiations with Pyongyang.

Against Washingtons demands for an economic embargo of North Korea, Putin advocated massive investment into the besieged and isolated country. He told a press conference: We could deliver Russian pipeline gas to Korea and integrate the power lines and railway systems of Russia, the Republic of Korea [South Korea] and North Korea. The implementation of these initiatives will be not only economically beneficial, but will also help build up trust and stability on the Korean Peninsula.

Moon Jae-in responded favourably. He told Putin at the joint press conference: The development of the Far East will promote the prosperity of our two countries and will also help change North Korea and create the basis for the implementation of the trilateral agreements. We will be working hard on this.

These trilateral agreements have been struck between China, Japan and South Korea since 2005 to strengthen their investment and trade relations. Putins proposal is also in line with South Koreas Sunshine Policy in the 1990s to open up the North for investment and dovetails with Chinas One Belt One Road plans to develop energy and transport links across the Eurasian landmass to Western Europe.

Newsweek magazine noted yesterday that Putin had proposed to Moon a vision for peace in the Korean Peninsula that marginalises the US.

Successive American administrationsClinton, Bush, Obama and now Trumphave aggressively intervened to disrupt any such prospect. Washington has repeatedly exploited North Koreas weapons of mass destruction to ratchet up tensions in East Asia and block South Korea and Japan from developing an economic and strategic orientation to China, Russia and Europe.

The war danger today is the outcome of decades of imperialist intrigue and provocation. The warnings by Guterres serve only to underscore that in the corridors of power around the world, the real dangers posed by the aggressive drive by the American capitalist class are well understood. Washington is seeking to preserve US global dominance against the challenges it faces, above all from the ambitions of the Chinese ruling elite to place Beijing at the centre of an integrated Eurasian economic bloc that largely excludes the United States.

As in the years prior to 1914, the competing interests of rival capitalist nation-states threaten to drag humanity into a catastrophic global war, fought this time with nuclear weapons.
The Health Services Union (HSU)in collaboration with the Victorian state Labor government of Premier Daniel Andrewsended an indefinite strike of around 600 pathology workers across the state late last month.

The industrial action was called to fight the poverty-level wages and poor conditions of workers employed by Dorevitch Pathologya private operator with many government contractsand aggressive company attacks on limited stoppages earlier in the month. Workers took part in Melbourne, regional centres and towns.

Dorevitchs pathology workers, laboratory assistants, maintenance staff and clerics are paid as little as $21 an hour, and have received no wage rise in a decade, since the last enterprise agreement expired in 2007. Staff work long hours in difficult and at times dangerous conditions.

The union sold out the strike on August 24, without any of its token pay demands being met. HSU officials invoked an application the previous week by the Labor government to the Fair Work Commission (FWC)the federal industrial tribunalto terminate the stoppage on the grounds it was threatening patient safety and welfare.

The move was the latest aggressive intervention by the Andrews government aimed at suppressing any industrial or political struggle against the deepening assault on workers jobs, wages and conditions.

Over the past 12 months, the state government has applied for the FWC to deploy draconian anti-strike provisions against power workers in Victorias Latrobe Valley, and employees of a major gas project off the states southern coast.

The HSU welcomed the governments attack on the striking pathology workers. This week, it published a statement declaring: Good news for Dorevitch Members: The Fair Work Commission has upheld the State Governments application to terminate industrial action. There is no more industrial action required. All action ceases!

A union spokesperson described the sellout as an act of good faith by the union, i.e., an action on behalf of the government and the company.

The HSU rejoiced that Dorevitch would be forced to negotiate with the union over the next six weeks, and that the FWC would enforce a binding agreement if no deal could be reached.

The HSU is determined to stifle any struggle against the companys offensive. Its real concern is to sign an agreement that preserves the unions position at the negotiating table, where it will bargain away the jobs, wages and conditions of the workers it falsely claims to represent.

The union signed the 2004 deal, which provided for annual wage rises as low as 1.5 percent, up to 2007. Since that agreement expired, the HSU has sought to suppress widespread anger among the companys workers, who are paid up to 17 percent below the industry standard.

The corporatised and anti-working class character of the HSU has been well-documented.

In the most glaring examples, Craig Thomson, the HSU national secretary when the Dorevitch agreement was struck in 2004, was found in 2015 to have misspent up to $300,000 of union funds. Kathy Jackson, who headed the union from 2008 to 2015, was ordered by the Federal Court to pay approximately $1.4 million in compensation for union funds she misappropriated.

These are not aberrations. Similar cases have been recorded in unions across the country. Over the past three decades, unions have become arms of company management, preoccupied with boosting profitability while ensuring the privileges of wealthy union officials who collaborate on a daily basis with governments and the major corporations.

The unions statement touted the FWC as an independent umpire. In reality, the tribunal was established by the previous federal Labor government, with the support of all the major unions, including the HSU, as an instrument of the corporate elite to slash wages, ban strikes and drive down costs for big business.

Over the past 12 months, the type of forced arbitration promoted by the HSU has seen the FWC endorse mass sackings of Energy Australia workers, the termination of 83 striking Anglo-American miners, and the abolition of the existing enterprise agreement at AGLs Loy Yang A power plant in the Latrobe Valley. The latter ruling allowed the company to potentially impose wage cuts of up to 50 percent and eliminate existing working conditions.

The HSUs pledges of fealty to the FWC, and appeals for a deal with Dorevitch, continue a pattern. The union was in long-standing back room negotiations with Dorevitch, while workers continued to labour without any wage rise. In the lead-up to the strike, HSU national secretary Diana Asmar said there had been a year of negotiations in good faith by the union.

On July 31, staff voted to take one-day strike action on August 7. The stoppage was part of the unions attempt to pressure the company to strike a new deal. Despite the token character of the stoppage, Asmar reportedly said the union held concerns about the companys ability to continue to deliver the service.

The company responded viciously by locking out 66 workers from August 7. When workers took further strike action throughout the week, the company expanded the lock-out list to 89.

According to media reports, the company also advertised online for workers to replace strikers. Workers alleged the company was flying in employees from Queensland and other states to cover for locked-out pathology staff.

The union continually sought to channel the dispute into impotent appeals to the Andrews government, helping provide it with a pretext to intervene. Pathology workers took indefinite strike action on August 18, before the union ended the stoppage on August 24.

State governments, including those led by Labor, and the unions, have provided a corporate profit bonanza in the health sector. Over the past two decades, pathology services have been privatised, and lucrative government contracts handed to private operators. This is part of a broader processthe gutting of public healthcare by successive state and federal governments, Labor and Liberal-National alike.

Dorevitch has contracts across 32 Victorian public health facilities, including hospitals and prisons. Dorevitch is one of 10 pathology providers owned by Private Health Care. That company and its main competitor, Sonic Healthcare, reportedly control about 70 percent of the Australian pathology market. In August, Private Health Care posted a $92 million profit for the 201617 financial year.
The decision of the Trump administration to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program marks a new stage in the attack on immigrant workers and youth in the United States and internationally. Nearly 800,000 young people who have spent most of their lives in the US will, beginning in six months, be left at the mercy of the apparatus of repression, violence and deportation called the Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the US Border Patrol.

The end of DACA is only one part of a vicious campaign of terror and intimidation waged by the Trump administration against immigrants and refugeesincluding the anti-Muslim ban, expanded raids and deportations, plans for constructing a wall along the US-Mexico border and the pardoning of Sheriff Joe Arpaio, who gloated over the establishment of concentration camps to hold immigrants in Arizona.

The American ruling class, which wages wars all over the world on the pretext of defending human rights and democracy is resurrecting within its borders measures that recall the horrors of the 1930s and the establishment of Japanese internment camps in the US during the Second World War.

These fascistic measures do not have popular support. The revocation of DACA has already provoked widespread anger and revulsion throughout the country. The mass demonstrations that followed Trumps inauguration were motivated in part by hostility to his chauvinist attack on immigrants. A poll by Politico found that 84 percent of registered Democrats and 69 percent of registered Republicans believe that DACA recipients should be allowed to stay in the country.

There is a vast gulf, however, between the reaction of workers and youth, on the one hand, and the cynical and hypocritical criticisms of Trumps decision from sections of the political establishment, Silicon Valley CEOs and, particularly, the Democratic Party, on the other. If opposition to the Trump administrations attack on immigrants remains confined within the Democratic Party and its political affiliates, it will be strangled and suppressed.

The prize for hypocrisy goes to former president Barack Obama, who proclaimed on Wednesday that preserving DACA, which he introduced in 2012, was about basic decency. Obama would like everyone to forget that his administration deported more immigrants than any other in US history, including children fleeing war and economic crisis in Central America, earning him the designation of Deporter-in-Chief.

DACA, moreover, is not a solution to the crisis facing immigrant youth. Introduced as part of a maneuver to increase support for the Democrats prior to the 2012 elections, it requires applicants to hand over to government authorities their name, address, country of origin, personal histories and a signed document admitting to being in the country illegally. Those accepted do not receive any citizenship rights, but only a protection from deportation for two years. The WSWS warned at the time that, if political winds were to shift, this information could be easily exploited to unleash a wave of persecution, which is precisely what is now threatened.

Democrats and some Republicans are raising the possibility of Congressional action to save DACA, possibly as part of a broader immigration reform measure. Any such agreement would be tied to a further militarization of the border, increased powers for the state, and an even more onerous crackdown on immigrant workers living in the US.

This entire reactionary political framework must be rejected! The working class, of all nationalities and races, must advance its own independent solution to the attack on immigrants and the crisis of the capitalist system that has produced it.

The Trump administrations actions are part of a global phenomenon. The deepening social and economic crisis, combined with a quarter century of unending war spearheaded by the United States, has produced the greatest refugee crisis since the Second World War.

According to the UN Refugee Agency, just in the last year, 4,337 people have died in the Mediterranean, fleeing wars in the Middle East and North Africa, confronting closed borders erected as part of Fortress Europe. The racist agitation of Trump has its parallel in France, Germany and other European countries, which have seen the rise of far-right and fascistic movements whose predecessors were responsible for the worst atrocities of the 20th century.

As in the 1930s and 40s, the effort to pit workers against each other through the promotion of nationalist poison goes hand-in-hand with the assault on social programs, the immense growth of social inequality, the destruction of democratic rights and, above all, the drive to world war.

This is the response of the ruling class to the historical bankruptcy of the nation-state system. The globalization of economic life, the development of technology and the rise of giant transnational corporations have created an unprecedented level of international integration. But under capitalism, the world economy remains trapped within the confines of the nation-state, the political instrument of the ruling class and the breeding ground for war and repression.

Against the nationalism of the ruling elite, the working class must advance an internationalist and socialist strategy. Only by uniting with the working class internationally can workers in the US or any other country successfully struggle against globally mobile capitalist corporations.

The Socialist Equality Party rejects the contemptible lie that immigrant workers are to blame for rising unemployment, poverty and falling wagesthe product of the corporate-driven attack on the entire working class. The racialist politics of the far right, as well as the identity politics of the Democratic Party, are aimed at dividing workers against each other and diverting anger and frustration from developing into a movement directed at the capitalist system.

We insist that all workers and youth have the right to high quality public education and health care, a secure retirement and a decent job. The resources to ensure these rights must be obtained through a massive redistribution of wealth and the expropriation of the giant corporations and banks, which exploit and oppress workers all over the world.

Against the militarization of borders and the persecution of immigrants, the SEP stands for open borders: the right of all workers to live in the country they choose, with full citizenship rights, including the right to work and travel without fear of deportation or repression.

The SEP urges the broadest possible mobilization of workers and young people against the assault on immigrants, including protests, meetings, neighborhood mobilizations and job actions to prevent deportations. To be successful, however, the defense of the rights of immigrants must be connected to the political mobilization of the international working class against war, inequality and the capitalist system.
Gentry receives national honor

ATLANTA, Ga. -- The National Society of High School Scholars has announced that Neoga High School student Melaney N. Gentry of Mattoon has been recognized for superior academic achievement and selected to become a member of the organization.

The society recognizes top scholars who have demonstrated outstanding leadership, scholarship and community commitment.

NSHSS members automatically become lifetime members at the time of their initial membership.

Phinney receives doctorate in dentistry

O'FALLON, Mo. -- Dr. Alyssa Phinney of Charleston received her Doctorate of Dental Medicine from ATSU-Missouri School of Dentistry and Oral Health on June 10.

She is working as a dentist at Family Dental Care of WingHaven in OFallon, Mo.

Phinney, the daughter of Lisa Kallis of Charleston and Gene Phinney of Collinsville, is a 2009 graduate of Charleston High School and a 2013 graduate of Southern Illinois University in Carbondale with a bachelor of science degree in Biological Sciences.

Lakeview College of Nursing announces dean's list

DANVILLE -- Students who are enrolled in at least six credit hours at Lakeview College of Nursing and who achieve a GPA of 3.6 or higher on a 4.0 scale are named to the dean's list for the semester. Area residents who received this honor are as follows: Kyle Gesell of Mattoon and Cody Shelmadine of Tuscola.

Lakeview College of Nursing offers a bachelor of science in nursing degree. It is a single-purpose, private institution that has specialized in nursing education in the Danville area since 1894. Lakeview began offering a cooperative program with Eastern Illinois University in Charleston in the fall of 2001.

Indiana State announces deans list

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. -- Indiana State University has announced its deans list for the summer semester. To be eligible for the list, students must maintain a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 scale.

Area students making the deans list are Kristy Grissom of Charleston and Corey Maxedon of Oakland.
(WTXL) - A fundraiser aims to help a Georgia farmer who suffered a stroke while working in a field get back on his feet financially.

Tracy Baggett, 51, of Cairo, Georgia, hopes to be released from a rehab facility in Camilla, Georgia, next week.

Previously he spent most of May to August 2017 hospitalized, and for 19 of those days he was in a coma before waking up, said Baggett's pastor, the Rev. Donald F. Gerrell.

The fundraiser will be Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Monticello Winn Dixie parking lot. It will feature BBQ chicken/pork with baked beans and cole slaw at a cost of $10 for an adult and $5 for a child age 10 and under.

By the time Baggett arrived at the hospital following his stroke, doctors said nothing could be done for him, the pastor said, but Baggett's wife, Denise, and his family said don't pull the plug, let's wait a couple of day.

Doctors predicted that if Baggett survived he would be a vegetable.

He defied the odds, awoke with his faculties intact and can talk. With help, he walked out of the hospital in what the pastor describes as a "remarkable recovery."

His pastor said Baggett, a hardworkiing man he has known for more than 20 years, comes from a God-fearing, good Southern family that trusted in God to heal him.

"God answered their prayers," Gerrell said.

Baggett's hospital bills are astronomical, the pastor said, and every dime raised will go toward the farmer's expenses.

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FLORIDA (The News Service of Florida) - Insurance companies are prepared to meet Floridians' needs after Hurricane Irma, state Chief Financial Officer Jimmy Patronis and Insurance Commissioner David Altmaier said Thursday.

Patronis and Altmaier issued a joint statement after holding a conference call with nearly 50 insurance company representatives to discuss issues such as claims reporting after the storm and the availability of adjusters.

Florida's policyholders fully expect that the insurance companies they entrust to protect their homes will be there during their time of need, and we'll do everything possible to protect Florida's policyholders throughout the entire post-storm process, Patronis said.

After the full impact of Hurricane Irma, insurance companies will be required to report daily claims information to the state Office of Insurance Regulation.

On Wednesday, Barry Gilway, president and CEO of the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, told his board that the company could expect more than 100,000 claims.

Last year, Hurricane Matthew, which ran up the East Coast without making landfall in Florida, resulted in 119,345 claims filed with insurance companies in Florida.

Damages reached $2.75 billion, of which $1.182 billion was tied to residential and commercial insurance claims.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - A Tallahassee assisted living center is taking in nearly a 100 senior citizens escaping the possible path of Hurricane Irma in South Florida.

Tapestry Senior Living of Tallahassee is opening its doors to a group from Naples, providing meals and shelter as they arrive tonight.

90 residents and 25 staff members left Naples this afternoon headed for Tallahassee.

Tapestry's Executive Director says this will now triple their residency. Because the units are not furnished, the center worked to find a vendor to provide bedding and furniture for the new group of seniors.

The director says the center is "more than happy to accommodate" those in need.

"We're ready to go. We've got food supply in order," said Mike Schmidt, the executive director at Tapestry. "Medications are ready to go. Pharmacies have been contacted, so things are working out for the best. Staff has really stepped up. They're willing to stay on site and spend the night here themselves to make sure this is a smooth transition."

All of the bedding will be delivered by tomorrow. The center has air mattresses ready to get through tonight.

The director says the seniors are welcome to stay until they're ready to return home.
CHARLESTON -- What concerns local teens the most? Many would assume that drugs and alcohol, bullying, or body image would top the list. In fact, according to the 3,159 students polled by the Illinois Youth Survey (IYS), depression and suicide are now the biggest concerns for eighth-grade students in a seven-county area.

In all, 38 percent of eighth-graders surveyed listed depression or suicide as their top health concern for people their age, according to a press release.

Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center child psychiatrist Katie Hecksel, MD, said, Adolescents and teenagers developmentally have a difficult time seeing beyond an immediate stressor or tolerating strong emotions without acting on them. This makes them more susceptible to act on suicidal thoughts, particularly when encouraged by others.

In an effort to help people learn more about teenage depression and suicide, Sarah Bush Lincoln is teaming with WEIU-TV to present a live broadcast entitled Choose Hope. The program airs at 7 p.m. Tuesday on WEIU-TV throughout the region. Sarah Bush Lincoln experts Hecksel and pediatrician David Stoltz, MD, will answer call-in and email questions throughout the program.

Jeremie Smith, Mattoon Middle School principal, said the results of the Illinois Youth Survey are not surprising.

The concern is legitimate, Smith said. We are seeing a distinct increase in the number of students using mental health services because of behavioral, social, emotional, even physical issues having to do with depression.

According to Smith, many instances of teen depression are beyond the repair of the schools. With a limited number of staff trained to deal with such emotional issues, he said the effort to assist these teens can feel like putting a Band-Aid on a chainsaw wound. Smith said there are several factors that can cause a teen to feel depressed, but he attributes the results of the survey to one primary source: social media.

Hecksel said there is data to support Smiths opinion. Medical studies have indicated that victims of cyberbullying are twice as likely to attempt suicide than students who are not experiencing bullying. Interestingly, cyberbullies themselves were 1.5 times more likely to have attempted suicide than children who were neither cyberbullying offenders, nor victims.

According to Hecksel, this would suggest that there could be significant public health benefit in providing mental health interventions for both those getting cyberbullied, as well as those doing the cyberbullying.

Social media unfortunately gives bullies a safety net to hide behind, the ability to pose as others, be anonymous, or say and do things they would never do if forced to confront someone in person, Hecksel said.

Smith echoes Hecksels opinion. Computers and phones give students a force-field to hide behind, he added. It removes the filter that teens have when they speak face-to-face. They dont have a sense of accountability, or of the impact that their words and actions are having on the person on the other end of the computer.

A recent nationwide rash of live-streamed suicides on social media is also cause for great concern among parents and educators. Smith said that he sees todays teens struggling to form genuine relationships because of the amount of time they spend behind screens.

Many of todays teen relationships are already superficial and temporary, Smith said. If you throw a bully or a broken heart into the mix, it can leave them feeling alone and helpless because they dont really know how to connect with someone who can help. I think they make live videos because they are hoping that some compassionate soul will see it and reach out to help them.

Hecksel explained, The rise in websites, television shows, internet videos and chat rooms promoting and detailing suicide are particularly risky for youth who are already depressed and vulnerable. These provide a community of seemingly like-minded people who support the adolescents feelings of hopelessness, while making it seem that the only successful solution is suicide.

Hecksel and Smith have suggestions for parents and guardians living with teens:

Be aware of your teens mood changes. While many teens are at least minutely combative, if you find your teen in a constant state of agitation, or if they become angry at even the simplest requests, seek help from a counselor or physician.

Limit time on devices. Parents are encouraged to keep phones away from the dinner table in order to encourage face-to-face conversation. Keep teens cellphones out of their bedroom at night and, instead, charge them in a kitchen or family room.

Set the notifications and privacy settings on your teens phone. Check your teens devices regularly for inappropriate content or dual accounts. I see teens with three or four social media accounts that they hide from their parents, Smith said.

Spend time together. If you notice your teen is in a constant state of withdrawal or is no longer interested in the activities they once enjoyed, seek help.

Monitor your teens circle of friends. Talk to all of the parents involved before sending teens to parties, sleepovers, and trips. Many parents are worried that their teen will become angry if the parent checks up on them, Smith said. Its important for parents to remember that their primary charge is not to be their childs best friend, but to keep them safe and healthy.

To submit questions to be answered on the air, email them to weiu@weiu.net, or phone them in during the show at 1-877-727-9348.
Those of us lucky enough to have grandmothers and grandfathers know how influential they can be in our development. If you are now or are becoming a grandparent, you most likely appreciate this role, perhaps more than any other you've ever had. The bragging rights that grandparents claim about their descendants are legendary. Having grandchildren is, for many, a major source of fulfillment.

According to an AARP state fact sheet for grandparents or other relatives raising children, In Illinois, there are 213,465 children living in grandparent-headed households (6.6 percent of all children in the state). There are another 75,362 children living in households headed by other relatives (2.3 percent of all children in the state). Of the children living in households headed by grandparents or other relatives in Illinois, 119,676 are living there without either parent present.

This situation, referred to as a "skip generation family," may occur for a variety of reasons, including substance abuse by parents, child abuse or neglect by parents, teenage pregnancy or failure of parents to handle children, and parental unemployment, divorce, AIDS, or incarceration. Although only a small percentage (14 percent) of grandparents in these situations is over the age of 60 years, substantial percentages have a disability (40 percent) or live in poverty (21 percent). However, on the positive side, the role of surrogate parent can contribute positively to the grandparents' sense of identity, particularly for African American grandmothers. Furthermore, feeling that others are supportive can help improve the negative effects of the stress and strain of caregiving for the grandchild and help preserve the grandparent's health.

There is no official estimate of the total number of grandparents in the US; the best guess is about 56 million. And, in contrast to what is known about the skip generation family, there is virtually nothing known about grandparenting in general. The last thorough study of grandparenting was conducted, if you can believe this, in 1965! University of Chicago's Bernice Neugarten, one of the leading gerontologists at the time, identified five patterns of grandparenting. See if you can relate your grandparents to one of these:

Formal grandparent: follows what are believed to be the appropriate guidelines for the grandparenting role, which includes providing occasional services and maintaining an interest in the grandchild, but not becoming overly involved.

Fun seeker: emphasizes the leisure aspects of the role and primarily provides entertainment for the grandchild.

Surrogate parent: takes over the caretaking role with the child.

Reservoir of family wisdom (usually a grandfather): the head of the family who dispenses advice and resources but also controls the parent generation.

Distant figure: has infrequent contact with the grandchildren, appearing only on holidays and special occasions.

The first Sunday in September after Labor Day is Grandparents Day. This year its on Sept. 10th. Its great to have a day that honors grandparents. Its a wonderful chance to say thank you for the great times and feelings and the lifelong gift of love our grandparents have given us.

The Coles County Council on Aging offices are located at the LifeSpan Center, 11021 E. Co. Rd. 800 N., Charleston. The telephone number is 217-639-5150 for the Coles County Council on Aging and LifeSpan Center. Come join us each weekday at noon for Lunch at LifeSpan.

Peace Meals, sponsored by Sarah Bush Lincoln Health Center, are served Monday through Friday at a suggested donation of $3.50. To register, reserve a lunch or learn more, call 217-348-1800.
Update 12:30 p.m. - The Ellensburg and Kittitas School Districts will close schools until at least Monday, Sept. 11 after indoor air quality 
The Arab-Hebrew Theater in Jaffa is facing a cut in state subsidies a for hosting an event that allegedly supported terrorism.

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Directors of the theater will be summoned for a hearing with representatives of the ministries of finance, justice and culture after hosting an event in support of Dareen Tatour, an Israeli-Arab poet who was indicted in 2015 for incitement to violence and support of terrorism.

Directed by actress Einat Weizman, and organized along with poets Tal Nitzan and Alma Katz, writer Ofra Yeshua-Lyth and producer Khaled Jabarin, the event was titled Prison Diaries and included readings of Tatours poems, which have been deemed to constitute incitement.

The Arab-Hebrew Theater in Jaffa (Photo: PR)

In the wake of the event, the finance ministrys legal adviser Asi Messing ruled that the ministry could trigger a clause in the law that allows it to cut support to institutions that incite to terrorism, racism or violence, that support violent struggle or terrorism against Israel, mark Israels Independence Day as a day or mourning or deny Israels right to exist as a Jewish and democratic state.

The theater receives some NIS 900,000 a year in state support.

We will not allow anyone to incite to terrorism or harm the state of Israel. We will use all the authority provided to us by law, said Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon.

Minister of Culture Miri Regev, who last week asked police chief Roni Alsheich to open an investigation against the theater and the event organizers, tweeted in response to Kahlons statement: I expect Minister Kahlons headlines to be translated from words to actions next week.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) condemned the finance ministry, saying there is no legal basis in the law for this decision. It joins the attacks of Minister of Culture Miri Regev on freedom of artistic expression and the threats to revoke budgets due to the content of the work.

The evening in support of Dareen Tartour took place in protest at the violation of her creative freedom by by bringing her to trials for poems that she wrote. It is a tragic irony that the event is now being used as a pretext to violate the artistic freedom of the Jaffa theater, said ACRIs chief legal counsel Dan Yakir.
Ultra-Orthodox parties Shas and United Torah Judaism will hold a conference Thursday to present a united front against construction work at the Israel Railways on Shabbat and during the upcoming High Holy Days.

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Earlier this week, representatives of the two parties met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to stress their position on the matter.

Following intervention by the Prime Minister's Office, among other things, Labor and Welfare Minister Haim Katz announced the matter will be examined.

Train works in Tel Aviv (Photo: Itay Blumenthal)

Officials in Katz's office estimated works will probably not take place during Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and possibly Sukkot as well.

"In the spirit of the month of Elul, the month of mercy and forgiveness, Labor and Welfare Minister Haim Katz instructed ministry officials to examine the permits to employing workers at the Israel Railways on their weekly day of rest, and to pay heed to public sensitivities during the High Holy Days and the importance of the Days of Repentance to the Jewish people," a statement from the Labor and Welfare Ministry said.

"The labor and welfare minister is considering instructing ministry officials to examine the requests related to the Israel Railways as early as possible to avoid pressures that could be created due to a tight schedule," the statement went on to say.

The head of the Shas faction in the Knesset, MK Yoav Ben-Tzur, released a statement saying the train work for the coming month will be stopped while the committee that gives work permits on Saturday, the Jewish day of rest, examines the matter.

"These important achievements are just part of the way to establishing the status of the Shabbat as is fitting for a Jewish state," Ben-Zur said.
Israel is full of corruption. This isnt small corruption. According to suspicions, this corruption steals and pays a bribe for strategic submarines worth hundreds of millions with many detainees and more to come. This corruption involves ties between government and capital, as well as benefits and alleged corruption of fake companies and fraud among public servants, like the heads of the prime ministers bureau

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The politicians, for some reason, have been enjoying a convenient delay in their investigations so far. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hasnt even been summoned to testify in the submarine affair, and Minister Yuval Steinitz, whose associates are believed to be neck-deep in the affair, has only now been summoned to testify. Steinitz is considered a decent individual and its hard to find anyone in the political system who believes he was involved in the affair, so why did it take so long to ask him to provide his version?

These officials have been given priceless time in legal terms, time which they could have made good use of, and they likely used that time for consultations and other tactics.

Prime Minister Netanyahu and Energy Minister Steinitz. Enjoying a convenient delay in investigations (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

But lets bring in the presumption of innocence. They didnt know anything and didnt hear anything. Everything took place over their heads, under their noses, around their ears. Nothing seemed strange. It was all randomthe cousin, the political assistant, the bureau chiefs.

Lets assume that our politicians are these naive people who can be fooled and manipulated into making weighty decisions. Lets assume theyre all completely innocentnot just Steinitz and Netanyahu, but also Avigdor Lieberman in the Yisrael Beytenu affair , who allegedly knew nothing about the shady deals taking place in his party. This presumption of innocence is necessary, but the public world shouldnt be measured exclusively by criminal tools of an offense, consciousness and a mental basis. The fact that a person is innocent doesnt mean he is fit for his job; it simply means he isnt totally unfit.

When and where does the responsibility of the decision maker, whose associates and workers have been exposed as completely corrupt, begin? Lets assume he isnt involved. Doesnt he take any responsibility. Not the criminal responsibility of going to jail, but the responsibility of facing the public and explaining how this all happened around him and he, such a fool, didnt know about it?

A rotten apple is sometimes uncovered in every bureau, in every corporation. There are thieves and people who take bribes everywhere. But what happens when this is the corporate culture, a culture of lies, fraud and theft? What happens to a CEO whose company suffers one embezzlement after another, all by people that he chose, again and again, year after year?

The answer is that Israelis should demand more. Clouds of criminal suspicions can gather over decision makers, but if their political life is a collection of entanglements by a hairs breadth, if they are regularly surrounded by relatively dubious people, and of course if things develop into proof of regular criminal acts among their associatespoliticians must take responsibility. If they are unable to maintain a clean environment, free of offenses, they are in the wrong profession and we are wrong to elect them. The fact that theyre not involved is insufficient. The public questionagain, not the legal questionis what have you done to obey the command of having a pure camp?

A German-made submarine at the Navy base in Haifa

And heres a recommendation for the prosecution authorities. The most important protest in Israeli history took place after the Yom Kippur War and the Agranat Report. The feeling was that the commission had tried to place the entire blame for the failure on the military echelons, essentially clearing the politicians or any mishandling or wrongdoing. The rift wasnt just a result of the war, but of the recognition that the governmentled by the Labor Alignmentwanted to go on as if nothing had happened, without any accountability, and that the state commission of inquiry wasnt unbiased. There was a loss of faith in the entire system, and it led to a major crisis which ended, of course, with the 1977 political upheaval.

In order to bring politicians to justice, there is a need for determination in the prosecution, there is a need to act vigorously and urgently, to leave no stone unturned, to leave suspects with no time to coordinate their versions or publicly obstruct justice. Justice must not only be served, it must also be seen.

If we get the impression that the political systems scapegoats are the only ones getting caught, and that the senior officials are conveniently getting away, it would serve as a very serious blow to the Israeli faith in the law and legal system and a critical blow to the necessary war on corruption.
When the IDF flexes its muscles on the northern border and talks about defeating Hezbollah in a military operation , we should go back to 2006 to get some proportions about the gap between rhetoric and performance abilities. While its very important for Israel to demonstrate its strength vis-a-vis the Lebanese government and Hezbollah, and emphasize its messages and intentions, the sterile exercise conducted by the army these days has the potential of lulling the public into a state of complacency and self-satisfaction.

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One of the events stressing the IDFs failed performance in 2006 took place in a conference that was held by the army about a year ago to mark a decade since the Second Lebanon War. The lessons raised in that conference were, naturally, not shared with the public.

One of the panels included the division commanders during the war, who presented their personal lessons to the audience of officers. They were faced by two people who accused them of disobeying orders. The accusers were not ranting Knesset members or good-for-nothing journalists, but the chief of staff during the war, Dan Halutz, and current Chief of Staff Gadi Eisenkot, who served as head of the Operations Branch in 2006 and was in fact the person who issued those orders which were disobeyed to the Northern Command.

Northern Command exercise. Sees only one battlefield (Photo: IDF Spokespersons Unit)

Halutz and Eisenkot argued that the division commanders sitting on the stage with them had received an order to carry out a bi-divisional attack, and failed to do so for some reason. While the bi-divisional attack on Jabal Hamamis was allegedly started, it was halted very quickly after one of the division commanders decided that the conditions made it impossible for him to carry out the mission and asked the command chief to stop. The attack was halted and was never resumed.

Theres no doubt that during the exercises that preceded that war, the same division commander carried out his missions in an exceptional manner, in any type of weather and under every possible condition, and destroyed the enemyand this is exactly where we can find the gap between military officials rhetoric and their performance abilities.

This is only one case of a failure to obey the chief of staffs orders, in letter and spirit, in that waryet two of the division commanders sitting in that panel had the ranks of major-general on their shoulders. In other words, although the chief of staff reached the conclusion that his officers had failed to carry out his orders, they were promoted to the top of the pyramid. This is already part of another big problem in the military organizationdrawing conclusions, including personal conclusions.

In exercises, these problems dont exist. The military officials real test, which he prepares for throughout his entire career and receives his real grade in, is the war. Its neither a maneuver nor an exercise. Whoever fails the real test should retire. But that hasnt happened, and likely wont happen.

Chief of Staff Eisenkot has argued and keeps arguing that the Second Lebanon War was a strategic victory, and the proof is the calm we got on the northern front. He may be right, but the strategic achievement was reached in spite of the military echelons problematic performance. The military failure was in the senior field commandand as long as the army wont admit it, it wont learn a thing, even in the current exercise.

The corps exercise taking place in the Northern Command these days essentially replaces the General Staff exercise which is held by the army on an annual basis. This year it was decided, for budgetary or organizational reasons most likely, to carry out a corps exercise. While its being carried out on a wider scale than usual, its still two levels below the General Staffs view.

The current exercise sees only one battlefield. It may be a main battlefield, but even the optimistic evaluations of the situation point to at least two fronts when the fighting erupts: The Palestinian and the Lebanese. Moreover, what is currently perceived as the Syrian frontwhich is marginal in the fightingmay turn into the main front against pro-Iranian forces. The exercise must also indicate whether the five-year Gideon Plan developed by the chief of staff has indeed shaped an army which is capable of tackling three different fronts simultaneously.

Exercises are important, information is important, deterrence is important, and propaganda for that purpose is inevitablebut we must not get confused.
MATTOON -- Lions District 1-M Gov. Lori Bennett was the guest speaker at a recent meeting of the Mattoon Lions Club.

Bennett, who is a member of the Paris Lions Club, spoke of her new challenge to serve the largest district in Illinois. She mentioned many of the goals that were recent discussed at the recent district cabinet meeting in Tower Hill.

The district governor reminded Mattoon Lions that they work to serve their community and other state and international Lions organizations in support of their programs. In turn, these programs provide the Lions with various services to help the sight and hearing impaired, support research efforts to improve sight and hearing capabilities, provide camping experiences for sight and hearing impaired children, and more.

Bennett said everyone has a leader, so local clubs consequently have zone, district, state and international support that they can call upon for assistance. Each level has a set of goals that are unique to its community and level of responsibility. The minutes of the district meeting included goals for each club, including the Mattoon Lions. Each clubs goals are unique, but they have similar final objectives.

The Lions are the largest service group in the world, with clubs in more than 200 nations. International President Bob Corlew recently reported that Lions membership has surpassed the all-time record of 1,445,591 Lions.
Movements aimed at boycotting Israel were delivered a blow by the London municipality recently after it rejected a request that the upcoming London Tel Aviv Festival, TLV in LDN, be forbidden from taking place.

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With the decision, London is preparing to paint its streets blue and white at the end of the week as the UK capital gears for the largest Israeli festival ever to be held in England.

Dozens of Israeli artists will take part in the festival as they exhibit before the Brits the creative and inventive side of Israel.

Posters advertizing the festival

Up until the very last minute, various movements dedicated to boycotting Israel attempted to tarnish the festival and pressure the authorities to altogether cancel the initiative spearheaded by the Israeli Minister of Strategic Affairs Gilad Erdan.

Stepping up their efforts to ostracize Israel in the international domain, the boycott movements designed posters calling for its boycott and requested permission from the authorities to hang them on central bus stops in London and the citys underground.

BDS movement

London is against apartheid, was the main slogan scrawled on the banners and posters calling on passersby to boycott the festival.

However, the office of London Mayor Sadiq Kahn, himself a Muslim, rejected the request on grounds that it violated the citys advertizing laws.

According to the laws, hanging posters and signs expressing incitement on bus stops or the underground trains is strictly forbidden in the city.
The ministerial committee to deal with the phenomenon of illegal aliens in Israel, headed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, convened for the first time.

The committee includes ministers Aryeh Deri, Ayelet Shaked, Ofir Akunis, Eli Cohen and Deputy Minister Yitzhak Cohen.

Netanyahu said at the meeting: "The most important solution we will focus on is getting people out. We will not be able to get everyone out, but we have already deported close to 20,000 and we will have to finish the job."
Chief of the IDF Military Intelligence Directorate (MID), Major General Herzi Halevi, spoke Thursday about the security threats faced by Israel, saying that "we deal with the threats with determination, with those distant and those closer, in all their forms."

Halevi spoke during an event commemorating the sixth President of the State, Chaim Herzog, who served twice as head of MID.

"The most severe security threats directed against Israel from armed groups are being aided by Iran," Halevi noted. "These are serious but not existential threats. Iran strives to base itself on our borders in Syria, Lebanon and Gaza, flooding our borders with its deadly ideology.

"Its leader hopes for the destruction of the State of Israel, but those who are exposed to our intelligence and military activity know that their hopes are expected to be disappointments."
This has been a long time in the making, but in our continuing pursuit to bring only the best of firearms, 2nd Amendment and defence related news to our readers, we are very excited to announce the next step in our evolution as a company.

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This means that now the teams of Minuteman can combine with the firepower of Your Defence News to stay at the absolute forefront for our readers.

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CHARLESTON -- Douglas Hall, a male-only residence hall at Eastern Illinois University, is under fire again by some people looking to rename it.

The residence hall, named after Stephen Douglas, a former U.S. senator from the Democratic Party who famously debated Abraham Lincoln on issues like slavery in 1858, received new criticism at a Faculty Senate meeting Tuesday.

Chris Hanlon, a former EIU professor now at Arizona State University, called for the name to be changed again at the Faculty Senate meeting.

Hanlon led a charge to get the name changed in 2010. At the time, EIU faculty proposed that university officials change the name because of Douglas' pro-slavery legislative record and racist comments.

Then, Hanlon and other faculty lobbied that it was not appropriate to name the hall after Douglas, who was an advocate for slavery. However, their proposal was turned down.

As previously reported in the JG-TC, the Eastern Illinois University Naming Committee voted in December 2010 to recommend not changing Douglas Hall's namesake from Stephen Douglas to Frederick Douglass.

As a result of the renaming debate, a display detailing the origins behind the name for context was put up on a wall in Stevenson Hall, which connects to both Douglas and Lincoln halls.

The name was recommended in 1951 by a professor in social sciences, Glenn H. Seymour. He proposed that two residence halls that were under construction at the time should be named after Lincoln and Douglas in honor of the historical debate held in this community, according to the display.

Their fourth of seven debates for the Senate seat took place in Charleston, which later prompted the construction of the Lincoln-Douglas Debate Museum located at the Coles County Fairgrounds.

Faculty Senate members plan to discuss the prospect of renaming the hall at their next meeting, said Jemmie Robertson, Faculty Senate chair. Robertson said that he will likely draft a resolution for those in the senate to vote on.

Mark Hudson, EIU Housing and Dining director, said these are complicated issues addressing the name change. There is certainly an argument that could be made on both sides of this issue, he said.

Buildings named after pro-slavery and Confederate figures have undergone recent scrutiny following demonstrations in Charlottesville, Va., that turned violent.

Hanlon could not be reached for comment for this story.
Santo Domingo: Hurricane Irma plowed past the Dominican Republic toward Haiti on Thursday after devastating a string of Caribbean islands and killing at least 10 people as one of the most powerful Atlantic storms in a century took aim at Florida.

With winds of around 175 mph, the storm lashed several small islands in the northeast Caribbean, including Barbuda, St Martin and the British Virgin Islands, tearing down trees, flattening homes and causing widespread damage.

The eye of the hurricane did not directly hit Puerto Rico, passing north early Thursday, battering the US territory with high winds and heavy rains. Three people were killed and around two-thirds of the population lost their electricity, Governor Ricardo Rossello said.

The eye of Irma was moving west-northwest off the northern coast of the Dominican Republic, heading slightly north of Haiti, the National Hurricane Center (NHC) said.

The United Nations Children`s Fund warned that millions of children could be at risk in the two countries, which share the island of Hispaniola. Impoverished Haiti has been particularly vulnerable to hurricanes and heavy rains.

Irma`s eye was forecast to pass over the Turks and Caicos Islands, a British territory, and the Bahamas before moving towards Cuba`s keys.

Irma will likely hit Florida as a very powerful Category 4 storm on Sunday, with storm surges and flooding beginning within the next 48 hours, according to the NHC. Gas shortages in the Miami-Fort Lauderdale area worsened on Thursday, with sales up to five times the norm.

Cuba started evacuating some of the 51,000 tourists visiting the island, particularly 36,000 people at resorts on the picturesque northern coast, most of them Canadians.

Canada decided ... to evacuate all the Canadian tourists in the country, said Cuban Tourism Minister Manuel Marrero, estimating they made up 60 per cent of tourists in the countrys keys.

Authorities in the Dominican Republic ordered evacuations in towns along the northern Atlantic coast such as Cabarete, a thriving tourist spot where trees were brought down by high winds but no severe damage was reported.

"There is a lot of wind and rain," Puerto Plata Assistant District Attorney Juan Carlos Castro Hernandez told Reuters by telephone. "We expect things to get worse."

Cabarete was expected to bear the brunt of the hurricane`s winds and storm surge. Hotel executive Roque Alvarez said most tourists left prior to the storm, either flown or bused out.

'Enormous Disaster'

French Prime Minister Edouard Philippe lowered the death toll, saying four bodies were recovered on the tiny French-Dutch island of St Martin, which was hit hard. Earlier, in the confusion surrounding Irma, France`s interior minister had said eight people were killed and nearly two dozen injured.

"It is an enormous disaster. Ninety-five per cent of the island is destroyed. I am in shock," Daniel Gibbs, chairman of a local council on St Martin, told Radio Caribbean International.

Television footage from the island showed a damaged marina with boats tossed into piles, submerged streets and flooded homes. French President Emmanuel Macron spoke with British Prime Minister Theresa May on Thursday to coordinate an emergency humanitarian response.

Amid criticism from many residents that the British government could have done more to help its territories, Foreign Office Minister Alan Duncan said a Royal Navy ship would reach the affected islands on Thursday with tents, vehicles and other relief equipment.

"Anguilla received the hurricane`s full blast. The initial assessment is that the damage has been severe and in places critical," he told parliament.

One person was killed on the island and roads were blocked, with damage to the hospital and airport, power and phone service, Anguilla emergency service officials said. Britain`s Queen Elizabeth said she was "shocked and saddened" by the reports of Caribbean devastation.

In Puerto Rico, Rossello said it was to early to estimate the cost of the damage. The streets of the capital San Juan were littered with downed tree limbs and signs, with many street lights out.

Juan Pablo Aleman, a restaurant owner, said he had ridden out the storm in his 11th-floor apartment.

"The building moved, shook a few times. A lot of shingles came off and some windows broke," he told Reuters. "If it had gone a little more to the south, it would have been catastrophic."

The first bands of rain and wind began to lash Haiti`s normally bustling northern port city of Cap Haitien on Thursday.

Authorities went door to door, encouraging people to evacuate voluntarily from exposed areas, said Albert Moulion, a Ministry of the Interior spokesman.

We`re asking all those living in areas at risk to leave their homes. If you dont, youll be evacuated by force," President Jovenel Moise said. "When you go to shelters youll find food, youll have something to sleep on."

Irma was the strongest hurricane ever recorded in the Atlantic Ocean and one of the five most forceful storms to hit the Atlantic basin in 82 years, according to the NHC.

Florida Governor Rick Scott said it was unclear whether Irma would hit the state`s east or west coast but told residents to beware of the sea surge caused by powerful winds.

"The storm surge can kill you," Scott said on the "CBS This Morning" program on Thursday. He urged people to heed local officials and be ready when the call came to leave their area, promising the government would provide transportation to those who need it.

'You`re On Your Own'

With Irma set to become the second hurricane to hit the United States in as many weeks, Florida emergency management officials began evacuations, ordering tourists to leave the Florida Keys.

Roman Gastesi, the administrator of Monroe County, which encompasses the Florida Keys, told CNN that streets were empty in Key West and 90 per cent of businesses were closed. County officials, including police and emergency workers, would be leaving, he said.

"If you`re going to stay, you`re on your own," Gastesi said.

US President Donald Trump was monitoring Irma`s progress. The President owns the waterfront Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

Trump approved emergency declarations for the state, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands, mobilizing federal disaster relief efforts.

The island of Barbuda, one of the first hit by the storm, was reduced to "literally rubble," said Gaston Browne, Prime Minister of Antigua and Barbuda, adding that one person was killed and that the tiny two-island nation will seek international assistance.

Browne told the BBC that about half of Barbuda`s population of some 1,800 were homeless while nine out of 10 buildings had suffered some damage and many were destroyed.

"It was easily one of the most emotionally painful experiences that I have had," Browne said in an interview on BBC Radio Four, adding that it would take months or years to restore some level of normalcy to the island.

A surfer was also reported killed in Barbados.

Two other hurricanes formed on Wednesday.

Katia in the Gulf of Mexico posed no threat to the United States, according to US forecasters. Hurricane Jose was about 815 miles east of the Caribbean`s Lesser Antilles islands, and could eventually threaten the US mainland.

The storm activity comes after Harvey claimed about 60 lives and caused property damage estimated to be as much as $180 billion in Texas and Louisiana.
Tokyo: Warning North Korea against continuing its current missile and nuclear weapons development policies, Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe on Thurdsay urged the international community to put greatest possible pressure on the rouge Asian state.

Prior to leaving for Vladivostok to participate in the Eastern Economic Forum,Abe on Wednesday said that Japan would coordinate with Russia and international community to make North Korea understand that there would be no future for the country if it continues to pursue its nuclear ambitions, Efe news reported.

During his visit to Russia, Abe is also scheduled to hold talks with Russian President Vladimir Putin to discuss the situation in the wake of Pyongyang`s latest nuclear test on Sunday and the August 29 launch of a ballistic missile that flew over Japan.

During the meeting, their second in less than four months, Abe was expected to seek Putin`s backing to increase pressure on the Kim Jong-un regime, according to the Japanese government.

Following Pyongyang`s test on Sunday, Abe spoke to Putin over the phone, and reminded him of the important role Russia can play as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council in reigning in North Korea.

Earlier on Wednesday, the Russian president warned against cornering North Korea, and reiterated Moscow`s stance that sanctions against the regime in Pyongyang would not help resolve the problems on the Korean peninsula.

"One should not give in to emotions and drive North Korea into a corner," said Putin after a meeting with South Korean President Moon Jae-in at the Eastern Economic Forum.

With AFP inputs
Bengaluru: The brother of late journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh on Thursday said that his sister's murder should not be politicised for political gains and all that his family cared about is justice for her.

Indrajit Lankesh, the brother of the murdered journalist, made these remarks during a press conference and talked about his family's expectations from the ongoing investigation into the case.

Lankesh said that the Chief Minister of Karnataka had asked if the case should be given to the CBI but said that all that the family wanted is justice.

He requested people to not give a political colour to his sisters death or to use it for their personal benefits.

''For 14 years, she ran the publication with no advertisements, from her own savings. She continued our fathers legacy and I am proud of her.'' he said.

''She had no personal enmities, only ideological adversaries. She was the best friend anyone could have, her death cant be due to personal reasons at all,'' he added further.

Earlier speaking to NDTV, Indrajit Lankesh had said that his sister had received threat letters from the Naxalites.

Gauri Lankesh headed a team of people that worked extensively for bringing Naxals to the mainstream.

"She succeeded in bringing a couple of them from naxalism to the mainstream. For that, she was getting some hate mails, hate letters," Lankesh said, adding that this is one of the angles that the police are working on as they investigate the journalist's murder.

On Tuesday evening, Gauri Lankesh had just got out of her car and entered opened the gates to her home at around 8 when she was shot dead.

CCTV footage shows a man wearing a helmet walk up to her and fire, the police said.
Mumbai: Seven years after rejecting Narendra Modi's offer, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Thursday accepted Rs 5 crore aid from Vijay Rupani led Gujarat government for Bihar flood victims.

Gujarat Revenue Minister Bhupendrasinh Chudasama on behalf of the Gujarat government handed over the cheque to the Bihar CM in presence of state Deputy Chief Minister and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Sushil Kumar Modi.

Interestingly, in 2010, Kumar had returned Rs five crore aid given by then Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi for the Kosi flood victims.

Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) leader Tejashwi Yadav hit out at the Janata Dal (United) chief for accepting Rs 5 crore aid from the BJP-led Gujarat government.

Notably, back in 2010, Congress and RJD had criticised Kumar for returning the Rs five crore aid.

RJD chief Lalu Prasad had taken a dig at his arch rival saying Kumar's decision was "nothing but an absurdity."

Ahmed Patel, senior Congress leader and political advisor to Sonia Gandhi, had said, "He (Kumar) should have thought before returning the fund that this money does not belong to any leader. This is the money given by people of Gujarat to people of Bihar."

Kumar was angry after local papers had carried advertisements about the help given by the Gujarat government for the 2008 Kosi flood victims.

The Bihar chief minister had described the then Gujarat government's claim of liberal donation as "uncivilised".

JD (U) president and Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on July 26 snapped ties with RJD and the Congress. The three parties had formed the Mahagathbandhan in 2015 and swept to power in the Assembly elections held in October-November that year.

Kumar walked out of the Mahagathbandhan following allegations of corruption against RJD leader Tejashwi Yadav, who was then the deputy chief minister of the state. The JD (U) joined hands with the BJP to retain power leaving the Congress, which is already a spent force in the state, staring at an uncertain future.

Relinquished a cheque of 5 Cr. to The CM Sh @NitishKumar ji & Dy CM Sh @SushilModi ji for the flood's relief fund rendered by Gujarat Govt. pic.twitter.com/tSnWyRZt3r    (@BhupendraSinh1) September 7, 2017
Patna: A journalist working with a Hindi daily was shot at in Bihar's Alwar district on Thursday.

The journalist was identified as Pankaj Mishra. He is associated with Rashtriya Sahara.

Mishra was attacked by two men of his village, while he was coming out of a bank with Rs one lakh cash.

After pumping bullets into Mishra, the attackers fled with the cash.

Giving details regarding the incident, Alwar SP, Dilip Kumar said Mishra was attacked because of personal enmity.

The senior police officer further confirmed that one of the attackers was arrested by the police.

Pankaj Mishra was first taken to a primary health centre from where he was shifted to Arwal Sadar hospital. He was then moved Patna Medical College and Hospital.

The journalist is out of danger as per medical reports.
New Delhi: Recently, there were reports that actress Kangana Ranautsuffered a major injury on the sets of her upcoming period drama ' Manikarnika: The Queen of Jhansi'.

The reports came out to be true as she suffered a deep cut on her forehead during a sword fight scene.

While giving an interview to the Filmfare magazine, she opened about the whole incident.

She said, "I was doing a sword-fighting scene with three men. I guess Nihar (Pandya, who plays Rao Saheb) forgot his cue and he hit on my head. There's no way of avoiding something so unfortunate like this. Especially, when it's choreography related. The coordination of the various elements is difficult. It was a bad accident. It exposed my bone and my face was full of blood."

She also shared that if you give blood to play such a woman, it's worth it.

"There's something about being in character. You cannot be a warrior without adopting the body language and the demeanour. When the metal sword hit my head, I felt it. I saw blood streaming down my face. There were stains on my dress. I asked Nick (Powell, Hollywood action director) whether I needed stitches. He said yes. I asked how many. He said around 10. I asked him to take me to the hospital, to the best plastic surgeon. Nick and my producer, Kamal Jain found it amusing that it was me who was guiding them. Usually, I'm scared of blood. But in this case I wasn't," she shared.

"But when you talk about Laxmibai, she was the general of an army. She was an extraordinary woman. How many battles she fought in the prime of her youth! She was like a 'killing machine'. So it would be a shame to try to get into character superficially through clothes, make-up, hair styles and jewellery. And if you give blood to play such a woman, it's worth it. To be honest, I'm only happy. You can't hope to immortalise the greatest warrior of all times without having a battle scar on your face. So it's justified."

When asked about the scars in her heart, she noted, "Of course, we all have soul scars, but they are like medals won in a battle. Your mind, your inner being can carry a lot of scars based on your experiences, on how hard you fought and hit back. Whether you were scarred or left others scarred. It all depends on how you went through life."

The 'Queen' star also explained that there is no need to heal these scars. They are medals that she wears with happiness.
New Delhi: The Congress's student wing NSUI on Thursday said Alka, a student of Shaheed Bhagat Singh College, would contest as its candidate for the presidential post in the Delhi University Students' Union (DUSU) election, after the nomination of Rocky Tuseed was rejected.

Rest of its candidates -- Kunal Sehrawat for the post of vice-president, Meenakshi Meena (secretary) and Avinash Yadav (joint secretary) -- remained the same.

Alka had filed nomination as an Independent candidate.

The NSUI had yesterday urged the DUSU poll authorities to accept its candidate Rocky Tuseed's nomination, claiming it was declined on grounds of "disciplinary action" which were not clearly defined.

Calling it "arbitrary" and "mala fide", the National Students Union of India (NSUI) said there was no clear definition for application of rules.

"Without a clear definition, there is bound to be the arbitrary application of standards which is bad in law. Will a fine of Rs 300 for breaking a chair also constitute disciplinary action?" the NSUI asked, in a letter to the poll panel.
Mumbai: The country's current account deficit is likely to widen to 3 percent in the second quarter of 2017 due to sharp deterioration in trade deficit, says a report.

In the quarter ended March or first quarter of 2017, current account deficit widened to USD 3.4 billion, or 0.6 percent of gross domestic product (GDP).

"We estimate that the current account deficit widened to a four-year high of 3 percent of GDP in the second quarter from a low of 0.6 percent in first quarter of 2017," Nomura said in a report here today.

The widening in current account deficit will be likely on account of a sharp deterioration in the trade deficit which according to monthly customs data widened to 6.9 percent of GDP in the quarter ended June from 4.5 percent in the quarter ended March.

The report said despite the wider current account deficit, financing is not a concern.

It estimates that net capital inflows stood at 4-4.5 percent of GDP in the period, led by portfolio equity and FDI inflows, resulting in a positive (1-1.5 percent of GDP) balance of payments surplus.

The report said over the last two fiscal years, low commodity prices has driven the current account deficit to narrow to around 1 percent of GDP.

With commodity prices marginally higher and a cyclical recovery expected in coming quarters, the report expects the current account deficit to widen to a steady state of around 1.5-2 percent of GDP.

"But we see this as a sustainable level given high real rates and ongoing economic reforms, which should continue to attract FDI inflows," the Japanese brokerage said.
Dr. Stanley Okosun was on call the morning of Nov. 20, 2016, when he learned a young man was being airlifted from a Kansas hospital to the Bryan Trauma Center with a gunshot wound to the head.

When the man arrived, on a scale of 1 to 10 of how bad injuries can look, "this was a 10," Okosun said.

"Time was of the essence. We immediately activated the team. This was a big deal."

The patient, 25-year-old Brock Melton, had been hunting with his cousin, his cousin's girlfriend and a couple of other friends on family property near Courtland, Kansas.

Melton was accidentally shot in the head almost as soon as the morning began. Melton said he regained consciousness on the way to the hospital in his cousin's car, where his cousin's girlfriend explained to him what had happened.

That's the last thing he would remember for a while.

"It's all kind of a blur," Melton said at a press conference in Lincoln on Wednesday.

After the accident, over the next two days, he would undergo surgery and receive intensive care from Okosun, Scott Schroeder and the rest of the trauma team at Bryan Health West Campus. Part of Melton's skull had to be removed.

He was given a 20 percent chance to live.

But when Okosun walked into the waiting room with a big smile on his face the following week, Melton's family knew he had survived and was stable.

Melton would spend another month in the Bryan Trauma Center. From there, he started rehabilitation at Madonna Rehabilitation Hospital and Bryan Inpatient Rehabilitation.

Complications and a surgery following pneumonia required more hospital time.

In late January, Melton was ready to finish rehabilitation and excited to go back to his family's farm in Oak, Nebraska.

The thought of going back to farming was what kept Melton going in the months of his recovery, his father John Melton said.

"It was something for him to look forward to," he said.

Eight months later, Melton is able to get back on his tractor and do some farm work, including planting.

"We see what he can tolerate and plan accordingly," Melton's father said.

On Wednesday, Melton and those involved in his life-saving care were honored at Bryan Healths sixth-annual Tribute to Trauma Champions.

The event recognizes a survivor from a very serious trauma and their road to recovery. It also honors those who helped care for the person, including emergency first-responders, doctors, nurses, surgeons and rehab therapists.

This year's tribute was at the Cornhusker Marriott. The program included remarks from invited guests and an in-depth video on Melton's story, along with an on-stage reunion of Melton and his caretakers.

Okosun said the event is a win-win for many, in that it not only serves as a way for families to say thank you to every member of the team that helped them, but also showcases what the Trauma Center does.

"It's an opportunity for us to show the community why we do what we do," Okosun said. "The beauty of this work is getting to save a life. What drives us is results like this."
Ahmedabad: The Gujarat High Court on Thursday sternly rebuked Vadodara Municipal Commissioner Vinod Rao for sending a sitting judge a WhatsApp message about a case and sought an unconditional apology in the form of an affidavit.



The case relates to a petition moved by 10 shopowners at a commercial complex 'Pathik Bhawan' in Vadodara city who had challenged the proposed demolition by the Vadodara Municipal Corporation. Hearings in the plea have been continuing before the single judge bench of Justice RH Shukla since January.



The court had first issued a stay order on the demolition till January 10 and had subsequently extended it till Thursday when the matter was to come up for hearing.



A few days ago, Rao had sent a WhatsApp message directly to Justice Shukla in relation to the case which had infuriated the judge.



When Rao appeared in person, following the high court's order on Thursday, Justice Shukla reprimanded him: "Do you know that no one is supposed to approach the judge directly or indirectly when his/her petition is pending before the court. Being an IAS officer are you unaware about the judiciary's functioning?



"Don't you know your jurisdiction? How dare you send a direct WhatsApp message to a judge? Being a government officer, stop behaving like dictator. If you don't understand your duty, the court can initiate legal action against you."



"Your irresponsible behaviour and attempt to hurt the pride of the judiciary is a fit case to initiate contempt of court proceedings against you," the judge added.



The IAS official immediately tendered an apology before the court, which issued a written order directing him to submit an affidavit in apology and also include his text message in it. He was asked to remain present in the court on Monday with the affidavit.



Rao declined comments to media persons trying to contact him.


Panchkula: The special investigation team (SIT) has revealed that Dera Sacha Sauda had pumped in at least Rs 5 crore to fuel violence in Panchkula.

As per the investigations, Panchkula branch head Chamkaur Singh was the key person in procuring and spending the money which he had received from the Dera management.

After the registration of a sedition case against him on August 28, he went missing.



The Dera had also sent money to various places in Punjab.

The Times of India quoted sources as saying that the Dera followers were told that they would get compensation in case of loss of life during the violence.

Violence broke out at Panchkula after Ram Rahim's conviction, leaving more than 30 dead. At least six others were killed in violent incidents in Sirsa.

Meanwhile, two key followers of jailed Ram Rahim continue to evade the police.

The Haryana police said it was in touch with forces in other states and was hopeful the two Dera Sacha Sauda functionaries, Honeypreet Insan and Aditya Insan, would soon be arrested.

The police had sent a team to Lakhimpur Kheri in Uttar Pradesh bordering Nepal in search of Honeypreet, a confidante of the self-styled 'godman' serving a 20-year-old jail term for two rape cases.

It is suspected that she may have left for Nepal through the porous India-Nepal border.

Haryana Police on September 1 had issued a lookout notice for the two, fearing that they could leave the country.

(With PTI inputs)
Mumbai: Abu Salem has been sentenced to life imprisonment in the 1993 Mumbai blasts case. The terrorist, who was involved in the conspiracy and terror activities related to the blasts which resulted in the death of 257 people and 713 others were seriously injured, will spend the rest of his life in jail according to prosecution lawyer and special CBI counsel Deepak Salvi.

The prosecution did not demand death according to the norms of the extradition treaty under which Salem was brought back to India.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam confirmed that even though the extradition treaty between India and Portugal related to Salem says that he cannot be given death or a jail term of more than 25 years, the terrorist will spend his entire life incarcerated as the treaty was not binding on the court.

Both Salvi and Nikam claimed that it is now up to the Indian government to commute Salem's term to 25 years. If the jail sentence is commuted to 25 years then Salem will spend 13 more years in jail as he has already been in prison for 12 years.

Under the Portuguese law, the maximum prison term for murder is 25 years. Salem was extradited to India on November 11, 2005.
Beijing: Reacting to Gen Bipin Rawat`s remark that India should be prepared for a two-front war, China on Thursday wondered whether the Indian Army Chief`s statement represented the view of the Indian government.



Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang said, "We don`t know if he was authorised to speak those words or if it was his spontaneous words and whether his remarks represented the position of the Indian government."



Geng recalled the one-on-one cordial meet between PM Modi and Xi to express surprise over Rawat`s remarks.



"Two days ago President Xi Jinping pointed out to Prime Minister Narendra Modi that the two countries are each other`s development opportunities and not threats to each other," Geng added.



Geng said that PM Modi too had shown willingness to work with China to maintain steady development of bilateral ties.

"We should not treat each other as rivals," he said.



"So we hope that this military official could see clearly these trends and contribute to the development of India-China relations and say something more in that regard," Geng maintained.

What the Army Chief had said:

Yesterday, the Army Chief had said that the country should be prepared for a two-front war as China had started 'flexing its muscles', while there seemed to be no scope for reconciliation with Pakistan whose military and polity saw an adversary in India.

Referring to the 73-day long Dokalam standoff, he had warned that the situation could gradually snowball into a larger conflict on the northern border.

The Army Chief had stated that there was a possibility that these conflicts could be limited in space and time or could expand into an all out war along the entire frontier, with Pakistan taking advantage of the situation.

"We have to be prepared. In our context, therefore, warfare lies within the realm of reality," he had said and had added that the Army's supremacy among the three services must be maintained to successfully combat external security threats.

The Army Chief had further said that India could not afford to let its guard down against China.

"As far as northern adversary is concerned, the flexing of muscle has started. The salami slicing, taking over territory in a very gradual manner, testing our limits of threshold is something we have to be wary about and remain prepared for situations emerging which could gradually emerge into conflict," he had said.

In military parlance salami slicing denotes divide and conquer process of threats and alliances used to overcome opposition.

He was speaking at a seminar organised by the Centre for Land Warfare Studies.

(With Agency inputs)
Washington: The Trump administration has told US Congress that defence cooperation with India would be an important pillar in the bilateral relationship as it needs the country to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific region.

The Trump regime has informed the Congress that it "strongly supports" transfers of F-18 and F-16 fighter proposals put forth by Boeing and Lockheed Martin respectively.

These proposals have the potential to take Indo-US defence ties to the next level, it said.

"The reason why defence cooperation with India is so vital to US interests is because we need India to be a net security provider in the Indo-Pacific, a region that serves as the fulcrum of global trade and commerce, with nearly half of the world's 90,000 commercial vessels ? many sailing under the US flag, and two-thirds of traded oil travelling through the region," Alice Wells, acting assistant secretary of state for the South and Central Asian Affairs told a Congressional Subcommittee in a written submission.

Wells is scheduled to testify before the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on Asia and the Pacific on "Maintaining US Influence in South Asia: The FY 2018 Budget," today.

She said in her submission that the Indo-Asia Pacific region is also home to nearly half of the planet's population and some of the fastest growing economies on earth.

"Working with like-minded partners, India has the strategic and economic potential to uphold the international order that has served so much of humanity over the past seven decades. The investments we make in our security partnership now will pay dividends for decades to come," she said.

As fellow democracies, countering terrorism is the critical priority for both India and the United States, she asserted.

"India is situated in a dangerous neighbourhood, where terrorist attacks have killed both Indians and Americans alike. Joint training and capacity building are essential to expanding our CT cooperation," she said, citing the State Department Anti-Terrorism Assistance (ATA) program in which more than 1,100 Indian security personnel have received training from the US since 2009.

Wells said India is among America's most important strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific region.

"In the words of President Trump, the relationship between India and the United States has never been stronger, has never been better," she said in the testimony.

"The President's first meeting with Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in June set a positive tone and ambitious agenda for strengthening bilateral ties, particularly in the areas of defence, energy and trade," she added.

Talking about the trade between the US and India in her written submission, Wells said the economic relationship has largely been on a positive trajectory and America needs to do more to balance the trade deficit between the two countries, which totalled nearly USD 30 billion last year.

"We are working closely with USTR and the Commerce Department to address the concerns of the US business community regarding India, including tariff and non-tariff barriers, subsidies, localisation policies, restrictions on investment, and intellectual property concerns that limit market access and impede US exporters and businesses from entering the Indian market," Wells said.

"Our bilateral trade has more than doubled in the last decade from USD 45 billion in 2006 to more than USD 114 billion in 2016. US exports to India support more than 260,000 American jobs across all 50 states," she said.

Last year alone, investment from Indian companies supported more than 52,000 jobs in the United States, she added.

She said the Trump administration is committed to ensure that the trade relationship with India is fair and reciprocal, and continue to press India to further open its markets and create a level-playing field for US companies.

According to Wells, tremendous opportunities lies in India's civil aviation market.

In early January 2017, SpiceJet, a private Indian airline, announced an order of 155 new Boeing 737 MAX 8s, taking its tally for the aircraft model to 205 total planes.

The final assembly of the MAX 737 takes place at the Boeing production facility in Renton, Washington.

"...These transactions have an estimated value of USD 23 billion and according to Boeing, would create or sustain more than 130,000 jobs in the US," she said.

Another private Indian carrier, Jet Airways, ordered 75 737 MAX 8s in 2017, she added.

"We also see significant opportunities in the energy sector. India is the third-largest energy consumer in the world after China and the United States, and its large and growing population ensures it will remain one of the largest energy consumers for decades," she added.

"India's state gas utility, for example, signed a 20-year supply agreement with US-based LNG producer Cheniere Energy and has already taken delivery of multiple shipments of gas," said the top American diplomat.
New Delhi: Over 2,000 personnel of a "dying" paramilitary cadre will be "transferred" to the Intelligence Bureau (IB) to boost the on-ground presence of the agency on the eastern borders, where India is bolstering its defences by building roads and other military infrastructure.

A total of 2,765 posts of the civilian cadre of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) will be shifted to the IB command over the next year. Of these posts, 2,039 are operational.

"The civil wing of the SSB should be transferred to the IB lock, stock and barrel, including land, physical infrastructure, equipment among others," a government blueprint, accessed by PTI, said.

A top security official privy to the "ambitious" plan said a 300-page proposal for the transfer of the assets -- both manpower and infrastructure -- had been prepared at the SSB headquarters here and had been vetted by the home ministry and the office of the national security advisor (NSA) for final implementation.

He added that the manpower of the civil wing of the SSB, which is termed as "dying" as it does not have promotional and work avenues, would be deployed to bolster the IB's presence in the eastern border areas, where these officials have worked for long.

The average age of the cadre, the official said, was above 50 years and the personnel had done a lot of work with the people living along the Nepal and Bhutan borders.

They not only helped them integrate with the mainstream, but also acted as the "eyes and ears" of the SSB, the designated lead intelligence agency on the two borders.

The cadre was first raised in 1963, in the aftermath of the Chinese aggression of the previous year, to work in the border areas and promote a sense of national belonging and pro-India feelings among the local population.

It worked under the external intelligence agency - Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) - till 2001, under the name Special Service Bureau.

The name of the force was changed to Sashastra Seema Bal in 2003, following the 1999 Kargil conflict. It was then tasked with guarding the Indo-Nepal and Indo-Bhutan borders on the country's eastern flank.

"The transfer of the civilian SSB cadre will begin once the long-awaited cadre restructuring of the force is approved and implemented. All this will take about a year to take shape," the official said.

The blueprint envisages that once these officials are transferred to the IB, they will be "utilised for different activities related to intelligence, keeping in view the expertise and proficiency of the incumbents".

"These personnel have only been doing civic action work and publicity of government schemes in the far-flung border areas and anti-Naxal operation zones for close to two decades now.

"After the SSB was declared an armed force of the Union in 2001, they became a dying cadre as they were not uniformed personnel. Now, their experience and knowledge of the locals, languages and natural features of the border areas will be used to aid the hardcore intelligence work of the IB," the official said.

He added that as per the blueprint, the cadre, after the proposed transfer, "will be treated at par with the IB employees" and some of them might even be retained post retirement considering their expertise and knowledge of the field areas.

The cadre, for the last over 50 years, has been working in insurgency-hit areas along the border and Naxal-hit states, undertaking civic welfare programmes such as teaching children in schools, conducting medical camps and organising vocational training courses.

The men and women of this cadre were seen as fast losing their sheen as they were not getting timely promotions and could not opt for combat posts as their physical fitness did not allow them to perform arduous tasks and their recruitment rules were different from those of the uniformed staffers.

The SSB, with a strength of about 70,000 personnel, has been guarding the 1,751-km Indo-Nepal border since 2001 and the 699-km Indo-Bhutan border since 2004.

It is deployed along the international border in the states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Sikkim, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, with many of its posts located close to the Sino-India border.
New Delhi: India and the United States of America will conduct ''Yudh Abhyas'' joint exercise between their armies in September.

The exercise Yudh Abhyas  2017, will be held from September 14-27 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in the US.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas is one of the largest joint running military training and defence corporation endeavors between India and USA. This will be the 13th edition of the joint exercise hosted alternately between the two countries.

Over 200 Indian soldiers from the Gorkha Rifles will take part in the military exercise.

The exercise started in the year 2004 under US Army Pacific partnership programme.

Exercise Yudh Abhyas will provide an opportunity to the armed forces of both countries to train in an integrated manner at Battalion level with joint planning at Brigade level. Multiple scenarios will be rehearsed during the joint exercise with a view to understand each-others organisational structure and battle procedures which would result in a higher degree of jointmanship that would further facilitate interoperability between the armed forces of both countries to meet any unforeseen contingency across the globe. The exercise is also an ideal platform to learn from each-others experiences of planning and execution of operations.

Both armies will jointly train, plan and execute a series of well-developed operations for neutralisation of threats of varied nature. In the end a joint exercise will be undertaken by both countries in an operational setting under a UN mandate. Experts from both sides will also hold expert academic and military discussions to share each others experiences on varied topics for mutual benefit.

The exercise could irk China as India, Japan and the US held the Malabar Naval Exercise-2017 in the Bay of Bengal in July in a bid to achieve deeper military ties among the three nations.
Jammu: Lt General Devraj Anbu, who heads the Northern Command, on Thursday said that the Indian Army will breach the Line of Control and launch strike against enemies whenever the need arises in future.

Showing a firm stand on border disputes and continuous ceasefire violations from the Pakistan side, Anbu, the General Officer Commander-in-Chief (GOC) of Northern Command, also warned Pakistan of a similar action if it doesn't limit its terror activities.

When we want to we will be able to breach it (LoC), go across and strike when we need, Lt. Gen D Anbu was quoted as saying by ANI.

Reacting to the last year's surgical strikes by the Indian Army, he said, ''It was a point we wanted to drive home across that LoC is not a line that cannot be breached.''

Through Army's unprecedented action, we sent a subtle message that we wanted to convey, he added.

Justifying the surgical strikes by the Indian Army, Lt. Gen D Anbu said, ''A large number of terrorist camps and launch pads exist across south and north of Pir Panjal, they have not decreased, so this kind of action is needed.''

Anbu made these remarks in Udhampur.

Praising the efforts of the armed forces in checking incidents of cross-border infiltration, Lt. General Anbu said, ''While a lot of attempts are made by terrorists (to infiltrate) every year, but most are not successful, there has been a sharp decline.''

Our brave soldiers have been foiling their (terrorists) attempts to infiltrate into Kashmir Valley and elsewhere in the Jammu region, Anbu said.

Lt Gen Devraj Anbu was appointed as new chief of strategically important Northern Command in place of Lt. Gen. DS Hooda, who retired on November 30, last year.

Anbu took charge of the Command on December 1.

In September last year, the Indian Army carried out surgical strikes across the Line of Control dismantling at least seven camps in PoK.

A team of army commandos carried out the operation after getting a go ahead from the Narendra Modi-led BJP government.
ISLAMABAD: In a massive victory for India, Pakistan on Tuesday night admitted that banned militant groups Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) exist and operate from their soil.

Foreign Minister Khawaja Asif, in an interview to Geo.tv, acknowledged the existence of such LeT and JeM among the internationally banned outfits operating from within Pakistan.

What's the big surprise about this? We (Pakistan) too has banned these proscribed organisations, Asif told the anchor, further adding that the country has been trying to fight them for the last three years.

The acknowledgement comes a day after BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) nations unanimously condemned the violence carried out by terrorist groups, including LeT, JeM based out of Pakistan.

Asif went on to explain that BRICS concerns should not be considered as China's official stance on militant groups.

China should not be tested [every time], particularly in the changed scenario," said the minister while reffering to China's silence on the matter 2016 BRICS conference held in India.

The minister advocated the imposing some restrictions on the activities of elements like LeT and JeM, so that we (Pakistan) can show the global community that we have put our house in order."

Asif further admitted that the Foreign Ministry had published an advertisement, requesting people to avoid donating hides of sacrificial animals to proscribed organisations.

The entire world is pointing fingers towards us and we must put things in order, said the minister.

"Not making a political statement here. But I am telling you a fact. We will continue to face such embarrassment till the time we keep our eyes off these organisations in our country," he said.

The minister admitted that a clean break is required from our past. "In 1979, we made a wrong decision and acted like a proxy for the entire next decade. After 9/11, we again made a wrong decision and adopted a war which was never ours. We have bore uncountable losses of lives and properties in this war," he said.

Last month US President Donald Trump blasted at Pakistan while unveiling the new Afghan policy, for providing a "safe haven" to terror groups.

The minister, however, dismissed the theory of Pakistani soil being used for terrorism. "Pakistan has nothing to do with the terrorism. We have to tell the world."
New Delhi: Nirmala Sitharaman on Thursday took charge as India's first full-fledged woman Defence Minister and pledged to work for the welfare of the armed forces' family besides further strengthening the country's security apparatus.

It's in their welfare that we ensure soldiers remain assured their interests being taken care of, the newly-inducted Defence Minister said.

She also thanked PM Modi for instilling faith in her abilities.

I thank PM for having vested confidence in me and giving such critical portfolio. Armed forces will remain my 1st priority, she said.

Sitharaman was elevated to the rank of a Cabinet Minister and given the crucial charge in Sunday's reshuffle of the Narendra Modi Cabinet.

However, she could not take charge as Arun Jaitley, who has been holding the additional charge of Defence, was on a visit to Japan for a bilateral dialogue.

Jaitley had said on Sunday he was going to Japan for the meet even though ideally Sitharaman should have attended it but logistical arrangements at the last moment were not possible.

In past, then Prime Minister Indira Gandhi had held the defence portfolio twice - from December 1 to December 21 in 1975, and January 14, 1980 to January 15, 1982.
Lincoln's top drug investigator warned area businesses Wednesday not to sell products containing cannabidiol, a cannabis-derived compound.

State prosecutors said last week the chemical remains illegal despite recent changes to Nebraska law.

Capt. Chris Peterson and Police Chief Jeff Bliemeister said the department agrees with a memo Attorney General Doug Peterson sent to law enforcement and prosecutors statewide Sept. 1.

In his memo, the attorney general said Nebraska law only authorizes the possession of cannabidiol in conjunction with a University of Nebraska Medical Center study and possession of any FDA-approved drugs containing it.

The FDA exception was added to a state law earlier this year.

So far, the FDA has not approved any such drugs, according to the attorney general.

Any possession, distribution or manufacturing of cannabidiol outside of those exceptions is unlawful and will be subject to prosecution, the attorney general's office said.

The memo follows the opening of stores in Omaha purporting to sell supplements containing the chemical, according to media reports.

Cannabidiol is extracted from the Cannabis sativa plant and is distinct from the cannabinoid that is responsible for the drug-related high.

Proponents of medical cannabis have touted cannabidiol as a possible therapeutic treatment for debilitating diseases.

"Regardless of what you find on the shelf in Lincoln or what a store owner tells you, if you know that it contains (cannabidiol), if you possess it or use it, that would be a violation of the law," Capt. Peterson said.

Lincoln police declined to say whether officers have seized any products containing the cannabis compound and would only say the department has several ongoing investigations.

Peterson likened the issue to probes into synthetic marijuana the department led following a spate of K2 overdoses in 2015.

Violators, Bliemeister said, will be held accountable to the full extent of the law and could face prison time and fines similar to those levied against the head shop owners in the K2 case.

Lincoln police will not be inspecting store shelves for lawful products, the drug investigations captain said.

"You have a responsibility to make sure you know what you're selling," Chris Peterson said.

Read Nebraska Attorney General Doug Peterson's full memo on cannabidiol below.
Beijing: China's fifth-largest state-owned bank has had its credit rating downgraded to junk status by Moody's, the latest sign of fragility in the country's financial system.

The decision to downgrade Bank of Communications was based on the lender's lack of customer deposits and over- reliance on expensive and volatile alternative sources of funding, Moody's said today.

It follows a Chinese government crackdown on banks using excessive leveraging, including unregulated "shadow banking".

"Moody's review on BoCom was triggered by the bank's increasing reliance on wholesale funds in recent years and declining profitability," said the credit ratings agency in a statement today.

The downgrade was driven by BoCom's "weaker funding profile when compared to other state-owned Chinese banks", particularly weaker deposit holdings, it said.

BoCom's baseline credit assessment was moved from baa3 to ba1 - crossing the "junk status" threshold.

Chinese officials fear domestic banks' growing dependence on less stable funding sources such as the sale of financial products and interbank lending, rather than traditional deposits, could imperil economic growth and stability in the world's second-largest economy.

In March, the newly appointed head of China's banking watchdog pledged to end regulatory "chaos" in the country's banking system and cracked down on these instruments, limiting the availability and increasing the cost of financing sources on which BoCom depends.

The increase in funding costs was expected to put pressure on BoCom's profits, Moody's said.

Much of China's growth over the past decade has been underpinned by debt-fuelled investment in infrastructure and real estate, but has slowed in recent years.

BoCom is 41.26 per cent owned by the Chinese central government. It is the country's fifth-largest lender by assets, although its holdings are considerably smaller than those of nation's famous "Big Four", which hold proportionately more deposits.
New Delhi: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Thursday opposed the bail plea of alleged hawala dealer Muhammad Aslam Wani, accused of money laundering.



Public Prosecutors Navin Kumar Matta and Rajeev Awasthi told Additional Sessions Judge Sidharth Sharma that there are serious allegations against Wani.



"If accused will be released on bail at this juncture, the entire effort of the ED to unearth the large conspiracy would be a futile exercise," the ED pleaded.



The prosecutor also submitted that the investigation is at a very crucial stage, since call records and emails leading to Pakistan, London, Dubai are to be scrutinised and the donors who have paid money to the accused are to be identified and examined.



Wani is involved in generation of huge money from various countries, including Pakistan, to fuel and foment unrest in Kashmir, the ED told the court.



The ED arrested Wani, currently in judicial custody till September 13, on August 6.



Wani had reportedly confessed that he had passed on hawala money amounting to Rs 2.25 crore to Kashmiri separatist leader Shabir Shah. The ED had registered a criminal case against them under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).



Shah was arrested on July 25 on charges of money laundering in a case dating back to 2005 when the Delhi Police Special Cell arrested Wani.



In the 2005 case lodged by the Special Cell, the court had acquitted co-accused Wani of the charges of dealing with criminal conspiracy and other offences but convicted him under the Arms Act, his defence counsel told the court.



The ED submitted that conviction under the Arms Act is a triggering point to take action under the PMLA.



It said that if Wani is released on bail, he can try to influence evidences. The agency also said that Wani had not joined investigation in the case and ignored summons.



The court has listed the matter for September 14 for further hearing.
Jammu: Intensifying its ongoing probe into the cross-border financing of Kashmiri separatists, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Thursday raided residence of Hurriyat leader Aga Hassan in Budgam district of Jammu and Kashmir.

Earlier on Wednesday, swooping down on few traders and alleged hawala dealers, the NIA carried out searches at 27 places in various parts of the Kashmir Valley and Delhi and seized nearly Rs 2.20 crore in cash in raids relating to probe into terror-funding activities in the state.

During the operations, houses and business establishments of those suspected of channelising funds to fuel secessionist and anti-India activities were searched, an NIA spokesman said.
Bengaluru: The Karnataka government has formed a Special Investigation Team (SIT), headed by IGP BK Singh, to probe the cold-blooded murder of journalist-activist Gauri Lankesh.

The 21-member SIT team with DCP (West) MN Anucheth as the Investigating Officer on Thursday started its probe into the murder of Gauri Lankesh.

Lankesh, known for her left-leaning outlook and forthright views against Hindutva politics, was shot dead on Tuesday night by unidentified men at her residence.

While several journalists and political personalities condemned the killing, top leaders of the Congress and the BJP were locked in a spat over the killing.

Congress chief Sonia Gandhi on Wednesday said the "series of killings" of rationalists, free thinkers and journalists in the country has created an atmosphere that dissent, ideological differences and divergence of views can endanger our lives.

Echoing her views, Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi said, It is a philosophy...anybody who speaks against the ideology of BJP and RSS, is pressurised, beaten, attacked and even killed.

People say that the PM is quiet and not said anything, the point is that the entire ideology is to crush dissent, Rahul Gandhi added.

Calling PM Modi a skilled 'Hindutva politician', Rahul said, "Sometimes, under pressure, the Prime Minister makes some statements. But the entire idea is to crush dissent," adding that "non-violence is the history of this nation... Murder cannot be justified".

Union Minister and senior BJP leader Nitin Gadkari hit back, terming as "irresponsible, baseless and false" the Congress allegation seeking to link the killing of Gauri to the BJP or people following its ideology.
Mumbai: A special TADA court here will on Thursday pronounce its sentence against the five men convicted in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case.

The court had convicted the five men on June 16 for the blasts, which had killed 257 and injured 713 people.

The convicts include Feroz Abdul Rashid Khan, Taher Merchant, Karimullah Khan, Abu Salem and Riyaz Siddiqui. Mustafa Dossa, who was also convicted, passed away on June 28 when the arguments on sentencing were going on.

The case against him has been closed.

The Central Bureau of Investigation wants life imprisonment for Abu Salem - convicted under stringent sections of the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act or TADA.

Ahead of the sentencing of the accused in the 1993 Mumbai blasts, Advocate Deepak Salvi has indicated that most of the convicts are likely to get death sentences.

"There are seven accused in front of the court right now. Six of them have been convicted. One was convicted for abetment of conspiracy for which the maximum punishment is life sentence. The other six are convicted for the main conspiracy for which their punishment can be death sentence," Salvi was quoted as saying by ANI.

He added that the sentence for Abu Salem can differ as he was extradited from Portugal.

"Portugal doesn't have death sentence. We cannot give him death sentence because of the extradition treaty," he said.

Arguments over the degree of sentences continued after the conviction in June and concluded on August 10.

All the accused were facing multiple charges like criminal conspiracy, waging war against the government and murder of people.

This was the second leg of the trial - in the first leg that concluded in 2007, the TADA court had convicted 100 accused in the case, while 23 people were acquitted.

The attacks were planned by Dawood Ibrahim, India's 'most wanted' fugitive who also has his name prominently figuring on the 'most wanted' lists of the US and the Interpol. (

With ANI inputs
Mumbai: The TADA court on Thursday sentenced gangster Abu Salem and Karimulla Khan to life and imposed a fine of Rs 2 lakh each in 1993 Bombay blasts case. Convicts Taher Merchant and Feroz Khan were awarded death sentence in the attacks. Riyaz Siddiqui was been sentenced to 10 years.

Abun Salem, who was convicted under various provisions in the case, escaped capital punishment due to an extradition treaty existing between the Portugal and India.

Through his lawyer, Salem also requested the special TADA court not to keep him in solitary confinement, citing grave threats to his life.

Salem pleaded before the court that since he had been attacked inside the jail by his rivals at several occasions in past, he should not be kept in solitary confinement.

Abu Salem filed an application in the special TADA Court seeking jail transfer to Delhi so that he can attend pending proceedings there.

Salem also sought court's permission for registration of his marriage with a woman he is believed to have married secretly.

According to a report published in a local tabloid in 2015, Abu Salem had married a woman over phone during a train journey when he was being taken to Lucknow for a court hearing under police escort.

Salem had earlier requested a Mumbai court to grant him the permission to attend the office of the Registrar of Marriage.

The dreaded underworld don had also submitted citations of two high courts claiming convicts were given such relief for entering into wedlock.

Why Abu Salem escaped Death Sentence?

Abu Salem, one of the prime accused in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts, was found guilty of transporting the weapons from Gujarat to Mumbai. But why Abu Salem wasnt given death sentence in the 1993 Bombay blasts case?

Abu Salem was arrested in Lisbon, Portugal along with his then girlfriend and former actress Monica Bedi on September 20 in 2002. After two years, a Portugal court cleared his extradition to India, to face trial in the 1993 Mumbai bomb blasts case, and handed him over on the assurance that a death sentence would not be handed out to him.

The extradition treaty was signed between the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and visiting Portuguese President Anibal Cavaco Silva which said that Salem would not be given a death sentence or life imprisonment beyond 25 years.

Senior lawyer Ujjwal Nikam confirmed that owing to an extradition treaty between Portugal and India, Salem cannot be given death or a jail term of more than 25 years.

As per the extradition treaty, Abu Salem cannot be given life imprisonment beyond 25 years, out of which Salem has already completed 12. Both Salvi and Nikam claimed that it is now up to the Indian government to commute Salems term to 25 years. If the jail sentence is commuted to 25 years then Salem will spend 13 more years in jail as he has already been in prison for 12 years.

Rise of Gangster Abu Salem

Abu Salem, alias Abdul Saleem Ansari was born to a lawyer father in Saria Meer in Azamgarh district of Uttar Pradesh. Salem is believed to have come to Delhi and started his career as a taxi driver. He then moved to Mumbai in the mid-1980s and started off as a petty criminal during his stint at a telephone booth in Andheri.

During this time, he came in contact with Dawood Ibrahims younger brother, Anees. Salem soon rose up the ladder and became a part of the D-gang.

A series of 12 blasts rocked Mumbai on March 12, 1993, killing 257 people and injuring 713 others.

The blasts took place at Bombay Stock Exchange, Katha Bazaar, Lucky petrol pump near Sena Bhavan, opposite Passport office near Century Bazaar, Fishermens colony at Mahim Causeway, at basement of Air India Building, Zaveri Bazaar, Hotel Sea Rock, Plaza Theatre, Centaur Hotel (Juhu), Sahar Airport (Bay no.54) and Centaur Hotel (near airport).
Aizawl: As students' strike in Mizoram University demanding appointment of a regular vice-chancellor entered second day, state Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla on Thursday appealed to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to appoint the VC quickly in the central university.

Lal Thanhawla said he had already written to Modi on May 6, 2016 and the HRD minister informed him then that the process of VC selection was taken up afresh.

"It is now more than a year since then and I am given to understand that the file is currently lying with the present Union HRD Minister for a couple of months at his desk," he said to the prime minister in a letter.

Since yesterday, the students were were boycotting classes and preventing teachers and non-teaching staff from entering the campus, the chief minister said.

It being the only central university in the state, prolonged delay in the appointment of VC would jeopardise the future of many students, he said.

Meanwhile, the Mizoram University Student Council (MZUSC) continued boycotting classes and all the academic and non-academic activities.

The Mizoram University had been without a regular VC for almost two years and repeated appeal to the Union Minister Prakash Javedekar and officials of the Ministry of Human Resources Development bore no fruits till date, the MZUSC said.
Bhubaneswar: the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) will fight alone in the next Odisha assembly elections, said party chief Amit Shah on Thursday.

BJP will not form an alliance with any regional party, he added.

Unveiling the BJP's 'Mission 120' for Odisha, Shah on Wednesday claimed that BJP will come to power in Odisha with two-third majority in the next assembly elections.

He further criticised Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for celebrating his best administrator award given by news magazine.

Surgical strike speaks of the strong political will of the Modi government. This govt can do everything to defend the country, said Shah.

Accompanied by Union Petroleum and Natural Gas (PNG) Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and state BJP president Basant Panda, Shah visited the 11th century Lord Lingaraj Temple.

Shah is scheduled to address a workers' gathering at the Janta Maidan on Friday.
Chennai: "Baahubali" star Rana Daggubati on Wednesday was appointed the brand ambassador of Telugu Tigers team in the second edition of Premiere Futsal which kicks-off in Mumbai on September 15.



In a statement, it was also announced that Rana is the co-owner of the team.



Deco, the former Barcelona and Chelsea star, has been named as the marquee player for Telugu Tigers.



Rana is confident the team will rock in this year's competition.



"It has been a matter of great pride and honour to be associated with Telugu Tigers in Premier Futsal. I am sure with Deco as a marquee player in the team; the Telugu Tigers will rock this year. I am also sure that my fans will come in large numbers to support my team in Premier Futsal across every centre," Rana said in the statement.



On being signed as the team's marquee player, Deco said: "I am really excited to have got an opportunity to travel to India and play in Premier Futsal. Unfortunately, I could not play last year in the inaugural edition due to injury but this year I am excited and looking forward for the experience."



In Mumbai, the first round of matches will be played till September 17. The next round of matches will be played in Bengaluru from September 19. The semi-finals and final will be held in Dubai from September 26 to October 1.



The inaugural edition of Premier Futsal was played in 2016, and it was won by Mumbai 5s.